I feel like a raging dumpster fire.
They were close. Very, very close. Patton could feel it. Remy confirmed that they would be there soon, becoming more on edge than Patton had ever seen him. Patton nervously fiddled with the sleeves of Virgil's hoodie that he'd tied around his shoulders. He just wanted to get Virgil back. To hug his dark strange son and keep him safe.
He needed to keep him safe.
Suddenly, Patton's train of thought was cut off by an awful, bloodcurdling scream. Patton froze.
"Virgil." Patton's voice cracked in terror as he took off toward the sound. The others followed closely. Patton just hoped they'd get there in time.
When Virgil woke, he wasn't sure what was real anymore. Did his famILY really cast him out? Had he been rescued at all? Was Landon here?
Then Deceit strode out of the shadows. Virgil tried to scramble away, surprising himself when he managed to move into a corner. There was no escape, but at least Landon couldn't rabbit behind him. It was a lesser of two evils.
"Well look who's feeling better," Deceit purred. In actuality, every part of Virgil's body was screaming in agony-especially his decimated wings-but he sure as heck wasn't going to let Landon know that. "Glad to see it. Now we can have more fun."
And with no other warning beside the statement, Landon stepped down hard on Virgil's wrist. It shattered on impact with a sickening crunch. Completely blindsided by the pain, a scream ripped its way through his throat. Deceit chuckled darkly.
"The light sides are coming," he hissed. "And I can't wait to make them feel...welcome."
Roman's heart was racing. The echo of Virgil's scream still rang in his ears. He just wanted to protect his family, like a prince should be able to. But he'd failed, and now Virgil was paying the price.
He and Virgil's relationship had started off rocky, but he'd grown to enjoy the emo's company. He felt protective of him, to the point he'd occasionally check up on him to see if he needed something, or just someone to talk to.
He turned the corner, half a step behind Patton. Both sides ran straight into a stone wall, Logan and Remy only barely managing to skid to a stop. Roman pounded on the wall, tears provoking in his eyes. They were so close. In desperation, Roman drew his sword and began hacking at the solid rock. He had to get through.
Virgil could feel the hot tears streaming down his face as Landon continued to kick the ever living crap out of him. He was curled up in a fetal position, cradling his broken wrist. His wings were folded(as well as they could be) and pressed tightly to his back to make him a smaller target. This didn't seem to stop Deceit from landing blow after blow. He kicked, punched, whipped, and stabbed, as well as tormenting Virgil's mind with horrible visions of his friends dying or them casting him out or (the worst ones) they themselves hurting him. Strained whimpers escaped Anxiety, echoing through the huge room.
However, there was a sliver of hope. Vibrations sounded through one of the walls, at times indistinguishable from the beating he was taking. But it meant someone was on the other side. Someone was trying to get through. And Virgil clung to it as the tears flowed. They'll come, they'll come, they'll come.
Logan adjusted his glasses for the fortieth time in half as many seconds. He was studying the wall, attempting to find any weak point or secret entrance.
His heart rate was too fast. He needed to calm down. To think rationally. But he could practically sense Virgil's pain behind the wall, the dark feeling of fear and anxiety causing touches of eyeshadow to appear around everyone's eyes.
"Roman, stop hacking for a moment," he called, voice cracking slightly with strange emotions. "I need to inspect the door for any weaknesses."
Roman didn't seem to hear him. His eyeshadow was darker than the others as Virgil's powers played off Creativity's own anxiety. His slashes were erratic, frantic.
Logan didn't know what to do. And the very idea of not knowing what to do terrified him. It was his job to know everything. That is what kept Thomas safe. And know he was failing. He just hoped he could gain his composure soon, or Virgil would suffer for his inability to function.
"Alright ladies," Remy called. "This is taking way too long. Virgie and I don't get along very well, but I'll give up Starbucks before I let him get hurt. So stand aside babes!"
Remy set down his drink and reached into his jacket. He drew a huge rocket launcher, and aimed it at the wall.
"Will one of you gurls kindly remove Sir stabbykins before he gets hurt? The last thing Thomas needs is two hurt Protectors."
Patton managed to drag Princy out of the way, and Remy fired the launcher with practiced precision. The subsequent explosion shook the mind palace.
"Aw," Remy cooed, slapping a kiss on the still steaming weapon, "Babygirl i've missed you!"
The explosion blew Virgil forward. Landon, seeming to know what was going to happen, had moved to the far side of the room in a flash. But Virgil, beaten black and blue, was caught in the blast. Luckily, he was only slightly singed, and thrown across the room. It hurt less than anything that had happen while he was captured. Unfortunately, he was a bit dazed, leaving him unprotected and limp as he struggled to regain motor function.
