The sounds of footsteps approached but it wasn't a sound he recognized. They were too heavy for it to be Dad or the others and they would have called out to them once they got out of the woods. A fear, a panic snatched him. They turned to see a man who was defiantly not Dad not twenty feet from them. He was bigger with well-tuned muscles where the white button down shirt didn't cover. Even that wasn't fully buttoned, the top was exposed enough to see his collar bones. A loosely tied black tie was wrapped around his neck. A black coat hanged around his shoulders. His shirt was tucked into his black dress pants with belt that had a silver belt buckle. Black boots came up to his knee caps. The man's black hair was sprawled across his head like he was standing in a wind storm. Part of his long bangs feel between his eyes, resting on the bridge of his nose. Darkly discolored skin covered his left eye all the way to the hairline and ear. Another patch sat on the back of his jaw on the opposite side. It was the eyes that really caught Basil. They were brown, a brown he recognized, and they still held the menacing gaze. This was the same man from his nightmare. Gary and Hodge's new boss.
"Who are you?" Matt asked totally innocent. But the man didn't answer he just stared straight at Basil, not moving a muscle. A well timed wind blew across the empty field. His coat lifting off his body then landing peacefully back in place. Dad where are you?! His mind screamed.
"Don't get in my way!" The man spoke his eyes never leaving Basil. The way he spoke was just as frightening as his eyes. It was bold and demanded to be respected. Now wonder Gary and Hodge are willing to do whatever he says. This guy is terrifying! He turned around his coat bouncing up and down as he walked. Before he covered half the distance to get to the woods he vanished.
"What was that about?" Matt asked still looking at where he vanished. Basil didn't answer. I heard of being scared stiff but is there a thing of being scared petrified?
"Basil?" Matt asked seeing Basil wasn't moving.
"That-that was him! Gary and Hodge's new boss!" He stammered. Matt's eyes went big. Another voice came from the direction the man was, but it was a voice he recognized.
"Well that was a waste of time! We didn't find anything!" Dad shouted as he emerged from the trees.
"Really because we found something." Matt said once they were all together again.
"You did! What?" Johan questioned. But before either of them could reply everything went black and his connection with the moon was broken.
"We're traveling through Outer Time again." Katherine complained.
"But are we heading forward or backwards?" He could hear Chip's voice.
"Neither. We're heading back to the time hallow." The glow of the Elucidator lit up Dad's face as he hovered over it. He was right because that was the next he saw. It was the same one. Their school bags sat in the corner right where they left them. And the pain in his stomach came back to.
"Why does that keep happening? None of us were touching each other." Johan asked. Dad shook his head just as confused.
"Hold on a minute, Matt said they met someone back there, whenever that was." Katherine intervened then turned her gaze at Matt. He nodded,
"Basil said it was Gary and Hodge's boss." Before he could continue everyone exploded. They were talking all at once saying they should've run or called from them or sceamed.
"The thing was he only seemed to be interested in Basil not me to." Matt cut their rant short. Dad shook his head violently from side to side. They got into their own conversation leaving Matt and Basil out. Once again Matt took him to the side where they could talk.
"This is getting out of hand faster than I originally thought." He said in ad normal serious tone. All Basil could do was nod. The pain in his stomach was coming more of an annoying cramp. Out of the blue it went from annoyance to hurt straight to 'kill me now'. He couldn't help but scream in pain clutching his stomach. His shoulder slammed against the wall as he slid to his knees, Matt right there the entire time. He tipped over and rubbed the side of his face on the floor as he curled up.
"Dad!" Matt shouted but he was already running over. He squeezed his eyes shut blocking all the light out. He could feel Dad put a hand on his shoulder and forced him to roll on his back. The entire time his body resisted.
"Basil I'm trying to help you! Don't fight me!" Dad shouted above his screaming. He forced himself to the best he could to relax his body as Dad pulled up his shirt. Suddenly there was something cold and smooth rubbing all around his stomach.
"This can't be happening!" Dad murmured.
"JB what's happening?!" Katherine demanded again.
"His organs are disappearing! Alright!" He shouted back. There was a loud 'what?!' with four different voices mixed in. The pain slowly started dying down, but the tears lingered so did the object on his stomach.
"Thankfully nothing too important is missing. It was only the most minor ones." Dad stopped shouting and started talking normally again now that he wasn't screaming bloody murder. The warm returned to his stomach as his shirt was pulled back down. He kept panting covering his eyes with his arm.