#clockwork is kronos

Master post

So I really enjoy stories where Clockwork is either Kronos himself, or Kronos was just a fragment of Clockwork — like every version of Kronos is just a small piece of Clockwork's power, pushed into a body or created for a specific purpose. Either interpretation works and both are fun to explore.

Now, imagine this: Clockwork still has the ability to control the dead bodies of every version of himself — or rather, every Kronos across the multiverse. If he wants to, he can infuse a small piece of his power into a bone, an artifact, or a remnant from one of these iterations and temporarily reconstruct Kronos to serve a purpose. Once that purpose is fulfilled, the body is discarded or left inert.

In this , Clockwork has adopted Danny — either as a son or grandson (up to interpretation). As a ghostly parent, Clockwork is very protective of Danny.

One day, Danny is put in a danger that wasn't foreseen by time visions — a threat so severe that it could end him permanently. Driven by sheer ghost-parental instinct, Clockwork snaps.

He reclaims a form of Kronos (From its respective universe meaning the universe Danny is in either it be his own or a different one) and enters the physical plane. This act alone causes global panic, because as far as the world knows, Kronos has returned, and that never means anything good.

The Justice League and Justice League Dark are thrown into full alert, scrambling to figure out what prophecy they must have missed or what ancient evil has reawakened kronos .

While the heavy hitters try to confront "Kronos," the reality is this:

Clockwork is on a one-track mission — to rescue his son/grandson, and nothing, not even Diana (who is technically his granddaughter), is going to stop him.

Danny has saved the world more time than he could count and they would never know. He didn’t care

Ancients! He preferred it.

He retired from being a hero when the Justice league came into the picture. Ever since he was crowned the ghosts don’t really threaten humanity anymore so he’s more than happy to leave the non ghost threats to earth get handled by the Justice league

Well, not his first child biologically, to be completely honest.

It just so happened that the Phantom very often helped/helps/will help Clockwork at different times and his presence next to the titan required an explanation.

And the opportunity to call Zeus a little brother is worth a lot, right? So when the Ancient came up with this idea Phantom did not resist just to have such a pleasant bonus from their cooperation.

However, in the time of the gods and heroes, such a solution was not a problem. But in modern times, when Phantom tries to attract as little attention as possible in order to graduate from university, such relatives are more likely to cause a lot of problems.

~~~~~

Wonder Woman: Uncle Danny?

Superman, who wanted to chase away a teenager serenely strolling through still smoking battlefield, turns to Wonder Woman, who is waving affably at excactly this guy.

Well, Fenton honestly happened to be in Fawcett City by accident, and it just so happened that by chance it was on this sunny and cloudless day that the villains decided to cause riots worthy of the attention of the founders of the Justice League.

Danny: Diana! My dear, it seems like we really haven't seen each other not for a long time! In what century was it? Ah, I honestly, I barely remember it... The speed at which children grow up defies the laws of time. I mean, look at you! Your mother must be so proud. How's Dad? Still not paying child support, arrogant bastard?

Wonder Woman: Oh, uncle, please. I'm all grown up now, don't worry about me.

Danny: Hm, well, let's get back to this question later. I didn't want to embarrass you in front of your friends. Anyway, would you like to introduce them, little princess?

Wonder Woman: Of course, meet Kal El, Batman, and Shazam. The rest of the guys have already returned to our base. Would you like to...

Danny: Ooh, you're talking about, um... What do you young people call it? The Justice League, right? During my youth, the heroes rarely united and mostly performed all the feats alone. It's good that you help each other, kids.

Danny flies up a little to pat Superman and Batman on the head.

Under the Diana's gaze full of hope that they will get along with her uncle, the men do not move.

In the background:

Red Hood and Robin who used to hang out with Danny near the Lazarus pits: *sounds of seagulls dying of laughter*

~~~~~

Flash: So you're Diana's uncle?

Danny: Yes, call me Danny.

Flash: Cool, cool...

Danny: What does the temperature have to do with it? Do you need ice? Let me make some for you.

Flash: No, it's like,um, I didn't know that Zeus has a younger brother with that name. So, it's good to know?

Danny: Hmm, thanks. Many people tell me that I look quite young, hah. But actually I'm his older brother, so...

Flash: Older? Oh, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to disrespect.

Danny: No, it's all right. It's "cool". I rarely appear on the pages of your human myths and legends, I know it. After all this business about Chronos devours his own children, my father punished me for a long time. So, yeah...It's a funny story.

Flash: Punished for what? How?

Danny: Uh, sitting in a room at a time when there is no Internet or electricity is not fun at all. You see, I just didn't want a younger brother or sister because I was afraid that my parents would pay less attention to me. So, I made up this stupid prophecy and persuaded Gaea to tell it in order to remain the only child in the family. My father would never have thought that I would decide to kill him, that's why...Phah, it's just a bad family story. In 10 thousand years, we'll all laugh about it.

