Disclaimer: I don't own this show. It's Fanfiction.
The scene outside her window had finally calmed. Jazz watched as the two quietly resolved whatever lingering questions they must have had. She could finally breath easy with a satisfying 'I knew I was right' grin on her face. . . though she had to admit she was surprised by the outcome. There wasn't time to ponder it all though. Jazz would just have to assure herself that her brother knew what he was doing, and he was able to take care of himself.
Jazz looked to her computer, still monitoring the hot topic of halfas burning up the Phan-forums. Jazz breathed a worried sigh as the mounting evidence for half-ghosts began to stream in from no where. She hadn't shared her growing concern with Danny or his friends, but she was still hoping to control it with reasonable counter evidence. Oh well, she needed to focus on the plan at hand; distracting her parents so Danny could get to the lab.
Jazz rose from the window sending one last glance down to the boy. Her heart beginning to pound as it always did when she was about to lie for him. Jazz opened her bedroom door and leaned out into the hallway.
"Mom! Dad!" She was hoping beyond hope nothing would go wrong tonight. "I think there's a ghost in my room!" It was a lame excuse, but she knew her parents would come in a flash. It took less time than expected.
"Where is it!?" Her father was the first upstairs with an ectoblaster in hand which startled Jazz. He wasted even less time pushing into her room. "Show yourself ghost. I know what you're after!"
"Jazz?" Her mother came up the stairs with a more worried approach. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine mom," Jazz felt the smile on her face was broadcasting her lie, luckily her mother was also too eager to notice the facade being played out.
"Good to hear, where's the ghost?"
"I think it might have flown into my closet."
Both adults rushed to the storage space. Jack was quick to thrash through the clothes while Maddie took a more level headed approach and pulled out her infrared thermometer. In their distraction Jazz went back to her window and began pulling on the blinds. She could only hope Danny saw her signal. She saw the teen look up in her direction and she knew her plan was working. Of course, it was her plan so there wasn't much room for error.
"Jazz, I'm not picking up any ecto-readings," Maddie turned back to her daughter. "What are you doing?"
"Uh . . ." Jazz threw her hands behind her back. "Just . . . I'm standing by the window?"
Jack came by his daughter to investigate the glass. It was then Jazz noticed her laptop still open to the Phantom website which could be seen from her father's position. Her eyes grew wide at the thought of her parents seeing the page and learning about halfas, and her heart jumped wondering if Danny and Valerie were out of sight by now.
The girl made a leap for her bed and slammed the top of the computer closed.
"Ahh!" She fringed hoping to draw her parents attention away from the window. "I think it, might have gotten away."
"Not on my watch it won't!" Jack opened the window and began surveying the neighborhood.
Jazz couldn't suppress a gasp as she began pleading in her mind for the two teens to be gone. Her father didn't immediately say anything though. So far so good.
"Jazz?" Maddie came to sit next to her daughter. "Can you explain what you saw?"
"Um," Jazz hadn't anticipated that question; she should have, and she'd scold herself later. "Just something whitish, over by the closet."
"Well, there's nothing there now," Maddie removed the mask of her suit giving her a better view of the room and her family. "There's nothing to be worried about."
"Thanks mom."
"Hey look," Jack pulled back into the room and looked to his wife. "We have some company."
Maddie furled her eyebrows at the news. She rose from the bed and went to the window.
"Who's car is that?" There was a sound of a door slamming. "And why is he coming here so late?"
This was unplanned.
The doorbell rang causing Jazz's whole chest to jump into her throat. Her parents left the room to get the door, leaving Jazz to run to see who the visitor was via the window. Jazz didn't seem to mind the rain soaking her hair as she eyed the stranger below. She didn't recognize the man, but she just knew somehow that it was Valerie's dad. At least the two teens were no longer there.
Leaving the window, Jazz hastened downstairs to see what she could do to cover for her brother. She ran through several possible scenarios. Danny and Valerie went to the library; Valerie had decided to walk home after being dropped off by Vlad and was probably late getting back; they decided to hang out at the Nasty Burger . . . just about anything to buy a little time.
