~~Reader beware, you're in for a scareeee!~~
Well, not really. It's not much of a scary fic - it leans much more to the goofy and funny side! It's a little Halloween treat with a not-too-serious story and some little nuggets of lore thrown in there too.
All chapters will be uploaded today (Halloween 2018) pretty much as soon as I've proofread them! But if you're looking for the weekly Wednesday upload of Broken Glass, I'm afraid this is taking that slot for today - so Broken Glass will be back on Saturday.
Enjoy!
Chapter One: The Pumpkin Party
"Spoo-oo-oo-ooky!" Min Min sang cheesily, vibrating her vocal chords, as she stopped the car and looked up at their destination with an excited grin. The setting sun was lighting the sky in an array of burnt orange hues, but all that came to deep blackness at the silhouette of the hotel in the near distance.
Ribbon Girl ran her eyes over the tower. "I mean, it's just a hotel... Hardly much to get scared about." She shrugged. The hotel was kinda ominous, sure, but nothing screamed 'haunted'. "I figure Coyle lives in a scarier place than this. "
"Oh dang, Ribs ain't scared? " Min Min smirked, opening the door and getting to her feet. "That's how we KNOW it ain't scary!"
Ribbon Girl looked to her girlfriend from across the roof of the car, a soft smile on her face, as she shut the passenger side door beside her. "Then that's how you should also know that your costume isn't scary either~"
"It's not supposed to be scary!" Min Min remarked, readjusting the nurse's cap on her head. It felt a bit more likely to fall off than her usual beanie - and she wasn't quite happy about the thought of that happening. "Well it is , sort of, but it's more than that! It's the perfect Halloween costume, mathematically. Can't be beat!"
"Well it's not sexy or funny , either!" Ribbon Girl returned. "It is kinda cute, so I'll give you that . But it's really only cute because you are~"
"Okay, let's rewind." Min Min insisted, the smirk still spread across her lips. She struck a finger to her cheek, where several obviously fake stitch marks were drawn in purple paint. "Scars? That's scary. I ain't just a nurse, I'm a nurse who's been in some tragic motorbike accident or somethin'." She motioned her hand across her medical dress. "The whole nurse thing? Sexy . They're up there with maids and flight attendants, it's a staple of sexiness!"
Coming around to the other side of the car now, she took Ribbon Girl's hand as they turned to the hotel and began to walk the distance.
"Then, sure, cute or whatever - you said I had that covered, so..." She shrugged. "That just leaves funny. And if there's any part of that Halloween costume super mix I'm lacking, I guess it's there. But! " She fluttered her eyes smugly. " That's why I intend to pull the mother of all Halloween pranks tonight! Just you wait, it'll be HILARIOUS! Juuust gotta keep a good eye out for the victims. "
"Mm." Ribbon Girl shook her head, that smile still across her cheeks. "I hope you've thought of something actually funny. I don't want you embarrassing me in front of all the others!"
"It'll be great." Min Min reaffirmed, stepping out onto the dirt path leaving from the car park's concrete.
The distance between the car park and the hotel building was bizarrely long. About a fifteen minute walk, or maybe twenty if you take your time. Why would they put the two so far apart? It was just inconvenient. And there really wasn't much around here in general - just a great big forest. No shops or attractions or water parks... Odd place for a hotel, right?
But at least it was quite a perfect place for a Halloween party. It just had the right kind of atmosphere around it, being all on its lonesome and obscured from the outside world by thick pine trees... It was something of an unintentional haunted house - not one that's actually haunted, mind you, but like the kind that get set up around October. No wonder Master Mummy chose this as the spot for their Halloween party.
The ARMS League fighters were all set to get together and enjoy the night right here at this lonely hotel - no business discussion necessary, just partying! They had a whole ballroom reserved for just them, and Master Mummy had apparently gone to great lengths to decorate the place for their arrival.
The first such decoration could be seen hanging above the double doors of the entrance - a paper banner of black bats! ...Not the scariest of things, sure, but at least it was thematically appropriate.
"The bats are scarier than your costume." Ribbon Girl smirked as they passed through the doors.
Min Min scoffed. "Says the girl dressed as a cat! "
She stuck her tongue out at her, the whiskers drawn on her cheeks raising slightly, before turning her attention back to the hotel lobby. "...Looks clean!" She always felt a bit weary staying at hotels she was unfamiliar with and had told Min Min during the car ride over that, had this one not been up to her standards, they would be making the drive back tonight.
