Despite the warning of the creatures, Dragon kept her phone out. The one on the floor stepped forward, and she put the first number in her passcode. The one on the ceiling made the same mistake, and she added in another. Both stopped when they realized what she was doing, the phone now one third of the way unlocked. Dragon wasn’t sure why they had stopped when they could easily take her out, but if it stopped the nightmares in their tracks it worked out.

Nightmares. Yes, there was no doubt in her mind that the creatures before her were the same as Vee. They were odd, terrifying, and like absolutely nothing she had seen in her life. At the same time there was an odd and disturbingly human quality to them. They walked the thin line of uncanny valley, making the belief they could be a sleeping mind mangled attempts to create something solid all too easy.

“Now now, what did we say about telling others about this?” The nightmare on the ceiling spoke. It held its hand out, just like its friend. “Come now, dreamer. Hand over the nightmare in your possession.”

“Don’t do it, they work for Bael,” Vee whispered to Dragon, arms still spread out in protection. “Their names are Zarlaus and Deam. They were the ones I stole the knight’s pin from. Once they are done with me, they’ll go after her to get it back.”

Dragon nearly asked who the doll was talking about, but stopped herself. If these nightmares were under Bael’s orders to take Vee, then they were here to stop the knight’s pin from being utilized. That meant Melissa was in as much danger as she was currently without even knowing. Her eyes turned to her phone, and then back to Zarlaus and Deam, Dragon made sure to shuffle back till she was touching the door. She put two more numbers in her passcode before the sound of a growl brought her attention back to the nightmares. Her eyes went wide when she saw Zarlaus lunge at her, her body reactively holding her arms in front of her face, prepared to feel whatever pain was to come.

Except it didn’t, for Vee had been prepared for them to do exactly that. A net of unknown fibers appeared from nowhere, attached to the sides of the wall. The fiber proved to be incredibly strong too, for no matter how much Zarlaus tried to chew or rip through it nothing happened. Deam joined in on trying to get through it, Dragon watching in terror at what she saw. Despite the human-like appearances, the two nightmares before her seemed to act more like wild animals.

Vee puffed its chest out, raising one plush leg into the air, and then stomped softly on Dragon’s stomach as the doll clamped their hands together. A powerful gale hit the side of the room Zarlaus and Deam were in, the net blocking it from hitting Vee and Dragon. The enemy nightmares tried desperately to hang on to the net, but it was impossible to keep their grip on. They were forced out the window by the gale, Vee able to see Deam get blown far, far off course while Zarlaus grabbed onto the roof of the building on the opposite side of the street.

“Maria, send the text!” Vee ordered. Dragon did not hear the doll’s words, her eyes staring off at where the nightmares had been previously. In an attempt to grab her attention, Vee climbed up the girl till she was on their face, using their lips to plant their feet. “Maria, we don’t have long until they come back. Send the text and alert the others, now!”

If the words didn’t wake her up from her fright, the accidental jumpscare did. With her mind’s eye no longer stuck on the vision of two humanoid monsters acting like a beast, she grabbed Vee with her free hand and got them off her face. Then, turning to her phone, she put in the last of her passcode. As fast as she could, she opened up the group chat she had with her friends and posted the picture she took of Zarlaus and Deam. Realizing it might not be enough to explain the situation, she made it as abundantly clear as possible.

> Dragon: Help! They are with Bael!

She didn’t wait for a reply, putting her phone back in her pocket as she heard a wolf-like growl from outside her window. She looked to see Zarlaus’ hand grip the bottom of the window, pulling itself up. Dragon couldn’t help but silently swear as she saw how quickly it had reached her again. Still, it was just the one now; no reason to worry about Deam for the moment.

“Your control is stronger than Bael gave you credit, doll,” Zarlaus said, his words seeming to be more venting than praise. His digits gave off an off putting glow as he entered the dorm again. “I won’t hold back this time.”

