Work Text:
“Colt, you're the fall guy, you're the fall guy, you know. Where's the phone?” Ryder began, stepping closer to Colt.
“I mean, I- You can keep taking hits all night but, you know what? I can think of a few other people who can't.”
He paused, bringing his face up next to Colt's.
“You know, I heard your brother's in town.”
He paused again, Colt finally looking up at him.
“No…” he whispered.
“Yeah.”
He heard footsteps approaching from in front of him, letting Ryder's words sink in.
"No..." he said again, his voice just barely louder.
Please no, he thought. Please don't be him.
Two men approached, holding another man in between them by his arms. He didn't struggle much against them, but his head swiveled back and forth, taking in his surroundings.
Colt squinted against the darkness, practically praying it wasn't who he thought it was, that Ryder was just bluffing, but of course, it was. Colt watched his brother squint to see him just as Colt did, his glasses slightly askew on his face. He had a visible bruise on the side of his head, he was most likely knocked out by a hit there, Colt figured. Other than the bruise, he seemed physically unharmed.
"Colt?" Ryland asked, his eyes widening as he pulled against the men holding him, trying to get to his brother. As soon as he struggled, one of the men drew a sharp punch to his stomach, making Ryland double over onto his knees. The men kept their hold on his arms but allowed him to be lowered down.
"Ry!" He yelled, pulling as hard as he could, struggling against his own restraints, his anger fueling him further, but to no avail.
Eventually he turned back towards Tom, who watched all of this with a sick smirk on his face.
"Tom, listen, leave- let Ryland go, he has nothing to do with this." Colt pleaded, his voice coming out far more desperate than he wanted.
"That's exactly it, Seavers, poor Ryland here doesn't have anything to do with this, but yet here he is, in Sydney, looking for you. And since you won't give me what I want, and since you're willing to die for this, we had to bring in some incentive. If hurting you won't work, maybe hurting him will prove more effective." Tom explained. Under any other circumstances, Colt would be rolling his eyes, Tom's dramatic monologues meaning nothing to Colt, but now, Colt could only stare wide-eyed.
Colt watched silently as Tom made his way over to Ryland, whose gaze shifted from Colt to Tom.
Tom squatted down to Ryland's level and grabbed his face with surprising care and tenderness, despite that, Colt saw the way Ryland flinched when his hand approached.
"Oh, Ry," he began, Colt's anger flaring up at the use of that nickname. "I'm sorry you had to get involved. You know I don't want to hurt you, but your brother just won't listen, you understand, yeah?" He said, his voice soft and fake.
"Oh please, Tom, don't start with that,” he began, rolling his eyes. “You're crazy, we all know this. Don't you try to blame my brother for whatever crap you dragged him into." Ryland said, his voice calm but full of venom.
As Ryland spoke, Colt watched Tom's eyes widen, changing from surprise to anger in a second, before a loud slap rang out. Ryland's head snapped to the side as the back of Tom's hand made sharp contact as he struck him.
Colt seethed, his eyes locked onto his brother’s doubled over form. Words were lost to him. What could he even say? Nothing would make a difference, his brother was already here, already hurt because of him. And what was Colt doing? Just sitting here? Watching? He had to figure something out, something to say or do, ANYTHING to get Tom away from his brother now. The problem was, Colt couldn't tell him there was no phone. If he did, Tom would kill him, and maybe Ryland too, he's a witness after all. So Colt had to make a choice.
Unfortunately, in the time it took for Colt to think of something, Tom had already replaced his hand on Ryland's face, holding him much firmer than he had before, his other hand running through Ryland's hair. His glasses sat on the floor a few feet away from him, having flown off his face from the force of the slap. Without his glasses blocking his eyes, Colt could see them clearly.
Ryland glared at him, his cheek red, eyes wet with tears. He was hurt, obviously, but there was something else there, a look Colt recognized all too well, one that meant Ryland was gearing up to say something, something that at this moment, would only make things worse.
