A Destructive Family-Sequel to Errormare Story

Chapter 47: Operation Liberation

Nightmare's POV two weeks later

I wake up to pure silence. By now it is unsettling but I know it's probably just from the tension hanging around Killer and Horror. But I don't sense any tensions or anxiety that I usually feel around them. I get up, finding Glitchy's crown resting on the pillow. I go out, finding the only ones wandering around the castle are Horror's many, many pets along with Perl and Misty. I find it otherwise extremely empty and quiet to an unnatural degree. Then I find a note on the fridge from Killer sloppily written where I could hardly make out besides something about a "solo mission" and "liberation". Maybe he cracked under the pressure or stress of having Horror mad at him.

Perl hops up to look at the note, then lets out a hiss and all the animals follow him away to another room. I hear a door to a meeting room slam shut. I march over, glancing in to see all the pets gathered around the table as Perl sits on it with Misty. I back out, shutting the door.

What did I just see...? Eh, their meeting. Not the weirdest thing I've seen in this castle. Probably should stop questioning these sort of things..

Then my phone rings as the phone identifies Farmer's number.

"Hello? How can I help you, Farmer?"I ask, heading back down to the kitchen to grab some toast.

"Is Horror home?"He asks

"I thought he was with you."I reply, leaning against the counter

That's where he has been consistently going lately, after all, mostly to avoid Killer.

"We were supposed to have a date but he hasn't shown up and isn't answering his phone. Is everything okay?"He asks

I feel my body tense up. Horror never misses a date with Farmer. No matter what mood he is in.

Before I can think of a response, I hear the front door unlock and creak open. I glance out of the kitchen doorway to see Blue cautiously entering, spinning a ring of keys on his finger.

"Dust...? Dream...? Anyone here...?"He asks, shutting the door behind him.

"One moment, Farmer. This may be bigger than just a single disappearance."I say

"I'm coming."He says, hanging up

"Blue? What brings you here?"I ask

"I'm sorry for intruding, I was just getting concerned when nobody answered my calls! Error I can understand with his destruction but when your brother and Dust wouldn't answer, I got worried. They both made plans with me today but said they'd call to talk details about our hangouts. The calls never came and I even checked with Ink, who hasn't seen Dream either. I used the spare keys Dust gave me to get in...And then Epic called me to ask if Cross is with Dream or us since they were meant to hang out and he hasn't been able to contact Cross either. Are they home here?"Blue explains

I shake my head.

"The only contact that I've gotten from them are texts where Dust sounds like Dream and Dream talks like Dust. I asked them secret questions that only they knew the answer to. I asked Dream what Horror made for him and asked Dust what I gave him last month. Dream answered incorrectly with a headdog and Dust incorrectly answered a taco. And they both refused any form of a call so I'm certain it isn't them who has their phones."He tells me

There's a knock at the door and Farmer enters, glancing around then frowning. Another knock and Outer enters, glancing around.

"Umm...Do any of you know what Operation Liberation is?"He asks

"No...?"Blue and Farmer say

"Well, I called Killer earlier but was told that he is busy on a mission for his gang, claiming that it's Operation Liberation time. And I haven't been able to reach him since."Outer say

I groan, shaking my head. Killer is relieving his stress in a...different way.

How did I lose control of my family so quickly in the time that I took to sleep?

I called Fell to see if I could reach him, only to get a voicemail. I call Classic and sigh with relief, hearing that he is on a date, and set his phone to do not disturb so his brother won't bother him. I hang up and focus on the issues at hand.

Then I hear claws clicking across the floor as steps are heard down the hall. All the pets come out with leashes on their collars, tossing the handles to our guests. Some gather around Farmer, some join Blue, and a few join Outer. Perl and Misty march out with portal devices Glitchy made and press multiple buttons. Perl lifts the notes that Glitchy uses to communicate and train with him, this one simply saying SEARCH. Portals open and the animals drag their chosen skeleton through the portal. Soon the groups are gone and the portals shut. I'm left with only Perl and Misty as my company, both seeming proud of themselves.

I call Glitchy, hoping that he is okay and simply on another destruction spree or something. When I hear the call get accepted I get hopeful, but then I hear a different voice instead of Glitchy's.

