TW: Blood, death, swearing, drugs and alcohol, mention of manipulation

Starts after Jschlatt's announcement of the festival, with the what if of "What if Tommy went insane instead of Wilbur?" with some changed plot points to have it make sense

"Wilbur," Tommy said, finally breaking the silence in the woods, "I've been thinking, about what you said." He took a shaky breath before saying, "Will, are we the bad guys?"

"Why would you say that," Wilbur asked, he couldn't think of what he said that would have made Tommy think this way.

"It's just, what Schlatt is doing, it doesn't seem all that wrong. Cause I mean Tubbo looks happier, Fundy is happier," Tommy said, "and my past actions haven't always been for the right things. It kinda feels like I'm in the wrong."

"Tommy, it may seem wrong but what we're doing, it's for the people," Wilbur said, putting a hand on his shoulder, "sure you've done some bad things in the past and that's why you're not going to be-"

"Then who is the right president," Tommy snapped, slapping Wilbur's hand away. "You? Would we be doing this if Quackity was elected instead? Or Fundy?"

"I mean," Wilbur started trying to phrase it in a way that didn't sound like he felt like he was the only person who could properly lead L'Manburg. "I don't know."

"Schlatt may be a dictator, but he was chosen by the people," Tommy said, "by the election we ran! Who knows, maybe there'll be another election. I'll follow you Wilbur, but I don't think you'll be able to stop me if I decide to do something else."

"Tommy, what are you implying," Wilbur said, this was a side of Tommy he had never seen before. What had happened to him?

"L'Manburg's gone Wilbur, Schlatt will win no matter what, because he's already changed it," Tommy said, "I have nothing left to lose. You just took the last thing I had from me. If I can't have L'Manburg, Will. No one can." This didn't sound like insanity, but it was Wilbur could tell. Tommy didn't sound like he had gone insane, but his choice of words and actions said differently. And what did he mean by 'nothing left to lose?'

"Tommy, snap out of it, this isn't you," Wilbur said, but was that right? Was saying that Tommy would never be president just something he said in the spur of the moment?

"You're right Wilbur, this isn't me, I haven't been me for a long time. I'm the person you created," Tommy said, Wilbur had been in charge for too long, calling the shots, telling him what he could and couldn't do. Doing exactly what Dream would in the past. "You, and Dream."

"What does Dream have to do with anything," Wilbur asked, trying to understand Tommy. Trying to snap his brother-in-arms out of it.

"Don't you see Wilbur," Tommy held his arms out, letting the torch light reflect off the enchanted netherite he wore. "I'm wearing Dream's armor, I have all of his weapons. I got desperate and we needed his gear. I once again gave up my most prized possessions, for L'Manburg. And then you said I would never be president, and it hit me."

"Tommy," Wilbur couldn't believe it. No, he did believe it. Tommy had sacrificed what he cared about for Wilbur and his goals, and he had crushed Tommy's hope of one day leading.

"It was never your intention for me to lead," Tommy said, "you just wanted to use me, because I'm the one that issues change around here. You're nothing without me, Wilbur."

"Tommy you know that's not-" Wilbur started.

"Isn't it? Say I'm wrong, tell me that I'm not the first one to form attachments on here," Tommy waited for his answer. "You can't, because you weren't here during the start."

The Manburg Festival

"Just get out of there as soon as you can, I can't lose you too," Tommy was saying to Tubbo as Wilbur came over to them.

"I will. Stay safe Tommy," Tubbo said as the two hugged. Wilbur could still see the youthful Tommy that had once helped him fight for L'Manburg, but in Tommy's eyes he could never be that way again.

"You too," Tommy said as Tubbo left Pogtopia heading for Manburg.

"You're really going through with this," Wilbur said, "and Tubbo's okay with it?"

"He understands me, he knows that I will do whatever it takes," Tommy said. He no longer wore the L'Manburg uniform, but a spare brown coat Wilbur once owned over his white shirt. "And no, there is no talking me out of this."

"But what about-" Wilbur started.

"Tubbo is the only person I care about, and I know he'll be safe," Tommy snapped, "Schlatt doesn't know anything, Techno will be there to back me up."

"I just don't like who I'm seeing you become," Wilbur said, "Tommy, please don't do this. To the nation I created, to my home."

"The very nation that kicked us out! That threw us away like we were nothing!" Tommy said. "You may not realize it, but I'm doing this for you Will."

Wilbur sighed as Tommy headed to the entrance, what had he ment by that? How could any of this be for him? Why would Tommy say that he was destroying L'Manburg, for him? As they met up in Eret's tower over looking Manburg Tommy was starting to have doubts, could he actually do this? To Wilbur? To everyone else there? Eventually he went to talk to Tubbo privately and put the decision in his hands.

