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(Tommy was sitting in a small quaint café, sipping on a fresh hot chocolate. Cherry trees bloomed behind the window. The blond looked at his murky reflection in the cup.
He sighed and took a sip. The teen had been a week into his first year in DWMA. Death City was nice, dorms sucked less than he expected, even the teachers were very understanding. Yet, he could not bring himself to enjoy it as much as he expected he would.
The teen was here, he made it! He worked his ass off to get perfect grades and passed the entrance exam with no problems. But the moment he met his classmates, he knew that it wouldn't go well.
No weapon wanted to partner him.
None.
He tried everything. Talking with them, showing what a Big Man he was, joking around and showing interest. But none of the weapons wanted him. Tommy didn’t know why. Maybe he was not up to their standards. Or they just couldn’t see through the first impression they got of him.
It wasn’t a secret that the first impression he gave off wasn’t the best. He was loud and bold. Swear words slipped out of his lips on instinct. The teen used to tell himself that people avoided him simply because they could not handle his ‘manliness’. And a few bitches could not handle his guts when he refused to give them his monthly allowance.
Was breaking that bastard’s nose the best idea? Probably not. But did he deserve it? Tommy couldn’t see why not.
He closed his eyes and took another sip.
The sweet taste mixed with strong bitter undertones. The cocoa had a strong presence here, unlike in any hot chocos he had in the past. Huh. A really good quality. Not what he expected of a random café in a forgotten back alley of Death City.
White petals blew in as the front door rang.
Tommy looked up to see a man stroll in. More like run in with a gasping breath. The tall lanky man stood to the side and pressed himself against the wall.
A group of upset looking people ran past not sparing a look inside the café. When they passed by, the man’s shoulders fell and he let out a sigh of relief.
Before Tommy could get a good glance at the man, the guy was already out the door and running the opposite direction the group went. But he noticed the man was a brunet in a long trench coat and a red beanie.
The teen looked across the café. Nobody seemed to notice the commotion. Except for the barista. Maybe she knew who this man was?
Tommy got up from his seat and made his way to the bar, sitting down and leaning against the pult. The barista was turned away, washing cups. The teen watched her metodic work quietly.
Eventually, she turned around and noticed him.
“Can I ask something?” he muttered, his finger tracing the edge of his cup.
“Sure.” she smiled, returning to her work. A bunch of dirty cups still needed washing.
The teen took a small sip. “Do you know who that man was?”
The hands drying the cup stilled.
The blond watched her whole posture freeze, before she went back to washing like nothing happened.
“Oh, him?”
Tommy nodded, despite the fact she could not see that.
“He is- not a good company.”
The teen raised a brow. “Did he do something and made himself a bad name?”
The woman made a funny sound in exasperation. “Uuuuh- You can say that. It's more like- The vibes he gives off. And the stuff people who were partnered with him had said.”
Tommy took a longer sip. Was this man from DWMA? This was getting interesting. Was he a technician? Was he a weapon? Probably a technician if he switched apparently multiple partners.
“So it’s best to not get close to him, kid.” she added. And that was all he could dig up from her.
The teen silently watched the afternoon turn into evening. He finished his long cold cocoa and bid the barista adieu.
Still though, he wondered, who was that mysterious brunet?)
---
Their journey through the book of Eibon had been- How would Tommy put it- Daunting.
Tommy couldn’t be more grateful for getting Technoblade on this half-sinking ship. Nor be more lucky to meet Niki, a witch willing to use her magic to get them inside.
This adventure of his was totally off the record. If any teacher, gods forbid Death herself, found out about this, he would be screwed. So fucking screwed. And Techno too.
But they both knew the risks. And still they both signed up for this. Sealing their plan when Tommy stole the copy of the book from the school’s library.
For Tommy, there was no getting back. Not until he found Wilbur and got him the fuck out of here.
It was about a month since he was kidnapped now, Tommy reminessed, awkwardly swinging Techno around. A month since that weird blonde guy who called himself Phil opened that shity book in their faces and sucked Wilbur inside the thing, snatching him right from Tommy’s grasp.
It still hurt. It hurt to think that maybe if Tommy had held onto him just a little stronger, Wilbur would still be with him. They would be sitting on the couch now, watching a movie together just as they always did on Saturdays. Munching on popcorn, drinking Tommy’s favorite cola.
Neither of them were in their flat right now. Neither of them were at their flat for a while. Wilbur was gone and Tommy just couldn’t handle sitting in the quiet apartment alone, staring at the belongings of someone so dear to him. Someone who wasn’t there because of Tommy’s weakness .
Tommy’s aiming with the sword was uncalculated and barbaric. But got the job done! After a little more swings that it probably should have.
“ Tommy, calm down. Your soul wavelength is all frazzled. ” Techno’s voice reached his ears. The eye on the guard of the weapon looked at him tiredly.
The teen pouted.
“Wilbur never complained like this.” he deadpanned, stabbing the sword into another wretched monster. The ugly white background made his eyes squint a little.
The creature screamed bloody murder, but after another stab and a sloppy slash, it was reduced to dust. These things did not even have a soul. It made shivers run down the meister’s spine.
“ Because I am not as in tune with you as he was. You have to take that in account. ” the Weapon drawled.
Tommy rolled his eyes, kicking at the creature’s dust. He dragged Techno behind him, making his way towards The Index. The strange mechanical entity was watching them curiously, its plate face tilting to the side.
The teen glared at the thing. Something about it just didn’t seem trustworthy. Maybe the fact Tommy could see it didn’t have a soul.
You see, Tommy had this nifty ability called Soul Perception. It was a rare talent that had to be trained and nourished for years.
He wasn’t the best at it, but having Soul Perception alone made him the top of the class. He and Wilbur got to go on the best missions, get special bonus classes and even train special techniques.
