Oh dear lord. We are now on chapter twenty of Time Will be the Judge. I have to admit, I'm happy to be here. I've never written this much for a story before and, despite a few upheavals and lot of delays, I think I've been able to keep with it rather well. It started as a rather enjoyable experience for me, and thankfully it has continued to be so.

I also have good news for everyone. A friend of mine has recently started reading this story and apparently is very impressed with it. So impressed that she's offered to turn it into a webcomic. She's a pretty talented artist, and I think she would do a good job bringing it justice. Now, I will still continue to write and post for this, but I thought perhaps it might be enjoyable for people to see the story in a somewhat different fashion as well. A lot of the details need to be hammered out, and she still has a comic she needs to finish first, but I'm looking forward to seeing this done.

It's been said more than once (actually a lot more than once) but I'll say it again. I don't own Danny Phantom, the character or the show. It belongs to Butch Hartman and Nickelodeon. All I own is the concept for this story and the characters I have brought forth. This is purely for entertainment and my way of presenting my love for the show.

Chapter Twenty: Hating to Care

It wasn't surprising when things had started to quiet a little. Dan had not expected his younger counterpart to stay long after he'd escaped, and as Clockwork had predicted, the confusion was already starting to die down. Still, he could hear the faint sounds of rioting, a few still trying to escape from the jail. He'd be going soon too, but not before leaving a small... parting gift.

He grinned and looked up at the door proclaiming the warden's office, raised his palm, and blasted it apart as easily as if it were made of shallow plaster.

"Don't bother to get up," Clockwork said smoothly as he glided past the other ghost. "I only came to collect what's mine."

Walker seemed shocked by their forced entry, but he lowered himself back down at his desk. Green eyes slit in irritation and he snarled slightly. His gloved hand had been on the communication pipe at his desk, no doubt trying to shout orders to his men to organize the mess that was taking place in his prison walls. Clockwork glanced at it before Walker drew away from the protruding metal. It wasn't clear if the action was because he honestly felt threatened, or if he thought he could handle this situation himself, but the Time Master smiled pleasantly in either case.

"Clockwork," he bit out. "Just what in blue blazes do you think you're doing?"

"I should have thought it would be painfully obvious," he replied. "It's called escaping. I know it's not entirely a foreign concept to you. It has happened to you and this place before."

The warden didn't have a retort for the quip, but it looked like he would have loved to spit one out.

"Where is my staff?" the Time Master demanded. His expression and tone were calm, but he still had a threatening air about him.

However, Walker did not seem to want to be that cooperative. He merely scowled and turned his head up.

"You really think I'm going to tell you that?" he asked insulted. "This is my prison, and my rules. I give the orders here, not you."

"I'm afraid that arguing with you is hardly high on my priority list, Walker," Clockwork said. "Really, this is just suppose to be a quick in and out thing. If you keep us long, Danny might begin to wonder where we are. After all, we are suppose to be meeting him outside of this place."

"The ghost boy is already gone?" Walker yelled, jumping up.

"Oh yes, I imagine he's long gone by now," he answered. "But that's not what really matters at the moment. I do believe I asked you for the location of my staff. I can't stress enough to you how badly I need it."

"Yes, I bet you do, you lousy turncoat."

Sighing softly, Clockwork shook his head. He didn't seem very put out. In fact, he didn't even have the air of being annoyed, instead simply bored.

"Very well, I suppose you would insist on the hard way," he conceded. "It will make you look less bad in comparison to the Observants than if you were just going to give in. Don't think though that the logic will do anything to save you. Phantom, if you could."

Dan did not need to be asked twice, immediately going into action. The little warning Walker had from Clockwork's words barely did him any good. While he did throw up a shield, it was child's play for Dan to blast through it, the energy hitting Walker square in the chest. He gave a startled sort of grunt as he hit the wall hard enough to leave a few large cracks, his chair getting knocked aside as he tumbled.

