|
Jessie Linz and Jessie stood over the body protectively. "I can feel it," Linz muttered, surprised, "Makes my skin crawl..." "One of the drawbacks to being a wizard I'd guess," Jessie responded, watching how the room around them flickered. "I think having to watch this is problem enough..." Seeing out of the corner of her eye the hyena, flickering in and out of existance. Grinning as it approached her, sometimes there, sometimes not, but still making it's slow way over. "Gotta love matriarachal species" muttered beneath her breath before she nudged Linz. Eyes twinkling with mischievious humour. "Hey, Linz, think you could make our friend here stay on this level without Wax and Wayne's fighting? There's a few brutish guards at the door I'd like to say hello to ..." "What do you mean?" Emile commented, D'Shen sitting on his shoulder just like the salamander had taken up residence on Greg's. "I mean, there's gotta be a bigger scheme here. He wouldn't have had this whole place set up like this just to kidnap him. Besides, look around. The whole money rich atmosphere stinks of Trudie." "She's right," Kathleen commented. "They always seemed to be planning something grander, the standard take over the world villainy. So what are we missing?" |
|
Nikki_Lynn "I'll tell you what we're missing," piped up Colin, "We're missing Trudie. Like you said, this whole place just reeks of her, but we haven't seen hide nor hair of that spoiled little brat." "He's right," said Nikki_Lynn, "Trudie should be here gloating. God knows she did that enough last time we met her..." "So where is she?" asked Holly. "I think a little search is in order," said Lion, "Nikki_Lynn, you, Greg and I are going do some exploring..." "Why me?" asked Greg, glancing back at the mirror through which Wayne and Babs had disappeared, "I don't want to just leave them in there..." "You can't do anything to help them from here," said Lion, "Besides...We may need some help from your new little friend." Greg glanced at the little creature curled up on his shoulder, and sighed. "Alright, I'm in," he said, "Hey, does this little guy have a name, or what?" "Vree," said Emile, "His name is Vree." Emile glanced at D'Shen, as if silently communicating with her. The fairy dragon took flight and and landed gracefully on Nikki_Lynn's shoulder, coiling up underneath her hair. Greg, Nikki_Lynn, and Lion took one last look at their friends, and slipped silently out the door in search of Trudie. 'That's it!' thought Wayne, 'Maybe I can use his own anger against him....' "Hey Wax, what's the matter?" called Wayne, "Can't you hit me?" Wax growled at him and lunged. Wayne dodged his brother, and Wax's momentum sent him sprawling across the ground. Wayne backed away cautiously, preparing for his brother's next attack... |
|
Linz As Linz and Jess watched, Jess could see that Linz was looking slightly pained. "It's not going good is it?" she asked. Linz shook her head and sighed. They sat in a morbid silence until a voice came from Wax/Wayne. "Linz!" The girls cautiously went over to the body laying on it's side. When suddenly the free hand reached up and grabbed her throat. Linz grabed the hand and tried to pull it away so she could breathe. As Wax/Wayne stood up, Jess gasped. On one half of the body was Wax (she could tell because of the hardened expression, and carrottop) and the other was Wayne, trying to pull the hand away as well. Finally, the struggle was over, Linz collapsed to the ground, breathing heavily, and Wax/Wayne faded just into Wayne. "Wayne?" Jess said cautiously. "Yeah...and it's JUST me!" Jess smiled and went over to Linz. "Are you ok?" she asked. "Yeah, but..." she trailed off as she doubled over in pain. "HA!" but it wasn't Linz who said it, it was Wax. Linz's head turned, "Jess! I need to get out of here! He's too much for me!" "Grab my hand!" As Linz reached for Jess' hand, her left hand pulled it back. "You won't get away so easy!" Wax screamed. Linz and Jess' hands finally grasped and Wax was left in Linz's body "Ha! I still have THIS," he said, motioning to the pendant. Jess paused and said "Linz dares you to try and use it!" "Don't think I can, eh?" Wax said a few words then grasped his neck in pain. "You have it protected don't you, you little b*tch!" Jess smiled. "That means you can't use your magic!" Wax smiled as well, "But that means Linz can't either!" |
|
