,,She left you." ,,You are all alone." ,,Nobody is coming to save you." ,,They hate you!" a voice from the speakers in the wall taunted Toby. He was curled up in the corner trying to not to cry at the words. He knew his sister didn't like him very much, but he never imagined she would leave him back with the enemy. Suddenly two men came in and took Toby to another room where they tied him to a weird chair, that looked like the owns from the dentist and left.
,,Hello Toby," a new man appeared. ,,I heard quite a lot about you." The mysterious man chuckled as he circled Toby, who was bound to the chair. ,,Who are you?" Toby asked. ,,That's not important. Just call me The Father." ,,What? No!" Toby's defiant response echoed in the dimly lit room.
,,I know you hurt because your sister abandoned you but you don't have to be rude to others. And besides you have me now," the man declared with a sickening sweet smile.
Toby glared at him, a mixture of fear and anger in his eyes. ,,You don't have to be scared of me. I'm just trying to help you," the man continued. Toby thought: ,,This wasn't true, it couldn't be true." The Father gave a small smirk at the internal fight of the boy. He went around Toby and stopped behind him. He put his hands on the boy's shoulders and began to massage him. Toby started to feel relaxed, the hands on his shoulder giving a comfortable aura from them. The room was filled with an eerie silence and he felt sleepy but before he could drift into a deep slumber, the man resumed speaking.
,,I know things about you, Toby. Things that even The Mask might not be aware of. Secrets, weaknesses, fears..." The man's voice trailed off, leaving Toby uneasy, ,,There is no way he knows all this. Right?" Toby tried to maintain a brave front. „What do you want from me?" The man leaned in his face uncomfortably close to Toby's. ,,Information of course, my dear boy."
He didn't have much information to offer. He wasn't really entrusted with much. Toby's mind raced as he considered his options. ,,You chose the wrong one for that. I don't have anything to tell you," Toby returned. ,,We will see about that. If you don't tell us anything useful within 3 days then there will be consequences." The Father said, his sweet smile never leaving his face.
Then he turned around and left the room.
,,I don't know!" Toby's defiant response earned him a sharp slap across the face from one of the men who came into the room after The Father left. The sting made Toby wince, but he refused to show any further signs of weakness.
,,I don't think you understand your situation, boy," the man in the white smock continued, his tone condescending. ,,If you don't tell us something useful soon, there will be consequences. Your sister abandoned you. you have nobody else except us." Toby glared at the man, his eyes filled with a mixture of fear and resentment. „What do you want from me?"
The man circled around Toby, examining him as if he were an interesting specimen. ,,We want their plans and you're going to tell them to us. You have information, information that could be quite valuable to our cause."
Toby felt a knot forming in his stomach. He had no idea what they were talking about. ,,I don't have what you want! I'm just a spy!"
The men chuckled. ,,Oh, boy, don't play innocent. We know about your family, your connections. We know more than you think. And you're going to cooperate if you want to come out of this unharmed."
Toby's mind raced as he considered his options. He knew he had to find a way to escape, to warn someone about the danger they were in. But the room was secure, and the guards were vigilant.
Hours turned into a blur for Toby as he was subjected to relentless questioning and pressure. He clung to the hope that somehow The Mask would find him, that they could rescue him. Little did he know that they don't even know that he is still alive.
After 3 days The Father came in again. ,,So, you're not willing to share information with us." ,,I already told you I don't know anything and even if I did I wouldn't tell you," Toby spat. ,,Is that your final answered?" the man asked. Toby just glared at him. After a moment The Father sighed: ,,I wish I wouldn't have to do this but you leave me no choice."
As he said that another man came inside he looked like a doctor. He had a trolley with him, on it were only three things. A strong alcohol, a thin steel rope and a needle. Toby looked confused but scared, whatever they have planned couldn't be good. ,,He is all yours," The Father said as he left the room.
The doctor started to prepare, he threads the string through the needle and soaked everything in the alcohol. Then he turned to the boy. Toby immediately tensed up. The doctor took the alcohol and pored a good amount over his mouth. The boy swallowed some of it and felt nausea.
The doctor lined the needle at the left corner of his mouth and pierced it through. Toby wanted to scream but the doctor had a strong iron grip on his chin not allowing to move much. One by one, he forced the steel wire through Toby's lips, the sharp metal tearing through the tender flesh with an agonizing slowness. Toby felt every single stitch, his mouth burning with pain as blood trickled down his chin. The man worked methodically, humming to himself, each thread pulling Toby's lips tighter together, sealing them shut. Toby's eyes filled with tears, the pain blurring his vision. Every nerve in his face screamed, but the man ignored his silent cries, finishing the brutal stitching with a small knot at the corner of his mouth.
He leaned back to admire his handiwork, smiling with sick satisfaction at the sight of Toby's swollen, bloodied mouth. ,,All done," the doctor murmured, patting Noah's cheek. With that, the man left him alone in the dimly lit room, his mouth throbbing, the taste of iron thick in his throat. Hours passed—or maybe it was days; Noah lost track of time, his world a haze of pain and darkness.
