Disclaimer: I don't own DP.

…You know, I never thought in my whole life I'd ever get this many reviews…Thank you so much for all of the praise and constructive criticism! Oh, and thank you ImmortalPhantom22 for reviewing every single chapter since I've last updated!

I hope you all like this next chapter, and I'm sorry for the long wait.

Chained

Chapter 14

Maddie stared at the device in Valerie's hand. "The Phantom Finder?" she whispered.

"Yes! Now please help me!" She stared at the worn mother, her eyes desperate.

"Valerie, just what do you think you're-?"

"-I don't have time to argue!" the younger woman interrupted, frustrated. "I need your help. You're the only one with the technology I need to do this."

Maddie looked at her for a second, eyes unreadable. "Technology for what?" She stepped away from the door to allow Valerie in, and the hunter gladly took the invitation. The mother noticed how Valerie limped and how her expression grimaced with every step. She helped Valerie to the couch, even though the girl tried to resist help at first. Eventually, she gave in.

"I need to find Danny Phantom." Valerie's tone was resolute and determined.

Maddie couldn't exactly understand why. "Phantom disappeared in the fire," she said, and she ignored some strange pang in her heart. "And you are in absolutely no condition to hunt down any-"

"-But I have to!"

"Even if Phantom does still exist, fighting him would be too dangerous! Valerie, you're seriously hurt. You should be back at the hospital."

The Red Hunter gave her a strange expression. "I'm not fighting him, Mrs. Fenton. I'm gonna help him," she said with finality.

Maddie replied without listening, "Ghost hunting is a very-" She cut herself off. Her eyes widened, and her jaw dropped. Suddenly, what Valerie just said caught up to her ears. She blinked in shock. Did she just…?

"Help?" the mother echoed. "Did-did I hear you right?"

Valerie nodded, knowing that a ghost hunter trying to help an arch enemy wasn't an everyday thing. "Look, I… was wrong," she admitted guiltily. "Phantom and I were stuck in the same room in that fire. And I actually talked to him."

A silent moment passed, Maddie waiting for further explanation.

"He used the last of his energy to save me." She looked down and noticed that her hands were shaking from over-exertion. "And I want to do the same. He could have saved himself. He could have just up and flown away and left me behind. But he chose me instead. And I don't want that sacrifice to be in vain."

Maddie gave her a guarded look. "What makes you so sure that he still exists?"

Valerie seemed hesitate at that question. "Well," she said, "the Phantom Finder seems to think he's still out there. And…" she trailed off, and with a grimace, she pulled a weapon out from her belt, "…I used this."

She handed it over to Maddie, and the mother took it in her hands. She stared hard at the design, and she ran her hands over the sleek metal. Suddenly, it hit her. "The Specter Shredder?" she whispered.

Valerie nodded. A bit guiltily, she said, "the CGIA modified it and gave it to me. It was the only thing I had to save him."

Maddie looked at the weapon in her hands, unable to tear her eyes away from the stain of soot and ectoplasm. The Specter Shredder must've seen better days, that much was certain.

The Phantom Finder still flashed innocently, and Valerie glanced up at Maddie. "There's still a chance that he's out there. And…and I don't normally do this. But," she desperately struggled for words, "I hate being wrong. I hate it." She tried to blink back tears. "He doesn't deserve to die, Mrs. Fenton!"

Maddie bit her lip, violet eyes turbulent with mixed emotions. What had Valerie seen that had changed her so much? Hesitantly, she asked, "…Why save a monster?"

Tense silence hung over them as the older woman waited for an answer.

"Because Phantom is no monster," Valerie said, voice soft. "And everyone deserves a second chance to prove themselves."

With the flip of a switch, the Fenton Lab was washed with light. The new and improved Specter Speeder hovered innocently in the far corner, and Maddie sighed. She looked over at Valerie.

"Is this what you really want to do?" she asked one last time.

Valerie nodded.

Maddie hesitated for a second. "Then I'm coming with you." Valerie turned sharply with wide eyes, and Maddie explained quickly, "Well, I can't possibly let you go in the Ghost Zone alone, and in your condition!" She wryly smiled. "I may not be the best mother in the world, but even I know the basics."

The Red Hunter caught a strange thread of emotion in Maddie's voice. "Thanks," she replied, some of the anxiety lifting off her chest. She was prepared to expect anything from the Ghost Zone, but with an experienced hunter like Maddie, things were bound to go smoother. She managed a weak smile, and Maddie weakly returned it.

It was time to get down to business.

"Now, the Specter Speeder can identify things from our realm," the older woman explained, "but I don't think it can locate specific ghosts." She began pacing around the lab, searching for something unknown to Valerie. "If I could just find my old jumpsuit…" she trailed off, eyebrows furrowed. Maddie opened a small closet off to the side, and there in lied her suit.

It would be the first time in a year that she'd worn it.

She took the suit down from its hanger with care, worn hands smoothing the familiar HAZMAT material. Maddie turned to Valerie, "Give me five minutes."

The Red Hunter nodded. And as the mother quickly strode up the stairs, Valerie turned around to face the ghost portal, her enemy and ally. She found herself strangely drawn to it. It's green glow caught her eyes, and she was unable to look away.

It held so many memories.

The last time she'd seen the Fenton Portal, she'd been barely nineteen. Not even two years of memories could dampen the sheer magnificence of such an invention. She felt a little small next to it, especially with her arm in a sling.

It was by far the most intricate portal she'd ever seen. The genetic locks, the size, the power that streamed from its frame... She had to crane her neck up to see the ending of the high-arched metal that gleamed like sharp knives.

