Disclaimer: Hey guess what! I'm going to San Francisco tomorrow for a three-day vacation! And you know what else? I STILL won't own Danny Phantom there!

A Temporary Cease Fire

Chapter 6

"That's against the rules."

Jack and Maddie weren't quite sure what to do. They were pretty much all out of adrenaline at this point, and though they were surprised and a little scared (this ghost was, after all, about twenty times the size of the speeder), their first instinct was not to run, but to logically think of a way out of the situation. They both scanned the area around them quickly. As the large ghost finished talking, several more normal-sized ghosts appeared all around the Specter Speeder, as well as above and below it. Glancing at the scanner on the dashboard, there were several more ghosts detected, meaning some of them must have been invisible.

They both came to the same conclusion: though there was the distinct possibility that they could simply pass through these ghosts like they did the walls in the castle, these ghosts looked exactly like the ones that terrorized the city only a few months ago, and they had caused quite a bit of damage to many human objects then. If that was the case, they did not want to take the chance of escaping, even with all the weapons on and in the Speeder, because they were outnumbered about twelve to one, and the ghosts were armed as well, and there was no way of telling if the weapons the ghosts held were strong or not. Seeing as they were also quite famished and their energy level was extremely low, there was the chance that more damage would be caused to themselves than to the ghosts.

In all, it would be a bad idea to fight.

"You're under arrest. If you come with me quietly, I might go easier on your sentence. Might." The large ghost laughed at his own malice, and led the way.

It was an awkward situation for the ghost hunters. Though they had been taken out of their comfort zone for the past few hours anyway, they were able to at least run away from or fight the ghosts they had come in contact with. Now they were being escorted – with no escape – by twenty-five or so ghosts to . . . well, a ghost jail of some sort, they assumed. After all the years of thinking that they, the humans, were superior, had the upper hand, that ghosts were just beasts, here they were, being treated like common criminals, by the things- people they had oppressed for years.

It was actually very humbling, in a way, but Jack and Maddie didn't care about any life lessons at the moment. They just wanted to get home.

They looked at each other and whispered their first words to each other since they had been captured.

"So . . . where do you think they're taking us?" Jack asked Maddie, although he already had an idea as to where they were being led.

Maddie was aware of this, also, but didn't care. Just hearing another human voice was comforting. "A jail or prison of some sort, I suppose. I saw a wanted poster while you were paralyzed."

"Oh really? For who?" Jack was genuinely intrigued by this, and wondered if it was perhaps a ghost he had seen before.

"It's interesting, actually. It was for . . ." but Maddie was cut off when their vehicle, which had been led by several ghosts, jerked to a stop.

The large, white ghost was no where to be seen when they looked back up, but was replaced by a foreboding prison building that was just floating there in space, unsupported by any land, unlike the previous places they had landed before. The huge iron double doors creaked open, and again the Specter Speeder was forced forward, into the facility.

Immediately the Speeder was forced to take a sharp left, into what looked like a holding room.

"Get outta there! You've got an appointment with the warden!" a gruff-voiced ghost prodded Jack and Maddie with a long stick-like instrument, and they quickly and silently obliged.

Jack glanced around, hoping for some sort of exit. He saw a break in the guards, and thought of how easy it would be to run through the gap and proceed through the walls.

Maddie felt her husband's apprehension, and quickly realized what he might have been planning. She touched his elbow, smiled lovingly and understandingly, and very quietly whispered, "Remember, we can't travel without the Specter Speeder. Otherwise I think we'd just fall down until . . . well, we might even just keep falling."

Jack nodded, understanding but disappointed. He continued thinking of ways to escape anyway, though, and from the intent – almost too intent – way his wife was looking forward, he could tell that she was doing the same. He smiled slightly and randomly thought of how happy he was that he married such a wonderful person.

They passed through the next doorway, and yet another similar looking ghost to the one that had prodded them out of their transportation coldly demanded, "Take off all weapons. And don't even think of using them or keeping them as a try to escape. You're outnumbered ten to one."

Well, at least there were four less than there had been before.