Jazz felt completely unsure of herself as she stepped off the staircase into the stranger's view.
"Evening, I'm Damon Gray, Valerie's father," the man spoke with a slight panic in his voice, but he sounded level headed enough. "My daughter was supposedly brought home with your son this afternoon and I was wondering if she may still be here."
Maddie was first to speak up welcoming the stranger to step in out of the rain.
"I'm sorry, but we haven't seen your daughter. Danny didn't mention bringing a friend home today."
"Yes, but you see," Damon pressed, much to Jazz's dismay. "My daughter is really interested in ghosts and I know you happen to make a profession out of watching them . . ."
"Hunting them," Jack corrected proudly. "We hunt ghosts, yes that's us."
"Yes, well, I'm hoping Valerie would be hanging out with Danny. Or at least, she's told him where she's gone. She's not at home and she's not at work. Would it be okay if I asked him where she went after he last saw her?"
"Of course," Maddie agreed sensing the man's urgency. "Danny!?" Her call wasn't answered. "Danny can you come down here for a minute!" Maddie smiled reassuringly to the stranger. "Vlad did drop Danny off this afternoon, but I don't recall a friend staying."
"I know, I'm sorry to intrude. I didn't have your number to call."
"Maybe we should call Vlad and see if he knows?" Maddie offered before turning back to the stairs. "Daniel!"
"Um, Danny's not here," Jazz slowly approached the small group of adults. "I think he and Valerie did go out. . ."
All the adults turned to her and suddenly all her good excuses left her. What could she say? There was no reason for the two to be together, and there was no good excuse for Danny to leave the house. The original plan was Danny was in his room quietly studying for a test while their parents spent the night testing ectoplasmic remains in Jazz's room. This was not according to plan!
"Danny didn't tell us he was going out," Jack began before Damon spoke over him.
"Young lady, where did my daughter go?" He seemed very concerned for a man who just heard his daughter was safely with a friend. "Are they with the mayor? Did he say anything to you? Tell me!"
"He, I, well," Jazz stammered at the sudden volume of their guest.
"Please don't yell at my daughter," Maddie placed herself between the stranger and her child before turning back to Jazz. "Did they go with Vlad?" She suddenly sounded different.
"No," Jazz could now tell her mother was getting concerned. "They weren't with Vlad, because; well, Valerie didn't go with Vlad, she . . .she . . ."
"Mr. and Mrs. Fenton, have your daughter tell me where Valerie is now! I need to know if she's in trouble or not."
"Jazz, this isn't like you," Maddie was about to lay on a scolding when a loud noise came from the basement. "What was that?"
"What was what?" Jazz fringed.
All the adults seemed to put the pieces together. They went straight for the basement door, the two teens downstairs coming to the same conclusion.
o.
It hadn't been the most 'formed' outcome the way things played out that afternoon. He hated even having his breakfast plans deterred let alone have a plan actually backfire. It enraged him with a hate words couldn't accurately express. He was supposed to figure out where his pawn got her new suit as well as fend off any uncertainties she may have embraced upon learning about half-ghosts. With a cheap promise of money or new toys she was supposed to perform tricks at his demand, but no, somehow this day proved to undermine ever calculated plot he had in store for her. She was simply closer to learning the ugly truth and possible raising alarm. And it started with that suit!
It wasn't his and that angered him. It didn't seem important while the question of Dani's composure still needed explanation, but in light of Valerie's new found friendship with halfas it was yet another burning inquiry standing in opposition to his plans to conquer the Ghost Zone.
"I'm so close to discovering new materials; why are so many things going wrong now?!"
Valerie was not only suspicious of his true motives, but it was quite possible that Danny had reviled their secret to her. This made Valerie into a threat, not a big one, but one that could muddle up his latest project. One that would relentlessly bother him in a suit he had little control over.