They saved the streets of Paris from a crazy EP with a chainsaw, they fought a serial killer EP in Zürich and even stood face to face with the infamous Witch of Prague.
Wilbur loved travelling. And Tommy loved seeing the excitement in the man's eyes as they arrived at a new place.
He wondered how bad it has to feel to be stuck in the confines of a book. Tommy hoped that the chapter Wilbur was in didn't have any crazy demon chasing him around.
"We are ready to go to the next chapter, Index."
The creature looked the two over and the dust they left behind.
"Don't you want to stay in the chapter of Sloth? I quite like this place. Pretty relaxing." The metal thing answered, artificial emotion seeping into his robotic voice.
"Nope!" Tommy smiled, popping the 'p'.
Techno in his hand shifted and transformed into a human. As a human, the man was tall. Not as tall as Wilbur but definitely taller than Tommy. He had shoulder-length pink hair tied into a ponytail and kept out of his eyes with a skull hairpin. The Weapon wore a red hoodie with a white fur on hood that in a way reminded him of teeth.
He was standing slightly in front of Tommy, as if he was attempting to shield him from the book’s table of contents.
"Come on, Index. Let us go further."
If the creature had a face, it would probably be scowling at Techno now. Too bad that Tommy and Techno were glaring back.
After a glaring contest that took surprisingly long, Index relented.
"Chapter Seven is not like the others. Only one of you can pass through."
"WHAT." the duo gasped.
A corner of Techno’s mouth twitched. His brow was raised. And red eyes bore into the creature with confusion and a hint of anger. Tommy was pouting and glaring at the entity.
“What do you mean?” Tommy asked.
Index tilted its head. An ugly metal sound like scraping nails against a black board followed it. “Was something I said not clear enough to you?”
Tommy narrowed his eyes and held back the urge to pug hand over his ears. “Ow fucker! That sound hurt!”
Index did not have eyes, yet Tommy still felt its intent patronizing stare. And he definitely didn’t like it.
Techno glanced at him. And then looked at Index. “There has to be a way for both of us to go through.”
The metal bitch tutted. Or at least made a sound that sounded similar to tutting. “No. Only one. I don’t make the rules.”
The sword weapon took a deep breath. Tommy felt the man’s wevelings disturb. He was trying to stay calm, yet his facade was slowly falling. It was like feeling a whole internal thunderstorm play out. Yet muted, as if only seen through a window of a warm cozy house.
Techno always muted and controlled his emotions. Too focused on himself to care how others were feeling. That's why Tommy and him could never be on the same page.
---
(It had been two weeks into Tommy’s first school year. And he still didn’t have a partner.
But it wasn’t bothering him! No at all. Nu-uh! It was just a little- lonely?
His classmates looked so happy. The Weapons were learning to transform, Technicians were wielding them shakily. And Tommy could only watch them from a distance, wondering what it was like.
The teachers were assuring him that it was normal to not find a partner right away. ‘Someone will appear eventually’. And he tries to believe them, he really does. But he can’t completely ignore the voice in the back of his mind telling him what he always heard.
Nobody wants you.
Tommy bit his lip.
It was a lie. It had to be a lie.
The blond stared at his classmates who chatted together so happily, the dim light in their chests dancing- He did not belong here. How could he think he could ever belong anywhere?
He needed air.
The boy was out of the school the moment his last class ended. He didn’t know where he was going. The only thing he felt was an urge to get away. To crawl into some small space, curl up and die. His mind was loud. His foster parents’ words swirling around like a water vortex, pulling his small useless raft into the depths.
Maybe that’s why he didn’t notice someone was running right at him.
Something collided with him and Tommy was sent to the rough concrete. His palms burned. What the fuck happened?
He looked up to cuss out the attacker. But froze. Towering over him was a tall lanky man. He had brown curly hair and golden rimmed glasses. The man was dressed in the same long trench coat and a red beanie. This time, Tommy noticed a skull pin on his hat and sewed on patches on his lower shoulders, showing his association with DWMA.
It was the guy!
The man looked alarmed and embarrassed. “Oh shoot! Sorry. I didn’t see you there.”
Tommy blinked. The man was offering him a hand. The boy looked at it and then back at the man.
He looked genuinely sorry. Was he though?
The teen grunted and got back up to his legs himself. “Then look better next time, asshole.”
The man stared at him for a moment. Before loud shouting came from the way he came and his eyes widened. “Fuck!”
His head whipped around and he and Tommy watched as a group of dangerous looking guys stepped out into the view. There were about five of them. The type of guys Tommy could imagine breaking bottles and starting fights in a pub after their favorite football team didn’t win. People willing to discharge their anger on anyone who got in their path. They were the same guys the man was trying to avoid back in the café.
Their leader, or atleast the one Tommy assumed was their leader, had a pretty girl by his side. If looks could kill, the brunet would be a dead man.
“Wilbur Soot!” the leader boomed. The whole street fell silent.
The brunet, Wilbur apparently, swallowed dryly.
“Ahahah- Hello, Jared.” Wilbur greeted cheerily. But even a blind person could see the man was uncomfortable. Scared even.
The leader, Jared, strided forward. Wilbur, despite how his hands were trembling, stood his ground.
"What a- ah- fine afternoon do we have here?" Wilbur blurted out.
Jared's eyes didn't move from him. "Yes, quite a nice afternoon."
Tommy wasn't sure where, but he felt a quiet threat in those words. And Wilbur seemed to too. The brunet slowly started taking steps back.
Jared was stalking forward like a beast of prey. A cat ready to pounce. Yet he cherished the uncertainty his presence brought to Wilbur. He was playing with him. Playing with the food before he sinks his sharp teeth into it.
"A perfect afternoon for your execution. " Jared purred.
