Thanks to everyone still reading and to those of you that have followed this story and/or reviewed it - you guys are awesome!
Please feel free to request that I add any ghosts you'd like to see - there will be at least two more ghost attacks and multiple opportunities for ghosts to show up. Please read and review!
I do not own Hanna is Not a Boy's Name or Danny Phantom.
Chapter Three - Beware!
It's night now. The sky is dark and streetlights are just beginning to flicker on. The crew settled into their hotel rooms, had lunch at some local fast food restaurant called the Nasty Burger, and spent the rest of the day talking to their employer, who was indeed named Paulina. No one was sure how she had the money to hire them, since she was still in high school, but Hanna wasn't complaining. She'd filled them in on the 'ghosts', and the more they heard, the less they believed. Now they were walking down the street, hoping to catch sight of the ghost they were supposed to follow, who apparently called himself Danny Phantom.
"That girl was crazy," Veser says. "I mean, she sounded like she actually believes that there are dozens of ghosts running around all the time."
"Well, if she's crazy, so are the papers," Toni says. "I couldn't find a single one without any mention of ghosts."
"Yeah, did they all say things about ghosts being able to shoot lightning and demolish buildings?" Conrad asks, worried. "If they really can, we're so screwed."
"These people don't know shit about what ghosts can actually do," Veser says. "Whatever they've been dealing with, it isn't ghosts."
"Guys, even if he isn't a ghost, we were hired to track Phantom and apparently waiting for one of those attacks is the best way to find him," Hanna says.
"Why do you think that is, anyways?" Toni asks. "How come he always shows up at the scene of an attack?"
"It is possible he might be the one orchestrating them," the zombie offered.
"Hannibal, that's crazy," Hanna says. "Paulina was talking about him like he was Superman, One Direction, and Captain America rolled into one."
Veser snickers.
"It was merely an idea," the zombie says.
"What if it isn't, though?" Conrad asks, stopping in the middle of the road. "What if Phantom is actually orchestrating the attacks, and just makes himself out to be a hero?"
"Yeah, just 'cause Paulina thinks he's the greatest thing since makeup doesn't mean he is," Veser adds. "She didn't seem to be that smart; maybe he's evil and she just doesn't see it."
"Guys, I don't think Phantom is evil," Hanna says. "If he was, someone would probably be trying to get rid of him."
"Am I the only one who bothered to look at a paper?" Toni asks. "The town's ghost hunters definitely want to kill or capture him. They say all ghosts are evil and it's just an act."
"So they want to kill him, but it's because of a generalization?" Hanna asks.
"It looks that way. I don't think it means he's evil - these people want to kill all ghosts," Toni says. "But there are people trying to destroy him."
Veser starts laughing.
"What's so funny?" Conrad demands.
"They sound like ghost Nazis or something," Veser says. "Kill all the ghosts!" he adds in a ridiculous accent and then starts laughing again.
"I don't know how there could be so many ghosts - or whatever is actually here - and nobody's done anything yet," Toni says.
"Why? How many ghosts do people think there are?" Hanna asks, excited.
"A lot," Toni says. "Mostly the same ones keep coming over and over again, but still a lot."
"Maybe the whole thing's a joke, some kind of tourist trap," Conrad suggests. Toni thinks it over and shakes her head.
"I don't know," she says. "A tourist trap that requires enormous property damage, multiple faked photos and videos, and scaring a lot of actual tourists off? They've got so much evidence for the existence of ghosts I don't see how it could all be faked. Some of it might be, but there's at least a bit of truth to it. The real question is just how much truth there is."
"Well, for now we'd better assume that Phantom is real and that he shows up whenever one of these other ghost-things attacks. We can work from there," Hanna says.
"If a ghost-thing ever shows up," Veser grumbles. "We've been walking forever and still nothing. Isn't this town supposed to be haunted or something?"
The crew hears an echoing voice behind them.
"Beware! For I am the Box Ghost, with power over all containers cardboard and square! You will tremble before my corrugated cardboard boxes of doom!"
The five turn around. Floating about two feet above the street is a glowing blue man. He's overweight, wearing overalls and a blue hat. He doesn't look all that threatening, but the crew doesn't want to take any chances - or at least, most of them don't. Four members of the group run out of the street into trash-filled alleys and between cars parked on the street, taking shelter in case the 'Box Ghost' turns out to be dangerous. Hanna just looks up at the self-proclaimed Box Ghost with awe. The zombie pulls him to the side of the road as the Box Ghost starts ranting about taking over the world with boxes, and how all humans will cower in fear of him. As he speaks, a few cardboard boxes start floating out of alleys to hover around him.
Hanna realizes that as harmless as this guy may look, he may actually be dangerous. He pulls his magic marker out of his pocket and carefully writes a protective rune on his palm, because he can't afford to pass out again here, far from Doc Worth and thus from (mostly) reliable medical help.
All five members of the group have collected themselves and are about ready to deal with the Box Ghost when they hear another voice. This one is strange and echoing, like the Box Ghost's, but is definitely different.
"Not you again," it says. Whines, really. Hanna pokes his head out from behind a parked car and sees that the Box Ghost is no longer alone.
Another figure floats above the ground, also glowing, but he couldn't be more different from the Box Ghost. This one is lean and muscular, wearing a skintight black jumpsuit with white gloves, boots, and belt. He has white hair and glowing green eyes. He seems almost bored as he pulls out a silver and green thermos - seriously, a thermos - and prepares to deal with the ghost, still talking as he does so, though Hanna doesn't pay attention to what he says. In fact, Hanna finds himself coming out from behind the car to get a better view, despite the zombie's protests.
The floating boy uncaps the thermos and a beam of blue light comes out of the top, trapping the Box Ghost and pulling him into the thermos. As the boy caps the thermos, Hanna catches sight of the logo of sorts on the boy's chest.
A white D with a P inside of it.
Looks like they've found Danny Phantom.