Chapter 1: a new start
Chapter Text
"Alright," Michelle Goodwin carried another box into an empty but brand new apartment. "I think that's the last of them"
"Thanks for helping us, Chelle" Vivian Goodwin thanked her older sister. "I'm hoping that I can start fresh here"
"You'll be fine, Viv" Michelle told her sister. She pushed back the blonde hair out of her face. Michelle wasn't going to lie, she preferred Vivian as a redhead. "You've been through a lot. My sister, the Jigsaw survivor"
Vivian glared at her sister. "I don't like you bringing that up" She noticed that Michelle often liked to brag about her to her snotty friends. She always had to bring up the fact Vivian survived a Jigsaw game, and then Michelle's friends would give her looks of pity. Vivian hated those looks. Vivian remembered one particular lunch with Michelle and her friend, Amy.
Vivian hated these fancy restaurants but she was here at Michelle's insistence. Michelle wanted to introduce her to one of her new friends, Amy. Apparently Amy was a high class person and that's why they were all meeting at this particular restaurant. But, Amy said she would pay for lunch. Vivian couldn't deny free food.
"Michelle!" Amy approached the Goodwin sisters. Just by looking at her, Vivian could tell she was high class. She looked like she just came fresh from the salon.
"Amy!" Michelle stood up from the table and walked over to her friend. They gave each other air kisses. "Thanks for buying us lunch"
"Oh, it was my pleasure!" Amy looked in Vivian's direction. "This must be your sister! Veronica, right?"
Vivian blinked and gritted her teeth. "Vivian" She corrected.
"Vivian, right" Amy's expression read 'I don't care' to Vivian. "Michelle has told me all about you. Oh, you poor thing " God, Amy couldn't even pretend to be sympathetic. "Tell me Vivian, what did you have to do so wrong in your life to be picked by Jigsaw?"
Vivian fisted the tablecloth. Michelle noticed that Vivian was growing angry. "Amy, maybe you shouldn't--"
"Are you a druggie? A whore? I see the scars on your wrist. Do you hate yourself that much?"
"Amy!" Michelle hissed. "Stop it!"
Amy scoffed. "You were the one that kept bragging to me that your sister survived Jigsaw"
Vivian's anger turned towards Michelle. "You were bragging about me? What is there for you to brag about?"
"Viv, it wasn't like that--"
Vivian stood up, slamming her fists on the table. "My trauma is not for you to brag about!" She grabbed her belongings and ran out of the restaurant with tears streaming down her face.
"Wow" Amy rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. She turned to Michelle. "Your sisters a bitch, isn't she?"
"Don't ever talk about my sister like that!" Michelle yelled, making everyone in the restaurant look at her. "You couldn't even imagine what my sister has gone through! And I didn't ever brag about her! You asked and I just told you what happened"
Amy glared at her. "I can talk about her however I want to! That is, if you want that problem of yours to go away" Michelle went quiet after that. Amy laughed. "That's what I thought. I own you now, and if you want your problem to disappear, you will do whatever I want, and I can talk about whoever I want, however I want. That includes your disgusting little sister"
"I know, I'm sorry" Michelle said. "And about that day with Amy, I swear to you I wasn't bragging. I would never do that to you"
Vivian pursed her lips. While Michelle may not have bragged, it still wasn't something for her to talk about with anyone. "I know, Chelle. How did you meet Amy anyways? And why do you hang out with her?"
Michelle's face fell. "Oh, I... met her while I was shopping" Vivian knew her sister, and she knew she wasn't telling the truth.
"Michelle, is everything okay?" Vivian asked softly.
"Yes, Viv! Everything is fine!" Michelle snapped. Vivian flinched and took a step back. Her sister rarely snapped at her like that.
"I'm back with food!" It was Vivian's boyfriend, Adam Stanheight. He walked in on the sisters carrying bags of Chinese food, and when he saw the two of them, it felt like he walked in on a crime scene. He had never seen the sisters so tense with each other. "Whoa, is everything okay?"
"Yeah" Michelle nodded. "I need to go"
"You sure? You don't wanna stay for lunch?"
"Thanks Adam, but I really need to go" Michelle insisted. She grabbed her coat and her purse, and headed for the door. "I hope you guys get settled in okay"
"Thanks, Chelle" Vivian said. "And keep me posted please? About him?"
"Warren won't find you here, Viv"
"You don't know that!"
"I do, Vivian" Michelle assured. "You're safe here. You have Adam here and I'm sure he won't let anything happen to you"
"She's right" Adam said. He wrapped his arm around Vivian, and held her close. "If he comes anywhere near here, I'll kill him for you, I swear"
Vivian smiled, knowing that Adam meant it and that he could be very capable of doing such a thing. He had beaten a man to death with a toilet lid. "Thanks Adam"
Michelle smiled. "See? You're in good hands here" And with that, she left.
"So, you say you got chinese for lunch?" Vivian said.
"Yep. I know it's your favorite"
"You're the best boyfriend ever" Vivian grabbed Adam by the shirt and pulled him into a kiss. "How about after we eat, we break in the new bedroom?" Vivian bit her lip suggestively.
Adam's eyes scanned her up and down, and then he bit his lip. "Have I ever told you how much I love you?"
Adam rolled off of Vivian, the both of them sweaty and out of breath from the fun they just had. Adam reached over and grabbed a cigarette off of his bedside table. He put it in his mouth and then lit it. After taking a few puffs from the cigarette, he passed it to Vivian. It became customary for them to share one after sex.
Vivian groaned in annoyance when her cellphone started to ring. She grabbed it and checked the caller ID. Why would she be getting a call from the police station? Was this an update about Warren?
With a shaky voice, she answered the phone. "H-hello?"
"Vivian?" It was Daniel Matthews. A kid that Vivian would tutor from time to time.
"Daniel?" Vivian sat up. "Why are you calling from the police station?"
"I got caught stealing" Daniel explained. "They're not arresting me or anything. They need someone to come pick me up, so I thought maybe you could come"
"Why not get your dad to get you?"
"You're kidding, right?"
"Yeah, I know" Vivian sighed, rubbing her face. "He's a real hardass. I'll come get you. Just give me fifteen"
"Thanks, Vivian" Daniel said. And then the line went dead.
"Who was that?" Adam asked.
"A kid I sometimes tutor, Daniel" Vivian explained. She got out of bed and put her clothes back on. "He's a good kid, he's just going through right now. His parents are divorcing and he just doesn't know how to deal with it. His dad doesn't make it any easier on him. I've got to get him from the police station"
"You go do what you got to do" Adam said. Vivian gave him a smile, then leaned over to kiss him. "I love you"
Adam returned her smile. "I love you, too" Vivian left to go pick up Daniel.
Chapter 2: detective eric matthews
Notes:
Chapter warning for abuse and mentions of sexual assault. If I come across anything else as such in my story, tags will added and rating will be changed as such.
Chapter Text
Vivian had made it to the police station. She cared about Daniel. She had always thought of him as a younger brother. He always called her when he got into an argument with his father.
Vivian was hoping she wouldn't run into Eric. She had a bit of a history with him. What with her having been arrested by him once. Warren Braden made Vivian hold drugs for him, and when she was caught, she had to... convince... Detective Matthews into letting her go.
The bruise around her eye wasn't enough, but at least an investigation into Warren had begun. Even though they were homicide, Matthews, Detective Allison Kerry, and Detective Mark Hoffman took an extra special interest in her case.
Matthews was the one who caught the case in the first place.
Kerry took an interest because she honestly liked Vivian. She didn't want the girl to end up dead because of a scumbag like Warren.
Hoffman took an interest because the whole situation reminded him of his sister. He couldn't help her, unfortunately but he could help someone else before it was too late.
Vivian approached the front desk. "Vivian Goodwin, here for Daniel Matthews"
The officer pointed down the hall. "The room at the end of the hall"
Vivian thanked the officer and made her way to the room. She saw Daniel sitting in a room with another officer. He immediately brightened when he saw her. "Vivian!"
"Daniel" She called back to him. They two of them hugged. "Come on, let's get you out of here before your dad finds out"
"Yeah" Daniel nodded. "Hey, is it cool if I chill at your place for a bit?"
"Sure. I'm sure Adam won't mind, but we just moved in so it's a little empty at the moment"
"That's cool. Just need to be away from my dad"
And speaking of the devil, "Daniel!" It was Eric Matthews himself.
Daniel let out an annoyed groan. "Did you call him?"
