#taken as a hostage

[defire]

Ghost of Seattle Chapter 66

Previous

Content: manipulative whumper, caretaker whump, caretaker as hostage, fighting, gang bullying, deliberate cruelty

"We can shake the Yellowcaps off and become our own gang. What? It happens all the time in the city."

Kiraba circled a little into the middle of the room, panting hoarsely.

"Okay, just. Why--and how--did you do that?"

Oldman smirked.

"And, again, I have no idea where your guy is." Kiraba added. 

"I don't enjoy being lied to," Oldman said.

Ghost couldn't face these guys and win. But he couldn't face the Shivers outside and win. He should just run...

"But," Kiraba said, head turning around as the Shivers surrounded him more completely. "I let you in; would I let you in if I knew anything? I would've run."

Ghost could have told him that Oldman was too smart for that kind of thing.

"What's your name?" Oldman asked. 

"Kiraba." He said with satisfaction. "And you're Oldman?"

"Kiraba," Oldman said. "Trust me when I say this..." 

As he spoke, he stepped around Kiraba, and Kiraba turned in place to keep facing him, frowning.

"I really don't want to do this to you. Your family's out there, right?"

"I... do what to me? and yeah?..." Kiraba said.

Oldman nodded.

"Thought so."

"...Do what?" Kiraba repeated.

Oldman put a hand on Kiraba's shoulder, then drew him closely face-to-face.

Ghost was baffled to see Kiraba's eyes widen with interest. He looked fascinated. His fingers still fluttered at his sides though, and Ghost had noticed he did that when he was anxious.

"You're not going to be smiling in a minute." Oldman said. 

Kiraba's fingers clenched.

"Why?" He said.

"Because I'm going to have to hurt you." Oldman said.

Ghost couldn't think fast, couldn't let Oldman hurt Kiraba. How could he defeat everyone in there though?

Staring Kiraba in the eyes, Oldman clamped his fingers down into the nerves of Kiraba's neck and shoulder. Kiraba ducked with a wince, but Oldman gripped tighter and followed him. Moved in to whisper something with a twist of his mouth.

Kiraba pushed off Oldman's hand with a step backward.

"You like him, don't you?" Oldman said, turning around. He looked straight at Ghost through the branches. "What do you think I might do to him while you're running away?"

Ghost bared his teeth.

"It's just a mind game." Kiraba said. "Just run!"

Oldman just smiled at Ghost. Ghost took out his knife and shoved at the door. It had auto-barred like the hut entrance.

"Oldman, just leave Kiraba out of this."

Oldman eyed the knife in Ghost's hand.

Then Kiraba lunged forward at Oldman with his own knife. Oldman hit his hand away. 

Finally Ghost found the small bar and pushed it up--Oldman dodged Kiraba's other hand, grabbed the knife hand, and pulled it down and in. Kiraba's body thudded loudly against the uneven board floor with a loud "uh!" Oldman wasn't gentle with him, like he had been with Ghost in training.

Oldman lightning-fast snatched the knife from Kiraba's wrenched-down hand and pointed it against Kiraba's neck, keeping the boy's arm extended over his leg. The elbow was right at Oldman's knee. If he so much as lowered his weight, he could easily break it backward.

"What the heck?" Kiraba grunted. "What the heck is this?" 

He seemed shocked that he couldn't move without hurting his entire right arm.

At the same time, Ghost was shoving into the tiny place with his own knife up to slash. He was fast, but the damn door and the stove slowed him down too much, and Kiraba was already on the floor. Fucking tight spaces. 

He gritted his teeth and looked around. Oldman positioned to kill Kiraba. Ray and his friends circled around them irregularly, poking each other, picking fingernails, unconcerned and mildly hostile. Even if Ghost killed Oldman, his fate wouldn't change--Ray would take over, and take him back. But if he lowered the knife, he'd be vulnerable, and have nothing to bargain with.

"You're not a child anymore, Ghost." Oldman said. "I won't be so easy on you as I was when you joined us."

Kiraba struggled, and grunted in pain when Oldman responded with a jerk on his folded wrist.

"Don't." Ghost said softly to Kiraba. "You don't understand."

Kiraba glared at Oldman.

"Ghost," Oldman said, ignoring Ghost's knife and instead looking up along Ghost's trembling arm with a smirk. "I was worried that you might have taken the easy out already."

"What--the easy out?" Kiraba interjected.

"Suicide." Oldman explained.

Ghost scoffed and bit his lip, looking away for a moment. Ray raised his eyebrows at him.

"Well." Oldman said to Ghost. "You, trying to attack me, was pretty brave. But you'll have to put down that knife now."

