A Chance to Trust (YJ/DP)

-30- Faith in Foundations

The room was dark, the fan on the ceiling made lazy circles in the air, one of the few movements in the night bathed room. Two soft glows emanated from beneath blankets, a small dim one from a bed and a little stronger one from a bean bag looking mass. The blankets rose and fell with their breathing, sleeping fitfully yet solidly. A ticking sound was made evident by a small alarm clock on a black and white dresser.

A third glow rose from the ground, a soft blue hue cast around the room, much brighter than the other two glows. The cloaked figure floated forward, a large staff in a gloved hand and a swishing purple cape behind him.

Clockwork floated past the sleeping Technus, inching his way to the halfa. Clockwork stopped at his bedside, pausing to hear the small boy's labored breathing. He rose his staff, casting a spherical blue essence around Danny's stump leg.

Once the time bubble was set Clockwork slowly moved his staff over the wound, his staff glowed as ecto energy was transferred between ghosts. Clockwork didn't pause as Technus blinked open his eyes behind him.

"Clockwork." Technus croaked, the ghost in question didn't turn to him, focused on the task at hand.

"Where are we? Who is that?" Technus asked as his voice returned, Clockwork gave a small sigh through his nose.

"You've missed quite a bit my friend. You and the others escaped, Tucker brought you here to heal you. Danny was here before you." Clockwork informed, Technus grimaced as he sat up straighter.

"Where is Amorpho? What about the Martian?"

"Manhunter is fine, back with the Justice League, Amorpho... Amorpho didn't make it." Clockwork said, shoulders slumping the tiniest amounts as his from shifted to an old man.

"Oh..." Technus sighed with defeat, "another loss... That's Danny the halfa right?" Technus said, eyeing whatever Clockwork was doing to the child.

Clockwork only nodded as it took most of his concentration to keep the time bubble working, transferring some of his stored energy to help the boy heal faster. Danny's head turned in his sleep, his face morphed into a grimace as his leg healed faster than it normally did. Of course the pain was nearly doubled as the leg was healing twice the rate it usually was, including his already advanced healing abilities.

"What happened to him?"

"Hell." Was Old Clockworks simple reply as he continued to move the staff over the stump with calculating red eyes.

As he feared the stump would remain a stump, Danny's leg would not be coming back.

"The GIW's time tables have quickened, they have yet to show their hand but I assure it is more powerful than previously thought. I cannot aid you in this endeavor, but I can send help." Clockwork said as he continued to heal the halfa's stump, shifting to a middle aged form.

Technus looked up, "What do you mean?" The ghost of technology did not like what Clockwork was implying, it sounded as if they would be on the run again soon.

"Time cannot stop, it must keep moving, flowing in and around things. Decisions can be made that change time's direction, those choices can only choose the lesser of two evils. But the lesser of two evils is still evil. I would rather Danny not deal with the consequences of the choice, but I'm afraid if I do not make it the world as we know it will end." The ghost of Time said sadly, looking over the sleeping boy, the blue light from his staff crating interesting shadows on his already glowing features.

Clockwork released the time bubble, small tendrils of blue ecto energy floating off his staff. No matter how much energy he put into the wound it would not grow back, it was healed, it should not cause Danny any healing pain but it would act like any other severed limb. Phantom pains and getting used to one limb would be the halfa's goal now. As if getting through the GIW induced trauma wasn't hard enough.