Timestopper Ch. 18: The Tower

"We've come to a decision on what to do with you," Kyle said lightly as Ethan and Stefan flanked him. "You get to stay on the team, and officially you're still in the frat. As far as nationals is aware you're a brother in good standing. But we'll know better. You get to keep your room, but you're losing your door. From now on you're the frat bitch. Any brother wants to use you you'll let them use you."

"Fuck you," Nick croaked, staring defiantly at the ceiling.

"Yeah, we thought you might say that. But remember all those vids you sent us of your old marks? If you aren't a good little bitch, well then, somebody else may find them. And then you'll definitely be kicked off the team and the frat and the school. Is that what you want?"

Nick felt tears come to his eyes. He was finally fucking free of Master, and now his own fucking brothers were putting him back in the same fucking hole. Except even worse cause now he'd be at the beck and call of like 30 guys. As Nick started to outright cry Kyle said, "Yeah, I thought so.

"But there's one more condition," Kyle said and he beckoned for the thing Stefan was holding. He held it up to the metal disk and Nick started to shake as he realized what they were about to do. He hadn't seen it himself but he'd heard rumors about it. For brothers that fucked up their initiation ceremony, or picked the wrong card from the fishbowl during hell week. The torch lit up its bright blue flame and started to heat up the bronze disk, which Nick knew had the SAE letters carved on its face.

"Just gotta mark you as our property," Kyle grinned as Stefan and Ethan grabbed hold of Nick's legs to hold him still. When it was red hot Kyle cut the torch and lowered the brand, slowly bringing it towards Nick's exposed, beaten ass.

But just before it touched Nick's skin there was a loud metallic crack and the brand fell to the floor, it's face shattered and somehow smoking, as if it had been plunged into a bucket of ice water.

"The fuck?!" Kyle yelled, dropping what was left of the rod as if he'd been shocked. The broken pieces of the brand, still hot, started to smoke on the old rug beneath Nick, and worried they were about to set it on fire without thinking Kyle bent down to brush them off onto the wooden floorboards, cursing again as he burnt his fingertips. The carpet just sparked into a flame when Ethan and Stefan finally got their shit together and poured beer over the pieces, quickly smothering the small fire and preventing any more.

"Fucking piece of shit," Kyle spat as he sucked on his burnt fingers.

"That thing was nearly as old as the house, must've like fucking cracked from one too many times," Stefan said.

"We'll have to get a fucking new one then," Kyle said as he stared angrily at Nick. "It's just been fucking delayed so get used to it. You can spend the rest of the night up here, think about how you're gonna be a good house whore."

With a final kick to Nick's ass and still nursing his fingers Kyle and the other guys left Nick, turning off the one bare lightbulb above him, and leaving him hanging in the dark.

---

Pat was sitting on his bed, alone, when his phone buzzed again. It had been blowing up since he missed practice, but he'd ignored it. At this point he didn't give a shit what the brothers would do to him, he'd drop out of the pledge class and the football team if he had to. Nick was the only brother who'd been anything but a complete asshole to him, and Nick had betrayed him. Fuck them all.

But the text from a blocked number caught Pat's eye. It just said "your big could use some help," then a video came through. A horrible video of a cramped, dark room, and Nick in the middle of it, tied to a sling screaming as guys beat and fucked him. Whatever conflict he felt about Nick, Pat was furious to see what they'd done to him. He grabbed his pocket knife from his drawer and went out into the rain, walking steadily towards SAE.

As he approached the front door Pat wasn't sure what he'd do if and when the brothers tried to stop him. He knew if they tried to hold him and do what they'd done to Nick he'd get out the knife. Steeling himself, Pat put his hand to the door handle.

But suddenly his eyes were covered and his hands tied behind his back. He struggled against the bonds, slowly working his wrists free of the duct tape that was not too tight. Eventually he got his hands free and ripped the piece off covering his eyes, and he realized he was inside SAE's foyer. And not only was he inside SAE, but a pair of brothers looked like they were walking up the steps to the second floor, except that they were frozen.

Pat slowly approached them, confused, especially when he saw the way they were caught mid stride, in an impossible position to hold. Pat waved in front of their faces and clapped his hands, but they gave no reaction. Pat's confusion turned to fear as he struggled to comprehend what weird world he'd found himself in, but eventually he put that aside and went around the frozen pair, towards the room he guessed Nick was in.

