Chapter Text
Purpled's breath came in short, rapid bursts as he ran along the sidewalks, easily dodging and weaving through the crowds of people surrounding him. Glancing back behind him, he saw Ranboo and Tubbo easily keeping pace. Tommy, on the other hand, was beginning to fall behind. Purpled slowed down enough to grab his arm and pull him along at a faster speed.
"C'mon, Toms, only a block or so left."
Tommy nodded, though he still looked a bit out of sorts. "After this bullshit, I'm never going near elevators or crowds again."
"There you go," Tubbo called back to him. "Focus on that, and this'll go by a lot faster."
"The pier's just ahead!" Ranboo yelled. "We're almost there."
Together, the four teens pushed onwards. They easily climbed over the gate that kept the loading docks secured away from the public eye, and they quickly found the center of the area. Purpled checked his watch.
"Thirty minutes to five."
Tommy sighed with relief. "We still have time. What do we do until Techno shows up?"
"We wait," Tubbo said simply. He pulled out a few bits of metal and batteries and began piecing them together. Tommy began to pace while Purpled checked the safety on his gun.
"What's that?" Ranboo asked, head tilted curiously to the side as he watched Tubbo fiddle with the parts in his hands.
"Nothing of importance for now," came the reply. "Purpled, time?"
"Twenty minutes to five." Purpled looked at Tommy. "Any plan B if this goes sideways or he doesn't show up?"
Tommy released a shaky breath. "No."
They waited. The docks and cargo holders around them seemed to grow larger as the sky grew darker. The tension in the air became something almost tangible.
"Fifteen minutes to five."
Tommy shook his head. "He's coming. He's got to be."
His voice was taut with what had to be desperation.
"We've still got fifteen minutes," Ranboo reassured him. "He might show up last minute."
"Or not at all," a voice called out from the direction of the front gate. Jimmy Beast stepped around the edge of a shipment container, his cronies close behind. "Hello, boys."
More men appeared around them, keeping a safe distance away. They all wore masks that covered their faces and hid their identities.
Overhead, thunder crackled, and rain began to sprinkle down around them. Beast stepped forward, pulling out a mask of his own. It was a light blue with the face of a snarling animal on it.
"You boys are more trouble than what you're worth," he called, voice now slightly muffled. "I should've known better than to waste my time on rats."
"Damn right," Purpled snarled, tightening his grip on his gun.
"We could've done good business together," Beast continued, sounding a bit regretful. "I admit, I was a bit hasty with my moves, but at least this'll be over soon."
The boys backed themselves into a small semicircle. Tommy reached out and subtly grabbed Ranboo's hand. Ranboo responded by squeezing his hand a little.
"Well boys? Any last words?" Tommy asked, grinning faintly despite the situation.
Beast raised a hand. "Get them."
His men surged forward, and it was all over within minutes. They fought back, but they were largely outnumbered. They were soon on their knees, hands behind their heads.
Tubbo spat out a glob of blood. "Well, fuck."
Tommy chuckled. "Good round, ey, boys?"
Purpled shook his head. "Shut up."
Jimmy walked forward and squatted down in front of them so he could look them in the eyes. "I might not be able to completely fix the damage you've caused, but I can try. And that will start with whatever I can harvest from you."
With those sinister words spoken, he straightened up. "Get them back to the building and in separate holding cells. With guards. I don't want any more hiccups tonight."
He turned away, but as the boys were being hoisted to their feet, a new voice rose above the rumbling thunder. "Leave them."
Everyone's head shot up. On the top of a shipment container, three tall figures stood. All masked, all armed. The one in the lead pulled out a sword. "These boys are under our protection now, Beast. Consider it a down payment for forcing me to play your games for months on end."
"Techno!" Tommy nearly cried in relief.
The man twitched, but he didn't take his focus off his target. "Leave now, Beast, or you'll face a hell of a lot of hit back in the coming weeks."
There was silence. Beast slowly looked between the boys and Techno. "Take them. But if I see them on the streets or near my tower again, you will receive four corpses in the mail. In pieces. No organs. Clear?"
Techno gave him a short nod. "Get out of here. Fix your tower. Clear up your breakout problem. And don't ever come onto Emerald Gang territory or interfere in our business ever again."
Beast nodded and waved his hand. Between one flash of lighting and the next, he and all his men vanished.
Techno dropped to the ground and joined the boys, who were helping each other to their feet. Tommy had blood dripping from his nose, Ranboo was nursing a broken arm, Tubbo was clutching his stomach, and Purpled had a black eye.
"You're late, bitch," Tommy rasped.
"Only by five minutes!" Techno protested, pulling off his hog mask. "You doing okay?"
The four of them stared at him silently. The unspoken question was obvious: Do we look okay?
"Um. . ." He coughed awkwardly. "You guys hungry?"