#havent written whump in months im out of practice

[fallenwhumpee]

Full Prize

• Masterlist •

Warnings: Mentioned past torture, mentioned murder, inexplicit injuries, restrains, suggesting torture, possibly dissociation.

Leader stared ahead. They didn't spare a glance at their ankles throbbing as if they were still broken, their wrists aching. They could practically feel the knife once was between their shoulder blades, deep enough to puncture one of their lungs.

But Leader didn't react to the pain at all. It was all they had felt until a month ago— for almost a year. It was familiar, comforting, even. To have a reminder that they had been beaten, but not broken.

"We can rough them up a bit," Right Hand suggested, touching to their healed arm lightly. It still hurt— the mere sight of Whumper was enough to resurface the pain that was supposed to be gone, but clinging to Leader's skin.

It all looked to a word from their mouth. Whunper was just there, yet to wake up, tied up and thrown to a corner like a bag. Defenseless. Leader could just wrap their hands around their throat and—

"There's no need," Leader all but ordered, not breaking the blank expression. They didn't know how they sustained their image, but at least their flat look would stop possible protests. "They will pay for what they did to everyone."

"Then let me have the watch at least. You haven't moved since we came back," Right Hand tried again.

"I'm alright," Leader assured. They were alright. They could act like they were alright, at least. And that was more than enough.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. Anything I should know before you go?" Leader shifted their stance, taking some weight off of their almost healed ankle.

"No sir."

"Good." Leader nodded, bothered by the formality. Right Hand began walking out, and Leader called them before they could stop themselves.  "Right Hand?"

"Hm?" Right Hand's head snapped at them.

"Don't worry," Leader tried again. They had already burdened the team with their absence. They didn't want to cause more trouble.

"Hard not to," Right Hand muttered.

"I know."

"I won't let you be around when they wake up, though," Right Hand insisted.

Leader gave a small smile. "I give the orders here," they reminded.

"No. Not this time. Last time you insisted on something—"

"It was for the best," Leader cut through the sentence. The other option would end with slaughter of their team.

"No—"

"Right Hand," Leader warned, a little too sharp. They took a deep breath, fixing their tone. "The reason of our argument is now incapacitated. I see no reason for me to leave."

"When will you stop acting as if nothing happened?"

"I'm not ignoring what happened. But truly, Right Hand, I'm alright. Past is past."

Telling was easy, after all. Leader could lie in their sleep. They weren’t proud about that, but it was useful. And it was a lie they told themselves constantly. They would fake it until they made it.

"But its not for me!" Right Hand yelled. The tone made both of them flinch, but it was all Leader needed to pull Right Hand into their embrace. Gently, they wrapped their aching arms around the younger officer. Right Hand grabbed Leader's shirt tightly from behind, tense.

"Its not, and you acting as if you were always here is eating me alive. I… I'm afraid. I don't want you and Whumper in the same city, let alone the same room." Right Hand mumbled, burying their head to Leader's neck and clinging to their shirt. "I can't— we can't lose you again."

"I'm not going anywhere." Leader patted Right Hand's back, pulling away only a little after Right Hand loosened their grip.

"Don't. Ever." Right Hand stepped back fully, schooling their voice back to neutral just because Whumper began to stir.

Right Hand grabbed Leader's wrist to pull them back, but Leader didn’t budge. Instead, they shook Whumper with their shoe, trying to get them coherent faster.

"Rise and shine, darling. I brought you to your hell."

"Don't tell me they fixed you," Whumper whined, sitting up straighter. They looked sore.

Good.

"Bold of you to assume your pathetic attempts made a dent on me,"Leader retorted.

"You break my heart," Whumper pouted. They wiggled in their place a little. "At least your mercy is still here. These binds are too lose."

They were not, Leader reminded themselves. Leader checked it far too often to doubt just because Whumper made a comment.

"When will the vehicle arrive?" Leader asked, ignoring Whumper trying again.

"Almost there," Right Hand said after checking their phone.

"And you'll just let me go, dear? I thought you loved me when I was crushing your bones. A special experience and all. Sentimental people like you would appreciate quality bonding time more."

"Shut it. Adults are talking," Right Hand snarled back before Leader could open their mouth. "Leader, we still have time for it. I can't stand them."

"We gotta be an example. And I want full prize, their corpse cuts the bounty in half," Leader returned, voice neutral. They were surprisingly alright with Right Hand's suggestions, they admitted to themselves reluctantly, but it wouldn't satisfy Leader.

Nothing could calm down the rage Leader had locked deep into their mind.

"Technically, they can fall from the elevator shaft and elevator can fall on them. In best case scenerio, we'll have to call for cleanup."

"See, this is the hospitality you kept gloating about, dear Leader. You can't even pull your weight. You should try my discipline methods."

Leader didn't wince at the remark. Their hand, hidden behind their body, however, clenched into a fist hard enough to hurt. The suggestion made them feel dirty for no reason. Leader wasn't a monster.

Or well, they weren't a monster like Whumper.

Because Leader knew what they could do. Leader still remembered the first time Whumper released their underlings into their cell. They remembered the second, the third. They remembered the bloodshed just by their hands. They remembered the raw rage shutting down their thoughts.

They remembered the corpses

"Its always sad to see people assume fear is a good teacher," Leader mused instead, dismissing the thoughts. The safehouse's door cracked open behind them. There were still two doors between, but Leader could practically feel people closing. They stepped aside, turning their face to the door as if it was a potential treat. Of course they knew it was not but still… survival instincts were hard to get rid of.

Leader let the rest on Right Hand. They offered their opinion only when asked as the authorities dragged Whumper away.

-•-

At that night, for the first time in a long time, Leader went to sleep feeling safe. Until Right Hand basically broke into their room, telling that Whumper escaped.