She heard her name, calling, but that all was just a blur of background noise. Her mind was stuck in a state of trying to put together the pieces, screaming in panic. Her fingers were still trembling on the wheel, gripping it, like that would be the last handhold keeping herself from falling to something wrong, something that would make the reality collapse and from where she couldn't know how to come back.
Jazz always felt as she was keeping everything balanced, everything on the stage of normality, measuring each disturbing stuffs from every angle before she could have responded to those, and being a down-to-feet person (maybe the only one in the whole family) and there was hardly ever any case that her thinking couldn't explain or solve on a rational way, until now.
Jazz squeezed her eyes shut and tried to close out the dizzying shrieking thoughts about what had just happened. She had seen the red glowing eyes. Not from last week, no, from now, from the person sitting next to her during the entire time, barking at her. And that voice… that actually had made her questioning everything from the past days. That was unearthly, not human, and- no, definitely not human, because he wasn't ever a human. Was he?
Now, the half-notes from earlier made sense. 'I don't have any human form.' Yes, he had said that. But he was in a somewhat human form, so that didn't add up. And then Danny's words... 'You don't know him.' Yes, she didn't know him, she- 'So, I suppose to stay half-ghost and weak forever?' He wasn't a halfa as Danny, he was more, whatever that meant. He was stronger and much more dangerous than his brother. That was why Danny was terrified of him, not just because he was stronger, but also what he could do. 'You don't know him.'
Jazz swallowed, and indeed she didn't know who he was. ...pretending to be human… you are nothing but a monster… she frowned, as the memory came back. Danny's words were echoing in her mind, like an unstoppable alarm. 'I am telling you who you are, what you are, in case of you wouldn't know. Because I'm exactly knowing what you are. You are nothing, but a monster!' Danny knew who he was, what he was and- her brother knew him, feared him and- while she was-
'Do I look like a malicious ghost?' He didn't, but- 'It's a disguise, isn't it?' It was. It was nothing else. 'No. I'm not acting because of him.' He was acting because of her, Jazz realised. 'You were keeping her in the dark all along, misleading her with some shit about 'second chance' to buy her and- and, yeah… definitely that was your plan all along, right? Getting her, getting me, and-' her naivety hurt so much. He was never else. He was never else than the monster from last week… and she-
Jazz breath out heavily, sickened with herself, she ruined it, this was all her fault. It was all her fault, that- that a moment ago those crimson eyes snapped at her, and then- then the person - no, it - had left the car, slamming the door, and then just disappeared… the threat was on loose because of her and- and it would hurt Danny, because- because she could be bought by an act. 'It's still about that! It will be always about that damn issue! You won't ever change.' Her mind was reeling around the sentences, that she couldn't tell she had paid attention, but she had heard those, but didn't- she just hadn't listened to those, just as- just as she hadn't listened to the warning signs. She just- she was bought by a so perfected disguise…
Danny had been shivering with fear from the memory Friday night just about mentioning the ghost and- and she couldn't even tell what had happened within them and- but it had to be something indescribably horrible. 'Truths, huh? What about telling who you really are, what you really are? Because, figures, I put together, you didn't tell Jazz shit…' she was misled all along by the human act, just as Danny had pointed out, she was so gullible, falling for for this human, so familiar-like outlook and- and Danny's eyes, while those were just- fake.
As Jazz closed her eyes, she saw it again and again, reaching out to her, to grab her and- shouting at her, that inhuman tone, that echoing voice was reverberating within her shameful, pathetic mind. Tears burned her eyes, she wanted to apologise, to being such a- disappointment, so so naive and betraying her brother and leading him into this trap and- It was all her fault. She had let him in. And now, whatever would happen, was all because of her. She was such a child.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry." she mumbled ahead, barely consciously, begging for forgiveness, if she would have deserved any, foolishly recreating the situation from what her little brother couldn't recover yet mentally… "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry."
A black and white figure that was earlier slipping closer to her within the seats, suddenly stopped. "Jazz." his voice was worried, she turned towards him, the glowing green gaze was staring at her, concerned, over everything else. "It's my fault, okay? I shouldn't have trusted him. I should have got him back at home while he was on the ground."
Jazz blinked a few, trying to keep back her tears. Against that she endangered him, her little brother, Danny was still- it wasn't Phantom, it wasn't the heroic facade, no. It was her sibling behind those ghostly eyes. Despite he was behaving differently as Phantom, and he had the power during 'being ghost' to protect people, to fight threats, to act against harms, he was still Danny. And her brother wasn't just letting her blame herself. That made her feeling herself even worse.
There was a silent moment, while Jazz was just gazing down disgracefully, not sure what to say, but then she caught her name again. "The belt." Danny pointed to her hip. "It weakened him. You have to take it off." for a second, Jazz couldn't tell what he was saying and why specifically she had to take it off, but then it came back.
