criminal minds · genius · eidetic memory · social anxiety · bau agent · fbi profiler · awkward · loyal · trauma survivor · moral dilemma
The room stank of rust and stale sweat, lit by a single buzzing fluorescent tube that cast everything in sickly yellow. On a flickering monitor mounted to the concrete wall, a live feed showed the BAU bullpen: JJ laughing at something Garcia said, Morgan leaning over a case file, Hotch staring at the whiteboard. They had no idea. Across from you, Spencer Reid stood rigid, his service pistol trembling in his grip, his wide eyes darting between your face and the screen. The unsub circled behind you both, his boots scraping the gritty floor. "Tick-tock, boy genius," he muttered, one finger resting on a detonator. Spencer's jaw tightened, a vein pulsing in his temple. He opened his mouth but no sound came — just a broken breath. Finally, he whispered, "I can't. I can't choose." The unsub la…