25 Days of SyndiSparklez and Motanite

20: The Villain Gets

Setting: Mianite S2 AU (Personality switches)
Sum: The villain doesn't get the girl, but he can get the guy.

"Thomas," Jordan whined from the cell Tom put him in hours before. It was only funny for the first five minutes. He had his face pressed against the boundary. His fingers clenched around the metal bars. "Tom," he tried again.

"I'll let you out, when, and only when, you join Team Dianite," Tom answered from the chest he was sorting through. He was sorting the belongings he stole off Jordan into Trash, Sell, and Keep. His back was to Jordan, because he knew the older man without his gear was powerless.

"Can I make a phone call?" Jordan asked after a moment.

"No," Tom shot back without looking up. He held up Jordan's bow, gaze switching back and forth between the Sell and Keep pile. After a comparison between his bow and Jordan's, he put it in the Keep pile.

Jordan huffed and slumped against the bars. He was already bored and wanted to go home and sleep.

Tom finished his sorting and packed away the leftovers. He studied Jordan with a smirk briefly through the bars. "I'll bring you food if you help put together a few things for me," Tom said.

"I'm fine," Jordan crossed his arms over his growling stomach. He pulled his knees to his chest and glowered at Tom.

The Dianitee leaned on the bars, shaking his head at Jordan before heading out of the cellar leaving Jordan to entertain himself with counting cracks in the floor.

...

A night passed and Jordan had awoken to the smell of steaming ham and biscuits. A plate of food had been given to him despite his refusal to help Tom. The man himself was nowhere in sight. Thankful, he dug into the food and listened to the faint conversation going on in the room above. Tucker and Tom were arguing over something.

He heard their voices draw nearer and grew hopefully Tucker would convince Tom to free him. As they came down, their conversation held nothing promising and Tucker didn't even look his direction. Jordan's hopes diminished.

Tom patted one of the chests he had sorted Jordan's belongings into, "Payment, is right here."

"Cool, thanks," Tucker said.

Jordan narrowed his eyes as his spells and specially made items were slipped into Tucker's pack. He didn't want to speak, but the urge was too strong.

"Do I see a betrayal? Is friendship and alliances no longer sacred?" Jordan spat sourly.

"Salty much?" Tucker cracked a smile. Swaggering slightly, Tucker leaned against the wall beside the cage as he talked to Jordan. "Ya know, maybe those times would have counted; you were a good friend, but all those times you tried to screw me over or didn't help me, well"—he slung his filled pack over his shoulder—"they add up pretty damn fast. Consider this equal."

"Equal?" Jordan shot up, a blur of black and white fabric as he reached to grab Tucker, anger brewing in his eyes. "Equal! What have I done to deserve this?!"

Tucker ignored him and continued up the stairs. Sympathetically, Tom lingered, a warm smile on his face.

"Sparklez, relax. You're not in harm's way," Tom said, trying to placate the upset man.

Jordan's penetrating gaze slipped to Tom and he scowled, "You're giving away my stuff and locking me in a cell, threatening me in hopes I'll join your stupid side. I don't care if I'm not immediately about to die, Thomas, this isn't okay. This isn't alright-"

Tom sighed and walked off leaving Jordan to yell after him.

...

It was a few days later when Tom heard Jordan calling his name. He slid down the stairs to see the sour looking man leaning against the bars with disheveled black hair and a defeated expression.

"Fine, I'll do it," Jordan said.

Tom smiled, "Say, 'I'm a member of Team Dianite and Tom's bitch.'"

Jordan sighed. "I'm a member of Team Dianite," he said.

"And?" Tom prompted.

"Thomas," Jordan growled.

"Still waiting," the maniac dang, glittering eyes locked on Jordan.

"I'm your bitch," Jordan mumbled, sounding as if he had been held at gunpoint to utter those words.

Grinning like a fool, Tom unlocked the cell and helped Jordan up. "That's the spirit. Welcome aboard Team Dianite, Sparklez."