Chapter Text
The snow crunched beneath their boots, going up to under their ankles. Ahead was a small hill, and beyond that was a pillager outpost. Surely they were going to get Tommy with this one. The boy had no armour on him except for his construction outfit, the pillagers would knock him down in seconds. People would think Tommy just wandered to the wrong place at the wrong time and no one would be the wiser. No would could ever think Jack and Niki had any involvement in the child’s death.
“Where did you say we were going again? I don’t think you ever mentioned it. Honestly you two are shit tour guides, you won't even say what we’re touring! If I was a tour guide I would-” Tommy stopped. He had looked over to his left.
“Why are you stopping? We’re nearly there, come on!” Jack grabbed Tommy’s arm, trying to yank the child out of whatever trance he was in. Niki turned to where the boy was looking and her face dropped. “Logstedshire… I didn’t know we were this close.” Jack let go. “Neither did I..” he whispered to no one in particular. “Tommy, if this hurts we can leave. We have a small camp over that hill.” Niki smiled, putting up fake sympathy for the boy.
“Yeah, Niki’s right we can move.” Jack agreed, realising her idea.
“We don’t know what happened here so we can’t really help you Tommy, let’s just get mov-” Tommy looked back at Niki and Jack, sighing a cold breath. “What happened here was bad. More than that. In exile, everyone thought it was just a lonely vacation where their annoying old Tommy was happy and relaxed. I.. It wasn’t. Everyday I spent here with Dream was pure agony. He stripped me down to bare essentials every time I got something. I was alone with nothing, with no one. Everything that meant anything to me was gone. No one even tried to visit me..” Tommy paused for a moment, hands shaking as he curled them into fists.
Under Jack Manifold’s anaglyph glasses was eyes filled with pure rage. The same kind of rage he felt when he attempted to visit Tommy in exile, tried to talk to his friend, but was met with ignorance and childishness. Met with lava and magma burning through his armour, into his skin and into every orifice. His lungs had filled up with burning liquid as he screamed for help, but only meeting the laughs and rage from the same boy who was now telling him his sad exile story. The same boy who killed him countless times, caused his death or made him lose everything just as he had in exile. Why was Tommy given this special treatment of affection and support, while all he got was more and more ridicule and suffering?
Jack hadn’t even realised that Tommy had finished talking about his exile, or that a single tear had protruded from his own cold deathly eyes. “I- We never knew Tommy.. I’m sorry Sorry you had to go through that. But Dream is locked up now, we have nothing to fear anymore.” Niki side eyed Jack, emotions unclear. Jack smiled softly as well. “We are here for you Tommy, never forget that. Here till the end.”
“How about you head back, me and Jack can continue without you. Take care of yourself.” Niki smirked wholeheartedly at the boy, watching him wave goodbye and start ranting to someone about his hotel and Spiderman.
Just as he was out of earshot, Jack turned to Niki and had the most confused look on his face. “What was that about? We had him! And you just.. Let him go?! Niki, is something wrong?” The last sentence said with genuine concern. The woman shook her head at him. “You heard what he said! What happened at Logstedshire! We’ve all been tormenting and plagued by Dream, but Tommy has been actually abused by him! No wonder he founded an alliance with Techno!” Jack looked pissed. “The whole reason we came out here was to kill him! End his life like how he ruined ours! No wonder no one in the SMP trusts you anymore.” He had screamed almost every word, it was a surprise Tommy didn't hear them from kilometres away.
“Come again. Jack. What was that last thing you said?” The fury in either of the two’s eyes matched despite having around 5 inches in height difference. “I said. No wonder no one in the SMP trusts you anymore.” his mouth almost perked up into an insulting smirk. “Jack, say one more thing and trust me, soon it's going to be you dying on this trip.” Niki snarled.
“No, you know what, we need to stop fighting. Whether you help or not Tommy is going to die. No matter what you say, nothing will change.” Jack seemed to calm down.
The two walked back together in silence, barely recognizing either of them even existed. They waved goodbye to each other as they went their separate ways for the night. Jack hopped over the developing tunnel which many would describe as the worst bridge ever if you were not rich enough for soul speed. As he made his way into his house, he felt an unease in the air. Outside his windows brought frustrating and bad memories to mind. The failed nuke attempts on Tommy, the countless times he had to go into the vault to get new armour after he died for the seventh time that month or when he got pitied yet hateful glares from his friends bunked up in Tubbo’s house. Why can't his life just be simple? Why does it always have to link back to Tommy?
