Hey again!

We're so excited to be playing this game with you were as soon as a notification dings we post a chapter. We do have to sleep and work, so please excuse any mistakes that occur, when we have access to our actual computers we'll be sure to post the chapters correctly.

-Dark


The following Tuesday

Harry grumbles as he belly crawls through the duct to get into the secret room he and Jay had taken for their own.

He still hadn't gotten to take T to task for tackling him when Deez had tried to run off. Tripped his ass. Kid vaulted rooftops and couldn't walk in sand? It was insulting and he hadn't been able to do anything at it at the time.

He spills out of the duct into the room, surprised when he lands on a pile of flattened pillow. "What the fuck?"

"T." Jay greets. "Because why not?"

"O' fuckin' course it be T," Harry growls as he tenses.

Jay lifts a brow. "What he do now?" He sighs in exasperation. "Apparently he's been busy this week…"

Harry sighs as he pulls himself to his feet, "We be ah havin' ah run-in with ah day scare for Deez." He admits as he rubs the back of his neck.

Jay flinches, "Ouch man, that fucking sucks."

"Oh, the good part be she did'nah be flamin' up once, even when she be ah gettin' pissed at us."

Jay sighs in relief. "That's fucking awesome. She really has gotten her shit under control over the last few months."

"Aye." Harry throws himself into the corner near Jay, "But it were ah bad one, I don'nah be thinkin' we'll be seein' her playin' in the shallows anytime soon. Fuckin' seaweed."

"Fuck that slimy shit." Jay sighs as he runs a hand through his hair. "Well, you got her there once…I'm sure you can do it again. She's still going to the ship right?"

"We did'nah be givin' her ah choice after her… relivin' shit." He wipes his hand down his face.

Jay nods. "Don't blame ya. Even Mal looks away when Carlos is having one of those, so me or E can comfort him- Not that we don't get them- They're just, ya know," He shrugs, "Different for everyone."

"Aye." Harry tilts his head to the side, "Same for me group as well."

"But, I still don't understand why you're mad at T."

"When she be comin' round, Deez be gettin' angry an' embarrassed." He takes his hook out and starts to twirl it in his hands between his raised knees, "She tried ta be runnin' again, and when I went ta be givin' chase T tackled me."

Jay covers a snort.

Harry lifts an eyebrow, "I were on the damn ground havin' just been cooin' Deez through her terror," He explains with a glare, "and I were'nah expectin' T ta be pullin' ah stunt like that."

"Sorry. I get that." Jay coughs, shaking his head. "Yeah, T's been pulling stunts a lot this week…" He grumbles in exasperation.

"If Gil were'nah so damn quick, she'd have gotten away." Harry slams his head back against the wall and squeezes his eyes shut, "And fuck only be ah knowin' were she would' ah been runnin' too-"

"T would fucking know- That's why the bratty little shit's fine with Deez running off."

Harry drops his hook and throws his hands in the air dramatically, "Ta be ah doin' what? The kid be more emotionally constipated than you lot."

"Tch. No fucking kidding." Jay scoffs.

"I just, my worry were bein' what if she be ah goin' back ta her father like that?"

Jay takes a deep breath before he sighs. "Doubt T woulda let that happen- But glad you two were able to you know, do your thing with her instead. Fuck only knows it was more helpful than anything T woulda had her do in that state. Probably cliff jumping." He rolls his eyes.

"Aye, that not be sounding very helpful." Harry sighs as he picks his hook back up, "I know it probably would'nah be happenin', but T be needin' ta realize he can'nah be stopin' everythin'."

Jay takes yet another deep breath, "Wouldn't that be fucking nice."

"Aye…" Harry rolls his eyes, "I were ah thinkin' of giving him ah scoldin' if he be showin' up today,"

"Oh your not the only one," Jay grumbles, before absently rubbing his ear.

"What T be ah doin' in yer camp?"

"Ugh." Jay groans, "Pissing off Mal on purpose, and then telling her that he was doin' it for shits and giggles from what I could decipher from the screeching." He frowns. "I haven't seen Mal like that in a while." He shakes his head. "Admittedly she was upset over a dumb reason, but seriously, who the fuck admits that type of shit to someone like Mal? Dumb ass little shit."

"Ah screeching Dragon don'nah be soundin' fun mate." Harry sympathizes.

"It's not," Jay states evenly.

