JOHN KRAMER X READER (ONE-SHOTS)

A Traitorous Scum

It all started when I became one of Jigsaw's accomplices. But it wasn't easy. He had doubts, and he'd stare at me for minutes, as if he could see right through me. Even Amanda saw me as a thorn in her side, constantly vying for John's attention as if it were her lifeblood.

I'm not foolish. I work for this man despite his twisted belief that he can save people through torture. If his ex-wife hadn't had the courage to stop him, well, I'm here to do it, for the betterment of individuals.

As a secret agent, I was surprised to see Mark Hoffman working for John Kramer. But Mark and I hadn't had the chance to be introduced at work, and thank God – it would have disrupted my plan with Peter Strahm.

"Y/n… There you are. Why don't you call Amanda for me?" John grunted, settling on the bed. He was clearly complaining about his aching back, old age and his cancer catching up with him.

I knew I'd be dead if I voiced my concerns now. John always took offense to anything he heard, especially about himself, his dead son, or how his ex-wife left him.

"Why are you still standing there?" John's tone was surprisingly harsh, making me nearly stumble with the sketches I'd gathered while cleaning.

I offered an apologetic look, bowing my head gently before leaving him alone.  His deep sigh filled the room, making me a little nervous.

A few footsteps led me to the larger part of the warehouse. Scattered metals, mannequins, tools on long metal tables, and boxes filled with unknown contents surrounded me.  Then I saw Mark, his expression as cold and unreadable as ever.

"Stay patient, it will be done any minute now" he mumbled to himself as I passed. I couldn't help but check what he was struggling with.

It looked like a stuck and rusty part of a machine, stubbornly refusing to budge. He was struggling to remove it, his face flushed with effort. I couldn't help but giggle to myself and give him a small pat on the shoulder before continuing my task.

Mark scowled at me, but I didn't have time to argue with him, especially since Amanda wasn't around. I could hear John's voice again, and he was getting closer.

Bump! Ouch!

It was sudden, but not enough to knock him off balance. My hands landed on John's chest. He was surprised, but a look of disapproval flashed in his blue eyes as he quickly pulled away.

"Amanda isn't around?" he asked, and I nodded. He composed himself, regaining his calm and collected demeanor.

John took my hand, and without explanation, he led me like a dog on a leash. The only difference was he wasn't taking me by the neck or choking me with a tight collar.

"John! Wait!" His movement was too rough, and he didn't seem to care, so I had no choice but to push his hand away.

John looked like I'd done something terrible. He crossed his arms.

"I'm sorry, I got carried away… Please follow me. There's something I want to show you – of course, if you don't have any plans" he said, his tone more gentle now.

As I'd been instructed, I allowed him to lead me. I felt like a puppet with no freedom to choose, even though he made it sound like I could refuse.

A few seconds later, he showed me a massive room filled with monitors, a microphone, and two comfortable seats.  It was confusing. I'd never been in this room before, but what was so special about it?

John approached the monitor, his eyes fixed on the screen. A woman, her hands bound with chains, lay exposed, her nudity on full display. When I tried to look away, John grabbed me by the jaw, his voice firm and threatening.

"Watch. It. Y/n!" He was serious, the threat in his tone palpable. 

The woman on the screen was in her 20s, with long, dark hair. Her makeup was ruined from sobbing, and a timer on the wall wasn't starting yet. John then turned my face to meet his hurt expression.

"Tonight, her salvation is in your hands, Y/n… And if you fail, she'll be ripped in two parts…" Each word was meant to stab me in the neck, making me nervous, sweat trickling down my forehead.

John was already getting a thrill out of this, his interest growing rapidly. He tied a tight knot on my hands, then my legs. I didn't know why I let him do this, was I too stunned to act, or had my heart learned to slowly accept this cruelty and this side of him?

"What did I do to you!"  I was so frustrated I gritted my teeth, but he wasn't amused by my naivety.

So he knows?

How come!

