Three Forces Empowered | Dream Team

Chapter Thirty-Two

George tugged nervously on the sleeves of his shirt. Ant was really nice and all, but he unnerved him. Maybe it was the glossy sheen of his cat-like eyes, or the fact that he had seen the guy literally transform right in front of his face, but George was very much nervous.

It didn't help that Ant believed that they were going to die.

Actually, George believed that they were going to die, too.

"We'll be fine," Dream said with a nonchalant shrug. "Peligro deserves whatever we're going to throw at him."

"And what would that be?" Ant asked, raising an eyebrow.

Dream shrugged again. "Death?" 

"Just like that? Quick and simple?"

"Hey, I thought you didn't approve of killing," Sapnap butted in.

"I don't," Ant said with a frown.

"You would get along swimmingly with Bad," Dream muttered. "And no, it's not going to be quick." But he looked uncertain.

Ant crossed his arms in front of his chest and scowled. "Yes, it will be. You're going to kill him and leave it at that. Nothing else."

Dream narrowed his eyes. "You have no idea what he's done."

"Oh, I don't? He sent you after George. You failed. You go after him with George and Sapnap in tow. All he should have is a quick death."

George bit his lip. Dream had mentioned to them how his own father had been a target in a task set by Peligro. Why did he still work with him? To get close so that he could take him out? To try and pretend that he had moved on?

But to his surprise, Dream didn't argue. "Sure."

Ant reached forward and gripped Dream's arm tightly. "Dream, listen to me. I know that you're an assassin and you've killed before, but this is different. For the first time, this is you deciding to kill because you want to. And you want to drag it out to make it more painful. That's inhumane."

"That's what I want," Dream said, but he avoided Ant's gaze. George wasn't imagining things, he was definitely looking uncertain. 

The man shook his head. "No, it's not, Dream. You used to be an assassin. You had an abrupt reckoning when you realized that you couldn't kill George. You want to be different."

Dream pulled his arm out of Ant's grasp. "You don't know me."

"No, I don't," Ant agreed. "But I know your type of person. I was like you once. I hated the mage who had cursed me with a burning passion. I wanted to kill him slowly, turn him into some sort of animal and dangle him over a pit of fire. But then I came to terms with what happened. I love cats now."

He smiled slightly. Dream stared at him for a second, then sighed. "So what's your point?"

"My point is, you could be a better person. But if you kill someone at your own will and viciously at that, then you're done. You won't be able to become that better person."

They locked gazes. George glanced back and forth between the two, then over at Sapnap. It was like watching a tennis match between two equally skilled players. They both had good points. Ant looked determined, and it seemed to George that Dream was finally getting out of his assassin shell.

"Promise me it will be a fast death."

Dream nodded slowly. "I promise."

Ant gave him a pointed look. "Don't make promises you can't keep, Dream."