AN: Sorry if this seems rushed. I pulled an all-nighter just to finish this.
The city's streets were blanketed with snow one cold December day. Businesses and homes were fully decked out in all manner of Christmas-appropriate knick-knacks. However, while everyone was enjoying the festivities, certain people were walking the streets. Or rather, patrolling. Despite the season and weather, officers of the ISCPO (International Supernatural Criminal Police Organization) were still hard at work, patrolling the streets. Others were taking this time to spend Christmas with friends and family. One evening, at The Pound, an officer was checking the cells, taking account of all the prisoners.
He was checking the boxes on his clipboard when he noticed one cell was off. He looked over and shined his flashlight into the cell only to see its occupant gone. Seemingly without a trace. He passed through the forcefield that only uniformed officers can and checked all over. The prisoner seemed to have vanished without a trace.
"Guys! This is Sergeant Mike McCoy! It looks like one of the inmates has just- AAH!" The cop tried to radio for backup when something leapt down from the ceiling and landed on top of him.
The officer tried to push the creature off him, but it was too strong. All he could do was scream as the creature mauled him and tore him to shreds.
Meanwhile, at one of the force's precinct buildings, the officers were throwing a huge Christmas party in the building's gym. Officers Luz Noceda and Anne Boonchuy were talking with their families.
"I gotta say, this place knows how to party." Mr. Boonchuy remarked.
"I still can't believe you guys became cops." Mrs. Boonchuy chuckled.
"What can I say?" Anne said.
"By the way, we got some wild stories. Wanna hear a couple?" Luz offered.
"Let's save those for later, Mija." Camila told her daughter.
Meanwhile, Lieutenant Huckleberry Hound was at the snack table, stirring a bowl of eggnog. You brought the ladle up to his lips and sipped.
"Could use some more cinnamon." He noted as he left to find some.
When he came back a minute later, he found Yogi guzzling down the eggnog. Another Lieutenant of the precinct, Mao Mao noticed as well and glared at the bear.
"Yogi! What have I told you about-"
The scolding was interrupted when everyone suddenly had their attention grabbed by Inspector General Devon Callaghan.
"I'm sorry to interrupt the festivities, but can I have your attention?" He announced as everyone turned to him.
"This better be good." Shawn grumbles as he chugs down some eggnog.
"I sure you, Officer Burrowitz, it is." The head of the force told him. "We have recently received reports of one of our most dangerous prisoners escaping and is currently at large after mauling three guards to death while using one of their badges to escape."
"Just one? What's to say one perp has any chance against us." Officer Lynn Loud scoffed.
"I'm with you on that." Polly agreed.
Devon cleared his throat as he turned on the monitor.
"Now, you're all heard of Krampus, right?" He asked.
"Wasn't he the one we killed last Christmas when he laid siege on Unkitty's castle?" Amity said.
"Yes, the very same." Callaghan confirmed. "Now, shortly after the incident, we were able to arrest his wife, Perchta."
"Hang on, Krampus has a wife?" Valentino asked has Victor gagged.
"Looks like someone was desperate." The younger brother snarked.
"Ha! Nice." Eda laughed as she and Victor fist-bumped.
"Anyway," Devon interjected. "We have to be on high-alert and will have to cut the festivities short."
Disappointed moans and murmurs erupted from the crowd. Before anyone, could say anything, Bluey got a call on her radio.
"Officer Bluey Heeler, go ahead." She answered.
What she got in response were terrified screams and frantic panting. Everyone who heard that was put on edge.
"Mabel? Dipper? Is that you?" Bluey gulped. "Guys, what's going on?"
"We found her! Well, more like she found us!" Mabel shrieked as they could hear the sound of the engine revving, tires squealing and sirens screeching.
"Get this across all precincts! Repeat! ALL PRECINCTS!" Dipper called.
With that, the call ended. Everyone was left speechless. That was until Chase broke it.
"Alright, you hear him! Let's move, people!" The police pup barked.
As everyone filed out of the gym, they were beyond confused when they saw that the hall was full of red and white striped presents.
"Woah! Where'd all these presents come from?" Unikitty squealed.
"I didn't know we had a Secret Santa planned." Puppycorn said.
"We don't." Richard told them.
"Well, whatever these are, this one had my name on it." Lori said as she picked one up and shook it a little.
"Lori, this is no time for presents." Lincoln told her.
