Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

 It was a stormy day in the great city of Tubeyou. Dark clouds merged together to hide the sun from sight, and lightning danced to and fro between them and the ground. Rain came down hard and loud, keeping people inside and unaware of the events unraveling at the city harbor.

 A large gathering of people stood on the open loading bay, odd masks protecting their faces from the storm and securing their anonymity. One man stood in the back, watching the proceedings, with something akin to amusement in the way he commanded the others forward. At first glance, they looked like a cult or a big group of strange party-goers, but if you were to take a closer look, you would see a quartet of teens barely touching adulthood standing in the center of the mass of people. Masks didn't protect their faces, which were filled with a mix of anger, fear, anxiety, and determination.

 They were trapped. The four of them stood there, thunder rumbling overhead, wind tossing their hair around on their heads as the sounds of guns clicking and weapons shifting and people moving forward filled the air. They'd tried to run, but now they were surrounded on all sides by the enemy. Escape would be near impossible now.

 The four teens didn't budge from their position, eyes hardened in glares and shoulders locked in place, weapons in their hands. They stood back to back and shoulder to shoulder. One of them reached a hand out to the other, and received a comforting  squeeze in return. They all shared quick glances between themselves, resolve strengthening around them.

"Well boys," one said, a mischievous grin on his face despite the situation they were in, "any last words?"

 "Get them," the lead man said, his tone commanding yet amused behind his beast-like mask, as if he too was aware that they couldn't escape.

 As if a switch had been hit, the people surrounding them surged forward, and everything dissolved into chaos.

 Two Months Earlier

 Purpled didn't move. He stood as still as possible, ignoring the shuffling sounds and the judging eyes that stared at him.

 He could do it. He wouldn't lose his cool. Not here. Not now. 

 He closed his eyes for a second, taking them off the target before him. He breathed, trying to regain his calm-

 "Excuse me?"

 Purpled opened an eye. "Yeah?" Unprofessional. Try again. "Sorry. What can I get you?"

 The girl giggled and glanced back at her friends, who were goofing off nearby, making a mess of the table his coworker had just cleaned up. He sighed and looked down at his purple UFO-decorated shoes. Tommy was going to throw a fit.

 "Um, I was wondering if you were free later?" Her eyes were hopeful, and she gave him a flirty grin while sliding a napkin  that presumably had her number on it. "Me and my friends are going to the movies, and we-I-thought you might want to come along? You look like a hard worker, and we bought one extra ticket-"

 Without breaking eye contact or changing his facial expression from its bored, unimpressed stare, he reached for the napkin, brushing slightly against her hand, and in full view of the entire cafe, crumpled it with one hand and dropped it into the trash. He brushed his hands off on his uniform. "Sorry, but I have other plans tonight. None of which include you. Have a nice day."

 For a moment, she simply stared, as if in shock that she'd been rejected so smoothly. Then, she spluttered for a couple seconds (like a car with a dying engine, Purpled mused) before her face turned a lovely shade of scarlet and she stormed past her friends, who got up and followed her outside. Purpled sighed with relief. If he had to endure another minute of her trying to gain his attention, he would've puked.

 His coworker on the other hand...

 "Hey, Purpled, my man, my friend, what did she say to you?" Tommy stumbled out of the back, carrying a trash bag. "She looked kind of scary to be honest, but no woman scares me, they flock to me 'cause I'm the man!"

 He continued rambling about women for the next fifteen minutes, pausing once to curse the long-gone customers for dirtying his tables. Purpled watched him run around the tables and chairs with something akin to amusement in his violet eyes.

 "Tubbo texted me earlier. Said Ranboo's cooking dinner tonight."

 Tommy whipped around. "Why didn't you say that earlier?!" 

 Purpled shrugged. "You weren't out here."

 Tommy gave him a hard glare, but it didn't hide the joy in his eyes. "Fuck you. We could've been closed up and home by now. Now you've got to help me with the trash." He shoved a bag towards Purpled, who sighed grievously. 

 "Alright, just a second. Let me lock up first." 

 He turned and put the money in the counter. The manager, Mister Dooper, could handle counting the money in the morning. The green-haired man liked being on top of things when it came to his coffee shop, including finances. 

 After turning the Open sign around and locking the front door, Purpled grabbed a trash bag and followed Tommy out the back door to the dumpsters. As Tommy opened the dumpster and began tossing bags in, Purpled glanced over his shoulder. On top of Tubeyou having a ton of unnecessary crime and lack of available police force, they had their own problems. Luckily, the biggest of them didn't appear to be anywhere nearby. 

 With one final glance around the alley, he tossed the final bags in, and together, the two of them began the short trek home. Tommy was rambling about something he'd seen on the TV as they walked, but Purpled wasn't listening. He was too busy watching the nearby alleyways for threats or dangers. In Tubeyou, if you didn't keep one eye on your surroundings, you might as well pull out your wallet, lay yourself on the ground, and let the rats eat you alive.

 And since Tommy's attention was shorter than his head, it was up to Purpled to keep them safe on their trips from the apartment and back.

 The duo only made it a block from Jack's Morning Coffee Shop when a voice called out from an alleyway they were passing. "Tommy."

 Tommy fell silent instantly, eyes flashing with fear as he stepped closer to Purpled. In the alley, a young man wearing a suit with a green tie tepped out of the shadows. A circular white mask with a hand-drawn smiley face hid the man's features from view. Purpled stepped in front of Tommy protectively. "Dream."

 The man barely spared him a glance, only giving him a curt "Purpled."

 He stepped forward, directing his focus to Tommy. "You have our money?"

 Tommy seemed to curl in on himself. He pulled out a small wad of cash from one of his pockets, and with shaking hands, held it out for Dream to take. The man took it and counted it with expert speed before pocketing it.

 Dream tsked with what sounded like disappointment. "This payment seems smaller than usual, Tommy. You're not trying to play us, are you?"

 Tommy shook his head frantically. "N-no, Dream! I just-we-I haven't been able to gather up as much as usual, and we-"

 "Quiet."

 Tommy's mouth snapped shut, and Purpled was sure Dream was grinning behind that damn mask of his. "Good boy."

 "Fuck off, Dream," Purpled spat. If it were possible, he could've killed the older man with the deadly glare he was giving him. "Don't you have other places to be besides here, tormenting us?"

 Dream hummed in response and behind him, there was movement before two more men emerged from the shadows.

 "Actually," one of them began. He wore a pair of ridiculous white goggles that stood out against his sky blue suit. George N. Found, the second of the three mafia leaders, and the only one whose identity was open to them. "We were planning on giving you an ultimatum."

 "It's been annoying," the second man said, examining his nails. He wore a black and white suit and had a white bandana wrapped around his head. Sapnap. The one known for burning his victims alive. "Going back and forth taking little money stacks from you. Especially since you choose to do it the hard way. We're planning on ending your debt with us."

