Author's Note: Hello fellow readers! Sorry for this to come out so late on Saturday, but my computer *glares at said computer* suddenly updated by itself. So, it took me a while to finish this. But enough of that, I got the chapter! Good news on regarding my Community Service, I found on October 23rd that I can do for 6 hours, then I will be free to write whenever I want too (Unless if I have School Projects)! Also, Joltie has got something juicy for you guys in the next chapter! Until then, enjoy this chapter!
SHOUTOUTS-!
Joshua Ketchum: Thanks! Hope you enjoy this chapter!
Guest: Thanks! And what's new?
Satoshi-Greninja: You have to wait a few chapters for me to answer that. *Holds back a few giggles.*
Steel Heart Alchemist: I KNOW, RIGHT? Well, technically the XY and Scooby Gang knew it was true. To the locals, they still think the Specter is myth because it probably wouldn't be easy to prove that a haunting phantom was a insane Chinese Emperor who had a lust for power, and it was pretty known in Stan's Deadpan Camp for kidnapping boys, remember? That song is called Tears by Clean Bandit. Joltie suggested that song, and I say that song fitted perfectly with Ash's current condition. If it makes you feel at better, that song is also stuck in my head even before I wrote that into the chapter. Thanks! Enjoy the chapter!
R98: Um, you have to wait for the rest of the story for me to answer on regarding Team Rocket.
Matt: Thanks, even though me and Joltie didn't notice the reference at first!
Blaze: Yeah, you weren't the only one when you first read it. ;)
Lightwing: They probably made their own costumes. The Pokémon World is pretty advanced, don't you think?
Darkwing: Yep. Joltie picked that out for reasons that I'm not allow to tell you. But I agree, it is a beautiful song to get people back up again from tough times. Enjoy the chapter!
Chapter 8
Getting to the Music Hall was like trying to get from the Prism Tower to the Lumiose Museum, the feeling of paranoia is always filling them with dread whenever they feel like a hypnotized citizen is about to pop up at them anywhere. You would think that since Lumiose City is their home, Clemont and Bonnie would feel comfortable. But they didn't. They have never felt more uncomfortable in their home, even when their father made his random personality-switches every now and then. Oh man, their father. How is he doing in all of this?
They didn't have time to ponder on that for long when Freddie suddenly gave them all the signal that the coast is clear. Quickly getting out of the alleyway that they were hiding in when a small group of hypnotized citizens came passing by just before they could the doors to the Music Hall. After one last check to make sure the hypnotized citizens are out of sight, they finally reach the doors that lead to the Music Hall.
"Okay, here we go." Fred says in hush tone in case anybody else hears him and they're done for. Grabbing the two handles with both hands, Freddie gave a mighty pull.
The door didn't even budge.
"What the-?" Freddie tried once again. Same results. "Wait, did that robot lock the Music Hall? I thought this was the last place she would expect us to go to!"
With a blank face, Shaggy walks up to the blonde. "Like, dude, it's push, not pull." Once that was said, the hippie pushes the door open with a small shoe. The doors instantly open into the building, giving them the chance to enter the place that can answer all of their questions.
"I knew that..." Freddie mumbles as everyone else begins to head inside the building, not before the older girls in the group gave him eye rolls. Sighing, Freddie walks after them, dejectedly.
The entrance hall is still as messing when Shaggy, Scooby, and the kids first arrived there. Guess the Puppet Master is just to busy trying to find them while robbing all the banks she can get.
"The Dressing Room's this way." Ash explains, going down the path he remembers he and his friends went to find clues before the Puppet Master found them. The thought sent shivers down the ten year-old's spine, but he ignored it and continue on leading everyone else to the dressing rooms.
As they walk, Shaggy and Scooby couldn't help but wrap their arms around each other as they dart their eyes around the darken hallway with their teeth-chattering like mad. They remember their last encounter with the Puppet Master in this place, and they didn't enjoy being reminded of the fear of being trapped in one place where the Puppet Master was about to get them. And just to be sure that doesn't happen again...
Velma couldn't help but roll her eyes when she heard the sounds of rustling and teeth-chattering, knowing exactly who they are. When it didn't stop, she got fed-up and abruptly turns to the face the two cowards with a glare. "Will you two stop making that noise?!" The others stop walking when they heard the female genius's whisper/yell and are met with peculiar sight.
Somehow, Shaggy and Scooby have don their hockey-armor during their walk and are now armed with hockey-sticks. Due to their rapid shaking, the armor that they're wearing shakes as well, causing loud shuffling sounds. They didn't have to comment on that when Velma continues, "Do you want to let the Puppet Master know we're in here?"
"Well, like, sorry if I'm just being safe!" Shaggy shots back, thankfully whispering as well, before turning his head away with a huff.
"Reah!" Scooby agreed before doing the same thing his best friend did.
"Just put those things in the supply closet!" Velma snaps in a hush voice, pointing to the convening placed supply closet to the right of them. With that, the teenager turn and continues down the path that they're going down. The rest of the grownups soon follow after her, leaving the children alone with the two cowards as they put away their hockey equipment in the supply closet.