"Yeah, real clean..." Min Min squinted. "So clean they... Don't even have any... People? "
She was right - the entire lobby was completely empty. No one was there to greet them, no one stood at either side of the reception desk, no one waited in the seating area... And the only cars out front ( very out front, of course) were those that they recognised as belonging to their fellow fighters. Why was it so deserted? And not just of other visitors, but deserted of hotel staff too?
A chill breezed over them as they stood in the silent lobby, with little but the quiet hum of the lights above to calm them.
"...I've got a weird feeling about this place." Ribbon Girl mumbled uncertainly. Perhaps they'd be heading back tonight after all.
"Oh!" Min Min struck a finger forward to the back wall. A small print-out was taped there, bearing some clipart of a pumpkin and an arrow pointing to their right. "Guess that's where the party is." Min Min shrugged, turning in the direction they'd been instructed to.
Two large double doors separated them from the hotel's ballroom. With a pull of the handles, they slowly swung open to reveal a dimly lit room with smoke machine produced mist effects and cheesy Halloween decorations laid all over. The sound of music played from one distant corner of the room, behind the crowd of - Ah, all their fellow fighters were here!
"That's more like it!" Min Min smiled as the two entered and shut the doors behind them, shutting out the light from the lobby. It was pretty dark in here, save for the fancy colour-changing lights up above, but the darkness probably helped to mask that there'd only be about 15 of them attending this party. Not the largest of turnouts, after all.
"Hey hey!" Master Mummy grinned, approaching the two of them from nearby. "Glad you could make it. Great costumes! Shame they don't match. Or are you supposed to be a vet, Min?"
"I don't know if I wanna go for a joke about getting discounts at Sam's Club or a joke about giving Ribbon Girl medical exams..." Min Min smirked back, earning her a sly nudge from her girlfriend. "You look great, though!"
Master Mummy, who was robed in an Egyptian-styled gown adorned with fine golden trimmings, readjusted his royal headdress with a pleased smile. "Spring Man said I had a great 'mummy pharaoh' outfit. Had to remind him the mummy part wasn't a costume!"
Min Min snorted, and Ribbon Girl gave a similarly soft chuckle. "Is everyone here, then? Sorry we're so late, it's hard to get Min off her butt sometimes..." Min Min rolled her eyes at this - it was always Ribbon Girl who took forever to get ready.
"Everyone should be here by now!" Master Mummy nodded. "Feel free to go mingle! We've got alllll night." He waved slightly as he turned to head back into the crowd. "Happy Halloween, ladies!"
The two waved back to him as he left. "You wanna get us some drinks, then?" Ribbon Girl motioned to Min Min.
She struck a hand out and recentered Ribbon Girl's cat-ear headband. "Something tells me it's all gonna be fruit punch and sodas, seeing as Mechanica's invited."
"Mechana-whooo?" Came a soft voice from beside them both. Mechanica looked up at them with a grin. "I love parties! Isn't this fun? Also they really didn't need to limit the drink selection, I'd only have tried-"
"Oh, hey kid!" Min Min smirked, patting her on the head, as Ribbon Girl put up her hand in a gentle wave. "Who you s'posed to be? Ribbon-Kid?"
She shook her head. "I'm Carrie Fernandez!" She gave a little twirl to show off her costume - a short green poncho of sorts that hung over a deep blue dress, with a large ribbon at either side and a great big bow on her collar. "She's one of the playable characters in Castlevania 64 ! Oh, and Legacy of Shadows . But this is the outfit from 64!" She considered pointing out that it was also unlockable as an outfit in Legacy , but decided not to when her friends only responded with a somewhat confused look.
"Makes enough sense to me." Min Min shrugged. "Castlevania's all kinda spooky anyways, so good job!"
"They're really lovely ribbons!" Ribbon Girl complimented, not much knowledgeable on the series.
She smiled back at them, pleased with herself all the same. "You're a super cute kitty, Ribbon Girl! I really love your whiskers and I'm tempted to steal your ear-headband."
Ribbon Girl bat her hand toward Mechanica. "Well I guess we've got Min Min to thank for my makeup!" She put her ARMS around Min Min and hugged her. "You did greatttt, hun~"
"I mean it was just a couple lines and a boop on the nose..." Min Min laughed. "My cheek scar took wayyy longer. Had to look authentic. " Not that it actually did.