"I swear, Daniel, I didn't" Vivian defended. Daniel believed her. He knew she would never do something to betray his trust or hurt him.
"Daniel" Eric caught up to Daniel and Vivian. When he saw Vivian, he seemed surprised. But, pleased at the same time. It had been awhile since he saw her. "Vivian, it's been awhile"
"It sure has, detective" Vivian said, faking a smile and definitely not missing the way Eric looked her up and down.
Why did she have to get stuck with all the creepy detectives?
*few years ago*
That fucking asshole. It was Warren's fault that she had been arrested. He had forced her into holding the drugs. Well, he had beat her into holding them. The black eye she had was still throbbing.
Lucky for Vivian, a cop had seen him hitting her, but unfortunately, the cop had also found the drugs in her possession. Warren had run off the minute he saw the flashing blue and red lights.
"You just sit tight" the curly haired detective, Kerry, instructed her. "Detective Matthews will be right in to talk to you. Would you like an ice pack for your eye?"
"Please?" Vivian said. Kerry gave her a small smile before leaving the room. At least she was nice. Vivian waited for a few minutes. The door opened and she was expecting it to be Detective Kerry with the ice pack.
"You must be Vivian Goodwin" It was a male detective. "I'm Detective Eric Matthews" He stepped in front of her, smiling, holding out an ice pack. "Kerry said you needed this"
Vivian grabbed the ice pack and held it to her bruised eye. She winced when it came into contact. "Thank you"
"Now," Eric sat on the other side of the table. "You wanna tell me about those drugs we found?"
"They weren't mine, I swear!" Vivian explained. "They were my boyfriend's. He made me hold them for him"
"Is he the reason you have that?" Eric pointed at her injury.
"Yes. He asked me to hold the drugs, I said I wouldn't do it. He called me a stupid fucking bitch and then he started hitting me"
"I see" Eric scribbled a note onto his notepad. "Is that first time he hit you?"
"No" A tear fell from Vivian's good eye. "It's not. And he hasn't just hit me. He's done.... other things"
"What's his name?"
"Warren Braden" Eric noted the name. "I've tried to leave him before. Many times. It's just... he always finds me"
"If it's alright with you, Vivian, I think it would be in everyone's best interest if we pursued something against him"
Vivian perked up at that. She's went to the cops countless times, but none seemed to actually care. "You mean that?"
"Absolutely" Eric nodded. "You seem like a sweet girl. You don't deserve this. Normally, I work homicide but I think I can make an exception for you. Me, and two other detectives"
Vivian smiled at Eric, feeling grateful that someone cared for once. "Thank you so much, Detective Matthews"
"Call me Eric"
"Eric, about the possession charges. None are going to be laid against me, right? I mean, they weren't mine to begin with"
"About that..." Eric spoke lowly. He got up from his seat and walked around the table so that he was closer to Vivian. "They were still in your possession. I can't just let that slide"
"B-but, they were Warren's. He forced me to—"
"I'll drop the possession charges, if you do something for me"
Vivian gulped nervously. She didn't like where this was going. "W-what?"
"You're so pretty, you know that?" Eric started petting her hair. "And I bet you know how to use that mouth of yours, don't you?"
Vivian began shaking. "Detective, I shouldn't—"
"You want those charges dropped, don't you? You want me to get that boyfriend of yours away from you, right?"
Vivian nodded and ever so weakly said, "Yes"
Eric licked his lips and then proceeded to unbuckled his belt. "Then I suggest you get to it"
Vivian waited with Detective Kerry for Amanda Young to come pick her up. Vivian had stayed awfully silent after her encounter with Detective Matthews. Kerry took notice of her silence.
"You okay, honey?" Kerry asked. At least Kerry was nice.
"Y-yeah. Just shaken up about Warren, still"
Kerry smiled and rubbed Vivian's back. "It's okay. Matthews, Hoffman and I will do anything we can to get the bastard"
Vivian felt a wave of relief hit her when she saw her best friend approaching. "Amanda!"
"Viv!" Amanda ran to her, capturing her in a hug. "I got so worried when you called" She pulled back and frowned when she saw the black eye. "Warren did this, didn't he?"
Amanda felt angry. She loved Vivian so much. All she wanted to do was protect her. The next time she sees Warren, Amanda won't even think twice before stabbing something sharp into his neck.
"We're officially building a case against him" Kerry mentioned.
Amanda looked at Kerry. "You decide to pursue him now? What about all the other times she went to the cops!?"
"Amanda, it's okay" Vivian put her hand on Amanda's shoulder. She relaxed under her touch. "They're doing something now. That's what matters"
"Vivian, you're still here" Eric Matthews appeared from around the corner. He smirked at her.
Vivian tensed under his stare. Amanda wasn't blind to notice. She stared coldly at the detective. She knew he must've did something to her.
"I was just leaving" Vivian said. She grabbed Amanda's hand. Amanda laced their fingers together. "Let's go, Amanda"
The two girls left. Amanda pulled Vivian into an alleyway. "Viv, what did that detective do?"
Vivian started crying, and she spilled. She never hid anything from Amanda. "Even after I told him that it was Warren who owned the drugs, he wouldn't drop the charges unless I... unless I..."
Amanda grabbed Vivian's hand and gave it a squeeze. "Unless you did what, Viv?"
"He made me go down on him" Vivian admitted, painfully. She felt ashamed. "And I'm pretty sure he would have taken it further if we weren't interrupted by a knock on the door"
Amanda pulled her into a tight hug. She allowed Vivian to cry into her shoulder. "It's okay, Viv. I'm right here"
As Vivian cried, Amanda stared blankly at the brick wall. Detective Eric Matthews had just made an enemy of Amanda Young. All because he hurt her Vivian.
And Amanda would get her revenge someday.
*present day*
"What are you even doing here?" Eric asked Vivian.
"Daniel called me to come get him" Vivian explained. She just wanted to leave.
"Well, I'm his father so he's coming with me"
Vivian held a protective grip on Daniel. "He asked for me to—"
"Vivian, it's okay" Daniel assured her. "Thanks anyways" He stepped away from her and brushed past his father, without saying a word to him.
"You look real pretty as a blonde" Eric said. He reached forward and played with some of Vivian's hair.
Vivian scowled and slapped his hand away. "Don't fucking touch me!" She couldn't bear to be around him any longer. She tried to leave but winced she felt a strong grip around her wrist. She then felt him pressing up against her.
"I don't want you coming near my son again, do you understand me?" Eric spoke into her ear. All Vivian could do was nod. "Good girl" He kissed her neck before letting go of her.
Vivian ran out of there as fast as she could. Her wrist stung from Eric's grip and there was no doubt a bruise would be left.
Why did she have to attract all the creeps? I mean, there was Dr. Gordon, Detective Matthews, and even Detective Hoffman.
But for all the creeps, she had people who actually cared for her.
She was thankful for Detective Kerry who seemed normal. And Daniel was alright too. It was just unfortunate who his father was.
Vivian had her family who cared so much about her. She didn't know what she'd do without Michelle, Allen, or Zoey. Even her older brother, Nick. Even though she barely saw him due to his work with the FBI.
Adam was an amazing boyfriend. Vivian could see a true future with him. She just wish they could've gotten together under better circumstances. And Amanda was the greatest friend she could have ever asked for.
But Vivian didn't know exactly how Amanda felt for her, and just what lengths she would go to for her. And just one of those lengths would be proven tonight, after Vivian's first official game as an apprentice of John Kramer was over.
Chapter 3: snaring the trap
Notes:
Warning for sexual assault in this chapter. Brief implication of self-harming.
Chapter Text
The bathroom was steamy and Vivian was wet from the shower. Making sure her towel was wrapped securely around her body, she walked over to the mirror. She wiped away some of the condensation off of the mirror.
She couldn't stand seeing Detective Matthews today. She stared at herself, with a pained look in her eyes. The scar on her wrist began to itch. She scratched at it, thinking about the day she had got it.
She had done it as a ritual in front of John.
There was a knock on the door. "Viv? You okay in there?" It was Adam wanting to make sure she was okay. He had been concerned about her since she returned from the police station. "I'm coming in"
The door opened and Adam came into view in the mirror, but Vivian never tore her eyes away from herself. Adam saw her blank expression and immediately grew concerned.
"You okay?" Adam asked once again. He touched her shoulder, and Vivian flinched at his touch. "Woah. I'm sorry"
"It's okay" Her voice was quiet.
