But Our Friend is a Dog // a Dream Team fanfiction

Chapter 6: Emergency

**Content warning: mild language**

*9 hours remain*

~Sapnap~

Soft fur tickled my cheek. I flinched awake, but darkness rendered my sight useless. When my brain focused, I remembered my location in Brighton, thousands of kilometers from home. My eyes adjusted to the low light of George's flat, detecting the faint outline of a massive wolf-like creature sniffing my face. Determined to prevent me from falling asleep again, Dream used his thick, razor-sharp teeth to tug away my blanket.

"What time is it?" I rasped, voice hoarse from sleep as I sat up on George's couch. Extending a paw, Dream etched on the hardwood floor,

5

Furrowing my brow with confusion, I noticed his behavior was erratic and his movements jittery. "Why are you acting like that?"

Whining softly, Dream leapt to stand beside the front door, merging with the shadows. His thumb-less paws did not allow him to turn the round doorknob.

"Want to go outside?" I realized he needed to relieve himself, for Dream answered with a pronounced nod. Dismounting the couch, I strode to unlock the front door. "Man, if you get stuck as a dog, you're screwed if you can't even open doors by yourself."

Dream huffed with annoyance. Once I widened George's front door enough for his bulky figure to squeeze through, Dream bolted, disappearing into the gloom. Politely I regressed indoors to give him privacy and prepared myself in George's restroom. Might as well get ready now. Only nine hours remained to reverse my friend's transformation.

When I returned to the flat's main area, Dream was absent. Poking my head outside, I saw him sniffing curiously at the grass, sidewalk, and street, testing his canine senses. Despite the overcast sky, without even a faint glow of dawn on the horizon, his white pelt was easy to locate.

"Hey, Dream?" Hoping to calm my nerves, I suggested, "We're already awake. Let's explore or something." When he hesitated, I added, "It's super early, so we'll be alone to see if anyone follows us."

Dream perked up with agreement. Waiting patiently on the front steps, he sat with a tail curled over his paws as I crossed the flat and peeked into George's bedroom. The burner phone lay on his desk, its black outline contrasting with the gray surface; the phone was intact and reassembled after hours of overnight work. A slender figure slept peacefully in the bed; Dog draped herself over one unmoving leg. Privately I believed hacking into such a low-tech phone sounded ridiculous; plus, if George had found anything crucial inside, he had not woken me for an update. Despite my admiration for my friend's dedication, his constant stubbornness and complaining were a drag. I doubted he would approve of an early morning walk for fresh air.

Slinging my backpack over my shoulders, I emerged from the flat and closed the front door softly behind me.

"Alright, let's go," I nodded to Dream, who yipped with enthusiasm.

Shivering against the early morning chill, we squinted against seaborne winds as we traversed the streets of Brighton. Nearly invisible drizzle fluttered from the overcast sky. Alone on the streets, we passed closed shops, cafes, and complexes, our shadows stretching across the pavement beneath the warm yellow glow of streetlamps.

When Dream's ears swiveled to one side, I glanced in their direction. An unnerving obscurity lay on the other side of the street; no streetlamps lit the area within. A park. Intrigued, Dream swerved off our sidewalk and crossed the empty street, paws thumping over the damp asphalt.