Archive of Our Own ^beta

Tommy stood just within the reach of a nearby forest. The rest of his crew were all back at their base camp, but the youngest wanted some time away. 

The forest was quiet, and not nearly as nice as it once had been. The trees were mostly dead, not many leaves sprouted, and those that had were suffering the consequences of the apocalypse. 

The ground was dry and full of stones and twigs. Moss and other small vegetation managed to survive, although it was nothing edible to humans. Smaller herbivores managed to survive but they were scarce in number. 

Admittedly, Tommy missed the sounds of birds and the bright green lush he had been used to as a kid. Now it was dull and dead, a feeling he had become somewhat used to. 

But, he had his friends and that’s all he could ask for. 

Tommy stepped forward, his old bow in hand. The scene felt familiar, it made him feel a sense of calmness. 

The old bow in hand, he slowly raised it and placed an arrow against it. The cold string pressed against his fingertips and he pulled back until he felt tension. 

He heard footsteps and let the the arrow fly in the general direction, and subsequently missing. 

The creature darted for the trees, but as it ran it slipped its foot into a trap and got pulled up so it couldn’t escape. 

Tommy put down the bow, mentally thanking the fact nobody saw that. He could still claim he was the one who caught it. 

“Smooth.” A voice broke the silence. 

Nevermind. 

Tommy didn’t quite look back yet at the familiar voice, pretending he didn’t hear. 

This was starting to feel all too familiar. 

———————

Tommy wandered through the woods, an old half-damaged bow in his hands and a shaky arrow placed against it. 

Tommy was, admittedly, horrible with a bow. But being this far away from the nearest city it made it harder for his group to get food supplies. Given they were getting very low, the easiest way to go about getting food was by hunting. 

Animals were harder to find these days, with the lack of vegetation, but certain woods seemed to hold some animals. Usually, it would be smaller animals since they could feed off the seeds from trees, but any useful vegetation for humans was long gone and so were the associated animals. 

Tommy heard footsteps running along the ground. Some soft steps indicated it was a small critter instead of a human. 

He bent down and pulled up his bow, trying to line up the shot. He saw a rabbit run across the opening and fired an arrow in his direction. 

However, his prediction was very off and he hit behind where the rabbit ran past. 

Tommy let out a soft curse and stood up, wandering towards where his arrow was. Might as well not waste a perfectly good arrow. 

The young boy muttered to himself about missing, kicking slightly at the dirt in frustration. 

This was a major mistake. 

Tommy took another step forward and heard a tree branch snap. 

Before he could react the leaves by his feet kicked up and the blonde felt his feet kicked out from under him and his world turned upside down. 

Literally. 

Somehow, Tommy had missed seeing the rope beneath the leaves and was now hanging upside down from a trap set up to catch prey. 

Tommy tried to reach up and grab his feet but he wasn’t strong enough and ended up dangling from the rope. 

His arms rested by his ears as he tried to think of a plan. Some, anything to get him down and quickly. 

The blood was beginning to pool in his head and a headache was forming faster than he could think. 

Before long, a figure emerged from the bushes and stood in front of him, hands on her hips. 

“Now now. What do we have here? Not every day you catch a human.” Her voice seemed to almost be mocking. 

“Yeah well, I was distracted by a stupid rabbit.” He grumbled. 

This caused the girl to laugh. “You got outsmarted by a rabbit?” 

Tommy flipped her off and she shook her head. 

“Now, that’s no way to treat the only person who knows where to put this trap down and free you.”

Tommy’s eyes widened. He hadn’t realized she was his only hope. 

“Okay. I’m sorry. Please get me down.”

This caused her to laugh a little more but she walked over, deciding to be nice, and cut the rope which sent Tommy flying into the ground. 

Tommy let out a loud groan as he managed to not break any bones, but acquired a few extra bruises. 

The girl walked over and extended a hand to the boy. 

He hesitantly took it and stood up. 

“My name's Niki.” The girl greeted.

“Tommy.” The boy said, before pausing. “Why are you helping me? Most people usually try to kill strangers.”

The girl shrugged. “I could have killed you if I wanted, but I had an unfair advantage.” 

Tommy brushed off his clothes and gave her a look. “Oh yeah?”

Without missing a beat, Niki pulled out a knife and threw it towards Tommy’s head so the blade just barely cut his cheek before landing in the tree behind him. 

Tommy froze and his eyes widened. He slowly brought his hand up and felt the warmth from the small droplets of blood that now sloped past the cut. 

“Fuckin’ hell alright. Remind me not to mess with you.” He muttered. 

Niki walked over and pulled the knife out of the tree. 

“Being a woman of the woods has its advantages.” 

Tommy reached into his bag and pulled out a small cloth and a plaster. He grabbed his water canister and put a little on the cloth which he used to gently clean the wood before applying the plaster. 

Niki had walked over and grabbed the rope, setting up a new trap which looked slightly different from the one he had just been caught in. 

“Why’s that one look different?” He questioned. 

“Well, can’t have you falling for the same trick twice.” She grinned. “Besides, if the trap can catch a human it might be too big for small animals. I need to scale it down”. 

Tommy rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. 

“I’m not that dense.” He muttered. 

Niki just shrugged. “How am I supposed to know that.” 

Tommy mumbled something under his breath before walking over and finally retrieving his arrow. 

“Oh? Does that mean you hunt as well?” She questioned. 

Tommy shrugged. “I dabble.” 

Niki nodded and got up. “Well, I know I usually keep to myself but, if you’d like to hunt with me sometime I’m sure that would be fine.” 

Tommy’s face scrunched a bit as he thought. “I’m fine.”

Niki raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure? You got caught in an easily seen trap.”

“It was not easily seen!” Tommy exclaimed loudly. 

Niki made a motion to keep quiet. “You’ll scare everything away! Besides, someone might hear you.” 

Tommy scoffed. “I’m not scared of them! I’m a big man!”

Niki shook her head. “I still think you should be more careful. Look.”

She packed all her things in and got up. 

“Why don’t I walk you back to where you came from, so you don’t get stuck again, and then we can go from there.”

“Why do you care?” Tommy spat. 

The girl thought for a moment before shrugging. “I just think maybe it’s time I stop being so independent and try forming connections so if I ever get into trouble I have someone to call on.” 

Tommy blinked and gave her a look. 

“But you seem perfectly capable of taking care of yourself?” 

“Yeah, but I have a feeling something big is about to happen.” 

Tommy didn’t like the sound of that but decided he would walk her back. Since they constantly moved camps it would be fine to show her. They planned to move that night anyway. 

Tommy decided they could talk together and the duo began heading back towards where he had come from. 

“You know,” Niki started, “I could teach you how to hunt properly. Might give you better instincts.”

Tommy paused and thought but figured it would be a good idea. He had just been forced to learn quickly but without guidance, it did make it hard. 

