A/N: Happy Halloween! I wanted to celebrate my favorite holiday in an fma themed way... I know the timing doesn't quite work out in canon for Ed, Ling, and Havoc to have met up this way, but I really wanted to write these three characters together, so if you want to treat it as a slight AU, fine by me. in addition, for the purposes of this fic, I've assumed that marijuana exists and is legal in Amestris. Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoy!

"Ed! Listen up!" Ling said enthusiastically. "I have very important news."

Ed stared at Ling in confusion. He'd been eating in his hotel room when he'd heard a knock at the door. He hadn't been expecting anyone at all today, but he certainly never would have anticipated seeing the Xingese prince standing there, looking excited and holding a loaf of bread.

"What...what are you doing here?" Ed asked, brow furrowed as he tried to figure out what was going on.

"I told you!" Ling said. "I have important news."

Ed rubbed his eyes. He hadn't woken up all that long ago, and Ling's unexpected appearance and blatant enthusiasm was a lot to process. "Is it...is it about the Philosopher's Stone?" he asked.

"No, no, nothing like that," Ling said impatiently, waving his hands. "This is something entirely unrelated."

"Is that Ling?" Ed heard Al call from inside the hotel room. "Invite him in!"

"You can come in," Ed said obediently, opening the door wider. Ling walked in and sat down in the seat Ed had vacated only moments before, eyeing Ed's meal like he was considering starting to eat it. Ed sat himself down in another chair, next to Al.

"What's going on?" he said. "There's...there's not a problem, is there?"

Ling shook his head. "No, not at all. I was just out for a walk this morning, enjoying the lovely city of Central, when I saw a little bakery. This loaf of bread was just sitting in the window," Ling held up the loaf of bread as evidence, "and I knew that I just had to have it! So I went inside and started talking to the baker, she was this really nice woman and she had a cousin who had lived in Xing for a while, so she could talk to me about…"

"Does this story have a point?" Ed snapped.

"I was getting there!" Ling said, mock-wounded. "Anyways, we got to talking about ghosts and spirits, naturally-"

"Naturally…." Ed muttered under his breath.

"-And she said that there's this abandoned house just a little ways outside Central, and it's supposed to be haunted! This old millionaire used to live there, and apparently some robbers broke into his house to try to get his money, but it went wrong and they ended up killing him! And now he's still said to haunt the halls of his house, and you can still hear his chains dragging behind him…."

"Ling, that does not sound like a real story," Al said gently. "Why would the millionaire even have chains?"
Ling shrugged. "I don't know. But that's not the point. The point is: who wants to come ghosthunting with me tonight?"
Ling gave his most winning smile. Ed snickered, half-thinking Ling was joking, and turned back to his meal.

It wasn't there. Ed lunged across the table and grabbed his plate before the entire contents disappeared down Ling's throat.

"That's MINE, goddamnit!" Ed glared at Ling as the Xing prince happily finished off Ed's eggs. Without saying a word, Al pushed another plate over to Ed. Ed wasn't sure, but he thought that Al was smiling in amusement.

Ed growled slightly and began on the second plate. "Ghost hunt, huh? You know ghosts aren't real, right?"

Ling raised an eyebrow and smiled mysteriously. "We'll see. Tonight. Come on, it'll be fun! Please?"

Ed considered, still skeptical. "A real live ghost, huh?"

"Well, a real dead ghost," Ling said, sounding confused.

"It's an expression. I dunno…what do you think, Al?"

Al shook his head slightly. "I'm halfway through some important research…. I don't want to stop in the middle. But why don't you go?"

Ed hesitated. He didn't want to leave his little brother all alone, and he didn't think that the mansion was really haunted, but an overnight adventure in an old house sounded pretty fun. And he had been working really hard lately….

"Okay, fine. Let's do it," Ed said, sighing heavily just so Ling knew that he was having fun under duress. But the Xingese prince either didn't notice or didn't care, smiling broadly and reaching out to envelop Ed in an unwanted hug.

"No, stop, geroff," Ed snarled, pushing Ling away and crossing his arms. "Keep that up, you're ghosthunting alone." Ling backed off, raising his hands in surrender.

Al nodded decisively. "Okay, that's settled. Go on, brother, get out of here. You're gonna distract me."

Ed looked at his brother uncomfortably, still unwilling to just leave him behind. "Come on, Al, don't you want to go on a ghost hunt with us?"

