Puppet Master

Chapter XX: Save Ourselves

It had been a couple months, nine to be exact, since they last saw Mikey. Since the attack the gang got a actual house back in Umbra. Chris had to go back to the castle and rule for awhile. Bandit wanted to do some adventuring of her own. So she left for awhile also. Sara went and was able to stay with Chris. Ace and Courtney shared a small house, since he didn't want her alone. Courtney always had a eye out for anything it anyone suspicious. It was late summer and it was almost Ace's and Courtney's birthday. Ace's birthday was June 17 and Courtney's was June 18.

It was June 15, two days before Ace's birthday. "Happy almost birthday Ace!" Courtney said carrying balloons down the stairs. "Don't we have enough balloons?" Ace asked. "No Ace we have 5 balloons so far. That's not enough." Courtney and Ace shared a small apartment in the middle if town. It was two stories and had a loft. "I have to go make some calls I'll be right back!" Courtney said waking outside. Ace went over to the phone and called Bandit. "Hello?" "Bandit hey.." "Happy almost birthday!" "thanks listen Courtney is throwing me a party and I wanted to throw her one to but awesomer!" "So you want me to make the arrangements got it!" "thanks Bandit!" Ace hung up the phone. "Okay all set!" "Yeah now about your present Courtney!" "Ace I said you didn't have to get me anything." "I know but I want to! and I know exactly what you want!" Ace said smiling. "Okay, by the way don't go in my room your present is in there and no snooping." "Okay."

That night after Courtney and Ace had went to sleep Courtney had another dream. It showed all black for a little bit then Mikey appeared. "Hello Courtney, thanks for joining me for a night of fun!" Mikey said. "Why am I here?" "Because I can get into your dreams. Now let's walk over here." Mikey said grabbing Courtney's hand. "look you see that little boy and girl." "yes" "we'll that's Bandit and Ace." Ace had dark brown hair an green eyes. Bandit looked the same. "Okay you ready Ace?" Bandit asked. She had to be about 7 and Ace about 4. "Ya I'm ready!" "kids get in here, Ace you first." Ace was put in the center of a circle. A big beam of light shot out. "Boom" the light went away. It was all dark. "Ace hunny you okay?" His mom asked. "Ah" Ace had bright blond hair and blue eyes now. What their parents were doing was putting a demon in them. Apparently Ace's didn't work. Or worse he got a bad one. "Bandit your turn!" Bandit did the same but came out just fine unlike Ace.

"Is he okay?" Courtney asked. "Is he I don't know." Mikey said. He then took Courtney to another scene, it showed Ace and Bandit quite a bit older talking. and Ace had blood on his hands. He looked down in fright as he saw. "Their dead now." Ace said. "It's okay you didn't know Ace, just relax." Bandit said. "Who did he kill?" Courtney asked. "You will have to ask him yourself." Mikey said disappearing and everything went black.

"Ah!" Courtney screamed sitting up in her bed. "Oh good just a dream!" "Courtney you okay?" Ace asked coming in. Her eyes got big and were filled with fright as she saw him. She couldn't say anything. Ace knew what she had saw and here'd. "Courtney, did Mikey show you my past?" Ace asked a little annoyed. "Y-yes." She said scared. "Courtney you know I would never hurt you, please don't be afraid." Ace said sitting next to her. "He also told me your name is Shade, that's why when I first meet you, you freaked a little." "Yes, but I need to go now get some sleep." Ace said walking out and shutting the door.

The next day Courtney couldn't find Ace anywhere. "Ace! You here?" Courtney yelled. No reply. Courtney decided to call Bandit. "Hey Bandit have you seen Ace?" "No I haven't what's wrong you sound like your crying?" "we'll it's just....." Courtney told Bandit what had happened and Bandit didn't seem to pleased. "Why did you tell him?" "I didn't he knew." "Listen it's in his past, don't call him Shade either he hates it. He hated what are parents did to us so that's why he killed them. Don't be worried, he's never cared about anyone like he does you. He is probably just trying to comprehend you being scared." Bandit said. "I hope he comes back!" "me too now just go on your day and I'll find him." Bandit said hanging up the phone.

It was a little while later, around 3:00pm and no word from Ace or Bandit, until. "Boom!" someone had kicked down the door. "You bitch! you killed her!" Mikey said holding Tara in his arms. "What how could I!" Courtney said. "You murder you couldn't had stopped with mom and dad you had to go on killing more people!" Mikey yelled. "Michael I didn't kill her!" "yes you did! you are the only one that would!" Mikey said putting Tara down. "Now you'll pay for what you have done to her." Mikey grabbed a knife out of his pocket. "Michael please I didn't kill her I swear!" Courtney said as she was crawling backwards from him. "You did and now you will pay with full consequences." Mikey said getting her in his puppetry. He was holding it tighter and tighter. "You know I could make you suffer or I could just kill you know! But what ashamed two days before your 16 birthday." Mikey said grinning. He took a frying pan and hit her on the head with it. And with that she was out.

Ace walked back into the house. He looked as if he had been crying. "Courtney are you home?" Ace said walking up to her room. "Where could she be?" he asked himself. He looked everywhere, he even called Sara and Chris. He sat down on the couch with his head in his knees and his hands in his hair. He looked over slightly to see a little blood on the ground. "No!" he rushed over to see that it was only in one spot. Where Tara was laying. "Dammit Mikey you can't stop can you?" he said to himself trying to comprehend what had just happened.

"Happy birthday to me." Ace said as he sat in silence and thinking of his next move.