Chapter 7: Jailbreak

Six long years in another dimension, five of them being nothing more than an object to a monstrous being, and each day was worse than the last.

Layla's nutrition was declining once again, her meals only coming in once a day, but most of the time she never ate, feeling just being in the presence of Magum was enough to make her vomit. Sometimes she ate little things that she would sneak in when she was forced to leave the room by Magum's side, something that felt like her own little anarchy.

The only advantage against Magum was that he could not read her mind, or force an illusion on her. And she knew that pissed him off to no end, him using whatever strength he could but failing. However, despite that little defense mechanism that she knew was from the metal plate in her head that her father had placed, it resulted her being maimed in more ways than one.

Her body was riddled with long streaks of scars, all by Magum's or her own hand with sharp knives. Some were in intricate patterns, like swirls or certain shapes, but most were random lashes of spite and anger. What stood out against her ghostly-white skin was the thick scar that was over her throat.

Layla placed her left hand over the scar on her throat. Her hand as well was riddled with scars, thick cuts and stabs as well and hideous burns over the nubs of her not fully formed thumb and pinkie. She sighs as she lowers her hand, it brushing against the snow-white lace gown she was wearing.

The lace gown itself was beautiful, a brilliant white with its lace patterns different snowflakes. Her jet black hair was braided like a crown around her head with a main braid going down the middle of her black on top of the hair that wasn't braided, her remaining hair almost being like a shadowy veil. Underneath her white gown she was wearing solid black underwear, them accenting her hips and breasts and clearly noticeable under the gown.

It honestly disgusted her that she had to wear this sort of thing to please Magum, to hopefully avoid punishment. This was the sort of outfit that a wife would share with a husband, but to her it was a cheap tactic to hope that when Magum had sex with her it wouldn't be terribly painful or violent. All she wanted to do was throw up and curl into a ball, but she knew she couldn't.

She had her game to play.

Three years prior was when she tried to escape from Magum's clutches on her. Due to an attack on the headquarters by some of Bill Cipher's henchmen they were all forced to move into a different sub-dimension. While traveling Layla tried to run, her feet running as fast as they possibly could. But, she was caught. She ran into a dead end and as punishment she was stabbed through her thoracic cavity to the dead end wall and was forced into the usual act that she went through almost every night.

That was when she decided her plan on playing her little game.

Layla became tactful on how she acted with Magum. She would show her usual disgust with him, but she would satisfy him in any shape or form to let down his guard. When his guard was let down was when the original soul of the body that Magum was possessing at the time to fight back and gaining control. This however only buys her a few minutes for her so she could read what she could of Magum's writings in order to find a weakness.

During those times whoever was the poor sap that had agreed to become Magum's vessel would desperately try to apologize to her for what they were forced to do to her. Each and every time they would cry out that it wasn't them, and after a while Layla began to ignore them. They would beg for forgiveness and she wouldn't listen, thinking that they deserved to feel like garbage for making a deal with a demon in the first place.

After about a year was when Magum discovered that she was using her body as an advantage to let his guard down. So after discovering it he went to have specific vessels just for her for when they were in the room together, vessels that seemed to enjoy being forced on her. She kept her act up though, to give satisfaction so that she would never see Magum's true form ever again.

Layla shivered in fear at the memory of the sight.

The door opened, causing Layla to hide the book she was reading as she rushed to the bed, hiding it on her side within sheets. She laid down with her head propped on her hand, trying to make it look as if she wasn't snooping around.

Magum entered the room, his vessel a little dressier and not one of his normal ones that he uses on her. He wore a suit and tie, him at a recent meeting, his dark hair slicked back and neat looking. He looked like he would be a very handsome man if it weren't for those soulless white eyes.

And his damn personality.

"My, my, Layla," Magum smiles lustfully. "What is the occasion here?" His voice was smooth and calm, and he was actually pleased at what she was doing.

"Nothing," Layla lied, her voice equally just as smooth. Over the years she had learned to lie and manipulate in order to survive.

