The brothers made their way back to the cabin without incident. They crossed the tree line just as the sun was starting to set. They ate a modest meal and changed Muscles' bandages.

The taller ghost's eyes widened slightly, taking in the injury. "It looks a lot better." The punctures had almost completely scabbed over, the bruising shifted from an ugly blue-green to a yellowish color.

"Clean bandages." Dami shook his head. "I'm telling you, man."

"Yeah." Muscles had to agree.

Tired from the long day's walk but relieved that his leg was healing, Muscles went to sleep,

The next day….

"Bullseye!" Dami exclaimed, holding up his arms.

Muscles chuckled, looking down at his green-glowing fingers. Light danced on his palm. He brought his hand forward for another shot. The energy sparked, surging forward, and collided with the fallen tree. "Yes!" It hit the same branch as last time, leaving the bark scourged and cracking.

"See. I said practicing was a good idea." The smaller ghost pointed a finger, self-congratulatory.

"Yeah. Yeah." Muscles waved him off, preparing another shot. Dami was right. Practicing and figuring out what each of them could do and their limits was a good idea. Didn't mean he had to admit it.

The next ectoblast fell short, blackening the grass in front of his target. The taller clone smiled sheepishly.

Muscles continued shooting ectoblasts. He quickly found he could shoot five before starting to get tired. But after that…

"Come… on." He struggled with his tenth shot in a row. The energy swirled, coalescing into a neon green sphere, hardly the size of a grape. It shot forward and hit the log, leaving a tiny, circular burn. Muscles pulled on his core, willing more energy into his hand. There was a tightening in his chest. The light sparked and died. "I think that's it."

Dami shrugged. "Not bad. Let me try some stuff."

The little ghost furrowed his brow in concentration. He flickered invisible. Muscles' eyes widened. He watched for a long moment, worried. Then…

"Really." Dami huffed, popping back into visibility maybe a minute later. He focused again, flickering out of sight before returning a second later. "Let's try intangibility then."

The smaller clone did so, flickering between solid and immaterial like a dying light bulb. He clenched his fist, managing to stay intangible long enough to pass through the peach tree's trunk.

"Well…" Dami sighed. "That's not making me melt at least. It's like my core starts tensing up barely a minute in and I can't do anything else." He scowled.

Muscles frowned down at his fingers, tilting his head. "That sounds like what mine was doing, after that last ectoblast."

Dami blinked, something in his expression softening. "Okay. That sounds like a defense mechanism, like… your core locks up before you try to use too much energy. Maybe… " He tapped his chin. "But maybe it's like a muscle and you can train it, work it out to be stronger."

The taller clone shrugged. "Maybe."

With that, Muscles practiced his own invisibility and intangibility, discovering that he could hold both for about five minutes before he started flickering. He tried his flight as well.

"Maybe I need a running start." The taller clone frowned. Trying to trigger his core while stationary wasn't working.

Muscles backed up, giving himself a short runway. He spread his feet, bending his knees. Then he ran, limping slightly.

Ten feet passed and the ghost jumped, pulling in his core. For just a moment, a tingly, weightless feeling enveloped his limbs. But….

Muscles fell back to the ground and landed on his feet with hardly a stumble.

"Still nothing." The larger clone huffed.

"No, wait." Dami, who'd been slouched against a tree trunk, sat up, suddenly more alert. "Something did happen." His brow furrowed. "The fall was a bit slower than it should have been. And you landed more softly."

"Really?" Muscles looked down at himself, mind replaying the moment. He blinked. "Okay, yeah. That landing should have definitely hurt more. So I did feel something…. For like a second. Not that that helps."

"It's better than nothing." His brother offered. "And, hey. At least we know your flight power's still there, even if it's not strong enough to do much yet."

"Yeah." Muscles agreed with a sighing. "I guess I'll just have to keep at it."

The other clone gave him a sympathetic smile. Then he stood, putting his hands together. "So… if you're done, I should… try a few more things."

The larger clone frowned, confused. "What are you…" His eyes widened, taking in Dami's expression. He knew that face. "Na. Na. No." He waved his hands. "Nope, No way. You're not doing that."

His brother gave him a pleading look. "I need to know how much fire power I can use. And about my size changing."

"No." Muscles shook his head vigorously, arms crossed. "Dami, every time, you've… you've started melting." The last word was quiet, pained.

