Error's POV a few days later
I settle down in my spot in OuterTale, admiring the view from the cliff. Then I hear footsteps coming closer.
"Really Terror, this is really unbecoming of you to flee and waste time like this. I want my answers and I'm going to get them even if you don't like my methods."A voice says
I glance over, seeing a large stranger glowing a dark blue with a hint of silver shooting through them like electricity.
"Awww, you found a little jewelery? That's nice, dear. Now get over here."The stranger says
"Wh0 tHe fUcK aRe y0u?"I ask, getting my strings ready with one hand and sending a signal on my phone in my lap in the other.
Red chains whip themselves around my wrists and neck, locking tightly around my legs. I drop my phone and my strings fade, my arms no longer able to move.
"You should know that playing dumb won't help you. Now let's go, Terror."The voice says
I snap my fingers, firing a blaster at their face and trying to teleport away, but the chains prevent that. But I wasn't going to give in and the blasters continue to fire.
"Those things don't impact me. Now let's go."The stranger says, dragging me away with the chains
I get a knock on the head and my glasses fall off. I feel something trickle down the side of my head and frown.
Who the hell is this person? Who the hell is Terror and what am I getting stuck in their place for?!
5 minutes later, Nightmare's POV
Come on! Pick up!
"Hello, you have reached the voicemail of-"My phone repeats
"SHIT!"I snap, running through OuterTale as fast as I could.
I see a figure up ahead and smile a bit, thinking that Glitchy got away.
"Error, I got your alert! I-"I shout, then go quiet seeing the figure as I get closer
It's not Error. Close resemblance to him, but not him. He is missing an eye and he looks goopier, his clothes extending down to tentacles waving and hiding his feet. He has legs, but he has blue and black tentacles around them that hide them, almost looking like an octopus' body. I see this stranger picking up Error's phone and looking at it curiously while a tentacle spins his crown on the tip and another picks up his glasses. I frown, clenching my fists.
"Put those down now! What did you do to my Glitchy?"I snap, a tentacle going around his neck
He turns his head to me, looking very calm. Then he grins, prying my tentacle off of him and turning his back to me.
"O̷h̷ ̷p̷l̷e̷a̷s̷e̷,̷ ̷I̷ ̷a̷m̷ ̷j̷u̷s̷t̷ ̷p̷a̷s̷s̷i̷n̷g̷ ̷b̷y̷ ̷a̷n̷d̷ ̷f̷i̷n̷d̷i̷n̷g̷ ̷t̷h̷e̷ ̷w̷r̷e̷c̷k̷a̷g̷e̷ ̷l̷e̷f̷t̷ ̷b̷e̷h̷i̷n̷d̷.̷ ̷I̷'̷d̷ ̷n̷e̷v̷e̷r̷ ̷h̷u̷r̷t̷ ̷h̷a̷l̷f̷ ̷o̷f̷ ̷m̷y̷s̷e̷l̷f̷.̷.̷.̷.̷H̷m̷m̷m̷,̷ ̷l̷o̷o̷k̷s̷ ̷l̷i̷k̷e̷ ̷d̷r̷a̷g̷ ̷m̷a̷r̷k̷s̷ ̷f̷r̷o̷m̷ ̷c̷h̷a̷i̷n̷s̷.̷.̷"He says, his voice glitching a bit.
"Who are you?"I ask
"T̷h̷e̷ ̷n̷a̷m̷e̷ ̷i̷s̷ ̷T̷e̷r̷r̷o̷r̷,̷ ̷I̷ ̷c̷o̷m̷e̷ ̷f̷r̷o̷m̷ ̷a̷n̷ ̷A̷U̷ ̷w̷h̷e̷r̷e̷ ̷y̷o̷u̷ ̷a̷n̷d̷ ̷E̷r̷r̷o̷r̷ ̷f̷u̷s̷e̷d̷.̷ ̷I̷ ̷a̷m̷ ̷g̷u̷e̷s̷s̷i̷n̷g̷ ̷t̷h̷a̷t̷ ̷y̷o̷u̷ ̷a̷r̷e̷ ̷l̷o̷o̷k̷i̷n̷g̷ ̷f̷o̷r̷ ̷h̷i̷m̷ ̷w̷h̷e̷n̷ ̷y̷o̷u̷ ̷r̷e̷f̷e̷r̷ ̷t̷o̷ ̷G̷l̷i̷t̷c̷h̷y̷.̷"He says, checking the cliff that Glitchy loves sitting at.
