Chapter Text
JSchlatt won the election.
No one expected, no one except Shlatt and Quackity did since they banded together and pooled all of their votes in to overcome everyone else within the election.
Tommy could only feel numb as he and Wilbur now stood among the audience, watching Schlatt smile on the podium with a type of arrogance that Tommy would have loved to wipe off that stupid face of his. But he couldn't move from his spot as Schlatt started his speech, gaze half-lidded and twinkling with victory and smile oh so very wide and smug. Tommy took in a deep breath, trying to calm himself- no, he was calm. The dread in his stomach was a heavy sensation but he would deal with it in due time.
Wilbur was watching with stony eyes and an emotionless face, however Tommy could see the turmoil underneath the stone, the anxiety bubbling underneath his skin and the way his hands were clenched tightly into fists by his sides. Tommy bit his lip, but focused his attention back on Schlatt who was still talking by Ender shut the fuck up man.
Schlatt's eyes sharpened a bit and Tommy tensed within the crowd as he grinned, "Let's start making it happen." As soon as those words fell out of Schlatt's mouth, a bright light nearly blinded everyone as well as the sound of a portal's unnatural hum. It sounded just like a Nether Portal, but louder and more distorted.
When the light died down and everyone got their vision back, Tommy's eyed widened at the brand new sight before him. A portal, structured like a Nether Portal but built out of metal and stone, glowing silver, stood right between and before the stage and the audience. They were all stunned in silence as a figure came out of said portal, tall, decked out in full enchanted netherite.
A man with a familiar mask but unfamiliar clothes stood.
"Where's Dream?" The man with the red hood, wearing Dream's mask immediately asked.
Before anyone could even react or answer, the portal behind him flared brightly and the man jumped away with an annoyed grunt as another man also decked in netherite tumbled out of the silver glowing portal. Wild dark hair, dark blue eyes, burnt scars underneath his chin-
"Tubbo?" Tommy muttered in surprise, somehow recognizing the man as his best friend. Which was impossible because Tubbo was sitting right by Niki- but this man looked so much like Tubbo only older, scarred and properly built for combat.
"Tommy!" The older Tubbo screamed, but not at Tommy who stood beside Wilbur. But at the masked man with the red hood. "What the fuck was that?!" He spat, just as the portal's silver glow dissipated, the sound of what seemed to be ethereal glass breaking, leaving only the shell of the portal behind.
'Tommy'- the man in Dream's mask, shrugged, "Probably definitely what it looked like pal, but damn bitch I didn't think you'd actually follow me." He said in a voice so nonchalant, Tommy had to double-take. What the fuck was going on?
"Excuse me but what the fuck is going on exactly?" Tommy hid a grimace as Schlatt asked the question that had just been in his head, the goat-horned man looking down at the two men with an incredulous look. In any other situation, Tommy probably would have snorted at it but Schlatt had indeed asked a very important question.
Older Tubbo? Glanced up at him, his face dropping from indignant fury to pale shock, "Oh fuck," Slipped past his lips as he finally seemed to register where the hell they were. "We're at the elections." He said, gaze dropping down to the rest of them who were looking back at him with the same amount of shock on their faces. His eyes were wide as he looked around, pain filtering in as he sees a lot of familiar faces and- he and Tommy's eyes meet and the young blond watches as the color practically drained from his face while a whirlwind of emotions invaded the older man's expression. Tommy held his breath, gazing into the man's eyes as he felt concern build up from the expressions alone. Just why was he looking at him like that?
"Looks like it yeah." The masked Tommy- why the fuck was he wearing Dream's mask? What the hell- drawled, expression hidden behind the porcelain on his face. "I didn't think it'd send us this far."
Schlatt frowned, "Uh helloo? Mind telling us on what the fuck is going on here? What just happened? Who are you two? I know as hell that you are not Dream so why are you wearing his mask?" He questioned, leaning over the podium towards them.
"Yeah man like, what the hell?" Quackity added in, actually putting his sunglasses on his head just so he could see them both better.
Older Tubbo tore his gaze away from Tommy, who felt like his heart could just jump out of his chest because of the lasting look of longing and pain on his face before his expression hardened as he turned to look at Schlatt and Quackity on the stage. He smiled, though it looked more of a grimace, "Uhh, well y'see... Hi Quackity, it's me! Tubbo! Or well, future Tubbo? I'm from the future!" He exclaimed though it seemed awkward as he glanced back from the stage to his younger self who was gaping at me. "Hello, past me- er, Tubbo? Fuck, this might get confusing- y'know what? Just call me Toby! Much easier that way yeah?"