But it was too late. Some officers and civilians cautiously picked up some presents themselves. Augie in particular saw the phrase 'OPEN ME!' written on the side of the box she picked up. Unable to contain her curiosity, she tore open the wrapping paper and pulled the box open.
"What did you get?" Shag asked.
"I got a... jack-in-the-box?" Augie said in confusion before that turned to glee. "I haven't had ad one of these things in forever!"
"Why do I suddenly feel a sense of unrelenting dread?" Doggie Daddy gulped.
Augie grabbed the crank and started to wind it, humming along to the song that played.
"Pop goes the weasel." She and a few others sang along to the end.
However, nothing happened when the song ended. The lid stayed firmly shut.
"Must be broken." Augie said, slightly disappointed.
"That's okay, Augie, I-"
Her father was cut off when the lid slowly creaked open. That sight was slightly unnerving, but the young officer and a few others peered inside the box. Suddenly, a pair of white gloved hands grabbed the edges of the top. Many backed away from the box as a monstrous clown-like worm-like creature emerged from it.
"What the fu-"
Sergeant Reagan Ridley wasn't able to finish that sentence when the clown roared and everyone screamed. All the other presents in the hallway trembled before even more demonic toys burst out of them, ranging from rabid stuffed animals, to possessed dolls and even possessed toy vehicles. Everyone wasted no time and scattered as the toys attacked.
"Emergency lockdown!" Devon declared as he ran over to a red box mounted to the wall.
He punched the glass before pressing the big red button. A klaxon wailed throughout the building as the interior was bathed in an eerie red light and metal shutters clamped on every window and door in the building.
"We can't let these things escape into the city!" The Inspector General cried as dodged an RC car that nearly smashed itself into his face.
"Yes, but you also trapped us in here with them!" Stewie reprimanded before being dragged off by dolls.
"And aren't other officers still out there?" Dylan Dalmatian reminded.
"Oh, crap." Devon cursed himself.
With no other choice, everyone proceeded to smash up every sentient toy they could find with anything they could find at the expense of the lives of a few officers. After fighting through that frenzy, they all made it to the front exit. There, everyone gathered into the cruisers, vans and trucks to either patrol the streets for their perp or escort their civilian family and friends home.
"Sorry that party turned into such a train wreck, Mom." Luz sighed as her mother rode with her and Amity.
"It's okay, Luz. To be honest, I should've expected this considering your line of work." Camila chuckled sheepishly.
"So, Luz, what do you..."
Amity was suddenly cut off when Luz slammed on the breaks.
"Luz, what was that for?" Amity panted from the shock.
"Look!" She said, pointing outside.
They looked and saw what appeared to be an recently abandoned ISCPO cruiser with its red and blue lights still flashing.
"Mam, stay here." Luz instructed.
Both Luz and Amity cautiously approached the squad car with their flashlights. Upon closer inspection, they saw the car was covered in dents and scratch marks. Amity looked to the front of the car and found the numbers on 012 on it. She immediately recognized it.
"Luz, this is Dipper and Mabel's cruiser!" She gasped.
Rushing back to their own, they buckled themselves in before driving away with lights and sirens blaring. While Luz drove, Amity called for help.
"This is Unit 020, Officer Blight speaking." Amity called. "We have just discovered the abandoned cruiser of Sergeant Dipper and Corporal Mabel Pines!"
Just Amity finished that sentence, something landed on the roof, smashing the lights and taking out the siren speaker.
"Luz! Amity! Talk to us! What's happening?" Gus called.
Before either of them could respond, chains suddenly wrapped around them. Amity tried to use her abominations to break through them while Luz tried her glyphs, but neither were strong enough to do so. The two were yanked out through the windows, their screams and the sounds of desperate gunshots echoing through the night. Camila rushed out of the cruiser and looked around frantically, trying to locate her daughter and her girlfriend.
"Luz?! LUZ!" Camila cried out, tears pricking at her eyes. "Oh Dios mio."
"Amity?! Luz?! Hello?! Are you still there?" Willow's voice called from the radio.
Elsewhere, Gumball and Darwin were with the Plantars and Boonchuys, trying to barricade their house from the incoming intruders.
"You think it'll hold?" Sprig asked as they stepped back to look at their handiwork.
"I hope so." Polly panted.
"You all got every window?" Anne asked.
