Chapter Text
Tommy woke up, head pounding. His ears were ringing, and when he tried to open his eyes, his headache worsened. He was in a small room, the walls, floor and ceiling all fully white. There were bars facing out into a hallway, with a cell on the opposite side. Tommy recognized the room as a cell, the stifling air smelling of disinfectant dizzying him. He closed his eyes again, leaning his head down on the cold white tiles.
“Is he awake?” a voice whispered to the right of him.
“I think so,” another voice said.
“Is who awake?”
“I don’t know who it is,”
“I can hear you,” Tommy spat, furrowing his brows in an attempt to make his headache disappear.
The voices immediately fell silent. Tommy opened his eyes and looked directly into the cell opposite him. A pair of purple eyes met his, and they blinked before the person stepped forward, revealing a short, thin man with huge, colourful wings on his back. The man’s hair was dirty blonde, messy and tangled, and he had what looked like a tattoo of a purple eye between his eyebrows.
“Who the fuck are you?” Tommy asked. The man flinched.
“My name is Grian,” the man said. Tommy had to fight not to react, recognizing the name immediately. Grian, one of the most well known MCC players, with one victory under his belt and three Dodgebolt games. The Dreamslayer.
“Who are you ?” Grian asked.
“Tommy,” Tommy replied, through gritted teeth as his headache stung behind his eyes.
“You’re not from Hermitcraft,” the voice to his right said. Tommy glanced over and saw that the cells were separated by thick white walls, with a small barred gap between all the cells. Between those bars, he saw a brunette woman with blue eyes, looking pale and frightened. He could see a pair of thin bright blue wings, hanging limply from her back. She was wearing a white t-shirt and white shorts, and a quick overview of himself and Grian, Tommy saw they were all wearing the same thing.
“What the fuck is Hermitcraft?” Tommy replied.
The woman’s eyes widened. She glanced behind her.
“Prime, how many people are in this fucking place?” Tommy asked.
“Seven, not including you.” Grian answered.
“And who might these people be?” Tommy asked, a glimmer of hope for Tubbo, or Ranboo, or hell even Techno.
“Me, Pearl, Tango, Ren and Cleo,” Grian said. “And Jimmy and Lizzie.”
The hope was snuffed faster than it appeared. Nobody that Tommy knew, not even in the slightest.
“Where are we?” Tommy asked.
Silence.
“We don’t know,” another voice to his right said. Tommy turned around so he could see who spoke. He was met with a wall, and assumed the voice came from next to Grian. All he could tell was that it was a woman.
“We all just woke up here,” she said. “After dying.”
“I was for once working on the back of my base,” Grian said, exasperated. Someone snorted. “And I fell, and then I woke up here.”
“I was in a dark oak forest,” the woman next to Grian said. “And a creeper snuck up on me, and then I was here.”
Tommy zoned out as all the others explained how they’d ended up here. All of their deaths were so nonchalant, as if they didn't care about their lives. As if they didn't care if they died. Tommy knew exactly what had happened to get him here. He remembered those obsidian walls, the sweltering heat from the lava walls, and him. The dull ache of his fists hitting his face over and over and over lingered, and Wilbur’s face in that train station lingered.
A buzzer sound came from the far left side of the hall, and Tommy slowly sat up. His head pounded with his headache, and he groaned silently. A cold, monotone voice rang out through the hall.
“Name, Tango Tek. Hybrid type, blaze.” it said. Tommy remembered that Sapnap was a blaze hybrid, and wondered how similar to this “Tango” person he was.
Footsteps rang out, and the voice spoke again.
“Name, Ren Dog. Hybrid type: wolf.”
More footsteps, coming closer now. “Name, Lizzie LDShadowLady. Hybrid type, axolotl.”
Footsteps. “Name, Jimmy Solidarity. Hybrid type, cod.”
The listing continued. “Name, Zombie Cleo. Hybrid type, zombie. Very on the nose.”
The woman to Grian’s right hissed.
“Name, PearlescentMoon. Hybrid type, allay.”
A silent coo came from the woman’s cell, and Tommy glanced over to see her curled up in her cell, her wings wrapped around her body.
