Chapter Text
They prepared for their investigation the next night.
The group had gathered in the living room while the sun slipped below the horizon, sending long shadows into their apartment. Tord had busied himself distributing the gadgets.
"Alright, guys, let's get dressed up in our uniforms! Although," Tord paused, a grin playing on his lips as he regarded the transparent, misty fabric, the thin blue stripes of cabling writhing across its surface, "Tom's chosen uniforms really... elevate the aesthetic."
"For your information, Matt helped me pick it out. I don't really have the expertise for that kind of thing."
Tord snorted, just a little too loudly. "That doesn't help your case at all."
Before Tom could retort with a cutting barb of his own , Matt chimed in .
"Hey! I thought it would be fun for us to match! Besides, I think the outfit accentuates my cheekbones!"
Edd, sensing the familiar storm brewing, clapped his hands together, a strained smile on his face. "Alright, alright, let's focus, please! Remember why we're doing this."
Tord rolled his eyes but continued distributing devices, attaching sensors, meters, and other mysterious contraptions to their uniforms.
"Don't touch anything until we get to the location," he warned, strapping the final pieces onto himself. "I'll explain the function of each device upon arrival."
"Right." Edd rubbed his hands together, a little too enthusiastically. "Let's head to the car. I'll be driving."
This announcement was met with a chorus of groans and protests.
"I don't want to hear it. Matt hasn't driven since he nearly took out Mrs. Peterson's prize-winning petunias, and you two," he pointed at Tom and Tord, would crash the car the minute the other so much as breathed the wrong way."
The boys fell silent, exchanging glances. They couldn't argue with Edd's logic , however infuriating, and begrudgingly agreed before trudging toward the car.
But not all competitive spirits could be completely dampened. As they approached the vehicle, Tom and Tord locked eyes, a silent challenge passing between them. They shook their fists in unison.
On the third shake, their hands shifted into shapes, Tom's scissors to Tord's rock.
A triumphant grin spread across Tord's face as he practically skipped to the passenger-side door. Tom, meanwhile, slumped his shoulders and trudged to the back seat, a scowl etched on his face. Matt, oblivious to the silent battle that had just taken place, happily climbed into the back alongside Tom.
Edd slid into the driver's seat, shaking his head at his friends' antics. He pulled out his phone and punched in the address of their destination. The drive wasn't long, only a few minutes away from their apartment. Edd was grateful for the relative silence that settled over the car, a rarity given the usual bickering between his passengers.
As Edd prepared to turn into the driveway, a strange static crackled through the car's speakers. The noise quickly grew louder, filling the vehicle with an unnatural sound.
Tord immediately perked up and reached into one of the many pockets of his ghost-hunting uniform, pulling out a custom-built EMF meter. The device's lights began to flicker into a dance of red and green as it was activated.
"Interesting," Tord breathed. "Very interesting."
He remained fixed on the erratically spiking meter. As the static grew even louder, he turned to Edd.
"Park the car as close to the house as possible! We need to get closer to the source!"
Edd nodded, carefully maneuvering the car and pulling it up as close to the house as he could . Gravel crunched under the tires as he killed the engine.
As the static lingered in the air, Tord seized the opportunity to brief the group on their ghost-hunting arsenal. He gestured to each piece of equipment, his enthusiasm evident in his rapid-fire explanations.
"These custom EMF meters," he began, holding up the device still flickering wildly, "will detect any electromagnetic anomalies. Over here, we have digital audio recorders for capturing EVPs - that's Electronic Voice Phenomena. And these cameras," he patted a bulky, modified camera hanging from his neck, "are specially calibrated to capture supernatural activity."
"That's great and all," Tom interjected, "but how exactly are we supposed to catch this ghost? Assuming we even find one?"
"I'm glad you asked, Tom. Allow me to introduce you to my latest creation." Tord dramatically gestured towards the trunk of the car. "Gentlemen, behold the ghost containment device!"