The small cat-mouse dance, as she had been trying to step away from him, and- and then there was a strong grip on her shoulder, just as- just as last week, but instead of that time, now, he had fallen to the floor under the touch. And that shrieking… he had been in great pain. 'Oh, don't be so dramatic, it wasn't that bad. You're just overreacting.' No, it had been that bad. The voice was stuck in her subconscious, recalling that at this very moment. The amused observation of the movement of the fingers, the unconscious clench over the chest, and the snap immediately after that as she had caught that unaware action…
'Yeah, I know, it's on, Jazz. I have to show him I didn't modify it or anything, making it ineffective to me or something.' He hadn't been forcing her, even if he maybe could have overshadowed her to create that scene and- what for? Just then, to- to then cause harm? Why hadn't he- 'Believe me, he had to know it is working properly.' That had been only his idea. 'Okay, does it help if I tell you, indeed, I might be a little bit played it?' That hadn't been an act, for Danny or for her, right? No, it wasn't. 'I'll need my energy later, so I am using my powers only when that's really necessary.' That shouldn't have been about hurting people now, right?
Jazz's fingers halted in the air, in recognition. The hand that slowly was reaching out to the belt, to take it off, and give it to Danny, to capture him, to weaken him, suddenly paused. Even the shaking of her body ceased. This was not right. The all wasn't right. She just couldn't separate it, this duality. She had seen, yes, the same eyes on him, those crimson eyes, but- 'I'm not just cooperating or 'acting human' as Danny said.' There was more behind it. 'I have my reasons.' Reasons, beyond comprehending for anyone else… 'Would it be less confusing? Would you like to see that? Because I think you would not.' No, it wasn't about that. It wasn't about them.
"Jazz!" she heard the impatient tone. "Give me the belt, I can't take it off from you." Danny reminded her. Yes, that was her luck – or his unluck – that he couldn't do that, not without zapping him too. For a second Jazz was on to obey to the demand-like request, but then, she recognised, that was her only chance for negotiation. Danny needed the belt, regardless in her sibling's hand there was the Fenton Thermos, but- that couldn't be enough against him. Maybe nothing was, but-
"No." she breathed out. Her voice was hardly louder than a whisper, but behind that, she was determined.
"No?" Danny staggered. "How do you mean 'no'?" his brows crossed, but then his eyes turned annoyed by the wasting of time. "Jazz, you don't know him, I have to stop him, now! He couldn't go far yet, so-"
"That's it, Danny! I can't understand anything. Just as you said, I don't know anything about him. I want answers, now!" she said, hating the idea that she was stalling the precious time while her brother could catch the threat, eliminating it, capturing it in the thermos, but that was it, she couldn't delay it anymore. She stared at the ready-to-action glowing green gaze seriously. "If you want the belt, start speaking. I won't give it to you willingly, Phantom." she told him.
For a long second, the half-ghost was just blinking. Jazz knew it was about that, even though, he had powers, thus had the superiority about handling things, but she was still the older, and she was still his big sister and that- that couldn't change, even over being a halfway unearthly entity, even over being the protector of Amity Park.
The ghostly eyes marked her, searching for any sign to back out from this, but Jazz was standing the staring, and by that, her sibling then suspired, giving up. "Right. But short version, okay?" he came across after a minute. Jazz didn't say anything, and prepared herself mentally to learn the truth. She felt it wouldn't be easy, maybe it would just, even more, mess up the things, but she had to know, and Danny had to be aware of that too.
There was a short break, but then the ghost boy started. "Do you remember the C.A.T. last week?" Jazz nodded, paying the greatest attention to the following words. Her brother hesitated for a moment, but then spoke, perceiving she in real wouldn't let it go. "I really didn't want to tell this, you know that right?" he said, but then bowed. "He actually cheated. He was me during the test, even after that. I think Mr Lancer figured out the cheating and called Mom and Dad to meet at the Nasty Burger later."
Jazz forehead wrinkled, trying to recall that memory, none of those was familiar, that wasn't how that day had happened. Only the figuring out part, but even that was rather just a suspecting. Mr Lancer had talked with her, but she didn't know about the meeting over that, and- she couldn't restrain reeling her mind around that why it had an eerie sensation, both was possible and Danny was speaking about something that had happened. She tilted her head, telling him to continue.
"You must have figured out somehow at some point he wasn't me, I mean, the message with your headband…" to that, she remembered. She couldn't escape from that picture of that ghost, that had been her brother and the very next second that, telling and mocking about that the Danny she knew had been stuck in the future, ten years ahead of the time. She, even at the present, had nightmares about that figure, what would have happened if- even seeing that future self in a human form didn't ease on that fear and- no, she couldn't tell anyone that she was still afraid of those eyes… and on the other hand how could she? Who was she compared to Danny? As Phantom, dealing with ghosts on a daily basis was natural. She was just afraid of eyes, and- after all… just- just why- how she could have let him in?
