"A

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There was a splash, and Tubbo's breath was knocked out of his lungs. He thrashed upwards and burst through the surface, gasping for air. When he'd taken in a huge lungful, he promptly resumed screaming.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHH-"

"SHUT UP!"

Tubbo shut his mouth, squinting his eyes at Dream. "But-"

"You're going to scare Tommy off." Dream looked at him with a measured glare that wasn't very threatening since the man was furiously doggy paddling. "Do you want to lose him forever?"

Tubbo looked back at him. "No."

"Then swim."

Tubbo lay facedown in the sand, his muscles aching with exertion. The sun was warm on his back. He relished in it - he couldn't remember the last time they'd had a sunny day on the Dream SMP. It was so different here.

Wait.

It worked. The portal worked.

He was going to see Tommy.

He bolted up, buzzing with newfound energy-- only to freeze as his memories came rushing back.

Dream, dragging Tubbo to the ruins of L'Manberg. Dream, shoving him right into Technoblade's path. Dream, jumping into the crater and taking Tubbo with him.

Dream, shooting Phil in the heart.

Tubbo started quivering, shaking from the cold of the water that he now noticed was seeping through his clothes. The cold of the realization that Phil - the avian, Wil's murderer, father, the man who he'd looked up to from Tommy's wild stories, the man he now hated because he knew those stories were fake, the man who'd blown up his home, his country - was dead .

Philza was dead.

He didn't know how to feel.

His ears were ringing- was it the water? No, no he could hear before. He didn't see Dream anymore. Tubbo was looking around but he didn't see Dream . Was he gone? Had he left? Was he going to kill Tommy?

Tommy.

Everything was a blur. The sky grew dark. His mind was taking over, he couldn't hear, he couldn't see. Was he dying? Still in the water, drowning? Still falling, the bedrock growing closer and closer until he-

Was he dead?

He heard voices. Something touched him and he panicked, lashing out.

"Breathe."

He couldn't.

"Look at me."

All he saw were moving shapes.

"Stay calm."

How?

How was he supposed to stay calm when... when everyone he loved was probably dead?

No, but Ranboo was alive. He saw him.

Ranboo.

Tommy.

He needed to save Tommy.

Slowly, his vision cleared. A man with red eyes was crouching in front of him, another brown-haired man standing next to him.

They looked worried. Heh, probably for good reason.

Dream . Where was he?

Tubbo looked around frantically.

"Where is D- uh, a man in a green hoodie? Where is he?" His words were thick.

The red-eyed one smiled. "Tommy's brother? He's over there."

Brother?

Then Dream came running at him. Tubbo flinched, curling up into a ball. He missed his fork.

But then Dream was hugging him?

"Tubbo! Tubbo, oh, I'm so glad you're okay. I was so worried." Then, quieter, a whisper that only Tubbo could hear, "Play along."

Tubbo blinked. Play along? Like this was a game? This wasn't a game!

Dream pulled back and looked at Tubbo, studying his face in a worried sort of way. With a start, Tubbo realized Dream wasn't wearing his mask.

His eyes widened, and Dream's narrowed. They were green, bright and poisonous, a colour that fitted him well. He looked a lot like Tubbo had imagined him.

But why? Why would he take it off? Tubbo averted his eyes and looked at the two men that were still standing nearby.

Was it to win their trust? That sounded like something Dream would do.

As of on cue, Dream looked at the men. "Tubbo is Tommy's friend. If he seems... off, he took it really hard when Tommy jumped. He hasn't been the same since." Dream shielded his mouth from Tubbo, whispering to the men like he was trying to keep Tubbo from hearing his words. Tubbo could hear him anyways, and if Dream wasn't doing that on purpose, he'd eat his shoe. Without salt. "He blames me for it because he thinks I could have stopped Tommy and he likes to try to make up stories about me doing bad things..." He sighed and lowered his hand. "I just feel really bad. But I think he's the only way to get Tommy to come back."

"He jumped? What do you mean by that?" The brown-haired one asked.

