(!) Trigger Warning: mentions of death, beginnings of execution via water (!)

Bad howled with laughter, using the podium for support. "Oh, you're all so foolish, aren't you?" the demon hybrid taunted. "How gullible! Please, everyone, have a seat. The ceremony's about to begin."

Having no say in the matter, the attendees returned to their seats. Questions about the TNT, the dreamons, and The Egg were thrown Bad's way, the people thirsting for answers. "Settle down, settle down," the hybrid called. "All will be explained in due time. You see, this banquet has been on the agenda for quite a long time."

"Just get on with it!" Wilbur hollered from the audience.

"Yeah!" Quackity chimed in. "What the hell is going on?!"

"Language!" Bad seethed. "The Egg does not approve of such words. And none of this would have been hell for you if you two had just died with L'Manberg." Tubbo gasped. L'Manberg?! What did any of this have to do with L'Manberg?!

A round of confused shouting ensued before Bad was able to explain: "It all started like any good story would- with a problem. The Egg is a powerful being, and demands blood to survive. It must be fed in order to stay alive. But with the lack of modern-day explorers to conveniently 'go missing', the Egg must resort to alternative methods of feeding. It could, say, corrupt a certain dictator, and start a senseless war-"

Someone in the crowd gasped loudly. "Wilbur!"

The Brit whirled around, trying to locate the rogue voice. "WHAT?!"

Bad groaned. "No, you cretins. It was Dream. The Egg corrupted Dream, possessed him with a dreamon, and led hundreds to slaughter. The Egg feasted on the corpses for months, but still, it wanted more."

The demon hybrid leveled an intense glare down at the crowd, and said, "That explosion Wilbur and Dream set off should have killed them both! It should've killed Quackity, and Eret, and everyone!!!"

Bad pinched the bridge of his nose in an effort to contain himself. "And then Dream has the audacity to revive Wilbur before The Egg can eat him?! How psychotic is that?!"

"Not as psychotic as you!"

The crowd sniggered, the tension in the air lifting ever so slightly.

Bad pursed his lips into a tight, thin line. "If I find out who is interrupting me, I will personally feed them to The Egg. Do I make myself clear?" A fearful silence hung in the air, save for the quiet sobs of baby Michael.

"Good," the demon hybrid sneered. "Now, as I was saying, the survivors of L'Manberg needed to be dealt with, and the best way to exterminate an entire people is through war. Thus, a brilliant plan was born!"

With a dramatic hand gesture towards himself, the hybrid explained, "The five major nations came together under my request. We would unite our countries under one flag. Dream, Wilbur, and Quackity were all in agreement,...but then, there was Tubbo. He was too good for our treaty, so the others and I made a plan: we would assassinate Tubbo, get him out of the way, and move on."

Bad cast a finger in the direction of the glass box, and yelled, "But it was Ranboo who ruined our plans! It was Ranboo who denied us our chance at peace! We would have all been happy- one flag under The Egg, but he took that future away from us. So, you see, he's the monster here- not me! Him!" With a quick snap of his fingers, the remaining members of The Eggpire mounted the stage. "Guards! Commence the execution! Let the banquet begin!"

Well, that was unexpected, Ranboo thought. The curtain had dropped to reveal none other than The Egg itself.

In hindsight, the sentient probably should have been scared by the alien's appearance, especially after last night. But after everything he'd been through, both in this timeline and the last, Ranboo had had enough. He'd met Death's vicious gaze so many times now that the fear he'd held for the mistress had long since faded away. Any normal emotional response he'd have in the face of danger had been repressed, buried under a host of trauma. Through apathy, he was invincible.

Ranboo watched as Bad addressed the crowd for what seemed to be the forty-seventh time. Gods, he sure likes to talk, he observed. He must not get a lot of attention back in The Eggpire.

As the hybrid's monologue droned on and on, Ranboo sunk to the bottom of the glass box, bored out of his mind. Is it wrong to just crave death instead of waiting for him to stop talking? the enderman thought. Do people think that? I'd rather die than listen to any more of this speech.

In retrospect, Ranboo probably should have structured his wish a little bit differently, because suddenly, The Eggpire came alive. Members of the cult were mounting the stage and approaching his enclosure, dragging along a ladder and a hose. The enderman's eyes went wide, the fear he had so carefully repressed blooming back to life. I take it back. Oh, gods, I take it back. I don't want to die.

The Eggpire's minions carefully stood the ladder next to the glass box. Oh, please, no- One of them climbed to the top and removed the glass top. Don't do this, please- The others fed the hose to the one stood on the ladder, who placed the open end inside the tank.

Just before the water started pouring in, the outcome of his execution flashed before Ranboo's eyes. The one weakness all endermen shared was water, a cursed liquid that could burn through skin and drown its victims. It would be a slow and painful death, gruesome in detail and agonizing to watch.

A sudden, crazy idea struck the sentient, and shook him to his core. It was ridiculous, it was insane, but in the end, it was would save the server. He banged on the glass one last time, desperately trying to get his husband's attention. "TUBBO!! TUBBO!!" But it was too late.

Water sprayed down like an abrasive shower, sending the enderman to his knees. He hissed as the droplets doused his hair, and cursed as they ran down his skin. Just because he was in a little pain, though, he couldn't stop trying. With the fate of the world resting on his shoulders, the sentient continued to flail about, hoping to somehow catch his husband's eye.

OH GODS NO THIS IS TERRIBLE WHAT DO WE DOOOO?!?!?!?

VOTE TO STOP THE EXECUTION!!!!

As always, thank you so much for the support everyone!!! Stay tuned to find out what happens next!! <333

[Image Credits] [Image Credits] "Podium" (Cropped Slightly) by kjarrett (https://www.flickr.com/photos/kjarrett/6991176349)