"In the belly! In the belly! In the belly!"

Mason raised an eyebrow as Wendy led them outside. It looked like one of the teenagers outside had his shirt up and the others were...throwing jelly beans at him?

Wendy knelt down and picked up a jelly bean as another guy prepared to throw his and threw it, with the candy landing right in his belly button.

"Huh?" The guy looked over. Wendy straightened up and smirked.

"Wendy!" The teens all cheered.

"Wendy! Wendy!" They walked towards her, the guy pulling down his shirt as he walked over with them.

"Hey, guys! These are my boss's niece and nephew, Mason and Mabel. And you know Gideon." She gestured to them.

"Huh." One of them, a black-haired guy with piercings and a black hoodie with a bleeding heart, looked at them, then back at her. "So, are you, like, babysitting or something?"

"Nah, they just asked to come along so I figured, y'know, why not?" She shrugged.

Gideon looked towards the van, then whispered quietly to Mason. "We could still back out. That van looks filthy."

Mason shook his head. He couldn't place it, but he felt like, if he didn't go, Wendy would be hurt. And he liked spending time with her, she was a good staff member and...almost a friend. Almost. He'd never admit it, though.

"'It's nice to try new things, isn't it'?" Mason smirked at him.

"You keep using my words against me." Gideon blushed a bit.

"Let me introduce them all." Wendy said, gesturing to her friends in turn. "This is Lee and Nate over here," she gestured to two guys that playfully punched each other, "Thompson," she gestured to the guy that had been getting things thrown at him, "Tambry," she gestured to a girl that was texting. She barely looked up to nod at them before going back to her phone. "And this is Robbie right here." Wendy gestured to the guy in the hoodie.

"Yeah, I'm the guy who spray-painted the water tower." Robbie said, looking like he was trying to pretend not to be proud of himself.

"And what did you intend to paint?" Mason asked, raising an eyebrow. "Because it looks to me like a confection."

"A what?" Robbie asked.

"It strongly resembles a muffin or a cupcake." Mason translated, rolling his eyes.

"It's an explosion!" Robbie fumed, looking on the verge of one himself.

"You mean you intended to paint a mushroom cloud?" Mason smirked. "Here's a hint: It is supposed to resemble a mushroom. Big up top, thin at the trunk."

"Okay, that's enough." Wendy said, while the other teens commented on it actually resembling a muffin and Robbie looked ready to smack the pompous rich boy. "Let's hurry it up, guys. I got big plans for tonight!"

Robbie huffed and stormed off to get in the front seat. Mason looked at Wendy and raised his eyebrow.

Wendy sighed. "He's...a good guy, really."

"I will judge that for myself as the night goes on. As it is, I question if he is worthy of your company." Mason said calmly.

"Right, uhm...I think the back seats are the cleanest, hardly anyone uses them." Wendy said awkwardly.

As he led Gideon and Mabel to the van, he heard Wendy ask herself, "Was that some kind of compliment to me?"

"We might regret this." Mabel said as they got going.

"Perhaps, but I feel that I will regret it more if we do not go." Mason said grimly.

Gideon nodded, looking towards the teens.

Mabel looked at writing on the wall saying "You suck". Frowning, she reached into her pocket and pulled out a glittery pink pen, which she used to scribble over it and then write "You look nice today!" with a smiley face. Satisfied, she put the pen away and then looked at her brother, who was once again engrossed in the Journal with Gideon.

'I wish Pacifica were here.' She thought with a little sigh.

--

They pulled up outside a darkened building with a high, gated, metal fence. They got out and Wendy walked over to the gate with the grin. "There it is, fellas! The condemned Dusk 2 Dawn!"

"Isn't this place haunted?" Gideon raised an eyebrow.

"Well, it's just a rumor, 'cause some old folks died in there." Wendy shrugged. "Anyways, this is our adventure for tonight!"

"Sounds interesting." Mason smirked, crossing his arms over his chest. "Let's go in."

Robbie walked over to the fence. "Right. Let's just climb over this fence. Oh, wait, you probably shouldn't go. It'd ruin your nice clothes if they get caught on the fence." He smirked at Mason.

Mason took off his jacket and handed it to Mabel, then ran forward and grabbed the fence, climbing up quickly and then hopping over, catching himself on the fence and climbing down the other side before hopping off and spinning on his heel to turn to them with a flourish. Then he crossed his arms over his chest with a "you try it now" expression.

Mabel hitched up her skirt around her waist so it was shorter and took to a run as well, climbing up and hopping over just like her brother did - only, she didn't grab the fence again and even twirled in the air before landing on her feet gymnast-style. Then she smoothed her skirt down, handed Mason's jacket to him and he put it back on before they high-fived.

"...Wow." Gideon breathed.