Oldman pressed in with his knee on Kiraba's elbow, pushed it it a little sideways. Kiraba was hyperventilating, squirming. 

Ghost went pale. He stooped to put down the knife. Oldman nodded toward Ray. Ghost clenched his jaw and pushed the knife across the board to Ray, pretending to shrug.

Ray picked it up and grinned.

"Not so tough now," He chuckled, elbowing Gray.  

Knowing Oldman, he'd probably brought Ray in here for his enthusiasm to knock Ghost down a peg. He probably made Buddy stand outside, so he could punish her for siding with Ghost a little. She'd be worrying what Oldman was doing to him.

"Ghost, you're a Shiver." Oldman said. "You should be helping me punish these Yellowcaps for seizing you."

"No." Ghost whispered.

"Speak up." Oldman said gently.

Ghost looked up at Oldman. 

"Can you let him go, and I'll speak with you personally?"

"Sure." Oldman said. He patted Kiraba's hand, which made him wince. Any extra pressure would hurt. "But first--"

"Please." Kiraba said. "This hurts."

Oldman smirked at Ghost.

"Oh does it?" He said, jerking Kiraba's arm.

Kiraba gasped in pain.

"Stop!" Ghost shouted. Every time he moved, Oldman was twitching Kiraba's hand like he was going to break Kiraba's wrist. Ghost was rooted to the spot helplessly.

Oldman stopped, smiling from under lowered eyebrows at Ghost.

"Where did you pick up this adorable virgin?" He said.

The others snorted and laughed.

"Oh help, it hurts!" Skunky mocked.

"Oh no!" Ray laughed. "We didn't realize!" 

"He's not like us!" Ghost said. He was breathing hard. Angry. Until a couple days ago, he never got angry.

"Not like us? Not like what?" Oldman asked.

"Mmh--" Kiraba groaned like he was trying not to. The position would only get more damaging the longer Oldman held him.

"You mean, 'Not like us', not a Shiver?" Oldman asked, losing his perfect cadence for a moment. He shifted, making a small pop like a knuckle, and Kiraba cried out through his teeth.

"He's not bad!" Ghost exploded. "Leave him alone!" 

"Get back."

"It's not his fault! It's mine!" 

"Get back."

Ghost stepped backward, chest heaving.

"What do you want from me!" He shouted.

"Stand with the other Shivers. Stand with us. Kiraba is not your friend."

Ray grabbed his arm and jerked him backward. Ghost let him.

"You're gonna kill him," Ghost said. 

"That depends more on you." Oldman said. 

"I'll do it." Ghost said. "Whatever it is."

"Good." 

Ghost ground his teeth as Gray grabbed his right shoulder by the sweatshirt. Not grabbing his hurt arm.

Oldman gently released Kiraba. Kiraba rolled over, still hissing with tiny grunts as he writhed around to his back, grasping his right shoulder with his left hand.

"That was not fair." He moaned.

"You're not part of this." Oldman said with contempt. 

"Kiraba, go." Ghost said, glaring at Oldman. 

"He can't force you, Ghost." Kiraba said.

Oldman's mouth twitched with fury. He squatted down next to Kiraba, putting a hand on his injured shoulder.

"You might do better to hold your tongue." Oldman said.

Kiraba looked between Ghost's distressed face and Oldman's easy smile.

"You have no idea what we are." Oldman squeezed down on his shoulder.

"Kiraba don't fight him!" Ghost shouted, but Kiraba elbowed Oldman's hand off him with an irritated expression. 

He got barely to his feet before Oldman's kick smashed into his ribs, knocking him sideways. Oldman hit the back of Kiraba's head with the knife palmed so the handle hit him. This was revenge for not just taking it like a victim. Kiraba caught himself on the stove, thrust off of it fast, and got kicked again into the weird stick-wall. 

"You're just mad that I'm right." Kiraba said quietly, glaring.

Oldman actually looked angry--chest heaving, nostrils flared, eyes wide open.

"I'm not 'mad'." Oldman said. "I was trying to spare you, for his sake."

He nodded at Ghost.

"Just let him leave!" Ghost said. 

"I'm not leaving." Kiraba said through ground teeth. "Because--"

Oldman snatched his right hand out of the way and punched him in the stomach. Kiraba fell down into a series of punches that took his wind all the way. 

Oldman turned back on Ghost, face working like he was trying to stuff all that rage down.

"You know this doesn't end well for you, don't you?" Oldman said to Ghost, huffing, red.

Ghost didn't answer.

"Ghost, you're a Shiver." 

"I don't want to."

