Cobwebs Tend to Grow on Halloween

I don't own anything but my OC's.

Chapter 14

Rain poured down over Halloween Town, like a waterfall had just broke through the heavens. The water began to help put out the fire, the flames becoming smaller and smaller until disappearing.

Jack was on his knees, rain dripping down his skull and soaking his clothes. But he didn't care. Cobweb…they didn't get him out. He didn't get out. A child as young as Cobweb would've most certainly died in that sort of fire; one as strong as that. But Jack wouldn't believe it. If Cobweb could destroy this place with a few clicks of the fingers, then he could survive in the mess he had caused.

Jack rose to his feet. He had to go and find him. He couldn't- wouldn't let him die.

"Jack, what're you doing?" Shadow asked.

"I have to go and find him…" Jack replied, hardly over a whisper.

"But, Jack…maybe we-"

Jack began walking towards the window.

"Jack!" Shadow placed a hand on his shoulder. "Jack, you shouldn't-"

Jack spun around on his heels and faced her. "Shadow, if you truly cared about Cobweb as much as I do, then you'd let me do this."

Shadow paused. She did say that, didn't she?

"Shadow?"

Shadow looked up and stared into his eye sockets. "…Go."

Jack nodded, murmuring a thank you before running into the burning building.

Shadow put her hands to her heart. "Be careful, Jack…"

…

Jack moved a wooden board out of the way. He coughed as the smoke rose up and made its way into his nose and mouth. He called Cobweb's name multiple times.

"Over here!" A masculine voice called.

Jack turned to the source.

A skeleton stood, over by the wall. On his skull was an oversized pirate hat, the front spike reaching far off of his face and Jack was sure that if the skeleton held it to his chest, the front spike would reach his knees. His coat was midnight blue and also pirate-style, the cuffs huge with a small, gold button. His shirt was puffy, as were his trousers. His boots were large and brown.

Jack made his way through the pieces of wood and the flames. He made his way over to the skeleton, noticing that he had blue, glowing ovals in his eye sockets; representing his eyes. "W…Who're-"

The skeleton nodded at a bundle of wood. "He does not appear to be hurt badly."

Jack looked down at the bundle, seeing an arm poke out. He cleared away some of the wood, revealing an unconscious Cobweb. "Cobweb!" Jack exclaimed, removing the boards of wood and lifting Cobweb's body out. Jack looked up at the skeleton. "And Oogie? Have you seen him?"

"He's long gone." The skeleton replied, nodding at a burning, burlap sack. He spotted a neon green bug and crushed it. "Never did like his bugs that much."

Jack chuckled. "Neither did I."

"You ought to get the boy out of here."

Jack looked back the way he came. The flames had grown. There was no way he could make it back.

"Here."

Jack turned back to the skeleton, who walked forward, rubbing his hands together. Only then did Jack notice that the skeleton had the same pattern on the back of his hand that Cobweb had. The circle and star. The skeleton clicked his fingers, sending sparks out. Before Jack could tell him to stop, the skeleton waved his outstretched arm to the side. Just like that, the flames moved to the side, like an unseen force had pushed it to the side. The skeleton turned his head to look at Jack, his oval eyes looking in Jack's direction. "Go."

Jack nodded. "Thank you…" He waited for the skeleton to continue and tell Jack his name. The skeleton stayed silent, so Jack ended the sentence with sir and ran down the path the skeleton had cleared for him; carrying Cobweb.

"Stay safe, kid," The skeleton murmured. "Jack needs you as much as you need him. And I need you too."

With that, the skeleton watched Jack climb up the rope and lowered his arm, allowing the flames to engulf him.

…

When Jack got out, the rain was still pouring down. Shadow's hair was sticking to her head, Alistair still in her arms. She looked up at Jack, seeing him with Cobweb in his arms.

Jack had the most pleading look on his face. "Please…Help him."

Shadow nodded, setting Alistair onto the soft ground and taking Cobweb in her arms, noticing that the glow of his jack-o-lantern mask was back to orange. She placed her ear against Cobweb's chest. Though Cobweb did not have lungs, she could still hear him breathing. "He's still undead."

Jack sighed with relief. His eye sockets widened and he turned back to the window. All he saw was flames.

"What's the matter, Jack?" Shadow asked.

"Where's the skeleton?"

"What skeleton?"

"The one who helped us out."

"Jack, you and Cobweb were the only ones in there."

"What?…But…"

"J…Jack?"

Jack turned.

Cobweb's eye sockets were open a tiny bit.

"Cobweb…?"

"I…" Cobweb began, his voice barely a whisper. "…I'm…sorry…"

Jack smiled softly. "You have nothing to apologize for, Cobweb." He placed a hand on Cobweb's forehead. "I'm the one should be apologizing. I should've known what was going on. I'm sorry."

Cobweb smiled weakly before his eye sockets shut.

Jack lifted Alistair up. "We should go."

Shadow nodded. She turned to the three trick-or-treaters. "What about them?"

"Take them with us. We'll think of a suitable punishment."

"And Oogie?"

"Dead."

Shadow nodded with understanding.

They turned and began walking back to town, hearing the building burn behind them.

…

Jack wiped the back of his neck with the towel, cleaning off the water.

Shadow's shop was closed today, leaving them to take care of Alistair and Cobweb, who were currently upstairs in the guest room; both still unconscious.

Shadow was watching them while Lock, Shock and Barrel sat beside her; all silent.

Jack travelled upstairs, wrapping the towel around his neck.

