Two skull masks hung on the wall. The boar mask was hoisted up by the man it belonged to while the other blatantly stared at the boy. It had large fangs protruding from its upper jaw, eye holes gaping, staring, taunting the boy. Tommy grabbed it, pulling it from the hook, wrapping his fingers around the smooth sections and gripping the rough areas that his fingers found in the sockets. He sighed, flipped it and raised it to his face. It fit perfectly, the insides had been worn down to make it smooth. He fastened the leather strap on the back of his head and looked out from the sockets. It was time.
He pushed down any feelings of apprehension. This was something he had to do. For techno, for himself. L'manberg had terrorised the world for too long. It was time to put an end to it. For the good of everyone.
Tommy felt a hand grab his wrist. Phil's hand was extended to collide with his.
"Tommy," Phil began, "don't do this, please." He pleaded, hoping that his words could reach the old Tommy that he knew was still inside the boy.
Techno stepped in and grabbed the man's arm, pulling it away from the boy's with what Tommy assumed to be a death glare from behind techno's boar mask. His eyes were barely visible in those dark sockets which gave him an extra layer of menace. Phil stared in to those sockets and backed away, the fear evident in his paling face.
Tommy turned away from Phil, he wasn't going to let an old man stop him now. The man was too late, he was too far gone.
The boy adjusted his mask so it fit nicely around his bun. He picked up a sword from the corner of the room, various enchantments swirling on its surface. Tommy turned back towards Phil and in moving past techno, placed the sword at Phil's neck.
Phil gasped slightly and his already fearful gaze darkened. Techno took a step back, letting the boy decide what to do with their father. Tommy lifted the sword gently so the smooth edge pressed against his father's chin. He had to show his father that he wasn't a weak child that could just be ordered around. Tommy was his own man. His father didn't understand that. He tilted the sword so the sharp edge pressed against the skin of his father's chin. Tommy dragged the sword upwards.
Phil's eyes widened in surprise at the sudden movement, then his hands brought themselves up to his chin to investigate the damage. The boy had sliced a chunk out of Phil's chin. Nothing too harmful but it would definitely leave a scar. Phil stared at Tommy in shock as his chin dripped. He couldn't see the boy's eyes anymore, they were hidden behind his mask. Phil lowered his gaze.
Tommy placed the blade of his sword in his hands, wiping off a small splatter of Phil's blood with his gloved hand. He turned towards techno.
"You ready to go?" The man asked the boy, wither skull in hand.
"Yeah." Tommy responded curtly, grabbing his cloak.
This was the day they had been preparing for.
It took a short while for them to travel to the nether portal that would lead them to L'manberg. Techno had already collected all the resources for their withers from his cave the previous day which filled both of their inventories to the brim, besides for the potions and golden apples. The operation would be gory but they were prepared. They had been for a long time. L'manberg wouldn't know what hit them.
They reached the main portal back to L'manberg in the nether. Tommy hadn't noticed it but he had been holding his breath. Either the sweltering heat of the nether or his past experiences with the country he was about to destroy made him feel sick. He couldn't tell which.
Technoblade placed a hand on Tommy's shoulder.
"It's gonna be ok." He stated. "We'll get this over with quickly then head home."
Tommy nodded. Neither male could see each other's eyes but still kept their feeling of kinship and connection. In that moment, they truly felt like brothers.
The boy entered the portal first, letting the swirling purple engulf him as it transported him away. He stepped out of the gate. He was back at the place he once cared for. Tommy felt a hand on his shoulder.
"Don't get too emotional, Tommy," Techno calmly reminded him, "Don't forget our mission."
Tommy responded with a curt nod as he unsheathed his sword. They both had to be ready. Techno hummed in approval at the boys judgement and preparation to defend them, then he did the same with his sword. They began walking.
As the pair walked, they managed to come across nobody despite being so out in the open. Both men seemed to be agitated slightly by the fact but they appreciated the lack of confrontation.
The reached the staircase. Infront of them, they saw their target. L'manberg lay as it always had, clutching on to whatever pride it possessed. That's when Techno noticed something.
"Tommy," Techno begun, pointing towards the houses, "that's where they all are."
Tommy peered through his mask to see various residents together in various homes, none of them were alone. Except for one. Nikki was sat outside of Phil's house, crying. Tommy wanted to know what was wrong, he wanted to comfort her but he held back. He couldn't just rush in.
Techno placed a hand on Tommy's shoulder, a sort of comforting grip to the boy.
"You remember our plan, right?" Techno inquired.
"Place the withers on the stage," Tommy mumbled, "then blow up anything else with TNT and if anyone gets in our way, we kill them." Tommy whispered that last part, the realisation beginning to set in. He felt wrong. Why was he agreeing to do this? Would he have to face his old friends? Would he have to kill them?