"Now, my right hand man has asked to speak so give it up for Tubbo!" Jschlatt said. This got Tommy's attention, Tubbo asked to do the speech? Why? He thought Tubbo was on their side. Why would he ask to speak in honor of Schlatt?

"Tommy!" Wilbur hissed as Tommy started down the tower. "Tommy wait!" He didn't slow down, he just kept going, he had to get to the button. His assumptions were right, not even Tubbo was on his side. He wouldn't say the code phrase, because no matter what Tubbo would choose L'Manburg over him. That's what everyone did. "At least wait until Tubbo says whatever it is you agreed on."

"Fine," Tommy said, finally stopping. Whether or not Tubbo actually did would dictate the outcome of that night.

As Tubbo finished his speech Schlatt started laughing, "You got anything else in the speech, Tubbo?"

"Uh, no," Tubbo said and Tommy started to walk away, Tubbo really hadn't cared about what he thought was right. "Let the festival begin." Tommy's head shot up and he began running to the button room. Reluctantly Wilbur stayed, something was up with Schlatt. He knew something.

Quackity and Schlatt started to place down quick hardening concrete around Tubbo. Soon he was encased with no way out. Wilbur watched at Techno was told to come up to the stage. He tried to figure out what to do, how could he save Tubbo and stop Tommy? He jumped down from the building and ran into the festival square. "Techno don't!"

"Wilbur?" Niki said from next to him. She hadn't expected him to be there. What was going on?

"Schlatt, listen to me, if you care about anyone who is here you will evacuate the festival." Wilbur commanded.

"What the hell are you talking about," Quackity said.

"Tommy-" Wilbur started, but then he saw Techno glaring at him. Techno wanted this, he didn't care about L'Manburg. "Plans to do something, I don't know what but it could be bad."

Schlatt started laughing, "that kid couldn't do anything if he tried. Technoblade, kill him."

Techno looked back at Wilbur, it was only them. Tommy wasn't about to help them, it was a miracle he hadn't blown up L'Manburg yet. "I'm sorry Tubbo, I'll try and make this as painless as possible."

"Tech-Technoblade," Tubbo said as he loaded the firework into the crossbow. Wilbur started screaming for him not to. And fireworks exploded, lighting up the podium.

"Niki, Niki we have to get out of here," Wilbur said to her as Techno turned around and started to fire on the crowd. No one else died but the firework explosions had left everyone burned and scarred.

Niki closely followed Wilbur through the smokescreen of fireworks, they were able to escape and get out of Manburg. Wilbur wanted to go back for Tommy, but he knew everyone would be hunting the four of them.

"Wilbur!" Tubbo came up to them as they reached Pogtopia, he had come as soon as he had respawned. "Where's Tommy?"

"I-I don't know," Wilbur said, he hated to admit it.

"Tommy was there?" Niki asked.

"He was originally, but when you said your line he ran off," Wilbur said, for once he didn't know what to do.

"Then why didn't he-" Tubbo started and Tommy came down from the prime path leading from Manburg.

"Because someone got rid of the tnt," Tommy glared at them, he looked at Wilbur. "You, you did something didn't you! You moved the tnt or some other shit!"

"Tnt," Niki asked, what happened to Tommy? "Were you going to blow up L'Manburg?"

"Yeah, what about," Tommy said.

"L'Manburg is my home, your home!" Niki said, tears starting to stream from her eyes, so much had happened that day. "How could you want to try and destroy it!?"

"Because it doesn't affect him, even if L'Manburg gets blown up he still has his fucking dirt shack." Wilbur snarled. "And are you not even a little bit worried about Techno killing Tubbo?"

"As long as it doesn't stop me, I don't give a fuck," Tommy said. Tubbo's face went from surprise, to hurt, to sadness within seconds.

"Well I agree with Tommy," Techno said, coming down from the stairs. "In fact they would have trusted me more if Wilbur didn't step in and try to stop me."

"You were being told to kill Tubbo, what else was I supposed to do!" Wilbur said, curling his fists.

"Go on, throw the first punch, see what happens," Techno growled.

Wilbur let out a deep breath and relaxed. "No, we shouldn't fight amongst ourselves. If we want to stop Schlatt we can't use violence against each other."

"Look where words got you back there. The only universal language is violence, and we've spoken that language with Schlatt. We have to train, it's over Wilbur. On to a new day, a new plot to destroy Manburg," Techno said turning away to go to his own base, his tattered red cloak flowing behind him. Tommy nodded along to Techno's words.

Wilbur sighed, watching as Tubbo remained silent and walked up the stairs. Niki and Wilbur followed him, they needed to talk, to figure things out.

