Hours later, Error's POV
"YeS! ThErE hE iS!"I say as the code screen locks on Palette's location.
I quickly go through the portal that the code screen forms, finding Palette chained in a dark room. I see him crying with dark green and yellow-lined goop trying to consume his body...Who knows how long he has been stuck like this...
Goth would be devastated if he saw Palette like this...He needs to get help back at home...
I felt something shoot my arm and I couldn't feel it anymore. I glance at it, seeing that it's glitching too much to move and is covered in error signs. I free Palette from the chains as a strange gas is released from the ceiling. He glances up in shock.
"M-Mr. Error-! I-!"He begins
I feel another hit to my leg, knocking me down to a knee once that one goes numb. I start coughing as the strange gas and mist fills the room. I change the portal behind me and toss him through it.
"gEt hOmE, PaLeTtE."I say
Then I shut the portal, quickly opening another one for me to fall through as my vision goes blurry. I feel my body hit a cushion and collapse onto it as my consciousness slips away....Well, my rational consciousness anyway.
Ugggh...Great....
Palette's POV
I frown, coughing and struggling to get up. Stars, everything hurts...I can't believe that I was found....That Shattered lured someone in...I can't believe it...Error came for me...What do I do now?
I find myself in my room...back home. The door drifts open and I see Mr. Reaper gazing in at me, his wings flapping gently. His eyes shrink in horror at the sight of me.
"Uh, Nightmare? I think something's wrong with your nephew."
"My nephew isn't here. I put that fraud in the dungeon."Unclemare says
"Unclemare...? You're still here? You're...Okay?"I ask
Within seconds I see him shove Mr. Reaper aside to look at me. His tentacles drop to the ground at the sight of me.
"H-H-How...? How are you-?"
"Mr. Error sent me here...This is home, right? This is real, right? Everything hurts..."I say
"Palette!"I hear Gothy shout
He zips in, hugging me gently as I realize that I am falling forward. Shino walks in and opens a code screen as I lean against Goth, feeling my body tremble.
"He is under the influence of some toxic gas making him experience his worst fears. And the toxins are around his soul, breaking any dreams he has...Breaking what his soul is made of..."She says
"Breaking dreams...Why does that remind me of a golden walking octopus?"Raven asks, peeking in to glance at Unclemare
"Oh great, now you're using those terms."Unclemare groans
"Shattered...Wanted to break me to use me...Mr. E-E-Error came...I think he might've gotten out but he was shot...and inhaled the gas..."I say
"So Papa will be seeing his worst fears..."Shino says
"And we're stuck here since he put the castle in lockdown."Raven sighs
"Well let's help the poor boy first! Nightmare, don't you absorb that stuff for a living? Can't you fix this?"Reaper asks
I feel Goth gently rub my back and kiss me on the head. I can only see out one eye and he holds me gently. It's so good...so comforting...I smile slightly and Shino's code screen dings.
"That may not be possible. It's fusing with his code...His code is consuming it...the corruption is settling under its control. But we should care for his other injuries."Shino says
Goth scoops me up and carries me away in his arms. I rest my head against his shoulder, seeing Shino follow to observe my code. I smile as they take careful care of me. Killer and Dust glance in, seeing my condition once Goth put me in bed. They glance at each other and Killer frowns.
"I'm gonna kill that bitch."Killer says
"How do you plan to do that when we can't leave the castle?"Dust asks
"Hmm, good point. I guess we go for the next best thing. Torturing that spy---"
Screams echo from downstairs in the dungeon and Unclemare screeching with anger.
"I think Boss beat us to it."Dust says
"Hmmm...Well, since Horror can't cook now--"
"Killer, no."Dust says
"Killer YES! Meals for everyone! Come on, Reaper!"
"Why did the two with the biggest kitchen-burning reputations just enter the kitchen together?"Raven asks
"Uggghhhh....Lovely. I'll go watch them."Dust says
Goth stays beside me and gently feels my cheek.
"Is...Everyone okay?"I ask
He nods, kissing me on the head gently.
"Shattered....Wants everyone dead....So he can use Mr. Error...Ink wants f-f-fun...helping Shattered....Gave me t-t-to....make the spy..."I try to tell him
He smiles at me.
"But you're here now. You're safe now. You don't have to worry anymore."He says
"I'm nearly done perfecting the Ink repellent. I just need to work on it a bit more, and then test it with the target. That's the fun part before duplicating it! He won't hurt us anymore! And Shattered will be my next project..."Shino says confidently.
"Is...Is there a way to find your dad...?"I ask
"Already tracking him down."She says, swiping on her code screen.
"Everything is being handled now, Palette. Don't worry."Gothy says
"I...don't think he consumed enough to see the fears..."
"Papa is very strong. He'll resist the toxins...There has been worse...We'll find him..."
"Uuuh..I just found a different stream about Papa...I was so focused on Shattered's streams that I didn't notice this one. DAD! A CULT WANTS PAPA!"Shino says
"There's a difference between want and has, Shino."Dust says, peeking in.
"Yeah, plenty want Error but few have him. Dream wants him yet our gang has him for example. I'm sure there's nothing to wo-"Killer begins
"They just made a new post saying that they got him...And the stream ended."She says
"....Shit."
"Palette, you should sleep to recover. We will figure it out."Gothy says
I nod, too weak and in no condition to say no. He pulls blankets over me and puts a cloth over my eyes to block out the light, allowing me to rest with a kiss on the head.
I hope Mr. Error is okay...I hope he gets home safely. I'm so glad all our loved ones are safe...I need to get off this toxin and reconnect with reality...Better than those hallucinations of losing everyone...All that pain...
TBC