"I would much rather not have to dispose of Valerie," Vlad seethed. He entered his lab with what little composure the day had left him to activate every camera feed he had on his ghost huntress. "If she's found out I'm part ghost, she no longer be useful for this project. And just when I have a better use for her outside of completing my clone."
Vlad's eyes passed over the various screens: discarded weapons in her room, an old vizor collecting dust in her locker, a small police investigation at the Nasty Burger without her presence. Nothing! Valerie was nowhere she should have been!
"Curse her!" His once easy to manipulate lackey had somehow given him the slip.
Vlad's outburst echoed through his facility alerting the security to a possible danger. Upon hearing his distress a Maddie hologram appeared beside Vlad to asses the situation. She wore a worried expression as the computer did it's best to look sympathetic.
"Is something troubling you, sweetness?"
"The whole point of that multimillion dollar hunk-of-junk is to find ecto-radium so I can finally control that excuse for a ghost world and use those vacuous ectoplamic idiots to concur this world!" Vlad's rage was enough to encourage the hologram to step back. "I can't afford another cover up for this project. My only hope to keep Valerie's mouth shut is either killing her or blackmailing Daniel into shutting it for me. Both of which are horrible inconvenient in-light of Thursday's needed outcome."
"So, what are you planning, chocolate drop?"
Vlad paced the small space briefly.
"I'll just have to keep her quiet until I can better control her situation; maybe I can raise the stakes at Thursday's banquet."
"But isn't that suppose to be your cover-up, lamb-chop?"
"Oh, I can still make it look like a harmless scientific endeavor to the general public, but you can guarantee our two guests of honor will be snooping," Vlad smiled at his own ideas. "I'll just have to make sure they find what I'm looking for."
Vlad was just about to revel in a strong laugh when the hologram adopted a more serious tone.
"Target has been spotted on another feed, brave-heart."
"Display!" Vlad gave his full attention to a screen of Fenton Works' lab. His eyes narrowed as his mind pieced together the available information.
o.
The gentle hum of the computers had greeted Phantom and Valerie as they entered the lab some time ago. There were a few science experiments out, but the coast was clear of parents. Both ghost and huntress couldn't be certain of what to expect from this trip, but time wasn't in favor of long, drawn out contemplation.
"Do you visit the 'Ghost Zone' often?" Valerie felt just wrong coming back to this place and even stranger doing so to again be stealing equipment from the Fentons.
"More than I probably should." Phantom laughed nervously as he made his was over to the weapons wall. "If fact, I think I've almost got the place memorized."
"That's reassuring." Valerie lagged behind as she finally approached the wall of her earlier theft. "Unfortunately, you already know I have weapons."
"Yeah, you need to give those back by the way."
"After all this madness is over, no way you're dragging me in there with out 'em."
Valerie watched the halfa make a careful selection of things. He seemed to know exactly what they would need. It felt strange. It was like her worst nightmare had come true, but instead of waking up, her body had gotten stuck between a dream and reality. She felt paralyzed and yet was walking around and interacting with the world. It made her slightly dizzy to simply stand there and accept it all, but there wasn't any other logical thing to do.
"Here, take this," Phantom spoke handing his companion an unusual looking belt.
"What's this suppose to be?" Valerie held it at arms length slightly put off by it's tacky appearance.
"It's call the Spector-deflector, it keeps ghosts from being able to touch the person wearing it."
Again, she felt slightly insulted.
"I can defend myself."
"I didn't say you couldn't; just think of it as insurance." Phantom motioned for her to put it on.
"For who? You or me?" Valerie half joked. "Why would I need this."
"Well," Phantom paused. "You need to steal things from the lab, your suit seems to be on the fritz, and we're about to enter a place full of ghosts; I just think it might be a good idea. Just a guess."
"Fine," Valerie groaned, slightly happy for the added protection. She wouldn't admit it, but her anxiety about this trip was growing. Even if this trip could answer all her questions, this all seemed like a frighteningly awful idea. So why was she doing this . . ? Maybe 'why wasn't she talking herself out of this' was the better question.
