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Tommy has always been a pawn to other people’s wills. His birth was a mistake, a half human half monster abnormality. In the nether, he’d never been accepted as one of them. He was always the outsider.
In the overworld, humans look at him with the same distrust and disdain. Tommy lives in a twilight between two extremes which will never find peace- and yet Phil’s bright golden grace never clashed with the silvery moonlight of Techno and Wilbur’s natures. They were unlikely group to have found each other, but they did. And Tommy was no longer the foul hybrid prince of the nether fortress- he was just Tommy.
He likes causing problems, he likes being loud and causing a ruckus. He likes acting dumb and clumsy- because he was never allowed any of that.
It was never his intention to let people get hurt for him, though.
Tommy has been too sick for too long. Wilbur had ran off to the sea, Techno communed with a dangerous blood god, and Phil-
Phil has wings now.
And there is a masked man on their beach.
Phil had told Tommy to stay inside the house when the man was first spotted, but fuck that. He doesn’t listen to rules. He sneaks out the back door and hides behind a tree, listening in on the conversation.
“Hello, Phil.”
“... It hasn’t even been a week yet, isn’t it a bit hasty to call in your favor?”
“I’m not one to beat around the bush. You’re not the one in control here.”
Tommy doesn’t like this bitch already, since he’s rude to his dad.
“I know your name, newly winged one. Honestly, it’s quite useless to me. There’s nothing I want from you or that you can do for me right now, but-” The masked man doesn’t move, but Tommy gets the uneasy feeling he’s being watched, “your son. He’s a hybrid.”
Phil tenses at that, his feather flaring, “My son is not a thing to be bartered.”
The man tsks, “You may not understand this as someone who was born human, but hybrids are rare. They die most of the time. You had to turn to me for help when you couldn’t take care of him, even. But if they’re taught right, they can become even more powerful than full blooded monsters.”
Tommy has always been viewed upon as a pawn, a puppet, a tool to be used. He’s finally happy, with friends and a family that are invaluable to him.
He’s not going to lose it all now to this masked bitch.
Tommy jumps from behind the tree, clawed hand outstretched to attack. The masked man doesn’t move, doesn’t even flinch. He’s gonna hit-
“Tommy, stop.”
It’s dumb, he’s not going to just listen, except-
Except his body freezes up. He wills his muscles to move, squirms in place but it’s like he’s under some spell.
Phil is yelling. Wilbur, too. But Tommy can only stare in horror at his unmoving hand, at the man who stopped him with a single word. Was he a siren like Wilbur? Or something else?
“Your father very foolishly have me your name as well. Sure, it would’ve been harmless information in anyone else's hands, but not mine.”
“You, intruder, have come to disrupt our peace on this day- begone and leave us alone you fae.” Wilbur sings out, but the fae doesn’t move.
Fuck, he’s only heard stories about the overworld’s faeries. They’re tricky people, and if they have your name they can control you.
"You're coming with me, Tommy, there's no disputing me on this. I'll make a much better teacher than whatever these folks could teach you, anyway."
Tommy scowls at the fae, but he cannot move his mouth to speak.
————————————
“Ranboo, we have to help them!” Tubbo pleads.
Tubbo’s always been okay being a bystander, a pawn letting other people suffer so he could continue to survive. But Tommy and his family were good people, they were good to him. A group of humans, monsters, a someone in between the two worlds, who all got along.
He can’t let this family fall to ruin.
Ranboo shakes his head, “We can’t do anything. We’re just two weak monsters who have given up their names. If we interfere he’ll just tell us to freeze, too.”
“I- then at least find Techno, please. You’re faster than me, follow my bees and tell him he needs to get here quick.”
“No, you’re going to go do something reckless if I leave.” Ranboo grabs the boy’s shoulders, frantic.
“You better hurry, then, before I get myself into deep shit.”
Ranboo frowns, glancing to the forest to Tubbo again.
“I can’t believe you’re getting me to do this.”
“One day you’ll develop a backbone, Boo, but todays not the day.” Tubbo cackles.
Ranboo disappears in a shower of purple particles, and Tubbo walks away from the trees the beach front.
Tubbo has always been a pawn to people braver to him, but he’s not going to let this cycle continue. Even if Tommy might never forgive him.