Blink (MCYT Timeless AU)

Chapter 1

*Bzz*

The phone vibrated on the table only once before Bad answered, his caffeinated reflexes taking over. He shook his head to rid himself of the slight migraine he had developed before jerkily bringing the phone to his ear.

"Hiya"

***

The second his name appeared on his phone screen, George clicked on it, muffling even the first ring. The beginning of his ringtone fled to quiet as he brought it to his ear.

"Hey."

***

Ring

The phone urgently called upon unhearing ears.

Ring

It repeated insistently.

Finally hearing it, Sapnap sat up rapidly and scrambled to find his phone, picking up the phone as it began its third ring. 

He massaged his forehead as he cracked his eyes open and tried his best to sound awake.

"Hello?"

***

"I-It's not possible." Bad sank to the floor in disbelief, his eyes frozen with shock. "N-no." He continued, his mouth sounding out stuttered gibberish. The others seemed to be reacting similarly- Sapnap mutely frozen in place, his mouth opening and closing wordlessly and George drawn inwardly, his mind floating elsewhere, his arms folded over his chest. 

Fundy watched them, his hands folded behind his back, though periodically they twitched like they desperately wanted to reach out and comfort them in any way. His eyes flitted to the floor as he spoke. "And yet I did it. And he stole it." he said evenly. He looked to the floor again. "I should have told you earlier. About all of this." he sighed. "He told me not to."

"Dream?" George lifted his head in confusion, snapping out of his trance-like state, but before Fundy could answer an awakening voice rose.

"Why?" Bad managed to blurt out through his gibberish.

Fundy was taken aback for a second before he answered. "I-I don't know. I don't know." He shrugged half-heartedly. "Maybe he planned this. Maybe he thought it would protect you somehow. Maybe he just didn't have a chance to tell you. Who knows?" 

His shoulders rose in anger as he stared at his feet. "He stole a goddamn time machine, really, god only knows why he does what he does!"

"Language." Bad said, strained frustration in his voice, with a clear undercurrent of 'Don't talk about Dream like that' as he crossed his arms, expressing his displeasure.

"I-I'm sorry." Fundy said, backing up. "I just- " he paused, pressing his lips together, like he was unsure of what he was going to say next. 

Sapnap finally spoke, his voice breaking up the air. "Calm down, I'm sure he had a good reason to do what he did, right? ...There's always a reason."

Fundy looked upon him sadly, with only the slightest hint of disbelief. "For your sake, I hope you are right."

"For our sake?" George's eyes widened as he realized Fundy's word choice.

He closed his eyes as he nodded sedately, his hands behind his back once more. "I called you here for a reason."

"I know that you're his closest friends. You'll have the best chance of convincing him to come back." he paused and looked down unsurely, then directly into George's eyes with an odd intensity. "Do you want to follow him?"