Whumptober 2021

Under pressure (14)

Maple was shaking, holding the gun close to his chest.

"Well?" Cedric tightened the hand around the hybrid's throat. "Choose." He started towards the two blindfolded prisoners, pushing the cat as he walked. "If you don't, I'll kill them both."

"No! I-" He choked out a sob. "I can't-"

"Choose." He looked from one victim to the other. The woman was still, quietly sobbing in her chair. The man was struggling, pulling against the ropes tying his wrists together behind his back.

Maple bit the inside of his cheek and turned the barrel on himself. An impulse. Cedric shook his head and put a hand on the gun, turning it back around. "Choose now." He whispered. The man started to yell.

"I'll fucking kill you! I'll laugh as I rip your heart out, you fucking coward! Cedric do you hear me? You won't get away with this! You fucking-" Cedric laughed and Maple pulled the trigger. The woman screamed.

"There we go." Cedric smoothed the cat's hair. "Not so hard, right?" Maple fell to his knees, tears falling silently from his eyes, which were wide open. "Now, now." He sighed and sat down next to the boy. "He was threatening you, didn't you hear?"

"He was threatening you, not me." Cedric raised an eyebrow.

"I'm sure he was threatening you."

"I don't think so."

"You don't know what to think. Now that we're over that, though," he pulled Maple up. "We have things to do."