 "What is it?" Tommy asked, hands shaking at his sides.

 "Get us the money," George said. "You still owe us fifty thousand subs. Considering your little group's past hobbies, it should be easy enough for you to get enough to pay off. After that, we'll leave you boys alone."

 Purpled's eyes narrowed. It seemed easy. Too easy. "What's the catch?"

 "No catch," Dream said, "Just get us our money, your debt will be paid, and we'll let you leave our territory, free of charge. Unless you like the idea of being tortured and strung up in the the streets for everyone to see. Your choice." 

 With that, the three men began walking away. "We'll give you a month to get us our money. If you haven't gotten our money by then, we'll have to find a different way for you to pay us your debt."

 They vanished into the darkness, leaving the boys alone in the alley. 

 Tommy was the first to speak. "The sun-the sun is setting. Wouldn't want to get locked out tonight, ey, Purpled?"

 Purpled didn't respond for a moment. He was staring in the direction the men had gone, eyes narrowed in thought. When he was done, he shoved his hands in his hoodie pocket. "Yeah. Let's go home. Tubbo and Ranboo are probably wondering where we are."

 "Where were you?" Tubbo asked before they even had a chance to take off their shoes. "Who were you with? Are you hurt?"

 Their other roommate, Ranboo, was hunched over the kitchen counter, clearly trying to avoid Tubbo's mothering. Tubbo glared at them both. "Well?"

 "Uh..." Purpled looked at Tommy. Tommy looked at Purpled. Neither one spoke, as both of them were trying to get the other one to speak first.

 Tubbo finally got impatient with their silence. "That's it, family meeting!" He grabbed both their arms and dragged them to the table. "Ranboo, that includes you."

"Me? What did I do?" The taller teen seemed baffled. "Why am I in trouble?"

 "Family meeting, Ranboo. Take a seat."

 Ranboo reluctantly did what he was told. After a minute or so of silence, Purpled pulled a slip of paper out of his pocket and slid it across the table.

 "We've got a job."

Chapter Text

 Ranboo had a strong dislike for family meetings. They were tense, awkward, and uncomfortable, even if he wasn't the cause of them. 

 They were even more tense, awkward, and uncomfortable when it concerned their 'debt' with the Manhunt Gang, if it could even be called a debt.

 It started a year ago, when Ranboo, Tubbo, Tommy, and Purpled had stolen from some rich individual, getting a good haul for once. They'd been living together for years, working for their money (and occasionally stealing it from people who didn't need it), and never once had they been caught.

 Apparently, someone had taken notice of that.

 Dream came to their little apartment on behalf of the Manhunt Gang. They were living in the gang's territory, Dream said, and with how long they'd been going without paying the gang, their debt was huge. So their choices were to work for the gang as indentured servants for an indefinite amount of time, or cough up what they owed the gang.

 The choice was easier said than done. A couple weeks later, the green-clad man returned and took a small payment from them. A couple weeks after that, George met them outside their house, took their money, and left without another word. And so it went.

 They tried avoiding paying them once, when they were a little low on money, using what little they had to pay the month's rent. The gang took notice, and the next night, Tommy was cornered outside of the coffee shop. They found him the next morning, terrified and hiding behind a dumpster outside Jack's, long rows of shallow cuts making a crude smiley face on his neck.

 Needless to say, they never missed another payment after that, and Purpled took a job at the shop as well so they could watch each other.

 "A job? Why the fuck would they give us a job?!"

 Which brought them to the present.

 "Well," Purpled said, leaning back in his chair and propping his hands behind his head, "they didn't exactly give us the job. More like told us we had a month to get them fifty-thousand subs, and if we didn't, we'd be street meat."

 Another reason why Ranboo hated family meetings. Whenever Purpled talked calmly like that, it usually meant Tubbo would start yelling soon.

 "'Street meat'." Tubbo's voice was deadly calm. "And I suppose they want us to get the money by risking our asses and stealing it from some rich chump?"

 Tommy chuckled, but it sounded forced, and Ranboo could see the fear he tried to conceal hidden in his blue eyes. "Tubbo, Tubbo, Tubs, Big T. We can handle a little thievery! Dream even promised to leave us alone when we left."

 Tubbo didn't respond, only put his head in his hands and let out a shaky sigh.

 "Tubbo?" Ranboo nervously put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "This could be our ticket out of here. If we do this, we could get out of Tubeyou, maybe move to Corddis or Tertwit and away from the Manhunt gang."

 Tubbo groaned and without lifting his head, asked one question.

 "Who's the bitch we're taking from?"

 Purpled's face remained unemotional and flat, but Ranboo could see his shoulders untense a little. "We have a couple options that I was thinking of on the way here."

 Unfolding the paper, he turned it around so the other three could read it. It was a newspaper clipping, although where Purpled could have gotten it, Ranboo wasn't sure. There was a picture of a well-dressed man with neatly combed hair and a wide, infectious grin. His arms were spread wide as if to show off the world, and behind him was a hospital-looking building. 

Below the image were words in bold:

POPULAR PHILANTHROPIST JIMMY BEAST MAKES ANOTHER LARGE DONATION TO TUBEYOU CENTRAL CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL

For a minute, they stared at the image and the words underneath silently. Then Tommy looked up at Purpled, a teasing light in his eyes. "This guy? He looks like he'd lure minors into a van with candy for fun!"

 Purpled sighed. "Tommy, everyone looks like that here. Would you rather rob this guy, or face Dream again?"

 Tommy's face fell, and he nodded solemnly. "I'm in."

 Ranboo stood up, setting his free hand on Tommy's shoulder. "Me too. I'm sick of Dream and the others shoving us around."

 Finally, Tubbo looked up and at their faces. "Fine. Let's get this money. We'll show them."

 Purpled nodded. "Our hit has a big event happening on Friday next week. If we play our cards right, we can pull this off. However, we'll need the proper equipment, and in order to get some of it, we're going to have to ask a couple favors."

 Tubbo frowned a little. "I suppose I'm staying here to hack the systems and keep you boys in line?"

 Purpled nodded. "Ranboo, I'll make a small list, and you'll go down to Stampy's to get the items. I'll snoop around, learn the patterns of the outside security and shift changes. Tubbo, you'll get your equipment ready, make sure it's fully operational. Maybe make a couple of those zappy spheres you used on that one cop last year. And Tommy-"

 Tommy perked up and began squirming in his seat, a wild grin on his face. "Ohhh, please let me do it, please, please-!"

 "Getaway driver. Find us a car, safe stops to hide if the police show, and a proper route out of the city when we're done with the Manhunts."

