#lufroz

The mere thought of what he experienced just an hour ago… It had only worsened the fragile mental state he was in. Ever since he began working for Morgan, it was like something had broken inside him. At first, it was just a small crack, nothing very noticeable, nothing too concerning- but as time passed, the amount of traumatic experiences he had to go through increased, and so did the crack in his heart and soul.

Now, he wondered how much longer it would take for his entire being to shatter.

He stopped, and leaned against the nearest wall. He knew Morgan was waiting for him- but it was so very hard, just finding the courage to see him after everything that happened. Just imagining his torturer’s face was enough to make him tremble in fear and despair. Oh, how he wished he could just… Leave, go back to the life he had before his father’s death, become a normal person again. But it wasn’t possible- because, now, Lufroz had seen too much, knew too much, and the only reason he hadn’t been murdered by some random criminal organization was because he was under Morgan’s protection.

How ironic…

Lufroz held back a sob. He had cried so much in the past hour, and yet, he still had tears left. He felt so powerless, so useless, being unable to fight back, unable to protect himself from the one person who terrified the most in the entire world. Until now, he had Sam to help him out, but now… Now…!

The young man took a deep breath, feeling his throat tightening up. He couldn’t even imagine how pathetic he probably looked like at the moment. Exactly the way Morgan loved it, he supposed. He shuddered at the thought. He was not ready- he was not ready to see his boss again. He needed more time- oh, if only he could talk to his sister, if only he could hear encouragement from her… Of course, she was perfectly unaware of Lufroz’s entire situation, and he’d always refused to worry her, especially for anything that was related to Morgan in any shape or form. The less she knew, the safer she would be.

Lufroz sniffled, and rubbed his tearful eyes. The thought of his sister should have helped, but it only made him feel worse. Now that Sam decided to stay away, the young man had no one he could share his problems with, not the ones related to his “job” and what it entailed. Honestly, he already felt miserable after what Morgan did to him, but this was just the nail in his coffin. He had no one to talk to, not anymore. Just the ocean of horrible thoughts his brain could muster on a daily basis, only further fuelled by all the traumatic memories he’d made, working under Morgan’s orders.

He just wanted to lock himself somewhere, and pray that his Boss would forget about him- like it would ever happen.

Eventually, he forced himself to walk again. He didn’t want to see Morgan, but he knew very well the consequences of making him wait would be even worse. Ending up in the chair again was not something he wished for.

On the way, he found his crutches again, waiting for him exactly where Morgan had grabbed him earlier. He picked them up, and sighed in relief as he was able to use them to walk- having to put weight on his ankle hurt too much, and he was certain he would have been unable to keep going without physical help.

It didn’t take him long for him to know where his boss was, at the moment. One of the employees was kind enough to give him the information without looking down too much at him. Of course, everyone here knew that Lufroz was not a real employee, but a toy for Morgan to play with. Sam had been the only one to truly see him as a person, and offer him some help. Well, this didn’t age very well, now.

With all the courage he could possibly get under the current circumstances, Lufroz made his way to where his Boss was- the underground car park. He took the elevator, and joined him there. There, he saw the other right after leaving the elevator, leaning against a wall and tapping his foot impatiently.

-”Fucking finally,” the Spider groaned, crossing his arms with a scowl on his face: “Would it have killed you to hurry up?”

-”S… Sorry…” was all Lufroz could say. His eyes were focused on the ground- talking to Morgan was already difficult, but looking at him in the eyes was near impossible. It was too soon, way too soon.

The white haired man rolled his eyes and let out an annoyed sigh, before straightening up. He began walking inside the car park, and Lufroz followed him, although with great reluctance. However, he was slower due to his injury, something the other noticed pretty quickly.

-”Keep that pace, I dare you!” he snapped, which prompted Lufroz to hurry up. The latter tried to ignore the pain such quick movements caused- it was clear that Morgan was extremely pissed, and that it was best to lay low, and do what he said without protesting. He still muttered another quick “sorry”, which only received an irritated huff in response.

The two of them walked to one of the cars that was parked in a corner. The driver was already waiting inside, which made Lufroz wonder how long Morgan had waited for him. 

Morgan sat behind, and Lufroz did the same, just like usual when he had to accompany his boss outside for whatever mission. Except, this time, the atmosphere was much, much heavier. It felt like if Lufroz breathed the wrong way, he would end up back in the chair. All in all, he kept his head low, and his eyes focused on the space between his feet, while his boss pulled out his phone to play some Candy Smash.