Techno pulled the boy in to a reassuring hug, the boy melted in his hold. This was the first time Techno had shown him this much brotherly affection, Tommy wasn't complaining. They released after a moment and looked at each other.
"I know this might be hard for you, but it needs to be done." Techno explained. "How about I defend you while you set up the withers and explosives?" He proposed.
"Alright." Tommy said with a little more confidence.
"Just don't hesitate, don't forget what they have done to us." Techno said, turning and beginning to walk closer to L'manberg with Tommy closely on his heels.
Their heavy boots clunked on the wood as they made their way towards the stage. The pair had long since removed their cloaks in favour of netherite armour. They wanted to be ready.
Nikki, previously crying on Phil's doorstep noticed the pair as they approached the stage. She stared at the boy. That golden hair belonged to one person and one alone. Her hand reached towards her mouth, her eyes widened and begun to well.
"T-Tommy?" She muttered through broken sobs. She stood up and approached the boy, one hand reaching out to him while the other cupped her mouth. Techno stood back, letting the boy handle this as he begun placing the soul sand.
Tommy stood and stared at the woman through the expressionless eyes of the skull mask. He had to contain himself. He let out a sigh and gripped the hilt of his sword tighter. The woman neared, hand almost touching his cheek, as he raised the sword to the level of her eyes. He heard her gasp slightly as he pursed his lips. Tommy thought for a second, trying to retain his composure as he remembered who the woman had allied with and supported. The one who had betrayed him and his trust. He had to do this, he had to kill at least one of them to prove his worth and bravery to the man that had cared for and clothed him. Nikki would be the easiest. Tommy knew that she would try to stop them. It had to be done.
The boy's sword was lowered to the level of her neck as the woman choked out gentle sobs and mutterings.
"Tommy?" She blurted out, seemingly not taking in the position that she was in. "Tommy is it really you?" She gasped loudly.
Tommy felt his heart begin to tear. He could hear the disbelief and sadness in her voice, yet he thought that it could possibly be a rouse to get him on their side again.
"Yes," Tommy began coldly, "it is, Nikki."
The woman began shaking, she fell to her knees and stared up at him as if she had seen a ghost. Tommy couldn't bring himself to end the woman, but she was hindering progress. He had to rig the explosives up and summon the withers. He turned to techno, knowingly condemning the woman to fall to one of their blades. Techno looked back at him and lowered his head in a slow nod. The boy suddenly felt immense pressure upon him. He had to do this.
The boy closed his eyes and raised the blade of his sword, preparing to swing. He thought about his time in exile, how nobody had even cared to see him, how he was cast away by this woman and the country she stood for. He felt the rage rise up inside him as he brought the sword down. He felt it connect with flesh, he heard the guttural choking screams and sobs of the woman, he felt it come to a swinging halt through the other side. He had done it. He was in too deep to back down now.
Tommy opened his eyes to the scene before him. Nikki lay dead in front of him, blood pouring from the slit he had produced across her neck. He looked down to his sword and saw the same blood dripping from it. He felt nothing. He turned to see techno watching him, giving a slight nod in approval before the man's gaze moved to a noise in one of the doorways of the many houses. Tommy looked towards techno's point of interest and saw a foxlike man standing frozen in the doorway. A two toned man shortly appeared next to him. From another house, a dark haired man in a beanie appeared along with a black haired man with a bandanna and a man in a blue shirt. Even some non L'manberg residents seemed to be here. But there was one person he didn't see. One he was glad he didn't have to face.
Tubbo.
Tommy moved his gaze from the people that had begun to appear, ignoring their silent shock. He nudged Nikki's body with his boot before turning and walking towards techno again. Techno placed a hand on Tommy's shoulder, he could feel the solemn pride emitting from the man. Techno tightened his mask, pulled out his sword and handed the rest of his explosives to the boy. Tommy shouldn't have to face the rest of these people.
Techno walked towards where Tommy had left Nikki's body. Blood had been spilled and now stained the stage. Techno would buy Tommy as much time as possible.
Tommy watched the man as the people from the houses begun closing in, procuring swords from various places as they saw the threat.
"YOU BASTARDS!!" The foxlike man yelled.
"What is this, Techno?" The two tone demanded.
"Why would you let your goon kill Nikki?" The man in the beanie pressed. "She isn't part of our government."
Technoblade chuckled.
"My 'goon'," he said with expressive air quotes, "has his own reasons to hate all of you. You all betrayed him."
Tommy kept low and hid himself mostly as he prepared the withers for summoning, he had one left to ready. He wanted to confront the people too.
