A/N: This story is set in the same continuity as First night: A PJ Masks origin story, and takes place immediately after the episode "PJ Powerup". It's also posted on other sites. A word of warning in advance; the story might be a bit scarier than what people are used to when it comes to PJ masks stories.
Chapter 1[]
For what had to be the hundredth time that afternoon, Connor took a glance at the clock on the wall of the classroom. Still 15 minutes till school would be over.
The boy sighed. It wasn't that he hated school (on the contrary, he was among the best students of his class), but right now he couldn't wait for it to be over. In fact, he wanted this entire day to be over. Partly because for him and his two closest friends, Greg and Amaya, the real fun began after sunset. When they would be able to transform into their superpowered alter-ego's, the PJ Masks. But the main reason had to do with something that happened to them the night before.
The past 3 nights had been the best ones ever for the team. First they gained a new ally in the form of PJ Robot. And last night, thanks to PJ Robot, they discovered a crystal statue in HQ which first took away their powers when it was accidently moved from its spot, but then, when they put it back in its place, somehow granted them new superpowers.
At first all three young hero's had been overjoyed with this discovery, and mopped the floor with Night Ninja and his team of Ninjalino's. It wasn't until later, when he was back in his bed, that questions began to form in Connors mind. What was this Crystal statue? Why had they never seen it before? And most importantly, how could it take away their powers and give them new ones?
As the teacher wrote todays homework on the schoolboard, Connor glanced at the bracelet around his wrist. Inside was one of the 3 Night Totems; the ancient, magical stones that granted each of the PJ Masks their powers. Or so they had been told by Connors' dad, Diego Alvarez. But if the Night Totem was the source of his power, then what had the crystal to do with it? The only one who could probably answer that question was his dad.
Earlier that day, during breakfast, Connor had already send his dad a text message to tell him about the events of last night. He got an answer almost at once; Diego wanted to talk with him tonight and see this Crystal Statue for himself. Hence why Connor couldn't wait till evening. And he only had to take one look at his friends to know they felt the same way.
Finally, the school bell rang. All students got up from their seats and ran outside. Connor, Amaya and Greg were the last ones to leave.
"So much for school. Too bad sunset is still several hours away" Amaya said.
"Don't forget our homework" Greg added.
"I know guys. But be patient. Tonight we will hopefully learn all we need to know about this crystal statue" Connor said. "If PJ Robot couldn't find anything, then at least my dad should know more about it".
"And perhaps your dad can tell us if we can unlock even more powers with it" Greg cheered. Then he realized something. "But Connor, isn't your dad away from home?"
"Yes, to give a guest lecture at Misko..…Miski..…well, some university. But he wants us to video call him from HQ" Connor assured them.
"I guess we don't have much of a choice" Amaya said.
Indeed, not only was Diego the one who had discovered the Night Totems, and did he know more about them than probably anyone else; he was also, even after all these months, still the only one of their parents who knew about their secret double lives as superhero's. And thus, by extend, the only one they could turn to whenever they needed an adults opinion or advise.
Several times Connor had discussed with his dad weather or not they should tell his mother, Maria. Greg and Amaya likewise vowed to tell their parents someday. But every time they just couldn't muster up the courage, afraid of how their parents might react, and so they kept everything a secret. This had already caused quite some problems, especially that one time Romeo kidnapped Greg and Amaya to replace them with robots. Good thing Diego had been home then and told Greg's and Amaya's parents that their kids were staying over at Connor's house.
"Well, see you guys tonight at HQ" Connor said. He stuck out his hand, and his friends did the same thing.
"PJ Mask's, we're on our way. Into the night, to save the day!"
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Night fell over the city. In their respective bedrooms, Connor, Amaya and Greg eagerly waited for the sun to set and the moon to rise into its place. When it finally did, all three activated their bracelets which, combined with their pajama's, transformed them from regular kids into superhero's.
Connor into Catboy
Greg into Gekko
And Amaya into Owlette.
After the transformation was complete, all three of them were automatically transported from their bedrooms to HQ in rays of light. PJ Robot was already waiting for them when they materialized in Catboy's room in the center of the totem. The robot couldn't talk, but the big smile on its head display said enough about how happy he was to see the Masks again.
Amaya took a quick look around. HQ had never looked better since they got PJ robot. The little robot spend every minute of the day keeping the place in perfect shape. "How did we ever manage to get by without you" she said, padding the robot on the back.
"Yeah, for once I agree with Romeo. You really are his best invention ever" Greg said.
"Alright guys, let's do what we came here for. Were you able to find any info PJ Robot?" Connor asked.
The little robot sadly shook it's head and let out a disappointed sounding bleep. At the Masks' request, he had spent all day browsing through the hundreds of files in the PJ Picture Player, but none of them contained any information about the crystal statue.
"Cats. But don't worry, you did your best" Connor assured the robot. Then he turned around and faced the wall. "PJ Picture Player!"
Immediately ,the blue, spherical computer/forcefield formed around the 4 of them. Connor quickly selected the symbol for video calls. Diego, who had been waiting in his hotel room with his laptop ready, answered almost immediately.
"Good evening Catboy. Owlette, Gekko. And you must be PJ Robot. Nice to meet you" he greeted. Connor chuckled. "It's okay if you call us by our civilian names dad. So, how's Arkham?".
"It's…fine I guess. For visiting at least. But I wouldn't want to live here. Way too gloomy for my liking. Now, can I see that statue please?".
All 3 masks and their robot friend stepped aside, giving Diego an unobstructed view of the of the green, blue and red crystal. For a second, Diego was lost for words. He had been told about it by Connor of course, but seeing it with his own eyes for the first time still stunned him.
"So, what is it dad?" Connor asked. But the answer he got was one he didn't expect. "I have no idea son".
The masks exchanged a quick look, the disappointment clearly visible on their faces. Even PJ Robot changed his facial display from a smile to a frown.
"I'm sorry guys. I thought I knew all there was to know about the Night Totems, but this is new to me. I may even have to reconsider some of my earlier theories."
"Then what would be your best guess dat?" Connor asked.
Diego gave it a brief thought. "Well, like I already told you that night in Montague's mansion, the Night Totems are connected to the Master Totem and vice-versa, so this crystal could very well be some central power source. Like the central power battery of the Green Lantern Corps from the comics I read when I was your age."
Connor nodded. Although Master Fang was and always would be his favorite comic book hero, he was familiar enough with the Green Lantern to know what his dad was talking about.
"So, can it give us even more powers?" Greg asked.
"Possible Greg, but I suggest you don't touch it until I can learn more. Fortunately, I'm in the right place for that." Diego said.
"How so Mr. Alvarez?" Amaya asked.
"Well Amaya, there is a good reason I accepted this chance to give a guest lecture at Miskatonic University. Their library has a huge collection of books about the supernatural and the occult, bigger than that of possibly any other institution in the world. If there is any place I can learn more about the Night Totems, it is here".
Meanwhile, PJ Robot had wandered away from the group and activated a second video screen to perform a routine surveillance of the city. And it wasn't long before he found something and alerted the PJ Masks.
"Sorry dad, duty calls. See you later" Connor said.
"Alright, be careful. And don't worry, I will figure this out soon". With those words Diego broke the connection. The masks now gathered around PJ Robot. On the screen they could see the shopping district of the city, and their enemy Luna Girl using her luna magnet to force open the door of an electronics store.
"Gasping gekkos, Luna Girl. And isn't that the store where they start selling the new Gertung Moon S5 smartphone tomorrow?" Greg said.
"Figures. We should have known she would want it before anyone else. Come on, to the Owl Glider" Amaya ordered. She ran towards the elevators, with Greg and Connor right behind her. PJ Robot continued to monitor Luna Girl.
And thus, none of them noticed the crystal statue gently shook a little. The way small objects might move if heavy traffic passes by your house. For a second or two the screen in front of PJ Robot turned to static, briefly puzzling the small robot, but he didn't give it much attention.
Something inside the statue was awakening…..
Chapter 2[]
A flock of moths stood guard outside the store, while inside more of them disabled the security camera's by completely covering them up. And at the center of the store, Luna Girl was carefully unboxing the various smartphones, looking of the one that she liked best.
"No…. not that one either….Aha, a limited edition golden Moon S5. I take it". She held it up to examine it more closely.
But no sooner had Luna Girl decided which phone she wanted, when her ears picked up the sound of the Owl Glider landing outside the store, followed by the all too familiar cries of "Super Gekko Muscles" and "Owl Wing Wind". So much for her uninterrupted burglary; the PJ Masks had arrived and were evidently currently fighting off her moths outside in order to get to her.
Luna Girl gritted her teeth. "The PJ Pests. Always on time to ruin my fun". She hopped onto her luna board and flew towards the exit, followed by her remaining moths. When she reached the door she saw Amaya unleash another one of her owl wing winds, scattering the moths in all directions, thus clearing a path for Greg and Connor.
"Stop right there Luna Girl!" Connor shouted.
"Not a chance Pussycat. This phone was made for me" Luna girl gloated. As expected, she noticed Connors suit light up, signaling he was about to use his super speed against her. But this time, Luna Girl was ready for him.
"Super Cat Speed!". Connor dashed forward like a blue lightning bolt, determined to snatch the stolen phone from Luna Girls' hand before she would even know what hit her. But at the last second, the luna board shot up into the sky and Catboy narrowly missed his target. Instead, he ran straight into the store behind Luna Girl and collided with the remaining moths that were still inside. The insects wasted no time to swarm around him, forcing Amaya and Greg to rush to Connors aid.
"You're getting predictable PJ Masks. It's always the same powers and tricks" Luna Girl laughed.
Knowing the moths wouldn't be able to hold off the Masks for long, she turned around and flew away when suddenly she heard Connor shout "Super Cat Stripe". The next moment, a blue rope-like object wrapped itself around the luna board, stopping Luna Girl's escape attempt.
"News flash Luna Girl. We got some new powers" Connor shouted as he held onto the cat stripe with all his strength. "Show her yours Owlette!".
"Impressive, but not enough". Luna Girl grabbed her luna magnet and aimed it at Connor, but before she could fire Amaya unleashed a stream of her Super Owl Feathers. They circled around Luna Girl like a small tornado, blocking every shot from the magnet and making it impossible for Luna Girl to hit Connor.
"Not fair!" Luna girl shouted. Greg meanwhile dispatched the last moths by slapping his hands together, creating a shockwave. Not wanting to be left out, he grabbed a trashcan that was just outside the store and, summoning his Super Gekko Muscles, hurled it at Luna Girl in hopes of knocking her off her board.
Unfortunately, instead of Luna Girl, the trashcan hit two of the Super Owl Feathers surrounding her. Both ricocheted off the metal can and hit the cat stripe, instantly severing it. Now freed, the luna board shot up into the sky while Connor fell onto his back, the severed half of the cat stripe still in his hands.
"Thanks lizard boy. Now, so long!" Luna girl said as she flew away at full speed.
"Gekko!" Amaya and Connor glared at their teammate, who could only rub his hand against the back of his head in embarrassment. "Sorry guys".
"It's not too late, come on!" Amaya shouted as she ran for the Owl Glider.
All three Masks quickly boarded the Owl Glider and it took off at full speed to intercept Luna Girl. Within minutes, they caught up with her again close to the park and HQ. From inside HQ, PJ Robot closely followed the chase.
"Stupid PJ Party Poopers. This will stop them!" Luna girl turned her board around and aimed the magnet at the approaching Owl Glider, charging it up to full strength. Inside the Owl Glider, the Masks fortunately realized the danger.
"Hold on guys, this could get rough" Amaya said. As Luna Girl fired, Amaya jerked the steering wheel and the Owl Glider made a sharp turn to the right, barely dodging the ray. Luna Girl fired again, forcing Amaya to steer the Glider the other way.
"This won't work. She's going to hit us sooner or later" Connor said.
"Don't worry guys, I'll stop her" Greg said, determined to make up for his mistake earlier. At his request, Amaya opened the glass dome of the Owl Glider, allowing Greg to leave his seat and climb onto the exterior of the glider. Using his super lizard grip, he secured himself to the front of the Owl Glider, and flexed his muscles.
"We told you we got new powers Luna Girl. Now, here's mine. Super Gekko Shields!".
The moment Luna Girl fired an energy ray from her magnet, 2 shields materialized on Greg's arms. He quickly held them in front of him. The ray smashed against them, but both the shields and Gekko didn't budge, and instead of incapacitating the Owl Glider, the ray bounced off from the shields, back at Luna Girl.
Seeing her own attack come back right at her made Luna Girl yelp. She ducked and the purple ray soared inches over her head, scorching some of her hair.
Unfortuantely, Greg had failed to realize that Luna Girl was hovering right in front of HQ, and since the ray missed her, it now went straight for the Totem Pole!
There was nothing the Masks could have done to stop the ray. It hit HQ head on and for a second or 3 the entire totem rose a few feet into the air, engulfed by a purple aura. Inside, the PJ Picture player began to flicker on and off, while the car alarm of the Cat Car went off. PJ Robot panicked and desperately tried to stabilize the systems.
And behind him, a process that started the night before when the Crystal Statue was accidently knocked off its place, was now finished by the energy from the Luna Magnet. In the central part of the crystal two red dots glowed up, like eyes. Eyes belonging to a creature which, just like the Crystal Statue it resided in, had been unknown to the previous wielders of the Night Totems. And which now, for the first time in many millennia, had awoken from its deep slumber.
No sooner had the aura vanished, or HQ dropped back to the ground and began to slowly fall backwards, much to the horror of the Masks.
"Slithering Serpents!" It was all Greg could manage to say.
"Come on, we have to save HQ". Amaya quickly steered the Owl Glider towards the totem, which was already starting to look like the leaning tower of Pisa. Once they reached it, Greg jumped off the glider and began to push against the base of the totem, while Amaya used the claws of the Owl Glider to grab the top of the Totem and pull it back. Together, they managed to secure HQ and push it back into its proper position.
Connor immediately contacted PJ Robot to confirm everything was alright, which fortunately it was.
"That was a close one. Now where's Luna Girl". Connor looked around, but of course the young villainess was long gone. Amaya tried her Super Owl Eyes, but she too could find no trace of Luna Girl.
"Fluttering Feathers. She escaped. With the stolen Gertung Moon S5".
Greg sank to his knees. "I….I'm sorry guys. This is all my fault".
Despite being angry with him earlier, both Amaya and Connor now felt sorry for Greg. "Don't be too hard on yourself Gekko. We all have our bad days" Connor assured him.
"But I screwed up twice in a row. It's like Romeo hit me with that clumsy ray of his". Greg clenched his fists in anger.
"We'll get her next time. And take back what she stole. Now, let's check if everything in HQ is still fine" Amaya said. Greg sighed and followed her and Connor inside.
Chapter 3[]
It had seen everything.
The moment it was awoken by the energy from the Luna Magnet, It had begun to observe its surrounding.
It was still inside the master totem, that much was clear. But it looked much different from the last time It had seen the place. In order, It saw the Cat Car, the PJ Picture Player and PJ Robot. But they were all alien to It.