"Shit, I can do that, too!" Robbie ran over and grabbed the fence, climbing up it as fast as he could and then hopped over - and missed the fence, falling on his side with a groan.

"We've had professional training." Mason said, smirking down at him. "Perhaps you should do some more training before you attempt to imitate us, small town."

Mabel giggled.

The others made their way over, Mason paused to consider how fast Gideon did it considering his baby fat, and they approached the door.

"Don't suppose you have a big-city way to open these doors?" Robbie asked mockingly.

"Well, not exactly." Mason shrugged.

"'Not exactly'?" Robbie demanded.

"Robbie, chill." Wendy said as Mason's eyes flashed dangerously.

"When one is rich, and has a chance of being kidnapped, they must know how to do things like..." He pulled something out his pocket. "Pick locks on doors and handcuffs. Stand back." He set to work. A few moments later, he was stepping back and the door were sliding open. "And it's open." He smirked at Robbie as he put the lockpick away.

"Wait, you're rich?" Lee asked.

"Our father is the CEO of Modernism Tech. He probably provided your school with its computers." Mason chuckled.

"Don't they also make weapons?" Tambry asked, typing on her phone.

"Indeed, we do. Only the highest quality." Mason grinned. "As is everything connected to the company, including...us." He gestured to himself and his sister.

Wendy laughed a bit. "Okay, that's enough bragging. Let's get inside and have some fun."

"Ladies first." Mason gestured towards the door.

Mabel, Wendy and Tambry went in, and then Mason smirked at Robbie. "You can go next, small town."

Robbie fumed. "I'll go after you."

"If you insist." Mason walked in and the others followed him in.

"Wow, this place is amazing!" Wendy said as they looked around.

"Have you ever been in a convenience store, Mason?" Gideon looked at him.

"I haven't, no." Mason looked around. "But, as you said, 'try new things'."

"Did someone really die in here?" Mabel asked, looking around curiously and poking and prodding at the various junk food.

"Yeah, they say their bodies are still here, rotting away." Robbie said, opening an expired bag of chips.

"Ohh, what's this stuff?" Mabel asked, kneeling next to a display.

"I don't know." Mason said, walking over to join her. "'Smile Dip'. I've never heard of this."

"That's because it was banned in America ten years ago." Gideon said, walking up to them. "Supposedly, drugs were found in the mixture."

"Drugs?" Mabel picked up a packet to look at the ingredients.

"Hey, guys!" Wendy went over to them. "C'mon, let's have fun playing with the expired food!"

"I want to try this." Mabel held the packet up.

"Go for it." Wendy grinned.

"Hold on." Mason took the packet. "I just want to make sure there's no arsenic or something else harmful that would cause father to murder Wendy for letting you have it."

"Oh, right." Wendy cringed.

Gideon took the package from Mason. "Let's...not. Come on, let's check out something else." He suggested, putting it back and leading them away.

"Aww." Mabel pouted.

Mason smiled and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "We'll get you something sweet on the way home, okay?"

She smiled. "Okay!"

They found Wendy playing with expired food with the others. Thompson was apparently having ice dumped down the back of his pants by Robbie, Lee, and Nate and Tambry was standing off to the side with her phone while Wendy prepared a balloon full of food like a water balloon.

"Hey, Mason, catch!" She threw it at him.

Mason jumped up and caught it and threw it back at her. She laughed as it hit her in the face and then she threw it at Robbie, who left his game to throw it back at her.

"Hey, we need more ice!" Nate called.

"I suppose I'll go find some." Mason said, leaving Gideon and Mabel to go to the ice chest. He opened it and picked up a bag, then jolted when he saw floating eyes and a brain staring at him. He pursed his lips, stepped back, shut the door, and turned away from it with the ice. "...No." He said firmly, walking back to the others.

"Everything okay?" Gideon asked when he came back.

"Yes, it was just stuck." He walked over to hand them the ice.

"Thanks, rich boy." Lee said with a grin before opening it and pouring it in with the rest.

"Hey, look! Dancey-Pants Revolution!" Mabel said, walking up to it.

"Oh, hey! Thompson, you should play that!" Robbie said, and Thompson walked over with ice spilling out of his pants.

"Why do you let them mistreat you?" Mabel asked as he got on the game.

"Hehe...they're not." Thompson said as the teens all cheered his name.

Mason glanced to the side and saw everyone's reflections were all skeletons. Frowning, he moved closer to Gideon and spoke quietly. "Gideon, what is the chance that this place is haunted?"

"Ah said it was." Gideon nodded. "Have ye seen 'em?"

"I have...seen some things." Mason admitted, glancing at the window. Their reflections were back to normal now.

"Perhaps we should leave?" Gideon suggested.

"I doubt they would go with us, and Wendy would stay with them." Mason frowned.

"May I play next?" Mabel asked Thompson.

