Chapter 8: The Fall of Monster High
…Hexiciah Steam's Workshop…the next day…
"No, no, no," said Maddie in an admonishing manner, "that won't do at all anymore."
"What are you talking about now, Maddie?" asked a slightly exasperated Dexter as he, Raven, Apple, Frankie and several others, sat in the subterranean lab, having spent the afternoon, evening, night and morning attempting to decipher the strange symbols found in the hidden chamber along with the third Star piece.
"The readers can figure out what we've been doing, Mr. AndrewK9000!" exclaimed Maddie, "we've got more important things to talk about!"
"She's talking to herself again," whispered Operetta to Skelita as they, Jinifire, Venus and Rochelle, were sitting in one corner of the lab, pouring over piles of books on decryption and obscure language translations.
"And you're worried by that?" asked Venus.
"This comes from someone who talks to plants?" asked Rochelle.
"Lots of people talk to plants," said Venus, "Monsters, Normies, even animals."
"My grandfather talks to plants," said Skelita.
"So do the people on my world," said Avery.
"That's not the point!" exclaimed Maddie, "we can go on like this! Are you listening to me, Mr. AndrewK9000!?"
Of course I'm listening, Maddie! I'm always listening! What's wrong now?!
"The name, that's what's wrong!" said Maddie.
What name?
"Hexiciah Steam's Workshop, that's what!" said Maddie. She then looked at Robecca, whom was standing next to Ghoulia as her laptop ran through a translation program, "aren't you tired of calling this place Hexiciah Steam's Workshop?"
"Why would I be tired of calling my father's lab what it is?" asked Robecca, "are you serious?" she then looked at Ghoulia, "she can't be serious, right?" to which Ghoulia moaned and shrugged her shoulders.
"Well, I am serious!" said Maddie stubbornly as she crossed her arms, "and I insist that we rename the lab."
"That's it, I'm officially declaring her insane," said Cleo.
"How do you know she hasn't already been?" asked Clawdeen.
"Somebody's gotta talk to her," said Lagoona.
"I'll talk to her," said Raven, "Maddie, you do realize that we're in someone else's room, right? That we're guests in this school? That we're guests on this world?"
"I don't care, Raven," said Maddie, "this is a discombobulated situation, one that I refuse to allow to go further." She then sat down with her arms still crossed, "I'm not letting this story go any further until we change the lab's name. You hear me, Mr. AndrewK9000?"
You can't be serious, Maddie. Do you honestly believe you can stop the story? Are you as mad as your heritage makes you out to be?
"Why, of course I am," said Maddie proudly, "and I will hold up the story. You don't believe me? Check this out!"
What? What is this?
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What are you doing, Maddie?
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This…this is impossible! You can't do this, Maddie!
"I can and I am," said Maddie, "and I'll keep doing it unless you change the name of the lab."
Why you blackmailing little psychopath! Who do you think you are!? No, I know who you are and the answer is no! I absolutely refuse to give in to your ridiculous demands!
"Have it your way then!" said Maddie cheerfully, "but I doubt your readers would appreciate it if you failed to finish the story, just like you failed with that crossover with Sabrina the Teenage Witch and Wizard 101."
I NEVER SAID I FAILED WITH THAT ONE! I'M STILL TRYING TO FIGURE IT OUT WHAT TO DO WITH IT! NOW YOU STOP STALLING THE STORY OR I'LL WRITE YOU OUT!
"You wouldn't dare!" said an outraged Maddie as she stood up with her hands on her hips, "you wouldn't! You can't have an Ever After High story without Maddie Hatter!"
You think I'm bluffing? Check this out!
"Hey, where'd did Maddie go?" asked Frankie, "one second she was talking to herself, then she just…vanished."
"You're right, she is gone," said an astonished and worried Raven, "do…do people usually vanish at Monster High?"
"Not really," said an unsure Frankie, "they sometimes get pulled into lockers by tentacle creatures, but no one just up and vanishes."
"Unless you're Invisa Billy," said Lagoona, "then you can disappear at will. Oh, there's Maddie."
"What happened to you?" asked Raven, yet Maddie ignored her.
"Don't you ever do that to me again, Mr. AndrewK9000!" shouted Maddie as she waved her fist in the air irately, "I'll stall this story until the cow jumps over all the moons of Jupiter, Saturn and the other gas giants!"
And I'll make it so you're never even mentioned in a memory! Are you happy now, Maddie? We're at an impasse! Is this what you want?
"Well, no," Maddie pouted, "I don't want this at all; I just wanted the lab to have a better name, that's all. Can't we compromise or something?"
Well, alright, we can compromise.
"Hooray!" cheered Maddie, "now, about that name…"
Hold on, we haven't agreed to the compromise.
"Oh, sorry," said Maddie, "okay, I'll promise not to stall the story again if you promise not to write me out."
Agreed, and I'll allow this one alteration, if you promise to stop interrupting the story whenever something happens that you don't like. Agreed?
"Agreed," said Maddie, "now, about that name…"
Sorry, but I get to name it, no arguments.
"Oh, alright," said Maddie, "but it'd better be a good name."
I'm sure you'll like it.
…The Steam Vault…
"That's what you're calling it now?" asked Maddie, "well, it's kinda nice."
Thank you, now can I please get on with the story? We've wasted enough of the readers time as it is.
"Oh, sorry," said Maddie, "yes, please, continue."
"Will someone please tell her to stop that?" asked Cleo, "it's starting to creep me out."
"Oh, you'll get used to it," said Cupid, "so has anyone had any luck translating those symbols?"
"You try to figure out a language that's been dead for who knows how many thousands of years or so!" said Cleo irately as she threw down a book on ancient languages of Mesopotamia.
"Well, someone had to have spoken those words," said Clawdeen as she put down a book on ancient languages and picked up another, "someone set up that room."
"We do know that the room was sealed up approximately two hundred years ago," said Venus, "which means it was set up around the founding of Monster High."
"The whole catacombs predate the founding of Monster High," said Operetta, "I've been down here for a long time and I still haven't figured out all the tunnels and passages."
"Well, let's look at the symbols again," said Frankie.
"We've looked at them a hundred times!" said an exasperated Cleo, "looking at them again isn't going to change anything."
"At least we're still trying!" said Clawdeen irately, "you know, Cleo, I'm getting a little tired of your pessimistic attitude!"
"I am pessimistic?" asked Cleo, "believe me, Clawdeen, I am well beyond pessimistic."
"Then what the heck are you still doing down here?!" asked Operetta, "if you're just gonna moan and complain like an underpaid diva, then go do that somewhere else!"
At that Cleo looked ready to shout at Operetta, but sighed angrily, "Fine! If that's how you see it, if my presence is no longer desired, I shall take my leave!" with her nose up in the air, Cleo turned and walked out of the workshop, just as Bloodgood walked in.
"Good gracious," said Bloodgood as she looked back at Cleo, "and I thought her sister had a flair for dramatics."
"Headmistress!" said Frankie as she and the others stood up.
"Welcome to my father's workshop," said Robecca, "or rather, The Steam Vault."
"What a remarkably clever name," said Bloodgood, "worthy of a remarkably clever man. Yes, I should have come down and visit sooner, especially after your remarkable adventure involving that remarkable time machine," she then looked at Frankie, "especially that remarkable creature your remarkable grandfather created and left such a remarkable mess in the school."
"Uh…yeah, sorry about that," said Frankie sheepishly.
"Did you see the chamber with the third Star piece, headmistress?" asked Venus.
"I did indeed," said Bloodgood, "it's an extraordinary find. As soon as I heard of its discovery, I went through the school archives, going all the way back to the original survey of the property on which Monster High was built upon. There's not one mention of such a chamber."
"We figured as much," said Avery.
"Whoever built that chamber knew what they were doing," said Raven, "whatever spell or enchantment they used to put that broach out of phase with reality, it's a real dozy."
"Don't you know a spell or enchantment that could negate what was done in the room?" asked Skelita.
"It wouldn't be that easy," said Jinifire.