"To activate it, press there," Phantom pointed quickly before withdrawing his hand from the device. "Just try not to touch me if you do."
"Why not?"
"Half-ghost remember; that thing gives a pretty strong shock I'd like to avoid."
Valerie let that information sink into her head while the halfa made his way over to what looked like a small spaceship.
It was hard to believe a half-ghost would be out fighting ghosts especially if he had to work with gadgets that hurt him in that way.
"Okay, I think we could cover more zone with the Spector-speeder here. Plus it makes it easier for humans to get around." Phantom pressed a few buttons near a side door of the craft to open the door.
Valerie watched with a weary gaze as a small amount of resistance increased in her stance.
"How safe is this?"
Phantom stopped and looked back at her. It was then he must have finally taken a moment to think about how this all sounded to her. Phantom mentally face-palmed because he knew this sounded crazy; and it was. The whole awkwardness between them was going to last for a while, he anticipated this no matter what the result of their pervious conversation would have been. Still, it was harder living in the moment than just thinking about it. She didn't fully understand him and she didn't fully trust him. He wasn't even sure of all the answers, yet somehow this was how they decided to carry on this working relationship. They'd hammer out the details as time went on, but for now Valerie needed to see ghosts for what they were, he needed to secure her support of at least He and Dani, and she needed to be talked out of trying to face Vlad alone. . .
This really needed to be the last time he followed one of Jazz's plans.
"Considering you're about to travel with the most wanted ghost in the Ghost Zone . . ?" Phantom tried to lighten the mood to which Valerie glared in response. "Safer than it looks; trust me."
"Says the cities biggest liar."
"And biggest hero."
"And public enemy number one."
"You have a rebuttal for everything, don't you?" Phantom frowned.
"Still not over the whole, you're Phantom part." Valerie sighed.
Phantom opened his mouth to reply, but a sudden loud noise from upstairs stopped him.
"Mr. and Mrs. Fenton, have your daughter tell me where Valerie is now!" The voice was that of Valerie's fathers'.
"Dad? What is he doing here?!" Valerie didn't need any more prompting to get in the ship. "Okay, okay, let's go!"
"Just give me a second," Phantom flew to the ships controls and took a seat. "I don't usually start this thing."
"Wait!" Valerie turned sharply to the halfa but couldn't finish her worried thought as the ship hummed to life. The engine was louder than she anticipated and the ship's door slammed with an equally clarion sound. "Great, I've got a novice pilot on a trip to hell."
"I know how to fly the thing." Phantom snorted. "But, you should probably put on a seatbelt anyway." Phantom smiled as the ship rose from it's resting position and began positioning itself toward the ghost portal.
"I really hate this!" Valerie didn't even bother hiding the complete lack of faith she was suddenly overcome with. It was like the awful moment of getting strapped into a roller coaster. Valerie could almost swear she could hear the protests of her father as the Specter-speeder blasted from the human world into the Ghost Zone.
She wished she wasn't, but she was screaming. She knew she was because she could hear it blaring in her own ears. She couldn't see it; she was covering her eyes with her hands and was acting like she was dying by all accounts. She must have pulled her feet up onto the seat as well, because the backs of her hands could feel the tops of her knees quivering. Valerie would have begun scolding herself if the sound of a certain phantom's laughter hadn't broken her hatred of herself.
Phantom didn't say anything, he knew he didn't have too. Valerie dropped her feet to the floor with a loud thud choosing to wear a scowl. He knew she was rather unhappy with her initial reaction . . . he really needed to stifle his laughter before she hurt him.
Her anger didn't last long as her facial gesture gave way to a curious awe. The vast mystery of the Ghost Zone caught the huntress by complete surprise, and though she still carried an air of fear for it, it was slowly being replaced with an acute fascination.
"It, it's so big." Valerie managed to stammer as her past memories of a small island played out in her head.
"Huge, it's a three days journey to some of the places I've been without the Infimap." Phantom smiled at her wonder. It was a much more positive reaction, which was good. Hopefully the explanation to their parents would go just as well. Poor Jazz.
