Ghostbane

The night air was crisp, carrying the scent of damp pavement and distant street food. The city lights flickered, neon signs reflecting off the wet roads. Richard and Max walked side by side, their clothes still a bit scuffed from the earlier fight, but they didn't care.

Max rubbed his jaw, still sore. "Man, that ghost was a real piece of work. Who the hell moans in the middle of a fight?"

Richard huffed a tired laugh. "No idea, but you definitely got the worst of it. Dude was straight-up whispering in your ear like he was about to propose."

Max groaned. "Don't remind me. I swear, if I ever deal with another freak like that, I'm quitting. Ghost hunting is not worth this level of trauma."

Richard smirked. "Yeah? What's next, you gonna apply for a desk job? 'Former exorcist, looking for office work, no ghosts, no cursed objects, must provide health insurance'?"

Max scoffed. "Hell no. I just need some ice cream and to forget this night ever happened."

As they turned the corner, a warm glow from a neon sign caught their attention—"Frosty Delights – Open 24 Hours."

Max grabbed Richard's arm. "Oh, we're stopping."

Richard gave him a look. "You're really about to celebrate with ice cream?"

Max was already walking ahead. "We just fought a pervert ghost in a graveyard, dude. I earned this."

Richard sighed but followed. "Your logic is terrible."

They reached the small stand, where an old man with thick glasses and a tired expression barely glanced up from his newspaper.

Max leaned on the counter. "Let me get a mango cone and... cookies & cream."

The vendor nodded. "You paying for your friend too?"

Max turned to Richard with a smirk. "Hell no, he's grown."

Richard rolled his eyes and pulled out some cash. "Mint chip."

The vendor started scooping, and Max stretched, letting out a deep sigh. "Man, nothing hits better than ice cream after getting jumped by a bunch of thugs and dealing with a ghost that should've been locked in a mental hospital when he was alive."

Richard took a bite of his cone. "Still can't believe you dodged all those attacks just to get knocked down by a baseball bat."

Max scowled. "I wasn't expecting it! It was a cheap shot."

Richard shrugged. "Still happened."

Max licked his ice cream. "Yeah? You wanna talk about how you froze up when that ghost whispered in your ear?"

Richard's jaw tensed. "I didn't freeze. I was just... caught off guard."

Max smirked. "Sure, whatever helps you sleep at night."

Richard exhaled through his nose, taking another bite of his ice cream. "I should've let that bat hit you harder."

Max chuckled. "Wouldn't have made a difference. I'm still prettier than you."

Richard rolled his eyes. "You're actually the worst."

Max and Richard sat on a bench near the ice cream stand, the city buzzing around them. The streetlights bathed the sidewalk in a soft yellow glow, and the occasional car zoomed by. Max leaned back, one leg crossed over the other, ice cream in hand.

"Man, I swear," he said between bites, "there is nothing better than ice cream after a fight. This shit tastes like victory."

Richard raised a brow. "Victory? You got smacked in the face with a bat."

Max scoffed. "Minor setback. I still won. And I looked good doing it."

Richard sighed, shaking his head. Just then, two girls passed by—a brunette in a red crop top and a blonde in a black dress. They were mid-conversation when Max, with his usual confidence, locked onto them.

"Hey, ladies," he called smoothly.

The girls slowed down, exchanging a glance before turning toward him. The brunette raised an eyebrow. "Us?"

Max grinned. "Of course. I mean, unless there are other stunning women behind you that I somehow missed."

The blonde giggled, nudging her friend. "He's smooth."

Richard exhaled sharply, already bracing for whatever nonsense was about to happen.

Max leaned forward slightly. "Tell me something—how much do you believe in ghosts?"

The brunette tilted her head. "Ghosts?"

"Yeah, see, me and my boy here just got back from kicking one's ass." He took a slow, deliberate bite of his ice cream. "Tough little bastard, but we handled it."

The blonde smirked. "You're joking."

Max shook his head. "I would never joke about something this serious. The city is filled with ghosts, demons, and other supernatural nasties, and lucky for you two, we're the guys keeping things in check."

The brunette crossed her arms. "And what, you're like exorcists?"

Max grinned. "Exactly. The best in the business."

Richard cut in. "The only ones dumb enough to do it for free."

Max ignored him, eyes still locked on the girls. "I bet you two have had some spooky experiences before, haven't you?"

The blonde hesitated. "Well… there was that one time in my apartment. My door kept unlocking by itself in the middle of the night."

Max snapped his fingers. "Classic poltergeist behavior. Could be a wandering spirit, or maybe something left unfinished in that space."

The brunette scoffed. "Or maybe she just forgot to lock it."

Max smirked. "Maybe. Or maybe a ghost was checking you out." He winked.

The brunette rolled her eyes, but there was a small smile forming. "Wow. You really don't turn it off, do you?"

"Not when I'm in the presence of beautiful women," Max said without missing a beat.

The blonde giggled again. "Alright, ghost hunter, tell us something really scary."

Max leaned forward, lowering his voice dramatically. "Alright, picture this: a haunted cemetery, a perverted ghost whispering sweet nothings in your ear, and a bunch of thugs who thought they could throw hands with me."