"You were cheerful earlier when we were unpacking boxes. But, when you came back from the police station, you've been kind of out of it"
"Oh" Vivian muttered. "Sorry"
"You wanna talk about it?"
Vivian turned her head and smiled at him, though it was kind of forced. "Maybe some other time" She had yet to tell Adam about the false drug charges and Matthews taking advantage of her.
Adam gave her that smile that she loved so much. It already made her feel better. "That's cool. I won't pressure you about it" The two were about to kiss when a knock on the front door interrupted them. "I'll get it. You get dressed"
When Adam opened the door, he was expecting it to either be Michelle or Amanda. He wasn't expecting a teenage boy. "Can I help you?" Adam asked. Was the boy okay? He looked as though he had been crying.
"Is Vivian here?" the boy asked. "She said it was okay if I hung out here..."
"Daniel!" Vivian came running, dressed in a t-shirt and sweatpants. "Are you okay!? How did you get my address?"
"I got it from Kerry. She promised not to tell my dad I was here. Knew I'd be safe here" Daniel explained. "We got into a huge fight"
"Come in, Daniel" Vivian grabbed his wrist and pulled him inside. "Sit on the couch and I'll get you something to drink. We got juice, soda and water"
"Water is fine" Daniel said. He made himself comfortable on the couch as Vivian went into the kitchen to get some water for the teenage boy. "You must be Adam" Daniel acknowledged him.
"Vivian talks about me?" Adam asked, taking a seat beside him.
"All the time" Daniel said. "Sorry for intruding, I just..."
"No worries" Adam pat Daniel on the shoulder. "It's okay. I understand. Parents can be the worst sometimes"
Daniel scoffed. "You haven't met my dad. He's a real hardass"
"You're telling me" Vivian said when she entered the room. She sat on the other side of Daniel, handing him the water. "I can't stand your father either"
"Really?" Daniel furrowed his brows. "Why?"
Vivian froze. She never wanted Daniel to know about the way his father used her. But, she supposed she could come clean about the false drug charge. "He once arrested me for possession of drugs"
Adam went wide eyed. "This is my first time hearing about this" He knew Vivian and sure, she used to get blackout drunk all the time, but she never used any narcotics.
"This was before I met you, Adam" Vivian explained. "And they weren't mine. They were Warren's. He forced me into holding them. Your dad dropped the charges once I explained everything"
"I'm sorry he did that to you" Daniel apologized.
Vivian smiled at him. "You don't need to apologize on his behalf"
Vivian was carrying a pillow and a blanket. Daniel would be using them tonight while he slept on the couch. Vivian's phone buzzed. She reached into her pocket and looked to see who was texting her.
It's tonight, Viv. You ready? ~ Amanda
Yes. Daniel is here tonight. I slipped a strong sedative in his water. He'll be passed out for hours ~ Vivian
Good ~ Amanda
Vivian looked up from her phone. Her eyes were already stinging with tears. She didn't want to put Daniel through this, but she had no choice. At least she only had to worry about getting Daniel.
John and Hoffman were getting the others.
All Vivian and Amanda had to do tonight was act like victims. They would be there to offer choices. Not tell the others what to do.
Adam leaves in about ten minutes. You can come up when he's gone ~ Vivian
Adam had no idea what Vivian was going to do. He had no idea that she agreed to work with Jigsaw. She brought the pillow and blanket out to Daniel.
"I... I'm so tired..." Daniel slurred. He was very drowsy and close to passing out. That meant the sedative was starting to kick in.
"I know" Vivian said. She laid Daniel down on the couch, placing the pillow under his head and the blanket over him. "You just had a long day. Get some sleep, okay?"
Daniel just nodded and soon enough, he was out cold. Vivian shook him a few times to see if he stirred, but he did not. "I'm so sorry" She mustered out. Her cheeks were becoming wet with tears.
"Alright, Viv. I'm off" Adam announced. He had his camera in hand. When he found her, he noticed that she was leaning over Daniel. "Is Daniel okay?"
"Yeah" Vivian nodded. She stood up straight. "He was just really tired" She turned around and looked at Adam.
"Babe, have you been crying?" Adam said. He placed his free hand on her cheek and wiped her tear away. "What's wrong?"
Vivian wanted to tell him, but she couldn't. "I'm fine. Just a bit tired"
Adam smiled and kissed her. "You get some sleep alright. I'll be back later" He let go of her and made his way to the door. "Love you!" He called to Vivian before leaving.
Adam was not going to react well when he comes home to find Vivian gone.
Amanda waited out in the car, waiting for Adam to leave. When she saw him leaving the building, she just watched, glaring at him, as he got into his own car and drove off.
Amanda hated Adam. He took Vivian away from her. But she knows that she can't take Adam away from Vivian. That would hurt her. And Amanda would never hurt Vivian.
She would do anything to protect her. That's why she'd have to keep a careful eye on Xavier Chavez tonight. Amanda knew that Xavier is a friend of Warren's so he might not take to Vivian's company so well.
And she'll make sure that Eric Matthews suffers for what he did to Vivian.
Amanda had received a call from Detective Kerry. For some reason, Vivian was at the police station again. When Amanda asked why, all Kerry said was that Detective Matthews had wanted to see Vivian.
That raised a red flag for Amanda.
When she arrived at the station, she asked around for Detective Matthews. She was pointed to his office. Amanda found his office and was about to knock when some noises stopped her from doing so.
One was a groan and the other sounded like crying. Then she heard a man, most likely Detective Matthews, say something.
"Take it, you bitch! Take it like the slut I know you are"
"Stop!" A female's voice cried. Amanda's eyes widened. That was Vivian. "Please, stop!"
Amanda burst through the door. Her heart broke at the scene she walked into. Vivian was bent over Detective Matthews' desk. Her pants and underwear were pulled down to her knees. Her face was wet with snot and tears.
Eric Matthews was behind her. His pants and underwear were also pulled down to his knees. He had a rough grip on the back of Vivian's neck. He was thrusting into her roughly. Vivian was begging for him to stop.
"Get off of her!" Amanda screamed. She managed to pull Eric off of Vivian and threw him against the wall. Eric groaned when he hit his head against the wall.
"The fuck do you think you're doing!?" Eric demanded.
Amanda ignored him as she tended to Vivian. Vivian stood up from the desk, sobbing and shaking. Amanda pulled her pants back up for her, and then held Vivian in her arms. "It's okay, Viv" She cooed softly.
"A-Amanda" Vivian wept.
Amanda rocked Vivian back and forth. "I'm gonna get you home, okay?" Vivian nodded. As Amanda led her out of the room, she stopped to glare at the detective. "You're going to regret this someday, Detective"
The two girls left, leaving behind a fuming Detective Matthews.
It wasn't long after that, that Amanda had been framed for a drug charge. She knew that it was Eric Matthews framing her. And she knew that he had done it as revenge. Amanda went to jail for that charge, and had become addicted to heroin.
But even with her addiction, Vivian stood by her side. For everyday that Amanda was in jail, Vivian made sure to visit her. Just like Amanda was there for Vivian's drinking binges when her father was first diagnosed with terminal cancer.
Amanda's phone buzzed. It was a message from Vivian.
Adam's gone. You can come up. Daniel is out cold. ~ Vivian.
Vivian paced around the apartment. A knock on the door had startled her. She answered it, revealing Amanda on the other side. Amanda noticed Vivian's bouncing. Something she often did when she was nervous. Amanda wasn't going to lie. She found it to be cute.
"Nervous, Viv?" Amanda asked.
"Of course, I am" Vivian said. "What if something goes wrong tonight?"
"Nothing is gonna go wrong. You and I are gonna be fine, and so is Daniel. That reminds me" Amanda pulled somethings out of her pocket. It was two syringes. Amanda popped the cap off one of them. "Give me your arm"
Vivian held out her arm for Amanda. She winced at the pinch from the needle entering her arm. "What are you doing?"
"This is the antidote for the nerve gas. As per John's instructions, you and I are going in predosed" Amanda explained. Once she finished injecting the antidote into Vivian, she pulled the needle out, leaving behind a small drop of blood. "Daniel is to be given his dose, just before the two hours is over"
Vivian took the antidote from Amanda, stuffing it safely and securely into her pocket. "What's going to happen to Daniel afterwards?" Vivian couldn't help but worry about him. That boy was like a younger brother to her.
"I'm going to stay behind. You're going to narcotize him again, bring him to the Wilson Steel Plant, and put him in a safe with oxygen. John will have further instructions for you. Then after you do what he tells you, you're going to go home"
"Okay. I think I'm ready" Vivian was telling herself more than she was telling Amanda.