“Yeah… I think I’d like that.”

Tommy didn’t understand how he just kept trusting people so easily but they made it so easy to trust. Especially when nothing screamed a red flag to him. It was nice. 

They were nice. 

———————

“You know, your arrow is supposed to be the thing that kills it, not the thing that scares it.” Niki teased. “You really haven’t improved that much yet.” 

“Well somebody was supposed to teach me how to use my bow properly and never got around to it.” He pointed out. 

She smiled and wandered over, grabbing the rodent down and, in one swift motion, turned the animal into their next meal.

“I could teach you now if you’d like. We’ve got time.” 

Tommy’s eye lit up and he quickly moved over to Niki. 

“Here hand me your bow.” She said, extending her hand. 

The boy handed it over and she began poking at it. She let out a bit of a sigh and began untying the string at the top. 

“Hey! What are you doing? You’re breaking it!” Tommy exclaimed. 

“I’m not breaking it,” Niki explained. “I’m fixing it.”

“Fixing it?” 

“Yes. Your string is loose. I’m surprised you can even shoot the bow at all.”

“Oh…” Tommy mumbled. 

“It’s okay. It’s a super easy fix.” She smiled reassuringly. 

Niki messed around with the bow for a few minutes before presenting it back to Tommy. 

He held it up and brought his fingers up, pulling back and feeling an instant tension pressure against his fingers. 

“Whoa.” 

Niki then grabbed the arrow from the ground and handed it to him. 

“Now, put the arrow against the string so I can see how you shoot. As if you’re about to shoot but then stop.” 

Tommy raised his bow and held it exactly how he would if he was hunting.  

The pink-haired girl moved closer and began adjusting his position.  

“Your arm needs to be raised more. And your posture is a bit off centre.” She corrected. 

Tommy, although slightly annoyed, listened knowing she knew what she was talking about. 

“There. Now aim at the tree and shoot.”

Tommy turned slightly and let the string go. The arrow fired towards the tree and made contact exactly where he was looking. The arrow went deep enough that he knew he wouldn’t be able to recover it. 

“Holy shit!” Tommy exclaimed. 

“Wow! Nice shot.” Niki complimented. 

A warmth radiated through Tommy’s chest as he looked at his companion. 

“Now. Let’s practice on some moving targets.” 

The duo stayed in the woods for a little bit longer, Tommy practising over and over, making about half of his shots. 

“Moving targets make this so much harder…”

Niki just laughed and nodded. “But you’ll get better I’m sure.”

As they had been wandering around hunting, Niki had taken down what Tommy assumed were most of her traps.

He knew this meant they were moving camp again. They had been here longer than normal; it felt weird to suddenly be leaving again. 

“Niki,” Tommy asked softly. “Are we moving again?”

Niki nodded sadly. “Yeah. You know you can’t stay in the same place too long or looters are bound to find us.”

“Yeah, but you’re like… super badass! You could kick anyone’s ass!” 

The girl smiled at the compliment and ruffled Tommy’s hair. “Well I’m glad you think so highly of me but unfortunately there are some fights I’m not sure I’d want to take the risk for.”

Tommy pouted and crossed his arms.

“Alright, let’s get going before we are assumed dead or missing.” 

Tommy nodded, collecting everything into his little side bag before putting his bow across his back. 

The duo began wandering towards camp. As they approached, Tommy noticed someone coming in from a distance.  

“Looks like he’s finally back,” Niki said. 

“Took him long enough,” Tommy muttered. “He’s always up and leaving. You’d think he was living a double life.” 

Niki shook her head. “You know his business keeps him travelling. Be lucky he is at least returning and supplying us with enough stuff.”

“Remind me again why I let him join our group?” Tommy asked. 

Niki just laughed. “Hey, you tell me. You’re the one who brought him along.”

“Well. He did make me an offer I couldn’t refuse.” 

———————

Tommy sat on the floor of an abandoned building, making sure to spread out and organize the materials he had acquired at this point. He had to make sure it was enough to distribute between two people or this supplies trip would have been pointless. 

Tommy glanced over the items, unsure if he was happy with his loot and debated if he wanted to get more. The sun hadn’t quite set yet so he knew he still had plenty of time to go search. 

That’s when Tommy heard it, a voice. 

Two voices? It wasn’t quite clear, maybe a sort of radio call.

The blonde quickly went onto high alert as he scrapped the supplies into his bag silently and got up. He tiptoed his way to the door and tried to overhear the conversation. 

It was muffled like the two were prepared for someone to listen. 

Tommy hesitated about attacking. It could be a good idea, they may have supplies, but if they are prepared for someone around it might be difficult. 

Tommy slowly began to creep up to the door, but the voices suddenly stopped. Panic began to set in as his stomach rose to his throat in anticipation. 

He decided not to move a muscle, and see if the conversation continued. 

Something. Anything. 

But it stayed in perfect silence. Tommy figured they may have just left and he forgot to listen for the footsteps, but that wasn’t the case. 

As soon as he turned around two strong arms pinned him against the wall. 

Tommy let out a yelp in pain as he made rough contact with the building. 

It was dark and a little hard to make out, but a man with a scar running down from his cheek to his lips was just barely illuminated by the cracks in the walls. 

“What do you think you’re doing snooping around.” The man hissed.

Tommy tried to move but the pressure was just applied harder. 

“Trying to find out things you aren’t supposed to know?” 

“Let go of me!” Was all Tommy could spit out.

“Who do you work for? Is it Schlatt? Did he send you here to find out shit on me?” 

“I don’t know who the fuck that is or what you are talking about!” The boy cried, still trying to kick his way free. 

The pressure wavered a bit, the man perplexed that the blonde didn’t seem to know. 

This gave Tommy an opening to push the man away and go running out of the building. 

He was fast, but as he turned to look back the man just stepped out of the building with his hands in his pockets. As if he was unbothered by the fact Tommy was running. 

This immediately left a red flag for Tommy. Why wasn’t he scared? What’s going on? 

Before Tommy could realize it, his foot got tripped by something and he went plummeting into the hard ground. 

Through the pain, the young boy tried to pull himself up by it was no use, a foot was placed in the centre of his back restraining his movement. 

With a groan, he knew he was defeated. 

Tommy debated screaming out for help, but the only person who would care was far out of earshot on their mission. 

Tommy knew this could be the end. 

The foot was lifted from his back and two sets of arms wrapped around him and pulled him from the ground. 

His head drooped a little, from the sudden violence his body was not prepared for. He knew he would lose a three-person fight anyway. 

The man from the building walked over, shaking his head. 

“Shouldn’t have run, kid.” He scoffed. “Although your speed could be useful if you were more observant to your surroundings. Too bad.”

Tommy slowly looked up, glaring at the man. If he was gonna go down, it would be with one hell of a fight. 

