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Chapter Text

Pain.

It was the only thing he could feel as he opened his eyes. His head throbbing, his muscles protesting and making it difficult for him to keep his eyes open.

Everything around him was really confusing. Memories of him were blurry, he couldn't know exactly how he had ended up like this.

The only thing he could remember was him and the team fighting a ghost, he remembers running out of boo-energy, he remembers hearing Myst and Krush scream, he remembers seeing the ghost laugh in his face, he remembers seeing the figure of a man making fun of him, and then...

Dark.

Everything was dark and uncertain after that, he couldn't remember anymore even if he tried. Everything was blurry, everything was dark.

Dark, dark, dark...

"Andy...?" a muffled voice called from beside him.

He between open his eyes and wanted to look for the person responsible. A painful groan escaped his lips as he tried to get up, a hand landed on his chest and pushed him back down.

"Hey, hey, stay right there" someone ordered.

He blinked slowly. "Liv...?" he call his sister with a small voice, he could feel how someone gently took his hand.

"Easy brother, I'm here" Liv spoke, reassuring him and linking her hand with his.

He felt some relief upon hearing his sister's voice, he sighed. "Liv... What happened...?" he dared to ask.

"Andy…" she mumbled, he could see his sister giving him a rueful look. "Andy, I..."

"It's...complicated," Miss Jones interrupted. "I'll explain it to you later, Andy. For now rest, you have to replenish your energy"

He knitted his eyebrows at her, not very convinced by that explanation. He tried to get up again, but, again, he was pushed by someone.

"Dude, seriously, you have to rest" Mike demanded from the other side, he frowned and groaned.

He didn't understand anything, he didn't understand anything that was happening.

He wanted answers, he needed answers, if only they would tell him why... Why was this happening? What exactly had happened during the fight against the ghost? Why did he feel so bad?

He swallowed thickly, trying to keep his eyes wide open "Why...?" he ask.

He got no answer.

Chapter Text

'Hey, junior! Where's Baker? We're supposed to have a game after school…'

'Why didn't Andy come to class today? Is he okay?'

'Liv, why didn't your brother come today?'

'And Andy? He was supposed to accompany me to the mall later...'

Where is Andy? Why didn't he come? What happened? Did he get sick? Where the hell did he go?

Andy, Andy, Andy, Andy...

Liv dropped heavily into her seat, letting a shaky breath escape her lips and running a hand through her hair. Her brother's name came and went in her mind, the questions about where he was and what had happened to him tortured her.

No one, not even her parents, knew Andy's exact whereabouts and what had happened to him.

But she and Mike did know better than anyone.

She swallowed hard, fixing her gaze on a fixed point and losing herself in her thoughts. The questions about where her brother was resounded in her head like an echo, she heard them over and over again.

And another, and another, and another, and another...

"Are you still thinking about that...?"

She gave a slight jump and turned her head to the side, where Mike was looking at her with some concern.

"You're still thinking about what happened yesterday, right?" he asked again, leaning slightly towards her and speaking softly.

"Yesterday...?"

"Yes, on the mission yesterday..." he nodded slightly. "Still... Do you still feel guilty about...?" Mike looked around, wanting to make sure no one was around. "For not having opened the portal in time?"

Her eyes flew open, feeling her breath hitch and everything inside her churning.

Memories flashed through her mind, and she saw him, her brother...

She saw Andy fall slowly, she saw the ghost laughing at him, she saw that man smiling mockingly, she heard herself scream with Mike, she saw how she reached out her hand to prevent the inevitable, she saw...

...She saw her brother's body hit the pavement.

Then she heard it; the sound of crunching bones, the people screaming and gasping in terror, the sobs and cries for help for the fallen hero.

'Oh my God!'' 'Fury! My God... is he alright!?' 'Mommy...Is Fury going to die?' 'Quick, do something!'

She felt her eyes burn.

She was going to cry.

The image of her brother lying on the ground, with a clear expression of pain on his face and his limbs pointing in the wrong places...

...It was painful, horrible, horrible!

A sob escaped from her lips and the tears soon began to fall, covering her mouth with one of her hands and beginning to cry inconsolably.

It had all been her fault.

If she had realized it in time, if she had only been faster, maybe, maybe...

Her brother would be fine.

He would be fine, he would be with her, telling nonsense jokes and being him, giving her a reassuring smile and saying whatever comes to his mind to make her laugh.

But not. Andy wasn't there, why? Because of her.

Everything was her fault, from the beginning to the end of the mission. It was she who had spoiled the painting, it was she who had freed the ghost, it was she who allowed herself to be carried away by pride and arrogance and ignored the opinions of her team, it was she who had delayed opening the portal, it was her...

Andy was hurt and near death by her.

"It's all my fault..." she sobbed, getting up from her seat and ignoring the confused looks thrown at her by her classmates and teacher.

"Liv!" Mike called from a distance.

She ignored any kind of call and slid over to his locker, opening it in record time and walking inside.

She knew that Miss Jones was not in the laboratory at that time. She was in class, posing as any other ordinary teacher, she also knew that there was a chance of getting into trouble, but she had to see him.

She had to see Andy, she had to see her brother.

She knew him, she knew that he must be feeling so alone in that big and silent laboratory, she knew that her brother needed her, as she needed him.

Just... she was going to accompany him for a while, it would only be for a couple of hours.

Master Pascal probably won't mind.

She remained deathly silent, watching her parents go from one place to another, talking on the phone and asking loudly about their eldest son.

"W-What? But... Andy was supposed to have stay to slept over last night with M-Mike... That w-was what Liv told me!" her mother's voice was broken, her eyes moved to all sides with despair and the panic little by little began to take over her.

'No, I'm sorry Mr and Mrs Baker, I haven't seen Andy since yesterday when I took Mike to school...' Mr Collins explained from the other line, also with a slight trace of concern in his voice.

"Are you sure?" Her father asked nervously.

'Yes, completely sure'

"And what about M-Mike? Has he seen him...?" Mrs. Baker asked, trying to stay hopeful.

'Uh- Wait a minute...'

She spooned the food into her mouth, looking at her parents with some regret.

It was normal for a father to react like this since it was the second night without seeing or hearing from her son, Liv knew.