As Tord popped open the trunk, the others gathered around, their eyes widening at the sight of the contraption within. The device was a fire-truck red rectangular unit, roughly the size of a large microwave. Its industrial design screamed "mad scientist invention," with a complex array of switches, blinking LEDs, and two prominent status lights on the front panel.
Tord ran his hand lovingly over the sturdy locking mechanism securing a central door. "This beauty can immobilize supernatural entities with its inner laser grid. The cooling vents, reinforced cables, and calibration dials ensure optimal performance. When activated, it emits a low hum that belies the immense power contained within."
Tom scoffed but didn't humor him with a response.
Sensing the need to move things along, Edd clapped his hands.
"Alright, enough show and tell. Let's get moving and catch this ghost!" He ushered Tord towards the house, then called back to Matt, "Grab the containment device, will you?"
It didn't take long for Matt's whine to be heard from the car as Edd and Tord approached the entrance.
"Tom, help me! This thing is too heavy!"
Tom sighed heavily but trudged back to the car to help Matt with the cumbersome device, leaving Tord and Edd with a head start into the house.
As they entered the living room, the ambiance changed abruptly. The air grew heavy and cold, laced with the scent of mildew and dust. A shiver ran down Edd's spine despite his ghost-hunting uniform providing some warmth.
Tord's electromagnetic field detector erupted into a frenzied chorus of electronic chirps, its erratic signals growing more urgent with each cautious step they took further into the shadowy interior.
Edd broke the silence first, "Maybe we should split up? Cover more
ground?"
Tord shot him an incredulous look. "Absolutely not. Have you never watched a horror film? Splitting up is a recipe for disaster."
Edd nodded, and they continued exploring the house together, methodically investigating each room. As they progressed, strange phenomena began to occur around them. A door slammed shut, causing both Edd and Tord to jump and exchange nervous glances. Objects skittered across surfaces, seemingly untouched, and pockets of icy air materialized in random spots throughout the house.
~~~~
Outside, Matt and Tom struggled with the unwieldy ghost containment device.
"Seriously, what was Tord thinking when he designed this thing?" Matt complained, wiping perspiration from his brow. His muscles ached from the sheer weight of the contraption.
Tom grunted in agreement. "Knowing him? Probably to inflate his ego."
A shriek emanating from the house pierced the night air just as the two reached the front door. Matt and Tom exchanged panicked glances, abandoned any sense of caution, and barreled inside, dragging Tord's invention behind them.
As Matt and Tom raced into the living room, Edd and Tord met them from the staircase.
"I'm telling you, I saw something," Edd's voice broke slightly. "It darted across the hallway."
"You're not wrong, you're not wrong! These readings are off the charts!" Tord held up his EMF meter, practically vibrating with anticipation. "There HAS to be a ghost somewhere in this house!"
"A ghost? Really?" Matt clutched at the ghost containment device. "Maybe we should pack up and go back."
"Oh, come on! You're all falling for it." Tom folded his arms, though his usual skepticism had a tinge of unease to it. "I bet Tord is just waiting in the wings for the opportune moment. This has prank written all over it. It's probably just Tord rigging his little gadgets to freak us all out."
Before Tord even had the chance to open his mouth, the lights flickered before extinguishing entirely, plunging the room into pitch darkness. A collective gasp rippled through the group.
Then it came: a sound so low it felt like it was emanating from deep within the walls themselves. A growl, menacing and inhuman, reverberated through the room.
"Uh, guys...?" Matt's voice shook.
Tord scrambled with his equipment, muttering a stream of curses hurriedly under his breath until he finally activated a specialized flashlight. A thin, eerie beam of light sliced through the darkness.
The beam landed on something. It hung in the air for only a second, just long enough for everyone to see. A pale, translucent figure hovered near the ceiling, its hollow eyes staring straight at them.
It let out a shriek.
And without warning, it lunged at them.
The living room erupted into pandemonium. Antique vases shattered against the walls, sending shards of porcelain flying. Books launched from shelves became dangerous projectiles.
