In the lab of Fenton Works, the sounds of adjusting and repairs came before Danny walked down, book in hand as he was reading over it before lowering it, directing his attention to his dad who was working on some sort of hover craft. "Dad, can I ask you a question?" Jack turned as he spoke.
"About the Specter Speeder?" He wrapped an arm around Danny and shoved him in as he went over the dashboard and the tech inside. "Sure! This little baby has state-of-the-art spirit plane exploration technology. And it's got a super-sized cup holder." Danny smirked as a cup holder popped out to Jack's continued voice. "I know that we haven't explored the depths of the Ghost Zone yet, but maybe you and your friends could take it out for a bit to see what there is, some time?" Danny nodded a bit before a voice called out from outside the Speeder.
"Jack, dear..." Jack slipped back out as he faced with Maddie as she continued to speak beside the Speeder. "It's getting awfully late. Is there something that you might have forgotten today?"
"Uh..." Jack was confused as he rubbed his jaw to Maddie continuing her sentence.
"Something significant? Having to do with today's date of May Ninth?" Jack thought about it before glancing over to the calendar, his face taking on a face of a fish.
"Oh, fudge, our anniversary, I was so pulled into making and building the Specter Speeder that I nearly forgot our anniversary. I am SO sorry, Maddie." He scratched his head in regret as Maddie spoke with a small smile.
"Oh well, I guess it just slipped your mind, but just barely..." She breathed before speaking again. "Still, to build this tub of tech and exploration is just..." She hummed in displeasure before slamming a fist on the end of the Speeder. "VERY frustrating, Jack Fenton!" She stopped when the machine started up and moved into drive, both parents flinching as Danny could barely get a word out before the Speeder moved forward and the portal opened up before Danny yelped.
"Whoa!" He reacted in anticipation of slamming into the green swirl as Maddie and Jack yelped for him before both him and the Speeder passed through the vortex with his own exclaim. "Whooooooooa!" He peered about to the vast green of what MUST be the Ghost Zone, shocked to see it as several ghosts passed by the techno vehicle and several floating doors before he mused in amaze. "So this is what the Ghost Zone looks like, my parents are going to flip out with this." He tried to punch in a map, but it just sparked and Danny frowned. "Figures, everything seems to work, but the map can't be used to chart this place." He peered forward and gasped to a skidding halt in the Speeder as a larger-than-life ghost appeared, the darken form slipping to a white attire that Danny really couldn't place, a fedora on its bald head and green eyes glaring down to the small vessel as it spoke with a Southern accent.
"Trespassing in an unauthorized vehicle." The titan spoke as it pointed at the Speeder. "That's against the rules."
"Uh, sorry." Danny shook to the sheer amount of authority that this ghost had, he could handle Vlad's tone any day, there was just something about this one that scared him. "I-I didn't know. I'm from... out of town."
"Ignorance of the law is no excuse for breaking it, punk." The ghost answered as it looked at Danny in the vehicle. "I see your face around here again, you and I are gonna have a problem."
"Y-Yes, sir." Danny saluted and smiled with a nervous hold before he shifted the Speeder in reverse and it took off with the ghost dissipating before the Speeder returned to its usual place as Danny caught hearing of something Maddie was shouting about.
"Now get this into your head, Jack Fenton, there are some things more important than hunting ghosts!" She slammed her fist on the back again and yelped. "Ow, wait..." Both turned as Danny came out as Maddie breathed. "It is excellent that you have returned, Danny, but next time, don't just sit in there." Maddie headed off as Danny breathed before Jack rested a hand on his shoulder and spoke.
"I know, I know. I'm just as freaked out by your mother's reaction as you are. But I'm glad that you're back, though it looks like the Speeder will have to wait, Maddie wants to head elsewhere." Danny looked freaked, what did that mean...!?
A taxi drove up to the curb and Maddie came out of Fenton Works with a suitcase while Jack clung to it as he exclaimed. "Maddie, please, don't go! I just have a little more work to do on the Specter Speeder, and then I'm done." He released as Maddie commented in front of the opened taxi door.
"We discussed this, Jack, remember? Visiting my sister? The divorce?" She got in and closed the door, rolling down the window as she continued, not as angry than what was initially expected if Jack didn't remember. "There's a casserole in the freezer right next to the ectoplasmic residue samples!" She rolled up the window as the taxi took off and Jack stood up before he exclaimed.
"Wait, wait, wait!" He attempted to run after the taxi as he shouted. "How will I know which is which?!" Danny stepped out with a worried look before he spoke to himself as he looked down the street.
"Divorce? What?!" He looked to Jazz who walked past him as he exclaimed. "Jazz, did you just hear that?" Jazz stopped with a turn to Danny as she commented.
"Hear what? Mom yelling at Dad? Relax. She'll get over it."
