TW- panic attack and blood. I'll put a warning before it, don't worry.
Phil yelled but the doors closed and the elevator shot down, sealing them inside. Phil hit his fist on the steel door, yelling for his friend. Techno put a hand on his shoulder, pulling him into a rare hug. The distraught father buried himself into Techno, clinging to him. Techno gave Wilbur and Nightmare a terrified look before awkwardly hugging him back. Nightmare felt like ice was stabbing his heart, if Techno was scared this wasn't good.
They reached the bottom floor and the doors opened with a once pleasant ding. Now it sounded foreboding and haunted. Wilbur, having taken Nightmare's hand, dragged him to the nearest car and forced him inside. He joined him, and Puffy stole shotgun. Their driver, a woman with wavy brown hair, friendly eyes, and a golden rose tattoo on her wrist, simply drove out of the garage and into the night. She asked no questions and simply drove.
Far off sirens began to sound as they wove through back roads, making Wilbur squeeze Nightmare's hand tighter. Their driver, who's name was Hannah according to a little badge on her shirt, stayed completely calm and kept driving. The roads were empty and in the blink of an eye they were at another office building. Nightmare blinked, where had the drive gone? The building was nondescript and simple, but something about it still felt wrong. Hannah parked the car.
"We're here. Just go straight for the elevator and ignore anyone else. It should just be a receptionist and whoever it is was sworn to secrecy by Eret herself. Once you get to the elevator, go to the fifth floor, he'll be waiting for you there."
"Who is he," Wilbur asked in a hoarse voice. Hannah simply smiled and shrugged. Wilbur looked ready to commit more arson as Nightmare dragged him from the car and into the lobby.
"This place isn't as nice," Tommy said, he and Tubbo joining them on their trek to the elevator. "The floors aren't as shiny either."
"Eret is getting dragged into the police station in a forced coma as we speak, and you care about the floors," Puffy snarled. Tommy winced a little and looked away, making her sigh. "I'm sorry, I got carried away."
"Mhm," Tommy said quietly, hitting the up button. Puffy sighed again as the doors opened.
"Shouldn't we wait for the other three," Tubbo asked.
"We're here," Techno called. They turned to see him supporting Phil, an arm wrapped around his waist and holding him up. Ranboo trailed behind, looking awkward and out of place. Phil's eyes were bloodshot, his cheeks tear stained, and his entire demeanor was defeated. Techno gave them a "yes it looks bad deal with it," look before carrying the man into the box. The other silently followed. Nightmare hit the five, and the doors slid closed and the elevator rocketed up. They arrived at their floor, weary, defeated, and mentally drained.
As they trudged out of the elevator, there was a loud, deep gasp. Nightmare looked up to see a man in a plum suit with a black tie step from the shadows. He had curly black hair and a midnight purple eye. His other eye, and half of his face for that matter, was covered with a purple bunny mask. It made his eye white and covered his mouth. A small purple ear from the mask stuck out of the curly mass of raven locks. The second he saw the weary group he froze, his mask widening into an "o" shape.
"He didn't," the man exclaimed, holding on to the back of his chair for dear life. His voice was deeper than Eret's and scratchier than Techno's. It was the type of voice you'd expect from a villain. Dream had never heard anything like it, but he was too done to care anymore. Everyone exchanged looks at the new man's words, they seemed to be the slogan of the night.
"Eret's given himself up," Puffy said, her shoulders curling inward and her frame wilting. The man gave a low cry, shaking his head.
"That fucking idiot," he snarled. He looked up, his features softening as the gazed over the sorry group. "You guys look like shit, no offense. You're staying here tonight, we can discuss more tomorrow."
"Thank you," Ranboo said, his eyelids drooping. He was trying to lean on Tubbo, but he was too tall and nearly toppled over. The man's masked stretched into a haunting smile. Nightmare wasn't sure he trusted this man quite yet, but they needed to rest and recharge. If Eret had trusted this man to be his second, Nightmare wasn't going to judge.
"I'll have you guys on floor eight. If you need anything, feel free to ask me," he said in a surprisingly kind voice. Or as kind as that haunting rasp could get.
"Who are you anyway," Tommy asked bluntly. The sun peaked over the horizon, blazing into the room with power and authority. It silhouetted everyone and Nightmare could see the dust motes floating around. The sky was orange and yellow and red. The man turned his head, the particles flying away from him as he stirred up the air.
"Name's Corpse. I've heard so much about you."
~~~
Dream had his head in his hands, trying to sort through his raging thoughts. Wilbur sat to his right, gently rubbing his back. They were still up in their room, but it was the next night and both agreed that Corpse wasn't going to wait on them much longer. Dream groaned a little, lifting his head to meet eyes with Wilbur.
"Why do I feel like I have a hangover?"
"No clue. Do you need me to find some Advil or something?"
"Nah that's alright," Dream muttered, trying to clear his head. He was so tired his eyes were barely staying open despite getting plenty of sleep. Wilbur didn't look any better, the shadows under his eyes were prominent. "Just stay with me."