His lackeys rushed forward.
Tommy suddenly found his hand in Wilbur's. And the man wasn't willing to stick around and see what the lackeys would do.
The two set out to a mad dash. But the lackeys and Jared were not far behind. Their steps were quick and slightly slippery against the cobbled path.
Random pedestrians were giving them confused looks and glares. The two didn't care.
"Sorry for dragging you into this, man." Wilbur said after some time of running.
Tommy's eyebrows rose. He even apologized. The teen still wasn't willing to trust this.
"Who the fuck are those guys?!"
Wilbur bites his lip and speeds up. Tommy now slightly struggles to keep up with him.
"Local gangsters. Rough guys. I saw them beat up a guy so hard he ended up in the hospital."
Tommy paled. Great. Honestly great.
"Do you owe them money, or-"
A stone flew right past them. And another. The idiots were throwing stones at them.
"Worse." Wilbur gasped as he ducked. A stone flew right over his head.
He continued. “You saw that girl next to him?”
Tommy nodded.
“That is his sister, I-" another stone flew and he dodged it in just the nick of time. "I had dated her.”
Had. Which meant they were not dating anymore. Which meant they broke up. And this did not look like a peaceful break up to Tommy.
“That's rough, buddy.”
Streets twisted in front of them as they continued to press forward. Angry shouts followed them every step of the way. Three sets of footsteps echoed behind them.
Wait.
Three?
“Fuck!” Wilbur swore.
Tommy’s eyes snapped up. The rest of the gang was running at them from the opposite direction. They must have split up at some point.
“Motherfuckers.” Tommy breathed.
How will they avoid them? Tommy looked around. There was a side alley a little ahead of them.
Wilbur squeezed his hand tighter. The two rushed towards the side alley.
Steps of their pursuers were slowly fading.
Did the- Did they make it? No, this didn’t seem right. Why would they give up running after them?
Only if they knew the two had nowhere to escape.
“Wilbur-” Tommy started. But he was too out of breath to finish the sentence. They had been running for a hot minute.
The two rounded a corner.
“Yeah, man?” Wilbur asked. It was present in his voice that even he was pretty much out of breath.
Tommy took a sharp deep breath. His lungs were burning. He felt the phantom teste of iron in his mouth.
They rounded another corner.
Their steps were visibly slower. Their movements were slower. Tommy felt exhausted.
“I think- I think-”
They rounded another corner.
The blond’s body was really trying to piss him off today. Why couldn’t he say such a simple sentence?
Wilbur was lookin at him with concern.
“I- I-” Tommy tried again.
His eyes wandered past Wilbur and he gasped. “Trap!”
The teen pointed at the road ahead of them. Wilbur followed his finger. Both of them paled as they fully took the situation in.
Ahead of them was a brick wall.
“Oh fuck.” Wilbur breathed out and slowed down.
Tommy leaned against the wall, trying to catch his breath. They were fucked! The wall was too tall. They couldn’t climb over it.
The steps of their pursuers were steadily getting louder.
“Wha-” Tommy swallowed and took another deep breath, “what do we do?”
Wilbur was facing the other end of the alley with wide unfocused eyes. The steps following them were very close now.
“Wilbur?”
Tommy was thinking. Maybe if Wilbur gave him a step, Tommy could jump over the wall and pull Wilbur up? No. Tommy wasn’t strong enough. Wilbur was tall, maybe he would be able to pull himself up the wall? Also no. The man was too lanky. There had to be a way to get out of this! They can still try to climb the wall. Yeah! That could work!
The gangsters were appearing one by one from behind the corner.
It was now or never.
“Wilbur, if we climb the wall, we can-”
“No.” Wilbur said. But not as an answer. As an order.
Jared was grinning victoriously. Wilbur curled his hands into fists. His posture was still shaky, but less so.
“I had been running away from this for far too long.”
The lackeys blocked the end of the hallway.
The leader side-hugged his sister who was sobbing and crying into her sleeve. Tommy pressed his lips into a thin line. She wasn’t a very good actor.
“Do you see what you have done to my sister?” Jared stated, pulling his sister a little closer, whipping nonexistent tears off of her face.
“She is literally faking!” Tommy couldn’t help himself not to say.
Jared shot him a burning glare. Tommy only rolled his eyes. He was used to people looking at him like that.
“You had broken her small soft heart! Bastard!” the gang leader shouted.
Wilbur tilted his head to the side and frowned. “The fuck? She had broken up with me.”
Jared looked down at his sister. “Is that true?”
She paled slightly and then shook her head vigorously. “NO! He is lying! He’s a filthy liar! All he does is lie!”
“Sarah, stop fucking lying!” Wilbur said tiredly.
Oh damn. Drama. Next they’ll strike dramatic poses and start shouting each other’s names dramatically. Tommy would imagine them then slamming a door at each other, but since they were outside, there was no door.
“We were both at fault.” Wilbur sighed.
Sarah scoffed. “Hardly!”
Jared pressed his sister close. Tommy’s heart ached. That was more affection than he ever got and she didn’t even deserve it!
“I want my revenge.” she stated.
Suddenly her body transformed into light and swirled around Jared. Seconds later, a huge axe appeared in the gangster’s hand.
“Oh- Shit.” Tommy’s eyes widened and he swallowed drily.
Being chopped to pieces like firewood wasn't on his today's list.
Wilbur stood his ground. Was he fucking crazy?!
“I noticed your uniform. You are a fellow DWMA student.” Wilbur muttered just loud enough so Tommy would hear.
The blond nodded.
“I’m sorry once again for dragging you into this. It isn’t right of me to bring other people into my personal messes.” Wilbur sighed. “But I need your help in this.”
Help? What kind of help? And what did it have to do with Tommy being a DWMA student? They were both technicians, weren’t they?
