''It's getting darker. Shit. It's bound to be completely blacked out on the other side.'' Nightmare crouched down, Hunter and Error doing the same.
Error doesn't really know how things like these work, so he's forced to listen and learn.
Gun shots were heard, Nightmare perked up with his gun on hold as he turned to the two of them ''You two stay here. I'll take a look around real quick.'' He tells them, Hunter moved up to him and places a hand on his shoulder ''Sir, I can do the scouting. My scope has night-vision.''
Nightmare scoffed ''And I can see as bright as day during the night with my eye. So would you mind letting go of me Lieutenant?'' He says, pushing his hand off him. Hunter nodded.
Nightmare walked away deeper into the forest, using his tentacles to get ontop of the trees. Disappearing from their vision.
Hunter glances at Error who was sat there quiet, looking like he had a lot of thoughts.
''Hey, Error...'' He started, making Error look at him ''Y-Yeah?''
''Uh... the way you said 'Nighty' earlier... you sounded like you said it by mistake... Is everything alright?'' He asked him suspicious, Error tensed a bit as he looked away with a nervous laugh.
''You... you can't know...'' Error mumbled under his breathe, Hunter a bit confused ''I couldn't hear that properly. But... If Nightmare is doing anything to you, I'll be happy to take you back to my place.'' He smiled.
Error waved his hands ''N-No, no! It's not what you t-think! He's done nothing wrong. M-Maybe it's me who's doing things wrong really...'' He said. Hunter sighed ''You don't have to lie you know...''
''I-I'm not l-lying! I r-really am... am n-not...'' Error's voice was getting glitchy now, Hunter panicked a bit before placing his hands on his shoulders, shaking him a bit ''Alright, alright! I believe you.''
Error calmed down a bit, looking down ''I-I'm sorry. I just dont like it when p-people call me a liar from time to time... especially when it's the truth...'' He murmured. Hunter nodded, ''Well, sorry for assuming that. I just really get overcautious with my allies. Even more so with people I care about. You know Error, you sorta changed my life you know?'' He chuckled, a faint green blush on his face ''So, I'm here for you. Whenever you need me.'' He assured him as he finished.
Error looks back up at him, smiling softly with a yellow blush across his face ''I... I'd a-appreciate that...'' He said. Hunter was now tempted to just hug him.
Nightmare returned to the two, eyeing Hunter ''Well weren't you cozy with him?'' He sneered, Hunter looking away ''I don't see a problem with it.'' He responds, Nightmare grinned annoyed ''You're getting on my nerves. Keep this up and there's something that's going to happen to you.'' He grumbled.
Error places a hand on Nightmare's shoulder patting it ''Nighty, please. H-He's just talking to me. I'll t-talk to you alot after this if you want...'' He mumbled. Nightmare eased up hearing that ''Tch... Fine.'' He glared at Hunter. Who in return, stayed quiet.
''Now, I managed to get ahold of Killer's location, they moved faster than I thought so they are just a few clicks from us. They've not said anything on their radios though--''
BEEP
Error's UI appeared infront of them, creating a faint glow. Enough for everyone to read what was there. Hunter and Nightmare were both surprised, especially Error. He wasn't expecting this at all. Nightmare raised a finger at it questionably while looking at Error ''What... Is that?'' He asked him. Hunter having the same look that also asks the same question.
''Uh... S-Shit... Why now...'' Error turned around, the UI following him. Hunter moved so he could see it still ''This is the first time i've heard you curse... Though, I do have the same question Error, what is that?''
ANOMALY DETECTED. INFORMATION ON 'ERROR' , 'NIGHTMARE JOKU' , AND 'DREAM JOKU' IS NOW UPDATED.
Error blinked ''An error...?'' He murmured. Nightmare pats his back ''Hello? Error? Is something wrong--- Anomaly? Excuse me, what the fuck is this shit?'' He stared at it, Hunter doing the same.
''Information on you and Sir Night...? What's that supposed to mean?'' Hunter comments, Error shakes his head, flicking his finger down so that the UI would disappear ''S-Sorry about that, that was my gadget I got a few days ago.'' Error tells them, Nightmare shook his head ''No, that's not a gadget. Error, you have nothing on your arm. So saying an excuse is something we wouldn't want right now.''