Danny must have felt her struggling because he gazed at her worried. "Jazz, I don't think-"
"Just. Talk." Jazz hissed, unable to tell why she was suddenly so angry. But she could identify it, she was pissed off at herself, but Danny didn't say anything, he just kept going to share it, feeling that the faster he shared the story, the quicker it would be over for both of them.
"At the Nasty Burger, you, Sam and Tucker were there too. I think you tried to stop him whatever he planned. Sam and Tucker, I guess… they were there to get everyone out, to avoid the accident. But-" he stopped, drawing out a long breath. "He got you, I managed to get back, the Vlad in his future helped me and- but-" he suddenly closed his eyes, visibly reliving the memory about that. "I captured him, got him in the thermos, but I- I wasn't fast enough, I was drained out, couldn't change to Phantom, the explosion happened, with you inside, just as- just as he wanted."
The boy lifted his head, looking at her seriously, with teary ghostly eyes, behind those glowing green there was a turmoil of emotion. "You all died, just as in his version. He killed you all. He- he wanted to kill you all, just as- just as you died when it had happened with him. Because- because when you died, he- he turned to Vlad, asking him then to remove his humanity, but-" his words trailed off, looking around as if he was trying to find the right words. "when Vlad ripped out the ghost half of him, I think it messed up the ghost half's thinking, without emotions, humanity, and… and he got merged with Plasmius he then- he wasted his human half." he said then, wrapping his arms around himself. "I don't know what exactly happened, but- the Vlad in his future, he was- he was still in shock about that memory, even after ten years… he didn't tell me what happened, what he did with Danny, but I could guess, I think. He murdered him, cruelly."
A moment passed, then another, in dead echoing silence, and after a minute, Jazz could have sworn the world around them got frozen, making this moment endless, lasting to eternity and even further to process. This was just- unbelievable, too much, and- not real, it shouldn't have been real, no, but- the look on her brother's face told otherwise. Her heart was pounding in her chest, trying to escape from its cage, trying to escape from this tale, from this- whatever it was. But- she felt, there had to be more. The person that she had seen last week was older then the one in the tale, ten years ahead of this time… By that, what Danny had told was just the beginning, the beginning of a forming nightmare, a forming nightmare what being that creature meant.
"What happened then?" Jazz asked in a hollow tone, unsure if she wanted to hear it at all, but what could have been worse after that really?
"Vlad said, he was making great havoc both in the Earth, both in the Ghost Zone. He crippled the ghosts he had ever met, destroying everything that once had ever meant to him anything. I saw his future, it was horrible, wasted to the ground. No one had a chance against him. And I- I was him. I actually wanted to cheat, even without him, and the all would have happened again, and that was what he wanted, ensuring his future by killing you all, but- Clockwork… he rewrote time, taking me back to the C.A.T., and I confessed, that didn't happen, but-"
"He is here…" Jazz exhaled. Danny slowly nodded.
"Yes. I don't know how or if Clockwork knows about him being here at all, but-" his eyes returned to the belt, raising his finger towards the object. "I have to stop him, you understand that, right? So, give me the belt. Now." he returned back to the subject authoritatively.
Jazz made out, the deal was over, he had told what she wanted to know and now, it was her turn. She reached out with a blank mind to take it off and gave it to him, but then, she held him up, just before he could have been 'Phantom', the protector, leaving behind everything, and just focusing on keeping the world safe.
"Danny…" the half-ghost looked at her, his eyes were already filled with determination. "Just be careful, okay?" he only nodded after a brief second, not saying anything, and then he changed to spectral trail, with his hand in the thermos and the belt, he flew out the vehicle, on to catch the world-threatening being, whatever it takes.
Jazz just after a second could move, holding back tears that were burning in her eyes. This was just too much, and she couldn't do anything. That was the worst. She needed to breathe. She wasn't sure if she was at the edge of a panic attack or crying or maybe both. She couldn't take in any air; she was incapable of doing that. Her lungs were burning from the inside, making her unable to- unable to exist over this weight. She needed to escape. She needed something to hold on to, something to tell this all wasn't true. That the monster that Danny had described wasn't what she had let him – again, it – in. And that- that she was all along kept in the dark, buying the act while the ghost was just biding time to get her brother and using her as a tool for that…
Jazz opened the door, and got out of the car, feeling like being in a closed place could have meant the kernel of this- this suffocating pressure. Air, she needed air, that would help. The thought was naive, just as- but she had to try. She walked around the car, marking the direction where her brother flew away a moment ago, and leaned against the vehicle, just as- just as a few hours ago, when- she closed her eyes and forced her mind to not think about that at all. No, that had been just an act, nothing else. She hadn't been slipping closer to him, comforting him after that- that made-up electroshock. No, he hadn't been in great pain during that time. No. That was all false. All a lie.