"Good" Amanda gave her a grin. She walked over to Daniel. "I'll take his head, you grab his feet. The van is parked outside"
Vivian and Amanda grabbed Daniel and carried him out to the van. Luckily, it was late so no one was really snooping around at this hour. Vivian stayed in the backseat with Daniel. She was cradling his head as it laid in her lap.
Amanda got into the front seat. She turned to look at Vivian. The blonde was staring down at Daniel, her face stained with tears. "Viv?" Amanda reached over to grab her hand. "I know what you're going through. Your first time is always the hardest"
Amanda thought of when she and John set up the bathroom game. It hurt her immensely when she clasped that iron cuff around Vivian's ankle. But John had assured her, that no matter how it played out, Vivian would have always been safe.
"But, after tonight, the next time will be easier" Amanda attempted to comfort Vivian. But that only troubles Vivian more.
Did she even want there to be a next time?
Chapter 4: look closer, detective matthews
Chapter Text
Detective Matthews wasn't having any luck getting to sleep that night. All he could think about was his son. Daniel threatened about going back to his mothers' house, and Eric didn't even try to stop him. He kept trying to call Daniel but there was no luck in getting an answer.
"Hey, this is Daniel. Leave a message"
"It's dad" Eric began his message. "Sorry about yesterday. Look, I haven't heard from you. Would you give me a call, please?" He hung up the phone, only to have it ring a few seconds later. He answered it, thinking it was Daniel. "Daniel..." His voice lowered when he realized it wasn't him. "I'm sorry, sarge. I thought you were my son. Yeah. I'll be right there"
Eric arrived to the crime scene and immediately met up with his partner, Detective Kerry. "What do you got?" He asked her.
Kerry began to explain as they walked through the underground corridor. "County asbestos cleaners were working on a deadline. One of them finds a body, calls it in. Says that this whole section's been abandoned for two years. Spotted people down here, though"
"Who?"
"Well, homeless, mostly. And a bunch of kids held a rave in the boiler room about two months back"
"Get an estimate on the time of death?"
"Forensics just got here" Both of them came to a stop. Kerry turned to Eric. "But it was the arriving officer who called it in as your buddy"
"He wasn't my buddy. He was my informant" Eric explained. He slipped on some gloves. "The officer ID'd him just by looking at him?"
"Well, he wasn't positive. That's why I wanted you here"
"All right. Let me get a look at his face, I'll tell you in two seconds if it's him or not"
"Therein lies the problem" Kerry lead Eric into the area where the body was. She was right about there being a problem. His face was covered with an iron mask of some kind. Now-dry blood stained the mask from where it leaked out if the mouth and eye holes. It pooled onto the floor. Eric looked at the body and noticed a faded tattoo that confirmed the identity of Michael Marks. "Yeah. That's Mike" He took another look and noticed the jigsaw piece that had been cut out of Michael's shoulder. "When were you gonna tell me about that?"
"Thought you'd want to see it for yourself" Kerry explained.
Eric stood back up. "Okay, well I saw it"
"I'll have to admit it's a little early, but so far, everything matches Jigsaw's pattern"
"I can see that. What do you want with me?"
"Well, let's just pretend for a second that this is new to us, all right? Can you think of anyone that would want to do this to your guy?"
"Well, he's an informant, Kerry. You want a list of possible suspects? Grab a phone book"
"Crackhead county punks don't have engineering degrees. Now, I'd say that our cause of death here narrows that list down just a little bit, wouldn't you?"
Eric sighed and nodded. "Sure. But you're the expert"
He turned to leave when Kerry said, "Look closer, Detective Matthews"
Eric stopped, turned back around, and approached Kerry. "At what?"
"Ask whoever wrote it" She nodded upwards. Eric looked up at the ceiling. Those exact words were written in red paint.
Back at the station, Detective Kerry was watching the tape for Michael's game. She finished watching it, only to rewind it back to the beginning. "Hello, Michael. I want to play a game. So far, in what could loosely be called your life, you have made a living watching others"
Eric walked in, finding Kerry watching the tape. He slammed his gun down on her desk which agitated her. Eric walked past her and threw his coat on the chair. "You know, you and that guy have a lot in common, Kerry" He teased her.
"Oh, yeah?" Kerry didn't even look up at Eric.
Eric began pouring himself a cup of coffee. "Yeah. You both like playing games with people"
Kerry turned around, looking at Eric. "Excuse me?"
"Don't ever pull some shit like that again on me at a crime scene"
"Look, I'm not the one taunting you. He is"
"Doesn't mean I have to take the bait. Besides, I got a full caseload as it is" Eric slammed a folder down on his desk as he sat down.
"A bunch of desk errands and shit work..." Kerry said, sarcastically.
"Yeah, well, between that, IA breathing down my neck, my son's budding criminal career and my wife's fucking divorce lawyers, I'd say my hands are pretty full, wouldn't you?" Eric stuck a cigarette in his mouth and lit it.
Kerry softened. "Yeah. Look, I'm sorry. I was hoping, maybe, that I could bring you in on this one"
"We're not partners anymore, Kerry"
Now Kerry was becoming agitated again. "Forget that we're not partners, what about the fact that this guy wrote your fucking name on the wall, huh? He asked for you!"
Eric stood up again. "It's not the first time some psychopath called me out" He walked over to the filing cabinet, as did Kerry.
"All right. What about the fact that I'm asking?" She challenged.
Eric pulled out another folder from the cabinet. "Can't help you" He sat at his desk again.
"Wow" Kerry scoffed.
"You're the Jigsaw expert"
"When did you stop being a cop?" Kerry asked before she left.
Eric lied sleepless in bed that night. He couldn't get what he saw in Michael's test room out of his mind. He suddenly remembered something his saw on Michael's trap. It was a tag that read Wilson Steel. He grabbed the phone and immediately made a call.
He knew where he could find Jigsaw.
That same night, Kerry's phone began to ring in the middle of the night. She sat up and reached for it, expecting it to be Eric, but instead, a female's voice answered. "Detective Kerry?"
"Michelle Goodwin?" Kerry recognized the voice immediately. "What's wrong?"
"It's Vivian" Michelle wept. Kerry could tell she had been crying. "She's missing again"
Kerry sat up straight in her bed. "Do you know that for sure, Michelle?"
"Yes! Adam, Vivian's boyfriend--"
"You mean Adam Stanheight? The one that was in a Jigsaw game with her?"
"Yes, him. Anyway, Adam came home from work and apparently found that Vivian was gone. He also said that there was a boy staying with them for the night. He's missing too"
Kerry's eyes widened when she realized. It was Daniel. "Do you have any idea where she might've gone?"
"Detective, what if she's been taken by Jigsaw again?"
"Why would he take her again?" Kerry questioned, not sure that was the case. She had a theory that maybe Warren Braden might have had something to do with it.
"I don't know!" Michelle cried. Kerry couldn't hear anything but her crying and heavy breathing. "That's what baffles me! She hasn't done anything wrong! She hasn't touched one drop of alcohol since she was tested"
"Michelle, here's what I need you to do" Kerry began. She could hear Michelle calm down a little bit. "I'm gonna call Detective Matthews, let him know what happened. I need you to go over to Vivian's house. Is Adam still there?"
"He should be"
"Good. You're gonna wait with him incase Vivian comes back. If I get any leads on where she is, I'll let you know, okay?"
"Thank you, Detective Kerry" The line then went dead, indicating that Michelle hung up.
Kerry was about to dial Eric's number when her phone rang again. "Hello?" She answered.
"Kerry" It was Eric.
"Eric, I was just about to call you"
"I think I know where Jigsaw is. We're gonna need Rigg and the SWAT team" That was all Eric said before hanging up. Kerry didn't even get the chance to tell Eric about Vivian.
A police meeting was held in a van that was parked right outside the factory. In attendance was Eric Matthews, Allison Kerry, Daniel Rigg, and a SWAT team. Rigg lead the briefing. "All right, fellas. Listen up. These are the best entry points. They’re the ones with direct street frontage, vehicle access and good cover. Now remember, we’re doing this in broad daylight. We don’t want to scare any civilians. I’ve been there before, I know the location. Just bust in there and scare the shit out of anyone who happens to be inside, okay? Going in teams of three. I’ll go with Team Alpha. Let’s do this"
Everyone got into uniform. "Just like the good old days, huh?" Rigg said to Eric. To which, he smiled and nodded.
