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The last thing Bucciarati wanted to do was watch the tape that had ended up on his doorstep. Especially since he had a good idea what it might contain, what with his two youngest team members currently missing in action.
Abbacchio and Mista were still out looking for any leads, so Bucciarati hooked the VCR up by himself and put the video in.
The screen was black for a few seconds before the video started. The room was dimly lit, but it was easy enough for Bucciarati to pick out the two familiar figures and his heart dropped.
Fugo and Narancia were both tied to chairs, facing each other in a nondescript room. Fugo was the only one blindfolded and gagged however, Narancia's eyes staring wide and terrified around the room, watching the camera until a figure appeared from one side of the room, walking toward them.
"What are you doing?" Narancia demanded, pulling against the ropes holding him. "What the hell do you want!"
"We want cooperation from Bucciarati," said a voice from behind the camera and boy did that make Bruno's blood boil, but he forced himself to keep watching. "And I've been told the best way to do that is to go through his team. Which is why we're making this little video for him. So if you're watching, Bucciarati, pay attention. Your boys will have twenty-four hours after this tape is delivered to you for you to make good on your end of the bargain. And trust me, these two have already caused me enough trouble and loss. I'd be more than justified in doing away with them. So you better show up on the dot or, well, here's a little taste of what my boys will do to them before they get a bullet between the eyes."
Bucciarati clenched his hands tightly as he continued watching the video, heart dropping further as the man standing between the two captives instantly went toward Fugo.
The blond was already visibly shaking, head twitching around at every sound, before practically flipping out as the man got behind him and grabbed a fistful of his hair, yanking his head back.
"You let go of him!" Narancia snarled, straining in his bonds.
The man pulled out a knife and scraped it lightly down Fugo's exposed throat, making him flinch. The knife continued down over his collarbone and finally hooked into the collar of his shirt. The man flicked his wrist and cut Fugo's shirt open in one swift movement.
Fugo flailed, making a muffled sound of protest and Narancia practically up-ended his chair as he struggled.
"Don't you fucking touch him!" Narancia screamed. "I'll cut your liver out and ram it down your throat!"
"Ah, so that is the one who doesn't like to be touched," said the voice behind the camera. "We made the right choice then."
"You bastards!" Narancia shouted as the man with the knife wrapped one hand around Fugo's neck, holding him steady as he loomed over him from behind in a way that Bruno knew would be incredibly triggering for the young man. He felt the urge to scream like Narancia as he watched Fugo's hands clench against the arms of the chair, visibly trembling. The knife trailed down his chest, leaving red lines in the pale flesh.
"I'll kill all of you if you don't stop touching him! What the hell do you want?!"
The man didn't reply, but some signal seemed to be passed because the man tormenting Fugo put his knife aside and pulled out a set of brass knuckles, clenching his fist around them.
Bruno swore under his breath as he watched Fugo get brutally beaten, bloody welts and deep bruises breaking out across his exposed skin.
Narancia was crying in frustration now, his own attempts at escape forming raw patches of skin where the rope chafed against him.
"Stop it, stop it! Torture me, you assholes! Give him a break!" Narancia pleaded.
The man behind the camera chuckled and walked over to Fugo, waving his goon off for the moment. Fugo was shivering, chest heaving with pained breaths. The man reached out to run his knuckles over Fugo's face and the blond gave a strangled cry and pulled away.
"Does it bother you to see them like this, Bucciarati?" the man asked, glancing over his shoulder at the camera, "Or do you need more convincing?"
God no, Bruno pleaded silently, but there was nothing he could do. Even if he were to run off and find the boys now it wouldn't stop everything that was on this tape.
The goon went off screen and returned with a bucket of water and a cloth. He kicked Fugo's chair over so he was lying helplessly on his back, still bound.
"What are you going to do to him?" Narancia demanded.
Fugo struggled, and the torturer put the cloth over Fugo's face before pouring half the bucket of water over him.
Fugo gagged, struggling desperately against the ropes, trying to turn his head to the side, but with the wet cloth suffocating him and the gag in his mouth, Bruno could only imagine what he was going through.
The rest of the bucket was poured over him, concentrated on his mouth and nose.
The gurgling choking sounds Fugo was making picked up all too well on the camera and Bucciarati felt sick to his stomach, especially accompanied by Narancia's pleading sobs.
"Please stop, he can't breathe! He can't breathe, dammit! You're gonna kill him!"
Another bucket was brought and Narancia finally had to look away, hanging his head as he continued sobbing.
The man from behind the camera walked over to him and grabbed him by the hair, hauling Narancia's tear-stained face up so that he was forced to watch Fugo's struggles weaken, body shuddering as he continued to choke on the water.
"I didn't tell you you could look away, brat. This is your punishment too."
"Fugo, hold on, please hold on!" Narancia cried.
Finally, the torturer took the wet cloth from Fugo's face and shoved his chair onto its side now.
Fugo choked, water spraying out of his nose, more trickling past his gag, but he seemed able to breathe again.
The torturer moved around and kicked Fugo in the chest, forcing more water from his lungs as he choked on the gag.
