Chapter 1: I'm sorry, but where am I?

<Morpheus' POV - Domain of Dreams The Dreaming>

'White...'

'White...'

'White...'

'WTF is this? Why can I only see white? Did I go blind right before I was about to go on my first ever date?' thought the little human who accidentally came into my private dwelling and got trapped in my endless white space room.

I watched the human try and navigate through the room, but without my permission, he won't be able to get out.

"Shock! What am I going to do? I need to go back. Did I stumble into someplace I shouldn't be?" he said.

I let him walk around for a few hours aimlessly, just because. I then snapped my fingers and let him out. 

<Ethan Wilson's POV>

*SNAP*

"Huh? Wha---?"

In front of me stand a pale guy in a black robe who looks like a sickly man on his deathbed.

"It's not a good thing to insult someone, you know?" said the figure.

"Uhm, I'm sorry, but where am I? And who are you?"

"You may call me Morpheus, and you're in my domain."

The figure, well, Morpheus said while looking at me like I shouldn't be here, which in hindsight, might be right.

"So, I'm in The Dreaming? How?" I asked him, as I really want to get out of here. I might be asleep, and I don't want to miss my date. 

"Correct, and as for your second question, I don't know. You were actually summoned in my endless white space room earlier"

"Endless White Space Room? That's a bit mouthy, don't you think so?" 

Morpheus then looked at me with a face that look a bit offended, but it was gone right away.

"Let's move forward to the matter at hand." He then looked at me seriously and I feel like something's wrong.

He then continued, "There is something wrong. You were supposed to end up in The Sunless Lands, but you end up here. Your mind and soul's connection to your body has been severed, but since you're not in the place you're supposed to end up in, your body is in a state of eternal sleep."

'Isn't eternal sleep just death without saying death?' I thought.

Morpheus' eyes rolled at me then continued speaking.

"Your body is alive, but won't ever be conscious. If you were in The Sunless Lands, then your body would have also perished then you'd be judged and either be sent to hell, heaven, or reincarnate."

'Too bad. I wouldn't have wanted to leave The Sunless Lands if Death looked like she did in the comics.'

*tsk* "Can you not think about impure thoughts about my sister?" Morpheus said with annoyance in his tone. When he said that, a black portal suddenly opened behind him.

"Aww, aren't you being overprotective, my dear brother?" said a voice from the portal.

At that moment, I found myself freezing in place.

First, a slender leg comes out of the portal and start moving forward slowly. My eyes are locked on it as it slowly showed Death in her full comic-accurate glory. 

"Wow" I didn't notice that I said it out loud and not in my mind.

This made Morpheus more annoyed while Death just smiled.

"Well, what do we have here?" Death then looked at a tablet that looked eerily like an iPad. 

'What kind of Death is she? From the sims?' I thought.

Death chuckled. "Well, this is more convenient than a book or a long-ass scroll, you know?"

That made me chuckle as well.

"So, Ethan Wilson, says here that you're not supposed to be dead yet." Death said.

"What do you mean he's not supposed to be dead yet?" Asked Morpheus. "I checked his origins. He's not connected to his body anymore."

"That's because someone changed his destiny, and no, it's not Destiny that did it. He's too busy "watching" everything unfold, as he says. Whoever did this is not someone we know or someone too powerful that he can evade our senses." 

As they continue talking, all I can think about is that I'm supposed to be alive. What would happen to me now?

Meanwhile...

<A Bar Outside Space and Time>

"So, what's so special about this kid that you want to take him from Earth-235? He was living nicely and was about to learn a new lesson" said by a chubby man in a suit and a bowler hat.

The man beside him who people would know as Stan Lee, grabs a drink, then spoke. "Well, let's just say I owe someone a favor." Stan Lee looks in front of him as if looking through a looking glass.

"And weren't you being too harsh on him? When he goes on that date, you planned on getting him into an accident after being stood up by his date. Are you trying to do what's done on Peter Parker without even giving him powers?"

This made the chubby man stop for a bit. 

"Why did you make him meet two of The Endless?" the chubby man asked.

"Isn't it obvious? So, he'll have an experience dealing with powerful beings, albeit briefly" Stan said, "Making The Endless sweat a bit is an added bonus." 