"What." Schlatt deadpanned as whispers and murmurs erupted as soon as Tubb-Toby? finished talking, standing there awkwardly in his fully enchanted netherite armor.
"Look, it's complicated to explain but just believe me okay? I'm Tubbo from like, I think probably ten-ish years in the future bu- hey!" Toby shouted, head whipped up to the side towards Masked Tommy, who had seemingly tried to sneak away during the commotion. "Don't you dare sneak away Tommy! You're going stay right here, with me-"
"Like fuck I am! I'm not just going to stay here in front of these bitches, and especially with you. Bitch." The man snarled at him, which was wrong, why the hell was he snarling at Tubb- Toby like that? He was his Tubbo wasn't he? His friend?
He couldn't help it, he had to speak up. "Oi!" He trudged through the crowds closer towards them, "Don't call him a bitch!"
Both men seemed taken back by his sudden appearance, Toby looking lost while Masked Tommy- it was hard to tell with that damned fucking mask on his face. "I'll call him whatever the hell I want." He finally replied, arms crossed tightly in front of his chest. "Stay out of this Tommy."
"What the fuck man? You're in this which means I should be too! I'm literally you- you're literally me but fucking older! Which by the way, what even the everloving shit man?! What's with the get-up? Full fucking netherite, enchanted and Dream's dumb fucking mask?! What the hell?!" Tommy shrieked, feeling angry at himself. At his older self, fuck was this weird but no less was he angry.
But suddenly, that anger turned into fear as he was met with a glowing netherite axe to the face- the sharp edge practically grazing the tip of his nose before a glowing diamond sword intercepted the weapon. Tommy was shoved back as alarmed screams and gasps sounded the air, Wilbur and Tubbo scrambling to his side while Toby stood before him, brandishing his enchanted sword at Masked Tommy.
"Dont. Call. It. Dumb." Masked Tommy hissed at him, gripping the handle of his axe which was currently clashing against Toby's sword. He let himself be pushed back by Toby, if only to give them both room as Masked Tommy turned to the man with fury on his face. "What? It's not like I was actually going to fucking kill him, I'm not stupid." He spat, slinging the axe over his shoulder, but not putting it away.
Toby kept his stance, sword aimed at Masked Tommy while Tommy panted behind him- quietly whispering, 'What the fuck' over and over again as Wilbur and Tubbo kept to his side. "It sure looked like you would've!" Tubbo, Tommy's Tubbo, the young Toby, hysterically shrilled, hugging Tommy tightly.
"Tommy what the fuck!?" Fundy shouted from the sidelines, holding on to Niki who was staring at Masked Tommy with disbelief and fear as the rest of the audience either looked ready to run, or to fight.
Masked Tommy tilted his head, it reminisced so much like Dream's occasional head tilts it was creepy. "Yeah... No, Tu-Toby's actually right. This'll be too confusing, 'sides I refuse to share a name with that bitch over there." He motioned to the wide-eyed, pale and shaky Tommy behind Toby. "Call me- Tom's too fucking obvious and too weird. Theo. Call me Theo, easier that way."
"I have no idea what's going on here," Schlatt said aloud, a strange look on his face but he's eyeing both Toby and Mas-Theo with a complicated expression. "Time travel seems fucking insane but whether or not that's the actually the case here, I am now in charge of L'Manberg- no, Manberg. We are changing that name, and now as the presid-" He says, building up to something.
Only, he's interrupted.
"Shut up Schlatt."
By both, Toby and Theo.
Toby has a dead-eyed, near-murderous look on his face as he stared down the goat-horned man who falters at the look. Terrified. Theo's glare was clear even with the mask on, and honestly, just like how Dream sometimes did- the mask seemed more intimidating in that moment.
Wilbur's fingers seemed to tighten around Tommy's arm, "W-Wha- excuse me?" Schlatt spluttered, despite being terrified to his bones.
