Symbiote Girlfriend: Ghost 2 (complete)

It’s been months since I last felt her, but just when I was getting comfortable, that’s when she reappears. I don’t want to leave, but Ghost and I hold our duty first and foremost. Beast is our responsibility, and we can’t allow anyone else to get hurt because of her vendetta.

“Maybe I can help,” Julio offers as Ghost and I get ready. “Sonata and I aren’t fighters, but two are better than one.”

I want so badly to return to bed with them. This has been the most wonderful evening for us. “I don’t want you getting hurt.”

“We don’t want you getting hurt, either!” Sonata argues. 

“And what can you do, Sonata?” Ghost asks. She covers me, and together we rise from the bed. “What even is a Sonata?”

Sonata whimpers and bows his head. 

“He’s ashamed,” Julio replies. 

“Of what?” Ghost stares down at them. “That you ran away from home? Don’t be.”

Sonata rasps, then swallows and shakes his head slowly. “I’m not ashamed of running. I’m ashamed of what I am, what I was born to do.” He slowly wraps around Julio and, once he’s in place, he opens his mouth, which is under the mask-like face. “My real name is not Sonata,” he whispers. “It’s Siren.”

Ghost fidgets around me. “What?” I ask. “What is a Siren?”

“Sirens are the only things that can kill our kind. They’re executioners.” Ghost’s voice is low. “They have special voices able to reach a certain pitch that can liquify us. They’re so deadly that only a few are allowed to exist at one time, and they’re kept sequestered away. Anyone who got their hands on one could do a world of damage.”

“That’s why I came here.” Sonata and Julio clutch their hands over their chest. “And exactly why I chose Julio. I didn’t want that! I wasn’t a weapon.” They shake their head as their body turns dark purple with wisps of blue. “But maybe, I can help here! I can disarm or even remove Beast from Siti.”

I place our hand on our shoulder to comfort Ghost. “Is that even possible?” We step closer. “Without killing them, can you do it?”

“I have several pitches to use.” Sonata sounds guilty about this. “I can stun, disable, even torture.” I see their hands are shaking. “But I won’t.”

“You’re not fighters,” I insist. “You could get hurt out there, and we can’t always protect you.”

“You could get hurt!” Julio suddenly blurts. “We don’t want that either. If your sister is out there, so is Rabid. You can’t fight both of them, and you can’t protect either of them from the other. If we’re there, then maybe we could do something. Lead Rabid away, knock him out, something! But you can’t seriously think you can take them both on alone.”

“I didn’t know how, but...” I stop myself as I look up at them. Their surface has started to turn from purple to red. “You’re scared.”

“So?” Julio huffs. “Of course I’m scared! I love you and you’re throwing yourself between two fighting tigers. Wouldn’t anyone be?”

We reach out and take their hand, then stoop down to kiss their forehead. “What do we do, Ghost?” I whisper.

Ghost releases a heavy sigh. “They’ll follow us no matter what we say. It’s better to know they’re with us and have a plan than to worry about them tagging along and have nothing.”

We take their hand. “Stay close, and at the first sign of danger, get as far back as possible. You will wait for our word, got it?”

“And what then?” Sonata asks.

“Do no harm, but defend yourself as much as possible,” Ghost says sternly. 

We venture into the night. Sonata and Julio stay close to us, easily bounding off buildings. Eventually, we come to a stop just outside Julio’s school. In the park I see a shadowy figure walking around, and down the street at the light I see Solomon Savage’s car. “She’s probably going to ambush the car,” Ghost murmurs. “It’s late and there aren’t many cars out, but it looks like there’s still people on campus.”

“Um…” Sonata shakes our shoulder. “Do you smell that?”

“Not now, Sonata,” I whisper.

“Watch out!” Julio screams. He pushes us, knocking us off the ledge. I hear a roar from above, and we grab onto the lamppost. Above us, I see Rabid holding Sonata off the edge of the building.

