#eleventhemage

Mike clutched the supercom tightly in his hand, El following behind him.

“Where is everybody?” Mike whispered, looking around. “I don't have any of my equipment.” His leg started shaking anxiously.

“Look,” El pointed and saw the flashing lights of their Ghostbusters’ van, the tyres screeching on the tarmac.

The HQ was only a few minutes walk away so it shouldn't have taken them that long to come to Mike's aid.

The boys piled out the car, even Will was there, carrying extra equipment for Mike. When he saw El he raised an eyebrow at Mike.

“What's going on?” Lucas slammed the driver’s door shut. “We've not had a code red in months!”

“The abandoned building is no longer abandoned.” Mike shrugged. “El and I were just…” he thought about their almost kiss but decided not to mention that, “talking...and the lights started flickering and we heard a loud crash coming from this place.”

“El?” Dustin squinted his eyes. “Oh, didn't we clean out your apartment last week?” He laughed. “Man, Mike would not stop talking about you on the way back he-”

“Dustin!” Mike waved a hand across his neck and shook his head signalling Dustin to quit it.

He just laughed and held out his hand, “I'm Dustin.”

Will handed Mike his proton pack and helped him  get ready while Lucas and Dustin were introducing themselves to El.

“Nice backpack.” Lucas grinned when he saw Mike taking off the bright pink backpack he was carrying and shoving into the van.

“It's mine.” El laughed. “I was going to carry it but he was sweet and offered to carry it for me.”

“Awww, Mikey boy.” Dustin mockingly clutched a hand to his chest.

“Shut up.” Mike mumbled, but his eyes caught El's and a small smile formed.

“You wait out here, Miss.” Lucas gestured to El. “Leave this to the Ghostbusters.”

“No, I'm coming with you.” She folded her arms. “I can handle it.”

“She can hold the trap, you guys always have trouble trying to proton blast it and catch it.” Will suggested.

“And we need as much back up as we can get.” Mike pointed out, tightening his pack.

Lucas sighed. “Fine…but if she gets hurt, our insurance isn't gonna pay.”

“Oh who cares about insurance?” Dustin sighed. “You sound like an old man.”

“You mean a responsible adult? Which is what you're supposed to be.” Lucas began bickering with Dustin.

“El, before we go I just...we have rules.” Mike lightly touched her arm and pulled her to the side, Dustin and Lucas’ bickering fading into the background.

“Rules to keep everyone safe.”

She nodded, looking up expectantly at him. His soft features were now serious and she knew he wasn't joking.

“First rule, we don't split up. We're a team and if we separate were always at least in a team of two, but never alone.”

El looked over her shoulder, the boys were now laughing with each other as if they hadn't just been arguing and she could tell they were close. That they all cared for each other.

“Second rule and one of the most important,” Mike said, “is that if a member requires assistance, it is our duty to provide it. No matter what. We always help a team member in need. No man left behind and all that. And last but not least, friends don't lie.”

El raised an eyebrow. She didn't really know what that last one had to do with ghostbusting.

“Why is that a rule?”

“Because if you see something, or anything happens, you can't lie about it. We need to know because it's dangerous. But also, it's what keeps us all together. We may argue a lot, but we never lie. It might not seem like an important rule but it's kept our sorry asses alive for 21 years so it must do some good.”

El nodded and reached out her hand to squeeze Mike's arm reassuringly. “I understand.” She smiled.

“Ok,” Mike nodded to Will and the others. “Let's go bust a ghost.”

El held back a giggle (a giggle? Really? Pull yourself together!) and followed closely behind Mike as they entered the abandoned building.

The building was dark, with shadows casting shapes along the walls. In the distance, a strange thud and the odd crash could be heard.

El's heart began to race but she looked up at Mike who seemed strangely calm, it was enough to bring her heart rate down.

Dustin was in front holding a torch in one hand and some kind of electrical field or frequency reader in the other. Lucas followed closely behind, proton blaster raised at the ready. Will was next, not usually one to go on missions but because this was a code red,he knew he couldn't sit back. Still, his feet wobbled every step he took and his knuckles were almost white by how tightly he gripped his proton blaster, but he managed to keep a calm exterior on his face.

El carried a torch and the trap, eyes darting at every movement. She was thankful for Mike's presence behind her, the occasional reassuring light touch on her back from his hand. But it was all exciting, the danger, the darkness. Terrifying, but exciting.

“Shit.” Dustin’s quiet whisper could be heard from the front. He had approached the end of the hall but then it split into two. “We’re gonna have to split up and search both ways. We don't know where this son of a bitch is yet.”

“Mike, you, Will and...El? You guys go together, Dustin and I will search this end.” Lucas gestured to the opposite direction.

As the two boys walked into the darkness, El heard Dustin mumble to Lucas, “Split up? If we get murdered I’m going to have a hard time forgiving you for that.”

The floorboards creaked every step they took. This ghost was a lot harder to find than they'd thought.

El suddenly shouted “Shit!” and Mike stopped, holding up his proton blaster, Will jumped.

“What? Did you see something? Are you ok?”

“No I just remembered I was supposed to finish my paper…”

Mike and Will exchanged a glance before all three of them burst out laughing.

“I’m gonna fail this class.”

“Look on the brightside, if we get killed then at least you won’t have to worry about failing.” Mike laughed and she playfully shoved him. Will smiled watching them, they just had such a natural relationship even though they’d barely met. He envied how easily they were able to talk to each other.

Mike and El were still laughing with each other when Will noticed a strange glow from the underside of a door. He slowly approached it, blaster raised.

“Uh...guys?” He looked back but Mike and El had disappeared down the hall.

Will closed his eyes and took a deep breath, slowly opening the door.

“I don't understand, the frequency reader is telling me it's here. But I can't find the bastard.” Dustin waved his reader around and Lucas shoved his hand away.

“Watch where you point that thing.”

Dustin rolled his eyes and grabbed his supercom. “Mike? Mike are you there? Over.”

They waited a second before he answered. “Yeah?”

“You guys found anything yet? We can't see it.” Dustin kept turning his head, just in case something happened.

“Nothing so far. Wait…” Mike's voice dropped off. “Will's missing.”

“Mike!” Dustin shouted and Lucas grabbed his own supercom.

“You broke the most important rule! To stick together! All because you're trying to show off to that girl!”

“Hey! That girl is El. And we weren't doing anything!” Mike said defensively and Lucas just knew the taller boy had his fist clenched. He had an awful temper.

“Then why can't you find Will?”

“Guys!” Dustin shouted. “We need to remain calm. I'm sure Will is ok. But we need to find him before the ghost does.”

“We never should have let her in our group. She's jeopardising the mission.” Lucas raised his hands.

“Shut up Lucas!” Mike shouted into his supercom.

“No, you shut up Mike. You're blind because you like that a girl's not grossed out by you.”