Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Clockwork sat in his tower. He stared up at the screen before him, contemplating his next move. It's been 25 years since it was stolen....  He thought as he remembered the loss of one of the miraculous that had been lying in his charge. He glanced over at the ornate box that sat inside a protective glass casket. 25 years of searching in vain for clues of who stole it. He growled at himself, wondering for an innumerable time what good it was for him to have the ability to see all of time if he couldn't see what was happening in his OWN DAMN TOWER!!! Clockwork sighed and ran a hand over his face.
"I might as well call it a day for now, after all, all this searching wearies me and I'm no good to anyone if I collapse again." He said, addressing no one as his own voice echoed through the emptiness of the tower. Just as he turned away from his screens, which were littered with news articles and maps with glowing green dots on them he felt something that he had not felt in years. A deep rumbling tremor that started somewhere deep in his core and spread its way out until every fiber of his being shook with an unseen force. He knew that he wasn't experiencing an earthquake for the entirety of his tower was as still as his grave, nor could any explosion reach him in his realm. They're making a move! Clockwork thought as he raced back to the screens, a new one with a blank map appearing before him. He ran his hand over the map, feeling the tremors intensifying as he moved. Until finally his hand stopped over a spot where his hand was physically shaking, an event that had not happened in 25 years. Not only are they summoning a new ghost but they've opened up a new portal! He thought with horror and excitement. This is the day! This is when I stop them and take back the miraculous! Clockwork thought as words began to appear on the map, they were in a bright green script that shimmered and glowed brightly as they solidified on the screen. It fills me with dread to consider what might come of this but I have no choice but to draw them out. The words were almost fully printed, their glow dimming as the spectral text took on a more concrete form. I'll only send out one this time, and I'll choose my recipient more carefully now, no ghosts. This time I'll choose a human, a half ghost who can take action in their world just like the thief! One last letter, he was just one letter away from FINALLY completing his goal and finding the person who stole his miraculous, his precious charge! I'll only send the ring, Cujjo will be able to keep his chosen in check, I'll never again choose to give someone the crown, it holds too much power. But I must choose someone who is currently untouched by hate or rage. As he thought this he held out his other hand, feeling a new tremor begin as he reached out with his core, searching for a good candidate. Clockwork whipped his head away from the new screen that had suddenly appeared as he felt the trembling in his left hand come to a stop. There written in forest green were two words positioned over an acid green swirl.
"Amity Park." He read triumphantly before feeling the tremor in his right hand stop and a pull on his core as it seemed to catch. Ah, it seems that I've found my new chosen. Clockwork thought as he turned his attention back to the screen at his right hand. There was a long pause as he stared at the screen before him before he let out an almighty groan.
"Oh noooooo!" He moaned placing his head into his left palm.
"I said someone 'untouched by hatred and anger' and this is what you chose?!" Clockwork cried up to the ceiling. There was no response save for the ticking and grinding of gears but he could have sworn he heard a murmur amongst the noise, a murmur that made him sigh and nod.
"If you are sure." He conceded and turned his head back to look. Sitting there right on the screen was a fourteen year old boy with raven black hair and icy blue eyes. I certainly hope that this isn't a mistake. The guardian thought tiredly before turning away to retrieve what looked like a glowing, green ring.

Chapter Text

Danny POV
I stared in horror, as I stood outside the dilapidated building.I had agreed to stand in for Tucker as Sam’s tech guy for one of her paranormal investigations. I also, had graciously ignored Tucker’s constant insinuations to ‘use the opportunity to get closer to Sam’; so at the time, I didn’t think it would be a big deal. However, now that I was at the meeting location, I was starting to question my choices. What kind of an idiot agrees to walk around a decaying hospital with a bad night vision camera in the middle of the night? I asked myself as I stared up at the sign that now read "No Mercy Hospital" instead of "North Mercy Hospital". Sighing, I glanced over at Sam.
She had her short black hair up in its usual ponytail, which swayed slightly every time she moved. Her amethyst eyes narrowed in focus as she checked her dusty investigation equipment. I watched, as she brushed the dust from her hands on her black skirt before glancing over at me with a smile.
The same kind of idiot who falls for his ghost hunting best friend. I thought forlornly as I once again cursed my constant need to impress her. Sam walked up to me, brushing dust from her equipment off of the glow-in-the dark ghost on her black shirt.

