As he came back to consciousness, Tom groaned in pain feeling his head pounding, and he became aware of his surroundings. His eyelids felt heavy so he couldn't open his eyes just yet. Instead he used his other senses. He felt something cold gripping tightly to his writs and clenching it against a wooden surface. His legs were in the same situation, with his ankles tied up to something beneath him. Tom realized he was sitting down, most likely to a chair, with his head bent down and left hanging as he slept.

Tom finally managed to open his eyes, blinking them in the process but furrowed his eyebrows in confusion when he remained to see only darkness. Did I go blind while I was asleep, or something? He wondered. Then with a jolt, he realized the situation he was in. Tied up to a chair, possibly blind, in an unknown place. Feeling panicked, Tom tried to recall last night's events. C'mon Tom! Think! What did you do this time? He racked his brain, trying to remember any important details. Let's see… I had an argument with Matt and Edd… was walking around… found a pub… Smirnoff… Jeremy and-

"Jeremy!" Tom exclaimed in realization. The last thing he remembers was drinking with Jeremy and the next was a blur, but his gut feeling was saying that Jeremy had something to do with this. With this newfound information, Tom struggled against his restraints.

No way in hell am I going to be sold into human trafficking, having my organs stolen, or going back to high school! He thought angrily, pulling on the restraints on his writs with all his might, but the metal of his shackles just cut into his skin and his efforts were proven futile. Dammit! Where is that inhuman strength when I need it most?

Tom gave a final pull on his shackles before sinking back into his seat and groaning in defeat. He panted to regain back his breath, as his mind swirled with various thoughts running around erratically trying to make sense of things. Where am i? Why was I brought here? What is this place? And what's going to happen to me? Questions screamed in his mind.

Suddenly, a bright light was turned on, right on top of him. Tom hissed and closed his eyes immediately, being blinded. Well, now I know there is nothing wrong with my eyes. He thought sarcastically.

"Well, well, well; look who's finally awake from their beauty sleep." Tom hears a voice jeer at a distance. A familiar voice.

"What? Who's there?" Tom demanded in confusion, slowly blinking his eyes open. The bright, white light shining above him made the rest of the room around him look much darker. If someone were to be lurking around in the same room as him, hidden in a dark corner, Tom wouldn't see them.

"Just an old friend…" The mysterious voice replied back, an accent present along with a tinge of humour and maybe triumph. But Tom wasn't concerned about the emotion behind the voice, he was more preoccupied with the owner of the said voice. It's familiar, has an accent, sounds smug, and to add it all up he knows only one person who would ever refer to him as an old friend.

"Show yourself!" Tom snarled, thrashing against the restraints. Please let my suspicions be wrong! He inwardly prayed.

His demand was met with a loud laugh, echoing throughout the room. Tom didn't want to admit the possibility, but he was genuinely scared. "As you wish." The voice spoke smoothly. Shuffling could be heard in the dark, and soon heavy footsteps started to approach his position. Tom looked around the room, turning his neck as far as the restraints would let him, trying to pinpoint where the figure would appear from. No way would he sit idly and let be taken by surprise.

Suddenly a hand popped up from behind him and ruffled his hair. Tom flinched at the unexpected contact and tried to get away but the restraints wouldn't let him get very far. Tom grumbled in irritation, reeling his head back. "Get off!" He yelled.

The hand retreated and a low chuckle could be heard. Tom tried to crane his neck and look upwards to get a glimpse of who was behind this, but he saw nothing. He caught a glimpse of movement at the corner of his eye. When he looked back down again, someone stood directly in front of him, grinning widely. Tom's eyes widened in shock. His gut was right. It was none other than the one he hated most in the world. Well, at least the second most hated.

"Tord!" Tom gasped, looking at his former not-friend towering over him.

"Surprise!" Tord laughed, stretching his arms out. That was when Tom took a closer look at his appearance. His hair was still the same pointy, horned trademark look, but it looked messy in certain places. He wore a blue and red uniform, with dark pants and combat boots. His right arm was replaced with a red, robotic prosthetic one. But his face was the most changed. The right side of his face is scarred and slightly charred, and his eye was covered up by a black eyepatch. It made him look a whole lot more sadistic. Fitting his personality, I suppose. Tom thought.

Tord's grin widened, noticing Tom's eyes analyse his form. "Like my new look?" He asks, taking Tom by surprise and snapping him out of his thoughts. Tord showcased his robotic hand out towards him. "I must say it's an improvement; I certainly liked it! It makes me feel more powerful." He flexed his metallic fingers, making a faint whirring sound as the gears shifted from within.

