Wrecked by the Bed of Nightmares
"Shit!" One punk girl groaned in pain when being pinned on the ground by Millia and her hair while Sin is watching from the sideline.
"Now, you're going to answer a question and you better be honest or else you'll be the one with the day hair day." Millia threatened.
"Fine, fine, just ask your stupid questions already!" The punk girl groaned.
"Good, this shouldn't take long for all of our times." Millia grinned.
"(Man, she can be really scary like this and yet for some reason that is turning me on like my other girls.)" Sin thought felt a little arouse but kept himself under control and focus on the objective here.
"We're looking for a man Zato and he came to this town a couple days ago. I want to know if he's still around. Have you seen him?" Millia asked.
"Don't think I never heard of a stupid name like that. What does he even look like?" The punk girl asked back.
"Do you have a picture of the guy? It would help a lot." Sin pointed out.
"As a matter of fact, I do." Millia pulled out her phone and show the picture of Zato to the punk girl.
"Him? That weirdo is who you're looking for? Must be another of those cosplayers that takes their liking for stuff WAY too much." The punk girl commented only for Millia to tighten the grip of her hair on her.
"I think you mean to tell us where you have last seen him and where was he heading." Millia glared down at her.
"Okay, okay, shit." The punk girl groaned.
"I only saw him once, it was actually just a few hours ago that I saw him in that street over there." The punk girl pointed at the street where she saw Zato.
"I don't know where he was going exactly, I just saw him and thought to myself "That guy must be going to a convention if he's dressing up like that in the middle of daytime" and just went off on my own business." The punk girl explained.
Millia wanted to question this punk girl more if she really just it all or perhaps she followed Zato to wherever he was going, but she shook the question off because she knows that Zato would've eliminated anyone who tried following him, meaning this girl is telling the truth.
"You can go." Millia released the punk girl from her hair.
"I like your tattoo." Sin said, trying to be friendly to the punk girl.
"Fuck up, pirate wannabe!" The punk girl snapped at him and walks away, going somewhere to forget this shit ever happened to her.
"Do you think that was a little hard on her?" Sin asked.
"She looked like the type who wouldn't so easily, so I applied a suitable method that would get her talking. Sometimes, Sin, you need to use some amount of force on people like her in order to get the information you need and put in a little scare to do it." Millia explained how to do interrogate someone when going on investigations like this.
"I don't know, still too harsh for me." Sin stated.
"It maybe harsh to you, but you can't always play the good cop forever when it comes down finding out a certain truth within darker places." Millia pointed out.
Sin decided to think about it, probably not doing it himself because that still looks a little hard, but he will still think about it.
Sin and Millia walks down the path of the alleyway to follow where Zato has gotten to, the young man looks around seeing that the place looks really messy and notice a few people actually living here meaning they had their lives taken away and force to live here.
"(I'll have a talk with dad after this, these people need help.)" Sin thought made mental note about this to himself.
Sin and Millia kept on walking for several more minutes through the alleyway until they finally exit the place and find themselves in what appeared to be an abandoned street with large houses.
"Whoa, all of these houses look like they haven't been taken care of in centuries?" Sin commented.
"I think that sounds a bit too long as they still some of them have that somewhat new scent in a way, but it's still a sad sight to see that this neighborhood was a place filled with life and now they're all nothing but empty shells." Millia pointed out a little deeply.
"Do you think we'll find Zato around here?" Sin asked.
"She said he came here a few hours ago, which means he could still be around here though we'll have to look fast." Millia said before walking again.
"So, about what you said before, that Zato is like family to you. Does that mean he's your brother?" Sin asked curiously.
"Something like that, we were close to each other during our younger days from high school when I was a second year, and he was my senior." Millia mentioned.
"We've always been together through many things, even when I suddenly gotten my power to move my hair." Millia mentioned while her hair waves a little.
"So, your hair wasn't always this awesome?" Sin asked.
"No, and to be honest, I used to hate how my hair has become because it made me look like a monster and things would get out of control from there, but Zato was the one who showed me that my hair is still beautiful with the power to do some good." Millia explained, smiling at the memories.
"Wow, sounds like a cool guy. Almost makes me forget that he almost killed me." Sin mentioned that time.
