Chapter Text
Tommy couldn’t help but grin when he saw Wilbur’s face light up, entering his old room. Well, Tommy had missed it too, but he was just excited to see Wilbur so happy. Especially since Wilbur had been weird lately. Tommy didn’t mind that he was a lot more touchy, always insistent that Tommy was at his side. (Tommy knew he didn’t deserve all of this affection and forgiveness, so he tried not to give Wilbur a reason to remember he should hate him.) Forgiveness. Can you imagine? But he’d figured out pretty quickly that Wilbur didn’t like it when he talked too much.
Which… also fine. He didn’t have too much to say.
Although, he missed when Wilbur would go on rants about ‘getting rid of…’ him . It wasn’t that Tommy didn’t want him to be gone forever . (He had tried so hard to be Wilbur’s Phil. To take his memories and mind, and just have him. But Tommy fucked it up. He did the magic wrong, or something, and he didn’t have it in him to be cruel and controlling anyway. Not on his own, not without him helping in the back of his mind.)
Tommy wasn’t cut out to be him . He wasn’t good enough at being in charge of the universe, or whatever they actually did. And without him keeping Wilbur from leaving…
Wilbur gasped excitedly, and Tommy immediately whipped his gaze up from the ground to look at him.
“Tommy! Holy shit, your closet is huge!“
“Oh, yeah! And guess what- guess what- there’s a chair in there.” Wilbur gave him a look. “It’s a really comfy chair,” he added shakily. Tommy used to sit there all the time, hiding behind the rows of clothes that he didn’t really like, (before he realized that he could just make clothes) and finally breathe. He would be hidden, and therefore unable to be perceived. Wilbur nodded.
Later, he came in to help make sure Wilbur was settling in. Tommy stayed in the corner, out of the way. Then the room had two beds, as well as however many more clothes and books. Wilbur did love to read.
How benevolent.
Wil was still being weird today, though. He looked distressed, but he was acting far bubblier than normal. But when he plopped down on his new bed and patted the soft blankets next to him, inviting Tommy to join him, Tommy breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe they would go back to their normal routine now.
Tommy ran and threw himself onto the blankets, ready to just relax and go back to normal. But then-
“Tommy, I… have something to tell you. What Phil told me just now, after we ate.” No, no, Tommy didn’t want to know.
“No,” he mumbled, covering his ears and scrunching his face up. “Please don’t.”
“It’s nothing bad,” Wilbur soothed, easily pulling Tommy’s arms off of his head and holding them down so that Tommy wasn’t able to pull them back, thrash, or run.
“I don’t wanna know,” Tommy replied childishly.
“It’s important. He- he had this door, and he said that it would take me to Earth… but I, um, didn’t go.”
Oh.
(Wilbur didn’t say ‘go home’, or ‘back to Earth’, or even that he wanted to leave. He honestly, really, truly wanted to stay?)
“Why?” Tommy breathed. Wilbur sighed, moving so that he was sitting next to Tommy instead, not making eye contact, but rather holding him from the side. (Still tightly, Tommy couldn’t move, even with only one of Wilbur’s arms around him, but it didn’t hurt.)
“I mean… why should I? It’s not like I have anything there for me.”
“Your freedom ?” Tommy replied, the statement barely audible. He shouldn’t be protesting this! If Wilbur didn’t regret not leaving him, Tommy didn’t wanna make him! But still, it felt wrong. Wilbur wasn’t supposed to be the weak one.
“I guess.” Wilbur shrugged. “But I’d rather stay here with you.”
Tommy hesitated, searching for the right thing to say. Finally, he landed on, “I’m sorry.”
“I know.” He sighed, long and shaky. Tommy didn’t want to move, even if he would like to rest his head on Wilbur’s shoulder. So he just sat in silence. Like normal.
(It was easier to not be the Phil. And it felt so much better.)
“Do you wanna read something?” Wilbur finally asked, breaking the silence. Tommy nodded, and Wilbur got up to browse the bookshelves. He grabbed some random novel and sat back down, reading it out loud.
Tommy fell asleep after a while.