"Oh, yeah, I see it!" Mechanica commented, stepping up on her toes to get a better look. "Are you a zombie nurse orrrr...?"
She shrugged. "It's scarier not to knowwwww!~"
The three of them laughed a bit, before they were suddenly approached by another two of their colleagues.
"YO, WHAT'S SHAKINNNNN'!" Kid Cobra beamed, giving Min Min a sweet fist-bump. "You guys lookin' sick! Damn, Min, that 'fits like the perfect mix'a Halloweens stuffs, nice! "
Min Min's eyes were firmly on Ninjara, however. "...How much did that cost you?"
"...I'm Batman." Ninjara responded, in a low voice similar to that used in the Dark Knight movies.
The three of them began to laugh subtelly. "Yeah, but how much did it cost you? "
Ninjara, hard to even really recognise under the many layers of black batsuit, simply repeated himself. "...I'm Batman." His costume did look really authentic - probably because he had easily spent far too much on it.
"Yo, you spoke to Mummy, right?" Cobra hushed to them. "Was he actin' funny to you...? He was givin' me a weird look!"
Ribbon Girl sighed very audibly and left Min Min to point out the obvious. "Dude..." She began to laugh slightly. "You're in a mummy costume."
Kid Cobra, who was poorly wrapped in what seemed to be toilet paper , put an ARM to his head like he'd just figured out the meaning of life. "Oh SNAP, that's probably it!" He hadn't even considered the connection there until just now. Some things just slip your mind, y'know?
Ninjara wandered off elsewhere - possibly disappearing into the shadows like Batman would, though no one was really looking - as Kid Cobra stuck around with the others for a moment, chatting about some recent horror movies they had seen. Min Min, Kid Cobra, and Mechanica were all pretty unaffected by most horror flicks, it seemed, but Ribbon Girl was quick to protest her unhappiness with them - they were not her style at all. Her style was much more-
"Evening." Twintelle commented, stopping by the group, a glass of juice held stylishly in her left hand.
" ...Well that's not fair. " Ribbon Girl mumbled, somewhat peeved. Twintelle was dressed in a typical college cheerleading outfit - obviously going for the sexy part of Halloween, rather than the fun, the cute, or the scary. "My usual outfit is supposed to be cheerleader-y!"
"Oh please. " Twintelle smirked. "If you think this is encroaching on your style, you clearly haven't run into Coyle yet..." She rattled a pom-pom at Kid Cobra's face. "You left Lola and I mid-sentence, genius. Hardly a way to treat some ladies. You going to come finish that thought?"
Twintelle immediately turned and began heading back to the other side of the room. "Oh dip, I kinda did cut out on 'em when I saw y'all come in." Kid Cobra mumbled. "Finally got 'em talkin' to me and I just slithered off! I gotta work on my attention span, man." He flicked a finger gun back and forth across the three of them. "Don't be strangers, yo! I'm off to talk up the ladiez. " And with that, he too head off.
"Right!" Ribbon Girl nodded, before tilting her head to Min Min. "Drinks?"
"Oh, yeah!" She returned, before leading the way to the refreshments table lined up at the side of the wall. It was pretty much what you'd expect - a punch bowl, some cups, some soda cans, and a bunch of plates stacked with various finger-foods. "Oh damnnn, they got some good snacks too!" She pinched a few hotdog sausage and gulped them down.
Ribbon Girl picked up the ladle from the punch bowl and scooped some juice into a cup, handing the drink to Mechanica before pouring another for herself. "So your dad's okay with you staying the night here?"
"Mmhmm! I mean, I'm with all of you so it's probably even safer than staying alone at my warehouse like usual." She brushed her hair a bit. "He wouldn't let me dye my hair blue, though. No wonder no one's recognising my costume!"
"Well if you need anything, you can always come knock on our room." She smiled. "It's lucky we got the key cards sent ahead of time, though. We didn't even see any staff when we came in."
"Ah, you didn't see anyone either?" Came another voice approaching. It was Spring Man now, dressed in a black and red cape, his signature spring-hair dyed deep black - making Mechanica instantly jealous. "I thought that was kinda weird. It's been strangely quiet 'cept for all of us, right?" His voice was a little different, as he had to talk through the fake vampire teeth in his mouth.
Mechanica gasped. "Oh! Dracula!" She smiled, reaching into her pocket. " I'll defeat you! " She threw a small lime-green glow stick at him, and then knelt down to pick it up again.