Wilbur looked at him. His brown eyes screamed of sincerity. “Do you trust me?”
Tommy wanted to say no. This man was a stranger! They met like twice. How could Tommy trust him?
The teen nodded.
The brunet smiled. “You look like a child, but I trust you too.”
Someone trusted him?
“Oi! I’m not a child! I am a Big Man!”
Wilbur smiled. “Sure.”
Tommy was about to retort something very nasty-
“HEY!” someone shouted.
The two turned towards the source.
Jared was staring at them impatiently. “Are you done chit chatting?”
Tommy glared at Jared. He wasn’t finished yet!
“Stretch your hands in front of you.” Wilbur ordered.
“Huh?” Tommy asked.
“Just do it.” The stated.
Tommy was confused. The fuck was that about? Is he supposed to stretch his hand up front so they can be cut off easier? But there was also urgency in Wilbur’s tone. And Tommy-
Jared was running at them, axe up above his head ready to strike. Tommy was striked by fear. He was going to die. He was fucking going to die!
The teen stretched his hands up in front of him. Maybe he can catch the axe to slow it down? Another wave of fear shuddered through him and he snapped his eyes closed. He didn’t want to see this. He didn’t want to see the axe swing down-
There was a slash through the air. Something cold touched Tommy’s palms. The axe collided with- A pressure was put against Tommy. But there was no pain. And the pressure wasn’t put on Tommy but something in his-
Tommy’s eyes slowly opened.
His jaw dropped.
No, the axe in deed didn’t collide with him. It collided with the long handle of a scythe in his hands.
But where the fuck did the weapon come from?
"W- What?" Tommy stammered.
Even Jared looked surprised. He lifted the axe, ready to strike again.
Tommy grabbed the scythe tight and frowned. The metal made his skin tingle. He switched the weapon to a different position.
The axe swung down and the teen dodged back.
To his surprise, the scythe was light, lighter than such a big piece of metal should be. And it twisted in his hand just as easily.
He blocked the third strike and the fourth. Sparkles bursted from the collision of metal.
The teen never held a scythe before. He had no idea how to use it or hold it properly. The only reason the axe hadn't struck him badly was because he was acting on instinct.
All his instincts screamed at him to fight.
"You are doing good." Wilbur said with surprise and fondness in his tone.
But his voice wasn't coming from some corner close by. No. It was coming out of the scythe itself .
Wilbur was a Weapon .
Tommy panicked and felt pain scrape his arm. Red liquid traveled down the axe's blade.
His eyes widened. "Shoot. Wil, what do I do? They are going to kill us!"
The next strike went right for his head. Tommy managed to block it, but a little too close to his face to comfort.
"Focus on my soul." Wilbur ordered.
"How?" Tommy asked.
An awkward strike went for his thigh. Tommy blocked it and dodged to the side.
“My wavelength. Follow my wavelength.”
The blond frowned. He never did that before. The feeling of being left out in his classes stung harder. How was he even supposed to do that? Well, he has to feel Wilbur’s wavelength at some level, otherwise they would not be able to cooperate so well.
He just had to focus. Fucus and find the little thread leading to Wilbur’s soul. Or at least that’s what it is, right? Nobody ever really explained to him what soul wavelength is like.
Tommy’s mind searched. Between hasty blocking, sparkles from impacts and unsteady footing, he couldn’t feel anything. But it had to be there, it had to be there from the moment he touched the scythe.
Jared was getting very impatient. Sarah was shouting like a Karen trying to speak to the manager and Tommy’s hands shook.
The wavelength had to be a feeling in the background, something he felt but not really registered. Almost like-
The tingling!
Tommy focused his mind on it. He felt the sliding of metal against his skin, the cold that spread from the handle.
The tingling spread further up his hand, arm, reaching his chest. He dug deeper into the feeling. A shiver ran down his spine. Smell of lavender and vanilla filled his nose. And amongst all those feelings, Tommy could see him.
It wasn't a physical image, more like a collage of intertwined senses and glimpses of an animated portrait drawn with a pencil. But it was there. And he saw Tommy too.
The image of Wilbur looked surprised. Has Tommy done something wrong? Oh Death, he did, didn't he? Wilbur will be so angry.
Waves of unsteady ocean washed around his ankles. Image of Wilbur walked towards him and offered him a hand.
Tommy was confused. Why wasn't Wilbur screaming at him? Why did he look so- Tommy wasn't sure what he looked like.
Wilbur smiled. "Shall we dance?"
And now Tommy was the one surprised.
"I- I don't know how to dance."
The brunet had a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Don't worry. I know you will get a hang of it quickly."
Tommy took a deep inhale.
All this was very new to him. Too new. It made him unsure, scared to mess up.
He had been fighting using Wilbur for a few minutes now, yet the man didn't curse him out once. The man even offered to dance with him.
The man trusted him and Tommy couldn't help but return the sentiment.
He exhaled.
"Let's rock!" Tommy exclaimed, taking the offered hand.
Tommy movements instantly became sharper. The weapon moved in his hands easily as if it was always meant to be there. The teen wasn't sure how he was doing that. But it was as if the weapon knew. Every swing and twist and fighting movement Tommy has never done or seen before- It didn't feel like a fight at all. It felt like a dance. A dance of two halves of one being, finally reunited as one.
This alley was their stage and the music came from their souls.
Jared and Sarah scrambled to match them. But it was no use. Tommy swung the blunt side of the scythe against Jared’s stomach and knocked out his breath with a second blunt strike to his chest.
The leader was left heaving on the ground.
Sarah transformed into a human to comfort her brother. Wilbur also transformed back as there was no need for weapons anymore. The two exchanged some words, nasty ones, probably. Tommy didn’t pay much attention. All that was going through his mind was that loud enough.
