Clockwork knows the inevitable, including the fact that the most dangerous ghost in existence will be helping him maintain the time stream. When Danny comes seeking Clockwork's assistance, Dan is going to have to deal with the nightmares of his past and some new ones from the future. And just what secrets has the Time Master been keeping? Well, besides the fact that he doesn't wear pants.
Pairing(s): Meddling Minutes (Clockwork/Dan) and minor Amethyst Ocean (Danny/Sam).
Rating: So far, T. Violence, adult themes, and coarse language.
"I cannot imagine how the clockwork of the universe can exist without a clockmaker."
-Voltaire (François-Marie Arouet)
-.-.-
The brat was asking for it.
Curled up next to him, a petite deep purple child's hoodie pulled up concealing the head of messy bright blue hair which would seem strange on any other human child. Although there was something strange about this kid, something that only a few knew while gracing the human world with their presence.
He was a ghost.
Not just any ghost, but the ghost that has existed for millenniums, the ghost that controls the past, present, and the future, the ghost who knows everything which has happened and which will; after all everything is inevitable. The ghost whose name was Clockwork.
You could say that Clockwork had grown fond of the time he spent observing young Danny Fenton, otherwise known as Phantom- Danny Phantom, defender of Amity Park. The time master had been entitled to the task of watching over the boy to be sure he wouldn't grow into his evil self- a ghost, quite unlike the halfa who he originated from. This assigned task seemed redundant to the ghost; after all, he already knew the inevitable.
The inevitable ranging from the obvious such as young Daniel Fenton ending up with one of his best friends- Sam Manson, a girl who knew of his secret from the very start. They spent their time deluding themselves into thinking they didn't have feelings for one another, but Clockwork knew. Just like he knew how he'd have to help young Danny stop himself from ever becoming evil. Just like he knew how he'd be the one tasked with managing the captured Dan Phantom for the rest of his years as the keeper of time, which he knew he would remain for a many millenniums to come.
And just like Clockwork has his powers of time and space manipulation and infinite knowledge, he has a certain ability of manipulating himself and his forms. Switching from a child to an adult to an elder was just something that happened to him as a ghost almost as if his powers were so great they overflow his being, causing them to manipulate his form of their own free will, or it's quite possible that Clockwork controlled the ability himself, just to demonstrate the passing of time and it's inevitably. The time master had another power he had acquired; the ability to appear human or to in the lease, assume human characteristics.
Glaring down at the small child was a well-built tanned man appearing to be in his early to mid-twenties, he wore a black button up shirt and a pair of grey jeans, a strange combination of formal and informal. His eyes were a startling blue against his raven black hair which had been pulled back into a messy ponytail.
There was something strange about this man. Something only a few knew of.
He was a ghost.
Not just any ghost, one of the deadliest ghosts the ghost zone had encountered, a ghost born as the human Daniel Fenton. No longer was this Daniel a half-ghost; he had murdered his human half a long time ago in an alternate timeline. In a timeline where his family and friends were dead and his ghost self had fused together with Vlad Plasmius. Having abandoned the surname 'Fenton' and the childish nickname of 'Danny', Dan Phantom exists outside of time itself.
Dan pulled his arm in close to his side in a futile attempt to get the brat off of him; unfortunately, the boy only leaned in more. He stifled a growl, quite unsuccessfully and pulled out a pack of cigarettes, a habit he'd formed shortly after being given to Clockwork. Pulling out a matchbook, he violently struck the first match, succeeding on the first strike and watched it burst up into flames. Of course he had a variety of lighters, but he preferred to strike a match, more so when irritated. He lit the off-white tobacco filled paper and took a drag, peering down and purposefully blowing the smoke down at the resting child.
Clockwork opened an eye halfway as he inhaled the secondhand smoke. "Put that out." He commanded, his voice taking on a child's tone layered on top of his older confident voice. Dan hated, to say the least, how even in his child's form he seemed so sure of himself and wise. Although, there weren't many things that the Phantom didn't hate.
In his weaker moments, he sometimes found himself enjoying the company of the time master, but that rarely lasted more than a few moments; without his humanity, he fooled himself into believing he didn't have room or use for such emotions.
"Who's going to stop me?" He sneered at the child who only remained silent. Dan grunted and took another drag. "My thoughts exactly." He snubbed the cigarette on the bench anyway, searing the wood.
