The sound of music blared through the speakers, techno blasting in an attempt to get the crowd pumped before the concert began. As the trio walked up the bleachers and found their seats, squeezing past other students, Tucker leaned around and glanced at Danny for what seemed like the millionth time since leaving Sam's house.
In just a couple of hours, the damage he'd received from the fight was now almost nonexistent, with the exception of a couple of the deeper wounds that had been reverted to the equivalent of a bad paper cut. And he seemed happier too, more relaxed. Which was great, really. But Tucker wished he would take Freakshow's threat at least a little more seriously.
After all, had they ever known one of his enemies to just give up after something like that? And it wasn't like they could count on the Guys In White to step up and actually do their job.
Turning his direction to the stage, he stared at the curtains that were still drawn, keeping their view limited as the musicians prepared behind the scenes. As much as the school years tended to suck, the concerts they threw were always killer. A few of the students near the front were already chanting the band's name over and over, like the mantra would make them appear sooner.
"Check it out." Sam's voice drew his thoughts away, leaning closer as she showed him the book she'd been carrying earlier. "I knew that Gauntlet looked familiar, here it is!"
Spread across two pages, a detailed drawing of the Gauntlet and the gems that went with it were displayed with a lengthy description underneath.
"Does it explain how Freakshow got his hands on it?"
Tucker asked, his shoulder pressing into the girl's as his eyes scanned over the pages.
"No, but I get the feeling the Guys In White are responsible for more than just his escape."
Sam grumbled, flipping the page over and pointing at another picture.
"Look, it says here that the Gauntlet is controlled by four gems, each one with a different ability. When pushed in the right order, they allow the one wearing the Gauntlet the ability to control all of reality. And look, it says something here about a defense mechanism that protects the gems, a form of telepathy. You can hide a gem just by touching it and willing for it to vanish. Cool."
"Guys, come on! It's summer, remember? As in no more pencils, no more books?"
Danny complained, looking over at his two friends with an annoyed stare.
"You're not at least a little bit concerned by all of this?"
The books was lying out flat against Sam's lap, her words drawing a frown that Tucker had seen enough times to know it meant Danny's stubbornness was beginning to work against them.
"Frankly, no. Tomorrow we are out of Amity Park, and someone else gets to deal with all of this. It's my vacation, I don't want to deal with some creep who actually thinks he can control reality." Raising his hands in the air and stretching, Danny gave a lopsided smile. "Now can't we just enjoy the concert, we've never seen Dumpty Humpty live."
"Danny-"
Sam tried again, being shushed immediately by stern blue eyes.
"Sam, summer vacation, no more books."
"You might wanna take a look at this book, especially the author."
Tucker pushed, pulling it away from Sam and handing it to the halfa. Taking it begrudgingly, Danny smoothed the page and stared in exaggerated boredom at the words.
"Frederich Isak Showenhower. Okay, dude has a lame name, so what?"
"Oh, give me that."
Sam sighed, reaching over and grabbing one of the pages, folding it partially over itself and aligning the letters of the authors name carefully.
"Freakshow."
Danny whispered, the new name in bold font before him as the other two nodded.
"If he's the one who wrote this, then he knows everything he needs too to use the Gauntlet at its full potential!"
Sam said in a flurry as the book was thrust back at her and Tucker could see the stubbornness setting in again.
"Well, I don't care Sam. As of right now, Freakshow is not my problem."
He stated firmly, ending the conversation as he shifted in his seat and directed his gaze to the stage as the curtains began to rise and the cheering from the crowd grew louder.
"He's kidding, right? Tell me he's kidding."
The raven haired girl demanded, looking over at Tucker who merely shrugged.
"I don't think we'll get much out of him right now. We'll try again later."
"What, when Freakshow is right on top of us threatening the whole of reality?"
Her voice rose in pitch, but no one seemed to notice as the shouting took over the entire crowd, fists pumping in the air and excited chatter buzzing around.
"Oh man, I love this part!" Danny yelled over the other voices, a wide grin on his face as he leaned forward. "This is where the band comes out of a giant egg!"
The other two turned towards the stage themselves, Sam's arms wrapped tightly around the book as Tucker pulled out his PDA, making a note about the Gauntlet.
"Dumpty Humpty! Dumpty Humpty! Dumpty Humpty!"
The chanting grew louder as the egg started to tremble, the crowd beginning to stomp their feet to the rhythm of the music. The sound of a crack echoed past the stage as the egg turned and the cheering died down, replaced with gasps of horror.
Rather than it being a prop that allowed the band to pop out, a disgusting face appeared on the massive egg instead. The entire shell glowed a crimson red, its hungry eyes taking in the crowd as the middle split open, revealing daggered teeth drenched in ectoplasm. Screams resonated throughout the crowd as the mouth opened wider, letting out a monstrous roar as the band could be seen floating inside a pool of ectogoo.