 Tommy pumped his fists in the air excitedly, with a enthusiastic, "Yes!" under his breath, and the corners of Purpled's mouth quirked up for a second.

 "Tomorrow is Wednesday. That gives us less than ten days to prepare. We get started tomorrow."

 Tubbo nodded. "Tonight, we can just chill, watch TV a little, throw some spitballs down onto cars as they pass the building."

 Tommy grinned. "Bet I'll land more than you."

 "Bet I'll cause a major car accident."

 "And it'll kill Dream."

 "And blow up a bank."

 "And destroy the zoo."

 "And set off the nukes."

 They all fell silent, and Purpled sat up. "You still have those?"

 Tubbo remained silent. Ranboo slowly removed his hand from his shoulder. "Tubbo, your silence speaks volumes."

 Tubbo said nothing, only grinned widely at him. Ranboo seemed to go a couple shades paler under his mask. "Tubbo, please tell me you got rid of the nukes. Please tell me you destroyed them and didn't keep them for fun."

 Tommy started laughing. "Oh, this'll be fun. Tubbo, why didn't you threaten Dream with them?"

 "Because I lost the remote."

 "Oh."

 "Yeah."

 "Well then!" Ranboo stepped away. "I'm pretty sure the spaghetti is done, so I'm just going to-"

 As he approached the stove, the smell of burnt noodles grew stronger, and he sighed. "Crap."

 Tommy joined him, wrinkling his nose distastefully. "Shit spaghetti, innit?"

 "Don't worry, Boss Man," Tubbo called from the table. "We can get pizza."

 Ranboo sighed, leading to laughter from his adoptive brothers.

 "Welcome to Stampy's Mart, can I help you find anything?"

 Ranboo looked down at his list. "Um. No, thank you. I think I've got it handled, thanks."

 "Alright!" The guy behind the register said. He had a name tag that simply said "Stampy", and clearly was the owner of Stampy's Mart, to where Ranboo had come to get the items Purpled had instructed him to get. 

 The list was rather short:

 -Hair spray 

 -String

 -Sand (the special type)

 -Matches

 -Slime (stickier stuff, not the liquid)

 -Candy (MOST IMPORTANT GET FIRST-Big Man Tommyinnit!)

 Needless to say, the list was concerning. 

 The cashier looked mildly concerned when Ranboo pushed the cart up to the register, but he seemed to relax when the candy made an appearance. 

 "Having some sort of sleepover, yeah?"

 Ranboo winced. "That obvious?"

 Stampy laughed. "Do you know how many kids come in here getting that exact same order? Never fails to amuse me."

 Ranboo nodded. He wasn't going to be the one to tell the man that the 'other kids' were probably his roommates. Sending a different person to get the supplies for each run would help deter suspicion, especially if they made it seem like they were prepping for a harmless prank-filled sleepover instead of a robbery. "Y-yep! Don't tell the parents!"

 If the man noticed the awkward tension in which he spoke, he said nothing, only waved cheerily as Ranboo left the mini mart as quickly as he could.

 "Alright, that should be all of it. Thank you, Ranboo. Tubbo, how're the systems running?"

 "Peak condition, Big P! How'd your scouting mission go?"

 Purpled shrugged at them. "There was a shift change around noon, and I set up a camera to when they swap for the night shifts. I'll leave it there for a couple days to make sure there's an actual pattern. Is Tommy back yet?"

 "Not yet, but he-"

 "GUYS!"

 Tommy burst into the apartment at full speed. "You'll never guess what I-"

 "Tommy, shoes," Tubbo reprimanded from his seat at the computer.

 Tommy complied, tossing his shoes into the pile near the door. "You'll never guess what kind of car I found us!"

 "Is it fast?"

 "Loud?"

 "Not so obvious?" 

 At their looks, Purpled raised his arms. "What? When we use the car, we're going to want something sneaky. Fast, yes, but if it's the shiniest thing in the entire city, you can bet they'll find us in five seconds flat."

 Tommy grinned. "I'll be going so fast, they won't even see us."

 They collectively groaned. "But it's nice! And the speed on it, ohhh, they'll never see us coming!"

 Purpled sighed. "Alright, let's see it."

 Tommy let out a crazed giggle before racing back out the door. The other three followed close behind, and Ranboo wondered for a moment if they could truly pull it off this easily.

Chapter Text

Tommy was proud of his find. 

It was a sleek vehicle best known for its speed, and it was a dark cherry red with tinted windows and comfy leather seats. There was not a single scrap of dirt or dust inside, and the outside looked freshly washed and waxed.

It even smelled like a new car. And when he started the engine...

Oh, prime, he'd never heard a sweeter sound.

Of course, he was a little suspicious as to why a shiny new Ace Race 22 was parked on the side of the road with a full tank of gas and the keys still in it, so he waited an hour or two, searching the car from top to bottom for any papers or cues to who owned the gorgeous ride.

Nobody showed up. The car was empty. Even the keys were clueless.

It was too good to be true. Such an expensive car, abandoned so close to home? He shouldn't take it.

But, of course, he had to take her on a quick race around the block. And maybe around the block again.

And again.

And again.

And again.

And down through the Craftmine District. He slowly picked up speed, and soon, he was dodging and weaving through the streets, running red lights, and breaking all of the road laws at once. 

He whooped and cheered as he sped through the streets, and his wild laughter filled the car. He was keeping the car. He hadn't been in a proper street racing car in ages.

But all good things come to an end, and sooner than he'd have liked, the gas meter had tipped towards empty.

He stopped at a gas station, pulled his hood over his head, and filled the tank as quickly as possible without arousing any suspicion. He winced at the amount of subs the new car was costing him in gas, but he paid and left, taking it slow as he headed home. 

He parked it in a parking garage a couple blocks away from the apartment, and then ran home to share his findings. The others would undoubtedly love it!

"Tommy, what's stopping us from selling this car and using the money to pay the debt?"

Okay, maybe they didn't appreciate the AR 22 as much as he did. No problem.

"Um..."

Tubbo saved him. "That could be why whoever left the car left it. Leave it out where some hoodlums will find it, let them sell it, get the crooks arrested, and they get the car and the money back!"

Tommy blinked a couple times. "That made absolutely no sense, but I'm with Tubs."

Purpled shrugged. "He has a point, Ranboo." The older teen did a walk around the car. "This'll be good for sneaking around in."

Tommy grinned.

"But I don't like how it was out in the open like that. It's creepy."

Tommy's face fell. "But it'll be good for the heist, yeah?"

The others nodded, and Ranboo raised his hand. "So when we're done with this, can I drive it?"

"Absolutely not," cried Tommy. "Do you see this car?"

"I see it, yeah."

"This is a Tommy car. Not a Ranboo car, a Tommy car. Finders, keepers."

