Within the confines of the room, the two boys relaxed as Sam and Tucker waited on the screen for Jazz to show up.
"Sorry about that, had an interview and a tour." Jazz appeared below Sam and Tucker.
"Is there any kind of disease that forces one to lie?" Danny immediately asks.
"No." she replied. "There are ways someone can seem to lie because the brain truly believes as truth. The person has no idea that they're lying, it's just what they perceive. If they confess that they can and acknowledge to others that they lie, than that's what it is. Whoever is it, is using lies as an excuse for their behaviors."
"She's only telling people what they want to hear." Adrien droned.
"During this age, children do become more independent and are easily influenced by their peers. Taking things for granted by face value, sometimes they're not taking the chance to figure if it actually can be."
Adrien stayed silent beside Danny, who silently watched at the corner of his eye.
Jazz noticed his silence, "No offence to you."
Adrien shook he head at her and smiled, "Don't worry about it. It's interesting to hear a different perspective to it. How do we get her to stop? Catch her in the act?"
"That I don't know. I'd figure the schools in Paris would be better than what Casper High is."
"The principle already knows and we're working on undoing the work." Danny stated, preventing further discussion. "Although that's not why I needed to talk. It's more towards Plasmius helping the heroes, including Phantom, against hawkmoth who akumatized Skulker."
"Uh, dude! Adrien is right beside you!" Tucker cried, throwing his hands up.
"I know," Adrien assured, "and I know how to keep a secret."
"Fine, but if I find out you spilled even accidentally…" Sam threatened.
"I get it." he raised his hands in surrender.
"Guys," Danny called at them, "stop with the threats." at Sam's glare he added, "Please."
"What does Vlad want with you?"
"Besides the normal? He knew that the connection between the akuma and Hawkmoth was cut because of how strong he got."
Sam rose an eyebrow, "That sounds…off."
"He kinda helped take down Skulker, by keeping him busy while Ladybug thought of a plan."
"Even then he wasn't there most of the time." Adrien added.
"He dodged the question when I asked about knowing the connection."
Jazz was taking notes when she thought of something. "What the possibility of the two of them working together?"
"Vlad will if it's in his favor, if there is a way he can control me through the akumas."
Danny's eyes widened, "Especially if he has blackmail on him."
"You think he knows the identity of Hawkmoth?"
"There's something more to it than that. Vlad is one that plans ahead, in case of Hawkmoth would find out Plasmius identity, if he even knows it now, something that will keep him in line and under Vlad's orders."
"If that's the case, then Skulker getting akumatized wasn't his plan, similar to what happened during the incident with Pariah Dark." Tucker began, "After what happened, he never really pulled a stunt like that again. He found out about Skulker after the act and believed that it was the wrong choice on Hawkmoth's part."
"What would make Vlad believe it was the wrong choice?" Adrien looked between them, Why Vlad and not Plasmius?
"The effects of ectoplasm and emotions." Jazz stated, Danny's eyes widening.
"What?" the other three asked.
"Something our parents tried to lecture us on." Danny rolled his eyes.
"Mom said that under certain elements of distress, ectoplasm will become stronger."
Danny looked between Sam and Tucker, "It's the same way with certain artifacts as well."
Sam and Tucker cringed in memory, but with Adrien questioning them with a look, they explained. "I was transformed into a dragon with the Amulet of Aragon when I was angry." She sent the source over.
"I was jealous of Danny having powers in the beginning and was granted some by a wish. It gave me a ghost side that was fueled by anger and jealousy."
"Similar to what akumas do." Adrien put the sources on another screen to read over later. "So, ectoplasm gets stronger by emotions, which I'm guessing only fuels the ghosts' objective?"
"No, it fuels their obsession." Danny realized, "That's why Skulker was so powerful. His obsession is to hunt rare and unique creatures. I'm the only one he can't get and his suit is the other part of who he is. Without the suit he's not a threat. Hawkmoth targeted Skulker's anger towards me, which followed the obsession."
"Obsession?"
"The reason for the ghost to exist." jazz supplied. "If Plasmius would go through his threat and frame Phantom, then that would give Hawkmoth the purpose of releasing another akuma. Stressing not only you, but Ladybug and Chat Noir too."
Tucker took over, "With more people in danger and the citizens thinking that Phantom is evil…"
"Would put strain on Phantom's possession." Sam finished.
"Which is?"
"To protect." Danny mumbled out, he hunched himself into a ball. His arms wrapped around his knees. "Their plan is to get me akumatized when my obsession is threatened?"
"Which would be bad." Jazz ran fingers through her hair. "Hawkmoth could get you to believe that you would better protect the two heroes if they didn't have the miraculous," Adrien unconsciously began to play with the ring. "before the connection cuts."
"I doubt Vlad told Hawkmoth my identity, otherwise-"
"You okay, Danny?" Sam and Tucker asked, staring strait at him.
"What if he does know because of Skulker having that knowledge before the connection cut."
Adrien turned to him, "We'll probably know if Hawkmoth forces you to see people get hurt and you're unable to do anything about it."