Nightmare in Bellwood

Story
Jane and Lucy are in Jane’s room, at night. Jane’s wearing an old tank top and pink pajama pants with unicorns on them, while Lucy morphs her body, her clothes shifting to a onesie.

Lucy: Sleepover! Best time ever!

Jane: Thanks again. I’ve just been having horrible nightmares lately.

Lucy: Hey, anything my best friend needs! And if this helps you stop beating me up, then I’m all for it!

Jane: Yeah, sorry about that.

Lucy: I’m so excited! I don’t think I’m going to be able to fall asleep!

A few minutes later, Lucy is snoring peacefully on top of a sleeping bag, as Jane is still wide awake, staring at the ceiling. The ceiling starts to creak, which confuses her.

Jane: Nobody’s above us.

Jane stands on her bed to inspect it, when a portion of the ceiling collapses, Jane using her arms to protect herself. Jane coughs from the dust that came with it, and jumps down off the bed. The floor cracks, as it breaks away like legos, in sections. Lucy doesn’t stir, and falls through the hole.

Jane: Lucy!

Voice: At last. We are alone.

Jane looks up, as Morpheus flutters down from hole in the ceiling.

Jane: What? Who are you?

Morpheus: I am Morpheus. You are target 105.

Jane: Target?

Morpheus: I have hunted 104 targets before you. I possess the power to manipulate reality.

Morpheus flies and floats over the hole in the floor. He holds his hands out to the side, white dust falling from them. Time reverses, as the floor rebuilds itself, with Lucy, who was still fast asleep. Morpheus then snaps his fingers, as Lucy breaks away into white dust.

Jane: Lucy!

Morpheus: Morpheus log 641. Target 105 responds greatly to harm to associates.

Jane: Are you, taking notes?

Morpheus: I have studied you for 7 episodes. Your patterns, habits, strengths, weaknesses. I know how to destroy you. And now, the hunt begins.

Morpheus floats backwards, phasing through the door. Jane runs after Morpheus, stepping on Lucy’s face, flattening it.

Lucy: (Muffled) Ow!

Lucy’s face reforms, as she hears Jane slamming the door. Lucy gets up and follows, as she sees Jane at the bottom of the stairs, heading towards the front door. She slaps down the Omnitrix, as Chromastone runs out the door, slamming it behind her.

Mrs. Smith: Keep it down out there!

Lucy: Sorry, Mrs. Smith!

Lucy closes the door gently, as she runs down the stairs, heading out the front door, closing it softly. She sees Chromastone running down the street, heading towards downtown.

Lucy: Oh, boy. (She pulls out her cell phone.) Rook. Sorry to wake you. Something’s going on with Jane. Again. End Scene

The city of Bellwood is a luscious pink color, everything resembling bright clouds. The buildings are poofy, resembling drawings, as the people in the area are all smiling and cheery. The cars are now unicorns. Chromastone runs after Morpheus, firing ultraviolet rays. Morpheus dodges gracefully, his dust extending and transforming the world as they go.

Chromastone: What’s wrong? Running away from a fight?

Morpheus: Alien, Chromastone. Species, Crystalsapien. Abilities, absorb energy, fire ultraviolet rays, high durability, flight, light generation.

Chromastone: I can fly?

Chromastone concentrates, and raises her arm up Superman style. She jumps, and flies at Morpheus. Morpheus breaks into dust, as Chromastone flies straight at a building. The building opens up like a mouth, yawning. Chromastone flies straight into its mouth, as the building closes. It smacks its lips, then spits Chromastone out, her covered in slobber and hitting the ground.

Chromastone: Ah! Gross!

A whinny occurs, as a Smily person riding a unicorn comes straight at her. The unicorn swerves to the side, crashing into a fire hydrant, which shoots rainbows out of it when broken. Morpheus glides over the road, as Chromastone flies after him, firing ultraviolet rays. Morpheus dodges, the attacks hitting stray unicorns. Morpheus stops, smirking, as Chromastone attempts to fire another ultraviolet ray. Nothing happens, as Chromastone pulls to a stop.

Chromastone: What happened?

Morpheus: Limitation of Crystalsapien, can deplete its reserve of energy to attack with. Solution, recharge from a power source.

Chromastone looks around, seeing a floating green cloud, which is sparking with electricity. Chromastone smiles, and flies up to it.

Chromastone: You’ve got a big mouth, Morpheus. And your facts are telling me how to beat you!