“It’s an ambush!” Ghost exclaims.

“That means...” I gasp and turn to the park. “It’s a trap for Siti!”

“What about them?” Ghost cries.

We look back up as a piercing noise rattles my brain. There’s a burning sensation like soda up my nose, and Ghost wobbles and drips from my frame. I clap my hands around my ears, and my legs go weak. I start to fall off the lamppost, but Ghost manages to catch us in time, and we slide down slowly. At the bottom, I can’t regain my feet.

Sonata jumps down from the building. “Are you okay?” they gasp in alarm. They stoop down beside us. 

“Us? What about you?” Ghost is still trying to adhere to my body. 

Sonata opens their mouth, making a soft humming pitch. Ghost climbs back up my body, and we’re able to stand again. “It’s fine. We were able to get him.”

Julio points. “We know it won’t last long, but we threw Rabid as far as we could and then tied Solomon up on the roof.”

“You just threw him?” I balk.

Ghost snaps me to attention. “We don’t have time! Siti!”

We rush to the garden, but as we do, Solomon’s car comes flying down the road with Beast clawing at the roof. Without thinking, Ghost and I chase after it. We jump and land on the back of the car. Beast’s tail whips out, stabbing at us. “Get away from me!” she screams.

“No!” I grab her tail and yank her back. The tails detaches, and I lose my balance. Ghost and I fall off the back of the car and hit the ground several times as we roll. We get back up as fast as we possibly can, but Beast’s tail wraps around our legs and the stinger on the end jabs into us. Ghost screams in agony, and it feels like she’s dissolving away from my legs.

“Arsinoe!” Julio and Sonata rush to our side, picking us up.

The car makes a sharp turn, heading back our way. Sonata quickly pulls us from the road and the car flips, falling on its side and sliding all the way towards the school entrance. Beast comes walking up the road, and Julio and Sonata jump out to stand before her.

“Who the fuck are you?” Beast snarls at them.

“I’m...” They flounder, turning an instant and vivid shade of purple. “I am,  uh… the worst nightmare that haunts the night!”

“Oh, no, what’s he saying?” Ghost whimpers.

Beast approaches them with a snicker. She looks down on them, standing so much bigger than they could ever possibly be, ready to crush them with one swipe of her massive claw.

“I mean it, ma’am!” Their purple has ribbons of black now. “I am very dangerous!”

Beast raises her claw. “Show me.”

They unhinge their jaw, stretching their mouth open along their neck and to the very back of their head. Their jaws push forward and out as a sound I can’t comprehend blasts through the air. I can feel it more than I can hear it, and it makes Ghost curl up into a ball in my arms. Beast collapses almost instantly, falling away from Siti and smacking against the asphalt in the shape of a small orb. Siti lies on the ground, bleeding from her nose. 

Sonata stands there, breathing hard, but quickly rushes into the bushes to vomit. I cradle Ghost close to me and look up as the topmost car door opens. The woman within crawls out, jumping down to the ground. She has a cut on her cheek, and her nose is bleeding as well. She rushes towards Beast but Sonata jumps out in front of her and scoops Beast up in their arms. 

“Give it to me,” the woman demands.

“Do you know what this is?” Sonata snaps. “Do you realize it just tried to kill you?”

The woman takes a gun from her jacket. “We need it, so hand it over right now and all of this can be over.”

Sonata stands there, seeming to consider. The woman holds out her free hand. “Rabid and I will go away, and this Beast problem will be no more. I don’t want to cause you any problems. Just hand it over, and you can go back to your life.”

“Don’t!” I cry out. “Don’t give Beast to anyone!”

“Sorry,” Sonata recoils from the woman. “But she’s the boss. What she says, goes.” He tucks Beast under his arm like a volleyball. “Go ahead, shoot.”

The woman scowls. “Fine.” She lifts the gun in both hands and takes aim. “I think I...” 

