Janus's POV:

Ava giggled again. "Great! I got a complete plan done. Now c'mon, let's get goin'!"

They grabbed something large-- a stick, or one of the many small rocks scattered around the stone floor-- and began scrabbling at a small brick on the wall. 

As this behavior was most unorthodox, I tilted my head with an amused grin, confused. "What're you going to do?" I asked, just as my question was answered and the brick was shoved through the wall and landed with a dusty thud on the stone floor. 

Dust went everywhere; this place was covered in an abundance. I started to cough, my hand flying to my mouth, and Remus soon followed suit, wincing. Ava slipped her hand through and waved, laughter coming in bubbly bursts from where she was. 

"Could you not have done that?" I hissed in exasperation, still waving my hand around my nose. "I can barely breathe now."

Their hand was pale white, nearly like a ghost, with long sharp nails painted a dark olive green. Copper and silver bracelets with all sorts of carvings embedded in the metal jangled about on their wrist over the fingerless gloves they were still wearing. 

They giggled. "Give me the bandages, shortie." They wriggled their fingers. "I gotta plan." 

Hesitantly, I pressed the roll of bandages into their hand. They slipped it back through the wall and took a content sigh. "Excellent. Thanks, boys."

Remus tapped his fingers on the bench, waiting with impatient leg-bouncing and a small pout as Ava did... something? With the bandages. No sounds were coming from their side, except for the occasional exasperated sigh or soft curse that sometimes weren't so soft. 

My patience ran through and I tapped the wall loudly, trying to get their attention. "Hey, um, what exactly are you going to be doing with thosse bandagess?" 

Loud muttering and cursing came from Ava's room, followed by the grating sound of metal against metal and in an instant, they were on the other side of our bars, hands on hips, a self-satisfied expression on their face. 

They tapped their chin, smirking. 

Their hair was messy, the curls brushing their shoulder and the dark grey vest they were wearing. A green tie-dye crop top was under the half-unbuttoned vest, and a cream-white scarf curled snugly around their waist like a silky belt. 

In short, they looked great, even though they had just been locked up for who-knows-how-long. 

Better than I looked. That wasn't saying much, though. I scratched my head, waving awkwardly at them. "Mind explaining to uss jusst how you managed to do that?"

Stepping forward to our door, they tossed a curl of hair over their shoulder. "I found a skeleton key," they cooed, clapping their hands together. "But. Theeeen I broke it." They held up a dark grey key tied together with the gauze I had given them. "So I fixed it! Ain't that nice?"

"A skeleton key!" Remus gasped, sitting up suddenly. "Can I hold it?! Please!"

Ava laughed. "Just a second, ya limp fish. Let me get ya'll outta there."

With a click and a curse, the door popped open, swinging toward my face so I had to dodge or risk being hit. "You ssure don't give a fuck about anything, do you," I muttered. "Ah well. Thankss for helping uss, we needed it."

"Ya still do."

"Fuck off."

We padded slowly down the hallway, cautiously. 

The walls where made of a clean white tile, so different in shade than the dirty grey stone in the prison cells. Small windows dotted the cement walls, the glass stained with dirt and dust, spiderwebs flashing in the dingy windowsills. The ceiling was a light silver aluminum, with steel beams crisscrossing over wire lamps shining dimly, and vents that blew cold air out, making me shiver. 

Remus glanced at me and pulled me into a close hug, kissing the top of my head and mussing up my hair. "Feel warmer now, hydra?" he asked. "If you want, though--"

"Sstop," I interrupted him dryly, but it didn't stem the flow of his words. 

He grinned teasingly, fluttering his long eyelashes. "I can make you even warmer..."

"Fuck, Remuss," I said, exasperated. "Thiss is not the time."

Remus rolled his eyes, grabbing my hand and squeezing it, sticking his tongue out childishly at me. "It's always flirting time in my book, Janus."

I rolled my eyes but couldn't stop myself pressing a soft kiss to his lips. "You're sso ssilly..." I muttered, stroking his cheek adoringly. "Why do I ever love you."

"Because I'm glorious," he replied smugly. 

"As much as I'd love ta watch ya'll lovebirds make out in the middle o' the hallway," Ava snarkily called, "I'm afraid we got some escapin' to do?" They jingled the key on their wrist, looking purposefully from me to Remus. 

