Upbeats 2: Crime After Crime

by Erin Sheena Byrne

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  With the crowds gathering to watch a fuming Gemini and his dressed up henchmen, it wasn't difficult for us to sneak into the restricted locker rooms.

  The locker rooms were where all the employees and volunteers kept their assorted props and junk.

  The people who walked around wearing costumes of iconic characters, hugging kids and stopping to take photos with fans, kept their spare costumes in the lockers.

  And that was what Luke was thinking.

  We ran into the locker rooms and Ned dashed straight into the costume cupboard and set to work.

  "Get costumes for everyone," Luke instructed.

  "You got it, chief," Ned replied.

  "Don't call me chief."

  "So, we dress up as cartoon characters, wearing our normal disguises underneath... and do what, exactly?" Ned asked as he riffled through the pile of colourful costumes.

  "We draw Gemini away from the people. I don't think he'll be interested in shooting any innocent bystanders after he sees us," Luke explained. "So, use your powers as much as possible, distract Gemini and his henchmen and just run. Run like there's no tomorrow."

  "We can't run forever," Robyn pointed out. "What are we going to do once we get Gemini and his henchmen away from the fair?"

  "I was hoping we could talk..." Luke trailed off, thinking. "I was considering tying them up and somehow contacting Angela Spike... I don't know. We're just going to worry about getting them away from people first."

  Ned picked up the head of a costume and examined it. He sniffed inside and immediately recoiled. "This idea stinks," he commented. "Literally."

  "I know, but we've come this far, we may as well carry on," I said.

  It took a few minutes but, eventually, Ned chucked five cartoon costumes behind him.

  "Where's yours?" I asked, picking up some random piece of a costume of a cartoon character I couldn't identify. It was yellow. I began climbing into it.

  Ned closed the door. "It's a surprise," he said.

  We clambered into our costumes as fast as we could and helped zip each other up.

  "Pee-u," Ned exclaimed from inside the closet. "I wasn't kidding: this really stinks."

  I had to agree with him: the costume reeked of bubblegum, sweat, soda, sweat, old socks and... did I mention sweat?

  My costume had two, large oval eyes made of black, white and blue netting. I could see and breathe through them, but no one else could see inside my costume.

  It wasn't the easiest thing in the world to walk in my clunky new costume. So, I decided to practise a little. I walked around the room, taking big steps, trying to grow accustomed to the feeling. I walked past a mirror and caught sight of my reflection. "I'm Tweety Bird?!" I exclaimed.

  I clumsily turned around and looked over at the others.

  Luke was Bugs Bunny, Robyn was Amy Rose from Sonic the Hedgehog, Smithy was Crash Bandicoot and System, as Kevin, was Flower the skunk from Bambi.

  "Ha, ha, ha," I said, mockingly. "Real funny, Ned."

  Ned burst out of the closet and struck a famous body-builder pose. He was the very green and, very small, Incredible Hulk.

  "I chose our costumes according to us," he waved a fake-muscular arm in Smithy's direction. "Smithy never talks and neither does Crash Bandicoot. System is a skunk, let's all face it. And Bugs Bunny is—"

  "I don’t want to hear it," Luke interrupted. "Let's just get out of here."

  The crowd of people, old and young, men and women, had not yet broken up. In fact: more had joined. Gathered around a rather irate Gemini, they still had no idea that this guy had tried to destroy the human race just over a month ago.

  "Okay," Luke, in his ever-smiling Bugs Bunny costume, said in a low voice. "Go in there as street performers: pretend you're joining the act and then give Gemini a reason to chase you. Remember: don't get hurt and don't hurt anyone else. Now, go!"

  I gently eased my yellow wings between people and they politely parted to create a clear path for the six of us to join the "show."

  Gemini, who was struggling to brush away some annoying bystanders with cameras, saw us coming and groaned. He didn't think his day was going to get any worse... and then it did.

  We started doing what every person in an oversized cartoon costume would do: we waved like idiots and did clumsy little dances on the spot. The crowds lapped it up, clapping and cheering us on as we twirled and skipped our way to Gemini.

  I swear, Gemini's jaw hung open and his eyes were wider than saucers: he stared at us as if we were aliens.

  "This is ridiculous," Gemini said, sternly. "I am not here to perform, I am not here to be insulted and I am not here to harm you people. So could you please just leave or I will be forced to—"

  "Well, what are you here for, then?" some little kid, who knew no better, called from the crowd.

  "Maybe he's famous and he's here to sign autographs!" another idiot called.

  Gemini slapped his forehead and slowly slid his hand down his half-normal, half-metal face.

  "I don't know: he looks just like my dentist," I heard someone from the crowd whisper.

  Everyone whipped out pens and autograph books and stormed closer to the "famous" Gemini.

  We slowly closed in around Gemini, still waving and dancing.