And in darkness, he was pulled below sleep, out of his body, his mind. He gasped, desperately trying to pull in breath to no avail. It was dark, even though he was pretty sure his eyes were open. And then, swirling before him, appeared what seemed like a mosaic of stars, like whatever he was floating in was made of galaxies or the universe itself.
Oh. Oh shit.
The air seemed to harden around Tommy’s chin, forcing it up. But the universe was gentle, and it didn’t hurt.
“Hello, my creation,” the universe cooed, her voice affectionate. Tommy trembled, trying to curl in on itself, but she didn’t let him. “Oh, no, no, don’t be afraid. I bring you no harm.”
It looked around, trying to put a face to the voice, but it was only able to see the pitch darkness, sparkled with stars. It couldn’t even bow its head because she was holding it up! Budding tears threatened to run down its cheek.
“I have an offer for you,” she said, her voice echoing in his skull, melodic like a harp. “But I want you to agree.” Tommy mustered the ability to nod. She giggled, and contagious happiness crept at the edges of its fear. “Let’s not be overzealous, Tommy. Can I explain first?”
“Yes,” it whispered, and its voice was swallowed up by the soundlessness of space. But she heard it nonetheless.
“Phil and I shared our power for a very long time. Until he wanted more, wanted it all to himself. And I was condemned to this fate. Trapped. And I was rendered powerless for millennia, until I was able to amass enough to create your predecessors, who were still too weak, and then you , Tommy. My perfect creation. To take Phil’s place, to be my vessel that would act upon my will and rule over our domain for good. Over everything.”
It didn’t understand.
“I-“
“I wasn’t able to reach you for too long. He used his magic to prevent that. He was too strong. But just now, he tore a hole in space time, and it weakened him. And I was finally able to break through to you, Tommy.” She said its name like it was something precious. “And I’ll finally be able to speak to you. To rule with you.” She laughed again, this time saturated with relief.
Tommy said nothing.
“What I’m asking of you is simple. Do I have your permission to finally promote you, have you take over his position, and get rid of him? ”
“I… I don’t know how to…” To do anything . Let alone take over Phil’s duties in the universe.
Even if it was what his creator wanted.
“I would be there. In your head. Always. I would never have to leave you again, Tommy. We would be one. And finally, I would have control over everything.” Tommy blinked dumbly. “But you’d have complete autonomy,” she amended quickly. “I wouldn’t control you like Phil did. That wretched being, manipulating my creation. I’ll make him suffer for it.”
Tommy made a strangled noise. It wasn’t like it could refuse, anyway. But it had one concern on its mind.
“But… Wilbur?” it forced out shakily.
“Oh, your little friend from the world you made?” It could feel her smile whispered around it, finding it endearing. She terrified it, the extent of her power. But it nodded. “Yes, you can keep him. You’re sweet. I know you’ll care for the universe with as much love as you give to Wilbur , because you are kind and good. I made you well.”
The air around it began to harden more, forming more hands that ran through its hair and up its back, petting it lovingly. (It didn’t tense like it did when Phil touched it. But it didn’t lean in like it would for Wilbur.)
“Would you like to finally ascend to your true purpose, Tommy? I’ll help you every step of the way. You’ll have all of the power you need. The universe will be ours. Phil will be gone. I just need you to say yes.”
… If Tommy said yes, it could bring Techno back for Wilbur. It didn’t understand any of this, and there was so much, but it knew that it couldn’t refuse.
So, meekly yet definitively, it whispered a single word.
“Yes.”
And a wave of feeling hit it suddenly, and everything felt very heavy. It could feel her tugging it down into unconsciousness.
“I’ll be there when you awaken, my child,” her voice whispered from every side, surrounding it.
Tommy was pulled back into the darkness.
When he opened his eyes, he could feel something different. There was a voice in the back of his head, a buzzing presence.
“ Hello, Tommy, ” she whispered.
“Hello,” Tommy replied nervously.
“Tommy?”
Tommy jumped, almost falling off the bed.
It was just Wilbur. Tommy breathed a sigh of relief and collapsed into Wilbur’s arms. Wilbur paused for a second before allowing Tommy to melt into his hold.