"What the fuck do you mean?" The man in the beanie yelled as the two tone held back the foxlike man who was angrily waving a sword in Techno's direction.
"You don't remember?" Techno said, enjoying toying with his prey, "why don't I get him to explain it himself?"
He looked towards Tommy who had finished setting up the last wither. All they needed were the final skulls.
"Tommy?" Techno asked, waiting till he received a nod from the boy before stepping back.
Confusion could be heard from the group that had formed infront of the man.
"Tommy's dead, you piggish bastard." The man with the white headband muttered through gritted teeth.
Tommy stepped forwards. He stood infront of the group and let them take his state in, he knew he had changed a lot. He began to feel excitement break through the numbness of killing a former ally. He wanted to show the rest of the group just how much he had changed, just how much better he had gotten at fighting.
"Tommy?" A ghostly voice mumbled as ghostbur appeared from a nearby doorway.
His inquiry had begun a chain of questions and mutters in disbelief from the group as the man in the white headband stepped closer to take a better look at the boy, expecting him to be welcoming. Tommy raised his blade and pointed it towards the man's neck.
"Hello there, Sap." He said coldly, "You've seen what I can do, don't take another step closer."
The man backed away. His eyes had begun to well, yet they were already wide with shock. The rest of the group were shocked in to the silent realisation that Tommy had killed Nikki.
The group didn't notice, but the ghost that had been behind them had slipped closer and passed through the group. He floated towards the corpse of Nikki, he gently brought his arms around it as silent sobs racked his transparent body.
Tommy looked towards the ghost, the rest of the group focused on the boy still, fearing the new Tommy.
"Tommy." Ghostbur sobbed, his back turned away from the boy.
"Wilb-" Tommy responded, beginning to feel a little remorse as the tone of his brothers sobs before getting cut off.
"You killed her." Ghostbur continued, sounding utterly broken, "She cried for you when we all thought you had died, I cried for you, WE ALL DID." He yelled, voice breaking at various intervals. "SHE DID NOTHING WRONG, YOU FUCKING KILLED HER TOMMY." The ghost turned to look at the boy, rage burning in his unsteady gaze as tears streamed down his cheeks.
Tommy felt his eyes well at his brothers words, he had always cared for Wilbur deeply and his anger hurt the boy. He felt himself beginning to lose composure.
An arm was placed on his shoulder. Technoblade was pulling him back to the mindset he wanted to be in. He didn't have time to cry. He had to continue with his duty.
"I'm sorry, Wilbur." Tommy said coldly, yet fully meaning it. He turned away and walked towards the wither summoners as he heard yells from the group and the clashing of swords. He didn't care anymore, he wanted everything gone.
Tommy placed the wither skulls which began the chain reaction. It took a moment for the beasts to appear as Tommy armed and readied the row. The first appeared with a roar. The beast uncurled itself, it's long spine stretching out while it's three heads moved independently. Black skulls rattling, the beast began to move. A second appeared as the first began to shoot at the city, firing fireballs at the crowd but managing to miss often which caused more damage. A third, a fourth, a fifth, then the final wither spawned. There were 6 of them in total. Tommy pulled out TNT as he heard cussing directed towards him. Sapnap had broken past Techno, he was headed straight for the boy. Tommy raised his sword to block a blow from the man. Their swords collided, Tommy stared at the intense anger which flashed in Sapnap's eyes though Sap couldn't see Tommy's.
"Who are you and what the hell have you done with Tommy?!" The man yelled through gritted teeth as he shoved the boy backwards.
Tommy stumbled a little but easily caught himself, the man's anger had taken him off guard. This man in particular, Tommy remembered, had always been against him, one of his constant enemies. He wouldn't feel as bad if he killed the man.
"It is me, Sap." Tommy responded coolly to the man's question.
"NO IT ISNT," The man yelled, "Tommy would've never killed his friends."
Tommy sighed, the man was getting annoying.
"Do you wanna know what happened to Tommy?" The boy himself began with a sigh.
The man in the bandana lowered his sword and his face moved to a one of hopeful shock.
"What-" He began.
Tommy leapt forwards and in an instant, held his blade to the man's throat. He kept it there as he noticed the man's face contort to anger and confusion. Tommy moved his face closer to the man's ear, preparing to whisper something.
"You all killed him." He menacingly whispered in to the man's ear, emphasising the all.
He moved back a little, sword still at the man's throat as he observed his expression of confusion as his lip moved in silent utterings. Tommy smirked slightly. He didn't know why but he found this funny.
