Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Technoblade stormed into the throne room. He looked feral. His ruby red morning robe fluttered as he sped towards the throne. His red eyes were filled with rate and his untamed, light brown hair stood up in every direction. Shocked eyes followed him through the room, but he paid them no mind.

"Eret! What do you mean I have to cut my hair?!"

The whole room went quiet. Guards and Noblemen alike turned their heads. The treasurer let out an awkward cough. This was not an unusual scene for them to see. And yet, it wasn't less unsettling. Very slowly, all eyes turned towards the throne. King Eret stayed quiet. He looked indifferent, but Technoblade knew better. His uncle was mortified.

"Your 18th birthday is in a week. You will have to look presentable."

"Do I look like I care?"

Quiet gasps and murmurs filled the room. Erets expression hardened.

"I-"

"Do I?!"

"Silence, now. I do not have to listen to your silly tantrums. You will have your hair cut. You are dismissed now."

"..."

Everything was quiet while the King and Crown prince stared each other down. There was an unsettling tension sparkling in the air. Finally, Technoblade spoke up.

"I will not."

With that, he turned on his heels, his chin raised in a rebelling pride, and left.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

5 hours later, Technoblade raked his hand through his hair. Eret would not be happy. Served them right. What did he think, trying to have Technoblade cut his hair –

The door opened, interrupting him in his thoughts.

“Did it work?”

Niki stood in his doorframe, eyeing his head thoughtfully. She pushed a strand of her pink hair behind her ear.

“Yeah. Thank you for your advice, Niki.”

“No problem, baby brother! We match now.”

“We do… please don’t call me that.”

Niki giggled. Techno ignored her teasing. He turned back to his mirror, eyeing once more his pink dyed hair.

He had his servant do the most of it, of course, but his sister had told them how to do it. Niki had a small garden of her own, full of Elderberry trees. Techno had never given it a thought before, but it turns out, that is what she used to dye her hair with. Elderberries.

His servant had immediately been in on the idea. Technoblade knew it shouldn’t concern him what his servant thought. But it did. The man was like a brother to him. So yes, his opinion did matter to him. Was that wrong?

A second time, his sister interrupted his thoughts.

“What are you thinking about?”

“Hm? Nothin’.”

“Are you worried about the Monarch? They will not be pleased.”

“That was the point.”

“So that’s why you reached out to me? Rebellion? Geez, Tech. I know you’re better than this.”

“It’s a message. A message that I won’t let any of these morons boss me around or take my place.”

“That still sounds a little childish, don’t you think?”

“I don’t care.”

“If you say so, Tech…”

“Uhm… sorry to interrupt.”

Both siblings turned to the third voice. Techno watched the man in front of him with raised eyebrows.

“Will?”

Will smiled excusingly, with a glimmer of excitement. He stood almost as tall as Techno, warm brown eyes staring up at him through his worn-down glasses. His brown locks stood up wildly into every direction. A few red stains were visible on his fingers. Technoblade squinted his eyes.

“You didn’t wash your hands.”

Will whined in protest.

“I did! Elderberry juice is hard to get off. Don’t give me that look, you still have stains on your scalp!”

“Lies and slander!”

Technoblade laughed. So did Will. Niki sighed softly, watching them with a fond smile. She patted her brother’s shoulder.

“I’ll see you in the evening… don’t burn down the castle please.”

“No promises!”

Will gave her a cheeky grin. Technoblade only hummed at her words. He watched his bigger sister leave the room, then turned to Will.

“I am in the mood for a hunt. Do you need help with your chores?”

“Oh no don’t worry, your highness. I’m ready.”

“Oh, don’t call me that.”

Chapter Text

“Come on, you’re better than that, Blade!”
Technoblade growled. He lunged forwards, right into the blade of is opponent – or not? Just in the last second, he shifted his weight on his right foot, his upper body swaying to the side. The movement was subtle, but enough to dodge and spin around as soon as the tip of the blade had passed his shoulder. He met his sword with it, gently pushing it to the side. His back was now facing his opponent, but that didn’t matter, because both swords were under his control now. A firm turn of his wrist, and he had the man disarmed.
“Am I now?”
He held his own sword in front of the nobleman’s nose for a second, then lowered it with a sigh. This was boring. He didn’t even sweat.
“Anyone else?”
The sparring place fell silent. Nobody liked to spar with Technoblade. No matter who tried it, the fight never lasted over a minute. But that wasn’t the worst.
He was always so arrogant.
He really wasn’t. But he knew the others thought so. He couldn’t really blame them. He knew he should be jumping around more. Shout and curse and motivate his sparring partner. But he saw no sense in it. They were boring, and he was lazy. Also, he was very socially awkward.
“Guess I gotta.”
Will saved him from the silence, striding up to him with the confidence of a hundred swordsmen. Techno knew the confidence was justified. He smirked.
“Yeah. You’ll have to.”
“Geez Tech, whatever would you do without me.”
It was then that Techno stopped feeling every glare on the place on him. They were on Will.
He knew the other noblemen deemed him weird. He knew their shocked faces whenever he barged into the castle with a dead boar in his hands. He knew they turned their heads in disgust every time he put his boots on the dining table or gasped whenever he spoke up to King Eret. Crown prince or not, he was weird, and he knew it. But for some reason, Will was weirder. Or rather, the way they addressed each other. Technoblade knew Will was supposed to serve him, to obey every word and not speak up. But that wasn’t Will. That was boring. He had known Will since years now, since Wills mother started taking care of him. They were best friends. They were brothers. So, mind you, he wasn’t gonna be mad when Will talked to him like that. No. Instead, he just raised his sword against Will with a grin.
“Bring it on.”
Will grabbed a sword and attacked. Technoblade blocked the attack and pushed forwards, trapping them both in a breath-taking, brutal fight. They didn’t aim for any lethal spots, obviously, but continued their deadly looking dance. Will let out a laugh. Techno grunted and increased his speed. He looked grim, focused. For once he didn’t notice all eyes lay on them. He didn’t notice how the dust whirled around him. Whatever would usually distract him, he didn’t even spare it a glance. His eyes were all on his opponent. That’s what he wanted. Like in the good old times. When he didn’t disarm his sparring partners in seconds.
The fight lasted about two minutes before Technoblade was kneeling in the mud over his servant, sword at his throat. Both men were panting and glaring at each other. Techno slowly got up and reached his hand out to Will.
“Good fight.”
He scanned his friend for injuries. Mud covered his friend’s thin shirt, but there was no blood in sight. Good. Will got up with his help and swung his arm around Techno’s shoulders, lazily leading him away.
“So, what now?”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The ceremony. Will was excited. He was also much more enthusiastic than Technoblade. In fact, Will got the impression Technoblade wasn’t enthusiastic at all.
“What’s wrong, Tech?”
“Heh? Oh. Don’t worry about it.”
“Too late. Is it about your birthday party?”
“It’s not a party, Will. Parties are fun. This is a ceremony. It will be pain.”
He sighed dramatically. Will knew Techno had successfully been avoiding King Eret. It would be their first reaction to the prince’s very un-cut, pink hair. He could tell it made Techno nervous. Not necessarily about the reaction itself, but more the conversation that would follow afterwards and the tension before it.
“Alright. But you know you chose this on your own.”
“You could’ve stopped me.”
“I could’ve.”
Techno groaned. Will chuckled softly and sat beside him.
“Aww come on, you’ll be fine! It’ll be like washing out a wound. It’ll itch a bit, but it’ll be better in the end.”
Techno grunted softly but didn’t talk back. Will grinned. Success! Almost. Technoblade still wasn’t any calmer.
“I don’t know. I still can’t help the feelin’ something terrible is going to happen."

Chapter Text

Technoblade had never been more tense. Well, he probably had, but that’s what it felt like. He wore a fancy white shirt with golden embroidery and a big annoying jabot. It moved when he did, and it was way too distracting. On top of that, he had a fat purple coat on his shoulders. It too had gold embroidery and fur on its collar that softly tickled his neck. It was warm and cozy – Technoblade hated it. He hated everything about it. About what it meant and stood for. About the power it held, even if it shouldn’t. It reminded him of his governmental position, and the flaws that came with said government. Maybe if he had made different experiences, he wouldn’t… He turned away from his room, facing the door. These thoughts were a waste of time. He went outside, meeting the guards gaze. The guard immediately turned away. Good. Technoblade stomped through the hall, not bothering to mask his emotions. Should he? Maybe it wouldn’t be that bad.
Flap, flap, flap.
Damned jabot. It would definitely be that bad.
With a sulky expression he entered the big hall where everyone was standing. Eret was outside on the balcony already, talking to the crowd of peasants that had gathered below the castle. It was a big day, and the front garden was full of people. Techno looked at his sister. She gave him a sympathetic smile he chose to ignore. Erets advisor paled at the sight of Technos pink hair, but didn’t say anything. Instead, he hushed onto the balcony, to Eret. Snitch.
A hand landed on Technoblades shoulder. It was Will. He took a deep breath, untensing his shoulders. Will was right. He couldn’t change it, so he might as well make the best of it. He just really didn’t want to.
Finally, he was called outside. He opened the door, meeting Erets stare with an expressionless face. The monarch looked furious but didn’t say anything. With an all-too-friendly smile they turned back around to the crowd.
“And here he is, the boy, a man now, that never failed to surprise us: Prince Technoblade!”
Technoblade held his hand up and waved awkwardly at the crowd, surprised how many people cheered. Why would they care about him? To them, he was just some stuck-up royal brat, wasn’t he? They didn’t know him. All they knew was he liked to cause problems on purpose. They didn’t know he hated being a prince and they didn’t know he was the one that regularly sent Will out to hand money to poorer families in town. And yet, they cheered, because he was the crown prince. The thought made him itch. That didn’t feel right.
“Hulloo. Thank you for comin’ here for my birthday.”
He starts reciting the prepared speech, already dreading the celebration that is about to begin. Little did he know, it won’t get this far.
The door to the balcony slams open. There is a hissing noise, a painful shout, and Technoblades snapped his head around, dreading the implications of what he had just heard.

He looked in the direction the hissing noise had come from. He made out a small person, covered in dark shadows of the crowd. He squinted his eyes. They had their face hooded and a dark cloak over their person. There were only 2 things he could make out. Firstly, a red glowing heart necklace dangled over their chest. Secondly, they were holding a bow. Wait. A bow? Oh. Why didn’t it hurt?
Technoblade didn’t even have time to fully react. He found himself wrapping his arms around a person that slumped against him. Brown curly hair tickled his neck. He had to hold the person upright. Who even was it? He looked down.
“T-Tech…”
Wills hand grasped Technos shirt, clutching onto it. His head fell against his shoulder. He coughed up something red. OH.
Techno tightened his grasp around his friend. His brother. He barely noticed how guards stormed the balcony and dragged the two inside. He didn’t let go. He wouldn’t ever.
“Will! What happened?! HELP!! Someone get a medic!”
He heard people shuffle away, clothes rustling, someone moved next to him. He didn’t make the effort to see who it was; it didn’t matter.
“Techno, listen…”
“Will, hang on, the medic is on the way.”
“N-no, Techno…”
“Shh, don’t speak. You can’t speak right now, alright?”
Technoblades voice jittered. He took a deep breath, trying to remain calm. Everything will be alright. Will will be alright.
“Techno I won’t-“
Will coughed again. Techno sad down, cradling him in his lap.
“I-I won’t make it.”
“You will. You’re goin’ to. You have to!”
There was something wet on his cheek. Will reached his hand out, wiping it away.
*
There was so much blood on his hand. Technos gaze wandered down. Blood spilled out of his best friends chest in little waves. The arrow that sticked out was slightly crooked, the skin around ripped open in a way that looked very painful. It looked like it had hit him right between his ribs. Not in the heart though. Maybe there was still a chance? But deep down, Techno knew there wasn’t. The wound was deep, and Will was bleeding out. Slowly and painfully.
*
He wanted to do something, help somehow... but there was nothing he could do. If Will had just stood a little different… But hold on. Hadn’t Will waited inside? Realisation struck Technoblade, and it hit him like a battering ram.
The arrow was meant for him.
His blood ran ice cold. He stared at Will with an equally pale face, except his wasn’t because of blood loss. He didn’t know what to do. He just sat there, frozen in place, arms around his dying friend. It was only when Will shuddered that he lowered his gaze again and held him closer. A wine escaped Wills lips.
“I-I’m… cold…”
“Shhh… help will be here soon…”
“Tech…”
Will softly shook his head. Tears glistered at the edges of his eyes. A pained smile flashed over his lips.
“I’ll see you on the other side…”
He closed his eyes. His breath hitched, once, twice. Then it stopped, and Technoblade screamed, loud enough to echo through the whole castle.

Chapter Text

The following week, Technoblade felt like he wasn’t really there. It was like he stood by his body, watching as every day got dragged out to eternity. Nothing he did made sense, but it didn’t matter enough to bother. He didn’t care about anything, and everything was just so exhausting. His brother was dead. The world felt grey. His actions felt silly. Technoblade felt hollow.
He even almost got the haircut that Eret demanded. But then he had instead decided to lose his temper, because what on earth was she thinking? Why did that matter now?!
Everyone around him treated him like a lose canon. It didn’t really work. If any, it just made him mad. Really mad. He wasn’t some little child, and NOTHING would be fine, because it never been fine. Just more bearable around Will. Eventually, he snapped.
“WHAT?!? NO! I don’t want another servant. I don’t need one!”
He sat in a big dining hall at the end of a long, elegant table made of dark oak wood. His hands clutched the dark purple tablecloth. Niki sat on his left, next to their mother. The meal long forgotten now, Techno stared at the monarch who sat calmly at the other end of the table.
“You will need one. You are an adult now, you’ll have to take your duties a bit more serious.”
“Oh, that’s what this is about. You’re forcin’ me to accept a new servant so you can keep shovin’ your responsibilities on me? Nah, forget it.”
“This is not about your work or my work. It’s about teaching you. About putting your education into practice. Do you...”
Technoblade stopped listening, his focus now on the candle that flickered in front of him. It wasn’t his ADHD kicking in- no. It was the fact that he would punch the monarch if he listened for any second longer. Rage roared inside him like an ugly monster, rattling at its cage.
“-noblade, are you even listening?”
Technos hand slammed onto the table, so hard everyone at the table flinched. One of the guards marched over, stopping only directly behind him. He flipped them off and growled. When the guard didn’t budge, he ignored them and turned back to Eret.
“I will NOT accept another servant. Try me.”
“Look, I have given you your time to mourn, I know you viewed this man as a friend of yours, but- “
“DO NOT act like you understand any of this! You have NO idea what it’s like- Will was like a brother to me and if I ever catch you say one bad word about him I will- “
“Techno, stop.”
Erets voice was soft, melancholic. Sadly, he had heard this voice one too many times. Technoblade lost it. He didn’t even bother to answer. He jumped up, hopped onto his chair and onto the table. He darted across it, stretched his elbow back and then – he punched Eret straight in the face. The monarch had no time to react. The punch sent them flying back with his chair and hitting his head on the ground with a groan. Blood flowed out of her nose. Technos mother shrieked in surprise while Niki yelled out for her brother. He only had a moment to recognise their voices before he was swarmed by guards and pulled off the table. He started punching around, standing his ground but soon outnumbered. It was only when he saw a sword blinking at him that he realised he was in serious trouble this time. Gosh, why did they have to make such a fuss out of punchin’ his auncle?
Eret sat on the ground now, blood on the back of their hand. He stared at the crown prince, spitting out the words that made Technos blood run cold.
“Put him in the dungeons until he comes back to his senses.”
He had to act. Now. He looked out of the window. He didn’t even have to think about it. He ran, shielded his face, and then jumped.
Luckily for him, he was stronger than the glass. Unluckily for him, it was the third floor. Techno was very lucky he wasn’t above the huge main hall. He spread his arms out in the air and looked down onto the ground before him. That was going to hurt. He buckled his legs and got ready for the impact. He landed on his feet with a low grunt and a painful krch before rolling over the ground. Damn it. He got the timing wrong. Like a fool.
Loud shouts were audible from above. Technoblade got up and started running towards the gates. Luckily, the adrenaline in him took over, washing over the pain. With a fierce determination, he booked it, slipping through the closing gate and hiding in the shadows of the village. He knew he didn’t have much time, but he also wouldn’t make it far outside the village. He had to find shelter. He looked around. There! An open window into the attic. If he could just… With a sigh, he started climbing the wall. His left food ached whenever he shifted his weight. Finally, accompanied by a pained grunt, he slumped through the window onto the floor. He allowed himself to close his eyes for a second, relaxing. He had made it. He was stealthy. Nobody would know.
“…Dad…?”
Wait a second. That can’t be good. He opened his eyes to see the person in front of him. A child? The boy was at least 15, tall and thin. He had messy blonde hair and scared, blue eyes. He also didn’t look like he had eaten in days. Techno only had the time to sit up before a trapdoor opened and another unfamiliar head poked through. The man was much older, but with the same blonde hair and warm blue eyes.
“Yes Tommy? …Oh.”
The man eyed Techno up. Techno could only imagine what went through his head. Before the man could say anything, he spoke up.
“Hullo. I’m… Steve. I need a place to stay.”
Techno bit his lip. He sounded so stupid. He was sure he would get kicked out any second. But the man just smiled, wrapping an arm around the boy.
“Why didn’t you say so? Hi Steve, my name is Philza, this is my son Tommy. Nice to meet you.”
“Uhm… so you’re not throwin’ me out?”
“Nah mate. I’m intrigued to know what brings a nobleman into my attic.”
Technoblade looked down at himself. Nobleman, huh? Good enough. He sighed softly.
“Thank you. I’ll make sure to pay you back. Oh, also… the royal guards might or might not be lookin’ for me right now.”
“What did you do?”
The kid, Tommy, looked at him, curious. Technoblade grinned softly and raised himself.
“I punched the king.”
“What the fuck?! Shit that’s so messed up!”
“Tommy!”
“The king is messed up.”
Deeming the conversation as finished, Techno shifted his weight. Once he moved, the pain in his ankle shot through his leg and he tensed. The adrenaline had died down it seemed. He slowly limped towards the trapdoor. Philza raised an eyebrow.
“Want me to take a look at that?”
“Uhhhh… sure.” 

