Chapter 5 – Mummy in the Maze

Dr. Potoska led Booth and Brennan toward the maze as he spoke to Brennan, "Right this way, miss."

Booth admired all the costumes everyone was wearing. "Now, that's an excellent costume." He was still trying to decide what he was going to be. He asked Brennan, "What are you wearing?"

Brennan looked at him confused, "What? Now?"

Booth chuckled softly at that, "No, not now. At the Jeffersonian Halloween Ball."

Booth and Brennan followed Dr. Potoska into the maze as Brennan answered, "What I always wear. Are you going this year?"

Booth smiled and said happily, "I'm the official unofficial FBI liaison to the Jeffersonian. Of course I'm going." He was never able to go before since no one at the Jeffersonian knew about their relationship and it would be rather odd for Brennan to bring someone she wasn't supposed to know. But now they could finally go together! It was going to be amazing

~BONES~

The inside of the dungeon had lights flashing, and a background sound of shrill screams. Booth walked in and stopped when he saw the killer clown. The clown had wrinkly skin and long sharp teeth. Brennan entered behind him and asked, "What's wrong?"

Booth jumped and yelped in surprise. He pulled out his phone to cover that up, "Um... the phone rang. It's Cam on the phone. It's ringing."

Brennan smiled slightly as she told him, "Coulrophobia."

Booth looked at her confused, "Huh?"

Brennan pointed toward the clown, "The fear of clowns. Coulrophobia. May explain why you shot that clown last year."

Booth scoffed at that idea, "Look, I have no problems with clowns. I can stand right here. See?"

Brennan tried not to laugh at Booth's alpha-male tendencies to have no fears, "Uh-huh..."

Booth answered his phone. "Booth."

Cam told him, "We got an ID on our maze victim off of Angela's sketch."

Booth nodded as he kept a close eye on the clown, "Great. Uh, details to follow."

He pulled the phone away from his ear about to hang up, except Cam continued, "I think you want to hear this now. Name's Stella Higgins, fifteen years old, disappeared a year ago today."

Brennan asked him, "What's she saying?"

While on the phone, Booth was obviously uncomfortable with the clown. Booth kept looking back to it as if it was going to come to life. He told Brennan, "ID and date of disappearance of our maze victim."

Cam told them the interesting part, "Stella was last seen at Shoreline Amusement Park."

Booth was not expecting that, "Wow!"

Brennan looked at him, "What wow?"

Booth covered the mouth piece and told her, "More coincidences." He then talked to Cam, "Uh.. Thanks!" Booth hung up the phone and told Brennan the new information, "The maze victim disappeared from here. So we just go right past the clown. I can walk right past the clown, like she said. Just right..." Booth began to walk past the clown, just as he was facing the clown, the clown began to rotate and the clown's arm nearly touched Booth. Booth dodged the clown's arm as he let out a scream.

Booth and Brennan continued through the dungeon. Brennan read a sign, "Torture dungeon." She then imitated the evil laughter coming from the speakers.

Booth shook his head and laughed, "Yeah, okay. Clown, scary. Not you." They entered the torture chamber and began to look through the various dummy corpses. Booth scoffed at some of those 'corpses'. "Oh, gee! You're kidding me, right?" Booth pointed to a mannequin strapped to a torture chair. "Look at the eye, uh? It's a Ping-Pong ball."

Brennan walked up to a pile of corpses and looked at one in particular. "Not this one."

Booth walked over to where she was leaning over, "How do you know?"

Brennan was still examining it when she told him, "Human remains, Booth, it's sort of my speciality. This is a dead person."

~BONES~

Booth was holding up a case file as he told his wife through a closed door, "I got of the killer from Sweets." Booth was dressed up as a nerd squint. He was wearing a clean buttoned up shirt, with a Jeffersonian lab coat over top. He had dark thick rimmed glasses with white tape in the middle.

Brennan corrected him, "You mean Dr. Sweets."

Booth's complete assemble was finished off by the beige pants that were way too short for him and the huge calculator tucked into his belt. He thought that it was perfect. "Well, it's only theory, Bones. I mean, it's what he's best at. I mean, he's only twelve. Sweets says the killer is definitely a male."

Brennan made the observation, "Gregg is a male."

Booth shook his head as he continued to read the file, "No, Gregg and Lola work their sick little thing together. Sweets says that the killer works alone and has a respectable blue-collar job. In his public life, he's into saving people, he's unmarried. Oh, he has a police or military background."

Brennan stepped out dressed as Wonder Woman. "You do realize that Sweets is basically describing you, right?"

Booth turned around and saw Brennan's costume, "Wow!"

Brennan smiled at him and asked, "How do I look?"

Booth couldn't help but joke, "Good. Wonder-ful. Get it?"

Brennan shook her head and laughed, "Yeah."

Booth walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her waist bringing her up against him, "'Cause you're Wonder Woman." He kissed her on her neck and whispered huskily, "And I am married." Brennan moaned slightly as he trailed kisses up her neck, "I'm married to the hottest, most kick-ass woman in the world, who just so happens can to be the sexiest Wonder Woman ever.

