The man with an amputated limb was chained to the wall, collared on his neck with heavy duty metal. His other abled limbs were stretched outwards, spread like an eagle and strapped with a secure leather belt. His eyes were swollen and his nose dripped a thousand snots.
"P-p-please. Let me go," he begged with difficulty.
Frederick Mortcombe sniggered as he traced the victim's body with his favourite dagger. Slashes of fine lines were oozing beads of thick crimson liquid as though they were rubies decorating the victim's body.
"I'll do anything!! Please!!!"
In that bright room with floor-to-ceiling windows, where the sun shone brightly and the scorching heat magnified, both of the men were soaking wet with sweats.
One man had wet clothes hugging his torso oh so deliciously and the other, the sweats assisted in reflecting the pain in its glorious way. The salty crystal added the annoying flair to the newly cut skin as the man winced at the discomfort.
"Do you know why you're here?" Frederick finally spoke.
"No.. oo... oo..." The mad doctor howled as Frederick sprayed his body with a mist of rubbing alcohol.
"Wrong answer!" He chopped a digit of the man's little pinky.
Blood-curdling scream resonated in the room followed by his cackled laughter.
"Think, you bloody fool!"
The tortured person stammered in his cry and shook his head.
"You think you're clean, aren't you? A man with no fault, huh?!" The villain jabbed the open wound multiple times. He wanted the mad doctor to confess his bad deeds with his own words while he gets to enjoy torturing his prey.
"I'm a d-d-doctor! I save lives!"
"Bullshit!" Frederick kicked the man hard in the stomach with his spiky boots, lacerating the skin with patterned holes. He was furious at the man's persistence to be innocent. "Then what of Audrey Bloodsworth?"
At the sound of Bloodsworth, the man showed his bleeding gum with a grin. He thought he found his lucky stars and thanked the skies. All the bidding he had done for the Bloodsworth, the favours and the connection he had with them, he believed he had found a way out.
"I have never harmed a Bloodsworth. In fact the Bloodsworth and I go way back! I have always abide every demand from — "
Frederick's fist connected to his cheek and bloody saliva spew out of his mouth. "You must have not received the memo. The Bloodsworth are traitors."
With a horrified gasp, the man quickly shut his mouth closed as his eyes wandered. As though he was racking his brains for a quick explanation to save himself.
"I-I... I have only followed their i-i-instruction for f-f-fear of m-m-my safe... safety! AND my f-f-family!" He stuttered with a petty excuse.
Frederick cut off another digit of his pinky and growled, "But you happily accept the reward, don't you? Sounds like a business transaction to me!" And he severed another digit of his prey's finger, causing the man to pass out from shock.
He splashed a bout of water onto the fainted man and whispered threateningly, "Why did they impregnate Audrey?"
"I don't know who's Audrey," the man answered.
"Lies!! The girl!! The one who you bloody impregnate!!!" Frederick screamed as he pinched the man on both of his cheeks.
But the man was already beginning to lose consciousness from many factors. The relentless brutal torture, the vicious pain he had to endure and the sweltering heat combined were enough to send a quick trip to the momentary afterlife.
"I-impregnate? She's a nobody. She's just a creature—"
Frederick thrashed that man in anger. He had suspected the Bloodsworth had been treating Audrey as though she was beneath human beings with no feelings. But to hear a mad doctor, a mere civilian to utter that word, he was ready to send him a first ticket to hell.
However, he would rather do the 'justice' himself until he is content. He stopped beating the man to a pulp and like the one before this, he ordered his soldiers to keep the man alive.
"Mortcombe. Who's that?" Rafael greeted the moment Frederick stepped out of the room.
"Some annoying pest," he gritted his teeth, still raging with anger and wiped the blood off his hands with a damp towel.
"Must be a royal pain in the ass. The men told me this is his second time. Why are you so hellbent to torture that man?" His close friend inquired.
This time Frederick stood in his tracks and faced the oblivious man, "Because!" But that was as far as his excuse could go since Rafael was unaware of the fact he had been tending Audrey. Then it hits him.
'Why am I seeking revenge for Audrey?' He admitted he felt sorry for his prisoner. But that was no reason for him to be furious with those who treated her unjustly. Or to go to such length and avenged on her behalf.
'It must be pity.' He pacified himself, pushing the narrative in that direction regardless of how recently he had gotten to know her or how little he knew of her personality. Instead, he grew firm with his standpoint as images of his first time seeing her bare body, covered in bruises and scrapes played on his head.
"Because?"
"He deserved it. Anyway, why are you out here in the bloodbath arena?" He questioned him back.
"They said you were in action. Next time you're doing a show, invite me," Rafael said sourly.
"Tsk. Who are the fools who told you that?! You should be doing what a Treasury does best!!" Frederick responded with a light punch on his arms, unhappy to see his friend eager to see some blood spilt.
"Uhuh. Yeah sure. Why don't you go take your bath?" Rafael held him by the shoulder and headed with him towards the bathroom.
"And you?"
"I'm going to the REC Room to see what damages he received."
Internally, the villain wanted to prevent him from seeing anything related to 'Operation Audrey'. He knew his friend began to catch up with the drama. Thankfully, ever since the first one, he had wisened up and limited the access to any recordings.
"Suits yourself," said Frederick after a moment of hesitation, and left his buddy alone. He figured it was best to ignore Rafael's sudden interest and downplay his emotions.