The boy stepped forward, drifting up to be at the taller clone's eyes level. "I'm not gonna push it. I'll be careful, I swear." His eyes rounded slightly, earnest and pleading. "Just trust me. Please. I'll be okay, I promise."

The other ghost frowned severely. But gradually, his lips turned up, into something more neutral. He lowered his arms. "Fine. But as soon as you start getting drippy, you're stopping."

"Of course." Dami nodded. "As if that was a question."

Muscles rolled his eyes at the comment, before waving at his brother and motioning him to begin.

"I'll start with figuring out how long I can stay full sized." Dami explained. The little ghost stretched, growing from his customary three-foot to his full five-foot, six inches. He set back down on the ground again, before shaking his hands and rolling his neck, as if working out stiff muscles. "Man, this feels so much better."

His brother frowned at the statement. "So, you really don't like being small." The boy blinked, giving him a skeptical look. Muscles blushed, guilty. He was stating the obvious; Dami had made it very clear that he didn't like it. But… "I mean… does it hurt, being smaller?"

The boy's expression softened. "No, it doesn't hurt. I just… get uncomfortable. It's like…" He ran a hand through his hair. "It's like sitting in the car for too long. You're okay for a while but you start to get uncomfortable, sitting in the same position for too long. You've gotta get up, stretch, walk around for a bit before you keep going."

Muscles nodded, not quite getting the analogy. He had never ridden in a car before, though he had flown in Master's plane, when he'd taken the four clones to Amity Park. They had been free to move around during the flight but had to buckle in for take off and landing; just the thought of being strapped down had made him anxious and still did. But he'd been okay in the end. Maybe the situations weren't that different.

Dami continued when Muscles didn't respond verbally. "I guess what really bothers me is not being able to actually stay at my real-sized. I mean, I don't mind changing size. It's a cool power but it would be nice if I could actually choose what size to be and didn't have to stay small."

"I think… I can understand that." The larger clone gave his brother a sympathetic look. Then… he bit his lip nervously, hazarding a question. "Is that why… you got so upset the first time I left you?"

The boy's cheeks darkened in a guilty blush. "Yeah." He looked down, not saying anything else for a long few minutes.

Muscles watched, core clenching. But he wasn't going to press his sibling to talk, not if he wasn't ready.

Then, finally, Dami spoke. "I told you, when I was overshadowing Danny in the shared dream, I was stable and my real size." The corner of his lip turned up just the very smallest bit. "We're actually exactly the same height, me and him. Or… I'm supposed to be." He frowned again, looking up. "That morning, I was actually feeling pretty good once you left so I figured I could stay my full-size." He shrugged. "So I did. And I was fine for a few minutes but…" He shivered, a hand reaching up to wipe his forehead.

Muscles' eyes widened, fear slamming through his core. "Dami…" He pointed at the hints of green on his hand.

"I see it." The smaller ghost frowned down at his hand before sighing. He shrunk back down to about three feet. "That happened then too. I felt hot and started sweating ectoplasm. But I kept going for… " He bit his lip. "Maybe another fifteen minutes? Until my hair started dripping green and… and my fingers were melting together. Then my body started shrinking without my permission but I tried to stop it. I got to about four feet but my core ached and I was so hungry. I ate a few of the peaches 'cause they seemed to help. And…" He trailed off, looking guilty.

"You tried again." His brother offered softly.

A nod. "It's like…. The more I tried to stay full-sized and failed, the more upset I got. The more I just had to make it work. So I'd go again, get more tired, more melty, more upset. More desperate. Like… like this horrible feedback loop." The smaller ghost shivered, looking haunted.

Muscles' core squeezed. He held out his arm, offering it to the boy. The other clone floated forward, falling under it in a side hug. "I'm sorry."

Dami shook his head. "You didn't do anything wrong. No, you saved me. I don't know what would have happened if you hadn't come back and shaken some sense into me."

That guilt flared, over his behavior, over what he'd let happen. But Muscles gently squeezed his brother. With their previous apologies, he could accept the statement without arguing. "I'm glad I got to you in time and you're okay now."

"Thanks." The smaller clone nodded, giving a squeeze before drifting out of the hold. "So.." He tapped his chin, back to business. "I can manage maybe seven minutes full-sized before anything starts happening. I think that's actually a little longer than before."

"That's good. Hopefully, that time will get longer." Muscles said earnestly, before asking. "Do you know how many times you can change size before you start…. you know?"

