Author's Note

Well. I have no excuse for this. I go to start writing down a story idea I have floating around in my head and I get one chapter and. That's it. On to the next idea! Hey, it's great that I managed to get two whole chapters of my other fics out! Obviously I will update those too, but. Later. Sorry. How the hell do neurotypicals manage to update regularly with 4k+ chapters?

Anyways. I'm super into horror. SOOO hyped for Fatal Frame 5 western release! I also really enjoy real-life horror. I really want to visit old abandoned places with some recorders and a camera... but since I'm 16 and broke, I settle for watching Ghost Adventures instead. Which is also a very funny show, you should watch it. So I wanted to write a fic related to hunting ghosts! I've got other horror ideas in the works, but this is the one I'm motivated to write at the moment.

I, a nerdy high school weeb, obviously do not own Hetalia. I wish I could own Ghost Adventures so I could hang out w/ Aaron and Zak, though.

Chapter I
Butthead

"So... tell us again why you've got all this... tech stuff with you?"

A small young man smiled excitedly, his hair and clothing ruffled and damp after running outside through the rain. Despite his water-logged attire, the various devices displayed on the table before him were completely dry, having been protected with generous amounts of plastic bags which were now scattered along the floor. The machines he brought were all of differing sizes and shapes, not seemingly related to each other in terms of use. The panting youth that stood proudly above them, however, seemed to have a specific goal in mind for each one. A goal that he was visibly eager to share with the men that sat staring up at him in confusion. As if presenting some new invention, he took up what looked to be a small digital recorder and held it up for the others to see. "Duh, it's for hunting ghosts! Nobody will take you seriously unless you can get some evidence, which is what I've brought all this stuff for!" he explained, still slightly out of breath from his earlier sprint through autumn rain. The man looked expectantly at his peers, awaiting their response. When none came, his giddy expression turned slightly frustrated. "What? You need recorders to catch EVPs! Infrared cameras to pick up spirit energy!"

"That's... not it, Alfred," one of the group spoke up, raising his hand slightly to gain attention. "I get it's for 'ghost hunting' but... why bring all this here?"

The rest all murmured in agreement, silently hoping that the answer isn't what they think it may be. To their disappointment, a mischievous grin spread on the blond's tanned face, his eyes sparkling. "Why, you ask? I'm glad you asked, Artie!" he began, a collective groan emanating from the others present. It seemed their worst fears had been confirmed. "All we've been doin' since school let out 's sit around on our asses playing video games and eating fast food!" Alfred continued, gaining an incredulous look from Arthur at the notion that he'd done nothing productive since graduation. "So I thought to myself, 'what's a fun hobby that we could all do together?' and I realized: what better to do in such a crusty, old town than go hunting for ghosts! With all the old buildings around here, we're bound to get some good evidence!"

"So," another man started, his voice calm and even, "what you're trying to say is that... you want all of us to go hunting for ghosts together?"

That classic, doofy smile said it all. Arthur (dramatically) facepalmed, a decidedly French snicker rising from behind the Englishman. All in the room shared sideways glances, all conveying the same thoughts: Goddammit Alfred, not again. But Alfred, as per usual, quite frankly did not give much of a shit. So, despite his audience's obvious displeasure, the self-proclaimed hero continued on with his plan. "A'ight, so here's what I'm thinking: we know about all kinds of 'supernatural' stuff, but ghosts are still out of our zone, right? Ghosts are usually a human-only thing, so we're left out of the circle, so to speak. Why sit around bored all day when we could be out huntin' down big, bad ghosties! Since we're not all too familiar with 'em, it'll be kind of like a challenge, y'know?"

"So, what, you expect us to... set up cameras and walk around in the dead of night with a flashlight and recorder, trying to catch evidence of something that might not even exist?" the bushy-browed gent questioned, a note of annoyance clear in his voice.

"Well, you'd have to walk with a camera, too! No point in experiencin' spooky stuff if you don't get it on film!" Alfred added, casually avoiding a direct answer, which actually gave away the answer anyways. Alfred F. Jones, more commonly known as the "Thunderbird" of Native American folklore, wanted to drag his fellow mythological friends on a quest of epic proportions: ghost hunting. Magical, spiritual beings hundreds of thousands of years old... crawling around in old, creaky mansions, trying to communicate with invisible spirits.

