Was Sapnap surprised that his friend had jumped out of a moving car? Not really. Was he however pissed that he'd been left alone with two guys that never seemed to shut up? Yeah.
It had been three days since that little stunt had occurred. After that, the remaining trio had continued the journey. They'd stayed at a few shabby motels and if everything went well, they'd reach the lab later today.
They'd just left the gas station. Loud snoring was heard from the backseat where Quackity laid passed out. It was honestly a relief. Together, the pair were like two puppies on cocaine.
Karl sat in the passenger seat, mindlessly staring out the window. Though, they surely knew how to get on his nerves, Sapnap couldn't deny his admiration for George's friends. What they'd done was reckless and could certainly lead to some rather unpleasant consequences. Yet they were here, willing to take that risk.
Sapnap glanced at his passenger. He didn't recall ever hearing Karl utter a single complain about the current situation and the brunette seemed set on helping his friend in any way possible.
There was also something else, something that was harder to place. Sapnap had given the two of them a half-lie of an explanation. Basically just stating that he and Dream had helped George escape, of course leaving out the part that they'd been the reason why he was there in the first place.
It was a bizarre situation, nonetheless. But neither of them treated Sapnap like some random outsider. They quickly involved him in their banter and, especially Karl, had done a great job at making Sapnap feel like someone that mattered. The brunette frequently asked him questions about his life, his interests, his childhood et cetera. He'd clarified that he couldn't answer questions about George's situation. But Karl seemed genuinely interested him.
It was a foreign feeling. Sapnap was used to playing the pawn. As long as he fulfilled the orders he was given, no one cared to bother him further. So, Karl's sudden interest was something new, but it was a lie to claim that he didn't like it. It made him feel like a human being and not just a means to an end.
"Sapnap?" Karl sounded tired.
Hearing his name caused him to shrug in surprise. His gaze landed on Karl, but the brunette kept staring out the window.
"Yeah?"
Karl stretched his arms out at yawned before facing him. "I know that this is personal, so you don't have to answer." He paused until Sapnap gave him permission to continue with his question.
"What do you plan on doing after you're done with this 'mission'?"
It caught him by surprise. It was a valid question, just not one that he had given much thought. Schlatt had promised them a clean slate if they completed the mission, but that was obviously not happening anymore. He didn't regret what he'd chosen to do, yet it was fair to view it as an impulsive decision. The reasoning had been to help Dream before he'd develop any dangerous traits. But when he'd agreed to help George, the thought of what might happen after they'd reached his dad, hadn't crossed his mind.
When he really thought about it, why would George's dad help him? Or Dream for that matter. If their role in all of this came out, it felt unlikely that Mr. Davidson would sympathize with them.
He anxiously began drumming his thumbs against the steering wheel. What would he actually do? The only possible future he saw was to continue living a life a as refugee. Schlatt would keep tracking him until he was found and then skin him alive. And who's to say that Mr. Davidson wouldn't do the same?
He sighed. "I honestly don't know. I made a deal with George to find his dad. But that's how far our plan goes. After that– well, I guess George will be safe and it's not impossible that Dream will too. But I'll probably just have to continue running."
Karl gave him a sad look. "Can't you just explain the situation to George's dad and ask for protection? You saved his son; it must count for something?"
"I doubt it, I don't think he'll deem me worthy of saving." Sapnap stated with a humorless laugh.
A long pause followed and Sapnap nearly thought that Karl had fallen asleep until he spoke. "You're so self-critical. Think about it; you helped George escape, knowing that it would put a target on your back. You personally don't get anything out of it, yet you agreed to help."
Sapnap kept his eyes on the road but furrowed his brows. "Your point?"
Karl gave him a small smile. "It's a purely selfless act, yet you don't think you deserve anyone's help?"
"Who's gonna help me? Both Dream and George got enough on their plates already." He paused, feeling irritation overtaking his mind for some unexplained reason. "I can take care of myself, and both Dream and George have already done more than enough for me. As long as I know that they're safe, it's fine with me." He mumbled.
