An Unexpected Dweller (Faye)

“Sir! We've had a report of a domestic disturbance. Please open up.”
 
“I keep telling you, Mandy, you're saying too much. Keep it to three words.”
 
Officer Gibson turned to give her partner an unappreciative glance. Whilst he may be one year her senior, that didn't mean his way of doing things was best. Mandy was competent enough to attend this call-out without his back-seat policing. Regardless, she held her tongue and knocked again, “Sir! If you don't- ah-ha. At last.”
 
The door handle depressed, causing the obstruction to creak inwards lazily. Yet after a few seconds it became obvious that there was nobody waiting. Both cops leaned inside the hallway, but did not detect a hint of life.
 
“That's just what we need. Ghost related domestics.” Officer Gibson joked dryly.
 
“Don't be stupid. The haunted house is next door.” Her partner cracked a tired smile, leaving her to wonder how serious he himself was being, “C'mon. I don't like this.” He placed a hand on his holster, entering the house ahead of Mandy.
 
The home was cold and clammy, sporting various cobwebs which foretold a long period of dormancy. Officer Gibson got the distinct impression that this call-out was a red herring. Delinquent youths tried this from time-to-time in order to annoy the constabulary. It was a dumbass stunt to pull. She didn't imagine their culprit was very bright.
 
*click*
 
“Hands on your head.”
 
Mandy froze as the barrel of a gun pressed against her temple. Impossible. They hadn't passed any doorways. She didn't understand how anybody could have flanked them like this. Her partner twisted back on himself, his gun already at hand, but an orbiting block of pixels flew down the stairs on smashed over his head, concussing him into unconsciousness.
 
“As you may have guessed, the phone-call was faked. Very slowly, I want you to drop your equipment to the floor. Radio first.” The firearm left her head, but Mandy knew better than to look backwards. The front door slammed shut as she carefully shed her radio, baton, revolver, and bullet-proof vest. As she went to dispense her cuffs, she was stopped, instead made to stand still as they were clasped around her own wrists. Her kidnapper walked them into the living room, where she was encouraged to sit.
 
At last she saw the assailant, but he was not at all as she'd expected. It was a teenager with the body of some Minecraft avatar. Instead of a face there was just an emoticon (^_^). Despite looking distinctly silly, the pistol he held was very real. Officer Gibson was too surprised to speak at first.
 
Instead the sprite took his cue, “If you cooperate, I've got no reason to kill you. As you can see I've preserved my anonymity. So let's not waste time with any back-and-forth. I just need to know one thing.” His face flashed across a different emotion (-__-) “Where is the flash drive you stole from me?”
 
Now Mandy was just perplexed, “Flash drive? I... What do you want with...?”
 
“It's safer for you if you don't think about it.” Came the rebuke, “Honestly, police officers are the last people you expect to take what doesn't belong to them. You didn't return it to lost and found.” His tone took on something harsher, (>﹏<) “You should have returned to to lost and found! That was the plan! I don't need dishonesty from people like you screwing everything up!”
 
The metahuman's moodiness over the point quickly subsided as he adjusted the aim of his gun, “Just hand it over. Then we're finished here.”

Dani was asleep in her room at the top of the haunted house when she heard a door break down. At first she thought it was her own, and another crackpot who was going to solve the case of the haunting and be kicked back out of the house. Oddly enough though she didn't hear anything. Instead it was coming from next door.

She tried to ignore it, but curiosity got the best of her and she transformed into her ghost form, flying down through the floor and turning invisible as well as intangible before stepping slowly through the wall. There she saw a police officer being held to the floor by some kind of videogame avatar. She almost gasped in shock, but forced herself to maintain her advantage of surprise. Floating up directly behind the villain, she expected him to feel a sharp cold in the air as she turned solid, but not visible. She slapped the gun from his hand and pulled the police officer to her feet, pushing her back toward her partner and floating in front of the pixelated villain. "Are you done now?" She whispered softly to him, floating in a circle around him.

