❤️💜aaaaaAAAAAAA 35k💜❤️

---Error's POV----

I couldn't look as X grabbed Cross from my strings. I covered my 'ears' with my hands in an attempt to block out Cross' terrified screams.

And then everything went silent as they disappeared. No sign that they'd been there in the first place.

Ink looked at me, his expression showing nothing but horror. "Y-You just-- C-Cross--"

I looked down at my feet weakly, guilt already clawing away at my soul. "I-I couldn't let him hurt y-you..."

Ink hugged me suddenly, shaking. "Wh-What are we gonna t-tell Nightmare...?"

At that moment Nightmare himself stumbled through the doorway, his expression frantic. "Cross?! Where is he?!"

I flinched, opening my mouth only to find all the words I'd wanted to say had been crushed in my throat before I could say them.

Nightmare looked over all of us, clearly panicking. "Where is he?! He said he'd stick with you!"

"X took him."

Nightmare whipped round to look at Gradient, his expression murderous. "WHAT?!"

He looked like he was genuinely about to stab Gradient, so I spoke up. "W-We tried to help. B-But X grabbed him a-and disappeared."

Ink shot me a shocked look, obviously seeing through my lie completely because he knew what really happened.

I shot him a weak look back in response, knowing very well that we'd all be slaughtered in seconds if we told Nightmare the truth about what happened to Cross.

"It didn't sound like you fucking attempted to help him!" Nightmare hissed, his expression showing a mixture of fear and rage. "A-And how did X even know we were here?!"

"Maybe he's still tracking Cross?" I suggested, trying to get off the subject of how we'd failed to help save Nightmare's lover.

"Or maybe someone here betrayed us and turned him in, figuring we'd all be safer if we sacrificed Cross." Gradient said, his expression emotionless as he rubbed his neck lightly.

Nightmare hissed loudly at that suggestion.

"That's delusional." Ink said, stepping forwards as he joined in our shameful act of covering up what had actually happened to Cross. "I mean, who here would do that..." He trailed off, wincing as Nightmare growled loudly.

"Reaper." Nightmare hissed, looking back out the doorway.

I flinched, remembering how Reaper had threatened to call Lilitown asylum over here to take Cross away. Maybe that's actually how X got here in the first place...

"L-Lets not make assumptions!" Ink stuttered.

"This isn't an assumption." Nightmare growled. "I'm gonna force some answers out of him whether he wants me to or not."

And with that he walked out of the room, his tentacles raised up behind him like in the video clip we'd watched on the security cameras.

"He's gonna fucking kill Reaper if we don't stop him!" Pj said, quickly running after him with Fresh close behind.

"Pj wait!" Ink called, immediately scrambling after them, Gradient and me following by his side.

We caught up with him just as he reached the main lobby area, and to our horror, Geno, Reaper, Goth, Raven and Palette were there, muttering to each other softly.

Reaper looked up as soon as he heard us come in, raising an eyebrow as he saw Nightmare was alone. "Yo Nightmare? What's happened to your little psycho?"

I winced. He really couldn't have said anything worse in this situation.

No sooner than those words had left Reaper's mouth, Nightmare lashed out a tentacle, stabbing clean right through Reaper's left shoulder.

We all froze in shock and Reaper let out a strangled scream of surprise and pain, clutching his shoulder as he fell to the floor.

"Reaper!" Geno's eye widened and he fell to his knees next to Reaper, panicking. "N-Nightmare stop! What are you doing?!"

Nightmare didn't answer, ripping that tentacle out of Reapers shoulder before wrapping it around his neck and slamming Reaper into the wall. "Did you call them?!"

Reaper struggled, coughing and gasping. "C-Call who?!"

Nightmare hissed loudly. "Did you fucking call the asylum here to take Cross?!"

Reapers eyes widened and he weakly managed to shake his head. "N-No! I-I would never do that! I-I swear! I-I was joking earlier! I-I know enough to know h-he'd be in big trouble if he went back there!"