Zarlaus sprung at the net, his glowing digits cutting clean through the net. He didn’t get through cleanly, however, having to grip onto the net and crawl his way through. Dragon watched him with a terrified expression, not sure if her reaction time would be enough for the attack she knew was coming. She heard a knock coming from the otherside of the door, the sound causing an uncertain sigh to escape her.

Right after the sigh, Zarlaus pushed off the net and lunged at Dragon. Hoping that whoever was on the other side of the door had come prepared, Dragon placed her hand on the door knob and turned it. She pulled the door open mere moments before Zarlaus would have hit her, ducking under a claw that brushed against her hair. It was followed by a thud as the nightmare’s head hit the narrow side of the door, one eye able to see who it was that lied beyond it.

He would have, at least, had Lucy not brought a walking stick she used to hit him over the head and send him to the ground. Knowing the nightmare was dazed, Dragon tried to quickly work her way around the door and out into the hall. As soon as her eyes landed on Lucy she smiled, only for the feeling of something wrapping around her leg to cause her to look back in shock. Zarlaus had enough function after the hit to still grab ahold of her leg, keeping Dragon from escaping.

The nightmare opened its mouth, aiming right for Dragon’s leg. Turning back to Lucy, they promptly chucked Vee at the french girl with what little time she had. Nearly the moment they left her hands, Zarlaus sank into her left. Dragon expectes pain, blood, and a scream to be what left her mouth, but that isn’t what occurred. When neither pain or a scream left, she instead tried to tell Lucy to run, but she couldn’t.

Her mouth refused to work. She tried to move it, but her cheeks and lips felt numb. Same went for her entire body, with not a single muscle seeming to respond to her wish to move. Dragon tried desperately to call out for help, to get her body to move, but whatever Zarlaus’ bite had done was too powerful. Breaking free was impossible.

I knew I was too weak.

Her vision started to blur, no longer able to make out Lucy’s face before her. She could see a blob she assumed was her friend moving to her side, but while they were saying something her hearing seemed to be muffled. Everything seemed to be shaking, sounds she couldn’t describe filling her ears. She swore that she felt a tear run down her face, but it was suddenly dulled out as the sensation of… things moving on her skin.

Then, a voice she knew all too well pierced her ears.

“You’re going with me. I’m not giving you a choice,” it said. “Stop being difficult and get out of the car! We are washing his stain off your body. Get out Maria!”

Dragon knew those words well. Her vision was so blurred at that point, she immediately assumed the next blob she saw enter her vision was the owner. Didn’t make it better that they seemed to be approaching her. She tried to shake them off, to run away and find wherever Lucy had gone, but she couldn’t. She was stuck in place and… that horrid building appeared before her. Dragon tried to scream and pull herself free of her mothers grasp, but her body refused to cooperate.

----------------------------------------

“Get off her!”

Two feet slammed into Zarlaus' head, one belonging to Lucy while the other belonged to Akane Watanabe, the dorm leader for their building. Both tried desperately to get the beast’s teeth out of their friend’s leg, but the nightmare took most of it without flinching. A dark aura started to surround Zarlaus, growing more and more intense the longer it stayed attached. Lucy had seen more than her fair number of shows to know it likely meant it was getting more powerful. That wasn’t good for her, Akane, Dragon, or Vee.

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Finally, after several kicks, it was the combination of Lucy using the walking stick and Akane’s high heel hitting Zarlaus in the eye that shook him off. The nightmare roared as it let go of Dragon, one arm going to cover the eye that was kicked. With Zarlaus no longer gripping its dreamer, Vee once again summoned a powerful gale. It was more than enough to knock the enemy back as Dragon broke into a sprint and ran into the hall and to the wall opposite of her room.

“Close the door!” Vee commanded as it summoned another net, trapping Zarlaus under it.

Lucy only reached the door before Akane due to arm length, shutting it with a hard thud. As the french girl had done that, Akane turned her attention to Dragon. The girl was currently curled up in a ball on the floor, shivering and hyperventilating. Akane kneeled so she wasn’t towering over the girl, Lucy joining her mere moments after. Vee jumped out of her arms to personally climb on its dreamer and hug them.