Jessie "True..." Jessie commented, voice trailing off. Trailing off as minute fangs sank into the hand still resting on the pendant. "But you can have a little nap and think it over ... night night." Malicious smile meant only for Wax as Linz's eyes slumped closed, body collapsing, caught only by Wayne's quick movements. The outer level of the pendant warping as the fanged head melded again into seeming just a part of the pendant. "Good Loiosh ..." whispered softly, before looking at Wayne. "You think you can carry her?" she commented. "I have a feeling getting you back to where all three bodies are present with all three spirits would probably be a good idea." Wayne nodding as he lifted the body. And flinching as the hyena walked forward. "It's okay" Jessie nodding. "He's a friend..." Looking down at the dangerous creature with a shrug. "What to call you ... Jostumal seems to fit..." Eyes unfocusing for a moment before she swore under her breath. "Vree. D'Shen," whispered hoarsely. "Trouble ..." Wide eyes looking up at Wayne. "Can you pretend to be Wax?" "What?" Wayne exclaimed, confused. "You're dressed in his body, you're wearing his clothing, you're carrying his captive over his shoulder. If you step outside to where the guards are, hand them Linz, and order them to carry her to where the others are kept captive, and then walk behind them casual like, you'll be led to that room. Then you can dismiss them and be among friends who can help you back." "What about you?" Wayne responding, confused. Jessie just stroking the head of the hyena again. "We've got something else that has to be done ..." she commented, turning her head in a direction. "Friends ..." |
|
Nikki_Lynn ...exactly what the were searching for...sort of... "It..." Nikki_Lynn said, in utter disbelief, "It's Trudie..Isn't it?" Greg and Lion stared at the strange creature. It was certainly Trudie's head, at any rate. But her body had been transformed. Her once slight, pale frame was replace by a massive serpent-like body. Her eyes glowed yellow, like a cat's, and and sharp fangs protruded from her thin lips. "Do you like my new look?" she said, half screeching, half hissing the words, "Wax gave me a little make-over since the last time we met. I've forgiven him for abandoning me, seeing as how he has most generously made it up to me." She flicked her massive tale at the small group, striking Nikki_Lynn in the chest, and flinging her hard against the wall. "Nikki!" Greg cried. He tried to get to her, but was cut off by another swing of Trudie's tale, which sent both him and Lion flying to the opposite side of the room. They both hit the wall, landing in a tangled heap against it. "You're mine now," said Trudie, "Mine to toy with. Of course Wax gets to have Wayne all to himself, but the rest of you are all for me!" Greg groaned and rubbed the back of his head. Across the room, he could she D'Shen flittering about as she tried to revive the unconcious Nikki_Lynn. He looked around for his own little companion, but Vree, who had been sitting on his shoulder only a moment ago, was nowhere to be seen... "Here," he said, shoving Linz into the guard's arms, "Carry her to the room with her friends." The guards nodded and they set off down the corridor. Wayne followed directly behind, glancing back over his shoulder just in time to catch a glimpse of Jessie and the hyena stealthily darting out into the hallway and disappearing into the shadows... |
|
Linz ...as she was so good at doing. He nodded at her and followed the gaurds down a massive hallway. Soon they got to the door, and The gaurd that was not carrying Linz unlocked the door, he waited outside while the other guard walked in the room and laid Linz down on the bed. "Now get out of here, I need to deal with them myself" Wayne barked. The guard walked out of the room very quickly. And Wayne sighed, how could Wax be so mean to everyone? as he looked around he saw his friends, Ryan, Colin, and some of the Brady Bunch. He finally sighed, "Where's Babs? Is she still in the mist?" he said as softly as possible. "Well shouldn't you know?" Lionel snapped. "No! You don't understand! It's Wayne!" Wayne replied in defense. "Why should we believe you?!?" Colin said. "Look, let me explain, Something disrupted me in the mist, and I got stuck in Wax's body, and Wax is stuck in there with Linz...but he doesn't know that yet..." |
|