“I wouldn’t help you regardless. What’s the point? Are you just gonna kill me then? You don’t even let this be a fair fight. Three grown men versus me? Pathetic.” He spat. 

The man seemed to pause. Like he was thinking really hard about what Tommy said. 

He just made a shooing motion to the two men holding Tommy, causing them to drop their grips and move away. 

Tommy unfortunately didn’t get a good look at their faces but it didn’t matter. He refused to take his eyes off the man. 

“Maybe you’re right.” His hands slid back into his pockets. “That wasn’t a fair fight. You’re a child I shouldn’t go around killing you anyways.” 

“I’m not a fuckin’ child!” Tommy exclaimed, almost stomping his feet in anger. This caused the man to chuckle. 

“Yeah, not a child? So why do you seem to throw a child-like tantrum.” 

Tommy felt his blood start to boil and tried to run at the man but he just stuck a hand out so the blonde stayed a fair distance away. 

“Whoa, a bit hot-headed I see.” The man laughed. “I’m not going to kill you. But I do think we could strike up a good business deal.”

Tommy seemed confused. 

“Business deal?”

The man nodded, pulling out a card and handing it over. 

On it was the name Quackity followed by an address. It wasn’t even the place they currently stood. 

“That’s my meeting spot. Those who know me know where they find me.” 

“And why should I trust you? You did just try to kill me.”

Quackity let out an annoyed sigh. “Look kid, I just had to make sure you weren’t working for someone who tries to take me down. I run a very successful business. But, you clearly need some help and honestly, I’ve been getting too reckless with who I trust and where I’m showing up. Most people won’t kill children and I think you could be a good cover.”

“And what do I get in return then? For sheltering you.” 

Quackity smirked. “What do you want? Weapons? Supplies? An endless supply of knowledge?”

Tommy pondered. It would be nice to have someone on his team who could help out with all these little things. 

“Fine. But you have to meet the rest of my group first.”

Quackity seemed a bit more on edge. “There’s more of you?”

Tommy nodded. “Yeah. So? Are you gonna come meet them?”

Quackity thought but nodded. 

Tommy smirked slightly and adjusted his bag on his back. Hopefully, his partner would know not to jump Quackity. Or maybe he doesn’t. That would be funnier trying to experience. 

As they walked in a calm silence, Tommy felt a sort of security. The same security he got the last time. Which was weird, he didn’t want to trust anyone but maybe if he could continue to find this feeling, maybe he could finally overcome this apocalypse. 

Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad. 

———————

Quackity saw Niki and Tommy and quickly made his way over. 

“Hey Quackity.” Niki smiled. “Welcome back.”

“Thanks.” Quackity hummed. 

“Where do you keep running off to anyways.” Tommy huffed, putting his hands on his hips. 

Quackity just gave him a cocky grin. “Well that’s for me to know and you to never find out.”

Tommy flipped Quackity off which got a nudge from Niki to tell him off. 

“However,” Quackity continued. “I did find a safe place.”

Niki seemed to perk up slightly at this. 

“Does this mean-“

Quackity just nodded. “Yes.”

Tommy stood confused. “Are either of you going to elaborate?”

“I might have found us a safe place to stay. Hopefully more permanently this time.” 

“Permanent? But how?” Tommy asked in awe. 

“You’ll just have to wait and see. Now c’mon, we have to pack up everything.”

Tommy begrudgingly walked back to camp. He went to his small little tent area. He did enjoy how Quackity had found them all small tents so they could have their own spaces within a small campground. It helped keep things organized and have less random clutter due to the fact if it was in your tent it was your responsibility. 

Tommy set his bag down and started rearranging it to fit important matters. He had learned to travel extremely light, barring food necessities as the group he stayed with decided to share the weight of that. 

Meticulously, the blonde packed up everything before he started to take down his tent. Once it was all done he brought it over to the truck Quackity had for them and began packing. 

Tommy loved the truck, it made their journeys so much easier when they didn’t have to waste their energy going long distances. It had certainly cut the amount of food they had to eat down significantly, so overall they were feeling better. 

In fact, Tommy hadn’t felt this good in months. He certainly wasn’t healthy by any means but it was nice to no longer be on the brink of starvation, especially as he had already lived that once.

Once he fully packed the truck he helped Niki clean up all the food supplies into a cooler they had obtained. He transferred the food he got earlier in the woods into the bag so it made less of a mess and helped her carry it to the truck. 

The truck by the end was full to the brim, meaning it was time for them to leave. 

Tommy went to walk for the front seat, but Niki was already there and shook her head. 

“You know the rule, oldest up front.” 

Tommy let out a loud groan. “But that’s not fair!” He whined. 

“Life is not fair, I thought you had learned this by now.” She teased, causing Tommy to stick his tongue out at her. 

Tommy instead, moved to the seat directly behind her and got in. 

Quackity was the next to climb in, putting the keys into the ignition. 

“Alright, are we ready?” He asked as he adjusted the rearview mirror to see the back seat. 

Before Tommy could respond, a voice called out. 

“Wait! Wait wait wait!”

The door behind the driver's seat was then opened and the tall boy climbed in quickly, nearly tripping over his own feet. 

“Okay, I’m here.” 

Quackity just let out a soft laugh and shook his head. 

This was quite common for this group. Tommy had no idea how his oldest friend in the group was such a mess given he was the one who saved the youngest's life the first time they met. 

———————

Tommy wandered into an abandon town, figuring he might be able to find any supplies, however, the former town looked really rough and well-looted. 

Half the buildings were in shambles, falling apart with concrete and bricks scattered across the ground. The once smooth terrain was now uneven and full of rubble. 

Tommy carefully wandered his way through, peaking into occasional houses and ensuring they were sound enough to not fall on him. He used a cloth to cover his face to avoid breathing in any unnecessary particles. 

He got lucky, finding a few cans every now and then, although this would only allow his supply to be increased slightly, which was better than nothing. 

As Tommy wandered through the town he noticed a large building in the distance, a former supermarket. Those were always fully ransacked but sometimes you could find things. Most people were in such a hurry they grabbed the good stuff, but at this point, Tommy was starting to get desperate. 

He wasted no time making his way up to try and check it out. He was so focused on arriving that he didn’t even think other people would still be there. 

Tommy got to the doors, which had long been shattered, and climbed through them safely. 

He began to slowly walk up the isles, which had long been cleared, even of the not-so-nice stuff. 

Tommy cursed under his breath as he knew this may be futile. He decided to continue anyway, making sure his steps were quiet. He wasn’t entirely conscious of just how quiet he’d become when he walked but when an entire civilization was starved as a disease wiped out most food vegetation, people got desperate and would fight over food. 

As Tommy turned a corner, he felt someone grab his shirt and yank him down into the aisle, so he was ticket behind a piece of fallen shelf. 

“Hey! What the h-“

A hand covered his mouth quickly.

