Hi there! I'm glad to hear people are liking this so far. Just a heads up, this chapter has some violence, suggestive themes and language. Please remember this fic has an M rating! Thank you and I hope you enjoy!

Chapter 2

Do or be Forgotten

Ezkabach slipped into a small, red silk nightgown. She wanted to seem like a promiscuous teen as much as possible. Though if Freddy Krueger had been in limbo for as long as she thought he had been, he might not be too hesitant to jump at the first opportunity to get the hell out of there. However, she really didn't want to take chances. This needed to go well. She painted her eyes black with makeup; just a touch, as if she might have forgotten to take it off before she went to bed. She closed her eyes and allowed her onyx horns to retreat back into her skull, her skin tone become warmer. The fiery eyes replaced by bright hazel ones, her black hair falling down past her shoulders.

Yeah. This will do for now. She thought to herself as she blinked at her reflection. She turned to walk back into her bedroom, and climbed into bed. Laying on her back, she tried to think of the best way to go about this. She knew once she fell asleep, she'd somehow have to wake him up and lure him to her dream. As strong as she was, she was definitely no dream demon and really had no way to just pull him in. She figured just calling his name wouldn't do the trick, he needed to feel her.

Okay. Come on. Try to think of something that scares you. That involves him. She thought, searching through what little personal memories she had of her former self. She laid there for a few minutes, sifting through thoughts and images, only a few words kept repeating: Boy. Sun. Taken. Death.

Okay, so what does the sun have to do with anything? Did the sun take a boy? She thought, confused. She thought deeper again, listening. Then, a sight flashed from within. There was a young boy, maybe 14, playing outside. Ezkabach looked to her right, and saw a tall man standing next to her with a smile on his face. As she looked back to the boy, a dark figure swept down from above and took the boy in his clutches. Everything went red, the sky opened up and seemed to rain fire as the creature took the screaming boy away. As she got one last look at him, his eyes were orange and yellow. Like fire. Like hers.

"Oh shit!" Ezkabach yelled, jerking herself upright. She wasn't even dreaming yet and she was up here yelling. She breathed for a moment, and then stopped. "Not sun, you idiot, son!" She said aloud, cursing her slow thinking. "She had a...I had a son." She whispered, somewhat shaken. She wondered if he was still alive. But she shook herself; now was not the time. There were other matters to attend to. However, she did find a way to get him to her. Think about her 'son', and maybe imagine Freddy killing him. The thought bothered her, but didn't scare her. She had no recollection of her son right now, but this mind is the same one her former self carried and she was sure those feelings were in there somewhere. Ezkabach laid back down, eventually getting back to that vision she had moments ago and closing her eyes. She felt her heart rate decrease, her breathing slow. As she felt her mind start to leave her, she tried to replace that dark creature snatching the little boy away with Freddy. As the entity in her mind morphed, she felt a small but sure tinge of genuine fear sprout inside of her chest. There it was...right at the moment she drifted off into sleep.

She awoke in a dark room, it looked like a shitty one bedroom apartment to her. She slid a dusty sheet off of her body, sitting up to take in the surroundings.

"Homely..." She said, looking at the worn out furniture, dust everywhere and faded pictures on the walls of people she couldn't make out. She got up and walked around, the stale scent of the place making her sensitive nose wrinkle slightly. She walked over to the couch and sat down on the right side of it, dust clouding up as she did so. She breathed out quickly to dissipate it, and kept her eyes forward. She didn't feel anything yet. Did that spark of fear not work? She shook her head, it had to have worked. She sighed, and with a light tone, spoke:

"...Freddy Krueger." She waited. Nothing. Stirring, she repeated herself. "Freddy." Waiting again, still nothing. She grew irritated, and screamed this time. "Freddy Krueger!"

Freddy's Limbo

Freddy twitched. The pattern of revisited memories glitching like a scratched DVD for a moment, and he felt his own thoughts come back to him.

What in the fuck. He thought, surprised to hear the sound of his own voice; albeit in his head still. He waited a moment longer, and nothing seemed to happen. He was about to brush it off when something made his body jerk. He grunted, his dormant body snapping its eyes open. He breathed, the feeling of movement overwhelming his senses. There was a bit of pain as he tried to get his rested legs underneath him and at least sit up but he managed to do so before seeing through his own eyes again. There wasn't much where he was, just darkness. But he could tell it was his eyes seeing it instead of his mind. He brought his un-gloved hand up to his face and massaged his temple. He was confused, and it made him pretty angry. How was he suddenly brought back to animation? Why now? What was causing it? He blinked and adjusted his hat, growling lowly.

"AH!" He screamed, as suddenly he was jolted upright and the blackness around him faded instantly. His eyes were blinded for a moment, but as the light faded they grew wide. There in front of him was a girl; and she was dreaming. Somehow she had woken him. He took in the sight of her...she was lean, the curves of her body suggested she was at least mostly mature. Her hair was black and silky, reaching past her fine shoulders. He eyed her skin, the way it crested upwards at the crowns of her breasts and the fleshy color of it. And it looked so soft. He shuddered, thoughts of how it might feel to cut such soft skin and watch the delicious blood trickle from a fresh wound already encasing his mind. He could hardly stand it. But he hesitated; he had lost all of his power when he was defeated. And no fresh souls for 35 years did a good job of keeping him...weak. But, he thought, this would be easy enough. She was a young female, and looked to be too curious for her own good. And this was the dream world, his battleground. His turf. It only took him five minutes to talk himself into it, and he placed a claw on the vision of the girl's dream. With a low chuckle, he pierced the screen and took a step into the dream world for the first time in decades.