"Yeah, but I-I have never heard her so mad."
"Of course she's mad. And if I'm right, Dad will once again cluelessly do nothing to apologize to her." Jack voiced otherwise as he headed back to Fenton Works and prepared a bag to follow suit.
"That's where you're wrong, Jasmine. I have been a little preoccupied with ghosts lately." He spoke as another taxi arrived to his lecture. "So, I'm traveling to your Aunt Alicia's in Spittoon, Arkansas to apologize, and give your mother the greatest anniversary gift ever." He tossed his suitcase into the taxi and it hit the driver, causing him to floor it as Jack quickly chased after the car as he shouted back. "Wish me luck! Oh, and call me if you see a ghost!" Danny paused before he asked.
"Jazz? Are Mom and Dad gonna split up?" It would be a hurtful thing to face, but Danny needed to know, he heard divorce, so he needed to know, but he stopped as Jazz looked... utterly freaked out.
"I was... wrong?!"
"Jazz?" He poked her and he got no reaction to the sudden doubt that she was giving off. "Jazz?!"
"Wait. He's going to Arkansas? To apologize? I was wrong?!" She rushed back inside as Danny watched her before a voice spoke up.
"Hey, Danny." He turned and smiled as Cedric strolled over and continued. "I heard about what was happening, I severely doubt that Maddie and Jack are splitting, I think that Jack needs to lighten the load, but also Maddie is heading to Arkansas because of the divorce, your aunt's?" Danny paused before he thought about it and face-palmed.
"Doh! I forgot, Aunt Alicia's divorce is ten years strong, of course, Mom and Dad are not splitting, but he does need a gift... and a clean house."
"I'll help, I need to find out what happened with Talia in the first place." Talia was Desiree's new name after Cedric made his wish, she content with it and being with him, but after several days during the Fenton's visit to Wisconsin, she disappeared and hasn't been seen for a while. Danny nodded as he let Cedric in and they went to work cleaning up the mess as Jazz was frantic about something, Cedric glancing to find the elder Fenton sibling with frazzled hair and tons of books based on her own notes and journals, shaking with a cup of coffee and stack of notes in hand as he slipped back and continued the work.
"I don't understand. Every piece of evidence I have indicates Dad would never be self-aware enough to realize he made a mistake." She put down the notes and continued her freak-out. "If I'm wrong about this, what else could I have been wrong about?" She hears rattling and shouted from the kitchen. "Danny, keep it down, would ya?!" The reason why it was rattling was because Danny was vacuuming the walls... as Phantom as he called back.
"Hey! I'm trying to make this place spotless so Mom will have a clean house to come home to." Jazz rushed out as Cedric took to downstairs as Danny landed behind her and turned back to human with a awkward smile.
"Well, I need to concentrate!" She turned to Danny as he stood behind her before she groaned. "Ugh! I'll be at the library." She headed out as Danny waited before transforming again and heading down to the lab as he grimaced to the state of things.
"Oh, my gosh. This place is a mess!" He floated further down as he groaned. "If Mom comes back and sees the lab like this, she'll be even angrier at Dad." He sighed and fired a blast, knocking some trash into the can before he smiled while Cedric checked over everything before Danny fired, cleaning the place up a bit more thorough except a present that was launched into the Zone, both surprised as a tag from it fell off and Cedric read it.
"'Let this gift repair the bridge of our love. Happy anniversary - Jack?'" Both looked to the portal as Danny grimaced.
"Oh no."
"Well, to be fair, I checked the present and it seems like an early prototype for some form of ecto-protection, in belt form." Cedric lowered the tag as the both of them looked at the green swirl. "Besides, we will find it in there, we just need to keep an eye and ear out." Elsewhere, Jack found himself dropping out of a plane and finding Maddie just fine, though he was a bit cooked from an ecto-weapon...
The four walked down the halls as Danny commented. "You should've seen 'em fighting. My folks never fight. Well, they fight ghosts, but... that's different." Sam placed a hand on Danny's shoulder as she explained as well.
"Danny, relax. Nobody gets divorced over not getting a gift."
"But it's the thing my dad's gonna use to apologize! They're... right on the brink! I'm telling ya, anything could set them over the edge."
"I think you're letting Jazz's sudden paranoia overwhelm you, Danny." Cedric pointed out, not ready to explore the Zone just yet as Tucker made it a bit worse.
"Danny, you're fine. I mean, it's not like your mom actually said the word 'divorce.' I mean, if she actually said the word, then you'd have to worry."
"Said the word." Danny stopped before he spoke again. "Oh, man. She did!" He screeched in complete fear as he continued. "She said the word!"
"Tucker, say something to calm him down!"
"Well... uh... did she say it twice?" Sam and Cedric face-palmed as Danny resolved his mind for the action on hand.
