Download and Die!

Download and Die! is the second arc of the horror anthology comic series Goosebumps. It was published by IDW between March and May 2018.

Blurb
The kid-friendly horror series returns to comics with all-new stories! The terrifying world of Goosebumps is just a click away! When Mitra and her two besties find a phone with the latest and greatest technology and apps, they think they are dreaming. But when push (notification) come to shove, they might be living a nightmare! With the phone turning them against each other, can Mitra do a hard reset before it's too late?

Issue #1
On the first day of a new school year, Mitra Salar and Kyra Steelbreaker are hyped that they are locker buds. They soon meet another girl, Amanda "Flips" Sneeds, who had recently moved in and who Kyra recognizes for being on the leaderboard of one of their video games, Travelers of the Frost. A hall monitor, Mitra's brother Mehrdad, tells the trio to get to class as the bell had rung. The three pass the computer lab on their way to class.

In class, their teacher, Mrs. Flora, informs the class about their semester-long project: In teams of three, they need to choose a small business and make a program or app to help them, such as an inventory tracker. Kyra writes down that she, Mitra, and Flips can all work as a team.

During lunch period, Flips and Kyra bond over names as Mitra eyes another girl that she has a crush on: Weather Chan. She starts to get annoyed and jealous about Kyra and Flips bonding and asks if they love lunch. Flips apologizes for getting carried away, then begins discussing the computer lab.

After school, Mitra takes a picture of the computer lab hours with her phone and sends them to Kyra and Flips when bullies on the other side of the door slam against it, startling her and making her drop it. Once the door opens, one of the bullies breaks the phone by stepping on it, telling Mitra not to leave her valuables on the ground. Another boy says that they got one slip from Mehrdad for being late, so she'll need to be more careful soon enough. Mitra wishes she could text Kyra about "those creeps", but while unlocking her phone, she cuts herself.

At home, the three play their video game while Mitra tells them about the damaged phone. Kyra tells Mitra to report it with Flips saying they should get revenge. Mitra's character dies, and she tells Flips she thought she would heal her, with Flips apologizing for being caught on the revenge plan, with Mitra saying she likes this side of her. Kyra continues saying the teachers can help her, with Mitra saying "except when [her] slingshot got stolen". Kyra replies that slingshots weren't allowed in school and that was when they were five. Mitra posts a tweet about her dead character, saying she'll need to walk a lot of dogs if she wants a new phone.

The next morning, after asking if her brother has to be a pain both at home AND school, Mitra gets a package from what she believes is a secret admirer, like Weather. She takes the package with her to school, but starts to get a headache.

At school, she tells Kyra and Flips that she didn't order anything, and that the package didn't say who sent it. She opens the package and finds that it has a new phone. Kyra thinks it's an early birthday present while Flips believes it could be from a long-lost cousin. Mitra only sees Weather and suddenly has another headache. Kyra warns Mitra not to use it and just tell her parents, but Flips notices that this phone is the latest model. Kyra warns Mitra of identity theft when Merhdad notices, noting that it was HIS turn to get a new phone from their parents. Flips asks him what level of Bloodsbane Cliffclimber he plays, but Merhdad just walks away, saying that Downward Dirk Mountain had its flaws.

To buy a new phone, Mitra is stuck helping do chores with her family, with Kyra trying to get in touch with her to discuss weekend plans, and tries calling Merhdad to get to Mitra. Kyra also texts that when she and Flips went to the mall and then a movie, they ran into Weather at the movie. With her FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) beginning to overcome her, Mitra desperatley resorts to using the new phone, with its battery charging icon having blood. Mitra sees that all of her info had been uploaded onto the phone, but on the main screen, there is a tombstone reading "R.I.P. Mitra's Old Phone'. She takes a picture of her cat as she gets online with Kyra, who notes that one of the phone's apps, Deadroom, isn't supposed to go live until September. Trying out the phone filters, Mitra uses the Tickled Pink filter on the picture of her cat. She then joins Kyra in gaming, talking about Flips and going to the movie without Mitra.

