Work Text:
Two female ghosts were chatting amicably in the Ghost Zone, deep in the heart of a jungle island. They were in a detached workshop, far from the main house, surrounded by old relics and discarded gadgets. One looked like a ghost version of the renowned adventurer Laura Croft, with fiery braided hair and a rugged appearance, while her pink-haired companion looked like a character from Star Trek—a petite, tech-savvy ghost with an unmistakable flair for all things digital.
The one who resembled the video game icon, Huntress, was focused on an extraordinarily cool motorcycle. It was an exact replica of the one from the Ghost Rider movie, with sleek, intimidating lines and a dangerous air about it. However, despite her best efforts, something was wrong. The torque was off, and she couldn't figure out what was causing it. Her hands tightened around the tools as she scowled in frustration.
Her friend, Pixel, stood to the side, working intently on her iPad, barely noticing the problem her friend was facing. Huntress glanced up and let out a sigh.
"Hmm, I still can't figure out how to resolve the issues with the torque on my cycle. Any ideas, Pixel?" Huntress asked, her voice tinged with annoyance.
Pixel, who had been absorbed in her screen, looked up and raised a brow. "Sorry, Hunt. I'm a whiz with computer software. But motorcycles? That's beyond me. I only know how to repair my zip boards," she said, gesturing to two hover pads resting near the corner of the room.
Huntress let out a frustrated sigh. "Something’s been wrong with this bike since I returned from my last quest," she mumbled, fiddling with the motor. Pixel, sensing her friend’s frustration, offered her coffee.
"Who was your quarry this time?" Pixel asked, curiosity piqued as she took a sip of the hot beverage.
Huntress sipped her own coffee before answering. "I was pursuing a renegade ghost who was trying to escape the Ghost Zone. But he wasn’t just any ghost. This guy was a copycat. What made him so dangerous was his obsession with emulating famous serial killers," she explained gravely.
Pixel almost dropped her iPad in shock. It took her a moment to recover before asking, "Isn’t that the guy who plagiarized Jack the Ripper’s name?" she asked, unease creeping into her voice.
Huntress nodded, her expression hardening. "The same. I couldn’t let Ripper escape to Earth. Humans have enough to deal with without a supernatural copycat butchering people for sport."
"I’m glad you caught him," Pixel said, relieved. "I imagine Walker threw him into one of the high-tech prison cells, right?"
Huntress gave a small nod. "As far as I know, he’s locked up. What about you, though? How’s work been treating you?"
Pixel leaned back, taking a thoughtful sip of her coffee. "It’s been exhausting. The Phantom Virus and I have been working overtime for weeks now. We’re trying to keep human AI out of our systems. Some humans aren’t happy with how quickly AI is advancing. But honestly? It’s natural for them to keep upgrading technology, even when what they have works just fine."
Huntress frowned, sensing her friend's frustration. "Yeah, I get it. They make something work, then immediately toss it aside to create something newer, only for that new thing to be obsolete in a few months. It’s a never-ending cycle."
Pixel nodded. "Exactly! Even as a tech ghost, I think there are times when we should take a step back, slow down, and appreciate what we have instead of rushing to upgrade everything."
Huntress chuckled, shaking her head. "Fat chance of that happening."
The sound of an object clattering across the floor cut through the conversation. Huntress yelped, jumping to her feet and pointing toward one of her husband’s Skulker metal traps. "I’ve told him a million times—his traps aren’t supposed to be in my workshop!" she growled.
Pixel groaned. "Tell me about it. Technus is the same way. He's constantly leaving things where they shouldn’t be. If he doesn’t want me to smash another laptop, he needs to stop leaving them on the couch!"
"Men!" Huntress huffed. "It’s like they’re born without brains!"
Pixel couldn’t help but laugh at the sentiment. "It’s true. I swear, sometimes I think they just don’t think things through."
Huntress quickly manipulated her energy to move the trap to a safer location. "Hmm, isn’t it convenient that ectoplasmic energy is clean energy? I heard Plasmius and Dynama have been working on converting ghostly energy into a clean energy source for humans."
Pixel’s eyes brightened. "I heard something about that from Mag. If they can pull that off, it could change everything for Earth."
Huntress nodded thoughtfully. "It would be nice if they succeeded. After all, our two worlds are symbiotic. We can’t survive without each other."
Pixel smiled. "Exactly."
Huntress paused, thinking for a moment. "By the way, Pixel, how’s your daughter Techna doing?"
"She’s doing well. Her graphic art skills have improved so much," Pixel said proudly. "But I wish she'd stop wearing her Rollerblades inside the house. It's like she forgets there’s such a thing as floors."
Huntress chuckled. "Ah, to be young. My son Hunter has moved on from Nerf guns to paintball guns. He loves having paintball wars with his classmates."
Pixel raised an eyebrow. "Is that what he's doing right now?"
"Yeah, he left an hour ago with his custom paintball gun," Huntress said. "I’m sure he’s at the park causing chaos with his friends."
"Techna’s probably helping Desire redesign their school’s blog," Pixel mused, her mind drifting to her daughter’s tech-savvy pursuits.
"Ah, to be young," Huntress sighed wistfully. "They grow up so fast."
As the last of their coffee was consumed, Huntress stretched and gave a little groan. "Maybe I should take a break from fixing this bike for a bit."
"I think that’s a good idea," Pixel agreed. "Why don’t we go inside and work on that 3D puzzle you bought at Body Lobby?"
Huntress grinned. "I agree. I find puzzles the best way to relax."
With that, the two friends gathered their things and went inside, ready to unwind with something simpler.