Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Children were the most valued beings in the world. They were blessings gifted upon people by Life himself as a promise of continuity and happiness. Their cries, their laughter, their first words, steps, injuries. Their everything was crafted diligently to be different in their own exceptional way and then sent down with the rest of the living as an example of the kindness that Life had to offer his people. And what a kindness the promise and gift of a child was. 

But, children weren’t perfect. They were unique. Life had made them unique on purpose. That was his own promise to each and every single soul he created. That not one would be the same and even if they never held material things, even if they never became what they dreamed, even if they died before their life had ever begun, they’d always hold that uniqueness that no one else could obtain. 

Every single child, every single person had one thing for themselves and Life made that so. He gave them faces, bodies, traits and most of all, minds. Life gave every one of his creations a mind to think for themselves because that’s where uniqueness sprang from. Not just a person’s appearance, a person’s thoughts and decisions. 

Life anticipated that these uniqueness would be another blessing. Another thing his people held in high regards to demonstrate the kindness of Life. Nonetheless, Life could never have guessed the actual truth his blessing his mistake would create. 

Life created happiness. 

People created despair. People created pain. People created evil. Life had blessed them, given them thoughts to use for their own will, intending that they’d be used for good. People manipulated those thoughts into suffering, chose to abuse the power and gift that Life had blessed upon them in ways that were never intended and when things went south, when the dead began to increase and the joy began to diminish, all the blame was thrusted upon their creator in a way to explain why they’d made this decisions, why they’d chosen that path, why they were in pain. Life created happiness. A person’s choices and decisions created pain. 

Life could not be used to explain why people choose to segregate differences. Life could not be used to explain why people of particular traits were held higher than those of others. Life could not be blamed for their cruelty. He had given them the ability to think for themselves, freedom and free will, and people were the ones to corrupt that ability. 

Yet he was blamed. Yet as one of Life’s creations cowered, a mere child not even having experienced the beauty of living yet, bunched up into a ball as an act of defence, tears leaking from their eyes just as quickly as blood was leaking from their body, they begged to know why Life had done this to them, why Life had given them this path. Life felt his child’s pain, he felt every single one of his children’s pain, but Life could not stop it. Life created people. People created pain. 

Whilst Life couldn’t stop it, other God’s could. 

Chapter Text

“And here we have our most prized fighter. The best of the best around.”

He knew they were coming. Their voices had been echoing around the cages for so long that Technoblade was certain that he knew where exactly they’d already been. They’d been to the feline warrior, the lizard fighter, the humans. They’d been everywhere but to him. That’s how it always was. He was left for last. Always last. 

‘You’re who they come to see. Better to keep the best for last, pig.’
That’s what his trainer  constantly said. It kept them hooked, always anticipating and excited as they waited to get a glimpse of him. One singular glimpse at the revered fighter of the underground. They saw him from the crowds of course. They watched his moves, his attacks, his rare failures with unyielding eyes of excitement and greed. They were always watching him. Always.  

“He’s a little small.”

Technoblade curled further into himself in the corner. The visitor's voice was much smoother than most who came but Techno had learnt his lesson when it came to kindness. It was only temporary. One gentle movement led to 10 cruel hits. One calming word was only a disguise for the later 100 venom-spat insults. Kindness never stayed.

It was there as a trick. To see if Technoblade was weak, if he was no longer able to protect himself. Because if he became weak or he was no longer able to protect himself, they needed to do better. It was a test. Technoblade had suffered so many of those tests that he’d become an expert. Kindness was temporary. Never would it stay.  

“Don’t let that fool you.”

When a loud banging from the cage door began to make his ears twitch due to their sensitivity, Technoblade knew that was his order. Following the same routine as all the other times when people had come to see him, Techno uncurled himself from his corner and stood, already reaching the top of the cage, causing him to angle his head down, uncomfortably creating a familiar ache in his neck. Never did he lift his eyes. That was against the rules. 

Don’t look them in the eyes, that is a sign of disobedience. That’s what they told him and whatever they told him, he did. He’d learnt his lesson long ago about what happened if he didn’t. The mere thought made Technoblade want to shiver but that wasn’t allowed. That was a weakness. He wasn’t weak. He couldn’t be weak. 

“How old is he?”

There was slight movement outside his cage but Technoblade still kept his eyes on the floor. It was cold and the chill seeped its way through his bare feet into his bones and they rattled at the unwelcomed feeling. He needed warmth but there was only ever coldness. 

In the beginning, it nearly killed him how much colder it was but as time passed, as more fights blurred together, Technoblade grew accustomed to it and learnt to concentrate on other things. On more important things. 

“18.”

Lie
Lie
Liar
He’s lying. 

His head twitched slightly at the sudden influx of noise. They sneered in his head and rattled about in his mind, toying with his nerves and making his whole body buzz. They always made him feel like that. Too full. Packed. There was too much noise in his own mind for his body but they never left. The voices just lingered, choosing when to pipe up and torment him. 

“Hmmm. Will he be fighting tonight?”

“Yes. It’s scheduled for 5 fights later on.”

Fuck. Technoblade’s body was still healing from yesterday’s fights. That didn’t matter to them though. He’d demonstrated time and time again that he was capable of fighting whilst injured. That was a foolish mistake he’d made in an attempt to please his trainer. At least it pleased him though. More fights meant more money and more money meant a pleased trainer and a pleased trainer meant no punishment. Win win in Techno’s case. 

“I suppose I’ll be seeing him in action then.”

The voices began to move further away and when they had finally completely disappeared, Technoblade took that as his cue to sit back down in his corner. The bars dug into his back, his bones and the metal fighting for better placement but Techno had grown used to the feeling now. It was so familiar that it was comforting because at least when he was in his cage, he wasn’t fighting and when he wasn’t fighting, he could relax. Well not completely relax because Technoblade could never let himself do that. Anything could happen. He always needed to be alert. 

But at least in his cage, he wasn’t too much on alert. Not much could get back to the fighters here. Security was high. Not only to stop people coming in but to stop people getting out. To stop him from getting out.  

When he was younger, he’d tried that. To escape. The first attempt was pathetic. The minute he got out of his cage he was caught and Technoblade realised there was no way he’d be able to escape further than his cage anyway because he didn’t know where he was going. His second attempt was better but still a failure. He’d managed to make it out of the cage room and to the pit but that was the worst mistake he could have ever made because guards were especially high there in case fighters tried anything whilst getting ready for a fight. Technoblade didn’t make it a single step to freedom before he was beat down by too many guards to count. He was too weak to fight against them all back then. 

Attempt after attempt ended in failure and more punishments and it gave Technoblade the clarity he needed to realise there was no point in trying. His escape was useless. Freedom just wasn’t something Technoblade was allowed to have. He hadn’t been gifted with that. Instead, he had attributes that made him a perfect fighter and voices that just annoyed the hell out of him. At least the above kept him alive. They were good at that. 

Time passed slowly or maybe quickly. Technoblade never knew. He didn’t know how long he’d been here. He didn’t know the day, the hour, he didn’t know anything. The voices tried helping sometimes. They at least knew his age so that gave him an estimate of how long but still, Techno was never sure and he knew he never would be. 

Eventually, footsteps approached and the grating of a key in a lock and a door being pulled open was all the signal Techno needed to know he was being taken out. Once again pulling himself off the floor, he kept his head down and his hands outstretched. His legs felt weak under him, as if they’d give out any second, but the feeling wasn’t new. He just pushed through it like he always did. 

The familiar coldness of metal encased his wrists and a chain rattled as he was pulled forward. Momentarily, his feet stalled and when he was pulled again with the grumble of a guard accompanying the violent tug, he went barrelling forward only catching himself by mere chance. 

Close call
L
Imagine falling

The floor was harsh under his feet. Small rocks and pieces of debris dug roughly into his skin as he rolled his eyes at the voices. Luckily, the callouses he’d grown over time were enough protection to keep them from drawing blood. His naturally thicker skin helped protect him too. Not just against the floor but during fights. 

The cheering of the crowd suddenly attacked his ears as they moved further towards the pit and if Technoblade didn’t know better, he would have made a whining sound in pain but he wasn’t allowed to do that. That showed weakness. Technoblade wasn’t weak. He could show them he wasn’t weak. And he did. 

