Chapter Text
Wilbur wanders for a while.
Eventually, he quits running, and paces down into a slow, steady walk. Techno’s voice grows silent in the back of his head, but that panic never subsides, so that’s how Wil knows he’s still safely hidden away. The fear ripples out into something like a constant dread, and no matter how much Wilbur tries to shrug it off, he can’t quite manage it. It sticks to his shoulders like a stain, and there’s an edge of guilt for being the cause of all that worry.
It’s mostly drowned out with the need to get away, though.
He’s not sure where he’s going to go, but he knows he has to circle back around to get his men before heading out. He can start all of this again. Start a new l’manburg, a new country. Without Techno. Without his mistakes.
Maybe then, he won’t have to burn it all to the ground.
(Maybe then, he’ll stop feeling as if he needs to burn down with it.)
The night sky stays cold as Wilbur walks on through the trees, and he still doesn’t have a clue as to where he’s going. He takes turns at random and sometimes backtracks his steps, all for the sole purpose of making sure he’s not going to get followed. Techno feels busy, but all he has to do is focus on Wilbur a little more, and he’d be figuring out his next move rather quickly.
Well, it’s hard to make use of the enemy’s moves if even the enemy doesn’t know what their move means. Wilbur’s mind is scattered. Good luck to Techno on trying to use that to track him down.
Wilbur wraps his arms around himself with a huff and steps over a large root in the dirt. Where can he go from here? He has to get to Tommy, to Pogtopia, but-
Wil quickly redirects his thoughts. No, he’s going to- A lake. A pond. He’ll make it out to sea, then he will sail away.
(Surely Techno would take that as the truth, if he just repeats it long enough. Surely, he’d take that lie.
Even if Wilbur’s been terrible at lying for all these weeks.)
Maybe sailing away isn’t such a bad idea. He can be a one man army. He can manage on his own. He’s always been able to be on his own. Look at what he’s done. He’s built his nation, and he’s survived through losing it. He’s made a revolution, and he’s practically taken the nation back.
(He ignores how a nation requires people to be a nation. He ignores how he was not the only one to live through that exile. He ignores how those ravine walls were not quiet nor alone, and he ignores how the victory of taking his nation back wasn’t one of a war, but rather a quiet death of his enemy. A simple waiting game where Wilbur was the last one to fall, and Schlatt the first. Where the people came to him for sanctuary, rather than scream defeat.)
Wil stops in his steps abruptly, the motion nearly making him fall forward. He stumbles, then catches his balance, and he stands still, his fingers digging into his own sleeves. He looks up at the trees with wide eyes, and past them, he stares at the stars, the moon.
It’s all so lovely, really. On a better night, in a better life, Wilbur would admire the sight.
Instead, here, he is struck with horror at the sight of a single crow flying amongst the dark.
“No.” Wilbur breathes out, taking a single step back. The crow circles over his head, giving a caw that seems to echo in his ears, his very soul. “No, no.”
The bird swoops down from the sky, rushing over Wilbur’s head and taking perch on one of the branches nearby. Wilbur stares at it all with an ever so frail hope that maybe, just for once, he really is going crazy. He is hallucinating.
Crows do not exist near this part of the land. They’re not a common bird here. It’s a fact Wilbur learned when he first got here, something he had to force himself to grow used to, a distinct lack of crows.
Back at home, there are always crows flying around.
After all, Phil loves caring for them.
“Fuck.” Wilbur swears, staring at the crow for a second, two, three, and there is another blur of something flying overhead. Before long, another crow joins beside the first one.
Wilbur turns and runs.
“FUCK!” He yells, picking a direction at random and sticking to it, sprinting as fast as he can. He pushes through his mind and yanks at Techno for his attention, all of it with pure fury.
‘You called Phil?’ Wilbur sends, a near hiss within his own head. Techno’s response is something of surprise, but it’s moved over quickly.
‘Okay, don’t be mad.’
‘We are very past that.’ Wilbur nearly trips over a root on the ground, and he takes a different direction, suddenly going left. ‘You called Phil, and now his fucking birds are chasing me.’
‘They’re trying to watch over you. There’s a difference. And Dad was worried, it makes sense for the crows-’
‘Tell him to go.’ Wilbur pushes all the urgency he can through his thoughts, trying to get it through to Techno that this isn’t what is supposed to happen. Phil was never meant to be here.
