The Silence of a Somber Day

Calm Before the Storm

"I beg to differ!" Philza called out. His words were lost, however. They had arrived at the park. Neon signs showcased multiple items, and golden spotlights illuminated the pathways that were lined with booths. People were laughing and talking as they walked around to each one. Blasting music filled the air to make communication near impossible for quiet kids. Tommy's first instinct was to think of how many ways a target could slip away in this environment. That was when Tommy remembered he would never have a mission again. He felt himself deflate at the thought, but Wilbur had grabbed onto his hand again.

Wilbur dragged Tommy through the crowd towards the band that had set up camp on a small stage. They were playing lyric-less music with a guitar, fiddle, small piano, and drums. They seemed like they were having fun as they focused on the tunes they were playing, allowing people to have the time of their lives chasing after the beat. Wilbur grabbed both of Tommy's hands, twisting the blonde around in circles. Wilbur was laughing as he waded in between all the other dancers, dragging Tommy from one spot to another. Tommy mostly let himself be told where to go, but sometimes he would need to put in some footsteps of his own to keep from bumping into someone. Tommy eventually stopped thinking as he let the melody take him away. For a moment, he was positive that he saw someone he loved in Wilbur's face. Not any specific person, just the face of someone Tommy was positive he cared about deeply. That made Tommy want to cry, but he held it together long enough for the song to end. Tommy let go of Wilbur's hands, darting away to find the other two. Wilbur followed behind, calling out his name even though the blonde was clearly ignoring him.

"Philza! My man!" Tommy called out. The dirty blonde man turned over, eyes peeking up from his bucket hat. Philza gave Tommy a smile that was somehow the same as Wilbur's. Tommy knew how genetics worked, but this was so much more eerie than Tommy was led to believe. He looked nothing like his mother.

"Hey, you two, we were about to pick a spot along the bridge before the fireworks started," Philza said with a nod towards Technoblade. The latter grunted something as they walked towards the small, white painted bridge. Wilbur leaned against the railing while staring up at the stars. Tommy looked up at the sky alongside the brunette. Tommy could pick out the stars. He could remember their stories. He could remember summer nights, sitting on the porch steps of George's house, stargazing with the older man while he told stories about the stars to Tommy. The blonde looked away before the memory swept him away.

"Wil, how about we go get snacks before this starts?" Philza said. That prompted the two to wander back into the crowd, leaving Tommy and Techno. The former sat on the railing of the bridge, listening to the lapping of the water below them while smelling the water lilies that decorated the surface. Techno sat across from Tommy, sitting with one knee to his chest to rest his book against, on the ground. Techno smelled like bacon, oddly enough, but there were traces of steel along the edges, threaded in the essence of the scent. He was turning the pages of the book slowly, truly absorbing the knowledge on them.

"The supreme art of war..." Techno read out loud, eyes flecking towards Tommy before looking back down on the page. Techno opened his mouth to continue, but another voice beat him to it. "... is to subdue the enemy without fighting. Sun Tzu, Art of War."

Technoblade gave Tommy an odd look. They had spent a little time together when Tommy was injured. Technoblade would read to Tommy and play chess with him, but they didn't do much to establish a relationship. Everything Technoblade knew was from biased, second hand sources. Technoblade did some digging of his own, but had as much luck as Niki did getting past the firewalls that guarded Tommy's past. Technoblade was left without a solid image of who Tommy was. That made Technoblade grow wary and suspicious of the boy. Even now, Technoblade saw irregularities. His speed and strength along with his agile movements wasn't something to be ignored by trained eyes. Tommy was a mysterious kid. Even with knowing that, Technoblade could see something undeniably good in Tommy. Whether it was his presence helped Wilbur, or his refusal to give up on people like Niki, Technoblade could tell that Tommy was good on some level. That wasn't to say he wouldn't make bad decisions, but Techno would need to trust that Wilbur could take care of himself if the need arises. For now, Tommy Innit had the approval of Technoblade.

"We're back!" Wilbur yelled out while holding three pretzels. Philza was carrying four drinks. Tommy could pick out what the drinks were, but he didn't say anything as he knew that Wilbur had something to tell Technoblade if his breath was anything to go by. "Sorry, Techie, I ate your pretzel."

        "Well, give me yours," Technoblade said as he took his drink from Philza. Tommy graciously grabbed his drink with a smile of gratitude. Wilbur gave Philza and Tommy their pretzels. Wilbur looked Technoblade right in the eye as he took a bite of the third pretzel. Techno gave a hard glare as he put his book beside him. Techno stood up with a grace that was dangerous. Techno returned Wilbur's stare. In one instant, Techno was chasing after Wilbur. The two ran out into the crowds while Tommy took a bite of his snack. Philza hopped up beside Tommy.

"Hey, mate, I wanted to ask if you're feeling okay. I'll listen if it will make you feel better," Philza whispered while giving Tommy concerned eyes that Tommy looked away from. He could stand those kinds of faces.

"Honestly, I feel like absolute shit. But I am not in the fucking mood to spills tell my friend's father what my anime backstory is or some shit like that," Tommy snapped without any real malice in his words. He continued munching on his pretzel without looking at Philza and his stupid, kind face with those understanding eyes like he knew what was making Tommy feel the way he did. What kind of person tells another guy that he used to be an assassin-hero who sent people to a place called Spawn because he was the sidekick of Dream and pseudo-family member of the Muffinters but he was getting abandoned because of three rather stupid mistakes he made? To add a cherry on the shit ice cream, Tommy's only two friends- one who he had a past with- were working for the Syndicate, and using Tommy to teach them how to fight better. That was definitely a reaction Tommy wanted to see.

"We're back! Now, come on, let's see the fireworks!" Wilbur said. He wasn't bruised in any way, but his jacket was rumpled like it had been tossed around a bit. Techno walked behind him, eating the pretzel.

True to Wilbur's words, something sounded in the air. Tommy looked straight up to see the explosion of color that burst across the night sky. That kind of beauty made Tommy feel small and fleeting, like when a child learned how expansive the universe was. Tommy knew that Philza was smiling, Wilbur was grinning ear to ear, and Technoblade was satisfied with the display. Tommy couldn't bring himself to show joy at what he saw. It reminded him of who he was. A fleeting second of loud, colorful energy that amazed everyone for a small period in their definitive lives. Tommy thought he understood now why SapNap called him firecracker or why George called him sheep.

When the display was over, Wilbur was clapping with this huge grin. He gave Tommy a short hug before drawing back. "You should go back home, Toms. It's getting late."

"It is getting late."

"I'll see you later, Tommy," Wilbur said as he ran over to Philza to poetically describe what he just saw. Technoblade was dragged into it by Wilbur. Tommy watched with a passive, subdued envy that he wasn't familiar with. When Wilbur caught Tommy's eyes, the boy was walking backwards into the crowd. He gave Wilbur a sad smile, tears in his eyes as he gave a wave.

"Goodbye, Wilbur."