The Dreamtime

[Big Boom]

Without answering, Alex led both of them behind one of the walls, so they were out of the group of armed mens' view. Kronosdragon snapped, "I asked where are we?!"

Alex turned around and rolled his eyes, "I told you already, that pool is where I almost drowned, and got turned into a nightmare. Of course I didn't know how the landscape looked above the pool until now...because I was inside it the whole time." Alex signaled Kronosdragon to hush for a minute, so they could at least overhear the mens' conversation. Alex peered over the corner of the wall, Kronosdragon right behind him.

"Now men, when we're going to start the infiltration, everyone be on their toes. We don't the enemy to know we are there..." Mattbot informed. In the background Alex scoffed at the though of them not being caught. "Now listen, I don't want to waste another minute in this dump," Mattbot said, glaring at Wadling. "So I want this to be done quickly..." Mattbot started to say when he was interrupted.

Alex came out of the corner and started to walk towards the group, Kronosdragon moved slowly behind, confused about why Alex moved into sight. "You want to do this quickly?! And not being caught? Do you think that some weaponry is really going to do any harm to a nightmare?!" Alex snarled.

Everyone turned to Alex, while Mattbot pointed his gun towards him.

[Mattbot]

"Friends of yours?" Matt asked in a gruff tone to the men previously known as demonickilla and Polo, Now nameless. The two scanned the new arrivals carefully before shruging.

"Guess not, state your business and alignment!"

Wadling followed his lead and raised his own gun. demonickilla and Polo where a little slow to follow suit and clumsilly readied their cannons.

[Big Boom]

"My business?" Alex retorted with a grin on his face. Kronosdragon was now standing next to him. "Our business was to come along with the Angelia, we need to free the initial dreamer from Warren..or the clown as he is known."

"Now, let me repeat myself...If you go into the depths of the nightmare with guns and zero knowledge of what is down there...you're going to die." Alex stated.

(Mattbot, I don't know if your characters are acquainted with the clown yet...so I don't know if I have to explain everything again to your character. :\ )

(I edited it out....somehow i still thought Bloody Bomb was with them.)

[kronosdragon]

Kronosdragon looked on with growing interest. She crossed her arms and looked each of the men over. Their weapons wouldn't be able to do her any harm, but she didn't want her new "partner" to become swiss cheese. It was already clear that the other men wouldn't tolerate any funny business, so without a word, she slipped a hand behind her back and slowly tipped one of the many vials of colored liquids hanging from her ivy belt. A single drop of a viscous violet mixture fell on the ground and shrouded Alex in an invisible shield. It would last for as long as he remained alive.

"So we're dealing with a clown? Like the one that broke the cliff I was trying to climb down?"

[Mattbot]

(My character doesn’t know shit, he doesn’t even know he’s dreaming. All he knows is that he needs to bring down bloody bomb. Probably not the best idea to have him appear up here.)

What on holy terra were these fellows talking about? dreamers? Warren? nightmares? Say what you will about Wadlings story, at least his was believable. Matt eyed the two of them up and down, no visible teleportation device or protective gear, how did they fade into the room like that. Nothing about this mission added up. Shape shifters, teleporters, the insane cover stories being spewed out of everyone Matt seemed to come into contact with.

“Bullshit, this isn’t no dream.” Wadling replied nervously before glancing over at Matt.

“He‘s right, look I even have Identification.” He pushed the end of his chain gun into the mans face “How can my whole life be just a dream when I have a whole service record dating back to 1847!?!?”

The two figures vanished just as suddenly as they appeared. The team stood still for a moment scanning the area around them before turning back towards each other and edging back towards the drain. “Wadling, cover our backs, the rest of you move in nice and quiet.”

[Varthonai]

(Big Boom, didn't Bloody Bomb already head down the pipe in his last post? What's he still doing on the surface? He hasn't done anything important, maybe you should retcon him out while you still can.)

There is a buzzing in Polo's head.

It is very faint. Almost inaudible, but it's there. Like a bumblebee in his skull.

"Guys?" he asks. "Do you hear that?"

They do not listen. They are arguing amongst themselves. All except Demonickilla, anyway... he's glancing around worriedly on the sidelines. Polo goes to him.

"Do you hear it too?" asks Polo, frightened.

Demonickilla shudders.

"What's wrong?" asks Polo. "Is something--"

Demonickilla opens his mouth, and a cascade of blood pours down his lower lip and chin, running down his neck and chest. There is a metal rod protruding a few inches out of Demonickilla's chest.