(Phil can’t see him like this.)
‘I can’t.’ Techno answers. It only makes Wilbur bristle with rage.
‘Tell him to leave.’
‘How exactly would I do that? You think he’d want to leave? Especially knowing the state you’re in right now?’
‘I’m not in any danger at all. He doesn’t even need to be here. I’m fine.’
‘I see your thoughts, Wilbur.’ Techno’s tone is nothing but brutally honest. ‘We both know that’s a lie.’
Wil grits his teeth and keeps running. Techno’s next words are- dare he say it, soft.
‘Just make your way back. You can follow the crows home.’
(Just like how when we were little, Techno doesn’t say. They both hear it anyway.)
‘I’m not doing that.’
‘Tell me where you are.’
‘Go away.’
‘I need to know where you are, Wilbur.’
‘Leave, Techno.’
‘Wil, please.’
“I SAID FUCKING LEAVE!” Wilbur yells, his voice echoing out into the night. It feels too loud in his ears, but as soon as he says it, he’s left with blissful silence. A lack of a second emotion on his shoulders.
He shut Techno out.
He knows that’s not going to last long. He runs faster through the trees, and as he breaks out into a clearing, he finds a river.
It’s vaguely familiar, and instantly, he knows where he is. He knows where to go.
He runs through the water with his shoes getting soaked, and he makes his way past the hill on the other side, sliding down past the grass. Checking behind him for any birds, he finds none, and there’s a flash of relief at that. They must’ve gone back to report to Phil, and if so, that means Wilbur has time to get farther away.
He heads through another cluster of trees and passes through familiar paths. Soon enough, he comes across an entryway he knows very well. The door to Pogtopia is left wide open, no longer hidden, and Wilbur falters before it.
What if Techno is inside? Then he’ll be trapped in there, caught within a single minute.
But Wil cannot turn and go now, like a leader admitting defeat. He needs to grab his most trusted men and run. He needs them all at his side. He can leave the traitors behind with Techno. They can stay and do whatever they want with the remains of this failed country.
Wilbur goes inside with a shaky breath, and he paces down the stairs so quickly that he nearly loses his step more than once. He pushes against the stone wall and heads all the way down to the dimly lit floor, and there, he finds it to be strangely quiet.
There is no one here.
But that doesn’t make sense. For the past few weeks, this place has been filled with people. Everyone from manburg, everyone with l’manburg, they’ve been staying here, why would they all go?
Have they abandoned him? Left him behind the moment he showed weakness?
A jolt of fear runs down his back at that thought. Surely not. Surely- surely there’s at least someone here?
Wilbur runs to look through the rooms. He checks in the farms, in the crevices, in the ledges. He runs around with a frantic air, checking behind every corner and hallway, hoping and quietly pleading for someone to have stayed behind for him.
Sure enough, as he steps back out into the main ravine, he finds someone.
Tommy is just barely reaching the bottom of the steps as Wilbur walks out from one of the rooms, and Wilbur gasps with relief, instantly running over.
“Tommy!” He calls, and Tommy looks up, his eyes going wide with something like shock. He’s nearly frozen still as Wilbur comes up to him to grab him by the arms, and he holds onto Wilbur’s shirt like it is a lifeline. “Tommy, Tommy, we have to go, we need to leave-”
“Wilbur? Holy shit, Wil-!” Tommy tries to speak, but Wilbur’s already put his plans in motion. He has someone, he has Tommy, that is all he needs. He will go. He can’t wait, he has to go.
“Come on, now-” Wilbur pulls him forward, looking behind him and taking a good look at that nether portal down the ravine. It’s not the best option, but it’s the quickest one. “We can’t stay. We need to move, I’ll explain more on the way-”
Tommy stumbles along as Wilbur pulls at him to move, and Wilbur comes to a stop as he is yanked back.
“Wait, wait!” Tommy calls, digging his feet into the ground. “Wha- what about the others? Techno? Did you-?”
Wilbur’s lip curls into a scowl. “Leave him. He’s-”
(He’s looking for him, he’s trying to help him, so why can’t Wil just-?)
“He’s a traitor.” Wilbur settles on, and the words burn in his mouth.
