Chapter 2- Emil- To Dream or Not to Dream

After that incident, things went by in a blur for Emil. All he could hear as he ran through the panicked streets of the city was a loud ringing in his ear that kept playing on and on, never stopping once to show mercy for the poor teen. It reminded him of the wretched heart monitors that he had grown to hate. His vision danced and swayed to non-existing music as he stared blankly at his friend's back, numbly running after him as the earth trembled underneath his bare feet. He couldn't look back. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't crane his head to look at the scene he had left behind. The scene where his older brother, the only family he had left in this world, was left behind to die.

Emil was mad- no, he was much more than simply mad. He was absolutely livid, furious beyond belief. His entire being was filled with hot rage and resentment towards Leon. How could he? How could Leon, the friend he had trusted so much, rip him away from the safety and reassurance of his brother? How could he be so stupid? It didn't matter if Lukas was urging them to run on his own. They should have grabbed him and dragged him out of that crumbling apartment. Emil should have yelled at them. He should have slapped Leon for having the audacity to abandon his brother when there was a chance to save him.

The teen's heart ached greatly as he stared at the back of his friend's head, ignoring all the pedestrians screaming and trying to find something safe to hold onto. It's not like he could hear them anyways. The only thing on his mind was his brother. Desperate questions and scenarios kept cycling through his brain, echoing in his numb mind over and over again in a way that would have driven him insane.

He should have screamed.

He should have fought back.

He should have grabbed Lukas' hand.

He should have reacted better.

So why didn't he?

Emil swore this was all just a dream. It could have all just been another one of his usual nightmares. He wished that this was all fake. He wished that his brain just decided to pull an early april-fools prank on him and make him suffer for something stupid he did in the past year. But no matter how much he hoped or wished, he couldn't keep out the truth. Reality kept seeping into the gaping cracks of his mind, replacing all the wishful thinking with its unwanted presence. The ringing in his ear, the tight grip Leon had on his wrist, the tremors that sent unpleasant shocks up his legs- no, they were too real. He didn't have to pinch himself to tell that he wasn't dreaming.

The scene around him changed from the large streets and tall buildings towards a packed path where market stalls and tiny restaurants sat on each side of the path, waiting for people to come and spend their money on good food or cheap gimmicks and toys. They were getting farther and farther from his home...Farther from his brother. That means there's less chance of Emil saving him. Through his daze and confusion, he managed to get his thoughts together and grit his teeth as he weakly tried to pull his arm out of Leon's strong grip, wanting so badly to escape and run back to the apartment complex. Maybe Lukas escaped? Maybe he was out on the street too? Maybe he was still alive? Emil struggled to pull away from Leon, his movements sluggish and slow, feet dragging onto the pavement as he tried to slow them down.

Then everything disappeared.

All of his surroundings seemed to have vanished into thin air and Emil felt like he was floating, as his feet didn't seem to be touching the ground. God, his day just couldn't get any worse, could it? He tried to kick his legs, squirming and twisting in his little spot as he tried to find a way out.

All he could see was his pajama bottoms, a pair that he was usually a bit embarrassed to wear around others since the patterns were pretty childish. Well, by now the entire city of New York knew about his embarrassing batman pajamas.

As he mused over how to regain his honor and how to punish Leon for letting Lukas die, a soft yellow light surrounded his form, filling him with a sense of warmth and fear. There was something a bit intimidating about it, something powerful and strong that made him want to straighten his back and salute whatever was awaiting him in the abyss. Though as soon as the light disappeared, he was suddenly hit with a horrid stench like a brick to his face before he noticed that his surroundings had changed as well. He was in a decently compact room that was seemed so cold and lifeless with it's sickly gray walls and the dull stoned floor. His heart jolted a bit in his chest when he heard a monotonous dripping noise coming from somewhere in the room.

Emil fearfully tried to back away, wincing as his foot touched some warm liquid. 'Don't look' he thought to himself, 'Let's just say it's warm water.'