"Uh... Sam? I don't think that this place counts entirely as a 'building' per say.... It looks more like termites holding hands...." I said once she reached me.
"Oh come on Danny! Tucker already bailed on me when he heard that we were going to a hospital, I can't have you bailing too! Besides, how can a stone building look like termites holding hands? That doesn't even make sense, they can't eat rock." Sam replied, sending me a baleful glare. I looked between the girl in front of me and the hospital next to her and shrugged.
"I dunno, why don't you ask it when you're doing your investigation?" I asked sarcastically, giving her a deadpan look. Sam sighed and looked at me seriously as she took my hands. I felt myself immediately stiffen at the contact. I began to panic internally, Oh no! Not the "this is really important to me speech". Every time she gives me the "this is really important to me" speech I cave! PLEASE don't be giving me the "this is important to me" speech! My internal rambling screeched to a halt as her annoying hypnotic amethyst eyes met my gaze.
"Danny I don't think you understand how important this is to me," she said I knew it... I groaned as she continued.
"This is the first time I've ever been invited into a location before! Plus this isn't just some stupid haunted house that kids dare each other to break into for a night! It's the North Mercy Hospital! This place is legendary! Not only are there audible voice phenomena but there are also freaking shadow people and full bodied apparitions! This is a make or break investigation for me and I really need your help. Please?" As soon as Sam was finished I sighed. I knew I was gonna cave... I thought as I cast one last forlorn glance at the city beyond the chain link fence behind me, feeling as though it would be the last time I saw it.
"Fine, you win as always, let's just go and get this over with." I caved with a sigh. Sam grinned brightly and said, "Thanks Danny! I knew I could count on you!" As she turned to walk back to her equipment I mumbled, "You always can..."

"Okay last check, you have the spirit box right?" Sam asked for the millionth time.
"Yes, and the EMF detector, and the digital recorder. Everything is fully charged and functioning, including my walkie, even though I still don't understand why I needed one, and everything is really really heavy so can we please skip the billionth check and get all this over with before your equipment permanently reshapes my spine?!" I pleaded, half in hopes of alleviating her anxiety and half in pure exasperated pain. She sighed and nodded.
"Okay, okay, let's go in." She said, I threw my head back and groaned, "Finally!" If I didn't already know exactly what's in this stupid bag I'd wonder if she tried to sneak a Proton Pack in this thing! I thought as I shifted my backpack uncomfortably. Sam had me turn on my camera, before turning on her own to start the investigation. She started talking but I wasn't really paying much attention until she said, ".... And thanks to the Fentons for providing me with all my new gear! In fact, I actually have Danny Fenton with me tonight as my tech man and guest investigator! Danny, why don't you say hi?" I blinked and saw that she had her camera trained on me. I waved awkwardly and said, "Um... hi?" She chuckled slightly before turning around to look back at the building behind her. Wait.... Did she say "guest investigator?" What the hell does THAT mean?! I thought frowning slightly as we walked into the abandoned hospital. I looked around the front hallway and saw nothing but detritus and dust in the air.
"Uh, Sam? Should we be wearing some kind of masks? I think I might see some black mold...." I said, eyeing one of the walls. I turned my camera to look at Sam and saw her rolling her eyes.
"You sound more nervous than Tucker, calm down. I talked to the owner about it, there's no mold." She said. I continued to eye the wall uncertainly but I kept going.

When we got to the end of the hallway Sam walked behind me and grabbed the digital recorder from my backpack as well as the spirit box.
"Okay here's the plan, since this place is so huge we'll be doing solos right off the bat. We're each going to take two floors. I'll take the first floor and the basement with the digital recorder and you'll take the second and third with the spirit box. We'll meet up in an hour after giving each floor thirty minutes." She said in a business-like tone that left very little room to argue. Of course that didn't stop me from trying.
"Hold on, hold on. I'm sorry, did you say 'solos'? As in separate, in a building that is visibly falling apart?" I asked trying to articulate how truly crazy this idea was, but Sam was having none of it.
"Danny your parents are paranormal investigators, I'm sure you can handle walking around a couple of floors in an old hospital. Besides, that's what the walkies are for, if you find something just walkie me and I'll come and join you." She said placing a hand on her hip. I sighed and weighed my options. If I back out now she'll probably think I'm a wuss and I'll never hear the end of it. But! If I get through this and maybe get some 'evidence' she'll probably be really happy and maybe even a little impressed! I thought before heaving a heavy sigh and snatching the spirit box out of her hand. I stormed past her, trying not to lose my nerve and quickly pulled out my walkie and pressed the button to talk.
"Walkie check." I said into it, flinching slightly at the feedback as my voice came crackling in from Sam's walkie. She grinned and responded instantly, "Good check." And with that I went upstairs.

