[IC] Stranger Beetles

[Metronome]

"I got this!" Beetlejuice saw the fearful look on Lydia's face, and he knew he had to fix this quick. He couldn't let them take her. He sprouted several arms and held them out. "Everyone grab a hand. Guatemala, here we come!"

But when he tried to teleport with them, something stopped him. It was like hitting a brick wall, and he hit the ground with an oof. Beetlejuice sat up, a look of horror on his face.

"They've already put a salt ring around the house," he said, panic in his voice. "I can't leave!" He turned to Lydia, his need to keep her safe getting increasingly desperate. "Open the door and let them in. I'll take care of as many I can. Adam, Babs, take Lyds and the kids. Try to brush away some salt when you leave, but if you can't, just be sure to get Lydia somewhere safe."

[Beetlejuice96]

"What? No, I'm not leaving you behind, Beej." Lydia said despite Adam already starting to drag her away. "No! Let go of me! We can't leave him!" She screamed, tears forming as she locked her caramel eyes onto Beetlejuice's yellow ones. She reached out to him in one final attempt to stay with him, pleading for him to grab her hand.

[Metronome]

Beetlejuice sat on the floor in the middle of the living room, watching Lydia getting dragged away from him through the tears forming in his eyes. He had only a few seconds before he would disappear; he had to make them count! The demon closed his eyes, scrubbed the tears away, and opened them again to see red.

The soldiers were piling in, surrounding him. He saw one tipping salt onto the floor. The demon growled, low and deep, his body emanating an angry, red glow. The soldiers paused, looking at each other. Should they run? Or follow their orders? They didn't get a chance to contemplate it before the demon lashed out, inky black tentacles growing from his back and tearing into them. No doubt there'd be a blood bath to clean up.

Nate looked pale and queasy as he followed the others out. On the street, several electric utility vans were parked. The other soldiers were running past them, into the house to try and hold off the demon. Nate almost forgot the salt. He kicked the circle, opening a small gap. He hoped that was enough.

Adam and Barbara loaded the kids into their car and drove off, but were soon cut off by yet another utility van. Soldiers piled out of it, guns in their arms, and surrounded the car. One leaned down to look at Adam in the driver's seat.

"The girl," He demanded.

[Beetlejuice96]

Lydia had struggled to get away but all were futile as she was placed in the van, trembling softly. It wasn't fair, everything was finally going great for them; a family, new friends, a real life all too be taken away. Her rage grew inside, her eyes seeming to glow it flowed out of her. "NOOOO!" She roared, the glass on the utility van exploding, the soldiers sent flying back from the unseen force. She panted softly as her voice turned hoarse, a wave of exhaustion taking over as she slumped towards Nate.

[Metronome]

"Holy shit!" Nate covered his head with his hands as glass flew everywhere. The Maitlands seemed temporarily stunned, until Barbara snapped back to the present.

"Drive!" She shook Adam's shoulder. He gasped and floored the pedal, careening around the bodies in the street and speeding towards the power company.

Beetlejuice suddenly appeared in the backsteat, cramming the kids against either door. "Hiya guys!" He chirped, looking as though he'd been used for target practice.

"Are those bullets holes?!" Nate asked, his eyes wide with shock.

"Hey, don't be rude," BJ quipped back.

[Beetlejuice96]

"Beej..." Lydia croaked out, clinging to the demon despite the bullet holes and tattered clothing. Her energy was low, eyes drooping as she struggled to stay awake. "S...Something happened...I'm so tired..." She mumbled, eyes fluttering closed.

"Is she okay?" Zach asked, seeing how lethargic Lydia was being.

[Metronome]

Beetlejuice hugged Lydia back, glad to see her mostly okay. "What did I miss?" He asked, having no idea what she was acting funny.

"There was this weird, invisible explosion, and I think it came from Lydia!" Nate tried his best. "Can she do that?"

"Not that I know of..." Beetlejuice had never seen her use any sort of powers...

