A/N: i think i've used too many 'ands' in my titles...

Dream stared at the picture on the wall. He had been doing it for the whole day. The picture only contained two objects, and they were the same shape. Discs. One with a green center and the other with a purple and white. Cat and Mellohi.

They were the only things remaining from Dream's old world. And Dream would do anything to get them.

Dream wanted two things. First, he wanted the unique items on the entire server. He wanted everything unique, because he was a collector. Which ties in with what else Dream wants. Dream wanted the things that were the most precious to others. To hold what they loved most against them. It gave him power. And Dream wanted power.

"Dream?" Sapnap's voice flowed through the doorway. Dream snapped out of his trance, raising his head to look at his friend. "We're attacking." Sapnap reminded him.

"Negotiating." Dream corrected him. "We don't need to attack."

"True." Sapnap said. "So, should we go?"

Dream adjusted his mask, making sure it covered his face comfortably. "Yes." He replied when he was ready. "Get Scar, Bad and Techno." Dream instructed.

Soon, everyone except the two redstoners were gathered in their meeting room. "Where's Impulse and Tango?" Scar asked.

"The redstoners need their rest." Dream replied briskly. "We have enough people for negotiating anyways." He paused, watching the others nod around him. Techno just had a bored expression on his face. "Here's the plan. Me, Scar and Techno take Tubbo to negotiate. Sapnap and Bad will be our backup, in case things get violent."

"Normally, we wouldn't even need precautions like this, but False is on the other side." Techno added, voice monotone.

"Is the plan clear?" Dream asked. Nods were exchanged around the room again. "Good. Let's go. Techno, you grab Tubbo."

As Scar followed him out, Dream was not scared at all that Techno would let Tubbo go. Even though Tubbo was the adopted brother of the pigman, Dream knew that Techno was loyal to him... for now. Techno wasn't particularly fond of Tommy, so he wouldn't want to help him.

Dream neared the border of his own territory. "Scar?" He asked, gesturing for him to send the signal.

The terraformer nodded and closed his eyes. A second later, Dream felt a slight tremor run underneath him before rocks rose from the ground and fall again, making the ground shake and tremble from the fall. Dream smiled as he took in the strength at which Scar was controlling the earth. He had certainly improved. He noticed.

Dream turned to face the Child's Entourage's base. He knew that such a racket would get the people out of hiding in their base.

Predictably, a figure burst out of the top of their castle, a pair of gray wings flapping rhythmically as they headed closer to where Dream was. Scar stopped moving the ground as the figure got closer, the dust settling down to reveal Grian.

The avian coughed a little from the dust. He blinked up at Dream, shaking his wings to get rid of the dust. "Hello." Grian said with a wary tone to his voice.

But Dream wasn't there for small talk. "Where's the rest of your team?" He asked coldly.

"What do you want them for?" Grian asked back.

Dream wasn't willing to take that for an answer. "Where are they?"

"Why?" Grian replied, his black eyes glinting with warning.

Dream gave in. It wouldn't do him good to keep arguing, and it seemed like the small avian wasn't going to reveal where his teammates were. "We would like to talk with them."

Grian gave a quick nod. He snapped open his wings and rose into the air, stirring up the settled dust around Dream. Dream blinked against the wind, annoyed at the dust bouncing off his mask, as he watched Grian become smaller and smaller in the sky.

Tubbo didn't dare to close his eyes. The cut on his forehead was still fairly fresh, and he didn't want to re-open it. So he endured the dust.

Tubbo was usually always positive, but not so much this time. He knew what was going to happen. He had overheard the conversation between Bdubs and Impulse yesterday afternoon, when they had been talking outside of his cellar. Dream planned to trade Tubbo for the discs. The discs. Just that thought sent shivers down Tubbo's back. He was aware of their value. The only thing that was left of the original worlds. Of his world.

And Tubbo could understand why Dream wanted the discs. He had wanted everything precious, everything unique, from the beginning. And Dream wasn't a quitter, Tubbo knew. Dream wouldn't stop until he got what he wanted, and this time, it was the discs.

Tubbo wasn't hopeful. He and Tommy had been in a similar situation before, where Dream threatened Tubbo life for something in exchange - but that time it was surrenderment. Tommy had given up. Tubbo knew his friend too well to know that Tommy would do anything for his friends to not die.

Which scared Tubbo. Because before, Tommy basically had one friend - him. There was nothing else tying Tommy down, no attachments, as Dream would say - other than Tubbo. Well, Tommy was close to Quackity, but not in a wholesome-friendship way that Tubbo and Tommy's relationship worked. Theirs was more, er, weird.