Babs Wax murmured a few words, moved his hands in some sort of circular movement, almost like he were shaping a snowball, then he spun around and threw his arms out, sending a glowing ball flying across the space in front of him. It crashed against something, and he cursed loudly. "Wake up, damn you!" he screamed. So he was trying to wake her up, Linz thought to herself from her hiding spot. Did he think he could convince her friends that he was her, and trick them? Yes, he probably did. The real question was: *would* he be able to convince them? No. Never. He was too evil, they'd never fall for it. Dangit! The truth was, he may be evil, but he was also a consumated actor. He could very well fool them if he managed to wake up and gain full control of her body. She just had to make sure that never happene. Murmuring a few words herself, a soft mist filled...well...her mind, really, and her physical body slipped into a deeper sleep, gratefully unnoticed by Wax... "Shouldn't we try to take him out of this place?" Brad asked. "Maybe...but what if the mist is what's keeping him alive, like it is Mel?" Brad cursed, "Didn't think of that." So together, they picked up Wayne's body and started carrying back to where Mel lay. They carefully laid his body alongside hers and sat down, waiting. Babs absent mindedly pulled the stone out from her pocket where it was jabbing her thigh, and began rubbing her thumb on it... What now? she thought to herself. |
|
Nikki_Lynn ...As Babs gently rubbed the stone, it began to glow. She stared at it, eeriely beautiful as it was, and motioned for Brad to come over and take a look. Suddenly, the light became almost blinding in its intensity. Brad and Babs shut their eyes in pain. Babs tried to drop the stone, but her fingers clenched tightly around, unheeding. Sharp jolts of energy shot up her arm, and she managed to momentarily open her eyes, only to see Brad caught in the same situation as herself. Neither one could scream or move, but they could both hear the maniacal laughter that seemed to surround them. Out of the corner of his eye, Brad could see a figure veiled in the mist. The old man from the tower. The one who had given him the stone in the first place. He mentally cursed himself for trusting anyone who might be connected with Wax, before the pain intensified, and both he and Babs lost conciousness. "You alright?" asked Greg. Lion nodded. "I think she may have broken a rib or two, but other than that, I'm fine," he replied. At that moment, Vree returned from his mission, crawling onto Greg's palm. Greg smiled knowingly. "What's going on?" asked Lion. "I have a plan," said Greg, "But we really need to get out of here..." Suddenly, the door burst open...Jessie! Greg, Nikki_Lynn, and Lion all looked up in surprise, and Trudie screamed in absolute anger. "Another one!" hissed Trudie, "Well, well, this just gets more and more fun!" She swung back her tail, preparing for the attack, but Jess, and the hyena, were ready for her... |
|
Linz Jess' heyna grabbed her tail and clamped down with all it's might, and STAYED there. Jess smiled as Trudie screamed in pain. The heyna finally let go, and most of Trudie's tail was destroyed. As Trudie was trying to figure what to do, Lion grabbed Nikki Lynn and everyone left as quickly as possible. "Jess! Look what I found!" Greg said as they ran down the hall. "do you think..." Jess interpreted the thought quickly and said, "Show it to Wayne." "Linz! is, is it you?" Wayne asked. "Yeah," Wax said in Linz's voice. "I managed to subdue him..." |
|
Jessie The group collapsing in the room sighed. Jessie looking around the room to track down the bag she'd left there. Snagging it and placing it on the table. "I'm thinking we need a quick exit scenario. And since you're back Linz, we should be able to do it .... nice thing about wizards..." Pulling out the sleek black of her latop, settling down with it, the hyena curling up at her feet. "What about Trudie? And Wax?" Kathleen demanded. "We can't just let them stay and cause trouble. We've gotta stop them." Shaking her head at Jessie's rolled eyes and mutter of damn hero complexes, the other woman still typing away. Turning to the others instead. "We have to." Not noticing Linz's mouth curving in a wicked little smile. And wincing. "I am going to have such a headache when this is done..." muttered as she raised a hand. Focusing on the flickers of light around her that could only be associated with nerve impulses, power. Power flowing from her hand to the centre of them, overloading it ... And driving her body back into the unconscious world. "It must be Wax" Lionel responded. "He must be trying to take control again." All of them looking glumly at the figure there, not sure what to do. Wayne breaking the silence. "We are going to stop them. An escape is good, but we're not taking it until we have stopped them." The muttering from the girl on the computer noticed by none other than Greg, who wandered over, Vree still resting in his hand. Leaving behind the box he'd carried from the room for Wayne to stare at. And for the others to look at as they surrounded Wayne, ready to hear his plan. Her giggle not disconcerting him. Linz very surprised. Even more surprised as the world around her changed, fragrant, beautiful, elegant. Inviting. And as Wax smiled at her. "I think, my dear, that we should talk...I have a proposition for you..." |
