Another prompt from Phic Phight, now by Bibliophilea: "Ghost enthusiasts from out of town request the Fentons to be their bodyguards as they tour Amity Park. How do the Fentons respond? What happens when Phantom is forced to get involved?"

Word count: 4,233

TOUR

"I still don't understand why we have to do this, Mads," the burly man grumbled as he drove the Fenton Ghost Assault Vehicle at top speed through the otherwise calm streets of their hometown. "We're leaving Amity Park unprotected!"

His wife sighed. She didn't want to deal with these amateurs either, but the amount offered by the Warrens to guide and protect them during their visit was too generous to pass up. After all, the Fentons still had to deal with the extensive damage done to the staircase and Danny's room after a ghost attacked their own residence. "Jack... we talked about this. We need to find additional sources of income. Amity Park can stand having half of our attention for one day, but we can't say the same of our family's safety at home."

The Fenton patriarch swerved to avoid a fire hydrant as he turned to the nearest exit towards the highway, which would lead them to the airport a few miles away. He frowned as he focused on Maddie's words. "But what about that Phantom kid? You think it's a good idea to leave him running amok?"

While Maddie didn't want to leave the ghost boy unsupervised either, they had to admit he wasn't like all the other manifestations of post-human consciousness, and he would be more likely wandering leisurely around town, if at all. "He hasn't been too hostile... the property damage he usually causes has decreased as well. Oh, did you know there are insurance companies covering any wreck we're responsible of, too? Not just by ghosts. Us." She wasn't entirely sure how to feel: if either relieved for not having to pay for the damage done to other properties as they captured a ghost, or offended for being considered some kind of hazard.

Jack snorted as he made another turn. "Why haven't we gotten that package yet?" he muttered.

The accompanying scientist didn't reply, instead checking on her phone the new messages from their clients, if such a term could apply. Since the flight had left early, the newcomers had already arrived and only waited for their bags. Hopefully that would make the stop at the airport much shorter.

Jack veered the vehicle into another exit, the small airport already on sight. "We're here," he declared once they reached their temporary parking space by the arrivals. "Are you sure about this?"

"We need to pay for the repairs," the woman repeated firmly. "That was the second time this month and our budget is limited, honey. You know no insurance would cover us against our own damage."

The orange-clad man sighed dejectedly. "Oh, well. It was worth the shot."

Both Fentons left the vehicle to reach the gate for the arrivals, where they were quick to notice a small family wearing rather... unusual outfits. And coming from a Fenton's point of view, that was saying something. Despite being in the middle of the summer and closer to the triple digits in Fahrenheit degrees, the two middle-aged tourists and their twelve-year-old son seemed to come out of a cosplay for a dystopian novel, wearing what could only be described as steampunk accessories over their dark garments. Maddie would have believed Sam if she had said they were her long, lost relatives.

The father, for example, donned a black T-shirt with what seemed to be a rock band named "Ghoul", along with a long coat, a top hat, and a chain of strange metal symbols dangling from a thick leather belt around his waist. "Hey, you must be the Fentons!" he greeted in the same cheery, baritone voice she recognized from their previous phone call.

The ghost huntress gave the arriving family a warm smile and shook the man's hand, with Jack following her gesture as well. "And you must be the Warrens."

"Please, call me Ted," the newcomer replied. He then turned to his wife, who wore a gothic dress and aviator googles over her head; and the boy, who aside from his antique-looking clothing also had a Ouija board planchette attached to a necklace around his neck. "This is Lorelai and our son, Billy."

After their mutual greetings and their own introductions, the Fentons led the tourists outside towards their large vehicle. Ted stopped at the end of their short walk to stare openly at the local couple. "Can I just say... Wow... just, wow!" he expressed with a wide smile. He then turned to his son with a clap on his shoulder. "Look, spooky, this is what real ghost hunters look like! I still can't believe you've actually seen and captured ghosts. Talk about surreal! Can we take our first picture with you guys?"

As he said this, Lorelai took out an old Polaroid camera. Maddie hesitated for a moment. "Mr. Warren-"

"Ted, please," the tall man interrupted as he held onto the shoulders of the two scientists, one under each arm, for the photo.

