Chapter Twenty One - Too Much To Say
A long explanation of everything Jazz just wanted an update on Danny, along with everyone else. Auntie and Mr. Lancer was not responding to texts. After an hour, her mom began calling with no response.
Mr. Damon began making dinner as Jazz paced along the floor. Her mother asked questions about Danny, mostly his physiology as her large father sat at the table. Valerie sat staring at the texts like it had all the answers.
Dinner finished, and everyone jumped as Jazz's phone rang. It was Sam asking for an update, and as soon as the call ended, Val tapped the table impatiently.
"Dad, can you find his signature?" Valerie asked.
Damon rubbed his face before looking at his already open laptop, "This only does current time, and I don't see any signatures in Spittoon."
"Why would they move?" Maddie asked angrily. "What is Alicia thinking?"
"She is being smart," Damon gave a nod, "Danny is still a missing person."
"What about Vlad?" Valerie growled.
"Injured but alive, his signature took a big hit," Damon answered. "That new ghost is at the mansion with him."
The phone rang, and Jazz grabbed it quickly and answered Mr. Lancer's call.
"Mr. Lancer! Is he okay?!" Jazz asked.
"Ms. Fenton, calm down, he is right beside me sound asleep," Mr. Lancer sighed. "He rushed, taking the tube out, and opened his neck some. I think he wore himself out using his powers, too."
Jazz sat at the table, "How is he, Mr. Lancer?"
"He is exhausted," the man informed her. "He is having trouble focusing. He woke up yesterday but has been fading in and out of consciousness. Alicia didn't want to get your hopes up. Then, around two today, he did something and just sat up in bed. But… we need to tell your parents. He needs their help."
"They found out," Jazz hit speaker. "There, they can hear you now."
"What happened?" Mr. Lancer asked.
"Vlad tried abducting Maddie," Jack answered.
There was a muffled sound on the end of the phone. "Daniel, stay down!" Mr. Lancer hollored. "Why are you signing? You were talking earlier… oh…" There was a sound and Mr. Lancer's voice got louder, "Daniel wants to know if his mom… everyone," the teacher corrected, "Is okay?"
"Sweety, I'm right here. We have a special shield up to keep Vlad out. Everyone is safe," Jazz watched as tears streamed down the sides of her mother's face.
"He wants to know about his friends, Sam, Tucker, Val, and her dad," Lancer interpreted. "As… don't swear Mr. Fenton… yes I knew the sign for that." Jazz couldn't help but laugh at what was happening as Mr. Lancer continued, "He says cereal brain, which I hope you can interpret that better than I, will go after anyone he can."
"I upgraded the Masons private shield, and Tucker got his own up with my blueprints. Our apartment isn't fortified enough to make our own, so we are here for now," Damon explained.
"How does the shield keep… stop swearing! Vlad out?" Mr. Lancer asked.
"Electricity," Damon answered.
There was a pause before Lancer said, "I don't understand. Ghosts that hurt you? Yes, and sickness. He wants to know if the ghosts that hurt him got… sick?"
"They did," Maddie responded. "But the flaming haired ghost boy got better."
"Blaze," Mr. Lancer spoke slowly. "His name is Blaze. What? Other clone? Danielle? Danielle is in trouble. Medicine won't help her. Slow down. Does any of this make sense over there?" Mr. Lancer asked in exasperation.
"Danielle was Danny's clone," Jazz answered, bringing her parents attention to herself. "Vlad created her like the other clones."
"Daniel says they aren't stable. That's why they tried making him go ghost. To… get a sample. He couldn't," Lancer sighed. "E-C-T-O-D-E-J-E-C-T-O won't work. His cousin will be gone."
Valerie gasped, "The ecto-dejecto Danny gave Danielle! It won't save her."
"Need to save her," Mr. Lancer repeated. "I think he is falling asleep again. He is having trouble with his hand spasming again."
"What do you mean?" Jack leaned forward.
"He has these terrible phantom pains when he tries to use his right hand. We had to wrap it earlier, and it was not pleasant. He is asleep again. It is why we need your help Mr… Jack. He says it has to cut off again to get to the live cells to regrow his hand. He almost didn't want to attempt it…"
"Regrow his hand?" Maddie asked in wonder.
