Dead Name

Chapter Nine: This Is. . . Okay?

Anxiety's eyes shot open, his body bolting upright with a gasp. He could feel his heart pounding rapidly in his throat and his head thrummed, lingering nightmares slowly dragging their claws up his spine.

His hands shot up, clasping over his ears. "It's not real, it's not real, it's not real. . . They're gone. . . You're safe now. . ." He let Logic's reassurance swallow the remaining torment, trying to put his trust in the intellectual facet. Why shouldn't he trust him? He was Logic, in every sense of the word.

A light pattering made its way to his conscious and he sat up, recognizing the sound of rain softly hitting surfaces. He rose quickly, as if possessed, stumbling out towards the front door. His hand landed on the doorknob and he instantly froze. What was he doing?! Was he trying to get punished?!

'Run! Run far away from here! You don't belong!'

'Get back in your room! What if they catch you?!"

He snuck a glance behind him, staying deathly silent. He couldn't hear anything. No footsteps rushing to jerk him back. No screaming. No anger. Just. . . silence.

They wouldn't have to find out if he was quick.

Taking a breath of courage, he slipped out of the house, falling willingly into the calming embrace of the rain.

~~~

Anxiety crept back in the house, soaked from head to toe and coming off his relaxed high. He had lost track of time in the rain and the sky was already starting to brighten, which meant he needed to get back to his room - fast.

Heart pounding in his chest, he slowly made his way through the living room, barely breathing. He just needed to make it to his door and he'd be totally fine. He'd be fine. He'd be -

"Anxiety!"

The darker persona nearly dropped to the floor, his knees knocking together as he spun to face Morality with wide, terrified eyes. "I- I wasn't. . ."

"Oh, you're all wet!" The eldest persona gasped and Anxiety's stomach flipped. He was dripping on the floor, he was getting the floor wet, Morality was going to be mad - "Here ya go!" A warm towel was wrapped securing around him, his hand seizing it to stop it from slipping off.

He stared at Morality, dumbfounded. "You- . . . you're not. . . mad?"

"Mad? Why would I be mad?" Morality blinked, innocently wide-eyed.

Anxiety stammered. "I - I went out- out without permission and. . . and I dripped- I got water on the f-floor!"

The corners of Morality's lips twisted into a sad smile as he set a gentle hand on the younger facet's shoulder. "Oh, kiddo, you don't need our. . . permission to do things. If you want to go outside, you can go out whenever." He looked down at the wet floor. "And water isn't a big deal! Watch!" He pulled away to clap twice, the water on the floor evaporating instantly. Two more claps, and the water clinging helplessly to Anxiety's sopping form vanished.

It was so. . . different from Deceit. When Deceit had done the same, it was violent and harsh, like he was jerking at Anxiety's very being. But, with Morality, it was light and easy. The water had danced off of him in a split-second, leaving him almost weightless.

"Uh. . . th- thanks. . ." Anxiety started back towards his room, pausing in his tracks momentarily to toss a soft smile over his shoulder towards Morality. "Dad." And he was gone, leaving a beaming Morality.

~~~

"After everything we've done!" Deceit smashed a plate on the floor, growling, his eyes glowing a bright and sickening yellow.

"Ooh, I love breaking stuff!" Remus chirped, scooping up and armful of glasses and dropping them, laughing as the glass shattered into a million little shards. "What fun!"

The snake glared at his companion. "Don't you see, Remus? He can counter our effects almost instantaneously and now he's a Main Trait. What does that mean for us?!"

Remus tapped his chin for a moment before realization lit up in his deranged eyes. "Aha! I see! We have to kill him!"

"No, you - !" Deceit growled in exasperation and smacked a hand against his face, letting out a heavy sigh. After a second, he spoke again, his tone slow and laden with condescension, like he was talking to a toddler. "Remus. . . you of all traits know how hard it is to completely kill off a Trait." He took a deep breath. "Not to mention, we can't kill a vital part of Thomas without hurting him, and Paranoia - although annoying and practically unnecessary - is, apparently, vital."

Remus took a bite of his deodorant. "Huh. Fun!"

"No, it's not fun!" Deceit nearly throttled the deranged side, but he knew the reaction he would get wouldn't be one he wanted. "We need to figure out a way to get Paranoia back, so we can put him back in the Cage and do our jobs, uninterrupted." He paused. "Can you still force thoughts into your brother's head?"

"Of course! Just yesterday, I made him imagine eating spoonfuls of earwax!" Remus laughed joyously. "I could almost hear him screaming from here!"

Deceit snapped his fingers. "Then we'll start with that. Paranoia already believes that the Light Sides hate him." He rolled his eyes. "With that insufferable Morality, it won't be long until he feels. . . loved." He nearly gagged on the bitter word. "Do whatever you have to in order to insure our dear Prince resents the little rat."

"Okie dokie!"

The liar thought for a moment. "We should inform the other one of our situation. I'm sure he'll be thrilled."

"Ooh, ohh!" Remus raised his hand. He loved delivering bad news. People's reactions were always hilarious to him. "I'll tell him!"

"Don't get on with it then. I'll clean this mess up."

Remus skipped away and Deceit went to work, manipulating the environment to repair and replace the broken kitchenware. Manipulation was his specialty, although Remus was more powerful at environmental manipulation. However, he knew that if he left the psychotic twin in charge of cleaning up, he was likely to. . . redecorate.

It took a week to get rid of the bloodstains last time, and Deceit was still finding mutated bugs in certain corners.

Deceit watched the cabinets shut and glanced to the window, where the sound of raindrops tapping the glass panes drew his attention. His lips curled in a half-smirk, half-scowl.

"Do get comfortable, Paranoia. I'm sure your new life will last long."