The World Below [DNF]

Chapter 36: The fight

Not only was George gone, but the days leading up to the fight was getting fewer and fewer. Dream had decided to keep his identity hidden from the rest, despite Sapnap's objections. The ravenette had claimed that elongating the process wouldn't make it any easier. Still, Dream had this feeling that this wouldn't go on for that much longer anyways. The fight would most likely be a determining factor regarding his future. He knew that Ms. Soot would strike sometime during the fight and his real intentions for coming back would for sure be revealed.

He spent most of his time training, he'd spoken to Techno a few times and knew that there's no hard feelings between the two. Though it was also clear that Techno wouldn't go in half-hearted. Dream had observed a few more of that man's fights and showing your opponents mercy seemed to be something that Techno didn't know existed. To kill or be killed, appeared to be everything Techno knew. Yet, no more deaths had happened during any of Techno's fights. Dream had fought a few times as well, but he made sure that none of his opponents would end up dead.

The night before the fight arrived and the brunette had still not been seen. However, Dream had gotten a few glimpses of "404" during his fights. That man always looked the happiest when a fight ended in death and blood-splatter. That disgusting smile always seemed to be plastered across that man's face. It was both relieving and terrifying that "404" soon would be put behind bars. Dream barely thought that the man deserved a fair trial after all the harm he'd caused. Still, a part of him knew that without this horrendous man, Dream would've never been reunited with the one he believed to have died.

All of the other house-members were out somewhere so Dream sat alone on his bed analyzing the knife he'd been asked to bring to the fight. 

G.D. Why did he allow Ms. Soot to drag him away from that arena without double-checking her claims? 

If he'd only been a bit more persistent, it wouldn't have taken him five years to figure out the truth. Then again, why would she even lie about such a thing? It still didn't make sense why she even wanted him so badly to join her. Sure, he was good at his job, but there's no way that she could've known that before.

His own questions started to make his brain all mushy. To clear his head, he decided to go out to the backyard. The hollowness of the house made him feel like the loneliest person on the planet.

His mind led him straight to the same place as the first night, the tree with the painted target meant for throwing knives at. The ring dagger was placed in one of his pockets accompanied by the knife that George had told him to bring to the fight tomorrow. He reached for the throwing knife and missed completely that the other knife fell out in the process. Somehow, the focus required for making the knives do as he wanted was enough to cut of his surroundings. Because just as the first night when George had surprised him, was Dream once again surprised when he heard a female voice coming from behind him.

"I thought you knew better than to expose such a specific skill as knife-throwing while working undercover, Dream." He stirred around, startled from the sudden monolog. His green eyes met a pair of familiar, dark-brown ones.

"Ms. Soot?" The woman raised her eyebrows in amusement.

"Long time, no seen." Dream was still too shocked to answer and therefore didn't return the greeting. Ms. Soot eyes darted towards the ground and picked up the knife that Dream had dropped. Her expression drastically changed to an unreadable one when she saw the sigil on the knife. She seemed to drift away in thoughts, which gave Dream back his ability to talk.

"What are you doing here? How did you know I lived here?" His question snapped the woman's attention back to him. The amused expression returned to her face.