She’s tackled to the ground. Siti lunges out from behind Sonata, knocking her to the ground and punching her with her one arm. The woman’s gun is knocked away, and now it’s a fight between the two to get it. 

“Siti, stop!” I try to crawl towards her, but holding Ghost doesn’t allow me to go far. “Siti! Siti!” I scream.

“Shut up!” Siti and the woman strike one another, both clawing to get to the gun. “I don’t need you here! Go away!”

Sonata rushes forward and grabs the gun, holding it up in the air. “I’ll scream again. Don’t think I won’t!” He shoots the gun into the air over and over, until all it does is click. He throws the gun into the bushes. 

Siti hits the woman hard enough that she goes still. Then Siti rises, approaching Sonata. “Give her back to me this instant.”

Sonata holds Beast away. “Your sister is worried about you. Look at her! She’s been trying to find you all this time. Won’t you even acknowledge her?”

“I am doing this for her,” Siti roars. “That monster and his bride are the reason she’s like that! She’s all I have! I was supposed to protect her!”

“Siti, stop!” I shout.

Siti lunges at Sonata again, but he jumps back. “He ruined our lives! He deserves to know that pain!”

“It’s not worth it!” I cry. “Siti, please!”

She turns and finally looks at me, for a moment, everything is still. “Noi,” she whimpers. “I’m going to come back. You just have to wait.”

“I can’t,” I begin to sob. “This is enough!”

Siti shakes her head slowly. “They have to die.”

“Who is dying, little girl?” 

Above us, Rabid leans over the edge of the building. He was out of range of Sonata’s last attack. He tilts his head to the side and clicks his tongue.

Siti tries to grab for Beast. “Give her back now! While I have the chance!”

“I said no!” Sonata snaps.

“My god,” Rabid breathes. “A Siren. It’s been ages since I last saw one.”

“Ghost, please wake up.” I shake her, trying to get her attention. “Hurry, please! This is really bad!”

Rabid leaps down from the building, grabs Siti by the throat and tosses her away. Then he stoops down to pick up the woman. He cradles her tenderly, kissing her forehead and smoothing her hair away from her face. “My love, it was a good plan. But we didn’t count for the guests.” He keeps her in his arms as he stares down Sonata. “But you’re in luck. We don’t need Beast. You shall have the most powerful of us all.”

Sonata squirms on Julio’s body. “I’ll scream again!”

“No, you won’t. Your last attack has you down for a while now, doesn’t it?” Rabid chuckles. “You can’t use your voice recklessly, that’s part of your genetics. The safety built into all Sirens.”

“Ghost, please,” I whisper. “Wake up now, or we’re all in danger!”

Red streaks of fear cover Sonata’s surface. “Dr. Harlan wouldn’t much like it, would he?” 

Rabid stiffens. “What?”

Sonata suddenly takes out a phone and waves it in the air. “Dr. Maxwell Harlan. He was on your phone, so I sent him a text while you were unconscious. I was told all about him by my girlfriend. You know? The one you put in a wheelchair?”

Rabid scoffs. “Harlan can’t do anything. He’s just an old man.”

Suddenly, the lights of an aircraft shine on us from above. “Solomon!” a voice booms from the ship. “You can surrender now and you won’t be harmed. If you choose to fight, we will be forced to use the full extent of our capabilities.”

Rabid glares at Sonata. “You piece of shit.”

Sonata nods. “Maybe, but I probably just saved your life too.”

Rabid starts to charge, but Beast lunges from Sonata’s arms and wraps around Rabid’s head. Rabid topples to the ground and starts trying to rip Beast away from him, but his hands become trapped inside her. Then Siti lunges, knocking Sonata to the ground. She and Beast reassimilate and stab Rabid with their tail, causing him to lay disabled on the ground.

“Siti! Wait!” I scream.

She hesitates for a moment, her and Beast both looking at me. She shakes her head and mouths ‘no’ before vanishing into the night.

A figure jumps down from the ship above us. “What a sad sight. You're still trying to play this game, you old shit?”

