Chapter Text
Tommy felt something break when he hit the ground. Backed up on Erets tower, there was nowhere to run. The sun hit directly in his eyes, and a cold autumn breeze swayed through his sweat filled hair. He watched as loyal L’manburgians, who risked their lives for Pogtopia, fell to their knees in surrender. His friends, Tubbo, Quackity, they were pinned on the ground. Bodies upon bodies laid below, some Manburg, but mostly Pogtopia. A man in a white mask and the man Tommy once looked up to loomed above him. Schlatt grabbed a cigarette from his pocket and lit it.
“I told you it was easy.” Tommy couldn’t tell if Schlatt was talking to him or Dream. Either way he was right. They had walked into a death trap. Just an hour before they were joking around on the bridge he made. Now they were all here, suffering the pain of defeat.
Tommy then realized who wasn’t here. Wilbur. He had said many times that he would blow up Manburg if they didn’t win. And as much as he hated the country, Tommy still loved the place it used to be. Also there were about 1,200 people living there and they didn’t deserve the fate of war. Tommy had to stop him. He couldn’t let his brother make this mistake.
“Please!” Tommy pleaded, “we need to stop Wilbur! He’s gonna kill everyone! He’s planted tnt under Manburg. You need to find him or-” he was suddenly cut off by the grunts of his brother. He quickly turned his head to see Wilbur, beaten up, being dragged into view by his biceps by two Manburg soldiers. The soldiers stopped and held Wilbur up just enough to see his face. His eyes met Tommys with a look Tommy had only seen once before, in the obsidian bunker he had made in the first war. A face filled with anger, embarrassment, and shame.
Tommy thought how funny it was that he was only 16 and had already been in two wars. He’d be laughing right now if his face wasn’t filled with tears. Tommy snapped out of his trance when he noticed Dream's confident stance had faded, staring at Wilbur.
“You remember our deal?” Dream questioned the ram.
“I do, but things have changed. I see this win as a new opportunity for Manburg. A new, NEW era if you will. So no, sorry Dreamie but I ain’t done yet.”
“Are you sure you want to do this Schlatt?” Dream said gripping his axe.
“Oh, I’m sure.” That's when Schlatt grabbed the bottom of Dreams' mask and ripped it off his face. He must have known that after the battle his mask’s hinges would be loose. Dream collapsed to the floor, holding his face in panic. Tommy had never seen Dream like this. It was truly a doomsday.
“Techno!” Dream shouted, “Now!” but nothing happened. “Technoblade!” still nothing. “Come on, do it!” this time a swooshing sound from above. The only thing Tommy’s eyes caught were two silhouettes and wings. Dream was about to shout again but was interrupted by Schlatt kicking his stomach, shutting him up.
Schlatt looks down on the hill at the country he won. “Manburg will continue to thrive and grow under my rule. And your little escapade will soon be forgotten. Actually, today has given me even more ideas for this great country. So maybe I should be grateful that my nation was almost blown to bits. Now, about you two. Let's start with you, loverboy.” Schlatt squatted down to get to Wilburs level.
Wilbur grinned like he had been anticipating this moment. “What are you gonna do huh? Kill me? Like you did Tubbo? Go ahead, do your worst.”
But Schlatt just looked at him in fake pity. “No. I’m a changed man, Wilbur Soot. and I believe that soon, you will be too.” he turns to the soldiers holding Wilbur. “Take him to the psych ward, have him evaluated. Make sure he gets a room with a view.”
Wilburs expression changes from cunning to terrified in an instant. “Wait, no. no, no, please. Just kill me. Don’t do this please. Just kill me, please!” Wilbur screams as he’s dragged out of Tommys view. Tommy almost feels guilty, but he knew that Wilbur would try to push Schlatt even though they’d already lost. No one in Tommy's family really knew how to keep their mouths shut.
“Fuckin psycho.” is all Schlatt had to say about that.
“What about the rebels?” asked one of the soldiers, pinning the others down.
“Send Tubbo and Quackity to my office. I need to have a chat with them both.” Quackity and Tubbo looked at each other terrified. “And the rest, kill them. But not here. Go to Pogland or whatever it's called and kill them there. That’ll send whoever is left there a message.”
Tommy screamed and squirmed as the people he cares about are being thrown in the den of the lion, and as rebels are sent to their death. He can’t bear to look at their faces. Knowing that he failed them. He tried to get up, but every time he moved, it felt like he was dying. Maybe he was.
“And what about them, sir?” said another soldier pointing to Tommy and Dream.
Schlatt looked at Tommy with a straight face. “Feed them to the dogs.”
Tommy didn’t know what that meant. And he didn’t want to find out. It's like he forgot about the pain, cause he quickly got up and ran down the hill. He ignored his surroundings and subconsciously ran to the camarvan. As he ran through Manburg, memories of the past flew through his mind. Almost as if his life was flashing before his eyes. But as his hand touched the camarvan door, all of his adrenaline seemed to disappear and the pain came back, even worse than before. He tried to push the door open but it only sent him backwards, falling down the steps. The last thing Tommy saw was the Manburg flag flying above before his world went black.