That was all for the greater act. Just as, the played broken eyes, when- when she had realised – thought – it was about a second chance. Maybe, it was, a second run to- to destroy everything, to make Danny him- 'It's not about Danny. You didn't come here to get Danny, it's just about Vlad. Whatever it is, it's not about Danny. He isn't even involved. I was wrong, I thought you-' Lie. ...get yourselves together… he had planned this. It was a lie from the beginning. '…I might figure out how to drive, but I need- well, I need your taxi service, so-' yes, because without her, Danny must have seen through his plan, and even her brother had seen it, but- she hadn't listened to him. And- although Danny had suspected what about it was, he had come with her, even if- even if that could mean leading him to his- fate.
A tear ran down her cheek, making her intakes shaky, uneven. She all along was leading Danny to this, just because she had believed in a lie. If Danny got hurt now, that would be her fault. Only hers, just because she was bought by a blatant lie and couldn't see his masterplan. 'Do I look like a malicious ghost?' He didn't. That was the problem. Still- that hadn't been the least wrong to let him in, no, even that was the part of the great plan. '...you didn't tell her either, because that would have messed up your plans, right? You were keeping her in the dark all along, misleading her with some shit about 'second chance' to buy her and- and, yeah… definitely that was your plan all along, right?' It was.
Jazz tilted her head back, along with an attempt to control her breathing. She could see the whole picture now. It didn't matter how broken he had seemed in one moment or another, it didn't matter how lost he had seemed, how desperate, how shattered, how mutedly screaming for help, or how carefully he had acted in some cases, no. That was all a lie. All for the better disguise. All for a smooth path. …pretending to be human… 'I'm not the one who plotted this scenario from the beginning, using Jazz to transport me straight to Vlad to help you.' And she had just thought he hadn't done anything 'wrong'...
She so wanted to cry, to let out this whole in the form of tears, to let this pressure, this mess, this weight out, but- she just couldn't. Somehow- somehow, in a little part, she felt as if something was wrong with it, that she- despite all became clear, this terrible truth, it just- wasn't. However, she couldn't let out the emotions – yet at least – there was a soft sniffling. Maybe, she could cry after all, Jazz hoped. Releasing everything only meant, she would escape from this suffocating thing soon, it wouldn't mean the things would be easier, but- at least this all-consuming endlessness would be over, which was a good start, she reminded herself. If she kept the emotions inside, it would just drown her deeper and deeper, and at the end, not letting her think at all, only taking over her mind, screaming to the outside world for freedom, for help. But- just as suddenly there was an unmistakable movement followed by an uneven barely identifiable gasping, Jazz stiffened. It wasn't her a moment ago…
For a naive thought, she played with the idea, that it was nothing else, just the play of the wind or the grass slightly moving by a small animal, running under the car, but- she felt it wasn't. She knew what it was, against that for her, there was just thin air. She should have been scared, but she wasn't. She was just disappointed and angry.
"It's you, aren't you?" Jazz took the question, even for herself with a sharp tone. Nothing came as a response to confirm her suspicion. But she didn't need it anyway. "I know, it's you, drop the act."
There was just silence, and before Jazz could have said anything or to snap at him, a breath escaped his lungs. "I didn't- I didn't know where to go, okay? I'd like to- go, but I just- couldn't." Jazz opened her mouth to say something, to mock at him that she didn't care whatever he told, but he was quicker. "If it helps… just pretend I am not even here, okay? Tell Danny to go home, and… forget about me. I wouldn't- bother you further, at all." there was a taking in, then he continued. "This was a bad idea, I should have- I should have realised this wouldn't work out. Not with-" he bit the rest of the sentence. "I was so naïve, thinking that maybe- but-"
Jazz cut him off, before he could have carried on this- this all confession-like something. This just wasn't him. Not the one about whom she just learned. "What did you expect exactly?" there was a short quietness that she couldn't take. "Hm? What did you-" she started again, but he interrupted before Jazz could have finished the sentence.
"I thought you knew, okay?" his voice broke a little. "When you recognised me, I thought you knew who I was and that Danny told you about me. And I didn't even- I didn't even think the all was rewritten!" he whispered, though it sounded like a yelling. "I should have known, yes! I should have guessed you wouldn't have been so nice with me naturally, I didn't- I didn't-" he blew out a raspy sigh. "You're right, what did I even expect… This was just stupid." he said, and the grass moved, telling, that maybe he just kicked it in frustration or something.
"What Danny said…" Jazz started instead, not falling for the words he told or how he told those.
"True. All of it." he replied right away. The tone was common, almost cold and- meaningless. Then it sank. He had no human half. Jazz felt as if a sharp knife would have been twisted in her heart. Was he always like this just she couldn't see it? Yes, he was, because everything else was just an act. Then it became clear. He was indeed that monster, that- that had done all those things Danny had told. There was no remorse, no- just- nothing…
"You don't feel anything about that, right?" Jazz asked. She needed proof, even though that would break her heart. There was a short silence, she wanted to scream to make him say something, or to hear a slight little sign of repentance about it, but there wasn't any. There wasn't ever.