"Thought your caseload was big enough as it is" Kerry said as she approached Eric.
"Just tagging along for the ride" Eric responded.
SWAT and police began to make their move into the factory. Kerry began giving instructions. "Alpha team, I want you in front. Baker, flank the side. Let’s do this"
Team Alpha bust through the door. They began ascending up the stairs, while also trying to look out for any possible traps. After all, this was Jigsaw they were going after. Eventually, they reached a fence with a lock. One of the SWAT members broke it off. Three of the SWAT members began walking up the staircase, unaware of the metal wire that remained hidden beneath the steps. A light turned on and there was a squeaking noise, indicating something or someone was coming towards them.
"Freeze!" One of the SWAT members called out.
The figure that was on top of the staircase stopped. Another light flashed on, revealing Billy the Puppet. Jigsaw used this puppet often to talk to test subjects. The puppet began to laugh and the cage door behind the three SWAT members closed. The SWAT member in front took another step, activating a trap. A board pushed forward, breaking the SWAT member's legs. He screamed out in agony and fell backwards.
"Officer down! Officer down!" Rigg communicated with Eric and Kerry through the two-way radio. "The fucking place is wired!" The cage turned electric. Sparks went flying and the other two SWAT officers inside spasmed and collapsed. Terrified, Rigg called in for assistance. "Fuck this! Second team, get in here now!"
The remaining officers entered the building. Rigg opened the door to the cage. The first SWAT officer was now immobilized but still alive, at least. Unfortunately, the same couldn't be said about the other officers that were in the cage. Rigg, slowly and carefully, continued forward.
The other officers eventually came and took the immobilized officer out of the cage. Then, they followed Rigg up the stairs where Jigsaw's hideout was. There were all sorts of mechanisms, wires, mannequin parts, and other sinister looking things. They all came to a stop when they reached a table and a man sitting behind it. This man was none other than John Kramer.
"Freeze! Don’t move" Rigg ordered. "Let me see your hands! Not gonna ask again! Put your hands where I can see them!" John complied, holding up his hands. Rigg gave him further instructions. "Down on your knees! Down on your knees!"
"I'm afraid I can't do that" John said, surprisingly calm. He was sitting in a motorized wheelchair with an I.V and various other medications surrounding him.
"Get him in restraints, now" Rigg said. John remained calm as an officer pulled down his hood and cuffed him. Rigg proceeded to read him his Miranda Rights. "You have the right to remain silent. You have the right to an attorney. If you can’t afford one, one will be appointed to you by the city"
A different officer pat him down, looking for weapons. "He's clean!" The officer said when he couldn't find anything.
Eric, wearing a smug expression, walked over to John and leaned over the table. "Hey" He said, making John look at him. "Is this close enough?"
Chapter 5: the game begins
Chapter Text
John and Eric stared each other down. Neither one of them broke their gazes, even when Rigg addressed his comrades. "Get his ass outta here"
"Actually, I..." John spoke up. " will need to remain here while you deal with your problem, Detective Matthews"
Eric was confused. "What problem?"
"The problem in that room" John nodded to a door that was on the other side of the room.
"Keep him secure" Rigg ordered a couple of officers. Those two officers stayed with John, while Eric, Kerry, Rigg and other remaining officers went to investigate the fenced room.
Rigg threw a piece of metal at the door to make sure that it wasn't electrified. Turns out it wasn't. They opened the door and lights automatically switched on. A sheet covered table was revealed, as well as several pieces of machinery. John was watching all of this with an amused smile on his face. Rigg searched around for any possible traps.
"Clear" Rigg said.
Eric pulled part of the sheet on the table back. Underneath was a monitor, showing the image of nine people in a room together. "Shit" He whispered.
Kerry heard him. "What?"
"I don't know" Kerry and Rigg joined Eric at the monitor. Eric pulled the rest of the blanket back, revealing more monitors showing other rooms of a house. "Shit" Eric muttered yet again. "I think that's my son" He pointed at the person sitting in the corner of the room. He angrily stepped out the room. "He's got my son"
Kerry looked closer to the screen and she herself recognized a face. The person was lying in front of Daniel. "Vivian..." Kerry muttered when she realized. "Not again" What had the poor girl done to be picked by Jigsaw a second time?
Eric walked back over to John, who was now breathing through an oxygen mask. "What the fuck is that!?" Eric demanded, pointing over at the monitors. "Hey! Hey!" An officer tried to hold Eric back, but was pushed out of the way. "What the fuck is that?"
"It's your son Daniel" John answered. "You remember him, don't you?"
"I know who he is, you piece of shit. What is he doing on that fucking monitor?"
John's response was cold. "Well, I haven't looked at the monitors for some time, so it would be hard for me to say. But I would imagine that, um, he's cowering in a corner with a look on his face..."
Eric lost it and tried lunging at John. "You motherfucker!"
Rigg had to hold Eric back. "No, Eric. Wait!"
"You motherfucker! Where is he? Where is he!?"
John had an amused smile. "Where is he? That's a problem you're gonna have to solve before it's too late. He has about... two hours before the gas creeping into his nervous system begins to break down his body tissue and he begins to bleed from every orifice he has" He laughed. "Oh yes, there will be blood"
"Tell me where he is" Eric asked calmly.
"He's in a safe place"
Eric sighed. He walked back to the other room. "Eric" Kerry greeted him.
He paced nervously. "I need a phone"
"Eric, just listen to me for a second"
"Just give me a phone!"
Kerry handed off her phone to Eric. "Look, everything about this fits his profile"
Eric dialed a number. "I need to be sure" He put the phone to his ear. It rang a few times before it went to voicemail.
"You've reached Daniel's phone" It wasn't Daniel's voice. It was John's. "He’s not in right now. But if you’d leave…" Eric threw the phone down.
"I'm sorry" Kerry apologized. "There's also something else. I recognized one of the girls. It's Vivian Goodwin"
Before Eric could respond to that, Rigg spoke up. "We have something counting down over here" He pointed out. There was a timer. It was counting down from a little under two hours. "Get me bomb squad, now"
In an unknown place, there were nine people stuck in the room together. Two women were still passed out, a young blonde woman paced back and forth. Another woman was trying to get the door open. The teenage boy sat in the corner of the room, in front of one of the passed out women. This was Daniel Matthews.
"Hey. Hey, wake up" One of the men, Jonas Singer, was trying to wake one of the women up. "Hey. Can you hear me?" He looked up. "She's still breathing. What about the other one?"
Daniel took a quick glance at the woman. He could see her chest rising. "She's breathing" He answered.
"What is this?" The woman by the door, Addison Corday, asked. "House arrest? We in jail?"
"Nah" Jonas disagreed. "This ain't jail, man"
"Yeah, you done a lot of time?"
"Yeah, too much"
Addison tried opening the door again. "Somebody open the fucking door!"
"I don’t think anybody’s listening" Xavier Chavez said. "Damn. What the fuck is this?"
"Somebody's listening" The blonde woman, Laura Hunter, pointed towards the camera.
"No" Daniel piped in. Everyone looked towards him. "Those types of cameras don't have sound"
"Fuck!" Gus Colyard cursed. He threw his jacket off. "Fuck! How do you just wake up in a room and have no idea where you are?"
"I guess you’ve never been drunk before" Xavier guessed.
"I’ve been drunk. I spent three years at college. Drunk… this isn’t drunk. This is kidnapping" Everyone looked at each other with same frightened expressions as Gus said that. "Look, I, uh… saw this movie on TV last week. This guy, he was a reporter, and he goes into this war zone, right? He goes to sleep in his hotel room the first night… Bam! He wakes up the next morning, he’s in a cell with no windows and no light. And he spent nine years in that room"
"Nine years?" Xavier said. "Man, that’s nothing. Get over it"
Laura scoffed. "What do you mean, get over it"
"I mean stop bitching about it and let’s do something"
"I think we should all just calm down" Jonas suggested.
"Shut up!" Addison yelled. She had her ear pressed against the door. "I hear something"
"What is it?" Gus asked, walking to the door. Xavier did as well.
"It's ticking" Addison answered. "I hear ticking"
The sound of gasping got everyone's attention. The first woman who was still lying unconscious had woken up. She felt around, trying to get her bearings. Then, she looked over towards the second woman who was still passed out. "Come on, wake up" The woman started shaking her. "Viv! Come on!"
