An Error's Doll

Chapter 15

You got more nervous when the silent staring continued. You felt a small twinge of guilt when Blue groaned again, louder this time. You did not do anything to him, but you did watch it happen. Dream startled at the sound, looking around before he spotted him, struggling to upright himself from his awkward position sprawled over the food cart.

Dream rushed over with a distressed "Blue!". Before you could breathe a sigh of relief, you felt a hand wrap around you. You squeaked, caught off guard by the unexpected touch. Ink tugged you off of the arrow and held you in front of his face, scrutinizing you. His eyelights went through a myriad of shapes and colors. You did not know what many, if any, of them meant.

"...I wonder where Error got you, and how your alive, I didn't make you," he mumbled. Suddenly, he paused, before using a hand to check his scarf, "Mmm, Nope, nothing there, unless I forgot to write it down too... maybe I should ask Dream?" he asked himself with a furrow in his bonebrow.

Seeing this display, your fear from earlier felt like a joke. It was relieving, but also humiliating remembering the entire reason you were fearful in the first place was because of an Ink. Then again, there were some things to fear, like their random and dangerous antics... you hoped this Ink did not make you partake in his "fun".

You were saved from further watching his performance when you heard the sound of crunching grass. Ink turned, the both of you taking in the sight of a limping Blue, supported around his waist by an exhausted-looking Dream. You wondered how you did not notice how tired he appeared prior to your capture.

"OUCH. I THINK I TWISTED SOMETHING TRYING TO DISLODGE MYSELF FROM THAT UNFORTUNATE POSITION," Blue groaned, a grimace on his face. Yeesh, maybe Blue's luck was about as bad as yours. Hurting his ankle from hitting a food cart... but considering that seems to be the only injury he sustained, maybe not. A normal human or monster likely would have broken something from the impact.

"Do not worry. When we return to the base, I can heal you," Dream soothed. Then, he looked to Ink, his expression a touch nervous despite his calm demeanor, "Ink, we must be leaving now. If we stay they may return," he stressed. Ink appeared to consider it, eyelights drifting in thought.

"...I guess. I had kind of wanted to continue the fight, but since we do have a hostage and Blue's injured, I suppose we can return now," he eventually said, his tone clearly reluctant. As much as you did not want to go with them, you were a tad comforted to know this meant Error would not have to fight. Dream and Blue appeared just as at ease with his answer.

They were probably worried that Ink would refuse, regardless of the fact that one of them was indeed injured–with an injury that would have put him at a disadvantage–, and that they did have a "hostage" in his words. You did not like the thought of being some hostage, but you did not really have a say, so there was nothing you could do to change that. At least, not with Ink.

You could possibly sway Dream or Blue, but at the moment you were more content to observe. You wanted to see what they did, and hoped you would get to know just how much they knew about the balances. If they did not appear to know anything, or enough, you would have to intervene and try explaining as much as you could.

You did not want to see Error or the gang hurt anymore. Even if you had not known the gang long, they had a way of growing on you. Like Error had once said, "They're a gang of leeches, sucking the life out of you slowly and annoyingly". That was not exactly how you would describe them–at least besides Killer– and it did not really mean the same thing, but it was close enough.

You were shaken from your thoughts when you heard a splash. Uh oh. You knew what that meant. Looking back from where you had been dazedly staring at the trees, you saw what you expected. Ink had used the hand he was not using to hold you to lift his brush, slash it across the ground, and open an oily portal.