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Ranboo sprinted across the obsidian and cobblestone path towards the portal to Tommy.
It’s been a couple of days since he was last able to make it back to Logstedshire. Every time Dream wasn’t terrorizing Tommy, he was terrorizing New L’Manberg or Tubbo. Ranboo was a pillar of support for Tubbo. He has spent a lot of time in the last couple of weeks with Tubbo comforting him as he broke down over his responsibilities and exiling Tommy. Even if Tommy didn’t believe it, Tubbo deeply regretted exiling Tommy.
Either way, Ranboo’s been using every chance he had to sneak out of New L’Manberg and go visit Tommy. They might be new to the server, but they know this whole situation is deeply wrong. Tommy really didn’t do anything bad or wrong, especially when compared to what most of the other people on this server have done. He didn’t even do it alone yet Ranboo never got punished for the same action. They really wanted to make that up to Tommy. They should really be there with him.
The most concerning thing was how fast Tommy has deteriorated while being exiled. From what Ranboo has been able to gather and see, Tommy is a very people-dependent person. Tommy thrives off being around other people all the time. Ghostbur mentioned how he met Tommy when he was really young. Wilbur gave him help, and Tommy just sort of clung on and never left. It’s a sweet story but really shows how important people are to Tommy. Tommy doesn’t even have his brother anymore. (Not that Ranboo really knows Wilbur. Nobody will tell him anything about Wilbur. Even Ghostbur actively changes the subject.) Tommy only has a ghost in place of him.
Ranboo has been trying to keep a chain of letters going, but with his memory and all the stuff happening, it's been hard. It’s another regret Ranboo has towards Tommy.
Ranboo clears their head as they reach the portal. Now is not the time, they need to be positive and comforting for Tommy. Ranboo hasn’t been around at the same time as Dream yet, but the burns and bruises are hard to miss. Tommy’s pale enough without the extra dark marks on his skin.
The whirling magenta encases Ranboo as he steps through the portal.
Yelling can be heard in the distance.
Smoke rolls out of a freshly made hole in the same direction.
Ranboo slowly steps out of the portal at those two signs. He crouches down and carefully takes note of his surroundings.
Nobody is immediately around them. Nobody looks to be in the house Ghostbur built either. Ranboo slowly moves towards the hill that leads to Tommy’s tent. They can see what looks like a party set up on the shore just past the tent and Christmas tree. Tommy’s not near either one, but the yelling is getting louder as well as the smell of smoke.
“NO ONE fucking cares about me Dream!” Tommy’s voice echoes across the empty plains. “Then, you show up and blow up all my shit and try to convince me that you are the only one here! Mimimi I’m Dream and no one loves you mimimi I love Georgenotfound.”
“I’m just trying to help you Tommy. You got to learn. That's what this whole exile is about.” Dream watches with fake pity-filled eyes as Tommy angrily paces along the tree line.
“LEARN WHAT, DREAM!” Tommy whips towards Dream. His day was not going well. He woke up in the ocean after fitfully tossing and turning all night. All he could see when he closed his eyes was the empty party and a white smiley mask. His body ached and he hadn’t eaten in a while, but he didn’t care. He was angry. He was mad. At Dream. Ghostbur. L’Manberg. Everyone. It has been weeks with only Dream. With only his stupid, fucking lime, green hoodie and condescending mask. Weeks of working endlessly to feel something only for Dream to blow it all up again every single day.
Tommy has already lost the weight he had gained back after Pogtopia. There is no food or animals anywhere in the surrounding plains anymore. Even the nearby village has been struggling for food. Tommy only has rotten food or what Dream has given him and Dream doesn’t give him much ever. His hair is constantly scratchy and doesn’t even lay right anymore. It’s lost its bright shine that everyone said made it look like gold in the sun. His eyes storm more than they glisten too.
Tommy breathes harshly as he stares at Dream. A small voice in his brain goes ‘oh shit. You just yelled at Dream. You’re going to get it now.’ Tommy collapses in on himself as Dream stalks forward.
Ranboo stands just behind the Christmas tree that Captain Puffy had built for Tommy early on. He watches closely as Dream moves towards Tommy. Tommy, who had been filled with anger, looked like a small creature being hunted now. Ranboo’s eyes furrowed.
“I’m s-sorry, d-Dream. I shouldn’t have yelled at you just now.” Tommy grasped his upper arms tightly, trying to escape Dream view.
Dream violently snatched Tommy’s chin and backhands him hard across the face.
Tommy topples back into the grass, grasping his cheek. His eyes filled with fear as he violently shook.
