Holy fuck it's been so long since I've updated this, guys I'm so so so so sorry. I know how disappointing it is, and I won't make excuses, just have another chapter and my deepest apologies I'm so sorry.

.

"Medea."

Remus blinked, utterly thrown by his companion's sudden and inexplicable fondness of Greek Tragedies. "What?" He managed intelligently.

Deceit barely spared him a glance. "Medea. Come now, Remus, surely you see the similarities? Medea was scorned and abandoned by her husband, traded in for someone newer and shinier and better. It's not so unlike our situation with Virgil."

"Dee, I will encourage your comparison once you murder innocent children and poison some royalty."

"Your brother is a Prince, is he not?"

Remus's lips tightened, an uneasy expression flickering across his face. "You aren't poisoning Roman, no matter how tempting. Not even to get back at Virgil."

Deceit glanced at him coolly, thin strips of shadow curling around his fingers and pressing against his scale-burdened cheek. His eyes were glowing faintly, belying his agitation. "Is this brotherly love I sense, dearest Duke?" His voice was disgusted, and his mouth curled into a scornful scowl.

Remus jolted with the flush of indignation that zapped his bloodstream. "No!" He denied vehemently. He didn't care for Roman, it was the exact opposite! Remus would love for his pathetic, weak-minded brother to get taken away and locked up behind the Wall like Deceit had been so long ago, but poisoning him? Killing him?

Remus had his limits.

Deceit turned away and gathered a few pieces of the Wall in his hands. The shadows around him recoiled, tendrils of pure black scraping along his skin in an attempt to flee the eerie energy. "All of us could have been so much more," Deceit murmured gently. "We could have done so much more. We just had to let down the Wall."

Ah, Remus had a feeling he knew what was starting to change within his companion. Of course, one couldn't spend so much time by the Wall and not start to mutate within themselves. "What happened to you?" He asked casually, feigning disinterest as he sat down cross-legged and picked at his black fingernails. He'd never been able to get them the way Virgil used to. Deceit made a small questioning noise. "Well," Remus continued, "you nearly did the same thing Virgil did. We locked you behind the Wall as punishment, remember?"

"I remember," Deceit hummed softly.

Remus scratched at a piece of nail polish that was flaking off. "Well, what happened? You came back with shadows etched into your skin and blood staining your teeth. That doesn't happen from doing nothing."

Deceit turned, still crouching, and smiled.

Remus did not get afraid.

But seeing his friend, something suspiciously like terror flawed at his frozen heart.

Deceit's smile was lopsided and too-wide. There were too many teeth. Remus could almost imagine poison sliding down those barely visible fangs. This was the Deceit who had crawled out of the darkness. This was the Deceit that promised nothing but darkness and bad things.

"I sat in the darkness," almost-Deceit said, still sounding caring and soft. "I sat and I looked, and the darkness looked back. I think Virgil could benefit from an experience like that, don't you?"

Remus frowned, resting his elbows on his knees and staring up at his companion. Deceit merely gathered some more pieces of the Wall. "That sounds like..."

Almost-Deceit's smile turned venomous. "I think it's time we rebuild the Wall."

.

Deceit could tell that Remus didn't like the idea. The Duke's nose scrunched up, apprehension evident on his features. God. Remus was a softy, just like his brother. Granted, Roman was often more tolerable that Remus simply because he was so stupid and Deceit loved to play games with him. He would never actually poison the royal. He had standards.

"I understand you aren't pleased with this plan?" His voice was low, and the shadows wrapped around his neck in response.

Remus jumped to his feet, any sense of real emotion swept away and hidden behind his manic facade. Deceit was more amused than concerned. If Remus wanted to pretend, who was Deceit to stop him? "Last time, it took all the Dark Sides to put the Wall together. What makes you think we can do it between us?"

A fair point. Deceit could concede that it would be difficult. "I have a feeling our new friend will lend us some strength," he said easily, anticipating the cold touch against the back of his thoughts. He laughed darkly. "And I've changed since our last attempt with the Wall. All will be well, Grand Old Duke."