"Are you kids ready to have a great summer?"
A voice boomed through the speakers, two spotlights moving to center stage as Freakshow strode into the limelight, a low sweeping bow given towards the audience.
"I'm really starting to hate this guy."
Tucker complained, grimacing at the cadaverous man as the air grew still and cold. A shadow swept over them and a firm hand grabbed ahold of Tucker's shirt collar, pulling him up and away from the bleachers with Sam in the ghost's other hand, carrying both of them to the stage.
"Will this vacation ever begin?"
He could hear Danny complain as he twisted in the ghost's grasp, hands grappling at her arm as Lydia lowered them to the stage, keeping an iron grip on the both of them and making escape impossible.
As they faced towards the audience, Tucker could see Danny looking around for anyone watching him, though everyone's eyes were glued firmly to the stage where it was obvious the action was happening. He watched his friend slip down unnoticed between the bleachers, disappearing from sight before a light flashed underneath, a sure sign of the halfa's transformation.
"Well, now that we have our guests of honor, all we need is a captive audience!"
He cackled, thrusting his hand out as seatbelts shot up from the bleachers, wrapping tightly around each student and faculty member, holding them securely to their seats. A view of everything for everyone it seemed. As Tucker tried pulling against Lydia, the ghost tugged harder at him, an irritated expression on her glowing face that clearly said he was to stop struggling.
"You know, I kinda dig the spikes."
He let out a nervous chuckle, hearing Sam groan next to him.
"Shows over Freakshow!"
Danny yelled, moving in fast.
"Is it? I thought it had just begun!"
As Danny flew closer at a breathtaking speed, Freakshow threw out his fist, the metal gauntlet connecting with Danny's chin and sending the halfa flying back the way he'd come. Tucker winced, watching as his friend crashed into the crowd, several people gasping as he sat up and shook his head, snow white hair falling into irritated eyes.
"Time for the second act!"
Freakshow laughed, turning around and pointing his finger at the drum set. A golden glow washed over it, morphing the pieces together and extending the wooden sticks while sharp spikes protruded from the metal rods. The yellow gleam turned into a scarlet red as the spiderlike creature stepped forward, its spiked legs cracking the platform beneath it.
Standing up, Danny glowered at the creature before he launched himself back into the air, flying right at it. A cheer echoed from the crowd and Freakshow merely smirked, waving his hand towards the creature as if to show it off.
Shooting a blast of ectoplasm at the creature, Danny ducked away from its leg, the tip piercing a hole into the floor as it stumbled forward to regain its balance. It began moving faster, knifed points thrusting at Danny as he dodged out of the way, Freakshow's crazed laughter reverberating around them.
"Pest control isn't your specialty, is it Phantom?"
Jumping out suddenly, the spider is launching its front legs forwards, barely missing Danny's chest as the boy stumbled backwards, back hitting the stage hard as he scrambled out of the way. Pushing himself up, students cheered for his victory, the shouts distracting him briefly from the fight as green hues darted towards the audience.
In the moment it took to look to the crowd, the spider had shot out a webbed net that grabbed ahold of the halfa and dragged him to the other end of the stage, tugging him off past it to the football goal post and securing him there.
"He can't catch a break today can he?"
Tucker muttered, his eyes darting around looking for something to fight back with while Danny struggled against the bindings, the glowing web dripping with ectoplasm.
"Any last words?" Freakshow taunted, lifting his right arm slowly and grinning at the ghost boy. "Might I suggest, 'Ah! Don't hurt me!'"
He cackled, the Gauntlet humming with power.
"We've gotta help him!"
Sam hissed, looking up at Lydia who was watching the show as intently as everyone else. Tucker nodded in understanding, an idea hitting him as he began reaching his arm up, grabbing ahold of the ghost's hood and pulling it forwards over her head to cover her eyes.
The fabric caught on the spikes protruding from her head as Tucker tugged it down over her face with all the force he could muster. The ghost's hands immediately let go to uncover her eyes, and Sam gave a hard jab to her chest with her elbow, making her stumble back. Shoving his hands into her shoulders, Tucker sent her flailing off the stage, her scream distracting Freakshow from Danny momentarily.
"Leave him alone!"
Sam yelled, running towards Freakshow and hurling her book at him. Tucker had to hand it to her, she was brave as hell and she really had good aim. The book hit Freakshow square in the face, sending the man stumbling backwards as the action elicited another bout of cheering from the crowd. Grabbing the fallen book and looking at the open page, a repulsive smile crossed over the man's features.
"I see we have similar taste in authors."
The man crooned, showing off unnaturally whitened teeth as he raised his arm. Before he could attack her, she was yelling, jumping forward and grabbing ahold of the gauntlet, obviously catching the demented man off guard.
"What are you doing you little brat, let go!"