Al shook his head. "I want to do this research. You guys go. Be sure to tell me all about it…."

Ed thought he could hear the traces of amusement beginning to creep into his little brother's voice. As usual, Ling was happily oblivious.

"Yeah, we'll come back and tell you all about the squatters and the trash piled everywhere," Ed said. "It's gonna be great."

"It is gonna be great," Ling said emphatically. "Come on, Ed. We have to get supplies."

"Supplies?" Ed asked, getting interested despite himself.

"Yes, of course! We can't go without salt, and iron, and spells, and we need supplies for us too…. You think we'll spend the night in an abandoned house without food? We'd starve!" His eyes widened in what seemed to be genuine horror.

"Alright," Ed said, smiling a little. He didn't want to be as intrigued by the prospect of ghosthunting with Ling as he was. But he really could stand to get out of the house for the night...and it sounded like there would be food involved…. "When do we leave?"

"How about…right now?" Ling said. "See you later, Al! Come on, Ed, let's get going. It's gonna take all day if we want to get everything that I have in mind."

And with that, Ling was grabbing Ed by the back of his jacket and hauling him out the door.

Ling was right, it took most of the day to get everything that he deemed necessary for their night in the mansion. This was less because the supplies were particularly rare and complicated, and more because Ling insisted on having long conversations with the owner of every shop that they went into, and required fairly regular stops for food. By the time they had all their supplies, the sun was threatening to go down, and Ed had spent an amount of money that he was a little embarrassed to think about. But at least being out with Ling had been a lot more entertaining than being cooped up inside doing research, and he was steadily getting more and more excited for tonight.

Their last stop was a small store on the edge of Central, where they bought incense. "Do you know how to get to this mansion?" Ed asked once they left the store.

"Yeah," Ling said. "Definitely. I totally know how to get there. I got directions from the woman I talked to this morning!"

"That...that didn't sound very confident," Ed said skeptically.

"I know how to get there," Ling said, slightly more authoritatively. "It's...it's this way."

"Ling, that is back the way we came."

Ling made an about face. "Alright, it's...this way."

Ed sighed. But he figured he was out of the hotel for the night anyways, it didn't really matter if they got a little lost as long as they knew how to get back to Central. He was simply along for the ride at this point, and he didn't mind following Ling around for a while.

Ling walked determinedly in the opposite direction from which they had come, and after only about ten minutes Ed realized that they really were leaving Central. The buildings were getting farther apart and becoming more residential. And after only about fifteen more minutes of walking, the houses were so small and spread out that Ed was a little reminded of Resembool. He hadn't realized how...separate he could feel from the bustle of city life without actually getting all that far outside the city.

"I think that's it," Ling said suddenly. "At least...that's sort of how the woman I talked to described it."

Ed looked where Ling was pointing, and, sure enough, there was something that looked to Ed like a haunted mansion. It was at the end of the street, the last house before the city faded into the country. The estate sprawled before them, ostentatiously oversized. Ed could tell just by looking at it that once, it had been magnificent.

But that had been long ago. Now, the mansion's red brick exterior was faded, crumbling down to rusty dust across the once elegant lawn. Its many windows were dark, the glass cracked or missing entirely. A few were boarded up, shutters hanging sadly by a single hinge. The roof was sagging, lending an air of defeat to the entire house, as though it might give up and collapse at any minute. Clearly, no one had been inside in a very long time.

"There," Ling said proudly. "There's got to be a ghost inside. If I were a ghost, I'd love to haunt something like that."

Ed didn't disagree. As they stood at the edge of the lawn, weighed down by bags of supplies, one of the shutters let out a dismal creak, and Ling jumped slightly. Ed laughed, but the sound was just the tiniest bit strained. Not that he would ever admit it…

"Come on, scaredy cat," Ed said, hoisting Ling's oversized duffel of food and spells and stepping forward onto the lawn. "Let's go ghost hunting."

The interior of the house was pretty much the same as the exterior: shabby, dusty, and slowly rotting. The mansion was huge, even bigger than it had looked from the outside. Ling and Ed dumped their bags at the foot of the main staircase and set off to explore.

"The woman I talked to told me that the mansion has four floors," Ling said in a hushed whisper. "The basement, then two main floors, and finally the attic."

