My Wilbur (a villain tommy story)

What's in the Basement?

It had been about month since the bomb went off. Wilbur wasn't sure exactly since he'd stopped keeping track of the days. Things had gotten...
better. Yes better seemed like the right word. He and Tommy had settled into a sort of routine. Wilbur made breakfast, had lunch by himself since Tommy was usually out getting supplies or making sure no more animals got into his traps. Wilbur shuddered at the thought of those bombs, it was something he would have done a long time ago, something he did do. Tommy usually made supper, and eventually Wilbur started eating the suppers Tommy made since he hadn't drugged anything since Wilbur's change of attitude.
At some Wilbur had stopped trying to get ideas or information about Tommy's feelings. There was no point. Tommy wore his heart on his sleeve, he had just been too dense to see it. All Tommy wanted was Wilbur, and Wilbur wasn't sure what he wanted anymore. It was all so confusing, on one hand he should still be trying to escape. Come up with a plan, avoid the traps, make it to the ocean and sail to Utah. That's what he'd been trying to do three months ago. On the other hand he wasn't sure it was worth all the effort. Utah could be the same as the dream smp. He might be just as unwanted there as he'd been in L'Manburg or Las Nevadas or wherever else. Logically he knew being this isolated with only one other person for company wasn't good for him he wondered if this was all there was for him.
It didn't have to be all bad. He could be Tommy's older brother and maybe one day they could find some twisted form of happiness. Maybe Wilbur would have just given up on both his hopes and anxieties and gotten comfortable with the situation if it weren't for the one nagging thing that had been bothering him ever since the bomb incident.
There were strange noises coming from the basement. Wilbur hadn't even realized they had a basement until recently. When Wilbur had finally found the courage to explore the house a little bit he found that in the far corner from the the kitchen hiding behind a wall was a set of stairs that lead to an iron door. The iron door was controlled by a lever positioned off to the side and Wilbur couldn't help but wonder what was behind it. Wilbur had almost pulled the lever too before Tommy caught him.
At night he heard strange noises from down there. He'd lay awake in bed, and just underneath the floorboards, if he listened closely he could hear shuffling. Sometimes, he would wake up in the dead of night, to the sound of scratching or banging. On those nights Tommy would go downstairs. Sometimes he would yell, or sometimes he'd be carrying potion bottles and wearing a look on his face that said don't ask. Once Wilbur thought he heard a second voice, but maybe he was just losing his mind.

One morning, Tommy seemed to be in a good mood. They were eating pancakes that Wilbur had made and it seemed like a good time to finally broach the topic.
"So um, Tommy" he started, playing with his hair nervously. It had grown out some in the past few months, as he hadn't had a chance to cut it.
"What's up Will?"
"Well I've just been wondering, what's in the basement?"
Tommy nearly spat out his milk, choking as it went down the wrong way.
"Oh Prime are you okay?" Wilbur almost stood up to fuss over him before Tommy waved him off.
"Don't worry I'm fine, I'm a big man, it'll more than a little milk to kill me. What were you saying about the basement?" An expression Wilbur couldn't quite place passed over Tommy's face at the mention of the basement, but it was gone so fast Wilbur thought he might have imagined it.
He shifted uncomfortably, "Well, there just some strange noises, like scratching and shuffling. That kind of thing."
"Wilbur you know we have rats right?" Tommy laughed, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"Rats?"
"Yeah Will, the little bastards are everywhere."
"But then, why didn't you want me to go down there?"
"It's an infestation. They have diseases, and you don't exactly have the best immune system."
"Wha- but- my immune system isn't that bad! Yours isn't that great either, I could help you get rid of the rats you know. It sounds like they've been frustrating you."
"No! I mean, that's fine. Wouldn't want you to get rabies or anything."
"But you could get rabies too."
"Don't worry about me I can handle a few rats just fine on my own."
"But-
"Just drop it Wilbur" he said with that same dark expression as before.
"fine I'll drop it" Wilbur bit his tongue before he could call bullshit. If it were really rats Tommy would have rounded them up and kept them as pets by now. There was something else in that basement, and Wilbur was going to find out what.

That night, once Wilbur was sure Tommy was asleep, he snuck out of his room. What a ridiculous thought, sneaking out of his room like he was child. If Tommy wanted him to be the older brother then why didn't Wilbur get to make the rules? Of course he knew the answer to that but he still chuckled at the irony. He stopped laughing as he approached the door. He could make out some torch light coming from below the door but he guessed the room behind it wouldn't be very well lit.
Taking a deep breath, Wilbur pulled the lever. The door opened, and he stepped inside. There was a figure he couldn't quite make out crouched in the corner.
"If you're here to yell at me some more I don't wanna hear it Tommy. You and I both know any noise I make doesn't compare to how suspicious you acted this morning. I mean rats, really?"
Wilbur knew that voice. He knew that voice but he couldn't be here because if he was here that meant Tommy lied and Wilbur fell for it, again. He gulped.
"Phil?"
Phil finally turned around, a look of pure astonishment on his face. He stood up, entering the torch light. Torn bandages clung to his wings, which were frayed at the edges like old fabric. They looked even worse then before. His face was smudged with dirt and his knuckles were cracked and caked in dried blood. He approached slowly as if Wilbur would disappear at any moment, his hands reaching out to touch Wilbur's face.
"Wilbur, you- you're here" his voice cracked as he pulled Wilbur into a bone crushing hug.