The Dreamers

64: The Manipulators

Pyro and Giddion stood outside.

Giddion paced back and forth as Pyro leaned against the wall.

"Who does my brother think he is?! Telling us what to do," he scoffed, "Out of the three of us, he is the weakest Dreamer. He would be absolutely useless against the twins."

Pyro poked the inside of his cheek with his tongue, "Yeah. Not to mention, he has the biggest goo goo eyes for Soria I've ever seen."

Giddion looked at Pyro, "How are we going to talk some sense into him?"

"We don't."

Giddion grabbed Pyro's tie and pressed his chest into the wall as he looked at him angrily, "So what!? We're going to risk her life and our jobs!?"

...

Pyro chuckled, "You know, I don't normally say this to another man, but you got the most firey eyes~"

Giddion's face got angrier, "Cut it out, you bastard! Were you even paying attention!?"

"Yes, actually, and I have the answer."

Giddion let go of Pyro as he spoke.

"The only real threats here are the twins, as long as we keep them in check, we'll be fine. Let you brother swoon for Soria. If he screws up, it's his funeral."

Pyro walked up to Giddion and placed a hand on Giddion's shoulder, "You report to me if Damion does anything stupid. I'll deal with the twins."

~~~

A few hours later, Soria was tired and ready to head back to Dream HQ.

The four walked down the sidewalk of the city streets. Soria looked around at the billboards and the lights as the cars passed by. She was so astonished. She stopped looking around as she noticed Pyro and Giddion were gone.

Only Damion was walking with her now.

"Hey, Damion, where are the others?"

"They just went ahead. We'll catch up, Soria," he replied.

"Oh... okay..." she looked at him, slightly skeptical.

She followed Damion as he started walking into an alleyway. She looked around at the dirty brick walls painted with bright graffiti.

"Um, hey, Damion, this isn't the way back to Dream HQ."

Damion chuckled deeply as he pulled something small out of his pocket. A bright orange stone was in his hand.

"The manipulation stone? Vladmir, is that you!?" She backed up.

Damion transformed, "It's Melchoir, actually."

She looked scared. She shivered as she looked at him, "Where is Damion and the others?"

He chuckled deeply, "There with Vladmir. He's disguised as you."

She looked around, frightened. The only people in that alleyway were her and Melchoir.

"Please, Melchoir. I don't know what I did, but please. Please leave me be."

He looked her up and down, "Tell me, why would they make such a pathetic doll the Dream Stone, vessel? You're nothing but a cowardly third grade; meant to be first grade's playthings."

She backed up nervously; feeling her fear take over. Her breath shuddered as he walked closer, stroking his thumb across his bottom lip.

"Oh, come on, Soria~" He chuckled deeply, "Dolls don't cry~"

~~~

"Vladmir!?" Giddion jumped back.

Damion walked closer, "Where's Soria? What did you do with her!?"

"Relax, Damion; she's with my brother right now."

Pyro groaned, "This is why we should listen to me," he walked closer, "What are you doing here, Vladmir? I thought vampires weren't supposed to be out during the day."

Vladmir chuckled, "Amusing, but I'm only here for Soria."

"Why!? What did she do to you?" Damion tried to move forward, but Giddion held him back.

"Nothing, really. However, her dry personality is enough for anyone to kill her."

"Kill her!?" Damion was held back by Giddion.

Vladmir chuckled deeply, "This is actually revenge for what this company did to Gianna."

Giddion stayed quiet as Damion spoke up, "Oh, grow up! That happened like 5 years ago!"

Vladmir rolled his eyes, "Whatever, I'll be saying that 5 years after we kill Soria."

Giddion restrained Damion, who looked like he was going to burst.

Pyro sighed, "Giddion, you and Damion get back to Dream HQ and warn the boss. I'm going after them."

Giddion nodded as he and Damion started running to Dream HQ.

Pyro started running after Vladmir as he ran. He cackled as he turned back to look at Pyro.

"God, you've grown! I remember when you were only six; getting destroyed by Giddion!"

Pyro scoffed as he focused on keeping up with Vladmir.

"You're wasting your potential," Pyro yelled, "This petty revenge will only punish you."

Vladmir laughed as he kept running, "I'm the one wasting my potential? Pyro, you don't know anything!"

The two ran into the alleyway as Pyro stopped by the entrance seeing Soria, shaking with fear.

"Pyro!" Soria Iooked, surprised.

Melchoir laughed, "Fancy, sending the only other 1st grade to save the girl."

Pyro looked at them, "Come on, you two. I get you're mad, but this 'revenge' will get you sent to the pit."

Vladimir snapped, "We're not just mad, Pyro: We are ruined!"

Melchoir stepped closer, "Gianna was the only leader making Dream HQ great. Now, she is being punished for being a threat."

Pyro formed black dreamer energy, "If you really wanted revenge against the boss, you would cut my head off and bring it to him."

Vladimir smirked, "Is that a request?"

"Think of it as my way of saying: you're cowards."

Melchoir looked annoyed. The two formed black dreamer energy in their hands as they blasted it at Pyro.

Pyro used his dream energy to block the attack. Soria ran behind Pyro, and he sent dream energy flying at them.

Melchoir laughed as him and Vladimir used nightmare manipulation to spawn nightmares at Pyro.

"What are those!?" Soria held onto Pyro's shoulder.

"Nightmare manipulation. The ability to use the nightmares a dreamer absorbs as weapons."

Pyro fought back against the nightmares as he watched the twins run away.

"This isn't over, Pyro!" Vladimir yelled down the alley.

Pyro scoffed as he blasted the nightmares as the smoked filled the alleyway.

He absorbed them. He winced in pain as he felt their evil energy enter his veins. He fell to his knees as he caught his breath.

"Are you okay!?" Soria ran over to Pyro.

He got up slowly, "Y-Yeah, I'm fine."

The two made their way out of the alley.

"Damnit, I wish I could use nightmare manipulation like they can. What's the point of absorbing these nightmares if I never use them?"

Pyro poked the inside or his cheek with his tongue, "Hey, Soria."

"Hm?"

"I'm sorry for being rude earlier."

She smiled slightly, "It's fine, Pyro!"

The two kept walking towards Dream HQ. Little did they know, a storm was approaching; in just a few days.