Bad Moon Rising | Sanders Sides

The Second

Deceit didn't like to lose. That was why, when he won in the courtroom but lost overall because his host was so naive, he disappeared fuming. Patton had beat him? Stupid, naive little side. Not even his victory over Virgil could soothe the flaming irritation that burned in his chest. It wasn't fair that he was disregarded and mocked because of his purpose, of his traits. Just because he was a Dark Side. Virgil was a Dark Side and they accepted and listened to him!

There was a sour taste in his mouth when he gathered with the others. "Fools," he hissed. "The lot of them! Prejudice fools!"

"I thought that perhaps you had more control than this." Another voice drawled, and Deceit glared at the Duke. Remus simply grinned wickedly.

"Do not," Deceit said lowly, "accuse me of having no control. If I had no control, I would have dragged Virgil back to us kicking and screaming. As it is, I am playing this game that is going on far too long for my liking."

There was a shift in the darkness as a form moved. A voice purred, "This was your game, Deceit. It is nobody's fault but your own if you are losing it."

Deceit bared his teeth, giving up on composure. To hell with his reputation when Virgil insisted on refusing them, refusing his family. They'd been the ones to accept him, to comfort him, to encourage him, and he dared to turn his back on them? Deceit refused to stand for it. No, Virgil would come to them. He would come back, even if Deceit had to alienate him from the others to force him to do so.

Virgil thought he could ignore them, that he could defy them. Deceit would crush everybody that Virgil cared about, everybody, just to prove that Virgil would never be free of them. He was theirs.

He would crush Patton if he had to, and he would make Virgil watch.

"Keep up the personal growth, Virgil. Who knows? Maybe one day, you could be rid of us all." Someone mocked from the shadows. "You don't seem to be trying very hard, Deceit. Your games grow strained and boring. Perhaps, when the opportunity arises, another may present themselves to our host? Eventually, Virgil will crack and confess that he's one of us. Once he does, we will have him with us once more."

Deceit did not like to lose, but he hated surrender even more. Waving the white flag was something he refused to do, especially when the matter was personal. And this was very personal. They'd been betrayed, been abandoned, and now they wanted him back.

"Send Remus," he said through gritted teeth. "He'll be enough to disarm Thomas and he'll divide the others. Besides, Roman is struggling to hold himself together. One visit from brother dearest should be enough to break him."

A chittering laugh scuttled through the dark around them. Deceit tensed slightly. "They are weak," a voice rasped. "They cannot stop us all. Virgil will be returned to us soon. Have no fear."

Deceit straightened his clothes and squashed his flaming indignation and rage. "I don't feel fear."

"You can bet your bottom dollar that I'll be able to crack them," the Duke says gleefully. "Even when he was still with us, Virgil hated me most."

Well, Deceit couldn't disagree there. The Duke had less...grace about him. He was wild, unrestrained, vulgar, demented. He held no regard for sophistication, and so both Deceit and Virgil held a certain disdain for him. 

"Listen," he said harshly. "Thomas wishes to be more honest with himself, more direct in how he deals with dilemmas. He doesn't want to lie to himself about who he is. Exploit that and you'll throw him off balance."

The Duke cackled maniacally. "My dear snake, I'll be explicit."

Well, if this didn't put enough pressure on Virgil, Deceit would just have to return with an army because Virgil would be coming back to them. None of them were fond of betrayers and deserters. Virgil would come back to them, or he would watch his friends be crushed, one by one.

And perhaps he might see what dearest little Patton was up too. If Deceit wanted a way in to their little group, he might as well start burning bridges now.

.

The Duke felt that he had less of a personal vendetta against Virgil, honestly. He wasn't offended by the abandonment, nor did he feel that Virgil was ignoring his history. He rather thought that Virgil was doing well to gloss over the fact that he had history. 

Of course, Remus couldn't let him do that, but it was impressive nonetheless.

He was, however, just as desperate as Deceit to have Virgil back with them, in his rightful place. It hadn't been fair that he'd just up and left them like that, that he'd been welcomed by the others so easily. Bunch of cheesy, useless do-gooders. They'd stolen Virgil from the Dark Sides, had taken him away and brainwashed him and now Remus was going to take him back.

If he failed, he would incur Deceit's wrath. The others would murmur their disappointment, but it would be Deceit who would take action, and Remus was almost wary of the outburst that would happen. Deceit didn't share, didn't like to be discarded and abandoned.

If he didn't get Virgil to admit to his past, god help everyone.

In his personal opinion, though, he was starting to believe that they truly had lost Virgil to the Light Sides. He knew, personally, how alluring and good Roman could be, the prick, and how easy it was to give in to his boisterous positivity. Remus's lips curled nastily. He would be bitter about Roman forever. How could someone so pretty and clean possibly be so welcomed and treasured?

Virgil had left them all for Roman. Now, Remus might believe that fighting for Virgil was a losing battle, but he had enough anger and bitterness and vindictiveness to destroy as much as he could.

Virgil was one of them, one of the Dark Sides, and he would never forget it.