Long Live L'Manberg

Chapter 43: Good Kid, Better Spy

Tommy swallowed the lump forming in his throat as he followed the sound of the voice in the doorway, his heart dropping to his stomach. Of all people to show themselves right now, there stood Tubbo- one of the prime targets of Wilbur's current aggression. Tommy opened his mouth to speak but was abruptly cut off by his brother who was already inching toward the brunette. "Tubbo! Good to see you, man!"

Tubbo beamed, awkwardly waving in response. "Hello..! I'm sorry for being late today, I was caught up in festival preparations." Wilbur's eyes narrowed as he studied his ally, watching for any slip-ups or peculiar behavior. Without any hesitation Tommy rushed to Tubbo's side in attempt to conceal Wilbur's erratic behavior. "Tubbo, now's not really a good-"

"What exactly are you doing for this festival?" Wilbur interrupted as he smiled coyly, his left eye twitching ever so slightly.

"Well...I'm in charge of setting up decorations. It should be fun!" The boy rocked back and forth on his tiptoes as he clasped his hands behind his back. Uneasiness crept up his spine, a feeling as if he were being inspected under a microscope. Wilbur scoffed, shoving his bony hands into his pockets. "Fun! That's certainly a word for it." Tommy shot him a look, but Wilbur refused to acknowledge it, instead lifting a curious brow. "Is that all you're doing?"

Tubbo was lost in thought before his face suddenly brightened. "Oh, yeah! I also have a speech to give at the beginning!"

"You're giving a speech?" Wilbur cocked his head to the side with wide eyes. "What about?" Tubbo happily nodded, his shaggy brown hair covering his eyes as he moved his head up and down. "Democracy! It's exciting, isn't it?"

"I see," Wilbur scoffed, a sarcastic tone lingering in his voice. "You sound a little too excited about this, Tubbo."

Slightly taken aback, Tubbo's cheerful expression contorted into one of confusion. "What do you mean?" Tommy's heart spiked, deciding to interfere at the last second. Placing a hand on his shoulders, he began to forcefully escort his friend out of the conversation. "Tubbo, we should leave him alone," he muttered, shoving him out the doorway before giving Wilbur a sideways glance.

Wilbur watched as the two trudged up the stairs, a rather smug expression smeared across his face. Tubbo could play this game for as long as he wanted, but he saw through the whole thing. Everybody was against them. They were the less favorable party- the underdogs. Tubbo had cozied up to Schlatt the moment he got a taste of government power, he could see it all over him. That sickeningly cheerful disposition that gleamed in his eyes whenever he talked about Manberg was his giveaway. His visits to Pogtopia were simply out of pity.

Frustration got the better of him as he swiftly ripped his cell phone from his pocket, flipping up the screen. He feverishly jammed the buttons on the old phone, typing away at a message that could potentially seal the fate of his home for good.

"We need to talk."

---

Tubbo and Tommy eventually made their way outside of Pogtopia, playing football with a pebble as the two kicked it back and forth. The afternoon sun beat down on them, the scent of cold winter air rushing through their lungs. Perturbed, Tubbo met the eyes of his friend. "So...are you going to tell me what that was all about?"

Letting out an exhausted groan, Tommy rolled his eyes as he plopped onto the ground. "I don't even mean this lightly- Wilbur's lost his mind." Picking at his shoelaces, Tommy's face went slightly red. He was second-handedly embarrassed by Wilbur's erratic behavior, feeling it was somehow a reflection of their profound failure. Tubbo's forehead puckered as his attention focused on Tommy. Kicking the pebble away, he sat beside his friend, his heart heavy with concern. "What do you mean..? Surely it's not so bad!" Tommy turned his head, his eyes meeting those of his best friend- the only person who would actually listen to him. "Toby, you don't get it! He wants to-"