Eddsworld Future AU

Chapter 8

Tord notices the sudden change in Tom's behavior and quickly takes action. Grabbing Tom by his shoulder, Tord stares at him worriedly. "Tom? Tom, are you okay?" The Leader was stressed by his second in command's lack of reaction and as a result, shook him slightly. "Thomas, answer me. That's an order."

Tom didn't respond. Instead, he rose his hand up to the other's arm, gripping harshly onto their flesh. Tord winces within contact, trying to free himself from Tom's grip. He had realized that seeing Edd had triggered something in Tom, and he couldn't do much to stop it. "Thomas! Let go! Now!"

Tom's outlined eyes came back, but weren't green... They were red. Fear shoots through Tord as his second in command and bodyguard glares at him, rage taking over his expression. Tom jerked Tord's arm off of him, then harshly pushes him against the wall.

"Tord!!"

Patryck was in shock, watching Tom slam his Leader and closest friend into the hard concrete wall. One moment they were walking together, side by side, no negative tensions. But now, Tom suddenly has an outburst among meeting the Green Leader? He stood there, debating with himself as to whether he should get out his gun and shoot Tom.

"Get reinforcements..." Tord chokes out as he struggles with the blue-clad male. It became very clear that Tom was the stronger of the two, he dominated every move that Tord made, thanks to his monster genes. "Thomas..! What are you doing...?!

"I should be asking you, what the fuck you're doing!!" Tom growled, his tone becoming much colder and bitter than what Tord has heard from him over the last few years. "What have you done to him?!" He referred to Edd. "Where's Matt?! HAVE YOU GONE INSANE!?"

Tears prick the edges of Tord's single, silver eye. He had worked so hard to build his and Tom's relationship, and now all of it was demolished to dust. "Thomas, please, you have to understand, it was for your own good!" Tord's voice was dangerously close to breaking, but he held it together as much as possible. God, what has he done...?

Tom grabbed his former leader by his collar, gripping it tightly as he bared his fangs. Pure anger was radiating off of him now, his "eyes" blazing furiously. He immediately snapped. "For my own good?? "My own good"?! You're sociopathic ass brainwashed me and kept me here away from everyone else! You broke our promise! Broke our hearts! Killed someone! You've probably killed much more than I know even! You manipulated me! And who knows what the fuck else you've down while I couldn't remember a shit thing in this God-forsaken army!!!"

"..."

Tord stays silent, not meeting Tom's gaze. He felt guilty... A lot guiltier than he's felt ever since he blew up Edd's old house, in the "THE END" incident. Everything Tom was saying, everything that made Edd start the Green Army in the first place... That was all him. His fault. Tears welled in his eyes as he remembers all of his betrayals toward Edd, Tom, and Matt. And Matt... God, he KILLED Matt! All of this... This was all his fault...

"Oh?! What's this! You're crying now?! The infamous "Red Leader" is fucking crying now!?"

Tom gripped Tord's collar tighter, dragging down more. "You fucking commie idiot! What type of fucking Leader are you?! You're weak without me! Useless and dependent! All you did was use me! Who do you think you are?! Answer me!!"

Tord swallows down tears. During his time as the Red Leader, Tom had become what Tord considered as one of his closest friends. He wouldn't harm him... Even if it meant allowing Tom to kill him..

"I-I'm sorry, Thomas..."

"Sorry doesn't cut it! It doesn't bring back for the people you've killed! The people you've murdered! The people who you've broken! Do you even know what you've done these past years?! All you think of is your own selfish needs! And whoever gets in the way or goes against it, has a death wish. Isn't that right?! Then fine." Tom lets go of him, shoving him to the floor as he does so. He turns to Edd, walking over to him.

"Then I'll be your next rival you'll have to encounter..." he says, still speaking to Tord. "Maybe even your last. My death has never concerned me, not once in my lifetime. But what you've done is horrendous. I'm going to find Matt, and when I do, I'm leaving." He unlocked Edd's cuffs, helping him up. The brit's guard was up to it's maxed limit, all of the military training that he received to protect Tord, now being used to protect Edd.

Tord stares sadly after Tom, taking in his hateful glares. In the distance, he could hear the reinforcements he called for. They wouldn't make it out alive... Slowly, Tord gripped the remote to Tom's visor. He could stop him.. Make him better.. Make him back into "His Thomas", with his "Yes, sir" and "Right away, sir. "What he had said just 10 minutes before? "Always at your service. ."Just as he was about to press the button that would reset Tom's memory and knock him unconscious, the reinforcements burst in.

"!!- "

Tom flinched, automatically growling in self-defense. His negative energy brought another sOmEoNe back into the story, and with that, Tom went berserk.

Tom transformed into his monster persona with some assistance from his demon, though he still had control over his body. The visor that would've reset him and brought him back to "normal", ripped off from his face and hit the floor with a loud crack. Tom picked up Edd, guarding him as he shielded him with his paw. Moving quickly, he dashed out the door, destroying the door frame and killing the soldiers that were in his way. He had a gut feeling Matt wasn't in the base, so he rushed out for the exit.

He ran off, all the bullets bouncing off of him. He stomped across the yard of men in front of him. Headbutting the gate that was in his way, breaking it down for him to escape, and kept running.

And running.

And running.

Far from where he'd been for the past couple of years. The army was all he knew, was all he knew. He couldn't pinpoint where he was leaving off too, even if he saw those countless maps. He ran towards a hidden pad, pressing his paw against it, opening up it's grassy doors to the sides, but really they were metal. He walked down the steps, the doors closing behind him.

Tord stares blankly at the devastation Tom had left in his wake. He had just lost his captive and his best soldier... His best friend. Putting on a well-worn mask of apathy, Tord barks half-hearted orders to the soldiers. As they rush to help the wounded and clear out the dead. Tord quickly walks out of the ruins, ignoring all soldiers he passes, without giving them his usual nod or grin of approval with each salute.

Tord just made a beeline to his office. Once in it, he locks the door and grabs his walkie talkie, ready to tell Tom to make sure that no one bothers him. Except... He quickly snaps into reality, and realizes Tom was gone. Gone... The concept makes his hands tremble, the walkie talkie clattering out of his hands. Gone... The shattered leader drops his head into his hands and slides down to the floor. Tom was gone...