It silently wondered to itself how long it had been asleep, but figured it would have been a long, long time. And more importantly, what had managed to wake It. Whatever it was, it felt familiar. And though it wasn't enough to free It from this Crystal prison, it was a start.
With some effort, it managed to extend its gaze to outside the totem. Where it got a clear view of 3 young children, dressed in animal costumes, doing their very best to prevent the totem from falling over.
"Could it be? Those costumes. And those powers. These children wield the 3 Night Totems?". It was genuinely surprised. The last totem wielders it had seen were well trained warriors.
Then it's eyes fixed upon Luna Girl, fleeing the scene on her luna board, and instantly realized what had awakened It.
"I knew I recognized that energy. A Sorceline! So even in this day and age, there is still at least one." It thought to itself.
Not much later, the 3 children entered the totem. All looked rather gloomy, in particular the boy dressed in a lizard costume. As It listened to their converstation, It realized the 3 had just lost a battle with the Sorceline.
"Like I said, we get her next time Gekko. Now, let's go home and get some sleep" The boy in the cat costume said.
The girl in the owl costume meanwhile turned her attention towards the Crystal Statue. It quickly closed its eyes, but a moment too late it seemed because the girls spoke "Guys, did you see that?"
"See what Owlette?"
"I'm not sure". It could sense the girl get closer to the statue. "I thought I saw something in there. 2 red eyes".
Now the 2 boys and the small, metal creature joined her.
"I don't see anything Owlette. Are you sure it wasn't just your imagination?"
"Me neither. Come on, my dad said we should leave the Crystal alone until he can tell us what it is".
It could sense the 3 children walk away again. They talked a little more, but then all teleported out of the totem in rays of light. Only the metal creature stayed behind, but it soon left the room to go to the upper floor.
"They don't know". The words spoken by the boy in the cat costume proved it. Whoever these children were, they had no idea about Its existence. This was too good to be true. If there was ever a chance for It to escape, the time was now. But It needed help, and knew just where to get it…
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Luna Girl returned to her Luna Lair with her new smartphone. Inside, she placed her luna board in a corner and turned on her favorite song, Luna by Alessandro Safina (true, she didn't speak Italian and thus only had a vague idea what the lyrics meant, but any song about the moon was automatically among her favorites). Then she sat down in her chair and examined her new prize. For once, she had gotten what she wanted and the PJ Masks failed to stop her.
Still, she had to admit that those new powers of the PJ Masks came as a surprise, and that tonight's victory was mostly due to that lizard boy screwing up. Next time, she probably wouldn't be so lucky. So, all the more reason to cherish this moment.
"Che l'amore puó nascondere il d…..Sorceline!"
The inhuman voice that suddenly interrupted the final couplet of Luna almost made Luna Girl drop the smartphone. The moths that had been resting on the walls of her lair now began to wildly flutter around the room.
The radio went static. Then the voice spoke again. "Sorceline. Talk to me".
Luna Girl jumped up from her chair and grabbed her magnet "Who are you? Show yourself!"
"You don't recognize me? You woke me up remember? But right now I cannot show myself. Only talk. And just to you. I need your help Sorceline"
The voice seemed to come from everywhere, and yet no particular direction. And Luna Girl had obviously no idea what this strange voice was talking about. "Why are you calling me that? My name is Luna Girl!"
That last remark wasn't entirely true though. She did have a regular name once, but she stopped using it ever since she got her Luna Magnet and adopted the name of Luna Girl.
"You honestly don't know?" Despite its inhuman tone Luna Girl could tell the Thing the voice belonged to was surprised. "It is what you are. You have a Luna Magnet don't you? And from what I saw tonight you have full control over it."
Luna Girl quickly glanced at the magnet. "What, this thing? My moths found it last summer, the night after those PJ-Pests defeated that guy Montague and his giant robot".
Unbeknown to the PJ Masks, she had actually seen the battle in the warehouse district, since at the time she had made one of the empty warehouses her temporary home. It was the last place she lived before she got this Luna Lair.
"And do you believe that was coincidence that it came to you, or that using its powers came so naturally? Sure, others can use its powers, but no one can do so the way you can."
Now Luna Girl was starting to get annoyed. "Well thanks for the compliment, whoever you are. But you see…" She activated her magnet, and a purple hologram of a book appeared in front of her. It was currently opened on a page about the Moonfizzle Balls that Luna Girl had used not too long ago in an attempt to take over the city. "… It came with an instruction manual".
"Yes, a book that only a true Sorceline could unlock."
Luna Girl gritted her teeth.
"Still want to hear more? Well, where did you get that luna board of yours? Or this base? Or even your costume?"
Now Luna Girl fell silent. Then she reluctantly answered "I…don't know. They came to me shortly after I got my Luna Magnet".
The voice laughed. "That's right. The magnet summoned them from the ocean floor to you once it realized it was in the hands of a Sorceline again. They were meant for you, since they belong to your people. My followers!"
"My people?" Luna Girl was genuinely puzzled at this point. Where there more people like her?
The voice sighed. "And I thought I was lucky, but it seems you are as ignorant as those 3 children who have the Night Totems. Have you never been told of your heritage? Your ancestors? Tell me young Sorceline, haven't you felt different your whole life?"
Luna Girls' eyes widened in shock. That last remark hit a sore spot. Yes, she had always known she was different. Her pale skin, her silver hair, her aversion from sunlight. And of course her obsession with the moon, and the moths, who as long as she had known had always followed and obeyed her.
The voice, whatever it was, seemed to realize how she felt. "I knew it. You felt different, because you are. Your fysical appearance, your control over moths. It's all in your blood. So whom did you inherit it from? Your father?"
Suddenly Luna Girls' cheeks turned red and her eyes narrowed to slits. "NEVER…EVER…MENTION HIM! HE NEVER WANTED ME. I HAVE NO FATHER".
Her anger however soon gave way to sorrow. She took a deep breath. "And no mother. She died when I was too young to remember." A single tear slid down her cheek. A moth landed on her shoulder and carefully licked it.
"So it was your mother then. And your father abandoned you because he didn't like what you were right?"
It only had to look at Luna Girls' face to realize it's guess was spot on. Luna Girl said nothing, but in her mind she relived it all again. Her father, who was always cold and distant towards her. And one day, he just vanished. She came home from school, and found the house empty. She had lived on her own since then, with only her moths as company.
"It's obvious you have a lot to learn. But I'm weak, and you may very well be the last Sorceline. So I'm afraid we just have to make do. Now, serve me the way your ancestors did, and I will help you become more powerful than you could ever imagine".
Luna Girl gave it a thought. "And also getting rid of the PJ Masks?".
"ESPECIALLY getting rid of them. They, and the Night Totems that give them their powers, are the reason of my predicament. Now, what do you say?".
A wicked smile formed on Luna Girls' face. "I will serve you".
"Good. Serve me well, and never again forget the name of your master young Sorceline; Uc'thaiozho!".
Chapter 4[]
The following day Greg's alarm clock woke him up on 07:30 AM, as usual. Normally, Greg didn't mind mornings, but today he was still quite upset about last night's failure to stop Luna Girl. He quietly went through his morning routine of feeding his pet lizard Lionel, showering and getting dressed.
Things only got worse when, at the breakfast table, his dad just had to bring up last night's robbery of the local electronics store and the theft of the new Gertung Moon S5 while reading the newspaper. Sure, it wasn't headline news, but still.
"Can you believe this honey? The nerve with some people. And no trace of the burglars". Greg's dad, Harold, just shook his head.
"Oh well, I'm sure it will turn up again soon enough. It isn't the first time something in this town gets stolen, only to return a day later" his wife Joan answered.
Greg just remained silent. So far, their nighttime actions as PJ Masks had gone largely unnoticed to the town (except their battle with the Juggernaut of course, that one was too big to miss), though people did often wonder who was responsible for returning all those stolen items. Some people even started referring to them as the mysterious defenders of their town. Joan, who as a columnist, once tried to investigate the matter herself, but much to Greg's relieve seemingly without success.
"You're awfully quiet this morning sports" Harold said as he put down his paper. Greg just shrugged. "I didn't sleep well last night dad".
"Really? You didn't have nightmares again I hope" Joan said, with a slight tone of worry in her voice. She hadn't forgotten yet how, when Greg was four, he went through a period where he had nightmares pretty much every night.
Greg shook his head. "No mom. Just trouble sleeping".
Gladly, his parents didn't press the matter any further.
The rest of the day, nothing happened that could improve Greg's mood. Not even Amaya and Connor ensuring him, once again, that Luna Girl escaping was not his fault. In fact, the more they tried to convince him otherwise, the more Greg became convinced that it was his fault but his friends went easy on him because he was the youngest. And since it was his fault, it was thus his duty to fix it.
"Tonight I'll get her" he thought to himself.
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As the school bell rang and the three friends headed home, Amaya and Connor could only hope Greg wouldn't do anything reckless.
Meanwhile, in Arkham, Diego had gone through the day mostly on automatic pilot. Even when giving his lecture his mind wasn't really into it (fortunately, he had memorized it well enough for no-one to notice). He could currently only focus on the Crystal Statue.
His theory about it being some central power source for the Night Totems seemed logical enough, but if that was all there is, then why had he never heard of it before and why had it been hidden? No, there had to be more about it, and he feared he was probably not going to like what it was.
So, as soon as he could, he made his way to the library of the university, and spend hours browsing through every book that could possibly shed some light onto this mystery; the Magnum Immonandum, Cultes des Goules, the collected works of the 14th century French scholar Romuald Racioppo, and De Vermis Mysteriis.
At first, he had only found facts he already knew. But that nagging feeling that that something was not right forced him to continue his search.
For a moment he feared he would have to turn to the one book he didn't dare to ask for. But then, when he got to Racioppo's grimoire Mysterys de la Lémurie, he finally hit the jackpot. Racioppo had been as obsessed with the Night Totems and their history as Diego himself had been evidently. One fact in particular took him off guard. The revelation that there used to be a fourth totem.
But before Diego could continue reading, the librarian informed him the library was about to close. Not wanting to give up now that he was so close to his goal, Diego checked out the book to continue reading it in his hotel room. It was already getting dark outside when he left the university. His son and friends would either be in bed now, or about to transform into the PJ Masks for another mission.
It wasn't until he got back to his hotel that Diego was able to continue reading Mysterys de la Lémurie, and when he did his euphory immediately turned to horror.
"No…". His hands began to shake and he almost dropped the book. He found it impossible to stop reading, but his eyes refused to believe anything they read.
"That can't be true" he kept thinking to himself.
But it was there, complete with a drawing of the eldritch abomination named Uc'thaiozho!.
Diego tossed the book onto the bed and grabbed his phone, praying he wasn't too late to call Connor. That statue had to be locked up again, where it had been before PJ Robot accidently found it.
But he only got Connor's voicemail….
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Never before had Greg been more eager to see the last rays of the sun disappear behind the horizon. Literally the second it was gone and his totem would work, he transformed into Gekko and transported himself to HQ. Not to the central room this time, but his own quarters at the bottom of the Totem Pole. No need to let PJ Robot know he was going on a solo mission, or else Connor and Amaya would soon know as well.
Once inside HQ, Greg got inside the Gekko Mobile and took off, determined to find Luna Girl. At times like these he wished he had some kind of super sense, like Connor' cat ears or Amaya's owl eyes, since that would make finding Luna Girl much easier. Who knew where she could be hiding?
Little could the boy know that Luna Girl wasn't trying to hide from him. In fact, she was about to confront him, and Greg would soon wish he'd never seen her this night.
In his own room, Connor couldn't get to sleep. He just kept thinking of Greg, and how down his friend had been feeling down today.
Knowing there wouldn't be any sleep for him until he knew Greg was also safely at home, in bed, Connor decided to call Greg on his communicator. Before he could however, Amaya already contacted him.
"Connor. I can't reach Greg. I tried to call him 3 times already, but he's not answering". Connor could tell she was as worried about Greg as he was.
"Hold on Amaya". Connor put the communicator on his bed and took out his cell phone, dialing the home of Greg. Amaya could follow the conversation.
"Good evening Mrs. Morgan. It's Connor. Is Greg still up?...he did? …. Yeah, he did look kinda tired today… don't worry, it can wait till tomorrow…good evening to you too". Connor was trying his best to keep a calm voice, but the look on his face told Amaya the news was not good.
"Amaya, Greg went to bed early according to his mom. You don't think…."
"No Connor, I'm sure of it. Meet me in HQ!"
He didn't have to be told twice. Connor quickly transformed into Catboy and teleported out of his room.
Had he waited 10 seconds longer, he would have been able to answer his cell phone when his father desperately tried to call him….
Connor and Amaya arrived almost simultaneously in Connor's room of HQ, where a panicked PJ Robot greeted them. The moment Greg left in his Gekko Mobile, the robot noticed so on the PJ Picture Player, but then it was too late to stop Greg.
"By my cat's whiskers! He's really going to try to take on Luna Girl alone. Come, to the Cat Car!"
Both heroes ran to the blue car and sped off into the night, hoping to find their teammate before he got into trouble. From inside the Crystal, Uc'thaiozho watched them go.
"That's right, go find your friend young warriors. He'll be glad to see you".
Greg's search for Luna Girl eventually led him to the museum. Unbeknown to the boy, Luna Girl was already there, watching him from atop the roof.
"Well, well, it's the lizard boy. And all by himself".
"Then the time to make our move is now. Remember what I thought you Sorceline". Uc'thaiozho's voice seemed to come from inside the Luna Magnet now, and Luna Girl strongly suspected it was.
"I know, I know." She stepped onto her Luna Board and flew towards the Gekko Mobile, hovering in front of the vehicle. "Good evening Lizard-Legs. Want a rematch?"
Greg hit the brakes, and stepped out of the Gekko Mobile. "Give it up Luna Girl.".
Luna Girl just chuckled. "Not a chance. Moths, attack!".
A dark shadow fell over Greg. Looking up, the boy was for a moment too stunned to even use one of his catchphrases. Descending from the sky was the largest flock of moths he had ever seen. Hundreds of them, enough to form a small cloud that temporarily blocked the moon. As if Luna Girl had summoned every moth from within miles to the city.
As one, they collided with Greg and knocked him against the ground. The boy tried to fight them of, but most of his punches only hit air.
"Hold him!". Luna Girl closed her eyes and aimed her magnet at the huge flock of moths, and thus at Greg who was trapped underneath them. "You shouldn't have come alone. You're just a screw-up. The baby of the bunch. Now….G'onl ekhne-tnied…"
"Super Gekko Muscles!". A green light shone out from underneath the moths. A second later, Greg leaped out of the flock, swatting aside moths left and right. He tried to run to the Gekko Mobile, but both the moths and Luna Girl quickly regrouped and blocked his path.
Luna Girl stopped her chant. "Give it up PJ Pest. You're outnumbered".
"Never. Super Gekko Camouflage!". Greg instantly turned invisible. The moths quickly swarmed around Luna Girl in case Greg would try a surprise attack against her, but nothing of the sort happened. Still, Luna Girl was understandably annoyed that she had no idea where the lizard boy could be.
