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Chapter Text

Disclaimer: I don’t own anything from Escape the Night or Doctor Who. I just own any and all characters that I just happen to create.

PROLOGUE: TRAINING AND TROUBLE

*****

`“Two years and nine months ago on June 22, 2016, the world was thrown into turmoil when YouTubers Joey Graceffa, Andrea Brooks, Shane Dawson, Oli White, Eva Gutowski, Matthew Haag, Timothy DelaGhetto, Sierra Furtado, GloZell Green, Bart Walker, Benny Smith, Justine Ezarik, and Lele Pons, along with SciFi actress Dawn Hatcher, all went missing for three months.

`“During those three months, the Los Angles Police Department did an exhaustive search for the missing YouTubers and the missing actress, refusing to give up even after the normal 24 hour period had passed, and just when the families of the missing people had given up hope, it was then that an organization that called itself the Society Against Evil, found four of the missing people alive.

`“According to a representative of the secretive Society, a man named Arthur Kenneth had lured the group to a house, and had held them prisoner for those three months. He was the leader of a sadist cult and had tortured and killed ten of the missing people by the time that the Society Against Evil had arrived, saving the lives of Joey Graceffa, Oli White, Eva Gutowski, and Dawn Hatcher.

`“Thanks to the Society, Arthur Kenneth and two other cult members Sarah Belkin and Marvin Trask, were stopped and killed. However, two years ago and five weeks after the memorial service, Joey Graceffa went missing from his house, and it was a month later a different group of YouTubers, along with actress Dawn Hatcher were lured to an unknown location with the belief that they would be rescuing Joey.

`“This time, the group consisted of YouTubers DeStorm Powers, Gabbie Hanna, Liza Koshy, Jesse Wellens, Tana Mongeau, Alex Wassabi, Lauren Riihimaki, Tyler Oakley, Artie Goldsmith, Ernie Goldsmith (Artie’s twin brother), and Andrea Russett. Along with Dawn Hatcher, they went missing for three months, and once again it was the Society Against Evil who managed to locate and rescue the survivors: Dawn Hatcher, Tyler Oakley, and Andrea Russett.

`“Once again it had been the same cult from last year and the cult member responsible was named Riley Milligan, but she referred herself as the Sorceress, and had kidnapped Joey and lured in the group with the intention of finishing what Arthur had started. However, the Society “dealt with her”, and they are certain that they had ended the legacy of Arthur Kenneth. Unfortunately, they weren’t able to find Joey Graceffa, and the survivors did confirm that they had seen Joey at the mansion up until the arrival of the Society, but they don’t know where he’d been taken.

`“One month after the two year memorial service, Dawn Hatcher and another group of YouTubers were lured to the Town of Everlock, which had been believed to have disappeared forty years prior in 1978, and they believed that they were going there to rescue the still-missing Joey Graceffa. This time, the group consisted of Matthew Patrick, Nikita Dragun, Manny MUA, Rosanna Pansino, Safiya Nygaard, Colleen Ballinger Evans, Teala Dunn, Esther Bourne, Curtis Knight, Roi Fabito, and Jc Caylen.

`“Once again, the group was missing for three months, and were once again rescued by the Society Against Evil. This time, it had been a cult leader named Nicolas Jackson, who called himself the Carnival Master, and he had clearly been intending to finish what Arthur Kenneth and Riley Milligan had failed to do. By the time Nicolas had been “dealt with”, according to a representative for the Society Against Evil, eight YouTubers were dead, and they had only been able to rescue four: Joey Graceffa, who’d been held in the town without the knowledge of the town folk, Dawn Hatcher, Matthew Patrick, and Nikita Dragun.

`“When questioned about why he had been held prisoner for the past year in Everlock, Joey stated in an interview that he hadn’t know where he was, only that Nicolas had been keeping him alive to be bait to lure in his friends. Although the Society Against Evil has been assuring the public that Arthur’s legacy was finally over, many people are wondering whether this is actually true, or if something similar will happen again to members of the YouTube community. In other news-”`

James McCoy clicked the TV off and sighed while sipping his tea, not really surprised that there were those who were questioning whether what had happen the past three years would happen again. ‘And something similar is going to happen,’ he thought, going to his desk and read over a report submitted by Jael and Ryu about the progress of the Society’s newest recruits: Joey Graceffa, Dawn Hatcher, Eva Gutowski, Oli White, Andrea Russett, Tyler Oakley, Nikita Dragun, and Matthew “MatPat” Patrick.

The decision to have the survivors of the three incidents join the Society Against Evil had been an idea that the Council of Elders had been toying with until the eight friends had put in the request to join, having been discussing it as a group, and since that moment, they had been undergoing extensive training while moving on with their regular lives as much as possible.

James was honestly impressed with the progress of the group as a whole, especially the progress Dawn was making with her additional training as a Light-bearer, and he had a feeling that it wouldn’t be long before they were ready to take the final step in becoming full-fledge members. For most members, especially those who were born into the Society like the late Shane Dawson, Esther Bourne, Curtis Knight, and Calliope, the training could take years, and even then, there were a few who would fail the training.

‘Not these ones,’ James thought, smiling when he came upon a passage in the report of how Joey had managed to judo throw Ryu across the room on his first try, and a passage of Dawn’s successful meditation skills. ‘They’re determined to become members in order to be ready for the next mission into the World Between Worlds to save their dead friends from the clutches of the Collector.’

He wasn’t sure if the Fallen had been taken by the Collector, and yet, according to Dawn, she hadn’t seen any sign of their friends since their last contact with Jesse Wellens by way of the Life Crystal. This was worrisome since the area that the Fallen had been hiding in had been created by Jael and Ryu while they had been dead, and it was suppose to be safe haven until the fulfillment of the prophecy.

‘And The Collector was suppose to be dead,’ James thought ruefully, putting down the report and paced around the study of the safe house. ‘Her being alive isn’t a good thing, and it could mean that this mission could be far more dangerous then first thought. And yet, this is all connected to the prophecy itself.’

He feared for his charges and what they would most likely face when the time came to travel the World Between Worlds and access the Museum of the Dead to save their fallen friends. Yes, he was scared, and if half the stories about The Collector were true, then he wasn’t the only one to fear of what would happen if the mission failed.

*****

In the World Between Worlds, those who had been killed in the three incidents were huddled in the middle of the safe area, fearful of what was trying to get inside, and hopeful that Shane, Esther, Curtis, and Calliope would be able to keep the safe area intact and them safe until rescue could come from the Land of the Living.

Benny Smith, who’d been helping Safiya comfort Ro as much as possible, glanced over to where Liza and Jesse were trying to get the special portal to work. It had been their only connected to the Land of the Living for the past three years, allowing them to see how their still-living friends were doing, and communicate with Dawn whenever she was alone and near a reflective surface, like a mirror.

‘Please get it working, you guys,’ he thought, wincing when a loud bang echoed through the safe area, making them all jump and several of the girls screamed in fear. ‘Please get it working before it’s too late!’

The special portal had started having issues after the last time that Shane had spoken to Dawn prior to her, Joey, Eva, Oli, Tyler, Andrea, Matt, and Nikita having an out-of-body experience, and the last time they had managed to get it working, Jesse had been able to reach their friends by way of the Life Crystal.

Since then, it hadn’t been working at all, and without it, they couldn’t reach their friends to warn them about the ongoing attacks from The Collector and her minions.

The Collector, according to Shane, was one of the most deadliest minion of the Cursed God, and had been abusing her powers by taking souls and putting them on display in her Museum of the Dead, instead of letting them cross over into the Land of the Dead like they were suppose to. He admitted that he hadn’t known that The Collector was still alive until he, Curtis, Esther, and Calliope had left the safe area to retrieve Mortimer, and it was then that all hell had started breaking loose.

*****

“I think it’s time to bring Mortimer in here,” Shane said, nodding to the special portal that showed Mortimer wandering around and looking confused, but no longer covered with the Darkness he’d been corrupted with by way of the Carnival Master prior to being killed. “He’s no longer corrupted.”

“You sure about that, Shane?” Manny questioned, not looking convinced about letting the man, who’d he had thought of as a friend until he had used the ten artifacts to free the Carnival Master, which he had seen happen through the special portal after arriving in the safe area after his own death, into the safe area with them. “He could be faking for all you know.”

“I’m sure, Manny,” Shane said confidently and he exited the safe area with Esther, Curtis, and Calliope.

However, mere seconds later, the quartet came running back into the safe area and sealed it. Shane was cursing up a storm, Esther was clinging to Curtis with a very fearful expression on her face, Curtis was looking  very shaken, and Calliope was muttering prayers in a different language.

“What happen?” Alex asked. “Where’s Mortimer?”

“Shane, what’s going on?” Bart demanded.

Shane stopped cursing and ran a hand over his face as he took a deep breath to calm himself down before facing the group with bad news. “Mortimer’s been taken by armed guards,” he informed them. “They serve one of the most deadliestminions of the Cursed God: The Collector.”

“Who’s The Collector?” Lauren inquired.

“Someone that we believed to have been long dead,” Esther answered, still shaking with fear. “But she’s alive, and she’s going to come for all of us.”

This news sent chills of fear down the spines of the group as they exchanged uneasy looks, wondering what would happen if The Collector did come after them.

“Why is this Collector woman coming after us?” GloZell demanded. “We’re safe here, right?”

