Chapter 10:
Frostbite led the two across the frozen land until they came upon the place the yeti-like creatures called home. It really wasn't much; it was more like a camp. The Phantoms didn't get very long to look around their temporary home before Frostbite ushered them into a large tent on the outskirts of the village.
"This," Frostbite said, gesturing around the tent, "is your tent, Great One. We prepared it after you visited us the first time, knowing that you would be back." Danny just nodded his head in response, showing he understood, as he looked around the space in awe. There was a full-sized bed off to the right side with Danny Phantom's famous colors: black and white, complete with his DP logo on the comforter. Off to the left side was a living room type area, with a couch, chairs, rug and, surprisingly, a TV.
"You would be amazed at the reception we get in the Far Frozen," Frostbite told Danny with a small laugh, catching his gaze.
"But... this is the Ghost Zone. How..." He trailed off.
"What, ghosts can't watch TV?" Frostbite laughed again.
"Well, I guess..." Danny said, still a little puzzled.
"Relax Great One, it's mainly just for show, to make you feel more at home. Although we do get a few channels," Frostbit winked.
"Oh," was all Danny had for a reply.
"Relax, cuz," Dani said, "and stop questioning everything." The young halfa then went over to the couch and flopped down on it, closing her eyes, then promptly fell asleep.
Danny continued looking at the room he never knew he had. There was a dresser at the far end toward the right, and a restroom in the far-left corner. Everything, he noticed, was black and white with hints of green.
"There is a cafeteria near the center of the village, it's always open, so go whenever you feel hungry-"
"Thanks, Frostbite," Danny said, cutting him off. "This is perfect, I can't thank you enough."
The yeti inclined his head and spoke. "Anything for you, Great One. If you ever need anything, feel free to ask." The leader of the Far Frozen turned to leave, but Danny stopped him.
"Frostbite?" he asked, and the yeti turned to look at him. "Could you look after her?" he asked, gesturing to the slumbering Danielle. "I have to go talk to a certain Time Master."
"Of course. I will make sure she stays out of trouble, and that she knows where you went if you're not back by the time she awakes."
"Thanks," Danny told him again, and he nodded his head in reply. He then turned on his heel and left the tent. This time, Danny didn't stop him.
After Frostbite left, the young Phantom turned to look at his sleeping clone and sighed to himself. He wished Dani hadn't gotten dragged into this mess. It was bad enough involving his friends in all his misadventures. Then and there Danny made a promise to himself: He would defeat Dan or die trying. With his vow in place, he phased through the ceiling of the tent and headed toward Clockwork's domain.
"Jazz?" Maddie called from the other side of her door. The 18-year-old sighed. Why couldn't her parents leave her alone? They may think Danny's evil, and not accept him as their son, but no matter what, he was the same old Danny. He was their son, and most importantly, he was still her little brother.
"Jazz?" Maddie called again and knocked tentatively. "Can we talk to you?" Jazz groaned and buried her face in her pillow. This was the fourth time they had come up asking her to talk or to come out of her room. Well, she was going to stay here, and she wasn't going to say anything. Right then her phone rang. Jazz looked at the caller ID and saw it was Sam. A feeling of dread crept into her.
'What happened? Is Danny okay?' she thought. Needing these questions answered, she quickly picked up the phone.
"Hello?" she asked, keeping a wary eye on the door, knowing it was only a matter of time before they remembered her door didn't have a lock on it.
"Jazz? Have you heard from Danielle or Danny?" Sam said, a little worried.
"No, why? What happened?!" Jazz asked, getting a little panicked.
"Jazz, what's wrong?!" Maddie called from the other side of the door. Jazz ignored her and turned her attention back to Sam.
"They went to the Ghost Zone, and I don't know if they made it, or if..." she trailed off.
"Don't worry Sam, I'm sure they're fine. The plan was to go to the Ghost Zone, remember? We would go get help from Danny and Dani's allies, talk to Clockwork, then take down Dan. " A gasp came from behind the door, but Jazz didn't hear it, she was focusing on the conversation with Sam.
"I know, I know." Sam sighed. "But we were part of that plan."
"We still are, and the best we can do is wait," Jazz consoled.
