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Janus felt consciousness slowly return to him, like a slowly retreating veil of unconsciousness was being lifted from him. Something about it felt vaguely familiar, but Janus’s groggy mind couldn’t hold any thought for too long yet as each though felt like it kept slipping through Janus’s fingers.
However, when a hand gripped Janus’s face without warning, Janus’s body gave him a boost of adrenaline and his eyes flew open to see who was...
Fuck.
In front of Janus was the gentle looking scientist, Dr. Emile Picani as Janus saw on his lab coat, the sickening lack of... anything behind his eyes sent a shiver of dread and gentle unsettlement down Janus’s spine.
“Ah! Perfect! Our patient is awake!” Emile Picani exclaimed, something finally happening behind Emile’s eyes, but it was arguably worse as all Janus saw was excitement, a sick excitement of whatever he was going to do to him. Emile Picani let go of Janus’s face and stepped back, like he was preparing to do something
Janus took a glance at his surroundings, also taking stock of what position he was actually in. He was still sitting in the same chair as when he was drugged unconscious, but instead of his friends being beside him in the harsh light, there was only him and Emile.
“What have you done with my friends?!” Janus roared, his blood boiling hot as everything came crashing down on Janus, that Emile had no doubt done something to his friends.
Emile Picani frowned, shaking his head disappointedly, as if Janus was a toddler who had stolen cookies from a cookie jar.
“Janus-” The name sounded wrong and clunky on Emile Picani’s tongue, but it still made Janus’s body feel like it was immersed in an ice bath.
“Janus, Janus, Janus. That is not a nice way to talk to your family, is it?” Emile replied. Janus reociled, injecting as much venom into his words as he possibly could.
“You are not my family! And even if somehow you were-! Family doesn’t do this to each other! They keep each other healthy and safe and not fucking TIED UP!!” Janus stretched his neck as much as possible, neck muscles straining as he attempted to get as close as possible to Emile Picani.
Emile Picani’s facade morphed into a smile, a sickeningly innocent and non-assuming one, but nothing could get Janus to stop seeing the utter blankness behind Emile’s eyes. Emile Picani was unperturbed by Janus’s outburst other than a flicker of a sickeningly stern expression on his face, like a father scolding a child.
Without a word, Emile Picani slowly turned heel and receded into the darkness, Janus straining to make out anything past the harsh light coming from above him. When Emile came back, Janus’s heart clenched as he recognized Emile had someone with him.
“Patton?! You MOTHERFUCKER! Let him GO!” Janus screamed at Emile Picani as he saw a bruised and battered Patton hanging limply in Emile’s arms. His arms and legs were bound, but with the odd angle on of Patton’s legs was sticking out at, it was clear Patton wasn’t going anywhere on his own.
Patton groaned in Emile’s arms at Janus’s voice, head moving barely up before settling back down into the crook of Emile’s neck. It would’ve looked like a sweet moment of intimate interaction if not for Patton’s state and Emile’s sadistic smile that was visible for a moment before it was quickly changed to a gentle and faux loving expression.
Emile carried Patton up to Janus, pulling a bed from somewhere behind Janus and placed Patton it in front of Janus, facing towards him. Janus’s jolted as he saw blood staining Patton’s clothes particularly around his heart, which kicked Janus’s anger into maximum overdrive, his arms and legs shaking from the effort of trying to break his hands enough to get out of his bonds and help Patton.
Patton’s eyes opened, groaning once again before his eyes opened a crack, his expression blank before recognition flooded into Patton’s eyes, Patton’s lips parting painfully, a hint of a smile drowned out by all the pain Patton must have been expriencing.
“Jan... You’re... okay... that’s... good...” Patton’s voice was barely above a whisper, but Janus understood Patton all the same.
“Patton, I’m so sorry. It’s- It’s going to be alright okay?” Janus soothed, smiling back when the corners of Patton’s mouth raised just enough for Janus to see.
“Health is a crown only the sick see.” Emile Picani drawled, placing a gentle hand on Patton’s face, and despite the pain Patton was in, in his semiconscious state Patton leaned into the touch, searching for warmth as he shivered on the metal table.
Janus finally realized as he saw Emile Picani touch Patton’s face that his hands had a very familiar set of yellow gloves on them, which was probably why Patton was reacting that way.
“Why the fuck do you have my gloves? Don’t you dare make Patton think it’s me when it’s your sick games!” Janus growled, Patton startling, his eyes flying open to see it was Emile Picani touching his face, not Janus. Patton recoiled as much as he could then, wincing in pain at the sudden movement.
“Doesn’t family share? You weren’t using them, so why should they not be put to use?” Emile Picani answered, mimicking Janus’s tendency of pretending to check his nails under his gloves.
“I am NOT your family!” Janus shouted, spooking Patton, who jumped at the sudden loud noise, Janus made fleeing eye contact with him and sent an apologetic expression Patton’s way.
“Oh, of course you are. On the subject of games, it’s time for the next player, come one Pat, let’s get you back in place.” Emile Picani picked up Patton, who let out a loud wince and a whimper, whining out a, “Noooo! Jan... I-”
Janus raised his voice as they both receded into the darkness.
“It’s gonna be okay Patton, we’ll get out here, I promise.”
Patton gave Janus one last look out of the corner of his eye as he was taken away by Emile to wherever he was before, Janus couldn’t tell what Patton wanted to say, but he sent the most hopeful expression he could after Patton.
And just like that, he was alone under the spotlight once again.