Magum undoes his tie, a thick blood-red ribbon, and casted it off to the side. "At least I have a pretty sight after all the shit that happened today."

"And… what was that?" Layla then asked, truly curious, a fake smile plastered on her lips.

"Well, when half your followers are complete incompetent idiots and you had to slaughter them like cattle, I need something a little better to look at to get rid of thought of blood," he said casually as if it were nothing.

Layla's fake smile falters. "Wait… what!?" she shouted as she jumped from the bed. "Why… why would you kill your own followers!? That makes no sense!"

Magum snapped, "It doesn't have to!" He then approached Layla, him putting a hand to her cheek. She tried her hardest not to flinch from the touch or repulse away. "It shows power, and that's all I'm about."

"Of course," Layla falsely agreed, her stepping away from Magum and going to sit on the bed. "But… don't you think killing them will convince others to join Bill?"

Magum slams a fist into the wall of the room, making a hole as some debris crumbled down. "You know not to speak of that pathetic dream demon in my presence," he growled lowly.

Layla averts her eyes from him, knowing that he was now upset. "Sorry," she apologized as she put her hands in her lap.

It seemed that action softened Magum a bit. "Oh, my dear, you look adorable when you're a little frightened," he told her as he sat next to her. He then raised a hand and caressed her cheek, her wanting nothing more than to slap it away and spit in his face. "But, my dear Layla Amelia, I need you to get ready."

Layla's heart raced. "Ready for what?" she slowly asked with curiosity.

"We need to head out to a smaller training facility to oversee how Keigh is doing with the training." Magum explained as he went to a dresser and picked out a different shirt and pants, something that was much more casual. "Although, I do enjoy you being dressed like that, maybe we can-"

"You don't want to be late for your meeting." Layla interrupted as she gladly went to a small dresser that was designated as hers, filled to the brim with lingerie and long dresses. She chose a dress that was a little short, but it was easy to maneuver in if given the opportunity. She was fully dressed within a few minutes, her wearing flats, once again it was easy to run in if given the opportunity.

"Ready, my dear?" Magum asked as he held open the door for her.

She nodded confidently, her giving herself a pat down to make it look like she was smoothing out her dress. In reality she had hidden the small book that she was reading, Magum's journal, within her clothing. For some reason she had a feeling she was going to need it.

The new facility that they had to transfer to was much like the old one, except the sub-dimension that they were in had a much lower oxygen content, her having to take certain injections a couple of times a day to help her body adjust to the lack of oxygen. The walls as they walked were a brilliant white, a great contrast to the dark navy dress that Layla was wearing.

A few minutes later they were in the large training room, monsters fighting each other to train their combat skills. In one corner some beings were there training their powers, two people that Layla recognized as Mari and Kari, her being extremely ecstatic that they were still alive. Weapons were being fired and grunts of effort from the training soldiers, the room brimming with noise, but it all went to a hush when Magum entered the room.

"Hello, all," Magum greeted as he entered the room, an arm looped with Layla's. "Keigh, I would like to know how everything is going here. I need a full on report."

Keigh made his way to Magum, his gray skin damp with perspiration. His dark blue eyes, sclera and all, wide with surprise. The last person who was in charge of the training was Colonel, but he was brutally murdered five years ago, so Keigh was extra careful on how he spoke and presented himself to Magum.

"Master Magum," Keigh nervously greeted. "What a pleasant surprise. I-I thought evaluation was next week-"

"There has been a change of plans, Keigh." Magum stated firmly, his voice low and almost menacing sounding, a deep rumble that seemed to vibrate through the very floors. "What I need now is an army able to charge into Bill Cipher's Nightmare Realm and be able to fight. Is that clear?"

Keigh's eyes widened like saucers, his body trembling. "R-r-right n-n-n-now?" he stammered softly. "But… b-b-but we aren't-"

"Well, you all should be!" Magum roared, a red flame enveloping him, causing Layla to jerk her arm away from him before she got a burned, a thing that had happened once or twice in the past. "At any moment you should all be able to fight."

