It had been over a week, and the preparations had been made. There was a huge party at the Beat Factory, an old manufacturing plant converted into a nightclub, to celebrate the beginning of summer vacation. Nearly every kid in town would be there. Huge party + teenagers wanting a good time = perfect opportunity for Taboo distribution. Amber frowned; they were at the table discussing the proposed undercover operation, but she blanched when she learned how much support Scott would be getting.

“TWO other agents!? That’s it!?” she exploded. That meant the entirety of the sting would be managed with only three people.

“I’d have hoped that someone who’s as highly paid would be able to handle the situation.” Crenshaw said coolly, regarding Scott with a raised eyebrow. “Unfortunately, we cannot spare any more resources, even on a matter as important as this. Our agents are all currently on other assignments, and I don’t have the pull to reassign them. Our secrecy is both our mission and our weakness; if we recruited more, than we expose more people to the dangerous truths of the world that they shouldn’t know. Currently, we recruit based on previous exposure to the supernatural, offering some measure of vengeance or control. We cannot afford to move openly, not at this time. Why do you think we’re so desperate as to ask an untrained kid to help?” he explained. “It will be Special Agent Havenbrook, Agent Cross, and myself who will be performing this operation.”

“That’s ridiculous!” she said, and absently thought ‘Huh. Havenbrook really isn’t that impressive for a pro name.’ “Do you really expect him to go in alone? No offence, but you’re kinda out of the age range for clubbing with teenagers.” she said, wincing.

“Thank heaven for that.” Cross snorted. “Unfortunately, sending the kid in’s the best option we got. Go in, find someone with the drug, try and follow him back to the distributor. We’ll be working at a distance, but we will be there to pull his a-ahh, fat from the fire if things go wrong.” She looked at Scott, then sighed. “When things go wrong.”

“So glad for your confidence.” Scott said dryly.

“That’s…hmm, that’s good, I guess.” Amber said, tugging her ponytail. Scott rolled his eyes.

“Amber, relax. I’ll be fine. Yeah it’ll be dangerous, but I’ve been in danger before and come out on top, this’ll be no different. I am, after all, a necromancer.” He grinned.

“Ngh…okay. If you’re sure.” she said, sounding mollified. “But…how’re you gonna find out who’s selling it?”

“Oh, that’s easy. I’ve got a small regiment of insect and squirrel zombies at the ready. They can help me monitor the party, look out for anyone who’s handing it out.” he said confidently.

“Aaaaand what about just talking to people?” Cross pointed out.

“Oh, no way.” Scott dismissed, waving his hand. “I’m the weird kid, no one really talks to me. It’s super suspicious if I go up to anyone I know and start asking about illegal drugs.” Cross’s palm met her face, and Crenshaw buried his face in his hands.

“That’s the entire reason we wanted you to do this.” he said.

“Huh. Guess that makes sense, now that I think about it. Sorry, I thought you just wanted me to go in and nab ‘em.” Scott said.

“There’s no way we’re letting a teenager who hasn’t even been through basic do that.” Crenshaw growled. Scott shrugged.

“Suit yourself, but it’s all the same to me. Not like I haven’t done this kinda thing before.”

“I hate to admit it, but he does have field experience with this.” Cross said, leaning back in her chair. “However, I’m in agreement about his chances. The kid…isn’t the most socially adept.” She stared at Scott as she spoke, and he stuck his tongue out at her. “I propose Amber go along as well.”

“Huh?” Amber said wide-eyed, and Crenshaw raised an eyebrow as well.

“You want to involve an underage, untrained civilian?” he asked dubiously.

“While I’d normally not even consider it, Amber would make an excellent foil for this operation. She’s naturally sociable, and from what I’ know already popular with the students from Craven Falls.”

“Oh, well, I don’t know…” Amber said, turning away and blushing.

“Not to mention, she already has knowledge of the occult, infiltration experience as a ghost, and battle experience as a ghoul. While she’s human again now, that experience will give her the edge, if only against a bunch of high schoolers. Plus, if anything happens, I…” She grimaced. It was going to sound cold. Visibly swallowing, she continued “I don’t want to be this heartless, but if anything happens, I’d rather it be to her. In the worst case scenario, the three of us are infinitely more expendable than the kid. He can bring us back. Right?”