"Actually, they do exist. Ghosts, I mean," the monotone man spoke up once more, his face showing no emotion as usual. Shocked, his companions turned to stare at him with wide eyes, even Alfred looking surprised at this news. "I can see them. They exist, but remain hidden. Along with... other things," he lamented, seemingly to himself. Confused looks quickly morphed to ones of mild concern. ...Other things? What does he mean by that? "The world of spirits is far more complex than you realize. There are other beings that reside there; much stronger and more intelligent beings."

With this, Alfred's expression faltered, afraid of the implications of his friend's words. Stronger? More intelligent? Were they talking about spirits or some kinda animals? Of course, it wasn't uncommon for the Japanese myth to refer to things in ways that could be a bit... cold. Distant. Cruel, even. But hey, a man can see a lot of shit in over 2,300 years of life. "W-what kinda... 'things' r'you talking about, Kiku?" the still-drying blond asked timidly, unnerved at the serious look in the other's eyes.

Kiku stood from his seat and walked up next to the taller teen, meaning to address the entire room with his statement. Since this was the most he had said all month, no one dared to interrupt him. "Every world has order. The strong rule over the weak. Similarly, stronger beings rule over weaker, human spirits. They usually work in ways we can't see, however... when you call out to one spirit, all of them can hear you. Being myths may attract those greater beings," he stated, eyes not quite focusing on anyone in particular. Kiku's seemingly-infinite knowledge of random subjects once again leaves everyone dumbfounded.

Arthur nodded silently in thought, French giggling emanating again from behind. Alfred shifted on his feet nervously, fearing his plans would be ruined by the fact that it could, actually, be kind of dangerous. By kind of, he meant probably fatal. Then again, there was a certain thrill gained when your life was on the line, right? Right. Totally. This could still work! "Aww, come on guys, we're legends! We've lived hundreds of years already, this is nothing we can't handle!" he tried, slinging an arm casually around Kiku's shoulders. The Japanese man merely stood still as always, offering a small pat on the taller's hand for comfort. "I just want us all to have a good time together as friends! This is something that everyone can participate in!"

They could tell he was trying his best with this little idea of his. He always dreamed up various creative schemes to get everyone together to do some silly activity in the name of "friendly bonding". In reality, the young teen only had two close friends, being Kiku and Arthur. Not that he was on bad terms with everyone else, but he just had trouble connecting to others on a deeper level. He sure tried to, though, and it was getting to that point when everyone started to feel pretty bad for refusing him. Just look at those big puppy eyes... how could you possibly say no?

"Ehh... I think I will pass," the rather intimidating Russian myth commented, a friendly smile on his face despite the decline. "Quite frankly, I have better things to be doing than walking around in old, musty houses. Do what you like, but you will not be getting me to join!" the large man held up a gloved hand as he explained, giving off an air of faked sincerity. Really, it was no secret that he and Alfred didn't get along. The relationship was even more strained with Kiku, who shot the Russian a warning glance as the other stood to exit the room. "If that is all, I will be going home then."

"Don't be so rude Ivan, you could at least try!" a decidedly French voice called out, a perfect match to the decidedly French giggling from earlier. "How are you so sure you won't enjoy it? Try something new!" he went on, pointing an accusing finger at the retreating myth's back. Ah, Francis, always trying to help out his dear son. Well, they weren't really related, not in the slightest, but the Frenchman just decided to adopt the young Thunderbird into his metaphorical family. According to him, Arthur was designated as the diligent mother, but mentioning this always ends in blood. Sometimes literally.

The larger man simply turned to face the other, the same innocent smile on his pale face. This time, however, a menacing aura enveloped his being, those sitting closest to him scooting their seats away to avoid the chill. Everyone on campus knew never to mess with Ivan unless you were tough as nails or dumb as hell. His friendly demeanor, though mostly genuine, could easily give way to his more sinister side, and a sinister Russian was not someone you'd want to come across in a dark alley. Or anywhere else for that matter. "I am afraid that will not be possible," he began, voice masking the slightest hint of annoyance, "as I have already made plans to spend time with family. Surely you understand?" The question nearly sounded like a threat. Alfred just shrugs him off, long having gotten over the intimidating prescence of the other.

