Time Apprentice

Chapter 7

Two hours till battle, ClockWork woke up. He remained staring at the ceiling for a few moments before sighing. He looked down to the sleeping teen in his lap and a look of a combination of sadness, worry, concern and loneliness cross his face as he ran a hand through his Apprentice's hair.

As if sensing his Master's emotions towards him, Danny snuggled up to ClockWork as if trying to reassure the Master of Time that he'll be alright. "...I'll...be fine..." he mumbled.

ClockWork couldn't do anything about the stray tear that rolled down his cheek. He pulled the teen close to him and hugged his Apprentice. Not only do the Apprentices have a protective instinct over their Masters but the Masters have a protective instinct over their Apprentices as well. And he did not want to see his son in all but blood die before him.

"I know Daniel, I know." He said but it was more to reassure himself than the teen. Making his mind up, wanting to spend as much time as he could with Danny before he died, he stayed with his Apprentice just hugging him and running his hand through the boy's hair.

"Daniel! Daniel! Time to wake up."

Danny groaned as he slowly opened his eyes till they were just slits. A blue face with red eyes greeted him through his vision was still a little blurred.

"Master?" he mumbled.

ClockWork smiled a little. "Not much time is left, Daniel."

Danny sat up, rubbing his eyes trying to get rid of the sleep that still lingered. "How much?" he asked.

"Thirty minutes."

Danny stretched and yawned. Danny and the others might not have noticed but ClockWork did, as Danny opened his mouth wide to yawn, you could see that Danny was starting to grow fangs.

Danny stood up and was about to leave the lounge when a thought came to him.

"Master?"

"Yes, Daniel?"

"Will you be helping in this fight?"

"Of course. Even if those one-eyed jerks don't like it." Danny and ClockWork laughed at what the master of time called the Observants. "You are my Apprentice and I will fight alongside you and your team."

"But I thought you can't interfere?"

ClockWork sighed. "I won't be able to fight alongside you per say, it is up to you and you alone to defeat Dan, Plasmius and pariah. But I will fight with the others and the ground troops."

Danny smiled. "Thanks Master." He looked around before looking back at the ghost of time. "Where is everyone?" asked Danny.

"I believe that they are up in the Op-centre." Replied ClockWork.

Danny called upon his ghost half, the ring of blue/white energy appeared and split in two, one travelling up, the other down, changing him into Phantom.

"Might as well say hello." He smirked. He went intangible and flew up into the Op-centre with ClockWork right behind him.

They landed making themselves tangible again and looked around the room. Maddie and Jack now have a suit on as well but they were the same colour as their hazmat suits. Everyone except Dani was testing their suits out in some way or another. Whether that be fighting invisible foes or just stretching or something else.

Dani was the first to spot the raven-haired teen. "You're up Danny." She said running over to him and jumping into his arms.

Danny chuckled and ruffled the young girl's hair. "Yes, I'm up." He said putting his little sister down.