The car’s engine soon started up, and Lufroz felt the vehicle move towards the car park’s exit. Normally, he would be pretty curious about where they were going but not now. He didn’t want to speak to the other, nor look at him. All in all, he hoped that he would be sent back to his cramped office after this, just so he could be on his own again. 

He wouldn’t be allowed to rest until his work was done, but at least he wouldn’t be in his torturer’s presence. That was always an improvement.

Every now and then, he peeked outside, wondering where the brothel might be. It was hard to believe that such a business managed to flourish without the police ever learning about it- but then again, the Obsidian HQ was right under one of Morgan’s nightclubs, and no one had found it either. Whether this was due to corruption or negligence, Lufroz didn’t know. But, in the end, this hardly changed anything.

He turned his head slightly towards the window, and looked at their surroundings. They were still in town, but in a calm area, where most people passed by without really stopping. It didn’t really strike him as a place where a brothel would take place- he imagined it would be either in a crowded area, or in a completely deserted one but, somehow, this was a middleground. He supposed it wouldn’t look as suspicious this way, but honestly, he knew near to nothing about crime, so he couldn’t say for sure. And he absolutely refused to ask Morgan about it.

The car slowed down, and turned a few times, until it entered a car park surrounded by a few shops. The place looked absolutely normal, and it was hard to think something bad was happening around there. Still, when Morgan left the car without a word, Lufroz followed him. He winced at the pain caused by the sudden movements- while Morgan wouldn’t be able to berate him in public, he knew very well that it would only be a matter of time until he got punished later. So, the best he could do was to do his best not to annoy the other any further.

The young man expected the Spider to lead him towards one of the shops, since they parked around them, but instead, Morgan began to walk away, following the sidewalk with his hands in his coat pockets. Lufroz was surprised, but didn’t question it. Instead, he walked along, although a meter or so behind. He was not insane enough to walk beside the one who’d raped him just an hour ago.

This went on for a while, and the assistant couldn’t help but wonder why they didn’t park closer- until it hit him. It was probably not to raise attention. Too many cars parked at the same place would catch people’s attention. Suddenly, it made a lot more sense as to why they had to walk there.

Now, what didn't was Lufroz’s presence entirely. There was absolutely no reason for the young man to accompany his boss. He supposed this was also part of the punishment, forcing him to come along despite the pain he was in, whether emotional or physical.

Eventually, though, Morgan stopped in front of a building, and Lufroz had to react quickly enough not to bump into him. There, the both of them were standing in front of a movie theater, one that looked extremely ordinary. It had the same charm as any independent one- and it was pretty small too. Nothing in common with the usual theaters that were present in every big city. It was almost unnoticeable, really. A beige façade, no big signs, a style that blended perfectly with the other nearby buildings… It was almost invisible to the suspicious eye.

The assistant frowned, and couldn’t help but tilt his head in confusion. He had expected something like a bar, a nightclub… But not a movie theater.

-”You look surprised,” Morgan said flatly, watching him from the corner of his eyes.

Lufroz bit his lip. He had wished the other waited longer before trying to start a new conversation… As much as he didn’t want to participate, ignoring his boss could lead to very dangerous consequences.

-”I…” he gulped down, fighting the urge to stay silent: “I wasn’t expecting that.”

-”Yeah, I can tell,” the Spider replied, raising an eyebrow: “You thought this would be another nightclub?”

Lufroz looked down- he did. In his defense, he had little experience when it came to the organization behind the local human trafficking business. More than two months ago, still, but remembering his blissful past would only make him more miserable. So he just nodded.

Morgan merely scoffed in response.

-”Right, I’m gonna hide all my shady businesses under nightclubs,” he mockingly said: “That way, I’ll make it easier for the cops to find everything. ‘Just write a list of this town’s nightclubs, that’ll be enough!’. That’s what they’ll tell each other.”

Lufroz bit the inside of his cheek. It hurt, it really did. Normally, he had grown a little used to Morgan’s taunts, but right now… The mockery was just worsening his inner suffering.

The Spider rolled his eyes:

-”You have a brain, Lufroz. Use it for once.”

-”Yes…” the young man simply replied, not wishing to argue with his boss. The less he did so, the faster they’d be done with everything here. And that meant going back to his office, where he’d be alone and able to wallow in self-deprecation. 