All of this was new to him, he was so used to the usual reoccurring dreams that something so different frightened him. He stood there in the still silence as an inner turmoil took place inside his mind. It felt like there were little people in his head like from that kids' movie Inside Out, all of them squabbling at each other around a table as they tried to figure out what to do next. 'To explore or not to explore, that is the question.'

"Whether 'tis nobler in the mind-"

Emil's heart practically ripped out of his chest and oh boy, he had never screamed that way in his life.

"Why so scared? 's just Hamlet."

The teen whirled around and stumbled back, pressing himself up against a wall as he tried to find the origin of the loud, booming voice. It had a bit of a thick accent, but he had managed to understand it. At least, he thought he did. He didn't even pay attention to what it was saying. "Sh-show yourself! I'm not scared of you, you cowardly nerd."

"Says th' person who screams like a girl." The voice responded, a little quieter this time.

He huffed and placed his hands on his hips, jutting out his chest to try and show that he was brave enough to take on a challenge. He wasn't just going to let this mystery man doubt his masculinity. "Lies! I was uh- I was practicing some vocal talent..stuff. And that didn't answer my question, come out here and show yourself."

Emil felt intimidating, but deep down inside he knew it wasn't going to work. A frail awkward teen in batman pajamas? Not the epitome of scary.

"Mhm...Sure." He heard a few soft and pained grunts along with some rustling coming from one of the corners, "Jus' give me a second. I'd rather look presentable if ya want ta see me."

The teen shakily sighed as he leaned against the wall, crossing his arms while he kept his eyes glued to the corner. This wasn't like his usual dreams. His usual dreams where chaotic and tense, filling him with a sense of horror and dread. Though even if there was someone to socialize in this vision, there was something off. If they were in a dungeon, would he get attacked by this stranger? It only made sense- this could be another nightmare.

Emil was too busy trying to be a detective and figure out how to deal with the situation that he didn't notice the tall figure step out of the shadow. Anyone could tell at first glance that this stranger was a man. His build seemed to be muscular and hard, but his body was covered by a clean suit that hugged his body snugly in a few places. Sure, his didn't really match the 'doom and gloom' theme of the dungeon, but he looked quite handsome in it. The only thing that ruined this man from looking like a complete Prince Charming was his intimidating height and stare.

When he looked up at the stranger, he stepped back instinctively. He seemed so regal and powerful, but his piercing stare did seem a little broken. "J-jeez, what is a businessman doing in a place like this?"

The man rolled his eyes and placed his hands behind his back, looking down at the much smaller teen, "Nothin' much, jus' hangin' around."

"And hanging around for you is reciting hamlet and scaring the crap out of people?"

The man shrugged, "What? Is a man not allowed ta enjoy shakespeare? 'S a great way ta pass the time. I have all the plays memorized." He tapped the side of his head before he stepped back a bit, probably noticing the way Emil squirmed uncomfortably.

"Jeez, you must have no life."

"Look who's talkin'."

Emil huffed and crossed his arms indignantly, turning his head away from the stranger in a stubborn manner. Once he had looked away, his eyes widened at the bloody weapons lined against the tiled walls along with the chains hanging down from several different heights. Yep, he was probably dead. Though before he could ask where they were, a deep blood-curdling scream echoed throughout the room, making him step back and quickly cover his ears. "W-what the hell…"

The stranger didn't seem to react much. He just blinked and shook his head, running a hand quickly through his hair as he let out a long sigh. "Apologies for the Agonized screaming, I think I'm being tortured."

Emil didn't bother pointing out his sudden accent change, he just blinked at him in confusion. He wasn't the smartest person alive, but he did have a right to be utterly confused about how this guy could be in two places at once. This guy was probably houdini. The man noticed his blank look and shook his head, waving his hand a bit in dismissal. "I'll get to that in a moment, don't worry. I'm running out of time, so let's get down to business."

The teen stood still as he watched Jr. adjust his glasses, the lenses glinting slightly in the dim light of the torch. "My name is Berwald. I'm the god of knowledge and heroes, and I need your help."