"Wilbur, what do we do?" Niki said.

"I don't know, part of me wants to stay, try and get through to Tommy," Wilbur admitted. "But at the same time we could run away, stop worrying about all this."

"But would you be happy doing that, leaving L'Manburg and everyone else?" Niki said and Wilbur chuckled. "No, I wouldn't."

"We have to stay," Tubbo stopped as he overheard them. "For Tommy, I have to believe that he's still my friend."

"Well if push comes to shove, I know someone I can contact to help," Wilbur said, they nodded, they needed all the help they could get.

Everything progressed similarly to the original timeline. Tommy had managed to convince Quackity to join them after his fight with Schlatt, he wanted to weaken Manburg. Wilbur decided to keep the tnt situation quiet with Quackity, he didn't want him thinking Tommy was using him. Fundy had revealed himself as a spy. Dream revealed that there was a traitor among them, made a deal with Tommy, and made a deal with Schlatt.

"You all know the plan," Wilbur said, "if things start to look like shit, we make the hard decision."

"I don't think we should," Tubbo said, gripping his axe. "Sure he wants to blow up L'Manburg, but that isn't right."

"I'm with Wilbur on this, you worked too hard to get L'Manburg," Niki said. "I'll help you Wilbur."

"No, I can't ask any of you to," Wilbur said, adjusting his L'Manburg suit, it seemed fitting for that day. "Just get me close enough to."

"Wilbur please," Tubbo said, he didn't want to lose his best friend, no matter how insane he seemed. "You don't have to-"

"We've tried to talk to him, Tommy's long gone, I wouldn't be doing this if it weren't our final option." Wilbur said, sheathing a diamond sword. He walked out of the forest to meet up with the others.

"Eret?" Niki said upon seeing them, this time without her royal garb. "What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to help you all, and because of that Dream dethroned me," he explained, then turned to Wilbur. "I chose my friends over power this time."

"Eret, at the beginning of this all I would have told you to fuck off," Wilbur said, glancing over at Tommy. "But right now I trust you more than others present."

"Make sense, Techno is the most likely traitor," Quackity said.

"Alright, guess you guys don't want supplies," Techno shrugged, "more for me."

"Wait, supplies," Wilbur said, this was sounding a bit too close to home.

"Duh, follow me boys," Techno said and they all followed him down to his secret base. Inside was a small base build in the stone.

"This is quite a small base Technoblade," Fundy said.

"Nah, nah, nah, this isn't the base," He pulled a lever, revealing an opening down into a bigger base with blackstone on all the walls.

"Uh, this is looking a little too familiar," Fundy nervously said as he climbed down the ladder.

"Now this is the vault!" Techno said, standing in front of five suits of Netherite armor. "I'm ready for revolution boys!"

"Holy shit!" Wilbur said, then looked at Tommy. "Tommy, we have The Blade!"

Those who needed it took a suit from a stand, replacing it with their own armor. Even Wilbur had taken some armor, some rules could be bent, just for this moment. Tommy didn't touch the armor though, he looked at Wilbur, who had always stuck to his beliefs, now wearing armor just so he could get this one thing back.

Now, all geared up, they all went up to head to L'Manburg, just as the sun rose on a new day. With Wilbur leading the group soon Eret's tower came into view.

"So this is the last chance for someone to reveal themselves as the traitor," Quackity said, he stood behind Wilbur. "Anyone want to speak up?"

"It's most likely me," Tommy said, and they all laughed.

"No, for real," Quackity said.

"No matter whether or not there is a traitor we must fight for our nation, L'Manburg is just as strong as it's people and we must prove that we are able to take it back from the tyrant ruling it. He's weak, he has no one, so now we must take back our nation!" Wilbur raised his sword in the air. "Because if we lose, we lose more than the war. We lose our nation."

"I could just use plan B right away," Tommy suggested, and those who knew what he was talking about immediately protested.

"Nothing is getting blown up, we will win this," Wilbur said.

"And you know what happens if we don't," Tommy said, taking off the little armor he had as they neared L'Manburg's boarders.

"What did he mean by plan B," Eret and Fundy asked Tubbo.

"Plan B," Quackity said for him, "is that Tommy blows everything to kingdom come. So we've got alot more on the line than Schlatt."

"But it won't happen," Tubbo said, "we outnumber Schlatt, and just because Dream is fighting for Schlatt doesn't mean he believes in- gah." An arrow nicked Tubbo, the others quickly put up their shields as arrows came from above. On the tower they could hear Schlatt laughing as he shot at them. Techno and Wilbur lead the charge up the tower, fireworks exploded, sparks of color flying all around them.

