Dream loved the snow. It was beautiful, the delicate flakes filling the air with white flurries. But behind the intricate crystals, there was a deadly, unforgiving cold that could suck away all your energy and leave you a frozen corpse. It looked harmless, but it would kill you without a second thought.

The cold didn't bother Dream, really. Years of playing in manhunts had made the man mostly immune to weather. If such a silly thing slowed you down, you would simply die.

And Dream didn't die.

~

Tubbo was tired. He had been talking with Ranboo all day, trying to figure out what to do. He'd asked the hybrid how Dream could have known, and Ranboo, as mysterious as ever, refused to tell him. Memory problems, yeah, right. Those mismatched eyes knew things, and Tubbo was determined to figure them out.

Still, they were a team, so when Ranboo asked if Tubbo could stay the night, he agreed. At least now Tubbo could protect him if anything happened. Not that anything would happen, of course. If they were safe anywhere, it would be near Techno and Phil, as much as Tubbo despised them.

Right?

~

Dream grinned as he walked through the snow, casually swinging his axe. He'd been hiding behind a snowdrift earlier in the day, listening to Tubbo and Ranboo talk. The kids were scared out of their minds, going on and on about how "Dream found out about Tommy", "How did he find out?" "I don't know!" "Then how do you know he found out?!" "I just do!"

Ranboo was too smart for his own good. Most people would have thought they were just tired or something, but that paranoid hybrid had to figure out that something was wrong. Of course he did.

It put a bit of an obstacle in Dream's plan, to say the least, but things worked out like they always did.

Tubbo, being the stupid pawn he always was, decided it was fine to stay the night instead of sleeping in his own bed. Not that that would have stopped Dream. No, it would have just made the inevitable take just a bit longer.

Dream was curious, really. Did they think they were safe in Ranboo's house? Safe to sleep? Safe to even talk?

Did they not think that Dream knew where Ranboo lived? That he could come knocking at any moment?

That he could be at their door right now, just as they were heading off to sleep?

Did they not know?

If not, well, that's their downfall.

~

Tubbo reluctantly awoke from his fitful sleep to a slight noise coming from just outside Ranboo's door.

Jeez, he hated strays.

He inwardly groaned as he realized sleep was no longer an option and pushed himself up on his elbows, shivering as his blanked slipped and the cold air lingering on the floor seeped into his cocoon of warmth.

Ranboo must be immune to the cold or something because, while the tundra was absolutely freezing, the hybrid's lanky legs were currently sticking out off the side of his bed, the blanket draping uselessly over the edge. The way his legs were positioned, he had to have been sleeping sideways.

Tubbo craned his neck. Sure enough, Ranboo was lying sideways, his arms curled against his chest.

He actually looked kind of small in the dim light. He was folded in on himself in a feeble sort of way, and he honestly looked sort of... haunted.

It was a weird way to describe it. Nearly everyone on the server mentally scarred in some sort of way, but Ranboo was different. He looked more helpless, like he didn't know what was happening. Not that he did, of course, no one did-

Tubbo shook his head. His thoughts were just going in circles. It was more like Ranboo helpless on a deeper level. Yeah, that was the best way to describe it. Like he was helpless inside. Or something.

Maybe Tubbo was just tired.

Yeah, that was it. Ranboo hadn't experienced war like Tubbo or Tommy had. How could he look so hurt?

Tommy.

Tubbo sighed.

It was so easy for Tubbo to think about him. They'd been best friends! Tommy had been such a normalcy, an everyday part of life. It was so easy to forget he was gone.

No. Now was not the time for grieving. Tommy might not even be dead! Tubbo had found it easier to accept the hope as the day drew on. Dream wouldn't be so interested if there wasn't some bit of truth-

Dream.

He heard the rustling again.

Dream didn't know where Ranboo lived, right?

More rustling, closer.

Right?

Wait.

That was Ranboo.

The hybrid was sitting up in bed, rubbing his eyes.

"What was that sound?" Ranboo asked.

"That wasn't you?"

"No? I don't think so. Unless I just woke myself up." He snorted. "Honestly, that's a real possibility."

"I think it came from outside. Probably just a stray." Or Dream, Tubbo added silently. It could be Dream.

Then a knock sounded, scaring the crap out of Tubbo. He could see Ranboo flinch too.

"Techno?" Ranboo sounded hopeful.

"Yeah, Techno," Tubbo added, knowing there was no way it was Technoblade.

"You're closer to the door." Ranboo nodded at the opening. "I'd have to step over you."

Jerk.

Tubbo stood up, nearly tripping over his tangle of blankets. He could do this.

This is fine.

The door loomed over him. It was taller than normal, made for Ranboo's insane height.

This is fine.

It was awfully familiar to his previous encounter with Dream.

This. Is. Fine.

He shakingly opened the door, just a sliver. And saw a mask.

Really, everything is fine. Perfectly. Fine.

~

Tubbo's eyes widened from behind the crack, and Dream nearly burst out laughing. This was perfect! Everything was just in place; all the pieces of his hastily made plan were falling just in line.

He pushed the door open a bit more, surprised at how little Tubbo resisted. Was he already giving up?

The inside of the house was dark, the moonlight barely making its way through the door, but Dream could still see Ranboo sitting, stock-still, on a bed.

"Okay, we can either do this the easy way or the hard way." Dream inwardly winced at how cliche that was. Oh well, it worked. "The easy way is where you two come with me willingly and do everything I say."

Tubbo snorted, finishing Dream's sentence. The masked man wondered where that courage had come from. "And the hard way is where you knock us out and force us to come?"

"Yes!" Dream smiled, speaking as friendly as he could manage after such a snarky remark. Tubbo had sounded just like Tommy, and if Tommy had said that, he would get consequences. Now that Tubbo had... "And you just chose the hard way."

The crack that followed was loud and honestly satisfying. Dream had missed that sort of limpness that followed. He'd been craving it since Tommy had escaped from exile, and the joy of killing the little brat had just been taken away. This was just what he needed.

But the boy now lying on a pile of blankets on the floor wasn't enough. It was kind of like cake: when you had one piece, you couldn't help but wish for more.

Dream stepped over the body, now leaking blood from the temple, and walked towards Ranboo, who was still frozen, his eyes inhumanly wide.

"You didn't try and help your friend?" Dream shook his head, snickering. "Wow, you really are a traitor, aren't you? Two times, now. You turned on him two times. And what did he do to you? Nothing!" Dream sighed, the smile evident in his voice. "And you don't want to help me either?" Dream shook his head. "Well, you don't exactly have a choice in that matter."

It would have been way easier to just use his power over the hybrid and tell him to pass out, or even better, just make him come with Dream.

But as a single tear slipped down the still motionless teenager's face, Dream couldn't help but use the flat of his axe again. The durability was getting awfully low on the weapon. He should probably go to the XP grinder.

He slung the two boys over his shoulder, nearly dropping the taller. Their blood stained his sweatshirt, making him smile. Heaving the door open, Dream slowly began the long trek back to his base.

This could not have gone any better.