I blushed, moving away from Remus but not releasing his hand. "...whatever."

They snickered, and Remus soon joined in. 

"You two are sso..." I faded off, crossing my arms. "Sso..."

Ava smirked. "Chaotic?"

Remus giggled. "Spicy?"

"You ain't wrong," they said at the same time, then collapsed into peals of laughter. I sighed, grinning but still rolling my eyes. 

"Come on, idiot one and idiot two." I beckoned to them, walking softly ahead and trying not to have my footsteps echo in the empty corridor. Protests and loud sputtering came from behind me, but I didn't stop to listen. 

Passing a bunch or portraits, I couldn't help but have my eyes drift to reading the small plaques dedicated to various leaders of Lakeside Valley. 

Samantha Redd, the first female mayor. A pretty lady with long blonde-red hair and green-grey eyes, dozens of tattoos spirling down her arms and chest. 

Carter Coy, the one who named the city. Not the founder, but one of Samual's friends. 

And... the current mayor. 

Carl Darke, the loyal mayor of Lakeside Valley, someone who loved this city and the people in it...?

I had to hold back a wave of panic and nausea as my 'father's' face came into view. He still looked exactly the same, pale skin and baby-blue eyes that once could have been soft, but now were hard and cold, like knives that would never go dull. 

My scars tingled, pain coursing through my body at just the memories, so vivid and bloodstained they could have been from yesterday. 

This isn't the time...

So what, it's him. I need to run. I need to get out of here. 

I knew what I was doing, coming here. 

But did I?

I knew the risks. 

There are too many!

I got myself into this. I can get myself out. 

Yeah, by running. 

No, by staying and pushing it away!

I tried to take a deep breath, but it came out as shaky and unsteady. Only after Remus had passed me did I realize I was frozen, rooted to the spot like some kind of tree, all my limbs cut and replaced with metal and blood. 

He turned around. "Janus, cobra, you alright?"

His voice was muffled. I wanted to call out, to make myself known... but... 

But I can't. 

Just keep moving.

But I can't!

I clutched at my head, my breaths ragged and my thoughts winding around each other like a venomous snake, choking me, cutting off my air. 

I was drowning, I thought desperately, my nails digging half-moons into my already scarred cheeks. 

I'm drowning, I'm falling, there's too much! It's too much, I want to go, I want...

I'm going to fall, and it's all...

My fault...

Remus grabbed me by the arms, a concerned look on his face. "Janus!" he called, brushing his thumb against my cheek. "Janus, listen to me."

His voice was an anchor. 

Quiet. 

But stable. 

Maybe the only stable thing. 

Was this real?

This is a dream. 

I'm going to wake up...

But what's real?

Me?

Remus?

No, no, no, everything's wrong! This is all wrong...

A sob escaped my throat, nearly silent but stifling and startling. 

Whispered, choked words. 

"Are you... real?"

A bolt of fear. 

He's not real--

He's not--

But I--

I...

More tears, now leaking out of my grey-silver eyes and dripping in thick streams down my cheeks. 

"You're-- I--" I swallowed, grasping for Remus's arms. "You--"

He looked at me, little jewels of empathy buried deep in his eyes. "I'm here," he whispered, pulling me into a tight hug. "Is it... the picture of him? Is it?"

Shakily, I nodded, clutching at the fabric of his hoodie. I gasped for air, tears streaming down my face and smudging the blood marks. "It'ss-- jusst everything, I guess and... I just ssaw him and it all kind of-- it crashed down," I hiccuped. "I'm ssorry, I'm being ssilly and-- this issn't helpful..."

"Shh, it's all okay. I'm here, don't worry about that."

"I... I jusst-- I can't do anything-- anything r-right, can I?"

"Oh, hydra." Remus kissed my cheek, smudging away tear stains. "You're doing your best, and to me that's wonderful, okay?" He looked down at me, my body shaking uncontrollably and tears still rolling down my face. 

Suddenly, Ava cursed loudly. I spun around, expecting to see Andy or someone behind us, but nobody was there. 

Curiously, I padded toward Ava, turning the corner to meet them. 

And immediately, the scent of blood filled my senses.