He Manipulates

18

Tw-death, blood, like a lot, this one is meant to make you cry, plz cry, have fun!

~~~

Michael was told not to make a sound, and so even when the walls collapsed on him after the big boom and everything went quiet he did what his Dad told him. He was very scared. There was so much screaming. It sounded like family! Uncle Techno, Dad, Grandpa Phil, Uncle Tommy, Uncle Will... Where was his Papa? Why did he have to go away? Why couldn't his Papa wake up? Dad needed him! Michael needed him!

He slowly crawled out of the debris, whining and sniffling at the pain it caused. He rubbed blood from his arm away and continued wriggling his way out from the rubble. When he finally made it, he screamed.

The ground was littered with his family in bits and pieces, like cut up Play-Doh. He found his Dad, running to him. "Dad!"

This was a mistake.

The moment he arrived, he vomited. His father was covered in a thick coat of red from head to toe. Half his hair and scalp had been torn off, nails had been plucked out and he was covered in cuts and bruises, flaps of skin hanging off of him like peeling paper.

"Papa!" He screamed. If he screamed loud enough, Papa would come. He'd make Dad all better, of course he will! Why wouldn't he? "Papa help!! H-help!" He sobbed, rubbing fiercely at his salty cheeks. "Papa m'scared!! Don' wanna be alone!! P-Pa-Papa!!"

He curled up pathetically against Tubbo, sniffling and shaking. He didn't want to be alone, this was so scary. There was so much red... Red was a pretty color, but not like this. Like this red scared him.

He never wanted to see red again.

~~~

Ranboo hacked away at his anklet for the next few hours, smashing a stone into it repeatedly. Finally, the device was damaged enough for him to snap in two, successfully freeing himself. He turned to the sky. The sun had just begun to rise, but he couldn't wait to see his family again. He smiled and began on his way, teleporting as quickly as he could now. They wouldn't mind being woken so early for this right? He laughed as he imagined their faces, keeping a careful hand over his bag of gifts. He had new batteries for Tubbo, books, journals and quills for Wilbur and all that including a few treasure maps he'd spotted for Techno, new tools and enchanted books for Phil, any random nick-nacks and weapons he could find for Tommy, and finally, toys and sweets for Michael. He wanted to make them all happy. He knew that it was probably tough on all of them, dealing with being hunted. He just hoped Tubbo didn't blame himself for this mess.

He shook his head and continued traveling through the snowy tundra. While distracted, he didn't notice, but now he looked he saw footsteps everywhere. People in a big group. He was instantly on edge. He climbed into a tree, teleporting from one to the other to keep best out of sight. He began nearing the cottage when he heard the crying.

"Michael..." He whispered. He teleported in front of the house, eyes widening when his gaze landed on the scene in front of him. The house had been blown to smithereens, dead animals littered around the scene. There was a swarm of crows sulking around a pool of blood littered with items. Techno's polar bear was obviously curled around something and Ranboo could just make out the edge of Techno's cloak from near his head.

He saw Tommy's body on the ground bent in awkward angles he thought were only possible for endermen, or maybe they were, and his body want supposed to look like that...

Wilbur was close to him, half of his form was completely gone, the other half beginning to turn transparent. He could smell magic lingering in the air. It was probably anti-phantom, considering Wilbur's condition. Multiple craters had been blown into the ground tearing apart the peaceful land, destroying the area Techno and Phil had worked so hard to make safe and beautiful. His eyes found Tubbo surrounded by his bees, all dead. He looked awful. Ranboo couldn't even describe the damage that had been done to him. It was as though he was a clay statue and someone had cut away pieces of him. His face was visible from Ranboo's position and his eyes were wide with frozen fear and pain. His eyebrows were high and his mouth was open with blood spilling from the corners.

He was about to walk over, when he saw Michael.

Michael was still alive. He couldn't go check on everyone else yet, he knew all of them were dead. He knew. Right now, he had a son to take care of. He had a living, breathing son to comfort.

He walked over to Michael, listening to his wails. "Michael," he began as he moved forward. "It's okay bud, I'm here now. I'll make it better, promise." The boy turned to face him with tears slipping down his left cheek. "Papa?" He whispered. Ranboo smiled sadly, nodding slowly.

Michael's eyes brightened. His papa was here, everything would be okay! He ran forward, arms outstretched.

Ranboo smiled a little wider and opened his arms for a hug as well.

Michael was only a foot away when the ground exploded. He'd stepped on a trap. A trapdoor the hunters hid beneath the snow. Both Ranboo and Michael were too glad to see each other to notice.

In those last moments of consciousness, Ranboo saw Michael's eyes widen with surprise. He watched his child get launched into the air, following not a second after. He spun through the air, eventually stopping as he collided with a tree head first. His body dropped to the ground like a sack of flour, and his eyes were empty.

Michael was left close to where he'd been before the blast, having flown straight into the air. He whined as pain flared through his entire body. Blood dribbled down his forehead as he desperate clawed at the ground, pulling himself out of the new crater, receiving no help from his damaged legs.

He sobbed as he dragged his injured body through the snow, leaving a trail of blood behind him. His eyes were trained on one thing: Ranboo. His Papa.

He pulled and pushed his way forward until he finally reached his Papa, dead for real this time. He curled into his side and pulled his limp arm over him. A tiny sob and sniffle escaped him as breathing became difficult. He let his eyes fall shut. Papa would keep him safe, Papa would protect him even like this. At least until he went to sleep. "Nigh' Papa..."

He couldn't wait to hold his Papa and Dad's hands again.