Chapter Text

The guy in their attic was weird. But then again, he fit in in an odd way. He had startled the shit out of Tommy though. Who the fuck just climbs into people’s houses?

Tommy had been getting ready to bed. He didn’t have his own room, so his dad had made the attic his kingdom. He didn’t possess much, but he had a slim, soft bed that fit him, so he was okay with it. But suddenly, while he was minding his own business, this guy had suddenly just climbed into his room?!

His dad had acted so chill about it as well. Like he knew something. It was very strange. After the two men headed downstairs, Tommy stood in the middle of the room. He didn’t know what to do. He could maybe close that window, he supposed. After that, he snuck downstairs, hiding cautiously behind the stairs.

He wasn’t scared! Fuck you. He was just being… smart. He peeked through the wooden planks, watching quietly as Phil took care of the dude’s ankle. He looked familiar, in an odd way. Tommy was sure he had seen him somewhere already. He inched closer, listening in on the conversation.

“…so you had an argument with your majesty and just punched him?”

“Yes.”

“And then you jumped out of the window.”

“Mh-hm.”

“So… I’m guessing you won’t be able to go back.”

“I don’t know yet. Not for some time at least.”

“You will have to get new clothes then, unless you want to stick out in the crowd.”

“Good idea.”

Phil opened his mouth, but Tommy decided to step out.

“Can you have your cape, then? If you’re not using it?”

He didn’t even know why he was asking. It just looked cool, and really comfortable. The dude – Tommy had forgotten his name and didn’t want to ask – turned around and gave him a puzzled look.

“Heh?”

“Please?”

Tommy wrinkled his nose as he said that. He regretted speaking up. He shouldn’t beg like that. This was stupid. The dude will just laugh at him. Why didn’t he answer?! No. This was shit, and Tommy had to somehow end this incredibly awkward silence.

“Alright, forget it then, bitch.”

“Tommy!!”

“Uhhhh, sure.”

Wait. What? Both Tommy and the guy ignored Phil as Technoblade took off his coat and tossed in front of Tommys feet. Tommy grinned. Pog.

“Thank you.”

He picked up the coat and tried his best to not look impressed. It was so fluffy! He ran his hand over it, then swung the coat over his shoulders. It was also surprisingly heavy. And warm. It smelled weird, like perfume, but Tommy would be able to fix that. He looked at the pink haired man in front of him. The bastard had a grin on his face that Tommy didn’t like. He looked so smug and amused. It felt patronizing. He raised his chin.

“You’re stupid.”

“Tommy!”

Phil gave him a shocked look, but the dude… laughed. He gave Tommy an unsettling smirk.

“Yea, I am.”

Tommy didn’t know what to answer. Why did the weirdo agree to him?

“I’ll go now.”

“Do that.”