“Normally we wouldbe safe here, GloZell,” Curtis agreed. “But The Collector isn’t like the other minions of the Cursed God that our friends have gone up against, and if half of the stories about her are true, then whatever protection we have here isn’t going to keep her out for very long.”

“Who is this Collector woman and why is she coming after us?” DeStorm questioned. “And does she collect anyway?”

“She’s a collector of souls,” Calliope answered with a grim expression. “Before she was corrupted by the Cursed God, she used to guide souls to the land of the dead, or back to their bodies if it wasn’t their time to die just yet. This was a responsibility that her people were charged with by the Lord as their kingdom guarded a doorway to the World Between Worlds while preserving the circle of life at the same time. No one is entirely sure of when she turned against her duty and started collecting the souls of the dead to put in her Museum of the Dead, but it was clear that she posed a threat when she wiped out her own kingdom in an attempt to break the circle of life, and the Society fought against her many times, both in the living realm, in the World Between Worlds, and even in the land of the dead. The last time the Society went against the Collector, it was several centuries ago, and it was believed that she had been finally killed off when her body couldn’t be found after the fighting ended.”

The group exchanged uneasy looks, not thrilled by the threat heading their way.

*****

Now they were hoping to keep The Collector from getting them and regain contact with their friends in the living world.

“Come on, you stupid thing,” Jesse grumbled, banging on the frame of the portal as another loud bang shook the safe area. “Work already!”

“Please work, please work,” Liza was pleading with the portal. “We need our friends to know what’s going on. Please turn on!”

Just then, there was another loud BANG! And dark cracks appeared in the walls of the safe area, terrifying the group as the walls shattered and a massive way of Darkness swarmed into the area – and when it disappeared, the entire group was gone.

They had been taken!

Chapter Text

Disclaimer: I don’t own anything from Escape the Night. I just own any and all characters that I just happen to create.

CHAPTER ONE: ARRESTED?!

*****

It’d been nine months since the Everlock incident, and it had been decided to have the memorial service to remember those who had been killed in the last two years and nine months early. Because of this, it had been the hardest one yet for the eight survivors and the families of the victims. Once again, Dawn Hatcher had, somehow, been asked to give a speech at the memorial service to represent the survivors, and when the memorial service had ended, the families of the victims had surprised the survivors by having a dinner together at a fancy restaurant.

Because of this, the group had managed to avoid having any contact with the ever-annoying Jermaine Whitehouse, who had been banned from attending the memorial service since last time he had cornered a number of people who’d lost loved ones and had pestered them to the point that the father of DeStorm Power had actually punched the annoying blogger in the face.

Since that incident, Jermaine had been ordered by both the police and several judges to stay away from the families of both the victims and the survivors. Of course, this hadn’t stopped him from trying to extract what he thought was the truth about what had really happen during the last three years and about the Society Against Evil itself.

*****

‘Another day, another bruise,’ Dawn thought as she loaded her groceries into the back of her car, having done some shopping that she’d been meaning to do for a while, and hadn’t had a chance due to her work as an actress and all the training that she’d been doing as both a Light-bearer and becoming a member for the Society Against Evil.

She wasn’t really a stranger to bruises since it was known to happen while it came to the action shows and movies she did, and she didn’t bruise easily, but she’d had a few whoppers from having Jael as a training instructor. She knew that the training would be intense, but she hadn’t expected to get tackled to the mat on the first day of training by the blonde, and it became clear that she had to stay on her toes when it came to Jael.

The brunette finished loading the last of the groceries and shut the trunk. She put the shopping cart in the return area, and she was heading back to her car when her brand new smart phone began ringing. She hadn’t been thrilled when her agent and her employers talked her into getting a smart phone to replace her trusty flip cellphone, and yet she had to get one since there were certain apps that those in the film industry were having to use for work.

Getting the phone out, Dawn checked the caller id, her eyebrows shooting upward when she saw that it was for the LAPD, and she answered it, wondering why she was getting a phone call from the police.

‘Of course it could be a scam attempt,’ she thought, knowing that scammers had been spoofing certain phone numbers, and that included the police.

“Hello?” she asked, answering the call and was fully prepared to drive the would be scammer crazy.

`“Ms. Hatcher?”` asked a male voice, which didn’t have an Indian accent. `“My name is Detective Ryan Harper, and I’m hoping that you can come in so we can talk.”`

Dawn frowned, not used to getting a call from a detective, and there was something offish about all of this. “And what do you want to talk about, Detective Harper?” she inquired, unlocking the driver’s door and got inside her car.

`“I just have a few questions about the events of the past three years.”`

The brunette sighed and shut her eyes for a moment before she spoke again, having seen this coming based on the latest blog from Jermaine that had gone up a few days ago about how he was convinced that she, Joey, the other survivors, and the Society Against Evil were really behind the kidnappings and murders of the past two years and nine months.

“Detective Harper, I’m afraid that I really don’t have any time to come in to talk about that,” she said finally. “And any questions about the incidents should go through my lawyer. Thank you and goodbye.” She ended the call before the detective could say anything else, and she sent a quick text to her friends and to James to warn them about Detective Harper before she put her phone away. ‘Now I really wish that had been a scammer I could’ve tormented.’

*****

When Dawn got back to her California house, she had just barely put the last of her groceries away when the doorbell rang. She activated the security monitor that was on the kitchen counter, a new addition provided by the Society Against Evil, and she soon could see the front porch and a man in a dark suit.

“Can I help you, sir?” she asked, using the speaker system since she wasn’t sure of who this person was.

`“Ms. Hatcher,”` said the man, taking out a wallet and opened it to reveal both a police badge and a ID card, holding it where the camera got a good view of it. `“I’m Detective Harper, we spoke on the phone.”`

The brunette sighed and shook her head.‘You have gotto be kidding me,’she thought. “Detective Harper, I thought I made it clear earlier,” she said politely while texting James at the same time. “I am not interested in answering any questions about the incidents, and you need to go through my lawyer. Goodbye.”

`“Ms. Hatcher, I-”`

Dawn clicked the monitor off and she left the kitchen, noting that the detective was still on the front porch since she could see his shadow through the drapes on either side of the front door, and she started up the stairs-

SMASH!

“Agh!” the brunette screamed and dropped, covering her head with her arms as the front door was smashed open, setting off the alarm, and Detective Harper, who was slightly overweight with thinning light brown hair and brown eyes, stormed inside with his gun drawn and pointed it at her. “What the-?!”

“Hands where I can see them and shut up!”

Heart racing and eyes wide, Dawn slowly raised her hands and she had to resist flinching when he yanked her arms behind her back and cuffed her wrists together. ‘What the hell?!’ she thought as she hauled to her feet and marched out of the house. ‘Where does he get off arresting me without reading my rights or giving me a reason why?!’

Detective Harper marched the actress to his black sedan, where he opened the back door and got her inside, making sure that she didn’t hit her head, and then he got into the driver’s seat and drove away, unaware that the entire incident had been recorded by the security system, or that someone had been keeping taps on the house.

*****

James was preparing a report for the Council of Elders when Jonas came in with a cellphone. “Yes?”

“Another text from Ms. Hatcher,” Jonas informed him, handing him the phone.

James flipped it open and read the text. “Detective Harper is at her house,” he said, frowning and looked up when the doors opened and another agent hurried inside. “What is it?”

“Just got a call from Agent Elliot,” said the agent, breathing hard. “Ms. Harper has just been arrested and taken out of her house by a detective. The recordings from the security system is being reviewed, but it looks like he forced his way into the house since the alarm went off moments before she was arrested.”

Muttering a curse, James got up and gathered up his trench coat and fedora. “Jonas, bring the car around,” he ordered, giving back the cellphone. “And make the necessary calls to have the right people meet me at the police station. This is going to end today.”

He had a feeling that this detective was doing this because of Jermaine’s recent blogs, and he was going to put a stop to it right now.

Chapter Text

Disclaimer: I don’t own anything from Escape the Night. I just own any and all characters that I just happen to create.

CHAPTER TWO: LINES CROSSED

*****

At a police station, Dawn was sitting in an interrogation room with her hands still cuffed behind her, and she was pretty sure that they were falling asleep since her fingers were starting to tingle. ‘I don’t know where this stupid detective gets off on arresting me like that,’ she thought sourly, ‘but he’s going to pay big time when James shows up with an army of lawyers.’

Well, she was hoping that the Society Against Evil would come to get her out of the police station, given that they had been watching over her ever since she was a baby, and she also expected them to do something about Jermaine Whitehouse since she had a feeling that this detective was one of many who read Jermaine’s blogs.

The brunette briefly glanced at the door and then shifted in the metal chair to try and get more comfortable, which was basically impossible. ‘He’s probably on the other side of the two-way glass, watching me right now,’ she thought, ‘probably hoping that he can sweat me out or something.’ She was pulled from her thoughts when the door opened and Detective Harper entered with a folder.

The detective went around the table and sat down so that his back was to the two-way window, setting the folder onto the table. “Ms. Hatcher, can I get you anything?” he asked politely, but that politeness didn’t reach his eyes.

“You could let me out of these cuffs,” Dawn requested, keeping her own voice calm and polite. “Plus the name of a good repairman since I’m gonna need one to repair the front door of my house. Sir, is there a reason why you kicked your way into my house? Because I don’t think you had a warrant to do that.”

