Hello guys, I thought that since you guys have been so supportive so far and the fact that chapter 2 is relatively short, I'd give you a treat. A bonus chapter. I hope you guys enjoy these two chapters I've put up tonight. Enjoy!
CLOCKWORK
Clockwork couldn't thinking about that prophetic nightmare from the previous night. Every time he saw Daniel, the nightmare would flash briefly before his eyes, and it darkened his overall mood considerably. This must be what Daniel felt every day, looking at his family and knowing what could have happened, seeing what still could happen. And most of all being terrified, even when they were standing right in front of him, perfectly fine, happy, and safe.
It was stressful to. No wonder his son often took out his misplaced aggression on either the ghosts he fought (occasionally) or on targets and dummies during the recent training sessions that he had with the Time Ghost.
If Daniel, or anyone else in the house knew of his mood, they didn't comment on it. He hoped that what he had told to Jack (which had been heard by everyone) would be reflected on and hopefully understood.
Later that day Clockwork was taking a walk around the house, when he overheard Daniel and speaking in his bedroom.
"Sam...Sam, listen, please."
"..And why did you not think to tell..us about him?" Sam's reply, which cut Daniel off mid sentence, could be heard clear as day throughout the entire hallway.
"I...uh…"
"And don't you dare give the sorry a- excuse that you didn't want us to f- worry!" There was a pause where nothing was said, "You could've told us something! You could've told JAZZ! She's your SISTER for pete's sake and now she's out of the city in college not knowing about any of...of this!"
"Sam…" Daniel's words were spoken in a low, almost pleading tone. "Sam, I'm sorry…"
"Sorry? Oh so you're sorry for practically torturing yourself day in and day out over this, over these nightmares which I'm sure are about f- Dan...yeah...just...just don't shut us out, not anymore...not again…" By the end of this, the time master could hear Samantha's voice wavering, breaking in between words and syllables.
"Daniel? Samatha? Tucker?"
The trio turned their heads to see Clockwork walking in his cane in hand. Samantha was calming down now, Daniel helping her to sit down next to him.
"Umm… Hi Mr. Bishop." Sam greeted Clockwork.
Clockwork leaned in on the trio with a knowing smile on his face, "I am pretty sure you know who I really am, Samantha."
"Yep… so…. Clocky…" Tucker said. Clockwork raised an eyebrow at the nickname the techno-geek gave him. Though he supposed he should be used to it by now, "Do ya need anything?"
"No...no. I was just taking a walk, when I heard your .. . . conversation." He paused, glancing back and forth between the trio, "Is everything alright?"
"Yep! Everything's fine. Nothing to worry about...not that you get worried because you can see what happened and what's gonna happen."
"Tuck. Stop, man. You're nervous. You know you ramble when you're nervous."
"Me… Nervous…. What?! No, Danny. You're just talking crazy." Daniel rolled his eyes with him and Samantha trying to hide their laughter. Even Clockwork had to smile at the trio's antics.
DARK DAN
Meanwhile…
Dan growled under his breath, wondering why he hadn't killed off the little runt (or brat) when he had found her. She proved, in the past hours, to be more of a nuisance than anything else. Where in the world and the zone had she got all her energy from, he may never know. And the questions! He swore that she could kill people with them, talking her enemies ears off.
"So~ How different is your timeline, Dan? Is Vlad still a fruitloop? Did you and Sam get together before or after high school? Do you have any kids...ooo! That'd mean I'd have...second cousins or something right? Even though you're from a different time it'd still count right? Did Tucker ever get a girlfriend?"
Dan huffed. "My timeline is..pretty different and yes Vlad is still the biggest fruitloop ever to….grace...the Earth. Now shut up."
"That was sarcasm right? I'm pretty sure, hard to tell with you, even though, well, yeah. And you didn't answer my other questions! Why, did something happen? Did Sam break up with you? Did she leave you or something? Is that why you're so mad? Dan why is your face turning red? It's not from embarrassment is it? Dan why are you making such a weird face? Woah, how'd you get the fangs and the weird snake tongue?"