"I guess, but will you call me if you hear from them?" she asked.
"Of course, I will."
"Thanks, Jazz."
"No problem," Jazz said and hung up. She then turned to her door. She knew her parents were still out there, probably hatching out a plan to get into her room. She walked over to her door and took a deep breath. Talking to Sam gave her an idea. She would let her parents in and try to explain that Danny was still good and that she was going to help him, no matter what they did to try and stop her.
She opened the door to find the hallway empty. She looked around to make sure they weren't lurking around a corner. Jazz panicked for a moment. 'What if they think I'm a ghost just like Danny?' She banished that thought as quickly as it came, but then again, she was more often mistaken for a ghost by her parents than Danny ever was... and he actually was the ghost! Well, half-ghost anyway. She shook her head to get rid of her thoughts, then hesitantly made her way down the stairs.
With every step, she became even more unsure of her plan. By the time she reached the landing, she was a nervous wreck. She took a calming breath, that didn't help, and made her way into the living room.
They weren't there either.
Well, that left two more possibilities. Jazz made her way into the kitchen. No parents. She frowned in worry. Where could they have gone to? She headed to the stairs leading to the lab and made her way down. She finally reached the last step, and then a second later she was face to face with... an empty lab. Jazz's shoulders slumped. Where were her parents? She looked around and felt a memory come to the forefront of her mind.
Her parents, working on a new experiment with Danny standing a distance away, wearily looking at the new device, then making an excuse that he was meeting Sam and Tucker to study. Meeting Sam and Tucker, yes. Study, not so much.
As quick as the memory came, it disappeared. Jazz frowned, nothing would ever be the same again. She sighed. When had life become so complicated? The confused and weary girl walked to the computer chair, sat down, and put her head in her hands.
She loved Danny, and the powers he's had for two years now. They had helped him grow up and help other people, but sometimes she wished everything could go back to the way it was before she ever knew his secret ago. Back to when she couldn't care less what her brother did. Now she was constantly watching over him, giving him advice, and covering for him when Sam and Tucker couldn't.
The teen sighed again. Now, their parents know about Danny's alter ego Danny Phantom. The ghost they swore they'd destroy and rip apart "molecule by molecule!" She didn't get why they didn't figure it out sooner. Danny Phantom looked like their son, acted like him, appeared when Danny Fenton ran away from ghosts, and Danny Fenton showed up with bruises right after Phantom got finished with a fight. Along with that, he showed up around the time the Fenton Ghost Portal started working, and at the same time, Danny started acting weird. Thinking this over, she wondered why she didn't see it sooner.
Wait a minute! Her eyes went toward the portal. No, they couldn't have. Jazz thought back to her conversation with Sam when her parents were outside the door.
"No," she said out loud. She ran toward the stairs, the conversation replaying in her mind.
"Hello?" she asked, keeping a wary eye on the door, knowing it was only a matter of time before they remembered her door didn't have a lock on it.
"Jazz? Have you heard from Danielle or Danny?" Sam said, a little worried.
She ran up the lab stairs, into the kitchen, through the living room, and up the other set of stairs.
"No, why? What happened?!" Jazz asked, getting a little panicked.
"They went to the Ghost Zone, and I don't know if they made it, or if..." She trailed off.
She ran to every room, opening all the doors, but finding them all empty. She even looked out the window to see if the RV was still outside.
It was.
"Don't worry Sam, I'm sure they're fine. The plan was to go to the Ghost Zone, remember? We would go get help from Danny and Dani's allies, talk to Clockwork, then take down Dan. " A gasp came from behind the door, but Jazz didn't hear it, she was focusing on the conversation with Sam.
"I know, I know." Sam sighed. "But we were part of that plan."
She ran back down the stairs, through the living room and kitchen, then back down to the lab, and looked around one more time.
"We still are, and the best we can do is wait." Jazz consoled.
"I guess, but will you call me if you hear from them?" She asked.
She fell to her knees and put her head into her hands. How did she not notice sooner?
"Of course, I will."
"Thanks, Jazz."
The Specter Speeder was gone, and so were her parents. They went into the Zone to find Danny and Dani, and it was all Jazz's fault.
Edited and Revised 7/22/19