Dreams
'Gasp'
Prost snapped awake with a start. He looked around, an unfamiliar room greeted him. He wasn't locked down, nor was he in a threateningly strange environment... All that greeted him was a bedroom clad in pink. There was a wooden door nearby that was closed.
'Was it all just a dream? Where am I?' Prost wondered to himself, 'It all felt so real!'
The wooden door, closed up until this point, burst open, revealing a man with pink hair in a scientists clothes. The man rushed up to Prost, his eyes wide.
"You're awake!" The man exclaimed, he popped some gum into his mouth after pulling it out of seemingly nowhere, "She said it'd be a while but... This is too much!"
He shook his head, blowing a bubble with the gum, "Anyways, now that you know of what's going on, I'll start some explanations." He looked about manically, "Where'd I put that notebook?"
He stopped suddenly, "Oh yeah, my name is John." he sparkled to Prost, he mumbled to himself, "Where is that notebook?"
"Ah, it's there!" John shouted as he rushed out of the room like a whirlwind, "I'll be right back!"
'Eh?' Prost couldn't follow, 'What is going on?'
---
"Boss it's been done." Bernard slurred, "Now you just need to-"
"I know." Sheila cut Bernard off, "I'm aware of what I need to do. Now we can be together... I guess his identity is a problem, but If I'm not wrong, those fogies from the Dancing Empire should be freaking out."
Sheila chuckled, "Anyways, once the suggestions kick in, he'll be loyal. I guess the only way he's gonna get out is to-" she stopped, face paling as a realization hit her, "I've only got as much as a decade before he'll be able to break free?"
Bernard stood still, not comprehending his boss' thoughts, "Boss, what do you mean? Only a decade? I'm sure for someone of his strength, it'll take half a century!"
"No, I'm sure of it..." Sheila spoke, "I mean, we are the same after all... I only got this chance because I'm young."
'And I'm reborn... Not sure how though.' She thought.
"Boss, speaking of, how old are you boss?" Bernard asked thoughtlessly, "You've never said..."
Sheila kicked Bernard, "You know not to ask a lady her age, but since you asked, I'm the same as him. Birthday and all..."
Her eyes turned into crescents at the thought, "Hehe... All mine."
---
The day of Prost's disappearance...
Dancing Empire, Nanak Galaxy
A private burst into the Colonel's office, the door blown off its hinges.
"Colonel! Bad news sir!" He shouted, panic setting in, "The target is gone, we can't find him!"
The colonel, a big man in his 40's sat in an office chair facing the door.
"Now now private, what's the army's rules on using power in the base?" the colonel spoke methodically, "Tell me the news after-"
"But Colonel!" The private interrupted, "This is BIG!"
"No buts private!" The colonel asserted, "What is the rule?"
"No using power in non-emergency situations..." The private said quietly, "But-"
"No buts private! Give me 500 push ups, in the mean time you can calmly tell me the problem." the colonel ordered, "I won't listen until you get to 50. I want to hear you scream those numbers."
"But-"
"No buts. Nothing is more important than order private." the colonel shouted, "Now private, what is more important than order?"
"Nothing..." the private whispered, "Nothing is more important..."
"I can't hear you!" The colonel stood up from the desk, "Louder!"
"Noth-"
"LOUDER MAGGOT!" The colonel screamed, "LET ME HEAR YOU SAY WHAT'S MORE IMPORTANT THAN ORDER!"
"NOTHING SIR!" the private shouted.
"NOTHING WHAT?"
"NOTHING IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN ORDER SIR!" the private asserted.
"YESSIR NOW DROP DOWN AND GIVE ME 500!"
"YESSIR!" the private shouted as he dropped down to 500.
'Now that that's dealt with, time to get out of here.' the colonel thought as the private did pushups, 'I hope the country will reward me for this.'
"I've got to get some documents from my car private. I'll be back in a bit. Don't you dare stop counting, or I'll be back and rip you a new ass. You got that private?" the colonel asked the private, "YOU HEAR ME PRIVATE?"
"*Gasp*, *Gasp*, YESSIR! 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27-"
"Alrighty then private, when I come back we'll talk." The colonel put on his jacket and left.
"35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 50-" The private's ghostly counting resounded through the empty halls of the base.
---
Back in the base in the country.
The pink whirlwind came back, "Alright, *Gasp*, I'm here!" he looked down at his notes, he started to read, "Anyways, what you saw was real. All that you saw in the dream is real. You'll now undergo brainwashing to achieve results hoping for you to forget allegiance to the dancing empire and awake latent cultivation..."
"Eh?" Prost squeaked, hands shaking in fear, "I-I killed Grundy?"
Prost started shaking, PTSD from something kicking in, he cried loudly, "Wahh!"
"In order to make sure no allegiance to Dancing Empire remains, we will have a prisoner of the Empire's descent fight you in a death-match... Also you're gonna have these memories wiped... You're just being read these for legal purposes..." John said joyfully as if this wasn't his problem, he looked again mumbling a bit quieter, but still loud enough for Prost to hear, "Don't read this to Prost but Grundy is actually not of Empire descent... All procedures before were to shock his mental state... Yadda yadda, bleh bleh..." John trailed off.
"Right we're done! Enjoy 3 years of sleep!" John switched gears, "Wake up a brand new you!"
'Eh? But I-' Prost's thoughts cut off after hearing this, 'Maybe- Sheila had good intentions?'
'Plop'
Prost fainted.
---