"What happened to you?" Tom managed to speak up and ask.

"Oh, don't you remember?" Tord raised an eyebrow at him. "Betrayal, giant robot… Harpoon gun." He listed off seemingly random things with a cheerful tone when his voice suddenly darkened and he glared at Tom as he mentioned the last item.

Tom blinked in realization. "I, did this, to you?" He questioned, already knowing the answer.

Tord laughed. "Don't flatter yourself, Tom." He says. "You may have destroyed my giant robot, along with my plans of ruling the world. But you just helped me gain even more power than before."

"How so?" Tom prompted.

"Why, if you hadn't stopped me, I wouldn't have come back and gained all of this." Tord gestured to the room around them, slowly walking up to him. "More followers, bigger influence, money, power, and of course the motivation I needed to gain back my determination in finishing what I started." He leaned down, his face inches away from Tom's, but he didn't flinch away or showed any sort of emotion. He just stared back at the Norwegian communist with a calm expression.

"And what did you start, exactly?" Tom questioned, glaring at Tord challengingly.

Tord grinned. "I'm glad you asked." He says, ruffling Tom's hair with his metallic hand one last time before leaning away and walking over to sit down in the chair positioned opposite of him. A table separating the two of them.

Tord leaned forward in his seat, folding his hands together in front of him. "However, before I get started, it's only fair we catch up." He proposed. "After all, friends who have not heard of one another for so long should have a chance to talk properly."

Tom trashed himself forward as far as the restraints would allow him; glaring furiously and baring his teeth at the smug man sitting before him. "I. Am. Not. Your. Friend!" He spat out each word with a delay between them, carrying all his anger and resentment at him.

Tord simply smirks in response, infuriating Tom even more at his lack of response. "So, how's life been faring for you, eh?" He questions, leaning back in his seat and propping his feet over the table, hands folded behind his head.

Tom fumes in anger. "Fine." He hissed, clenching the arms of his chair, his knuckles turning white in his grip.

"How about Matt and Edd?" Tom stiffened at the question, fixing his gaze over to the Norwegian's face for his expression. However, his face wasn't displaying any emotion. Tord just fixed his gaze to the ceiling, rocking back and forth in his seat with his mouth pressed into a thin line. Even his voice seemed devoid of emotion; unlike just a few moments ago where he was smug and making fun of Tom. It was rather strange and unnatural seeing him like this.

"Are they alright?" Tord prompted once more, after Tom failed to answer the first time.

Tom's anger dissolved momentarily, thinking about his friends and the impact Tord's betrayal had upon them. "They are fine. Never better in fact!" Tom exclaimed. "Not thanks to you anyway. And why do you even care? Feeling guilty?" Tom smirked slightly at the notion.

A small smile formed on Tord's face. "Oh Tom, you should know by now I don't ever feel guilty of anything." He murmured. "If I had any remorse for turning against the three of you, we wouldn't be here now, would we?"

"No. I suppose we wouldn't." Tom muttered under his breath.

"And what about you, Tom?" Tord questioned, shooting him a side-glance.

"I already said I'm fine." Tom hissed in irritation. What's the point of these useless questions? I know he doesn't actually care about the answer, and he is obviously after something else, so why bother beating around the bush? He wondered.

"Not that. I mean generally speaking." Tord corrected, earning a confused look form Tom. "You know, mental and physical health? Anything happening to you in these last couple of months?"

Tom was taken back. What kind of question is that? He wondered. It made no sense for Tord's character to be concerned about such things, especially in regards to him. Unless… Tom stiffened and stared at Tord with a horrified expression. No. He can't have- There's no way he could've- Surely not- Oh please don't! His thoughts kept running over each other as panic filled his mind.

"L-like I already said, I'm perfectly fine." Tom insisted, hating himself for stuttering as it displayed weakness; and the last thing he wants right now is to give the man in front of him the thought he was going submissive. To correct his mistake, Tom thrashed in his restraints violently and demanded. "Enough questions! What is it that you want from me, Tord? Why have you brought me here?"

Tord shot him a glance, no emotion on his face. "I'll tell you everything, if you tell me your thoughts first." He proposed. "Why do you think you're here? What do you think I want from you?"

Tom wanted to beat him up so badly, but the restraints kept him contained no matter how much he trashed around. Tord smirked lightly at the sight of his struggles. "It's futile to resist." He spoke. "These chains were designed and created by me, and made specifically to hold on to incredibly strong beings. It can hold down an elephant, and not even a great white's bite can shatter it."