“Shut up.” The strange voice hissed. 

Tommy wanted to argue and fight back but then he heard talking and people wandering down the walkway, passing by the isle he was in, towards someone Tommy couldn’t see. 

The figures looked a little familiar but Tommy couldn’t figure out why.

He couldn’t ponder long before the voice of the person holding him spoke. 

“That group is incredibly dangerous. They killed my entire group but I managed to get away. We need to get out of here immediately.”

Tommy wanted to argue but he figured this would buy him time. If this was a big ruse he would be ready to fight back. 

Since he couldn’t speak he just nodded his head slowly. 

The hand slowly removed itself from his mouth and he quickly turned to look at the figure behind him. 

It was a tall kid with a mask covering his nose and mouth. He didn’t look particularly deadly and at this point, Tommy had no choice but to trust him. He figured he could take one guy down faster than he could take down the 3 guys who walked by. They were much better off with weapons he could make out. 

The taller boy glanced around and noticed the doors to the warehouse were behind them. 

“Right. This way.” They whispered before slowly making their way through the rubble and making sure to stay hidden. 

Tommy followed close behind, making sure to check behind them in case someone tried to sneak up. 

The taller boy dashed through the doors, holding it open just enough for Tommy to dart in after him and he quietly shut the door

The boys both stood up and began to look around. An exit door was right next to them, causing Tommy to breathe a sigh of relief. 

At least he’d be out of here soon, assuming this wasn’t some trap. 

The other boy seemed to wait for a moment until he realized the blonde didn’t trust him enough yet to go first, so he took the initiative and walked out the door, opening it as quietly as he could. 

Tommy followed close behind and once the door was shut, he didn’t have much time to think. The other grabbed his arm and started running them far away from the building. 

“Hey man, what the fuck!”

“We aren’t safe yet.” He snapped a bit. “They could’ve heard the door.”

They passed by a few houses until he dragged Tommy into a relatively hidden entrance and sat down by the wall next to the door. 

Tommy sat on the opposite wall, giving his kid a weird look. 

“Now that we have stopped. Why the fuck did you help me?”

The boy shrugged. “Didn’t want you to face the same consequences I did. You weren’t being super aware of your surroundings. They were brutal…”

Tommy felt a little bad for this kid, he was clearly going through a lot of emotions. 

“I’m sorry… Thank you for helping. What do I owe you?” He asked. 

Tommy understood this world worked as a bartering system. Someone helps you out, you owe them something. Simple as that. 

“Nothing.”

“Alright cool I’ll-“ Tommy paused. 

Did he just say nothing?

“What do you mean nothing?”

“I mean, I don’t need anything in return.”

“But… why? Don’t you want some sort of compensation for saving my life?”

The masked boy shook his head. 

“No. I don’t see a point.”

Tommy was confused but just shrugged. His loss.

They sat in silence for a while, before Tommy slowly got up and brushed himself off. 

“Well, I best be going…”

The masked boy looked up and furrowed his brows. 

“Oh…” The boy pondered for a moment before getting up.

“What?” Tommy asked. 

“Nothing.” He said and brushed himself off. 

Tommy just shrugged and exited the building before wandering down the road. 

The tall boy followed him.  

Tommy abruptly stopped and turned around. 

“Why are you following me?” He snapped. 

The boy was taken aback but just blinked. “Well, I figured since I’m alone and you’re alone, we could team up. Have someone watch out for you.”

“Well, firstly I don’t team up with anyone. And secondly, if I did team up with people I certainly wouldn’t team up with you, I don’t even know your name!”

The boy thought before his eyes creased up as if they were smiling. 

“Well, that’s an easy fix. My name's Ranboo.”

Tommy was shocked, this kid just gave up his information without a second thought. “What kinda stupid name is Ranboo?”

Ranboo’s eyes dropped a bit. “That’s not very nice. It’s just my name.”

“Alright, Ranboob.”

The older boy looked offended and put a hand to his chest. “That’s not even my name! I bet your name isn’t much better!”

“Of course it is! My name's Tommy, the name of the biggest man ever.” 

Tommy then paused, this kid was smart. He knew how to get Tommy to share his personal information, causing him to glare a bit. 

“Well, Tommy, even if you are the biggest man I still think you should have a buddy. It’s not safe to travel alone.”

Tommy’s face dropped and he turned away. “I’m much happier alone. I can't trust anyone but myself. Besides, what do you even have you could offer.”

Ranboo was almost defeated but quickly perked up and grabbed off their bag, opening it up to reveal a ton of food supplies. “Well, for starters this.” 

Tommy glanced over and his eyes widened. Even for two people, this could last them weeks. 

“Where did you get all this?” He exclaimed. 

“From the grocery store,” Ranboo explained. “I’m also just… really good at rationing my resources. 

Tommy pushed a few cans aside and his mouth began to water. “This is really good stuff too! Not just soup broth and mushy vegetables.” 

“So,” Ranboo zipped his bag back up and put it on their back. “Do we have an alliance then?”

Tommy wanted to say no, but that food would be so nice to have. He could keep this guy for now, maybe dispose of him at a later date if needs be. 

“Fine. But I am the leader.”

Ranboo just put their hands up and laughed. “Fine fine. Lead the way then.”

“That’s right. That’s the respect I deserve.” The blonde said, tilting his head up and began walking. 

It was weird, Tommy had been alone for months but now having someone by his side felt nice. He could let his guard down just a little bit because he had someone else to count on. 

Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad.

———————

“Boob Boy, I really don’t know how you manage to almost miss us leaving every time without fail.”

Ranboo shot him a look. “First off, don’t call me Boob Boy. Secondly, I don’t know you guys just move so fast and I have a lot of stuff!”

“Because you’re a hoarder.” Tommy laughed. 

“I am not a hoarder! And even if I was, sue me! At least we have supplies.” Ranboo defended.

“Yeah, but they are mixed in with all your fuckin’ supplies. I don't know how you managed to find anything in the first place.” Tommy pointed out.

“Oh, that’s it.” Ranboo went to reach over and attack Tommy, causing him to try and fight back. 

“Hey!” Quackity shouted causing both boys to freeze. “This is not a time to mess around while I drive. You both need to behave or I will kick you out of this car right now.” 

Both boys muttered an apology before sinking back into their seats. 

The drive was long, Niki and Quackity kept whispering amongst themselves, while Ranboo was sat uncomfortably in the back with his knees pulled into his chest staring out the window. 

Tommy didn’t recognize where they were, they did tend to travel far but this felt even further than normal. 

“Where are we going anyways?” Tommy finally asked. “You said somewhere safe but didn’t elaborate.”

Quackity glanced at him through the rearview mirror. “You’ll just have to wait and see. Don’t need someone overhearing us.”

“But Niki seems to know. You two are whispering a storm up there.” Tommy pointed out. 