"I suppose asking you to hold back is pointless," Clockwork said to Dan. It was more a statement than a question of any kind.

"Oh, wow. I see you got your foresight back. Good for you," the other ghost replied as he cracked his knuckles. Striding up to the desk, he effortlessly knocked the furniture aside, only to get ecto energy shot back right into his face.

"Arg!" he yelled, covering his face with both his hands and stumbled back. "God dammit!"

"You really think I was gonna let a little piece of yapping trash like you get the better of me?" Walker snapped as he got up roughly. "I will have order here! This is my domain! Did you really think you had any kind of chance of waltzing in here and making a fool of me?"

"Actually," Dan said as he lowered his hands with a grin before shooting forward and slamming his fist into Walker's stomach. Before the warden even had a chance to double over, he was grabbed by his collar and whirled around, getting slammed into the wall face first and his left arms pinned behind his back painfully. Dan smirked darkly and chuckled. "Yes."
"You may or may not be aware of this fact, Walker," Clockwork said calmly, "but when Phantom first merged with Plasmius in his own world, you were one of his very first targets. He defeated you while he was still young, brazen, and not even in very good control of himself. Do you really think you have a chance now?"

The warden struggled, but it was a pointless venture. Dan did not let up, in fact every time the other ghost moved, his grip would tightening even more painfully. A small crack was heard from his held wrist, but neither Dan nor Clockwork reacted.

"You're making this more difficult that what it has to be," the Time Master stated. "I only want my staff back. Tell me where it is, and we'll leave you relatively unharmed. I doubt Phantom will be pleased in staying as gentle as I've asked him to be for very long."

Another crack followed, louder and much more sickening as Walker yelled out. Dan was grinning in pure glee as the warden ground his teeth together, forcing himself to quiet down again. He was not going to let the other ghost have the satisfaction, and he certainly wasn't going to give in.

"The Observants are going to get you for this," he hissed out. "They see you for the traitor you are. Let's see how far you get now that they're no longer turning a blind eye to you breaking their rules, thinking you're better than the rest of us. You'll fail Clockwork. You'll bring ruin to us all, just like the attack dog you've decided to keep as a pet!"

He must have thought it was his last act of defiance, and it certainly was. Dan's fist flared up with ecto energy before engulfing the other ghost. He snarled in the green light as the warden yelled out in the pain, finally releasing him so that he went limp and slipped down to the floor. Clockwork hadn't said or done anything during the little display but when the other turned roughly to him, silently daring him to berate him for what he had done, he sighed softly.

"All the power in world, and you haven't an ounce of control," he murmured before the much more impulsive specter glared at him. "I take it you have something on your mind? It's obvious you want to talk about it."

"I am not your pet," he seethed, his fists clenched. He looked as if he would love to tackle him, knock him into submission like he had done to Walker.

"I never said that you were," he answered. "Really Phantom, you need to stop caring so much about how others see you. It's a trait that just screams 'I'm a child'."

"Shut up," he hissed. "You do not own me and I won't tolerate anyone thinking I give a damn about you or what you want."

"Yes, yes. You've proven your point. You're your own man entirely. Now if you don't mind I have to-"

"I don't fucking care about you!" he yelled at the the Time Master suddenly.

Clockwork had to admit, that one surprised him. Care? Why in the world would he think he needed to state he didn't care about him? He was sure Phantom hated him more than anyone else in the world, for the possible exception of Danny. He had certainly never acted otherwise.

"Dan?" he asked, moving closer to him. He considered reaching out for him, but he was certain it would not lighten his mood in the slightest. No, it was best just to let him have his space. "We both know you hate me for entrapping you. I know you despise following my orders. You're not an 'attack dog' though. Think of yourself more as a... mercenary. You're simply working for your freedom. You were the one who made the choice."

"A choice?" he hissed. "What choice? I'm following your orders, do what you want me to, saving the fucking world and getting nothing but grief for it and you think I have any choice?"

