Nightmare's POV
I lay in my bed, wide awake. Today went wonderful, Glitchy being adorable as usual. He looked dashing in his new purple fluffy scarf yet so adorable as he reacted to his birthday celebration. But if everything went so well, why am I up still with this knot in my stomach?
Oh right. Cause it went too well and I'm waiting for something to happen.
As if on cue, my phone rings. I answer of course, hearing Buffer explain the situation on the other end too fast for me to understand.
"Slow down! I can't understand a word you're saying! What's wrong Buffer?"I ask
"Error got hacked! I don't know how but there's code that's going to erase him! Pa-"
Click.
I toss my phone aside and climb out of bed. I go to my desk and grab all the records that I have been keeping on possible and definite threats. I flip to the section for Error and grab the files, then skim through them. If someone wants to cause trouble, they're going to have a hard time. I press a button on my desk, setting an alarm off through the castle and head towards the meeting room, sitting in my seat.
"What the heck? I was just starting to doze! We can't be scheming this early!"Dust grumbles as he enters
"Who is going to die?"Killer asks, twirling his knives while still on a sugar rush from the cake
Horror and the rest enter sleepily and quiet, though his eye shines with curiosity.
"I'm assigning you each some targets to hunt down. Read their files and bring them back alive. I don't care what condition, but bring them back here so I can get information from them. And yes, Dust, we are scheming this early."I say
Most of them grin as I pass the files and records out for their assigned targets. Within minutes they are out on their missions, leaving me alone in the meeting room.
Error probably has something to hint to who may be responsible...I'll check his room.
I search his room for clues, then notice a bundle of strings going through a portal. I tug it, curious on what's on the other end. I get nothing immediately so I keep tugging until the portal shuts on the strings that I got, cutting it off in the process. I get hit by a lot more negativity and frown, realizing that it was just a trick he saved to destroy multiple AUs at once. Angering Ink may be fun but it doesn't help right now. I search the rest of his room but find nothing. I go back to my room for more of my notes to find my phone ringing. I answer and hear a very alarmed E!Pap on the other end. Using his negativity I teleported to him and he hangs up, quickly hugging me. I rub his back in circles to try to calm him. Then I glance over, seeing Error sleeping in the same spot I left him in. But his glitching is out of control as his bones are slowly changing and the streaks on his face are fading.
"His code is starting to change. I'm slowing it as much as I can but we can't access it enough to stop it."Buffer says
I frown, stepping over and gripping his hand gently as the red and yellow start to fade as well.
"I have the gang hunting down anyone that could have the ability or motive to do this to him. But it's a long list...."I inform them
"Well I have an idea on how to narrow down the list. Be right back."Buffer says, teleporting away
Moments later, I sense a spike in negativity from my golden brother. Then Buffer returns with a bright smile.
"Shattered is responsible somehow."He says and signs
"HoW dO yOu kNow?"Paps asks
"Well when you use a little blackmail on Dream, you can get a lot of good information. And being that Shattered is the one he senses getting overjoyed at his dream plan for Error coming true, I think it's pretty likely he is responsible."He says, waving a few polaroid pictures in his hand with a grin
I smile at this.
404 picks good friends for Error. He is better than I thought.
"Speaking of which..."He says, teleporting away
I glance at Error, feeling him squeeze my hand.
"HuRtS....WhAt....WhY.....Mmm..."He mutters quietly before sinking his head back.
"Error...We're here. It's going to be okay."I tell him
He doesn't respond and his glitching dies down, getting near the point of non-existence.
Buffer pops back up beside me with a grin.
"You get to repay him for what he did for you during the Coffee Incident! Get to it!"He says, wiping yellow goop off of his shoulders
"It can't be that simple...."I say in shock
"Unless you want Error to be stripped of himself and his powers entirely and changed into someone else, don't ask questions. Just do it."He says
I nod, leaning in and kissing Error. I feel him squeeze my hand and it grows tighter by the second. I glance at him, seeing his glitching quickly get restored as well as any part of him that faded.
"Shattered apparently made a deal with the big coders upstairs to put a virus in Error so that he will be stripped of any power and have to turn to him for help. That way he could have Error in debt to him as affection from another soul would be the only way to wake him up and trap him in a deal that kept getting denied."Buffer says
"NnGh....WhA....? Wh0 iS hoLdiNg mY hAnD?"Error says, blinking his eyes open
"Hey, Glitchy.~"I say, relieved to see that he is okay.
"NiGhTmArE? WhAt iS gOiNg oN?"He asks
"Don't worry about it, Glitchy. Buffer and I just forgot some things and came to check on you."I lie, winking at Buffer
Well I meant to with my one eye but he caught on luckily and kept quiet.
"Oh! OkAy."He says, patting around for his glasses and smiling
This is much better. This is the Glitchy I like to see. Beautiful, healthy, and happy. Shattered can go fuck himself.
Then my phone rings. I answer without a second thought.
"Hey Boss! We got the targets that you wanted! Bringing them to the dungeons now!"Killer says
"I'll be right there."I say
He hangs up and I get up with a grin.
"Where are you going?"Buffer asks
"I have some work back at home to handle."I say
"TcH, yOu aRe sUcH a wOrKaHoLiC."Error chuckles
Anything to keep the ones I love like you safe.
TBC