"What were it she be ah gettin' all worked up over?"

Jay rolls his eyes, "T bringing supplies to our hang out."

Harry laughs.

"S'not funny." Jay groans. "It's a fucking headache."

"Oh but it is," Harry slaps his thigh, "He be doing the same shit ta our lady The Lost Revenge."

"Huh." Jay looks around the room suspiciously. "And here…" He points out the box of swords that had tipped over in the corner, across from the pillows. "Probably wants us to be able to spar with each other."

"And him, the little shit be ah showin' up to our meetin's often 'nough." Harry chuckles.

Jay smirks, "Which is kinda stupid on his part."

"An' why ya be ah thinkin' that?"

"Because we're usually both annoyed with him about something…"

"Aye, there be ah lotta truth ta that."

Jay snorts. "No fucking shit, right?" He shakes his head. "Fucking little brat." He mumbles. His brow furrows in thought.

"But so what?" Harry asks.

"So, I'm guessing that talking to him like a normal person doesn't work for you either?"

Harry grins as he shakes his hook in Jay's direction, "When ya be ah tryin' ta lie to yourself by ah thinkin' somethin' crazy like that?"

"When I thought he could be reasonable." Jay slumps back, letting his head hit the wall. "Pain in the ass."

"Ah…' Harry grins, "Mate, I be ah thinkin' I found yer problem."

"Shut up," Jay grumbles. "People, even the weird ones, respond to reason. That fuck just waltzed into our hideout and-"

"I can be ah breakin' yer concept with ah single word." Harry fights to keep a straight face.

"Right. Just pure Mal and T. No buffer."

"That be soundin' like ah brand of hell."

"No shit." Jay breathes out. "I've never seen Mal so pissed. T skipped out on her for a week, on purpose, and told her to her face, that he only did it for his amusement." He growls, wiping a hand down his face.

"That do be soundin' like T though." Harry shrugs, "He don'nah be strikin' me as one ta be carin' fer rules or consequences."

"That's the fucking problem. He doesn't have consequences." Jay sighs in exasperation.

"Well, Deez did'nah be havin' consequences for ah bit there, but now she do and I be ah thinkin' she be doin' better…" Harry clicks his tongue before he looks back over to Jay, "Mate, just fer curiosities, what do ya be ah thinkin' Mal would be ah doin' if Deez were ta be ah joinin' up with us?"

Jay grimaces at the thought. "It's not Mal I'd be worried about so much as her mother." He admits with a shrug. "But Mal would certainly throw a tantrum in her own right… But let it go eventually."

Harry nods, "But she probably would'nah be good with Deez comin' round if that were the case, yeah?"

"I think she would overlook it if we waited long enough, honestly. Mal can be reasonable."

"Like she ever be ah overlooking' these little meetin's?" Harry rolls his eyes.

"Ha!" Jay snorts, "I'd be Cruella's new coat."

Harry snorts, "Ya ain'nah bein' nearly furry enough ta be gettin' yerself turned into ah coat."

"Didn't say I'd make a good coat." Jay chuckles. "But thanks for picturing it." He shakes his head.

"I be ah havin' ah active imagination." Harry teases with a wink.

"I haven't noticed." Jay retorts with an eye-roll. He glares up at the rafters.

"Here." Harry jumps to his feet and holds a hand out for Jay, "Enough o' us stewin', be sparrin' with me mate."

"Sounds good."

Harry pulls Jay up and steps in close to whisper into his ear, "He's up there, ain'nah he?"

"When ain't he? He's gotta be coming from somewhere up there like the rat he is." Jay whispers back just as lowly.

Harry winks before he steps back, turns on his heels, and saunters dramatically over to the box of swords, "Aww," He pouts when he turns back to find Jay still standing in the same spot, "Jay, be playin' with me mate."

"Alright.' Jay shakes his head. "Fine. Let's do this… It's been a while since we fought anyways." He walks over and looks over the swords in the box, and picks one up. "Where did he get these?"

Harry turns one over in his hand until he grins, "These be the one our little covert group be ah forgin'." He passes the blade to Jay, "Here, look."

Jay smirks at the little book before he shakes his head. "That's just great… they're marking them. As if Mal wasn't going to be able to tell before." He groans. "It's got a real great shape though." He admits as he swings the blade around.

"Can ya be ah blamin' them?" Harry asks with a smirk as he takes another blade from the pile, "Wantin' ta be puttin' ah mark on their art?"