"Yep!" Hop Pop confirmed.
"We used up every last board we could find." Gumball said.
"And the back door?"
Darwin started to sweat. The others noticed that and his nervous expression.
"Darwin?" Anne sneered.
"You got the back door, right?" Sprig chuckled anxiously.
They heard it shatter. Without a second to waste, the group rushed up the stairs and into Anne's room. Before Gumball could get inside, a hooked chain wrapped around his leg and he was pulled to the ground by one of the Krampus' elves. The blue cat screamed as the others struggled to pull him free. That was until Anne aimed her pistol and shot elf in the stomach, chest and face. There, they locked the door behind him.
"Thanks." Gumball panted.
"Don't mention it, dude." Anne replied.
"Anne! We got company!" Polly warned as an elf smashed through her window.
Luckily Darwin was able to knock him out with a thorough zap from his taser. Mr. and Mrs. Boonchuy then proceeded to throw him out the window before barricading it with the bookshelf.
"This is so not how I imagined this year's Christmas going." Anne's father panted.
"You're telling me." His wife said. "What is up with those guys?"
Just then, there was banging on the other side of the barricades.
"Well, you know how she wants revenge on the people who killed her husband and put her in jail." Anne explained hastily.
The late Krampus' minions were able to smash through the bookshelf. The ISCPO officers pulled out their pistols and opened fire on them, taking out as many as they could. When the bullets ran out, they tried their best to hold the horde back as best they could with their batons. Despite their best efforts, they were all in vain. They had light strings wrapped around their necks before they were pulled out of the window.
"NO!" The others screamed.
That was all before Gumball, Darwin and Polly were taken by the horde of minions who burst in through the door. Just as quickly they arrived, they booked it out of there. Hop Pop and Anne's parents couldn't even grieve when Hop Pop got a call on his radio.
"All units head to HQ. Repeat, head to HQ!" They heard Callaghan's voice call.
To say that there was outrage among officers' parents and loved ones would be an understatement. For instance, they almost had to cuff Doggie Daddy and Mrs. Boonchuy when they nearly attacked the force's head.
"I know you're all upset, but we have important intel that might just help in saving them." Devon told them, trying to calm the situation down.
"Sir, you better make this good." Mao Mao whispered.
Feeling the scrutinizing gazes, Devon cleared his throat.
"Now, based on reports Perchta and her minions were able to kidnap 12 boys and 12 girls; two for each day of Christmas. After extensive research, it's likely that they'll be used as sacrifices in order to bring back Krampus." He explained.
"Oh that makes us feel so much better!" Bandit snarked.
"I assure you, that we do have a plan to stop her before she harms a single kid." Devon said. "However, I will need your help."
There was a long silence, before someone spoke up.
"If it means saving our kids, I'm in." Mr. Boonchuy gulped.
"If he's in, I am too." His wife said.
Before long, other non-officers began voicing their support. They didn't have any time to lose. After a very informal deputizing, they set off on their mission, hoping and praying that they'd make it in time.
The group quietly trudged through the woods with flashlight and guns at the ready.
"Are you sure we're going the right way?" Doug Dalmatian asked quietly.
"Yeah." Cindy said. "Every officer's badge is fitted with a tracking chip."
Suddenly the group stopped. They peered through the woods and saw a ritual about to take place. Torches illuminated the clearing as the 24 captured children her wall tied to stakes and arranged in a circle. Luz, Amity, Anne, Polly, Augie, Kelsey Pokoly, Willow, Lynn Lucy, Bluey, Bingo and Tilly Green made up the girls. The boys consisted of Sprig, Shag, Gumball, Darwin, Lincoln, Clyde, Cricket Green, JP Mercer, Gus, Lucky and Puppycorn. In the middle of the circle as Perchta herself, holding the old desiccated heart of Krampus. While her minions approached the struggling victims with razor sharp daggers.
"Those bastards." King growled.
"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's blow this popsicle stand!" Eda exclaimed as she charged to the fray, much to the other's dismay.
Just as the dagger was about to touch Amity's neck, they were interrupted by the army of ISCPO officers and their honorary deputies with their guns aimed straight at them.
"POLICE! FREEZE!" Ryder boomed.
"Get your hands up! NOW!" Camila demanded.
The elves responded differently and charged at the officers. While the others were busy with the fight, Devon himself was able to slip past them before proceeding to untie and ungag their intended victims.
