Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Mom and Dad, love us, no matter their flaws, quirks, and craziness they love us.

“Frostbite please, there has to be something, anything you could do”

They would never put their obsession job before us.

“I'm sorry Princess but they have chipped his core, there's not much we can do,”

I they got us ready for school

“His human side is too far gone for him to heal in it,”

I they made us food

“His body is too tired, the malnutrition and injuries are too vast”

I They held Danny and me when we cried

“We can make sure he is comfortable during the time he has left

I They noticed when Danny was sick

“I’ll leave you to say your goodbye,”

Mom and Dad love us

“I’m sorry”

Danny, little brother please, I can't lose you. Please get up, laugh, smile, tell me about the stars, please anything.

Danny, please don't go. I can't live without you.

Anything, I’ll do anything to save you

…

…

…

…

“Jasmine,”

“Clockwork,”

“There is a way”

“please”

“He won't remember, not until his core reforms”

“Will I ever see him again?”

“In time you will be with your brother again but whether he remembers will be up to him,”

“Do it,”

“Are you sure, once it is done things will never be the same,”

“Things will never be the same, Do it”

“As you wish Princess,”

In a way only fitting a God, Clockwork lifts his staff, and the sands of time circle and grow. The otherworldly sands create a cosmos before Jazz’s eyes. Universes and stars form and die, time shifts to Clockworks will. Danny's body shines, ectoplasm glowing and reforming his missing limbs and sealing his incisions. The stars themself seep into his skin, covering his body mid-air.

In words that no mortal could understand Clockwork chants, as he speaks the room around them starts to shake, buckling under the pressure of the God of time. Danny's limp form takes on a more healthy hue, and missing patches of hair grows back bone white.

As the chanting stops and the sands resettle Clockwork places his hand down on Danny ever so gently, right above his core, right about the middle of the ‘Y’ carved into his chest.

“May the King soon rise again,” With a flash, they are both gone. Leaving Jazz alone

…

…

…

…

Chapter Text

Abandon CADMUS Base

“ETA five minutes,” Oracle said over the Batplane speaker. “No signs of life, but the energy rates this building is giving is insane. It looks like it's all coming from the basement, whatever it is I can't get into”

Oracle sends over the reads and charts for Batman and Red Robin to start reading over. Red Robin starts to compare the reading to the earlier ones taken in the cave and notices a big change.

“There's a spike in the output, something changed” Red Robin comments.

“Hmm”

“Come on B, we talked about this no grunting,” Comments Nightwing as he drapes himself over the dark night.

“Oracle, is the security system still active?” Batman said

“It's down and I have a majority of their files copied to a secure network, the only thing I need from the inside is the basement”

“Got it, Nightwing and Robin you two I will check the upper level while Red Robin and I get into the basement. Understood”

All 3 birds agree and soon Batman and co. are inside the building.

Upstairs with Robin and Nightwing

“Tt, this place is disgusting,”

The smell comes from one corner of the room, next to an open fridge and filled sink, leftover food, and garbage overflowing. Filling cabinets around the room were tipped and pilled up in front of the window.

Robin and Nightwing walk silently into the middle, tense and on guard. They move in, the trashed office shows signs of a fight. Filing cabinets stacked against windows and falling away from the door, blown-in, Dick muses The broken glass from computer screens shine bright red. The office carpets that were once white are now stained in a dark red/brown.

“It's not that bad Little Bird, it looks better than when we tried to make Angent A his birthday Breakfast last month.” Nightwing replies fondly.

“Quite you imbecile, non of that was my fault,”

“You drew first blood,” Dick huffed out a laugh, “I have a scar from the fork,”

"Tt,"

Nightwing laughs and walks to the middle of the blood-stained carpet. Spinning in a whole 360 he starts trying to piece together the fight. Broken bits of weapons lay destroyed on the floor, camouflaged by blood. Some are broken in half with no sight of the rest, and other looks to have had the inside mechanism ripped out. Torn and frayed wires frame the razor-sharp metal, metallic gray shining out against the blood.