"He's trying to reach the roof".
Greg was indeed already halfway towards the roof of the museum, hoping to have a better chance of fighting Luna Girl from up there. But there was another reason he was choosing this strategy rather than directly attack Luna Girl. When Luna Girl began her strange chant, just before Greg managed to break free, it was like every single time he screwed up or endangered a mission was played inside his head, like a movie. He recalled all details, and it actually scared him.
"Smart move Lizard Boy, but not smart enough. Find him".
The moths spreak out and began to cover the wall of the museum. It didn't take long for some of them to land on Greg, thus creating an outline where he was.
"Peekaboo!". Luna Girl fired a ray from her magnet at Greg, captured him inside a forcefield, and pulled him off the wall back towards the ground. The moths followed close behind and the moment Luna Girl released him from the forcefield, they swarmed the boy again to restrain him.
Now Greg really was at loss about what to do. Luna Girl was strong, yes, but tonight she not only had many more moths with her, but also seemed way more eager to fight. As if something was motivating her.
"Hold him better this time. G'onl ekhne-tniedth Jchim ntav…."
This time Greg couldn't summon his strength and break free in time. As Luna Girl chanted, he began to relive all his past failures again. Not just as a PJ Mask, but also those from his day to day life. At the same time he could swear he saw something shine through Luna Girl's face. A ghostly image of the most monstrous and unearthly looking moth he had ever seen.
The boy wanted to scream, but the moths covered his mouth as well, and all the strength seemed to have left his muscles.
"….swi tuctseeg eyj Uc'thaiozho!" Luna Girl finished her chant. But Greg never heard the last word, as his mind went completely blank. His eyes became dull, then filled with rage. And the previously scared expression on his face was replaced with a wicked smile.
Luna Girl smiled back. "He's ours master"….
Chapter 5[]
After getting Connor's voicemail for the third time in a row, Diego tried to video call HQ with his laptop, hoping the Masks were still there. And hoping it would work this way around as well; receiving video calls from a supernatural, eons old, yet technology wise state of the art Totem Pole is one thing. Making video calls to one is another matter.
The good news, it worked. The bad news, it was PJ Robot who answered. Connor, Amaya and Greg were nowhere to be seen.
"PJ Robot. Quick, have the PJ Masks been at HQ tonight?"
The robot nodded. Diego sighed. "So they are out on a mission then. Any way you can contact them, please?"
Before PJ Robot could even try to call Connor or Amaya on their communicators, a tremor shook the entire Totem Pole. For a moment it seemed for Diego like he was watching a scene from Star Trek, one in which the Enterprise gets hit by an enemy ship. The entire screen shook wildly from left to right, and PJ Robot was flung against the wall.
When the screen stopped trembling, and with PJ Robot now out of the way, Diego had a clear view of the crystal again. And what he saw made his hearth skip a beat.
The bottom half of the crystal, the one representing Greg's Night Totem and currently shaped like a lizard, had turned from its previous bright, emerald green color to a much darker, almost blackish shade of green. And in the center, neatly splitting the crystal in half, a huge crack had appeared.
PJ Robot, who previously had its back turned towards the crystal, now also noticed the change. It's digital face turned to a frightened expression, and the small robot desperately began to circle the crystal statue to examine every angle. Fearing he had somehow damaged it.
Diego tried to stay calm, this was no time for panic. But it took much effort. "PJ Robot, calm down please!"
The robot stopped and faced the screen, but his facial expression did not change. "It's not your fault. It's something I found out earlier today. I need to speak with my son, now!".
PJ Robot made a bleeping sound, which Diego hoped meant the robot understood the severity of the situation. The robot selected the symbol for communicator calls and waited. But nothing happened. He pushed it again, but again nothing happened. He face Diego and changed his head display to a question mark.
"It's beginning to affect the totem's systems. Then at least, please take the Crystal to…." But whatever it was Diego wanted to tell PJ Robot, the little robot would never hear it because the video connection was suddenly broken as well.
PJ Robot was left alone, with no way to contact either the masks or Diego.
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The Cat-Car had already crossed half the city. Amaya and Connor kept their super powered eyes and ears open for any sign of Gekko, or Luna Girl. Preferably the former. They were now closing on the museum, when Connor's Super Cat Ears picked something up.
"swi tuctseeg eyj Uc'thaiozho!"
"What the…" Connor shook his head. "I believe I just heard Luna Girl. But she was speaking gibberish.".
Amaya tried her Super Owl Eyes again. With success this time. "I see her. She's at the museum and….Fluttering Feathers! I believe every moth in the state is here tonight!"
Connor put the pedal to the metal and within seconds the Cat-Car reached the museum. It seemed Amaya hadn't been exaggerating. Hundreds of moths circled the air above Luna Girl.
"And there's the Gekko Mobile, so Gekko is here….and… why is the Gekko Mobile suddenly colored black?"
"I don't know Catboy. But I don't like this one bit".
Connor stopped next to the Gekko Mobile and he and Amaya got out. Luna Girl immediately flew towards them, followed by the moths.
"Welcome, PJ Pests. Nice evening isn't it?" Luna Girl sounded surprisingly polite, but Amaya and Connor weren't falling for it.
"No? Well, I assume you're looking for your friend, the Lizard boy. Seek no further. Here he is".
The moths landed next to Luna Girl, stayed on the ground a few seconds, then took went back into the sky. And when they did, Greg was standing on the sidewalk. Evidently, the Moths had concealed him all this time. But instead of joining the two of them, Greg made no attempt to move.
"Gekko!" Connor shouted.
Amaya however remained quiet. Something was off about Greg. His costume seemed slightly darker than before.
"Catboy wait". But it was no use. Speedsters think with their legs after all, and before Amaya could stop him, Connor ran towards his friend. Greg however just stood there, unmoved. Until Connor came within his reach. Then he made his hand into a fist and lashed out.
Connor's super reflexes kicked in and the boy barely dodged the punch. Now that he was close, he too noticed the slight change in color of Greg's costume. And his eyes, which were devoted of any emotion except rage.
"Gekko…what happened to you?" Connor turned around to face Luna Girl. If looks could kill, the young villainess would have dropped off her Luna Board right there, right then. "Did you use one of those Moonfizzle Balls on him again?"
Amaya shivered at the thought. She too had been under Luna Girls influence once because of those accursed things.
Luna Girl just laughed. "And risk that you use them against me, like last time? I don't think so. No Kitty Litter, what happened here is something far stronger than Moonfizzle balls. But no need to share the details, you will both find out soon enough. Get them!"
"Yes, Sorceline" Greg spoke, with a deep voice, entirely unlike his how own.
"Sorceline?" Amaya wondered, but there was no time to think. Greg's fist lighted up, and with all his strength he smashed the sidewalk, shaking the ground and creating a crack in the pavement, which quickly spread towards the two Masks. Amaya quickly leaped up into the air, while Connor moved out of its way.
Once airborne, Amaya immediately found herself surrounded by the hundredths of moths, blocking her sight from what was going on the ground below. On the ground, Greg had his eyes fixed on Connor, who was still unable to believe that Luna Girl had somehow managed to turn Greg against them…again.
"Gekko, stop it. We're your friends remember?".
But the only reply Connor got was Greg hurling a lamppost at him. Thanks to his super speed, Connor easily dodged it.
Luna Girl steered her Luna Board higher into the sky so she could oversee everything. This was going to be fun!.
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It was only a brief fight, Connor vs Greg and Amaya vs the moths, but both heroes quickly found themselves outmached.
No matter which way Amaya went, the moths would follow. Once, she tried her Owl Wing Wind to blow them away, but there were simply too many of them for that to work. So she now tried to shake them off her tail with some aerial maneuvers. Wherever she went, the moths kept following her, preventing her from aiding Connor.
Suddenly, a second group of moths appeared in front of her. Apparently, they had split up in an attempt to trap her from two sides. This brought back memories from her first night as Owlette, when two of Montague's droids had tried the same tactic against her.
Figuring that what worked then might work again now, Amaya went straight for the Moths in front of her. At the last moment she pulled up so hopefully the moths behind her and in front of her would collide with each other…only to realize too late the moths had actually split up in 3 groups, and that the third group was waiting above her. By the time she noticed, it was too late.
Luna Girl likewise noticed the moths caught Amaya. As much as she wanted to watch the Gekko vs Catboy duel, there was work to do.
"Good job, now hold her steady". She closed her eyes again. "G'onl ekhne-tniedth Jchim ntav…"
And like Greg before her, Amaya suddenly began to remember all the times she made a mistake that almost cost the team the mission. But unlike Greg, she tried to push back these thoughts.
On the ground, Connor was still under attack from Greg. The two were now on the roof of a nearby building. Connor was fast enough to dodge anything Greg threw at him, but he was reluctant to fight his friend, and didn't dare to get within hands reach. So instead he kept trying to get through to Greg.
"Gekko, stop it please" Connor practically begged.
"No. Super Gekko Camouflage!"
Instantly, Greg turned invisible.
"Whiskers!" Connor cursed. With Greg invisible, he didn't dare to move, because he might risk running straight into Greg's hands. But standing still would make him an easy target. Thinking quick, Connor used his Super Cat Ears. Greg might be invisible, but he was not inaudible.
But his super hearing picked up more than just Greg's footsteps as the boy tried to sneak up to him. He also heard Amaya struggling against the moths holding her. And Luna Girl using that weird chant again. Looking up into the sky, he saw the moths and Luna Girl.
"Owlette, hold on!" Connor shouted. Greg was very close now. Connor could hear him breathing. At the last moment, just as Greg was about to punch him, Connor used his super cat speed to ran off. Behind him he could hear the sound of Greg's fist striking the roof, concrete cracking, and Greg's angry shout.
Wasting no time, Connor leaped off the building, landing next to the Cat-Car. He quickly climbed in and pushed the button for Cat Roar.
In the air, Luna Girl tried to finish her chant, but Amaya was evidently putting up a much bigger fight than Greg. Luna Girl actually had to struggle to keep the magnet steady. "….swi tuctseeg eyj Uc'tha…"
Then the supersonic soundwave from the Cat-Car struck her from behind and knocked her off balance. With a yelp, she fell off her Luna Board, right into the fountain in front of the museum. The soundwave also struck the moths, who instantly scattered in all directions. Amaya was free.
Connor didn't get much time to enjoy his victory, since the next moment the car was lifted off the ground by Greg.
"Enjoy your flight Catboy!" Greg threw the car away. It landed 200 feet further down the street, on its roof. For a moment, Connor was disorientated by the crash, but fortunately quickly came to his senses again.
In the air, Amaya shook her head, as the bad memories faded again. Realizing most moths had fled after Connors attack on them, and those that were still here were temporarily distracted, she wasted no time. Summoning her Owl Wing Wind, she began to rapidly circle around the moths, blasting gusts of air at them from every possible direction, and thus driving them together into a ball. That done, she summoned all her strength, and with one final Owl Wing Wind attack blew all moths towards Luna Girl, who had just climbed out of the fountain again. They landed right on top of her.
Meanwhile, Connor had managed to get out of the Cat-Car, but Greg was already closing in on him again.
"I have no choice but to fight back" Connor realized. "Sorry Greg….SUPER CAT STRIPES!". Connor's right arm began to glow and two of the stripes were fired at Greg. One wrapped around his legs, the other around his arms. With Greg temporarily incapacitated, Connor dared to approach him again.
"Come on Gekko, I know you're in there. Remember who we are…" Connor scraped his voice, then began to sing the song they had come up with for themselves, and which he had once successfully used to snap Greg and Amaya out of the trance Luna Girl put them in with her Moonfizzle Balls:
"PJ Masks. We're the PJ Masks. PJ Masks. We're the PJ Masks. Cuz bedtime.., is the right time…to fight crime!"
But what once worked, was now completely ineffective. In fact, the song only seemed to make Greg angrier. His suit lightened up again, and with one mighty display of power, Greg ripped the cat stripes binding him to shreds. Before Connor could run away again Greg had seized him by the neck and lifted him off the ground.
"Catboy, you're not worth a dime!". It seemed Greg finally found a rhyme for his verse of the song, but it was something Connor could have done without. He struggled to break free from Greg's grip, but it was no use.
The next moment, Greg powered up his free fist and punched Connor in the stomach, knocking the air out his lungs. He then let go of Connor's neck. The boy immediately fell to his knees, gasping for air. When Connor looked up at Greg again, tears had started to form in his eyes. Greg stared down at him, his face filled with rage, and his suit still glowing from his use of his super strength.
"…..Gekko…. Greg"
"Greg is gone". Now Greg's costume began to change color, going from green to black. "I serve only Uc'thaiozho!".
Greg readied himself to smash Connor again, who was now in no position to run.
"Super Owl Feathers!". Just as Greg thrusted his fist forward, 2 giant feathers landed between him and Connor, blocking the punch. The next moment, Amaya swooped down from the air, grabbed Connor, and took off with him.
"Owlette… where are we going?"
"Any place that is not here!" Amaya answered. She didn't like having to flee, but it was obvious to her that right now she and Connor stood no chance against Luna Girl and Greg together. Better to run now that they still could and come up with a new strategy later.
Luna Girl, who had freed herself from the moths, saw the two masks fleeing the scene.
"Oh no you don't". She climbed back onto her Luna Board and took off, ready to intercept the two PJ Masks, when Uc'thaiozho's voice spoke again from the magnet.
"Let them go for now young Sorceline. We got one already. The owl girl was still too strong. But the cat boy….. seeing his friend turning against him has broken him. Tomorrow, he will be the next one. Now, come to my prison. There is work to do".
Reluctant, Luna Girl gave up the chase.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Connor and Amaya made their way to the roof of a building on the other side of town, close to the park. Now they just sat there, with neither of them speaking. Amaya could only think of all those bad memories resurfacing. Was that what Luna Girl had done to Greg?
Connor rubbed his stomach, which was still aching. It was a good thing that, as PJ Masks, they all had a heightened resistance to physical injuries, or else Greg's superpowered punch could have done a lot of damage.
"Catboy look, HQ!" Amaya suddenly shrieked.
Now Connor saw the Totem Pole, and his mouth fell open. Although the middle and top sections still looked like they used to, the bottom section had turned pitch black and a strange, dark fog hung around it….
Chapter 6[]
Amaya used her Owl Eyes to take a closer look, but it only further confirmed what she had seen at first glance.
"First the Gekko-Mobile, and now HQ. Whatever happened to Gekko, it's affecting everything associated with him".
Connor's ears picked up the sound of an engine. "Speaking of the Gekko-Mobile, I believe it's coming this way".
Amaya now likewise noticed the Gekko-Mobile. It entered the park, followed by Luna Girl on her board. Through the glass she could see Greg behind the wheel, his costume completely turned black now. And it seemed like his eyes were starting to turn yellow.
The Gekko-Mobile drove straight into the pond and submerged, while Luna Girl patiently waited outside the Totem Pole. After a minute, the green, gecko face-shaped door on the bottom sectioned opened and Luna Girl entered the Totem Pole.
"No!" Connor's suit already began to glow, but Amaya grabbed his arm. "Catboy, don't."