“I have justified reasons for arresting you, Ms. Hatcher,” Harper said, flipping the folder open to reveal a number of pages full of photos and information. “And among those reasons is that while you look and actlike a sweet young woman with an impressive acting career, you are actually a cold-blooded killer, and that you and your friends are responsible for the deaths of twenty-eight people that you claimed were your friends.”

The brunette raised her eyebrows that this. “Really? I’m guessing that you are one of Jermaine Whitehouse’s followers on his blog,” she theorized, “and that you believe his conspiracy theory about the deaths of YouTubers who had done nothing wrong in their lives and had been murdered in cold blood by three very sick and disturbed people.”

“Are you saying that you’re innocent?” Harper questioned.

“I’m saying that unless you have concrete evidence for arresting me without a warrant,” the actress replied, “then you have no justified reason for bringing me in, and whatever Whitehouse wrote in his blog doesn’t count as evidence.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

*****

Meanwhile out in the front of the police station, the officer on duty looked up from her paperwork when the doors opened, and her eyebrows raised when she saw James entered with Jonas and three men in black business suits and carrying briefcases. “Can I help you, sir?” she inquired.

“Yes, I would like to speak with Police Chief Michel Moore,” James requested, presenting her with a white card. “It’s a serious matter concerning one of his detectives, and the sooner I can speak with him, the better.”

“Of course, Mr. McCoy,” said the officer, her eyebrows going higher when she saw what was on the card. “Let me check to see if he’s in.” She then picked up the nearby phone, pushed a button, and when the other end was answered, she spoke into the receiver. “Sir, there’s a Mr. McCoy here to see you.” She listened for a moment. “Yes, sir, the same Mr. McCoy from that one Society. He says that he needs to speak to you about a serious manner concerning a detective that works- yes sir, I’ll send him back.”

The officer put the phone down and pressed a button under the desk, opening a nearby door. “Go right on in, Mr. McCoy. Chief Moore will see you in his office at the end of the hallway.”

“Thank you,” James said politely with a tip of his hat and he went through the doorway with his group.

*****

Police Chief Michel Moore stood and greeted James when he entered the office. “Mr. McCoy, an unexpected pleasure to see you so soon after the memorial service,” he said, shaking the Society leader’s hand and gestured to the chairs that were near his desk. “Please, have a sit.”

“Thank you, Michel,” said James, sitting down and removing his hat. “I wish that I was here for a social call, but I’m afraid that one of your detectives has performed a serious injustice toward one of the survivors of the past three years.”

“That does sound serious,” Michel agreed, also sitting down behind his desk. “Before I ask how you know this and why you believe that it’s one of my detectives, which survivor is being a victim of injustice?”

James had expected to be asked this, and he was prepared. “As you most likely know,” he explained as he was handed an iPad by one of his men, “we at the Society Against Evil have been keeping watch over the survivors of the incidents.” He resumed when Michel nodded. “And one of the things we’ve done to keep them safe has to been to install security systems in their houses to ensure their safety. Earlier today, the alarm went off at the house of Dawn Hatcher, and this is the footage that the cameras captured.”

Michel was given the iPad and his eyes widened when he saw the footage going from the time of Detective Harper’s arrival, his conversation with Dawn, and then him breaking into the house to force the actress out to his car with her wearing handcuffs.

“Dammit, Harper,” he grumbled, handing back the iPad to James. “I was afraid that he was going to do something drastic after that stupid blogger updated his blog.”

“I take it that this isn’t the first time that Detective Harper has done something like this before?” James guessed, giving the iPad to one of his men.

“Unfortunately it isn’t,” Michel agreed grimly, standing up. “And if he does have Ms. Hatcher here, then this will be his third strike as it is. This way.” And he lead them out of his office and toward the bullpen.

*****

The bullpen was a large room with a cluster of desks spread out so that there was room to move around, and Michel headed to one of the desks in the center, where a younger hispanic man was seated and typing up a report on his computer.

“Gomez,” said the police chief, getting the attention of Detective Hector Gomez. “Have you seen Harper today?”

“I saw him speaking with patrol officer Hansen earlier, chief,” Gomez responded, his eyes flickering toward James before continuing. “Is something going on, chief?”

“Just find out where your partner is, Gomez,” Michel requested before heading for the break room, having spotted a young man with sandy brown hair entering. “And let me know when you’ve found him.”

“Yes, chief.”

*****

“Hansen,” Michel said the moment he entered the break room and Officer Hansen turned from the fridge to look at him. “Have you seen Detective Harper? I was told that you spoke with him earlier.”

“I did seen Harper a few minutes ago, chief,” Hansen answered. “He’s in interrogation room one and has asked not be disturbed as he questions a witness to a case he’s working on.”

“And which case is that, Hansen?” the police chief questioned and when Hansen replied that he’d been told that it was confidential, he turned to leave, heading for the interrogation rooms.

Hansen hurried after his boss. “Chief, chief, Detective Harper doesn’t want be dis-” he began and stopped short when the police chief faced him.

“Listen to me, Hansen,” Michel said in a grim tone. “Unless you want to lose your job, given that you’re a rookie for another five months, you’ll back off and leave this to me. I don’t know what Harper has been telling you, but he’s crossed a number of lines, and don’t expect him to be around to give your possible career a boost.”

He then left the break room, once again heading for the interrogation rooms with James and his people following him, and he called to several officers to follow as well, for he was going to end this mess once and for all.

Chapter Text

Disclaimer: I don’t own anything from Escape the Night. I just own any and all characters that I just happen to create.

CHAPTER THREE: BLOGGER NO MORE

*****

In the viewing room that was connected to the interrogation room, Jermaine Whitehouse was watching through the two-way glass as Detective Harper spoke to Dawn, and he was listening over the sound system, hoping that the actress would fess up what he was certain was true about what really happened during the incidents of the past three years.

Jermaine hadn’t reached the conclusion that the so-called survivors were actually murderers working with the so-called Society Against Evil until after the third incident that had left another nine YouTubers dead, and that fact that Joey Graceffa and Dawn Hatcher always seemed to be in the middle of the incidents, had resulted in him becoming convinced that they were doing this on purpose and there wasn’t any evil cult.

‘Come on,’ he thought, watching the scene eagerly. ‘Come on and fess up. You can’t lie any longer, we’ve got you pegged!’ He was pulled from his thoughts when the door to the viewing room banged open, and he turned to find Michel standing in the doorway. “Police Chief Moore, I-”

“I knew that you were behind all of this, Mr. Whitehouse,” the police chief growled and gestured to two of his men. “Get him out of here and into a holding cell for he’s under arrest and be sure to read him his rights.”

“What?!” Jermaine yelped, finding himself being handcuffed. “You can’t arrest me! I have my rights.”

“And one of those rights is the right to remain silent,” said one of the officers as he and the other marched the protesting blogger out of the room. “You are under arrest, and you have the right to remain silence…”

Michel exited the room as Gomez ran up. “Do you have something, Gomez?”

“Yes, chief,” Gomez responded, handing his boss a folder. “I found this on Harper’s desk, and I pinged his phone. But I think you already know where he is.”

The police chief nodded and opened the folder, finding that it was a file filled with copies of Jermaine’s blogs printed up with certain paragraphs highlighted. “Yes, I do.” And he turned to the door to the interrogation room.

*****

Unaware of what was going on outside the interrogation room, Harper was still trying to get Dawn to fess up that she had intentionally caused the deaths of twenty-eight well-known YouTubers. He was sure that if he could get the actress to confess, then breaking this case wide open would be a really big boost to his career.

He’d been passed over promotions repeatedly, and because he did tend to toe the line from time to time, he’d been confined to his desk and not allowed in the field, stunting his career and ruining his marriage. Now he was going to change that by getting a confession, and thanks to the blogs of Jermaine, he knew who to target.

“Ms. Hatcher, you could make this easier on yourself by just admitting that you deliberately killed these people,” Harper said, spreading out the photos of the victims of the three incidents while watching her closely, noting that there was a brief flash of guilt in her eyes even though she was keeping her face expressionless. “I know that you didn’t get along with Bart Walker or GloZell Green, and did you know that Safiya’s boyfriend was going to propose to her before the events of last year? Or that Colleen Ballinger was pregnant?”

Dawn stared at the photos, remembering how each of them had died, and yet, when she looked at the detective, her face was composed. “Sir, I didn’t commit murder,” she answered calmly. “And unless you have concrete proof that says that I am a murderer, then you have no reason to hold me here.”

Harper opened his mouth to speak when the door banged open and Michel came in with three officers and James. “Chief Moore,” he said, standing up. “I-”

“Not one word out of you, Harper,” Michel ordered as one of the officers undid the handcuffs. “Ms. Hatcher,” he said, turning to the actress as she stood up, rubbing her wrists, “I am so sorry that you’ve had this experience, and believe me when I say that Harper here, didn’t have authorization to investigate the incidents or to bring you in for questioning.”

“I know that you didn’t have anything to do with this, Chief Moore,” Dawn reassured him. “And I don’t plan on pressing any charges either since you and your fine officers have done a lot of good for the city, and that’s more important then the trouble caused by one bad apple.”

