SPECTRA

All New Halloween Spooktacular

"Where's your costume, Tommy?" Billy asked as he walked into the kitchen, adjusting his superhero outfit.

"This is my costume. I'm The Cool Twin," Tommy smirked, leaning against the counter.

"What's that make me?" Billy asked, raising an eyebrow.

"A Dork-o-saurus Rex," Alex chimed in as she entered the kitchen, wearing a flowing gold lyrical dress with a matching gold headpiece.

Billy frowned. "Not a real dinosaur."

"Just proved my point," Alex said with a grin, tossing a playful look his way.

"Not helping, Alex," Billy muttered, but his tone was light.

Before he could say anything else, Tommy playfully shoved him. "Just accept it, 'Dork-o-saurus Rex'!"

The tussle started instantly, the boys shoving each other before spilling into the living room, laughing and wrestling.

Alex followed, rolling her eyes. "Do you two ever grow up?"

Her comment was met with silence when they all spotted Pietro, sprawled across the couch in a mess of guest linens, snoring loudly in just boxers and a tank top.

"Man, he even snores cool," Tommy whispered, wide-eyed. "I'm gonna wake him up."

"No, don't!" Billy whispered back, looking worried.

"Why not? Afraid he's a vampire?" Tommy teased.

"Come on, guys, seriously?" Alex said, her eyes darting between them. "He's just sleeping. Let him be."

Before any of them could react, Pietro stopped snoring and slowly rose from the couch, his eyes mischievous. Without warning, he lunged at them, his accent exaggerated as he growled, "Blood is thicker than water—I show you! RAAAAAAHHH!"

The twins screamed with laughter, trying to escape as Pietro darted around them with superspeed, catching them off guard every few seconds.

Alex sighed, shaking her head, but couldn't hide her own smile. "Great, now Uncle Pietro's turned into a vampire. Guess we're doomed."

Wanda entered just in time to witness the chaos, her red cape flowing behind her. Dressed in her classic comic-inspired outfit, she smiled at the sight of her brother and children running around the room.

As the noise from their antics filled the room, Wanda finally had enough and called out, "Somebody better be bleeding, broken, or on fire!"

Billy, looking up with wide eyes, noticed Wanda's outfit for the first time. "Whoa, Mom! Are you... Old Red Riding Hood?"

Wanda smirked, striking a little pose in her flowing red outfit. "I'm a Sokovian fortune teller."

Pietro, lounging on the couch after chasing the boys around, jumped in with his usual sarcasm. "Wow, that is so—"

"Rad!" Tommy cut in, his excitement clear.

Pietro grinned, finishing the thought, "...lame."

Tommy quickly switched sides, catching on to the joke. "Lame. So so lame, Mom."

Alex stifled a laugh from the corner, shaking her head. "You two are hopeless."

Pietro, ever the joker, added, "Worse than the costumes Mom made the year we got typhus."

"Not exactly how I remember it..."

Billy looked at Alex and Tommy, his brows furrowed. "Mom's been weird since Uncle Pietro got here. I think it's because she hasn't seen him in a long time, and, well... he's kind of a man-child."