"But, HQ. We can't let Luna Girl take it over" Connor protested, but Amaya wouldn't bulge.
"I know Catboy, but right now there's nothing we can do". She sighed and hung her head. "It's not just her, we'll also have to fight Gekko again if we try to stop her now. And…. I'm scared. When she used that chant, whatever it was on me, it was like I could only think about all my mistakes. I felt worthless".
Superheroes or not, at times like this it became painfully clear to both PJ Masks that they were still children. And although he had not been subjected to Luna Girl's latest trick yet, Connor could empathize with Amaya's last statement. He too felt weak, and like a loser. They lost their friend, and HQ. He punched the ground in frustration.
"Then what do you suggest we do?" he asked.
"Go home, I guess. And hope we can think of something later".
-------------------------------------------------------------
PJ Robot was still at loss about what to do, when suddenly Greg and Luna Girl entered the room. At first the little robot was happy to see his friend, but his joy immediately turned to confusion when he noticed Luna Girl was not restrained or anything, and thus not here as Greg's prisoner. And when he noticed the look on Greg's face, the robot started to feel afraid (and silently cursed his creator, Romeo, for programming him to feel emotions).
Greg tried to smile, but it was more an evil grin than a genuine smile. "Don't worry PJ Robot, everything will be just fine".
The robot somehow found that hard to believe.
"Disable that metal creature". For the first time Uc'thaiozho's voice could be heard by not just Luna Girl, but by PJ Robot and Greg as well. The Robot turned around and saw the 2 red eyes stare at him from within the Crystal Statue.
Now his fear turned to outright panic, but before he could flee Greg ran towards PJ Robot, firmly grabbed the robot, and pushed it's off button. Instantly, PJ Robot fell silent. Greg simply tossed him in the corner without a second thought.
Luna Girl meanwhile walked up to the Crystal Statue. "You did well tonight Sorceline. One more, and I am free".
"And then we'll rule the world". Luna Girl began to laugh, when Uc'thaiozho cut her off.
"Rule it? When I'm done, there won't be much of a world left to rule".
Now Luna Girls' grin faded from her face. "Excuse me?"
"You heard me Sorceline! But don't worry, you will be safe. After all, I still need you, even after I'm free."
Now Greg walked up to Luna Girl and cracked his knuckles. His eyes, now completely turned yellow, glared at Luna Girl. "I hope this news does not upset you Sorceline"
Luna Girl gulped. "Of course not, master. I mean, rule the world, destroy the world. It's all the same as long as I get something good out of it".
But as reassuring as her words to Uc'thaiozho might sound, Luna Girl was already beginning to feel some doubt about this eldritch creature and the plan he had dragged her into.
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Since they knew Luna Girl and Greg were at HQ, Amaya and Connor dared to go back to the museum first to pick up the Cat-Car. It was still were Connor had left it during the fight, and still upside-down. And since neither of them had Greg's super strength, this provided quite a problem.
"Maybe I can use my Owl Wing Wind to blow it upright again" Amaya suggested, but Connor shook his head. "That might not be enough…..but maybe combined with the ejection seats".
Amaya nodded and readied herself, while Connor climbed back into the car. "Now Owlette!". He pushed the button and the ejection seats for the 2 passenger chairs was activated, flipping the car slightly off the ground. Instantly, Amaya released her Owl Wing Wind on the airborne car, making it turn 180 degrees in the air. The car landed firmly back on its wheels, like a cat landing on its feet.
"Great work Owlette" Connor cheered. Then he realized something. "Except, now what? I can't take it back to HQ".
Amaya gave it a thought. "Then hide it in the woods just out of town. I'll see you at your house".
Connor nodded, and sped away at full speed. Amaya flew back to their neighborhood and silently entered Connor's room. There, she noticed the phone on his bed, and the long list of missed calls from Diego.
Not much later, Connor came running into the street, having left the Cat-Car in the woods. With one Super Cat Jump he leaped through the window, landing smoothly in his bedroom.
"Catboy, we have to call your dad, now". Amaya showed him the phone.
Seeing the list of missed calls got Connor's hopes up again. Perhaps his dad had the answer to their problem. He quickly send his dad a text message that he would video call him in a few minutes, and started up his laptop computer. 3 minutes later, the 2 PJ Masks were video chatting with Diego, both of them however keeping their voices low in order not to wake up Maria.
It was clear to Diego from the start that Amaya and Connor had been through a lot, and their story about what happened this night, combined with what he himself had seen, confirmed his worst fear had become a reality.
"And now Luna Girl and Greg are in HQ, which is also starting to change". Connor sighed, a single tear forming in his eye. He quickly wiped it away.
"Speaking of Luna Girl. Greg called her Sorceline or something" Amaya recalled.
"Yes. I should have known she was one, even though they have officially disappeared millennia ago. But she is not your greatest problem right now. Your friend Greg has fallen victim to …. Uc'thaiozho".
Connor nodded. "Greg mentioned him yes. But…who is he?"
"A monster son, and that is putting it lightly. He's also known as the corruptor, or the shadow from the moon. And he shares a history with the Night Totems. I learned all about it today from this book I got here". Diego showed the them the book he had borrowed from Miskatonic University's library.
"And he's connected to Luna Girl as well" Amaya added.
Diego confirmed this.
"You two better sit down, because it's quite a story. Let's start at the beginning. Like I said before, I would likely have to reconsider some of my theories about the Night Totems in light of this new discovery. I always thought that the Night Totem's origin was unknown. And during your first mission, while fighting Montague in his house, you said Montague claimed the Luna Magnet was Atlantean in origin. That was a fact he got from me when I still worked for him. But it turns out I was wrong on both accounts. The Night Totems and the Luna Magnet all find their origin on the lost continent of Lemuria."
Connor and Amaya exchanged a brief look.
"Lemurian civilization was quite remarkable, not in the least because of their strange yet superb combination of magic and technology. Something you still see with the Night Totems and HQ. Hence why HQ and the vehicles inside can update themselves for every new time period. It also explains Luna Girl's magnet and her hoverboard. As I theorized, the Crystal Statue is indeed a central power source that powers the Master Totem and the Nigh Totems. It can unlock new abilities for the wielders of the Night Totems, but if it gets disrupted both the Master Totem and Night Totems lose their powers. Just like you kids experienced a few nights ago."
"Then why was it hidden, and was there no information about it on the PJ Picture Player? Mr. Alvarez?" Amaya asked.
"I'm getting to that Amaya. Now, the first wielders of the Night Totems were the defenders of Lemuria. And their biggest enemies were the Sorcelines, a cult dedicated to worshipping Uc'thaiozho, an eldritch evil from the moon. Those who served him all underwent a physical changes. Among other things, they got silver hair, an aversion for sunlight, and control over moths. Abilities they could pass down to their children."
"Just like Luna Girl" Connor and Amaya both thought.
"Long story short, the conflict came to a climax when the Sorcelines performed a ritual that summoned Uc'thaiozho to Earth in order to lie waste to all of Lemuria. The four warriors fought back, and were at first successful, but…"
Here Connor interrupted his dad. "Wait, four? Was there another totem?"
"Yes. An orange one. And like the other 3 it had its own quarter of the Master Totem, and section of the crystal. But back to the story. In the heat of the battle, the wielder of the orange Night Totem turned against the other three and sided with the Sorcelines. I couldn't find out if it was due to Uc'thaiozho influence or because of his own choice. In a final desperate move to save Lemuria, since without their fourth member the defenders couldn't destroy Uc'thaiozho, the three remaining warriors used the Night Totems to trap Uc'thaiozho in the only object strong enough to hold such an evil; the Crystal Statue. "
Connor's mouth fell open. All this time they had been PJ Masks, this Uc'thaiozho had been right inside HQ. Amaya was likewise flabbergasted.
"Once inside the Statue, Uc'thaiozho was placed in a deep hibernation from which he would hopefully never wake up. To prevent the Sorcelines from attempting to set him free, the Crystal Statue was sealed away deep inside the Master Totem, where the Sorceline's magic could not reach it, and all records of Uc'thaiozho and the fight with him were destroyed. The orange totem wielder, the one who had betrayed the others, was banned from the team and from Lemuria. His section of the Crystal Statue was removed, as was his part of the Master Totem. Nobody knows what became of him and his totem afterwards. As far as I could determine, the fourth Night Totem has never been seen or heard from again".
"But it could still be out there somewhere?" Connor asked.
"Indeed. Because the Night Totems are virtually indestructible. That is why yours are still around too. In the long run, Lemuria never recovered from the devastation caused by Uc'thaiozho and sank beneath the sea. The Night Totems were lost in the destruction until they resurfaced in Ancient Egypt, and the long line of teams that used their powers began. I can only guess that none of these teams ever found the Crystal Statue or realized that perhaps their greatest foe was right under their very noses, and they were his wardens. Until, a few nights ago, your new friend PJ Robot accidently found the statue and brought it into the main room of the Totem."
"And thus away from the protective chamber it used to be in. So when Luna Girl's attack accidently hit HQ…." Amaya started.
Diego nodded "There was nothing keeping the energy from her Luna Magnet from reaching Uc'thaiozho and awaken him."
"And now Uc'thaiozho got Greg" Connor gritted his teeth. Amaya put her hand on his shoulder. "We'll get him back Catboy". However, she wasn't so sure herself. This was already way more dangerous than their usual battles with the nighttime villains.
Diego hated having to see his son and Amaya like this. "I'm sorry you kids have to go through this. And I curse those Lemurians from trying to destroy all evidence of Uc'thaiozho instead of leaving a warning to future teams about him, as well as instructions about how to defeat him. Gladly, this book proves at least some documentation survived."
"But what does he want with Greg?" Connor asked.
"To escape of course. Awake or not, he is still a prisoner. The Night Totems act as a seal that keep him trapped inside the Crystal Statue, but if a totem is corrupted by Uc'thaiozho's power it weakens the seal. Right now, the two sections that are still intact can still keep him at bay, but if one of your totems gets corrupted as well, we're done for."
Connor and Amaya both silently nodded as they allowed this information to sink in. Diego, having told everything he knew, was waiting for either of them to ask the one question he wouldn't be able to answer. And it was Connor who asked it.
"So… how do we defeat him dad? And rescue Greg?"
Diego sighed. "I don't know son. That is one thing Racioppo doesn't specify in his book. But…..there is one more book I could try".
Connor couldn't help but notice how his father looked away from the screen as he said this, and how reluctant he sounded.
"But it's one I have tried to avoid using till now. It could be dangerous".
"Dad, if you don't want to do it…" Connor began, but Diego cut him off. "Son, what I want or not is no longer important. The only thing that matters is what needs to be done. Now, I know this is hard but you two should try to get some sleep. You may need all your strength tomorrow".
"Alright, good night dad". Connor turned off the laptop. Amaya had already gone to the window. There was little else to discuss for her and Connor tonight. Both were tired. As Amaya took off, Connor transformed back into his regular self and went to bed. As expected, sleep did not come easily tonight. His mind just kept wandering to Greg, and the way his friend had looked at him after flooring him. So much hate.
But in the end, sleep overtook him and the boy fell into a (fortunately) dreamless slumber until his alarm clock woke him up the next day.
Chapter 7[]
A new day started in the city. Around the same time Connor and Amaya woke up for another day of school. Amaya's sleep hadn't been any better than Connor's, since she too was worried sick about Greg.
She didn't really have much appetite, but forced herself to eat something anyway. Fortunately, her father always went to work early and her mother had more eyes for the morning news than her, so she didn't notice something was bothering her daughter.
"In local news, it seems vandals have painted part of the Totem Pole at the park black last night".
Amaya herself only half listened to the news, but that sentence instantly got her attention. On the television, some footage of HQ was shown. The black fog from last night was gone, but the bottom section was still pitch black. A clear reminder of the disastrous events from last night.
"The police currently has no idea who is behind this, or why the culprits stopped with just the bottom section. The same vandals also appear to have targeted the museum, where a lamp post…."
Amaya didn't hear the rest since she went back to her room. She wondered if Connor had also seen this. Or if he had already thought of something to help Greg. She reminded herself to ask him about it when they walked to school.
That started a train of thoughts. Would Greg come to school today, if only to hide the fact that something had happened to him? Or an even better question; had Greg even come home last night?
Now Amaya was close to panic. If Greg didn't come home, then his parents would notice him missing this morning. That would be too much for her or Connor to explain. She quickly finished her morning routine and went outside, where Connor was already waiting for her.
"Connor, do you know where Greg is?"
Connor hadn't even thought about where Greg might have gone after last night, but before he could answer, another voice spoke; "I'm sorry kids, but Greg won't come to school with you today. He's sick".
Looking around, the two kids noticed it was Harold, who was about to leave for work. "Sick? Are you sure Mr. Morgan?" Amaya asked.
"Well, that's what Joan says. I haven't seen him myself this morning. But why would she lie about something like that?"
"Ehm…alright, thank you Mr. Morgan" Connor said.
"I guess he did come home last night then" Amaya said. "Still, you saw what he looked like as Gekko. I hate to think what he may look like now as Greg".
That was one thing Connor didn't like to think about either.
As they reached the school, an envelope suddenly fell from the sky, landing in front of them. It was addressed "PJ Pests".
"What the…" Amaya picked it up, then looked into the air, just in time to see 5 moths fly off.
"Moths. No points for guessing from who this is". Amaya opened the envelope so she and Connor could read the letter.
"PJ Masks.
Either you meet us at the park after sunset, or we meet you at your homes.
This will end tonight.
Signed, Luna Girl".
Angrily, Amaya crumpled the letter into a ball and tossed it into the nearest trash bin. Connor hoped his dad would find something useful, and fast.
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Meanwhile, in Arkham, Diego had checked out at the hotel, but since his flight home was later that afternoon he still had time to pay one more visit to Miskatonic University. And he decided he might as well get it over with now, since he dreaded the task ahead of him.
He was glad to find the library empty except for the librarian. Then again, it was only 3 minutes past opening time.
"Mr. Alvarez, you're early" the librarian remarked as Diego walked up to her and returned the Mysterys de la Lémurie. "Did you find everything you wanted to know?"
"Sadly no…so… I have a rather special request". Diego took a deep breath to calm his nerves. "I want to read the Necronomicon".
Diego expected at least a surprised look from the elderly lady, but she was used to people asking about Abdul Alhazred's infamous grimoire and thus kept a stoic face. After all, Miskatonic University was one of only 5 institutes in the world who still had an original, unabridged Latin edition of the book.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Alvarez. But I can only give that book to people who have written permission from the University council. And under no circumstances may it leave the library."
"I know ma'am, and I am well aware of how dangerous that book is, especially in the wrong hands, but this is an emergency".
"I hear that often Mr. Alvarez".
Diego sighed. This was going to be hard. After ensuring himself once more that there was no one else here, he told the Librarian everything. About Uc'thaiozho and how a Sorceline had managed to wake him, about his own research from last night, and of course that he knew the current wielders of the Night Totems, only omitting the fact that they were children and one of them was his own son. To further prove his story, he took out his phone and showed her a news article about the 'vandalized' Totem Pole.