Ranboo lurches out from behind the tree. In all the times they have visited Tommy, they have never seen Dream actually harm him. They’ve seen the evidence of it, but never the action. Ranboo was furious. Dream has been abusing Tommy this whole time and no one has done anything. Ranboo, normally, is too cowardly to do anything, but this is Tommy. Tommy took the blame for something they had done together. Tommy, at every turn, has protected Ranboo. Ranboo can not stand to see this anymore.
Ranboo pulls his netherite axe out of his inventory. They charge at Dream with the axe held high in the air, ready to swing into Dream’s skull.
Dream was too busy yelling at Tommy to really notice. Tommy, on the other hand, had made eye contact with Ranboo and was staring at them with fear and worry in his dull eyes.
Just as Ranboo descends on Dream, he lets out a very enderman-like screech. Dream whirls around only for Ranboo’s axe to slice right across his chest.
Dream pulls out his axe to defend against Ranboo, but Ranboo is way too pissed at him. Ranboo is quick to heft his axe up towards the underneath of Dream axe. The move effectively throws Dream’s grip off allowing Ranboo to charge again. There isn’t much Dream can do to stop this move. Even Tommy, who had gotten up and moved back a little bit, was torn.
He was floored that Ranboo had shown up and attacked Dream this way. No one has challenged Dream like this in a long time. Tommy wasn’t even aware that it was something someone was really capable of doing anymore.
By the time, Ranboo had reduced Dream to dust, Tommy had yet to gather his thoughts and feelings. Too shell-shocked by what he had just witnessed.
Ranboo stands over the pile of dust and items, breathing heavily. They had just killed Dream. They could already hear their comm blowing up at the death message.
They took a breath before facing Tommy. “We need to run like now. Do you need anything from here?”
Tommy startles. He meets Ranboo’s gaze with wide eyes. “Run? Are we leaving? You just killed Dream.”
“Wait. You just killed Dream. Oh my god. What are we going to do? Where are we going to go?” Tommy grips his hair. Dream’s dead. Ranboo killed Dream. Dream’s going to kill them both in the most painful way imaginable. Oh. My. God. Dream’s going to be here any second.
Ranboo drops their axe and hurries toward Tommy. “Tommy! Tommy! We need to go now before he comes back. Do you know of anywhere we can go from here that isn’t back towards the SMP? Doesn’t Technoblade live far from the SMP? Can we get there from here?”
Tommy starts hyperventilating. “Y-you killed him. H-h-he’s going to kill me. H-he’s going to show up any minute and k-kill me. A-and you. You killed h-him.”
Tommy desperately gasps for air. Too much is happening way too quickly. Tommy’s brain is struggling to keep up with the facts of the situation.
Ranboo, silently panicking, gently grasps Tommy’s hands and untangles them from his hair. “Tommy. I need you to breathe for me. We need to get going. Match your breathing to mine.”
Ranboo pulls his hands to their chest and exaggerates their breathing for Tommy. “In-2-3-4. Hold-2-3-4-5-6-7. Out-2-3-4-5-6-7-8.”
Tommy’s breathing quickly matches Ranboo’s and his mind clears just a little. Ranboo continues for a few extra minutes before guiding Tommy back towards Logstedshire so they can grab anything Tommy needs still.
“Okay, Tommy. Is there anything you need from here? I’m going to message Phil real quick to see if he has any hideouts we can go to.”
“Okay…” Tommy quietly mutters still in a daze. He absently grabs his pictures of Tubbo, the compass, and the sparse belongings he still has. Ranboo is hurriedly typing on their comm. Their attention is fully dedicated to it.
After a moment or two, Ranboo deflates with a deep breath and stashes the comm in his jacket pocket. He turns back to Tommy. “Phil gave me the coords to Techno’s home. We are going to head there. I don’t know Techno very well, but Phil told me he is the best chance we got since Dream is going to be after me. Let’s go before it get dark.”
Tommy is still shocked enough that he mindlessly follows Ranboo. He is so exhausted now and any thought of safety weighs further on his mind. Safety sounds nice. Being with Techno again sounds even better. Hopefully, Techno won’t be too mad at him anymore. Tommy misses him a lot not that he would ever mention that to anyone.
The two set off through the plains towards Techno’s house. Ranboo grabs hold of Tommy’s hand so he won’t lose him halfway there. He keeps his other hand occupied with his comm, constantly checking the coords.
