"People of this good nation!" Schlatt called. "I am glad that you are enjoying yourselves!"
There was silence. They weren't the only ones who knew what was happening.
"I am glad you are enjoying yourselves," he repeated. "But not everyone here is planning to have fun. Some of us have other motives. This man, this boy, is guilty of conspiring against our great nation of Manburg with the traitors WilburSoot and TommyInnit!"
Again, there was no response. Dream did not know if Schlatt expected applause, but if he were to get it, it would be reluctant at best. Schlatt was insane. And he was displaying his fervor in front of his subjects. There was no future in tyranny, not for Schlatt.
Dream glanced down at Technoblade. He couldn't see Techno's expression, but he imagined it. Dream had a feeling Manburg would not remain standing for much longer.
"The very people that we kicked out of this nation, the traitors who tried to gain control without a proper vote!" Schlatt continued after a moment. "And do you know what happens to traitors, Tubbo?"
Silence again. Tubbo's expression had shifted from confusion and shock to fear.
"Nothing good." Schlatt slowly turned away from Tubbo to face the crowd. His face was set, with effort, into a grim scowl. Dream could tell he longed to grin.
"Nothing good," he repeated, then held out a hand downwards, towards the crowd. The first row. The last seat on the right. Techno's seat.
"Technoblade, could you please come up here?"
Dream watched. He was once again losing control, and this time he couldn't do anything about it.
He glanced down at the crowd. They weren't happy. But what could they do? Schlatt wasn't breaking any rules. At least, the rules he was breaking were only moral.
"Technoblade," Schlatt said when he was up on the stand. There was a pause. Everyone knew what was coming, but that just made the anticipation worse. "I want you to take him out."
"Where do you want me to take him out to?" Techno asked. Dream almost laughed. Even in the middle of all of this, he was still Technoblade. "I heard of this new place that sells nice cakes down the street. Should I take him out there?"
"You're not gonna take him out to dinner, you're gonna kill him!" Schlatt clarified. Clearly, he was not amused by Technoblade's antics.
"Uh."
Dream was tensed. His body was taut, like a spring. As if he could do anything even if he got there fast enough.
He forced himself to relax by looking away. He sat heavily on the edge of the roof, a small crunch sounding. Tommy glanced his way, but he quickly turned his attention back to the scene in front of him.
Dream breathed in deeply, then he froze.
They weren't the only ones hidden here. There was another person on another roof.
Nightmare. Of course.
He wouldn't miss such an occasion. Dream wondered if he knew before it happened that Tubbo was going to die. It was possible. He knew that Nightmare had offered help to Wilbur, but there was a high chance that he wasn't really on their side.
Dream grit his teeth. There was no real reason Nightmare would join them unless he had something very specific to gain from it. It wasn't unthinkable that Nightmare would have told Schlatt that Tubbo was a traitor. In fact, it made more and more sense as Dream thought about it.
Dream squeezed his eyes shut. Everywhere he looked there was another barb. Schlatt, Tubbo, Technoblade, Nightmare. Quackity. Sam.
Dream gasped, then groaned as another memory surfaced for a brief moment. Pain, Quackity, and Sam. He was panting, gripping the edge of the roof. He could feel it beneath his fingers, the smooth stone slabs digging into the edges of his fingers, slightly warm wherever he had touched them...
Wait. They were warm? How? Dream had thought that they wouldn't be affected by him, since he was...
Incorporeal...
Dream paused, then he looked up. And met Tommy's eyes. Straight on.