Vlad's portal has got nothing on this one, she thought. She could easily get lost in its whispering swirls, with its promises of intrigue and adventure beckoning to her. Seconds ticked away, and she was unaware of the passage of time. Such was the power of the Ghost Zone.

"I wouldn't get too close," came a voice from the stairwell, "without a good weapon." Valerie snapped out of her contemplative trance and turned around to face the other woman. Maddie stepped off the stairs.

There was a distinct difference in her posture and the way she carried herself across the floor. Her chin jutted a bit with that famous Fenton stubbornness, and her eyes sparked with a type of rejuvenated hope. It was such a simple mission.

But she had something to direct her energy into.

Maybe if they could find this Phantom, providing that he still existed…She'd get her answers. Maybe he'd know where her son was.

Valerie nodded to the older ghost hunter, and Maddie began to take things from the lab tables. Anti-ghost weapons, goggles, and other odds and ends were piled into the Speeder as a safety precaution. The two hunters worked side-by-side for the first time.

And possibly, if things didn't go well, the last time.

"…Mrs. Fenton?" Valerie spoke up after some time, "The Phantom Finder only locates the existence of his aura; it doesn't hone in on his actual position. We'll need something else to track down his coordinates."

Maddie didn't skip a beat. She grabbed onto a boomerang-type weapon and lifted it to show Valerie. "This should work." Her tone was grim, concentrated.

The Red Hunter merely nodded, and the two fell into a silence. Then an uncertain whisper echoed in the quiet lab. "Thank you, Mrs. Fenton. For everything."

The older woman sighed. "Don't thank me yet. We haven't even left the lab."

Valerie realized that Maddie had already restocked the first aid and had shut the Specter Speeder's trunk. "Well then," the Red Hunter observed, a small spark of adventure lighting her dampened spirits, "what are we waiting for?"

Maddie's lips twitched into a weak smile. She remembered being that young and adventurous. "Get in the Speeder; I'll be right behind you." Valerie nodded, and she grabbed one last weapon before she climbed in on the passenger side. Her good hand clenched onto the handle.

It had been years since she'd tried to navigate such a forbidden world.

When Maddie walked up to the Portal, she lifted up her chin and stared harshly at the invention, as if to defy its power. Then, she took the boomerang and lifted it to eyelevel. "Find Danny Phantom," she whispered to it, her voice quivering the slightest.

She threw it into the Ghost Zone. It zoomed through the invisible barrier and disappeared into the green swirls. She climbed into the Specter Speeder behind the wheel. Then, with a deep breath, she turned to Valerie, and the younger woman nodded.

Maddie shifted the gears and slammed down the accelerator with an anxious vigor she hadn't felt in years. Bright, electric energy encased the Speeder, and they shot off into the world of the dead. Doors passed at hyper speed. The boomerang trailed ahead of them, a beacon of light in the unearthly sky.

Something told her that she wouldn't come back the same.

Darkness fell over them.

"Clockwork," came the angry whispers, wrapping around his form like chains. Their voices were millions of knives, screeching and piercing. "Clockwork…!"

The ghost turned to Sam. "Medics are coming for Danny," he declared. "Follow them, and do not let Danny out of your sight." After a second, he added, "Do not try to search for me after this."

"Why not?" Sam asked, afraid to see the powerful ghost go.

Clockwork's jaw set. "I am being...called in by my employer for abuse of power." His cloak swished with ghostly energy. "These next hours will be very dark. There is a possibility that help will come, and there is still a great chance that Danny may die." He paused. "If he survives, his chances of falling to evil are beyond measure." He turned to Sam, eyes deep with an old pain. "Only love can save him, Sam. Know that."

And suddenly, the sky crackled with furious power; reverse lightning crashed to the ground and illuminated every drifting door. The spiral staircases of the hospital shook under the Council's anger. Sam dropped to her knees beside the suspended body of Danny, unable to stand the sheer power. She wrapped an arm around one of his, tightly holding on as the winds picked up.

Clockwork turned his face to the sky, and slowly, he allowed himself to fall to the power. He had no other choice. The powerful ghost raised his staff above his head, and the energy inside it ticked to a permanent stop.

"You will pay dearly for defying us."

And Clockwork felt the dimensions shift against him.

Well, with any luck, this chapter wasn't too boring. :) Sorry it took an eternity to update. I was over at my sister's, and I couldn't use her computer. Then, I've also been working on an original piece, and also I've had to do my summer homework…Stupid English teachers…Not that you all want to listen to my excuses. :)

I tried to keep Maddie in character as best as I could, especially considering her situation. And Sam…well, I'm hoping I can give her a bigger part in later chapters. With any luck, I've re-instilled some suspense back into this story.

Chapter Finished: Friday, July 25th, 2008 at 5:17 P.M.

Song Inspiration: Butterflies and Hurricanes by Muse, and also The First of Me by Hoobastank. (More good songs!)

Inspirational Food: A cup of Bigelow's Spiced Chai tea mixed with a packet of Stevia sweetener and a dash of milk. (I'm typing this down so I don't forget it.) :)

1.) How was the character transition? Choppy or smooth?

2.) Are the characters still characters, or are they wooden and need more work?

3.) Any comments on word choice and word flow?

4.) Was the chapter stagnant in any way?

5.) Is this story still interesting, or has it lost its suspense factor?

6.) Is the plot predictable, or has it maintained some sense of unexpectedness?

7.) Any suggestions you might want to add. :)

Thank you so much for reading!

Lightning Streak

Review Please!