Fight after fight bled dry the energy within his body. Hybrids dropped injured and dead beneath his feet and his clothes and skin were lathered in their blood. The voices were always louder when he fought. They liked the fighting. They screamed for it and their encouragement was what kept Twchno going as well as the thought that if he didn’t, he’d die and then his trainer would be angry. An angry trainer was never good. 

By the last fight, Technoblade could feel the heaviness of his muscles. He could feel as his movements grew sluggish and his eyes grew blurry. One too many hits to that head would do that to a person. And because of his growing tiredness, he was only being hit more. These fights were harder than his usual ones. His opponents were actual competent fighters. Why was that? Was this an important fight? They obviously knew what they were doing. That made Techno both anxious and excited. 

Keep going
Raise your arm
To your left!

Technoblade quickly blocked the left side of his stomach and groaned when the impact of a punch made the bones of his arm vibrate and then begin to ache. This fighter was good. Really good. But Technoblade was better even if he was tired. 

Another hit came barrelling towards his face and the sudden lack of defence in his opponent gave Technoblade the chance to go flying forward and he tackled the body down to the floor, one of his hands flying to the reptile-hybrid's neck and the other came down hard on their face. Again and again and again. 

They moved helplessly below his body, squirming and desperately trying to escape but Techno was strong and he was so ready to get this done with. He was so ready to just go back to his cage and sleep. So again and again hits came down, blood splattering in his face and all over his clothes but Technoblade didn’t care. The voices most certainly didn’t. They liked when the fighters bled. It was their favourite part. 

With one final punch, the body stopped moving and any pulse under Technoblade’s hand around their neck stopped. He was done. The fighter was dead. Technoblade stopped. 

His chest heaved up and down and he pushed himself upwards and off the floor. As soon as he was on his feet, the sudden need to face plant the floor overwhelmed him but with all the energy he had left, Technoblade carried on, making his way back to the door he’d come out of. It soon opened and he continued walking back over to his trainer. 

When Techno stopped before him, a harsh hand came down on his shoulder, making the left side of his body crumble slightly but they didn’t care. His trainer just held onto him as his hands were cuffed again. 

“What a round hey. You didn’t fuck anything up. Guess that means no punishment today.”

Technoblade’s ears flicked at the mention of a punishment but the tension in his body quickly ebbed away when what his trainer said finally settled in. He wasn’t being punished. That was-that was good. He didn’t need to panic. He was okay. He was…okay. 

Like every single other time, he was led back to his cage and locked back in. Stumbling over to his corner, Techno let his back slide down the bars until he could scrunch himself up into a ball and hide his head away from the rest of the world. 

“Keep this up and maybe you’ll be normal finally. Obviously, not completely normal because look at you, you fucking ugly pig, but as normal as you can get.”

The prospect of being normal made Technoblade happy. He just had to keep this up, continue being a good fighter and doing as he was told and he’d be normal. Techno could do that. That wasn’t too hard. He could be normal if he tried hard enough. 

Chapter Text

Technoblade’s trainer wasn’t happy. He’d messed up. Techno had messed up again and now his owner wasn’t happy. Being normal wasn’t easy after all. 

“Attacking a servant. Oh how stupid can you get huh?! You fucking imbecile.”

The whip came down again and Technoblade could do nothing but stretch his arms even further and grip the chain which connected to his cuffs. Another hit came down onto his skin, making it split and blood spill, and he was sure there was blood coming from his lip as well from how hard Techno had been biting it to keep quiet. 

“Can you never be good? How hard can it be, pig?! How fucking hard?!”

Another. Another. Another and each time they only got worse and harder. His back was starting to ache to the point it was numb and Technoblade was beginning to worry about how he was going to fight after this. They wouldn’t let him heal. They never did. How was he going to fight when one hit to his back would send him into a spiral in an endless void of pain? Techno just needed to be careful. If he was careful before, he’d never be in this spot in the first place. 

Whip  

He-He just hadn’t seen the servant there when he was training. How was he-how was he supposed to know she was there? One minute Technoblade was training and the next a servant was interrupting and he was pouncing on them. Who decided to do that? It was Techno’s fault anyway. He should have been in more control. He had no one else to blame but himself. This was his fault and Techno needed to be punished so he never did it again. 

After another few hits, they stopped and Techno could have sighed in relief but he wasn’t allowed to make any noise so he just stayed there, kneeled with his head to the floor and his hands gripping the chains tight enough to make his knuckles white. With deep inhales, Techno tried to soothe the pain in his back by forgetting about it but he couldn’t. It burned so bad now it wasn’t numb from the shock. So fucking bad. 

And then his scalp began to burn too as his hair was pulled. The minute his back moved with his entire body, Techno had to literally dig his teeth into his lower lip to stop himself from whining, splitting the skin of his lip as he did so. His back hurt so bad. 

“Learnt your lesson now? I sure fucking hope so because I’d hate to have to do this again. A true waste of my time and energy. Now come on.”

He was pulled up, his back protesting in agony at the new movements but Technoblade could do nothing but drag his feet and just beg his back to stop hurting. It didn’t obviously and when he was shoved back into his cage, Techno almost felt like crying. 

He knew he deserved it. He’d been bad. This was his fault. But it hurt so much. His whole body was just aching and begging for it to go away, for the pain to just disappear. The searing burn spread from his back and through every single one of his veins until he could literally feel it in his eyes and that just made him want to cry even more now because it hurt everywhere and so bad. He was hurting so bad. 

With too much effort and pain for what it was worth, Technoblade curled himself up into his usual ball of false safety and dug his head into his legs. The pain was overwhelming him now and the tears were unstoppable. They just kept coming and coming and coming. Techno felt pathetic for crying. This was his fault. He shouldn’t be crying. He attacked that servant. Techno deserved this but he couldn’t help but cry. Why was he crying? He just wanted to be normal. Techno just wanted to be normal. 

Like he’d expected, they hadn’t given Technoblade any time to heal his back before throwing him into more fights. The only thing keeping him going whilst his entire body continued to wallow in pain were the voices. They literally carried every single one of his limbs themselves and had saved him from one too many fatal shots to keep track of now. 

The last fight was still torturous though. Techno was just receiving hit after hit and he was so tired. He was so fucking tired. Every atom of his being just told him to stop, to just let what was supposed to happen, happen. In reality, how bad would that be? To just die. To be taken away from this place. Could it get any worse than this? In death, Technoblade would be able to sleep. He’d be able to rest and not feel like his body was attacking him at every corner. 

But then he remembered what his trainer had said. ‘You think it’s any better in Lady Death’s domain. She’ll punish you worse than I ever could for the things you’ve done. You’ll wish you’d never died’ and Techno knew he couldn’t die. His trainer was bad but Death herself, she’d never let him sleep, she’d never give him food, she’d never teach him how to be normal. So, Techno just continued on and even if every muscle, every bone, every strand of him ached to just lay down and be done with it, he fought to the end and came out on top. Every time even if it only hurt him more in the end. 

At least it made his trainer happy. He must have made a lot of money in the past week because he was in an exceptionally joyful mood when Technoblade came out of the pit. He didn’t grip his shoulder or pull his hair. He didn’t scream or insult him. His trainer just grabbed his chain and pulled him away to a room he was all too familiar with. Not his cage, somewhere else. 

The moment his foot crossed the doorway every muscle tensed and he waited. 

“Since you’ve been doing so good and seem to have learnt your lesson, it’s time for a wash and new clothes. Strip.”

Any shame Technoblade once had had been stolen away years ago and he did as he was told and just stood there, shoulders hunched over in an attempt to make himself as small as possible. Footsteps made Techno’s ears twitch and for a moment there was just silence. Silence wasn’t good in this situation. Techno liked silence. He was usually alone when it was quiet but not now and that was bad. It just left him waiting and waiting and-

A sudden burst of water hit him and Techno did little but flinch. Its coolness was painful and ,momentarily, Techno wanted to squeal. He didn’t like water. Not a single bit but if he made a sound, his trainer would take away this temporary kindness and then punish him. He just had to stop being ungrateful and be happy he was even having the chance of being clean. This was a rare occasion. Only when Techno’d been good. That wasn’t very often with him since he just seemed to be born bad. 

As time passed, the water became refreshing and he became accustomed to it to some extent. That didn’t mean he liked it. The feeling and wetness still made his skin crawl but it was bearable. 

But then his trainer moved and the water began to hit his back. Pain quickly reappeared ten folds more powerful and Technoblade’s legs nearly gave out under the weight of it. Fuck. Was this what death felt like? He definitely didn’t want to die now. This hurt like a bitch. 