“You okay, Maria?” Akane asked.

“No. No no no I’m not okay,” Dragon responded, eyes looking left and right in fright. “Is… is she gone? Is mama–“

“She isn’t here, Maria,” Vee assured her, patting the girl’s thighs. “What you saw was a result of Zarlaus feeding on your nightmares.”

“Feeding on… so that thing was some kind of dream eater?” Akane asked, doing her best to try and get some idea of what was going on. She looked back to Dragon’s door. “Looked like some sort of cryptid or SCP.”

“We will explain later,” Lucy told the dorm leader before turning back to her friend. “Are you able to stand Dragon?”

“R-rarr,” Dragon replied with a nod. Lucy held out her hand, Dragon using one to grab it while the other wrapped around Vee’s body. “Rerr… I mean, uh, thanks.”

“No prob girl,” Lucy said with a smirk and a wink as she pulled her friend up. “If it would make you feel extra better, I could always give a hug and kiss.”

“R-r-rarr!” Dragon replied, the waver in her voice making her sound both embarrassed and nervous.

Akane poked both of their shoulders, getting the girl’s attention. “Can we keep the gay stuff till after this is all over. I need an explanation for what the hell is going on.”

“Later!” Dragon, Lucy, and Vee all said at the same time.

The french girl looked behind the RA, noticing Drew coming over to them with a frying pan. Melissa opened the door to her dorm room and joined him. Lucy pointed to them, drawing the attention of those with her. They quickly made their way to the two, both Lucy and Akane keeping an eye on Dragon’s door in case Zarlaus escaped. Both groups met at the halfway point between them, Drew immediately motioning Dragon behind her as Melissa turned her attention to Akane.

“Didn’t expect to see you out here Akane,” Melissa said as she clipped the knight's pin to her shirt.

“Didn’t expect to be greeted by a monster in the dormitory,” Akane shot back. She quickly glanced behind her to be safe before continuing. “Seems you all know what is happening.”

“Got filled in on everything by the doll earlier today,” Drew replied, pointing back to Vee. The doll waved to the asian girl nonchalantly. “Wouldn’t have believed the picture Dragon sent us if it wasn’t for it.”

“Is the nightmare already dead?” Melissa asked. While there was mostly concern visible on her face and tone, there was a hint of disappointment behind it all.

Lucy shook her head in response. “Nope, and something tells me that net Vee conjured isn’t going to hold him.”

“Probably not, especially since he powered himself up,” Vee agreed. It turned to Melissa as Melissa turned to them. “We don’t take care of them, both you and I are gonna be dead. More in this building will possibly end up the same.”

“Then I guess it is time to put the pin to use,” Melissa replied. Attention turned to Dragon’s door as it shook for a moment, a thud accompanying the movement. “Everyone, go with Akane. I’ll take care of this.”

“I’m not letting you do this alone,” Drew told her. He held out a frying pan. “May not have this magic stuff you got, but I got this.”

“I don’t know how much that is gonna do against a nightmare,” Melissa said, looking between the door and Drew for a moment before sighing. “We don’t have time for this. Just don’t get yourself killed man, got i–“

The door to Dragon’s room was suddenly thrown across the hall, drawing all attention to it. All present watched as Zarlaus stepped out from the room, the aura still wrapped around his body. He slowly plodded into the hallway, turning to greet the human’s and Vee with anger in his eyes. Akane took a couple steps back, Drew motioning for Dragon to do the same. Lucy held her walking stick out as Melissa made her way to the front of the group.

“So you're the bastard that tried to kill one of my friends?” Melissa asked, cracking her knuckles.

“She got in the way of Bael’s plan, just like the doll did,” Zarlaus replied, slowly stepping forward. Akane and Dragon stepped back while the rest stood their ground, a grimace visible on Lucy’s face. “If you all were wiser, you would know that this resistance puts you on a collision course with death. Would you rather enjoy the little bit of freedom you have, or waste it fighting a useless fight.”

