Schooled [Laughing JackxReader]

17

The creature was tall and impossibly thin. It's spindly arms hung down past his knees and led to long, slender hands. The worst part was its face, or lack there of. No eyes, nose, mouth or ears....just a blank, white oval perched above a thin neck. It was wearing a black suit and tie. Just looking at it sent waves of pain through your brain, which dulled when Laughing Jack covered your eyes with his hand.

"Go away." Laughing Jack growled, "I let your boy go. Now leave us alone." There was a period of silence, then Laughing Jack spoke again. "What do you mean that's not enough? What more do you want??" Another pause, and Laughing Jack's grip on you tightened. "No." The clown spat defiantly.

Jack's doll-like body was completely tense. You could tell he was on edge, which make your stomach churn. You were scared and lost, without a clue what was going on. There were too many questions for your brain to even fully make them into words. You were completely helpless, again. You turned your face away from the creature, into Laughing Jack's chest. Despite all the scary things happening, he still had that warm sugar cookie smell. It made you feel a little bit safer. You would just have to trust Laughing Jack now. He would keep you safe, you could feel it.

"I don't CARE!" Laughing Jack snapped at the creature, then continued in a sarcastic tone, "Oh look at me I'm the Operator I'm so powerful and important I get to make all the rules and no one can defy me no sir. Well I got news for you, pal. I'm just as strong as you are, and you'll have to go through me if you want to lay a finger on (y/n)."

Laughing Jack sounded mad. Madder than you'd ever heard him be. He set you down, and you opened your eyes to see Jack standing between you and the creature..the "Operator". Suddenly Jack lunged forward and slashed his claws at the Operator. The creature vanished just before contact, and reappeared just to Jack's left. Laughing Jack slashed at him again, this time leaving three long rips in the Operator's suit. This did not make the Operator happy, and Laughing Jack's triumphant smirk quickly faded. The creature's slender hand shot out and gripped Laughing Jack's face. It lifted Jack a few feet in the air, ignoring the clown's kicking feet and prying claws.

"Laughing Jack!" You exclaimed as the Operator forcefully slammed the clown's head into the floor, shattering the wooden boards. Jack was still. Tears welled up in your eyes until your vision was blurry. You wanted to go to him, to tell him to get up, but your body wouldn't move. The Operator let go of Laughing Jack's face and rose back up to its full height. Once again your head throbbed.

What were you going to do? Laughing Jack lay motionless. No one was going to save you now. You swallowed the fear and the pain and forced yourself onto your feet, but that was all the bravery you could muster. Hot tears rolled down your cheeks, and your body trembled. The creature had no eyes, but you could feel it staring at you. Silently, it stepped over Laughing Jack and approached you. You backed up to the wall behind you and pressed your palms against it. There was nowhere to run. The creature raised its hand, palm down, his bony fingers and thumb pointed at you. Their sharp ends shot towards you, extending from the hand like white daggers. Again, you found yourself closing your eyes and waiting for the end.

There was a sound like ripping fabric and your eyes opened. Laughing Jack once again stood in front of you, facing the creature. The Operator's fingers were lodged in his torso like the rods of spears. The clown grinned. "Gonna take a little more than that to kill me, pal."

The Operator's fingers retracted and it took several steps back. Just as Laughing Jack thought he'd won, he noticed dots of red on the creature's fingertips. The Operator vanished.

Laughing Jack quickly turned to you, paying no regard to the empty holes in his torso. His fear-filled eyes focused on your chest, and you delicately touched your palm to it. When you drew your hand away, your palm was covered in blood. Your blood. That's when the pain finally reached you. You sank to your knees and coughed up a glob of blood. The Operator's fingers had passed all the way through Laughing Jack's body and stabbed you. Your lungs, heart, and stomach had all been pierced. The blood began to pool on the floor.

"(Y/N)!" Laughing Jack sounded like the wind had been knocked out of him. He fell to his knees in front of you and desperately looked over your wounds. "It's okay. It'll be okay. You'll be fine." He tried to assure you, but you could already feel yourself slipping, and Laughing Jack could see it. "C'mon (y/n) you can do it. Just hold on a little bit longer...." He carefully slid his arms around you and tried to pick you up. The movement sent pain through your body, causing you to writhe a little. Laughing Jack set you down and helped you lie on your back. You coughed again.

"I'm sorry, Jack..." You croaked out. Even though you were the one dying, you felt the need to reassure him. "You...did your best..."

Laughing Jack shook his head and cupped your face in his hands. "Stop it. You can't go."

"Jack..." You were fading now. You could hardly feel anything at all. Your eyelids felt heavy.

"Please. I love you." Laughing Jack choked. He waited for a response. A twitch or something, anything....but you were still. Laughing Jack squeezed your body close to his chest. For the first time in centuries, he wished he could cry. He wanted to cry and cry like humans did, he wanted a way to express his emotions so clearly and effectively, but his eyes produced no tears. ".....don't leave me."