...

Ezkabach shivered, that feeling you get when you know you're no longer alone. Someone's watching, someone's waiting in the shadows. Someone powerful. She got up, backing up slowly until her back was against the door to the bedroom. If she knew demons as well as she did, they'll always sneak up from behind and she wasn't about to take the chance of prematurely displaying her power. She wanted to toy with him a little, get him interested. Make him believe she was weak and human. She watched her surroundings, everything deviously silent. After a few moments she grew impatient.

"I know you're here." She said in a low voice, her eyes scanning every corner.

"Do you?" A demonic voice sounded from no particular direction, and it made her jump a little. She half smiled, still keeping her back to the wall.

"Come out so I can see you, Krueger." She said in the same voice, exhaling.

"Mmmm..." A low moan sounded from her left, and as she turned, the silhouette of a man in a fedora came into her field of vision. He walked slowly, his chest elevated and as he came into the low light she could tell he was smirking. His red and green striped sweater mimicked the movies, but his facial structure was different. It was...sharper. A square jawline, symmetrical eyes and a high set cheekbone would have made quite the handsome man if it weren't for those horribly disfiguring burn scars. He was a little taller than her, his shoulders wide and looked to be in decent bodyshape. He opened his mouth slightly, and stopped a few feet from her. She could tell he was suddenly cautious.

"So you're the infamous Springwood Slasher turned dream killer, huh?" She asked, moving away from the wall. Freddy narrowed his eyes, tapping the sharp blades of his glove on his leg.

"The one and only, babe." He replied, taking a step closer to her. He kept looking up and down her body, from her face to her breasts and legs. Taking in the sight of her bare skin, that insatiable itch came back to him. There was something off about her, but he was too preoccupied with imagining splitting her skin open to worry too much about it.

Ezkabach sneered, she saw how he was looking at her and it was all she could do to keep herself from attempting to snap his neck right then and there. What an asshole.

"Can't we go on a date first before we come up with pet names, honey?" Ezkabach asked with an innocent tone. Freddy snarled, his teeth grinding together as his temper flared exponentially. Who the hell was this bitch calling him out? With a sharp breath he leaped onto her, his free hand closing around her throat and he forcefully slammed her into the wall. Her head hit the hard material, and her teeth snapped down onto her tongue.

"Ow, fuck!" She yelled, the metallic taste of blood filling her mouth. For being weakened for so long he was still physically quite strong and she was definitely not expecting that outburst.

"You will do well to watch what the fuck comes out of your pretty little mouth, bitch." Freddy growled, bringing a blade up to the corner of her mouth. He dragged it along the inside of her lip, coating it with the fresh blood dripping from the wound on her tongue. He brought the blade to his mouth, and licked the sweet liquid off of it. It tasted so good...Ezkabach struggled, the force behind his hand was beginning to actually hurt.

"You...should listen...to me..." Ezkabach said between gasps of air. Freddy tightened his grip on her throat, bringing his face a mere centimeters from hers. He breathed in her scent...it's aroma coursing

through his newly working body.

"Aww, but if you talk to much you might ruin the special moment..." He said, his raspy voice almost making her vibrate. He brought his claws down underneath her nightgown, using one to slowly start to drag it upwards. The tip of the blade caught the inside of her thigh and broke the skin slightly, blood appearing at the surface as he continued to lift it. Ezkabach rolled her eyes. That's it. Plan B. She put both hands on his chest, and with an unseen force she knocked him clear to the other side of the room. He hit the wall with a loud crash and fell to the floor. She closed the distance between herself and him in a flash, grabbing him by the shoulders and throwing him again to the opposite wall. As she aimed to come closer, he suddenly appeared before her and slashed four long gashes into her chest. She staggered, but caught his arm as he immediately tried to land another blow. She lunged at his face, using both hands to slam his head into the floor. He grunted at the impact, but she screamed as the pain of his blades stabbing into her side hit her. Damnit. Her inexperience was showing. She twisted hard, yanking out the knives and rolling to kick him hard in the chest. He went backwards, crashing into the same wall again. They both got up at the same time, but stood still.

"Who in the fuck are you?" Freddy asked, his blood boiling with rage. All he wanted to do now was split her arrogant head open. She stood for a moment, catching her breath. Even though he was weak this was still his dream world and she did not want to tangle with him all night. She straightened, allowing her human glamorization to fade. Her horns reappeared, along with her fiery eyes and pale skin. Freddy growled, taking a step forward again.

"My name is Ezkabach, I am like you." She said, still out of breath. Freddy growled again and seriously considered trying to break off one of those horns and stab it straight through her eye socket.

