"ISAAC, NO!"

Isabel screamed out in terror and in pain, holding her shoulder as tightly as she could to keep it in place. Was it broken? She had no idea. She just knew the pain shooting through her was white and fiery and she could do little to mend it. Heck, she could hardly move with the way the cave was shaking!

Ed laid not far away, resting on his forearms as he struggled to stand. Had the situation not been so serious, she would have been amazed that his glasses were intact! Max held his bat as firmly as he could- which wasn't saying much in his condition. All three kids were bruised and bloodied with marks (be they scratches or burns) covering almost every inch of their skin not covered by their clothing. Spender held his stomach and choked on his own spit (or was that blood?) as he struggled to sit up. Doctor Zarei's clothes were torn and her hijab sat messily on her head, but she paid no attention to the blood staining her clothes as she tried desperately to keep Spender from opening his stitches. "Stop moving. You'll just make it worse!" She hissed and forced him back down by his shoulders. She looked up at the gruesome scene from the spectral bubble the ghost before her had conjured. He stood with his arms crossed and the most devilish smile you'd ever see, as if he knew something they didn't.

He did.

Isaac's eyes shown blue- bright and godly and it was everything in her for Isabel to not recoil at the sight of them. His hands clenched and she swore he would have rolled his eyes if she could have seen them. "I've warned you for the last time- don't get in my way!" Isaac turned to face the ghost who nodded his head towards a large mechanism, seemingly created a long time ago. Isaac knew what he meant and walked toward the machine's switch- a small hole about the size of a CD- and began to raise lightning from his hand. Max struggled to move his bat, and as he did he noticed Isaac's intent. "Oh, come on. Don't-!" He groaned and coughed. His lungs felt shattered and he was pretty sure he had some form of internal bleeding, but that wasn't what he was about to worry about right then. "Don't do this, man!"

"Why?" Isaac growled and faced Max as he struggled. "Why shouldn't I?"

How had it gotten to this?

- - A Week Prior - -

"HEY! HEY! HEY! WHOA!" Isaac screeched as Max landed with almost perfect balance. Max's hands gripped his scooter as well as they could, enough for Max to have confidence in his riding. "Sorry, Stormy, but we don't exactly have time to slow down."

"How are you even riding this thing in the middle of the woods?!"

"Plot convenience."

They sped on, Max just barely dodging trees and Isaac screaming for him to slow down because they weren't going to be much help to the fight if they were unconscious under (or through) a tree. Isaac tightened his grip around Max's waist and dug his head into the hood of his Insolent Children jacket. He swore Max would be the death of him and if he got them killed here-!

Then something came up that would be difficult for Max to pass around with ease. He knew because he felt a low growl emit from Max's chest. "Hold on tight."

"Well I certainly haven't been hanging on loosely! I can promise you that!" When he yelled back at Max, he saw the roadblock: a large line of spirits. They were innocent enough, but if Max hit them it would certainly start a fight they just didn't have enough time for (but certainly would win).

"Do you think I could get some help here?"

Isaac nodded and released one of his arms from Max, pointing behind them. "Say when."

"When!"

Isaac blasted wind from his fingers, enough to send the two catapulting above the thick line of spirits. The two were almost mesmerized by the sight. With how high they were in the air, it was incredible that they could see all of the tiny details about each spirit- some of them looked like something out of Spirited Away and others looked like animals (dogs, snakes, spiders, whathaveyou). The variety of life was breathtaking and made both of them thankful they could see what so many other people couldn't. Isaac glanced over at Max's face and felt his own heat up. Max's eyes were wide and his mouth hung open in the largest 'o' shape you'd ever see, but he looked happy- which was rare for his often-cynical and sarcastic friend.

Friend.

Loose friends.

Were they friends?

Then Isaac felt his foot slip away from the scooter and he began to flail his free arm around as he fell to the side. "M-a-x!"

Just like that, one of Max's hands gripped the hand Isaac still held onto him with, tilting forward so that the scooter would lean its nose down- enough for Isaac to fall into his back. Isaac screamed like a little girl and held Max's jacket between his fingers.

They stuck the landing with Max laughing at him.

"Dude, you sounded like my sister!"

Isaac groaned and pulled away so that his chest wasn't pressed to Max's back anymore. "Shut up! You would scream too if somebody was driving like a madman with you in the next seat!"

"Have you ever been in a car with my Dad before?" Max snickered. "Just saying."

It wasn't long before they heard a familiar maniacal cackle.

"Isabel?"

"Isabel."

Max made a sharp turn (as sharp a turn as he could make, riding on grass) and rode straight. Within a minute Isabel and Ed came into view, Isabel standing on the head of a lizard-looking spirit as she guffawed and drew on her aura and Ed riding on the back of a spirit that looked strangely like a bull shark and an overgrown platypus. He had a smile on his face as wide as his ears that was as explanatory as Isabel's laughing.

"I'm starting to think they didn't need any help." Isaac mumbled, stepping off of the scooter. Max pulled his bat out of his backpack and ran at the bull shark/platypus. "I'll help Ed! You take Isabel!"

