Work Text:
It was truly a kind of perfect day if you asked Charles. The agency had just finished a huge case, one that had taken weeks to solve, and they had decided to take a day off. All of them were hunkered down in the office and no one had wanted to go out in the cold that was suffocating the city. Well, neither of the living girls had and Edwin was exhausted from the amount of magic the previous case had required.
Charles was happy to go out. The streets were quieter than usual, the cold and wind shutting everyone inside. For a ghost who couldn’t feel either of those, it was a lovely day. The sun bathed the city in a warm glow, each building its own kind of beautiful. It was one of the times when Charles had forgone mirror travel to burn off the energy of a job well done. So, when the girls had asked for him to go out to grab food, he was all too happy to do so. He walked out of the office with a disguise and money in his pocket and a smile on his face.
The bags in his hands were full of all kinds of snacks as the disguised ghost walked home. He’d watch plants and flags sway in the wind, peer at sunlight filtered through windows of all colors. Honestly, these were the days he lived for, metaphorically speaking. Days where the boost of a finished case was behind him, he got to walk among the living in disguise and got to spend hours with his chosen family. Days where his smile rarely left his face and he couldn’t help but feel lucky.
Up the building’s stairs he went, humming a song that Crystal had shown him the week before. He fished for the keys the ghosts rarely used before he paused. Their door was already open. Not just open, but broken at the lock. His nonexistent heart rate spiked as he quietly dropped the disguise and groceries, and carefully drew out his bat.
He burst through the door and his eyes locked on the strange man standing behind their desk. The man was in his thirties, with snow white hair kept just barely longer than a buzzcut. Some kind of aura emanated off the man, reeking of magic, instilling even more anxiety in the Rude Boy. Although, that could also be caused by what was sitting in the man’s hands.
It looked like a modified fish bowl, the kind you’d see for cheap in stores, except the flat base and opening were gone. That left a complete sphere made of glass. But what was inside was what terrified him.
A soft white, glowing orb floated in the glass cage. One he would recognize anywhere as Edwin. Even if he couldn’t recognize him by sight, the energy the orb gave off was unmistakably Edwin. When the boys turned into orbs around each other, their energies were made of contentment. All he could feel from his friend was confusion and fear.
“Well, well, look who showed up?” the stranger jeered. “You really took your time. I’ve been waiting here for over half an hour.”
“Who the hell are you?! Where are the others?!” Charles demanded.
“Oh, don’t you worry, they’re safe. For now, that is.”
“What the bloody hell do you want?!”
“Just to play a game, little boy. That’s all.”
“And that required kidnapping my friends?”
“Oh, but of course!” the man chuckled. He shook the glass cage, grinning at the soft thumps of Edwin’s soul hitting the wall. The smirk grew even more seeing Charles’ fury burn like wildfire. “I doubt you would’ve played this particular game without some … persuasion. But, like I said: they’re all unharmed for the moment.”
“Give. Them. Back.”
“I fully intend to. All you have to do is win my little game, and all of you will walk out together. Simple as that”
Charles worried his lip, weighing his options and realizing he really only had one choice when it came down to it. “Fine. I’ll play your stupid game.”
“Excellent! Meet me at Wast Water within two hours, near the Over Beck parking area. Oh, and make sure to prepare well. My game is quite the adventure.” With that, he smirked and fell into a portal he opened behind him.
Left standing there, Charles looked at the trashed office around him and wondered how his day went so wrong.
-+-+-+-+-
Charles had done his best to keep himself together as he quickly raided the office storeroom for anything he might need. The sound of his harsh breaths acted as the soundtrack of his frantic grabbing, which was largely hindered by his trembling hands.
He wasn’t surprised that the bastard had conveniently placed a mirror in the exact place he’d stated. Given the cold and rapidly setting sun, there was no one else around, so he wouldn’t have been able to get there otherwise. The action showed how calculated this whole “game” was, and it ticked him off even more.
And, of course, the white haired warlock stood by the shore. He turned from the lake to look at the newcomer with a smirk. “There he is! I do hope you found the mirror alright,” he said, his voice light and playful. “Not a usual place for one, I’m sure, so I hope it wasn’t too difficult.”
“Shut the fuck up. Let’s just get this over with,” Charles growled, impatiently.
“What, can’t we have a little conversation?” The Rude Boy pulled out his bat, twirling it once to emphasize his urgency. “Ugh, fine. If you want to take the fun out of it.” He snapped his fingers, a wisp of orange sparking from the action.
A few meters away, a cloud of the same orange erupted like fire from a volcano. When it faded, a figure stood in its wake. An all too familiar figure.
Crystal was frozen mid movement, her body braced as if protecting herself. Like from a door being broken in. She was entirely still, unable to so much as blink. That did not stop the tears silently streaming down her face.
