Chapter Text
The school day ended the same way it always did, too slow at first, then all at once. Charlie slung his backpack over one shoulder as he jogged to keep up with the Stine triplets, who were already halfway down the block. Despite being a year older than the three, they had caught up to his grade for their brains.
CJ walked with her usual confidence, hands in her jackets pocket, Jamie was animatedly rambling about something very technical, and William hovered close to the curb, quietly observing everything like he always did.
“Hideout?” Jamie asked, already grinning.
Charlie didn’t even hesitate to answer once he caught up. “Obviously.”
CJ snapped her fingers. “The last one there owes me my favourite snacks.”
That was all the warning he got.
Jamie vanished in a shimmer of blue light. CJ grabbed Charlie by the wrist and whooshed them both up into the air, laughing as his feet left the ground. William sighed, then calmly phased through the sidewalk like it was water.
Charlie hit the dirt outside the hideout a second later, laughing so hard his sides hurt. “One of these days–” he said between breaths, “you’re gonna kill me CJ! Start warning me first.”
“Nope,” CJ replied cheerfully. “That’s the fun part, I'm unpredictable.”
Their hideout was tucked deep in the trees behind the neighborhood, hidden, warded, and absolutely impossible to find unless you already knew it was there. What looked like an ordinary fallen tree opened into something else entirely once Jamie tapped a sequence into a hidden panel.
The door slid open with a soft whirr.
“Welcome back,” chimed a smooth mechanical voice.
“Hey, Dox,” Jamie said proudly.
Inside, the space glowed warm and familiar. The couch was lumpy but comfortable, the TV mounted securely to one wall, and because Jamie was Jamie, there was a full-on microwave humming softly in the corner.
“I still don’t understand why we need a microwave here,” Charlie said, dropping his backpack near the entrance.
“Because,” Jamie replied seriously, “sometimes science requires hot pockets and mom doesn't let us eat them too often.”
Charlie just chuckled and moved toward the large glass enclosure Jamie had built just for him. Or well, more so for his pet snake Hex.
The boy stared at the albino reptile eagerly through the glass and Hex, secretly Damballa in disguise lifted his head lazily when he approached, tongue flicking.
“Hey, Hexxy,” Charlie cooed, voice instantly dropping into that tone. “Did you miss me?”
William knelt beside him, hands folded politely on his lap. “You were very patient today waiting for us here,” he said softly. “Good snake!”
Hex's red eyes blinked.
Slowly.
Internally, the ancient god of creation screamed but he kept himself composed. “Hex, they call me.”
“HEX.”
“I have been reduced to a house pet by my own accord, when I once invoked blood-soaked rituals. Answered prayers and aided this boy's father in his schemes..”
“And now—”
“Who’s a good little danger noodle?”
“Humiliation. This is pure and utterly humiliation, but I only have myself to blame for wanting to be closer to the child.”
Hex allowed his tongue to flick again, because refusing would result in head pats, and there were lines even a god would not cross.
Charlie laughed softly. “See? He likes it.”
“I tolerate it,” Hex corrected mentally.
“There is a difference, god child. At least your instincts are improving.”
William tilted his head, studying him closely. “His energy feels… calm,” he said thoughtfully. “Powerful, but calm.”
Hex stiffened.
“Oh? You sense it, child? Fascinating.”
Charlie smiled. “Yeah. He’s always been like that. Just a chill little guy.”
“Ha, little you perceive me. How quaint. Your syntax is atrocious, but your intentions are acceptable.”
Charlie pressed his forehead gently to the glass. “You’re such a good listener, Hex. Don’t tell anyone our secrets, okay?”
William leaned closer, whispering into Charlie’s ear. “Do you think he understands us?”
Hex very deliberately curled tighter, resting his head on his coils.
“I understand every word,” he thought darkly. “And when the stars align and my true form is revealed, history shall remember this moment.”
Charlie reached in carefully and stroked his scales.
“Good boy.”
Hex closed his eyes and hissed softly, it was almost like a purr.. it felt strangely nice. “Very well, Charlie Ray,” the god thought to himself. “You may keep me.”
But the baby voice must end one day.
With a loud yawn, CJ flopped onto the couch. “Okay, magic time. What are we doing today?”
Jamie’s blue eyes lit up immediately. “I made an upgrade to Paradox. It can now track energy spikes from our abilities in real time.”
William blinked. “Is that… safe?”
“Probably.”
Charlie snorted, patting William's shoulder hoping to calm the poor guy's nerves. “That’s not reassuring in the slightest, Jamie.”
Still, the boy sat cross-legged on the floor as the triplets started showing off, they had done this ever since they were toddlers. CJ lifted him into the air again, more gentler this time.
