"Avorso?"

"Yes, Master Metuis?"

"How is the project coming?"

"It is coming along, Lord. One subject has been troublesome."

"The one we discussed earlier?"

"Yes, my Lord. He has proved himself strong."

"Avorso, do not fail me."

"I would never, Master Metuis. I shall search in the depths of his soul, where fears he has yet to realize will become our allies, destroying him until he crumbles."

"Excellent. The Crimson One must fall first. Without him, the team will be torn to pieces, merely broken pawns in our quest for ultimate power. Tonight…we will take him. Send the dreams one by one, darkness by darkness, until he falls to the insanity. Do this, my loyal Avorso, and the Multiverse will soon be ours."

"Yes, my Lord."

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Back at the Hub, Vert yawned; a hard of training and a tough mission had worn out most of the team.

"Night guys." Sherman sighed, Spinner tossed over one shoulder. The older Cortez halfheartedly waved, flopping his head back down on his brother's back.

"Night." Agura chuckled. "Zoom, what are you doing?" She shook her head at the Scout, who was standing immobile in the middle of his door.

"Huh?" The bleary teen shook his head. "Sorry, zoned out. Uh-"

"Go to bed, Zoom." Agura smiled, pushing him gently in the door, where his bed was luckily positioned so that he fell directly onto it.

"Goodnight, Tezz!" Vert called pointedly, watching the genius attempt to silently slip inside his room.

"Oh. Ah, goodnight, captain." The Russian muttered, darting into his quarters. Vert sighed; Tezz just couldn't seem to comprehend and utilize the essential points of being a team.

"He'll come around." Agura spoke, placing a hand on Vert's shoulder.

"I hope so." Vert sighed deeply, worn with exhaustion. "Night." He kissed her forehead.

"G'night." Agura yawned, retiring. The second Vert's head hit the pillow, he was out, sleep overcoming all.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

"Vert?"

Vert heard Zoom's call from his bedroom. Clearing the sleep from his eyes, he rose, padding softly down the hallway. The Scout's appeal seemed out of place; typically Agura would take care of these situations, but he went all the same.

"V…Vert!" Now it seemed as if he were struggling, against some unknown force. Heartbeat quickening, Vert sprinted toward the door, near ripping it off its hinges.

"Zoom?" He yelled, finding the room empty. Vert whipped around, only to find the door slam shut, Krytus appearing behind it.

"What? You're…" The word dead stuck in his mouth as the Red's eyes glittered.

"What, human?" He mocked slyly, pulling the unconscious Zoom from behind him and drawing his sword.

"No!" Vert shouted, lunging forward. Krytus caught Vert's arm, throwing him back to the ground with incredible new strength. Vert surged forward once again only to watch as Zoom's blood spattered onto the carpet.

"No…" He breathed, watching as the wound bled crimson tears, dousing his neck and seeping into the collar of his shirt. "Zoom!"

"Ve-Vert…" He coughed up blood. "I-I…."

"Zoom, please!" Vert found himself begging, gripping his friend's hand tightly. Zoom gasped, and in that final second, the light faded from his eyes, leaving him immobile in Vert's arm.

"ZOOM!" Vert roared, lunging at Krytus. The Red simply faded, his flickering core the last image Vert saw, burning into his mind.

"No…"

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Vert awoke with a start, fists clenching tangled sheets and drenched in cold sweat.

What...what happened?

It was just a dream, he realized. Zoom was alive; Krytus was banished.

But just in case…Vert hurriedly threw off the twisted sheets, slowly pulling his door open in an effort to be silent. Across the hall, Agura's eyes immediately snapped open.

Vert, leaving his room, going down the hall... She calculated, rolling out of the queen-sized bed and opening her door just in time to catch the leader, padding on tip-toes.

"Agura, where's Zoom?" He asked urgently.

"In his bed…" She sighed. "Like you should be."

"I-I had this dream…a nightmare, really…" Vert tried, and she sighed.

"I would have heard anything, okay? Zoom's fine; you're just tired. C'mon." Agura nudged him back into his quarters.

"But…Zoom…" Vert protested wearily, eyelids already beginning to droop.

"Good," Agura paused as she pulled a blanket up to his chin, kissing his forehead.
"Night." Vert sighed, watching her go, as darkness overtook him once more.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

"The first Message has been sent, my Lord."

"Excellent work, Avorso. I can already feel his panic fueling my strength."

"Yes, Master. Shall I send the next Messenger?"

"No, no, do not make it seem too obvious. The second Message must be sent in two days time. Humans are foolish; they accept the illusion of safety all too quickly. Just as their leader has brushed off the incident, we shall strike again, swift as the Messengers themselves."

"An excellent decision, Master Metuis. Who shall be our next subject?"

"Hmm…The second-in-command, the one whom he seeks comfort from. We shall mow down their line of leadership, pillar by pillar, until there is no support left for them to stand under."

"An outstanding approach, Wise One. Shall we send her Message tonight?"

"Not so hasty, Avorso. You are too quick to action; careful planning is the only way to ensure our success. You know that same weakness caused the fall of my last Sender, and you wish to keep your position, do you not?"

"Yes, Lord Metuis."

"Excellent. Each subject is different, you see. We must make her wary first, cautious of her leader's behavior. It is only when she sees more concern for him than for herself that she will be blinded enough for us to seize her."

"Yes, Master Metuis."

Hai again! So, new plot-bunny-fueled-fic here, (even if I DO have uncompleted ones still chillin' back in the archives, shush.) Might be a tad confusing as to the beginning, but keep in mind Avorso and Metuis are 'le bad guys,' so to speak. That said, this is kinda OOC (if an author can be out of character) for me, being dark and all that.

Buttttt….If you did enjoy this fic, or just angst stories in general, I have a secret for you!

I have another hurt/comfort/angst story out here, under a different author name. It's a Vergura, rated M, which is why it isn't under the typical "Kgirl1" username. Y'all probably think I'm crazy, but there were just some issues with M-rated-ness, so there ya go. There are…I think two? Other Verguras under that account, just because this one was having a, quote on quote, tampon day. XD So, please, I you're subscribed to me here, it'd be wonderful if you could just check me out there.

The penname is "Skittleriffic", two T's, two F's, and thank you to those who have already read/reviewed any stories under that name. The account will only be used for anything M-rated, and please send all PM's to this one; I rarely log on with Skittles.

Wow, long A/N. Ah, well, try not to forget the story you just read for reviews! XD