Verde rocked in her chair, screaming through the gag as Hazel dunked her bloodied fingers into a bag of salt. Cinder was cheering him on, recording the entire scene on her scroll.
But Russell couldn't do it anymore. When he stared at his own two hands, his own two scarlet hands, he felt the guilt crawling up his spine, digging it's claws deep into his skin. He couldn't even bear to look at Verde anymore.
Cinder had pulled out Verde's left eye, leaving nothing more than an empty socket. It was set down on a silver tray not far away from him, accompanied by her finger and toe nails, and even a few teeth. Her fingers, mangled and broken, bent at all the wrong angles. Swollen and purple. Her face, layered in bruises, lacerations crossing her skin. He tried to cover his ears, but it wasn't enough to stop the sounds of Verde's voice from reaching him. Screaming for help. Screaming for her adoptive father, her friends. Screaming for Vao.
He wanted to do something to help, anything. But he couldn't. He never realized it until that day, just how much of a coward he really was. Sitting there, watching as Cinder and Hazel literally tore Verde to pieces.
How many hours had it been? Or had it been days? Russell didn't even know anymore. Cinder reached over and tugged the gag away from Verde's mouth, snarling viciously. Like a bloodthirsty predator. "Last chance, Forest. Where did Y/N go? Our sources tell us he's left that Club."
But just like all the other times she was asked, she shook her head desperately, tears spilling from her only eye. "I-I don't know! I don't know!"
It was painfully obvious she was telling the truth. Russell could see it, and he knew Cinder and Hazel could too. But he also knew they didn't care. They were enjoying it. He watched in silent disgust, horror, holding back the urge to puke as Cinder tossed salt into her eye socket. Verde's shrill shriek was muffled when the gag was wrapped back around her mouth, violently squirming in her chair as she tried to get the grains out of the wound. But Cinder pushed her head back against the chair, tugging one her black hair hard.
"You ugly little liar. Perhaps I should teach you some manners," she snickered. Verde squirmed, a whimper escaping her lips.
"W-wait, I'm n-not- s-stop, I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" She begged, her voice growing more and more desperate with each passing syllable. Cinder picked up a little device from the table, connecting it to Verde's thumb. Russell nearly passed out when he recognized it.
A thumbscrew. Despite no longer having fingernails, the would easily rip into the flesh of the nailbed. Russell covered his ears as Cinder twisted the screw down, laughing when Verde screamed.
They were monsters. Real life monsters.
Russell understood it now. Just how cruel humans could be. Just how monstrous, repulsive, and vile they were. Grimm were monstrous because that was their nature - but humans, they had a choice. And these ones chose to be monsters.
He had enough.
Shakily he stood to his feet, covering his mouth to stop the puke from spewing from his lips. Cinder looked at him curiously. "... Where are you going?"
"... T-to... The b-bathr-room..." Russell lied. Cinder stared at him for a moment before nodding her head.
"... Whatever."
Russell stumbled up the stairs, desperate to leave that awful place. His hands slipped off the doorknob like grease as he tried to pry open the door, slamming his shoulder into it. And finally, he managed to get it open. He made a mad sprint for the bathroom, locking himself inside and curling into a ball against the sink. He could barely move from that spot, his stomach churning.
And finally his back arched, the vomit staining his front as he hurled. He hadn't eaten that much - he was dry heaving now, pained gasps for air escaping his lips. He could feel Verde's blood drying on his fingers, and even faintly hear her screaming in the cellar.
He hated himself. Dust, he hated himself. Too cowardly to stop it. Too cowardly to do anything.
Slam!
The toilet cracked as he threw his forehead into the bowl, his forehead bleeding. His mind felt like it was being torn apart. His fingernails began to split from the beds as he scratched at the floor, leaving thin lines of blood to fill the trenches he left behind. Wet stains formed under him as the tears fell, dampening his bloodied hands.
"Ha... Ha..." The quiet giggle escaped his lips. He was beginning to go mad. Maddened by the nightmarish acts he was forced to commit. Quickly he fumbled for his scroll, searching desperately through his contacts. Until finally he found who he was looking for. He slammed his finger down on the icon, holding the device to his ear.
