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Oh boy.
(Tommy) “I’m sorry, the next enemy is a human?”
(You) “I don’t think this was in the job description.”
“Deal with dimension-traveling villains” probably does contain humans, but the only thing you’ve fought are skeletons, and zombies and weird explody things.
(Blob) “He needs to be fought.”
His voice is slightly whiny.
(Tommy) “I guess. So-how are we supposed to deal with him.”
The blob poofs files into existence.
What?
(Ranboo) “The new casino is owned by a dimension traveler?”
(Tommy) “That’s even worse than a regular person.”
Oh goodness.
(You) “He looks like your brother’s crush.”
Wilbur’s weird about Quackity.
Tommy huffs.
(Ranboo) “How are we going to fight an actual person?”
(Blob) “Well, I suppose you’ll just have to investigate!”
He pulls out a kids magnifying glass. It’s still comically oversized.
(Blob) “Now get to it!”
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(You) “How do we investigate a casino?”
Ranboo is wringing his hands.
(Ranboo) “We can’t be in a casino! I’m 13! You have to be, like, 25 to get into a casino!”
Mmm.
(You) “You’re thinking about renting a car.”
Tommy snaps.
(Tommy) “Yep. But-that doesn’t solve the problem of getting into a casino.”
(You) “Research, then.”
You poke Ranboo.
(You) “Let’s get to work.”
You pull up a map.
(Tommy) “We’re going to break in!”
Ranboo puts his head in his hands.
(Ranboo) “Okay!”
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Ranboo decides that you should try to get in. By dressing up.
Tommy makes you outfits.
(Tommy) “Okay. Let’s go!”
You walk up.
The bouncer looks-weird.
(Tommy) “Three for casino.”
His voice is confident, but that is definitely not how you get into a casino.
(Bouncer) “Sorry, sirs. You are not old enough. Come back in the year you are 21!”
Ranboo drags Tommy back when it looks like he’ll stop yelling.
(You) “Okay. So he has a bouncer.”
Ranboo swallows.
(Ranboo) “The bouncer is made of goo.”
You raise an eyebrow.
(Tommy) “What?”
Ranboo holds out his hand.
(Ranboo) “Goo.”
And that is goo. It’s pale peach.
You look back to the bouncer.
He’s almost entirely covered. But the flesh that’s not covered is that color.
Ranboo’s shaking, a little.
You pat him on the shoulder.
(Tommy) “We’ve seen scary things before. Don’t worry.”
There’s a little shake in his voice.
(Ranboo) “They don’t look human.”
You walk home together.
Tommy tells Blob.
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You’re sneaking in at night.
Ranboo’s come too. You’re not sure that he should be here. But he insisted.
Ranboo and Tommy raise you up to a window. You open the window, go in, and pull them both in.
You sneak through the corridors. It’s a little nerve-wracking.
(?) “Wha-Kids?”
That’s a guy. A large guy.
(Guy) “Alright, come with me.”
You hesitate.
(Guy) “Come now, shoo.”
You follow. You don’t know what’s happening.
You come to a big door.
(Guy) “Uh-Found the intruders, sir.”
He shoos you through the door.
The back of the chair is facing you.
(You) “Is he-is he really going to do the villain chair thing?”
You thought you were whispering, but it’s very loud.
He swings around.
(Boss) “Come on, really?”
He looks scary. He has sharp, gold teeth. His scar is huge. He has a black eye.
You whine.
(Boss) “Children?”
You swallow.
(Tommy) “I’m not a kid. I’m a big man!”
His voice is shaking a little.
The boss laughs.
(Boss) “Little kids. What are you doing here?”
His voice is harsh.
You puff your chest out.
(You) “Blob sent us. To deal with dimension-travelers.”
He just laughs again.
(Boss) “Dream?”
Hmm.
(Ranboo) “The singer?”
Boss sinks his head into his hands.
(Boss) “Of course. Why not.”
You look back and forth.
(Tommy) “Why’d you come here?”
The boss takes his head out of his hands.
(Boss) “You don’t know. Okay-sure. My world was destroyed. I had to get out.”
What?
(You) “Really?”
He rolls his eyes.
(Boss) “I’m just trying to live, here. Tell your boss that, and tell him not to send kids. I don’t deal with kids.”
(Tommy) “Then why did you build this?”
The boss shrugs.
(Boss) “To survive, you have to get enough power to make sure no one can hurt you.”
What?
(Ranboo) “I-don’t think that’s true.”
The boss shrugs.
(Boss) “I’ve tried being hopeful. I’d rather survive than let someone stab a knife in my back.”
He slaps his hands against his legs.
(Boss) “Okay, bedtime. Need to get you kids home.”
Um.
(Tommy) “Are you going to…drive us home?”
He nods.
(Boss) “Yeah. I’m responsible for you. Let’s go.”
You follow him.
(Ranboo) “What happened to your face?”
You stare at him. That was a terrible thing to say.
The boss tenses up.
(Boss) “Not a good question to ask. But I guess I can tell you.”
He spins to face you.
(Boss) “Somebody took a pickaxe, and stabbed it through my face.”
He trails the path the weapon took. Smiles. Turns around and keeps walking.
(Boss) “Call me Big Q. What are your names?”
(Tommy) “I’m Tommy. That’s Tubbo, and this is Ranboo.”
Q laughs again.
(Q) “Course. You want me to tell you a story?”
You’ve gotten to the car. Q opens all the doors. It seems like a very fancy car
(Q) “Alright. Come on in.”
You all bundle into the back. You’re in the middle. Of course.
(Q) “Buckle up!”
As you drive, Q starts to talk.
(Q) “I was soft. I got broken, again, and again, and again. I built myself up. I tried to do things for the people I cared about. They all left me.”
Ranboo clings to his seatbelt.
(Q) “I never really did help them. But someone killed my friend. And I hurt the person who killed him. I hurt him a lot.”
He hums.
(Q) “Do you understand what’s happening?”
(Ranboo) “You’re threatening us?”
Q shakes his head.
(Q) “No, kid. You’re little things. You remind me of my friends. And little things like you need protecting.”
What does that mean?
(Q) “So. If you want me to kill someone for you, or take care of whoever’s calling the shots on you, you can call me. I’m good at taking care of problems.”
You regulate your breathing.
(Q) “And don’t come in my building again, till your eighteen. Kids don’t belong in casinos.”
He drops all of you off at Tommy’s house, because you asked.
(Ranboo) “Oh my god.”
Tommy cheers.
(Tommy) “That was…SO cool!”
Ranboo falls over.
This was a pretty good outcome. You don’t think you can do anything about Q, though