"That settles it. I'm going into the Ghost Zone and get that present back."
"This will not end badly..." Cedric breathed as he checked his list and smirked. "Well, I can work with the tech, so let's see what we can find..." After school, they headed out to Fenton Works and descending down to the lab, Cedric getting some great work together as he formed a small pad to detail and catalog everything they find through a headset that Danny now wore as he sighed.
"I so don't want to do this."
"You get in, get the present, and get out. You'll be fine." Sam commented as Tucker added to it while Cedric worked a makeshift set up for monitoring.
"Besides, with this mini webcam, I'll be with you every step of the way." He showed a recording of Tucker talking before he continued. "But first..." He started to play games before Danny spoke to both Sam and Cedric.
"You'll both monitor the webcam?"
"We'll monitor the webcam." Danny nodded as he faced the portal and jumped in, going into the green abyss as Sam voiced her amaze through the headset. "Wow! This place is amazing!"
"No, it's not. It's creepy. And it goes on forever. I don't even know where to start to look!"
"Well, we better start looking then." Cedric answered as he ran the numbers and searched with Danny giving feedback. "These readings coming back are interesting, they're showing abnormal gravity fluctuation and a high level of ecto-plasmic miasma with isolated pockets across this expanded realm."
"Uh, English, Cedric?"
"It's simple, Sam." Cedric adjusted the headphones on as he was continuing the data collection and crunch. "The whole realm seems to be exhibiting unique levels of anti-gravity, simulating a type of environment of space, in a better word, and the ecto-plasmic miasma is a potential deadly substance that could corrode human tissue slowly." He pulled over a new screen and expanded it as he continued. "However, this type of substance seems to be sealed deep down what appear to be either large pieces of ground or, dare I say it, ghost lairs and domains." Danny got confused as he continued to fly.
"Domains? Why has my dad never said anything about domains?"
"Because he has never explored and only has the belief in lairs, small residence for ghosts, and haunts, places where ghosts are likely to inhibit for the most of their time." Cedric continued as he continued the work and informing Danny where to go and not through short-range pings. "Domains are unique on the grounds that they stimulate actual cultures or societies that ghosts need to consign to, like following the norm of human society on a certain topic." Danny nodded as he headed further in as Sam spoke as Danny felt like he was just getting lost.
"Relax, Danny. You avoided a 'ecto-beastial form' and a graveyard just fine." Danny breathed as, back in the lab, Sam continued to speak. "We all just have to stay focused. Right, Tucker?" She paused before speaking to the missing guy. "Tucker?" Cedric looked as well to find him in the Specter Speeder as he commented to the technological marvel.
"I can't believe Danny didn't want to take the Specter Speeder." He pressed a few buttons on the dashboard as he continued in praise. "This thing rocks!" Cedric faced-palmed as Tucker continued to tamper with the controls of the hover craft before Sam walked over to the domed windshield and addressed the need for Danny with the PDA for the headset in hand.
"He can cover more ground on his own."
"But it's got a cup holder!" The cup holder was ejected out before Tucker noticed something. "Hey, what's this thing do?" He pushed the red button with a shapeless ghost underneath and a computerized voice spoke.
"Real World items detected." A green scope appeared in the Speeder in the form of a half-circle as Tucker commented to the 3D display.
"Cool! It's a scanner."
"Real World items?" Sam questioned as Cedric answered, somehow connecting with the scanner.
"I am picking up unique signatures from the Zone, it looks like there are a number of objects taken from the real world and relocated into the Ghost Zone, but I don't..." Tucker piped up as he spoke to Danny.
"Danny! I think we can guide you to the present." Sam joined in with leading Danny to the gift.
"There's a doorway coming up on your left. Take it." Danny took it and flew on through before he commented with a stop.
"Huh." The room was littered with so many things that Danny was surprised to see such things in the Zone before he spoke again. "So *this* is where all that stuff ends up."
"Yes!" Danny glanced as the Box Ghost yelled with an arrival from below him. "It all ends up in the possession of THE BOX GHOST!" Danny groaned as he questioned why exactly he was dealing with this jester of ghosts.
"Ugh, what are *you* doing here?" The Box Ghost, as always, made unneeded movements with his arms, body and legs.
"I am The Box Ghost! Where do you think we go when you release us from your round, cylindrical trap?" Danny rolled his eyes as he replied to the drifting things.
"You mean the Fenton Thermos?"
"I am the Box Ghost! And beware! For I am merely *ONE* of your foes who reside in this realm! In fact, you might say, we're a package deal!" Danny face-palmed with a groan as he spoke up for any help, the Box Ghost was annoying, but he could help in locating something lost.