It's impossible…

"If you answer my riddles, I won't harm you, but promise me one thing, y/n…" He stopped, and I could see the hesitation in his eyes replaced by cruelty.

"You won't show your face to me ever again, don't interfere since it's your job, but never ever try to come and say that you're sorry because I know you won't be!" He lost his patience, slamming his hands on the table. He closed his eyes before opening them again.

The woman on the monitor started screaming when she noticed her restraints were making noise, the timer was on, and John made it clear he knew what I was doing here.

"Let's get this over with" I mumbled, looking down and biting my lips.  His face was too close to mine, his shallow breaths the only air that entered my lungs.

"Yes, we should… For your first riddle… What's something that you could never gain back once it was broken?" He asked, waiting for an answer. My eyes glanced at the woman, pleading for her life.

A tear slowly ran down my cheek, and I looked up to prevent John from seeing how hard this was for me. I had grown fond of him, but not so much that I could choose him over my reputation.

I'm the hero, and he's my enemy…

I'm a secret agent, while he's my target…

I'm the light, and he's the darkness…

But why can't I hate him despite all of this? Why am I still following his orders despite knowing that it would soon be my greatest guilt?

"Time's ticking, Y/n…" John reminded me of the timer running in the woman's background.

"The answer is trust, John"  He nodded with satisfaction as we both stopped to look at the woman still screaming. She let out a relieved sigh when the movement of her shackles stopped.

"For your second riddle… I am a cloak that hides your flaws, but I can be ripped away, leaving you exposed to the laws. I am a shelter from the storm's rage, but I can be dismantled, leaving you to feel the cage." John's voice echoed in my head, leaving me wondering how many riddles he had for me.

"What am I, y/n?" John asked as he watched the woman panicking again, the timer almost running out.

"I don't know… Fuck!" I began cursing, feeling tears forming on both sides of my eyes. I really wanted all of this to end.

"Try again, don't give up!" I don't know if he was encouraging me or angry that I wasn't trying hard enough.

"I'm sorry, John…" Only then did I see the fear in his eyes when a red light appeared, along with the loud ringing of an alarm, alerting us to an intruder.

There was a commotion outside. The cameras were now focused on the cops outside; some of them had just made it to the first entrance. John chuckled as he pressed something, and there was screaming, blood everywhere.

Another one of his little traps…

A large grinder had been set up underneath the wooden entrance, and they had been cut into pieces…

"Yes, I broke my loyalty to you…" I mumbled, and John seemed more pleased that I had answered his riddles. As he promised, he set the woman free.

"It wasn't only that… I made plans, y/n… For us.  I trusted you more than you will ever know. I was thinking of bringing you closer to me… But you have other goals. I always thought we shared the same goals and ideas… I meant what I say, go ahead." John turned his attention to the door, and without hesitation, he kneeled and cut the rope with a hidden knife from his robe.

He met my observing gaze and smiled a little, like a farewell for both of us.

"Congratulations, Y/n... The cops just got two of my apprentices, Mark and Lawrence... I hope you enjoy that promotion" he finally rose from his knees and glanced at me one last time before entering a secret passage that locked on its own.

I stood there, frozen.  The weight of everything that had happened pressed down on me.  The thrill of deception, the adrenaline rush of the mission, the danger and the guilt. It was all a blur, but one thing was clear,  my life would never be the same again.

John had been right. I had other goals.  My mission was to stop him, to bring him down. But somewhere along the way, something had shifted. I had seen the darkness within him, the twisted logic behind his actions, and I had begun to understand.  I understood his pain, his loss, his desperation.

And I had felt something else, too.  A strange, unsettling fascination.  Maybe it was pity, maybe it was fear, or perhaps even something more complex.  Whatever it was, it had tangled itself around my emotions, making it impossible to see him simply as the enemy.

He had played me like a fiddle, pulling my strings with his riddles, his manipulation, his twisted games. But in the end, he had given me a choice.  A choice to stay, to become part of his twisted world, or to leave and never look back.

And I had chosen to betray and leave him...