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Seeing ghosts when you live in Amity Park is normal. You’ll see them on your commute to work or even when you’re at home and watching TV if a fight happens to make its way through your living room. Death became another part of everyone's daily life. Even if someone died, the likelihood that they would come back as a ghost was higher than not in Amity. Ghosts do not scare the citizens of Amity Park, almost nothing does nowadays.
Nothing that is, except one Daniel James Fenton. Everyone in Amity Park knew it, but it was something left unsaid unless you wanted to catch his attention. If he looked at you you could feel his eyes peering into your soul, judging your worth with a single glance. He moved silently as if even noise was too scared to draw his notice. It is ill advised to speak of any ghosts in front of him, they would go missing soon after more likely than not.
Ghosts would give the boy a wide berth when flying around, always making sure to stay out of his sight. If asked why, they would say they do not want to risk angering him. Better to steer clear, and stay away. Even speaking his name was taboo to ghosts. Epithets were often used instead. In front of humans they simply called him ‘the ghost hunters’ son’ it did its job well enough. There were few if any humans who knew what he was called among ghosts. ‘The one Incomplete’, ‘The Silent King’, ‘Pariah’s Bane’, 'The Wrong Part of a Whole’, ‘The Merciless one.’.
The only ones who did not seem to notice the change from normal boy to a being to be respected and feared was the three other Fentons and his two companions. The parents would boast about their son, ignoring the unblinking eyes of his gaze on them when he heard his name. The older Fenton child would complain about how annoying he could be, almost as if she was unaware of the danger his anger could bring to her and those close to her. His two companions would talk to him freely and respond to his deadpan statements and blank face as if he was one of the most expressional people in the room. Joking with him even when no one can remember ever hearing him laugh.
Amity Park's mayor seemed to react to the Fenton boy the most, though no one really knew why. Their best guess would be because he moved there so late in life. The two did not cross paths often, not as much as they did when the man first moved to Amity Park. But when they did it was clear the mayor feared the boy. He would stop talking if the child was nearby only resuming once he was far enough away. His breathing practically stopped and he stood tall and still not moving an inch, as if he was trying to convince the other he was merely a human shaped object. The citizens of Amity Park would not judge their mayor for his behavior around the boy, not with the glare the boy gave him every time he saw him. The citizens of Amity Park were more surprised he didn’t die on the spot every time he was glared at.
No one would be able to tell you when exactly the shift in the young Fenton boy happened. He was always a strange child growing up no one would deny that. His teeth grew in just a little too sharp, his kindergarten teacher would talk how his eyes reflected an unseen light even with the lights off and blinds closed for the students' nap time. But the Fentons were a weird pair themselves so it was brushed off. Until the boy reached high school and strange became unsettling which became a terror. A primal fear that seemed like it was etched into their very souls to stay away, to stay safe.
A far contrast to the town's hero Phantom, who seemed almost human at times. His laughter would ring out through the city when he was around. Like a reminder that he was there and that they would be safe. Ghost attacks weren’t as common nowadays as they were when ghosts first appeared but if they did happen Phantom was sure to be there to help. Even if it wasn’t a ghost he’d help the citizens of Amity with daily tasks and even just be an ear to talk to at times. The way he carried a conversation and talked about his day made you forget you’re even talking to a ghost.
The ghosts around Amity also cared deeply for Phantom. While not common knowledge if you ask the right ghosts you’d find out why. Phantom too had his own epithets ‘The Young King’, ‘The Great One’, ‘The Savior of the Ghost Zone’, even ‘the Halfa’ was said in an endearing tone. Even the ghosts that did come and seek out a fight in Amity were treated with at least a limited amount of care, Phantom would never stoop down to destroying a ghost's entire essence. Always willing to give a second chance, not always letting offending ghosts off free but even a prison sentence had its limits when you’re able to exist for thousands of years like ghosts can.
Phantom, like almost any kid his age, still had a streak of mischief to him. He’d occasionally go around ‘haunting’ the city. Popping up out of the ground with a ‘boo’ before bursting into laughter. He’d even forget that he set up pranks and fall for them himself, flying to the nearest person to laugh about it with. Even the mayor wasn’t free from Phantom when he was in a pranking mood, he often walked around for a few days with a wild hair color until the color washed out. If asked he’d roll his eyes and point you towards the resident ghost teen.
Even Phantom, in all of his bravery and kindness, stayed out of sight of the son of the ghost hunters. Never one around when the other was. None of the citizens of Amity could blame Phantom, even a ghost of his power must surely fear whatever the Fenton child was capable of.
Soon enough people stopped moving to Amity Park, whether it was the ghosts or the presence of him no one was quite sure. The citizens of Amity Park didn’t mind either way, it kept the rich bigwigs from trying to come to their city and change things. One of the few good things the Fenton child brought to their lives. Around the same time people stopped moving to Amity Park, the G.I.W stopped any and all activity in Amity Park, soon enough they stopped activity all together. The day Amity Park got the news even humans gave the Fenton kid a wide berth. A smile on his face was much scarier than his constant blank expression.
Humans and ghosts alike knew to be wary of the ghost hunter's son. It was a basic instinct, like being hungry or being afraid of the dark, it was just something that was known. For humans, making him angry will drive you into paranoia at best. For ghosts, making him angry you would be lucky if he decided to end you then and there, no one knew what he did as an alternative, and they all hoped to never find out. Seeing ghosts was very common in Amity Park unless you were Daniel James Fenton.