"You don't have to whisper," Ed told him, forcing himself to speak normally. And yet, he had to agree that it felt odd to speak aloud in the abandoned house. His voice seemed to echo weirdly in the vast emptiness around them, coming back warped and distorted, somehow louder than when it had left his lips. It was an unnerving effect.

But even so, whispering made him feel like an idiot, a little kid spooked by a scary story. Ed reminded himself firmly that he didn't believe in ghosts, and he shrugged at Ling.

Ling shook his head, unconvinced. "Let's light candles," he whispered. "It's going to be dark soon, and I don't want to be stumbling around in pitch blackness."

Ed nodded. "Good idea," he said, unconsciously dropping his voice, trying to stop it from echoing quite as much off the lofty ceilings. "Are we gonna go up or down first?"

Ling cast a look at the door beneath the stairs, which could only lead to the basement. Cautiously, he twisted the knob, and the door opened with a loud creak into utter blackness. Ed held up a candle, but the darkness was complete. They couldn't see a thing.

"Ummm… let's explore this floor first," Ling said, carefully shutting the door to the basement. "We should find a place to set up our base of operations."

Ed rolled his eyes, snickering. "'Base of operations…' You sound like Mustang."

"Well, that's what it is," Ling replied, sounding slightly injured. "The base of Operation Ghost Hunt."

"I think we can come up with a better name than Operation Ghost Hunt. It needs to be something snappy," Ed said, following Ling down a long hallway cluttered with antique pictures.

"Operation Ghost Hunt is snappy! And descriptive."

"I think we can do better. What about something like-"

Ed stopped talking as they turned the corner and the hall opened up in front of them. This was the house's main room, and it was two stories tall. There was a huge, spiraling staircase tucked into one corner, and giant windows flanking what Ed assumed was the front door. It was pretty, Ed supposed, but there was also an undeniable air of disuse to the whole thing. Dust floated in the air, illuminated by the last rays of the setting sun, and there was a strange, stale smell that made Ed's lungs feel tight. If he were a ghost, he thought he might want to live here.

"Well this is...nice," Ling said. "A little weird, but...nice."

He looked rather unimpressed with the room's grandeur and size. But then again, Ed figured Ling had probably grown up in a palace, and he was used to far nicer rooms than this one. This mansion probably felt like Ed's small house back in Resembool when compared to what he was used to.

"Let's go upstairs," Ed said, gesturing at the staircase. "The rooms up there might be smaller. Better for us to set up in."

Ling nodded, and the two made their way up the spiral staircase. The stairs creaked alarmingly beneath them with each step. Ed could tell the house was old, and he had a vague sense that they were one wrong move from causing it to collapse beneath them. But they made their way to the second floor without any trouble, and Ed decided he had been right, the rooms up here did seem smaller. Much better for trapping ghosts.

"Ling," Ed asked tentatively as they continued to make their way around the second floor. "Can...can I ask you something?"

"What is it?"

"You don't...you don't actually believe that a ghost lives in this house, do you?"

Ling looked at Ed as if he were insane. "Of course I do. Doesn't this seem like the perfect sort of house for a ghost?"

"Well, yeah, but-"

"And I told you that the woman I spoke to this morning was sure that it was haunted, right?"

"I mean, you did, yeah-"

"And can't you just feel that this house has a weird energy?"

"I guess?"

"So why wouldn't you think that there are ghosts in here?"

"I guess I'm just...not entirely sure that ghosts are real?"

Ling stared at him in shock and disbelief, as though Ed had just told him that he didn't believe in the periodic table, or gravity, or breathing.

"...What?!" Ling finally gasped, clearly having trouble forcing the words out. "How - why-"

Ed interrupted Ling's sputtering, feeling unreasonably guilty. "I'm a scientist. It…it just seems unlikely to me." He shrugged, not wanting to tell Ling everything that was on his mind. Sure, Ed was an alchemist, and the greatest power he believed in was the one that came from his own two hands, but there was more to it than that. The last time he'd messed with life after death, his brother had lost his body and Ed had paid dearly to rectify that mistake. The idea of a ghost, something that bridged the gap between life and death…. Ed shuddered slightly, thinking about the half-living, half-dead thing that had quivered brokenly in the center of his transmutation circle.

"You're shivering," Ling said triumphantly. "See, you can't deny the atmosphere!"

"Sure," Ed muttered. Anything as long as Ling didn't know the truth, that Ed wasn't scared of a specter, but of his own past.