He had fought with a Weapon! It was an amazing feeling. The way he and Wilbur worked together left much to be desired but they beat a guy. They won .
“Kid?” Wilbur asked.
Tommy blinked and looked around. The gangsters were gone. They must have left while he wasn’t watching.
Wait, kid? Oh. He never actually introduced himself, did he?
“Not a kid, a Big Man!” he pouted.
“Sure.” Wilbur smiled.
Tommy glared at him. A grin was tucking at Wilbur’s lips.
The man leaned against the wall and sighed. “Your partner has to be really proud of you. You showed great potential right there.”
The blond blinked twice. “Really?!”
Wilbur grinned, but it wasn’t a happy grin. It was melancholic. The man nodded.
The teen wasn’t sure of what to say. So he just said what came to his mind. “You know. I am a Big Man after all. Big Men do big men things. I am so very good at fighting. Yup I am! I am going to be the greatest meister of all time one day. And I will show everyone who ever doubted me and called me a child, that I, Tommy Danger Kraken Trusty Innit, am not a child! I am a Big Man. Fuck them. Fuck those bitches. And I-”
The brunet looked a little caught off guard by Tommy’s sudden spiel. But he didn’t seem to find it annoying. A warm smile stretched on his face, before that one too was drenched in melancholy.
Tommy felt awkward. Something was visibly bringing Wilbur’s mood down, but he couldn’t tell what.
“Your partner also has to be proud of you. N-Not that I- Well what I- Ugh. Your partner has to be lucky to have you. That's what I wanted to say.” he said, stumbling over his words.
Those words seemed to bring Wilbur's mood just a little up. The man looked away.
"Hah. If I had one." The brunet muttered bitterly, pushing himself away from the wall.
Tommy's eyes followed him. "You don't have a technician?"
Wilbur sighed and shook his head.
'He is- not a good company' the barista's words echoed in his mind.
Still, Wilbur was a Weapon. That was so cool! Not everyone could change into a weapon.
"Why?"
Wilbur turned away in thought. He paced around a little. "How do I- You know what madness is, right?"
Tommy nodded.
"Some people, like technicians with Soul Perception, are more susceptible to it. And I am too."
The teen frowned. "And that is the reason they don't want to work with you?"
Wilbur bit his lip. "Pretty much. They don't think they can trust me."
That was stupid! Wilbur didn't seem like a man with a few screws loose. He just seemed like an awkward man with relationship issues.
So so stupid. Stupid misconceptions. Yet familiar.
Tommy's mind was set in stone now. And no one could change it.
"Then I will be your technician!" Tommy proclaimed proudly.
Wilbur raised eyebrows in shock. "B-but what about your current Weapon?"
Tommy shook his head with a small smile. "Don't have any."
The brunet looked surprised.
"Are you taking my offer, then?"
"Are you sure, Tommy?"
"I've never been more sure in my life!")
---
Techno growled.
Tommy rolled his eyes.
“Then I’ll go.” the Weapon seethed. His stance was stiff.
The teen glared at him. "No, I'll go."
Techno looked at him and searched his face. "Absolutely not."
"Whyyyyyyy?" Tommy whined, pouting.
The Weapon didn't look like he was willing to back down. Tommy glared harder.
"Tommy, you aren't a Weapon. You might get hurt." Techno explained with irritation, as if he was explaining something really basic to a child. Tommy wasn't a child!
"Oh?" He jabbed a finger into Techno's chest, "Are you implying that you are better than me, Blade ?"
"For this, yes." He said matter of factly.
Tommy felt blood rush into his face. This motherfucker! The blond was going to strangle him.
"Then look past your fucking ego and let me do it."
"Tommy-"
"Wilbur is my friend. My Weapon. My partner. It's my duty to stand by his side."
And it's also my fault he got kidnapped in the first place .
"Is it your duty to go die like an idiot, then?" Techno explained. It felt so mocking. He was being talked down to.
"Is it your duty to be a patronising bitch?" Tommy growled.
Techno rolled his eyes. "Stop being so melodramatic, Tommy."
"And you stop being a fucking asshole!" Tommy shouted. He stepped away from the pinkette, crossing arms on his chest.
Wilbur would understand. If Wilbur was there, he would be on Tommy's side. But he wasn't there and it was all Tommy's fault.
"You are such a child." Techno deadpanned.
'You are such a child.' Wilbur said halfheartedly, ruffling his hair.
Tommy swallowed. "I am not. And never say that again."
Index silently watched them squibble. Its featureless faceplate showed no emotion. "Then which of you will go?"
"ME." The humans shouted at once. And then glared at each other moments later.
"Tommy-" Techno started. But Tommy was having none of it.
"Shut up. You- All you do is look down on me." Tommy said sharply.
"Look at it from my-"
Tommy's eyes widened as they burned holes through Techno's face. "Look at it from your perspective? Look at it from mine !"
Techno face didn't shift even slightly. It was like shouting at a brick wall. A dense fucking brick wall.
The blond took a deep breath. "I can't just stand and watch as someone else saves him."
A hole suddenly opened in the ground near Index. Techno eyed it warily, Tommy with determination.
The pinkette was too slow to react. The blond dashed to the hole and stood over it, looking back one last time. Techno was trying to catch up to him, but they both knew he wouldn't make it.
" I need to fix my mistakes."
Tommy smiled and jumped.
Techno's withered expression was the last thing he saw above, before the hole closed and Tommy fell through, into another chapter of the Book of Eibon.
---
It felt like he was falling for forever. It gave him a lot of room to think.
He had been through six chapters of this book. Lust, Anger, Gluttony, Pride, Jealousy and Sloth. So then the next should be…
' Greed ' said the big text in the air.