Adam hit the breaks as they came to the gated facility. "We're here!" He said, his white knuckle grip on the steering wheel finally releasing.

"Alright, lets try thia again. Everyone grab a hand!" Beetlejuice sprouted arms once more, and poof'd them inside the facility.

[Beetlejuice96]

Once inside, it became clear how weak Lydia was, almost crumpling to the ground as her legs gave out. Thankfully she was still clinging onto Beetlejuice so she was still somewhat standing. Her eyes fluttered like frightened butterflies, the whole room dancing as she struggled to open them. "So...tired..." She mumbled

[Metronome]

"It's okay Lyds, just rest, okay?" Beetlejuice's tone was worried. Suddenly she was strapped to his back in one of those kid harnesses. "It's a good thing you're tiny, kid."

The demon looked at the others, trying to figure out how this was going to work. "We need to find that portal..." he split himself up into three clones. "One for the Maitlands, and one for the kids. You guys split up, and if any of us find the portal, I'll know and the beetleclones can bring us back together. "

[Beetlejuice96]

"Deal." Zach said with a nod before looking over at Nate then back at the Maitlands. "Let's go stop the world from ending or becoming a demons playground. The bad ones, anyway." He added before heading off with Nate and Beetleclone in one direction.

Lydia mumbled something unintelligible, laying her head on his back. She was drained, slowly slipping into the darkness of sleep.

[Metronome]

Beetlejuice flew up one hall after another. This place was huge! How where they supposed to find one measily portal in all this? Wait, it had to be in the basement, right? All evil villains did their shit in the basement. It was like rule one of being a villain!

Beetlejuice poof'd down to the lowest level. Sure enough, green light was shining around the corner ahead of them.

"We found it kid," he said softly to Lydia. He peeked around the corner. There were guards, but those were easy to fix. He conjured up more clones, and set them to make short work of the soldiers.

[Beetlejuice96]

Lydia weakly opened her eyes as the light glowed softly from the corner. The Netherworld portal was just a few steps away, all they had to do was close it then everything would go back to normal. If only she could stay awake long enough to help him. "B...Beej?"

[Metronome]

"It's okay, Lyds," Beetlejuice said over his shoulder. "This'll be over soon. I just gotta' close this portal, and then we can go home and rest, okay?"

He approached the portal, and started working on getting it closed. It was more difficult than his usual effortless power. This thing was a man-made abomination, after all. He had it about halfway closed when it began to glow brightly. Something was coming through.

"Beetlejuice?!" A shrill, female voice said accusingly. A red high heal stepped out of the portal, followed by a leg wrapped tightly in panty hose. "I should have known you'd have something to do with this! God, you're a screw up!"

An aging woman in a red skirt suit emerged, her hair worn in a graying beehive hairdo. She wore cat eye glasses and had a hunch in her back. Despite this, she was still almost seven feet tall. Beetlejuice whimpered and stepped back, cowering.

"M-mom?"

[Beetlejuice96]

Lydia lifted her head upon hearing the voice, seeing the woman step through and feeling Beetlejuice trembling under her. She blinked when Beej spoke; that was his mother? He had never spoken about his family too much but based on his reaction to her, he was terrified of the woman before him.

"L...Leave him alone." Lydia said, finding a little bit of strength to look his mother in the eye. The woman only glared back at her before turning the venomous gaze to Beetlejuice.

"Why is there a living girl on your back? Were you just that desperate to have someone see you that you just kidnapped one? You're so pathetic, just like your deadbeat father." She started to scold.

"I said...leave him alone...you bitch." Lydia growled.

[Metronome]

Beetlejuice had already backed into the nearest wall, pressing his side into it and looking as though he'd like to disappear. This was his literal worse nightmare, happening, right now. The demon woman looked as though she'd been slapped when Lydia dared to speak to her.

"Look here you little bloodbag, I don't know what my degenerate, useless sack of shit son is doing with you, but I would suggest zipping that trap of yours before I do it for you!" She began stomping towards them, her high heels clacking on the tile. Beetlejuice whined and shrunk to the floor.

