I've been wanting to write a Sanders Sides fanfiction for a while, but I also don't want to forget about my other fanfictions. So, one-shots it is! If you have any suggestions, please tell me!

This one is about Virgil's first appearance in the Mindscape. I hope you guys like it!

Welcome to the Panic Room

A fourteen-year-old Deceit paused in the hallway.

"Well, what don't we have here?" he mused.

A jet black door was placed next to his own, just a little bit down the hallway. Black leaked from the door, making spider-web-like cracks in the wall and floor.

It wasn't an illusion. The door was really there. Deceit would know.

Lying was his specialty, after all.

Deceit slowly approached the door, careful not to step on any cracks unless he had to. A childish game, but this was all new. Who knows what could happened.

He tried the knob. It couldn't turn, not even a little bit.

Locked? He hummed to himself. He pulled out the bobby pin Creativity had left in the kitchen (the one Deceit swiped) and calmly picked the lock. Soon enough, the door opened, not making a single noise.

It was eerily quiet. The entire room looked like Thomas's bedroom, but darker, like a shadow had permanently taken up residence. The walls were pretty bare, unlike most other rooms in the Mindscape.

Deceit scratched his scales, the ones that were just starting to grow in (stupid puberty). He was aware of how loud it sounded, the room was that quiet.

A black blur appeared in the corner of his eye. Quickly, Deceit turned to see what it was, but there was nothing there. The room was getting colder.

"Is there nobody here?" he asked the air. No response.

"I don't know you're there." he muttered. Deceit scratched his scales some more. Why won't they stop itching? He felt something on his hand. He looked down to see fragments of scale and blood on his fingers.

Oops.

There it was, the black blur again. Deceit jerked his head in that direction and the blur froze.

It was a boy (well of course it was, who else would be here) wearing a black hoodie and holding a small, thin knife. Eyeshadow was messily applied under his eyes, like eyebags. He looked scared, and was pointing the knife at Deceit shakily.

Despite the obvious danger, Deceit took a step forward. The boy flinched.

Deceit paused, and held his hands up in a calming manner. "I'm not not going to hurt you." he said.

"You talk weird." The boy replied.

"I can't not not lie," Deceit chuckled a little. He knew he could be confusing, but he didn't have very good self-control. Compulsive liar, and all that.

"You… can't tell the truth?" The boy tilted his head, confused. His grip on the knife tightened. "Who are you? What are you doing in my room?"

"I am not Deceit." he carefully lowered his hands. "I did not want to say hello."

The boy's shoulders relaxed a little, slowly easing him out of his tense posture. "Well… hello, I guess…"

"What are you not called?" Deceit asked.

"Uh… I'm V-Virgil…" the boy shook a little.

Deceit waved his hands. "Don't not tell anyone your real name. Good things happen."

The boy was quiet for a second, likely deciphering what Deceit had said. Slowly, he said, "Then… I guess I'm Anxiety."

Anxiety, huh? Deceit considered the boy, identical to him (but not really). He'd be a good asset to the team… but this was a little concerning for Thomas. And despite being a Dark Side, Deceit still cared about Thomas.

...Maybe he was a background Side, like Sleep.

Anxiety put down his knife on a nearby table, carefully within reach. He looked up at Deceit from under his bangs. Deceit gave him a small smile.

Anxiety returned the smile (it looked more like a grimace, Deceit noticed).

"You're bleeding," Anxiety said suddenly. Deceit frowned. Anxiety briskly walked over to a cabinet and opened it, revealing a very professional first-aid kit. Anxiety pulled a bandage from the kit and put the box away. He then brought the bandage over to Deceit.

"Um… may I?" Anxiety asked awkwardly, gesturing toward Deceit's left eye. Deceit nodded and held still. Anxiety carefully placed the bandage under Deceit's eye, right over where he had been scratching earlier.

"Thank you," Deceit said, sincerely for once.

Anxiety looked at him, a little embarrassed. He turned to go back toward where he was standing, but tripped on a backpack that had appeared on the floor. He picked it up and looked inside. Anxiety sighed quietly to himself. He showed Deceit a red folder.