"Uh, sure. Let me just...almost beat the high score..." Thompson said, hopping from arrow to arrow.

"Whoa!"

Mason looked over and Robbie was standing by the cash register. "Guys, come check this out!" He called to them all.

"C'mon, guys." Wendy said and, like sheep following their red-haired shepherd, the teens, besides Thompson, stopped what they were doing and followed her. Mason shrugged and led his group of preteens over.

"Look. This is where they were found dead." Robbie pointed to a white tape outline of two people on the floor.

Mason stepped towards it and knelt down. 'There's no sign of the tape peeling at all. It's like it was just applied today.' He reached out a hand towards it, then hesitated, bringing it to his chin, instead.

"Dude. Dare you to lie down in it." Robbie said to Nate.

"Good idea." Nate looked at Lee. "Go lie down in it!"

"Oh, I'm a dead body, look!" Lee walked past Mason and started to lie down.

"If Gideon is correct, and this place is haunted, then this could end up really bad. But, sure, let's invite the spirits' wrath." Mason stood up and stepped back, watching as the teen lay down. "I'm sure it'll be amusing to see what will happen to you."

"Psh, spirits, shmirits." Lee said as he lay down flat on the floor.

The next thing that happened was like something right out of a horror movie. The lights flashed, Lee screamed as the lines glowed around him and then his eyes glowed as he was lifted into the air like a puppet on strings.

Mabel whimpered and clung to Wendy as they stepped back.

"So." Mason looked at the others. "Haunted?"

"Welcome." Lee said with a creepy, echoing voice. "Welcome to your graves, young trespassers." He laughed evilly.

"Lee?" Nate squeaked.

"Oh man..." Robbie cringed.

"Lee! Oh my god, let him go!" Wendy cried.

Mason glanced at Gideon and handed him his bookbag. Gideon nodded and slipped off to the side, out of sight.

Gideon had found information on ghosts the other day, and there was an incantation to stop them. He just had to buy him time to find it.

"We're super-sorry for hanging out in your store!" Wendy cried.

Tambry started to frantically type on her phone and then screamed as she suddenly vanished, her phone falling to the ground. Mason knelt down and picked it up. "'Status update: Ahhhhhhh'."

They heard banging on glass and looked up to see Tambry stuck in the store's security camera monitor. She looked around, then at them, banged on it again and screamed soundlessly.

"Tambry! Oh god." Nate whimpered.

"Why did you do that?! What did she do wrong?!" Robbie cried.

Wendy stepped back as Lee laughed evilly again. "Reflect upon yourselves and see why you're being punished!"

"Reflect upon ourselves? What?" Wendy frowned.

"You vagrants have continued your tyranny for far too long!" Lee said with a woman's voice. "It's time you were punished-for good."

Everything not bolted down started to lift up as Lee raised his arms. Then they were thrown at them and the group scattered. Mason made sure to keep Mabel and Wendy with him and he looked to the side. "Any time now!" He yelled.

"This spell is completely useless garbage! Ah'm goin' t' try somethin' else!" Gideon called back from across the store.

"Well, do it quickly!" Mason said firmly.

"Bh vslulw wkdw hqfurdfkhv rq wkh olylqj, idfh wkb idwh dqg ydqlvk iurp khuh.

Whuurulch xv qr pruh, ru hovh eh vxuh, L zloo exuq brx lq wkh iodphv ri wkh Frvprv! "

Whatever Gideon had said, it seemed to be working. The ghosts started to shriek and then Lee fell the ground like a rag doll before everything fell to the ground harmlessly. Tambry reappeared and fell to her knees, and then Thompson appeared, holding his head. Apparently, he'd also suffered their wrath.

"...What...just happened?" Robbie asked as Nate went to help Lee.

Gideon walked over with the bookbag. "Did it work? I used a spell from one of mine. I thought it might be more effective."

"What language was that?" Mason asked.

Gideon shrugged. "Ah just read it."

"Well, it's a good thing you did it accurately." Mason nodded. "What do you all say to leaving this place promptly?"

The teens practically scrambled to the door, those that weren't helping the victims. They got outside and back over the fence and then Wendy stopped to look back at the building. "So...those ghosts...are they gone?" She asked.

"As far as we know." Gideon nodded. Then he yawned behind his hand and headed for the van with Mabel. "Let's go home. Ah'm ready t' rest."

"As am I." Mason nodded.

"Right...I'm going to go home, stare at a wall and rethink everything ." Wendy declared. Then she smiled a bit. "But...we had fun, right?"

Mason nodded. "Yes. But, next time, we listen to Gideon if he tells us something is haunted."

"Agreed." She nodded and then they got in, Mason between Mabel and Gideon. They started to drive back and he smiled a bit as both of them took a shoulder to use as a pillow, tired out by the events.