“See? Controlled,” she said, trying to stay focused and not drop him.
Jamie teleported them both onto the couch just to prove he could, and William phased halfway through the table, pausing to adjust his shirt collar before fully reappearing.
Charlie clapped his hands together, truly impressed. He'd always wondered what the source of their powers were.. not knowing much thanks to uncle Slappy, their father being so mysterious about it. Intentionally, but then again.. Charlie had no idea where his ability to see the dead came from.
“Okay, still cool. Still terrifying. Ten out of ten Stines!”
A few hours in, they lost track of time the way they always did, laughing, testing magic, Jamie dragging Charlie into another one of his half-baked invention ideas (which ended with them briefly stuck upside down near the ceiling), William practicing a presentation for school while Charlie nodded along thoughtfully, and CJ venting about how people at school still got intimidated by her.
“You’re not scary,” Charlie said honestly. “You’re just… loud with confidence. That doesn't have to be a bad thing CJ.”
The girl huffed, trying her best to believe that.. it would take some time getting used to hearing, then she smirked. “Yeah. Guess that runs in the family.”
Outside, the sun dipped lower.
Inside, the microwave beeped, the TV played some old sci-fi movie Jamie insisted was “important for inspiration,” and Paradox quietly hummed in the background.
They were mid-argument over whether teleporting counted as cheating in tag when a distant shout cut through the air.
“KIDS, WHERE ARE YA?!”
The room went dead silent and the children tensed up. Charlie’s mismatched eyes widened. “Oh no..”
CJ shot upright, her expression worried as she checked her watch. “That sounds like Dad!”
Jamie checked the time on one of his monitors. “…We may have lost track of.. several hours.”
William sighed softly, knowing they were in for it now. “We forgot about time again.”
Outside, the shouting got closer.
“Do you three have ANY idea what time it is?! I have been calling for ten minutes!”
Annabelle snapped right after him.
“Ten? Try twenty! I was THIS close to sending your father in circles!”
“Hey!” Slappy shot back, his expression softening looking at his wife raising an eyebrow. “What? Come on honey, I don’t get lost.”
“Yes, you do!”
Charlie’s heart dropped when another familiar voice joined in.
“Oh, this is great,” Chucky growled, clearly not wanting to be there. “Real, fuckin’ great. I step away to go huntin’ and suddenly I hear from Tiff that my kid’s gone like he vanished into thin air too!”
“And that,” Charlie said, scrambling to his feet, “is my cue.”
CJ jumped to her feet. “Okay, emergency exit plan—go!”
They burst into motion, Jamie shutting systems down, CJ grabbing backpacks, William making sure nothing looked disturbed. Charlie gave Hex's enclosure one last check before Jamie sealed it safely. He would come pick him up later.
As they slipped out of the hideout together, the noise of their parents grew louder and before Slappy and Annabelle could spot their triplets, they disappeared into thin air out of shared shock. Charlie is startled, being left there to explain things on his own.
Slappy crossed his arms, looking down at the boy. “Care to explain why I found three missing children and a very loud red-headed menace shouting your name?”
They were doomed, so Slappy had spotted the triplets before they vanished.. somehow? Curse him and his magical abilities and perks!
Charlie raised a hand weakly. “Hi, Uncle Slappy…”
Annabelle narrowed her eyes at the clearing and slowly the Stine triplets appeared again. The woman wasn't angry with them, she had been as worried as the rest and she certainly showed it when she knelt down to inspect them. “You children were supposed to be home an hour ago! Are you three and Charlie alright?”
Chucky appeared from behind a tree, knife nowhere in sight but irritation written all over his face. “Charlie,” he said slowly, “you better have a real good reason for disappearin’ without sayin’ a word.”
Charlie scratched the back of his neck. “We… lost track of time?”
Slappy scoffed, next to his friend. “Lost track of—”
CJ cut in quickly, standing up for her friend. “Listen, we were together!”
Jamie nodded, doing the same as his sister. “We were safe.”
William added softly, following in suit “And responsible, for once.”
Chucky paused, his piercing blue eyes flicking over the group. He sighed. “…You kids are lucky I’m in a decent mood.”
Annabelle sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Next time, you tell us where you’re going.”
Slappy grumbled, letting himself relax a little. “And you answer when I yell, okay?”
CJ giggled to herself, trying to hide it behind her hand. “You yell a lot dad..”
Slappy opened his mouth—
“Don’t,” Annabelle warned, placing a finger on his lips.
Charlie glanced at the triplets and smiled despite himself. This day, like so many others, was worth it.