"Big trouble?!" Nightmare seemed to get even more pissed. "Big trouble?! You think they'll just lock him up again?! No! THEY'LL TORTURE HIM! TH-THEY'LL-- They'll--" Nightmare seemed to break down suddenly, his tentacles pulling back and away from Reaper as he clutched his skull. "Th-They'll k-kill him..."

I winced, watching as Nightmare deteriorated from being threatening and murderous to panicked and vulnerable.

I genuinely don't think I've ever felt so guilty before. It should have been me panicking and freaking out. I shouldn't have passed this on to Nightmare.

"Dad?!"

At that moment Nightmare's kids ran in, their eyes widening as they saw Nightmare on his knees, shaking. They all rushed over, immediately hugging him and asking what was wrong. Upon Moonlight innocently asking where Cross was Nightmare nearly full on broke down, but he managed to hold himself together, gulping harshly.

"H-He's n-not gonna b-be here for a bit...o-okay...?"

They all frowned, but didn't press it any further. I could tell it had dawned on the two older kids and their expressions went from concerned to horrified.

Incubux stood up before slowly walking over to me. Oh god, it's like he knew what I did already.

"What happened?!" He hissed, glancing quickly back at Nightmare.

"W-While he was with us...X came out of no where...and then h-he grabbed him...Ink, I and the kids tried to h-help him I swear...but we didn't manage to save him..." Every word I forced out made me feel physically sick. I can't even begin to imagine how Nightmares feeling at the moment.

Incubux gave me such a disbelieving look that for a moment I thought he'd figured out what had actually happened. But he then sighed, rubbing his eye sockets. "Why can't we ever get a break...? When will life finally get bored of torturing us and leave us alone...?"

I winced, looking down. "At this point? Never..."

A strangled cough from the other side of the room made us all look over to see Reaper getting shakily to his feet with some help from his lover, Geno.

"God you're strong..." He muttered, clutching his shoulder with an already blood-stained hand.

Geno looked over the wound, panicking slightly. "W-We need to heal you!"

"I'm fine..." Reaper shook him off lightly, glancing at Nightmare.

Nightmare glared weakly back at him, looking mentally and physically broken.

Reaper snorted, raising an 'eyebrow'. "Are you really that worked up about this? Man Cross wasn't even that special. He was pretty weak."

Something was definitely wrong with Reaper at this point. He'd never normally say something like that. Especially to someone like Nightmare.

"You little--" Nightmare slammed Reaper against the wall again with his tentacles, not even flinching at the sound of snapping bones ringing out. "DO YOU THINK THIS IS SOME FUCKING JOKE?!"

Despite choking and coughing, Reaper smirked. "He d-deserves whatever torture he's gonna r-receive."

At that point Nightmare pulled a tentacle back, positioning it to stab right into Reaper's skull. "Oh that's it. I've fucking had it with you!"

Just as he went to stab a massive hole through Reaper's skull a sudden breeze whizzed past me and before I had time to blink an arrow speared itself deep in Nightmare's back.

Nightmare let out a screech of pain and dropped Reaper.

Well...when I say dropped... I mean he aggressively slammed the cloaked cop to the ground before whipping around to see who'd shot him.

I did the same, almost stumbling back in surprise.

It was killers friend, I knew that from their clothes. But they had their hood down for the first time, revealing their identity to all of us.

Nightmare froze behind me, inhaling sharply. "D-Dream...?"

The unmistakable figure of Dream lowered his bow, narrowing his golden eyes. "Brother."

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Jajshhshahhajakdfds Reapers broken--

And ahhahwkalrfisladf a probably disappointing family reunion for the Joku brothers up next :P

Poor Nighty tho

AND AHAHAHHA ARE YOU READY--

LoOk AwAy KiDs--

Is it bad that I'm proud of this--

-Jess-