The clan at the moment, were having a break from patrols just to stay and be with Brooklyn after finding him in the closet a few days ago, still afraid for Brooklyn's wellbeing since he still hadn't been getting better. For he had been getting even worse each day, even with his pain relievers.
Brooklyn continued to have terrible fever dreams, each worse than the last one. Today, a particularly bad one nearly killed him.
He whimpered and tossed, sometimes crying out, for he was particularly terrified in his dream.
…
He was standing in a familiar area: the Cloisters. Brooklyn trembled from familiar memories when Demona seduced him and put Goliath under that evil spell.
"Why, hello, Brooklyn…" spoke that chilling voice.
"Humans are our enemies…" also spoke another familiar one.
Brook turned to see a figure come, Demona. He balled his hands into fists, though his heart beat wildly in fright.
"D-Demona!" He gasped. First Coldsteel, now her. What more enemies and bullies will he meet in his other fever dreams? Demona chuckled, coming closer, taking a hold of Brooklyn's arm, stroking it. He pulled away. "Stop touching me!" Brooklyn spat.
"But I thought you and I could be together, young one. Didn't you want a female companion?" she crooned. Brooklyn shook his head, holding his arm that she touched.
"Yeah, but not like this. I just want somebody for me. Not that it would matter anymore…" he mumbled the last part under his breath. Demona had grown interested in that, taking up his chin.
"What was that, little one? Come on, tell me," she persisted. Brooklyn snarled, but the way her voice was he couldn't hide it.
"I-I'm dying!" He sobbed. Demona gazed at him with an unreadable look. "The poison's eating me, Demona. What's the point of looking for a mate now if I'm just gonna die!?" Brooklyn cried wretchedly. That was when Demona pulled him against her chest, purring, and stroking his chest. He gasped while trying to escape her.
"Perhaps I can help with your desires before you are gone. This feels good, doesn't it?" Brook could feel the heat not from his fever arise, and he turned red. It kinda did, but no. This was still wrong. Evil.
He pushed away from her again. "I won't let you touch or manipulate me anymore, Demona! It's over between us!" Brook growled, stomping his foot on the floor. Demona looked hurt for a few seconds before it disappeared.
"Then die alone, unloved. Your family even now is just waiting for you to be gone. They're looking forward to it, I bet," she hissed, snapping harsh words at Brooklyn, who took them like a knife. More hot tears stung his face.
"Shut up! Stop it! It's not true!" He cried, wiping his eyes. Demona just shook her head. "Then I'll let Goliath tell you. Come, dear," she purred, stepping aside as two glowing green eyes showed up. This terrified Brooklyn, who recognized it. The mind control spell again was on his leader.
No… no… not again! He thought in despair and fear. Demona smiled as she spoke.
"We will be happy when you are gone," she said. "We will be happy when you are gone," Goliath repeated. Brook was shaking. "Goliath! Don't listen to her! Please!" He begged, falling on his knees. But Demona kept going.
"You are weak... you are worthless…" Goliath repeated after Demona ordered him to. Brooklyn couldn't handle it anymore, running away from them and crying nonstop as Demona and Goliath went after him.
….
Meanwhile, in the waking world, Brooklyn was still asleep, crying and calling out softly until he ended up sitting up in bed, then getting out of it, though he remained asleep. He began run/walking out of the room, sometimes glancing behind him. His eyes remained closed while his arms were out in front of him.
He kept on going through the halls, until he cried out, "Goliath! Snap out of it!" It rang through the castle, alerting Broadway, who was making dinner before they turned to stone later. He heard his brother scream Goliath's name and figured he was dreaming, going to check on him.
He found his brother in the living room, still seemingly asleep but running as well as sleepwalking, running from something in his dreams. Tears were coming down his face, too. Broadway felt unsure of what to do, for he was obviously sleepwalking, but didn't dare try to wake him up in case he spooked Brooklyn. He had to get his brother back in bed.
Broadway carefully moved close to Brooklyn, who shook his head, crying sadly in his sleep. This broke Broadway's heart hearing him so sad like this.
