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“What’s going on with the leadership? You should listen to your leader.” Cellbit shouted as the Blue team descended into a screaming match. He had no clue why the grown men were blaming their leader if they won.
Tubbo had whipped his head around in frustration, with tears of anger in his eyes, obviously stressed as the blue demon started to blame the teen. “I’m 19 years old. Do you expect these 30 year olds to listen to me?”
That’s when the detective truly saw the blue team's leader, a child in a leader's body. You could see the heavy bags under the teens eyes. Cellbit could remember seeing him up in the latest of nights, just before the world was thrown into a no kill zone. He was mad his Husbands team had been wiped out but what’s the use in getting mad at the one person who had tried to save him?
“Our team captain did not communicate properly in the end there”
Tubbo stood there with his fists clenched as he took the insults his teammates hurled at him. Any time he tried to defend himself it was shut down by a louder voice.
Finally once the men were gone ‘talking’ they bid a do. When they were out of ear shot the slime creature quickly asked what just happened. Tubbo tried to describe what happened in detail.
He described how they all agreed to keep the score 50/50 but when push came to shove Pierre claimed his missions. When Tubbo came up with a plan to counteract, his team shut it down. So he was on his own, but he was determined to not let his friends die, so he messaged Quackity about helping them and meeting in the center, without the knowledge of his team.
When it got to the point when the Green team was turning in their missions, the Red team could only stay silent in horror. Charlie was making faces of shock when Tubbo, described as Bad and Pierre, were screaming ’Traitor’ at him, when he gave Green Team materials. He described how he body blocked arrows for Roier and Quackity and how his team hit him on purpose. There were still aches in his body where they hit him.
Cellbit was breathless as he realized the length the teen would go for another team. “You deserve more respect.” All Tubbo could do was give a nod as a ‘thank you’.
After a second thought the slime shouted out,“Tubbo, you should just join Team Bolas!”
Tubbo reeled back in shock. The first thought that passed through his head was ‘I can’t betray my team!’, because in all honesty, he can’t. If he questions his team they will talk over him saying, ‘he doesn’t know any better’. They would rather ignore his words and authority.
Tubbo laughed at Slime's words, how can he betray Tina? How would Pac react? Would Bad hate him if he stood up for his morals? Too many thoughts for the teen, too many messages chanting that the Red Team would respect him but……..doesn't his team respect him?
The two watched as the teen tried to laugh off the obvious betrayal.
“Tubbster, they literally staged a coup against you.”
“Yeah man, that's not cool.” Cellbit said, in all honesty, he was shocked.
“I can’t….” Tubbo tried to come up with reasonable answers but he just couldn’t. He missed the peace and laughing with his friends. He doesn’t want any more blood, especially not on his hands.
Cellbit and Slime looked at each other with a mutual understanding. Cellbit towered over Tubbo, but he didn’t feel threatened. "If you ever need to send a message, just put on a gas mask and we'll know."
Soulfires leader just looked down at the ground, “Yeah ....I'll keep a gas mask on me just in case.”
———————
It was Foolish who saw Tubbo sitting on a hill, just a couple hundred feet from their base. Granted he only saw the blonde tips and iron armor but that was more than enough to go running to Phil, Team Bolas's Leader and Father figure.
The totem god rushed over to where the group was, “Hey um.. Tubbo is sitting on a hill looking over our base.”
Instantly there were grunts as Philza stood up and equipped his weapon, “Is it just him?”
Foolish thought for a moment before answering. “He seemed to be alone but he’s in iron armor, he could be bait.”
The leader gave a grunt and turned to the rest of the team. “All of you stay here just in case it’s an ambush.” He looked at Cellbit. “Guard the entrance just as a precaution”
As Phil and Cellbit exited their base the younger stopped his ‘papa’. “Tell me if he has a gas mask.”
Philza slowly turned to his chick, “Why……”
Even through the mask Phil could tell there was a twisted grin. “Just trust in me.”
The crow father just tilted his head and sighed, “Alright, I trust in you.”
Slowly Phil made his way up the hill where Tubbo was seen, as he made his way to the top he saw the sad form of the Blues Leader curled into a ball sobbing. Instead of rushing over he observed the surrounding areas for traps, seeing none he made his way over the fallen body.
He crouched down and tilted his sword towards Tubbo’s iron helmet and taped it enough to knock against the teens skull. The reaction was instant, Tubbo scrambled backwards away from the threat and looked at his guardian in fear.
Phil took his moment to observe his ward, Tubbo was grasping his bloody arm and had multiple slashes across his face and torso. He had irritated skin around his mouth. The interesting thing was the Gas mask he had strapped around his neck.
“P-phil..”
The crows mask whipped up to meet the teens' gaze. With a tilt to his head he said, “Yes Toby?”
Tubbo let out a few shaky breaths and asked. “Can you get Cellbit for me?”