Flash: Yeah, that's... funny.

~~~~

Danny *is woken up by an emergency call from the League at three in the morning, although he fell asleep at two o'clock* (he gave his contact so as not to upset his niece): I knew this would happen! I knew it!

~~~~

Billy Batson *stands in his human form in front of the Justice League and doesn't know what to say*,*sweating nervous*.

Danny *enters the hall*: What's up, mortals, Diana and...Batman? My father said that there is something that I have to be here for. Oh! Well, at least someone in this family is also a shapeshifter. Have you decided to make a younger form so that your uncle doesn't feel lonely? What a good boy! Usually everyone is so afraid to seem like children, once they turn a couple of centuries old. Ah, youth~

Billy: Yeah, I decided to..experiment? and it seems I got stuck by accident.

Danny: It's okay, Uncle Danny will help you. Come on, let's go...

~~~~

Danny *teleports them to the Fawcett City*.

Billy: ....

Danny:

Billy: Hey, I'm still stuck!

A new portal opens and a man in a purple cape hands Billy a note. "Go to Constantine. P.S., my son always completes all assignments only by half, sorry." written on it.

Billy: Oh... OoOhHh!!!

~~~~

Meanwhile, Constantine, who is forced to do additional work: Son of a bi... beloved and respected Master of Time.

Danny: Yeap, that's me.

Constantine: Damn it. Couldn't you just let Batman adopt him like in other timelines?

Danny winds up in the DC universe. This universe speaks a different language than his and even All Speak isn't helping. Not to mention it's been a long time since he fully died and he hasn't been around the living much.

He manages to get across that, while yes, he's not human, he means no harm. Luckily the other group portrays the same intent. One of them (John Constantine) seems to be lecturing some of the members (JL) about something. (Be polite because he may LOOK like a kid {he returned to looking the age he half-died at after he fully died} but John can sense, backed up by other JLD members, that he's MUCH older than he looks. Not to mention the Ghost King thing.)

Over time, Danny begins to learn this universe's language.

One day, Danny is ranting about the Observants and how they keep screwing with Clockwork.

Cyborg speaks up and asks who Clockwork is and that Danny slipped into Ghost Speak halfway through his rant. Danny takes a moment to translate the name and gives the name Kronos.

Poor Danny is confused at the sudden silence and tense atmosphere.

Wonder Woman frantically asks what Kronos did now and how he got free.

A confused Danny says he's NOT free and that THIS is the problem.

Everyone else goes from relief to learn he's still trapped to shocked, confused, and more than a little horrified to learn their friend wants to FREE Kronos?!

Seeing the horrified and bordering on betrayed looks, Danny starts explaining about the Observants and how they've been acting up.

What everyone else HEARS?

'THERE'S ONES *WORSE* THAN FUCKING *KRONOS*?!'

'What have these psychos done to make KRONOS look SANE to this guy?!'

They get their answer when seeing he hasn't quit sold them on freeing Clockwork, more like he seems to have driven them against the Observants, which, he's not complaining, but that's not the PROBLEM.

Danny then tells them about Dan and how the Observants wanted to kill him to prevent it and how Clockwork not ONLY saved him, but found a safer, non-bloody, way to stop that timeline from happening. He DOES assure them that Dan has long since healed emotionally and mentally.

Part 1

"Come on, Clockwork! It would be fun!"

Danny Phantom hovered in front of his mentor, grinning like he’d just won the lottery. Clockwork raised an eyebrow, the red glow of his eyes dimming slightly. "If you say so, Daniel."

"Yes! Try taking your human form, and I’ll show you the human world!" Danny’s excitement was palpable. "So much must have changed since the last time you saw it!"

Clockwork considered if Daniel ever does listen to him. He had observed humanity through his portals—wars, empires, the rise and fall of civilizations. He had seen it all. There was no need to walk among them again.

But Danny wanted to share it with him.

That was new… the boy again forgot.

Clockwork had spent millennia detached from the world, content to watch from the safety of his tower. 

The last time he had taken a physical form outside of the Tower, humans had barely discovered fire that Prometheus gave them. 

Now, they had skyscrapers, computers, and something called "the internet." Danny had tried to talk all about it at once.

"You’ve never left this tower, have you?" Danny pressed. "Not since you became a ghost. You’re missing out!"

Clockwork sighed. "I see all, Daniel. Time is my domain. I do not ‘miss out.’ I see all of it, at once."

"Yeah, but it’s not the same as experiencing it!" Danny floated closer, his neon green eyes bright. "Please? Just for a little while?"

Clockwork hesitated. The boy was persistent. And, if he were honest, there was a part of him—buried deep beneath the gears and the endless ticking of time—that wondered what it would be like to walk the earth again.

Not the time, he was Kronos.

