Dreamcatcher's Story

"There's nothing you can do," she whispered, once again applying a dangerous pressure to Rick's neck with the blade. "You can't defeat a nightmare. You can't even touch it. Give me the information now."

The demand had become a roar- enough to mask the whir of a knife spinning through the air, striking the woman's hand and effectively causing her to back up with a hiss.

"Don't make any sudden moves and step away from the good detective," came a low, smooth voice. From behind one of the cars, a young man walked, his hair long and tied into a long ponytail that trailed behind him. He was Losenyu, that much was evident by his fine features. He flipped another knife in one hand, the handle landing in his palm every time. "After all, he isn't a part of this, now, is he?"

Rick stepped back quickly, and his hand snapped onto the grip of his pistol. He hadn't expected a knife to come out of nowhere, nor had he expected a visitor.

He looked from the young girl to the new guy. He figured that somehow they were involved with one another, and clearly one party was hostile. He continued to slowly take steps towards the nearby vehicles as they glared at one another. He was tempted to pull out his phone and call in Duremas with his backup, but he refrained.

This was his chance to learn about the girl, and in turn about the arms smuggling.

The girl traced back, trying to run. A clear line of red dripped down from her hand to her fingers where the knife had sliced her. Before she got far, the second knife sang through the air and sliced right through her Achilles tendon. She was brought down to one knee, but without a cry, without a whimper.

The man, clad in tight black clothing and sparse, but effectively placed armor, withdrew a third knife from his belt. He kept his eyes on Rick.

"You don't know anything about the game you're about to get yourself wrapped up into," he chuckled. "This city is going to be a nightmare. Watch yourself, detective. Tread lightly."

Rick tightened his grip on his weapon.

"Put the knife away." Rick said calmly. "Let's talk a bit more, why don't you educate me on this game of yours?"

This one seemed a lot less cooperative than the other.

"Oh, I'm not here to hurt the Wakeful. That would be against the rules, and I like the rewards that come with being a good boy too much," he snickered. He pointed to the white haired woman, who was trying to get to her feet. "I'm here to collect bounties on Dreamwalkers. Never heard of it? I wouldn't be surprised. We're not even real. We're proxies."

"Stop! Stop speaking!" screamed the girl. "Don't say that in front of me!"

A grin spread across the man's face as he continued. "Doubles of someone silently snoozing away in their bed. Hurt us. Torture us. Kill us. It won't matter in the end. Problem is... we can do the same thing with less consequences. Unfair, huh?"

"She'll hear you! Stop!"

Rick was surprised at just how much this guy was willing to talk about, he took mental notes of important bits of information as he continued moving slowly. He reached into his pocket, and pressed a button on his phone.

"So what're you're saying is that you're just....apparitions? And that someone is offering rewards to you guys if you take each other out?" Rick knew he had to keep him talking, just had to buy enough time.

"Alright then, how do you 'Dreamwalkers' relate to the arms crate that was intercepted?"

"Not all the other 'walkers. Just... a few bad eggs," he purred. "But I thought I'd let you know. It's impossible for you to find any of us, anyway." He walked backwards slowly, and though he mused over the girl and his knife, he made no further action to harm her. He gestured in her direction.

"But I'll leave her company to you if you want anymore questions answered. I just swung by to make sure the good detective wasn't going to get his head cut off." He flourished his hand in a bow, smirking, before completely disappearing.

The girl struggled to the end of the garage, knowing full well there was little chance she was getting over the wall that separated her and a deadly drop.

Rick walked over to the girl slowly, his hand on his hip. While he didn't view her as a threat, he couldn't ignore that fact she'd just held him at sword point. He stepped in front of her, bending at the knees.

It was the second time that they'd been in this position.

He glanced at her wounds, the cut in her hand was harmless, but it was the laceration at the back of her ankle that worried him the most. A ruptured achilles tendon was a painful injury, and one with a long recovery time. While non-surgical treatment options existed, she'd definitely need to go to a hospital.

He then locked eyes with her, and wore the same expression as when she'd threatened his safety. "You should tell me what you know."

He heard the soft jostle of equipment on someone who was running. Within seconds Duremas arrived, along with several other officers wearing tactical gear. Rick rose a hand at them, making several quick gestures, before turning back to Rinika. The officers then spread out, making sure the garage was secure.