Chapter Twenty-Two: Jazz
"What the hell was that shaking," Impulse nearly yelled when the other three got back down from the roof.
"That would be my brother when he gets pissed," Danny stated. "When he's mad, you have to get as far away as possible. When that's not possible, you just get out of his way."
"Is he okay," M'gann asked, slightly worried even with full knowledge of Siren's large amount of power.
"I'm more worried about the stress room that White," Danny chuckled.
"Stress room," Mal asked.
"When we first got our headquarters from our friend's father, we had the room installed underneath it," Danny explained.
"There's more under our feet," Karen asks, looking at the ground.
"When you're a ghost, secrets are a lot of who we are," Danny shrugged. "The stress room is for when either myself or White get an eleven on a one to ten scale of anger. Our powers can get a little out of hand when we're angry. You've seen that first hand."
The team could not help but cringe in agreement.
"The room is equipped with dummies, training equipment, and heavy-duty reinforcement wall," Cyborg told his teammates.
"Along with enchantments and runes to add to their strength," Danny says. "We wouldn't take the chance that technology might not have been enough, so we also wove magic into the room. But every so often, if we're angry enough, a little power seeps through. As you all just saw."
"You might need to repair that room once White is done, down there," Roy said.
"Oh, there's no need to worry about that," Danny waved off. "The enchantments also have a self-repair feature to them. Anytime we leave the room, it repairs itself in about an hour or so."
There was another slight shake that had come from beneath them.
"It might need more than an hour, this time," Dick said.
"That's my brother for you," Danny says. "Just be happy that he isn't doing that while he was still up here."
"Boy, you two scare us enough without you saying things like that," Karen stated.
"Have you people forgotten that I am a ghost," Danny gestured to himself. "It is in my nature to be creepy and scary. Why do you think so many mortal shows about ghost hunting are creepy? It's because we are creepy. Has it not sunk in even after over a year?"
Before anyone could answer, Siren music swirled back into the room. He looked a lot better than when he left.
"Well, I feel a lot better," was the first thing that came out of his mouth. "Did I miss anything while I was down under?"
"The most exciting thing that's happened in the past ten minutes was you making that Australia pun," Gar tells him.
"Better boring than action-filled," White says. "Danny and I used to have to fight ghosts and mystics on a three-time-a-day basis. Most of the time it was ol' Boxy or Skulker."
"And both are equally annoying," Danny shook his head.
"As if anyone is as annoying as the Box Ghost," White scoffed. "I'll kill him a second time if he yells 'BEWARE' one more time."
"Talk with Melinda," Danny advised. "If he gets that annoying, she might have a spell that finally gets him out of our hair."
"That alone would be like a gift from the gods themselves," White said.
"White, I have actually always wondered about why you always say 'gods' plural," Jaime asks the magical musician.
"Well, you all know that sirens are part of Greek mythology," White started.
"It be hard not to know with all the time we spend with you," Garth says. "Plus, as Atlanteans, myself and Kaldur would already know plenty about it."
"Well, as a siren and member of the Greek mythology community, I do believe in the gods of Olympus," White explained. "Gods such as Apollo, Poseidon, and Aeolus are sacred to us sirens. They're the gods of music, the sea, and the wind."
"Even with all the different types of elements that sirens can use, they are all still originally beings of music, sea, and air," Danny added.
"Other than you being a siren, are you even Greek," Cyborg asked.
"Not even the slightest, even if I have no idea what type of blood was running through our veins with the Fentons as biological parents," White said. "I like that being a siren gives me a culture to be a part of. Plus, Hades always has had a soft spot for me. Must be my natural charm as the siren of pure heart."
"I'm with my brother on that," Danny agreed. "Especially with him being favored by Hades. Even as the god of the Underworld, he does have quite the soft spot when it comes to my brother."
"Can I help it that magical people find my golden heart impossible to hate," White joked. "Unless you're Circe, or Madea, or Klarian, or any other magical being whose butt I've kicked back to wherever they came from."
"And it usually isn't a very pleasant place," Danny snickered.
