Chapter 15
(Remus and the Others.)
"We're not going another step until you tell me what's going on! How do we know you're not just leading us to a death trap!" Roman growled, pulling back on his twins hold, his heels digging on the floor as Patton and Logan kept a firm grip on him. The fact that Remus was still able to drag them along; even though it was at a slow pace now, it was still unnerving.
"I agree I would like to know what was released back there." Logan said. He wasn't really holding on to Roman and pulling. Patton wasn't pulling against Remus's pull on Roman either. The Moral Side has just holding onto he and Roman, in case Remus got enough momentum again, and he and Patton wouldn't be left behind. Besides, Roman was resisting the Duke just fine on his own.
Remus growled back, and kept a firm hold on his twins arm and sash, unwilling to let the Light Sides weigh him down. He was literally pulling all three of them, and not making much progress in making it to where Janus and Thomas were. "What makes you think you fucking deserve an answer! You never cared before! But you damned Light Sides started all of this and now your going to help me fix it! So start moving! I'm not going to lose the one person who stuck by me all these years! I'm not going to let him disappear! I'll kill you all even Thomas if it happens!" Remus snapped. His eyes no longer looking sane the more angrier and irritated in their resistance he became.
"Remus, we can't go into battle without knowing what were up against!" Roman argued, although a bit more cautiously. They all knew that out of all the Sides, that if anyone of them would attempt to off all of them it would be Remus.
Remus snarled, gritting very sharp like teeth, before suddenly letting go of Roman, causing his brother to stumble backwards and colliding backwards. Logan and Patton moving back so not to be taken with him. Roman gasped when his back hit the floor, having not been prepared to catch himself for a sudden release. Remus had planned on grabbing Roman by the ankle while he was down to continue his way to where Thomas was at, but just as soon as Roman got his breath back Virgil dropped from the darkness right on top of his twin and some of the blood lust that Remus had been feeling simmered down enough that he was able to laugh at the karmic justice that was delivered.
"Virgil!" Patton cheered.
Virgil to his credit didn't seem to even hear Patton as his eyes snapped to Remus. "Remus!" He shouted, jumping to his feet and therefore on Roman who grunted and gasped at the sudden impact delivered to his body. The Anxious Side practically launched himself at the Duke grabbing his high collar and shaking it. ""It got out, Remus! It's near Thomas! Janus isn't here! Unless we get him back those copies aren't to be able to hold it! We're doomed! We're dead! Thomas is in DANGER!"
"I fucking know already!" Remus snapped, pushing Virgil off him and grabbed Roman's ankle; Who was in the process of climbing to his knees and began dragging his twin along as he dashed onward.
Virgil had grabbed onto Patton and Logan and was close behind. The two Dark Sides weaving through the darkness like it was second nature. They had to get there in time!
"Remus! Let me up!" Roman shouted as he was dragged by his ankle. His twin not even listening to his call.
(Thomas)
The shadow with orange eyes didn't move at the constricting grip Selfishness had on him. The faux lover like hug the Snake had him in made the shadow like Side with orange eyes rumble a chuckle. "Now this Side of you I do like, Deceit. I might this version." It said, a smiled could be heard in its voice.
Selfishness caught Thomas eyes, that were blown wide in fear, and sent a mischievous smirk his way. That if Thomas wasn't so scared, would have probably seen that it was meant to be comforting, despite that fangs that peeked out. "Ssso sssweet of you to sssay. You could join me, there'sss enough room in my painting for two." Selfishness hissed, into the shadows ear.
There was a clinking of chains as Self Preservation had re-linked his chains together on Selfishness's cuffs, that links pulling trying to pull the Serpent and the Shadow he was wrapped around, back tot he snake paintings.
"Wouldn't that be homey. Jussst you and me forever. No one to bother usss. We will thrive here. Resssting. Peacsseful. Calm." Selfishness continued with a victorious smirk, trying to distract the entity of their slow guidance to the painting. Away from Thomas.
