Chapter Text
SLAM.
Ivy tensed up when she heard the door of The Witch House swing shut behind her, knowing Zack would be struggling with Mime Bomb inside. Ahead of her stood Carmen and Witch Hunt, staring each other down, each waiting for the other to make a move.
Witch Hunt took a long, deep breath. “I am one with the moon and shadows. Creatures and spirits of the night, lend me your power!”
Carmen raised an eyebrow. What in the world was that about? She shivered a little - that cold, unsettling chill creeped its way up her spine again.
Suddenly Witch Hunt surged forward, swinging her scythe right for Carmen’s neck. Carmen jumped away in time, feeling the air rush against her skin as the blade swooshed by.
“Carm!” Ivy stepped forward, reaching a hand out in worry. She halted when Witch Hunt raised the scythe in the air, looking directly at her.
“Aw,” Witch Hunt teased, “She cares about you, Sandiego.”
Carmen looked at Ivy, calculating. She knew little about Witch Hunt, but she seemed overly excited to fight. She was probably an aggressive operative like Tigress or even Paper Star. Carmen didn’t want to risk her turning her attention to Ivy, especially not with a weapon like that. Perhaps the best course of action would be to lead her away.
“Ivy, don’t move!” Carmen shouted. As soon as Witch Hunt turned back around to look at her, Carmen darted away.
“Hey!” Witch Hunt snarled, chasing after her.
Carmen ran down the road, hearing Witch Hunt’s quick footsteps close behind her. She glanced around the street. They seemed to be in the historic district of Salem - there were still some people around, even at this late hour. Luckily, there were still a ton of Halloween decorations too. Hearing Witch Hunt gaining on her, she grabbed a scarecrow off of a stand and spun around, just in time for the blade of the scythe to slice its head off instead of hers.
Witch Hunt glared at her angrily as strands of hay fluttered to the ground around them. As the small crowds stopped to see the commotion, the street lamps around the two began to flicker ominously.
* * *
Ivy watched as Witch Hunt chased Carmen out of sight, unsure of what to do. Why did Carmen tell her to stay still? She was probably trying to protect her. Well, Ivy thought, Too bad. She thought quickly, trying to come up with a way she could help. She jumped with a start when she suddenly heard an odd noise nearby.
She looked over to see the same black cat from earlier, standing over one of the jack o’ lanterns. It swished its tail and meowed at her.
“You got any ideas?” she asked.
The cat walked around the pumpkin, sticking its head inside its smile. When it pulled its head back out, it was holding a small object in its mouth.
Ivy stared at it for a moment. “Wait...no way!” She got closer and kneeled down. It looked like a thumb drive, a dark green color with a V symbol on the front.
“That’s the hard drive we’ve been looking for!” Ivy gasped, “The mime must have hidden it here.” Her heart raced. So they weren’t too late after all! Witch Hunt hadn’t actually gotten to it yet. She held out a hand carefully. “Hey kitty, can I have that?”
The cat simply stared at her.
“Come on, drop it,” Ivy said in a friendly voice. She moved to take it, but the cat instantly took off. It scampered away in the same direction Carmen had gone. Ivy cursed and ran after it.
* * *
The street lamps buzzed and crackled as they flickered overhead. Witch Hunt ran a finger along the head of her scythe, a creepy grin stretching across her face. “You should know better than to fight a witch in Salem of all places,” she chuckled, “ Especially on Halloween night.”
There was a sound of fluttering and flapping overhead, and Carmen looked up to see a murder of crows gathering above them, perched on branches and wires. They peered down at her and cawed.
She glanced around the street. The onlookers hadn’t moved - they seemed to think this was some sort of street performance. One person even had their phone up to record them. Carmen gulped a dry lump in her throat, hoping no one would get hurt.
