Chapter Text
Jimmy's innocent, he thinks.
He's just working on the big aquarium wall full of cod when a large, dark figure suddenly appears in his peripheral vision-
"Hello, Jimmy", it says in a low, distorted voice.
His heart jumps out of his chest and he shrieks, tripping over his own feet. He catches himself with his hands and winces in pain.
When he looks up again, the demon is gone.
He lets out the breath he's been holding. It's not the first time this has happened; the demon has a bit of a habit of showing up and scaring him half to death, and then leaving him alone.
But in that moment it appears again, right in front of him; bent over with that everpresent red smile on its face, nose - could that even be quite considered a nose - almost touching Jimmy's.
Jimmy yelps in surprise and tries to move away but two large, clawed hands pin his arms to the ground and shove him downwards. He struggles but it's a futile attempt; the demon is way bigger and stronger than he is.
"Let go!", he cries, trying to reach for the sword that fell out of his scabbard. It presses harder on his forearms and, for a second, Jimmy swears he hears something crack. "Just let me go! I didn't do anything!"
He's wracking his brain for something he might've done to anger the demon but he can't think of anything except for- oh no. Oh shit.
Maybe he's not all that innocent after all.
"This isn't up to you, is it?", the demon says and laughs a horrible, grating laugh.
Jimmy opens his mouth, but before he can say another word something shatters right next to his head. His ears are left ringing from the sound and he has to blink a couple of times.
As the blinks get longer and longer, he suddenly realizes that it must've been a potion of weakness that hit him. He struggles again but his limbs are slack and it's getting hard to focus.
He's so sleepy... Has it been mixed with a sleep potion...? He doesn't...
He can just barely tell that the demon's let go of his arms as footsteps pick up around him. He hears multiple voices discussing something overhead...
"Goodnight, sweet prince", one of them says in a mocking tone.
Jimmy's eyes slip shut, and he gives into the dark.
---
He comes to groggy, disoriented and bruised. He opens his eyes and squints in the dim light at the blackstone walls. Then, everything slams into him at a fast speed and he almost chokes.
His hands are bruised, his arm hurts and dear, he prays that it isn't broken, and...
And his mask is gone.
His cheeks burn at the realization. Of course, out of all the things, the demon would take his mask.
He tries to sit up and is immediately startled by a clinking sound. He looks down and sees a black chain attached to the wall on one side, and to a collar strapped around his neck on the other.
He tugs at the collar but it won't budge. He feels like he can't breathe, almost, but he can. It's not meant to suffocate him, he reasons, just keep him in place.
Okay, let's review the situation. He's been kidnapped by a demon and his two underlings. The circumstances are a little worrying, sure, but it's probably a simple blackmail situation. Is he under Sausage's, like Scott and Gem have been?
He looks around. There aren't any bars around, he notes. He's chained to a back end of a long, open hallway that twists at the end. On the other side he can see Sausage sharpening a shimmering axe, looking uninterested.
He doesn't recognize the area but if he had to bet, it'd be somewhere deep underground in Mythland or the Lost Kingdom.
"Hello! Help!! Anyone there?!", he shouts, though he's not sure if there is a point. "This is the Codfather of the Cod Empire! I require assistance!"
Sausage looks up from his work and quickly brightens up.
"Finally, you're awake! Good, then we can all get this over with", he says and snaps his fingers.
Jimmy wants to say something but, like before, the demon appears right in front of him. He bites back a scream.
"Welcome back, Codfather", it mocks. It gestures towards Sausage, who quickly bows and leaves behind the corner.
"Where's my mask?", he blurts out, and then realizes that's a stupid question to ask first.
The demon laughs that horrible laugh.
"I have it, of course", it says in a silky voice.
"Give it back! Whatever you want from keeping me here, can't you at least give me some basic dignity?", he says, mustering up all his anger.
"What are you willing to exchange for it?"
Jimmy almost sputters, reaching forward.
"Exchange?! It's mine! Give it back right this se-!"
He stops as the clawed hand grabs his arm tightly, claws digging in sharply. But what really makes him freeze is the axe pointed at his left eye, sharp end hovering barely an inch from it. He doesn't dare to blink.
"Your eye? Hmm, that might do it. Get half-blinded for the rest of your existence in exchange for a sense of comfort", it says, as calm as ever.
