The Resistance Kids and the Haunted House, Part 7

It took Snap and Jess to drag Rey away from Ben. Rey was still screaming, shouting obscenities at Ben at the top of her lungs. Hux and his boys went to tend to Ben. Ben's nose was gushing blood, and his right eye was nearly swollen shut.

Leia smirked. “I always knew you had more in common with your father than you wanted to believe, dear. You both get shiners in the same places.”

Ben groaned. “Mother, please. Make me feel worse, why don't you?”

“You didn't have to hit your father at all, never mind like that.” Leia crossed her arms. “If you didn't want to come with him, a 'no, I don't want to come home now' would have been sufficient.”

Kaydel nodded. “You're lucky that fall didn't kill him! That would have been murder!”

“If they knew Dad, it would have been justified.” Ben winced as Mitaka clumsily pushed his handkerchief over his nose. “Like my honker isn't big enough. If it's broken, you're paying for it, Rider!”

Rey was still trying to get out of Snap's arms. “You should pay for hurting your father and Finn and ruining this party!”

“Your gang killed Lor San Tekka, too.” Jess hit Ben over the head with her basket. “And I'll bet you have Poe somewhere!”

“He's in the basement.” Ben rubbed his head. “He's helping the Professor out with a few experiments. Snoke said his mind was perfect for his work.”

“What?!” Now it was Leia who grabbed her son's arm, yanking him to his feet. “You've been helping that madman?”

The taller young man yanked his arm away from his mother. “He's not a madman! He's a genius! He wants to help create the perfect worker!”

“He knows what he's doing.” Hux helped Ben to his feet, then turned to the others. “He's going to make the world a better place through science.”

Jess rolled her eyes. “You sound like a bad newsreel.”

Charles banged up the stairs, his blue eyes frightened under all the hair. “Leia, Hank's gone! He was there, leaning against fireplace, then not. I have searched all over downstairs for him, but he is not to be found.” He handed Ben a bag of ice. “Here, young pup. You are in luck. The other young ones brought ice with them for the drinks.”

“Thanks, Uncle Charles.” Ben pressed the ice against his bruised eye with a whimper.

Finn gulped nervously. “Where could he have gone?” He jumped when the thunder broke a bit less violently than a few moments before. “Maybe ghosts took him!”

“Finn, there are no ghosts here.” Leia turned to the youngsters behind her. “I think we should split into two groups. I'll take Finn, Jess, and Ben and his friends and see if we can get Poe out of the basement. Charles, you take Rey, Snap, and Kaydel upstairs. The rest of you, search the main floor. If a door is locked or boarded up, stay out of it. It's probably blocked for a reason.”

The dark-skinned youth winced as more white lightning lit up the skies outside the windows. “At least things couldn't get any worse.”

The words had barely left Finn's lips when they heard that laughter. The same cackling, evil screechy-clown laughter that had scared everyone out of the house the first time. The laughter was followed by a strange creak, a clanging sound, a moan, and a shuffle...

Leia and Charles were the only ones who didn't look utterly terrified. “I know that laugh.” Leia rubbed her chin. “I've heard it somewhere. It's so damn familiar!”

“Why don't we figure that out later?” Kaydel gulped. “I think we should really go look for Mr. Solo and Poe now.”

“Uh, yeah.” Finn tugged at the fuzzy collar of his Cowardly Lion jacket. The laughter was now accompanied by rattling chains and more creaks and screeches. “I really want to find Poe, man.”

Ben's skin was even whiter than usual. “And we, uh, have places we need to be.” He and the First Order Gang raced down the hall the moment they were distracted.

“Oh, wonderful. Now we've lost my son, too.” Leia turned to the remaining kids. “Let's get going. We'll meet back here in about an hour.”

~*~*~*~*~*~

Rey was going to kill Ben Solo. Or Kylo Ren. Or whatever his blasted name was. The party was going so well before he and his friends had to play their stupid ghost prank and he decked his father. Had he no respect for his elders at all?

The spooky sounds continued. “I know that laugh.” Charles was stroking his bushy brown beard. “I know it well. It sounds like Chief Waller.”

Snap scratched his silver-dyed beard. “Chief Waller? I thought Andrew Waller was long gone.”

“No, his son.” Charles's very white half-moon smile emerged from somewhere in his beard. “Luke Waller. Leia's brother. The one who's been missing.”

“I wonder why he's here?” Kaydel jumped at the sound of a tree scraping a window.

Charles shrugged. “Why not here? I suppose he has decided it is as good a place as any in this city.”

Rey leaned her ear against the door. “I think this is it.” She got a good, firm hold on her broomstick with one hand. The other went on the door knob. The creepy sounds, the rattling chains and the scraping and whirring, continued.

Her fingers were about to turn the knob when it opened on its own. A golden figure stepped out. None of them had ever seen anything like it. It was tall and sort-of human, but made all from shiny gold metal...except for his right arm, which was a brick red color. They all jumped and yelled as a jagged white streak from outside shined on its polished surface.

“Hello there,” it said in a perfectly pleasant, if slightly tinny, British accent. “My name is C-3PO, human-robot relations. My master has asked me to step out to find out what all the noise is, and to please end it, if possible. You're disrupting his work.”

Charles raised his bushy eyebrows. “Who is your master?”