Not as a king of the Titans, Lord of the Golden Age.

Just as… something else. As Clockwork.

Clockwork’s mind drifted back to a conversation he’d had long ago, when he was still Kronos. His brother Hyperion had come to him, concern etched into his features.

"What is going on?" Hyperion had demanded. No greeting or small talk, just a demand from his King.

Kronos had looked up from his time experiments, his fingers still glowing with temporal energy as he saw what he could change and adapt. "I am unsure what you mean, brother."

"You’ve changed," Hyperion said, stepping closer. "And not for the better. You’re distant. Cold. You don’t care about the Golden Age, about Rhea, about your children. You don’t even care about your own damn kingdom!"

Kronos-Clockwork had feigned confusion. "I do not have my temper anymore for you to fear?"

Hyperion’s gaze sharpened. He remembers the old Kronos temper that the Siblings feared so much they ran away from as he became the King.

He had seen the flickers—the way Kronos’ skin turned blue for a moment, the way his golden eyes flashed red. He had felt the way time itself seemed to warp around his brother. "Whatever you’re doing with time, it’s not doing your body good. It looks like you’re ripping yourself apart. Are you even still a Titan? Or has your power already mutated you into something else?"

Kronos had that damn mysterious smile. "I know what I am doing."

"Do you?" Hyperion’s voice was low, urgent. "Because it doesn’t seem like it. You’re not the Kronos I know. You’re not the king who overthrew Uranus. You’re not the ruler who—"

"Who, you all feared?" Kronos had interrupted, his voice calm. "I remember who I am, Hyperion. Even you, my favourite siblings, wouldn’t talk to me that way, in the past."

Hyperion had stared at him, stunned. "What?"

Kronos had turned away. "You should look after my son Zeus. He’ll need guidance when he comes of age. Maybe talk to Chiron too."

"Zeus?" Hyperion had frowned. "Your newborn son’s name is Poseidon. You don’t have a child called Zeus or Chiron."

For a moment, Kronos had faltered. The timelines were bleeding together, his memories of the future and the past tangling like threads. "So they still have to be born," he murmured. "We have time."

And with that, he had left his brother standing there, whispering after him: "This is exactly what I’m talking about. Do you even remember who you are?"

Clockwork returned to the present, watching as Danny rummaged through a pile of clothes he’d brought from the human world. "Okay, so we’ve got options. Do you want to go with the classic trench coat look, or something more casual? Maybe jeans and a hoodie?"

Clockwork blinked. "I do not require clothing."

"Yeah, but if you’re going to blend in, you kinda do, and you can’t walk in a Toga, even if you did look good in it!" Danny said, tossing a black jacket at him. "Here. Try this."

Clockwork caught the fabric, examining it. It was strange, holding something so mundane after so long. But Danny was right. If he was going to walk among humans, he needed to look the part.

With a thought, his form shifted. The gears receded, his blue skin faded to a more human tone, and his red eyes dimmed to a warm blue. He stood before Danny as a tall, broad-shouldered man with white hair and a face that wasn’t Flawless, but it did look Human, yet Ancient and Timeless. Yet at the same time, he did look similar to how Danny looks.

Danny whistled. "Whoa. You clean up nice."

Clockwork adjusted the jacket. "Is this sufficient?"

Dcxdp trope twist

All of Olympus was in chaos. Apparently, Kronos had somehow sired another child, a son.? No one was able to agree on exactly how to feel about the new godling, but they all agreed they needed to have their chosen champions check things out.

Now, Captain Marvel and Wonder Woman were searching for the new god and Kronos. The only hint the fates had given was that the new godling lived in the United States and would take on Wonder Woman’s great grandfather’s domain.

If the Children of Time met the Olympians, it would be interesting. They would have seen it differently from each side; the Phantom Team wouldn't care so much. From their perspective, it would be something like Slice of Life. From the Olympians' perspective it would be angst and outrage.

From the Phantom Family's perspective, they are honestly uninterested except for the fact that the Olympians are mythological figures. Because they don't see the gods as family, they see them as figures of myth and the children of a tiny fragment of Clockwork that he ripped off to set the timeline in a certain way.

Clockwork doesn't care about the Olympians; they are not his children, and he doesn't want them to be. They are the children of a tiny fragment of his power given purpose to set their timeline going in a certain direction. He doesn't care about them; they are not his. He doesn't care, and it shows, except maybe for how funny it might be for his children to mess with them. He is time—past, present, and future. He doesn't have to care about those little deities of some concepts.

The JL learn of a prophecy stating that Ouranus would be reborn in mortal flesh, die and revive, and gain the power to destroy the world.

A cult tries to summon Ouranus back into the world and the heroes try to stop them.

They fail.

The ritual is completed and inside the summoning circle is a teenaged Caucasian boy with a NASA sweatshirt who looks just as confused as the rest of them.