Author's Note: Hi! So, there's a whole lot that I want to say (!), but for right now, I'll just randomly ask this: please stay with me on the bat thing. I know it's a little strange, but there's a definite plot-related point, I swear! Also, take a gander at the ending Author's Note – if you're curious – for a bit of an explanation on where I've been.
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Somehow, the towering Jack Fenton moved nearly soundlessly through the woods, creeping up behind his little girl as she murmured to someone on her phone.
"Jazzerincess!" Jack bellowed.
"Eeep!" Jazz screeched, her phone tumbling down, slipping through her grasp as she made several attempts to catch it mid-air. Sadly, it tumbled to the ground, landing at her feet. Jack's only daughter then whirled around, facing her father with a stunned expression that seemed equal parts guilty, annoyed, and curious.
"Dad!" Jazz yelped in a pitch slightly above her normal register. Reaching down, she grabbed her (infernally non-Fenton, in Jack's opinion) device, wiping it against the gray fabric of her U.R.A. pant leg.
She had accessorized the standard Fenton armor with a lightweight, elbow-length teal cardigan and a matching aquamarine headband. (She hoped that, with these subtle touches, her look wouldn't scream, "Daughter of Deranged Vampire Hunters," as loudly as it already did.)
"Jazzy?" Jack looked uncertain, his eyes darting back-and-forth between his daughter's expressive face and her phone. "Did you, uh, hear from our Danny-boy?" The gigantic man tried not to look hopeful, but Jazz could tell he was practically bursting at the chance to see his son again.
"Sorry, dad," Jazz looked pained. Her dad still looked expectant, so she added, "Er, that was Tucker, actually."
"Aha! So, has good ole Tuck seen our Danno, then? What, did our boy hitchhike back to Lestat to finish some new video game?" Jack Fenton gave a tentative smile, but it didn't reach his eyes. He seemed ready to latch onto any piece of news – however far-fetched – as long as it led him back to Danny.
A wordless exchange then happened between father and daughter, as Jazz tried to convey that things were, sadly, not that simple. Jack, for his part, seemed to acknowledge that, deep down, he had doubted they would be.
"So… did you find anything, daddy?" Jazz looked up at Jack, swallowing deeply. The imposing figure shook his head dejectedly.
"Not a thing. To be honest, I'm a little worried, sweetheart," the large figure admitted. "It's getting to a point where I think Mads and I might have to tell the authorities and I'd just… I'd really hate that. I mean, it hasn't even been 24 hours, but the circumstances here are a bit different, of course... Well, look at me blathering on again! Danny's a Fenton. And us Fenton men are tough!" Jack Fenton finished his train of thought enthusiastically, before seemingly remembering his earlier conversation with Jazz. "Err, anyway, what did Tucker say, Jazzypants?"
"Well, Tuck is working on something, actually…"
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Author's Note: Oh my gosh, guys! So, about a month ago, I lost my job, moved literally over 1,200 miles across the United States during a global pandemic, and had to sadly surrender my only laptop (since it belonged to my workplace). I'm now settling in with family, tested negative for the virus after a scare, and have a new laptop. No job just yet, but I've got some possibilities, and things are looking up, overall. Sorry to have disappeared!
Anyway, this is just a teaser. There's a lot more to come, but I just really wanted to upload something since it's been a WHILE. Thanks for reading!