Given An Unwanted Second Chance

Chapter 17

We stepped through the portal, emerging into the nighttime of the AU.  The air felt a little heavy and my breathing got a little tougher, but I managed fine enough.

Cross, Killer, and Dust went off into the nearby wooded area, pretty much disappearing from sight.

I took a deep breath, looking at Horror.  "Ready? "

He shrugged.  "Ready as...I'll ever be."

I nodded slightly and focused on the closed bond with Dream.  I opened it, giving it a slight tug.

There was silence for many long moments before two portals opened nearby.  One golden, and one glitchy.

Dream stepped through the golden one as Error stepped through the glitched one.

A sense of worry sparked in my soul at Dream's state.  He looked exhausted.  Error seemed fine, but it was clear with the way Dream was carrying himself that he wasn't at full strength...

I tilted my head slightly at Nightmare's brother before glancing over to Error.  "Gradient okay?  He make it back safe? "

Error was silent for a painfully uncomfortable moment.  "He's fine."

I breathed out lightly.  My gaze traveled back to the tired skeleton.  "You seem...tired."

Dream narrowed his eyes slightly.  "What do you want, Eclipse...?"

My tendrils swayed uneasily behind me as I answered him.  "Does the name Code ring any bells to either of you? "

Dream and Error looked at each other before looking back at me with suspicion.  "No..."

"Gradient didn't say anything about him, huh...? "  I murmured.

Horror hummed slightly, gaining the attention of the two.  "It would seem...Code keeps to...himself mostly unless something...catches his attention."

Dream looked uneasy.  It was almost like he hadn't noticed Horror until he had said something.  "Why would we know who that is?  Is he someone dangerous?"

I glanced at Horror briefly before looking back.  "He probably is.  For one, he came into our AU without a single issue.  Just...appeared.  The more prominent problem here, though, is he's seen Gradient.  And he seemed...interested in him.  Probably just as much as he was in me..."

Error narrowed his eyes at me.  "And why would he be interested in you?"

"I feel like that should be obvious, Error.  My...coding is strange.  Not like Nightmare's.  Speaking of coding...Code messed mine up a little with his weird strings.  Made me incapable of controlling myself.  It was...unpleasant."

Dream looked at me, silent.  Then, a familiar magic washed over my soul.  A check.

EECCLIPSSE ATK 0.5 DEF 0
*Foreign code touched me
*Panicpanicpanic

I winced as my body fizzled slightly before fixing itself.

Dream seemed slightly surprised by the check, though his gaze hardened.  "...you lied.  You killed someone.  Your attack..."

Horror sighed.  "Eclipse has not...taken a life.  Her coding is...reacting...to violence of...the non-lethal kind.  She attacked.  She...did not kill."

I shook myself slightly, glancing warily at the guarded pair.  "Th-That's not the point here.  I'm not even that worried about myself in regards to Code.  I'm more concerned with Gradient's safety.  I don't know if he's even safe wherever your home is now."