P.I.E. Operation: PARASITIC

XLV: Disappointing Behavior

Hey there!

Um... Yeah, this was probably my longest delay in publishing a chapter, but I was on vacation and the schedule each day was EAT, BEACH, RANDOM TOURIST ATTRACTION, EAT, BEACH, SLEEP. Just letting anyone know. "^^

Also, if you get notifications for random chapter updates, I'm just fixing some broken images.

Anyway, here's the new chapter!

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After experiencing the effects of a portal opening in their home, the few Acachallas and Johnny Toast went to see who or what traveled there.

Because he just happened to be so small, Toast strained to see down the stairs past Papa Acachalla's giant hand.

He gasped when he finally recognized the strange figure. "Johnny?!"

Of course, he was not mentioning himself, but in fact his recently missing partner, Johnny Ghost.

Papa nearly jumped down the stairs just to get to Johnny faster.

Spencer, without saying a word, sat himself down at the top to watch and rested his head on his hand.

Papa went ahead and laid Gertrude on the stairs while Johnny Toast eagerly jumped off his hand just to get on solid ground again. Acachalla slapped the fallen boy on the head. "Wake up and get out my house, you reckless, portal-travelling hoodie man!"

Johnny sprung up, surprising Papa. He narrowed his eyebrows, and Jimmy spoke. "Either you're an idiot, or you think you don't know who I am." He grinned widely as he reached his hand into the satchel hanging around his shoulder and pulled out Knifey.

From afar, Spencer widened his eyes at the familiarity of the older boy's face.

Jimmy Casket let the weapon glow through all the bloodstains that hadn't been removed.

Papa acted pretty casual at the sight of the knife. "No, I just don't care who you are. I care about very few things, in fact. Now, I demand that you leave me and my family alone or I'll have to bring out the rocket launcher."

"Johnny!" Toast called out, unaware of Jimmy's presence.

Jimmy perked up at the sound.

"Johnny Ghost! Put that weapon down!" Toast scolded. "I don't know what's gotten into you, but please stop." His tone softened, as he was a little disappointed that his partner in paranormal investigating had reduced to attempting something so randomly violent.

"Where are you?" Jimmy growled.

Toast's eyebrows were knit together. "I'm below you, sir. If I was at my natural size, I'd be above you."

"Get out of the way, old man." Jimmy pushed past a red-faced (anger, not embarrassment) Papa Acachalla, who went to comment but instead stayed behind to make sure the boy didn't try to wreck his beloved estate.

Papa picked up Gertrude out of the way before Johnny went anywhere near the stairs.

Toast looked at Papa uncomfortably and realized he was sort of alone on this. Johnny greatly overshadowed his view His eyes glowed an unusual bright red, which wasn't unlike Gertrude's manner, but something about him seemed a lot more sinister.

Johnny stared up at his younger work partner, unsure of how to talk to him.

The other Johnny stared down at him in a silent panic. "It's you."

Toast was confused. "Um, yeah? I haven't changed within the few days I wasn't with you..." He shook his head. "Either way, I would like you to apologize to Mr. Acachalla and anyone else you've been disrespectful--"

Ghost's hand, controlled by Jimmy, swooped down and clasped around the entirety of Toast, save for his head and shoulders.

Toast felt limp like a ragdoll. He could barely breathe enough to talk.

From afar, Spencer was ready to get up and Papa moved a bit closer to Jimmy, but both held back.

"Don't kill him, idiot!" Spencer yelled at Jimmy. He slouched down a bit when the murderer gave him a threatening look.

Jimmy turned back to the tiny British man, an uncomfortable smile slowly seeping up the sides of his lips. "For sure, I thought you were one of the few humans who could stand against me somehow." Johnny was attempting to wriggle out of his grasp for better air. Jimmy ignored this and continued to speak. "But... I don't remember you being so small and sensitive. Perhaps the weight..." He added more pressure to his grasp, torturing his former mentor. "of knowing that you could defeat me..." Johnny Toast closed his eyes. He felt like his insides were caving in to themselves. Jimmy grinned at the sight. "Has finally been lifted off my shoulders!"

The pressure around him quickly ceased as The older but smaller P.I.E. member was thrown to the ground. He was beginning to lose consciousness (as well as blood), which ruined his chance to run.

Spencer was tensing up, and he kept narrowing his eyes at Papa considering he hadn't made a move.

Papa didn't take his eyes off of Jimmy. He calmly put Gertrude on a nearby table.

Mama sat up and bit her nails. She couldn't stand watching two kids fight in a situation where she could do nothing.

"It's funny." Jimmy began to speak again as Johnny's eyesight became fuzzy. "You have three bystanders so close to you, yet they haven't made a move. You're seen as useless, perhaps, which gives me a good reason to end your life and take back what you stole from me."

Toast gave him a weak smile, concealing tears from all the physical and mental pain. "That... makes no sense, sir... I don't steal..."

Jimmy's eyes flashed a raging bright red. "You don't know what you're talking about!"

As soon as his foot was lifted completely above Toast, Papa Acachalla automatically pulled a loaded pistol out of his back pocket (not quite a rocket launcher--he uses that as an excuse to scare kids off his property)

Toast widened his eyes and yelled out "STOP!" However, it was directed at Papa rather than Johnny.

Papa got the message and gave him a look of confusion at first, then immediately drew out his shoulder and charged towards the psychopath.

The Acachalla's shoulder crashed into Ghost's back as the boy's foot wasn't too far from Johnny Toast. The crazed leader of P.I.E. fell forward into the stairs, dazed but not knocked out.

Papa called out to his adopted son. "Come down here, boy! I need you to hold him down while I find something to bind his arms together.

Spencer slid down the wooden bar on the side of the stairs. "Wouldn't the other way around make more sense?"

"You have no idea where my handcuffs are."

"Why do you have--?"

"Just hold him down before he gets up!" Papa yelled. He picked up Toast and put him slightly distanced from Mama Gertrude since he didn't really trust him near his wife after she got poisoned.

Gertrude, despite that incident, was easily getting better and went towards Johnny anyhow to make sure he was still alive.

Papa Acachalla opened a corner wall cabinet that was still dripping pasta sauce from the two italian ghosts. He threw a few spices out of the deep storage space to reveal a conveniently unlocked metal box. He quickly opened the box and drew out a pair of handcuffs that were originally stored for intruders and when Billy wanted to play as a cop.

He went out to the hallway where Jimmy was (surprisingly) too weak to properly remove himself from the younger red headed boy.

As Papa was a bit stronger, there wasn't too much of a struggle in cuffing Johnny's wrists.