"Now, before we Danny and White show us around town, I do believe M'gann sent me to get Danny because dinner was soon," Cyborg rubbed his hands, almost drooling.
She nodded and looked over at Siren. Waving his hand, he opened up a small portal, like how Phantom can sometimes do to get to the Ghost Zone. It took a lot of strength, so neither of them used the ability often. Especially since the only places they could portal to were the Ghost Zone and Isle of Sirens. Siren pulled a picnic basket out his portal.
"You guys really think that I would let us come back to this hellhole without bringing a bit of my southern hospitality," White smirked. "I spent hours cooking last night, with plenty of help from our local martian."
"By that, he means that I held a spoon while he did everything else," M'gann giggled.
"M'gann, you sell yourself short," White smiled at the humble hero. "More than half the cookies in this basket are because of you."
"Yet you somehow managed to fit them, two giant platters of chicken parmesan, a big bowl of caesar salad, freshly baked Italian bread, and cannolis in there," M'gann pointed out.
"In that little thing," Impulse looked at the basket.
"Melinda cast a space expansion charm on it," White explained. "I could fit an entire medieval feast in this thing."
He started pulling food out of the basket, like Mary Poppins would do with her handbag. The team happily ate the food cooked by their resident siren chef. You can't be heroes on an empty stomach.
After they finished, Phantom and Siren soon took them into the city to start patrolling and let the team get a feel for the city.
The city of Amity Park had quieted down since Skulker and Ember's little visit. People and animals were most likely at home, asleep. The wind was now nothing more than a breeze that carried the sound of crickets eerie sounds that are caused by wind in abandoned buildings. But there was also the fact that the night seemed to amplify how truly bad the town has gotten. The city lights were not bright in the least, being outdone by the light of the stars. The moon also shined brighter than the street lamps, offering more than enough light for midnight travelers. Even if it was only eleven-thirty.
Jumping from rooftop to rooftop, were the young heroes. They only stopped every once and a while to observe a certain building or street. Leading the team through the city were Phantom and Siren. The two led them to the fountain within the park in order to rest.
The park was peaceful and did not seem like it was as damaged as the rest of the town seemed to be. The gray sidewalks were slightly lit, the trees and bushes hadn't grown out of control, there were still flowers around the fountain that practically glowed in the moonlight, and the water itself turned silver and blue from the moon.
The team had been observing the twins the entire time that they weren't looking out for any baddies or other hostiles in their vicinity. The two, while trying their best to stay as serious and mission-oriented as possible, could not hide the haunted look in their eyes. They really hated to be back in Amity. It was like a real-life nightmare come to life for them. After meeting four of the main people that caused them to leave in the first place, they were going to be keeping very close eyes on the twins.
The creepy vibes from the town did not stop the younger members of the team from being excited about the view they were getting.
"This place is amazing," Impulse shouted out loud.
immediately put up the Mind Link and lightly scolded the speedster for shouting like that.
"Did you forget the definition of stealth again," she scolded.
"I'll get the dictionary out again," Conner stated.
"Heh, heh... sorry," the boy from the future apologized.
"It's alright, Bart," Phantom reassured. "No one is really around here at this time of night. Save the few midnight joggers every once in a while, but that's often."
"Can't even begin to tell you guys about how many ghosts or mystics we've fought in this park," White says, slightly smiling. "I once had to chase down a nymph trio that had developed a bad habit of exposing themselves by trying to bath in fountains and other water sources around town. The newspaper had given them the nickname of Godiva Girls."
"That was a very disturbing two days," Danny shivered. "I couldn't look any nature user in the eye for almost a month."
"Lena, while a little insulted at being compared to nymphs, did understand why you avoided her eyes," White said.
"Siren of nature, that she is, the girl is very unique, to say the least," Danny says.
"Nothing wrong with that," Gar put in. "I like Lena. She makes me look sane compared to her. Nice for someone to finally do that."
"Never change, Gar," Cyborg put his hand on the shapeshifter's shoulder. "The world would be a whole lot more boring if you did."
The team had to agree with the half-robot on that one.