"Ah." Spring Man smiled. "Ya got me!" Mechanica smiled happily in return. Spring Man didn't recognise the connection to Castlevania with Mechanica's outfit either, but it was enough to figure she just also wanted to slay Dracula like everyone seemed to want.
"Wait, you didn't see anyone? " Ribbon Girl repeated. "No staff at all?"
"No one." He shrugged. "And I was the second to turn up. Only Mummy was here already when I arrived."
"That's... Weird..." Ribbon Girl mumbled, taking a sip of her drink. It seemed vaguely raspberry-flavoured.
"Y'know what else is weird?" A bubbly voice came from beside them, as Lola approached the punch bowl to pour herself a drink. "The amounta views Cobra gets on his snakeboard stuffs. How's he pull in a crowd like that? I gotta start livestreaming the circus or somethin'."
Ribbon Girl turned toward Lola, who was dressed in a more purple-and-black toned copy of her usual outfit. Though it seemed to be torn in places... And stained with some dark splotches here and there. As if it were dried bl-
Lola turned to face Ribbon Girl, causing her to stumble back a few steps. The low light lit Lola's face in deep shadows, but it was clear that tonight her clown makeup was drastically more exaggerated than usual, and it had streaks of red dribbling down from both her lips and the sunken black circles painted around her eyes. She grinned, baring a set of sharp yellowed teeth similarly drenched in red.
" Y-Yikes , Lola...!" Ribbon Girl muttered, her heart pounding in her chest. "That's terrifying! "
She grinned. "S'Halloween, dummy!" She turned her vision down to Mechanica. "You're not scared, are ya?"
"A-A little bit..." Mechanica admitted softly.
Min Min munched another chicken strip down and licked her fingers. "S'good stuff, guys." Content with her feast for now, she licked her fingertips and turned to the others, finally catching Lola in her vision. She turned back instantly, her heart rate soaring up, almost choking on her snack. She put her hands over her eyes. "NOPE. NOPE-NOPE-NOPE-NOPE-NOPE-NOPE-NOPE- NOPE! " She shook her head back and forth rapidly.
"Aw c'mon!" Lola shrugged. "Thought you were done bein' scared of me!"
"Shuuuuut up! Shut up. Shut up! " Min Min shook, still hiding herself away.
Ribbon Girl put an ARM around Min Min. " Maybe shoulda seen this coming, Lola... " She mumbled, rather disgruntled by Lola's lack of care.
Lola simply shrugged and walked off, perhaps with something of a tinge of pride in her smile as she did so.
"...You okay, hun?" Ribbon Girl directed to her cowering girlfriend.
"Y-Yeah..." Min Min replied, standing up straight again, still a little shaky. " God that got me bad. Yick. " She shuddered, then wiped a tear from her eye and sniffled.
The whirring of mechanical parts chimed as BYTE approached them. "Hello citizens. Is anyone in need of assistance?" He directed the question, understandably, to Min Min.
"I-I'm okay, don't worry 'bout it..."
BYTE nodded. "By the way, please understand that my attire is simply a seasonal costume." His usual blue police paint-job was replaced with a far more gold and orange one now, and the helmet-shaped headpiece bore more similarity to a fireman's helmet than it did a policeman's. "I am not equipped to put out fires and I am still a police officer."
"O-Okay..." Min Min shrugged.
BYTE turned to Ribbon Girl. "Hello citizen. Please understand that my attire is simply a seasonal-"
"O-Oh, I heard you when you told Min Min..." She smiled awkwardly.
He nodded once again, before turning to Mechanica. "Hello citizen. Please understand-"
"You're not a fireman, I know!" She smiled.
"I heard you too!" Spring Man added, before BYTE could again repeat himself.
"Hey," Min Min sniffled a bit, still getting over the fright, "where's BARQ?"
BYTE looked down at his torso chassis and quietly pressed a button atop the fire station logo sprayed onto it. A moment later, BARQ slowly wheeled over from the other side of the room.
"OH!" Min Min grinned suddenly, dropping down on her knees to look at BARQ. "Oh man you are so cute!" She hugged BARQ, who's paint job tonight resembled that of a dalmation. "Ohhh aren't you just the CUTEST little fire dog!" He played a happy bark sound clip in response.
"Please understand that BARQ is also not equipped to put out fires and is also still a police officer." BYTE added.