Isaac nodded and focused his fingers like a gun at the lizard spirit. "Isabel!" She glanced his way and waved before back flipping off the spirit's head. Isaac took the shot immediately and the lizard recoiled as it was struck in the eye. It screeched and pulled back onto its hind legs, leaving just enough opportunity for Isabel to make her way to its front and land a forceful punch into its stomach. The spirit collapsed and Isabel smirked, driving her umbrella through the spirit's chest. Isaac grimaced and looked away until the lizard's 'ghost' ran away in fear, leaving Isabel standing on the ground where it used to be with one hand on her hip and the other on the handle of her umbrella. "That was satisfying. It's been weeks since anything's gone on."

Isaac rolled his eyes and slumped his shoulders. Too much violence.

Just as they went to help Max and Ed, they saw Max slam his bat into the bull shark/platypus's head with enough force that its face landed directly into the sharp line Ed had drawn. Its 'ghost' left in much the same manner, if not quicker and more erratically.

Isabel gave them both high-fives. "Great job, guys! We really showed them whose boss didn't we?"

"Guys, didn't that seem a little too easy?" Isaac shrugged. "Usually spirits that big and that mean put up more of a fight."

"Take your wins where they come, will you?!" Ed was practically bouncing up and down, hands in fists like he was ready to punch something in front of him. "Those spirits didn't stand a chance!"

Max retrieved his scooter and slung his backpack back over his shoulder. "So why did Spender give us a call and tell us, in a jumpy, terrified fashion, to help you guys?"

"What?" Isabel raised an eyebrow. "We never called Mister Spender for help!"

"Well then how did he know?!" Isaac exclaimed, arms stretched to either side in annoyance. "Uh, male intuition?"

"That's not a thing!"

"Look, he was probably just being a doting teacher, okay?" Isabel shrugged. "Nothing else to it!"

Isaac shook his head. "No, the way he sounded on the call- it was like he was in a panic-!"

Max was bent over laughing. "What? M-Male intuition? Ed, seriously?!"

Ed laughed and shrugged. "What?"

Isaac growled and pulled at his hair. "Would you guys just shut up and listen to me for a-?"

Then they knew why Spender had been so panicked. Something breathed down Isaac's neck, slow and uncomfortably warm. A hand snaked over his shoulder and he could hardly get a word out before it pressed something cold against the nape of his neck. Just as the activity club turned to look at the threat, Isaac twisted on his heel and shot lightning as fast as he could, but whatever it was evaded the attack and vanished, chuckling too evilly to have been playing with them.

Isaac landed on his butt, unbalanced from the sudden turn. Max tossed his scooter down and prepared his bat. Ed grimaced and whipped the paintbrush out quickly. Isabel reached cautiously for her umbrella. In typical hero-of-an-anime style, Isaac stood and conjured lightning saying "Show yourself!". Of course, this only made the spirit laugh even harder.

"It's in all of you! I can see it! I can feel it!" The ominous voice grew licentious- enough to creep all four kids out. "I can taste it on my tongue…"

Isaac scowled and stuck his tongue out. Whatever that spirit is, they had been on his neck and he felt contaminated.

"Come out here, you creep!" That was Max.

It was also Max who got hit first, a spectral shot aimed right at his chin. He was sent flying. "Oh my god!" Isabel turned in the direction the attack came from and took a shot. She was the next to get hit. A spectral shot right to her back sent her face-first into the ground. Ed just barely dodged a shot at him and Isaac got hit on his side. He winced and looked to Ed, who was helping Isabel up as Max used his bat for balance. "Any idea what this thing is?!"

"It's taking spectral shots at us, Isaac! It has to be some sort of confused specter!"

Isaac yelped as another shot hit the floor by his feet and he twisted so that he was backing up towards the group. "Why can't we see it? Where is it shooting from?!"

"One way to find out!"

Isaac turned around to find they'd all had the same idea, back-to-back and ready to attack. Isaac raised an eyebrow to ask "What-?"

Another shot hit him in the stomach and he wheezed as he fell to the ground.

"I'm not confused." The voice resonated and they still couldn't tell where it was coming from. "At least, not anymore."

The voice took another shot at Isabel, who deflected it as Ed quickly drew a sword and lunged at where the shot came from. To their amazement and pleasure, they saw a bubble pop and a ghost sat in mid-air, covering his face with his arms as Ed swung the sword. "Got you now, Bubble Boy!" The ghost barely moved out of the way quickly enough, but before Ed could mock him for his weak defenses, he appeared behind Ed with a fist shrouded in a black aura. Just as he was about to throw the punch, Max knocked him upside the head with his bat and sent him flying in a circle above Ed.

As Ed readied his sword, the ghost steadied himself enough to glare back at them. "I'm not confused, but I know which one of you is!"

He moved a few inches to the side just as a bolt of lightning passed his arm and flew at Max, who was covered by Isabel and her shield. "Isaac! Be more careful, man!" Max barked.

Isaac was sitting up with his arm aimed at the ghost. He frowned. "Well sorry! I didn't think he saw me!"