"I am serious here ma'am. The Necronomicon might hold the solution to stopping Uc'thaiozho. It's our last chance".
Diego could see her thinking. Clearly, she was in a mental debate with herself about whether to believe him or not. Fortunately, she decided to believe him.
"Alright then, but don't make me regret this Mr. Alvarez".
With those words she stood up and led Diego to a door in the back of the library. After unlocking it, she and Diego entered a small room filled with locked steel cabinets, and in the center a small table. Once inside, she unlocked one of the cabinets and took out the Necronomicon.
"For safety reasons I will have to lock you in Mr. Alvarez. You are free to take notes, but the book must stay in this room. Please call me when you are done". She pointed out the phone on the wall next to the table. Then she left Diego alone, locking the door behind her.
At first, Diego only stared at the Necronomicon, sometimes reaching for it, but quickly withdrawing his hand.
"Alright, man up Diego. It's just a book" he told himself. "Possibly the most dangerous book ever written".
Then he thought again of Connor, and the danger he and his friends faced. Besides, he still owned them a big favor for rescuing him from Montague. This had to be done.
And it appeared that, as infamous as Alhazred might be, the mad Arab did not disappoint him when it came to information regarding Uc'thaiozho. All in all, Diego spend close to two hours in the room, filling page after page of his notebook with everything that might help. He also triple checked everything he wrote down to avoid any mistakes. One reason it took so long was because he had to take a break every 10 minutes to give his mind some rest.
When he was finally done, he called the Librarian to let him out. Now he could only wait till school was out for Connor and Amaya.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
That afternoon, at 3:30 PM, Connor and Amaya again gathered in Connor's room to video call Diego.
"Any luck dad?" Connor asked.
"Yes. I believe I got everything. But first, did you see Greg today?"
Amaya told him how Greg's dad claimed his son was sick, which was later confirmed by the fact that his mother had called the school to say he wouldn't come.
"But you haven't actually seen him?"
Both kids shook their heads. "But let's hurry up Mr. Alvarez. We have to be in the park tonight" Amaya said, remembering the letter she and Connor received.
And so, for over an hour, Diego told his son and Amaya everything he had learned, and send his notes to both of their phones for references. It was a lot to take in, but the kids listened patiently, knowing their only hope for saving Greg and possibly the whole world depended on it.
"Are you sure this is the only way dad?" Connor asked eventually. Diego nodded. "Yes, the Luna Magnet is the key to breaking Uc'thaiozho's hold over Greg. Now, do you understand everything I told you?"
"Yes. I only hope we don't have to resort to that last thing you told us" Amaya said.
"Good. Now, here is one more thing you might find interesting" Diego said. And when he told them, both Amaya and Connor gasped.
"Fluttering Feathers. Does Luna Girl even know that?" Amaya asked.
"No way she does" Connor said. "So hopefully, if we tell her….".
Amaya nodded.
"Good luck you two. You will need it. It is all in your hands now. See you tomorrow son" Diego said, silently praying that he indeed would.
"See you tomorrow dad. And I see you tonight at the Cat-Car Amaya".
Amaya nodded. "These 2 PJ Masks are on their way…"
"…Into the night, to save the day...and their friend!" Connor finished.
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Night in the city, and 2 brave heroes are about to face off with their greatest foe ever.
After double checking that he had his phone and thus all of his dad's notes with him, Connor transformed into Catboy again. But this time, he did not transport to HQ, but to the woods where he left the Cat-Car the night before. Amaya arrived not much later, once again transformed into Owlette.
"Well…this is it." Connor said.
Amaya grabbed his arm. "Catboy…. You know we may have to fight Gekko again right? And if we do, please don't hold back. If he defeats us, it's over".
Connor understood, but he didn't like it one bit. Still, he promised Amaya not to hold back this time.
The two of them got into the Cat-Car and made their way to the park, but they stopped at a safe distance to observe the situation first.
Using her Owl-Eyes, Amaya could see Gekko waiting for them near HQ with his Gekko-Mobile. And he was not alone. The park was filled with hundreds of moths again, covering all the trees in the direct vicinity of HQ. The bottom section of HQ itself was once again surrounded by that ominous black fog.
"Looks like the Welcoming committee is here for us. But where is Luna Girl?".
"Let me try; Super Cat Ears!". Connor closed his eyes to focus better. "I hear her. She's in HQ, talking to someone….By My Cat's Whiskers!" a cold shiver went down Connor's spine and he could feel goosebumps break out all over his skin. His sudden shriek startled Amaya. "Catboy, what is it"
"I….I think I just heard that Uc'thaiozho. And if he's as unpleasant as he sounds I really don't want to go up against him".
"We won't let it come that far. So Luna Girl is in HQ. Then here's my plan…."
Greg was getting impatient. If Connor and Amaya didn't show up in two minutes, he and Luna Girl would make good on their threat and go to their homes. At that moment however, the Cat-Car entered the park and stopped just in front of Greg.
"About time. Now, get out you two!" Greg ordered. The moths flapped with their wings, ready to spring into action when ordered to. But the dome of the Cat-Car remained closed.
"Sorry Gekko. If you want to fight us it will be on our terms" Connor's voice spoke from inside the car.
"So come and get us". It sounded like Amaya, but Greg wasn't entirely sure. He narrowed his eyes and glared at the Cat-Car, but the blacked out glass made it impossible for him to see who was inside.
"See you, Greg!" Connor shouted. Then the Cat-Car took off with screeching tires, leaving a cloud of dust behind.
"After them!". At Greg's command, all the moths took off as one and chased the Cat-Car as it left the park. Greg climbed on board the Gekko-Mobile and likewise took off.
Inside the Cat-Car, Connor could hardly keep a straight face. It seemed like his imitation of Amaya's voice was good enough to fool Greg, and now both Greg and the moths were out of the park, away from HQ and Luna Girl. Hopefully, Amaya was just as lucky with her part of the mission.
Chapter 8[]
Amaya watched closely from the edge of the park how the Cat-Car lured all the moths and Greg away from HQ. Then she spread her wings and quickly flew to HQ, making sure to approach the Totem Pole from behind.
She didn't dare to use the door in the bottom section, not with that part of the totem being corrupted, so she went for the hatch in the roof instead. Hoping that Connor was right and Luna Girl was still in the middle section, she opened it and entered her room. Luck was on her side it seemed; the place was empty. But now that she was in, she could hear Luna Girl and Uc'thaiozho talk. And like Connor, hearing the abomination's voice send a cold shiver down her spine.
"Why can't I go out there? I'll catch those PJ Pests in no time".
"Patience, young Sorceline. Your moths and the lizard boy can handle it. You've done well so far, but let's not take risks. I still need you".
"Yeah, but not in the way you probably think Luna Girl" Amaya thought. She didn't know how much Uc'thaiozho had told her, but she was willing to bet he had not told her what is ultimate goal with her was.
She silently made her way to the elevator. It was a pity she didn't have Connor's superspeed or Greg's invisibility, since that would make this task a lot easier. Instead of summoning the platform, she carefully glided down the elevator shaft, head first, until she could just peek inside the central room.
There was Luna Girl, with her back towards Amaya, staring at the PJ Picture Player. She was standing on the ground, her luna board being set against the wall. On the screen she could see the chase between the Cat-Car and Gekko-Mobile. She also saw the Crystal Statue, and gasped when noticing how bad the bottom section looked.
Still, she recalled Diego's assurance that with 2 sections still intact Uc'thaiozho couldn't break free, so she hoped that meant he would pose no threat to her at the moment.
And there, in a corner on the other side of the room, lay the motionless body of their new team-member.
"PJ Robot! What did they do to you?" Amaya thought. She used her Owl Eyes to take a closer look, but could see no damage done to the robot. Only that his on/off switch was currently set to "off". She sighed in relief, then focused on Luna Girl again. She had to get the Luna Magnet from her. She had the element of surprise on her side already, so a quick attack should do it.
"Alright Owlette, here goes nothing" She said to herself. Then she dropped down from the shaft, her suit already glowing with red light.
"Owl Wing Wind!"
Luna Girl barely had time to turn around when the gust of air struck her and knocked her against the wall next to PJ Robot.
"Super Owl Feathers!"
6 feathers shot from Amaya's cape and embedded themselves in the wall next to Luna Girl, pinning the young villainess against the wall.
Not wasting a second, Amaya rushed towards Luna Girl and grabbed the Luna Magnet from her belt. For a split second she hesitated, then she also picked up PJ Robot and flew back to the elevator shafts with her two prices…. Only to find her path blocked when a large flock of moths suddenly emerged from the green elevator.
"Nice try owl girl. But not good enough!"
Amaya could feel Uc'thaiozho's eyes staring at her from within the crystal statue, but didn't dare to turn around.
"I noticed you the moment you entered this Totem Pole Owl Girl. I may be a prisoner, but I can sense what is going on in here. Fortunately, the moths were not too far away yet".
Behind Amaya, Luna Girl struggled against the feathers. With dismay, she observed the holes the feathers had cut in her sleeves and trousers.
"My costume! You pay for that bird brain!"
"Forget that. Get the magnet back!".
Amaya backed away from the Moths, who were advancing on her. PJ Robot and the Luna Magnet still in her arms, thus preventing her from using an Owl Wing Wind against the insects.
"Alright, plan B" she thought. Not that she had a Plan B up till now, but finding PJ Robot had provided her with one. She quickly flipped PJ Robot's on/off switch back to on. Instantly, the robot leaped from her arms. For a moment, the little robot was quite disorientated, expecting to see Greg instead of Amaya. A question mark appeared on his face.
"No time to explain PJ Robot. Take this outside, hide and wait for Catboy, quick. I'll distract them". She gave him the Luna Magnet.
"No, stop them!"
PJ Robot rushed towards the PJ Picture player. While Luna Girl managed to free one arm and used it to begin pulling the other feathers out of the wall, the moths gave chase. Amaya cut them off before they could reach PJ Robot, and with another Owl Wing Wind blew them back.
Using the controls of the Picture Player, PJ Robot opened the large blue door through which the Cat-Car always left HQ, and then looked at Amaya.
"Don't stand there, go. I'll be fine!".
PJ Robot didn't like having to leave Amaya with Luna Girl and the moths, but obeyed nonetheless.
The Moths meanwhile had regrouped and now approached PJ robot from two sides. Amaya quickly fired 2 more Owl Feathers at them, large ones this time, to block their path. PJ Robot quickly flew out through the door, which then closed behind him, preventing the moths from following.
Amaya had just enough time to watch him go. Then she was ambushed from behind by Luna Girl, who had finally freed herself. For a brief moment the two girls wrestled with each other while flying through the room from left to right. Amaya had to admit that even without her magnet, Luna Girl could put up quite a fight. Still, Amaya was stronger.
Unfortunately, since PJ Robot was now out of their reach, the moths focused on Amaya again. They swarmed around her and pulled her away from the struggling Luna Girl, pinning her against the ground like they had done with Greg last night.
Realizing there was no escape, Amaya faced Luna Girl, who was now hovering above her. "You have to stop this Luna Girl. Uc'thaiozho doesn't care about you. He just wants to be free, and destroy the world…"
"I….I know." Amaya could see Luna Girl was having conflicted feelings about this. "And I admit it's something I would never do. But even so, I'll be fine. He needs me, even when he's free, and he will make me more powerful than ever."
"No, you don't understand. He wants you as…."
"Silence her!" This time Amaya thought she actually heard panic in the voice. No doubt Uc'thaiozho knew what she wanted to warn Luna Girl about. The moths immediately went for Amaya's face and covered her mouth, muffling anything Amaya tried to say.
"You have been quite a thorn in my side Owl Girl, and you are evidently well informed. But your game is up. Sorceline, get your magnet back. I have a feeling the cat boy will be back here any moment."
Luna Girl hesitated. "But…you told me the truth right? What is it you want me…"
"Do not question me Sorceline!"
Luna Girl shuddered, then nodded. She opened the large, blue door and left HQ. But she began to like this less and less. She finally had the PJ Masks on the ropes. But at what price? Uc'thaiozho wanted to destroy the world. And for some reason he clearly didn't want her to hear what Amaya tried to tell.
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That night, the streets of the city became the setting of what had to be the most peculiar car chase ever. It was almost a shame that there was hardly anyone to see it, since the streets were, as always, deserted. One man who had just left a café did see the blue car and black amphibian vehicle race by, followed by the largest flock of moths he had ever seen, and decided he really had to stop drinking so much when going out.
Never before had the PJ Masks pitted their vehicles against each other, not even for a friendly match. The Cat-Car had the advantage of speed and was more agile, so it could easily outmanouvre the Gekko-Mobile. In fact, if Connor really wanted to shake off Greg, he probably could have done it, but he didn't want Greg to give up the chase.
But the Gekko-Mobile could turn invisible and scale walls, just like it's owner, allowing it to take shortcuts by driving over buildings, and ambush the Cat-Car. 3 times in a row, Connor had to quickly change course because the Gekko-Mobile suddenly showed up in front of him. Greg once hit the Cat-Car with the Gekko-Mobile's tail, sending Connor into a spin, and once used this water gun to ambush Connor, but both times Connor managed to keep the car on the road.
Of course, Greg also had the moths as back-up. And there were a lot of them, even when, without Connor noticing, a large part of them suddenly broke from the rest of the flock and went back to the park. The ones that stayed with the Gekko-Mobile frequently tried to block Connor's path by dropping objects on the street, or try to slow him down by covering the windows. Fortunately, Connor could drive them off with the Cat Roar, or use the furball projectiles to clear the road.
It was clear to Connor that Greg had no intention to actually harm him, at least not now, but wanted to drive him back to the park, where Luna Girl and Uc'thaiozho would be waiting. Connor would go there eventually of course, to meet up with Amaya. But he wanted to buy her as much time as possible.
The chase took them past the museum, the school, and through the warehouse district. Connor made sure to stay away from any large bodies of water since the Gekko-Mobile would be at an advantage there (and of course because of his own dislike for water).
"Owlette, come in. Are you ready?". But there came no reply. Evidently, their communicators were still not working due to Uc'thaiozho. It had been close to 20 minutes now since Connor left the park, and he hoped that would be enough. Up ahead the moths tossed a dumpster on the road. Connor steered around it, and took a sharp turn to the right, going straight for the park again.
In HQ, Amaya, still restrained by the moths, could see Connor approach on the PJ Picture Player. This was the part of the plan where she was supposed to meet up with him again, so they could use the Luna Magnet to free Greg. She could only hope that PJ Robot would have more luck.
PJ Robot was hiding inside a tree, waiting for Catboy as instructed. The little robot still had only a vague idea of what was going on, but he clearly remembered how Greg had attacked him. So far, Luna Girl had fortunately, failed to find him. The young villainess was already making her third round through the park, getting more and more frustrated.
"They are coming back. Stay hidden, that metal creature might show itself once he sees the cat boy".
Luna Girl quickly landed behind HQ. No sooner had Connor entered the park, or he stopped the Cat-Car and jumped out.
"Owlette, I'm here!"
