Unappreciated [PIE]

Beginning of the End

Art by Larry_da_cat on Deviantart

  Spooker didn't know what he was doing wrong.

  He tried his best on every mission, but he still just couldn't get it right.

  He wished someone could tell him what he was doing wrong instead of just insult and demean him constantly.

  No matter what he did, he'd always be in this perpetual state of failure. That's all he is and all he ever will be, if his idol taught him anything.

  Spooker stepped through the door of his and Colon's shared apartment, shedding off his vest and throwing it to the side like a useless sack. Colon wouldn't be home for a while. Ghost and Toast took him out on a mission and left Spooker at HQ all alone, like usual. They'd been gone all day.

Ever since Colon became an official member, they treated him like he was more important than his ginger counterpart. They took him out on more missions, they paid him more, sometimes they even invited him to movie nights!

  It wasn't fair. None of this was fair. How did they like him more than Spooker? How did Colon become an official PIE member before Spooker did? What did Colon have that he didn't? Spooker was here longer, he had more experience!

  I guess I'm just that useless...

  He stood in the middle of the living room, just staring at the blank TV screen. He didn't feel real. Nobody this much of a screw up could possibly exist. That's what Ghost often said at least, though admittedly, he used a lot more colorful language.

  He felt something rub against his leg and chirp, and Spooker looked down to see his cat, Blankets. He chirped again, purring loudly. Spooker smiled softly and crouched down.

  "Hey kitty kitty." He cooed, petting his head. He leaned into the touch with a bounce. "Lonely without me and Colon, huh? Was Woah not around to keep you company?"

  He meowed as if in response. Spooker laughed, picking him up and holding him against his chest. He sat down on the couch, letting him down on his lap and continuing to pet him.

  He frowned.

  "Blankets, what do you think I should do?" He knew he wasn't going to be able to respond, but maybe talking about it out loud would help. "How do I prove myself to them?"

  He meowed, and suddenly, an idea struck him.

  "Woah, you're right!" Spooker exclaimed.

  "Right about what?"

  A chill ran down Spooker's spine as Woah manifested behind him. He shivered and turned his head. "Oh, not you, Woah."

  "Oh." She dipped down, leaning over his shoulder to pet Blankets. "What were you talking about then?"

  "I have an idea to finally become an official member of PIE!"

  "What is it?"

  "I'm gonna go on a mission by myself! I'm gonna try and score a high level entity and take care of it all by myself! Ghost'll have to make me an official member by then!" Spooker cheered, forcing that usual fake optimism like he usually did. Fake it 'till you make it, right?

  Woah was silent for a moment, frowning as she thought. "Whatever you think is best." She said eventually, but she didn't sound convinced. It almost killed Spooker's optimism. Almost.

  Spooker didn't think twice about that statement. "Thank you!" He chirped stupidly. "Oh also! Don't tell Colon! I don't want him trying to steal my spotlight haha!" Spooker set Blankets aside and retreated into his room to scheme. Woah and Blankets watched silently, before turning to each other and sharing a worried look.

  Woah sighed and sat on the couch, petting the cat softly. "It doesn't sound like a good idea, but I'm not the paranormal investigator in training. Still, I wanna tell Colon." Blankets didn't respond, and Woah sighed again. "I want a sandwich."

~~~

  The rest of the team came back late that night, all extremely exhausted. Apparently they had encountered the infamous Maxwell Acachalla, causing chaos in yet another town. No wonder it took them all day and well into the night to deal with him. He also apparently had another ghost with him, but they refused to elaborate on who she was. Ghost seemed especially adamant on not speaking of her existence.

  Whatever. It wasn't the first time that they left Spooker out of the loop. It was fine. He just... Had to learn to deal with it, though this had been a common occurrence for years now.

  Spooker stood next to a hanging phone in the main office of the PIE HQ. Ghost had nodded off and was currently asleep in his chair on the other side of the room, while Colon and Toast were elsewhere, Spooker wasn't really sure. He was supposed to be in the basement, cleaning and tidying up, but if his plan were to work, he couldn't be preoccupied with that. He had to be ready for an incoming call.

  Spooker stared intensely at it, ready for even a slight sound from it. He has to answer it before Ghost woke up, and he'd have to answer it quietly to prevent his waking up. He had to be ready, and he had to pull this off perfectly. His future, his career depended on it-

  The phone rang. Spooker didn't allow it to get even a quarter of a second to ring before he picked it up and shoved it up to his ear.

  "This is PIE, Paranormal Investigators Extraordinaire, what seems to be your issue today?" Spooker spoke softly into the receiver, keeping an eye on Ghost's sleeping form. He wasn't even sure he said the right thing, but whatever gets the point across, right?

  "Oh thank God you answer fast!" A distressed woman on the other side answered. "Please hurry! I have kids and they keep talking about this Cardboard Friend. It keeps talking about a Gregory and has basically taken over my house. It convinced my kids that I was actually the ghost and they've kicked me out. I'm calling from a public phone right now."

  Spooker nodded. "Calm down ma'am, you called the right team. Where seems to be the haunting?" He tried to copy Ghost's way of speech, but he felt like he didn't quite nail it. She told him her address, and Spooker nodded again. "Yes ma'am. I'll be over right away."

  Spooker hung up and couldn't help but do a little victory dance before hurrying into the equipment room and gathering a few things. He grabbed a ghost detector, a flashlight, an extra battery, a gun, some salt laced ammo, and a ghost trap. He grinned, figuring that was all he needed, and started outside for the car. He grabbed the keys on the way out, spinning it around on his pudgy finger and humming softly to himself.

  After today, he would be an official PIE member! He was sure of it!