Trials, Traits and Truth

Strong Reasoning

Logan lifted his chin defiantly.

"I can tell you've done some thinking." Pitch said playfully. "I bet you think you've got some answers. It's on the wrong side of it however I'm afraid."

Logan's expression only grew darker with the lame pun. He raised his pen in what he judged to be a threatening manner his eyes narrowed.

"I'm angry and that's okay. Feel it. Acknowledge it."

Pitch seemed to read this thought process, starting to laugh and advancing towards the silent side.

Logan stood his ground, but Pitch came so close that they were practically nose-to-nose.

"We could do this together you know." Pitch cocked his head slightly, studying Logan's face. Logan just theatrically rolled his eyes.

"Suit yourself." Pitch narrowed his eyes and flicked his wrist. "Take all the time you need. I'll wait."

Logan blinked, then realised as he raised his arm that Pitch had conjured another energy cage around him. Logan smirked and shrugged his shoulders.

He'd done this. He could do it again. He had his pen.

Pitch didn't seemed phased by his captive's confidence. Instead, he just waved his arm and directed his darkness to dissipate behind him - parting enough to reveal two bodies on the ground.

Virgil was just lying on his back, vapidly gazing upwards. Logan didn't think he had ever seen him so calm or still.

Patton on the other hand was anything but. He was shaking and was curled into a ball, his face full of tears.

Logan deduced that Pitch had made both devices soundproof. He tried not to contemplate the noise that it was withholding from him.

Roman was conspicuously absent.

Logan got the message: the energy prisons had been tweaked. They no longer reflected emotions, they were individualised to achieve a desired effect.

"Now. I want to destroy Thomas, but, to do that, I have to break these guys down a little. Let them have a lil' bonding time, you know?"

Logan scowled at the obvious dad-joke, and tried to avoid showing Pitch how scared he was. Closing his eyes, he centred his mind where he thought the voice had come from before, and stabbed the energy wall with all his might.

His arm just painfully jerked back, having made no difference whatsoever.

Pitch tutted. "That's not going to work again." Pitch started taking steps over to Virgil. Logan froze, eyes wide.

"Doesn't he look peaceful?" He cooed, almost in a loving tone.

Logan had to concede that Virgil looked better than he had had in months - his slack and relaxed face was almost unrecognisable. It struck him how tense the poor kid must always be.

"A little dose of Patton's energy...a whole lot of yours...and a lil smidge of ol' Pitch." He said proudly.

Against his will, Logan's mind kicked into gear and started running through the possibilities. What Pitch was offering was a chance to rebuild Thomas from scratch...Logan could make the optimum version of themselves in every possible way...

Pitch laughed at Logan's growing look of scientific interest.

'Logan, hold on to me.'

" You are not physical so it is impossible to hold on to you."

Logan was growing more clinical and emotionally removed by the second, something Pitch was watching with glee.

A Logic with emotional capacity? That wouldn't do for Pitch. The energy cage was siphoning off all those, icky feelings.

'Hold on to me with your emotions...your heart.'

A series of images flashed across Logan's mind...Thomas enrolling in College...Virgil asking to be taught more about the scientific side of anxiety...Patton making cookies...Roman apologising.

"I'll hold onto you." Logan thought determindedly. "Please hold onto me...I'm going to try something."

He could feel his chest get a little warmer, and he was sure if his shirt wasn't so dark that he would have seen a literal glow.

Logan looked up in a daze, and nodded to Pitch - who nearly broke into a dance. He held himself however, wanting to seal the effect.

"That's the problem with him." Logan thought firmly, closing his eyes as Pitch directed his darkness to close completely around him. "He's way too overconfident in his abilities."

The darkness mottled, bubbled, then sank away into darkness. It left Logan behind, standing straight.

Pitch barely breathed as he waited for Logan to say something.

After a long time of engaging in an unreadable staring match, Pitch got bored.

"Logan - "

"Call me Logic." Logan lifted his chin slightly, his eyes stony and expression neutral.

'I've got you. You're okay.'

"I've got you too."

"Now, let's get to work! Patton or Virgil first?"

Thinking fast, Logan adjusted his tie. "For the optimum result I will need more time. Please conjure a whiteboard, a calculator, and several whiteboard markers."

Pitch nodded, gleeful in his apparent victory.

Logan cleared his throat, hoping his next request would not give him away.

"I will also require the personality trait Creativity. I assume you possess it somewhere?"

Pitch just broke into a chilling, positively evil, grin.