Karl's gaze burned on the side of his face. He hated how well the brunette appeared to be able to read him.
"So what? Everyone deserves a happy ending except you? If your friends are safe, it doesn't matter what happens to you? Sapnap noticed Karl's change of tone. He'd never heard him angry or irritated, but something about the subject had ticked him off.
"That not what I'm saying –"
"And you think that your friends will just abandon you once they've found safety?" Karl countered.
"No, but I can't ask anyone to sacrifice their well-being for my sake. I've known Dream a long time, that guy have already given up so much for me."
Karl huffed "You self-loathing, little nimrod." Sapnap was completely taken aback by Karl's newfound hostile attitude. He was about to answer but was interrupted.
"Then it's settled; If Dream or George won't help you, then I will. Because no one deserves to be alone." Karl stated firmly.
Stunned from Karl's statement, made it extremely difficult for Sapnap to come up with a response. This person who'd known him for less than a week offered to run away with him if that was what his future withheld. It was nuts, reckless, straight up stupid.
"Karl, we've barely known each other for a week. You've a bright future ahead of you, sacrificing that for a mere stranger is ludicrous."
"Don't 'Karl' me. And ouch, strangers? And here I was, thinking we were passed that stage."
He pinched the bridge of his nose. Why was Karl so set on helping him?
He glanced in the brunette's direction, who was giving him a firm but caring look. His head was swirling with thoughts. It felt wrong that anyone would have to deal with the aftermath of Sapnap's own stupid choices. He'd always found it hard to accept help, it most likely stemmed from a past filled with people that had made sure that he knew that every act of "kindness" came with a cost.
If someone did something nice for you, you owed them twice as much in return.
He was surprised when a hand was placed upon his, that rested on the gear shift. His eyes darted to their hands, and he felt his cheek heating up from the touch. It shocked him when he realized that he actually enjoyed the small act of affection.
"I take your silence as your way of accepting my offer." Karl said with a joyfilled tone, which was something that Sapnap recognized way more than the hostility.
He locked eyes with the brunette. A broad smile decorated Karl's face and it sure was contagious. Their hands were still touching, but Sapnap had no desire to break the connection.
A sigh of defeat escaped his mouth and a small smile spread across his face. "You're crazy, you know that?"
Karl responded with a silent laugh. "Call me whatever you want if it makes you feel better. I'll refuse to leave you alone either way. Plus, I've managed to follow you once, so I'm sure I could find you again if you decided to leave."
Sapnap shook his head as his eyes returned to the road. Karl was too kind for this world, was his conclusion. The brunette was once again resting his head against the window, but Sapnap was highly aware that their hands remained on the same place.
He didn't know how he felt about this entire situation. The last thing he wanted was for someone to risk their life for his sake. Yet he felt his heartbeat increasing from the reassuring words and the simple touch. Right now, it didn't matter how the future turned out. All he knew was that Karl's actions had affected him in a way that nothing had before. Karl's determination made him feel appreciated, cared for, and even... loved?
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The car stopped outside a bland-looking facility. Both Karl and Quackity had fallen asleep at the end of their journey.
Sapnap took a shivering breath. The situation got his nerves all fucked up.
"Rise and shine, idiots." He shouted, which caused both to jump.
"You little bitch, no sympathy." Quackity whined.
Sapnap scuffed and stepped out of the car. "Bu hu, princess. We got some important stuff to do."
Karl's eyes were glued on the building. Sapnap was apparently not the only one who's nervous, the brunette was picking harshly at his cuticles. He placed his hand on Karl's shoulder and shook slightly. "Everything alright?"
Karl's gaze remained on the building. "Yeah, it's just– George have told me a little bit about his family. His dad's probably a good person, but he seems extremely controlling. And what if he blames us for George's disappearing?"
Then he would be correct. Sapnap thought to himself.
But he gave Karl a reassuring smile and let go of his shoulder. Karl returned the smile weakly and before he knew it, he felt the brunette grabbing his hand. It was unexpected. Sapnap's eyes darted down to their interlocked hands. The gesture seemed oddly intimate to him. Yet, Karl didn't appear to view it as such. So, Sapnap didn't pull away.