"I remember seeing some of this before," Valerie watched the bright purple doors fly passed. "When the city was attacked by the medieval ghost. "
"The Ghost King," Phantom frowned at the memory.
"Ghosts have a king?"
"No, not really," Phantom slowed the speeder to allow a better look. He also needed to check that he wasn't heading toward Walker's patrol area. "He was just a strong ghost who enjoyed controlling the others. Your's truly took care of him though."
"My hero," Valerie rolled her eyes before pointing out the windshield. "What's behind all these doors? Are they all portals back to the real world."
"No, just a few are, and not all the time."
"That's not very helpful."
"You've just entered into a whole 'nother world, it's going to be a little more complex than a couple yes or no answers."
Valerie sighed before looking to the driver. Phantom seemed to be very attentive to their surroundings, but he didn't seem worried. Valerie than noticed that she had been rubbing her hands together. She was more nervous than she realized. It was also colder now that she thought about it.
"Obviously I don't know much about anything in here, so why don't you just tell me what you think I need to know." Valerie tried to place her hand in her lap, but then she remembered she was wearing the ghost repelling belt and didn't want to activate it by mistake. She decided to just fold her arms. She may look defiant, but that might be a good thing.
"First, not all ghosts are evil."
"We've established that."
"No, 'we've' established that halfa aren't all evil. Now you need to met some ghosts."
Valerie froze.
"I have a few friends here-"
"Like, actually talk to a ghost?" Valerie had a frightened look on her face. "On it's home turf."
"You're acting like you've never seen a ghost before?" Phantom shifted the direction on the ship. Valerie reached out and gripped the seat as he did so. "They'll have better answers than I will." Valerie didn't seem eased by that. "But I'll tell you everything I know about the Ghost Zone itself on the way. I promise I won't let you get hurt."
"I can handle myself." Valerie spat more from a place of fear than outright hatred.
"Second, no one handles things alone in the Ghost Zone. Not even the Ghost King did, so you don't have to be so defensive." Phantom felt his grip on the controls tighten. He wasn't sure why her reluctance was making him angry.
"Easy for you to say! You're half-ghost, with hundreds of fans, alive and otherwise." Valerie turned on Phantom in a heartbeat. "You've got guns built into your hands, I actual have to take time to draw mine and watch my own back. Being defensive is how you stay ahead of your enemies."
"It's also a surefire way of making sure you don't make friends." Phantom turned to her with half sympathy and half anger. "I'm trying to help you; why are you still so angry?"
"Sorry if I sound angry, I'm still trying to wrap my mind around this," Valerie gestured to the space outside before dropping her head. "I'm still trying to get use to me."
Phantom frowned and forced his attention back out the windshield.
"Apparently I know nothing about ghosts," Valerie huffed before looking back out at the zone. "I don't even know about my own suit. I really am sorry; please tell me about this stuff."
Phantom began his explanation of the Ghost Zone, but the hidden third party decided to take a moment to bask in the joys of yet another small victory.
"Sometimes, things work out just too perfectly for me." Vlad smiled to the hologram beside him. Vlad had quickly released a few new cameras in the Fenton home that afternoon to replace the one Valerie had broken the night or so before. He couldn't have imagined he'd be using it so soon. "I'll get all my answers and possibly the solution to my own problems right here."
"You are clever, gum drop."
"Let's move this movie night to the living room. We might need some pop-corn too."
(A/N) I am super sorry for the long wait. I could come up with a mess load of excuses for my lateness, but I won't. I'm sorry to everyone waiting to see this chapter in live time and I hope it lives up to your expectations!
I rewrote this a few times, and then did some outlining all the way up to chapter 14. We'll see how consistent that stays. I'm excited for it. Please know I skipped nothing in this chapter; it's why I had to rewrite, I like it this way and I'm hoping you will not be disappointed later in the story. Thank you everyone who reviewed, favorite-d and watched this story! Please R&R!