Suddenly Demonickilla's entire body shudders again. Polo sees that the rod has impaled Demonickilla from behind, and that there is a cord attached to its back end that trails down into the dark pipe below them. There is a jerk, the cord goes taut, and Demonickilla is yanked down into the pipe without a sound.

No one has noticed.

Polo starts to turn and try to warn the others, but suddenly the buzzing in his head increases a hundredfold. His entire head is like a hive of midges and mosquitoes.

He screams. He falls to his knees and claps his hands to his ears.

It does no good.

The sound is not diminished.

[Mattbot]

The omnipresent soundtrack ramped up dramatically as the squad entered the pool. Matt and Wadling spun around trying to spot the cause and noticed their point man had fallen onto his knees and was clutching violently at his skull. Wadling ran over to him and lifted his hands free, the sides of his head bloodied by small fingernail cuts, a large puddle of blood trailed down into the drain where demonickilla was previously standing, the amount of blood was in way too large a quantity to have come from Polo’s small head wounds and Mattbot instinctively dived down after the trail.

He crashed down through the jagged remains of the blasted out tunnel, breaking all sharp protrusions with the broadside of his arms. “Killa! Killa where are you? Killa!” he roared as he crashed down onto the unstable ground and began feeding multiple belts of shotgun shells into his gun. Sharp clanging noises and ungodly roars echoes down the tunnel towards him, Matt promptly fired in all directions.

[Big Boom]

(Ok....I edited Bloody Bomb out...wait so now me and Kronosdragon disappeared..? This is getting confusing...but I'll just go with it)

Alex surveyed his new surroundings, Kronosdragon was standing next to him. The place was very dark, and cylindrical, then it hit him. They were in the pipe lines. He also noticed a trail of blood heading towards the blackness. A large opening letting much light in was visible at the other end. "Why did you send us here?" Alex questioned.

"Things were going to get messy very soon...I thought it would be better to leave." Kronosdragon replied hastily. Alex shook his head to disagree.

"Kronosdragon, as gun happy as those two are...we need to let them know what they are dealing with. They could help." Alex said slowly. He turned to Kronosdragon who was thinking everything over. Suddenly, loud shots of fire could be heard from the entrance up ahead. "I'm going over there..." Alex muttered.

"You can't! Even the shield charm I put on you can't protect you against constant gun fire!" Kronosdragon looked like she regretted saying anything. Alex turned around, one eyebrow raised.

"I'm not going to ask about this charm...all you need to know is that I'm permanently tainted by the clown," Alex informed. Kronosdragon observed Alex who looked very normal. "Right now, I'm taking form of my past self, but if I want to, I can still turn into the nightmare form of me," Alex said. At that moment, Alex's eyes started to darken, until they were dark as charcoal. His skin started to move around, like something was inside of him...and then it stopped. Alex smiled, as he walked towards the entrance, Kronosdragon stayed at her spot, shocked at what she saw...yet still he had control of himself.

The gun fire stopped as Alex appeared from the shadows. "You again?!" Mattbot yelled.

(By the way, my character isn't invincible. He can still be killed by the clown and his minions. But not by dreamers.)

[Mattbot]

(Well I thought kronos put an invisible shield down over you so you appeared invisible to us, also Wadling isn't in the tunnel and could you give me warning next time you wanna control my character? cause I wouldnt have had him shoot you.)

The apparition of the teleporter from outside slammed into the wall of the drain, his upper chest chiseled through by Matt’s combat knife, the weapon he had been carrying droped into the murky water at their feet.

(I'd have thrown a knife at you instead, my guys perception of events may differ to yours)

“Stick around.” Matt responded with a grin. Wadling waded through the tunnel towards him, the wounded man wrapped around his back still crying in agony. “Matt, on your nine!” he yelled before unloading a clip further down into the darkness. The area was illuminated with muzzle flare and the squelch of hit targets echoed back to them. The two paused and edged down towards the sound, Matt yanked his blade from the strangers impaled corpse.

They stopped and gasped at what the found. “By Odin’s beard.” From beneath the foul smelling water rose a long jet black spear of alien design, its tip a series of sleek blades covered in unreadable symbols. A raw red body hung limp from its shaft, its naked carcass skewered from his backside to his open mouth. Bare muscle and organs were exposed and slid out onto the floor. The body was skinless apart from one section of his body. The head. Matt looked into his hollowed out eyes “… demonickilla. Polo, cut him down.” Polo didn’t comply.