But ever since they met the hermits, Tommy had become attached to more people - most noticeably - Grian. Tubbo had seen several instances where Tommy would hang out with Grian, asking him questions about building, etc. And Tommy didn't swear around Grian, which meant he had respect for the avian when he didn't for many other people, including Dream himself.

Tubbo knew that Tommy had a special liking for the avian, and that wasn't good. It gave Dream more leverage against Tommy. Tubbo was fine with being hurt himself, but he knew that Tommy couldn't stand it.

If Tubbo can't stand the thought of Grian, battered and injured, then he knew that Tommy couldn't either.

Tubbo shivered again, another memory from Bdubs and Impulse's conversation coming back to him. 'He said that if Tubbo doesn't work, he'll use Grian.'

Tubbo could only wait, anxious, for Grian's return. To know that he was safe and not pinned down by the wings, struggling to fly free.

Tubbo let out a quiet sigh as he spotted two figures exit the top of their castle. Two avians, both flying towards them. It relieved Tubbo to know that Phil's wings were healed again. The two winged figures swooped low, hovering over two other people who came out of the front door. As they got closer, Tubbo could tell that it was False, her sword present at her side as she strided alongside a boy with golden hair and a red sleeved, white shirt.

Tommy.

Tubbo sighed again, but this time out of annoyance. Of course Tommy would come. I bet Bi - Grian told him I was here. Tubbo smiled a little. He was picking up Tommy's way of referring to Grian - Big G. But his smile quickly fell as the four approached Dream.

Tommy stood in the middle. Both avians stood on one side of him while False guarded the other. Tommy's cyan eyes darted to Tubbo for the fraction of a second before they focused on Dream again. "What do you want, Dream?" He spat.

"Watch your mouth, child." Dream warned. "Or your friend here will receive the consequences." He gestured at Tubbo, who winced as Sapnap pressed a blade against his arm, threatening.

Tommy shut his mouth but glared at Dream. False stepped forwards. "What do you want, Dream?" She asked, businesslike.

"The discs." Dream said. Tubbo heard Tommy's breath catch before it resumed, this time a little heavier.

"No." Tommy said, pushing False aside to stand in the front. "I will not give you the discs."

Tubbo could see Dream smile wickly. He gulped, afraid of what was to come. "Tubbo's destiny is controlled by us." Dream reminded Tommy.

Tubbo could see the hesitation in Tommy's face. Tommy bit his bottom lip, but finally, "I will not give you the discs." He said firmly, but Tubbo caught the slight quivering in his voice.

"Then Tubbo will die." Dream continued, voice filled with a soft glee. Tubbo knew he would keep on pressing Tommy until he gave in.

Tommy bit his lip and opened his mouth to speak. Tubbo shook his head desperately, telling his friend no, you can't hand over the discs! But he knew that it was useless, because Tommy would do anything to make sure his friend was safe. Even though that warmed Tubbo's heart, to know that Tommy cared a lot for him, it also exasperated him that Tommy didn't know that sacrifices were needed sometimes.

But before Tommy could speak, Grian pushed him aside. "No." Grian said, and Tubbo smiled with faint relief before internal panic started tearing at his insides. He knew what was coming next. He knew that he was going to die. But at the same time, he was happy that Tommy didn't give up the discs.

Tubbo saw Grian and Phil exchange a glance, and he saw both their wings tense. Dream wouldn't have caught it, he didn't know Grian or Phil well enough to have understood that gesture. But Tubbo knew, and Tubbo knew they were preparing to fight.

To his surprise, Dream didn't press a blade to his neck and execute him. Instead, the masked man waved his hand, and Sapnap pushed Tubbo away, turning him around as the crew headed back to their base. Tubbo looked back once more to see Tommy staring directly at him before he was forced by Sapnap to look away.

As they walked away, Tubbo sincerely hoped that Grian would stay safe.

A/N: poor tubbo...

word count: 1616 (cool number btw)

i got 152 notifs and i dunno how, i literally spent the last 30 minutes not doing work and responding to comments, thank you guys so much it makes me feel very happy when i see people commenting and screw work i don't like it anyways

sooooo yeahhhhh thank you guys very much, we have another french test today :p

hope your day is doing fantastic, and if it's not i hope this chapter has helped you in making it slightly better and have a good rest of your week, cya on friday!

(future echo realizes she's adding more to the long a/ns when she should be deleting them... oops)

'edited' on Jan 23rd 2022