Computer monitors and towers weren't even spared from the carnage. Computer monitors are torn like sheets of paper, some even crumpled up in a ball. The towers have been punched in and had the insides ripped out. Dick kicked one with his foot, it was completely hollow.

All the desks lay in a hazardous circle, corralling the blood in one spot. Only one desk had a streak of red, almost blinded by the crisp white desk. It leads to a broken window. Bloody hand prints look like they were dragged back into the circle, hands smudged against the building exterior. They tried to run.

But where are all the bodies?

"Robin, you have anything,"

"One set of boot prints and an unknown large animal paw print"

Dick pauses, unknown, little wing knows like every animal breed. He starts walking to Robin on the other side of the outer circle of desks, and after stepping past the window and handprints he sees them.

Paw Prints

Large Paw Prints

Large bloody paw prints track down the side of the circle, they must have dragged their runner in. Halfway to Robin what looks like men's boots begin and walk beside it. He sees Robin crouched down next to the bloody print, it's bigger than him. Dick stopped to stand in one.

“Any idea on the aminal,”

“I do, shape alone is a dog or wolf variety, however, size shows it to be 3 times bigger than a polar bear 12 inches. Either alien or genetically mortified, it's not a normal dog.” Robin stands and walks to a large blood stain next to two bootprints “Both prints stop here, the dog appeared to have heeled to the owner but there is nothing to show how they left. No blood in the hallway and non in the surrounding area.”

Where the prints stop is a desk, no blood, and set up on still on with a filing cabinet untouched. It is the only clean desk, so clean it looked like someone moved it there after or cleaned it. Before Dick could touch the computer it comes to life. It shines with a sickly green glow and distorts to only a glowing green cog glitching in and out of sight. As the brothers stare the silence that when unnoticed when they walked in starts to blare in their ears. Not a sound is heard, not from the broken window, or the light. No sound of the desktop being on or the sound of the office clocks on the wall. Every clock has stopped, at the same time, from the wall mount to the time on the microwave and printer displays.

“Oricale do you have anything on this,”

“What is it, I can't see you or Robin since you stopped at the desk,” Even her voice came distorted in the coms.

“A green gear on a neon green screen. It froze up the computer.”

Nightwing starts to sporadically move the mouse and presses the power button, but nothing happens.

“Nothing in their files matches, bring me the computer, I have an isolated network I can use to look at it.”

“Got it,”

As Nightwing begins on the computer Robin heads to the filing cabinet. It's clean, not even a dent on it. He goes to the first draw, it's locked. Robin takes out a pick set and starts on the lock. He has it open before Nightwing finishes unplugging the computer. Robin pauses to put his lock picks back into his belt then goes back to the handle of the cabinet. Pulling the draw open with a wet sound.

Once Robin sees the inside he slams it shut again. Nightwing looks over at the sound and comes closer. Robins's face is tinted green, frozen in horror at what was in there. Nightwing braces himself, he needs to open the draw. Swallowing dry he opens it.

Oh god

It's a human head or Dick thought it was one.

In a grotesque bloody head facing Dick with his eyes wide open is another head. A caucasian man's and an African American man's heads both sit in the draw. Both of them stuffed into one another, chins facing in different directions and eyes coming mixed match on their faces, eyes partially merged into another. Mouths open in a scream but more teeth cut through the lip of another, combined together at a strange angle. Four ears sit in all different places on the lump head, some ears changing skin color halfway. The skin on their hairless heads merged and twisted together, clipping into one other.

And stuffed into the hole that Dick believes is the mouth is two name tags. Plastic bloody and morphed into another he can only read the partial names of the two.

Agent O and Agent K.

Chapter Text

Jazz didn't know how long she stood there, vigil over an empty bed. Crimson red and neon green mixed together in a sicking ty-dye. Blood, hair, and the other inner parts of Danny form a trail from the door to the bed, not that there was much of him left.

She's frozen, stuck for eternity in her own mind, watching the empty bed.

Ever so slowly the blood starts to blend, becoming a murking mix of red and green, jazz couldn't look away—flecks of green start to shine through the congealed clumps of human blood.

