He dialed his bluebird's number with shaking fists, whether it was worry or anger is anyone's guess. By the fifth ring, Travis was ready to shriek to the sky. Suddenly, a crackle sounded across the line as picked up. "Sal, I know what happened to Larry!"
"Well, congratulations, son. You are useful for something after all. Fresh blood. Your friends might have something to say."
A loud thump sounded through the crappy microphone along with muffled screams. Tears slid fearfully across a paled face as garbled speech reached through and choked him. "Now, son, you wretch, come bargain your life for theirs. I will not be humiliated at the church like this. Don't think for a second I will spare them should you not come. I will ruin them as I have destroyed you. And I think I will start with the original problem, the blue-haired freak."
"No! Don't you fucking touch him. I'll trade myself, just don't, please."
"Mmmm, son, that is what I like to hear. You have ten minutes before I start." He hummed and cut the call.
Travis felt the wind sucked out of him. His head pounded as his feet blurred. He barreled to the basement, throwing open doors and jumping over obstacles. He flew down the stairs, nearly falling on a handful of occasions. Finally, he reached the most familiar place in the whole temple. A circle of chairs held all of his friends, including Larry. They each were tied down, gagged, and drugged, judging from their hazy eyes. Sally was the only one who seemed cognizant of his surroundings. His mask was off and his eye socket red around it, almost looking singed. Snot and tears seeped into the cloth around his mouth, his pleading blue eyes screamed for him to run.
A hand clamped on to the blonde boy's throat at the same time a knee dropped Travis to the floor. Gasping, he met his father's eyes in fierce anger. A dark chuckle echoed through the cavern, making the children shiver. Cold, unforgiving metal clipped onto the boy's wrists, making his head lower in submission. "Free them. Now. That was the deal."
"No. I don't think I will." Mr. Phelps replied, putting his foot on Travis's back and sent him hard to the floor. "I think, I have a camera and an unwilling audience."
His worst fear had gripped him and thrashed him around, crushing his back and his dignity. A wounded sounded emerged deeply from the boy's throat. "No! Please, god, forgive me. Don't do this father, not in front of them."
"Don't use His name, you sin-filled heathen."
Sal tried to look away, he did. In fascinated horror, all he could do was helplessly strain, desperately wishing to kill the man defiling his own son. He wished he couldn't hear the screams of humiliation and grunts of pleasure.
"S-sal, LOOK AWAY!" He shouted, desperately trying to save his pride.
Eye closed, Sal cried out in fury. Disgust for Travis's father was the most overpowering emotion Sal had ever felt. A cold piece of metal slid into Sal's hand. His neck practically snapped with how fast he turned, searching for the answers to his confusion. Ash raised her head, winking subtly, or maybe she was trying to go back to sleep. A pocket knife that Sally had never seen before rested in his hand. It was tarnished and stained, but useful. As gracefully as he could, which wasn't very graceful with just one hand, he flicked open the blade portion of the tool and went to work on the ropes bounding his hands together.
Glancing up, Sal checked to see if Travis's father was still distracted. The rough roped fell away, allowing Sally to shift away and work towards freeing his legs. Travis's eyes widen when he saw the move, sending him a warning look that got fully ignored. The bonds began to loosen and eventually fell away. Sal tore away his gag and bolted. With reckless abandon he ran at full force toward Travis's father, knife brandished behind him. Travis's father looked up to see a blue blur rushing at him, making him jump back in surprise. Sally Face brought his hand back and with as much force as possible, stabbed the blasphemous preacher directly in the heart. The older man fell backward, unstable by the blow. Blood bubbled up through the wound, but that didn't stop Sal. His blue hair whooshed in the wind as he added holes into the unholy man. Travis finally called out, begging for his bluebird to stop.
Stillness fell over the room as Travis stared at his father, the man he was forced to trust with his care. Sally stood, panting. He had tears streaming down his scarred cheeks, making the sensitive skin sting slightly. He met Travis's wide eyes, feeling shame weave into his bones. He had just killed his boyfriend's dad. Asshole or not. The seconds stretched on as the weight of today fell on the two teenagers' shoulders. Larry then picked that moment to let out a low groan of pain. Sally jumped into action, delicately grabbing the knife wrapped in sin. Each piece of rope hit the ground with a thump, sounding like canon in the otherwise silent room. "Can I have my pocket knife back?" Travis finally spoke.
"This is yours? How did it get to Ash?"
"It fell out of my pocket when my father kicked me down. While he was busy laughing, I kicked it out as subtly as possible." Travis said, shaking heavily, "I meant for you to cut yourself and run. Not kill him!" He ended, shouting.
Sal sucked in a big breath and gave Travis the most sorrowful, self-hating look he had ever seen on his Bluebird. "I literally could not apologize as much as I want to for this. P-please, forgive me. I-I went too far, but Trav, look at what he was doing to you!" He cried out.
"Hey, blue, we can talk about it later, for now, we need to either revive or move your loser friends." Travis stood up, but quickly shrieked in pain and crumpled to the floor. Sal rushed over and helped his golden boy sit up, watching his face scrunched in pain. "Are you bleeding?"
Travis lit up, bright red. The small puddle of red underneath told Sally everything he needed to know. I am getting all of you to the hospital.