Behind him, he heard a snort. Then, a familiar voice rang out behind him. 

"I was thinking it would just be a loan to help you guys out, but I guess you can keep it if you like it this much."

Tommy spun around to face the newcomer, who was wearing a light green hoodie and a mask similar to her brother's, blond hair spilling out behind it. "Drista!"

"Hi, Tommy!"

The two hugged. 

Purpled gave her a disapproving glare. "Does Dream know you're lending us one of his expensive cars that nobody's allowed to touch?"

"Yep!" She hopped up onto the roof of the car and swung her legs. "I told him I was taking it out for a spin, and he said it was okay."

She paused. "Granted, he was pretty busy. Probably will ask me where the car went later. But you guys can have it for your heist of fun or whatever."

Tommy pumped his hand in the air. "Yes!"

Purpled sighed. "Thank you, Drista. We'll return it to you when we're done with the job."

"Cool. See you guys later!"

The girl hopped off the car and walked away. "Try not to damage it, okay? The less I have to get fixed, the less obvious it'll be that it was gone."

With that cheerful note, she left the boys standing next to the car. Tommy looked at the others curiously. 

"You boys wanna go on a test drive?"

Purpled sighed, while Ranboo and Tubbo perked up.

"Just one. And we'll have to keep it short, okay? We still have a heist to plan."

"YES!"

Five Minutes Later

"Tommy, slow down!"

"Ignore him, Tommy, go faster!"

Ranboo released a scream of terror from the backseat, and the other three released loud cackles as Tommy sped up.

"Faster, faster!"

Ranboo cried out again as Tubbo shoved his side. "Ranboo, look, police!"

Ranboo uncurled himself. "Cops?" Turning in his seat, he let out a wild giggle and waved at the flashing lights that were following them. "Hi, officers!"

Tommy let out a loud laugh and sped up, cutting a sharp curve and narrowly missing the curb. "They'll never catch us!"

"Not today!"

"Go faster, Tommy, you drive like a granny!"

"Yeah, Tommy, speed up!"

Tommy happily obliged, revving the engine and honking the horn enthusiastically.

For the rest of the night, the four boys ran red lights and dodged cop cars. The heist was temporarily forgotten as they drove like they'd never see the stars again.

Chapter Text

"Alright boys, testing comms. Can you all hear me alright?"

Tubbo was greeted by three different voices confirming that the comms were indeed in working condition.

"Hey, Tubbs, when we're done with this, we can buy a PS5!" Tommy said from his position in the AR 22 a block away from Beast Enterprise Tower. It had taken a good couple hours for them to find a good parking spot for him to stay close enough to the building that he could make an emergency rescue if necessary.

Tommy in a vehicle again reminded Tubbo of when the four of them had first met up.

It had been a clear night four years ago...

"Scram, kid. I don't give kiddie rides, especially when the kiddie looks like a rat."

Tubbo's employer was cold, huge, and easily irritated, but he paid well for Tubbo to clean and fix his vehicle for the street races that occurred in Tubeyou's underground. 

"I don't want you to give me a ride," came the haughty reply, "I want to drive it myself."

For a moment, there was silence. And then cold, mocking laughter came from the man. "You? Ha! No way am I letting a little squeak like yourself come near my baby. Now, scram, or I'll strap you to the bumper with my other toys."

Tubbo peeked around the car to see the other person's reaction. To his surprise, a boy younger than him stood with his arms crossed in front of his boss, blue eyes glaring furiously at the older man's. The two glared at each other for what felt like an eternity, and then the boy turned, and without a word, disappeared into the night.

He returned less than an hour after his boss left.

Tubbo was dozing off near the back of the garage, arm still buried in a box of gadgets and tools, a thin trail of drool dripping down his chin. 

The sound of someone shaking the doorknob sent him jolting awake and hastily wiping his face so his boss wouldn't see it and punish him for dirtying his tools, but when the door opened, he saw not the huge, bulky build of his boss, but a thin, lanky, eleven-year-old frame in the darkened doorway. 

The kid clearly didn't see him, and ran right up to the car, keys jangling in his hand. Where he got them, Tubbo had no idea, but this kid was going to get him killed. If his boss returned to find an empty garage and him in it, he'd get strung up in the streets, and no one would ever find his body.

"Psst!" 

The kid didn't hear him, busy as he was trying to unlock the vehicle's driver-side door.

"Hey!"

The kid's head snapped to the side, and he spun around, eyes scanning the darkness for Tubbo. When he found him, he snarled. "Shut the fuck up, bitch boy. I'm tryin' to take this beauty for a spin, and I don't need you yammering."

With that said, he went back to fumbling through the ring of keys, and his movements became more frustrated and jerky as he struggled to find the right one. 

Tubbo sighed and pulled out a flashlight. "Here, let me see."

The kid hissed at him, scrambling back as he approached. "Fuck off!"

Tubbo raised his hands in an attempt to calm the kid down. "I'm just trying to help. I know those keys by heart, I spend all my time in here."

The kid crossed his arms and glared at him. "And what do you want in return? Nobody wants something for nothing."

"Were you going to pay my boss to borrow his car?"

Silence. The kid shoved the keys into his hands and ran a hand through thick blonde hair.

Within a heartbeat, the car was unlocked. Tubbo tossed the keys back to the kid, who eyed them warily. "Thanks, I guess."

"No problem."

They faced each other uncertainly, until Tubbo reached a hand out to him. "I'm Tubbo."

"Tommy. Want to ride this bitch around town?"

Tubbo grinned. "I thought you'd never ask."

From that night on, they became fast friends, going out for joyrides every weekend after dark, taking care not to get caught. During the day, they'd go to the nearby park and sit on a bench, and conversations would last hours.

A third boy entered their small circle, a thin twig of a boy named Ranboo, who they caught rummaging through their snack bin for food. Tubbo accepted him immediately. Tommy was less approving, and it took him a couple weeks before he decided that Ranboo was his designated partner in crime.

Ranboo had a talent for pickpocketing, which led to the three of them getting into more fun and trouble than expected. They eventually were caught, but they always found a way out of it, with little problems.

When Purpled joined their group a few months after Ranboo, they became a little more organized with their crimes, and eventually, they managed to find an apartment that fit the four of them, and they tried to go clean for a little while, hoping to find a life for themselves that didn't involve incriminating themselves. However, with criminal pasts such as theirs, they still dealt with problems from time to time before their introduction to the Manhunt Gang.

Tommy would pressure Ranboo into stealing something for them, which Tubbo would inevitably have to return. Ranboo would follow through with Tommy's plans like a sheep following a senseless shepherd, and Tubbo would have to steer the duo back onto the right path. Then Purpled would get into a fight with someone who insulted them or tried to steal from them, and they'd have to sit in the living room talking about 'Peace over Violence, and Don't Punch that Random Fucko, Purpled, It's Not Necessary", and other necessary life lessons. 