“I’d rather fight, and I know for a fact this isn’t useless,” Melissa replied. She grabbed her shirt as she tunnel visioned on Zarlaus, holding her fear inside. “You aren’t the first individual to call fighting for freedom useless, but none in this hall would be here if others didn’t succeed at just that. That is why we stand against Bael: we believe that what nightmares like you claim as impossible is possible. If you don’t believe it then go and shove your opinion up your ass!”

As Lucy and Drew nodded, Melissa took another step forward and posed. Her left foot was out towards Zarlaus, the position of her right foot making her stance L shaped. Crossing her arms, she acted as if she had a firearm in each hand. The pin glowed, Zarlaus’ eyes going wide as he saw it. With a confident smirk, Melissa spoke.

“Dreams of my desired reality, manifest before me!”

As the words were spoken, the hallway was engulfed in blinding light. All present, including Zarlaus, had to shield their eyes to avoid the sudden glare. The only one who didn’t need to was Vee, whose sight lacked eyes and could see through the light with ease. It had never encountered a living magral knight before, having only heard stories previously of the power they held. The doll now saw why her kind feared these dreamers, the sheer amount of dream energy and control over it that Melissa was exhibiting terrified it.

Under the light, Melissa could feel her clothes change into the outfit she had designed. Her shirt shattered into various bright colors as it was replaced with a long, pink dress with steel metal armor covering her vital areas. Those same colors formed long, fingerless light blue gloves on both her hands and arms. Her pants were replaced with pure white stockings. Finally, the pose she had taken with her hands fulfilled their purpose as a pair of revolvers appeared in them. One matched the color of her dress while the other matched her gloves.

As the light faded, her friends, Zarlaus, and Akane took in the transformation. There was a collective shock at the outfit, with Akane stumbling back a bit in surprise. Lucy couldn’t do a thing to hide the blush of embarrassment on her face; her friend had completely overdone the design. Melissa took another two steps forward, uncrossing her arms and pointing both revolvers at Zarlaus with a smirk that had gone from confident to cocky.

“Well beastie, feeling scared yet?” Melissa teased. “Cause I’m ready to throw down.”

“S-so, you are the one that doll gave the pin to,” Zarlaus muttered, a hint of fear seeping into his words. “The hell kind of outfit is that? Never heard of any knight dressed like her before.”

Drew quickly turned back to Akane, Dragon, and Vee. “We should be fine. Get somewhere safe for right now.”

Akane didn’t need to be told twice. Her head felt fuzzy after everything she just witnessed, and it was clear from earlier the nightmare's main target was Dragon. She grabbed the girl’s free hand and took off towards the stairway. Dragon allowed the RA to lead her for a bit, only turning back to Drew when they had reached the stairs.

“Send a text when it is safe!” She yelled. The last thing she was able to see before Drew left her field of vision was the man giving her a thumbs up.

With that taken care of, he made his way up to Melissa and Lucy. Looking at the duel revolvers the trans girl had conjured, he couldn’t help but feel a little under prepared. Judging by the fact Lucy hadn’t taken her eyes off Melissa since the transformation finished, he assumed he wasn’t the only one. Either that, or Lucy's bisexuality and Melissa’s new attire was making the french girl feel a little heated. Thinking about it further, he landed on the second option being the more likely one.

“Sure you wanna do this Lu? Figured you would be worried about getting your clothes dirty,” Drew commented, holding the frying pan he was holding like a sword. Judging by the scoff his friend gave after hearing his words, they had achieved the effect he wanted.

“Wh-what do you take me for? Some snobby girl who hasn’t worked for anything in her life?” Lucy asked. Shaking her head, she turned her attention to Zarlaus, gripping both hands around her walking stick like it was a bat. “I had to gain my freedom just like you two did. I’m not about to sit back and do nothing as nightmares try to take over the world.”

“Then let's give Bael’s forces a welcome to remember!” Melissa exclaimed. Both Drew and Lucy nodded in firm agreement at what she said.