Predator (DWT x OC)

39 - Part One

Wilbur lets the crowd settle, people bristling and teetering as we close in on the results. He takes in another breath, turning his eyes back on the paper in his hands. 

"Coming in third place, with sixteen percent of the vote, is Schlatt 2020." 

Holy fucking shit. 

We did it. 

I turn to Niki, pulling her into a hug, as Sapnap whoops in delight. A man next to Sapnap, blonde hair, a white hoodie and a gold chain, offers me a smile of congratulations. 

"This is Punz, by the way." Sapnap informs me, slapping Punz on the back. I smile back at him, before Wilbur's cough pulls my attention back onto the stage. 

"In second place, with thirty percent of the popular vote..."

Wilbur pauses, and I can see Tommy pretty much rock back and forth with anxiety, leaning in unconsciously to hear what Wilbur says, as if he can miss it. The whole crowd seems to buzz, and I can feel the nervousness knot in my stomach as we wait in the agonising silence. 

"is the party lead by the party leader..."

Wilbur better be thankful I'm not on that stage, or I might have strangled him by now. 

"Quackity."

Whatever Wilbur says next is lost, as Tommy erupts, as does the crowd, symphonies of shrieking protest and joyous triumph. He's jumping up and down on the stage like a lunatic, and I raise my closed fists up to the sky in celebration, adding my voice to the chorus of cheers. 

They did it. They won the election, beat everyone else, beat Schlatt and Fundy, and Quackity and George. Niki and I turn back to each other, delight sparkling in her eyes as she claps enthusiastically. 

The raucous seems to echo through the valley, I pull away from another hug with Sapnap, looking with a beaming grin back up to the podium. Wilbur however, has no emotion on his face, still perfectly still in front of the microphone, shaking hands clutching the paper as if it was his life line. 

"Please stop celebrating."

The words are lost on the writhing crowd, too taken in their celebrations or protests to heed his words. But I do, and that terrible feeling sinks down in my stomach, darkening any relief I felt at the news. 

Something is wrong. 

Wilbur has to repeat himself a few times, but the crowd dies down. The previous explosion of voices has been replaced with confused murmuring, whipping through the audience like wildfire. Wilbur finally speaks. 

"Quackity made a deal with the leader of SCHLATT 2020, Mr Jschlatt behind me. He said that no matter what happens, he would pool the votes of both parties, SCHLATT 2020 and SWAG 2020."

The crowd gasps, everybody reeling from the sudden announcement. I can't even process what Wilbur has just said. Another hand finds its way on my shoulder and I turn, seeing Dream standing behind me. He takes his hand off quickly, nodding at me before turning his head back up. I do the same, sickening nausea threatening to topple me. 

"POG 2020 got forty five percent of the popular vote." Wilbur continues. I squeeze my eyes shut tightly, hoping, praying, that that forty five percent is enough. Because Schlatt can't win. He can't.

There's no way. 

And then there's also every way, which is why I'm thirty seconds from collapsing onto the ground, and also trembling from head to toe. 

"Meaning, that the coalition government of SCHLATT and SWAG 2020 got forty SIX percent of the vote." 

I take an involuntary step back, as if somehow, I can get away from all of this. The crowd descends into something akin to hysteria, rising gasps and shouts, and a myriad of applause ringing out from the Schlatt voters. Some of the SWAG voters are calling out, shaking their heads in disapproval.