And then of course, Tubbo would inevitably build some sort of deadly torture device out of batteries and random bits of wire and scrap pieces, and either Ranboo or Purpled would confiscate it, much to Tommy and Tubbo's disappointment.

Tubbo was brought back to the present by a repeated beep in his ear. "What, Tommy, what?"

"I was saying, Tubbo," Tommy said grandly, "that when we're done tonight, we should go to the arcade, like the old days!"

They hadn't been to the arcade in over a year. "Yeah, Tommy, that'd be cool. Purpled, Ranboo, are you in position yet?"

"Yep!"

"Yeah, just waiting for the shift change. We got five minutes."

The plan was simple: Purpled and Ranboo wait for the security guards to swap shifts, Ranboo would swipe a keycard that would allow access to certain wings of the building normal employees and workers weren't allowed in, and from there, they'd find the most expensive trinkets they could, and get out within the hour. Meanwhile, Tubbo would hack Jimmy Beast's Super Secure Bank Account™ and get as much loot he could within the short time period they had before someone realized they were there. Tommy would wait in the car, and when given the signal, would pick Ranboo and Purpled up, and drive them to a safe spot where they'd return the car to Drista, along with their money and a little handwritten note with a check for fifty thousand subs and a 'Suck it, Green Boy!' from Tommy at the bottom.

It was a perfect plan. Nothing could go wrong. Nothing would go wrong. 

As Purpled and Ranboo made their way through Phase One of the plan, Tubbo got to work on his part of the plan, focusing all his energy and brainpower on hacking the systems and navigating through the endless lines of code that filled his vision. 

After about twenty minutes, he heard his comm beep, and he answered without looking up from his work. "Yes, Tommy?" 

"I'm bored, Tubbo."

Tubbo sighed wearily. "Tommy, just wait another hour or so, and you'll never experience boredom ever again. We'll be living like kings after this."

There was silence. Then, "I could buy myself a crown."

"Not with our money, you won't."

"Now, that's not fair, Tubbo. It's our money, I get to decide what to do with it, at least on the weekends!"

"Tommy, this is money, not a divorce/custody problem where we have a court battle over what days of the week we each get to spend it!"

Tommy began to argue with him, but he was quickly muted. "Hush, Tommy. I'm almost done, and then we can talk about getting you a crown."

As he resumed his hacking, he glanced over at another screen, which displayed the security footage, which Tubbo was currently scrambling to hide his friends with.

"Alright, Tubbo, we're in the East Wing."

Unheard by the others, Tommy snorted. "East Beast Wing."

"Good. I think I'm almost through the final firewall. Hurry up in there. Tommy, get ready. We'll need you over there in the next ten minutes."

"On it!"

For some reason, he could hear amusement in Tommy's voice, but he brushed it off.

"Alright, I'm in. I'm transferring the money. You boys getting out of there?"

"Yeah," Purpled said. "We got some expensive-looking toys and Ranboo found a box of jewels in one of the rooms!"

Tubbo grinned. "Perfect. Tommy, are you there yet?"

"No, Tubbo, I'm in space. Yes, I'm here, damnit!"

The plan was executed perfectly. Nothing had failed or gone spectacularly wrong. Tommy hadn't crashed the car, the money had transferred over without a hitch, and Purpled and Ranboo had gotten in and out without being detected.

Everything had gone perfectly.

Chapter Text

It was nearly midnight when the front door to the apartment opened, and the boys filed in. Tommy immediately threw himself onto the couch and grabbed the remote. "Do you boys think we're on TV yet?"

Ranboo shrugged. "It'll probably take a bit before someone realizes that money's missing. We should probably start packing before something happens though."

"He's right," Purpled said. "We've done the job, given the Manhunts their car and money back, and had some fun. Grab your emergency bag and a few things, and stick them in the van outside. We'll get to some motel outside of the city, and start the real trip tomorrow."

Tommy groaned. "This is too fast. Do we have to leave tonight?"

"Do you want the FBI to show up at our door and arrest us?"

Tubbo chimed in from where he was slipping his technology and devices into a duffel bag. "Yeah, or the Manhunts could try something, like ask for another payment."

Tommy grumbled something in response, but did as he told, though not without slamming the door on the way out.

"Couldn't wait till tomorrow," he tossed the bag in the back of the emergency van they'd prepared for situations like this, in case something happened and they had to run. "Always have to ruin the fun. 'Mi mi mi, we're gonna get caught, wah wah', I'm Tommy Danger Kraken Innit, the police run from me!"

He grabbed another bag and tossed it in, unaware of the eyes watching him from across the street.

A hand reached up and touched a microphone. "We've got eyes on the target, sir."

"Yeah, we do!" Another voice chimed in, and another and another and-

"Quiet! I'm tryin'to listen. Jesus Christ."

Silence filled the car as the person listened to the voice speaking to him through the headset. "Yeah, looks like it. And the signal led back to this block, and these kids are acting sus, so either they robbed that guy, or are associated with the crooks that robbed that guy. Either way, they know something."

He paused for a minute. "All four, or just one? They're loading a van right now, so it shouldn't be hard to just nab them."

A snicker was heard from the backseat. "Nab."

"Shut it."

Instead of shutting it, they laughed harder. The guy on the mic groaned. "I'll call you back."

As soon as the call was ended, he turned around, pointing an accusing finger at the people in the back. "How hard is it for you boys to shut your mouths? We're on a timed job here, and you're acting like lunatics!"

When his words were met with harder laughter, he rolled his eyes and turned back around. "I don't suppose you've got masks, or are you gonna get stupid high like these kids are about to be?"

The laughter stopped, and the sound of putting on gas masks filled the vehicle. The man shook his head. "Alright, boys, let's do this. We don't want to disappoint the boss."

As Tubbo brought down the final bag, Purpled made sure to do a final walk through of the apartment before locking the front door. "Alright, I think that's all of it. Are we ready?"

Slowly, the others nodded. "Okay. Let's do this."

Together, they filed out into the alley, where they'd parked the van, only to find three men standing around it. They all wore eerie gas masks, and one of them dropped a metal ball on the pavement. It began to hiss, and smoke began to flow out of it. 

The boys stumbled backwards and away from them, but another man stood between them and the door. One by one, they collapsed, the world turning into a hard, empty void.

"They're so cute," one of the men cooed over them. "Do you think I'll be allowed to keep them?"

"No."

"Awww, please?"

"No. That decision is up to the boss. Now help us load them up."

Waking up was a chore. Ranboo felt like his head had been struck with a giant axe. If that even made sense.

"Urgh."

"Aw, he's waking up!"

