CHAPTER 16 - TOGETHER
"But I might know where he is." The two were face to face. Karl swallowed thickly. Despite the state the partners were in, they had to race against time to save their friends.
–
Orlando, Florida, Tuesday, 10:41 pm.
"Quackity, you need to get out of George's room." Karl's fist banged on the door, echoing a sound throughout the upstairs hallway. Both Sapnap and the time traveler believed Quackity should help and use some of his skills the others were lacking.
"We need your help" Sapnap chipped in. He was trying to convince the duck to come out of his shell. A click sounded from the other side. Karl knew that this was their chance. He pushed open the door and Quackity was there. His back to them, facing George's double bed.
"Come here." The Beta's voice was croaked and shaking like he hadn't spoken in ages. Karl and Sapnap came beside the duck. At first, the time traveler thought he was just looking at the extremely messy bed.
But through the darkness of the room. Karl could make out that the pillows and blankets were scrunched into a crescent moon shape.
"If we paid more attention to him, it would have been so easy to guess he was an Omega." Rasping, Quackity turned to Sapnap and the time traveler.
When neither the panda nor wolf had anything to reply, the duck walked into the on-sweet. Karl shrugged at Sapnap hoping they weren't meant to follow him. He returned with a container. It was hard to see, but Karl and Sapnap knew it was George's heat pills.
"See what I mean?" The duck questioned, tossing the pills on the messy bed. Karl sighed. "Yeah. I see what you mean." He responded.
"You two knew, didn't you?" Quackity pestered. The wolf and panda looked at each other nervously. "He told us," Sapanp admitted, almost guilty. The duck suddenly looked taken aback. The moon lit up his eyes, they looked like eggs in the light.
Something broke inside Quackity, but he didn't say anything. He just shuffled his feet and moved the subject. "What do you guys need help with?" He said. Karl was concerned for his friend, but the topic of it had been and gone.
"Karl had a vision thing earlier…" Sapnap trailed. Eyeing the wolf, making sure he was allowed to continue. The time traveler nodded. Time passed while the panda explained their situation to Quackity.
It suddenly felt like the fight they had earlier never happened. The duck must have realized their friends in danger were worth more than a prawny fight. After Sapnap gradually finished, Karl quickly began to add George's experience when he fell into one of his portals.
As Karl finished, Quackity snapped into action at once.
"Well, let's form a plan. Karl go look for some paper. Sapnap, get some markers and meet me at the dining table." Quackity ordered. The wolf grumbled that the duck suddenly took charge but he brushed it off.
Sapnap and Karl had retrieved the objects and met the duck, seated at the table. Looking deep in thought, his eyes gazed at nothing.
"Here," Karl said, dropping a small pile of A4 papers on the table. Quackity looked pleased but didn't repeat anything. He grabbed one of Sapnap's markers as the other two sat down.
"Okay first of all," The duck started. Karl only just noticed his phone flat on the table, with a map on it. Quackity began to transfer a shittier version of the said map onto paper. Once complete, he grasped a red marker and put a few circles in some areas.
"You said it smelt open land, like moor," Quackity stated. The wolf was taken aback by the duck's hasty problem-solving skills. "I've put circles around the only open-ish areas around here."
"But what if they traveled further?" Sapnap sounded weary. "Then we travel further, it shouldn't be hard to spot a giant building in the middle of nowhere." The duck chuckled it off. But it didn't help the worried look on the panda's face.
Quackity didn't seem to notice and continued. "If we pack our stuff, get a van, and travel. We should be able to find them."
"Say we find the place, how the hell do we get in? It'll be heavily guarded." Karl frets. Though his question abruptly stumped the duck. He sighed.
"Look. I know we are not meant to mess with your powers and all." Quackity started. The time traveler was already grumbling, he didn't like to use his powers against what they were meant for.
But maybe, this was what they were meant for. He quickly pushed the thought away. He didn't have enough experience with his powers anyway. However, he did keep note of it.
"...Maybe do it again when we are there. Maybe you could see from the inside." Karl didn't catch what Quackity was first saying. He just scoffed. To be fair, he didn't exactly remember how many times he pressed the buttons. Or how he adjusted the clock. But he wouldn't tell that to them.
For all the duck and panda knew, they thought he was professional at his power. Who wouldn't be if they had such a gift? He shook his head, ridding of thoughts.
"We leave first thing tomorrow morning." Quackity finally declared. All of them knew they would get next to no sleep. "I'll drive first." Karl was surprised at the duck's voluntary.
"C'mon Sap, get in my car, let's go get our stuff and pack." The wolf motioned for the panda to follow. The time traveler sat up, grasping his car keys from the counter, and wandered to the front door.
Once Sapnap had gone past him. He called to Quackity. "We will be back soon." And closing the door behind him.
Rain pattered on the driveway of George's house. Falling lightly from the sky. Karl could barely make out the silhouette of his car. But he and Sapnap managed to scamper in quickly before they got soaked.