"Thank you, kindly." Tilly said.
However, he was halfway through freeing them, when a blast of ice barely missed his head. Perchta hissed and growled in frustration and conjured up monstrous snow golems to attack them. Just were taken down by Luz's fire glyphs. Some minions charged in, trying to attack, when they were taken care of by Amity's abominations and Willow's plants. Sprig, Augie and Polly run in and tackle her as Bluey and Bingo pin her legs down, but they were easily thrown off. Furious that her plans were going down the drain, the yuletide witch tried to flee when she was confronted by dozens upon dozens of miffed cops pointing their guns at her.
"Now, we're going to say this one more time. Get on the damn ground." Mao Mao growled.
In response, Perchta created a wave off snow that pushed everyone back and even partially buried a few. With that, she fled into the woods.
"Quick! After her!" Huckleberry cried as they gave chase.
Sticking together, the cops ran after her. However, they quickly found that the winter demon seemed to have vanished without a trace.
"Where'd she go?!" Lincoln exclaimed.
They scanned the area, searching high and low for their perp. Unfortunately, they found no sign of Perchta. Disappointed, the cops made their way back to their cruisers before driving off forlornly.
"Dang it, we were literally so close." Lori grumbled.
"That's a sad reality with this line of work, Lori." Lincoln sighed dejectedly. "You can't catch all of them."
As the motorcade of police vehicles drove down the highway, they were unaware of the film of ice the suddenly coated the asphalt. When Inspector General Callaghan, who was in front, slowed down to make a turn at a blind curve. He suddenly found that he was barely able to turn his cruiser. He tried braking, but he lost almost all traction. The tried to floor it in reverse, but it was too late. His cruiser hit a light pole before spinning out. Unikitty and Puppycorn, who were behind him screamed and tried to brake, only to collide with the wrecked cruiser. Soon, cruisers, trucks, vans and motorcycles became part of the growing pileup. By the end of it, every officer was at least battered by the collisions. Groaning in pain and sustaining nasty slice on his forehead, Officer Brett Hand was the first to come to. Reagan was thrown through the windshield and was laying unconscious on the cruiser's hood.
"Officer Hand, speaking." He groaned. "Anyone okay?"
"We are. I think?" Huey replied while he and Dewey trying to pry a battered louie from their cruiser.
As the officers started to come to, Perchta stalked towards the twisted piles of metal, glass and rubber. She ripped the doors of every wrecked cruiser she could find, yanking out and chaining up the 24 kids she needed, who were now far too battered to fight back. However, there was one hitch. She heard the sound of guns cocking. She turned around and saw the last three intact cruisers with Bandit, Chilli, and Doggie Daddy, as well as the deputized Camila, Mr. and Mrs. Boonchuy all pointing shotguns, rifles and pistols at her..
Perchta sneered at the officers and propped Bingo up, threatening to drive an icicle into her neck. The stare down was growing more intense with each passing second, either party daring the other to flinch first. Officers who were able to pull themselves out of the wreckage held their breath as they watched. The icicle inching closer to Bingo's throat, while the impromptu firing squad keeping their fingers hovering dangerously close to the trigger.
Suddenly, it happened.
Sprig suddenly headbutted Perchta, as Bingo quickly slipped out of her grasp. The officers in the line of fire ducked as the firing squad let the lead fly. Enraged by this, Perchta charged at them, only to be gunned down. As she writhed on the floor, they continued to unload round after round into the winter demon until finally Mr. Boonchuy emptied his revolver into her head for good measure.
"Officer Doggie here, requesting all available paramedics. Repeat, all available paramedics." Doggie Daddy called on his radio.
While he was doing that, the others set to work freeing the kids and helping the officers out of the pileup. When that was done, they were met with a group hug of gratitude, which they eagerly accepted.
"Thanks, guys." Anne said.
"Hey, that's what families are for." Her mother said with a grin.
"By the way, since you were deputized..." Sprig trailed off as he and Devon went to his crumpled car.
When they came back, they presented the deputized civilians with small boxes which contained the same badges the official cops wore, except they also had 'Honorary Officer' engraved on them.
"Sorry, they look so banged up." Luz said.
"No, we love them. Thanks." Camila assured. "Feliz Navidad."
"Merry Christmas to you too." Devon said.
