Long Live L'Manberg

Chapter 46: Bystander's Lament

The sizzling rocket plunged out of the crossbow and pierced Tubbo just below his right shoulder. The frail boy suddenly collapsed to the ground and began to heave, his body in critical condition as sparks flew into the air. Watching as everyone exited the stage, he knew he had seconds before that firework would explode.

His vision was blurry, a swarm of black enveloping his field of view as he used the last of his might to plunge himself off the stage and down onto the dry dirt below- an easy drop, but painful nonetheless. His body slammed to the floor and landed on his handcuffs causing his right wrist to sprain, the boy hissing out in pain.

The screams of the fleeing civilians were drowned out by the ringing in his ears as the firework exploded into a display of colorful sparks, the deafening sound causing him to wail in pain, rupturing his eardrums. Everyone had evacuated the stage in time, Tubbo barely escaping by the skin of his teeth, but it wasn't enough. The entire left side of his body was now severely injured, half his face suffering second-degree burns from the explosion. Techno had purposefully aimed for his arm to avoid fatality, but with him being in such close range Tubbo's odds of survival were incredibly slim. It was a miracle he was alive to begin with. A muffled voice caused Tubbo to let out a distressed groan. He felt his body get lifted up into someone's arms.

"Toby!"

He recognized that voice. Hell, he could recognize it anywhere- even partially deaf.

"Tommy..." he cried weakly, gathering the strength to throw his arms around the boy who just saved his life. Tommy gently pulled him into a hug as his friend wept, his limbs weak and heavy. His hands clung around Tubbo's ribcage, his blood-soaked clothing tattered from the explosion.

"Tubbo, you have to get up," Tommy croaked, gently trying to lift him onto his feet. They needed to get far away from the commotion- he needed him to be safe. "Please, come on," he grunted as he cradled the weight of his best friend's limp body in his arms. Tubbo reached out and propped his arm on a nearby rock, using every last bit of his strength to push himself up to his feet. Tommy held him up, allowing Tubbo to wrap his arm around his shoulder to use him as a crutch.

As quick as he could, Tommy maneuvered Tubbo to safety, far away from the all-out war that had broken out across Manberg. Civilians were fleeing left and right, Schlatt and Quackity had escaped, and god knows where Wilbur was at this point. The blonde gently propped his friend against a tree stump, ripping the bandana off his neck and using it as a gauze. He carefully wrapped it around Tubbo's open wound before tightly sealing it off. Tubbo's head swarmed with emotions he couldn't possibly vocalize all at once as he gazed up at his best friend. Fear, rage, pain, gratitude. It all came out in the form of tears. All he could do was weep, agony streaming down his face as his whole body trembled.

"You said he wasn't gonna hurt me," Tubbo croaked, his voice hoarse and dry. "You said he was on our side..."

Tommy's bleeding heart ached as he pulled his best friend into a tight embrace. "I'm so sorry, Tubbo. I never could have predicted this." Never before in his life had he spoken words so true. If he could, he would have swapped places with Tubbo in a heartbeat, quite literally taking the lethal bullet for his best friend. For someone who wouldn't hurt a fly, a fate this brutal was just cruel. However, despite all the commotion, the real problem was still at bay, just moments away from occurring. Using a sharpened twig, he broke Tubbo free of his shackles and placed a key in the palm of his clammy hand.

"Get as far as possible from here, back to Pogtopia if you can," Tommy pleaded, watching intently as Tubbo rose to his feet with a troubled expression. "What about you? I'm not leaving you!" Tommy's eyes saddened as he observed Tubbo's face, his burn wounds patched and irritated. It all looked so excruciatingly painful- a pain someone like him didn't deserve to endure. "I need to find Wilbur," he sniffed, taking a step forward before swiveling around, the duo sharing one last hug.