“We’ll have that wrapped up it seems. Can’t risk any infections after I’ve let you be clean.”

His trainer moved again and soon the water was hitting his hair and face directly. Droplets dripped down his face, letting him taste the blood and junk that was stuck to his skin as it rolled down and into his mouth. Slightly, his eyes began to sting under its heavy pressure and he closed them and just listened to see the change. 

Another few quick minutes and a pair of clothes were tossed to Technoblade which he very nearly dropped. That wouldn’t be good. His trainer would think he was being ungrateful and punish him again. When the thought popped up of another potential punishment, Techno hastily clothed himself, ignoring the ache it produced in his back and was quickly thankful of how less vulnerable he now felt now he wasn’t bare. 

His chain was being pulled and Technoblade began to move along with it, clenching his teeth at the feeling of rocks sticking into his skin just itching to impale him. With every step, his back ached but it wasn’t as painful now compared to a few days ago. Sometimes Techno would get random spikes of burning that left him immobilised for a while but that didn’t last long and he just had to bear it until it went away. He was lucky that he was so tired right now because most of the time, Techno would just sleep and forget all about the pain. Until it started hurting again and he had to live through its agony. 

It seemed they’d arrived back to his cage now and Techno took careful footsteps to get in before being shoved, fingers digging directly into his back and sending his mind spiralling and his vision blurring. Words came out of his trainer’s mouth and this time he actually couldn’t understand them because his ears had started ringing so bad that Techno worried this would be the moment he lost all sense of hearing. 

Something was thrown at him before footsteps receded and Techno had to blink away the blurriness and haziness of his mind to actually realise what it was. It laid in Technoblade’s hands now after he’d picked it up and the weird but strangely soft texture severely confused Technoblade. A few more blinks and he was able to make out some bandages. They were haphazardly wrapped around each other into a large ball. Bandages?

Oh bandages . To wrap his back. His trainer had given him bandages to keep his wound clean. That was good. But Techno wasn’t quite sure how he was going to manage to do that. It was his entire back that needed wrapping. How was he going to get it all the way around? Technoblade would just have to try and then find out. 

At first, he tried just wrapping it normally, feeling the skin of his back stretch and groan in pain as he moved his arms. That didn’t work because the first bit would always just fall and never stay where he wanted it to. 

Bite it
Keep it still 

His ears flicked again when the voices appeared and he was reluctant but then started to do as they said.  Techno bit on the end of the roll of bandage and then switched from wrapping it as far around his back as he could reach with his left hand and then grabbing it with his right to bring it back to his front and then repeating. That seemed to work well and as more of his chest was replaced with whiteness, hiding the slight-pink shade of his skin underneath it, Technoblade was pleased to find the harsh coldness of his environment no longer whipping into his back made it ache less. The voices were actually right. That did work. 

Towards the end of the roll, Techno began to struggle again. He wondered how he was supposed to stop it from unravelling. For a moment, Techno just stared at the end of the bandages but then an idea popped up and he began to tuck it under the wrapped bits and then did the same with the start which was still in between his teeth. Staring down at it anxiously to see if it would stay, Technoblade couldn’t help but smile at his work and then awkwardly put on his new shirt again. 

It felt weird on top of his bandages and when Technoblade moved there was some resistance from the new tightness embracing him but it didn’t hurt him any more or anything. As soon as he got used to it, he’d been moving just as normally as he usually would. 

With that all sorted, Techno laid back against the bars, hesitant in case he aggravated his back anymore but when the uncomfortable awkwardness from the initial contact slowly ebbed away, Techno relaxed his muscles and pulled his knees back up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them. Now that he was safe- well safer than he usually would be in the arena-, Technoblade sighed and let his eyes fall closed like they just begged to. 

Chapter Text

New fighter had started appearing recently. Technoblade wasn’t too sure why but he didn’t linger on trying to figure it out either because he was just growing more tired and that was becoming more important to him. Most days he had to be dragged out of his cage because they couldn’t wake him up. This was making his trainer angry with him and Technoblade tried stopping. He tried to not sleep as much but it was like a heavy weight crushing his chest when he deprived himself of it. Sometimes it felt as if he couldn’t breath at all until he finally closed his eyes and let himself sleep. 

Confusion clouded his mind as to why his body was betraying him. It had never done this before. Techno had grown better at doing as he was told and following orders. Much better than when he was younger. But not now. His body was just giving up on their orders and seemed to want to do what it wanted. Techno wasn’t allowed to do what he wanted. He didn’t have that choice. Technoblade was a dirty cross-breed who was to do what he was told but his body just wasn’t keeping up with what his brain knew was right. 

Similar to what his trainer had said before, that was because his body wasn’t normal. He was a mix of what was normal- human- and what was an abomination- piglin- so he could never be properly normal no matter how much he wanted to be. 

Nonetheless, going back to the new fighters, because of this, Techno was getting much more fights. Usually, he would have 3-5 a day but now he had to push through much more and with his new found exhaustion, it was difficult to do. Of course, he survived and won them all but that was solely because the voices kept him alive. Whilst his brain struggled to keep up, the voices were always capable of telling him what to do and how to keep himself alive. It was times like these where Technoblade was thankful they were with him. They were nuisances but they kept him alive and in the end, Techno was thankful for that. 

Today, Technoblade was surviving on nothing but pure adrenaline. By the time his 5th fight was rolling by, his limbs were shaking under the weight of his tiredness and his ears were so numb from all the noise of the crowd. It was louder recently as well. More people. Maybe that was why Technoblade was having more fights? To satisfy the increase in people. 

Either way, as soon as his sword had finally sunk itself into the chest of the fox-hybrid he was fighting, Technoblade was almost just begging to fall onto his knees and sleep now, in the pit with everyone watching. At this point, he wasn’t sure how much longer he could keep going. His body was aching to the point of numbness and his back, under all the new movement, had definitely started bleeding again and soaking through his bandages  

No matter how much he wanted to stop he couldn’t. Techno had other fights he had to power through. It didn’t matter if his legs were going to give out under him at any moment or if his whole body was starting to grow sluggish and achy. Technoblade had to just put up with it and make his trainer happy. It would all be worth it in the end if he made his trainer happy. Better than making him angry at least anyway. 

Only a little while after that fight, Techno was forced into another and this time his opponent was much bigger. So much bigger. Maybe in height Techno was small but he still had muscle that he’d grown through all his training and time of fighting. This hybrid though, well it was fucking massive. That was all Technoblade could say. 

As the announcer called both of their stage names, Technoblade visibly clenching his teeth at the sound of his, he instead focused on observing his opponent. Like he’d mentioned, the hybrid was big. Both in height and width. Horns had clearly been shaved down on either side of their face and a layer of thin fluff coated their skin so Techno guessed it was some sort of sheep/bull hybrid. 

The problem with big creatures though was that they were typically slow. Their body was too large to be able to make itself move fast enough and Techno was fast. That would be his main advantage right now, his speed, until he could manage to observe his opponent’s techniques properly. 

As the fight ensued, it seemed his guess was right. This hybrid wasn’t very quick. They had the brute force of course but not the best defence which was what Technoblade abused. One punch towards him would allow Techno to hit the hybrid's side and another leap towards him let Techno step away and kick their legs. They tumbled down quickly, its weight making them go down fast and the disturbed sand now beneath his opponent went scattering everywhere. 

Along with the crowd, the voices roared as Technoblade started kicking them in the side. A loud growl left their throat and Techno’s leg was grabbed before he could even notice. Okay maybe this hybrid was a little quicker than he guessed. 

Falling right next to him, an instant shot of pain radiating from Techno’s back now making him grit his teeth, there was only a split second of time where Technoblade managed to roll away before a heavy punch came falling down where his face once was. Techno rolled again when his opponent tried to pounce on him. 

Once they were now hunched over, Techno lifted himself up and kicked them in the back making them fall flat on their face. The hybrid rolled over and this time, Techno got on top, one hand on their throat and the other tightened into a fist and aimed right at their face. Rough hands grabbed his head, scratching and tearing at his skin making it rip and bleed, but he lifted the hybird’s head and then slammed it back down harshly, leaving them dazed.

