Chapter 04_Hiking the Labyrinth

− Jazz! Are you alright? − Maddie had lit her flashlight and had pointed it towards her daughter who was currently throwing up while her father was helping her by drawing circles on her back.

− It's just the concussion fault. I'm a bit nauseated. − Jazz coughed, trying to restrain herself.

− I could try and find some medicine in the emergency kit. − the woman offered, worried.

− N-no, it's already passing, just a minute to catch my breath. − wheezed the girl, alternatively gulping and coughing. The mother exchanged a glance with Jack and silently understanding he nodded and reluctantly left his daughter to help her put down Danny. The mother stood up and joined Jazz with her canteen just retrieved from the backpack.

− Here, drink it with little gulps. − the younger redhead gladly obliged, probably drying up a quarter of the water. After this probably they would have to ration the supplies.

− Thanks. − Jazz sighed, eyes closed to shield away from the light. − D-dad, what does the scan say?

The scientist sighed, stopping to gently ruffle his son's hair, and began tinkering again. There were several minutes of tension, then an epiphany "AH!" echoed inside the cave.

− Good news, we have a map of the entire cave! − Jack sensibly whispered-boomed.

− How is it possible? − asked disbelieving Maddie.

− The processor of the Arecibo converted into data the multiple empowered echoes generated by its pulses against the capacitor "plates" AKA the granites layers and thanks to an equation I was able to combine them into a map! Though you were right Mads: the cave it's a laby-rintho. With both our kids injured it will take hours to reach the thinner separation between Zones.

− Hours or not, we have to go. − Jazz stubbornly stood up, albeit a bit shakily, helped by her mother. − Unless he wakes up it's dangerous for him to stay here. − the mother frowned: why was she so insistent?

− You still haven't told us why, apart from the damaged legs, that is. − Maddie objected, lowering to pick up her backpack and slid inside it the Deflectors and the canteen. Beside her, Jazz bit her lip, almost as if pondering something.

− I think... Danny's still got ectoplasm in him after being hit by an experiment. Probably when he was doing his chores, you know how he's clumsy. − she hurriedly explained after the first hesitation.

Jumping at the opportunity, Maddie almost demanded. − Is that why he's covered in cuts, burn and bruises? And two wounds are even stitched! With the Ecto-line! − as the mother scolded the girl, the latter wrapped the blanket tighter around her and cringed. As they waited for the answer, the woman handed Jack his backpack which was then put on. − It could be the very reason he is still affected by ectoplasm! − she pressed on when the answer failed to arrive.

− What? The Ecto-line energy level is so low that it doesn't stain permanently even clothes! − Jazz countered defensively.

− But prolonged exposure could poison his blood, above all if used to stitch his wounds! While we'll discuss later where they come from, why did he use it instead of the "normal" thread?

D ~O¤O~ Jz

Crap, crap, crap! Now how could I explain this without revealing that he's half-ghost and that the Ecto-line is the only material that doesn't fall off him if he turns intangible while in human form? And the only resistant enough to handle the stretch while fighting? ...Uh, maybe this could be the right scapegoat. Jazz's mind ran miles per minutes in her panic.

− I-I think it's because it doesn't break if it's under stress and with all the ghosts around in school one can never be fast enough to duck away from attacks, right? − she offered, but Maddie's eyes were still a bit suspicious while the mother wrapped an arm around her waist to help her walk. Unconsciously the younger redhead wrapped her own arm around the other's shoulder, to easy her limp.

− So all those injuries are from ghosts? − Jack asked suddenly, horrified. Jazz gulped, unsure.

− I... don't really know the origin of most of them and usually Danny never tells me everything. But the worse ones, the stitched, they are. We didn't want to worry you, sorry. − the older teen bit her lip and the parents halted their actions to stare at her wide-eyed.

− Do they get revenge on you because of us? − her mother asked fearfully.

− No, they don't. It's not your fault! − and Jazz really believed it, because after all the ghost were after Danny as Phantom, not Fenton. The fact that it was because of their parents that he was like that wasn't the matter now. − Wrong place, wrong time. − that was another truth because it they were able to dodge all the blasts, the members of Team Phantom wouldn't get injured.

− ...Okay. − the huntress seemed to accept the explanation (at least for now) as did her husband, who, a bit relieved, picked up his shivering son and began walking towards the deep of the cave.

The Fentons began their trek, slowly in order not to jostle both their kids, and used Maddie's flashlight to light their way across the tunnels.

During all the walk they stayed silent, the chattering of Danny's teeth and their shuffling steps the only sounds echoing on the walls. They did frequent stops in order to let Jazz rest a bit and check on the boy's condition which seemed to worsen every time.

− Another crossroad and we'll be at the goal. − suddenly announced Jack, three or four hours after the start of their trek, eliciting relieved sighs.

− Then we can make the last stop. − Maddie proposed and Jazz gladly agreed, slowly sitting down. The last hours had been a nightmare, both for her injuries and the state Danny was in, above all because he was still unconscious. It had been too long for the halfa's normal standards, maybe there was something wrong with him.

− How's Danny? − the older teen asked, leaning forward.

