Chapter Text
Everyone that knows at least a little bit about the dark web Knows who the Syndicate are, their gambling site and lives proved to be pretty popular to the ones that frequent the place for illegal activities, they were feared, nobody really knows who they are, always masked, always with voice changers and codenames, if you discovered something about them, you would be dead in minutes, everyone in the dark web knows, The Syndicate don’t forgive nor forget anything.
Their live shows happen every few days, and it’s always a fight to the death, whitch the viewers could bet on which one would win. They made loads of money in the few hours that that live was online, it was incredible how cruel humans were, showing only where nobody could know who they were.
Ranboo, Tubbo and Tommy were at school when tubbo started saying about how the police should try more to catch the Syndicate for the 100th time that week, Tubbo was a very good programmer and like his friends they were at the computing club of their school, they were very good at it, so this type of conversations were very commum to them, everytime Tubbo started discussing of how they could track down the Syndicate and hand them to the police.
Tommy and Ranboo never got to much into it, knowing how dangerous it would be to do something like that, the alway argue that they have a very good security seeing how they never got caught before, nobody got even close to where they really are, and those who got close, never were seen again.
“But I’m saying that this program could get information that the police don’t have access from their cell phones or computers without needing any passwords, it would be revolucionary for criminal investigations” Tubbo said excited about his new project, Tommy and Ranboo knew how much he wanted to use his abilities to do the right thing, so they always listened to him about his projects.
“Yeah… but if this got into the wrong hands, you know how much damage it would cause, I mean, their database is not that secure, anyone could hack into and get the program and use it for the wrong things.” Tommy said, hoping to help his friend see the flaws about what he wanted to do, just to make sure it wouldn’t go to the wrong hands.
“I didn’t think about that acctually, well after being used one time, the code would like self destruct itself, and would become useless, the same with moving it out of the main server of the police for exemple.” Tubbo said brainstorming ways to make the program safe from hackers.
“This is easy to get through and you know tubbo, the moment the hacker gets their hands on the spyware they will have all the power, I think they would have to up their digital security a lot, and would cost too much for that.” Ranboo said quiet as always, and before they could continue discussing the bell for the next class rang, and they ran to their classes, hoping to not arrive late.
Their classes went more fast than usual, the teacher not giving to much to what the trio was doing, and they weren’t that interrested in the class aswell, Ranboo was dodling at his book, Tommy was slepping and Tubbo was thinking about his new project, like he was the whole day.
After the classes are finnally done the three go their ways, unfortunally Tubbo goes the oposite way of Tommy and Ranboo, which really saddens them.
The duo continued their way until Tommy got a message and asked Ranboo to go to his house, which he accepted, walking in silence the rest of the way.
Tubbo believed he knew his friends and they would never keep a secret from him, even though the duo have their crypts moments he doesn’t understand at all, he likes to think they would never keep something important from him, so yeah, Tubbo doesn’t know, and as soon Tommy and Ranboo arrived both of them knew what was happening tonight.
A game was happening tonight, and the thing they keep Tubbo away from is the fact that: They are part of the Syndicate, one of the most feared online groups on the dark web, and they don’t play with it, they are as much in as the other members, Tommy’s whole family is in it, and another family friend is in there too.
Tommy remembers when he conviced Ranboo to join them, it was one of the best days he ever had, mostly because he finally had someone his age to work with and that fully undertand him, in his twisted ways, yeah nobody in the Syndicate were great people, I mean, they literally have a gambling site where people gamble on which person will survive, so yeah, they were not good people.
They accepted that fact a long time ago, and just lives with it, and while normally they don’t care about most people, there is one person they care a lot, Tubbo, he is their best friend, and don’t want to lose him, so both of them promised to never tell him about the Syndicate, which cause some akward talks with Tubbo, since he is so obssessed to cathch them, not knowing that he is talking to two members of the Syndicate almost everyday of his life.
Another motive they don’t invite him to join is because they know Tubbo will never accept, he don’t like what they do, and make it obivious to everyone that what Tommy and Ranboo would love to have in their team, but in what they would call “normal” conditions, would never happen.
The show tonight would be just another one. They were getting ready to go to the location where everything happened. Today they had programmed 5 fights, which would probabily have a duration of a couple of hours. They hoped at least, sometimes the fight would be very fast and they don’t really have the control of that, but the audience liked anyway so for them, everything was fine.
The Syndicate had a island not very far from the city they lived, the place were entirelly theirs to do anything, and because it’s very secluded, nobody could really pinpoint where the lives were from seeing the lives only, and Ranboo and Tommy made sure their ip was very secured, having somany customs firewalls made by them that it was almost impossible to enter.
Everyone got into their positions, with their masks while near cameras to not risk their identities and now only codenames were allowed, this was implemented to make sure no names were leaked to the world and ruin their plans.
Tommy and Ranboo stayed at the mastermind room, as they call it, mostly because they could see every inch of the place and where they clicked the live button, the room had a desk from one side to another and had more monitor than anyone could count, showing various informations at the same time.
Techno, Wilbur and Niki usually deal with the fighters, making sure they stayed in line and did not lash out on anyone before time, these people usually knew what they were doing, and they were doing it mostly for the money, well they only get it if they win, which is a difficult task.
And Phil was the one presenting the Show, keeping the audience entertained during pauses and incoviniences that rarely happened.
During the fights Phil stayed mostly with Tommy and Ranboo, seeing the fights from there, annoucing the next fighters everytime a new one entered the ring, it was always satisfying seeing how much people would bet on a uselless fight for them, but that was the way they gained profit, so there wasn’t really a reason to go against, in fact Phil incentivated them on betting.
“Eh… Zeth? I wanted to talk with you about something” Ranboo started saying, still a little bit in his school persona which is much more quiet and shy of what he really is, usually it is rare for him to be so into his “real” personality.
“Yeah mate, something happened?” Phil said already thinking if Ranboo would say something bad happened, it’s everyones worst fear while they are “working”.
“Nothing happened, is that I had an idea that could be really interesting to do you know? like to change a little bit of what we could do to the audience.” Ranboo said, finally catching Tommy’s atention to the talk on the other side of the room.
“Oh, go on mate, something new could be good for us too.” Phil said while still watching the fight going on in the monitor.
“Yeah! So Zeth I was thinking about doing something big, like a certain number of people in a game to win a prize, I think it could be money or something else I don’t know, but they needed to win various deadly games, and the last one to survive wins the price, and the audience could vote on polls and bet on who will survive the games, and could even like control what is going to happen inside the rooms.” Ranboo said relieved he finnally could get this idea somewhere, and tell Phil what they could do.
“It’s a very good idea I have to say Lethe, maybe you could bring it up at the next meeting.” Phil said going to anounce the next fighter in the ring.
“I really like the idea Lethe, could I help?!” Tommy said excited to finally do something new in the Syndicate, not that he didn’t like it but it gets boring sometimes.
“Yeah, of course Theseus, let’s do it together!” Ranboo said happy to have his friend to help him through his idea he was sure nobody would like.