Greed? What monster can symbolise greed? Tommy has to better find Wilbur quickly. Whatever that being is, it has to be dangerous.
The blond finally landed and looked around.
The area of this chapter looked massive. For miles and miles, a dark thick forest stretched around him. The forest paths were cracked and unkept. Roots overgrown, layering each other like snakes. The white backdrop of the chapter was barely visible through the thick forestry.
It wasn't what Tommy expected, to say the least.
“Wilbur!” he called out. His voice bounced throughout the forest. In the distance, he heard a flock worth of wings flap. But no voice came back.
How deep was Wilbur in this forest? Tommy better start walking.
This forest was odd. The crowns of trees stretched wide. Branches were long and deformed, wrapping around each other, knotting, twisting. Grey hard fungi grew from the barks. The patterns of the bark were also strange. All twisty and loopy. Deformed. Distorted.
But also interesting. Tommy’s fingers traced the bark. The wood felt warm and dry. When he pressed his hand against it, it slightly bent under his fingers. He wondered if trees like this exist outside the Book of Eibon.
He continued further.
“WILBUR!” He called out ever so often, yet with no answer. His throat was getting slightly hoarse by now.
The teen mindlessly traced the barks of trees he was passing by. The path under his feet was becoming harder and harder to move through. The roots and time weren’t kind to it. The elevation spiked and fell, in some places the roots stacked up so high he had to climb over them. Shitty fucking path.
The further he went, the darker it was getting. The forestry was thicker, the road more fucked up and the trees more warped. Some of them conjoined, twisting around each other like a very uncomfortable, too demanding hug. One tree grew out of the trunk of another. The sweet smell of rot made him gag.
Something was rotting there. Maybe the soil, maybe the trees and maybe he himself.
“WILBUR!!” he screamed out again.
Nobody heard him.
And nobody will hear him.
His fingers mindlessly traced the patterns in bark.
His mind felt lighter.
The path only continued, leading him somewhere. But where? Did Wilbur also follow this path? If so, will Tommy find him at the end of it?
Leaves shook in the cool breeze. They sounded like soft whispers. They told him their secrets, but he couldn’t understand.
Tommy blinked and shook his head. Bile was crawling up his throat. Something was wrong.
His fingers subconsciously traced the patterns in the bark.
The teen bent over and gagged. His heart was slamming in his chest. Something was wrong. Something was terribly wrong.
As he was looking down, he noticed something. The roots. They were moving. Crawling over each other like snakes. No. They were real snakes. Brown wooden snakes peeking out from and digging back into the soil. He could hear them. Moving, twisting, drilling.
“Like earthworms.” he breathed with a smile. Little snakes. Little wormies. Drilling, drilling, drilling. Drilling in his mind. He could feel them. Scratching.
Scratching. Scratching. Scratching. Scratching. Scratching. Scratch. Scratchy. Scratchie. Stretch. Splash. Scratch. Scratch. Scratching.
A giggle bubbled in his chest.
Oh fuck.
A single rational thought was enough to smack him across the face. Tommy blinked and stepped away from the roots. Why didn’t he realise it sooner? He was an idiot! Those roots, trees, this whole shitty forest was soaked with madness.
His head felt light.
Shit! He has to speed up and find Wilbur faster. They have to both get out before they fall to madness.
With a newfound urgency, Tommy rushed through the forest. Every time he saw a root crawl or branches move, he looked away and pretended he didn’t see it. He didn’t know much about madness and having hallucinations, but he knew all those things were only in his head. His head believed they were real, if he forced his mind to think they weren’t they should go away.
Crows cawed overhead. Were they even real?
Tommy jumped over a fallen trunk. This was taking too long. He can try and use his Soul Perception. But that would be a huge risk. Using that ability would make him more susceptible than he already is. He can’t risk that.
Not even for Wilbur?
Tommy bit his lip.
Small black flies started flying around them. But they weren’t real. He knew they weren’t real.
“They aren’t here. They aren’t here. Nu-uh.” he repeated under his breath like a mantra. He must not forget that.
Slowly, ignorance worked. He felt a little more grounded, a little less frantic.
Finally Tommy found a clearing. It was pretty big. The teen was glad to be in an area that wasn’t so constricting. He felt like he could breathe again. The bile also wasn’t annoying him as much anymore.
The clearing was covered in tall white grass. Tommy went over it with his hand. It felt like paper. There was also an attempt at adding meadow flowers but none of them looked quite right. As if they were made by an artist who only ever saw them in a photo. Fireflies flew around and lit up the area. But they also were seemingly made by the same artist as they weren’t bugs, just small floating orbs of light.
Tommy looked up to the other side of the meadow. He gasped and broke into a run.
“Wilbur!” Tommy shouted.
And there he was. The man himself, dressed in the same trench coat and a beanie. He was facing the opposite direction. Upon hearing his name, he slowly turned around.
The blond ran across the field of flowers and tackled him into a hug. Dandelion seeds were dispelled in his wake.
Wilbur was frozen. Only very slowly, his shaky hands returned the hug.
“Tommy?” He asked.
Tommy only held him tighter. “I am so glad I could find you! I am so sorry. So sorry. I should have never let Phil take you. I should have been better. I am sorry. But I am here to fix it!”
The teen could feel the sad smile in WIlbur’s voice. “That’s okay. Don’t beat yourself up for it.”
The blond bit his lip and held back tears. “It’s not that I missed you- But I- I did.”
Wilbur stilled. A coo escaped his lips.
Tommy buried his face deeper into his chest. He missed this so much. So, so much. But now it all will be better! They just gotta get out.
Reluctantly, he slightly pulled away. He wiped his nose. “We gotta go. Techno is waiting in the previous chapter and I don’t want to-”
Wilbur’s hold tightened.