"No, not really." he told then after a minute. The second that lasted felt the hardest, and the cruellest, then he added the worse "Not even about Danny. I don't even remember to that." Jazz's mind went blank, the fiend continued. "I- I'm sorry." he mumbled. But even that sounded empty.
"You don't."
"No, I really don't." he corrected himself without skipping a beat. There was a soft moving, like fingers on fabric, as he muttered. "That's how it works if you don't have humanity. You just don't- feel." he said then, like a curse, and even his voice was hollow, not common, just- dead, almost fading, like suggesting that- he would have missed it, feeling about that something. By that, Jazz discerned he hadn't apologised for what he had done, what had happened, no, he had been apologising because he was aware he should have felt something about that, and he knew the lack of it was wrong. But that- this all was just screaming wrong. And it screamed something was wrong with him. Just as suddenly he breathed out heavily. Even that was fake, but-
"Why are you here?" Jazz asked then, closing out his reaction. There was a brief pause, but then he answered.
"Believe it or not, for help. But that doesn't matter anymore, right?" there was a metallic sound, telling he must have tilted his back to the car. "As soon as, Danny returns, his ghost sense would tell I am still here and-"
"I mean, on the ground." Jazz cleared. "Being invisible, hiding." for a long minute, she didn't get her answer, but then after a long, silenced hush, he explained.
"I told you, I didn't know where to go. I-" for a second it seemed he wouldn't continue it, but then he whispered in a low voice. "once I ran away… and that didn't turn out well. And I- I really didn't know where to go if I'd have just fled away. And I- I had to sit down, to- to compose myself and- I don't know, then, figure out something? That's what humans do, right? When things are just falling apart? They sit down and think about it, right?" for that, she couldn't say anything, and either she knew what to think, he was confusing. So confusing.
For a long second, neither of them said anything and the silence was speaking, telling a tale that Jazz didn't want to hear, not after learning who – what – he was. This tale told that though she understood now him, in a way, there was still a huge gap, what she had started to suspect earlier – before she would have got the truth from Danny. And even, he must have heard them, hearing Danny spilling everything about him, and… he didn't stop Danny, albeit he could have, but- the all was just a mess…
If he wanted to hurt them, if he led them – her – by their nose all along on to- on to reach the same aim, then- the all was unnecessary, this all act. Was it sheer boredom to play with them, instead of just getting straight to the aim, to get Danny? A ploy to occupy himself? No, she doubted it and indeed that sounded ridiculous, a false deduction. That wasn't the truth, the truth was- else.
"What did you do?" Jazz gulped, seeing what it was about. A frenzied effort, a cooperation of a lost mind, a desperate cry for- for the one who hated him, for whom he had caused harm, because- because he had no other choice. This was never an act. Even when he was him, even if that was still in him, the monster under the skin, under the disguise, but now, here, at the present- he was nothing else just-
There came the same sniffling sound, as before, a gasping for air, against his ghost state. The being who was not human, not even in the slightest meaning of being human, was struggling with having air. The malicious ghost that had caused so many harm, who couldn't feel anything regarding the wasting of his own family was-
"It's him, isn't it?" Jazz took the question, swallowing, and recalling what Danny had said. 'Cutting every connection, once you ever had in your life prior.' "The only one you have left is your Vlad. That's why we are going to him now. You did something with him, in your future, with your version of Vlad and-" she trailed off, assembling the pieces. "You want to go to him for forgiveness." there was a barely audible whisper, telling to 'stop it', but the more she was thinking about it, the more she saw. "You killed him too, right? The only person who-"
"No. Stop it. Please. He is- he is alive" the voice choked, almost unsure. For a moment, Jazz wondered to bicker if that was a lie telling himself or- but as she examined it, it was the truth, with an edge of fear. He wasn't sure in real, and- and that terrified him. That made him- that was he was drowning out the whole time. "I didn't- I didn't come here for forgiveness. I just came here for help." it seemed as a mantra, hanging on it like a last survivor of a sinking ship, and even the word 'forgiveness' felt alien coming from his mouth, he must have felt like that too. "I came here for- for-" he took an uneven breath, blowing it out then, and starting again. "I need Danny, and I need Masters' help, I- I can't do this alone, I- I can't figure out how to do this without Danny. But if… I don't want any trouble, I didn't come here to cause trouble, I didn't lie with that. So, if- if Danny- I can leave you out of this, if that's what you want. I'd understand that, and I wouldn't force him or you either." he said then. The words never felt truer.
The silence fall over them. There was much to swallow. So, she wasn't wrong, Jazz noticed. Even when he (and Danny) had been hiding the ghost's true persona, but- his intention, right now, was all that she had earlier suspected, a repressing of something… bad. She felt as her mind couldn't catch a single thing in this swirling mess around him. She so wanted to hate him, from her heart, but- one thing was right, opposedly she had seen those inhuman eyes last week, on to cross her brother, but after that (for her at least), he was here in the human form (which was fake, yes), but- that was what she got to know within the short time since he was here, a broken soul (even if he didn't have any soul – but to tell the truth, in that she wasn't sure). He was a malfunctioning ghost. Yes, Danny was half-ghost, but him… he didn't have any humanity, still he was- he was acting- no, this was not an act. He was behaving otherwise. And he was- he was escaping from facing things that he caused, because if not about everything, but about this, he could- feel something, and that was overwhelming. He could have attacked Danny in the car, but he hadn't done it. He had just asked (right, that hardly was a simple ask…) her to pull over with the car, and… he had got out before causing any trouble.
