**WARNINGS: TORTURE, MURDER, HEAVY MENTIONS OF BLOOD. PLEASE AVOID IF YOU FEEL YOU WILL BE TRIGGERED OR HARMED IN ANY WAY. INBOX ME FOR A SUMMARY IF NEEDED. STAY SAFE EVERYONE.**

The muffled sound of a door – presumably the front – opening upstairs is what woke Ryan from his sadness induced slumber. He slowly shook himself awake, awaiting the inevitability of Brendon coming down into the basement to either check on him or feed him. However, upon hearing the sounds of two pair of footsteps on the flooring above him, he knew that he would not be graced with Brendon's presence anytime soon.

Ryan wanted to scream, wanted to call attention to whatever guest Brendon had in his home, but he knew it would be of no use. Not only was the entire basement soundproofed, but his throat was raw and abused from his sobs and cries from help, not to mention his trachea being practically crushed under Brendon's hands. Tears began pooling at his eyes once more as he was faced with the harsh reality that he was going to die down here in Detective Brendon Urie's basement, and no one would ever know.

He might as well be dead already.

* * *

After listening to soft muffled voices for however long, Ryan was beginning to feel tired once again, his eyelids beginning to close on their own accord until he heard one of the upstairs voices rise into a state of yelling. The voice was feminine, and it was angry, almost absolutely livid. Ryan's eyes snapped open to the sound of harsh footsteps resonating above him along with the second voice – which he assumed to be Brendon's – following the female voice in a much quieter tone; so quiet that Ryan barely even heard any sound at all.

It wasn't until the footsteps began making their way toward the direction of the basement door that Ryan's heart started beating faster in his chest and his hands began shaking in their restraints. He listened as the locks unclicked and the door creaked open louder than he'd ever heard it, squeezing his eyes shut as he braced himself for whatever was to come. The door slammed shut and a heavy pair of footsteps descended the stairs in a haste until the concrete floor was reached and a breathy laugh was followed. "Oh, Ryan, love," Brendon's sickly sweet voice cut through the vacant space, causing him to shrink in on himself, "are you awake? I have a surprise for you!"

Ryan felt his entire body tense as he refused to open his eyes and just kept his ears open. He heard something fall to the basement floor, almost causing him to look but he held his position as different sounds filled the room. Ryan couldn't quiet place them, and he didn't know if he wanted to until he heard what sounded like duct tape being ripped from its roll. At this point, the young man's curiousness got the better of him and he opened his eyes and nearly screamed in horror to what he was met with. Brendon was just finishing restraining Ashley to a wooden chair not too far away from where he himself was restrained, slapping a strip of tape against her mouth. He heard himself let out a strained whine, his chest constricting at the sight and immediately causing Brendon to turn and face him with a wide smile on his face as he bounded over.

"Oh, hey, you!" His voice was overly excited and Ryan felt the tears – once again – fill his eyes as he nervously watched Brendon walk over to him. "I was worried you were going to sleep through all the fun." The emphasis on the word fun terrified Ryan more than he believe he could be after all that has happened, and he let out a slightly choked sob as he looked up to the older man who was now practically leaning above him.

"W-What is she doing here," he choked out, turning his head to face his friend briefly before turning back to Brendon. "What did you do to her, you sick son of a-" Ryan was abruptly cut off by the feeling of Brendon's palm coming into harsh contact with his left cheek, tasting blood in his mouth as he let out another choked whine. He looked back up to Brendon with fearful eyes as he watched the older man tear off another piece of duct tape and place it across his mouth harshly.

"Let's just say," Brendon started with a faux thinking face, tapping his index finger against his lips, "she was trying to get in my way. I'm just making sure she can't do that."

Ryan tried to scream against the tape, the sound coming out muffled and pathetic as he watched Brendon fill a small bucket halfway with water and walked back over to Ashley. Brendon placed the bucket in both hands, turning back to give the younger man one more malicious smile before throwing the water on Ashley, causing her to shoot awake at the impact.

