Sk: ... okay, 've been listening to too much Lemon Demon.
Jack: And had glandular fever, so we have to let her off. A little.
Michael: ... Dance like an idiot?
Sk: Shaddap!
---
Bayley narrowed his eye sockets, clenching his fists. "Well?" he snapped, stepping forward, growling angrily. Jack stood up, but stepped back.
"Bayley, can't we-"
"You could have talked a long time ago." Bayley cut him off angrily, cutting through the air with one hand. "I've had enough. We're not going to talk. Either you fight, or face me like a doll. Either one, I don't really care."
Michael struggled to his feet, having retrieved his staff. He seemingly had to rest all of his weight against the staff, his arm shaking slightly. The brothers, Cask and Barrel, had attacked him with his own staff, and he hadn't faired to good against them.
"You take on my brother; you take me on too, boy. Father and son or not." he growled, before wincing and grabbing his ribcage again, groaning softly in pain. Jack wrapped his arms gently around his older twin's body, holding him up. Michael fell against him, his grip falling from his staff. Jack helped him gently to the ground, looking at Maree and Anne.
"Look after him, girls, alright? He's not fairing too well."
"Right." Maree nodded, kneeling next to him. Anne sat next to him, leaning close. She began to tear up as Michael wrapped his arms around her.
"Dad, are you gonna be okay?" she asked softly, looking up at him. He kissed her gently on the forehead and smiled, running a hand through her hair.
"Of course I will." he grinned, ruffling her ebony locks. "When have I not been?"
"That's my uncle." Maree grinned, flinging her arms around them both, pulling them into a nearly bone crushing hug. Michael laughed gently, while Anne pretended to choke. Jack turned back to Bayley, sighing gently. His son was now standing there impatiently. Bayley had never been one with waiting.
"Well, Bayley, if you really want to fight, th-"
"Then you'll be fighting me." Chelsea growled, walking in front of her father. Both Jack and Lock stared at her in shock.
"Chelsea! What do you think you're doing?" Jack demanded, looking down at his daughter. She sighed gently and looked up at him, blinking.
"You heard Uncle Michael. If you fight, he fights." she explained, staring up at him. Crystalline tears glistened in her eyes as she stared up at him. "And I've had enough of you two fighting!" she growled, suddenly angry. It was extremely rare for Chelsea to even get annoyed, and Jack smartly kept his distance. She narrowed her hazel eyes. "You hear me? I'm SICK of it!"
"Well, bring it on, -sis-." Bayley growled sarcastically, folding his arms and standing in a rather relaxed position. Chels narrowed her eyes and stepped forward. "You won't be much to take care of."
"That's where you underestimate me, brother -dearest-." the ragdoll spat, folding her own arms. "We are equally matched in agility and wit. But for what I lack in strength, I make up for in intelligence."
Barrel snickered whilst Cask breathed in through his teeth. "Oooooh. Harsh."
Anarchy stared at the two, before catching Lock's gaze. He was glaring at her, telling her that if she didn't do something, he'd do something himself. She sighed gently and shook her head. She waved her wand, and flicked it back to her side. Bayley looked up. "... what did you do?"
"Nothing much." she smiled, looking away. "I just made it even. There are certain things in this room now, which will have an effect when touched. Now, some of these are bad, which will give the other the upper hand, while some of them are good, which will give the receiver the advantage. And, to make it fair..." She looked around, her eyes glinting. "It effects everyone in the room, not just the two siblings here."
"Well, well, well." Oogie laughed, folding his arms. "I think that makes it fair. Don't you, bone man?"
Jack glared back, now sitting with his brother. But he couldn't do anything, risk his family getting hurt. "Well, I guess I'll have to agree, won't I?" he snarled, narrowing his eye sockets. Michael looked up.
"I don't." he whispered, sitting up. Chelsea looked back, the anger-fuelled fire in her chest beginning to dampen as she looked at her uncle and father. They were siblings, just as she and Bayley were. But they weren't fighting. They were doing nothing of the sort. It sort of made her regret her action - but that didn't matter. She had already got herself into it. Bayley coughed impatiently.
"Well? C'mon, I'll be nice. You can take the first swing."
Chelsea looked back. "Ladies first."
Bayley narrowed his eye sockets at her. "Dirt before the broom."
---
He caught Chelsea's fist as it was swung. He snickered and caught her other one, pushing her backwards. "Dear god, I can't believe you're even related to me, let alone my sister." he laughed cruelly as she pulled herself up, groaning and grabbing her hip. Yet another stitch had come loose. She growled and narrowed her eyes, running at him again. But she missed completely, and was tripped up. She coughed loudly, and narrowed her eyes, struggling to her feet.
"You bastard!" she snarled, still holding her hip. Bayley snickered.
"Our parents were married when I was born, thank you." he stated cheekily, pulling a face. Chelsea growled, and threw another punch. But as Bayley caught it, he never counted on her thrusting her heel into his chest. He backed up, holding his hand to the impact point, gasping in surprise. With the force that she had used, however, Chelsea had pushed herself back and toppled over. Maree winced as she watched, while Anne blinked.
"Oh...." she sighed, looking away. "I don't know who to go for! I mean... Chels is our cousin... but so is Bayley! I respect Chels, and feel sorry for her.... But Bayley's our best friend! Oh, Maree, what can we do?"