"You could have stayed in the thermos," he replied. "You could have chosen to leave with Danny instead of coming with me to claim my staff. I may have requirements of you, but you know just as well as I do that I am not controlling your actions. You are."

Dan only snorted. Clockwork was an idiot. He didn't understand at all. Dan wanted him to be in control, to be the one forcing him to do things he didn't want to do. Not because he wanted to actual be controlled, but because if he was, he could still blame him. The fact that he was choosing to stay by his side and help him sickened him. He wanted to be angry, to feel like he was unjustified, not that he was choosing to go along with this out of the goodness of his heart or some stupid crap like that. He wanted Clockwork to gloat and force his actions like he had at the beginning as Dan had to begrudgingly go along with whatever he had planned. He didn't want him to talk kinder now. He didn't want him to point out he had a choice.

He wanted him to be wrong.

He wanted Dani to be wrong.

He... he didn't want to admit he had yelled at Clockwork, been so angry and desperate for him to listen, because he had fucking cared.

And he fucking wanted him to go back to being the omniscient asshole he was suppose to be so that he would already know all of this. Because there was no way Dan was going to lower himself to such pathetic standards that he was going to allow himself to explain all of this stupid crap to him. Why couldn't he just be able to magically tell what was wrong and throw it in his face, so he could just hate the pompous bastard like he wanted to?

But he wasn't going to get what he wanted, and it was pissing him off.

"Phantom?" Clockwork's voice gently broke through the silence. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," he snapped, pushing roughly past him. "Let's just find your damn staff."

He watched Dan tear the room apart, honestly with much more ferocity than was needed, with a bemused sort of curiosity. It was amazing how often and how well a fully grown man of his power could remind Clockwork of a child. The ghost was obviously angry, but was insisting on throwing his little tantrum instead of just handling it. He supposed he should have known words wouldn't have soothed him though. Rationalizing through things was not the way to reach men like Dan Phantom. It just wasn't how they did things. How much easier it was for them to use their anger to push through things than actually attempting to be calm about it.

But he recognized the wall he had around himself at the moment. Trying to talk to him again would only result in more arguing, and they had overstayed their welcome too long as it was. Dan did not want to talk, and he wasn't going to let it be drug out of him. He had no choice but to table it for now and try again later.

Of course, he had a feeling he already knew what it was. Dan was a free spirit. He had been for a very long time. He did what he wanted, never having an obstacle in front of him that could stop him, at least not for very long. It must have been driving him mad to be shackled so. Clockwork doubted his false words had helped much. In fact, they had probably pushed him even more over the edge. They both knew he wasn't really free to choose, and the Time Master telling him that he was was simply patronizing.

His anger was sadly justified, even if a tad irritating.

"I got it!"

The sudden exclamation of triumph was of course made by Dan, who was actually grinning now. The expression he had was obviously of one that was pleased with himself. Clockwork's staff was held in one of his hands, and though the office was clearly a mess now, the Time Master easily felt that it was worth it. Apparently he'd had the bright idea to start tearing apart the walls, that or he simply was feeling that destructive at the time because a panel had been torn from one of the walls. Metal hinges were twisted and broken as if they were made of mere plastic.

Clockwork hadn't seen it when he had first come in, no doubt in his mind that it had been hidden, but when you were just tearing apart everything because you could, did being hidden really count for anything?

He chuckled softly and held out his hand. As childish as the ghost was, he had to admit, Dan certainly had his uses at certain times.

He was happy when it was passed back to him. The old familiar weight in his hand was comforting. He'd certainly missed it. The staff was merely an extension of himself really, and being without it had not been enjoyable at all.

"Well, I do believe it's time for us to leave," he said as he ran his free hand over the metal, checking to make sure it was not damaged or impaired in any way.

"Finally," Dan muttered.