Matt jestured with a nod to Wadling and the two stepped back from the carnage “I knew this man, had him recommended for field sergeant once we got this job done. How the hell did he end up down here and like this? Ain‘t no way for a soldier to die.”

“I don‘t know, Matt. This is inhuman. Nobody told me that the shape shifter was capable of this.”

“Well maybe it wasn‘t the shape shifter.” Matts eyes squinted and he turned to head back to the corpse. The teleported blocked his path. “What the hell?…”

[Big Boom]

(Kronosdragon put an invisible shield down over my character, and Wadling isn't in the tunnel, he's outside of it....see this is getting pretty confusing. Your character shot my character because in previous posts it was explained to take down anyone in the way...which Alex was. But sorry, Ill ask you next time.)

Edit: Alex isn't invisible, he is seen by everyone.

Edit 2: I can edit my other post to connect to yours.

[Varthonai]

The buzzing in Polo's head rises, falls, and rises again. The cacophony is unbearable. Polo falls down on all fours and screams. He bashes his head against the side of the metal pipe to try and drown out the sound but it does nothing, nothing at all, and even as Polo's forehead grows slick with blood the all-consuming sound does not abate.

Attention flickers between Polo and the corpse of Demonickilla. The expression on Demonickilla's face--the only piece of skin left on his body--changes subtly each time they look back, until it wears a big smile. And it is clear now why the face was left intact.

The face has been painted over with the Clown's makeup, blood-red lips and bone-white face. It grins madly with no trace of life in its dull eyes.

"Master's power grows," says the corpse of Demonickilla. "Join in the madness, friends."

[kronosdragon]

KD stared in horror at the painted, undead face. She shuddered, feeling sick.

"Tell me what's going on, this is getting too weird, guys..."

[Big Boom]

OK I am down right confused. Alex is visible to everyone. I don't know where to go from now...

[kronosdragon]

(You are not invisible, and from what I understand, everyone is now in some sort of drainage pipe or sewer or something)

[Mattbot]

(Damn I forgot about the clown makeup >.<)

A deep feeling of dread filled up the damp, dark tunnel and the recent occurrences were not helping moral. Polos outbursts were intensifying to the point where his head looked ready to cave in and the remains of demonickilla appeared to be distorting to this.

Noticing the panic this was causing his compadres, Mattbot lifted a pistol to the disfigured face of demonickilla and squeezed the trigger exploding the head like a watermelon hit with a mallet. He turned back to the others with an emotionless expression.

“Wadling, restrain the private and make your way up to the surface, we‘re leaving.”

“But we” Wadling began but quickly decided that getting out of this tunnel was a wise idea. The sooner they got Polo away from this place the better.

“You” Matt said pointing at the resurrected teleported “Tell me again what you meant by clowns? And don‘t give me that dream shit.”

[Wadling]

Wadling nodded and grabbed Polo by the arm. He hoisted him to his feet and cuffed him, he took off running, Polo dragging behind him screaming the whole way.

"C'mon, we're not dead yet!"

[Varthonai]

Wadling runs. He runs until his muscles burn and his veins pump battery acid, and then he runs some more. Polo screams every step of the way.

They soon come to a ladder that leads back up to the surface. Wadling flexes his muscles, picks up Polo, and throws his weight over one of his broad burly arms. "Sorry to give you the cold SHOULDER, Polo," Wadling quips, reaching for the first step of the ladder. "Maybe you should've RUNG ahead!"

The ladder stretches on a great distance upward; Matt cleared a very long space in his tumble to the bottom of the pit. The further up they go, the less Polo screams, but soon Wadling begins to hear a different sound, a faint buzzing. And something lands on Wadling's neck then, and he hooks his knees into the ladder and uses his free hand to swat at it. When he pulls back his hand, his palm is splattered with the remains of an insect that vaguely resembles a gigantic mosquito.

Crane fly, Wadling thinks, wiping the bug off on Polo's shirt in disgust, but as soon as he has two more flies land on him--one on the hand that's holding Polo's back, and one on his cheek. "Gerroff," Wadling mutters, shaking himself, but the flies do not move. "Polo, can you brush these filthy things off me--"

Wadling looks up at Polo's face and sees that Polo's mouth is agape, his mouth crowded with hundreds of the nasty creatures. They crawl down his chin, over his chest and onto Wadling's arm, or simply fly off of Polo and land on Wadling where they choose.

"Shit, Polo, stop--"

Polo's head splits apart into six or seven parts, like a blossoming meat flower. Crane flies swarm out in the thousands, fly into Wadling's eyes and force him to blink. They buzz in his ears and throw off his coordination.

