Chapter Text
“THE DISCS WERE WORTH MORE THAN YOU EVER WERE!”
Gasps ring out from the crowd.
And oh was there a crowd. Tommy was just so angry that Tubbo wouldn’t believe him. He’d forgotten about everyone else. He looked up, and saw them all standing on the mostly decimated walls of the community house. Watching him. Like he was a ticking time bomb about to explode.
Tubbo stammered for a few seconds, taken aback by what Tommy said to him. “You… You meant…” Tubbo’s quick to pull off his armor, his literal and figurative defenses dropping almost immediately. All the adrenaline running through Tommy grinds to a halt, reading the pain in Tubbo’s eyes behind his otherwise shocked expression.
The world paused around them. No one moved, not wanting to shatter the scene unraveling in front of them all. Like it was a spectacle that needed to be taken in from every angle. Tommy and Tubbo, once the closest of friends now broken apart by politics and stupid decisions and shoes too big for children to fill. Tommy would shatter it for them.
“Give him the disc, Tubbo.” Tommy mutters, patting him on the shoulder while walking past.
Every part of his brain screamed as he stepped past Tubbo, towards the ender chest.
Dream hopped down from his place atop the community center’s remains, which creaked and resettled into the loss of weight. “Give me the disc,” he said as he landed right behind the president. “He realizes he needs to pay.”
The disc materializes in Tubbo’s hand, and Tommy’s heart aches as the realization of what he’s done hits him more fully. All this time spent trying to keep them from Dream’s hands will amount to nothing now, as Tubbo turns to look up at Dream. Tommy almost wants to look away as Tubbo turns back to him. This is it. Maybe Tommy can head back home with Techno and pretend none of this happened, and L’manberg can live in peace with him far away from them and unable to cause-
“Hey Tommy,” Tubbo calls, snapping Tommy from his thoughts, “catch.”
Tubbo frisbees the disc in Tommy’s direction, who catches it with ease and scrambles to place it in the ender chest. A wave of relief washes over him as he realizes Tubbo doesn’t hate him. Why would he? They’re Tommy and Tubbo, best of friends no matter what.
“Tommy.” Dream said. Tommy knew that tone well, nearly flinching as he forced himself to make eye contact with Dream. He stood tall on top of his dirt block, standing now right behind Tubbo who had to move to make sure Tommy could catch the disc and no one else. There’s no way he’d try anything with just about the whole server here, would he? “Give me the disc.”
Tommy just shook his head, his grip on the top of the ender chest tightening. There’s no way he’d give it up now. It’s his. He won.
“Give me the disc or-“ Dream hesitates, and even with the mask Tommy can see the gears turning. He wouldn’t- couldn’t do anything. Tommy felt untouchable. What did Dream possibly have against him?
“I’ll kill Tubbo.”
And oh, Tommy wasn’t untouchable in the slightest. He wanted so badly to believe that this was just an empty threat, because taking Tubbo’s, the president’s final life wouldn’t end well for him at all. Especially not with so many people around.
But at the same time.. If he actually did? Maybe someone would step in. Maybe Techno would help. His mind started running through what-ifs, trying to reason that Dream wouldn’t.
He slowly walked back towards the ender chest.
Techno wouldn’t protect him. Everyone’s too far. They couldn’t protect him. Tubbo would die if Tommy didn’t-
“No!” Tubbo shouted, startling Tommy. Tommy gave him a panicked ‘what are you doing’ look. Which Tubbo ignored in favor of spinning on his heels to face Dream.
“I’m calling your bluff,” He speaks, loud and proud. Tubbo always had a way of making Tommy believe him. Believe that Tubbo has a plan and everything will work out fine. Yeah, Dream is just bluffing. Tubbo knows what he’s doing!
“Do it. Kill me.” Wait.
A scene so familiar, yet so distant in Tommy’s mind. A death he only really witnessed in passing conversation, too wrapped up in other things that he hadn’t realized it was happening till it was too late. Were all of L’manbergs presidents destined to die?
“Kill me Dream,” Tubbo pushed, getting closer and closer to Dream, “we’re all waiting.”
Tubbo had no armor, having peeled it off. He stood only a few steps away from Dream, who was pushed up against one of the walls of water, dangerously close to falling. How Tommy would love for him to fall back and into the water.
It was quiet for a few moments. Tommy should’ve said something. He wanted to say something. Any other time and he would confidently give up a million discs if it meant Tubbo’s safety. But now, he was uncertain. Tubbo was going to die and he couldn’t do anything.
Dream simply shrugged, an axe quickly materializing in his hand. “Fine. Have it your way.”
Tubbo didn’t bother moving as the axe raised, embedding itself in his chest only twice. His body didn’t even manage to hit the floor before it dissipated into nothing, leaving behind a small stack of items. Everything around him devolved into chaos, the once quiet bystanders now jumping into action. Tommy wasn’t even going to run until he felt a tug, pulling him away as Dream’s masked face turned towards him.
That was the last thing he remembered clearly before waking up in the upstairs bedroom of Techno’s house.