This weakness gave Techno all the opportunity he needed to start absolutely battering their face in. Adrenaline poured through his body like pure lava and it licked at every bit of skin making it flame up. He could feel the tingling in his finger as he kept punching and punching, drowning out the cheers and screams of the crowd and letting the voices just consume him. They loved it. They loved it so much and as they shouted so loud that he felt like his ears would bleed, Technoblade felt nothing but satisfaction. He loved it too. 

Tough hands came under his arms and pulled and in an instant, Techno was pouncing again. This time onto a guard but that didn’t matter. A person was a person. People bled and Technoblade was just itching for more. For more blood. His whole body tingled with the need and the insistent chattering in his mind only drove him forward. 

More
Blood
Blood
Get more
Violence is the best

A dagger came up from the guard’s hand but Technoblade had it in his own before he could even be struck. That same dagger came down into the guard’s neck over and over again and the blood struggled to flow out naturally as more incisions were made causing it to splutter out and cover both Technoblade and the floor. It practically just begged to escape the guard’s body and he watched and watched as it appeared again and again and-

Something in Technoblade’s mind snapped and his hand stalled, letting the dagger drop right onto the ground beside the guard’s head, making a slight ‘ting’ sound as it hit the sand. He looked down right into their eyes, seeing nothing but darkness. No energy. No light. Just darkness. 

Technoblade had seen that darkness so much. That lifelessness more than he ever wished, especially by his own hands. And each and every time it made him feel sick. It made him stagger backwards in an attempt to get away. The sand flew everywhere as his feet moved to get him away as quickly as possible. 

The voices were gone now but the sound wasn’t. The cheering and screaming of the crowd, chanting his name in so much excitement and glee that Technoblade couldn’t help the way his stomach flipped. They liked it. They enjoyed watching this. This was their entertainment, watching people, watching children fight. They paid to see this type of stuff. They wanted this. 

Even if he wanted to, Technoblade couldn’t feel appalled by that. He wasn’t allowed to. He couldn’t be disgusted because in the moment he liked it too. He loved it actually. He only needed to kill one person but now two laid sprawled before him, never being able to ever breathe another breath. 

Mind racing at extreme speeds, Techno felt like at any moment blood would begin pouring from his eyes because of the banging pain in not only his head but his entire body. Instantly, his hands went over his floppy ears in an attempt to drown out the extra noise but that only helped minimally. He could still hear them, a little muffled now, but he could hear them. 

Hands were gripping him. So many hands but Technoblade had no energy to fight back. Tiredness was quickly enveloping him as the adrenaline slipped away. He didn’t want to fight back. They shoved and pulled and hurt him but that didn’t matter. He’d just done worse. He’d done so much worse. Techno couldn’t complain. 

He didn’t know where they were taking him, hopefully to his cage, but when he was dropped onto his knees and a harsh hand gripped his hair, Technoblade knew he had made a mistake. That he’d fucked up. 

“A fucking guard?! You attacked a fucking guard! Can you not do a single thing right pig?”

His trainer's voice was loud. So loud that his ears only rang more. The grip on his hair became tighter, making his scalp burn and the pain radiated all over his body, from his head to his toes. This wouldn’t be the worst though. The eventual incoming punishment would be so much worse and Technoblade had to stop his mind from thinking about the impending doom because that just made him want to curl up into a ball and hide. 

Another tug lifted his head up so his face was directed to look at his trainer but Techno didn’t look them in the eyes. They were above him and that was disrespectful and he’d already messed up enough

“After all I’ve done for you, you never fucking learn, do you? Why can’t you be fucking normal, pig? For Life’s sake, do you know what this means?! Who am I kidding, you don’t even understand what I’m saying!”

Technoblade understood what they said. He’d always understood what they were saying. But, one look at him, at his clear piglin features, and they assumed that he was dumb, that he couldn’t speak Common. Letting them believe that was his only form of power and rebellion against them. If they knew he could understand them, they’d be harsher and even more cautious. Technoblade feared the concept of his situation getting any harsher and what that entailed. Would they kill him? No. They couldn’t kill him. They’d lose a lot of money if he died. What would they do to him? Probably something he deserved. 

His trainer pulled him up off the floor by his hair and began walking -dragging him along, making every pain receptor in his scalp practically burn. He grumbled and threw insults at Technoblade as he tripped over his own feet a couple times up until they stopped outside a door. The punishment room door. 

Without any thought to the consequences, his eyes blew wide and a whine escaped from deep within Technoblade’s throat. That only infuriated his trainer because Techno wasn’t allowed to make any sounds unless told. It was disobedience. He was kicked to the ground and as he looked at the rocks below him, a single tear escaped his eye as he waited. Waited to be punished again. 

Chapter Text

They’d postponed his fights which was a surprise. They never let Technoblade rest and because of that he couldn’t properly rest. Something was happening. His trainer never left him this long without a fight. There was no way this was their choice either because they were missing out on money with him not fighting. 

Was this a part of his punishment? Were they taking away his fights because he’d killed that guard? Techno supposed they may have believed that he liked fighting. It sure seemed like he did and in the moment sometimes he did. He didn’t want to but something inside of him did like it. 

But, this break from fighting was something he wholeheartedly enjoyed. Technoblade enjoyed not having his body constantly feel like it would drop to the floor at any given moment. He enjoyed being left alone, not bothered or punished. And most of all, he enjoyed not killing. 

Maybe a part of him liked it, Techno didn’t know why and hated it, but the majority of his being despised what he’d done. He hated thinking of the number of lives he’d taken. Yes, it was to keep him alive but at what cost? The death of so many others, that was the cost. Maybe they weren’t any better than him because they still would have killed Techno if he hadn’t them but still, he didn’t want to live like this. 

That was why he’d tried escaping so much in the past. Technoblade wanted an out. Merely thinking of what life was like outside of this cage and arena was something he no longer entertained because it was futile and just harmful to him but when he was younger and more naive to think there was a way out, Techno would always dream about it. Was it hot? Or was it cold? Were people nice? Or would they treat him badly because of how he looked? Every possibility of what life was like outside this place was something he’d mulled over. 

But, at the end of the day, Technoblade would never find out. He would never be able to find out any of the answers to his questions about life. For his entire existence, up until he was eventually killed in the ring or no longer able to fight and then killed, Technoblade would be stuck here. Forced to fight and fend for himself.  What a depressing, horrible life? Technoblade sure hoped whoever had created him was happy with themselves for doing this to him. 

The peace was soon outlived when the door swung open, hitting the wall next to it. Its impact let out a loud bang and Techno flinched into himself. Voices approached. Were they getting him for another fight? Was his punishment over? Was his rest over? 

Footsteps stopping outside his cage gave him the answer to all those questions. Yes. 

“As you can see, he’s been here since the incident .”
Technoblade’s ears flicked instinctively at the sound of his trainer and the memories of the ‘incident’ in question had him shoving his head further into his knees. 

Techno tried not thinking of it. Thinking about what had happened, what he’d done to that guard, only ate away at Techno’s conscious- if he even had one left after everything he’d done. 

It wasn’t the first time he’d attacked an innocent. Well, maybe that guard wasn’t entirely an innocent because ,after all, he was involved in this whole underground fighting arena but he wasn’t like Techno; he wasn’t a dirty cross-breed who needed teaching to be good at something and normal and he most certainly hadn’t been the hands who had killed so many others like Technoblade. 

The fact that this wasn’t the first ‘innocent’ Techno had killed only made him feel worse because he could never seem to learn his lesson which meant he was still not normal. For him to be normal, he needed to do as he was told and if he could never keep himself controlled and stop himself from killing people he wasn’t supposed to, then Technoblade wasn’t doing as he was told so he wasn’t normal. Techno just wanted to be normal. 

“No fighting since?”

The other man’s voice was familiar. It’s gentleness was the same as the man from the other day and that shocked Techno slightly. No one ever came twice. Seeing Technoblade was a one time offer. That’s what his trainer had said around him when he thought Techno couldn’t understand. So why was this man here again? Was he important? That had to be it. This man was important and was probably here the day Technoblade had fucked up which must have only made his trainer angrier. Techno was only demonstrating how his trainer was a bad trainer by not doing as he was told but his trainer was good. It was Techno who was bad. He just wasn’t normal. 

“Not a single fight. Isn’t that right, pig? Bet that’ll teach you to behave.”

Although he was asked a question, Technoblade knew he couldn’t answer. He wasn’t expected to and they didn’t know he could understand them anyway so he just stayed where he was, hunched up in a ball in the corner, his head in his knees and his arms encircling them. The same position he was always in. 

