ACE (Jeff X Reader) ~The Death Card

                                                                  ( ͡ಠ ʖ̯ ͡ಠ)

"I officially ship these two together." Smile said, standing beside EJ who was watching Jeff and the girl.

EJ just nodded, crossing his arms above his chest. 

"I'm going to see LJ for a moment, BRB." EJ said, using the catchphrase BEN had taught him.

"Why?" Smile perked up.

EJ shrugged. "Just." 

Smile stared at him for a moment. "I'll come too." 

EJ shrugged again. "Okay." 

Both slipped past Jeff and the girl quietly and made their way towards the dark room the girl had been imprioned in a long time ago.

Things seemed much different now.

Smile was ahead of him, trotting side of him as they entered the dark room. 

"LJ." EJ said, leaning his back by the doorway. 

They waited for a moment, before they felt a cold prescence around them, followed by a thin swirl of smoke and fog before it became wilder and stronger, presenting to them, the monochrome clown. 

Who was up to his tricks once again.

The clown smirked. "Asked for me?" 

EJ narrowed his eyelids. "I'm just making sure of something." He replied. 

LJ tilted his head slightly. "This has something about to do with the upcoming game, isn't it?" He asked.

EJ nodded, not seeming surprised that LJ for once had guessed something right. 

LJ sighed. "Pity." He murmured. "This is the last game for the girl, though I can't guarentee such circumstances for her." 

Smile's ears perked up and he sat back up straight, tilting his head. "What do you mean, 'circumstances'?"

"And I thought you were smart for a dog." LJ said.

Hearing this, made Smile growl, the fur on his back bristling with anger. EJ petted his fur down neatly and turned to LJ, nodding. "Explain." 

LJ crossed his long arms. "The last game will be dangerous, crossing the line of life or death." He said. "But she has two lives left, so that's good news." LJ shrugged.

"You still haven't figured out what had caused the big scene when you were playing the game of chess with her?" EJ asked.

LJ shrugged, hanging his head low. "No," he replied gumly. "I've never encountered such strange things," 

"As myself," he added, brushing his shoulders like there was dust clinging there.

"Show-off," EJ heard Smile mutter.

EJ turned back to the monochrome clown. "Okay, enough with the crap. Cut to the chase. I want to know the thing behind the games." 

LJ narrowed his eyes, getting serious again, though his eyes glanced at the door suspiciously. He sighed and beckoned his arms. "I should say this somewhere quiet." He whispered, mentioning about the girl who was right outside.

Without letting EJ or Smile protest, in the blink of an eye, LJ snapped his fingers and they disappeared. 

EJ and Smile found themselves startled, in a new surrounding, but then calmed down a little bit once they found the familiar scent of dry-caked blood, splattered on the walls. They knew where they were now. 

LJ's 'room'.

"And why are we here exactly?" EJ prompt.

LJ didn't say anything. He walked towards the bed and sat down, the old bed making loud creakes, making Smile and his sensitive ears cringe. 

LJ crossed his fingers together, staring at them. "I think.." He began. "When the game starts, you should be there too." 

He glanced at Smile. "I don't know if Smile should be there or not." 

"Why should I be there?" EJ asked.

"I dunno," LJ shrugged. "Maybe in case the 'thing' comes back again, we might be able to figure who or what it is. And in case things get out of hand, you know, that kind of stuff." 

EJ nodded slowly. It wasn't convincing enough though.

LJ leaned back against the bed, grunting. "Well, at least we have a better chance of knowing who or what it does." 

"What do you mean?" 

"I mean," LJ said. "It's clear ot see that this thing is in control of everything and can strike at any moment. It's upredictable." He added.

EJ shrugged and walked towards a tiny desk, leaning against it, crossing his arms above his chest and looking straight ahead. 

He sighed. "Whatever, or whoever it is, we better keep a good eye on the girl for now." 

~~*~)

"Stahp."

"Nu."

"Ples."

"Fack."

The girl giggled, smacking Jeff's head lightly with a pillow. 

"Ow." 

The girl sighed, finally catching her breath. "How many games do I have left?" She asked.

Jeff stayed silent for a minute or two before answering, "I'm not sure." 

"How are you not sure?" The girl asked, narrowing her eyes. "Weren't you the one who came up with the games?" 

Jeff shrugged. "LJ has part in it too. He creates the games, so he just comes to me to talk about it, asking for my permission." 

"Oh." 

"Yeah." 

Silence.

"I have a feeling tomorrow's the last game." The girl murmured quietly, laying her head down on a pillow.

"Yeah?" Jeff asked.

"Yeah." She replied back.

Jeff smiled at the girl for a moment, and he remained that way, before shuffling something inside of his back pocket of his jeans. The girl glanced at him. "What are you doing?" She asked. 

She went silent as she saw Jeff pull out a tiny card. Her eyes squinted and she realized it had been the same card that Jeff had shown her. The card had gold shimmery features, splattered with the brightest color of blood marked with a capital "A" on the top left corner of the card, and the bottom right corner of the card.

The Ace Card.

"What about it?" The girl asked, not taking her eyes off the card.

Jeff handed it to the girl. And when the girl did not seem to take it, Jeff took her hands and placed the card in her palms instead, closing her hands back again. He looked at the girl with soft eyes. 

"I want you to keep it." He whispered.

"Why?" The girl whispered back.

Jeff leaned in and planted a light kiss on the back of her hand. "Just." 

Their moment was soon interupted by a surprised visit by LJ and EJ, followed by Smile who was trailing along. 

Jeff stood up, leaving the girl the only one sitting down. Jeff glanced down at the girl, his smile not usually smiling anymore. His eyes weren't shining that same sparkle anymore. "It's time." He said, nodding towards the girl.

The girl slowly stood up. "What?" She asked.

LJ answered before Jeff could. He snapped his fingers, and a thin whirl of smoke circled around all of them. He smiled his smug smile at the girl. 

A dread cold whisper echoed through the smoke. "It's Showtime."