"That's a hard question. It probably depends on the size I start at and where I end up. I mean, I know I get drippy at full size but can stay three-feet all day, no problem. Shrinking is less tiring than growing. But I can do either without much trouble."

The taller clone hummed thoughtfully. "How about you do three down to a foot and a half and back?" Dami floated back, a look of concentration passing over his face before the other ghost held out his hands. "Eat something first. Let some of your energy recover."

His sibling rolled his eyes. "Fine."

Both moved back to the shade provided by the peach tree and ate a few handfuls of peanuts from the pile of food the duo had brought outside. Ten minutes later…

"I'm good to go." Dami lifted himself to his feet. "Ready?"

Muscles gave a nod. "I'll count for you."

The smaller ghost furrowed his brow in concentration. He started shrinking.

"One."

He paused for just a moment at a foot and a half before his body stretched, growing taller.

"Two."

The pattern continued, the boy effortlessly shifting between heights.

"That's fifteen." Muscles said, just as his brother returned to three feet.

A look of concentration passed over the boy's face, his eyes closing in deepening focus. After a moment, he began shrinking again, only for neon green to begin bubbling at his hairline.

"Dami!" The taller clone exclaimed.

The other's head whipped up and his shifting paused at two feet. He reached up, fingers coming away green. "Oh." A sigh. "No more of that for a while then."

Muscles let out a breath, eyes softening. "You okay?"

"Yeah." Dami looked questioningly down at his finger before wiping the ectoplasm on his suit. The green sank through the material, disappearing. "That was weird. My core started tensing, trying to lock up but it just… stopped. It's like…" He rubbed his chin. "I knocked on the door and it just fell off its hinges." He sat down, grabbing one of the apples. "Something's going on with my core but… I don't know what."

The other clone shrugged, wishing he knew more. "At least we know what the limit is with that power."

"Yeah." The boy finished the apple in a few bites, throwing the core into the woods. He looked at his brother. "Now, I need to try the fire powers. That's the last thing."

Muscles swallowed, feeling nervous. "Alright."

Dami nodded, focused gaze turning to his fingers. After a long minute… "Nothing. I think I have to be full-sized to do it." With hardly a breath, he stretched to full size, attention back on his fingers. A few seconds later, fire sparked in a single candle-light flame. And….

Both clones let out a startled yelp.

"Shit!" Dami exclaimed, shaking the glob of ectoplasm his hand had become. The fire extinguished and that same second he shrank back down.

Both ghosts stare at the neon green appendage. It dripped, gooey splatters on the grass. Muscles held his breath, feeling like his core would vibrate out of his chest. But slowly, so slowly, the indistinct, melded-together mass divided back into fingers and re-solidified. The flesh lightened, from neon to a pale green as nails, texture, and creases returned. Then, white hazmat crawled up, from the wrist, enveloping the hand.

The taller ghost felt his core relax. His eyes ripped away from the hand to his brother's face. "Please. No more fire." He begged, almost haunted.

Dami shook his head vigorously. "No more fire." He slumped against the tree, watching his ectoplasm slowly sublimate and disappear. A few minutes later… "So, I can't use that power at all." He frowned. "That was weird though."

Muscles blinked, disbelieving. "Your hand started melting."

"No. Not… not that." The boy blew out a breath. "I mean… there wasn't any resistance. Like, I pulled on my core for fire and it just came, no problem."

"No problem?!" The other clone didn't yell but it was an almost thing.

"Muscles! Listen. It was like the floodgates opened and all this power can through, too much power."

"Okay? That's why you started melting!"

"Yes, it probably is. But isn't that weird? With all the other powers I tried, my core locked up or tried to when I started using too much power. It's like… there's a door or a barrier that's not work like it's supposed to." He rubbed his head. "And I couldn't use the fire if I wasn't full-sized. What does that mean?" Dami looked up, pleading eyes begging his brother for explanation.

The taller clone's shoulder fell. He didn't know. He didn't know how to help, how to make this better. But… he let out a breath. "We'll figure it out." He kept saying that, kept going back to the phrase. It… it almost felt empty but it was all he had. Muscles shook his head, forcing a determined look on his face. "This doesn't change anything. We'll still take it slowly, take it easy and wait to get stronger." He looked down, meeting Dami's green eyes. "You will get stronger. We'll figure out how to get off this island, how to stabilize you and you won't have to worry about melting again."

