Long Live L'Manberg

Chapter 42: Downwards Spiral

Wilbur hardly got any rest during the sleepless nights that followed his trip to Manberg. His eyes were bloodshot red from lack of sleep, his head throbbing from migraine after migraine. Lately, he had devoted a lot of thought to the next move of his underground nation- newly deemed Pogtopia by Tommy. After setting foot in Manberg for the first time since his exile, Wilbur was deeply unsettled by the number of changes that had occurred in a little over a week of his absence. The very nation he worked so hard to build was no more. This was no longer his creation. Everything he once cared about had been demolished, and in its place were garish, tacky replacements. There were even rumors of the caravan being torn down to make room for an apartment complex- it disgusted him. On top of it all, there was now a festival to be held to celebrate the disaster they called a country.

Tommy threw the last of the iron ore into the smelter, brushing any remnants of dirt off his hands. Pogtopia was really beginning to come along, especially with the help of Technoblade. He was a working force unlike either of them had ever seen. An entire farm was created during their meeting with Schlatt, hundreds of potato plants beginning to sprout from the ground up. The torches and lanterns that were strung above cast a warm glow on Tommy's face, turning his cheeks a bright pink. He turned and noticed Wilbur sitting in uncomfortable silence except for the occasional sound of Technoblade farming in the background. Though he wasn't one for affection, Tommy's concern for his brother got the better of him. He sat beside him, swinging his legs across the ledge.

 "Will...you seem off," he expressed, huffing as he rested his elbows on his knees. "I know this is hard for everyone, but you're acting..." he made sure to be extra careful with his next choice of words, "...you're acting really different."

Wilbur didn't respond. He barely even acknowledged Tommy's concern, seemingly drowning in his own mind. Tommy studied his brother, a worried expression written across his face, "Wilbur, I could have taken my shot," he breathed. "I could have killed him...but you didn't let me."

"Killing Schlatt wouldn't do anything. It would not fix a single thing." Wilbur muttered lowly, folding his hands together as he rested them under his chin. "You cut off Schlatt's head and Quackity's will sprout right in its place. It's no use," he sighed in defeat. "There's always a replacement- another problem we would have to deal with."

Tommy began to see a point in Wilbur's incessant mumbling. All of the efforts Schlatt had gone through in this last week were not by any means morally incorrect. The removal of the walls, the festival- they were nothing but disagreements. Wilbur and Tommy's logic implied that the world revolved around their every whim- the mentality of a rather selfish and unsatisfied leader. Wilbur opened his mouth, about to ask a question he wasn't sure he was even prepared to ask.

"Tommy, are we the bad guys?"

Tommy's forehead creased, his mouth snapping shut. "What...what do you mean?" He analyzed his brother, completely thrown off by his pessimistic approach. This wasn't like him at all, his deranged behavior only raising more questions. The Wilbur who had a solution for everything was no more, instead replaced by a hermit who would rather sit and wallow than face his problems head-on. Not to mention, the thought hadn't once crossed his mind. Everything they had worked towards was to reclaim their home- but was it even theirs anymore?

"After the war, we just made ourselves the leaders without letting anyone else have a say," Wilbur acknowledged as he rose to his feet, pacing around in a circle. "Not only that. We held a democratic election, and Schlatt won through a coalition government- which was completely legal at the time." Tommy watched as Wilbur became increasingly irritable, his voice growing louder. "Now, we're trying to overthrow him," he stopped, turning to face Tommy, removing his beanie to run his hands through his hair. "Don't you see? None of this feels correct!"