The brunette smirked. "And how'd that go?"

Max tapped his cheek. "Well, let's just say baseball bats are not as soft as they look."

The girls laughed, and even Richard smirked.

The blonde looked at Richard. "And you? You just let him talk for you?"

Richard, still casually eating his ice cream, shrugged. "I let him embarrass himself first."

Max placed a hand over his chest. "Betrayal. Right in front of the ladies."

Richard took another bite of his ice cream. "You'll live."

The girls giggled again. The blonde checked her phone. "Alright, we gotta go, but that was… interesting."

The brunette smirked. "Next time, try harder, ghost hunters."

With that, they walked off, leaving Max grinning. He watched them leave before turning to Richard.

"Give it about ten seconds," he said confidently.

Richard furrowed his brows. "For what?"

Right on cue, the brunette turned around, flashing Max a smirk. Then, she held up her phone and waved it slightly—a silent gesture for him to come over.

Max shot Richard a smug look. "Told you."

Richard sighed. "I don't know why I doubt you anymore."

Max stood up, brushing off his jacket. "Because you're slow, my friend. Now, excuse me while I go secure a second victory tonight."

Richard rolled his eyes. "Go. I'll finish your ice cream."

Max pointed at him. "Touch it, and I'll haunt you next."

With that, he walked over to the girls, as confident as ever, leaving Richard shaking his head with a small chuckle.

Richard leaned back on the bench, watching Max confidently walk over to the girls. He shook his head, a small smirk forming as he scooped another bite of his ice cream.

"This guy never quits, huh?"

The night air was crisp, the city lights glowing in the distance. The streets weren't as busy now—just a few late-night pedestrians, some couples, and the occasional drunk guy stumbling past. Richard sighed, letting the moment sink in.

It had been one hell of a day. From chasing Oliver, getting into that street brawl, and finally exorcising that perverted ghost… it was exhausting just thinking about it. But right now, in this moment, it didn't feel like any of that mattered.

Max eventually swaggered back, looking smug as ever. He plopped down on the bench, stretching his arms behind his head.

Richard raised an eyebrow. "Got her number?"

Max gave him a look. "Bro. Of course I got her number. What do you take me for?"

Richard snorted. "An idiot."

Max scoffed. "Jealousy looks ugly on you, Richard."

Richard rolled his eyes. "Right. So what's the plan, Mr. Ladies' Man? Gonna go ghost hunting and take her out on a date?"

Max took a dramatic bite of his ice cream. "Damn right. You gotta balance life, my friend. Can't just be all exorcisms and violence. Gotta have some fun."

Richard sighed. "Yeah, well, not all of us are you."

Max tilted his head. "What, you seriously telling me you got no game? Like, none?"

Richard hesitated for a second. "It's not that I have no game—"

"Bro." Max cut him off, looking absolutely offended. "You definitely have no game."

Richard frowned. "Why do you say it like that?"

"Because look at you! You walk around with that brooding 'I'm too serious for this world' energy. That doesn't work on most girls, man."

Richard huffed. "It works on some girls."

Max narrowed his eyes. "Name one."

Silence.

Max grinned. "Exactly."

Richard sighed. "Look, I just don't see the point of flirting all the time. You do all this talking and then what? Most of the time, it leads nowhere."

Max waved his hand dismissively. "That's where you're wrong. It's not about where it leads—it's about having fun. It's like a game, man. You enjoy the moment. You connect with people. And sometimes… yeah, sometimes it does lead somewhere."

Richard gave him a side-eye. "Are you saying you actually like this girl?"

Max smirked. "Nah, she's cute though."

Richard shook his head. "Unbelievable."

Max chuckled, finishing the last of his ice cream. "What can I say? I live for the thrill."

For a moment, they just sat there, letting the city noise fill the silence. Then, Richard spoke up again.

"You ever think about, like… what we're doing?"

Max raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"This whole exorcist thing," Richard said, looking down at his now-empty ice cream cup. "It's kinda crazy when you think about it. We're out here fighting ghosts, almost getting killed on a regular basis, and for what?"

Max leaned back, looking up at the sky. "For what, huh?" He thought for a moment before answering. "I guess… because we can."

Richard frowned. "That's it?"

Max shrugged. "I mean, think about it. Most people don't even know what's out there. We do. We can actually do something about it. I'd rather be out here throwing hands with ghosts than sitting at home, pretending none of this exists."

Richard exhaled through his nose. "Yeah… I get that."

Max glanced at him. "You regretting this life or something?"

Richard shook his head. "No. Just thinking."

Max smirked. "Dangerous habit."

Richard chuckled. "Shut up."

Max stood up, stretching. "Alright, lover boy. Ice cream break is over. Let's get to Nat's before she thinks we died or something."

Richard stood up as well, cracking his neck. "Yeah. Let's go."

As they walked off, Max nudged him. "By the way, I will be teaching you how to talk to girls. Can't have my partner walking around all awkward and clueless."

Richard groaned. "Please don't."

Max grinned. "Oh, it's definitely happening."

Richard sighed, already regretting this conversation.