We fucked up. We put too much trust in the wiki.
Turns out that the meeting happened at Manburg.
Fuck it, the meeting's at Pogtopia.

I call this Book Logic 2: Electric Boogaloo. 

In the 7+ hours you'd been away from Pogtopia, you couldn't say it had gotten any prettier. Sure, there were rope-ladders spanning the canyon (You bet that Tommy had been chosen to install those) and some flimsy-looking plywood walkways, and an overwhelming amount of lanterns, but it was still just a ditch in the ground. Below you, you could see Wilbur and Tommy standing with their arms crossed, but Techno was nowhere to be seen. You wordlessly led the group down the thin path carved into the side of the mountain, thankful that Niki had moved back up in-between you and Schlatt. As you landed on the dusty stone floor, there was a slight blur of pink in the corner of your eye, but, when you turned, there was nothing but rock and lanterns.

Quietly, you left Schlatt and the others as Tommy stepped up, saying something about 'pogs' and 'bitches'. Creeping up to the rockface, you peered around the corner, spotting a reflection of light against the wall, as if the weak lantern light was reflecting off of a mirror... or a crown.

You grinned as your pace picked up, stepping into a brisk trot as you rounded the corner, definitely not planning to sneak up on him. Right when you turned the corner, your legs were swept out from under you and you fell on the ground, the wind knocked out of you. Above you, Techno had a sword to your throat, chuckling slightly.

"Ayo, I didn't think you were the type to murder someone by stabbing them in the back," you teased, grinning.

"It's not backstabbing-murder, it's stealthy, forced removal of life," he protested. The two of you stared at each other for a long moment before simultaneously bursting into laughter. "Good to see you, piglet," Techno said, sheathing the sword and helping you up.

After dusting yourself off, you followed him further back into the tunnels, which twisted so much you lost track of where you were going. Eventually, you arrived at a large cave, almost like a mini ravine, tucked back behind the maze of tunnels and rock faces. There was a singular, uncomfortable-looking wooden chair dead in the middle of the room with the solitary lantern hanging directly above it.

"Wilbur, uh, he dubbed this my 'hidey-hole', whatever that means." Technoblade set a crafting table down in the corner, pulling out a hammer and nails. "Basically, I'm supposed to sit in here whenever Schlatt or, uh, Quackity comes along. As you can see, Tommy has lavishly furnished this lovely place. I'm not sure what Wilbur was thinking," he said, hammering in a few nails. "Like what, am I supposed to just... sit here until the meeting is over?" He turned around, hauling another wooden chair off the crafting bench. "So," Techno said, placing the chair down and sitting on it, crossing his legs and staring at you, "have you considered Wilbur's... offer?"

Spy on Pogtopia for me. Schlatt's words drifted back into your mind, haunting you. How were you supposed to spy on Pogtopia for him without pissing off Wilbur and Tommy? How did you spy on one side while keeping your friends on both sides? How did you keep everyone happy? How were you supposed to get yourself out of this tangled mess? How did you-

The answer hit you like a ton of bricks. In fact, it was so obvious you were minorly terrified you hadn't thought of it before.

You looked up, meeting Techno's expectant eyes. "As a matter of fact, I have. Tell him I accept."

->->->->O<-<-<-<-

You had taken the seat next to Technoblade, the two of you deep in conversation, talking about what had happened.

"-And that's when Schlatt appeared and offered me my freedom. Well, at a price. You see, that's the only reason I'm helping the government right now: My freedom. Well, that and the fact that I can't wait to have a front row seat as they burn the country down from the inside." You paused to take a drink from your canteen. "Then, we went to L'- sorry, Manburg, and watched as Big Q challenged Wilbur to a debate. So we spent a day building it, up in the sky for some reason. Then, we had the whole debate thing. It was pretty boring."

"Who won?" Techno asked, leaning forward.

"The debate? I actually don't know. I left before the halfway point. But then, then we had the actual election. See, Schlatt and I rigged the votes. It was amazingly funny, the look on Tommy's face, when he realized that POG2020 had lost. So they fled, we chased 'em, and the rest you know."

You paused, remembering everything that had happened and how far away the War for Independence felt now. For the first time in a while, you realized with a start, you actually thought of Ranboo. Where did he go? Why hadn't he come to L'manburg when you asked? Had he forgotten about you, the way he'd always joked? Did he no longer care about your friendship? No, he must have just not seen the note. It's a big book, after all, you tried to tell yourself, but it didn't work, because you know something with absolute certainty:

He forgot me.

->->->->O<-<-<-<-

Around an hour later, Techno led you back out to the main ravine. He hid behind a rock spire, but you kept walking.

"Where's Sh- ah, there she is!" Schlatt greeted you, smacking you on the back. "Ready to go?"

You glanced over, seeing Wilbur walking over to Techno's rock spire and listen to something. You noted the surprise that flashed in his eyes before he glanced at you, confusion and suspicion mixed together.

"Actually, Schlatt, I'm gonna stay here for a while, raid the chests," you said with a smirk, but you gave him a barely noticeably nod. Understanding dawned in Schlatt's eyes, and he gave you a big grin.

"Of course. Always the busy worker, my Y/N." He walked away, Fundy, Niki, and Quackity following him. You caught Wilbur's eye and grinned at him.

"Glad you made the right choice, Shadow," He said quietly.

Tommy tackled you in a hug. "Are you really staying?" he asked.

You gave the child and slightly annoyed smile. "Yes Tommy, I agreed to Wilbur's suggestion." You felt strangely giddy, but you knew why.

Because you were double-crossing both sides.

----------------

1068 words

----------------

Sorry this took so long, children.

Plugging time:
A New Wilbur Soot X Reader is coming soon :D It has to do with Sea-spirits and Sally.
We're looking for two or three answers to the polls in Tangled Timelines before we write the first chapter :)

Thanks y'all!

TA TE CHILDREN!