19 | The Final Part

The four were laying on their backs inside of one of the side rooms of the warehouse. They may have escaped the dream world, but they still had a problem to take care of.

Leora sat up and grinned. Her eyes filled with tears, "hey we're really awake this time right?"

DJ groaned and carefully sat up, pushing himself to his feet. Blinking a few times, he finally processed everything going on and walked out of the room with determination. Aha. Ahahaha. Time to dice a dreamer. "ECHO, WHERE ARE YOU, YOU LITTLE BITCH!"

Leora scrambled up, "hey I wanna hit him too hold on!!" She shouted and grabbed her bag.

Ryker and Chase both got up to their feet and followed the others.

In the main room, Echo was booking it towards the exit. Unfortunately for him, the hallway that the four had come out of placed them in front of the door, blocking the exit. Echo immediately stopped in him tracks, taking a few steps back from the group. "Oh hey guys! It is so nice to see you all again!" he chuckled awkwardly.

"Can I hit him first? Pretty please?" Leora asked and tossed her wrench up and down. She had anger in her eyes.

DJ stopped, pulling her back a bit away from the front. "No... he still has the necklace. One hit and you'll be back."

She frowned, "that's fair..." she mumbled.

Echo chuckled, running his hand over the necklace. "You would be wise to listen to DJ, Leora." He shifted his weight and shrugged. "I have a proposition for you four." Echo said, looking between them all.

DJ glared from the back of the group, leaning against the wall. "Why the fuck would we listen to you?"

Leora played with her wrench. "You kinda lied to us. Put the people we cared about in magical comas, then tried to put us in magical comas."

"That is exactly correct." Echo smiled. "And only I have the ability to break them out." he continued.

Chase shifted uncomfortably.

"Join us." Echo said flatly. "Then I will release your loved ones and you four can join our side, your family and friends will be released." he said.

Ryker rolled his eyes. "Yeah right." he scoffed.

DJ glared, but stayed silent.

Leora frowned, there had to be another way.

At the back of the room, a bright, circular light broke through time and space, and Olympia came barreling through with Caleb in tow. "HE'S LYING!"

Leora looked at her, "Olympia? Caleb?" She asked, really confused.

Caleb stumbled to stand and looked around. He eyes focused on Echo. he was really fucking confused but ready to fight.

Echo rolled his eyes and let out a sigh out of frustration. "You have got to be kidding me..."

Chase shook his head, returning his attention to Echo. "No way in hades will I ever join you." he said.

Leora bit her lip, while she wanted Red to wake up. He'd be so mad if she did it like this. "I'll find another way to wake Red up." She said, she was gripping her wrench so tightly her knuckles turned white.

Olympia was about to speak, but DJ spoke up from the back."...Alex?" He asked carefully.

Echo raised an eyebrow, pleased to hear DJ speak up. "Alexander will be safe and sound. You have my word." he said, raising up a hand, placing the other over his chest.

"DJ it's not worth it. Think of what he's done. He's already lied so much. What makes you think he's not lying now?" Leora asked, a little panicked.

Caleb didn't like that at all.. Echo was sounding like when Morpheus's whispered in his ear.. it just mad him even more pissed. He had a firm grip on his dagger.

DJ took a deep breath and looked around at the group. Swallowing hard, he carefully stood up off the wall and walked toward Echo. He turned back to look at Leora. "...I..." he inhaled sharply, fighting back tears. "...he's the only thing I have. I have to try." He put his hands up, then turned around, walking back to Echo.

"Red's all I have too but-" she took a breath "what is Alex going to think when he finds out you woke him up like this?"

DJ shook his head and turned to look at her again. "He's seen me do worse." He said flatly, then went to stand in front of Echo.

Leora didn't know what to do. She looked at DJ and she just felt helpless.

Echo smiled. "Beautiful."

Ryker watched DJ silently, his expression unreadable. Betrayal.. that was how he felt. That was how he kept feeling with whatever happened between DJ and him. He was always so confused and whenever things seemed to feel right... something would happen that would make Ryker take a few steps back again. He continued to watch DJ, his eyes never leaving him.

Echo placed his hands behind his back and chuckled. "Well this has been very pleasant but if no one else wants to take my offer, we must take our leave of you all now. Thank you for the fun!" he said, then turned to leave.

DJ took a deep breath and looked at Leora, making eye contact with her. Although not saying a word, it was fairly clear what he meant. He made a slightly nod, then reached around Echo to grab the necklace. Ignoring the heat, he pulled down as hard as he could, breaking the chain, then burst into a sprint back across the warehouse.

Olympia was fucking bamboozled.

Leora grinned and threw her wrench at Echo. The girl had scarily good aim.

Caleb watched DJ. Sighing from relief as he went for the Necklace. He had his dagger ready and looked over to Chase. He was really fucking worried about him mostly.

DJ ran all the way back over to where Ryker was, not saying a word. Grabbing him by the collar of his shirt, he pulled him down to his level carefully. And he kissed him.

Quickly, the crystal heated up in his hand again, but this time DJ didn't let go. He stayed in the moment of what he was doing. Stayed away from the pin. Stayed with Ryker. Yeah, he's really fucking gay.

Leora cheered. "Heck yeah!!!" She shouted.

Ryker kissed him back. He was... so confused... but he kissed him back.

Echo got smackerdooed by the wrench, dropping him to the ground out cold... he wasn't very resilient...

Leora skipped over and picked up her wrench. "Can we go home now? I have a party to throw with my brother and a present to deliver to a pretty girl." She grinned.

Slowly, he pulled back away from him, taking a deep breath as he stood there. Opening his eyes, his forehead rested against Ryker's, he held his hand between them and opened it. Inside his hand was broken pieces of metal and crystal, shaped like a heart. "...it happens sometimes." He stared at it, laughing a little.

Caleb finally moved from where he near Olympia and went to Chase. "Thank god you're alive." He laughed weakly. he didn't have tears what are you talking about.

Ryker looked down at DJ's hand at the broken, heart shaped crystal, his forehead still resting on DJ's. He let out a small laugh. "Mhum..." he teased.

Chase snapped out of it and looked at Caleb. He blinked a few times and then his eyes darted around at everyone. "I need to get back... please..." he quickly went over to Olympia. "Please.."

Olympia looked over at everyone and nodded. "Yeah, through the portal, across the throne room. Go!!" She gestured people through the bright light circle.

Leora grinned and ran through. She wanted to see her brother, she knew he'd see Cordelia first but she wanted to be there for when he woke up.

Caleb tucked his dagger back and followed through the portal.

DJ smirked a bit and looked over at the portal, taking Ryker's hand before running off through it.

And off they all went safely back to camp. Those who were trapped in their dreams were safely released, and should wake up soon. The prophecy had been completed and the four had successfully worked together to make it through.