"There is a ghost," Ling proclaimed. "Just you wait," he added darkly, and glared at the emptiness around them. "Just you wait…"

Ed waited for Ling to turn back to him for a few seconds, but when the prince didn't move, he cleared his throat slightly. Ling jumped a little and spun around.

"Do you…do you wanna set up in that small room we passed? The one with the blue wallpaper and creepy painting?" Ed asked meekly, trying to appease Ling for his disbelief.

Ling smiled, accepting Ed's peace offering. "Yeah, let's get our stuff." Together, the two headed back down the stairs and collected their many, many bags. Ed groaned slightly at the thought of carrying all that weight back up the grand staircase, but he knew that Ling firmly believed in the usefulness of absolutely every item in every bag.

Somehow, they managed to get all the equipment up the stairs and into the room that Ed had picked out. Ling fussed around the bags, muttering to himself happily as he removed random items and checked them over, seemingly for no reason. Ed leaned against the wall and stared distrustfully at the painting hanging across from him. It was a portrait, he thought, but it was oddly dark, and the subject of the picture seemed to have turned away from the painter. Her face was turned back, towards the viewer, but it was hidden in shadow. All Ed could see was a painted glint where her eyes should be. It was deeply unsettling. If Ed had to guess, he would have said that this girl haunted the mansion, rather than the murdered millionaire. He wished he could see her face….

Suddenly, Ling paused in his search. He looked up, around the room, then locked eyes with Ed. "Did you hear that?" he whispered.

Ed opened his mouth to ask Ling what he'd meant when he heard it too. It sounded as though someone had opened a door on the bottom floor, then let it slam behind them. Someone…or something.

Ed shook himself, annoyed at how quickly he'd let Ling's stories spook him. Once again, he reminded himself firmly that he didn't believe in ghosts. Still, he had heard something.

"I heard it," he whispered, and then Ling was on his feet. He grabbed a bag of something, Ed wasn't sure what - probably some sort of ghost repellant - and led the way out the door and down the stairs. At the landing, he paused, listening closely for any other suspicious sounds in the supposedly empty house.

Below them, Ed heard something creak. He jumped slightly. "Where is it coming from?" he whispered to Ling.

"I don't know exactly," Ling whispered back. "Somewhere downstairs. That way."

He gestured vaguely at the left part of the house, the side they hadn't explored yet. Then, he slowly continued down the stairs, holding his bag of...whatever it was out in front of him. Both of them were trying to be as quiet as possible. Ed was hardly even daring to breathe. He felt a shiver run up his spine.

Somewhere farther back in the house, Ed heard another door open and close, softer this time. As if the ghost knew it was being followed.

"Ling," Ed hissed. "What are you going to do if we find it?"

He shrugged slightly. "I don't know. Talk to it? Maybe it'll grant us a favor."

Normally, Ed would have pointed out to Ling that what they were chasing was not in fact a leprechaun and they would almost certainly not be getting a "favor," but now, he was a little bit too freaked out. The hair on the back of his neck was standing up, and his heart was beating just a tiny bit faster than was comfortable.

"No. I mean...what if it attacks us? Ghosts can be dangerous, you know."

Ling turned back towards Ed and narrowed his eyes slightly. "I thought you didn't believe in ghosts."

The faint sound of footsteps echoed through the house in the space between Ling's words. Ed sucked in a small breath. "I...I take it back," he whispered. "I was wrong, ghosts are real. Just...you have a way to keep it from hurting us, right?"

Ling nodded authoritatively and held up his bag. "Don't worry about it," he said quietly. "I have this."

"What is it?"

"It's an ancient Xingese recipe. It's supposed to ward off evil spirits. It'll keep us safe. Assuming I made it correctly-"

Ling cut off as they heard the bang of another door. "That sounded close," Ling said, starting to walk faster. "Let's hurry, get it before it moves again…."

Ed followed quickly after Ling. He had his hands up, ready to do alchemy just in case they did come across something. He wasn't entirely sure how much he trusted Ling's bag of ghost protection, not if Ling wasn't even sure he'd made the damn thing right. He wanted to be prepared for a fight.

The two of them hurried through a dark, dusty dining room and into a dim library, bookshelves stretching almost to the ceiling. There was a part of Ed that he couldn't turn off that wanted to stay and look at all the books that were here, but Ling kept running forward, propelled by the faint sound of the ghost up in front of them.

