The Dark Side of The Imagination {Prinxiety} - Book Two of the Why I Run Series

Chapter Three

Point of View: Virgil, First Person
Timeline: Present Day

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN I CAN'T GO?!" I yelled, looking at Logan with wide eyes, unable to believe what he was saying right now.  How could even he say that?!

After leaving Roman's room, I had raced down here to the Common Room (in the shape of Thomas's apartment, as usual) to find both Logan and Patton there watching Steven Universe – both oblivious to what was happening in the Imagination.

I figured that after I told him what was happening, I'd leave and be on my way to help Roman.

That was not the case.

"You are too critical to Thomas to go and fight," Logan said decisively, crossing his arms over his chest firmly.  "He cannot function without you, Virgil. If you were to go and end up getting yourself killed, then you would basically be killing all of us."

I stood there for moment in shocked silence before coming up with a response.  Were we really doing this right now? 

"I've been training with Roman for months, Logan," I argued, my hands closing together in fists.  "He needs help you can't leave him out there alone – then that would be sentencing Roman to death and I can't stand here and wait for it to happen," I said, starting to make my way back to Roman's room.

"You will not leave this room until Roman enters, Virgil."

Suddenly I slammed into an unknown force in the doorway which sent me stumbling backwards. I strained against the force that was keeping me here before I realized what had happened. I spun around, facing Logan who had the decency to look slightly ashamed, cheeks a light pink, but still holding to his decision.

"Persuasion," Logan answered finally. "Persuasion is my power since Logic is an appeal to persuasion along with ethos, which is an appeal to convincing someone of the character or credibility of the persuader - which is also under my control. I had no intention to tell you this way, but there is no chance that I'm going to let you be so reckless in your decision making. Your love for Roman is clearly outweighing your typical rational thought process."

"My thinking is fine," I argued, still straining uselessly against the doorway. "What isn't fine is Roman – who is out there all by himself waiting for me to show up and you thinking it's your place to stop me. I have to go – please Logan, PLEASE."

"We need to come up with a solid plan," Logan said, ignoring me and settling down on the couch, summoning his computer with a quick flick of his hand. He slid on a headphones that had a microphone attached to them, stopping momentarily to adjust the mic before proceeding to do... whatever he was doing. "Our job is to protect The Mind Palace. We are the last line of defense – Thomas cannot function properly without any one of us in the equation. Quite frankly, Roman should not have gone out there on his own, but there's nothing we can do about that now."

"Don't you see?" I cried, frustrated at how I was stuck here. That alone was enough to start triggering a small anxiety attack and Roman fighting out there alone certainly wasn't helping me at all. "That's all the more reason that we HAVE TO HELP HIM!"

"Roman was reckless – that is no excuse for us to follow in his footsteps," Logan said calmly.  How could he be so calm at the time like this?!  "There are other way to help him as well. It would do better to assist where we can up here, rather than throw ourselves on the battlefield as Roman carelessly did himself. I cannot stop him but I can and will stop you by all means necessary Virgil. We need to protect Thomas – that is our main and only objective in times of crisis."

"But what's the point if Roman is still out there?" I muttered irritably, still fighting to leave. "Thomas is in danger either way."

"I will not risk two sides leaving the Palace in crisis," Logan snapped, balancing on the edge of impatience as he began typing furiously on the laptop.