Oldman reached for the bloodstained hem of his sweatshirt, lifted it over the taped-on gauze and above the Shiver tattoo on Ghost's ribcage. He tapped it with his finger.

"Then what's this tattoo?"

He leaned in with his eyes widening, dropped the sweatshirt and dropped a hand roughly on the gunshot wound. Ghost flinched back into the wall.

"I'm sorry this happened, by the way." Oldman said. "Now I understand. You like this kid." He nodded sideways at Kiraba, who was writhing with his hand clutched under him. "I can't just let deserters go unpunished." 

He'd give Ghost over to the friends of the Shivers he'd killed, so they could take their vengeance. Ghost had seen that happen before.

"But I can make you an offer." Oldman said. "Shall I?"

"I don't--"

"Listen to me." Oldman glared.

"I'm not gonna--"

Oldman punched him in the side. Ghost yelped and twisted away, but Gray wouldn't let go of him.

"You said 'I'll do it'." Oldman said. "You liar."

"I'm not a--a liar." Ghost stammered, flushing. 

"Then you'll do it, won't you?"

Ghost didn't answer for a moment. He'd gotten Oldman away from Kiraba, at least. Oldman was still waiting. He was extremely patient.

"They're all going to kill me anyway, for what I did yesterday." Ghost said.

"Oh, really? What did you do yesterday?"

Oldman was even willing to change the story for him.

"Oldman, I can't do it anymore." Ghost said.

"We need you." Oldman said. "And we own you."

Ghost snarled.

"Give me your hand." Oldman reached for his injured right wrist. Ghost twitched back, hiding it behind him.

"Oh!" Ray mocked him, as Ghost struggled against his grip.

"Give it to me." Oldman snapped his fingers at Ghost's arm hidden behind his back. "Give me your wrist. I'm not going to hurt you, Ghost."

Ghost panted through bared teeth.

"Come on, Ghost. When have I ever hurt you?" Oldman's eyes went a little shiny. 

Ghost brought out his hand.

Oldman took it in his own right hand with a firm grip. Ghost winced, but Oldman was still being moderately gentle.

"I want to make this agreement with you one more time, and I'm even willing to believe you again." Oldman said. "I want to shake hands with you, as a man, and promise. You're not going to try to leave Shiver again, either by suicide or by flight."

Ghost was afraid to answer the confusing statement. Oldman pressed in on the hand, twisting the wrist down a little.

"Wait, wait." Ghost said, cringing forward.

"What?" Oldman said.

"It--you said you wouldn't hurt me." Ghost flushed. "Please, it--"

"I'm not hurting you." Oldman said. "Now take the agreement. I'm not giving you an option here, Ghost."

"You said you wouldn't hurt me." Ghost repeated.

"You said you were loyal to a fault." Oldman replied.

Ghost was trying to pull his hand away, but the effort caused even more pain as Oldman increased the torque on the injury.

"Fuck!" Ghost whimpered.

"What's wrong?" Oldman said calmly.

Ghost growled. Fuck the wrist.

"I can't do it." He said. "I go with you, I know I'll kill myself."

Oldman wrinkled into fury. He threw back the arm roughly, straightening to match Ghost's height.

"You think that you control whether you live or die?" His hands were twitching like he could hardly control his rage. 

"Damn." Gray said softly.

Oldman passed the knife into his right hand.

"You have no idea what I--what I've done to--what I've been shielding you from!" He said. "If you're going to die, I'll kill you myself!"

Still, he didn't attack, though every muscle in his upper body seemed completely clenched.

Ghost could just see that Kiraba had recovered somewhat, but he wasn't moving. Maybe he'd finally gotten smart. Ghost kept his eyes down to hide that he was checking on him.

"Oldman, I did say I was loyal." Ghost said, slowly raising his eyes. "I also said if you hurt me, I'll kill you."

Rage snapped Oldman's eyes. He raised the knife and flipped it in the same motion, slamming it down into Ghost's forehead. 

The blows were loud in his head, dazing. They were gonna knock him out. Tie him up. Drag him back. He blinked, but he didn't go unconscious. Blood ran into sweat down his forehead and ran over the bridge of his nose. Ghost blinked as a blurry form rose from the shadows--Kiraba lunging from the back of the room. Oldman sidestepped and threw him into the other side of the room, where Regina moved to catch him and beat him up.

Panting, wrinkled up with rage, Oldman leaned toward Ghost, who was stooped over, baring his teeth.

"You asked for it." Oldman said, voice trembling. "You provoked me."

Whatever that meant.

Ghost panted little growls through a shaky grimace, showing his yellow fangs. It was the only thing he was certain of.

"You will regret this, dog. I will break you until you beg." He spat the word. "I have run out of mercy for you, Ghost."