"It's not a very good ghost!" Ling exclaimed in frustration as they left the library and entered a small living room. "Why does it keep running away from us? It's like it doesn't even want us to be haunted!"

"...maybe it's more scared of us than we are of it," Ed ventured, wondering if animal logic worked on ghosts.

Ling scoffed and darted across the living room, listening at the open door and then turning left. "A ghost that's scared of people? That's ridiculous!"

"You believe in ghosts, but it being scared of living people is somehow ridiculous?" Ed muttered, but Ling didn't hear him.

"It's close," he whispered, gesturing to a door on their right. "I think I hear it in the next room."

Ed listened closely. Sure enough, he could hear some sort of rustling. He wasn't sure if ghosts rustled, but he supposed they had to make some sort of sound. The hackles rising on the back of his neck, he raised his hands slightly in a defensive position. Then, the door began to slowly creak open.

"It's coming," Ling hissed, brandishing his bag of ghost repellant. "Get ready, Ed…."

Ed braced himself, ready for…he wasn't sure what, a battle? Would alchemy work on a ghost? He kept his eyes glued to the door, wondering what the ghost would look like. Would it be a silvery fog, unsubstantial and wispy? Or would it look more like it had in life, with a body and a face? Or…would it look like the millionaire right after his death, peppered with bullet holes and soaked with blood? Ed shuddered slightly, but he couldn't tear his eyes away from the growing opening. Then, the door creaked all the way open, and Ed and Ling were face to face with the specter they'd been chasing.

Ed wasn't sure exactly what he had expected to see, but it certainly wasn't this. Ling slowly lowered his bag of ghost repellant, an almost comical look of confusion on his face.

"...Lieutenant Havoc?" Ed finally said, staring at the soldier in disbelief. Havoc was wearing civilian clothes, and he didn't look nearly as surprised to see Ed and Ling as the two boys were to see him.

"Hey, Ed. Whatcha doin'?" Havoc asked, accepting their presence with a shrug. "Who's your friend?"

"T-this is Ling," Ed said slowly, still trying to process the sudden change in tone. "He's a prince, from Xing."

"2nd Lieutenant Jean Havoc," the soldier said to Ling, holding out his hand. "Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you, too," Ling said happily, extending his hand and shaking Havoc's. He seemed to have accepted the sudden addition of Havoc with alarming ease.

"But…but why are you here?" Ed sputtered, looking back and forth from Havoc to the house, wondering if he'd somehow been transported back to Central Command without realizing it. Havoc shrugged and took a drag on his cigarette, which, now that Ed thought about it, smelled different than usual.

"I come here to smoke pot sometimes. It's my day off." He looked down at Ed and Ling with sudden dismay. "Hey, is that why you're here? You guys are way too young! No way am I giving you any…really, Ed, you should have known I'm not gonna do something like that…." Havoc gave Ed a look of disappointment and reproach, and Ed rolled his eyes at the lieutenant.

"We didn't come here to smoke pot," Ed said, slightly derisively. Havoc looked instantly relieved, and took another drag.

"We're here on a ghost hunt," Ling said with a grin. Ed sighed slightly. He hadn't been going to mention that information….

"Ghost hunt?" Havoc said, looking around frantically. "This place is haunted?"

"Absolutely," Ling said, sounding thrilled. "There was this millionaire, and he died…violently. Now, he haunts these halls!"

Havoc shivered slightly, blue eyes widening in fear. "Is he dangerous?" he whispered, looking over his shoulder. "I don't wanna get eaten by a ghost looking for revenge…."

"He might be," Ling said solemnly. "But I have this bag of ghost repellant, so we'll be safe. Wanna come with us?"

Havoc cast one more glance over his shoulder, making sure that the ghost wasn't behind him. "Sure, might as well," he said, closing the door behind him. "Where do you think he is? Down here?"

"Well, we actually thought you were the ghost," Ling said, chuckling.

"That's stupid," Havoc said, somewhat derisively.

"What?"
Havoc frowned slightly, as if he thought they were kidding. "Guys, ghosts don't make noise."

Ling looked over at Ed, eyebrows raised. Ed shook his head slightly, trying to signal to Ling that Havoc was normally nothing like this, that the marijuana had done...something to his brain that made him perplexing and blunt. Ling just shrugged a little.