"You killed the great Tommyinnit, after he gave everything for L'manberg, you all exiled him." The explanation was said loudly, at almost a shout which allowed the others to hear too. He thrust his sword forwards in to the man's neck as he let out all his pent up frustration an anger. A few screams could be heard from the main group as he walked away from the man, not caring to see if the deed had been done or not. The sounds of withers destroying the city was a symphony to the scene.
As the chaos ensued, Tommy felt a twinge of pain in his right arm. A sword had barely missed his skin, causing a shallow slit. He turned back to the man he had just killed and saw a man in blue, wearing goggles, clutching the body while the fox like man from earlier pointed his sword at Tommy. The man in the beanie from earlier also had appeared next to the ginger man, they all held their blades up to the boy. Tommy sighed, fighting multiple people would be a pain. He closed his eyes for a moment before channeling his rage in to a powerful blow.
The trio exchanged blows for a while, the man in blue weeping over the body nearby before standing up to face him.
"Tommy," George began, "What the fuck are you doing?"
"Yeah Tommy, we are your friends!" Exclaimed the man in the blue and grey beanie.
"We missed you, man." The fox continued as the boy didn't back down at all. In fact, the boy fought harder. He managed to get in a blow to the fox like man's chest in exchange for a blow to his mask. He saw the Ginger man reel away in pain as the bone begun cracking. He felt a section of his mask fall away, unveiling half of his face, the side with the scar. He stared at the men, a deadpan eye glaring at them through the broken mask. The men stared back.
"You aren't our Tommy." Quackity said coldly, coming to the realisation that the boy had changed.
Tommy sighed once more as the withers continued their work. Most of the city was gone, besides the platform where the stage was located. Techno still seemed to be busy defending the withers from the rest of the residents as well as more people who had seemingly arrived. There was a growing pile of bodies now.
He swung his head to the left, narrowly avoiding a blade to the face from George who had procured a sword from the injured fox-man. Tommy returned to the fray, stabbing and slashing at anything that moved.
"TUBBO!!" He heard the fox-man yell.
He felt his sword collide with something soft as the same soft thing pushed itself further forwards, towards him. He felt arms wrap around his chest in a tight hug. Tommy looked down, finally taking a moment to take in the scene.
It was Tubbo.
Tubbo was on his sword, impaled straight though the mid abdomen, right between the lower ribs.
Tommy dropped to his knees as the other boy did the same. Despite what his friend had done, he didn't want Tubbo to die. Tommy clutched the boy, feeling warm blood stain his shirt from the boy's open wound. The sword still sat inside the hole it had created within the boy, leeching his life away. His eyes were wide, he was shaking in shock.
Tubbo's hand calmly grasped the boy's cheek as he used the other to remove the broken skull mask. He looked down at the boy, smiling a sad smile through the tears as he gently held the younger's face. He had missed Tommy more than anyone could imagine, the pure joy at knowing he was alive beat any pain he could be feeling. He knew he was bleeding, he knew the wound he had received was deep and gushing out copious amounts of blood but he didn't care. He had Tommy. His Tommy.
Tommy felt Tubbo gently pat his tied back hair. Time stood still.
"You've been through a lot," Tubbo whispered softly, "I'm glad you're home, I've missed you."
The brunette collapsed in to the blonde's arms, Tommy felt his friend going limp. The younger boy clutched the older tighter, finding a way around the sword that still impaled him. He brought the boy's brown haired head up to his chest, clutching it desperately as his wide eyes wept in to the soft chocolate locks. His Tubbo. He had stabbed his Tubbo. Everything else around him was a blur as he hugged the boy tightly. He didn't want to let go. He didn't care about the fight anymore. He didn't care about his supposed vengeance.
Loud footsteps echoed behind the boy on what remained of the wooden platform.
"Tommy," A cool American voice began, "You killed him."
The words barely reached the boy as he remained there, clutching the corpse of his best friend. A hand on his shoulder caused him to look up at the man. He wore a green hoodie and white mask, the same mask that had taunted him for months in exile.
He felt a sharp sting in his back as a warm liquid began to soak both sides of his clothing. He didn't care. He just clutched his Tubbo. He felt his grip unintentionally weaken as he began to slump. With one last push, he managed to clutch the boy harder. Tubbo was gone, the younger would be joining him soon.
"See you on the other side." The blonde gently whispered in to the brown hair. Closing his eyes and accepting his fateful end with open arms.
.
"Tommy!" Yelled a young voice. He could only see white. The boy then turned to see a younger looking Tubbo running straight towards him, arms out and tears running from his eyes. Tommy felt his own eyes begin to well with tears. He had missed his best friend.
Tubbo ran straight in to Tommy. They collided in to a hug, neither boy would let the other go this time. Together, they were home.