"You're... me?" Henry inquires.

"You all deserve an explanation," Hero states, standing up as he adjusts his pjs as if he us wearing a suit, standing up and looking out the window, "I was a dream of Sunny's, and when Omori, our Sunny left, I went to look for him, and I learned things, horrible things."

"What do you mean?" Joey inquires.

"We are dreams," Hero explains, "After Omori died, left, however that works, I went looking, and found my way here. Jawsume took a vacation, likley to other dreams, and left me in charge. Since then I've used my clams and influence from this place to try to find Sunny, and as memories of him returned, Basil, and... I found Basil. I saved Basil. At least our Basil."

"But didn't you mention horrible things?" Henry asks.

He nods, turning to face the party, "And I did, Omori hid the truth from himself, and if he ever neared it, the dream would die. Skeletons of me and my friends litter the land of these past dreams. I went deep into the dream, deeper than any dream from the more... kind areas, and as I dug, I found Blackspace. I faced fears, gained powers from this Blackspace, what Sunny repressed, and found Basil there. I brought him home. However, I learned Sunny was a dreamer, and that he was gone..."

There's a stillness in the air before he exclaims, "Until!"

Hero turns to face the party, approaching as he speaks, "You dreamed a new Sunny! A Sunny I could bring home, to fix my family! I am not real to you, and you are not real me, but I am real to myself. This is my reality, just as your waking hours are yours, and I can fix my family! To you, this is a dream, to me, this is a second chance! But I've seen what happens if the dreamer finds what they repressed. If Sunny found truth, we died, skeletons left behind from past versions of my world, and the cycle begins once more. I've explored Blackspace thoroughly, the edges of my dream, an Abyss where I met Abbi who revealed all to me. Gave me gifts, making me stronger still, and she revealed that you've repressed your vengeance. If you find this vengeance, just as when Sunny finds truth, our world will die. I cannot let this happen so I have the Culprit on the next floor, which you will never reach. I've mastered this dream and gained powers meant for the dreamer by facing their repressed fears. Again, while this is a dream to you, it is reality to us, and you are a dream to us."

The floor beneath Hero cracks open, reds hands emerging from below. He floats, his eyes glowing red as he continues, "For the good of my world, for the good of bringing a Sunny, a dream Sunny, to me, a real Sunny, home, I will not let you past! Mari and later Basil have helped me search since Omori left. If you kill the Culprit, you find what you repressed and we will all die! This Sunny is a dream, you won't end this world and you won't take him away from me again! I can finally! Finally! Reunite my family!"

"But you don't know he will attack!" Sweetheart protests.

"I will not that chance!" Hero exclaims, "For the good of our world, I will strike you down! I don't know wether a dreamer dies or wakes up, but looks like we're finding out!"

Hero attacks the party, red hands surround him as he glows with nightmarish energy. He looks the party dead in the eyes, stating, "This is where your dream ends Henry!"

Sweetheart is AFRAID.

Spacekid is AFRAID.

Joey is AFRAID.

"Snap out of it!" Henry yells, "I know we can win! Joey!"

Joey, his hands shaking, fumbles to grab an airhorn from his pocket and presses down on the button, the party find their fear replaced by anger at that damn noise, now turning on Hero in a rage.

Hero remains emotionless, calm and collected, unable to have his emotional state changed from a determined focus.

"I have faced many fears," he explains, "Three there were, and I've gained powers not meant to be seen, but for the good of my world, it shall be used to strike you down!"

Hero used Red Hands!

The red hands around him suddenly grab Joey, clawing at him and tearing his flesh. Arms and legs are tugged until they break off, turning him Toast.

Spacekid instantly retaliates with a barrage from his twin ray guns, while he misses two of his shots, the other two that do hit hurt, yet Hero doesn't seem to flinch, maintaining his resolve.

Sweetheart goes all in, putting all her strength into a barrage of powerful blows, a mace to the face, followed by a kick, and finishing with a headbut, but Hero pushes her away, still standing. Herny tosses Sweetheart a mango smoothie to restore her strength that she may attack again.

Hero used Vertigo!

Black hands appear from the walls, breaking through the walls to strike the entire party with a sweeping slap that knocks everyone off balance and injures them all with a heavy blow to the chest. The party finds their blows weakened due to being unable to get stable footing again.

Spacekid uses some Life Jam on Joey, restoring him to life from his toasted, carb filled state as Sweetheart splits a pizza amongst the party to restore them from their wounds. Finally, Henry takes this chance to strike at Hero with his frying pan, landing a blow right in the heart which does cause Hero to flinch but remains standing.

Joey rifles through his pockets, finding some jacks he throws at Hero, slowing him down as Hero steps on the sharp metal toys. Spacekid calls out, "Aim for the head Sweetheart!" Sweetheart nods, aiming true for the enemy's face as she once more strikes with every once of strength she has. A heavy blow from her flail stuns the young dream, followed by a shoulder tackle which pushes him back and draws blood from his mouth, and finally a kick to the chest launches the dream back.

Hero used Cripple!

Giant spider legs, like massive, living spears, burst from the ceiling, stabbing at the party in the legs, slowing them.

Henry finally offers another mango smoothie to restore her strength from the exhausting attack.

Hero takes a deep breath, collecting himself as exhaustion sets in. He knows he doesn't have much more in him, but he is still determined to win. He has to win...

Hero used Suffocate!

Black, slimy tendrils appears from beneath the floorboards, grabbing and strangling the party. Joey narrowly avoids their grasp as Spacekid, Henry, and Sweetheart are strangled by the tendrils.

Sweetheart reaches out to Henry as her vision darkens, desperate to save him but her and Spacekid are toast.

Henry should fall as well but...

