trans_9 | I can feel the madness slowly creeping in...

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!]

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The glowing didn't stop it kept going, and the waves of pain kept coming, he dropped to his knees, shaking as he tried to block out the pain. When Cassie threw her arms around him, he froze. The pain ebbed enough for him to focus as the glow began to subside. "Cassie... I'm sorry. I'm.."

And there was a laugh. A low, menacing laugh. A laugh that he knew all to well. His head jerked up, and behind Cassie was Kang. Full grown, menacing and holding his ion cannon against the back of Cassie's head. He smirked at Nate, his mouth stretching far too wide across his face, revealing fangs that didn't belong there. A wide, evil grin. That wasn't Kang at all.

Wait, the Nightmare King. Wasn't that a name the crew had been throwing around a lot. That meant that...none of this was real? But it felt real. What was going on? Gritting his teeth, he raised his hand, charging his ion blaster as his armor changed back to his own.

"Get the !@#$ away from us. Now." He growled at the...whatever it was.

Cassie's first warning that there was someone behind her was the feel of metal against her skull.

"Wh-" She started to turn her head.

There was a click as the man pulled the trigger of the cannon, followed by a loud bang and, if you could listen closely, a crack as the weapon split open Cassie's skull and carved a path through the soft tissue of her brain.

Her body fell to the floor.

The moment Nate heard the click, he moved, trying to get Cassie out of the line of fire. He could take it. His armor could take it. But he wasn't fast enough. The beam of energy lanced through her head and she fell, hitting the floor with a wet crack as 'Kang' began to laugh, long and hard at the sight of the dead girl.

Nate was frozen for a moment. Even if it was nightmare, it felt real. He could smell the gore, feet the blood pooling at his feet as he stared at her inert body, twisted in death. There was a moment when he felt something inside him harden, and he clenched his fists, the blue energy beginning to overflow, bright light lancing through the gaps in his fingers as he overcharged his blasters.

Finally, his head shot up, features set in a mask of rage and pain. The dream Kang looked up, leveling the rifle at him, but Nate wasn't going to have any of that. "YOU BASTARD!" Practically screamed, pushing his boots thrusters to the full in a second, he shot toward the man, firing his ion cannons, both of them on full. The speed of the attack took the vision off guard and it fell to the onslaught, charred but hardly damaged. Nate was on top of him in an instant. Strength augmented by his suit he knelt, holding down the man's arms and throwing augmented punch after augmented punch.

He could feel the bones shattering under his armored fists but he didn't care. Blood and gore splattered his armor, but he didn't care. He knew that Kang was dead by now. But he didn't care, he kept pounding his fists into the bloody pulp that had been the vision's face. Was he screaming at the body? He barely heard it, his words not registering, all he knew was the rhythm of his punches, the blood splattering his face as pounded the body again and again, gritting his teeth tightly against any tears.

"Die. Die. Die. Die. Die. DIE. GOD DAMNIT. LEAVE ME ALONE."

Cassie had been shot. She should be dead. Fortunately for her, dreams didn't work like real life. At least, not yet. Unfortunately for her, that meant she was awake and face down in a pool of her own blood and yes, even bits of her own brain. She tried to push herself up but her arms were paralyzed. She gasped for breath but all she sucked into her lungs was blood.

Move, move, move.

One hand responded and she rolled onto her back.

Oh no, Nate. What are you doing?

He brought both hands down onto the bloody pulp one last time. His face showing nothing but rage, pain, sadness. Standing, he kicked at the inert body ignoring the blood that dripped to the floor from his gore encrusted gauntlets.

How long had he been swinging? It felt like forever. But he didn't regret it. Ever fiber of his body ached as if he'd been working for hours on end. But Kang, even the dream Kang was dead. But what about Cassie? With a half moan, he stumbled over, dropping to his knees beside her and bowing his head, eyes closed.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry I couldn't protect you. I'm sorry." The armor popped, overheating and shutting down before it fell away, fading into dust. "I've never been much. I'm sorry, Cassie."

Cassie focused on moving her lips, her tongue, anything but she couldn't, all she could manage was a sharp exhalation of air.

"What's the matter, Cassie?" There was Tony Stark standing above her with his arms folded, shaking his head. "You never used your brain before, why should you need it now?"

You're wrong.

You're wrong. You're wrong. You're wrong. I'm not dumb. I'm not-

"No-"

When he heard her speak, his eyes snapped open and he looked down at her. Why was she still...why hadn't she woken up? Why was she still here? Reaching down, he ignored the blood that got on his hands and picked her up, holding her close and gritting his teeth.

"Get up, Cassie. It's...none of this is real. Wake up...wake up..." Would it work? They had to get out of here before the ever changing dreamscape drove them insane. They had to get out of here.

"Cassie, get up. Come on. Wake up."

Why was it so hard to talk?

Was this all a dream it- of course. It had to be a dream. But it felt so real.

"What would your father say now?" Stark continued.

"...Trying..." She mumbled. "Nate." But then she heard a voice that made her lose what little control she'd gained over her dream body.

"I'm very disappointed in you, Cassie."

Daddy.

Nate didn't see anything, but she seemed to. Looking behind him, there was nothing there. His arms tightened around her as he shook his head.

"Cassie. Wake up. There's nothing there. There's nothing there, it's not real. Wake up."

He had to get them out of here. Had to get them to wake up. Had to. The world kept shifting around them, faster and faster. It was enough to drive a person insane.

It's just a dream. It's just a dream.

Cassie squeezed her eyes shut and repeated the mantra.

It was just a dream but Nate seemed real enough. He was even trying to wake her. It didn't make any-

An intense pain pulsed through Cassie, spreading from the wound in her head through the rest of her body. She shook in response, almost cried out, and then-

She awoke.

I can feel the madness slowly creeping in...

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