"Perhaps a potion or some form of catalyst," said Rochelle.
"A trigger that'll bring the broach back into our reality," said Venus.
"Don't you think I've thought of that already?" asked an irate Raven. She then summoned her spell notebook, then several tomes on magic, "this is everything I brought with me from Ever After. There's spells on vanishing and reappearing objects, spells on translating obscure languages, spells for hiding and revealing secrets, I've tried them all and no luck."
"Magic from this world must work differently than on our world," said Dexter.
"Thought of that too," said Raven.
"Have you tried to find 'E?'" asked Bloodgood.
"We have and are," said Raven, "no luck there."
"Wait, what 'E?'" asked Dexter.
"Haven't you been paying attention?" asked Robecca, "'E' is the most commonly used letter in the English language, so it's natural to find the most common letter or symbol in a foreign language and use that as a point of reference."
"Trouble is, there's three symbols that are equally common," said Raven, "whoever heard of a language that had three E's?"
"Depends on the diacritics," said a werewolf with a heavy Brooklyn accent at the entrance to the Steam Vault. She had long blonde hair, amber eyes behind glasses and wore a red blouse and gold skirt. "You try writing in different languages and you'll be surprised just how many accent marks you can put on an E."
"Clawdia!" said a surprised Clawdeen. She then ran up to and hugged her big sister, "I thought you were busy working on your latest project!"
"I was," said Clawdia, "but I dropped everything as soon as I heard you ghouls were in trouble. Oh, and guess who came with me from Hauntlywood?" She then looked over her shoulder, "wait a second, she was right behind me on the way down the catacombs. It doesn't matter, she'll be along soon. So, what's this about a weird language you ghouls can't figure out? And where's Clawd?"
"That's a good question," said Lagoona, "come to think of it, I haven't seen him, Gil, Heath, Deuce and Jackson for a while now."
"They're in one of the testing annexes," said Robecca.
"Testing annexes?" asked Frankie.
"I didn't show you the special rooms my father built to test his more unstable inventions?" asked Robecca. She then frowned and tapped the side of her head, "I must have a cog or sprocket stuck somewhere. Ghoulia, be a dear and help me fix my works?"
At that Ghoulia moaned in affirmation and walked over with a tool kit. Robecca sat down and opened a panel on the side of her head, revealing her clockwork brain. Ghoulia pulled out a small flashlight and a smaller screwdriver and began examining Robecca's inner gears.
"That's just disturbing," said Avery to Apple, "it's like watching brain surgery, only without the icky parts."
"It is brain surgery, of a sorts," said Apple, "only without the icky parts." She then blinked in confusion, "wait a moment," she then looked at Clawdia, "you said you heard that there was trouble at Monster High. How is that possible?"
"That's right," said Cleo in an accusing manner as she walked back in, "That uncouth cretin, Irvin, he said that he made sure that no help would come at all, not from the police, not from the government, not even from our families and friends outside Monster High."
"So how come you're here and no one else?" asked Raven.
"Just what are you implying?" asked Bloodgood.
"I'd like to know that myself," said Clawdeen with a menacing edge to her voice, "are you accusing my sister of something dishonest?"
"Wait, are you saying I'm some kind of spy or something?" asked Clawdia, "that's actually a good idea," she then pulled out a pen and notepad, "it'll make a great plot twist for my next screenplay."
"My sister isn't a spy!" exclaimed Clawdeen.
"That may not be your sister," said Avery, "it could be a Kaijin in disguise."
"We know that Orphnochs and Fangire have human forms," said Tobias, "while other Kaijin species can masquerade as humans as well. For all we know, they can take on the appearances of Monsters."
"That's an even better idea!" said Clawdia as she tore off the page she was writing on, balled it up and tossed it over her shoulder, then began writing on a fresh page.
"Hey! No littering in the Steam Vault!" exclaimed Robecca. She then winced as Ghoulia touched a sensitive gear, "Careful!" to which Ghoulia moaned an apology and continued working.
"I'm only gonna say this once, everyone," growled Clawdeen as she stood in front of Clawdia, shielding her sister from the others, "my sister ain't no spy or Kaijin! And if anyone says otherwise!" she then barred her fangs and claws, "you'll have me to deal with too!"
"Ms. Wolf! Control yourself!" demanded an outraged Bloodgood, "no one is accusing your sister of being anyone but herself!" she then glared at Cleo, Raven and the others, "isn't that right?"
"Of course not, Headmistress!" said Frankie, "but…you have to admit, it's a little suspicious."
"So how about it, Clawdia," said Lagoona, "how come you're here and no one else is?"
"I told you I didn't come alone," said Clawdia, "and you'll understand when you hear it from her."
"Her who?" asked Cleo as she put her hands on her hips.
"From me," said a vampire wearing a dark purple and black gothic outfit. She had long, dark purple hair and purple eyes. Around her neck was a large, heart-shaped ruby that glowed warmly. "Sorry I'm late, everyone," she then blushed with slight embarrassment, "I kinda god lost on the way down."
"Elissabat," said an astonished Frankie.
"Your majesty!" exclaimed Cleo as she, Clawdeen, Lagoona and the other students from Monster High bowed.
"Who?" asked Raven.
"A very old and dear friend of Draculaura," said Lagoona.
"And also the Queen of the Vampires," said Cleo, "you see that gorgeous ruby around her neck? That's the Vampire Heart. Only the rightful sovereign of all vampires can light it up."
"And it's partly because of this that I knew that you all were in trouble," said Elissabat as she walked up to Frankie and the others.
"Tell them how you sensed that some the trouble going down," said Clawdia as she flipped the page on her notepad and continued writing, "and spare no details."
"You were there when it happened," said Elissabat.
"Yeah, but you tell it better," said Clawdia.
"Well, it's like this," said Elissabat, "there I was with Clawdia, Honey Swamp and Viperine Gorgon. We were on location in New Zeeland to film my latest movie…"
"I thought you were on the west coast," said Lagoona.
"Yeah, that's where Hauntlywood is," said Robecca, "at least I think it is. Ghoulia, have you found my memory gears yet?"
At that Ghoulia moaned in affirmation, then moaned some more.
"You're sure nothing's lose or stuck?" asked Robecca, "well, maybe there's a broken gear tooth somewhere."
"Hauntlywood is more than a place," said Elissabat, "it's an ideal."
"Wherever you're making movie magic, that's Hauntlywood," said Clawdia. She then looked at Elissabat, "go on."
"Thank you," said Elissabat, "anyway, were in New Zeeland to film a fantasy epic. The geography on those islands is perfect for a fantasy epic."
"Wait a second," said Cupid as she looked at Elissabat, "I think I've seen you before."
"You might have," said Elissabat modestly, "I'm kinda a movie star."
"You were so busy at Ever After High," said Lagoona to Cupid, "you missed a few Vampire Majesty movies."
"Oh My Ghoul!" exclaimed a joyfully smiling Cupid, "Are you…are you Veronica von Vamp?!"
"Yes, that's my stage name," said Elissabat.
At that the demigoddess of love let out an ear-piercing fangirl squeal and rushed up to Elissabat, "Oh My Ghoul! I am your biggest fan!"
"How often does she hear that?" Dexter whispered to Tobias, whom was speechless as his girlfriend happily bounced on her feet in front of Elissabat, while the vampire queen/actress pulled out a pen for an autograph.
"That's so sweet of you," said Elissabat as she borrowed Clawdia's notepad and wrote out an autograph, then handed the paper to Cupid.
"Thank you!" said Cupid as she looked at the autograph, her eyes brimming with joyful tears, "I'll treasure it forever!"
"Yes, we're all happy for you," said a somewhat envious Cleo as Cupid rushed over to Tobias to show off the autograph, "now can we please get on with the story?"
"There's really not that much to tell," said Elissabat, "we were taking a break because of the weather, when the Vampire's Heart began pulsing. I then sensed that something terrible had happened to Draculaura and knew that I had to get to Monster High as soon as possible."
"You can do that?" asked Clawdeen, "stop in the middle of filming a movie and take off?"