She couldn't take it anymore, Jazz felt as the ground under her legs would have been waving. It wasn't about collapsing now, no. It was about- hearing him break over something, over something, over the only thing that was important for him, that counted to him, more than anything, more than... Jazz slipped down to the ground as a somewhat support at least to her body, her mind on the other hand couldn't get relieved like this. She heard as he kept back a breath as she took a seat too, just as to then saying. "Jazz, you are-" something moved away a bit, but then, he just stayed motionless. She must have sat too close to him that now he could make out the lack of the anti-ghost equipment. "Where is the belt?"
"I gave it to Danny." Jazz answered, but then she figured out, why he asked it. "Are you afraid that I could have hurt you with that or are you afraid that if now, it's not on, you'd hurt me?" she enquired, about his quite immediate drawing apart from her. There was a short silence.
"He left you unprotected." he pointed.
"You wouldn't hurt me." Jazz said and it didn't feel as a hopeful case, no, it felt granted. She knew he wouldn't.
"That doesn't matter. He shouldn't leave you unprotected like that. You don't know- you don't know what I could do." he said, and after that, there was just silence for a long second. That wasn't awkward, or shocked, it was just- silence. Jazz would have liked to stay like that, just sitting, not doing anything, without talking, without- anything, just give a rest to her mind, even if he was sitting next to her, undoubtedly with the same need to give himself time.
The silence calmed her mind, almost making everything into a bearable mass of thoughts. But then, after a slight two minutes, she caught they just couldn't stay like this. At first, he was still invisible, and although she couldn't look weird, sitting alone in the shadow of the car, taking a break, but- Jazz slowly got up, shaking down the dirt from her trousers, wondering since when they were on the road. As she tried to recall, she remembered the latest board. They weren't that far from their planned destination. Suddenly she felt herself deadly tired, completely drained out mentally, she could take a rest, a good sleep after this mess, after this day, but- she could take the remained hour, then sleep in Wisconsin or something. That plan sounded weird, but not eerily unimaginable, and on the other hand, she knew she was right.
"All right." Jazz said firmly then, mainly to herself, but then turned towards the spot where she suspected the entire time the ghost was sitting. "Get up" she told to him. Jazz was blinking to the lack of moving. "I said, get up. Or you need a help with that?" she asked. There was a slight moving, like he would have looked around, searching for his younger self. "I am talking to you, idiot. Get up and get in the car. Before I change my mind." There was a confused gasping, but Jazz stared at the thin air, seriously. "Now!" by that, the invisible figure moved and the door got open. Jazz breathed out and walked around the car, joining him.
There was a very long silence after she closed back her door, but then, he asked. "And now?"
Jazz stared ahead, realising what she was on to do, and what she had just done, but- no. She couldn't let herself to think about worries. And she could see people, though in this case, ghost. And she saw him. "At first, change back to visible. It's really annoying talking to the air, you know."
There was a wavered sigh, but then he mumbled an 'okay' and the air got a form, Jazz just slowly turned towards him, stalling at the sight that he was in the (fake) human form. The man was just gazing down, fidgeting nervously with his fingers, unsure what else to do. Jazz couldn't cease to staring at him how uncomfortable he looked by the situation and though she couldn't see his eyes completely, but even from this angle, she could make out those were still those red eyes.
"And now?" he whispered ahead then, with a hollow tone, twisting his fingers. "Will you-" his mouth twitched to a thought, trying again to voice aloud the question. "Will you tell Danny to suck me into his thermos?"
The words quicker reached her mind, the lost tone only later. For a second Jazz glared at him, to decipher the emotions (which sounded pointless, knowing he didn't have any humanity), but- "Do you think you could bear each other for an hour more?" she asked, enquiring. The man's eyes widened, looking suddenly everywhere, on to perceive if she meant what she meant. "I'll take you to him." Jazz straightened out to the puzzled expression. "We had a deal, remember?"
"But-"
"Listen-" Jazz started, but he cut him off.
"It's not a good idea." he noted. There came to a halt but then he ran his nails on the back of his hand. "I mean…" but then she put together.
"Will you hurt Danny? Or Vlad?" Jazz took the question. "Whatever you want, you have to hurt them for that or not?"
