Nothing had changed. That... That monster was still hanging around Patton and it made his blood boil and his fists clench when he saw them together. Virgil was a bad influence on him. He just knew it. And he hated how Patton wouldn't listen, just like he wouldn't listen now.

"Patton, I swear," Roman huffed angrily on the way back from school. "You have to see it. That guy's awful and, sooner or later, you're going to be in an alleyway with a cigarette in your hand and you'll be too scared to tell him to fuck off because you're too nice. Honestly, I'm just trying to look out for you!"

The cheery guy glared sternly. "Roman, I know you're looking out for me, but it's fine. Stop worrying."

That wasn't the answer Roman had wanted. "I'm serious!"

"And so am I!" Patton answered. "Virgil's my friend, I'm not going to just leave him because of a few rumours! That's not nice and I wouldn't have any friends!"

"So?" Cried Roman, exasperatedly throwing his hands up into the air. "You can hang out with my lot! My friends would love you!"

Patton shook his head as he stepped up to their front door, pulling out his keys. "Roman, for the last time, I don't care what people say. Virgil's my friend. Whatever Virgil you know isn't the Virgil I know and I am going to trust my gut."

Roman growled loudly in annoyance. "Jesus, Patton, why are you so nice?!"

"Excuse me?" Patton exclaimed loudly. "Is it a bad thing that I have friends?!"

"It's a bad thing that that villain is your friend-!"

"Virgil is not a villain!" Bellowed Patton and the air around them suddenly grew very quiet, Roman wide-eye and Patton furious. The bubbly one sighed, closed his eyes for a bit, and, when he opened them, fixed Roman with a cold, mean stare. "Don't you dare call him a villain." And he walked inside the house, leaving Roman speechless in the doorway.

A minute must have passed, with Roman only able to stand there in stunned submission, mouth slightly open. But he gathered himself and walked inside, shutting the door behind him. Kicking off his shoes, he dumped his school bag by the door, breezing through the living room and making his way hastily up the stairs.

He stormed across the landing to his room, shutting the door loudly behind him. Roman breathed out into the still air, keeping his head hung low. When he looked up, into his mirror, he fixed his reflection with the maddest sneer he could manage, his fists curling. It seems like the situation was worse than he thought - Patton had never raised his voice at his twin before, even when they were children. And that had crumbled tragically thanks to the gothic loner.

Well, Virgil wasn't going to be a problem any more. Roman had a plan.

~*~

He waited half an hour before moving. He couldn't have Patton even guess something was going on or else it wouldn't work and his twin would just slip deeper into the monster's control. The landing was quiet and no one moved across it. Roman shut his bedroom door as silently as he could, slipping slowly across the floor into his parents' bedroom. Carefully, making sure he touched nothing, he walked around until he caught up with his father's bedside table.

Crouching down, he slid open the middle drawer, cringing at the wretched squeak it made, and peered inside. He knew it was in here somewhere.

Rifling through papers, forgotten notepads and loose sticky notes, Roman found it dwelling at the very bottom. His old phone.

He had gotten it a year ago, for his last birthday, before receiving his current one later. The screen was scratched, yet uncracked, and the cover was of red baize. He turned it on and smiled, seeing it still had a little bit of life in it. His old lock screen appeared and Roman was almost distracted with fond memories before remembering the importance of his mission.

Opening the bottom drawer, he quickly found his old phone's charger and left the room, making sure nothing looked touched, as if he hadn't even been there. Stuffing the phone and charger into his jacket pocket, he was just about to enter his room when Patton walked up from the stairs.

The two made eye contact.

"Roman," Patton said coolly, but he couldn't mask the guilty tone leaking into his voice.

"Hi, Patton," Roman responded quietly, glancing away.

There was silence between them.

"L-Look, I just wanted to say, I'm sorry," Apologized Patton, bowing his head. "I just didn't like you talking about my best friend like that. And you can't stop him from being my best friend, either."

For a moment, Roman hesitated on his plan. Maybe he didn't need to. But his unconditional love for his brother banished away all second guessing. "It's alright," Roman promised. "I guess I can't really stop you, can I?"

Patton's eyes widened. "You mean it?" He whispered.

"I, uh, yeah?" Roman awkwardly responded.

His twin squealed and rushed forwards, catching Roman in a big, tight hug. "Thank you, thank you, thank you! Oh, gosh, thank you! You'd like Virgil, if you got to know him!"

Roman frowned. "I'm not planning to befriend him, Pat. But... I guess-" He forced the words out, "-If he's really gonna mean so much to you, I'm not going to try and get in the way. I'll just not be happy about it."

The cheery guy beamed. "Oh, that's okay! We can't be friends with everyone! I can't believe you're finally okay with it! Wow!" Sorry, sorry," Patton backed up embarrassedly, still grinning brightly. "You're probably busy and don't want to hear me gush for an hour. I-I'll leave you alone, keep doing what you're doing!"

Roman smiled gently as his brother skipped brightly away. Then his gut twisted. He didn't want to have to lie to Patton. Or break his brother's heart.

He slipped into his room with a sigh. "Change of plan," He muttered to himself. "I'm going to see what Virgil is like myself."

~*~

Janus was as infamous as Virgil around school yet he was popular because of it. He was known as 'The Snake' by the entire student body and he wore it like a badge. Secrets, rumours and business of questionable means were his speciality.

On this particular day, he was lounging around the back of the school, sitting on a small wall as he awaited someone's' inevitable arrival. He heard footsteps approaching and listened intently. Yes, they were coming for him, he could tell.

Sitting up, Janus flipped up a little mirror, first checking his makeup and then who ever was approaching.

It gave him a shock, that was for sure. Roman was popular, open and honourable. Yet, here he was, walking towards the liar with a calm and determined expression.

"Snake," He called out and Janus hopped off his wall calmly. "I need something from you."

"What would that be, dear Roman?" Janus drawled with a sly quirk of his eyebrow.

Roman held eye contact, unblinkingly. "I need Virgil Jackson's number."

As if his appearance wasn't surprising enough, Jan was almost at loss for words. "What do you want with him?" He asked nosily.

The princely one tilted his head. "I heard that you didn't ask questions and you just provided."

Janus glared, recovering himself swiftly. "Then you must've heard I don't dish things out for free."

"I heard that too," Nodded Roman grimly, and he reached into his pocket before holding up a small, transparent bag. Janus could see a small wad of twenty dollar notes.

"I'm glad. I'll tell you his number, you give me the money and no one else will have to hear about this curious request of yours. Deal?"

Roman nodded again. "Deal."

Janus reached up into his beanie, pulling out a pen and a very small notebook. He scribbled down several digits before holding it out calmly.

"Here you go," He said. "Jackson's number. Take it."

Roman reached forwards, sleeping the paper away and folding it into his pocket. He pressed the small pouch of money into Janus's waiting palm in return. "And this remains confidential?" He checked cautiously.

"Absolutely," Replied Janus and smirked. "I'm nothing but honest with my clients." The Snake bowed coyly before climbing back onto the wall and walking away.

Roman watched him leave, uneasily. But Janus didn't look back and he felt safe. He pulled out his old phone and the slip with Virgil's number, leaning against the wall Janus had left by as sorted things out.

He'd earlier bought his old phone a new SIM card and he opened up the new, empty, contact list and made one. He stared down at his screen, knowing that there was no turning back now.

With a deep, regretful sigh, he typed in a message and sent it.

Hey.