AN: OH MY GOD YOU GUUUUUYS! You're all so awesome! Some of the reviews I've gotten just made me beam and squeal and the people in the room with me give me very worried looks! XD Really.
Okay, so, also, I apparently got the definitions of 'omnipotent' and 'omniscient' mixed up, so I went back and changed that in the last chapter, as well as little things that really don't need to be re-read. 'omnipotent' means all powerful, but I was going for 'omniscient' which means all seeing. Clockwork is definitely the latter, not so much the first. ^^; Also, can I just say, when the Doctor get's excited HE IS SO MUCH FUN TO WRITE! Honestly, I think 10's my favorite because we act the same when we get excited. :D That's why its so easy for me to write for him.
Also, I apparently got some of the ol' Time Lord physiology wrong, as such their mental capacity when it comes to mind reading. They have that telepathy thing with other time lords, and other creatures only with physical touch, so…yeah. Dunno what to say about the last chapter, I'm just going to say it was Clockwork's more, not open per se, but more ranged telepathic abilities, added to the whole 'ghost core being-sensing' thing. I have no idea how either would affect any telekinetic abilities with him. |D Also, there was a review I couldn't reply to on my 'Grandfather's Consolation' about the Doctor being thousands of years old, so, 1- He was YOUNG when he implied that, and probably trying to sound important, and 2- one of the oldest Time Lords known was like 15000 years old and going senile, and the Doctor is and was still considered young, so, yeah. Also, Clockwork is, as I mention later in here as I think it, OLD. Like, old as dirt, hundred-thousand-years old. So, yeah, Clockwork is old enough to be ANYONE'S so-many-greats grandfather, even the Doctor's. as I see it.
Okay, dang, this is getting long, time to wrap it up and start the show(I ramble. A lot. Thanks, Doctor Who, that's your fault!). ^^ Haven't don't this before, but greatest thanks to: wizardalexmix, snowlepard0, LetsWriteNow, and myra the fox, for the really spirited responses! :D It makes me SO HAPPY for other people to as excited about my story as I am to write it and see it come to life.
MILD LANGUAGE WARNING! It WILL get worse as time goes on, especially for Clockwork and other characters to appear later on! (I mean like the words d mn, he!, etc(only censoring them here,), but almost NEVER the f-word. I won't ever use the f-word.) THIS WARNING WITLL NOT BE SAID AGAIN FOR THE CURSE-WORD-HATERS.
Disclaimer: I don't own either Doctor Who or Danny Phantom, because the latter would still be on air with WAY more CW, and the former would still if at all possible have the 10th regeneration. XD
Chapter 2: Data Transfer
The Doctor was pretty sure when he stepped out of the TARDIS that he wasn't in the same universe anymore. Wasn't nearly as bad as the last time, the TARDIS was perfectly fine, but he could tell from the air, if not from the scanners- there was something odd to it, he couldn't put his finger on it though, and neither could the TARDIS immediately. He was going to explore while the scanners studied the information, but meeting someone right out of the doors was fine too. If he was having any doubts about alternate dimensions, they went away when he shook hands with the mysterious mister Clockwork.
He felt it, like a tidal wave, unable to stop it, and he guessed the two of them were in the same boat together. Information, words, a flash or two of feelings and images, but the words, words, words, words! The information, he felt and heard both those leaving and coming in, overwhelming even his mind-
Ghosts, hunters, ectoplasm, Phantom -an image, white-haired boy-, Observants -annoyance-, Guys in White, Time, Ghost of Time, old, HIM -anger, fear, worry-, Ghost Zone, clock tower -a tenuous feeling of home- power, knowledge, confusion, anger, loneliness-
-Rose -love, sadness, guilt, anger-, Time Lord, Gallifrey -guilt, rage, love-, Rose -again-, old, Bad Wolf, Daleks -even more rage and guilt-, Time, time and space travel, TARDIS -lovely. lonely, living home, the blue box, Time And Relative Dimensions In Space- regenerations, Rose, Rose, Rose, GUILT, running, terror, rage, sadness, loneliness-
-Clockwork.
