Storm Clouds (Sanders Sides)

Racing Against the Clock

Hi! Anyone wanna talk about the Janus skirt pics? Feel free to use this comment section as a place to scream freely about the ICON that is our snaky-boi. Enjoy, and maybe somewhere in this midst of your excitement, you may enjoy this chapter? 

If you spend the entire time thinking about Janus now, I understand completely and take no insult. ;)

Here we go!

**There are no different dialogue tags to differentiate between Paranoia and Virgil, as Virgil is not in the chapter. Any talk coming out of Virgil/Paranoia's mouth is Paranoia speaking only.

{Author's POV}

Roman immediately switched off the projector as Patton worked his magic, the two separate actions creating a visibly calming effect on the darkened Side before them. He slumped forward in his seat, gasping for air as tears slid down his cheeks. Tristan rushed to undo the latches around his limbs and caught him as he surged forward, wanting to be free of the entire prison. 

"We've got you. Both of you, we're not going to let him do anything else. We've got you," Tristan encouraged. 

With a look matching a deer in the headlights, Paranoia looked up to meet Roman's eyes. "I meant what I said...I can't feel much more of him, our brother...pushed him to the very edge of insanity. It's almost like he's sleeping, but too deep. I can't wake him, I can't feel signs of life. I don't know how to bring him back, I've never been so in-control anymore, but...I don't want this anymore. I don't want to be a part of him anymore, and if me being free of him means Virgil lives on while I..."

Roman knelt in front of the frantic Side, pressing a grounding hand into his shoulder. "Thomas's mind is extremely complex. I mean, we're all a little out there, if you know what I mean. We don't make it easy on him! We've had split Sides before. One of the ones out there distracting your brother, is my brother, Dark Creativity, and I am Creativity. We weren't always two different Sides. We can figure out something, I'm sure, but if we can't, you have my word that we will do whatever it takes to get Virgil back and keep the both of you from your brother."

Paranoia hesitated, before Roman noticed a shift in his eyes, like he was thinking. "I...remember. He remembers, but I share most of his memories, even when I was nothing more than a voice in his head before we split. He remembers you...King Romulus. You...You split?"

Roman nodded, giving him a gentle smile. "The Mind just...decided that our power was too much, too complicated. Some Sides are more complicated than others, get fractioned off into smaller, easier to manage pieces of a whole. Remus, my brother, and I...we weren't very good as Romulus. We struggled, we suffered, and as a result, Thomas suffered. Upkeeping our two very different branches of creative thinking, it was a constant war in Romulus's mind. The Mind divided us for Thomas's safety, as well as our own. I'm sure if it comes down to it, we can make things right with the three of you."

The discussion was interrupted by the reminder of the ongoing fight in the hall, through means of Janus being thrown backwards, barely catching himself on the edge of the doorway. "The whistle, Roman! Call Remy!" he shouted, heading back in to help Remus. Tristan ran out into the hallway, Roman conjuring him a blue-hilted sword, and joined the fight. Roman pulled the whistle out of his pocket and blew on it, hearing no sound come out. For a moment he pulled back, afraid it was broken, until a small wisp of white light appeared in front of them, expanding into a blinding circle and dimming to show Remy walk out. 

"Where is he? This portal doesn't stay open for long! I managed to get it to open right in front of the door to the Catacombs, the door's already open. We don't have a lot of time," Remy explained to Roman while Patton ran outside and managed to sneak a message to Janus. Janus, Remus, Tristan and Patton all regrouped inside the room, Fear running after them. His terrifying black and white eyes bore into Paranoia's purple ones, and Roman could feel him shrink into a smaller form behind him.