“Name, Grian.” Tommy could see who was speaking now. Although only seeing the back of their head, there was something eerily familiar about their blonde hair. “Hybrid type, parrot.”
There was a brunet with the first person, both were wearing lab coats. Both of them turned around, and Tommy nearly fainted on the spot. Green eyes met his blue, a small smirk on his face as he glanced down at his clipboard.
“Name,” he said. The person next to him leaned over his shoulder to look at the clipboard. “Tommy Innit. Hybrid type, to be determined.”
The man turned around and walked back down the hall. “My name is Clay.” he said loudly, voice bouncing off the walls, worsening Tommy’s headache and steadily increasing heartbeat. No no no, this couldn't be real. How was he here?
“And I am your boss. You will listen to me, do whatever I say, or there will be consequences. Fail to follow my rules, you will be punished.”
Put the stuff in the hole Tommy. Watch him place the tnt, watch him erase all your progress once again.
“Is that understood, 8?” The man was standing right in front of Tommy’s cell again. His green eyes pierced through Tommy, making him want to cower in the corner of the little room. But he lifted his chin and met his eyes.
“Fuck off.”
The man raised his eyebrows. “Dream told me you’d be difficult,” he said. “But I’ll manage. After all, that’s what you’re here for.”
So Dream did play a part in this. And this man was not Dream.
“Fuck you,” Tommy spat. Clay sighed.
“I suppose we could start with you,” he said, sharing a glance with the brunet man next to him. For some reason the man was covering his face with a mask. “What do you think, G?”
“We could,” the brunet, G, answered. “But wasn't the plan to start with 1?”
“Blazes are boring, aren't they?” Clay asked. “We know so much about them already. We don’t know anything about 8.”
“You’re right,” G said. His calm British accent clashed horribly with his rugged looks. “If you want to start with him, I’m on board.”
“Alright, let’s go then.” Clay said. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a key card, swiped it by Tommy’s cell door, which disappeared into the floor. And Tommy pounced. His hands hit Clay’s chest, sending them both flying into the bars of Grian’s cell. Hands grabbed at Tommy’s shoulders and he was forced into a strong grip, and handcuffed. He hissed and spat at Clay, who quickly got up and straightened his coat.
“Fun, a challenge.” the man grinned widely.
~~
Tommy returned to his cell, still fighting. He would never stop fighting. He ignored his wet hair, the burning sensation on his skin, and the rough hands that shoved him back into his cell. He slammed against the bars as the door shut, hissing at G, who was looking at him with disgust and annoyance.
“You keep behaving like that and you’ll be first tomorrow too,” he said. Tommy hissed.
G turned around and walked down the hall, and Tommy heard him open another further down.
“Hey man, stay away-” a voice said, before the sounds of a struggle.
“Stay away from him!” one of the women yelled.
“Shut up!” G shouted. Tommy pressed himself against the bars of his cell, to see a blond man being dragged out of his cell. His ears looked like gills, and he had scales along his whole face, so Tommy assumed this was Jimmy.
“Jim!” the woman shouted again.
“Lizzie!” the man, Jim, called back before he was dragged out of the hall, the door shutting heavily behind him.
“No!” Lizzie yelled. Tommy heard her slam against her cell bars, desperately trying to get out. “Jimmy!”
“There’s no use.” Tommy said, sinking down onto the ground. He met eyes with the woman in the cell next to him, Pearl, who stared at him in horror. “You can’t hear shit from outside that door.”
“That’s my fucking brother!” Lizzie shouted.
“Yeah, well,” Tommy sighed. “Hope for the best.”
~~
A pattern appeared quickly. Every day, Clay and G would take a round, deciding who to bring out, and every day, Tommy would slam against the bars of his cell, hissing, spitting and shouting at them. This would provoke them, and make them choose him. And every time Tommy would see the horrified looks of his cellmates and be happy he did what he did. He could tell that they wouldn't be able to take it. He’d seen how Jimmy looked when he was brought back, dead eyed and afraid. He’d flinch every time the doors would open, and Tommy had even heard him crying late at night.
He’d listen to Lizzie’s murmured comforting words to him, and feel that twinge of jealousy and longing to be back with Wilbur. Wishing his older brother was still alive.
