The Apocalypse [Dreamnotfound AU]

Training Arc

Tw: swearing, weapons

George groans, rubbing his hands over his face. "I hate this."

Dream smirks, leaning against a wall of the classroom. Karl and Sapnap are bickering by their sleeping bags about the training session that day, and Bad and Skeppy have already left with Techno and Quackity to go to theirs.

"It won't be that bad," Dream says.

George shoots him a glare. "Shut up, idiot. I'm mentally preparing."

Dream rolls his eyes. "For what? It's just training. You're way better than him, all you have to do is teach." When George doesn't look any more excited, Dream grabs his hand. "I can join you guys, if you want. Not like I have anything else to do."

George scoffs. "So that you can spend more time simping? While Montero bats his eyelashes at you?"

Dream bites his lip, keeping in a laugh. "Jealous?"

"Don't you have school security to worry about?"

"Nothing I can't handle later," Dream says, wrapping an arm around George's shoulders. "Besides, this is more important."

"Fine, join us, then" George says, shrugging off his arm. "See if I care."

He shoulders his crossbow and marches off to the door. Karl appears at his side before he can leave. "Yo, George. Marriage problems?"

"You've literally spent the whole morning arguing with Sapnap," George counters, but the words don't hold much bite. He's as glad as the others that Karl is safe. Even if there's bruised shadows under his green-blue eyes and he looks paler than usual.

"At least we had a good reason."

"Apprently," Sapnap says, joining them. "I haven't seen the best animes, according to Karl."

George stares. "How the hell did you get to that?"

"I was saying we're on our third training arc," Karl explains. "Like in animes, when the main character has a whole ass training arc to get more powerful."

"Second, dumbass," Sapnap mutters.

"How is that even important?" George asks.

Karl looks affronted and Sapnap has to grab his hand to hold him back from whatever speech he's about to give. "We should get going," he says, dragging Karl with him. "Techno said we're meeting in the cafeteria, by the way," he adds to George. "Y'all better show up."

"We're coming," Dream says, slipping his knives into his belt.

"Are you also gonna be there?" Karl inquires and Sapnap pulls him out of the classroom before he can say anything else.

Dream huffs out a laugh as he joins George. "Come on. We're gonna be late again."

"Oh no," George deadpans as they leave the classroom. But the corners of his lips twitch up when Dream looks upward in exasperation. George takes his hand as they head down the stairs, relishing Dream's warmth.

The others are already in the cafeteria where someone - Techno, George guesses - has set up targets, like the ones they'd had at their camp near the woods. Everyone has already started and Montero is waiting for them at the far end of the room. To his credit, he's wearing sweatpants and a hoodie, though his ears are shining with silver studs. He's brought a long knife that George suspects belongs to Techno.

"Montero!" Dream calls, like they're old friends, and something like jealousy simmers in George's chest. He resists the urge to shove one of them. Most likely Dream.