"You're wr-rong", he says. He tries to move back but the claws digging into his skin keep him firmly in place. "Next time I respawn will bring it back"
"I think you're misjudging your situation here, boy", the demon says. "Respawn magic is powerful, of course, but don't you think there are stronger kinds?"
Jimmy looks at the axe and, shit, it's... it's red. It pulsates, as if alive. Corruption. His lip trembles.
"No", he mutters quietly, eyes full of terror.
The demon lets go of his arm and he scrambles backwards, back hitting the wall. His blood drips from its claws as it unsummons the axe.
"What will you do to me? What is your plan?", he spits in panic. The demon smiles wider at his fear.
"You don't need to know, boy. All you need to do is stay here", it says with finality.
Jimmy grits his teeth and watches as the demon disappears in front of him. He holds the injured arm to his chest, blood staining his shirt - not armour, no, obviously they'd taken that away. He feels like he wants to cry but doesn't let himself.
Okay. Alright. This is bad but there's ought to be something he can do. Something. Anything.
He looks at the chain connecting him to the wall and yanks experimentally. As expected, it doesn't budge, the other end bolted to the wall firmly.
He sighs in frustration and tries the closer end. He can't see the collar fully but he feels along it with his hands. There, the bit connecting the chain to it seems weaker than the other ones. He could probably break it off, if only he had some sort of lever...
He's startled by footsteps coming from around the bend in the hallway. He drops what he's doing, trying to look as inconspicuous as possible as Sausage rounds the corner and glances in his direction.
Sausage looks worse than the last time he's seen him, he realizes. There's bags under his eyes and he looks crazed. Not in his expression, no, he's looking pleased and jovial as ever. But there's something in the shape of his face, or maybe the crease in his eyebrows that shows the wrongness of the situation.
Well, except the situation itself.
Sausage sits back down in the chair by the wall and goes back to sharpening his axe. Jimmy feels anger boiling under his skin.
"Hey!", he half-shouts, somewhat carefully. "Sausage!"
The man doesn't even look up.
"Listen to me! Sausage!", he screams, stepping closer to him on shaky legs.
He looks up then, brows furrowed in confusion, and stands.
"Did you need something?", he asks, resting the axe on his shoulder. He looks annoyed.
"Sausage", Jimmy starts carefully. "I know we haven't always been on the... best of terms, but don't you think this is a little excessive?"
"Look, believe me, I'd rather be doing anything else right now", Sausage responds. "Xornoth wants me to watch you but that's so boooring. Why is it that Joey gets all the fun?"
He pouts for a second, but then he looks at Jimmy and Jimmy does not like the glint in his eyes.
"You know, he's got plans for you. Xornoth, I mean", he continues, setting his axe down. "Maybe he'd let me join in sometime? Ooh that'd be amazing!"
Jimmy hides his shaking hands behind his back. He definitely does not like the glee in Sausage's voice, he decides. It was always a little unsettling, but in this moment it's nothing short of terrifying.
He grits his teeth, trying to hold onto his anger. Anger is better than fear.
"Oh, imagine all the fun we'd have!", Sausage says and Jimmy visibly flinches. Sausage giggles at the sight. "You don't have to be scared just yet, Jim. I mean, I only need to watch you for now, cod boy, so be a dear and stay quiet for me. Time for screams will come later"
The words 'It's Codfather!' die in his throat as he swallows. Sausage shoots him a grin and sits back down.
Jimmy takes a deep breath and plops down onto the ground. Right. Sausage is definitely not gonna be of any help. Cool. Cool cool cool. He can do this on his own, no biggie.
He leans back, and almost jumpscares himself when he touches something soft. He looks over and sees what looks like almost a... nest of blankets against the wall?
He doesn't quite know what to think about that. He examines it carefully. It's just a couple red and black blankets laying on the ground, but what confuses him is how neatly they're arranged. They look almost... cozy.
It's pretty insulting that he doesn't even get a bed to himself, he thinks. Actually, this whole kidnapping is weird. Shouldn't he at least be in a cell, wrists shackled or something? The way he's chained by the neck makes him feel like a- a dog or a pet.
Scott and Gem were in cells, so why...?
And then there's the issue of whoever made the nest. Could it have been the demon? He really can't see Sausage doing something like that. Neither can he see the demon, but he's known Sausage way longer.
It was probably Joey, with his need for everything to be neat and organised. Yeah, that had to be it.
He settles next to the blankets, folding his legs under himself. He still has some dignity left and he's not just gonna nuzzle into the dog bed his captor made for him. No way.