Bad Moon Rising | Sanders Sides

The Seventh

Oof, this one was hard to write. We're starting to really get into it. Next chapter is back to the situation with Patton ;)

Deceit was not himself, and yet he was. 

Remus watched him through narrowed eyes, mouth pinched. He needed to be sure, needed to watch for just a little longer before he vocalised his suspicions. But the signs were all there. You'd have to be blind not to see them. Remus wasn't blind. He got the better eyesight out of the family. Or maybe he was less of an idiot than his twin brother. 

Deceit met his eyes, cocking an eyebrow and tilting his head, smiling sharply. Remus hated the fact that chills ran across his skin. This Deceit was dangerous. "See something you like, my dear old Duke?" Deceit's voice was a purr - low and smooth and oh so soft and gentle.

Dangerous.

Remus's lips curled into a crazy grin, and he let the glaze of childish insanity cloud the fact that he knew. "Just wondering," he said lazily, and Deceit's eyes flickered away for a moment. There. The Deceit that Remus knew would never back down over nothing. This wasn't his Deceit. "Perhaps we should rebuild the Wall."

A test. It was a test, a challenge, a trial. Deceit should pass with flying colours, Remus knew that, and yet....

And yet, whoever this was startled, mouth pinching into a tight line and betraying his emotion-fuelled reaction. "No," Not-Deceit hissed sharply, baring his teeth. Remus wrinkled his nose. Deceit had never been this unrefined. "The Wall stays down. Virgil comes back."

Now that was interesting. Virgil. Why would Deceit be so focused on Virgil now, of all times? The Wall had just shattered - they should all be overwhelmed by their returned energies. Of course, Remus had cheated all those years ago, so he was far from affected, but Deceit should have forgotten about this obsessive project to bring Virgil back, if only for the moment.

"What sort of effect do you think this whole situation is having on our old buddy?" Remus mused out loud, tracking Not-Deceit's subtle reactions. "After all, his energy should have returned to him. Maybe the sudden fluctuation of light-dark balance will send dearest Morality off track." Remus's grin suddenly went razor sharp. "Perhaps, dearest snake, you have been affected most of all."

Not-Deceit's hands twitched at his sides. Remus eyes the movement keenly. "I am fine," Not-Deceit growled lowly. 

Mm, Deceit had never growled like that before - low and guttural and ugly. This thing, whoever or whatever it was, was not Deceit. Remus was sure now. There was something too off, too different, too...

This was not his Deceit.

Remus hummed knowingly, turning away from the imposter with a sly grin. Perhaps, this could work in his favour. All he had to do was exploit Not-Deceit's weak fluctuating personality. Maybe, if Remus used enough of his energy, he could take control of the puppet strings.

Maybe he could finally get Deceit to help him ruin the pathetic excuse for creativity that Thomas so adored.

'You see me,' a voice breathed into his ear, and Remus stiffened, flicking his eyes around in an attempt to see who was speaking. His gaze snagged on Not-Deceit, who was staring blankly at the ground with his mouth hanging open. 'I see you too.'

"You're the one pretending to be Deceit," Remus said quietly, and the air around him rippled.

Dark amusement brushed against his thoughts. 'You're clever. Perhaps I should have chosen you over the snake.'

"Mm. I don't know, snake's have a way of pleasing everyone."

More amusement. Remus was sure he could also detect a hint of exasperation. Good. 'I want Virgil back,' the strange voice admitted in a hissing sort of whisper. 'I need him, his energy. Deceit failed to deliver. Will you fail me too, I wonder.'

Remus cackled, short and sharp and deranged. "Why would I do anything for you?" He asked loudly. "I don't know you. I probably have more power than you."

Cold gripped at his neck - it crept down his spine like ice. His veins froze. His breath rattled in his chest. He could taste snow on his tongue. He squeaked slightly, weapon dropping to the ground. Not-Deceit slowly lifted his head, smile too wide to be natural. There were entirely too many teeth.

Remus did not get afraid.

But he was afraid now.

'You will return Virgil to me,' the voice wheezed. 'I will return Deceit's consciousness so that he may help you. If you fail, I will claim your spirit too, and then I will tear Thomas's mind to shreds. Do you wish that upon your host, dearest Remus?'

No. No he didn't. Remus lived to create chaos, that was true, but he loved his host. Thomas was good. Thomas was still young. Thomas was naive and stupid and strong-willed and caring and Remus would not let him be ruined by some cheap-ass horror movie nobody.

"I trust that, once I've brought Virgil back to the group, you'll tell me the specifics of where I'm to 'return' him too?" Remus bit down on nothing as the cold evaporated from his body.

'See that it is done, Remus.'

Deceit's body jolted once before going limp, and Remus watched through blurry eyes as shadows streamed and twirled, and Deceit's face slackened.

Somewhere in the distance, a voice laughed and a clock ticked.

.

Thomas stared down at his phone, feeling sick to his stomach. His hands shook. His breath caught in his throat. Tears bubbled somewhere at the back of his eyes. He didn't- He couldn't- He-

He dropped the device, legs giving out on him. He sat on the couch and buried his hands in his hair, trying his best to breathe through the sudden and unnecessary panic. This wasn't Virgil-induced, he knew that. He knew it. He knew it.

What was happening?

His phone buzzed - responses to what he'd just done. (What he didn't remember doing.)

He had to go. 

He had to go now.

He leapt up off the couch and fled out the front door, his breathing still too shallow, his thoughts still too scrambled.

His phone lay on the floor, abandoned. On it, a single tweet that didn't make any sense.

'Tick tock'.

The clock on the wall kept the time, each tick of the seconds hand clanging like a bell that warned of death.

Tick tock.

Tick tock.

Tick

Tock