Just then Witch Hunt made her move, running at Carmen and swinging her scythe. Carmen somersaulted backwards, the blade just barely missing her again, but Witch Hunt twirled the scythe in her hands and swung it the other way. This time, she managed to slice a few inches of Carmen’s hair clean off!
“I wasn’t looking for a haircut,” she snapped as she slid to a stop.
Witch Hunt laughed. “I’ll take off more than that!” She spun the scythe around and charged at her again. Carmen dodged again, wondering how long she could keep this up. Thinking quickly, she engaged her grappling hook and shot it, the hook end wrapping around the scythe’s handle. Witch Hunt growled and grabbed the cord, yanking it as hard as she could. Carmen winced in pain as she was pulled forward by her wrist, landing on her face in front of her enemy. Witch Hunt retracted the handle, allowing the cord to fall to the ground around Carmen, before extending it again. Carmen rolled out of the way just in time to avoid the end of the pole ramming into the ground right where her head had been. She got back to her feet and tried to pull back the grappling hook, but Witch Hunt stomped on it and slashed the cord, rendering it useless.
“Clever trick,” Witch Hunt sneered at her, “Got any more toys?” She cackled before charging at her once more.
Carmen weaved and darted as swiftly as she could, barely managing to avoid the swings and slashes Witch Hunt dealt toward her. Her mind was racing. How could she get close enough to Witch Hunt to pickpocket her without getting an unwanted amputation - or worse?
* * *
Ivy chased the cat all the way down the road. She nearly tripped when she saw the fight between Carmen and Witch Hunt in the middle of the street. “Oh man, oh man,” she mumbled to herself anxiously, “Carm’s in big trouble.”
The cat slowed to a stop a few feet ahead of her, turning to look at her and swishing its tail as if to grab her attention. After a short pause, it walked up to her and dropped the hard drive at her feet.
Ivy looked down at it and knelt to pick it up. “Did you... know I needed this?” she asked. The cat meowed at her. Ivy stared at it incredulously and stood back up. “How did you-?”
She grunted as someone accidentally ran into her from behind. She whipped around - it was Mime Bomb!
“You!” she shouted. Where was Zack?
Mime Bomb gathered himself. He looked a bit exhausted, and she wondered if her brother had actually shaken him up that badly. He gave her an irritated look before turning his attention to the fight.
“Oh no you don’t!” Ivy grabbed his sleeve before he could run toward them. Before she had a chance to throw any punches, they were interrupted by a high-pitched shriek. The cat pounced, ears flattened back and fangs bared. Mime Bomb opened his mouth as if he were screaming before the cat landed right on his face, hissing and scratching furiously. He stumbled backward, trying to pull the cat off of him and becoming increasingly panicked.
Ivy smiled. With Mime Bomb taken care of, she could focus on helping Carmen. She scanned the street, looking for anything she could use. She gasped when she spotted a metal trash can nearby.
Carmen continued to evade Witch Hunt’s attacks, keeping her eyes peeled for any openings. She could have easily snatched the hard drive from her by now if it weren’t for that intimidating scythe.
“Hey!”
Carmen looked over to see Ivy waving her hands. Her heart skipped a beat. “Ivy? I told you to stay-!”
“Catch!” Ivy threw something at her - a round trash can lid! Carmen tucked and rolled, catching it in time to block the next blow from Witch Hunt. The blade of the scythe hit the lid with a harsh metal clang.
Witch Hunt hissed angrily. “Just try and stop me, Red,” she swung her scythe again, resulting in another clash of metal. “I will have your head by the end of the night!”
Carmen’s vision was suddenly obscured by a black shape. One of the crows had flown into her face and was cawing at her loudly. It was quickly followed by its friends, dive bombing and trying to peck at her. She held up the lid to shield her eyes from them, but they still flew around her and pecked at her ears and hair.
Ivy was running along the street, trying to keep up with the fight. She hesitated when she recognized a familiar face. “Sage?”