'What I tell you would be a lie' Mr Collins talk from the other line. 'Mike has locked himself in his room since he got home from school and hasn't wanted to come out, but from what I see, he hasn't seen Andy all day'

Mrs. Baker let out a sob from her lips, holding out the cell phone to her husband and covering her face with both of her hands.

"Okay, we understand... Still thanks, let us know if anything..." her father replied almost in a whisper, hanging up and trying to keep his composure.

"Liv" he called, heading towards her. "Why did you lie to us? Where did your brother go?"

"Please, honey. Tell us the truth" her mom begged, already with a few tears slipping down her cheeks.

Liv bit the inside of her cheek, looking away to the ground.

"I..."

She couldn't tell them the truth, she knew it would cause a lot of confusion and commotion and she would get herself in big trouble.

She setting the spoon down on her plate and swallowed thickly. "I... I don't know, mom... I-I haven't heard from Andy since yesterday..." she lied.

"What!? Then why did you lie to us last night!?"

"I-I didn't want to worry you!"

"Well we are, Liv, a lot!"

A shaky breath escaped her father's lips. "I'm going to call the police," he said, quickly heading to 911 and walking away from the room, looking for a quieter, more peaceful place for the conversation.

She saw her father leave the dining room in silence, her gaze quickly going to the plate of food that she had in front of her.

"Mom?" she called. "I'm not hungry..." she muttered, pushing the plate away and getting up from the table.

She received no response, nor a claim. Her mother was lost and sunk in her sadness and despair over the strange disappearance of her son.

Liv hurried to her room, then locked the door and allowed herself to sink into her bed.

She could hear her mother's muffled sobs and her father's voice discussing and explaining what had happened.

They were worried, and too much.

They were worried about Andy, because he hadn't arrived the night before and they hadn't heard from him.

"I've ruined everything…" she sobbed, turning to the side and curling up. "Sorry, Mom and Dad…Andy didn't make it to dinner today…" she mumbled. "And it's all my fault..."

Chapter Text

'Inhale and exhale...'

Mike didn't understand how all this had happened.

He couldn't understand how everything had taken a drastic turn in the blink of an eye. At one point they had the ghost in their sights and about to catch it and the other...

"Fury, please wake up! say something!"

...They were trying to keep their friend alive.

'That, you are doing very well! Again. Inhale and exhale'

They couldn't help but feel somewhat relieved when a weak moan escaped the fallen hero's lips.

"Calm down Fury, I'll take you back to the lab and you'll get help" he said, trying to remain calm.

He put his hands behind his back to lift him up. Fury let out a long, painful moan, Krush quickly and carefully lowered him, withdrawing his hands.

"I-I... It hurts..." he said in a small voice, Myst sobbed.

"I know it hurts, but seriously, you need help and urgently" the heroine's voice was broken, looking at the boy with great concern.

"Please Fury, Miss Jones will know what to do," he murmured, a shaky breath slipping from his lips. "Please"

He remained silent, waiting for his answer. When Fury nodded slightly, he slowly and carefully picked it up.

'Very good, keep it up!'

"Miss Jones!" he yelled as he entered the lab.

"Krush?" The woman turned when she heard the call. She gasped in terror as she saw an exhausted Fury in his arms. "Fury, oh my God! What happened to him!?"

"H-He ran out of boo-energy, we didn't have time to catch him!" he explained to her, approaching the woman.

Miss Jones nodded slightly, not taking her gaze from Fury.

"Quick, put it here" the woman hurried to look for the necessary while she pointed to a table.

He nodded, gently lowering the boy onto the table. Fury didn't complain or react, he was unconscious.

"Miss Jones, you... are going to help him, aren't you?" he asked nervously, the woman sighed, beginning to examine him.

"I'll do what I can…" she murmured, removing the medallion from her chest. A green light flashed in the room, as soon as the light went out, an exhausted and pale Andy Baker appeared in Fury's place.

Miss Jones sighed, beginning to do the analysis.

'Miss Jones...?'

The minutes soon turned into hours.

Mike and Liv held out hope, patiently waiting for Miss Jones to finish tending to Andy.

"He'll be fine, right?" Liv asked quietly, turning to look at Mike with glazed eyes.

He sighed, shrugging. "The only thing we can do now is wait"

'Yes Andy?'

Another hour passed until footsteps were heard approaching. A whoosh followed by a snap, Liv and Mike shot up from their seats to look at Miss Jones.

"How is Andy?" Liv was quick to ask.

The woman sighed heavily, lowering her gaze slightly to the ground.

"The news I have for you is not very good to say..."

'I-I don't feel well...'

The ghost-woman adjusted her glasses, turning to the pair as she reviewed her notes.

"Last night we had… A little inconvenience" she said, looking up from her and looking at the two of them. "Andy started having trouble breathing"

Liv gasped, putting a hand to her chest in concern. "B-But... Is it very serious?" she asked with concern.

she sighed. "A little. He's stable at the moment," she explained, crossing her arms. "It's a miracle he's still alive"

Liv swallowed hard. "I can see him...?"

"Sure, but be careful, he's still very weak" she said, the girl sighed before running to the room where her brother was resting, leaving Miss Jones and Mike alone.

There was a silence between the two until Mike decided to break the ice.

"It's not good that you're giving him false hope" the brunette crossed his arms, looking down. "Andy is not well and he is not going to be. You are giving Liv false hope and that is not good"

The ghost-woman sighed, running a hand through her hair. "I know, but telling her the truth will only make things worse, both for her and for Andy"

Silence reigned again, the two remained static in their place and lost in their thoughts. Mike sighed, taking up the floor again.

"Four broken ribs as well as two vertebrae, dislocated right shoulder and broken left arm, dislocated knee, internal bleeding and minor concussion" he spoke, recalling the results the woman had told them the day of the accident. "Andy is far from well"

Miss Jones let out a shaky breath, running a hand over her face.

"I'm afraid you're right, Mike" she murmured. "With each passing day things get more and more complicated"

The brunette looked down, clenching his fists and steeling himself before asking. "He's going to die, right?" He looked up, his eyes brimming with tears and his bottom lip quivering.

Miss Jones looked away from him, removing her glasses and hugging herself. "There are more chances of him dying than surviving..."

Mike sobbed, raising his hands and covering her face. The ghost-woman carefully approached the child, hugging him and pulling him closer to her, Mike did not hesitate to reciprocate.