Brennan murmured her approval, "Mmmm, I know." She then looked at Booth and almost burst out laughing. "What are you supposed to be?"

Booth drew back and smiled at her, "Oh, I'm a nerd squint." He leant over and pushed his glasses up. He then pulled out his big calculator and pushed a few buttons and said in a nasal voice, "You see, what the rationale behind that conclusion is?"

Brennan shook her head and headed toward the platform with Booth following, "That's not what they look or sound like."

Booth said still in his nasal voice, "You mean 'we.' That's not what 'we' look or sound like."

Brennan did laugh at that, "Okay."

Booth smiled, "You see what I did right there? I corrected you, you know, in character…" he laughed "... as a squint!"

~BONES~

Booth and Brennan climbed down the ladder into the basement of the floral store. They looked around and came to gate padlocked shut. Brennan pulled out her gun and cocked it. Booth looked back at her and asked, "Okay, where did you even find a place to carry that?"

She pushed him toward the padlocked and chained wire gate door and asked, "Look, could I please shoot this one?" Booth tugged on the chain and the padlock fell off. He shook his head and opened the gate. His wife had the oddest fascination with guns. They both entered the subway access area as Booth led the way. Brennan then noticed an open door off to the side and pointed it out, "Booth?" Brennan walked up the short stairs and entered the room. Inside the room they came across a worktable with several empty vials and syringes. Brennan smelled the table, "Cedar oil, lacquer. This is where the killer mummified the bodies."

Booth looked at the empty vials on the floor. "Ephedrine, other...other drugs." Booth then realized who it was. "I know who the murderer is."

Brennan looked at him surprised, "Who?"

Booth heard footsteps and looked up at Brennan with concern, "Let's get out of here." Booth rushed out of the room with Brennan's hand tightly grasped in his. He started to explain to her what he knew, "Lola beats up the girls, leaves them bleeding. Who shows up to help? Access to drugs."

Brennan's eyes widened, "The EMT. Smart. You should wear a lab coat at all times."

Booth kept walking through the area trying to find a way out as he told her, "Puts them in the back of his ambulance, he knocks them unconscious." They were just about to make a turn when they heard a girl's scream. Booth didn't want to risk Brennan's life so he told her, "Just stay there." Booth reached for the padlock on the door, but it was locked. The girl screamed again and Booth definitely knew where they were coming from now, "Screams are coming from inside."

Brennan pointed her gun at the door and asked, "Can I shoot it?"

Booth shouted, "No!" However, Brennan fired at the padlock. The bullet bounced off something and hit Booth. He yelled in pain, hopping up and down as he clutched his leg. "Yow! Geez!"

Brennan covered her mouth with her hand in shock, "Oh! Sorry! Sorry, Booth!"

Booth couldn't believe this. He had just been shot, by his own wife! "You shot me! Damn it! I said no! Don't shoot! No!"

Brennan moved toward him and asked, "Are you all right?" She then said in amazement, "I think the bullet bounced off my bracelet. Just like Amazonium."

Booth was still clutching his leg as he said, "Geez, Bones." Brennan made sure he was alright and then she went to take the padlock off and opened the door. The floor was littered with snakes, though, and Brennan screamed as she jumped up on some nearby boxes. Booth looked at her in confusion, "What are you doing? They're not poisonous."

Brennan huffed slightly, "I know. I know."

Booth motioned for her to come down, "Then why don't you come down?"

Brennan nearly whimpered, "It seems I'm not completely in control of my actions."

Booth turned and offered his back to her. He couldn't believe that she was scared of snakes. "Just get on my back." Brennan climbed onto his back as Booth groaned slightly. Usually it wouldn't be hard for him, but he was shot in the leg. "Ooh! God, Bones." Booth, with Brennan on his back, entered the room. They saw that Megan Shaw was in a far corner of the room, attempting to stay away from the snakes. "Megan?"

Brennan tried to soothe her, "It's okay."

Booth asked in a calm and even voice, "Can you understand me?"

He started to approach Megan, but she looked up and screamed. Brennan glanced over her shoulders and saw what caused the girl to scream – a killer clown was in the doorway. He cocked his shotgun and was about to shoot them, but Brennan raised her gun and shot. The shot hit the door as clown ducked back from the doorway. The backfire caused Booth to drop Brennan and she fell back and hit her head against the wall. "Ugh! My head."

Booth was sure that he was going to have a heart attack by the end of this with all the shooting Brennan was doing, "Just stop shooting at things, Bones." Booth headed out of the room to chase after the clown.

Brennan called out weakly, "But, he had a gun!"

Booth checked out the door before he turned back to her. "You stay here. Anyone comes through that door, you shoot their heads off—except me."

Brennan lifted her gun up towards Booth and told him meekly, "My gun is too big for me."

Booth sighed and shook his head. Now she saw that. "I could've told you that a hundred times. Here, take mine." Booth exchanged guns with Brennan and told her, "Guard Megan."

As Booth headed towards the exit with his gun raised, Brennan reached out towards Megan. "Come on, Megan. Come here." Megan and Brennan stayed huddled in the corner.