“She only knows because she is the one who had heard a rumour about the place we are going. I simply just checked it out. Besides, I know she can keep a secret.” 

“I can keep a secret just fine thank you!” The blonde whined. 

Niki just shook her head. “I promise it’ll be worth the wait, just trust me.”

Tommy sighed dramatically and fell down in the back seat dramatically so his head was now by Ranboo. 

“They hate us Ranboo and don’t trust us. Whatever will we do.” He cried dramatically. 

This caused a laugh out of Ranboo who pushed him back up. 

“It’s probably not that serious. They are just keeping us safe.”

The youngest poured. “You are no fun.”

Ranboo just shook their head. “Wow, my bad I’ll do better next time.”

Silence fell over the car again as they drove and the smooth ride of the car caused Tommy to begin to fall asleep against the window. 

He hadn’t realized how much time had passed, or if he actually fell into a deep sleep, before the car parked, jolting him awake. 

“We’re here,” Quackity said as he turned the car off and got out. 

The other three didn’t take their time getting out and they stood in front of what looked like a giant old factory building. 

Outside were three men who appeared to be messing with the gated lock. 

Tommy felt his body go into high alert mode as they entered a strange place with strange people. 

Quackity walked over to the men working who glanced up. 

“Ah. Quackity I assume.” The first man spoke. He wore a green hooded shirt with a dark vest on top and what appeared to be a robotic visual enhancer across one eye. 

“That’s me,” Quackity said and glanced at the building. “Is this it?”

The man nodded. “Yes, after months of work, it’s finally ready.”

“He’s waiting inside for you.” The other man spoke. His hair was white with a headband sitting across his forehead to keep his hair out. His face was covered with a mask that almost seemed to blend in with the black turtle neck he wore which was covered by a green winter jacket. 

Quackity just nodded and went to walk into the building. 

The final man, a man dressed in a purple shirt with red sunglasses that tinted black to hide his eyes, opened the gate for them. 

The group walked by without issue. 

Tommy suddenly got a really bad feeling. The other three seemed completely unphased by this all but something wasn’t right and he knew it. 

As they wandered in, Tommy noticed all the machines hooked up. It all seemed super complex and must’ve taken ages. When they stepped in Tommy took a deep breath and the air smelled… fresh. 

Not like the still air he’d become used to from the apocalypse, but what it smelled like before when you’d walk out on a summer's day. 

As they wandered past the machines they walked out into what looked like a greenhouse area. There were various plants growing, crops mostly that Tommy hadn’t seen since the apocalypse started. 

In the garden, feet away from Tommy, was a boy. He was clearly planting some new crops as he tended to this massive garden. 

Quackity walked towards the boy who looked up and smiled happily. 

“Quackity! So glad you finally made it safe!” 

The voice made Tommy’s stomach turn and his knees go weak. It was a voice he hadn’t heard in months. From someone he didn’t know was dead or alive this entire time.

Tubbo .

———————

Tommy collapsed to the ground, the weight of his bag dragged him down due to the exhaustion he faced. He knew the post-apocalypse wouldn’t be easy but he figured he’d have at least some fight left. But when they were forced to ration food and water, as well as travelling long distances just to try and find somewhere safe, it was really taking a toll on his body. 

Tubbo looked over sadly and moved over to him, setting his own bag down. 

“Guess this is where we are crashing tonight?” The smaller boy tried to joke. 

Tommy let out a frustrating sigh but knew he was defeated so he just nodded. “Yeah, unfortunately.”

Tubbo began unpacking supplies, including their blankets and things to start a fire, starting to make the camp feel like a home. 

As he unpacked, Tubbo began to cough, which forced him to pause. The taller boy frowned as his best friend’s cough was starting to sound really bad.

“Tubso… You really aren’t sounding good. You feeling alright?” 

Tubbo seemed surprised but, after he managed to calm his cough, just nodded. “Yeah. It’s just… asthma.” 

The younger frowned. He doesn’t remember Tubbo telling him about asthma. 

“Since when have you had asthma?” He questioned, looking up.

“Since always king. I just never thought it was a big deal so I didn’t tell you.” 

This didn’t entirely satisfy Tommy, but he figured he wouldn’t drag it on too much longer and just let it go. 

He tossed his bag off his back and rolled over so he stared up at the sky. Seeing the vastness of the grey clouds that shielded them from the harsh sun, Tommy silently wished he could go beyond those clouds and finally save himself from the hell he currently lived. 

“Do you think we are ever gonna finally find somewhere safe?” Tommy asked sadly. 

He wasn’t usually one to suddenly give up hope but things were getting harder and harder. The more they walked the less Tommy assumed there were things out there to help him.

Tubbo, who finished getting a fire lit, walked over and sat down next to Tommy and gave him a reassuring smile. 

“Of course,” The brunette reassured, “I mean, we have travelled this far. Someone’s got to be working on a safe place and we are gonna find it. As long as we are together, we can do anything.”

Tommy tilted his head to see his best friend and was met by a warm, genuine smile. He just nodded in response. 

“As long as we are together, we can do anything.” He repeated. 

“Now, I don’t know about you but I am starving.” Tubbo grinned, reaching into his bag and pulling out various supplies including a cooking pot, a knife and some cans. 

Tommy quickly sat up and the duo made themselves a meal. It wasn’t anything spectacular, before the apocalypse Tommy would’ve refused to eat it, but he is no longer as picky and takes what he can get. 

As night fell, Tommy set up a tarp to hang over them for some shelter before crawling into his sleeping bag.

“Goodnight Tubbo.” He said softly as he rolled onto his side. 

“Goodnight Tommy.” The older boy responded as they fell asleep to the sound of silence, something they had become incredibly accustomed to. 

~

Tommy woke up in a startle as he heard hushed whispers and rustling around nearby. 

He opened his eyes, not yet moving in case it was a threat. He had learned that if he stayed quiet about something he could get a surprise attack on them. 

However, what he saw was his worst nightmare. 

He saw four people, huddled up looking through a bag and whispering about things Tommy couldn’t quite make out. 

The dark sky made it hard to make out, but the glow of the dying embers from a once blazing fire provided just enough light to see the silhouettes and features of the one member closer, although given his back was turned Tommy couldn’t make out much. 

That was until the person turned his head to look over with a slightly sombre look. Tommy would recognize that sad expression anywhere.

It was Tubbo.

Before Tommy could say anything, the group all left, Tubbo trailing along with them.

Tommy closed his eyes tightly.

This is just a nightmare. 

It has to be. This could not possibly be real. 

Sleep overtook Tommy again as his exhaustion had not passed yet, and when morning rolled around he jolted awake.

He had to know for sure if it was true or not.

Tommy ran over to Tubbo’s sleeping bag but it was empty. His heart plummeted into his stomach and he felt like he was about to be sick.