[Ring...]
[Ring...]
["Hello?"]
Russell felt relief wash over him. He worried that Cardin wouldn't pick up. "C-Cardin, I need your help! P-please!" He whispered into the receiver. The last thing he wanted was to be too loud, and to be heard by the wrong person.
["... Look, is this something stupid? Because I've got enough on my plate, and I'm tired of dealing with your shit."]
He was about to hang up. Russell nearly screamed in protest, but managed to hold it in. "W-wait, please! Y-you're looking for Verde, right!?"
Silence. And finally, the scroll made a few clicking noises, a new voice raising from the speakers. Y/N's voice.
"What do you know about Verde?"
His voice sent shivers down Russell's back. He didn't think Y/N could sound that angry. But still, he was happy to finally talk to him. "L-listen, she's being held at a place called I-Innsmaw! You have to come quick, please! They-"
["How do you know..."] There was a sudden silence from the other end as realization came to Y/N. And finally, with a shaky voice he growled. ["Y-you... You sick bastard!"]
[Click.]
Russell lowered his scroll, staring at the device with a quivering lip. He didn't even care if Y/N beat the hell out of him. After helping Ruby, he knew he deserved worse.
Slam!
The door rattled on its hinges, a scream escaping Russell's lips. Hazel's voice spoke through the wood. "You done yet? Cinder's getting annoyed, and I'm tired of hearing her bitch and bitch that you ain't helping us."
Russell pocketed his scroll as fast as he could, flushing the toilet before making his way to the door. When he opened it, Hazel nodded, staring at his bleeding forehead for a few moments before shrugging it off, leading him back down to the cellar.
Russell wondered if Y/N would make it. Was he too far away? Innsmaw wasn't exactly close to Vale City - it was over a day away by car.
Would he make it in time?
...
Y/N slammed his prosthetic against the dashboard, closing the scroll violently. "That rotten little cunt!" He screamed. Raven and Yang looked taken aback. Y/N had never cursed like that. But when he looked at Junior, they could tell something was very wrong.
"Boss, Innsmaw! Verde's in Innsmaw!"
Cardin looked bewildered. "H-hold on, how would Russell know that!?"
"Because he's with Salem! That little fucker, I'll kill him! I'll fucking kill him!" Y/N screamed. Junior belted his hand across his face, calming him down.
"Shut up! Don't lose your head, we'll get there!" He roared. The car screeched as Junior floored it, the minivan launching forward and the mafia cars behind following quickly. Sasha, stuck in the trunk, cried out as she bounced around, rocking the back half of the car.
Y/N gripped the dashboard tightly, clenching his teeth. Weiss reached out to touch his shoulder, but he pulled away. The heiress bit her lip. "... Y-Y/N...? Are you okay?"
"I'm... Fine..."
He was lying. It was obvious he was lying. In truth, Y/N was terrified. After losing Vao, he didn't want to lose anyone else. He glared at Junior, hissing through his teeth. "How far away are we?"
"We're breaking the speed limit... It'll take us around twenty three hours at this speed-"
"That's not enough time! Cardin, call Russell again!"
"Yeah!" They watched as the ginger quickly dialed his teammate's number. But as it rang, it became evident he wasn't going to pick up. Cardin hung up the call, running his hands through his hair. His face was growing as pale as the snow. "... Sh-shit... Shit, shit, shit..."
The car went quiet for a long while. Until finally, Junior looked up at Raven. "Vao's teleporting... That was a hereditary Semblance, right?"
Raven nodded. "It was... But mine doesn't work the same way as his did. Vao could go wherever he wanted. But I need to have a connection, a bond with a person to teleport to them... I didn't have a bond with Verde."
Junior groaned, reaching into his vest and pulling out a cigarette, his eyes locked on the highway, Vale City far behind them. He lit the tobacco product, breathing in the smoke before exhaling. And suddenly, a hand reached out to him. Junior cocked an eyebrow. "... This isn't a habit you want to pick up..."
"I... I don't care... Please..."