Wilbur's features softened and he pulled Dream into a full hug. Dream pressed into him, inhaling his smoky scent. Even though there hadn't been as many bouts of arson, Wilbur always managed to smell like smoke and s'mores. He shuddered a little.
"Hey, it's okay," Wilbur said softly, still running his hands up and down his back. "Eret's tougher than she looks, she'll be fine. Hopefully the Blue works."
"Yes, but I wasn't thinking about Eret," Dream whispered. "I'm so selfish, but I was thinking about you. About how easily you could've been taken instead of him. I was so scared Wilbur, so scared that I was going to lose you too."
Wilbur went limp, his arms falling away. Dream pulled back to see tears in his eyes and a sad look on his face.
"It's okay, I'm still here," he reassured gently.
"I don't know what I'd do if they took you," Dream admitted. "You have no idea what being in Pandora's box is like. I've had to visit, and I hope I never go back there again. Everything about that place feels hopeless and dark."
"Dream, I'm okay," Wilbur said again. Dream blinked a couple of times, then nodded. "We're going to get Eret back, and we're going to make things right. Then we can burn that place down to the ground."
"It can't catch fire," Dream said miserably. "They built it that way intentionally."
"Well then we're taking a wrecking ball to it," Wilbur said. "But for now we have to stay focused. We can't do anything for Eret or anyone else in the Box unless we put our heads on straight and stay focused. Okay?"
"Okay."
There was a knock on the door. Dream scrambled for his mask and threw it on as quickly as possible. Once he was good, Wilbur called whomever it was in. Hannah came in with a soft smile.
"Corpse is requesting your presence in a few hours," she said, her voice surprisingly serious. Wilbur nodded.
"Thank you for informing us."
She took the hint and stepped back out, shutting the door behind her. Dream pulled his mask off and threw it back onto the bedside table.
"I'm gonna take a shower first, you take forever," he said, hopping off of the bed. Wilbur snorted in protest and hopped down as well.
"It would go faster if we just went together," he said sneakily, wrapping an arm around Dream's waist.
"WILBUR!"
He laughed loudly as Dream shoved his arm away, blushing like crazy and blinking wildly. His thoughts all left him and his mind went blank.
"I'm kidding," he said, giving him one final hug before shoving him to the bathroom door. "Now hurry up. And please don't use all of the hot water."
"No promises," Dream said cheekily, finally recovering, before slipping into the restroom and shutting the door behind him.
~~~
Dream came out, toweling his hair dry and shrugging on a green sweatshirt. Paired with brown pants and a white undershirt, he felt under dressed. Wilbur strutted past him, his glasses gone and hair askew. He stole Dream's towel, making the shorter yelp, attempting to jump for it.
"Oh come on, your hair is dry enough."
"It's really not. Come on, hand it back," Dream said in annoyance, holding his hand out for the damp cloth. Wilbur, in return, smacked his hand with his own and ran for the bathroom. Dream yelled and chased after him, getting to the door just as it slammed shut. He hit the door with his open hand, growling angrily. He could hear Wilbur laughing from within.
"Come on Wilbur," he said, "give it back."
"No, I don't think I will," he said, his voice muffled by the door. Dream groaned loudly, leaning his wet head on the door. "Maybe later."
"But I don't need it later," Dream whined, sliding to the ground, his forehead still pressed to the warm door. "I need it now Wilbur."
"No."
The shower turned on and Dream heard Wilbur step in. He curled up next to the door, leaning against it. Last night's dream's and memories came and went like flashes of a camera.
Panic attack and blood both start here! Skip down to the next set of bold for it to be over.
FLASH
Wilbur, standing with his name on a board, a lazy smile on his face.
FLASH
Wilbur and the other Sleepy Boys being escorted to a transportation marked for Pandora's box, a confused look on his face while Techno shouted bloody murder and thrashed from beside him.
FLASH
Wilbur yelling for Dream.
FLASH
"It was never meant to be Wilbur."
FLASH
Dream, standing over Wilbur's feeble, broken body with no remorse, a bloody knife clutched in his hand.
No.
Dream curled up even tighter. He slapped a hand over his mouth, stifling a sob. His body shook with silent sobs, his mind at war with itself. He could no longer stop anything and worries, thoughts, dreams, memories, and voices ravaged their way through his head. He shook even harder. His breaths came out in short gasps.
No no no no no no NO!
His vision began going spotty and he choked on his silent tears. He gasped openly now, trying his hardest to remove the pressure building up in his chest. He shuddered, slumping on the floor completely. Everything was spiraling, he was losing control.
Wilbur, beaten and bloody, on the stone ground. The walls and floor splattered with blood as he whimpered and held his broken leg. Bruises littered his body and face, cuts all over his body. He was looking up at Dream and his bloody blade-
"NO!"
Wilbur strapped to a chair, his eyes blazing with anger. He was shouting, accusing Dream of betraying them and-
"STOP," Dream choked out, crying freely now. His body shook with massive sobs and he couldn't move he couldn't move he-
Without warning, something warm wrapped around him. Dream tried to blink his way back to reality but he couldn't. He tried to talk but it came out in broken, choked gasps. He couldn't hear, couldn't speak, couldn't see. Who was this person? Who was he?