Behind him, Greg also stopped and got out of the Gekko-Mobile. It was only now that he realized he had been chasing just Connor all this time.
"What the….where is she?"
Uc'thaiozho's voice immediately answered in his head; "It was a trick. The owl girl never left the park, but she is no threat now. Get the cat boy. Make sure he's ready for his corruption. Moths!', see that he does not leave again!"
Connor fanatically searched the sky, calling out Owlette's name. But she didn't come. Then his Super Cat Ears picked up Greg's footsteps, rapidly approaching him from behind. Connor barely got out of the way in time before Greg's fist slammed into the ground.
As Connor dodged Greg's punch, the moths spread out in all directions, surrounding the entire park and blocking every exit. Preventing Connor from escaping the oncoming fight.
"Round 2 Catboy. And no Owlette to interfere this time" Greg cracked his knuckles. His yellow eyes filled with rage.
"Cats!" Connor clenched his hands into fists. Amaya had warned him for this.
"No holding back" he whispered to himself. "Sorry Greg".
The fight was brief, but intense. Both PJ Masks gave it all they had, and for a while neither seemed to be getting the upper hand.
"SUPER CAT SPEED!". Connor dashed forward as fast as he could and began running circles around Greg, delivering a series of quick punches. Greg summoned his shields to try and block them, but Connor was too fast. After a punch to the gut, Greg dropped to his knees.
"Enough… SUPER GEKKO MUSCLES!". Greg charged up his fists and slammed them against the ground, causing a small tremor that knocked Connor off his feet. Instantly, Greg got back up, and grabbed Connor's tail. He then began spinning around in place, swinging Connor around like an athlete swinging a hammer before throwing it.
"Enjoy your flight!" Greg let go of Connor and the boy was send flying, straight for the pond. Despite being dizzy from the spinning, Connor realized the danger and quickly threw all his weight to the left. He managed to land just at the edge of the pond, and on hands and feet like a cat.
Greg was already running towards him. Connor quickly leaped into the nearest tree, which Greg then began to shake violently. Before he would fall, Connor once more summoned his superspeed and leaped from the tree. He collided with Greg and tackled him to the ground, sending the two of them rolling towards the pond again. When they came to a stop, Greg was holding Connor in a Nelson hold.
"Let's see how well you can fight in the water Catboy". Greg lifted Connor above his head. The boy struggled to get free, but it was of no use. Luna Girl watched the whole thing from behind HQ, hoping for PJ Robot to come to Connors rescue and thus reveal himself.
PJ robot had seen the entire fight from his hiding spot. The moment Connor got out of his car he had wanted to fly to him, but then he noticed Greg, and this made him hesitate. After what had happened, PJ Robot was actually afraid of the now evil Greg and what he might do to him. So he had stayed hidden and hoped Connor would be okay, which sadly proved not to be the case.
He wanted to help Connor, but how? He didn't have superpowers or weapons. He had to make do with what was available to him here in the park; like branch from one of the trees… or a large rock…or...The Cat-Car!
Nobody was paying attention to the 2 vehicles it seemed. It was a risk, but he had to take it. PJ Robot finally left his hiding place and flew as fast as he could to the Cat-Car.
At the pond, Greg was about to throw Connor into the water, when suddenly he was struck from behind by a furball projectile. He dropped Connor and fell to the ground.
"Super Cat Stripes!" And this time, Connor didn't rely on just one set of stripes either. He fired no less than four of them in a row, wrapping Greg up like a mummy. Then he dropped to the ground, exhausted. Greg glared at him, but was unable to break the stripes.
"Sorry Greg. I had no choice. But we can rescue you buddy".
Then he noticed the Cat-Car driving towards him. It stopped on the bridge, and PJ Robot got out, the Luna Magnet still in his hand.
"PJ Robot! Thank you, but where's Owlette?"
PJ Robot just turned his face to a frown and pointed up at the middle section of HQ.
"Don't worry. Just give me that Luna Magnet please. It's time to end this".
But just as PJ Robot was about to hand Connor the magnet, it was snatched from his hand by Luna Girl.
"I couldn't agree more Kitty Litter!" She fired an energy ray from the magnet. It struck PJ Robot and trapped him inside a purple forcefield. Then she turned to face Connor. The boy wanted to run, but his fight with Greg had left him too exhausted.
"Well done Sorceline. Now, release me!"
Luna Girl closed her eyes, but didn't start chanting yet. Her mind instead wandered back to what Amaya tried to tell.
"What are you waiting for Sorceline?"
Slowly, and clearly with far less enthusiasm than the previous two times, Luna Girl began her chant.
"G'onl ekhne-tniedth…"
Any chance for Connor to escape was lost at that moment. His entire body froze. Like Greg, he could see the face of Uc'thaiozho shimmer through that of Luna Girl. And he heard his voice in his head.
"You wanted to save your friend cat boy? You can't even save yourself. You call yourself a leader, but only led your team into this!"
And like with Greg and Amaya, the memories of every time he made a mistake or endangered the mission came back to him, like a film playing in his head. At the same time, a tremor went through HQ again, and simultaneously, Connor's costume, the Cat-Car, and the central section of HQ began to turn pitch black, while the black fog surrounding the bottom section now began to appear around the central part as well.
PJ Robot desperately tried to break out of the forcefield, but it was no use. Inside HQ Amaya watched in horror as the middle section of the crystal began to turn from bright blue to a deep navy color, and the crack that had appeared in the bottom section now spread further through the middle section.
Then the tremor shook the entire Totem Pole, worse than last time. Amaya and the Moths were both send flying, like PJ Robot before.
However, this finally gave Amaya a chance to break free from the insects. Wasting no time, she flew up through the red elevator shaft, and out through the hatch in the roof.
"You are too late owl girl! I will finally be free!" Uc'thaiozho voice sounded louder and more menacing than ever. Behind her, HQ already began to fill up with the same black fog. But Amaya wasn't going to give up.
"…swi tuctseeg eyj Uc't…..."
"Luna Girl stop! He wants you as a sacrifice!"
Just before finishing the last word, Luna Girl stopped her chant, and her eyes flung open in shock.
"He what!?"
Chapter 9[]
With the chant not fully completed, Connor remained where he was. Immovable, his mind completely blank. PJ Robot was still trapped in the forcefield and Greg still wrapped up in the Cat Stripes, so neither of them could do anything.
Luna Girl still had her magnet pointed at Connor, but right now her mind was still processing what Amaya just said.
"Are you trying to trick me bird brain?"
Amaya had reached Luna Girl and grabbed her by the shoulder so she could look her in the eye. "No Luna Girl. It's all in the Necronomicon. Uc'thaiozho is not from this world. When the Sorcelines first summoned him to Earth to destroy Lemuria, they had to sacrifice one of their own to give him a body in this world. That body was lost when the first totem wielders imprisoned Uc'thaiozho, so now he needs a new one. And you are the only Sorceline here".
"But…" Luna Girl was still flabbergasted. "…he promised me power if I would serve him".
"Yes. HIS power, once he takes your body for himself to destroy the Earth. And then he will just abandon you".
Greg angrily muffled something, but the wraps around his mouth made it impossible to hear what he said. Luna Girl wanted to protest more, but the desperate look in Amaya's eyes made it clear the young hero was telling the truth.
Around them the black fog got thicker and thicker. Soon, Amaya could no longer see the top of HQ, not even with her Owl Eyes.
"He's escaping. Quick, you must break his hold over Catboy and Gekko so the crystal statue is restored. That is what we wanted the Luna Magnet for!'
"How?"
Amaya quickly grabbed her phone and accessed the notes Diego had send her and Connor. "This is the spell. Hurry!"
While Amaya held the phone up for Luna Girl to see, Luna Girl herself aimed her magnet at Connor, who was still siting motionless with that blank look in his eyes, and began to chant.
"Ohzoiaht'Cu rheg'nyal tcein d'ymqaazrqooheg…"
Amaya crossed her fingers. As Luna Girl spoke, Connor's suit began to regain its usual blue color. Although the fog was too thick now to see it, the central section of HQ was also regaining its original color, and inside the crack in the crystal began to heal.
"…. Un fqleczej rte'ewq tdcrow" Luna Girl finished. "Did it work?"
Amaya flew to Connor. "Catboy, are you alright? Answer me, please?"
For a moment Connor just stared at her as if she wasn't there, but then blinked with his eyes. "Ow…. Owlette?". He moaned and rubbed his head. "What happened?".
Owlette wrapped her arms around him, completely taking Connor off guard. "You're okay!".
"Ehm…I guess" Connor said. Then he noticed Luna Girl, hovering above them. "Owlette, look out!".
"Take it easy Kitty Litter, I'm with you on this one" Luna girl answered, slightly annoyed.
Connor looked at Amaya, who nodded. "She knows". That was all the information Connor needed. "Quick, free Gekko too".
"TOO LATE!"
All three kids and PJ Robot looked up in fear at HQ, where the demonic, booming voice had come from. The black fog had grown even more dense. Then, all of a sudden, the fog shot up into the sky in a black beam, and formed a huge cloudlike substance above the park. Two crimson, pupil less eyes opened up in the cloud and glared down at the PJ Masks and Luna Girl, while lightning in a color none of them had ever seen before flashed repeatedly.
The next moment, the lamp posts in the park went out. Then the lampposts outside the park, followed by the few lights that were still on in the buildings. In minutes, the whole town was plunged into darkness.
The moths that so far formed a defensive line around the park, now left their position and flew towards the cloud. Tiny strands of black fog shot out from the cloud like tentacles to meet the insects. Each one wrapped around a moth and pulled it back inside the cloud.
"What is he doing?" Luna Girl asked, actually sounding scared now.
"Gathering strength" Amaya replied. That was another thing Diego had told them about. She figured the moths that were still in HQ when she broke free had already suffered the same fate.
With each moth it absorbed, the Cloud-Uc'thaiozho grew bigger. Soon, not a single moth was left in the park. Now the wind began to increase as well, as if a mayor storm was approaching.
"Thank you, Sorceline. Now… fulfill your final task. Give me a physical form"
"Never". Luna Girl shot an energy ray from the Luna Magnet at Uc'thaiozho, but it went straight through him without inflicting any damage.
"How rude Sorceline. You swore you'd serve. And you will keep your promise".
More tentacles shot out of Uc'thaiozho's cloud body, all going straight for Luna Girl.
"Super Cat Speed!". The tentacles were fast, but Connor was faster. He managed to push Luna Girl aside before they reached her, and still managed to dodge them himself. She fell onto the ground.
"Foolish boy! You're no warrior, you're just a child". A lightning now shot from the cloud towards Connor.
"Super Owl Feathers". Two of Amaya's feathers intercepted the lightning, and were completely shattered upon impact. At least Connor was saved.
"We can't hold him off Catboy!" Amaya shouted.
Luna Girl climbed back on her board. "Sorry PJ Masks, I'm out of here. Good luck!". She cast one last look at PJ Robot, decided she might as well let him out, and removed the forcefield. Then she sped off, dodging several more tentacles. Connor however quickly gave chase.
"Luna Girl, please. We're in this together now. There is no place you can hide for him, and once he's got you, he will target us next. Since we're the only ones that can stop him".
"You can?" Luna Girl asked while dodging another tentacle. Connor could tell she was skeptical.
"Yes, my da… I mean, we were told how. Once the crystal is restored. But we have to free Gekko for that first".
Unfortunately, Uc'thaiozho also heard that last remark and now turned his attention from the fleeing Luna Girl to Greg.
"Ah yes, the only one of you brats who is still loyal to me. You can't beat me without him right?!".
Greg actually nodded when he heard this, which was all the movement the cat stripes allowed. Nor did he seem to care when Uc'thaiozho stretched out his tentacles to grab him. Connor immediately left Luna Girls side and ran at full speed towards Greg, and grabbed him just as the first tentacle wrapped around Greg and began to pull.
"Hold on Catboy!". Amaya and PJ Robot joined Connor. But despite the tentacles being made of just clouds, they were surprisingly strong. And Greg wasn't helping; had his legs been free, he would have kicked Connor and Amaya.
Luna Girl watched it happen. All in all the struggle didn't even last 10 seconds, but it seemed much longer to her as she tried to decide what to do next. Flee? Uc'thaiozho would follow her everywhere, about that Catboy had no doubt been right. But helping the PJ Masks? They were her enemies. But she had helped them befor right, like that time Romeo wanted to carve his face into the moon.
And if they could really stop Uc'thaiozho….
Gritting her teeth and cursing at herself for turning out to have a conscience after all (albeit a small one), she rushed over to the PJ Masks, blasting the tentacles with shots from her Luna Magnet, severing them one by one. Now freed, Greg fell back to the ground on top of Connor, Amaya and PJ Robot.
"Thanks Luna Girl" Connor said as he pushed Greg off him.
"Well don't get used to it Kitty Cat. I'm only doing this to save myself." Then an idea hit her. "Hold on, this will slow him down…"
"WATCH OUT!". But Amaya's warning came too late. While Luna Girl had been focusing on helping the PJ Masks, more tentacles had approached her from behind. Before Luna Girl could flee, or use her magnet to do what she intended to do, they wrapped around her and pulled her off her Luna Board, in to the sky.
Catboy used his super cat jump to try and reach her, but she was too high up already. Amaya likewise tried to help Luna Girl, but Uc'thaiozho fired another lightning at her. It scraped Amaya's cape, leaving a scorch mark.
"Owlette, take my magnet!" the mere fact that Luna Girl bothered to actually call Amaya by her superhero name proved how desperate the young villainess was. Luna Girl quickly pushed a button on the magnet, and then tossed it to Amaya. No sooner had Amaya caught it, or a purple ray shot out of the magnet and into the sky, summoning a dome around the PJ Masks and HQ.
"Another Lunar Dome!". Connor clearly remembered the last one Luna Girl had used against them, and how much trouble it was for them to break out of it. But he understood that this is what Luna Girl had tried to do to help them, and that this second dome was not to keep them trapped inside but to keep Uc'thaiozho away for a little longer.
Through the dome they could see the tentacles pull the terrified Luna Girl towards Uc'thaiozhos' cloudlike body. Small strands of the cloud already entered her nostrils and mouth. Then she fully disappeared from Amaya's and Connor's view. Her screams fell silent.
"Luna Girl…" Connor was not a fan of her of course, but this was something he didn't wish to happen to her, or any of his enemies.
Now the cloud began to change shape and solidify. The lightning increased even more as Uc'thaiozho used Luna Girl to give himself a physical form. Once the transformation was complete, where the cloud used to be there now stood a monstrous abomination, as tall as HQ. With a lot of fantasy it slightly resembled a giant humanoid moth, but one from the kind of nightmares that you usually wake up from screaming and sweating.
Connor instinctively turned his head away as he recognized the monstrous creature he had briefly seen when Luna Girl used her corruption spell against her. Amaya did try to look, but her eyes automatically closed every time, as if her mind refused to look at this unearthly beast.
"At last". With a bloodcurling roar Uc'thaiozho lashed out at the dome, shaking the entire park. Inside, Connor and Amaya were too stunned to move. Fortunately, PJ Robot was still there. He quickly slapped both PJ Masks in the face, not hard enough to hurt but enough to snap them back to their senses.
