My twt is @HadesTrades, I post updates on delays or reschedules there, follow to keep updated!
CW; physical violence (can't think of any others)
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"I'm getting kind of worried," Phil said. He'd been waiting in the cabin for a while now for Tommy to return. He knew the boy needed some space, so he wasn't that surprised when he seemed to be taking his time to get back. But it'd been long enough that the concern was warranted. It was nearly midnight now.
Even Dream was worried when he'd come up from the basement, voicing his concern for Tommy having not returned yet.
Dream had thought maybe the boy was simply chatting with Techno and Phil about their plans. When he'd woken in the night and it hadn't been to Tommy gently shaking him to request to share the bed again- a ritual that Dream had grown used to in the last few days- Dream knew something was wrong.
"Where did you leave him?" Dream asked Phil and the man answered that Tommy had taken the portal back to his exile.
"Why?" Dream asked, confused that Tommy would even do that. It was very out of the way and didn't make any sense that the boy would want to take that route given the memories associated with it.
"We'd had a little bit of a... tense conversation, you could say," Phil answered simply and Dream frowned down at him.
"You said something to him?" Dream asked, feeling protective of Tommy suddenly. He crossed his arms over his chest. There shouldn't have been anything Phil could have said to the boy that would've made him not return to Dream, at the very least.
"We were just chattin' about his exile," Phil explained, not feeling the need to go further into detail. "Think he needed some time to himself after."
"Well you must have said something," Dream pressed, a glare setting to his face as he looked down at the man who was seated atop one of the many chests that spotted Techno's living room.
Phil was confused by Dream's insistence, not sure what the man wanted from him. Perhaps there was a sensitive topic he may have touched on that would have Tommy wanting to leave.
"Why? You have something to hide, Dream?" Phil looked up at him. His demeanor was calm, but his words were an obvious accusation.
"Wha-"
"Fellas," Techno interrupted. He'd come down from the upstairs area; after hearing the commotion below, he wanted to check out what was going on as their voices grew increasingly aggressive. "Think y'all are forgettin' there's a whole country out for Tommy right now."
"Oh, shit!"
"Shit!"
Dream and Philza both exclaimed at the realization. Tommy was likely in much more trouble than they'd initially considered.
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Seventy-two hours.
Seventy-two hours, without food, and without water. Having walked all the way back to L'manberg the night he was ambushed. Tommy felt like he was dying, his whole body ached for hydration. His mouth was so dry that his voice cracked every time he attempted to speak. The thirst was by far worse than the hunger, but there was still a dull ache in his stomach that twisted angrily every now and again.
Quackity had been keeping him company more than anyone else. Sometimes the others would step in. They never really said much. Just making sure he was still alive.
Tommy was waiting. Waiting for Dream most of all.
If not Dream, then Techno.
Someone must be coming to save him. Tommy was already aware of why he was still alive, that reason being so they could capture Technoblade and attempt again at executing the man.
Now he just had to wait, sitting in a cell that likely would never be found given it's discreet location.
Tommy was still holding onto the hope that Dream would come though. He didn't know how, but he must be able to figure something out. The man always had a few tricks up his sleeves.
Three days later however, Tommy felt that hope wavering.
Tommy was sitting on the stone floor, his head against the wall as he tucked himself into one of the corners. At first he'd fought back- verbally anyway-, telling them that Dream was going to come for him and they'd be sorry. This however had tipped them off to something they hadn't previously known. Not only was Tommy teamed with Techno, but apparently he was with Dream as well. Which worked perfectly for them.
Two birds with one stone.
On the second day, Tommy was weak and covered in wounds. Compliments of Quackity himself. None of the others could stomach the torture that the man was putting Tommy through, so they stayed back as he did his work.
Quackity had demanded any and all information that Tommy could give on Techno, but Tommy wasn't one to break that easily. He was used to the torture of blades and arrows used against him.
He was used to knuckles that hit so hard they split skin, and kicks that broke bones.
Tommy spit blood in Quackity's face and laughed at his attempts to get anything out of him.
"You think I'll tell you anything, you fuckin' idiot," Tommy laughed loudly, earning another punch to his face that landed him against the wall of his cell. Blood rushed down his nose, and over his lips.
"That's the best you got?" Tommy hissed, a grin crossing his bloody mouth.
"Don't fucking tempt me Tommy," Quackity had threatened, summoning an axe to his side. "You want to lose an arm? Hm? Is that what you want? I need you alive, I don't need you with all your limbs."