“Thank you, Ms. Hatcher,” said the police chief. “Gomez, please see Ms. Hatcher and these fine people out.” And the moment that they were gone, he turned to Harper, who was fuming. “As for you, Harper, you’re fired and don’t expect a pension after this stupid stunt. You’re done.” He turned to the remaining officers. “Get him out of here, and pack up all of his stuff from his desk to ship to his house now.” And he left the room, having had his fill.

*****

“Thanks for showing up when you did, James,” Dawn told the Society leader as they were driven away from the police station. “It took nearly all of my self-control to not laugh at the claims that Harper was making.”

James chuckled while handing her a water bottle. “Yes, I do imagine that it was quite the challenge,” he agreed. “Right now, I expect that both Detective Harper and Mr. Jermaine Whitehouse aren’t going to be causing anymore trouble for the foreseeable future, and don’t worry about the door to your house, Dawn, it’s being taken care of.”

“Good on all points,” said the brunette with a nod of approval as she took a sip of the water. “That was the first time I’d ever been arrested, and I hope I don’t have that kind of experience ever again. That was even scarier then being grabbed by evil clowns in Everlock.” And she shuddered at the memory of being captured twice by evil clowns.

“Well, you can put that all behind you, Dawn,” said the Society leader, patting her hand. “And move forward from this point.”

“Oh yeah.”

*****

A few days later, all of the major news channels were talking about how Jermaine Whitehouse had been arrested for violating the restraining orders that the survivors of the incidents, and the families of the victims, had ended up getting arrested, how he’d been fired from the newspaper he had worked at two days prior, and that his blog was being shut down for the foreseeable future.

And then there was a shock when it was reported a few hours later that Jermaine Whitehouse had somehow managed to escape police custody, and there was now an APD out for his arrest.

Chapter Text

Disclaimer: I don’t own anything from Escape the Night. I just own any and all characters that I just happen to create.

CHAPTER FOUR: MEDITATION SHOCK

*****

It’d been five weeks since the whole business with being arrested and finally getting Jermaine Whitehouse, who hadn’t been seen or heard from since his escape from the police, out of her hair, and Dawn was focusing on her career, her regular life, her Light-bearer training, and her training as a member for the Society Against Evil. She’d been told that she and her friends were getting close to taking the final step in becoming full members, and once that happen, they would be ready for the mission to rescue their dead friends from The Collector.

*****

“Oof!” Andrea grunted as she landed on the mat after being flipped by Dawn during their training period at the safe house, and on the other side of the training gym, Jael was working with Eva and Nikita on some combat moves involving quarterstaffs. In a different training gym, Ryu was working with Joey, Matt, Oli, and Tyler.

“You’re improving, Andrea,” Dawn complimented as she helped her friend up. “It actually took me longer to pin you to the floor that time.”

“Practice makes perfect,” Andrea joked as they went to get some towels to wipe off their foreheads and get some water. “Still, I’ll be glad when we get all this training done and over well. I’m starting to run out of excuses to explain away the bruises from week to week. At least you can rely on your career to explain that away.”

The actress chuckled. “Yeah, lucky me,” she agreed, and looked up when a bell rang. “Practice is over for the day,” she remarked, and removed the black leather gloves and braces from her hands and wrists that were part of their training outfits.

“Yay,” said Andrea, looking forward to having a shower and getting back into her regular clothes.

“Spa time,” said Nikita as she and Eva joined them to remove the training gear before heading into the locker room. “We all need one after today.”

“I’m all for it,” Eva agreed.

Dawn sighed. “Tempting, but I still got my Light-bearer training to do,” she reminded the girls as Jael walked up, “and I can’t skip out on that.”

“No you can’t, Dawn,” the blonde agreed, taking the training gear. “I’ll put this away, now get.”

“Yes, ma’am,” said the brunette and she headed for the locker room to shower and change outfits.

“Come on, Jael,” Nikita said with a pout, “even Dawn needs a break every now and then.”

Jael shook her head. “Although that is true,” she said, “the burden of a Light-bearer requires making sacrifices, and that includes spa days.”

‘And possibly her life, too,’ Eva thought as they put away the training gear and headed for the locker room to shower and change clothes.

*****

In the men’s locker room, the guys were finishing getting back into their regular clothes when Joey got a text from Nikita. “Nikita wants to know if we would like to join her, Eva, and Andrea for a spa day,” he announced, reading the text.

“Can’t,” said Matt, “I gotta get home so I can go to the doctor’s appointment with Stephanie and baby Oliver. And Steph will skin me alive if I miss out again.”

“Unfortunately I have a plane to catch back to England,” Oli pointed out.

Tyler also shook his head. “Tempting, but I got stuff to do.”

“So do I,” Joey agreed, sending a text back that none of them could make it. “Daniel took Lark to the vet for a checkup to see how her pregnancy is progressing, and hopefully get an idea of how many puppies to expect when the day finally comes.” He was still getting used to the idea that his youngest, and only female, dog was pregnant, and was expecting to have a possible litter of seven puppies.

“Once you know for sure, Joey,” said Matt, understanding why his friend was eager, “let us know, too. ‘cause Steph has hinted at having a baby shower for Lark.”

“Oh my gosh,” Joey groaned, but he was laughing at the image of having a doggy version of a baby shower for his dog. “If she does want to do that, have Stephanie contact Daniel to plan it.”

“I will.”

*****

Meanwhile in a room that had low lighting, candles scattered around, lit containers of incense, and a red/gold patterned mat in the middle of the floor, Dawn entered the room and picked up one of the lit candles, carrying it to the mat. Unlike earlier, she was now dressed in loose-fitting white clothing with only white socks covering her feet.

Setting the candle down in front of the mat, she seated herself down indian style, took several deep breathes through her nose, and shut her eyes as her body began relaxing so that she could enter a mediative state. She had been surprised to learn that part of her Light-bearer training would involve meditation, which was something she hadn’t ever done before, and when she tried meditating the first time, she’d ended up falling asleep, much to the amusement of James, Jael, and Ryu.

Of course, since the first time, the brunette was getting better at meditation, and she was finding it rather helpful in enabling her to focus better on a lot of different things. In fact, there were times when the stress of her acting job would get to her, and she would find a quiet place to do some meditating, and be able to focus and function after a few minutes.

James had explained to her that there would be times when a Light-bearer would be meditating and enter a dreaming state, which was similar to the dreaming sessions that various indian tribes were known for, and if it was to happen, not to panic since it was actually quite rare for someone to be harmed while in that state.

Dawn slowly breathed in and out as her mind cleared, and she began sinking into the meditative state, tuning out the world around her.

*****

In the study, James was going over a few reports from his agents when he sensed something was happening, and when he looked up, his eyes widened when he saw that the Life Crystal was starting to glow.

‘After almost nine months of nothing, it’s starting to glow now,’ he thought, getting up and going over to the glass case that held the glowing stone. ‘Could one of the Fallen be trying to contact us after all this time?’ He hoped that was the case since there hadn’t been any signs from them since Jesse had managed to contact his friends by way of the stone.

Taking a gamble, James opened the case and carefully picked the Life Crystal up, mildly disappointed when nothing happen – only to have the blue light exit the stone itself and shot right out of the room, heading deeper into the safe house. He nearly dropped the stone, having been caught off guard by that, and put the stone back into the case before leaving the study to follow the blue light.

*****

Joey, Matt, Oli, and Tyler were heading to the front doors to head home when the blue light suddenly shot over their heads, making them yelp and duck, and they watched as it disappeared down the hallway.

“What the hell?!”

“What was that?!”

“Omigosh!”

“Wait, what?!”

James arrived and told them of where the blue light came from. “It’s from the Life Crystal, and it looks like it’s heading for the meditation rooms.”

“Wait, Dawn’s in the meditation rooms,” Joey realized. “That light is heading for her.”

Exchanging uneasy looks, they all ran after the blue light while sending a text to the girls to meet them there, unsure of what they would find, and whether this was going to be a good thing or a bad thing for the brunette, who had absolutely noidea that something powerful was coming for her at that very moment.

*****

Oblivious of what was going on in the rest of the safe house, Dawn was in a deep mediative state, and so when the blue light entered the room, she was completely unaware of its’ presence. The blue light hovered above the meditating girl for several seconds before it lowered itself so that it was even with the center of her back, and then it slowly moved forward.

When it was very close, it slowly and gently slid itself into the brunette’s back, merging with her without breaking her meditative state, and soon there was no sign of it ever being there at all.

*****

Dawn opened her eyes and found herself seated in what appeared to be a courtyard outside a building made out of white stone. ‘This must be the dreaming that James told me about,’ she thought, getting up to look around and saw an archway lined with vines, and she approached it, feeling drawn to it.

When she got close, the vines began glowing blue, revealing a plaque with words written in silver that was just above the archway. “‘Only the Chosen standing united can summon one of the Fallen’,” she read and looked back at the archway, noting that the center seemed to be made out of what seemed to be black glass since it was reflective.

“‘For now we see through a glass darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known’,” the brunette recited to herself, unsure of why 1 Corinthians 13:12 popped into her head just then, but she was still feeling drawn to the archway and reached forward with one hand to touch the surface-

-which lit up with a dark magic and caused her to step backwards with a startled gasp as the Light reacted, causing her to glow, and a tall shadowy figure appeared in the archway, clutching what appeared to be a long spear in one hand.