"Thanks PJ Robot. Quick now!".
Uc'thaiozho unleashed a lightning on the dome. Again, the dome didn't break, but how much longer it could hold was anyone's guess. Connor and Amaya gathered around the still wrapped up Greg, Amaya holding the Luna Magnet.
"Can we do this? I mean, we're not Sorcelines" Amaya asked.
"My dad said even non-Sorcelines can use the Luna Magnet, just not at full power. Montague used against you and Gekko remember?" He put his hand over hers. "But to be sure, let's do it together".
Amaya nodded. Greg struggled once more against his bonds, summoning every inch of super strength he had. Connor could actually hear the Cat Stripes being pushed to their breaking point.
"Ohzoiaht'Cu rheg'nyal tcein d'ymqaazrqooheg, Un fqleczej rte'ewq tdcrow"
Greg stopped struggling and closed his eyes. But other than that nothing happened.
"Come on…." Catboy muttered.
"Gekko….Greg…. come back to us please" Amaya practically begged.
Another small quake hit the park as Uc'thaiozho smashed the dome again. Lightning shot off in all directions, lighting the darkened town in that indescribable color. Fortunately, no buildings were hit yet, though several car alarms did go off.
Then Greg's suit slowly began to transform back from black to green. When he opened his eyes again, they were no longer yellow but their normal shade of green. And instead of hate, they were now filled with confusion.
"Catboy…Owlette?" Where am I? Where's Luna Girl? And….why am I tied up?".
"Don't you remember anything Gekko?" Amaya asked.
"Last I remember is that I was chasing Luna Girl. But she suddenly had a whole army of moths. And I saw..." Greg's eyes widened and his suit, the color of which Greg could change at will, now turned white. "THAT!". He pointed up at the dome, and Uc'thaiozho.
Outside the dome Uc'thaiozho roared "NO!" as he felt Greg break free from his control.
Connor snapped his fingers and the cat stripes dissolved, freeing Greg. Amaya quickly glanced at HQ, and to her delight she noticed the Totem Pole once more looked like it used to. The bottom section was no longer black. She prayed that this meant the Crystal Statue was fully restored as well.
"PJ Robot, go to HQ and give us cover if needed!".
The little robot bleeped something and sped off for HQ. Connor and Amaya both tried to help Greg to his feet, but the boy was too stunned to move. Seeing Uc'thaiozho in his monstrous form brought back memories of the things he had done last night and earlier this evening. Vague memories, in the way one may remember a dream shortly after waking up, but that was more than enough for Greg.
"I…. I fought you guys. And I helped Luna Girl". He clasped his hands against the side of his head in frustration and shame.
"Gekko, that wasn't you…" Amaya began.
"YES IT WAS!". I could have seriously hurt you guys, or worse". Greg's new feelings of guilt were even stronger than his fear. His suit turned green again, but he still refused to get up. Instead he hung his head. A few tear drops fell on the ground in front of him. In his mind, Greg was convinced his friends now definitely didn't want him on the team anymore.
"Gekko, we can talk about this later, but now is not the time. Please!". With great effort Connor and Amaya got Greg to stand up. Then another quake hit the park and this time a lightning struck the ground in front of the PJ Masks. When they looked up they noticed a crack had appeared in the dome.
"He's breaking through!" Greg's voice was barely a whisper. If this was a nightmare, he wanted to wake up now. But that of course didn't happen.
"Gekko, we can stop him. Catboy's dad told us how. But it takes all of us".
"But I…"
Connor looked Greg in the eyes. "No but's Gekko. You're a PJ Mask, and always will be. We all make mistakes, but now you can make yours right. It's time to be a hero, more than ever now!".
Greg could see how serious Connor was. He sighed. "I guess"
All three kids rushed towards HQ. The door was already open. Once inside they made their way to Connor's room and the crystal statue, which had indeed returned to its original state. No cracks visible whatsoever.
PJ Robot was monitoring the city. Several of the lightnings from Uc'thaiozho had struck nearby buildings. Fortunately all of them had lightning rods. The robot didn't even look up as the kids entered the room, since he was ready to unleash all of HQ's defenses on Uc'thaiozho should the dome break.
Both Connor and Amaya checked their phones for the notes Diego had sent them, as well as a piece of chalk they had brought along.
"I guess we'll have to resort to that last part after all" Amaya said reluctantly. She and Connor exchanged a brief look, and could tell they both thought the same thing; better not tell Greg that what they were about to do was very dangerous, and if done incorrectly could destroy the night totems and them with it. The boy was nervous enough already.
"What are we going to do?" Greg asked.
"The same thing the first totem wielders did when they fought Uc'thaiozho. Unite the Night Totems, the crystal, and ourselves into a single warrior that can take him on and capture him. If we hurry, we might even save Luna Girl". Connor showed Greg the notes about the ritual. Then he and Amaya both began to draw a circle of symbols around the crystal, working as fast as they could while making sure that they made no mistakes. Greg could only watch.
No sooner where they done, or a sound like a bomb exploding startled them all. The Lunar Dome had finally succumbed to Uc'thaiozho's assault. Instantly, PJ Robot began pressing buttons on the PJ Picture Player. He simultaneously unleashed the Mega Meow, the Furball projectiles and the Owl Beam; all weapons the Masks had once used against Night Ninja during the battle of the headquarters. But none of it really seemed to harm Uc'thaiozho.
"No time to loose. Hold hands everyone!".
The PJ Masks gathered around the Crystal Statue. They had to practically hug the thing in order to be able to reach each other's hands, but they managed. Once their hands were joined, the crystal and their suits began to glow with blinding light.
"Now focus on what our warrior should look like. We have to select a form" Connor instructed.
"Like what?" Greg asked.
"Like….ehm…. your favorite hero. Think or your favorite hero!" Amaya suggested.
All masks closed their eyes and focused. And hoped.
Outside, Uc'thaiozho easily shrugged off everything that PJ Robot could throw at him. He spread his wings and flew a few feet into the air till he could look down on HQ and the park. In his hands he formed a massive energy ball in the same alien color as the lightnings.
"Foolish mortals. You, and your town, will be the first to feel my power!".
He hurled the ball at HQ. But before it could it its target, there was as large flash of red, green and blue light. Then the ball came flying back at Uc'thaiozho, hitting the monstrous creature head on. The explosion send him higher into the air and temporarily blinded him.
Once his eyesight returned, Uc'thaiozho saw a gigantic, humanoid figure had appeared in the park next to HQ. It's body seemed composed of pure green, blue and red light. It was wearing an armor that seemed like a strange mix of Master Fang's clothes and Flossy Flash's costume, with the three symbols of the PJ Masks on its torso. It's head resembled that of Master Fang, but he was wearing the mask of Flossy Flash. And in its hands he held a huge sword, with which he had just deflected Uc'thaiozho's energy ball.
Inside the figure, the PJ Masks found themselves in a strange, white void, but as they closed their eyes they could look through the eyes of their warrior.
"What the…." Greg began.
Amaya slapped her forehead. "Fluttering Feathers. I forgot that your favorite hero and my favorite hero are two different characters, and now we got a mix of both!".
"No time to correct that now. Stay focused, if we lose control this will end in disaster" Connor said. All masks took a fighting stand and their warrior did the same. The final fight could begin.
Chapter 10[]
PJ Robot had left HQ, since without the crystal none of the systems worked any longer. He was now on the roof of the Totem Pole, watching in awe as the PJ Masks in their new, united form squared off against Uc'thaiozho. If he had some fried computer chips as a snack, this would be perfect.
"Watch out Uc'thaiozho, here comes Master Mask" Greg cheered. His fear for the monstrosity replaced by a newfound courage, no doubt fueled by their new form.
"Why not Flash Mask?" Amaya asked, not wanting her hero to be left out.
"Guys, focus!" Connor snapped. "This is hard enough already and we need to work as one. Let's just settle for a neutral name like…ehm…. PJ Knight!".
Greg and Amaya could live with that. Meanwhile Uc'thaiozho, for the first time since he broke free, actually looked scared upon seeing the Masks in their new form, just like the warriors who imprisoned him all those millennia ago.
"Not again. I'm never going back in that prison!" he roared, as he took off into the sky.
"Quick, after him!" Connor instructed, but PJ Knight remained where he was, not moving at all.
"Amaya, we need your power of flight for that" Connor reminded her.
"Right, sorry". They tried again, and this time PJ Knight took off into the sky after Uc'thaiozho. Connor added his Super Cat Speed as well, and in no time they caught up with the monster above the school.
"Guys… is it me or is this PJ Knight stuff getting heavy?" Greg asked. He felt like he was trying to lift a large rock without the help of his super strength.
"It's not you Greg. Combining the totems and the crystal into an Avatar like PJ Knight takes tremendous effort. So we have to hurry" Connor told him. And thought to himself "before this becomes the end of us all".
Uc'thaiozho realized fleeing was no option, so he opted for the offense instead. He turned around and went straight for PJ Knight, his entire body charged up with lightning. PJ Knight readied his sword. The two met mid-air, but it was only Uc'thaiozho who managed to finish his attack. He hit PJ Knight with both fists, lighting the sky above the town and sending PJ Knight flying backwards. Inside, all 3 PJ Masks felt a sharp pain in their chest, right where Uc'thaiozho had hit them.
"What the…. I wanted to block his punches with Master Fang's spinning sword attack" Greg said, then rubbed his chest. "Gasping Gekko's, that hurts!".
"But… I tried to block it with Flossy Flash' spiral kick" Amaya said while still wincing in pain.
"And that's why nothing happened. Remember what my dad said; we share one body now, and it can't handle conflicting commands" Connor said. He too rubbed his chest. The pain was already receding.
"You liked that? Here comes some more!" Uc'thaiozho hurled another energy ball at PJ Knight, and this time the Masks couldn't get the sword ready in time to deflect it. The ball struck its target with full force, and PJ Knight crashed on the school playground. Fortunately, it didn't hit any of the playground equipment. Inside, Greg fell to his knees, drops of sweat visible on his forehead. Connor and Amaya were likewise getting exhausted. Uc'thaiozho looked on in delight. Perhaps he could win this after all.
"Greg get up". Connor could already feel the strain of maintaining PJ Knight and taking the full force of Uc'thaiozho's attacks taking its toll on him and his Night Totem. If Uc'thaiozho forced them apart, it would be the end.
Greg got back to his feet with great effort, and so did PJ Knight.
"We're running out of time. No more bickering. We have all our own powers and the abilities of Master Fang plus Flossy Flash combined. Then let's use them in combination!" Connor, his voice filled with determination. If there was ever a time that he took his role as leader seriously, it was now.
"Alright then, let's see how he likes Flossy Flash' Kickin' crash, performed at Super Cat Speed and powered by Super Gekko Muscles" Amaya suggested, which Greg and Connor agreed with.
"Where were we? Oh right, I was going to destroy your town fir…". More Uc'thaiozho couldn't say. The next moment PJ Knight rushed at him faster than the eye could see, and struck him in the face with both feet. Now it was Uc'thaiozho who was sent flying through the air. He ended up in the sky near the library.
"Alright, now let's see how Master Fang's flying strike works for someone who can actually fly like an owl" Connor said.
PJ Knight flew even higher into the sky until he was above Uc'thaiozho, and raised his sword. Then he came crashing down again, sword first. Uc'thaiozho had barely recovered from the kick he received earlier. From his arms he fired over a dozen of the cloudlike tentacles at PJ Knight, who easily cut through them with his sword. At the last moment Uc'thaiozho tried to dodge the attack, but too late. The sword struck him and in one quick slash cut off all the tentacles. Uc'thaiozho roared in pain.
"I won't go down. Never again!". He was weakening, but he knew the masks were getting tired too. "Playtime's over. Time for the big fireworks".
His eyes flashed with crimson light and the wind increased further to the strength of a storm. Then his entire body glowed with the unearthly color of this lightning. The glow spread out to the wings, focused there, and then shot from the wings towards PJ Masks in the shape of two small cyclones.
They both struck their target, causing an explosion. For a moment Uc'thaiozho was convinced he had beaten his opponents. But when the smoke cleared, PJ Knight was still standing, with his sword in front of him.
"Impossible!"
"Not if you use Flossy Flash' rapid punches with Master Fangs sword and some Super Gekko Shields thrown in" Greg cheered. Then he winched and fell to one knee. Amaya did the same.
"It's too much Connor. We can't go on much longer".
"Neither can he! Come on. It's either us, or him!".
PJ Knight continue the fight, and like Connor predicted Uc'thaiozho was weakening. The battle took them all over town, with both opponents landing a couple of blows on each other, but in the end PJ Knight was clearly the strongest. Eventually they found themselves back at the park.
"He's done for. Let's finish this" Connor and Greg both shouted. PJ Knight readied his sword, and flew at full speed towards Uc'thaiozho, ready to chop him to bits.
"No wait!" Amaya yelled. At the last moment, PJ Knight held back and his sword missed Uc'thaiozho.
"Guys, we can't kill him. Literally. Even if Uc'thaiozho's body is destroyed, his essence would just continue to exist and seek a new host. We'd only kill Luna Girl this way". Amaya said. Connor clasped his hand against his mouth, realizing that she was right and what a mistake he had almost made.
"Then what do we do?" Greg asked. The boy looked very tired now, and so did his friends.
"Hold on a little bit longer guys. We're going to drive him out of Luna Girl, and send him back to where he came from!". Connor said.
He, Greg and Amaya held hands and focused as one on Uc'thaiozho. PJ Knight aimed its sword at Uc'thaiozho, who was too beaten to fight back. It began to glow brighter and brighter. And suddenly, three rays of light shot from the sword towards Uc'thaiozho. One red shaped like an owl, one blue shaped like a cat, and one green shaped like a gecko.
"Nooooo!". It was the last Uc'thaiozho would ever say. The next moment the red, green and blue rays hit him. Caught in the rays light, black fog began to spray out of Uc'thaiozho's eyes, and ears. Part of it transformed back into the thousands of moths he had absorbed earlier, which flew off in all directions. The rest of the fog was absorbed by PJ Knight. At the same time, Uc'thaiozho's body began to shrink and slowly transform back into Luna Girl.
"PJ Robot, get her to safety!" Amaya shouted. The little robot, who so far had been watching the battle, quickly flew over to where Uc'thaiozho used to be and caught Luna Girl as she fell to the ground unconscious.
PJ Knight absorbed the last of Uc'thaiozho's fog into his body. For about 5 more seconds he remained hovering above HQ. Then there was one final flash bright enough to illuminate everything in a 10 mile radius. Afterwards…. Nothing. Both Uc'thaiozho and PJ Knight were gone.
In town, the electricity came back on and above it the sky cleared from any clouds. Mere minutes after the battle ended, all traces that there ever was a battle had vanished.
Luna Girl opened her eyes. Every inch of her body ached, and she had a splitting headache. But she was alive. At first everything appeared blurry, but as her eyes adjusted and her vision cleared, she could see she was inside the PJ Masks' HQ.