Chapter Text

She had been lying from the beginning.

She had lied about the test results, she had lied about Andy's progress and recovery, she had lied about the complications that had arisen and more.

She had lied, more than she liked.

Since she was a child, she was never very fond of lies, she hated them and throughout her life she did the impossible to tell the truth, until now. The moment Krush brought a wounded and dying Andy to her, she knew things would be difficult, more than she would like.

Andy was not well and he was far from well, his body had been literally destroyed. The one thing she hadn't lied to was when she said it was a miracle the boy was still alive, because he was. Surviving a fall from the height to which Andy had fallen was practically impossible, but even so, he was still alive and she liked to think that it was partly because of the technology of the armor he had been wearing.

Since she had left Andy in the lab to monitor him, each passing day was a torment for her. The results could be hopeful or not, he could not know exactly what new complications would arise that day and how he would have to tell Liv and Mike, not to mention the fact that he also had to be aware of the ghost alerts and follow the team during the battle.

Miss Jones was exhausted and she knew she was going to collapse at any moment.

"Miss Jones"

She turned quickly, stopping what she was doing to see Liv, the girl brought a pink box with her and a slight smile remained on her face.

"What's up Liv?" The girl approached her and held out the box, her eyes widened in surprise. "This is for me?" she asked, a small glint of excitement coming into her eyes. She had not received any gifts since she had become a half ghost.

Liv nodded. "It's my way of saying thank you for everything you've been doing to help my brother" she explained, clasping her hands and smiling. "It's a cake, Mike helped me make it, I hope you like it!"

She looked at the girl tenderly before cooing, leaving the package next to her and getting up to hug Liv, she didn't hesitate to reciprocate.

"Sorry I didn't give you something bigger" she apologized, shrugging and smiling sheepishly.

"Oh don't apologize my dear, it's the thought that counts"

Liv nodded. "I am in your debt, Andy has been improving and it's all thanks to you!" she said, somewhat enthusiastically and giving her one last hug before saying goodbye to her and going home.

Miss Jones kept smiling at her until she knew the girl was out of the lab, her expression fell rapidly, quickly turning to one of sadness and a heavy sigh escaped her lips.

She returned to her seat to continue with her business, ignoring the gift that Liv had given her. The lab was totally silent, she could hear the faint hum of the countless machines that were there and her own breathing, she sighed, turning off the computer and getting up from her seat, heading to the room where Andy was.

Glups gurgled as soon as he saw her, jumping towards her and receiving her with a big smile.

"How was our patient today, Glups?" she gave the ghost a little touch before approaching the stretcher, the ghost muttered something incoherent that the woman seemed to understand perfectly.

She hummed under her breath as she arranged a few things before turning to the body lying on the gurney, checking and adjusting the machines before turning to the boy with a smile.

"Good evening, Andy" she greeted. "How do you feel? Does your chest still hurt when you breathe?"

She helped him sit up, muttering apologies under her breath when she heard a small moan of pain escape his lips.

"And good?"

"Well..." Andy swallowed before starting to speak, allowing the woman to check him over and see if any bandages needed to be changed. "I'd say okay?" He shrugged. "I... I haven't had any discomfort other than the usual ones..."

"And how's your chest? Is it still hard to breathe?"

"A little..."

She nodded, turning to a table where she had various medical instruments and supplies. She turned to Andy, giving him a look and waiting for the boy to nod, she sighed as she moved closer to him.

"This time it will hurt a little, I promise"

"You said the same thing the last twenty-four times..." she muttered, looking away from her and turning her attention to Glups.

Miss Jones chuckled, picking up a syringe and starting another test.

As expected, the results were not entirely good.

Miss Jones sighed, taking one last look at it before turning to the boy, who was waiting patiently.

"Everything okay, Miss Jones?" he asked, knitting his brows in concern. "The results were positive... right?"

She bit the inside of her cheek, shifting her gaze from Andy to the results, taking a deep breath before speaking.

"Y-Yes!" she tried to sound confident. "Everything's in order, the tests came out fine, Andy! Y-You're on the mend, slow but reliable."

He arched an eyebrow, not seeming very convinced with what he said. "Are you sure? I... can I see the results?"

She jumped, quickly hiding the results before flashing the boy a nervous smile. "One hundred percent sure, don't worry dear! Your fractures still aren't quite right and there's a thing here and there, but you're fine, you're fine and you're y-you're alive!" she said, swallowing hard and trying to smile. "Everything is fine, you just... You'll just have to stay another couple of months and you can go home"

Andy narrowed his eyes for a moment, looking suspicious, before he smiled and nodded. "That's good! I don't wait to go home" he said, smiling slightly. "Thank you, Miss Jones. Thank you for everything."

She shrugged and nodded. "Oh, you don't have to thank!" she said, moving closer to the boy before taking one last look at him and the machines. "I'm just doing my job," she murmured, running a hand through her hair. "Have a good night, Andy"

He hummed in response, closing his eyes and letting himself be carried away by Morpheus, the woman gave him one last look before leaving the room.

As soon as she was out of earshot of Andy, she leaned against a wall and threw the results away before giving in and falling to her knees. Glups gurgled, quickly approaching her and looking worried.

"Things aren't right, Glups..." she murmured, hugging the little ghost to her chest. "I'm afraid that sooner or later everything is going to get complicated and..." she lowered her gaze, feeling how small tears accumulated on the corner of her eyes. "...I-I...I'm not ready for what might happen..."

The ghost muttered something under her, looking at her regretfully. "I-I don't want to lie to them! But... But if I tell they the truth... You'd hate me, you'd think that all I've been doing these months is wasting time!" she cried out softly, tears beginning to slip down her cheeks. "T-They look so happy living in ignorance that I..." she bit back a sob, hugging Glups closer to her chest and curling up in a ball. "I don't want to burst your fantasy witches..."

Chapter Text

"Miss Jones, what are you supposed to be doing?"

The ghost-woman was walking around with an amused smile from ear to ear, with an elated Glups hot on her heels along with a grinning Glowboo. Miss Jones moved like a whirlwind throughout the laboratory, turning machines on and off and taking different artifacts, messing up everything in her path.

"What's going on-?" Mike asked in a whisper, confused, Liv shrugged.

"I don't know, I've never seen her like this before…" Liv replied, taking a moment to watch the woman typing rapidly on the computer as she muttered to herself.