"Dammit, Polo," says Wadling, watching Polo's entire body continue to split like the leaves of a corn husk, "you've got to PULL YOURSELF TOGE--"

The crane flies swarm into Wadling's open mouth in mid-one-liner, forcing him to sputter and spit angrily. He loses control and drops Polo's body, but a moment later his arms split apart and four long, hairy black legs come out and cling to the wall of the drain pipe. Polo's whole skin peels off and falls to the floor below, hitting it with a resounding wet, pulpy smack and slosh; the creature that has shed Polo's body is a spider of Titanic proportions, its head encrusted with shining moist eyes and two massive fangs folding and unfolding reflexively in anticipation.

Wadling knows he cannot outrun the spider to the top of the ladder. He releases his grip and tries to slide to the bottom and take his chances there, but the spider has already intercepted him. It snatches his heel in its fangs as he slides by and rips him off of the ladder in one smooth motion, tearing through his Achilles tendon and sending him into convulsions of agonizing pain... but the pain soon dulls as the spider's venom courses through his system and dulls all sensation of anything physical. Only the fear remains, as the spider draws him in and wraps his neck in a thick loop of webbing and brings its face close to his, its throbbing, pulsating face with pincers pumping and powerful fangs chittering and glistening eyes swelling in excitement.

When its work is finally done, the spider connects one end of a long thread to the drain pipe wall and the other end to Wadling's neck, and lets him fall. The thread goes taut, Wadling's thick neck snaps like a twig, and his corpse bangs against the side of the pipe and resonates through the entire structure like the pendulum of a church bell.

The spider chitters excitedly.

(Kudos to Will for the first two puns)

[Mattbot]

(That's the greatest reaction to a human bananna skin ever.)

From what he understood from Alex‘s explanation. They were up against some form of demonic force capable of turning peoples deepest fears into physical threats by which to either kill or enslave them and that these creatures had specifically targeted both Alex, his partner and among others himself and Wadling. Before Alex could yet again attempt to persuade Matt that this was not reality, they realized that Wadling had ran too far ahead of them and was now lost in the dark unresponsive to their calls. Matt loaded yet another belt into his gun and picked up the pace keeping cautious about his surroundings.

A single manly tear rolled down Mattbot’s cheek as he found his friend suspended above him, dangling on what appeared to be some form of thick organic string that trailed up a snapped and twisted ladder. The air felt heavy and moist around this area and Matt only spent enough time there to cut down his ex comrade and contact HQ. He hefted the body bag under his left arm and walked over to Alex “Aerial says we‘re cut off, there are 4 differing pipes leading from this area. Take the one leading east, it should lead you out of here. If my message meant anything, there should be a chopper waiting on the other side. They might be able to get you in contact with someone who can help.”

He pointed at the entrance to the tunnel and handed the two a sunrod and the schematics of the drainage system incase their teleportation method required co ordinates. “You guys can go on without me, I‘ve been putting death off for long enough now and I might be able to buy you guys some time.”

Before Alex could interject. “If what you say is true and this is really all a dream then we have nothing to worry about now get to the chopper!” Matt hastily threw himself down the tunnel he felt the most uneasy about and found himself sliding down the slick tunnel, water began flooding in from other connecting tunnels. A large opening lay at the bottom of this crude water slide and Matt realized what awaited him. “Oooooh shit-”

He hit the large pool of water hard and struggled to clamber to the surface while keeping Wadling’s corpse under his arm. He clasped hold of a steel frame and hauled himself over onto the grated floor. The tunnel had dropped him into a closed off corridor that looked like part of some futuristic metal dungeon. There was a severe lack of light and from what he could make out, nothing but a maze of corridors in either direction. He was trapped and alone, the soul clinging fear from the shape shifters eyes crept back. Before he picked himself up he unzipped the top of Wadling’s body bag, the corpse already decomposing and sticking to the material of the bag, Matt refused to wince. Better times flashed back through his mind. “You know whoever got you. They'll come back again. And when they does I'm gonna cut your name right into them!”

[Mattbot]

(They spoke out of post, I should have waited a bit longer before posting but I got too into this. Do you want me to delete it and repost later?)

[Varthonai]

The Clown's odd clicking growl resonates and echoes throughout the dungeon in which Matt has found himself trapped. Matt frantically attempts to aim his gun at the source of the noise, but it seems to come from everywhere...

This one here, the Clown says, commanding the great spider that was hatched inside of Polo, I'll see to him. You, my pet, will guide the others to the heart of Nightmare... and then the final slaughter shall begin.