She tried to be as quiet as possible and instill fear in the villain. "Or are you going to continue to make a fool of yourself?"

The training wheels were off. Pix was going solo. Previously he had undertaken criminal activity to serve the agenda of a collective. Now he was just in it for himself. This bold move had been inspired by his knew friend, Hydra. Yet Hugh had chosen to go about it in a way less brash than her. If all went to plan the police department would never know what hit them. Which is why the slight hiccup this unwitting participant had caused vexed him so. Causing him to resort to generic threats and violence.
 
As the sprite felt like he was making progress his wrist snapped sideways. The sudden force caused his grip to release, sending the pistol hurtling onto creaky floorboards. Pix's initial reaction was to curse – he'd almost pulled its trigger. Shooting the hapless policewoman was the last thing he needed. Her testimony could land him in the big leagues. Hell knows why his body had jerked so violently.
 
This new complication was made more concise when his captive got up and floated back out into the hallway. Hugh blinked with surprise (0_0) if he didn't know any better, he'd say she was carried. Thank goodness a pair of handcuffs and unconsciousness still made escape a difficult prospect. For the both of them that is. The woman might choose to leave her immobile partner here. But Pix was willing to wager the JCPD were a noble lot. Never leave a man behind.
 
It was only when the voices started that Pix began to get an idea of what was transpiring. This wasn't a typical venue for paranormal activity. Yet the similarities were uncanny, “Failing to comprehend the complexities of this situation would make you the fool. But I'm arguing with a disembodied voice...” The sprite began to feel a loss of power in the situation. A sense that something bigger than him was present. His face certainly displaced uncertainty (T_T) but a cool rationalisation suppressed an impulse to assume the obvious.
 
“Ghosts don't exist. The government has put a lot of money into proving that fact. Where are you?” Believe in the supernatural hadn't been allowed in the Exley household. His father held a strong personality and readily imposed his beliefs onto relatives. Ghosts were a fantasy. Metahumans existed.

"Maybe I don't understand everything going on here, but I don't need to. This is a pointless effort on your part." Dani said, stopping behind the human. "Ghosts don't exist?" Dani smiled. This was another one of those hardcore believers that science would always prevail and blah blah blah. "I don't get it, I'm right here." She said, giving him a light tap on the head and floating up above him. "How can you honestly sit there and tell me you think the government explored every single possibility? You don't think they could have made the slightest error?"

Dani floated over in front of the web avatar and looked over his face. He couldn't mask emotion, that's a good thing. "Independent scientists did their own research. I am the result." She said, making a slight giggle which echoed throughout the hall. "So tell me again." She whispered, coming into view directly in front of Hugh's face. "Are you sure you don't believe in ghosts?"

“Error? Yeah. And maybe they missed Bigfoot for a hundred years too.” Hugh spun around but caught no sign of movement. He registered sensations that were quickly dismissed as the product of an over-active imagination. The sprite began to tense and forced himself to explain away his fears. There were no immediate answers. Despite the presence of others, an air of spookiness settled. Maybe Hugh should have illuminated the place a bit more. Standing here in gloom right now was just increasing his jitters.
 
Then suddenly an apparition appeared.
 
Pix jumped out of his skin, falling into the armchair behind him. Though he was startled, the criminal quickly caught his breath, pounding at his stomach, and took a second glance. His fright vanished (o_O) “Oookay. You don't often see a poltergeist's belly-button. We're you going for scary? 'Cus you're more... I don't know, cute.”
 
It was a girl. Nothing more than a girl. Probably super-powered; but a girl. She had none of the hallmarks of a traditional phantom. Not transparent, creepy, or grotesque. Pix did not spare her another apprehensive thought. Instead he felt embarrassed. Hash marks appeared on his cheeks as he moved to stand again, “Told you there weren't any ghosts!” The sprite growled. He would not be made to seem ridiculous in front of his very important kidnap victims.

