Baited~ Book 2

5

(Trigger warnings- flash back, panic, drowning, mentions of torture, mentions of asphyxiation, hopelessness.)

Janus was as quiet as he could be following Virgil without so much as one attempt at running. Where was he going to go anyway? What was he going to do? He was scared. That was for sure. Yes, Roman was unstable. And, yes it was like there were two sides to the prince. One that was genuinely worried for the snake and one that wanted him dead... but at least there, in those chains, he knew where he stood. He knew what would happen. 

With Virgil everything was up in the wind. Whatever safety he had there went up in flames the moment he left with Virgil... literally. Virgil melted the chains. When Roman finds out... and he will find out... that's it. He was as good as dead.

Virgil was just walking, a few paces ahead of Janus. Every once in a while he would turn back just to make sure he was being followed but not enough that if Janus did run Virgil wouldn't notice for a while. It didn't matter though. Janus didn't run. 

He did freeze up though. He stopped short the moment he spotted the baren and burnt ground. Virgil stopped glancing back at him in concerned confusion as the snake man looked around him. Virgil just sighed as he led Janus further in all the way to the entrance.

"W-What are w-we doing here, Virgil?" Janus was shaking slightly as they entered the now abandoned home in the cave. "D-Don't you think R-Roman would look here?"

"Yep." Janus's eyes went wide as Virgil started moving all these burnt furnishings way from the bedroom doors. Virgil didn't even faultier once as he turned giving Janus a smirk. "It'll be ok. We're only staying here tonight. We'll be gone long before he even realizes what's wrong."

"Virgil, I don't think you understand, Roman he's... You have to go back." Virgil's eyes narrowed and Janus let out a frustrated breath as Virgil waved him off. "If you don't go home he's going to get scared."

"So?"

"First off... You'll only hurt yourself by upsetting him." Virgil rolled his eyes making Janus very worried. "He'll get scared. Then he'll get pissed." Virgil expression softened as Janus's voice shook slightly. "He'll get pissed and then he'll go to take it out on me and..."

"Wait, what?" Janus flinched slightly as he pushed himself to the wall, seeing the anger in Virgil's eyes. "Janus what does Roman do to you."

"You got to understand, there's something going on with him. One minute he's the old Roman, and despite his anger and everything I've done, he get worried about me and then... then the next he's... He's rageful and violent. It's like he's fighting with his own head." Virgil took a step closer his red eyes glowing slightly and Janus shook.

"What does he do?"

"I was worse... with you." Virgil paused as Jan stared at the floor with yellow eyes. "I did so much worse. If what he did counted as torture then... I put you through hell. He should've done worse. Hurt more... In fact the worst Roman did was set me back."

"T-torture?" Janus slid down the wall remember how the bubble came down around him. It wasn't even close to being the worst asphyxiation he's been through. No... the worst had have been... "Janus?" It had to have been when Master... "Jan, what's wrong?" When Master thought putting a boy who couldn't swim in a dunk tank with chains tied to his feet was a genius idea. "Janus!" He could feel the icy water against his skin as he sat there eyes wide in shock. "Janus, talk to me. What's going on?" He could feel the heavy metal dragging him down. He could feel his lungs burning. His eyes blurred a the cold water filled his surroundings. He couldn't breath. He couldn't move. He struggled desperate for air, for safety, but none came. 

"Janus... Shit." He tugged on the chains wanting them to shatter. "Janus, you need to breathe." He couldn't. He couldn't breathe. He was stuck submerged in the icy depths of a glass tomb threatening to end it all. He didn't know how much longer he could hold out. "Janus, you're ok. You're ok. Whatever is happening isn't real." But it is real. It is real. Master stood there watching as he struggled with all him might loosing any possible strength he may have had. His vision blurred as the water tinted yellow and he screamed out against the current. The chains shattered under the pressure only for the black to take over, just as someone reached in to pull him out. "Janus... Janus!" The man fell broken and lost to the madness him mind was in. He was shaking in the unbearable cold despite the overbearing warmth the man beside him let off.

"Janus?" Virgil was freaking out. Here was Deceit, the strongest dragon rider of Ceit, the projector... The man who made his life hell for so long... frozen in an unexplained shock that just came out of nowhere. He was scared. What was he supposed to do? He doesn't know what's happening to him. How was he supposed to help? "Janus, talk to me. What's happening?"

"S-s-so c-cold." Virgil frowned as he watched the man shiver like crazy. It didn't make any sense. "It's s-so cold. I-I'm sorry."

"Sorry for what Janus?" The man flinched and Virgil frowned in increasing worry seeing how glazed over his bright yellow eyes were.

"I-I'm sorry... I-I'm s-sorry... don't... I won't d-do it again." Janus tensed as the tears welled up in him. All he could see was his mater hovering over him with this look of malice that could make anyone shiver in fear. He didn't know what he had done but he knew it had to have been something. Maybe he forgot a task, or messed up the order of something. Whatever it was it upset the Master greatly otherwise... why drop him in a tank? "I'm sorry. Please don't... I won't do it again... M-Master..."

Virgil's anxiety shot through the roof with that one word. He wasted no time picking the shaking man up and bringing him to the bedroom that managed to survive the inferno a year ago. He placed Janus in the bed frowning at how he whimpered in fear and curled into himself. Virgil took a deep breath before holding his hand over Janus's eyes enveloping his hand in a calming white flame. He watched as Jan shivered slowly but surely falling asleep, until the shaking stop entirely.

In all honesty, the plan was to get Janus to a safe place and then confront Roman about it. Now, however... Virgil couldn't leave Janus. Not like this. The man was broken. The prideful manipulative ego Deceit had possessed before was nowhere to be found. All Virgil could see was a helpless, hopeless, and vulnerable child.

To think he was locked in that room for the entire year.

Virgil growled in anger at the mere image of it that passed through mind. He was going to get rid of that place for good!