As awareness slowly returned to him, he realized someone had removed his mask and goggles, and his arms and legs were tied to something. A chair? Where was he? Were the others nearby as well? What was happening?

"Hello!" A face swam in front of him. "Can you hear me?"

"Aghh." His tongue felt weighed down, and he couldn't form words.

"Karl, leave him alone. The boss doesn't want us bothering them till they're in full control of their faculties."

As the person stepped away and began to argue with the second voice, Ranboo's vision cleared a little. He was tied to a chair in a concrete room with what looked like a one-way mirror and a camera. To either side, his friends were in similar conditions. Tommy had been gagged, but he was still limp in his seat. 

"That one woke up a little early, began cussing us out. So the big guy had us hit him with another dose. He'll probably wake up soon." 

Ranboo turned his head to face the voices. "What do you want from us?" His voice sounded raspy, and his mouth felt dry as sand.

"That's for the boss to tell you, kid. Don't worry, we won't hurt you or your friends until he gives the word."

With that, the two blurry figures left the room through a thick metal door, and Ranboo was left to wait for his friends to wake up.

According to a clock on the wall, that only took about twenty minutes. One by one, they started stirring and opening their eyes. Almost immediately, Purpled began testing his bonds, Tubbo's eyes scanned the room, and Tommy started mumbling tongue-tied curses at their captors.

Another five minutes later, the door opened again, and five men entered, including a very familiar face. Ranboo's jaw dropped, Tommy's eyes widened, Tubbo gasped, and Purpled scowled. "You-"

"Hello, gentlemen," Jimmy Beast said, smiling at them, "pleased to meet you. Am I right to assume you're the ones who attempted to steal from me last night?"
 

They were so screwed.

Chapter Text

This was an odd development. 

"Mrph?" Tommy questioned from behind his gag. "Mrphrbft?"

The man in front of them nodded. "Yes, Tommy, I am Jimmy Beast."

All four sets of eyes locked onto the man in front of them. Purpled's eyes narrowed dangerously at him, and Tommy could sense the older boy's protective instincts kicking in. "How the fuck do you know his name?"

"Language, please. I know all your names. Although, I probably wouldn't if this," he procured a small slip of paper from a pocket, "hadn't found near the security entrance."

Ranboo's shopping list, signed in Tommy's scrawled writing near the bottom. "Hlyshft."

Tommy's muffled curse was ignored. "After finding this odd little paper, I had my experts look up all the Tommys, Thomases, and Toms in the Craftmine District. And when we found your image, it also matched that of security footage found near a parking garage a few days ago, hiding a car that picked up a couple people about a block from this building last night. And of course, I had to meet you boys face to face."

They remained silent, and he continued. "Now, I'm sure you had reason to rob me, considering the bags full of personal items you were loading into your van. And you didn't transfer any money that we're aware of yet, so I won't turn you in."

If suspicion had an aroma, then the room absolutely reeked of it in that moment.

"Why?" Ranboo spoke up from his seat. "You have us at your mercy. You could've just led the police to our door and collected your money. Why wouldn't you turn us in?"

Beast shrugged. "I don't like the idea of sending kids as young as you to a prison. Especially since you have potential."

One by one, he pointed at them. "I assume you, Tommy, are a good driver, judging by the speed and skill you were driving with last night. You-" he pointed to Tubbo, "-must be the hacker, considering the amount of coding we found on your phone. You- " Ranboo, "-look like you'd be fast, and you- " he gestured to Purpled, "-look like a strong, no-nonsense young man."

When they didn't respond, he continued. "In other words, I'd like for you boys to work with me. We'd provide you safe housing, good pay, and a chance at an actual life instead of running. What do you say?"

They looked at each other before Tubbo spoke up. "Untie us and give us a couple minutes to think over your offer."

The man nodded before leaving the room. Before the door had even touched the doorjamb, Ranboo was out of his bonds and was freeing Purpled. "You're getting faster, Boo."

"Thanks."

Once all four boys were free, Tommy threw his gag to the ground. "I say a few curses, and they shut me up and drug me again."

Tubbo laughed under his breath. "So, what do we think?"

"About this deal?" Purpled looked thoughtful. "It makes sense, and it helps both parties. Besides, we wouldn't have to worry about the Manhunts coming after us if shit goes sideways."

"Yeah, but he's rich," Tommy pointed out, "and he can sell us out whenever he wants."

"Not unless he wants rumors to fly about him," Tubbo pointed out quietly. "If anyone would listen."

"I think we should," Purpled said, "for now. Just a couple of days, and if we don't like it, we can leave."

As one, they turned to face the one-way mirror.

"What do you think they're saying?" Jimmy Beast and his four men stood on the other side of the mirror, watching the boys having their hushed debate.

"There's one way to find out," Karl said cheerfully, as he reached for a button.

"Karl, no!" Chris slapped Karl's hand away and stood in front of the buttons protectively. "We're going to treat this in a civilized manner, right Jimmy?"

Jimmy nodded. "Yeah. Chandler, Karl, unless they say something, hands off the buttons. We want their trust."

The fourth man, Nathan, nodded. "Yeah, guys. Do what Jimmy said."

Quiet laughter filled the room. "Alright, boys. When they give us the word, we'll give them a quick tour of the building, show them their rooms, and give them the plan. Under no circumstance are you to tell or show them the bottom floor, understand?"

He waited for them to acknowledge his order before continuing. "We'll give them their jobs and keep an eye on them. When they prove themselves, we'll give them access to the bottom floor. I believe the hacker and purple kid would be best suited there once they're ready."

"Uh, Jimmy?"

"Yes, Karl?"

"They're saying something."

Jimmy turned around. Sure enough, the boys were facing the mirror, and the mouthy blonde was shouting something at the mirror. He pressed a button, and the microphone activated. "Sorry, what was that?" 

"We've come to an agreement."

Karl gave an excited squeal. "Oooooh, what is it?" He sounded like he was expecting a puppy instead of a yes or no.

"We'll work with you," the purple kid said, arms crossed. "For a couple days. If we like what you have to offer, then we'll consider agreeing to your deal."

"Oh, that's smart." Chris looked at Jimmy. "We've got smart kids."

Jimmy ignored him. "We'll give you two days to make your decision."

"Five."

"Three. That's the longest you're getting."

There was a pause as the four boys whispered to each other. Then the hacker straightened up. "Deal."

"Alright then. We'll give you a quick tour-slash-introduction, and get you settled in. This is Karl, Nathan, Chris, and Chandler. They're my close colleagues and top employees."

"I'm Tubbo, the tall one is Ranboo, this is Purpled, and the one who cussed you out is Tommy."

Jimmy smiled at them. "Pleasure to meet you, boys. The three-day timer starts now."

