Predator (DWT x OC)

81

"Ah, so this is why we've been seeing less of you Punz."

I jerk awake, vaguely aware of Punz still curled next to me, arm slung haphazardly across my waist. Eret's standing in front of us, with the good grace to look vaguely apologetic. Punz stirs behind me, looks up, and grunts. 

"Eret." I say sleepily. "What the fuck are you doing here?"

"I had news to discuss with all of you, sorry for waking you up."

Punz seems to have regained most of his consciousness. "Ah shit."

Eret doesn't see anything, just purses their lips and stands back, while I push myself up and throw on the closest jumper I can reach. Punz follows me, and I now realise he's only in a singlet and boxer shorts, hair sticking up on one side. 

"You want to put some clothes on?" I ask him, as we follow Eret, and he shrugs, rubbing his eyes but picking up his pants off the chest and pulling them on. 

Everyone else is waiting around one of the fires as we file out into the main part of the ravine, and I stand next to Niki, looking at her curiously. She shoots me a look, but doesn't say anything. 

Eret clears their throat. "I was in Manburg with Dream yesterday, meeting with JSchlatt."

I glance over to Tommy, who's scowling, and Wilbur, who looks like he's about to burst a blood vessel from the strain of containing his anger. Tommy looks at me, and I widen my eyes in an attempt to silently tell him to keep his mouth shut. 

"He was concerned about a resistance group within Manburg, the people there are unhappy, with Schlatt and Dream, and there has been evidence of mobilisation. The tensions in Manburg are rising. There's people on our side, within the city, who want to do something-"

"On our side you mean, not yours." It's Wilbur who breaks first, and I just sigh beside Niki, who looks like she wants to throttle him to death. 

"Wilbur, I am here to help, what Schlatt has done is unjust-"

"Just as unjust as betraying the people who welcomed you into their homes-"

"Oh my god Wil, shut up." I groan, and Punz tries to stifle a snigger beside me. "Obviously Eret has something important to tell us, so just keep your mouth closed for two seconds so we can hear what it is."

"I had heard whispers about people forming groups, but I didn't want to come until I had anything concrete, but if Schlatt is worried, then these people must have made their presence very well known." Eret's words are rushed, like they're worried they won't get them out in time before some blonde kid tries to bite off his head. 

"That's great news." Niki beams, a little too brightly, in an attempt to lighten the mood after Wilbur's outburst. "We have support, in L'manburg, if we can make a connection then we can start making actual plans."

"It doesn't matter." Wilbur says shortly and I think instead of Niki, it's going to be me that throttles him. "They're loyal to a L'manburg that doesn't exist. They don't even know-"

"For gods sake Wilbur." I say loudly, looking at him with disdain. This man, this man that rescued me, that pulled me from those woods and raised me, that brought me into a family and lead us, so selflessly through war and loss and against so many odds stands before me as a self-absorbed, whining, child. Something about it makes me want to cry for the person I've lost, but mostly I just feel disgust. "This isn't about you, this has never been about you. That's your problem, you know that right? You take all this shit personally, like you're the only thing in L'manburg anymore. This is those people's home, it's their life and their family, and it's ours too. L'manburg doesn't just belong to you anymore Wilbur, you don't get to just take that away from other people because you don't like it anymore. You don't get to be that selfish."