Given An Unwanted Second Chance

Chapter 26

We left what I discovered to be Gradient's room and returned to the living room.  Killer was still unconscious, and I frowned slightly, looking at Dream.  "Is it okay if he wakes up?  I'd prefer having as many hands on deck as possible."

Dream seemed hesitant, but he nodded, going over to Killer and lightly touching his head.

Killer grumbled something unintelligible, his eyelightless eyes opening slowly.

I went over to him, looking down.  "Killer? "

"What...?"  He muttered, struggling into a sitting position.  His hands were still bound.

"We've got a temporary truce with the Stars until Code is dealt with.  Could you play nice until then, please? "

He tched slightly.  "Of course we have a truce with the Star Sh*ts.  Fine, whatever.  Can you untie me already?"

"No.  You're volatile.  Frankly, I would've preferred if we left you back where you were."

I glanced back at Error before my gaze moved to Cross and Horror.  "How long did you say we have to wait to get Dust? "

Cross answered me.  "3 days at minimum.  It's been two, so tomorrow at the earliest."

"Why would you think we'd let you go get your murderer friend? "

I glared at Ink.  "I don't...ugh, Ink, shut up.  We're going to get Dust as soon as possible.  It'll take a bit, but another set of powerful hands would be helpful."  And I don't want him to suffer in his AU too much...

Ink crossed his arms.  "He's not THAT powerful."

"Neither am I, but I'm here.  We'll be getting Dust to help fight Code."

Ink narrowed his eyes, agitation clear in both his strangely tinged emotions and expression.  Error sighed heavily.  "You need to chill, Ink."

Gradient frowned slightly, looking at me.  "But...won't Dust not remember?"

"Right...the time it'd take for him to remember everything is greater than the time we can afford to spend giving him time..."

Error looked confused.  "What are you talking about?"

I glanced at Horror and Cross uneasily.  Was this really something we needed to explain?  It wasn't like we had a permanent truce...

Cross just shook his head silently.

I answered quietly.  "That's...not particularly something I want to explain.  Not when our truce is merely temporary."

"You're boring."  Ink muttered.

My gaze became one of confusion as I looked at Ink before looking at Dream and Error.  "Is he always this childish? "

Error sighed as Dream answered.  "Pretty much."

Ink just stuck out his tongue at Dream who ignored him.

I shook my head slightly.  "Anyway...you think he's somewhere in the Anti-Void, right?  Some other section? "

"In theory.  I don't know of any other places of pure whiteness besides that anomaly's home AU."  Error replied, gesturing to Cross towards the end of his sentence.  Cross frowned, and I sensed that he was mildly offended, though he said nothing.

"I doubt he'd be in Cross's AU.  I know I haven't been there, but like I said, there was a strange static-like atmosphere to wherever I was taken..."