But eventually, The Father returned. He looked the boy over and was very pleased at the doctor's work. He gently cupped the boy's cheek and wipe away tears. ,,I hope you know we had to do this," he said with a soft suing voice. It unwillingly calmed Toby and he leant into the gentle touch, ,,We need to make sure that you know that your actions have consequences." The Father got his restrains off and hugged the boy as he silently cried into his chest. ,,It's a shame The Mask wasn't bothered enough to prevent this from happening." Toby couldn't really process The Fathers words, being lulled to sleep by the man's embrace. Not long after, he was fast asleep exhausted from everything that just happened.
When Toby woke again, his mind was foggy, torn between hazy memories of pain and the uncomfortable comfort of The Father's words. As he blinked his eyes open, he found himself on a soft bed, his hands no longer bound. A dim light filled the room, casting a strangely calming glow over the sparse furnishings. The Father was seated across from him, watching him with a concerned, almost paternal expression.
,,He stayed? With me?" Toby thought. When was the last time his father stayed by his side when he got hurt? He wanted to ask why but when he tried to open his mouth the pain came back all over again and he grimaced. ,,You shouldn't try that," The Father said going over to the boy seating himself next to him on the bed. He put a hand on his back and began to circle it in a comforting motion.
,,Toby," he began softly, his voice like silk. ,,I understand that everything feels confusing right now. I know you may feel betrayed by The Mask and by... Kate."
At the mention of her name, Toby's heart twisted. He wasn't sure how to feel about her or this whole situation in general. It was all just so confusing as The Father said. Did he really understand me?
The Father watched Toby carefully and then continued: ,,They failed you, Toby. They could have prevented this," the man pointed at his sewed shut mouth, ,,but they weren't fast enough. As far as I know your sister told The Mask that you were dead and that they won't come to rescue you." Toby snapped his head at The Father, eyes wide searching for something that told him that he was lying, but all that he saw was concern and pity.
,,But don't worry now you have me and I will make sure that they won't hurt you again and you wanna know why?" He paused looking Toby directly into his eyes, ,,because I see your potential." Toby's stomach churned, but the words sank into him. He hadn't heard such this since his mother was alive.
It hurt.
The Father had him shown more care in this moment then his family in a long time. Twisted care… but still care.
Toby felt torn.
The Father's gaze softened as he reached over and placed a comforting hand on his chin and made the boy look back at him. ,,I know it's hard. I understand how you feel." Toby looked at him with pleading eyes, trying to hold back tears. ,, I was once like you. Abandoned, betrayed. Those who should have protected me left me to suffer. But someone saw my worth and gave me a chance, a new family." Tears now glistered in his eyes ,,I want to be that someone."
And the tears fell.
Slumping against the older. The Father didn't push him away. Didn't tell him to stop. Instead, he put his hand around the boy's shoulder and pressed him closer to himself.
As Toby cried into The Father's chest, his mind swirled with a storm of memories, emotions, and doubts. He thought of the hollow silence he had waited in for days, and the agony he had been forced to endure. A voice at the back of his mind whispered that he had been left behind, that The Father's words were true.
The Father gently stroked Toby's hair, letting the boy release the weight of his pain and confusion. ,,You don't have to be strong all the time, Toby," he murmured softly. ,,There's strength in letting yourself be cared for, in finding a place where you can truly belong."
Toby pulled back, looking up at The Father with a mixture of suspicion and vulnerability. He tried to open his mouth to ask, but the dull throb of pain reminded him of the stitches.
,,What I want to say or rather ask. Do you want to join us? Do you want to join me?" A pause Toby didn't move so The Father continued: ,,You're special, Toby. I've seen what you're capable of, the brilliance that others have ignored. I know you feel it too, don't you? That desire to prove yourself?"
Toby nodded slowly, the sting of betrayal fueling a small spark of anger within him. The Father was right in a way. His own father never trusted him with anything or saw what he was capable of. He only looked to Kate, trusted Kate, and he was always left in the shadows. For once, someone was offering to lift him out of that darkness.
The Father smiled down at Toby happy over his work he had him exactly were he wanted him and now the boy just had to choose right.
The Father took a deep breath, the gentle expression on his face shifting to something more intense: ,,Let me help you become more than just their forgotten spy. Let me show you what you're truly capable of. All you have to do is trust me." He held out his hand, palm up, waiting for Toby's response.
Toby looked at the hand, hesitating. His mind was still clouded, but he couldn't deny how understood and secure he felt in the warmth of The Father's presence. Slowly, he raised his own trembling hand.
He hesitated and the older almost thought he failed. But then Toby placed his hand on the other with newfound confidence and certainty.
A satisfied smile spread across The Father's face as he pulled Toby closer and hugged him. This time the boy hugged back ,,Good boy," he whispered, ,,Welcome to The Rough."