How the world works

4

"So then what do we do?" Niki asks. It took very little time for everyone to put two and two together. Then Phil visited the remainder of l'manburg and filled them in on Dreams... visit. The realization doesn't sit well with anyone. Literal children are being held captive and are facing who knows what, and no one has done anything. Some simply didn't care. But most felt a connection of some type to one or the other. 

"Then its fucking simple because we have another tyrant trying to fucking control everything. We kill the asshole and find them." Quackity manages to get put through his facefull of steak. Everyone looks at him. His eye is still pink from his recent death. His jaw is clenched and he's honestly terrifying looking.

"Remind me, what happened last time you attempted to assemble a posse?" Ponk asks him coldly. Quackity looks like he's about to rip his arm off or something. 

"We can't just kill him. We need him to find them." Sam solemnly injects. Most people at the makeshift assembly nod in agreement. 

"What about technoblade? Phil came by earlier. They would help, right?" Eret asks hopefully. It's foolish to interrupt their hopeful wishes. No, really. Foolish speaks next.

"I wouldn't count on it. After the whole attempted execution thing, Techno owes Dream. You don't join a manhunt to catch a man you owe." He sighs mournfully. 

"Whatever happens, he dies in the end. We can't leave him alive." Sapnap declares.

"Of course." Sam nods. Everyone falls silent next, unsure of what to do. Unsure of the future. Scared.

"This may be a little late to say... but I might know where they are." Punz finally says.

"What? Why the hell didn't you say something?" Sapnap cries angrily. 

"Language!" Bad screams.

"Quackity literally just fucking said fuck!" Sapnap screams back. Anarchy soon followed. And not the good kind.

Volleys of profanities and 'Language, you muffin!' exclamations, people begin pushing each other, more screaming. Finally one voice puts a stop to it.

"STOP IT!" Yells a voice not yet heard at the conference. Everyone is so surprised they stop and look at the man who spoke.

"Listen,I don't take sides if I can. But Tubbo is my friend. And so is Tommy. And Dream is a bad person. So we need to focus on the issue at hand before it's too late." Ranboo dauntlessly announces. 

"Where's his base? We can start there." Puffy addresses Punz. So Punz explains. 

"Listen, my morals are bought and paid for. I'm only on my side. Ok? You can't... you can't blame ME for what other people do, even if I knew. You can't-" 

"We get it, Punz, you're a piece of shit. Get on with it." Fundy accusingly points at Punz. 

"Language!" Comes a voice.

His face a bit red, Punz continues.

"Ok. Well, Dream paid me to help with something... something I don't want to share. Now he's paying me to stay quiet. Which makes me think I know something useful. That, and the fact that I have a compass that leads to one of Tommy's disks. Odds are, it's his base. I've been there before bu I Iwas blindfolded. That said, its across a lot of water and has redstone involved." Punz explains. 

"And you're just saying this NOW? Why? What if he had, what if they, what if..." Fundy trails off, too angry to string together words. Niki puts her hand on his shoulder and speaks calmly.

"Well at least we know now." She soothes.

"So where's the compass?" 

"In my enderchest, let me grab it rea-" Punz stops mid sentence as he realizes who uttered the words. Dream is sitting on a tree limb above them all. His back is propped against the sturdy trunk and his left leg is up. His elbow rests on his knee and his chin on his fist. He almost looks bored. 

Everyone is frozen, either terrified, incapable of comprehending the situation, or just plain confused. Then all hell broke loose. Sizzling was heard underfoot as TNT was ignited by Dream via a remote. Everyone could react to that one. People began running and pushing to escape the ticking time bomb of death below. In the confusion, Dream drops from the tree and points his ax to Punz.

Now, Punz liked to think himself a smart man and as far as I know, he is. And he knows when he is beat. He simply nods and gets down on his knees and puts his hands up. Dream wasn't quite expecting that but makes Punz drop everything on the ground. Then the explosions finally start.

By the time the dust has cleared, Punz and Dream are gone.