After some time Jazz starts to feel the blood on her, every spot where the blood glues her clothes to her skin, her matted ends of hair, staining the skin of her neck and lower jaw. She can feel where her tears had left their trails.

The worst was her hands.

The dried cracking blood covers them, and cracking and itching, nails once trimmed and clean are broken and ripped past the nail bed- Stands of black and white lay stuck and sealed under them.

She hated them.

She hates the feeling of the dried blood, hates that her little brother's hair was stuck under her nails, hates the lingering feeling of trying to hold the open flesh of where Danny's arm was. Hates that whatever she did was never enough, that she couldn't save him.

She hates herself.

She hated her Parents.

Her parents never cared about Danny, never cooked him a special breakfast for his first day of school, and never made sure he went to sleep on time or got up for school in the morning. They never helped Danny take baths or change his clothes, never kissed his scrapped and clean up his cuts. They never sat and listen to Danny talk about space, or talk about his day. Jack never taught him to brush his teeth and Maddie never showed him how to brush his hair. Jack and Maddie never cared that it was 2 a.m. on a Tuesday and their kids had school in the morning, they had to keep building their lab. Jack never cared that his hugs and pats on the back left bruises and Maddie never cared that her words cut and lingered.

They never cared

Jazz cared, she got him up for school and bathed and clothed him. Tried to buy food that dosent glow green, taught him to brush his teeth and fix his hair. She patched him up when they shoot him, she made sure Danny's ‘secret’ first aid kit was stocked.

When Danny was in the portal accident she when back through hours of camera footage to find and delete it.

She stopped hanging out with her friends to start studying psychology to try and help Danny. Took on more tutoring sessions to pay for Danny's new enhanced diet. Learned first aid in the middle of the night to help Danny when he came back from patrol.

But Danny not coming bad, not from patrol, not school, nasty burger, or Sam and Tuckers.

Dannys gone

Because she failed.

…

…

…

Hours had passed since Clockwork took Danny Jazz remained in the infirmary. Seated with her back against a wall and her legs out in front. Her eyes shrouded in darkness from her bags stayed locked on the bed, but Jazz stopped crying long ago.

Feeling numb her chin drops to her lap and locks onto her hands, deep red stained her skin seeming permanent.

Their eyes burned and their mind raced, all she could feel was disgusted at the sight. As her hatred grow for her hand so did her anger. But she wasn't just angry at herself -she already hated herself- no Jazz was angry with everything.

Her mind was screaming, demanding that it be let out. She wanted to rage and destroy everything that tried to hurt her little brother.

But she wouldn't, not yet. No, she will wait.

Because Jasmine Fenton is very smart, studying psychology for the majority of her life, and once the portal had open started learning law. She knows that how her parents raised her and Danny was wrong. She knows that when CPS came when Danny was 5 they should have been taken from the house due to it being unsafe. She knows that when she and most of Casper high called for help the Justice League should have come to help. That the Anti-Ecto acts go directly against Meta-Human Protection Laws.

But that's fine because when Jazz was done she will no longer be ignored.

…

…

…

*Knock, Knock, Knock*

Out of the corner of her eye Jazz could see Frostbite but she could be bothered to look, eyes still locked onto her hands.

"Your Majesty, the council has gathered, we are just awaiting you," Frostbite said, lacking the usual warmth in his voice. Jazz twitched but said nothing.

“Your Majesty please, we need you,”

His voice took a pleading tone that broke Jazz out of the trance that held her for hours. Lifting her head and letting it fall against the wall with a dull thump she turned slightly to look at the Yeti. He looked different, tired, and morning but dressed in finer battle clothes than she has seen before.

"What are you talking about," Came a low whisper, throat dried and breaking.

"The infinite realms still need a ruler, until your brother is in good health you must take the throne," Frostbite came farther into the room as he talked and sat down, but did not block the bed from her view.

"I can't rule the Infinite Reals, I’m human” Jazz was quick to deny, she couldn't rule the ghost zone, she had things to do, and government agencies to burn.

"You aren't human, not fully,” At that Jazz finally gave Frostbite her full attention.

