Follow up to Congratulations... tw// death. ahah sorry.

The last thing on Tommy's mind when he challenged Dream to a final duel was how many lives he had left, perhaps he really should have mentioned that to someone.

Well really he did, the last thing he remembered before... It happened discreetly telling him how many lives he had left.

Tommy shook his head, the sound of familiar footsteps creeping up behind him on the soft dirt filled his ears as two hands were placed firmly on his shoulders.

"You've really fucked up this time, kid," Wilbur laughed softly, trying to ease their combined tensions and anxieties. It didn't work.

"I guess you could say that," Tommy mumbled, fiddling with a makeshift ring he had been given some time ago. He let out a deep sigh and turned around to face Wilbur, "Do I shoot him, Will? Or do I aim for the sky?"

Wilbur cocked his head and thought for a moment, "Tommy, I want to do-" Wilbur didn't fumble over his words often, "I want you to do whatever your heart says you should do."

Tommy nodded to himself before turning and nodding back at Wilbur, "Yeah. Yeah, I guess you're right," Tommy mumbled.

Wilbur gave him a faltering but reassuring smile, "I know you'll do what you have to," He paused and rubbed Tommy's shoulder, "I trust you."

There had never been so much weight behind those words. Tommy blamed his jaw chattering on the cold wind that blew in from the open tent's entrance, but in reality, it was because fate had been set. By this time Tomorrow he would almost certainly be dead.

"Goodnight Tommy, try to get some sleep," Wilbur said, lifting the candle Tommy had sitting on his desk and taking it with him as he walked towards the door. As he looked over his shoulder he saw Tommy's shape waver; Wilbur wanted to walk back over to him and embrace him and tell him it would be okay, but he figured Tommy simply wanted to be alone.

As Wilbur's silhouette faded into void and the last of the candlelight slipped around the corner, Tommy felt his anxieties thrash around his head again. He quickly took the last sip of water he had in his glass and slipped off his stool and onto his bed, not caring around to properly get himself under the covers or even change into some kind of sleepwear.

But of course, sleep would grant Tommy no favors.

He felt every minute pass, feeling his very thread of fate being frayed and the moon rose high and proceeded to set.

As the sun began to rise over the ever distant horizon, Tommy couldn't pick himself up. Fear of the future held him down like bounders. But as he heard the distant calling of one of his battalion mates, Tommy felt a sudden rush of hope. He had forgotten he wasn't alone. Maybe... just maybe, Tommy could make this team proud. Maybe for once, he would be able to win fair and square; no scamming, so questionable moves, just arrow versus arrow.

With that in mind, Tommy quickly threw his overcoat on as he rushed through the door of his tent. Looking around the ruins of their city, he ran over to where Wilbur and Eret were talking.

"There he is, Tommy! How are you feeling?" Eret asked, spreading his arms out to greet him.

Tommy smiled, "Like I'm going to kick a green bastard's ass," He snarkily replied. It was all a facade of course, but he wasn't about to dampen the mood.

Wilbur flashed him a weary smile but responded confidently, "Well that's good to hear, but you look like shit," he told Tommy blatantly.

"Well that's rude, you know you're talking to the future savior of L'Manburg, right?" Tommy laughed.

"And you're talking to your future president, so watch your mouth," Wilbur mockingly recoiled.

Tommy rolled his eyes, "Whatever, you're old and decrepit, Wilbur. You'll be out of here soon enough." Tommy teased, but before Wilbur could spit back he interrupted, "Anyways, anyone have the time?"

Eret quickly responded, "Nine forty-three."

Tommy froze. An hour until his inevitable doom. A shiver ran down his spine as Tommy looked into the distance to where his duel would commence. All of his confidence gone in a second.

"Tommy?" Eret's cool voice grounded him once again. "Tommy are you sure you're able to do this?"

Tommy shrugged it off, "Come what may."

The hour passed quicker than any other hour of Tommy's life.

And here he was, looking at himself in the reflection of his demise's mask. Knuckles white as he clenched his hand around his shot.

Wilbur, Eret, and Fundy stood off to the side, conversing in hushed murmurs off the side of the path, casting occasional glances over the opposing team or the two in the center.

Behind Dream stood Sapnap, George, and of course, Tubbo, who was silently pleading for Tommy or his old teammates to acknowledge him in the slightest, even if they loathed him.

And Tommy did just that, for a millisecond he returned his old friend's gaze. But even after a second, he saw a blizzard of emotions behind his eyes. Fear and anger battling it out. He saw his friend yearning to yell out that Tommy was about to die, but he saw his enemy in the same pair of eyes that were looking forward to the bloodshed.

Tommy turned his attention back to Dream as Wilbur approached them. Wilbur said something to them but Tommy's emotions completely deafened him. He just simply nodded as Dream did. Wilbur gave both of them a strong pat on the shoulder and turned them against one another.

The world was silent except for Wilbur's voice which echoed around his head as he took step and step.

One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven. Eight. Nine.

Tommy thought about his friends, and how he hoped he would be able to find them again.

Ten.

Tommy snapped around and took his shot.

He missed.

Dream didn't.

Tommy stumbled back and into the freezing water below him, feeling the reeds by the water pull him under like hungry sirens who hadn't feasted in thousands of years.

Then of course there was pain, physical mainly, but also the thought that he was actually dying. This would leave a mark.

If Dream really wanted to, he could revive Tommy, but Tommy would have to want to come back and be able to find his way back.

Tubbo could give Dream the disc. Tubbo could get into his ender chest if Dream really wanted it. Tubbo and Deo were the only two who Tommy had granted access to the box, and of course, Deo had disappeared. And now Tommy was about to.

He hadn't noticed a pair of hands yanking him up from the bottom of the river, but he also hadn't noticed that he was drowning.

The sun was so bright compared to the murky river bottom...

Three figures loomed over him, if he had to guess he'd say Tubbo, Dream, and Wilbur. The last thing the thought before his soul was sent back to the portal hall was about Tubbo. He hoped he wouldn't get blamed for this, or that he wouldn't blame himself. But that was beyond him now. He closed his eyes...

And when he opened them, he was back in the grand portal hall. Long corridors stretched out in every direction. And just like every other time Tommy found himself there, he was completely alone.

PogChamp. Tell me what you guys thought of that! In theory, I could do a one-shot with them going to find Tommy but idk if you guys are interested in that, and I'm fine with ending it here so whatever you guys think! 

Word Count; 1275