Dan almost dropped Kai's unconscious form after he collapsed while he attempted to sprint away. It was only when he felt him slip out of his grip that Dan snapped back into focus.
Boots pounded on the smooth floor. Heavier than usual, like something inside of Dan wanted this place to come crashing down. Those heavyset thuds certainly fueled his desire to do so.
One thing that stopped him, though, was Kai's extra weight. A mildly annoying reminder of why he was here. Red glowing eyes faded as Dan shut them for a moment. Then Dan opened them with renewed vigor; he could always come back later.
He carried Kai bridal style while using his large physique to shield him from further harm. He didn't quite care if the GiW agents saw him or if this was perceived as 'weak.' At least for now, Dan would disentangle them later.
Right next to him, Jazz was in a sprint as well. Her hand zipped back and forth between flailing about or resting on the gun holster. Curiously she never drew the gun itself.
Her red hair was like a flash of fire. So lifelike and deadly. And it painted a gigantic target on her back.
Behind them, loud pops went off. Jazz instinctively ducked the moment she heard them. She didn't trust her hearing between the chaos of escaping and the noise that sounded too much like gunshots.
With the dimness and unfamiliar corridors, invisible danger automatically came with the territory. Nothing more so than tiny metal projectiles are whizzing past you. Jazz was sure she felt a bullet fly past her.
She didn't need to see or hear it. She just knew.
Dan barely twitched when he heard the shots. He'd heard them so many times that he wasn't fazed. And not that bullets could hurt him. He'd toughed them out and more.
It still didn't discern him from the danger. 'Normal' bullets and 'anti ghost' bullets were the same. Dan wouldn't or couldn't be convinced otherwise. Metal projectiles weren't something you fucked with.
The exit wasn't far off. There was a perceived notion that the three could outrun the storm of bullets.
Jazz partly hoped the adrenaline rush would give her a boost. But instead, she was focused on nothing but the exit to freedom.
Her heart thudded against her chest. It thumped so hard it was as though something was behind her and roughly shoving her along. Blood boiled through her system, and Jazz gasped for air.
Blood pounded in her ears, and a faint sheen of sweat covered her face. Then, in a sudden rush, her legs seemed to be going much faster than expected. Heeled shoes loudly clacked against the floor. Jazz lurched forwards. She was just about next up to Dan in terms of speed.
Bang.
Jazz ducked her head once more. As she did so, she stumbled and fell back a bit.
Dan briefly glanced back in concern. He even slowed down a little.
Bang.
Another shot rang out. Dan physically grimaced with tight muscles. His jaw hardened.
He realized they wouldn't get out without getting hit, sooner or later.
"Jazz!"
Without coming to a halt entirely, Dan made a gesture at her.
"Get on my back," Dan bent down slightly.
Bang.
No immediate response. He became irked.
"Jazz, now!" Dan barked, his fangs exposed.
Jazz shook her head in shock at the sound of his voice. She hadn't heard him the first time. The pounding in her ears was so loud it distracted her.
Her gaze went over to Dan, who gave her a side look. He was bent down as though he wanted her to climb onto his back.
Understanding, Jazz panted heavily as she skipped over the floor. There was a desperate tension in the air of hopes that she wouldn't get struck by a stray bullet.
Bang.
Jazz bent down in mid-sprint and mustered her energy and lower muscles to jump. Just as she jumped, she barely felt something graze past her. Jazz was then met with a face full of white.
The white of Dan's cape. Which she clung to for dear life. Her arms automatically wrapped around his neck, and her legs partly around his waist.
Dan stumbled lightly with more weight on him when Jazz jumped onto his back. He took that moment to stop running and start flying.
The extra weight helped him dig his heels into the floor. A surge of adrenaline pumped through him, and Dan leaped forwards. Instantly his entire body became weightless.
With ease, he flew right for the facility's exit. He could hear the gunshots fade away, but those agents wouldn't let up on their pursuit.
The exit was a set of boring double doors with a said sign emblazoned in neon red above. Unfortunately, portions of this section remained unfinished. This meant frail equipment and exposed hazards…like the black cables that ran under the floor.
With the cables in mind, Dan pulled his lips back in a grin that spelled malice. Or perhaps mischief.
A few sparks wouldn't hurt, Dan mused silently as he rolled one of his hands.
A faint green glow of ecto-fire crackled from his fingertips. They sprinkled all over the cables, and in a whoosh, a spectral green fire broke out.
There wasn't much time to admire the show he started. Dan barged through the doors as the flames grew to dangerous proportions. The sparks licked at his cape, and Jazz clung to him tighter to avoid getting burned.
Dan's silhouette was bathed in neon green as he turned around and slammed the doors. Then, he let some ectorays loose that sizzled into the metal sealed shut.
With no time to lose, Dan held Kai close to him, ensured that Jazz was secure, and took off. A high-pitched ring reached their ears as they seamlessly blended into the sky.