At school the next day, the girls are with Weather, with Mitra slightly bummed out of having missed Weather at the movie. She asks Mrs. Flora if there are any open computer lab hours this week, but she says that the bully boys from earlier had reserved the lab for 2 weeks.

That night, Mitra mumbles about those "stupid creeps" in her sleep when she suddenly wakes up, having thought that she had seen a figure make the floorboards creak. But when she turns on a light, there's nothing there.

The next day, she takes a picture of the bullies, putting the So Sick filter on the picture. She then notices an app called Creeps, which has her play a game where she has to creep several cities, such as Tulsa, Seattle, Portland, San Diego, and San Francisco. She plays for a while until Weather sits next to her. Weather says the boys signed up for all the lab time, which Weather needs to edit drone footage of soccer games. She notices Mitra's new phone and uses it to take a picture of one of the boys, who suddenly is sick, barfing in a trash bin. Saying that some lab spots might open up after all, she leaves after returning Mitra's phone. Mitra looks inside and notes that the boy had puked on some of the computer, stating that the school will need a lot of compressed air for the keyboards.

That weekend, the girls have a sleepover at Kyra's house, with Kyra saying her parents don't usually allow sleepovers so early in the year. Flips has brought an ouija board and Kyra says they should ask who sent Mitra the phone. Mitra feels another headache, so Flips decides that they can just play Mario Kart until they pass out.

That night, Mitra begins having a dream where she sees Weather. She holds her hand, but suddenly it changes to the hand of Slappy the Dummy, who drops her off a cliff while laughing. Mitra is then woken up by Kyra to see that Flips' hair has suddenly been cut. But with her is a strange note that says "I want the phone."...

Issue #2
Mitra insists that she wasn't the one that cut Flips hair to Kyra, and says that the note isn't in her handwriting. While Flips bandages her bruised face, Kyra's mom tells them that breakfast is ready. After breakfast, the girls think about who could've done this to Flips, who suddenly notes that the cage to Kyra's pet bird is open. Kyra realizes she forgot to feed him last night, so they believe the bird was just angry.

The next day, the trio head through town to find the perfect business for their project, but most of the spots are already taken. As Kyra thinks that the coffee ground at the cafe could be useful, Mitra spots Mehrdad teaching his class. As the others are talking about having people get coffee grounds for their gardens, she takes a picture of him and uses the Twisted filter on it. This results to Mehrdad losing his balance during a skateboard stunt and breaking his arm.

At the hospital, Mitra continues playing the Creeps game, which says that her town has been Creeped, when she suddenly hears knocking coming from inside a skeleton case, which she notes that the skeleton inside, Curly, looks just like one of her stickers, and then notices the game asking for the street she lives on. As Curly continues knocking, Mitra suddenly sees a boy sit next to her, who asks if she has a basement. She asks if he's waiting to see a doctor, but the boy says that he's waiting for Mitra, so that she can take care of him. The boy, who says his name is Keith, begins to puke up weird yellow gunk, which grosses Mitra out. She and her mother leave shortly after as Keith continues puking.

Back home, Mitra is seen typing a message to Kyra explaining everything that's been happening, but, ultimately thinking she'll sound nuts, just deletes it. Noting that no one will believe her, despite it being true, Mitra looks down to see that her cat has suddenly turned pink.

The next day at the computer lab, the girls continue their project, with Kyra doing the writing, Flips doing the drawing, and Mitra doing the coding. Deciding to immortalize the moment, Mitra takes another picture, this time curiously trying out the Secrets filter. She suddenly hallucinates about seeing Weather in the computer, which she mistakes as a bug while whispering about how she just wants to hang out with her, when the real Weather enters, asking if the team could give Mitra a break. The two head out of the lab, with Mitra blushing immensely. She asks Weather how her sports project is going, and Weather tells Mitra about it, including how the players' faces change when both the ball and other players are coming at them...kinda like how Mitra's face is looking at that moment. She also hears another voice similar to Weather's repeating her whisper. However, she also hears a voice like Kyra's saying she needs to tell Mitra about Weather. Alarmed at Weather's sudden question if she's okay, Mitra says she needs to get back to work. There, she begins hearing the thoughts of Kyra and Flips. Kyra's being that Mitra's relationship with Weather just isn't going to work, and Flips' being that the room just got WAY tense. And then, another voice begins speaking to Mitra, telling her that her friends are lying to her.

