Transcending Abnormality

Sinking Feeling

"Awh, you look great, Patton!" Virgil chirped down at the child who had just changed into a pair of blue denim shorts and a grey t-shirt with a cat on it.

He giggled, running up to Virgil and jumping into his arms. The dark-haired boy laughed, spinning in circles for a moment with the smaller boy.

"Virgil?" Logan asked from his sitting position on the bed.

He stopped, placing Patton down on the floor and raising an eyebrow. "Yeah?"

"Don't get too comfortable." Logan spoke carefully. "We are going to have to leave here soon enough."

Virgil frowned.

The glasses-wearing man saw the slight upset, and spoke again in an attempt to rationalise his thoughts.

"I'm just a little worried that you're forgetting why we're here."

Virgil rolled his eyes carelessly. "Come on, Lo. Live a little." He said, smiling and bending down to ruffle Patton's hair.

"Mhm." Logan hummed in response, standing. He swung his backpack over his shoulder. "Well, no use sitting here all day. Shall we go for a walk to buy some groceries?"

Right, yeah. They probably couldn't live off cafes and fast food all day. Alright, fine. Groceries.

"Alright." He replied, putting his trainers back on. The sun was shining pretty bright, so neither of the three decided to take coats out with them.

After locking the hotel room and giving a quick goodbye to the receptionist, Virgil pulled his phone out and began searching for directions to the nearest supermarket. They were still standing about twenty metres from the entrance to the motel when Virgil's phone began to ring, obscuring the directions.

"Who's Emile?" Logan asked, looking down at the screen.

Virgil faltered, staring at it for a few seconds before smoothly sliding his thumb along the answer button.

"Hey, Picani, what's up?"

The line remained silent for a moment longer. The sound of a gun cocking emitted through the phone, and then a panicked voice. Roman's panicked voice.

"Shit, okay, fine!"

Logan and Virgil shared a glance amongst each other. What?

Roman sucked in a harsh breath.

"Uhm, I'm really sorry I was a dick to you but your uncle and Logan's dad have kind of kidnapped me and I didn't believe them when they first said they were going to kill me but I'm doubting that original assumption more and more every secon-"

"Fucking say what we asked you to say, Roman." Remus' voice was talking pretty calmly despite the situation.

Logan felt himself wanting to cry. He wanted to think better of his dad, he really did. But he knew that whatever empty reassurances floated through his head wouldn't be true.

"They uh," Roman's voice wavered - it was obvious he was choking back tears. "They want you to come home. If you don't, then they'll.. They're gonna-"

Janus interrupted, impatient. "We're going to put a bullet through your friend's skull, Virgil. I mean it. We tried to play nice with you. We're giving you a week, okay?"

Roman was audibly gasping for breath and crying hysterically on the other side of the phone. Virgil's eyebrows furrowed together in anger and upset.

"Let him go, you fucking scumbag. This is between the four of us- it has nothing to do with him, you've hurt him enough."