Even when the provoking didn't work, and Clay would choose someone else, Tommy would spend that time trying to claw himself out of the cell. He hated seeing the dead look in their eyes every time they came back.
Then they clipped Grian’s wings. Apparently he’d tried to escape and fly away, but he’d been caught, held down, and had his wings roughly clipped. Tommy would hear him sob every night, see him wrap his body with his wings and gently stroke his wings, trying to preen himself. Tommy’s fingers twitched, wanting to help the older man. He knew how to preen, if only he could get to Grian. He pushed down these thoughts every time. He didn't want a relationship with another avian. Phil had fucked that up enough.
And one day, Tommy wanted answers. Every single one of his cellmates were hybrids except for him. So Tommy demanded answers.
He was being shoved into a reinforced glass room, and didn't bother to struggle as he knew he’d rile Clay up by asking questions.
“Why am I here?” he asked.
Clay turned around from the control panel and cocked an eyebrow. “What did we say about asking questions?”
“Why am I here?” Tommy repeated. “All the others are hybrids, except me. Why am I here?”
Clay sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. G was standing off to the side, watching the two from a safe distance but ready to step in if anything happened.
“There’s dormant hybrid traits in your code.” Clay said. “We’re trying to bring them out.”
“Aren't hybrid traits supposed to start showing earlier?” Tommy asked, genuinely curious. He knew both Phil and Techno had gotten their hybrid traits at the age of 5.
“Something’s messed with your code. I assume it was XD. But extreme stress and or distress should bring it out.” Clay said, as he turned back around and pressed a button. Tommy braced himself as water started pooling up at his feet. The water was freezing cold, but he knew the temperature would change quickly. He bit his tongue as the water reached his knees, his feet stung with the cold water. When it reached his waist, the temperature rose, and by the moment it had reached his chest, it felt like Tommy was being burned. He tried to steady his breathing, but it was futile.
“Warmer,” Clay said to one of the men in lab coats, and he obliged. The water went warmer, now reaching Tommy’s throat. The room wasn't tall enough so that Tommy would float for a long time, so he tried to steady his breathing before he had to take the final deep breath as the water covered his head. He tried to relax, to keep the breath for as long as possible, but he quickly deemed that pointless. The information Clay had given him made his head spin.
He had hybrid traits. It wasn't really that surprising, with his father and brother both being hybrids, but Tommy had never known. It was likely that Phil didn't know either, he assumed his code had been tampered with at birth. As his desperation for air grew, and the water grew hotter, his skin burned, his lungs ached. He tried to keep calm, to avoid showing his pain, but he quickly started panicking.
He needed air. He tried kicking up, but his head only hit the ceiling. He tried banging on the glass wall, But Clay only stared at him. As his lungs gave out and Tommy inhaled the water, Clay smiled. It hurt, his lungs burned, he felt like he was exploding. He wanted to scream, he wanted his dad. He felt dizzy, like he’d just been on a rollercoaster.
And then he was calm. He stopped trying to get out. He gave up trying to escape, and he relaxed.
“My darling.”
Tommy was in the void. He knew this place. He’s been here before. He turned around and saw her. Her black hair nearly blended into the background, her kind brown eyes shining with something Tommy didn't recognise.
“I won’t let you die here,” the woman said. “My son, you are far too precious to lose to such a man. Stay strong. They are coming for you.”
“Mum,” Tommy said, a sob wrecking through his body. “I’m so tired.”
“I know, sweetheart.” Kristin reached her arms out, and Tommy slammed into her, sobbing as her arms wrapped around him.
“Stay strong, darling. You will be home soon.”
Tommy gasped, coughed and gagged. He was on the floor, with Clay’s shoes in front of his face.
“I thought you’d last longer,” he said. “I’m disappointed, 8.”
“Fuck. You.” Tommy croaked, coughing again.
“Take him back to his cell. Bring the allay.” Clay said.
“No!” Tommy tried to get up on his knees.
“No?” Clay repeated.
“Not Pearl.” Tommy hissed.
“And why shouldn't I?”
“Do me instead.”
“Oh,” Clay leaned down, and grabbed Tommy’s chin, tilting his head upwards. “I’m not sure you could handle this one, 8.”