Next, he noticed Tubbo's bag was still there. Quickly, he began rummaging through it as he wondered if Tubbo had been taken hostage or something. 

Tommy noticed all of Tubbo’s equipment was gone. All that was left was his clothes, food and his locket.

When Tommy’s fingers brushed against the cool metal of the chain his fingers locked around it and yanked it out. 

It was Tubbo’s compass. He had made them for the two of them, so if they ever got separated they’d be able to find each other still. He said it was something to do with the magnetism and how it wasn’t easy but they should never be separate. 

Tommy stared at the locket in horror. Tubbo could have taken it with him but he chose not to. He abandoned him. 

Hot tears streamed down Tommy’s face before he threw the compass at full force against a nearby tree, the shattering of the glass filled the once-silent air as it made contact. 

Tommy trembled with anger, staring at the tree. His body could barely hold up his weight. 

He wanted to scream and scream and scream until his voice gave out. But, he knew he’d have to save his strength.

Tubbo must’ve assumed he was a weaker link and could do better with others.

Well, Tommy didn’t need him anyway. He can survive this apocalypse on his own. 

Without a second thought, Tommy packed the camp up, leaving most of Tubbo’s things behind if they weren’t important. 

Tubbo’s memory would just weigh him down. 

Tommy was a lone wolf now. 

———————

Tommy felt his blood boil. He couldn’t believe it. 

They had come to see Tubbo. And even worse, Quackity seemed to have known him. 

Furious was an understatement for how he was feeling. 

“You,” Tommy shouted, causing Tubbo to stand up straight and frown. 

“Tommy look I can explain-“

Tommy didn’t let him finish. “No. You don’t get to explain!” 

His eyes filled with tears as he was overcome with emotions. 

“You left me.” His voice broke. 

“I know but I-“

“You left me to die!” Tommy snapped again.

“It’s really not what you think I promise-“

“SHUT UP,” Tommy shouted, causing Tubbo to jump a bit. “You don’t get to play this innocent card. I was starving and you left me. You lied to me. You said we would never have to worry as long as we were together and then you left.” He spat. 

“Tommy…”

“No, shut the fuck up right now.” He hissed. “No excuse could possibly make up for what you did. I almost died.” 

The silence weighed heavy in the room, nobody spoke. 

“We were both dying.” Tubbo pointed out. “You have to understand.”

By this point, Tommy snapped. He went to move forward, trying to hit Tubbo but two pairs of arms wrapped around him and held him tightly so he was stuck in place. 

“UNDERSTAND WHAT.” He screamed. “THAT WE COULD HAVE FIGURED IT OUT TOGETHER?” 

“We didn’t have enough food!” Tubbo cried, tears now streaming down his face as his best friend screamed at him. 

“No. You were a coward who took the easy way out.” He spat, pushing Niki and Ranboo off of him in one swift motion.  

“As for you,” Tommy turned his attention to Quackity, “did you know?” 

Quackity stayed silent. 

“You did know. I bet you were his fucking spy or something.” His entire world came crashing down as he began to hyperventilate a bit. 

“Tommy it’s not like that.” Tubbo insisted. 

“No! You’re so fucking selfish I can’t believe I ever fucking trusted you.” He spat. 

Tubbo suddenly went more on the defensive side. “I was not selfish.” 

“You are the definition of selfish! You abandoned me so you could what? Come here and live easily while I was stuck in the outside world starving? Some fucking best friend you were.” 

“Would you listen to me for one fucking second! Maybe then you’d understand.” 

“I don’t want to understand you. There’s no possible explanation for you abandoning me.” 

“I didn’t abandon you!” He cried. "All I did was for you!! For us!” 

“How could it all possibly be for us?” Tommy hissed, his face becoming hot from the tears he quickly tried to wipe away. 

“This place didn’t just exist Tommy!” Tubbo yelled. “I built it from nothing! With the help of the others, we made somewhere safe for you to live! For us to live!”

“Yeah, well I could have died. Then it wouldn’t be for me. It would’ve been for you.”

“You’re so fucking stupid sometimes Tommy! You were never going to die! Why do you think I sent people to watch after you!” 

“You… What.” Tommy turned to look at Niki and Ranboo.

Sure, Quackity betraying him was a shock, but if anyone were going to betray him, the shady businessman was the likeliest suspect. But Niki and Ranboo too?

“Is this true?” Tommy’s voice got soft. 

“Tommy-“ 

“No. I don’t wanna hear it.” 

“Please,” Tubbo begged, “Give me a chance to explain everything. If you still hate me by the end of it, you can leave and never see me again. But I want to be able to explain myself.”

“Fine. But don’t expect my forgiveness so easily.” 

“Thank you…” Tubbo took a deep breath, ready to tell Tommy the full story. 

———————

Tubbo lay awake in bed that night staring up at the stars. His cough was getting worse, and lying to Tommy about having asthma was not gonna get him far. 

The smaller boy tossed and turned a bit. He was hot, too hot. But at the same time was way too cold. He knew this was likely the start of a fever, something that would be deadly to him. 

He felt he would be deadweight to Tommy as the sicker he got, the more food and care he would need without being able to provide for himself. 

The guilt building in Tubbo’s stomach grew more as he realized the inevitable outcome would be they both would end up dead and there was nothing he could do about it. 

The brunette turned onto his back again and looked up at the stars. He was starting to give up on sleep as he was in far too much discomfort. 

That’s when he heard it. 

Footsteps. 

They were approaching quickly, which made Tubbo uneasy. He lay perfectly silent, trying to listen to what they were saying. 

“Good. They are both asleep.” The first voice spoke. 

“Great. Let’s look through their things and collect what we can.” A second voice whispered. 

Tubbo knew he had to stop them, he gently grabbed for the knife he slept near and, once he heard the footsteps close enough, the young boy jumped up to his feet and held out the knife. 

Now, in the glowing light, he could make out three figures. They all suddenly stood at attention as this boy was pointing a knife at them. 

“Don’t move!” Tubbo hissed quietly, trying not to wake Tommy. 

The men paused, clearly trying to assess the situation. 

Tubbo tried to look tall but he was swaying slightly on his feet. His fever was getting worse and he was starting to feel a bit delusional. 

The men raised their hands, but with a subtle nod, they tried to move. Tubbo jumped forward to try and stab one, but he missed and they ended up grabbing his arms and turning him so the knife was pointed at himself. 

“Let go of me!” He cried, trying to struggle free but the grip just tightened. 

“Give us one reason why we shouldn’t kill you right now.” The man holding him spat. 

Tubbo paused and wondered what could be of use when he noticed a slight blinking from a bracket on the man’s arm. He started to focus more on the details and gasped softly. 

“Wait, is that a fully functional write band that monitors all your vitals? How did you get one of those.”

The man’s arm turned slightly. “I made it myself. Used some mechanisms to create a sensor that displays it back to me.” 