As she walks home, thinking she's losing it, Mitra hears the voice again, saying that her friends think the phone is distracting her, and tells her not to let them take it. She heads upstairs and goes to sleep. Later, she suddenly hears another creak. She turns on the lamp, but just like last time, nothing's there. Noting that she got up 5 minutes before her alarm went off, she goes to the bathroom to brush her teeth. On the news on her phone, she hears of an infection that has begun spreading, the locations labeled are Tulsa, Oklahoma; Seattle, Washington; Portland, Oregon; and San Diego, California: The same cities in the app game!

She heads downstairs and finds Kyra at the door, and they walk to school with some cider. Mitra hears Kyra's thoughts, saying she's afraid Mitra is losing her mind. The voice tells Mitra that Kyra wants her phone. Mitra angrily tells Kyra that she has other friends when Flips is mentally mentioned, and Kyra asks if Mitra ever told her parents about the phone. The voice tells Mitra that Kyra doesn't want to be with her. She only wants the phone.

In their argument, Kyra accidentally pushes Mitra, sending them tumbling off a slope...

Issue #3
As they fall, with Mitra narrating over how they are going to die, Kyra grabs onto a tree as Mitra grabs onto her foot, dangling from a cliff. Both of them are then saved by Weather, who says that someone pushed her to Needlepeak Trail. If she went to either school or home, the world kept going black. Mitra confesses to Kyra and apologizes, saying that the phone is the reason for all that has been happening. Weather tries helping Mitra (much to her silent embarrassment) by having her delete some photos, which also has several pictures of Weather. However, Kyra gets a text and picture from Flips...with ANOTHER Mitra! As it begins to rain, Mitra remembers she took a selfie and used the Twinning Filter, but was unable to delete the photo. The girls rush to the school, with Mitra wearing a beanie to distinguish herself as the real Mitra.

In the cafetorium, the girls hide behid the curtain on the stage, with Kyra asking how the phone got haunted. She tries texting Flips, but Clone Mitra spills a drink on the phone, bricking it and rendering it useless. That's when a voice asks what the drama could be, and the girls turn to see a figure backstage with them: Slappy the Dummy!

Kyra mistakes him to be with theater tech, replying that he has "one hell of a make-up job", but Slappy bites her hand. With him is Curly, dressed up as the Grim Reaper (albeit with pink robes rather than black). Slappy tells Mitra that he wants the phone because it can spread a virus to enslave the entire world, one download at a time. He then notices Curly and kicks him, making him drop the robes and the scythe prop. A voice then calls out, and the bullies climb down from the catwalk. The one in the green shirt tells Slappy that the phone is theirs, since it brought them here thanks to Mitra. Slappy asks who they are, and the bullies remove their human skin and transform into Creeps. Mitra asks if she's dead, because that's the only explanation for what she's seeing. The Creeps tell Slappy of their updated plan to enslave the world and turn them all into Creeps using the phone, as everything is digital these days. Slappy only attacks, telling Curly that they can't have the phone. As the monsters fight, the girls manage to escape.

Weather says she'll distract Clone Mitra while the others get Flips, but when they re-enter the cafetorium, both of them are gone! They begin searching for Flips, but Mitra runs into Mehrdad, who has a broken arm cast. Kyra manages to find Flips, who says that Mitra tried attacking her in the gymnasium, and is then confused about how Mitra is already with them. Mehrdad is also confused, and they rush to the gym where Clone Mitra swipes the phone! She states that if she deletes a photo with the Twinning filter, only the Mitra not holding the phone will cease to exist. However, she hits the wrong app and instead summons a hologram of a beauty consultant: Sybil Wicked.