Tommy clutched the coat and jumped up the stairs, closing the trapdoor. He looked around and took off the coat, dropping it to the floor. He didn’t actually sleep until much later. Instead, he looked out of the window. A few guards were running around with torches, searching for something. Didn’t that idiot say they were searching for him? Oh, right. He punched King Eret. Tommy liked the king, but he had to admit, that sounded pretty badass. After a while, he lied down in his bed and listened to the muffled voices downstairs until they quietened down.

~~~~~~~~~~

Technos POV

“He’s a good kid. I swear. Just… a bit much sometimes.”

“Don’t worry. I’m not mad.”

“I’m glad. I’m just… really sorry.”

“Well, don’t. How old is he?”

“16, he will be 17 soon.”

“Oh.”

Techno was confused by this man. He had broken into his house, startled his kid and instead of throwing him out, Philza took care of his ankle and apologised for a bit of swearing? Technoblade himself didn’t swear, at least not often. He didn’t find it necessary. But he didn’t mind it either. In fact, the kid – his name was Tommy, right? – was a refreshing change after years and years living with pernickety noblemen that surrounded him and judged his every step. For Techno, many people were annoying. It was easy to make him mad, he knew that. But Tommy wasn’t annoying. He didn’t make him mad.

“Anyways.”

Philza raised himself, and so did Techno.

“You can sleep on the sofa if you’d like. It’s not as cozy as a bed in the castle, but its ore than a wood floor.”

“It is all I need, don’t worry about me. Thanks for shelterin’ me.”

“No worries, mate.”

Technoblade dared to peek out the windows. Guards were filling the streets, searching for him. He closed the curtains and lay down on the sofa. The fabric was scratchy, and it smelled. Wind blew through the small house, carrying the voices of outside into the living room. But Technoblade didn’t mind. He turned around, closed his eyes and fell into a light, dreamless slumber.

Chapter Text

The following day, Phil took Technoblade into town. It was very odd.
Technoblade wore a run-down cloak from Tommy. It was a bit tight, but Philzas coats were way too short. The man was a few inches shorter than him. He had a hood covering his hair, looking around. He had never been in this part of the village. It looked filthy and poor. Technoblade felt sad for those people. A kid ran into him, stumbling off to the side.
“Sorry!”
“Hey, kid.”
All it took was a low grumble, and the kid froze. Technoblade approached it and held his hand out.
“Gimme that back.”
The kid trembled and looked at him. It shyly dropped a small bag of emeralds into his hand. Techno clutched the little bag, checking if anything was missing.
“Don’t try that again, kid.”
“Y-Yes, sir!”
Technoblade felt a hand on his shoulder. Phil. It had something oddly grounding to it. He felt his anger fade a bit.
“Where are your parents, mate?”
The kid shuffled nervously and didn’t answer. Phil bent down and handed them something. Their eyes went wide, looking at the sparkling green stone. Phil patted their head, then returned back to Techno.
“Why did you do that?”
“I felt like it.”
“Bruhh…”
They continued their way, getting new clothes and supplies for Techno. He noticed that Phil always seemed on guard, observing their surroundings carefully. He didn’t think much of it, but did the same. And oh, he was glad he did. As they walked past a small alleyway, he overheard a conversation that striked his interest.
“-guy who killed the princes’ servant got a fine stack of diamonds.”
The hairs on Technoblades neck rose. Will.
Stay calm, Tech.
What the-? Technoblade spun around. Looking like he saw a ghost. Well, technically, he had heard one.
“What?”
Phil gave him a confused look. Techno ignored him and rushed into the alleyway. He had heard Will. And those guys knew something about him. The couple gave him a startled look, but they didn’t yell. Until he lifted one of them off the ground and pushed him against the wall.
“H-Hey man, get off!”
“What do you know about that servants’ assassin?”
“Y-You mean the Netherite Raven? Only rumors!”
“Great. Where do I find the Raven?”
They both laughed at him. He didn’t. How was this funny exactly?
“Do you have a death wish?!”
“We have no idea where he is, and we’re very happy about that.”
“Tell me everythin’ you know then.”
“…Steve..?”
Phil gave him a puzzled look. Before Techno could explain himself, he saw something flash in the corner of his eyes and turned around. An iron sword. In a blink, he let go of the stranger and jumped away. The guys’ friend had decided to protect him. With a toothy grin, Technoblade drew his netherite sword.
“Eren, watch out!”
The guy named Eren attacked. Technoblade blocked his sword with ease. This was going to be sad. He lunged forward to disarm the man, but Eren dodged him and sent a kick into his back, making him stumble. What?! He barely had time to react, turning around and blocking the attack. He took a deep breath and went into the zone.
Swords were clashing. He dodged and attacked and attacked and dodged again. None of his attacks really seemed to hit. Eren kept leading him into walls, it was almost embarrassing. He had never seen such an unreliable fighting style. Never dealt with such dirty trick. Eren knew the terrain much better than him, and he made use of that. He also had a weird physique, small and slim. He was faster than Techno and made use of both their height. Techno found himself only able to block and dodge. If he didn’t know better, he would think the person knew his fighting style. But that was impossible. He didn’t spar with people in town.
He found himself on the ground, sword in front of his nose, as suddenly, a voice spoke up. Phil?
“Let him go or your friend pays.”
“No, don’t hurt him!”
Was that a female voice?! Eren dropped their sword and bit their lip. Techno slowly got up and looked around. Phil held the other man tightly in his grip, a sword on his throat. He was terrified. Techno then looked at Eren. They wore a brown coat with a hood hiding their face. Slowly, he walked forward, reaching up for the hood. Eren backed off.
“Don’t.”
There was fear in their voice. It sounded so familiar… he had to know.
“Niki.”
The person froze. “Eren” slowly pulled her hood down. Niki stared up at him, disbelief in her eyes. He stared back, unable to say anything. Niki opened her mouth to speak up, but Phil interrupted her with a confused whine.
“What is going on here?!”
Techno turned back to him and sighed. Niki stepped forward, looking at Phil.
“Please let Wilbur go. We mean no harm to you.”
Phil scoffed. “Sure, I saw.”
“Let him go, it’s fine. I… I know her. Niki, who is this guy?”
Phil let him go and Wilbur backed up, hiding behind Niki. Niki looked at her brother with an unreadable expression.
“Prince Technoblades new servant.”
“…”

Chapter Text

“HEEEH?!”

Steve stared at Niki. He looked mad. Phil on the other hand was just confused. What in the world was going on? Who was the woman and why did Steve care about the servant? He turned to the man. His name was Wilbur, apparently. He gave him a puzzled look. Wilbur just shrugged, looking incredibly uncomfortable. He was much taller than Phil, even taller than Steve. Phil estimated him about 6’5’’ to 6’6’’. He had long curly hair, covered in dirt, and wore a dirty yellow sweater under his coat. He tried to act indifferent, but his brown eyes emitted fear. Fear directed at Steve… and at Phil. Phil didn’t like that at all. He had never held someone hostage before. Sure, the things he did were even more questionable, but it was easier. He didn’t have to see the scared faces. And it wasn’t like he had a choice, really; this time, he had had a choice. And he had decided to freak out the poor man. Sure, he had a reason. Steve had needed him, because he had been about to lose that fight… that he had initiated. But it was reasonable because… okay, maybe it wasn’t.

Phil needed to clear this up. He stepped towards the odd trio. Niki snapped her head up, looking alerted. Steve sighed.

“Don’t worry, he’s cool. He sheltered me.”

“Yea… you should come back.”

“So Eret throws me into prison? That sounds wonderful!”

“Don’t sass me, Steve.”

“Don’t make fun of my name!”

“Mh-hmmm.”

“You’re soo mean Niki.”

“I am. And I kicked your butt.”

“Yea wait when did you learn to fight like that?!”

“I learned it here. You learn so much more in town than on the training fields.”

“Bruhh…”

Niki giggles softly. She reaches up and ruffles his hair, making Steve back up. Phil watches them quietly. Are they siblings? He would have to ask Steve later. For now, he had to finally find out what was going on. He cleared his throat. They all turned to him as he spoke up.

“So, uhm… why did we attack them exactly, and what happened to that?”

Niki chuckled a bit. Steve tilted his head, looking thoughtful.

“Niki is my sister. Apparently, she found a new servant for… the prince.”

Steves tone was weird. He sounded angry. Why did it matter to him that the prince got a new servant? He clenched his fist under his sleeve, then relaxed it again. He needed to stay calm.

“And why did we attack them?”

“Because I heard them talk about my- about a friend of mine. I was close with Will, and if I can find his killer, I will shred ‘em to pieces.”

Phil felt sick. Oh, this wasn’t good. Poor Steve. Poor Will. The man was dead, and there was no way to change that. Nothing he could possibly do.

“Oh. The Netherite… Raven?

“It seems so.”

Steves expression remained unfazed, but Phil could see the rage flickering in his eyes, masking his sadness. It unsettled Phil. He felt like he had to help. Well, this would suck. He nodded slowly.

“Do you know where to find them?”

“No… Niki?”

“I will tell you what I found out… if you come back.”

“Uhhh sure… If you get me a blanket. You know… for the prison cell…”

“…I will talk to Eret. Mother worries about you.”

Steve nodded reluctantly and immediately got pulled into a hug by Niki. He tensed, but apparently didn’t want to push her away. Phil sighed softly. He was going to regret this.

“Well, how about we go to my house then? Your sister will have to know where to go when she picks you up.”

Niki looked at Phil and nodded with a smile. Steve hummed in agreement. Phil led them back to his house. He opened the door, greeting Tommy with a smile. Tommy clearly hadn’t expected them back yet. He was wearing Steves cape, striding across the room, a cup in his hand. As soon as the door opened, he stopped. His shoulders hunched over a bit, staring at them. Steve grinned at him. Tommy noticed it and scoffed.

“Hey bitch. Your cape stinks.”

“Tommy…”

Phil sighed softly about his son and lead them all inside. While Steve sat down with them on the couch, Phil went and prepared some tea. Tommy took off the cape and approached him soon afterwards.

“Dad, who are those guys?”

“I… don’t really know. The woman is Steves sister.”

“Okay, but… why are they here?”

“They have to talk out some things.”

“Here?”

“Well yea? I’m not going to throw’em out.”

“But why did you lead them here?”

“It’s called being nice, Tommy.”

“Sounds like an old people thing.”

“Oh, fuck off!”

Tommy grinned satisfied and Phil ruffled his hair. He looked towards the small group in the living room. Everyone still was tense. But they would talk it out. And Phil would help them. Maybe, just maybe, this would be fixable.

Chapter Text

Technoblade was angry often, and he hated a lot of things. He hated government. He hated his chores. He hated noblemen. But right now, what he hated the most, was Wilbur.

It was like his life was mocking him. His new servant had the same brown eyes, the same locks, the same lanky figure. In fact, he was even taller. He was even taller than Technoblade. All of that was already annoying, but there was one thing about Wilbur that made his skin crawl: His name. Whenever Techno looked at the man, his heart ached. Whenever he heard his name, Techno wanted to just sit down and cry. He knew he was being unfair, but he couldn’t help it. He felt trapped in his own emotions, unable to look at Wilbur, and it made him furious.

Wilbur sat on the armrest of the couch next to Niki, looking at Techno. He still stayed close to Niki, but he was much more comfortable than before. Tommy sat opposite of him, eyeing hi up. Wilbur slowly turned towards him.

“What is it, child?”

“You’re taller than me.”

“So?”

“That’s not allowed.”

“Not my fault you’re a little baby man.”

“Hey fuck you!”

Wilbur answered something, but Technoblade didn’t register it. He felt his pulse in his ears. This man just stepped into his life without permission, and now he made fun of Tommy? Techno didn’t even make a conscious decision to get up. He wasn’t really in control of his body, he just watched himself in indifference. He approached Wilbur, who jumped. Wilbur tried to back away, falling over the armrest. Niki raised herself, unsure whether to stop him or not. Techno crouched down in front of Wilbur whispering in a dangerously calm voice.

“Don’t make fun of Tommy.”

He heard Tommy make a quiet gasping noise. Wilbur nodded at the speed of light, crawling away from Techno. Techno raised himself. He could feel everyones stares on his back. The pulsing didn’t stop. This was all still so unfair, so senseless, it made him so mad…

Techno. Stop it.

He flinched. He had heard him again. He turned around, looking for Will, but – of course, he wasn’t here. Niki eyed him up in worry. He ignored it. He didn’t want to see it. Didn’t want to see their faces, staring at him as he tried not to start crying. The voice had calmed his burning anger, just enough to make him feel awful. He wanted to scream and cry and stab something. He wanted to go hunting. But he knew it wouldn’t work; he had tried it and it wasn’t the same without Will.

“Mate.”

He felt a hand on his shoulder and shied away from Phil. His mind kept spiralling, sending his thoughts down a dangerous path. Not even Phil could. Surprisingly though, it was Tommy that cleared his mind.

“Don’t you fuckin’ patronize me, bitch. I can stand up for myself!”

It was so sudden, so passive aggressive that it made Techno blink. He turned his head to Tommy, staring at the boy. Tommy had his arms crossed, glaring up to him with a stubborn expression. He wasn’t nervous like everyone else. He was just annoyed. Something about that soothed Technos senses. He lowered his head.

“Sorry. I’m goin’ upstairs to leave you guys alone now.”

“I guess that’s good.”

Tommy nodded, acting as if he had a say in this. Technoblade stormed up the ladder. He closed the trapdoor and stormed to the window in a desperate huff. Tears started to roll down his face. He was alone, and he allowed himself to sink against the wall and just cry silently. He begged nobody would come upstairs. He didn’t want them to see him in such a weak, shameful state. He also didn’t want to admit Tommy had just saved him.

Tommy POV

“Tommy! You can’t just swear at him! Didn’t you see his face?”

“I didn’t.”

Tommy stared at Phil, confused. He knows his father doesn’t like him swearing in front of visitors, but this was different. Phil was worried. The woman, Niki, sighed.

“If he’s like that, you’re better off to leave him alone. He just lost a person that was very close to him.”

“He could have snapped at you. He looked really angry.”

“Well, he didn’t though.”

“That doesn’t make it better!”

Tommy stayed quiet. The adults didn’t make sense. Nothing happened. Techno had even apologized! They were just being weird for no reason, and it made him feel uncomfortable. Thus, he took it upon himself to change the topic. He shrugged and looked at Wilbur, grinning.

“Did he scaaare you?”

“No.”

“Are you sure? Don’t listen to him by the way.”

Wilbur looked hesitant. He was still intimidated, and it was annoying. Tommy didn’t want to be treated nicely because a tall scary man said so, he wanted to earn the respect himself.

“You are a pussy.”

“Tommy!”

“No Phil, it’s alright. Tommy, shut up. You’re being an annoying little kid. You don’t even know what’s going on so just stop.”

Tommy could hear the annoyance in Wilburs voice, but… annoyed meant not scared. He poked his own chest comically, raising himself.

“I am not a kid. I am a big man, and you are not!”

Wilbur stared at him, and Tommy stared back, lowly starting to giggle. Wilburs lips curled up in amusement and Tommy started laughing. Mission success!

“You are a chiiiild!”

“Shut up bitch, I am not!”

Tommy launched a pillow at the now giggling Wilbur. Wilbur started to chase him, and Tommy ran outside around the couch, throwing pillows and blankets at Wilbur. Phil and Niki watched them in amusement. It didn’t take long until Tommy suddenly lost the ground under his feet. He squealed and flipped his head around. Phil had lifted him high in the air, laughing, and threw him onto the couch, joining their playfight. Everything was good.

Almost everything.

Chapter Text

Niki walked into the castle, shrugging off her wet coat. She was freezing slightly, but that was not the main issue right now. She had to convince Eret to calm down somehow. And, well, befriend Wilbur and Techno. But that was priority number 2. She knocked gently at the door to Erets quarters, waiting.

“Come in.”

Eret sat on their bed in a wine-red dress. They looked surprised at Niki. Niki entered the room and closed the door, then turned to them. She smiled weakly.

“Niki! What brings you here this late? Have you been outside?”

“Uhm, yes. Can we talk? About Techno?”

Erets smile turned into a frown. Oh, this was already going great.

“Niki, do you know where he is?”

“Yes.”

“…and?”

“He has to come back on his own accord. You know locking him away won’t change anything.”

“Is that why you’re here? To ask me to drop the punishment?”

“Don’t drop it… but can’t you pick something else?”

“And put my reputation at risk? What kind of King am I if I can’t be consequent enough to control the crown prince?”

“You cannot control Techno.”

“You know what I mean. I can’t just let this go. I will lose credibility. And if Techno doesn’t stop with these tantrums, people won’t accept him as a future King either.”

“He is mourning, Eret!”

“So was I when your father died. But I had to rule a country, and so I did.”

“Was it something you would wish for others? For your own family?”

Eret remained silent. Niki allowed herself to cheer just a little bit. She didn’t give Eret time to dwell on it, though.

“He is 18. He was a child 2 weeks ago. And he won’t let us help if we continuously give him reasons not to trust us.”

Eret eyed her up, thoughtful. There was a short silence, hanging heavily in the room. Finally, Eret raised themselves. They looked worried as they slowly walked over to her. They spoke quietly.

“Do you think you can help him with this?”

“I think so.”

“Do you vouch for him?”

“Sure. But only if you leave him be for a while. Let him get over this.”

“…Where is he?”

“I’m not telling you.”

Niki glared at them, her mind set. Eret sighed tiredly.

“Give me time to think about this.”

Techno POV

Techno was outside, crouching in the mud. He had promised Phil to take care of the potatoes today. Tommy had shown him how to do it. At first, he found it boring, but the repetitiveness of it had something calming to it. He dug around the mud, doing what Tommy showed him to. He didn’t know what he did it for or what exactly he was doing, but he continued. He liked it. He liked living here a lot, to be honest. Nobody was staring at him. Nobody was judging him. In the few days he had been here, he had felt freer than ever in his life. He was allowed to say what he wants, to express his dislikes and even his emotions. He didn’t do the latter often, but it felt good to know he could if he wanted to. He had never gone a week without being scolded or restricted. The simple life felt so much better. He had started to work for Phil to repay him. He would eventually look for a job maybe. He didn’t know when Niki would come back, or if she ever would. He expected her to, but he wasn’t sure if he wanted that. He definitely knew he didn’t want to go back.

There was only one problem he had: Wilbur. Since he was jobless until Techno would return home, Niki had asked Phil to shelter him. He knew why she had done that, and he hated her for it. He didn’t want to spend time with Wilbur.