"We were going to stop anyway," said Clawdia, "there was only two days of filming left, and that bad weather Elissabat mention, turned out to be a tropical storm."
"We would have come sooner but all flights in the area were grounded because of the storm," said Elissabat, "we had to wait it out. We simply finished the filming with Chroma Key."
"Them special effect guys," said Clawdia, "they can really work magic."
"There's no substitute for the real thing," muttered Raven.
"To cut a long story short," said Elissabat, "Clawdia and I hopped on the first available flight back and here we are. So, exactly what happened to Draculaura?"
"Oh, nothing much," said Cleo sarcastically, "Draculaura was abducted by Valentine and turned evil, nothing serious."
"What?" asked a stunned Elissabat.
"Valentine turned Draculaura evil," said Cleo, "oh, she can sense these strange but beautiful diamonds that are part of some strange item from who knows what that a bunch of villains want, nothing serious."
"Valentine?!" exclaimed Elissabat, "that heart-breaking son of a motherless goat!?"
"You know him?" asked Frankie.
"I should," said Elissabat as she irately crossed her arms, "bastard tried to break my heart! This was before I fled Transylvania with The Vampire Heart. I told him if I ever saw him again, I'd rip his heart out and put it on a shelf!"
"This is fangtastic!" exclaimed Claudia as she furiously wrote, "keep it coming! Academy Award, here I come!"
"Are you serious?!" exclaimed Clawdeen as she put her hands on her hips, "you're seriously gonna turn all of this into a movie?!"
"Why not?" asked Clawdia, "this is Oscar material if I've ever seen any."
"To hell with the Oscars!" said Elissabat, "that sack of guano, Valentine, he has my best fiend and is making her do who knows what horrible things! We've got to do something!"
"We are doing something," said Raven in an exasperated tone, "if we can get at the third Star piece in that symbol room."
"What Star piece?" asked Clawdia, "what symbol room?"
And so Frankie, Raven and the others quickly informed Clawdia and Elissabat of everything that had happened so far, from Draculaura's discovery of the necklace, up to the finding of the broach and symbols.
"If we can just translate those symbols," said Raven as she laid out several pages of copied symbols on a table, "I'm positive they're instructions on getting the broach back to normal space and time."
Raven then sighed with exasperated frustration, "but I've got nothing. I know, we've only been at it for a day, but in that day we've tried everything I can think of and more with no luck."
"Have you ever seen anything like this, Elissabat?" asked Venus, "perhaps in your 1600 years you've come across something like what we've found."
"She's a year older than Draculaura," said Rochelle.
"And not much wiser," said Elissabat as she looked at the symbols, "I'm sorry, I've never seen anything like this."
"Well, there's nothing to it then," said Skelita, "it's alien writing."
"Oh please," said Jinifire, "there's no such thing as aliens."
"The Worms were aliens," said Tobias, "and there's plenty of Kaijin that come from parallel dimensions. Not to mention an entire cosmos of nasty species out there in space."
"That's only true if you believe the worst," said Clawdia, "as a writer, I've found it's best to keep an open mind about things, to try to see things from different angles and weigh all possibilities, especially with fiction."
"Is that so," said Raven.
"And speaking of different angles," said Clawdia, "sometimes when I'm plagued by writer's block, I stand on my head for a while."
"You what?" asked Raven.
"Oh, right, you did do that sometimes," said Clawdeen.
"Like this," said Clawdia as she walked up to the wall and stood on her hands, "the extra blood in my head helps the creative process."
"You should do that, Raven," suggested Maddie, "try standing on your head."
"Stand on my head," scoffed Raven, "of all the nonsense." She then noticed that one of the pages of the symbols had fallen on the floor. She picked it up and put it back on the table, then realized that the page was upside down.
But just as she was about to realign the page, Raven paused, backed away a step, then back to the table and began turning all the pages upside down.
"What are you up to?" asked Dexter.
"It couldn't be that simple, could it?" Raven asked herself, "they wouldn't have made decrypting it that simple, would they?" She then stepped back from the table and looked at the pages, "they did! It's so stupid, it's brilliant!"
"What's brilliant?" asked Frankie.
"The Rosskarnians!" said a widely smiling Raven, "or whoever made that room! They put the symbols upside down so no one could understand or decrypt them! I mean, who would think to use that as your encryption!?"
"Not me," said an astonished Maddie, "and I usually have a good idea what's going on. Nice fastball there, Mr. AndrewK9000."
"Never mind your imaginary friend!" snapped Cleo. She then looked at Raven, "can you translate the symbols now?"
"I have to see the whole thing first," said Raven, "the whole room and all the symbols in the order they were placed, but yes, I can translate them, now that I know what to do. I'll be back in a bit!" with that she ran out of the lab.
"Well, she's in a good mood again," said Cupid.
"Someone needs to go and keep an eye on her," said Apple, "I'm afraid Raven's been pushing herself far too hard."
"She seems perfectly fine to me," said Cleo.
"That's because you haven't been fighting nonstop against Obsidian for…for…" said Dexter, "for…I can't remember how long we've been fighting."
"Since the night of the eclipse and meteor shower," said Apple, "goodness, it seems like forever."
"It hardly seems like that," said Avery, "but yeah, it's been a while."
"Raven was supposed to rest after we beat Cuthbert," said Apple, "but she's barely had a chance to catch her breath. In fact, she didn't sleep last night at all."
"That's right," said Frankie, "while we all took turns sleeping, she kept working on the symbols."
"And she's hardly eaten a thing," said Maddie as she held up a plate full of food, "look, she barely touched her breakfast! And I made snozzberry pancakes, just the way she likes them! Of all the nerve!"
"Well, someone's gotta stop her before she burns out," said Apple, "that broach isn't going anywhere," she then looked at Avery, Dexter and Tobias, "gentlemen, you are to go to the symbol chamber and do whatever's necessary to get Raven to stop. Tie her up and carry her upstairs if you have to, but I want her to sleep and relax for the next twenty-four hours."
"Is that a Royal command?" asked Avery.
"It can be if you'd like," said Apple.
"Don't worry, we'll get her to relax," said Tobias, "even if I have to use the Vulcan Nerve Pinch."
"The what now?" asked Clawdeen.
"Never mind," said Tobias as he, Dexter and Avery left the lab, "you you're probably too young to know what I'm talking about."
"Uh…apparently not," said a confused Clawdeen.
"Well, I don't know about the rest of you ghouls," said Venus as she stood up and stretched, "but I could definitely go for some nutrients and a nice rest."
"You said it, ghoulfriend," said Skelita as she, Operetta, Jinifire and Rochelle followed Venus out of the lab.
"We'll be chowing down soon," said Operetta, "I know a shortcut back upstairs. And while I've got your attention, I'd like to talk to ya'll about my lill project. Rochelle, I know you can roller skate, but can you dance while roller skating? And how's your singing?"
"She's still hung up about putting on that stupid play," said Cleo.
"I think it's wonderful she's still trying," said Lagoona, "I can't wait until she's ready to hold auditions for the part of Dinah."
"I beg your pardon?!" exclaimed Cleo, "I was under the impression that Operetta had me in mind for the role of Dinah. I thought it was made clear during the initial meeting."
"Nothing's set in coral at this point," said Lagoona, "who knows, I may just get the part," she then began speaking with a Southern accent, "ah've been practicing."
"We don't even know if we'll still be able to even put on the play," said Robecca, "and considering the present circumstances, I doubt we ever will."
"I'm forced to agree," said Bloodgood, "given the current crisis, I believe that putting on a play would be highly inappropriate."
"Oh come on, Headmistress," said Frankie, "thing's aren't that bad." At that her hand flew to her forehead as she let out a cry of pain.
"Frankie! What is it?!" asked Lagoona, "what's wrong?"
"I…I'm alright," said Frankie in a weary tone, "I…all of a sudden I got a headache the size of Boo York City."
"That's a big headache," said Clawdia.
"That and I feel really, really tired," said Frankie.