Henry did not succumb.

Henry coughs heavily as he rises back to his feet, glaring at the enemy, his guard shattered as he catches his breath. He whips up some food to restore him and Joey.

Hero takes a deep breath, steadying himself as he prepares to strike one final time, to end this once and for all...

Hero used Red Hands!

Four red hands charge at Henry, Henry sidesteps the first, swatting it away with his frying pan before ducking under the second, narrowly avoiding a fist to the face. The third however, lands in the stomach, staggering Henry as the forth grabs him and slams him into a wall.

Joey realizes that as long as they're slower than their opponent, their defeat is inevitable, so he once more throws jacks to inhibit the movements of their enemy.

Henry quickly whips up some homemade jam to restore Sweetheart to life, having faith in her to finish the job.

Sweetheart grips her flail tightly, knowing by the looks in the eyes of her allies that it's now or never.

Joey knows that if Sweetheart doesn't land this next attack before Hero does, than this will be the end. He searches his pockets desperately, finding a cup of coffee that be tosses to Sweetheart, the caffeine giving her the extra speed she needs to strike with everything she has one final time.

A heavy blow from her fist, right in the heart, which causes Hero to cough up blood, followed by a second blow to the face from her flail, causing Hero to stagger back. However, he collects himself and narrowly ducks under her finishing kick.

It's over, he will strike before Hero can react, and they will die here, there is nothing to do now. He's to fast, to strong.

Sweetheart, knowing this, turns towards Henry, exclaiming in what she expects to be her last moments an indirect confession, "No matter what happens Henry, I want you to know you're my hero!"

"You're pretty great too," Henry responds, taking a knee as blood drips from his moitg.

Sweetheart is overjoyed, getting one last burst of energy to swing her flail at Hero, striking him right in the heart.

"No..." Hero growls, "Not here..."

The blow is enough to finish him off...

"You lost," Hero growls as Sweetheart helps him to his feet, "Let us by."

"No," Hero growls, "You won't take Sunny from us, you won't take this world for us! I will not fail my family!"

...

Hero did not succumb.

Hero summons red hands which grabs Henry's allies, removing them from the battle, ripping them away and pinning them to the walls.

"Henry!" Sweetheart calls out.

"I can do this just hang on!" Henry assures.

"Damn strait!" Joey adds, tossing some Life Jam on Spacekid to restore him.

Spacekid adds, seeing the dire straits they are in, "Come on dude! You beat my old man, you can take this guy!"

"Just you..." Hero growls, "And me. No more nightmarish powers, no more allies, just you.... and me. Dream, and dreamer. I'm out of juice, running on fumes, but I know I can still best you!"

Hero feels a new emotion. An emotion of genuine selflessness. An emotion that anyone can feel, that is not granted to him because he is special, but because he isn't, and does what's right all the same while understanding he must balance his life...

Hero is HEROIC.

Henry whips himself up some home cooking to restore his strength, he chows down on it as Hero throws a desperate punch at the heart.

Henry retaliates with a punch to the face, Hero still on his last legs...

But Hero did not succumb.

Hero growls, "For Aubrey, who loved Omori, and a little sister to me."

Hero throws a punch once more, causing Henry to stagger back, who counters with a frying pan to the face which knocks out a tooth.

But Hero did not succumb.

"For Kel who saw Omori as a brother," Hero continues, "And is a brother to me."

Hero throws another punch, which Henry sidesteps and counter by grabbing Hero's arm and breaking it with his elbow.

But Hero did not succumb.

"For Basil," Hero growls, "Another brother to me whom dearly misses his best friend."

Hero throws another punch, his strength leaving him as Henry easily avoids it by stepping back and throwing a blow at Hero to send him backwards.

But Hero WILL not succumb.

"For Mari..." Hero gasps out, on his knees, "Who... wants to see her little brother again..."

Hero is to weak to stand, Henry doesn't attack, feels he cannot attack a defenseless rival.

"And for everyone in this dream," Hero continues, "Who is real to me and likley differ drastically from yours, I will fight that they may live!"

"But I'm not trying to hurt you," Henry states, "I've already made my choice."

"And what's that?" Hero demands.

"Look into my eyes," Henry states as the conflict ceases, each to weak to carry on as he extends a hand to Hero, "You should already know."

Hero sighs, taking the hand and rising to his feet, "I suppose my counterpart would have to be a pretty cool guy."

Hero frees Henry's allies, who fall to the ground, exhausted.

Hero limps to his desk and states, "Pardon my... eh screw formalities. I shouldn't have jumped the gun."

"I would have done the same," Hero chuckles.

"So we carrying on?" Sweetheart inquires, trying to rise to her feet only to fall back down from over exertion.

Joey leans up against the wall, "Maybe we should stay and rest a moment."

"And honestly I think this is something he needs to do alone," Spacekid adds.

"So I just go up from here?" Henry inquires.

"Yeah just take the elevator behind me and-" Hero begins only to be stopped as The Hero, blood stained scalpel in hand, dashes by.

"Thanks for doing the hard part old chum!" The Hero laughs.

"No!" Henry exclaims.

"You have to stop him!" Hero demands, "He is the just as Omori was to Sunny, if he achieves vengeance, as with Omori and truth the dream will die all the same!"

Hero tries to get up only to fall to his knees.

"Rest," Henry assures, "I can stop him."

"Don't you die on me!" Sweetheart exclaims.

"You can do it!" Spacekid adds.

"Come back safe!" Joey demands.

"But how do you know you can win?" Hero inquires.

"Because..." Henry smiles confidently to reassure his allies, as he gets on the elevator, "I know who I am. I'm Henry, and I am enough..."

With that the elevator doors close behind him, and he begins his ride to the top floor...