DSMP AU Oneshots (angst and comfort)

Escape and Turmoil -- Part 5 (PRISON BREAK AU) (KARLNAPITY AND DREAM) (ANGST)

//TW: anxiety/panic, mentions of previous death, injury, physical harm//abuse, talk of torture

Third person POV: Karl's POV

WORD COUNT: 1648

As Karl lay there - wrapped up upon himself, back turned towards the door - he failed to hear someone enter. He did, however, register heavy yet careful footsteps approaching him, then someone grunt as they crouched to his level. He sighed as a warm hand clasped his shoulder reassuringly.

"Baby... You know- You know I'll always trust you, right? You don't have to leave again. Pl-please don't leave again," Karl whimpered - watery eyes closed.

"Well, baby, don't worry. I don't plan on leaving anytime soon."

Karl flinched at the foreign yet equally familiar voice. He clambered to his feet and clutched the hoodie to his chest as a shield, which also managed to cover the lower half of his face.

"Aw, Karl, didn't you just say you trusted me?" Dream tutted. "Doesn't seem to me like you do." He placed a hand over his heart and tilted his head to the side. "I'm hurt."

"S-Stay- Stay away, Dream."

"Well, you see, that would mean giving up. Sooo, that's a hard pass for me." Dream let his arms swing casually as he paced the room, taunting the boy. "Oh this works nicely. This will be very helpful as leverage. It's too easy. Too easy! Quackity's gone 'cause, well," he scoffed, "he treated me like shit and my repayment was wayyy overdue. Just... Stacked all the way up to a big ol' cash prize, if ya know what I mean."

"Dream, please...what do you want?" Karl asked shakily. He debated running for the door beyond Dream, but knew he wouldn't live five seconds after such a decision.

"Oh, Karl. Karl, Karl, Karl. I'm pretty sure you know what I want. It's that fancy thing called 'revenge'!" he said giddily. Light shone from his dead eyes, like lanterns in a graveyard.

"But...what has that got to do with me? And...Sapnap? Quackity? Everyone else?"

Dream stopped walking and held out his hand to count. "Well, let's see. Quackity: tortured the fuck out of me for a dumb little revive book. Bye-bye to him 'cause I'm never reviving him except maybe to cheat at the pokies or rub it in Sap's face." He got to his second finger. "Tommy: I'll come to him soon enough. I'm letting a little sprinkling of suspense work it's magic for now, I mean, it's fun to mess with him. Isn't trauma interesting?" He put down his third finger. "Sapnap: back stabbed me. Came into prison and told me he'd kill me if I escaped. Took me there himself! Said prison was 'better' for me. Better! Seriously, who does he think he is? We have history. We were closer than brothers. And he thinks prison is what's best for me? That he doesn't 'know me anymore'? Well he's already had one chance to kill me and he failed. Let his emotions get the best of him. Let them choose his Quackity over me. Well, that's where you - my number four -" he slowly put a fourth finger down, "come in amongst many others. You're just more interesting 'cause it's not even about you it's about how you can get me to mess with my number three. So, you see, if I kill you: bonus for me. If I don't: bonus for you, I suppose," he sniffed at then end, as if disconnected from his words.

"Dr-Dream?"

"Mm?"

"Wh-what about- What about George?"

Dream halted and gave his shoulders a quick shrug. "What about him?"

"Don't you want to save him? Spare him? Protect him? Be...a better person for him?"