“Does he not speak?”
There was a slight edge to the man’s voice now. Techno didn’t know why but his trainer mustn’t have noticed because he just went on. 

“The fucking thing can’t understand what we’re saying. Its breed is too stupid for that and its human side must be too stupid as well. It just sits there until the fights.”

“From what I’ve heard, piglin are highly intelligent creatures.”

As if he was the one who was part piglin, Technoblade’s trainer snorted and Techno couldn’t help but flinch at the sudden unfamiliar sound.
“It obviously didn’t get the good end of the species then. Parents probably were dumb as well. Had to be to create such a thing.”

Since he’d been here, Technoblade had been thrown insult after insult every single day. Anything bad you could think of, Technoblade had heard it. But, that one made him huddle in towards himself more and his ears only laid flatter on his head. 

He didn’t like to think of his parents because it led to thinking about how he’d ended up here. Had they given him up? Were they killed protecting him? Was he kidnapped? Those types of questions and the mere idea that they gave him up, didn’t want him because he wasn’t normal like he was supposed to be, which was probably what had happened, only made his insides ache like they were twisting and trying to kill Techno themselves. 

See, that’s why he never thought about it. Bad enough he was hurt in the pit. Technoblade didn't need to be hurting in his cage as well. This was his safe space.  

“Has he been fed properly?”

That question caught Techno off guard slightly and his body stiffened. Why would he be asking if he was fed? He should be asking when Techno fights again. If he’s capable of fighting anyway. If he’s too wild to be kept alive. Why was he asking about his feedings? Techno knew they fed him well. 3 meals a day to keep his strength up enough to fight. What more could he ask for? 

“I-well- of course it’s being fed! Not much of a fighter if it has no strength.”

The man simply let out a sound- a soft ‘hmm’ - at Technoblade’s owner’s slightly defensive voice. Eyes bored into him and for the first time, Techno wanted to look up. He wanted to see who was watching him, who’s eyes were looking at every inch of his body to the point that he squirmed under their gaze. 

The second the thought of wanting to look up hit Techno he knew he was being bad. Once again, he wasn’t being normal. Technoblade needed to stick to the rules and continue following his place in the world. He was a fighter, not a person. Techno needed to remember that.  He needed to remember his place. 

“It’ll be fighting tonight.”
There went his current peace. It was bound to end soon anyway. Nothing good lasted long. 

“Is that wise? Is he healed up?”

The mention of Technoblade healing made him remember the wound that he’d forgotten about. His back didn’t ache as much, only occasionally and with Techno still sleeping so much, he barely even felt it. 

While his trainer was angry, a lot of his new punishment hadn’t left visible wounds this time. Only a few. His trainer’s main form of punishment involved water. Technoblade didn’t like water and he unfortunately had made that obvious when he was younger. Even now, just looking at the clear liquid made Technoblade want to flee and run far far away. Yet it wasn’t like he could do that so he just had to bear it and hope it would end soon. It never felt like it though. 

“This fucker has better healing than most. One of its better abilities. Should be all fine.”

The man let out another sound and then it was quiet. Not for long though so Technoblade couldn’t enjoy it -although he wouldn’t have been able to anyway since eyes still dug into him like they were trying to see his most inner secrets and thoughts. 

“I guess I’ll be seeing him again tonight then.”

And then the voices disappeared again and the breath Technoblade hadn’t even known he had been holding was able to be released. Guess he just had to wait until they came and got him for his fights again. 

“Fucking get up! For Life’s sake, just grab it.”

A sudden harsh grip on his shirt was what finally pulled Techno out of his sleep. His body was forcefully dragged against the floor and a painful flurry of heat erupted in his knee when it hit against the bars of his cage. In an instant, his eyes shot open and he quickly scrambled onto his feet, only to then have his hair pulled and his knees knocked in. Just as quick as he got up,  Techno fell back to the floor and he didn’t even have a second to think about what was happening when his face was smashed up against the bars, the metal painfully digging into his cheek and the side of his forehead. 

“You ungrateful git. Think you can just sleep when I tell you to get up. When will you fucking learn pig?!”

Laughter encased Technoblade but not in a nice way. He wasn’t sure he’d ever been encased in any sort of nice way. No, instead Techno got horrible gut-twisting embraces that left his stomach feeling empty and his brain stuttering to keep up. 

Another shoot of pain had his head feeling like it was about to split open when his trainer once again smacked his face against the metal bars. Techno wasn’t sure if it was them ringing or just his ears but he didn’t have any time to figure out anyway when his head was smacked against it again only making the ringing worse. 

“You don’t even fucking know what I’m saying anyway. After all I’ve done for you, you do this to me. What a spiteful twat.”

A sudden sticky thing hit his cheek and because of his slightly dazed, pain-laced and sleep-ridden mind it was a moment before Techno released he had been spat on. It wasn’t the worst thing they could do to him but it sure was disgusting. Disgusting enough to have a growl crawling up his throat but he shoved it down before it even thought about leaving his throat. If Technoblade ever growled at his trainer, lord knows what he’d do to Techno. Much worse than this. 

So, Techno just swallowed it down and gritted his teeth as he was dragged upwards again, by his hair, and shoved out of his cage. They didn’t wait any longer to have his hands cuffed and a chain quickly dragging along. As they moved, he blinked the dark spots away and some of the sleep along with it. 

Technoblade had been growing even more tired recently and it was becoming more difficult for him to be awoken as was just displayed. Even when he was up, sleep still stuck to his bones with his every movement. It was worse than it had been a few days ago. It controlled his actions and clouded his mind. 

But, he needed to make it stop because his trainer was getting angry with him so it mustn’t be normal. Techno needed to be normal even if the lack of allowing himself the extra sleep led to a searing pain in both his body and brain like he was denying himself of something he so desperately needed even though he was already getting his usual amount of sleep without the added extra he wanted. It wasn’t normal and Technoblade needed to be normal. 

Eventually, they made it to the pit and quickly, Techno tried gathering himself up properly. When they shoved him forward towards the closed doors, his head began to bang at the sudden movement and it was becoming clear that that would be a problem. If Technoblade couldn’t think properly, he couldn’t fight properly meaning he couldn’t win. He needed to sort himself out before he got himself killed. 

There wasn’t much time to do that though when suddenly he was pushed again but into the now opened doors this time. After a few seconds, his feet began to cooperate on their own and Techno started walking forward to the middle. On the other side was another hybrid. He wasn’t sure what type, just that it was a feline one. 

Feline hybrids looked similar in a lot of ways. It was their techniques that distinguished them. Some were more for the brute force. Others liked to play tricks and mess about to tire their prey. Depending on what type of feline hybrid this was, Techno needed to alter his own techniques. 

Across from him now, the hybrid looked up and a smirk slithered its way onto their face. Cockiness wasn’t a good attribute to have in the pit. If you went in thinking you’d absolutely batter the other opponent with no sort of injury yourself, you’d slack and looking at the hybrid in front of him now, Techno just knew they thought they were the bee’s knees. 

When their names were called and the loud alarm went off signalling the start of the match, Techno’s head began to throb again and he clenched his jaw to subdue the pain. Fancy injuring him just before he went to fight. That was just fucking perfect. They just loved making his life even harder. He supposed he deserved it though- 

Oh, the hybrid was moving now. It leaped towards Techno with its hands outstretched and he simply just sidestepped kicking it in the side as it went flying past. 

What was he saying? Oh yeah, he did suppose he deserved the added difficulty. They were just punishing him for disobeying. If Techno wasn’t punished, he wouldn’t know how to be normal. They were just making-

Technoblade once again moved out of the way when the hybrid went to grab him again. This time when it went flying past, he grabbed its hand- the one it had outstretched- and twisted until there was a crack. A howl of pain escaped his opponents mouth and its other hand quickly shot out to Techno just as his foot flew across the sand to knock out the hybrid's legs. Before it could even touch the piglin-hybrid, his opponent went crashing down to the floor and a sudden increase in the crowd told him that they knew just as much as him that this would soon be over. As soon as Technoblade got his opponent to the floor, little could be done. 

This wasn’t a death match so as Technoblade started punching he needed to be very cautious how far he went. After the hybrid's struggle significantly decreased, Techno stopped and lifted himself up and walked away to where he’d come out of. 

