Green Eyes on the Prize
byline: Anubis C. Soundwave
6. To protect the father he loves.
"Give up, boy," says Jackie. "You ain't drivin' me off my land. I didn't cede none of my property to Yankees before," he continues, "and I ain't about to crack now because one is kin to me."
"You're dead, Jackson," sneers Jack, tired. "You can't whip, maim, or fuck people anymore than you already have."
"Only a matter of time before that changes, Little Jack," grins Jackie. "You smell like the ass of a skunk with diarrhea, boy, 'cause you haven't bathed in days. I know you want to drive that there Fenton Family Assault Vehicle to the nearest hotel and take a hot shower."
"Yeah, I want to shower," spits Jack, rubbing his coarse, stubbly beard. "If I knew I'd be exposed to your toxic bullshit for weeks on end," he continues, "I would have just worn my hazmat suit."
"The humidity here can be unpleasant," says Jackie. "Drives folk mad after a while."
Jack takes off his sweat-soaked T-shirt and wrings it out.
"Might want to go and do that near the peach orchard," says Jackie. "The trees need water."
"If you'd just leave," says Jack as he unfurls and dons his T-shirt, "then it would rain for the first time in nearly 150 years."
"Only way I'm leaving is through you," says Jackie, a wicked glint in his eyes, "or Danny-boy."
"You will never break me," seethes Jack, "and you will never touch my son."
Jackie snickers. "I'm closer to your boy," he says, "and more of a father, than you'll ever be. I figure that the best thing for you and your family is for you to surrender to the bigger man."
Jack trembles.
"That boy don't respect you, fear you, or trust you, not at all," sneers Jackie. "I know more about Danny-boy's comin' and goin' than you do."
"You don't know shit about my family!" snarls Jack.
"The things I could tell you!" Jackie hoots, rubbing his hands with glee. "But let's face facts, Jack-boy," he continues. "That Specter Deflector of yours ain't waterproof. You can't shower while wearing it, and you know I ain't bound to my plantation or Oglethorpe Springs. I can be places you can't be," hisses Jackie, "and when I catch you in that hour of weakness I'll take hold of you."
"I'll die before I let that happen," scowls Jack. "You can't overshadow a corpse."
"Good. I'll be able to take Danny-boy under my wing that much sooner," says Jackie with a knowing smirk. "That boy needs a real father."
The padlocked wooden door behind the wrought-iron gate rattles as a faint pounding echoes through the plantation.
"Dad!" cries Danny's voice. "Come on; answer the door!"
Jack's eyes widen. Squaring his shoulders, Jack walks over to the gate and unlocks it.
Danny stands just outside the gate.
Danny looks over Jack, then leans into Jack's chest. "Dad..." he says.
"Yes, son?" asks Jack.
"You reek," grins Danny, chuckling.
Jack musses Danny's hair. "It's your own fault for not staying home, away from your smelly dad," he quips.
"Not even your lethal levels of B. O. will get rid of me," says Danny. "I've spent fifteen years of my life putting up with your parenting," he snorts, hugging Jack, "so this is nothing."
"You've only been alive fifteen years," says Jack.
"Exactly," says Danny. "Do you remember when we had it out? I was thirteen, and covered in ecto-goop from a ghost experiment that went wrong."
"I remember," says Jack softly.
"I just want to say..." says Danny, "...that you were right."
"About society and you being a whiny, entitled adolescent?" winces Jack.
"Not that, Dad," says Danny. "It's the fact that I need you."
Jack stares at Danny.
"I need you: with your big manic grin, and your orange hazmat suit, and your rancid B. O., and the FFAV," says Danny. "You're my dad, and I'm lucky to have you...when I need you the most."
"And I need you, son..." says Jack, "...to go home."
"Not going to happen," says Danny.
"Why...?" winces Jack.
"You're trying to protect us," says Danny, "but who will protect you? You're irreplaceable, Dad. Without you," he continues, "I wouldn't be the person I am, and Jazz wouldn't be who she is."
"Part of that," says Jack, "is because I've always tried to push you to fight your own battles. Doesn't the same apply to me?" he asks.
"I know what you're getting at," grins Danny wryly. "But remember the tabletop session Dash hijacked at school?"
"Where Dash turned you into an anthropomorphic frog and killed off most of your party?" asks Jack. "I couldn't let you get your character mauled like that-you were playing your class like an idiot because you kept letting Dash get under your skin."
"Exactly," says Danny. "Let me return the favor."
"Danny," says Jack soberly. "This isn't like a standard tabletop game. You can't write up a new character sheet if you die."
"Neither can you," says Danny, trembling in Jack's arms.
Jack stares at Danny.
"I'm a flawed person, Dad," says Danny. "If I lose any one of you, I'm not sure if I can handle it."