“With long-term exposure to ectoplasm, you start to absorb it, once metabolized you can never get rid of it, you have been absorbing it since you were a child, your brother since he was in the womb,"

"What," Jazz couldn't move, this changed everything.

"King Phantom used to tell me of how your guardians wore protective gear everywhere,"

They never took off their suits, going so far as to wear clothes over the.

"Interacting with items that are infused with ectoplasm can also speed up the processes,"

Their house glows green, and so did the school.

"Ingesting ectoplasm can also change the person over time,"

"Stop!" How long has she not been a human? When did she change?

"I'm sorry your majesty, I didn't mean to upset you.," Frostbite is quick to stop with an sheepish look, “I thought you knew,”

"Just stop, please" Stop, I can't take it. Jazz itches all over, and her skin feels stretched and foreign. She wants to scream and cry, everything is changing and she can't do it. She can't do this, not now, so she pushes it down and back. Into the darkest and smallest corner, she could find.

Tightened hands dig the shape edges of her nails into the meat of the palms, she ignores her inner self sobbing and calling for someone to help her, only Danny would answer the call, but Danny was gone.

Jazz focuses back to Frostbite when he opens his mouth, worry obvious in his eyes.

“You said council, what is that,” Cutting him off and ignoring the part about taking the thrown Jazz changes the subject.

"The council was hand chosen by King Phantom, he made it of trusted advisors and essential individuals of the zone. I myself am part of it. So is Ghostwriter, Fright Knight, Walker, Dora, Pandora, and Technous,” Frostbite sits up straight with prime when he mentions himself, “Many of the beings in the Realm are angry and scared after hearing what has happened they want to avenge the King, we must come up with a plan, and we need the Queen of the Infinity Reals to start the meeting,” The will you come? Went unsaid, it was a tough yes or no question.

But remember Jasmine Fenton is a very smart girl

Chapter Text

Downstairs with Batman and Robin

The lobby of the CADMUS base was shockingly normal, abandoned coffee cups sit on counters and tables, and magazines sit on the bookshelf next to the receptionist's desk. Beige carpet covers the floor and a dirty aquarium filled with dead fish sits by the back wall. Fat-backed TVs sit in two opposite corners of the room 

“This place looks like a dentist's office” Comments Red Robin as he shuffles through the old paper on the desk before heading for the stairs to start looking for the basement. 

Batman doesn't comment as he quickly scans the empty offices down the hall, each room is set up like a privet hospital, half equip for surgery and half for recovery. All the rooms are without power, some looked like they were in mid-surgery before they were forced to stop. 

“Oracle, are there any medical records in the files you found?” Asked Batman as he took out a camera and started taking pictures of the blooded table. 

“Not much B, some short notes about buying medical equipment but nothing on it was bought or any type of patient records.” 

“Did anyone who worked here have medical degrees?” 

“Give me a second to check,”

Batman began going through all paperwork left on the deck. Most are labeled classified and have blacked-out sections. Some sheets stuck together with a dried green subsistence. Pulling an evidence bag from his belt Batman starts to quickly organize all the papers and puts them in the bag.

“I got something, no doctors on staff but I did find a mention of ‘ transporting a large shipment from Dr.F and Dr. F ’. It's small, only written in the margin on a sheet talking about a company buyout of this base.” Oracle explains. 

“Did the buyout happen? Whos the buyer?” Batman questions back, This isn't good he thinks, if another tried to buy this CADMUS facility then what do they want? 

“It doesn't say but the sale went through, one week before our readings saw the spike in energy the entire property was bought.” 

“I thought this place was abandoned,” Commented the Bat, walking over to the medical equipment to check the year and make. 

“It was, or technically is. Not on any water grid or energy grid. The forest around it is so thick it can’t be reached by car, even the overhead image we got from the Bat Plane shows the tree brush so heavy it can't be seen.”

“The medical setup is new, Luthor corp machines, only a year old. “ Batman recited the barcode over the coms. 

“ Do you think Lex bought this place?” Came Red Robins's voice over the coms.