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As they entered the building, they were met with tons of people running around in the building. Sapnap recalled Schlatt claiming that the moment anyone would lay a finger on George, "war" would break out. At the time, it hadn't meant much. But after seeing the amount of people in just one of all the proclaimed labs, it seemed reasonable to believe that Mr. Davidson's influence was bigger than Sapnap had first anticipated.
They spotted something that potentially could be classified as a reception. An elderly woman sat by a computer behind the counter. She, like the rest of the swarm of people, wore a white robe, in similar fashion to the ones that pharmacists usually wore. Her white hair was tightly pulled back into a bun and half-moon shaped glasses rested on her nose.
"Excuse me, Ms. We need to get ahold of Mr. Richard Davidson." Karl said as the got close enough.
Her eyes left the screen, and she gave them all a critical glance. "State your names and the time of your meeting." She said monotonously.
The trio exchanged glances. All of them must've thought that they should've been able to just walk in. That's when it hit Sapnap that he didn't even know exactly why George had insisted on getting to his dad. Helping Dream, sure. But there had to be another reason as well.
"If you're not going to answer, I'm afraid I must ask you to leave. Or, if you prefer, being escorted out by the guards." She stated flatly.
Sapnap's brain began spinning, something told him that though he didn't know the exact reason, it must be important that they got to George's dad.
For Dream's sake.
"Project '404'!" Sapnap blurted out. Though it didn't have the desired effect, it only earned him confused stares from his companions and an irritated glared from the woman.
"You're definitely not doing us any favors by acting like a true nutcase!" Quackity hissed as more and more people started taking interest in the situation.
Everything seemed to be heading south until a dark-haired figure appeared in the distance just as the lady was about to call security.
The similarities were scary. This was exactly how Sapnap thought George would look in about 20 years. Everything from the hair color to the posture were the same. The only clear difference was the eyes. Where George had two different colors, this guy only had one, which was deep brown.
"I'm sorry, sir. These teenagers just walked in, demanding to meet–" But 'Mr. Davidson held up a hand to silence her.
"No worries, Therese. I'm sure they can speak for themselves." His voice was calm. He nearly sounded amused. Yet, it held a clear dominance, one that Sapnap tended to hate.
He locked eyes with the man. "Project '404'" He stated again, more firmly this time. The man quirked an eyebrow, unsettling amusement still lingering in the brown eyes.
"Right then. Care to follow me to my office?" Mr. Davidson asked, or rather demanded.
All three of them quickly followed as he began walking. The receptionist seemed to be in disbelief about what'd just happened as they passed her.
They were brought to the top floor of the building. It was way bigger on the inside than what they could've guessed. It contained both research departments and what Sapnap assumed was offices.
Eventually the trio were led into a bright room with large windows that gave the room a clear view over the entire city. A beige big sofa was placed against one of the walls and a desk, with a computer, was placed in the middle of the room, so that the person sitting there would've a perfect opportunity to admire the view.
Mr. Davidson sat down in the chair by the desk and told them to sit down on the sofa. An uncomfortable silence fell as no one wanted to begin the conversation and Mr. Davidson just kept observing them.
Sapnap finally caved, it seemed reasonable that he'd begin the conversation as he knew more than the other two.
"Sir, I'm sorry for the inconvenience. We're here because your son, George, is in danger and he claimed that it was important to reach you."
The man nodded. "I've been waiting. Though I'll have to admit, I thought that it'd be a different crowd banging on my door."
Sapnap furrowed his brows. How the hell could he have known that?
Mr. Davidson's eyes landed on Sapnap. "Don't look so surprised, hitman. Although, I'm afraid that without neither of the other two present, it's rather pointless."
Sapnap clenched his jaw. This man knew to much for his liking. "Sir, I don't think you understand. Your son and his current companion are two of the most wanted people on a very dangerous person's hitlist."
"You're underestimating me, Sapnap." He paused and Sapnap's eyes widened.
