The world outside the White House is not the one I remember. In just an hour it has been transformed into a dark and choking wasteland like something out of a dystopian novel. Black smoke rolls through the grass like a thick fog, licking at my ankles and igniting any small shrubs in its path. There's a small fire burning in almost every building, a punctuation of crackling orange against the grey. Where the sun should be is instead a sky full of smog.

From somewhere in the haze, there's a twang, and I raise my trident up to block the arrow that had been about to hit a clueless Punz in the gut.

"I'm gone for one hour..." I mutter, observing the landscape.

Punz has to take a moment to collect himself, still reeling from the fact he'd very nearly been shot. His eyes dance from the splintered projectile at his feet and up to me.

"Where did you last see Dream?"

"Uh, near the border between here and the Embassy. He was fighting with Tommy and Tubbo."

I almost trip as he says this, and swivel around to stare at him, "Tubbo?"

"Yeah. I was surprised, too. But it was definitely him."

I press my lips thin, a crease crossing my forehead. I knew it was obviously a possibility to see Tubbo on the field, but I didn't expect him to be fighting. Is he even fit enough to fight? He was still bed bound when I last saw him.

"Okay," is all I say, and I begin trudging through the smog, kicking up chunks of dead plant life, the glow of my trident guiding us. We don't encounter any dead bodies on our way, which comes as a bigger relief than I thought it would. Despite not having the closest relationship with the majority of Pogtopia, I wouldn't wish any of them a gruesome death. There are, however, a few patches of something that looks suspiciously like blood stained into the singed grass, and it makes my chest tighten with every patch we pass.

We manage to make it all the way to Prime Path before encountering a hostile, and my stomach sinks at who it happens to be. Her pink hair is sooty, and there's ash streaked across her cheek. Yet despite this, she still looks so incredibly pretty. If only her eyes weren't burning with such an angry fire.

"Ni—" I begin to say, taking a step towards her, but Punz gets in the way, his back to me as he draws his sword.

"I got this," he says, motioning me to continue up to the Embassy.

I hesitate but realise now really isn't the time. We're in a war, after all. A fact Niki seems to know better than me, as without hesitation she raises a crossbow and releases a bolt. I swat it away with a saddened expression, and for a second guilt flashes through her fiery gaze. But then Punz charges and she throws her crossbow away, drawing her sword.

I turn and race along the wooden boards of Prime Path before I can hesitate again, the clang of metal echoing in my ears as I pray that neither of them dies. A stupid wish. This is war.

I'm left uninterrupted as I come to the base of the stairs that lead to the Embassy, and take them two at a time, my heart hammering the closer I grow to Tommy's house till it's all I can hear alongside my short puffs of breath.

I crest the final step and have to physically throw myself to the side as, of all things, a firework launches past where I'd just been. It spirals out past the cliff ledge and explodes in a sharp splatter of orange over Manburg, adding to the smokey sky.

As I roll through the grass, my first thought turns to Technoblade and the dreadful crossbow he'd used during the festival, but when I finally look up, it's not the pig man I see wielding the weapon, but Tubbo! He's stood beside Tommy, the both of them decked out in glistening netherite armour. Tommy has a netherite sword in hand, and its blade flickers with enchanted flames every few seconds. Their attention isn't on me—I doubt they've even noticed I'm here—as they both instead stare down Dream who stands with his back to Tommy's house.

The masked man has his trusty black axe in one hand and a shield in the other. His shoulders heave from the exertion of battling two opponents, and his armour smoulders from where he must have had some near passes with Tubbo's fireworks. The two younger boys are similarly exhausted as they also fight for breath. I deduce that this showdown must have been going on for some time already.

Coughing the firework smoke from my lungs, I stand, and with the practiced throw of a pitcher, send my trident into battle.

It zips through the air with its telltale hum, and thuds into the grass directly between the two parties. This earns their attention, as all eyes finally acknowledge me. I notice Dream's grip tighten on his axe as he stares at me, and I flash him a grim look.

My arm is still outstretched, and I close my hand into a sharp fist, pulling on my weapon's newly acquired power. I'd obtained it specifically for today, intent on protecting Schlatt with everything I had.

A fork of lightning parts the black sky and makes contact with my trident.

The scenery turns white.

It takes a good few seconds for the light to subside, and by the time Tubbo and Tommy are blinking away the spots from their vision, me and Dream are already gone.

I currently have the infuriating man pinned beneath my weight, straddling his waist as I press the small blade of my shoe knife to his throat. With the help of an enderpearl and the cover of the lightning, I'd managed to make it appear as though we'd vanished, leaving the Pogtopia boys to wonder on our whereabouts. In truth not even I'm sure where we've ended up. Somewhere beyond the Embassy I'd guess, within Dream's personal territory. But that's the least of my concerns at the moment. Right now my only intent is to force Dream into spilling just where the hell he's hidden my president.

"You should've stayed in the vault," he says, his tone edging on annoyance.

"Idi nahui," I spit back.

"By the tone of your voice I'll assume that was something bad."

"Tell me where Schlatt is," I hiss, leaning down and pressing my knife further into his flesh, "now."

