The Things I'd Do For You

A Breif history

People used to have a lot of theories. About how it would end. In a flash, in a bang, in a wave of heat or cold. Taken over by the machines we made or snuffed out by a disastrous Natural disaster. There were even thoughts of aliens, or Gods being our end. But there were no gods left here. Not anymore.

You see, how the world came to its end was pretty simple. It was never guessed, no one saw it coming. There was just a day about a hundred years ago where people went to sleep. And then with the moon's rise so did the monsters. Huge spiders that could eat a man whole, skeletons that rattled and clank, zombies that feasted on the flesh of the living. Only infecting the weak-minded. Creepers, silent Until it was too late, killing you with a hiss and a boom. And Endermen. Initially passive, until looked in the eye. Then they'd become monstrous beasts. That most definitely would kill.

Most people died in the first 10 years. Those that lived evolved so they could survive, set up towns and cities, with walls to keep the beasts out. Some still wander the wasteland that had become of the land outside the walls. Some technology's completely forgotten in the rush to find safety.

This is where we find our protagonist. Tommy danger innit. A boy a hundred years in the future. Who lives in the corrupt city of Manburg. He is a thief and arsonist, at only 14. This is his story of finding his place in the apocalypse.

((Inspired by; "Hush Now (You were lost but now you're found) "and "The Last Job" both on ao3))

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The wind never seemed to warm in Manburg, always chilled, ready to give some poor fool frostbite. Despite the decent or even nice weather out. The wind chill in Manburg was year-long and made the temperature drop several degrees. You'd think a city surrounded by walls wouldn't be so cold. But no it was. Tommy couldn't help but shiver, as he leaped from building to building, his red wings trail behind him uselessly. (He would usually bind them to his back, but today he ran out of bandages.)The sound of police bots echoing behind him. The adrenalin itself was well worth the risk of being caught. A joyous laugh escaped his throat. Riddled with the rush of the chase.

Tommy would never stop loving the blitz and scramble, every one of his thieving escape aids leads him on. The only other reason he did it was money. 'How else was a 14-year old supposed to pay for rent in the apocalypse?' It's not like he wasn't putting money back into the corrupt system anyway. Working two other Jobs to help pay his rent. BESIDES most of the money went to the poorer districts via anonymous donations. (Boxes filled with money left on doorsteps and in alleyways that were lived in by homeless folk, A sticky note with the signature 'Cardinal' always accompanying the hundred thousand dollar packages.)

Tommy loved what he did. He didn't have to deal with Mojang's shady hero business and shabby pay. O̶r̶ ̶D̶r̶e̶a̶m̶ He could help his community without being forced to wear his underwear outside his clothes! Tommy was thriving! He could never be better!

...Who was he kidding, he missed D̶r̶e̶a̶m̶. He missed the older man's hugs and support. He missed his shitty cooking and his Stupid green hoodies. He missed his hair ruffles and his nicknames, hell Tommy missed his punishments. But Tommy couldn't go back. The media saw his hero persona as a villain, And so did D̶r̶e̶a̶m̶.

It started 4 months ago. Tommy was D̶r̶e̶a̶m̶s sidekick. His second in command, better known as Cerise. The mission they had been sent on was supposed to be simple, save some hostages from a robbery. What they didn't know going in was that the robbery was being conducted by The Syndicate, One of their leaders, The Angel of Death, was overseeing it. A fight broke out quickly, D̶r̶e̶a̶m̶ fighting The Angel, while Tommy evacuated the civilians from the building. But when Tommy returned to the building, D̶r̶e̶a̶m̶ was stood over an unconscious winged man. A sword ready to end the man's life. Tommy didn't know what came over him at that moment.

Maybe it was because the man also had wings, maybe it was the seeming carelessness that D̶r̶e̶a̶m̶ was going to kill this person. But Tommy knew what it was, in his gut. A rule D̶r̶e̶a̶m̶s friend had made a long time ago that had been instilled into him. " We Don't kill " Sam had said, over and over, until the man himself had been killed by a Villain. D̶r̶e̶a̶m̶ forgot Tommy would never, could never. Sam had saved him, and Tommy wasn't anything if not Loyal.

So Tommy stood over the unconscious Villain, wings puffed out protectively over the still-bodied man, and pointed his gun at his mentor's head. He uttered the words their friend had died by. "We Don't Kill" His tone underlined with a threat if D̶r̶e̶a̶m̶ killed then so would Tommy. Dream seemed to recognize this as he backed off. Tommy was taken back to base soon after. Fired on the spot, power nullifying bracelet strapped to his wrist, wings clipped for the last time. With the threat for them to be torn off if Tommy was seen wearing his costume again. Tommy glared at D̶r̶e̶a̶m̶ the entire time, no way he told them what had happened. Despite this, Tommy packed up his things and left. Back to his sad apartment that he never spent time in since Sam died. But it didn't matter anymore, Tommy had nowhere else to go. No more Sapnap, to hang with, No more George to nap with, and no more Dream to be with.

He was alone.

And that's how he got here,4 months later, wings clipped, no powers, and thieving. A vigilante in the public's eyes, a villain with a moral compass in Mojangs, a traitor in D̶r̶e̶a̶m̶s. Tommy didn't regret it though. He'd do it again if given the chance. Because even though he missed D̶r̶e̶a̶m̶ he missed Sam far more.