`“The Fallen are mine, Light-bearer,”` the figure declared, `“for only I can keep them safe from what is to come. The prophecy is a lie, and no good will come if it is fulfilled.”`

Dawn bristled with the Light reacting by getting brighter. “You’re wrong,” she declared. “I don’t put much stock into prophecies as a whole, but I will have my friends back, and you won’t stop me.”

`“We shall see.”`

Suddenly the figure thrust the spear toward the startled brunette-

*****

Dawn yelped, her eyes snapping open as she awoke in the real world, and nearly toppled backwards, being caught by Joey and Matt. Although breathing hard from the experience, she found herself blinking owlishly at her friends, who were all looking at her with concerned expressions, especially James.

“Ok,” she said as her breathing slowed to a more normal pace, along with her beating heart. “I just had the most surreal experience while meditating, and that’s saying something after the events of the past two years and almost nine months.”

“You can tell us after Dr. Green has had a chance to make sure that you’re all right, Dawn,” said the Society leader, and when the brunette didn’t object to a trip to the infirmary, he knew that she was clearly shaken by whatever she had experienced in the dreaming, and he had a feeling that it had to do with the blue light from the Life Crystal.

Chapter Text

Disclaimer: I don’t own anything from Escape the Night. I just own any and all characters that I just happen to create.

CHAPTER FIVE: HYPNOTISM ANYONE?

*****

“And you’re certain that the figure was The Collector?” James inquired after Dawn shared with him and her friends about what she had experienced in the dreaming after he revealed that a blue light had exited the Life Crystal, and it had apparently merged with her while she had been meditating.

“Although the figure was in shadows, I could tell that it was female,” the brunette confirmed, “she had a spear, she knew that I was a Light-bearer, she knew about the prophecy, and she was insisting that only she could keep our fallen friends safe and that the prophecy shouldn’t be fulfilled since she thought it was a bad thing.”

Nikita rolled her eyes. “Of course the b*tch would say something like that,” she scoffed. “Don’t all bad guys think like that?”

“In works of fiction, definitely,” the actress agreed. “And I’ve got a strong feeling that she isn’t going to let our friends go without a fight, which will make saving them a lot harder now that she’s aware of me.”

“Maybe, maybe not,” said James thoughtfully. “Preparations are being made for this mission, and there are means to ensure that The Collector won’t sense your presence, Dawn. Anyway, tell me again what was written above the archway.”

“It said ‘Only the Chosen standing united can summon one of the Fallen’,” Dawn recalled, having memorized the passage, “and I think it means that we” she gestured to her friends “need to stand together in front of the archway to talk to one of our friends. And I’m starting to think that they’ve been captured by The Collector since I haven’t seen any of them since that last time Jesse was able to contact us through the Life Crystal in any mirrors or reflective surfaces when I’ve been alone. And I have been checking.”

“Ok, working with the theory that The Collector hastaken our fallen friends from the safe area and to her museum,” said Matt, “and by everything you experienced in the dreaming, Dawn, is verylikely. How can we all enter the dreaming to activate that archway? Because not all of us are good with meditation…not for a lack of trying.”

James smiled slightly as the group chuckled since out of all of them, Dawn was the best with meditating. “There is a way, Matt,” he assured the younger man, “and it actually involves the final step that you all will need to take in order to become full members for the Society Against Evil.”

This was news to the group since they weren’t sure of how long it would take them to become full members before the upcoming mission. “Really? What’s the final step?”

“I’ll need to make some arrangements, but you all will know soon enough,” James promised and left it at that.

*****

It was a few weeks before James had the group brought back to the safe house, and during that time, they had been busy with their regular lives that also included the eventual birth of Lark’s seven puppies. Joey, Daniel, Maria, and Dawn, who had been staying with them since her house was being fumigated, had watched, recorded, and helped with the cleaning and first weighing of the puppies: six boys and one girl.

Neither of them really wanted to leave the adorable puppies, but they did have responsibilities, as Daniel reminded them when the SUV arrived to pick them up, and they really did need to take the final step in becoming full members of the Society Against Evil so that they would be able to save their friends from The Collector.

*****

“Seriously, hypnotism?”

“I know that sounds silly,” James said, amused by the group’s skeptical expressions, “but this is the final step, and by doing this, you all will be able to reach the mirror.”

The group still didn’t look convinced, especially Dawn and Joey as they still remembered the last time they had been hypnotized – well, they had the video proof of what they had done since they really couldn’t remember all that much.

“Well, as long as I don’t end up meowing like a cat again,” Dawn grumbled, rolling her eyes when her friends all snickered, “let’s get this over with.”

“Good.”

*****

After changing into the meditation clothing, getting devices strapped to their right wrists to monitor their vitals, and Dawn imbued both Oli and Eva with the Light for additional protection, they all laid down on reclining chairs and James placed the Life Crystal on a table that was in the middle of the circle of chairs that were facing away from it.

When Richard Barker entered the room, both Joey and Dawn went power ranger red and groaned. Of course it would be him, and they weren’t entirely convinced when he promised that he wouldn’t be having them milking cows like back in 2016.

The lights were then dimmed and soft music began playing over the sound system in the room, and Richard walked around the circle of chairs and spoke in a calm voice. “Just stare straight ahead and listen to my voice, become in tune with the sound of my voice, and let your minds drift as you think of the word sleep.

“Just think of that one word and as you do so, you will feel yourself start to relax, every muscle in your body becoming like jelly while you know that you will remain safe and secure in your chair, like you are being kept in place by a safety belt. Your heads and bodies will start to feel heavy, and when I count to three, breath in and when you breath out, let your eyes fall shut and relax.”

Richard counted to three and Joey, Dawn, Oli, Eva, Tyler, Andrea, Matt, and Nikita all breathed in, their eyes closing, and as they breathed out, their bodies relaxed. “Keep listening to the sound of my voice as you go deeper and deeper, becoming more relax as you descend into the dreaming.” He glanced at the Life Crystal, which was starting to glow softly, and he got a confirming nod from James. “Nod if you understand.”

When they all nodded, Richard counted to three. “One…two…three.” And he watched as eight orbs of blue light exited the Life Crystal, floated over to the eight sleeping figures, and then the orbs slowly and gently lowered until they sank and merged into their chests.

It was time for them to enter The Dreaming.

Chapter Text

Disclaimer: I don’t own anything from Escape the Night. I just own any and all characters that I just happen to create.

CHAPTER SIX: THE DREAMING

*****

Dawn opened her eyes and found herself in the courtyard once again, only this time, Joey, Oli, Eva, Andrea, Tyler, Nikita, and Matt were with her, and they were all lying on their backs on the ground. Getting up, they looked at each other, surprised that they were wearing white, long-sleeved shirts, dark brown pants for the men while the four women had on short dark brown skirts, and knee-high boots. Overall, their clothing had a 1940s feel to it, and they figured that this was a clue of which era the location was going to be based.

“Is that the museum?” Oli wondered, nodding to the tall building.

“I believe so,” said Dawn, looking around, “and this is where I found myself last time. The mirror’s this way.” And she headed in that direction, feeling the same drawing sensation from last time, and her friends followed, feeling that they were also going the right way.

*****

It didn’t take the group very long to find the archway, which was covered with the same vines from before, and as they got close, the vines began glowing blue, revealing a plaque with words written in silver that was just above the archway. “‘Only the Chosen standing united can summon one of the Fallen’.”

“Well, we’re here, let’s figure out how to activate this thing,” Tyler suggested.

“The question is howdo we do it?” Andrea wondered. “I mean, we’re right here and pretty much united, right?”

Matt reread the message and then he glanced at the black glass surface, getting an idea. “I think I know how we can do it.”

“How?”

“Well, what I think we should do is stand in front of the mirror,” Matt suggested. “With Dawn and Joey in the middle, and the rest of us on either side. Then as we have a hand on each other’s shoulders, Dawn and Joey can touch the mirror at the same time, and that should be enough to activate it.”

Seeing it as their best option, the group repositioned themselves so that Joey and Dawn were standing side-by-side, with Oli, Matt, and Tyler next to Joey while Andrea, Eva, and Nikita were standing next to Dawn.

Putting their hands on each other shoulders with Joey putting his left hand on Dawn’s left shoulder, which she covered with her left hand, and then the two of them reached out with their right hands, touching the cold surface of the mirror.

Moments later, the mirror began glowing blue and they were glowing blue, too. This surprised them, but they didn’t move, not wanting to break the connection, and it wasn’t long before they saw a shadowy figure approaching the mirror from the other side. They watched, barely breathing, as the figure drew closer and, surprisingly, shorter.

When the figure was in front of the mirror, it raised its’ hands and touched the glass in the same spot that Dawn and Joey were touching, and the glass suddenly cleared so that they found themselves face-to-face with Liza, who was still dressed as the Explorer. “Liza!”

`“Oh my gosh!”` Liza gasped, staring at her friends with a surprised and delighted expression. “Joey, Dawn, Oli, Eva, Matt, Andrea, Tyler, Nikita! You’re here!”`

“Yeah, we are,” Joey confirmed, happy to see her, but wished that there wasn’t glass between them. “Liza, where are the others? Are they ok? We lost contact with you nine months ago.”

