Numbers of the Night

[The Count]

Oh, sorry Bo. You should definitely pick it up. One of Jim's live films, at least backed with creations made by Jim and sponsored by him. It's about this girl played by Jennifer Conolly who has to rescue her little brother from the Goblin King played by David Bowie, and she has to navigate through a maze of obstacles and creatures both helping and hindering her progress.
Will post the next segment when it's ready.

 

[The Count]

Chapter 4

Upon pressing the center left button on his utility belt, Mr. Grimness disappered from sight. What noone but him knew was that this, once proper coordinates had been typed, would automatically transport the belt's wearer to wherever he wished to go. And in the blink of an eye, Edward rematerialized at the exact spot where his mission would begin. "Bat-Vision activate" came his call, turning on the sensors in his visor.

Mr. Grimness had reached an open backlot in the Count's castle in the matter of seconds. This backlot had been converted into a New York parking area, meant for the tourists. Two sidewalks flanked both sides of the lot, cracks just visible here and there. The manhole cover was placed in the center of the parking lanes, just where it was planned to be. A certain Manhattan melody seemed to linger in the air. But Edward couldn't let this distract him. If the souls of the creatures tied to the numbers were at the Goblin Queen's bidding, then he knew the route to follow through this suburban cityscape.

Facades of brownstone apartments were visible along the walls of the backlot, with enough depth and shadows to remind one of the cheery surroundings where the Count's other friends lived. Edward quickly advanced along the sidewalks, using his walking staff to guide him when reaching a part between the curb and the parking lanes. Small black round bats, Bat-Orbs, flew in and out above head. Edward knew he had to either shoot them down before they dropped a small explosion or simply duck out of the way. After a jump and a dodge, he reached the first intersection. This is where he met the first true obstacle...

Crazy cherry red cars sped along through the intersection, this would be a challenge. Timing his jumps just right, he weaved through the two cars at that time and reached the next block. Some more Bat-Orbs were flying here, along with a couple of Rocket Rats who crawled out of the sewer grates from the gutter. These little rodents had an electric tail, and fired off short sparks if annoyed.
Once he reached the end of the block, Edward climbed the flight of steps to the next area of the pavement where he knew what would come next. This is where the Hotdog Carts had been placed. Authentic New York hot dog carts were an extra touch lining the walkway, marked with a green frog's face on their sides. But these had been rewired and now shot the contents of their condiment bottle cannons. Edward made use of his bat-blaster to destroy the cannons, leaving the carts defenseless. Rolling past them would be easier now. Looking at his blaster's energy meter, he could see that his reserves were at half-strength.

"Hmmm, might be nice if I picked up some energy pills about now." So he proceeded to blast Bat-Orbs and Rocket Rats along his path, picking up some which helped almost refill his gages.

Next came another flight of steps, leading down two flights of stairs, where another HotDog Cart waited menacingly. The first cart only fired shots from it's red ketchup cannon, this one attacked with the middle mustard yellow cannon. Again, it was no match for charged shots from the bat-blaster.

"Making good progress, only one more of these to go." Small floating clouds had replaced the Bat-Orbs now. These would only rain down a single little lightningbolt. These clouds made Edward smile, since it always put him in a good mood whenever he could count up the thunder and lightning from the storms. However, he had no time for that now as a gang of Rocket Rats were quickly advancing on his position. "Have to time this just fright" he said while blasting the one in front and spinning around to get the second rat. A jump and a slide later, he had made it to the following walkway. The last remaining flight of steps were located here, leading down another two flights as Edward took care to measure his paces down the paved lane. All that was left for him to conquer was a straightaway path of rats and clouds, and the third HotDog Cart. This one made its mark with a green relish cannon, but it was left in the dust after a brief battle. "OK, now the true test comes."

A quick check revealed his meter was woefully low. "Can't go in there without refilling. So I'll just take care of some more pest control out here before knocking on the door."

Replenished from wiping out returning rats on the sides of the sidewalk, Edward finally moved forward and knocked on the door before him. This door, made of solid wood, creaked as it swung slowly open, uncovering a short set of steps. "This'll lead me to the guy I'm after."

What remained was a fight with the boss of this cityscape backlot, Taxi-1. Once inside the room, Edward braced himself for the arrival of his opponent. Before long, a yellow taxi cab screeched to a hault on the other side of the room. Its four rugged wheels cased in roughened tires, white and black checkered doors, a red cap over the hood and a clear windshield composed the frame of this creature. Its eyes, located in the headlights opened and lit up instantly. "So, you're the guy? I expected somethin' more" came the cab's gruff New Yorker voice. "Let's get spooky" was all Edward had to say. He knew that the taxi's attacks were easily patterned and avoidable, but they packed a major muscle behind them.