"Get it toward the device!" Tord attempted to shout, but the chaos swallowed his words. As he narrowly avoided a bookshelf toppling in his direction, he muttered a series of expletives under his breath as if that would conceal them. If anyone were to have seen it, his eyes shone with manic glee as he watched the spirit throw objects wildly around the room.
Matt dove behind a curtain, but the fabric barely reached his knees, leaving most of his body exposed . He peeked out, his eyes wide with terror.
Tom, his skepticism long forgotten, frantically swatted at the air around him, trying to ward off the ghost's frigid aura.
Edd, seeing an opening, lunged for the containment unit. His fingers grasped the cool metal, but the device refused to budge upon his pulling. Straining against its weight, he realized with growing horror that there was no electromagnetic funnel to guide the ghost, and with his luck, the air whipped around him violently, making it impossible to steady his hands enough to activate the contraption. He fumbled with the overly complicated controls, cursing Tord's penchant for unnecessary knobs and dials.
Edd turned to shout something to the rest of the group, and he found himself face-to-face with a projectile hurtling through the air. Time seemed to slow, and in that second, Edd's survival instincts kicked in. His muscles tensed to propel himself out of harm's way.
But fate had other plans. Despite Edd's attempts, his body wouldn't move fast enough. The projectile cleared the distance in mere fractions of a second. Before Edd could even begin to complete his evasive maneuver, the object struck him squarely in the chest with devastating force.
All the air rushed out of Edd's lungs in an instant , leaving him gasping. The sheer power behind the projectile lifted him off his feet, sending his body hurtling backward through the air like a ragdoll. Time resumed its normal pace as Edd flew, helpless and disoriented, across the room.
His flight came to an abrupt and violent end as he collided with the nearest wall. The sickening thud of flesh and bone meeting unyielding concrete echoed through the space. Gravity took hold once more , and Edd's limp form slid down the wall. He crumpled to the floor in an unceremonious heap, his limbs splayed at awkward angles.
For the other three, time seemed to freeze. Matt's eyes widened in horror, his feet already propelling him towards his fallen friend. Tom, however, remained rooted to the spot, his chest heaving as he stared at Edd's motionless form, unable to process the scene before him.
Tord tensed as he fought against the urge to flee. His fingers curled into fists at his sides, knuckles white with strain. For a moment, he too stood frozen.
And within the next second, he leaped to his feet.
"Matt! Get Edd out of harm's way, now! Tom, I need you to snap out of it and help me with the containment device!"
Matt didn't hesitate. He rushed to Edd's side, carefully assessing his condition. Relief washed over him as he noticed Edd's chest rising and falling steadily.
"He's alive!" he announced before returning his attention to Edd. "It's alright, Edd. Just try not to move too much. Also, your hair is, like, totally messed up." Gently, he helped Edd into a sitting position.
Edd groaned, unfocused. Matt slung Edd's arm over his shoulder, supporting his weight as they shuffled towards a safer corner.
"We'll handle this, Edd. We'll handle this," Matt murmured, surprisingly sounding steadier than he felt. "You just rest here a moment, okay?"
Tom remained immobilized, his hand clutching at his chest as if to quell his erratic heartbeat. His expression betrayed an inner turmoil that rendered him oblivious to the chaos around him.
Tord turned to berate him, but something within him stopped and made him assess the situation. Noting his unmoving form, he slid toward him, closing the gap between them, and took hold of his shoulders.
In a series of sharp movements, he began to shake Tom vigorously.
"Snap. Out. Of. It!"
Tom's instincts flared to life. He jerked and thrashed in Tord's hold, clawing at his arms before he realized who was in front of him.
"What the- ?!"
"Thomas!" Tord gave one more shake for good measure. "Get it together! I need help with the containment device! Now!"
Tom took a moment to catch up with the situation. Confusion soon gave way to understanding, and Tom nodded his head.