"Danny..." Jack breathes.
"And also," continues Danny, "The Foleys and the Grays: they have skin in this fight, too. Even without being related to us through Barrineau," he continues, "Tucker's my best friend, so I consider him family. And as for Valerie..." Danny shakes his head.
"What about Valerie?" asks Jack.
"Nothing will stand between Valerie Gray and her goals," says Danny.
"She's highly motivated," grins Jack.
"Just let us help, Dad," says Danny.
"How?" asks Jack.
"For you to find out," says Danny, "let's step outside, and take you to a hotel to shower. Because while I do love you, Dad," he continues with a grin as he breaks the embrace, "you do seriously reek."
Jack studies Danny. "He'll stop at nothing," he says after a moment, nodding towards Jackie.
Virgil arrives, driving his school's athletic bus. He steps out of the bus, then blows a sports whistle.
The Peach Creek High football team emerges from the bus, each player activating his Specter Deflector, along with the cheerleading squad. The team assembles a makeshift shower and water tank.
"We decided to bring the bathing to you, sir," says Virgil, also turning on his Specter Deflector.
Bemused, Jack exits Barrineau Plantation and approaches the football team. The team drags Jack into the shower, then forms a human Specter Deflector wall around the shower. The cheerleaders form an outward-facing pyramid atop the human wall.
Virgil grins, nodding to Danny.
Danny shuts the gate, then changes into the Phantom.
"Oh," says Jackie, smirking. "You done come to dance, boy?"
"Yeah," says Danny, as the Phantom. "Hope you can keep up, old man."
The ghost and halfa charge at each other.
"Now, Madeline," Jack hisses crudely into Maddie's ear. "You know what I want, and how I like it."
"Let go of me," spits Maddie. "You're not yourself, hon."
"Woman," says Jack curtly, "you know damned well to render 'due benevolence' unto me."
Maddie's eyes narrow; she elbows Jack, then judo-flips him over her shoulder...
"You are not my husband!" Maddie shrieks, seething as tears form in her eyes. She sits upright in her bed, inside a guest room at Vlad's castle.
Vlad stares at Maddie, shocked at the rage and pain in her eyes. "I...know I'm not," he says gently.
Maddie blinks at Vlad, then rubs her arms.
"That nightmare again?" asks Vlad.
"It's not a nightmare," says Maddie, sullen. "Something is impersonating Jack and invading my dreams-like Freddy Krueger."
"That's definitely something to investigate," says Vlad. "I would say that for now, you need to get some rest, but..."
"Don't worry, Vlad," says Maddie, putting on a Specter Deflector. "I'll be able to rest better now that I have an idea of what I'm dealing with," she adds as she activates it.
Vlad studies Maddie as he sits in a chair. "How did you know you weren't just having a nightmare about Jack...forcing himself onto you?" he asks.
"Because the assailant," says Maddie grimly, "started quoting biblical scripture at me-and Jack would never do that, or try to force me to..."
"'Biblical...'" Vlad's eyes widen with sad realization. "Like your father..." he says.
Maddie nods. "The question is," she asks, "how could some random ghost use my past against me? You and Jack are the only ones who know about my childhood: about what happened with my mother and sister."
"Indeed. That's very disturbing," says Vlad, standing abruptly. "I'll have DALV investigate this immediately." Without another word, Vlad leaves Maddie's room.
Dash wipes his face with his shirt, sweating. "It's muggy as hell out here," he groans.
Shane presents a cup.
Dash scowls at Shane. "Dude, we're going to beat the shit out of Jackie so that it will rain," he says, "and you can stop this insanity. Now back off!"
Shane winces. "Force of habit..." he mutters.
Dash chuckles at the gate to Barrineau Plantation. I can't believe that Fenton had the balls to go in there alone, he muses. He's probably wetting his pants by now-which Shane would try to collect to water his fucking cabbages, he adds, exasperated with Shane's water obsession.
Tucker approaches Dash. "You look like you're itching to give someone a wedgie," he says.
Dash grins crudely at Tucker. "Get me those Fenton Gauntlets, Foley," he says ruefully, "and I'll give Jackie an atomic wedgie-then kick him in the nuts!"
"For you," says Valerie, rolling her eyes, "it's probably a territorial dispute."
"Damn right," says Dash. "There's only enough room in this small town for one bully," he continues, "and it sure as hell won't be the ancestor of the geek I stuff in a locker once a week."
Valerie smiles thinly. "With all due respect, Dash," she says, "I will be the one beating the shit out of Jackie Barrineau."
"You're not permitted, Gray," snorts Dash.
"I'm not part of your stupid A-List anymore," sneers Valerie, "which means I don't have to do what you say."
"Backfire, dude," adds Tucker.
Damon shakes his head as he turns to Bethea. "The fact that she never had to obey his every whim has probably escaped her," he smiles.
