Partners In Crime (Ticciwork fanfic) [DISCONTINUED]

Chapter 38: Chocolate and Peanut Butter

"...teenage girl killed in a fatal car crash yesterday evening. The vehicle appeared to have a faulty break system - police aren't sure if foul play was involved or not, but this video was taken by a resident soon after the incident."

The reporter on the TV screen disappeared to show the shaky photage of a phone's camera. It zoomed in on the car wreck, and Clockwork and the others could clearly be seen as they stared at the wreckage and talked among themselves. Clockwork realized Toby was still holding her by her shoulders, which she hadn't noticed in the heat of the moment. She saw the silver of the clock in her eye flash orange with fire as she turned to see the camera recording her, and Toby's wary gaze that followed.

But when Masky looked at the camera, the footage blurred and glitched, then turned black. The TV switched back to the reporter.

"The user's phone died after recording this video," She said. "But eyewitness reports say that the four people seen at the sight ran into the forest shortly after this.

"Other reports claim that the female seen in the video is known as Natalie Quellette, also known as Clockwork, a recognized serial killer from..."

The reporter launched into a list of details that made Clockwork feel self-conscious, and then moved on to say that Toby was recognized too, but Masky and Hoody weren't familiar to anyone in the area.

"Your name is Natalie?" Toby asked curiously.

"No." Clockwork said coldly. He fell silent.

"What did you do?" Jeff accused. He was standing next to Clockwork with both his arms crossed across his chest. The television had switched to a reporter at the scene of the crash who was gesturing to skid marks on the road.

"Hey," Toby pointed his jumbo-sized pixie stick at Jeff. "It wasn't my fault this time." He tipped the paper roll of sugar back into his mouth and stretched his legs out on the couch he was lying on.

"You should not be eating that."

"I'm running on two hours of sleep don't tell me what to do."

"It was a Black Cat." Masky said from the kitchen table. He was spinning the tip of a steak knife around on one of the circles in the wood grain. "Popped up and nearly killed us in the process of killing her." He nodded to the TV screen.

"Wait," Clockwork interjected. "Do black cats actually cause bad luck? Is that what that was?"

"Not all of them." Toby dropped the empty pixie stick wrapper into a trashcan behind the couch's arm rest. "A Black Cat with capital letters is a demon that causes incredible bad luck to those it targets or those who are just in the main vicinity." Toby closed his eyes and leaned his head back. "They're horrid little freaks, but if you want something to look like an accident, a Black Cat'll get it done."

"So someone wanted this to look like an accident." Clockwork muttered thoughtfully.

"Or it was just screwing around." Jeff said with a shrug. "Black Cats are known for doing that."

Masky dropped his knife with a faint clink and looked up. "Wait, what was her name again?"

"The dead girl?"

"No." Toby said sarcastically. "The serial killer's."

"Elizabeth Greenhille."

"The hill is always greener on the other side." Toby said. They all looked at him and he wiggled his eyebrows. "You know, the afterlife."

Clockwork face palmed.

"She was a Ghost Speaker." Masky said, choosing to ignore Toby's awful play on words. "And just a week or two ago there was another Ghost Speaker that was also killed by a Black Cat - Hoody and I saw it."