I wasn't intending to continue this story. But I did. :/ There's only one chapter after this and it's done, though. I swear!
"I've had...a really weird day."
Jazz had been at her desk, working on a report for her advanced literature course with her head buried in a textbook, when her brother had spoken. Though she was no longer shocked by his sudden appearances or his phasing through walls, the older sister had been mildly surprised at the words that Danny had spoken.
Turning to face him, Jazz watched him hover a foot over her bed as he changed from Phantom to Fenton, falling into her pillows once the transformation was complete. Danny stretched himself out, wrinkling her neatly placed blue-green sheets. His face was tired, and Jazz watched his chest slowly rise as he took a deep breathe.
"You wanna talk about it?"
He exhaled, slow and long. "I don't know."
Jazz crossed her arms. "I think you do." When her brother glanced over, his eyebrow raised, she added, "Why else would you have come to me?"
Danny looked away, lifting his arms upward so he could study his fingers. "I'm just not sure what to make of it. Vlad was harassing me and he said something that I can't really wrap my head around."
"Yeah?" Jazz tugged her hair back behind her ear and placed a pensive hand beneath her chin. "What'd he say?"
"He said that Mom and Dad purposely built the portal in a way that would make a halfa." Lowering his arms, Danny propped himself up on his right elbow, turning to face his sister once again. "He said they added things to it that have nothing to do with connecting to the Ghost Zone- things that are only important for turning people into half ghosts."
Jazz wrinkled her nose. "Do you believe him?"
Her brother fell back with a huff. "I don't know," he echoed again.
When Jazz remained silent, Danny continued. "I don't know what to believe. I can see why Vlad would lie. He would just love to drive a wedge between me and Dad. But on the other hand, I can also understand why Mom and Dad would try and experiment with the creation of a halfa. For science or research or something."
"And you think they'd be willing to use you, their son, as a test subject?" There was no accusation to Jazz's tone. Just a single, monotonous question.
And Danny felt his forehead wrinkle and his eyes narrow in frustrated confusion. "Do you?"
Jazz was silent for a long moment, steady eyes watching her brother with uneasy thoughts. She bit her lip and swallowed hard, then spoke.
"I don't know."
"Yeah, me neither."
"So," the girl pressed, "now what?"
"You think I should..." Danny's voice trailed off for a moment, but he pushed himself to continue. "You think I should ask them?"
"But how?" Jazz stood, pacing herself over to her bed where she sat beside her brother. "Would you tell them you're Phantom?"
"I mean," Danny's voice was quiet as he thought it over, "I have been meaning to tell them. Plus, if this really was on purpose, then..." Hesitant eyes shifted towards the older girl. "...then they would already know, right?"
"What are you going to do, if it really was an accident, and they didn't know?"
"The same thing I was going to do before Vlad caused this whole mess. Explain as best as I can and hope they understand."
"And," Jazz pushed, "if it wasn't?"
Thoughts of battle scars and broken bones flashed through Danny's mind. All the unjust detentions, all the targeting weapons, all the sleepless nights- intentional. It was one thing when he didn't have a choice, so he decided to use his powers for good. It was another to be forced to play the hero.
A hard lump formed in the ghost boy's throat.
"I don't know."
Expect the last chapter by the end of the week. If you liked it, let me know what you thought. Review! :)