Philza sighed and grabbed his communicator, ‘‘Whisper to Cellbit: Toby’s asking for you.’
The response was instant, ‘Cellbit whispers to You: Does he have a gas mask?’
Phil took one last look at the terrified teen in front of him. ‘Whisper to Cellbit: He does.’
The Reds leader snapped his communicator shut and shoved it back in his pocket. He continued to stare at Tubbo, he waited until he heard footsteps behind him to stand up.
Cellbit walked up the hill in silence, of course he knew at one point Blue would turn against their leader, it was only a matter of time before their team fell apart. It was just a shame that the leader was one of a kind, one that could ruin anyone’s life if he tried.
Once he stood at the top, he looked at the fallen teen in front of him. Admittedly, the teen was worse for wear. “Oh Tubbo what happened.”
The kid gave a shaky laugh, “They staged another coup, this time they made sure I didn’t get a chance to fight back.”
Cellbit hissed as he thoroughly looked over the wounds the younger had. At that point he had crouched down next to the teen and removed the hand covering the gash on his arm.
Philza, who had been entirely silent finally made a noise when he saw the wound. Each leader had a mark of their team permanently etched on their skin, Philzas was in between his collarbones and Etoiles' mark was on his left hand. Tubbo’s mark, at least where it should have been, was on his arm. It wasn’t though, because it had gotten gashed out of his skin.
“Shit.” Murmured Cellbit. He quickly tore off a piece of fabric and tied it tight around the wound, ignoring the harsh cry the kid gave out.
Philza, the ever knowing being, was confused. Tubbo’s mark had been cut out and he had mentioned a coup. The teen had showed up to their base looking for comfort? “Ok. What’s going on?”
Cellbit helped the teen sit up and continue to flush the wounds with bottles of water. “About four days ago Blue and Green were fighting to survive. Tubbo wanted to keep the score 50/50, and at first everyone on Blue agreed because Green didn’t have a fair chance that day. A few hours before the missions were going to be shut down, Pierre claimed his missions and messed up the score. Tubbo tried to help Roier and Quackity balance it out again but….”
He gave a harsh sigh, “just as they were turning in the materials Tubbo gave them, Bad and Pierre came in shouting and Tubbo that he was a traitor and tried to kill him and Green. Tubbo saved Green by blocking their shots. Unfortunately because they were chased off they didn’t have enough time to complete them.”
Phil was sitting on the ground next to the brunettes and listening intently. Tubbo was silent because for the first time in a while, he felt warm hands taking care of him, he didn’t feel the harsh cold hands freezing his entire body.
“After the missions were up we heard both Badboy and Pierre yelling at Tubbo, saying it was his fault that the Green team was eliminated because he didn’t ‘communicate’ even though, throughout the rest of the day they wanted to kill Green to make sure they were on top. Once they left, me and Slime told Tubbo that if he wanted to send a message to put on a gas mask.”
Philza listened to the entire story, hearing how Cellbit would defend the teen was certainly a good thing for Team Bolas.
“So..” Phil drawled out, “Are you siding with Team Bolas, Toby?”
The teens body was tired, kept alive only by pure spite, he no longer wanted to be pushed around. He gave his guardian a grin full of sadness, “If you will have me I'd happily join.”
Philza stood up, “If Cellbit and Slime offered and the others agreed, who am I to say no?”
Cellbit helped the kid stand, with the way his body currently was, he couldn’t stand on his own. It was a miracle he made it this far.
“So dude, what happened?” Cellbit asked
“Bad and Pierre decided that I’m not to be their leader anymore.” Tubbo spat out. “They held me down after I was weakened and the French bastard carved the symbol out of my skin. Saying “You’re not fit to lead.” He gave a bitter laugh,”I looked at Tab and my name turned white and my symbol was taken away.”
Behind the two men’s masks there was horror. “How did you stay alive?” Phil asked quietly.
“I’m sure I have burns around my face but Bad was pouring tea down my throat the entire time. When they were done I grabbed what I had left in a few chests and threw out an ender pearl.”
Philza unclipped his mask, letting it fall around his neck, and looked at the teen. “I wish we had been on the same team, Toby. I would have protected you like always, I promise you, I never wanted to fight my flock.”
Tubbo grabbed his Guardians sleeve and looked up, “Will you make it up to me by protecting me now?”
Hands reached out to Tubbo, they took off his helmet and carefully lifted the gas mask around his neck, to his face. Phil gently tightens the straps behind the teens head. “Of course I will. You won’t have to fight anymore.”
In his happiness, Cellbit lifted Tubbo up and spun him around, “Welcome to Team Bolas Tubbo!”
Tubbo giggled as he was put back on the ground, “You guys are insane.”
“Yeah.” Phil smiled, “That’s kinda our whole schtick.”