Booth carefully and slowly left the room in search for the killer clown. Booth traveled along the wall with his gun raised. He stopped and heard the clown jump down from above him. The clown cocked his gun which caused Booth to turn around. The clown fired, missed and hit the concrete near Booth. Booth ducked and fired back as he went behind a pillar. Inside the room, the shots could be heard which caused Megan to whimper. Brennan rubbed her arm soothingly and said hopefully, "It's okay."

Booth turned and leant against the pillar as he reached for his abdomen area. He felt a wet stickiness and cursed softly, "Damn it." Booth checked his side and he saw that he was bleeding. Booth tried to put that out of his mind and looked to see where the clown was. He saw him peek out from behind where he was hiding and fired off a shot. The killer clown moved behind his wall but then came out and shot at Booth as well. The clown took his mask off just as Booth yelled, "How could a guy with military training miss with a scattergun? What were you, Navy?"

Geller removed the shells from his shotgun and reloaded as he called back, "Infantry." Geller heard Megan whimper again and heard another female voice. He then told Booth, "Which is how I know you're carrying the 50-caliber 500. Well, that's five shots. And by my count you only got one shot left." Geller stepped out and fired. Booth checked his gun and groaned, Geller was right. "That's one dumbass gun to bring to a shootout! Where's your backup, Booth? Shouldn't they be here by now?"

Inside the room, Brennan tried to get Megan to remain silent. "You need to be quiet. Can you do that, Megan?" Megan nodded her head as Brennan stood up. They started to make their way towards the door, but Geller heard Megan whimpering again. He turned his head toward the snake room just as the girls reached the door. Geller fired at the door, hitting it. Brennan and Megan screamed and backed away.

Booth's heart stopped in that moment. He called out, "Bones, you all right?"

Brennan took in a deep breath and yelled, "We're okay. We're okay. He's using you to get to us."

Geller taunted him, "Not for long, Booth. I'm just gonna stick my scattergun in there and empty the barrels." Booth was not going to allow that. He picked up an access panel and used it as a shield as he made his way back to the snake room. Geller shouted, "Your girl is gonna look like hamburger."

Geller turned around and fired at Booth, his shot hitting the access panel. Booth fell back as he dropped the panel. Geller ducked behind the open snake room's door as Booth got up. Booth cocked his gun and aimed for Geller as he said softly, "One shot." He fired and the shot went right through the metal door and hit Geller. Geller grunted and fell to the floor with a loud thud. Booth whispered again, "One hell of a shot." Brennan and Megan finally exited the room, with Brennan pointing her gun on Geller's motionless body. Booth sighed in relief as he saw Bones walk out and told her, "Now can you see why I hate clowns?"

~BONES~

Booth and Brennan walked into the Jeffersonian – both looking horrible – seeing that it was completely empty. Brennan asked, "Where is everybody?"

Booth shrugged slightly, "At the party, I guess."

Brennan knew how much he was looking forward to finally being able to go since the last two years have had to be canceled due to cost cut-backs. She offered, "We could still go."

Booth looked between the two of them and shook his head, "Ah, we look like hell."

Brennan joked, "It's a Halloween party. We could be Wonder Woman and, what's Superman's secret identity?"

Booth pulled his nerdy glasses out of his shirt pocket and placed them on his face. "Clark Kent."

Brennan laughed and said, "Yes. We could be Wonder Woman and Clark Kent after a really, really bad date." Brennan took a seat on the steps of the platform and groaned slightly

Booth still couldn't believe it. "Yeah, bad date because you shot me."

Brennan tried to defend herself, "It was only a flesh wound. And you dropped me on my head."

Booth snorted, "After you shot me. Okay, I think I got you on this one. Okay, Wonder Woman?"

Booth removed his glasses and took a seat next to Brennan. He sighed heavily and Brennan knew what he was thinking. She wrapped her arm around his and whispered, "I'm sorry you had to kill someone. I know you hate that."

Booth rested his head against the top of hers as he said, "Yeah, he had it coming."

Brennan nodded. She knew that he would do anything to protect her, but he still didn't have to like it. "You hate it. I'm sorry that happened to you."

Booth shrugged slightly, "We saved the girl. We're all still alive. That's a pretty good date."

Brennan joked, "Except not really a date."

Booth smiled as he said, "I know. It was..."

She finished for him, "...work. Not a date."

Booth joked back at her, "Really, really hard work."

Brennan added, "And we're not really Wonder Woman and Clark Kent. We're Brennan and Booth."

Booth finally laughed softly at that, "Look, you're the one who brought up the date analogy."

They sat there for a few moments in silence before Brennan asked, "You hungry?"

Booth put on the nerdy glasses again and smiled down at her, "Yeah."

Brennan nodded, "Me, too."

They both got up as Booth led the way and Brennan lagged behind. Booth already had a place to go to eat in mind when he said, "Okay, let's go grab a bite to eat." While Booth headed towards the door, Brennan stopped, and began to spin around in a circle with her arms up at her sides. Booth turned around and saw what she was doing, "What the hell are you doing babe?"

Brennan stopped spinning in circles and blushed slightly, "Nothing."

Booth laughed softly and grabbed her hand, "Come on Wonder Woman, Clark Kent wants to take you out on a real date. Without guns."