"You wouldn't," Tommy said shakily. Not sure if he even believed his own words.
"Wouldn't I?" Quackity laughed. His voice and face revealed his callousness. He looked crazed and Tommy's eyes went wide.
Quackity grabbed Tommy by the front of his shirt, throwing him to the stone floor. He stepped one foot hard against Tommy's chest, the other atop his forearm, pinning the boy under his weight.
"Wouldn't I, Tommy?!"
Tommy held his breath, looking at those eyes that stayed staring down at him. A silence passed between the two, one that ended when Quackity lined his axe with Tommy's upper arm. He brought the weapon up slowly and then swiftly down.
"No! No! No, no, no!" Tommy screamed at the top of his lungs. Voice breaking in a sharp crack. Quackity stopped right before the blade could connect.
"I don't know what the plan is! They're... something with withers!" Tommy pleaded. He offered everything he knew with desperation in his voice. Quackity watched him, an analyzing gaze raking over the boy's face. "I think- I think they're going to attack L'manberg. That's all I know!"
The axe lifted, and Tommy screamed again.
"Please, big Q!"
"Don't fucking call me that!" Quackity pointed the axe at Tommy's face. His voice was ice cold as he addressed the boy next. "Don't you ever fucking call me that again."
Quackity stepped off of Tommy, and turned around, leaving the cell. It was locked behind the man, as it always was. Tommy was left grabbing his arm close to his chest and scurrying back into the corner of his cell.
That was a day ago now.
Tommy sighed quietly as he thought back on it.
He just wanted Dream to come save him already.
The door to the room he was trapped in slowly opened and Tommy looked up, seeing that it was Ranboo and he furrowed his brow at the sight. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't relieved to see someone other than Quackity finally, but he wondered what the dual colored boy would want.
Tommy didn't say anything, and neither did Ranboo for a long moment.
Ranboo Sat down against the hard floor, crossing his legs and staring forward at Tommy. The two locked eyes for a moment before they both looked away.
"Why?" Ranboo finally asked, and Tommy looked back at him.
Why had he killed Tubbo?
Tommy had to think. He wasn't sure what to say at first, until he remembered what Dream had told him.
"It was unavoidable," Tommy told the other boy, his eyes falling to the floor of his cell. Mumbling the last part under his breath "I didn't want to."
"You didn't have to..." Ranboo brought his hand to his mouth, feeling tears begin to burn the cusps of his eyes. "You didn't."
"It was me or him," Tommy said next. Mirroring what Dream had told him. It was all he knew to say. The only explanation he had was the one that Dream had fed him with a gentle kindness that made it easier to palate.
"Tubbo would never," Ranboo bit out, glaring at Tommy. His tears now streaking down the scarred wounds that they'd trailed down so many times before. Especially recently. "He would never hurt you, Tommy."
"If he wouldn't hurt me then he would've stood down," Tommy bit back. Not wanting to hear anything that Ranboo had to say. If he started to believe it, then he'd be consumed by his guilt all over again. He never wanted to either, he never wanted to hurt let alone kill Tubbo. They were best friends.
Tommy felt his own tears building up.
"Tommy, Tubbo was looking for you," Ranboo's voice broke as he told the boy that, and Tommy pressed his lips together in a flat line.
"N-not hard enough! Apparently Techno was more important, right?!" Tommy shouted angrily, tears falling down his cheeks in aggravation. The pain from killing Tubbo was still too fresh for this conversation. He needed Dream, he needed those reassuring words the man had to offer. "None of you fucking came for me."
Tommy growled. Attempting to leave the corner of the cell, but he could barely stand. His dehydration, hunger, and overall physical exhaustion was too much for his body to take any more unnecessary strain.
"And now you have me here," Tommy laughed bitterly, wiping away his tears with his blood stained shirt. "Fuckin starvin' me. Quackity tried to cut my goddamn arm off yesterday. You think I believe you?"
The question was spat from Tommy's lips.
Before Ranboo could even say anything in response, there was a loud noise above them. It sounded like explosives.
Ranboo jumped to his feet, the two of them looking up in response to the sounds.
"Yes!" Tommy suddenly exclaimed, a grin spreading wide across his face, "yeah! fuck you, ender-bitch! Looks like my goddamn rescue party is here!"
"Tommy. I'll kill you myself, if it's the last thing I do. I'll kill you," Ranboo promised. His voice was laced in a dark anger that Tommy wasn't familiar with. Ranboo moved to leave, but froze at the door when he heard Tommy antagonize him.