[Big Boom]

"Damnit!" cried Alex as he saw Mattbot's silhouette disappear into the dark corridor. His loud screams diminished slowly as the sound of loud gurgling in the distance got louder. Kronosdragon was still in some shock from the events that had happened. What Alex had told her in the beginning turned from a dream to reality. Three innocents died in front of her eyes. It was unfathomable that she was living in her own world, oblivious to what was actually happening in the sidelines. The annoying sound got louder.

Kronosdragon looked at Alex, still in the startling form of his nightmare. She finally let out, "We aren't going to go to the chopper are we?"

Alex turned around and shook his head, his eyes rolling. "And go where? We are in the nightmare, if the initial dreamer is still trapped in the nightmare, he will never wake up. We will be stuck, until we die. So no, we aren't going to the chopper." Alex looked around, there were 4 corridors, one on each side. One was where Wadling died, one where Mattbot was swept away, and two corridors that were untouched.

There was a deep sigh which came from Alex. "I never thought it would turn out like this. But I didn't think Warren would become a monster..." his speech was interrupted.

There was a loud crash from the ceiling, water pouring out in every direction. Alex quickly yelled, "Kronosdragon, if you see one of the clowns. Don't let them deceive you! Run like hell!" The water sent Alex into one of the corridors. His head hitting the corner of the wall and making a sickly crack. Kronosdragon was dragged away by the other current, in the opposite direction. The farther the water took them, the darker it became. Until neither could hear eachothers' screams.

"Yes....I have all of you where I want to..." the clown whispered with a grin on his face. "Let it begin.


(No Mattbot its fine. I just needed to figure out what exactly was going on. But I know now.)

[Mattbot]

Matt tore off his overburdening gear, this place had been draining his strength ever since he had come upon demonickilla’s corpse and it was now impossible to carry the majority of his gear. He clad himself in what he could carry. A few converted bandoliers made to holster a small handgun, sawn off shotgun, his rifle, an overly large combat knife and all that was left of the now considerably limited ammo and grenades. The heat was unbearable down there and his combat shift didn’t give him the greatest camouflage bonus anyway so he discarded of it and instead covered himself in the cooling muck he had fished from the small pool beneath the steel floor.

Now that he had successfully hidden both his heat signature and his visual appearance from these clowns, he decided to try and draw them in. He took a torch to Wadling’s body and roared “WAAAAAREEEEEEEN!”

[kronosdragon]

The rush of dark water swept Kronosdragon away, slamming her violently into the walls of the tunnel with each turn. She fought to keep her head above water, but decided it would be much easier if she'd only shapeshift. After a brief moment of thought, she started to change. Her body elongated and sprouted scales, turning into a large black catfish. Suddenly the water didn't feel as unforgiving, and she gently navigated her underwater world, using her sense of smell and touch to feel her way through the dark water. She soon came to a pool of startlingly cold water, and she swam to shore before changing back, so she could get out immediately. She looked around, and saw that the walls were covered in silvery spiderwebs.

"Well now..."

She spotted the only exit not far from where she stood, and started toward it. Then she heard the clicking and decided better. She closed her eyes, her keen elven ears picking up on the noise as she tried to identify it. A bird? No, what would a bird be doing down here...Footsteps? She opened her eyes when she felt the creature move, and was appalled by the sheer size of the creature emerging from the darkness.

"River Spider..."

She was familiar with this fantastic beast. The giant spider guardian of rivers and bogs. She had come across only a few, and that had been enough for her. And here, she stared it in the eye once again, much to her displeasure. What was it doing down here? Of all places...

"River Spider, strong and fierce, stay your evil heart and state your business in the nightmare world!" KD demanded.

The River Spider clicked its fangs before letting out a shuddering breath.

"Born in flesh into this world I was. What was once two is now one. Danger is my master and evil is my birth. It is my master's will that you become the same."

"River Spider, strong and fierce, who is this once you call your master? Why does the mighty bend to the weak?"

"Master is not weak, and has given me new life. Now is the time for new beginnings in a new era."

The River Spider slowly approached her, the claws on its feet scraping at the stone floor. KD stood firm as it came face-to-face with her, its foul breath accented by the blood that was drying on its mandibles.

"You would do wise to proceed, before my next meal consists of elven flesh."

KD frowned, but didn't want to provoke it any further. She bowed slowly to it before entering the dark corridor beyond the web-spattered walls. As she walked through the darkness, she heard the water babble as the spider submerged itself.

