You could tell from the stacks of parenting and child care books on a bookshelf, in your own bedroom, that Clockwork had been prepared for you before your arrival. The twin sized bed was ready for you, and in a dresser were folded clothes, some the right size for your age and others in various sizes ranging from a bit oversized to being big enough for when you got older. Each shirt, hoodie and pair of pants were long, baggy, or both.

You figured out that it never warmed to a comfortable temperature, and the tower being made of stone didn't help with that.

From the first day of living in the Ghost Zone, Clockwork told you to bundle up. Always wear thick socks and if anything, layer up under the outfit you were already wearing. That rule didn't leave too many fashion choices, but it was better than being a human popsicle.

It took you a while to get used to phasing through walls, there's a bit of a learning curve to it when you're as young as you were. You couldn't count all the times you almost fell through the floor, or phased through a wall out of the tower's safety by accident. Your first and only run in with the Ghost Zone's greatest hunter was a prominent reminder for you to be aware of your surroundings.

Around two or three weeks after Clockwork took you under his wing, he had to meet with the Observants again. They bothered him a lot, apparently. There's always something wrong in the world, something that they thought needed fixing.

And it's never for something easy.

He gave you some crayons and paper to keep you busy, told you to stay put in the tower and to behave until he returned. Nodding, you saluted him and shouted, "Affirmative!"

You sat for what felt like hours, drawing a ghost with cracks in the face similar to Clockwork's, putting it on your head like a mask. There weren't any holes for your eyes, but you stomped around the tower making ghoulish noises and growls. You had lost your concentration and made yourself float. Phasing through walls was a more accurate experience when playing pretend ghost, but you ended up phasing out of the tower, and once you realized what you had done, you were at the point of no return.

Well, maybe not no return.

More like the point of it being difficult to get back to the tower when you're so small.

The tower was far behind you, and you've never been such long of a distance away from home, let alone outside of the tower at all. Not since you had come there, at least.

Clockwork said if you ever got lost, to stay where you were and he'd find you.

And there you were, floating in the air with your legs crossed in a sitting position, with nothing to entertain you other than picking at the velcro straps on your shoes.

You remembered wondering, why was waiting so boring? How could grown-ups put up with this?

It felt like you'd been stuck there for ages when you heard the whirring of jet packs. You turned around in confusion, only for something to be thrown at your face. A giant metal ghost with flaming green hair hovered over you as you screamed. He picked up the net by its neck, untied it and pulled you out of it by the back of your shirt collar.

"A human?"

His other hand took hold of your cheeks and turned your face from side to side.

"How curious. You must be a runt."

You swatted him away from you and hissed through bared teeth, "I'm not a runt, I'm four! Let me go, you big dumb bucket head!"

He squinted at you before roaring in your face.

You squeezed your eyes shut as your hair fluttered around as if his screaming was a ferocious wind. When he finished with his attempt at making you scared, your foot had flown up and knocked his head off his shoulders.

"That's so rude!" You screeched at him. Prepared to yell at him some more, you instead saw a small, — tiny is a better word — , ghost staring back at you. His face reflected in both horror and anger; little fists bunched up.

"I will destroy you, whelp!" He raged.

You couldn't help but laugh. You tried not to, honest, but it was just too funny. Here's this green twerp that's smaller than you, standing at six inches tall and threatening you. But the funniest part was his voice. It went from dark and gruff to high and squeaky, like the guy had sucked the helium out of balloons.

"What?! Why are you laughing?!"

You smiled and shrugged innocently, not wanting to hurt his feelings. Instead of continuing your giggle fit, you held out your finger to him.

"I'm (Y/N)!"

He glared, scrambling off the battle suit's neck, and returned himself inside of his helmet before he reattached it to the rest of the body.

"I don't need to know your name, child!" His voice was deep again.

"That's okay. What's yours?"

He didn't answer; he grumbled and put you under his arm. "Runt or not, you'll still make a wonderful addition to my collection."

You tilted your head and scratched your left cheek. They were cold from his metal hands touching them.

He stuck two chain bracelets on your wrists with his free hand. They began glowing green and connected themselves together like handcuffs.

Something behind him on his body made the whirring sound you heard earlier, and the voice of the best ghost in the whole Ghost Zone interrupted him.

"I believe that's my child you are trying to take, Skulker."

Skulker, you had guessed that was the metal man, turned around and looked at Clockwork with a puzzled expression. When he realized who it was, his mouth hung open.

"This thing is your child?" He asked in disbelief. You blew a raspberry in defiance and your guardian simply nodded.

"Yes. Letting her go now would be wise of you, Skulker."

He complied, putting you down to float in the air. The ghosts knew that even with unique powers specific to only them; they were no match to Clockwork's. What good are ectoblasts and hypnotism when someone has the power to wipe you from existence? Best not to piss him off, yeah?

You flew to his side as fast as you could, spinning around to see Skulker's expression. He looked like he didn't know what was going on, but the ectoplasmic handcuffs disappeared off your wrists, allowing your hands to fall to your sides. You would've left them there, but your hand reached for Clockwork's, you held it as tight as your grip could manage.

"I... I don't get it." He stated, still staring at you like you were an alien. That was when you understood that humans were foreign.

"You don't need to. Attempt something of the sort again and you will face the consequences." He admonished, pulling you with him as you flew back to the tower. You were afraid that Clockwork would be mad, but he knows everything. He had to have known it was an accident and you didn't have the intention of disobeying him.

Instead of a yelling fit that parents would normally have when their child did something they shouldn't have, he stayed with you on the floor for a while, telling you stories while you drew pictures for them to put in a little book that you would make yourselves. When matters settled, he would sit you down and tell you, you were the first human to ever enter the Ghost Zone and live.