Rey was inspecting his backside. “This is amazing!” She opened a panel in his back, pushing her fingers around. “I've never seen anything like it.”

“Stop that!” C-3PO actually seemed to start laughing! “That's ticklish!”

Kaydel couldn't help giggling. “I didn't know robots were ticklish!”

“Threepio?” A voice called from one of the rooms. “Did you find them?”

“Yes, Master. I found some of them, anyway.” He turned to the others. “I'm sorry, but you'll really need to try to keep the volume down on your merriment. Thank you. Have a pleasant All Hallow's Eve.”

“Oh, no.” Charles grabbed Threepio's arm. “You're going to show us to your master, Golden One. Or I will tear those metal arms out of their sockets.”

“He can do it, too.” Snap grinned. “You should see how mad he gets when he loses at chess!”

Threepio took one look at Charles' barrel-shaped arms and reached for the door. “I see your point, sir.” He poked his head in. “Master, there's people here who wish to speak to you.”

They all jumped back when the lightning revealed a rather scary-looking clown standing over a record player. He wore a bright purple and green suit, had a curly bright green wig and a powdery green beard, and wore the requisite white and red makeup. Rey couldn't help noticing he had a leather glove over his right hand, which held one of the new 33 1/2-inch LPs. “Who is it, Threepio?” he said in a surprisingly soft voice.

“It's the clown from hell!” Snap screamed. “He's going to melt our faces off!”

“Don't hurt us!” Kaydel raised her wand, made from a wooden dowel and a glittery star. “I have a wand, and I'm not afraid to use it!”

Charles' eyes may have widened somewhere under all his hair. “Luke?”

“Charles!” The clown hugged his friend. “I thought I heard you out there. Where's Leia? What happened to Hank? I heard all the racket you were making.”

“Why didn't you say you were here?” Charles just kept holding him. “Leia and Hank have been so worried. Taking off like you do, without so much as a how-you-do for five years...”

“I'll explain everything as soon as I can.” Rey wasn't sure what she'd been expecting. Luke Waller was small and fairly slender, with big, bright blue eyes and a sweet, crinkly smile under the make-up. He would have looked like a rather nice old man if it wasn't for the clown outfit.

“If you're Luke Skywalker...” Rey held out the scrapbook to him. “This belongs to you. Well, to you and Mrs. Solo.”

“Thank you.” Luke took it from her. “I was looking at it earlier, but I forgot where I left it.” He opened the scrapbook, showing Andrew beaming at a very pregnant Patricia. “Andrew and Patricia Waller are my parents, and Leia's. Mother was pregnant with us when she died. Benton Kenobi told me there were complications with the birth after Father attacked her. They were able to save us, but not her.”

“Waller never got over it.” Charles nodded. “Ben told us the rest before he died. Ben knocking him in the fire was a mistake. He only meant to hit him on the chin, but Waller tripped over a stool and ended up with half his body cooked medium-rare. Ben hated himself for what he did for the rest of his life.”

Kaydel straightened her huge cardboard crown. “Dr. Kalonia told me that when I mentioned Skywalker Manor to her a few days ago. She was a medical student when they brought Andrew Waller in. Worst burns they'd seen in decades. He lost a lot of skin and blood. They had to graft it on, and somehow, it didn't really fit. His right lung was damaged, too. That's why the mask.”

“Father was taking kickbacks from men like Simon Palpatine for years.” Luke showed them another photo. This one was of a young, handsome blond man shaking hands with a slender older man with wavy silver hair and a fancy suit and waistcoat. “After his accident, he chose to let most people believe Andrew Waller died from the burns. He took up the name Darren Veder and became Palpatine's right hand.”

Snap nodded. “We know the rest. He ended up being a real jerk.”

“He repented in the end, broke free of Palpatine's control.” Luke finally set the scrapbook on a small wooden table next to the old canopy bed. “I was there. Palpatine threatened me when I wouldn't take the same bribes he was, then threatened Father. That was a mistake. It ended with Father tossing Palpatine out a window.”

Rey tapped the scrapbook. “Does Kylo...Ben know about this, about the bribes and everything?”

“No.” The man in the clown outfit shook his head. “I told Leia it was a mistake to not be honest about his grandfather. He's convinced Darren Veder was a big shot. I don't think he knows all the damage and death he caused, or how corrupt he really was.” He turned to Charles. “We have to find that Snoke. He was one of Palpatine's hired boys, years ago. Palpatine put him through college, then got him that Columbia University job. I'm wondering if he used that mind control he was studying to manipulate Father.”

“We're missing Hank and our friend Poe.” Rey tucked the broom under her arm. “They're down in the basement. We think Snoke may be trying experiments on them.”

That was when Kaydel nudged Rey. “Rey!” she squeaked. “I think we found Poe...or something like him, anyway.”

Snap was staring out the door. “You've got to see this. He looks like a ghost!”

Rey followed the others into the hall, just as a figure emerged from the darkness. He was draped in white and the palest green, giving off a soft glow. Poe's face was bruised and a bit battered, but it was his eyes that worried her. The vacant brown orbs focused straight ahead. There was nothing in them that resembled their friend's usual warmth.

“What happened to him?” Snap grabbed his friend's arm. “Poe?” He waved his hand in front of his face. “Hey buddy? What's going on?”