With his already existing injuries, Technoblade was thankful he’d been given an easier fight. He wasn’t sure he’d be able to handle a harder one with how his head literally felt like it was going to split. The addition of the voices wouldn’t have helped either especially when he already had to listen to the roaring of the crowd. Now that truly was a pain. 

The after match schedule went as usual and Techno was once again shoved back into his cage and like he’d normally do, he went back to his corner and huddled up. Technoblade’s body collapsing on the floor was all it needed to suddenly be engulfed by exhaustion and no matter how much he fought against it, told himself he wasn’t allowed to because it wasn’t normal, his eyelids quickly closed and his fell into the plane of the unconscious. 

Chapter Text

Technoblade’s only ever form of timing was when he’d get his tusks shaved down and even then it wasn’t accurate because it was never on the same date. He’d overheard his trainer say it needed to be done every month so they weren’t too big or sharp. If they were, it was classified as a weapon and in non-weapon fights, he wasn’t allowed them. Therefore, every month, his trainer would take a file to his tusks. 

Sitting there now, Techno could remember the horror of how it felt the first time. The sound, the vibration, the disgustingness of it. He could remember it all. In the beginning, he would squirm and try to stop it from happening by biting and scratching. That would just get him punished- it was in one of those punishments they found out his fear for water- so Technoblade slowly realised it was best to just let it happen. 

He still hated the feeling and he probably always would but if he wanted to be normal, it needed to happen and Techno wanted to be normal so he just sat there and ignored the grating, horrible feeling that bloomed in his chest the longer it went on. 

When it was finally over, he’d go back to his cage and just wait for the fights to begin. However, recently, the man had been coming back more and more. Technoblade was up to visit number 7 now and was extremely confused why he kept coming to see him. 

During one of those visits, Techno had managed to get a small glimpse of the man’s clothing and was surprised to see a bright blue. People didn’t wear that colour around here that often, definitely not of that vibrancy, so that was strange to Technoblade but also supported his idea that this man was important. 

One night though, after the man’s visit, he quickly realised why he was being visited so often. His trainer was getting rid of him. He was being sold. Technoblade finally misbehaved so much that his trainer was fed up and wanted rid of him. The feeling hit him like one of the worst punches ever. 

It wasn’t the best here. It never had been. But Techno had all he could need. He had food. He was left alone. He was taught how to be good and normal. There was nothing he would ever need besides that. 

With a new trainer though, with that man , Technoblade may not get that. 

His current trainer was generous. He didn’t need to do all he did for Techno. On multiple occasions, his trainer had been sure to tell him this. That he was nice, that he was being charitable with all the things he puts up with when it comes to the piglin-hybrid. 

And Technoblade appreciated that. He was such a good fighter now because of his trainer. He was strong, he was able to defend himself, he was able to know how to be normal all because of his trainer so the prospect of having another one that didn’t do any of that scared Technoblade and he didn’t sleep a wink that night. Not a single bit. 

Fight after fight happened and each one he won. Some easier than others. Luckily, his need for more sleep had finally vanished. His trainer must have punished it out of him and that was good because that means he was becoming more normal. Techno needed to be normal. 

It also meant his entire body was no longer completely weighted down by exhaustion. Technoblade could finally fight properly and be on his best performance. 

Especially for tonight. His trainer had said tonight was important. Really important and he couldn’t screw it up. If he screwed it, Techno couldn’t even begin to imagine what would happen. Surely something worse than they’ve ever done to him before. Was that even possible? What more could they unleash upon him? 

He shook his head of those ideas immediately. That didn’t matter because Technoblade wasn’t going to fuck it up. He wasn’t going to find out. During his fights, he was going to do the best he’d ever done. He’d show them that he wouldn’t fuck anything up anymore. Techno would show them that he can be normal like they’d taught him to be. 

As he waited for the pit doors to open, Techno took into account how it was louder tonight. They screamed loud enough for the guards to have to raise their voices as he got prepped. Technoblade knew now that this was an important fight and the fact Techno had been selected to fight in it, made him feel happy. 

“Now, listen to me, pig.”

His arm was pulled back and Techno stumbled to the side, quickly sticking his eyes to the ground so he didn’t look up at his trainer’s face. 

“You best not fuck up. The emperor is here tonight and you need to impress him.”  
Emperor? What was an emperor? That didn’t matter. He was obviously important so Techno needed to concentrate on nothing but his performance.
“-even think about. Are you listening to me, pig?”

Before Techno could even blink again, his hair was snatched again and a harsh sting suddenly erupted on his cheek. He screwed his eyes closed and quickly swallowed any noise that forced its way up his throat and tried to escape his mouth. He wasn’t allowed to make a sound. Sounds meant weakness and Techno wasn’t weak. He couldn’t be weak. 

“Why are you so fucking dumb? Fine I’ll just speak in words you know. You.”
A finger harshly pointed into Techno’s chest but it was nothing compared to the feeling of his hair being pulled. That always hurt like a bitch.  
“Go fight. Lose. Bad punishment. Understood?”

Another tug had his head lifting up and that’s when the voices decided to make their appearance and not in a good way either. 

Bite him
Attack
Hit
Hit
Bite

Techno screwed his eyes closed tighter and willed them to be quiet. He needed them to be quiet because he wasn’t going to attack his trainer. Techno didn’t like him but he was a good trainer. The best. It didn’t matter if sudden images of him snatching his trainer’s throat out quickly appeared. Or if the mere thought of watching these walls splatter with his blood popped up. That didn’t matter. Techno wouldn’t. He wouldn’t kill his trainer. He wouldn’t-

“Fucking useless. Just get out there and win.”

Suddenly, he was shoved forwards and it was only then Technoblade had noticed that the door was open. Stumbling out, only just about stopping himself from falling to the floor on his knees, Technoblade gritted his teeth and took in a deep breath. The smell of old blood quickly invaded his senses and Techno could feel his hands trembling as he clenched them around his sword. Here he went. 

Chapter Text

“Is everyone in place? Tonight needs to go perfectly okay.”

Every head around nodded and Phil grinned, slightly dimmer than usual because of the whole situation that they were in, down at them all. With his wings tucked neatly under his cape, he took steps forwards and people began to scatter to their own designated positions. Every step made his stomach drop as he got closer and closer to the one place that truly disgusted his whole entire being. 

Avenida’s underground slave fighting arena. 

Beside him, Bad lifted his hood to disguise his hybrid features. It was easier for him to do that compared to Phil. Bad just had to cover his ears and tail. Phil had to wear an enormously oversized cloak to make the slight curve of the wings on his back look even remotely natural but even then it still looked like he had a backpack on. 

They had to disguise their true birthright because the people here didn’t like anyone who wasn't ,as they liked to say, ‘normal’ . By that, Phil meant they just didn’t like hybrids and that thought only made his blood run cold. Any person that thought someone else was lesser because of their looks made Phil furious. 

The increase in noise told him that there would be plenty of people here today to make what he was trying to say known to everyone in any type of kingdom and that was just his plan. To stop this everywhere and teach them that if it didn’t, they’d face Phol and his kingdom's wrath. 

“You sure you want to be in there, my lord?”

Turning his head to the left, Phil met Bad’s worrisome gaze. His glasses reflected the slowly setting sun and Phil offered the man a gentle, shaky smile before facing forwards again, taking in the large building before him with nothing but hatred and anger. 

“Of course. If I intend to stop this distasteful form of entertainment once and for all, I need to make it clear where I stand for all the thick-headed, delusional bast- idiots in there.”

Bad sighed, obviously reluctant to let Phil go inside such a place but Phil was adamant. This was his plan and he’d been involved in much more dangerous missions. He wasn’t going to sit this one out. He especially wasn’t sitting this one out. 

“I guess you're right, my lord. Let’s get this finished with finally.”

“Agreed.”

The process of getting in was easier than the two men had initially anticipated. They didn’t even check either of them for weapons. How fucking stupid. One look at Phil’s title as Emperor of the Antarctic Empire and people were just begging to be at their beck and call. It would have been entertaining if the circumstances were different but these people and their involvement in this heinous slavery just made his body burn with horrible feelings towards them.  

