Long Live L'Manberg

Chapter 3: If You Can't Beat Em', Join Em'

A soft knock at the door caused Tommy to jolt up from his sleep. It took him a moment to adjust to his surroundings, but he realized he was still in the caravan from the previous night. Wilbur and Fundy were asleep next to him, slumped over amongst the array of empty soda cans across the floor. He squinted at the clock on the wall, attempting to read the time from a distance.

5:25 A.M.

He rolled his eyes and groaned as he struggled to get to his feet. Careful not to wake the others or trip on a soda can, he maneuvered his way over to the door with caution and gently opened it.  

"Tubbo?"

Tommy was taken aback, confused as to why his friend was now standing at his doorstep at the crack of dawn cradling a hefty bag of brewing materials. He rubbed his eyes a few times to make sure he wasn't seeing things. Tubbo's shoulders slumped as he looked down in shame. "Tommy, I've had a change of heart."

 "Oh?" The blonde questioned as he leaned in the doorway, a large yawn escaping his mouth. Tubbo sighed, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck in shame. "As your friend, I realized it's nearly pointless to fight against you," his gaze softened as he met eyes with Tommy. "If you believe this is what's right, then so do I!" Tommy smiled warmly, his eyes still drooping from exhaustion. He couldn't say he expected this to happen, but he wasn't necessarily complaining. 

Tubbo let out another heavy sigh, clutching the bag of blaze rods close to his chest. "I watched you all last night...after you thought we left. You all looked like you were having so much fun together- like you enjoyed each other's company." Tommy took a step outside, softly closing the door behind him to ensure privacy in their conversation as the two took a seat on the stairs. "I overheard Wilbur mentioning something about a new land, and I asked myself- who's on the right side of history here?" Tubbo shrugged, leaning his head against the railing. "Maybe I should just let people have their fun, you know? Trying to control everyone will make you lose control of yourself one day..."

Tommy nodded his head, accepting his friend's indirect apology as he spoke softly in return, "So...what are you saying?"

"I want to join you, Tommy," Tubbo turned to face his friend, rubbing his eyes, "I don't want power or control. I want what's right." His heart sunk as he continued, "You see with Dream, he's..."

Tommy's face fell with worry. "He's...what, Tubbo?"

"He's a control freak, Tommy. All he wants is leverage. You guys stand for something different. You stand for freedom. That is what I want to be a part of." Tubbo locked eyes with Tommy and beamed, gently handing him the bag of golden sticks.

"Take this as a token of peace. If you need anything, please let me know!" The brunette smiled, his heart at peace as he extended the olive branch to his friend. Tommy clutched the bag, his eyebrows snapping together. "Tubbo, how do I know you're not lying? How do I know you're not a spy?" Tubbo's heart sank in return. He had figured it wouldn't be an easy task to convince Tommy. After all, he was on his opponent's side mere hours ago.

"I know it's not much, but you have my word, Tommy," Tubbo spoke sternly, trying hard to regain the trust of his best friend. "I just want peace. I thought trying to stop your drug empire was the right thing, but I realized I would only stir up more tension-"

"What's going on?" 

Both boys were startled by the sudden interruption but eased when they realized it was just Wilbur who stood in the doorway. His hair was a matted mess, large dark rings circled under his eyes as he stared at the two boys in pure exhaustion.

"Tubbo has offered to join us. He gave us these," Tommy declared, handing Wilbur the bag of blaze rods. He opened the cinched bag, a slight golden glow emitting from the sack. "Wow, Tubbo. Thank you!" Wilbur exclaimed with gratitude, placing the bag on the floor as he joined the two outside, "We're more than welcome to have you here. If you want, you can stick around. We have big plans for today and could use an extra hand."

"Of course!" Tubbo chuckled, brushing off his jeans as he stood up to stretch. "I do apologize for showing up at this hour. I had to come before sunrise so no one would see."

Tommy nodded, completely understanding Tubbo's challenging situation. As of right now, they certainly weren't the most loved people in town. "That's alright, you've got us on your side," Tommy reassured, gently patting his friend on the back before shifting his body to face his brother. "Hey, Wilbur? What were those plans you had in mind?" By now, Fundy too had woken up from the commotion outside and joined the three boys, making a strong cup of coffee in the background.

"We are going to construct a border! We will establish this nation with barriers to separate us from the confinement of Dream and his unruly governing. The sooner we do this, the sooner we are free," Wilbur declared as he stared at the warm sunlight just peeking through the trees. "Understood, gentlemen?" The group nodded in agreement. This truly was the first step to freedom.

"Then let's get to work!"

---

In the scorching August heat, the afternoon sun's blinding light cast down on the boys as they worked strenuously for hours. Wilbur and Tommy were cementing concrete blocks together, using all their upper body strength to lift and place each block on top of the other. Tubbo followed behind, painting certain bricks yellow while Fundy painted the others a deep black. Sweat poured down Tommy's face, a few drops trickling into his eyes as he lifted another concrete block onto the wall.

After many labor-intensive hours of hard work, they had their finished product. The wall stood tall as it wrapped around their nation, finally establishing what was truly theirs. It still was in desperate need of improvement, but it certainly sufficed for the time being. "You know, after all this work, I believe our new nation needs a name!" Fundy exclaimed, tossing a bottle of water to Tubbo as the two guzzled it down in desperate need of hydration.

Wilbur nodded in agreement, "We should choose a name that's specific to only us. What are some key things we have in common?"

"We're men!" shouted Tommy with pride.

"Uhm...we're European!" Tubbo chimed in.

Wilbur chuckled, amused that his boys were observant enough to state the obvious. "Okay, that's a start! Now, how can we combine them? I'd prefer it to have a nice ring when spoken aloud." There was a brief pause as everyone delved deep into the back of their minds, searching for a strong name to help define their country. Tommy's eyes were the first to light up as he raised his hand, grabbing everyone's attention.

"What if we called it Manberg? Or alternatively, Mantopia!" The boys nodded their heads in agreement, enjoying how the name flawlessly rolled off the tongue. Wilbur was more on the fence about it, shrugging as he tried to pinpoint what sounded off. "I like where you're headed, but it needs to be more European." 

Tubbo scratched his chin in thought, thinking hard to find an idea worth proposing to the group. "Well...we could add an 'L'? Like how the French do it!" At those words, a metaphorical lightbulb clicked in Tommy's head as his eyes widened. "Wait a minute, that's perfect!"

"What's perfect?" Wilbur asked, intrigued as he watched the gears turn in the mind of the young boy. The blonde waved his hands, gesturing to the group. "Someone hand me a sign, please! Before I forget!"

In response, Tubbo darted inside and snatched a stray wooden sign and a thick, black marker off the countertop and handed it to Tommy. Tommy uncapped the marker with his teeth, spat out the cap, and hastily jotted down what was soon to be the new name of their independent nation. He approached the entrance and jammed the sign in the dirt, taking a step back to admire his contribution. In large black letters, the sign read-

L'Manberg