Business bay

Chapter 1: The Business Never Dies

Tommy sat on the edge of the icy shore, the wind biting at his skin, but he barely noticed. His mind was racing, even if his expression stayed locked in that defeated scowl. Dream thought he had won, thought Tommy was broken and out of options. But Dream didn't know the real TommyInnit. He didn't know that while Tommy played the role of the exile, he was never really alone.

The communicator in his pocket buzzed, a soft, familiar vibration that sent a wave of relief through him. He hadn't checked it since Dream exiled him, not wanting to raise suspicion. Now, though, he felt the pull of home—Business Bay—and the friends who were waiting for him.

Axel's voice crackled through the device. "You ready yet, mate?"

Tommy couldn't help the grin that broke through his carefully constructed mask. "Always am, Axel. I've just been... performing for a while. But it's time."

Axel chuckled, a low, rumbling sound. "Good. Deo's been getting impatient. You know how he gets when there's a fight to be had."

Tommy's eyes narrowed, the fire that had been smoldering inside him during exile flaring back to life. He stood, looking out over the sea. "Let's give him something to fight for, then."

With a flick of his wrist, Tommy pulled the old, cracked communicator from his pocket, the one thing Dream hadn't thought to take. He typed a single command into it, activating the one-time-use portal deep within the SMP Earth ruins. It had been set up long ago, a failsafe only known to Business Bay—a way to return home if the world went to hell.

And now, it was time to go home.

The purple light of the portal burst to life in the woods behind him, casting an eerie glow on the cold landscape. Tommy hesitated for only a second, thinking about Tubbo, about what was left behind in the Dream SMP. But this wasn't about friendship or loyalty anymore. This was about power, and Tommy had been playing a long game. He didn't need Techno's protection. He didn't need Dream's manipulations.

He needed his boys.

The moment Tommy stepped through the portal, he felt the shift in the air. The cold, harsh wilderness of exile was gone, replaced with the familiar scent of oak trees and freshly-cut wood. The land of Business Bay stretched before him, larger and more fortified than he'd left it. In the distance, the massive Business Bridge spanned the horizon, connecting lands and people, a symbol of the empire he had built.

But before he could take in the sights, a familiar voice cut through the silence.

"Took you long enough, mate." Axel's voice was warm, but there was that edge of amusement Tommy had missed so much.

Tommy turned, and there they were—Axel and Deo. His right and left hands. His brothers. Axel stood tall, his cyan tie blowing in the wind, the gleam of a sword strapped to his back. Deo, always by Axel's side, had that glint in his eye that meant he was itching for a fight, a challenge.

Tommy grinned. "You lot didn't miss me too much, did you?"

Axel stepped forward, clapping a hand on Tommy's shoulder. "Nah, but the Bay? The Bay's been waiting for you."

Deo smirked, his eyes blazing with the same fire that had earned him his title as the Heir of Herobrine. "Dream doesn't know what's coming for him."

Tommy's grin widened, feeling the adrenaline surge through him. "He's going to find out."