"Ted," Maddie corrected assertively, a hint of annoyance evident in her tone, "we are here to protect the three of you as you visit our most haunted locations. While we're glad to take as many pictures as you would like, we advise you to keep your eyes open at all times. Amity Park is not a tourist hoax, as many people are led to believe. Ghost attacks are very much a daily occurrence and the chances of getting hurt are high."

Instead of pulling away, Ted held the Fentons closer in a warm semi-embrace. "Amazing, how crazy is that?" he said in what Maddie felt was a rather patronizing tone. "So, does everyone here know the basics about ghost attacks? Is there like an alert system or drills to prepare for dangerous situations?"

Jack spoke at last, apparently sensing his wife's annoyance and trying to balance the conversation into more friendly territory. "Yes, actually our kids have ghost drills every other week at their high school. We don't have an alert system, but we do have our own methods to let people know when and where to evacuate." Maddie considered this an understatement, but didn't provide a more precise description of their methods.

Lorelai snapped the picture without any warning. "Fascinating!" she exclaimed as she shook the resulting photo to get a clearer view.

Billy pulled at his father's coat and stared pleadingly. "Dad, can we go find Phantom already?"

"Phantom?" both Fentons exclaimed in alarm. Maddie knew there was enough information about Amity Park and its infamous ghost attacks just a Google search away, whether outsiders believed them or not. She had even stumbled upon fake social media accounts for some of the town's recurrent ghosts, including several for the white-haired spook. If the boy had gotten the wrong impression about that menace, it could lead to a huge heartbreak.

"Ah, yes, sorry for not giving you the heads up," the father explained. "Billy is a huge fan of Phantom. And it's his birthday, which makes this trip extra special. We didn't mention it earlier, but we figured since he's the town hero, we are bound to see him sooner or later."

Maddie wanted to scoff and give the family a piece of her mind, but she knew Phantom was a sensitive topic among most people. Years of threading that line with Jazz and even Danny had given both parents plenty of experience on how to avoid unnecessary confrontation, and let the ghost attacks speak for themselves. "Oh, I wouldn't go as far as calling him the town hero," she said instead.

"But he's definitely a powerful ghost to watch out for," Jack added.

This time, Mrs. Warren gave them a sheepish smile. "We get it, you hunt ghosts, and that includes Phantom. But... do you think you can make a tiny exception this time?" she pleaded, emphasizing with her fingers just how minuscule she thought the favor was.

Maddie was appalled, a feeling she was sure her husband shared. This family had no idea about how real the paranormal activity was in Amity Park, so they wouldn't be able to fathom just how seriously they had to take the whole situation. She doubted the city was really ready for that kind of inexperienced tourists; she made a mental note to warn the Mayor on how to broach this topic with outsiders and their guides as well. "I'm not sure you realize just how dangerous this ghost really is," the huntress said.

"No, no, no, trust us, we know!" Ted replied excitedly.

"Class 7, bordering on 7.5, apparently going through a growth spurt," Lorelai seemed to cite from memory.

"Fixation with a whole city, meaning his haunt dominance has a much wider range than most ghosts," Ted added matter-of-factly.

"Considering his known abilities and stats, he performs well in both speed and endurance," Lorelai continued.

"I still think intelligence should be higher. He's resourceful!" Ted argued with his family.

"Nuh-huh," Billy answered this time. "He always gets lucky at the last minute. That doesn't count."

Both ghost hunters gaped at the family, for a completely different reason this time. Maddie interrupted their exchange before they got a carried away. "Hold on... you've been keeping stats on Phantom?" she asked, not caring how incredulous her tone sounded.

"And you also monitor his fights on video?" Jack added, followed by a low mutter. "Why didn't I think of that sooner..."

The Warrens blinked as they looked between each other. "Well, yeah, we've been ghost enthusiasts since... forever!" Lorelai said, sounding too pleased with her admission.

"Our house was haunted by a poltergeist for a long time," Mr. Warren explained. "So we began learning about this stuff, joining all sorts of clubs, tours, and conventions."

"But we know we have to be careful. We don't have experienced ghost hunters, like you guys, back in California, right Ted?"

"Plenty of paranormal societies, though."

"And conferences. We took Billy to one last year, but it wasn't nearly as enlightening as just browsing and reading your website!"