The entity suddenly moved, gripping the chain links on Selfishness twisting and breaking them again. With a wild and angry look in its eyes. "Your just as slippery this way. Getting help from you other half. Do you think I will give you a chance to even work together? Ha! I won't even give you the chance to become yourself again!" It sneered, yanking. The serpent around.
Selfishness hissed, as his hold was broken and his distraction failing. "You were alwaysss the ssstubborn one!" He bit out, before sinking his fangs into that hand that held onto him, forcing its release.
The entity roared at the pain of the bite, punching Selfishness in the face. "Bitch!" It growled.
Self Preservation who had slowly risen back into a standing position, calmly walked to stand in front of Thomas holding a palm out to him, when Thomas seemed to shake of his frozen state and went to move. "I would caution against sudden movements. Stay behind us." He cautioned, in a voice with no hint of urgency or signs of worry. Like they weren't facing something that was dangerous and rallying to kill him and Selfishness.
"Your both going to get hurt!" Thomas stated.
Self Preservation blinked, and a small smile graced his face for the first time, trying to appear comforting to Thomas. "That is our job." He said, the small smile leaving his face when he turned back to the entity and Selfishness. Back to his blank and calm composer. Staying on guard, and not going to help Selfishness as he wrestle with the orange eyed entity. His job was to protect Thomas, not his other help. He would not let anything touch Thomas.
Selfishness duck out of range of other punches thrown at him, leading the entity in a strange and deadly dance of violence, not throwing any hits of his own. He was Selfishness.
Not Self Preservation.
Not Fight or Flight.
He was Selfishness, and he wasn't going to allow himself be hit but once. But he also didn't want the entity to focus on Thomas. His chains rattled as he tumbled away from another lunge from another attack, maneuvering himself behind the entity again. "Come now, no need to be frisssky. We'll have plenty of time, after all." He grinned, flicking his wrist just right to, to allow the chain attached to his wrist to twine themselves on the entity's neck. Where it was bending backwards slightly from the height difference. "Isssn't that a more tempting thought? Ssso come with me."
Self Preservation moved the chains and again and more attached to the painting leading back to Selfishness, as the entity started growling and snarling again, twisting and convulsing in Selfishness grip and the chains that ran to connect to him. His size growing again in the process, making him towering over the two half Sides. Laughing as it once again broke the chains. Selfishness seeing this jumped from the orange eyed entity with a hiss, landing right next to Self Preservation, who was focusing very hard and trying to make his chains stronger, and failing. Something deep in Selfishness rose up and hissed at him to take Thomas away. So he turned to him, walking around the shield of chains Self Preservation still had up. "Come with me!" He said in a sweet tone, trying to be comforting, while everything in his being was urging him to just force Thomas to move, to just grab him and run. Thomas was his to protect. Thomas was his to spoil. His to give everything to and Thomas deserved everything. He reached his hand out to Thomas, slit snake eyes staring unblinking into scared brown eyes. "Ssself Presservation will be fine!" The lie slipped easily from his lips.
Self Preservation nodded, agreeing with his other half's lie. Something in said it was best for Thomas to believe the lie.
Thomas's eyes flicked from Selfishness to Self Preservation's back to the giant and scary shadowed entity that seem hell bent on taking out Janus. "No." He said, a slight stammer in the tone, lightly slapping the snakes hand away.
A look of hurt flashed in the snakes eyes, but was gone just as quick, replaced with a look of mischievous glint, and a rueful smirk. "I ssssee. You choose Self Preservation then."
Thomas saw it though. He was close enough now to know he hadn't imagined it. "Janus..." He mumbled, reaching his hand out. Only for Selfishness to flinch away from him.
"I am not Janusss!" He hissed, sharply turning back to the fight to see Self Preservation on the ground under the entity's foot. It was laughing as it slowly began to add pressure. The Snake ran at that, going to save the good part of him. Thomas wanted that half of him. He could do something not evil once in his life, Right?