Chapter Text

Day 1 In Beast Tower:

"There are one hundred and six floors in the main tower, as you probably know, going several floors below ground. You will be allowed to enter only a few certain levels, and you will have one of us nearby when you travel between your shifts. We'll keep shifts short, seven hours a day. Meals are eaten in the cafeteria, down on the ground level, but if you can't make it, there are vending machines with snack meals in them. We'll pay for them. Employees typically live in the building, in custom apartments, and we'll give you one of them. However, we will have to enable security to make sure you don't attempt anything illegal during your stay."

Beast paused for a moment to give them all a look. "I trust that you'll honor our deal, but I'd like to add that we will not tolerate you disrupting our security or wandering around places that are off limits. Understood?"

Slowly, they all nodded. Hesitantly, Ranboo spoke up. "Um, sir?"

"Yes, Ranboo?"

Ranboo looked down at his hands, which were fidgeting nervously with his clothes, then back up, avoiding eye contact. He seemed a bit surprised that the man had remembered his name. "Um, are we all going to work in different areas of the building, or..."

"You'll be separated, unfortunately, due to your differentiating skill sets. Don't worry, though, you'll still share living quarters, if you wish to do so."

He led them to a elevator. Tommy looked around in wonder, then had a brief moment of panic when the doors shut, and it began to rise. He squeezed his eyes shut as the elevator rose, and he grabbed Tubbo, who offered a small comforting squeeze in return.

"Not a fan of elevators?" 

Tommy opened his eyes to look up at one of the men. Candle, was it? No, it was some strange name like Chance or something. "Claustrophobic."

The man shrugged unsympathetically in response. "Better get used to it. The stairs are not fun to take on a busy day."

Another of the men smacked his arm. "Be nice to him, Chandler."

"What? I'm just saying. Walking up and down twenty or fifty flights of stairs is exhausting."

The rest of the ride passed in awkward silence. Beast and his friends stuck to one side of the elevator, and the boys stuck to theirs.

Finally, before the space could get any more uncomfortable, the elavator dinged. The doors opened to what looked like a hotel-styled floor. Odd designs decorated the carpet, and each door they passed had a golden number right above the peephole.

"Holy shit, this is fancy," Tommy whispered under his breath, blue eyes taking in every detail of his surroundings, a childish look of awe on his face. "This is awesome."

Grudgingly, the others had to agree. Other than the rich, royal feel of the place, it was by far the cleanest building they'd ever been in. 

Jimmy stopped by a seemingly random door and pulled out a key. "This one is for you."

He held the door open as they filed inside. Immediately Tommy raced over to the nearest window and yanked open the curtains, letting in a blast of morning sunlight. "Wow!"

Inside the room was a small kitchen and a couch in front of a large TV. Bookshelves lined one wall, but they were empty of any novels. Near the end of the kitchen was a small bathroom, and on opposite sides of the main room, two doors separated from each other.

"You each have a separate room you can fill with your own personal items. The kitchen is stocked with a small amount of food, the bathrooms have hygiene products and toiletries, and if you need anything else, we have special employees who get groceries daily. Someone will be up in a bit with your clothes."

"Now," he grabbed Karl, who was trying to lift himself up onto a countertop, "we will leave you to get settled. We'll return in two hours to show you your jobs. I advise you eat and get cleaned up. See you soon, okay?"

They said their goodbyes, and the men left the room.

Purpled crossed his arms. "I don't like it."

"Neither do I," Tubbo said. "And be quiet. We don't know what sort of 'security' they have set up in this room."

Ranboo picked up a pen and a stack of sticky-notes from a kitchen drawer and passed it to Tubbo. Tubbo immediately began scribbling on one of them. After a moment, he turned it around so the others could read it.

Theres no way some buisnes man wuold hire us for normal, evryday jobs. Soemthings up.

Tommy took the sticky-note next, keeping strangely quiet. 

He was also talking like were staying?

Ranboo: Theyre nice, but somethings off.

Purpled: I dont trust this Good Samaritan act either. Theyre probably doing some sort of shady black market thing and dont want to scare us off.

Tubbo: Weer leaving in a few days anywya. If they prove not to be dangrouse, well consder staying. But first

They were interrupted by a knock at the door. Purpled took the sticky-note and crumpled it while Ranboo put the objects back where he found them.

Tommy opened the door slowly. "Yeah?"

Two well-dressed men stood in the hallway, carrying two shopping bags each. They appeared to be full of clothes.

"Hi!" The taller of the two greeted. "I'm Scar, and this is Grian. Mister Beast asked us to bring you outfits."

"Um, thanks," Ranboo said, sounding slightly confused. "But how did-"

"Oh!" Grian turned and grabbed several shoe boxes before handing them to Tommy. "We've got other places to be. See you soon!"

Before they could blink, the two men had vanished down the corridor and into the elevator. 

"That was...odd." Ranboo took the boxes from Tommy and turned to face the others. "How did they know our sizes?"

Purled shrugged. "Like I said, shady. Don't question it. We should probably get clean and try out these clothes before they come by to pick us up later."

Hesitantly, they began to sort through the clothes.

Chapter Text

There was an hour left to wait before Beast would send the others up to take the boys to their respective placements and show them the ropes.

He wouldn't join them, of course. He'd visit them later, but currently, he had a different problem to deal with.

He entered one of his private elevators and waited for the doors to shut. Then, he pressed his thumb to a scanner, typed in a quick code, and then let the technology scan one of his eyes before typing in another code.

The elevator descended, and the arrow above the door quickly ticked over to the left as he went far below ground level.

Dream wasn't a good person. He could admit that. He led a gang in the Craftmine district that took payment constantly from those who didn't need the money as much as others.

That was why, when he discovered the existence of four thieves living in his gang's territory, he immediately convinced the other two leaders of the gang (his close friends George and Sapnap) to help him collect payment from the kids to help support other members of the group who weren't faring as well as others. Besides, he urged, the kids had stolen thousands at one point. Money was easy for them.

Sure, they skipped payments occasionally, but he taught them a lesson. Was carving Tommy's neck fair or ideal? No. Did it help get the money easier? Yes.

He finally decided to let them off the hook when he realized they didn't need the kids' money any more to survive. One last payment, and then they were free to do whatever they pleased. He noticed one of his cars disappear briefly, but it returned the evening Tubbo wired the money to them. 

He hadn't seen or heard from them since. His adopted sister, Drista, had expressed a little concern at their silence, but after a couple hours, she admitted they might have left the city completely.

He agreed with her statement, but for some reason, the situation felt off. 

He didn't realize how off it was, until he woke up in an unfamiliar room, his legs shackled to a wall. The floor was cold and concrete beneath him. His mask was still on, which was strange.

Where was he?

