Insanity (Dream SMP) Book 2

Chapter 17

Tommy gasped as Dream let out a grunt and got to his feet shakily. He yanked the arrow from his chest and glared defiantly at Tubbo and the other L'manburgians who had stood up beside him.

"Technoblade is the rightful king now," Dream growled, wincing with pain. Tommy couldn't believe he was still standing, his chest was coated in blood now and he looked on the verge of collapsing. "He beat your leader, L'manburg is free, and now, whether Techno wants to or not he's the king." Tommy glanced at Technoblade who nodded solemnly. 

"Anarchy and freedom are not the same things." He said, aiming the crossbow at Dream who was standing in front of Tommy. Tommy was bewildered by the sudden attack and he stood still as someone else moved to stand in front of Dream.

"You want leadership, right?" Technoblade said. "I see no one wears a crown upon their head, I see no leader, I see no king, just a band of broken children whose leader has died," Techno said, his eyes narrowed as he gazed around at the L'manburgains. "I see no man worthy of taking his place in front of the others, no one deserving a throne let alone a kingdom. I see that not one of you has managed to win a war yet, in fact, you've all lost multiple wars."

"I'm the king of L'manburg," Tubbo said. "These are my people and we will rebuild our country, we will lock you outcasts away where you belong."

"I'm no outcast," Technoblade said, taking a few sturdy steps towards Tubbo who still held his crossbow. "I'm just a man who happens to wear a crown, who happens to have won more wars than he's lost. I'm just the guy who destroyed a kingdom with just the help of these two. None of you can be a king, and I have just killed your king, making me the rightful leader. Where does that leave us, Tubbo?"

"Your crown means nothing without a throne to sit on," Tubbo said.

"The thing is, who needs a throne when you have a sword?" Techno held up his blade, glistening in the sunlight. Tubbo said nothing, his brow creasing with thought. "And, well, if your plan is to put my brothers in prison, I'm afraid my will power is stronger than any netherite weapon you possess, and my loyalty far greater than any number of soldiers."

"It sounds like you're asking to die," Tubbo growled.

"It looks like you want to fight me," Techno said. "So fight me, see what happens. I've lost too much today, I will not lose my freedom." The sun had risen far above the mountains by now and Tommy found himself staring at Technoblade's crown which glistening in the sunlight, casting golden rays all around the clearing. 

"Your freedom is long gone." Tubbo took a step forwards as well, his bow pointed at Techno who still seemed unfazed. "All I want is to protect my people, and with you here, they're in danger." Breaking the moment, Dream fell to his knees and then onto his side with a groan of pain.

"Dream!" Tommy gasped, kneeling beside him. Dream was unconscious and Tommy glanced around for anyone who would help him. He saw BadBoyHalo and Skeppy dart towards them along with a guilty-looking Sapnap. Bad pulled out a spare healing potion and drizzled it along Dream's arrow wound while Skeppy and Sapnap watched. 

"He'll be fine." Bad assured him. Tommy nodded gratefully and stood up to glare at Tubbo some more. 

"Listen, Tubbo, if this is all for L'manburg give it up," Tommy said. "There is no more L'manburg, it died with Wilbur and I know you knew that when you rebuilt it. I know I did." Tommy said. "Wilbur wrote a song for it, and that song included the word 'emancipate.' Do you know what that word means, Tubbo?" Tommy paused as Tubbo turned his gaze to Tommy. "Emancipate means to be freed. You're not freeing your people by building walls around them, Techno freed them by tearing those walls down. Now look how beautiful L'manfield is." Tommy said.