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

Chapter 12.5 Leaving Las Nevadas: Part 2 - Fundy and Jack Manifold

Fundy sat at the bar nursing a glass of juice.  Get Jack Manifold to join them? It seemed like such a strange thing for his dad to want. Jack was as good as anyone else, sure, but he wasn't exactly the person people sought out to join them, was he? He was a lot like Fundy in that way, easily overlooked and forgotten.

And how was he supposed to do that, anyway?  It wasn't like he and Jack were ever really friends.  Heck, Jack and Wilbur were closer and Jack had no problem saying no to him.  Fundy let out a long sigh.  The bar felt so empty with all his friends gone, even though it was quite filled with guards who were all crowded around Technoblade begging for stories and asking advice. 

He and his friends used to all come by after work and close the place down. He had so many memories here with them.  Now Tubbo and Charlie were on the run, Foolish was building... something... for his dad, and Sam was f-ck knows where.

Just three nights ago they'd been hanging out.  Tubbo was nervous about the broadcast and checking and rechecking this and that on his phone, he and Charlie were throwing darts, and Sam was trying so hard with Foolish.  And he'd been teasing Sam about it between throws, making Foolish all the more discombobulated.   He could still remember Sam's eyes, the laughter in them, the way they got all soft when they looked at Foolish.

The way they'd suddenly gone hard and cold when he got that phone call.  

And then, he was just gone.  

Sam was gone and Dream and Technoblade were here and that meant... Fundy's breath stuttered.  That meant Sam was probably never coming back.  The last time he'd seen him was the last time, ever.  If he'd known, he would have said something, there was so much he wished he'd have said... at least "goodbye" instead of taking his turn throwing some stupid darts.  

And to Tubbo when he was walking to the boardroom with all those wires.  He could have helped him carry them, had one more conversation.  He'd heard Dream muttering what he was going to do to Tubbo.

He could see it in his mind.  With the dullest knife Dream owned, as promised.  He didn't want to think about it.  Picturing Tubbo that way was too much for him.

Fundy's ears pricked up as Technoblade spoke, "Now, the important thing when you hold a knife is-"

He drained his glass.  He hated it here.  It was like a tomb.

The bell on the door jingled.  It cracked open, like the person coming in was nervous.  Soft breathing, soft, shuffling steps not fully entering the raucous bar.  A light scent wafted in of cinnamon and flowers.  He turned in the direction his ears were pointing, his eyes caught Niki's.

"Hello? Is Jack here?"  Niki asked.

Niki!  Niki was Jack's friend, wasn't she?  Maybe Fundy could use her to convince Jack to join them!  It was worth a shot, anyway.  Fundy stood and walked over to her.  "No, I haven't seen him all night, but," he recalled the number written on the keycard HBomb had handed Jack, "I think I might know where he is."

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Jack lay facedown on the bed in his hotel room.  He couldn't stand to watch the news any longer; it was just the same story over and over again, the same bloody picture!  He just wanted to lie here and try not to think about anything, especially not what he was going to do tomorrow when he couldn't afford another night... or food.

He heard a knock at the door.  He didn't move.  It was probably housekeeping or something.  Maybe HBomb.  No one really knew he was still here.  And as nice as it was what HBomb had done for him, he didn't want to talk to anyone right now.