"Look, I'm looking for something important, I don't have time for your box puns." Danny readied himself for a fight, but before he could, sirens were going off and coming closer as he glanced to the side to locate the sound before the Box Ghost yelped with a turn of his head back to Danny.
"Flee! Lest you be hermetically sealed and shipped to your doooom!" Box Ghost tried to make a run for it, but the blasts that came were dangerously close and one hit him before transforming into actual cuffs as he looked around before Danny exclaimed to the sudden arrest.
"Hey, what's going on?" Several more were fired and Danny screamed as he was hit with one and suddenly bound with handcuffs of his own before a familiar voice spoke.
"Possession of unauthorized recording equipment." The webcam was taken off Danny as the white-attired figure spoke. "That's against the rules." The ghost answered before putting the set down with a continued lecture. "Or at least it is *now*." In the other hand was an opened book that glowed green before Danny tried to get a voice out.
"Wait! This is all a big misunderstanding!"
"There may be chaos everywhere in this Ghost Zone, but there'll be order in *my* prison. You should've heeded my warning, punk. Now you and I have a problem." Before long, the two were carted into a van that was labeled with 'GZPD' as Danny grimaced.
"Great. My folks are splitting up, my sister's a basket case, and I'm going to ghost jail." He huffed as he cast a glance to the Box Ghost and forward again. "This may be the worst day of my life." The van came to a halt and the back door opened to a ghost guard in some swat attire before the two took a look outside and upon the building that must be the prison. He grimaced as behind another one of the guards was a crowd of prisoners, front and center, however, was Skulker with Desiree and Technus in the robot body also there as Skulker shouted at Danny.
"Well, if it isn't the young whelp who helped us get locked up in this stinking place! Welcome home." Another groan slipped out from Danny.
"This is the worst day of my life."
"I am the Box Ghost!"
"Will you stop that!" Danny yelled at the Box Ghost as Skulker cracked his knuckles as Danny knew that things were going to get bad soon...
Back in the Real World, Tucker shouted as the feed cut while he was still in the Specter Speeder. "Danny? Danny! Talk to me!" Sam rushed over to the side as she grimaced with Cedric seeing the same thing.
"It's no use. He can't hear us." With that, Cedric answered with a plan of action that they needed to do.
"Then we'll just have to go in after him!" Tucker nodded as he lowered his PDA while Sam just shouted.
"What are you, nuts?"
"Danny!" Jazz's voice echoed down the way as the trio looked out to the stairs as the door opened as Jazz continued. "Are you down there?" The pair of first friends got into the seats as Jazz continued in her inquiring. "Sam! Hello? Anyone? I was hoping someone would go over every excruciating detail of my personal diaries to look for minuscule errors." Jazz asked with a coral book in hand while Sam strapped in and held tight as Cedric didn't feel the need to correct the 'perfect scholar' sister of Danny's as the goth looked to Tucker who had the controls in hand as she spoke.
"You drive." Without pause, Tucker thrust the controls forward and it started up before blasting off into the Fenton Portal and into the Ghost Zone as Jazz arrived, taking a moment to look around before yelping in sorrow on how there was no one there to tell her any troubles she could be having. That didn't say anything about Danny as he was bound up in chains to a chair as he was lectured by the white ghost as the spirit listed off charges while walking by.
"Trespassing. Loitering. Creating a disturbance." The ghost paused before pointing a finger into the opened book he had and listed off another charge. "And, possession of real-world contraband." Danny spotted the present and tried to reach for it, but it was impossible as he tried to plead.
"Excuse me, sir, but-but-" Any more was cut when the ghost lifted him up by the prison shirt he now wore.
"Name's Walker, son. Know it. Fear it. Obey it." Walker answered as he listed off his own status in the prison. "I am your judge, executioner, jury, executioner, jailer, and, if necessary, your executioner." Danny paused before he pointed out the 'why' of three uses of 'executioner'.
"Uh, you said 'executioner' three times." Walker dropped Danny as he answered the question.
"I like that part of the job." Danny glanced to the present floating in the air while Walker read through his little book once more before Danny turned to Walker and spoke.
"Well, you see, uh, Mr. Walker, uh, the truth is—" Danny spoke as he lifted the chair and got closer to the present, to take it from the horrible walls and colors of the prison itself, Walker looking the other way. "—I-I'm actually trying to remove the contraband. So, um, if I could just grab it and go, I'll promise I'll—" His nervous chuckle and move to grab the present was in vain as Walker trudged over and pushed the seat back down with a leg, the chair falling to the floor while a hand in white glove gripped the construct as Walker spoke.
"I'd like to let you go, son, but I can't." Walker answered with a short crouching and standing straight up as he looked at his book again. "That'd be against the rules. But seeing how this is a first offense, I'm willing to be lenient." He had walked forward before slamming the book shut and shouting as he pointed a finger at Danny. "One thousand years!" Danny was shocked and scared of what his life in prison is going to be like with such a corrupt and long sentence.