“Welcome to the first part of the game!” A ball of bright red magic formed next to the warlock, pulsing angrily. “Next to me is a rather nasty spell. In just a few moments, it will fire straight at your friend. The damage would undoubtedly kill her. And, before you get ideas: you can’t move the spell or her, you can’t destroy the spell and attacking me won’t affect it either. The spell can only hit corporeal objects.”
Every idea Charles may have had shattered in his head, his heart dropping through his stomach. “Then, what the-”
“Like I said, it can hit corporeal objects,” the man stated, pulling something out of his pocket. “Which is why I will kindly supply you with this hunk of iron!” He threw the iron a few meters away, kicking up dirt where it landed. “I’m sure you can figure it out. Although, I would hurry. It’ll go off any second.” A glance showed the spell pulsing faster.
Charles didn’t need to be told twice.
He sprinted towards the iron, urgency flooding his body. He nearly fell as he stopped and scooped up the metal without a second thought. An agonized cry ripped from his throat, barely heard over the ringing in his ears, as the iron charred his hand and sent fire through his veins. Despite the anguish, he sped back towards his friend as the red magic pulsed even faster.
Just before it went off, Charles stood himself in front of Crystal, trying to shield as much of her as he could. His grip on the iron tightened, as did his grip on his bat. Right as he stilled, the spell exploded.
Bullets of angry red magic tore through him. He ground his teeth, trying desperately to hold in the scream building in his throat. Absolute torture struck his torso, arm and leg. White clouded his vision as the world spun around him. He managed to keep his hold on the iron for about a minute before it fell from his limp grasp, and the rest of his body fell with it.
His knees slammed into the dirt before he pitched sideways, thankfully opposite the dropped iron. Heaving breaths he didn’t need coursed through his chest, only intensifying the pain that caused choked whimpers to slip past his lips. He weakly turned to look at Crystal, who was thankfully unharmed.
Just as before, a cloud of orange whisked the physic away. “Well, well! A great showing all around.” The white haired man clapped as he walked towards the fallen ghost. “You really did not hesitate at all! I mean I’d heard all about the bravery and self sacrificing bullshit, but man!”
“Well, good news is that you’ve gotten over the first hill! And it’s the last bit I have any direct interference with.” The man walked back towards the shore. “Your friends are all down at the bottom of the lake. Unharmed, of course, and together. It won’t be hard to spot. An orange, glowing dome will stand out like a sore thumb. It’ll let you through without a problem, although your friends will have to take a ride in that bag of yours. I’m not worried though. You’re pretty good, kid. Just be careful of the creatures down there, they’re not super friendly.”
Another portal opened behind him and with a step back, he disappeared. Charles pulled himself up with a groan and staggered to his feet. The lake’s surface was dark, full of the threat of the unknown. Not to mention the threat of drowning, hypothermia, stones being thrown by jeering friends- He shook his head, attempting to throw off the unwanted thoughts.
He stepped into the lake and despite no longer being corporeal, cold seeped into his bones. With every step, the water rose higher and so did the panic building within him. Then, one step forward led him off of a dropoff and he was fully submerged.
His body turned to ice, unmoving as he fell through the water. And suddenly, the pain coursing through him wasn’t from some kind of magic. No, it was from thrown fists and rocks. Phantom voices taunted him, jeering his name as more rocks hit the water. He thrashed in the water, trying to shake off the phantom hands, rocks and belts that plagued him. With a grip of his hair, he tried to focus on what was real.
“C’mon, Charlie, you were so eager to fight yesterday!” Kicks. Punches. Pain.
His-
“We know you can swim, Charlie!”
His bag, straps ‘round his shoulders.
Splash. Pain.
His jacket. Different from that night, longer, more personalized.
“Charlie!”
His bat. Reliable, unwavering. Instrumental defending his family. Exactly what he was doing now.
That thought drowned out the voices and after a moment, he opened his eyes. And saw the face of an older man inches from his face. The balding head and grisled beard reminded him of his father, he could practically feel the belt’s sting on his back. The man was covered in seaweed from head to toe. And with a wicked grin, he grabbed the ghost’s injured leg and dragged him deeper.
The boy thrashed harder against the old man’s grip, incredibly strong and painful despite his looks. Every pull exacerbated the agony in his leg. Yet, as the man dragged them farther down, his form seemed to shift and flow. A tail sprouted from his back and his feet morphed into hooves. And finally, after a day of unfamiliar threats, something he knew how to do: defeating monsters.
He swung his bat with the might Greek myths would praise, the hit landing hard enough to snap the creature’s head to the side. It screeched and tried to kick up at him, now with four legs, but Charles wasn’t having it. His bat smashed the legs with a sickening crack and he swung it around to smack its head once again. With an angry roar, the man-horse charged towards the ghost and landed a kick right on the boy’s chest wound. He screamed in pain, but managed one last swing and sent the monster flying. The dazed creature swam off with a frustrated, pained huff.