Before anyone could inquire further into Frankie's condition, they were all startled by a wail of despair from Ghoulia. The genius zombie had dropped her tools and rushed towards her laptop.
"Hey now!" said Robecca as her hand pressed against her opened head panel, as if to keep a loose part in place, "you're not done with me!" Ghoulia ignored her as she frantically typed at her computer, her face a mask of hopeless dismay.
"Why is she typing when her computer's off?" asked Lagoona.
"I don't think she turned it off," said Frankie, "I don't think my headache's a headache."
"No!" shouted Cleo as she looked at her iCoffin, "NO! NO! NO! THIS CANNOT BE HAPPENING!"
"What's not happening?" asked a slightly annoyed Clawdeen as she pulled out her phone, then frowned, "that's weird, I could have sworn I charged it earlier."
"My mobile's out of power too," said Lagoona as she looked at her iCoffin, while Frankie, Clawdia and Elissabat did the same.
"What are the odds of everyone's phones all running out of power at the exact same time?" asked Clawdeen.
"Our phones are still working," said Apple as she and Maddie pulled out their mobile devices, "but they run on magical batteries."
"Everything that uses electricity has been effected," said Bloodgood as she saw Ghoulia fruitlessly try to restart her computer, "something is not right at all. All of you, stay here until I return," she then walked out of the lab, then walked back in, "and I mean it, do not leave! That goes double for you, Frankie!"
"The way I'm feeling, Headmistress, I'm not going anywhere," said Frankie, "you don't have to tell me twice."
"Well, I'm saying it anyway," said Bloodgood. She then walked out again.
It was then that a hidden door in the lab opened and in walked Clawd, Deuce, Heath, Gil and Jackson, later carrying a wooden box filled with metal objects, while all five boys held out their iCoffins.
"Can someone explain how all our phones lost power at the same time?" asked Clawd. He then saw Clawdia, "oh, hi, big sis, when did you get back in town?"
"Long story, little bro," said Clawdia.
"Everyone's phones have been affected," said Elissabat, "everything electric, even Frankie."
"I feel like I haven't been charged all week," said Frankie as she wearily sat down, "only that I used up all that voltage in a heartbeat."
Just then everyone heard Ghoulia screech in an outraged manner. Frankie and the others saw that Ghoulia had opened up her laptop, revealing smoke fumes and a scorched motherboard.
"Goodness!" said Apple, "what could have done that?"
"The same thing that happened to everyone's phones," said Jackson after he opened his own iCoffin, revealing scorched circuitry, "and EMP."
"Electromagnetic Pulse?" asked Frankie, "that would explain why I feel so tired and my head hurts so much. But what caused the EMP in the first place?"
"Could be anything from solar flares to a high altitude nuclear explosion," said Jackson, "and we can rule out a nuclear bomb, we would have felt the blast all the way down here."
At that Ghoulia moaned something in the form of a question.
"I don't know how the EMP affected us all the way down here," said Jackson, "it did, but it shouldn't have. We're hundreds of meters below the surface. We should have been shielded."
At that Elissabat cried out in surprise and clutched at the glowing ruby around her neck, "oh my Ghoul, everyone, something really, really, really bad is about to happen."
"Maybe it already has," said Gil as he held a worried Lagoona, while Cleo and Deuce embraced and the three Wolf siblings held hands, "maybe it's already just begun."
"Well, I don't know about the rest of you," said Heath, "but I'm not gonna sit around and wonder what's going on." With that he started towards the lab door.
"What are you doing?!" exclaimed Frankie, "the Headmistress said we were to stay put!"
"She didn't tell me to stay put," said Heath as he stepped out of the lab, "besides, Abbey's upstairs."
"For all we know, she's already on her way down here," said Jackson as he walked over to a table that had a box full of spare phone parts, "at least wait until I can get one of our phones working again."
"Sorry, cousin," said Heath, "no can do."
"Heath, don't make this more difficult than it has to be," said Clawdeen as she walked after him, "you may not have been here when she said it, but Bloodgood's orders meant for all of us."
"Well, I'm not following them this time," said Heath as Clawdeen stood just outside the lab entrance and he just beyond her reach. Heath then smiled mischievously, "ah, the joke's on you this time, Clawdeen. You can't throw me out, I'm already outside."
"Not for long," said Clawdeen. She then stepped out, grabbed Heath, lifted him up and tossed him into the lab, earning a cry of pain from Heath as he landed on the floor.
"That's that," said Clawdeen, "but we still don't know what's going on upstairs."
"Just wait a bit," said Maddie, "things should start moving again pretty soon."
"I thought they were moving already," said Cupid.
It was then that Clair and Sasha, the former supporting the latter as she suffered a violent coughing fit, staggered into the lab, while a dazed and coughing Kivat clung to Clair's shoulder.
"I hate it when you're right," said Cupid to Maddie, whom modestly sipped her tea.
"Clair!" shouted Jackson.
"What happened?!" exclaimed Frankie as she, Jackson and Apple rushed over and helped Clari and Sasha sit down.
"It's over, Frankie!" exclaimed Clair in a despairing tone, "it's all over!"
"What's all over?" asked Jackson.
"Monster…High," gasped Sasha between coughs, "the school has fallen to the enemy."
"What…how…who…when…why…?" asked Cleo.
"That just leaves 'where,'" said Jackson.
"Shut up!" shouted Clawdeen. She then grabbed Sasha by the shoulder, "tell me what happened!"
"The enemy!" said Ian as he staggered into the lab, coughing violent, followed by Wilhelm, Lance and Jessie, whom were also violently coughing, "they fooled us all!"
"We…we didn't think they'd do this," said Wilhelm between coughs, "highly unconventional tactics for Obsidian."
"What? Are you talking about that EMP just now?" asked Jackson.
"They used an EMP bomb to cut the power," said Ian, "knocking out the Material Emancipation Grills."
"I thought we had backup generators in case we did lose power!" said Lagoona.
"We do," said Lance, "but there was a fifteen second delay before the power would come back. The enemy used that delay to fire teargas shells into the school."
"Teargas?" asked a shocked and appalled Frankie.
"Dozens of shells," said Jessie, "hundreds even, I don't know. Before we knew it, every classroom and hallway was filled with black smoke."
"The air, it got too bad to breathe," said Sasha, "we had no choice but to hit the fire alarm. Fortunately, that system has its own emergency battery supply."
"But it was all a trap," said Clair, "the enemy had Orphnochs, Fangire and Shadow Acolytes waiting at all the emergency exits. Everyone was too disoriented from the gas to realize they were stumbling into a trap!"
"The bastards! They captured everyone they could get their filthy claws on!" shouted Lance. "I don't know how many got away, students, teachers, but they caught a lot."
"My Ghoul!" exclaimed Lagoona, "all our friends!"
"Wait, how'd you lot get away!?" exclaimed Robecca as she glared at Clair, Sasha, Ian, Lance, Jessie and Wilhelm.
"And how come Clair isn't coughing?" asked Deuce.
"Yeah, how come you're not affected?" asked Heath, "and what about Abbey? Did she get away?"
"We don't know," said Clair, "we don't know anything after they started catching our friends. And I don't know why I'm not coughing."
"We'll worry about that later," said Sasha, "anyway, as soon as the gas started, Clair and I took shelter in a closet and tore some cloths for makeshift gas masks."
"We did the same thing," said Ian, while Lance, Jessie and Wilhelm nodded in agreement.
"We both knew we had to get down here and warn you all," said Wilhelm, while Sasha nodded in agreement, "to find Bloodgood and warn her."
"She was on her way back up to find things out," said Frankie, "didn't you see her?"
"There's more than one path in the catacombs back up to the surface," said Robecca, "oh my cogs and sprockets! Operetta and the others! They don't know! They're walking right into the teargas!"
"The gas must be clearing by now, but it doesn't matter," said Sasha, "before we started down into the catacombs, we saw Orphnochs and Fangire in the school corridors."
"By now the halls of Monster High are crawling with Kaijin," said Wilhelm, "looking for anyone who didn't manage to evacuate."