Throughout their childhood and even into adulthood, people tended to assume that Colt was the loud-mouthed, meaner twin, the one who had insults ready at all times and would say anything, and he would when the time called for it, but the truth was, Ryland was the one with the insults, the one who would say anything, no matter how bad the timing or how rude the statement. He was the one who could come up with the most clever, hurtful, personal insults on the spot. And now, Colt could tell Ryland was thinking, making up something to say, something that would only make Tom angrier. Fanning the metaphorical fire that was this entire situation.
Colt needed Ryland to just stay quiet, to just this once keep his mouth shut, let this run its course and eventually have Tom let Ryland go. Colt didn't know what would happen to him, but right now it didn't matter.
Colt finally tuned back in to what Tom was saying, the words spoken within the last minute being lost to his ears.
“-and he just watches! He watched as you're in pain, as you cry. Well, don't worry, Ry, I'll make sure you're all fixed up after this.” He said, loosening his grip on Ryland's face to pat it condescendingly, his other hand gripping his hair.
To Colt's surprise, Ryland was silent, watching with the same glare and fire in his eyes. Ryland must have heard his wishes, twin telepathy or whatever.
As much as this made Colt happy, it made Tom twice as angry.
“What, run out of things to say? For the first time in your life you shut up.”
Says you. Colt thought, not being able to stifle an eyeroll. Not that it mattered; Tom was too busy watching Ryland to pay attention to him.
He saw Ryland's glare grow in intensity.
Oh no.
Maybe he spoke too soon.
Before he could say anything, Ryland spat directly onto Tom's face.
“Fuck you.”
…
Holy shit!
Colt couldn't resist the grin that lit up his face. His brother just spat on and cussed out TOM RYDER.
HOLY SHIT!!
Unfortunately, the grin on his face was wiped off almost instantly as Tom looked up and nodded at one of the men holding Ryland, and before Colt knew it, the man was throwing a sharp punch directly at his brother.
“Ry!” Colt yelled out, struggling more against his restraints, having to stop himself from tipping over. His fists clenched as he searched for the end of the rope in a vain attempt to untie himself, but of course he couldn't.
Ryland's head was down now, blood slowly starting to drip from his nose, tears flowed freely from his eyes, and no response was given to his brother's yell.
Tom stared as he wiped his face, the anger obvious on it. The tissue he used was thrown onto the ground.
Tom stood still for a moment, seemingly composing himself, while Colt stared straight at his brother.
This was his fault. He needed to do something fast.
“Alright, Seavers, this is your last chance,” Tom warned, his sentence punctuated by a slightly manic laughter on the last word. “You think this is bad? Give me the goddamn phone, or it's gonna get so much worse.”
He was practically yelling now, his hand gripping Ryland's hair and holding his head up, forcing Colt to look at the damage on his brother's face
Colt glared at Tom, unsure of what to do. Tell Tom the truth, that there is no phone, and he dies. Maybe, maybe Ryland lives. And that's if he's lucky. Or not tell him, and let this go on for as long as Ryder's willing, which Colt can assume is a long time.
Colt continued to stare up at Ryder before looking back to his brother, who now watched him, his eyes squinting due to the loss of his glasses and his nose dripping blood.
Colt sighed before speaking, “Okay, Ryder, here's the deal. I'll tell you where the phone is, but you have to let Ryland go. And I mean let him go safely. You can kill me, do whatever you want to me, but you let Ryland go. He won't talk, I swear.” Colt saw Ryland's eyes widen, and he started to shake his head. Colt avoided the eye contact Ryland was so desperate to make.
“No, no, no, Colt! Colt, you can't do it!” Ryland begged.
Ryder looked back at the men holding Ryland and nodded, the men lifting him and dragging him away. Ryland struggled against them, trying desperately to get to Colt, but the men held him tighter.
“No, Colt! Colt!” Ryland yelled before the man on the right grabbed a gun and struck him with it, Ryland's body going limp in their arms.
Colt winced and looked back at Ryder.
He wasn't excited for this next part, he just hoped Ryland could forgive him.
“Colt?”
His eyes widened, his brother's bloodied face the last thing he expected to see. He couldn't help but try to get to him, pulling against the two men holding him by his arms. He tugged against them to try to break free, but to no avail. As soon as he tried, the man on his right suddenly drew a sharp punch to his stomach, making him double over and land on his knees, his arms strained as the men continued to hold him even on the floor.