Error was panicking a bit. How was he supposed to play this off.
''I... You don't need to know. about this. There's no time for stuff like this.'' Error responds, his voice wasn't glitched but it had a tempo that was deeper than his usual voice. Nightmare tilts his skull ''Huh. If you say so.'' He stands up, looking away.
Hunter did the same and decided to stay behind Error defensively ''I'll just have to listen then...''
A gun shot was heard along with a shout that was nearby, everyone perking up. Nightmare raised a finger ''Move up you two.'' He motioned to them, starting to run. Error followed him aswell as Hunter.
Upon arriving at the scene to where they thought they heard the shout and gunshot, they found nothing but a fallen tree. Hunter walking towards the tree ''Woah. This is something. The tree looks like it was cut in half within seconds. Like it was just a plain old whip that took it down.'' He says. Moving away from the tree and to another one that was nearby ''Maybe Sir Night here did it.'' He laughed. Nightmare scoffed ''Do you always talk to your superiors like this?''
Hunter took his phone out of his pocket, turning the flashlight on ''There we go. It's better that it's not complete darkness.'' He laughed a bit. Turning to Error who nodded ''Yeah. I-I suppose so.'' He said.
Nightmare hummed, looking around ''Shit. We need to regroup with Killer and the others. It's too late to call for reinforcements back at our Division. Everyone's bound to be sitting in their houses at this hour.''
DRIP
Hunter blinked, placing a finger on top of his skull. Placing the finger infront of him before jumping a bit ''What the...! G-Guys!'' He called for them, the both of them turning to him.
His finger was coated in blood, also dripping from his skull as Hunter moved away, pointing the flashlight up at the tree.
''D-Dust...? Is that you...?'' Error mumbled staring at the figure.
Dust was hanged there upside down, blood dripping from his body. It looked like there was a hole in his chest area.
''What the fuck!? Dust!'' Nightmare shouted, using a tentacle to bring him down. Hunter ran up to him crouching down, raising his jacket and shirt to see multiple cracked bones in his ribcage. Making him cover his mouth ''H-Holy... are you even alive...?'' He murmured, Dust coughed, groaning right after ''Shit...''
Hunter perked up hearing his voice ''S-Sir! I'll get you patched up--'' He places a hand behind him, feeling nothing ''M-My pouch... It's gone... Did I leave it in my car?'' He murmured. Error coming up to them ''Here...'' He said, giving his small towel.
''What the fuck happened to you?'' Nightmare asked him. Dust grimaced '' Something... Something is here... I don't know what it was, but it attacked me. N-Nightmare, it mimicked your voice-- kh...'' He pained, groaning. Hunter shivered ''Now that's something straight out of a horror movie...''
Hunter had Error's towel wrapped around his ribcage as he looked at Nightmare ''Sir, we have to withdraw from doing this. Atleast we know that it's not a milita-- But seeing Sir Dust in this state, we just can't continue!'' He tells him, Nightmare rolled his eyes ''We finish what we started. Hey Dust, you still good?'' He asks him.
Dust coughed ''I'm still good... Just get me patched up, I'll get back in this...'' He responds,sitting up while holding his chest. Error came up to him and places a hand on his shoulder ''Dust, you shouldn't force yourself. N-Nightmare, Hunter is r-right. We need to stop.'' He added, Nightmare sighed ''I guess we could stop.''
''G-Guess!? Sir, your own unit is here bleeding and you just want to continue?!'' Hunter stood up saying, Nightmare growled ''Watch your tone with me, boy. I want you three to go head back to the truck. I'll continue the search until I find Killer......'' Nightmare's voice became inaudible for Error to hear now.
Multiple thoughts were entering his mind.
Like on how he can just head back to the mansion so he can review the 'anomaly' in his UI.
Error blinked, standing up to gain everyone's attention ''Can't we just call Ink's Division for support? They're bound to be available.'' He says, hurting a bit to even mention his name. But he knows that this Ink isn't the one who had hurt him.
Nightmare thought about it, nodding ''Section B Division huh... Maybe we can do that. Hunter, can you get ahold of them? I left my phone in the truck.'' He looks at him shaking his head ''Sir, I don't have the number for their division. Unless you remember it?'' He motioned the phone to him, Nightmare snatched it from him with a huff.