The sequence went in order as the battle proceeded. Taxi-1 would speed in a mad dash from one side of the room to the other, spinning wildly in a looney loop at about the middle of the way. Edward was smart enough to jump from his side to the center of the loop, and then to the other side. Charging his bat-blaster while jumping helped give it enough power to take a chunk out of the yellow cab's life energy whenever Mr. Grimness turned and fired. At this rate, the battle was over in a New York minute and the cab's motor and headlights turned off. A storm cloud descended from its upper storage compartment upon the windowsill of the skyscrapers behind them. It gently floated down and opened up, allowing Edward to grab the marble number 1 just before his belt acted up again. "Well, that's one down and still many more left to go."

 

[Beauregard]

Once again Count, your talent is unmatched...except by several other tallented Fan-Fic writers here...

I'd rather sit and read to the end of your fan-fic, then the John Grisham on my desk, that's for sure.

Two sidewalks flanked both sides of the lot, cracks just visible here and there. The manhole cover was placed in the center of the parking lanes, just where it was planned to be. A certain Manhattan melody seemed to linger in the air.

Brillient discription of the sidewalk, and a perfect reference to Manhatten Melodies.

Crazy cherry red cars sped along through the intersection, this would be a challenge.

Splended. Zoom, zoom, zoom! There they go! I can see them marvilously.

Looking at his blaster's energy meter, he could see that his reserves were at half-strength.

Bingo! This was when I sudenly realised this was related to the popular Spirit-rhelm destorying computer games. Very clever.

"Can't go in there without refilling. So I'll just take care of some more pest control out here before knocking on the door."

I must say this line of dialouge stuck out as teh strongest. I liked it very muchly!

At this rate, the battle was over in a New York minute and the cab's motor and headlights turned off.

I've said it before, I'll say it again. you are the master of cleverly placed lines/puns/references, Mr cole sir....or is it Count in this instence...

"Well, that's one down."

Not sure if that was intended as a pun, but it sure is good. "One down"

 

[The Count]

Thanks Bo. This time I'm myself, Cole is just the last name I've taken for The Moppet Family "adventure".
Maybe another chapter will go online, got the next boss already in mind.

 

[Beauregard]

Thanks Bo. This time I'm myself, Cole is just the last name I've taken for The Moppet Family "adventure".
Maybe another chapter will go online, got the next boss already in mind.

I know that Mr Cole, I was kidding.

*reporter voice*

Mr Count, sir. Is it true that you recently ate lunch at the cafe in Manhatten that was used for the shooting location of the Muppet's Take Manhatten???

Bea{Well...what did you expect now you are a celebrity...}regard

 

[The Count]

*In interview voice: No, I wasn't there that day. Unfortunately, I couldn't make it onto the set of TMTM, short for The Muppets Take Manhattan, during their shooting schedule. My research department and I were currently experimenting with some oddly-stamped pennies over at the Empire State Building that afternoon.

 

[The Count]

Chapter 5
Edward Grimness now found himself in another part of the castle, closely adjacent to the backlot he left behind. Thanks to a bit of magic from his staff, the marble 1 fit inside one of the tubes hanging from his utility belt. Surprisingly, a small taxi cab image was now present on the buttonlike stopper of the tube where the 1 had been deposited. This probably meant that he had a new weapon at his disposal.

The lower recesses of this section were bordered on all sides by a dark green, scaly snakeskin, writhing along the walls and lining both ceilings and floors. This wouldn't be easy, at least not with the twists and turns the skin made at each corner. And yet, the pathway was incredibly simple, leading forward before sliding down a green-grayish chute fashioned out of additional snake skins. A wicker basket lay on the path before reaching the slide though, and a faint music could be heard in the distance. The tune, though distant, sounded like something Egyptian or oriental in nature. Its effects however, were soon witnessed as a swarm of steel snakes came forth out of the basket. "Time to go to work" said Edward and started blasting up all the vipers crawling in front of him. "Hmmm, looks like I go down this chute then."