Reaching out carefully, he took his brother's arm. Brook tensed up from the feeling. "Brooklyn?" Broadway whispered softly so not to spook him and wake him up.
…
Brooklyn kept running through the Cloisters to escape the hypnotized Goliath and his tormentor, Demona, until an unseen hand grabbed his arm, halting him. For a moment, he heard a familiar voice.
"Brooklyn?" It sounded like Broadway. Brook glanced about trying to find him until he felt another hand grab him; Demona. He screamed.
"No! Get away from me!" He screamed, pulling out of her grasp and running.
….
"No! Get away from me!" Brook had shouted in fear, still asleep, and pulling away from Broadway. Broadway felt his tears at seeing Brooklyn running away again in his sleep until suddenly he had run into the wall, falling to the ground, shaking and twitching, screaming out of full fear, unable to stop, sweat soaking his body, coughing and dry heaving.
"Goliath! Hudson!" called Broadway, which fortunately didn't wake Brook since he was too lost in his nightmare. Hudson and Goliath both came in running to see their sick member thrashing on the floor, clawing it and sobbing.
The two came running, asking what was wrong and Broadway explained about his brother going through some sort of nightmare sleepwalk or a Night Terror they call it.
"I-I dunno what was happening. He was still dreaming but walking too. But I didn't want to wake him while he was scared though I really wanted to!" He said in a scared voice. Hudson took his hand.
"Best let me handle it, lad. It was good ya didn't wake him no matter how painful what they're seeing is. We should just try to relax him and help the lad back to bed." Broadway then nodded in agreement, letting Hudson take charge then.
He put his hand on Brooklyn's shoulder, beginning to rub it, even starting to hum softly. Broadway and Goliath continued to watch with worry and hoped Brooklyn won't wake while crying.
…
Brooklyn felt himself cornered by a wall, unlimited tears falling down while pleading at Goliath to snap out of it. Demona kept up her game of having Goliath repeat cruel words, her eyes shining red.
He cowered, sobbing. "Leave me alone! Please!" He wailed, feeling himself going into full trauma from this.
"I almost feel sorry for you, perhaps it is best you perish, weakling. Then you will no longer feel pain…"
Brook just stared up with terrified expanded pupils until suddenly, a soft song could be heard, sounding like Hudson now. He then saw the images of Goliath and Demona fading, closing his eyes, just vaguely feeling something massage him, heart rate slowing down.
….
Hudson was able to help a whimpering Brooklyn to his feet while still asleep, beginning to guide Brooklyn back. After a while, they were able to make it back safely to Brooklyn's room.
Brooklyn had whimpered a bit again before Hudson whispered softly to him without waking up the young gargoyle, for sometimes it could be bad to wake someone while still sleepwalking in a nightmare. It could endure a grave consequence on their psyche and mental health.
"It ain't real, lad. Jus' relax and try to rest it off," he said gently, tucking Brooklyn into the covers, the red one twitching a bit then settling down, leftover tears coming down his face.
After a while, Brooklyn sleepily opened his eyes to see Hudson, Goliath and Broadway. He moaned softly.
"Ohhh..." He whimpered, trembling. Hudson smiled at him.
"Yer ok, Brook. Yer awake now. How are you feeling?" Brooklyn sniffled, coughing.
"Still lousy. But, what was happening? I-I don't remember," he whimpered. Goliath stroked his cheek, giving him a gentle smile. "You don't need to remember it now, Brooklyn. But hopefully you can rest better from here."
Brook coughed again. "Want water, please," he said in his sickly voice. Broadway instantly heeded his brother's request and got him some, handing it to Hudson, who helped Brooklyn drink, who was feeling weak from his night terror episode and sickness. But Hudson saw something in his eyes that told him the lad seemed to remember a little bit of something about his dream.
The red gargoyle managed to swallow his water and sunk onto his pillows, eyes closing again. Goliath sighed heavily after they left Hudson with him, wondering if they would ever find a way to fix his sickness and bring him back to normal again.