Keigh then swallowed hard and looked sternly at Magum. "Sir, I would have soldiers for you if you hadn't killed them earlier." Keigh levelly said, his dark blue eyes hard.

Magum looked then surprised, as if the information was new to him. "Oh, my, of course, my apologies," Magum casually replied, him giving off false incompetence. "I had no idea…" He then snaps his fingers and Keigh collapsed to the floor, his body combusting into violent, red flames. Layla gasped at the sight, her hands covering her mouth, as she saw the skin split open and blood began to spurt out. Magum then looked at the audience, him not even phased at Keigh's screams of pain before silenced by his death. "Now… who is ready to fight?" The remaining soldiers in training stood up tall, shoulders back, as if they had rods placed in their spines. Magum gives a satisfied grin, almost devilish. "Alright then, get ready to make a move on."

Layla raises a black brow, the twenty-two year old confused on way Magum wanted them to fight so much. "Um…" she managed to squeak out, her old timid way of speaking creeping up on her. "Why… why are you sending them out?" she asked Magum curiously, already feeling the fear icing her heart as she saw his features twist and darken with anger.

"A test," he simply replied, turning his back to her and walking forward, him stepping and crumbling the burnt body of Keigh.

What kind of test…?

A few hours later Layla was dressed in a full body black jumpsuit, much similar to the one she wore five years ago on her mission with Mari and Kari, her jet black hair tied back into a wavy ponytail.

She had no idea why she was dressed in it, but Magum insisted. As she gotten dressed she had to hide Magum's journal within her clothing once again, it being uncomfortable against her skin. Layla stood next to Magum's side, him dressed in a much similar attire to hers, his soulless white eyes looking hard as he glared over the small, pathetic army that were squabbling before him.

Layla didn't understand this plan, thinking about what Keigh said about how they weren't as trained. If they were about to fight, then they would be slaughtered like cattle. There was no point, but obviously Magum had one, she just couldn't put her finger on it.

Unless he wants them to die…

That was the only plausible thing that Layla could think of, that Magum wanted these people to die for him. Charging into the Nightmare Realm would be suicide if you didn't have one simple goal to rush to. Her goal was to grab the plans and leave, which she did with a couple of snags. But to fully charge into a warzone with no purpose? That made no sense…

"You seem to be nervous, my dear." Magum silkily remarked, his warm breath tickling her ear to the point that shivers ran up her spine.

"I'm trying to figure out what your plan is…" Layla honestly replied, thinking that he was going to find out eventually.

"All an elaborate game," he told her, his wolf-like smile returning. "I'm just biding my time until another phase emerges."

Layla looks at him oddly, not fully understanding.

"There are only two beings that have the ability to stop me," Magum explained lowly, only for her to hear. "One is Bill Cipher, and the other is the Axolotl. Getting rid of Bill Cipher will be easy since the Axolotl had made a special spell for him…"

"Spell?"

"A wheel." Magum gives her a small smile, one that almost looked innocent if she hadn't known who he truly was. "A wheel filled with symbols of people that represent them, their own natural energy is enough to activate it. And once an incantation is made…" Magum snaps his fingers. "Poof… back into the Dream Dimension… or, well, what's left of it."

Layla felt intrigued that she was given this information. But at the same time… she felt terrified. Did that mean her use to him was coming to an end?

"The Dream Dimension…?" Layla inquired. "What does that mean?"

Magum sighed, clearly annoyed, "Just like is sounds, a dimension filled with the Dream Demons. My race had its own dimension as well…" He almost looked sad, but then he gave a sinister grin, flames flickering off his fingers, as if he was thinking of something pleasurable. "Demons aren't as abundant as they used to be, many with demonic abilities now are just watered down genetics from breeding."

Layla didn't like the way he said "breeding".

"I… I have a serious question…" Layla whispered to him, all fear from before evaporating, her curiosity got the best of her. During her years of imprisonment, she did end up getting her period, a week of the most uncomfortable pain from just trying to lie down, but it was the only time of the month that Magum doesn't mess with her. "How come from us… I've never gotten pregnant?" Just the idea made her want to perform a hysterectomy on herself, not even wanting to think of any plausible idea of her carrying his child.