Weiss glared at Raven, but the Huntress didn't say anything. She wasn't going to stop him. If anything, whatever could help him get through this was a benefit. Junior reached into his pocket and pulled out another, handing it to Y/N. He lit it for him before passing it off to the blond eighteen year old. Y/N breathed in - and immediately broke into a coughing fit.
"See? Don't start smoking, Y/N!" Weiss cried out angrily. "It's really, really bad for you!"
"Leave me alone!"
Sasha flinched in the trunk, rocking the car lightly. Everyone was silent. Y/N didn't usually snap like that. He never even took that tone with Vao, even after all the stunts the femboy pulled. He sounded genuinely angry. Y/N tried to breath in again, blowing out the smoke before coughing quietly.
The rest of the ride was silent. Until finally, Junior slowed to a halt, his eyes locking with the hooded figure standing in the middle of the road. Y/N's lips pulled back as he climbed out of the car, breaking into a sprint towards them.
The little rat bastard, Russell Thrush.
...
Russell puked again as he held the match underneath Verde's nostrils, burning the skin black. Cinder was forcefully holding his hand in place, laughing ecstatically as Verde writhed and screamed.
"Isn't this so much fun, Russell!?" She cried sadistically. "Stop your crying! You'll get used to it in no time!"
She finally released her grip, letting Russell fall to the floor in a ball. He was shivering, brought to the very edge of his sanity. He couldn't keep doing this. He couldn't. Cinder scoffed, delivering a hard kick to his stomach. If he had anything left, he'd have thrown it all up. Hazel shook his head disapprovingly as Cinder grabbed his hair, jerking his head up.
"You're a fucking pussy, you know that? This little shit disrespected Goddess by tainting the Blessing, and you can't even make her pay for it!" She screamed. "You little shitbag!"
She was about to drive her heels into his hand, but Hazel stopped her. "That's enough, Cinder. It's his first time, cut him some slack."
The amber eyed woman growled, pulling her foot away. "... Still doesn't make him any less of a bitch." She glared down at him, staring at his vomit stained front in disgust. "... Go clean yourself up. I'm sick of smelling your dinner."
Russell didn't need to be told twice. Scrambling for the door, he climbed the stairs on all fours, desperate to get the hell out of there. He slammed through the door, sprinting out of the church and into the night. The wind ruffled his cloak as he looked around frantically.
Y/N was on his way. That was all he knew. Without a second look back, he bolted into the dense forest, unable to handle being in that awful town.
Through the trees, the crickets sang their gloomy song as branches and thorn bushes scratched at his legs and face.
Escape.
Escape.
Escape.
That was the only thing on his mind as he burst through the trees, his feet finally touching the road. And finally, he let out a terrified scream.
He couldn't hold it back as he beat his head against the dirt path, blood beginning to pool around the area of impact. He pulled his hair out of his scalp, clumps sticking to his bloody hands, throwing them on the ground.
He wished things could have gone differently. If he had known people like them existed, he wouldn't have even thought about hurting Y/N, Vao, or Verde. Knowing a creature like that was out for their lives. That horrifying, unspeakable, formless thing that possessed Ruby, used her as a sickening puppet. That twisted, walking nightmare, that felt nothing but pleasure in it's hellish actions. Russell felt like he was in true Hell.
Verde's screams were permanently burned into his memory, and everytime he closed his eyes he saw her mutilated face. He felt his fingers twisting the thumbscrews tighter, tighter until the sound of Verde's flesh being peeled away reached his ears.
He made himself sick. If he had just listened, listened to his gut when he felt something was off about Ruby, he'd never be in this hell. He'd be at Beacon, living in blissful ignorance. But he had that chance, and he threw it all away. And for what? Petty revenge. Nothing but petty, petty revenge because he got his ass kicked in a fight. He was the scum of the grit and mud that was stuck to the bottom of his shoes.
He began to quiver. How many more people did he bully, that were going through something terrible? He wondered about Velvet, one of his favorite targets. She was regularly preyed upon for being a Faunus, something she couldn't control. And what of the other students he picked on? What if they were going through something at home? Abusive parents, perhaps, which would explain why they were emotional?
