Gaz dove down the hall, Nicholas's screaming wail echoing through the air. The ghostly child was torn between his concern for Gaz and his forced loyalty to Bloaty as he stood in the Hunter's path, blood pooling out from the hollow sockets of his eyes. Gaz turned the corner, racing into the back room. The storage locker where all the spare ingredients, the meat, the packaged goods were kept and in a reasonably cool area, especially the closed-off meat section in the back. She began rifling through various packages as she heard the unmistakable sound of children wailing, realizing the other ghosts were now obviously closing in on her location and intent on helping Bloaty whether they wanted to or not. Luckily though, she found something.

Thank Heavens, she inwardly thought to herself. In addition to the flashlight and mace she'd brought with her, now she had something else. Dib might have had the taser...but she had a fire axe located inside a glass compartment with a fire hose and a fire extinguisher. An all-in-one package, but she'd settle for the fire axe for now, opening up the glass case as the unmistakable sound of the storage room being open rang through the air, the Hunter's voice echoing out.

"Gaz...come out, come out, wherever you are. I just want to talk! About skinning you. With my sword. Which I'll do after I'm done talking. You know I love to talk."

"Yeah, why DO you love to talk to yourself so much? Because you do! You talk too much!" Gaz yelled back, trying to throw her voice. Luckily it worked, Zim's possessed and desecrated face growled as the Hunter stabbed into a box nearby, the animatronic growling in annoyance as he pulled it out. Nothing but napkins.

"I can't help it if I prefer intelligent conversation."

"Again, why then do you always talk to yourself?" Gaz said, throwing her voice again as she slunk towards him, the axe in her hands as she grit her teeth, the lights in the storage room casting long shadows as the flickered, a deep, ugly, baleful red that seemed to bathe the entire room in blood. Gaz's eyes narrowed as Zim stabbed into another box, disappointingly drawing it out. Spare seat cushions, nothing more. He frowned, twirling the blade slightly as he glanced about.

"You think you're clever. But you're not." He whispered darkly as Gaz smirked. Idiot had no idea she was so close. He was just beyond another stack of boxes, all she had to do was sneak around and then-

But then one of the ghost children rose up, howling, head spasming back and forth and letting out a cry like a banshee as it hovered right in front of her. Gaz reeled back, swinging the axe and it pointlessly shifted through the ghost's head, Gaz frowning. Of course it wouldn't work, it was a damn ghost, they couldn't really be affected by-salt. She needed some salt or some rosaries or-

But the wail got the attention of the Hunter and his sword slid through one box nearby, inches from herself as she jumped back before the sword slid back out. She decided to kick it, the box whacking the Hunter in the face only for him to race towards her, that horrific wailing filling her ears as she ducked to avoid his swipe, then swerved to avoid another slash. She then launched the axe at him with a mighty swing, as it soared through the air with a WOOSH, their shadows clashing on the nearby wall as the Hunter stepped back to avoid his strike. His own blade shot at her as she let out a gasp, his blade cutting partially into her arm, but she barreled through, slamming into him as she struck back at him with her axe.

The fire axe slammed down into the animatronic's chest with a satisfying, almost meaty THA-THRUK sound as her own lifeblood dribbled onto the floor, black in the twisted lighting of the storage room as she struggled to stay focused, more ghost children entering. They all began to howl at once, blood beginning to rise up as if leaking up from some pool below. She panted and heaved, the Hunter just smirking a bit with his stolen face as he rose up from the floor she'd knocked him onto, launching another swing at her as she leapt back, slamming into some packages, Gaz flopping onto the floor as the Hunter grinned darkly and raced towards her.

But then Skoodge barreled out of nowhere, letting out a roar, tackling one of the ghost children, the others all silenced at this sudden display as the Hunter turned his head, Skoodge trying to pin the ghostly Keef down to the ground as Zim's face momentarily twitched. "Skoodge, wait, what-what are you?" He murmured quietly before he shook it back and forth. "You think he's going to help-" The Hunter began to say, turning back to Gaz-

SCHA-THWURK! The axe launched itself into his face as the Hunter howled in pure agony, dropping his blade and clutching at his skull, Gaz racing past him, snatching up the blade he'd dropped as she tore off down the nearby hallway as she made towards the office. Dib. She had to find Dib. She saw GIR's sneering face facing her at the end of the hallway, blocking the entrance as he tilted his head slightly to the side, looking her over.

"Oh, what do we have here? Widdle Gazzy wants to stop me from doing bad things?" He asked with a sadistic giggle. "So it's NOT you in there, is it? It's Dib."

"You keep away from him! Nobody makes my brother bleed but ME!" She proclaimed dramatically, swinging at GIR as he ducked to avoid her strike. She swung and slashed at him as he kept blocking the strikes, his and her forms illuminated by the swing of their arms, metal hitting metal and flashing through the darkness. Dib grit his teeth, re-aiming the taser, GIR's form flashing up again through the black before he fired it off, and this time it connected, GIR letting out a howl as Gaz, taking the chance, cut his arms off with a powerful overhead swing, kicking his incapacitated body back as Dib raced out of the office with her, the two making for the nearby hallway as Dib held up his smart phone and the schematics of the diner that he'd scanned into it. "Let's see...the power generator's not too far from the main dining hall." He said, the two quickly moving down the hall, hearing Bloaty's unmistakable laughter echoing through the air...

But Minimoose was even closer, a horrific, high-pitched laugh wafting into their ears as the horrific wails of the ghostly children began to fill the air as well, and Dib cringed as he looked down at the blood that was pooling below.

