absence | bench trio (lore)

four

"I really like Jack!" Michael whined as Tubbo shut the front door behind him.

"You might at first, Michael, but he tried to kill your uncle." Tubbo chuckled.

"I don't think people who give out lollipops try to kill people as poggers as Uncle Tommy." Michael said, licking his cherry sucker. Tubbo sighed and put down Michael, who lost his balance and landed on his bottom, grunting before he clambered back to his feet.

"Ranboo!" Tubbo called. "We're home! What errands did you run?" He asked, peeking around corners. "Netherite mining? Diamonds, maybe?" Tubbo suggested. "Anything that would get us more rich than we already are?" He murmured. Michael ran to him, clinging to his leg, whining for him to pick him up. He hoisted him onto his shoulders, walking into the living room. Then, Tubbo noticed a chill run down his back and arms as the temperature dropped significantly. "Ranboo...?"

The lights were off. It was cold- really cold. The silence was ear-splittingly loud, and the room appeared empty to the naked eye- but Tubbo knew something was there. His heart was pounding seemingly out of his chest. Something was definitely not right- not safe. "Michael, go-"

"Dad?" Michael said, his voice shaking, and Tubbo cringed- it felt as if his loud, soft voice had shaken the entire house, it was so thundering in the midst of the silence. Sure enough, Tubbo heard heavy breathing from the dark corner of the room, and an ominous shadow was sitting in a wooden chair, his head in his hands. And then, Tubbo saw them, his heart dropping into his stomach- small purple particles flying around Ranboo's face. Tubbo's palms were sweaty as he clenched them into fists, his feet glued to the floor.

Ranboo abruptly jerked his head toward them, eyes glowing purple. He stood up slowly, but Tubbo was frozen with fear- he couldn't move, even though he knew he had to. Michael tugged Tubbo's shirt. "Dad, what's going on?" He whimpered. Tubbo, ever so carefully, backed up towards the front door.

"Ranboo..." he said. "It's me! Your husband and son! It's okay, just, don't-" Suddenly, Ranboo swung an arm at them, busting his fist through a wooden pillar, wood splintering off in all directions. Michael shrieked. Tubbo ducked under the swing, panicking. "Ranboo..." Tubbo's eyes threatened to allow the burning tears to spill. There was a heavy silence.

"Have you been going to the panic room?"

And then it happened. Ranboo bolted at them, and Michael gave a blood-curdling scream as Tubbo ran for the door, throwing it open and slamming it behind him. He set the sobbing little piglin down in the snow. "Alright, Michael-" he panted, glancing behind him. "Go get whoever you see first. Get help. Preferably Uncle Tommy, alright?" He shooed Michael away, who reluctantly waddled off. Tubbo heard the door open with a squeak and a bang and he spun around- before he knew it, Ranboo was right in front of him.

No, not quite Ranboo.

This man was someone else.

A whole new creature in the body of his husband.

Tubbo wiped tears of terror from his face, and for a moment he saw him, the Ranboo that he knew, flicker in his distorted features. "Listen here, you son of a b-tch." Tubbo growled. "I don't know who you are, but you're not him. So leave my f-cking husband alone."

"You're not gonna hurt me." Ranboo replied. Tubbo shuddered at the sound of his voice- it was glitchy, and sounded like an Enderman, barely intelligible. Tubbo swallowed hard.

"Maybe I will, maybe I won't," he choked. "But I want you to know... I'm not a bee. I won't die once I've stung you once." He pulled a dagger out of his back pocket and gripped it firmly with his shaking hand- "I'm a wasp. And I will sting you over and over if I have to."