While elsewhere in the Real World was Jack's struggle to get the right words and moves together for Maddie, Danny was hauled away and treated like the other prisoners before a prison guard called out. "Chow time!" Every spirit and ghost were hauled out to the cafeteria, Danny pausing for a moment before getting a baton in the back as the ghost spoke. "Move it out!" Danny walked as it was a small space, one that he didn't insist on working with, but had to as he took it all in and glanced back down to check the tables, his gaze lingering on the table where four familiar faces sat, all of them giving him crossed looks as Danny groaned with a sweat and weak chuckle.
"Wow, heh, pretty much everyone who hates me all at one table. Just like high school." As if on signal, the four stood up and walked over to him with Technus holding a fist in his other hand as they made a semi-circle on Danny as he exclaimed. "Sorry I can't stay and catch up on old times!" Danny answered as he stepped backwards to avoid the fight, but the fight found him as he turned and the first ever ghost he fought inquiring for him.
"Can I get anything, dearie? Coffee? Pudding? An extra helping of DOOM?!" The Lunch Lady flared in rage as Danny leaned back from the danger and takes off as Lunch Lady gives chase of him with a laugh before he slammed into Skulker and is bumped away as the prisoners formed a circle on him and pushed him about the barrier before he was slapped away by Technus and caught by the Lunch Lady in a ladle headlock as Skulker pounded his fist into his own palm as he ranted.
"Payback time, ghost child!" Danny knew that most of the ghosts there were just caught and thrown back into the Zone, he didn't know about this corrupt policing body, so why should they be ganging up on him as they came close, Skulker pounding his fist in readiness of giving Danny a beat-down before he yelped and dropped, Desiree huffing as she waved her hand, having just chopped Skulker in the neck.
"He's right, that does feel a lot harder than iron." She turned and crossed her arms as she peered at Danny as she spoke to the sudden change in the crowd. "I didn't think that you would have given us to Walker's prison, but from the sound of it, he just slapped you with the lighter punishment with the max time."
"Desiree, what's going on?" Lunch Lady was confused, but a nod from Desiree and she released as Danny continued. "Why are you in here, I saw Skulker up at Wisconsin not a few days ago, and I don't want to know what Technus was doing during that time." The robot huffed as Desiree spoke, guiding Danny to the table as she spoke in hushed tone, Skulker getting lifted to his feet and the prison crowd went their way in mulling about.
"Walker is cracking down on all of us, trying to get order back in the Zone which is impossible except other lairs and domains, so he sees himself as the 'only' body of safety from the chaos, he got me while I was trying to collect a few things to take to my new home, Skulker was charged for 'traveling across a long distance', Technus was just arrested for nothing except having a new, unknown body." Danny nodded as she continued. "We haven't attempted to thwart Walker's power here, due to the high level of guards, but the chance is now more apparent." Danny blinked before he spoke, dismissing the fact that Desiree was looking the same for some reason.
"You think that I could get us out of here?" She nodded as Danny looked at the odds, a few guards up top, always watching for any trouble, but that could work... yes, it could work! All he needed was... "Skulker, I have a plan to escape..."
"I am the B-" Before the Box Ghost could continue, he was shoved away and Skulker, having recovered to hear this plan, spoke with question.
"Go on." Danny nodded as he started.
"If we work together, we could all bust out of here." He continued to explain about the plan. "And you could always kick my butt later." Skulker pondered it for a bit before he nodded, the small meeting getting the key four together as he spoke.
"The enemy of my enemy is my friend, for now." With that, Danny started to explain the plan out, considering the 'total control' Walker has, it just needs a crack to bring the whole thing down while in another part of the Ghost Zone, the trio of friends basically were flying rather blind as Sam sighed and spoke up to Tucker's driving and 'attempted' scanning.
"Face it, Tucker. We're lost." Cedric slightly glanced over as Tucker replied back with a device in hand with a transverse wave on it as he spoke.
"If I could just re-calibrate the scanner—"
"You put way too much faith in technology." Sam cut him off as a girl started to float close to them before she spoke up about their new contact. "Let's just get out and ask that girl for directions." With that, the goth called out as she inquired, drawing the girl's attention as the eyes opened to red pupils. "Hello there!" Sam waved and knocked on the glass to keep the attention for the direction before Cedric, narrowing his eyes, spoke up as he pushed off the wall.
"Princess Dorathea, what are you doing here?" What Cedric knew that the two didn't know was that she was holding the same Amulet of Aragon that caused such a mess at the dance and she looked ready to transform on their butts before her eyes glowed in recognition.
"Sir Cedric Trace?" She floated closer as she inquired. "What are you doing here, the Ghost Zone is no place for humans, especially now."
