"You're ridiculous, you know that?"
"It's my game, my controller and my couch!" Jack snarled. "So if I want to outlaw you from all that, then I can!"
Stryker crossed his arms and scowled at him.
"That doesn't mean you can put a forcefield around them," he snarled, pointing at the glowing cylinder where their entertainment systems were inside.
Cinder, Zephyr and Entropy stood at a distance, watching their friends stare each other down. While Zephyr and Cinder were appalled by their actions, Entropy had taken the time to make popcorn, and was watching them as intently as she would a movie.
"They're my stuff!" Jack said brattily. "So I can put a forcefield around them if I want!"
"What are you, five!" Stryker cried as Jack tilted his head up and looked away from him. "Sure, you're keeping all that away from me, but you're also keeping it away from our friends!"
"Uh, 'our friends'?" Jack scoffed, cocking his head at him. "I'm sorry, I think they'd be my friends!"
"Please don't involve us," Zephyr squeaked as Stryker's eyes widened in anger.
"You've gotta be kidding!" Stryker shouted. "Cinder and Zephyr are just as much my friends as they are yours!"
Entropy stopped chewing on her popcorn and furrowed her brow at him.
"Hey," she said. "What about me?"
"Well it's my team, so they're my friends before they're your friends!" Jack snapped.
"Really?" Stryker snarled.
"Ye-ah!"
"Guys, c'mon!" Cinder started, coming between them. "Can't you guys work this out?"
"You guys are best friends," Zephyr reminded him, standing beside her as Entropy shrugged and started eating her corn again. "I'm sure if you sat down and thought properly-"
"Well if we're claiming friends, then Zeph's mine!" Jack interrupted, grabbing Zephyr's arm.
"Say what?"
"Oh yeah?" Stryker growled, wrapping his arms around Cinder's shoulders and pulling her close. He smirked scornfully when Jack's face fell. "Then I get Cinder."
"Aren't you going to fight over me?" Entropy asked, her mouth full. "Hello?"
"Hang on, I want Cinder!" Jack shouted.
"Why? I thought you wanted Zephyr!" Stryker asked innocently.
"I don't want to be near either of you," Zephyr sighed.
"You guys, this is going too far!" Cinder cried, trying to pull Stryker off.
"I feel ignored..." Entropy mumbled.
"I'm serious Stryker, trade me!" Jack shouted.
"No, Cin's my favorite," Stryker said.
Everyone's jaw dropped when he pulled Cinder closer and kissed her on the cheek.
"You-you-you-you-you," Jack stammered frantically.
"Str-Str-Stryker!" Cinder stuttered.
"What? It's just a kiss on the cheek," Stryker taunted, looking directly at Jack. "What's wrong with that?"
Jack grit his teeth together as Cinder finally shoved Stryker off her and retreated towards Entropy.
"You know," Jack growled, shoving Zephyr away from him. "They're right. Let's settle this!"
Everyone shouted as Jack hurtled himself at Stryker, throwing them both on the floor as Jack started punching Stryker. Entropy threw her corn on the floor to help Zephyr and Cinder pull the two friends apart as Stryker started grabbing Jack's hair and kicking his stomach, his eyes flickering between gold and green. Zephyr managed to lift Jack up in the air, kicking and flailing, then perked up as their detector started screeching.
"Thank. The. Lord!" he yelled, tossing Jack onto the floor where the couch had been. "Get these two five year olds in the jet, I'm going to get our stuff."
"Easier said than done!" Entropy shouted as she threw Jack onto her shoulder and started carrying him to the dock.
Zephyr looked back and watched Cinder drag a squirming Stryker by the shoulders in the same direction and sighed, wondering how in the world this was going to work.