The warm thing rubbed up and down his back. He shook and sobbed, fat tears rolling down his cheeks. Noise was coming back, but it was echoey and unclear. He still couldn't move, each breath was labored and broken. It felt like someone has slipped glass into his chest, or hot coals.
"Shhhhhh," someone was saying. He lurched harder, feeling helpless and lost. "I'm here now, I'm here."
He shook and wriggled. He didn't deserve this person's remorse. Their pity. He tried to pull away but he was weak. He barely even moved. The person continued to comfort him, their warm voice filling the room. Dream slowly started to regain control through the hiccups and pressure.
Dream. My name is Dream, he thought, swallowing back another wave of tears. He slowly turned his head, his body feeling like it had been hit by a train. He locked eyes with the person, squinting through the puffiness.
"Dream, it's me. You're going to be okay, just breathe."
Dream complied, sucking a huge breath in and puffing it back out. He did it again, and again. Each breath brought a little more reality back, and he slowly began to relax into this person's arms. Wilbur, he recognized him now, didn't let go, talking Dream through it.
Okay we're good, it's over!
"I'm good now," Dream rasped out, Wilbur hugged him tighter and Dream managed to hug back. "Thank you."
"Never scare me like that again," Wilbur threatened. Dream sighed happily and nodded into his shoulder. "I'm serious, I thought I was about to lose you."
"Then don't leave me," Dream said in a simple tone, refusing to let go. His voice was scratchy and ruined, every word felt like it was being grated out of a cheese shredder. Wilbur sighed and detached himself, making Dream reach out.
"We have Corpse's meeting to go to, come on," he said gently, helping Dream to his feet. He smiled gratefully, turning to give Wilbur privacy. He splashed water onto his face, trying to erase the redness and puffy complexion. After a little while, it faded to somewhat normal. Any remaining traces would be covered by the mask.
Once prepared, they left the room. Arsonist and escape artist, hand in hand, walking through the hallways of the building. They nodded at people passing, getting to the room after a few wrongs turns.
"Wow, look who finally made it," Tommy said sarcastically. "You guys done having couples night or whatever shit you guys do when we're not around."
"Can we not phrase it like that," Techno drawled, spinning a small pocketknife over his fingers. "Anyways, as I was saying, did Eret leave any plans or anything for the future?"
"He did," Corpse said, his voice still low and dark. Dream suppressed a shiver, that voice scared him now. He patted a stack of files next to him. "He left multiple plans, back up plans, and even a few things about getting him out of the Box. I have Tommy, Tubbo, and Ranboo on escape plans, Puffy and Phil on the main plans, and Techno, Wilbur, Nightmare on back up plans."
People nodded, grouping together and beginning to go through the files. Techno shoved his chair over to them, the wheels rolling silently on the carpeted floor. Nightmare and Wilbur were already going through the back up plans, pointing out usable ones and throwing the weaker ones in a different pile. Techno quickly joined them, talking about who knows what.
"Hey look at this," he said, holding up one document and some pictures. "A hound army! Can you guys imagine takin' on Schlatt with, like, 200 dogs?"
"It would be entertaining," Wilbur admitted. "How're we going to find 200 dogs though?"
"We can breed em'."
Nightmare choked on a laugh, throwing another plan into discard pile. They continued this for hours until they'd whittled down their options to only two. They had a few good back ups, but Puffy found their main plan. She slapped it down on the table, getting them all to read it. Their group exchanged looks, this would work. This was their plan.
"Well?"
"Let's do it," Phil said, his eyes steely. Corpse nodded and took their folders, stacking them into a neat pile.
"Let's do this."
~~~
Huh? What's this? Oh, just another chapter where I'm putting off homework and life so I can write about fictional characters in a fictional city. Hope my little bit of angst wasn't too bad, I've never had a panic attack before, only asthma attacks. ALSO WE HIT 6K READS POGGGGGGGGG
Hi so please allow me to explain. I wanted to talk real quick about where this story was originally going to go. This is no longer the plot line for obvious reasons, but I'd like to clarify that this is not spoiling anything.
-Okay, first of all I was going to have Tommy kill Sapnap right at the beginning. But I decided nahhhhh, death is permanent in this world.
-Techno was going to be the love interest, but I preferred Dreambur at the time.
-I was going to have Dream and Sam concoct this plan to have Dream infiltrate the Sleepy Boys, then hand them over to the police.
-Those little "scenes" from Dream's panic attack were the original story line. Dream seeing Wilbur, betraying him, and eventually killing him. From there Dream would've become unstable and killed the government, then taken his own life.
-Eret was going to be the villain because she suspected Dream to be hiding something.
-Corpse wouldn't have been there.
-George was going to try to kill Dream at some point.
-The egg would've been locked up in the prison, which is what was corrupting the guards.
-Dream. Being. Corrupted. By. The. Egg.
That was all I had planned, but as you can see this story shifted drastically. I hope you enjoyed this little insight into my mind, and I'll see you in the next one!
Word Count- 3038