Chapter 1
Clockwork floated in front of the magically cloaked Sanctum Sanctorum, time frozen, mentally preparing himself for what he was about to do. The Sanctum was, unfortunately, shielded from his power, the New York Sanctum and all its counterparts across the globe, protected by the very treasure he was here to reclaim.
The Time Stone.
Contrary to what most who knew of the Infinity Stones believed, the Stones themselves were not the remnants of the six singularities that existed prior to the creation of the universe, but instead were in fact missing, stolen pieces of the cores of the ghosts of those six singularities. The Infinity Ghosts (or Infinities as they were more commonly called) had always existed and would always exist, and had gathered like the curious children they'd been around the first Ancient when he came to be, simply because he was something new.
More and more Ancients came to be and soon (almost immediately, actually), the young Infinities were vastly outnumbered by entities that matured into adulthood much quicker than they did. Soon a civilization bloomed and laws to keep everyone, Infinities included, in line were created. Time had seen that the Ancients were going to come down hard on the six little Infinities for every rule they broke, but he hadn't given it much thought then.
It wasn't like the more mature ghost could do anything to them, right?
However, Time became concerned when the Ancients decided that the Infinities needed caretakers , ghosts to watch over the powerful beings that were essentially rowdy two year olds. They all still broke rules as they played in the universe that was much, much smaller at the time and caused general trouble for their own amusement. Time had begun breaking fewer rules in any of their caretakers’ presence once they'd gotten them, wary of the possibility he saw coming, but his siblings, especially his sister Power, only rebelled further. None of them liked the rules that were being forced upon them, and back then their caretakers couldn't actually do anything to them.
Until, of course, it was discovered that a ghost’s core could be used to control that ghost. The first Ancient, a powerful ghost who called himself The Majesty (Time called him a pompous jackass, and then had to explain to his siblings what that was (and they then agreed)), had decided to break off a piece of each Infinity’s core and give it to their caretakers, thus granting each caretaker the title of “Master.” Clockwork could still vividly remember the horrific agony he'd been in when they'd cracked his core and stolen a piece, his face and body irreparably scarred in the aftermath. His siblings, he knew, fared equally poorly, and immediately after the creation of the Infinity Stones they all were far too weak and in too much pain to resist even slightly as their new Masters pulled them away.
Clockwork harshly shook himself out of his thoughts and back to the present. Now was not the time to fixate on the past. Right now, Clockwork had a piece of his core to retrieve.
He had Vladimir to thank for tracking down the Time Stone (as an anniversary present of all things (Clockwork had given him Vladimir’s birth mother's locket that had been taken from him by the American agency taking in Russian orphans back in the sixties and seventies)).
Clockwork mentally steeled himself, then released time and slipped inside the Sanctum. The purple-clad Infinity floated invisibly through the wards designed to protect the Sanctum and followed the faint pull of his missing piece.
“Who goes there?” A voice called from behind him, the feel of magic strengthening along with the pull of the Time Stone calling out to him. Clockwork pivoted to stare at the human, a man he knew to be Dr. Stephen Strange, and allowed himself to slip into the light spectrum visible to humans, his form sliding rapidly between child, adult, and elder and back again.
“Who or what are you?” The sorcerer demanded as his stance grew more defensive, Clockwork’s gaze fell to the eye-shaped amulet hung around the man’s neck. The Eye of Agamoto, from which he could feel the thrum of power from his fractured core radiating out and calling to him. Distantly, it occurred to him that Dr. Strange might be able to feel the Time Stone calling out to him.
The human stared at the unmoving ghost that was now in the form of a young adult (eighteen, nineteen at the oldest) and shifted back a little when he noticed the long, jagged scar over the specter’s left eye began glowing the same red as its unblinking blank eyes. Dr. Strange could sense that this being was somehow connected to the Time Stone, some ancient spell perhaps, and was very powerful.
“I'll ask you again: Who and what are you?” Dr. Strange forced confidence into his voice as the specter stared for a few moments longer, before it seemed to shake itself out of its stupor and began speaking in a level voice.
“I am Clockwork, Ghost of Time. And I am here to reclaim something that was stolen from me eons ago.”
“And what, pray tell, is it you've come to reclaim?” The sorcerer asked cautiously, wary of what the ghost may be after.
“Why, I'm here for the Time Stone, Stephen.” Clockwork stated, floating closer and closer as Strange backed away, until he had the human cornered. “What else would I be here for?”
Strange’s fear was evident on his face for a moment before he schooled his features and glared at the spirit who'd cornered him. “I will not surrender the Time Stone. If you really are the “Ghost of Time” you should have your own chronokinesis without the Stone. And how do you know my name?”
Clockwork gave the distinct impression of rolling his eyes. “I know your name because I know everything. Yes, I have my own chronokinesis, but that chronokinesis is why the Stone gives its Master chronokinesis. You did hear me when I said it was stolen from me earlier, right? You must give it to me.” Clockwork began to reach for the Eye of Agamoto.
“Do not touch the Eye!” Dr. Strange shouted, and the purple-clad ghost froze. His hand fell away and he scowled angrily. It took a few moments of tense silence and eye contact before Strange realized he had the ghost’s unwilling obedience. It took him another moment to realize that it was because of the Time Stone.
“The Time Stone can control you. That's why you want it so bad,” the human observed, then offered, “I can't let you have the Stone, but I can try to undo whatever spell binds you to it. I might be able to free you from its hold.”
The ghost growled. “You don't understand. That won't work. The only way I'll ever be free is if I get that Stone.”
“How? What don't I understand?” Dr. Strange demanded, “Explain it to me!”
Clockwork grit his teeth and bared his fangs. “The holder of that Stone is my Master and that is the only reason I'm telling you anything. The Time Stone is a shard of my core. A ghost’s core is their very essence, what they manifest from, what makes them them , and without it they cease to exist. “Ancient” is the term used to denote a ghost that was among the first of all ghosts, or a ghost born from the death of a star. All Ancients are the ghosts of dead stars, so a new Ancient could be born now and still be considered an Ancient. I am what is referred to as an Infinity. There are only six Infinities and that is all there will ever be. We existed before the first Ancient, who is at fault for the creation of the Infinity Stones.
“A ghost can be controlled by a piece of their core. At one point when the Ancients had formed their own civilization, they decided that since my siblings and I refused to follow their rules they would force us to. The first Ancient had asserted himself as leader and he's the one who broke our cores and made our caretakers our Masters. The first Sorcerer Supreme stole the Stone from my previous Master without even knowing of my existence. Now I’ve told you enough and I need you to give me that Stone.”
Clockwork suddenly lunged forward and phased his hand through the Eye and grabbed the Time Stone. He pulled his hand back and thrust it through the now open door in his chest and behind to clock within the casing, fitting the stone into his well-hidden core. The tolling of bells and the sound of thousands of clocks ticking away flooded the room and overwhelmed Dr. Strange as he crumpled down on the floor with his hands clamped over his ears, eyes locked on the entity. Clockwork’s aura flared powerfully, his mouth fell open and his eyes widened to near-perfect circles.
It wasn't until the ghost had vanished with a look of bliss on his face, taking the deafening sound with it, that Strange let out the breath he didn't realize he'd been holding, finally took his hands off his ears, and slumped exhausted against the wall.