The Bloody Night Calls

Chapter Thirteen

Nightmare groaned face-down on the couch in the living room.

He did not think it was physically possible to be this tired.

He hadn't slept in days. Or was it weeks by now? A month? He couldn't remember.

The Guardian of Negativity didn't sleep much to begin with, as he didn't actually need sleep to live or to properly function. He tried to at least get two or three hours a day, though, because it improved his mood and his mental capabilities.

But recently it had just been one thing after another... after another....

His boys still needed to be taken care of, meals needed to be cooked, clothes washed, the base cleaned... and who could forget Error?

The poor Destroyer needed checking up on at least every few hours to make sure he wasn't having a panic attack or a nightmare... to rebandage his wounds if needed... to make sure he was eating enough to keep his magic levels at a somewhat healthy percentage...

Nightmare really had his plate full with just Error at the moment, to be honest.

And then his job still needed to be done.

Nightmare needed to spread negativity or he would start to get sick. It was who he was, a part of his very being linked to the amount of negativity currently in existence in the Multiverse. And getting sick right now was not an option.

He was roused from his somewhat relaxed position on the couch by a vibration on his wrist.

Instantly, the black skeleton shot up, pulling back his sleeve to look at the watchlike contraption on his arm. A glowing pair of sunglasses flashed across the circular screen in time with the violent vibrations.

Nightmare cursed loudly. The wristbands has been his idea- they were supposed to alert him if one of the others was in danger. All they needed to do was press the screen in a pattern, and the other watches as well as the original watch (Nightmare's) would begin to vibrate, telling them something was wrong. From the picture flashing on the small screen, Fresh was in trouble.

Killer burst into the room as soon as Nightmare has stood up. Worry was evident in the tarry-eyed skeleton's voice.

"Dad, Fresh's signal is going off-"

Nightmare nodded shortly. "I'll deal with it."

Killer frowned, staring at the other questioningly. "...Are you sure you don't need backup or anyth-"

Nightmare ripped a hole in space and time to the AU he had sensed Fresh's magical signature in last. His voice was rough and gravelly from lack of sleep already, and his annoyance didn't help his tone. "Positive."

Killer's frown deepened as he watched the portal disappear. Something was off about Nightmare. His recent behavior had been very off-character... very easily annoyed and weary. It was worrying....

-----

Nightmare materialized in the correct AU; he could smell Fresh's panic even in the middle of Snowdin. After years of taking care of the small skeleton, just like with his other sons, he had become attuned to their individual magic signatures and emotions.

Turning into a shadow, Nightmare darted across the ground, effortlessly homing in on the source.

Whoever it was that was bothering Fresh had chosen an absolutely horrible day to do so on...

---

It only took Nightmare about a minute or two to find the colorful skeleton and his aggressors. They were deep in the slums of New City, and there were four of them total.

There was a rather large Fire Monster that looked akin to a younger, more violent version of a Grillby. They were pinning Fresh to the wall almost effortlessly, letting their orange flames lick at the small skeleton's clothes.

An Undyne was glowering over the Fire Monster's shoulder, sneering hatefully at their captive. Their scales were covered in tattoos.

Two doglike Monsters that Nightmare didn't recognize had their arms crossed at the entrance of the alley, probably to guard against any unwelcome visitors.

Grillby was holding Fresh to the wall, one hand on his neck, one hand on his chest. Fresh could breathe, but just barely. His glasses were torn away from him and lay broken on the ground. Undyne seemed to be threatening him.

"I thought we told you to stay away from here, Punk!" the hiss in the fish-Monster's voice made Fresh cringe, trying to squirm away. Grillby tightened their grip, crackling threateningly.

Well. That was quite enough of that.

Nightmare slipped out of the shadows in the alley and re-formed back into his terrifying self, in all of his Eldrich glory. His tentacles whipped back and forth agitatedly.

These punks had taken away the only nap time he might have had for weeks. And they were threatening his weakest Gang member. His son.

The Guardian's piercing smile took a malicious, unnatural edge as he whistled softly, gaining the attention of everyone in the alley.

Fresh relaxed in relief, and Nightmare's smirk widened as waves of fear began to roll off of the idiots who dared to attack one of his own.

Oh, this was going to be f u n~