Tag list: @joyjoygorl @cepheusgalaxy @little-rat-dragon @turtlesnap1 @atomicsandwichprince

Let me know if you want to be tagged!

Kindle book: Masterpost: Next:

[grendel-menz]

come be just a wild rabid animal with me random girl let's eat your mom

[heartludwig]

Scraby is writing the slowest slow burn fanfic in the universe

[2isted-chocol8-art]

Gabbro: Can I offer you a nice bug in this trying time?

-> More Outer Wilds Art!

[lostinsidelostoutside]

I am so glad and grateful that she is safe now and free.

Why does the world remain silent about this ?

7000 Yezidi women have been kidnapped and the world says absolutely nothing.

Over 2,000 are still missing and the world says nothing .

[whumblr]

Imagine a Whumper and his freshly taken hostage, crooning and monologuing how he will soon get what he wants hand-delivered by Whumpee's team in exchange for their precious teammate. A henchman walks in and whispers something in Whumper's ear.

Whumper looks from Whumpee to the henchman, pulls a face and walks him a few steps back, whispering just loud enough for Whumpee to hear.

"What do you mean, they don't seem to care? I mean, did you... you told them they're taken hostage. Right?"

"They said they were busy."

"Busy with what?!" Whumper bursts out, but then whispers again, peeking a quick side-glance at Whumpee who blanched. "I took this one because I thought they were a valued member of the team!"

Henchman just shrugs and Whumper legs it out of the room. "Fine, I'll do the negotiations."

And they leave Whumpee alone to steam in their uncertainty. Was this all an act? Or is no one coming to fight for them :))

[coraxcrown]

Ah, yes the holy quaternity: Alcoholic, Loser, Himbo and Enabler.

(Fun fact: I finished this today during my first ever flight to the US)

[ruporas]

☀️

[ID: Digital illustration in color of Vash and Wolfwood from Trigun Maximum. It’s two 3 panel comics that illustrates the same sequence. The first focuses on Vash. In the first panel, he’s in a hurried motion with a worried expression. In the second, he’s stopped, huffing a breath out as he’s scanning for Wolfwood (not pictured). In the final panel, he breaks out into a relieved smile, eyes lighting up with warm cheeks.

The second comic focuses on Wolfwood. In the first panel, he’s looking downwards to the right with a cigarette in his mouth, wearing a neutral expression. On his face are notable scratch marks to indicate him being in a fight prior. In the second panel, he turns towards the viewer, lifting his head as he notices Vash (as from the previous sequence). In the final panel, he smiles warmly with teeth and holds up a peace sign. END ID]

[ID: Sketchy black and white drawings of Vash and Wolfwood, continuing off the comic. Wolfwood’s back is to the viewer while Vash’s profile can be seen, now by Wolfwood’s side. He has a bright smile as he says to Wolfwood, “You’re safe!” Wolfwood responses, bearing a grin too, “Who do ya think yer talking to? ‘Course I am. Look, I got them alive.” He points to two figures who are tied up and have comically large head bumps. Vash looks to them with an uncertain expression as he says, “Oh! You did, huh… Are you sure they’re alive?” Wolfwood, with a more irritated expression, responds “What, didn’t think I could do it?” Vash says, “No, no! I knew you could!” and pats Wolfwood on the cheek and his head comfortingly. END ID]

[tryingonametaphor]

i still can’t get over how arcane s2 mel - jayce - viktor arcs are exactly how i pictured s5 el - mike - will arcs respectively.

[somerandomcockroach]

Okay, but decepticon Prowl didn't plan and prepare and properly defect from the decpticons, he was thrown out.

The ask that mentioned him being a bad shot got me thinking.

We rarely see Prowl as a bad shot, so either one of two things are going on

1.) Prowl is just not emtionally invested in this fight and is running too many numbers for something else but he has to be here against his will

2.) Prowl is intentionally shooting certain deceptions because "they threaten the future of the decepticons" (they threaten and beat up Prowl)

So after enough "bad shots" the grunts of the decepticon base Prowl was stationed on (as barricade) beat him up, and throw him out. Prowl is annoyed by this because obviously he is important but he can't reveal himself without ruining his cover. So he goes planet hitch-hiking to get back to Megatron and obviously get reinstated and protection.

While planet hopping, "Barricade" meets Jazz who is currently under the name of Meiser since he is infiltrating and taking a look at some decepticon territory. Barricade does not know that Meiser has been following him since he got thrown out. Barricade also does not know that Meiser has his suspicions about who he is. Afterall, there aren't a lof of praxians left in the deception forces, and this one has some dumb gold paint on his cheveron that has already started to flake and show red in these harsh outdoor conditions.

