(Untitled)

[timeagent_john]

He hated New Tokyo, couldn't for the life of him work out why Jack liked it so bloody much. Every few nights or so, he'd find himself being walked down the lamp-lit streets, and eventually sitting in some restaurant, owned by some bird that Jack knew. Not always the same restaurant or the same bird, mind you, but those two things always came into

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[more_flexible]

Jack shrugged him off and said dismissively, "You'll do what I tell you to, tonight. But if you do better tonight than last time...maybe." Everything was always maybe, mostly because it could be. Jack had gotten John's agreement regarding this arrangement and he was as devoted to his pet as he was to anything or anyone else. More, at the moment. John just needed so much work.

He had no doubt that John would break long before he did. He lost his patience at times, but that was nothing a hard fuck followed by tossing the agent into a cage couldn't fix.

To counter his dismissive tone, Jack lifted his hand and stroked the short hair at the nape of John's neck before he dug his nails into the skin. He didn't mean to completely put him off, he was just distracted as he kept most of his attention directed at two men in the corner who had no reason to be in his city instead on Oubliee where they belonged.

[blackhole_heart]

Leaning back in my chair, I huff out a bitter sounding laugh. That little display, whatever the fuck it is, I don't even have it in me to be afraid. And when he starts to convulse in pain I hardly blink an eye. It strikes me as funny, somehow. Put a shock collar on a mean dog, all it's gonna do is make 'em meaner when the collar comes off.

Pushing to my feet, I lean toward Jack and say, "You oughta put him out of his misery."

[timeagent_john]

Gritting his teeth against the pain, John pushed his wrist strap out of the way as he clawed at his arm. As if he was trying to rip the damn thing from his body.

He couldn't even hear Neil, the pain canceling everything else out until he couldn't sear, see, or speak.

[more_flexible]

"I have."

Simple as that. Jack closed his strap and reached over, covering John's wrist with his hand.

"Neil," he sighed, "There are so many things you couldn't understand that it's pointless to try to explain. If you need to do something, go be there for Logan. I've got John."

[blackhole_heart]

I know, in the back of my mind, that I might've gone and made things worse. I would've preferred to talk to Jack alone, and the fact is just bein' this close to John Hart makes my skin crawl.

Giving Jack one last long, searching look, and I realize I've got no choice but to trust him. For now. The rest, if I believe that he won't come after Logan again... I don't know. I don't know if I can trust that.

"See you around, Jack," I say. And then I turn to go. There's nothin' left to do here.

[timeagent_john]

Still holding his arm, John watched as the boy left, jerking his arm away from Jack.

The way he fixed his strap and pulled down the sleeve of his coat made it clear he didn't want Jack touching him there. He didn't care about the boy or the warning, he had no intention of actually going after the little urchin. In that moment all he cared about was the chip and getting it out of his arm.

"I need a piss," he said, getting to his feet and heading for the men's room, his hand slipping into his pocket as he toyed with his pocketknife.

He was sick of being Jack's lapdog, and Gray's before that. He was John Hart, he was no one's bitch, and every time Jack set off the chip in his arm, it reminded him of how close he'd come to breaking under Gray.

He was finished with it.