"What's happening, Dora?" Cedric asked as he raised his brow, the two friends looking at each other as Dora hummed with an answer.
"Walker is on the war path, he has been taking all those who wander to his dungeons to serve absurd life sentences to sate his own ego... much like another..."
"Can you direct us to him?" Cedric inquired as Dora shook her head.
"I cannot, my home has wronged me and I cannot be seen by others as escorting humans, but there is a possible way, you need only locate a Real-World item, Walker is often known for hoarding the treasures of humans." Cedric nodded as Tucker made to head off to a wave of Cedric's
"Got it, see you around, Princess."
"Fare thee well, Sir Cedric, I pray that you do take heed of the trouble that could come." They headed off as Tucker multi-tasked to get a signal together, the only reason it worked with Danny was because he was already close and the sensor picked up on it. Meanwhile, Danny began his plan of getting the prison to riot and with that, he...
...He mental face-palmed as he took another punch from Skulker, the plan was to draw some of the guards in, treating it as normal as, after a brutal fight that the guards do nothing about, the injured ghost would be carted off to the infirmary. That left a weakness as he was flung from the group chanting, slamming into the line of ghostly food before he made a moaning sound with getting doused in some green liquid, soup from the taste. "Ohhh... My ghost leg!" He just groaned on it as he thought it through, why did he decide to be the new guy to get beaten up... He mentally shrugged on the notion that it needed to be convincing and his opponent sure made it apparent on that as he pushed from the crowd and remarking.
"Pfh! My prey ceases to amuse me." Danny 'staggered' to get up as two of the swat ghosts approached with a swagger as one spoke.
"Another one for the infirmary." Neither were prepared when Danny struck, taking one out and snatching his baton before shouting with a hurl of the weapon.
"Now!" The stick flew true as Skulker caught, the prisoners in the 'crowd' quickly turning their attention to the fight of freedom.
"Attack!" The riot was underway as the guards were unprepared to the sudden attack, the whole ground floor in chaos as the other ghosts went to work on their captors, Skulker had a different role as he used the baton with great effect, the guards up top were of the greater threat and if Skulker could stop them with their own restraints, then the riot will win out as Technus proved the strength of his machine body were far surpassing of the guards and Desiree, though not in the rough of it, still found time to take a few down with her own skill and ability as Danny did his best before joining Skulker with guards surrounding them, but they were not afraid, winking at each other as they tore through the guards around them, truly being the symbols of rebellion.
Danny counted them lucky for a bit before he grimaced as more arrived, these ones armed with shields and tactics as they fired on the crowd, catching a few, before shielding up from any attempts to overwhelming them so the odds were against them, but no one was expecting the Lunch Lady as she just flew up to the guards and offered some food.
"Can I offer you gentlemen some apples?" Two of the guards looked at each other before back to the Lunch Lady with a shake of their heads which they shouldn't have done as she screeched. "Then dine on my FURY!" Her hands glowed and formed a spear-like form before rounding at the top, surprise filling everyone before the Lunch Lady was suddenly now wielding a massive leg of chicken in hand and caused the guards to scatter out of there as the drumstick smashed through the wall, frame and all, as the prisoners entered the halls and the riot continued as Danny inquired with Desiree.
"Has the Lunch Lady always been able to do that?"
"You got me there, Daniel, I didn't know she could even preform such a attack on anyone." Danny huffed as they continued to fight on, taking out guards as they went before making it to the large steel doors that must serve as the way out. Danny turned about and made to head the other direction as Skulker shouted.
"You're going the wrong way!" He paused and looked back as the few ghosts looked at him while the others made to force the doors open with the Lunch Lady commenting.
"Yes sweetie, You're supposed to riot with the guards here,—" She changed to 'hostile Lunch' as she shouted. "—And face your doom out there!" Reverting back, she offered a treat. "Pie?"
"No thanks, I have some unfinished business with the warden." Danny replied and the Lunch Lady just accepted it as the doors swung open and prisoners rushed out.
"Okay." She followed suit as Skulker remarked.
"Good luck, child. I look forward to hunting you, on the other side."
"Thanks." His happy look slipped to confusion as he continued. "I think?" They parted as Desiree lingered a bit longer before she gasped, her eyes flashing yellow as she smiled.
"He's here!" She bolted off through the doors as Tucker and Sam checked the scanner with a huff while Cedric looked out across the Zone for anyone else to help them.
"Can't this tub be more exact, how long is it going to take to find this 'Walker'!?"
"I'm trying! We're also looking for Danny too, you know." Cedric glanced over as he huffed at the pair of them.
"This would be a bit easier if you two can hold together, we are in an uncharted territory, so fighting over this is not going to help anyone." They shrugged as Cedric looked back out, meeting the gaze of a smiling green genie, the moment pausing before Cedric, after a second, exclaimed. "TALIA!" They both jumped as Sam yelped.
