Chapter Seventy-Five: Apart and Together

“I wonder what Demon will think when he hears about your treachery?” Crusader Mark smirked, wiping the new cut on his cheek.

“You can't do anything. The Mobsters of Misneach have ruled Pleasantville for decades. You belong back in the past.” Sidewinder told him as she reloaded the Mystic Eight Gun.

“That's not what Demon thinks.” Crusader Roger stood up shakily. “Your days are numbered, Mobster.”

“Not if I have anything to do with it.”

Sidewinder spun around. Master Revolver walked over, looking quite pleased.

“Well done Sidewinder. I'll take it from here.” Master Revolver pointed his shotgun at Roger. Sidewinder swallowed hard, before backing off and running away.

“You wouldn't dare.” Roger looked horrified at him.

“Oh wouldn't I just?” Revolver grinned.

It happened quickly. Master Revolver kicked Roger to the ground easily. Roger tried to scramble away, but Revolver stepped on his ankle, ready to make the kill. At the last moment though, Mark shoved his fellow Crusader out of the way, the bullet going straight through his back.

Blood spewed out of Marks mouth. “Run Roge. Get out of here while you still can.”

Another bullet got him through his lower back, going through his stomach. Roger looked equal parts horrified, disgusted and devastated.

“You're the descendant of the original March Hill Crusaders! You have to live! GO!” Mark cried with his dying breath. Roger took his chance and ran as fast as he could as Master Revolver finished Mark off with a shot to the head.

“That will keep Marion happy. Just a shame I didn't get the other one.” Revolver said to himself as Crusader Roger stole a motorcycle and escaped.

--

Lady Courage ducked as another Ruby Shard whizzed past. She used her baseball bat to destroy another one.

"Stop it! How about you just lay down and DIE already?!" Ruby Daryl roared.

"Why don't you just DIE already, nobody wants you anyway! Unwanted bastard!"

"How about you just give up on your little temper tantrum already?" Lady Courage jumped onto a nearby car and tried to jump high enough to take a swipe at her brother. She missed, and he laughed.

--

Chuckles woke up with a start.

“Am I still in crazy town?!” He looked around. Sure enough the street was empty.

“Time to die little man!”

Chuckles cried out and dodged as the Haunted Maze Trouper attacked. Steadying the Lucky Seven Gun, he fired at the Trouper, who disappeared into a haze of smoke.

“Wait...this isn't right!” Chuckles cried, throwing the Lucky Seven away.

--

Chuckles woke up again.

“Black and white? REALLY? You're not doing well if you want me to start questioning reality.” He groaned as the world around him appeared in monochrome colours.

--

Chuckles woke up yet again, this time in the Council building.

“Hey Chuckles.” Said Peter Masters.

“You're not Peter Masters.” Chuckles said drily, getting up. He ran out of the building and through the empty city, ending up at Pleasant Lake. What on earth was going on?!

“Sink or swim, coward!” The Trouper appeared, shoving Chuckles into the water. He felt like lead. He tried to get out of the water but he kept sinking.

Giggles!

--

Giggles couldn't escape the vines. They wrapped themselves around her throat, her arms, her legs.

She kept shooting with the Lucky Seven Gun and the Desert Eagle, but finally she dropped them, unable to hold them anymore as the oxygen left her body.

Chuckles!

--

Whiteness. A dark figure in the distance.

I'd never leave you.

Never ever!

Struggling. Trying to break through...

I'd never ignore you. Except when you're annoying.

YOU'RE annoying!

Reaching out...

It doesn't matter though.

Not in the slightest.

Getting closer...

Nothing can get between us!

We won't let it!

Fingertips against fingertips...

We're best friends!

We're always best friends!

And we'll-

ALWAYS!

Be,

Together!

Chapter Seventy-Four: Panic

“They're all out cold. Darn it!” Lady Courage groaned as she tried to keep her fellow Knights safe. The drug had gotten them all, and now they were all in trouble.

“I've got Sir Dark, Lady Luck and Sir Hyper.” Patrick pulled up in an unmarked old station wagon with no back seats. He wore a black scarf around his face. “I'm so glad you wear that gas mask.”

“It was a present from someone who protected me.” Lady Courage replied, thinking of the late Joe Masters who had treated her like his own grand-daughter. “Where are Chuckles and Giggles?”

“Load those two into the back, then we'll go look for them.” Patrick replied.