Sage came up to her, looking up at her with a worried expression. “I was on my way home when I saw the commotion. Something tells me this isn’t some kind of Halloween performance.”
“It’s not!” Ivy frowned, “Carmen’s in real trouble! That girl she’s fighting is an actual witch!”
Sage looked up at the sky, seeing more crows circling overhead. She watched Witch Hunt for a moment before looking back at Ivy.
“You know how I said Salem is a haven for modern witches?”
“Yes I believe you now!”
“Well I’m one of them.”
“Wait, huh?” Ivy stared at her, then over at Witch Hunt, then back at her again. “But...I thought you were nice…”
“I am!” Sage took a deep breath. “Most of us are not like her. For me, practicing witchcraft is a positive part of my life. Being a witch doesn’t mean being evil.”
Ivy made an anxious groaning sound, bouncing on her feet. “Okay okay that’s nice, but how do we help Carm?”
Sage hesitated. “I think I can help. But it’ll work better if you help me, too.” She held out her hands to Ivy. “Do you trust me?”
Ivy looked at her hands. So Sage was a witch? But if what she said was true, and most witches are nice people…
“...Okay,” she held her hands. “I trust you.”
Sage nodded. “Magic is all about using your intent, your energy, to influence the universe around you. It can be as simple as reciting an affirmation to send the universe your suggestion.”
Ivy’s eyes widened. “Witch Hunt did something like that before attacking Carm!”
Sage nodded again. “I can tell she had malicious intentions. There’s a dark energy at play here.” She squeezed Ivy’s hands. “But we’re going to change that.”
Ivy bit her lip nervously, glancing over at Carmen, who was desperately still trying to block and dodge Witch Hunt while the crows continued to attack her. “But I’m not a witch. How do I-?”
“Anyone can do it,” Sage assured her, “As long as you focus and remember your intent. Close your eyes.”
Ivy hesitated before closing them.
“Now think about the change you want to make.”
“I want to help Carmen win,” Ivy answered.
Sage gave her hands another squeeze. “Think about how much you care about her. Think about how much you want this to happen, and visualize it coming true. Then take a deep breathe, and push that energy out into the world.”
Ivy gripped Sage’s hands, trying to clear her mind of the cawing and metal clanging of the fight. She thought about when she first met Carmen, how they hadn’t gotten along at first, but then joining her had made her and Zack’s lives so much better. She inhaled deeply. She thought of Carmen on the ground, covered by crows, and visualized herself reaching out a hand and helping her up. She visualized fighting alongside her, and Witch Hunt, Mime Bomb, and the crows being swept away by the wind. She exhaled, imagining a bright light shooting out from her and Sage and pushing away the darkness.
Carmen held up the trash can lid, her breath becoming ragged. She was beginning to get tired. Witch Hunt ran at her, then hit the ground with her scythe, using it to vault herself toward Carmen and kick the lid with enough force to send Carmen flying backwards, landing on her back with a grunt. She opened her eyes to see that the end of the street was blocked off by a tall display covered in jack o’ lanterns of all shapes and sizes. Not wanting to get cornered, she made a break for it and ran in the opposite direction.
Witch Hunt swung her scythe upwards and managed to shred a long gash in the back of Carmen’s coat, some of her gadgets falling out and clattering to the ground. One of the crows dive bombed her as she ran, pecking her face and cutting her cheek. She cried out, bringing her hands up to block her face as she tripped and fell to the ground again.
Witch Hunt laughed sadistically, walking up to her. Carmen looked up, breathing heavily and holding an arm up to block the birds. Her eyes widened as she saw Witch Hunt raise her scythe with a frightening gleam in her eye.
Suddenly a powerful gust of wind rushed down the street, sending leaves and hay flying toward them. The wind lifted Carmen’s hat right off of her head and blew it directly into Witch Hunt’s face. Surprised, Witch Hunt faltered a bit, her grip loosening from her scythe ever so slightly.