“Try me, bitch.”
~~
Xisuma had already gathered a team to start a search party when he got the message. It wasn't a normal message, one that came through his communicator. It was a message in his mind, a familiar woman’s voice ringing through his already aching head.
“I know where they are.”
Xisuma nearly fell out of his chair when he heard it. “Lady death?” he asked. The others in the room looked at him, equal confusion on all their faces.
Scar, Mumbo, Impulse, Gem, Joe and Doc all sat around a small table, maps, compasses and redstone surrounding them.
“Call FWhip. He’ll know where to go.”
Xisuma nodded, and immediately pulled up his admin panel.
“X, what are you doing?” Scar asked.
“Mumbo, do you think you could open a rift in the serverscape?”
“What do you mean, rift?” Mumbo replied. “You want to rip through the barriers of our server?”
“Yes. I need to get FWhip.”
~~
Clay refused to bring Tommy out again. He was angry, furious, Tommy could tell. He knew he took his anger out on the other hybrids, and Tommy wished he would keel over and fucking die.
But one day, after what Tommy assumed was three weeks after his meeting with his mother, all eight of them were brought out. Ten of the guards all handcuffed them, tied Pearl and Grian’s wings to their backs, and led them all into the halls. They were all led into a big white room and all placed along the walls, at least four feet between all of them. Tommy ignored the quiet, distressed chirping from Grian, longing for his sister.
“So,” Clay grinned, clapping his hands together. Ren flinched, his arms twitching upwards as if to shield himself. “I’ve brought you all here to… teach a lesson.”
“Clearly some of you,” Clay gave Tommy a pointed glance, then shifted that over to Tango. “Don’t know how to respect your boss. So… let’s teach you.”
The blonde man walked over to Ren. The wolf hybrid cowered, pressing himself against the wall in an attempt to escape. Clay ignored this, and grabbed the man by the collar of his white shirt. Although Ren was taller and probably much stronger than Clay, he pulled the hybrid into the middle of the room and brought him down onto his knees.
Tommy saw Tango twitch, longing to help his friend.
“1.” Clay regarded Tango. “Why don't you tell 2 here what you’ve done to defy me?”
Tango stayed silent. Clay put a hand on Ren’s head, stroking the man’s head as if he was a fucking pet. Red hot rage burned through Tommy. He wanted to rip out this man’s throat. Clay’s hand tightened, grabbing a fistful of Ren’s hair.
“No?” Clay kept his eyes on Tango. “You don’t want to, hm?”
He pulled. Ren whined, Tommy saw him try to keep it in. Clay raised his eyebrows at Tango.
“Do you want me to tell him?”
Tango didn't reply. He didn't even look at Clay, keeping his eyes on Ren at all times.
“Fine, I’ll tell him.” Clay bent down, grabbed Ren’s chin and made the man face him. “Your… friend here,” he said. “Has on multiple occasions tried to burn this place down. Can you imagine such disrespect?”
Ren looked like he was about to pass out. “Don’t you think that some punishment is fair, when this creature tried to get rid of all my hard work?”
Clay looked up again. “What do you think, 5?”
Cleo struggled against her restraints. “Fuck you.” she spat. Clay tutted.
“Well, I think it does.”
He turned swiftly, walking out of the room. All the guards followed, leaving the eight of them alone in the room. The moment the door shut, Tommy started to tug at his restraints. The others didn't bother to. Grian rushed to his sister's side, wings flapping wildly as he tried to wrap them around her. Tango ran to Ren, a quick use of his limited power melting the handcuffs off his wrists. The two hugged, Tango mumbling comforting words while he rubbed Ren’s back.
“Hey fire boy!” Tommy called. Tango’s head snapped up. “Wouldn't it be nice if you shared some of that power and got these handcuffs off the rest of us?”
Tango met his eyes. Tommy lifted his chin. Tango nodded, and let go of Ren momentarily to go around and melt the handcuffs of the rest of them. Tommy watched as Lizzie And Jimmy hugged, and Cleo joined Pearl and Grian’s little pile. Tommy stood off to the side, watching them. He was sweating.
