The Blinding Light of Sunrise: The Las Nevadas Arc - AU Short Stories

Chapter 13.5 Tommy Alone - Tommy Innit

Tommy ran through the dark woods.  He ran until his legs burned and it felt like his chest would explode.  But still he kept running.  It was true. Tubbo said it was true, so it was. 

Wilbur, his brother Wilbur, had married Big Q.

Wilbur had helped Dream and Technoblade escape from prison.

Wilbur had taken over Las Nevadas with the help of Dream and The Syndicate.

And the whole world that was completely fine this morning when he'd gone out to get some wood for the house was suddenly f-ed up beyond belief.

He had to see for himself. That was it. He'd go to Las Nevadas and he'd see. Maybe they were somehow wrong. He wasn't sure how they could be, but Wilbur... he'd never do something so f-ing stupid, right?  He'd never let Dream out of prison.

He could feel that smiling mask hovering over him, watching him as he ran.  It couldn't be real.  It couldn't be.  He didn't want to leave the woods for the path, the path where their was no cover to hide him from-from-from...

His saliva took on the iron taste of blood, but he couldn't stop, not until he reached Las Nevadas, not until he was sure Dream was-

Dream hadn't come after him, right?  That's what he'd always thought Dream would do the moment he got out.  Maybe... Maybe Wilbur just used him to scare Quackity out of Las Nevadas, but was still keeping him under lock and key.  He tripped over a tree root and somersaulted down the hill.

He lay on his back staring up at the stars, his eyes stinging as a drop of water leaked down his temple.  How could Wilbur do it? How?!  He slowly turned over and pulled himself up, brushing off the leaves and twigs and dirt stuck to him. 

He needed to calm down.  He still didn't know for sure yet.  He saw the lights of Las Nevadas off in the distance.  If he kept to the mountains he could avoid being seen.  He could be there by morning.

He hiked the rest of the way to the mountain overlooking Las Nevadas trying to console himself that what they said had happened wasn't what it appeared to be, that it was all just a misunderstanding.  He pictured himself having dinner with Wilbur in Las Nevadas and laughing about the whole thing.

But even as he played it over in his head, he knew that wasn't going to be the case.  Quackity had said it and Tubbo confirmed it.   Wilbur, his brother, Wilbur, had married Big Q and then kicked him out of his own city.  It was a terrifying power grab and he knew, he knew if he showed up in Las Nevadas Wilbur would rope him into whatever scheme he was planning and he'd do it.  He'd do it because... because when it came from Wilbur it seemed so right. It was a rush, like leaping off a rainbowed cliff into the ocean and suddenly flying over the waves and feeling the ocean spray all around you and the warmth on your back.

And then it all went cold and dark and you realized the terrible things you'd done and mistakes you'd made that you couldn't take back.

He knew that look on Big Q's face.  He'd had it, too, more than once.  He hated how much he recognized it.  That look of waking up from Wilbur's spell and not wanting to see your own reflection in the mirror.

He didn't want to think about Big Q and his face anymore.

He knelt beside a stand of trees and peered down into the city with his spyglass.  Temporary fences surrounded the city, patrolled by guards.  Inside, he saw people in lines.  And there, walking by the lines, was Wilbur, smiling and talking animatedly to a very free, very armed Technoblade as Ranboo walked behind them, his eyes glowing.  

He looked like a f-ing zombie.

Tommy didn't see Dream down there.  He really didn't need to.  There was a picture of them all on a large screen tv looking like the business firm from hell.  It was all true.  Dream was free.  Wilbur broke him out, exactly like Dream said he would.