“Mind control.” Luke's voice dropped to a low growl. “That's what I heard downstairs. I've wanted to call the cops on them for days, but I can't find them. The only people who knew all the secret tunnels in this house were Father, Mother, Ben Kenobi, and Father's ward Ashoka Tano, and they're all gone now.”

Threepio tapped Luke's shoulder. “That's not quite true, Master. It seems we're being followed by a young lady who appears to be quite...otherworldly, I should think, although such spirits are not known to exist in real-life.”

She seemed to just materialize in the hallway, to just be created from the darkness. She wore a thin black and purple velvet gown that showed off every bit of her curves. Her white face and heavy makeup and sleek black hair almost flickered in the black light of the musty hall. “Good evening,” she purred. “Our great leader is expecting you.”

“Great leader?” Luke stepped in front of the Kids. “You mean the mad scientist in the basement. Where is he?”

Snap shook Poe's arm. He just stood there, silent and still as a statue. “And what did he do to Poe?”

“You are all doomed!” She pointed to Luke. “Our great leader is no mad scientist. It is you who are the unbeliever.”

“This is ridiculous.” Luke reached for the creature's arm, but she vanished into a closet, her laughter echoing down the hall.

Rey ran after her, poking her head into the closet. She emerged with a look of disgust on her face. “Blast it! She isn't there!”

Kaydel rubbed her pink-clad arms. “I don't like this. What if there's vampires out there, too?”

“Now you're all just being silly.” Rey turned to Poe. “Can you hear me?” Poe didn't respond. “Whether you can hear me or not, can you at least take us to whomever did this to you, or do something besides stand there with that weird look on your face? You look like a glazed doughnut.”

Poe started down the hall again, the greenish-white robe trailing behind him, his finger outstretched. “Well, it's obvious that he wants us to follow him.” Rey shrugged. “I don't think we have much of a choice.”

Luke shook his head. “I think we'll be fine. You stay here, Threepio. You may upset the remaining guests.”

“They'll be upset enough when they see Poe like this.” Rey frowned as he started down the stairs. “I'm not sure I like this. Poe, where are we going?” The short, curly-haired man didn't answer. “You know, you look rather like a child playing ghost with a bed-sheet.”

Luke ran his fingers across Poe's robe. “Phosphorous. A chemical that can make certain things glow under the right light, or lack of it. This is more like a kid's prank.”

Kaydel snorted. “The First Order Gang again, I'll bet.”

Snap tugged at Poe's shoulder. “I wouldn't put it past them to beat Poe into splinters, but I don't think any of them can do mind control.”

“Why don't we just follow this young man,” Luke insisted, “and see where he goes.”

Rey looked at the others and shrugged. “I don't think we have much of a choice. He's the only one who may have some idea where this 'Snoke' is.”

They didn't see the figure turn around and head for the closet as they followed Poe to the living room.

The Resistance Kids and the Haunted House, Part 8

“This is crazy.” Finn tugged at his jacket. “Hank is nowhere to be found.”

Jess put her basket aside. “Neither of them are.” She tugged at one red high heel. “These shoes are killing me. I knew I shouldn't have borrowed them from Kay. Her feet are smaller than mine.”

Baby had spent the last half-hour or so mostly sniffing around the fireplace. She swore she saw the two boys in the dress and funny old suits come out of here earlier, when the lights vanished. She didn't trust a bunch of stones that could hold hot stuff and make mean boys appear from nowhere! Something wasn't right here. She barked as loudly as she could, trying to get her humans' attention.

Finn heard her first. “What is it, girl?” He and Jess followed the little white dog to the fireplace. She scratched at the side, whimpering and trying to tug at the stonework. “Wow!” Finn tugged at the stone...and pulled it out, revealing an entrance. “Jess, Mrs. Solo, you've gotta see this!”

“Holy moly!” Jess peered into the blackness. “Just like in all those crazy Boris Karloff movies.”

“What in the world...” Leia raised her eyebrows. “I'd heard this place was filled with secret passages, but I never really saw any of them until now.” She grabbed the brown fedora from the mantel. “Hank was wearing this earlier. He wouldn't have left it here. It's part of his costume. We've got to get down there!”

Finn was so grateful when the lights chose to come back on at that moment. “Thank god! We won't have to climb around in there in the dark.”

Jess gathered Baby in her arms. “It's still pretty spooky in there, though.”

“I'll go first.” Leia pulled what, to Finn's shock, looked like a gun out of her purse. “I've lived a good life.”

“Mrs. Solo,” Finn gaped, “you...you...uh, I didn't know you could shoot.”

“Neat-o!” Jess grinned. “You pack some heat!”

“Finn, I used to be a cop. I was one of the best shots in the police academy.” She held out the small gun. “Besides, a woman needs some way of defending herself in this town.”

Finn desperately wished they had a flashlight, or a candle, or any kind of light source. He would have taken a torch from one of the Universal Frankenstein movies. Even though the lights in the house were back on, it was still dark as tombs in the narrow tunnel. The stairs went sharply downwards, seemingly forever.

They'd been walking for about five minutes when he heard clanking. “Uh...do you girls hear that?”

Jess looked around. Baby gave him a confused bark. “Hear what?”

He just saw the tops of Leia's shoulders shrug. “I just hear our feet.”

They started down again. They were nearly at the bottom when he heard it again. “Ok, whomever it is, come out!” All he saw was steps and a suit of armor. A suit of armor he could have sworn wasn't there five minutes ago...