Why was he sweating? He ran a hand through his hair. Why the fuck was it so hot in here? Was it just his jealousy burning through his skin or was it something else?
He looked at Lizzie and Jimmy, both looking around the room, worried looks mirrored on their faces.
“Is.. is it getting warmer?” Grian asked, his voice small and afraid.
“Is it?” Tango asked.
“Punishment,” Cleo said. “Fuck. This is the punishment.”
“But didn't he want to punish Tango?” Pearl asked. “Why would he do something that won't even affect him?”
“It's worse watching the people you love in pain.” Tommy said. All eyes turned on him.
“Why do you say that as if you have experience?” Pearl asked.
“Because I do.” Tommy said. He crossed his arms, and leaned against the wall behind him. “We’re gonna be here a while.”
~~
Scar stood by and watched while Mumbo and X poured over the redstone panel. They stood next to a rift in a mountain wall, with a purple aura akin to a nether portal. And it seemed to work, because the portal made a loud swooping noise and immediately, three figures emerged. Mumbo whooped, giving a little jump of excitement.
“Count FWhip,” Xisuma greeted one of the men with a little bow.
“Xisuma,” FWhip replied. “This is King Joel of Mezalea,” he gestured to the tallest man. “And King Pixlriffs.”
“It’s an honour,” Xisuma said. “I wish we met under better circumstances.”
“FWhip said you’d help us get my wife back,” King Joel said impatiently.
“We’re getting everyone back,” Xisuma replied.
“You’re missing people too?” Pixlriffs asked.
“Five.”
“Oh,” FWhip bowed his head. “We will retrieve them. Lady Death has let me know of their whereabouts.”
“Then what are we waiting for?” Scar cut in. He was sick of waiting, he wanted his friends back. He wanted Grian back. Mumbo hummed, agreeing.
“Yeah, we’ve been looking for our friends for two months now.”
“I want Pearl back,” Gem said, crossing her arms over her chest.
“We will retrieve them,” FWhip said. He turned to Mumbo. “You know redstone?”
“Relatively well,” Mumbo replied.
“Don’t be modest,” Xisuma said. “He’s the best we have.”
FWhip nodded, and started to instruct Mumbo on how to recalibrate the rift. Scar looked around on the two other strangers, each mumbling quietly to each other. Impulse and Doc approached Scar with worried looks.
“Where do you think they could be?” Impulse asked.
Scar put even more weight on his cane, making a grimace of discomfort. “I have no idea,” he admitted. “I just… really hope Grian is okay.”
Impulse nodded, meeting Doc’s eyes. The creeper hybrid was fidgeting with a bracelet on his wrist, one that Scar knew he’d been given by Ren.
“I need them to come back,” Doc said quietly. Scar nodded.
“We’re gonna get them back.”
~~
Jimmy almost died. Lizzie had tried her best to keep him hydrated, but the growing heat had left her powers useless, if it wasn't for the exhaustion tugging at her bones.
Clay had clearly been hesitant to let Jimmy die, so he’d agreed to throw the man into a tank and leave him there for a few hours. It was inhumane, but it kept Lizzie’s little brother alive.
“Lizzie?” Grian’s voice carried up the hallway, over the soft sounds of Ren’s whimpers in his sleep. “Are you awake?”
“Yeah,” Lizzie replied. “Can’t sleep.”
“Me neither,” Grian said. “Any idea when Tim’s coming back?”
“No,” Lizzie leaned her head against the wall. “I’m really worried.”
Grian didn't reply, so Lizzie kept talking. “I'm so scared that they won’t bring him back. What if Clay didn't do what he said he would? What if Jimmy’s just in a cell somewhere, dehydrated and dying?”
“I’m sure he’s fine.”
“I don't think I’d survive if he died,” Lizzie said. “It kills me every time I see him come back from those horrific tests. I can only hope his are easier than mine.”
“What are yours?” Grian’s voice was barely above a whisper. Lizzie paused.
“I’m not fully hybrid bred, so I don’t have every attribute an axolotl hybrid would have. I can’t breathe underwater.”
“So they do the water thing with you too?” Grian asked. “To see how long it takes before your body gives out?”
Lizzie hummed.