Luckily, it wasn’t hard to avoid Wilbur during the day. The brunette helped in the house a lot or goofed around with Tommy. He was also still intimidated by Techno. All Techno had to do was work outside in the garden or fiddle with the handle of his sword to keep a safe distance to Wilbur. He was sure Wilbur noticed his odd behaviour, but he didn’t really care. The only real problem were breakfast and dinner. Phil for some reason insisted that mealtimes were family time. Or, well… were they family? Not really. Phil wanted them to all be there for it, and so they were.

They could be family if you wanted them to.

“Shut up.”

Techno grumbled and concentrated on the potatoes. He didn’t need them to be his family. He had a family. He hummed softly to himself, working, until he heard Phil approach.

“Hey mate. Can we talk for a second?”

Techno raised himself and hummed in agreement. Phil stood in front of him now, looking up at him. Worry shone in his eyes, and it made Techno feel a little awkward.

“Somethin’ wrong?”

“I’ve noticed you have been avoiding us the last few days… I just wanted to make sure you’re comfortable. Is there anything bothering you?”

Aww, he wants you to feel at home here.

Techno sighed. So Phil had noticed. He didn’t know what to say. Should he lie? Stick to the truth? He had no idea. He shifted his weight and shrugged softly, buying some time. He wanted back to his potatoes.

“No, I’m good.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

“Did we do anything to make you avoid us? Is it Tommy? I can tell him to leave you alone…”

Techno sighed. There was something in Phils expression that he couldn’t quite pinpoint. Was it guilt? He didn’t know. He really wasn’t good at reading expressions, especially because Phils just never seemed to make sense.

“No, Tommy’s fine. Don’t worry ‘bout it, Phil.”

“Alright mate, if you say so…”

Phils face fell, and Technoblade looked confused. Had that been the wrong answer? Was he not supposed to like Tommy? He watched Phil trotting back to the house. He didn’t know what to say. He turned back to his potatoes.

You made him sad…

“Shut up, Will.”

Chapter Text

Phil knew something was up when the Niki stood in front of his door again.

It had been a few uneventful days. After the talk with Techno, he had felt incredibly guilty. Somehow, he felt like it was his fault. Maybe he expected too much. Was this really nothing more than a shelter for Steve? The thought made him feel bitter. He liked the man. He felt like they got along very well. They weren’t quite friends yet, but they were slowly growing closer. He didn’t want to think that this impression was only one-sided.

Now, Niki stood in front of his door a second time, concern written over her face. It early in the morning, all the boys were still asleep. He stepped aside to let her in.

“Hello Niki. If you want to speak to Steve, he is still asleep.”

“Steve… that’s alright. I want to ask you something first.”

“Oh? Go on, mate.”

“How are Wilbur and… Steve getting along?”

The question struck him as weird. He hadn’t really paid attention to them.

“They don’t really interact much, I think? Steve is usually outside, training or farming potatoes. Wilbur helps around the house, and sometimes plays with Tommy. Why?”

Nikis expression dropped.

“Because they will have to work together soon, and…I had hoped they get a little closer in the meantime.”

Phil looked a little confused. So, was Steve the Crown Princes guard? He didn’t act like he was that high up in the hierarchy. In fact, Phil realized, he didn’t even act like a guard at all. Not like the guards Phil had met, at least. He sighed softly, inviting Niki to sit on the couch with him. He settled next to her looking at her.

“Niki, can I ask you a question?”

“Go on.”

“What is Steves… job? What does he do at the castle?”

She smiled warmly at the thought. “Normally, he’s causing a ruckus.”

“Huh...? How does he not get kicked out?”

“He… Philza, he’s the Crown Prince. He’s Technoblade.”

Well. Those were some news. Phil was merely able to stare at her. Steve was Technoblade? He slowly even processed what that meant. Until suddenly, he knew very well what he had to do. He got up, gave Niki his best poker face.

“Is he able to go back yet?”

“Yes.”

Phil nodded.

“I’ll get him.”

Steve- no, Technoblade, was sleeping in a small room to the side of the kitchen. Phil went through the kitchen, thoughts racing through his mind. He could just finish his job. He would do it, for Kristin. He had to if he wanted to see her again. But, at the same time… He stood over the prince, hesitating. Slowly, he drew his sword. He had to. It would be fine. He did it for her, he had no choice. Right? Phil bit his lip. He raised his sword and stepped closer to Technoblade. The sword in his hands pointed at Technos chest, trembling softly in his hands. In another life, they could have been friends. Maybe. But in this life, he had a job to finish if he wanted to see his wife again.

It would have been so easy, that day. He had seen the prince on that balcony. He had thought of him as arrogant and loud. He was a nuisance to everyone in- and outside the castle. But, in the short time Technoblade had stayed here, Phil had seen a whole other side of him. He had seen how awkward the man was in conversations. How his hands always needed to play with something. He had seen how, despite his anger and grief, he always tried not pull them down with him. How he respected Tommy, enough to let the boy teach him. The Technoblade he knew wasn’t the arrogant prince prick that lived to cause chaos on purpose. The Technoblade he knew was sassy and sarcastic, but never mean. He didn’t seem to fit into a life of royals. Maybe that was why, despite the matching hair, Phil had never noticed who was sleeping under his roof.

He had been tricked. Steve didn’t exist. What else did the prince fake? Why did it even matter? Phil shouldn’t hesitate. He raised his arms a little more, getting ready, but froze. He couldn’t do it. He couldn’t bring himself to kill the man he felt so responsible for.

Technoblade breathed out a low sigh and shifted, and Phils heart sank. Had he seen him? But the man below him looked peaceful. Phil supposed he was still sleeping. His breath was even, his body relaxed. Phil turned back to the door. He had to be fast, or Niki would come in.

Something gripped onto the sword. Shit. He spun his head around to see Techno, squinting at the swords tip. His left hand was wrapped around the sword, but there was no force on it. Techno didn’t even try to push it away. He slowly, achingly slowly turned to Phil. The look in his eyes made his skin crawl. Something wasn’t right. Fury burned in Technoblades eyes, but his lips curled into an uncaring grin. It didn’t match.

“Heh. You found out, I guess. Do it. My head brings you a lot on the black market.”

Phil couldn’t answer. He couldn’t move either. He stared at Techno, guilt and sorrow flooding him. But Technoblade didn’t see it. His face twisted into something ugly. He was mad.

“What, are you too weak to do it?”

“Techno? Phil?”

Techno raised his head at the female voice that called out to them. He hummed in thought. Phil could watch him piece it together. He looked at Phil, his voice so sweet it made Phil sick.

“Niki, it appears you said too much.”

“What?”

Niki showed up and stared with wide eyes at Phil. Techno let go of the sword and instead smacked Phils hand with a force that made him drop it. As it fell to the side, Phil stumbled backwards. This wasn’t what he had wanted.

“Steve, Technoblade, I didn’t want this, I swear, I- “

“Shut up. You’re a fool.”

Technoblade raised himself and approached Phil. Phil stumbled backwards until he hit the wall.

“I have a wife- “

“I don’t care.”

“Please!”

Phil teared up. He just wanted Technoblade to listen. The man cocked his head to the side and bent down to Phils face. He stared at him.

“I don’t want to hear your excuses. You’ve betrayed me. And now, you’re arrested.”

Phil bit his lip. He lowered his head in shame. This was not at all what he had wanted. When Niki drew her sword and escorted him out, he toom one look back at his former friend.

“Tommy?”

“Goodbye, Philza.”

Chapter Text

Technoblade wasn’t a monster. He had been extra nice to Eret – it had almost made him feel sick – so he could take Tommy with him. Currently he, Wilbur and Tommy sat in his room, silent. He had been grounded instead of imprisonment. The only real difference he saw was the bed and the food, but he stayed silent. He looked at Tommy.

The boy had red, puffed cheeks from crying and glared daggers into Technos curtains. In the last hour, he had lost his home and his father, and now he was stuck in here with two adults. Techno could understand his anger. It sounded like a nightmare.

“Uhm, we could play a game?”

Wilburs voice was soft, hesitating. Techno still hated it. He didn't think that would change soon either. Wilbur sounded as wrong as he looked. Like he shouldn't be here. Because he didn't. Will belonged where Wilbur stood, but he was gone.

Don't be so hard on him, Tech.

"Shut up."

It wasn’t directed at Wilbur, but it made the man flinch. Tommy grumbled.

"You shut up, bitch."

Techno stared at him in anger.

"Don't tell me what to do!"

"Oh, but when you do it it's fine?!"

"Bruh. It wasn’t directed at you."

"Don't bruh me, bitch! You imprisoned my dad!”

“He tried to kill me.”

“I don’t believe you!”

“Fine. Then leave.”

Technoblade stood up and towered over the sitting boy. He stared him down, angrily.

“You don’t have to stay here. You can go back and live on the streets if you’d like that.”

“I’d much rather like that! It’s absolute shit here!”

The door opened and both of them spun their heads around. Tommy had gotten up during their little yelling competition. Niki stood in the door, a weak smile on her lips.

“Tommy, if you’d like, you can see your father now. We can talk about what happens with you as well. There are a few options other than stay here or be homeless.”

She looked at Technoblade at the last sentence and he scoffed. Tommy just nodded and walked towards her. She wrapped her arm around him with a smile. Before they left, Tommy stared at Techno one last time. Then, the door closed.

Technoblade dropped onto the floor, staring at the ceiling. He was alone with Wilbur now. Great. Slowly, he turned his head to the man, eyeing him up.

Wilbur looked as much out of place as he did. He wore a run-down yellow sweater, fumbling with its hem. His hair was uncombed, he looked like he had just gotten out of bed. But the most obvious thing, he looked terrified. It surprised Techno how such a tall person could look so small. Slowly, he sat up.

“Wilbur?”

“Yes, my prince?”

Techno wrinkled his nose in disgust. He raised himself and jumped onto the bed.

“Don’t call me that. Call me Techno. No titles, got it?”

“Yes.”

He could see the confusion on Wilburs face and grinned.

“You’re allowed to speak up, you know. Ask questions. I don’t want a slave working for me.”

“Oh! Okay.”

Wilbur nodded and seemed to understand.

“So… What do you want me to do?”

Techno grinned mischievously as an idea came to his mind. He wasn’t allowed outside, but Wilbur was. He raised himself and walked towards Wilbur, then threw a bag at him. Wilbur flinched. The man looked so much like Will, but acted so different. Maybe Techno should give him a chance. After all, he was stuck with him for now.

“How about you go steal some goods from the kitchen?”

Wilbur stared at him, contemplating for a second. Just when Techno assumed he would deny the request, Wilbur bowed and went outside. Techno kicked off his boots and grabbed a book. He would have to kill some time until Wilbur returned.

After some time, they both sat down in Technos armchairs that stood to the side of his room, munching on freshly baked cookies. Wilbur looked much better already, not as scared and confident enough to engage in a conversation. In fact, he was the one that started it.

“Why don’t you like me?”

Techno looked up. The question took him by surprise.

“Because you remind me of my dead friend.”

“Oh… because of my name?”

“And because you look like him.”

“Hm…”

There was a moment of silence. Wilburs expression was unreadable to Techno. He started playing with a string of fabric on his blouse. Suddenly, Wilbur spoke up again.

“Do you want to revenge him?”

“What?”

“Do you want to revenge Will. And kill the Netherite Raven.”

“…I do.”

“I might be able to help you.”

“So? What do you know?”

Technoblades ears were ringing. He didn’t like Wilbur, but if he knew where the Netherite Raven was… He might be of use after all.

Aw, are you getting attached?

Technoblade pinched himself. Not now. He needed to focus. Wilburs voice was quiet and careful, as if he was afraid someone could come in any minute.

“I know he is not from this Kingdom. I know he doesn’t just take any kind of payment. He has a lot of enemies, of course. And I know that there is a rebellion in our neighbour Kingdom, Essempee. I know he was used there to take down a rebellion a few months back. He almost succeeded, but had to back off for some reason. I don’t know why.”

Techno furrowed his eyebrows. He needed a moment to process the information.

“So, all we have to do… is find that rebellion… Or what is left of it… and ask them for information?”

“Yes. I am sure they have something you would like.”

Chapter Text

The next week was hard. Techno was locked into in his room, unable to proceed in his plans. All he could do was to train and to send Wilbur on errands. Whenever Wilbur wasn’t there, he was alone with his thoughts. He hadn’t seen Tommy anymore either. Sometimes, he wondered whether the boy was alright. At other times, he fell down a spiral of thoughts, mourning for Will. But most of the time, he was thinking about Phil. He felt betrayed. He had trusted Phil, only to wake up with a knife at his throat.

Had Niki not vouched for him, he wouldn’t ever stay in his room. But, surely, he could visit Phil at night?

That night, he snuck out of his room. In his red nightgown, he hushed downstairs into the basement, where the cells were. He soon found Phils cell and approached it. Anger flared up in him as he saw the man lying on his cot, sleeping peacefully. He kicked the bars of his cell. Phil flinched and sat up. He blinked drowsily at Techno.

“Hey mate.”

When he saw Technos frown, he sighed and slowly got up. He tilted his head, starting carefully.

“How’s Tommy…?”

“I don’t know. Niki took care of him.”

“Ah…”

Silence filled the room. Technoblade watched Phil squirm under his stare. Did he feel guilty?

“Why did you do it?”

Phil averted his gaze. Techno couldn’t help but notice how old he looked. He stayed silent, waiting for the answer. Phil gave him a deep sigh.

“I… I was hired by someone. I can’t tell you who. My wife is very sick… they agreed to take care of her and pay for the medical treatment for… errands.”

“Errands such as kill ‘The Blade’.”

“…yes. When I found out who you are… I’m sorry. I just…”

“Why didn’t you do it?”

“…What?”

Philza stared at him. Technoblade shrugged.

“You could have easily done it, but you didn’t. Why?”

Phil bit his lip. Even Techno could see the guilt in his eyes now. He didn’t quite understand it, though. He was very convinced that, although they had gotten along well, he wasn’t as important to Phil as his wife.

“I… I don’t want to do this. I was never made for this job. It’s fine when I can just shoot an arrow and leave, but I’ve gotten to know you, and… I couldn’t bring myself to do it. Call it weakness. I like you, Steve, or Techno, and I don’t want to kill you.”

Techno looked at the man, thoughtful. Phil looked desperate, and Techno decided it didn’t suit him. Why did the man deem him that important? It confused him. It made him feel nervous.

He likes you. He could be your friend.

Techno didn’t want another friend. He didn’t want another person in his life that would inevitably die. He didn’t need friends anyway, right? Friends are for weak people.

You know that that isn’t true. It takes a lot of strength to show vulnerability.

“Shut up!”

Phil flinched and Techno recoiled. He had not meant to say that out loud, let alone yell it.

“Sorry. Wasn’t directed at you.”

He grimaced at his words. Peak stealth, Technoblade. Tell the man who betrayed you that you hear voices, whatever could go wrong?

Unfortunately, Phil picked up on it.

“Not directed at me? Then who was it directed at?”

“Nobody.”

“You just like yelling words?”

“Yup.”

Just tell him about me. He can handle it.

Technoblade would not do that. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to get rid of it. Push Will into a corner of his mind where he would stay quiet.

You’re being mean, stop it.

Technoblade let out a stressed huff. It didn’t work. Was he doomed to live like this, his best friend haunting him, forever reminded of his failures?

A hand landed on him, and he nearly jumped out of his skin. He opened his eyes, and Phil was there. His hand was stretched out through the bars, resting on Technos shoulder. His gaze was soft and filled with worry. What was he worried about?

You, doofus.

“It’s alright mate. I’ve got you.”

Technoblade could only nod. The weight on his shoulder was grounding. He felt himself lean into the touch. Maybe, just for a second, he could allow himself to be weak – nevermind. Technoblade pulled away as soon as he noticed the directions of his thoughts. He was talking to a prisoner. The very man that had tried to kill him!

“I don’t need your help.”

“I know.”

“Good.”

He glared at Phil, but his anger broke apart once he saw Phils sad expression.

“Don’t give me that look.”

“What look?”

“The one you do when you feel responsible. This has nothing to do with you.”

“Aw, mate…”

Phil smiled thankfully, but his expression stayed the same. He pulled his hand back, instead holding the iron bars. Technoblade turned away.

“I will leave now.”

“Will you visit me again?”

Technoblade contemplated on it. He was still grounded and not allowed to be here. As soon as he was free, he would leave to find a rebellion in a foreign country. He really should decline.

“Maybe.”

Chapter Text

A few days earlier…

“Tommy, if you’d like, you can see your father now. We can talk about what happens with you as well. There are a few options other than stay here or be homeless.”

Tommy followed Niki outside, not before glaring a last time at Techno. He liked to think it made him at least feel a little guilty. He closed the door and followed Niki down the hall. An awkward silence accompanied the two before she spoke up, softly. As if she was talking to a child.

“We have some rooms that aren’t occupied, I’m sure you could take one. You could be close to your father and maybe work in the kitchen.”

Tommy didn’t want to work in the kitchen. When Niki saw how he wrinkled his nose, she sighed.

“Or you could live in your old house… although I’d rather you didn’t stay alone.”

“I’m not a child”, Tommy muttered. He chose to ignore the doubtful look Niki gave him.

“Do you really want to stay alone? I don’t think- “

“Yes.”

Niki stopped in her tracks and so did Tommy. He crossed his arms and stared at her until she finally gave it with a long, defeated sigh.

“Is it okay if I send someone to check up on you once a week?”

Tommy just stares at her. Once a week?

“How long will you keep Dad imprisoned?!”

“I… don’t know. What your father did is called treason. It’s going to take a while until he gets out.”

“What even DID my dad do?”

“He tried to kill Techno.”

Tommy needed a moment to realize who Techno was again. Another moment to realize what she just said.

“You’re lying. He would never do that!”

Niki sighed and led him forwards.

“I don’t know what to tell you, Thomas.”

“Don’t call me Thomas.”

Tommy spoke, not bothering to hide the with venom in his voice. So what if she was a princess? Nobody could call him that. The name sparked up a memory of his mother, calling out for him, but he pushed it away.

“I’m Tommy.”

“Alright, Tommy. We’re almost there.”

Tommy was disappointed in how little his attitude affected her. She was annoying. Maybe he could test his limits a little? Worst case, he would join his father, and that didn’t actually sound bad.