As he became more awake and alert, he noticed more things. There was a camera in the far corner in the room, and his shackles appeared to be controlled electronically. The door appeared to be less of a door and more of a hatch.

"Hello?"

"Good afternoon, Dream," the voice responded from some hidden speaker, "how was your nap?"

Dream's hands curled into fists. "Where am I?"

"The lowest levels of Beast Tower."

Dream's blood went cold. "The Game Levels."

Every criminal worth his spit knew about the Game Levels. Hundreds of people from all over Tubeyou were taken for them, and more often than not, only one came back out. The survivors never spoke about the games, and it was rumored they had been paid a large sum to keep their silence.

Why was he here?

"Yep," The voice agreed to his statement. "When I was doing some investigating into a robbery that occurred last night, I discovered a thin trail leading to you. Probably wasn't worth it, but I have a feeling as a notorious gang leader in my city, you'll earn your spot in my Games."

"What do you want from me?" Dream asked, confusion turning quickly to anger. "If this is about money-"

"It isn't," Jimmy Beast's voice interrupted, "and please don't raise your voice at me. It's kind of rude, don't you think?"

Dream didn't respond, so his captor continued speaking. "The rules are simple, Dream. Play the Game, and if you win, I'll let you go, a little bit richer. If you lose or refuse to play..."

There was a momentary pause that made Dream's heart skip a couple beats. "...well, I can always find another player to fill your space. Perhaps one of your friends, or your lovely little sister."

"Don't you dare touch them," Dream seethed, the thought of any of his loved ones being forced into a similar situation making him speak. "I'll play your damn Game."

"That's what I like to hear," Beast said cheerfully. "Rest up, your first Game begins soon."

The speaker went silent, leaving Dream to contemplate his fate.

Oh, how quickly the tables turned.

By the time Karl knocked on their door, the boys had cleaned up and gotten temporarily settled in their room. They were now wearing clean outfits with Jimmy Beast's logo on them, and even Ranboo had been supplied with a fresh face mask.

When they reached the ground floor, Karl faced them.

"Tubbo, you're going with Nathan; Purpled, you'll follow Chris, Tommy, you follow Chandler; and Ranboo, you're coming with me!" Karl cheerfully announced.

After a brief second of hesitation, the boys followed their chaperones to different wings of the building.

Chapter Text

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Tommy crawled through the ventilation shaft as quickly as he could, peeking through vents every now and then. He had managed to climb up another couple floors, and had successfully reached the ground floor of the building. All he had to do was find a way out. 

He had a plan. A big, manly plan. One that would knock the socks off Beast and all his employees.

Hopefully.

He reached an empty supply closet and managed to use his tasers to burn through the vent. He slipped out and took a moment to appreciate the open space.

"I am never, ever going into one of you again," he swore at the vent. "When I find those two assholes, I'm gonna shove them in a vent, see how they feel."

After a quick peek out into  the hallway beyond the door, he left the room. From the talks he and the others had over dinner, Tommy had managed to memorise where exactly the security room was on this floor.

He was going to find some decent weapons, and he was going to fuck shit up.

He turned a corner, and immediately smacked into a huge, muscular man. Tommy gaped up at him from the floor. "Uh. . .hi?"

The man growled at him. 

"Hey, hey, big man, nothing wrong with taking a stroll, right?" Tommy chuckled nervously as he scrambled backwards and away from the man's intimidatingly slow stomping puruit.

A loud bang rang out in the hallway behind the man, and he fell forward, nearly crushing Tommy's legs on the way down. Behind him stood his friends. Purpled held a smoking gun in front of him. Tommy jumped up. "Boys! I have been looking everywhere for y-"

Tubbo ran forward and punched him in the gut. As Tommy gasped for air, Tubbo leaned forward to grab his shoulders. "What did I say about sticking together, Tommy?"

Tommy wheezed. "Ow."

"No," Tubbo scolded lightly. "I said we stick together. We were worried sick, dumbass."

Tommy coughed out a chuckle as they went in for a group hug. "You guys, we need to get out of here. I met Dream and this other guy, Techno down in the prison place, and they-"

"Wait, hold up," Ranboo said, raising his hands. "Techno? As in the Emrrald Gang Technoblade?"

Tommy nodded, feeling a bit confused. "Yeah, I think so-"

"There is no way," Tubbo laughed, sounding a bit hysterical. "I just called his partners and asked them to help total this building."

"Can we hurry this conversation?" Purpled inquired, sounding agitated. "We are right in the line of cameras."

Together, they slipped back into the supply closet.

"He, he told me," Tommy said quickly, "Techno said if we met him at the shipping docks in like," he checked his watch, "an hour and fifty minutes or so, he could help us get protection."

"Jeez," Ranbboo groaned. "That's not a lot of time. Especially since security is-is-" He gestured helplessly towards the rest of the building.

"Swarming," Purpled offered. "Luckily, they're a bit occupied due to a serious security breach happening down below, which I assume had something to do with Tommy."

"Hey!"

"We just need to slip past them," Tubbo said. "They're busy with the shitshow downstairs, and-"

An explosion went off somewhere in the building. Tubbo winced. "Maybe we should just talk and run?"

Several floors below, Dream and Techno were steadily plowing their way through Jimmy's men. They made it back to the containment levels and began opening cells and letting out prisoners as they went.

"Grab any and all weapons you can find," Dream said, "We need to get as many of you out to safety as possible."

There were several nods, mostly from enthusiastic prisoners who'd been eagerly waiting for the day when they'd be able to pull a stunt like this.

"Today's your lucky day," Techno shouted, "No more Games!"

The cheer was passed along, and soon all of the freed prisoners were shouting it as they trampled over Beast's security and found their way to the stairs.

Jimmy watched the chaos unfold from a security monitor upstairs. With a reluctant sigh, he waved his hand at Nolan, who leaned into his walkie talkie. "All units, kill any and all escapees. I repeat, you have the order to shoot to kill any escaped prisoners."

Together, they watched the security open fire on the revolting prisoners. "We'll also need to prepare for an attack from the Emerald Gang. Apparently threatening Techno's life isn't enough to keep them at bay."

An explosion went off and Jimmy sighed. "I made a mistake thinking those kids would be anything but trouble. At the end of this, I'll have them be living organ donors."

"Living?" Nolan looked slightly intrigued.

"They can live on machines and think about their choices while their limbs and organs are removed one by one. Awake, so they can suffer more."

He turned his attention back to the cameras. "There they are. Almost to the entrance."

He sounded careless, almost bored. Nolan tilted his head. "Do you want me to-?"

"No, Jimmy interrupted. "Let them run. Get the others, and as many emmployees as possible. We'll let these kids taste freedom, and see how they feel when it gets torn away again."

He smiled contentedly. "This'll be a fun little game, don't you think?"

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?"

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