"Where's Chad?!" asked Gil, "I just realized he's not with you!"
"He stayed upstairs to fight back," said Clair in a depressed tone, "I wanted to fight with him, but I still can't transform!" she then walked over to and bashed her fist against the wall, "damn it! Why can't I transform!?"
"It's not your fault," said Sasha, "you still have much to learn, and much to overcome."
"Forget that crud!" exclaimed Clawd as he rummaged through the box filled with metal pieces, "Chad's fighting alone up there!" He then pulled out what looked like a metal gauntlet fitted with clockwork and steam parts, "I've got to help him!"
"It's not ready yet!" said Jackson as Clawd put the gauntlet on his right hand, "we haven't had time for a field test!"
"Now's as good a time as any!" said Clawd, "I won't abandon my man Chad! Besides, Howleen's up there!" With that he dashed out of the lab.
"Clawd!" shouted Clawdeen as she started after her brother, but was restrained by Clawdia.
"Don't worry," said Gil as he, Deuce and Heath ran after him, "we'll bring him back safe!"
"Deuce!" shouted Cleo as she started after him, only to be stopped by Lagoona and Frankie.
"They're doing their thing, we've got to do ours," said Lagoona.
"And just what is that then?" asked Cleo.
"Raven," said Apple, "she's still in the symbol chamber, and I sent Avery, Dexter and Tobias after her."
"Three of our best warriors are unaware of the situation," said Wilhelm, "a most deplorable situation indeed."
"Okay, here's the plan," said Frankie, "Clawdeen, Lagoona, you've still got the keys to Bloodgood's safe?"
"Safe and sound," said Lagoona as she and Clawdeen took out their keys.
"Okay, so whatever happens, the enemy can't get the necklace," said Frankie, "I'm going to warn Raven and the others. Then we'll do whatever we have to do to keep the enemy from getting the broach. We'll all then meet back at The Steam Vault and figure out what to do then."
"My father built in more than a few emergency contingencies in his workshop," said Robecca, "just as soon as I put my head back in order, I'll get the defenses organized."
"That's great," said Frankie, "Elissabat, you…wait, where're you going?"
"Upstairs," said Elissabat as she stood at the doorway, "Draculaura, I can sense her drawing closer. I have to face her."
"I'm going with you," said Cupid as she readied her arrows, "maybe together we can undo whatever Valentine did to her hear."
"No, this is something between vampires," said Elissabat, "I have to face her myself." With that she turned into a bat and flew out of the lab.
"Well, she's certainly not the same Elissabat we met in Hauntlywood," said Frankie, "I guess becoming the queen of vampires made her stronger."
"Ascending to the throne does that," said Apple, "now come on, we've got to get to Raven!"
Yet as Apple and Maddie hurried out of the lab, no one noticed Cleo sneaking out as well.
…Monster High…Main Hallway…
"Well, well, well," said Irvin smugly as he, Draculaura and Valentine, flanked by Isodore, Xander and half a dozen Fangire and Orphnochs, strode through the school's front door and inside the hallways, "I do love a plan that comes into fruition."
"Cut the power and flood the school with teargas," said Valentine, "forcing the students and teachers outside, where our eager forces await to capture the brats. I must admit, it's brilliant."
"There's one thing I don't understand," said Draculaura, "how did firing a cannon inspire you, Irvin?"
"Well, I originally thought of using howitzers to fire sleeping gas shells into the school," said Irvin, "but then I remembered those wretched Material Emancipation Grills, so I had to take care of those first, not to mention the school's enhanced defenses, most of whom rely on electricity.
"Even so, if we were to flood the school with sleeping gas and disable the freaks, there would no doubt be those who could hold their breath, or at least take shelter somewhere the gas couldn't get them. Then there was the school's interior defenses which, no doubt, Bloodgood would have upgraded since our last incursion into her precious school."
"So instead of making it easier to get inside," said Valentine, "you thought up a way to make the brats come to you."
"And as a result," said Isodore as she held up a tablet and wrote down some figures, "we captured hundreds of freaky students and the majority of the faculty. Oh, a handful managed to evade capture, while Bloodgood is still missing, but it's only a matter of time before they're all rounded up."
"In the meantime," said Xander, "we've yet to secure the catacombs, let alone Bloodgood's safe."
"I can lead us to it," said Draculaura intensely, "my necklace, I can sense it!"
"We have to get to the catacombs first," said Irvin. "and due to the foresight of Bloodgood, there's only one entrance to the catacombs left that she didn't destroy."
"No one said she was a fool," said Valentine, "just foolish for standing in our way."
Just then Hortensia ran up to and whispered something into Irvin's ear.
"Are you sure?" asked Irvin, "just the one?"
"Just the one, Mr. Weis," said Hortensia, "the rest of the school is clear, but the entrance to the catacombs is barred by Faiz. He's already destroyed several Orphnochs."
"Speaking of fools," said Irvin, "we have a lone Rider standing in our way." He then frowned, "and yet, no word of Kiva. What could have happened to that one?"
"If he's not dead, he soon will be," said Draculaura, "but let's take care of that idiot Faiz."
The assembled villains made their way through the near empty hallways of Monster High, occasionally passing a Kaijin in human form, each gray-clad or outlandishly dressed creature saluting Irvin or giving applause of triumph.
They then came across more Orphnochs and Fangire in their true forms, eventually reaching the main entrance to the catacombs, where a breathless Faiz stood facing half a dozen Orphnochs, with more Kaijin surrounding him. Several piles of dust littered the floor, while Faiz was covered in scorch marks and dented armor.
Before Irvin could react, an overeager Orphnoch ran toward Faiz, only for Faiz to deliver a massive kick to the creature's head, sending it slamming into the wall where it burst into blue flames and crumbled into dust.
"He's been slaughtering every Orphnoch who gets close," said Hortensia, "and look!" she then pointed to a few shards of stained glass on the floor, "he even took out some Fangire!"
"Well, this is different," said a frowning Irvin, "and here I thought that the brats Alabaster picked to be Faiz were helpless against Fangire."
"I'm different from Ian and the others!" said Faiz defiantly, "it doesn't matter what species of Kaijin you throw at me! I'm not letting any of you jerks into the catacombs!"
"Maybe I will!" said Draculaura viciously, "perhaps I'll come over and give you a kiss of death or two!"
"I think not," said Valentine impatiently, "this is ridiculous!" he then glared at Hortensia, "why don't you rush him and get it over with!?"
"We tried rushing him!" said Hortensia, "he keeps destroying Kaijin like they're on sale or something!"
"Then perhaps you're using inferior Kaijin," said Valentine, "and weren't there supposed to be more Orphnochs and Fangire with us today?"
"You may be right," said Irvin, "ever since we left headquarters, I had a nagging suspicion we were shorthanded somewhat." He then looked at Xander, "do a headcount of the remaining Kaijin with us." At that Xander nodded in acknowledgement and rushed out of the area.
"Well then," said Irvin, "if the usual Kaijin won't do, then perhaps another kind of creature would suffice." He then looked at Isodore and Hortensia, "ladies, would one of you do the honor?"
"The usual?" asked Hortensia.
"Best of three," said Isodore as she balled up her right hand into a fist, while Hortensia did the same, "winner does the summoning."
At that the two Shadow Acolytes played a game of Rock Paper Scissors, with Isodore winning two out of three.
"Better luck next time," said Isodore smugly while an irate Hortensia stood back with Irvin, Valentine and Draculaura. Hortensia then cracked her knuckles, raised her arms up and began chanting in a language that reverberated with dark magic.
The gathered Orphnochs and Fangire stood out of the way as a circle of dark purple energy began forming on the floor between Hortensia and Faiz. From that circle rose a mass of solidified shadow that pulsated with a dark purple energy. The mass then expanded into the shape of a three-meter-tall creature that was a cross between a mammal and a bird.
"What…what is that?" asked a confused Faiz, "is that…a Owlbear?"
"Oh, you know your D&D creatures," said an impressed Isodore, "but it'll do you no good!" she then gestured at the Shadow Owlbear, "go forth and kill!"