Dami shuffled forward, putting a hand on his knee and offering a smile. "I know. Thanks again."

Muscles returned the smile. "Yeah, we're gonna be okay."

The siblings rested for a bit after practicing. As the false sun started drifting towards the horizon, they got up, deciding to venture into the woods for firewood. They collected dry sticks and logs of various sizes.

"That should be enough for now." Dami dropped a modest pile of sticks onto their growing mound at the side of the cottage.

"So now we actually have to figure out how to build the fire." Muscles frowned down at the pile. He had no idea how to do that beyond the vague idea to pile up the logs and light a match. There had to be more to it than that though, right?

His brother glanced toward the orange and pink sky, the setting sun. "I think that can wait until tomorrow. It's not like we need a fire to stay warm or see. I mean, we could cook with it. But I still have no idea what to do with those potatoes. We have enough other food anyway."

Muscles bit his lip. He wasn't so sure that was true. They were already out of all the fruit and nuts. They'd eaten about half of the canned food as well. That would only last another two days if they stretched it. Still, the larger clone didn't argue. Instead he sighed. "We can work on figuring that out tomorrow then."

The next day…

At Dami's guidance, the pair cleared an area for a fire. They gathered large stones from the stream to line the fire pit. Then, they carefully piled the wood.

The smaller clone put down the last log on the small pile. "Now we need some kindling." He found some dried pine needles at the edge of the woods. He lit the orange fibers with a match and dropped them on the logs. "And we wait."

The flames licked at the logs, slowly igniting the entire pile. Soon they had a small bonfire.

Muscles studied the fire, turning to give his brother a proud smile. "Good job."

Dami blushed, waving him off. "I only knew how to because Danny's parents drug him camping a bunch of times. And there was that time him and his mom got stranded in the Rockies because of Vlad…" He shook his head. "Now this is really the hard part." He held up two potatoes, each about half the size of Muscles' fist. "How do we cook these things?" He tapped his chin. "We obviously can't just throw it in. Roasting it on a stick won't work."

"What if we put it at the edge of the fire?" The taller clone suggested. "Close enough for it to get hot but not burn."

The boy nodded. "That could work. We'll need to rotate 'em so they'll cook evenly."

That proved easier said than done. Using a stick to turn it, Dami managed to push the first potato into the middle of the fire. He blinked. "Well…. That happened."

Muscles handled the next one, more carefully rotating it. Yet still, it rolled into the fire. The taller clone quickly pushed it out with the stick, nearly burning himself.

Ten minutes later, the siblings surveyed their unevenly cooked, burnt-on-one-side potato.

"I guess it's better than nothing." Dami wrinkled his nose.

After letting it cool, Muscles cut it with the small knife they'd found in the girl's pack. He gave the slightly bigger half to his brother.

The boy ate it slowly, taking great gulps from the water canteen. He whipped the ashes on the grass. "You know what sounds really good right now?"

Muscles raised his brow, finishing the last bite of his portion. "What does?"

The smaller ghost grinned. "Some blueberries."

And that was how Muscles found himself in front of the berry bushes near the farm, thirty minutes later. He couldn't very well argue with his brother; anything would taste better than that potato.

Dami floated up, indiscriminately stuffing handfuls of ripe berries into his mouth. The juice dripped down his face, spattering his hands. Muscles popped a few in his mouth, holding back the impulse to tell his brother to slow down. Instead, he just gave him an odd, skeptical look.

The smaller ghost noticed the look. His mouth spread into a mischievous grin, blueberry guts and all.

Muscles rolled his eyes, picking a few more.

Dami grabbed another handful and chewed. With his hands, he mimed stuffing more food into his mouth. He swallowed, giving his sibling a pointed, though earnest, look. "Come on. Actually eat."

The taller clone looked down at his meager handful. His stomach flopped with a complex feeling. He'd eaten very little, the bare minimum since waking up here. He sacrificed his portion to make sure Dami had plenty. Now, he was very hungry. There were plenty of berries above his head. And… he glimpsed the hint of concern on his brother's face.

For once, Muscles let himself eat his fill.

Some time later, the pair finished eating. They collected more for later, filling one of the empty glass jars which they'd cleaned after they finished the pickled beets.

Dami flew up, lounging on a nearby tree branch. His legs fused into a tail, the appendage flickering behind him. "I wonder if that little girl found her doll."

The taller clone looked up, giving him an odd look.