(Many of you may be unfamiliar with the story of the River Spider, it's a very old story based in the Louisiana swamps. I can't find it online, or else I would give you a link, but that's where I'm referencing from. Hence the riddle-like style of speaking from the spider.)

[Big Boom]

It was his nightmare all over again. The corner he had hit had severely damaged his scalp, and now was taking time to reform. But that was the least of Alex's worries. The dark and frigid water felt like it was seeping through his body, and he struggles desperately to stay above water. He heard the last of Kronosdragon's screams as he was dragged underwater by the sharp current. Alex opened his dark eyes, desperately trying to find his way underwater. But it was hopeless, his body was being beaten by the walls and corners, and the light was so low that the farthest he could see in front of him was about a foot.

Constantly alternating between being underwater and gasping for air he finally felt as if he was launched with the water to an endless abyss. There was no floor. He could feel himself falling, the water getting heavier, and the thought that he would be crushed by the water. Suddenly Alex was on the floor, yet somehow he hadn't felt it. He opened his eyes slowly and looked up, only to see a ceiling. He got up, the water was up to his knees, and the walls made of mirror were leaking in water.

The room was oddly quiet, and was slightly illuminated by a dim light in the water. The silence was interrupted suddenly when a strange clicking started to sound. The clicking was a mix of snarling and clanging, and just from the sound, it didn't seem friendly. The sound continued, but the room's water remained very still. Not a little ripple was present. The clicking also didn't seem to be one of the clowns, if it were, they would have been here by now.

As the sound continued, Alex remembered about that Kronosdragon was separated. Everyone was separated. Of course. It was all part of the clown's plan. He knows that the dreamers stand a chance against him and the nightmare, but with them separated, they might as well be dead. He hoped that Kronosdragon would last against whatever it was that the clown had prepared for him. Mattbot on the other hand had the strength to fight whatever the clown sent after him. Alex just worried of his lack of knowledge about the nightmare.

Alex's train of though stopped when the sound got louder, and seemed to come from every corner. Alex looked around raising his eyebrow, "Come out where ever you are you demons..."

Suddenly Alex felt a bite on the back of his leg, particles spewed out, then reformed. Something had bit him, and hard...yet there was no trace of where the creature was. Another surge of pain went through his hand, and crawling was felt on his legs. He shook the invisible creatures off his body frantically.

It seemed like he had no chance against these invisible clicking creatures. Just then, Alex turned to one of the mirrored walls, and saw his reflection...and the reflection of about a dozen over sized spiders. He looked back at the water and himself and saw nothing. "No way..." Alex realized. He could only fight these spiders using the mirrors and the reflections.

He felt a heaviness in his pocket, and quickly pulled out his dagger which was still shining with power. "Ok you little bastards...lets go," Alex uttered. The dagger swiftly ran through his fingers, and then he threw his dagger at the reflections in the mirrors. The dagger went straight into the mirror, right on target. It hit the spider's reflection with force, it's reflection flying into the water limp and sending a spiderweb of cracks on the mirror.

"Yes Alex, the farther you go killing the spiders, the more your vision on the reflections will be ruined...have fun."

Another spider was flung off of him as the mirror was damaged some more.

[Varthonai]

Matt adapts to his situation well, thinks the Clown, to cover himself with the stuff of Nightmare, masking his dreamer's aura... but I can adapt even better. He will not stray far from his friend's body.

A cannon mounted on the Clown's shoulder puffs out a long blue balloon that streaks towards Wadling's position. On impact the balloon pops and sprays flammable liquid everywhere, igniting when it touches Wadling's body and turning the room into a massive, flickering inferno.

The Clown makes another clicking growl and steps into the light. "Where are you, Matt, m'boy?" it giggles. "You and your friends need to get in the game. You can't stay on the sidelines forever, or you'll end up like this charred chunk of spider leftover here."

***

KD swims cautiously down the corridor, but quickly runs into a chamber roped off with thick webbing. The web extends below the water's surface--she cannot swim under it.

"Mother might have considered you unpalatable," hiss a chorus of rasping voices from behind her, "but we are not so picky in our tastes."

KD turns to see dozens of smaller spiders converging from the end of the hallway, blocking off the other end.

"Do not fear for your life, little one," whispers the black spider nearest to her, as he spins a rope of silk with three of its back legs and knots a loop into it for lassoing prey. "We will keep you alive as long as possible. The longer we can feed, the better."

His fangs shine pearly white in the darkness, and his fellows laugh uproariously.