Carmen felt a rush of energy. This was her chance! Using all the strength she had left, she pushed herself up to her feet and ran at Witch Hunt, winding up one arm with the trash can lid.
“Always protect the face!” she yelled, swinging the lid with all her might and knocking the scythe out of Witch Hunt’s hands, sending it careening through the air.
Out of sheer bad luck, Mime Bomb stumbled right in front of the display of pumpkins, still in a panicked frenzy. He finally managed to pry the cat off of his face, opening his eyes only to see the scythe flying straight towards him! He ducked just in time, and the scythe slammed into the stand, splattering pumpkin guts everywhere. It rocked back and forth, teetering dangerously off balance.
Witch Hunt ripped the hat off of her face, shooting Mime Bomb an enraged look. “What are you doing, you little-?!” She glanced up, seeing the huge stand lean towards them with a long creak.
“Oh no.”
CRASH!
Carmen fell to her knees, finally able to catch her breath as the street lamps came back on and the crows scattered. The cat ran up to her, putting its little paws up on her leg to rub its face against her cheek with a purr.
“You again?” She scratched its chin.
“Carm!” Ivy ran over to her, kneeling down and putting a hand on her back.
“I’m okay,” Carmen looked up at her with a smile. “Thanks for the help.”
“Wasn’t just me,” Ivy smiled as Sage approached them.
“Are they going to be okay?” Sage asked, sparing a glance at Witch Hunt and Mime Bomb, who were laying on the ground surrounded by broken wood and splattered pumpkins. A group of concerned onlookers approached them, wondering the same.
“I think they’ll be knocked out for a little while,” Ivy laughed, glad to hear a tired chuckle from Carmen as well.
Carmen tensed up for a second. “The hard drive-“
“All taken care of,” Ivy grinned, pulling the little green thumb drive out of her pocket and holding it up.
Carmen relaxed. “How did you…?”
“This little guy helped me.” Ivy patted the cat’s head.
Sage looked down at it and paused. “...Midnight?” The cat looked up at her and meowed excitedly, running up and jumping into her arms. It swished its tail and purred as Sage pet it.
“Wait, that’s your cat?!” Ivy’s jaw dropped.
Sage nodded with a laugh. “Sure is! Midnight’s my little familiar.” She gently kissed the top of Midnight’s head, earning a delighted purr as Midnight kneaded her scarf.
Carmen and Ivy exchanged a glance and laughed.
* * *
“Are you sure you’re okay?” Ivy asked as she handed Zack another ice pack. He winced as he pressed it to his ribs.
“I told you I’m fine!” he waved a hand dismissively. “I just fell out a window.”
Ivy raised an eyebrow at him. “How did you manage to hold off Mime Bomb for so long, anyway?”
“I don’t wanna talk about it,” he answered a little too quickly.
Carmen was busy sending pictures of the hard drive to Player. “I’ll send it your way when I get the chance,” she told him.
“No problem,” he answered, “I can safely investigate it and delete whatever malware is on it. How are you doing?”
Carmen looked up. They were sitting together on a pair of benches underneath a few trees across from the Salem Witch Museum. It was early in the morning and the sky had just barely begun turning to a lighter shade of blue and pink. “I’m feeling much better,” she answered, a soft smile on her face.
“Glad to hear it, red,” Player said, sounding relieved. “You were really stressed out last night. Sorry your first ever Halloween ended up more trick than treat. At least now you won’t have to go back to Salem anytime soon.”
Carmen breathed out a laugh, looking at the warmly glowing red windows of the museum. “You know, I think I judged this town too quickly, Player.”
There was a pause. “Oh yeah?”
“Sage kept trying to help me understand, but I guess I wasn’t really listening,” she sighed. “But I think I get it now. They have a respect and understanding for their history. There’s something inspiring about having such a dark past, but using it to learn and grow, and to try to make things better.”
Player laughed lightly. “Reminds me of someone I know.”