Dani giggled. "Scary ghosts are a stereotype. Most of them just look like humans.. Only paler. And thanks I think I'm cute too."

With one last giggle, Dani put herself into 'business mode' and got back to explaining it. She couldn't quite explain it, maybe it was the scientist she'd inherited from her parents, but she wanted this kid to understand, though it was stupid to try. "Ghosts do exist buddy. I'm living proof." Disappearing again she popped around him and sat down on the arm chair he had just gotten out of, popping out the foot rest and kicking back. "See, I'm what's called a half-breed. I'm only HALF ghost. They have their own form of DNA, like an animal or a human, savvy?" Without changing her position, she floated back into the air, poking the sprite in the head. "Name's Dani. Now, are you you done with your denial or can we continue?"

Regardless her reasons and evidence, Hugh was dead set against this girl now. Not just because she was interfering in an otherwise flawless plan, but to make him think for even a second that ghosts exist...! She would not do it a second time. As she disappeared again, the sprite began to categorise her abilities. Invisibility. Refracting light around the body rendering it invisible to my, uh, zeros. (0_0) Her reappearance in the armchair was unexpected, and Hugh stumbled away as the leg rest came out.
 
Her argument seemed to be based solely on 'facts' volunteered (read: made-up) by herself. It was a sham of a defence. Pix's hackles were raised as he scented blood (metaphorical). This entirely trivial point would not go unchallenged, “Hey Dani, I'm Pix. And I'm nowhere near done debating this.” (-__-) Being right was important to him. Everything else would have to wait until he was finished.
 
“Half each would suggest one of your parents were dead when you were conceived. That's not just illegal, that's a sin against nature. Whatever you are – whatever you think you are – will not fall under the generally accepted definition of 'ghost'. Because they don't exist. You found a loosely fitting similarity to your unique countenance and ran with it. If we all did that, I would call myself half computer sprite. As it happens, I'm meta-human. So must you be. Live with it.” It didn't do to ignore police captives. Out of Pix's notice, the male office began to stir back into consciousness.

Dani raised an eyebrow and shook her head. "No, you don't get it. You're sticking to what everyone believes a ghost is and not what I'm telling you." With a groan she landed on the ground and stretched out her back. "OK, lets go over this one more god dang time. A ghost has its own very specific genetic coding. It's just like the difference between a human and a monkey. Got me so far? But like a meta human, a ghost's DNA grants them different abilities. All ghosts have the staples like flight, invisibility and intangibility, but some of them have other abilities. That's the ghostly version of a meta human. Savvy?"

Dani tried to hold back a laugh as he brought up the idea of one of her parents being dead. Something about how black and white the pixelated villain was was just...funny! After a brief laughing fit, she calmed herself and spoke up again. "No, the DNA of your family is predominantly where you gain most of your DNA. This is established through different traits such as race, hair and eye color, and meta-human stability. However, I was in an accident that spliced my DNA with that of a ghost! Understand? So while I maintain a human form, I have the powers of that specific ghost. Is this talk of advanced genetics clicking yet or are you just racist and have smoke coming out of your little gearbox?"

Pix stood closer to the girl, trying to dominate her with his baleful presence (-__-). Her laughter was euphonic though entirely scornful. If dear Dani couldn't take Hugh's discourse seriously, then he saw no reason to humour her with a civil response, “Yeah. I'm familiar with genetics. For example. If your parents told you all that nonsense, then bullshit is hereditary.”
 
The rebuttal she provided was good. It was all a matter of position. You could choose to believe dictionary definition took claim to the term 'ghost', or that its title belonged to those who so long used it as their own. It was actually a philosophical problem, which was a clever way of saying it had no correct answer. Men may impose a court decision over such things as copyright but identity sometimes stemmed from a deeper writ than ink.
 