For the first time in his life, Russell felt it. The guilt. The sheer horror. He hated being a bully. It wasn't fun anymore. After seeing it in Verde, watching her be brought within millimeters of consciousness, listening to Hazel and Cinder bully her for being raped by her father, he finally understood. He clenched his teeth, standing to his feet and pulling out one of his daggers. He couldn't take it anymore. With his sin crushing him, he finally had enough. He couldn't wake up every day, knowing what he did to that poor girl. To those students he pushed until they were hospitalized for suicidal thoughts.
He lifted the dagger, his hands trembling as he screamed.
But before he could plunge the blade into his stomach, split himself open like a piñata, a light washed over him. The car slowed to a halt, and a door opened. Y/N was glaring at him, his face a dark red. Russell didn't move as Y/N ran towards him, screaming at the top of his lungs. The dagger went flying into the air as Y/N tackled him to the ground, beating his face in.
"You bastard! You little bastard!" Y/N was screaming. Russell's nose was already broken, crushed by the steel of his prosthetic. But he didn't fight back. He didn't have any fight left in him. He just laid there and took it, crying out in pain as Y/N hit him over and over.
"Y/N! Stop it! Stop it!" Weiss shouted in terror. She reached out to pull Y/N away, but he shoved her to the ground, continuing on Russell. It took Junior and Raven together to pull him away, still kicking and screaming.
"I'll kill you, you nasty fucker! I'll kill you!" He screamed. Russell was picking himself off the ground when Junior gripped his hair tightly in his fist jerking his head to the sky as he pressed the cold barrel of the handgun against the underside of his chin. His finger looked as if it was barely holding back the desire to squeeze the trigger, to kill him on the spot. Junior leaned down, lowering his voice so Russell could hear him.
"... You listen to me, and you listen good," he warned. "What the hell did you do to Verde?"
Russell tried to speak, but his voice was long gone. Junior looked down, finally spotting the blood that called his hands, dried bits already flaking away. The crime boss dropped Russell to the ground, the pistol rattling in his hand. "Y-you... You little...!"
CRACK!
Russell's ribs broke when Raven kicked him in the chest as hard as she could, sending him tumbling towards Blake. The Faunus tugged on his ear, her teeth exposed as her lips pulled back in a snarl. "D-did you... K-kill her...?"
Russell hung his head before answering quietly. "... N-no... Sh-she's still in that a-awful place... S-someone..." His hands traveled to his face, his nails digging into his skin as the tears came back. "S-someone... Get her... Out of there..."
Blake tossed him back to the ground, and with a snap of his fingers, Junior's men huddled around him. Russell was hoisted to his feet, his arms locked behind his back. Raven looked at Y/N, pulling on his shoulder as she guided him away from everyone else. Mostly Russell, though - Y/N looked like he was ready to snap on the cultist. The older woman bit her lip, unsure of how she should go about proposing such an idea. After all, those days were long behind her - given up for the sake of Yang and Vao.
"... Y/N."
The blonde glared at her, his fresh cigarette still hanging from his lips, smoke billowing from his nostrils. He didn't say anything. But he didn't need to. Raven sighed, folding her arms across her chest. "... I have an idea. About how to get Verde back. I'm just not so sure you're going to like it."
"Shoot."
Raven nodded bitterly, her crimson gaze hardening like steel. "... We burn that village to the ground. Back in my bandit days, we did it all the time. It's... The only way we can get Verde back in time. Because judging from that new quiet attitude on Russell, whatever she's going through... It's worse than we can imagine, most likely."
Y/N looked back down at the ground. He didn't want to kill anyone. But if he didn't, what would happen to Verde? How many others would those monsters take? After a minute, he finally nodded his head. Raven turned and whispered something to Junior, who immediately gave his order to his men. And together, with Russell still with them, they began moving through the forest.
Blake jogged to catch up with Y/N, trying not to cough when she inhaled his second hand smoke. "Hey."
"What?"
Blake frowned at his harsh tone. But that wasn't important. Y/N looked like he was about to have a mental breakdown. "Are you okay? You've been shaking for hours."
"I'm fine."
Blake rolled her eyes, sighing lightly. "... I don't think you are. Listen, if you ever need to talk... You have Yang, Weiss, and me. Sasha too, if her size doesn't scare you away."