The little ghost sighed. "I just remembered, we scared her off last time. We left the doll but…" He bit his lip, likely thinking about the bag they'd stolen. "I hope she found it."

"We can check." Muscles walked back to the bush the girl had been picking from. He knelt and started lifting branches. "I think we left it… here." He trailed off, brow furrowing.

"What is it?" Dami asked.

The taller ghost turned his head, lifting over branches. After several seconds… "We did leave the doll here. And it's gone but…" His gaze tilted up, looking at the other clone. "There's a pile of potatoes."

The little ghost perked up, a curious look on his face. He flew down, hovering beside Muscles to survey his find. "There is. Huh…" His brow furrowed. "How do you think that got here? Wait…."

"What?" Muscles asked, a questioning look on his own face.

"Do you think the girl left them here?"

The taller clone looked from his shorter companion to the pile and back. "What? No. I mean…." He looked to the orderly pyramid of food again, laid out exactly where the doll had been. That couldn't have just appeared there like this. Someone… someone must have left them. "But… why?"

Dami shrugged, looking back at the potatoes. Muscles looked as well and…. A thought trickled into his mind. Could these… have been left for them? He shook his head. No. That was… that was ridiculous.

His brother reached under the branches. "Come on. We should grab them and head back."

Numbly, Muscles took the root vegetables and placed them in the pack with the jar of berries. He stood up and turned. Together, the pair started back towards the cabin. All the while, the question rang in his mind: Had the little girl left that food for them?

Ten minutes later, the brothers crested a hill, the familiar stream stretching below them.

"Let's get some water." Dami suggested, stopping by a tree leaning over the stream.

Muscles nodded. Kneeling, he took the canteen out of the pack and filled it. The clone lifted the water to his lips, drinking a few gulps before offering it to his sibling. The smaller emptied the canteen, lowering it back into the water for more. He took another drink before handing it back.

The taller sipped, giving a pleasant hum. "It's nice and cold."

"Muscles…." His brother's voice beside him.

"Yeah." He lifted the canteen to his lips again. "Wh-" A sudden splash. The larger ghost gasped, tipping the canteen. The contents spilled down his chest.

Muscles scowled down at himself, then turning to glare at Dami.

The little guy grinned, pointing. "You've got something there."

The corner of his lip turned up. "You little gremlin." He splashed back.

Dami laughed, sending up another spray of water.

Soon, the pair was laughing, soaking wet and still splashing each other. Muscles filled up the canteen, resorting to just pouring in on Dami.

"No fair!" The smaller ghost complained without heat. He snatched the container, frantically playing keep-away while trying to fill it.

"No you don't!" Muscles laughed.

The little ghost darted up, flying to the other side of the street. He smirked. "Come and get me then!"

The taller ghost stood, moving to lunge across the water. "You better watch-"

"It's you!" A young, feminine voice gasped.

Both clones froze, wide eyes turning to stare. There, on the other side of the leaning tree…

Muscles lunged, grabbing onto his brother. The smaller sibling yelped in surprise as the larger panickly turned both of them invisible. Suddenly panting, Muscles held Dami close. He stumbled back, huddling behind the tree.

After a long moment, he dared to peer around to the other side.

There, still frozen where she stood, was the little girl. That same little girl. She stared at where they'd been standing with wide eyes. "Are you… are you still there?"

Neither clone replied, the area choked with sudden oppressive silence. Muscles' mind raced, memories hitting him. In the woods, the blanket he'd gotten for Tiny tangled on a branch, keeping him trapped. His fearful eyes meeting his. A scream. Monster. An angry woman with a knife. A raised rifle.

"I know I saw you." She bit her lip. "Mamma and Daddy know you took some food from the barn and things from our clothes line. But… you didn't hurt Bessy so you can't be too bad."

Dami trying to pull away brought him back to the present. His brother wiggled, struggling to get out from under the arms wrapped around his waist. Muscles shook his head, giving him a meaningful look, even as he moved one arm down, loosening the hold slightly.

"I saw you on Sunday, near the church." The girl continued. "Mrs. Overman said you're a demon but…" Her eyes flickered around, nervously. "That ain't true, is it? A demon would have burned down our barn or hurt me when I was 'lone near the bushes. But you just ran away."

The smaller clone shifted again, looking up at Muscles. The taller held his breath, eyes wide and desperate.

"You're not a demon." The girl said with more confidence. "I think even if you look scary…" Her voice wavered, doubt entering. "You're just… just lost and scared."