He passed a few more frozen brothers on his way up to the Tower, and when he climbed up the metal staircase he felt his anger come roaring back as he saw the state Nick was in, frozen as the rest of them, but his ass was beet red and welted, his ass and face covered in cum, his unmoving lips obviously caught mid-tremble as tears rimmed his eyes. Pat took off his shirt and tried to clean Nick off as best he could, then let his soiled shirt fall to the ground as he went to work freeing Nick from the sling.

Even stuck in his pose, Nick was easy to move, almost effortless. Pat slung him over his shoulder and carried him out of the house. As he closed the front door behind him and turned toward the road he sucked in his breath. The rain hung in the air, millions of tiny jewels reflecting the light of the street lamps like diamonds, and a lightning bolt painted across the clouds.

Pat reached out a hand to touch one of the suspended drops, but the moment he did thunder shook his bones, the downpour fell again, and Nick became heavy and squirmed out of his grip.

Nick dropped to the porch and looked up at Pat unbelieving, "You? It was you?!"

Pat looked down at Nick in a daze, still in shock from what he'd just witnessed.

"How could you fucking do this shit to me?" Nick cried out, scared and furious, but the look of confusion on Pat's face made him doubt.

"I didn't do anything to you," Pat finally said, pulling himself together, "I just fucking got you out of there. Some blocked number texted me and I came here to get you, but when I went inside it was like--the whole world was frozen!"

Nick's anger broke and he started to laugh and cry at the same time. The sound of some guys from inside the frat house made Pat his arm under Nick's to lift him up, "We gotta get you out of here bro."

As they walked into the rain suddenly Nick's blanket appeared on his shoulder. Both guys had seen too much to be surprised, and Pat just wrapped it around Nick's naked body as he put an arm across Nick's shoulders, gently leading him back to Pat's dorm through the rain.

Campus was abandoned because of the storm, and the two managed to get up to Pat's floor without running into anybody. But as they were about to enter Pat's room his neighbor's door opened, and a blond freshman walked out oblivious, an Xbox controller and a pair of batteries in hand. Till he turned and saw them.

"Nick? What the fuck happened?" he asked, shocked at Nick soaked, nearly naked and barely holding himself up. When Nick saw who it was he bit his lip and looked away. Pat spoke up.

"Just some SAE shit," Pat said. He opened his door and gestured Nick to the bathroom, "Hop in the shower, I'll come check on you in a second." Without a word Nick went inside, and Pat turned back to the neighbor he barely knew. "Uh...it's Zach, right?"

"Yeah, dude, everything ok? He looked kinda fucked up," Zach said, looking genuinely concerned.

"It's nothing it's--no offense but it's private," Pat said. "Look, you and Sean are friends, right? I'm going to text him, but if you see him around could you tell him I need the room tonight? Maybe let him crash with you guys?"

"Yeah, whatever you need man," Zach said.

"Appreciate it," Pat said and he went into his room as Zach continued down the hallway. Pat went into the bathroom and found Nick kneeling in front of the shower.

"I'm sorry, dude, I just couldn't fucking stand anymore," Nick mumbled, so embarrassed he was near tears, "And when I tried to sit on the toilet my fucking ass hurt so bad I--"

"You're fine, bro," Pat said soothingly as he reached into the shower and turned it on, "Come on, let's get you cleaned off then you can just lay down."

Pat helped Nick into the shower, then waited outside it as Nick slowly cleaned himself off, getting the last of the dried cum off him and finally getting his dick out of the cock cage's ring. When he was done Nick passed him a towel to lightly dry off and offered him a shirt and a light pair of gym shorts, but even thin nylon was too painful on his raw cheeks. So Nick laid down on his belly naked from the waist down on Pat's bed.

"What the fuck is goin' on Nick? What happened tonight?" Pat finally asked. So, Nick told him everything. From the time he'd discovered all his computer files were deleted, to the last text he'd gotten from master that morning. He told him about Zach and all the other people he'd blackmailed into having sex with him. He told him about how the cock cage had suddenly appeared on his dick, about his pants disappearing in the middle of class, about the motel, and everything that had happened since this morning. Nick had never even laid it out this clearly in his mind, and to suddenly have told Pat everything all at once was overwhelming. By the time he got to being left in the dark till suddenly he was outside in the rain in Pat's arms Nick's face was buried in the pillows as he wept.

