CRIMINAL AMNESIAC

CHAPTER 6: THIS CANNOT BE!

(haha posting another chapter in the same day)

(ok so at one point you get to see Dream playing a video game. Anyone who can guess which game he's playing gets imaginary internet points from me 'cus it's a reference to one of my favorite games ever)

It had been a few days. Blue and Ink knew they had to finally act. They couldn't just keep planning forever.

It was much harder to do these things without Dream. Not only because they had one less person with them, but also because of the drop in morale. After all, their friend had been kidnapped.

Blue desperately wanted to charge in blindly, to finally act... to do something, but Ink kept insisting that they make at least some kind of plan so as to not get killed instantly.

However, it had been too much time. At this point, they were just hoping that Dream wasn't already dead. They'd never be able to forgive themselves if they were to let that happen.

For the multiverse's sake, for his sake...

They had to get Dream back.

And now, here they were, before the large castle the Bad Guys called home.

Ink decided to start by knocking on the door and attempting to negotiate. Perhaps reasoning with them wouldn't be out of the question.

...

None other than Nightmare himself opened the door.

"What the hell do you two want!?"

"Ohhhh, you know very well what we want!!" Blue said, visibly furious. He was trying his best to restrain himself from punching him.

"Give us back Dream!!" Ink said. "We won't let you torture him or whatever you're planning on doing!!"

Nightmare smiled smugly.

"Hmph. Oh, you mean our newest recruit?"

"...WHAT!?!" the two Stars exclaimed in shock. Dream, joining the Bad Guys? Surely that was impossible, right? He'd never turn his back on the multiverse like that, right?

"Y-You're lying!!" Ink said. "There's no way!! I refuse to believe it!!"

"Well, so be it. I don't care. But it's the truth. I'd even say he seems a lot happier here. He doesn't need you two. So, just go f*ck yourselves."

"LIAR!!!" Blue yelled, clearly doing everything he can to restrain himself from punching the goopy skeleton in the face. Both he and Ink knew they were... honestly useless at fighting Nightmare. They'd certainly be killed if they were to engage in combat with him. Dream was the only one who could stand a chance.

Nightmare chuckled.

"Hahaha!!! Believe what you want, but it's true. Now, get out of here. OR ELSE. We don't need to deal with your bullsh*t right now."

Reluctantly, the two had to listen. There was nothing else they could do at the moment.

"F-Fine."

However, they did not completely give up hope...

~~~~~

"Nightmare, who was at the door?"

Dream had been sitting in his room, playing on a handheld game console one of the others had lent him, with the door open. Once he saw his brother pass by, he decided to ask.

With the condition Dream's room was in, you would've thought he had always lived there. The room was already quite messy (following in the footsteps of the others. Cross and Nightmare were the only two who ever bothered to clean their rooms [even then, they didn't care too much about it anyway). There were various items scattered around (mostly items he had received/taken from the other members), including some books (not magazines or anything else that could tell him about life's current happenings [Nightmare forbade them ever since Dream had joined]. Just some novels, both written and graphic [as in comics), sheets of paper (some with scribbles and doodles on them, others blank), a box of colored pencils, and... for whatever reason, a bunch of cell phone keychains (as if Nightmare would give his brother internet access like this). There were also a couple video game-themed posters taped to the wall (with clear tape, thankfully not something like duck tape).

He was already right at home, it seemed.

"...um, how did you know there was someone at the door?..."

"Really loud knocking sound coming from that direction. Didn't bother to listen to the conversation."

That was a relief for Nightmare. If Dream had overheard the conversation... that would've meant game over.

"Oh. It was just the Star Sh*tbags or whatever the f*ck they go by. They just loooove to get in our way all the damn time, even when we're just minding our own damn business!"

"Ugh, of course. Well, anyways... can you help me with this game? I'm stuck on this one bossfight."

Nightmare sighed, before walking in (instead of continuing to stand outside the door and just talk from outside the room) and sitting next to Dream on the bed.

"Alright, I guess..."

The positive energy Dream gave off was never exactly comfortable to be around for a negative spirit like Nightmare. However, he knew he had to ignore it. After all, he couldn't ruin this deception.

(...or their relationship)

He hid his discomfort surprisingly well. He supposed he could keep it up until he got used to being around him this much (Dream already seemed to have adapted to the negative environment of the castle, so that wasn't an issue either). 

"So, what's the game about?" he asked.

"It's about this pink ball that has to save his friend who's this blue penguin guy who got kidnapped by a magic spider and-"

"Sounds like it was made on drugs."

"Hey!! I like it..."

Nightmare chuckled and patted Dream on the back.

"Whatever, whatever."