I Spy a Liar

Chapter 19: Try Again

Sorry for not posting in so long! I'm really burnt out at the moment and my parents aren't helping, but here's the next chapter!

I want to reiterate (restate) the fact that I'm not attempting to ship anyone in the Bench Trio with anyone in any way besides platonic friendships. This chapter is particularly tough on Tubbo, and the next one is on Tommy, so any comfort Ranboo tries to bring to them is him being a good friend.

Tw: Character Death, blood, guns, bullets, death, implications of abuse, sword, mocking, betrayal in a sense, reminiscing

Tubbo gently picked at the fluffy lining of the green jumper in his uniform, overlaying a black jumpsuit resembling Tommy's. He focused on the scratchy material, distracting the thoughts plaguing his mind in the silent van, rumbling towards the compound he'd spent nearly half his life living in.

"You okay Tubbo?" Karl inquired, watching the boy cautiously. He received a nod and a strained smile, emotions hidden best he could.

"We're here." The gruff voice of the driver announced, hitting a button on the dashboard that sprung the doors open, nodding at Karl in respect. Sapnap placed a comforting and reassuring hand on the short brunette's shoulder before climbing out behind their leader.

Taking a deep breath, Tubbo joined his friends, dewy grass clinging to his boots as he snuck to the fence. The sun was setting as they hid, the cool air already spraying a blanket of water across every surface it could cling to, temperature below 10°c in the winter air.

"We're gonna do this together this time," Karl murmured, condensation puffing from his mouth as he breathed, eyes focused clearly on the entrance to the property. "Wilbur and Phil shouldn't be here, but we still need to stick together as there will still be guards."

His head turned back, eye's connecting with the others, first Ranboo, then Tommy, then a glance to Tubbo, kindness still filling his eyes just like the first time they'd met, and a longer glance to Sapnap, lingering for a moment, an unreadable expression in his eyes, before turning back.

His hand raised, beckoning them to move forwards, a crackle resounding in their ears as Dream spoke up. "I'm re-linked to the cameras, no sign of either Soot or Philza. I believe our informants schedule to be actuate." The use of 'informant' suggested something was wrong.

Someone was listening.

Karl appeared to brush it off, only suggestion that he'd heard the implications was a hardening of his eyes and the suspicious message included in his next words. "Thanks Dream. Get Error to check on us would you?"

With a sound of agreement, Dream responded. "On it. Tech Team out." Sapnap made eye contact with Karl, recognizing his expression, and offering a comforting smile and reassuring hand. A gagging sound came from Tommy behind them, Tubbo chuckling while the blonde mimed a throwing up motion at the two. The duo in front of them rolled their eyes, continuing to sneak along the fence, Karl having taken the provided hand after a mild moment of hesitance. 

After finding a reasonable spot, Ranboo hauled himself over the wall first, being the tallest, and then assisted everyone else. The scratchiness of the wall's concrete scraped through Tubbo's pants and over his hand's as he climbed over first, standing beside his friend while he lent a hand to the others.

A turn to their destination and suddenly Tubbo was transported back to ten years ago, seeing the compound for the first time.

Ram teddy in hand, Puffy in his other, nine-year-old him had walked up the smooth white path to the door, past the marble statues and pristinely cut hedges, and towards the place that looked like a castle. To any outsider, including younger him, the building had looked just like a rich persons house, no clue to the mishaps occurring inside it's walls.