The girl paused for a long moment, looking around. She shuffled her feet. "I don't even know if you're still here. But I'm just gonna ask. I think I know who you are. Are you…." She looked down, blushing. "Are you Frankenstein?"

At the words, Dami stiffened again. He looked up, determined eyes meeting his brother's. Muscles vigorously shook his head. The smaller ghost gave an apologetic look. Then…

"No, what are you doing?" Muscles hissed as the body under his arm quickly grew, forcing him to drop his hold. "Dami!" The smaller ghost, now about five feet tall, reappeared.

The girl gasped, mouth quickly closing.

Dami took a step around the tree, holding out his hands placatingly. "Hey. It's okay. I just wanna talk."

Tense, the child's eyes trailed up and down him. She blinked, brow wrinkling in confusion. "You don't look like the monster."

The smaller clone took another step closer. He lowered his hands, frowning. "You know, in the book, Frankenstein is the name of the scientist who made the monster and…" He bit his lip, glancing back towards the tree and the still invisible Muscles. "Calling him a monster isn't very nice. Or even accurate. It's… more complicated than that."

The ten year old's eyes' drifted to the tree, her frown deepening. "So he's not a monster?"

"No." Dami shook his head vigorously, tone suggesting even the idea was ridiculous. "The big guy is the sweetest, most gentle person I know." The boy turned slightly, head facing the tree. "Come on out, bro. Don't you wanna talk to our new friend?"

Muscles didn't respond, still huddled behind the tree. He studied the pair cautiously, anxiety churning in his core. Dami was fine. The girl hadn't screamed or ran away. Yet. But…

The child's questioning voice broke his contemplation. "Bro?"

"It's short for brother." Dami explained. "That's my big brother." He motioned to the tree, face shifting into something teasing. "Who's currently hiding from a little girl, like a giant scaredy cat."

The girl giggled, her stance relaxing slightly.

The taller clone blushed, pride bruised. A hint of defiance pricked his core, the need to prove his sibling wrong.

Muscles slowly willed himself back into visibility, muttering. "'M not a scary cat."

Dami grinned, smug. And…. Muscles just realized he'd been played like a fiddle (not that he has any idea what a fiddle was?). He narrowed his eyes.

The smaller clone chuckled. "Nice of you to join us."

Muscles rolled his eyes at the comment. Then, his gaze returned to the ten year old. Her wide eyes studied him, lingering on the stitches covering his limbs and the bolts on his neck. The larger ghost squirmed under the attention, shoulders rolling forward and arms wrapping around his torso, as if he could hide himself. After a long moment, she tried to school her expression. Yet the curiosity remained plain on her face.

The girl cleared her throat, focusing her eyes up to meet Muscles'. "My name's Lucille. What are both a you called?" Her gaze flickered between the two brothers.

"My name is Damian but I prefer to be called Dami." The shorter clone smiled, a special twinkle in his eyes from the use of his new name. He motioned to the other ghost. "And this is my big brother,… Prometheus."

Muscles raised a brow at the long, unfamiliar name but shook his head, choosing not to ask.

The girl, Lucille, nodded. "Damian. That's a nice name." A small, secret smile graced her face. "Really, I like bein' called a shortened version of my name too. My friends call me Lucy." She then looked to Muscles. "And Prometheus? That's a funny name." She chuckled.

Dami stepped back, giving his brother a hardy pat on the back. "Well, Pro's a funny guy." The taller clone wrinkled his nose, again giving his brother a questioning look. Instead, the boy leaned down slightly, turning his focus back to the child. "Lucy? Can we call you that?"

The girl blinked once, surprised by the question. Then she nodded shyly. "I guess you can."

The teenage boy let his mouth part slightly, giving her a kind, if slightly playful, smile. "So we are friends?"

Lucy let a smile grace her own face. "So we are."

Dami chuckled at the statement. Muscles felt something in him unclench. His arms relaxed, falling to his sides. This was… this was actually going okay. Lucy hadn't yelled or fled. There was nothing to suggest she was going to tell on them, expose them to her parents or the town's people. She… she actually liked him and Dami. The surprise brought a small smile to face, which his brother noticed.

"Yes!" Dami pumped a fist. "You finally stopped scowling! Show us those pearly whites!"

The statement brought the taller ghost out of his thoughts. His arms crossed again, smile twitching. "I wasn't scowling."