“Hey...” Finn went over to the armor. He knocked on the side of one armor, then opened the visor. “Anyone home?” A hand reached out and grabbed the visor down. He started away...and the armor actually kicked his rear.

“Oh, that does it.” Finn turned fast. The armor was following him, but it immediately clattered to the side the second he looked. “I think I know who's in there.” He went back to the armor and flung the visor open. “Ok, show yourself!”

“Watch it!” Phasma pulled a lock of pale gold hair from his fingers. “I'd like to keep all my hair in one piece, thank you!”

Jess and Leia had already turned around to see what the commotion was. Leia made a face. “What's this?”

“She's Phasma, one of the Force Order Gang.” Finn glared at her. “I think she's trying to scare us.”

Phasma glared at him. Those big dark blue eyes could glare very well. Finn darted over to Leia. “We're supposed to be scaring you down here. Snoke wants to see all of you.”

“Bring us to him, then.” Leia pointed her gun at Phasma's back. “I have about five or six very interesting questions I'd like to ask him, too.”

Phasma lead them to a door at the very end of the staircase. It was wooden and heavy, but she opened it easily and poked her head in. “Hello, Professor?” She turned to them and shrugged as well as she could in metal plates. “He's not here.”

Leia poked the gun at the flesh between the plates. “We'll wait.”

“Watch it, lady.” Phasma moved away from the gun. “I stole good trash cans to make this armor!” She finally lead the group into the laboratory.

Finn had never seen anything like Snoke's lab outside of old Universal horror movies. He really expected them to be in black and white, with that wild, evil laughter they heard earlier intoning “It's aliiiive!” Chemicals bubbled in long glass tubes. Shelves were filled with sharp, nasty-looking implements of all shapes and sizes. Baby sniffed around an empty gurney. A thin blue blanket covered the other, which had lumps that rose up and down.

Jess picked up a huge scalpel. “This guy is a brain doctor? What's this for, easy removal?”

Finn sniffed at a beaker of bubbling brownish-red fluid and put it aside, wrinkling his nose and waving his hand. “Well, I can tell you one thing. He's a bad soda jerk. That was the worst-smelling cherry Coke I ever laid my nostrils on.”

Leia eyed the gurney. “Wait.” She stuffed the gun in the waistband of her dress. “Those lumps are snoring. I recognize that snore.” She whipped off the blanket to reveal Hank, who was rather awkwardly sprawled across the wheeled table. A metal strip attached to a huge machine covered in blinking knobs and dials was strapped across his forehead. His wrists, ankle, and torso were strapped to the sides. “Yeah, I know this snore, all right.” The small detective tossed the blanket on the other gurney. “I heard it in my ear every night for almost thirty years.”

“Hank!” Finn and Jess started on his ankles. Finn pulled at one thick strap. “We've got to get you out of here, boss.”

“Yeah.” Jess tugged open the other buckle. “This party is now officially over. We need to get to the police. This is loony, man. Mad scientist territory.”

“I won't argue that.” Leia gently pried the metal from her husband's head. “I may not be entirely happy with him leaving, but no one deserves this.”

They made one mistake. Leia was too busy concentrating on Hank to watch Phasma. The blond snatched the gun the moment she had the chance.

“Don't anyone move!” She pointed the gun at Hank. “Hands up, or the bloke in the tan shirt gets it.”

Finn made a face as he put up his hands. “You don't even know who he's dressed as?”

Jess smirked. “She didn't see him in the fedora earlier. I'll bet she doesn't read the papers, either.”

“You don't know the first thing about firearms.” Leia reached for her gun. “You're going to give me that back, before you hurt yourself or someone else.”

Phasma ducked back. “You'd be surprised, old woman.”

Leia glared. “Who's old?”

Hank let out a moan, finally opening his eyes. He put his hand on Leia's cheek. “Your Worship, is that you?”

She grinned. “You bet it is, Sheep Herder. There's no way we were going to leave you down here.”

“Leia!” They wrapped each other in a passionate kiss. Finn whistled. Jess' grin was ear to ear. Baby howled approvingly.

“Damn.” Phasma smirked. “Someone might have to convince Snoke to leave your minds mostly intact. You two are a lot more fun to watch than my parents.”

Hank waved her off. “Glad you enjoyed the show.” Leia and Finn helped him into a sitting position. “Where the hell are we?”

“We're in my laboratory.” Another door opened in the wall opposite Hank and Leia, near the narrow window. The speaker was a wrinkled, gray old skeleton in a white lab coat and black trousers. He had a bulbous head with thin black eyebrows, beady black eyes, and long, skeletal fingers. At least, Finn was reasonably sure he was a skeleton. He was too lean and bony to be a living human.

“Mom?” Ben Solo followed behind the walking pile of bones. “What are you doing here?”

“I could ask the same of you!” Leia got right into her son's face, at least as much as she could, considering he towered more than a foot over her. “Ben, I love you. You're my son. But you'll be lucky if I don't take you over my knee and spank you right here and now, in front of all these people!”

“Do it!” Finn yelled through his cupped hands.

Jess had her hands on his hips. “He deserves it!”

“Mother,” Ben whined, “you're embarrassing me! I'm not five years old!”

Leia glared at her son. “Then act like it!”

