Sanders Supers [Sanders Sides AU]

Seventeen

Patton

TW: blood, mentions of death, manipulation

I-Wh-What? Patton thought. He opened his eyes, scared of what kind of torture he was going to endure next. Deceit had shown him illusions of his friends getting hurt, of Talyn dying in too many ways to count. Talyn's corpse would reanimate and start screaming at Patton because he wasn't able to save them. They constantly told him he was a horrible person. Their faces showed content as they knocked Patton to the ground again and again. Patton didn't fight back, couldn't bear to touch them. He knew that they were just illusions but he couldn't fight back. He wouldn't be able to forgive himself. If he ever got away from Deceit, the first thing he would do is call Talyn to make sure they were alright.

He knew they were just illusions, but that didn't help him; it was terrifying to think that Deceit knew who his friends were, where they lived- Patton was scared for them. He was more afraid for his friends than he was himself, tied to a chair with an assortment of new, shiny weapons on the table beside him. Please, no more. I can't take any more pain, he thought.

"Had a nice rest Patton? You slept for a while." Deceit said, smirking.

"Y-you w-won't break m-me," Patton gasped. Warm blood trickled down his forehead, dripping into his eyes.

"I won't need to, if you just tell me what you plan is." Deceit told him. "I'm trying to help you all."

"No, no you're not helping." Patton whispered.

"Oh, yes, I am. I'm trying to protect the world from things they aren't ready to learn about, I'm trying to protect the world from people like you, who use their powers only for themselves. I'm not the bad guy here, Patton."

A voice in the back of Patton's head agreed with Deceit; how would people act when they discovered it was possible to have powers, possible to become something more? Would people would hurt themselves, maybe die, trying to gain these powers, or would the empowered become hunted or oppressed for the power they wielded?

No, no- Deceit had killed people!

But people who were different became unwanted- just look at history! Patton wasn't a historian, but he knew that most of the major wars that had ever happened could be argued that it was because someone was different! Why would some people having abilities change the pattern of history?

"What makes you think I haven't broken you already? But mark my words, Patton. I will break you. I will make you into rubble like the buildings I annihilated." Deceit chuckled. "You are so clueless."

"No I'm not! Stop it! Stop saying stuff like that!" Patton shouted. He struggled against his binds. The rope rubbed against Patton's skin, chafing it. He took a deep, inaudible breath, trying to show Deceit that he wasn't in pain.

"Lying again, Patton? I thought you already knew that lying to me is not acceptable." Deceit said in a sickly sweet tone that Patton was tired of hearing.

"I didn't say anything." Patton said through gritted teeth and a cut lip.

"Yes, but you pretended to not be in so much pain." Deceit said. He smiled, not in the way a normal person would, but in a way a madman would.

"If you don't stop being so stubborn, I'll make sure you never see your friends again." Deceit said, a bit agitated. Patton tried to use his ability to try to destroy the rope that bound him, but to no avail. He couldn't concentrate on cutting the rope now, not when he was worried about his friends.

The thought of his friends dying pervaded his mind. No matter how hard he tried to get rid of it, it just kept coming back.

'You heard him,' a voice in Patton's head said. 'You'll never see them again. I doubt you would want that. But it would be fun to watch them die, don't you think? Just hearing their agonizing screams...oh how fun would that be to listen to?' Patton tried to get rid of the thoughts but they just kept coming.

"Stop it, stop it, STOP IT! Stop giving me these thoughts!" Patton screamed. Deceit rolled his eyes and picked up a shiny instrument from the table.

"Patton, have I ever told that you're too caring? You're such a pushover." Deceit said while inspecting the silver syringe. "You're just so boring. You try to reform every bad person you meet. Let me ask you this: What if we don't care if you think we're the bad guys? Why do you care so much?" Deceit said, making a fake-thinking face with his hand on his chin.

"Not all people are evil like you." Patton's voice shook with nervousness.

"Patton, you're so naïve." Deceit rolled his eyes and grabbed the chair abruptly. He put his face inches close to Patton's.

"I was trying to help you, but you have to make it so hard for me." Deceit sighed. Patton was very uncomfortable at how close Deceit was. He shut his eyes tightly, telling himself it was just a dream.

"It's not a dream, I'm really trying to help you. But you just don't seem to believe me, do you? Well, soon you'll see." Deceit said while watching Patton struggle from his mental grip.

"It's quite amusing to see you so helpless. A powerful superhero that can bend energy, bound to a chair in front of me. But enough stalling, I've got a new set of toys to torture you with." Deceit said. Patton looked away from him, scared.

He held his breath as Deceit picked up the shiny syringe, preparing himself for the pain that Deceit would bring.

"Just remember, Patton, you don't need to go through all this pain if you tell me what the plan is." Deceit said, hovering the syringe above Patton's skin. Patton shook his head. He wasn't going to let this murderer hurt more people, even if it meant he would possibly die.

"Hmmm. Disappointing."

He pierced Patton's arm with a thick needle.

Patton gasped for breath. Deceit set down the syringe on a paper towel, as casually as if he were setting down a pencil. Whatever was in the syringe began to drastically increase the pain he was already in. It felt as if he is being cut over and over on the wounds Deceit had previously created. But the pain wouldn't go away.

He heard a noise behind the bolted door- were those- no, those couldn't be footsteps- who would come for him, wherever he was being kept?

Deceit didn't seem to have heard it- was that a good thing?

He picked up a scalpel this time, wiping off what remained of Patton's blood on his shirt, leaving a small, barely noticeable brown stain on the black shirt Deceit wore.

The scalpel sliced across Patton's other arm, more blood dripping down his arm, staining him with red. This time, Patton didn't try to hold back his scream. He knew that if someone was there, if someone happened to hear him, everything would be alright. Even if that person wasn't there to help him, he wouldn't die with Deceit's face the last one he ever saw.

"Do you want to take a break? Mentally prepare yourself?" Deceit asked. Patton slightly nodded.

"At least you're being honest. Maybe I should go a bit easier on you." Deceit said while pretending to wonder what he should do. Patton trembled under his gaze. Deceit held up the scalpel up to Patton's face. Patton shut his eyes tightly, sitting still as a statue. Deceit pressed the blade up to Patton's cheekbone.

"I don't think I should." Deceit said. He quickly dragged the scalpel across Patton's cheekbone to his nose. Patton held back his tears, knowing that it would end up with more pain. Deceit put the tip of a knife on Patton's collarbone. Deceit sighed and said, "What am I going to do with you Patton? There is only so much I can do. What do you suggest? Never mind, I have an idea." Deceit stabbed Patton's shoulder, leaving a deep gash. Patton screamed and couldn't hold back his tears. Every cut Deceit had made kept throbbing with blinding pain. He just laughed at Patton's weakened state. Patton quivered and closed his eyes, not wanting to see the damage on his shoulder. He could feel the blood clinging on to his shirt, covering up the fact that it was torn. His body began to sag and he began to lose consciousness. Patton struggled against his bindings one last time before he gave in to the black spots dancing across his vision.