“Fuck you, Spite,” Rabid snarls, dripping away from Solomon because of Beast’s sting.

A red-and-white figure walks towards us with a cackle. “Oh my god, constantly. But there is a time and place for that!” He kneels before Rabid and licks his lips. “You look like shit.”

Sonata raises his hand. “I think I can use my voice again now, if you need it.”

Spite shakes his head. “Not while I’m fucking standing here! Go help your friend. I’ve got this, kid.”

Ghost grabs hold of my arm and starts lifting herself up. “Arsinoe?” She whimpers.

“It’s okay. Help is here. It’s okay!”

Sonata rushes up and takes us into his arms. “Are you okay? I'm sorry I had to do that! I didn’t have a choice.”

Ghost’s voice is a strangled bleat. “It’s okay. But Beast - where is she?”

I hold Ghost close to me. “She got away.”

We’re all taken in by the rescue team sent from Hephaestus Academy. Rabid is captured, and Solomon and his wife are placed into custody. Meanwhile, Ghost, Sonata, Julio and I are questioned. The interrogation room is small and cold, causing distress for both Ghost and Sonata. I sit close to Julio, holding his hand. 

“I’m sorry,” he whispers. “I tried to help, but I feel like I made everything worse.”

I lean onto his arm. “You did exactly what I asked. You did no harm, and you defended us. Rabid has been caught. Do you realize how amazing that is?”

Julio smiles shyly. “I still didn’t help you with your sister. She’s still out there.”

I give him a soft kiss. “It’ll be okay. We’ll figure it out.”

Dr. Harlan comes into the room. I haven’t seen him since the day of the explosion. He sits down across from us and I can’t help but notice that, somehow, he looks way younger than I remember. 

“Thanks to you lot, one of the most dangerous individuals we’ve faced is behind bars. I have no idea what else to say. I just need to know who you are.”

“I’m...” Julio clears his throat. “Julio Villacres. My family owns a restaurant, and I’m going to school to be a music teacher.” He places his hand over his shirt. “This is Sonata.”

“It’s cold,” Sonata whimpers.

“Precautionary,” Dr. Harlan says. “We have to make sure you aren’t also a threat.”

“We’re not!” Julio exclaims. “Sonata is peaceful, and the same goes for me. I couldn’t hurt a fly if I wanted to.”

Dr. Harlan smiles. “Not from what we witnessed tonight.” He points to Sonata. “Spite said that you are an executioner.”

“I don’t mean to be,” Sonata pipes.

“Dr. Harlan, this wouldn’t have happened if I had just kept my head down.” I sit up and put my hand back over Julio’s. “I’ve been tracking my sister and Rabid, and when I noticed Rabid following them, I should have stayed away, but I...” I look at Julio and my heart aches. “This is my fault. Sonata and Julio didn’t mean to have any part of this.”

“Sister to Cleopatra,” Dr. Harlan murmurs. “I remember you. I’m glad to see you’re doing alright.”

“Yes, but...”

“I think we can turn the heat back up a little bit.” Dr. Harlan motions to the window in the room. “Have you been looking for your sister all this time?”

I nod. “Yes, sir.”

“So, you would know better than anybody how to track her? Maybe even protect people from her?” Dr. Harlan smiles. “We could use you at the academy, Arsinoe - you and your companion.”

Ghost creeps up my arm, moving her head up beside mine. “Her name is Ghost. She’s Beast’s sister as well as an assassin.”

“‘Assassin’ is such a harsh word, don’t you think?” Dr. Harlan asks. “Wouldn’t ‘hero’ be more fitting? Hepheastus has personally extended an offer to her. After what you all did tonight, he’s giving you full access to the academy.”

“Oh, I...” Julio shakes his head. “I just want to be a teacher. I don’t think there’s anything heroic about me.” He looks at me and squeezes my hand. “But it would be perfect for you.”