Jack beamed at Lorelai's words. "See, Mads? I told you our website would be useful!"

This kind of comments always humbled both Fentons, since it meant their work was being taken into account by someone foreign to Amity Park. Still, she knew they had a long way to go before other associations studying paranormal events did the same. Mostly because those groups didn't believe in the natural malevolence within all spectral entities. To be fair, none of them had ever been sucked into another dimension by the King of Ghosts, either.

Maddie figured she would have to slowly make the family understand their context, before she could try changing their mind about Phantom and specters in general. "Why don't we start with the tour and show you our first stop? You wanted the most haunted places in town, and we know you'll be fascinated by what we have to show you."

The Warrens agreed excitedly, rushing into the RV as soon as Jack opened the door, almost forgetting their luggage in the process. As the enormous vehicle sped through the streets, their questions about the town's demography and history filled the few minutes it took to reach their destination.

Once Jack had parked on a tall manor located on Maple Street, Maddie motioned for their visitors to gather by the main entrance. She and her husband had discussed the two-day schedule for hours, and even involved their children in the conversation, who were more participative than she expected. The consensus was clear: while ghosts could be seen almost anywhere within Amity Park's city limits, there were a few locations that had a much richer history. One of them had been suggested by Danny, seeing how it had been a tradition of Casper High teachers to use this place's eeriness to host their Halloween events.

"Welcome to our first landmark. This abandoned house is known as The Haunted Townsend Place," Maddie explained, while Jack fumbled with the lock on the gates they'd been previously authorized to access. "If you look into Amity Park's history, you'll find this is the only location officially registered as being haunted. Of course, this happened before ghosts came into our world and the previous claims were discredited."

"We're in!" Jack announced happily, leading the Warrens and Maddie inside the large house.

The tourists oohed and aahed with the sight of such an old building. The awe intensified once they got inside. They absorbed attentively every word Maddie said as well, eager to get to know more about the lore in THE most haunted town in the world. Billy got a small digital camera out and took pictures of every single detail, often looking back into the small screen to see if he caught anything interesting. Maddie didn't have the heart to tell him that method didn't really work to spot ghosts. Or so they had learned after enough research in Amity Park.

The huntress took them to the fireplace by the living room, covered in dust and spiderwebs. "Despite the lack of proof of a real specter haunting this residence, the house was invaded two years ago during Halloween. The entity responsible had caused a massive ecto-storm and mayhem even beyond these walls. While we weren't able to see the ghost first-hand that time, we later would know from bystanders it haunted them by making nightmares come to life. This entity, a medieval ghost in dark armor, was known among locals as The Black Knightmare."

Jack smiled and gave Ted a playful slap on his shoulder. "Get it? Because he's a Kight. We sure love to have pun in Amity Park."

The light laughter that ensued in response was suddenly replaced by an insistent beeping in the Fentons' utility belts. The chill that followed confirmed any lingering suspicion.

"Ugh, seriously?" a disembodied but familiar voice spoke, earning a jump from the three outsiders in the group. Both Fentons prepared their ectoguns as one annoyed Phantom appeared floating upside down from the chimney, showing only the upper half of his body. "Knightmare? That was more like his pegasus' name. Get it? Nightmare? That was low-key a pun, too."

Jack was the first to let his weapon whine as he prepared to attack upfront. "What are you doing here, ghost scum?"

Phantom rolled his eyes but didn't move from his previous position at the chimney. "Nice to see you, too, Jack Fenton," he replied in a friendlier voice.

Billy, who was just as awed as his parents, was the first among the visitors to speak. "Phantom? Is it really you?" he said in such a starstruck way it made Maddie's heart hurt. This child had no idea what kind of malevolence his hero was capable of.

Phantom finally flipped around and floated in front of the boy, adopting one of his ridiculous heroic poses by puffing his chest out. "Why, yes I am, young and impressionable tourist," he replied in the same deep voice he used to impress the crowds.

Ted stepped forward, giddy but unsure if he should try to touch the specter or not. "I can't believe we have the chance to see you... in the incorporeal flesh! And in my son's birthday, no less!"

The teen ghost smirked and crossed his arms. "At least someone appreciates me around here," he said, directing his words at the Fentons.