A quick look back saw emergency lights flash outside, and black smoke slowly rose into the sky. White flashes cut through it like it was attempting to escape an oncoming storm.
The possibility of being in there was too real.
The sharp ring of the alarms pierced their ears even as they flew far away. The GiW facility was physically left behind. But it felt as though they had also left some of themselves behind.
Jazz had her arms wrapped tightly around Dan's neck to prevent her from slipping off mid-flight. She barely turned her head to see the smoke billow in the distance. A thick black column was imposed over them.
She turned her head again, face buried to protect her face from the wind, "Did you need to do that, Dan?"
Dan's muscles were rigid with urgency before they relaxed.
"Yes," he responded shortly. "They didn't want attention drawn to themselves, so there's nothing better than a place that suddenly catches fire."
"I-I guess," Jazz nodded hesitantly. In truth, she wanted to counter that point. What was there to argue, though?
Those men, that amber-eyed man, were doing things outside of proper jurisdiction. Not to mention they kidnapped ghosts, and no one would notice. That last bit bothered her. But, she assured herself it was because it was human nature.
The fear of the unknown was frequently quoted.
There was a soft moan, and Dan jolted. Jazz held her arms around his neck tighter as he slowed down and adjusted himself into an upright position in the air.
The moans stopped shortly after, followed by unintelligible mumbles. Jazz peered curiously over the shoulder for a closer look.
Obviously, in bright daylight, she could see Kai more clearly. Somehow his current state didn't seem as bad, unlike back when she first saw him in the lab. Still, that part of her internally recoiled.
Part of her didn't want to believe Kai was like this. He was so hardheaded that the worst injuries didn't scare him. Not…like this.
So small and sickly looking. It was radically different from the Kai she was used to.
"He's seen better days," Jazz said awkwardly.
"Clearly," Dan responded, his tone short.
This was all still so much to take in. Jazz couldn't bear the sight of Kai much more at this point. She squeezed her eyes shut and buried her face into Dan's cape. A shuddery breath escaped her.
The sweat on her face became sticky. A dull ache throbbed in her head, and her chest became painfully tight.
Jazz's throat tightened, and it was suddenly dry. A burning sensation made its way to the back of it. Her muscles grew rigid, and she pressed her face harder into the fabric.
"I need to get down," Jazz said.
"Why?" Dan didn't spare a look at her.
"Just let me get down."
"Fine," Dan rolled his eyes.
Conveniently, right down below was a forest. Dan eased himself down to the woodland and gracefully landed on the ground. They were in a small forest opening with trees plentiful for cover.
Rays of sunlight cut between the trees, like sharp projectiles pierced through something soft. The sight of it made Dan tense.
The weight on his back eased, and he heard a soft thud behind him.
Dan turned around to see Jazz unsteadily stand up. Her face was pale, and she had that faraway look in her turquoise eyes.
Jazz wobbled over to a nearby tree with little care for potential environmental hazards. Her feet shuffled in the grass, and fallen leaves, cracks, and unusually loud crunches. She leaned against it, her hand firm and flat on the bark.
It was silent for a minute or two as Jazz stood in a daze. She just needed to stop. Her head swam, and her vision was blurry.
Again she was reminded of the amber-eyed man. This patch of forest reminded her too much of him. So bright and playful looking, there was a shadow of something…off.
A sharp gasp came out of her. Another followed it, but a shorter one. Her chest heaved in discomfort, and her throat burned some more.
Coughs ensued as she attempted to cough out whatever was in her throat. But it was so dry it felt like tearing up her throat from the inside out.
Her body swayed back and forth with the force of the coughs. Bones rattled, and joints jittered. Her strength slowly receded. Jazz fell against the tree, too weak to keep herself upright anymore.
Her face flushed, and she wondered if this anxiety, panic, or stress made her ill. Jazz coughed some more rapid, onset breaths of air that puttered out by the time they got to her lips.
With a dry throat, she eventually could no longer aggravate it with coughs. She stood there taking in deep breaths and weakly blew them out. Her heart thudded painfully against her chest.
Jazz dry heaved, and a sickly sensation pooled up inside her. It seemed too stubborn to leave her body.
Voluminous strands of red hair fell in front of her face. Frazzled and drenched with sweat. It visually represented how she felt on the outside.
It was long, uncomfortable several minutes as Jazz tried to calm herself down. Dan stood there in awkward silence. His only response was some very soft mumbling, quiet enough that he wouldn't be heard. He shifted his posture now and then so his arms wouldn't get tired from carrying the unconscious Kai.
Dan didn't quite have the same reaction as Jazz did. But he did feel…wary. Fidgety if he allowed it. That nagging, prickly sensation in his mind refused to cease.
He was a lot of things. Fear wasn't one of them, and he had a hell of a time trying to comprehend why he felt so. Dan shut his eyes in thought. He held Kai closer to him.
Something was…different this time.