Unknown to the older-appearing ghost, Clockwork grinned under his hood. An eerie satisfaction soaked into his features; the ghost often enjoyed this role. He clipped his thumbnail under his teeth, a habit formed from his child form. He frowned down at the jagged nail while Dan scoffed.
"Nail biting?" The seemingly older ghost smirked, obviously bemused with the kid's habit. "Something my foolish younger self never got involved in, I'm afraid to say." His tone was mocking; Dan was never pleased when thinking of his younger self and Danny's hero complex. He could almost recall the reasons as to why he behaved in such a way, but such actions of heroism were far beneath him now.
They sat in silent. Dan sneered, waiting for his opportunity to leave and take out a few pitiful humans on his way out. Wreaking havoc was a talent of his that was always a pleasure. A few moments past and he glared down at his keeper who had become quite silent and motionless. Asleep, he assumed.
As cautiously as he could, the man sprang from the bench and took off a fast pace down the walkway. His gait, while quite swift, was slower than to be expected. The ghost had always been arrogant, a trait that could have been inherited from either Phantom or Plasmius.
"Time Out!"
The words wrung out sharp, ceasing the movement of all wildlife, plants, people, and most importantly the movement of the older Phantom.
Clockwork dropped his quasi-human appearance, skin shifting back to its ghostly blue, eyes glowing a slightly more vibrant red. On this child form, his hood was up just as it was before, except now it concealed his hair perfectly leaving the color to remain a mystery. He flew up off the ground, feet wispily floating behind him in his ghost tail.
The child pulled a golden medallion out of his pocket and dropped it around Dan's neck. He never seemed to lack a supply of those; it was a convenience the Master of Time was allotted.
Dan scowled at the clockmaker before gripping his medallion with an inquisitive look of distaste.
"What do you think you're doing?" Clockwork asked indifferently, form shifting back into his adult form; his under-eye scar even more prominent than before.
Dan scoffed. "What did it look like? I was going to pay a small visit to my former self; After all, it's not too late for him to become me. A few deaths would be all it'd take for him to become desperate."
Clockwork remained a look of indifference. "Do you really believe that would work? No matter what timeline is selected, Daniel would never risk creating you."
"Are you so sure?" Dan's eyes flashed a dangerous red; a glimpse of what his true self was. "I'd start with his friends- what were their names, again? Oh that's right, Tucker and Sam, the geek and the Goth." His eyes were humorless, only coldly calculating his plan. "Next, I would have to deal with my controlling older sister; she'd be a nuisance if Danny was to consult her."
An unidentified look flashed across the ghost's face as he recalled how Jasmine knew of his secret. He believed that if something had changed, and in this timeline Danny knew, his younger self would surely rely on Jazz in a time of severe distress.
"In a change from my normal approach, I'd give him time to let the deaths of his friends and sister- the only people who knew the truth aside from Masters- sink in. By then, he'd be feeling completely hopeless, I imagine. My parents were complete failures at ghost hunting, and by parents I mean Jack, but as the saying goes, a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. Dad was always the weakest link." Dan grinned, his blood thirst evident. "Destroying them would be a synch, and then Danny will be broken enough to seek Plasmius out."
"If I must repeat myself, are you so sure of this?" Clockwork questioned, changing into an older man. His frail fingers gripped his staff, his long white beard looking equally brittle.
Lifting an eyebrow, Dan sneered. "Does it really matter? Even if it doesn't succeed, I'll still exist, and Danny will still be miserable, his fragile life crumbled before him."
"You're not after destroying Daniel to create yourself." It was a question, but the way Clockwork so surely 'asked' it, it was evident that is was also not. "You're intelligent; you already are sure of your existence; having him create a second you would cause problems you do not wish to deal with."
Dan raised an eyebrow to Clockwork's implication. "I don't have to explain myself to you," He turned his head away angrily in a way that made him appear quite childish. "And what about you? Why did you even bother to let me out of the thermos?"
"And likewise, I to you."
Clockwork shifted back to his adult form before pressing the button on his staff. "Time in," he called out, directing an unsatisfied look towards Dan, a look which solidified the end of their conversation, and frankly made Dan feel a little wary and a tad miserable.
Even Clockwork thinks he's worth nothing.
The time master looked the man over once, stopping once their eyes met- a glowing red holding the icy blue. He was sure of what he was about to say. His lips slowly and steadily passed the words that needed to be said.
The blue eyes lit up with peaked interested and a smug satisfaction.
Well, maybe not 'nothing.'
