They Rely On Hope. What Do I Rely On? - Tommyinnit Adoption AU

Chapter 122

TW: mention of nausea, poor health, bad coping mechanisms and forgetting to eat due to stress

"So..." 17 began, "If you're up to screaming, then you're up to train, let's go."

No. No he couldn't do it. He couldn't. His arm... but he had to. How could he say no? They would kill him. They would kill him. Tommy knew that now, knew it well. They didn't care who lived, they didn't care who died. They didn't care. Anyone could fight. He was simply a tool for entertainment, if he couldn't entertain them anymore, they would throw him out. Only, they wouldn't let him leave alive. They would kill him just for fun.

Tommy hissed in pain as he moved, using his mostly uninjured arm to help him up. That pain only tripled as he pushed himself to standing, stumbling as he did so. The world blurred around him and nausea rushed up his throat. He gritted his teeth, swallowing the feeling down. He would not throw up now. He could not.

Blinking hard, Tommy turned to face 17, wishing the haze covering his vision would fade. As he stepped forward the world spun around him, but he didn't stop. He couldn't stop.

Movement came from the blurred figure that was 17 and Tommy flinched away, knowing it was the wrong choice but doing it anyway.

Too much. This was too much. The pain, the nausea, the heat, the fear, the dizziness, the exhaustion, all of it was too much. Everything was too much. Everything except the stupid air. Why was there so little air? Each ragged breath Tommy dragged in felt like it was bringing less and less air.

When the blackness covered his vision as he fell, succumbing to the dizziness, Tommy wasn't even surprised. He had fought. Tubbo would be proud. Now he couldn't do anything, so he would rest. He could finally rest.

——————————

Puffy POV:

Puffy didn't get it. None of this made sense. There were no leads, no connections, nothing to prove XD's actions other than his motive. Dream refused to say a word, probably knowing nothing would help. Right now he was only in for child abuse and assault, 10 years give or take. If he wasn't careful and this fighting ring was proven, there would be no getting out. Not ever. So, Dream would not talk, and Puffy couldn't make him.

The police had given up on her, said there was no proof of any such ring, claimed Techno was delusional, but Puffy knew he wasn't. The police were looking for one kidnapped child, Puffy was looking to expose something much, much larger.

"Puffy?" A soft voice asked from the doorway, and she looked up, meeting Phil's concerned eyes.

"What's up?" Puffy asked with a sigh, pulling her spiralling mind away from Tommy and focusing it on Phil.

"When's the last time you ate? Or slept?" Phil asked, the voice wasn't accusatory, but Puffy recognised the words. They were the same she had asked Tommy and countless other kids before. Sometimes it was their choices, other times the choice had been taken from them. Puffy still remembered the drive here with Tommy. Still remembered the way he had fallen asleep, completely exhausted. Remembered how he had scoffed down his food, remembered all of that.

With a soft sigh, she checked the time on her computer, and when that didn't tell her anything useful, she checked the date.

3 days. 3 days since she had slept, and she remembered waking up from that annoyed for wasting time. She had eaten then, but that was the last time.

"Eret got me coffee, so I've been drinking that, but it's been 3 days since I slept," Puffy admitted, her eyes dropping away from Phil's gaze.

"You won't find him like this," Phil sighed, "I'll make you some food, then let's get you to bed. Maybe when you wake up, you'll be able to find something, but not like this."

Phil was right. Of course he was. He always was. She had been searching for weeks though. It had been so long. So fucking long and there were no answers. She had moved into Phil's office out of convenience, setting up a mattress in here, not that she had used it much. The desk had quite quickly become coated with paperwork. Files upon files upon files that might explain this. Something that would explain anything, but nothing was showing up.

Fallaron was doing the same, scanning everything out there for any clues. So far, nothing. Neither of them could find anything.

"Come on Puffy, you've got to get up, look after yourself," Phil murmured, gently trying to pull her away from her work. She appreciated it, and she didn't fight. She needed a break. Desperately. But Tommy needed her. Even more desperately. She knew it. She knew he needed her. She had to find a way to get him. She couldn't waste time. Not while he was in that hellhole Techno had described.

"I can't, please, I need to find him," Puffy begged, returning to her seat, pulling up another file. Just one more. Maybe this would be the one that would tell her something, anything.

"You will find him Puffy, but not like this, please, I don't want another hospital visit. You need to look after yourself."

"Fine," Puffy sighed, standing up. She needed some food, and then she would sleep. It might help. Maybe. She hoped so. She really desperately hoped so.

"How are the kids going?" She asked making use of the wasted time, following Phil downstairs. She didn't want them to be anything like she was. They needed to look after themselves. Puffy, she could cope, but they were just kids, some as young as Tommy. They shouldn't have to deal with this. Not while they were so young.

"They're staying close to each other, looking after each other. Their parents try to come in most days, but there isn't enough room for everyone. It's a mess, they can't leave, and their parents can't stay."

"It's cruel," Puffy murmured, "Simply cruel."

Words: 1000

A/N: I'm very sleepy writing this authors note and I forgot what I was gonna write so u get this ig XD I love u all so much, thank u for sticking with the fic, I hope u don't mind the Puffy pov, just wanted to remind u all that everyone is still worried about him, even though we don't see them much :]