A Nightmare's Honor

A Dangerous Game

{M} Nightmare POV:

I was going through the usual paperwork of the day when, quite suddenly, a Yellow messenger burst through my door. I had been so deeply involved in my work that when he entered, I nearly jumped out of my chair. It's unlike myself to be caught so off guard, I thought to myself in amusement.

"Y-Your Majesty! We- we have a s-situation!" the messenger stammered quickly.

"Which is?" I entreated him, wishing for him to continue. For once, I did not look back down at my paperwork- I would most likely have to deal with it later. Whatever the messenger had come for, it was clearly much more pressing.

"A Code: Iron, Your Majesty! B-but... One of the Elites believes that it might be a- a-..."

"A what? Spit it out, messenger."

The messenger shivered, then, glancing to the guards just outside the room, he stepped closer to my desk. His voice was no more than a whisper when he answered. "A Code: Diamond...!!"

I immediately stood up, and, to my surprise, I stiffened despite my usual control of conveying emotion. A Code: Diamond?! This- I never expected to hear it used before- especially not coming from a Code: Iron!

"Bring me there immediately."

The messenger quickly nodded, and, without hesitation, spun around and sped off. I followed behind him as we made haste toward Acacia's station. As the highest ranking interrogator, I wasn't too surprised that I would be brought here. So it's already begun to be handled? I'm impressed that they were able to bring someone with that high of a Code here with such speed and not cause a panic.

Two medium-ranked guards stood on either side of the door. The messenger stepped aside, as he would not be permitted to follow, and waited for his dismissal. I waved him off, and he left. The guards then opened the door for me, and I stepped inside. Two of the Elites were inside, along with Acacia and the reason I was presumably called. One of the Elites was speaking to Acacia in hushed, urgent tones, while the other was sitting on one end of a small table, facing the intruder. To my astonishment, the intruder was wearing Yellow guard armor meant for the basic-level guards.

The Elite glanced at me, then gestured to Acacia and the other Elite, who immediately noticed and stopped talking. As if having a short, silent conversation, Acacia nodded, and the Elite he had been speaking to approached the intruder. When the helmet was off, I nearly gasped. An Indigo Steve?!

"Now that the King is here, you're going to tell us exactly why you're here. Understood?" the Elite sitting at the table, who I now knew was Sky, spoke, her tone threatening.

"I- I d-didn't have a choice, I s-swear! He forced me, he forced me!!" the Indigo Steve nearly yelled, his tone panicked and crazed. "I didn't want to, I swear!!"

Sky seemed taken aback by this outburst, but Acacia held no sign of emotion. He quickly pulled out a notepad and began to scribble something furiously.

"Who forced you?" I demanded.

"T-the Inigo Leader! He d-didn't give me a c-choice!" the Indigo Steve answered quickly, still stammering.