"...God, how many children did he really kill?!" He whispered out, seeing ghostly children standing in the hallway behind them, mouths and eyes like near-endless abysses just vomiting blood onto the floor as it began to rise higher and higher, Gaz and Dib now up to their ankles in blood.

"We just have to wait, Gaz!" Minimoose's voice rang out. "You and your brother are going to remain trapped here forever, singing in our symphony of suffering, trapped in the eternal cycle!"

"And we'll have such. FUN. together." Bloaty's voice whispered, now far, far too close for their liking, Dib and Gaz ducking just in time to avoid his arm sweeping over them as he tried to turn the corner, the two barreling down the swamped hallway, the blood now up to their knees as Gaz finally reached the closet. Dib tugged it open, Gaz holding the sword up in front of her, the horrific screeching wails of the children reaching a crescendo pitch as Bloaty began to laugh and laugh, getting closer, closer.

"I'm. Not Scared of you." Gaz snarled, her eyes now dark, furious slits as she thought about all this disgusting, hateful thing had done. "I will never be scared of you."

"You will be." He whispered. The blood was rising steadily higher. Now it was up to their waist and Gaz could feel it, she could feel the ghost children beneath her, they were tugging down, trying to pull her into the deep red, trying to drown her forever and keep her from ever escaping-

But then the power went back on, the blood fading as Dib wheeled about, smirking proudly as Gaz launched the blade through the air and it sailed towards Bloaty's face...

But then the clock struck 6, and the blade, Bloaty, the ghostly children, all of it faded away, vanishing into nothingness as Gaz panted and heaved, clutching the wound on her arm as Dib smiled slightly, seeing Skoodge making his way over to them, dusting his pristine uniform off as he shook their hands.

"Glad you helped." Gaz admitted. "You didn't suck for once, Skoodge. Kudos."

"I just wanted to be helpful." He offered to them. "I'm just sorry I can't stay any longer."

Dib blinked in surprise as he looked Skoodge over, confused. "Well what do you mean? Don't you want to help us defeat Bloa-"

But then he thought about what Skoodge had said before, his mouth hanging slightly open, eyes behind his glasses going wide as his arms hung loosely at his sides.

"I'm sorry, I don't...I mean I can't really eat that." Skoodge sighed. "I'm unable to really do much. I used to, but...my options are limited."

"Wait." Dib murmured.

"I'm surprised they were able to talk to her. Usually a ghost can only appear to those they had a connection towards. Are all of them children from Gaz and your's school?" Skoodge inquired, raising a nonexistent eyebrow up as Dib nodded.

"Wait a minute."

"It could simply be that Bloaty won't let them come." Skoodge remarked softly, shaking his head back and forth. "Have you ever seen a cop within a mile of Bloaty's? Sometimes a ghost's mere presence can ward certain types of people away."

"You...you're...?"

"Thanks for telling us Bloaty's weakness, though." Dib admitted, holding out a hand for Skoodge to shake, Skoodge quietly taking it, Dib shuddering. Ugh, he felt like he'd been in a freezer for the past week. "A-A-Appreciate it."

"I should have said I HADN'T had much experience with ghosts." Skoodge said, his form becoming transparent as Gaz stepped back slightly, blinking in surprise. "But now, well..." He shrugged as he shook his head back and forth.

"That's how you were able to knock that ghost off his ass, you're a ghost yourself." Gaz realized, thinking back to how Skoodge had popped out of nowhere and had tackled Keef's spirit to the ground. "How did it happen?"

Skoodge patted his stomach. "I starved to death in the basement, Gaz. My spirit lingered on, unwilling to leave. Then you and Dib came and you told me what you were doing. I realized I had to try and help." He said sadly. "However I could. But now that I know you'll stop Bloaty, I...I don't really have unfinished business anymore. I have to move on." He said, shaking his head back and forth as the fat, tubby Irken stepped back, a soft, gentle light beginning to engulf his form as he waved slightly at them, giving a tiny smile.

"Skoodge, I...I didn't know. Why didn't you try to call us?" Dib wanted to know, looking kind of saddened by this. Skoodge had never really been a bad sort, especially as far as Irkens went. He'd always been civil, even kind sometimes, to Dib and other humans, especially Gretchen back in school. And he'd been helpful now and Dib had hoped Skoodge would keep helping. But to learn he'd starved to death alone in a basement, without any friends, it was...it was just so pathetic, so...sad.

"I had failed my best friend. I didn't have the heart or courage to ask anyone for help. I was...defective." Skoodge shuddered as he covered his face with one hand. "But you? You two can still change things. You can put Zim and GIR and Minimoose and the other's spirits to rest. Beat Bloaty. And..." He smiled again, his form almost utterly wiped from their view as he gave a final wave. "Thanks. For letting me feel like I was really needed, even if only for a little while. It felt...nice."

And with that, he was gone, leaving only shadows and dust in his wake as Dib took his glasses off, cleaning them with his jacket as Gaz just silently stared at where he'd been.

"...why did Mom never..." She finally got out. "...I don't understand it." Gaz admitted. "Why'd she never appear to us? Wouldn't that count as "unfinished business"? Didn't she think we missed her? That dad missed her?"

Dib didn't know what to say. He didn't think he could say anything. So he just gently put a single hand on her shoulder and she didn't shrug it off as she just closed her eyes and pinched the space between them, trying to take it all in, trying not to let pain of the heart bleed out before Dib finally spoke.

"Let's go home." He said quietly. "...I'll make you pancakes for breakfast tomorrow. Extra chocolate chip."

"I'd like that." Gaz mumbled out.