“Of course. For a nominal fee.” Scott nodded, grinning. Amber sighed and nodded too.

“’Course, it’s not up to us.” Cross said. “Well, kid? It’s your call.”

Amber sat at the table, a distant expression on her face. She glanced at each of them in turn as she mulled it over.

“This…is a big decision.” she said, not looking up from the table. “To be honest, I was hoping I’d never have to deal with anything like this again. I’ve had more than my fill of life and death experiences.” Scott opened his mouth to correct her phrase, but realized she was right and bade her continue. “I’d like to say no, but…this drug, Taboo, it...it’s not something that should exist. If it does anything to the brain like it does the body…” She shivered as she remembered Robert’s body swelling painfully and unnaturally as he transformed into that beast. She stared off into space, then her eyes hardened. “I-I’ll do what I can to help. I mean, I’m already in this far, right? Heh.” she chuckled nervously, and Scott squeezed her hand.

“Yeah. It won’t be suspicious if you show up with me, it’s kinda obvious. And hey, we can always just hang out and dance if we don’t find anything.” Scott said brightly, hiding his distaste for parties.

“Just remember, this is a sting, not a date.” Crenshaw said as Cross smirked. Amber blinked.

“You know, I would say this’d be the weirdest date I’ve ever been on, but that’s not actually true.”

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Yun smirked as he walked home in the rain. The clay jar was between his hands, and every now and then it shook faintly.

“Shh, shh, quiet, my little ones.” he soothed as he went up the hill, his raincoat heavy around his shoulders. “Soon this will be over, but we have much to go through first. Only the best will do for us all, right?” The jar rumbled again, and there was nothing stopping the smile creeping across Yun’s face. His sandals squashed the mud, and he came upon a horde of beetles digging into the wet ground.

“Perfect.” he said, and started to untie the string keeping the lid on. The jar rattled violently as the seal was loosened, but he rubbed a finger on the side to calm it.

“Shh, it’s alright, it’s alright. There’s the possibility these new ones will prove challenging. However, you’ve all grown so much. Soon you will see who the best of the best truly is.” Yun opened the lid just enough to drop the gathered beetles in. There was a skittering, then the jar began to shake again, and he quickly sealed it back up.

Before he did, he couldn’t help but smile proudly as he caught a glimpse of something bright yellow and red with in the darkness of the jar.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Okay, so the old district wasn’t the best idea.” Riley said, shaking the leaf clippings from her long air.

“Wasn’t the best? We were attacked! And humiliated! It was a terrible idea.” Connor said disgustedly, removing a rotten banana peel form his shirt.

“Hey, just ‘cause it didn’t pan out is no reason to get discuraged! Besides, I didn’t hear you saying it was a bad idea before that!” she said hotly.

“’Discouraged.’ And I guess it makes sense for a necromancer to live in the oldest part of town, and one of the oldest in the country.” Connor admitted. “But we got a trashcan thrown over our heads and pushed down a hill!”

“I know, right!?” Riley said, eyes sparkling. “Wasn’t it great? Ghosts! Real ghosts! It’s so exciting!”

Connor didn’t share her exuberance. They had decided to explore the old district, because everyone said it was haunted and where better for a necromancer to set up shop? They had spent all day looking and walking around to try and find something that could lead them back to Necrysis.

The search was fruitless up until they snuck into Blackwell Manor. It was easy to squeeze under the fence, and that house was supposedly the most haunted in the state. If they couldn’t find something there, they couldn’t find anything. Of course, they nearly hadn’t. Cold on the inside despite the summer sun, they found broken floorboards, covered antique furniture, and rickety stairs in a dead silence, all covered in dust.

“I-I heard a family tried to move into here in the sixties. They kept hearing loud noises and things kept moving around, so they left. I think I can see why.” Connor said quietly, barely above a whisper.

“Yeah. This place’s got a real creepy vibe.” Riley said, shivering, then grinned. “Perfect. Let’s go upstairs. I don’t think we’ll find too much down here. Ghosts like attics and bedrooms and stuff, right?”