**ALL WARNINGS COME INTO EFFECT HERE. PLEASE SKIP IF NEEDED**

As soon as her eyes adjusted, Ashley looked directly at Brendon and scowled at him, whatever curses she was sending his way completely muffled by the tape across her mouth. Brendon did nothing but smile sadistically before striking his palm across the side of her face like he'd done to Ryan, her muffled shriek echoing across the expanse of the basement.

Ryan felt his eyes pool and overflow with more tears as Brendon grabbed Ashley by the hair and yanked her head up, giving her another bone chilling smile. "Play nice now, doll," he said in the same voice he'd used with Ryan, making the younger man's skin crawl, "you've got an audience to entertain."

At that moment, Brendon turned the girl's head to face where Ryan was lying, her brows furrowing in absolute agony before spilling over with tears as she let out more muffled cries and pleas. Ryan just continued sobbing against his tape, tugging at his restraints in any attempt to get free as Brendon rolled his eyes at how they were both acting. He then sent another harsh slap to Ashley's face, another muffled shriek coming from her and cries of protest coming from Ryan behind him.

The older man then grabbed the side of the tape covering Ashley's mouth and yanked it off quickly, hearing her – now loud – cries echo through the room. She spent a moment catching her breath before spitting a mouth full of blood to the basement floor before turning to look at her captive friend. "R-Ryan," she choked out softly, "I p-promise you're going to get out of here. Even if he k-kills me, you're going to make it! You've g-got to, you just- ahh!"

The abrupt scream interrupting her words was caused by the agonizing pain of sharp, fully silver Tungsten needle being shoved through her left thigh, almost completely through. Ryan felt a wave of nausea overcome him, causing him to look away as blood began seeping from the sides of the wound before Brendon ripped the needle out harshly, the blood now pouring from the wound. Ashley's breaths were now coming out ragged and heavy as she turned back to look at Brendon. "You can do whatever you w-want to me," she bit harshly at him. "You're going to get c-caught, and I hope they give you the fucking chair."

Brendon smirked at her before taking the needle and shoving it completely through the middle of her right hand, another shriek of pain leaving her lips as Ryan kept his head turned away. Brendon looked over to see Ryan missing the action and clicked his tongue disappointedly before walking over to him and forcing his head to face Ashley's direction. "Open your eyes, darling," he whispered into the man's ear. "Open your eyes and watch."

Ryan – not wanting to piss off Brendon any further – reluctantly opened his eyes and sobbed against the tape at Ashley's state. Her skin was beginning to pale as blood pumped from her wounds with seemingly no end. The bloody, dark eyed girl was letting out near silent sobs as she lifted her head to see Ryan looking at her, nodding her head toward him as Brendon walked behind her and picked up a small – yet very sharp – knife from his work table.

Ryan watched the whole scene unfold with unblinking eyes; the somber look in Ashley's eyes as she continued to profusely apologize for damning the both of them, the malicious look in Brendon's eyes as he reached around and placed the blade he wielded against Ashley's neck, and the sickening sound of Ashley choking on her own blood once Brendon swiped the blade across her skin. The younger male only watched on in horror as the last ounce of life was drained – literally – from Ashley's body, and she completely slumped forward, no longer moving, no longer breathing, no longer alive.

Brendon placed the blade back onto his work table before walking over to his boy, ripping the tape from his face, allowing his sobs and cries to be released and bounce off of the walls of the basement. Ryan couldn't take his eyes off of Ashley's lifeless form, his sobs coming out harder and harder as he started yelling to the already deceased girl. "Ashley!" His voice was broken, his words loud and desperate as he cried. "Ashley! Please! Don't leave me, I'm sorry! This is all my fault, I'm sorry!"

Brendon watched on, completely uninterested, before beginning to head back up the basement stairs without one more word to Ryan, the younger male's cries following him out of the underground room. After he exited and closed the door and clicked all of the locks, he backed against the door, sliding down to the floor as his face fell into his hands and he began sobbing hysterically to himself. However, he wasn't sobbing because he was upset; far from it. He always felt serene and complete after freeing his lovers, which made their deaths have no sense of vanity in them. He felt content after each one.

And now, the thrill of the kill, with no further intentions other than just to create death?

God, was it liberating.