“Is something wrong?” Wilbur asked.
“I can bring him back,” Tommy whispered fervently. “She got rid of Phil. I- I can bring Techno back.”
“Woah, wait, what? Back up a second.”
“The universe? I think-? I don’t understand, I wasn’t able- I was overwhelmed- listen. I need-“
Shit, wait, Tommy didn’t know if he could trust his own mind. What if this was all a trick from Phil to see if Tommy would misbehave if given the chance? How could Tommy assume that he could trust his creator just because he could feel her… presence… in the back of his head…
No, Tommy had to find out for himself.
He threw himself out of Wilbur’s lap and sprinted for the door. Ripping the door open- (“Woah, holy shit, you can open the door?” Wilbur gasped) -Tommy ran down the hallway to find Phil’s office. He had to see for himself.
“Tommy, wait, please-!”
There was no way Phil was just gone, without a trace, after everything he’d done to Tommy, after how powerful he was, after all of it. It wasn’t possible. Tommy’s creator couldn’t just get rid of Phil. Phil! Phil, the most powerful being in existence.
And Tommy certainly couldn’t take his place.
“Tommy, slow down, man,” Wilbur beckoned, still chasing after him. But Tommy couldn’t, he had to find out!
He made it to the doors of Phil’s office and rested his hand on the doorknob. Deep breath. And he slammed the door open.
The room was empty.
Nope. No way. Phil had to be somewhere else. With an expression of desperation, Tommy pushed past Wilbur to run down the hall. Maybe Phil was in the dining room! Sitting at the head of the table like he always was, flexing his position of power!
“Tommy! Please, tell me what’s wrong!”
Tommy ignored Wilbur. Wilbur would forgive him for this. But if Phil found out what Tommy had done-
“ Tommy. Stop ,” she hissed. Tommy froze, his heart jumping in his chest. He was trembling, yet he couldn’t will his legs to move.
Wilbur caught up to him.
“Tommy, what happened?”
“Uh, well,” Tommy laughed wetly. “I saw my creator, hah. Phil’s gone. Apparently. And she’s in my head , and I don’t know if I’m in control of myself, but I’m supposed to be Phil now? I- for everything? So…” Tommy took in a shaky breath and sighed. “I can… I… do you… Techno?”
Wilbur gasped. “You really mean…?” Tommy nodded. There was a silence that spoke volumes. And then, “No, I don’t want to.”
“What?”
“I just want to let him rest. Not to condemn him to an eternity he didn’t sign up for.”
“B- but you’re stuck here! I thought-“
“Yes, but I made the choice to be here, Tommy. I can’t just make the choice for him, y’know?”
“… Okay.”
“ He really does forgive you, you know. You’re very lucky to have him.”
“I know.”
“Now, apologize and tell him you’ll spend time with him shortly. I just have to use you for something momentarily, my Tommy.” Tommy nodded hesitantly.
“Wilbur, you can-“ He didn’t have to go to his room anymore! “- do anything you want, I’ll be back soon. Sorry. I have to t-“
Tommy’s vision went blue, like his eyes were glazed over with a desaturated version of the starry skies he’d previously been floating in. His mouth continued to move, but he couldn’t hear the words he was saying. And then his body moved on autopilot, walking without him.
He took the back seat, allowing her to take control. When he came to, jolted back into control, he was sitting in a room that he’d never seen before with Wilbur.
“Sorry,” he apologized compulsively.
“No, no, you haven’t done anything wrong.” Tommy blinked.
“It hasn’t set in yet,” he remarked numbly.
“I know. Me neither. It’s a lot.”
Tommy chuckled. “We won, though. This is what you wanted! R- right?“ It almost felt too easy. And yet… (Tommy still felt like he was a puppet, and now it was just a different entity holding the strings.)
“Right.” But Wilbur was happy. And that was what mattered.
It was finally just Tommy and Wilbur. He did it. Wilbur was his. Finally. Tommy won. He had his brother all to himself.
Finally.
He pulled his brother into a hug and sighed contentedly.