Pat was in shock. He'd never have believed this story in a million years, but for what he'd just seen a few minutes earlier. Slowly he said, "Well, it sounds like you're done right? Yeah, it was horrible, honestly Nick you did some horrible shit, but you paid for it. And now you're free."

"No I'm not, Pat," Nick said, sniffling, "I told you, Kyle said he'd fucking share my blackmail videos unless I did the same fucking shit for the frat, all that's happened is I've changed masters."

"Fuck that, bro," Pat said confidently, "He was bluffing. All the shit you know about SAE--that we know about them? They do that to you you can go nuclear. Tell admin or just the cops where they keep the drugs, or about the fucking Tower, or the hazing shit we gotta do. Those fucks did this to you, you don't owe them shit. Tell them to leave you the fuck alone or you'll burn SAE to the ground."

That cheered Nick up. He couldn't find a flaw in the logic. Maybe he really was free. Like he could finally see the light at the end of the tunnel, Nick turned to face Pat, "I'm really sorry bout what I did to you, squirt. I wish I had told you, or found somebody else, or..."

"I never would've believed it," Pat smiled down at him, "And if you'd found somebody else I wouldn't have gotten awesome fucking blowjobs every morning. I'm just sorry you had to do it at all."

"Compared to all the rest of it, sucking you off wasn't so bad. Honestly, by the end...I kinda enjoyed it," Nick said, blushing. He'd told Pat everything else, might as well admit that.

Pat looked at him funny, and slowly put his hand on Nick's cheek, and let his thumb trace Nick's mouth. He looked like he wanted to say something, but couldn't think of the words. Instead he leaned down and kissed him. Gentler than he had that morning, but just as passionate, and far more sensually as his hand cupped Nick's face. And Nick kissed him back, his heart feeling like it could break from Pat's tenderness after all the cruelty he'd experienced that night. Eventually Pat pulled back and grinned at him.

"So, you're telling me you haven't been able to jerk off in over two months right?" Pat asked. Nick chuckled and nodded, already feeling his hardon press into Pat's bed. "Well, I got blue balled fucking hard this morning, so how bout a little jerk off session?"

Gingerly Nick turned onto his side, his dick springing up. Pat stripped and laid down across from him, the head of his dick rubbing against Nick's. Pat reached down and gripped Nick's dick, "Must feel good to feel a hand on it again."

"Fucking amazing," Nick laughed as his voice broke. He reached down for Pat's and started stroking him in time with Pat stroking his. Nick brought his face close to Pat's and they started kissing again as they jerked each other, and in less than a minute Nick felt his dick pulse and shoot the biggest load he could remember onto Pat's, and feeling that Pat shot too. But even after they came they didn't stop making out.

----

"That's such bullshit," Zach yelled as he watched Scorpion yank Sub Zero's head and spine from his body before setting his face on fire. Jake cackled.

"You're just salty there's something I can beat you at," he said.

"You mean every fucking video game ever made?"

"Yep," Jake grinned. They'd been playing for hours, Jake blissfully unaware of the multiple trips Zach had made in watch world. Zach pulled his phone from his pocket.

"It's nearly 10. I'm gonna go find Sean."

"Fuck that, dude, it's pouring out. Not our problem he's not answering our texts."

"Still, doesn't mean he deserves to walk in on whatever culty shit the SAE guys are getting up to in his room."

"Fair point. You want me to join?"

"No offense, Jake, but it may go better just me."

"None taken. Thanks for hanging though, bro, probably won't be able to again till the play's done, right?"

"Yeah, but we're almost there. And Saturday night's gonna be the craziest party ever. I'll see you soon."

With a bro hug, Zach left Jake and walked down the hallway. He took a quick look around before pausing time.

Zach briefly looked in on Pat and Nick making out. He'd put the douchebag through a lot, but Zach was content with where he ended up. He wasn't done with SAE though.

Zach went outside and pulled out his poncho as he walked through the suspended rain. He let himself into SAE and went to the basement. From the bar he grabbed a handle of Everclear, then he went up to the Tower.

----

Sean was alone on the fourth floor of the library, looking out a floor to ceiling window at the rain and lightning blanketing the campus. At the sound of rain soaked shoes squelching behind him, Sean turned to see Zach and couldn't help but smile at his friend looking like a wet dog.

