Crystal Sides

Chapter 30: Strike a Pose

--POV = Logan--

"You're Deceit?" Patton gasped.

My heart was pounding in my chest. No. No no no no no no no...

"Why so surprised, Logan?" Deceit hissed in his familiar, spine-chilling voice.

"You can't hold us forever." I said through gritted teeth.

"Ha!" He threw his head back and struck a pose, "We'll just see about that, now won't we."

He reached down and one of the snakes curled up his arm. It hissed in his ear, its black tongue flicking gently.

"Hmm, very interesting," Deceit said, putting the snake back down so that it became a part of the floor again, "My wonderful snakes tell me that we have some visitors."

"Visitors?" Patton said quickly, "What do you mean?"

"A faded Gold and a Tanzanite gone rebel, by the sounds of it," he winked.

"No..." I whispered, "No, not them too.."

"Yes," Deceit struck another pose, "Yes, them too!"

"What are you gonna do with us, then?!" Patton squeaked, trying to be fierce. 

Deceit opened his mouth to say something, but then stopped, "I'm not gonna waste my time monologuing to you. Cheerio!"

With one final pose, the lights switched off and we were plunged into darkness once more, with the only light being Remy's dim glow.

There was silence for a bit, as tears poured down my face and my hands quivered with fear and sadness.

"Logan..." I could hear the fear in Patton's voice.

"We have to get out." I decided grimly. I leaped forwards, not caring if I stood on snakes; after all the years on Deceits team, I was used to it.

I reached the end of the room, where Deceit had stood, and found that he was gone. I wasn't expecting him to stick around. I felt around of the wall and made out a door with a sturdy iron door handle. I turned it. It was locked.

"Patton, I need the light!" I yelled.

I saw the dim grey glow coming closer and heard Remy skid to my feet below me, closely followed by Patton. I saw that the door was made of metal, with iron bolts lining the edge. I pulled my hand guards from my gem and summoned Virgil's whip. I slashed the door, once, twice, three times. Not even a dent was made. I summoned an Agate whip: when I was with Deceit and Noah, we'd fought an Agate and so I'd acquired the blueprints to his whip. Again I bore down upon the door, this time roaring with frustration. It still wouldn't budge.

"Let me have a try!" Patton said, pushing me out the way. He summoned his discs and fired a few at the door. It didn't work.

"It's no use!" I yelled, collapsing onto the floor in defeat, "The only thing that's getting from this room to that one are snakes!" I noticed the gap under the door to let the snakes pass through. Only gems that can shapeshift, which me and Patton could not, could get under.

"Snakes..." Patton muttered, "Snakes! Logan, that's it!"

"What?" I said, quickly sitting up.

"Would Deceit's snakes technically count as a weapon?" he asked urgently.

"Uh, yes, I suppose so." I thought.

"So, you could summon one of his snakes and then make it travel along the corridor to find Roman and Virgil!" He announced.

"Wow, I'd never thought to summon one of his snakes before!" I gasped, "You're brilliant, Patton."

He giggled, "You're supposed to be Logic!"

I smiled, holding up my hand guards. Quickly, I summoned a floating image of Deceit's snake. Preparing myself for who knows what, I made the image solid.

All of a sudden, I felt as if my soul was sucked from my body. When I opened my eyes I was no longer standing next to Patton, but falling. I hit the floor with a thud, feeling myself being swallowed by the mass of snakes squirming around me. I felt strange; I couldn't feel me arms or legs, and my skin crawled as if it were coated with a thick armour.

"Logan?" I heard Patton's voice above me, "Logan!"

I glanced up and saw...

It's me! My mouth fell agar.

I was unconscious, looking like I was on the verge of poofing. Patton was shaking me and calling my name. I looked down at my new body and saw that I was covered in navy blue scales. I gasped, but all that came out was a distorted croak. 

Patton looked down, his eyes locking with mine, "Logan? Is that you?"

I tried to speak, but the words wouldn't form in my throat. All that came out was a choke and a hiss. Patton raised his eyebrows and reached down, grasping my thin, long body in one hand. I curled myself around his arm and looked deeply into his eyes. At first he looked scared. Then he looked determined.

"Go get 'em, tiger." he smiled, "Or should I say, snake?"

I tried to laugh, but instead I just hissed, my forked tongue flicking. Then I slid off his arm and plunged into the sea of snakes, making my way under the door and slithering down the corridor.