Once a month, the important heroes gathered together at a meeting. Officially, they discussed future plans, how to spend tax money, and if anyone's patrols should be changed. Unofficially, it was a chance for heroes to show off how popular they had become in the eyes of the public. For Reverie, it was being looked at like he was an object. It was listening to the whispers about he was a loyal mutt to Dream, how he harbored destructive powers, and how he didn't act or look like a real sidekick, much less a hero. Reverie came to despise those meetings. He was well aware how much of a dog he was to the cause. Reverie wouldn't lie to these people in saying that he wouldn't do whatever Dream told him. He would just rather not be there as everyone explained away his life, talking about how little freedom he had like it was some unfunny joke that one guy told every year. Reverie would stand behind Dream, standing shoulder to shoulder with Fantasy, walking around with stares following him.

This time was different. Dream had disappeared to discuss private business with the other leaders of the distracts: Unfound, Minotaur, Sueño, and Halo. Dream had given Reverie and Fantasy permission to speak with the other heroes under the condition (threat) that they didn't mess up Dream's reputation. Fantasy had split right after Dream left. Reverie didn't know what to do with himself, so he stuck to the corners of the room hidden in shadows. Reverie quietly observed the scene that was before him. There was maybe ten to twenty other heroes there, not including their sidekicks. Most heroes had several that accompanied them to these meetings. The sidekicks were the ones with most malicious rumors aimed at Reverie out of spite or jealousy for his position. They wouldn't want it if they learned the truth about standing by Dream's side.

"I need to tell you something," Someone said, sliding into place beside Reverie like he had always been there. Reverie didn't have to look to recognize the voice was Integrity. Reverie did a sweep of the room to take note of anyone paying special attention to them. It wasn't uncommon for sidekicks to have friends, but it was strange that Reverie and Integrity were communicating, especially since it was them together. Reverie couldn't have people talking. More specifically, he couldn't have someone saying something to Dream. Reverie wasn't prepared to explain how this alliance came about.

"You couldn't have chosen a better fucking spot? People talk. Rumors start. I don't need this bullshit on top of everything else," Reverie said through clenched teeth with a placating smile on his face that exuded friendliness with nothing ulterior. Reverie had been taught by Dream how to be polite. Even if Reverie's tongue sometimes slipped with a few cuss words, he had exceptionally control over his facial features when he wanted to. He had to with the way Dream treated extravagant emotions. If Reverie or Fantasy showed a particularly strong feeling on their face, Dream would pull those strings to force their expressions to behave.

"No, it can't. Here's a rumor you should be paying attention to: the ringleader of the Pit, Banshee, has a collection of Marionettes that he wants to use to spice up the fights. There won't be another opportunity to see so many in one place at a time. It could provide answers we've been trying to find," Integrity said with a neutral face because Punz hadn't taught him a thing about politics. Reverie wasn't perfect, either, in that regard. Reverie felt his smile twitch at the mention of the Pit. Reverie was one of the few people to escape that place with his life and without crippling wounds. It was thanks to Dream that Reverie came out. At least, Dream was better than the Pit. The violence was about the same, but Dream had a reason for his actions. The Pit was a bloodbath for the sake of it. Reverie hated that place by its nature, and he hated Banshee for running it. To be fair, Reverie hated Banshee for many reasons, but mostly about the Pit thing.

"Let me guess: you, me, and the other fuckers are sneaking into a place ran by the most batshit crazy individual in all of Essempei. My only question is when?" Reverie said. Even though he really didn't want to, Reverie wasn't letting the others go to that place alone. It might have changed in the years Reverie had been gone, but Reverie knew that most of it was the same. He could navigate the twisting trails of that hellhole. Reverie might even know a few people who could help him find out where exactly the Marionettes were. If the rumors were true. Reverie suspected they were by the single fact that this was Banshee they were talking about. If anyone had a collection of those puppet monsters, it would be Banshee or Croupier. Reverie didn't know who was worse.

"Two days from now. We'll meet outside the cafe in disguises. I trust you won't look like an idiot," Integrity said with a ghost of a smirk as he watched Reverie's eye twitch at the comment. It took everything in Reverie not to start yelling at Integrity, to show the anger igniting his heart on his face. Integrity was almost amused by this as he bumped his shoulder into Reverie. "Go mingle, you social outcast. Make a friend the normal way. You need to have these sorts of skills, y'know?"

Integrity walked away like he was never there. Reverie sighed, watching the other leave. Reverie did one more sweep around the room. Who should he talk to? If Reverie played his cards right, he could get information about the situation with Dream, Minotaur, H. Bomb, or Nemesis/Blaze. Those were the current mysteries in his life that he didn't even want to solve. Fate just decided to make Reverie Sherlock and gave him three idiot Watsons. Reverie chuckled under his breath at his own joke as he walked into the crowd. Reverie played socialite roulette, sliding beside someone without knowing who they were. When Reverie looked, he recognized the deep-voiced, monotone hero with a villain's name, Corpse. Reverie shrugged lightly. There were worse people. He was somewhat acquainted with Corpse from missions in their past.

