Predator (DWT x OC)

64

"Are you sure?" Dream asks, as we find ourselves back in front of the doors to the meeting room, Sam on my other side. 

I nod, inhaling through my nose. We came here to get a job done, and I'm not going to let a family reunion get in the way of destroying Schlatt's entire existence. Sam reaches forward, opening the doors open for us. 

"Apologies for that guys." Sam announces, as we rejoin them at the table. "Allow me to introduce my little sister, Rosemary, and well, you all know Dream." He motions to the both of us, the rest of the table nodding in greeting. I notice Bad, who gives me an excited little wave. 

"I thought your sister died." One of the men says, raising his eyebrows. 

"Turns out, she's actually alive." Sam shrugs, while I nod. "A bit of a surprise for the both of us."

Dream clears his throat, amid little teeters from the men gathered around the table. "Well, I'm sure you're all aware of why we're here. Schlatt is a problem for all of us, and it needs to be solved."

"And as we mentioned before, we aren't convinced that Schlatt is our problem." The same man speaks up again, before turning his gaze back onto me. "I'm Antfrost, nice to meet you Rosemary."

I give him a small smile. "Nice to meet you, Antfrost."

He continues on, in the same measured tone. "Dream tells us you've lived under the JSchlatt administration."

"Yes." I reply. "I've been apart of L'manburg almost since it's foundation."

"Look." Another man speaks up, addressing Dream. "We agree that his plans to expand his borders, and his disregard for treaties and agreements are a problem, we're just not convinced that it's bad enough that we need to get involved. Not yet anyway."

"It's not just the borders Skeppy, he's completely disregarding democracy, and any kind of accountability. He's running a dictatorship, and L'manburg needs our help to save them."

Skeppy presses his lips together. "What happens outside of our borders in none of our concern."

"And following your logic, we should declare war on you to Dream." Bad interjects. 

"We mind our own business." Antfrost adds. "We've survived by not getting involved in other nations squabbles."

"He's not going to stop, and every village he takes, he's going to destroy." Dream says, not deterred from their apprehension one tiny bit. 

"He's going to torture everyone you've ever loved, and he'll execute the ones he doesn't like." I interrupt, lifting my head so I'm addressing everyone in the room. "Anything that gains him power, he'll do, and when he has a chance to stab you in the back, he will."

"He doesn't care about anyone but himself." I continue. "He exiled his political enemies, my family, he had my friend murdered for trying to leave, he specifically targeted women with harassment, unfair taxation policies and physical intimidation, and he tried to sexually assault me while I was imprisoned for killing the man who kidnapped and tortured me, for what he thought was being a traitor, ironically after he burned down the flag."

A strangled sound leaves Dream, but the rest of the people are dead silent. I'm proud of the way my voice rings out, clear and unwavering, detached from the true horror of it all. 

"Are those scars from him?" Bad asks gently. 

"Vice President." I answer, holding my arms out for the table to see. "The one he hired to make sure I was as traumatised as possible."

I leave out the part where that's definitely mostly Dream's fault. 

"Do you think he's going to slow down Rosemary?" Antfrost questions seriously.