Francis once more opens his mouth in protest, but Arthur interjects before he can so much as inhale. "Don't bother. You know how those two just love to get into fights," he said as Ivan stepped out of the room and continued into the hall. Really, did you expect a young, headstrong American to get along well with a suspiciously teasing Russian? Well, you'd be kind of right; despite their many differences and tendency to piss each other off, they have spent moments geeking out about space, history, and archaeology. Just don't bring up any moon landing conspiracies.

Just then, another head pops up from the small crowd, this time sporting deep brown hair instead of blond. He looked confused for a moment, most likely not having paid attention to the events of the past 5 to 10 minutes. Eyes scanning around the familiar faces in the little, unused club room, he noted the distinct lack of big-nosed myth. Standing up and stretching his arms out, he picked up his bag and made his way towards the door as well, giving Kiku a playful push on the shoulder as he passed. "I think I'd rather not spend so many late nights with you guys. No offence, but I need my sleep," Yao explains, mumbling something about "Reckless young people messing with the dead" before making an exit. Behind him, a few more people decided to decline as well, filing out of the room one by one.

In the end, several myths still remained, leaving Alfred relieved that he wasn't totally abandoned. Along with Kiku, Arthur, and Francis, a few other familiar students decided to stay, for whatever reason. There was the bubbly Italian Feliciano, dragging his boyfriend Ludwig along despite being a total scaredy-cat but too eager to get the chance to spend time with friends. Ludwig's obnoxious brother Gilbert and his Spanish buddy Antonio also stuck around, the two sharing excited glances with Francis. Alfred's "brother" Matthew also stayed with him (again, he was dragged into Francis' little family), sitting quietly with a friendly smile on his face. Looks like Alfred still has high hopes for his anned ghost adventures!

Looking at all the people that stayed for him, Alfred could almost feel tears come to his eyes; it was nice to know that they were willing to put up with his silly activities. Satisfied that he had everyone's interest, he turned back towards the forgotten table of equipment, eyes regaining that familiar sparkle as he prepared to go over explanations of each piece. Kiku took this time to sit down once more, choosing to take a vacant chair besides Arthur. Though he usually kept emotions to himself in the company of larger groups, Kiku couldn't help but to smile slightly as he watched his American friend go over his new gadgets. He, Alfred, and Arthur had been very close to each other since they first met many, many years ago. Since then, they've done practically everything together. Dinner parties... travelling the world... getting through rough times... meddling in the affairs of everyday humans for nothing but sheer amusement... ahh, good times.

While Kiku was content with the others around him, Arthur was less than pleased. Really, he was planning to stick close to Kiku at this point; Alfred could get a bit too over-excited for such late hours, and besides Matthew, everyone else in the company managed to strike his nerves in one way or another. Especially those three pranksters more commonly known as the "Bad Friends Trio". As if that flirtaceous frog wasn't bad enough, now his two trouble-making friends would be joining in as well. He could already imagine the myriad of pranks the three are sure to pull on the spirit-chasing team. It would be so painfully easy to do... everything is dark, quiet, and everyone is tensed up as they listen for any odd noises. All it would take is a bit of disguise, a place to hide, and the perfect timing...

Okay, so maybe it would be a bit funny to scare them like that. Just a bit. But Arthur couldn't help but smirk at his devious little plan, Alfred chattering away in the background and Francis making offhanded comments behind him. Yeah... maybe this won't be too terrible after all.

End Note:

(So this chapter ended up a bit short, but it's mostly because I'm not good at intros. I like to get to the story as soon as possible, and since this is just fanfiction, you already have an idea of the characters' personalities. I also wanted to point out: just because a character isn't in the ghost hunting group doesn't mean they won't be included in the story. There will be several pairings, so far I'm planning on FrUk, RoChu, HongIce, GerIta, aaaand a slight possibility of Nedpan, Ameripan, or the Stray Trio. Kiku is a bit... unique in this AU, which affects pairings I could possibly include with him. You'll see why in later chapters~

School is starting soon, but surprisingly, I've found I'm more motivated to do hobby stuff during the school year, since I have less free time to do so. I really want to update Interstellar soon, as well as Another Rapture, so expect an update on those fics in the coming... week or so? Please, an feedback is greatly appreciated, even if it's just the word "cute!". Knowing you have read and approve of my work motivates me to write more!)