SAHLO FOLINA < tyler joseph x reader >

< 19 >

After Nico left, I knew I couldn't just sit there and wait - either for him or for the Banditos. I started trying to escape. The shouts of the Banditos downstairs gave me courage and motivation.

Y/N is down there, I thought. I continued to pull against my restraints.

Then, I heard voices outside the door. They were muffled, but I could make out what they were saying.

"He's in here. This door is barred."

"It's going to be difficult to get this off..."

I tried to scoot my chair closer to the door. Those were Banditos. "Hello?" I said.

"Tyler?" the first voice asked. "Is that you? It's Graham and Dina."

"Yeah, it's me," I replied, relieved to know it was him. "Where's Y/N?"

"Downstairs, leading a group."

I smiled. "Of course."

"We're going to try to open the door, okay?" Dina said. "You just hang in there."

"Okay." Meanwhile, I continued trying to get out of the chair.

I was going to get out of there. I was going to be safe. I just had to get out of that chair.

<><><>

We fought the Watchers for a while, but then more Bishops came. No one stopped fighting for them. And none of them were Nico.

They came one at a time; more than one of them at once would confused the Watchers, which we found out when Reisdro and Lisben tried to fight us at the same time. Lisben left.

The Watchers were numerous, and while they had horrible eyesight, they were powerful. That and the bright lights they used to see made it hard for us to fight. But we still did.

The Bishops weren't the best at actual fighting - they normally didn't do that sort of thing - but they did damage. So much that we called Josh's group in. Only a few stayed outside to keep the really devoted civilians from the ones in the graveyard.

Most of us were up against a Bishop, the rest were still fighting off Watchers. Some of us were injured, and those who were too injured to fight Watchers went outside and traded spots with an able-bodied Bandito.

We could win. However bleak it looked, Graham and Dina were going to get Tyler and we would leave with him, and it would all be over. We would win.

We just weren't sure when.

<><><>

I was still restrained when I heard a crash outside the door. I stopped. "Graham? Dina?"

The door opened.

Graham and Dina ran in and started untying me. Graham looked at Dina. "You go downstairs and tell them I'm coming with Tyler, and it's almost time to go." Dina nodded and left, then Graham started talking to me. "We're going downstairs and running straight for the exit tunnel, okay? Everyone else will follow."

"Okay."

He got me untied and we ran for the door.

But someone suddenly stood in the doorway.

"Somehow I knew this would happen while I was gone," Nico said. "It's sad how hard you try."

"It's sad that you won't let go," I replied.

Nico stepped toward us - toward me. "Tyler, I want more than anything to be able to leave you to die out there in Trench. But here we are."

"I was right," Graham suddenly said. He was about to smile. "I was right about you. You're just-"

Nico hit him so hard he was pushed back and fell to the ground with a thud.

"Graham!"

I ran to him, and he sat up weakly and pushed me away gently. "You go. I'll hold him off."

"No-"

"You delusional old man," Nico said, walking toward us. "You think you can stop me? Even for a moment? You're as Bandito as they come."

"I take that as a compliment."

"Of course you would."

Nico abruptly grabbed me by the arm and pulled me up so hard my shoulder almost went out of place. Graham grabbed me, too, trying to pull me away from Nico. I fought against him and he dropped me. I hit the ground hard. My head banged against the floor.

I heard a groan, but it wasn't mine.

I could see Nico clutching his head, but I couldn't stand. Graham did, though. He got to his feet and hit Nico as hard as could in the stomach, shouting at me to run. I tried to get up, but I doubled over. I was in pain. My stomach hurt. My head was pounding.

I staggered to my feet as Graham punched Nico in the face. I fell over, my own face smarting. It made the headache worse.

"Go, Tyler!" Graham shouted. "Fight through it! Go!"

"You idiot," Nico spit. I saw him grab Graham by the throat and lift him in the air. This wasn't like when he grabbed me. He was actually cutting off his air supply.

He was going to kill him.

"No!" The scream tore through my throat. I scrambled to get off the floor.

"Go, Tyler," Graham chokes out. "Tell Y/N-"

Nico cut him off.

"Graham!" I got up and ran at Nico, throwing all my weight into knocking him over. He stumbled and dropped Graham, who gasped for air.

Nico whirled on me and hit me hard across the face. He winced.

"This ends now."

"Yes - it does."

••••
•YOUR EXTERIOR WORLD CAN STEP OFF INSTEAD•