"Where did they even get that equipment from?" Clemont asked his friends, who just shrug helplessly in reply. Sometimes, they couldn't fully understand what goes on in Shaggy and Scooby's brains, although, there are times where they wonder if they even have brains. After the duo finished putting away the hockey equipment, they, along with the children, continue going down the path where the Dressing Rooms are.
After a few more minutes, something out of the corner of his eyes catches Fred's attention. Once he gets a good look at the thing, his eyes widen in amazement as he stops walking, catching the attention of everyone else. "Wow! Looking at this amazing Security Room!" Having the feeling what Freddie's talking about, the cowardly duo and children poke their heads outside the door as the rest of them walk into the security room with Freddie. "Oh man, you kids are so lucky that you live in a society where everything is advanced!"
"Let's see what this security footage has in store for us." Velma begins, about to take a seat and look through the footage when Shaggy suddenly stops her.
"Like, don't bother..." The hippie spoke from the doorway, making everyone inside the room turn their attention towards the one outside the room. "There's nothing inside the footage. Like, whoever's behind all of this erased any evidence of them inside the Music Hall and showing how they controlled that weird Puppet-thing. Everything else is just, like, horrible things that I don't want to mention..." Shaggy lets out a small shudder once he remembers the Dancing Janitor.
"How did you know that, Shaggy?" Daphne asked with a quirk eyebrow.
"Where were in here before." Scooby answered, with Shaggy pointing a finger at the dog to agree with him.
"Yep! And we, like, almost got stuffed in a Freddy Fazbear Suit!" At this, Shaggy does his famous whimper. "I'm never playing Five Nights at Freddy's ever again! Even with that new one coming out!"
"Again, we still don't what that means!" Bonnie voiced her thoughts, but was ignored by everyone else as they continue the conversation regarding the security room.
Freddie still looks around the room in interest. "So, what you're telling me is that this Security Room can see everything inside the Musical Hall?" He asked, making sure what he's hearing is right.
"Not the restroom stalls, if you're wondering." Shaggy suddenly adds in. "But, like, yeah. Anyone can see this entire building if they wanted too."
"If that's the case, one of us should stay behind and look through the cameras." Velma suddenly speaks up, addressing to everyone that's around her. "If the Puppet Master does come looking for us in here, someone needs to be in here and monitor the area."
Before anybody else could speak, Shaggy and Scooby instantly shot their arms up as soon as Velma was finished with her sentence. "We'll do it!" They both shout in unison that would sound creepy to most people, but normal for their friends since they think those two have pretty much the same brain.
"I thought you two were afraid of this place?" Daphne questioned in shock as the two made their way into the Security Room.
"Like, that was because we made a mistake and let that creep of a clown into this place," Shaggy begins as he and Scooby begin to guide the grownups out the room. "But, like, now what we did wrong, we'll be okay!"
"We'll ree rou rater, rids!" Scooby calls out to the children, who are watching them with dumbfounded expressions at their sudden change of personality while the two cowards have finally guided the grownups out of the room.
"And, like, we still got your walkie-talkie-wrist-watch thingy you gave to use, Clemont. We'll call you if we see anything!" With that, Shaggy closes the door that leads into the security room.
There's a moment of silence before Bonnie speaks up, "Okay, that was weird. Even for Shaggy and Scooby..."
"Then again, this is Shaggy and Scooby we're talking." Daphne points out with a laugh. "Just knowing that they're about to get a job that doesn't involve facing the monster, I think those two will always take that cake." At this, she laughs at her small pun.
After getting over Shaggy and Scooby's sudden personality disorder, the kids were able to lead the rest of the grownups to the dressing room. Right there on the desk where the children left it is the blueprints for the Puppet Master's Music Box. Although they found it strange for the Puppet Master just to leave something like that all alone in a open place for them to find it, they ignore it as Velma picks it up to examine it.
It took a few moments before Freddie decided to speak up. "So, did you find anything interesting about the music box?"
Velma quickly realized she's been staring so intently at the blueprints that she's failed to inform the others about what she uncovered. "Right, sorry." She then shows them the diagram. "Take a look at the way the sounds are placed. Normally when someone wants to create a sound into the music box, they put it into certain areas so they can match the songs they're making. But the way these notes are placed... I have to say someone placed the notes in those areas to create a sound that can hypnotized people."
Serena seems to take that into account. "Now that you mentioned that, the music from that box did sound a little off when I first heard it."
"Yeah, I heard it too!" Ash speaks up.
Clemont frowns, not understanding what his friends are talking about. "I didn't hear anything..."
"That's because you're tone-death, big brother." Bonnie deadpanned with her hands on her hips. "Sad thing for us is that you can't even hear yourself sing, or otherwise you would know the pain me and our friends feel when you sing in the showers." This earns herself a heated glare from her brother.
"Hey, I can sing!"
"You can't sing to save your life, Clemont..."