Tommy was nearly knocked off the ladder, but Eret was able to grab him and stop his fall. It wasn't long before they were all drenched in sweat and blood, but they were about to take the tower, forcing Dream and Schlatt to jump down. As Manburg retreated Techno jumped down with Quackity, the two fighting side by side with Techno sending a smoke screen of fireworks in front of them. He then ran in with his axe, fending off both Karl and Bad. Quackity went after Dream, who had gone invisible, only his armor showing. Wilbur came down when he spotted Dream, the others following. Swords clashed and blood stained the old festival decorations.

Tommy came to Tubbo's aid as he fought Sapnap, using his own swordsman skills to knock his weapons out of his hands, forcing Sapnap to run off and regroup. They ran over to where the other were on the prime path and surrounded Dream.

"Wait," Wilbur called, "where's Schlatt?"

"Wilbur, I need to talk with you," Dream said, sheathing his sword and holding up his hands. "Privately for a moment."

"Stand down," Wilbur sheathed his sword and removed his armor. He walked to the side with Dream, everyone watching the two, ready to react if Dream decided to attack him. "What do you want?"

"Schlatt is an idiot," Dream said.

"Well yeah, we already knew that," Wilbur laughed. "What are you getting at?"

"I would like to surrender," Dream said. "This battle isn't worth fighting if Schlatt's not going to be on the battlefield."

"Where is he anyway," Wilbur said, following Dream's gaze to the hto dog van. "Oh shit. And what about the traitor?"

"Oh," Dream chuckled. "I just said that to make you distrust each other, there is no traitor."

"He surrenders!" Wilbur announced to the others, cheers erupted from the others. They then followed Wilbur into the drug van where Schlatt held an almost empty bottle of booze. He took another swig of it before addressing them.

"Is-is this a surprise birthday party?" He said.

"Schlatt! What are you doing in here," Eret said.

"Are you doing drugs in my drug van," Wilbur asked.

"Yeah, what the fuck do you think I'm doing," Schlatt said, letting out a belch. "You all abandoned me, at the time I needed you most."

"No, you betrayed everyone here, I believed in you, but you just threw that away!" Fundy said.

"Well I'm the one thing you'll never be Fundy," Schlatt rose the bottle in the air and shattered it on his shield.

"What's that, what is that?" Fundy demanded.

"I'm a man," Schlatt stumbled back as Wilbur aimed his crossbow at his head.

"I'm going to kill you, right here, right now," Wilbur snapped. "Any last words?"

"Yeah, I've got some words for you Wilbur Soot," Schlatt said, "if you kill me, I'll take this country with me." He then started violently coughing, spitting blood and mucus. He clutched his chest, struggling to breath.

"Schlatt?" Dream said, "you good?"

"Do-does anyone smell toast," he stammered, the coughing continued as he kneeled over and went limp.

"Did-did he just have a heart attack?!" Tubbo said.

"Wow, we killed an old man with heart problems," Techno said, "now I just feel sad."

"But we won, we won and there wasn't even a traitor," Tubbo exclaimed, "did you hear that Tom-" he turned to look for the teen, but he was gone.

"He probably went to sulk about not getting to blow up shit," Quackity joked, and Dream started laughing.

"What, what's so funny," Fundy demanded.

"It's just that, I lied to Wilbur," Dream smirked, and the mentioned man went from confusion to realization. "There is a traitor, it's Tommy."

"No," Wilbur started to run out with everyone else following, they had to find him before-

Explosions started shaking the ground below and everyone scrambled to get out of the way of the blast. Tommy had done it, he had blown up L'Manburg.

"What have you done!" Philza said, he stood with Tommy, he had tried to stop him. He looked out as tnt kept exploding.

"I'm free," Tommy whispered, breathless. "He can't control me anymore."

"What are you talking about?! People lived here! You helped make L'Manburg!" Phil argued, Tommy smiled as he looked out at Dream.

"You don't understand, his whole thing is control," Tommy turned back to the man. "He used the discs to control me, then both him and Wilbur used L'Manburg against me. So I got rid of it, and then I'll get rid of the-"

Phil looked in horror as an arrow sprouted from Tommy's back, he caught the boy as he collapsed. Tommy took a shaky breath as he looked at the angel, straining for more air. Dream's laugh could be hear echoing through the crater.

"Phil," He whispered, barely even heard. "I'm sorry." He coughed up blood. "Tell Wilbur that for me."

"You couldn't just win," Phil muttered as Tommy's eyes glazed over. He closed the boy's eyes to make it seem like he was only sleeping.

Down below, holding a bow and a hardened expression, was Wilbur. But soon they would have a bigger problem, seeing the explosion as a signal, Technoblade had spawned two withers.

Might do a part two of this showing the aftermath and how things change with Tommy dead. It just depends on my motivation and how well you all like this part