As they were herded to their seats, ones that were in some sort of box and had the perfect view of the entire arena, everyone around them slowly becoming even more unbearable, Phil’s wings started to become agitated. They weren’t typically restricted like this. He never had to. But here. It was best Phil didn’t have them on display if their plan was going to work as he wanted it to and it so desperately needed to work. Not just because of how much time had been put in but to help every single one of these slaves. That was his main goal. To make sure they- as well as anyone else- never suffered through this bullshit ever again 

People still crowded around him, asking if he needed anything, even when he was sitting and Phil could see the amusement clear on Bad’s face because of it. He simply just huffed and politely declined them each and every time. At this rate, he was going to kill someone before the time for that even came. 

As soon as the fighting started though, Phil’s stomach instantly filled with acid and he felt like there were literal bugs crawling under his skin. This was-this was fucking appalling. How could people stand to watch this? 

Some of the fighters looked like actual children. Skeppy had told him about that when he was looking around beforehand in disguise but seeing it in person made Phil want to kill every single person here. At the thought of either of his sons being forced into this like those children, he could feel the acid travelling up his throat. 

Obviously oblivious to both his and Bad’s discomfort and growing rage, people cheered and jumped in the stands, entertained by the performances before them and making the whole arena feel like it was shaking. One fighter in particular seemed to have them all enthralled. The first time he came out into the pit Phil wanted to kill everyone as their cheering turned to a level which was deafening. 

That was-that was a literal child . 

The minute his name - The Blood Prince - was called it was familiar to Phil and it was only when Bad shot him a lot, a look of concern and pure lividness, that he realised that this was him . This was the arena’s best fighter. A literal fucking child. This child had been their best fighter for quite a while as well and the thought only made Phil wonder just how young he’d been when he was first forced to compete in this bullshit. It had to be younger than Tommy and that was when Phil could actually feel bile in his mouth. 

Nonetheless, it was clear why this child was their best fighter even if it pained Phil physically to see. Each round he saw that contained the hybrid, he dominated. He got hit here and there but besides that, Phil was surprised to see how spectacularly he performed. The child was better than some of his own men. That only made his heart hurt more. No child should be better at fighting than officially trained guards who were twice their age. 

It was growing towards the end of the fights and the sun had completely set now. Phil’s wings were at the point where they were going to spread regardless of his control over them and he couldn’t blame them. It wasn’t just the uncomfort of being tucked away but because of the complete loathing that ran through Phil’s entire body. It made his blood feel like it was boiling and made his fingers twitch with anticipation to just teach all these people the lesson they so desperately needed to be taught 

He knew how horrid this would be. For days, Phil had prepared himself for what he’d see when he stepped foot into this arena. Nevertheless, none of that could have warned him of the actual atrocities he’d witnessed and when the final fight of the night, containing the child warrior again, his probably 10th fight of the night which had Phil worrying instinctively for his health, he couldn’t contain it anymore. 

He couldn’t just sit there and watch all of this. It was-it was such a fucking atrocious and revolting thing to pay to see and Phil honestly wondered what was wrong with these people. How could they sit and watch this wickedness? That wasn’t even including the ones involved in making this happen. Phil wanted to rip every single person who had had their hands in making this happen apart. They were the ones who weren’t normal. 

Luckily, the moment he was certain his wings were going to make their grand appearance the horns every single one of his men had equipped blew and both Bad and Phil leaped out of their seats, eager to start killing the sons of bitches that made this possible, hatred flowing through their blood after seeing the true reality of what was happening here and that made their hits and attacks ten times harder. 

Whilst Bad and Phil fought from the inside, killing anyone they could get their hands on, especially the organisers of this whole arena, soldiers were making their way in from the outside and gathering anyone they could who’d managed to escape. Phil had plans for them after he finished up with this. 

The crowd’s cheers of excitement and joy quickly switched to screams of horror and fear and all Phil could think was this was what they deserved. They wanted to see fights, let’s see how they could handle being in one of their own. Maybe then they’d feel the same fucking disgust that Phil felt for this whole ordeal. He was happy to be finally putting a stop to it after so long. 

One minute Technoblade was smashing his opponent’s head into the ground and watching their blood splat everywhere in his sight and the next, he was standing and watching as everyone in the crowd ran and screamed but not in their usual way. No, they screamed just like Technoblade’s opponents would. In fear and pain. 

This time when their loudness met his ears, it didn’t hurt. It didn’t make his ears ring and his head bang. It felt like something perfectly crafted to put him to sleep. Technoblade found that he liked it. He liked hearing them scream in pain knowing that they were hurting. They liked to watch people get hurt and now they were the ones getting hurt. Techno found that he loved it. What a wonderful displace of revenge. 

And so did the voices. The voices practically bathed in the sound. They cheered on in support and voiced their acceptance of this unfamiliar change loudly. Loud enough to have Technoblade’s mind going blank and his body moving without his own control. 

Guards came for him, ready to put him away in his cage, ready for his next fight but this time he wasn’t going to let them. He knew he was being bad. Techno wasn’t being normal but he didn’t think about that at the moment. All he could think of was the sight of their blood and how it would paint the ground so beautifully. That was all that was on his mind as he killed over and over. 

Their hands gripped him and each and every person whose hand that was attached to, ended up on the floor, the life in their eyes disappearing as they went still. They kept coming and coming and every single one ended up at Techno’s feet, their blood only accompanying the rest on him and his weapon. 

The bodies only piled the longer he fought. His adrenaline flowed through Technoblade’s organs like a well accepted potion and any aches in his muscles were quickly forgotten. Not a single thought went to why people were panicking or why they were being hurt. They deserved it. They wanted to see people get hurt for entertainment and now they were getting a taste of how Technoblade felt on a daily basis. What more could he wish for? 

“Pig! What the fuck do you think you’re doing?! What is wrong with you?”

That voice. Oh that voice had the sounds in Technoblade’s head going crazy . Their volume grew intensely. 

Pay back.
Get our revenge
Go for him!
Attack that bastard 

“Put that sword down now, pig! Now, you hear me!”

Another hand came for him and Techno’s mind ignored any sort of warning his body sent it. Not a single thought was in his brain except the idea of tearing his trainer from limb to limb and he pounced. However, he was so blinded by his need for violence and hatred that he didn’t take account of the weapon his trainer was holding until it was embedded into his side and his own blood was spilling onto the floor to join the rest that he’d spilt. 

Eyes wide and hands trembling, Technoblade’s own sword clattered to the floor and his head dropped to look at his side but all he could see was red. His breaths came out laboured and there was a ringing in his ears that made his entire body vibrate. 

“You fucking ungrateful swine! How dare you try attack me?! After all I’ve done for you. I shouldn’t have expected anything else really.”

For the first time in what felt like years, Technoblade let out a sound at his trainer’s punishment when the sword was pushed into him even harder. A searing pain was travelling its way up his entire chest and it squeezed at his heart, his lungs, his stomach, his everything. Like a deadly disease, it ate away at every piece of his skin and organs to the point that all he could feel was the pain of his body tearing itself apart. 

“You’re nothing but a monstrous,-“
The sword was plunged even deeper making his insides squelch underneath.
“-horrible,-“
Blood started sputtering out now and Techno’s white shirt was being dyed a vibrant red.
“-unnatural,-“ 
His head was starting to grow incredibly heavy and the voices were dying down.
“-freak of nature.”

Just as quickly as it had appeared in him, the sword disappeared, making blood pour out quickly and before Techno could cup his side to stop the bleeding, desperate to make the pain go away and the blood stop pouring out, he was being kicked to the floor. His legs didn’t resist at all and he went crumbling down, only making his pain intensify and his vision blur. Whines built their way up his throat but their scaffolding was flooded down by Technoblade swallowing. All he could do was lay there. 

“No wonder your parents didn’t want you, you ugly beast.”

Spit landed right in his face and something just snapped in his brain. Ignoring all the pain in his body, Technoblade lifted himself up and with all the might he could muster, pounced again. This time his trainer was turned and he went stumbling down to the ground with Technoblade’s body on his back. 

“Why you little-“

His trainer didn’t have a chance to finish his sentence because Technoblade’s teeth sank down into the place between his shoulder and neck and pulled. With a little resistance, the flesh tore away and Technoblade’s trainer screamed. He screamed and Techno loved it. He kept tearing and tearing until there was a hole in his trainer’s neck and he no longer struggled or screamed. Blood not only ran down Techno’s side now, but his entire mouth. It painted his face and left a metallic but glorious taste in his mouth. The flesh, well that was a little bit of a more disgusting taste. Technoblade didn’t like that.  