"No. I guess not when you say it like that." Jay admits as he steps back. "Offense or defense?"

"How about we just be ah tradin' back and forth like?"

"Sounds good to me."

"I should be ah warnin' ya that Deez be sayin' the first batch were ah little brittle."

"Good to know." Jay nods as he drops into an offensive stance.


T paces the rafters. Great. Consequences, huh... What were they going to do exactly? Part of him, the part that often got him in trouble, was curious. The other part of him was telling him to say fuck it and run far away from this mess. It would be totally easier to deal with them one on one. And they had a point. Why the fuck did he keep coming out if they were annoyed with him every time he did?

His curiosity was a fucking beast. He jumps to another rafter with a sigh. He could just wait it out until they both left… But since when the fuck did he back down from a challenge?

He chews his lip with indecision. Probably because he respected the opinion of the two boys sparring way more than he cared to admit to himself. He sighs. When the fuck had that happened? He dances his way to the next rafter. Damn it.

Worse. They weren't going to like his responses. He'd learned that much over the last few months at least. He didn't think like everyone else. He blamed her father for that.

But what didn't he blame her father for? His eye twitches.

If he could deal with him, he could deal with whatever these two threw at him. Right? He felt pretty confident. Besides, trap or not, the thought of being able to spar with both Hook and Jay at the same time sounded boss. Fuck it. Before he can talk himself out of it he jumps down from the rafters.

Jay's eyes narrow as he catches T's landing over Harry's shoulder. He purposely makes a weak attack on Harry, stepping in close as he blocks, "I told you he was here." He whispers before he dances back.

Harry nods slightly, his eyes never leaving Jay's as he attacks in turn. They both jump back when the sword breaks. "Fuck mate, sorry."

"Nah man, my bad." Jay steps back, to survey the damage.

"Ya be havin'-" Harry points to several shards in Jay's hair before he shakes his head and starts picking them out, "Give ah sec mate, it be faster if I just be ah gettin' 'em."

Jay sighs but doesn't argue. "Here, I'll get it out of yours." He starts picking the shattered bits from Harry's hair as well.

If this wasn't the definition of what Freddie referred to as a bromance, he wasn't sure what was. A corner of his lip tilts up in amusement. He was hoping they'd break the blades. It would be easier to melt them down this way. It would also give them a better idea of where the balance was at. Gil and Hyades were probably gonna have to be the last two to get swords so they wouldn't break.

"So, ya gonna be standin' there starin' like a codfish?" Harry calls out once he's sure all the shards are gone.

T shrugs before he walks over. He hoped he didn't look as hesitant as he felt. "Sup?"

"I thought you'd be around." Jay greets before he smacks his palm against Harry's forehead, shoving the other boy away when he starts making faces, "Grow up dude."

Harry chuckles as he turns with the force of the push to grab up two more swords, "So, care to be joinin'?"

"Yeah…" This felt like a trap. But damned if he didn't need the practice.

"Here, we be ah learnin' just how brittle they be, but we get a few attacks in before they be burstin'." Harry holds a sword out, hilt first, for T to take.

"How do you feel they handle before shattering?" T takes the sword. "We all agreed you two would be the best at figuring that out…"

Jay frowns as he does a few swings again, "It really ain't bad. The hold is comfortable, the length is good. The edge could use a little more work, but I'm assuming you guys didn't go that far because you figured out they were breaking."

"Accurate. And good to know." T turns to Harry, crossing his arms. "What do you think Hook?"

"Ya may want ta be suggestin' it be thick'ah with one sharp edge instead ah both."

"That might help out with the brittleness," Jay nods as he looks down at the sword in his hand, "though it would mean we'd have to switch up our styles a little." He swings the sword a few more times before he straightens up with a frown, "But having a flat or thick edge could be useful for blocking."

T nods, "We thought the brittleness was from the combination of metals we were using… But I'll let Gil, C, and D know what you two think."

Jay and Harry mirror each other as they raise their hands and take a step back.

"That ain'nah being me area…"

"That's such a Carlos question."

T nods, unable to help his smile. "I mean I get it, but if you guys think it would be better with a different design. We'll just need to test the balance and weight and shit… We were gonna have to figure out something so Gil's and Hyades' swords don't break on them… So it's good to think about now. Sucks that they'll end up getting theirs last since they're the two makin' em... But they'll need a lot of practice for their own blades."