"Just do what she says, Lydia," He whimpered, "It's not worth it. She's too powerful to fight."

"Look at you," His mother chided. "So desperate for someone to love you that you slink around the living world. God, you disgust me. I should have fed your sorry ass to a sand worm centuries ago!"

"Mom, please," Beetlejuice begged from the floor.

[Beetlejuice96]

"Leave...him...ALONE!" Lydia shouted, a strong burst of energy lashing out at Beetlejuice's mother to send her back a ways. She got off of his back, stumbling a little before standing between the two. She trembled occasionally, trying to suppress the overwhelming sensation of sleep creeping on her to protect her friend.

"You're the one who's a piece of shit! Beetlejuice is a better demon than you'll ever be! He's stronger than most of those shitty demons who think he can take him! All you do is belittle him because you can't admit that you're a terrible, selfish, abusive mother who didn't even care when her own child disappeared! Well guess what?! He doesn't need you! You're not his family because family doesn't do any of that! Family stays beside you even when you mess up!" She exclaimed before looking over at Beetlejuice, helping him to his feet and holding his hand.

"He's my family and I'm not leaving him!"

[Metronome]

"You little bitch, I'll feed you to a worm too!" The demon woman shrieked.

Beetlejuice stood slowly at Lydia's coaxing. He was amazed at her powerful display. Since when could she do that? He was still shaking like a leaf, but he raised his eyes up to face his mother.

"You can threaten me, hurt me, and maybe even banish me," Beetlejuice said, his voice slowly turning into a growl. "But if you even try to lay an acrylic claw on Lydia, I'll end you!" Beetlejuice flew at her, gaining the courage to finally fight back.

His mother blinked. She clearly hadn't expected her son to grow a spine. But, overall, she was underwhelmed. With a flick of a single four inch nail, Beetlejuice was sent flying into the nearest wall. He left a sizable dent in the concrete and crumpled to the floor.

[Beetlejuice96]

"Beej!" Lydia shouted, starting to run towards him before letting out a choked cry, grasping her neck as an invisible hand squeezed her windpipe and lifted her off the ground. She kicked out in futile attempts to hit whatever held her before seeing it was his mother holding up her hand, spewing venom from her eyes. Her vision darkened at the corners as she gasped weakly for breath that never came.

"Pathetic little brat!" His mother hissed, making the grip on the girls throat tighten more. "I'll kill you myself!"

The light from Lydia's eyes started to dim as she attempted to cry out for help.

[Metronome]

Beetlejuice's vision swam. He slowly looked up, seeing Lydia's legs flailing. "Lydia," He groaned softly. He had to help her. His mother was going to kill her! She was going to take the one person he truly cared about away from him! He had to stop her. His eyes began to glow that familiar, angry red. He pulled himself up off the floor, tendrils of red hot rage emanating from him.

"What. Did. I. Just. Fucking. SAY!" He roared, and charged at the woman who had made his life so miserable. He began to shapeshift, but not into any particular form. The beast that replaced the striped demon was inky black, covered in hundreds of eyes, mouths, teeth, and tentacles, all colliding with the bane of his existence.

BJ's mother shrieked when the monstrosity pummeled her. "Lawrence!" She cried. "What the fuck are you doing?!"

Beetlejuice was too mad to answer. He was ripping and tearing at her from every direction. But another roar filled the room. The woman, too, began to shapeshift. She turned into a massive abomination with hundreds of arms that stretched across the room, and a mouth that could have easily swallowed Lydia whole. The two eldritch beasts engaged in battle, tearing limbs and chunks from one another, shaking the entire basement and probably the whole building.

[Beetlejuice96]

Unseen by the two abominations dueling, a figure appeared next to Lydia who had crumpled to the floor once BJ's mother's concentration was broken. They carefully picked her limp form up before disappearing.

"What's happening?!" Zach asked as the building shook from something. He looked over at the Beetleclone which had been with him and Nate only to see it disappear. "Hey! Where'd he go?!"