———————————————————————

———————————————————————

"The gods conceal from men the happiness of death, that they may endure life."

-

———————————————————————

—•—

[violence, blood, death]

—•—

"This is the bitch that robbed the emperor."

The man started: "Okay, there is no need for that kind of language—"

"Shut the fuck up."

Dream's breathing was ragged, like that of a dog. The man before him was backed against the wall as Zephyr carefully lodged herself between the gladiator and his target.

"Okay, let's calm down and talk for a second," Zephyr said. "Dream, put the sword down."

"But—!"

"No buts, put the sword away," Zephyr ordered and, begrudgingly, Dream listened. She continued: "And you, Quackity. You have some explaining to do."

The man against the wall, Quackity, mumbled something under his breath, forcing Zephyr to poke him sharply in the forehead.

"Jeez, fine!" He groaned. "I may or may not have robbed the emperor last week."

"WHAT THE—!" Zephyr stopped herself, pinching the bridge of her nose. "What the fuck is wrong with you?"

Before he could answer, she pointed to the sofa, silently ordering him to sit. He did so, sinking into the chair awkwardly.

"Are you mad at me?" He asked from the chair as the other young men posted around the room looked on with a mixture of shock and amusement.

"I'm not necessarily mad at you for robbing the emperor," Zephyr paced the room. "However, I am slightly annoyed that the jewels you 'found' were his. You gave them to me! I sold them!"

Dream's eyes shot open, wide in surprise beneath his mask. Some of the jewellery she had been selling was George's. Oh shit.

Quackity grimaced. "Okay, when you say it like that, that does sound bad..."

Dream cleared his throat, causing six pairs of eyes to land on him. Sword now safely back in its scabbard, he spoke.

"First of all, apologies for springing on you like that," he said to Quackity. "Second of all, you caused the emperor great pain, so therefore I may come back to murder you in your sleep."

"WHAT?!" Quackity yelled and Zephyr rushed over to Dream, placing a soft hand on his chest.

"He's kidding, he's kidding..." she laughed tensely, shooting Dream a harsh look before stepping away, and addressing the others in the room.

"We'll deal with whatever you fucking did later, okay, Big Q?" She looked to Quackity, who nodded.

"Good. Now, the reason I'm home so early is that we need to help this gorgeous young man find his boss, who was kidnapped only twenty minutes ago," Zephyr informed. "We're going to help find him. Got it?"

All boys nodded, getting to their feet.

"Who exactly are we looking for?" Tubbo asked, allowing Ranboo to pull him off of the couch and onto his feet.

"Emperor George." Zephyr replied.

"Emperor..." Tubbo's words died in his mouth, and he looked up to Ranboo, gaping. "The emperor?"

Ranboo nodded, looking slightly uneasy as his eyes shifted back to Zephyr. "How did someone successfully kidnap the emperor?"

Dream grunted. "He went off by himself without telling me."

"Sucks to be you," Quackity got to his feet, elbowing Wilbur in the ribs playfully. "Qué idiota."

"I am this close," Dream pinched his fingers together. "To putting my sword up your ass."

Quackity laughed, turning to Zephyr with a face of startled but amused confusion.

She shook her head, biting back a smile. "He's kinky like that."

Dream gagged. "WHAT?!"

—•—

Less than an hour later, six people were gathered outside (minus Wilbur, for some reason). The four young men Dream had just met were dressed like ordinary plebeians. You would never have guessed that they were armed to the teeth with daggers and knives, and that they were about to intercept a group of foreign smugglers.

In the hour they were all preparing, several things were found out:

Wilbur had gone into the market and got as much information as he could, before relaying the information back to the crew. Tubbo and Ranboo had travelled down to the river, and found the only available boat docked along the side; which had two guards posted suspiciously outside.

Tommy had been to visit his mother and father, "borrowing" some poison from Kristins apothecary and Quackity spent most of the hour collecting all the left over jewellery he had from his emperors heist, and returned it to Dream.

Zephyr hatched a plan with Dream, and to the gladiator, who had never been on a heist or rescue mission in his life, it all seemed quite daunting.

"Alright boys, remember, stick to the plan." Zephyr began to wrap a black shawl around the lower part of her face.

Tubbo cocked his head to the side in confusion. "There's a plan?"

"Y-yeah?" Zephyr stammered, caught off guard, stopping the wrapping of her shawl.

"Oh... just in case no one was listening, which I totally was, could you repeat it... please?" Tubbo battered his eyelashes and both Tommy and Ranboo hid their laughter behind their hands.

Zephyr sighed, but relayed the plan. To the gladiator, a human bundle of fizzing nerves, he was anxious to just run in and get George. But he knew that would never actually work.

The plan was simple.

George was being held in a room in an inn on the edge of the river. The boat was moored right outside the inn, tied up only a short walk from the front door. The boat was guarded by two men, the inn guarded by another. Apparently, the ring leader, who was not at the market, is currently sitting with George inside the inn.

The room George was being held in was locked and, of course, who had the key?

Well, they couldn't find that out.

Tommy, Tubbo and Ranboo would handle the two guards by the boat; distract them long enough for their attention to be drawn away from the inn. Meanwhile, while Wilbur took down the guard posted at the door, Quackity, Dream and Zephyr would sneak in.

Once inside, it was crucial that they weren't seen. They needed to sneak up the stairs and onto the upper floor, where Zephyr would work her charm long enough for Quackity to pick the lock, and Dream to slip inside, saving George.

"Then they kiss, and live happily ever after." Zephyr concluded and the boys cheered, Dream blushing furiously beneath his mask, but flipping the others off at the same time.