“Good idea Sir Motor.” Lady Courage grinned beneath the mask which had protected her from the poison gas. With a bit of difficulty, she loaded Sir Lionheart and Lady Silent into the back of the car, both of them unconscious.

“Looking for these?”

Lady Courage spun around. Sidewinder had a small wagon, where Chuckles and Giggles were loaded.

“I'm only helping because I don't want the Mob threatened. I'm hunting down any Troupers that haven't been gassed and chasing them out of town. No killing.” Sidewinder spat.

“Thanks Sidewinder. We won't forget this.” Lady Courage smiled at her.

“Oh won't DAD be pleased when he sees this!” They heard another voice, a much slimier, nastier voice!

“Ruby.” Lady Courage glared at her brother. Ruby Daryl floated above them, looking pleased with himself.

“What do YOU want you little sneak?” Sidewinder snarled.

“Aww, c'mon Wine-dy, don't be like THAT.” Ruby grinned. “I just want a little peek under the hoods of your cargo there.”

“Of course you do.” Sidewinder snarled.

“I mean, weren't YOU going around claiming that Belle Masters and Charlie Begly were our worst foes?” Ruby continued to gloat. “You wouldn't happen to want to keep them hidden because you're WRONG would you?”

“Shut up!” Sidewinder lashed out with an Emerald Shard, which did nothing against the Ruby Suit.

“Nice try, but the Emerald Suits have NOTHING on the power of the Ruby Suit!” Ruby laughed, skewering Sidewinder through the shoulder with a Ruby Spear.

Pure fury rushed through the veins of Lady Courage. She HATED Daryl, her older brother who had helped her father treat her like dirt!

“Sidewinder, get Chuckles and Giggles into the car and protect Sir Motor. Get them out of here.” She said.

“Are you nuts?! There's no WAY you can take on Ruby by yourself!” Sidewinder cried.

“This isn't your battle.” Lady Courage told her. “I have my own problems with the Jones family.”

Sidewinder looked at her funny, before helping Sir Motor load Chuckles and Giggles into the van.

“Not so fast!” Ruby went to attack as they drove off, but he was stopped by a baseball bat to the chest by Lady Courage.

“Owwwww!” He choked.

“Your fight is with ME, Ruby.” Lady Courage squared up to her brother.

--

“CHUCKLES!”

Chuckles stopped again. He could hear Giggles calling him, but he couldn't see her.

“GIGGLES!” He called out.

“DON'T LET THEM KNOW YOUR NAME!” He heard. “CHUCKLES!!”

“WOULD HELP IF YOU WEREN'T SCREAMING MY NAME OUT FOR EVERYONE TO HEAR!” Chuckles retorted.

“CHUCKLES!!!” He heard her voice again. Either she couldn't hear him or (more likely) she was ignoring him.

He ran towards her voice. Suddenly, something flew out in front of him, smacking him in the face and knocking him out cold.

--

The world was filled with joy and laughter. The water was perfect, the sun was warm, the breeze had the slightest suggestion of jasmine...and it was fading.

“Ugh...” Sir Dark sat up in the back of the moving station wagon.

“You guys were drugged.” Patrick told him. “Smoke bomb.”

“Why is Sidewinder outside?” Sir Dark looked out of the window and onto the roof.

“Because she's helping save your butts.” Patrick replied. “She really must have a thing for Lionheart.”

Sir Dark chortled.

“NOPE!” Patrick suddenly swerved. “Oh not good, not, NOT good!”

“You keep driving, I'll take care of the Crusaders!” Sidewinder leapt off the car and into the path of the advancing March Hill Crusaders. Patrick quickly pulled a 300-point turn, before shooting down a side-street.

“Why are you protecting them?” Crusader Roger aimed his new bayonet at her.

“Because they happen to be our best weapon against YOU.” Sidewinder aimed the Mystic Eight Gun back at him.

--

“CHUCKLES!” Giggles cried, desperately trying to make her way through the thickening forest.

She could hear the Haunted Maze Trouper laughing at her. “You can't save him little girl. Pull off your helmet and I'll let him live.”

“He'd never forgive me if I did!” Giggles fired back, angry. She fired the Lucky Seven Gun at a branch, which fell, allowing her to fly upwards. Alas, as she flew up, the forest grew up with her!

“Your little deus ex machina won't save you now little girl!” She heard the Trouper gloat. Two vines shot out and grabbed her feet. She shot them away, pulling out the Desert Eagle. More vines shot out, and Giggles dodged them, heading to ground before running through the thickening undergrowth. The vines shot after her, and she knew it was only a matter of time before they got her.