He growled, shaking his arm furiously as she struggled to keep her grasp on it. Tucker didn't hesitate to run after them, throwing his own meager weight on the Gauntlet as well, arms wrapping tightly around and grasping ahold of a gem, trying to pry it free.
"This is not part of the act, let go or I'll feed you to the egg!"
"Oh yeah? Try it Creepshow."
Tucker shot back, a scowl sent in his direction as Danny finally broke himself free, speeding over to his friends aid. Following their move, he latched onto the Gauntlet himself as Freakshow howled in rage.
"You nasty little children, let go!"
His Gauntlet began to glow as his body surged into the air, hovering far above the stage below them. With a snarl he threw his arm up, a blast of energy sending all three of them flying into the sky.
A scream rippled simultaneously out of the trio, flailing limbs smacking into one another as they fell back towards the ground, their hands reaching out for the Gauntlet. As they scrambled to grab hold of the metal arm, their hands brushed over the different stones, each color in turn glowing a little brighter as Freakshow's eyes widened.
"You've done it, you've figured out the combination of the gems. I now have control over all reality!"
He cackled as the friends exchanged a wary glance, Sam's arms wrapping tighter around the Gauntlet.
"Guess again, Cueball. As long as we're touching the gauntlet, we have just as much control as you do!"
"Let go!"
The man snapped, throwing the group into the air once more only to have them dangle again from his arm. Tucker strained to keep his grasp, trying futilely to pry one of the gems from their place with his shaking fingers.
"Guys! Remember the defense mechanism! Think of somewhere to hide the gem you're holding!"
Sam rushed out, closing her eyes tightly as Freakshow waved his arm around, doing his best to get them off of him.
"Stop it, what do you think you're doing?"
He demanded as Tucker closed his eyes as well, playing the image of one place over and over again in his head, the one place he'd love to be right now. Though frankly, just about anywhere beat dangling from the creepmasters arm at that moment.
As the image and the name run through his mind on a loop, the gem he'd been trying to pry out just seconds earlier disappeared from beneath his palm, Tucker's eyes ripping open to see that it was in fact gone.
"No, what have you foolish kids done?"
Freakshow roared, flinging his arm once more and sending them hurtling to the stage. In a crash that sent scraps of wood flying, Tucker sat up with a groan, a hand raised to his head and resting on his red beret.
"You alright?"
He murmured, looking over at the Goth girl as she sat up slowly herself, blinking a couple of times.
"I'm fine. Where's Danny?"
Looking up, their fight was still underway; punches exchanged by both parties that lit up the sky in flashes of neon green. The blinding color stopped abruptly before an explosion above had ectofire shooting out in all directions, the two shielding themselves with their arms as another loud crash behind them revealed a furious Freakshow, his body trembling with anger.
"The gems are gone!" He growled, a spiteful gaze shot towards the two as they stood brushing splintered wood off of their clothes. "Lydia!" He demanded, the ghost flying to his aid immediately. "Take us away from here! Dramatically!"
He commanded, crimson red hues locked hatefully on the kids as a mass of swirling ectoenergy surrounded the two of them, Lydia and Freakshow disappearing from within it moments later.
"You gotta admit, the guy has style."
Tucker shrugged, feeling Sam's hand on his arm.
"But where's-"
Her words were cut off by the sound of more splintering wood as Danny plummeted to the stage, falling directly in front of the stationary drum kit that had since returned to normal, the halfa groaning quietly in a collapsed heap.
His body was trembling, green blood dripping from his mouth as his head lifted slowly, glancing at his friends. Neither of them moved as he pushed himself to his knees with trembling arms, stifling another groan as he forced himself to stand.
He wavered in his place, dazed green eyes unable to focus as he stared at them as the ring of light appeared around his midsection and traveled up and down, transforming the phantom back into his human half against his control.
Tucker wondered briefly if he should try to shield him but the crowd had a perfect view and the mass sound of gasping behind him told him it was already too late to do anything.
No one moved even an inch, but Tucker could see the boys bright blue eyes darting around as he came to his senses, looking from the crowd, to his friends, and up into the sky where the Amity Park news chopper hovered, having been capturing all the action from the fight.
His body still trembled, a mixture of red and green blood now spilling past his lips and trailing down his left arm as the boys mouth opened, though no words came out. He blinked a couple of times, scared, pleading eyes looking to his friends as his voice finally reappeared, a trembling warble to its words.
"Uhm, no one saw that, right?"
A/N
Because someone asked, I thought I would let you guys know that I do fully plan on have chapters with Jazz, Maddie, and Jack's POV's in them. I'm also toying with the idea of another bonus chapter with a closer look at the Guys In White, and what they're doing during all of this too.
Sorry this chapter took a little longer than the others and is a bit shorter, we had some medical issues with my grandmother, but she's doing a lot better now! I hope you all enjoyed this one, and any and all thoughts, questions, ideas, or criticism is greatly appreciated!