Sanders Sides One-Shots

Shadows

Warning: Violence, gore, blood, self-hatred, self-mutilation, and self/outside-deprecation

Ship(s): Platonic LAMP

Virgil screamed as another swarm of birds flew around his head, clawing at his hair and eyes. Scratches and deep cuts from their vicious talons oozed blood on his face, arms, and chest. Jim had torn his hoodie away with his claws long ago. Virgil could barely move and watched in terror as the birds stayed close by but parted ways for The Man and The Fox to trot up to him.

"Look at you, so helpless and useless for us to play with," The Fox hissed, his tail flitting as nuzzled up to Virgil in a sickeningly innocent and affectionate way. Virgil didn't dare swat him away, noting his sharp claws. The Man smiled at him with razor sharp teeth, his warped and mangled face twisting as he did so. Virgil closed his eyes, biting his lip hard. The Man reached down and stroked Virgil's cheek. Spiders poured from The Man's sleeves and forced their way out of Virgil's skin, crawling up his body and making him scream in both agony and fear as the open wounds the emerging spiders came from bled profusely.

"So weak and small, just for us. Look at how useless you are, just lying there as we have our way with you," the spiders said in a thousand raspy voices. The Man laughed a high-pitched, hyena sounding cackle that made Virgil sob. He watched as the shadowy figured beckoned Jim, the wolf shadow, forward with a claw-like finger. Virgil trembled as Jim snarled and gnashed his teeth, saliva dripping from his jaws. The worst was yet to come.

"You've been a very bad boy, Virgil, failing Thomas and letting the others down. Do you know what happens to bad, pathetic little boys like you?" The Man hissed through his teeth, grinning widely as his pure white eyes flashed. Virgil slumped forward with defeat, his shoulders shaking as he slid down the wall, not noticing the streaks of blood he left behind.

"They get punished," Virgil whimpered.

A bloodcurdling scream rang throughout the mindscape, startling Logan and making him spill his coffee all over the book he was reading. Growling complaints and threats under his breath he stormed out of his room, looking up and down the halls. Roman had staggered out of his room, looking as if he'd just rolled out of bed, and Patton bolted out and headed straight towards Virgil's room, not even bothering to ask if it was any of the others that had screamed.

"Ugh, he probably just had a nightmare or something," Roman groaned, but Logan saw the flicker of worry in his eyes as he placed his hand on the hilt of his sword, running after Patton where he was standing in front of Virgil's open door, face paled with horror. Logan ran to catch up with them and flinched when Roman let out a high-pitched scream. He was seconds away from yelling at him when he saw the reason why.

Virgil was lying in the middle of his bedroom, shivering and whimpering. Blood seeped from numerous wounds on his arms, legs, neck, bare chest, and face. One of his eyes was swollen and bleeding, a long, deep cut over it making it impossible to be opened again. Tears and blood caked his face and matted in his hair. Logan's stomach churned when he noticed how much blood surrounded the immobilized man. Sick, twisted creatures that seemed to be made of pure darkness stood over him, some of them mocking him. The others, including a humanoid figure that seemed to be made of bones and a black fox with a twisted smile on its face, ignored the newcomers and kept their eyes on Virgil. The dark trait looked at the three, eyes wide in a silent plea for help as tears streaked his face.

"How dare you hurt him!" Roman snarled, pulling out his sword and rushing at the nearest shadow. The Man laughed and swatted him aside like a fly before he could do anything, smirking in amusement. Roman growled and got back to his feet, Patton and Logan assisting him.

"You think you can defeat us? Really? How sweet," the fox cackled, lips curled back to show its teeth as it laughed. Roman lunged forward again, wielding his sword, but was once again stopped by The Man. Virgil held back sobs, ignoring the excruciating pain in his body and trying to inch himself forward. He had to stop this.

Virgil curled up tighter on himself, squeezing his eyes shut. They were all going to die. They would get to Thomas. Then Thomas would die. This was all his fault, all his fault, all his fault-

And then there was a scream. Virgil's eyes flew open and he looked around widely, tears falling freely as he thought the worst. One of them was dead or seriously hurt and it was all his fault but no...The Fox was gone. Patton held Roman's sword triumphantly, which was dripping with a sticky black liquid. The birds and the spiders sunk back into The Man's cape, fearful at the sudden violence from the usually compassionate and peaceful side.

"What- No! Impossible!" The Man howled, clawing at his face in frustration, peeling away the skin. Virgil shuddered in disgust. Logan used The Man's distraction against him and tackled him to the ground while Patton handed Roman back his sword helped him, grabbing him by the neck while Logan punched him multiple times as hard as he could. Virgil watched in amazement as Roman slew Jim with ease, who dissipated into darkness, before turning to where Logan and Patton had The Man pinned to the ground.

"This isn't the last you've seen of me! I will return!" The Man snarled, trying to free his arms from the strong grasps of Logic and Morality. Princey stared down at him with a cold smile, raising his sword above his head.

"One problem at a time, yes?" Roman said coolly. The Man yowled as the sword was driven into his chest and burst into shreds of dark matter, which flew around the room and sunk into the walls, ceiling, and floor. Roman stood, panting, arms trembling slightly as he slowly turned to Virgil.

"Are you alright?" Patton asked, helping Logan up and quickly moving to Virgil's side, cupping the trait's face in his hands and observing his many injuries. Virgil's lip quivered and he nodded, extending his arms out to the others, shaking. Patton quickly scooped Virgil up into a hug, being careful not to disturb his injuries, and rocked him slightly back and forth and he sniffled into his shoulder.

"Virgil...how long has this been going on?" Logan asked, sitting beside the two and placing a hand on Virgil's shoulder. The younger trait held back tears and shook his head, letting out a shaky sigh.

"Always. They've always been here. B-But...But this time they were going to kill me, they really were. If you hadn't all come I-I'd be dead and...and-"

"Sh, don't think about that right now," Roman said soothingly, setting his sword on the ground before hugging both Patton and Virgil, rubbing Virgil's back slightly. "They're gone, you're safe now, and that's what matters. We won't let any of the hurt you again," Virgil whimpered softly and buried his face in Roman's chest, shoulders jerking as he held back sobs. Logan hesitated before scooting closer and resting his head on Virgil's shoulders and holding one of his hands. Virgil squeezed it and gave Logan a watery smile.

"T-Thank you. Thank you all so much," he whispered. They chuckled.

"Ah, it was nothing, Emo Nightmare," Roman said, rolling his eyes and trying to mask the affection in his tone.

"Thomas needs you for reflexes. We need you," Logan added, smiling widely for the first time in ages.

"I'd miss you if you were gone!" Patton said, pouting and holding Virgil tighter. More tears made their way down Virgil's cheeks, but this time, they were happy ones. He was safe. He was finally safe.