"Wha...!" Desiree phased into the vehicle before she breathed, her body regressing before a white ring formed around her and she turned from green to brown skin, the red turning to blue as she slumped into Cedric's arms as she spoke.
"Thank the desert sands that you are here..."
"Take a moment to rest, Talia." Cedric spoke as she just dozed off and he looked to the surprised pair. "If she's here, then we know that Danny is here as well."
"How exactly...!?" Sam started before the scanner spoke up finally, with a display.
"Real-world item detected." They looked to it before Tucker remarked.
"Sweet." He guided the Speeder to the direction where they needed to head on the display. They watched before their eyes widened to the imposing doors... that they were going to hit as Sam yelped once more.
"Tucker! Look out!" Before any of them could stop the Speeder, it barreled through and phased through the door just fine, lights coming on as Tucker breathed with the other two that were conscious as he spared a glance behind them before facing forward.
"File that on under 'Would've been nice to know we could do that trick in the first place'." They nodded as they focused on the radar as the warden, on the other side of the prison, yelled into the microphone he had in front of him.
"Guards, what's going on down there?" He lifted it as he continued to get static. "Somebody answer me!" The doorway was kicked open by Danny Phantom as he spoke up, now in his usual outfit after discarding the prison look somewhere in the halls.
"How about saying 'please'?" Danny voiced as he pointed it out. "Saying 'please' is a rule." This took Walker by surprise as he exclaimed.
"It is?" Cracking open the book, he looked before Danny closed the tome on the white ghost's finger as he continued.
"Where I'm from, it's a common courtesy and it is now." He glanced over and spotted his object of interest as he exclaimed. "The present!" He leapt for it, soaring past Walker and almost grabbed the gift before he was hurled into the floor by Walker catching his foot and planting a boot on Danny's chest with a huff as Walker growled at him as Danny made to get the pushing limb off his chest.
"Now let me acquaint you with a few rules." Danny shared with a defiant look as Walker spoke. "Rule one. You cross me, you pay the consequences." Danny breathed as Walker just lectured. "Rule two. Just because you're a ghost doesn't mean I can't crush you within an inch of your afterlife. Rule three-" Anymore was lost when the Speeder phased right through the wall and the hatch opened to the Iron Exorcist standing there with a glowing palm, Danny taking note that Desiree, or rather Talia, was sleeping in the backseat as a wall parted them from the Ghost Zone and the cockpit.
"Rule Three. I AM the danger zone." With the sound of a gunshot, Walker slammed into the wall as Exorcist leapt out and got into stance as he added another rule. "Rule Four. Chaos or Order, you touch my friends, consider yourself null of life." Danny shook himself off as he questioned.
"Tucker, Sam, Cedric! How'd you get in here?" Tucker had that answer as Sam and Tucker watched the fight undergo between Walker and Cedric, Cedric the CLEAR master as each blast and blow were painfully for Walker to endure.
"Check it out!" He removed his hands as he explained. "Real-world stuff just phases through everything in here." Sam added to it as Cedric got space between them and Walker.
"In the Ghost Zone, we're the ghosts!" The thought started to make Danny think before he spoke with recognition.
"We're the ghosts?" He clued in as he straightened up. "So... maybe it's time to stop fighting like a ghost... And start fighting like a kid!" He transformed back as Walker took a swing at Danny, surprised that he just passed through to Danny's smile as he walked through as Cedric pulled back to the Speeder with his face still hidden. Danny walked up to the present before he grabbed it, pleased that it was still normal as he spoke. "I'll take that!" He turned and headed back to the Speeder as Walker tried to stop him, but he just phased through as he exclaimed, flopping on the ground with the final attempt to stop Danny.
"Why— can't— I— touch you?!" Danny answered as Cedric saluted off as the hatch closed and Danny headed to the back that had a handrail.
"Forget it, Walker. This is the Ghost Zone, I'm not just a ghost, I'm human." Danny pointed out as he gripped the railing and held the present under his arm. "Your rules don't apply." The Specter Speeder headed off again, phasing through the wall as Walker called out in disbelief, his 'order' ruined in a single day.
"NOOOOO!" They headed home and Cedric saw Danny off with Jazz as they took off to Arkansas with Tucker and Sam before they scattered, their short journey into the Ghost Zone taking a backseat as it was a bit more troubling than expected...
The night light loomed over Spittoon as Maddie sat on the pouch, looking a bit more worried before a voice spoke up. "Why, hey there! Pretty young thang!" Jack was in blue overalls over his jumpsuit and a bud on the front of his hair as Maddie questioned.
"Jack Fenton, what on Earth are you doing?" Jack answered as he spoke with a finger pointed to him.