-”Anyway, let’s get inside,” the other sighed, before turning his head to him for a moment: “I’ll explain how this place works as we go, because I sure as hell don’t want to hear any questions later. So if you want to know something, take advantage of my good mood, and do it now.”

Lufroz nodded with a hum, although very reluctantly. He had no desire to speak to Morgan -at all, actually. But realistically, he was still working for him, and being a personal assistant entailed needing to know as much as possible about this entire business. No matter how difficult it was for him, no matter how much he wanted to run away and never look back- he still had to do it.

His life, and his sister’s were on the line.

It was so strong that Lufroz tried to cling to his unconsciousness, but to no avail. The more he felt pain, the harder it was to stay asleep and, soon enough, he woke up, with no possibility of going back to the blissful sleep he was already starting to miss.

He opened his eyes slowly, clenching his teeth at the amount of pain he was in. His entire body was hurting, with some areas worse than others. For a second, he was confused as to why everything hurt so bad- until his mind began to remember everything. His face turned pale as memories washed over him, memories that were way too fresh for his own good.

God… God. No wonder he was in so much pain… The hour he had spent with Bastoff felt like it had lasted an entire day. He didn’t dare imagining the state he would be in if it had been the case. 

He could barely move. His entire body screamed every time he tried and, despite the urge to look under the covers to assess the damage, he decided to remain still. He could already feel the cast around his foot, and that was enough for him. Instead, he watched his surroundings. It really didn’t take long for him to recognize the room he was in.

It functioned as an infirmary. Well, it was more the place where they stored all kinds of medicine, really, but there were two beds, which were used anytime someone from Morgan’s team was hurt. They obviously couldn’t go to the hospital for very obvious reasons, so a room like this one was a must in this type of work.

There were a lot of different cabinets, all filled with medical supplies of all types. There was a fridge too, which Lufroz assumed was used to store special kinds of medicine. Each bed had its own nightstand, but nothing was on top. Next to Lufroz was an IV drip that was connected to his arm, probably a pain killer, but the bag was empty. This was probably the reason he woke up in the first place.

Other than that, the room had nothing else, really. There was no desk for any doctor, as they were called only when there was a need for them. No one worked here full time, and those who did were paid not only for the care, but also for their silence. The young man knew that it would be a while before he saw the doctor again. He still hoped someone would replace the bag on the IV drip, though.

He sighed. The pain made it hard for him to think. He tried to rest again, but he couldn’t. Between his suffering, and his own anxiety, there wasn’t much he could do but think. 

Was it all over? Now that he had endured Bastoff’s torture, he was going to be free again, right? That was what Morgan had said before, or at least that was something he remembered, a hope he clinged to. He honestly didn’t think he would be able to get back on that damned chair after all that… The only thing he wanted was to get better, and… Try to forget everything that had happened in the last few days. 

Although, deep down, he knew very well he wouldn’t be able to. This was just another traumatizing event, one that was added to the multiple horrible memories he had gathered while working for Morgan. It had only been a month, really, but it felt like years, honestly. It wasn’t like he had had a choice, though- it was either working for Morgan, or die from his hands. 

Anything to stay alive, he had thought back then. Was he regretting it? Somewhat. It was debatable whether this new life was worth living, especially after everything that had happened to him this past month. Between the verbal, physical, and sexual abuse… All of this was just new trauma added to the pile.

The only good thing in this new life was his sister, the one true person that made it worth not dying. Ever since they moved closer to one another, seeing her was something he looked forward to. After all… She was the only family he had left. She still had her mother, but Lufroz… Not so much. 

He groaned, and moved his uninjured arm to cover his eyes.

Everything had been his father’s fault. This damned project of his, this obstination towards an unattainable goal, his dying wish for Lufroz to continue his work, to put himself in danger for a man who had neglected him for years… And all for what?

For this entire project to be wasted- no, worse. To end up in the enemy’s hands, and for the same to happen to Lufroz.

He should have never accepted to help his father. Should have never accepted to grant him this dying wish, the one that was responsible for Lufroz’s entire situation. He wished he hadn’t accepted.

But it was too late to regret. In the end, thinking about that was just hurting him more and more. He had accepted his father’s wish, had paid the price by getting hunted all over the state by mafia organizations, only to request the help of the only person able to help him.

And now, there he was.

