Beck cautiously peeps his head through the front doors, scanning the lockers to check if the coast is clear. He steps inside and waves for the others to come follow him. Cat tiptoes in, looking every which way. André trails her with a false look of bravado on his brow, and a hard tan bat in hanging in his right hand.

All of the other kids are still frozen in place, like perfect stone worshipers. The trio proceeds through the halls on cats' feet. What nightmares might befall them should they accidentally disturb Jade's new zombie army standing like eerie statues?

Beck turns to his comrades and huddles them up. "Jade loves the theatre stage in this place, so I figure she'll be there," he begins to form his battle plan, "We can probably sneak in through the back, rescue Tori and get out before Jade realizes she's gone." He pats Cat and André on the back, nodding firmly.

"Don't forget about woodman," André ensures to remind them.

Suddenly, a voice booms from behind them, "Who you callin' wood?" The gang turns around to find Rex standing behind them, blocking their exit. André and Cat scream, recoiling and hiding behind Beck, who stands his ground and stares Rex down.

"You should do like your little friends, boy, and wet your pants now rather than later," Rex taunts, his eyes flashing red for a brief moment. He has traded his goofy casual clothes for a jet-black monk cloak. He pushes the hood off his head to fully reveal his face, frizzy hair and all.

A small wry smile plays across Beck's lips. "I'm not scared that easily," he retorts, "Specially not by Geppetto's failed Pinocchio prototype." He pushes the envelop and takes a step towards Rex.

"Oh your wit is killing me," Rex quips and counters by snapping his fingers. Robbie and Sikowitz come out of the dark, and take their place by his side. Their eyes have become glazed with murky swirls underneath.

Cat peaks out from her hiding place behind Beck's shoulder and coos, "Sikowitz?"

A chuckle proceeds from the puppet's lips. "He can't hear you baby cakes," Rex informs her, "He only answers to me now."

"Okay. That's how you wanna play it," Beck answers him with his classic calm and collectedness. In one fluid motion, Beck grabs the bat from André's hand and slams it dead against Rex's face, wrenching it to the side.

The diabolical marionette merely turns his head back into place, not appearing to be phased at all. Beck draws his bat back into the striking position, and takes a light step back. He turns around to his two friends and mutters, "Uhh... run!"

The gang darts in the opposite direction, heading further into the school.

SLAP POST: Somebody please come help me. It's creepy here. Jade's being nicer than usual. Mood: Scared.

Tori and Jade are spread over the bed, playing Cat's Cradle. Tori lays on her belly, leaning forward to wrap a thread under the other girl's thumb and over her ring finger. Jade's eyes are unfocused against the thick bedspread, but her aura is light. She smiles when Tori sticks out her tongue while concentrating on getting the thread through a loop around her pinky.

"So, why are we playing this?," Tori asks out of sheer curiosity. She claps her hands after successfully completing her move.

Jade tilts her head and deadpans, "'Cause it's fun."

"Oh, no, it's not that I'm not having fun," Tori corrects her assumption. She bites her lip trying to figure out how to approach such a delicate topic to her captor. "It's just that," she pauses and lets out a huff, "You said you're gonna sacrifice me."

"Shhhh... shhh... shhh...," Jade hushes the latina with the worried eyes, "Let's just enjoy the time 'till then. You don't always have to put a label on things. We can enjoy this moment without calling ourselves friends, and making everything complicated and suffocating."

The words do not calm Tori's nerves. They do not change anything. Jade detects her continued discomfort and rolls her eyes. "Come on, it's not that bad and it's not what you thi..." A ruckus is heard down the halls, which interrupts her train of thought.

"Well, I guess out time is up," Jade announces getting to her feet with the heavy smack of her boots against the noisy floor. "Stay," she commands Tori with a stern extension of her hand. She moves back behind the bed and fades into the shadows.

"Jade?," Tori whispers loudly, scanning the room for signs of anybody else. "I'm scared," she admits, "Don't leave me alone if the puppet comes back."

Bangs are heard against the main entrance. After several more thuds, the doors burst open — Cat, André and Beck falling through to the ground. The three hop to their feet, dusting themselves off and quickly checking to make sure they weren't followed.

Beck and Cat simultaneously shout out, "Tori!" They take a few cautious steps forward, testing the ground for any booby traps.

"Where is she?," André asks pragmatically.

Tori shrugs with palms raised in the air. André scans the darkness with his shrewd glare as she walks a little closer inside. "Come get me," Tori cries.

The Canadian boy sighs and advances forward at a quickened pace. The faster they get out of this haunted school, the better.

Bam! A giant black stage light falls from the ceiling in between Beck, and Cat and André, separating them from each other. "You three haven't changed," Jade's echoing voice floods the room, "Always the noble young heroes fighting the big bad wolf." She jumps down from the catwalk, blocking Beck from reaching Tori, one hand stretched out in front of her body to break her fall.

"Let her go, Jadelyn," Beck bellows in his angry, couples-fight voice.

"How about nah..." Jade chuckles, "Because you see, I have all the power and you have nothing." She runs her hand along the back of one of the folding chairs, taking a confident step forward. "Remember that epic text fight we have a while back?," Jade taunts him as the words rolls like venom off her lips, "Baby, this one is gonna be so much worse."

