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Tubbo was nothing if not a faithful employee.
That was Quackity's horse dammit, and he was going to get it back. Maybe it would get him a promotion or something, he wasn't quite sure how jobs like these worked.
And, perhaps, Tubbo had grown a little attached to Boner himself, despite it's silly name.
Finding the area the horse had been brought to wasn't too difficult, and Tubbo thanked Prime he had brought his diamond pickaxe, as it appeared they left him in an obsidian box.
While Tubbo was mining the obsidian, he couldn't help but think back to the argument him and Ranboo had earlier that day, about a horse of all things.
Well, truly it wasn't about the horse at all, not really. It was about Wilbur, and second chances.
It had taken everything in him not to scream his frustrations in Ranboo's face when his husband had the audacity to tell him he needed to give people second chances. That's all he had been doing his entire life.
And where had it gotten him? Absolutely nowhere. Wilbur had a silver tongue and Tubbo would not make the same mistake to trust him again. He just needed Ranboo to understand.
When Tubbo broke in, it was pitch black. The only way he could even tell he had broken through was the weird warmth that emanated from the room.
He could hear Boner, though, and that was all he needed. He moved forward, petting the horse.
"Shhhh shhhh, it's okay," he gently tried to lead the horse towards himself, before realizing he definitely didn't want to climb up the stairs backwards. He walked around Boner, now facing the entrance he just dug, before slowly ushering the horse back out.
"I bet it was awful, being all alone here in the dark, I couldn't imagine" he kept his voice low, trying not to startle it.
Walking forward, he kept moving the horse, taking small steps.
The ground made a small click. Tubbo froze.
As if sensing his fear, Boner quickly left the way Tubbo had came, climbing up the staircase.
Tubbo couldn't move. That was obviously the sound of some sort of redstone, probably a pressure plate. But what did it trigger?
Considering he wasn't dead yet, he decided it was probably safe to bend down and try to investigate.
Sliding his hands along the ground, Tubbo was met with a familiar texture. He kept feeling around, but found nothing else. Not being able to place what he had felt, he stood back up, put his hands up to his face, and smelled.
Gunpowder.
Tubbo was standing on live TNT.
Tubbo was standing on a pressure plate above live TNT.
Fear stabbed its way into his heart. Surely not.
His mind started going too fast for him to catch up, trying to come up with ways to escape. It was much harder when he couldn't see a damn thing.
How could this have happened? How could he have been so stupid.
Tubbo tried to stay as still as he possibly could. It didn't even feel like he was breathing.
Sweat dripped from his brow. It was so warm in there. That's what TNT will do, he should have known. Stupid stupid.
Tubbo usually prided himself on his strategic ability, but at that moment, he had no idea what to do.
He eventually lost track of time standing in the dark. It could've been hours. Every so often a drop of sweat would hit the ground and he would flinch, thinking that would be it, the one to set it off.
His legs were tired, but Tubbo didn't dare move. Anything could set it off. Every so often he swore he could feel the walls start to close in, or flash yellow, and sometimes the gunpowder smell would get so overpowering it'd make his eyes water. The darkness played tricks on his senses and Tubbo needed out. Now.
When the lights switched on, Tubbo was momentarily blinded. Blinking, he slowly regained sight and looked around. The entire room was obsidian, with a glass barrier in the middle, sectioning off a sort of observatory area, which currently held Wilbur, Ranboo, and Quackity, all looking about as terrified as he felt.
Tubbo licked his lips, much too dry, before deciding to be the first one to speak.
"I found your horse, Big Q," his voice was much more shakier than he intended for it to be, "I think he's on the surface now."
"Wilbur, what the fuck is this?" Quackity looked absolutely enraged, and Tubbo looked away from him to stare at Ranboo, who looked as if he was the one standing on the pressure plate, face so pale it was no longer two toned.
"Tubbo," Wilbur's call brought his attention back over to the other two, "How did you get in there? Don't move!"
Tubbo almost rolled his eyes. Thanks Wilbur.
"I went to find Quackity's horse," Tubbo called back. "How exactly did you set this up, Wilbur? I don't uh," he looked down nervously at the TNT below his feet, before looking back up, "I don't particularly want to die today." He chuckled, trying to relieve the tension.
Instead of relieving the tension, his words sent what looked like an electric shock through Ranboo's system, and the hybrid sprang into action, quickly climbing back up the ladder, presumably for help.
Tubbo suddenly felt a lot less safe as soon as Ranboo left.
Wilbur reassured him he was going to be saved, but Tubbo had tuned him out. Going to be saved? Sure. He’d been in this situation before, and he knew how it would play out.
Tubbo closed his eyes, ignoring the other two as they continued to argue. He definitely didn't think this would be the way he would go. What a stupid situation.
He hopes it will be able to take him out in one blast, he hopes it won't be too painful.
He hopes Ranboo will still be gone so he doesn't have to watch.
Tubbo's too involved in his thoughts to notice Ranboo enter into his chamber. It isn't until the taller places a hand on his shoulder does Tubbo snap out of it and open his eyes, looking up at his husband. The others are still screaming, because they're still fighting, or because now both of their employees are in there, he doesn't know. All he can see is Ranboo.
"I'm gonna take your place real quick"
Tubbo blinks at his husband, thinking he misheard him at first. When Ranboo continues to just stare at him, Tubbo realizes the hybrid has one foot on the pressure plate, and his heart sinks. He hardens his face.
"No way in hell you are."
Tubbo can see the desperation leak its way onto Ranboo's face, "Tubbo, please, just so we can figure something out, yea?"
Tubbo shakes his head, "No way. We can figure something out with me standing on it. Actually," He points over to where Wilbur and Quackity are, "go back into the other room, it's dangerous in here, Ranboo."
Ranboo looks like he wants to shake him, "Exactly! It's dangerous! Look, you only have one life left. One. I have all three!" He starts getting visually upset, and Tubbo tries to keep his face like stone. "This isn't the time to be stubborn, Tubbo, please. Just let me take your place."
Tubbo continues to stare at Ranboo, making his position clear. He would die and be revived and then die again before letting Ranboo get hurt. And Ranboo knew this, all too well.
Ranboo sighs.
"I'm sorry, Tubbo"
Tubbo is confused for a second, and he opens his mouth to ask why he's apologizing, when Ranboo takes his hands off his shoulders, and Tubbo realizes what's happening too late.
Ranboo pushes Tubbo, with surprising strength, sending him into the arch of the entrance he dug. Before he can even get back up, Ranboo has replaced the obsidian, throwing Tubbo back into terrifying darkness.
Tubbo scrambles back up, almost collapsing after standing still for so long. He quickly gets out his pickaxe, and starts mining as fast as he possibly can.
"Ranboo, you fucking asshole!" Tears are welling up in his eyes and he keeps mining, wishing his goddamn hands weren't so fucking shaky.
"Ranboo!” He screams, his voice going raw.
Why did he have to go after the horse? Why did the room have to be obsidian? Why did it have to be rigged? Why did Ranboo have to be so fucking stupid?
He finally mines one block, and looks in. It’s enough to see Ranboo slowly turn toward him, looking at him with the kind eyes he remembered. Tubbo stares back, his heart slowly being swallowed whole. Everything is going in slow motion, and if only Tubbo could reach in far enough, grab Ranboo, get him away, do anything-
Ranboo jumped.
And Tubbo had never felt more helpless.