However - Pix wasn't going to grace this debate with maturity any more. Why waste his considerable opinions on her when a mere insult would suffice? If the other party lashed out, it was as if he had been proved right anyway, “Your argument has one major flaw: You presented it whilst dressed as a carnival reject. That's the kind of outfit I'd expect a stripper to Go-Go dance in, not worn by someone capable of lecturing about the way of the world. Ghosts can't have DNA. They're dead things. Yet you have DNA. So I'm just going to call you a Schmost from now on.”
 
Pix would then plan to wait until the girl tried to reply before interrupting, “What do you want Schmost? Speak up.”

Dani didnt say a word in response to the insults. She noted that maturity was gone from the matter and she sighed. Using her enhanced speed and strength she suddenly whipped her arm into a punch directly at Hugh's face, ready to disappear and reappear behind him. "You are the sorriest, most racist excuse for a computer sprite..." She hissed, trying to drag him through the ceiling until they were very high up above the city. "For the record, not a stripper costume." She growled.

She spoke up. A right hook was one of the human race's clearest instructions. It said 'I'm done arguing'. Hugh would interpret that a step further to imply 'therefore you've won'. He would enjoy the happiness being right brought him, right after his face reform from that opening slug. It'd been a sucker punch, their close proximity contributing to its successful landing. The sprite encountered more pain than anticipated, suggesting that Dani was stronger than she looked. Antagonising her might have been a mistake.

Enhanced strength? That's two abilities. Hopefully there's not a third- Yipe! Pix was suddenly yanked off his feet with such ferocity that before he could understand what was occurring the ghost had already brought him outside. The sprite didn't recall exploding through roof-tiles. It would appear the pair had passed through that building as if it wasn't there. Not an obstruction. This would explain Dani's original infiltration.

Sense returned to Hugh as they began to soar. His body detached itself where she had hold, allowing the sprite to slip away piece-by-piece. Landing on the apartment's roof-top, Pix slid a ways before bringing himself to a halt. A satellite dish was knocked askew from his passage. Quickly, he relocated himself to more level ground, still above houses. Pix breathed.

Flight. Phasing. Not just one more ability. Two. Now I know this was a mistake.

"I stand corrected. I'll go tell the strip joints to find a new wardrobe. Like right now." Screw what Hydra said. Ducking out of a fight was a valid tactical manoeuvre. It didn't necessarily betray cowardliness. It might, for example, demonstrate an aversion to pain.

Dani laughed when Pix wussed out and started to run away. "Can't stick to the fight you got yourself into?" She called, flying down at full speed and stopping directly in front of him. "Here's a tip for next time! If you can't back up what you say..." She grinned as the whites of her eyes turned green as well. "Especially if I can knock you over by looking at you funny." She said, firing dual blasts of ectoplasmic energy from her eyes at his chest.

The purveyor of pixelised punishment skidded to a halt as he was confronted. Right. Rooftop chase with an opponent who could fly. Great plan. Panic was never the answer. Improvisation was the absence of proper forethought. Dani's critique was well justified. He hadn't considered the full ramifications of his outburst back there. Now he was in a difficult situation. The ghost unleashed yet another ace up her sleeve. This time a sort of ray beam.

The ectoplasmic energy powered into Hugh, its pulse carrying him backwards across the building with little to no effort. Yet before the sprite was knocked clean over a waiting ledge, his chest cavity caved in. The remainder of Dani's beam expended its energy shooting through him. Pix slumped painfully as excess steam rescinded from his body. That was a close call.

"Fragile doesn't necessarily denote uselessness. You shouldn't break me." Erratic pixels, stripped from his form, began to find a like-minded course and aim. A sudden invisible force compelled them into movement. Two small squares materialised beneath Pix's feet, sweeping him forwards at the ghost. In conjunction with this movement, the remaining pixel cloud condensed in front of Dani's face, with the express purpose of restricting her visibility. Hugh was attempting a wild tackle. An impulsive attack.