“Ry!” He heard his brother yell, but Ryland couldn't see him, the pain in his stomach still too intense to move.
Ryland eventually looked up to see Tom watching him, a stupid, sick smile on his face.
Of course he's enjoying this.
Ryland thought.
"Tom, listen, leave- let Ryland go, he has nothing to do with this." Colt pleaded, his voice sounding scared, more scared than Ryland had heard him sound in a long time.
Tom moved closer to Colt, spreading his arms out in a shrug-like gesture. “That's exactly it, Seavers, poor Ryland here doesn't have anything to do with this, but yet here he is, in Sydney, looking for you. And since you won't give me what I want, and since you're willing to die for this, we had to bring in some incentive. If hurting you won't work, maybe hurting him will prove more effective.”
Ryland froze, his blood turning to ice and his stomach dropping in his chest. He didn't know what to think, what to do.
Tom wouldn't hurt him.
Right?
He didn't like how unsure he was of the answer.
Ryland didn't even know what was going on. Why was Colt tied up? What was it that Tom wanted from Colt? Whatever it was, Ryland was sure Colt had a good reason to keep it from him. He doesn't even know where he is. The last thing he remembers was making his way to the airport to try to catch Colt there, that's where Tom's producer, Gail, had said he'd be.
Ryland turned his attention back to Tom, who was now approaching him, Ryland's chest becoming even more hollow, if that was even possible.
Tom squatted down to meet him on the floor, reaching his hand out and grabbing Ryland's face, he couldn't help but flinch away from him. Tom's hold on his face was gentle, feeling exactly as it had years ago, but Ryland was never scared of Tom. He knew Tom was… strange. He had issues, that much was clear, and he was a little too obsessed with Ryland, but he was never scary, not really. Now, however, Ryland was terrified.
Oh, Ry," he began, the nickname familiar but strange coming from Tom after all this time. "I'm sorry you had to get involved. You know I don't want to hurt you, but your brother just won't listen, you understand, yeah?"
Ryland couldn't help but roll his eyes. “Oh please, Tom, don't start with that,” he paused, “You're crazy, we all know this. Don't you try to blame my brother for whatever crap you dragged him into." Ryland trusted that Colt had good reasons for whatever it was he wouldn't give to Tom, and Tom couldn't convince him otherwise.
Tom's eyes widened in an expression of shock that quickly changed to one of anger, his hand coming up and smacking Ryland across the face with the back of his palm. Ryland's head snapped to the side with the force of the hit, a sharp pain exploding across his face.
He felt his eyes fill with tears that he made an effort not to let fall.
Okay, this was bad; Tom was willing to hurt him.
The rational side of his brain told him, You have to be smart about this. Figure out what Tom wants, why Colt won't give it to him. Ask questions, distract him, reason with him; you can do that.
The less-than-rational side of his brain told him, Screw Tom, this idiot wouldn't know a distraction if it came and punched him in the face. You can't reason with a creature this idiotic.
Ryland took a deep breath and tried to focus on what was going on around him rather than the thoughts in his brain and the pain in his face, but next thing he knew, Tom's hand was back to holding him by the jaw, his grip tighter and far more threatening now. Ryland tried to resist, but he couldn't help the way he flinched away from him again, worse this time than before.
Tom's other hand reached up and ran its fingers through his hair, gently combing through. Ryland then noticed the slight blur that overtook the world, looking to his right to locate his glasses. They had landed about a foot or two away from him when Tom hit him, now sat discarded on the ground.
Ryland met his eyes, narrowing his and glaring up at Tom, hoping he looked threatening and not pathetic.
“Oh Ryland, seeing you like this, because of me, you know, it's so hard. I wish you never came to Sydney to find Colt. I can't imagine how hard it must have been when he disappeared, I can't believe you found him! Finding Gail was such a good idea, I never would've been able to find you if you hadn't talked to her. You always were so smart.” He said, patting his head. Ryland felt his cheeks flush in a strange mix of embarrassment and anger. He wished Tom wouldn't talk to him like that.
“It's sad, really,” He began, “how you come all this way for him, get pulled into such a messy situation, and he just watches! He watches as you're in pain, as you cry. Well, don't worry, Ry, I'll make sure you're all fixed up after this,” he said, his grip loosening momentarily to pat Ryland's face.
