"So, what now?"
They sit in an uncomfortable silence. Tommy sips his hot chocolate under a hot orange blanket, mug clenched between trembling fingers. Pete and Philza sip their coffee and tea respectively, reclining on the couch's softness. Techno purses his lips, fist clenched in his lap, back straight against the chair. "We should plan for the worst possible scenario. Right guys?"
Tommy numbly shook his head. The boy seemed to still be processing everything that had happened so far. He honestly needed a break. Techno himself had gone through more emotional turmoil in the past hours than perhaps in the past several years, he could barely imagine how Tommy must feel
"I think we should give this weird potion a week." Phil declares, leaning back against the couch.
"...and then?" Pete asked, rubbing his chin, his head cocked to the side.
"And then we'll see. What do you think Tommy?" Phil said, taking another sip.
"Yeah I guess..." The kid's voice was meek and small, muffled through the blanket.
"That's for the future. What are we going to do now?" Techno said, his voice sounding strained even to himself. Phil and Pete seemed to notice something and glanced at each other quickly.
"Tommy will have to learn to adapt for the time being." Pete spoke softly, words aimed at the youngest, but his gaze turned to Techno. The pig man nodded firmly, pleased with this answer.
"He'll stay here then." Techno decides. "Where we can keep an eye on him."
The mass of blanket that is Tommy flinched at that comment, his head peeking out from the bright orange comforter, brows furrowed and mouth opened in protest before he got cut off.
"What can Tommy even do around here?" Pete questioned, glancing at Phil sitting next to him.
"Well, I have been needing a second opinion for building my machines lately..." Phil starts, eyes far away, contemplating.
Techno frowns "Aren't those very far away? I don't think he should leave base too soon. He'd get in trouble. We should keep him close." Both Phil and Pete shoot him deadpan looks.
"That's kind of excessive, Techno." Phil sounds disappointed in him.
"I think it's an appropriate precaution." Techno defends, arms crossing at his chest, frowning at Phil. "He's a danger to himself right now."
Tommy opens his mouth to speak again, and he might have even said something this time, but Pete's booming voice covered whatever he might have said.
"Well he could just clean up around the place." A distinct note of sarcasm rang out, clearly annoyed with Techno's protective tendency."Not too dangerous is it-?" Techno huffed, and bared his teeth.
"This is not a joking matter Pete!" Techno said
"Hey, calm down there. Being so uptight won't help the situation!"
Techno sputtered "Uptight? I'm being reasonable! You're the one who is too relaxed about this!"
"You're the one that's controlling and-"
"That's IT!" Tommy finally screamed before the argument could go any further, mug sloshing around, now cold chocolate spilling over the blanket. "I'm capable of making my own decisions! This is only temporary! I can deal with it alone!"
Techno scoffed, "You can't even see right now."
Tommy glared at him. Or at least tried. The fact he was aiming ever so slightly to the left of Techno's face tugged at his heartstrings in a way Techno didn't even know it could. "That doesn't change the fact that I can make my own decisions, Techno!"
Phil and Pete both sat up straighter, mugs forgotten on the coffee table. "Tommy-" Phil started, raising his hand in an act of placitude, but was cut off by Techno's angry remark.
"No, you can't right now!"
"You can't tell me what to do!"
"Yes I can!"
Tommy suddenly screamed in frustration, getting up in a solid motion, the blanket falling off and the mug shattering on the ground. "I hate you so much!" A bittened back sob, "Just leave me alone!" and he runs.
Pure muscle memory guides him towards the door, a hand in front of him to avoid any unfortunate collisions. He finds the exit fast enough and sprints into the open air, ignoring the voices calling out his name from inside. Now alone, focusing only on getting one feet in front of the other, thoughts start flooding in.
Just because right now he was unable to see it doesn't mean that those guys had the right to make all of his decisions! He's allowed to go where he wants and do whatever he wants, he's fifteen years old! Not two! He doesn't need to be babysitted and watched over, how dare Techno try and tell him so.
He could barely hear the sound of his footsteps over his fast breathing. He ignored the crunch of snow under his sneakers and kept running forward.
They can't control him like that! He had asked them to help, but they were equals not... They can't tell him what to do! Techno can't tell him what to do! Tommy ran faster. Screw those guys, he doesn't need their help. He's... just going to deal with it until it passes. His heart drums in his ears. His skin feels so warm against the cold air.
