They watched trapeze artisit, clowns, animal tamers and animals, and the knife thrower all at the same time.
Then they watched as, one by one, each erupted into smoke, reappearing as puppets in the high rafters of the tent, so high you had to look up and squint to see them. They're felsh and blood bodies turned to wood and mini cloth outfits.
The tent darkend, and a spotlight from no descirnable source snapped on. Bathing the Ringmaster in a solitary light.
Garcia gasped and tears pecked her eyes. She buried her head into Morgan's shoulder. Prentiss gritted her teeth and squeezed her fist hard.
Reid stood in the spotlight, fully decked out in Orbus' uniform, a look of insanity plastered to his face.
His hair had gray streaks in it, and he trembled slightly when he moved, like every action hurt.
"And now ladies and, well, older ladies," he giggled, his voice slightly raspy like he'd been screaming. "Please turn your attention to this ring, for a new addition in our Circus." A second spotlight snapped on, revealing a pretty woman dressed in an ice blue tutu. Her shiny blonde hair was pinned into a bun, blue glitter and star barrettes pinned into it. Her face was heavily ladden with makeup, most of it blue or glittered as she curtsied to Lyssa and Malifeciis. Lyssa gasped excitedly and clapped her hands together. The witch smiled a smile that was much closer to a sneer.
JJ then began to dance, in strange fluid motions as she danced a ballet no one had ever heard of.
"What are we gonna do?" Rossi whispered to Hotch, "They're both part of this nuthouse now!"
"Everything we can." Hotch whispered. Then he tapped on Morgan's shoulder, "Lyssa tried to attack you when you wouldn't do what she wanted yes?" Morgan nodded, "So that means she's a threat too. Should she try to attack us we need to be ready."
"Wait a minute!" Orbus whispered louder than Hotch, creeping over to stand infront of him. "What is that supposed to mean? You're willing to kill her?"
Hotch stared woodenly at Orbus, "I'm willing to do whatever it takes to bring my family home."
Orbus stood snarling in silence at Hotch for a few minutes. Then he just walked back to stand behind the rest of the group, fury rolling off him in waves.
The circus ended, and in a brilliant flash of purple smoke, JJ and Reid joined the puppets above.
The group dashed to hide behind one of the stands, trying to come up with a plan.
"We could just climb up their and cut them down."
"But what if they stayed that way?"
"We could wait until they preform again."
"But when will that be?"
"We could force that witch into changing them back."
"Oh yes, because that worked so well last time! Are you even trying Rossi?"
"Shutup! Both of you! Look!" Hotch pointed to the ring, and through the seats they could see the witch and Lyssa walking through, the Witch holding something shiny and small.
Prentiss felt Orbus tense next to her.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
Orbus only shook his head. He was clearly still mad at them.
"How are we going to get them?" Rossi asked Hotch, trying to start up another discussion of ideas.
"We'll just have to wait. That's when theyre human, so that's when we'll try to grab them." Hotch said with a sort of finality in his voice.
The group sat there for hours, or what felt like hours. They couldn't really be sure, all theyre phones were dead and the watches they wore stopped moving. Although no one really noticed that until they tried to look at them.
Somehow, the tent lights had stayed lit up, even though there was supposed to be no one inside. And somehow they'd move up, to the top of the tent so the puppets above were perfectly illuminated, casting shadows onto the ground. Garcia tried not to look. Tried not to cringe everytime she saw a puppet in long tails bump against another puppet.
Orbus kept looking around, hoping up to see every small shadow. Every sound got him slightly excited, and every voice made him look around to see who was speaking.
Prentiss nudged his back finally. When he turned to her he looked angry for a moment. Then she blinked and he looked calm.
"You realize even if you see her you can't speak to her right?"
Orbus eyed her, a sort of danger enering his eyes. Then he smiled defiantly, "Why not?"
Prentiss rolled her eyes, deciding against her better judgement to take the bait, "Because you'll get us all killed. She's insane here."
Orbus gave her a sneer, "So am I."
"But you wouldn't sacrifice us for a ten year old girl who would try to eat you like she tried to eat her own parents when the Witch told her to would you?"
Orbus was silent...
"Orbus!" Prentiss said desperatly.
Orbus looked around the corner, "What's that?" pointing to the Big Top tent flap.
And indeed, two shadows turned to two people entering the tent. One was the Black Witch, holding the small and shiny tight in her hand. The other was a small girl with a mad look to her eyes as she skipped ahead of the old woman, climbing the stands to a throne.
"Right, everyone, get ready." Hotch whispered to the group as they all pressed themselves close to the wood slats to watch the two.