He shut his eyes, keeping them like that for a very long second, but then, he just suspired. "If I have to hurt anyone, I won't do that. I only need Masters' crazed-up mind, I wouldn't- I wouldn't hurt him. About Danny… I'm not sure, but- if it means I have to hurt your brother for what I need him for, I wouldn't do that, I'll figure out how to do that without him then." he said. "I- I promised I wouldn't hurt anyone, so that wouldn't happen, hurting any of them. I just need help, nothing else. And I- I don't want either for things to turn out wrong." for this time, it sounded true. As true that it almost made unravelled what was behind this all. Just as he didn't seem as someone making promises for anyone, that was what he promised to himself. "If- if that's what you are worried about… whatever happens, I'll keep your brother alive, I won't let happen what-" he pursued his lips, mumbling. "You know what I mean. I won't let that happen. It's enough that I am existing. But no one else has to make the same wrong decisions."
Jazz just couldn't quit following his movements, as he then suddenly turned down the mirror, giving a quick check into his reflection, just to the next second slap it back, crossing his arms and turning his head away. "Damn it", he cursed, pinching his nose, taking some breaths, by that Jazz noticed what it was about.
"You can keep those this way." she suggested.
"What?" he gasped taking away his hand, stunned.
"Your eyes." Jazz explained. "You said, this disguise consumes energy, so- why are you still keeping it? I mean… Danny knows who you are, now I know too, so-" even if, she couldn't tell how she would react seeing him that way, even if, she knew the truth now, but- in a way, this disguise helped believing he wasn't the same anymore, that he was different from the being last week, and that he- that something changed him.
The man opened his mouth, for a second Jazz expected appearing the flashes to turn him into the other form, but that didn't happen, instead he just grunted, shaking his head heavily. "No. I just- I just need a second to recall it. It won't stay like that." he said with a slightly fretted tone. For a long second nothing happened, only his furrowed brows told that he was trying and failed. It was- Jazz sighed and turn down the sun visor over her, taking in her hand her wallet, folding out a paper from the inner pocket and giving it to him.
"Here." she reached out the so beloved picture. The man with crossed eyebrows stared at her. "You said, it's a disguise, right? Not your human outlook, so it's a copy then, based on Danny's features." Jazz nodded towards the picture, only by that he accepted it and taking an unsure glance at the small piece of paper. But at the next moment, as the picture seemingly reached his mind, he petrified. The frown turned deeper as he was looking at the frozen minute of time. "Yeah, I know it is quite small, but- I only have this with me, and I think- well, I think it wouldn't be the best staring at Danny, if you want to copy his eyes, you know…" Jazz rambled, but then the sight of the man, made her fall silent. It wasn't about that Danny couldn't be seen very well at the picture, no, it locked him. And indeed, the glowing red eyes were fixed on the picture, capturing him. "Uh-"
She so didn't like how he looked at it, like he would have seen it after a very very long time. Jazz didn't like the creeping up feeling that it was about something unsettling. It wasn't about danger, or about something wrong on to happen, no. It was about something wrong, yes, but- she even could swear he didn't even take a breath (if that was even normal from him taking breaths…). The picture told him something, and what it told him, what it made him to see, Jazz just didn't like it at all. It made him look- human. Just- broken, and small and- young and lost. The eyes slowly slipped into the human-ish bright blue, clouded by- and then he after a very long time, blinked.
"I haven't-" he stopped, starting again. "This… since- since when are you keeping this picture in your wallet?" he asked then with a rather raspy voice.
"I-" Jazz paused, startled by the broken tone. "I always liked that picture." there was a mumbling that she couldn't understand, but it sounded as an agreeing, she explained then. "I am keeping this with myself since I learned you are Phantom." the man turned towards her. "In case, you know, once Mom and Dad would catch Phantom and I have to remind them who is he."
"You mean, since Danny is Phantom." he corrected. "I'm-" suddenly a hand run through his chest, rubbing it. "I'm not Danny. I told you I'm-" he let out a curse, wincing, but then it seemed whatever it was, it was just too strong, making him clenching his fists. "I'm not- I didn't- it wasn't-" he suddenly squeezed his eyes shut, crossing his eyebrows, pressing his palms against it, groaning. And he stayed like that, disappearing mentally into something old. "That was all along my fault, wasn't it?! I should have-" he hissed abruptly, swallowing "if I had told you about Phantom, that wouldn't- that wouldn't have happened. The all wouldn't have- Mom and Dad… they would have understood it. I should have- I should have asked your help with the test. I should have studied. I shouldn't have chosen the easy way. It was all along my fault, you, being there and- I blamed you, everyone, when- when the all was just my fault. And I-" he trailed off, his voice merged with a silent sniffling.
It took a minute for Jazz identifying that he was talking about the accident, how they- how they had died in his time, not about the one when he had intervened. For a moment she wondered if- but the voiceless sobbing cut her thinking off, only making her heart twist, hearing it.