Tom huffed, slumping back in his seat and panting for breath after his failed struggles. He stared at Tord across from him with anger and frustration, as he only gained a smug grin in return. Don't let him get to you. He thought determinably. Focus Tom, just think and answer; why am I here? He thought deeply, remembering everything he knows about the smug man sitting in front of him. He only came to one conclusion, even though there are counter arguments, it's his only deduction at this point.

"You want revenge on me for what I've done to you." Tom spoke, his voice calm, clear and unwavering. He glared at Tord, waiting for some sort of response from him. Anything. A smile, a smirk, laughter; heck, even a gun pointed at his face would be enough. But Tord simply hummed, stopping the motion he was doing with his feet and chair.

"Revenge, you say?" He echoed calmly, sounding interested in the notion. "I guess in some aspects you could say that." He chuckled.

"So you're gonna kill me?" Tom asks, but he felt no fear at the thought. In fact, he was anticipating it at this point.

"Kill you? Now who said anything about killing?" Tord pointed out, putting his feet down from the table and leaning forward. Tom looked at him in confusion. Tord rolled his eye. "If I wanted you dead, I would've done it so while you were unconscious."

"Then wha-"

Before Tom could finish it, Tord pushed his chair back and slowly made his way over to him. Tom watched his movements with caution, not sure what to expect from the Norwegian maniac at this point. Tord stopped beside him, and sitting at the dge of the table next to him.

"Here's the situation, Tom, and I urge you to pay close attention because I don't often make deals and they should not be taken lightly." Tord spoke in a serious voice, poking the tip of Tom's nose with his metal finger for emphasis. Tom gulped at the close proximity between the two of them, and the intensity he found in the Norwegian's gaze. He reluctantly nodded, just wanting to get his answers but at the same time scared at what he might hear.

Tord sighed, taking a deep breath before starting. "Remember our little adventure with the army a long time ago? Ever since then, I have developed a passion for war; and ultimately, global domination." He says. "I began to study all forms of science in secret, in hopes of developing the perfect weapon so I can use it for my own benefit."

Tord paused momentarily, allowing the information given to sink in Tom's mind. He nodded for him to continue.

"My plan for the ultimate weapon, was to develop a special serum that would turn anyone injected with it into…" He went on explaining, but he paused one more time to build up suspense, smirking down at Tom. "A monster." He finally reveals, watching Tom's facial expression in anticipation. Waiting for some kind of recognition in his dark sockets. But Tom blinked and raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"Uh, okay?"

Tord frowned and glared down at him. He mentally faced palmed for the failed attempt of dramatic effect. He sighed and carried on.

"For years, I have been working on the secret formula for this monster serum. After the failure of my first test subject, I left to carry on my work privately without any interferences." He continues.

"So that's why you left then?" Tom questioned in curiosity and surprise. "All that talk about following your dream, was just an excuse to get away from us and work on your super-duper secret science project?"

Tord grinned. "Not entirely." He responded. "After all, my dream is global domination, and I left to pursue just that."

Tom gritted his teeth, snarling at the smug bastard in front of him. Tord just watched him struggle against his restraints in amusement.

"Anyways. Failure after failure, after trying for so long, I eventually gave up." He went on, turning away momentarily with hands folded neatly behind his back. "So I went to plan B! Get my giant robot and take over the world! And from there we both know the rest of how that attempt turned out. So after getting a new hideout, I returned to work on the monster formula more determined than ever, only to end up with more failures."

"Okay! I get it! You're insane!" Tom snapped in frustration, interrupting Tord's story. "But what does any of this have to do with me?" He demanded to know, tired of hearing him monologue useless exposition.

Tord glanced back at him over his shoulder, concealing the large grin spreading across his face. "Why, after I went back to look at the old test subject files, I realized I had unknowingly taken in another test subject. But at the time I was foolish enough to overlook it." He turned back to Tom and slowly made his way towards him. Tom let his words process in his mind, and his eyes widened at the realization. The monster… Tord… giant robot… the voices… and now I'm here. Oh no.

When Tord reached him, towering above, Tom glanced up at him rigid while mustering up the courage to ask what he's afraid of hearing in return. Taking a deep breath, controlling his emotions he stared back at Tord with a glare and an expressionless stoic face.

"I'm that test subject, aren't i?" He questioned, already knowing the answer but wishing with all his might it wasn't the case. And for the first time in a long while he felt something other than anger and resentment bubble up in the pit of his stomach. Fear.

