Chapter 8: The Master of Fear and the Pumpkin King

Jack Skellington was walking along downtown Gotham. Lock, Shock, and Barrel had definitely been here. He recognized the turmoil as their handiwork, especially the goo. It was not much different from they chaos they caused in Halloween Town almost a week ago. He was running to find their trail, when he saw a familiar white object walking past an alley.

Keeping his distance, Jack had followed it to an old toy factory. And he was correct in thinking it was Lock, Shock, and Barrel's bathtub. He watched the threesome picking up candy as they headed inside the gates. Thanks to his tall frame and agility, he was able to climb up the wall and jump over it. After finding a way inside, he saw a light go on underneath a doorframe. Here, he was able to open it a crack and take a peek inside.

Lock, Shock, and Barrel were inside, talking to a strange man, almost as skinny as Jack himself! He wore an old red shirt and brown pants and had a tall brown hat. He could not see his face, but Jack did not need a second glance to understand the costume was a scarecrow. He saw toys and pieces of toys that would fit right in inside Halloween Town scattered about. His hand was on a switch at one end of the room, about to pull it down.

Jack looked around for a light switch, and to his good fortune, it was right beside the door. Reaching a long, bony arm towards it, he grabbed it and pulled it down.

Lock, Shock, Barrel, and the Scarecrow jumped at the sudden loss of light.

"Whoa!" Lock exclaimed.

"Perhaps a fuse went out," said the Scarecrow.

"Maybe," said Shock.

She suddenly perked. She heard footsteps. She paused, listening. Lock and Barrel did too, as well as the Scarecrow. At first, the Scarecrow seemed worried, but then slightly relieved. The tread was not the heavy tread of the Batman...but now to find out what it really was. He drew his scythe, looking from right to left, hoping to find the source of the sound.

There was a sudden sound of rattling bones---not a sound effect, but real, rattling bones right behind them, along with a terrifying scream. Lock, Shock and Barrel jumped and screamed themselves. The Scarecrow, in surprise (but with a twinge of fear in the mix), fell back, dropping the scythe and falling back into the very switch he was about to throw. Lock, Shock and Barrel turned around and saw a tall, long-limbed figure standing over them.

"Jack!" the threesome exclaimed in both terror and surprise.

"'Jack'?" asked the Scarecrow, standing up.

He looked up at this new being, seven feet tall, only nine inches taller than him. He was even skinnier than the Scarecrow himself. In the dimness of the room, he could make out that this new creature wore a black pinstriped suit and a bow tie that looked like...a bat? Jack looked over at him. The Scarecrow could tell he was a skeleton, but nothing like he had ever seen, having eye sockets that changed expression, and a long stitch for a mouth.

His thoughts were soon interrupted. All of a sudden, there was a strange hissing sound. Lock, Shock, Barrel, and Jack looked around.

"What's happening?" Shock said aloud.

The Scarecrow smiled.

"You shall succumb to the fear."

Red gas began to leak out of hidden taps. The Scarecrow smiled, having developed an immunity to this particular serum the last several times he used it and breathed it in by accident. Lock, Shock, and Barrel all took in a very good dose. They fell to the ground and began to scream. This serum was obviously stronger than the ones the Scarecrow used on them earlier. Jack, however, was only effected a little. He closed his eyes tightly, pushing the fear back---then sprang into action and attacked the Scarecrow, who fell back in surprise.

"What?" he asked, trying to push the skeleton away.

"What's happening?" Jack demanded.

"It's a little formula I created," the Scarecrow said smoothly. "One that unlocks one's greatest fears."

He kicked Jack off and reached for his scythe. Jack moved, able to get away easily on his long limbs. The Scarecrow ran up and lopped off his head, chuckling wickedly. Jack's head rolled to the side.

"Oh please," he said, "That never works. I'm already dead."

Jack's body quickly grabbed his head and placed it back on, before he twisted his face into the most horrifying expression he could muster. The Scarecrow cried out in terror and fell back, once again dropping his scythe. Jack grinned wickedly.

"I have seen many other grown men shriek like babies."

"The Master of Fear does not scream. And as it seems my little potion is doing nothing as of right now---" He pulled out a vial of his newest formula, without time induction. "Catch!"

Jack dove to catch the vial, but the glass slipped through his bony fingers. There was a shatter of glass, and the vapors quickly went through his eye sockets and into his brain. The Scarecrow watched, a smile starting to form at his lips, as Jack pushed himself onto his knees, clutching his skull. He then began to cry out.