Tommy was wavering as he stood. His adrenaline gave him a spike in energy, and he grabbed the cell bars, grinning at the boy across from him.
"Kill me now then, you pussy. You won't. You fuckin' won't 'cause you're a coward. You ain't got the guts. Nothin' but a 'yes man'. Always have been, always will be," Tommy bit back, feeling the walls around him shake as more explosives went off.
"I-..." Ranboo turned around, facing Tommy again. His grip tightened around the axe he'd unintentionally summoned to his side. "You're right, Tommy."
Tommy hadn't been expecting that response and he took a step back from his bars, watching as Ranboo stepped closer and closer. The enderman's eyes flashing lavender while particles glitched around him.
"You're right," Ranboo repeated.
Tommy swallowed. When was he going to learn to keep his damned mouth shut? Apparently it'd take up til his deathbed.
Ranboo unlocked the cell and threw the door open. The boy was so tall he had to duck down to enter.
Ranboo swung the axe out to Tommy who leapt back. The blade caught his shirt however, and cut a giant slice through the fabric. It bit into his skin just barely, but enough to draw blood.
"Stay still," Ranboo ground out. His voice was so strange to hear in that tone, with those words. It was so unlike anything Tommy had heard from the boy. He was so used to the soft spoken Ranboo, the meek and un-opposing Ranboo. The agreeable and conflict-avoiding, Ranboo.
"Ranboo wait," Tommy eyed the axe nervously. One hand up defensively while the other held his bleeding side.
Ranboo said nothing. His eyes flashed lavender when the blade came down from above and Tommy ducked below it. He darted to move around Ranboo, but he stumbled when the boy tripped him.
Ranboo said something again, but Tommy couldn't understand. It sounded like an array of noises that didn't make any sense. It was familiar though. The sounds reminded Tommy of an enderman.
Ranboo must have entered his enderwalk. As if his glowing lavender eyes didn't make that obvious enough.
The axe came down again but before it connected with Tommy, Ranboo was suddenly thrown to the side. The boy bounced off the stone wall and was left out cold from the force of the collision. His skull cracked audibly against the wall and left a splash of blood.
Tommy had shut his eyes tight, having accepted his fate reluctantly; when a familiar voice called out to him, Tommy cracked one open in response.
"How many times am I gonna save your ass?" Sapnap laughed, offering a hand down to Tommy. The boy smiled, face lighting up like the sun at the sight of his friend.
"Sapnap!" Tommy shouted, accepting the hand eagerly and he was pulled up to his feet.
"Yeah, yeah. You're welcome. We gotta get the fuck out of here though, Techno and Dream are blowin' the whole country to the ground," Sapnap told him, pushing Tommy from the cell. Sapnap headed back in and picked up Ranboo, giving a grunt as he threw the boy over his shoulder.
"How'd you know where I was?" Tommy asked, rushing from the base while glancing back at Sapnap a few times over.
"Well I kinda live here, Tommy," Sapnap laughed, urging Tommy along. "Well, not here, here. But neighbors with L'manberg, y'know."
Once the two got to the surface and a safe distance from the combat, Sapnap laid Ranboo down in the grass nearby. He joined Tommy's side and the two watched from afar as L'manberg was reduced to nothing but dust.
Withers every direction you looked, flying through the air and launching explosions left and right. The citizens of L'manberg looked like ants as they scurried around aimlessly, attempting to take down Techno and his hundreds of wolves. The man was easily stepping from their paths. He made a one versus twenty look like a walk in the park.
Potions flew and pearls were tossed every which way. If the withers weren't taking them out, then it was Techno himself slaying their adversaries. Quackity was amongst them, along with Fundy and Niki. Tommy kept an eye out for the three specifically.
Eret was there fighting alongside them. Puffy, Karl, Ponk, and so many more. Tommy couldn't keep up with all the faces.
All taken down by Tommy's allies.
The strongest on the server. Techno, and Dream.
The most daunting sight of all was the massive obsidian grid above everything, pouring down TNT in rivers of explosives that ate the country down to bedrock. When they were done, there would be absolutely nothing left. Tommy couldn't bring himself to mourn for the loss of what had once been his country too.
Not after everything.
After exile. After killing Tubbo. After being captured and tortured by those that were once his closest friends.
Dream, Techno, and Phil. The three were just finishing what Wilbur had failed to accomplish.