The two looked at each other totally confused, Miss Jones used to be quite a cheerful and chaotic woman on certain occasions, but in the short time they had known her they had never seen her act like that.

The pair jumped in surprise when the ghost-woman screamed euphorically, jumping out of her chair and running into another room.

Mike and Liv blinked even more in confusion, raising their eyebrows as they approached Glowboo, who kept smiling as he listened to Glups gurgle happily.

"Glowboo" Mike called, the robot quickly turned towards them and Glups's eyes sparkled with excitement. "What's going on?"

"Miss Jones is planning something," Glowboo replied, approaching the pair of teenagers.

"And...what exactly is she supposed to be planning-?" Liv asked, arching an eyebrow.

"No idea" Glowboo said, turning back to Glups, who still kept the sparkle of excitement in his eyes.

"You do not know?" Mike and Liv asked together.

Glowboo denied. "Negative"

Liv blinked and Mike frowned, dissatisfied with the answer.

They spent the better part of the afternoon watching Miss Jones come and go. Mike was sitting on the floor of the laboratory together with Glowboo, without taking his eyes off the woman who was talking happily with Glups, waving a green boo-capsule while her eyes shone with excitement.

Liv had taken a moment to go see how Andy was doing, and incidentally ask him if she had any idea what was happening to the ghost-woman.

Mike sighed, looking at Glowboo out of the corner of his eye. "Do you really have no idea what she's doing?" he asked for the seventh time in the last hour.

"Negative" Glowboo replied, watching with amusement the occurrences of his creator.

Mike sighed and groaned dramatically, throwing his head back.

He always got the same answer.

"Finally!"

Mike and Liv jumped when they heard Jubilado's shout, diverting their attention from the chess game that Glowboo and Glups had started. The two smiled, getting up from their seats and running towards Miss Jones ready for answers, Glups squealed with delight and pounced on the scientist.

"I thought she wouldn't be able to finish it" the ghost-woman said with a smile, turning on the computer and placing the green boo-capsule she had been playing with a while ago.

"Finish what, Miss Jones?" Liv asked curious.

"This," Miss Jones said, stifling a squeal of happiness next to Glups.

The image and information of a particular ghost quickly appeared on the computer screen, a ghost that both Liv and Mike knew perfectly well.

"Dragoyle?" Mike gasped, his eyes widening.

"Oh" Glowboo said. "So that was it"

Liv blinked in bewilderment, placing a hand on her mentor's shoulder to get her attention. "Miss Jones, what are you going to do?" she asked her.

The woman hummed, typing away happily as Glups squealed with delight next to her. "Oh, nothing. I just wanted to give Andy a little gift, you know, the poor guy has been through a lot"

Glups seemed to scream, spinning in the air very happily. "Ah yes, Glups wanted a new friend too" Miss Jones said as she shrugged, laughing at the little ghost's reaction.

"New friend...?" Mike asked, beginning to connect the dots in his head. "Did you-?"

The woman agreed. "I already did it once" she replied, putting on her glasses as she pressed enter and directed her attention to the boo-capsule. "What could go wrong?"

Andy jerked awake when he heard Liv screaming next to Miss Jones.

He frowned and groaned running a hand over his face wearily, last night hadn't been his best night and he had been trying to catch up on his sleep all day, failing.

He growled, feeling irritated by all the noise coming from the other room. He just wanted to sleep, was it too much to ask?

"Andy!" he heard Liv call out to him, a few quick footsteps coming closer. "Andy, Andy, Andy!"

He groaned, rolling onto his side as he hissed and he squeezed his eyes shut, trying to sleep again.

"ANDY!" his little sister screamed, bursting into the room. "Andy, you won't believe it!" the girl squealed with excitement, running towards the gurney.

Andy groaned, narrowing his eyes and frowning. "What?" he asked irritably, because, come on! Why today he had given everyone to make noise and not let him sleep?.

Liv squealed, helping him sit up as she jumped up and down. Andy groaned dramatically as he jerked his head back.

"Liv, I'm tired! I want to sleep!" he complained, pouting. "What is so important?"

Liv didn't answer and smiled at him excitedly, and a shocked Mike along with a cheerful Glowboo entered the room, followed by an euphoric Glups.

Andy knitted his eyebrows in confusion, what the hell was going on?

"Andy!" Miss Jones burst in some time later, hiding something behind her back and smiling brightly. "Close your eyes!"

He arched an eyebrow. "For what?"

"Just close them!"

Andy looked at his sister and best friend with confusion, the pair just nodded and motioned for him to close his eyes. He quickly turned to Glowboo for answers.

"Just do it" Glowboo said. "It will like you"

Andy shrugged. "Okay...?" he did as requested with some mistrust.

After a few seconds he heard a soft grunt and squeals, eyebrows knitted in confusion 'What the fuck?' he thought to himself, hearing a small roar to the left of him.

"Can I open my eyes now-?" he asked, feeling curious about the origin of those noises.

"Yes, open them, open them!"

He snorted and smiled, doing as requested and quickly directing his attention to his left.

A pair of large, bright eyes looked up at him with great curiosity, his jaw slackened and his eyes widened in surprise.

"Wha-? Is that...?" the little ghost smiled, cartwheeling in the air and roaring excitedly. "...Dragoyle?"

The little ghost looked at him with great joy, flying around him while growling slightly, trying to communicate with him. Andy only managed to understand the basics, the last few weeks in the laboratory with Glups had led him to learn a few things.

He blinked in shock, turning back to Miss Jones in disbelief.

"What is Dragoyle doing awake and out of his boo-capsule?" he asked, the ghost-woman rocking on her heels suppressing a smile.

"Do you like it?" she asked.

"Yeah, I mean- I love it!" Andy said, grinning widely. "Just that- how did he do it? Because- Why Dragoyle is normal and not in his turbo mode? How did he do it!?" he asked her excitedly, holding out his arms and motioning for the ghost to come closer. "Is he perfectly tamed like Glups? How did you do it?"

Miss Jones smiled, placing her hands behind her back and smiling. "The same way I did with Glups" she replied, cocking her head.

"Yes, but how!?" he asked, watching fondly as Dragoyle warbled to him. "How? Why?"

Miss Jones smiled at him, reaching out and placing a hand on his back. "I know the last few weeks have been very difficult for you," the woman said softly. "And you looked so down, so I thought maybe a present might cheer you up."

