Everybody came to, and when Janus finally cracked open one of their eyes, their stomach twirled in circles and they felt sick to the core. Their eyes landed of the corpse of someone who they would’ve once called their friend, now their body there and lifeless as if resting peaceful, was it not for the soft burns and rising bruises that coaxed their body.

A loud cry came from that part of the room that split the air as it carried tears in it’s tone.

“VIRGIL!”

Logan cried out, ignoring the metal that was now inside of his leg, trying to scamper the corpse of his departed friend, his eyes were flooded with tear and his cheeks carried a red tint. He wanted to move toward them, but was held back by the chain around his ankle.

“VIRGIL! Virgil! I’m so sorry I wasn’t thinking rationally I-I-” The logical side wailed into the room, the sound bouncing off the walls. The now slightly cooled rod lay just behind Patton’s feet, who went go to retrieve it gloveless, and held it out to the mourning Logan, who glared back up at him with hatred.

“You still have to brand them, Logan. That’s the rules.”

“Go to hell.” 

“I choose to brand Virgil.”

 Came the bland response. For just a brief moment, Logan could have sworn he felt a wave of pity and sadness roll from the other as he looked between the two before nodding at Logan to go ahead. Logan reached for the glove to pick up the rod, got up and turned to his purple friend, who scurried backwards against the wall. Logan took one step forward before his eyes flitted to Patton, who was looking away.

Patton wasn’t too far from the pair, so as Logan whipped around to the other, he would only need to take a few steps towards the other and he would be within hitting distance. Logan rushed forward, grappling the very bottom of the cooling branding iron to swing full force at the moral side. As he yanked on the chain from the sudden movement, though, it’s spikes curled in Logan's flesh mercilessly and yanked him back, ripping deep lines around his ankle bones down to the beginning of his foot.

As a pained yelp arose from Logan, along with the loud clatter of the metal poker skidding across the floor with a few taps, a new noise filled the room. At first, it just sounded like a spark of pure electricity, clicking with energy before it crackled loudly and lit the room alive with light as the bolts caused everyone to go momentarily blind. Yells of protest arose from the captives as they watched the sparks dance around that corner of the room. The smell of crisp flesh filled the chamber, burning in everyone’s nostrils like a poisonous gas. 

“Roman, listen, y-”

“I chose to brand Janus.”

The response was quick and snapped out from the prince, who denied Janus any look at his face, expecting the half-serpent to patronise him. But instead, Janus just looked at him with a softening look. “I was going to let you anyways, Roman.” They clarified, a soft hiss rolling off their tongue. Roman did look at them this time, shocked and shaking still as he tried to ease his arm on the cold floor. But asides from the glance, they exchanged nothing as Roman reached for the glove and branding iron in silence.

Once fitted, he moved over to Janus and looked at them in the eyes before reaching for their left arm to pull back the fabric on, scales in patches along it and the forearm bathed in a soft yellowish hue. Roman lifted the rod and Janus looked away.

Soon enough, it was pushed into the skin, hard, as Patton had said. Amazingly, though, Janus simply flinched at the pain and sucked in a hiss of pain as Roman held it there. As Patton counted down, Roman’s pressed decreased slightly, until he could eventually pull back as Patton hit ‘5’. Janus let out a little noise in relief, but knowing they were next, they couldn’t bask in it for too long. 

Roman moved back, leaving the serpent the glove and iron rod in his place for them. Soon enough, as promised, Patton’s gaze moved over to them, looking them up and down.

“Janus? Are you ready t-”

“Brand me again.”

“I… W-What?”

“Brand me again, Patton.”

This caught the parental side off guard, the answer coming completely from left field in Patton’s mind and it seemed as if he wasn’t the only one.

“What? Janus, you’re being completely illogical!” Came Logan’s voice, as he sat up and stared in shock at Janus, feeling himself quiver. “It’s not fair that you have to get branded twice!”

“Logan. I’ve made up my mind-” Janus hissed at the other, before raising their head and repeating what they said previously. “Brand me again.” 

Nobody protested this time, only silence as Patton just… Nodded at them. He came closer, picking up the iron with his gloved hand and lifting up their arm before pressing into it with the hot metal poker. The pressure was soft at first, before it gradually pushed deeper, so as to not pain the other more than they had already endured. 

With a fresh noise, Patton pulled it back once more after his counting had finished, the skin staying intact this time when he pulled back and just leaving a fresh scar in it’s wake. After looking over the wound for a moment, he rolled down Janus’ sleeves to cover the wounds again, before turning to Logan, the question buzzing in his eyes as he said it aloud.