Ribbon Girl tapped BYTE on the shoulder as Min Min began to once again repeat her usual dog treat joke to BARQ. BYTE turned to her. "H-Hey! Okay, um, you have... Like, a heartbeat sensor or something, right?"
"Correct. Your current heart rate is registering at 92 beats per minute."
"That's not what I- wait, is that high? That sounds high." She squinted slightly, before shaking her head. "Anyway, can you tell me how many people there are in the hotel? Like, how many heartbeats you can detect? Spring and I haven't seen anyone who isn't an ARMS fighter..."
"There are thirteen heartbeats that I can detect within the building." BYTE kindly answered.
"Okay, so all of us except you, BARQ, and Springtron... Wait, does Helix have a heartbeat?" She bit her lip. "And what about Master Mummy...?"
"I have to inform others of my lack of fire equipment. Have a pleasant evening." BYTE nodded, bidding them farewell as he left on his way. After a moment, BARQ also left Min Min's ARMS, though she was disappointed to have to let him go.
Min Min returned to her feet, wiping her eyes one last time. " Anyway... " She sighed, embarrassed from freaking out like that. "I need something to cheer me up. Whatcha think Brass is dressed up as?"
"Frankenstein, apparently." Coyle answered, coming up to join them all. "Master Mummy's not taken too kindly to it, given he actually was resurrected."
The group turned to face her and Ribbon Girl's face fell. Min Min immediately burst into hysterical laughter, kneeling down on the floor to keep herself from falling.
"What's with the 'ribbonasty' look?" Coyle asked the bewildered Ribbon Girl, whose face was beginning to turn red.
"Th-That is so not funny!" She stammered grumpily.
A ramen ARM slowly came up and grasped Ribbon Girl by the shoulder, and Min Min did her best to steady herself up on her. "SH-SHE SHE'S Y- SHE'S YOU! AHAHAHAHAAAAA!" She wheezed.
Dr. Coyle was dressed head-to-toe in Ribbon Girl's iconic fighting outfit - the pink skirt, the black shorts, the large striped bow... It was all identical, save for the lack of a ponytail and, of course, the copper ARMS where ribbon ARMS should be - though some pink and white gloves were draped over them, so it was mostly the shoulders that stood out. "It's my idea of 'scary'." Coyle smirked.
Ribbon Girl scrunched up her face, blushing hard. "You wouldn't have liked it if one of us came dressed as you! "
"Oh? I wanted Mechanica to come as me!" She turned to face the young girl beside the others. "I thought she'd look so cute. A little mini-me...!" She sighed deeply. "But she had her heart set on Cathy Flamingo, so I guess it wasn't meant to be."
"Carrie Fernandez..." Mechanica pouted.
Min Min wheezed for air, finally regaining herself a bit. " God my ribs hurt. I-I mean my body ribs, not my Ribs -ribs." She laughed slightly again. "Great stuff, Coyle. Great stuff. Top marks. Damn. "
She struck a finger out to Min Min. "Don't start hitting on me."
"Do I dare ask what my robot self is dressed as today...?" Spring Man sighed, hoping it wasn't also a Dracula get-up.
"He's- Ah, well, it's better to see for yourself. I'll try to call him, I guess." She pulled a little dog whistle from her pocket and blew through it. No sound was made, but before too long a familiar face wobbled over.
"Ooo?" Helix blobbed.
"Ugh, no, not you. " Coyle sighed. "Why do you always come no matter what signal I send out?"
The others all looked at Helix with something of an awe. "H-He's... Gold?! " Ribbon Girl muttered, speaking for all of them.
"Mm." Coyle nodded, prodding Helix's golden goo with her finger. "It's food colouring. He wanted to be a Minion. "
Alongside his golden goo, he appeared to be draped in some dusty blue overalls that were rather moist from contact with his body. The digital goggles on his face were rounder, too. Not a bad effort from Coyle. How motherly!
"Ah!" Coyle nodded toward the opposite side of the group. " There's Springtron."
They turned, and Ribbon Girl jumped back again. "I-IS THAT A FACE? " Her eyes ran over the figure before them all - Springtron, dressed in a stylish leather jacket, and with a fleshy human face. Or... Half a fleshy human face, at least.
"Oh damn!" Min Min grinned. "He's the Terminator!"
"Mm." Coyle confirmed. "His choice, but it seemed fitting."
"Wh-What's a Terminator?! " Ribbon Girl stammered, turning to Min Min.