“I guess. That and basements.” Connor said.

“Well then we’ll check there too then.” They set up the creaking stairs slowly, Connor nervous about two things. One was if the stairs could hold even their slight weight; and his second concern he had to voice.

“Um, Riley?” he asked, ducking away from a spiderweb.

“Yeah?”

“What exactly is the plan when we find the ghosts?”

“Simple. We just ask ‘em where Necrysis is! He could even be in this house!” she beamed.

“Right, right. But uh, what if they don’t know either? Or what if the guy is here, but isn’t friendly too?” he had to ask.

“Don’t worry. If he really were a bad guy, he wouldn’t have helped us out when we needed it, right? And if he’s around here, if he can make zombies he can probably talk to ghosts too, so they should know where he is. Then I find him and get him to teach me, and it’s all good!” she said.

“Uh-huh. And how exactly are you gonna convince him?”

“Don’t worry ‘bout it, don’t worry! I’ll do it, no prob!” she said brightly, slapping his back as they reached the second floor.

“You didn’t answer me, you know.” he said.

“Okay, now that we’re here, we should split up to cover more ground. Stay within earshot, but we have to move quick, so they can’t get away.” she said, quivering like a cat about to pounce. Connor stared at her like she’d grown another head and broke out into a solo duet.

“What!?” he whispered fiercely. “Are you crazy!? That’s the last thing we should do, not the first! Haven’t you seen Scooby-Doo? They always split up, then bad things happen!”

“That’s just a cartoon.” she dismissed. “This’s real life. What’s the worst thing that could happen?”

“You…could…die…” came from the ether, and both of them went wide-eyed in shock as they broke out into goosebumps. Around the corner came a soft glowing light. Connor trembled as a woman in an old-fashioned dress from the fifties floated into view, her entire form dim and fuzzy to his eyes. But there was no mistaking her frighteningly blank expression and blood-covered form, a throbbing wound on her right neck and shoulder. She drifted forward at them, silent and terrifying.

“What’s that? What’s that?” Riley said, unable to make out much beyond a vague glowing outline. She hurriedly rubbed her eyes as Connor slowly backed up.

‘No! If I’m gonna do this, I gotta be able to see ’em! C’mon eyes! Work! Work!’ Pulling up everything she had, Riley willed herself to see the indistinct shape before her. Straining with effort, all she saw was the strange light as the pressure in her face built up. ‘I…I’m gonna do this! I can do this! I can do this! I! Will! See!’

The light seemed to slow as it approached, as if wondering why Riley’s face was turning red.

‘C’mon! Work!’ “Hmmmmnnnnnnn!”She grunted, sweat pouring off her body, as she strained and strained… and felt something break. She cried out and held a hand to her face, eyes stinging. “Ow…hey!” Blinking, she could now see the woman hovering over them with crystal clarity. “I can see her! I can see her! I can…” Her face fell as her brain caught up, staring at the horrible blood-soaked specter before them.

“Boo.”

“Aaaaaaaaaaaagh!” They both screamed and fled, taking a tumble halfway down the stairs but not slowed in the slightest, instantly getting up and racing out the door. There was a loud clang, and the ghost winced as they ran into the neighbor’s trashcan.

“Hurry up, she’s after us!

“I’m coming!” The ghost just sighed and shook her head, her wounds disappearing as she reasserted her ego, becoming her self-identity again.

“Now Judith, don’t you think that was too much?” her husband Al said, floating up through the floor.

“You heard them, they wanted to find out where Scott is! While it’s nice to have someone different to talk to, they wanted to learn his necromancy. And if the boy teaches them, he’ll drag them into trouble, I just know it! Ooh!” She stamped her spectral foot, and it sank through the floorboards silently.

“I know dear, I know. No doubt you made the right decision, but why not consult the Captain? It is his house, after all.” She snorted.

“That man couldn’t haunt a mop. And if he didn’t deafen them with his singing, he’d steer them right into his arms! You know how he is with children. No, this was for the best, you’ll see.” she said primly. Al huffed his pipe and nodded, but couldn’t help but feel encountering a ghost, if they were truly determined to be necromancers, if they were anything like Scott, would only fuel their desire.