Harry chuckles, "Aye, ain'nah that bein' the truth."

Jay nods before he holds his sword up in front of him, "Want to try three-way battles?"

T's eyes brighten at the invitation. "I'm down."

"Cool." Jay grins as T walks towards him.

"We just be ah needin' ta have ah conversation with ya first," Harry adds as he steps up behind T.

T pauses mid-step and lets his head hang. When something smelled like a trap- It was usually a trap. Damn it.

"You had to know this was coming before you even got here." Jay rolls his eyes, "Come on man, you not only pissed Mal off, you told her it was fun."

"Well," T rubs the back of his neck. "She asked."

"I don't give a fuck! Learn to lie!" Jay runs a hand down his face, "You do whatever you have to do, just don't do that shit again." "She's still spreading extra terror because of that like she has something to prove."

T does his best to control his expression as he looks down.

"See man… That face makes me think you want me to die." Jay groans.

T clears his throat. "No…"

"Why do you think it's funny to poke the dragon?"

"Honestly-"

"Yeah, with me," Jay rolls his eyes, "not Mal. Me."

"I don't know… I've thought about it a lot… Maybe cause it's easy- Or her reactions are pretty funny."

"Dude…" Jay deadpans, "The rest of us have to live with the fuckin' fall out of your humor."

"Huh…" T deflates, "Didn't think that far."

"She was trying to say you weren't allowed around the hang out anymore. I had to deal with Evie's look of terror, and Carlos' disappointment. If she says no more T… Do you really think they'll fight her on it?"

"Fuck." T frowns. "Didn't think about that either…" Gods Mal was so fucking extra sometimes. Bitch needed to learn to chill the fuck out.

"Well, maybe think next time. She's our leader, if you push too much she's going to cut you out of her and everyone else's lives."

"Huh…" T frowns, she could try. But she couldn't stop them from chilling on their own time. Still, he didn't want to try her on it and make it worse for Evie and Carlos. He hadn't thought about them at all while pissing her off… Or maybe it was on their behalf he did it. No one ever stood up to Mal besides the other leaders or her Mother. It went to her head. "Heard."

"Thank you." Jay shakes his head, "And not to continue with this, but think of my time too. You riled her up and I had to spend days talking her out of one plan after another. Not because they weren't good plans or anything, but upping her game that much would have taken a lot of our time. Goodbye Tuesdays and Wednesdays."

T shifts from one foot to the other. "I didn't think about that either…"

"That's the problem with you and Deez, you guys don't have to think about this. But we do," Jay crosses his arms over his chest, his voice sterner than it had been before, "and we don't have the freedom you both do. And your actions could force us to lose what little we have."

He was pretty sure that hurt more than any physical blow ever could. The last thing he ever wanted to do was impede what little freedoms his friends had. Their parents did that enough. "It won't happen again- sorry I didn't think about it..."

"That's seriously all I'm asking T. Please think about shit before you poke powerful creatures."

"Heard." T nods.

"Speakin' o' Deez though…"

T can't help to jump. How the fuck had he forgotten about Harry? Fuck. He turns to study the boy, not liking the set of his jaw. It wasn't often that Harry had that look. Dark and brooding. Clearly, he was upset. Fucking wonderful.

"What the fuck ya be ah pullin'," Harry asks as he crosses his arms in front of his chest, "stoppin' me on the beach like that?"

T shrugs, "Didn't seem fair to gang up on her when she clearly didn't want to talk in the first place."

"That ain'nah bein' yer call." Harry snaps. He takes a deep breath as he shakes his head, "But lookin' past that, ya did'nah even know what we were ah doin'. Ya don'nah be likin' her runnin' off any more than the rest o' us! That were all we were doin', keepin' her from bein' alone. Showin' her she can be ah takin' the time she be ah needin' while she be havin' support."

The very concept of what Harry was trying to explain was abhorrent to him. "Gil coulda handled that-" He steps back, "One person."

"That ain'nah bein' how we do things in the wharf rats." Harry glares, "And she be knowin' that. I know how we be ah handlin' shit be different, but it be what works. And she knows that and keeps comin' back. We be ah workin' on this with her for ages now."

Oh. That sounded awful- But Harry made a good fucking point. No one was forcing D to do anything. The fact the ship was still standing was proof of that. "Fair."

