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Tommy just stands there, sword lax at his side. There’s nothing to fight for, Dream is dead. There’s nothing to live for either. He’s surrounded on all sides with weapons drawn on him as he mourns. These people vaguely seem familiar, but he can’t make them out through the fog. He’s not sad. Dream was all he had and now he had nothing. So, no, he’s not sad. He’s emptied out. Resigned to the fact that he has nowhere to go, nothing to do, no reason. No one.
He hadn’t even been able to join the fight. Having received Dream’s first death message on his communicator while heading to the man’s underground base through the tunnels, he ran. Finding the base empty, he bolted up the stairs he’d never been allowed up before, having no clue where it led. That’s when he got Dream’s second death message.
Out of the stairwell he followed the unfamiliar sound of people to a room, not taking in any of his surroundings in his desperate sprint. Much too late as he enters, sword drawn, to Dream’s corpse a heap on the ground.
He comes back to his senses when a sword point is put to his neck, finding he had walked closer to the body and deeper into the enemy army in his shock. Tommy takes a step back to get it off his neck, but the sword wielder just follows. They speak up, “Drop the weapon.”
He does what he’s told easily, a clang erupting from the floor. Tommy finally gives his attention to an alive person in the room.
“Who are you?” the man asks. He has pink hair and pink skin, pink hairy skin. Techno? Techno holds a blade to his neck, stalking closer so he’s no longer holding it at arm's length. The same old red cloak billows as it hangs from his shoulders and the same gold crown sits on his head. It’s been years since Tommy had seen the man he fought side by side with, hiding from the government in that dank wet ravine while the pig man told them stories over the fire. They had grown close until rage filled words and deadly beasts were set on Tommy. His look scrutinizes Tommy. Oh, was he asking him something?
Tommy tilted his head to the side in a question.
“Not answering?” he asks? Again? And as the silence draws, Techno rolls his eyes. “I don’t know, something about not answering such a question rubs me the wrong way.”
In the past he would’ve thought this unfair, but Dream taught him better.
Tommy can feel the presence of someone come up behind him, before the leather straps holding on his chest plate are severed and it falls to the ground. Tommy starts removing the armor still on his arms and dropping that to, as he’s quite used to this. It’s a little comforting that despite Dream’s death, nothing has changed yet.
Tommy looks up to find Techno’s incredulous face. He has no idea why the man is confused, but the blade is moved down from his neck so he must not have messed up yet. He notices another pink-haired person, Niki, collect his items. Now he just has his netherite pants and boots, but he can’t exactly bend over into this sword pointed at him, so he just kicks off the boots hoping this suffices. He stands barefoot in his netherite pants, pointed red hood and blank white porcelain mask.
The man huffs a dead laugh, “You’re very cooperative.” Was this also a question?
Tommy gives a curt nod in agreement just in case it is.
“You’re cooperative, but you won’t tell us your name?” Tommy hears someone call behind him. Another american accent, a less familiar one and another question. He’s starting to get confused on if they actually want these answered. “Whatever, of course anyone associated with Dream is a fucking weirdo. Don’t even think we’re gonna let are guard down,” he spits. Is it Sapnap?
Tommy nods again to be polite and acknowledge he listened.
Finally taking in the room it’s one of a castle, stone brick walls with decor lining it and spruce flooring. The high ceilings are lit up by hanging lanterns. A large, canopied bed sits against a wall and at the end of it is where the body still lay. He quickly ignores it.
Tommy realizes it’s only these three that remain and at some point in his haze people had left the room.
The pig man moves his weapon to his side and at no longer being under direct threat Tommy’s hands start to shake. Techno clears his throat, “Not to be rude, but we’re supposed to be celebrating the death of a tyrant and you’re just throwing off the whole vibe.”
Niki laughs, something of a relieved sound in her tone, “We did it. We really did, finally.” A small sigh escapes her.
Tommy watches her. It’s been so long since he’s seen Niki, longer still since he’s seen her happy. He stares, his look under the mask softening. She seems to feel the eyes on her and shoots him a glare. He shuffles in place under her gaze and switches to looking at the floor.
Heavy armor boots pad around the corner as someone else enters from the door behind him. “So, what’s up with this guy?” he queries curiously as he walks through the group.
“We’re unsure,” Niki answers him hesitantly. “He hasn’t spoken.”
Tommy stiffens, feeling… something, all confusing emotions he can't make sense of. Tubbo. Tubbo walks around to face him and rectangular pupils look up at him through shaggy locks, but not as much as they used to, he’s grown, filled out. His right side is still discolored with burns, but the raw pink of the fresh burn he left him with has healed over the time to a stiff rough texture and a white lighter than the rest of him. Tommy knows one thing he feels, he's afraid.
He wears the classic green button up under his armor, opposed to the presidential suit Tommy last saw him in. Tubbo had sent him away and he deserved it. He would definitely not want him here, but… please don’t make him leave again.
He's a fool to think he wouldn't. Still, where would he go?
“What’s with him? Who is he?” he asks the room, eyeing Tommy and leaning into his space. Tommy doesn’t react just as he’s trained, pushing down the heavy emotion in his chest. He doesn't think about how this is the first time he's seeing his- um, old war buddy since on that obsidian wall when his fate was decided. When the young president sent him off to never be seen again. He doesn't want to feel it, not used to feeling anything.
Techno moves to stand next to the brunette. “We don’t know, he won’t tell us, but he’s… strangely compliant.”
“Hey,” Tubbo gets his attention not knowing it’s been solely on him since he entered the room. He swipes his bangs out of his eyes and purses his lips. “What’s your deal? Who are you?”