Magum gave her a look as if he was a parent busting the myths of sex. Again, he was treating her as a child, which irritated her to no end. "My dear Layla Amelia, you are human, you simply can't become pregnant from other dimensional beings. Now, if I possessed a human male, then yes you can become pregnant with a child with my genetics. But, think about it, my dear, an Earth cat and an Earth dog cannot have an offspring together. The same thing applies here."

Layla gives a satisfied nod, her extremely glad that there was no risk.

Magum then steps forward, approaching his pathetic army. The followers scrambled to stand up straight for him, fearing that they would meet the same fate as Keigh. As Magum approached one by one he simply said with a calm, yet bellowing voice to be carried across the room, "Now, we are about to enter the Nightmare Realm, and just so I make myself perfectly clear, you are all going to die, there is no doubt about it."

A chilled hush filled the room, the untrained followers with wide eyes. Magum almost looked satisfied at the sight.

"What the plan is here is to make Bill Cipher think he as 'defeated' me," Magum had raised his fingers into quotation marks and said the word "defeated" with heavy sarcasm. "That way, the next few decades I can bide my time until he is out of the picture completely, then the Axolotl will be the next ultimate target." He observed each of the faces of his followers, smiling at the fact that these beings were trembling with fear.

That's why he killed the stronger ones… It was so they wouldn't have a fighting chance!

The idea of this plan sickened her to the pit of her stomach. Her stomach churned painfully at the realization. She glances at Magum, his terrible wolf-like smile dominant in his features, it practically looked like his soulless white eyes were glowing with an energy, as if they were absorbing the life of the innocent beings before him. Bile rose up her throat, but with a slight grimace she swallows it, the acid burning her throat.

"Let's move out," Magum ordered confidently, him opening a small portal with a simple wave of his hand. A scenery was shown that Layla was familiar with, a dark abyss with just a golden pyramid floating in the distance. "Sorry all, but it will be a joy to watch you all be torn limb from limb, but do try to keep up a good fight to make it look convincing!"

"You're an asshole!" one monster called from the group, a fist shaking in the air. "We aren't toys for your amusement!"

Magum's eyes with callous, his smile faltering. His voice was harder than stone when he said with a deep rumble, "Frankly, yes you are. You are a lowlife being beneath me, and you shall die as such."

One by one the army went through the portal, each looking grim and depressed. A few tried to escape, but as soon as they stepped out of line their heads combusted with intense red flames and their heads expanded with pressure, popping and spewing blood and gore on the neat floors.

Layla's heart pounded her chest, feeling horrible that these people were about to die for a sick game Magum was playing. She couldn't help them, all she could do was watch as her hands were in tight fists. Layla eyed each person, praying to whatever she could think of that she wouldn't see Mari and Kari in the crowd. Fortunately, they were not there which made her do a small sigh of relief.

Lastly Magum was about to enter through the portal, taking Layla by her upper arm. She grimaced as his hand wrapped fully around and dragged her through with him. She still didn't understand why she was dressed the way she was and why she had to go, but right now she could only think of two things.

Chaos. Escape.

If she could escape during the bloodshed, she could be free. But then again… it was the Nightmare Realm, how do you escape the Nightmare Realm if you didn't know where the natural portals were?

From what she had read in Magum's journals, the main dimension they were in had about five-hundred sub-dimension. Each entry to the sub-dimension has two function natural portals that will open between the weak points of the dimensional wall, which in turn allows for easy access. However, some portals don't open on a regular schedule, some could takes as simply as an hour to open or for extreme cases millennia. The Nightmare Realm she had no idea what it would be… with her luck it would be one of the millennia ones.

As her body went through the portal Layla felt her insides shrink and expand with pressure, her feeling violently sick to her stomach. The feeling came and went quickly, now her standing at Magum's side on a small solid platform that only held them two. In front of her on another solid platform was the pitiful army, them cowering from the edges, below nothing but shadow moving within shadow.