"Yes, you were." Lucy countered boldly, without hesitation.

Both clones turned to look down at her. Muscles blinked, eyes wide with disbelief. The audacity…

Beside him, Dami burst out laughing. "She… she called you out, bro! You…you're done for." Another giggle.

The girl looked smug, making eye contact with him and refusing to break it. She slowly, deliberately raised a brow and-

Muscles snorted, a hand covering his mouth a second later, as if to hide the noise. "Fine. Fine." He chuckled deeply, the sound ringing deep in his chest. "Fine. You have me. You're right." He rolled his eyes. "I was scowling. Okay? But do you blame me? You scared me!"

Lucy's eyes flickered to his brother. "So he is a big scaredy cat."

The boy laughed louder, leaning forward and bracing his hands on his knees.

The taller clone sighed, rolling his eyes so exaggeratedly that he ended up staring at the sky. He turned around and flopped down, sitting by the river bank. "I'll just sit here until you're done laughing at my pain then." The tone was teasing but… something in his core still pricked. (Didn't he have a reason to be scared?)

After a few seconds, Dami quieted. He walked forward, patting Muscles' shoulder. "We're just messing with you." He smiled down with just a hint of sadness behind his eyes, an understanding of the truth of his sibling's statement.

Muscles gave a grunt, an grateful nod. "I know." Quieter. "Thanks, Dami."

There was quiet for a long moment, the boy giving him another pat. Then, pebbles shifted under foot…

The brothers turned. Lucy approached from Muscles' other side, all tension drained out of her. Instead, she studied them curiously.

"So." Dami's words breached the air. "What are you doing out here, in the middle of the woods by yourself?"

"I finished my chores early. Momma said I could go play 'fore supper." Her eyes drifted to the water. "I like ta look for frogs in the stream."

Muscles glanced to the stream, a memory sparking in his mind. Catching frogs with Danielle, in the creak behind Master's mansion. "I bet that's fun." He smiled softly.

The girl nodded. "It is!" Her eyes lit with excitement for a moment, before she looked back at the two brothers. Then her smile softened into something almost worried. "What about y'all? What are y'all doing here alone?"

Muscles' stomach flopped at the question, his eyes meeting Dami's. The boy's brow furrowed with worry. The larger clone almost swore he could see the contemplation there. How much to tell her… The taller swallowed, subtly shaking his head. Dami nodded slightly. Then…

He turned back to the girl with a smile. "We were taking a break to cool off and get some water. It uh…" He motioned to his soaking wet hair, chuckling. "Got out of hand."

"Got out of hand?" Muscles made air quotes. "I'll say. And…" He pointed. "You're the one that started it."

Dami rolled his eyes. "And you didn't splash back? And pour the whole water-canteen on my head?!"

"Hey!" The taller clone reached out for the metal container, abandoned on the bank at some point. "You asked for-" He cut himself off, a core-sinking realization hitting him as he looked at the object.

"What is it?" Lucy asked, a hint of worry in her voice.

Muscles looked up, at where she was still standing. He held out the canteen. "This is yours." The girl didn't say anything and he looked down, cheeks reddening with guilt. "It was in your bag, the one that you left at the blueberry bushes when we… we scared you off. I… I'm sorry for taking it. Really, you… uh…" He grabbed the bag's straps, pulling it off his back. "You should have it back."

The taller clone opened it, putting the canteen back inside. Still looking down, he held the bag out to her.

No one said anything for a long moment, the silence suffocating. Muscles bit his lip, forcing himself to look up. Lucy was studying him with a frown. His core sank. The girl reached out, hands gripping the fabric. Her fists balled and his hold released, guilt choking him despite… despite giving her possessions back like he should. The ten year old took the bag and-

She shoved it back towards him. "No. You should keep it." A compassionate smile stretched across her face. "Ya'll need it more than me."

"But…" Muscles pushed the bag away. "It's yours. I shouldn't… shouldn't have stolen it."

Lucy raised a brow, giving him a serious look. "Folks don't steal food and clothes 'less they really need it." She waved at the pack. "So keep it."

Muscles opened his mouth to object again. "But-"

Dami stood up, walking around him to take the bag from her. "Thank you. So much." Earnest gratefulness filled his face. "This… this means a lot." His voice quieted, looking down. "We don't have much so this… it really helps."

