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Chapter Text

Obscurity seems just about the line he's fallen into, it suited him in all sorts of aspects. He supposed Wilbur would be proud of the symbolism. His eyes wanders around the room for a moment, taking quick glances at the stained glass windows. He hums appreciatively at the way the moonlight slips through the pretty glass. There were bits of dust in some of the corners and he decides that perhaps the church could use a little clean up. A hand shot up beneath him, weakly trying to push him off as he holds the body down beneath the cooling springs of holy water. The movement jolts him back into focus, eyes now looking back down at the thrashing man beneath him. Of course, this was another reason for a good clean up.

He holds steady, his captive starting to lose fight as the movement of his limbs weakened. Red eyes starting to lull as he finally lets go of his breath, bubbles floating to the surface as curls of white hair flowed from the peaks of his mask. It may seem cruel, truly. Targeting a one armed man do be like that sometimes.

Ponk gasped and choked as air filled his lungs again. He's turned over as his body struggles to expel the water in his throat. Hacking violently, he grips onto the long tattered red cloak that became the bane of him. His cough slows down and his senses return, he's hit with the dawning realization of the horror currently gripping him. He was far too weak to fight back as he his captor lays him down on the ground. The soft thud of padded boots barely makes a sound as the echoes of a flicked switch obscures it. There's the familiar sound of pistons moving, the scent of lit redstone as the floor parts and gives way to a raised set of stairs.

He's barely able to lift his head, looking up weakly into those glowing eyes. He swallows as gloved hands lift him up again and he disappears into the staircase, the pistons and blocks shifting behind him. Into the unknown, where no one would find the doctor again.

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Sam opens his eyes, staring up at the ceiling feeling more tired than when he'd first gone to bed. He checks his communicator and finds that, yup, it's still way too early in the morning for him to be up. He rests his head back against the soft pillow and sighs. He really needed to get some sleep if he's going to be in any good condition to guard the prison in a few more hours. Maybe he should call Ponk, ask how he's doing. He still doesn't get why the doctor was still so mad at him, he still doesn't understand how he'd been the one to take him arm yet couldn't recall anything about it.

Prime, maybe the whole Warden thing is getting to him. He stares at the name selected on his communicator and after a few solid minutes of hesitation finally decided to text him.

>Awesamdude : Hey.
>Awesamdude : Are you up?

He waits for a moment in case the doctor was awake, only to find that, as usual, Ponk wasn't replying. He could be asleep, or just ignoring him again.

>Awesamdude : I haven't heard from you in a while. Are you okay?

Still nothing. Not even a curse on his name. He sets his communicator back down and drifts back into comfortable slumber, unaware of the fact Ponk's communicator was nowhere near its designated owner.

The following morning underwent the same routine as usual. Get up, get dressed, breakfast with Fran and as soon as he did his morning checks around his home, he was off to the prison again. He passes by a patch of burnt vines, secretly grateful at the sight of the infection shrinking back from the remaining ashes of soul fire. It'd sure to agitate the Eggheads but he wasn't worried. It wasn't his problem anyway.

The rest of the day remains uneventful and as soon as his shift was over, he decides to visit Ponk's lemon city just to check up on him a little. Though, hardly anything goes smoothly on this server. He's met with Antfrost of all people at the entrance of the doctor's lab. With a low hiss, the cat hybrid points his trident at the creeper with a glare from his sharp red eyes.

" Ant." The Warden greets evenly.

" Sam." Ant returns. " What are you doing here?"

" Looking for Ponk." He says smoothly. " Your little Eggpire thing haven't done anything to him, have you? Maybe run some of your cultist errands somewhere."

" Oh please, our empire isn't some mere cult." The cat hissed. " And what if he's doing something for the Egg? What our Egg desires of him is none of your concerns." He has him by the collar of his neck in seconds, pinning the cat against the wall with his own hiss. A sizzling sound akin to burning gunpowder with the low promise of TNT.

" I swear to fucking Prime, if you've done something to him," He growled, not needing to finish his threat as the cat hybrid stiffened.

" Calm down, we're looking for him too. He hasn't turned up for our meeting this morning so I came over to check on him." For a moment, Sam catches the man he once called friend shine through those crimson eyes. Worry written all over his face and if his passiveness was anything to come by, then Ant was telling the truth. Sighing, he lets him go and makes his way back home again where Fran was waiting for him.

Chapter Text

As it turns out, Ponk still doesn't turn up for the next few days. Sam doesn't make much of it, adding the search for the doctor as part of his daily routine. He'd circle the server twice after taking care of the prison and before he heads home again. It doesn't help that he has this gnawing feeling in his gut that something was most definitely wrong here. He runs into two dead men, one of which had expressed absolute disinterest in ever seeing him again. The hate in those blue eyes when he shouted at Sam for letting him die in that prison. He knows that's his fault and he'd been carrying it for days on end ever since he lost the boy the first time.

It was a sight to behold, two living corpses standing side to side as one seems to be rambling on about something while the other silently mines away. They were standing on the rollercoaster he'd once built, a build he was so proud of once, taking it down block by block. Sam takes a moment to take in the white streaks they each bore, a mark of revival that Wilbur wore proudly but Tommy attempts to poorly hide between his other strands. They matched, sickeningly so.

" Oh, hello Sam." Wilbur greeted him with an easy smile. Sam won't lie how uneasy he felt seeing the mad man no longer translucent, standing there with a wide smile on his face and a lit cigarette between his lips. Tommy barely spares him a glance, rolling his eyes before going back to taking down the rollercoaster. " What brings you out here?"

" Nothing much. Whatcha guys doing?" He asks the duo.

" Glad you asked. Tommy here, decided to take down his rollercoaster. Sam, tell him the rollercoaster is just fine." Wilbur says as he turns his attention back to the younger male.

" Shut up, Wilbur." Tommy mutters.

" I thought you liked rollercoasters, Tommy." Sam asked curiously, head tilted with clear concern in his eyes as the teen doesn't even turn to meet him. Though, he did pause from his work momentarily.

" It's ugly." The teen states.

" It's not that bad!" Wilbur says to him. " Come on, Toms. We could make it better. You know, decorate it and shit."

" Will you just fucking leave me alone!" Tommy snaps, finally turning to meet their gaze. " It's my rollercoaster and I get to decide what to with it." He places down a block of TNT angrily, the action making both men still. " So if I think it's shit then I get to tear it down." He sets the fuse alight. The telling hiss making him pause momentarily as he realizes how close he was still standing to it. He curses himself for his idiocy as he moves to get away, finding himself to be pulled in close into a set of netherite armour. In the moments Sam held Tommy close, the teen freezes as the explosion goes off. Wilbur was shouting something as he comes back to his senses. He's staring up at the creeper like he used to back when they were somewhat close and Sam looks down at him with worry. " Let me go!" He pulls away harshly from the taller man.

" Toms, I was so worried!" He groans as Wilbur now pulls him into a hug, wincing silently as the man holds a little too tightly. For a moment, the scene is warm and even Tommy almost melts into the hug his brother provided. " Don't do that again. Dream can't revive you if your body's all the way out here, silly." The man chuckles darkly and Tommy's face falls. He pulls away more gently this time but Sam catches the discomfort in his eyes. " Well, Sam. Anything else you'd like to ask since you're still here. There's something I'd like to discuss with Tommy privately." The teen seemed to grimace slightly as his brother stands between them with an eloquent swish of his trenchcoat.

" Right," He says slowly. " Have either of you seen Ponk lately?"

" Can't say I haven't." Wilbur hums. " Anything, Tommy?" The teen simply shakes his head, looking far too tired for his own good. " There you have it." With a curt nod, Sam makes his way off the build and is halfway home when he's confronted by none other than Punz. The mercenary looks at him with those horrid crimson eyes and with a curious tilt of his head, grins.

" Did you do this, Warden?" He asked, gesturing to the newly burnt pile of ashes.

" No. Though I wished I did." He returns, trusty trident in hand.

" It's just so weird. Happens every two nights, ups and goes in a flash before we could catch him. You seen anyone with like glowing eyes and a red cloak? That ring any bells for you?" Sam eyes the red vine snaking up his neck distastefully, he wonders how either of these Eggheads could even tolerate the parasite literally growing into them.

" No."

" Really?" Punz hummed. " Because honestly, I can't really think of anyone who'd go through enough trouble for a schedule. Weird, isn't it?"

" I suppose. Though, it does sound like the perpetrator is simply being efficient." The mercenary looks at him carefully, eyeing the trident in his hand and no doubt looking through his own inventory as Sam currently was.

" Whatever." He huffed, putting his axe away. " We'll just have Ant sniff the guy out anyway."

" Hah." Sam scoffed. " Using a cat like a dog? Good luck with that."

Chapter Text

Terror wasn't something unfamiliar for Antfrost. It was present when he used to participate in Dream's manhunts before the SMP was set up, it was present when he'd fought withers and all those wars he'd been in, it'd been present when he first faced the Egg. Yet, this fear within him, festering from the deepest corners of his mind terrorised him more than anything. It was a fear many animals in nature would recognize. The fear of being hunted. Ironic, since he was once a hunter himself.

He tried following him, the intended target of his hunt. Following his trail of soul fire and ash with the others aiding him whenever they could. Though, he'd been alone tonight which was his first and greatest mistake yet. He'd followed sightings of that red cloak and the scent of gunpowder that he leaves only to find absolutely nothing. Tonight was the night he'd catch the fiend responsible for all the damages brought onto their precious vines.

There they stood, glowing eyes, red cloak flapping in the air as the hood shields their face. The figure stared at him with wide, blank eyes. Eyes that seem to pierce into your soul with that simple stare. The figure tilts their head and grins, canines packed together in neat rows as it gleamed a pearly white. The soul fire crackles behind them, burning the vines with a ferocity Ant couldn't fathom. Wordlessly, the figure jumps through the flames, steps so light that with normal hearing, is already barely audible. Ant tries to follow, catching nothing but air as if the figure simply disappeared. It was when he felt the arrow piercing his shoulder did he truly felt the terror kick in. Much more so when he realised that said arrow was poisoned.

He stumbles around blindly through the bamboo forest surrounding him, breath hitched and ragged as he attempts to make his escape. Sometimes he'd think he was in the clear until he hears it, that stupid clicking, chittering sound. Oddly enough, he hadn't heard a single step since they got into the bamboo forest. He doesn't even know where that noise is coming from, only that it was close, way too close and he'd be stumbling away again. That, and how it sounded like it was coming from above.

The temptation to look up became too much and what he saw would haunt him forever. A tangle of limbs held firmly upon one of the bamboo stalks, glowing blank eyes stare into his crimson ones as the chittering, clicking noise erupts from its vocal cords, its teeth chattering along with it in every breath. Worst of all is that stupid grin on its face, a plastered wide smile that simply mocked him further. As he watches the creature descend the stalk with hitched yelps, he fails to notice the pit laid nearby and falls foot first into the trap. Twigs snaps and leaves fall alongside him as he disappears into the pit with a scream.