"Yes, Zato has gotten himself into something very dangerous one day and wouldn't tell me, then I started gathering some intel about the kind of things he has done. Things that would defy against the kind of man I've come to respect." Millia clinched her fist.
"Maybe he's being brainwashed." Sin guessed.
"If only that were the case, I've encountered Zato a few times and I can definitely tell you that he was not by any chance brainwashed in any sort of way. And believe me, I've studied some ancient magic from books to know them." Millia revealed.
"So, that means he's really doing those mean things of his own will." Sin said.
"Yes, and the big question that has been going on in my head is "Why" for this has confused me even to today." Millia said.
"And he never told you, didn't he?" Sin figured that would be the case.
"I tried getting the answer out of him, but he wouldn't give me a clear one as all he ever told me was that something beyond is coming and there is something high that will take us away." Millia recalled what he said.
(Flashback)
Zato is standing over a defeated and beaten-up Millia with her hair blocking her right eye as she pants in exhaustion and pain on her body.
"Best prepare yourself for the upcoming day when all will be no more. When something grand comes from beyond." Zato said before he disappeared into the shadow.
"Zato… Wait!" Millia tried calling out to him, but the shadow man was already gone, and she could only pound the ground in anger.
(Flashback End)
"Whatever he was going on about, it's something big and possibility the end of our lives if we don't stop it." Millia said.
"But we don't even know what this dangerous thing is." Sin said, feeling confused as well.
"Which is why we need to investigate this. Find Zato, force him to tell what this big thing that's coming, and how do we stop it." Millia stated.
"But first, we need to figure out which of these houses should we search." Millia looked at the old houses.
"Just a quick question, did Zato always had that shadow power of his even when in high school with you?" Sin asked curiously.
"No, he was just an ordinary man who wasn't afraid when my power came. But then he started to change and saw him using his power, he was still the same man for a while until he really became different." Millia explained.
"We have to find him, and this Bedman guy, whoever the fuck that is." Millia was determined to find Zato.
"Well, guess we'll just have to make Bedman "bed rested" when we're through with him!" Sin grinned, feeling proud of that pun.
Millia just stares at Sin with a blank expression as she did not get that joke nor does she wants to.
Sin tries to think which of them to search for though there is nothing out of the ordinary as they are just old houses, but then he noticed something from the upper window from one of the houses though he couldn't make out from this distance except that it looks round like a ball.
Suddenly there was a red light that shines through the window for only a split-second causing Sin to gasp and took a step back.
"Something wrong?" Millia asked, noticing that Sin looked scared just now.
"I thought I saw something… I'm not sure what it was…" Sin placed one hand over his eyepatching, feeling his lightning magic sparking up a bit, almost like his instincts are warning him about that strange red light.
"But I have a strong feeling that we might be able to find something in that house." Sin pointed at one of the houses.
"If you think so, then we'll start from there." Millia decided to go along with this.
They both know that something, anything could happen once they enter that house which could also mean they might have to fight Zato, but they are ready for anything with focus and keeping their guards up for any danger.
Sin enters the house first to see if there is anything that could be a trap, but nothing so far.
The two headed for the stairs as the first floor doesn't appear to be anything bad that wants to kill them, Sin notices a few photos that are still hanging on the wall showing a family living a happy life together.
But they stop when they saw there is a big gap in the staircase that leads to the second floor, guess something must've happened to make the family move out.
"Okay, I'll carry you into my arms and I'll jump us over to the other side." Sin offered an idea.
"How cute, treating me like I'm a princess." Millia giggled.
"But you appear to be forgetting something." Millia said.
Millia's hair moves and extends all the way to the other side to life herself over the gap and lands safely on the other side, she turns around to see Sin and gave hm a wink before moving on.
"Wow." Sin said.
Sin jumped over the gap and quickly catch up with Millia who is looking at all of the open doors trying to figure out which room to go into first.
"Sin, you saw something back when we were outside, did you?" Millia asked.
"Yeah, I'm not sure what it was exactly, but it was something that I thought we should look into." Sin answered.
"Then could you tell me which window you saw it came from?" Millia asked.
"From the point of view I was standing on, it was on my left. Which means it should be in… this room." Sin pointed at the closest door to him.
