Rewritten--
That's how everything had started. The bus had left just seconds after that, and he'd been on his way, sleeping on the bus when he could until he reached New York. He remembered how small he felt when he'd stepped off of the bus and onto the fairly dirty street somewhere in New York. He'd flown around until he'd been able to find some shelter (a small shack on top of a roof somewhere in the center of town). The next day, he'd started searching for a job. It took a few days, but a Newspaper company finally took the chance on him without his having more than an old school ID (he should have remembered to grab his birth certificate), but for some reason he hadn't even been on the job more than two or three days when they'd called him in and fired him. The same thing happened with the next job, and the next, and the next. It became harder and harder to find any place that would take him on, mostly he started getting into cheap labor, but it never seemed to last, and he couldn't understand why he couldn't keep a job he worked so hard at doing his best. He couldn't understand it. He'd been taught all his life that if someone worked hard for something, it would come...but then again, he'd also been taught that his parent's loved him.
At night, when he wasn't looking for a place to sleep (he didn't dare go to shelters, not quite sure what they would do if they found out his age and then subsequently figured out his identity when they tried to stick him in some home for boys), he would stop a few robberies...but nothing really significant, and when he was mentioned in the papers or on the news it was cameo and usually negative. The young vigilante magician that looked like he could walk through walls. He hadn't wanted to draw attention to the fact that Danny Phantom now resided in New York, so he'd simply tried to avoid any pictures and public notice, and seemed to be succeeding fairly well, but he still couldn't help but sigh or cringe when he heard something about the supposed super-hero wannabe.
All of this passed through his head in seconds,; far too quickly, and yet not fast enough to him. So now here he found himself on a plane headed to the only job he could really find and hold, or so he hoped (it churned his stomach that he was so desperate as to hope Vlad Masters wouldn't just dismiss him as every other employer had). Life wasn't ironic, it was horrible. It had taken everything he'd once loved, everything he'd believed in, and smothered it, and with it his spirit and hope. He almost didn't dare hope anymore. It hurt too much, the only thing that seemed to break through that ever reoccurring blanket of numbness. The more he thought about it, the more he wished (begged and pleaded with fate would probably be more accurate) he did not want to be in this situation...but then again, as of right now, the only other choice he had was to revert to a thief and steal to survive. Even living with Vlad seemed better than that to him. He didn't want to step one foot on what he'd always viewed as a "path of darkness"...but he didn't know how long he could keep his ideals at the Master's mansion.Why did he feel that he'd only prolonged the inevitable?
oOo
Vlad Masters waited in the Airport terminal with a smug and (if he did say so himself) rather devious grin crossing his face, searching the sky for the craft that would deliver his new prodigy. Just as he'd planned, everything had fallen directly into place. He had hired two ghosts to trail Daniel, and when things could be stirred up a bit...well, they had done an excellent job, and he knew from experience that Daniel wouldn't be able to sense the overshadowing if they weren't outside their hosts. It would be a shame to lose such good employees, but still, he might have to eliminate them if necessary. Until then, though, he would give them both a raise, and keep them around for various odds and ends, and if they didn't agree to that, well, he would not let his employees go until he decided himself. Now that Danny would be under his constant supervision, he was sure he could undo the "good" damage that had been forced upon his young and impressionable mind. The only thing he really wanted after that was Maddie (and the Packers, but that took a far third to the other two), but one thing at a time. He always got what he wanted, and for once everything had worked out as he planned.
His grin widened as he sat back in the luxury seat he'd had installed in his favorite limo, and flipped on his lap top. He had canceled all of his meetings for that day, but that didn't mean he didn't have work to do.
oOo
3 months earlier:
"What do you mean we kicked him out?" Maddie rounded on Jazz. "We would never do such a thing! I don't care what he told us! If he told us he'd killed someone, or even if he told us...he was a ghost!" she paced around the room in panic. "We would never kick him out!"
Jazz's eyes narrowed suspiciously at her pacing mother and distraught looking father. "How can you say that?" she asked, her voice raising several decibels despite her best efforts. "I heard you and he's gone, so apparently he heard you too! I can't find him anywhere, and it's because you rejected him when he tried to tell you his secret!"
"What did he try to tell us?" Jack asked. Neither parent claimed to have any memory of Danny coming home the day before, and when he hadn't shown up for school at all, the Fentons had...well, as much as Jazz hated to say it, they had 'totally freaked out'. It had taken another several hours before they could even locate Jazz, who had been out since school (and during lunch) looking for Danny with Tucker and Sam. When they had been able to contact her, she had basically told them where to go when they'd asked if she knew anything about Danny. It had taken them even longer to convince her to talk to them. They'd asked her what had made her so angry at them. That's when she'd practically lost it and started practically yelling at them about pretending not to kick their only son out of the house. They'd reacted with more than a little shock (first at seeing their normally energetic and upbeat daughter yelling, second at what she'd actually said apparently).