− Here, check yourself. − Jack gently offered, laying the boy at her feet, then turned on his own flashlight to let her see better. Meanwhile Maddie fumbled with her backpack, to check what was left of the supplies.

At the direct light both Fentons noticed a glistering at the points of Danny's locks as if they were crystals... Jazz took hold of one of them, only to gasp.

− His hair tips are frozen! Literally! − she couldn't help to exclaim, alarming her mother.

− What?! − both parents shouted, surprised.

− His hair has ice on it! − explained Jazz, standing up again with difficulty. − No, we can't really afford a stop, this is too close to what had happened last time! − she urged, only to realize too late that she had slipped too much info. She cringed at the adults' questioning look.

− What do you mean? − her mother demanded.

− It's... − Jazz was cornered again. Why Danny's not awake and helping me! her inner-self screamed in her still aching skull. After coming with a decision, she sighed. The lesser of two evils... − I think once Danny told me something about what happened before and during the plant invasion...

M ~O¤O~ Jk

− Oh, I remember it! Well, almost remember it. − Jack corrected himself, crouching down to pick his son up again. − The bit about how ground and air were so saturated with energy to let the plants unnaturally grow at a fast rate certainly though... A situation similar to this one actually. − he realized.

− ...Yeah, as a matter of fact that morning he was shivering like a leaf and I noticed he had taken his warmest coat to go school. − Jazz stated, starting to limp towards the "exit", urging Maddie to help her so they began their trek again. − When Urdergrowth showed up... The plant-ghost name − she clarified at their blank look − Well... he was starting to freeze over like now.

− Then how did he manage to survive? − Maddie hoped the answer to their problem would reside in her response.

However Jazz hesitated. Closed eyes and deep frown were everything they got for several minutes, with both parents afraid of pushing her too much for both the concussion and the foreshown reluctance about that matter. Didn't she trust them? Was that why she was so reluctant? Maddie would have to ask her later, after all of this was finished.

− ...The details were blurry, but I believe Phantom saved him. − was Jazz's ultimate response. The following stunned silence left the younger redhead continue, even if a bit warily. − I think Danny had been the last one escaped from the mind-controlling-roots, because of the whole hypothermia made him unappealing to them, so Phantom took him out of the town, to save him and somehow discharge the accumulated energy. After making sure he wouldn't freeze again, Phantom went back to Amity and defeated Undergrowth. And that's why Danny has to get out of here. − Jazz concluded determinate.

− ...Phantom... − the huntress started, mixed feelings fighting inside her. They had recently made a truce with the ghost-teen, however at that time, what could he have done to their son? And why did he save just him? − How many times... − she began, only to be interrupted.

− Mom, at the time I don't think there was much of a choice: it was either being a frozen possessed slave or a dead popsicle − Jazz replied sternly, making both parents flinch. − Besides, after the truce you made with D- Phantom, you at least unconsciously think he's not a bad guy, don't you?

Damn right, Jazzy-pants always hits right on the spot! She's really good at this. Jack wondered, clenching closer his shivering charge. He was gonna be alright once in the Ghost Zone, there the air was certainly less charged than the cave, even if it was inhabited by ectoplasmic constructs.

Maddie instead sighed, resigned. − Fine. Then how did the Ghost-kid discharge Danny?

The older teen bit her lip. − I don't know. Danny had never been clear in this part, sorry. − she paused, reflecting for a few steps. − ...But I think he had to be awake. Though that's something we need now anyway.

The other two silently agreed. The raven teen could answer more surely to their questions, even if he would be in terrible pain all the while for both the shivers and the legs. Maybe they could give him a couple of ibuprofen pills to help him.

While each of them was engrossed in their musings, the group still progressed forward, the sound of dripping water making itself noticed in the meanwhile, till they reached the last crossroad... Which was a large chamber with only three tunnels (apart from theirs). The one on the left and the one on the right seemed to lose themselves in the darkness, however the one right in front of them was clearly a dead-end, closed by a wall of whitish limestone few meters (or feet) from its start.

All along the chamber was decorated with stalactites, stalagmites and some rare pillars, but the main attraction was the deep crystal clear lake that covered its entire floor, leaving only four small "platforms" at the base of the tunnels.

At first the sight awed the spectators, but soon a problem made itself evident.

− ...Dad, which one is our way out? − Jazz's voice trembled from worry.

− The dead-end. Right on the other side of the lake, in front of us. − his women sucked a breath.

− How are we even gonna reach it? − their daughter asked finally.

A/N. Yey, second cliffhanger of the story! And still no awake-Danny. But I can promise you that next chapter interesting things are gonna happen.

And... probably I should apologize in advance for the next title and its related jokes, but I was cackling too much while I was writing them. Hope you'll like them. (I'm cruel to leave you with this kind of anticipation, I know xD).

[As for those of you who are following Haunted Drabbles, I apologize for the delay, but I got several half-written drabbles that I couldn't complete in time and rather than publish something I wasn't still satisfied of, I preferred skipping a week.]

Thanks for all the review, favorites and follows, I really, really, really appreciate them! :D

Type ya next weekend with Shivers!