I had walked around for about a half an hour on the second floor getting nothing so, I decided to go upstairs to the third. When I got there I immediately jumped, swearing as I watched a shadow dart into a room. I scrambled for my walkie. My tremblingly hands struggling to operate it properly.
"SAM! SAM?!" I cried into the device as I stared in horror at my dark surroundings through my screen. After a full minute of silence my walkie crackled to life, just as my camera decided to stop working.
"What?! What's wrong?!" She called over the line, her voice staticky and distorted.
"I went up to the third floor and saw a FUCKING SHADOW!" I shouted hoarsely, officially not caring if I was making my cowardice known.
"WHAT?! SERIOUSLY?!" She screeched and I flinched slightly before responding.
"Yeah! And then my camera SHUT OFF!!!! I think it might have died or something!" My voice was shaking and I had tears in my eyes but I didn't care. I was so terrified at that point that it didn't even matter. Unfortunately just then my camera turned back on and the image that appeared on my screen made me scream louder than I'd ever screamed before.

Standing with its head sticking out and the rest of its torso covered in the shadow of the doorway, was a pure black figure that seemed to be looking right at me. I relayed this horrifying vision to Sam as the figure ducked slowly back into the room. Her response to my genuine terror was a truly insane idea.
"Okay I'm coming up, in the meantime I want you to take the spirit box and check out that room." Sam said earning an incredulous stare. I even turned around my camera and said, "In case nobody heard that and someone happens to find my body, Sam just asked me to go into the room at the far end of the hallway where I have seen a figure duck in and out TWICE!" I held up my walkie and asked, "Why would you ask me to go in there alone?!" I waited for her response and stared at the doorway in utter terror.
"Oh come on Danny! You're on a paranormal investigation! Investigate! Besides, it's going to take some time for me to get to you anyway, you might as well check out what it is, you can't tell me you're not curious." Sam's voice crackled over the speaker and I had to admit that she was right. I mean sure was I literally so scared that I was on the hairy edge of full blown crying? Yes. But did I also want to see if the thing that I thought I was seeing was actually there? Also yes. I mean my parents had devoted their lives to proving the existence of an afterlife, and so had Sam. I came to the conclusion that if I was too scared to do it for myself I'd at least try to do it for her. I also briefly debated whether or not to tell her that I loved her just in case this turned out to be some kind of psychopath and I got murdered but, I changed my mind.

As I made my way down the hallway, camera and spirit box in hand, I found myself thinking, 'Do it for Sam' on repeat like it was some kind of mantra. I'd thought it so many times by the time I made it to the room, that between it and my crippling anxiety there was barely any room in my head for other thoughts. So when I saw a weird looking green ring with a skull-like face on it, I barely had any time to register how weird it looked before I picked it up.

The second that I touched the weird glowing ring all my equipment died except for the spirit box. I learned this when I tried to walkie Sam to tell her about it just after my camera officially died. I let out a sigh and once again repeated my new mantra.
"Do it for Sam." Before pulling out the spirit box and asking, "Who is in this room with me?" There was a pause before an almost cartoonish voice responded, "Cujo!" I rolled my eyes slightly, assuming that something had just been said over the radio, though it begged the question: why would a cartoonish voice be discussing a Stephen King novel. I shook that question off and said, "Gonna need more than one word to convince me that you're really talking to me through this device. I'm going to give you another chance, let me know what you're doing here?" The same voice came over and this time I got a bit of a chill.
"Waiting... for... you." The voice said. I nearly dropped everything I was holding and ran out of the room. No, don't run, no running. Do it for Sam. I thought, shaking my head, beginning to feel angry at myself for being so scared of whatever was or wasn't in that room with me. It was then, in that moment, holding that ring that I felt a strange feeling come over me. It felt almost like an out of body experience. In the back of my mind, I told myself that I had been so freaked out by the response that I’d gone into shock, since I suddenly felt totally calm. The fear I had been experiencing before was gone. I heard myself asking, "Why were you waiting for me." And I heard the voice answer, "To... put on... the ring." I remember thinking one last time, Do it for Sam. as I watched myself slip the ring onto my right hand, and then my vision went white and I knew no more.