This made the chubby man shake his head with a smile. "Well, aren't you going to take him yet?"

Stan then stood up and drank all his drink. "Well, see you later." He then left leaving the chubby man puzzled. 

<The Dreaming - General POV>

The two Endless have been racking their brains on who could have done something like that, while Ethan is still thinking about what will happen to him, when all of a sudden, he felt someone's hand on his shoulder. 

"Well, hello there, young man. Sorry for disrupting your thoughtful moment, and stopping you from going on your date, but I need you to come with me."

The voice made The Endless siblings look at Ethan's direction and was surprised to see this being in front of them. 

Death spoke up first and said, "It's an honor to meet you, but why are you here?"

Morpheus is just looking at what's happening quietly with a stoic face.

"Oh, do not worry. I already have The Presence's permission to bring this guy with me." 

"Huh?" said Ethan. 

"Why is Stan Lee here?" Ethan looked at Death quizzically. "Don't tell me he's The-One-Above-All." 

Ethan looked at Stan Lee and saw him smirking. 

"Oh no! Don't bring me to your universe. I don't want to experience the fucked up things there." Ethan then ran towards Death, but he found himself stuck in place.

"Now, now. There's no need to worry. Someone has a special plan for you."

"Why me? I'm just a normal guy." 

"Why not you?" said Stan Lee. 

"Hmm" Death looks at Ethan and spoke. "You should take this chance."

Dream nodded and both the Endless looked at each other like two people who's hiding a secret from the one they're talking to.

This made Ethan think that maybe they knew what was going to happen to him and thinks starting a new life in a new universe is better.

After some pondering, Ethan spoke up. 

"Okay, I would agree, but can you tell me why you feel like it would be better for me to change universes?"

Dream then controlled the sand around them and shows a scene of me waiting in the restaurant that Ethan is supposed to meet his date in and it looks like it has been some time since he'd been there. 

"So, my date stood me up? That's not too bad." 

The scene then changed and showed Ethan being unable to brake and his car smashed into a tree and flung him out of the car. He managed to stay alive, albeit with a lot of scars. It was then found that his date was actually the girlfriend of a co-worker he reported for embezzling and they cut his brakes as revenge. They were caught and was found guilty for attempted murder and for his co-worker, an embezzlement charge on top of it.

After the last day of the hearing, when Ethan was walking out of the court house, a kid ran past him and was so surprised that he missed the step and fell down the stairs and broke his neck. He was still alive but was paralyzed and was told that it might be permanent. 

Before all this happened he was in a good financial position so he was able to afford having someone take care of him. 

A year later, when he was having his check up, it was found that he was slowly recovering since he can feel his body, but still unable to move it. The doctor told him to keep in touch with her so that they can monitor him properly and be able to help him in his recovery. 

This made him and the doctor grew close after some time, and the doctor dated him. Unfortunately, on the first night of them being intimate, even though Ethan can't move, he can feel pleasure, so they did it. Ethan felt so good that he had a heart attack and was brought to the hospital, but was dead on arrival.

The sands that were showing the scenes then fell to the floor, but some of the sand was sent to Ethan, and he didn't notice that his soul absorbed it.

After seeing all those scenes, Ethan was stunned and had his mouth open. Death closed it while looking at Ethan with pity.

"Does Destiny hate me or something? What's up with that life?"

Death and Morpheus was still quiet, but they look like they're holding back their laughter.

"Well, with that out of the way, let's go." Stan Lee said before opening a golden portal.

Before they go through the portal, Death moved towards Ethan and kissed his forehead. 

"What was that for?"

"You'll see."

Before Ethan can speak again, the portal swallowed him in and brought him to another white space.

"Again?" Ethan shouted.

*to be continued*

<The Dreaming>

Death was smirking at Morpheus. This earned a scowl on Morpheus' face.

"What?"

"Nothing. Although, I saw what you did there."

"Well, I felt bad for finding his life amusing, while you just want to tease him by kissing him on his forehead when you could give him your blessing without touching him" 

This just made Death smile even more before saying goodbye and heading back to her Domain.

* chapter end*