What's Worth Saving (Is Never Worth Letting Go to Waste)

Chapter 16: Oh Captain, Let's Make A Deal

Before Dream could get close, Karl brandished an iron sword from his inventory, the silver metal practically glowing as the flames reflected off the polished blade. Tommy took a step back, and the time traveler extended an arm in front of him, maintaining eye contact with Dream as he did. The message was clear, Dream would have to go through Karl to get to Tommy.

Dream didn't seem too bothered by that.

"S-stay the fuck back!" Karl hissed, but Tommy didn't miss the way his voice shook. The purple sheen of enchantments shone steadily from Dream's netherite armor, the axe of peace in his hand. All that Karl had was an iron sword, Dream had an advantage here.

"Why?" Dream asks, amusement coloring his tone as he tilts his head as he gives a small laugh.

"Cuz you're outnumbered, bitch." Tommy spat, jumping to defend Karl. He had no weapon of his own, but if they can bluff enough until help arrives, there might be a chance.

"Oh, I didn't come alone." Dream says, taking great pleasure in the way Tommy's confidence melted away, replaced with anxiety and paranoia. "Your ex-fiancè was a great help." The monster smiles at Karl, whose sword lowers ever so slightly.

"No, he wouldn't have! I know he's hurt, but he wouldn't do this! " Karl yelled, more to reassure himself than try to argue with Dream.

"Being forgotten hurts more than you'd think, I suppose." Dream remarks calmly as Karl tenses at the harsh words and the reminder Dream knows of his time traveling.

Tommy wants to jump to his friend's defense once again, but finds it hard to come up with an answer as Dream's words bring him back to pale sands and saltwater stinging old wounds as he sits with his knees to his chest and waits for someone to visit him.

Tommy knows what it's like to feel forgotten, to feel so alone and distant from those you love you wonder if they even know you anymore. Part of him sympathizes with Quackity's rage, and another part of him looks around at the destruction of his home and knows that nothing justifies this . Tommy had made the change before, left the path of vengeance because it had made him a bad person, a person he didn't want to become. If Quackity cannot do the same, Tommy cannot give him his sympathy.

"Alright, we're wasting time." Dream says, switching his axe over to a shovel. Karl raises his sword again, and Tommy takes another step back. It doesn't take long before Dream is standing in front of a freshly dug hole, staring at the two. Tommy can't help but notice he's more turned towards him than Karl, awaiting his reaction.

"You know what to do." Dream's voice takes a serious tone, Tommy's ears perk up as he realizes what it is. His words are an order, a threat, promising great pain as the price for disobedience. Tommy has been in this situation countless times before, the proper response to Dream's orders drilled into his head and the knowledge of the consequences carved into his skin. So before Karl could react, Tommy dropped to his knees and began to empty his inventory. Whatever scraps he had kept in his inventory, random supplies, food, even the jacket Sapnap had given him for the coming winter months, found themselves in the bottom of the hole. He could barely breathe as he went through the practiced maneuvers, so natural they were like breathing.

Karl knelt beside him, sword returned to his inventory as he grabbed Tommy's shaking hands to stop the oncoming wave of panic that filled him.

"Tommy, hey, you need to calm down." Karl said, and Tommy looked at him as he smiled bravely. Tommy let out a shaky breath, leaning against Karl with another shudder as he forced himself to relax. He couldn't be brave right now, Karl will have to be for both of them.

"Good, Tommy." Dream called, causing the two of them to look up at him with twin expressions of hatred and unease. Tommy hated how the praise made part of him relax. "Karl should learn from you."