“That's quite a display. She'll do nicely. Bring her to the other gurney.” Snoke eyed her. “You're feisty, Mrs. Solo. Very feisty...and very intelligent. It'll be an honor to control you.”

“What?!” Ben's glare was just as angry as his mother's. “Look, I don't mind bringing you Dameron, or Hank Solo. But I told you to leave Mother alone!”

The older man waved him off. “Mrs. Solo is perfect. Detective, former police commissioner, leader. It takes quite a bit of brain power to be able to perform all of those tasks. Brain power like that will be a pleasure to manipulate. I'll do the young people later, after I've finished with their elders.”

“Oh no.” Hank snarled at Snoke, managing to curl his fingers into a fist. “You're not putting those skinny tree branches you call fingers on my wife, pal!”

“In a few minutes, you won't know who she is.” He turned to two hulking men behind Ben and Hux. “You two, hold onto the two young people. We'll deal with them later.” He waved to Ben and Hux. Ben was whispering something in Hux's ear. “Kylo Ren and Phasma, strap Solo to the gurney. Hux, help me with the woman.”

Tasha Umaro came in through the side door just as they were starting. “Dameron found the others.” She tugged her trailing black and blue velvet skirts into the room and removed her vampire teeth. “He's bringing them here. Waller is with them.”

“Luke!” Leia looked up as Snoke grabbed her arms. “That's what I heard before. He could always do a great evil laugh. Used to scare the dickens out of all the boys in his flight squadron with it.” She struggled wildly in the old scientist's arms. Umaro went to help, shoving her torso down as they forced her onto the gurney.

“No! Not her! Not my wife!” Hank tried to sit up again, but they gagged him and Leia with cloths from a basket on a shelf. Ben started towards them, but one of the men blocked him. The two men held Jess and Finn, ignoring their kicking and screaming. One reached for Baby, but she easily dashed between his legs and up the steps.

“Forget the dog. It can do us no harm now.” Snoke clapped the metal strip around Hank's forehead again, then put a second strip on Leia's. He stroked her forehead, then her cheek, almost lovingly. “There. Now, don't be alarmed. You're both taking part in scientific history. I'm merely changing your brain waves. You thought I was crazy when you fired me, didn't you, Mrs. Solo? Why don't we see how crazy I am when you're under my control...and are my willing spokeswoman?”

Hank screamed under his gag at the same time Ben yelled “Not Mother! You can have Solo, but she...she won't respond to the treatment. She's too stubborn.”

“Don't worry.” The old scientist ran his fingers through Leia's gray-brown hair. “My machine will take care of those stubborn Solo circuits.” Leia struggled wildly, trying to inch away from his icy-cold touch. “Struggling will do you no good, my dear woman. This is top-of-the-line equipment, including the gurneys. My operatives...borrowed...them from the New York Hospital.”

Snoke had just pushed a few switches and buttons when that evil laugh suddenly filled the room. The moment it was heard, the lights flickered and died. The machine sputtered out. The only sounds were their own breathing and the rain that continued pattering on the walls.

“For heaven's sake!” He turned to one of his men. “You told me you fixed the generator!”

The piece of beefcake in a cheap suit shrugged. “Sorry, boss. This is an old house. I don't think the wirin's up to your fancy gadgets.”

“Well then, you'll have replace the fuses.” He indicated a shelf to his right. “They're over there, on top of the phone book and the box of spare beakers.”

No one moved. Finn shivered. It was really spooky down there. The only light came from the glowing Bunsen burners on the chemistry set. Leia and Hank continued to struggle. No one else moved. They barely breathed.

That was when they heard the clatter...and saw the figure. A clown more horrifying than anything DC Comics or a circus ever dished out emerged from the stairs. He kept laughing, a sound like metal scraping against living flesh. The clanking chains and rattling bones returned, a bit muffled but still quite obvious.

“Do you all know,” the clown hissed, “who I am?” Several people around the room screamed when he seemed to remove his face and his white makeup...revealing a familiar scarred visage and glittering blue eyes. He pulled off his purple jacket to reveal an old-fashioned suit, like the one Andrew Waller wore in the scrapbook. “I'm Andrew Waller. This is my home. You're trespassing on my property. My maiming was an accident...but your treatment of these young people and this older couple is no accident.”

“That's a lie!” Ben narrowed his one good eye in confusion. “Benton Kenobi was jealous! He was having an affair with Grandmother. It was no accident.”

“It was. One Benton regretted for the rest of his life.” “Andrew” picked up the chisel...but Finn saw him wink at Leia on the gurney. “This man was an associate of my former boss, Simon Palpatine. They worked on a formula to control minds, make them do their bidding. Palpatine used it on me for years after my accident.”

“This isn't real!” Snoke stepped back, reaching for a chisel. “You're dead! You can't come back to life. Even I know that isn't possible.” He raised the chisel, his face a gray, pasty mask of terror. “Let's see just how real you are, so-called Mr. Waller!”

Just as Snoke launched himself at “Waller,” a broom handle came down over the head of the man holding Finn and Jess. He let them go, reaching over to rub his sore noggin. Finn jumped as a green face with a feminine British accent whispered in his ear “Routine 10.”