The sight he beheld through blurry vision was that of angels. Four figures, two in black, one in red, and another in blue had weapons drawn as they entered his prison. He wasn't 100% sure it was real, but he had hope.
The sight Patton beheld would be seared into his mind forever. Virgil lay in the middle of the room, looking small and broken. He was shirtless, his exposed torso and arms covered in all manner of injuries. Behind him, a breathtaking pair of black, silver, and purple wings lay maimed, twitching slightly. Deceit stood in the shadows, brandishing a whip and smirking. A yellow flash of light flooded his vision.
Patton was suddenly back in his room. Deceit towered over him, half-snake features sneering down at him. Patton realized he was trapped in the form of a puppy. A rope was around his neck, and Deceit held the other end. He was completely at the mercy of the Dark side.
Deciet's scaly fingers, for some reason free of gloves, caressed Patton's curly brown fur. But there was nothing comforting about the touch. In fact, it felt intrusive and possessive. Patton whimpered and squeezed his eyes shut.
I'm trapped.
Roman was in the imagination. He couldn't figure out how he got there or what he was doing before. The only clue was the flash of yellow that had clouded his vision just before he appeared here. And yellow was…
Deceit. The cursed snake must've trapped him somewhere. He drew his sword, looking for danger, but saw nothing.
Suddenly, something dark and very large dove from the sky. Roman couldn't tell what it was, but it gave off a powerful, evil aura. So he transformed his sword into a longbow and took aim. Shooting was more of Logan's expertise, but Roman was the second best in the mind palace. He let the arrow fly. It impaled itself in the beast, which stopped charging and began falling. It crashed a few yards away from the Prince.
Roman went over to inspect the creature, but immediately wished he hadn't. Virgil lay sprawled out in the grass, bloodstained hands gripping the white arrow sprouting from his stomach. His breathing was shallow and laboured, brown eyes devastatingly dull. Magnificent wings bloomed from his back, shimmering in the sunlight and dialed with a crimson liquid.
"V-Virgil?" Roman fell to his knees in despair, cradling his friend's head. He looked down in horror at the damage he'd done.
"I...I trusted you." Virgil gasped, blood leaking from the corner of his mouth.
"I'm sorry," Roman sobbed. Virgil coughed, a hacking sound that tore Roman's soul apart. As his friend died, he squeezed his eyes shut.
I hurt him.
Logan found himself in the living room. He tried to remember what he was doing, but all he could remember was a flash of yellow light.
Thomas sat on the couch. He was expressionless, his face void of the jovial smile he usually wore. Logan made eye contact with his host, and Thomas's eyes narrowed.
"Are you satisfied, Logic?" Thomas's sharp tone caught him off guard.
"I do not understand…"
"You never did," Thomas snapped bitterly. "I've done everything you told me to. I went back to school. I got a real job. I removed emotion from the equation."
Logan's mind was whirling as Thomas continued his rant. "And where did it lead me!? I'm all alone! My old friends don't want anything to do with me. I have an education, but I never did anything with it because I have no time. I sit at a desk for hours of everyday, wasting my life away. Are you satisfied!?"
Logan closed his eyes, fighting off tears.
I have ruined everything.
Remy didn't know where he was. He appeared to be alone, floating in space. Instrumental music echoed from somewhere. The Twenty Øne Piløts instrumental tracks? His jacket, sunglasses, and drink were gone. He felt exposed. Alone.
Sleep was a very social person. While Virgil was an introvert, Remy was an extrovert. They were two sides of the same coin. Bubbly, moody. Happy, sad. Sunny, stormy. So while Virgil probably would have enjoyed chilling in the darkness alone, listening to music, Remy felt uncomfortable. Restless.
He closed his eyes, breathing deeply. He hoped someone would find him soon.
I'm all alone.
Virgil looked on in horror as all four of his rescuers crumpled to the floor clutching their temples. He glanced back at Landon, wide eyed.
"Like it V?" Landon hissed, drawing closer. "It's called a Mirage. I've trapped them in their own minds to live out their worst fears for the rest of their existence. You made the perfect bait, and now the the 3 major Light sides are powerless to stop us from taking over!"
Virgil needed to do something. Anything. Wincing, he drew himself up into a standing position, creating a barrier between his famILY and the Dark side. He put no weight on his injured ankle, balancing on his good foot. He cradled his broken wrist. Blood dripped from hundreds of cuts all over his form. He looked weak, but his inner fire was burning bright.
"I won't let you hurt them," Virgil stated, spreading his wings to their full wingspan. He completely shielded them from Deceit. He knew he couldn't last much longer, but he had to do his job. He had to protect them.
Deceit sneered. "So be it little hero."