SAHLO FOLINA < tyler joseph x reader >

< 16 >

I managed to go to bed that night, which surprised me considering I was thinking about Tyler and that almost-kiss.

As I got dressed to go to breakfast, I resolved myself to talk to Tyler about it - no beating around the bush, no pretending it didn't happen. I was going to talk to him about it, and hopefully - maybe - actually kiss him that time.

I took a deep breathe, and made my way to the fire, where mostly everyone else was already sitting. I scanned the faces, but didn't see Tyler, so I walked over to Josh.

"Have you see Tyler?" I asked.

Josh shook his head, barely looking at me as he continued eating. "No."

A wave of panic and dread washed over me, but I pushed it down, thinking I was just being paranoid. "You haven't seen him at all today?"

He sensed my panic and put down his food, looking at me worriedly now. "No. I never saw him go to bed, and he wasn't there when I woke up this morning."

I was about to start hyperventilating. "Josh-"

"That doesn't mean he's not here somewhere. I could've just missed him. He's probably fine."

Josh turned to the other guys he shared a tent with - which included Clancy - and asked if they'd seen Tyler. They all said no.

"Oh, my-"

"I'll go check the tent, okay? Just stay calm," Josh said. He got up and took off, but I didn't wait there for him.

I took off, too.

"Graham!" I shouted, running to the leaders' tent. He walked out as I made it there. Max and Dina came out behind him. "Graham, Tyler is gone," I said, breathing heavily.

Graham looked grave, but he didn't look surprised. He shook his head ever so slightly. "Nico," he said. He ran his hands through his hair. "It was Nico. I was wrong."

"But-"

"Peter said he might be following us," he replied, looking anywhere but at me. He was thinking.

"Peter's just paranoid!" I insisted, though I already knew it was true.

"Maybe so," Graham replied, "but he was still right. It had to be Nico. No one else would've taken him."

"Taken him?" I asked. "What do you mean taken him?"

"He wouldn't've left on his own," Graham said. "Nico had to have taken him. He came all the way out here for him once; who's to say he wouldn't do it again?"

Tears were streaming down my face by then. "We have to save him."

"Of course we will," Graham replied with a wave of his hand; he was still thinking. "We need to make a plan. Gather up everyone. Probably wait for Amanda to get back-"

"Wait?!" I exclaimed. "Nico might kill him! We don't have time-"

"He didn't kill him the last time," Graham replied. "I don't think he will this time."

"But what if-"

He finally looked at me with all the sincerity in the world in his eyes. "Trust me, okay? Just trust me on this. I have a theory. And now I need a plan."

He, Max, and Dina all went back into the leaders' tent for a meeting. I walked back to the fire, trying to calm myself down. Josh was waiting there. "He wasn't-"

"I know," I said. I sat down and put my head in my hands. "Nico took him. Graham, Max, and Dina are making a plan now. I think we're going to wait for Amanda to get back."

"She'll be back by tonight," Josh said comfortingly; I was still crying. I couldn't stop myself.

"This never should've happened," I said.

"We didn't know he would follow us-"

"No, Josh," I said, looking up at him. "I was with him last night. We were sitting right here, talking, and then... and then I went to bed. I left him sitting here alone, and-" I realized something, then. "That was what Spencer was cawing at. He knew Nico was here. And I left Tyler alone with him."

"You couldn't've known."

"I never should've went to bed." I shook my head. "I never should've went to bed..."

Debby sat down next to me and hugged me to her, and Josh sat on my other side, his arm around my shoulder. Clancy got my breakfast, though I couldn't eat it, and the three of them sat with me until Graham came out of the tent and announced the situation.

"Tyler was taken by Nico last night. He followed us back from Dema and found the entrance to the foot path, so we will have to move our camp to a new location.

"However, most importantly, we have to go in and save Tyler. Dina and I will be leading a group into Dema to rescue him. Anyone who wishes to volunteer for this group needs to stay by the fire. Anyone who wishes to volunteer to help move the camp and all children need to follow Max."

He paused while the small group of children and some adults got up and followed Max. Peter and Caroline were among them, which I understood; they were young, and Dema still scared them too much to go back in.

Clancy, Debby, Josh, and I stayed where we were, as did a large amount of others.

Graham continued. "We're going to storm Dema - all of us. We're going to fight this time. Dina and I are going to confront Nico directly in order to get Tyler back. We need the rest of you to clear a path for us. Prevent Bishops, Watchers, and devoted citizens from interfering.

"A new age is coming, and it will be marked with this rescue. We leave as soon as possible. Everyone pack light a bag and report back here."

Everyone hurriedly got up to go pack. I was the first one back at the fire. Graham and Dina were still there, bags resting at their feet. Graham turned to me when I walked over.

"I found a way to leave before Amanda gets back," he said. "We already picked out a place to set up the new camp, so we'll know where to go on the way back."

"Thank you," I said in response to his first statement, my mind still mostly on Tyler. Where he was, what was happening to him.

Graham seemed to know this. "He's not in Dema yet. They only have half a day on us, Y/N. He's okay."

"He's with Nico; he's not okay," I replied.

Graham sighed. "He's alive. And he won't be dying any time soon."

Then, other people arrived at the fire, so our conversation was dropped. Max's group was already putting things on wagons to take to the new camp. Soon after, everyone from the Dema group made it back to the fire, and we left.

Graham and Dina walked in front, and Josh, Debby, Clancy, and I were directly behind them. Behind us was over half of the Banditos, and they were all completely silent.

••••
•I'LL GO WITH YOU•