"Don't worry," he replied as he opened a portal for the both of them. "If it makes you feel any better, I don't doubt Walker now has a full understanding of how you felt about your stay here. Now let's go. We have plans to make."

#---------#

Angela had not noticed at first when some of the Observant's 'army' was disappearing. There had been so many of them after all. It was like walking through an ant hill. The number of ghosts swarming in the Library was just too high for it to be noticeable if she did not see one for a while. Not only had not seeing a certain face not bothered her, it did not even occur to her that it should.

However, when it happened a few more times, it did strike her as a bit odd. The longer time went by, the more she would recognize the faces of the other ghosts, even the ones she had never met before. When she didn't see some of them after a while, she wondered what was going on. Were they simply searching another part of the large spectral building?

Instinct was telling her though that it wasn't that simple, mostly because it never was. Certainly not in war anyway, which was only her entire existence. She would have been crazy not to wonder what was going on.

When it was just a few, she merely searched the place herself. Only a few missing ghosts was not a reason to go to the Observant, and he had made it painfully obvious he was not to be bothered unless it was absolutely necessary. Not that Angela wanted to. No, whatever was going on, she could handle it herself. If anything even was going on. It could just her being paranoid, making sure everything was running smoothly.

A general could certainly take care of small things like this on her own. There was no need to risk angering her employer.

She didn't find anything though, no matter how hard she searched. And when she realized that ghosts she had seen only yesterday were gone now as well, she was in even less of a good mood. She questioned the others, as well as they could be questioned, but they were all so mindless she couldn't get anything from them. She wasn't sure if they did know and just didn't have the brains to tell her, or if they really didn't have the information she was looking for. So she ordered them to come to her immediately if they saw who she was searching for.

She even told Wraith to keep his eye out for them. She hadn't figured on him being too much help, but he surprised her when he said he would. He wasn't sulking anymore, so she was glad he was at least out of his funk. She didn't need anyone not to be pulling their own weight.

Time passed slowly though and she continued to search. The place wasn't so big that too many people could hide from her, not the way she was checking every room, stalking along every bookshelf to even see if she could catch a glimpse of one of them. Even thinking she saw one would make her feel assured that everything was going the way it should, but even that was denied her.

When it became an even dozen, she was getting very close to panicking. It didn't make any sense! No matter who she asked, she would always be told that no one knew where these people were, but she knew they couldn't be in the Library. They were just gone, and no one was reporting back to her about it. Two days had gone by already and twelve of her soldiers were just gone!

Angela tried to reason why they would be gone, but she wasn't coming up with any decent answers on her own. The shield was suppose to be impenetrable. No one could get in and no one could leave. If someone had left, she would have noticed.

Or at least she should have. She didn't want to admit it, but if the shield could get past, she certainly could. It's not like she hadn't been distracted by worrying over her city. No, not at all.

The thought that they had somehow escaped terrified her though. It meant two very important things. The shield was very flawed and it was only a matter of time before the forces outside were able to get in, and that the Observant's control over them through the quill was not working as well as he thought it was. Two things that would infuriate him, but if she held back the information, the consequences would be even worse when he did find out.

She didn't have a choice in the matter. She had to report to him and tell him the situation. One last check to see if Wraith had not seen anything went out the window when she saw him asleep, hunched over on the floor. She considered waking him up, but decided against it. What were the odds really that he had, especially if he had been unconscious? He was half human after all. He needed his rest occasionally if he was going to be a use to anyone.

So she let him be and went to the room that the Observant had holed himself up into. She noticed that she was the only one around, even the ghosts under his control giving the area wide berth. Stealing herself for the worst, she raised her hand and knocked on the door determinedly.

"Enter."

It was Opal's voice that answered, not that she was surprised. The librarian still being possessed only made sense. Angela walked in and saw 'her' pouring over a book on a table, brow furrowed and looking as if he were concentrating.

"What is it?" he asked, not looking up from whatever it was she was studying.