-the Doctor.
They broke apart, collapsing on their knees as their heavy breathing echoes in the alley. Everything else in the world seemed to go silent, as even the sound of traffic from down the road was muted, and the birds dared not sing. It stretched, both of them quieting the storms of information, trying to hear themselves think even in the silence, not even chancing to look at the other.
Finally, they looked back at each other, noise tentatively returning to the background of life around them. Nothing was disturbed in the alley to give any indication of what had just happened. Only the adrenaline in their blood and the new words flowing through their head told them the incident wasn't imagined.
The Doctor swallowed, coughed, "Well, that was-"
"Strange." Clockwork finished gruffly.
The Doctor blinked, rolling his shoulders. "I was going to say interesting, but strange is good. Did you hear-?"
"Memories, information, feelings on said things?" Clockwork finished again, standing. "Though, I only have ideas as to what caused it."
Grunting, the Doctor stood with him. "Yep, but I think we might be thinking the same thing. And, I have a way to check!" Now unperturbed and gaining momentum again, he smiled and motioned the ghost- if what he had heard was right- to the TARDIS doors. Still smiling, he turned and walked to them.
He heard a long pause before the footsteps started following him. Not waiting much, he opened the doors, and walked in to allow the follower to enter. Clockwork didn't even pause when he walked in and up the stairs, only stopping to study the console. Right, ghost, very unimpressed with bigger-on-the-inside technology apparently.
"This is a…TARDIS, yes?" He asked, slowly walking around the console and ignoring everything but it. He sounded a bit like he wasn't used to asking the questions- understandable, if anything he was able to piece together told him anything. "A time machine?" He choked on the word, something between confusion and anger catching on his voice.
The Doctor frowned, weighing his words for once. "Well, time and space, actually, but yes. Honestly, you're the first one in a while who's cared more about the travel bit rather than the bigger-on-the-inside bit first off."
He grunted, sparing him a glance. "There's gobs of floating doors in the Ghost Zone that open into anything from a room to a mansion while only taking up the space of the door itself. A police box with an extra dimension inside it isn't that surprising." He stopped across the console from him, suddenly staring right at him. " Disregarding the fact that all of this technology is thousands of years ahead of this time." He held the glare a moment on the Doctor's surprised face. His whole upper body slumped, the sigh loud in the large room. He collapsed on the seat behind him, eyes closed, and the Doctor wondered if he had known the seat was behind him. "I had really hoped it's be longer before I had to deal with damn time travelers."
The Doctor's frown deepened, brow furrowing in confusion, and not a small amount of anger.
"Oi!" He cried. "I'm not that bad! There's plenty of people who would disagree," He muttered before continuing, "but at least I'm not some human prancing about and causing paradoxes and whatnot!" Even though he did that, too. "Anyhow, why should you care so much?" He paused as the ghost glared at him again, eyes having turned red. "That's a bit scary, nice try. But, ah- look, I'm sure we shared a lot with that memory-swap oddity, but I can't piece everything together from names and assumptions." Even though I've had to before a million times. he added mentally.
Clockwork's eyes dimmed somewhat as he breathed out, calming down. "Fine. Ask away." He apparently did not like asking the questions himself.
"Right then, name's simple, and I'm going to take a quick leap-"
"Is this going to be more of you talking to yourself than actually asking me questions?"
"Probably yes- I'm going to take a leap to guess that 'Ghost of Time' title is yours, yes? Than that 'old' remark probably applies to you- no offence-
"None taken, it's true."
"Great! Love a good puzzle. Anywho, what else? Ghosts, obviously you, but others? So, Ghost Zone would be the home place of ghosts and- Ectoplasm! That's what's in the air! But why? Ooh, are these like real ghosts?"
"You've seen the fakes?"
"Not really, mostly aliens, but anyway- Ghosts are made of ectoplasm here then? Okay, so that covers that, but how would ghosts live on Earth, wouldn't their structure eventually disintegrate without a stable environment of ectoplasm, going off of a guess?"
"What, you want a real answer now?" The ghost asked, raising an eyebrow.