The sound of the door opening ripped Lizzie from her half-asleep state, and she leapt up to see her brother, burnt but alive. His hair was dripping and his scales glistened with water, or maybe it was sweat. He collapsed into his cell, and didn't move. Clay walked past, shooting a disgusted look at Lizzie before walking to the end of the hall. He opened the cell door and dragged a half asleep Tommy out of his cell.
“Hey man what the fuck-” Tommy yelped, struggling against the other blond’s grip. “Get off me!”
Clay did not listen, and Tommy’s struggles were heard until the door was shut. Lizzie rushed to the front of her cell.
“Jimmy?” she tried. “Jimmy, are you okay?”
He didn't reply. It was dark, But Lizzie had enhanced vision, so she could see her brother’s unmoving form. “Jim?”
“Timmy, please,” Grian’s voice came, quiet and sounding scared. “Say something.”
Lizzie saw Jimmy move. He turned his head slightly and met Lizzie’s eyes. “He’s looking at me,” Lizzie said, more to herself than Grian, but the blonde’s sigh of relief didn't go unnoticed.
“Can you nod or something, if you’re okay?” Lizzie asked her brother. She could barely see him move his head.
“He’s nodding,”
“Does he… look okay?” Grian asked.
“No.”
~~
Tommy screamed. His body burned, his bones felt like they were breaking and healing over and over again, and his back stung worse than he’d ever felt.
“More,” Clay said calmly.
“Sir, if we go higher he may-”
“I said more!” Clay shouted.
The warmth grew, and Tommy screamed again. He felt like his back was being ripped apart, his head pounding.
“It’s starting, sir.”
“G, standby.”
“Ready.”
Tommy screamed again, the pain dizzying him. He couldn't think, all that was in his head was survive, endure .
“What?” Clay’s voice barely made its way into Tommy’s head. “What the fuck do you mean?”
“Security breach. Someone’s inside, and I can’t get a hold of their code.”
“Admins.” Clay said. “Fuck. Keep 8 here, I will deal with it.”
Tommy could barely see through the haze of his pain and tears. He saw Clay leave the room. He knew this was his only chance. He didn't know if Clay’s resemblance would make him unable to fight him, but he hadn't seen G’s face. Although he could assume who it was under the mask, he wouldn't see his face.
Tommy struggled to get to his knees. He bit his tongue, and reached to rip out the IV placed in his arm. He wanted to give up, but he knew he couldn't. He looked up at G, who wasn't looking. Then he pounced. He screamed as he did, the pain burning through his bones at every small movement, but he couldn't stop. He landed on G, sending them both onto the floor. Tommy clawed at his face and tugged at his hair. His back burned more than ever, and G’s eyes widened as pain rippled through Tommy, causing him to scream louder.
A shadow rose over the two of them. At first, Tommy’s clouded mind thought it was Phil standing behind them, the feathered shadow spanning wider than he’d ever seen. But he quickly found the shadow, the wings, were his own.
“Holy shit,” G said. As such close proximity, Tommy finally recognised his voice. He looked into the brunette’s eyes.
And he punched. His fists landed on the man’s face over and over again, ignoring the burning feeling until blood was splattered across the floor and G was no longer moving. Tommy tugged his mask off and was met with George’s face.
“You fucking traitor.” he spat, and stood up.
He realised that the men in lab coats were nowhere to be seen, and an alarm was blaring in the distance. He stepped over George’s lifeless form and stepped into the hallway. Red lights were flashing, and he could hear shouting and commotion. He looked around and caught his own reflection in a window, nearly fainting at the sight. Blood poured from his back. A pair of large, brown and white wings held proudly, as if he’d always had them. He looked like Grian.
Grian.
Tommy turned around, trying to locate where he was. He darted to the left. He needed to help Grian, and all the others. He had to help. Rage combined with his pain, and he ripped through every man or woman he met on the way, shoving their heads into windows, pushing them into walls, and at some point he got a netherite sword from one of the guards, making his escape quicker. He got to the cell room, and saw the entrance crowded. Cries of joy confused Tommy, but it was quickly overshadowed by the sound of Clay’s voice, and the sight of his hair as he turned around. Tommy lunged.