Lufroz sighed, shutting his eyes hard. At least, his sister was blissfully unaware of all that. If she ever found out… He really didn’t want to think about it. The less she knew, the better, and the safer for her. All he wanted Lesly to do was to enjoy life. If she was okay, then… Then he would endure everything. Or, at least, he would try to.

He kept one of his hands above his private parts- he knew it was silly, since Morgan had seen him naked plenty of times in the past month, but he couldn’t help himself.

It made him feel slightly better- his situation was already dire in itself, he might as well look for comfort wherever he could find it.

He shivered at the very idea of what was awaiting him. Meeting Bastoff, after his mistake and, worse, becoming his plaything for an hour… And all that, with the risk of dying in the process.

Needless to say, Lufroz was terrified.

Morgan might have said that he would do his best to save him from Bastoff’s dreadful intentions, but it was clear that there was no guarantee. He wanted to believe in Morgan, as disturbing as it sounded, given all the things the latter had done to him, but… Bastoff was huge. Insanely huge.

In comparison, Morgan looked particularly frail and fragile, and he couldn’t imagine him winning against the Russian man.

What would he possibly do to convince a guy like Bastoff…?

Lufroz glanced at Morgan, as if this was going to bring him any answer. The latter was just watching the landscape through the window, still frowning. One of his hands was drumming onto his leg- he was still very much angry, that much was clear.

He felt his guts twist. He had so many questions to ask, but he knew better than to actually voice his doubts. Morgan’s temper was not a thing to play with. It had only been a month since their meeting, but that was more than enough to realize it.

So he remained there, lost in the mess that were his thoughts.

What was even Bastoff’s studio like…? 

Morgan’s business was hidden behind a few nightclubs. One of them had a secret underground area, where most operations took place, and where that cursed “playroom” was.

He supposed the same could be said about Bastoff- but he didn’t know much. What business? Where? He only knew the Russian man as a snuff movie director, but that was pretty much it.

He threw another glance at Morgan, fighting the urge to ask. 

Should he…? He knew it was best not to, but not knowing what awaited him… It scared him just as much.

It was then that he saw the other’s mismatched eyes move in his direction, and it was too late to look away.

Unsurprisingly, learning this new skill didn’t allow him to get closer to his dad. At first, he had thought it would work- eventually. But as the months passed, it was rather obvious that nothing would come out of this. All in all, he didn’t even have a reason to learn anymore- and yet, he continued. 

Lufroz wasn’t sure why, exactly, but he kept trying, and trying, until he was skilled enough to actually make his own little programs. Oh, nothing fancy, really, but he was still proud of it nonetheless.

Except at this very moment.

There, on a Tuesday afternoon, the young man was sitting in his principal’s office, alone, waiting for the inevitable consequences of his actions. His back was hunched, and he couldn’t stop playing with his hands as nervousness engulfed him more and more.

He had fucked up. Ooooh, he had fucked up indeed.

He was biting his lips, feeling his heart pounding in his chest, and his stomach hurting from the stress. Slowly, he tried to take deep breaths- he had to calm down. He had to.

But why was it so difficult?

He couldn’t help but jump slightly when he heard the door behind him opening. Without giving him the time to turn around, his principal entered his vision. The sight was like yet another kick to his stomach- stressful.

She was a rather old woman, very close to retirement, if not past it. Her hair was gray, and the glasses she wore only made her eyes look comically bigger. Her outfit was very formal, almost too much in this day and age- all in all, she was rather old-school.

-”Alright, mister Winter,” she started, sitting at her desk across the young man: “Let’s start from the beginning, shall we?”

He didn’t answer, merely letting out a “hum” of acknowledgement. But his silence only made her stare at him sternfully.

-”Shall we?” she insisted, visibly waiting for a reply, one with actual words.

-”Yes, ma’am,” the teen blurted out, not daring to look at her in the eyes.

The woman let out a sigh, and readjusted her glasses. With her trembling hands, she grabbed a few sheets of paper, that she placed in front of her. 

-”Yesterday, the entirety of the school’s computers were attacked by some sort of virus. While there was no damage to the actual property, they all played a video on loop for hours, which prevented many teachers from doing their job. Do you confirm?”

The teen curled up more, wincing. It had seemed funny, a week ago, back when he was preparing the prank. Now… Now, not so much.

He had prepared everything so as not to get caught… Except that one of his friends snitched on him. An unknown in the equation.