The ghost laughed and turned to him. "My dear boy, you're the only one I'm paying attention to, anymore."

In a flash, he was behind Isaac again- much to Isaac's confusion. The ghost leaned forward to his ear and whispered. "Isn't it nice that someone is paying attention to you for once?"

Isabel took another spectral shot at it, hitting Isaac's ear and missing the ghost by a few centimeters. The ghost flew into the air, cackling. "You'll have to do better than that, girlie!"

Isabel's face grew an angry shade of red and her aura reflected her irritation, blazing like a flare. "Good! Then I don't have to hold back!"

Isaac held onto his ear and scowled, standing and readying his fist of lightning. They'd take this thing down together!

Together…

Max and Ed seemed to know exactly what Isabel was doing as she hopped onto a few painted blocks Ed had drawn in the air. She launched from them with a fierce battle cry and the two boys followed her lead. Isaac stood in the same spot, fist dying, confused. His eyes widened as Max leaped at the ghost's back, Ed took his sides and Isabel took to his front.

Together…

They were a team, right?

His hands fell limp at his sides.

Even as all of his sides were covered, the ghost laughed and created another bubble, tossing all three kids away to different ends of the clearing they'd created during their first fight. Max prepared for impact, curling into a ball as he hit the tree and slid down. Ed hit the tree horizontally and shouted as he fell to the ground. Isabel landed heavily against a tree, screaming in pain as her shoulder bounced in a way it certainly wasn't supposed to…

"Children?!"

Isabel recognized the voice. With as much energy as she could muster to speak without screaming, she called to the voice. "Doc! We're over here!"

As Doctor Zarei came around the corner, spectral energy burning around her, the ghost snickered and backed away from the clearing, disappearing behind another bubble before they could stop him.

- An Hour Later -

Isabel sat in the clubroom with her arms crossed, looking down at the couch Spender laid on, his hand at his ribcage. "So you kids got away safely. That's good. My intention was never for you to fight this battle."

"So what was your intention?" Zarei looked at him with a bandage in her hand, eyes narrowed in a freezing scowl. "Send them in there and hope they just figure out they're supposed to escape?"

"I've always taught them that their safety comes first."

"While simultaneously acting as though the job is most important. You can't do both, Richard."

Spender groaned and leaned his head back against the armrest, visibly annoyed by Zarei's scolding.

Zarei turned to Isabel. "How is your shoulder?"

Isabel gave it a shrug to see how it felt. It wasn't entirely normal, but she didn't feel the splitting pain she had earlier. "Eh, could be worse."

"Try not to get into another fight while it's healing." Zarei lifted Spender's shirt to wrap him in bandages. He grunted in pain, but she shushed him and continued her job. "And that goes for all of you."

Max had a patch on his cheek and bruises up and down the side of his body that hit the tree. Ed sat on Spender's desk with bandages for a shirt, smiling. He didn't intend to take that seriously.

Neither did Isabel.

Max looked over to Spender from his place on the opposite armrest and pointed at him. "How'd you get so beat up?"

Zarei glowered at Max and went to silence her patient, but he waved her off and tried to sit up. "How did you think I knew that ghost was coming for you?" Spender grunted in response. "He got me by surprise. He wanted to know where you kids were and…" He sighed and leaned back down. "I wouldn't say he can read minds, but if he's close enough, he can… see things- things you would never want your enemy to know."

"Like where your students are, presumably?" Isaac mumbled under his breath. He leaned against the wall with his hands in his pockets, lips tight and eyebrows furrowed.

Zarei sighed in annoyance and pulled away from Spender. "This would go much faster if you would hold your questions until after my job is done." Her tone was filled with venom nobody dared retort to. They kids went silent, each lost in their own thoughts. Isaac rubbed at his neck where he'd felt the ghost touch. At the time, it'd felt like he'd snapped a barrette onto Isaac's neck, but now he couldn't feel anything. His eyes drifted to the activity club members, each sat in a silent circle as they awaited the end of their teacher's treatment. He was somewhere off to the side, disconnected and outside of the ring. His thoughts drifted to what the ghost said…

He'd always known Isabel and Ed were tightly knit and he knew Spender couldn't tell him what they knew because-! He wasn't going to stray there.

It also was no secret that Isabel and Ed didn't really consider him a friend. He was an extra person in the fight (when he was allowed to be there). He was another eye to take morning patrol. He was just, simply put, there. But was it that way with Max? Max wasn't exactly close to Isabel and Ed. He even went as far as to mock them from time-to-time.

But he mocked Isaac too?

Did that mean he considered them friends?

Isaac had always wanted somebody to talk to, somebody to joke around with and empathize with when they were left out of the metaphorical informative bubble.

Max wasn't that guy.

Of course he knew about as much as Isaac knew, but for how long? There was nothing stopping him from asking questions and getting the answers Isaac couldn't. How long was it until he…?

Isaac frowned and shut his eyes. No. He wasn't about to go there. The thoughts would become an endless loop of anxiety and loneliness he wasn't willing to put up with during the school week.