The Chains That Bind - MLM (John Kramer X M!Reader)

Chapter 16: The Copycat

The day began in a way that felt eerily familiar by now. The warehouse was filled with the usual hum of activity-Amanda working in one room, Hoffman brooding in another, and John overseeing it all with that same calm precision. You had learned to find comfort in the routine, in the unspoken rhythm of life under John's careful guidance.

But the day took a sharp turn when the news broadcast interrupted the silence. On the small television in the corner of the room, a breaking news segment flashed across the screen: "DISAPPEARING CASES LINKED TO JIGSAW. COPYCAT MURDERS ON THE RISE."

Your eyes flicked over to John, who stood with his arms crossed, staring at the screen. His expression remained unreadable, but there was a flicker of something behind his eyes-annoyance, maybe, or disappointment.

"They think they understand," John said, his voice calm but laced with disdain. "But they don't."

You said nothing, waiting for him to continue. Over the past months, you had learned that John often spoke in layers, and patience was required to fully grasp what he meant.

"These people," he went on, his eyes never leaving the screen, "they think they can imitate my work. They think they understand the purpose of my games." His voice grew colder, harder. "But they lack the vision. The purpose. They're nothing more than killers."

You nodded, understanding what he meant. John's games, twisted as they were, always carried a purpose-a deeper meaning that went beyond mere violence. But the copycats? They were just using his methods as an excuse for their own desires.

One name stood out on the news report, one that piqued John's attention: Anon, a shut-in man who had recently attempted his own version of Jigsaw's games. The details were sparse, but it was clear that Anon had targeted a woman in his building, someone he had developed an obsession with. The news anchor reported that the woman had been found unconscious but alive, and the police were now investigating the incident as a possible copycat case.

John turned off the television, the room plunging into silence.

"He's desperate for attention," John said after a moment. "A poor imitation, driven by infatuation and delusion."

Amanda looked up from her work, her expression sharp. "He's pathetic," she muttered.

John nodded slowly. "He's also dangerous. He's drawn attention to my work in ways that could compromise everything."

You remained silent, but your mind was already working. You had become adept at reading John's moods, at understanding when he was about to make a move. And this-this was a moment where something would be done. John wouldn't let someone like Anon tarnish his legacy.

"We'll bring him in," John said, turning to you. "He'll learn what it means to truly face a test."

................

It didn't take long to locate Anon. He lived alone in a dingy apartment, the kind of place that screamed isolation and desperation. His neighbors barely knew him, only that he kept to himself and rarely left the building. The police had already been there, but Anon had fled before they could apprehend him.

You and John arrived at the apartment under the cover of night. The building was quiet, and the hallways smelled faintly of mold and decay. John's calm presence next to you was reassuring, even as the tension in the air thickened with each step. You knew what was coming, and your role in it had become second nature by now.

The door to Anon's apartment was unlocked. Inside, the place was a mess-scattered papers, fast food containers, and a lingering stench of neglect. In one corner of the room, a small television played a news report about the very case you were investigating.