|
Linz Linz walked over to the chair Wax motioned to. "First of all, don't call me dear! I don't like it! And what *kind* of proposition..." "One you simply can't turn down..." Wax grinned. "Go on..." Linz said, being more cautious then before. "Ok, I'm not gonna give you any crap, here's the deal: You work for me for let's say, 24 hours, I let Mel go, you never hear hide nor hair from me again. Deal?" Linz paused. This is not at all what she was expecting. "People are going to get hurt aren't they?" "Not as many as you're convinced will die if Mel does..." Wax was sure he had her. "What will happen if I don't?" "I speed up the process of Mel's deterioration, kill you off as well, and Trudie and I will rule the world" Wax smiled at her. Linz put a hand to her temple, masaging it gently, a worried look across her face, as she started to get up, and walk away, she turned to Wax. "As much as I hate to admit it...You have a deal." Wax smiled like a cheshire cat. "First off, can you get me out of here?" Linz sighed. "I suppose so..." "But first, so I don't get double crossed..." Wax clamped a bracelet with a huge diamond star on her, it amazingly apeared on her physical body as well. |
|
Babs "Hey, what's that?" Wayne in Wax's body asked, pointing to a diamond star bracelet that appeared on Linz's wrist. "I have no clue," Holly said in wonderment as she moved closer to Linz. She lifted her wrist and studied the bracelet closer. "That is really, really, really, really--" Ryan smacked Colin upside the head. "Weird," Colin finished. Emile came up next to Holly and studied the bracelet along with her. "It looks like a binding bracelet." "A what?" Colin asked. "A binding bracelet. Once a deal is made, the person bound to the agreement has one of these locked onto their wrist. Linz must have made a deal with someone in her brain. you see this star? That's the symbol that represents who she made it with. It looks like a morning star, and there's..." Emile said gravely. "Wait," Holly interrupted. "Morning Star? Wasn't that another name for the devil in the bible, when he was still an angel?" Emile nodded. "I believe so. And who's the only 'Devil'-like person we know?" "You don't mean she made a deal with..." "With Wax." Emile finished. "She wouldn't!" Sue, who had remained quiet this whole time, objected. "She did. She must still be in there, inside her mind, with him." "Why would she do that?" Ryan asked. "He must have threatened all of our lives, else she would never have agreed to it. You know that." "Is there anyway we can break her of the agreement?" "Not as long as she's wearing the bracelet, which is unbreakable," he added as Holly seemed ready to try and break it off. "Also, Linz won't want you to break it off. She's sacrificed part of herself for this agreement. Don't make her sacrifice be in vain." Everyone nodded in agreement and sat around the room, waiting to see what surprise would come next for them... |
|
Mel Linz felt like she was going to cry. Normally she was stronger than this and she could deal with whatever was thrown her way. But this time, it was too much. As tears started to well up in her eyes, she glanced over at Wax who was almost ready to take over her body... "Linz? What's going on? Is that you?" Ryan asked her. Wax smiled as Linz the best he could and started in on his plan. "Yes...it's....me!" Wax cried in his best Linz voice. "But Wax is still in there. We have to get rid of him," he told them frantically, pouring on the dramatics. The group looked around at each other, not sure what to say. "How do we know it's really you?" Ryan asked again. Wax as Linz shrugged and prepared himself to put on his best show yet. "Of *course* it's me," Wax informed them. "I managed to defeat Wax. For the time being. But he's strong. You have to believe it's me guys. Could Wax act this well? He doesn't have a kind bone in his body!" "What about this bracelet Linz?" Emile asked her, taking her arm in his hand and holding it up so everyone could easily see the bracelet that hugged her wrist. Wax thought quickly, but he was already prepared for a question like this. "I, uh, made a deal with Wax..." he told them. "What kind of deal?" Sue demanded. "I don't like the sound of this." Wax moved Linz's gaze from everyone and tried to make her cry. He didn't say anything as everyone asked more and more questions of Linz. "Linz, you