`“The Collector managed to break into the safe area and snatched us all up,”` Liza explained, trying to remember how she’d ended up in a display case of all things. `“I don’t really remember much – most of my memories are hazy – but my next clear memory was there being a flash of blue light and finding myself kneeling on a platform of what used to be a display case. I saw eleven of our friends in similar display cases and then I had to run since these creepy, but handsome, Egyptian guards with glowing eyes showed up.”`

Dawn shared an uneasy look with Joey before looking back at Liza. “Ok, so there’s security at the museum?” she asked and their friend nodded. “Ok, where are you right now, Liza? And do you have any clue of where the rest of our friends could be?”

`“I’m in some kind of large room with vines everywhere,”` Liza told them while looking around on her side of the mirror. `“There’s other stuff, and on a table is a jade jar that has-”` She suddenly stopped and looked behind her for a moment before looking back at her friends, fear filling her face. `“There’s someone coming, I gotta go. Guys, you can save us, this is your chance! Come and save us!”`

The mirror suddenly went dark and the glowing stopped, leaving the group shaken and stunned.

“What just happen?” Tyler squeaked.

“The connection broke somehow,” Eva guessed. “At least we know where to go and where our friends are.”

“Some of them at least,” Oli agreed. “What do we do now?”

Dawn sighed, wishing that Liza could’ve told them more, but she had helped a lotwith what she’d been able to reveal. “We leave The Dreaming and work with James to figure out the next step once we all are official SAE members,” she stated, filled with renewed determination to find and save their friends by returning them to the land of the living.

The others agreed and they started walking away from the archway, stopping when a chill suddenly went down their spines, sensing something. They all slowly turned back toward the archway, their eyes widening with alarm when they saw that the vines were now glowing an eerie red color and the surface of the mirror was rippling violently.

They started backing away, not liking the look of things, especially since the rippling was getting worst-

SHATTER!

Yelping, the group fell backwards to avoid getting hit by the flying glass, shielding their heads with their arms, and when they couldn’t hear anymore glass shards falling down around them, they carefully uncovered their heads to find that the glass shards had formed a circle around them, leaving them untouched.

Confused by this, they sat up and froze with fear – for standing among the remains of the archway was a glowing red figure, and as the light faded, they found themselves facing the Collector!

“Oh my gosh,” Dawn whispered fearfully as they quickly got up, doing their best to avoid the glass, “you’re The Collector!”

“Yes, and I warned you, Light-bearer, that your friends are my,” said The Collector, gripping her spear tightly as she stalked toward them. “Do not come for them. Do not try to fulfill the prophecy, and now you must leave!”

Dawn summoned the Light as her friends duck behind her, and she was glaring at the advancing villain. “No,” she said coldly. “We’re going to get our friends back, we’re going to stop you, and even if it kills me, the Cursed God will be stopped by fulfilling the prophecy! Now give us our friends back right now!”

The Collector, however, raised her spear and slammed the base into the ground, sending a shockwave of red magic toward the group and, before Dawn could even raise a shield, knocked them backwards, well past the circle of broken glass, and they crashed to the ground, stunning them.

“I warned you,” The Collector growled, advancing toward the shaken group, who were trying to get up, “and now there will be consequences.”

*****

In the mediation room, a beeping noise coming from the monitoring devices made James, Richard, and Dr. Green all jump and they were alarmed to see that the group were clearly in distress as they were twitching and pained expressions were etching across their faces, along with fear.

“They’re in trouble,” said Dr. Green, checking her iPad that was showing her their vitals. “Their vitals are spiking. They need to be pulled out now!”

“Do it,” James ordered.

Richard nodded and went to Dawn, whose skin was flickering with the Light reacting to her distress, first, and gently pressed on her shoulder. “Sleep and relax,” he instructed in a calm voice, “sleep and just relax.” He kept repeating this until the young woman began responding, and she relaxed under his touch, going into a deep sleep.

He then repeated the process with Joey, Matt, Eva, Tyler, Nikita, Oli, and Andrea until they were all sleeping, and were no longer in distress.

Dr. Green double-checked the readings and was relieved to see that their vitals were stabilizing. “Ok, ok, they’re out of danger…for now.”

“Let’s hope that they were successful,” James said and nodded to Richard. “Bring them out of the hypnosis. It’s time.”

“Of course,” Richard agreed and turned to the sleeping group, speaking as he walked around the circle of chairs. “When I count to five, you all will awaken refreshed, feeling good, feeling great, and retaining everything that you experienced without the fear or the pain. 1…2…3…4…5.”

The group woke up, and Dawn immediately sat up.

“We made contact with Liza, and things are worst then we originally thought,” she informed them. “James, we’re running out of time, and The Collector is onto us.”

James went to her and took her hand.

“I believe you,” he said, nodding to Dr. Green. “Once you’ve all been checked out, we’ll talk about what you experienced, and we’ll go from there.”

Dawn nodded. “Ok.”

Chapter Text

Disclaimer: I don’t own anything from Escape the Night. I just own any and all characters that I just happen to create.

CHAPTER SEVEN: RECRUITING HELP

*****

After learning from the group of what they had seen and experienced in The Dreaming, James sent them back to their homes to rest up and get ready for the ceremony that would take place once he’d given the Council of Elders an update, and the proper arrangements had been made.

*****

`“This is troubling news, McCoy,”` the First Elder said with a grim expression after hearing the report of what had taken place during The Dreaming. `“If The Collector is aware that they will be going to the Museum of the Dead to save their fallen friends, then this mission will be more dangerous then any other that they had gone on in the past two years and nine months ago.”`

“I know, sir,” James agreed. “However, the prophecy has revealed a new section that I haven’t shown Dawn or Joey just yet, and it might be of help for the upcoming mission.”

`“What does the prophecy say now?”` the Tenth Elder inquired.

James took out the scroll, opened it, and read aloud that section that had been translated after the Everlock mission, and then the section that’d been translated after the hypnosis session was completed.

When the Fallen are taken by evil.

The innocent and the Light-bearer will unite.

Together with two, they will travel into darkness.

Two of the six will wait to help.

And begin the quest to save the Fallen.

The two that will aid, one will be of this world.

The other will be from one similar, but not.

Together they will help the innocent and

The Light-bearer save the Fallen.

James rolled the scroll back up and put it in the protective tube. “It seems that whoever will be helping the Chosen, one won’t be from this Earth.”

`“This is unexpected,”` the Sixth Elder remarked. `“Why would someone from a parallel world come here to aid the Light-bearer and her friends?”`

“Unclear.”

`“McCoy, once you know more,”` said the First Elder, `“let us know as well.”`

“I will, sir.”

*****

After the meeting was done, James returned to the study to work on the preparations for the ceremony of making Dawn, Joey, Oli, Matt, Tyler, Eva, Andrea, and Nikita official members for the Society Against Evil, and go over reports, including possible sightings of the still missing Jermaine Whitehouse.

*****

James was focused on a report that he didn’t hear the knocking on the doors until the second time, and he pulled himself back to reality. “Enter.”

The doors opened and a man entered. “Sir, communications need you to see something that has been picked up on the multiverse band.”

“‘The multiverse band’?” James repeated, surprised since that particular bandwidth was rarely used, expect when dimensional travel was needed to provide aid in one of the other universes, or- “I’ll go there now.”

“Yes, sir.”

*****

James entered the communications section, which he didn’t really spend much time in, and took a moment to take in the assortment of equipment that was used for monitoring and communicating all over the world, other dimensions, and certain earths throughout the multiverse.

One of the people in the room looked up and saw the SAE leader, and greeted him. “Sir, welcome.”

“Suki Ko, right?” James asked and the Japanese woman nodded. “You took over this section after your father retired after running it for several decades.”

“Yes, sir, I did,” Suki confirmed. “Thank you for coming, sir. Given everything that’s happening, I thought you should know about this transmission the second that it was picked up.”

“Let’s hear it,” James requested and followed her to one of the consoles.

Suki typed in a command into the console and a male voice began playing over the speaker.

`“To the Society Against Evil of Earth Prime, this is Captain Jack Harkness of Earth DW-63, and I am really in need of your help. A good friend of my was taken by some gal calling herself The Collector, and I’ve been told that you guys have the means for me to go after her so I can rescue my friend. Please, if you can help, let me know because this is a matter of life and death.”`

Suki stopped the recording when it began to repeat and she looked at James. “As you know, that name he gave belongs to a character on Doctor Who, but I think this is the real person and not John Barrowman.”

“And you’re right, that is the real Captain Jack Harkness,” James agreed. “Earth DW-63 is in a universe where the characters of the show really do exist, along with the character that Dawn plays on the show.”

“Oh.”

“Trust me, it took a few days for me to get use to that fact, too,” James said. “Ok, get Captain Harkness on the line, because I need to talk to him and find out which of his friends were taken, and then report all of this to the Council of Elders.”

“Yes, sir.”

*****

An hour later, James was back in Communications, having gotten word from Suki that they were now in contact with the SAE on Earth DW-63. He seated himself in front of a console with a monitor and Suki typed in a command to make contact.

“Communications connecting…now.”

The monitor came alive and James soon found himself looking at a slightly older man of Middle Eastern descent, and he figured that this was a Society Against Evil leader on the other Earth. “My name is James McCoy, a SAE leader here on Earth Prime, and you are?”