Magum waves his hand, the platform extending to create a bridge to head toward the glowing pyramid. "Now… we let the fun begin," he whispered with such giddy that he almost sounded mad.

The army moved along the bridge, them getting closer and closer to the pyramid. Magum followed suit with Layla in tow on their own platform, it levitating as they made their way to the pyramid. Layla had an uneasy feeling in her stomach, she did not like this one bit.

All Magum did then was open his palm, a brilliant, dark red fireball appeared and he tossed it at the pyramid, the exterior becoming licked with flames. Something came from the pyramid, a large glowing triangle as it flew above the pyramid.

Bill Cipher.

Bill still had his single eye in the center, his top hat sitting proudly on his head, his black bow tie neat. He held a cane in his left hand, and it looked as though he was very surprised. His one eye turned angry, as the eye became black and his slit pupil became red, his body becoming red with a white glow around his perimeter.

"REALLY, MAGUM?!" Bill roared, his voice low and demonic sounding, no longer the high shrill that Layla was used to. "You seem to really itching for a fight aren't ya!?"

"Oh, come now, Bill!" Magum laughed, his hand still gripped on Layla's arm. "We both knew that this was a long time coming."

"I was in the middle of dinner you jerk!"

Magum sighed. "Same old Bill, putting his priorities in the wrong order…"

"I'LL SHOW YOU WRONG ORDER!" Bill roared angrily. "BY PUTTING YOUR FACE IN THE WRONG ORDER!"

The pyramid doors opened and revealed a group of about ten monsters. Bill's personal henchmen. Layla recognized the one that had attacked her the last time she was there. Despite Bill having ten monsters to Magum's hundreds, Layla knew that Magum's army was going to be slaughtered.

"What I'm going to do Layla is send you inside the pyramid," Magum whispered in her ear softly. "Once inside I need you to find out every bit of information about Axolotl and Bill's wheel. I will distract Bill as the armies fight. Understood?"

Layla didn't want to, but if it was a chance to be alone so she can escape, then she would take it. She nods, almost too enthusiastically, which gave Magum a satisfied grin.

"I'm just letting you know that there is no way for you to escape the Nightmare Realm without me… so even if you try you will not succeed." Magum warned her, seemingly guessing her plan. "So if you do try, there will be punishment."

Witout another word, Layla was tossed into the crowd of the monsters, both sides already beginning their fight. Layla landed on her arm, it almost snapping from her socket, but she shook it off as she darted up, trying to dodge through the crowd. Overhead she saw red and blue lights flashing, knowing that Magum and Bill were battling with their powers.

Layla had one mission, and like it or not she had to do it.

She ran up the bridge to get her to the pyramid, the door still wide open. Layla rushed inside and slammed the door behind her, just in time for something crash into the door with a loud thud. Her heart hammered in her chest, the adrenaline rushing through her veins.

Layla ran through the marbled hallways, ignoring every tapestry depicting Bill in a dominant glory. She saw one that depicted him on a wheel, a small one that looked like a small blanket. Bill of course was in the center, around him showing ten symbols: a pair of glasses, a question mark, a bag of ice, a crescent, a pine tree, a star with an eye in the center, a six-fingered hand, a llama, a shooting star, and a stitched heart.

Layla figured that this must be the wheel that the Axolotl created to banish Bill. She grabs the tapestry, it falling from the wall, and she folds it up as small as she could. In one of her pockets on her suit she found some rope, her using it to tie around the folded tapestry so that it wouldn't come undone.

One thing down… now to find information on the Axolotl.

Slowly, Layla walked through the massive corridors, her feet gently tapping the hard floors, soft echoes bouncing off the walls. With soft creaks she opened doors, trying to get a sense of what was inside and if anything had information. Many were rooms of Bill having statues of himself arranged all over, causing her to had a deadpanned look on her face as she shut each door.