"He doesn't have the strength to do it right now," Mr. Lancer explained. "He told us he has been focusing on his neck. I thought he could talk again, but apparently, that is only when he's Phantom."
"Where's Alicia?" Maddie asked.
"In the police station giving a statement. We got Sidney's murderer to confess after Danny gave him a heart attack. I think Alicia is trying to get Mr. Diggles did not admit a ghost phased a gun from his hand after he tried shooting me," Mr. Lancer grumbled.
"I thought Danny was supposed to be resting?!" Val asked in exasperation.
"He was, but apparently he has super ghost hearing and just appeared as Phantom seconds before I got shot," Mr. Lancer said. "We should have waited to go, but Alicia thought it wouldn't be a problem. Can any of you sign?"
"Jack and Jazz can," Maddie answered.
"My dad couldn't hear very well before he passed," Jack explained.
"How does Alicia know then?" Mr. Lancer asked, confused.
"My sister just enjoys learning languages," Maddie answered. "Where are you?"
"Alicia told me not to tell anyone. She can be very persistent. I'll see if we can give you a video call on the laptop tomorrow after he has rested some more," Mr. Lancer explained.
"How can we help Danielle?!" Val asked as the call ended. "There has to be something that can help her if the ecto-dejecto doesn't."
"She's a clone like the ghosts that hurt Danny," Maddie responded. "And if we could make something to help her, then it would also help any other clones." Maddie shook her head, "It may be our only advantage right now."
"Mom, we have the shield!" Jazz responded. "Danielle can be destabilizing, and Danny asked us."
"We wouldn't have a place to start Jazzerincess," Jack shook his head sadly. "And we can't go into the Ghost Zone with that illness."
Val stood, "The reason Masters went all crazy was because Danny risked everything to save her. Vlad realized Danny wouldn't join him after we got her, and then he thought Danny told my Dad and I everything. We have to help her!"
Jazz watched her parents exchange a look before Valerie stormed down towards the basement. Jazz stood and followed her, "Valerie, stop!"
"He can't talk," Valerie hissed, "He can barely stay awake, and all he cared about was making sure we were all safe. We can't even do that!"
"Valerie, this isn't about Danielle, is it?" Jazz gently grabbed her shoulder. "This is because you feel guilty about Danny?"
Jazz watched as the girl withered before her gaze. "I saw him… he knew what they were going to do. He told me to leave him… it didn't matter that I had hurt him."
Jazz pulled Valerie into her arms and hugged her. It took a few seconds for the ghost hunter to melt into her arms.
He had another IV pumping fluids into him even as he ate a running bowl of grits. Alicia was pulling up the video call. He was not ready to see them. He is not ready to face his parents. He is not ready to talk yet. Not ready for them to see his bad arm strapped to his side so he would not try to use his nonexistent hand.
"Ready, Danny?" his aunt asked.
"No, let me eat first," he signed. His aunt pursed her lips as she knew he was stalling.
"Remember, no talking, I don't want ya' hurting your throat again," Alicia reminded. "William and I don't want to patch ya' up anymore."
He gave a thumbs up and motioned to the computer. The call started, and he stared as his parents, Jazz, Val, and Mr. Damon. Suddenly, he felt even more conscious of his injuries. His stitches on his check, his clammy face, the IV hanging from his one good arm, and the much bulkier neck brace. He felt them gazing, and he held a fist to his core and signed 'sorry'.
"Danno…" his dad gasped. "I'm just glad to see you."
"He said sorry," Jazz explained to the others before looking back at him. "How long till your energy returns?"
"Hard to say," He signed. He paused as he waited for Jazz to interpret. "Bone is not healing right." He thought before continuing, "Can't focus to heal it well and probably hurt too many times to heal. It may not." He frowned as he heard what was interpreted. Was he struggling to talk that much?
"Alicia, we need to help," his mom called, looking away from him, "Where are you?"
Danny made a chopping motion, the only part of 'No' he could do with one hand. As Jazz repeated it, he continued, "You can't leave Amity." He had made the 'I love you' sign before saying home for Amity. He was glad Jazz correctly interpreted it. The signs were painful for him to make. He missed his haunt.