"We said, shut up! You're going to be a terrible president anyway! It hardly fucking matters now!" Toby, the strange older, angrier Tubbo, screams at him. "And it's L'Manberg no matter what the fuck you just said! You change it to Manberg and you will fucking die you hear me?! A war will be waged and you will die from an Ender-damned heart-attack- some president you are! You're just a daft old fucking man who can never be a good president!" The fingers around Tommy's arm loosened, tightened and loosened again, making the young blond give his adoptive brother a confused look that gets ignored as Wilbur stares directly at Toby.
Tubbo just gawps at his older self, who stood tall and strong before him, spitting treason through his lips with hardly an ounce of fear in him. Just a righteous fury and anger that honestly scares him. Tubbo was scared of himself, now. Of the man that he seemed to have grown into and he's hardly even known what exactly happened.
Schlatt looks disbelieving, how couldn't he? When a man who claims to be from the future suddenly shouts at you with anger laced in his voice on how you were going to be terrible and how you would die, anyone would be hesitant. But Toby is giving him an absolutely feral look, and Schlatt couldn't even see a shred of deception or lie in his eyes which were blinded with such rage- Shlatt really felt terrified for his life.
So he steps away from the podium, and in his head he's thinking through a lot of things. Mostly on how to stay alive when a man, decked absolutely in enchanted netherite armor was giving him a death glare all the while declaring his death to the whole world. And those were high enchantments. Even to someone like him, he could tell that that armor was fucking overpowered as fuck. Not to mention Toby's sword which definitely had high enchantments, all it was truly missing was a netherite coating.
Toby took a few deep breaths, trying to keep calm. So many buried feelings being dug up just by standing here, screaming at Schlatt- it was kind of cathartic actually but ultimately now he felt somewhat awkward as he stood before so many people who were gawking at him. Fuck, he hadn't really meant to go off like that but still the memories that were here were fucking painful and a lot of it was rooted towards him. What would've happened had Schlatt lost the vote? Would things have been better? Would've he and Tommy still be- "Wait." His eyes widened as he looked around, "Tommy?!" Tommy squinted at him, he was right there with Wilbur and Tubbo- oh, he meant Theo.
Oh fuck, Theo was gone.
"Shit shit shit shit! No! Where's he gone now?!" Toby whirled around, trying to find even a clue as to where the masked man went but it seemed like he had used Toby's shoutfest to sneak away properly this time. "No, no no! I have to find him, I have to-" Just before he can go, he's stopped by Wilbur.
"Tubbo wait!" Wilbur exclaimed, catching his wrist and taking his attention, "Wait, I mean Toby- we still need answers! What the hell happened? You have- your chin, that portal, Tommy- Toby what's going on?" He questioned, desperate to know more about the future that by the looks of how Toby was acting, didn't seem to be so bright as he once had hoped.
Toby grimaced, shaking off Wilbur's hand from his wrist, "I'd love to answer your questions- later! But I have to find To-Theo, that bastard I have to get to him before he-" He's stopped once again. But this time, by both Tubbo and Tommy.
"Before he what?" Tommy questioned, gripping what scrap of cloth he could hold on to from underneath the armor. "Tu-Toby. Why the fuck am I wearing Dream's mask and why is he- why the fuck is future me such a bitch?" He asks quietly, which made Toby falter right then and there.
Tubbo just hammered it in, "I know it's like, important for you to find him. I do want to find him too but, I also want to know... just what is happening? Why do you both sound..." His younger self looked so lost, so confused. Toby realized just how smaller Tubbo was compared to him now. He realized that Tubbo, his younger self, was still sixteen. And so was Tommy.
Toby sighed, putting away his sword and giving them all a very tired look. "Okay, fine." He had to find Tommy. His Tommy it ached thinking that fuck but he couldn't just leave all of a sudden, not to mention Shlatt was up there, he'd interrupted his speech. Shlatt hadn't actually exiled Wilbur and Tommy, yet. Toby could stop that, he could stop a lot of things.
Tommy included. He could get help here, from his younger self, from Wilbur he's alive he's not a ghost but was he sane?, and everyone else in L'Manberg.
"But first," He says as he thinks carefully, he looks at Wilbur and Tommy. "Contact Technoblade. He needs to get here as soon as possible."
Both brothers gave him and each other a look of surprise.
Technoblade? Why would Toby want him here?
Tommy- no, it was Theo now wasn't it?