"How do you know–"
"Not important. What's important is that there's currently a ticking timebomb in human form running free." He stated with a casual tone. Sapnap remembered what George had told him about Dream's potential side-effects. So, who the 'ticking bomb' was, wasn't difficult guess.
He glanced at Karl and Quackity, who was just as clueless as he'd expected.
"It sounds like you're suggesting something, sir." Quackity carefully said. And Mr. Davidson's eyes lit up at the statement.
"Indeed. Excellent observation, young man. Henceforth, I'm suggesting that you three do everything in your power to bring, preferably both George and Dream, here." He paused, searching for a reaction before he continued. "Keep in mind that both these individuals have a bounty on their head. And remember that not everyone cares if they're caught dead or alive."
Sapnap nearly shrugged at the eerie implication of the comment. He also found plenty of similarities between Mr. Davidson and Schlatt. The man then clasped his hands together and stood up, which they took as a sign that the conversation was done.
"Therefore, I'm not going to keep you here for longer than necessary."
They all got up and planned on heading out. But Mr. Davidson stopped Sapnap right before he could follow Karl and Quackity out the door.
"You two can wait outside, I'm just gonna have a quick chat with your friend over here." Karl and Quackity was surprised but obeyed.
The door closed, and as it did, Mr. Davidson's demeanor changed.
Cold eyes met Sapnap's. "I'd been informed that my son was traveling with two of Schlatt's hitmen; Sapnap and Dream. But here we are, lacking the two most important pieces."
There was no warmth or amusement left in the conversation. Sapnap didn't bother to question how he knew all of this. "We were followed, they sacrificed themselves and told us to keep going." Sapnap made sure to match the cold tone of the conversation.
"How utterly disappointing. You knew about 'Project 404', therefore I'm assuming that you know about the potential side-effects from Schlatt's little experiment."
Sapnap nodded stiffly. "That's why we came here. George believed that you could help Dream if he was to develop those traits."
Mr. Davidson laughed without a hint of humor. "This is just a matter of when not if. There's reason why George never developed them, a reason that the bloody rapport doesn't contain. But your fellow minion will, without a doubt, get the side-effects."
"But if we get him here, there's a way to undo what's been done to him?"
Mr. Davidson walked over to the desk and leaned against is while his gaze fell on the view. "Perhaps."
"Perhaps. Perhaps?! What's that suppose to mean?" Sapnap spat. He really didn't like George's dad.
"Tell me, Sapnap. Did you know that there's only 6 people who's ever survived rabies?"
"What the fuck is that supposed to mean? Dream isn't infected with rabies!"
"But he might as well be. The infamous rapport was designed to lure in power-hungry people, only for them to realize that they would ultimately always fail in their mission to replicate it. There's a way to do it successfully, but how can't be found amount any my rapports."
Sapnap was confused by the confession. "That doesn't make sense at all."
"Oh, but it does. What would be more beneficial: Running one of the biggest pharmacy empires in the world or cure all dieses known to man?"
"The second option, obviously." Sapnap said in disbelief.
Mr. Davidson clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth, signaling that it was the wrong answer.
"Wrong. Behind the facade that medication is solemnly made to lessen humans' misery, is a huge opportunity to earn money. And money is power."
Sapnap couldn't help but glare in disgust. The man in front of him admitted to potentially have found multiple cures for diseases yet chose not to share the information with the world.
"Once you get a taste of power, you'll be terrified of losing it. People have tried for decades to decrypt my studies, still it's worthless without the missing piece of information. It's the perfect way of decreasing the number of people that wants to compete against you."
Why Mr. Davidson had chosen to share this information was beyond him. But at least he'd somewhat confessed that there was a way for Dream to get better. Though, Sapnap finally decided that he was done with talking to this man. He was more than eager to get to Dream as fast as possible.
Although Mr. Davidson didn't seem completely done talking. Just as his hand reached the doorhandle, he was interrupted by the man one last time.
"Oh, just a little tip. Make sure that you keep up with the news. I'm certain that you sooner or later will see a rather disturbing pattern that will lead you to Dream. If the side-effects haven't kicked in yet, it's only a matter of time"