Andy smiled, looking first at Dragoyle and then at Miss Jones.

"Thank you, Miss Jones," he thanked as he petted -oh well, trying to- Dragoyle, and both Liv and Mike cooed softly.

The ghost-woman smiled, placing her hands on her hips.

"You're welcome"

Chapter Text

Winter came when she least expected it. Ever since her brother had suffered that accident, the days were blurry and fast for Liv, time had become relative for her.

As she walked through the now cold streets of New York, a breeze hit her face, tickling her nose and making her shiver. She hugged herself, pressing her lips together and sighing shakily.

She could see the wind pulling something towards her. As she looked down, a brochure with her brother's picture greeted her.

MISSING

It said in red capital letters, the smiling, relaxed image her parents had chosen for her brother's announcement seeming to mock her. Liv bent down to pick it up, looking at it carefully.

The sheet was worn, its colors dull and pale from all the time it had been in the sun. She fiddled with one of the corners, humming and looking up; around her were about twenty other Andy posters, some still stuck to the wall, some being blown away by the wind, and some already in the trash cans.

Seven months.

It had been seven months since that day, seven months without her older brother, seven months since he had started being treated by Miss Jones, also, seven months without her parents knowing the true face of the situation with their eldest son.

It was cruel, she knew it; every day, since Andy had "disappeared" she had seen her mother cry inconsolably, her father search every corner in New York, she had seen them go countless times to the police station to ask for progress, false or true, her parents searched for a ray of hope.

A ray that would take a while to arrive.

She sighed, folding the leaflet and putting it in her coat. She walked over to the leaflets on the ground and picked them up, collecting them. She didn't want to see her brother's face on the ground.

She hugged the leaflets to her chest and continued walking, looking around for another leaflet. People who passed by her ignored her, focused on their own issues and problems, others, who recognized her or knew her and her brother, gave her pitiful looks.

Along the way she was stopped more than once, empty words of encouragement and comfort for her along with questions about progress in the search. The worried and pitying looks made her stomach turn, disgusted to be seen like that; when asked questions she only denied and answered what "the police had said," and when asked words she only smiled and thanked.

Gratitudes that weren't entirely false; those words of encouragement and consolation, even if they were empty and people said them out of obligation and wanted to feel good about themselves, really helped her; receiving encouragement and support from those -mostly- strangers was comforting.

"Your brother will return, he will be fine"

"I know Andy is fine wherever he is. Don't worry, when you least expect it you will see him again"

"Everything will be fine"

"Everything will get better, you'll see"

Comforting. Really comforting.

Chapter Text

There were good days, and there were bad days.

Most of her days had been good, until they weren't, and most of them revolved around the bad; Miss Jones had learned to cope, she had become a first-class liar and to hide things well. The once good or quiet days were gone.

A heavy sigh left her lips, her feet swinging; Glups and Dragoyle played behind her, chasing each other and circling in the air, while one roared and the other gurgled. She looked over her shoulder at them, watching them both disappear and move into one of the adjoining rooms.

Being alone and knowing that the pair of ghosts wouldn't appear for a while, she stopped looking at the screen and rubbed her temple, gritting her teeth and squinting, feeling an emptiness in her stomach.

Negative. Again, again, the results had been negative.

She took a breath through her nose, straightening up in her chair and pressing her lips together. She was doing what she could, she really was trying; despite her knowledge she hadn't specialized in medicine, she had been learning and taking it all on the fly.

She was doing everything in her power, she was doing what she could, just as she had promised Mike the day it all began.

To make matters worse, the results weren't the only thing that was wrong. She had no idea how she'd been so stupid as to not notice it before: one of Andy's wounds had been slowly festering for months. Maybe she'd assumed that scar tissue meant everything was under control, or maybe she just hadn't wanted to face the possibility that she'd made a mistake. Whatever it was, the infection had been there, hidden, growing silently until now, when it had finally erupted in full force. It had really been reckless of her, and if things were already bad, they were worse now.

The only thing that could make her day worse was if a ghost appeared in town, although, honestly, she didn't doubt it, and what's more, she was surprised that it was taking so long to happen.

She crossed her arms, running a hand through her hair; if she wasn't half ghost and her hair was normal, she was one hundred percent sure it would be falling out in clumps from stress. She groaned, turning her gaze back to the screen and frowning, trying to find some solution in the graphs and algorithms that appeared.

She was brought out of her thoughts when she heard the characteristic hum and click of the doors. She turned her head carefully when she heard the heavy footsteps approaching.

Glowboo's expression was neutral, nothing out of the ordinary. Miss Jones pursed her lips, pleading for good news; with what had happened, she had to implement another update on Glowboo, this time with medical procedures and knowledge, the situation had required a second hand.

"Glowboo..." she murmured, looking at him intently, the glimmer of hope and pleading remaining in her eyes.

"The antibiotics don't seem to be working," the answer was brief, but direct; she felt bad, terrible. She wanted to cry, scream, and give up on everything.

"How-? They're not working?" Her voice cracked, rising from her seat. She adjusted her glasses, hurrying to Andy's room. "Are you sure you gave him the correct dosage I told you? Did you get the wrong antibiotic?"

She absolutely refused to believe that. She refused to know that things were going downhill; a few weeks ago she had had a small glimmer of hope with one of the only good test results, a few weeks ago she had sweetened Liv and Mike's ears with good news, she had even scheduled and prepared the therapies necessary to continue with Andy's treatment and recovery!

There were good days, and bad days.

Glowboo hummed behind her, hot on her heels. "Negative. I administered the dose of methicillin you requested. There doesn't seem to be any response, I monitored as you requested and the antibiotic didn't work. I have to believe we're dealing with Staphylococcus aureus."

No no no no no.

"Shit!" She screamed, stopping halfway and punching the wall, unleashing all her anger and frustration.

She took a breath and sobbed, shrugging her shoulders and looking down at the floor. She could feel Glowboo's hand on her shoulder, an attempt at comfort.

There were good days, and bad days.

“I’ll do what I can,” her own voice echoed in the back of her brain, what she had once told Mike the day he had brought an injured and dying Andy to her.

I’ll do what I can.

She pressed her lips together, wiping away her tears. Crying wasn’t going to do her any good.

