A/N: strict continuation for Midnight (could be read without that though)
Suddenly a breath escaped his lungs, it didn't feel like a breath, more like- relief, like someone or something would have suffocated him until this very moment. Limbs were fallen on the floor, and the world was spinning. It took a few minutes – minutes, ha! – to collect himself, but then he could make out the floor under him, it was cold and greyish green and around him, there was a ticking sound. Oh, yeah, right, he realised. It sounded impossible, but he felt himself weak like something would have sucked out his energy. Unsure for how long he was captured, he rather skipped wondering about if that was the reason. His fingers were tingling like those would have been used after a very long time. He slowly felt as the energy was returning to him, scrawling inside, like water after a gate got open, taking its original and missed place.
"I'm gonna kill him." he said then, mumbling under his nose. And tried to recall what had happened. Had he been released? No, certainly not, Clockwork wouldn't be that stupid. Where was the ghost anyway? For that thought, he looked around, the master of time was nowhere. "Weird…" he commented, he would have been sure, that damn intervener supposed to be somewhere around, just like that not a while ago they had- wait.
He turned towards the screen, he remembered, not a long time ago, he had heard the noises of fireworks, he had remembered counting the beats of the clock in here, the so loud sound of it, as the pendulum struck midnight. That had been the first time he had heard it telling the time, and also-
He pursued his lips, it didn't count, in real, right? No, it didn't. What counted that he now was… free? Wait, what? Did Clockwork seriously lose his mind? Or, the ghost didn't know about it at all. Which was, obviously not an option, but still.
He slowly got up and looked around in the place, was he really out? No, it had to be a mirage or something, because there was no way he was- that he was out. Somehow, he expected a mocking note, laughing at him, that this was nothing but a dream or something like that, but- it didn't feel like a dream at all. Did he lose his mind, and now he started to hallucinate? Well, after all, who didn't start to make up things trapped in some shitty container...
For a moment, he was thinking to turn around and check the thermos, but then, he shook his head. No, he didn't want to know how it looked. Wasted or untouched, or- he had got out, that was what counted in real, nothing else, and yes, he knew he managed to escape. It had to be it. Not someone else's hand. After all, why should have Clockwork released him, right? That damn ghost wasn't that stupid. Rather, on the contrary, the ghost was nothing else but a meddling schemer. But that thought didn't let him rest.
He forced himself to think about something else. Okay, whatever it was, he was free now, and Clockwork wasn't here, not even around, because he would have sensed the ghost. And not even the Observants were present – not that he would have 'met' with them since he had got here…
So, he was free now, and indeed, he felt he was free, in his molecules, deep and it was- it was almost scary. He almost wasn't sure what to do with it, but- he chuckled to that thought.
"Yeah, right, like I would have forgotten it." he slapped himself in his mind, clearly remembering why he was here, at all, in Clockwork's place, why he had been trapped in the thermos and after all, what had happened before that. Now, whatever it was, the weakening of the containers to break into pieces, or that he had succeeded to get out collecting enough power for it, or Clockwork's hand – which still sounded ridiculous – but whatever it was in real – especially if it was the last case... certainly the world didn't realise what it would mean, him, being out after- after what had happened.
His lips curled into a wide grin. If it was thanked to the ghost, then surely it wasn't clear what it would mean, and yeah… he would definitely show the master of time, what 'responsibility' should have meant, starting with Masters in the first place. And right now, being out… no one could stop him.