Once reaching the lower level, Mr. Grimness found more and more baskets along the shortened halls. But these weren't the only obstacles. Serpent Watchers lit up whenever he came near them. These statues had cylindrically tubed bodies and the head of a serpent. Their stony tongues lashed out at intruders, knocking them over on their heels. Edward charged his bat-blaster to blow away the statues, pausing only to shoot down any steel snakes nipping close to where he stood. "You know, those Basket Snakes aren't so bad, especially since I can get some energy pills after dispatching the lot of them." True enough, the basket's offerings left behind some pills from time to time when destroyed.

Sliding down the chutes and making his way across the halls in no time flat, Edward reached the bottom surface gritting his teeth for what came next. The Python Pipeline. A giant valve snake, with block sections composing its body. This snake's head had to be cut off if he wanted the section of its body sealing the path ahead to be removed. Rhythmically, and in sequence, the sections moved up and down creating a sort of chain motion dragging its passenger closer to the head. Its head lay against the near wall where Mr. Grimness soon found himself. A few quick jumps backward provided him the time to take aim and fire the bat-blaster at the snake's open jaws. Persevering against his foe, the python was crushed and the body section blocking his progress blown up along with the creature itself.

"Hmm, looks like I really need a couple of those Basket Snakes now" thought Edward when his energy meter showed three-quarters of its contents drained away. The long corridor ahead provided him the opportunity to collect energy pills and prepare for a second Python Pipeline challenge. After the head of this second snake was destroyed, an air cushion was ready to push him up the snakeskin chute so he could reach the upper level. Blasting away at the Serpent Watchers who stood in the divisions between sections of the halls and before each chute, Edward was able to make it back up the way he came but on the other side of the chamber. Basket Snakes were still present, and still rewarded his efforts. However, after blasting the next to last Serpent Watcher, a nook opened up just to the left of the chute. He couldn't believe his eyes, just what he would need in the battles ahead, a Battery Tank! Yes, a round portable cylinder marked by a black bat logo, this would come in handy indeed. He'd have to jump past the air pocket and snatch the tank, jumping back immediately into the open gap before it propelled him upwards. This would be a tricky maneuver, but he managed to grip the tank in his fingers at the last second. Another hallway and chute upwards to go and he reached that familiar creaking door.

Knocking on this door would lead to the hall just before the next boss's lair, the room belonging to Viper-2. Edward was already a bit uneasy upon entering the chamber, and he knew this boss would be coming in just after him. "Well hello" came a softly hissing voice. No wait... was that? Two voices called out in unison, greeting him to the room. What stood before him could only be described as a mythical monstrous mind as his would comprehend. This was clearly a female amphisbaena, the legendary snake with two heads, one at each end of its body. She had muted green scales covering her body, a single coil leading into her two heads, a muted green-gray underbelly, and a serpentine coil tucked underneath her body. Each head had curly black hair, two round black-pupiled eyes, a snake's snout with its small diamond nostrils, and a mouth issueing forth a pink forked tongue as she hissed softly while crawling towards him. This lady snake wore a pair of smoky tinted round glasses in front of her eyes, a muddy brown-yellow open shirtcoat, a brown-yellow neckerchief over the coil joining her heads, and she had two long female arms covered in scales with her fingers resting upon a silver saxophone. This was definitely a snake charmer, as she moved slowly upon the floor of her lair reaching Mr. Grimness on the other side.

"Are you the one I have to fight?" asked Edward as he saw her coming closer and closer. At this, Viper-2 stopped and replied: "Fight? I'm a lover, not a fighter." She continued, "No, I don't want to fight anyway. Just let me play you a soothing song on my saxophone and I'm sure we can settle this like mature adults." Her hissing only served to accentuate her syllables, but Edward was enchanted by the melody of the music. So much so, he failed to notice her coils unwrapping and forming layered loops around his body. He soon felt the snake scales gently spiraling over his armor, still serenly gazing into the stares from behind the glasses Viper-2 wore. "Shall we give you a little squeeze?" was the next thing he heard, and then he felt the snake charmer's grasp tighten. "Wait... I can't..." came his muffled response to her actions. To which she retorted: "Never said I'd simply let you win" as her forked tongues hissed tickling his ears at the same time.

Edward thought to himself: "Got one chance, let's see what happens." He tried to wiggle his fingers out from under the coils, reaching the button on his belt. With enough lingering strength, he was able to push it and call out "Taxi Treads!" And then something unusual happened. His boots suddenly acquired taxi cab halves over the part covering his feet, along with four rugged wheels. These cab hoods couldn't fit within the space of the amphisbaena's spires, bulging outwards due to their bulk.

