Predator (DWT x OC)

104

TW: Torture (Sorry I have to sort of spoil the chapter but I can't just throw people headfirst into crazy scenes). 

"You can't make me stay here! She did this for me, I have to go!" Tommy yells, a scream of frustration and desperation, but it's a fruitless as all the other arguments. Punz doesn't bother to respond, but Dream narrows his eyes. 

"She did this to protect you! What's the fucking point in her doing all of this for you if you turn around and get yourself killed or captured?"

Sam's calmer, more patient, a heavy hand on Tommy's shoulder. "We know you want to help, but you can't go Tommy, you can't just run straight back into danger."

"You know what he did to her-"

"Don't." Dream's voice cracks hard as a whip, slicing through the air. 

"There's nothing we can do, not right now." Sam's words soothe the sting. "You know that."

"Nothing? We can send people in, we can storm the building!" Tommy's voice rises to a shriek. 

"No we can't." Dream's back is still facing Tommy, but his hands tighten on the sword he's cleaning. "The resistance, which as you know make up a decent portion of our resources, will not support a rescue attempt or a revenge mission. We don't have the people to spare."

"Send your soldiers, then." Tommy sneers. "All we've ever heard about is how powerful your army is and you can't even put together a fucking team to save her."

"Tommy, stop." Punz's quieter voice joins the fray, as Dream's shoulders tense. "We all want the same thing, but we can't just rush into things without thinking, we could get Rosie killed. If we went and lost anyone trying to get her back? She'd never forgive us. You know it's not what she wants."

Dream's knuckles are white. The door slams loudly behind him when he storms out. 

"Stop provoking him." Sam smacks the back of Tommy's head like he's swatting a fly. "It's Dream."

"Ow fuck." Tommy rubs the back of his head, scowling. "It's not like he's going to kill me anymore."

"He will if you keep pissing him off." Punz rolls his eyes. "I know Rosie made him promise, but the man is a fucking lunatic and he literally might just forget and take your head off anyway."

"I'm telling Rosie you hit me." Tommy's still glaring at Sam, but the frantic anger has started to ebb. 

"If we get her back I'll let you make up whatever stories you want." Sam replies tiredly, settling heavily on a chair. 

The gaping whole Rosemary always left behind hurt, it was a perpetually open wound, irritated and angry. It made the people who felt it different. 

Tommy always lashed out, he knew that. He knew that the panic, the fear, the slight ache of betrayal and loss was like a rash, a stinging pain that bubbled rage out of this mouth. 

Tubbo always went quiet, shut down, barely sleeping, barely eating, just surviving. Niki switched in between pretending like nothing was wrong, fussing over the two of them like children, running around like the moment she stopped she would collapse, and a similar, walking corpse state to Tubbo. 

Dream was angry, just like Tommy, but there was always something darker, something much more sinister than childish outbursts or screamed insults. People died when he was angry, villages burned. 

Punz put his mind to work, busy, but he still talked about her, still remembered her. He always brought up the good memories. Tommy saw him crying behind the medical centre, on his knees, in the grass, with his face in his hands.