“I don't think so, there is only one mention of Luthor Corp, in an accounting sheet it says his were the cheapest and would not ask for the required paperwork to buy the equipment.”

A quiet laugh came over the line from Red Robin and Batman allows himself a small smirk at the information. 

“ Found the door to the basement, lock is simple just a 4-digit button lock.” Red Robin said. 

“Unlock it but wait before going in” Batman quickly turns and starts walking to the basement. 

“Once you guys get in put my flash drive into the main computer or any type of Internet router, it should only take about 5 minutes for me to get in,” Oracle explained. “I also don't have any cameras down there so be careful.”

“Locks open,” Red Robin said right as Batman walked up behind him. 

The two exchange a nod and Batman takes the front.

*TW Blood and Gore

The air in the lab was stale, and the smell of blood hung heavy in the air. It was dimly lit, the main lights are broken and hanging from the ceiling, with the emergency light flickering every couple of minutes.

Both were silent as they walked to the main floor of the lab. They stared and said nothing. 

The lab was a macare. 

Thin nets cover large portions of the floor, some hanging from above. Chunks of flesh caught in the steel, the smell was horrendous. Severed limbs are decaying in the jaws of bear traps and serrated knifes pin scalps to different desks around the room. 

Farther and farther Batman and Red Robin forced themselves. Emotions locked away, they forced a cold numbness to overtake them. Like men possessed they kept looking, unblinking as they found the only computer in the room. 

It was smashed beyond recognition. The screen was missing completely and the computer case had a large circle indent in the middle. Blood and hair tucked into the broken metal, broken teeth imbed a small portion. A slim spike of metal sticking out of the head-shaped print, and at the base of it was a blood-covered eyeball. 

“...B”

“...” Batman was a silent protector as he stood over Red Robin, a steady force blocking the gruesome sight and leading the Bird away. As they walked Tim was hidden in his father's shadow, the Dark Knight loomed over the door that led to the last area of the lab. 

“Wait here,” commanded the Bat as he opened the door.

“No,” came the reply from the teenage vigilantly. 

The room opened to a small dark viewing chamber, two couches sit close to the glass window and a desk was behind them. A laptop was still plugged in on the desk and a red light was flashing around it. 

A figure was shining in the red light, 

At a distance, the dark hid it well, 

Batman went to the desk, and Red Robin didn't follow,

And sitting in the chair was a man.

Mouth wide open and teeth missing, Batman wanted to say he was naked but that would be too generous. From top to bottom, the man was missing everything, missing the hair from his head, cartilage from his nose, the nails on his fingers, and from head to toe he was missing his skin. 

Batman stares for a moment, then blinks. Looking away he turns the laptop to him. It was an error message, the subject elimination sequence was interrupted. 

“B, your going to want to see this.” Red Robin called from the window,

Batman unplugged the laptop and plugged in Oracles flash drive as he walks to Red Robin. 

“Oracle the flash drive was just put in, do you see it?” Batman handed off the laptop to his partner and focus on the machine through the window. 

It was a cloning tube, made out of metal and exposed wires. Tubes hung down unattached from the main chamber of the tube. A glass screen that was densely cracked covered the front panel, blocking the inside from view. 

“Orcale did you hear me?”

“...”

“Oracle Report,” Demand Batman

“Coms are out, but they got into the computer.” Red Robin said, turning the screen to Batman. The red error message was gone and in its place was a black screen and a bat symbol.

As Red Robin works with Orcal on the laptop Batman makes his way into the next room. 

Batman begins to circle the tube, and around the back of it, the power cord leads to the wall still plugged in. It didn't have any type of monitor to show what was inside but the tube was still on. 

“Oracles in, and sending a message,” Red walks into the room with Batman, coming to a stop beside him. 

‘ There is someone inside the tube, still alive. Need more time on my end.’

Batman turns back and runs his hands down the sides of the cloning chamber. Finding no opening he turns to Red Robin.

“See if there is something to open the tube.”

Red Robin tries but before he could do much the screen goes black. Muttering a low curse he tries to turn it back on but the screen stays the same. 