"HeLlO nIghTmArE. I aM sOrRy bUt wE aRe iN tHe miDdLe oF tRyInG tO loCaTe mY bRoThEr. BuFfEr aNd I cAuGhT OnTo aN aTtEmPt aT hAcKinG tHe fAmiLy tHaT hAs bEeN mOsTlY sUcCeSsFuL. OpErAtIoN l1bErAtIoN iS a gO bUt I aDvIsE tHaT yOu aRe cArEfUl w1tH wHaT y0u t0uCh."Paps says

"Operation Liberation...?"I say

"YeS, bEcAuSe aS fAR aS wE cAn sEe tHe hAcKiNg tRaPs tHeM aNd aBduCtiNg tHem wiTh tHeIr oWn cOdE. DoN'T kNow wHat iT cAuSeS tHeM bUt iT iS oNe oF tHe tOuGHEsT tO bReAk fROm wHat wE aRe fIndINg. I recOgnIzE iT aS tH3 sAm3 c0d3 tHat pUt ErRoR iN yOuR pHoNe. BuT wE hAvE k1LlEr t0 tHaNk f0r bRiNgInG sO mUcH iNfO tO oUr aTtEnTiOn."He tells me

My concern is growing as I struggle to get all this info to sink into my mind. Still, he continues.

"My nEPhEw cAmE tO mE wiTh sIgNs oF beInG hAcKeD aNd t3LlInG mE tHaT s0mEtHinG wAs wRoNg. He h3aRd v0iCeS aNd hAd bLiNdInG pAIn, rEtElLiNg whAt hApPeNEd tO hIm aS I iSoLaTed tHe viRus fRom hIs cOde. ApPaReNtLy hE fOuNd aN aVeRaGe iTem In aN AU, a HaNdLE tO a KNiFe anD gRaBbEd iT wItH tHe iDeA oF uSiNg iT wItH a nEw bLaDe. ThAt iNjeCtEd tHe viRuS iNtO hIm bUt h3 diDn'T wAiT tO unDeRsTaNd tHe voIcEs bEfoRe bReAkIng tHe haNdLe, uNkNowINGlY fReEiNg hImSeLf. A loUd rInGiNg aNd a v0icE sAyInG tHat hE wAsn'T eXpEctEd tO dO tHat tOlD hIm tHat hE eScApEd. He diDn'T wAiT a sEcOnd tO bRInG iT tO oUr aTtEnTiOn. We'Ve eXaMiNed hIs cOde anD tHe viRuS iTem, tHen f0uNd ThAt iT iS hOoKeD iNto tHe rEsT oF oUr fAmiLy. ThEy pRObABlY hAVe uNaSsUmINg iTeMs tHat Ar3 iNjEcTiNg tHe c0dE intO tHeM..."He explains

I chuckle at that detail. The hacker is a fool to think that he can ever predict Killer if I can't even predict what he is going to do these days.

"AnD I dOn'T tHinK iT hElPeD tHaT tHe v0icEs aLsO imPliEd tHaT tHeY'D hUrT oUtEr nExT aCcOrDinG t0 wHaT hE t0lD mE."He says

I chuckle even more hearing that. It feels reassuring to know that he is free. Now his fridge note makes sense.

"I aM tRyInG tO bReAk tHe cOde oF thE vIrUs d0wN tO tHe bAsIc paRtS anD rEvEal iTs iNfO liKe tHE mAKEr aNd l0cat1oN. BuFfEr iS tRyIng tO uSe tHe cOde oF thE iTeM t0 guEsS wHaT thE oThEr iTeMs aRe. Fr0m wHat I uNdErStAnd fRom WhAT kiLlEr tOlD mE, tHe hACkEr iS tRyInG tO eXpERiMeNt wItH scEnaRiOs aND tAkE tHEiR cHoiCES aWaY t0 hAvE tHem 0n pUr3 rEaCtiOn wiThOut rEaLizInG tHEy'Re bEiNg mAnipUlatEd. It woUlD bE EaSiEr iF kiLlEr dIdN't rUn oFf oN a sElF-aSsIgNeD mIsSiOn t0 sAve EvErYoNe. LuCkiLy hIs SoUl iS tRaCkAbLe wHiCh iS m0rE tHaN wHat I cAn sAy f0r tHe oThErS. PlEaSe tElL tHeiR bOyFrIenDs s0 tHey sTaY oUt oF DaNgEr."He explains

"Right...Of course. I'll keep you updated if I find anything."I say

"YoU kNow I wILl uPdAtE yOu. JuSt bE cArEfUl."He says before hanging up

Little did I know that keeping the others safe would be much harder than it already seemed.

TBC