“I don’t know,” I murmur.

“You can go to school, have access to amazing doctors, and be around others just like you,” Dr Harlan says. “But that’s all up to you.”

“The academy isn’t too far from my school, either,” Julio says encouragingly. “I could come and visit you any time.”

Dr. Harlan smiles. “You could attend the campus too, Mr. Villacres, if you would like. We could even offer you a teaching position once you graduate.”

“Maybe,” he says thoughtfully. “That just seems too kind.”

“You have no idea what you’ve done for us tonight. We’ve been after Rabid and Solomon for years.” Dr. Harlan glances at me, then gets a sad look in his eyes. “Lord knows I’ve been after him for longer than you’d ever guess. It’s a relief to finally know where he is.” He stands up. “I suppose you all would like to get some rest. We have a room ready for you. Take your time, and when you’re ready, you can give us your answers.”

Harlan takes us to a room furnished with a simple bed and a few other amenities. Julio and I lie down together, with Sonata and Ghost resting on us. “Do you want to talk?” Julio asks.

“Can it wait until morning?” I ask. “Right now, I just want to pretend this night never happened and we’re still in your bed back home.”

Julio kisses my temple. “That’s fine with me.”

I somehow fell asleep, despite all the adrenaline that’s coursed through me this evening. I sleep deeply, not even dreaming, and wake up feeling heavy and groggy. Julio is still asleep beside me, with Sonata wrapped around his head. I watch them sleep, happy to know they’re safe and sound, and resting my cheek against Julio’s chest. Ghost snuggles up to my hair and coos.

“How are you feeling?” I ask her.

“I’ll be alright, I’m just a little weak.” She kisses me softly. “What about you?”

I smile at her. “Surprisingly okay.” I glance back up at our boys. “I’m worried. She’s still out there, and I’m afraid because of this, she may hate me even more.”

“But with Rabid captured, what can she do?” Ghost asks.

“That’s what worries me.”

Julio’s hand smooths up my back, and I snuggle close to him as he wakes. “Good morning,” I kiss his cheek. “Did my boys sleep well?”

Sonata curls around my neck with Ghost and covers my shoulders. “You’re warm.”

Julio chuckles and kisses me. “I’m not sure how I slept after last night, but I did. How are you? Are you alright?”

“I just want coffee and bread from that little cafe,” I whisper to him. “I want today to be just us. I don’t want to think about Hephaestus Academy or anything. I just want to spend one day with you.”

Julio looks at me in worry. “Are you leaving?”

“What? No!” I scoff. “We just became a couple, and all of a sudden we have superherodom tossed into our laps. I just want us to be an ordinary couple for a little bit!”

Julio flops back with relief. “I got scared! Sorry!”

I smile at him. “If I was going to leave, I would say so. But I’m not, so I won’t.”

“I wasn’t sure. You acted strange last night when Harlan offered you the academy.” Julio rolls onto his side to face me. “But you don’t want to discuss that.” He sits up in bed and looks around. “Can we just like… go, or do they have to approve that?”

I sit up and pull my wheelchair to the bedside. “I think we can just go. I’m not sure.” I move myself into it as Julio opens the door. 

We’re given a lot of documents before we leave, including Dr. Harlan’s direct line. Once we’re free, we go to the little cafe again and happily eat and drink in a peaceful silence. Sonata and Ghost snuggle in a cup of coffee.

I look up at Julio, who has an almond slice plastered to his cheek. He looks at me and smiles. “What?”

I pluck the almond from his cheek and eat it. “Messy eater.”

He grins and takes my hand, kissing the knuckles. “What do you want to do after breakfast?”

I think for a moment. “I want you to play your guitar for me.”

Julio breaks into an even bigger grin. “Nothing would make me happier.” His cheeks redden. “But, uh, I’ve never played for just a girl before.”

“Then good thing it’s not just a girl.” I point to the coffee cup with Sonata and Ghost in it. “It’s all of us.”