Chromastone sticks her fist into the cloud, absorbing the electricity.

Morpheus: Correction. You are walking into my trap.

Chromastone pulls her fist out of the cloud, firing ultraviolet rays at Morpheus. Morpheus releases white dust, which causes him to disappear. The ultraviolet ray hits a building, as Chromastone uses the attack to chase after Morpheus.

Lucy and Rook arrive, seeing a destroyed city. Cars are damaged, one having crashed into a fire hydrant. An electric pole transformer has a fist shaped hole in it, the power in that area having gone out. The citizens are running for their lives, as Chromastone randomly attacks, destroying buildings, cars and street lights. She spins around, revealing that Chromastone’s eye is closed.

Lucy: She’s asleep?! She’s sleepwalking?

Rook: Interesting. Her GABA receptors must be blocked.

Lucy: GABA?

Rook: It’s a neurotransmitter, which helps control reactions in the body. GABA receptor activation causes the muscle paralysis in REM sleep.

Lucy: REM?

Rook: Rapid Eye Movement. The stage of sleep most commonly correlated with dreaming.

Lucy: Jane did say that she’d been having nightmares.

Rook: Suffering from lack of sleep or stress can cause sleepwalking.

Chromastone flies overhead, flying in the opposite direction.

Lucy: She’s heading towards the lake!

Chromastone flies after Morpheus, who has increased in speed, leaving a trail of white dust behind him. He’s heading towards a large marshmallow, which is in the ground.

Morpheus: Time to end it.

Morpheus flies through the marshmallow, the incision fixing itself afterwards.

Chromastone: You’re not getting away from me that easily!

Chromastone flies into the marshmallow, as the shock going through her body feeling like she hit a brick wall. She’s sinking through the water, as she reverts. Her face is blank, frozen as she’s out of oxygen. She drifts downward, when a splash occurs overhead. Ben swims down, grabbing onto Jane. He the pulls on a line that is attached to him.

Rook: That’s the line. Pull!

Rook and Lucy are pulling on the Proto-Tool in fishing rod mode, reeling in the line. They pull Ben and Lucy out of the water, as Ben swims ashore, getting Jane on solid ground. Rook initiates CPR, making chest compressions. Jane hacks up water, and she coughs, sitting up. She continues to cough, Ben gently patting her back.

Ben: It’s alright.

Jane: (Gasping) What, happened?

Lucy: You were sleepwalking. You turned into Chromastone and wrecked the town, then flew headfirst into the lake. Which reminds me, when you’d learn how to fly?

Jane: Morpheus told me. I guess he was in my dream, but it seemed so real. And if that really happened,

Morpheus: Then it actually happened.

The group turns, seeing Morpheus floating in the air.

Rook: A Nemuina. They manipulate dreams.

Jane: Dreams. Not reality. That was a dream!

Morpheus: Initial tactic on killing Target 105, failed due to associate interference. Next tactic, remove associates.

Morpheus flies forward, turning into white dust. Rook morphs the Proto-Tool into blaster mode, firing shots to keep Morpheus at a distance. Lucy throws a sludge ball, catching most of the dust. The remaining dust reproduces, increasing in number as it charges Ben. Ben forms a mana wall, the dust hitting it, the dust going through microscopic holes. The dust hits Ben, as he drops. The sludge returns to Lucy, as the dust puts Lucy to sleep. Rook shakes the Proto-Tool, which releases dust, as he drops.

Jane: Guys?

Ben, Lucy and Rook stand up, as they turn to face Jane, all of their eyes closed, their eyes moving underneath their eyelids.

Jane: Rapid eye movement? Morpheus got to them!

Jane activates the Omnitrix, slapping down the Omnitrix. She turns into Four Arms, as she claps her hands together, a sonic clap hitting the three, knocking them back. Ben, Lucy and Rook recover quickly, Rook pointing his Proto-Tool at her.

Lucy: Rook, no! You can’t!

Rook: Lucy, look at her eyes.

Lucy looks over, seeing Four Arms’ eyes being closed.

Rook: She is under Morpheus’ control.

Ben: Maybe we can get to her.

Four Arms charges at them, swinging her fist. Rook charges and catches the fist, elbowing Four Arms in the stomach. Four Arms stumbles back, as Rook points his blaster at her.

Four Arms: Hate to do this to you, Rook.