And the PJ Masks were there too. She could tell they were very exhausted. Greg was sitting on the floor with his back against the wall, half asleep. Connor was resting his hands on his knees, and Amaya was leaning onto PJ Robot.
"What happened?" Her throat felt dry and her voice was hoarse. The last thing she remembered was Uc'thaiozho attacking her.
"We won" Connor spoke. "Uc'thaiozho's is gone".
"Back in the crystal" Amaya added.
"And back in hibernation" Greg finished.
Luna Girl looked at the crystal statue. There was indeed nothing about it that suggested something like Uc'thaiozho was trapped inside. It looked just like it should.
PJ Robot made sure Amaya was able to stand on her own, then he made his way to the PJ Picture Player. At the push of a button, the crystal disappeared in a hatch in the ground. The same one PJ Robot had accidently summoned it from a few nights earlier.
"There. Back in the special room, where your powers cannot reach it" Connor said to Luna Girl. "You know, just in case."
Luna Girl crossed her arms. "No fear for that Kitty. I'll never let that creep out again. No more Sorceline. From now on I'm just Luna Girl."
"And that is more than enough" Amaya said. "Oh, before we forget, here is your magnet back".
She handed Luna Girl her Luna Magnet, who just attached it to her belt; right now she was way too tired to fight the PJ Masks. "Thanks. But let there be no misunderstanding; next time we meet, we're enemies again".
Connor sighed. As if Luna Girl would ever change.
"I still feel terrible about all this" Greg said. "None of this would have happened if I wasn't so determined to get that stolen Gertung Moon S5 back by myself".
Amaya and Connor both walked up to him and convinced him once more that he was not to blame. Luna Girl seemed conflicted about something, then she reached into her pocket and took out the phone she had stolen.
"Take it and return it to the store if you want. It would only remind me of the night I was tricked into serving Uc'thaiozho". She rubbed her head, which was still throbbing. "I'm going home and sleep for a week".
That was an idea the PJ Masks could more than agree with. All four kids left HQ. Luna Girl immediately got on her Luna Board and left.
"What a night. I hope that from now on it will be just the regular nighttime villains we have to stop" Amaya said.
"Indeed. Especially since the only prison we have that can hold something that evil is currently occupied" Greg said. "So I don't think it's safe to form PJ Knight again".
"But we defeated our greatest enemy ever, and saved the world" Connor added. And tired as they were, they couldn't resist to shout their victory cry:
"PJ MASKS ALL SHOUT HOORAY! CAUSE IN THE NIGHT, WE SAVED THE DAY!".
The following day was a Saturday, so there was no school for the still tired PJ Masks. That afternoon, Diego arrived home, and of course Connor and his friends couldn't wait to tell him what had happened. For that purpose, they met in the park close to HQ.
It was a long story, as the masks spared no detail, and Diego had to sit down for a while to let it all sink in. He knew that Connor and his friends would encounter dangerous situations in their lives as heroes, but he never could have imagined they would have to fight something like Uc'thaiozho.
"And you are sure he's imprisoned again, and all his influences are gone?" Diego asked when the masks were finally done with their story.
"Absolutely. Greg is no longer evil. Luna Girl abandoned him. And whatever Uc'thaiozho did to HQ, it's over. Everything in HQ is working properly again" Connor said.
"And we won't make the same mistake as the first totem wielders. PJ Robot is already updating the PJ Picture Player with a detailed account of Uc'thaiozho, how to keep him imprisoned and how to defeat him if he breaks free" Amaya said.
Diego couldn't agree more with this. He hated to think how things could have gone had he not been in Arkham the past few days.
"I'm surprised nobody in the city seemed to have noticed our fight though. There was only this report about a freak thunderstorm and a resulting blackout in the news" Amaya said.
Diego laughed. "That is quite natural actually. For the human mind, Eldritch Abominations like Uc'thaiozho are simply too alien or bizarre to remember or explain, so as a defense mechanism it comes up with a more reasonable explanation and forgets the rest."
Connor could understand what his dad was talking about. Even though their fight with Uc'thaiozho had been less than 24 hours ago, he already had great trouble recalling what the demon had looked like. "At least it means our secret is still safe".
After Diego went home, Connor, Amaya and Greg spent the rest of the day in the park, reflecting their adventure. The fight with Uc'thaiozho had affected each of them. Greg in particular, who still blamed himself for what had happened. It would be some time before they fully recovered from the ordeal of the past nights. But they would get there, together.
Connor and Amaya also took the time to inform Greg about everything Diego had found out about the first owners of the Night Totems while he was corrupted. Greg was especially interested in the fact that there used to be a fourth totem.
"So…there could be a fourth PJ Mask?" he asked.
Connor nodded. "If both the Night Totem and it's part of the Crystal survived to this day, then yes, I guess it could. But remember, it hasn't been seen in ages"
"But…if it would show up. Could we trust this PJ Mask? I mean, his or her totem belonged to a traitor".
Connor shrugged. "I guess we'll just have to wait and see. Let's go home".
As they walked home, none of the kids spoke. Each of them was lost in his or her own thoughts. When they entered their street, Amaya's communicator rang, signaling an incoming call from PJ Robot. When she looked at her communicator, then her eyes widened. "Greg, do you remember what happened at your house when you were under Uc'thaiozho's influence?" Amaya asked.
Greg shook his head. "No. But there is something weird though. This morning, my dad was somehow glad I was feeling better. I had no idea what he was talking about, but mom stopped me before I could say so. Is there something wrong?"
"Well, you see; yesterday morning, when you were still, you know, evil, your mom called you sick at school and also told your dad, who told us, that you were not feeling well. We assumed that meant you got home after your fight with us the night before, and were faking illness…" she held up her communicator for Greg and Connor to see "… but according to the surveillance footage PJ robot found, you were in HQ all day long."
Connor and Greg both stared with open mouths at the image of Greg, in his pyjama's (which had turned as black as his Gekko costume), sleeping on the floor of HQ.
"You were not home, at all? But surely, your parents must have noticed you were gone in that case" Connor said. Greg was too surprised to answer, and before they could discuss the matter any further, Greg's mother, Joan, came walking up to them.
"Greg honey, time to get indoors. Supper's ready".
Greg nodded and went indoors. But before Joan followed him, she first turned to face Connor and Amaya.
"Thank you" she whispered. Then she followed Greg inside, leaving a very surprised Connor and Amaya behind.
"You think she knows?" Amaya carefully asked.
That was a question Connor couldn't answer. But it would explain a lot.
That night, everything was peaceful in the city. No nighttime villains to cause trouble. Connor, Greg and Amaya did go on patrol as PJ Masks, but mostly to clean up what little mess was left after their fight with Uc'thaiozho. By morning, everything would be back the way it was.
In her Luna Lair, Luna Girl was also recovering from the whole ordeal. She too was already starting to forget most about Uc'thaiozho, but she would remember enough to stay far away from that crystal statue from now on. No matter how much she wanted to defeat the PJ Masks.
She spent the entire evening in her lair, browsing the holographic book inside the Luna Magnet. She may have renounced her roots as a Sorceline, but that didn't mean she didn't want their powers and knowledge. And soon she found a very interesting section about something called the harvest moon crystal…
Epilogue[]
That same night, in a different town far away from the PJ Masks and Luna Girl, 7 year old Dylan Dufort was lying awake in his bed.
The main reason for his current insomnia was the fact that he had trouble sleeping with his leg in a cast. A stunt with his bike was the cause of his leg being broken. And it would have to remain in a cast for at least another week. It was the worst injury he suffered so far due to his often reckless behavior, but not by a long shot the first one. His parents often scolded him for taking too many risks or not paying enough attention, but it was just how he was.
But there was more that made him unable to sleep. His mind just kept thinking about wat his dad had told him during dinner that evening. He had finally managed to find himself a new job, but sadly, it meant they would have to move from their current home to this town named Tarabiscoville. 3 weeks from now they would move. For Dylan, this meant goodbye friends (the few he had at least), goodbye old school, and hello being the new kid in a strange town. Yeah, that was something to look forward to, not!. He wouldn't even be able to celebrate his eighth birthday, which was just over a month, before the move.
Since he couldn't do much considering the current state of his leg, Dylan had spent a large part of the evening behind his laptop to see what he could expect from his soon to be hometown. At first glance it seemed like just your average mid-sized town, originally founded by French settlers and up until a few months ago, not much to set it apart. But then he found a local news site and read about the recent history of the town; the giant robot attack, and the various cases of property theft, vandalism and other crimes that always got mysteriously solved overnight by what the locals believed to be the towns mysterious defenders. And of course, there was the huge thunderstorm from the previous night which nobody, not even meteorologists, could explain.
"Tarabiscoville; more like weirdoville" he thought to himself. Since sleep was evidently out of the question, the turned on the lamp at the head of his bed and took out the Flossy Flash comic he had hidden under his pillow, hoping that reading about his favorite heroine would distract his thoughts from the upcoming move.
"Dylan".
Had Connor, Amaya, and Greg been here, they would have recognized the voice that suddenly called out for Dylan from their first night as , the boy dropped the comic and looked around, but there was no-one else in his room.
"Dylan". There it was again, and Dylan was sure it came from underneath his bed. Now, Dylan was old enough to no longer believe in monsters hiding under your bed, but still, he was understandably anxious as he peered over the edge of his bed. A faint, yellow light was coming from under the bed, casting shadows of the various toys Dylan kept there on the floor.
Most children, when confronted by something unusual at night, would call for their parents. Not Dylan however. Dylan was a boy who could not only be reckless, but also stubborn. He would see for himself what this was about. So, more curious than actually scared, Dylan carefully got out of bed, ignoring the two crutches standing against the wall, but making sure not to put any weight on his broken leg. Once on the floor, he rolled onto his side, reached under the bed, and pushed aside the heap of toys, revealing the source of the mysterious light; a plastic treasure chest.
Dylan took the chest from under his bed and opened it. Between the marbles, sea shells and other small items he had collected in this chest over the years, there was a small, yellow stone, shining bright like a lightbulb. And inside the stone was some sort of yellow fog, changing shape into various animals.
For about 2 minutes, Dylan could only stare in awe at the glowing piece of rock, noticing how the fog took the forms of a rhino, an elephant, a deer, and eventually an armadillo. He recalled the day he had found this stone on a beach in Florida, during a family vacation two years ago. It was buried in the sand. Dylan had accidently scooped it up while filling his bucket with sand for a sand castle. He never thought much of it back then, and never told his parents about it. Eventually it just disappeared in this chest along with the rest of his collection, and he only occasionally took it out to admire it.
"But it never did this before" Dylan thought to himself as he reached into the chest and picked up the glowing stone. No sooner had he touched it, or a shock went through his body. He was barely able to stifle a scream as the yellow light from the stone fully engulfed him, his head included. Dylan had to close his eyes against the glare, and barely managed to stifle a scream. He could feel his pajama's harden into some sort of armor, and a helmet forming around his head.
As the light disappeared, Dylan had undergone a complete change. He was now wearing a tan and brown armored suit, with a tail and an armadillo symbol on his chest. On his head, he was suddenly wearing an armored helmet, with armadillo like ears on top.
Dylan's eyes were still closed. Confused, disoriented, and actually a bit frightened now, the boy took a step forward, and unfortunately bumped against the chest, sending him falling towards the ground. But rather than falling flat on his face, Dylan's body, in a reflex, curled up into a ball. He bounced off the floor and shot through the window, breaking the glass in the process, and crashed in the front yard of his house.
"I'm dreaming. I fell asleep after all and now I'm dreaming" Dylan thought. How else could one explain all of this. Maybe he should stop reading those Flossy Flash comics before bedtime. He was still curled up into a ball, but a small section of the armor opened up, allowing him to peek outside. He could see his house, and the broken window. Fortunately, both of his parents were deep sleepers, or else they would be up by now.
Taking a deep breath, Dylan tried to calm himself down. That finally allowed him to uncurl and get back on his feet. There he stood in the moonlight, slowly examining himself. The first thing he noticed, aside from the strange new costume he was now wearing, was that his leg no longer hurt. In fact, it felt as new. The fall from the window also didn't seem to have hurt him in any way.
"Of course it didn't, in dreams you don't feel pain" he thought. But if this was a dream, it was the most lucid one he ever had. Wanting to be sure, he pinched his right arm.
"Auch!". Dylan actually winced in pain. The pinch hurt a lot more than it should. As if Dylan hadn't used his fingers, but a pair of pliers.
"So I'm not dreaming. But I can't pinch that hard" he thought. Or could he? Being able to roll up into a ball and survive a fall from a one story window with not even so much as a scratch is something he usually couldn't do either. But he did just that.
Dylan slowly made his way to the family car, parked in the driveway. He got in front and placed his hands under the carriage. This was crazy of course, but so was everything that had happeend in the last five minutes. And he couldn't think of a better explanation.
"Here goes nothing. One…two…three!". With no effort at all the boy lifted the front side of the car from the ground. It went so smooth in fact that he almost made the car flip over on its roof, but he steadied it just in time.
"I...I have superstrength?".
Dylan put the car back on the ground and turned his attention back to the broken window. He could never jump high enough to reach it, but fortunately he knew where his parents hid the spare key to the house. Just before he got inside he paused, picked up a large rock from the front yard, and brought it with him to his room. If this was not a dream, then he had to explain the broken window to his parents tomorrow morning. And they would ground him for months if he admitted he himself had broken it; he had caused enough damage around the house already.
Safely back in his room, he placed the rock just in front of the window so, hopefully, it would seem some unknown vandal had broken it. Then he opened his closet to take a look at himself in the mirror. Now that he got a good look at himself, any lingering feelings of confusion and fear made place for sheer joy.
"A cool costume. And superstrength... I'm a superhero. Just like Flossy Flash!" he said to his reflection. "An armadillo themed superhero." It wouldn't have been his first choice, but it wasn't bad either. He liked armadillo's.
"Dylan the armadillo". That got him thinking. "Armadillo…Dylan….I'm Armadylan!".
The following morning, Dylan's parents fortunately believed his story about how the window was broken. Dylan's leg was in a cast again when he transformed back, but he could tell it was fully healed.
In the weeks that followed, Dylan secretly went out at night to practice his newfound powers. He did so at a junkyard not too far from his house. He discovered among other things his ability to dig tunnels, shake the ground by merely stomping, and just how strong he really was.
He didn't understand how any of this was possible. Unlike Connor, he did not have an archeologist as a father who could tell him this stone he had found two years ago was the missing fourth Night Totem, washed ashore on the beach after thousands of years on the ocean floor, and now finally reawakened due to Uc'thaiozho breaking free from his prison. But he didn't care. What mattered is that fate, or whatever, had given him the greatest early-birthday gift ever.
Soon he would move to Tarabiscoville, and learn he wasn't the only superpowered kid. Then, for the first time since the days of Lemuria, all four Night Totems would be together, wielded by four new chosen ones. Dylan was, fortunately, also blissfully unaware that his totem once belonged to a traitor. But Connor, Amaya and Greg knew. They would give him a chance to prove himself as a hero. But time would tell if Dylan would prove himself to be a new ally, or a new foe.