The rain is cool against my skin as I step outside, my chin tilted back as I let the soft patter of raindrops tickle my face.

A chilly wind sends goosebumps rising across my arms, and a shiver down my back. But I don't mind. I love the cold. It reminds me of my birthplace. Of the snowy landscapes and white skies. I haven't visited my homeland in a while. Not that I ever really considered it home.

"You're not going to hurt them, are you?"

Tubbo's meek voice speaks out from behind me. He's stood just shy of the rain, taking shelter in the door of the White House, hugging his arms tightly.

I turn slowly, facing him. "I'll try not to. But that depends on them. This isn't their country anymore, Tubbo. They can't stay, as much as I'm sure you want them to."

The boy presses his lips into a thin line and doesn't respond.

Sighing, I step forward and place a hand on his shoulder, hesitant in case he pulls away. But he doesn't. Instead, he lurches forward and engulfs me in a hug. A very cold, wet hug.

"I lied. I did find them- I found Tommy." He mutters, burying his face into my shoulder.

I let out a breath, "and what did you say to him? Did you tell him to hide?"

Tubbo shakes his head, flecking water from his hair and across my cheek. "I couldn't get close. I- He heard, Ares. He heard me take the job. He thinks I've turned my back on them. He thinks I've ditched them for Schlatt." He sniffs, "No offence to you."

I smile despite myself. "No offence taken."

"Can you not just pretend to find them?" He asks hopefully. "They'll leave eventually, I'm sure of it. They just need a little time to get their things together. To think of a plan."

"I can't do that, Tubbo. I'm sorry but this is my job now, a job I plan to do to the best of my ability."

The boy sighs and finally pulls away, taking his wet warmth with him. If I wasn't soaked before then I certainly am now.

"No, you're...you're right. You're the Secretary of Defence, right? Of course you want to do your job. It suits you..." He rubs at his face with his sleeve, attempting to wipe the water out of his eyes.

"You know it's not too late to leave now and join them? You don't have to stay by Schlatt's side. I can just tell him you quit. He'll listen to me."

Tubbo smiles sadly. "I can't. If I leave then there'll be no one left on the inside. No one Wilbur and Tommy can rely on."

So that's why he agreed to be Secretary of State. He did it for Wilbur and Tommy. And yet they think he's a traitor.

I plant a hand on his shoulder, giving it a light squeeze, "don't tell me anymore, Tubbo. The less I know, the better. I may be your friend, but you need to know that my loyalties are with Schlatt. I want to support you, but there is only so much I can turn a blind eye to. Do you understand?"

He hesitates before nodding his head. "I understand. Schlatt is to you what Wilbur is to me. I...just want them to be safe."

"And I'll make sure they are safe," I assure him, giving a reassuring smile before turning and taking quick, light steps across the muddied ground.

"He's in the Embassy!" Tubbo calls out, his voice faint against the pounding of the rain.

The Embassy. Tommy's house. It's the obvious first place to check, and as such the last place you'd expect to actually find him. Not that I imagine Tommy has thought that deeply into it. That boy can barely string two thoughts together without getting distracted in between. It's one of the traits I like about him, oddly enough. He doesn't worry about the consequences of his actions. He lives entirely in the moment.

I pick up the pace, turning to a careful jog as I manoeuvre the slippery terrain. I've learnt the layout of L'Manburg well over the last week, and as such move much quicker, taking all the short cuts I can find to reach the Embassy as fast as I can. If I'm lucky, Tommy is still there. I might even get the chance to talk with him if he doesn't put up a fight, though the chances of that are unlikely. He's a stubborn boy, after all.

Breaking free of L'Manburg's dark walls I make a beeline for Prime Path, hopping up onto its slippery wooden surface and taking the steps two at a time up to the Embassy. Multiple times I reach a hand up to wipe the rain out of my face, clearing my view. What little of a fringe I have sticks to my forehead, its usual pale blonde dulled to a dark gold from the rain.

I crest the top of the stairs and skid to a stop, passing the sign that marks all further territory as part of the Embassy. I know I've come to the right place when I see a glow of light through one of Tommy's windows, shifting shadows across the glass. His other window is boarded with wooden planks, nailed down. The broken window, I'm guessing. It doesn't surprise me he hasn't had it fixed yet. Tommy doesn't strike me as someone who enjoys manual labour.

I hesitate at his door, wondering if I should knock. Will he even hear me past all the rain? Do I want him to hear me?

I debate for only a minute before deciding not to take the chance, and shove the door open.

Tommy yells in surprise at my sudden appearance. He's crouched by the coffee table, a chest pulled out in front of him, its lid knocked open to reveal the mess of items crammed within. The light I'd seen through his window comes from a wildly flickering candle, jammed inside the glass box of a lantern, sat just off to his side.

"Tommy, it's Ares. I'm not here to fight." I say quickly, bringing my trident forward in a defensive manner.

"Fuck you!" Is Tommy's curt reply as he withdraws his sword and leaps across the room. There's no hesitation in his movements as he swings the sword down as if to split me down the middle.

I tut and angle my trident to catch his blade between its prongs, then give a sharp twist of the handle. The sword is jerked easily out of his hands. And when I say easily, I mean really easily. Like, he never stood a chance of keeping a grip on that sword. I feel a little bad for the boy, frankly. It's so obvious we're on completely different ends of the spectrum when it comes to armed combat.

The sword clatters to the flagstone flooring and I step on it, keeping it in place.

"Tommy, I'm just here to escort you and Wilbur from the country. You don't need to raise your weapon towards me." I explain calmly, fixing the tall boy with a serious look.

"Oh, sure you are!" He mocks, throwing his arms in the air, "Don't lie! You're here to kill us, aren't you?! Well, I'm not going to give you the chance!"

He makes a dash for the door, swerving wildly around me.

I sigh and stick out the hilt of my trident.

He trips over it.

Again, Tommy is too easy. Wasn't he supposed to have won a war against Dream? Somebody needs to give this boy proper sparring lessons.

"You're being a tad dramatic, Tommy," I say, withdrawing my trident to rest against my shoulder. "I'm not here to hurt you. And I'm certainly not here to kill you. Like I said, I'm just here to make sure you're out of the country. Now, why don't you grab your things, show me to where Wilbur is hiding, and we can get this over with."

Tommy grumbles under his breath and pushes himself up to his feet. Thankfully, he seems to have finally acknowledged the power gap between us, and refrains from making another attempt to flee.

"I used to think you were nice," he mutters as he passes me, returning to the chest.

My expression drops a little at this utterance but I manage to hold back a reply. I've done enough to make him feel miserable for one day.

Tommy returns to my side a few minutes later, a bundle of clothes and a few rolls of bandages tucked beneath an arm. He holds the lantern up with his free hand, its yellow glow shedding light across his face. He has mud smudged across his uniform and hands, and a small cut runs just beneath his left eye, most likely sustained during his run from the crowd. It's a miracle he doesn't have more injuries, really. That crowd was ravenous, and a large number of them had weapons.

"You want to see Wilbur? Fine. I'll take you to him." He says, and starts walking towards the door.

I fall behind just long enough to pick up his fallen sword, of which he'd obviously forgotten, and follow his lead.

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Welp, the April Fools chapter has been renamed, and here's the real chapter 25. It was fun while it lasted (at least for me. Reading your comments was hilarious).

And firecracker12380. This drawing's for you ;)