Dream glanced back at Tubbo, chewing on his lip. "Um, my brother wasn't in a great place back at our home, but then these two anarchists blew it up and Tommy just..." He shuddered. "I tried to stop him, but I-"

Tubbo sucked in a breath. Dream was insane. And probably a genius. And he... he seemed human. Normal. Too normal. Tubbo didn't like it.

But now they wouldn't believe anything Tubbo said. And if they didn't-

This was not going to go well, was it?

-

Scar sat in his office, his eyes narrowed at the man sitting across from him.

"So you're Tommy's brother?"

Dream nodded. "Yessir."

The boy sat next to him, feet up on the chair, hugging his knees. He looked worried.

"And that's Tubbo? Tommy's friend?"

"Yessir."

"And you want Tommy to come back with you to your home?"

"Yessir."

"Is your home safe? I think you mentioned anarchists?"

Dream sighed. "We have them under control now, sir. It's safe now."

"Dream, you know you don't have to use sir with me, right? You can just call me Scar!"

Dream frowned. "But you're the mayor! You deserve the respect."

Scar smiled. This man was surprisingly nice to have come from where Tommy lived. "Thank you! But still, you can just call me Scar."

Dream nodded. "So, where is Tommy?"

Tubbo looked at him, his eyes wide. Scar pitied the boy; he couldn't imagine how hard it would be to see one of his friends die.

"Well," Scar sighed, "You see, we don't know."

Dream's face hardened for a moment, but all the anger was quickly replaced with a worried gaze. "You don't know?"

Scar cleared his throat. "Well, he kind of ran away."

"Ran away." Dream's face was strained, like he was trying to hold something in. He looked away, staring at the wall. "Of course he ran away."

Scar frowned. Dream felt... wrong , somehow, but he was probably just worried about the kid. "We've sent a search team," Scar offered. "We're doing our best to find him."

"Yes, um, thank you. Is there a place we could stay overnight?"

"Yes, let me show you."

Scar's gut told him not to show him. Tommy's brother was weird. He didn't trust him. So was Tubbo, the kid was too quiet. He looked too scared.

He showed them anyway.

-

"Come on, find whatever you can, and then we're leaving."

"What?"

Dream turned to Tubbo. "We're going to find Tommy because these idiots apparently can't keep track of him."

Tubbo looked to the side. "I think they're nice. I want to stay."

Dream cocked his head. "So you want me to find Tommy by myself?"

Tubbo's eyes widened. "N-no. I just think that, um, maybe they can help us find him? Because we have no clue where to start."

Dream squinted, seeming to consider the options. "Well, you see, it's funny of you to say that."

Tubbo bit his lip. "...Why?"

"Why? Well, I think that you're trying to get us to stay so you can tell these 'nice people' what's happening and ruin any chance of Tommy coming back."

"Uh... no I'm not."

Dream snorted. "Get your weapons, we're going right now. And don't even think of trying anything else."

-

<TangoTek> Hey Mumbo, I don't know if anyone has told you yet since you're on the search party, but earlier today Tommy's brother came

<MumboJumbo> Wait what?

<MumboJumbo> Tommy doesn't have a brother? What does he look like?

<TangoTek> Uhh that's weird. He has a green hoodie? And there's a kid about Tommy's age. Dream says he's Tommy's friend

<MumboJumbo> Dream?

<TangoTek> Oh yeah that's his name

<MumboJumbo> Dream is here?

<TangoTek> yeah?

<MumboJumbo> Okay he's not Tommy's brother, go keep an eye on him or build a jail and put him in it or something bc he's bad news

<TangoTek> Who is he?

<MumboJumbo> He's the man who tried to kill Tommy

<TangoTek> hold up WHAT

<TangoTek> What about the kid?

<MumboJumbo> Do you know his mane?

<MumboJumbo> name*

<TangoTek> uh, yes, but I forgot what it was exactly. Started with a t

<MumboJumbo> uh I think that might actually be Tommy's friend? but keep an eye on him just in case

<TangoTek> alr I'll get some people together and we can get them. They're staying in Bdub's city

<MumboJumbo> Okay hurry

-

<TangoTek> Uh Mumbo

<MumboJumbo> did you get them?

<TangoTek> no

<TangoTek> they're gone