At that the Shadow Owlbear let out a roaring screech and rushed at Faiz, whom barely dodged a swipe from the creature's claws. Faiz recovered and delivered a hard right punch, only for his fist to pass through the creature as if it weren't there.
"Oh, I get it," said Draculaura as she and the other villains watched Faiz dodge another claw slash from the Shadow Owlbear, "it's a shadow, so he can't touch it."
"But it can touch him," said Isodore as the Shadow Owlbear finally slashed at and hit Faiz, causing sparks to shot out from Faiz's chestplate. Disorientated, Faiz was ensnared by the creature's massive arms in a crushing embrace.
"Ah, now comes the finishing move of the Owlbear," said Valentine, "it grabs its prey in a bone-snapping 'hug,' then it goes for the kill with its beak." Indeed, the Shadow Owlbear's beak was raised to strike at Faiz's head.
Just then Clawd dashed out from the catacombs entrance and delivered a steam-powered punch to the Shadow Owlbear, knocking it down and freeing Faiz.
"Oh, you meddling mutt!" shouted an outraged Valentine, "you ruined it!"
"And I'll ruin everything you throw at us, Valentine!" shouted Clawd, while Gil and Deuce emerged from the catacombs and helped Faiz back up.
"Just as we'll ruin everything Obsidian throws at us," said Gil.
"You pathetic boys really think you can stop us?" asked Draculaura, "just give me my necklace. Oh, and give me the third Star piece while you're at it. I can't tell exactly where it is, but it's here somewhere."
"You want it? Come and get it!" said Deuce as he prepared to take his sunglasses off and petrify the first enemy that got close.
"That was so funny, I forgot to laugh," said Irvin, "face it, you bratty freaks! Monster High belongs to Obsidian now! If Obsidian had a flag, it'd be flying from the school's flagpole by now."
"We've captured and enthralled nearly all your fellow freaks!" said Hortensia, "and the miniscule few that got away, they'll be hunted down and enslaved before they know it"
"Just as we'll enslave you, Clawd," said Draculaura, "you and the rest, including your sisters. Oh, we'll get Lagoona, Frankie and everyone else, wherever they're hiding."
"Never!" shouted Clawd. But then he was blindsided by the Shadow Owlbear and knocked down.
"You surprised my shadowy friend," said Isodore as the creature turned to face Gil, Deuce and Faiz, "but your petty tricks won't work again."
"Then how about some real magic?!" exclaimed Cleo as she emerged from the catacombs holding a small stone tablet engraved with hieroglyphs and the Eye of Ra. She held up the tablet and chanted a word in Ancient Egyptian, causing the 'Eye' to shoot a beam of pure sunlight at the Shadow Owlbear. The creature screeched in agony as the sunlight dissolved its shadowy mass into nothing.
"Cleo!" said a surprised Deuce, "what are you doing up here?"
"Helping me get up here," said Elissabat as she emerged from the catacombs, "I would have been here sooner, but I got lost again."
"Elissabat?" asked a genuinely surprised Draculaura, "What are you doing here?"
"I sensed you were in trouble," said Elissabat, "and boy was I right. What is the matter with you, Draculaura?! Where are your marbles!? You do realize who that is you're standing with, right!?"
"Of course I know," said an affronted Draculaura, "this is Valentine, the love of my immortal life." With that she grabbed Valentine and pulled him down for a lustful kiss, to which he returned with equal fervor.
"Oh, sick," said a disgusted Deuce.
"Don't look, man," said Gil as he tried to shield Clawd from the vile display of passion.
"Now I know you've lost your mind!" exclaimed Elissabat, "I just had to be sure!"
"No! It's not that!" said Clawd as he glared at Valentine, "he did something to her! Well, it ends now!" he then rushed at Valentine, ready to deliver another steam-powered punch.
But Valentine was quicker as he effortlessly tripped Clawd, then got behind him, grabbed Clawd and threw him into a set of nearby lockers.
"Clawd!" shouted Deuce.
"Enough of this nonsense," said Irvin as he charged up a sphere of dark magic, "if they won't come willingly, we'll just have to take away their ability to resist." He then threw the sphere at Deuce and Cleo, only for Elissabat to get in front of them, the glowing ruby that was The Vampire's Heart projecting a shield that canceled out the dark magic attack.
"The Vampire's Heart," said an impressed Valentine.
"Whosoever makes it glow is the rightful ruler of all vampires," said Irvin, "but if the wearer is dead, then it'll pass to someone else." He then gestured to two Orphnochs, "kill her and bring me the ruby." At that the Orphnochs nodded and rushed at Elissabat.
EXCEEDE CHARGE
Faiz, now wielding the handlebrake-like sword that glowed with red energy, rushed at the two oncoming Orpnhochs.
"Sparkle Cut!" shouted Faiz as he delivered two slashes apiece to the Orphnochs, causing them both to burst into flame and crumble into dust.
"Let's go already!" shouted Gil as he grabbed a dazed Clawd from the wreckage of the lockers. He and Deuce then carried Clawd towards the catacombs entrance.
"Stop them!" shouted Irvin as Cleo followed Deuce downstairs, followed by Elissabat
"Stop this!" shouted Faiz as he took the phone off his belt and dialed.
1 0 3
SINGLE MODE
At that the phone shifted into an energy blaster. Faiz then aimed and fired a 3-second burst of red energy at the Oprhnochs, then fired another burst at the ceiling, collapsing it. Faiz ran into the catacombs entrance just as it was blocked by rubble.
"I really don't like that Faiz guy," said Draculaura irately as the Orphnochs and Fangire franticly worked to clear the wreckage from the catacombs entrance. "I don't care which Normie is wearing that suit, I don't like Faiz, end of discussion."
"I don't like any Rider, my darling," said Valentine, "but fear not, it's only a matter of time before we'll have all those who oppose us right where we want them."
"They have nowhere else to run," said Irvin, "even if they manage to find a way out of the catacombs, they'll find no help outside, I've made sure of it."
…Meanwhile…
"Raven!" shouted Apple as she, Maddie and Frankie ran into the symbol chamber. They saw Raven standing next to the hovering broach, while Avery, Tobias and Dexter were off to one side.
"Raven! We've got to go!" said Apple, "Monster High has fallen!"
"What?!" exclaimed Avery, while Tobias and Dexter looked equally shocked.
"The baddies are catching the students like bottle bugs in a big net!" said Maddie, "we've got to make like an ice cream sundae and get the fudge out of here before the cherry drops, and they're already pouring the whipped cream!"
"Is it me or does that make perfect sense?" asked Dexter.
"It does, and that worries me," said Avery.
"But we can't leave yet!" said Tobias, "Raven still hasn't gotten the broach!"
"I thought she knew what to do," said Frankie.
"And you three were to keep an eye on her and make sure she doesn't hurt herself!" said Apple to Avery, Tobias and Dexter, "staying here while those horrible Kaijin make their way down the corridors is suicide!"
"I know, but we can't leave yet!" said Dexter, "Raven's still working!"
"She's casting the spell to bring the broach back into phase with reality," said Avery, "if we stop her now, it could kill her."
"She…she could die?" asked Apple as she, Maddie and Frankie realized that Raven was holding her hands on either side of the broach, her lips moving in silent spell casting.
"What…what happened here?" asked Frankie.
"Once she knew to use a translation spell while upside down," said Avery, "she figured out the exact spell to get the broach."
"But that's only the tip of the iceberg," said Tobias. He then indicated the symbols on the walls, "these are more than instructions on recovering the broach. It's a brief history of Rosskarn and The Star."
"They were an ancient civilization from another dimension," said Avery, "the Rosskarnians. Millions of years ago, long before man evolved from apes, Rosskarn was a thriving culture of music, art and magic."
"But their world was dying," said Dexter, "their sun was heating up rapidly, using up its fuel of hydrogen and going nova. What should have taken billions of years was occurring in a matter of decades."
"They knew they couldn't stop it, the Rosskarnians," said Avery, "so they decided to evacuate their entire population to another world."