The man who had Narancia finally released him and returned to the camera, speaking directly into it this time. "Twenty-four hours, Bucciarati. You know what I want." Then the video cut out.
Bucciarati released a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding, finally unclenching his fists only to realize he had been digging his nails into his palms, leaving bloody crescents there.
He forced himself to look at the note that had accompanied the video tape stating the money asked for and the meeting place.
He swallowed hard and called Abbacchio.
"I know who has them," he said as the other gangster answered. "I'll send you the address of the meeting spot."
He didn't even care at the moment that he was digging into Passione coffers. He would take out this bastard later, spend the next week hunting him down and demolishing his entire gang. As long as he had his boys back safe first, that was all that mattered.
XXX
Narancia had been watching Fugo have a panic attack for the last half hour, feeling so horribly helpless.
They'd been chained up purposefully on opposite sides of the room so Narancia couldn't reach his friend. Couldn't try to loosen the ropes they had wrapped around Fugo making it impossible for him to move and difficult for him to breathe with his soaking gag and injured ribs. Fugo just lay there and shook, breaths shallow and hissing, whimpering every once in a while. He couldn't imagine how hard this was for Fugo right now, blind, helpless, but at least he could still hear, and Narancia constantly spoke to him, trying to keep him as calm as possible.
"Bucciarati will come get us, you know he will," Narancia was saying for the hundredth time. "It's just you and me in here, Fugo. I won't let them touch you again, I swear. I'll kill them first."
He wasn't actually sure if Fugo was hearing any of this, he seemed so far gone, but Narancia continued to strain as far as he could against the chains locking him to the wall, trying to get as close to his friend as he could. He wished he had a humanoid Stand in that moment. Something with hands. It wasn't like he could shoot Fugo's bonds with Aerosmith.
New terror pricked him as he heard footsteps on the other side of the door. He admittedly cowered away as it was flung open, but tears of relief began flowing the instant he saw who it was on the other side.
"B-Bucciarati!" he cried, relief making him collapse.
"Narancia," Bucciarati breathed before calling over his shoulder where sounds of gunfire and fighting could be heard. "I've got the boys! You take care of things out there!"
Sticky Fingers made short work of Narancia's bonds and he was instantly crawling toward Fugo.
"Fugo, Bucciarati and the others are here now. We're getting out of here!"
Fugo was still shaking and Narancia turned pleadingly toward Bucciarati who used his Stand to free Fugo too.
The blond instantly flailed, reaching up to claw at his face, but he was only succeeding in tightening the knots on the gag and blindfold.
"Fugo, wait!" Narancia said, reaching out, only to have Fugo cry out and flinch away. "Hey, it's just me," Narancia was saying. "Here, just give me one hand, okay? So you know where I am."
Fugo's panicked breaths were stifled behind the gag and he was shaking uncontrollably.
"Fugo, just one hand," Narancia pleaded.
Fugo finally stopped tearing at his gag and shakingly held out a hand.
"Okay, I'm going to take your hand, it's just me, I promise."
Narancia reached out and wrapped his fingers around Fugo's, squeezing tightly. Fugo flinched initially, but then caught Narancia's hand in a desperate grip, slumped against the wall.
"That's great! You know I'm here now," Narancia said, smiling reassuringly even though Fugo couldn't see him. "Bucciarati's also here. Can he help you get that crap off your face?"
Following Narancia's lead, Bucciarati knelt and held out a hand. "Panna," he said gently. "You can put you hand on my shoulder so you know where I am. Would that help?"
Fugo gave a jerky nod and hesitantly reached out his other hand.
Bucciarati guided it to his shoulder and Fugo's fingers clenched in his coat.
"Good," Bucciarati murmured. "Now I'm going to get the blindfold and gag off. Is that okay?"
Fugo nodded again and squeezed Narancia's hand hard as Bucciarati unknotted the gag and blindfold as quickly as possible.
Once free, Fugo took a shuddering breath, blinking as he looked around frantically.
"Fugo? Hey," Narancia coaxed and the violet eyes finally landed on him, welling.
Narancia opened his arms, letting Fugo make the decision himself.
The blond took a shuddering breath before he practically collapsed against Narancia, wrapping his arms around him so tightly that Narancia almost couldn't breathe now. Though he certainly didn't mind at all.
Bucciarati let out a weighty sigh and also enveloped them both in a hug, running fingers through Narancia's hair.
"You're both safe now. Let's get you home."
Narancia reluctantly started to pull away but found Fugo's hand caught in his shirt, keeping a tight hold on him.
"Nara," he said, voice hoarse. "Thanks. If you weren't here I…" he took a shuddering breath. "Thank you."
"You know I always have your back," Narancia said, tearing up again as he squeezed Fugo one more time before climbing shakily to his feet and helping his friend up, allowing Fugo to lean on him. "Are you good?"
"I'll be fine," Fugo replied tiredly, stumbling out after Bucciarati who kept his watchful eye on them. Narancia silently promised to stay with Fugo through his recovery. If he had been forced to watch his torture then he chose to watch over his friend while he was healing as well.