The thin pieces of bamboo go through his mid section in clean motion, his blood trailing down the stalks as his impaled body halts halfway down. He grasps onto the thin stalk with weak arms, trying not to shift down any further. Doing his best to control his breathing, he looks around for anything he could use. There was a sharpened stalk right below his shoulder and another already poking his thigh. He needed to call for help.

He freezes as a red cloak climbs down the stalks carefully, masterly making its way into the pit as Ant looks up helplessly into its blank eyes. It stops just above the cat hybrid, head tilted curiously as its lips were now no longer holding that stupid grin. His grip was failing him and as much as he didn't want to die, he doesn't seem to have much of a choice as the figure moves in closer and closer with an odd hum in its voice. He was starting to black out anyways. So with a deep breath, he gathers whatever courage he had and lets go.

It's unfortunate, truly. How fate wouldn't be so kind. He remembers screaming as the bamboo was removed, or rather how he was removed from the bamboo. He remembers someone splashing a healing potion on him and how it stung over his wounds. He was falling in and out of consciousness when it happened.

He tried to struggle against the figure's grip, falling onto the oak wood of the Prime Path as they caught his legs. He flayed uselessly as his claws dragged against the wood with long desperate scratches. He catches flashes of 3D glasses from the corner of a building before receiving a firm hit at the back of his head. The next time he comes to, he was drowning in fucking holy water.

He struggled and screamed as the figure held him firm, not caring over the scratches that littered their arms and ripped at their cloak. Those glowing eyes watches intently as his body jolts and spasms. The cat hybrid is lifted into the air before he was close to blacking out and gasped eagerly for breath. He holds onto his captor's wrists as he coughs the water out. He's brought closer to those unblinking eyes and before he could speak, he was shoved under once again. His legs kicked uselessly against the tiles, slowly and sliding weakly with every second passing. He's lifted up again, right before blacking out, eyes watering as he coughs. He barely opens one eye to look at his captor and the figure was now facing the other way, staring deeply at the outdoors before dropping Ant unceremoniously onto the tiles.

" W-wait, wait, please-please!" He could barely identify the voice of Jack Manifold as the man is now stumbling back from his hiding place as the figure looms over him. " Look, we can make a deal! I-I..." He's backed against one of the trees and the figure steps closer at a painfully slow pace. Ant could barely lift himself up as he watches helplessly how Jack shrinks down to the ground in fear a sob making its way to his throat as the figure crouches down in front of him. Their hand moves forward, reaching out to the poor man as Ant continues to struggle to at least lift himself off the fucking ground. He falls back down regardless, crying quietly to himself as he looks the other way, unable to look at what could soon be Jack's murder. " Please....Please..." He begs.

"Shhhh....."

The simple noise sent shivers down his spine as its followed with an audible crunch. He barely looks back and Jack's body is slumped against the tree motionlessly, eyes closed and head lulled on his chest. Ant lets out a whimper as the figure returns, dragging him up by the arm. With a hiss of pistons, the two were gone and by the time morning came, so was Jack Manifold.

Chapter Text

Waking up, Jack had half expected to find himself falling back into hell again, only to find pristine white ceilings greeting him. For a moment he half contemplated if he was actually in heaven, until he sees a familiar red wall and realizes that he was in his penthouse in the hotel. Groggily, he sits himself up, massaging the space between his eyes. He looks around for his communicator, failing miserably so.

He dresses up as usual, finding nothing out of the ordinary except that he'd seemed to have misplaced his communicator. He follows his morning routine, even gave Sam Nook a half hearted greeting before asking the android to help track the lost device and as he makes his way to Snowchester he finds a disheveled looking Tommy Innit.

" You look like shit." He scoffed at the younger teen, who's arms and legs with still wrapped in an unnecessary mountain of bandages. He looks a bit healthier these days, not as scrawny as the day he'd been revived. He doesn't know why he feels glad about that and sure as hell would've preferred if the kid stayed dead.

" Yeah? Well so do you." He spat back. " Fucking Wilbur and his stupid stone." Tommy grumbles as he hurries past the man.

" Hey, wait." He calls almost hesitantly. Tommy pauses, looking over his shoulder with a raised brow. " You saw anything weird last night?"

" No. The fuck kind of question is that? Can't be anymore vague, could you?" The teen hisses in annoyance as he walks back towards his home. Jack shakes his head, instead deciding to go back to his route to Snowchester. Luck would have it, he runs into the Warden himself.

" Ayup, Sam." Jack waves at him.

" Oh, hi." Sam returns the wave with a small sullen tone. " Hey, Jack. You seen Ponk anywhere? He's been missing for a few days and I'm getting worried."

" Nope. Don't think I've seen any of the Eggheads lately. Like they're laying low or some shit." Jack shrugged, something in the back of his mind seemed to be screaming at him about something. " You seen Antfrost anywhere?" He said before he realised what he was even asking. Why had he said so? He's not close to Ant or anything then why....Flashes of glowing eyes hovered over him, red cloak flapping in the wind as it stared.

" I...haven't. Jack?" Sam reaches to touch his shoulder gently. Jack blinks back and tilts his head a little, dazed with this faraway look. " You okay?" He opens his mouth to say something.

It crouched in front him, glowing eyes never leaving his shaking figure as it reached for his shoulder in one hand and placed a finger over its lips.

" Shhhhh....."

The simple noise sent shivers down his spine as the hand on his shoulder moved and everything went black.

He flinches away from the Warden with a muffled yelp.

" Welp, I gotta get going! See you next time, ey Sam?" He mutters nervously as he quickly makes his way past the confused Warden and into the safety of Snowchester's borders. As soon as he's out of sight, he immediately collapsed against the closest tree.

His breath hitched and shudders as he recalls the way Ant struggled, clawed at his captor's skin to no avail as he was continuously dragged all the way to Church Prime. He saw how the cat hybrid drifted in and out of consciousness, hissing when he could, crying when he realised its futility. He wonders if there were still claw marks on the pavement.

Claw marks.

He could find them. Take it as evidence and....those glowing eyes still locked on him, looking into his very soul. Suddenly he doesn't feel so alone anymore, like there were eyes everywhere. He wonders how he's still alive, how he even made it back to his room at all. Not that he's not grateful. It was simply odd.

Too odd.

Maybe they were just targeting the Eggheads. Prime was he even more thankful for not joining that cult, other than avoiding having to accept a parasite growing in him. He's seen on the others and preferably, red simply wasn't his colour. The worst part being that red reminded him of the horrid creature causing all of this fuss, that stupid red cloak and those glowing eyes.

" Jack?" He looks up to find Tubbo looking at him with mild concern, Michael sleeping soundly in his arms. " You good, big man?"

" Yeah." He says hesitantly. " I'm good."

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Bad paced around the room impatiently as not one, but two of his men were now missing. Punz had decided to take matters into his own hands and have decided to track down their supposed killer himself, he's thinking of getting Purpled on the job as well. There hasn't been much activity from it ever since Ant went missing, they've assumed their wanted arson and kidnapper to be the same culprit.

It was infuriating, this was going to set back so many plans they still had and the banquet is still more than a month away. The Egg is uneasy, it'd lost all possible contact with Ponk and its connection to Ant is weakening. They were alive, yes. But, Prime, he hoped with all his heart they were alright.

Chapter Text

Dull red eyes stared up, as much as his neck would allow it, to the water filled tank in front of him. His hands and limbs are fastened down firmly against the cold metal table as he struggles to find his voice to shout at the poor soul trapped within the tank itself. Right before him, he sees Ponk, the doctor floating in the water with tubes sticking out of him and a gas mask over his mouth to provide oxygen. A detail he noticed was the lack of red vines that once adorned Ponk's stump like a decorated scar. He was free.

His inventory had been cleared out since his kidnapper had placed him on a bed before stabbing him. The automatic respawn confirming the non canon kill as his things are then locked away somewhere while he was sedated and strapped down. He's not sure how many hours he's been in here for, nor what plans laid out for him.

The metal door swings open, a soft hiss of pistons following behind as a white apron and dress greet him. Glowing eyes stared down as the masked man starts to push the metal table to another room. He struggles against the bonds as tears pricked his eyes. He's moved into a concealed room, the table clicks into place and his captor tests its immobility.

Satisfied, the kidnapper moves to a cabinet in the corner. Taking several things outside of Ant's vision and placing them on a moving table. Ant had been close to cutting the closest bond on his right wrist with his claw but froze immediately as a latex gloved hand holds his wrist down and he meets those glowing eyes once again. It shakes its head slowly and with a choked sob, Ant nods and complies.

It became clear to him that resistance truly was futile. He cried as he thought of what would become of him, his mind drifting to Ponk's body in that tank. He knew there were a few more empty tanks next to it. The cold tip of a syringe meets his neck and his body becomes completely lax. Sedated once again, Ant stares up at the lantern above him, praying to whatever Gods listening to simply make it quick or just kill him. The smell of soul fire is clear as the captor heats the knife he held over the blue flames, letting it turn into a merciless red. As the knife nears him, he closes his eyes shut and with whatever strength he had, he screamed.

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He flinches. Green eyes looked around curiously at his location in spawn. He brushes off some of the sandy blonde hair out of his eyes. He's been told that someone would be here to pick him up. He hopes the coat he's wearing isn't too much, it helps him get into the whole vibe of his job.

" Hey, uh, Tom?" He turns around, grinning at the familiar voice of his patron.

" Awesamdude, I presume?" He holds out a hand to shake his patron's. " Private Investigator Tom Wastekken at your service." The Warden blinks a couple times, showing very slight discomfort. " Everything okay?"

" Yeah, just- my work's been a bit stressful." Sam admits, he doubts he's actually hearing Dream's voice coming from this man. " I'll brief you in on the situation." It didn't help that Tom looked vaguely similar to Tommy in a sense.

The detective was a reminiscent image of what Dream was like before all the wars, before he became an abuser. Tom was also far more open and blunt in his opinions, but he was also careful. He's taken to Ponk's lab first for the investigation, where a certain mercenary was hanging around.

" Hey, Sam. Who's the suit?" Punz questioned.

" I really don't have time for this, Punz." Sam sighed but Tom grinned.

" Heya, I'm Tom. Private Investigator." He introduced himself, hand outstretched towards the mercenary. " I'm here to investigate the missing persons case."

" Punz." He returns the hand shake. " Likewise."

" Shit, I can't stay." The Warden grumbled. " Tom, I have to get to my shift. Remember what I told you about the Eggpire."

" Good things, I hope." Punz muttered with a shallow glare, Sam meeting it with his own. With a final nod, he was gone again. " I swear it's like he's married to the job."

" Got that the first time." They shared a short chuckle. " So, Punz. I heard Ponk's been gone for an approximate two week now."

