In the Shadows We Fight (for justice and ourselves)

Can you make the tough choices?

Tommy and Tubbo sat across from each other at their designated booth. They had all the documents about their shared case involving Dream, Minotaur, and the Marionettes. Tommy had even shown his private papers that detailed his interactions with Banshee, his visit to the mansion, and what he overheard Halo, Cait Sith, and Ponk talking about in reference to the Egg. Normally, Tommy would share this information with the whole group including Purpled and Ranboo. Purpled was currently busy on a mission with Punz, unable to send any messages to anyone outside of the mission. Tommy didn't have a good excuse for why he didn't invite Ranboo. The truth, plain and simple, was that Tommy didn't trust Ranboo. The sidekick was working as a double agent for the Syndicate, who was a whole other threat that would need to be dealt with accordingly when the time came. Tommy had told Tubbo that he didn't invite Ranboo because he wanted the boy to focus on finding Michael, the witness from Church Prime that was sent back to the Nether country, but Tommy was sure that Tubbo was skeptical. Tommy didn't blame him, but he wasn't going to start trusting Ranboo just because Tubbo was catching on that Tommy didn't trust Ranboo in the first place.

"So, you want me to come with you back to the mansion and the Egg... for what reason? What makes you think that I'll figure something out that you didn't? Are you finally admitting that I'm smarter than you?" Tubbo said. His last sentence was meant to be a joke to alleviate the situation at hand. Tommy appreciated the small attempt at making the situation better than it ought to be. They were going to need some positivity if they wanted to keep their sanity.

"Hell no. I'm the biggest and smartest man here. I just know that when I was there, I felt... like I was stuck behind a barrier, I fucking guess. Like, I was missing something the Egg was... saying? I don't know. I just think you'll have better luck," Tommy said with a shrug. There was something going on with the Egg, Tommy knew. While he didn't know Cait Sith, Tommy knew enough about Halo and Ponk to know that their actions weren't in character for them. The Egg had to be manipulating them in some way. Maybe it had the ability to speak to them, to promise them their greatest desires or threaten them with what they already had. Tommy wasn't sure. He just knew that if the Egg wouldn't talk to him, it might talk to Tubbo. Tommy had a sinking feeling that his chaos wasn't mixing well with the Egg's chaotic energy. The two forces repelled each other until Tommy couldn't interfere with the intentions of the Egg. Tubbo didn't have such a caveat. Plus, Tubbo must want something or have something that the Egg could use to sneak away into the brunette's head. Everyone had something they didn't want to lose, whether it belonged to them yet or not.

"It couldn't hurt to try, I guess. If what you're saying is true, though, if the Egg is somehow able to brainwash me, I'll need you to snap me out of it. I don't want to be the puppet of a giant red Egg of all things," Tubbo said with an awkward smile and a shudder. Tommy didn't blame him. He could feel the green string around his neck, making sure he knew just who was in control of him. Tommy had experienced Dream taking away his free will before, and it wasn't what one would call pleasant. The Egg and Dream probably weren't the same, but Tommy liked to think that brainwashing was horrible no matter who dishing it and who was on the receiving end. "We should head that way now. The sooner we get this done, the sooner we can finally get answers. I'm sick and tired of not knowing anything."

"Would you guys like something to eat or drink before you leave?" A voice asked as someone approached the table. Tommy looked up at Sam's new waitress to decline the offer, but the words fell dead on his tongue when his eyes locked with the evergreen colored eyes of the waitress. Tommy's face fell down into his hands as he tried to relax his breathing. He heard Tubbo sputtering random phrases that didn't make sense together across the table. Tommy looked back up to see Hannah smiling down at them with raised eyebrows as she recognized them in turn. Tommy opened his mouth to start yelling something at Hannah when his eyes slid past her. A white haired person was manning the cashier, looking at them with wide eyes as he held a frog hat close to his chest like it would protect him. Tommy stared for a long moment before he recognized the man as NA, a small-time fighter in the Pit. Hannah slid between Tommy and NA to block Tommy's stare. Hannah placed both hands in front of her like she was trying to prove her innocence. "Okay, I can see that you're both really confused. Let me explain before you cause a scene."