"There's a situation," Angela answered. "I think it's a problem, and decided to bring it to your attention."

The Observant looked up. The expression on the librarian's face was blank for the moment, but the mercenary had to wonder if it would stay that way for long.

"Some of your soldiers have disappeared. I tried searching for them, but it's been over a day now, almost two since I noticed. No one has reported to me about their whereabouts like I ordered them too and no matter how many times I go over the premises, I haven't seen any sign of them," she explained to him.

"I see," her boss replied, though he didn't look worried by her report.

"Do you have any orders?" she asked, wondering why he wasn't reacting. Did he not believe her or something?

"No," he stated. "Though I do appreciate you bringing this to my attention. It shows you are keeping on top of things and aren't just slacking. I'm happy with your work ethic, Angela. You aren't the loss I was starting to fear you might be. Though in this case your hard work was for naught, but I certainly won't hold that against you. I just didn't inform you what was going on."

"You know where they are?" she asked. "Were they given another assignment?"

"Oh yes, a very important one actually," he answered. He indicated to a corner of the room where a large tapestry was hanging. Angela looked over at it curiously, not sure what was going on.

"Is there something behind there?" she asked, pointing at the large piece of cloth.

"Oh yes," he replied, actually sounding cheerful for some insane reason. "Why don't you go look? I would hate for you to feel ill at ease about where they've gone. And others are certainly going to follow. Best you be fully aware of the situation."

Feeling completely lost, she moved over to the tapestry. What, where they hiding behind it? Or was there a portal there that he was using to move them into other worlds that his enemies just didn't know about so couldn't use it against him? As important as it was to him to find this damn book, it seemed pretty stupid of him to send his little helpers elsewhere when they could be looking for him.

She gripped the curtain in one hand and pulled it aside to see whatever it was he wanted to show her before jumping back in shock. She heard a slight rip, no doubt the tapestry that she was still holding, now in a death grip, but it didn't really register in her mind. Staring ahead of herself in horror, she wanted to yank the cloth back and forget she had ever laid her eyes on this sight, but her body was no longer listening to her commands. It was like she had been frozen, unable to move or even tear her gaze away from what was in front of her.

It was a machine of some kind, that much was easy to make out from the many gears, cogs and levers all over it. It was also huge, built right into the stone wall. Angela was actually surprised to see something so technological in a place that just reeked of older times. Attached to it though, was what had shocked her so badly.

It was one of the ghosts that had been missing. A younger one, just a teenager. Angela didn't know his name, but from the looks of it, it didn't matter anymore. Wires were piercing inside of his skin, shoved into his open mouth, even inside of his eyes. She tried her best not to look at the trickle of blood seeping from the too soft irises and down his cheeks like someone's sick idea of tears. He looked like he knew what was going on too, or at least was aware of the pain he must have been in. The expression on his face looked like he was going through something excruciating, and it was probably only the Observant's control over him that was keeping him from screaming or crying out.

"What... what the fuck is this?" she demanded, tearing herself away from the sight and rounding on him. "What the hell are you doing to him?"

"He's fulfilling a purpose, just like the others were," he answered, getting up and moving to the machine. Angela stepped back as he passed her, not wanting to be touched by him. "Do you know what this machine does?"

"No," she replied.

"I didn't think you did," he replied. "You see, this shield is not my own doing. Not really. The Library of Worlds has it's own defenses. This happens to be the machine that keeps that shield up, but it is not limited in energy. You see, the founder of this place, Scrinium would often use himself as a power source if his domain ever needed defending. It can not be broken though, as long as there is a constant power surge going through it. Of course, it can only be activated and powered by someone on his level. Some modifying was needed, but as you can see it took no time at all, and now anyone can be used to keep it running. Though while he could do it safely, it drains anyone lesser until they simply cease to be. That's to be expected though, considering how insignificant their power is in comparison to his."