" Yeah. We kinda have a suspect." He says, leading the detective into the building. " Everything's completely untouched, save for Ant maybe going through them a couple nights ago to track our suspect."

" And you have any information regarding this suspect of yours?" He asked, looking through the cabinets with for anything.

" We call him Cardinal. Fucker's been burning our vines. He hasn't been around in a while though...neither has Ant." Tom pauses, taking a note at the placement of some of the medical supplies and surgical tools.

" Is there a catalog anywhere? The doctor must've kept some track of his supplies, right?" They venture into Ponk's office where, yes, they did find a catalog of the number of supplies and medical instruments. They checked through every item on the list finding everything oddly in place, though something clearly felt off. Punz hisses involuntarily while turning the handle for one of the cabinets. " You okay?"

" I'm fine." He says firmly, watching distastefully as the vine that once entwined his finger to have receded. " Someone's been rough with the handle." He says with a begrudging growl, Tom inspects the handle. Splintered in a way that implies it's been gripped too hard.

" Sedatives." Tom mutters as he inspects the cabinets. " Though, doesn't look like anything's missing. It seems up to par with the catalog." He says with a deep sigh. This was going to be a long case.

Chapter Text

" Who the fuck are you?" Tommy asked upon seeing Tom. " Shit, you're with them." He seethed, seeing Punz closely behind the detective.

" Relax, Tommy." Punz says calmly. " We're not looking for trouble, for now. This is Tom, Sam invited him to investigate Ponk's missing case." Tommy narrows his eyes, clearly not trusting either of them.

" Make it quick, Wilbur wants to see me later." He mutters.

" Just a quick interview. Tommy, right? It's nice to meet you." Tom says with a smile as the teen seems to take an uncomfortable step back. Paranoid for a kid. " So, when was the last time you saw Ponk?"

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" The last time I saw him?" Niki echoed. " I think it was way back when he'd lost his arm. I gave him some bread to help him out."

" That's very nice of you." Tom says, taking note.

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" Oh, the good doctor! Never bothered to actually see him. Revival pretty much fixes everything." Wilbur laughs, smoke dissipating into the air. " You sure he didn't skip server or anything?"

" He wouldn't do that. The Egg wouldn't allow it." Punz hissed.

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" Nope!" Tubbo says cheerfully. " I like your suit."

" Thanks, uh. So, you know anyone that might have it out for him?"

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" Well, I don't hold anything against him. Honestly, I don't really know anyone who would." Ranboo tells them.

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" Is he government?" The piglin asked.

" Techno, please." Phil sighed.

" Well, no-" Tom half spoke.

" Then no." Technoblade says before promptly slamming the door in his face.

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" Well, he did lead an attack on my summer home." Foolish says thoughtfully. " He already apologized so I'm good!"

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" I haven't seen him." Jack began, though he was shifting uncomfortably. " But, I think I have a clue who might. The arsonist the Eggpire is hunting, I saw him in the area once. You should check him out." That was all he told them before retreating back into his hotel. Tom watches him go, he was certain that Jack had more to say but most definitely held back.

Punz then showed Tom where Ant had been previously patrolling, taking in the singed ground and ashes blowing in the breeze. The Egghead complained how much of a menace that Cardinal was.

" Where did the name Cardinal come from actually?" Tom asked, engaging in a bit of small talk as he inspected the ashes.

" I think maybe Bad came up with it? It's a blur but it's because that thing chirps sometimes before starting fires. Other times it makes this weird clicking noise. Plus it's red, so yeah." Punz answered. Tom hummed to himself as he traces a footprint on the ground. It's not as weighted as netherite boots should be, so it couldn't be Ant's. Rather, the area of the boot's toes were focused more on its tips. High heels. If he could guess, there were probably leather. " Does anyone on the server wear high heels?"

" What?" Punz looked over at the footprint and hummed. " It probably isn't any of the girls. The culprit is kinda more masculine. Though I know a guy." He adds. " I've seen Quackity wear them on occasion, but I'm pretty sure it's just for shit and giggles. Eret wears them a lot." He says with a slightly higher octave. " Wilbur would probably do it too for the right money..." He trails off before they heard it.

The knowing clack of high heels could be heard over in a distance, silently, the duo stalk their way through the branches and leaves and there stood their main target. The Cardinal, fully cloaked and hooded, stands straight before a bamboo forest that leads into a jungle biome. Punz is quick to duck, pulling Tom with him as those glowing eyes turned to their direction. An odd clicking could be heard, almost insect-like chattering with a mixture of one or two bird chirps. Punz peered over their hiding place as the noises stopped. He curses under his breath as his target had disappeared, footprints leading into the bamboo forest.

" Punz, wait!" Tom called after him before he could stop the man from following an obvious trap. He curses himself from not noticing it sooner. From the fresh tracks, the timing of Cardinal's appearance, it would all be too obvious. Though, obvious seemed something they were aiming for. " Punz!" The detective called him but received no answer as the mercenary disappears from view. The sunlight barely gleams against the thin line, he'd been too late to notice as he activates the trip wire.

The trap sprang directly beneath him, the net encasing him was a sticky substance anyone would recognize as spider's web. He curses, wondering deep inside when had spiders learned to set traps. Moving around to break out of the trap, he slowly descends back to the ground, the sticky string losing grip the more he thrashed about. He grunts as he meets the ground again, looking up and around, finally noticing the massive webbing that spread all over the canopy of the forest like a thin veil.

" Punz!" He calls out but received no answer. There's a hiss and he finds a spider not too far from him, its red eyes staring at him curiously. He curses internally as he notices the sun only a couple hours away from setting. He didn't have any weapons on him either. With a grimace and a muttered apology, Tom exits the bamboo forest and hopes for the best for his friend.

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Punz huffed as he tries to break free of the web he'd been tangled in. There's fucking layers of them surrounding him in the ravine he fell into. The sun was going down and he can't fight them while being stuck. He freezes at the sound of a single chirp.

" Fucking..." The Cardinal stood on the web, head tilted as his glowing eyes bore into the man, high heels discarded as it's now replaced with a pair of sneakers, the footwear having an odd shine to it in a way no familiar polish or enchantment would provide. " Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck." He cursed as the being started hopping down the web like a bird skipping down branches of a tree, moving with an ease that made him squirm. He kicked his feet at it as it stepped close but was immediately caught. Cardinal's hands moved swiftly, dislocating the man's ankle and causing him to scream. " Fuck you! You bitch, I'll kill y-" He screamed once more as his other ankle is dislocated. Tears pricked his eyes as he sinks through the webs painfully slow.

The Cardinal, chittering as it stands patiently the webbing. The creature had the audacity to watch as Punz slowly made his way down, the pain of having both his ankles dislocated pulsed from legs and up his body like wildfire. Like the others, he was eager to leave, to find somewhere, anywhere safe enough to get away from this monster. This sick fuck who's watching him so silently and even following him down step by step. He reaches the ground with a soft thud.

He yells as the Cardinal's boots land on his back, the impact strong enough to knock out all the air from his lungs. As he struggles to raise his head, a gloved hand pulls him up roughly by the hair. His eyes are met forcefully with the Cardinal's glowing ones. He glares momentarily at Cardinal before his eyes start to widen at the sight. He takes in every detail, every feature of their arsonist's face.

" You..." He barely mutters as the being grinned unnervingly gentle and the world turned black for the poor mercenary.

Chapter Text

Ponk opens his eyes slowly, barely able to lift his head from the soft pillow as he comfortably shifts under the blankets. Until he noticed that the sheets weren't his, nor was the room he was in. Warily, he glances around his surroundings. There was a familiar scent of sterilisers in the air and if the curtains were anything to come by, he was in some sort of hospital room. There's a drawer next to his bed, a soft turquoise color.

He doesn't recall ever having admitting himself to the ward. Even so, who would be treating him? His head aches as he looks down, dressed in pristine white pajamas. He's barely had time to process when he hears a door swing open. Instinctively, he lies back down on his bed and watches as a figure steps closer to his curtain. The very silhouette was more than recognizable as he felt the fear he felt when he was dragged off his feet, waterboarded in a church and strapped to a surgical table.

He shuts his eyes before the Cardinal stepped in, doing his best to pretend to sleep. He hears the Cardinal walk around the bed, stepping closer and closer. He could practically feel the being standing by his side as he hears the sound of something being placed down. Then there's the silence, the eerie feeling of being watch clearer than ever as it just stood there for a good minute. He was practically praying as he feels his sheets move and stiffened lightly as he was tucked in again. The movement wasn't rushed or in any way too creepy. It was formally gentle, like a procedure. He'd seen trained nurses do the same for patients before back when he was still in training. The Cardinal steps away, closing the curtains behind him carefully.

The doctor waits for several minutes before he's sure that the being was gone. He sits up once more, finding a plate next to him with bread and soup. He's not trusting enough of the Cardinal to take a bite out of it. His legs were already shaking as he stumbles out of bed, though he can't seem to decide if it was the fear or the fact he's finally out of bed.

He peaks out of the curtains, finding at least five more empty beds each with their own dividing curtain. Moving cautiously, he reaches for the only door in the room and pressed his head against it to see if there's anyone on the other side. Further testing the waters, he opens the door carefully at a crack to take a look outside. For the most part, all he sees is an empty hallway.

He slips out, his bare feet meeting the cold quartz flooring. He wasn't used to walking around unfamiliar places without his mask, the cold air against his exposed face felt weird.

Ponk nearly jumps as he hears footsteps approach and immediately darts into a corner. He carefully peaks as the Cardinal returns to the room he'd been in and goes inside. He only has a few moments to try and escape before it finds out he's gone. He makes his way down the halls, uncertainty in every turn and passes by one of the doors with a glass window.

He freezes, thinking what he saw must've been his imagination. It was nothing, he needed to keep moving, he needed to get out. That couldn't have been Punz and Ant. It couldn't. Curiosity wins over him and he takes a couple steps back to peer through the glass. His eyes widen in pure horror as he spots two of his companions in the room. Ant had several tubes sticking out of him, a gas mask over his snout to provide oxygen and Punz, the man was just about stirred and was now trying to get out of his bounds. He takes in both their features, the lack of red vines on Ant sending him a wave of small relief.

A thought passed and he quickly looks down at himself, finding the vines that were growing over him were now gone. His mind cleared of any influence of the Egg other than the dreadful fear he has for the fate of others.

" Motherfucker!" Punz growled as the strap on one of his arms were starting to get loose. Ever the fighter, the man certainly wouldn't go down without a fight. He should help him, he should. A part of him warned that if he did, Punz would take him back to the Egg and he'll be infected again. Just when he'd been freed.

What scared him more was if the Cardinal were to go after him again. That he'd go through all that hellish process again and again. He doesn't want that but he doesn't want Punz to get hurt either. As much as the Cardinal had been capable of surgically removing the vines, their skills were practically beginner's and a little messy despite the neat stitching. The potions were probably the biggest help, making sure the wounds healed up with no scars. It meant that Cardinal was good in brewing.