I’ll do what I can.

She was responsible; that boy was her responsibility, he was like this in the first place because he had been playing the hero thanks to her.

If anyone was going to fix things, it would be her.

I'll do what I can.

She blinked, blank for a moment, searching for a solution.

She paused at her arm, her phantom arm. The violet color and transparency of it greeted her.

I'll do what I can.

"Miss Jones?" Glowboo asked subtly.

I'll do what I can.

Her eyes sparkled with determination, the idea starting to brew in her brain.

Maybe this could work.

Chapter Text

It had been a long time since her life had changed. She didn't remember exactly how it happened, or what caused it. Her memories were blurry, fragments of a lost mind of what led her to be what she was now.

The event that led her to be half ghost was an unknown to her, something that haunted her constantly. That little part that was missing to feel complete.

And, although Miss Jones wouldn't remember exactly how she came to be half-ghost, there was one thing she did know...

"It can be dangerous, there are too many things that can go wrong. Miss Jones, this is unethical," Glowboo spoke from behind her. She swore she heard a squint of worry and fear in his robotic voice, but she ignored it.

... She had to save Andy.

She looked at the syringe and moved it, the green liquid inside glowing with a mesmerizing phosphorescent light. The needle had already been inserted, and she was just waiting for the computer screen to finish loading so she could begin properly.

"There are many medical procedures we can perform. There's no reason to do this. There are more procedures, more ways out."

She denied, continuing to ignore Glowboo and not taking her eyes off the computer. On the table to one side, the tally of all Andy's results mocked her.

But no more. Those results were going to stop.

What if she was putting her ethics at risk both professionally and personally? She had to do it, she had to save him. She had promised, she had told Liv and Mike.

Desperate times call for desperate measures.

"Miss Jones, please-"

"Glowboo, stay here. That's an order," she whispered, her eyes narrowing and a hint of determination shining in them as the screen finished loading.

She took the syringe and turned around, starting to walk. Glowboo called out to her, she could hear the metallic footsteps behind her.

But she didn't turn around, she knew that if she did she would regret it. There was no time to think about it more than twice, she had to do it.

She had to do it.

"Miss Jones-!"

"No matter what you hear, stay here with Glups and Dragoyle" she whispered, passing through one of the doors and feeling a relief when she heard the metallic sound of the doors closing behind her.

She let out a breath she didn't even know she was holding. The tension in her shoulders dissipated as she bit her bottom lip.

She-... She was going to do the right thing, right? She...

She just wanted Andy to be okay.

She sighed shakily, staring at the syringe in uncertainty. Glowboo's words rang in the back of her mind.

She breathed in and out, closing her eyes. These past few days had been a whirlwind of emotions and stress that had pushed her to her limit. She was desperate, with each passing day she felt as if she was slowly losing her remaining sanity.

She opened her eyes and raised her head. She continued walking, her step keeping firm and straight, towards the room where Andy was.

She had promised. She had promised that she would save him. That she would do everything in her power.

And she was doing it, wasn't she?

[ . . . ]

"Trust me, you're going to be okay. Everything-... It's going to be okay. Everything's going to be okay. Okay, okay, okay..."

She whispered words of relief and calm to Andy, which, to be honest, were actually meant for her. She watched with fear and anxiety as the liquid began to enter the boy's bloodstream.

She took a step back when she finally emptied the entire contents of the syringe, holding her breath, waiting for the results she expected. Her gaze never left the image of Andy, succumbing to a restless sleep.

"Everything is going to be okay," she repeated to herself.

The seconds seemed like hours. Sweat accumulated on the collar of her lab coat and her breathing became increasingly labored. The wait was exhausting, a horrible feeling.

"Everything is going to be okay," she said again, holding her hands to her chest, praying for some positive outcome.

And it wasn't until she saw Andy's body shake, seeing how his veins and skin seemed to glow that she felt calm, accomplished.

Everything is going to be okay...

Chapter Text

|| 19 years later ||

« What did you do to him? You ruined his life. »

A voice whispered in the back of his head. He stopped what he was doing, stopping abruptly and staring at no specific point.

He blinked, letting himself be carried away by the memories and getting lost in his mental fog; it was something that often happened to him, as if his disoriented and lost brain tried to keep the few memories of his past alive, wanting the little sanity he was clinging to to stay there.

"M...er-... Ba-...r"

« I had to do it! There was no other way! Did you prefer him dead? »

« It's as if he were, that's not my brother! »

The voice broke, and he couldn't help but feel his heart clench in anguish. He really didn't remember or know whose voice that was, or the root of why he had brought the beginning of the (argument) conversation from his memories in the first place.

Every time his brain decided to bring back that confusing and blurry memory he felt so distressed, lost, and with a strange feeling of resentment and annoyance.

"Mr... Bak-"

« It's literally as if you had condemned him! »

« I did what I had to! »

"Mr... Ba...er?"

« I had to save him, it was the only way »

« I'm absolutely sure there were more ways than that! Just look at him! He'll never be the same again! »

"Mr. Bake...r?"

« I was desperate! I couldn't go on like this, I had to help him, I had to save him! »

« You ruined his life! »

"Mr. Baker"

« Andy will never be the same again, and it's all your damn fault! »

"Mr. Baker! Answer me! Are you there?"

The flow of memories abruptly cut off, landing him back in reality like a bubble bursting. He blinked several times, trying to get his bearings.

What was he supposed to be doing in the first place?

"Mr. Baker, Mr. Baker, Mr. Baker. Answer, answer, Mr. Bakeer!" a female voice shouted desperately at him.

He turned around, his gaze darting to the computer screen, where a young, masked girl in a black and purple fluorescent suit was screaming and demanding his attention.

Oh, right.

"Ah, yes. I'm so sorry, kids," he muttered, shaking his head and gritting his teeth. "I don't know what came over me."

"Yes, yes. Don't worry about it, Mr. Baker." It was now a male voice, and on the screen the girl was removed from view, a hand with a yellow glove pushing her away from the camera. The one on screen was now a boy in a black and fluorescent yellow suit. "Now, what matters; the ghost."

He nodded, turning in his chair and leaning in. He did a quick mental review, remembering what he had been doing before entering his trance of memories. He sighed, typing quickly and sliding his fingers, giving a couple of clicks here and there.