"Sweety, we can help you," Maddie responded.
He made the chopping motion for 'No' again. He used his cereal brain sign for Vlad, "Vlad will be watching the house. You'll lead him to me. I'll go to you when I'm ready…" he gestured to his bad arm. After they understood, he signed cousin, and when Jazz didn't interpret, he spelled her name.
"We can't get the Zone to get to Danielle, Danny," Jazz responded instead of interpreting. "We can't risk the ghost flu getting anyone there sick. Sidney is still sick with it."
Memory of being told about Wes, Youngblood, and Sidney pulled on him. How many people had gotten sick? "Tell me what happened… again…" he added the final sign.
They repeated it all. In the end, he grew too frustrated to sign and pulled on his core and forced himself to go ghost. He was not surprised when his mother looked away.
"Daniel!" Mr. Lancer called, "You shouldn't…"
"Shut up!" his voice hurt, and he had no idea how long he could force his ghost form. He swore under his breath as he saw his dad staring at his phantom hand. Curious despite the situation, Danny tried moving it. The ectoplasm moved his hand as he tried to close it, but it burned, and he let out a gasp.
Stupid, he shouldn't be experimenting now. He held his wrist and looked at the worried group. "You have no idea how bad this is. Vlad's sick obsessions with Mom and me are both gone. Vlad is like a loose canon now. He has more abilities and experience than me, and his main obsession has been thrown out of whack."
"What is his obsession?" Maddie asked her son, turning back to him.
"Control," Danny hissed angrily, "I had to let him think he had it."
"But I took that away," Damon frowned.
"Everyone did," Danny sighed tiredly. "Valerie, when she left him, me when I refused to let him have Danielle, Jazz, when she threatened him with that thermos. Now this halfa shield and Mom pulling a gun on him. Plus, he has no one to stop him as Plasmius right now. Once he recovers from that attack, he is going to attack full force as Plasmius."
"But he is afraid of the reader exposing him," Damon explained.
Danny shook his head, "I know what happens when he stops caring and with Mom doing this... He is at that point. He is going for control through fear now, not manipulation."
"Danny, you can't know that for sure," Jazz frowned.
"Trust me, I do, I saw another timeline once," Danny asked, feeling his energy fading. "Earth was destroyed… completely in the other timeline. Vlad will do the same…" His rings appeared and he forced them back, "I'm going to get some help to Amity…" Danny stuck two fingers in his mouth and made a loud whistle that left him coughing. A green puppy materialized from thin air and immediately whimpered, seeing Danny wiping ectoplasmfrom his mouth. "It's okay, Cujo, can you bring Danielle here quickly?" The dog whined before disappearing.
"You most certainly are not okay," Mr. Lancer grumbled.
Just then, Cujo reappeared, "Cujo… you can't keep coming to the human… Danny!"
The small girl jumped as she took in the room. Her white ponytail was blowing with an invisible breeze as she floated over to Danny.
"Hey, I don't have much time before my energy runs out. Watch my arm!" he hissed as she hugged him gently. "Look, my family can explain everything else, but Vlad is off his rocker and made more clones. The ecto-dejecto isn't permanent, so you are still in danger of destabilizing. I need you to get Walker to Amity he can make sure Vlad doesn't do anything irreversible."
"Walker is just going to say it is a haunt war. You know that," Dani wrung her hands.
"It isn't," Danny groaned as he pushed back his rings. Ectoplasm dribbled from his mouth as he continued, "Tell Walker about the new clones. It is forbidden even by the Observants. Vlad was expressly told not to do it by Walker, and he did anyways. I don't like setting Walker on anyone, but I need to stall for time to heal."
"Right," Dani nodded. "What do you need?"
"Dani, just focus on your core problem," Danny leaned on the bed.
"There has to be something…" Dani gasped as his rings went over him, and his battered form returned. The ectoplasm remained, but fresh blood dribbled from his mouth, "Ancients…"
@Nocturna Starr
Maddie struggles to come to terms with Danny being Phantom