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“Listen, you’re going to come with me or I’m going to burn your disks.”
And Tommy just froze, staring at Dream in utter disbelief. His disks, the one thing that he’d fought and killed and died for. The nether portal swirled behind him, bathing the man with a menacing purple glow as Dream blocked their escape. How long has he been waiting for us?
“You-”
“Well, that’s going to be a bit of a problem Dream, because this guy’s with me.”
And, despite himself, despite Dream and despite everything, Tommy felt a gin creep across his face as Techno stepped in front of him, aiming that crossbow with deadly precision at Dream’s heart. But behind that indifferent mask, Tommy got the horrible feeling that Dream was smiling.
“Are you sure Techno?”
“I am sure. This is a business partner and we’re working for our own mutual benefit right now. So, I can’t really have you taking him away before I complete my objective.” Techno’s voice dropped and his fingers tightened on the crossbow. “Before I get my revenge.”
It was almost all Tommy could do to stop himself from yelling in pure glee. All those times Dream had tormented him purely to push Tommy further and further until there was nothing left had all led to this. Dream - the only one who could be bothered to visit Tommy and the only one to ever shove him past his breaking point. Dream - his enemy and his rival and his watcher, but never his friend. Dream who was about to get a pickaxe through that hateful mask and through his teeth. Oh, Tommy was going to enjoy this. Karma, bitch.
“Unless, of course, you want to call in that favour.”
What? It was almost like someone had thrown a bucket of ice-cold water over his head, that was how fast all the elation drained out of Tommy at Techno’s words.
“What favour?” Techno was silent, not even glancing away from Dream as Tommy stepped out from behind him.
“Wait, Techno, what favour?” No, no, no. He should’ve known - he should’ve known. Dream always, always, had something up his sleeve. He always had one up on Tommy. And Techno finally shifted his eyes to Tommy’s.
“Don’t ask questions Tommy, the adults are speaking,” Techno muttered and Tommy thought he saw something almost like fear shift in the anarchist’s eyes.
“Absolute reciprocity, right Techno?” Dream almost sounded like he was grinning now.
“Absolute reciprocity,” Techno repeated slowly, glancing at Tommy.
“Techno, I want you to hand over Tommy.”
There was a sudden silence as Tommy just stared at Techno. Absolute horror clawed its way through his veins as Tommy forgot how to breathe. Please no…
“Techno-”
They could fight - Techno could take Dream easily.
“Tommy…”
They could fight.
Techno lowered his crossbow.
They could.
Stepping forward, Dream beckoned Tommy to him, like a dog.
“Give me your armour Tommy.”
Tommy glanced at Techno who tightened his jaw, “You don’t need to humiliate him Dream.”
“This is not your business anymore Technoblade.”
Fine. If Techno wouldn’t fight, then Tommy would do it himself. He would not go back to Dream.
“Go fuck yourself.” Tommy spat, stepping backwards.
An axe appeared in Dream’s hand. “Tommy, you know you won’t win this. Give me your armour. Come with me, and I’ll forgive all of this. We can go back to being friends again. That’s what you want, isn’t it?”
Tommy gritted his teeth, clenching his sword with white knuckles. Dream was right, he wouldn’t win this. And if he was dead, he couldn’t get his disks back, or see Tubbo, or kill Dream. So, with all the defiance he could muster, Tommy yanked off his netherite, throwing it at Dream’s feet and resisting the urge to chuck his sword onto the pile as well.
“I’m sorry, Tommy.”
Tommy turned to Techno, hoping he was disgusing the utter hurt in his voice, “well, it’s a bit fucking late for that isn’t it.”
And he turned and followed Dream into the nether, furiously wiping away hot tears of frustration. He had been free for a whole week, and now he was back to square one. Back with Dream.
“Come on Tommy, we’re going home.”
“Logstedshire is not my home.”
“Of course it is.”
Dream started along the path that led to Tommy’s old nether portal, Tommy trailing behind. The lava was so far below, the roof of the nether so far above that Tommy felt suspended between the too - and just maybe he had enough fire resistance left to survive a jump into the lava -
“Don’t even think about escaping Tommy,” Dream muttered, not even turning his head to see how Tommy slumped at the words, finally accepting his fate. Dream was right as always. Tommy would never escape him. Even if he ran to the ends of the earth, Dream would never be far behind. Even if he ran back to Techno, he would give Tommy up again. It was useless.
Useless.
No one actually cared about him. Techno betrayed him, Tubbo betrayed him… Dream. He didn’t want to think about Dream. He was doomed to be alone.
By the time the pair reached the portal to Logstedshire, Tommy had stopped bothering to wipe the tears from his eyes.
“Tommy, don’t ever try to betray me again.”
“I… won’t.”
“Good. Now, I’ll visit you every day, just like old times.”
“Okay.”
Again, Tommy got the distinct impression that Dream was smiling behind his mask, but this time honestly couldn’t decide whether to care or not. He stepped through the portal, watching as Logstedshire appeared around him -
And a hand grabbed his arm and pulled him backwards, away from the portal, leaving Tommy no time to even yell out as Dream appeared in the purple void as the very same hand that snatched him swung a pickaxe directly into that masked face. Dream’s head snapped backwards as he stumbled off the obsidian and dropped to the grass, fumbling for an axe that was kicked away.
“Absolute reciprocity,” Techno snarled at the broken, bleeding man on the floor. With his mask cleaved perfectly in two, Tommy could see exactly how Dream’s expression shifted into pure rage. A streak of blood ran down his cheek from the ugly gash that had been raked down the centre of his face as Dream tried, and failed, to rise.
“I’ll be back Technoblade, and god help you when I come back.”
Technoblade grinned, hefting the pickaxe in one hand, “If you even breathe in Tommy’s direction again Dream, then I will kill you in as many ways as I can think off until you stay down.”
Dream could only glare, breathing becoming shallower and shallower.
“You better watch your fucking back Tommy.”
Dream was slain by Technoblade using [Toothpick]
Tommy stared at the body infront of him with dull eyes.
“You shouldn’t have done that, he’ll be back for me.”
“He can try,” grunted Technoblade, pressing a gapple into Tommy’s hands as he picked up Dream’s axe. Tommy didn’t move, letting the gapple sit in his fingers like a dead weight until Techno’s hands gently pulled him away from Dream
“Tommy, listen to me, Dream will be back, but you don’t ever have to go back to him again, not unless you want to.”
Tommy blinked, suddenly snapping out of the numb daze he’d been sinking into and twisted, slamming his hands against Techno’s chestplate.
“Don’t ever pull that kind of shit again! I thought - I thought that you’d left me!”
“I know, I know, it won’t happen again Tommy.”
“It better not! You really freaked me out there man. And now Tubbo doesn’t want me around and Dream hates me, you’re all I’ve got.”
“I’m not going to abandon you that easily, but Tommy, even I can’t take Dream on one on one without some kind of advantage, but for what it’s worth… I’m sorry.”
“ Tell me next time.”
“I will.”
Tommy shoved Techno away again, but this time without any real anger behind it.
“You are a bitch.”
“I feel like I deserved that.”
“You really did. Bitch.”
“Don’t push your luck.”
“Alright. Can we go home now?”
“Yes Tommy, we can go home.”