have to tell us what kind of deal," Colin said, putting a hand on her shoulder. Wax as Linz looked up at him and decided now was the time. "I told Wax that I would steer you guys clear of him and help him get back into his old body so he could finish his plan...." Wax told them, almost ready to chuckle at his cleverness. The group erupted with gasps of surprise. "Why would you make a deal like that?" Mon inquired, confused. Wax said nothing, letting the suspense build. "Because I know something that he doesn't. I know how to get rid of him for good. And there's nothing that he can do because of the deal we made," Wax as Linz told them. The Brady Bunch and the other contestants enchanged nervous glances, eagerly awaiting what Linz was about to tell them. "It's simple," Wax said, grinning inwardly at his own brilliance. "There is a spell that we can cast. It's in that book. It eliminates one soul from a body that is inhabited by two. Once doing so, the soul will instantly die. It's the only way to get rid of Wax." "You sick, evil maniac," she screamed, lunging towards him. But before she could get to him Linz was stopped by an invisible wall which prevented her from doing anything. "You promised," Linz shrieked. "You made a deal. You can't just go back on it!!!" Wax turned towards Linz for just a moment. "Try and stop me," he said, cruelty oozing from his lips... |
|
Nikki_Lynn Meanwhile... "Oh, my head," groaned Brad as he sat up. Glancing around, he realized they were back in the strange tower. Babs lay next to him, still unconcious. Brad reached over and shook Babs trying to awaken her. "Babs?" Brad said, "Babs? Come on, wake up!" Babs stirred and her eyes fluttered open. "What the heck happened?" she asked, "I feel like I've been hit by a bus." "We're back in the tower," answered Brad, "I think we should..." He was suddenly interupted by a low, raspy voice...the old man. "Nice to see you're awake. It's so much more fun when my playthings are awake," he cackled. "What are you going to do to us?" Babs asked, barely holding back her anger. "Exactly what the Master told me to do," he replied, "I'm going to kill you...eventually..." Babs looked around the room. It was a large, cylindrical room, with no windows. The only light came from a glowing ball suspended in mid air near the ceiling. Babs realized that Mel and Wayne were nowhere to be seen. "What have you done with our friends," she hissed, standing up. "I left them behind," he said, "The Master will take care of those two...in his own time...But now, I think it's time we got started." "Started with what?" Brad asked nervously. "Why, the torture, of course," said the old man, laughing. Brad gasped as he was lifted several feet into the air by some unseen force. Babs, preparing to lunge at the old man, was lifted up seconds later. Both were carried by the force to a cruelly designed scaffold, their arms and legs imprisoned in chains that hung from above. They dangled like marionettes as the old man approached them with a crystal rod. "I suppose I should explain just what I have in store for you," he sighed, as if explainations were a formality he'd rather forego, "You see, this rod is a wonderful little device. It can inflict tremendous pain, and not leave a single mark on the body. It won't kill you...but believe me, after a few hours, you'll truly wish that you were dead. Which you will be, soon enough...but not until after I've had my fun." "Do your worst," said Babs, defiantly. Brad looked at her as if she were insane. "I intend to," the old man replied. He lifted the crystal rod and touched it gently against Babs' back. Swearing pain swept through her entire body. It was as if every nerve in her body were on fire. She screamed, or at least she thought she screamed. She couldn't be sure. She was in utter agony, her mind suspended in the very epicenter of it all. Just as she felt that she could stand no more, the pain subsided as abruptly as it began, and as her head cleared, she saw the man, grinning at her. "Having fun yet?" he asked... |
|
Holly "Well, what do we do?" Sue asked. "It's easy," said Linz/Wax. "All you need is to hold hands in a circle while I stand in the center. Then, I'll recite the chant while you all concentrate." "What do we have to concentrate about?" Holly queried, not too sure about all this. "Think about Linz-I mean-me. Think about me." What the group didn't know was that Wax was formulating a plan to get them to oust Linz from the body and destroy her soul. They obviously would think that they were going to save her. Wax almost chuckled with glee as they started to gather around him/her. |