"If you could, that would be nice, yes." The Doctor beamed, loving the roll he was on. His mind was just going click, click, click, as he talked and the pieces fell in place. This was always the best part, figuring stuff out.
Clockwork smirked, chuckling under his breath. "The Ghost Zone is the home of ghosts, but it's a bubble dimension tied to the physical plane on Earth- it's made entirely of ectoplasm, sustaining all ghosts."
"Oooh! That's just brilliant! Fantastic, I haven't seen anything like this! Oh, this place must be- OH! That's why the air is so permeated with ectoplasm! There must be portals between the worlds, and this town must be where the larger collection of portals open between, letting the ectoplasm leak through!"
"Very good, Doctor." Clockwork chuckled. "A+, done yet?"
"Nearly, I think." He laughed. "Phantom must be an important ghost, he's a ghost child- only fourteen?" He paused, sobering up. "If these are…real ghosts, then he…died at fourteen, correct?"
Clockwork hesitated, realizing the tricky ground. "There are two types of ghosts in general- ghosts of deceased people…and then there's ghosts like myself who simply formed from ectoplasm, imprinted by human consciousness or an element of nature- the latter are usually the most powerful ghosts."
"Ah," The Doctor continued, "Then Phantom must me the latter-"
"He is neither."
This brought the Doctor to a full stop, mouth open for a full minute in thought. "But- he- what?" He gasped, whirling to look at Clockwork.
"It is not my secret to tell." Clockwork dodged. "He is a ghost, but only one of three of his kind, the most powerful of such, and the second, for lack of a better description, natural being of his kind." Clockwork explained without explaining. "He has been in existence for 14 years, but only came to the Ghost Zone's attention two years ago. That is all I will say on the matter, unless you want to ask them."
The Doctor gave him a long, confused look. "Riiight." He drawled, trying to start talking again. "Okay then- ah, The Observants and, ah, Him are ghosts too, I assume?"
"Yes, but He is a…special case, and the Observants like their privacy- the only thing besides our species I share with them."
"Right." The Doctor said abruptly. "And Guys in White sounds like a bad parody of Men in Black, so I assume they're government ghost hunters?"
"Men in what?" Clockwork asked, scowling at him.
"Men in Black! The alien ambassadors for Earth, USA stationed?" He raised an eyebrow. "It's a movie series- totally inaccurate, especially considering Torchwood isn't nearly that diplomatic and you Americans hardly even care past a military standpoint. Come on, don't tell me you don't-" He stopped, studying Clockwork's now extremely confused and mildly frustrated face. "The movies don't exist here, do they? You don't have Men in Black? Well, that explains why the government agency was allowed to be named so closely to a movie franchise."
Clockwork started to life, on his feet in seconds. "Wait, what? No, there are no movies like that ever made! Although, that would eliminate the GiW's already horrible reputation." He smirked at that, shaking himself out of it a moment later. "Please, for my own sanity, don't explain something like that ever again. Not-knowing about it in the first place is bad enough."
The Doctor nodded, continuing. "Okay! So, a clock tower- wild guess, your home. Then there's…well, emotions, I suppose. You're obviously confused by me being here-" That comment earned him a bloody glare. "You're very smart; even more obvious because you're actually keeping up with my wild ramblings. Angry I'm here- did I interrupt something?" He skipped over the answer when Clockwork glared more. He also glided over the…feeling of loneliness. He had enough of that to know now to bring it up. "Moving right along- You must be powerful- You mentioned being a type 2 ghosts, the ones just straight manifested from ectoplasm? More powerful than others?
"Yes, and?"
"You said the most powerful were based off natural elements, and even not having a 'normal' power level to go off of, I'm going to guess again you're one of those? So, straight to next question- what element? Or let me guess-" He paused, half for dramatic effect and half just to beam again. "Time?"
Clockwork simply replied, "Every ghost has his obsession."
"Yes!" The Doctor crowed, spinning around to the screen. "And that's my explanation for the whole mind-trip- the different time energies from my universe and your universe are more potent around you and me- me because I'm a Time Lord- natural connection to Time because of close proximity to the Time Vortex over the years- And you because it's your 'obsession' as you said, and you- Oh!"
