scales of justice (janus + virgil)

chapter no. 12

 Janus was sitting at his window, staring down at the kingdom, when there came a knock on his bedroom door. "Who is it?"

"There is a message for you, sir Janus," said a voice he did not recognize.

Janus waltzed over to the door and swept it open, discovering that whoever had delivered the note had already darted out of sight. However, there was a folded piece of paper on the ground. He picked it up and shut the door, locking it behind him and unfolding the note to read what it said:

Meet me for dinner in an hour. We have matters to discuss.

Janus didn't need to look at the signature to know who it was from. He sighed aloud and shut his eyes. He wasn't sure he was going to be able to handle staying in Morticus' castle, and he hadn't even been there for 24 hours. He was starting to wish he'd stayed another day like he promised.

"No," he hissed aloud to himself. "You can't go back there."

He studied himself in the mirror, noting his cold expression. It was one he didn't even recognize, since he hadn't used it in a while, but he was able to pull it off as well as he had so long ago, before he had been accepted as part of the main group. He knew he couldn't let his guard down too much in front of Morticus--he had to act like himself, but hide the fact that he was planning something else entirely. He had to convince everyone, not just Morticus. After all, he was very skilled at deception, and he could easily predict the outcomes of a situation if he was familiar enough with it. But he could let anything--or anyone--get in his way.

There came another knock on his door a few minutes later, and he went to open it, discovering Morticus standing there. Janus cocked his head. "You're early."

"I wanted to take you on a little walk," Morticus responded, smiling pleasantly. "I'm sure you've seen the kingdom from your window. Why don't I show you around a little bit?" He offered his arm.

Janus quirked an eyebrow, taking it albeit hesitantly. "Enlighten me, Morticus."

Morticus led him down a hallway and to a grand set of double doors. They opened by themselves and allowed the two to step through, revealing a set of golden steps that contrasted the dark interior of Morticus' castle. Janus shielded his eyes and the burst of light. "Holy shit."

"Apologies, I should have warned you it would be bright out here," chuckled Morticus. "Welcome to my kingdom."

The courtyard was buzzing with people. Some were eating lunch at tables in front of the palace, while others seemed to be eager to get to their destinations. It resembled a shopping mall more than a palace, in Janus' opinion, which made him wonder if the people in the courtyard even knew they were in front of a castle. Morticus led him through the expansive courtyard and to a street, where there was a black SUV waiting for them. Morticus helped Janus step up into it, and the car pulled away from the curb all by itself. They now appeared to be in some sort of city, complete with buildings, highways, and traffic jams. "What is this place?" Janus muttered under his breath.

"It's a city that I stitched together from young Thomas' memory," answered Morticus, sounding proud of himself. "It's mostly places that he doesn't remember or that have blended together in his memories. I took that and created this place, and I call it The Subconscious."

Janus looked back out the window. The size of the city didn't bother him as much as the bleak plains that surrounded it. It sent a shiver down his spine, unnerving him in a way he couldn't really describe. Morticus sensed his unrest and laced his fingers in the snake boy's gloved ones. "You'll get used to it in time."

Janus wasn't so sure about that, but he nodded anyway. By no means did he trust Morticus, but he doubted that the spider-boy wanted to cause him harm. He was trapped in a place that he wasn't familiar with, and while he'd tried to connive a plan before he left, he wasn't sure how anything was going to play out. Morticus was unpredictable, and he was the wild card in this situation. Janus had to figure out how to make sure the situation was in his own hands before he took action.