"...Wha-? You've never seen Terminator? C'mon, hun - you're embarrassing me here!" Min Min shook her head, disappointed.
"Right, well..." Coyle clapped her hands together. "Places to be, things to do... I mean, the place is still here but the things to do involve talking to people who aren't you losers, so..." She winked at Mechanica. "Exception, of course!" She turned on her spot, her pink skirt spinning with her. "Come along, boys." And with that, Springtron and Helix both followed her away.
"This party is wild. " Min Min smirked. "I'm starting to wish I worked harder on my costume now!" Another quick snort came from her. "I can't believe she came dressed as you! "
Ribbon Girl side-eye'd her. " It doesn't suit her at all. "
"Ohhh mannn..." Min Min shook her head, a smile plastered on her face. "It's not gonna get any better than that."
"I think we've seen just about everyone now, so I guess not." Mechanica smiled softly too. They hadn't actually seen Brass, but could picture him dressed as Frankenstein pretty well.
"Greetings and good spirits, my friends." Misango's voice approached.
"Oh, right, Misango!" Min Min's eyes lit up. She and the others turned to him. "We-" She paused, just as they all did, and stared. "... What are you wearing?"
"I was told to come dressed in a 'hallowed weens costume'." Misango nodded, folding his ARMS. "I retrieved the appropriate attire from a local 'store' shortly before my arrival."
His whole body was covered in a deep purpleish-blue bodysuit, which stretched over his muscles as best it could. A pair of tinted sun shades rested atop his forehead, and the pink unicorn-bearing shirt atop the bodysuit was-
"YOU'RE IN A FORTNITE COSTUME, DUDE!" Min Min's jaw hung down.
He stared blankly at her. "I do not know what that is."
Min Min erupted into laughter again, falling flat on the floor. Mechanica's face looked like she could die from second-hand embarrassment, and both both Ribbon Girl and Spring Man looked suitably uncomfortable too.
"...Is this not appropriate attire for the situation?" Misango's deep and gruff voice returned.
"Y-You're fine..." Ribbon Girl sighed, trying not to look directly at him.
With a nod, Misango passed them by and was out of sight once again. It took a few more moments for Min Min to recover from her laughter, and her gut was really hurting by the time she was done, but soon enough she too was back on her feet.
A few hours passed. Some snacks were had over by the refreshments table, some chit chat was made with the various other fighters, and even some dancing was done by some of the more unashamed guests.
It was getting to about midnight now, and Ribbon Girl was chit-chatting with Mechanica, Spring Man, Dr. Coyle, and Master Mummy. The conversation, though somewhat dull and unfitting for Halloween, was mostly directed on the subject of ARMS fighting being taught in school gym classes. Was it right to make children outright fight at such a young age? How does that work with the students who don't have ARMS? That didn't seem right at all, at least not to the group of them.
"I mean we get a bunch of young tryouts at the stadium all the time." Spring Man shrugged. "They're usually not too aggressive, but we're pretty quick to shut them down if they-" He paused. "H-Hold on, this is really..." He pinched a fang between his fingers and removed the fake teeth from his mouth. "It's really hard to talk with these things in."
"...Can I try them?" Mechanica asked sweetly, after a second wondering if she should or not.
"Hm? Yeah, I guess so." He wiped them on his cape and handed them to her.
"I guess Dracula won, then?" Master Mummy smiled softly.
"Mm!" She smiled, popping them in her mouth. "You can get bit in the game and then Carrie's a vampire so...!" She bore her teeth to them and growled, earning a few small chuckles, and a heartfelt smile from Coyle.
"That is adorable. " Coyle sighed warmly.
"It's not supposed to be adorable! " Mechanica pouted. "It's supposed to be scary!"
"Well I don't know if it's scary... " Ribbon Girl smiled too.
Mechanica turned over her shoulder and looked up at Springtron, who's fake human eye stared right back down at her from behind his sunglasses. She growled again, baring her fake vampire teeth. The human side of Springtron's face gave an exaggerated look of terror and then, in an immense overreaction, Springtron exploded into a ton of tiny little bits.
The room fell silent as everyone turned to the scattering bits of metal and fake flesh. "OH COME ON! " Coyle grunted. "Real funny. Real funny." She grumbled, bending down and picking up the little black box that stored all of Springtron's important information and memory files. "All that for a joke? It'll take forever to rebuild you... Stupid thing ..."
Mechanica quietly removed her teeth and gave them back to Spring Man with a thankful smile, who put them in his pocket.