"We're not going to meet the Ender dragon?" Corpse started the conversation off with no warning. There was no preemptive smalltalk, or some indication of why this is what he chose to talk about. Reverie waited a moment to get his bearings. Corpse wanted to know if had to meet... the Ender dragon? Wasn't that a mythological creature from the floating island people, the Enderman? Reverie didn't know much about the myth except that the Enderman believed in an all powerful, governing dragon that protected them instead of a god. Reverie didn't have a clue what Corpse was talking about since even if the dragon was real, it wouldn't be anywhere near Essempei due to a lack in the Enderman population. Corpse continued as if to explain his previous words. "We have history.... and, I just... shits been a little rough lately. She's coming by to her stuff soon, and I- I just- I really don't want her to see me like this. Do you... do get what I mean?"

"What the fu-" Reverie started but devolved into a breathy laugh that spilled from his mouth. Reverie looked to where Corpse was trying to not to look. Lady Talon, with her sidekick, Deviate, beside her, was talking to a group of other heroes with a stern face like she was lecturing them. The Ender dragon part made a whole lot more sense since Lady Talon's power turned parts of her body into something draconic. Rumor had it that the Enderman sent her to Essempei to expand her knowledge on the world, her powers, and her skills so that one day she may reclaim her divine role as the guardian of the End, the floating islands far north of Essempei. Reverie took a moment to look at Deviate. He looked more disheartened than bored as his tail flicked around in nerves.

"As long as we don't see her then it- it'd just be really awkward," Corpse said instead of commenting on how unprofessional Reverie was being. It hit him all at once that Corpse was implying that he and Lady Talon were exes. Reverie looked between the two with narrowing eyes. It was a shock that either of them ever dated someone to Reverie. It was just plain weird that they dated each other. Even though he didn't want to, he wondered what their relationship would have been like. Did they cuddle, or did they just talk about the weather? How did they meet? Who asked who out? What did they do for their first date? Why did they break up? Did one of them cheat? Was it a mutual thing, or was it Lady Talon who fell out of love? Were they ever in love? Reverie had so many questions that he never wanted answered in a million years. Reverie wished he could wipe his brain from ever having this conversation. Reverie thought Corpse was absolutely poggers for dating the terrifying Lady Talon, but he was now entirely sure that Corpse was legitimately out of his mind. There was no other explanation.

"No, no, you can avoid her or some shit," Reverie said, taking slow steps backwards. When he was sure he was an appropriate distance from Corpse, he turned tail and ran. Well, Reverie didn't run, but he did leave that auditorium room. Reverie took a deep breath of the cold hallway air that was saturated with foul perfume and body heat. Reverie let his body relax against the doors. He closed his eyes tightly. He pushed away the memories of his conversation with Corpse and Integrity's revelation that would lead Reverie crawling back to the life he desperately tried to leave. He would need to go back in soon. It wouldn't be long until Dream came back into the room. If Reverie didn't stand beside him, Dream would get suspicious. Reverie couldn't mess up again. Dream had made that clear the morning Reverie came back after his adventure with Integrity.

Reverie was about to walk inside when he heard muffled voices from farther down the hallway. Reverie's fingertips brushed against the doorknob. Reverie took a hesitant step in the direction of the whispers. Reverie looked back towards the door. He should leave it alone, and go back inside where he would wait for Dream. Reverie probably could have rescued Deviate from his anxiety, or purposefully made Corpse and Lady Talon interact as a cruel prank. What Reverie did instead was walk down the hallway to find the voices. As he approached the turn of the hall, the voices became more distinct. One was beyond angry while the other was answering in soft, saddened whispers. Reverie tried to place the voices from the memories in his head, but the first voice was too gruff and the second too quiet for Reverie to give him a name or face. Reverie cane upon the bend in the hall. He peeked his hand around to see who it was that was being yelled at by the other.

Minotaur was standing with slightly hunched shoulders, poisonous words falling from his lips as easily as breaths did. Minotaur was in hero uniform, his devilish horns burning red like metal at the forges. If his voice wasn't enough, his face was the dictionary definition of someone who was angry. The person his wrath was directed at was HoneyBee. The boy was pressed against the wall, his arms around his chest like he was trying to protect himself. Tears glistened his eyes like honey caught in sunlight, and his artificial wings were buzzing with building energy. HoneyBee was trembling, and his whispers were near silent 'yes sir' and 'no sir' when Minotaur gave him a chance to speak. Reverie was about to turn away when he saw Minotaur raise his hand at HoneyBee who flinched away.

Reverie committed a cardinal sin as he ran forwards. He slid to a stop right in front of HoneyBee to protect him. Reverie had been planning to take the hit, but he felt a pulse of energy thrum from his mind to his hands. As Minotaur's hand made contact with Reverie's cheek, his powers burst from his skin to knock Minotaur across the hallway. The popular hero was able to catch himself against the wall. His blazing eyes were now glaring at Reverie. HoneyBee wrapped his arms around Reverie's stomach while sobbing into the place between his shoulder blades. Reverie had one thought as tears soaked into his shirt and Minotaur was preparing to attack:

Dream was going to kill him.