`“Warren Khan, SAE leader,”` Warren responded. `“Thank you for responding to the transmission sent by Captain Jack Harkness, and if there is anyway that you can help him, that would be less stress for me and everyone else here.”`

“We can be of help,” James confirmed. “Is Captain Harkness there? I do need to speak with him about his request and how he can be of help for an upcoming mission that does involve going to the realm that The Collector is hiding in.”

`“Captain Harkness is here,”` Warren replied. `“One second.”` He then got up and moved out of visual range, quietly speaking to someone else that was off-screen.

Moments later, Captain Jack Harkness sat down in the chair, beaming. `“Howdy, I hear that you canhelp me find The Collector and rescue my friend.”`

“Yes, I and the SAE can help you,” James agreed. “However, your help will also be needed in return, for this mission will be verydangerous, and there’s some things that you need to know about Earth Prime.” He went on to explain about the differences, and this included the names of three certain shows.

`“Whoa, you’re saying that the Doctor, myself, and nearly everyone on my Earth are characters in TV shows called Doctor Who, Torchwood, and The Sarah Jane Smith Adventures? That nearly everything that has ever happen on my Earth are being played out by actors? And that a handsome gay guy named John Barrowman plays me?”`

“That’s correct, Captain,” said James, admittedly impressed that Jack was handling this quite well. “And one of the actresses that’s been involved with Doctor Whosince the age of five, plays a certain character, who I have a feeling is the friend of yours that was taken by The Collector. Here.” He sent an image of Dawn to the former Time Agent.

Jack received the image and his eyes widened.

`“Whoa, except for being a bit older and the lack of a scar on her chin, this is definitely a version of my friend,”` he agreed. `“Sir, you said that you’ll need my help. How can I be of help?”`

“Your help will be needed in keeping Dawn and three friends of hers safe while on the mission to travel to the Museum of the Dead,” James explained. “It is located in the World Between Worlds, also known as Purgatory, and it’s a verydangerous place. You see, Dawn is a Light-bearer and both she and Joey are connected to an ancient prophecy, so it’s vital that they remain alive and are able to rescue their fallen friends from The Collector’s grasp.” And he explained about the events at the 1920s house, the Victorian mansion, and the events in the Town of Everlock.

`“Wow, talk about going through hell a lot,”` Jack remarked. `“Well, if helping them with bringing their friends back to the land of the living means I can save my missing friend, then I’m all for it. I’m 100% at your server, sir.”` And he saluted.

“Wonderful, I’ll work with Warren to have you transported to Earth Prime as soon as possible.”

`“Outstanding.”`

Chapter Text

Disclaimer: I don’t own anything from Escape the Night. I just own any and all characters that I just happen to create.

CHAPTER EIGHT: THE CEREMONY

*****

When the day of the ceremony to induct new members into the Society Against Evil arrived, Joey, Dawn, Matt, Nikita, Andrea, Eva, Oli, and Tyler were all feeling notably nervous and excited, especially since Daniel, Stephanie, and baby Oliver were going to be able to attend and witness the ceremony firsthand.

This had come as a surprise, but James had pointed out that since they knew the full truth, it only made sense to have them bear witness as honorary members for the SAE, and when they felt ready, they could also take the required steps to become full members as well.

By this point, Matt did have a streak of purple in his hair since he had taken part in a fundraiser to raise money for cancer research, but no one bugged him about it, and so he wasn’t worried about breaking any rules since he noticed that while many of the SAE members dressed professionally, some had notable tattoos, some had their hair dyed, shaved in certain ways, and some had quite a number of earrings, making them all unique in different ways.

Dawn was feeling super nervous since three members from the Council of Elders were going to be overseeing the ceremony, which was a rare occurrence in of itself, and that this would be the tenth time that a Light-bearer would become a full fledge member.

Yeah, this was going to be an intense ceremony for the group.

*****

“It’s always a wonderful event when a new chapter opens in the lives of new members,” the First Elder told those gathered for the ceremony. “Whether they have been born into the Society or are joining after going through intense training. Today we welcome into the fold eight who have gone through much, had exceeded expectations with their trainers, and are now officially Society members from this day forward. Please show your support for Joey Graceffa, Dawn Hatcher, Oli White, Eva Gutowski, Tyler Oakley, Andrea Russett, Matthew Patrick, and Nikita Dragun.”

As the gathered clapped and cheered, the three Elders shook hands with the new members while giving each of them a gold Society Against Evil pin, symbolizing their full membership.

*****

After the rest of the ceremony was completed and the group mingled with those celebrating, they were called away to meet with the three Elders, who had something important to share with them, and this was surprising since they were going to be told something that was rarely shared with new members of the Society.

*****

The group was feeling nervous as they entered a large room in the basement of the safe house, especially Oli and Eva after what they had gone through at the 1920s house, and then their nervousness changed to that of awed amazement, for in the center of the room was a huge gold tree with emerald leaves, and silver vines were dangling from the branches with gold nameplates on them.

“Wow, what is this?” Andrea asked.

“This is the family history tree for the twelve bloodlines of the Light-bearers,” the Second Elder explained. “Dating back to the first twelve and leading up to present day. Normally only high-ranking members and Light-bearers are allowed to access this room, but with what you eight have been through, plus the prophecy, you have access as well.”

“So many Light-bearers,” Dawn whispered, feeling overwhelmed as she walked among the nameplates, and noticed something. “Wait, some of these have white diamonds in the corners while others have rubies. Why is that?”

“The ones with white diamonds are the active Light-bearers,” the Third Elder explained, “and the ones with the rubies are potential Light-bearers who have yet to discover the Light inside them. Some go their whole lives without ever knowing that they are Light-bearers, and yet we watch over all of them to ensure their safety and wellbeing.”

‘Most have gold crosses,’ Joey thought, looking at the nameplates. ‘Those are ones who have passed away.’

Matt walked among the nameplates and noted that some had more silver vines then others, and that there were a small handful that had twelve silver vines connected to them, including- “Dawn, I found yours, look.”

Dawn joined him and the others followed as she looked at her nameplate, which had the white diamond, and she saw the twelve silver vines. “Wha- why does my have twelve vines connected to it?”

“Yours isn’t the only one,” said Tyler, pointing at others. “See?”

“This is confusing,” Andrea stated.

“Only because you don’t know the reason behind the vines,” said the First Elder and they all looked at him questioningly. “The vines do more then just keep the nameplates connected to the tree, they also represent the bloodline or bloodlines that the Light-bearer is connected to. You see, there are rare times, known as convergences, when all twelve bloodlines will be born into a single Light-bearer, and while some of them never learn the truth about the Light, the ones who do, they are among the strongest Light-bearers to have ever been born.”

Dawn looked back at her nameplate. “So, all twelve bloodlines are inside me right now?” she asked, spooked. “Wait, that means they’re inside my sisters, too.”

“Yes, they are,” the Second Elder agreed. “And they carry the same potential. But as the first-born, you carry the burden of knowing the truth since you have discovered the Light inside you. And because of this, you will need extra protection before going to the museum to save your friends from The Collector.”

“What kind of protection?” Joey asked, concerned. “And why does she need that protection?”

“The protection that you will be given is a necklace that will keep The Collector from sensing your presence, Dawn,” the Third Elder explained. “As long as you wear it, she won’t know that you are in the museum, but you also will need to avoid using the Light unless there is no other option. For if you use the Light, then The Collector will know that you’re there, and if she should kill you while you’re still in the museum, then the twelve bloodlines, both present and in the past, will cease to exist, along with all the good the Light-bearers have done.”

“That would mean the whole timeline would be changed,” Dawn said, realization dawning on her. “Not just changed, but it would become unraveled and – and destroyed.”

Realizing that the brunette was starting to panic, Joey pulled her aside and held her close while whispering in her ear the means to distract and calm her down.

“Ok, so keeping Dawn alive on this mission is just as important as it was back in Everlock,” Nikita stated. “We got this.” And the rest agreed, including Dawn once she’d calmed down, they had this, and they were going to save and rescue their friends.

They were going to win.

Chapter Text

Disclaimer: I don’t own anything from Escape the Night. I just own any and all characters that I just happen to create.

CHAPTER NINE: ENTER CAPTAIN JACK!

*****

A few days after the ceremony, the group returned to the safe house to talk with James about the upcoming mission to the Museum of the Dead to figure out who would go with Dawn and Joey, and who would be backup incase something went wrong and they would be needed to travel to the museum to help.

*****

“Ok, given that Eva and I are both needed back in England, I don’t think either of us can be the backup,” Oli remarked, sipping his tea. “I got to spend time with my family before they start assuming this had to do with what’s been going on with all the incidents.”

“I’m with Oli,” Eva agreed, having moved to the UK a few months ago. “Even my boyfriend is getting suspicious.”

“Don’t worry, guys, it’s fine,” Joey promised them. “Really it is.” And they both smiled.

It was discussed a bit more and it was decided that Matt and Nikita would travel to the museum with Joey and Dawn, and Tyler and Andrea would remain at the safe house as backup.

“Great, it’s worked out,” said Nikita. “Who’s up for a spa day?”

“Actually, there is something that you all need to see,” James said, pulling out the prophecy scroll and opened it so that they could read the latest translated section. “This part translated itself after your trip into The Dreaming.”

The two that will aid, one will be of this world.

The other will be from one similar, but not.

Together they will help the innocent and

The Light-bearer save the Fallen.

“Wait, so does that mean we’re going to need someone from what? A parallel world?” Matt asked. “Do they really exist?”

