welcome to the game // joshler [✓]

sweet despair

tw: violence,
severe injuries,
blood,
& hostage situation,

the curtains opened back up slowly to reveal a captive tyler joseph, a spotlight now flashing on him, with pete bounding his wrists to a wooden chair using a large metal brace that looked to have an electronic lock on both.

when he thought he was done, i noticed tyler's ankles weren't restrained. so while pete was turned around, tyler used his free foot to literally kick petes ass, pushing him off the stage.

i heard jenna's crying divulge into soft laughter and sniffling, while tyler proudly had a smile on his face. pete stood back up and sarcastically laugh, "ha ha ha, very funny, jackass." he remarked, limping his way back on stage to fasten his freed ankles.

"i thought it was pretty funny." tyler grinned as pete locked tyler into the chair, fully this time. afterwards, pete got off the stage and went down to first row in the middle, turning on some sort of big video camera that had now been projecting everything after that point.

nothing happened then, all that the live footage was capturing was tyler sitting in the chair, staring off into space. until shortly after, i saw the familiar monkey masked-man peering out from the darkness, making his way next to tyler on stage.

so it really was ryan behind the mask this whole time.

he took a bow as he stood next to tyler, being more pompous than ever about killing someone. but unlike last time, ryan was actually speaking, making the whole experience different.

"ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls-- and whoever the fuck else is out there-- thank you for coming back to our lovely show every week, it's much appreciated!" he announced, tyler looked more amused than fearful at first.

i held my gun close, trying not to get too trigger happy yet. maybe i could easily shoot ryan from where i was, but then that'd still leave pete and gerard alive, and hell i bet even frank would hesitate to shut me down if i messed up.

the monkey head looked to be made of some odd-rubbery material, so i wasn't even sure my bullet could pierce through it, and taking that risk would be suicide for me.

i watched as pete kept a close eye on jenna and brendon, so there was no way i could even help them, let alone get them to help me. i turned my attention again towards ryan as he spoke up again.

"so today we have a very special guest," he used his hand to mess up tyler's hair, "the notorious hitman that we all know and love-- tyler joseph." i found it odd how the room was so deadly quiet besides him speaking. he was just reading comments the audience had been leaving on a computer screen that was next to the camera.

"but this time," ryan's tone changed dramatically, "we're gonna be doing something a little different with tyler," he turned to face where pete, jenna, and, brendon were sitting,

"his friends are gonna help me run the show."

i quickly jerked my head to see pete standing up and unhooking jenna from the chain, but she still had the handcuffs on. brendon tried yelling for pete to stop, his tone aggressive as he rattled violently in his restraints and she kept sobbing for him to stop too, but pete didn't listen, and he continued to drag her down the isle and up towards the stage.

"here we have his good friend, jenna elizabeth black," pete pushed her into the stage and ryan held onto her tightly by her arm, "the two do share a lot of history."

he unlocked her handcuffs and before she can run off, he held onto her tight, with a knife that he forced her to hold in hand, "time to make the first cut, jenny baby."

from what it looked like, the two could have been a married couple cutting into a wedding cake. but instead he held her hand forcefully so she wouldn't drop the knife, and made her she was held captive under his other arm.

he maneuvered her like a puppet, taking her shaking hand and forcefully running the knife over tyler's cheek, slitting a quick yet deep cut into his cheek, crimson leaking from the now open orifice.

ryan threw jenna to the ground afterwards as she cried and pleaded apologetic towards tyler, his head hanging low, but then he looked up to reveal his eyes watering, a few tears slipping through and mixing into the blood.

tyler stuttered, trying his best to assure the crying blonde, "i-it didn't hurt." though from his welled up eyes and emotion flooding his tone, he was clearly trying to mask the pain.

ryan got down to put the handcuffs back onto jenna, pete then running up to retrieve her, placing her back next to brendon and him from where they originally sat.

i could feel this cold sensation taking over my throat, throw up now rising but i tried hard to repress the gross nature of what had just happened. ryan was sick, the audience was sick, this whole situation was sick.

"oh well lookie here, folks," ryan perked up again, "apparently tyty thinks that didn't hurt, well maybe we can change his mind on this next one." he at first went to look at pete again, but then turned in the direction i was in.

"i know brendon won't be as easy to tame, that wild rascal that he is, so how about we change plans a little bit," his monkey head now cocked to the side,

"joshua dun, you're up next."