Long Live L'Manberg

Chapter 57: All or Nothing

The sky was overcast with dark blue clouds that cast a foreboding shadow over the entirety of Manberg, a rather fitting aura for what was to come. Little rays of sun poked through the clouds, but their efforts of illuminating the ground below were futile. In the distance, the faint outline of Power Tower and the Manberg flag could be made out through the thick fog. Tommy's heart was pounding in his chest as he crept through the outskirts of his former home. The sound of dead leaves crunching below and the thunder roaring above were not enough to drown out his anxious, thumping heart. He was unexplainedly terrified despite the sheer ease of the battle ahead, but he pushed forward with a steely determination. He knew that this was his one chance to take back L'Manberg. Either that or it would be detonated to pieces.

As his friends moved through the shadows, Tommy's mind raced with memories of all the battles he had fought up until this point. His foolish debacles with Dream, the fight for independence, his battle with Technoblade- it all came rushing through like a freight train. The pain, the loss, and the fear - all of it had led him to this very moment. He could feel the weight of the crossbow in his right hand, a tangible reminder of the responsibility he had to bear for his cause. Despite the danger that lay ahead, something in Tommy felt at ease. He knew that this was what he had been fighting for all along - the chance to make things right again. And he was willing to risk everything he had to see it through.

As the group moved closer to the center of town, Techno's senses sharpened as he became acutely aware of every sound and movement around him. Manberg was oddly desolate today, not a soul was roaming the grounds. His heart raced as he tried to pinpoint his target amidst the fog, his eyes squinting in the dim light of the lamps that lined the Prime Path. To his surprise, it wasn't so hard to find him.

Wilbur's heart skipped a beat as he saw the array of people that stood behind Schlatt, a surprise he had not anticipated nor welcomed. "Evening, gentlemen," Schlatt spoke, his voice oozing with drunken confidence as he surveyed the group. Wilbur knew that this was not going to end well - he could sense the tension in the air, like a storm brewing just over the horizon.

"What the hell..?" Quackity whispered under his breath. This was certainly not the fight they were promised. Not in the mood for niceties, Tommy raised his crossbow, his arrow aimed directly at the man that took everything from him. Schlatt didn't flinch but instead flashed a broad grin at the boy. "You don't want to do this, Tommy."

Tommy didn't respond, his grip on the weapon tightening ever so slightly. He would rather not admit it, but he was petrified that their odds were not as favorable as he had initially presumed. He hated that Schlatt had that kind of power over him- to dictate how he felt in the most important moment of his life.

"Last chance, kid. Just go on home and we both can pretend this never happened."

Standing behind Schlatt were Dream, Sapnap, George, and Punz brandishing their weapons.  Pogtopia countered by raising their own weapons in defense, anticipating Wilbur's next command. However, as Wilbur took a step forward, he was interrupted by a sudden snapping sound followed by an arrow whizzing past him and burying itself in the ground far away from its intended target. Enraged, Wilbur jerked his head around, expecting to see his reckless brother with an empty crossbow. Instead, he found a petrified Tubbo, whose eyes were widened with terror.

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"

Without any sort of plan, they had initiated the attack, therefore forcing their hand. Suddenly, arrows engulfed with flames started pouring down from the sky, Ponk and Purpled raining them down from the apex of Power Tower. Reacting swiftly, Wilbur shouted at the top of his lungs, "Go, go!" Urging everyone forward, they sprinted ahead, adrenaline coursing through their veins as they dodged the raining arrows. As the spokes of the arrows landed in the ground, the dry grass absorbed the flames, spreading as the grass quickly began to feed the fire beneath them. Smoke rose into the air, causing everyone's eyes to water subtly.