"Then let's go in." Millia said as she reaches for the door without hesitation.
"Wait, shouldn't we be wary first?" Sin asked, but it was already too late.
Millia walks inside the room hoping to find something that Sin saw. This room appears to be mostly empty except for a single bed in the middle of the room with a single person resting on that bed.
"Looks like someone does live here." Millia said.
"Odd, there was something red from the window earlier, but there doesn't appear to be anything that shot up the red light." Sin looked around, not even seeing a small laser pointer.
"But man, look how rested he is on that bed it's almost like he's dead." Sin hoped that this young man isn't really dead.
This young man has light purple hair and a magenta arrow pointing downwards on his forehead. He also wears round glasses. He wears a purple hospital gown with a dreamcatcher-like logo on it, with a downward arrow symbol similar to his hairclip in the center of it. The words "Dreamlike Reality" are printed above it. His arms and legs have black tattoos on them, which are described as appearing "like thorns".
"I fear that he could be another victim of Zato or this Bedman person." Millia feared.
"My, my, accusing me of murder on someone who is defenseless such as sleeping. I thought you know me better than that, Millia." Zato grinned.
Sin and Millia gasp when they heard that voice and quickly turn around to see that it's Zato standing on the frame of the door.
"Millia, and the lightning boy, didn't expect to see you two again though it's quite the pleasure that you would go through the trouble to see little ol' me." Zato chuckled.
"I'm here to help Millia get answers from her friend, the one you're supposed to be before you went all dark and creepy." Sin readied himself with his fists.
"Zato, you're going to tell me everything you know. Starting with the identity of Bedman, who is he and what does he want exactly for this big upcoming you mentioned?" Millia demanded.
"Sorry, but I still can't tell you otherwise it would ruin the big surprise." Zato waved his finger at them.
"See what I mean?" Millia asked Sin while sighing.
"Reminds me of that little green alien dude with the laser sword I saw in a movie." Sin commented.
"But good news, I am allowed to tell you about Bedman so that you won't have to wait and waste more of your time to find me again." Zato mentioned.
"Oh shit, are you for real?" Sin asked in surprise.
"Why yes, after all… You two are already standing in the same room as Bedman right now." Zato pointed at the sleeping young man, revealing that he is Bedman.
Sin and Millia gasp at the same time when they heard that this guy who is sleeping is the Bedman that they have been searching for to find out more about this big event.
Something from the bed itself came to Millia which Sin was able to notice with his superfast reaction time and quickly move her out of the way, the thing that was gonna attack Millia hit the floor instead making a dent.
"What the sleeping fuck?!" Sin was surprised that a bed is attacking them.
Then the bed started to transform with the legs and arms consist of black chain links with purple cords within them. The Bed's hands become 3 fingered hands bearing the word "Oneiroi", which refers to dream deities of Greek mythology. The legs are pink with black metal at the tip of the foot, the knee joint, and a spiked wheel at the Bed's "thigh." The wheels on the Bed also grow spikes. The Head is round and has Red Xs for eyes and has writing that says "Dreamlike Reality" on its forehead. It also wears a pink and gold crown atop its head.
"Wasn't there a saying about never wake the sleeping beast?" Sin asked Millia.
"Yes, but it looks like in this case the sleeping beast is the one doing the attacking." Millia pointed out.
"Such futile souls." Bedman said, but no one heard that because couldn't be heard from the outside, not from reality.
(Dreamscape)
"I have to say, you both did a wonderful job making it here this far. It's a surprise that you stumble upon me so soon when I had other plans for us to meet, but it looks like fate is playing favorites to allow all of us to be in the same room together, so why don't we make this a wonderful time before I put you both in a permanent sleep!" Bedman clapped his hands with his brown eyes open.
Bedman smiles widely, believing this is going to be a fun playtime for him.
KO a new chapter is done and hope you all enjoy it!
Sin and Millia managed to find Zato and Bedman on the same day, but it would seem that was the lure of a trap to let them find the two on purpose to give them a little bit of hope and then crush it themselves. Now the two allies will have to ready themselves to fight a literal sleeping man and his bed.
KO comment, favorite, and follow through of how this story will go!