Maddie, still holding her ectogun, glared and tried to think of the reasons behind the ghost's suspicious and convenient apparition. "Were you following us?"

The undead teen, who was currently being poked on the arm by Lorelai, scoffed. "No, of course not," he replied, using his regular voice. "I just happened to finish getting this place rid of the ever-elusive Box Ghost." He then turned to the kid and wiggled his fingers. "Beware!"

"All right, fiend," Jack said, lifting once more his ectogun. "You have two seconds to get the heck back to the Ghost Zone before I shoot you..."

This seemed to take the Warren family aback for a moment. However, Danny only gave the hunter a deadpan look. "Wow, really? In front of children? That's harsh. I didn't peg you as a child traumatizer..."

Billy cackled. "You're as funny as in your YouTube videos..."

"Technically not mine," Phantom corrected, tapping his chin as if assessing the situation. "Though I should probably consider owning my own channel. Might as well educate some people on the proper ghost names and lore..."

Maddie glared again. "Oh, so you have something to say about our research, ghost?"

"See? At least you could try calling me Phantom," the teenager pointed out. "I know you're not fond of my first name, Maddie, but you could at least pretend you've gotten to know me a little bit. It's been, what? Two years since we've been in this together?"

Maddie lowered her gun and rolled her eyes in exasperation. Phantom only wanted to bait them into assuming the role of the bad guys, apparently well aware of how much their visitors loved ghosts and him in particular. Why else would he try calling them their names when he usually ran away as soon as he spotted them? Jack gave her a questioning look but didn't contradict her decision to lower her weapon otherwise. She didn't know if Jack caught on, but she still hinted her husband to pay attention to Phantom's current interaction with the other family. She was convinced they would have to wait for him to slip, this time.

Lorelai raised her hand excitedly in front of the ghost. "Oh, oh, Phantom, hold on, I got a question!"

In turn, the teen eyed the woman with curiosity. "Shoot, Mrs. Tourist Lady," he replied and quickly backpedaled. "Wait, scratch the shooting part, or these guys might take it literally," he added, pointing to the local hunters. Oh, Maddie was definitely onto something with her theory.

Lorelai immediately got a small notebook and pen out of a bag she had been carrying around. "Can you confirm if you were really born within the last two decades? We have a theory about your suit and can't decide if it's reminiscent to the ones used around the start of the new millennium or something closer to the Chernobyl era."

Despite how ingenuous the Warrens appeared, Maddie was surprised by the analysis behind some of their questions and assumptions. It was true that both scientists had tried to figure out more about this mysterious ghost who defied all their research, but they had been so immersed in ghost hunting, creating either new weapons or defense systems, as well as setting up shields around the city to even have time to explore more about his origins. So, naturally, her interest had been piqued.

Phantom probably noticed the odd look in the ghost hunters' faces, showcasing a more tense demeanor as he answered. "Err... can't tell you anything revealing about myself."

"Bingo!" Lorelai yelled, high-fiving her son.

"Not fair!" Ted whined as he hunched slightly.

"Did I... miss something?" the specter asked in absolute confusion.

Of course he didn't realize his mistake and almost admission. Maddie chalked it up to inexperience, so the conclusion she got from both the answer and the reaction fit well together. It meant Phantom was probably as young as he looked, which didn't sit well with her considering how old her own children were.

Lorelai smirked and wrote something down on her notebook. "You just confirmed my theory that there's people who still know who you were in Amity Park."

This was not the conclusion Maddie had gotten exactly. But of course... it made sense... Taking into account his age, those closest to him could still be alive and around the city...

Phantom visibly paled, which only helped to confirm Lorelai's claim. "Uh, what?"

"What?" Jack asked alarmed as well, apparently not in tune with his wife.

Mrs. Warren chuckled softly. "Silly me, sorry for not making sense," she apologized. "Yeah, it's not that he doesn't know who he is, but he can't say it unless he reveals his whole life story. That's why he didn't want to reply."

Maddie suspected the Warrens had more paranormal knowledge than they let on. That wasn't exactly a regular train of thought nor something easily found in a convention. Ecto-psychologists maybe?