--

“C'mon guys, wake up!” Sir Dark shook Sir Hyper and Lady Silent. Lady Luck and Sir Lionheart were awake and groggy, and Sir Motor nearly had them at the tip.

“Where's Sidewinder?” Sir Lionheart rubbed his eyes. “What happened?”

“I think it was a group hallucination.” Lady Luck told him.

“Sidewinder is taking care of the Crusaders.” Sir Dark added. “This is bad. If we now have enemies that can take us out en masse like that, then we're in big trouble. We're just lucky none of us had our identities exposed.”

“Thanks Patrick.” Lady Luck smiled. “Where's Sunny?”

“Taking on her brother.” Patrick replied bitterly.

“Damn! We have to help her!” Sir Lionheart cried as Lady Silent started to come around.

“You guys aren't in any condition to help anyone. Plus, this is HER fight.” Patrick told them.

Meanwhile, Lady Courage and Ruby Daryl were falling from a building together, locked in a death grip. Seeing Lady Courage was serious, Ruby quickly pulled them up and threw Lady Courage to the side. She landed on her feet and glared at him.

The siblings were fighting to the death.

Chapter Seventy-Three: The Haunted Maze Troupe

Chuckles and Giggles faced the cloaked man or woman who was in the middle of the street. Around them lay several police, all of them completely zoned out.

“Don't get too close, they've got a powerful drug on them and if you breathe that in you'll be out like those police.” Chuckles warned.

“I'm wearing a helmet, Chuckles.” Giggles groaned.

“And a very nice one too.” Chuckles grinned.

The man/woman in the cloak said nothing. His/her face was covered with a mask that looked like a baby, only the entire thing had been painted blue. Around the city, there were more people wearing the exact same mask, only painted in different colours.

Giggles kept the Lucky Seven Gun trained on them, while Chuckles had the Lions Claw Blade at the ready. The person in front of them didn't move, they just stared blankly ahead.

“Who are you?” Chuckles tightened his grip on the Lions Claw Blade.

No answer, just silence and the same blank stare.

“I know who they are.” Giggles said quietly.

Chuckles tensed up. “Another one of the old crime syndicates come back from the dead?”

“Yup.” Giggles replied. “I'll bet you any money you like that the Haunted Maze Troupe is back.”

“Very good fool!” A male voice said, before the cloaked person attacked!

He pulled two knives from his cloak and went for Chuckles. Chuckles blocked the attack with the Lions Claw Blade, and Giggles grabbed him before he could inhale any of the drug. She fired the Lucky Seven Gun to stop the Trouper from following them.

“That was too close.” Chuckles gritted his teeth.

“If only we knew how he was putting out that drug.” Giggles sighed.

Chuckles took one look at the man and bolted back at him.

“When will I learn?” Giggles groaned. She flew after Chuckles to provide support.

Chuckles had noticed a bit of smoke around the knives of the Trouper. Using the Lions Claw Blade for distance, he slashed at the Trouper, knocking one of the knives free. The Trouper quickly backed off.

“Don't follow him Chuckles!” Giggles cried, but it was too late. Groaning, she flew to rescue her friend, just as the Trouper detonated a small smoke bomb.

--

Chuckles awoke on the side of the street, head throbbing.

“I can do without THAT happening again.” He groaned, before realizing where he was. He quickly jumped up, the Lions Claw Blade at the ready. However, there was no one around.

Chuckles felt confused, then worried, then angry, then confused again. It was peak hour in Pleasantville, where WAS everyone? Where was Giggles? Why hadn't the Lions Claw Blade ben taken while he was knocked out?

“Hello?” He called out. His voice echoed eerily around him, almost unnaturally. Keeping a firm hand on the Lions Claw Blade, he reached to his hip where his grappling hook and rope were ready. With a bit of work (“This is SO much easier with Giggles to fly me up!”) he managed to get to the top of a building. He then used to grappling hook and rope to get up to the tallest building in Pleasantville, where he looked around and saw no one.

“This is wrong. This is VERY wrong. What have the Haunted Maze Troupe DONE?” He wondered. He began to worry. What about the Knights of the Last Order? What about his employees? Their families? HIS family?

What about Giggles?

He slapped in the face of his watch, hoping at least SOMEONE would still be around to see it. Then, in a small moment of inspiration, he decided to head towards the tip. Maybe everyone had met up there.