--

"C'mon, kiddo." Wendy lifted Gideon into her arms and carried him to the door of his house. Mason stood by the van while she knocked, and then she knocked again and then she let out a heavy sigh before walking back to the van. "I guess he's staying the night at your place."

"Just wake him up, he's probably got a key." Thompson suggested.

"The kid is tired out, Thompson. I'll just take him to the Pines' and he can find his way back tomorrow." Wendy went back to the van and put him back in his seat.

Mason climbed back in and sat next to Gideon, buckling up. "I'll make sure he gets home tomorrow." He assured her.

Wendy smiled and shut the door before she sat back down. "Alright, back where we started, then."

"Yeah." Thompson nodded.

The other teenagers had all been taken home, save for Wendy, who insisted on taking them home, and Thompson, who was driving. It was blissfully quiet, and Mason leaned forward a bit to speak to her. "It's a good thing we came along."

"Hm?" She looked at him.

"I doubt any of you could have driven away the ghosts." He grinned.

"Oh yeah, we'd have probably been killed or just disappeared." Wendy nodded. "Thanks for coming, squirt." She grinned and rubbed his head affectionately.

He smiled a bit, too relieved that she was okay to be annoyed. Besides, it was getting late.

"Oh?" Wendy paused. "I just noticed..." She lifted his bangs. "How long have you had this? This is cool."

"It's a birthmark." Mason replied. "You really think it's...'cool'?"

Wendy nodded. "Yeah, man. That's awesome."

Mason smiled. "Heh, some people feel differently. They try to hurt me over it. I simply hurt them worse if they do." He sat back, adjusting his bangs again. "It's nice to have someone outside of my family appreciate it."

"We're here." Thompson said as they pulled up outside the Mystery Shack and cut the engine.

Wendy opened the door and then Mason got out with a sleepy Mabel so Wendy could pick up Gideon, who was still fast asleep. Then they followed her as she carried him to the building and Mason opened the door for her.

"I'm going to my room-" Mabel yawned. "-to wait for Grunkle Stan. Good night, Wendy."

"Oh, hey." Wendy smiled. "I'll help you get ready for bed, since I'm here anyway. I just need to find somewhere to set this kid down."

Mason headed for the living room and paused, seeing Stan awkwardly trying to put the TV back up with a broken window behind it. "...What happened here?"

"I...uhm...couldn't find the remote. Got upset." Stan said, blushing a bit at being caught. "Where'd you kids go?"

"They hung out with me." Wendy walked in and laid Gideon down on the couch. "Gideon's folks weren't answering the door, mind if he crashes here?"

Stan glanced at Gideon. "...Not in the living room."

"He can share my bed." Mason suggested.

"Sure, fine." Stan sighed and turned on the TV to make sure it still worked, then turned it off again.

"Alright, I'll take him upstairs." Wendy lifted Gideon up again and headed up, Mason following her.

"Grunkle Stan, can you help me get ready for bed?" They heard Mabel ask.

"Of course, pumpkin. Did you kids eat?"

"We had, uhm...'drive-thru'. The fries were very salty. Gideon slept through it, though, he was really tired."

Wendy followed Mason into his room and laid Gideon down on the bed. "You should get an air mattress in here or something." She grinned. "Sleepover."

"My bed is big enough for two." Mason said. "Can you remove his shoes and blazer?"

"Yep." Wendy did so and set them on the desk. "So, ready to go wash up?"

Mason looked at Gideon, then shook his head. "Tomorrow. Change me for bed now."

"You got it." She walked over and unfastened his jacket to remove it, then started on his pin and vest, then his shirt.

Mason smiled a bit. "I really am relieved you are alright." He said softly.

"Hm?" She looked up at him.

"You are...pleasant to be around." Mason glanced to the side.

She grinned and pulled his shirt off before getting it aside and kneeling to remove his shoes. "I like you too, squirt."

He sat on the bed and she took the shoes off and set them to the side. "I did not think I would find you worthy of my time, at first." He admitted. "But, I have come to enjoy your company."

"Soooo, does being rich require you to act like you don't like people?" She looked up at him.

"...Attachments can be exploited." Mason glanced to the side, blushing a bit.

She chuckled. "Alright, I get it. Hey, I'm honored you're admitting you like me, then." She reached up to undo his belt and unfasten his pants.

He smiled a bit and shifted his hips so she could remove his pants, then waited for her to get his nightclothes and then shifted them again when she pulled his pajama pants up onto his waist and then buttoned his nightshirt on.

"See you tomorrow, squirt." She rubbed his head and headed for the door. "Sleep well."

Mason smiled and waved as she left and closed the door behind her. Then he sighed and lay down next to Gideon, smiling softly. He reached up a hand and gently stroked his cheek. "You did so well today." He murmured. "I'm pleased."

He closed his eyes and rested his hand on Gideon's chest as he curled up closer to him.