"I can also slightly agree with the 'not looking someone in the eyes' thing," White said. "I could barely look my own brother in the eye after that first Fake-Out Make-Out he had with Sam."
He snickered at the memory. While, at the same time, Superboy got a look of jealousy on his face. He quickly got rid of it and returned to his stone Kryptonian face.
"I thought I told you never to mention that again," Danny slightly snapped.
"We both know that I wasn't going to listen," the siren smirked. "It's too funny of a memory not to tease you about every once in a while."
"What types of ghosts have you fought here," Garth asked.
"Pretty much almost every ghost has fought against us in this park," White says. "Danny, remember when the Box Ghost tried to seem tough by having it rain sandwiches and shoes from his 'boxes of terror?"
"Gods, do I hate that annoying guy," Danny shook his head. "Trust me when I say that if I could make being a pest illegal in the Ghost Zone, I would."
"He still has to beware of me," White crossed his arms. "That was also the day that he stole Pandora's Box. And as a proud member of the Greek mythology family, I can tell you right away that we were all insulted and angry over such an idiot getting his fat fingers on one of our most prized, and dangerous, artifacts."
"Wasn't Pandora's Box opened centuries ago," Robin asked.
"Trust me when I say that there is a lot more to that box than what mortals have written down, and be happy that you don't know what else is in it," Danny stated.
"Like I've been saying since the day we met you guys, myths and legends are usually filled to the brim with errors," White tells the heroes. "Pandora's Box does, indeed, contain the world's evils. But, at the same time, the box will unleash its horrors when opened, getting worse every time it's opened."
"There is actually an entire section of the Ghost Zone filled with ghosts that are related to Greek mythology," Danny told them. "While I was there the first time, I ran into ghost centaurs, minotaurs, a cyclops, and a ghostly version of Medusa."
"I still love the fact that you literally blasted her snake hair off of her head," White smirked.
"That is so crash," Impulse cheered.
"Is there any type of creature that doesn't have a ghost counterpart," Kaldur curiously asked.
"If there is, we haven't found them," White chuckled. "Danny, remember when Terminatra?"
"Who," the team asked.
"That had been another day of Desiree and wishes gone wrong," Danny says. "She's a genie ghost from ancient India. Her wishes always come with a nasty side effect. Sam had made a wish, unknowingly, for popular girl Paulena's quinceanera to be canceled at any cost. And Desiree had granted it by bringing a horror movie's three killers to life. Terminatra had been one of them."
"And all three of them are probably still floating around the Ghost Zone, somewhere," White says.
A gentle breeze glided through the park, rustling the leaves, and producing a sweet aroma that smelled of the fresh air, the trees, and the sweet flowers. There was also a slight hint of jasmine in the air.
Phantom and Siren closed their eyes as the soft wind lightly blew through their hair and moved their cloaks slightly. They both gained sad smiles on their faces. Without turning around, Phantom spoke aloud.
"Hey, Jazz," he knew the jasmine scent anywhere.
Some of the teen's eyes went wide in shock, while the others had looks of suspicion with narrowed eyes or tightened jaws.
They watched as a red-haired teen, maybe even new adult, stepped out from the shadows of the trees. She has a youthful shine in her aqua blue eyes and also has long auburn hair which reaches down to her hips. She wears an aqua headband to keep her hair out of her eyes. She also wears a black long-sleeve v-neck shirt, aqua pants, and a pair of simple black flats. The girl herself was skinny, but naturally so. Meanwhile, her eyes showed different emotions, full of both relief and sorrow. Both struggling for dominance. However, it didn't matter, as tears already came.
"D...Danny? W...White," she choked out.
Phantom and Siren smiled at her sadly and nodded. But before they could say anything else, Jazz tackled them into a hug. If it wasn't for their advanced strength, they probably would have fallen over
"I was so worried about you two," she was crying. "I came back to the house when I heard you were missing. Mom worrying, Dad was furious, and I was so confused. I asked them what had happened, but they refused to say anything! It wasn't until I went to throw something away did I find your note in the trash. And I..."
The twin brothers felt their bodies tense up as their older sister began to sob onto their shoulders, as she was in the middle of them. Her face was twisted in guilt and looked to be in physical pain.