Tubbo, suddenly forgetting for a moment he was in a life-or-death situation, perked up. “You could probably hook that up to a data bank which could store all your information.” 

“Yeah, we’ve been working on one but with people smashing or disposing of important technical equipment it makes it hard to create something that existed before this.” 

“Oh, well I think it could be pretty easy to do honestly. I’ve been messing around with stuff to try and replicate that but my resources have been limited.” 

This seemed to impress the man who now let him go and Tubbo walked over to his bag and picked up a small tablet thing. 

“It’s basically done but I’m just missing a power source and means to display information.” 

“We have both of those.” The man said and looked at his partners, who all seemed to agree. 

“Hey kid, why don’t you come with us? We will spare your life but we could use someone like you on our team.” 

Tubbo immediately wanted to say no. There’s no way he could just abandon Tommy like that. However, he knew his situation was dire. Maybe this was the out he needed. 

“On one condition.” He said.

“What’s the condition?” The first man asked. 

“You let my friend live. We don’t take anything he has that he needs so he can survive.” 

The man pondered it but nodded. “As long as you bring your technical equipment so you can help us, we will leave him be.”

Tubbo quickly ran to the smaller bag he stored in his bag which contained all his needs before he walked back over. 

“Deal.” 

He handed the bag over so the man could inspect it and he nodded. 

“Checks out to me.” He said before tucking the bag in his things. “Welcome to the team…”

“Tubbo.”

“Well, Tubbo. I’m Iskall.” The man who took his bag said. “The guy over there is Jordan, and finally Etho.”

Jordan and Etho both waved as their names were called. 

Tubbo smiled slightly and gave a shy wave. 

“Alright. Well, if we aren’t gonna take anything we should go before this kid wakes up.”

Tubbo nodded and the group started to walk. He paused for a moment and took one glance back at his friend who was still sleeping soundly. 

“I am so sorry.” He whispered. “I’ll be back for you soon.” 

The group wandered off, Tubbo’s adrenalin slowly dying off and the sickness hitting harder. They arrived a safe distance away before Tubbo could no longer walk and ended up fainting on the spot, just barely being caught by Etho. 

~

Tubbo was finally feeling better, having gotten decent medical care from his new friends and today was the first time he was going to be allowed to join them on a raid. 

He was excited in a weird way, he was looking forward to being brought along so he could stop worrying about Tommy. He would be fine, surely. 

The group had made their way up to an abandoned supermarket. 

“This will be a great place to find extra equipment. Maybe we can finally start working on that sustainable generator.” Iskall grinned excitedly. 

Etho just let out a soft laugh. “Yeah well, that’s gonna take a lot of work. I hope our newbie is up for it.” He said, ruffling Tubbo’s hair. 

The small boy swatted his hand away but just ended up smiling. “I’m up for a challenge.”

The group walked in and began looking around. Tubbo collected up the parts he figured could be useful, a makeshift blueprint was already forming in his head as he was going to piece it all together. 

As they wandered, they heard someone entering the building. Tubbo went running to his crew to make sure they were alright but he was slightly horrified to see them all holding their weapons ready to attack. 

“Alright Tubbo, first lesson. How to handle other raiders.” 

Tubbo followed along as his group walked around, sneaking up on a group of people.

There were 4 of them, all making a game plan to split up. 

Iskall made a hand signal, indicating for the group to all split off. 

Each person followed another and Tubbo heard the swift cries as he knew inevitably what was happening. 

His group was killing others off.

Tubbo knew it was his turn but something felt wrong. 

The person he was following was tall, really tall. He was unsure if he would be able to kill him. 

But, once he heard the screams, he turned back to see what was going on and seemed surprised to find Tubbo standing there. 

He went to jump back but his foot slipped and he ended up falling and looking terrified. 

Tubbo realized it was a perfect moment to kill and he raised the knife, ready to deliver a swift end. 

“Please don’t kill me.” The person begged. 

The voice caught Tubbo off guard as he sounded young, not much older than Tubbo himself. 

The brunette knew he couldn’t kill this kid. His conscious wouldn’t let him.

When another idea struck. 

He quickly brought the knife down and leaned forward so he could whisper. 

“I will spare your life but I need a favour from you.”

“Anything.” The kid said, terrified. 

Tubbo reached into his bag and pulled out the bag of food and handed it over. It was a bunch of non-perishables he had already collected in this store but he knew it would go to a good cause. 

“I need you to find someone and keep him alive.” 

“What?”

“My friend. We got… separated and I need you to find him and keep him alive. He’s tall and blonde and got a really loud mouth, but he’s actually very sweet. His name is Tommy Innit. You can take this food and share it but I need to know he’s got someone looking after him, and I feel you could use the company too.” 

The boy seemed hesitant but Tubbo’s sincerity must have shown because he grabbed the bag. 

“Why are you doing this?”

“Because sometimes you do what you have to in order to survive.”

The boy seemed to understand and nodded. He adjusted the black fast mask covering his nose and mouth.

“Now go, quickly before they see you. Do not let them catch you.” 

The boy quickly ran off and Tubbo turned away. He let out a shaky breath, not believing that it had actually just worked. 

Tubbo went back to grabbing some things before he saw his group approaching him again. 

“Did you get him?” Etho asked. 

Tubbo shook his head. “No, he got away. I’m sorry. But he didn’t see me; he just started running the moment he heard screams.”

Iskall seemed to ponder before nodding. “Well, there’s no harm there then. But we should probably move a bit faster in case he comes back with more people.”

Tubbo nodded and the group broke up again, collecting more supplies before meeting out front. 

The stuff they got was really good, enough for Tubbo to work on a generator.

As they were walking back, Tubbo finally spoke up about what was on his mind. 

“Why do you kill people?”

They all seemed surprised by this question but Jordan spoke up first. 

“Well, we never know who is safe and who isn’t. It’s better we kill them before they kill us.”

“But. We could be helping them instead.” Tubbo spoke softly. 

Iskall sighed. “There aren’t enough resources on the planet for us to save everyone. It's just easier if we do it this way.”

“So, why don’t we build something sustainable.”

“What?” Iskall asked. 

“Well. We are planning to build a generator. Why don’t we work on a factory of some sort to make it a place to grow food and have a more sustainable economy? Try and rebuild what once was.” 

The trio seemed to ponder the idea. Tubbo had half expected them to tell him off but they seemed genuinely intrigued. 

“You know what kid, if you can make it happen then sure. We could make a safe haven of sorts where we help people.”

Tubbo perked up. “Really?”

“Yeah. But it’s gonna be a lot of work. You might need to help find people to get you supplies if you know what I mean.”

“What?” Tubbo asked. 

“You know, like a black market guy,” Jordan said. “There’s a few around here but be careful who you do business with.” 

Tubbo nodded. “I see. Okay. I can do that.”