"Are we ready to go?" Wilbur asked, suddenly appearing from around the corner, pulling along four horses.

"Ah, Wilbur, perfect timing." Zephyr motioned him towards them.

He led the horses towards the group, handing two of the leads connecting the halters to Zephyr, who handed one to Dream.

"Our rides." Wilbur said, smiling as he stroked the nose of his horse.

Tommy scoffed. "There are only four horses and seven of us. Will, your math really fucking sucks."

Wilbur shook his head gently. "We can't all have a horse each, Tommy. Also, let me ask you this: can you ride a horse?"

"Of course I can."

"Don't lie to me."

"I'm not lying! Sure, I'm not an expert jockey, but—!"

Wilbur raised his hand. "Just... stop. Tubbo and Ranboo will ride together, Zephyr will ride with Quackity, and you'll ride with me, Tommy."

Tommy pouted like a kid on the verge of a tantrum. "Why does he get to ride the horse by himself?"

He pointed at Dream accusingly, and the masked gladiator just shrugged in answer. Wilbur grumbled, telling Tommy that Dream rides on the horse alone because he's a "big boy" and "only big boys get their own horse".

"You're a bitch." Tommy muttered, but allowed Wilbur to boost him onto the horse.

Wilbur clambered on after him.

As Zephyr hopped onto her horse, Dream walked up to Quackity, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.

"I'm sorry about your eye, by the way." Dream pointed at Quackity's scar, which had caused some damage to the mans eye.

Quackity ran his fingers down the marred flesh, the evening of the robbery flooding his memory. "Eh, no big deal. I did kinda deserve it."

Tubbo and Ranboo clambered onto their horse as Dream smiled almost apologetically at Quackity, watching him scoot into the saddle behind Zephyr. Dream pat his horse fondly on the neck before tucking a foot into the stirrup, hoisting himself up with a puff of exertion.

"Let's ride, boys." Tommy said seriously and flicked the reins of his horse, but the horse didn't budge.

Zephyr stifled a laugh. "You have to do it a bit harder then that, Big T."

Harder this time, Tommy flapped the reins, causing the horse to whinny and take off with a burst of unexpected speed. Yelling in fright, Tommy gripped on, sitting in front of a chuckling Will.

Zephyr looked to Dream before setting off, calling over her shoulder: "Let's go save your emperor, Dreamy~!"

—•—

The sun was beginning to set by the time the seven arrived only a few houses down from the inn. Hopping off of their horses and tying them up nearby, Dream, Quackity, Zephyr and Wilbur edged around the corner.

They bid the three younger boys farewell and good luck, and organised the rendezvous point at Kristin's apothecary.

"You ready for this?" Wilbur turned to Dream, who nodded nervously in response.

He needed to save George.

Upon seeing the guard at the front of the inn turn in the opposite direction, back to them, Wilbur sprinted away, right after whispering: "And that, ladies and gentlemen, is my cue."

He leapt almost gracefully onto the guards back, pinning him in a headlock and rendering him unconscious. As Wilbur dragged the body away, Quackity, Zephyr and Dream ran up to the inn, pushing open the door and creeping inside.

Skilfully, the three moved up the stairs with catlike ease, tiptoeing. Up the marble steps they ascended, hitting the second landing within seconds. Zephyr looked around, motioning silently for the two me to follow.

The trio crept down the hall, every little noise amplified by the blood drumming in their ears. At the end of the dingy hall, a man exited a room, locking the door behind him and dusting his red-knuckled hands along his toga.

"That's our man." Zephyr whispered, ushering the boys back around the corner to hide.

She then peered back around the corner, before steadying herself with a composed breath, and walking down the hall.

Quackity and Dream watched on as Zephyr approached the man and, out of earshot, began to speak with him. He seemed to be liking the kind conversation, but after a few minutes, his brows furrowed and his voice raised.

"Who are you?" He asked her, and this caused Zephyr to trip over her words, stuttering.

He didn't like this one bit as he backed Zephyr dangerously against the wall, leaning over her with a sneer, before producing a small, twisted knife.

Quackity gasped. "Dream—!"

"—I'm on it." Dream unsheathed his sword and hurled himself around the corner, down the hall.

The man, with one hand taking a hold of Zephyr's neck and the other preparing to stab her, looked up, just as Dream crashed into him.

The point of Dream's sword drove through the mans abdomen, bursting through the other side in a shower of crimson and carmine.

Zephyr hid a poorly timed shriek behind her hand as Dream pushed the man up against the wall, sword imbedded in the mans abdomen. The mans shout caught in his throat, causing a splat of red-tinted saliva to spray across Dream's mask.

"I'm going to give you one fucking chance to answer this question truthfully, got it?" Dream hissed, lowering his voice as he leaned down to whisper in the mans ear. "Where is the emperor?"

The man gargled.

"Use your goddamn words."

The man pointed to the door, chuckling, teeth coated in blood. "Why don't you take a look for yourself."

Dream's face paled. Goosebumps raised along his skin as the words hit the nerves in his brain, sending shockwaves through his entire body. The mans tone was condescending, and the gladiator despised him for it.

"You're going to hell." Dream twisted his sword, before pulling it out, letting the man slump to the floor.

"I'll see you there." Were the mans last words as blood pooled around his body and his eyes disappeared, rolling back into his head.

Dream, gripping his bloody sword for dear life, turned and, with all his adrenaline-induced strength, kicked down the door with a single vicious strike.

He stopped short in the doorway and his sword clattered to the ground as his grip suddenly slackened.

This was not apart of the plan.

———————————————————————

Hey homies, this is an authors note!

Lol >:)

This chapters question/statement: what's the most recent song you've been listening too?

Until next time,

Blue :)