Breathing becomes faster, he distantly realises that he isn't getting much air at this moment. So he halts, bending at the waist and places a hand over his chest. What was happening? Why is he choking? He felt saltiness from the tears in his mouth. He's crying? Oh. A flash of regret flashes through him. Being with those guys at the moment might have been awful but right now, he desperately wishes he was still under that blanket. His mind is fuzzy, his heaving loud and the lack of sight a detriment to his sanity.
The feeling of an arrow piercing his right shoulder is shockingly sharp, on the other hand.
...What? A trembling frozen hand goes up to touch a sticky spot where the arrow head sticks out. He's been shot. A rattling noise echoes. A skeleton. Oh no. A second arrow through his left thigh brings with it a few realizations. There...there are mobs around. He had forgotten his shield and armor. Oh nono no not now ! He hadn't realized it was night time already!
Before he can properly freak out, and as he hears the distinct sound of an arrow being notched, an explosion hits him from his left. He's thrown off from the force, landing painfully on his side, the second arrow digging further into his flesh.. He tries to inhale air but it's useless. Flailing his arms around, he realises with a few pats that he's in a hole and some cobble has fallen above him. He can't get out. He's stuck.
His breath spikes up for what feels like the hundredth time in the last few minutes. He finally lets out a sob at his situation. He's stuck, he's lost, he can't breathe, and he can't goddamn see . He's going to stay here and die of starvation, if he's not ripped apart by a passing mob. His tears feel cold against his cheeks. He doesn't want this.
Exhaustion soon creeps over him and he stops crying. He can't say how long he's been there, nor how long of that he's spent conscious when suddenly, a zombie passes over the makeshift roof. It dislodges a large rock that falls directly into his stomach, eliciting a burst of pain through him. No. He won't stay like this. He'll figure something out. He's Tommyinnit after all, he won't let anything keep him down.
Frozen and stiff hands reach for his phone, which he knows is in the back pocket, because he's prepared goddammit. They shake furiously, but blood is slowly coming back to his joints. He tries his best to focus over his crying induced migraine and the gaping wounds coming from his shoulder and thigh, and tries his best to remember where the options are. His memory is hazy, but still managed to hit a few buttons in his saved contacts list. He feels the barest hint of joy when he hears the dialing of a number.
"Hello?" Tommy almost sobs in relief at his friend's voice
"Deo," Rustling is heard on the other side, Deo's voice suddenly becoming much closer and on the verge of panic.
"Tommy! What's going on? The Antarctic Empire guys have been spamming the chat looking for you! Are you ok?" Tommy would cry if he wasn't bone-deep exhausted.
"I need help." A pause.
"Do you need me to come?" Deo asked, his voice gravelly and devoid of his usual snark.
"Please."
"Ok, I'm coming right now. What are your coords?"
"I can't." He stuttered out.
"...That's fine, I'll follow the call. You have to stay talking to me for that to work. Is that good for you?"
He swallows. "Yeah"
"Perfect, I'm getting in the plane right now." The sound of an engine is heard through the microphone. It resonates through the small hole. "Can you tell me what's going on?"
"I... I'm stuck in a hole. Too cold to punch out."
Deo hums empathically. "Ok, how did you get into the hole?"
"I.." The events of the day come back in waves. His breathing accelerates again. He barely hears Deo calling out to him.
"Tommy, Tommy, listen to me, I need you to breathe with me, could you do that?" And he hears Deo taking deep breaths. Tommy syncs his breath to the other's. The dizziness calms down.
"Tommy, could you please name five things that you can see?"
Tommy chokes up. "N...no."
"That's fine. I'm almost there. Continue to breathe with me alright?" And Tommy did.
A minute- or maybe hours- passed. Deo never left him alone and idly chattered over the phone. Tommy was holding on to consciousness to the best of his ability when he heard the sound of a plane landing. Deo keeping him up to date. The words are immediately followed by a loud curse. The man remarques about the absurd number of mobs for such a small area. Tommy absentmindedly agrees, eyes blinking slowly.
The sound of arrows ring out, amidst the comforting noise of rotten flesh falling on the ground and endermen being sliced open. After the last mob is killed, the sound of hurried footsteps come towards him. Tommy manages to dislodge one of his hands from his side to weakly knock on the makeshift ceiling. It's apparently enough, as not a second later Deo mines his way through the stone, making sure to avoid dropping it on the younger.
Tommy feels warm hands lodge themselves underneath his shoulders and knees, careful to avoid the wounds. He snuggles into the warmth, barely hearing the buzz that sounded suspiciously like words and weakly chuckled. "Thanks." He murmured before losing to unconsciousness.