Star Darlings; The Soldier

I'll join in: NICHOLAS!!! REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE!!!

For the next moment, they stood there, shocked and caught off guard.

And a split second later, Nicholas' eyes glazed over in pain. His hands went to his head, and a scream made everyone jump.

"Nicholas!" Greyson said, approaching him. "Are you ok? What can I-"

"Greyson!" Ethan yelled, yanking him back as Nicholas backed away. "Don't get closer! It'll make it worse!"

"But-" Greyson was interrupted by another scream from Nicholas, his hair flashing on and off like a broken lightbulb. His skin kept changing; to ice, to a normal tone, and to what he looked like when he was Dream. Nicholas stumbled, his hands bracing against the wall.

"Guys?" He asked, his flickering eyes looking at them through the obvious pain he was in. "I know you. You were my friends... right?"

"What is..." Callista came up behind them, confused until she saw Nicholas. "Oh shit."

Nicholas doubled over again, the flickering getting faster and faster. "I know this place." He stuttered. "I remember everything..."

"Knock him out!" Callista said, pushing the boys aside.

"What? Why?" Greyson asked.

"Or else he'll-"

A guttural scream tore through the back of Nicholas' throat as he stumbled backwards. A wall of ice spikes popped out of the ground, separating him from the rest of them from Nicholas. Speaking of which, he had already turned and fled.

"He'll run." Callista finished.

WHAT ARE YOU!!! Nicholas screamed into his subconscious. LET GO OF ME!!!

Nicholas had taken a back seat in his own brain as something in the back of his brain clicked and took over. And by the back of his brain, I mean literally something in the back of his brain.

Malfunctions discovered. A female, mechanical voice said. You are being rescued. Please do not resist.

He felt his body continue running, past assassins and towards what seemed like an exit.

Escape option discovered. The voice said again. Objective: escape and dispose of the malfunctioning unit.

Nicholas understood what it meant. He struggled in his own mind, trying to break the thing's control.

I SAID LET GO, YOU STUPID ROBOT!!!

Excuse me? The voice asked, perplexed. I am Vesta, the super computer of the Skylars, and Overseer of the Myrmidons. You are malfunctioning, and therefore useless. I am giving you a generous death.

NO! Nicholas screamed. I'm not someone you'll control!

The microchip in your brain will say something different.

Microchip?

Do you really think we don't have a backup for malfunctioning units like you?

Nicholas sped past the exit, and into the outside world again. He turned and fled East.

What are you going to do, kill me by exploding that same chip?

Why yes, after I wipe your memories and send all your info to the data banks. How did you know?

REALLY!?!?!?!? Nicholas screamed.