Chapter 12

Nobody's P.O.V

Up in the treehouse where the warriors hid, Error threw a wooden chair at a wall, smashing the chair.

"He betrayed us!" the glitch yelled. "That little snitch set us up so he could get Ink!"

"I doubt that's what happened, Error." Dream said. "Please, just calm down."

"Calm down? Calm down! How can I calm down when that reptile creep has Ink!"

Davian barked loudly at Error, making him jump. Cross gave Davian a pat before standing and stepping forward.

"It's likely that King used Fell to bring Sci to his side. We haven't seen Fell for a few days now, same with Dust and Geno." Cross suggested.

Error huffed. "Right. You're right, Sci wouldn't have done that without a reason."

"Good. Now, if we figure out how to overthrow King, then that's how we will save Ink and everyone else in the camp. We have to stay calm and we have to stick together."

"If you're planning on betraying us for Ink," Nightmare said. "King isn't going to hurt him."

"I already know that. That creep just wants to..." Error growled. "What's the plan?"

They turned their heads to Palette and Goth, who were looking at maps of the wall's many levels and discussing a plan.

"Have you two thought of a plan yet?" Dream repeated.

"Oh, uh..." Palette turned around. "Sorry, no. I still need to study the shift changes of each guard around the wall. Without that, our plan is bound to fail."

"I'd be happy to help with that. Brother? What do you think?"

Nightmare crossed his arms. "Sure, whatever. Kills?"

Killer nodded. "I'll help too."

"I can give you a list of people I think can help." Cross said. "But, I don't think Error should help."

Error raised a bonebrow. "Why not?"

"Because King will recognise you. He's probably told every soldier to kill you on sight."

"Fine, whatever..."

"We start tomorrow." Palette announced. "We will write down all the times that the guards switch shifts and take breaks. After that, we plan our next move."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Cross smiled. "Lets get a move on."

Sci looked at the door to his lab, not ready to enter the hell he knew he would see and feel. Experimenting on his own friend was not something he ever think about doing. It was something he would've never even considered. But here he was, about to turn Dust into a lab rat to save his own lover's life. Sci took a deep breath in and out, then opened the door and entered.

The inside had changed a lot over just one night. It was filled with equipment and the tables had papers, blueprints and tools scattered over them. There were three others in the lab. First, there was the water-wielding general, who stood against a wall with her arms crossed. The second was, of course, Dust. He laid strapped to an operation table, awake but completely silent. Then there was another scientist, the one King told Sci he would be working with.

She was a human. Her hair was pure black and she wore big, round glasses and a white lab coat. She looked like the ultimate cliché nerd.

She up from the tools she was examining and at Sci. "Oh! I see you've arrived." she dropped everything and went up to Sci, holding her hand out for a handshake. "My name's Susan, it's nice to meet you."

Sci didn't look at Susan's hand, he just kept eye contact and said nothing.

"Wow, you look like you haven't slept in days." Susan said, pulling her hand away. "I don't understand how a skeleton can look tired, but I've already learned not to question monsters."

"You don't have all day, Susan. Get a move on." ordered the general, who looked incredibly bored.

"Fine, Jenny." Susan spat the words out like venom.

"It's Jan."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." Susan smiled brightly at Sci. "So, should we get started?"

"Sure...whatever you want..."

"Alright then! I put your instructions over on that chair next to the subject. Go have a look at those first."

Sci walked past Susan without another word and picked up the list of instructions that sat on the chair near the operation table that Dust was strapped to.

"She's right, you look like shit." Dust said to Sci.

Sci glanced at Dust for a moment, then sat down on the chair and begun reading the instructions.

"I'm not angry, you know." Dust continued. "I would've done the same for Blueberry. You know, if I were actually smart."

The instructions Sci read was just some to-do list. It listed some chemicals that were needed, most dangerous and unstable, but it didn't give a single step to how to make the chemicals. How lucky King was that a scientist like Sci happened to live in the camp he decided to take over.

"Do you wear glasses for the sake of wearing them or do you actually need them?" Dust asked. "I didn't think skeletons could go blind, considering we don't have eyes."

"Magic deformity." Sci said. "It affects how well I can see things. So I need the glasses."

"Ah, I see. That makes sense. You know, I've never seen you without your glasses. What do you look like without them?"

"I look like someone who can't see three centimetres in front of them."

"Not what I meant but OK."

"Dust, what do you want?"

"Well, I'd like to be unstrapped, but I have a feeling that's never going to happen. Hey, I don't suppose you know how Blueberry is? He must be worried sick about me."

"I don't know, I haven't talked to him."

"Hey, why did the zombie chicken cross the road?"

"Dust!" Sci yelled. "Just shut up! I can't deal with your stupid yapping right now!"

"Oh...sorry."

Then there was silence. Sci took another deep breath and continued to read over the list of chemicals. There were so many. What does any of this have to do with insanity? Sci wondered.

"You know these straps are kinda kinky, right?"

Sci slammed his fist on the operation table, just next to Dust's head. "SHUT UP!"

Dust, Jenny and Susan all stared at Sci. Dust shut his mouth and looked away sadly.

"Sorry..." he mumbled.

"Hey Sci, are you OK?" Susan asked.

"No I'm not OK!" Sci snapped. "My children have been forcibly taken away, my husband is under the threat of being killed and because of her," Sci pointed at Jenny. "All the friends I used to be able to go to for support think I'm a traitor! So no, I'm not OK! I am far from OK!"

"You're stressed," Susan said calmly. "I get that. But you need to calm down."

Sci opened his mouth to say something, but he stopped himself when he realised that he was crying. The frustration he wanted to let out built up inside him to the point where it was painful, but he forced himself to calm down. He took a third deep breath, in and out.

"Lets just get this over and done with." Sci muttered, standing up from his chair and moving on to a table with several empty flasks, located next to a cupboard containing many other lab supplies.

He felt like he was being ripped apart inside. He was so angry. So frustrated. But he couldn't do anything about it.