Four Arms slams her arms into the ground, the ground breaking and it hitting Rook in the chest, launching him skyward. Ben sighs, as he charges in, running around Four Arms. He fires a mana stream, which catches her hand. He runs around Four Arms, wrapping her in mana. Four Arms breaks free, the snapping of the mana rope knocking Ben to the ground. Four Arms charges Lucy, who forms a mace hand.

Lucy: I hate having to do this to you, Jane. But if it wakes you up.

Lucy swings her mace hand, hitting Four Arms in the chest. Four Arms stumbles back, but grabs Lucy’s arm, swinging her over her head, slamming her into the ground, splattering her. Lucy reforms, as Four Arms looks around, seeing she was surrounded.

Four Arms: Enough!

Four Arms slams her arms into the ground, shattering it even more, pushing all of them back. She then jumps into the air, grabbing onto the side of a building before jumping off it again to land on a roof.

Ben: (Panting) Who’s bright idea was it to attack her?

Lucy: That Morpheus guy turned her against us.

Rook: I may have something that will be able to stop him. Keep Jane busy while I fetch it.

Rook runs off in the opposite direction, while Lucy and Ben run towards the building Four Arms was on, who was watching.

Four Arms: Where’s Rook going?

Four Arms turns around, going to walk across the roof. A sleepwalking Ben, Lucy and Rook were there, prepared to attack.

Four Arms: How’d you get here so fast? And, why is Rook here? (She gasps in realization.) This is the dream!

Ben, Lucy and Rook approach, as Four Arms looks around frantically. She then looks at her fist, clenching it.

Four Arms: Only way to do this is to wake up!

Four Arms punches herself in the face, as she drops to the ground. She groans, as she reverts, having a black eye. She looks up, seeing Ben and Lucy over him.

Ben: Hey, sleepyhead. You alright?

Jane: (Drowsy) Guys? Are you?

Lucy: Yeah, you’re awake. That’s some shiner you’ve got there.

Jane: Yeah. (She sits up) It’s the only way I could think of waking up. Especially if I was sleepwalking.

Ben: Good call. Well, let’s get going.

Ben offers his hand, as Jane takes it. She sees a crease in Ben’s skin, as she reaches for it. She grabs and tears it off, revealing Morpheus’ face.

Morpheus: (In Ben’s voice) Don’t worry, Jane. It’ll all be okay.

Jane squeals, as she slaps down the Omnitrix. She turns into Spitter, spitting a stream of slime at Ben, washing him away. He’s lying on the ground, as he gets up, spitting in disgust.

Ben: Ew! Gross!

Lucy: You’re telling me. Eep!

Spitter spits slime at Lucy, who drops into a puddle. She reforms, having Morpheus’ face.

Spitter: Stay away from me, Morpheus!

Spitter spits slime at Lucy, who dodges. The slime hits Ben, him gurgling as it gets in his mouth. He rects up the slime, in complete agony.

Ben: Ugh. Stop her!

Lucy: She thinks I’m Morpheus. Let’s try that.

Lucy’s head, which is Morpheus’, morphs into her own head. Spitter’s head starts to inflate, but deflates upon seeing Lucy’s face.

Spitter: Lucy?

Lucy: You’re asleep! You need to wake up!

Spitter: Uh, how?

Spitter looks up to the sky, her head inflating. She spits slime, it going upward. It washes down on her face.

Jane jolts awake, looking around frantically. They are at the school cafeteria, where Lucy had poured a glass of water onto Jane. Ben is sitting across from her.

Lucy: Ha! Told you it’d work.

Ben: Alright, alright. But it seems a little juvenile.

Jane: Huh? What?

Lucy: You fell asleep.

Ben: And I was just giving the highlights of my last match.

Jane: But, where’s Morpheus?

Ben: Morpheus? Sounds like you had a crazy dream.

Jane: (Confused) Yeah. I, guess.

The school bell rings, as everyone starts getting up from their seats.

Ben: Ugh! Class!

Lucy: I like class. Today we get to mix volatile chemicals in lab! Let’s go, Jane.

Jane: Uh, right.

The three get up from the table, Jane walking ahead of Ben and Lucy. She walks out the cafeteria door into the hallway, a sudden drop occurring. Jane stumbles back, startled.

Jane: What was that?

Lucy: What was what?

Jane: There was a drop. Wasn’t there?

Ben: It’s alright. Keep walking. (Jane keeps going, nervous. Ben’s tone changes to be serious.) I won’t let you fall!

Jane: What? Fall?

Jane looks back, seeing Ben and Lucy walking next to each other, their expressions blank.