He was nauseous from all the bad memories. He needed somewhere familiar. Everywhere had a bad feeling attached though. So that’s why he made his way to Manifoldland. His first home. His first real land. L’manburg was just a cause, a place he never truly felt welcomed. It didn’t matter now. It was just the ‘Lmanhole’ now as everyone called it. He peered down into the depths of the hole, remembering the fight with Technoblade, his items destroyed by a wither and the Earth opening up to drag him away from the land of the living. He knew coming here wasn’t a good idea, but it was the best one he had. He swung open the doors of his old house, shoes remembering the feeling of the pressure plate and stripped wood that made him feel more alive than anything else in the whole server.
He dusted down chests and furnaces, reaching in to find some cooked steak he never collected. Everything was still, quiet and cold. Nothing changed since he last came to his house. He turned around, gliding up the stairs and feeling the holes in the banister with his fingertips. He saw his bed and whatever junk he decided to throw with it first, walking past it and seeing the hill, trees and river through his window. Red and blue flowers dead in his window box with weeds and ferns growing in their place.
He slid off the window edge and stood on his balcony, a view of destruction, chaos, and anarchy. The way Lmanburg had always been. He fell against the wall, sliding down, fatigued from all the walking and memories he endured today. Maybe some sleep would do him good.
Niki had originally planned to go to her base in the flower biome, but had found Tommy walking along the prime path, joyous and collecting materials for his ‘Big Innit Hotel’. She was mused by the thought of a hotel run by Tommy on the SMP. “Hey Niki! Nihachu! How are you my woman friend? Sorry for leaving earlier by the way, if it was important y’know.”
Niki just smiled at him, pushing away any concern or need for apology from the boy. “It’s getting late now, I’m really far from my base, would I be able to stay at yours for the night?” This was the first lie in a long time that wasn’t filled with murderous intent. She cared for him, she should have cared for him a long time before this as well. For Will.
“I don’t see why not. Let me just drop these off at Sam Nook’s first. You can come see him if you want! Dunno if he likes you though. You know how those Nooks are haha!” Tommy hopped along the prime path up to the construction site where Sam stood there absentmindedly. She admired how he cared for Tommy. “OH SAM NOOK! I’ve got literally everything for the Hotel! Surely you can start building it now?” Niki watched from behind the fences, knowing stepping inside there was a death sentence. “YES. I WILL GET TO BUILDING THE HOTEL VERY SOON. I ONLY NEED ONE MORE THING. MONEY.”
“Money! Don’t I pay you enough hah? No I don’t pay you do I.. well, I’ll get you those diamonds tomorrow eh? Big Sam Nook!” Tommy waved by to Sam Nook and began to walk away with Niki. Sam whispered to her “Niki, before you go. We need to talk.”
She let Tommy know she was just going to talk to Sam and that he should get a head start in preparing her a bed. “What is it? I swear I’m just trying to help Tommy.” Niki began. “I know. Make sure he’s safe tonight. I know he has some enemies these days, keep him safe for me Niki.” She nodded as they walked their separate ways. Niki to Tommy’s house and Sam to the prison. “What did he want to talk to you about?” Tommy asked as she walked in.
“Just about helping with the Hotel, make things a bit easier for him.” she lied. Niki sat down on the white bed Tommy had laid out for her near the door and relaxed, thinking about her own future. “Aw damn, does that mean I have to pay you as well? I'd rather be stuck in that big prison with Dream.. No actually i wouldn't, I changed my mind let me get you some emeralds.” as Tommy rambled on about money and Dream being a ‘stupid green boy’ Niki sighed “No, it’s alright you don’t have to. Pay me that is. I’m just happy to help you.” Tommy turned back to Niki and grinned. “Wow. Um thanks Niki. You know you don’t have to right? It’s no worry if that’s what you’re thinking. I am the rich big man after all!” she shook her head again, feeling contempt just with Tommy’s company, as she knew he did as well.
“Sleepover’s do have to have sleep you know, Tommy.” he agreed, laying his head and immediately knocking himself out, snoring his head off. Niki did not fall asleep immediately, she was checking for any danger first. It was a habit she picked up from her times in Lmanburg. Tommy deserved the young adulthood she never got. The one Jack never got. “Will would be proud of you Tommy.” she spotted a small blue sheep off in the distance. “Of us Tommy. Of everyone.”