"Jazz..." White tried.
"I felt like it was my fault that you were gone," Jazz was balling. "I should've been here to protect you. I should've been here to stop Mom and Dad from hurting you! I should've..."
"Jazz, stop," Danny halted her guilt rant.
Jazz jerked back in surprise and her tearful eyes met both of her brothers' fiery determined ones.
"But I..." she was interrupted by the twins.
"You didn't do anything, Jazz. How could you," White talked her down. "It wasn't your fault, nor was it ever yours. We chose to leave. Us. It was our choice and ours alone. Yes, Jack and Maddie may have been the reason we left... but it was still our decision."
"Wipe those tears away, you spazz," Danny tells her. "Can't be the annoying big sister that we know and sometimes love if you're blubbering like a baby. We're the younger ones, it's our jobs to go to you when crying. Even if it is when we are quite reluctant."
Jazz chuckled at her brother's old taunting and wiped her eyes with the back of her sleeve. It was always the elder twin that taunted, the younger one teased. She sniffled before looking up at her magically gifted brothers and the new fire in their eyes. She couldn't help but smile.
Phantom and Siren smiled back and pulled her into a hug.
"There's that smile," Danny tells her.
Jazz sighed in relief, smiling as she leaned between the two.
"I love you two. Danny, White," she told them.
"We love you too, Jazz," they responded.
The three didn't know how long they remained in each other's embrace but weren't broken up until someone cleared their throat. They looked back over at the team.
Nightwing stepped forwards with an apologetic look on his face.
"Sorry to have to break up this happy reunion, but we need to keep moving if we want to have the whole city scouted out by tonight," he said.
"Who are you," she asked, looking towards her brothers. "Are these the people that Lena and Krinos have been telling me and Valerie about?"
"Yes," White answered. "And, unfortunately, Nightwing is right. We have to keep moving."
"So," Gar says. "We take it that you're the older sister that these two talk about?"
"The one and only," Jazz grinned at the green teen. "Unless they have another older sister that I don't know about."
"Well, they did pick up a big brother," Cyborg stepped up.
Jazz stared at him, shocked by the half-robot. Krinos and Lena told her that her little brothers had a pseudo brother that was part-robot, but she did not truly believe it until not.
"That explains the weird brain waves I've been getting for the past few hours," she put two and two together.
"Brain waves," Karen was confused. "Girl, what are you going on about?"
"Jazz was given the power of telepathy by Clockwork a year before we left," Danny explained. "She's been practicing with her powers for quite some time now."
"It's true," Jazz approved. "I've mastered mind reading and can even set up a mind link, but I am still a little shaky with my memory erasing and mind illusions. Making things seem real to a person but is only real to them."
"She can help guide us through all the changes in town," Danny says. "As long as she doesn't suck me into the thermos while fighting any ghosts we come across."
"I am never going to live that down, am I," Jazz covered her face with her hands.
"We'll hold that over you for the rest of your life, Jazzy," White snickered.
"I expect nothing less of you two," Jazz smiled at them, before turning her attention back to the team. "So, what do you think of our little town so far?"
"Your place is so crash," Impulse said. "Small, but peaceful..."
At that moment, every single team member wanted to do nothing more than slap Impulse upside the head. Because at that exact moment, a woman's screams could be heard in the distance.
Robin, Beast Boy, Nightwing, Tempest, and Superboy turned to glare at Impulse. Siren trained his ears to the source of the scream.
"Why on Earth would you even THINK about saying that," Robin exclaimed.
"You know our luck is bad enough, why'd you have to go and say that," Gar added. "Come on, man!"
"Well, I thought that since we were in a different dimension that..." Impulse trailed off
"As much as we would want to hear your excuses right now, there's a woman being jumped about two blocks from us, so if you're done..." White says.
With that being said, the brothers dashed off into the night, leaving some of the teenagers to blink in surprise and/or confusion. The rest rushed to catch up to the white and gold-haired teens. Jazz was now wishing that she had brought her car or Phantom's old motor scooter as she struggled to follow them.
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