End Of Days

11: Bang

Honestly, Tommy had a harder time tearing the lockpick from the seams in his pants than he did actually getting the door open.

He'd spent the last few weeks learning how to pick locks. Sometimes, he and Dream got so bored that they'd blindfold him and see how fast he could do it. The answer was usually a number below ten seconds.

The kids were on their feet now. The stronger were helping the injured along as Tommy herded them out of the door, a finger pressed firmly to his lips. When they were all in the corridor together, he turned back around and locked the door again, just in case it bought them a few seconds. A few seconds could be the difference between life and death.

He caught sight of Alyssa and gave her a nod that she returned. It was time to do this.

All in all, there were thirteen kids to get out. Tommy was determined to watch every last one of them escape into the night, right before he turned and burned the place to the ground. Hopefully that would be enough. It would have to be.

They made their way silently through the hallways, save for the shuffling of feet. Tommy led the way, and Alyssa brought up the rear. He was glad now that Tubbo had insisted that he memorise the layout of the underground passageways. This place was a goddamned maze if you didn't know where you were going.

There was only one guard between them and the exit, and Tommy took great pleasure in choking him out and taking his gun. He gave him an extra kick in the ribs, just because he felt like the prick deserved it.

And then they were almost there. Tommy glanced down at his watch as they arrived at the short stairwell that he, Tubbo and Dream had agreed on.

Right on time, the door clicked and then swung open. Tubbo grinned down at them from the top of the stairs, a tank of gasoline in one hand and a box in the other. "Did someone say rescue?"

"Shut the fuck up Tubbo." Tommy couldn't hide his smile. He turned back to the group of kids and waved to the open door. "Now go. Get as far away as you can. Find your people. Live however you have to. Just live."

And then they were going. Thirteen kids, all bone-weary and half dead from their time in The Pit, began to climb the stairs. Tommy could see the way that they perked up when they felt the fresh air, and then they were out. They were free. Running away, off into the night. He didn't know where they would go or if they would even survive, but they had a chance now. That's more than he could have hoped for.

Alyssa hung back for just a moment. She locked eyes with Tommy, and gave him a nod and gripped his arm. "Thank you. I hope to see you again someday, when we can laugh about all this."

Tommy nodded, and he even smiled. That would be nice. "Go find Callahan, okay?"

And then Alyssa was gone.

"Awwww, look at you making friends." Tubbo joked as he stepped inside and handed off one of the tanks of gas.

"Tubbo, I swear to god." Tommy gripped the canister and made his way down the stairs. "Dream got in okay?"

"Yeah, he should be getting the other room of kids out by now." Tubbo carefully closed the door behind him, making sure that it didn't lock. He turned back to Tommy and his eyebrows drew together in confusion. "Why's your hair wet?"

Tommy thought for a moment, then started down the corridor. "They gave me a bit of a welcome back present."

"Oh my god." Tubbo sounded like he couldn't believe his friends bad luck. "Again? Did they do the water thing? Like in the basement?"

"Moving on!" Tommy said brightly as they arrived at a junction in the hallway. He gave Tubbo a nod, raising up the canister. "I'll spread this around this entire side of the building. You good with the bomb?"