Jack and Maddie obliged, and though they thought of slipping in a small weapon or two into their boots or gloves, Jack's growling stomach reminded them that the only thing that they could do until they at least got some rest was plan. No chances could be taken yet.

As soon as all the guards put shackles on the couple and were finally satisfied that Jack and Maddie no longer posed a threat to them of any kind, they were yet again forced to walk to yet another room. An office, actually, which was a big step up from the last couple rooms, seeing as they were completely empty. This one actually had a feeling of inhabitance to it.

The guards retreated out the door, leaving Jack and Maddie alone. They watched the troop of ghosts leave, and as soon as the door was closed again, they turned around to face the desk. The big, plush chair behind it, which had previously been turned back toward them, swiveled around to reveal . . . the big, white ghost that had originally captured them. Except this time he wasn't big. He was actually normal sized, which brought out a small sigh of relief from Maddie. Their situation didn't seem quite as impossible this way.

He smirked and gestured to the two straight-backed chairs in front of him. "Please, sit down, and if you can, make yourself comfortable."

Amity Park's heroes hesitated at first wondering if the chairs were there to cause harm, but looked at each other and almost unprofessionally shrugged. Hey, it's not like things could get much worse, right? So they sat down, and found that the only thing bad about the chairs were that they were very cold and a little too straight-backed.

The ghost stood up and paced in front of the uncomfortable humans. "My name is Walker, and you have made some serious violations of the Ghost Zone rules. It is my job to enforce these rules, and to keep order, I will be your judge, executioner, jury, executioner, jailer, and if necessary, your executioner."

Jack raised a finger and interrupted, "You . . . you said executioner three times."

Walker chuckled and said smoothly, "Yes. As always, I like that part of the job. That line never gets old. Onto business now, shall we?"

He leaned on the edge of his desk, never losing his smoothness. "Choosing your sentence will be quite an interesting task. Seeing as it's your first offence, and I hadn't personally warned you, I should let you go."

Jack and Maddie nodded in agreement, quite quickly and eagerly. Walker seemed to be a little just, at least, and they hoped that he would lean toward their favor.

"And I have seen you at work – a fine enforcement of order, I must say. Almost fine enough to have my admiration."

Jack and Maddie continued nodding their heads, practically crying in relief at their close freedom.

"Of course, you are humans, and humans shouldn't even be allowed in the ghost zone. I also thought that I already sent plenty warning that there were rules here, rules that need to be adhered to strictly. And as for your vehicle . . . that's the third time I've seen it without registration. The penalty for that is at least three hundred years, and for driving in an unauthorized zone, another hundred fifty. For trespassing, another two hundred, and for traveling without a visa, five hundred. But for being model citizens . . . let's say we take off a hundred fifty?"

Maddie's job dropped. "A thousand years? But we'll die long before then! And since when have you seen the Specter Speeder before?"

Walker gave another evil chuckle. "Right. You're mortal. Well, it's a good thing you're in the Ghost Zone, isn't it?"

Jack, getting back to his normal self, muttered to Maddie, "He does have a point."

Maddie elbowed him, and he gave a quiet yelp.

Walker rolled his eyes at the immaturity of beings so much younger than he, and he pressed the button for the guards to come in and take the humans to their cell.


Jack and Maddie started falling into a depression within the first five minutes of their being in their new cell. The thought of spending a thousand years in the same cell, with their mortal- err, immortal enemies bummed them out. Jack was even further thrown into sadness at the thought of never being able to invent or hunt ghosts again, and that he'd be living with them, and Maddie shed a tear at never seeing her family again.

Maddie shook her head to clear it up, and tried to get back to her get-up-and-go self again. 'We need to think about our plan to get out again. Just because I was thrown in here doesn't mean that I'm gonna stay in here. Get back on track, Maddie. What was it we just barely found out? What was it that we needed to know about humans in the Ghost Zone? Ooh, I'm so hungry and tired . . . I can't think.' She collapsed down to the ground on the spot, partially out of fatigue and partially out of despair, and looked through the bars to see if a guard was going to bring any food to them. She looked at Jack, who seemed like he was about to doze off, and she felt her eyelids grow heavier and heavier.

