Chapter Text
“I've been bitten, you stupid pricks! I'm tainted meat!”
☾
They’d been travelling for days and it was getting tiring. The boy's smartass remarks were starting to get on Phil’s nerves to the point where he had Wilbur shut. him. up.
It was at points like these, Phil felt his past shed through. The remembrance of before the apocalypse, before the funeral. Back when everything was bright and the day didn’t end with a glass in hand and a burn down his throat. Times when he was standing alongside a woman with dark hair and a youngling that was long since lost in the smoke.
Yes, maybe the young boy was exhausting and loud, but eventually he would calm. Like how Wil and Tech did. Maybe the addition of his friends would help the process. And to the responses of the teen, they weren’t too far. For the gods sake, if it would have been any longer he would have quite literally exploded.
Phil would love to call himself a calm man, but that would be a lie. Well half a lie. He used to be a calm man but things change and so do people. He blames himself and his boys for the change but deep down he knows it’s the very thing that changed his personality and anatomy. The very gift that gave him wings to soar through the sky and the very curse that made him spiteful and dark.
He knew what he was doing was wrong. He knew he should stop. But why stop when it’s so fun.
…
So he didn’t stop. He was powerful and could get away with it. Why stop when there is nobody to stop you? He kept going, forcing a spitfire teen to lead his captors to his friends. He kept going, knowing that he was either going to ruin these kids' lives or make it better than roaming around, lifelessly, feeding off others.
With these dangerous thoughts lurking to expose him, they kept riding. Until they were to arrive.
☾
Tubbo held tight to Ranboo’s hands, he could feel them shaking in his. His hands were cold and sweaty. Tears poured from his eyes as exhaustion, stress, and fear all piled into one emotion. He clenched his free hand to his stomach, trying to ignore the intense pain. He felt a warm wetness and looked down to see blood soaking up his shirt. He let out a small gasp as he put more pressure on the wound. He was not going to die from fucking blood loss. All that mattered right now was Ranboo.
He turned to face him. Ranboo seemed to have gotten worse in the two minutes the Tubbo had looked away. He was shaking violently and frothing at the mouth. Dark, midnight veins stretching from his arms up to his neck. A low growl escaped the boy's lips, causing the brunette to jump.
“Come on Ranboo, we’re almost there.” He practically pleaded. They were so close. The treehouse was almost a yard away. Sitting there empty, waiting to be returned to. If they could make it there, everything would be alright. The zombies couldn’t climb up to them and Tubbo could help Ranboo.
They took small staggered steps. Tubbo resorted to having to heave the infected boy, closer and closer, slowly making their way to safety. Each step resulted in a near stumble due to his broken prosthetic.
Another growl sounded from his zombified partner. He felt as the teen tried to pull back from the brunette's grip. He shoved at the shorter who stumbled back and landed on his knees. He quickly got up and grabbed the teen again, dragging him to the treehouse.
“Let me go. Let me go! LET ME GO!” Ranboo screamed. Tubbo flinched at the yelling but still continued on. He silently begged that they could make it this short walk. They were so close. From there, who knew what was to come. There really wasn’t anything else for Tubbo to do.
Ranboo jerked and tugged at Tubbo, almost making him tumble over, but the brunette refused. He wasn’t going to give up.
It surprised him when the struggle stopped. No squirming, no yelling. Ranboo just went limp. Then a heavy weight crashed into his back, knocking the wind out of him. He fell onto the ground. He let go of his stomach and used his free arm to try and pull himself up but he was trapped under the weight. The brunette screamed as he tried to push off whatever attacked him. He strained his neck to see what it was. Ranboo.
He was pinning Tubbo down.. He watched as a hand raised up in slow motion and came crashing down into his face. It met his nose and he heard a crack. He groaned as the pain came. Shit—
The boy he called his best friend, now unrecognisable, stared down at him. Rage and insanity filled his eyes.
“Ranboo,” He gasped out. The teen snarled in response.
Tubbo reached towards his belt, pulling out the pistol.
Only if necessary. He told himself. Only if necessary.
Another punch made its way to his face. Another cry. Another punch.
“Please.” The brunette pleaded. He knew his friend had to be in there somewhere. “Please, Ranboo.”
A look of realisation came over the teen’s face. He paused mid punch, hand hovering in the air. The hand came to his mouth in a small gasp. He slowly climbed off Tubbo and helped him up.
“T-tubbo.. Tubbo I’m so s-sorry.” The brunette didn’t waste a second pulling the taller into a tight embrace. He pulled away soon after, catching his breath. Silence filled the air except for their breathing. Ranboo locked eyes with the pistol in Tubbo’s hand.
…
“Kill me.” He finally spoke out after the minute of silence that seemed to stretch forever. Ranboo knew it was too late. He always knew this was how it would end. He was nearly a full zombie. His mind filled with demented thoughts of killing his friends. For gods sake, he nearly did kill Tubbo. He couldn’t let that happen, he couldn’t drag down his friends with him.
Tubbo shook his head, tears filling his eyes. “Ranboo- I- I can’t…”
“Kill me if you’ve ever been my friend, kill me.” Ranboo grabbed Tubbo’s hand that was holding the pistol and pushed the barrel to his forehead.
He let out a strangled sob. “No-“ They were going to make it. They had to. He shook his head. He couldn’t kill him. He can’t.
…
“Do it before I become one of them!”
“I…”
“KILL ME!” And then Ranboo’s eyes cleared, as if he’d gained one last trembling gasp of sanity and his voice softened. “Please Tubbo, please.”
And with his heart falling into a black abyss, Tubbo pulled the trigger.
………
“T-Tubbo-“