Y/N was quiet for a minute, pulling his cigarette away to breathe the smoke into the night air. "... Thanks, Blake. We don't know each other that well, do we?"
"No we don't."
Y/N nodded quietly, thinking to himself. "... Why did you stay around in the mafia?"
"Because Vao told us we'd be kept in the basement."
Y/N forgot about that part. That was exactly why any of them joined - aside from Verde, who agreed the second Vao asked. He looked down, kicking a stray twig out of his way. "... Yeah, that's right..." He mumbled distantly. "... Why do you keep helping us, though?"
Blake shrugged her shoulders. "Do you really need a reason to help out a friend? We may not know each other that well, but from what Weiss says about you, you're a good guy. So I always considered us friends, even if we don't talk much."
"... Weiss talks about me?"
"Never shuts up about you, really."
Y/N didn't know what to make of that. But he quickly pushed it to the back of his mind. That wasn't what he needed to be focused on right now. Right now, all that was important was getting his leader back.
All that mattered, was saving someone else from dying to Salem's frigid, dead hands.
...
C-CRACK!
As Hazel snapped Verde's finger backwards, the artist screamed through her gag, her head flailing around violently. A heavy bandage had been wrapped around where her left eye used to be, to stop the bleeding. And in her right eye was sheer terror. Raw, primal terror.
They didn't believe her. Whenever she told them the truth, that she didn't know why Y/N left the club, they'd punish her. Verde had made sure she wasn't followed. If anything, Y/N would still be trying to decipher her notes. She was pulled from her thoughts when Cinder pulled the gag away, guiding Verde's chin so they were looking at each other. The awful woman smiled sweetly, taking in the view of Verde's ruined face.
"... You know, I've been doing a lot of thinking," Cinder cooed. "And I'm sure you realized this, or was even told... But if you had told Vao you were okay the moment you woke up, he'd still be here. He would never have gone for Salem if he hadn't been under the impression you passed away, so... It's your fault, really." A croak escaped Verde's lips as Cinder released her grip, giggling loudly. Like a schoolgirl chatting about the latest gossip.
Verde wanted to die. She didn't want this hell to continue. This horrible dream.
Dream.
That's what this had to be. There was no way this was real. There was no way she was staring down at her fingers that had no nails, that had the skin peeled back. There was no way she was staring at her burned arms, blisters already swelling. It was all just a dream. She would wake up, and forget about it in the morning. She'd play with her team, as she always did. Sasha would be making jokes, and Y/N would be trying to eat his breakfast while Vao picked his pockets clean.
Vao... He'd be right there when Verde woke up, as he had always been. She'd be able to see that caring side of him, the side he only showed her. She'd see him smile at her, hear his voice as he told her he would always protect her. Make her feel safe. Make her feel wanted. To just lay in bed with him, sleeping together like they often did. To visit all the places he'd take her, knowing she'd enjoy them. He'd be there, when she woke up from the nightmare.
The threads of sanity were slowly coming undone. Slowly, Verde was losing herself.
SLAP!
Verde's head jerked back as she burst into tears, a bloodcurdling scream filling the silent air. Hazel, while Verde was out of it, had pressed a handful of salt into her blistered, burned arm and squeezed, pushing the grains deep into the tissue. She writhed and squirmed as Cinder slowly began to work at her feet, cutting into the skin with ease. When her feet were bleeding, and Hazel moved to get more salt, Cinder stood up to look at Verde. That same gaze was in her eyes, her lips curling into another tender smile.
"Wake up... You'll miss the show..."
Kill me.
Kill me.
Kill me.
Verde wanted them to kill her. End it. She couldn't take it anymore. The pain, the torment, the self-loathing as she began to believe she killed Vao. Her eye widened, her teeth gritting until her gums began to bleed. Squirming in her chair, drool began to dribble down her chin.
The last thread of sanity, on the brink of snapping, the only thing keeping Verde from breaking like glass, was wearing thinner and thinner. Slowly, it was worn down as Hazel and Cinder stuck needles under her toenails, pulling them up one by one. Until finally...
SNAP.