Ranboo blinked away his blurry vision as the curtains finally fell, raising his hand against the bright sun. Gods, he had missed the sun. Spending countless hours in the dark, musty dungeons of The Eggpire made him appreciate the star's comforting warmth. Oh, how he'd miss it after he died.
A wave of dizziness passed over the creature, causing him to sway and stumble. But instead of falling over, something flat and vertical had caught his weight. When Ranboo looked to investigate it further, any sense of fatigue was instantly drained out of him: it was a glass wall. Panicked hands reached out to meet wall after wall, completely surrounding the being in glass- he was trapped. No. No, this can't be happening, Ranboo spiraled. Someone tell me this is a dream. Please!
The enderman raised his gaze, his eyes darting about. Where had Bad taken him? The glass enclosure had been set up on a makeshift stage, impromptu in nature and poor in quality. The venue itself was the outdoors, deep in the heart of one of the many woods on the server. It was hard to tell his precise location, but Ranboo knew it couldn't be that far from town.
Before him sat rows upon rows of chairs, all filled with the residents of the five major nations. The attendants all stared back at the enderman, some with fear, and some with regret. They must know about the execution, the sentient thought. Gods, please don't let Tubbo be here. He shouldn't have to see this...
Ranboo cursed under his breath the minute he saw him. Even from where he stood, the enderman knew his husband was livid. The goat hybrid was on his feet, his face the same shade of red as his suit. His fists were clenched by his side while his mouth spewed what Ranboo could only assume were obscenities and threats.
Ranboo's gaze slid to the people sitting by Tubbo's side, and he instantly froze: Philza and Michael. Philza had brought Michael. The old man stared at Tubbo with intense worry, concern dipping his lips into a frown while he bounced a sleeping Michael in his arms. What are they doing here?! The enderman panicked. They can't be here!! Why-?!
And then it hit him. In the depths of The Eggpire's secret caves, Bad had promised to make his death as slow and as agonizing as possible. The demon hybrid had kept his word, inviting the enderman's family to watch his final moments. Ranboo grunted in frustration, his teeth clenched and his jaw set. That despicable soul. Bad would pay for this, the entire Eggpire would pay for this...if he could make it out alive.
"YOU MONSTER!! WHAT DID YOU DO TO HIM?! LET HIM GO!!"
Bad shook his head with a small chuckle. "Why, if it isn't Tubbo Beloved, President of Snowchester. Tell me, Mr. President, did you know your husband was a terrorist?"
"Don't you dare speak of Ranboo that way!" the goat shrieked. "He is NOT a terrorist."
"Then explain why he was on our land, Tubbo. Was this an act of war by Snowchester?"
"NO!! THAT'S INSANE!!"
"Then why was he on our land?! Why was he planting explosives near The Egg?!"
The president nearly tore his hair out in frustration. "He wasn't planting them- he was removing them!! Someone else put them down there!!"
Bad narrowed his eyes. "Who?"
The goat hybrid flinched- he had gone too far. He was the only person besides Ranboo who knew the truth, and for the sake of the server, Tubbo knew it had to remain that way. "I- erhm, I don't know!"
The demon hybrid threw his head back in wild laughter, a wicked glee lighting his eyes. "You, President of Snowchester, don't know? And yet you beg the innocence of your husband caught red-handed. How delightful."
"It isn't Ranboo, I swear! You have to believe me!"
"Now, now, Tubbo, it doesn't have to be this hard," Bad purred. "Letting Ranboo walk free would only encourage your people to repeat his mistakes." His voice dropping into a low whisper, the hybrid made his final request: "Just give us someone to execute and The Egg will be satisfied."
"I-"
"I did it."
All heads swiveled in the direction of the lone voice. There, across the aisle, stood Wilbur, his stance determined and his eyes steeled. "I did it," the man admitted. "I was the one who placed the TNT. I was possessed by a dreamon, and Ranboo saved my life. I owe him everything, and I would rather die in his stead."
"Ranboo saved me, too," another voice confessed. Suddenly, Quackity rose to his feet as well, his demeanor just as fearsome as Wilbur's. "Ranboo told me about the TNT under Las Nevadas before it was too late. He doesn't deserve to die!"
"I'll die as well." The final leader in the crowd also joined his fellow rulers in their stand, his crown gleaming in the sun. "Ranboo came to my aid when my castle was overrun by dreamons," Eret said. "He also alerted me to the TNT threat across my kingdom. I would give my life for his in a heartbeat."
Try as he might, Ranboo couldn't break free from his glass prison. He banged and banged on the cursed entrapment over and over until his fists went numb, but it was all in vain. A primal rush of adrenaline set in as he realized he must be minutes away from death. Any moment, Bad could decide that now was the perfect time to end his time amongst the living.
What was The Eggpire planning? Would they stab him with swords? Crush him with stones? Bathe him in lava? The enderman's mind spun with hundreds if not thousands of deadly scenarios, each one more painful than the last.
He desperately seeked out his husband in the crowd. He didn't want his soulmate seeing whatever strange, cruel death The Eggpire had chosen for him; he had to warn him before it was too late. "Tubbo! You have to go! You have to go now! Tubbo!!"
But Tubbo seemed to be fixated on something else, something on the other side of the audience. Ranboo looked to find Wilbur standing up, then Quackity and Eret. The sentient gasped, and he covered his mouth in shock. His banging on the glass became more urgent, his voice tilting towards hysteria. "NO!! DON'T DO THIS!! NOT FOR ME!!"
Will Tubbo, Wilbur, Quackity, and Eret band together to save Ranboo's life??
Will Bad accept their deal?? Vote for a happy ending!!
As always, thank you so much for all the support! Y'all are lovelyyyyyy. <3333
[Image Credits] "Hot thinking" (Cropped Slightly) by Petras Gagilas (https://www.flickr.com/photos/11677434@N04/6433529957)