Thomas could here the hurt, the same hurt that had been in Self Preservation voice at the denial. But that was what it was. Denial. Both halve were denying who they were. They were trying to convince themselves they weren't Janus. Trying to convince Thomas they were Janus. But they were. They were and Thomas wanted Janus back. He wasn't going to let Janus lie to himself. Ignoring the warning to stay away. Ignoring the shield that refused to let him walk around it, and stepped to face the entity, that now had the two halves in a death grip in each hand. "Put them down!" He demanded. Looking up at the orange eyed entity.
Causing it to stop and look dead at him and laugh.
"I cannot allow you this close, Thomas."
"Get out of here, And let me handle thisss." The two hiss out at once to Thomas, Although Self Preservation isn't as expressive as his other half. They struggled in the giants hands holding them high above the ground poised to smash them on the floor.
"You don't need them when you have me." It retorted with a chuckled, hands squeezing both causing them to groan.
Selfishness hissing when it took a step to Thomas. "Stop!" Thomas pleaded not wanting it to get closer to him. There had to be a reason Selfishness and Self Preservation, and even Virgil seemed adamant about this thing not getting close to Thomas. And at his words Thomas would swear on his channel that he saw Self Preservation chains strengthen.
The entity even glanced and as it was being pulled back more effectively, away and to the painting; another form of imprisonment. "NO!" It roared as it realized it could no longer break free, but did not drop the two halves of Janus in its hands.
The room around them seemed to get darker as soon as it started to get pulled into the painting, the Snakes on the painting hissing and moving to make room. Janus's split core, seeming more cracked than ever on the two snakes. The darkness in the room sending deep cracks through the interior. The sudden shaking of the room causing Thomas and the giant entity to fall, but even that did not help Selfishness and Self Preservation as it seemed its grip only tightened. However the loss of its balance made it where its decent into its new prison was proceeding a lot faster. It roared in outrage and tried to resist bring, while also refusing to let go of its prisoners in its giant fists.
Thomas ran forward grabbing hold of the two halves Sides trying to help wedging them out from the fists. It seemed to shock the two, their eyes widening a fraction when Thomas's hands grabbed onto their wrists. And pulling. "Let them go!" He grunted as he pulled.
"You want to get rid of me?! ME!" It bellowed, Orange eyes glaring deadly at Thomas before its eyes focused on the two halves of Deceit in its hands. "I won't go alone this time. Choose!" It demanded.
Thomas shook his head. "No! I'm not choosing! Their both Janus!" He argued.
"You only need one." It countered.
Selfishness and Self Preservation looked at each other. Both silently communicating that if Thomas didn't choose and didn't let go he would be dragged with them. But if they could gauge which half he liked more and wanted to save then they could help him give in to his want. They couldn't allow Thomas to get stuck in his own head. "All will be fine Thomas." Self Preservation calmed.
"This is nothing for me." Selfishness grinned.
"Stop it!" Thomas shouted, still not letting go. "This isn't okay! You're not okay! And I am not letting go of either of you! This is what put us here in the first place!"
"You have to choose, or you will be in danger without one of us. One part Self Preservation instinct of your wants, is better than none. And with Anxiety to help you will be kept safe." Self Preservation explained, just as calmly as if his life wasn't in danger.
"I don't want just one half of you!" Thomas insisted.
"Choose!" The entity demanded again.
"NO!" Thomas shouted back, his grip on the two halves slipping against his control. Still none of the two refuse to return his grip to hold onto him. Both looking at him with identical looks that said they didn't totally believe him. Still both looking at him trying to pick up what he truly wanted. "I won't! I WON'T!! PLEASE BELIEVE ME JANUS! I WANT YOU TO STAY!!" Tears pricked his eyes as he pleaded, as he tried to hurriedly readjust his grip on the two wrist he had in a deathly desperate grip.
"Thomas!" Several voices called behind him. And Thomas almost cried in relief in hearing the other Sides.
"They change nothing choose!" The entity hissed out.