When both doors were shut, the wolf sighed. The panda seemed to be having the same troubles as him. "Do you think Quackity's plan will really work?" Sapnap trembled. Not from the cold rain, but from worry.
Karl inserted his key into his car and slowly turned the engine on. The low hum was sitting quietly in the background. "I don't know… Look, Sap…" Karl took in a breath. Turning on the headlights to see ahead. "Quackity thinks I can just use my powers whenever I want, however, I want."
Sapnap looked confused while he watched the wolf turn the windshield wipers on. But at last, he understood. "You saying can't control your powers?" The panda guessed, lengthening the seatbelt across his chest.
"Not always." Karl sighed, clicking on his seatbelt. He put a hard foot on the acceleration pedal. Rolling off the driveway and onto the street road.
"Let's just grab our stuff and pack."
——
Karl found himself in a smoggy forest. The air was damp and the grass below him was squishy. He could have easily mistaken this place for a swamp.
The trees around him towered over each other. The wolf could barely see the night sky through the gaps in the leaves above. In fact, it was hard to see anywhere. He could only see so far before the fog took any opportunities to see further.
Besides the fog, something wasn't sitting right in the air. Something snapped behind the time traveler. He whipped around at once. But, he just sighed. A branch had snapped above and a gash opened itself amongst the leaves.
The moon took the opportunity and glistened its rays onto the small patch of grass. Like a spotlight on a stage. Something drew Karl into the light. He pressed his foot into the mushy ground in the light.
Like it was a command. Trees, bushes, ferns, and anything you would find in a forest blew away like dust in the wind. The ground grew firm, no longer soft. And the night turned to day. Karl watched the moon get chased away by the sun, dominating the sky.
Karl was expecting to just admire the new scenery. But instead, a building was suddenly caging the wolf. Oddly familiar walls were surrounding him. Almost in the same heartbeat, the building had utterly locked him in a smaller room.
White tiles filled the walls and floor. Suddenly Karl saw George sitting on the floor, leaning against a single bed, miserable.
"George!" The time traveler cried. Running to his friend he had been longing for. But he was abruptly pushed back by another wall appearing right around the Omega. Karl stumbled, struggling to find balance again from the knockback.
He peered up again, his back curved and his hands on his knees. Karl saw George was surrounded by a sort of grey wall. The time traveler cautiously wandered over and put his index finger on the grey wall. Surprisingly, it had a mushy texture. Like cement still drying.
It clung to his finger, examining it closely, he realized it was clay. It must be pretty weak though, it looked like the clay was melting by the second. Especially if it could come off easily.
Suddenly, a realization hit so hard it almost felt like Karl was knocked off his feet at the thought. Clay was Dream's real name. He then started to put the pieces together. Clay was surrounding the Omega, protecting him…
Dream is keeping George safe!
Before Karl could think anymore. Something, like hands, gripped the wolf's shoulders and threw him into complete darkness. He yelled for help, but, abruptly woke up in the arms of Sapnap.
"Dude, are you okay? You were jerking in your sleep." The panda murmured from behind him. The wolf remembered the reality at once, like a flood of memories coming back to him.
He sat up, twisting around to face Sapnap. His gaze was soft and warm. The two were sitting in the back of a van. Karl looked over, he could barely even see Quackity in the driver's seat. The three had hired a van while leaving Karl's car behind.
They had set up the van with the suitcases stacked up against the chair the duck was sitting in and the passenger. The panda and wolf had made a comfortable bed using one of the leftover mattresses from the sleepover. They had gathered blankets and pillows. And while at the gas station, snacks too.
"Karl?" Sapnap encouraged again. Karl admired the sun glittering on the panda's face. It was peeking through the two windows on the top half of the back doors of the van.
"What? Oh, yeah I'm fine." The time traveler fretted. He picked up Quackity's subtle hum over the radio songs. He flicked his ear noticing that he wasn't listening to them.
"Were you dreaming?" The panda guessed. Karl sighed and gave in. "I was." He started, fixing his hair. Sapnap must have been playing with it in his slumber. "All I know is that George is safe for now."
"Did you have a vision?" The panda leaned closer as he spoke. His breath was hot against Karl's face. He knew he was growing red at the oddly close contact. The wolf backed away, embarrassed.
"I guess so, I just saw George surrounded in clay. Which is Dream's real name, and I knew that it meant Dream was protecting George." Karl explained, into a more shortened version. Not that Sapnap needed to know the forest part.
It took a few seconds before the panda started moving from his astonished state. Then, Sapnap's face made him think. Is visions a part of his power too? He had never had such a vivid one before, or any to be fair.
"Well, we better get there quick. I don't think Dream can protect George for much longer." The panda stated. Karl couldn't agree more. He looked to the front of the van. It was an open road ahead. It was a deserted open land.
He faced Sapnap and let out a shaky breath. His grey hazy eyes glanced at the panda. "Oh, Sapnap, please let us find them."