Midnight Arson (Platonic! Ranboo x Tubbo)

Chapter 4: The Prison

Like a bad omen rising up from the depths of hell, the server's prison stood. The obsidian and black stone walls towered before Ranboo in a show of great power. Iron bars stretched down to meet strong, perfectly-aligned, ebony brick below. Watch towers stood menacingly at each corner of the building, daring visitors to venture inside. Truly, the prison had earned the name "Pandora's Vault".

It was common knowledge that the building housed the server's most wicked criminals. The townspeople spoke of the prison sparingly and in hushed tones. According to local lore, no prisoner had ever escaped the fortress; the ones that had attempted to do so were led out in body bags. At the moment, there was only one criminal confined to the vault, and that man was Dream.

Ranboo sighed as he texted Sam, the prison's warden, alerting him to his presence outside. He couldn't believe he was doing this. Visiting Dream was crazy, partially forbidden even for its high mortality rate. The masked man's latest victim, Ghostbur, had been the purest, most innocent of souls. He had been killed in cold blood nearly two months ago, may he rest in peace. Regardless, here was Ranboo, waiting to speak with the infamous terrorist. Fate truly was a strange force guiding the lives of the server. Ranboo wondered if it shared a sense of irony, too.

The Nether portal off to the sentient's left suddenly whirred to life, emitting a low yet mystical series of chimes. Out from the depths of the portal stepped a creeper hybrid clad in gleaming netherite armor. The stoic man bowed his head to meet Ranboo's gaze. "Hello, Ranboo."

"Hello, Sam," the humanoid greeted.

After a moment's pause, the warden cleared his throat and stepped to the portal's side. "Are you sure you're ready, Ranboo?"

The enderman hybrid nodded, his voice firm when he replied, "Yes. I'm ready."

The warden hummed in acknowledgement. "Well, we should be off, then."

"I suppose so."

The creeper hybrid led the visitor through the portal and into the realm of The Nether. The rest of their journey was a blur. After passing through a series of tricks and tests, followed by waivers and spawn points, the two stood before a vast sea of lava. A strange structure protruded from the center of the sea, wrapped in black and shrouded in mystery. True to the prison's name, the obsidian obstruction was shaped like a box, a box that held the world's most evil criminal.

A large opening allowed visitors to gaze upon the hell-spawned humanoid...and vice versa. Presently, the incarcerated man was doing just that, watching his visitor's movements like a predator stalking his prey. Ranboo gulped. There was no turning back now.

Sam walked over to the far wall, and subsequently pulled a lever. "Step onto the platform," he ordered. Ranboo did as he was asked. Slowly but surely, the platform transported him across the lava to stand at the entrance of the box.

A half-wall of netherite separated the visiting lobby from the main jail cell, but Ranboo knew better than to trust in safety measures. This was the very place Ghostbur had been slayed; Ranboo could only hope he would escape that same fate.

Ooooohhh what will Dream do now that he has a visitor?? Will he admit to masterminding the attack on the Beloveds??

Vote to protect Ranboo from death!!

And, as always, thank you for taking the time to support this story. Your generosity in love and kindness is always appreciated. <333

[Image Credits] "Dark alley at Alcatraz Island (TK1)" (Cropped Slightly) by Tobias Kleinlercher/Wikipedia (https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dark_alley_at_Alcatraz_Island_(TK1).JPG)