Coyle stood again, clearly frustrated by Springtron's annoying overreaction. "Well, that's one of us 'scared to death' already. Who's next?"
The party went on just as it had, and sooner or later Ribbon Girl decided to regroup with her girlfriend and see what she'd been up to. After searching the ballroom for a bit, she soon found Min Min set aside toward the corner of the room, sitting on the floor with Ninjara, Kid Cobra, and Misango.
"Heya, Min!" She smiled, approaching them.
"Eyyyy, what's up kitty cat!" Min Min smiled up to her.
"What are you guys doing...?" She tilted her head to one side, looking down at where all the others were reaching.
"S'called a wee-gey board, sis." Kid Cobra shrugged.
" Ouija ." Min Min corrected.
Ribbon Girl's eyes sprung open. "Wow wow wow wow, what?" She looked at the lettered board laid out between them, and the little peg they all had their fingers on. " You shouldn't mess with stuff like that! "
"Oh pleaseeee!" Min Min sighed. "It's fiiiiine. "
"There is a tremendous dark energy in this hotel." Misango commented seriously.
"Oh yeah yeah." Min Min rolled her eyes, looking back to Ribbon Girl. "He's only sayin' that 'cause the board said 'yes' when we asked if Misango liked My Little Pony. And honestly I was kinda pullin' it for that one."
"I felt the presence of the dark energy when I first entered the lobby." Misango continued.
Ribbon Girl struck an ARM out toward Misango. " See? Felt it before he came in. And we both felt something was off too! Don't go poking it with a stick. "
"Relaxxxxx!" Min Min insisted, turning back to the board. "You're a friendly spirit, aren't you?"
The peg moved over to the word 'no'.
"Okay, chill, that was Cobra." Min Min mumbled, rolling her eyes.
"Naw dawg, I didn't pull it fo' that!"
"Okay, then it was Ninjara. "
"...I'm Batman."
"Sure. See? Nothing to worry about. It's just some goofy fun."
Just then, the peg moved on its own. Like actually on its own, swinging over to different letters in a quick pace. It startled those holding it, to the point that they each had their fingers fall off its surface - yet it kept moving, entirely on its own now.
They all watched, stunned, as it began to spell out to them. "I-R-E-Q-U-I-R-E-S-I-X" Then it suddenly stopped again and quietly spun in place.
The group stayed quiet, unsure what to say. Ribbon Girl's hands were over her mouth, deeply uncomfortable with what she had just seen. Misango stared at the board intently. "Bad energy." He repeated quietly.
"Well great. " Ribbon Girl muttered through her teeth. "I told you! I told you not to poke it! "
"Th-That was... Nothing..." Min Min stared at the peg, still unsure what the hell just happened.
"Anyone catch what it said?" Kid Cobra looked around. "Was faaaaar too fast fo' me."
"Six. It 'requires' six. What does that mean? I have no clue!" Ribbon Girl threw her hands up, staring daggers at Min Min. "But I guess it's gonna go and get six, or whatever. 'Cause you woke it up! Or let it out! Or... Whatever that was!"
Suddenly, out of nowhere, the lights in the room all switched off at once, and the music fell silent. Some quick yelps were heard from among them just from the surprise alone.
After a brief moment, one of them called out to the others. "Yo, anyone wanna put those lights back on? I don't wanna step in Springtron." Lola's voice, it seemed.
"I-I'm flicking the light switch but it's not doing anything!" Master Mummy shouted from across the room. He tried the lobby doors, but they were suddenly locked shut. "Someone's locked us in, too..."
Min Min slipped her phone out of the medical dress she was wearing and switched on the flashlight setting. It seemed to illuminate only a fraction of the room as it was, however, so she searched it around the room until she could see Helix. She walked over quickly and, somewhat reluctantly, jammed her hand into him, her phone still firmly grasped with the flashlight pointed upward. The flashlight now shone through his golden gooey body, spreading an orange light all across the room.
"So what the hell's going on?" Coyle glared at the others. Min Min, Ninjara, and Kid Cobra all collectively agreed to stay silent about the Ouija board, without any discussion necessary.
Misango, however, didn't get the memo. He hopped to his feet quickly. "We have summoned an evil spirit through means of a dark object."
Some groans echoed throughout the room. "Well what the heckcha do that for?!" Max Brass called out.
Suddenly a bright blue light flickered above them all, and the image of a horrifying spirit hung over them.