"Aye… So maybe ya be askin' if ya be havin' ah problem with how we be ah dealin' with shit, instead ah taking things ta task?"

T's eye's narrow, his mouth opening before he shuts it. He rolls his eyes before letting out a heavy sigh. "I can try."

Harry nods, "Good." He holds a hand out to T, "I be ah holdin' ya to it."

T frowns but shakes on it. The resounding theme tonight. Think before he acted. Wonderful. His stomach sank. Mal had told him the same thing. Fuck. How the fuck had this happened? He missed just having fun… This kinda sucked. What the hell was the point of not being in a gang if you had to be confined to their rules anyway? Dumb. But he adored Gil, E, and C. Fuck it. He'd just have to try to do things a bit differently in the future. He didn't want his entertainment to come at the cost to his friends. He sighs. He had done this to himself. He could have just stuck to stalking one group-But no. When was life ever that easy?

Harry shakes once, but his grip lingers, "And just so ya be ah knowing, the part that be ah pissin' me off with this was the thought she could ah been makin' it back to her dad. Ain'nah we all tryin'nah keep that from happenin'?"

"Gil was there." T shifts his weight.

"Aye, that time, but that be why I be ah wantin' ta stop this 'fore there be ah next time." Harry slowly relaxes his hand until T can pull away.

"I already said fair…" T shoves his hands in his pockets, as he steps back. "Theme of tonight- I don't think shit through. And I need to start…" He rocks back and forth nervously as he drops his eyes. "Thank you both for pointing it out… That wasn't cool of me and it was stupid of me not to think about..."

Jay furrows his brow before he sighs and drops his hands to his hips, "Ya know we just don't want to lose you, right? That's the only reason this was important. It's not like anyone else cares."

"Aye." Harry nods in agreement, "And we don'nah be wantin' ya ta be thinkin' bad o' our ways, or come ta be avoidin' us." He also drops out of his defensive stance.

"Right." Jay sighs, "But yeah, thanks for hearing us out. We know you didn't have to, so yeah," His voice starts to fade, "Appreciate it and all that shit..."

T swallows as he looks between the two boys in front of him several times, his head tilting to the side slightly. This certainly wasn't the first time one of his friends had said something like this. Still, this time it felt different. It made something in his stomach twist, but also spread a strange warmth through his chest. It was weird. And he wasn't sure he liked it. Well, all of it. He just wasn't sure what had elicited each response. How frustrating. He shifts his weight, unsure of how to respond as he drops his eyes.

"So, we be ah sparrin' three-way then?" Harry chuckles as he walks around T, forming a triangle with him and Jay as the other points.

"Fuck yeah!" Jay grins as he pulls out his sword and drops into a defensible position. "About time!"

T sighs in relief, "Cool." He had completely forgotten that they were going to spar. Bonus. He lived through it and even better had learned some shit in the process. He was going to have to be more careful. Fuck. How were you s'pose to think before acting? Maybe Carlos would know? He shakes his head. Those were later him problems. For now, he was going to focus on his sword work.


So, do any of you ever leap before you look?

Fuck knows I do. Dark's a bit more cautious though.

What did you guys think of T finally getting held accountable for his actions? And Harry and Jay's tag-teaming of it? Were T's answers satisfying? Or did they leave you a bit unfulfilled? We love writing these scenes and think in another life Jay and Harry definitely would have been best friends. Was the duo firm enough with T? Or do you wish they had done more to take him to task over it? Were you guys surprised by any of T's responses? Would you accept them if you were in Jay and Harry's positions? Do you feel like their responses were all in character? Did it help you understand how T thinks better? Or if any of you get where T was coming from? Or have similar reactions to these kinds of problems? Do any of you agree with his thoughts on either of these matters?

We'd love to hear anything you think! Or any comments or suggestions you might have.

Thank you all for being such dedicated readers!

And yo,

To FC and Dobby, we fucking adore the both of you for keeping up with your reviews. We were hesitant to pump out chapters like this in fear it would overwhelm you when it came to responding, but you two just rolled with it like champs! Thank you so much for staying so committed to your responses. Every comment fuels our dedication and helps, at least a little, to diminish how much we question our work, and for that, we appreciate the two of you. It means the world to us that we have not one, but two, consistent avid readers who are just as thirsty to read our story, as we are to write it. It makes all the difficulties of life and writing worth it.

With much love and appreciation,

Twisted