--

“Giggles! Hey GIGGLES! Wake up!”

Giggles felt groggy as her father shook her awake in the Council building break room.

“Are you okay Giggles?” Peter Masters looked at his daughter, concerned.

Giggles was about to answer, when she noticed that her helmet was still on.

“I'm fine. I need to go and find Chuckles.” She said, trying to get up. Her head hurt, and she was dizzy.

“You need to rest. Get that helmet off and I'll bring you something to drink.” Peter told her, before heading into the kitchenette.

Giggles took the opportunity to get out of there. Clearly, there had been something in that smoke bomb that was messing around with her head, and now she was hallucinating. Why else would her father have called her Giggles and not removed her helmet?

Sure enough, the entire Council building was empty, and the city appeared deserted. A LOT of things were wrong with this scenario. What was in the smoke that was in that smoke-bomb? Was it addictive? Would their be any long-term side effects? What was going on in the real world? Had they already been unmasked and arrested?

“So many questions, and I don't think I'm ready to give you the answers.”

Giggles spun around. The Haunted Maze Trouper was standing there, ready for a fight.

“What have you done?” Giggles asked.

“Aren't you going to draw your weapon?” Asked the Trouper.

“Not when I'm under the influence of your drug. I could accidentally hurt an innocent.” Giggles replied. “What is this drug?”

“It's a joint-hallucination compound. Something we found overseas which we thought would be useful in getting Pleasantville to bow to us.” The Trouper told her.

“You were hoping either Chuckles or I would accidentally reveal ourselves.” Giggles growled. “Where is he?”

“Depends. You see, as long as I have this,” The Trouper held up a small device with several buttons. “I can do anything to your reality that I like.”

He pushed a button. The buildings began to shimmer as a low sound came from the device.

“It influences the brain with sound.” Giggles smirked. “I guess I have the advantage, I didn't breathe in as much of your drug because of my helmet, and the helmet also blocks most of the sound too.”

The Trouper moved his head slightly. “It doesn't matter, your friend copped the full blast, so he's much easier to manipulate.” There was annoyance in his voice, but certainty too.

“Chuckles isn't stupid.” Giggles fired.

“Maybe. Maybe not. Depends what we do to him, and if you can find him in time.” The Trouper chuckled, before pressing some more buttons.

“Darn it!” Giggles groaned, as the city around her began to flicker into a thick jungle.

Chapter Seventy-Two: The Romance of Chuckles and Giggles

“And THAT, my good fellows, is how Sir Lionheart conquered the heart of the fair Sidewinder and got himself a pretty decent new girlfriend.” Daniel bragged as the Noble Knights of the Last Order played a game of cricket by the creek (I think we all know where this is going). “After we talked about me being a Noble Knight and her being a Mobster, she agreed to at least not work against us. I think I'm a genius.”

“I'm happy for you. Now will you bowl please?! I don't want us to get done for slow over rate!” Sammy groaned.

“You're already two overs behind.” Petunia deadpanned.

Annoyed, Daniel bowled, nearly taking off Tammys head.

“WHAT WAS THAT FOR?!” Sammy was ready to strangle Daniel.

“Are you okay Tammy?” Sunny rushed to her friends side.

“Guys, break it up!” Patrick tried to stop Sammy and Daniel from destroying each other as Melody laughed. “Seriously, you're as bad as Belle and Charlie!”

“Don't compare us to those two lovebirds!” Sammy jumped back.

“Well, stop squabbling.” Patrick said firmly.

“Are they even a thing yet?” TJ asked. “I mean, it's fairly obvious they're into each other.”

“They're 'best friends', remember?” Sunny said, the slightest suggestion of jealousy in her voice. She picked up Melody and hugged her.

“They awfully close for 'best friends' though.” Daniel sat down. “Have you ever noticed how affectionate they are with each other?”

“They've always been like that.” Tammy pointed out. “They're both from naturally affectionate familes.”

“True, I mean, have you ever known Belle to turn down a hug? Or Charlie for that matter?” TJ mused. “But still, they're extremely close.”

“Maybe all they need is a little push. It WOULD be lovely if they were together.” Petunia smiled.

“Maybe...” TJ agreed. “After all, didn't we need one?”

“You two needed to be glued together before you got it.” Sunny said dryly, earning dirty looks.

--

Belle had her nose firmly planted in a book while her pumpkin soup cooled off. Across the table, Sunny, Tammy and Petunia watched her.