Finn knew the code words. The “Routines” were their signal that it was time to fight. The higher the numbers went, the bigger and more elaborate the fight. This was a really big one. Finn socked the big guy in the chin. Rey swatted Ben Solo in the rear with her broom. He jumped a mile, glaring at her as he rubbed his sore backside. Snap managed to wrestle Hux to the stone floor.

Charles threw two of the big men's heads together, looking rather like something out of a Three Stooges short. “I enjoy big fight scenes. This much better than anything in short subjects, and more fun!” He lifted Umaro up and hung her by the back of her dress on the wall, ignoring her squealing and shouts. “That will keep you out of trouble, large miss.”

Finn went after Phasma, finally knocking her into a large wastebasket with a clatter. She screamed as discarded apples, old banana peels, wads of paper, chewing gum, and things Finn couldn't even identify spilled around her. “I always knew you were trash, lady.”

“Did you have to do this while I'm wearing metal?” Phasma picked a wilted lettuce leaf off her right shoulder plate. “It took me long enough to get these trash cans smelling decent enough to use.”

Jess ran over to Poe as he sort of wandered into the room. “What got into you?” She pulled at his sheet. “And what's with the ghost costume? You were supposed to be the Scarecrow!” Baby scampered in next, whimpering at her owner's heels. “What's wrong, girl? What happened to him?”

“He's under my control.” Snoke laughed. His laugh was almost as evil as Luke's clown cackle. “My boy, attack the girl, then go after the others. Bring them to me.”

Poe had a good right hook, but he hadn't counted on a furious Jessica Pava. She went under his fist, then hit him square in the jaw. He hit the floor with a nasty smack.

“Poe!” She and Baby went down to the floor. “Damn, I didn't think I got you that hard!”

Poe rubbed the side of his head. He was still a little dazed, but the empty look in his eyes was gone. “What the hell was that? Jess, what did I ever do to you? Recently, anyway.” He gazed around. “Where am I?”

“Professor Snoke's laboratory.” Jess giggled as Baby let out a happy howl and leaped into his arms. “If you're all right, we're going to need your help. Rey just announced Routine 10.”

“I'll have a headache for a couple of years, and I seem to have lost at least a day, but otherwise, I'm fine.” He grinned at her. “I told the First Order Gang it would take more than some mad scientist to intimidate the Organa Detective Agency!”

Jess tugged him over to Leia's gurney. Ben was already unstrapping her ankles. “Unless you want your boss and ours to become mindless drones, I'd suggest you start getting these off.” Snap was already working on Hank.

Snoke and Waller were struggling for the chisel. The older scientist tore at Waller's makeup..revealing the face of a middle-aged man in a graying beard, with no scars, but blue eyes that glowed with a fire similar to Waller's. “Luke Waller,” he hissed. “The prodigal son, come home to defend his daddy. How touching. You always did rather resemble Andrew. No wonder I was fooled.” He held the chisel to Luke's neck. “Now you'll truly resemble your father, scars and all.”

The same broom now came down over Snoke's head. He dropped the chisel. Rey glared at him. “I don't think so! You leave that man alone, you nutty professor, you!”

Snap helped Hank off the gurney. “What's going on?” Hank's legs were wobbly, but he did mange to stand. “Where did all of you come from?”

“Upstairs.” Snap nodded at the door. “Poe was really acting strange when we found him, gliding like a ghost and ignoring everything we said. He lead us to the fireplace. It was already open. We saw the fedora, and then Baby came running upstairs, and we heard all the commotion down here.”

“I was?” Poe rubbed his head. “First Order Gang must have hit me harder than I thought. I don't remember a thing about any of this.”

Leia grabbed her gun from Phasma the moment her son helped her to the floor. “I'll take that, young lady.” Jess and Rey were tying up his remaining men with rope found on the shelves. Finn had Hux in a headlock. “We're missing one Resistance Kid. Where's Kaydel?”

“She went with my servant Threepio to call the cops.” Luke took the chisel from Snoke. “They should be here any minute.”

“What? Uncle, no!” Ben rolled his eyes. “I'm not going back to reform school, and you can't make me!”

“No, you're not going to reform school.” Luke frowned. “I'm sorry, but you're old enough for jail time. You'll all have a fair trial, but you murdered a police officer, were involved with the destruction of my original school, and were an accessory to kidnapping and likely theft. You'll be out in twenty to sixty years.”

“Jail?” Hux wrinkled his nose. “My father's too important. It'll never stick. Besides, I could never stay in such a dirty, nasty place.”

“Maybe you can pin the crimes on these children,” Snoke snarled, “but I have no desire to face arrest just yet.” He threw another beaker in Luke's direction. Luke just managed to miss the bubbling brown liquid, but it gave Snoke the chance to dart out the room through the side door.

“Snap, Jess, go after him.” Leia threw a box of fuses into Charles' arms. “You go with them. You know how to fix fuses. If this is the basement, the fuse box has to be somewhere. Don't take too long. We'll all need to give statements to the police when they arrive.”

“Kid!” Hank threw his arms around Luke for a huge hug. “Where the hell have you been? We thought you disappeared off the face of the planet!”

“I've been traveling.” Luke hugged him back. “I missed you so much. You and Leia. I just couldn't tell you what I was doing.”

Leia stuck the gun in her waistband. “I've been wanting to do this for five years.” Her little fist shot out, knocking Luke so hard in the chin, he ended up flat on his back on the gurney. “Why in god's name did you take off like that, without so much as a word? Do you know how worried we all were about you?”