The door opposite the room swings open, Punz cursed as the Cardinal stalked over to him in long strides. The straps on his arms are tightened and the Cardinal lifts up a syringe.

" Fuck! Get that away!" Punz screamed as he whipped his head around. " Stop!" He shouted as the Cardinal pushes his head back down firmly. " Tommy, stop!" The air stills and those glowing eyes blinked. " Tommy. Tommy, please. Don't do this." He pleaded at the teen, Ponk swore he'd never heard the mercenary sound so soft, voice quivering slightly. For the shortest moment, the hand over his head lifts itself. " Kid, I know you're probably upset and shit but this isn't right. It isn't you. Kid, please. Please, Tommy." The words died at Punz's throat as the syringe is jabbed into his arm instead. He struggles to speak as his mouth becomes numb, the sedatives already working its way through him.

And the Cardinal looks up.

Ponk gasped as he backs away from the door, the Cardinal already moving towards him within seconds. He tries to run down the hall but was immediately blocked by a massive spider. He steps back again, looking over his shoulder just as Tommy came through it and closed the door with a soft click. He's backed against the wall, breathing heavily as the teen, once so kind and loud, stare at him silently with an expressionless look. Ponk winced, squeezing his eyes shut as Tommy's hands moved up.

" You okay, Ponk?" He looks back, those eyes were still glowing but they were kinder, holding an amount of concern. Tommy smiled and just like that, any trace that would've marked him as the Cardinal disappeared. " You just woke up, yeah? Any dizziness, voices or anything? Wait- How do you feel about the Egg?" Tommy asks leaning in. Ponk took it in for a moment, the curious child-like look in those eyes were simply hard to picture as anything as terrifying as the constant stares the Cardinal did.

" Well...not really a fan of it anymore." It was mostly the truth. " Tommy, what is all this?"

" Have you eaten yet?" The teen says instead, placing a hand on the doctor's shoulder. " Come on, the food will get cold if you wait any longer."

" Tommy- but Punz is,"

" Don't worry about it."

" Tommy, listen."

" It's fine. I'll send everyone home once I'm done. Then the server could go back to normal and I would've fixed something." The cracks of the child soldier started to show, cracks of a weight heavy on his shoulders. " I'm no hero. No one is. I just want everyone to live." He mutters so softly that Ponk almost misses it. He's tired. As tired as Sam whenever he comes back from his shift as the Warden, as tired as Bad when he's far enough from the Egg to talk about Skeppy or anything aside from the Eggpire.

" You don't have any qualifications in medicine." He states simply, trying to keep calm and doing his best to ignore the very hands that pushed him underwater.

" Well, duh. I've only read a couple things in theory. A lot of what I'm doing is based off a theory. Though it looks like it worked on you at least."

" You used me as a fucking guinea pig." He gapes at the teen in horror.

" I did." He says, looking down. " You can kill me later. Once I've gotten rid of the Egg's influence on everyone, you guys can execute me or whatever. Whatever tickles your fancy." He continues to stare at the teenager, horrified over his knowing willingness to simply die.

" Tommy, you can't just perform medical procedures without a professional."

" I know."

" Brief me in on it later. Is a room prepared for the operation?" Tommy pauses, head tilted in awe.

" Uh, yeah."

----------------------

Punz watched helplessly as the Cardinal pushes his table into another room where another figure, fully dressed in surgical attire was going through the tools.

" Where did you get all these supplies?" His eyes bulged as he recognized Ponk's voice.

" About that, I might've stolen your backup supplies." Tommy had the gal to sound sheepish.

" Tommy Innit." Ponk sighed. " Either way, let's begin."

Chapter Text

When word got out that Punz was missing as well, the entire server was rocked to its core. Punz was a named mercenary for a reason, having killed Wilbur twice, known for being able to execute his jobs perfectly. Knowing that he was straight up gone wasn't something they could brush off. It was then the Eggpire, rather just Bad, started putting up rewards for the Cardinals head.

Reactions to incidents were as follows. Purpled had returned as soon as he heard, eager to hunt the Cardinal down. Residents of the server are advised not to be out at night. Technoblade makes sure Phil has at least two totems every time he went out while Phil made sure Wilbur brought one of his own as well. A majority of the adults have started making patrols around their respective areas to ensure the safety of their persons. Wilbur made strict curfews for Tommy to follow, no more mining for stone in the middle of the night either. No one was to go alone under any circumstances and if they were, they are to contact the closest other member they could.

Tom had been staying in his hotel room the first night the warning was issued, notes splayed over a huge board he'd asked and payed for on his wall. It was such a night that Jack Manifold came to visit him.

" Oh, hello. Is there anything you need Mr Manifold?" Tom asked him. The younger man seemed to look uneasy from the sound of his voice alone, though he does believe it's due to the fact he has a similar voice to the imprisoned admin.

" I wanted to talk." Jack began. " About the Cardinal." Tom invites him inside, preparing some coffee for himself and tea for his guest as they settled at the living room to discuss. " I saw him. The night that thing took Antfrost."

" Jack. You mind if I call you that?" Jack smiled and nodded. " Okay, Jack look. This is some really crucial stuff you'll be talking about here. Which I gotta ask, how come you didn't say anything before?"

" I know. I know I should've said something but I wasn't sure and-and now Punz is gone too. Prime, I hope Purpled's okay." Jack sighed. " I saw the Cardinal the night he took Ant. I was just making my way back as usual and as I was crossing the Prime Path, I saw these claw marks on some of the oak. Naturally I followed it, you know like an idiot and I saw Antfrost being dragged all the way to Church Prime. And," Jack swallowed. " The Cardinal, it- they were torturing him. Waterboarding." He says grimly. " I didn't know what his goal was, it wasn't saying anything or making any demands. That thing just kept putting him under again and again." Jack shudders as he recalls how the being paused and whipped its head around to look at him. " It saw me. Prime, I really thought it was going to kill me right then and there but then I wake up back in my room like nothing happened. I couldn't tell anyone before because..."

" You weren't sure if it was real." Tom finished for him. " But, that means you've seen him up close. Do you remember anything about his face, any distinctive features that stand out?" Jack stares at him for a moment, thinking hard. If only Tom could get just a little more info, he could start pinning down the suspects. Quackity's got one blind eye, so he's out for the count. Wilbur and Eret are the highest possibilities since they both have the height and could probably wear high heels.

" Well, they were wearing leather boots."

" High heels?"

" No. Flats." Taken aback, Tom notes it down. " I don't remember much else."

----------------------

Jack exits the room, closing the door behind him with a soft click. He didn't trust the sandy blonde very much with the only one detail he has when the Cardinal faced him. As darkness shadowed the monster's face, he remembers seeing bits of blonde hair sticking out before the creature pulls its hood much lower. Wasn't Tom there when Punz was caught by the Cardinal?

Who's to say he hadn't trapped him himself?

He tries to narrow any other blonde on the server, already ruling out the minors because one, Purpled had been off server in forever and Tommy's way too scrawny to even lift Tubbo off the ground. He can't seem to rule out Phil because of how easily the winged man could hide those wings under that cloak and the man is the Angel of Death for fuck's sake.

Dragging a cultist into a church sounds equally cult-ish but it's a possibility considering his angelic position. He sighs, maybe he should get his conspiracy board, seems like a trend these days.

And a trend it would soon turn out to be as the Cardinal resurfaces nights after.

Chapter Text

Sightings of the Cardinal are scarce at first. Most people weren't exactly sure what to watch out for, though as soon as it were recognizable, they either steered clear of it or start to follow it. Most of the time, the creature showed disinterest in any other member of the SMP and seemed more focused on looking for someone more specific. Most suspect it's probably Bad, seeing as he's the only member of the Eggpire left. Among the first instances of the longest sightings recorded without the Cardinal noticing and disappearing was the encounter by Sam and Puffy.

They'd been patrolling the path when they noticed Ranboo enderwalking down the Prime Path. They watched with baited breath as a chirp echoed above the enderman in one of the trees. Sam wanted to move, to catch the very creature that took Ponk away from him and protect one of the few minors on the SMP but Puffy advised him otherwise. They could scare off the Cardinal when they're so close.

Vhwoop.

Chirp.

Vhwoop?

The Cardinal then responds with a chittering noise. The exchange was odd at best, neither of them knew what they were doing. Though, it seems that they're having some sort of conversation. The Cardinal climbs down, moving back and forth in caution, the motion akin to a curious but cautious bird. They exchanged a series of noises before the Cardinal is moving ahead again, hiding behind a pillar and chirped once. The enderman tilted his head curiously before making another noise, almost like a call. The Cardinal replied with a louder chirp, though doesn't come out of their hiding place. Ranboo walks over and Cardinal immediately moves on to the next hiding spot.

Vhwoop!

Chirp!

Sam and Puffy watched in awe as the two continued their game of cryptid Marco Polo. They followed as well, curious to see where it leads and found them actually making their way to Snowchester. The Cardinal jumps over the fence of the mansion and hid. The enderman looks around, tail moving side to side in anticipation, he's actually having fun with this.

Vhwoop!

He calls out, looking around excitedly as he approaches the mansion.

Vhwoop?

He calls out again but receives no answer.

" Ranboo?" Relief flooded the two adults as Tubbo appeared from the corner. " What are you doing out here, bossman?"

It didn't stop there, as the Cardinal is spotted from burning vines and hanging out with enderwalking Ranboo. The passive way it treats Ranboo and the fact it simply runs away when anyone else confronts them seemed to put doubts that the being would actually hurt anyone. Of course there's been a number of attempts to trap them or catch the now local cryptid of the SMP but the Cardinal always find its way out. Some might complain that the guy practically phases in and out of existence at will.

Technoblade didn't particularly care about the issue himself. Just that Phil was safe. So when he saw Phil with that thing in the weird forest of their backyard, he was more than prepared to chuck an axe at it and call it a day. Only, it wasn't hurting Phil, or talking to him at all. Phil moved his wings a little upwards and the Cardinal mimicked it with its long cape, moving as if it were alive. The wings moved down and so did the cape. It was an odd exchange and Techno wasn't sure if he should be interrupting it. Like some odd ritual shit going on there. Is it the bird brain instincts? It's probably the bird brain instincts. Chat seems to like it.

Unbeknownst to them all, Phil was currently asleep in his own body. The one who's amusingly playing around with the cryptid was the Goddess of Death herself, she'd just gotten enough influence on the server to possess Phil a bit while the man rests. She finds the cryptid amusing and cute, its behaving like a little avian fledgling. Unsurprisingly, chat agrees. The many crows simply watching the exchange happily.

It was fine, until those glowing eyes snapped towards Technoblade. It stared at the piglin straight in the eyes, gazing into his very soul and even some of the voices slightly recoiled. The longer he stared at the piglin, the louder he could hear it. Snippets of a collection of voices that were giggling, laughing. It wasn't his chat. This was Cardinal's chat. He takes a half step back as the Cardinal blinks at him.