"You know, it's raining a little bit," Zach said lightly as he plopped down on the seat next to Sean.

"You don't say," Sean said with an embarrassed grin.

"You should also know," Zach said conspiratorially, "This is like the cruising spot on campus."

"Why do you think I'm here?" Sean said, still grinning but with a hint of bitterness in his tone.

"Have any luck?" Zach said, keeping his own voice light and inquisitive.

"Well, one guy made eyes at me to head to the bathroom, but then he disappeared. Then it started pouring and nobody else has even come up. Cept you."

"I'm getting bored of D, just need some anonymous understall action," Zach said, getting a laugh from Sean. "Actually I'm here cause your roommate asked me to tell you he needs the room tonight."

"Yeah, I heard. Guess I can't be too annoyed, it's basically been a single most of the semester. He can have it for a night. He got some chick with him or something?"

"A brother actually, and he looked kinda fucked up."

"Fucking SAE man, what the fuck's goin on in there?"

"Probably best we don't know. You can have my bed tonight if you want. I'll crash with D."

"Better than my plan to sleep on a couch here I guess."

They sat in an awkward silence till Sean said, "Sorry I ignored you and Jake's texts."

"It's fine."

"Nah, it's bitchy. And it was bitchy to run away like that."

"Jake can be an asshole."

"Only if telling the truth makes you an asshole."

"It can, but that's not the point. You're not a third wheel, Sean. Me and D are never like 'ugh when's this jerk gonna leave us alone,' you're our friend, we love spending time with you. If you're a third wheel it's only cause we got a badass tricycle thing goin on."

"Badass tricycle? Really?" Sean grinned despite himself.

"It's the only 3 wheeled thing that came to mind. The point still stands."

"I guess so. It's not like I don't love spending time with you guys, too," Sean said, twiddling his thumbs before he continued, "I got a call from my Dad a little bit ago. He found out about Emily. And my ear piercings."

"Well, we knew that was coming right? How'd it go?"

"Bout as well as I expected. Lot of screaming. Eventually I just hung up on him. I could've said a lot, but...I figured silence worked just as well. It's a bad habit, I get in an uncomfortable spot and just walk away."

"Probably better than saying something you'd regret. It's good to give yourself some time to think things through."

Sean was about to respond but then he heard Zach's phone buzzing. Zach took it out, saw it was Jake, and answered it.

"What's up? Seriously? Holy shit, we'll be right behind you."

Zach hung up and Sean asked, "What was that about?"

In a shocked voice but with a hint of a grin playing around the corners of his mouth, Zach answered, "SAE is on fire."

Zach and Sean immediately got up and left the library, Zach offering Sean his umbrella, but they both decided speed was more important and ran through the rain. When they reached SAE a large crowd of brothers and curious students, as well as a fire brigade, surrounded the house. They all watched wide eyed as the top of the Tower was engulfed in an inferno.

----

The arson investigator found it was an accidental fire brought about by negligence. A spilled bottle of grain alcohol was left to soak into old wooden floorboards. A cigarette left burning precariously on a window ledge tumbled as it burned down, and immediately set the grain alcohol alight. The sound proofing panels and curtains served as an accelerant, which resulted in the rather spectacular blaze that lit up the SAE turret tower like a lighthouse.

It was unclear who had pulled the fire alarm, or even why, as the alarm was set off well before anyone seemed to know there was a fire. The investigator ultimately wrote it off as a serendipitous prank. No one was injured in the blaze.

In fact, apart from the gutted turret tower, there was little damage to the building. The heavy rain shower helped the fire department contain the fire swiftly. Most of the property damage the frat brothers suffered, which was rather extensive, was due to the house's sprinkler system soaking their rooms with water blackened and stinking after sitting in pipes for 20 years.

Of far more concern was what police and campus investigators found in their routine search of the building. Not only the usual alcohol and weed they'd expect when they went through any frat house, but an immense quantity of cocaine and a variety of date rape drugs.

Rather than take on the bad publicity, the school administration offered the fraternity a deal--disband and surrender the property to the college, and no charges would be filed. There were no objections.

[Author's Note: We are on track for 2 more chapters plus an epilogue. I am very, very excited to share the ending, I've been thinking about if for a long time and it should be a lot of fun. Thanks for sticking through this series with me.]