Disclaimers, ratings, name, etc can be found in prologue though I will say I don't own Twisted Metal: Black and its characters. They belong to whoever owns them.

Author's Notes: I had to have them play more video games - LOL! And there are just so many good analogies to be made!

More warnings…

WARNING: BAD LANGUAGE

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Chapter 17

Alice Johnson was overcome with a sea of memories. Every where she looked caused her to recall a time long since past. Over there was the park where she used to read and Rick would climb trees. Just to the right was the diner she used to work in. To the left, the movie theater where she and Dan shared one of their first dates. It was all so overwhelming.

Jacob watched the array of emotions pass over his mother's face and felt caught between curiosity and sorrow. He knew this was hard for her and he hated subjecting her to reliving it. A past that was filled with so much pain. So much death. They had arrived only a few days ago, taking residence up in a hotel near the edge of town.

They had driven in and Alice had gone from here to there, telling Jacob in a hushed voice about her past. They visited both Dan and Rick's graves as well as some of Alice's friends. All in all, they were both blue.

Then there had been the drive by of Alice's old home. The house was in good condition and still for sale. In fact the Realtor was offering it for a dirt-cheap price according to the fliers attached to the sign out front. This had not helped to lighten the mood.

Eventually they had decided the best course of action was to first check the hospital, see if the little girl was in residence there, possibly a coma patient. No such luck, Then they went to the local sheriff's office as well as the library and the checking of the local papers. No recent mysterious disappearances or deaths.

Finally there was the high school, which Jacob infiltrated, meeting a few new people and asking some harmless questions. Nobody seemed to be having bizarre dreams nor had there been any strange occurrences at the school, no one dropping dead.

Alice sighed, upset, "That must mean he is just gunning after us. He brought us here for a reason, to get us…"

"But he also has the girl," Jacob rationalized, "And even if he hasn't acted yet, that doesn't mean he's not going to act at all. These kids are in danger. They just don't know it."

She gave a weak nod, "You're right. All it takes is one young, imaginative day dreaming kid and then - bam! He's back and in our faces. But to be at full power and have affected no one in Springwood?"

Jacob rubbed his chin; thoughtful then snapped his fingers, "College."

"What?"

"Is there a college in town?"

"The local university. But…"

"Come on, Mom," Jacob muttered, rolling his eyes, "College kids aren't that much older than high schoolers. You said yourself even after you graduated-"

"He still came after me," Alice concluded, "Good thinking, Jacob. I guess I'm just too befuddled these days to think straight."

She ran a shaky hand through her blonde hair and he patted her shoulder, "It's okay, Mom."

She sighed, "Let's go."

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"You know, I really identify with Sweet Tooth," Freddy muttered as he and Samara played 'Twisted Metal: Black' yet again. This time they were in the parking garage of the power plant he used to work in, sitting in the night security man's booth.

Freddy had found he rather enjoyed the video game and when Samara's body had fallen asleep to enter the dreamscape again, he had brought them here and summoned it up.

Samara's head cocked to one side, "Why?"

"Because I used to be like him."

She frowned, "A clown?"

"No!" Freddy scowled, "An ice cream truck driver…did it for a short time. For the same reason too, though my kills were younger."

She shrugged and he turned to look at her. He eyed the red strands, "What'dja do that for?"

There was no reply and he chuckled, claws snatching out to snap off a few red strands. He drew them over and smelled them for a moment then dropped them, "Looks good. But then," he ran a hand along his tattered old sweater, "I am a bit biased when it comes to stripes."

Samara did not respond but she did seem pleased by his flattery. Freddy looked again in her direction curiously. Since acquiring the body he had noted a change in her, one that he wasn't sure whether to like or not.

She had certainly become more talkative but she had also seemed more…emotional. Much more than she did in spirit form. Perhaps it was because he could actually see her face now, her hair rarely covering it. But then, he was seeing Becca's face.

Maybe this was the difference. She never transformed into her actual form. In some ways he missed the child, but then how could he not crave the teenager who actually bleed? Not some magic, not dirty water but real red blood. And having someone who looked so much like his prey…

He couldn't wait until Friday. Samara had told him of the club and her planned attendance. She had also made some rather dry comments on part of meeting Lori but he had waved it off. He was looking forward to Friday too much by fucking it up and slitting the impudent bitch's throat.

He often thought about it, doing Samara in. Even though there was truly no point. All he'd do is kill the body she currently possessed; her spirit form would live on. But still, sometimes her fucking attitude grated his last nerve and he had all ready let her get away with far too much. But he still couldn't risk pissing her off and losing out on getting his power.

And a very, tiny, teensy part of him had to admit he enjoyed teaching her how to control the dreamscape. She had gotten much better since last time, probably in part to his obvious non-existent patience. Learn quick or don't learn at all. Or more accurately, learn quick or get slashed at with metal razors.