Self Preservation and Selfishness both gasped shocked when the other sides ran to each pull on one of the halves, helping Thomas regain a tighter grip as the entity was pulled deeper into the wall with the two halves of Janus. The Snakes in the picture coiling around in other agitated and hissing, the split cores rattling in the place on the wall, as if the struggle of the entity was causing them to move.
"I got ya Snakey!" Remus growled out.
"Oh my, Intrusssive Thoughtsss, thank heavensss your here. This beassst has ravissshed me againssst my will. Have you come to defend my honor, my strong and brash Intrusssive Thoughtsss?" Selfishness hissed, sweetly with a flirty smile on his face and with a few rapid fluttering blinks, despite being pulled to his doom, gazing lovingly at the Duke who was the closest to him, his forked tongue sticking out cutely for the Duke.
"Remus I swear if you respond I will let go and let this nightmare have him!" Roman gagged, in his brother ear.
"Oh, Creativity, I didn't sssee you there. Ssshould I remind you of you delicioussss crush on Anxiety?" Selfishness said, his flirty smile turning slightly on the vicious side of a second.
"I'm letting him go!" Roman quipped, face red. Thomas let out a stressed laugh, from behind the Creative Side.
Virgil's just as red from the other side as he tried to help Patton and Logan keep hold of Self Preservation. This time the normal looking half of Janus was focused on the three Sides that was trying to help Thomas keep him. His face expressionless as he and Virgil locked eyes for what seems like the first time. "I swear you start spouting nonsense, I am going to let you have it when your back to normal." Virgil hissed, keeping eye contact which was rare on occasions.
"You are helping." Self Preservation stated, his eyes moving over the three Sides refusing to let him go.
"Kiddo, we love you. We'd go to the ends of the earth for you." Patton grunted as he pulled, eyes wet with tears as he cried.
"It would be illogical not to have you. You help make Thomas, Thomas." Logan stated.
Self Preservation hummed in thought, him and Selfishness making eye contact one last time. Nodding to one another before ripping their hands from the other and both eyes and their entire being turning yellow as they maneuvered themselves in the giant entity's grip raising both hands in the air. And the Snakes in the pictures came to a halting stop and seemed to glance at the to halves, posing in a ready to strike position. No more than a second had passed since they ripped their hands from the other, did a set of hands grabbed both of halve by the back of their collars, and in the same instant when the two halve brought their hands down, and the snakes in the picture launched themselves at the entity's backside to bite, were the two halves yanks roughly from the crushing grip of the entity's giants hands, landing roughly on top of Remus and Thomas.
Both Thomas and Remus had lurched forward at the same time when the two halves had pulled away. And both Remus and Thomas had yanked the two halves from the grip in a desperate attempt to get them back. To not lose them. They all rolled to their feet as the entity screamed in pain as two giant snake coming out of the painting on the wall coiled around him and bite, hard, rendering it immobile for the moment.
"Intrusssive Thoughtsss. My sssavior, I should grant you a boon." Selfishness smiled, where he snuggled up to the Duke chest, grabbing one of Remus's arms and curling it around him. Still glowing yellow.
"Later, when you're you again." Remus groaned, taking his free hand and scratching at his own eyes as he tried to resist the flirty Snake against him, body tense and shaking before reaching over and outright punching Roman.
"Ow! What was that for!" Roman snapped.
"Its. Too. Hard. To. Resist. This." Remus snarled, pointing at the Snake reaching up to twirling a piece of silver hair between his gloved fingers with a satisfied look on his scaled face.
"Selfishness." Self Preservation called, he was already on his feet; still glowing himself.
Selfishness groan, looking very much like he didn't want to leave Remus. "Fine." Letting his tongue flick the Dukes nose before turning to his scaleless double.
Thomas stood up and watch worriedly as the two stood in front of the group, raising their hands once more, as the snakes lifted their heads as the two raised their hands once more. "I will not let you get away again! I refuse! You can't suppress me forever!" It roared outraged. Hands scratching at the dark and cracked floor, the Snakes helping in slowly pulling it to its new prison.