"Ghosts themselves may not make noise," Ling said defensively. "But I bet if it moves anything in the physical world, we'll still be able to hear it. And I think it probably will. I think it wants us to find it."

Ed frowned. "Ling, are you sure this ghost even exists? The only evidence we really had that this house was haunted was the noises, and that turned out to just be Havoc."

Ling threw his hands up in the air. "Ed, not ten minutes ago you were completely sure there was a ghost in here, and you were terrified."

Havoc giggled softly. "Haha, Ed was scared of a ghost."

"Excuse me," Ed said. "I was just...pretending. Playing along. I knew the ghost wasn't real."

Ling sighed dramatically, eyeing Havoc and Ed up and down. "I am going to catch this ghost, with or without you guys, and it's going to be awesome. But you're only allowed to come with me if you're going to take it seriously."

Havoc's head bobbed up and down, his eyes locked attentively on Ling. "I'll take it seriously, don't worry, I will, I promise."

Ling's eyes narrowed. "You're pretty high, so I'm not sure what your opinion counts for." He turned to Ed.

Ed sighed. "I'm taking it seriously, don't worry. I was just thrown by seeing Havoc. But...did you say you were going to catch the ghost? I thought we just wanted to...see it, or something."

"I mean, even if we just saw it I would be happy. But I think I would prefer if we could catch it."

"How are you even planning on doing that?"

Ling shrugged. "I have a few tricks up my sleeve. You know, ghost traps and the like. I think we at least have a fair shot. Let's go back up to home base and you can help me set a few things up."

"Okay," Ed said, shrugging. "And I'm starving. I want some snacks."

Havoc's head swiveled, and he looked at Ed eagerly. "Someone say snacks? I want snacks…."

"You can have some food if you help us set up a ghost trap," Ling told Havoc firmly, setting off for their home base.

"What if the ghost trap makes it angry?" Havoc asked, sounding worried. "I don't think I want an angry ghost."

"It won't matter if it's angry," Ling said, as though it were obvious. "Because it's in the ghost trap and it won't be able to get to us."

"Are you sure? What if it doesn't work?" Havoc stopped walking, beginning to look panicked. "What if it gets free and melts our faces?"

"I don't think ghosts melt faces," Ed said doubtfully. He didn't know much about the supernatural, but he was at least pretty sure of this point. Ling nodded in agreement, trying to contain a laugh.

"I don't want my face to melt," Havoc said, crossing his arms. "I like my face on my skull, unmelted."

"Your face will be fine," Ling said. "Besides, the ghost trap will work. Xingese lore is very specific on this one. Don't worry."

Havoc looked unconvinced, but the promise of food must have proved too good to pass up. "Fine, but if it comes at me, I'm gonna tell it that it was your idea. And then I'll probably run away." He followed Ling down the hallway, still looking a little nervous.

"I don't think running is gonna work too well, Havoc," Ed said solemnly, unable to resist messing with him a little. "Ghosts can smell fear. They'll go after the one who seems like the easiest target."

Both Ling and Havoc gasped simultaneously. "Really?" Havoc whimpered, casting a panicked glance at the walls, as though he expected the ghost to materialize and melt his face right there and then.

"I've never heard that in any legend," Ling said, frowning in dismay. "Ed, what story is that in? I need to expand my research."

Ed caught Ling's eye and winked at him, then motioned his head towards Havoc, who'd stopped walking and was now taking a series of deep breaths.

"What...what are you doing?" Ed asked, nonplussed.

"I'm trying to trick the ghost," Havoc snapped. "Now it will think I'm relaxed and it won't know I'm scared. And I'll keep my face."

Ed swallowed a snicker and watched as Havoc inhaled deeply. Ling glared at Ed a little. "Come on, Lieutenant Havoc, I think you'll be fine."

"I don't want it to smell me!" Havoc said, raising his voice slightly. He jumped and shot a nervous glance down the hallway, then dropped his voice to a whisper and continued. "I am not gonna die single! Damn it, now I have to relax all over again…"

"I…I was just joking," Ed said, watching Havoc breathe determinedly. "I don't think ghosts can smell fear. You're fine."

Havoc opened one eye and stared at Ed dubiously. "Are you sure?"

"Yes," Ling and Ed both said at the same time. Ling started off down the hallway again, motioning them to follow.

"Come on, I want to get this ghost trap set up before it realizes what's going on. Let's go."