"No...no...NOOOOOOOOO!"

"And what does dear old Jack fear, I wonder?" the Scarecrow mused.

In Jack's head, he saw Sally, his dear, precious Sally, in the clutches of Oogie Boogie. In his vision, Oogie was back, bigger and more horrible than before. He was tearing his precious rag doll bride-to-be to shreds, then eating the pieces, while Jack watched helplessly, unable to save her. The big burlap sack of a boogie man laughed with glee.

"Mmm...sweet...tasty," he said, as he swallowed a morsel of Sally's arm.

Sally was screaming and trying to run away on a leg and a half. Oogie grabbed her and began to rip in half at the waist.

"No!" Jack shrieked, reaching his hand through the barred window, trying to get it open, but it was fused, and the bars were too narrow for him, of all people, to fit through. He could only stay there and watch poor Sally get torn to ribbons and devoured by Oogie.

The Scarecrow looked down at Jack. Jack struggled, screaming for Sally, to help her, but with no luck. He gritted his teeth, and soon...he was able to push that fear away. Jack blinked and looked up at the Scarecrow. He then looked around. Lock, Shock, and Barrel were cowering in a corner, again seeing the monstrous Oogie Boogie come back for them, but Jack had no way of knowing that. He stood up and looked over at the Scarecrow---at a mortal who was able to frighten the Pumpkin King himself, even for a moment.

Jack smiled, then came over.

"That was wonderful!" he exclaimed.

The Scarecrow looked confused.

"Wonderful? I nearly scared you to death---again---and you find my formula...wonderful?"

Jack nodded.

"Not many mortals have been able to scare me. Normally I scare them."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King of Halloween Town. It's my job to scare mortals. I've frightened millions into an early grave."

The Scarecrow smiled. So they had something in common.

"I am Jonathan Crane, the Master of Fear, though most others call me the Scarecrow. I study the nature and origins of fear. And at midnight tonight, this entire city will be frightened out of their wits."

Jack smiled and gave a small bow.

"I give you my congratulations. You truly must be the Master of Fear if you are able to frighten the Pumpkin King himself."

"Ah, but as you recall, you scared me first," said the Scarecrow. "When you first entered. You are just as deserving of the title you hold."

Jack smiled, then looked over to the corner, where Lock, Shock, and Barrel, coming out of their frightened state, were now starting to giggle like mad. Jack frowned, then turned back to the Scarecrow.

"I'm terribly sorry if they cause you any trouble, Jonathan," said Jack. He glared at the threesome. "They weren't supposed to be out tonight."

Lock, Shock, and Barrel stopped giggling immediately and gulped. All three hung their heads in shame.

"Oh, they were not trouble, I assure you," said the Scarecrow. "A handful for the city, yes, but not for me."

"Yes..." said Jack. "I noticed."

The little threesome did not dare to look at him.

"They are also in more trouble than they can begin to imagine when we get back to Halloween Town."

Jack turned back to the Scarecrow.

"It was nice to meet you, Jonathan. Perhaps we will meet again on another Halloween.""Perhaps," the Scarecrow replied.

"Now you three," said Jack, turning to the threesome, "are coming with me. Now."

Lock, Shock, and Barrel, heads still hung, started to leave. Their bathtub followed. Lock suddenly turned around.

"Bye, Mr. Scarecrow. We might---"

"See you again---" Shock continued.

"Next year!" Barrel chimed in.

"Assuming you three behave," said Jack. "Keep going."

Minutes later, the bathtub, skeleton, and three little children disappeared from view. The Scarecrow smiled to himself.

"What a charming little group," he said quietly. "Odd, yes, but charming."

He then turned the lights back off, expecting Batman to arrive at any given moment.

Just as the Halloween Town citizens left the factory, Batman pulled up. He never saw them as he and Robin got out of his car, climbed up the wall to the factory, grappled on the roof, and looked in the skylight. It was dark, but he could see bits of machinery and boxes of Rejectz. After lifting one of the windows, he and Robin grappled down, landing on the floor. A spotlight suddenly shone on them.

'Typical,' Robin thought.

"Welcome, Batman and Bat-brat," the Scarecrow's voice rang out through numerous speakers. "I've been expecting you."

"Give it up, Crane," Batman retorted. "I know your game."

"Is it a game you want?" the Scarecrow mocked. "Then playtime it is!"

