31st October 2013 Thursday

Day 304

Happy Halloween everyone! Another holiday I adore because it involves dressing up and following Irish pagan tradition…oh and eating candy! I was going to share my biggest fear with you, but when I told my sister she said I shouldn't because it'll scare some of you. I have to remember this story is K+.

One shot – only the four original members. Zap and Jenny NOT going out in this = one awkward moment!

Disclaimer: I say it again, I do not own the show!

"Dude, I don't want to hear another one," Tung cowered under his blanket on the floor. The pilot smirked next to him, glancing over to where Dex and Jenny were busy analysing the computers. "I'm going to have trouble sleeping after the last one."

"Come on, don't be such a-"

"Zap, I don't need you to scar my employees," Dex said distractedly with a smile in Jenny's direction. "If he doesn't want you to tell him another ghost story, don't tell him."

"Ok, then I guess you will never know the true story of Socket," Zap glanced sideways, unable to control his grin. The pilot stood up, but just as he was walking away, he heard a voice that brought him back.

"Wait, who's Socket?" bingo, he had him. Zap, pulling a casual face, sat back in his spot on the floor.

He glanced to the computer where the rest of the team were, noticing how they had slowed down ever so slightly in the bids to listen. His smile grew wider.

"Socket, is a guy who stalks people in the night, stealing them when it's dark," he began, moving his fingers to convey eeriness. Tung's eyes grew wide. "He's called Socket because he doesn't have any eyes, only eye sockets. He creates darkness so the last thing people see, or don't see, is whatever he sees…or doesn't see."

Tung raised his eyebrow in boredom, letting his blanket fall off his shoulders. "Sounds like your story needs to fix up a few threads," he mumbled, standing up.

The frog boy headed towards the door with Dex while Zap stood up. A flash of lightning above cracked loudly, and all of the lights flickered off.

"Ahhh," Tung shouted. It was only until another flash of lightning occurred that the team could see the frog boy wrapped around the head of his boss; Dex groaning under the sudden extra weight.

Jenny turned around to stare quizzically at her computer. "Why isn't my back-up generator working?" she complained, tapping at the dead computer.

"Ok everyone," the leader said after he had managed to pull the frog off his face. "Thunderstorm protocol, we knew this was coming; boys, I'm going to need you to secure down the discs on the roof. Jenny, could you try and get the computer back online in case we need to contact anyone."

They all agreed, but a loud screeching from outside stopped everyone in their tracks.

"I don't think that's going to be a problem anymore," Jenny cringed as she heard the metal of the dish scrape against the roof before flying off their island. Dex sighed in annoyance before moving towards an emergency cupboard. He retrieved four flash lights, and passed out one to everyone. The room was illuminated by four bright circles.

"Ok, I suppose after a manual routine check of the habitats, we can all retire for the night."

"No Dex, that's how they get you," Tung said in defence. The leader merely walked around the frog boy.

"Tung, you can't go believing silly little stories like that," the leader turned a smirking head to Zap. "And Zap, I told you not to fill his head with nonsense."

"It's not nonsense," the pilot tried to debate, but he couldn't keep the smile off his face. "That's what they want you to believe, right Tung?"

The little frog boy was nodding his head vigorously, but Dex stood between the two. "Cut it out. Let's go in teams then; Zap, you can come with me, I'd rather not have you with Tung. Jenny, can you take Tung through the lower numbered pavilions and Zap and I will work backwards."

"All right," Jenny agreed quickly, guiding a shaking Tung down the corridor.

"We do regular checks on this place all the time," Zap voiced his thoughts while aiming a flashlight to the nearby pavilions. "I hardly think one night of a blackout is going to change anything."

"Still, we need to make sure that everything-" Dex stopped his train of thought, spying something out of the corner of his eye. Zap would've noticed his boss walk away, had he not been busy with his own thoughts.

"I didn't mean to scare Tung if that's why you're giving me the silent treatment," he murmured with heavy sarcasm. "He asked for it so-"

The pilot turned around to address his leader, but found he was the only one in the room.