The plains slowly give out to a wide-open tundra which turns into a small mountainous area where smoke can be seen peaking over the hill. Ranboo sighs with relief at the sight. The two had been traveling for a couple of hours now and Tommy did not look like he could go much longer. Ranboo had given him his suit jacket not long into the tundra. Ranboo still had their armor on so they weren’t too cold yet. Ranboo hurriedly directs Tommy towards the inviting, warm home of Technoblade.
Ranboo raps his knuckles against the spruce door swiftly before bringing Tommy against their chest. Tommy slowly blinks at his surroundings exhausted enough to not be fully aware anymore.
Ranboo can hear shuffling from within the house before Technoblade’s frame fills the doorway. Technoblade levels Ranboo was a harsh stare that would have normally sent Ranboo running for the hills.
“Philza sent me. I assume you have seen the chat messages. We need help please.” Ranboo straightens his spine.
Techno stares hard at Tommy who is not fully aware of his presence. “You want me to help this brat?”
“Yes. I don’t know your guys’ past, but I just killed Dream and I’ve been told you would be the best person to hide from him with. Dream has been torturing Tommy in his exile. He’s the one that forced the exile and then used it as a chance to attack Tommy and break him down. I have been trying to help Tommy as much as I can, but today was the final straw for me. I couldn’t watch any longer.”
Technoblade considered the enderman hybrid’s words for a few minutes before stepping out of the doorway to allow them to enter. Ranboo guides Tommy to the couch before settling heavily into the cushions. Ranboo pulls Tommy into a tight side hug as Tommy slowly succumbs to sleep. Techno passes a blanket from the back of the chair to the two before tending to the fire.
Technoblade doesn’t know what to think about having the runt and the enderman hybrid in his house. Phil had already vouched for them and told him of their arrival. He would be here shortly to help. Techno was still pissed at Tommy and L’Manberg, but Tommy looked horrible. His clothes and hair were charred to oblivion. He had a bright red hand print on his cheek and dark bruises covering the skin that Techno could see. He could see how pink and raw his skin looked from overexposure to the sun.
When Technoblade had heard that Tommy was exiled, he had laughed. It was about time Tommy got some consequences for his troubles, but Techno thought it would be a lot like Pogtopia again. He didn’t know that Dream was constantly with Tommy nor that he was intentionally making this stuff happen. Techno doesn’t like Dream much at all. He gives off very creepy, sinister vibes. Technoblade had watched what he had done to Wilbur in Pogtopia. Dream had actively encouraged Wilbur’s descent. Technoblade might not be that close with the runt that his brother had dragged home when they were young, but he was close with his brother who was just a specter now. Technoblade definitely had some issues with Dream over that situation.
Technoblade retreated to the kitchen to gather some medical supplies and start some tea. He also gathered the soup he had recently made. The two teens on his couch looked like they would need it soon or later.
He briefly left the kitchen to help Ranboo treat Tommy’s wounds. Given everything that has occurred in the last 24 hours, Tommy was completely knocked out which worked in their favor. Removing his shirt, however, revealed some horrifying truths to the two hybrids. Not only with there more bruises and scars, but there was even a smiley face carved into his upper back. Both of them had recoiled when they had seen it. Ranboo’s eyes darkened at the thought that Dream had done this to Tommy. Ranboo wasn’t a violent person, but he is glad that he had stepped in when he had. Technoblade remained silent the whole time before disappearing upstairs to grab clean clothes for Tommy. Techno would make Tommy take a bath later and get the rest of his injuries taken care of, but they had made sure to wash as much of his skin as they were able to.
Technoblade retreated to the kitchen after Ranboo had fallen asleep as well on the couch with Tommy. Even in their sleep, Ranboo kept Tommy close. Techno spent the time heating up soup and cleaning. Phil arrived in a flurry of feathers not too far into Techno’s tasks.
He softened at the sight of the two sleeping teens before joining Technoblade in the kitchen.
“Hey mate!” Phil greeted quietly the piglin-hybrid with a small smile. “Did they tell you anything about what had happened?”
Techno sinks into a chair at the table with Phil. “Not really. The enderman hybrid had mentioned that they had stepped in when they saw Dream abusing Tommy earlier today. They didn’t say much else. Although, you didn’t see the number of scars the kid has now. I helped wrap his injuries and I’m pretty sure he is more bruises than regular skin right now.”
Phil turns his head back towards the living room couch. “Shit. I didn’t know that. Kinda make me want to hunt Dream myself.”
“Yeah. I’m about there too.” Techno huffs. “I don’t like the kid a lot but no one really deserves that kind of treatment.”
Phil nods in agreement. “Are you going to allow them to stay here?”