While one part of his attention was focused on reading the information and preparing to explain, the other continued with the review:

A ghost had appeared. The boys had sprung into action. And now it was his turn to step in and explain.

"The ghost you're facing today is called: Lumisnap. It's a level 6, but still be careful" he began to explain, fixing his gaze on the screen; the boy and girl from before were watching him and listening attentively, now with a new addition, another girl, but with red on her suit, also listening to him. "It's from the electrolucid family. Don't underestimate it for its level, Lumisnap is fast and good at confusing and playing with the perspective of others"

He tried to be as direct as possible, summarizing the data on the computer. He gave it another quick scan, nodding as he verified the data. He turned back to the screen, where the three boys were still processing the information.

"Understood. Thank you very much, Mr. Baker." The first to speak was the boy, and he was equally the first to leave.

"Ah, this is a piece of cake!" The one who followed him was the girl in purple, smiling confidently and arrogantly before leaving and following the boy.

"Don't declare victory just yet," the one in red muttered, rolling her eyes before following them.

And then the three of them disappeared from the screen, leaving a dull black background in their place.

A shaky sigh left his lips, staring half-heartedly at his own reflection: a pair of eyes of different colors, green and black along with the appearance of a haggard and tired adult man greeted him. He snorted without amusement, observing the subtle scars that adorned his face.

Meanwhile, his hair was another story; it was translucent, and it shone with a phosphorescent green color that one would think impossible. When he raised his left arm to stroke the bridge of his nose, it was in the same condition as his hair.

That was him. Mr. Baker. The crazy, lonely, half-ghost scientist who lived beneath the New York high school, who occasionally taught science classes there. Really-... The story of how he had ended up in this situation still confused him, at points.

But there was a lot he was clear on, like his purpose and everything he knew about his mission.

He carefully rose from his chair, wanting to go find something to drink. As he stood, he stumbled, and a chronic pain from his old injuries shook him. He huffed, sending his hand out to grab a cane that rested beside him.

The hum of the machines along with the constant tapping of the cane against the floor was the only sound in the large, old, and lonely laboratory. He walked carefully, leaning on the cane, his old wounds still taking their toll on his body with chronic pain.

A distant growl, which seemed to be getting closer, was heard. He didn't flinch and continued on his way, snorting in amusement when a playful green blur circled around him.

"Where have you been, Dragoyle?" he asked in a playful tone, looking up at the green, dragon-like ghost flying at his side. He received a growl in response, the ghost moving and explaining what he had been doing. "Oh, really? Good thing you didn't break anything."

But instead of getting any confirming grunts, all he got from his ghost companion was an awkward silence. He frowned.

"Dragoyle... You didn't break anything, did you?"

More silence. He narrowed his eyes, stopping and arching an eyebrow.

"Dragoyle."

A small grunt was all he got, but it was enough to confirm his suspicions. He sighed heavily, bringing his free hand to the bridge of his nose.

"Oh, Dragoyle. It better not have been anything major."

Another slight grunt, a grunt that in ghost language was a simple, timid: "I'm sorry."

Chapter Text

The deathly silence of the lab, along with the constant, monotonous hum of the machines surrounding the place, was interrupted by the constant whistling and screeching of Dragoyle, in an attempt to sing one of the songs he heard and that appeared in the movies he watched when Mr. Baker managed to access the satellite dish on the surface.

The green ghost flew over the place, continuing with his thing; he closed his eyes every so often, putting emotion into it and raising the tone of his singing. Mr. Baker hummed at his side, moving his head and enjoying the private concert he was giving him. He stopped flying for a moment, of course, without stopping singing, while he observed what his human companion was working on.

The scientist was hunched over, goggles covering his vision as he worked on fixing what he had accidentally broken the day before; a strange black sphere with green lines. Truth be told, he had forgotten the main function of that thing.

He leaned over the man's shoulder, chirping and hitting a high note, as he tried to remember the words to the song.

"You really screwed this up, Dragoyle," the human's voice made him stop his chanting abruptly. He turned to him, scowling and growling in indignation. He could hear Mr. Baker snort, taking the device in his hands and frowning as he pushed up his goggles. "I'm serious. How rough did you play with it to break it?"

He snorted, looking away and squinting, memories of his game of “toss and catch” he had with the thing yesterday coming back to him, along with the memory of when he failed to catch it and the thing crashed to the floor, splitting open and letting various pieces of its insides spill out onto the floor.

He growled, turning around and whistling, ignoring the question and going back to singing.

He could hear Mr. Baker sigh exasperatedly behind him. He subtly turned his head, watching as the man struggled to his feet, placing the sphere under his arm and the other grabbing his cane. He gave a squeak, spinning in the air and watching the human leave.

He growled, asking the human where he was going.

"I'll go put this back. I'll have to ask the kids if they can help me get the parts I need," the man explained, walking away. "Don't break anything this time! And I'm serious!"

He squeaked and whistled, growling. Which in ghost language could be translated as: "I can't guarantee anything!"

[ . . . ]

He snorted in annoyance, returning the sphere to its place; it was one of his first inventions, a device that could form an energy field, useful with certain ghosts. He had lost count of the times it had been useful to the children.

And to them.

By them, he meant the two children he couldn't remember exactly; all Mr. Baker could remember was that, long before he recruited this trio that was currently doing his work as heroes, there had been two of them.

Pink and blue. It was the only thing he could clearly remember, along with the squeaky voice of the pink blob, who couldn't remember if it was a girl or a boy, and the calm, deep voice of the blue blob, who was also unsure of gender.

Mr. Baker sighed, turning on his heel and walking back to the main hall of the lab.

Pink and blue...

Two colors that always managed to make him feel good; he didn't know if it was because of some connection or something related to that pair, or just because.

Pink had always brought him a feeling of calm, joy and a hint of... Brotherhood, like wanting to protect and care for anything related to that color.

And then there was blue, which always brought him a feeling of friendship, camaraderie and peace.

Pink and blue.

He could consider them his favorite colors, also of conformity. Those two colors were present in much of the laboratory, even long before those two specific colors brought him so many feelings.

Pink and blue... Something in him told him that those colors were more than that; sometimes, when his foggy, confused brain seemed to have moments of clarity. As if those two colors had been significant in the past that he had forgotten.