“They do exist,” James confirmed. “And as luck would have it, help has already arrived last week.” He turned to the study doors. “You can come in now.”

The doors banged open and Captain Jack Harkness came strolling into the study with a broad grin on his face. “Hello, all!”

This surprised the group so much that they leapt out of their seats, staring in shock at the former time agent.

“What the-?!”

“Oh my gosh!”

“He’s real?!”

“What a hottie!”

“Whoa!”

“How-?!”

“No way!”

Dawn stared in utter shock and confusion. “Y-you – you – you’re the real Captain Jack Harkness?”

“That I am,” Jack confirmed and grabbed the brunette by her hand, twirled her around, and then dipped her, still grinning. “How about a kiss?” he asked before planting one on her lips before letting her back up. “Not bad. You kiss often?”

“What-? No!” Dawn snapped, backing away from him with an outraged expression on her face that was also going power ranger red. “I so don’t swing that way! James, what the heck?!”

James got up from his seat and went to the shaking brunette. “I am sorry, Dawn,” he apologized. “I explained things to Jack, including your cultural beliefs…or so I thought.”

“I’m really sorry, Dawn,” Jack apologized. “Got caught up in the moment, and you do bear a strong resemblance to a friend of my. Which is why I’m on your Earth instead of my own.”

“Which Earth is that?” Nikita asked. “And why are you so good-looking?”

Dawn groaned and covered her face with one hand. “Nikita, don’t, just don’t. No flirting please.”

“Yes, there’s a lot to explain and not much time,” James agreed, gesturing back to the table. “Please, let’s sit back down and give you the full details. Captain?”

“Of course, sir,” Jack agreed and they went back to the table to sit down. “Now, this is going to sound really strange, given what I know you all have already gone through. But what I tell you all will be the truth. Ok, here’s the deal…”

*****

“Wait, wait, so The Collector came to your Earth and kidnapped this person when they weren’t even dead?” Joey asked, trying to make sense of what Jack had told them. “I thought The Collector could only collect the souls of the deceased, not someone who is still alive, and a Time Lord as well. What gives? What sort of person are we going up against?”

“One who I’m going to take great pleasure in giving hell to once I get my friend back,” Jack replied grimly.

Dawn, who’d been quiet, got up from the table. “I – I need some air.” And she exited the room.

“Oh, I think Dawn’s overwhelmed,” Tyler guessed.

Joey nodded, worried. “Yeah, she’s feeling overwhelmed.”

“Maybe one of us should go after her,” Eva suggested.

Oli shook his head. “No, it’s best that she has some alone time.”

“Oli’s right,” Joey agreed. “It’s not a good idea to rush Dawn when she’s feeling like this, and she’s going through a lot.”

While this discussion was going on, Jack quietly got up and slipped out of the room to go in search of the brunette.

Chapter Text

Disclaimer: I don’t own anything from Escape the Night. I just own any and all characters that I just happen to create.

CHAPTER TEN: THE FINAL PLAN

*****

Dawn retreated to a room that was the safe house planetarium, where the walls and ceiling were covered with holographic images of the Milky Way Galaxy in constant movement. She walked to the middle of the room, where there was two wooden benches, and she lied down on one of them so that she was staring up at the night sky.

This wasn’t the first time she’d retreated to the planetarium when she was feeling overwhelmed, and she knew that she would eventually need to go back to the others to finalize the plan. Of course, one of them would probably come track her down, and make sure she was okay before getting her to go back to the meeting.

‘It makes sense that the multiverse actually exists,’ the brunette thought, ‘but to know that in one of those universes that everything from Doctor Who exists. That’s – that’s – wow.’ She was still processing that fact when she heard footsteps approaching, slowly getting louder, but she ignored them, refusing to give any attention to whoever was coming.

*****

Jack entered the planetarium, taking a moment to admire the dancing display of stars, planets, and other celestial objects, and then he went over to where Dawn was lying on a bench, her gaze fixed on the night sky above them. He didn’t say anything, instead he lied down on the other bench so that he was looking at the same night sky.

They laid there for several minutes before Dawn finally broke the silence, but she kept her eyes fixed on the ceiling. “So, did the others send you to find me?”

“Nope,” Jack answered. “I don’t think they realized that I snuck out of the study, so focused on their discussion of why not to go after you when you’re feeling overwhelmed. Sorry about earlier, kissing you was a mistake that I shouldn’t have made.”

“Apology accepted, you insufferable flirt,” the brunette responded and they both laughed, the tension between them disappearing. “I did react badly since I’d never been kissed in that way before, except when acting.”

Jack chuckled. “I could tell.” And he winced when she whack his arm. “Hey, just telling it like it is.”

Dawn rolled her eyes. “I get enough of that from my friends, don’t you start,” she scolded and he snickered, prompting her to roll her eyes again. “Why do all of my friends act immature?”

“Because it’s fun,” Jack replied, grinning while she snorted, and he nodded to the night sky. “It’s a lot to take in, isn’t it?”

“It can be,” the brunette agreed, “but when you see this, it can help put things into perspective.”

“It certainly does.” Jack pondered the night sky for a few minutes before speaking again. “You’re nervous about this mission, right?”

Dawn nodded. “Yeah, I’m definitely nervous,” she agreed. “This isn’t going to be a simple mission, and those friends that Joey and I are so determined to save? A number of them are going to be seriously pissed when they see us, and I won’t be surprised if they yell at us both for what happened at each incident, especially GloZell and Bart. Those two really had it in for Joey and I at the 1920s house.”

“Well, if they want a piece of either you or Joey, they’re gonna have to get past me, first,” Jack stated and they both snickered. “Feel ready to go back to the group?”

The brunette nodded. “Yeah, let’s go.”

“Great.”

*****

When Jack and Dawn returned to the study, the others were surprised since they hadn’t noticed the former time agent sneak away, and were happy to see that the brunette was looking more calm.

They spent the next few hours going over the plan, being joined by Jael and Ryu since they had figured out the location of the Museum of the Dead during their time in the World Between Worlds while they had been dead, and they would be spearheading the mission as they had the most experience and a map to work with.

*****

“Are we going to invite anyone to go on this mission with us?” Matt asked at one point when there was a lull in the conversation. “Anyone at all?”

Joey shook his head. “No, not this time,” he answered. “There’s no point in putting anyone else in danger, and I want to keep it that way.”

“Agreed,” said Dawn. “This mission is going to be dangerous enough as it is, and there’s no point in involving anyone else in our mess. We have Jack, and he’s the best protection we can have.”

Jack beamed. “Why thank you for saying that.”

Dawn rolled her eyes while the others snickered. “Duh, I said it because it’s true, you doofus.”

“Now, Donny, quit flirting with me,” Jack teased, and the brunette spluttered, her face going power ranger red once again while her friends cracked up.

“Jack!”

“Let’s focus, please,” James requested, sounding like an exasperated parent. “Ok, now with this map, you’ll know where in the museum to go, but traveling there is going to be tricky since there are only a limited number of ways to enter the World Between Worlds, and it’s very likely that The Collector has some kind of barrier to prevent anyone from getting into that area.”

“So, what can we do to get in there?” Eva wondered.

Jael, it turned out, already had an answer ready. “We’ll need certain items in order to open a portal to travel through,” she explained. “The Life Crystal is one of those items, along with the Crown of Oblivion, and one other item, which currently isn’t in the possession of the Society.”

“Which item is that?” Matt inquired.

“One of the artifacts that was used to seal away a certain Evil over two years ago,” Ryu answered.

Joey, Dawn, Oli, and Eva felt the blood drain from their faces since they knew exactly which artifact that Ryu was talking about. “The ones from the 1920s house?!”

“Yes.”

Dawn groaned. “Great, and we just happened to bury all four in the ground after banishing the Evil.”

“So, how do we go about getting the artifacts?” Nikita inquired, keeping to herself that she actually did plan to invite someone to join in on the mission.

“Joey and Dawn will need to return to the 1920s house to retrieve at leastoneof the artifacts,” James explained. “Getting the Crown of Oblivion won’t be as hard as I can take Matt and Nikita with me to pick it up.”

“I’ll go with Joey and Dawn to get the artifacts,” Jack offered. “That way they won’t be on their own.”

“Good idea.”

*****

Once the meeting was done, the group went their separate ways: Oli and Eva returned to England, Matt went home to spend time with his wife and son while editing together videos to upload, and made sure to cancel a live stream that he was going to to do in order to not miss out.

Tyler and Andrea both went back to their homes to prepare to be backup, and when Nikita got back to her own home, she took out her phone and made a certain phone call to someone who she told that there was going to be a party with some hot-looking boys.

Joey and Dawn went back to his and Daniel’s house, spent some time with the puppies, spent some time with Wolf, Storm, and Lark, and then they talked with Daniel about the upcoming mission, agreeing that if anyone asked him where they were, he would say that they were on a much-needed vacation.

This wasn’t going to be an easy mission, but they were alldetermined to make sure that it went right, and that they would be able to save their friends, giving them all a new lease on life.

To Be Continued…

*****

I have so many, so many regrets.

So many lies, so many broken ties.

I wish for my old life.

Wish I could fix my strike.

Cause no one truly escapes the night.

Oh, won't you help me escape the night.

Oh baby help me escape the night.

Escape the night.