Predator (DWT x OC)

27

They left for the debate hours ago. Despite the dealing with the whole morning of pleading (and thinly veiled threats from Tommy) me and Niki stayed behind, lounging peacefully by the lake. I've probably had enough of conflict and fighting for the rest of my life.

The late afternoon sun has lost its ferocity, instead basking the rolling green plains with golden warmth, a final rich yellow against the deep shadows cast by the trees. The lake shimmers in its dark depths, mud floor hidden by the masses of cold water that ripple and swirl in hypnotising ways. 

It pulls my eyes to it, searching through the water at the fish and rocks that it contains, head resting on Niki's stomach as she dozes off, back flat on the soft earth and velvet grass. 

The world is still. And calm. And peaceful. I let myself enjoy a moment suspended in time, a mere trespasser on an ever present force of nature, a mere speck in its eyes. I always have to remind myself that things will end. That I am only here for the tiniest amount of time compared to this earth itself. The infinite, careless world, and the selfish, young being.

The reminder never stings like it used to. 

I think I've made peace with the thought a time when I've moved on. 

They return just at dusk, when the sun starts to dip below the horizon, withdrawing the last tendrils of glowing heat from the land, disappearing behind the edge of the world and blurry, muted blue sky. It leaves wispy traces of vibrant pink and orange, that seem almost too float in the sky, streaky trails of the day all that is left. 

Time passes. Just as it does.

I can tell before they even reach us at the van, the rage that's written all over their features, the hatred that clings onto them, curls their fists into balls, pinches in their cheeks. 

"Hey! How'd it go?" Niki asks from beside me. 

Wilbur sighs, just as Tommy launches into a tirade. "They're all fucking stupid, the lot of them! They said we were corrupt! Those fucking smug little bastards said we were corrupt! I swear if I ever have a sword near one of them- well you know what I'd do. If I ever see Gogy's stupid fucking face again I'm going to punch it in." 

I blink, trying to get my brain to process the avalanche of information that Tommy just dumped onto me. "Tommy- Tommy hey! Calm down. Tell me exactly what happened."

Wilbur rubs the bridge of his nose tiredly. "They said we were corrupt because we called the election for ourselves. They said we were against freedom and for violence and control, apparently we're outdated and restrictive and the worst thing possible for this country."  

"Corrupt? Are you fucking kidding me!" I say in disbelief.

"They said that we incited the violence that lead to the war." Wilbur concludes, mouth pressed into a thin line. 

"Our fault!? Our fucking fault? George knows what happened! He knows what the- he did to me! How is any of that my fucking fault?" I yell, and I can feel the heat rise to my face, and feel my heart pounding in my temples. That's when I notice the cut on Tommy's shoulder, the flap of blue uniform that hangs down, shredded, soaked in blood. 

"What happened to your shoulder?" I gasp in horror, running to him and examining it. It's a shallow wound, barely even bleeding anymore. I doubt it'll even scar. What I'm more concerned about is how he got it. It's very fucking clean, like it's from an axe or sword. 

"Dream didn't like what I said in the debate." He shrugs, then winces. "George threatened me, but I couldn't keep my mouth shut." 

I'm going to burn the Dream SMP to the fucking ground.