"They had the means of opening portals to other planets," said Dexter, "but only so many light years at a time. They knew there wasn't time to search for a habitable world capable of supporting their entire population."
"So they decided to make several," said Tobias, "the greatest of Rosskarn's magic users combined their powers to create a device capable of teraforming an inhospitable planet into an ideal world."
"Instant Class M planet!" said Avery, "long story short, they used the device to make several new Rosskarns across their galaxy. The original Rosskarn was gone, burned up when their star went nova, but the people and culture survived."
"But the magic users knew that their teraforming device was too dangerous," said Tobias, "it had the power to completely remake a world into whatever the user wished, erasing the old world and everything on it in the process."
"Oh my ghoul!" said a horrified Frankie, "If they used something like that on Earth, then…"
"Then everything alive on it would be destroyed," said Apple in an equally shocked tone, while Maddie's hands flew to her mouth in horror.
"The device was destroyed long, long ago, thank God," said Avery, "but the power source, a great diamond of incredible magic that enabled the device to change a world, it couldn't be destroyed, not completely that is."
"That diamond," said an astonished Frankie, "that was The Star of Rosskarn."
"Indeed," said Avery.
"All the Rosskarnian wizards could do was split The Star into nine pieces," said Tobias, "nine smaller diamonds that were scattered across the galaxy. They hoped that the diamonds would be lost and forgotten."
"But as my grandmother once said," said Avery as he raised his finger, "'great power attracts ambitions men, more often than not those unworthy of wielding it.'"
"There were people who attempted to remake the teraforming device and needed The Star to power it," said Avery, "wicked, merciless people who went so far as to wage war on the scattered Rosskarnians in order to get the diamonds. The Rosskarnians fought back and the wars lasted for thousands, tens of thousands of years."
"In the end billions died on all sides," said Tobias, "the once noble and inspiring race of Rosskarn was nearly extinct. Only a handful survived, among them the descendants of the wizards who sundered The Star. They and the surviving Rosskarnians dedicated their lives and the lives of all who followed them to keeping the diamonds out of the wrong hands."
"Each diamond possesses incredible magic," said Avery, "individually they're nowhere near as powerful as The Star as a whole, but each is strong enough to bring about incredible changes to a world."
"It can either cause a golden age or an age of darkness," said Dexter, "it all depends on who uses it."
"And three of those things are on our world?!" asked Frankie, "I thought they were supposed to be scattered!"
"They are," said Avery, "scattered across parallel universes."
"The symbols don't say how they wound up here," said Tobias, "just that one of the last surviving descendants of Rosskarn came here with three, lost two and hid the third in the catacombs. He, the descendent, he used nearly all the magic he had left to construct this room and put the broach out of reach of mortal hands."
"There's no explanation as to why the diamonds are part of items such as the necklace and ring," said Dexter, "but there is this part," he then indicated one section of the symbols, "apparently the three on this Earth, they've got special enchantments on them. It doesn't say exactly what, only that the enchantments suppress their full power."
"We think the remaining descendants were trying to weaken the diamonds," said Avery, "maybe to further keep them out of the wrong hands."
"Then the one Irvin has, the ring," said Apple, "he can't use its full power."
"But Draculaura was able to sense them," said Frankie, "the necklace and ring." She looked at the broach, "she couldn't sense this one. Which means…"
"That as soon as Raven finishes her spell," finished Apple, "Draculaura will be able to sense the diamond!"
"Which means that as soon as she's done, we have to move!" said Avery urgently.
Just then Elissabat dashed into the room, "what are you guys doing here?! We've got to get everyone out!"
"We know, the enemy's coming," said Tobias.
"They're not just coming," said Elissabat, "they're already here! It's only a matter of time before they get into the catacombs!" She then looked behind her out into the tunnel, "and…wait, where did Cleo and Deuce go? They were with me just a second ago. Now that I think about it, where's Gil and Clawd?"
"We're right here!" called Gil outside in the tunnel, "but I don't see Cleo, Deuce or Chad! And I haven't seen Heath since we ran out of the Steam Vault in the first place."
It was then that the broach flashed with an intense purple light that blinded everyone in the room for a few seconds. When they could see again, Apple and the others saw Raven holding the broach.
"I did it," said Raven as she held up the broach, "I've got the third Star Piece!" she then sighed with exhaustion and passed out, with Dexter catching her before she hit the floor.
"Now she's done it," said Apple, "she hit the wall."
"She can get a good night's sleep later," said Avery as he took the broach from Raven's hand, "we've got to move and move now!"
…Upstairs…
"I can feel it!" exclaimed Draculaura rapturously, "the third Star piece! I can feel it!" with that she shoved aside the digging Kaijin and with a feat of strength surpassing that of a vampire's already supernatural power, cleared the rubble from the catacombs entrance and dashed down.
"Don't just stand there like idiots!" shouted Irvin at the Orphnochs and Fangire, "follow her! Grab every teenager you find and bring them to me!" At that the assembled Kaijin charged into the catacombs, with Irvin, Valentine and the Shadow Acolytes hurrying after them.
…The Steam Vault…
"I've got a bad feeling about this," said Lagoona as she nervously paced back and forth, "it's been too long, we should have heard something by now."
"Our phones are still fried," said Robecca as she used a mirror to put her head's internal workings back together and closed, "there's no way our friends can call down to tell us what's going on."
"At least someone should go up and try to find out," said Lagoona, "I knew I should have gone with them."
"And risked yourself getting captured and brainwashed? I don't think so," said Clawdeen.
"Oh, and we're okay with letting Gil and the other boys go up and fight alone?" said Lagoona, "Cleo, back me up on this. Cleo? Cleo!? Oh, great, she's gone! That does it! I'm going up to." With that she started towards the door, just as Frankie, Apple and Maddie ran back in, followed by Dexter and Avery carrying Raven, with Tobias bringing up the rear.
"We're back!" shouted Apple, "and we've got the bracelet."
"And now we've got to get out of here," said Avery urgently, "before Draculaura leads a horde of Kaijin right up to our door."
"Time to start packing, people!" shouted Maddie as she rummaged through her hat and pulled out several magically shrunken suitcases that expanded when she sat them down on the floor.
"There's an emergency exit to the surface," said Robecca as she closed the panel on the side of her head, "but…" she looked around The Steam Vault, "my father's workshop. We can't leave it for the enemy."
"Then we'll seal it when we leave," said Frankie, "we can rearm the timer lock and scramble it so it'll be decades before the baddies can get it open again, or something like that."
"There's a timer lock on the door?" asked Cupid, "how'd you turn it off?"
"Long story," said Frankie, "but at least whenever we close the door, the room doesn't become something different every time we open it again."
"Wait! We can't leave yet!" said Lagoona, "Gil and the others are still out there!"
It was then that Gil, Clawd and Elissabat stumbled into the Steam Vault.
"Sorry we're late," said Elissabat as she and Gil sat Clawd down near Clawdeen and Clawdia, "we kept getting lost."
"We almost got caught," said Gil as he and Lagoona embraced, "for a second we were running from a bunch of Fangire and Orphnochs, but we gave them the slip."
"What about Cleo and Deuce?" asked Frankie.
"No sign of them," said Elissabat, "nor did we see Heath, Operetta and her group. And Headmistress Bloodgood is still MIA."
Just then they all heard a distant explosion off in the catacombs.
"That sounded too close for comfort," said Tobias as he stood up, the Sasword Yavier appearing in his hands.
Then came another explosion that sounded even closer. Seconds later Faiz dashed into the workshop and collapsed to the floor as he powered down.
"And…I'm spent," gasped Chad.
"What happened, man?" asked Ian as he, Lance, Jessie, Jackson and Clair rushed over to help Chad up.
"They…they wouldn't stop coming," said Chad as he regained his breath, "I must have killed at least a dozen Kaijin on the way down."
It was then that they all heard the sound of several irate Kaijin echoing through the catacomb tunnels, as well as the resonating shouts of Draculaura, "This way! The third Star Piece is near!"