Batman takes a laser cutter from his belt and begins to cut the glass screen away from the tube. After getting a corner he wedges a hand under it and pulls away. Red Robin comes to the other side to help. After another minute the glass is gone and the tube is open. 

The boy inside couldn't have been older than ten. Black hair weighed down by sweat and blood, eyes sunken into their sockets, and cheeks hollow out. He was covered in a hospital gown soaked in blood, scars covered his legs and blood covered his feet. At a closer look, three of his toes were missing. His right arm was twisted at an unnatural angle, and a Lichtenberg scar went from his palm, up his arm, and below his gown. His left arm was completely different. 

It was gone. 

The cut wasn't clean, uneven flesh is exposed to the air around it. Dried blood clots and seal the missing limb, but it's not clean. The skin around it is green and an alarming shaded puss builds in some spots. An infection has already set. 

“Red Robin, take the laptop and start the Bat Plane, set coordinates for the Watchtower, and have Nightwing help set a bed in the med-wing,” 

Batman walked to the side of the boy and gently pushed a hair out from his face. Red looks at the boy and nods, leaving the room. 

Once alone Batman carefully gathers the child in his arms and holds him close. Tucking him close and covering him with his cape the Bat leaves for the plane.

Chapter Text

Jazz didn't want to be Queen, she never wanted to, it felt wrong. Taking the crown, taking his place. She didn't know the Realms like Danny, didn't have a relationship with the beings here or know anything about the history. 

Danny's kind and fair.

The Infinite Realms love him as their king. Would they even accept me?

Absently she starts to scratch at the dried blood staining her hands. Harshly plucking away the black hairs cemented under her nail bed.

She knows she will agree. 

She doesn't want to.

She wants to go home and mess with her baby brother. Eat dinner together and mess with his hair. Ask him if he did his homework and act annoyed when he says no.

But she can't.

"Okay, I'll go."

"Thank, your Majesty-" Frostbite offers her his arm and together they fly out the room. " The council is already together so we won't have to wai-"

"Wait-wait, what's the council?" Using his arm as leverage Jazz spins in the zero gravity of the realm to face the undead yeti.

Frostbite looks slightly confused that she didn't know but started to explain.

"The council was made by the Great One as a way to get other opinions on things happening in the realm," Frostbite Explained, "He chooses several beings from different parts of the Realm and they act as advisers to him." He sounded prideful.

"Are you part of the seven, Frostbite?" Jazz felt her lip quirk up slightly at the visually honored ghost.

"Indeed, Ghostwriter, Fright Knight, Walker, Dora, Pandora,Technous, and myself make up the seven members."

Before Jazz could question why a certain three members of Danny's Rouges were a part of the Seven they arrived at Phantoms Keep. 

The sight of Danny's home in the zone was magnificent and otherworldly, it still takes her breath away even after being there time and time again. 

Stars were born and died in front of her eyes, planets rotated around her on different axles. Galaxy weaved in and out of open spaces with comets lighting blazing strips every hour. 

Every part of the celestial sight orbited a time stopping emerald Castle. Rounded at the base with ornate windows circular the lower perimeter. Large spires rose from the base, coming to a point with open balconies. Intricate gothic detailing was formed into trimming and fame gave the emerald Castle a golden hue. Carefully crafted iron lace flowed seamlessly into windows and doors. Scenic bridges connected different towers to other small buildings that were no less intricate.

The Keep was saturated in Danny's energy, the ambient ectoplasm simmered and encompassed most of the Castle, some towers were too tall to stay inside. It created the allusions of a planet. 

As the two entered the gravitational pull of Phantom Keep all around them millions of ghosts came into view, all eyes burning into her. 

Hordes of netizens hid planets and stars from view, all eyes a blood red and bodies twisting into a more eldritch shape. Deeper and deeper into the sea of the dead a buzzing sound reached out. It got louder and louder, different pitches joined in as they got closer.

Soon they were almost fully surrounded, above her head and below her feet was a ghost. Only inches from her shoulder was more of the twisted versions of the ghost she had come to know. Coming up the heel was the same but from the back the sound got louder. 

