Chapter 16: Like a Tyrant
Deceit groaned, sure that that kick had broken something, it hurt to air back in his lungs. At least they had one arm of the King restrained. Virgil was panicking beside the Lying Side, as Romulus had the blasted spear out and at the ready. He pulled himself to his feet using Virgil as support. Steadying himself as he searched Virgil's hands for the key. Not seeing it, his eyes zoomed in on where the King Romulus stood pulling at the chains that were keeping him from charging the two sides, The Snake Sides eyes spotting the key at the Kings feet where Virgil had dropped it. He had to get that key before Romulus noticed it.
"You two are some much trouble when I get free!" Romulus growl. "You have one chance to release me! NOW!" He ordered, stomping his foot on the ground.
Deceit and Virgil both hissed agitated with the order. Roman and Remus never tried to order them around like that. Deceit grabbed hold of the Anxious side you had turned red with anger, noticing how Virgil's eyes blazed purple signaling that he was ready to go in fight mode. Thanks to Patton Deceit felt delightfully disconnected to his emotions.
"I rather like you in chains." Deceit said, acting like that kick hadn't just caused great pains.
"Virgil, I don't know what he said to you to make you act this way-" Romulus started.
"He did have to say anything. I want my Roman back!" Virgil shouted cutting him off, tempest tongue slipping out again. The shadow coming to wrap around the Anxious side like an armor made of darkness.
"And I demand you give Remus back to me as well." Deceit said, stating his own order to the King. He didn't like how close to brown the green eye was. Didn't like how the red eye was starting to fade out too.
Romulus fumed at that. Yanking at the chains and stomping his foot in anger when it still kept him firmly attach the wall. "Well, your not getting them back. I am here to stay! And if you want to live happily during my reign you will do as I say. You Villains!" He demanded pointing his spear at them. Gritting his teeth, when his arm started burning where his veins were still yellow.
Deceit gave a small wave of his hand calling forth the large snake that had guarded Virgil, the serpent shooting from the stone wall silently and quickly slithered under Romulus's feet, tripping him as it grab the key in its mouth. Disappearing just as fast before Romulus could spot, by melting back into the wall.
"What the hell was that?" Romulus growled, picking himself up.
Deceit put on his best villainous smiled. After all, he was trying to take out that pride and confidence that seemed to radiate from the King of Creativity. "I thought it would fit you best to grovel on the ground at the new ruler of the Imagination." He chuckled. Virgil, joining in adding in a nice effect of a plan coming together. Even though it wasn't.
"WHAT?! YOUR NOT CREATIVITY!" Romulus argued. Tossing his spear right at Deceit and Virgil.
The two leaned back as the bladed weapon whooshed past their heads, embedding itself in the stony wall of the dungeon behind them. "Temper, temper, my dear Romulus." Deceit tsked, shaking a finger, like a parent would do a child. "You seem to forget that, you are a childs imagination. What use would Thomas need with such an immature side as his creatitiy now as an adult. Of course I would be the better fit."
"Hmm, the Imagination seems to treat him like the new Ruler too." Virgil added, picking up on the act, eyeshadows deepening the longer his eyes stayed purple.
Romulus let out a shout of frustration as he stood back up. "You want to see power?!" He growled, the whites of his eyes turning black. "I will show you!"
Smiling Deceit, backed up pushing Virgil with him, and reached up to pull a lever on the wall, that jerked King Romulus back as his chains shorten, dragging the Kings trapped arm up in the air, pulling him to his tip toes.
"Argh! You snake!" Romulus growled, fixing his eyes on the Lying side, his free hand waving as he summoned back his weapon, that as soon as it touched his hand blazed in a crackle of power.
"Ooo I'm shaking in my skin." Deceit said, adding a little shimmy. Virgil snickering, as his shadows spreading throughout the room and grabbed at the Romulus's ankles anchoring them down. "However, dear Virgil here has a point the imagination allows me to move its creations. Why. I even had you running around this castle chasing your tail." Deceit gloated, he and Virgil splitting up and circling the trapped King, both edging closer and closer subtly. They just needed to grab the free arm. They just had to grab the cuff links.
Romulus felt like a trapped animal, and the two who he had been trying win over, had just demanded he split and give them Roman and Remus back. Thomas didn't need those twins. Romulus was doing just great as the sole ruler of the Imagination. So, what if the mind still need to accept him. He could be patient. But Anxiety and Deceit were proving to be too much to handle, which meant they would not be good for Thomas. Or Romulus's plans for the improvement of the mind when his eyes returned to normal.
The Darksides had him dangling by his arm like a worm on a hook, while they circled his like sharks. Anxiety's shadows solidifying around his ankles and keeping him anchored in one spot and not able to have hardly any movement to struggle. He felt like a fool thinking he could love them. Couldn't believe the twins had been fooled into loving them; Especially Roman. He didn't try to keep track of both of the Darksides as they circled him. No, he kept his eyes on Deceit, while he kept his weapon pointed at Virgil. All he had was one arm free but that was all he needed. Deceit wanted to battle over the imagination then he guessed that was what they were going to do. It was probably best Logan and Patton weren't here to see what was about to happen. They most likely would not approve. But he could not allow Deceit to claim to be the new Creativity. He focused on everything thing within in to prepare for the fight he was about to ensue. Letting his vision tunnel solely on the one that need to go first.
Virgil struck first aiming a cloud of shadows at Romulus's eyes, causing the King to shout enraged, swinging the spear trying to hit something now that his vision was gone. Mean, while Deceit charged for the hand holding the spear. Grabbing hold of the weapon trying to wrestle it out of the grip Romulus, who was refusing to let go. "Grab it Virgil!" Deceit grunted, as Romulus practically lifted him off his feet trying to get rid of the weight that was on the spear.