More lights went on, showing off the hundreds, possibly even thousands of Rejectz in boxes and even more parts and pieces. Batman growled. Suddenly, the Rejectz in the boxes pushed the plastic lids to the floor. They burst out of their twist-tie bonds and jumped down to the floor. Batman growled and narrowed his eyes.

"I knew those things were loosely-packaged for a reason."

The Rejectz ran towards Batman and Robin. The parts and pieces moved on their own to attack them. It was not long before both heroes were drowned in a flood of toys.

"Having fun?" the Scarecrow said.

Batman and Robin swam up, beating down and breaking as many figures as many of the monstrosities as possible. The figures retaliated by covering their bodies. Their mutated pieces locked onto one another, causing temporary bonds for Batman and Robin.

"How rude!" the Scarecrow exclaimed sarcastically. "You broke my new toys after I so nicely let you play with them!"

"There's too many!" Robin cried out, trying to break more of the monstrous playthings.

"They're all under the same control," said Batman, trying to get to his belt. "If we can break these toy bonds long enough to just get on that ramp" ---he motioned with his head to the catwalk above them--- "we can get up to the control room. We destroy that, we destroy these mutated toys."

"Got it, said Robin.

After much struggling, Batman and Robin were each able to get to their Batgrapples. In another minute, two lines shot up and hooked onto the catwalk, with Batman and Robin going up for the ride.

"No!" the Scarecrow exclaimed, watching from the monitor.

The Rejectz grouped together faster, forming a wave to follow Batman and Robin. The heroes landed on the catwalk, threw any more clinging toys over the edge, then ran to the control room. The Scarecrow locked the door, but one decent kick from Batman, and he was thrown back, crashing into a chair and several controls.

"It's over, Scarecrow," said Batman.

He kicked the control pad.

"No!"

The Scarecrow swung his scythe at him. Batman ducked in time. The tips of his pointed ears fell to the ground, and his cape was torn. Batman grabbed the scythe and snapped it in half over his knee.

"Fool!" the Scarecrow exclaimed. He pulled out his newest formula and smashed it on the ground. Colorless gas spewed from it. Batman walked towards him.

"…What?" asked the Scarecrow. "Why isn't it working!"

"You made your formula too accessible. Robin and I each have the antidote, and as we speak, Batgirl and Nightwing are distributing it throughout the city. Your fear game ends now."

"No!" the Scarecrow cried, throwing a useless punch at Batman. "It was supposed to be the greatest experiment in fear ever known---you ruined it!"

"It was clever to hide it in the battery, though," Batman replied, returning the punch.

The Scarecrow fell to the floor. Robin grabbed the chair and used it to destroy the rest of the controls. The dolls outside fell down in huge piles. The life inside them immediately ceased. He smiled.

"Frankenstein's monsters are gone, Batman," he said.

"Good," said Batman. He grabbed the Scarecrow's collar. "And the controls to the dolls around the city---we saw the wiring and computer chips hidden in the Rejectz. Were those controls here?"

The Scarecrow nodded.

"Yes. Your little brat took care of them."

"Good," said Batman.

He grabbed the Scarecrow's wrists and secured them tightly in Batcuffs.

(A/N: Remember last chapter, when I said that come content fit better here? Yes, I wanted the toys to attack last chapter, but it fit better here---especially because it led to an accidental fight between Jack and Jonathan.

Vampire Naomi: If I allowed Lock, Shock, and Barrel to defeat Jonathan and "leave him for Batman to collect," there would be no chance of Jack and Jonathan meeting, which, to tell you the truth, was the entire point of this fanfiction. ;) As amusing as the idea would be for three little children to defeat a full-grown man, it would give this story an entirely different ending. I would hope this chapter stays in that "more amusing (and scarier) direction."

Wrongful Vanity: I am pleased that you as well are enjoying the mix of Batman and Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas. I assure you, the rest will come very shortly.

Spaceman Spiff: Your review brought a smile to my face and inspired me to update this. It pleases me very much to have another anxious reader. You are very correct about the Nightmare Before Christmas section of this website---rarely are Lock, Shock, and Barrel in character for more than ten seconds, or any character at all for that matter. Sadly, I rarely bother to readNightmare Before Christmas fanfiction anymore for that very reason. I worry about itmyself if they are in character or not, but reviewers before you assured me that Lock, Shock, and Barrel are indeed in character in this piece. You are also entitled to a Drakulah Reject. ;)

There is only one more chapter left after this. Do hurry back.)