PHASE 5: Finale

"Where is he?" groaned Norma to no-one; at least, nobody she could see in the darkness.

"He's been gone long enough that I got back first, beyond that I have no idea," said Gisu.

Norma pinched her brow. "What are we even doing here anyway? We were all supposed to leave after we got the intel, weren't we?"

"Like I said," said Lizzie, "Raz's stuck in therapist mode. He can't leave until he gets rid of this guy's dependency on Gristol."

"So, we're helping to 'change his mind'. Yeah, that worked wonders with Miss Forsythe…"

"We're at war. The sins of the winning side will be forgotten in time."

The others turned to Sam in shock, and she stared back with a cold, unfeeling glare…

…and then continued: "Besides, we're not forcing his mind to change, more like giving him back the ability to change his own mind."

Norma sighed. "Once again, Boole straddles the line between poignancy and insanity. But suppose she's right, what about after we're done? He might still want to be our enemy."

"In that case," said Adam, "we erase all traces of our presence in his mind, get out, and pretend we were never here; pretty much what we were planning to do anyway."

"Fine, but—"

Before Norma could say anymore, Morris interrupted: "Guys, I hear them coming!"

"Places everyone!" Adam yelled as quietly as he could. The group scattered and hid themselves as best they could except Gisu, who reached out with her levitation orbs and attached them to the wall.

No sooner did the wall rise than Raz entered the opening flying and screaming, followed by what seemed to be aftereffects of an explosion.

"I got you!" shouted Morris as he caught Raz with a trampoline construct. He bounced up to where the others were hiding, and Gisu followed him.

"NO!" yelled the Mega-Censor as it followed its quarry into the strange space. Just then, the wall closed behind it, the lights went out…and a drumroll started.

"Ladies and gentlemen, mental constructs of all shapes and sizes," boomed Adam's voice, "put your thoughts together for THE JUNIOR PSYCHONAUTS!"

Spotlights flared to life, blinding the Mega-Censor and illuminating the surroundings: The interior of a circus tent with a massive pool in the center of a racetrack, grind rails where the audience would normally sit, trapezes and floating trampolines all around the upper areas, and little flowers growing all around the floor.

The Mega-Censor recovered, and saw Raz, Adam, Norma, Lizzie, Gisu and Morris standing on a raised platform above the orchestra pit. Growling, the Mega-Censor prepared to spew a stream of censor energy at the Junior Psychonauts.

Before it could finish charging its attack, however, the oversized projection of Sugarcube kicked it from behind, knocking it into the pool.

"Take that, you oversized hairball!" cheered Sam, still atop Sugarcube's back.

"Nice shot!" said Raz as he gave a thumbs up. Then he turned to his teammates. "Remember, keep your distance, and keep him surrounded!"

They nodded. "Well then, on with the show!" said Morris, as he gave a psychic signal that started the orchestra, and they leapt down in pairs onto the grind rails: Morris with Norma, Raz with Gisu, and Adam with Lizzie.

The Mega Censor righted itself and prepared to charge, but Lizzie froze the water under its feet, keeping it still. The Junior Psychonauts circled the monstrosity on the grind rails while Sugarcube and Sam ran along the racetrack, and they PSI-Blasted it from every angle.

The orchestra played an energizing melody that invigorated the Psychonauts, ensuring that they never tired while the Mega-Censor was wearing down by the second. Every time it blasted them with any projectiles they couldn't just jump over, Gisu or Morris used their special talents to rescue the target (Or Adam just destroyed the projectile with his yo-yo). The Mega-Censor tried breaking out of the ice, but Norma just melted the chunks so that Lizzie could re-freeze them all over again.

Soon their attacks began to show effect. Chunks broke off the Mega-Censor's body, turning into smaller Censors that Sugarcube took delight in trampling (To which Sam responded with a heinous cackle, to Raz's concern). Every projectile attack was weaker than the previous, and turning to shoot those behind it took more and more effort.

"Keep it up!" shouted Adam, "We're almost there!"

They were so caught up in their triumph they didn't notice their trouble until it was too late.

"SUGARCUBE, LOOK OUT!" Raz cried.

Sugarcube listened and skidded to a halt as best she could. Her momentum, however, still carried her forward straight into a puddle of Doubt slime. She tumbled head-over feet, and she and Sam both were covered in purple goo.

