Glitch was almost certain that, if he hadn't his ghost immunity, he would have died on the spot out of either shock or a heart attack. As it was, he felt like he couldn't move, with his hands clenched into fists on his sides, his feet set apart, planted to the ground. Not sure whether or not he was breathing, he forced himself to back away into hiding. His translucent figure retreated until he could only see Rasa from behind a wall. The ghost-prodigy gripped the edge of the wall with tight fingers. Luckily, Rasa had his back to Glitch, and Lima, who was facing him, couldn't seem to detect the ghost's presence.
Slowly, Glitch peered at the two dancers, his feet on tiptoe even though he could have floated inches above the ground if he wanted to. The two DCI members were talking again. Glitch noticed that they were now newly dressed and that not a trace of paint was on them. Well, at least that was what he could see from his point of view.
"Look, Rasa," Lima said, "I know you're feeling like someone's gone through here, but every dancer is back at Headquarters. Nobody could have taken the time machine."
Rasa's face looked exasperated. "Glitch could have, and he did," he replied decisively.
"Glitch isn't here." Lima put a hand on Rasa's shoulder. "Are you feeling all right?"
"I'm fine! And he is. He was with us the entire time. Ever since the paint thing occurred." Rasa brushed Lima's hand off of his shoulder. "But he's... I don't know, just different."
"Rasa..." Lima stepped back. At her feet was Boomy. "We have more to attend to. We don't have time for this." Her face showed worry. Then, without waiting for an answer, she bent down and flipped on a song with Boomy, so soft that it could be heard only from within a ten-foot radius. Not to attract attention as it would be strongly unwanted, Glitch knew.
"I'm not going," Rasa spoke. Glitch saw the older dancer as he dug his heels in, rooting him to the spot, with crossed arms and a decisive air. Everything about him stated, 'I stand here and I will stay here and no one can say otherwise.'
Lima stared at him. "What?"
"I'm not going," repeated Rasa.
Lima grabbed Rasa's arm, just above the wrist. "You're coming, Mister, like it or not." Then she pulled him over. Rasa didn't budge. Somehow, he was strong enough not to even move his foot as Lima tried to drag him.
Glitch felt torn. Was this his cue? His heart sank. Reluctantly, he stepped forward. Rasa spotted him immediately. "Glitch?"
Through one way or another, Glitch smiled. "Fuses burnt, but the system's still going," he said while grinning widely. Lima looked around, but both Glitch and Rasa could see that she saw nothing.
Lima stared at Rasa as if he had grown wings and a tail. "Look, you're doing that again. Glitch isn't there."
"Heck yeah I am!" protested Glitch. "And I'll prove it!"
Rasa smirked at the smoldering protégé. "Don't," he warned, making Lima even more confused. "Who in hell's name are you talking to?" she demanded.
Glitch giggled mischievously, and jumped, his body horizontal and his hands playing with Rasa's hair. The older dancer winced. "The kid that's pulling my hair," he mumbled while trying to avoid the flying ghost. "The..." he faltered, "the translucent one." His tone hinted that he hadn't realized how Glitch had been so much like a ghost before.
"Wha–" Lima began, but was cut off as she saw Rasa's hair getting pulled at by invisible hands. "What kid? You're talking about Glitch?" She fearfully took a step back. Both Glitch and Rasa feared that she would spin her heels and run away.
Rasa poked Glitch in the chest. He was still solid when it happened, and Glitch felt a slight jab before the pain resided again. The DCI leader pronounced in his usual commanding air, "You, Mister, have some explaining to do."
Lima raised an eyebrow. "If you're talking to 'Glitch,' you have some explaining to do yourself. Besides, you haven't proven anything to me."
Rasa shrugged. "I don't need to. Glitch?"
Glitch nodded, eying Lima evilly. He rubbed his palms together before he catapulted himself into the air and swooped down like a meteor. Then he landed, absorbing all the force he could as he could before he had to go insubstantial. His impact caused his surroundings to quiver slightly, like a mini grenade. It obviously wasn't enough, though, so he grabbed himself yet another spray can. What's it with people and spray cans? He wondered.
He expertly tossed the can from one hand to another and wrote down in huge, graffiti-style letters. When he was done with his masterpiece, the heavily made words read 'GLITCH WAS HERE.'
Lima's mouth was agape. Glitch groaned loudly, then drew slight, smaller letters that read 'N if ya dont believ it, den go getta life!' Then Glitch crumpled the can with effort, but after he spent his energy, it poured back into him again each time.
Rasa was laughing now, something he rarely did. Lima couldn't believe her eyes. "So... Glitch, right? Is there no way you can just show yourself to me?" She tried to keep her voice casual, but Glitch knew that she was a little fearful. "Not that I know of," said Glitch, and Rasa recited the words to Lima. Then Glitch reeled a list of his abilities. "As a ghost, well, I can go through things, I can still influence objects, I can fly, and somehow I don't seem to lose energy. I'm not sure, but maybe I don't need to breathe."
Lima shrugged when Rasa repeated the words to her. Glitch piped up with, "Well, we can go back now, can't we? How are you supposed to explain this at Headquarters? I don't think you'd have the technology to help a ghost."
Rasa laughed again. He seemed like that official but sometimes rebellious leader that was having his own way for once, no longer weighed down by responsibility. "We came here without telling anyone. They're probably hanging out on their own venues," he told the prodigy, ruffling the kid's black hair. Glitch protested angrily. "Hey! Gerr' off me!"
Lima looked to be left our of the conversation. "All right. Now let's hope Boomy here has enough star power by now. Which he does," she reported while checking the boombox. "We're all set."
"Great!" Glitch bounced up and down, eventually zooming up and landing on all fours. "But Lima won't tell anyone, will she? Like maybe Mo?" he questioned anxiously.
Rasa held up a finger to Lima. She nodded, getting the message, even as curiosity glowed in her eyes. Rasa turned back to Glitch. "Would that be a good thing or a bad thing?" he asked the ghost.
"I don't know... it's just that, I'm not sure Mo would believe you anyway. Especially if you admit that you're the only one that can see me. I don't think flying cans would work around him, he'd just assume that you used a hologram or something." Glitch gripped his own shoulder and squeezed it, doubt echoing in his voice.
Rasa stared seriously at the ghost-prodigy. "Would he believe the fact that I used spray cans to prank everyone at DCI Headquarters and still draw a moustache on my own face?" he hollered, rubbing his cheek, where paint used to be.
"Good point... but no." Glitch gazed at his translucent shoes. "He wouldn't believe it, I'll bet you. He's always been skeptical about the supernatural or whatever."
For once, Rasa seemed to actually feel some sympathy for the ghost. "Don't worry," he murmured smoothly, "He'll find out one way or another. For now, though, we need to focus on getting back to our own era. You don't belong here, especially when your, uh, 'real self'is still back at the 10s..." Rasa broke off awkwardly, and Glitch burst into laughter. "Uh, yeah."
Lima's face was blank. "So... we're going back, right?" she indicated the boombox. "It's ready."
The trio took their places and Glitch felt a slight vibration shake his now-solid body. He felt like he was being sucked into a pool of endless quicksand, and he snapped his eyes shut.
Then he felt himself falling, falling...
Don't worry, falling is normal in the timestream :P
So I haven't really left you with a cliffhanger, but enjoy the chapter anyway.