Then he goes a few feet away to where a circle of ash marks the ground.
"H̷m̷m̷,̷ ̷o̷k̷a̷y̷.̷ ̷I̷ ̷t̷h̷i̷n̷k̷ ̷I̷ ̷k̷n̷o̷w̷ ̷w̷h̷a̷t̷ ̷h̷a̷p̷p̷e̷n̷e̷d̷ ̷h̷e̷r̷e̷.̷ ̷A̷ ̷c̷a̷s̷e̷ ̷o̷f̷ ̷m̷i̷s̷t̷a̷k̷e̷n̷ ̷i̷d̷e̷n̷t̷i̷t̷y̷.̷"He says
"What?"I snap
"W̷e̷l̷l̷ ̷b̷e̷i̷n̷g̷ ̷t̷h̷a̷t̷ ̷I̷ ̷a̷m̷ ̷t̷h̷e̷ ̷f̷u̷s̷i̷o̷n̷ ̷o̷f̷ ̷t̷w̷o̷ ̷o̷f̷ ̷t̷h̷e̷ ̷m̷o̷s̷t̷ ̷p̷o̷w̷e̷r̷f̷u̷l̷ ̷s̷k̷e̷l̷e̷t̷o̷n̷s̷ ̷i̷n̷ ̷t̷h̷e̷ ̷m̷u̷l̷t̷i̷v̷e̷r̷s̷e̷,̷ ̷t̷h̷a̷t̷ ̷i̷s̷ ̷b̷o̷u̷n̷d̷ ̷t̷o̷ ̷a̷t̷t̷r̷a̷c̷t̷ ̷a̷t̷t̷e̷n̷t̷i̷o̷n̷.̷ ̷A̷n̷d̷ ̷b̷a̷s̷e̷d̷ ̷o̷n̷ ̷t̷h̷e̷ ̷c̷h̷a̷i̷n̷ ̷d̷r̷a̷g̷ ̷m̷a̷r̷k̷s̷ ̷I̷ ̷c̷a̷n̷ ̷g̷u̷e̷s̷s̷ ̷t̷h̷a̷t̷ ̷o̷n̷e̷ ̷o̷f̷ ̷t̷h̷e̷ ̷b̷i̷g̷g̷e̷r̷ ̷t̷h̷r̷e̷a̷t̷s̷ ̷a̷f̷t̷e̷r̷ ̷m̷e̷ ̷m̷i̷s̷t̷o̷o̷k̷ ̷h̷i̷m̷ ̷f̷o̷r̷ ̷m̷e̷.̷ ̷A̷n̷d̷ ̷t̷h̷e̷y̷ ̷a̷r̷e̷ ̷v̷e̷r̷y̷ ̷s̷t̷u̷b̷b̷o̷r̷n̷ ̷s̷o̷ ̷h̷e̷ ̷w̷o̷u̷l̷d̷n̷'̷t̷ ̷h̷a̷v̷e̷ ̷q̷u̷e̷s̷t̷i̷o̷n̷e̷d̷ ̷t̷h̷e̷ ̷d̷i̷f̷f̷e̷r̷e̷n̷c̷e̷ ̷i̷n̷ ̷a̷p̷p̷e̷a̷r̷a̷n̷c̷e̷ ̷t̷h̷a̷t̷ ̷y̷o̷u̷ ̷c̷a̷n̷ ̷s̷e̷e̷ ̷q̷u̷i̷t̷e̷ ̷q̷u̷i̷c̷k̷l̷y̷.̷"He says, pointing to his tentacles
Then holograms appear with a snap of his fingers, showing a tall stranger nearby while Error sits at the cliff.