“You’re a bitch.”

Niki hummed in thought. She didn’t even look at him. The lack of response surprised him. Had she not heard him?

“Hey, I said – “

“I heard you, Tommy.”

Tommy stayed quiet. Why didn’t she care? After a minute of silence, she turned to face him with a grin.

“You’ve met my brother. Do you really think swearing at me does anything?”

“Steve doesn’t swear.”

“That’s true. Techno doesn’t swear… anymore.”

“What do you mean?”

“He used to swear a lot. Until Eret decided to simply ignore him.”

“Eret?”

“The King. Anyways, when he saw it didn’t work anymore, he eventually stopped.”

Tommy didn’t answer. Was she trying to patronize him? Women or not, he didn’t like her. Niki turned away and continued walking, but he didn’t follow. Instead, he looked around. He hadn’t even noticed they were in the basement already. The walls were getting dark and grey, pressing down on him. The hallway was cold and narrow. The further he looked, the more he found he didn’t really want to be here. He felt trapped and out of place. Tommy was pretty sure awful things had happened here already. His feet felt like frozen to the ground. He couldn’t move. He faintly registered how Nikis footsteps came to a halt, but he didn’t look at her. This was so wrong, so scary, so –

“Tommy?”

Tommy flinched and looked at Niki with wide eyes. She didn’t bother to conceal her worries. Tommy gulped, turned around and booked it. He ignored the yelp behind him and Nikis calls. He ran upstairs again, past servants and noblemen, not sparing anyone a glance. He didn’t even know where he was going. He wanted out, out and away, and so he kept going, blinded by his own tears.

Until eventually, he bumped into him. He stumbled backwards, falling on the ground. A tall figure loomed over him. With the tears in his eyes, he wasn’t able to identify them. While he rubbed the tears into his sleeve, the person bent down. A deep, soft voice spoke to him.

“Hey hey, kid. Calm down. What happened?”

Tommy didn’t answer. He looked up and, for a second, allowed himself to just stare.

The person in front of him was dressed in a long, dark purple robe. Tommy realised it looked a bit like Technos. They were also wearing blank pants and a white and golden blouse that Tommy would describe as “stinking rich”. As he raised his gaze, he saw soft, brown hair hanging to the persons shoulder and a sparkling golden frown that sat on their head.

Then, the second was over, and he realized who was crouched in front of him. Tommys heart sank. He was very sure he was in trouble now. Quickly, he pushed himself away and got up again. His tongue felt like cardboard. He struggled getting out his words.

“I-I’m fine.”

He hated how small his voice was. Luckily, the fucking King didn’t comment on it. They didn’t stop him either as he turned, noticing the big open doors that would lead him into freedom. He ran and ran, until he found his home. He ran upstairs, trying to calm his speeding heart. He had to breathe for a while until he calmed down. Eventually, he looked around. The house was cold and empty, sparing no comfort for the confused boy. For the first time in his life, he didn’t want to be a big man. He wanted to see his parents, to hug them and seek comfort in their embrace.

Tommy hugged himself, alone, and allowed himself to cry. Nobody was there to hear it. His nails dug into his arms until he was sure they would leave marks. He didn’t care. He just wanted his father back.

Chapter Text

The next day, Tommy left the house early. He couldn’t stay there. Niki would probably search for him here, and the house left him with a trapped feeling he couldn’t bear. As he walked down the streets, Tommy had to admit, he hated it here.

When he had first moved to the Arctic empire, he hadn’t liked it at all. His father had changed after they took Kristin away, but Tommy had been surprised to hear they were moving.

“It’ll only be for a short time. Something temporary”, Phil had said. That’s why Tommy had refrained from making many friends. What was the point in them if he would be gone again soon enough?

And yet, right about now, he was very glad he had made at least one friend. With his mother and father taken away, both for reasons he couldn’t really understand, he only had one more place to go.

Tubbo.

Tommy knocked at the door of the wooden house. Flowers decorated the walls and the entrance, reminding him of its purpose. He didn’t have much time to think about it though. The door opened and a small brunette poked his head through the door. A smile found its way onto the boys face.

“Tommy! I can’t let you in, I’m busy with work right now. What do you need?”

“Uh… I’m ‘omeless, Tubso. I need a place to stay.”

Tubbo frowned deeply. Tommy could see how the cogs in his brain started to pick up their speed.

“You know where my hut is. Can you bring some food? We can talk in the afternoon once I’m done.”

“Sure. Thanks, Tubbo.”

“No Problem, bossman.”

Tubbo proceeded to shut the door right in front of his nose. Tommy would have been hurt, but he knew his friend would have let him in if he could. Sadly, Tubbos boss wasn’t the kindest. As Tommy walked down the street, he reminded himself of the terrible situation his friend was in.

A few years back, Tubbo had lost his family in what he always referred to as an accident. Tommy didn’t know what that meant, but he never pushed Tubbo to elaborate. All he knew was that Tubbo had been very young and the lone survivor of a family of five. From then on, he lived at the mercy of other families until he was old enough to sustain himself. He had been ten when he had started working for this beekeeper. That was 7 years ago. The man had granted him an old, wooden hut outside of town to live in, and Tubbo had gratiously accepted the offer. The job paid him barely enough to eat, but it gave him a shelter and was the closest to a home he had.

Tommy shuddered at the thought. He pushed his thoughts back and headed into his house. He grabbed his clothes and filled a bag with mainly potatoes, but other food as well. He also stole some of Phils clothes for Tubbo. When his eyes grazed Technoblades old cape, he hesitated. It was warm and fluffy, and Tubbo only had one bed. With a frustrated sigh, he stuffed it into his bag. After he got everything, he marched out of town towards the hut, making himself comfortable.

Tubbo POV

The day went by achingly slow. Tubbo couldn’t help but wonder what had happened to Phil. The man had always had something mysterious about himself, but he always put his family first. Hell, he had even put Tubbos well-being before his own more than once. He knew the man wouldn’t leave Tommy behind willingly. Something weird was going on, and Tubbo was aching to find out what.

When his work was finally done, he excused himself and left the house. He loved bees, but the work was exhausting and barely rewarding. Not to mention he was out of food and hadn’t eaten since yesterday’s breakfast. He dragged himself to his hut, already excited to fill his stomach with food and his mind with the news Tommy had for him.

He approached the hut. It wasn’t much, four by four blocks at best, but it had a roof and walls, so he wouldn’t complain. It was enough to fit a bed, a chest, and a nightstand with a lantern on it. He didn’t have much stuff anyways.

“Hey Tubso.”

Tubbo frowned when he heard Tommy. The blonde sounded so broken. He sat outside the hut in the grass and tossed a piece of bread at his friend.

“Why didn’t you say anything? You could have eaten at our house.”

“I just finished my supplies today.”

Tubbo was a good liar. Not that he was proud about it, but it was helpful at times like this. Tommy seemed satisfied, and Tubbo decided to move on to a more important topic.

“So… what happened to Phil?”

“He was arrested.”

“What?!”

“Remember I told you about that weirdo that broke into our house?”

“Oh no… did you shelter a criminal?”

“No… apparently he’s the crown prince or some shit.”

“The WHAT?!”

Tommy flinches. Tubbo stares at him with wide eyes.

“You’re joking.”

“I’m not. Well, at least that woman said he is.”

“What woman?”

“Uhhh, Niki was her name.”

“The princess?!”

“I guess?”

Tommy looked confused at him. He clearly didn’t understand the weight of the situation. Tubbo however, couldn’t help but to feel jealous. Blame his poverty, but he would kill to step foot into the royal castle. He tilted his head, sighing. One thing still didn’t make sense.

“So why did Phil get arrested if you helped the Blade?”

“He claims that Dad tried to murder him. It’s total bullshit.”

“Why would he do that?”

“I don’t know! They didn’t believe me. They treated me like a child.”

“Well, technically, you are!”

“Shut up! I am a big man!”

“Sure, bossman.”

Tubbo laughed, but Tommy only gave him a weak smile. It upset Tubbo. He started to tickle Tommy to make him laugh. Tommy whined softly and shoved him, gently. They both got up, chasing each other, running around the forest. Eventually, Tommys occasional giggles turned into laughter. It felt good to hear it, took some weight off Tubbos shoulders. The world was shit, but at least they had themselves. After a while of playing, they settled down in the soft grass, just talking and laughing. Suddenly, a smirk started to form on his lips. An idea had sparked in his mind, chaotic and exciting. Maybe a little dangerous.

“Hey, Tommy?”

“I know what we have to do now.”

Chapter Text

Finally, it was time. During the time Techno had spent grounded, he had done everything to prepare himself. He had been training with Niki. He had been talking to Wilbur. He had been packing.

He had found out it was quite simple to talk to Wilbur once the man had warmed up. Saying his name still stinged and in some moments, Techno had found himself sending Wilbur away in rage. But overall, he was getting better.

The day his punishment ended, he headed straight to the throne room. Niki had convinced him to at least tell them before committing possible war crimes. He guessed she was right, although the fact of just leaving, again, entertained him far more.

He kicked the doors open without knocking, making several heads turn. Eret looked like she already regretted she had let him out. He stormed towards her, stopping in front of the throne. He wouldn’t kneel. Every fiber in his body was against it. Finally, he settled for a stiff bow. Eret looked very surprised.

“Technoblade?”

“Your majesty, I am leaving.”

“What? Where to?”

Technoblade knew what Eret was thinking. They were assuming he was running away again.

“The assassin that tried to kill me on my birthday is still somewhere out there. I cannot leave my room and be near the castle.”

Erets expression softened, and he felt them eye him up. The monarch thought he was scared. He stiffened under the patronizing gaze.

“Is that why you left so suddenly?”

Techno froze. It was an easy excuse for his actions, for running away and not coming back. It could get him what he wanted. He just had to abandon what he had said. Act like it meant nothing. Technoblade thought back to the day they had fought. He had meant those words and he wouldn’t take them back.

“No. I left because you were being a massive dickhead.”

The insult rolled off his tongue. It baffled Eret. He hadn’t sworn in ages. Had Tommys language worn off on him?

Since Eret didn’t answer, he continued.

“I left because you wanted to decide for me. You can’t. I’m not a child, and when you patronize me, I’m goin’ to punch back. Quite literally, if I have to.”

Eret stayed quiet. After a second, he sighed softly. They clearly didn’t like this conversation anymore.

“We have guards. You are nowhere safer than in the castle.”

“I am a livin’ target.”

“You will be that wherever you go.”

“I’m not askin’ you if I can go. I’m informin’ you because I’m nice.”

The silence in the room was deafening, only interrupted by quiet whispers in the background. Techno knew they were directed at him. When Eret didn’t respond, he bowed another time and turned. Before he was a through the door, the monarch called out to him.

“Techno!”

“…Yea?”

“Please don’t go past the countries borders. We cannot afford a war. I trust you to know this yourself, too.”

Techno went to turn to him. Well, crap. He nodded softly, very aware that was exactly what he was going to do. He was surprised how careful Erets voice was. It had to be important. Oh well. He would only cause some minor crimes probably, not something that could start a war.

“Sure.”

He left the room. His head turned towards the stair that would lead him to the cells. He could meet Philza. Then again, he didn’t have any news for him, and he didn’t know where Tommy was. Tommy… now that Techno thought about it, he probably should check up on the kid before he left. He trusted Tommy to fend for himself, but it would ease his nerves to know him safe. He went to his room where he found Wilbur, dressed in browns his old yellow sweater. He looked just like the townsfolk. He changed himself as well. Wilbur had gotten him clothes from the market: A dirty-white shirt, brown pants, and some light leather armour, hidden under a thin, brown coat. He pulled up the hood, then turned to Wilbur.

“I want to find Tommy before we leave.”

“Okay.”

It wasnt easy to find Tommy. He wasn't in town, Techno hadn't seen him anywhere. He didn't like it, but eventually had to give in. He lead Carl, his horse, out of the castle walls, leaving the town behind them. And thats when he found Tommy. The kid was running around in a field, accompanied by a smaller figure that apparently chased him. Techno approached them slowly by horse. When Tommy saw them, he did a fullstop. He stumbled when the smaller boy ram into him, but didn't say anything. His eyes were locked onto Techno. He clenched a fist.

"Hullo."

The smaller boy greeted him politey, but Tommy didn't. He spat out the words, venom dripping from his voice.

"Blade."

The other had his eyes comically blown wide. Techno could see his cogs turning. He made a move to boy, but Tommy punched him softly into the shoulder.

"Tubbo!"

"Whaaat? He's-!"

"Don't mean you have to bow for the bitch!"

"He's not a -"

"You don't have to bow."

Both boys turned their heads when he interrupted them. Tubbo merely nodded, but Tommy took it as an invite to complain. He crossed his arms and stepoed forward.

"Why are you here?"

"I'm leaving town."

"Why?"

"Find the killer of my friend."

"Oooooh, like a murder mystery!", Tubbo exclaimed suddenly. Tommy stared at him.

"Tubbo, what the fuck is a murder mystery?"

"It's a game where you have to find the killer!"

Tubbo looked excited and with puppy eyes turned to WIlbur and Techno. Wilbur immediately shook his head.

"Oh hell no."

"Pleaaaase!"

"We won't bring some children with us on that!"

"We're not children, we're big men", Tommy protested. Techno huffed.

"And we're not taking you. You don't even have horses."

"We can share!"

"Carl and Brick can only carry so much, boys."

Wilbur shook his head, looking determined.

"You're staying here, end of discussion."

"Unfair!" 

Both boys startednto pout, but Techno saw a mischevious glimmer in Tubbos eyes that he didn't like at all. He stared him down, but it didn't seem to do much. Eventually, he huffed and turned to Wilbur.

"Lets leave." 

A short nod, and both of them galloped along the path, away from, how Wilbur called them, the gremlin children.

Chapter Text

Technoblade hated to admit it, but it looked a lot like Eret had been right about his safety in the castle. Wilbur and him were barely half a days travel away, when the mood of their journey changed. Apparently, their disguise as townsfolk didn't work out here. They still looked too fancy and clean. Within an hour, they had been intruded 3 times. Technoblade didn't sweat a bullet, but he already knew the night would be very dangerous. And then, of course, there was Wilbur. 

While Techno was a well-trained warrior, Wilbur wasn't. He wasn't weak-willed or scared easily, but he lacked the fighting experience that Techno had. He was clumsy amd weaker than their enemies, and he didn't want to hurt them either. He had already been tired after the second attempted robbery, but now, he was outright exhausted. He leaned onto Bricks neck, sighing softly. 

"I hope that won't happen all the time..." 

"Do you need a break?" 

"Nono, it's fine. We should try to get out of this forest as soon as possible, I think." 

"We can get a high ground and set up a camp somewhere. It's almost midday and the more we rest now, the safer we will be at night." 

"Oh, you're right. I'm not looking forward to that..." 

"Me neither." 

They settled near a river and while Techno took care of Carl and Brick, Wilbur got the food and filled up their water bottles. They both sat down and ate some of their bread, relaxing. Wilbur leaned back into the grass. He closed his eyes and let the sunrays shine on his face. Technoblade looked over to him and for a blink, it felt as though someone had stabbed his chest.

He looked scarily similar to Will. The same brown curls, similar facial features and the same lanky figure. If Techno tried, he was able to imagine Will lying beside him instead of Wilbur - just ever so slightly shorter and wearing a short sleeved white blouse instead of the sweater Wilbur loved to wear.

Of course, Techno made the mistake to imagine that.

*

Aw, Tech, don't dwell on the past. I'm still here!

Techno flinched and jumped up. He could swear Wilburs lips had moved. But that wasn't possible, was it? He stared at the man. Wilbur lifted his head, looking at him, but something was... Off.

What are you staring at him? That's not who is talking.

"Leave me alone."

Techno turned his head, gaze trained on a rock that stood out in the river. He would not be doing this right now. He was not hunting with Will. He was travelling with Wilbur. He forced himself to take a deep breath. Behind him, he heard confused muttering.

"Uh... Okay..."

Will - no, Wilbur shuffled away while Techno closed his eyes. He was focused on his breath. Deep in, deep out. He was fine. He was outside in the woods with Wilbur. Carl and Brick were there.

*

After a few minutes or so, he looked up and turned around to look for Wilbur. The man was sitting next to the horses, humming a tune Techno couldn't recognise. He raised himself and approached him, catching Wilburs attention.

"Are you ready to leave again?"

"Alright, yea."

Wilbur POV

The longer their journey continued, the more convinced Wilbur was about this: Technoblade really hated him.

He had known he wasn't welcome since he first met Techno. Over the last few days, it had become better. Especially when Techno was in a good mood, they could joke around, and Wilbur felt accepted. Everything was good. When Techno was angry, he had to he a bit more careful, but it was still much better than in the week with Philza. He had to be comsiderate with his words, but Techno wouldn't threaten him or send him away.

And then, they went on this stupid trip and Wilbur felt like he was starting all over again. After their break, Techno had started to act distant again. They didn't talk. Wilbur could tell Techno was lost in his thoughts, and he knew better than to interrupt him.

He was so goddamn bored, though. With nobody to talk to, he soon found himself humming the new tune he had thought of earlier. Soon enough, he zoned out and the time flew by. Before he knew it, the sun was setting. They found themselves deep in the woods, far away from any possible shelter.

"We were too slow", Techno grumbled.

He sounded very moody. With a sigh, Wilbur looked around.

"Well, we'll be fine. We can settle somewhere... Do you want me to take the first shift?"

He took the hum as a confirmation and stopped Brick. While Techno started a little campfire, Wilbur fed the horses and made sure they would have everything for the night. He tied them to a tree, then returned to Techno. The prince was warming up their food over the fire. Wilbur settled next to him and watched their food heat up. After it was ready, they ate quietly. Eventually, Wilbur decided it was enough.

"Techno?"

"Hm?"

"Please be honest: do you hate me?"

Techno stared at Wilbur, surprised. He hadn't expected such a blunt question from Wilbur, but he didn't want lies and nice words. He wanted brutal honesty, so he had to ask a brutal question.