Ryland felt a chill run down his spine. He didn't like Tom using that nickname on him, he never did, really, not even in college. That nickname was Colt's nickname for him, but Tom heard Colt use it so often he took it for himself, and then it didn't matter much, he could borrow it, Ryland supposed, but now the sound of it coming from Tom made him sick.
Ryland glanced at Colt to see him staring him down, communicating something with his eyes, but unfortunately Ryland couldn't translate it anymore, that skill had been lost long ago.
Ryland was gearing up to say something, throw some insult at Tom, but hesitated, continuing to look at Colt. Something about his expression- he was trying to say something serious, Ryland just wished he knew what it meant. No matter, he decided, no amount of staring would help him understand.
Ryland looked back up at Tom, the lack of response from Ryland clearly not being what Tom wanted, his expression angry once more.
“What, run out of things to say? For the first time in your life you shut up,” he said, pulling Ryland's face slightly closer, they were now no more than a few inches away from each other.
Ryland figured that logically, he should probably say something, something to try to de-escalate the situation, but rational words were lost to him, his brain only supplying insults, which he knew would get him nowhere. Tom would get angry, but not enough for it to be worth it…
Ryland thought for a moment, narrowing his eyes at Tom once more, the only words he wanted to say leaving him before he could stop them.
“Fuck you.” He said, before spitting directly at him, the glob of saliva hitting him head-on.
For a moment, everything froze. Tom was silent, Colt's mouth fell open into a wide, proud smile, and Ryland kept his face straight in a glare. He couldn't help but be proud of himself too, though. He couldn't believe he did that, not that Tom should care much, they had exchanged spit plenty of times in the past.
Okay, gross.
He felt a small smile reach his face, a smirk really, much more smug than he should've been, but he couldn't help it!
Unfortunately, the smile was wiped away almost instantly. Ryland barely saw Tom nod at one of the men holding him before a sharp fist hit him, pain exploding from his nose to the rest of his face.
Ryland couldn’t stop the cry he let out, the regret hitting him instantly. Maybe it wasn't worth it.
The pain only got worse as the seconds went on. He heard Colt yelling for him but couldn't bring himself to even look up, let alone respond.
All intelligent thoughts and words were lost on him, the only words making their way through his brain being pain pain pain.
Nothing happened for a moment, before Tom started speaking, but his words went unheard by Ryland, the ringing in his ears and the fog in his brain blocking out any real words, leaving only blurred noise. Honestly, Ryland had to admit, it was nice not having to hear Tom talk for once. The pain was awful, and the taste of blood running into his mouth didn’t lighten the situation any, but not having to listen to Tom was a nice compromise, unfortunately it was short lived, as Tom gripped Ryland's hair and aggressively pulled his head up, a small whimper coming from him.
He slowly met eyes with his brother, whose eyes were wet and shiny in the dim lighting they were in.
Colt looked away from him and at Tom instead, thinking. Ryland allowed his eyes to shut momentarily, trying to block out as much as he could, but it hardly helped.
Finally, Colt spoke.
“Okay Ryder, here's the deal. I'll tell you where the phone is, but you have to let Ryland go. And I mean let him go safely. You can kill me, do whatever you want to me, but you let Ryland go, he won't talk, I swear.”
Ryland's eyes snapped open wide.
What??
What was Colt doing?
No no nonononono stop.
He wanted to yell at Colt, but his mouth was so dry.
He pushed anyway, struggling slightly against the men holding him, shaking his head.
“No, no, no Colt! Colt you can't do it!” He begged, his voice weak and hoarse.
He stared desperately at Colt, a fresh wave of tears hitting him, but Colt wouldn't look at him, his eyes staying trained on Tom.
Tom looked at the men behind Ryland and nodded, next thing Ryland knew, he was being lifted up onto his feet and dragged away.
“No, Colt! Colt!” He yelled, his last desperate attempt to save his brother.
He pulled against the men but nothing happened, him much too injured and greatly over powered, eventually they had enough, the man on his right grabbing a gun and lifting it above Ryland's head. Then, nothing.