Vhwoop?

He almost jumped at the noise as he turns around to find Ranboo standing there, eyes a gleaming purple.

----------------------

The area the vines covered were decreasing at a noticeable rate and since the members of the server were now more curious of the creature than hostile, the Egg was growing more restless. It's followers were down to two individuals and it is not happy. It needed to grow stronger, it needed blood.

Bad sets out, fully decked out with armour and potions to take on the menace. Though, he'd been too late. Soul fire ashes blew in the wind as he growled at the state of the vines. The creature will pay.

Chapter Text

Ant would sit straighter whenever Tommy comes back into the room with the hood low over head, a certain nausea washing over him even if the teen was just handing him some food. He's been up for maybe three days now. Punz was in a tube and Ponk, the doctor was helping the Cardinal. The teen was difficult to read when he had the hood on, eyes glowing with that blank stare.

Though in that moment, where he simply flops onto the bed next to Ant's, he could finally see how truly exhausted he was. Cardinal or not, Tommy was still seventeen and boy did he need his sleep. Running on energy drinks, sugar and potions can do that to you. He's talked about it with Ponk, the kid's been going out at night burning vines, covered in bandages practically all the time and no one, literally no one took the time to ask. He had bags under his eyes, wounds from his time capturing his targets and escaping others, yet no one bothered to ask the teen why he looked that way during the day. They all just assumed it was all from working for the newly resurrected Wilbur Soot, ordering the teen around once again.

The scariest part was that Tommy was still seventeen. He wasn't even an adult yet and he'd caught himself a mercenary, a hunter and a doctor, all on his own. In the prospect of his ingenuity, the fact that he knows what the world thinks of him and uses it, the way he knew how each of them would react to his actions, Tommy was certainly a force to be reckoned with. While Dream was manipulative and cunning in his own right, Tommy could've done so much more if he'd wanted. But, he never did.

" Back from arsonist work?" Ponk asked as he stepped into the room, mask on and dressed in a lab coat, he receives a small chirp. He sets aside the note board in his hand and sits down next to the bed. " I'm taking off the hood now." He announces, carefully pealing off the fabric from the blond's head. The texture was odd, velvety and soft yet durable. It wasn't like anything he's ever seen before. The familiar tingle of magic, one you'd feel from enchanted armour, graced his finger tips. He wonders where Tommy even got this cloak. " Your timer went off five minutes ago."

" Oh. My drugs are done." Tommy mutters in his even voice, the slightest echo coming from it.

" Tommy, please stop calling potions your drugs." Antfrost sighed.

" They kinda are though. I am pretty high." He says, smiling in amusement as he watches them groan a little. " Can I have five minutes before my check-up?" He says to Ponk, his eyes still gleaming with that glow.

" No." The doctor says flatly and the teen sits up with a groan. " What did you have today?"

" Two invis, one speed and two strength." He listed off the potions he consumed. " And a gapple."

" Only one speed today? Looks like they're giving up on catching you." Ant chuckles.

" Probably." Tommy shrugs, taking off his cloak and his eyes return to its natural blue hue. The two adults relaxed upon seeing Tommy's more usual face, more expressive and voice no longer holding the same even tone. It was as if the cloak made him an entirely different person. He was flexible and able to climb up heights with bare hands and feet. In fact, he's freakishly fast with those alone. " At least I don't have to use up too many potions anymore. I guess I won't be so high anymore."

" At least you wouldn't be walking back with another bear trap on your leg anymore." Ponk quipped. " Seriously, how were you not screaming?"

" Gapples give me a heck of a high." He shrugged as Ponk finished up on his check-up. The doctor had taken to doing so rather regularly for the teen's sake.

" Your high state is honestly terrifying, kid." Ant told him.

" Blame Dream. After exile I just got more dependant on potions and gapples, even now. Plus, I've always had a pretty high pain tolerance before. I still don't like taking damage by the way." He add quickly. At least not directly, was not said. Resurrection made him a little more numb, like his nerves are still getting used to functioning again. Of course, Wilbur enjoys such side effects, it meant he could tolerate more than ever before and well, so can Tommy. But, no one would really see that. His dependence on magic and its substances were permanently etched in his soul. It made him full, senses heightened to a pitch that made him feel more alive since his death. Another reason why Ponk had been performing regular check-ups on the kid.

Whatever he's going through, physically, mentally and emotionally, was not healthy. Not in the slightest. Puffy, his therapist had been more occupied with dealing with the Eggpire, especially how they've threatened Foolish. Tommy's changed and neither of them could decide if it'd been for better or for worse. With his cloak, the Cardinal was a being unknown, driven by a self-righteous cause to 'fix' everything. An unknown entity moving about, clearing abnormalities despite being an abnormality himself.

Like a bacteria that fights off viruses and aids the body. The white blood cells would still detect it as a bacteria and may get rid of it, but it continuously helps the other cells. A life known for consuming, willingly being consumed.

An odd analogy, but one Ponk seemed to use. It's not entirely wrong but to Ant, it felt more like a cult fighting off another cult. He eyes the cloak, one that Tommy had simply said was gifted to him by Gods, oddly enough. It wasn't long before Tommy's dozed off while still sitting, Ant and Ponk carefully helping him lie down on the bed. They could have trapped him, escaped and told the world what the teen had done, what he'd become. A broken soul now a monster. Alas, he is a monster of their own making and deep down they knew Tommy could've done worse, that he would truly embody the image of a monster if anymore trauma or tragedy befell on him. So they let him do as he pleased, his actions careful and caring still.

Chapter Text

Wilbur didn't have much care for the Cardinal, especially now how everyone was treating it more like a wild animal than a kidnapper. An animal who's main drive seemed simply on burning blood vines and befriending other weird instances on the server. It didn't matter, he still has Tommy anyway and his dear little brother is safe. What everyone doesn't understand is that Tommy was already the perfect soldier. They were probably just jealous that Tommy was his soldier. The teen always stayed by his side, dutifully doing as he's asked like a good soldier. His soldier.

Though, would a soldier have such a distasteful look in his eyes. He can't ever brush off the way Tommy looks at him. The very same eyes that did indeed care but were cautious of him, treating him like a ticking time bom. He didn't like it very much. In all honesty, he's missed the days Tommy would look up to him with so much love, so much admiration that it hurts him when he thinks about it and he can't think of why.

He stands in front of the teen's house, having knocked several times but received no answer. He's tried texting and calling him but there was nothing. The boy was supposed to come with him to visit Las Nevadas today and yet, he must've slept in again. He knocks again with a sigh.

" Tommy, wake up. We have things to do today." He says loudly. " Tommy!"

" Wilbur?" He turns his head around to find his next soldier in the making. " What are- What are you doing here?"

" Ranboo!" The mad man grins. " Well, I was going to ask Tommy to come by our burger van, you know, see if he'd like to come along and maybe join in. But, looks like he could be sleeping in again." He chuckles.

" Oh." The enderman says as he glances at the oak door. " Huh, he usually doesn't sleep in though."

" What you mean? He sleeps in all the time back then." Wilbur scoffs.

" For as long I've known him, Wilbur, he doesn't sleep in. He's always up at sunrise, sharp. I mean, especially not since his exile." Ranboo says factually but it was clear Wilbur doesn't believe. " Okay, when's the last time you've ever found Tommy sleeping in since he's come to this server?"

" Easy, it's when..." His mind drifts back through the past weeks, the months before and even years back. " ...back before L'Manberg?" There's uncertainty there because even then, Tommy would still be awake by sunrise. Wilbur shakes the doorknob aggressively, banging his fist against the door. " Tommy? Toms, open the door. Tommy, please if you're alright just say something at least. Tommy! Oh, fuck it." He kicks down the door, tearing the oak right off its hinges.

His body was leaned against the wall, eyes half lidded and so horribly still. Emotion wracked through the mad man as he surged forward, taking the body into his arms to shake the teen awake.

" Tommy! Tommy, wake up!" Wilbur said. His pulse was still there but he wasn't responding or moving. " Ranboo, do something!" Unfortunately, there was nothing that could be done. This wasn't something any normal mortal could fix.

" Since when was he ever so worried?" XD scoffed. This child who is broken, left to drift away in a madness he'd slip into again and again, had slipped once more. The God was merely helping. Reminding him caution if he'd wish to ensure his sanity continues to stay intact just a little while longer. Madness isn't always laughing, cheering. Madness is having thoughts and voices that sing louder than any sound, deeper than any trench. Madness is not knowing when the noises ever stop, when things are too fast or slow. Madness is having a blurred consciousness of what is good or bad. Madness is living without even knowing you are.

Tommy gasps, sucking in a deep breath before screaming, back arched in a pain no one could fathom. He wretches himself out of Wilbur's arms, thrashing and scrambling to get away. He mutters apologies, blood and pleads. He mutters incoherent words neither of them could understand.

And then he stops. His eyes staring at nothing, wide and detached from the world. Slowly, he turns. His blue eyes looking directly at both Ranboo and Wilbur, expression as blank as a sheet of paper. The gaze holds them in place, neither able to look away as whispers start to linger. Some were hissing, they could feel the grins of the voices and the little delighted giggles they made.

" Tommy?" The teen blinks, flinching back as he holds his head, eyes glassy with tears and they no longer hear the voices. Ranboo moves first, immediately pulling the other teen into a hug. Particles circled them, moving about in a fuss with sounds of concern. Tommy takes his time adjusting his breathing, leaning into the enderman as the tears slipped down his cheeks.

" Oh, Toms..." Wilbur mutters as he steps closer.

" W-Wilbur! I was- I-I just...." The teen stuttered. The man looks over the teen once again, taking in the bandages and the way he'd tried to make himself smaller despite his considerable. " I-I can get ready, just give me a minute."

" No." Wilbur shakes his head. " Just, do whatever you want today. Okay?" He says softly, he reaches out and Tommy closes his eyes instinctively. He ruffles the teen's hair gently, a soft sad smile on his face. " Ranboo." The enderman perks up at his name. " I'll be away for a bit, so take the day off." He leans in just a little to whisper. " Watch over him, please." The urgency in his voice was unlike anything Ranboo's ever been used to hearing from the man. The concern in those were genuine and as he placed a hand on the enderman's shoulder, it was trembling. Wordlessly, he nods and the man sighs. " Well, there's someone I need to see. Later, Tommy."

" Did he literally break down my fucking door?" Tommy muttered as soon as Wilbur was gone, wiping his eyes.

" It was kinda an emergency, sorry." Ranboo says to him. " Have you eaten yet?" Before the teen could refute, his stomach growled. " Yeah, I thought so. I'll fix the door first then we'll get breakfast. Sound good?"

" Whatever, boob boy." Tommy scoffs but Ranboo could tell it was good natured.