Tord must've noticed his change in behaviour and gave him a small smile. Not a mocking, or sadistic grin, but a genuine smile, albeit sympathetic. "Yes, you are." He replied solemnly.

Tom's gaze dropped to the ground and his breathing became ragged at the realization. He swallowed down the lump forming in his throat from nervousness with great struggle. "And what are you going to do to me?" He managed to ask.

He felt a metallic hand grip his chin, raising his head to look back up at Tord's face. "That's where the deal comes in to play." He murmured. "We can do this the easy way or the hard way, but it's your call."

"But no matter what I chose, I'll still be your guinea pig to your science project." Tom added with a hiss. Tord hummed and moved his gloved hand to run through Tom's hair, making him grit his teeth in irritation and glare up at him.

"If you willingly agree to be my next test subject, you will be given a certain amount of freedom." Tord proposed before adding. "I'll see the specific details with you in the morning, but know that it is clearly the better option out of the two."

"And if I refuse?" Tom spat; raising his head, pulling out of Tord's grip and glared at him in defiance.

Tord frowned down at him in disdain. "Then I'll just have to strap you down and experiment on you against your will." He responded with an icy calm voice. But as he noticed Tom's lack of reaction, Tord realized he needed to up the stakes if he wants his collaboration. Tord smirked as an idea popped into his head. "And I'll get Matt and Edd to watch the whole thing." He added slyly.

"WHAT?!" Tom exclaimed, his dark sockets going wide as he stared at him in shock and disbelief. Then his surprise turned into anger once again and he struggle against his restraints to try and attack the red communist. "Leave them OUT OF THIS!" He demanded.

Tord laughed harshly before looking at his mechanical finger tips. "I don't think so." He murmured. "Unless you agree to these experiments, I'll have my soldiers go after our friends and force them to watch as you go through horrible torture."

"You're bluffing!" Tom challenged. "Even if you did betray them, I don't think you would have the guts to go after them just because of me!"

"Do you really want to test that theory?" Tord prompted mockingly while scratching his chin. "Hmmm, maybe if things don't work out as well as I hope they do with you, I can use THEM as my next test subjects."

Tom froze, feeling as if he just received a hard slap in the face. "Y-you would-dn't!" He tried to appear strong, and up until the mention of his friends he was; mostly because he could care less for whatever happens to him. But if something were to happen with Matt and Edd, even if they did get on his nerves, he would never forgive himself. "Y-you don't k-know where to find them!" He pointed out in desperation.

Tord chuckled. "Oh you silly, stupid Tom. It wasn't that hard to find you in the first place, and if they decide to go out searching for you we would know. I have surveillance cameras everywhere on the city!" He pinched Tom's cheek hard, making him hiss at the contact and try to shove him away with a head-butt.

"So let's recap!" Tord got off the table and started to pace around Tom's chair. "You can agree to do this out of your own free will and be granted liberties, or you continued to resist and defy me and I will experiment on you regardless and Matt and Edd will be my next victims."

Tom felt an involuntary shiver run down his spine at the complete feeling of hopelessness he found himself in. Tied down, forced and threatened, and all at the hands of a genocidal, Norwegian maniac. He's in a dead end, and he doesn't know what to do in this situation; and the one blocking his only exit is currently standing right beside him with a straight posture.

Tord must've sensed his confusion and hesitation, as he hummed and fixed the front of his uniform. "I'll take my leave for now, but I will return to hear your answer in the morning. Not that you can tell the time from here." He spoke, muttering the last part to himself, clearly referencing to the dark room with no clock or windows. Tom didn't turn to look at him, just heard his footsteps get progressively quieter as he walked away from him. "I'll have one of my soldiers come to give you some food, but that's all you'll receive until the final judgment. This is an important night for you Tom."

A loud creak was heard from the door behind him and light from outside filled the rest of the room, showing tables with various medical tools displayed on them and other science related equipments. It varied from sharp knives, saws, syringes, huge scissors and all kinds of crazy stuff that made Tom shrink with fear in his seat. He gasped at the sight. Does he intend on using all of this stuff on me? He wondered, feeling a dreadful anticipation for whatever choice he makes, as he'll go through this no matter what.

"Choose wisely." That was the last thing Tord says to him before he slammed the door shut, turning off the light above him, and leaving Tom in complete darkness and solitude to make the choice that might save or put his friends in danger. Only one thought echoed through Tom's mind, repeatedly, constantly mocking him as he did not know the answer.

What do I do?