Tommy looked atop the grid, noticing Phil and Dream knocking down any of the adversaries that attempted to pearl up to it and disrupt the spew of explosives raining down on their country.
Screaming could be heard over the clash of weapons and blades against shields. Arguing of men that were once allies. Cries from people getting mauled by wolves. Pain from others struck down by blades.
The sound of maniacal laughter from Dream atop the grid, drinking in the vision before him.
Finally this country was falling, and best of all it was at his very own hands.
It was his main goal, after everything. This is the one thing he wanted. It symbolised complete and total control. They could never win. They'd lost everything at this point, and Dream had won.
"Kinda fucked up," Sapnap gave a nervous laugh.
"They deserve it," Tommy said tiredly. His body slouched and Sapnap caught him before he could fall. The adrenaline rush from earlier had worn off, and Tommy's exhaustion was beginning to set in.
"You okay kid?" Sapnap asked and Tommy shook his head.
"I think I'm g-..." Tommy's eyes rolled back, blood pressure plummeting from everything his body had been subjected to these last few days. Sapnap managed to catch him the rest of the way, supporting Tommy as he looped the boy's arm around his shoulders.
"Alright," Sapnap laughed.
Dream suddenly appeared at his side, and Sapnap jumped, caught off guard by the other man.
Dream ripped his mask off. He looked beside himself with glee. Sapnap hadn't seen him so happy in a long time, and he raised his brows at his friend.
"Look at this!" Dream turned toward the destruction, gesturing his arm out toward everything. "It's incredible, Sapnap! Don't you think?" He looked back at his friend.
Sapnap gave another nervous chuckle, scratching his cheek as he made sure Tommy didn't fall when the boy slouched further.
"It's uh, a little overkill, Dream," Sapnap responded.
"Overkill?" Dream asked, still excited by the sight of it all. "Sapnap, you have no idea. You have no idea how hard I worked for this!"
Dream was still grinning happily, he was breathing heavily as well, but that was from the combat he'd just split away from.
"Orchestrating Tommy's exile, manipulating Tubbo. Turning them against each other. Even... even Techno!" Dream could tell he was saying too much the longer he spoke, and he reigned his excitement in.
"Everything paid off Sapnap," Dream said, closing his eyes. Feeling the breeze from the explosions rush past him, and the earth shaking beneath his feet. Arms extended toward the chaos.
They stood for a moment longer, silence between them, but the sounds of war carried on around them. Dream took in a deep breath before exhaling, a relaxed puff of air brushing across his lips.
"How's Tommy?" Dream finally asked, spinning around and facing Sapnap again.
"Uh... Not great," Sapnap said, eyes gesturing down toward the unconscious boy.
Dream crouched down and examined Tommy closely, looking him over. The man frowned at the many wounds he saw.
"Damned Quackity," Dream glared, standing again. His eyes shifted to Ranboo who had been laid against the ground nearby.
Dream approached Ranboo's unconscious form. He searched the boy's pockets for his journal, and when he found it, he untucked the pen Ranboo used to write with. Dream flipped through the pages, landing on a blank one where he made a note for Ranboo to find later.
"Gotta take care of these idiots. They can't keep coming after Tommy like this," Dream explained. Sapnap eyed him questioningly in response. Standing again, Dream dropped the journal uncaringly against Ranboo, walking back to Sapnap. Dream crouched once more. "We can fall back now. There's no recovering from this destruction. Thanks for your help Sapnap."
Dream gently lifted Tommy into his arms, carrying him like a parent would carry a sleeping child off to bed.
"Of course. Not gonna leave Tommy to die," Sapnap said, allowing Dream to take the boy. They turned away from the devastation. Sapnap's arms crossed behind his head as he walked along with Dream, he assumed they were on the way back to Techno's.
He'd learned recently that was where Dream and Tommy were staying at the moment.
Dream informed his allies that they were withdrawing from the combat and advised them to do the same. It'd started pouring down rain, and they'd finished their job here.
The message should've gotten across to the citizens of L'manberg, loud and clear this time.
Don't fuck with Techno, or Dream, nor anyone they held close. And if they did, they'd never stop regretting it.
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A/N can i get an oof in the chat? also probably my new favorite chapter thus far
and RETURN OF MY BOY SAPNAP <3 I've missed writing him, he's such a nice relief from the angst. Hope you all enjoyed! Thanks so much for reading, you're the real MVPs and the reason I keep going