The lights flickered wildly as the panicked psychiatrist and his pigeon companion fled from the ghostly pink apparition. They weren't sure where they were going as they desperately tried to avoid the varying electronics charging out of labs and offices to attack them. The ghost behind them laughed maniacally, attacking with supercharged bolts of electricity that narrowly missed them.

"Where do we go?! Where do you go?!" Pesto screeched as he barely avoided a pink lightning bolt.

"Dr. Magenta said to-!" Scratchansniff started, only to be cut off as one of the laboratory doors swung open. An industrial sized computer smashed through the too-small door frame, wires flailing and sparking at them. Scratchansniff screamed as he and Pesto leapt over the attacking machine. The ghost paused briefly before disappearing into the computer. She cackled maniacally as the computer grew nightmarish legs made out of wires and circuit boards and began chasing them full speed ahead.

"How is it doing thaaat?!" Pesto half asked, half screamed.

"I don't want to know!!" Scratchansniff yelled back, "When I woke up this morning, the last thing I expected was to be chased by a sentient computer!!"

The few Acme Labs employees who were still in the building ran for their lives upon seeing the monstrous computer. As if the machine couldn't become more nightmarish, its bolts burst out, allowing for two piece to disconnect and form a sort of "mouth" filled with rapidly rotating fans, deadly sparking wires, and pulsating circuit boards. Pesto and Scratchansniff could only continue to scream in fear and pick up the pace, practically sprinting to the end of the hall.

"Dr. Magenta... Said...!" Scratchansniff huffed, clearly running out of stamina, "We need... To find the basement!"

"Basement! Basement!" Pesto repeated, "Let's find that basement!"

The possessed computer drew closer, its makeshift jaws snapping at them with enough force to snap a human spine in half. It caught the end of Scratchansniff's coat, causing him to wail in panic. He quickly squirmed out of the coat and went without one, causing his pigeon companion to grimace.

"Buddo, haven't you ever heard of some cardio?" Pesto sneered.

Scratchansniff snarled as the monstrous computer tore his coat to shreds behind them, "NOT THE TIME, PESTO!"

A digitized voice came from the machine, sounding like a mix between a text-to-speech program and the ghostly apparition, "Get back here and fight me like a man, Scratchansniff!!"

How does it know my name?! Scratchansniff could barely keep racing thoughts straight, but he couldn't help but wonder how the apparition knew his name.

The two turned a corner. Luckily, the computer monster couldn't turn that sharply and ran straight into the wall. It was stuck for just long enough for the psychiatrist and the pigeon to put distance between themselves and it.

At the end of the hall, Scratchansniff and Pesto spotted a large door labeled "basement". They rushed to it and tried to pry the door open, but it was unfortunately locked.

"Why won't this thing open?!" Pesto screeched, pecking and scratching at the door.

Scratchansniff desperately tugged at the door, "I don't know, I can't get it open!!"

"Well you better can get it open! Or else we're dead meat!"

The computer at the end of the hall lifted its heavy form out of the wall. It turned its gaping electronic jaws towards them and started slowly approaching. Digitized, glitchy laughter mixed with the laugh of the ghost echoed through the sterile walls of the lab.

"SCRATCHANSNIIIIFF!!" Pesto frantically flapped his wings, "GET IT OPEN GET IT OPEN GET IT OPEN!!!"

Scratchansniff started to ram his shoulder against the door, which only hurt him and barely made the door budge. The computer was now merely a few feet from them, its mechanical jaws opening slowly.

"You idiots really thought you could figure it all out, huh?" The apparition asked from within the machine, "We know what you've been up to! We know that Magenta guy's been studying our work! We know everything that goes on at that studio! And I'll make sure that you don't find out anything more!"

The computer loomed over them, the wires from its mouth slithering out and sparking. Just as the wires were about to wrap around them and pull them into the deadly jaws, the computer froze. It suddenly lost its legs and mouth and reverted back into a normal computer. The apparition within spoke in a stuttery voice.

"Wh-wh-what's g-going o-o-on?!"

From the side of the computer approached Brian. His clothes were shredded and he was covered in small electrical burns. He held in his hand a large magnet, nearly the same size as his head. He kept the magnet directed at the computer the whole time while he came to Scratchansniff and Pesto's side.

"Perhaps you shouldn't have made your powers so obvious, apparition." Brian said in his usual calm and monotone voice, "This is a high powered electro-magnet, capable of disrupting the very mechanisms of most machines."

The apparition growled and pulled herself from the machine. The magnet was so strong it was even distorting the form of the ghost, "W-w-why y-y-you...!"

Still keeping the magnet trained on the apparition, Brian reached into his pocket and gave Scratchansniff a key, "Go into the basement. There's an emergency switch that will cut all power to the building. That way the apparition can't use her powers."

Scratchansniff took the key and opened the door. Pesto was far too shocked to follow him down. Before long, the lights cut out and everything powered down, leaving the ghost's glowing form as the only source of light.

She growled and squirmed around, trying to fight the influence of the magnet, "Grr...! If I could move I'd...! I'd...!"

Pesto perked up, his stupid bravery returning, "Or you'd what, girly? Give us a static shock?"

"Pesto, now is not the time to be mocking the spirit." Brian warned.

"Oh yeah? I'll mock her all I want!" Pesto continued on, ignoring the warning, "I can mock all day if I have to! I deserve it after almost getting killed by a computer!! What's she gonna do anyways?"

The ghost let out a frightening shriek of anger before blasting a bolt of electricity at them both. This blew Brian backwards and broke the hold the magnet had on the apparition. Pesto was nearly cooked by the bolt and dove for cover behind a potted plant.

The ghost chuckled menacingly, "You have no idea what you're dealing with! Just you wait! You'll regret poking your nose where it doesn't belong!"

The apparition flew off, taking the light with her. Pesto perked up from his hiding place and set his sights on her and glared.

"Oh no you don't!" He growled, "I'm not letting you get away after that!"

"Wait, Pesto!" Brian called after him.

Pesto ignored him and flew off to chase the ghost, shouting obscenities and other indecent phrases at her. Brian shook his head and sneered.

"Idiot avian..."

Scratchansniff returned from the basement, breathing heavily, "Did it work? Is it gone?"

Brian breathed a sigh of relief, "Yes doctor, thank you for your assistance."

Scratchansniff noticed all of Brian's wounds and gasped, "Dr. Magenta! Are you alright? Those look painful!"

Brian waved a dismissive hand, "No need to worry about me. I'll be fine with a few days of rest. What concerns us now is that apparition. She escaped the moment the power was shut off, and that idiot pigeon gave chase."

"Pesto? Oh dear, do you think he'll be alright?"

"Considering his intelligence? Probably not. But that attack granted me some insight."

"What is it?"

"That was no ghost. Ghosts do not exist. That was a toon. That was most certainly a toon. A female toon at that. One who was very young it seems."

"That was a toon?"

"More specifically, it seems to be a toon who has chosen to become like a ghost. Either way, her attack confirms my suspicion."

They start to walk towards the exit. Brian's wounds seem to hardly bother him at all, despite parts of his skin being fried from electrical burns.

Scratchansniff followed, looking puzzled, "A toon is behind this. And she wants us dead!"

"Not just a toon, doctor." Brian corrected him, "Just as she was about to attack you, she gave a lengthy monologue. She only said I once. She said we far more. She is working in a group."

"A group? Oh dear... Oh nein!"

"I wouldn't lose sleep over this, Scratchansniff. We now have the incentive to continue investigating. Perhaps that useless bird will find something worth while and report back to us."

"I... Wouldn't count on that if I were you."

"Hmm... Excellent point."