Theo sighed in relief as he leaned against the tree. He was out of that damned nation- it had been easier than he remembered, getting out of there. But then again, L'Manberg now was still in one piece. Wilbur hadn't blown it all to fucking smithereens yet and everyone hadn't rebuild his brother was alive. A lot of buildings and structures were missing, key landmarks were gone but that just meant it was easier for him to escape unnoticed.
Tub-Toby had been so caught up at shouting at JSchlatt that he hadn't noticed him slipping away, how hilarious was that? Granted, Theo had been tempted to do the same at the goat-horned man but Dream had taught him better. And he wasn't going to just let the opportunity to get away slip by.
Don't let your emotions get the better of you. Pick your timings and abscond when it's best.
He sucked in a deep breath, it's a bit hard with a porcelain mask over your face but he's gotten used to it. "Well then, to get on with shit." He muttered, stretching a bit in place. "Mind comin' out here Dream? I gotta talk with you." He asked aloud, looking over at the dense trees that surrounded him. He snorted when silence greeted him instead of Dream's reply, "Come on man, I'm tired right now and- no wait hold on." He stripped himself from his netherite armor, he's done stripping armor off down pat as a fucking art he tells you, it's mostly on instinct by now. Taking off his armor quickly like this, and he hasn't done it in months. Why was he doing this exactly? Well, it would make Dream feel more safe, probably, but ultimately more curious and willing to speak as Theo leaned against the tree and taking out a steak from his inventory.
No weapon in hand and armor off.
Something old and small shivered in him, old, bad memories, it was whispering something that he ignored as he moved his mask aside slightly and bit into the steak. "'ell? Go' t'e a'hmo'h off. C'mon out, talking to thin air is never fun." He complained after swallowing the steak. Dream was here, he was. He was just being a bastard, not showing up just for the hell of it- Fucking prick. He means well, but Dream was a downright ass.
"I'd say otherwise, watching someone talk to thin air is kinda entertaining. Not gonna lie." Theo's tense shoulders immediately relaxed as Dream's voice came from his left. He glanced towards the side to see- yep. There was Dream, in his own set of enchanted netherite armor. The sight should make Theo tense, but Dream didn't have his axe out, no weapon in hand and that was enough for Theo. But he'd still be ready nonetheless if Dream decided attacking him would be a decision he was going to make. "George messaged me earlier on, saying some guy appeared in a weird portal with my mask on- now that was weird. Even weirder, another guy comes out too. And the weirdest thing he said was they guy with my mask? Was Tommy from the future." Dream said conversationally, like he wasn't curious as to what was going on.
Theo snorted and without an ounce of hesitance, took off the mask and his red hood down, showing Dream his face and catching the other man off guard. "He was right." Theo smiled at Dream, it's a tired and somewhat resigned smile. His eyes are a dull shade of blue, they never really did recover their full color after his exile, same went for his hair, not as bright as before. He still looked like Tommy, because he was Tommy. Only older, his face thinner, duller, and a scar coming from his upper lip towards his forehead, narrowly missing his right eye. "Hey Dream, glad to see your green ass again."
He missed him. Despite everything, he fucking missed this man. His old friend. His old enemy. His old abuser. His old mentor. His old everything. Ender, Theo felt old now- he was at Dream's height! Dream was 23 right now. Theo was older than him right now by 3 years.
Endering fuck.
Dream was silent, staring at him through that mask but Tommy could practically see the cogs in his head spinning. "This can't be happening." He deadpans at him, Theo snickered at him. "No really, time travel? You, Tommy, wearing my mask? Just what even-"
"A lot's happened my friend." Theo interrupted him, mind getting back on track. "But for now, we should get to the Stronghold. Got a lot of shit to do." At the mention of the location, Dream instantly tensed and an axe appeared in his hand. Theo raised his hand submissively in surrender, feeling nothing but bitter fondness at the familiar act as he threw Dream his netherite armor, surprising the man in the green hoodie. "Here, take it. I'm keeping my weapons though, for the mobs. But really we need to go, I'll explain both on the way and at the Stronghold." He told him as he tied his own mask around his face again, covering his hair with his red hood.
He wasn't kidding when he said he had a lot to do. T-oby would be preoccupied by everyone else, he'd probably get Technoblade too.
They needed to get this show on the road, Theo had some shit to do and a friend to save.