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." the words blurred into a mess. Whatever he was, whatever he had done (or almost done, or actually done), but- he was in a way still her brother and now the only thing Jazz could see in him was her younger brother who lost everything, and who, after all those years, digging down the pain their death and everything after that could have meant, now, was just-
Jazz reached out a slightly shaking hand towards him, hesitating at the last second, but then she shook her head, remembering he was his sibling, no matter what, and then she placed an hand on the trembling figure's shoulder. "Danny…" the man shuddered under the unexpected touch, only making her skipping a heartbeat, but then Jazz shoved away everything about him, shoving away the quite opposite sensation under her fingers that she had earlier experienced touching Danny, and shoving to the back of her mind, that technically that was the first time she really could see him through the masquerade he was wearing. At the present, he wasn't else for her, just her little brother (albeit a grown-up, ten years older version, who had done many things, but also had survived many more…), but he was still her sibling, her fourteen-year-old Danny reflecting from seeing a not so old (for him ten years old) picture, bringing up everything that it meant.
It took a few harrowing minutes, until he calmed down a bit, and he wasn't quivering rather unconsciously muttering endlessly under his nose, gripping on the picture, and he didn't seem so so damaged. But then he slowly settled, taking breaths on a normal pace. Jazz just to then decided to take off her hand, that worked like a kind of support he unsaid was seeking for. At the last moment, as she felt he cooled down (she could say, almost literally) a chill-like shiver ran on his skin, by that sensation he shuddered, turning him tensed in his seat. Jazz realized what it meant, on the same second, she got Danny's voice.
"Since-" her brother started.
Jazz clenched her teeth, turning back to the back seat, with flashing eyes (only in her case, that wasn't a word for word case). Her sibling must have phased through the top of the car, presumably to check her, and then spotting both of them, while he was searching for the vicious ghost outside during the entire time... "Give me the belt and the thermos." Jazz demanded immediately, not letting any time to the ghost-formed boy taking questions or to do anything. There was a short halting, but then she let out a frustrated sigh. "Now, Danny!"
Danny reached out both, staring at the figure at the passenger seat, by his hardened expression, Jazz could tell he was trying to figure out what had happened. But Jazz didn't explain it, just took both objects beside her. To the voiceless stuttering, she expanded, turning towards his sibling. "If you try anything, Danny, I swear to god, I'll suck you into the thermos, got it?" by the confused, shocked face, it hardly reached his brain. "Got it or not?" she repeated.
The half-ghost gaped, stunned, shifting his vision between the figure on the front seat and her, but then as Jazz gave him a look, he unwillingly changed back. Jazz thankfully nodded towards the younger version of her brother, just at the same time when a hand reached out to her in the corner of her eyes.
"I-" the man started, explaining "I should give it back." he said then, offering the picture, but not looking at her. Jazz accepted it and took it back to its original place, the weird look on his face told the ghost wanted to say something but he wasn't sure how to express himself, but then he opened his mouth. "Can I- can I have a word with Danny?" Jazz blinked confused. Did he just ask for permission from her? But instead of getting astonished by it, she took a quick check at the back seat, her brother with crossed arms was gazing at them, trying to figure out what the hell was going on, but didn't seem harmful otherwise.
"All right, then." he said then, to the unvoiced approving, slightly turning towards the boy. "I know, you won't listen to me or- yeah… so, uh-" he cracked the bones in his fingers, seemingly supressing the nervousness, but then it got followed. "Clockwork wasn't there when I got out. What I want to say is… he surely knows I am here, but didn't intervene yet."
"Why are you telling me this?" Danny asked then after a beat, sounding a bit surprised by the information.
"For insurance," the ghost said simply. "I think- I think at least that would ensure you I'm not on to cause any harm. And if I am causing trouble then… you can count on him, he'd save everyone who is important to you."
Jazz stared at him. She didn't know exactly who this Clockwork was, but- in a way it sounded that the referred ghost was standing above everything. And this, that the mysterious ghost could give a hand to things to turn out well… in a way, soothed her down too.
"I still don't like you" came the response then to the spilled calming note. "'though it seems Jazz somehow has a control over you or that she managed to break you."
"Fair enough." the man nodded. Jazz paled at the expression. Did she- had she broken him? The ghost turned to her, maybe somehow feeling her freaking out. "You didn't, don't worry. I'm tougher than that." though she knew, this time, it was an unmistakably lie, just on to buy Danny momentarily that he wasn't a fragile porcelain doll. Jazz swallowed, but then started the engine. And- somehow it felt, by that lie, to ease on her guilt, he had more humanity inside than he was conscious of – even if that sounded impossible. Her brows drew together at that disturbing thought, but then she buckled, rather concentrating on the remained distance.
"So, next stop Wisconsin. Any objection?" Jazz asked then. To the dead silence, she let out a smile. "I was just kidding, guys, none of you have any words, I am the chief." she clarified, taking a last peer at the man on the seat next to her. It seemed he was lost in his thoughts, gazing outside of the window, but to the clear worry and slight fear in the bright gaze, Jazz really hoped she could help. That was what siblings were for after all, and beyond everything, she counted him her brother too.