Chapter Text

Three figures crouched over the top of one the trident pools, eagerly waiting for their target to pass by. It was Tubbo who'd noticed first that the Cardinal liked passing by the L'Manhole, dropping flowers into the crater like some sort of homage. It moves in a flash, dropping as quickly as it could disappear. Though, on quiet nights when the vines had been freshly burnt the night before and Bad wasn't out, the Cardinal would take a little bit of a leisurely walk but never at the same time as the previous nights. The telltale sound of a trident and a splash behind them confirmed the attendance of their fourth and founding member.

" Hullo." Technoblade greeted them. Tubbo gives him a curt nod as Sam and Puffy make space for him to join them. The piglin actually had a hobby of birdwatching long before he started potato farming, it was apparently something he found more relaxing and keeps the voices passive. He hadn't seen as many birds on the SMP since the withers that dropped and all the explosions kept scaring them away, plus the Arctic didn't have as many as one would hope but that's probably because of the number of carnivorous animals hanging around. " Red bird's showed up yet?"

" Not yet." Puffy whispered.

" He should be here soon." Tubbo said. He and the anarchist had agreed upon a temporary truce sinc the last time they had an argument, it scared away Cardinal as the curious creature had been exchanging chirps with another little bird. " Equipment ready?"

" Cameras are set." Sam replied, watching the wooden path built over the crater like a hawk. " You gonna narrate again tonight, Tubbo?"

" Always." He smirked.

" There." Technoblade points out the red cloak, moving leisurely across the bridge.

" And here we have the Cardinal, a curious creature with an impossibly ragged cape and a habit of collecting flowers while committing arson." Tubbo began to narrate with his impression of David Attenborough. " Now the Cardinal is usually easily startled, which is why to study it, one must remain absolutely silent. Here he is now, tossing flowers into the crater." They watched it carefully drop the flowers one by one, taking a moment to watch the flower disappear into the abyss before tossing down another. " It is unclear wether the Cardinal does this to every crater but witnesses claimed that it doesn't stop by any caves or ravines to do such an action. Some speculate that perhaps the bird understands the meaning behind the giant hole in the ground.

And what's this?" They watched as another figure walked down the bridge, wings already spread so the Cardinal would recognize him. They each tensed lightly if the newcomer would scare the cryptid but the Cardinal doesn't seem to mind him much. " It appears that Philza Minecraft is greeting the Cardinal. Let's see how this goes." Philza stopped short just a couple feet from the Cardinal and they start exchanging a series of wing movements, the Cardinal doing so with its seemingly alive cape.

" What are they doing?" Sam questioned, watching the exchange with a raised brow.

" Communicating." Technoblade answered as the Cardinal mimicked Philza's every wing movement, sometimes adding its own. The Angel of Death had been experiencing his own bouts of sleepwalking lately, dubbed as Phil's nightly 'strolls' ever since they found out.

Vhwoop?

" And now an enderwalking Ranboo has joined the fray." The Cardinal chirped in response, the two exchanging a series of odd noises as the enderman approached. " As it seems, Ranboo and the Cardinal are familiar with one another." The enderman held a grass block in his hands, an allium growing atop it in full bloom. He presents the block to the Cardinal, to which the other cryptid seems to accept. " As it seems, Ranboo has brought upon the red bird, a gift. They're getting closer and," Tubbo paused as Ranboo bumped its head gently over the Cardinal's hooded one. " ARE YOU FUCKING CHEATING ON ME?" Philza bolts off with an ender pearl while Ranboo slinked away with a hiss and whine. The Cardinal decided the best option was to jump into the crater, its cape spread behind it in a manner that reminded them of bird wings and the kicker was that the guy was actually gliding down without even drinking any slow falling potions.

" Tubbo!" Puffy chided. " You scared them off!"

" Sorry." The younger hybrid muttered.

" Well, guess we'll just wrap up this session of bird watching club." Technoblade announced with his monotone voice. " Same time tomorrow?"

" If they even want to come out tomorrow." Sam sighs. " We'll have to move our hiding positions now."

" You do that. I'm going to get Ranboo home." Tubbo says as he climbs down the ledge.

" Better be quick before Cardinal swoops him off his feet." Puffy teased.

" Fuck you."

Chapter Text

" Are you okay? With all this." Tommy asked Ponk as the doctor renewed his bandages.

" I am a doctor, so I'm used to it." Ponk scoffed.

" That's not what I meant." There's a pregnant pause, neither of them are willing to look at the other in the eye.

" Hey, guys!" Ant called as he bursts into the room. " Punz is up."

----------------------

" What in the fuck?" Punz sneered in Ponk and Tommy's direction as they entered the room.

" Ayup." Tommy greeted him. " Did you give him the run-down or do we have to tell him now?" The teen asked Antfrost.

" I already got a handle of the situation." Punz grunted before Ant could answer. " But, that's not what I'm mad about." Tommy simply sighs, taking the nearest chair and gesturing Punz to continue. " I can see what you're doing. Okay? I can see that you're trying to help us but Tommy, what you did was really fucked up and I mean that in the nicest way possible. Kid, do you realize exactly what you've done in the prospect of helping us?"

" Kidnapping, waterboarding and unauthorized medical procedures." Tommy listed off and Punz, was at a slight loss for words. The kid waited patiently for him to continue as he searched for the anger and resentment he had when he'd woken up.

" Did you have to do it?" Surprisingly, it was Ponk who asked. " Wasn't there any other way that would've been less traumatic for us?" He half joked.

" ...Yes." Tommy answered. " Maybe I could've asked Puffy or Sam first. Which was my original plan but I...oh, fuck it. I did all that because I could. After coming back, after Wilbur and all the shit that's been going down, I think I might've snapped somewhere along the way." He gives a nervous chuckle. " I get nightmares where I'm in the void again, where it's always cold and empty and there's nothing I could do about it. Then, there was the voices. I've always heard them, never bothered to pay them any mind but in that fucking void? There wasn't anything else to do so I listened. I listened and kept listening after I lost Ghostbur. I listened and moved without even fully knowing what I was moving for. I listened and I started to loathe everything.

I listened, I've never felt more pissed in my life and I'd be so fucking close to just ending it there. Though I was sure as hell not going down alone. I wanted to drag the entire SMP with me, show you all what it really meant to be selfish and destructive. Show everyone what they've always said I was. Everything. But, I couldn't." He shudders. " I couldn't. Not when Tubbo and Ranboo looked happy together with Michael, not when Niki was starting to move on, not when...when I saw you were suffering. How the egg was hurting you without either of you realizing it. But, I was still pissed. The voices were really fucking pissed and they egged me on. All I could do was direct it elsewhere."

" Oh my God..." Ponk mutters as sits down. " Does...Does anyone about them? The voices." He asked the teen and received a soft shake of his head.

" Well then!" Tommy clapped his hands together. " Now I just need to get Bad and soon everyone can go home."

" One more thing, Tommy." Punz spoke up, a smile ghosting his lips. " How the fuck did you get your eyes to glow?"

" Side effects." Tommy shrugged. " After the void, I guess I just got a little more sensitive to magic so any enchantments I wear or potions drink make them glow. Don't work on tools though. Also, Purpled may be trying to kill me."

" What the fuck?"

----------------------

Tom paced about in his room, the board filled with red strings and pictures of the Cardinal which were somehow ridiculously blurred when he got them from Tubbo. His questioning of both Wilbur and Eret had come up in dead ends and Las Nevadas seemed to be hinting that they were trying to recruit the Cardinal into their numbers. How the fuck do you recruit a cryptid of all things into a country?

The Cardinal was elusive but it sightings were becoming more frequent than ever despite the doubts the others had on it being the culprit. There was an invitation sent out lately by the Eggpire to attend this banquet. He's not very confident about the whole situation but it does seem like they do want to make peace. Especially when three of their members are gone and not even a trace of their bodies were found.

He paces, needing a new angle to crack this case. The Cardinal was specifically targeting the Eggpire and it's members. Meaning that the Cardinal was on the hunt for BadBoyHalo left. Though, why the Eggpire specifically? Jack had mentioned the church but there'd been no evidence on the site so far. No claw marks anywhere or anything out of place. The site was perfect, too perfect. Another visit couldn't hurt. Upon visiting the area, he finds a certain blond teen tending to the rose bushes in the area.

" Hey!" The teen flinched, looking around cautiously with wide eyes. " Tommy, here!" The teen looked to him and sighed, shoulders visibly relaxing once he realised it was simply the detective. " You, uh, okay?"

" I'm fine." He says gruffly. " Bitch." He adds after a pause. " You just sound like someone."

" Dream." Tommy stiffened once more before sending a glare his way. " Sorry. I don't mean any harm and I promise you I'm nothing like him."

" That's what they all say. They make promises they don't keep, they get mad when I don't do what they ask and the moment they're bored, they leave." The teen says. " I can take care of myself anyways, cause I'm a big man."

" I don't doubt it, buddy." Tom chuckled. " Do you mind if I ask a couple questions?"

" Not like you do anything else here." Tommy scoffed. " Ask away."

" Do you come here often?"

" More or less. Someone's gotta keep this place clean. Might as well be me, I built it." Tom perked up slightly at this.

" You built this whole place? It's beautiful." The teen smiles as they glanced around. The white quartz walls, the beautifully made stained glass panes, it's a marvel.

" Yeah!" He says proudly before deflating. " ....with Dream. It was way before he turned into an asshole."

" Oh." Tom internally winced. " Um, so you've seen anything weird?"

" Are you asking for something specific?"

" Right. Right." Tom chuckled. " Uh, does the Prime Path get any unusual damages?" The teen paused, raised a brow at the detective with a look that made him feel like the biggest idiot in the world. " Tommy?"

" The Prime Path gets blown up, vandalized, deconstructed and burnt on a fucking. Daily. Basis." He says, word per word. " Kindly be more specific when you say 'unusual damages'." The teen storms past him.

" Wait, I didn't mean to...offend you." He sighed as Tommy was already way down the path. Kid must've been through a lot. The sites of the crimes are regularly tempered and damaged to a degree that just about anything happening to it would seem like any normal day. Gods, he prayed for extra strength to deal with the case. He thinks for a moment, wondering why of all places, would the church be their main target.

Holy water is known to be pretty good against red vines and its influences. Was there something more religious going on behind the seems? The Cardinal, the term wasn't just for red birds, it's a religious position in some churches. So begs the question, is the Cardinal, whoever it may be, part of the church? Aside from Tommy, there was still one other person he could question in regards of the church. He really didn't want to have to come to this but he's running out of options.

He needs a talk with his dearly estranged brother, Dream Westekken.

Chapter Text

Hannah brushed her hair, not really thinking of any particular style, she just needed it to be neat enough for the occasion. Despite missing several members of their empire, the Egg had ordered the banquet to go on. They needed the sacrifices to strengthen the Egg and what better than to use the very disbelievers whom they knew very well were plotting against them. She'd barely taken two steps out of her house when she heard it.