He stopped mid sentence, slapping his palm to his forehead! "No! But- Yes! Ohhhhh-" He whirled on the ghost, causing him to freeze in apprehension. "That's brilliant! You- Fantastic, you're not just connected to the Time Vortex, you're a part of it!" He leapt forward, grabbing Clockwork's shoulders. "Oh, that's brilliant! Just beautiful, you are!" Before he could protest, the Doctor kissed Clockwork on the forehead, whirling around the ghost and running a hand through his own hair. Lord, if he was hyper before, he was a living lighting bolt now. "But- ooooh, that's it! That's what that was- the energies where trying to connect- but the differences- and the TARDIS entering an untouched Time stream- Oh, ohhhh!" He slowed. "Oh! Ah, that's why- that's why you didn't- the anger- ohhhh. Omniscience, and the TARDIS crashed- Oh." It was very quick, as realization overcame him of what he and his TARDIS had accidentally caused. "Oh."
"Oh," Once more, slowly turning back to Clockwork, who was soberly staring at him. "Clockwork, I- I'm so sorry, I- We didn't mean to-" He fumbled, horrid at apologies, and not wanting to hurt him more. "That must've hurt, when we came blundering through- coming in was rough- but I didn't know…I-"
"Stop." The Doctor shut his mouth with a snap, too full of guilt again, and with no-where to put it. Oh, and Clockwork seemed like such a nice fellow, why did he have to go and hurt everyone? One person, one, didn't even have to be a human! Was that too much to ask? Stupid, stupid Doc-
"If you realise what you've done, than explain why." Clockwork breathed, and the Doctor could hear him restraining himself, because even a good cover could only hide so much from another scarred man. Under the omniscience he must have had, he guessed Clockwork had no-one to talk to- the Observants he hadn't spoken of with the best tone of voice, Phantom was a child no matter how you looked at it, and the thought of Him was followed by emotions that never equaled good news.
These thoughts rushed through his head, changing how he saw Clockwork, from the odd, intriguing stranger he had seen first, to the powerful, all-seeing ghost protecting his time stream to…to a lonely old man, protecting the only thing he had left, the only thing he remembered having, when it was attacked. His whole world-view had probably been almost set in stone before he came along and threw it out- other dimensions, unthinkable opportunities to change Time in ways he couldn't control, all unleashed by one mad man in a box. The Doctor wouldn't realise how right he was then for a long while.
"I-…I can't." The Doctor breathed. "I was going to Earth, to England to …travel, forget about-"
"Rose?"
His throat closed up, and he had to swallow several times to continue. "The ride was bumpier than usual- I know I'm a bad driver but-" his smiled died on his lips. "Next thing I know the TARDIS says we're in another dimension, and I'm sure you know the rest."
A pregnant pause filled the gap as both of them fell silent. The Doctor shuffled his feet, running another hand through his hair. "Clockwork, I never meant to…for this to happen- not again, she's not meant to go through dimensions and the last time nearly killed her and it cost me ten years off my life to even start to heal her then- and that only got worse." Both of them were staring at the metal grating of the floor now, the TARDIS humming solemnly. "I lost…" Still couldn't say her name. Probably not for years and years will he be able to without choking up. "-and even when it was possible for my people I never learned how. This was all just a big mistake- I'm sorry. I didn't mean to mess up like this." Again. Every time, always hurt people. Every time, every place, never peaceful, always running, cowardly, stupid, stupid, stupid-
"Doctor." Clockwork said abruptly, breaking him out of his self-loathing. "I think it would be best if you went back the way you came. You don't belong here. There's one too many beings who would want to kill you and you obviously are important in your home dimension. Just…go back the way you came, and leave this universe."
He swallowed twice. Three times. Four. "Right. Alright then, I'll…I'll do that."
Clockwork gave him a meaningful glance, he almost thought he felt a psychic connection like Time Lords had between them, but the ghost was gone and out the door before he could do anything or say any more to apologize.
The Doctor, causing destruction wherever he went, messing up yet again.