"Heh? Why?"

"Because you avoid me, you send me away all of a sudden and act weird. And, as arrogant as that sounds, I don't feel like I did something wrong."

Techno frowned. Did he go too far? No. The man just shrugged and turned away from Wilbur. Great.

"So you'll take the first shift?"

"Yes, but Techno-"

"Goodnight."

And with that, Wilbur sat alome in the dark, Techno silent next to him. He sighed deeply and started to poke the fire with a stick. The last thing he wanted was for it to go out. He started to hum again, quiet at furst, but soon growing a little more confident. That stopped aprubtly when he heard the crack of a branch. He snapped his mouth shut and turned to the direction. Had it been an animal? Slowly, he grabbed his sword and got up. He heard a shuffle, out of the same direction. Then, a few metres away, something moved. A familiar voice called out.

"Wilbur, watch out!"

He snapped his head to the sound of the voice,but before he could see who it was, a deafening sound rang through his ears. Then followed the aching pain in his head. Something hard and cold had hit him, and he only had a second to see a glowing red heart in the distance before his world went dark.

Chapter Text

When Technoblade was asleep, nothing would ever wake him.

Wilbur had learned that the hard way. Whenever he had tried to wake him before, he had either left unsuccessful, or with a boot in his face. So naturally, when he came back to his senses, his first thought wasn’t to wake up Techno.

In fact, his first thought was fuck.

His head was filled with a pounding pain, radiating from the back where he had been hit. The world was spinning endlessly, and the fact that he couldn’t see didn’t exactly make it better. When he opened his eyes, he noticed the black spots dancing in front of his view. He closed them again. Slowly, he raised his head, a small groan escaping his lips. It hurt so bad. He wanted to raise his hands, cup his face and message his temples. He tried it, pulled and pushed, but something was holding him back. There was something rough around his wrists, rubbing against his skin. He opened his eyes again and let his head fall, looking down at himself.

He found out he was sitting on a wooden floor, legs tied together and wrists tied to his back. He was in a room with brick walls, so he guessed that must be what he was leaning against. The room itself had only one tiny window that was very high up and an iron door in front of him. It wasn’t very well lit. Only a lantern hung from the middle of the ceiling, filling the room in a dim light.

His sight cleared a bit and he looked further around. Techno was lying next to him, snoring. He too was tied up, armorless and unarmed. Whoever kidnapped them even took their boots. Wilbur knew he would not have a good time if Techno woke up to this scenario, but he wondered if there even was any outcome that he would favour. It was get yelled at by Techno, or possibly worse things by their kidnappers.

Footsteps arose from outside the door and Wilbur instinctively let his head fall to his chest. His hair was obstructing the view to the door now, but at least he was able to make out a the person that entered the room. They were shorter than him, raven black hair and a black armor. Was it Netherite?

The man radiated an almost manic kind of happiness. He entered the room like he owned the place, which made sense, Wilbur guessed. The stranger was whistling softly as he dragged an axe over the floor, the same black metal dipped in a soft purple glow. Wilbur could feel the danger coming off him, it seeped into his veins and settled on his chest like a heavy cold chestplate that made it hard to breathe. He didn’t think he could have moved, even if he wanted to. All he could do really was to watch their kidnapper approach. He instantly walked towards Techno, staring down at him, kicking him into the stomach in an attempt to wake him. The soft thud made Wilbur flinch and immediately, cold brown eyes fixated him.

“Oh, look who is awake now. Good morning!”

He crouched down and watched intently as Wilbur recoiled. He was in trouble now. He wouldn’t be able to brute force them out like Technoblade. No, he had to be a little more creative.

“Who are you?”

“Who I am? Oh Will, Will... Who I am doesn’t concern you.”

Wilbur froze. Wasn’t Will the dead servant? Was this stranger mistaking him? Well, if he thought of him as Will, it was obvious why he had kidnapped them.

“Well, maybe. We’d be able to tell someone about you. And, I’m taking a wild guess here, you don’t really want that.”

Wilbur wasn’t happy about the tremble in his voice, but right now, he was glad he even dared to speak. The black haired man tilted his head back and laughed. He crouched down in front of Wilbur, sliding a thumb over the blade of the axe.

“Oh, don’t worry about me. You won’t be able to tell anything after I am done.”

“What are you going to do?”

Wilbur didn’t even have to act scared, he knew he already sounded like it. The man soaked in his fear, enjoying the banter.

“I, Will, am going to get rid of your Master. But not before I kill his little pet~ You two are close friends I heard.”

“Eh, not really.”

The man stuttered in his words for a second, but then smirked smugly.

“Nice try. I have no use for you either way.”

Well, shit. Wilbur stared at the man in a fearful gaze, fuelling his grin. Finally, the man raised himself again, swinging his axe over his shoulder,

“Well I guess since you aren’t getting out of here, I can tell you who I am.”

“I don’t think I want to know anymore...”

Wilbur flinched when the axe smacked the ground with a loud bang. The man stared at him in anger.

“Yea, well, you’re not in any position to get what you want.”

Wilbur lowered his head, which seemed to enrage the man only more. He went up to Wilbur, kicking him into the side. With his arms tied back, Wilbur could do nothing other than whimper as he fell to the side, knocking his head on the ground. He groaned, black spots danced in his vision. Sadly, he didn’t have any time to recover before a foot was placed on his chest. The man applied pressure on it, making Wilbur gasp.

“My name is Sir Quackity, and I’m here to fucking end this royal pain of a bloodline.”

There it was. Quackity. Something clicked with the name. Wilbur knew him, but where from? He didn’t know. He didn’t know, but right now it looked an awful lot like the man they were looking for.

“And then what? Are ypu going to become “King Quackity”? That’s kinda... lame, don’t you think?”

He earned another kick, groaning. Quackity sat down on his chest, metal of his armor pressing into Wilburs skin. The man raised a hand, and settled for a nice strong punch, right onto Wilburs nose. Wilbur screamed. It hurt. His face was burning, tears forced their way out, flowing down his temples. Quackity stared at him with a smug grin.

“Now we just have to wait for your pig friend to wake up.”

Quackity got up and slowly retreated. He gave Wilbur a last smirk before he left the room. He was trembling, hurting, scared. He had failed the escape. He had been too cocky again. He had been able to get some information out of the guy, but he knew, once Techno woke up, they would be dead.

Killed by no other than the Netherite Raven.

That was where he knew the name from, right?

Chapter Text

Wilbur didn't bother to sit up again. His side hurt, and he couldn't move his hands. Also, the cold stone against his temples soothed the incoming headache, although it was a bit hard.

A gross warm fluid was running out of his nose. He hadn't even noticed it before, all feelings numbed by the pain in his nose. The sting had subsided by now, leaving him with a numb, pulsing warm feeling.

He didn't know how long he laid there for, but eventually, something shuffled next to him. He hummed softly. Technoblade must have woken up.

"Where...?"

"Uh, sorry about this... They caught me by surprise."

He didn't get an answer, so Wilbur assumed Techno knew what was going on. He closed his eyes, mumbling quietly.

"They said they’d kill us once you’re awake."

He only received a confirmative hum. After a minute of silence, Techno finally spoke up. He still sounded groggy. God, someone give this man a coffee.

“Wow, you look awful.”

“Thank you?”

“What exactly happened?”

“I don’t really know... Some guy called Quackity kidnapped us. I interrogated him a little and, well –“

“Interrogated?”

“Yea. I mean, it really wasn’t that hard. A little bit of fear, a little bit of provocation...”

“Oh. That explains why you look like you lost a fight.”

“Yep. Anyways, he knows who you are, and he thinks I’m your best friend. And, well... he wants to kill me off and make you watch, kill you and then go for your family.”

Techno was scarily silent after that. Wilbur let him dwell in his anger for a second before he continued.

“He was waiting for you to wake up. Now that you have, we need to get out.”

Technos POV

Frankly, Technoblade didn’t care about people that were after his head. There were way too many. At some point, he had just accepted them as part of his life. What really riled him up though, was threats to his family. Threats to Niki and his mother. And while he didn’t consider Wilbur or Eret as family – really, Wilbur was just some guy and Eret a fool – he didn’t exactly want them to die either. He didn’t even consider Wilburs idea. Get out? If they got out, they would have an assassin on their tail. Or worse, they would just head straight to the castle. No, escaping wouldn’t do. He had to get rid of this Quackity, right here.

He sat up, and tried to raise himself, which was hard being tied up like his. He tried to swing himself up with momentum, but just as he almost succeeded, the door opened. A guy with black hair and netherite armor arrived. He smirked at Technoblade.

“Did you have a restful sleep, Blade? If not, don’t worry. You’ll be sleeping again very soon.”

He saw Wilbur shuffle, trying to get up. Unfortunately, Quackity noticed and walked over to him. He rested a foot on his temple and Wilbur stilled, afraid to move. They all knew what would happen if he did. With Wilbur as his hostage, Quackity turned back to Techno.

“This moment is long overdue.”

Techno was far past raging. His voice was scarily quiet, a coldness dripping from his words that filled the room with ice.

“I think it is.”

Quackity winced for just a milisecond before he displayed a mad smirk.

“The Blade. The man that can fight dozens of men alone. Now look at you, Blade. You’re weak. You’re past the expiration date, man. Your time has come, Technoblade.”

He seemed to enjoy himself greatly, bathing in the attention. Wilbur whimpered under his foot as he raised an axe. Quackity looked down at him, a faked pityful expression on his face.

“Sorry, man. This will not go very fast.”

He applied a bit of pressure on Wilburs head and Techno growled at him. It was an animalistic growl, one that made Quackity get goosebumps. He grinned and pushed Wilburs shirt up with his axe, then ran it gently over his skin. Techno couldn’t see it, but by the way Wilbur reacted, the blade of it was cutting into his skin. Techno inched closer, trying to help Wilbur. The rising sun was blinding him through the tiny window. He turned away from the light, adressing Quackity.

“Stop it immediately!!”

Suddenly, before anyone could realize, there was the crashing sound of a window shattering, followed by a hiss that went past them. A shadow appeared in the window and when Techno turned, he saw a faint red glow, but couldn’t tell what it was.

The next thing he knew, an arrow landed between his feet, neatly cutting off the ties. The pressure around his wrists losened as well and a feather tickled his arm. Quackity jumped back in surprise, and that was his mistake.

With an absolutely feral battlecry, Techno stormed Quackity. There was another hiss and Wilbur scrambled up to his feet. Quackity swung his axe at Techno, but he was already close. He simply grabbed the handle and blocked the attack, then lunged for a hard punch right into his jaw. He didn’t let go of the axe, but neither did Quackity as he stumbled backwards, and the pull on it sliced his arm. Techno kicked Quackitys hand and pulled the axe back, then grabbed it properly. His eyes were filled with a fierce rage as he swung the axe at the mans neck. Quackity ducked under it and yelled something in a language Techno didn’t understand. He ran towards the door, Techno after him. Before he could grab Quackity and pull him back at his neck, someone familiar called out to him. Someone who shouldn’t be here.

“Mate, get out of there. It’s not worth it.”

He whipped his head around and saw Philzas head poke through the shattered glass. Wilbur was up there, next to him. Philza must have helped him out. Behind Techno, the door shut with a bang. Quackit was gone. Well, great. He growled at Philza and stomped towards them.

“Get out of the way.”

Phil backed up and Techno jumped, pulling himself up the window. He barely fit through it, cutting his hands on the shards. He refused to accept anybodys help though. When he made it out, Phil waved him along. They were in a spruce forest now. Techno and Wilbur followed Phil to a little camp that was set up in haste not too long ago. Carl was there, tied against a tree, and so was Brick. Techno guessed Phil was here alone, but why were there two other horses then, instead of one? Just as he wanted to ask, Wilbur spoke up.

“So uhm... How did you get out of prison?”

Chapter Text

»Well, you see, we are just awesome. We went into the castle and busted Dad out, simple as that!«

Tommy heaved his chest proudly. Wilbur sighed softly.

»Tommy, you are shit at storytelling. Okay, Tubbo, what happened?«

»Sure! Well...

”I know what we have to do now”, I said.

I love murder mysteries. I love the cool stories and the suspense, and it’s even cooler when you know you’re actually helping someone. So yea, of course I immediately knew what to do. I told Tommy to follow me back and start to pack. He made a fuss about it, but –«

»I did not make a fuss out of it! I thought you were throwing me out!«

»Oh yea? Well.

“Tubso!”, Tommy yelled. He sounded very distressed. “Please Tubbo, you can’t just throw me out! What did I do? Come on, please, I can’t go back!”

I rolled my eyes at him.

“I won’t kick you out, bossman. I want to follow them!”

“Oh... wait, what? We don’t have horses, how are we supposed to follow them?”

I smirked at the confused Tommy. I closed my bag and swung it over my shoulder, then turned to the door.

“We’re going to get Philza.”

Tommys eyes blew wide. He was immediately in on it. We set off towards the castle. Tommy lead us forward, looking ecstatic. I couldn’t blame him, after all he would get to see his dad again.

The castle was so much bigger than I had expected. It was huge, decorated with gold and quartz to the ceiling. It was really impressive. I had no idea where to go, but Tommy strode past everyone. He looked like he owned the place, so I tried o do the same. With that fake confidence, we actually made it quite far.«

»My confidence is never fake.«

»I call bullshit. Your hands were shaking and you did that thing were you hunched over to be smaller.«

»I did not!«

»Boys, please. Tubbo, continue. What happened next?«

»Thank you Philza. Anyways...

I already thought we had done it, but then this woman stopped us. Her name was... Niki, I think. She must have recognised Tommy, because she called out his name. Tommy turned around and, like in a stupid stereotypical story in the archives, I ran straight into him.

“Tommy! Where did you go? I was worried about you!”

Remember, at this point, he had stayed with me for about a week. She probably searched in his old house, but they wouldn’t ever care to look at anything outside the town walls. So clearly, she had no idea where he had been. Niki walked up to us and Tommy didn’t know what to do. He looked like he was ready to bolt, but he couldn’t. They would catch us in no time. Besides, we needed to get Philza.

“Uh... I was with Tubbo.”

“Tubbo?”

“Hi.”

I waved and immediately had her attention on me. She had a nice smile, it was really sweet.

“Hello! I’m Niki. So you two are good friends?”

I nodded. Niki waved us along, we didn’t really have a choice but to follow. She was basically interviewing us, how we felt, what we were doing... She just didn’t stop. Tommy had to interrupt her.

“Niki, we wanted to see my dad.”

“Oh. Oh! Of course. I’m sorry, I didn’t want to bother you. Sure, go ahead.”

She stood up and opened the door for us. Tommy and I slipped past her, but before we could leave, she gripped my arm. I looked  at her, confused.

“Hm?”

“Tell your parents thank you for sheltering Tommy.”

Now, hear me out. I probably shouldn’t have lied at Niki. We all know I don’t have parents. Well, at least now you know. And we also all know adults don’t give a shit about orphaned children. They don’t want to see me, and so they won’t. So, there really wasn’t any reason for me to lie. But the way she said it made me itch in a way that was just... weird. It’s hard to describe it. It was that kind of voice that, even after years, still manages to bring up memories. It made me pull my arm back and my walls up. I didn’t really want to lie, but before I knew it I just smiled at her.

“I will.”

Anyways, we headed back to the cells, Tommy led the way. As soon as we stepped into the basement, I started to shiver. It was cold down here, the walls adding to the scary ambience. Our steps echoed through the hall. Tommy looked around, seeming a bit lost.

“That’s as far as I got last time”, he whispered.

Now, you’re not going to like this Tommy, but once we finally found, you looked positively scared.«

»Lies! Lies and slander! I am big and never scared.«

»You were though. I mean I do understand it. Guys, you have to imagine... We passed around 10 cells by the time. There were people grouped together in cells, between one and three people in one cell. Some of them were injured, some of them growled at us. There was this one weirdo that started yelling as soon as he saw us. He begged to let him out. It was all very disturbing. And then we saw Philza, sitting on the floor with an absolutely broken expression. He had a weird liveless fog in his eyes and didn’t even recognise us.«

Phil sighed and shifted uncomfortably when Tubbo mentioned it. He hesitated a second, then continued the story.

»I didn’t really know how long it had been since I had gotten up. Ironically, I didn’t notice the boys because I was thinking of Tommy. I had no idea how he was, after all.

When I heard someone clear their throat, I looked up. It was a ver bitter feeling to see them. I didn’t really expect a kidnapping, just a visit or something. It was very shameful, having them see me like that. I gave them a weak smile.

“Heya boys. How are you?”

“Hello, bossman. Get up”, Tubbo insisted.

“What? Why? What are you here for?”

I started to get a little suspicious. Tommy raised his chin, hands clenched into fists. He looked determined, and he sounded a little angry as he spoke.

“We’re busting you out, Dad.”

“What.”

And so they did. Tubbo somehow managed to pick the lock at a worryingly fast rate.«

»What can I say, I’m a man of many talents.«

»I don’t think I want to know where you learned that. Anyways, they unlocked the cell and helped me out. That was when I found out why they even helped me. You know, I just assumed they wanted to see me. Like a fool.«

»That you are indeed.«

»Thank you Wilbur. Well, they said they wanted to solve a murder mystery, and I wasn’t going to just let them wander off. The plan was to not interfere, but then you got kidnapped. And the rest...

Is history.«

Chapter Text

“I can’t sleep yet”, Tommy exclaimed.

“Me neither. I’d rather take the first shift.”

Techno gave Wilbur a look that made him turn away in guilt. Philza sighed. Tubbo returned with more firewood, grinning from ear to ear.

“Guys, how about we tell some horror stories?”

Wilbur looked up. Phil grinned softly, nodding.

“Sure! Who goes first?”

“I will”, Wilbur spoke excitedly. Everyone gathered closered around the campfire. It illuminated Wilburs grin in a weird angle, drawing creepy shadows across his face.

“So....”