"Right," he managed to mutter, shaking his head once more to clear the lingering disorientation as he stumbled into a run. His legs, unsteady at first, eventually found their strength, and he matched Tord's pace. Together, they raced toward what might have been their last hope to subdue the supernatural threat.
They skidded to a halt on either side of the containment device, chests heaving. Tord knelt and began activating a dizzying array of switches and dials.
"Thomas," Tord didn't even look up from his work. "Grab that antenna-like structure. Keep it steady."
Tom nodded and clutched the antenna with both hands.
"What now?"
"I'm calibrating the electromagnetic field. When I give the signal, rotate that antenna 90 degrees clockwise. It should create a vortex to weaken the ghost enough for us to capture it."
As if sensing their intentions, the ghost intensified its assault. Objects hurtled through the room, and the temperature plummeted.
Matt hunched himself over Edd, using his body as a shield and his hands to cover his face from any damage. He peeked through his fingers as he and Edd watched Tom and Tord labor over the device.
Edd groaned and dragged himself toward the wall, using it as leverage as he propped himself on his elbows. He tried to ignore the way his head throbbed in protest.
"Matt," he hissed through his teeth. "They can't get the device to work. They need our help."
Matt hesitated, looking back and forth between the chaos and Edd's determined, albeit pale, face.
"But, Tord said--"
"I'm fine enough," Edd pushed himself up to a sitting position. "Come on, we need to do something if we want to catch this ghost."
"And how do you suppose we do that?"
"Oh, um, I don't know." Edd stopped, looking around for something that could help their current situation. His eyes fell on his EMF meter lying on the ground. It must have slipped from his pocket when the ghost sent him flying.
"Help me to my meter, and grab yours. Maybe we can create a cross-field with the containment device and weaken the ghost."
Matt glanced at the chaos erupting around them, then looked down at Edd, who was still wincing in pain. He helped Edd to his feet, looping an arm under his shoulder.
“If I get killed helping you, Edd, I swear I’m going to haunt you for eternity,” Matt grumbled, half-serious and half-panicked.
He snatched up his EMF meter and took his place opposite Edd. The ghost, caught between their improvised assault, began to flicker and distort, its resistance weakening with every passing second.
Tord looked up. He noticed the ghost's flickering form growing even more unstable under the assault from Edd and Matt’s EMF meters. He grinned.
"Tom! One more turn, now!"
Jaw clenched, Tom rotated the dial. Instantly, the room erupted in a blinding blue radiance, forcing everyone to shield their eyes. The ghost unleashed a deafening screech, spiraling helplessly toward the containment unit.
An abrupt, almost unnerving silence settled over the room. For a moment, no one moved. Only the sound of their heavy, ragged breathing filled the air as they stared at the sealed containment unit in disbelief.
Then Tord let out a sudden bark of laughter, and the tension snapped like a rubber band.
"We did it, guys! We actually caught a ghost!"
The others exchanged stunned glances, the reality of what they’d accomplished finally starting to sink in. Eventually, Tord's jubilance proved contagious. They joined in with laughter and cheers echoing across the hallways. They congregated around the device, exchanging enthusiastic high-fives and congratulatory pats on the back . After a few minutes, their elation subsided, and the reality of what they did set in.
"So, uh," Tom was the first to voice the question everyone was thinking. "What do we do now?"
"I'll keep the containment device in my room until we decide what to do with it. " Tord answered. "For now, we need to tidy this place up. If we want a half-decent review, the house needs to have some semblance of order."
Without much further discussion, the group went to work. Tom righted an overturned chair and began gathering scattered books, while Matt fussed over a toppled lamp, muttering about how the ghost had no respect for interior design. Tord inspected the containment unit for any dents, then began gathering scattered debris and stacking it neatly by the door. Edd moved slower, the pain from the earlier impact still lingering. He picked up shards of broken glass, pausing now and then to steady himself and catch his breath before continuing.
As Edd bent down to retrieve a picture frame, he suddenly stopped short, a look of realization dawning on him.
"Hey, did anyone happen to bring a camera to record all of this?"