Jazz sighed, resisting the urge to glare at her parents. "What he had to tell you is between you and him. I have no right to tell you."
Her parents both paused at that, probably contemplating what had been so horrible that he'd believe they didn't want him there. Just as Maddie opened her mouth to speak, the phone resounded through the house, causing all three to jump. Without wasting a second, the blue-suited woman flew to the receiver an practically ripped if off of the wall.
"Fenton residence..." she blurted before pausing to listen for a moment. Not a second later, she slumped in disappointment. "No, Sam, we haven't heard anything about him." She paused for a moment. "No, we don't know why...we don't even know where to begin looking." Another pause. "You're still looking around with Tucker? But it's 2 in the morning!" Another pause, "You can't find him either? No the police haven't been able to track him down...No-" A beeping stopped her from continuing. "Just a second, hon, there's another call. Maybe it's Danny." She switched lines, and, with her eyes hopeful, spoke.
'Hello?" almost immediately she slumped into depression again. "Yes, this is Mrs. Fenton." A long pause followed, in which Jazz and her father exchanged several glances. "A lead! But it's 2 in the morn—thank you for continuing the search," her voice had calmed somewhat from the first two words she'd spoken, but she could not hide the anticipation in her eyes as her hands gripped the phone. "Go ahead. Tell us--Bus stop? To New York!? One way?" Jazz gasped, and Jack looked down, no emotion on his face, although his eyes spoke volumes of the worry and hurt he felt for his son. "But why...no we have no problem. I'm sure we can find the money somewhere...we'll leave immediately! We'll be there tonight!" She clicked the end button, and almost hung up the phone before she realized she still had Sam on the other line.
"Sam, that was the police. They told me he bought a one-way ticket to New York a few days ago, and they say we can go and help with the search effort, if only by just being there. We'll put up fliers and stay in a hotel...I'm sure we can find the money somewhere. Jack and I have some savings...no hon, you don't need to do that. Thank you though. I'm sure Danny would appreciate the thought. We'll keep you posted from New York, and someone will stay here, in case he decides to come back." Pause. "Yes, yes. yes, I'm sure. Good night Sam." She hung up the phone and turned to the other two occupying the room.
For several seconds no one said anything, and then Maddie spoke, her voice almost too low to hear, even from where Jazz sat only a few feet away. "Just how bad was this secret of his?"
Jazz shook her head. "Not bad enough to go to New York," Jazz said. "Something must have happened that I don't' know about."
"Well, you're coming with me to New York, and Jack..." she turned to her husband.
"I'll stay," he said, knowing her thoughts. "If we're lucky he'll come home. I'll call you every night," he leaned down and kissed his wife on the cheek, "I promise. Now let's get you packed." And for the first time in her life that she could remember, Jazz saw her parents united together on something besides ghosts. They didn't even agree on poetics, but here they were ready to conquer the world if it meant saving their son. Her respect for them rose several degrees that day, far more than anyone would have guessed when the conversation had started.
But now her mind turned back to other parts of the mystery. If her parent's hadn't kicked Danny out, then who had? They had certainly sounded like her parents, and Danny woudln't have been fooled by something that wasn't top notch and probably expensive--
Her eyes narrowed. Vlad was behind this somehow. It just made sense, but she knew better than to go rushing off to his place in search of her brother...although he did live just across town...
With a gulp, she pulled out her cell phone and called Sam back. The other girl picked up the phone almost immediately.
"Sam," Jazz addressed her little brother's best friend in a terse, no-nonsense tone, "You guys are still out looking, right? Well, there is one place I'd like to look before I leave tomorrow," she hesitated as Sam replied. "What do you mean he's not there? He resigned?" she couldn't help but slump in her chair. "No I haven't been watching the news, I've been a bit preoccupied." The Goth spoke again and Jazz sighed. "You're sure he went back to his Wisconsin Mansion? They confirmed his arrival, huh?" sigh "No, I don't have time to run to Wisconsin. Mom and I are leaving tomorrow." She paused again, listening to the other girls words. "Yeah, that does strike me as kind of funny, but Danny went to New York, not to Wisconsin."
Finally she sighed, and put her head in her hands. "You guys have to promise me you won't run of to Wisconsin to confront Vlad without me. Even if he is behind this, finding Danny and clearing this up is more important now. Besides, if Danny comes back, he might need someone else to help keep him here besides Dad." Pause. "You promise? Good. Thanks Sam. When we find Danny, we'll all go and talk with 'Uncle' Vlad."
She hung up the phone, and looked down at it. It had been Danny's cell phone until only two days ago, and now she couldn't even reach him through her phone (he'd turned it off, so she only got her voice-mail every time). Her eyes filled up with tears and she hugged the phone to her chest."I'll find you, Danny," she said softly. "I promise."