“Well, then we will support you where we can.”

And for the first time in a long time, Tubbo felt some hope. 

~

Tubbo stood outside the agreed-upon location that he got from the person his group had convinced him to set a meeting with. 

He was warned this man was a bit sketchy and would make a deal that benefited him more than the other, but Tubbo was ready for that. 

He kicked at the dirt while he waited, hoping he wasn’t about to get scammed. 

But, emerging from the shadows was the man as he’d been described. 

He knew the name and prayed he was nicked than he said he was. 

“Quackity?” He asked. 

“You must be Tubbo. I was told you might be waiting for me here.”

Tubbo just nodded and looked at him. “I was hoping we could get a business proposal going but I promise you’ll be rewarded well.”

Quackity laughed. “That is my speciality. What can I do for you?”

“I’m currently trying to build a safe haven and I was hoping you’d be able to help me get the parts I needed for it.”

Quackity nodded slowly. “Seems easy enough.” 

“That’s not all,” Tubbo said. 

“Go on.”

“I want you to help my friend. I don’t know where he is or what he is up to but while you’re getting these supplies for me I need you to make sure he’s okay and report back to me.”

“I see. What’s in it for me.”

“You and whoever you want get free access to the safe haven I am creating. Unlimited food and shelter that provides safety for whatever you want.”

Quackity perked up. “Very tempting offer.”

“So? Do we have a deal?”

“I’m not sure.”

“I will also provide you with any food or supplies currently for you and my friend.”

Quackity now seemed to just laugh. “Well, you’ve given me an offer I cannot refuse.”

Tubbo smiled and let out a breath of air. “Perfect.”

Tubbo gave Quackity a rundown of Tommy’s looks and name as well as where he last left him in hopes that Quackity would cross his path. 

The two shook hands and parted ways, leaving Tubbo feeling successful in his plans.

~

It had been a month since Quackity had made his deal with Tubbo. The genius boy had now created a communication network so Quackity could send him small updates, such as when they were in need of more supplies or where to meet up.

He had been thankful when Quackity got word to him that he found Tommy, it was like a sigh of relief. 

His best friend was still alive. 

However, their need for food was quite demanding and Tubbo knew he couldn’t keep leaving his work to deliver food so he needed something else. 

Tubbo wandered through the woods. He knew someone had to be here hunting, the animal population was at a maintainable rate meaning something had to be hunting them. 

As Tubbo walked he could see the outlines of traps. He knew he would simply have to draw the person out from their hiding place. 

Carefully, Tubbo set up a bag full of beans to land precisely on the trap so it would trigger it as if a small animal would. 

As he tossed it and it landed, the bag got pulled up in the air, dangling overhead. 

He stood just off in the distance, waiting for the person to come back and grab it. 

Thankfully, she was close as a shorter woman emerged from the woods and came to grab the catch. 

She seemed perplexed, however, due to their being a bag instead of an animal.

“Who’s there?” She said, not quite sure what direction to look, but was confident someone was here. 

Tubbo slowly crept out of the bushes with his hands up. 

“I’m not here to hurt you! I promise.”

A knife was pressed between her palm and finger as she had it ready to throw. 

“And why should I trust you?”

“Because I’m here to make a deal.”

“Why would I want to do a deal with you?” She asked coldly. 

“I need you to help my friend. And I will reward you highly.”

This seemed to interest her as her demeanour softened a bit. 

“What’s the deal.”

“I have this friend, his name is Tommy. He currently has two people with him; Ranboo and Quackity. They need a more sustainable food source so I’m hoping your hunting expertise could help them.”

“And in exchange?”

“I’m working on a safe haven. We currently have generators working but I’m trying to filter soil to be habitable again for vegetation. I can’t keep getting called to help, but if you agree to help I will let you live at this safe haven with whoever you want and you’ll have unlimited access to food and resources.”

She seemed to think it over for a second before nodding. “I think that’s something I can agree to.”

“Perfect. I will tell them to come set up camp nearby and, hopefully, you’ll be able to get them here. I am in contact with Quackity and if you need anything at all I will do my best to get it for you.”

“Seems simple enough. But why are you going through all this trouble for him?”

“He’s my best friend. I’m sure if he was given the same opportunity he’d do the same for me.”

The girl just smiled slightly and nodded. “Alright, I will help.”

“Perfect,” Tubbo said before turning to leave. “Oh and one last thing. Please don’t tell Tommy about any of this. He doesn’t know I’m doing this.”

“Why?”

“It’s. Complicated. Just trust me.”

The girl seemed to want to ask more but just nodded. 

As Tubbo left, he sent Quackity the coordinates and told him to set up camp there.

Things were finally falling into place. 

~

It was done. 

Finally, after months of work, he had fertile soil and enough crops to start feeding small amounts of people. With more help, he’s sure he could turn this around. 

He didn’t know how he did it but somehow his dream was a reality. 

Finally, he could see Tommy again.

He sent Quackity a message telling him to meet up so that he could finally stop hiding in the shadows. 

———————

“You really did all that… for me?” Tommy asked. 

“Of course I did,” Tubbo said. “I feel awful having to lie to you, but I knew it would be a lot to understand and if it failed or something happened to me, I couldn’t have the same fate happen to you.”

“You should have brought me along.” Tommy pointed out. 

“I know. I really wanted to but it was better this way. I was already asking a lot being brought along, and I was afraid you’d try and fight them, not work with them.”

Tommy wanted to argue, but he knew Tubbo was right. 

“I’m still mad at you,” he started, “but this is truly amazing… and to think you pulled it off by yourself.”

“I had help.” Tubbo smiled. “But I’m glad I can help people now.”

Tommy looked at his friends who smiled at him. 

“I know we met because of deals, but we really do care about you now Tommy,” Niki said. 

Quackity nodded. “As much of a pain as you can be, I’m glad we found you.” 

Tommy wanted to scream and yell at them, but deep down he knew he understood. 

Everything had been about survival. They all just wanted the best outcomes for themselves. 

But, now they didn’t have to fight so hard anymore. Now they had places to live and fresh food to eat. 

Not even Tommy could deny they deserved that. 

“So. You guys also have living areas?” Tommy questioned. “I just see farms.”

Tubbo seemed to perk up. “Yes! We do! Let me show you.”

The group all walked behind Tubbo as he rambled on about the specifics of this place. 

It was nice.

They were shown to their places and everyone had their own little housing area. 

Tommy walked inside his currently empty house and found it surprisingly cozy for being built off the side of a factory. 

He sat on the makeshift bed he was given and laid down. It was much more comfortable than the sleeping bags he was used to. 

As he looked at the ceiling he took a deep breath of the fresh air. 

He was finally free and surrounded by everyone he loved. 

He no longer had to survive. 

Tommy felt alive again. And it was nice. 

He felt like he was back in the world he once knew.