Her twin rubbed the back of his head. “All the women around here pack one hell of a punch! I'll have to remember not to upset my female students too often.”

“Tell me about it. I don't think I'll be able to sit down for a week!” Ben rubbed his rear and glared at Rey. She stuck her tongue out at him in return.

Hank and Leia had just helped Luke off the gurney as Kaydel arrived with Statura and at least six cops. “Ok, what's going on? Miss Connix told me something about a mad scientist doing brain experiments and kidnapping and murder?”

Luke took Ben's arm. “Officer, we found the people responsible for the murder of Detective Lor San Tekka. They also helped Professor Roland Snoke kidnap Hank and Leia Solo and Poe Dameron for use in illegal experiments involving mind control.”

“If I didn't see the equipment,” said one cop with a thick Irish brogue, “I wouldn't believe it, lad. Look at all this!”

“Yeah,” added a short cop with a nasal voice. “This looks like somethin' you hear about on Escape or one of them other scary horror radio shows.”

Hank had his arm around his wife. Finn went to his other side. “Oh, it's real, all right. Their boss drugged me and tried to turn me and Leia into drones.”

Poe raised his hands. “They actually did it to me. I don't remember anything from the time Dr. Franken-Snoke turned on the juice to just a few minutes ago.”

Statura rubbed his temple in frustration. “I can tell this is going to be a very interesting story. I already have men questioning your remaining party guests upstairs.” Two officers helped Phasma out of the trash. Another got Umaro off the wall. Three more lead the goons to the steps, still bound and grumbling. “Why don't we take this to the main floor? We'll get everything sorted out up there.”

Ben turned to his mother as a cop handcuffed him. “Mom, you won't really let me go to jail, will you?” His long face fell, and he actually managed to look innocent. “I just wanted you to like me as much as you like your job.”

She squeezed his hand. “Honey, I do love you. You're my little boy. You always will be.” Ben saw the hurt in her deep brown eyes as she pulled away. “But you're not going to get out of this one. Murder, near-murder, and kidnapping are not the way to get anyone's attention. You need to learn that you won't always get away with things just because you're the police commissioner's son.”

“But Mooothhher,” he whined. “Grandfather got away with it! He repented in the end.”

“He also murdered hundreds of people or ordered their deaths, including a school of young people studying to be police cadets. He let Palpatine control him. He would have had a trial and gone to jail if he'd lived.” Leia looked genuinely sad. “I'm sorry neither he nor you ever really learned how to deal with the consequences of your actions. I somewhat blame myself and your father, but you're to blame as well. You're the one who accepted Snoke's orders. I can only hope you'll be able to learn in jail what Andrew Waller never did, that power only goes so far, and you can't keep hurting others without people fighting back.”

“Maaaa!” Ben's tried to struggle, but the cop held his shoulder hard. “I'm your son!”

“No.” Leia took Hank's hand. “You're Kylo Ren. You need people who can help you be my son Ben again.”

Hux glared at him as they lead him upstairs. “I told you this was a ridiculous idea. We should have stuck to stealing candy from trick-or-treaters and left them alone!”

“Snoke wanted more experiments!” Ben tried to kick at him. “You were the one who wanted to do the ghost trick in the fireplace!”

Phasma groaned as they were lead upstairs. “Knock it the hell off, you idiots. I'm not spending the next twenty to sixty years listening to the two of you go at it like children!”

Hank saw Leia's tears. “I know that was hard for you. That's our kid. We made him. But Leia, he's a grown man now. Grown men need to learn to take care of themselves.”

“I know.” She sighed. “I think there's still good in him. Maybe he'll find it while in jail.”

“Sure,” grumbled Rey. “And the Cubs will win the World Series someday.”

Luke put his arms around the grieving parents as the lights flickered back on. “Looks like Charles managed to fix the breakers. How about we take this back to the living room? I'll explain everything there.”

Leia wiped her eyes, ignoring the black mascara streak on her hand. “Including where you've been for five years?”

Her brother nodded. “You'll get to meet Threepio, too. Matter of fact, I should have some cider in the icebox. I'll get that heated up, and we'll have a quiet discussion around the fire.”

“Sounds good to me.” Hank grinned, but his knees were still a little wobbly. “But first...could someone give me a hand?”

Charles and Rey went to either side of him. “Of course, Solovich.” Charles grinned at him. “I'm just glad you're all right.”

“Me too.” Rey put his arm around her as the others followed them to the door.

The Resistance Kids and the Haunted House, Epilogue

Rey had to admit, the living room was rather cozy without the cobwebs, and with the dust and debris from Hank' fall swept away. Even Threepio didn't seem that odd as he served the group hot apple cider and pumpkin cookies. He was more like a golden butler than a robot. The cops were long gone. Statura took everyone's statements, then helped his boys get the First Order Gang to the nearest station for further questioning.

Leia and Hank were together on the remains of the broken couch. Luke sat on an overstuffed, slightly cracked chair next to them. “So,” Leia started, “you've spent the last five years looking for a building for your new school?”

“Actually, more like three years.” Luke sighed. “I went up to our old cabin in the Adirondack Mountains to recuperate for the first two years. The one we recuperated at after that gangster kidnapped Hank that one time.”