"Thomas was assigned an essay today," Anxiety told Deceit. He bit his lip worriedly. "It's due in a week."

Deceit shrugged. "So? Logic won't finish it in a few days."

"No, no," Anxiety trembled. "A week's not nearly enough time for this! Thomas isn't good at themes, and this needs to be five pages!"

Deceit snorted. "He can't just BS his way through it."

"The teacher would know!" Anxiety practically yelled in a panicky voice. "She's not dumb! And Thomas isn't a good liar!"

Deceit shot him a wounded look. Anxiety shrank, gripping his arms and looking small.

"There I go again," Anxiety muttered. "Messing everything up and causing problems…"

A shadow in the corner moved. Anxiety crouched down and gripped his head, squeezing his eyes shut.

"I just met you, and I'm already ruining everything…" Anxiety sobbed quietly. "You probably think I'm a disgrace." The shadow peeled away from the wall and became a more demonous shape. Deceit recoiled in horror.

The monster opened its cavernous mouth, jaws slavering. Deceit prepared to summon his prefered weapon, but Anxiety just chucked the knife at the beast. It impaled itself in the monster's eye. The thing shrieked and fled. Anxiety sat down on the bed in the corner.

"Wh-what was that?" Deceit asked Anxiety, frantically searching for some semblance of reason.

"S-sorry," Anxiety sniffed. "That was- that was, uh, the manifestation of his fear. Thomas's, I mean. It'll be back later."

Deceit nodded slowly, accepting the bizarre occurrence. It wasn't his problem, anyway. But what if it came back and got him? What if he was gone- just like that?

Lying can't get him out of that. Neither can pretending.

Geez, he never realized how inadequate he was.

They were both quiet (awkward) for a few moments until Anxiety said softly, "You, um…"

"What?"

"You've got, uh…" Anxiety pointed under both of his own eyes. "Whatever this is called, on your face."

"Wha- eyeshadow, you don't mean?" Deceit asked. He touched the area under his right eye. Sure enough, black makeup appeared on his fingers. "Huh. That's normal."

"You didn't have that on before, did you? 'Cuz if you did, you stole my look." Anxiety scowled.

"I did." Deceit frowned. He considered the room. It must be… "Oh, I don't get it."

"What is it?" Anxiety asked, hands in his lap. He'd adapted to Deceit's speech pattern quite easily. It was… strange.

Deceit jabbed a makeup covered finger at Anxiety. "Your room isn't corrupting me."

"Oh- uhm, I'm sorry, I can make it stop-"

"Yes, you can." Deceit shook his head. "There is something you can do to stop it."

"Somethi- oh, wait. Nothing I can do, huh?" Anxiety looked up at Deceit. "Then, what do we do?"

Deceit pointed at the door. "I need to stay."

"You're leaving?" Anxiety asked.

"I'd need to stay anyway." Deceit replied, looking sad. "We can leave our rooms, really."

Anxiety looked a little shock. "Wait- we're not supposed to leave? Then, why are you here?"

"I don't like breaking the rules." Deceit replied. "I really must be staying."

"Right, sorry." Anxiety hesitated, then added, "You'll come back, right?"

Deceit nodded, a genuine smile on his face. Anxiety beamed.

"Okay, um, bye then!" Anxiety waved. "I'll be here."

Deceit waved back and left the room, shutting the pitch black door. A wicked smile appeared on his face.

Of course they can leave the rooms! Deceit hummed a little tune to himself as he covered the door with an illusion, making it look like the wall was blank. He also covered the cracks, which had gradually receded (interesting).

Deceit then left for the kitchen, still humming his song, like nothing had happened.

Lying was his specialty, after all.

If you have any one-shot ideas, please tell me! I'll try to get to everyone. I'll do any ship (tho I'd prefer not to do Deceit/Virgil, if you don't mind. I tried, I can't make it work with them still in character). Yay PolySanders!

In case you were wondering, this was based off of "Panic Room", by Au/Ra. I think the song fits Virgil very well, I highly recommend you listen to it.

Don't forget to follow, favorite, and review! Appreciate you all! ~BlackPolaris