He opened the door to the guest room.

Shadow had her back to him, watching Alistair sleep.

Jack looked over at Cobweb, seeing his chest rise then fall as he breathed slowly. A bandage was wrapped around his forehead.

Jack felt as though another presence was in the room. One that sat at the end of Cobweb's bed, watching the boy sleep.

"Jack,"

Jack was pulled back to reality by that soft voice. He turned to Shadow, who had turned on her stool to look at him. "Yes?"

"I need to show you something."

With that, Shadow led Jack downstairs again.

…

Shadow searched through the bookcase full of spell books and other reading material she might use.

Jack stood behind her, arms crossed and head tilting in curiousness.

"Here," Shadow spoke up, taking down a hardback book with a leather spine. She placed it on a wooden pedestal.

"What's that?" Jack asked, looking over her shoulder.

Instead of answering, Shadow read a passage:

T'was a long time ago, though longer now, it may seem,

For in the town of Halloween,

Where the leaves were orange, and the fog was thick,

Lived a young man called Maverick.

Now, Maverick was naïve, stupid and young,

With a handsome face and a sharp tongue.

He taught himself sorcery and magic,

Because of this, people thought he was thick.

Though Maverick did not try,

To tell them the reason why,

He locked himself in his bedroom all day,

To learn the magical way.

But a calamity ever so great,

Occurred when the clock struck eight,

And a beast rose from its grave,

But Maverick was the only who was brave.

He stood up to the creature,

Assuring the citizens they'd have a happy future,

Maverick, during battle, did not tire,

And trapped himself and the beast in a ring of fire.

Shadow went silent.

"Maverick?" Jack asked, looking at her; tearing his eyes away from the book.

"He was a very powerful sorcerer. Back then, people thought sorcery and magic were the work of the Devil. They hated it." Shadow explained. She turned a page, revealing a picture of an adult Maverick. He wore the same clothes as the skeleton Jack had seen.

"Him!" Jack exclaimed. "I saw him. He was a skeleton. He moved the fire out of the way."

Shadow nodded. "We sorcerers have a lot to owe him for. If it weren't for him, we would be hated today."

"It was Maverick…" Jack said thoughtfully.

"When Maverick was a child, he had the diagram of a spell tattooed onto the bone in his arm. When he was eight, he discovered that he had magical abilities. He locked himself in his room all day and studied the magic in his arm." Shadow continued. "A monster was accidentally resurrected many years later, and Maverick stood up to it. He used a ring of fire to kill it. Years later, Maverick attempted to kill a large spider. It killed him by biting his arm and injecting its poison into him. Maverick was buried. No one could find his crypt, so no one could find his body after they buried it. Maverick was lost."

The room was pulled into silence. Jack was right about that spider. It did kill Maverick.

"So…Cobweb has Maverick's limbs?" Jack asked.

"Appears so." Shadow replied. "Oh, Jack, you must tell me what Maverick was like!"

"There's…not much to say." Jack answered. "Why have I never heard of Maverick?"

"He was around long before your parents were born, Jack."

"So…Lock, Shock and Barrel found his crypt?"

"Hm. Have you noticed that Maverick discovered his powers at the age of eight? The same age as Cobweb is now."

Jack's eye sockets widened. He hadn't even noticed. Perhaps that's what the arm did. Allow the person to use the magic once they reached the tender age of eight.

Maverick had saved them. He'd moved the magic he had been gifted with to save them.

Jack couldn't help but feel grateful.

"Come on," Shadow said, closing the book and placing it back on the shelf. "Let's go back up and check on them."

They ascended the stairs together.

…

Zero kept his eyes on Lock, Shock and Barrel, who kept their eyes on the floor; ashamed of what they had done.

Jack and Shadow entered the room. Shadow sat back down on her stool next to Alistair's bed.

Jack looked at the spot at the end of Cobweb's bed.

"Jack," Shadow asked. "Why don't you sit down?"

"Because Maverick is sitting there." Jack replied. He could feel Maverick's presence. He was there all right, watching the boy who had his limbs. He couldn't see him though. Perhaps Maverick didn't want to be seen.

Shadow stood and stretched, yawning.

"Perhaps you should got to bed, Shadow." Jack recommended.

"No, Jack. You should sleep in my bed, I'll sleep on the couch."

"No, I insist. I'll stay here and watch them."

Shadow smiled and kissed Jack's cheekbone, making an imaginary blush spread across his face. "Good night, Jack."

"G-Good night, Shadow…" Jack replied.

Shadow exited the room.

Jack looked at the three trick-or-treaters, expecting them to snigger. But instead, they were sleeping.

Jack looked at the spot where he believed Maverick to be. "Thank you, Maverick." He said aloud. "For saving us, I mean. I'm forever in your debt."

He imagined Maverick nodding, tipping his oversized hat to Jack and muttering a "You're welcome."

He hadn't talked much when Jack had seen him. He hadn't answered Jack's question. But Jack was fine with that. Maverick was a hero. Back then, and now.

Jack yawned and took the stool from beside Alistair's bed, wishing the boy goodnight. He placed the stool beside Cobweb's bed and watched him until his head dropped to Cobweb's mattress, falling to sleep.

He prayed Cobweb would be ok. He smiled in his sleep, thanking Maverick again.

…

Author's note:

This is probably one of my favourite chapters. Finally, we know where Cobweb's limbs came from. And Cobweb's ok! Halleluiah! So, do you guys like Maverick so far? And what will happen next? Find out next time…