"Sweet talking you, proving I can step away from work and pay attention to our relationship." He looked at his wrist with a pause before pulling out a slip of paper from one of the overall pockets. "You've got a smile that shines like swamp gas in the moonlight." He peered off to the side as the three guys he met at the general shop just gave him the thumbs up. "Your mind twinkles like the moon off the bumper of my pick-em-up truck, and—" He tried to smile, but falter as he tried to continue. "Oh, this—" He face-palmed mentally as he spoke. "—is stupid." Maddie inquired as she asked if their topic of research was the only thing they should focus on.
"What's stupid, Jack? Anything besides ghosts?"
"No, but pretending to be something I'm not is." He fuzzed the hair back to normal and held out his arms as he declared his love the only way he knew how. "You know I can be a fool, and you know that I can forget things, but the one thing you know more than anything even more than that ghosts exist and that your sister is a bitter old bat, is that I love you, baby."
"Oh, Jack." She was touched by his words and his own actions as Jack continued.
"And, I wanted to give you..." He stammered as he realized a problem. "To give you..." He remembered it, a nice-looking present, but he left it behind as he rushed out the door before he face-palmed himself at the face that he neglected to grab the present. "Aw, crud." Maddie rolled her eyes as she inquired.
"You forgot the present, didn't you?" Jack looked up and nodded with a huff as Alicia came out of the door, her presence drawing Maddie's attention as she exclaimed.
"Told you he was a fool." Maddie looked back as Jack tried to explain.
"Well, I-I, uh—"
"No he didn't!" The three adults looked up as Danny and Jazz came from the sky with parachutes and landed as Danny exclaimed with gift in hand. "H-He kept it at home—" Danny answered as he gave the gift over to Jack. "—uh, so the mosquitoes wouldn't get it?" Danny shrugged as Jack crouched down to his level and whispered to him.
"Good boy. You're getting a raise in your allowance for this." Danny cocked a brow as he asked with a finger to his chin.
"I have an actual allowance?" Jack winked before bolted over with a slide of his knees as he offered the gift.
"Happy anniversary, baby!" He stood up as he continued to Maddie hugging him. "And I'm sorry. I'll try to be better about things in the future." Danny breathed as he held up a finger and asked.
"You guys aren't getting a divorce?" This confused the adults as Maddie spoke, gift now in hand.
"Divorce?" She leaned forward as she inquired before standing up right again. "Who said anything about us getting a divorce?" Danny answered with a short one.
"A bit of paranoia and added surprise." A honking came as the five looked to the foliage before a number of rednecks emerged, gleeful as the day of their own parties as a band played on the back of the red pickup that arrived, confusing the kids, but not Maddie or Jack as they turned back to Alicia and shouted.
"Surprise!" Maddie wrapped a arm around her sister's body and turned her around as a poster was unfurled over the house, saying 'A DECADE OF DIVORCE' on it as more rednecks arrived and cheered as Alicia started in surprise joyful tears.
"A party! For the tenth anniversary of my divorce! You remembered!" Maddie voiced her input as Danny felt all of the shock and terror slip away as Cedric was right, it was just his aunt's party where the divorce came from, Tucker was going to suffer when he got back.
"Well, sure! I even convinced your ex-husband to come." A dunk tank was set up with a business-looking man in it before getting dunked and the party was in full swing with dancing, games, and the such before Jack asked Maddie about the gift, unopened yet.
"Well, aren't you going to open the present?" Maddie handed the box over to Jack to rip into it before the Box Ghost, SOMEHOW getting in, yelled as he came out.
"I am the Box Ghost!" He waved his hands in a spooky movement as Danny and Jazz spoke to each other, Danny relieved as Jazz looked through a coral book.
"They weren't ever gonna get a divorce!" Danny spoke with held out arms as he just continued. "It was all just a huge misunderstanding." Jasmine was not so convinced as she exclaimed as she peered through the book and looking at Danny.
"But, Dad doesn't apologize! Dad doesn't understand what a goof he can be!" She answered with her chin up and eyes closed. "These are constants!" Both turned as the Box Ghost hovered over them before shouting.
"Beware!" He flew off with Jack and Maddie chasing after him.
"Ghooost!" Jazz huffed with joy as she took in the 'normal behavior', something she lived with and knew true as she closed the book.
"Ah, sweet normalcy. I'll take being right and embarrassed over wrong every time." Danny rolled his eyes as she put the book down and offered some pie. "Want some rhubarb pie?"
"Love some." Sudden, one of the rednecks, the bandanna one, appeared and both looked at him as he spoke.
"I'd stay away from that if I was you." He spat with a clang before the pair looked at the pie and Jazz put it down before moving on, there was other things to do than debate what exactly was in the pie...