Layla rounded a corner, ready to find yet another hall filled with the narcissistic triangle's image, but all she saw was a single figure. The figure dressed in almost futuristic attire, it wearing nothing but black with goggles on its face with a scarf to cover features. A hood was over its head as well, so Layla couldn't tell if the figure even had hair.

"Hello?" Layla called gently, seeing that figure did not move. "Do you, I don't know, have any idea where I can find information on the Axolotl?" She figured that it was worth a shot to ask.

All the figure did was tap on the side of its head.

"What, so you do know?" she demanded, her tone turning hard. "Can you tell me?"

Another tap to the side of its head.

"Okay, now you're just pissing me off!" Layla then rushes to the figure, figuring that maybe if she caught it the figure would tell her the information.

As she ran close the figure, it flawlessly dodged, it grabbing Layla by her arm and propelling her to the wall. Her body collides with the wall, her yelping in pain as she slid down. The figure stood over her, it about twice her size. Once again it tapped the side of its head.

Subconsciously, Layla lifted her hand to the temple that the drill from her father's lab pierced her skull. It still had a small bump from the metal filling the hole that was drilled into.

"Are you saying… I know what it is…?" she asked softly, her voice trembling.

There was a slight nod as the figure raised a hand, small black blaster revealed. It aimed the blaster at the wall and pulled a trigger, the wall suddenly having a small circle of blue light with swirling energy within it.

"A… a portal…!?" Layla gasped. "What the hell is the meaning of THIIIISSSSSS!?" Her body was pushed into the portal, her voice echoing in the room as she forced through. Her body felt rearranged once again, but this time the feeling was more familiar. Her body fell onto a concrete ground, her still screaming the word "this" as she slowly stopped to see where she was. Layla groaned in pain as her electric blue eyes darted around. "I'm… out of the Nightmare Realm…?"

It looked as though she was in a sub-dimension with a business district. Merchants were at stands trying to sell their wares as she saw creatures that looked like small squids walking around and pointing at stands that they wanted to visit.

"How… how is this possible…?" A large smile then spread across her face, her body tingling with a sudden happiness and relief. "I'm… free! I'M FREE! OH MY GOD, I'M FREE!" Layla started laughing joyously as she got strange looks from the patrons of the new dimension, but she did not care, she was free from Magum.

With a new hope in her heart, she started walking through the merchant's market, seeing what new world she was in. She did not care what it took, she will survive on her own and not fall into the clutches of Magum, or Bill, or anything every again.

She wasn't a naïve teenager anymore, she was young woman with a new purpose: Survival.

Layla walked by a stand that had a long trench coat that was a solid black. There was a distracted merchant, so she took it and continued on walking. After a minute or two she slipped it on, her grabbing a few other things that were lying about, the skills that she picked up from being Magum's prisoner coming into play. She had snatched some perishables, a long sleeved purple shirt, a black pair of pants, and she managed to find a knife.

She went into an alley way and switched out of the body suit that she was wearing before. Layla felt much more comfortable in the shirt and pants, her keeping the knee high boots since she honestly thought they were very nice. She moved Magum's journal and the small tied up tapestry into the inside coat pockets, them protected from the outside world. What she did next was take her hair out of the ponytail and used the knife to cut her hair to shoulder length, the stray feathered hair framing her face.

She wasn't a prisoner anymore.

"I'm Layla Amelia Bartek," she lowly said to no one in particular as she found a pair of fingerless gloves that were a solid black in the pocket of the trench coat, surprised that they were fit for a being with five fingers on each hand. "I am a survivor, and I don't care how I will do it." She strapped the knife to her side, ready for it to be whipped out for any reason.

Layla then leaves the alleyway, her ready to go celebrate her jailbreak.

A/N: Hello everyone! This chapter was a bit difficult to write, but I finally got it done! So, I think we all know who the figure was ;)

But yes, the next chapter will feature Layla traveling the dimensions, and it will even feature how she became an alcoholic. Then the chapter after that will feature her meeting Ford and how she slowly fell for him.

Thanks for reading as always!

~Skye Hendersen~