There was also her company. He had never thought of himself as wanting company on the dreamscape but playing video games, talking about kills…it wasn't bad. At least it was something to do until actual slaughter could take place. Speaking of reminiscing on victims…

Freddy laughed as he looked at the video game, "Ya know, I killed a kid in a video game once. In this very booth too. It was an older system then, graphics weren't as good as this but I made that fucking kid jump through hopes. Used a power glove and everything when I killed him."

"You're dead," Samara quipped quietly.

"What?!" Freddy sat up and looked at the screen to see his character, Sweet Tooth, had been destroyed. Samara's own character, Dollface, had won. He growled and tossed down his controller, crossing his arms, "You cheated."

She looked at him, eyes bottomless as she said with a tiny shrug, "Of course."

Freddy felt his bruised ego heal a bit after her confession when suddenly she disappeared on spot. He frowned then realized what had happened, someone must have woken her body. Bored, and with not much else to do until she came back or another Springwood brat fell asleep, he snapped his fingers and the screen changed from the video game to show Samara at school.

"Sleeping at school," Freddy chided with a dark chuckle as the action in the outside world began.

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Samara slowly came to life as Disher leaned over her, "Hey, what are you doing sleeping here, babe?"

She blinked a few times and remembered she had gone outside after class and taken a seat under the shade of a tree in the Quad, the sun warm enough to cause a nice sleepy heat. A nap had been an ideal choice at the time, eager to return to the dreamscape and Freddy, back to things that felt normal.

Too long had she been in the living world. Her grandparents fawning over her and other students doing the same. It was all too different than what she was used to. She needed what was real. She really needed to kill someone.

Friday was looking better and better.

Disher took a seat neat to her and drew out a rolled up joint, "You mind?"

She shook her head, looking at the funny cigarette. He took a deep toke and then held it out for her, "You want some herbal?"

She smelled it and shook her head again. He took another hit, "This shit makes me tired. Maybe I'll fall asleep like you did, hmm? You can rest up on me if you want, you know, we can sleep together."

He burst into laughter and she did not respond, instead shooting him a look. She recalled Freddy invading this boy's wet dream. She hoped they got to kill him first. She was just about to rise to her feet and walk away when he reached a hand out and tugged at one of her red streaks, "This is pretty awesome, babes, who did this for you?"

She pulled out of his grip and was gathering her things, preparing to leave, when her sketchpad fell to the ground. Disher snapped it up, "Oh. Here. You dropped this."

He rose to his feet as well and held it out for her as he continued to smoke his weed. He looked over the sketches, seeing yet again Freddy's face staring back at him. He shuddered slightly, "You know, I saw this guy in my dreams too, babes. I was having a good dream too 'till he showed up, you need to draw something a little nicer, give people sweet dreams, you know, not nightmares."

Samara held out a hand in response, wanting her sketchpad but Disher merely continued to hold it, "Maybe you need some help getting sweet dreams too, hmm? I could help you there."

His free hand reached out and ran along her face as Samara shifted uncomfortably. Suddenly Disher saw movement out of the corner of his eye. He looked down. He could have sworn he saw something move on the sketchpad.

He shook his head and reached for Samara again when he saw the movement again. He looked down at the drawing of Freddy and it moved quickly, looking at him to growl, "Back off! She's taken!"

Disher yelped and dropped the sketchpad as if it were hot. Samara caught it in her hands and flashed Disher an angry glare as she turned and stalked off. Disher had also dropped his weed and he looked at it smoking on the ground,. He shook his head, muttering under his breath, "Daydream."

He ground the weed out with the heel of his foot and then went back to the tree to gather his own things. He remembered that he still had to distribute fliers for the band tonight. He pulled out a few and began handing them out when he saw a cute blonde. She had a young kid with her as they approached.

"Hey babe, what's up?" Disher greeted the blonde.

"Not much, um, my son and I were…"

Oh. Kid. Bummer. Still, Mom's need love too, Disher thought with a grin as he held out a flier, "I know what you need little lady, you need to get out. How about you and Junior here check out me and my band tonight at The Foxglove?"

Alice took the flier as Jacob glared at Disher, "This is a place where kids hang out?"

"Sure. It's got a bar but you need to have ID, real groovy place, great music, the best music this Friday actually when my boys and I get rocking. You should be there, pretty mama, you're too young to just stay at home wasting the night away. You need to get out and have some fun!"

"And you need to get out of our face," Jacob muttered and grabbed his mother's wrist, leading her away as Disher looked on puzzled. Alice blushed, embarrassed, "Jacob…"

"Mom, I want you to date, but not that guy," Jacob scowled.

"Jacob, he's a child anyway, I would never…" she shook her head and looked at the flier as her son released her wrist, "This could be a good idea, if different kinds of kids go here we may get some good answers…"

"Sounds like a plan," Jacob said as he and his mother continued on their way.