"That's because they're both teenagers," says Bethea.
"Seriously, Gray," says Dash, "I've been Fenton's nemesis since kindergarten, and from where I sit, Barrineau is just his chunky ghost ancestor-*"
Dash's cell phone rings; he fishes it out of his cargo shorts pocket.
"How's everything holding up, Jack?" asks Vlad, squinting at Jack's grainy image from the FFAV's satellite phone.
"Better than expected, though-as you know-Danny's here. He's in there alone with Jackie," says Jack grimly.
"He'll pull through, Jack," says Vlad soberly. "He's stronger than you think." Stronger than you can possibly know, he adds to himself.
"Look," says Jack, scowling, "you're Damon's boss, right? Maybe you can tell him and his clan to back off."
Vlad sighs. "I can't ask Damon or Bethea to withdraw from a fight that they're personally invested in," he says, "not even for their safety."
"But you know how dangerous Jackie is!" spits Jack. "I've got all of these kids from the local high school, to say nothing of Danny and his-*"
"Jack," says Vlad curtly, "it will all work out. Don't let that cretin get to you."
"You don't get it!" counters Jack. "My family is all I have."
"And Daniel values you so highly," says Vlad, "that he's willing to risk his life to protect the father he loves."
Jack stares at Vlad.
"I...I envy you, Jack," Vlad continues. "I would trade all of my wealth for your family if I could."
"Even your Knute Rockne-autographed football?" asks Jack.
"No family is worth that much," smirks Vlad, "though I admit that Maddie does come close," he adds, losing his smile.
"I know. I meant what I said earlier," says Jack.
"Don't think like that," says Vlad.
"Why not, Vlad? It's true, isn't it?" says Jack. "If we're friends, we have to be honest with each other-especially about Maddie."
"Jack," says Vlad, "if I took every idiotic thing you've said while you were drunk seriously-*"
"If anything happens to me," says Jack, "please make sure that Maddie and Jazz are happy and safe. And Danny too-when I send him home out of harm's way."
"You...you have my word, Jack," says Vlad.
Damon appears on the monitor, having pushed Jack aside.
"Mr. Gray," says Vlad crisply, "was there any cause for that?"
"Mr. Masters," says Damon, tense yet calm. "Please explain to Mr. Fenton that I won't be swayed from this. If you expect me to back down, sir," he continues, "then I will tender my resignation immediately."
"There's no need for that, Mr. Gray," says Vlad through the FFAV's satellite phone. "I've already explained to Mr. Fenton that regardless of your employment with my company, your family comes first," he adds as Jack returns to the satellite phone. "That's something that Mr. Fenton can empathize with."
"Oh, you two are just double-teaming me, huh?" asks Jack, looking between Damon and Vlad.
"I just want to use my expertise to help you drive Jackie from Oglethorpe Springs, Jack," says Damon.
"And from here," adds Vlad, "I will provide the weight of Axion and DALV to aid you both."
Jack sighs. "I recognize that you have skin in the game, Damon," he says. "But these other people-including my reckless son," he continues, "don't need to deal with Jackie Barrineau."
"Everyone in this town has 'skin in the game', Jack," counters Damon. "The Foleys, the McLanes, the Poindexters, and especially the Baxters are all being pushed out of Oglethorpe Springs-and it's all due to Jackie's influence."
"And I'm trying to drive him out!" says Jack.
"And you can't do it alone," says Damon tersely. "We've tried asking you, but that hasn't worked: so I'm telling you that we're helping you."
"...it was a bit different without you in town; I'll say that..." says Jazz, speaking with Dash on a cordless phone in Vlad's castle. "I'm with my mom; we're both staying with a friend of hers and my dad in Wisconsin..." Jazz gasps, her eyes wide. "Dash...?" she asks, noting an extended silence.
"Okay...so why did I hear my dad and Mr. Gray's voices...?" asks Jazz when Dash returns to the phone. "...you really expect me to buy that...?"
Jazz sighs. "Fine...I'll let you go, then...it's okay, Dash," she grins. Maybe I'm being a bit hard on him, Jazz muses, but he has no reason to lie to me-and such a stupid lie at that.
"Just one more question...calm down!" continues Jazz. "Have you seen Danny...? Dash, quit making fake static noise on the phone..."
Jazz ends the call on her cordless headset, then sets the headset onto its receiver. "'The call cannot be completed as dialed' error message shouldn't sound like Tucker!" she fumes aloud.
Maddie enters the room, carrying a football. "Let's talk with Vlad," she smiles thinly.
"I suspect we're going on a road trip to Georgia," says Jazz.
Maddie nods; she and Jazz leave Vlad's study, Maddie picking up a letter opener on the way out.
NEXT: Slaying one-winged ghost angels.