Hallelujah....

The voice was hauntingly soft, barely a whisper but it echoed, humming continuously. She searched for the voice, too soft to truly recognize who it belonged to. It sang with a slight melancholy, the melody infinitely famous. As it hummed, she glanced at a certain direction, spotting a pair of glowing eyes amidst the darkness. She cursed internally. The Cardinal was early but that's not what truly unnerved her as she fumbled for a weapon. It was the growing number of voices actually singing along in chorus before quieting suddenly.

My L'Manberg...My L'Manberg....

When had the lyrics changed?

Also, was the Cardinal always that freakishly tall?

----------------------

Punz flipped through the pages of the book lazily, not that he wasn't fond of Charles Dickens but he's read the plot of Great Expectations plenty of times. Though, that's not exactly what's bothering him and from a quick glance around the room, the others were in a similar state.

Today the kid's been weird. He walked in all silent with his hood on but there was something off. Well, more off than usual. He was humming L'Manberg's tune, at first that's what they thought until he sung Hallelujah instead. He'd hum again and it'd switch back to My L'Manberg.  He goes back and forth with it, as though he was indecisive what lyric goes where, like his mind was switching between concepts.

A distant crash brought their attention as they scrambled to the preparation room. The teen ignored the bit of glass sticking out of his skin as he straps down his latest victim.

" Hannah?" Antfrost said with his mouth agape. " She's not..." Tommy stared at him briefly before sedating her and stepping over the remaining pieces of the glass bottle she must've used to try and defend herself.

" Kid, you're bleeding." Punz carefully pulled him away from the trolley after he puts the sedative back down. His fingers were twitching in a way that didn't sit well with the mercenary. " Ponk?" He clued in the doctor as he looked her over.

" She's stable and pretty fresh. It shouldn't take long." Ponk informed them.

" We've got healing pots so," The teen withdrew his hand and wordlessly pulled out the glass embedded in him before tossing to the nearest bin. Ant visibly winced as he caught the way the teen's hands twitched once again. Tommy gripped his fingers and flexed them out with a silent exhale, his body moving in tandem with his breaths, calm and cold.

His height was off. Seemingly changed overnight it seems, gaining an additional three inches somehow. Kid was almost as tall as Wilbur now. It felt, unnatural to say the least. The cape had shifted in a way that made it look even more alive but it gleamed with something additional to its usual slow fall enchantment. Before they knew it, the teen was gone again. They swore he'd only been walking but he didn't make a single sound as he moved, long strides quicker than before.

Something was most definitely wrong.

----------------------

Bad welcomed each guest one by one, leading them off to the main room of the event where nether brick tables and chairs were huddled in front of the Egg. A dance floor was fully prepped for the event with a jukebox at one side.

" Hey, Bad!" Sam greeted him, looking around expectantly.

" Hello, Sam! I'm assuming this is our infamous detective that everyone's been talking about?" Bad asked, looking at the suited man, he wore a hat pulled low over his eyes and the figure waved at him.

" He visited the prison earlier, a little spooked by...him." Sam whispered to the demon who nodded in understanding.

" Okay..." He trailed off, allowing them inside before greeting Foolish. " Hello Foolish! You're looking snazzy." He complimented.

" Thanks. Like my Rollex?" He flexed the watch at his wrist as the other guests awed and complimented him. Once everyone was seated, Bad started serving the drink and food to his guests. They exchanged speeches and toasts, grinning, waiting.

" Now then, let's get to the actual reason for this banquet, shall we?" He pulls up the nearest lever, causing lava to flow down and blocking off all the other exits. " I'm sure everyone's heard what's been happening so I'll just put it out there. Which one of you is the Cardinal?" Bad seethed.

" What?" Niki echoed.

" Someone better tell me something right now, or I'll pick you off one by one just like what that Cardinal did to my friends!" The demon threatened, starting to grow slightly in size as the Egg glows behind him.

Puffy reached for the chest she hid beneath the table only to find it empty. Seeing how that backfired, Sam immediately placed down a lever to activate the explosives he placed at the Egg. The explosions came and went, only for the Egg to stand forevermore. The demon laughed at their feeble attempts as the God of the group finally stepped up to use his powers as promised. But, it was to no avail. Foolish looked down at his hands in confusion, lightning should've been raining down to smite that stupid thing already.

" Did you really think that would work in the Egg's domain, Foolish? Face it, you're powerless here." Bad snickered.

" And you're powerful?" Eyes turned to face the dead man in the room. Wilbur took a long drag from his cigarette, letting out a puff of smoke. He hasn't had a good smoke in a while since Tommy doesn't like smoke in any way. The vines reach for him but immediately shrinks away when he purposely steps on them. " I leave for a few months and there's a fucking egg going around like it's a god." He chuckles. " I mean, what could your fucking undercooked chicken fetus possibly be able to grant me?"

" Language!" Bad shrieked.

A laugh echoed from the side as Quackity himself steps out of hiding. Wilbur smirks, was that coward hiding behind that wall the entire time? He hadn't realized he'd laughed until he caught the Mexican glaring daggers at him. Members of Las Nevadas grinned as Quackity smiled at them. They were his people after all.

" Wilbur, I hate you." He says simply. " But you are right about one thing. There's nothing that stupid Egg can grant us." He passes an axe and potions to Puffy secretly as Bad glanced back at the Egg. " You know, being a one man show is pretty hard, isn't it?" He gives Bad a mocking frown. " So, I made sure not to come in alone. Since this shit has been going along for too long, I called in the best backup I could think of. BadBoyHalo, I brought my greatest enemy."

Stepping through the same spot Quackity came through was Technoblade himself, fully decked in netherite and an army of hounds following him obediently.

" And, and. One of my best men." He says proudly as Purpled stepped through. Bad was cornered, seething as he grew a few inches in height to try and intimidate his attackers. So he pulled a trick from Wilbur's book and pushed the nearest button. The table detonated simultaneously with the wall behind him sliding open. Technoblade stepped forward to rush him when the room freezes. A low snarl could be heard, clicking and chittering like a hissing insect.

All those present had only been able to watch as glowing eyes hovered in the darkness. Its glare so deep that it felt as if it was peering into their souls. Then came the whispers, giggles and mocking laughs trailing around their hearing. Technoblade knew the voices weren't his and Bad felt a chill as he realised the voices were louder than the Egg's. The glowing eyes disappeared and the voices were hushed. There was a hum, followed by a choir of voices now, growing louder.

The voices were singing hymns, melodic and echoing as it overtook the area. Bad felt as if an entity was circling him, the voices following its movements before being overtaken by a looming silence. The impact knocked the air out of him and flung him into the darkness. A minute passes, maybe two and Bad appears once again, slamming onto the floor in full demon form with a hiss as the lingering hiss of poison and weakness potions were heard. His suit bears tears that weren't there before and as he looks up at the crowd, opening his mouth to shout, something grabs his legs and his screams echoed as he's dragged back to the dark. The silence was surreal, no one was sure what they saw could be real.

" The church." Tom says suddenly. " We need to get to the church!" Technoblade provided splashes of fire resistance and they were off. The piglin reaches for his communicator first to inform Phil about the situation and glanced towards Wilbur. The dead man stood there, silent as several people brushed passed him. His eyes were unsteady, a familiar look of disbelief and heartbreak he'd once seen back in Pogtopia. But, mixed with it was this unbridled horror.

" Oh, Toms..." He heard Wilbur mutter as he stepped towards the dead man carefully.

" Wilbur?" He looked up at the call of his name and ran a hand through his hair.

" Techno, I...I need to check on Tommy."

" Just send him a text and he'll get the message." The piglin huffed, the room becoming emptier.

" Technoblade, you don't understand. We need to find Tommy. Now."

----------------------

The guests of the Banquet hurried towards Church Prime and curiously exchanged looks if it was going to be alright. They spied through the windows and found... nothing. Well, no-one. There were scratches along the wooden path, signs of struggle here and there but the trail goes cold around the holy water fountain. It would be impossible for the evidence from the previous victims to have never been there before. It meant someone was replacing them.

Quickly, they were all arranged to hide around the church in order to ambush the Cardinal. Weapons in hand, Purpled was the closest to the scene since Technoblade suddenly went AWOL on them after the Cardinal took Bad away.

There was a telling hiss of pistons and Sam could smell the redstone activating. The floor parted and a hooded figure ascended the steps. The young mercenary was swift, pinning the suspect to the wall immediately.

" No more running, Cardinal." He growled. " Where's Punz?"

" That's me." The teen blinked. Despite the dark atmosphere, he could see the iconic white hoodie instead of a red cloak. The same golden chain hanging off the older mercenary's neck with his name inscribed on it. Purpled loosened his grip, allowing Punz to adjust himself. " Hey, kid."

" What the fuck!?" Quackity screamed as the others peaked from their hiding spots. " You're the Cardinal?"

" What? No no no no." Punz shook his head. " We're looking for the Cardinal. Have you seen him?" He looked around.

" Punz, what happened to you?" Sam asked.

" Cardinal kidnapped me, what else. Same went for the others, even Hannah." He informed them, some gasping from the additional name. " Look, there's not much time. Is Tom with you?" He looked around. They each shared a glance but the detective was nowhere to be seen. Punz's eyes widened in alarm and he cursed. " Fuck, the kid was right."

" He's out?" A voice from below called in alarm. Puffy gasped as Ant, eyes a soft blue hue that she missed so dearly, hurried out with full netherite. " I'll check the prison." He says immediately.

" What? What's going on?" Foolish asked around.

" That wasn't Tom." Punz says as he starts his trek down the path. " Dream's escaped."

----------------------

Dream grinned as he made his way to Tommy's house, impatient to reunite with his friend. Prison was awful. Quackity was awful. His mind buzzed and jumbled, memories mixed up and missing. A constant he'd always thought of was Tommy. His friend. When he saw those eyes, that empty malice, he knew immediately who it was.

His brother was stupid to think Tommy needed to be put down. He's probably a little broken but salvageable. He cam be fixed. Dream could fix him. He spotted the poor Cardinal running from Wilbur and Technoblade. Oh, that's no good. They must've spooked the bird.

" Tommy! Stop!" He calls, he grins manically seeing his friend look towards him with wide glowing eyes. Oh, he must've been surprised. Wilbur tackled him down, almost rolling off the cliff of L'Manberg. Technoblade had turned towards Dream with his own look of surprise but his attention was immediately turned back towards the two struggling on the ground. Tommy managed to get away from Wilbur, moving swiftly on all fours with a glare.

" Did you just fucking scratch me?" Wilbur hissed, standing too close to the edge as he held the wound on his upper arm.

" Tommy, calm down." Technoblade says to him with a loaded crossbow aimed at him, moving carefully as if he were a wild animal. " We don't wanna hurt you." Tommy stared the firework aimed at him, making a half step back. He's cornered and the stupid cloak enchantment wasn't working.