Tommy frowned. He tried to pull away again. Wilbur held him too tight.
“Wil, let go, we gotta go. We can hug later, when this is all done. Techno is pro-”
This time, Wilbur growled at the mention of the name.
Tommy was taken aback. Wilbur never did that before.
“Wil?” Tommy asked, a bad feeling settling in his stomach.
Wilbur swallowed and blinked. His hold on Tommy became laxer. Tommy pulled away. The brunet looked down at him with an apologetic look. “S-sorry. You said Techno was waiting? What is he doing here?”
Tommy nodded. “He helped me get here. He was my weapon while you were gone.”
The moment Tommy said that, something in Wilbur's expression shifted. The teen frowned. Did he say something wrong? Wilbur was probably still shocked and shaken from this whole experience. But that is okay. Or will be after the two of them get out of here.
When Tommy looked away, a dark glint appeared in Wilbur's eyes. Not that Tommy would notice of course.
"Oh." Wilbur said.
Tommy turned away and started making his way back through the clearing. He stopped after a few steps. Why wasn't Wilbur following him?
The teen looked back at Wilbur. He looked- Devastated.
The brunet laughed bitterly. "Of course. The moment I am out of picture, someone comes in to replace me."
Tommy raised a brow. What was Wilbur talking about? "What?"
Their eyes met.
"Don't you see it, Tommy?" Wilbur's stare was intense. "Techno doesn't want me to leave here. He wants you all to himself."
Tommy frowned. No. That- That wasn't right. Techno came here to help him. He came here because- Tommy asked him.
Wilbur tilted his head. "Where is he now? Why didn't he come into this chapter with you?"
The blond's eyes were darting around. What Wilbur said has wormed into his mind but- that couldn't be true, right?
"Only one could pass."
Wilbur took a step towards Tommy.
"And he desperately wanted to go, didn't he?"
Tommy slowly nodded. No. Wilbur wasn't implying what Tommy was thinking, right?
The teen was frozen in thought. Still frozen when Wilbur approached him and hugged him again.
A whisper tingled his ear. "You did so good coming here yourself, Toms."
Was Techno really trying to replace Wilbur? But why would he? He never showed he aspired to do that. It didn't make sense.
"It shows how much you depend on me. I am so glad." Wilbur whispered, cupping Tommy's cheek.
The teen smiled. Although, some voice in the back of his mind rang in alarm.
"Someone like- Someone like Technoblade ," the brunet spat the name with venom, "might try and take you away from me ."
Dread curled in Tommy's stomach. Tommy tried to pull away but Wilbur's hold was too restricting.
"But don't worry, Sunshine. I won't let them. You are mine ."
Tommy wanted to scream. What the fuck happened to Wilbur? Why was he acting like this? It didn't make sense. It made no fucking sense.
A hand carded through his hair. Tommy shied away.
A shadow came over Wilbur's face.
The embrace became tighter. So tight, Tommy could barely breathe. And then, Wilbur let go.
Tommy stumbled back, breathing heavily. What the fucking shit was that? Why was Wilbur suddenly acting so strange? "Wilbur I don't know what's wrong but you- You are acting weird!"
Hurt flashed in Wilbur’s eyes.
The brunet looked away and bit his lip. The man hid his face in his hands. He was quiet for a moment.
"It seems I was wrong. In that short time, Techno was able to poison your sweet mind." Wilbur stated. A swirling dark eye peeked out from between the fingers.
Tommy Took a shuddering breath and stumbled a few more steps back.
A smile came across Wilbur's face. But it wasn't one of his common smiles. No, this one was new. This one was hungry.
"But don't worry, Toms. I will make sure you will never forget to whom you belong."
Tommy's eyes widened. He really didn't want to know what Wilbur meant by that. Was this even his Wilbur? His Wilbur would never act like that!
The teen took a step back, but found his leg was stuck. He looked down to see vines made of paper wrapping around his calf. Were they real? Was any of this real?
When he looked back up, Wilbur was suddenly much closer.
Tommy had to know. Was this even Wilbur?
He closed his eyes and focused. When he opened them again, he looked upon Wilbur's chest. In it was a blue glowing flame, Wilbur's soul. But something was strange about it. It was covered in and dripping some kind of black liquid. What was-
The teen felt something drip down on his head. It slowly got through his hair and started trailing down his face. He reached up to it with his fingers. When the hand came back, he was staring at the same black liquid.
Dripping. Drip. Drip. Drip. Drip. Drip. Drip. He was such an idiot. Such a dumbass. It was all lined out in front of him. But his mind mind mind mind mind was too ignorant to realise.
A smile stretched across his face.
Scratching. Scratching. Scratching in the brain. Digging. Digging. Drilling. Eating. Consuming. Hunger. Hunger.
Tommy gasped and bent over. Sudden coughing fit came over him. He looked down to see the same fucking black liquid in the grass.
Madness.
Tommy was too late. Wilbur had fallen to madness.
“No-” Tommy gasped, taking a few steps back. Vines snaked around his legs. The teen swallowed and tore his eyes away from them.
The blond blinked and looked back up at Wilbur. The man’s face was blank and eyes were slightly wide. Long shadows stretched down his face. His stare was unwavering. It looked as if he wasn’t even blinking.
Shudders ran down Tommy’s spine.
“What the fuck had Phil done to you?” Tommy asked, trying to keep his voice from shaking.
Where was his Wilbur? The one who laughed at his silly jokes, joked about arson and sang him to sleep? Where was the man Tommy would have one day called a brother ?
This Wilbur tilted his head and giggled. “Phil? Phil helped me! He saved me!”
Tommy took a few more steps back. This had to be some sick joke. No- Tommy- Tommy just couldn’t believe his friend had gone insane.