The second woman finally woke up. "Wh-what's going on?" She started looking around. "Where am I?" She didn't recognize anyone in the room save for the boy and the woman who tried waking her. "Amanda? Daniel? Where am I!?" The woman got up and started freaking out. "Somebody tell me where I am right now!"
"Hey, hey, hey!" Jonas said. He walked up the woman and gently grabbed her by the arms. "Calm down, calm down. What's your name?"
"Vivian" the woman answered.
"And you called her Amanda" Jonas nodded towards the other woman who had just woken up. "I'm guessing you two know each other?"
"Yeah" Amanda answered this time. "We're friends. Where are we?"
"I don’t know. Nobody knows. We all just woke up here, like you two"
Amanda and Vivian both fell silent. They looked at each other before they each let out a guttural scream. Amanda went over to the safe, while Vivian started feeling along the walls. Amanda tried pulling the lever on the safe. "Fuck!"
"What?" Xavier asked. He kept his eyes on Vivian as she kept feeling the walls. There was something familiar about her.
Amanda didn't answer. Instead, she went over to Vivian. "Did you find anything yet?" She asked.
"What are you two looking for?" Jonas wondered.
Neither woman answered him. Vivian was now feeling along a portion of brick wall that was close to the ground. She noticed that some of the bricks were loose. After she pulled out a few, Vivian reached inside. Something fell to the ground as she pulled out a tape recorder.
"Amanda..." Vivian said, looking up to her friend. The two woman shared knowing looks. Like they had been through this before.
Jonas grabbed Vivian and turned her around. "What is this?" He demanded, pointing at the tape recorder.
Amanda grabbed the tape recorder. "Everything you need to know is on this" She pressed play and the voice spoke.
Greetings and welcome...
Chapter 6: rules and conditions
Chapter Text
I trust that you are all wondering where you are. I can assure you that, while your location is not important, what these walls offer for you is important: salvation... if you earn it. Three hours from now, the door to this house will open. Unfortunately, you only have two hours to live. Right now, you are breathing in a deadly nerve agent. You've been breathing it since you arrived here.
Those of you familiar with the Tokyo subway attacks will know its devastating effects on the human body. The only way to overcome it and walk out that door is to find an antidote. Several are hidden around this house. One is inside the safe in front of you. You all possess the combination to the safe. Think hard. The numbers are in the back of your mind. The clues of their order can be found over the rainbow. Once you realize what you all have in common, you will be in a better understanding of why you're here. X marks the spot for that clue, so look carefully. Let the game begin.
When the tape ended, Jonas pulled the tape recorder out of Amanda's hands. "Who is this?" He demanded to know.
"What does he mean gas?" Addison asked, looking up.
"And how did you know where to find this?" Jonas asked Vivian.
"This is bullshit" Xavier muttered. He grabbed something the fell on the fell when Vivian found the tape recorder. It was a note with a key attached. "Do not attempt to use this key on the door to this room" He dropped the note. "Fuck this, man"
Gus agreed. "Yeah, fuck this. That's a good idea"
Xavier and Gus walked to the door. Vivian rolled her eyes, and Amanda shook her head. "No, no. That's not a good idea" Amanda tried.
"So what are we gonna do, huh?" Xavier asked. "Sit here?"
"Can't you read?" Vivian said. "The note said not to use the key"
"Who gives a shit about the note, all right? This is all a fucking big goddamn joke. And I'm about to end it"
Xavier stuck the key into the door, while Gus was peeking through the peephole. As soon Xavier turned the key, a bullet went straight through Gus' eye. Turns out there was a revolver on the other side of the door. Gus' body slid against the door before collapsing on the ground. Laura was sprayed with his blood and she frantically tried wiping it off her. Jonas grabbed Amanda and Vivian and held them against the wall.
"You two better start talking right now" Jonas said. "What is this?"
"A game" Vivian answered.
"Ain't no fuckin' game! My man just got his head blown off!"
"She's right. He's testing us" Amanda backed up Vivian's claim.
"Who's testing us?"
"Jigsaw" Amanda and Vivian said at the same time.
"Who the hell is Jigsaw?" Jonas asked yet another question.
"You don't watch the fucking news?" Addison retorted.
"No. Who is he?"
"He's a serial killer"
"No he's not" Vivian argued. "He's testing us. He wants us to survive"
"But we have to play by the fucking rules!" Amanda said.
Jonas turned his attention to the two girls once again. "I'm gonna ask you again. How do you two know all this?"
"Because I've played before" Amanda said. She looked at Vivian, and reached out to grab her hand. "And so has she"
The detectives were still viewing the monitors. Eric was becoming more worried and frustrated with every second that past. He stormed out of the monitor room and over back to John. Rigg talked to Kerry. "I want a tech team in here now. Find out where that feed is coming from" Kerry nodded, pulling out her two-way radio.
Eric went back over to John, who turned to look at him. "What do you want with me?" Eric asked.
"A little of your time, Detective" John said.
"I don't have any time"
"You asked me what I wanted, and I told you. Believe me when I tell you your son is in a lot of trouble"
"And what if I give you a little bit of my time, what then?"
"I only want to talk to you. Everyone else must leave. Those are my conditions"
"No. It's a crime scene, nobody leaves"
"They don't have to leave the building, they just have to leave this area, long enough for me to talk to you. If you agree to that, then you will see your son again"
"If I don't see my son again... I swear to God, I'll rip your fucking head off"
"I don't intend to mock you, Officer, but I'm a cancer patient. How could you possibly put me in any more pain than I'm already in?"
Eric went back over to Rigg and Kerry. Kerry was finishing up her conversation on the phone. "Just get them here now" She hung up the phone. "All right, tech team's on the way. Should have your signal traced within an hour, maybe two"
They went back into the computer room. "He said he wants to talk to me alone" Eric mentioned.
"Well, maybe you should talk to him"
Rigg pulled Kerry away. "Well, fuck that. Five minutes, old-school method"
"He's not gonna respond to the phone book treatment, you know that" Kerry argued.
"Don't underestimate a tried and true method here"
Kerry became annoyed. "I am the one who's been working on this case from day one. I have been spending every waking moment piecing it together"
"Maybe that's why you ain't got a goddamn family for yourself and you can't understand what this man is going through" That shut Kerry up, because Rigg was right. She didn't know how Eric felt. Still didn't mean she couldn't feel frustrated. Rigg added. "Speaking of family, you might want to call Michelle Goodwin. Let her know we found her sister"
Kerry was going to do that, she just wanted a quiet moment to do it, if it was even possible to find one in this situation. She walked back over to Eric. "Look..." She said softly.
"I don't want to talk to him" Eric said.
"Listen, you already lost your son one time before because you got involved with me. It's not gonna happen again"
Rigg approached. "This is bullshit. What are we gonna do?"
"Just humor him, buy us a little more time" Kerry suggested. "We can win this, Eric. We can beat him"
"All right" Eric agreed.
With Eric now having agreed to Jigsaw's terms (for now, at least), Kerry figured it was time to call Michelle. Kerry picked up her phone and dialed the number. It barely had a chance to ring before there was an answer. "Yes, hello? " Michelle said. "Detective Kerry, is this you? "
"Michelle, I have some news about Vivian..."
Michelle was over at Vivian and Adam's apartment. She had went right over as soon as Adam called to tell her that her sister was gone. She was wrapped up in a blanket on the couch, staring blankly at the coffee table with her phone kept close by incase she got a call. She could feel the presence of Adam pacing back and forth behind her.
The phone started to ring and Michelle didn't hesitate to answer. She was hoping that it was news that Vivian had been found and that she was okay. "Yes, hello? Detective Kerry, is this you?"
"Michelle," Kerry said, her tone strained. "I have some news about Vivian"
"Did you find her? Is she okay?"
Adam stopped his pacing to join Michelle on the couch. Michelle didn't have her phone on speaker, but from where he was sitting, he could still hear Kerry talking. "Do you want the good news or bad news first?"
"Good news"
"Well, she seems to be okay"
"And the bad news?"
Kerry hesitated to answer, but she owed it to Michelle. "She's in another Jigsaw game. We don't know where exactly it is, and there is a two hour timer here and we have no idea what will happen once that timer reaches zero"
"Oh my God" Michelle muttered, her eyes watering. "Why did he take her again?"
"I don't know. Look, I'm sorry but I have to ask, was she doing something she wasn't supposed to be doing? Did she fall back into her drinking habits? Has she started using drugs?"
"You know that she isn't, Kerry. Why the fuck would you ask?"