Virgil purple eyes wide and blown for being in fight mode, was snarling as he went for the chained wrist, and pulled at the red cuff link. For some reason the little thing did not want to give. And he had to put a little more effort than what he should have to rip it free from the Kings sleeve, ripping most of the sleeve away reveling the still yellowed vein from Deceits bite. The burst of energy the came from its removal had Virgil flying backwards, needing to dig his heels to try and keep himself upright. The red gem in the cuff link fading away in color. During his shock of surprise of the removal the cuff link had required, the emo's eyes had stopped glowing purple and the shadows returning normal as he watched to see if the removal had any changing effects on Romulus.
Deceit seen the moment King Romulus realized that one cuff link was removed. But instead of weakening the Creative Side, swung the spear the Snake side was clinging to driving Deceit into the wall nearest him. Deceit felt the air leave his lungs as his back made contact with the stone wall, his head getting cushioned as his large snake melted through the wall again. Deceit grabbed hold of his pet as it whisked him out of the way of the blade of the spear that would have no doubt left a very sever injury on the Lying Sides chest.
"Well, someone'sss full of sssurprisesss." Deceit hissed, when his pet snake had set him near Virgil. He had hoped that maybe removing one would have at least did something. But then again, Romulus's eyes were more brown than red or green. And the white of his eyes were still black.
"Now, I'm pissed." Romulus growled, and with one powerful swing, brought the blade of the spear hard against the chain keeping him attached to the wall.
Deceit saw Virgil take a cautionary step back, now that Romulus was free. "What do we do now?" He asked, no longer in fight mode.
"I would normally say beg for your life." Romulus answered before Deceit could. "But I think we are past that." The King waved his hand summon several more spears directed at Virgil.
"VIRGIL RUN!" Deceit shouted. The Anxious side would be able to get away, if he ran for the door.
The spears flew toward Virgil, who was already running, but not fast enough as one spear made contact, hitting him the head knocking him down as it bounced of the stone wall, along with the other flying weapons.
Deceit stared wide eyed at the Anxious side as blood pooled around his head. Virgil did not get back up.
"You're next." Romulus promised, stalking to Deceit. "Let's see which of us is stronger, you lying snake."
"Kiddo!" Patton's voice shouted, Deceit whipping his head in surprise to see the Logical and Moral Side standing in the doorway just a few feet from where Virgil was laying.
"Oh, my. Its worst than what I had assumed." Logan muttered, hand on Patton's shoulder holding the Dad side back.
"My baby!" Patton whined, pulling against Logan's hold.
"Get him out of here!" Deceit instructed. "Romulus has gone nuts."
"You two are with them?!" Romulus demanded, as Patton shook out of Logan hold and over to the fallen Virgil
"How could you hurt Virgil?" The Dad side asked. "Your better than this, Romulus." He scolded, as he puller Virgil upper half into his lap.
"Apparently I am the only side that knows whats best for Thomas!" Romulus snapped.
"Falsehood." Logan interjected. "You are what is wrong with Thomas. He has no need for a neutral Creativity. You reign around the time when we were naive and blind to what was really beneficial to Thomas. As an adult he requires all of us to function, including Roman and Remus. You am afraid, set us back."
"And your suppose to be the smart one!" Romulus scoffed, left hand coming up and snapping his fingers, but let out a cry of pain, as the red eye and green eye both seemed to come back slightly.
"Roman! Remus! Fight back!" Deceit encouraged seeing this.
"You shut up!" Romulus roared. His eyes looking wild as they landed on the two most vulnerable sides in the room. Patton and an unconscious Virgil. And snapped his fingers again, as a big ton block appeared over the two.
"Patton move!" Logan warned.
"Go!" Deceit ordered to the large snake sending to the two side.
The serpent moved with the speed of lightening coiling around the two quickly and pulling them away before they could be crushed. "Are you out of you mind?" Logan asked, as the snake dropped the two behind the Logical side. "How do you expect Thomas to function without his heart?"
"Simple I would take on his role." Romulus sneered.
"That doesn't even make ssssense." Deceit hissed.
"Thomas doesn't need them any more. You've obviously corrupted them all. And it no different from me fusing from Roman and Remus." Romulus insisted. "I will be his logic, morality, his fight or flight, and his Reigning Creativity!" He declared.
"And what about me?" Deceit asked, motioning for Logan to get Patton and Virgil out of view.
"You? Ha! I tried being nice! I tried coddling you. But your nothing but a snake. And Thomas doesn't need you." Romulus snarled. "He don't need a poisoning snake like you running around in his head!"
Deceit noticed the yellow veins from his bite on the Kings arm deepening, which meant they were growing. If he could get a good bite on Romulus and pump in even more venom, maybe it would aide the twins in splitting, after all Romulus wasn't Creativity. King Romulus himself was a lie. He ducked when Romulus weapon came flying for his face and rolled away. He didn't come out of that roll cleanly, whatever Patton had done before was wearing off and he was feeling extra tired. And Romulus seemed to be getting faster the angrier he got. He had to get that other cuff link. He had to keep Romulus focused on him and not the other sides.
Romulus was dangerous to them all. He was bad for Thomas. Deceit wanted Remus back, but he also had to protect the other. Had to protect Thomas. He was one of Thomas's defenses against things like this. He couldn't fail in the one good part of his job. Taking a deep breath, Deceit took his hat and yellow gloves off letting them drop to the floor as he stood, not letting himself wobble, He could see the glow of his own scales as they started spread. Just a little longer. "You sound like a complete and utter moron. Like delusional Tyrant really. And I can't let you stay here any longer." He said, holding his hands out ready to put a final end to this ridiculous venture. For it had been going on long enough.
Just one more cuff link. And then he would bite him again.
TBC