The first thing that came to Dan's mind was, why Kai? And why was he feeling more protective of him?
Kai wasn't the type of guy who needed protection.
Maybe Dan was unwillingly reminded of the other timeline. He inhaled deeply and shook it off.
A moment later, Dan realized it was pretty silent. He cracked one eye open to survey his surroundings.
Jazz was still in the same spot, her breaths were quieter, and her motions weren't as erratic as before. Her complexion, all the same, remained pale, if not more than earlier. Her freckles which were not ordinarily visible stood right out. Her knuckles were white from a vice-like grip on the tree.
A few more moments passed. Jazz slowly lifted her head. Her hair fell away like a veil. Her expression could only be described as…something. A paler than usual complexion stood out like a sore thumb and dilated pupils that looked too far away. Her lips were a thin, delicate line that almost blended into her skin.
Jazz turned to face Dan. Her expression was unchanging. Her lips were upturned like she wanted to say something.
Instead, Jazz silently walked up to him and cast her gaze at Kai in his arms. One hand rose up and gently held Kai's shoulder.
No response.
"…we should get going," Jazz said, her voice audibly weaker.
"Are we just going to forget about what went through you earlier or…?" Dan asked.
His tone indicated he was trying not to show so much concern. However, it still felt foreign to him, despite slowly learning to.
"I just needed a moment to clear my head," Jazz immediately quipped in, cutting off any further discussion.
She'd look into it once they got Kai safely back home.
"Right…" Dan raised a brow at her.
"Let's get going," Jazz pretended she missed Dan's disbelief. "Amity Park's not that far away."
Stiff silence followed as Jazz got back onto Dan's back and closed her eyes. She was determined not to lose her cool like that again. So she didn't bother to hide her face in the cape. Instead, she'd let the wind soothe her.
Dan rose into the sky with a numb feeling in him. This was a lot more than he had expected. And it felt like there was more to come. Whatever that was, he didn't know.
All he knew was that he didn't feel good about it. Dan usually didn't, save for a couple of exceptions.
As Jazz said, the city of Amity Park wasn't far. Just from the patch of forest, they stopped in. The city's skyline was visible in the distance.
Dan wasted no time getting over there, going as fast as his capabilities let him. They passed over a freeway that led into downtown Amity Park in little time. Fewer and fewer trees appeared as buildings replaced them.
Usually, the city was colorful. Today, however, it wasn't exciting. Which honestly fit the duo's current mood.
"That man we saw…." Jazz started the blue.
"Which one? We saw a lot of them today," Dan cut in.
"The strawberry blonde one? With the creepy eyes?" Jazz asked pointedly.
"…what about him?" Dan asked after a minute's silence. Which wasn't like him…he was questioning himself more and more about it.
"I…don't think this is the last we'll see of him," Jazz said quietly. "I have a feeling he's involved with whatever happened to Kai."
"…should've let me go at them…." Dan muttered under his breath. "At least they wouldn't be running around anymore."
"What was that?" Jazz didn't quite hear what he said. Her tone had sharpened slightly.
Dan ignored her, and she huffed in frustration. Typical of him to forget things, important or not.
"It's far from over…." Jazz quietly said to herself, hands bunched up in Dan's cape.
Down below, the city landscape began to change into subsections gradually.
Neighborhoods. They were almost close to home.
Several minutes passed, and a neon sign greeted them as per Fenton's family style. Namely, a gigantic arrow attached a bricked, multi-level townhouse.
FentonWorks
Dan squinted at the sign as he descended the street. It didn't feel like home. More like…a space shared with others and nothing more. That was the best he could describe it.
Jazz was almost more than relieved to see the obnoxious sign. She exhaled in relief when Dan landed on the street, and she immediately got off his back. Her form wavered slightly, but she quickly shook it off.
The house stood over them as the two crossed the road to the front door.
Kai remained unresponsive the entire time, except for very short unintelligible mumbles. He was silent and still since then.
Right on the steps, Dan halted as a thought came to him. He cast his eyes to the side.
"Do you think…she will come back?"
"She…?" Jazz repeated. Such an unusual emphasis on a noun…
Wait.
"You mean…?" Jazz gestured to Kai's limp form. "I mean…she would. She's Kai's mother, after all."
"From a dream, Jazz," Dan countered.
"And yet she knew so much more about him than either of us," Jazz waved her hands around. "She knows of your relationship with him. How many other people know of it?"
"Just…" Dan sighed and trailed off. "Damn it…"
"Don't you just love it when I'm right?" Jazz said smugly.
"If she visits again, dreams or whatever," Dan said with his fangs bared slightly. "I have many questions for her."
"We both do," Jazz stepped up to the front door of her childhood home.
She stopped to take a breath before she reached out to the doorknob. Gloved fingers firmly folded over the brass and turned it clockwise. The door creaked open into a darkened living room.
Two silhouettes stood there in the semi-darkness.
"Mom! Dad! It's urgent!"