Once the monster was out of sight, he let himself have a moment to just feel. There was satisfaction, of a sort, to defeating a monster that looked like his father. He could picture himself protecting the kid version of him, stopping a monster of a father from beating his seven year old son. He could picture himself hugging that child afterward, assuring the kid it wasn’t his fault. He held onto that image, using it to deflect all of the memories and traumas trying to tear him down. Ignoring the renewed and increased pain in his leg and chest, he pressed onward.
It only got darker and darker as he went. More memories tried to assault him, but each was blown off by the image in his head. He could swear he saw movement among the plants and between the rocks but nothing showed itself. Maybe they all saw me kick that thing’s ass, he thought.
After what felt like hours of swimming through the dark, he saw it: the faint orange glow of the wizard’s dome. It stood out as promised. It was slightly transparent and a few meters in diameter. He warily reached out to touch it and sure enough, his hand passed right through the barrier. With an unneeded breath, preparing for more chaos, he passed through the dome.
“Holy shit, Charles!”
He didn’t have time to take a breath before he found himself in Crystal’s arms. It sent fire through his chest, lava through his blood, but he returned the gesture with the same bone-crushing strength. She pushed him back suddenly, eyeing him up and down before smacking his uninjured arm.
“Never do that again. You scared the shit outta me,” she said, voice filled with concern. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, yeah I’m alright.”
“You don’t look alright,” came Niko’s voice from a ways away, her arms full of the glass sphere containing Edwin.
His heart swelled, content in finally seeing his family whole and unharmed. “Nah, trust me. Best I’ve felt in hours.”
“Fine, but you’re getting patched up the second we’re back,” Crystal conceded.
“C’mon, it looks worse than it is.” He opened his mouth to say more, but was interrupted by the soft thumping of Edwin hitting the glass cage. Niko immediately passed the sphere to him. The orb radiated worry and Charles could never deny his partner anything. “Alright, mate. I’ll let you check me out when we get home.”
“Thank you,” the psychic said, exasperated.
“Quick question: how are we getting back?” Niko asked.
“Well,” he started, setting his bag on the ground. “Who wants to see what the inside of a pocket dimension looks like?”
Wary yet curious glances were exchanged before the girls agreed and entered. He carefully passed Edwin’s container to them before closing the backpack. With a last glance around, he exited the dome and began his ascent to the surface.
Swimming back to shore was still painful, but much more bearable with his friends safe and sound. Thankfully, the mirror was right where he left it. Small mercies, he thought. And on the other side was the office, just as he left it. Mess included. He did his best to tidy up, wanting his friends to be in their familiar home. Everything was put in its place, but he couldn’t do much about the door so he had to leave it be. Satisfied with his work, he reached down and helped his friends out of the bag.
“Dude, you seriously need to clean up in there,” Crystal groaned as she stepped out.
“It’s pretty messy,” Niko agreed.
“Yeah, yeah, it’s not easy to clean a pocket dimension. It’s bloody big!” He carefully pulled out Edwin’s enclosure, walking to the desk and setting the sphere on top of it. Out of his bag he pulled a hammer and chisel. He positioned the chisel on top of the sphere and ever so gently tapped the chisel repeatedly, slowly cracking the glass. With a final tap, the sphere split open and the orb inside it immediately transformed back into Edwin’s usual form.
“Goodness, Charles! Are you alright?!”
And Charles couldn’t help but pull his partner into a hug, the last remnants of tension bleeding out. “Peachy, mate.” He heard Edwin huff next to his ear, but the boy returned the gesture gently.
“As lovely as this is, you did agree to let me treat your wounds,” Edwin stated as he pulled away.
“Yeah, yeah,” Charles sighed. “Couldn’t stop you if I tried, could I?”
The Edwardian smirked as Crystal came from their storage room with their first aid kit. Charles had already vanished his shirt, leaving the burnt wounds exposed along with the hoofprint bruise on his chest. Edwin grimaced in sympathy before setting to work.
Soon enough, bandages covered his entire torso as well as his upper arm, though not before each wound was carefully coated in the healing salve they kept handy. The wound in his thigh was given the same treatment after he had switched his pants with loose athletic shorts. Edwin practically smothered his charred left hand in medicine and bandages, but in a way that allowed his fingers to still have mobility.
While the boys had addressed the injuries, the girls had gathered armfuls of blankets and set up their laptop on a side table they pulled out. Once everything was finished, both girls practically dragged Charles over while Edwin followed behind. They pushed him onto the couch and nearly drowned him in blankets. Not that he was complaining, as he was surrounded by all kinds of warmth.
Once satisfied, the rest of them settled onto the couch as well. Edwin on one side, Crystal on the other with Niko next to her. Charles’ head came to rest on Edwin’s shoulder, who laid his own head atop his partner’s. Crystal pulled herself to the Rude Boy’s side while Niko reached around to have her hand on his shoulder.
Charles couldn’t tell you what movie they were watching. He was far too busy basking in the presence of his little family. And, despite the chaos that happened, this was exactly how he'd pictured the ending of a perfect day.