"He's safe—"

"No, he isn't," I snap, "safe is wherever I am. And because he is not with me, he is not safe. So tell me where he is so I can assure that he really is—"

A gloved hand reaches up and brushes against my cheek, "it's okay, Ares. Just let him go," Dream utters in a soft tone, "Don't you see? This is your out. I've made you an out."

Ice spills down my spine. My hands start to shake, unable to keep the knife still. When I next speak my voice comes out as a hoarse whisper, "what did you do..?"

"I gave him a bottle of booze and I sent him somewhere quiet. If he lives or dies is all down to his own competence. For all I know he may have already been—" I push down, forcing blood to well up around my blade as it sinks into his throat. Not enough to kill, but enough to shut him up. To show him that I'm serious.

His hand withdraws from my face and reaches up to pull away his mask. His lip is busted and bloody, and there's a bruise beneath his left eye, "are you going to kill me?" He murmurs. There's nothing but adoration in his forest-green eyes. I hate it. How dare he look so at peace. So calm when I feel so utterly angry.

"I should," I grit out, but already I can feel myself losing my nerve. I still don't know where Schlatt is. I know what Dream is trying to do. What he may have already done. But that simply isn't the way I want it to happen. "But I don't want you to die..."

My voice breaks right at the end and I bite my lip. Dream's eyes soften and he reaches for my face again. I swat his hand away and lean back, removing the bloody knife and wiping it against my thigh. "Please... Just tell me where Schlatt is..."

There's a long pause.

"The old drug van that Wilbur and Tommy used to live in. It's—"

"I know where it is."

Standing, I remove myself from his waist and slide my knife away. Dream waits a second before sitting up. I can feel his gaze on my back, but I refuse to turn and meet his eyes. Just the sight of him is making me feel sick. He lied to me, betrayed me, and then claimed it was all for me. And what's worse, is that I know it was. I know it was done for me. Because this awful man loves me enough to hurt me with confidence, knowing that it'll keep me safe. It's exactly what I've done to Schlatt. And Schlatt, to me. My karma has come full circle. We're all as bad as each other.

I begin walking, following the trails of smoke back towards Manburg. After collecting his things, Dream follows me, his footsteps quick to match mine. He doesn't say anything, and for that, I am at least grateful. He's finally realised that nothing he says will calm me. Not till I first find Schlatt.

We make it into Manburg without resistance, but our luck must have run out, because as we're passing between broken buildings, an arrow flies out of nowhere. It would have nailed me in the gut if not for Dream jerking me back and raising his shield to block it. In seconds we're surrounded. Wilbur, Tommy, Tubbo, Quackity, and every other face from Pogtopia seems to be present. It's like they were lying in wait for us.

"Wilbur," Dream greets tightly.

Wilbur steps forward. Instead of looking smug, the tall male looks tired. Like he couldn't care less that he's just managed to corner the two greatest foes of Pogtopia. "Nice of you two to join us," he says, his tone flat.

I flex my fingers, eyeing the armoured crowd. My gaze lands on Tommy, who has my trident gripped tightly in his hands. I could call it back to me, but that might set everyone off, and despite how skilled me and Dream are, there's no way we can fight everyone here without injury. On top of one of the buildings I spot a few people I haven't seen in a while. Sam, Bad, Antfrost, and even Callahan. They have apparently come to observe the battle.

Wilbur looks over his shoulder and nods to Technoblade. The pig man shuffles around and drags out three familiar faces. Karl and Punz are forced to their knees, hands tied behind their backs, but Sapnap simply slumps into the ground, unconscious. He's the bloodiest of the three. "You've lost, Dream. We have your best fighters, and you two are surrounded. There's no way out of this for you."

A few of the crowd jeer at us, the excitement obvious amongst them. They've already convinced themselves that they've won. That our defeat is imminent. I'm tense as I search for a way out of this. Even if only I'm able to escape, if I can just reach Schlatt first, I can defend him. I can hide him away. Anything.

"I don't know. I think we could still knock a couple of you down on our way out." Dream remarks, somehow managing to send a ripple of unease through the audience. Despite being vastly outnumbered, he still manages to instil fear in them.

"You know what we want, Dream." Wilbur states humourlessly, his eyes cold. "Tell us where he is."

I dig my fingers into Dream's arm and he glances over to me. I glare at him, shaking my head 'no'.

The exchange lasts only a second, but in the short time Dream is distracted, there's a twang from somewhere in the crowd, and pain blossoms in my left calf as an arrow buries itself into my leg, splitting the muscle. I open my mouth, but nothing comes out as I slump into Dream, all the strength leaving my legs. I blink rapidly as my body goes into shock at the sudden pain, barely able to register Dream's curse as he drops his shield and axe to hold me upright.

"Tell us...tell us where he is..." a voice pipes up shakily, and I manage to focus my eyes long enough to see Niki. She's stood, hands trembling as she attempts to hold up a crossbow. There are no arrows loaded into it, and with horror, I realise why—she's the one who shot me.

Now everyone looks uneasy, Dream included. Everyone except for Wilbur.

"Well? Dream?"

I bow my head into Dream's chest, hands digging into his armour as every inch of me trembles, "please don't..." I whisper.

The arms around me hold me tighter. "...fine. I'll take you to Schlatt."

No.