"Anxiety, a little reinforcements on the binding please." Self Preservation called, not looking back.
Virgil nodded. "Thomas, Patton close you eyes." He warned before calling upon shadow of fears that answered only him, intertwining them with the chains connecting the entity to the picture. With the effort of the both snake, chains and shadows, the giant entity was forced on it feet stumbling as it was forced back. Still clawing and struggling. Cursing Janus's name and the other sides as well.
"Intrusive Thoughts! He'll lock you away again as well! Help me and help me in my venture!" The entity pleaded, orange eyes focusing on the Duke.
"Oh, Intrusssive Thoughtsss darling I think we need one final push. Right between the eyesss jussst for me." Selfishness hissed in a viciously sweet tone.
"Target locked, Snakey!" Remus grinned, pushing Roman off to the side to give himself room, as he held his morningstar in a hammer throw position. Spinning around three times before releasing the weapon with expert aim and hit his mark. The entity screamed in outrage as it was knocked back and into the painting. Virgil's hold releasing just as it was slammed into its new prison. The snakes in the painting hissing in almost victory and barreled into the painting, taking their prey with them. In a flash of yellow light, both Selfishness and Self preservation, both smiled wide, both revealing fangs as they phased out of existence as the painting on the wall solidified. Thomas and Patton opening their eyes in time to see them vanish from sight. The Painting becoming finished with two twin snakes both poised to strike as they were coiled around a monstrous shadowed entity frozen in an uncomfortable state.
One last rumble on the wall had the split core falling from their place. And in a frightful screech of fright escaped everyone as they scrambled to go catch the pieces. Patton not being able to bare the sight of one of the Sides that he called his kiddos get hurt, was first to catch the piece that was horribly cracked. While Virgil was the closest to catch the other half, his hands shaky from the rush of adrenaline that the piece slipped, from his fingers. And scattered on the ground.
Many things happened at once. Remus let out a demons screech and hit his knees scooping up the shattered core. Roman grabbed onto Virgil who seemed frozen in his position from when the core slipped from his hand and pulled the Emo into a comforting hug. Logan taking care to place a comforting hand on Patton's shaking shoulders as the Moral Side begin to cry more tears.
Thomas stood frozen. "Oh my God! That's not- ! He's not- !" He couldn't formed the words. He started hyperventilating and when he looked over to Virgil could see that despite Roman attempts to comfort Virgil.
"Thomas." Logan spoke up, and waited until Thomas locked eyes with him. "It is time to go. You have been here all day. It is time for you to go back. And go to bed." Logan said. Patton standing by his side sobbing and cradling the piece still in his hand.
Remus himself still on the floor trying his best to pick up every piece of the broken core.
"I can't- I have to-" Thomas shook his head.
"Leave." Remus muttered, not even bothering to look at the other. "Get. Out."
Thomas sobbed as his vision became blurry looking at his other Sides. Patton nodded at him, although not looking him in the eyes. "We- We'll stay with him." He mumbled.
"Just close your eyes and take a deep breath." Roman spoke up, and it was hard to tell if he was talking to Virgil or to Thomas, or both.
But Thomas closed his eyes and took a deep breath, and when he re-opened them, found himself alone in his apartment. He let himself fall on his side on the couch and grabbed one of the couch pillows holding it in a tight hug. He just watch half of Janus's core shatter. Janus wasn't coming back. He just lost Janus. And he lost him by the both halve of the Deceitful Side protecting not just him but all of him. What was going to happen now?
How were they going to function without Janus?
How was he going to continue life without Janus's help? Janus was important just like the rest.
Thomas didn't go to his bed that night. Instead he stayed curled up on the couch crying himself to sleep with the television running through a random show for some background noise, but nothing was helping. He cried all night, mourning and worrying what was going to happen next.
TBC
A/N: ^^; ...... Yeah, um so that's chapter 15. Let me know what you thought. Cause I am having trouble on how I want to end this and would love to here some opinions. Also are they both gone? Or did Patton actually save one of them. We'll see.
Stay safe everyone!