The Truth Will Out
Jesus thought he had left his past as Malcolm Bright buried in the remains of New York. He thought wrong.
Fandom: Prodigal Son, Walking Dead
Tags: crossover, Jesus was Malcolm Bright, pre-Daryl/Jesus/Rick, spoilers for up to episode 11 of Prodigal Son, Paul is good with kids and they like him as well, canon-level violence, kidnapping, whump, mental whump,
Chapter 5
"Carl, get out of here now," Paul repeated as his heart hammered in his ears and he noticed that Carl was starting to edge away.
"Now, now, none of that boy." John tsked as he cocked a gun as he aimed it towards the teen who went still at the threat.
"Let him go, John," Paul said slowly switching into his old role as a profiler, doing his best to push flashbacks of the last time the two had been face to face.
"Now why would I do that?" John tipped his head to the side as he stared intently at Paul.
"It's not him you want John, it's me, it's always been me right?" Paul said slowly, holding his arm out to the side in an attempt of shielding Carl.
"Oh little Malcolm, it's been so long and you've come so far from that night in the basement." John's lips twisted up in a manic smile that sent chills down Paul's back.
"What do you mean?" Paul pressed, keeping John's attention on him and away from Carl.
"Do you remember what I told you about how you have to pass your trials as I did with my grandfather?" John reminded and Paul shuddered absently as that memory flashed through his mind.
"You mean when you chased my mother and sister with an axe?" Paul snapped, the rage he had felt from that night rearing up in his chest.
"If you had allowed me to do my work then, things would have played out for the two of us very differently." John huffed, his eyes shining in anger and Paul wanted nothing more than to grab Carl and get the hell away from John Watkins.
"However that's all in the past now! You have finally completed them and your father! Oh your father, I am so proud of you for the way you gutted him. I bet he was too." A large smile crept its way onto John's face and Paul winced back at the reminder of what had happened a mere few days ago. Suddenly it all clicked and Paul let out a soft exhale of breath.
"You were following him, you were using him to find me," Paul said in realization and John's smile widened.
"The hair, beard and new name did throw me for a bit. Such a resourceful boy you are little Malcolm. I'm touched you used Paul as your name as I did once upon a time." John crooned sounding like a proud father and it made Paul wince. Paul was doing his best not to look at Carl, not wanting to see the confusion and fear on the teen's face.
"What exactly do you want with me, John?" Paul asked slowly, keeping John set firmly in his sights, body tense in case the man made a move to fire at Carl.
"What I've always wanted little Malcolm and now that you have suffered through your trials you are ready for the next step in your transformation," John explained and Paul nodded to himself.
"That's what I thought," Paul sighed and then he was moving. He latched onto John's wrist and shoved it high in the air, a gunshot going off and Paul struggled to keep John in place.
"Carl, run!" Paul shouted and he saw Carl blur past him as he bolted down the road and something relaxed at seeing Carl beyond John's range.
"Stubborn boy, don't worry I'll break you of that soon enough," Jon grunted as he locked his other arm around Paul's throat and the longhaired man jerked when a far too familiar smelling cloth was pressed against his mouth and nose. Paul's panic rose, almost choking on it as he did his best to keep to not to inhale the chloroform. John grunted and pressed the cloth harder and Paul soon had no choice but to breathe.
Paul's world spun around him as his vision began to fade and heaviness settled in his body. He sagged against John and shuddered when John curled his arms around him and held him in an embrace with his cheek pressed against Paul's head.
"We're going to have so much fun together little Malcolm, after all this time." John crooned and that was what sent Paul spiraling into darkness.
~~/~~
Rick and Daryl startled, hands going to their weapons when the front door suddenly flew open and Carl came running in, panic and shock clear on his face.
"Carl? What's wrong?" Rick was glad Judith was off with Michonne at the moment as he hurried over to his son, eyes scanning for wounds.
"It was that newcomer!" Carl spoke in a rushed tone, his words blurring together, not making any sense to the two men.
"Carl, Carl, just breathe and tell us what happened. Where's Paul?" Daryl placed his hands on Carl's shoulders and blinked taken back when Carl gripped his wrists and looked up at him with panic clear in his eyes.
"The newcomer knows Paul! He almost shot me and started rambling about how Paul passed his trials when he killed his father and was ready to join him! You have to help him!" Carl explained in the same rush, but his words made more sense and a cold chill settled over Daryl and Rick.
"Shit! Carl stay here!" Rick ordered as he slung his holster onto his hips while Daryl snatched up his crossbow and the two men rushed from the house, heading towards the clearing. Their feet pounded against the dirt as their hearts pounded in their chests as they skidded into the clearing.
"Shit, no one is here!" Daryl swore before he growled when he noticed Paul's knives lying carelessly on the ground and a mess of footprints showing there had been a fight, a struggle.
"They couldn't have gotten far, they have to be in Alexandria someplace. Gather the others and we will start our search, we will find him Daryl and we will ruin the man who took him." Rick fell back into his determined leader role, his eyes burning with fire and Daryl felt the same as the other man.
~~/~~
Paul let out a long moan as his senses rushed back at him almost all at once. Paul let his eyes flutter open and he squinted into the darkness that surrounded him. He felt uneven, dirt of an unfinished floor below him; he dug his fingers into the dirt and shakily pushed himself up. Paul stilled when a rattle of chains reached his ears and he stared in mounting horror at the sight of metal shackles around his wrists.
"No," Paul whispered as his vision doubled and he was brought back to the moment he woke up when John first took him.
"Please no, not again," Paul whispered as he sat up and looked down at himself. His usual clothes were gone and instead, he was in a pale blue dress shirt and black dress pants and his feet were bare.
"Why?" Paul didn't understand and his confusion and horror mounted when he lifted his head, his head that had felt lighter than it had in a while and he caught sight of a mirror on the wall in front of him. His breath caught in his throat and a sob bubbled up in his throat.
Malcolm Bright stared back at him from the reflection, his hair was short and his beard was missing. John had taken away Paul Rovia and brought Malcolm Bright back, brought Malcolm back to that night in the cellar under his family home.
Malcolm winced back violently and his chains rattled as the door next to the mirror swung open and John stepped over the threshold.
"Shall we begin little Malcolm? After all, you have much to learn," John crooned as he smiled down at Malcolm and the defeated look he was already sporting and the door clicked shut behind the man, trapping Malcolm in his horrific past.