Mehrdad is understandably confused about how there are TWO Mitras, and starts to believe he is dreaming before Clone Mitra bites him. She tries to run, but slams into Sybil, who begins scanning her face, noting how beautiful it is (before presumably going to take it for herself). While Clone Mitra is distracted, Weather uses a drone to snatch the phone. Just as she does, Slappy and Curly enter, having beaten the Creeps. Weather has the drone drop the phone, and Mitra crushes it with a stomp. This makes both Sybil and Clone Mitra fade from existence. But Slappy's not happy, and he isn't done yet! His backup plan involves using the kids to take over the school!

Kyra rushes over to a control panel and tells Mehrdad to grab Slappy and head to the bleachers. Mehrdad does so by skateboard, but Slappy (much to his annoyance) bites him on the arm. Mitra then kicks Slappy into the bleachers, and Slappy only says that the bleachers always have safety measures. Kyra only replies with "Not if they were made in the 90s" before she closes the bleachers. Slappy only says that one day, he WILL enslave them, before ther bleachers ultimately crush and kill him (again). Without Slappy's magic, Curly literally falls to pieces.

At a diner, Mitra finishes explaining everything to her friends and brother. Kyra deduces that it was Slappy who cut Flips' hair, since the bird obviously couldn't write. Mitra confesses to Flips that she was worried that Kyra would ignore her and instead spend time with Flips, who only says that sometimes, two friends are better than one. Mitra only says that friends don't let friends get thirsty, so she goes to get more tea.

While at the drink area, she chats with Weather about being a hero and working together. Weather agrees, saying it's been a pretty crazy day. Mitra says that she wasn't weirded out by her crush on her, as Weather said the phone made her do it. However, she ultimately turns Mitra down, saying she's not really into anyone and just wants to play sports and make rad films. A little saddened about the "breakup", Mitra rejoins her friends, saying she's just reliving today's events. Flips only says she'll need more pizza to process.

Back home, Mitra and Mehrdad see their mother setting out five plates, who asks if they can get their brother from downstairs. They head downstairs to see Keith in the basement, who reveals that HE was the one that sent the phone. Now, as he will be here to solve all of her problems, Mitra will have to take care of her "little brother" if she ever wants her parents to stay alive...

Trivia

 * Mitra is shown to have a romantic attraction to Weather; because of this, Mitra is the first LGBT character to appear in Goosebumps media.
 * At some points, Mitra's eyes change color.
 * When Weather's drone grabs the phone, her hair changes color.
 * When Kyra sees Slappy, she states that he has "one hell of a make-up job". This, along with Goosebumps Horrortown, is one of the few instances in Goosebumps media where swear words are used.
 * Mitra nearly says the same word ("What the h-") when she hears Slappy's voice before getting cut off by him again.
 * This comic references The Three Musketeers, Mario Kart and Encyclopedia Brown. Additionally, Kyra jokes that they can be like "The Sandersons", potentially a reference to the 1993 film Hocus Pocus.
 * In the introduction, R.L. Stine mentions Disney, Looney Tunes, Heckle and Jeckle, Baby Huey, The Fox and the Crow, Andy Panda, Charlie Chicken, and Chilly Willy.
 * Kyra saying that the bleachers were made in the 90s could be a reference to when the original Goosebumps books were released, which was also in the 1990s.

References to other Goosebumps media

 * Say Cheese and Die!: The name of this arc is a reference to the title of the book, and the overall plot shares similarities to the books.
 * Night of the Living Dummy saga: Slappy the Dummy appears as the primary antagonist.
 * Tales to Give You Goosebumps: Curly the Skeleton appears as the secondary antagonist.
 * Calling All Creeps!: The Creeps appear as the tertiary antagonists.
 * Welcome to the Wicked Wax Museum: Sybil Wicked makes an appearance during issue 3.
 * I Live in Your Basement!: Keith makes an appearance during issue 2, and reappears in issue 3 as part of the arc's twist ending.
 * Slappy in Dreamland: Slappy retains his ability to infiltrate dreams.