~~~Story 1~~~

This all started in a music shop of a small, old town. It was owned by a young musician. He had inherited the shop from his grandfather, and so far, he had loved it. That was until he got a very weird order of instruments coming in. Weird, because he hadn’t actually ordered them, and wasn’t excpected to pay money either. He accepted them anyways, they were actually in quite good shape.

One was a white piano with red engravements on it, a red music note across its wing. The second one was more subtle. It was a brown Ukulele with green flowers and bees painted on it. The third one was a big bulky cello, dark brown with pink swirls engraved on it. It as well had a logo: a pickaxe carved into its side. The last one was a golden harp with green and white strings on it. It had a small heart engraved on the handle.

The man tried to play them, he wasn’t the best, but they sounded wonderful. Hw wondered who had given them away, and why anybody would do that.

His opinion quickly changed as soon as it turned night.

It was about midnight when he heard the sounds of a cello echo from the shop downstairs. He thought nothing of it at first. He was just tired, right? Well. Soon, the others started joining in. The noise was loud now, too loud for the man to ignore.

He reasoned that it had to be some people that broke in. It was very weird, but weird people exist, right? He grabbed a crowbar and tiptoed down the stirs to the shop. As he had his hand on the back door to enter, he realised he knew this song. He also realised that nobody else should know this song. It was his song, the one he hadn’t even shown his best friends yet. It sounded twisted and off, but it was definitely his song. He slowly opened the door and held back a screech.

There were in fact no humans that had broken in. There were floating instruments, a whole ass piano high in the air, agressively playing a tune,bobbing to the rythm. As soon as the door opened, the music sped up. There was a build up as the instruments got louder, and then suddenly, at the very peak, it faded out. The instruments slowly lowered and played a different tune, one that he didn’t recognise. Later that month, he took the very tune and made it a song. It blew up. Nobody ever bought the instruments. The man made a fortune selling their songs, but he also didn’t get a full night of sleep ever again.

~~~~~~

“That was so cool!”

“Thanks Tubbo. So, who wants next?”

“I will”, Tommy said. He fakely cleared his throat and started his story.

~~~Story 2~~~

I wasn’t good at many things at the time, but I knew how to steal. I would buy dinners just with money I pickpocketed. It wasn’t like I had a choice really, but it felt good to at least be good at it. But the first time I actually broke into a house would forever be the last time.

I had been preparing for at least a month. I was anxious, but I really needed the money, so I pulled through. I found out how to get into the house a week back, and two weeks back I started to stalk the family to find out their rythm. There seemed to live 3 people: one boy and two adults. Sadly, their rythms were very inconsistent, so I had to just go at night.

I locked the pick of the gate and snuck inside. After about five minutes, I finally found an open window and climbed inside. I found myself in the living room and cheered quietly. This was exactly where I wanted to be. I looked around. They didn’t have a TV, but some old looking vases that quickly vanished in my backpack. I left the room and went down a hallway. A moment of pride filled me. I hadn’t been found out! Of course, that was when it all went down the drain.

“Excuse you.”

There was a deep, tired voice behind me. The taller man that lived in this house stood in front of me, looking sleepdrunken. I could probably outrun him, I thought. And so I did. Except, he didn’t even follow me. He made a loud whistling noise and suddenly, the doors flung open. Out of another room, the kid came out, except something was... off. One of his eyes was glowing in a poisonous yellow, and his hair didn’t quite hide the fact he had bulky ram horns on his head. He stomped his hooves on the ground and growled at me. It was a terrifying sight. I turned around, facing the man from before, except he didn’t look human anymore either. He had blue scales on his cheeks and gills on his neck that flared up when he opened his mouth, revealing unnaturally sharp teeth. I felt cornered of course and ran into the next best room, another hallway that had 3 entrances coming from it: the one I just came from, the one leading to the main entrance and the one that lead into the darkness somewhere.

Of course I booked it towards the main entrance. Before I could get farther than a few steps though, the third inhabitant of the house. Only his blonde hair was replaced with black one, and his aarms had morphed into black wings with claws on them. He launched forward to get me. Naturally. I turned another time and went the only way that was left: into the darkness.

I didn’t know how long I ran for. I didn’t know if the creatures were still chasing me. Eventually, I turned my head. When I saw nobody, I grabbed the next window and opened it to escape. A hand fell onto mine, gripping me from behind. I tried to let go of the window. But my hand was encased by a much bigger one now. A voice spoke up, a voice I didn’t recognize. Was there a 4^th person?!

“Don’t steal from my family.”

The voice had my blood freeze in my veins. It was deep and echoed in my brain. The grip on my hand increased and I couldn’t help but whimper. I noticed the claws on the hand. I could feel my backpack being sliced from my back, falling to the ground. It was then that the creature released my hand and yanked me around. It was about my height, bulky and with flappy ears and big tusks out of its mouth. He lets out a growl from deep in his chest and raises his arm and-

The next thing I know, I wake up in a hospital, in hospital gown, only with a note on my bedside table to never do that again.

~~~~~~

“That’s a shit ending, Tommy.”

“It’s not, shut up bitch!”

“It is though. Where’s the tension gone, hm? Seriously, if you were an author, I would not read that story.” Cough hi there cough

“Well then, Technoblade, why don’t you come up with something better?”

“Me? Oh, I don’t do stories.”

“Come on Techno, give it a shot!”

“Fiiiiine... you guys are awful.”

~~~Story 3~~~

So it was a week before I moved out. My parents where out and I had decided to raid the attic for stuff to take along with me. I found some old tablecloths and an unused tea set I wanted to take along. As I kept going, I soon found a box full of old costumes. They didn’t seem unusual. As I went through them, at the bottom of the box, I found a little chest with the words “Do not open” written on it in a big red font.

Of course I opened it.

Inside was a ball mask on a black silky cushion. It looked a little silly, like a boar with a crown on top. It had big tusks that actually looked quite cool. As I inspected it further, the need to wear it started to rise in me. I found it silly at first, but it wasn’t like I had a reason to worry, right?

I walked to the next mirror and put on the mask. It looked nice, not really my taste. I wanted to take it off again, but I didn’t. I didn’t even realise it at first, I was feeling completely normal still. But whenever I tried to remove it, my arms would just not move. It didn’t feel like I was being controlled. It was just this weird feeling, as though I wanted to do something but was too lazy to actually do it.

I kept it on while I continued my hunt.

After some time, it was getting dark, and I was growing hungry. I went back to the costume box, again trying to take off the mask. This time though, I was really trying. My arms started to feel heavy and numb. My chest tightened. What was going on?

You’ll never get rid of us.

A set of voices echoed in my head. They started to whisper at a consistent rate. It wasn’t too loud, but it was so out of the blue that it grabbed all my attention. The voices started to chant, as if they had noticed my attention.

Blood for the blood God. Blood for the blood God.

I was scared before, but this was a billion times worse. I didn’t know what it meant and I couldn’t feel my arms at this point. I didn’t want to know what the chanting meant. I felt enclosed behind the mask and it was getting harder to breathe by the second. I felt as though something was pressing on my chest. My already limited sight darkened and my legs gave in. I fell onto my knees, hardly able to breathe as the chanting got louder, and I started to understand it’s meaning.

BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD!!

A warm flash of energy washed over me and before I knew, I was back on my legs. I walked downstairs and grabbed a kitchen knife, the big one that is used for meat. I stood by the door and waited, patiently.