She almost fell asleep, when all of the sudden she heard a succession of noises that intrigued her. First was a rustling, then a moan, then the ghostly, gruff voice of one of the guards saying, "Tell the warden that the halfa is awake. He said that he wanted to talk to him once he was conscious." The female prisoner sat straight up and then crawled to one of the ends of the room, trying to see to the other cell. She remembered that there was only one other cell in the room when she and Jack were pushed into their holding area, but she couldn't see who was in it. She was about to whisper to their fellow prisoner, but Walker came striding in from the other side of the room and positioned himself in a business-like stance in front of the neighboring cell. Maddie shrank back a little, knowing that there was really no need to make herself inconspicuous, but did it anyway out of habit.

"So, I finally have you back in my care." Walker began, gloating. "The great Danny Phantom was taken down simply because he was too careless to remember he was right in front of the portal to my domain."

Maddie drew in a sharp breath and pressed herself harder against the wall at the name of the other prisoner. She looked at Jack, who was in a deep sleep (and snoring slightly), and wondered whether she should wake him up or not. She decided not to when Danny Phantom started talking.

"Yeah, and I can see that you were careless enough to remember what I am."

Maddie saw a bright, light blue flash reflect on the wall, followed not long after by a loud 'clang' and a louder 'OW!'

Walker laughed a loud, hearty laugh. "Do you really think I would make the same mistake twice? No, no . . . I made sure that these two cells were specially made so that neither ghost nor human can get out."

Oh yeah. That's what Maddie was trying to remember. Well, that option was ruled out.

"Don't even bother trying to escape this time. We have your vehicle and the two best people that can save you imprisoned, also. We'll also be bringing your food to you, so that we don't have to worry about another breakout. We have it all figured out this time, ghost boy. I've won." Walker broke out in another round of laughter, and he strolled out of the room, as well as the rest of the guards.

Maddie stayed tensed up for another minute, and then relaxed when she heard no other sounds. She glanced at Jack again, who happened to still be sleeping soundly. She leaned over to the bars, made sure the coast was clear once more, and then whispered loudly, "Phantom? Danny Phantom?"

"Wha-? Mo- umm . . . Maddie, is that you?" There was another light blue flash of light, and then Maddie saw some of Danny Phantom's hair and face poking out. "How did you know my first name?"

And thus Justina Bubbles left off right there, in part because she thought it would be a good cliffhanger, and in part because she was just sick and tired of the rate she was typing at.

Soo . . . didya miss me? That AP World History Exam was killer – it took four hours long to do, and my hand was dead for a couple days. Also, I really will be going to San Francisco, and depending on how much makeup work I have for school, I may or may not update next week. I better see a lot of review alerts when I get home, though eyes all people who read this fic with a suspicious eye. And no slacking off in your reviews, either, 'cause this was an especially hard chapter to write. Grumbles angrily something that sounds like "stupid writers block"

Aaaanyways, I shall go on to thanking all my beautiful reviewers, now.

BekukiChan - I'm sorry . . .I think I forgot to thank you last chapter '

Catnip070 - You see, I don't think Maddie has figured it out yet, exactly. I did say that Maddie's mind started racing, but not that she figured it out.

LaBOBuren - I appreciate you being one of my best reviewers, but I politely ask that you don't post up songs like the one that you did in your last review. I find them rude and inappropriate. Please, keep your reviews PG.

Princess Nightfire - Yay! Izzy! Yay! A crumpled piece of paper! Oh, and for reviewing again, here's a blank CD that one of the kids I babysit for colored on with marker. Really, it's a piece of art.

Hearts of Eternity - I had better start hearing angels soon, lol.

Also thanks to: KaliAnn, Cakreut12, bluish black dolphin, Firehedgehog, Obi-quiet, Ghoster14, edward-tivrusky-5, Master of Procrastination, Neko-Salosa, Cyllwen, Rei Tamashii, and anyone else I may have stupidly forgotten.