"H̷e̷ ̷p̷r̷o̷b̷a̷b̷l̷y̷ ̷f̷o̷u̷n̷d̷ ̷E̷r̷r̷o̷r̷ ̷s̷t̷a̷r̷g̷a̷z̷i̷n̷g̷,̷ ̷a̷s̷s̷u̷m̷e̷d̷ ̷i̷t̷ ̷w̷a̷s̷ ̷m̷e̷ ̷a̷n̷d̷ ̷q̷u̷i̷c̷k̷ ̷t̷o̷ ̷u̷s̷e̷ ̷h̷i̷s̷ ̷c̷h̷a̷i̷n̷s̷ ̷t̷o̷ ̷r̷e̷s̷t̷r̷a̷i̷n̷ ̷h̷i̷m̷ ̷a̷n̷d̷ ̷b̷l̷o̷c̷k̷ ̷h̷i̷s̷ ̷p̷o̷w̷e̷r̷.̷ ̷E̷r̷r̷o̷r̷ ̷s̷t̷i̷l̷l̷ ̷f̷o̷u̷g̷h̷t̷ ̷b̷u̷t̷ ̷t̷h̷e̷n̷ ̷g̷e̷t̷s̷ ̷s̷m̷a̷c̷k̷e̷d̷ ̷a̷n̷d̷ ̷d̷r̷a̷g̷g̷e̷d̷ ̷a̷w̷a̷y̷ ̷f̷o̷r̷ ̷e̷x̷p̷e̷r̷i̷m̷e̷n̷t̷a̷t̷i̷o̷n̷ ̷m̷e̷a̷n̷t̷ ̷f̷o̷r̷ ̷m̷e̷.̷"He explains as the hologram plays his prediction out, matching each detail left behind.
I frown, grabbing the crown and pair of glasses.
"What the hell is he going to be put through?"I ask
He shrugs.
"I̷ ̷c̷a̷n̷ ̷o̷n̷l̷y̷ ̷a̷s̷s̷u̷m̷e̷ ̷t̷h̷e̷ ̷w̷o̷r̷s̷t̷.̷ ̷W̷h̷y̷ ̷d̷o̷ ̷y̷o̷u̷ ̷t̷h̷i̷n̷k̷ ̷I̷ ̷h̷a̷v̷e̷ ̷b̷e̷e̷n̷ ̷l̷a̷y̷i̷n̷g̷ ̷l̷o̷w̷ ̷t̷o̷ ̷a̷v̷o̷i̷d̷ ̷h̷i̷m̷?̷"He says
I frown, then take Glitchy's things as Terror leaves. I go back home and Horror looks at me, holding Farmer's hat stained with blood. He frowns, his hands trembling as he takes out a bloody jacket belonging to Killer. I see blood dripping from him and his legs are struggling to stay up. He falls forward and I hug him close.
"Killer dropped in on my date with Farm...At first it seemed bad but then it turned out to be a good thing somehow...A giant stranger showed up with Error, Lust, Blue, and Classic dangling from their fingers in red chains. Apparently the maniac wanted Farm and I...Killer wouldn't allow it and kept attacking them while telling us to run home. It didn't take long for him to get caught and then I saw Farm get beaten and dragged out of my hold. I should've-I shouldn't have----I'm so sorry, I-"He explains, his voice growing shakier
"Hush. It's okay, Horror. Nothing to be sorry for. I'm glad that you got home safely. Now let's get you patched up so we can figure this out."I say, my tentacles carrying him away to his room
I start patching him up, healing his wounds but he wouldn't release the bloody clothes. He keeps trembling, understandably shaken up by what he witnessed.
"It's okay, Horror. We'll get them back."I say, then go to call a meeting with those who remain.
It turns out to be more of an information session and warning them. Can't exactly plan and I'm not sending my gang blindly after a threat we don't recognize or know the capabilities of. We already have lost two members with a third wounded, so we have to be smart about this. Fell wasn't too happy about hearing that Classic got pulled into this, nor did Dust when it came to Blue. But they understood that we are not in the best position and have to plan this.
After the long meeting to calm and reassure them, I go to my office and set Error's things down. I already assigned Cross and Dust to tend to Horror and help him until he heals. Then I get a call from Dream.
"Dream if this is about your offer to hang out again, today isn't the best d-"I begin
"Not calling about that. It's normal for Perl to hiss and summon portals, correct?"He asks
"Yes, he usually uses it to get to Error. Why?"I reply
"Well he made a portal that looks different so I wasn't sure...A dark red instead of blue and white...It didn't give me a good feeling. Wait Paps, don't-! Gotta go, Brother! Paps went through!"He says, hanging up
I frown and then a portal opens, Perl hopping through and nodding his head for me to follow. I sigh, knowing it's risky but I'm not letting some lunatic pick off everyone close to me or to the ones I love. I follow Perl through and find in the antivoid the portal that Dream mentioned. I look at Perl, who hops through boldly.
I'll get them back...
TBC