"I'm sorry, but you know that he picks his victims based on--"
Michelle cut Kerry off, getting rather mad at the detective for insinuating that it was Vivian's fault she was in another game. "My sister is not a victim! She is a survivor! She survived the first time, she's gonna survive again. She didn't do anything wrong. If this is anyone's fault, it is Jigsaw's. If you're not going to take this seriously, I'm calling someone I know who will"
"Michelle, wait--" It was too late. Michelle hung up the phone.
"What happened?" Adam asked.
"They know she's in a Jigsaw game, but they don't know where. Kerry also said something about a two hour timer" Michelle explained. She was already dialing a number to call on her phone.
"Who are you calling?"
"Detective Hoffman. I have his personal number to use in case of emergencies" Michelle pressed dial and put the phone to her ear. "He always took a special interest in Vivian. I know he can help"
The phone rang a few times before there was answer. "Hoffman"
"It's Michelle, Vivian's sister"
"What can I do for you, Michelle?"
"Can you come over please? Something's happen to Vivian and at this point, you're the only person who can help her"
It was silent for a moment on Hoffman's end. Then, she could hear his voice and what sounded like a woman's voice. Michelle couldn't make out what either of them said. It was muffled. Hoffman was back on the phone, voice now clear. "I'll be right over"
Chapter 7: i want to play a game
Chapter Text
Detective Hoffman had arrived pretty quickly at Vivian and Adam's apartment. But Michelle only took that as a sign that he was taking this matter seriously. "Thank you for getting here so quickly, Detective" Michelle said. "At least I know I can count on you"
"You could say I have a bit of a soft spot for Vivian" Hoffman said. "She reminds me a little of my sister" Michelle smiled sadly at that. She knew about Angelina and how she was murdered by her boyfriend, Seth Baxter. Hoffman was very open to her and Vivian for some reason or another.
"Can I get you coffee or anything?" Michelle offered the detective.
"Coffees fine" Hoffman said. Michelle made her way into the kitchen, while Hoffman took a seat on the couch, on the other end from Adam. "How are you holding up?" Hoffman asked the nervous man.
"I'm freaking out about Vivian" Adam admitted. He rubbed his palms together. "I mean, she's in another fucking Jigsaw game. What if this time is different? What if she doesn't survive?"
"Vivian's a fighter. She'll come out of it alive"
"How can you be so sure?"
"Just trust me" Hoffman said, something hidden in the meaning of his words. Adam eyed the detective suspiciously. Did he know something? Michelle joined them with a cup of coffee in her hand. She handed it off to Hoffman. "Has Warren been giving her any trouble lately?" Hoffman asked Michelle.
"Not since we moved in" Adam answered quickly. Hoffman gave him a glance and then looked back at Michelle.
"Do you think Warren might have had something to do with this?" Michelle asked.
"Anything is possible"
In the nerve gas house, no one was really talking to each other. Amanda and Vivian were searching through the couch. Xavier was investigating the safe. Laura was sulking in the corner, shaking, feeling scared and confused. Xavier eventually threw off his upper shirt. Daniel grabbed it and placed it over Gus' head. The silent man in the room, Obi, was just standing around, not talking to anyone. Addison was watching everyone else. Jonas was playing back the tape.
...find an antidote. Several are hidden around this house. One is inside the safe in front of you. You all possess the combination to the safe. Think hard. The numbers are in the back of your mind. Think hard. The numbers are in the back of your mind. The clues of their order can be found...
Suddenly, the door opened and everyone turned to look at it. Xavier stepped closer to the door. Turns out, the door was on a timer. Xavier grabbed a steel bar that he used to open the door and he pulled out the key. While he stepped outside, Daniel helped Laura onto her feet. Xavier tried the key on another lock just across from the room they were in, and Jonas inspected the revolver attached to the door.
"Shit" Xavier muttered when the key didn't work. He did, however, find a baseball bat with several nails embedded into it.
"Hey, wait a minute" Jonas called out to Xavier when he noticed he was leaving. "Where you going?"
"I'm gonna find an antidote, and I'm gonna get out of here" Xavier stated, as if it was the easiest thing in the world.
"What? Antidote? You been in the joint. You talked to the guards that run the chambers. You know there ain't no antidote for this shit. Look at this. The doors are locked"
Xavier knocked on a nearby wall. "Hear that? It's wood, plaster... It's not a fortress, it's a fucking house"
"All I'm saying is let's just take our time and come up with a game plan" Jonas suggested.
Xavier became sarcastic. "Well, you come up with a game plan. All right? I'm gettin' out of here"
Xavier and Jonas both entered the hall. They came to room where there was a big white door with EXIT painted on it. Addison noticed something hanging on the wall. A flashlight. "Look" She pointed to the flashlight. She grabbed it and turned it on, following the two men down the hall. Everyone else eventually followed, with Amanda, Vivian, and Laura being the last three to do so. Amanda and Vivian kept feeling along the wall. Obi noticed a crooked painting so he decided to straighten it. Addison coughed into her hand. When she opened her palm, she saw a little bit of blood.
"You okay?" Jonas asked her.
"Yeah, I'm fine" Addison said, shaking her hand. The blood splattered off of her hand and onto the floor. Everyone eventually gathered in the big room. Jonas was eyeing the EXIT door suspiciously, while Xavier had other ideas about it. He leaned against the door, pulling out the key.
Jonas shook his head. "I wouldn't do that if I was you" Vivian's lip twitched upward a little at what Jonas said. At least someone in this group had some sense.
"You don't know what's behind that fucking door" Addison added.
Xavier tried the key on the lock but it didn't work. He threw the key. "Fuck!" He sunk down against the door. He cursed again. "Shit!" Jonas was smart enough to pick up the key.
Eric approached John. Rigg ordered everyone to clear the room so that that two of them could talk. Once the room was clear, Eric spread out his arms. "Okay, let's talk"
John nodded at the empty chair. "Sit down, Eric" Eric grabbed the chair and sat down in it. Unbeknownst to John, Eric put his walkie talkie on the ground. John began to explain. "I want to play a game. The rules are simple. All you have to do is sit here and talk to me, listen to me. If you do that long enough then you will find your son in a safe and secure state. We haven't been properly introduced. My name's John"
"I thought you liked to be called Jigsaw"
"No" John laughed. "It was the police and the press who coined the nickname Jigsaw. I never encouraged or claimed that. The jigsaw piece I cut from my subjects was only ever meant to be a symbol that that subject was missing something, a vital piece of the human puzzle. The survival instinct"
"This is all really, really interesting, John. But right now I'd really like for you to talk to me..."
"I am talking to you. You're not listening. Don't forget the rules"
"I'm listening to you. But all I'm hearing is the same sick fucking bullshit that comes about two seconds into every interview I've ever done with one of you fucking people"
"Well, that's an interesting approach to police work, isn't it? Aren't you supposed to be convincing me that I'm your friend, lulling me into a false sense of security so that I'll confide in you?"
"It's a little hard to follow the manual when you've got my son, John"
John frowned. "The manual? What do you really want to do to me right now? What would you have done five years ago? Would you have followed the manual then? Or would you have broken my jaw with a flashlight?"
"You seem to know a whole lot about me" Eric pointed out.
"I know you were once considered a fearless police officer" John paused to pick up an empty plastic cup with a straw. Then, he taunted. "Do you feel a whole lot safer now that you only sit behind a desk?"
Eric glared hard at John. "I feel a whole lot of things right now"
"But you feel alive, that's what you feel. And that's the point" John held up the cup he was holding. "Would you... kindly... get me a glass of water? I would very much appreciate that" Eric stared at John for a moment. John shook the cup, and Eric grabbed it, giving into his request of grabbing a cup of water.
Chapter 8: the oven trap
Chapter Text
Xavier was trying to break the door apart. He managed to get some of the wood off, but it was to no avail as there was metal on the other side. "Fuck!" He screamed in frustration.
Addison rolled her eyes. "Well, we've established that the macho bullshit approach isn't opening the door. Any other suggestions?"
Xavier talked back to her. "Look who's talking. The only door you know how to open is between your legs"
"Why don't you shut the hell up?!"
"Why don't you shut the hell up?!"
"I'm sick of your bullshit!"
Vivian couldn't take this back and forth any more. Addison looked about ready to pounce on Xavier. Vivian stepped in between them, facing Addison with a hand on her shoulder. "That's enough!"
Addison glared at Vivian, shoving her hand off her. "He started it!" She pointed at Xavier.