Now Tommy can’t mistake that that’s a question directed at him that they want answered, but it’s not an order. Why do these people keep asking him questions without permission to speak? If it’s a test it’s not like he can fail it. Unless he took off his mask, but he’ll still wait for the order.
Bored of this Niki moves for the door. “We’re not getting anywhere. When they’re all done searching the castle let’s just take him with,” she suggests and Tubbo nods in agreement.
Take him with- they’re keeping him? Ah, Dream had said he was a great asset when he’s quiet and does as he’s told. Maybe they had seen that. Maybe Dream had fixed him enough for Tubbo. He can just hope as he’s ushered out that once they see his face, he won’t be cast out again.
Correct before, Sapnap was the other in the room and he leads Tommy out following behind Niki. Tubbo flanking his right and Techno behind, they box him in. His old claustrophobia flares up a little along with the anxiety of being around this many people for the first time in forever. It’s so stupid, he isn’t supposed to be feeling these things. He’s supposed to be better than this. He can’t just fall back to how he was before now that Dream's gone.
So he shuts it down, thinking always got him in trouble and he just needs to do as he’s told.
The castle… walking through the memorable halls it starts to piece back together, especially when they get to the entrance. He didn’t need to see the array of lights that shoot up into the clouds to see that this was Eret’s castle. Tommy tries to ignore the view of the outside, but insight was the throne room of Eret’s golden throne, the dining hall to the right and garden in the center of the castle. Why had Dream’s base been under here?
They all stand in the front doorway, Sapnap leaning against one side and Techno on the other, waiting for whoever’s inside and Tubbo gets bored of waiting quickly. “Techno, you said he was strange?” he questions, again eyeing him up.
Techno looks up from where he had been fidgeting with his sword. “Hm, yeah, never fought, just gave up his armor like it was nothing and like Niki said hasn’t spoken a word.”
“I mean we’re an army, one who beat Dream no less. Who would mess with us?” Tubbo boasts, shooting a wry grin at the pig man.
Sapnap clears his throat and speaks coldly, “Well, ready the cell next to Punz, cause anyone with Dream deserves to be locked up.”
Tubbo argues, “But he hasn’t done anything wrong?”
“That we know of,” he spits back.
Tubbo seems to think on it, before turning and addressing Tommy directly, “Can you take the mask off?”
The change of topic takes Tommy off guard, pausing before nodding.
“Take it off then.” Tubbo orders and Tommy can no longer avoid the elephant in the room with that direct command.
Reaching up to do as told, the boy in front of him perks up, surprised he’s actually doing it. He grabs the sides of his pointed hood and pulls it back revealing bushy blonde hair. At seeing it, Tubbo’s face twists up in pained confusion. Behind his head his hands undo the buckle of the mask. He catches it before it falls and pulls it away from his face.
Underneath is the face of Tommy just more scar ridden and thinner cheeks then they remember. The once bright and determined smile now sits in a thin cold line, a small scar pulling up on one side. His once bright blue eyes dulled, ever too numb and tame for what had been that wild kid. Skin pale and darkened eye bags have been long worn in.
Stunned, Tubbo pulls his hand up to cover his mouth before reaching out tentatively. To see why he reacted like that Sapnap moves to look and his hard exterior crumbles.
The previously stern man speaks small and pained, “Tommy?”
Tommy looks at him and nods a confirmation, blank, giving no insight to any emotion. He usually holds back at risk of his feelings being used against him, now though he feels it’s because he’s thoroughly overwhelmed. How’s he to pick one emotion to show? But if he had to pick one, it’s fear. It’s usually fear so he hides it, but the effort only slightly stills his shaking hands. Curling his hands into fists, he hides trembling fingers.
Tubbo’s hand remains hovering, debating. Tommy waits expecting a harsh touch, to be pulled down by the collar, a painful grab of his shoulder or even a hit. The longer it draws on and nothing happens the farther Tommy becomes from the world. Unfocused, he stiffens at the sudden movement that finally happens.
When the pain doesn’t come Tommy comes back to his body. Looking down to the touch he finds that Tubbo had grabbed his hand. The hold is gentle, familiar and very much unexpected as the brunette pulls it forward with a squeeze.
“You’re real,” he states as his eyes scan Tommy's face with an intense gaze. Tommy looks down and away at the eye contact and Tubbo adds, “You’re not dead.”
Tommy doesn’t understand, the tone or the statement, but it sounds like shocked realization. Is that what he thought, that Tommy was dead or is that what he had hoped, because the anger underneath didn’t slip past Tommy’s practiced ears. And with practiced motion Tommy ducks his head to appear smaller, hidden anger always ends worse.
“Okay?” Techno speaks up, but Tommy doesn’t dare look up from the floor. “The guy who doesn’t talk is Tommy, the guy who doesn’t stop talking. Yeah, makes sense.”
Sapnap’s volume picks up with a half hearted raspy yell, “Why didn’t you tell us? Why didn’t you say anything?”
“Cause he’s with Dream,” Niki finally speaks from where she stands off to the side.
Tommy stays resolutely staring at the ground. It doesn't matter that it's not his fault, so he tries not to think about it.
“Why didn’t you come back?” Tubbo asks and Tommy looks up at that. He speaks softly, “I was going to bring you back.”
Oh. He couldn’t, he had orders. He’d tell Tubbo that if he just ordered him to. Please, just give him permission to speak and he’d answer it, he would, but now Tommy’s putting it together. They expect him to be the old him that speaks brash and without thinking, not knowing he’s better now- that he has no choice.
They’ll see, he’ll show them. Tubbo had wanted to bring him back- something Tommy can’t comprehend, but he’ll see he came back fixed. So, if they really do want him, he’ll do everything right and be a great asset. He can be useful to them now.