“What?” Tommy says, sounding baffled, as if Wilbur’s speaking nonsense. “How’s he a-? Wilbur, hold on.” He struggles harder at being pulled again.
“He’s a traitor!” Wilbur repeats, and it feels wrong to say. “He- we can’t trust him, okay?!”
“Wilbur, he’s our brother.” Tommy says, almost desperate. Like having to remind Wilbur hurts to do. “Techno- He’s, he’s trying to look for you. Everyone’s looking for you, we’re all out there-”
Wilbur goes still at that. He lets go of Tommy’s hand, jerking back like it’s burnt him. “He what?” Wilbur whispers, struck with a sudden panic. “He- What did he do? Tommy-” He grabs Tommy by the shoulders, pulling him close. “What did he do?!”
Tommy’s lips go thin in a frown as he looks up at Wil. “He said you ran off. And you needed help. So everybody from Pogtopia, Manburg, we started looking for you-”
Wilbur steps back, shaking his head. Tommy takes a step forward, speaking louder as if that’ll get the words further in.
“-Technoblade said to spread out to try and find where you were, I chose to go here because I thought you might be here-”
Wilbur chokes out a strangled laugh. “He’s fucking- He started a search party for me! He got everyone in on it!” He runs his hands through his hair, sucking in a breath and trying to not let it overwhelm him. “Oh, that bastard.”
“Wilbur.”
“We need to go. Now.” Wilbur says, turning and making his way down the ravine. Tommy follows right at his heels.
“Wilbur!” Tommy yells. “Hold on, we can’t just fucking leave -!”
“And what do you propose?!” Wilbur spins around, Tommy nearly running into him, the two of them hovering close, face to face. “Everyone is after me, like a damn manhunt, should I just stay here and let myself get caught?!”
“We’re not hunting you, Wilbur.” Tommy grits out. “And you want to leave without the others!? What about Tubbo? Niki?”
“Traitors.” Wilbur hisses out. Tommy’s eyes narrow, his hands curling up into fists. “They can just- go!”
“What about l’manburg?!”
“We can start anew!” Wilbur snaps, stepping back and throwing his arms up into the air. “It was all never meant to be, anyway!”
Tommy’s expression grows bitter at that, but he steels it into something serious, breathing in deep through his nose.
“Techno-” He tries to say. Wilbur cuts him off.
“-fucking betrayed us!” He cries.
“He’s our brother!”
“He called Phil! He called him over here, and now-”
“I CALLED PHIL!” Tommy screams.
Wilbur freezes.
“...what?” He asks, staring at Tommy with wide eyes.
“I-” Tommy gasps, and Wilbur doesn’t know when it happened, but there are tears in his eyes. His shoulders are shaking, and his hands are trembling at his sides. There’s something in one of Tommy’s palms, but Wil doesn’t pay attention to it, because-
“Tommy.” Wilbur whispers, terror digging its way into his chest. “Tommy-”
“You’re not okay, Wil.” Tommy confesses, his voice cracking with it.
His eyes are watery with Wilbur’s, and he curls in on himself, head hanging low.
“I thought- I thought it was going to get better with Techno here! I thought he would do something, but you just got worse and worse and I was hoping for Techno to stop it-”
“Toms.”
“But you still went to the button.” Tommy chokes out. “And now you’re here.” He lifts the thing in his hand, and Wilbur still doesn’t pay attention to it, doesn’t even glance at it, because all that matters is Tommy, Tommy’s eyes, Tommy’s words.
“You-” Wilbur falters. “You betrayed me.” He says, words broken.
“Wilbur.” Tommy says, and finally, finally, Wilbur glances down at Tommy’s hand.
He’s holding a communicator.
He’s holding a communicator. There is someone on the other end, and Wilbur knows exactly who it is.
“I’m sorry.” Tommy says, but he doesn’t seem to quite mean it.
He hits send.
A second passes, just a split second, and Wilbur feels the moment Techno sees the message. He bends over with his head within his hands, and he feels the rush of panic, of desperation and fear, hope and joy all swirled into one. It’s so much, too much, and when Wilbur looks back up, he’s on his knees, Tommy holding him by the shoulder.