Error looked down, hoping that this thing can end.
''Anomaly...''
. . .
. . .
Meanwhile in the Section B Division's headquarters,
''You seem troubled Ink. Is something wrong?'' Dream asked him from his seat, Ink sighed slouching on his seat while looking at his paperwork ''I've got alot of questions right now. But something keeps bothering me. It's been on my mind the whole day.'' He responds.
Blue groaned loudly glancing at him ''You have problems Ink? Congrats. We all have problems too.'' He said, Dream hitting him on the shoulder lightly ''Blue, please.'' He murmured, Blue rolled his eyes ''Is it not the truth?''
Cross took a seat next to him ''Blue isn't wrong about that, but it's not like we also don't have problems right?'' He says, Blue shrugged ''Hm. I guess your right. Ugh. I really need a drink right now.''
''Since when do you drink?''
''After being shot in the chest and is forced to crawl through a damn canal to safety.'' He retorted, standing up to go to the fridge that was in the room. Cross awed remembering that ''Oh. After you then...''
Dream looks back at Ink ''So Ink, you can tell them to me if you want. I'll be here to listen to them.''
Ink sat up properly, looking down ''It's just that... Don't you think Error is acting a bit different?'' He mentions, everyone looking up from what they were doing and at him ''Usually, Error is all talkative and hyperactive. Maybe even be a bit tense from time to time? But now?''
Blue nodded in agreement, crossing his arms ''Hm. Ink has a point. Error is quiet now. You'd think that he'd be atleast talkative to one of us in the room awhile ago. Probably something occurred for him to be like this.'' He shrugged.
Cross tilted his skull ''I've not talked to anyone from their group other than Nightmare and Error, but I suppose Error is a bit quiet.'' He murmured. Dream raised his finger with a smile ''Also have you guys noticed something? He got a bit shorter! He's Blue's and my height now! I don't have to suffer looking up at him whenever we talk now!'' He exclaimed clapping his hands.
Ink blinked ''That's your take on the question...?'' He asked him, Dream nodded ''What am I supposed to say? This Error isn't the one we know?'' He laughed.
Everyone suddenly became quiet when he said that.
''What do you mean that Error isn't... Error...?''
RING
Dream's phone rang, him taking it from the table to answer it ''Who is this? Wait, brother? Oh it is you! Did you finish the mission-- what?'' He turned away from everyone, Ink moving a bit so he could atleast hear what he was saying but failed.
Dream places the phone away from him, looking at Ink and the others ''So... short story. Nightmare and the other's need immediate support.'' He tells them, Blue scoffed ''I thought Dust said that they were ''Too much'' for this damned mission. Hell--''
''Dust is in critical condition too.''
Blue stood up quickly ''sTARCALLER!'' He yelled, Outer walking in the room hurriedly ''Y-Yeah?'' He responds, Blue walks up to him ''I want you to assemble your squad and head to Mount Ebott to go assist Nightmare's team now. nOW.'' He pushes him out the room and Outer did as told confused, but did it anyway. Dream smiled at that.
Ink stared at his hand blankly ''I'm not a type of skeleton to actually do harm to anyone... Hmm... What if I decided to go prank Error and act all 'scary' and stuff. I wonder how he'll react'' He laughed, Cross eyeing him ''Ink, no. That's going to make the situation worse.''
Ink glanced at him before shrugging ''If it does, that means I get to understand the situation more. And besides, I wanna get more friendly with Error. Like talk to him without him looking at me like I've stabbed him behind the back with my paintbrush.'' He chuckled.
Cross looks away, mumbling ''That's.... oddly specific.. I'll go round up anyone else available to go support Nightmare's group then...''
Cross had a short thought to go to Error and talk to him himself, maybe that can clear up something he doesn't understand, and maybe even solve it himself.
But, it's not like it's his business to even interfere anyway. Yet Cross really gets a bit cautious when around Ink too. His moody trait is too unpredictable.
To be honest, Cross prefers Nightmare's Division.
Dream came up to Cross, patting him on the shoulder ''Oh ease up, Cross! You look tense too. Positive reinforcement is always needed in here.'' He says smiling. Cross sighed ''Sure Dream...''