Partners In Crime (Ticciwork fanfic) [DISCONTINUED]

Chapter 10: Megan

Clockwork ran through the forest, trees whipping past her in a brown and white blur. Where did he go!? How could he have disappeared so quickly? Several times she thought she saw dark shapes following her, but they never defined themselves enough for her to be sure.

She was tempted to call out for him but she knew he wouldn't answer. She also had no desire in letting the hellhounds know exactly where she was.

Clockwork slipped her hand into her pocket and drew her knives. It was comforting to have the familiar weight in each hand. She felt herself finger the hilt subconsciously like she always did, feeling safer already.

Something whooshed past her to her right. She snapped her head in that direction but nothing was there. Clockwork narrowed her eyes, remembering how Smeagol had ambushed her last time. She gripped her knives and turned around in circles, looking for the glow of a red eye.

"Clockwork?" A voice said from the trees. She hesitated.

"Toby?"

"What are you doing here?" He replied, though he didn't show himself. Something about that seemed wrong to Clockwork. She scanned the forest, trying to find him.

"I was making sure you didn't get yourself killed." She said coldly. He laughed.

"I'm fine, trust me."

"Where are you?" Clockwork turned in a circle again.

"Over here." He said from next to her. She looked but still didn't see him. "Come over here."

"Why don't you just come yourself?" There was something horribly wrong about the way he spoke. Wouldn't he be angry at her for following him? Why was he being so calm? Why wouldn't he show himself?

"Ah, forget it. I knew you were a waste of my time."

Clockwork heard the sound of metal clinking and the death whoosh of something next to her head and she ducked right before a blade cleaved her skull in two. It hit a tree and sunk much deeper than it should have, splinters flying in every direction.

Clockwork had never seen a weapon like that before. It was a thick, heavy blade with a chain attached to it, and it was stained with suspicious dark substances that looked like both hellhound and human blood. Clockwork remained on the ground and looked in the direction where the chain came from, but it vanished into the shadows before she could see the wielder.

Just then, the weapon was yanked out of the tree and Clockwork rolled out of its way as it whooshed past back into the shadows.

"Nice reflexes." The voice was vaguely feminine but didn't sound quite right, like whoever it was wasn't very female anymore. It seemed to come from inside Clockwork's head and all around her at the same time.

Clockwork heard the deadly sound again and darted out of the way as the rusted metal cut right past her ear.

"Toby is like that, too." The voice sounded a little dreamy now. "He hates me now, though."

"I wonder why?" Clockwork growled. She was still trying to figure out where this person was. She had a sneaking idea on who it was, but it wasn't like that was going to help her anyway.

"Whoops!" Suddenly the chain flew out from behind Clockwork and snagged against her legs, knocking her onto the ground. Her head smacked against something hard and she was dazed for a moment. Whoever it was laughed.

She looked up and saw the weapon coming towards her again, but she couldn't roll out of the way this time.

Just when she braced herself for the impact and the pain, a dark shape darted in front of her, blocking her vision. She heard the terrible sound of metal scraping against metal and suddenly whatever had jumped in front of her was gone, and there was only the chain weapon lying limp on the ground far away from her.