"Okay, we've got to go now!" insisted Avery. He then looked at Robecca, "how far to the emergency exit?"
"Not far," said Robecca, "but we've got to hurry if we're to get to it first."
But then the door of the Steam Vault swung shut with a loud screech and clang.
"Oh, no," said Robecca as she walked over to the door and tried to open it, but found to her dismay that it wouldn't budge, "oh no! Not now!"
"What not now?" asked Frankie, "just unlock it!"
"I can't!" said Robecca, "it's a Deadlock seal. My father must have installed it as a last resort."
"So, open it already!" said Dexter, "We've got to get out of here!"
"You can't unlock a Deadlock seal without the right key," said Robecca in an irate tone. She then sighed with reluctant acceptance, "on the other hand, while we can't get out, the enemy can't get in either."
But then everyone heard the sound of gears and cogs turning, then saw several gears and cogs turning on the door.
"My mistake, there is a timer on the Deadlock seal," said Robecca, "or…or maybe it's something else."
"Don't you know?" asked Apple, "this is your father's workshop, right?"
"He disappeared long ago," said Robecca, "leaving behind many secrets and unanswered questions." She and the others then heard more clockwork activating in the workshop, "and one of those secrets may be revealed soon."
But then everyone heard the sound of a fist pounding on the other side of the door.
"As much as I'm glad one of your father's secrets is coming to light," said Elissabat, "this is hardly the time or place for such things."
"You're right," said Robecca.
…Outside the Steam Vault…
"Get this thing open!" shouted Draculaura as she pounded on the door. "The third Star piece is in there! I want it!"
"The workshop of Hexiciah Steam," said an amazed Irvin as Valentine tried to pull Draculaura from the door, "fascinating. Imagine what secrets lay inside."
"I'll be satisfied by getting the blasted diamond," said Valentine as he finally dragged Draculaura from the door.
"Get it open! I want that Star Piece!" shouted Draculaura.
"We're trying, mistress," said Hortensia as she and Isodore examined the door, "it's a special timer lock."
"Oh, right," said a modestly embarrassed Draculaura, "I forgot about the timer key that Robecca had. Oh well, we'll just wait for the right time to unlock the door."
There was a few seconds of awkward silence before Draculaura shrugged her shoulders, "that's enough waiting. Tear the door off its hinges!"
"Wait!" shouted Isodore as she put her ear on the door, "I can hear clockwork inside it, and much more. Something's happening."
…Inside the Steam Vault…
"What's happening?!" exclaimed Lagoona as several clockwork devices containing rainbow-hued crystals appeared out of hidden compartments in the floor, walls and ceiling. The crystals were rotating and pulsating regularly in time with the increasingly complex clockwork of the workshop.
"I don't know," said Robecca as she and the others stared with confused amazement, "but whatever it is, my father made it. I trust whatever idea he had when he installed all of this."
"If you trust your father's ideas, then so do I," said Frankie, "Hexiciah Steam taught Victor Frankenstein, my grandfather." She then smiled, "you know, Robecca, in a way, we're kinda related."
"Oh? I never thought of it that way," said Robecca, "I guess in a way we are cousins."
It was then that the crystals began rotating and pulsating faster, while a high-pitched humming could be heard that rapidly rose to deafening levels.
"I sincerely hope your father was the genius you say he was!" shouted Cupid as she and the others covered their ears against the humming.
"I hope so too!" shouted Robecca.
…Outside the Steam Vault…
"Now what?!" shouted Ian as he, Draculaura, Valentine, the Shadow Acolytes and Kaijin, covered their ears against the humming.
There was a blinding flash of white light and the door to the Steam Vault was gone. Beyond it lay a large, empty space in the rock that went down hundreds of feet.
"What…what happened?" asked Valentine, "where'd the workshop go?"
"Forget the workshop!" exclaimed Draculaura, "where's the Star Piece?! I can't sense it anymore!"
"It seems that Hexiciah Steam was indeed a genius," said Irvin.
Just then one of the Shadow Acolytes ran up to Irvin and whispered in his ear, causing Irvin to chuckle viciously.
"Either you just heard a fangastic joke," said Draculaura, "or you've received good news."
"Good news indeed," said Irvin, "we've captured not only Bloodgood, but several more of her students."
"Splendid!" said Valentine as he smiled with malice, "they'll be exposed to the enthralling vapors and become our obedient slaves."
"No, not Bloodgood," insisted Irvin, "she is the only one who knows the combinations to the school's record safe where she's keeping the first Star piece. We can pick the key locks given enough time, but only Bloodgood can truly open the safe. As for the other captives, among them Cleo de Nile, I'd like to ask her a few questions about her friends and where they went."
"You really think that ditzy diva Cleo knows where Frankie and the rest of those idiots went?" asked Valentine.
"Even if she doesn't, we'll find them," said Irvin, "The brats may have gotten away with the third Star Piece, but they had to have escaped somewhere. It doesn't matter where they went; somewhere on this world, elsewhere in this universe or even to another dimension. Obsidian's reach is vast. They will be found, and they will rue the day they thought they could escape."
…The Steam Vault…
"Everyone alright?" asked Avery as he got up from the workshop floor.
"I think so," said Apple as she helped Maddie and Dexter stand, while Cupid and Tobias stood up together.
"Man, what was that?" asked Ian as he, Lance and Jessie got up.
"Robecca?" asked Clair as she and Sasha got back up, with Kivat hovering above them.
"I have no idea," said Robecca, "my father built this workshop long, long before he created me. Who knows what features he installed?"
At that Ghoulia moaned something.
"You're right, Ghoulia," said Lagoona, "I don't hear any pounding on the door."
"You think something happened to the bad guys outside?" asked Maddie.
"I hope so," said Apple, "We left a lot of our friends upstairs."
"How's Raven?" asked Dexter.
"Still out cold," said Apple, "I wouldn't be surprised if she slept for a few days. That spell she used to recover the broach must have taken everything she had and more."
"It was worth it," said Avery as he held the broach in his hand.
"Oh My Ghoul!" exclaimed Frankie, "We've got to go upstairs right now!"
"Why? What's wrong now?" asked a slightly exasperated Gil..
"Hector!" said Frankie, "I completely forgot about him! He's still in the parking lot!"
"You and your car," muttered Clawdeen, "look, Frankie, Hector's fine. Last time I saw your car, there wasn't a scratch on him!"
"But he's up there! And so is Irvin, Valentine and Draculaura!" said Frankie, "they could have taken him by now! I've got to get up there and save Hector!" With that she ran to the workshop door.
"Frankie! It's just a car!" said an exasperated Cupid.
"He's not just a car!" said Frankie as she glared at Cupid, "Hector's my car!" with that she grabbed the handles on the door and pulled, her neck bolts sparking furiously as she put all her strength into the effort. Yet the door remained firmly shut.
Frankie stepped back, waited a few seconds before trying again. But then something within the door clicked and it began to slowly swing open.
"Frankie! We don't know if it's safe out there!" said Avery.
"For all we know, there's a whole army of Fangire and Orphnochs waiting to slaughter us!" said Ian.
"I don't care!" shouted Frankie as the door opened wide enough for her to squeeze through. But something stopped her just as she was at the threshold of the door, something that caused Frankie to scream in terror and run back towards Clawdeen and the others.
"Frankie, what is it?!" asked Clawdeen as she saw the look of horror on Frankie's face. Frankie merely sat in a chair, crouching in a fetal position as she pointed at the door as it continued to slowly open.
"I knew it! We're about to be overrun with Kaijin!" said Ian.
"If only it were," said Sasha as the door opened wide enough for everyone to see…
"Nothing," said Avery, Apple, Clawdeen and Ian waked to the threshold of the workshop and looked out on and endless expanse of gray fog, "there's nothing out there."
"No catacombs, no Kaijin," said Clawdeen. She then sniffed the air and frowned with worry and fear, "and no scents. Really, there's nothing out there!"
"Where on Earth are we?" asked Apple.
"I'll tell you where we're not," said Ian, "on Earth."
…The End Is Just The Beginning…