That day, I killed my parents. It satisfied the voices, but not for too long. Soon, I ventured out, with no other wish than to satisfy them. I never learned how to take off that mask. Eventually, I stopped caring about it.

~~~~~~

“Uhm, Techno?! Holy shit!”

Tommy stared at him with wide eyes. Techno shrugged. It was then that Philza clapped his hands and got up.

“Alright you little shits, time for bed. I’ll take the first shift.”

Nobody of them had a very good sleep that night.

Chapter Text

Tommy should be asleep right now, but he couldn’t. He was lying with his back to the fire, wrapped in his blanket. He stared out in the woods, the rest of the group behnd him. Technos fucking horror story had him lying awake, still and unmoving. It was no surprise to him that the adults tthought he was asleep. At least he guessed they did, because he could hear them talk about serious stuff.

Somewhere behind him, Wilbur sighed.

“Techno? I... I have no proof for this, but, I think this Quackity guy might be the Netherite Raven. And if he isn’t, he probably has connections.”

Tommy waited to Techno to hear his response, but he only sucked in a sharp breath. Phil chimed in before he could say respond. Tommy noticed how his dads voice sounded more strained than it should. Tommy knew it, it was his “don’t worry, everything is under control”-voice.

“Are you sure mate? Why do you think so?”

“I’m... not sure.” Wilburs voice sounded strained. “It’s just a hunch, really, but the way he looked, walked, presented himself...”

“Well, it’s not like it matters”, Techno huffed and there was shuffling from his direction. Did he get up?

“Raven or not, he is dangerous. We can ask him nicely when we go back and make sure he doesn’t harm my family.”

There was something dangerous in his voice, something so furious it made Tommys skin crawl. He concentrated on Phils voice that spoke next, soothing and gentle, words laced with concern.

“How do you want to do that? He won’t stay for much longer, if he’s even still here.”

“Wilbur and I have to go back. Unarmed and bruised, preferably. It will look like you were out for my head yourself.”

“You are not doing that”, Phil said harshly. Wilbur whimpered softly, but Techno only huffed.

“Any better idea?”

Their conversation continued, but Tommy zoned out. This Quackity guy hadn’t seen him. He was a great bait, and he knew it. They would never allow it, but Tommy was a big man, and he was smart enough to do this. All he had to do was lay a trail for them and keep Quackity where they needed him. His dad would be so fucking proud.

He shifted his head lightly to see Tubbo look at him with wide eyes. He had listened too, and he apparently had seen Tommys reactions, even if he had been subtle. He felt him study his face, before Tubbo whispered softly.

“Only if we do it together, bossman.”

It seemed far too easy. Technoblade was guarding the group, but he was tired. Exhausted from the fight and tired because he didn’t trust anyone else to guard them. Wilbur had already messed up and Techno didn’t trust Phil for some weird reason. Thus, even though it was the last guarding shift, he hadn’t gotten an ounce of sleep.

Tommy knew that, and he knew that was their chance. Somehow, he and Tubbo had managed to stay awake. They had plotted quietly, they had a plan now and they were going to put it to action. They both slowly got up, looking at Techno. The man heard them and stared at them, trying to fight the daze in his eyes.

“We’re going for a piss.”

“Sure...”

They scurried off and left into the woods. They were both quiet, to tense to talk while they slowly headed back towards where they found Wilbur and Techno. They also made sure to dirty their clothes as much as they could. They already didn’t look good, but they wanted to look like they were lost in the woods. Lost, helpless, weak.

The building was as appealing from the outside as it had been from the inside. It was a small brick bunker with a ground floor and basement. The basement was where they had found the two, but Tommy and Tubbo didn’t want to sneak in through there. Bluntly, Tommy stepped to the front and knocked at the door.

He heard a rustling inside and two voices shouting at each other. They weren’t decipherable, but the deeper one was very close to the door.

Tommy took a deep breath and stepped away from the door. They heard it unlock, once, twice, and then a man opened it. He was shorter than Tommy but a lot more muscular. A white bandana held back his black hair as he scanned the kids with a sharp gaze.

“It’s just some random children.”

“Why the fuck are they here?!”, a voice yelled from the inside. Bandana-guy sighed and punched the bridge of his nose.

“I don’t know that yet, how about you give me a second?”

A second face showed up in front of the door. A man with fluffy brown hair and the brightest hoodie Tommy had ever seen. Hoodie-guy pursed his lips. His voice was soft, more disappointed than mad, and not as loud as the other two.

“Stop yelling, you’re scaring them.”

Hoodie-guy turned to them with a warm smile to them.

“Can we help you?”

Now, Tommy wasn’t scared. He was never scared. But when he opened his mouth and no voice came out, he was very glad that Tubbo stepped in. His voice was frightened and small as he gave both men his best puppy-eyes.

“We got lost in the woods and saw this house... please, we’re cold and tired and hungry.”

Tubbo ended with a sob and if they hadn’t planned this, he would absolutely believe the little act. Luckily, neither bandana-guy nor hoodie-guy knew what he knew. He made sure to keep his head low and his posture hunched.

Bandana-guy didn’t look fond of the idea at all, but hoodie-boy immediately invited them in. He smiled softly at them.

“I’m Karl, how are you boys called?”

“I’m Tommy, this is Tubbo.”

Tommy kept his voice down and looked hesitating at Karl. The said man shooed bandana-guy away to get blankets and food. Tommy felt himself able to relax a little, but of course, it was very short-lived.

A third person stepped towards them with a moody expression and a coffee in hand. He stared them down with an icy glare. Tommy recognized his voice as the guy who had shouted earlier.

“How the fuck did you find us.”

Tubbos face lit up and he gave Quackity a small smile.

“Oh, there were three really nice men that told us about this place. One of them was called, uhm.. T... Techno?”

The poor mug, Tommy thought, as it crushed to the ground.

Chapter Text

The mug crashed to the ground and made both boys flinch. The man in front of them closed the distance in a rapid speed, eyeing Tubbo.

“Techno, you say? Which direction did they go?”

Tubbo shrugged cluelessly, looking a little intimidated. Still, he kept his voice curious.

“Is he your friend? Do you need help searching him? Or do you want to know anything? Wait, are you the Quackity person they mentioned?”

The last sentence was laced in fear. Tubbo wanted the man to know he knew something he shouldn’t. He wanted Quackity to be suspicious, but not seem like a threat. Tommy next to him tensed his shoulders and forced himself to relax.

The man scanned him intently and lifted Tubbos head, staring at him. Tubbo averted his eyes, but didn’t move.

“What did they say about this Quackity?”

“Uhm, not much... just that he’s here, and uhm...”

Tubbos voice died in his throat, this time not an act. He had trouble to keep his hands from shaking and honestly, he wasn’t happy about how frozen in place Tommy was. He gave him a helpless glance, a small whimper escaping his lips.

Tommy looked up at him, similarly scared, but took he took Tubbos hand and spoke up in a voice that was way too quiet to be Tommys.

“They argued about something, but it didn’t make much sense...”

Tubbo nodded and flinched when a hand settled on his shoulder. Karl behind him aww’ed softly and wrapped his arms around him instead.

“Shhh, dont worry... How about we go to the living room for this? I’ll make you both a hot chocolate and you can tell your story.”

The man in front of them looked impatient, but nodded with a huff. Karl let go of Tubbo and he exhaled a breath he didn’t know he had held. Quackity led them to a couch, Sapnap dangerously close behind them.

The living room looked like it had been comfortable once. Now, it was cold, filled with boxes, weapons and armor stands. Only a small seating corner was left from the homey look.

Tommy looked around in the room and gulped. Sapnap sat them down on a couch and leaned on the arm of it, right next to Tubbo. Quackity took the armchair in front of them. Tubbo found himself lean a little against Tommy. This time, he let his friend take the word.

“That’s a lot of armor”, Tommy stated dumbly. Quackity scoffed.

“Yea. Now, tell me where you’re from.”

And Tommy did. He told Quackity a story of an ugly fate, long deceased family. He told him about the live on the streets, about cold winters and the harsh words of the townsfolk. Tubbo interjected occasionally to correct him, but otherwise kept quiet. It was easier to listen to Tommy than to actually speak, annd he was grateful for him. He deemed himself to be a good liar, but this wasn’t entirely a lie, if he was honest. It was just not Tommys life. Somewhen, in the middle of the story, Karl returned with hot chocolate and settled on the ground next to the man with the bandana.

“We were trying to find a job, really, but nobody would take us, so we left and tried to find the next village. And now we’re here...”

Finally, he said the words they were waiting to say since they came here. The words that would keep them here, that would enable them to sabotage the men.

“We would do anything really, for at least a little money.”

The man seemed to catch on the hint quickly and chuckled softly. Tubbo exhaled softly when he saw that Quackity wasn't entirely against the idea.

“I’m sure we can find a way to make you both useful. You were right, I am Quackity. And this”, he pointed at bandana-man, “is Sapnap.”

“Are you the Netherite Raven?”, Tommy blurted out, but then immediately lowered his head with reddened cheeks. It was a slip-up, but luckily he knew how to hide that. “The weird men said so.”

Quackity burst into laughter, making both flinch.

“They think I’m the Netherite Raven? Oh, that is hilarious. I know him though. Not his name, but his face.”

He must’ve seen the way Tommy and Tubbo looked at them. They stared at him in childish fascination, and Tubbo noticed how he bathed in the attention.

“The Raven is a weakling. He is a little pet, bound to the king of another land. I am a merchant that was hired to do what the Raven couldn’t.”

“And what is that?”, Tubbo asked, sounding intrigued. Quackity gave him a wide smirk, and Tubbo couldn’t help but to feel a little sick. He had a feeling he knew the answer already.

“Oh, don’t worry about it. How about you go rest a little?”

There was no room for an argument in the question and Karl raised himself.

“I’ll show you your rooms, yes?”

Tubbo felt himself nod and followed, shoulder glued against Tommys. Other than his friend, he didn’t feel shame admitting he was positively terrified.

Karl led them into a different room. It had a bed, a desk and no windows. Great. Once the boys shuffled inside, he closed the door and locked the door with a ‘click’. Double great. He wondered how long it would take the others to find them. Techno had been awake when they left, after all.

Tommy and Tubbo both climbed onto the bed and cuddled each other, similarly scared. They didn’t dare to speak, afraid the men outside could hear them. If they dropped their acts now and anybody noticed, they would be screwed. Sleep was no option as they held onto each other and waited for anything, any little sign that Phil would get them out of here. Any little sign that Quackity changed his mind and decided to kill them.

Chapter Text

Hi guys, just a heads up, I didn't forget this, but my internship started and I didn't have the energy to write or even open the laptop after 2 stressful 12 hour shifts. Tomorrow should hopefully be better, if not I will update on thursday!

Updates will generally peobably be less regularly because of my work schedule, but I should be able to write more on friday!

Thank you guys for understanding

Chapter Text

Techno was tired. Very tired. It didn’t help that Wills voice had apparently decided to show up more frequently. Currently, it was humming a song Techno didn’t want to remember. He had decided that whateverwas going on in his head was no cause for concern and that he would just ignore it. Right now, the second part of that plan was really difficult.

“Could you shut up, I have to listen to our surroundin’s.”

Oh, yea, sorry. You’re going to fall asleep if I stop.

“I won’t.”

Wanna bet?

“If it makes you shut up.”

Apparently, the bet was on, because Will stayed quiet after that. Techno grunted satisfied and looked around the camp. There was something wrong, he could feel it, but he couldn’t tell what it was.

How long since the boys disappeared to go for a piss?

“I don’t know. They’re kids, they’re slow and easy to distract.”

They’re also easy to kidnap.

Techno huffs. “Tommy’s pretty loud, and smart enough to shout for me if anything goes wrong.”

Provided you will hear them.

“And I probably would if you’d just stop annoyin’ me.”

Blissful silence filled his head for the first time in a while, and he found himself relax slowly. He looked around. Where were they? How much time had passed?

It’s been fifteen minutes.

“How would you know?”

Just trust me.

Techno hummed in response and slowly started counting in his head. Five minutes later, he stood up and walked around the camp, hoping to hear something. Another five minutes, and he contemplated on waking up Philza. After a total of 27 minutes, he sighed and gently shook Philza.

“Hey, wake up.”

“What...?”

“The kids are gone.”

“What?!”

Phil was immediately wide awake. He swung himself up straight to his legs, only to fall back again with a groan. Techno scoffed at him.

“Calm down a little. I’ll go wake up Wilbur.”

He went to do exactly that, shaking Wilbur. The man growled as he woke up. Techno sighed, but repeated the problem to him. Wilbur just grumbled and turned around.

“Might have slipped on their piss... Ow!”

A not-so-gentle kick to his side had him sit up. Techno blended out his complaints and walked back to Phil, who was up already, preparing for combat.

“Do you think Quackity has them?”, he said, and Techno would deny for the rest of his life how scary Phil sounded when he was mad.

“I dunno”, he answered. “Could’ve. I doubt they’d go far enough to get lost, really.”

“You overestimate the gremlins”, Wilbur chimed in. He immediately shut up when he was met with two daring glares, and raised his hands in surrender.

“But you’re right, we should probably check. Just in case. And we wanted to get to Quackity anyways.”

They marched off in silence, scanning their surroundings. Techno could see the cogs in Phils brain turn. He was trying to come up with a safe rescue plan. Techno thought about it as well. If Quackity really had Tommy and Tubbo, they needed to be careful...

The mental image of the boys, trapped and beaten up by Quackity sent his adrenaline flying. Any coherent plan was forgotten. Quackity had laid a hand on his kids, and now he would pay.

“Your” kids? Well. That’s a thought we will have to unpack later.

Techno huffed at Wills voice, ignoring it. They weren’t his, really, but he got them roped into this in the first place.

Yea sure. They followed you on their own account.

“Still.”

“What?”, Wilbur asked him confused.

“Nothin’. On my sign, you run around the house and sneak in through the shattered window. I’ll go to the front and distract Quackity.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea. He probably isn’t-“

“Well, Philza, do you have a better idea?”

Phil stayed quiet, and Techno huffed at him. Wilbur let out a thoughtful hum.

“It’s a small house, there won’t be many people. And if there are, they will be busy to help Quackity live.”

“I mean true, but-“

Techno rolled his  eyes impatiently. The house was already in sight. They didn’t have time for discussions, soon they would be out in the open. He needed a way to efficently cut Phil off and start the plan.

“Ribbit.”

He wasn’t very loud, nor did it sound realistic at all. But it served enough to confuse the other two men. They stared at him and Techno wondered for a second if they were worried for him.

“What?”

“Uhm, Techno...”

“That was the sign, you morons. We go.”

Techno, wait-“

Techno didn’t wait. He heard cursing behind him as he slipped soundlessly though the bushes, then stepped out into the open. He raised his arms and drew a deep breath, staring at the house. He held his breath for a second, then, in a manic voice that ringed over the whole place, he screamed.

“QUACKITY!!!”

Chapter Text

In hindsight, Tubbo thought, this could’ve gone a lot better. He and Wilbur shared a look, and he knew the man was agreeing.

It had all gone so fast. Tommy and Tubbo had been awoken by a loud yell from outside. They heard shuffling past the door, and more yelling when the front door opened. They heard Techno.

Tubbo wasn’t able to make out his words. What he did hear though, was Tommys excited gasp.

“Tubbo, it’s Techno! He’ll save us!”

Tommy froze to the sound of an unlocking door. Karl stood in front of them, with a pitying glance, Sapnap behind them. Tommy tried to put up a fight, but Tubbo was frozen stiff. All Karl had to do was place a knife gently against his skin, and Sapnap immediately got Tommy to cooperate.

That’s why, when Phil and Wilbur arrived, there wasn’t really much they could do anymore.

Tubbo saw Phils expression break when he looked at them both. The man must be scared shitless about his son. Tubbo didn’t fail to notice Phil looked at him the same way, but he didn’t oay it much mind. Instead, he exchanged looks with Wilbur.

“How about one of you gets Technoblade inside? If he kills Quackity, the kids die.”

Tubbo stifled a whimper that rose in his throat. Wilbur was up on his heels, yelling something through the house.

“TECHNO!!”

There were voices outside, shouting. Quackity and Technoblade sounded similarly mad, and also similarly scary. They all walked back into the room. Phil stood awkwardly to the side of the door, the boys and their captors against the opposite wall. Quackity strode inside with a wide smirk, Techno followed with gritted teeth. He looked just about ready to kill them all at once.

“Well, well, well. I didn’t expect you to bring children into this, Blade.”

Quackity wore a smug expression as he talked, it made Tubbo want to punch him. But the man apparently wasn’t finished.

“Drop your swords, gentlemen.”

Wilbur was the first to drop his, Phil and Techno followed suit. Wilbur stepped forward, looking at Quackity, who was collecting their weapons.

“You’re really this cheap? I didn’t expect that.”

“Cheap? These children ran into my open arms, was I supposed to deny them shelter?”

Tubbo flinched under the disappointed gaze of Phil. He heard Tommy whine quietly. Wilbur ignored them and tilted his head.

“So you decided to trick them? I see. Well, everyone has to start somewhere, I guess.”

Tubbo noticed the confused shift in Technos gaze. Had he not seen Wilbur like this before? Wilbur, however, looked more confident than ever. His tone was mocking Quackity, his posture was so relaxed it seemed as though he wasn’t afraid at all. It very obviously upset Quackity.

“What are you trying to achieve here? Remember what happens if you piss me off, Will.”

He gestured towards Tommy, and Tubbo felt his heart drop. Wilbur paled and shut his mouth with a click. Whatever he had tried to do, it hadn’t worked.

Well, shit.

“Will is dead.”

Technos voice made them turn around. Quackity squinted his eyes at him and gestured to Wilbur.

“Do you think I’m stupid?”

“You are. Will died a month ago. I am Wilbur, and I mean nothing to him.”

“Wilbur-“, Techno tried to cut him off, but Wilbur wasn’t finished. “All your ideas about killing me to torture him were pointless. You have no idea what has been going on since the very start, and you think you can outsmart us?”

Quackity took a step back, gripping his axe tighter. Wilbur smirked maliciously at him.

“Maybe you should pick out your hostages with a little more care.”

Tubbo felt Karls grip tighten around him. Quackity lifted his axe, but there was uncertainty in his eyes. It almost, almost, worked, but then... he locked eyes with Philza.

It had Phil act... weird. He avoided to look at Quackity and if Tubbo didn’t know better, he would say it looked as if Phil tried to hide his face. Actually, Tubbo noticed, he didn’t know Phil better. What was he doing?

Quackity started to giggle, the giggle turned into a laugh. He sounded like he had finally lost it. His grin was manic, his voice so piercingly high it hurt Tubbos ears.

“Oh, so I’m the one that’s stupid, but you’re travelling with him?? That is amazing, really. My god.”

He wiped an imaginary tear off his face and started circling Phil, like a predator circling its prey. Phil stood tense, staring intently at Techno. If they tried to communicate, Tubbo didn’t understand it.

“What do you mean?”, Techno asked as he turned from Phil to Quackity, and Phils shoulders fell. Quackity was now behind Phil, reaching out, but Phil growled.

“If you so much as dare to touch me-“

“Uh uh. Sapnap?”, Quacity interrupted and raised his hand. Sapnap grinned and drew the blade against Tommys skin. Phil immediately fell limp, allowing Quackity closer with a defeated expression. Quackity grinned triumphantly at Wilbur.

“It seems as though I picked them carefully enough.”

Wilbur grit his teeth, but didn't respond. Quackity didn't pay him any more attention though. Instead, he reached under Phils coat. Tubbo saw Phil tense on the spot, saw his face lit up in horrified realization. And then, Quackity pulled out a small amulet. A red heard that had a soft glow to it, attached on a leather band around Phils neck. He didn't know what it meant, but he saw Techno squint his eyes. He heard Tommy gasp.

"Is that Mums..?"

Phil stayed silent. He kept his head down when Quackity laughed. He didn't say anything when Tommy begged him to explain. He looked defeated, and that didn't change when Techno demanded answers.

Tubbo watched Quackity bask in the attention, in their misery. It made him feel sick, and it made him angry to think anyone could be this awful. He glared at Quackity until he finally, finally said the words that made all hell break loose.

It made Tubbos brain stop at the sudden change. It had Wilbur gasp in shock and jump away from them. It caused Tommy to yell in disbelief and scream profanities at Quackity. It twisted Technos expression into something raw and ugly, a rage Tubbo had never seen before.

It made it clear that they couldn’t act. He had to do something.

Chapter Text

"Your trusted friend here, Philza, is the one you've all been looking for. He is the Netherite Raven“, Quackity boasted. Wilbur took a step back, trying to conceal his shock. His disbelief quickly surfaced again. There was no way that was true, but why did Phil act so weird?

Tommy stared at him, then at his father. What?! That can’t be true. No way that that can be true!

„Dad?“ No answer. His father kept his head low, silent. Tommy swallowed hard.

„What the fuck?!“

He turned to Quackity now, anger rising in him. He struggled in Sapnaps grip, raising a fist at Quackity. He was going to show that man how wrong he was. He was going to punch him to the ground and then he was going to show him what he would do to anyone that hurt his father.

„You bastard! Stop lying to me, I know he wouldn’t do that! You’re a dick! I said let go- stop grinning at me you bitch!“

Quackity just laughed at him, smirking like the fool he was. Technoblade tuned them out. I was too loud. He stared at the amulet, then at Phils defeated expression. He didn’t want to believe it, he really didn’t. But, Phil did kind of try to stab him, and it made a painful amount of sense. He wanted to deny it, but he knew he couldn’t. It was the truth. Will didn’t really help his thoughts either; he was loud, disrupting his thoughts and angering him even more.

You know he is right. You don’t want to hear it, but deep down you know it.

Shut up, Techno thought. You have no idea what you are talking about.

Don’t I? Please stop lying to yourself, brother. Philza is not who you think he is. He isn’t the monster you try not to see, but he is also not the saint you want him to be. He is a stranger to you.

„He’s a stranger to you!“

Quackity barked at Tommy, laughing manically. Tommy still struggled in Sapnaps grip, crying now. Phil had tears in his eyes, but Techno disregarded him. He stared at Quackity, and he was shaking in anger. So was his voice, dripping with venom but cold as ice.

„I am goin‘ to kill you.“

Quackity laughed at him, and Technoblade growled. Tubbo swore to himself, he didn’t ever want Techno to be mad at him. Ever.

He had to do something. Quackity was taunting Techno now, and Sapnaps sword was at Tommys neck. They were quandary, and Tubbo knew it was on him to get out of there. The others were angry, betrayed and sad. Tubbo was just scared, but he could work with scared.

He looked back at Karl. The man wore a worried frown, watching the scene. Perfect. Tubbo suddenly grabbed the arm that held him, pulled it up to his face and bit down as hard as he could. Karl yelped and pulled his hand away on instinct, but Tubbo had no time to check if anyone had noticed them. He didn’t even look back at Karl. He pushed his arms off and ran towards Sapnap. With an expertly aimed kick, Tubbo sent his boot between his legs, and Sapnap howled in pain. He dropped his sword down and dropped on his knees, holding his groin both in pain, and to shield it from possible further attacks.

Tubbo held back a cheer and pushed Tommy away from Sapnap, and picked up the sword. He turned around just in the right time, jumping aside when Karl attacked. He wished he could say he gracefully swung the weapon at him, but unfortunately, this was Tubbos first time holding a sword in… probably ever. He yanked it upwards in a clumsy motion and was lucky enough to clash it against Karls, blocking his attack with the sword rather than his chest.

„Phil, I would appreciate some help!“

That seemed to have worked. Although Phil only flinched and stared at him with wide eyes, he heard a wild roar coming from Technoblade. Wuh oh.

Technoblade couldn’t even begin to describe his feelings. There was a lump in his throat that made it hard to breathe, but the rest of him felt… void. It was as though something in him had decided to block it all out, that if he didn’t acknowledge it, it wouldn’t be true. It left him empty and tired, staring at Phil the entire time. That was until he heard Tubbo yell and Wilbur next to him move into action. His attentioned turned to Tubbo, who was very clearly losing a fight, and Tommy. Tommy looked very shocked and stumbled out of the way when Wilbur passed him to help Tubbo. That was one problem taken care of. But when he saw Tommys confused, disbelieving and scared expression, and when he turned away to face Quackitys taunting grin, something filled the void in him.

Now, Techno was a very short tempered man. He was easy to anger, and he welcomed the feeling like an old friend every time he felt it. But this, this was different. It seeped into his bones and swallowed him whole. Technoblade felt like he was burning, and every second he didn’t move to attack Quackity physically hurt. Wills voice was long drained out and for the first time in a long, long time, his mind was finally his again, not silent, but focused on one thought only: revenge.

He opened his mouth to release a battlecry that must probably gather everybodies attention, but he didn’t even care. Still unarmed, Techno went through his bags and grabbed the next best thing he could use as a weapon. He found what he wanted and raised a netherite pickaxe to his head. He fixated Quackity with a cold and calculating stare.

„Did you really think, Quackity, that you could get rid of me that easily?“

„W-what?“, Quackity asked as he took a step back, Techno took two forward.

„I just have one question, Quackity: Do you really think you’re enough to kill me? Even without weapons, do you think you could kill me?“

Quackity didn’t respond, and Techno didn’t waste another second. He swung his axe, and Quackity raised his axe and engaged him in the deadly dance. He seemed to get a little more confident again, because he spoke up.

„You have done so much fucking damage“, Quackty spat, „all the fucking time, Techno. And if there is one PvP I am planning to win, it’s this one!“

He swung his axe at Techno and managed to graze his right arm, but that wasn’t even close to enough to stop him. He grit his teeth and readjusted his grip, then attacked him again.

„I have a pickaxe, and I’ll put it through your teeth!“

And that he did. And gods, Techno did not anticipate how ugly that would sound.

*

Techno felt a resistance under the tip of his pickaxe and broke through it with a loud, ugly snap. Quackitys head dipped with the swing of the pickaxe that Techno pulled back. Quackity didn’t scream, he didn’t drop on his knees and breathe dramatically. He collapsed with a quiet thud and stayed where he was, unmoving. Techno grimaced and nudged his head gently with his boot. The pickaxe had teared through the edge of his skull, ripping the skin apart in an ugly zigzag and destroying his left eye. The entire left side of his face was covered in blood that slowly pooled under him and into his mouth. He didn’t seem to be breathing, but Techno didn’t bother to check. If he was, he would soon choke on his blood – if he didn’t bleed out before then.

*

Techno looked at how the others were doing. Tubbo and Tommy were cowering in a corner behind Philza, who was successfully keeping Sapnap in check, and Wilbur and Karl had their own little duell. Everyone was injured to some degree, Tubbo looked like he was about to pass out, but Techno couldn’t see any fatal wounds, so he picked up Quackitys axe and allowed himself to breathe for a second.

And then he locked eyes with Tommy.

Tommy, who had been lied to by his own father for who knows how long. Who had lost his mother apparently, and had nobody to trust but Tubbo and… Techno??

He looked at Techno with big, begging eyes, and Techno wished he knew what that meant. Did Tommy trust him? Surely he wouldn’t, not more than Phil. But he didn’t look away, and Techno knew it meant something. He just didn’t know what something was.

Get them out of here.

Techno sucked in a breath and nodded. He stormed off to ambush Sapnap, but the man blocked his attack with ease. Techno smirked at him, and Sapnaps eyes widened.

„Quackity?! What did you fucker do to him?!“

He pushed Technos axe away and when the man didn’t attack again, he ran towards Quackitys body. Techno didn’t bother looking at them; he turned to Philza.

„We leave. Now.“

Phil stared at him as if he had two heads, but Techno ignored it. He pointed to the boys behind him.

„They’re more important than you.“

Philzas face fell, but he nodded. Techno passed him and kneeled down next to Tommy, locking eyes with him.

„Give me Tubbo. We’re leaving.“

Chapter Text

Phil  watched  Techno  pick   up   Tubbo ,  earning   confused   noises   from   the   boy .  He  tried   to   help , but Tommy  snarled  at  him  and Phil  knew   better   than   to  push. He  sighed  and  left   the   boys   with  Techno,  knowing   they   would   be   safe   with   him .  Instead , he  helped  Wilbur raid  the   place .  They   left   through   the   door  and  went   through   the   chests ,  grabbing   enough   armor  and  food   to   last  everyone   for  at least  another   week . Both  of   them   worked   quietly  and  efficiently   next   to   each   other ;  neither   of   them   knew   how   to  break  the   tension   thaat   hung  high in  the   a ir .   Eventually , Wilbur  turned   to   him   with  a soft  exhale .  

“So. Netherite Raven, yea? Did you kill Will?”  

“...Yes”, Phil admitted. “I am not very proud of it.”  

“Because you missed your shot?”  

Phil shuddered at how cold and distant Wilbur suddenly sounded. He pursed his lips.  

“No. I can explain, but-”  

“Oh, I don’t need any explanation, Philza. Technoblade does.”  

Phil shuts his mouth with a click. Wilbur sighs.  

“I’ll tell him to hear you out. He deserves to know the full story. Just... don’t expect anyone here to agree with your actions.”  

Phil nods, grateful for the chance Wilbur will provide him.  

As they returned to the rest of the group, Phil was met with nothing but stares. Even Tubbo was glaring at him, even though it seemed like he only cared because Tommy was hurt. Phil didn’t even dare to look his son in the eyes, he felt like crying then and there already. Luckilyy, Wilbur kept his word.  

“I ask you to at least listen to his explanation.”  

Techno didn’t look happy at all and oh gods, Phil understood him. He looked at the taller man with so much regret, but all he saw in the others eyes was rage and hurt.  

“I didn’t... I never wanted to do this.”  

A scoff came from Techno, and Phils mouth snapped shut. Techno stared him down, gripping his axe.  

“Well, but you did. You did, and you had countless moments to tell me. You tried to murder me in my sleep, Philza. Why do you expect me to believe a word you say?!”  

Phil lowered his head. Techno was right.  

“I don’t”, he whispered shamefully.  

“Good.”  

“SHUT THE FUCK UP BOTH OF YOU!!!”  

Both of them turned to Tommy and  oh , Phils  heart   shattered   right   there  and  then . His  boy ,  his   so  brave and so  big   boy  was  wailing , a nd  it  was  his  fault.  He  had   caused   this ,  had   betrayed   him . Tommy was  screaming  at  him , and  it  hurt,  because   ever   word  he  said  was  true .  

“I hate you! You just did that!? Phil!!”  

Phil flinched, and Tommy yelled, running at him. He raised his hand and sent a punch to Phils jaw, and Phil let it happen. He turned his head from the impact, and he caught his boy as he collapsed onto him. He kept Tommy in an embrace, not budging when Tommy hit his chest, over and over again. Something wet ran down his cheek, and Phil realised he was crying as well.  

“I’m so, so sorry Tommy”, he sobbed, “And Techno, I- I shouldn’t have, I didn’t want to, but they have Kristin, and I didn’t know what to  do ... ”  

“Kristin?”, Tubbo asked. “Tommys mum?”  

Phil nodded, and Tommy froze.  

“What?” He sounded scared. Phil sighed and looked at Techno, pleading him with his eyes.  

“My wife. King George’s right hand, Dream, has her. He has Kristin, and he told me that...”  

A sob escaped Phils lips, and he turned his gaze down, too scared to face Techno.  

“I’m so sorry, mate. I didn’t know what to do. I... I am their puppet.”  

Techno stared at the small family in front of him, trying to process what he had just heard. Tommy had a mother, and she was held captive. How long has this been going on for? Why them? What did Dream want from Phil? There were so many questions, and Technos brain was running in overdrive.

„…So.“

Everyone turned to him, he felt it, but he only locked eyes with Phil.

„What did you feel?“

„Sorry?“

„When it happened.“

Phil stayed quiet for a second, then blew out a sigh.

„Nothing.“

Technos eyes narrowed. He opened his mouth, but Phil wasn’t finished.

„Not until I got to know you.“

„And when you raised a sword to my chest?“

„Not my proudest moment. I’m sorry.“

Techno raised an eyebrow, and there was an awkward silence. They both knew that things weren’t fine. They weren’t even close to resolved, but they had the same goal. They both wanted the same person, and they were going to figure it out in order to achieve their goal.

„Dream.“

Phil nodded slowly. „Dream.“

„Cool.“

There was only one thing left to do. Techno ignored Tommys and Wilburs shouts as he landed a punch, straight to Phils nose. The man groaned and stumbled to the ground, and Techno grinned.

„Let’s go get him then.“

„Sure, mate.“

Chapter Text

Techno didn't even notice how much he still missed Will. The emptiness in his chest had become dull, and most of the days he didn't really think about it. In quiet nights, he felt bad about it. It had been just a little over a month. Wasn't he supposed to cry and mourn? Will had been his best and only friend, and now he didn't have anybody. He didn't feel like crying though, and mourning wasn't really his thing. Will was gone, and that was all there was to it. He had had places to be and revenge to take.

Well, he supposes he didn't succeed in the revenge thing, in the end. But that still a work in progress. Sure, he had spared Phil, but how cruel would he be to punish a man who got blackmailed? No, the real killer, Dream, was still out there. And he would get to that. But right now, a more pressing issue resurfaced, and he couldn't help but feel helpless, unable to stop it.

"Shut up, shut up, shut up! You're not real, you're not supposed to be here, get out of my head!!"

I'm not doing anything.

Techno was on his knees, clutching his head. He was alone somewhere, in the middle of the woods. Alone with Will, who was still very much in his head.

You have to let me go if you want me gone. I'm not in control. I'm just... Here.

"Liar!"

Technoblade was crying now. Ugly, heavy sobs escaped him and his. His body cramped in a way that was almost painful, but not quite yet. He dug his nails into his arms to ground himself, but it didn't work. He was crying, he was alone, and he was talking to himself.

He was pathetic.

You aren't pathetic. You're sad. And you're allowed to be sad.

"But I ain't! You don't understand, I am fine, I should be sad, but I'm not! I should care, but I'm not-"

A sob interrupted him and he cried harder, unable to stop. He cared. He did care, right? He should. He had to. He cared. He had also clearly underestimated how hard it still hit him. But he didn't feel like it was enough.

A hand placed on his shoulder and he flinched. He hadn't heard anybody approaching, but he hadn't paid attention either. He didn't even look up to see who it was. He had a feeling he knew already, but he couldn't find himself to care enough to look.

"Mate..."

Phil sat down next to Techno and gently wrapped wrapped his arms around him. Techno slumped against him and held the arm that was in front of him now. The fabric was rough and dirty, and Phil smelled like sweat and dirt. Techno felt disgusting, and the awkward side-hug wasn't comfortable, but it was grounding and helpful in a way Techno didn't understand.

"It'll be okay mate. I know it's hard right now and I'm so, so sorry I put you through this."

Phil sounded genuine and so sad, in a way Techno understood. He faintly thought he felt the same way, but he didn't dwell on the thought; Phil was rubbing circles on his back, and the questioning hum coming from him meant he wanted Techno to answer.

He struggled more than he should. It was hard to express feelings, and even harder to admit them. Techno never understood how other people did it.

"I-I..."

He trailed off again, but Phil didn't push. He looked at Techno with this concerned look, free of any judgement, worry written all over his face. Phil was being patient, and he was helping. Maybe, Techno still had a friend after all. And maybe he could try and trust him.

"I sh-should be... More sad."

Phil made a sad noise, and the hint of disappointment had Techno regret his decision immediately. He pulled away from the hug, and Phil... Phil let him. The emptiness returned and Techno almost collapsed into another crying fit.

"You are sad, mate. Just the right amount. There's no... Right or wrong way to do this. You're doing it your own way. That's... That is a good thing."

And Techno wailed, again, and he was getting a headache at this point, but he couldn't stop it. He couldnt stop the tears, and the embarrassing whines that left his lips. He could only let it happen, and when he collapsed into Phil again, he was immediately caught in a soft embrace, just as awkward as the first one, but everything he could have ever wanted in that moment.

Eventually, after what felt like ages of crying, Techno calmed a little and noticed that Phil was, in fact, still talking to him. He muttered soft reassurance, but he didn't seem to need an answer, so Techno stayed quiet and listened to him. Maybe another day, Techno would tease Phil about it, and about the stories Phil told him to help him calm down. But today was not that day. Today, he was mourning. Maybe it still wasn't enough. Maybe he would have a day like this again, and it would hit him like a truck and turn his world upside down. But that would be okay.

He had a friend, after all.