"...you are nothing like me, wench." He spat out, his eyes glowing. Ezkabach took a step forward as well, both of them still tensed and ready to fight.

"Different classes but demons all the same, you arrogant sonofabitch. Now we can continue fighting until one of us ends up sleeping forever again," she emphasized the last word, making him narrow his burning eyes. "or we can both sit the hell down and talk about why I brought you here." She said, placing a hand on the back of the couch that was now splattered with her blood. She placed the other hand on the wound in her side, taking note that it was healing more slowly in the dream world.

"Talk then. I'm still deciding on how I'm going to kill you." He said shortly, not paying attention to his throbbing head. Ezkabach sighed, walking to the front of the couch and sitting down. She turned to him, resting a leg on the scorched coffee table. She decided to disregard his death threat.

"I'm going to make this as short as possible, because believe me, you're not the only one here who has a sincere burning urge to shut this down. And I'd love to shut you up." She said. Freddy snorted, leaning back against the wall and crossing his arms but said nothing. "People have stopped having nightmares."

"Oh, no shit?" Freddy asked sarcastically, adjusting his hat. Ezkabach narrowed her eyes and exhaled, trying to keep her own temper in check.

"Not just of you, you selfish prick. Of everything! Of the little things that go bump in the night, the creature under the bed, the dark abyss of death, hellish visions of what might come. It's all gone. The material world is pulling out of balance. Fear is how we are still existing. If this goes on too much longer you won't even have a hell to return to. You will be gone." She explained, making sure to make the last part about him. She could already tell he was as narcissistic as they get. Freddy tapped his blades on his arm, seemingly thinking. After a moment he uncrossed his arms, and walked over to the armrest of the couch. Putting his hands on it, he leaned forward to rest the weight of his upper body.

"And what do you suppose you're gonna do about that?" He asked, trying to keep his vibe still unwavering.

"We are gonna find a way to make people have nightmares again. I need your help. I need you to teach me how to invade dreams, and start the cycle over." She said, staring at him. Freddy tilted his head back and laughed, that evil, condescending laugh that right now made her want to rip out his tongue and shove it down his throat until he choked to death.

"And you call me arrogant! Why would I help you, you stupid piss water image of a demon-bitch?" He bit out, his teeth showing as the snarl on his face grew larger. Ezkabach flashed over right in front of him, their faces inches apart again. Both of them shook with anger, each one wanting nothing more than to tear the other to bloody pieces. But when Ezkabach spoke; she was as calm as an ocean breeze, her words a mere whisper.

"Because, Mr. Krueger, we both know how you miss the feeling of fresh blood on your face. The warmth of a young body begging for mercy under your gaze, the sweet sound of screams as their flesh yields to your blades...the little sounds a human body makes as bones crack and splinter, blood gushes and splatters, throats clog with blood...we both know how much you need it. And I can give it back to you, Freddy. All of it and more..."She trailed off, bringing her face closer to his. He was shaking so badly at her descriptive words, the memories of sweet young blood spilled before him, how it gave him so much ecstasy and power he almost didn't notice her press her lips to his for a split second. Before he could react she pulled away, backing up. He opened his mouth to say something nasty, and he looked like he was about to kill her again. "Or, Krueger, you can stay here and rot back into your speck of forgotten existence as the world goes on without one single soul remembering anything about you. People living happily with their kids, growing old without a care in the would. Sound good?" She observed the look of pure rage in his eyes. "No? Well then I guess it'd be in your best interest to help me. If not, it was nice knowing you. I'll meet you back here tomorrow night, be there or not; I don't give a rotting shit." And with that, she closed her eyes and broke away from the dream world. Her eyes opened and she was back in her room, the light of the moon outside caressing her face like a warm blanket.

"Ugh." She grunted. Freddy Krueger was a tougher crowd than she had anticipated. She really thought he'd have been thrilled at the chance to get out of that place. But she had almost direly underestimated him; and she wouldn't do it again. She'd really have to keep up with her training if she was going to stand a chance against him once he started gaining back his souls. But for now, she'd be content with trying to stay on his good side. If he even had one.

...

Freddy stood there, rage boiling up in his veins. How dare she touch him like that, the stupid bitch would be better off having those lips ripped off and force fed to her ignorant mouth. He turned around and slammed a clawed hand into the end table, splitting it in two and throwing it into the wall. What angered him the most is that he knew he had to help her; there was no way he was going to allow himself to fade away into nothing. Even that hell of a mind prison was better than simply not being. He would help her, but only because she'd be helping him in return. Even if she didn't want to. The thought of gaining his power back and not to mention, all the things Ezkabach had described to him, was enough to get him to do just about anything. As of now, though, she was an opponent. He needed to learn more about her and find her weaknesses; find out how he could come out on top. He was not going to be defeated one more time. Not ever again would he lie down in defeat, and this time he'd make sure absolutely nothing stood in his path.

...

Alright that marks the end of Chapter 2! It's harder than you'd think to keep Freddy as IC as possible. Such a wonderful challenge! Next chapter will be soon. What do we have in store for this newly discovered "partnership"? Things should only get more interesting!