The spirit in the room, who had been too amused at the beginning, was now sputtering as he searched for any coherent word to say. "That's... ridiculous! I could be from any part of the world, you know? Or from an alternate future. Or maybe another dimension. There's people who really think the Ghost Zone is just an alien-"

"Nope," Ted interrupted, as he seemed to come to terms with his theory (whatever it was) being discredited. "You wouldn't be so protective of this whole town."

Lorelai beamed again. "Born, raised, and deceased in Amity Park. No wonder you're so passionate about his place."

"Oh-kay... this is getting too weird for me, and I've beaten up possessed meatballs," Phantom replied awkwardly. Maddie could see he was feeling vulnerable, even rubbing the back of his neck, so maybe the Warrens had actually hit the nail dead on with their assumptions. "Sorry for the interruption, Fenton folks. Please continue giving out incorrect names for our previous ghostly attackers."

He began to vanish out of sight when Billy rushed towards him. "Wait!" he yelled, effectively stopping the ghost from leaving. The younger boy gave him a pleading look, unaware of his hero's discomfort. "Can we take a picture before you go? For my birthday? Please?"

If the Fentons had been able to learn anything about Phantom, it was that he was very sensitive. Destructive and dangerous, yes, but sometimes too innocent in some of his remarks and decisions. Just like a kid. This particularly struck a nerve on Maddie considering the recent revelations. If Phantom was born less than two decades ago, if he still had family and friends in Amity Park who remembered him... her motherly side shuddered at what it all implied and didn't dare to go further into that path. Sympathizing with Phantom wouldn't be too professional and would only bring an unwanted bias into their research.

"Jack, Maddie, you too, please!" Ted exclaimed, bringing the huntress out of her thoughts.

Jack shrugged and took the woman's hand to lead her towards the fireplace, where they were setting the scene for the picture. "Awesome!" Lorelai exclaimed, Polaroid camera in hand. "Can you guys pose as if you were threatening Phantom?" she indicated once the hunters were closer to Billy and the ghost.

"Oh, trust me, it comes naturally to them," Phantom muttured.

"You're funny, can I add that to his stats?" Billy said with a giggle.

Ted nodded. "Sass: high."

Somehow, the reaction didn't feel sassy to Maddie. At all. If anything, it made her realize with a shock that he really felt threatened by them. How could she had been so blind to how transparent Phantom's expressions were? They had always thought a powerful ghost as Phantom was only taunting and mocking them whenever he refused to attack and fled the scene. Now Maddie was not so sure as many theories began bubbling in her head. She didn't know what to think anymore.

Jack, who still had his ectogun in hand, accepted to pose as if he was preparing to shoot the ghost (and probably would, Maddie had no doubt), while Billy tried to act shocked as he stared at Phantom, who in turn projected an ectoplasmic barrier between them to make the scene more convincing (or to prepare for Jack's potential attack). Maddie only stood next to her husband to make an act of presence into the unwanted picture, but she was too busy thinking about everything that had been dumped into her overthinking brain.

Noticing once again something off in the huntress, Phantom shifted nervously after the picture. "Yeah, I'm gonna head out of here," he declared and began to float higher towards the ceiling. It was only then that Maddie noticed a familiar cylinder by his waist, making her think she was witnessing another piece to the giant puzzle. "Thanks for coming to Amity Park! Tell your friends to keep a safe distance from ghosts, especially those who attack me." And with a small salute, he was gone.

"Well, this has been a rather productive visit, hasn't it?" Ted exclaimed in excitement once the uncomfortable silence had begun to settle between them.

Maddie couldn't resist all the questions nagging at her, but she settled for one. "How did you... where did you get all those theories from?" she asked in bafflement.

Ted put an arm around his wife's shoulders, both smiling at the ghost-hunting pair. "Well, you did tell us to keep our eyes open. Ever considered keeping an open mind as well?"

Feeling at a loss of words, the Fentons could only laugh at the absurdity of it all, resuming soon after their tour with the Warrens, which would continue into Casper High and several additional hotspots. Trying to put the odd revelations on hold, at least until they had done their own research, the couple agreed they would add Fentonworks to their tour, to conclude the visit with a look into their work. Maddie was sure Jazz and Danny would like these people once they got to meet them. Perhaps they would get to see their unusual theories, as well.