The only direction that Jazz could see was a straight shot to the door. 

A small whisper echoes in the back of her head.

Don't look

     Don't react

              Don't die

Once the large dark jade castle doors close behind them the ominous sound from the ghost gets muffled. She can still hear it, still feel it in her bones. 

"... frostbite, what was that?" 

"The Infinite Realm is in pain, and her inhabitants are angry." 

Frostbite didn't say anything more and Jazz didn't ask, 

she's angry too

…

…

…

All too soon they arrive at a looming set of doors. Pitch black with comets and meteors passing across.

Inside was a luxury meeting room, a large hand carved table sat in the middle of the room. Carved into the side were depictions of history of the Realms. Images of war and battles ran down the length of the table. Faces carved into the wood show previous kings and queens, the names forgotten to history. 

At the table sat Danny's hand picked team of Advisers- the Council.

Ghostwriter, Fright Knight, Walker, Dora, Pandora, and Technous all sit around the table arguing.

"Kill the humans and destroy the Realm."

"I agree, we shall cut it off like the diseased limb it is." 

"Wait-wait we can't kill the humans, the King would never agree to that."

"Well the King isn't here is he" 

"Ah history, always doomed to repeat itself"

"And what, destroy the realm with the ghost child still in it, Kill the King."

Jazz and frostbite came to stand at the front of the table, none of the ghosts in the room stop arguing. Frostbite tries to get the attention  of the room to announce the arrival of the soon to be queen but nobody listens. 

Jazz doesn't mind, she quietly takes a seat and listens. 

"ENOUGH!" Bellowed Frostbite, "May I remind you all, we don't know where the king is."

"Now hold on Frosty, lyings against the rules, Technous here was part of King Phantom's private escort and drop off." Walker snubbed out his cigarette as he talked. "And you had him in your infirmary, do you even know who took him?"

Walker stands tall, white suit taking on a reddish hue. Ectoplasm slowly drips down his head. 

It looks red

"And if you aren't lying, then what? You took the gravely injured, on the brink of death, King to an UnKnoWN LoCaTIon AND JUST LEFT HIM!!! "

The ectoplasm came faster and a bullet a round hole burned into his hat.

It was red

The neon green shined brightly against the pale ectoplasm that imitated skin. Bits of bone and brain mix in the open hole. 

They looked away ashamed, Technous doesn't know where Danny was and Frostbite wasn't in the room when Clockwork was there for Danny.

The room was silent, Frostbite sits in the sit to Jazz's left but doesn't speak. 

Technous opens his mouth to speak but nothing comes out. 

"Clockwork took Danny," Jazz announced, leaned back in her chair with a leg crossed over another. She was quite a sight, blood dried to her left side and front. Hair matted down and teal headband starting to drop crimson flakes. Red covered her eyes like a mask from where her tears were harshly wiped away, the free flowing tears from before created a river of red that had trailed down her face. 

Lips and chin covered in cracking blood from where she held and gave her baby brother one last kiss on the head. 

Clothes matted to her skin, glowing green shines bright against the dried red. Shared of bone and cartilage stick to her sleeves. Hands dressed in crimson gloves, fingertips holding hair and flesh below the nails. 

"He didn't say where or that he had helpers," the room looks surprised when she speaks up, forgetting she was in the room. 

"Technous who else did Clockwork take with him?"

"Sulked, Cujo and I TECHNOUS MASTER OF TECHNOLOGY"

Dora jumps slightly not expecting him to yell but nobody else reacts. 

"And how did it go,"

Clockwork Keep

"Are you sure this is the right move,"

"There are so many outcomes,"

"Why are the images cracked,"

" All you have showed is every ghost but the Halfa"

"What of the zone?"

"The humans have a shard of a Halfa core we must do something,"

"They shall kill the King,"

"They will kill the Halfa,"

"I assure you, everything is going to plan," 

But was it? For in these moments Clockwork wasn't a god, wasn't the Master of Time, he wasn't Clockwork, he was only Cornelius, a subject of The Realms . Now he was to stand back with every ectoplasmic entity and watch as her cruel story unfolds.