The others leapt off the grind-rails and rushed to their side, hoping to help. Unfortunately, the Mega-Censor chose that moment to blast them, igniting the doubt slime. Sam and Sugarcube screamed as their astral projections burned, then dissolved within seconds.

"SAM!" they yelled impotently as the Mega-Censor laughed. They turned to it in anger…

…and saw a swarm of Regrets flying up and over its body towards them, as well as even more Doubts oozing in from the sides.

"Whoa, that's a lot of nasties," said Lizzie, anger replaced with surprise and concern.

"He must be thinking about the things he did for Gristol and the Deluginists; something he couldn't do while that Mega-Censor was in charge!" said Adam.

"Good for him," gulped Raz, "bad for us!"

"Hey, it's nothing we haven't seen before!" said Morris with a slight laugh. As he hoped, the attitude raised his comrades' spirits.

Without the need to speak, they organized themselves into more teams. Lizzie, Norma, and Adam stayed on the ground with the Doubts and Mega-Censor, while Raz, Gisu and Morris levitated up to handle the Regrets.

No sooner did they swat most of the Regrets, however, than they heard an unfamiliar sound.

"Is that a propeller?" Gisu asked.

Before anyone could answer her, the sound grew louder and louder…until a biplane burst through the circus tent and slammed into Gisu, who couldn't even scream before her astral projection dissolved. Raz and Morris just barely managed to grab onto the wings before their own projections could be harmed.

The pilot of the plane, the Mental Gristol, regarded them coldly. "I warned you, but you ignored my genius. Now look at this; Regrets, Doubts, it's all falling apart! He actually thinks Gristol isn't perfect! You've ruined Gladmir's life, and now you will pay!"

The Mental Gristol pressed a button, and the plane dived towards the other three Junior Psychonauts. Norma was busy incinerating the Doubts while Adam and Lizzie continued attacking the Mega-Censor, so they didn't notice the incoming plane. Soon, a missile loaded with Bad Idea bulbs zoomed towards them, and though Raz reacted as fast as he could, he couldn't get a grip on it with his telekinesis. Their astral projections were annihilated in a spectacular flash.

The Mental Gristol grinned as the Mega-Censor started laughing.

"Raz, what's going on in there?" asked Lili through their connection. "Are you and Morris alright? Everyone else looks real frazzled!"

Raz gripped the wing as tight as he could as he thought: "Mental Gristol is fighting back! He took us by surprise!" Lili said nothing in response, but he could feel the worry through their mental link.

The Mental Gristol, meanwhile, readied his wrench. "Don't worry," he said to the wounded Mega-Censor, "You'll soon be back in business."

"It can't end like this!" said Raz.

But before he could say any more, or the Mental Gristol could retort, Morris shouted: "It ain't over till the fat lady sings, Raz!"

As the plane circled the Mega-Censor, Morris gestured to the orchestra pit. "She's only got one number," he continued, "But it'll really bring down the house!"

Confused, Raz looked down at the orchestra, still playing its energetic song. The bass drum in particular stood out as it bounced around and boomed out loud.

Raz put the pieces together. He smirked and told Morris: "I'll keep him busy."

No sooner did Morris let go and drift towards the orchestra pit than Raz flipped onto the wing, grabbed the Mental Gristol's wrench with telekinesis, and jammed it into the plane's controls.

The plane circled around the outer edge of the circus tent, despite the Mental Gristol's attempt to manipulate the stuck steering mechanism. Enraged, the construct pulled out an egg-tipped scepter and lunged for Raz.

The two dueled on the plane's wing, Mental Gristol swiping at Raz with the scepter, and Raz alternating between dodging and blocking with his psi-fist.

Soon Raz got a good blow in, but the Mental Gristol followed up with one of its own, knocking Raz off the plane. Thinking quickly, he slowed the plane and its pilot down with a Time Bubble, preventing it from dislodging the wrench. Then, Raz used Mental Connections to return to the plane, and the duel resumed.

This continued for a few minutes, until the orchestra suddenly changed its tune.

"Uh oh," said Raz with a smirk. "You know what it means when the circus band plays Stars and Stripes Forever, right?"