“-Wil! Wilbur!” Tommy calls. “Hey, it’s okay, it’s okay, man-”
“You.” Wilbur seethes out, anger bubbling up to the surface all too quick. “You-?”
Tommy takes a step back.
Wilbur stands up to his feet with a stumble, a scream at the tip of his tongue.
And then, all at once, it’s gone.
Tommy looks at him with something nearly like fear, but it is mixed with a strong sort of devotion. A simmering determination that reminds Wilbur so much of Techno. He wonders where they both get that brutal sort of stubbornness. He wonders if it’s all from Phil, or maybe they all get it from each other.
He knows that if he dared to fight right now, Tommy would swing. He would swing and kick and fight with all his might, all to keep Wilbur here long enough for Techno to get close. Technoblade is on his way, no doubt on a warpath to this ravine. Wilbur has the choice to stay, or to go.
He wants to stay. He wants to cry, wants to pull Tommy into a hug and let them both sit on the stone floor together until their brother comes to get them. He wants to beg for forgiveness, wants to tell them that he can be better, he’ll do better by all of them.
Something in him won’t let him. Maybe it’s the fear. The terror of consquences, the idea that they’ll be furious with him, enough to the point where they’ll throw him away. Maybe it’s the pride, the stubbornness inside him refusing to lose, refusing to accept defeat even if he is drowning in it. Maybe it’s all just a pleasant mix of denial. Denial that he’s not okay, denial that he needs to let them in.
Wilbur turns away and runs.
Tommy grabs him by the back of the shirt and pulls.
“Wilbur!” Tommy screams, Wilbur struggling to not fall back with how sudden Tommy’s yanking with all his strength. Wil pushes on, and lets Tommy take the coat. He slips his arms out from the sleeves and moves forward, and all Tommy is left with is fabric in his hands.
Wilbur steps forward and turns around, wanting one more look before making a break for it to the nether portal. He’s left stuck in place as something nearly cracks in his mind.
‘Wilbur.’
And there is someone at the top of the stairs.
“Oh fuck.” Wilbur chokes out, stepping back. Tommy turns around, and Wilbur runs for dear life. “Oh fuck, oh FUCK-!”
He sprints down the ravine, ignoring the loud steps following after, ignoring Tommy’s voice echoing past the stone, ignoring the quiet caw of a single crow finding its way in. He runs, eyes only set on the portal at the end of the hall. He runs, hand reaching out to the purple glow of the doorway-
‘Stop.’
And there’s an arm wrapping around his middle, yanking him up and away from escape. Wilbur screams, legs kicking in the air for a moment, before practically being dropped down onto the ground with someone holding him against their chest.
‘Stop, stop, it’s me.’
Wilbur can’t stop shaking. He’s trembling as if he’s freezing inside out, and he screams again, struggling and fighting and nearly having it end with a sob.
‘It’s just me, Wil.’
“Techno!” Tommy calls, but Techno shushes him, and Tommy stops where he is.
“Hold on, hold on.”
Wil gives another kick and broken yell, and he gasps for air, trying to push his hands against Techno to make him leave, to make him let go. Technoblade hardly even budges a damn inch. If anything, he holds on tighter, and Wilbur-
‘You’re okay.’
Wilbur wails. Like a child who’s throwing a fit. Like a pathetic fool who can’t hold his emotional state together.
(Like someone who is just so damn tired.)
‘There we go.’ Techno rests his chin onto Wilbur’s curls, and Wilbur sobs, burying his face into his neck. At least there, no one has to see his face. No one has to see him. It’s just Techno. It’s always just him. ‘You’re alright. It’s alright.’
“Tommy, is Dad nearby?” Techno asks, Wilbur tensing up at the mere mention. Techno runs a hand over his back until he relaxes, and even then, he still rubs at the back of his spine.
“Uh.” Tommy looks at his messages. “He’s by l’manburg.”
“Call him over. But tell the others to stay where they are.”
“Mhm.” Tommy types away. “Can I tell them he’s safe?”
“Yeah.” Techno nods, and Wilbur huddles away into Techno’s arms. “He’s safe.”
‘You’re safe.’ Techno tells Wil. ‘You’re loved.’ He adds, as if it has to be said.
Wilbur closes his eyes, face hidden into Techno’s shoulder.
‘I love you too.’ He responds. It is something of exhausted relief.