-”... Yes, ma’am,” he took a few seconds to respond, gulping down. He felt like his throat was tight, too tight.

The principal sighed once more, putting the papers down.

-”Do you realize you could get expelled from this?”

The teenager pinched his lips. Of course he knew. Getting expelled would be a kind punishment, compared to the actual charges they could press against him- or, really, his father. 

Sure, Lufroz had always wanted to get his dad’s attention, but… Not like this.

-”I tried calling your father, but I cannot reach him for some reason,” she added, being nice enough not to force him to answer again.

-”He never answers the phone,” Lufroz said, not realizing right away he had voiced his thoughts. When he did, he looked down, clenching his fists. Now was not the time to speak without thinking.

The old woman did seem surprised by his statement, though, and she frowned slightly.

-”What do you mean, he never answers the phone?” she asked, tilting her head: “Why is that?”

Lufroz bit his lips again. He had never really mentioned his family situation to anyone- why would he? But now that he had opened his mouth, there was hardly anything he could do to keep it a secret.

-”He… Doesn’t want to be bothered,” he guessed: “I think.”

-”So, he’s working at home? If that’s the case, when can I call him?”

-”He won’t pick up,” Lufroz retorted reluctantly: “He never does.”

The principal stared at him, her frown intensifying more and more.

-”Mister Winter, I want you to know that lies will get you nowhere,” she warned with a severe tone of voice.

-”I’m not lying!” the teenager protested, a bit louder than before: “I’m the one who answers the phone!”

The old woman’s expression shifted to something akin to confusion. She leaned forward, staring at Lufroz so much that it made him more uncomfortable than he already was. Was she trying to see if he was lying? He really was not, though! Things had worked this way for years: he would take care of the house, while his father did all the grocery shopping- online, of course. And whenever the phone rang, Lufroz was the one who had to pick it up. If there was something his father had to know, he would leave a note before going to bed and, by the time he woke up in the morning, the note would be gone.

He was telling the truth.

-”Well, in any case, I want to see him tomorrow. You’ll just have to pass the message to him,” she moved back in her chair, crossing her fingers: “And I highly recommend you do it.”

-”If he’s awake…” the young man mumbled to himself, almost bitterly.

-”If you have something to say,” the old woman reprimanded him: “You might as well speak louder.”

Lufroz’s muscles clenched. Shoot. Another time he should have kept his mouth shut… But thinking about it, he didn’t have high hopes for the meeting his principal wanted. Even if he passed the message, this didn’t guarantee his father’s presence on the day after. Whether he would forget, or fall asleep during the day, Lufroz knew his father well enough to know that his attendance would not be certain.

-”I…” the teenager took a deep breath.

How was he even supposed to explain this? She probably wouldn’t even believe him- to anyone, this would seem as an excuse for him not to get punished… He already knew how it sounded before even enunciating it.

-”My dad… Doesn’t really leave his office,” he tried to explain, not really knowing where to start: “Not while I’m awake, at least…”

-”Well, he'd better make an exception,” the principal retorted, before tapping the sheets of paper with her knuckles: “Because this is more than enough for you to get expelled. And the only reason we won’t press charges is because no actual damage has been made. Is this clear enough?”

Lufroz hunched his shoulders, and clenched his teeth. It was, indeed, very clear. If he had known that this prank would go this far… But now was too late for any regrets, wasn’t it?

The only thing he could do now… Was to hope.

-”Yes ma’am…” he whimpered, wishing he could be anywhere else.

-”Now, if your father doesn’t pick up the phone, how am I supposed to tell him to pick you up?” she asked, visibly not convinced by his explanations.

The teenager let out a sigh. Well, the simple answer was that it was no use counting on his dad. But the young man knew very well that this was not what she wanted to hear. Still, he could still offer the only alternative he could think of.

-”I… I have my neighbors’ phone number,” he replied with a weak shrug: “They’re retired, so…”

The old woman gave him another stare for a few seconds, before giving in- it wasn’t like there were many other options.

-”Very well,” she conceded, seemingly getting tired of the exchange: “Give me their number, and I’ll give them a call.”

And so, Lufroz did- what other choice did he have? They were the only people that could help him at the moment… And to think of the note he would have to write for his father… How would the latter even react? It was the first time the teenager really got himself into trouble?

A few years ago, he would have thought that, perhaps, this would be the electroshock his dad needed to feel, to realize how much of a sinking ship their relationship was… But now…