Confused, the Mental Gristol looked down at the orchestra pit…and saw that every time the massive bass drum was struck, it seemed to grow larger. Then, when it reached a certain size, a panel fell off…revealing a massive ticking bomb.

"Yeah, we call it 'the Disaster March' around here. I'd start running if I were you."

And the Mental Gristol did run, putting on a little parachute before jumping out of the plane. Before Raz followed, however, he psi-blasted the wrench from the plane's controls, and then left a projection behind based on the 'hero' archetype. "GERONIMO!" shouted his copy in a squeaky voice, before he imitated the sounds of a falling plane. No sooner did Raz jump and float away on a levitation ball than his projection slammed the plane straight into the Mega-Censor's face, stunning it and preventing its attempts to escape.

Seconds later, every instrument in the orchestra played a loud G-flat, and the bomb exploded.

The blast wave caught Raz's levitation ball and the Mental Gristol's parachute, sending them flying away through the walls. The circus tent crashed to the ground behind them, burying everything else.

The two screaming figures landed in a heap, right in the middle of Gladmir's mental cutting room.

"Well, if it isn't the executive producer of this little film company."

The bruised Mental Gristol regarded Gladmir, who smiled at him. Its face lit up, and it responded: "Ah, a loyal consumer. I trust everything is to your satisfaction?"

"Yes," said Gladmir as his smile twisted ever-so-slightly, "I love every film you've shown me. Although…"

The Mental Gristol blanched as Gladmir pulled out the reel labeled Gristol Was Wrong. He continued: "Right now I'm interested as to the stuff you haven't shown me."

Before the shocked mental construct could react, a projector and screen appeared out of nowhere, Gladmir inserted the reel, and the film began to play….

INT: LADY LUCTOPUS PENTHOUSE SUITE – DAY

GRISTOL sits at a desk, surrounded by empty tins of caviar. He reads blueprints of the Motherlobe.

GLADMIR enters, carrying Deluginist propaganda.

GRISTOL

Ah, Roboskovicz, you're just in time.
I've got a message for our 'admirers'.

GRISTOL gives GLADMIR a copy of the Motherlobe blueprints.

GRISTOL (CONT.)

Take these. You'll plan our attack on
the Psychonauts' evil lair. Once Maligula
is freed, you guys will help us escape so
we can get back to Grulovia.

GLADMIR

Consider it done.

GLADMIR turns to leave, stops, and looks at GRISTOL.

GLADMIR (CONT.)

Gristol?

GRISTOL

What?

GLADMIR

When we do get Maligula back…how
will we keep her from drowning those loyal
to our cause along with our enemies?

GRISTOL

Leave that to me, you've got
enough things to worry about already.

GLADMIR

I know, it's just…I've seen recent schoolbooks.
An entire generation of Grulovians have been raised
to believe that the Maliks were bad, and I'm worried
they won't…accept you…

GRISTOL stands up and walks towards GLADMIR, standing face-to-face.

GRISTOL

Roboskovicz, if I'm being honest, anyone
who denies me my birthright deserves
whatever cruelty Maligula has in store.
Don't you agree?

GLADMIR

Y…yes, of course, my Gsesarevich.

GRISTOL smiles and nods.

GRISTOL

Glad to hear it. Now, if you don't mind…

GRISTOL turns away and gives GLADMIR a dismissive wave. GLADMIR exits.

CUT

The film ended, and Raz couldn't help but smile as he noticed the Mental Gristol quivering.

"All this time," said Gladmir, "I looked up to Gristol as someone who could do no wrong. Now that I think about it, however…he is wrong. He's everything wrong with the old regime, and I want no part of it anymore."

"No, you can't do this!" said the Mental Gristol, prostrating itself before Gladmir, "Without Gristol running our lives, we'll have nothing! You'll-"

The Mental Gristol said no more, as a pit suddenly opened in the floor beneath it and swallowed it whole. Raz heard its screams for a while, before the pit closed and muffled them.

"At least I'll have my pride," said Gladmir.

He looked at Raz, smiling. Raz smiled back. "So, what now?" he asked.

Gladmir put his hand to his chin. "You know, that's a very good question…Psychonaut."

Raz's breath hitched.

Before he could do anything else, another pit opened to swallow him up.

"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH…"

…

….