The older man had removed his makeup and clown costume. He now wore an old brown robe over his Victorian suit, his gentle round face scrubbed pink. “I finally got bored. I loved teaching. I missed being around children, helping them grow. I wanted to find a place to start my school again, start over. Many parents blamed me for my pupils' death. I was afraid they wouldn't trust me. Not to mention, I didn't want the First Order Gang to catch wind of this school and destroy it, too.”

“But why here?” Rey waved her hand at the house.

Leia had the scrapbook open on her lap. She lifted up the book to reveal a black-and-white photo of two rows of kids and young adults standing on the porch of Skywalker Manor. Ben, Andrew and Patricia Waller stood in back. There was mostly boys and young men in short pants and sweaters. One of the few girls wore an Indian sari and striped head scarf.

“Mother and Father took in groups of street children who had no place else to go,” Leia began. “Father went so far as to adopt Ashoka Tano, a little Indian girl whose family had abandoned her. They and Uncle Ben taught them about the police life. Most of them went on to the New York Police Academy, including Ashoka. She was the first Indian woman in the NYPD. She served with distinction for years before dying in a gang shootout in 1917.”

“Uncle Ben told us they loved it. Mother wanted to use this as a school, but she couldn't get the proper permits from New York at the time.” Luke gave them his sunny smile. “I already have the permits. I'm hoping to buy this place from Snoke as soon as I can get the paperwork. With Starkiller Industries exposed for malpractice, it shouldn't be too hard to get this off them.”

“What's with Goldenrod here?” Hank poked at Threepio. The yellowish robot pushed his fingers away indignantly. “How'd you throw him together?”

“I didn't.” Luke's normal laugh was far more pleasant than his scary clown cackle. “Artie Baker made him for me. I needed someone to help me with my basic chores while I did my research.”

“My name is not 'Goldenrod,' sir.” Threepio bristled. “My name is C-3P0, human-robot relations. I must say, you are almost as rude as that little tin can Mr. Baker keeps at his home!”

Leia sighed. “Luke, as long as we're confessing things...I've known since yesterday that you were here. That's where I went when Hank took the kids to Artie Baker's. I made a few calls, talked to a few people. Threepio hasn't exactly been discreet. People have seen a golden man walking up and down the streets for weeks now. They all thought he was either a figment of their imagination or practicing for Halloween.”

Hank frowned. “Is that why you wanted to go to the party? To confront Luke?”

“That was part of it.” She took his hand. “But mostly, I wanted to see you again. I really have missed you.” She winked at him. “You still drive me crazy.”

Hank's grin nearly split his face. The kids all whistled. Baby howled from Poe's lap. Luke laughed again. “Some things never change, hon.” Hank gave her a kiss, which just brought in more whistling and howls.

“I'm glad I found Officer Statura at the deli down the street.” Kaydel pulled a musty old knitted blanket around her shoulders. “The thunder's gone, but the rain was still kind of coming down then.”

Finn had an arm around Rey. They were on a love seat on the opposite side from Han and Leia. The other kids were all in folding chairs. “All's well that ends well, I guess. Do you think they'll really put the First Order Gang in jail?”

“I hope so.” Rey's fingers curled around her broom handle. “Ben could have killed Hank, and they did kill Lor San Tekka. I hope they're in jail for a long time.”

“As long as all of you are all right.” Leia looked sad at the mention of her son. Hank gave her a squeeze. She smiled at him, then turned to Poe. “Will you be up for work tomorrow? We need to find out where Snoke went to. He may attempt his experiments somewhere else.”

Poe grinned back, his arm around Jess. “I'll report first thing tomorrow morning, Mrs. Solo.”

Hank shook his finger at the others. “And don't think you kids are off the hook. I expect you all bright and early tomorrow morning, usual time.”

“Don't expect him, though.” Charles chuckled through his beard. “He'll be moaning and groaning about his injuries until I let him sleep it off.”

The whole group laughed. “I'm not that much of a baby, Charlie!”

Leia just kissed his cheek. “Happy Halloween, dear.”

Finn gave Rey a little kiss, ignoring the whistling and “oohs” from the others. “You too, Rey. I'm glad...well, I'm glad I said I liked you.”

“I'm glad you did, too.” Rey squeezed his hand. “I thought you'd never say something!”

Finn blushed. “I was waiting for you to make the first move.”

Luke tipped his head back and let loose with his famous clown cackle as the others laughed around them. Everyone just stopped and stared at him. He did look a little spooky, with his fingers curled and held out like a zombie, and the fire illuminating his bright blue eyes. In fact, as Leia would say later, he looked uncannily like his father...

He finally stopped long enough to say “Happy Halloween!” in his own voice before leaning over to grab Leia. She smacked him, and suddenly everyone was laughing.

Rey had to admit, it had certainly been a memorable Halloween. There was still work to do. Hank and Leia certainly seemed happier, but they weren't really back together. And someone had to help Luke with his new school. She wanted to talk to Artie Baker about helping him with his creations, And there was Finn, the sweetest, dearest cowardly lion-boy she'd ever known.

Suddenly, the Bowery seemed full of possibilities. The storm was gone, they were together, and even New York was peaceful outside. She swore she saw a gray face peering into a window, but the moment she looked again, it was gone. She returned to passing the scrapbook around with the others, recalling Halloweens past...and making hopes for Halloweens future.