Somewhere a God smiled, watching with content as he's getting closer to granting his little sister's wish.

" Tommy, Toms." Wilbur began as he stepped a little closer. " I understand things have been hard for you, I see that now but this, all this is wrong." Tommy's gaze snapped towards him in anger but he says nothing. " I know I'm probably not the best person to say this but Tommy, we can talk about this. We can sort this out, yeah? Just, come here."

" No, you don't understand Wilbur." Tommy told him. " I'm doing this because I'm upset or some stupid shit. I'm doing what I have to, so that I can protect everyone."

" I don't think making people disappear is equivalent to protecting, Tommy." With a sigh the piglin lowers the firework slowly. The kid had eye bags darker than Wilbur's. " Look, I don't usually care about this but this isn't okay, Tommy. You're not...." He groaned. " You're not being you."

" And you'd know me?" Tommy snorted.

" I know you enough that the Tommy I knew wouldn't kill people or have talons. Which...when did you grow those?"

" Tommy, it's okay." Dream says softly and something in the teen's eyes changes. " You're a little broken but I can still fix you."

" Dream." He barely says above a whisper, taking another step back.

" Tommy, it's alright. He's our hero, remember? Bringing us back?" Wilbur says, moving forward. " We'll go home and I'll keep you safe. Safe from everyone." Safe from yourself remained unsaid as Tommy takes another half step back, the older man standing too close to him. He moves his hands up and Tommy's eyes widen further in alarm. Fear clear in his eyes and it startled Wilbur enough to take a calculated step back and lowered his arms again. He moves in smaller steps now. " Tommy, Tommy just step away from the edge, yeah?" The teen moved forward, pushing Wilbur to the ground as the whistle of a rocket fired.

Technoblade wrenches his crossbow back from Dream's arms and looks back at Tommy just in time to see the teen, bloodied and missing a sizable chunk of his stomach. Blood rose from his throat as he coughed and staggered back. Wilbur barely had time to react as his foot slid off the edge and his hand reached out desperately to catch him.

" Tommy!" Wilbur screamed as a winged man arrived hastily in time to see Tommy fall. His wings were spreading, ready to swoop down to save the little fledgling only for a pair of arms to immediately hold him back before he could take flight. Kristin yelled as she struggled, flapping Phil's wings desperately as Technoblade held him firmly.

" Phil, stop." Technoblade says gently to the winged man, his wing beats slowing down as he starts to come to. He's always known and seen what the Goddess does as he sleeps. He remembers every step, every little encounter with Cardinal. He sinks down to his knees as Technoblade drags back both him and Wilbur from the edge. Dream stared at where Tommy fell and carefully reached its edge. That wasn't supposed to happen. Tommy looked uncomfortable with Wilbur, terrified even. He was just trying to help.

" I can fix this." He mutters under his breath, barely spotting the outline of the body splattered against the stone ground, just barely missing the water. " I can fix this."

" Dream!" He looks up to see Punz, the missing man of the hour running over with the rest of the server behind him. " What the fuck did you do?" Along with them was his own brother, glaring at him as he stood in his jumper. He must be upset about the little swap thing.

" I can fix it!" He said with a manic grin. " I fixed him before, I'll do it again. I can bring him back!"

" Where's Tommy?" Tubbo, the young hybrid looked around frantically after following Antfrost to them. " Dream, where the fuck is Tommy?"

" He's...at the bottom of the crater, Tubbo." They turned towards the Anarchist, holding a weeping dead man and angel in his arms. Phil was holding onto to them both like a lifeline, wrapping his wings around them as to keep them safe. Wilbur cried more than anyone has ever seen him before. Pure agony in his eyes as he sobbed. Ranboo had stepped back when he saw Dream but hearing about what happened set something off.

" What did you do?" Ranboo hissed as he loomed over the escapee.

" He's broken. Just a little broken and-and I can fix it! I can fix him. I always fixed him back in exile." The very mention of it made Tubbo grit his teeth. He continues to ramble on and on. Unaware of the ongoings down below.

----------------------

Tommy's still eyes stared ahead to the grid in the sky. He didn't think he'd end up dying on L'Manberg grounds. He'd thought of it back during the wars when fighting for Wilbur, thinks of it when Technoblade attacked on both November 16th and Doomsday. Whatever they were shouting up on that edge is barely an echo from where he landed. His enchanted cloak, woven with magic in its seems had not saved him as it should. It was as if it refused to.

He couldn't take it off before either, the cloak somehow manifesting curse of binding overnight and...something else in between. He was dead, he was sure of it. Yet why was he still here and not in the void?

The void reminded him of his previous last death, reminding him of the prison. Of Dream. Of how that asshole escaped and tried to kill Wilbur even after the man had called him a hero. What kind of hero was that? He recalls every bad thing he's ever experienced because of the Admin, the mad man's obsessive attachment to him that caused both their downfalls. That fear turning into anger, festering in his mind from the very beginning but monitored under lock and key.

He hated every waking moment he had as he listened to the echoing rambles. He would've grit his teeth when he heard Dream calling him broken, that he could fix him as if he were some damaged toy. He relished at the memories of his hunt, that feeling of superiority as he outsmarts and traps his prey one by one. He helped them even. The guilt from his actions still lingering at the back of his mind. They didn't deserve to go through that pain. No one deserves to be tortured, not even Dream.

No, he deserved to die. Fully and quickly.

Right now, in fact.

His cape moved first, growing much bigger than before. His blood, black as night, flowed in reverse as his the cape helped him sit up. Talons grasping the ground, razor sharp and as dark as his own blood. He rose up in fluid motion, hood low over his face as his eyes started to glow once again. He stands, albeit awkwardly, feeling his surroundings with senses he'd never thought to have before. He clicks his teeth experimentally, finding the sharpened canines with his tongue and looked up.

He could hear them, all of them. He can especially hear Dream calling him broken again. Him? Broken? Already crawling up the walls with unnatural speed using his hands and feet. Feeling a growl rumble in his throat, a vibration of noises and voices begging to join him. His cape moved in tandem, defying laws of gravity and sticking close to him until he reached the longed edge once again.

" I can fix him. I can fix him!" His eyes catch the Admin first, he could hear Gods laughing in anticipation. His cape spread, it's shadow a comforting mass that envelopes him as he rose. Higher than ever, his glowing eyes glared down at the mad man who was still rambling. He waited for the man to turn, grinning to himself as he screamed. He ignores the looks given to him by the others, their faces of shock and horror as his form had morphed into something inhuman.

" Fix me?"

An entire jumble of voices, hundreds of tones and accents speaking as one. He loomed, closer than ever as his cape continued to spread. The eyes glowing under the hood dimmed as he grew. Hands shot up from the dark mass, bandaged in a familiar way, it grabbed hold of Dream's shoulders, firmly planting him in place the head and torso of a teen taken too soon emerged. Tommy's golden hair gleamed, his eyes wide with glee as he smiled devilishly. He leans in to speak, voice unnaturally even and barely even raised.

" I am the solution."

Pitch black hands shot out from the dark as Tommy retreated, the hands pulling the legs first as Dream screamed. More limbs, gangly and long with frighteningly long fingers started grabbing onto him as he's pulled into the cape, into what looked like a gaping maw with a dozen shadowy figures grabbing onto him with gleeful looks. The hood's glow returned and the Cardinal laughed. So many voices screaming and laughing together as Dream kicked and thrashed. He begged for the others to help him, to save him as they pulled him into the dark maw.

He screamed as his body is successfully pulled in, the maw shutting cutting the shrill sound off and the cape immediately shrinks. Silence reigned as the shadows start to settle, coiling and retreating back into the cape as Tommy stood there. His face an epitome of peace as he smiled softly with his eyes closed.

He was free.

Chapter Text

Bad hazily opened his eyes, a familiar ceiling greeting him as it did every morning. He looks around to find himself back in his own room at the house he and Skeppy built together. He feels something in his hands, squeezing it softly as he trailed it to another hand belonging to someone very dear to him. " Skeppy?" His throat felt raw as he croaked the name. The diamond golem shot lifted his head upon hearing it and looked at Bad with a wide smile.

" Bad!" He immediately pulls the demon into a hug, despite his confusion, Bad embraced it with a smile.

He'd been walking later that night, thinking about everything that's happened so far. The Egg had been destroyed somehow, consumed by something else. This thing that kidnapped him, tortured him and eventually died a young, traumatized teen who'd been looking for help, for closure, only to be shut off and spat back by the world. This thing, the dreaded Cardinal was a child. A child who held back everyone for everyone's sake.

A child who now, is no longer the same. And, standing in front of him. The creature was taller than Tommy's usual height, the figure wrapped in shadows as its glowing eyes looked at Bad curiously. This thing, that completely engulfed the Egg with what was described as a gaping maw to hell, behaved as it did before it'd caught him. Like a curious creature. The shadows receded a bit, allowing the youthful face of the teen, skin still too pale to be normal, smile at him. The teen waved.

" Hi, Tommy." He's heard that talking to the Cardinal was common. He would sit and listen to you, like an attentive friend. He'd been caught protecting or rescuing some of them from mobs and close shaves. He'd heard just the other day he'd caught Jack Manifold from falling from a great height. Wilbur would try talking to the Cardinal often. Trying his best to get a word from Tommy, to hear his voice but to no avail. His pet spider would go wherever he went and he'd even occasionally be seen riding the spider.

He was still Tommy, in a way. Flipping off whoever he wants and always had a thing for flowers. Speaking of, the Cardinal was holding an entire bouquet in his hands.

" Do you mind if I joined you?" Bad asked carefully. That red hood is still a stuff of nightmares to him. But, that gentle smile as the teen nodded made it less so. So they walked, both had things they wanted to say to the other, apologies unspoken but sensed. They arrived at L'Manberg's bridge where the Cardinal drops the flowers down one by one with a hum. Bad watched him so, the teen's face still showing and looked so much more calm and peaceful than he'd ever seen before.

He was fine with this. With being this monstrosity of a creature. No longer human as the God's curse was sealed, his life now eternal as his body would reshape and repair itself in horrid yet helpful ways. He was fine with not talking because well, he had nothing more to say. His actions had rung louder than words could carry. Shadows covered his features once more and he turned to face Bad. He brought out a book and wrote.

' Do you mind if I sing?'

Bad's expression of bewilderment and confusion was priceless but the demon accepted it.

Without unveiling his shadows, the Cardinal took a breath. His eyes glowing with mirth as within the shadows, he smiles. The voices echoed in choir as they sang in unison. The experience as terrifying yet incredible as you'd imagine listening to a one man choir. He listened as they say the popular hymn. Their song reaching the very depths of the crater with an echo that makes it resonate in your soul.

God rest ye merry gentlemen
Let nothing you dismay
Remember for our saviour
Was born on brightest day

To save us all from Dreamon's power
When we were gone astray
Oh tidings of comfort and joy
Comfort and joy

Oh tidings of comfort and joy