"You mean, that thing is killing him?" she asked. "What about the others?"

"It requires a lot of energy. None of them last too long. The biggest stretch was only slightly over six hours," he informed her. "But as many as we have at our disposal, I'm sure we'll find my book before all the resources are used up."

"Resources?" she repeated back weakly. "Resources! That's a person in there! You're killing him all for this shield? Don't their lives mean anything to you?"

"My delusional little general," he said with a click in his tone, "why do you think I invaded your world in the first place? This is exactly why I needed an army, to keep myself from being able to get caught as I prepared the multiverse for the cleansing it has sorely needed."

"What?" she asked. "That was your whole reason for invading my home, for destroying our lives? All so you had some kind of battery system?"

"Of course. It was really the only good that could come from it, you know. Well, actually I wouldn't try to make it so personal if I were you. All I needed was a world that was too far gone to save. It was Wraith that picked the book. I simply told him what section to go to. In the end, it was fate that delivered them to this. They are playing such an important part though. They would feel proud, if they were capable of emotion anymore. They don't do me any good searching if I do not have the shield for protection. Everything I will accomplish, they will have been a part of it."

"If it needed someone powerful, why don't you get in there?" she demanded. "You're killing them for no good fucking reason!"

The glare shot at her told her immediately she had said the wrong thing. The Observant advanced on her, and even in Opal's frail looking body, it was no less intimidating.

"I am working," he said. "I do not have the time or energy to be wasting on the concentration that machine requires. If you find it so distressing however, perhaps you would like to volunteer to be the next one inside?"

Angela looked down, unable to hold his gaze and slowly shook her head. She didn't see it, but he smiled.

"Good. Now that that issue is out of the way, is there anything else you needed to report to me?" he asked.

"No," she said. "No, that was all there was."

"I'm pleased to hear that," he said. "Now, if we start to come close to running low on our resources, I will make the arrangements to getting some more. As it is though, I am sure we will be fine. So I suggest you go back to making sure the searches amongst the books are going smoothly and report to me if anything is found. Do you understand?"

She looked up at him and kept her face as passive as she could.

"Yes. I understand."

A small whimper sounded from the machine and the Observant looked over at it. Angela wasn't sure if she imagined it, but the expression changed for a moment, a flicker of something she could not place. No doubt he was just planning what to do if they did run out of victims. She found herself hoping they found this damn book soon.

"You can go now," he said suddenly, dismissing her and still looking at the machine. "Do not disturb me again unless it is absolutely necessary."

She nodded and turned from him, eager to leave, though she did her best not to show it. She did not want to be in that room any longer than needed. The thought of what was happening was too much, even if she didn't know half these ghosts. This level of cruelty was just sickening.

The Observant however moved closer to the machine, staring at it. Fingers twitched slightly before he tore his gaze away from it. He didn't move to cover the shield generator, instead going back to his table and book to read after a few minutes.

End of Chapter Twenty

Wow, is he a dick or what? I usually like at least a trait or two when it comes to bad guys, but this one just sucks. I don't think there's a single good thing about him. Well, at least I know I can write a dick if I need to.

Hope his general asshole-ness was made up for the fact there was some more Dan and Clockwork interaction. Yay! They're talking and Dan realizes he might actually care about the other ghost! See, I told you it was romance. I TOLD you it was going to have Dan/Clock in it! They're taking their sweet ass time getting there, but you can't tell me there isn't progress being made.

And oh those two. They're so worth the laughs. Dan can't just get over himself and talk to the other, and Clockwork is so full of himself even when he says Dan has a choice, he doesn't think he does. And of course being all knowing most of his existence, he is so sure he knows what is wrong with the other he doesn't even think he could be wrong or not know what is going on.

They're both so thick. I love them and hate them at the same time.

Hey, I got an idea. Why don;t we celebrate the twentieth chapter coming out by reviewing this story! Yay! Seriously though, please?