Ultimatum ~ Book 2

Prologue

Dream gasped as a force slammed into his chest, sending him backward with such force it was a wonder he hadn't broken any ribs. A man with a very familiar pig mask stood over Dream holding a wooden sword to his chest. Dream started coughing slightly, unable to breathe. Technoblade had knocked the wind out of him. 

"Oh, are you ok?" Techno said, his wooden sword being replaced by his hand. He quickly helped Dream to his feet as Dream gasped for air. "I'm sorry, I didn't think I'd hit you that hard," 

"I- I'm fine-" Dream wheezed, taking a few deep breaths and nodding slightly. Techno had just spartan kicked him, just how he'd kicked Skeppy, and Dream knew that wasn't even his full strength. 

"I think that's enough fighting for today," He sighed. "You want to go back and get something to eat?"

"Yeah," Dream said after a moment. "That sounds good," It had been almost a full week since Dream and Techno had escaped the Beast Arena with their new friends. Dream had learned all their names by now, mostly because even more of them had left to start lives somewhere else and that meant fewer people to remember the names of. Dream recognized the only three guards that had remained with them. Eret, Niki, and Sam. Sam was cold and distant but he wasn't mean, Niki, on the other hand, was very sweet, and Eret was... well... basically normal. 

"Hey guys," Eret said with a nod. "How was the fight?" Dream nodded to Techno and chuckled slightly.

"He won," He said. 

"Well, I wouldn't say won... more like almost broke your ribs," He said with a grin. Dream scoffed and looked around. They had put together a little village for all the new people and everything was going pretty well. Dream knew that Sapnap, Bad, Skeppy, George, and Antfrost didn't really approve of Technoblade but he shrugged them off. Sure Technoblade could be a bit rough at times, but his heart was in the right place. Dream knew he was just trying to be the best he could possibly be. 

"Dream, can I talk to you please?" Dream turned to see Bad staring at him. 

"Sure," He waited for Bad to say something but he never did. After a long moment of silence Bad finally spoke.

"Um... alone?" He said. 

"Oh-" Dream said, glancing at Eret and Technoblade. "Yeah, sure," He nodded to the other two guys and headed after Bad. Soon they had reached a place in the woods where a particularly big tree grew. Dream spotted Sapnap, George, Antfrost, and Skeppy waiting for him and smiled. "Hi guys," He said. 

"Technoblade can't stay here," Skeppy blurted. 

"What, why?" Dream said. He had feared the time would come when his friend's fear of Technoblade grew out of hand and he sighed. 

"Have you seen the dude?" Sapnap said. "If he wanted to, he could legitimately kill someone,"

"Well, yeah but he hasn't hurt anyone," Dream said. "I could kill someone if I wanted too,"

"That's different, we know you, Dream," Skeppy said. "All we know about Techno is that he killed George, tried to kill you multiple times, and killed like a hundred people. Possibly more,"

"Well... he's changed," Dream said. "And once again, he hasn't hurt you guys,"

"Dude," Sapnap said. "He spartan kicked Skeppy," He paused, thinking of something. "Oh, and the other day I walked up behind him and he turned around and almost broke my arm!" 

"How did he do that?" Dream said. "Did you attack him?" 

"No!" Sapnap said. " He grabbed my wrist and flipped me around, normal people don't do that!"

"He's just... he's still getting used to living with people that aren't trying to kill him," Dream said.. He remembered just fighting with Technoblade and getting the wind knocked out of him. Ok, so he's a bit rough at times but... He's not evil and that's what matters. "He's a good person, really-" 

"Dream, he can't stay," Antfrost said.

"Why?" Dream said, angry now. "Just because you're afraid of him? He's my friend, ok?" He glared at his friends and sighed. "I'm sorry," He muttered. "But we can't just send him away, that's cruel,"

"Fine," Sapnap growled. "But when he kills one of us, you have to send him away," Dream sighed.

"He's not going to kill you," He said. "Please just give him a chance," 

"Dream," George said. "He killed me, why isn't that enough to send him away? I thought we were friends,"

"We are!" Dream said. "But I'm friends with him too," George glanced at the others and sighed.

"He gets one more chance," Bad decided. "Everyone deserves another chance, right?"

"Yeah," Dream said. "Just give him another chance," Sapnap, Skeppy, George, and Antfrost reluctantly agreed and Dream headed back. He looked around, everyone was so happy here. He could see the newest people that had joined them, Fundy, Indigo, Corpse, Ranboo, Ponk, Punz, Ninja, and Lazerbeam all walking around doing normal people things. He could also see some of the older joiners, Chris, Karl, and Chandler along with Technoblade, Tommy, and a very worried-looking Tubbo. Dream smiled. See? Nothing bad is going to happen. Everyone will be just fine.