I can feel the madness slowly creeping in...

[cityship]

It is that time again, meatship.

Once again, the King of Nightmares has deigned to spread his touch to all of your dreams.

This time, however, he has decided to give them a much more personal touch, sending his very own children to visit each and every one of you, slowly sowing the seeds of madness within all of you.

Such a kind and loving king he is, isn't he?

[ooc: Alright folks, Nightmare King is ramping things up a bit. These nightmares are a good bit more dangerous now, and he's sending in his minions to make things a little more real. The nightmares will be of a much more serious nature this time, designed to start driving the crew slowly insane. Characters are more likely to run into nightmare minions in the guise of someone or something that will tug at the edges of their sanity. Also, this time, the characters can have joint dreams, as these nightmares are of a more mystical nature this time. Once again, tagging in isn't mandatory, but if you want to, go crazy (literally)!]

[Additional Note: Any injuries won't be carrying over to real life at this point in the plot but don't worry, we'll get there eventually!]

Comments

[nothawkingbird.livejournal.com]

Kate was briefly surprised to find herself in her school uniform. Why not the Hawkeye gear? That's what she is now right?

She heard a snort and turned her head. There was Eli standing nearby, leaning against a tree. A tree? Wait, Central Park? Yes there was that rock, and the bridge nearby. Wait... no, she shouldn't be on this path, it was too familiar.

"You were just pretending to be a hero, rich girl. All that money, and doesn't matter how many charities you help or give, you're never going to understand. You've never been homeless, never gone hungry."

Kate shook her head, "I'm homeless now. We're all without a world."

"No you're not. Stacy's your new momma and giving you everything you need. She even saved you." His features started to fade, like what happened with Billy and Teddy after the elder Kang was killed... No, no, Eli's safe, he's in the pods somewhere.

Eli added, continuing to fade, "You all left me behind, what kind of hero are you, Kate? You're no Avenger. You just stole some old white guy's name for yourself."

She shook her head, "No, Cap gave it to me, and even Clint said I could keep it and his bow. They accepted me. You guys accepted me."

"Like you gave us much of a choice? We're only using you for your money, and your connections. But you'll never be one of us." She could barely see him now as he finally faded from view before she could reach him.

She faintly heard his voice, "You better run. He's coming." And her blood chilled at the approaching footsteps. No, no, this is different. She can fight. She's strong. She's a hero now.

So why is she running anyway?

[foursleeves.livejournal.com]

Ahead, a gun fires. Keep running and she'll find a boy, maybe fifteen or sixteen, his face in the shadow of a baseball cap and a hood drawn close. In one hand a smoking gun, blood in the other. A middle-aged man lies crumpled at his feet, car keys dangling listlessly from his fingers.

"You did this, Peter," says the corpse through a rictus grin.

"No--" the boy tries to drop the pistol, but its as if its glued to his fingers, "No, I never meant for this. I-I was t-trying to h-h-help us.

He claws at the gun with his free hand, but it appears to be caught in something. A spider skirts across his palm, tending to the web that snares the cold, implacable metal of the weapon.

"Always trying, Peter," the dead man persists, "Always trying and never succeeding. You're a failure, Peter Parker. You were be a scientist. You were supposed to cure cancer, AIDs. You were supposed to harness nuclear fusion."

The spider continues its journey up his arm and across his chest. The web grows.

"Look at you; you're a non-entity. All that power and you couldn't save me. You couldn't save the Stacy's. You couldn't save anyone."

He tries to speak but his voice hitches in his throat, paralysed by fear. He tries to turn, to get back get away get out, but he slips in the mud. No, no it's not mud. It's black and swirling and he can hear it whispering to him, calling his name. And he wants to go with it.

Uncle Ben, his shirt damp with read, face drawn yet wracked with hysteria, "Puny Parker! Puny Parker! Everyone is dead and you didn't lift a finger!"

He hears footsteps.

[nothawkingbird.livejournal.com]

Kate briefly stopped in her tracks. Parker? Wait, she knows that name. Spiderman

No, he's older. Much older. Already a well established Avenger by the time she stole Hawkeye's bow from the ruins of the Mansion. No this wasn't right. This is... She glanced fearfully behind her. Was the other still after her?

He can't find her, but she wasn't going to leave someone else in danger. She stepped forward to help, her fingers reaching out to claw at the web.

[punyparker.livejournal.com]

He thrashes vainly against the webbing that covers him virtually head-to-toe. His eyes stare out, wild with panic, but his voice can't breach the sinews that entwine across his mouth.

"Mmph--! Mmph--!!"

The web is robust, but it comes loose if pulled hard enough. The inky black pool starts to gather around them...

[nothawkingbird.livejournal.com]

"Hang on!" Good thing she still had fingernails as she tore and clawed further at the webbing. Shredding the sticky material even as her hands were beginning to hurt from the strain needed to pull it away. She hadn't even noticed the pool, or the footsteps growing quieter. Nothing that could be inching closer by the second.

[punyparker.livejournal.com]

Thanks to her scrabbling he manages to get an arm free and joins her in the effort. The spider crawls onto his chest and he brings his hand down upon it, the insect crumpling wetly against his skin.

The web ceases to grow.

Free and breathing haggardly, Peter manages to step away from his unseeing panic enough to notice his surroundings, including Kate.

"Hawkeye?" he replies with confusion, "Sorryforgotyournameletsdoallthatlater, what the hell is going on?!"

[nothawkingbird.livejournal.com]

Well that's one thing down at least. She brushed some of her hair back from her face as she gave a weary smile. Some of the web strands got stuck in her hair as result.

"It's fine, and I don't know. Thought this was Central Park." She looked around more.