Techno sighs. “Yes. For now. I’m pretty sure the ender-kid might force me if I say no surprisingly. Are you going to tell L’Manberg any of this?”
“Probably. But not now. They can’t do much against Dream and Tubbo’s not really been there since this all started.”
“Governments for you.”
“Yeah…”
The two retreat into silence for a few before separating. Techno returns to the living room to read and watch over the two sleeping teens. Phil makes himself busy by doing random chores he usually takes care of the outside. While it wasn’t spoken, the two agreed to watch other the kids and not let Dream come anywhere near.
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‘Warmth. Why am I so warm?’
‘Wasn’t I just with Dream at Logsted? Wasn’t he yelling at me? No… I yelled at him?’
‘Was Ranboo there?’
Tommy slowly opens his eyes expecting to see a white canvas ceiling above his head. Instead, a cozy-looking white ceiling is there with spruce crossbeams supporting it.
‘Where am I?’
Tommy slowly turns his head to find a roaring fireplace and cluttered living room. Books neatly line several bookshelves with a handful of towering stacks lining the floor. The hardwood floor is covered with a soft, fur rug and he can see a plush chair set on the edge. Everything was rich brown tones with a warm white background. Although none of the details gave Tommy any clues to where he was.
He slowly sits up being mindful of the aches and pains that littered his body. As he makes it halfway up, an arm tightens around his waist, pulling him closer to the owner of said arm. ‘What the fuck.’
Tommy turns his head to see Ranboo fast asleep leaning into the corner of the couch they are both on.
Tommy’s breathing picks up as the memories come rushing back. Ranboo killed Dream. They ran to Techno. They are at Technoblade’s!?! Techno allowed them in his house? Tommy shakes his head trying to dispel the panic that is taking grasp. He moves Ranboo’s arm and tightly grasps his hair.
“No, no, no, no, no. I’ve left Logstedshire. I left exile. Ranboo killed Dream. He’s going to kill us both.” Tommy quietly mutters at an increasing pace. His thoughts become loud enough that he doesn’t hear someone enter the house nor Ranboo groggily wake.
“Dream’s going to kill me. He’s going to kill Ranboo. I’ve disobeyed him. I’m going to die.” Tommy hyperventilates.
Philza quickly crouches next to Tommy as Ranboo sits up, turning their attention to their panicking friend. Phil gently tried to coax Tommy’s hand out of his hair while Ranboo slowly starts rubbing his back. Both try to focus Tommy’s attention back on the real world instead of his rapid thoughts. It takes a while, but Tommy slowly unwinds and falls backward into Ranboo. Phil gently moves to sit on the edge of the couch by Tommy’s legs.
“Hey mate. You back with us?”
Tommy slowly nods already exhausted again.
“Good. Do you know where you are?” Phil signals Techno to grab a glass of water when he hovers in the doorway to the kitchen.
“Techno’s?” Tommy quietly mutters.
“Yup. Bingo mate.” Phil passes the glass of water to Tommy when Techno returns. “Here, drink some of this please.”
Tommy silently takes the glass into his trembling hands which are quickly covered with Phil’s warm hands. They all sit and wait as Tommy drinks the cup of water. Once he was done, he pushed it fully back into Phil’s hands.
“How about you and Ranboo move upstairs to the bedroom and rest some more? After that, we can talk and figure this all out together.” Phil’s hand gently pats his legs.
Tommy nods. A proper bed does sound nice. He is still so tired.
Techno then steps in. He gently lifts Tommy off of Ranboo so they can both go upstairs. Ranboo trails after Techno. Once upstairs, Techno gently lays Tommy towards the far edge of the bed, giving plenty of room for Ranboo to lay with him. Techno passes Ranboo some sleep clothes and retreats downstairs.
Tommy stares at the ceiling waiting for Ranboo to come back from changing. So much has happened that it feels like his brain has just turned off now.
Ranboo returns swiftly and is quick to join Tommy. Both are extremely tired, but the bed and blankets are comfortable.
“Thank you” Tommy whispers as Ranboo hugs him.
Ranboo smiles, “Of course. You shouldn’t have been exiled. Not like that.”
Tommy just soft smiles at him before finally resting. Ranboo follows shortly after.
Everything else can wait. Tommy has someone in his corner now. Ranboo would help him do anything. They are not going to let Tommy go through this alone. They are going to help him reconcile with Tubbo and escape Dream’s influence. Ranboo promises that to Tommy. For now, they will sleep in Techno’s home, tucked away from everything else and guarded by two men that could easily protect them from Dream if he appears.