Viper-2 cried out: "Ouch, my tail!" "You ain't felt any pain yet", was all Mr. Grimness had to say. The wheels started to roll, and he hefted his body backwards dragging the lady snake with him. He didn't have that far to go until hitting the wall, which was his goal. This would serve quite nicely, as he repeatedly rolled the wheels over the snake's tail depleting her own life energy meter.

When it was over, she lay motionless on the floor, the coils around Mr. Grimness falling away with her. Both heads now lost the luster they once had, the saxophone sullied in her hands. "Too bad, looks like I rolled snake eyes, you lose." These last comments were followed by another storm cloud's descent into his hands, yielding the marble number 2 before he was whisked away to the next stop on his journey.

 

[RedDragon]

Keep it coming, this is great stuff. Different, but interesting.

 

[Beauregard]

Count! This wasy. *snap, snap, flash* Count Sir, is it true that you based the charcter of Mr Grimness on yourself? Count! Where did you get your idea for the two headed snake? Yo, Count, are you sponsered by the gaming companies to make this story?

As always, this story was supremely juicey, like the most suculent stake (or snake)...I cannot wait for more...

The lower recesses of this section were bordered on all sides by a dark green, scaly snakeskin, writhing along the walls and lining both ceilings and floors.

I am always one to go for writhing walls if I can. it's one of my favorite things. In several of my stories I have written in trees writhing, fire writhing around an arm, numbers rithing in the swamps of a planet....so, of course, I appreciated this no end.

The tune, though distant, sounded like something Egyptian or oriental in nature. Its effects however, were soon witnessed as a swarm of steel snakes came forth out of the basket.

Steel snakes...something I can picture, see, and feel...

"You know, those Basket Snakes aren't so bad, especially since I can get some energy pills after dispatching the lot of them."

Hopefully you won't mind a teeny criticism here. It can be distracting from a story when a charcter speaks plot exposition. But most of your dialouge is brilliently up to standard, or above.

After the head of this second snake was destroyed

"He shall bite his heel, and I shall crush his head." Whether you indended that verse to come to mind, it certainly did, and that worked on another level, bringing an aspect of faith into it, calling on my thoughts.

...he managed to grip the tank in his fingers at the last second....

Splended.

Here it is me reaching out, me managing to grip the tank with my fingers, time running out...

"Well hello" came a softly hissing voice.

Oh my! Now this sent shivers down my spine.

This was clearly a female amphisbaena, the legendary snake with two heads. {/quote]

Clever. Did you make this up? Or is it part of a myth.

Each head had curly black hair, two round black-pupiled eyes, a snake's snout with its small diamond nostrils, and a mouth issueing forth a pink forked tongue as she hissed softly while crawling towards him. This lady snake wore a pair of smoky tinted round glasses in front of her eyes.

Count, I'm still loving your discriptions.

At this, Viper-2 stopped and replied: "Fight? I'm a lover, not a fighter."

I say....

So much so, he failed to notice her coils unwrapping and forming layered loops around his body.

This I can see, hear, and feel. Bingo, perfect.

These last comments were followed by another storm cloud's descent into his hands, yielding the marble number 2 before he was whisked away to the next stop on his journey.

Ok! Ok. Where's he gone? You can't leave us like this...!!!

 

[The Count]

*In interview voice: Well... To answer your question B. Regard, yes, the character of Edward Grimness is based on my own self. Next question. The source of my boss characters comes from different ideas in my mind, supplied by my knowledge and research of many a mythical monster Mr. Mopp It. If you do a bit of searching, you'll find that the Greek historian Pliny wrote of the amphisbaena as a snake with a head at both ends of its body, but it could take up a great deal of time getting anywhere because its heads drag its body in two different directions. And I believe there's a lizard with this same attribute in existance today. No Mr. Bo Riddly, I would like it if the gaming companies were to take a looksee and work a deal for mass publishing of this story as the start of a successful franchise in the future.

What's that, Mr... Should we come back to you?
*Reporter fumbling with his name and question: Yes, come back to me later.

OK, gotta get some things done, but the next two chapters are ones I'm looking forward to writing. The bosses are two dark beings of legend, not sure if the rest of the text will reflect that somewhat as what you've come to hexpect. But at least the first one's in my mind and will be posted when I get the chance. Besides the Muppets, the other field I excel in is mythic monstrocities and I have a whole ark filled up with ghosts and ghouls at my fingertips ready to be used. Just glad I finally have the outlet I'm happy with to use them as I choose.
Stay tuned, Boss 3's comin'!