"Dex?" the pilot called out into the darkness. No reply was heard, only a small noise of some sort was heard. A tingle ran up Zap's spine. "Hey…hey man, come on, this isn't funny."

The bug boy continued to flash his light around but all he saw were glass pavilions, reflecting the small light of his torch. Nervous, he flicked open his com.

"Jenny, are you still with Tung?" he held his breath until he heard a reply.

"Of course, why?"

"Because Dex isn't with me anymore?" from the other end of his communicator, Zap could hear Tung's breathing increasing.

The clone sighed in frustration. "Come on Zap, cut it out."

"I'm serious, he was here, and now he's not," the pilot debated, trying to keep his voice from breaking.

"Ok, head back to the control room; I'll track him on the computer."

"So, he just…wasn't there anymore?" Tung questioned wearily, gazing up at Zap in interest. The bug boy nodded vigorously; his face dead-straight.

"I don't know what happened to him," everyone watched as a frown crossed Jenny's face as she typed on her computer. "One minute he was there, and the next he wasn't."

"Well, I can't find him on the tracker," she admitted, sighing as she closed the window on her com. She continued to type on another computer. "I'll check the cameras instead."

She gasped loudly, bringing her hand to her mouth. The boys moved behind her, staring over her shoulder to have a look themselves. She froze the image on the screen, where a blurry, greyed image of a man was just visible; dark rimmed sockets instead of his eyes.

"Zap, I thought you were just telling a story," Tung whimpered, cringing away from the screen.

"I was just repeating a story I had heard on the news," he replied in shock, staring intently at the frozen image. His gaze flicked to Jenny, smirking at how his mind worked within dire situations.

"Hey Jenny, since we're practically in a horror movie, and the weakest member being Tung will be picked off next," the frog boy shot him a glare. "We should probably start making out or something."

"Now is not the time," the clone replied, rapidly typing on her wristcom. Zap looked back at Tung, shrugging his shoulders.

"It was worth a shot."

"So, what are we going to do?" Tung quivered, shaking in his boots.

"We have to try and keep close, find his weakness and stop it," Jenny instructed, taking charge. She glanced over her shoulder. "Zap, could you-"

Both the clone and the frog boy stared blankly to their right where the pilot was standing not moments ago. They flicked their heads in every which direction, but he was nowhere to be seen.

"Zap, if this is some sick joke, it's not funny," the frog shouted into the dark room. If it were possible, the room became darker, and a hallowing scream echoed in the halls. Jenny and Tung held each other close as they trembled.

"Dex, if this is one of your 'scare your employees straight' things, it's not funny either," Jenny shouted in the darkness. The voice seemed to creep closer within the shadows, reaching its raspy tone through Jenny's speaker system.

"My dear, do you really think your team has anything to do with this?" a damp voice travelled through the system.

"Jenny, Jenny I can't do this anymore," the tracker shouted, stepping backwards until he was closer to the wall. Jenny watched on in shock as a wafting cloud of blue smoke appeared from the ground, encasing Tung in fog. When it dispersed, a concrete statue of the frog boy stood in its place, frozen in fear.

"Tung?" Jenny cried, tapping her fist against the hard concrete. "Tung?"

"There's nowhere to hide," the voice echoed, laughing menacingly. "I must comment on how easy it has been to divide and conquer this team. If only you had a system."

Alone and in the dark, with a serial maniac on the loose, Jenny decided to take her only option.

She ran.

She ran through the corridors, avoiding dark corners and dead ends. She looked over her shoulder for a split second, but that was her final mistake.

A giant hole was found in the centre of the control room, holding a screaming engineer as Jenny fell down to its depths. Above the hole, a man stood holding a candle under his chin; further darkening the area behind his head, and illuminating his eyeless sockets. He smirked, blowing out the candle, yet you could still see his grinning expression.

"Happy Halloween."

R&R! Hope you had a wonderful Halloween and a great October.