It was a beautiful sunny day in Pleasantville, and they could have been outside, except that Belle wanted to read. So they were at Bills Resturant, and the girls were trying to figure out how to broach the subject of Charlie to Belle.

“So, read anything interesting?” Tammy started. Sunny and Petunia looked horrified.

Belle slowly lifted her head from the book, and looked suspiciously at Tammy.

“I mean, surely you've come across something that WON'T put us to sleep, right?” Tammy tried to dig herself out of the hole she'd gotten herself in.

Sunny groaned. Petunia rolled her eyes.

Belle returned to her book.

“Seriously Belle-Belle, can't you get your nose out of that long enough to acknowledge our existences?!” Sunny groaned.

“We spent the last hour gossiping!” Belle fired back, exasperated. “And before THAT we spent two hours shopping, with a brief scuffle with the Crusaders to make things fun.”

(Seriously, don't try and destroy a shopping mall when there's a 50% storewide sale on. You will lose.)

“It's just that we feel like we don't spend enough time together, us girls.” Petunia said, trying to get the conversation back on track.

“We see each other literally every day.” Belle narrowed her eyes again.

“Yeah, but even when you're with us most of your attention is on Charlie.” Tammy muttered.

“We've been best friends since we were little, we're next door neighbours AND our fathers are best friends, AND his sister works for my uncle.” Belle rolled her eyes, putting the book down and testing the temprature of her soup. “Oooh, yummy.”

“You ARE pretty close.” Sunny said wistfully.

Belle glared at her. Tammy and Petunia tensed up. Not this argument again!

--

Meanwhile, the boys were also out and about. They were still shopping.

“Tammy LOVES this Chocolate River colour, and Lizzy often goes for Strawberry Wishes.” Sammy held up two containers of lip gloss.

“'Tuney loves Blueberry Passion. Goes with her rotating hair colours.” TJ held up a lip gloss that looked purple and blue.

“Do you know what Belle wears Charlie?” Daniel asked innocently, looking at some eyeshadows for Judith.

“No idea. I don't know why she wears makeup anyway, her face is always buried in a book or paperwork.” Charlie laughed.

“Don't you wish she'd get out of those books sometimes?” Sammy asked.

“Nope.” Charlie shook his head. “Even though I roast her about it, I know that the knowledge she's getting from those books is going to save Pleasantville one day. Count on it.”

Charlie went back to looking at shoes while the others looked at each other, defeated. How on earth were they going to get Charlie to talk about his feelings for Belle?

“I guess you'd know better than any of us, you two spend a lot of time together.” Daniel decided to go a more direct approach.

“Well we ARE best friends. We also live next door to each other. Our fathers are best friends, plus Lizzy works for her uncle.” Charlie pointed out. He looked at a pair of high heels. “How Marion can be a competent swordswoman in these things I'll never know.”

Daniel looked at TJ and Sammy. Sammy shook his head and TJ shrugged.

It was IMPOSSIBLE!

--

“Well, we had absolutely no hope with Charlie, how about you guys?” Sammy flopped down on the sofa in Sunnys house.

“Belle had her nose in a book.” Petunia sighed. “And Sunny nearly started a fight.”

“REALLY Sunny?” Daniel groaned.

“I didn't mean too!” Sunny sighed. “It's just that I still get a smidge jealous sometimes and even though I try to hide it, it still leaks out a little bit.”

“It's okay.” Tammy put an arm around her. “But we're still at square one when it comes to the romance of Chuckles and Giggles.”

“They're just impossible!” Petunia groaned. “They're so smart when it comes to fighting crime, but bloody thick when it comes to their own love!”

“What are we going to do?” TJ sighed.

“Maybe we need to switch things up a bit.” Daniel suddenly had an idea. “I mean, Sunny and Belle have history, and Sammy is dating Charlie's little sister. Maybe we can swap teams for the next assault.”

“Or, y'know, we could let things take their natural course.” Tammy pointed out.

There was a brief silence.

“Nah.”

Suddenly Daniel got a message on his phone. “Guys, problem, apparently the city has been brought to a standstill by weirdly dressed guys standing in the middle of the street.” He flicked through the message. “Multiple streets even.”

“Who NOW?” TJ groaned.

“Nevermind who, let's go Knights!” Daniel commanded.

The Noble Knights of the Last Order headed to the tip, suited up, and headed to face Pleasantvilles newest threat.