The lights on the stage reflected off the metallic hilt of the weapon, making it look more intimidating than it was and the crowd shifted, leaning away but not quite far enough that they couldn’t indulge in their morbid fascination.
Ruby’s eyebrows furrowed. “It’s just a taser. How does he think he’s going to escape with it?”
Jonah shrugged, drawing Albert’s attention. He definitely recognized them. His grip tightened and chest heaved.
“Don’t test me,” he shouted, “This thing’ll drop her in seconds.”
“And then what?” Ruby yanked off the wig and tossed it at a kid dressed as Wednesday Adams. “You’ve got nowhere to go.”
As soon as the words left her mouth, she realized it was the wrong thing to say. Albert reached his free hand up, yanking at the actress’s hair and pulling her toward the back of the stage. She whimpered. Tossing the lightsaber to the side, he procured a pocket knife out from his right boot, flicked the blade open, and held it against her neck.
“This could’ve been easier,” Albert said as they made their way backward. “No one had to get hurt.”
“You tazed Malcolm!” The actress shrieked.
“Other than him,” Albert allowed. He snorted. “No major loss there. He completely ruined the sanctity of the franchise.”
They shifted their awkward retreat to the left and he led her down the stairs.
Ruby stepped forward, the crowd having backed toward the main exit as soon as he pulled the knife.
Her mind flipped through her options. The crowd, once buzzing with excitement, now suffocated, an overwhelming mass of fearful faces and whispered speculation. She could feeltheir anxiety, a palpable current that sparked up her spine. Chairs scraped against the floor as some tried to edge back, while others stood frozen, their wide eyes locked on the stage.
"Let her go, Albert," Jonah demanded. "You don’t want this to get worse."
Albert’s grip on the knife tightened, his knuckles white against the handle. He flicked his eyes between Ruby and Jonah, then to the crowd, searching for an escape. "Back off, or I’ll do it!" he barked, but the tremor in his voice betrayed him. His bravado cracked, fear leaking through the gaps.
Ruby stepped forward, her movements deliberate and calm. The crowd held their collective breath. She could feel their hope clinging to her, heavy and expectant. "You’re out of your depth," she murmured with a snort meant only for Albert’s ears. Her eyes locked onto his, unblinking. "You’re a coward."
She grabbed his wrist and twisted, feeling the bone snap. The blade slid across the stage and the crowd gasped, a wave of sound that rolled over the storm of phone camera lights. Ruby ignored them. She shoved Albert back, her hand firm against his chest. He stumbled into a row of chairs, his breath ragged.
"You think holding a woman hostage makes you powerful?" She stepped closer, her grin twisting. "It doesn’t. All it does is show me how small you really are."
She straightened, keeping her stance wide, her body a barrier between Albert and the crowd and gave a curt nod to the audience. "Please stay back. Official, uh, bounty hunter business or whatever." She turned back to Albert, who was now perched at the edge of the stage, his eyes darting wildly. The mask of confidence he’d worn earlier was shattered.
"You have a choice," she offered, raising her pointer finger. "Come with us. Peacefully. Or.” She raised the middle finger of the other hand. “I will knock you on your ass and carry you out.”
Albert hesitated for a fraction of a second before his desperation surged. Grabbing the actress by the arm, he shoved her forward. Ruby dodged to the side. The blonde coasted by her and into Jonah’s arms.
Albert sprinted toward the crowd, his movements clumsy and frantic.
Ruby was faster. She scooped the taser from the floor. Grabbing his collar mid-lunge, she jabbed the taser into his side.
The zap of electricity crackled, and Albert’s body convulsed. He collapsed in a heap, groaning. Ruby sighed, crouching beside him. Without a word, she grabbed him by the torso, hefting him over her shoulder with effortless strength.
Jonah stepped forward, his expression unreadable as he addressed the crowd. "Show’s over. Go home." He carried an authority that left no room for argument.
A fire alarm blared, lights flashing, the once rapt audience sprinting for the exit.
Ruby spun, Albert still on her shoulder, and glared at Jonah, assuming him to be the perpetrator. He shrugged from the center of the departing crowd, too far from the wall to have pulled anything.
Was there really a fire?
A police officer fought through the wave of attendees and she passed Albert off to him. Jonah gestured toward the exit, spun on his heel, and made his way out.
Ruby looked for Kavya. A warmth spread through her chest as the hair stood on the back of her neck. Eyes were on her, watching, waiting. The room quickly emptied, cosplayers shoving and shouting and panicking their way to the exit. One man remained.
Edward Alden leaned beside the fire alarm, a wicked grin on his face.