Lucy nodded. "Of course. I'm happy to help y'all." The worried compassion on her face deepened. "I left some potatoes under the blueberries in case…. in case y'all came back. Did ya find them?"

"So you did leave them." The boy muttered. He looked up and nodded. "Yes. We did. Here they are." He pulled open the bag, tilting it to show the food.

The girl nodded. "I see. And Oh! I have somethin' else." She reached down to her skirt, pulling something out of a pouch at her hip. She held out an object the size of a pack of playing cards, wrapped in a handkerchief. "This 'ill be delicious on those potatoes."

With a raised brow, Damian took the package. He pulled back the fabric. "Is this… butter?"

Muscles leaned over to look. His mouth dropped open. Sure enough, a sizeable square of creamy yellow sat in the fabric.

"So, you were just carrying this around?" The other clone asked, fixing her with skeptical eyes. The girl nodded. "In case you just happened to run into us?" The corner of his mouth turned up knowingly.

Lucy shrugged, expression just as knowing. "Perhaps."

Dami laughed for a moment, before he reached up to rub the back of his neck. "So, this will probably sound dumb but…" He blushed. "How do we cook these exactly?"

The girl frowned, raising a brow as if to say 'seriously?'

The shorter clone held up his hands. "Hey, I… kinda… know how to cook but we don't have a pan or pot or anything. Not even some tongs or a fire poker. Just… an open fire. That's it. So… any ideas?"

Lucy's face softened into something more understanding. "Wrap fresh green leaves 'round the potatoes, best you can. And let the fire die down to just ashes." She took pity on them, explaining. "Bury the potatoes in the hot ashes and let 'em cook for 20 minutes or so. Turn 'em about half way through. Or…" She tapped her chin, thinking. "You can try cookin' 'em on hot stones. Put some big, flat rocks in the fire. Let it die down again and just put the potatoes down."

Dami nodded. "Okay. We'll try that." He re-wrapped the butter, putting it in the bag. "What do you think, Pro?"

Muscles blinked, taking a moment to realize the other clone was talking to him. "We can figure it out. Thanks Lucy." Sincere gratitude rang in his voice.

"You're welcome." The girl beamed.

"Yeah. Thanks again. You really helped us out." Dami added.

Then…. a ringing, like a bell, rang through the trees. The smaller clone's eyes widened, posture straightening. Muscles flinched, gaze furiously searching.

Lucy perked up, turning towards the sound. "That's Mama, calling me far supper." She stepped away from the clones, quickly retreating while talking fast. "Bye Dami, Pro. It was nice meeting y'all." She waved, pausing just a moment to turn back. "I'll leave some more food under the blueberries for y'all, day after tomorrow.

"No, you don't have-" Muscles called after her.

But the ten year old had already disappeared through the trees, yelling one last. "See y'all 'round." over her shoulder.

Silence fell for a long minute after her footsteps disappeared. The taller clone stared after, mind racing through everything that had just happened. That… that really just happened. He could hardly process it all but….

The taller clone raised a brow, looking up at his brother, who still stood beside where he was sitting. "So… Prometheus."

"It seemed appropriate?" Dami shrugged, blushing slightly. His shoulders lowered as he explained. "So the book she was talking about is called 'Frankenstein, the modern Prometheus'. So unless you wanted to be called Franky. Or Adam; I think that's what the 'monster'' He did air quotes around the word, "ended up calling himself. Again, not that he's really a monster. It's not his fault his college-dropout maker decided to create a literal whole new person for bits of corpses. And then freaked out when it actually worked. Fainted like a Victorian maid with tuberculosis." The boy lifted a hand as if miming fainting, the words coming out sharp. "He woke up weeks later, found his creation had wandered off like a lost toddler and decided to pretend none of that ever happened." Anger made his voice tremble, a lot of anger to be directed at a fictional character.

But, Muscles couldn't think about the strong opinion, nor his brother's knowledge of a book neither of them had ever read. Instead, his insides churned.

Dami noticed his brother's pale face. "Sorry. I… have some strong feelings about… that." He rubbed the back of his neck. "Just forget it. I'm… sorry I told her that was your name. We'll think of something else."

"No." The taller clone shook his head. "I like it. Better than just Muscles, at least." It didn't quite feel right but there was this odd kinship to this book character he knew next to nothing about.

"Yeah?" Dami asked quietly.

"Yeah. Call me Prometheus." The larger smiled softly.

The boy nodded, like he might just understand.