Lucy: (In monotone) It’s fine, Jane. Keep walking. (Jane turns back forward, and keeps walking. Lucy’s tone turns serious.) Don’t look down!

Jane looks down, as she takes a step. The ground fades, revealing it was a mana platform, far above the city streets. Jane yells, frantically jumping backwards, back on the mana platform where Ben and Lucy were.

Ben: Jane? What’s wrong?

Jane turns to face Ben and Lucy, her eyes closed.

Jane: (Muttering) You’re trying to make me walk off the edge. You’re part of the dream.

Jane activates the Omnitrix, slapping it down. She turns into Brainstorm, as her skull plates opens, revealing her sparking brain.

Lucy: No, wait! Jane! This is real life!

Brainstorm shoots lightning at Ben and Lucy, electrocuting them. Ben loses control of the mana platform, it breaking underneath them. The three fall towards the ground, as Brainstorm wraps herself in lightning streams, which cause her to levitate. Rook swings in on a cable, catching Ben. Lucy splatters onto the ground, reforming in a grouchy way.

Lucy: Thanks for catching me.

Rook: My apologies. However, Ben here would not have survived that fall without my assistance.

Ben: That’s right! Thanks, Rook.

Lucy: Did you get your thing?

Rook: Yes.

Rook pulls out net like contraption, a Navajo dream catcher on a pole. Ben and Lucy look at it, unimpressed.

Ben: That’s it?

Rook: One of my former instructors, Magister Green, created this from his Earth culture. It is

Lucy: A dream catcher, yeah.

Rook: It should work to capture a Nemuina. If we can get him out of Jane.

Brainstorm fires lightning everywhere, as Lucy sees her brain sparking. Lucy stretches her arm, grabbing the dream catcher.

Lucy: Keep her busy. I’ll do it.

Lucy runs around the side, as Rook fires energy shots at Brainstorm, gaining her attention. Ben throws mana disks, as Brainstorm fires lightning blasts. Ben forms a mana shield on his arm, taking the lightning attack and pushes through it. Brainstorm extends lightning, which causes Rook and Ben to levitate in the air.

Brainstorm: Get out of my head!

Lucy falls from the sky, stomping down on Brainstorm’s skull plates, closing it. Brainstorm electrocutes herself, as the entire world is electrocuted, including Morpheus. Morpheus comes out of Brainstorm’s head, and Lucy swings the dream catcher, catching and trapping Morpheus. Morpheus struggles to get free.

Morpheus: No! I am no one’s target!

Brainstorm falls over, reverting.

Rook: Morpheus, by the order of the Plumbers, you are under arrest. You have the right to remain silent.

Rook takes the dream catcher, taking Morpheus away. Ben and Lucy help Jane up, who was waking, but paranoid.

Jane: What? Huh? Morpheus!

Lucy: It’s okay. It’s over. We got him.

Jane: How do I know this isn’t another dream?

Ben: Good question. Well, if it was a dream, I’m pretty sure you wouldn’t be in your pajamas.

Jane looks down, seeing she was in her pajamas. She blushes bright red, using her arms to cover herself.

Jane: Don’t look at me!

Jane reaches her arm up, pushing Ben’s face to look in the other direction.

Ben: Hey! You don’t think I’d miss your unicorn PJ’s, do you?

Jane: Stop, stop! This is worse than anything Morpheus did!

Lucy laughs, snorting as she does. Morpheus watches the group as Rook takes him away.

Morpheus: Morpheus log 642. Target escaped, and my status, incarcerated. Suggested improvement, embarrass target instead to torture.

Characters

 * Jane Smith
 * Lucy Mann
 * Rook Blonko
 * Ben Tennyson

Villains

 * Morpheus

Aliens Used

 * Chromastone
 * Four Arms
 * Spitter
 * Brainstorm

Trivia

 * Morpheus finally goes after Jane himself, succeeding in fooling her every step of the way.
 * Jane learns that Chromastone can fly.
 * The first part of the dream, where everything looks like a cartoon, is based off the My Life as a Teenage Robot episode Daydream Believer.
 * Rook mentions Wes Green, as being one of his old mentors.
 * This episode utilizes a questions of Philosophers, "When you wake up from sleep, are you actually awake? Or are you in another dream?" This is shown by the lines between the dreams and reality becoming very faint towards the end.
 * Despite Morpheus' best efforts, the embarrassment aspect was worse for Jane, as shown by Ben teasing her about her PJ's.