"Well now, this looks like a party," Rex's grisly tone barks behind them. Sikowitz and Robbie quickly appear at his sides, blocking the width of the doorway.

Beck looks Cat and André in the eyes like it might be the last time he ever has the opportunity. "Kitty Cat, André my man, I need you two to be brave for me," he orders them like a general preparing for battle, "Rip the puppet to shreds." He turns back toward his ex-girlfriend and after a beat, "I'll handle the witch."

Jade merely grins from ear to ear. Cat and André nod to each other. They each grab an audience chair, scream their battle-cries as loud as they can and slam Robbie and Sikowitz against the wall as hard as they can. The force knocks both of them unconscious.

Jade rolls her eyes and groans. "Oh, nice, really?," she pinches the bridge of her nose, "You just can't get decent zombie slaves these days." She waves her hand, "Rex, take care of them."

Rex cracks his knuckles and charges at Cat, his fists pumping at his sides as if he is running a marathon. Cat screams and retreats back into the halls. André chases after them shouting, "You better not hurt her you moppet!"

Jade sashays over to Tori who is too afraid to speak or move her body. "We just need some music before we do this baby," she tells Vega, lifting her hands up and quickly letting go." Jade materializes a remote out of thin air in a flash of darkness and presses play. Highway to Hell comes blasting through the stage speakers.

Beck runs into a butterfly kick and delivers a blow which Jade is quick enough to block with her arms crossed against her chest. She takes a hover-jump back to recompose her fighting stance. Beck manages to grab a stick prop from the set and gets ready to strike at her again. "You know, I am still mad as hell that you once bought me lemonade for my birthday," he yells at her.

He swings the weapon in his hands, but she matrix bends under the stick and lands a kick against his back. "You love lemonade," she shouts back at him eyes flaring.

Tori stares wide-eyed at them fighting in front of her. She's seen them fight before, but never where it has come to physical blows. Jade delivers a flying roundhouse kick to Beck, but he defends himself with boxer-like alacrity. She tries another one in the opposite direction. Blocked! Another kick strikes and knocks Beck to the floor. Not able to take it any more, Tori sneaks up behind Jade and slaps her in the face with a pillow.

"Seriously," Jade says peeved. She throws a telekinetic blast that knocks the latina back, slamming her against the foot of the bed.

SLAP POST: Jade plays rough and hasn't learned not to hit a lady. Mood: Ouch.

Cat runs towards the steps to head up to the second level, when Rex flies across the room and latches onto her back. He pounds his fists into her back. "Get him off! Get him off! Get him off!," she shrieks. The diabolical puppets simply laughs as his eyes spin like tops.

André rushes towards his red-haired friend and grabs a firm hold of Rex, but the marionette is latched on tightly to her and refuses to let go. Cat and André flail around aimlessly. Cat keeps trying to run up the steps, but André prevents her by pulling on Rex's shoulders. "Stop running away, so I can rip him off," André screams.

"I'm sorry," she replies with equal intensity. She tumbles to the ground, and struggles to get back to her feet like a colt first trying to walk.

André roars with all his might and rips Rex off, tossing him like a cork across the room. He helps her up and pulls her into a big hug. "You all right?" he asks.

"Yeah, I think so," she checks herself, making sure he didn't bite any chunks out of her skin, 'cause she definitely knows she heard some chilling chewing noises.

Rex is pulled to his feet as if he were attached to strings and straightens out his robe. "You gonna pay for that pretty boy," he threatens. He reaches his hand out and magically brings into his hand the nightstick Derrick, the security guard, dropped by one of the lockers when he ran away earlier screaming from Jade like a little girl. "No pain, no gain," Rex professes as he beats the palm of his hand with the nightstick.

SLAP POST: Why are there so many slap posts! Mood: Confused.

Jade and Beck exchange blows with each other, and draw some space in between them, circling around each other. Neither of them is making much progress, but Beck is visibly losing energy. His breathing is rapid and beads of sweat are forming along his brow. As always, Jade is dry, since she refuses to allow her skin to sweat by sheer force of will.

"I'm getting disgusted by this," Jade quips. She extends her hand and uses her telekinesis to pull him to her. He struggles to break out of her magic spell, but it is to no avail. She drops him to the ground flat on his stomach. He tries to cling to the floor with his hands and nails, but despite his efforts he is dragged to her feet. She flips him upright with the power of her mind and right into the grip of her hand around his throat. "Sorry baby," she smirks.

"Jade, please don't," he begs. Her eyes glow an emerald green and then Beck's eyes match hers. He collapses unconscious as she lets him out of her hold.

Tori gathers some courage and charges Jade again. She slaps at her in classic girly fashion, barely an irritant. "Why'd you do to Beck?," Tori protests as she runs out of breath, and drops her arms to her sides, panting.

"He'll be fine. He's just sleeping dearie," she replies as Tori retreats from her, allowing herself to be pushed back against the stage bed. "Now for the final act," Jade gloats.

All Tori can do is whimper.