Barricade does think that Meiser is either an autobot spy (since he is not accounted for in any of Prowl's databases and battlefield simulations), or has a major glitch in his logic circuits that got him kicked out and now desperate for any social interaction (which must be the reason why he is hanging around Barricade, since no one ever actually willingly hung out around him before, and especially nobody hangs out with Prowl).

Things keep happening that try to kill "Barricade". But luckly clumsy Meiser is right there to "accidentally" shoot the problem right in the processor. Barricade does not remember Meiser having a gun on him. Or a knife. Or that feral of a smile. But anyways he has places to be and a mech to see.

Prowl intends on turning in Meiser-the-spy or just ordering the death of Meiser-the-idiot once he gets back to Megatron. Especially since through this adventure, Prowl has learned that Meiser will listen to a long thought out and perfect plan, then immidiately go do his own thing, so he can't be used as some disposable pawn in one of Prowls plans.

Evnetually Prowl gets back to Megatron. It is unfortunate that this regrouping happens on an open battle-field, but Prowl predicts that the decepticons will have to make a hastly retreat in 27.8 joors and does not want to miss his ride home. He expects to be welcomed by Megatron, updated on all battle field data, and then sent to the safety of the back of the lines to go sip a cube and win this battle.

Except Megatron has noticed that decepticons tend to have more friendly fire where ever he sends Prowl. And Prowl has already given him predictions and battle maps and troop movement plans for the next 100 vorn. And honestly? Megatron has wanted to punch Prowl for a while now.

So he does just that. One moment Prowl is clearing his vocalizer to get his attention while he is OBVIOSLY busy beating up an autobot. And the next moment Prowl is 12 feets away with a large fist-sized crater in his chest. Serves that nerd right.

Prowl goes offline. Not from the injury. But from the glitch that spawned when Megatron didn't welcome him back and start a much needed debreif.

Anyways, Prowl wakes up in the autobot medbay.

HELP, oh you all really don't like Prowl and want him punched ahagsgga

In my mind it's hard to turn events to that. You see, I think Megatron would treat Prowl like autobots treat Ratchet. Megatron is ruthless in the way he treats his warriors, they fight for "freedom" so someone's life is worth it. Prowl always gives 99% successful plan with minimal risks. And these plans work because Megatron accepts them. Decepticons can say nothing but they hate "Prowl" behind all these plans, because they can see that they are turning in even more bugs than they were before. Before it looked at least like a live or die battle. Now it is a straight order of dying in their cases. But hey, ahah, who is this "Prowl"? There is only Barricade and a possibility of his hidden identity leaking, it's just Megatron can't keep his optics on him 24/7 so making him second identity is a good way of preventing him from instant death. I actually want to think of the ways Starscream could switch his attention to Prowl and not like him because he can't be bribed. "With such tactician even I can be a leader" and Prowl just "-_-".

Prowl is left without voice, tracking, comms, everything is done to not let Megatron find him, but he will search for him even if everyone tells him he is dead. Prowl just need to fix everything and not let others find any info on him and somehow leave to send a signal. So I bet there are much more layers to all of that. For Megatron to want to punch him he needs to be like Starscream or be a Sentinel Prime.

Pffht, imagine you see a very beaten up Decepticon, clearly beaten up by his own people. Everything that allows to track you is ripped off. What does it mean? They wanted to get rid of him while making it look like he died of accident in the end, they got all they needed from him and left him to suffer. Means he had something valuable within him and clearly will be more anticipating in the interrogation with autobots. Revenge takes a place, wouldn't it? So even if Jazz is in a good condition and finds him, he clearly will bring him to Autobot base right away. Prowl will not search the way on his own, he will be thrown out where it is impossible to get out by his own, Junkion, so his priority also will be to get saved even if go with autobots with the possibility of revealing his identity and he will make everything to not let it happen

[companion-showdown]

Who had the worst time aboard the TARDIS?

TOURNAMENT MASTERPOST

[stardustinthesky]

KENSI BLYE & MARTY DEEKS NCIS: LOS ANGELES l GREED

[martinthespud]

@rogdona I stole him and will squeeze him

[queenwille]

Yarden (34), Ariel (4), Shiri (32) & Kfir Bibas (1.3, 9m when kidnapped). 🎗️

Ariel & Kfir are the only children still kept in captivity, Kfir is also the youngest one. 🧡

[abortionado]

what is going AWN

[linecrosser]

Febwhump 2024 - Day 17 - Hostage Situation

SQH is a capable man too, no need to rescue him, MBJ, see, he got it under control!