Remus scowled. "It'll take a lot of power, that's all I'm saying."

Deceit waved a hand flippantly. "No bother. Of course, I will need to have my own reserves for my...other projects, but it shouldn't be anything too damaging."

"Other projects?" Remus repeated, narrowing his eyes. Deceit didn't even try nd play innocent. "What games are you playing, Deceit?"

Such a loaded question for so early on in the partnership! Deceit's lips curled wryly as he tilted his head, staring at Remus with keen eyes. It was fair enough, he supposed. Remus had a right to know, but some viciously petty part of Deceit wanted to let him flounder. How delightful it would be to watch Remus get torn apart and put back together by the deepest, darkest, hidden parts of Thomas's consciousness.

Deceit was oh so tempted.

He sighed. Alas, he was obligated to share so that both of them would get out of this entire situation in one piece. "The way through to Virgil is his friends," he answered reluctantly. Remus's mouth twitched, but he withheld his mocking laughter. Deceit allowed a cruel smile. "We've already tried Roman - your work was quite excellent."

Remus sketched a bow, grinning. "Oh why thank you. I do so love messing my dearest brother. He's so skittish, it's almost pathetic."

Deceit very wisely did not say that Remus's mostly one-sided rivalry with Roman was pathetic, and that he actually felt bad for Roman because the Royal's fear was genuine every time Remus showed up. Instead, Deceit said, "We know that Logan will be no help to our cause. He's too...calm. Rational."

"I like him," Remus said. "His neutral energy...imagine how powerful we would be if we could make him a Dark Side like us."

Deceit would rather Fade, but okay. He gritted his teeth, managing not to spit at Remus's face. That would be rather...undignified. "Hence," he emphasised. "Patton. Virgil values Patton's opinions above even Thomas's. Turning Patton against him will force him to isolate himself, and that, my dearest Remus, is when we strike."

Remus's answering smile was genuinely terrifying. If Deceit were anyone but himself, he may actually feel disconcerted or unsettled. Unfortunately, he was who he was, and thus Remus just looked a little demented.

Deceit wrinkled his nose as he held out a few of the larger pieces of the Wall to his companion. "Our first decision - are we starting again entirely or simply mending?"

Remus took the offered fragments, his breathing stuttering as his own energies connected with the residual power left on the pieces. "Mending it will make it weaker, " he said, staring down at the luminescent slabs of bonded Dark Matter. "Completely reconstructing it will ensure that there are no fault lines or cracks."

"We will be drained rather quickly." Deceit hated to admit it, but his power wasn't limitless. His power came from Thomas, which meant that his strength was slowly waning. Those damn Light Sides had somehow managed to lend their Host some strength. "I'm strong, Remus, but not that strong."

Remus's grin stretched wider. "Then we don't use our powers. Well, not entirely."

"Elaborate."

Remus handed the pieces back to Deceit. He patted them meaningfully. "Well, we have some batteries right here. I say we use them."

'"Once you begin," the voice from the Void hissed suddenly, interrupting their conversation, "I will turn my influence on Virgil. You must finish the Wall and tap him behind it for our deal to be complete."

"No," Deceit said instinctively. Remus raised an eyebrow. Deceit breathed in deeply. "Leave Virgil for the moment. Let me focus on Patton, and on the Wall. Once it is built-"

"Once it is built, any affect the heightened Dark energies have had on Virgil will fade and he will be strengthened against us! Time is of the essence, snake."

"You're afraid. Leave Virgil to me. If you want to ensure we succeed, then lend us your energy so that we can get the Wall rebuilt."

The voice from the Void fell silent in reluctant agreement and Deceit turned to Remus, who blew out a heavy breath. "Holy shit," the Duke said. "Deceit, I hope you know what the hell you're doing."

Oh, Deceit knew exactly what he was doing.

He just wasn't doing what he promised.

He just needed to get the Wall built. Everything would be okay after that.