Partners In Crime (Ticciwork fanfic) [DISCONTINUED]

Chapter 30: Triple Agent

"So I have a list of things I don't like, and what you're doing right now is definitely one of them."

"Oh, I'm sorry, did I offend the majesty?"

"That's exactly what I'm talking about."

Clockwork was trying to ignore the face-off but it was slightly difficult, with Jeff's burning blue eyes and Jack's lack of. She wasn't even sure how it started, but it was making her extremely nervous. She'd never seen anybody get into a fight yet - verbal or otherwise - and she certainly would prefer someone other than an emotionally unstable Jeff at one end.

Jack was standing across the dining table from him, near the door to the hallway, but Clockwork knew how fast Jeff could move. It was a little surprising that Jack was the one arguing - he hardly spoke at all anyway - but apparently he had a temper too, and a nasty one at that. Clockwork was trying to remember why they were arguing in the first place, but she couldn't, because she hadn't been paying attention until Jeff stood up.

Almost everyone else had left already save for Hoody, who was quietly listening to the disagreement at the end of the table, BEN, who was in the corner, and Toby, who seemed to feel the same way as Clockwork - trapped.

With the ticking time bombs on either side of her, boxing her in, she couldn't exactly stand up and leave; so she was forced to listen, and hope they didn't rip each other apart.

"Oh?" Jack lifted his chin in response to Jeff's scorching tone. "You know, you could just say you don't like me, and leave it at that." He was much smaller than Jeff, seeming even smaller when he was always closed under his hoodie, but he was still very dangerous, and maybe even an even match for someone like Jeff. Clockwork wasn't sure who would come out on top if things got physical.

Jeff seemed very calm, but there was a dangerous light behind his eyes that utterly terrified her. "Why don't you just leave," He said carefully, his voice very cold. "And I'll stay here, and we can pretend this never happened, and continue our lives?"

"What if I don't want to?" Jack challenged. Jeff tensed.

"Jeff -" BEN tried,

"Back off." Jeff growled, and BEN instantly fell silent, looking at the floor.

Clockwork had noticed while she'd been here that there were some who seemed more dominant over everyone else. Hoody and Masky were definitely up at the top; if either of them said anything, everyone would listen, and everyone would comply. Jeff was up there as well, he could silence just about anyone with a few words. Clockwork wasn't sure where Toby fell, but he seemed somewhere in the middle.

As for Jack, he was so quiet that everyone would shut up to hear him, but that didn't nessesarily mean they listened.

"Stop trying to pick a fight with me."

"Why?"

"Because I don't want to hurt you. Just go."

"Or you'll what? Kill me, and then cry over my grave like you did with Liu?"

Jeff stiffened and it went dead silent, except for Toby, who made a sort of whimpering sound and somehow shrank into his seat until he was barely visible.

With a zapping noise, BEN teleported away. Hoody looked up from the knife he was cleaning and eyed the two carefully.

"What?" Jeff asked softly, his voice barely audible at all. Jack caught his breath, like he'd realized what he'd said.

"I -"

"Go." Jeff hissed. His hand was in his pocket, thin fingers curling around the knife hilt.