"Pink and blue..." he murmured, stopping for a moment, eyes narrowing. He continued on his way, as if he wanted to wring his brain out and have one of those moments where memories hit him and the mental fog came.

Pink and blue.

Why did they seem to be so important to him?

He just... couldn't figure it out.

Chapter Text

« "Andy, please look at me," he murmured in a small voice; the lab had never felt so cold and suffocating. He stood there, looking at his friend, his best friend, who, although physically present, didn't seem to be there mentally.

"Andy, are you listening to me?" he insisted, feeling his heart clench with each word.

Andy was there, standing with his back to him. Mike could see him casually fiddling with a screwdriver, ignoring his words, as if he didn't exist.

He opened his mouth, ready to insist again. He would have, if not for the words that came out of his friend's mouth.

"I don't know who this Andy you're talking about is," he heard him mutter under his breath. Mike swallowed hard when his friend's blank, lost gaze met his own.

He stifled a moan. "But-... Andy, that's you. N-No... Don't you remember? Andy, that's your name! I-I-"

"Andy? No... It doesn't ring a bell. I don't know" was the only response he received from him.

"Besides, who are you supposed to be?" »

The sun was setting over the horizon, painting the New York sky in shades of orange, merging with the slowly approaching darkness.

The streets were beginning to take on a nightlife, neon lights were coming on, and bars and nightclubs were starting their shifts. Some establishments were closing, people were rushing home after a long day at work, others were simply walking aimlessly, and others were rushing to attend meetings or get-togethers with friends.

And he was part of the latter group.

He was quietly humming the song coming from the car radio, driving carefully through the streets. One hand gripped the steering wheel, the other holding his cell phone.

He stopped at a traffic light and took the opportunity to glance at the device; unopened messages greeted him on the inbox. He read them quickly.

– Dad

Junior was here this afternoon and forgot his jacket. Do you want me to take it to him or are you coming to get it? / 5:30 p.m. –

–Charlie ♥️

Honey, could you buy the cat food when you get back? / 6:48 p.m. –

– Carla

Hey, Mike, did you get to talk to Liv? Did she say she'd be here this time? / 6:51 p.m. –

His gaze lingered specifically on the message his teal-haired friend had sent him. He held his breath and felt his stomach twist. He pursed his lips as he read the message again; Liv hadn't even read it, making her message clear without even sending it, just as she had been doing for the past seventeen years.

He didn't have the heart to remind Carla that, as always, Liv had not reported in, an obvious sign that she wasn't planning to show her face even by mistake... But he did have the heart to ignore her.

He turned off his phone and looked back at the road. He would answer Charlie and his dad later, that was for sure.

He couldn't blame Carla; every year since Andy's "disappearance," she had been organizing a small gathering in his honor. Every year, her friends and old classmates were invited, including Liv. She had only attended the first two years, then simply cut off all contact and disappeared.

They still had knowledge of her life thanks to Drake; if it weren't for him, Liv's life and condition would be a great mystery to them.

Mike subtly gripped the steering wheel tightly, a grimace forming on his lips as he remembered Liv. He missed her in a way, but he didn't judge her for her decisions and behavior.

After all, she had been the one most affected by Andy's disappearance and accident.

He sighed heavily, snapping out of his thoughts as he finally reached his destination, smiling at the sight of the New York school's facade.

[ . . . ]

"Don't you get tired of coming here every night?"

A laugh escaped his lips as he stumbled into the lab. Dragoyle leaped up to meet him, grunting excitedly as he greeted him.

Mike smiled warmly as his gaze met Andy's; like the first time, it was empty and lost, but now with a glimmer of recognition. He shrugged, moving forward without a care in the world and dropping some bags on a nearby table.

"I brought you food," he said, chuckling when Andy snorted in response. He glanced over his shoulder at Dragoyle, who had gone ahead to rummage through the bags.

"There was no need for you to bring any, I still have some you brought me yesterday," Andy murmured, looking over his shoulder as he moved his hands.

Mike hummed, approaching him carefully. "Yeah, well, I have to make sure you get three meals a day, Mr. Baker."

He received another snort in response, but this time he didn't say or do anything.

Mr. Baker.

He'd never get used to calling Andy that. Saying those words left a strange taste in his mouth, so he pressed his lips together and sighed.

He shook his head slightly and smiled slightly, leaning closer and looking over Andy's shoulder at what he was working on. He raised an eyebrow, tilting his head.

"What are you doing?" he asked, curious when he couldn't identify the device. "Is it a new invention?"

Andy just nodded, his gaze fixed on what he was working on. Mike snorted. Another thing he still hadn't gotten used to was Andy's newfound scientist persona. It was odd, considering how he'd been before the accident.

He sighed. "And what is it supposed to do?" he asked, wanting to start a conversation.

Listening to Andy use so many scientific concepts and explain his inventions with such dedication was something else he couldn't get used to; his entire life, he'd heard him talk with such emotion only about basketball. The idea that the Andy of the past would ever bump into the Andy of now amused him.

It was... Funny, in a way, like his friend, once absent-minded and inattentive in class, had become a reclusive scientist.

Mike let out a tired laugh, letting the echo of his voice mix with the whirring of the lab machines. He leaned on the nearest table, watching Andy closely. The sound of the screwdriver turning and Dragoyle's slight snort filled the silence of the lab. Somehow, it brought him a certain... Peace.

Mike sighed, rubbing the back of his neck with a hand.

"You know, there's something funny about all this," he said, more to himself than to Andy. "If the Andy of years ago saw what you are now... he'd probably die laughing," he said, thinking out loud.

He realized what he had said and looked at Andy, who paused for a second. A barely perceptible second, but enough for Mike to notice. However, the moment dissipated almost instantly. Andy continued with his task as if nothing had happened.

Mike clicked his tongue, uncomfortably.

"Anyway... I'm going," he muttered, knowing he wasn't going to get an answer even if he tried.

He didn't wait for a reply. He simply turned and gave Andy one last look –one he didn't expect him to reciprocate– and trudged toward the exit. Dragoyle gave a soft grunt of farewell, but Andy didn't even bother to look.

Mike stopped just before stepping onto one of the elevators that would take him back to the surface. He didn't know why he did it. Maybe it was habit, maybe he still harbored a ridiculous hope that Andy would stop him, make some sarcastic comment, give him a reason to stay a little longer.

But nothing.

He sighed.

"See you, Baker."