"You can thank Vlad for that one. Enough with the d- questions they're infuriating the s- out of me."
"Woah, you cursed. I don't think this timeline Danny curses. What changed? Did something bad happen?"
"Yes! Everyone f- died! You happy?!"
"Oh…" There was a moment of golden silence. "How'd they die?"
"SHUT THE F- UP! Alright ya brat?!"
Dan paused; he never has gotten emotional over their deaths like that since he got rid of his humanity. If anything, he shouldn't be getting emotional over anything at all, other than perhaps anger and hatred. Now these odd emotions he couldn't identify anymore were popping up and that, added onto the questions this little Phantom had, made him wonder if she had a death wish. Didn't she know he could kill her without lifting a finger or batting an eye?
"Sorry!... Sorry, I was, just curious…" Dani said apologizing as she stared down at her feet.
Dan immediately regained his composure. "Anyway, how exactly are you my cousin and why are you here in the zone instead of with your parents or my younger self?"
"Um…"
"Are you even my cousin and not some little dead brat?"
"Yes! I am!"
"Then why're you here? You're what? Eight? Ten?"
"I'm twelve."
"Well then," Dan continued on, not really caring about her age. "Why. Are. You. Here? Did you get lost or something? Did something happen to your family? Hm?" He was inches away from her face now, glaring full force, fangs bared and upper lip pulled back into a snarl.
" 'm sorry…" Danielle mumbled, backing up a bit, still avoiding looking at him.
"You didn't answer my questions." He mocked, imitating her earlier words, before sighing. "Now just shut up and I won't have to kill you." Dani wasn't sure if he was joking or not, so began looking around for either the Fenton Portal or Vlad's portal (even though that was the last place she wanted to go but hey, a permanent portal was a permanent portal, it just meant they'd take a bit longer in getting to Amity Park), or some ghost who could tell them where either of the two were.
In the distance they could hear the familiar wail of the Box Ghost, "Beware! I am the Box Ghost! Fear me!"
"Dear God, I almost forgot how infuriating he used to be."
"Did he get worse?"
"What'd I say about the questions? But yes, worse. The stronger he got, the more annoying he became."
"Ok. Shutting up now…maybe we could ask him where the portal is...I kind of don't know my way around here too well either."
"Well then why didn't you say so earlier? Would've saved us a lot of time."
"Sorry."
DANNY
Danny found that he couldn't sleep, not that he wanted to in the first place but he had to get some form of rest and this time it seemed to elude him. Sam and Tucker camped out in what would be his room, like they would always do when they were little. Except this time they weren't at his or Sam's house, and of course, Danny couldn't sleep. So he decides to take a walk. Perhaps to the kitchen and have some warm milk like normal people do. But this is a big house and you can easily get lost in big houses, especially at night.
As Danny was wandering the house, trying to find the kitchen, he stumbles into what he thought, at first, was the kitchen. But then his tired mind supplied him with the knowledge that no, the kitchen was not separated by a door. The kitchen was not this small and would be connected to the living room, on the other side of the house. Curious to what this room was, he peered inside to see that it was Clockwork's bedroom, as he hadn't found it on the second floor, and the third floor was the attic. Upon seeing that it in fact was Clockwork's bedroom, he had been all ready to turn around and leave the ghost in peace. But then he noticed that he was, wavering? Flickering? No, the air around him was wavering, while his form (or what Danny could see of it) seemed to flicker in and out of visibility. Danny, for a brief moment, wondered if Clockwork was...fading, but then the notion was immediately pushed to the side as he saw the other forms that appeared in between. The bright blue skin of his illusioned form. There was almost a pattern to it, child, human, old, human, adult, human, and repeat. Danny could also hear a faint crackling sound, identifying it was something like connection to a certain radio station being fuzzy.
"What on God's green earth?" Danny says mystified right before reaching for Clockwork.