“He kidnapped you!” Tommy shouted back but his voice was failing him. Tears were welling up in his eyes.
Wilbur looked up in thought and put a finger over his lips. “Yeah. That was a little rude. But he knew otherwise I wouldn’t listen.”
The teen swallowed. Many possible implications swam in his mind. None of them were good.
Wilbur towered above him. A hungry smile was overcoming his features. “He made me realise a lot about this world. And just how foolish I was.”
A breeze rustled through the leaves. Their whispers echoed and snuck into Tommy’s thoughts. He clapped a hand over his ears and took a few more steps back. He was almost out of the meadow now. The tree roots crawled around his legs. Like snakes. Like worms.
Digging. Drilling. Scratching. Scratching in the brain. Calling. Calling. Whispering. Speaking. Speaking to him. To come. To give up. To give up all of him. To belong. To stay.
Tommy let out a startled cry. They weren’t real! They weren’t there!
But the hand that cupped his cheek was.
Tommy looked up and locked eyes with Wilbur. His eyes were dark. Dark like the abyss. And hungry. Black holes. Endless pits. The teen felt roots climbing up his legs.
Wilbur grinned warmly. “And how much I need you.”
And suddenly he turned into light. New weight appeared in Tommy’s hands. The man was in his weapon form. But why?
Black liquid dripped down from Tommy’s palms.
“Wilbur, what are you doing?” Tommy asked.
Tingling spread up Tommy’s arms. Cold sensation intruded on his being. Roots were wrapping around his torso. The tingling spread. Smell of lavender and vanilla took over his senses. The roots were wrapping around his shoulders. Around his throat.
Tommy opened his eyes and saw . He saw Wilbur. His real face.
The man was drenched in madness. The thing was dripping from the starless sky. It dripped down the man’s face, soaking his clothes.
A warm smile was playing on his lips. The man offered a hand coated in black ooze.
“Come with me, Tommy.”
“No!” Tommy shouted. “No, we will get out of here and- And someone will help you! There has to be a way to help you.”
Wilbur tutted and rolled his eyes.
“Isn’t that what your parents had told you, too?”
( Tommy was crying, curled up in his small corner. He choked back hiccups. His stuffed toy soaked in all his tears.
“There has to be something wrong with you! No child is as bad as you! You have to be broken.” his father seethed.
The boy choked back a sob. But it was still too loud. Loud enough to warrant a hand grabbing him by the hair and dragging him away from his corner.
“Luckily, there has to be a way to help you.”
Tommy took a shuddering breath.)
The memory shook his resolve.
But still, he wouldn’t relent. “Wil, this isn’t you. That’s the madness speaking!”
“So you don’t want to come with me?”
“NO!” Tommy screamed.
Wilbur let his hand fall down and settle by his side. “Very well.”
Something in Wilbur’s soul was moving. Like it was-
“Then I’ll take you myself.”
Tendrils shot out from Wilbur’s soul.
Tommy stared wide eyed, as they pierced his chest. He groaned. He felt them moving. Looking for something. Finding something.
Wrapping around it.
Taking it as their own.
Static was filling his mind.
Laughter filled his ears.
Tommy screamed.
---
“Tommy?” Someone nudged his shoulder.
Tommy groaned and opened his eyes. He did not remember closing them. The teen yawned and looked around. Green grass was under his legs. The air smelled of morning dew and dandelions. Morning sun casted its warm rays on his face.
They were outside. Why were they outside?
“You back with me?” asked the voice again.
Tommy felt a hand on his shoulder. He was held in a side hug. The teen looked up to the side. He was met with a familiar face.
Wilbur.
A memory flashed in front of his eyes. Wilbur was kidnapped by Phil, then how was he-? Oh. Tommy went to save him, did he? And if he was standing here, the teen must have saved him.
Tommy should feel happy.
For some reason, he couldn’t.
He furrowed his brows. Odd. It was as if a small voice in the back of his mind tried to make him remember something.
He remembered happiness from the reunion. And then he remembered fear. Were they attacked? Tommy remembered fighting someone. Or something? It seemed important. He had to get to the bottom of it.
Wilbur raised a brow at him.
Tommy glared. No. He needed to remember. The teen wasn’t sure why. But something felt misplaced.
“Sunshine, you are just going to tire yourself out like this.”
Something happened. Tommy saw flashes. Pink hair. Argument. Screaming. Blood- A headache struck his mind.
Wilbur pulled him closer.
“That is enough.”
No, it wasn’t! Tommy felt he was close. He could nearly grasp it-
Wilbur’s soul wavelength tapped on his soul.
A paralysing cold went through his body. The cold quickly changed into warmth. A spreading warmth that made his mind all fuzzy and filled with cotton. His breathing calmed down, the burning cogs in his brain slowed down.
The brunet always knew what to do.
He could always tell when Tommy was pushing himself too far, when despair clawed at his throat and worries wrapped around his lungs.
In turn, Tommy was always there for Wilbur.
Wilbur was the stronger one of them, the older one, the wiser one.
“Isn’t that better?” Wilbur asked.
Tommy nodded and slumped over into his hold. Hands snaked around him and enveloped him into a tight hug. Tommy closed his eyes and pressed his face into his soft sweater.
It was all so funny. His mind was foggy. Not one real thought could form in his mind.
All he could focus on was Wilbur. The feeling that bound him to the other. Like some kind of chain connecting their souls.
Thinking was hard.
He smiled. But he didn't need to do it anymore.
“You can rest your mind, Toms. Your big brother will think for you.”
Tommy giggled.
The blond loved his big brother. The man was always right.
“Oh, Phil will love you.” Wilbur murmured and pressed his face into Tommy’s hair.
Tommy wasn’t sure who Phil was, but he was happy. He should be happy. Wilbur was, after all.
The teen couldn't be happier.