"Well, nothing physical, in any case..." she snarled, after getting a glare from Link, whom had his brother by the elbows, stopping him from doing anything. The were-cat sighed, looking away from the fight. "I hate this whole stupid thing. Wish we'd never run away in the first place!" she growled, staring at the ground. Anne shuddered and stared at her. Maree was the darkest of the cousins. And by nature, not skin of fur tone. She hardly ever got truly happy, but she also very rarely got very angry or sad. She didn't show many extreme feelings. But as Anne could see, Maree was very close to wanting to kill something. Caroline looked up, putting her hand gently on Maree's shoulder.
"Don't worry about it..." Caroline whispered to her, stroking the cat's hair gently. She smiled and rand her fingers through the were-child's hair, before looking back at the fight. "I'm sure that everything will work out just fine..."
"Are you sure about that?" Maree asked softly, looking at the Mayor's niece with a less than hopeful face. Anne grinned, ruffling Caroline's hair.
"Of course she aint!" she laughed, her ebony eyes glinting orange with the surrounding fire and lights. "She just said it and hoped like hell you'd believe her."
"That true?" Maree asked gruffly, looking back. Caroline blushed and nodded. Maree laughed and sighed, turning back to the fight, nodding.
---
Kris gasped and shielded her eyes as Chels continued to take beating from her younger brother. Shock sighed gently and rested a hand on the human's shoulder comfortingly. "Don't worry, girl. I'm sure your friend will be alright." she whispered comfortingly, looking at the fight. Kris looked up, blinking confusedly.
"But... I thought you were a bad guy - you're not supposed to care about what happens to her - you're on Bayley's side."
"Not completely." Shock explained, sitting down next to her. Kris blinked.
"What do you mean?" she asked softly, turning to the witch. The older woman ran a hardened, slender hand through her pitch black hair, sighing. Her sterling blue eyes opened again, and looked into the emerald green of Kris'.
"Me and my sister.... Anarchy, the one that cursed some of the objects in this room...." she uttered, looking back, and then returning her gaze to the girl. "Though it's a bit unbelievably, we've befriended your friend, Chelsea." she sighed, smiling. "We're not going to tell Mister Oogie - we're still loyal, after all - but we still think of Chelsea as a real friend. As you can probably tell..." she chuckled, motioning over to Lock, "He's a bit more of a friend. But he's.... not loyal to him anymore... His brother is, and so are Barrel and Cask..." Shock sighed again, beginning to plait a bit of her fringe. "I mean, literally speaking, we would have done this years ago without a care in the world. We were once just innocent, happy, mischievous trick-or-treaters. But - now, I'm going to sound like your mother did - with age, comes responsibility, and maturity. And... also regret, and morality." she uttered. Kris blinked and tilted her head slightly to the side.
"How did you know that my mothe-"
Shock looked at her and shook her head. "That is another story for another time, my friend."
---
Chelsea squealed and fell back as Bayley punched at her, falling back into a sort of a bridge. She collapsed onto her back and began to pant, narrowing her eyes and struggling to her feet. Bayley snickered and pushed her over again, sending a wayward glance at his father and snickering.
"Stop this now!" she ordered, panting and getting to her knees. Bayley narrowed his eyes and yanked her up by the collar of her turtle neck.
"You're not my mother." he snarled, their noses nearly touching. He threw her to the ground, panting lightly himself. He knelt next to her, and whispered gently into her ear. "You're trying to be mum, but you're not, so don't try."
Chelsea looked up at him as he stood up. "I'm not...." she growled, before looking way. ".... am I?"
Bayley growled and kicked her in the side. "Get up." he ordered, getting angrier as time wore on. "Get up now and fight me!"
"Bayley! Please, stop this now!" she cried, looking back up at him. This time it was more of a plea than an order. He narrowed his eye sockets again, and folded his arms.
"And you're the one who's going to try and make me?" he demanded angrily, clutching the collar of her maroon turtleneck again. She gasped for breath as he yanked her to her feet, and pushed her back. She stumbled and whimpered, trying to shield herself with her slender arms. He pushed her again, but not as hard. "Go on, try and make me. You don't have the guts to stop me, do you? You're not brave enough to even stand up to your little brother."
Bayley smirked. He knew he was hitting a soft spot - right where it hurt. Chelsea looked away, before Bayley turned his back. She looked up. "Bayley..."
"Don't talk to me." he growled, staring at the lava. "I'm giving you a chance. Leave now. I don't want to hurt you anymore...."
Chelsea reached out to touch his shoulder. He spun around and narrowed his eye sockets, grabbing her tiny hand tightly and thrusting her back against a wall. "I said don't touch me!" he growled, as she hit the wall, and an obscure bit of barbed wire. The wire ripped deep into her back, and a sort of mist arose from the rip. It was one of the enchanted items. Jack stood up and began to move, but Maree grabbed his hand gently. Lock's eyes grew wide as they realized the nature of the effect.
"Chelsea!"
That was all that the ragdoll heard. Two desperate voices calling her name. That was all she heard before her vision went black, her body numb, and her lifeless form hit the floor.
---
Sk: Woooooooot. >_> That was better than I expected.
Lock: Too many hyphens.
Caroline: Better start on the next one now.
Chels: .... >_< Ow, my back.