It all starts with darkness showing ashy smoke and debris, with people coughing and calling for loved ones, when a dark laugh echoes the area. This alone was frighteningly familiar to Danny. He saw Dark Dan walking in holding him by the neck. From what he could tell, he was out cold and in his Phantom form. Ectoplasm was dripping from varying wounds and cuts everywhere, and Danny, now looking at the scene from a different perspective, wondered how many times he had gotten near that point. Many, he concluded. If it weren't for his willpower and faith, he knew he'd have died completely long before Dan's timeline even existed.
"Danny!" screamed Sam, horror clearly shown on her face. She struggled but unsuccessfully, to pull her leg from under one of the debris. Danny tried to move, knowing it was a dream and confused why he couldn't. All he could do was stand there, watching the scene unfold.
With that crooked smile on his face he finally began speaking, " Tich… tich … It seems like Daddy dearest wasn't able to save you you this time, " Dan laughs darkly. He lifts Danny a little higher, before throwing him back down across into the ground. Sam screams again, tears welling in her eyes. Dan picks Danny back up by his hair, electrocuting with ecto-electricity.
Wait a minute. Back up. Daddy dearest? Surely Dan wasn't talking about his dad, Jack. He couldn't be. But then if he wasn't, then who was he referring to? Who…?
Danny then sees two separate Clockworks, One unconscious and another that's on his knees screaming, "No! Danny… No!...no…."
Both jolted awake. Danny took a step back, eyes wide with shock and confusion and thoughts streaming through his head at the speed of light. Clockwork woke up, his form shifting and stabilizing into his true, more human appearance.
"Daniel." His voice was barely above a whisper. "What are you doing in here?"
"What was that?" Danny asked. It was the only thing that came to mind. "The dream? Why...why did Dan...who was he talking about?" He didn't mention the fact that Clockwork had actually called him Danny instead of Daniel. He figured that, at least, could be left alone until whatever time the ghost chose to share it with him. If at all.
"Daniel, you must understand…"
"Understand, what? Am I even a Fenton? Who am I Clockwork?!" Clockwork waved his arm across the door in order to freeze time in the house outside the room so they wouldn't be disturbed.
"How did you come to that conclusion?"
"How else? Why else would Dan have said 'Daddy dearest' if..well I know he wouldn't be talking about Dad when he said that."
"And now you're wondering if Jack is even your actual father?" Danny nodded his head, emotions rolling around inside him so violently that he found his tongue tied. Or at least it felt that way.
"I can assure you, Daniel." There was the calm, soothing tone again. Something Danny was almost sure that Clockwork was the only one who could effectively pull it off. "Jack is your father, you don't have to worry about that."
"Then how…?"
"Daniel, I'll tell you, but you'll need to sit down, stay still and keep a level head, no matter how difficult that may be for you."
"Fine." Danny sat down with his arms crossed.
"I'm sure you remember the day of the accident, however there was...more behind the cause of your powers."
"Go on."
"Under normal circumstances you would have died from either the electricity itself or from the ecto radiation poisoning, a quick death or a slow agonising one. Let's just say that no outcome where you died that day is a good one. There would have been no ectoplasm that would adapt enough to fuse with your DNA, had...had a ghost not been on the other side of the forming portal at that exact moment to absorb the blast and give you their own ectoplasm so you'd live. The portal would've ripped you apart instead."
Had Danny not been sitting down at the time he would've collapsed over into the chair, and then proceeded to fall over onto to the ground.
"And the only one who would've known to be there was...you…" He now noticed the black scar that ran down the Time Master's face, and the faint ones, ones on his hands that made them take on a darker tone than the rest of his skin..
"Yes Daniel, that was in fact, the cause of my . . . scars." Danny found that, once again, he couldn't speak. Clockwork had saved his life from the very start of...of all of this.
"You really are like a father aren't you Clockwork? …. Why didn't you tell me?" Clockwork frowned, releasing the time within the room from it's frozen state.
"Why couldn't I do anything, Daniel? The Observants would have found out, they would've been calling for your death before you could even realize what is was you've become."
"So, Clockwork does that mean that they have something to do with Da…"
And then another explosion, much louder than the one Danny's dad had made, rocked the foundations of the house.