"Well I'm ending it!" If glares could kill, Addison would have dropped dead to the ground. She got the message to back away so that's what she did. Xavier scoffed from behind Vivian. She turned to face him. "And what the fuck is your problem?"
"You don't scare me, bitch" Xavier said with a smug grin. "I remember you. Don't think just because you went changing your hair that I wouldn't recognize you. Did you know Warren is looking for you? When I get out of here, I'll tell him that I saw you, then you'll be sorry"
Vivian growled. "Oh yeah? Let him try! If he finds me, he'll regret it"
Xavier glared at her. "You better watch your back, you bitch" Vivian thought nothing of the threat. She just took it as Xavier trying to be tough and scare her a bit. But Amanda heard it, and she was not happy about it.
Jonas stepped in between Vivian and Xavier. "Hey, hey, hey! Back the fuck up! Back up! Okay, man. All right. Nobody takes shit from nobody, we've established that"
Amanda found a light switch and turned on the lights. She walked further into the room, making sure to grab Vivian's hand as she walked by her. Laura followed behind them. "Did you find anything?" Daniel asked as they approached.
"Nothing" Laura answered.
Jonas took notice of the tattoo that was on Xavier's arm. "So, that ink on your arm... that's Joliet, right?"
"Yeah" Xavier said. "So?"
"I did a stretch there myself"
"Proud of you"
Jonas addressed Addison. "And you, what is your correctional facility of choice?"
Addison stared. "What's your point?"
"My point is, you didn't get that way by teaching grade school, right? That makes three of us that's done time. I think we should be concentrating on that tape, 'cause that tape said we have more in common than we know. I say, the three of us doing stretches..."
No one had been paying attention to the fact that Laura had been searching along the stairwell. She pressed down on a wooden panel which revealed a doorway. "Hey! I found a door over here!" Laura announced.
Xavier peeked into the doorway, only to see nothing but stairs leading into darkness. "I need the flashlight" He took the flashlight out of Addison's hands. He walked down the stairs first, grasping the baseball bat in one hand, and the flashlight in the other. The others followed after him.
Jonas noticed something. "Over there" There was something in a robe laying over the desk. Xavier and Jonas approached it.
"What the fuck?" Xavier whispered. He stood ready with the spiked bat. Jonas pulled the robe away. It was nothing more than a mannequin. An envelope with OBI written on it was pinned to the doll's chest with a knife.
Daniel turned the light on, making Jonas jump. "Damn kid"
"Sorry" Daniel said.
Jonas pulled the envelope loose from the mannequin. "What the fuck is an Obi?"
Obi finally spoke up. "Obi. It's my name"
Xavier grabbed the tape recorder that Jonas was holding. A tape was put into it and played. Jigsaw's voice spoke.
Hello, Obi. I want to play a game. For years you have burned those around you with your lies, cons, and deceits. Now you'll have a chance to redeem yourself for the games you played with others by playing one of mine. Inside the device in front of you are two antidotes for the poison coursing through your veins. One is my gift to you for helping me kidnap the others. The second is yours to donate. However, one of them will come with a price. Remember, Obi: once you are in hell, only the devil can help you out.
When the tape finished, everyone turned to look at Obi. They were either angered, confused, or both. Jonas interrogated. "Wait a minute. What does that mean, "kidnap the others"?
Obi shrugged. "How would I know?"
"Because you put us here" Laura accused. She paused, looking off, suddenly remembering something. The car. It was...I knew I knew him. You're the last person I saw before I woke up here. You did this"
"Are you sure it's him? You better be sure" Jonas asked.
"I'm sure"
"You would have done the same. I did what I had to do" Obi said.
"I'll give you a choice" Xavier said. He pulled the knife out of the mannequin and pointed it Obi. "You got five seconds to get us out of here"
"I don't know the way out" Obi spoke.
Laura broke the glass bottle. "Bullshit! You put us in here, you can get us out of here!"
"No, I can't"
"Then you're a dead man" Xavier threatened Obi.
"So are you" Obi challenged back.
Xavier took a step towards Obi. Addison stepped in, preventing the impending scuffle. "It's not gonna... Wait, wait, wait. Wait... Listen to me. We got two antidotes at the back of that oven. We're wasting time here"
Laura blinked. "Wasting time? Are you kidding me?! He kidnapped me in the middle of the night"
"We don't even know what's in those syringes. You willing to stick yourself in the arm to find out?" Jonas questioned.
Addison coughed up more blood again. She showed it to everyone. "Yeah" She ultimately decided.
"Okay, wait. So who gets them?" Daniel wondered. "I mean, there's two, so which two people get the antidote?"
"We'll work that out later!" Xavier said.
Laura fell to the ground. The poor girl was getting paler and weaker by the minute. Out of everyone else here, the poison was affecting her the fastest. Vivian couldn't help but feel bad for her. She went over to the fallen blonde and held her. Amanda eyed the both of them from her spot above them on the stairs.
Xavier addressed Obi again. "Right now, you're going in there..." He grabbed Obi and placed the knife against his neck. "Or I'll kill you where you stand"
Obi pressed the knife against his neck. Blood dripped out of his fresh cut. "If you're gonna threaten me with a knife, you may as well cut me a little" Daniel accidentally knocked over a rusty can, spooking everyone a little. "I guess I'm going in there to get those needles. But I get one" Obi got into the oven and crawled all the way to the back. He saw the two needles dangling above him. "Ah-hah" He pulled one of them loose. "One for me"
"Hurry up!" Xavier urged.
Obi reached for the other needle. "Come on, baby!" He tried grabbing it but his hand slipped. This one seemed a little trickier to pull free. Obi rolled onto his back. "You guys can fight over this one. Thank you, Obi. Come on" He grabbed the needle again, the chain along with it, and pulled. This caused the door to the oven to close. Obi was trapped inside. "Open the door!" Flames erupted near the door and started moving closer towards him.
Xavier tried to pull the door open. "It's locked! I can't open it!"
Obi crawled towards the door and tried kicking it open. His legs were caught in the fire in the process and started to severely burn. Obi desperately pleaded. "Open the door! Open the fucking door! I'm burning!"
"Come on! Get him out of there!" Xavier tried the door again, but he flinched his hand away as the door was hot to the touch. "The door! The needles! I can't get it open!"
Obi's screams of pain and agony filled the room. He crawled to the other end of the oven. He spotted a valve on the other end. A devil was drawn beside it along with the word TWIST. The flames overshadowed it, unfortunately. Obi's groans were too much for Laura to handle. She had to cover her ears. Xavier tried the door again, but it was still too hot.
"Use your coat! Use your fucking coat!" Addison suggested.
Xavier did what she suggested. He wrapped his coat around the handle. Despite his efforts, the door still wouldn't budge. "Come on! He's burnin' up!" Jonas urged. "Come on, turn!"
"Stop it! Stop it!" Laura begged, her hands still covering her ears. She buried her face into Vivian's shoulder, who still had her arms wrapped around her.
This continued on. Jonas was urging Xavier to get the oven open, Laura begging for everything to stop, and Obi screaming in agony. Daniel noticed at the back of the oven. "Guys, there’s a window over here"
Everyone, besides Laura and Vivian, scrambled to the back with Daniel. He was right about the window. "He's got the antidote" Xavier said.
"Stop it!" Laura cried again.
"Hang on, man. We’re gonna get you out" Jonas promised. Obi slapped his hand against the window, stunning everyone. Addison and Amanda started screaming. Laura was deep in tears by now. Vivian was remaining surprisingly calm, despite all the screaming and Laura crying into her shoulder.
Xavier stepped up with the bat. "Get out of the fucking way! Move, move, move!" He broke the glass with the nailed bat.
"Shit! Come on!" Jonas urged Obi.
Obi reached out. He screamed anxiously as he tried to crawl out. As for everyone else, they were either looking away from, or at Obi. It was, however, too late for Obi. He had been burned too severely. He died painfully and slowly.
Xavier, feeling furious, grabbed Obi's dead head and screamed at it. "The needles! He’s got the fucking needles! It’s fucking in there! I want the fucking needles! I want the fucking needles!"
"Have a little ounce of sympathy, you son of a bitch!" Vivian finally spoke through this whole ordeal. "The man just got burned to death! Didn't you hear his screams? All the pain he went through?"
"Okay, Vivian, I see your point, and I guess we should feel some sympathy for him" Jonas said. "But the needles are fucking melted. They're gone"
Amanda started making her way up the stairs, muttering four words. "He had a choice"