"My singing's not that bad!" The blonde then turn to his friends for help. "Right guys?"
However, the only responses he got are awkward glances before the two turned away to avoid eye contact with him. Ash began to whistle innocently as he pulls his cap over his eyes while Pikachu tries to distract itself with some of the costumes on the racks, Serena just cups her face with her hand so she doesn't have to look at Clemont. The young genius finds himself frowning at his friends' reactions, "Really, guys?"
Back at the Security Room, Shaggy and Scooby are peacefully lounging against the officer chairs as the watch the security cameras that show the hallways, which lead to the dressing rooms where their friends are at. It's been a while since they've seen any sign of the hypnotized citizens or the Puppet Master, and their anxiety gradually faded away. Now they're finally at peace as they monitor the halls of the Music Hall.
After letting out a small sigh with his hands behind his back, Shaggy addresses his faithful companion, "You know, Scooby, I take back what I said about security guards. They, like, have the best jobs ever! They get to sit around all day, watch television, and eat whenever they want too!"
"Reah!" The Great Dane agrees excitedly, while doing another spin on his chair.
"Like, maybe we should get jobs here at this Music Hall when we solve this mystery." Shaggy suggests. "That way we can see the kids and eat all the food we want! We still have to find a way to convince the officials to keep you around. Maybe we can, like, get Mr. Ketchum too-"
BANG!
Shaggy and Scooby both jump out of their relaxed positions when they hear something being slammed open from the hallway outside this room. With nervous glances towards each other, they began to skim through the cameras, trying to find the source of that sound. A part of them is hoping it was just nothing and either Fred, Ash, Daphne, or Clemont's clumsiness happened again, but that hope went down the drain when they heard the familiar moans that's been plaguing them since this mystery started.
This makes them change the cameras rapidly, trying everything they can find the source in hopes that they're not too late. From the theater, to backstage, even to the restroom, they couldn't find what was the caused of the noises. Suddenly a thought seeps into their mind, making the screen change to the entrance of the Music Hall. As the screen pops up, Shaggy and Scooby both jump back with terrified screams once they realized what they're seeing.
Herds of hypnotized citizens came pouring into the Music Hall like water filling up an entire glass, the sight help bring back the feeling of dread that they haven't since their time at Stan's Camp. They were so focused on the screen that they momentarily forgotten about the moans that are charging towards them.
"ZOINKS!" Thinking quickly, Shaggy hurries towards the doors and quickly slams the button. At once, the doors slid shut, followed by loud thuds from the citizens as they crashed right into the metal doors since they couldn't stop in time. Shaggy backs away from the doors when he begins to hear the large pounding from the doors and the glass from the window.
"Like, Scoob, don't forget the air vents!" Scooby quickly nods, sealing the air vents from the computer. There was no way they were going to make the same mistake again. They both sigh in relief when they heard the automatic sound that alerted them that the ventilation system has been sealed, however one thought struck them.
If the hypnotized citizens are here... Then the Puppet Master isn't so far behind...
Shaggy quickly turns his wrist-communicator on and frantically shouts at it. "Mayday, mayday! We're, like, busted! I repeat, we're busted! She found us! Get out of there!" However, the only response he got was loud static sound. They've been cut-offed from everyone else. There was no way for them to warn the others.
And to make matters worse, "Ruh, Raggy? Ridn't rou ray rhat realing the air rents rauses rallucinations rin Rive Rights rat Reddy's?"
"Like, I did say that, but that doesn't mean it's actually gonna-ZOINKS SPRINTRAP!" Shaggy turns around only to be face-to-face with the main antagonist of Five Nights at Freddy's 3. The hippie screams and jumps back into his chair, but when he takes a look back at where he saw the animatronic, it was nowhere to be found.
This is gonna be a long day.
Clemont frowns when he hears static coming from his communicator. He knew that Shaggy turned it on and is trying to tell him something, but for some reason the communication system is going off and he can't figure out why. His tinkering manages to catch the attention of everyone else in the room.
"What's wrong, Clemont?" Ash asked, watching his blonde friend still tinkering with his communicator.
"Something's wrong with the connection on my communicator," he answers. "I think Shaggy and Scooby are trying to tell us something, but I think there's something blocking their connection to us."
Before anybody could say anything, screams from down the hallway caught their attention. They whip their heads towards the doors, wondering who would scream like that before a man and his dog came into mind.
"That's Shaggy and Scooby!" Daphne shouts, realizing that her friends could be in danger.
"Why on earth would they scream like that?" Taku asked.
"I don't know, but I'm about to find out!" Freddie said determinedly as he makes his way towards the door. "The security room isn't that far away-GAH!" Just as the blonde opens the door, he's meet with familiar purple, cat-like eyes are staring down at him.
"GoInG sOmEwHeRe...?" The familiar, glitch-y voice asked. Everyone backs up as the animatronic makes her way into the room, her wide, creepy, clown-like smiles at their terrified faces, her music box in hand.
The Puppet Master has them trapped, again.