However, he couldn’t complain about that for long when the adrenaline shooting through his body slowed and the true pain that his side was in hit him like a full-forced punch to the nose. On shaky hands placed on his trainer’s shoulders, he leaned his head down and took in a deep breath with his eyes screwed tightly shut. That didn’t help with the way his head felt woozy and how he was struggling to keep himself upright. 

Peeling his eyes open, hesitant to see the true damage, Technoblade looked down at his side, using one of his hands to lift his shirt, and his mouth dropped open with a gasp. Oh, oh that didn’t look too good. That didn’t look good at all. And now his trainer couldn’t even help him heal. What-what was he going to do now? What could he do now? He was-Techno was nothing without his trainer but he’d just killed his trainer. Technoblade had just killed his trainer. He’d-he’d just killed him. 

With his mouth open, that only let the blood that had been gathering in it fall out. Techno didn’t know if it was his or his trainer’s but it didn’t matter. It all would join the rest anyway. No one would be able to tell who’s was who’s. 

A sudden dizziness enveloped and pulled at Technoblade’s mind and he blinked once and then twice in hopes it would go away. It didn’t. Instead, it only became more powerful and made his eyes feel heavier. Maybe he could just sleep. Yeah he always wanted to rest. He could-he could rest now. 

Techno
Don’t give up
Keep going
Come on

The voices were quiet. Quieter than they’d ever been. Their presence brought him a sense of familiarity and he was happy to have them in this moment. If only to make sure he wasn’t alone when he died. He just wanted someone to be there for him. 

With his ears ringing and his brain not being able to comprehend anything but the pile of pain and exhaustion of his body that had been building up for years and had finally be knocked over and was drowning him, Technoblade didn’t take into account the footsteps coming towards him as his arms gave out under his weight nor did he feel the hands that were on him and turning him over and onto the floor beside his trainer. He could only feel the blood slowly leaving his body and the absolute mountain of agony his side was in. 

Techno didn’t really have the right to complain about any of this. It was what he deserved after all. Not only for his actions today- how he’d gone on a complete rampage and killed everyone in sight ,including the only person that had ever tried to help and make him normal- but because of everything he’d ever done. All the lives he’d taken over the years. They had to be in the thousands at this point. 

Yeah he couldn’t complain. This was a long time coming. His ultimate punishment and whatever Lady Death had for him, he’d accept. He deserved that as well. 

Suddenly, a full force piece of pain shot right through his side again and Techno’s eyes snapped open along with another gasp from his mouth. His vision was hazy but he could still see something bright. Was that-was that the way to Lady Death? That looked… nice . Better than what he expected. It was much brighter . And it moved. Why did it move? Was it supposed to move? 

Who was he to know anyway? He just needed to close his eyes and-

Techno’s entire body convulsed and his chest lifted up off the floor, only making him hurt more. Tears were blubbering their way down his cheek and when there was another shot of pain, a sob left his mouth before he could stop it. 

“breath…keep…Bad…come on.”

Now his ears were unblocked slightly, Technoblade could make out words. But, the ability to hear quickly disappeared again when something pressed down onto his side and it burned even worse making Techno sob again and the pain only added to the haziness of his mind. 

It was getting so bad that he couldn’t open his eyes anymore because that took too much energy. Instead, his body finally went numb and he was relieved to not be in pain anymore. He just relaxed and let the peace wash over him. Maybe he could rest now. Yeah, Techno wanted to rest. Just a little rest.  

Chapter Text

It was getting warmer. Summer was encroaching itself on the natural cold climate of the Antarctic Empire. That didn’t mean it wasn’t cold anymore because it was but it meant it wasn’t constantly snowing like in the winter nor was it needed for people to be completely wrapped up when they went outside. Summer was definitely here and that worried Phil. 

They’d destroyed Avenida’s slavery fighting arena a month and a half ago. It had gone down just as was planned. All the slaves had been treated and seen to. Some had managed to return to already existing family that they’d been taken from and others were offered homes in other families. The older ones were even able to go out on their own now. 

The organisers, well they didn’t even get to breathe a single bit as soon as Phil had them in his sight. To keep things short and pg, they were all taken care of accordingly . As for the crowd, let’s just say the ones who didn’t get caught up in the chaos were spreading the news of it all just as quickly as Phil hoped. 

It had gone down perfectly. Better than perfectly actually in terms of getting rid of the whole hell hole. That was burnt down as soon as everyone was out beside the already dead.  

But, things still weren’t good in other terms. It had been well over a month now and the piglin-hybrid child hadn’t awoken yet. He was being monitored constantly and surprisingly his stab wound had healed better and quicker than Phil could have ever guessed. It actually shook him how fast the pink-haired hybrid had managed to patch himself up. It definitely wasn’t natural and Phil wondered if that was to do with his hybrid side but he’d never heard of piglin having exceptionally quick healing. It was strange. 

From his adventures inside before the take down, Skeppy had gathered quite a bit of information on the child. He was 18 (yeah, Phil didn't believe that a single bit especially when he got a glimpse at the boy’s small body properly), he didn’t understand Common (Skeppy was a bit sceptical of that one based on the child’s body language when people spoke around him), he had been fighting for 7 years and he was the best they had. Seeing him in action himself, Phil believed both of those things because no amateur child fighter could take down 20 odd guards in one go and then get stabbed in the stomach and still rip the fucker who ‘owned’ him’s neck out. 

Since he’d been out of that place though, Phil had placed him up in a room in the castle. It was close to the medical wing where Puffy -their best healer- had quick access to him in any type of emergency or simple check up but close enough to Phil that he felt satisfied that he would know if anything bad happened immediately. 

For the first few days, Phil was just waiting for him to wake up. With his wound healing at a rapid pace, it seemed only a matter of time. But even when the stab wound was at a point where it should no longer be causing him any pain, the boy still hadn’t awoken. Weeks passed and there was nothing. 

The only thing telling them he was still alive was his breathing but even that was concerningly slow. Puffy had no explanation as to why but that it must have been a piglin thing. Skeppy argued against that so there was no real actual explanation but it didn’t seem to be causing him any harm so they didn’t worry too much after a while.  

Except, when after a month, he was still asleep. They were all growing concerned that he would never awake and that conclusion shattered Phil’s heart. Finally, the boy had a chance at a normal life, to be free and happy, and he didn’t even get to experience it. To say the least, that wasn’t fair at all. But Phil guessed life never was. You just had to grin and bear it even if it pained you to do so. 

Looking at the visible breath that escaped his lungs ,from a sigh, quickly be engulfed by the cold and be carried away, Phil pushed himself away from the railings of the balcony that was attached to his room. It was a very convenient thing to have in case he quickly needed to fly anywhere but that was rare. 

As the doors closed behind him, warmth immediately hit him and quickly engulfed his limbs making them tingle.  The feeling only caused him to sigh again but in a more relieved and not stressed way this time. 

His sons- Tommy and Wilbur- would be waking up soon and Phil liked to be out of his room before that happened. As soon as he opened the door though, it was clear he wasn’t quick enough because a body came barreling into him with his hand up in a fist like he was going to knock. 

A smile immediately appeared on Phil’s face when his youngest- Tommy- fell face first into his legs and let out a groan. 

“Daddd.”
His whines were muffled by the way he rubbed his nose and that made Phil laugh. 

“That was your fault. Don’t blame me Tommy.”

With another grunt, Tommy stuck his tongue out before suddenly smirking and wrapping both his arms and legs around Phil’s leg and latching on. The elder laughed once again and started walking, although very awkwardly now with a child attached to one of his legs like a monkey. But that didn’t matter when Tommy’s soft but boisterous giggles instantly met his ears. It was a wonderful sound to hear from a child, especially his own child. 

“I want pancakes for breakfast. And so does Wilbur!”

“Don’t say things on my behalf, child. What if I wanted waffles?”

From around the corner, where his room was located near Tommy and Phil’s, his eldest son -Wilbur- appeared, his hands rubbing his eyes telling Phil that he’d only just awoken as well as the scrunched up pyjamas he still doned. 

“I am not a child!”

“Yes you are. You’re such a little boy! Awww what a cutie pie.”

As soon as Tommy detached himself from Phil and lunged for his brother, Phil quickly grabbed the back of his pyjama shirt and stopped him, making the boy groan in protest. 

“It’s too early for fighting, boys. Come on and let’s just have some breakfast. Then you can fight.”

Tommy struggled only a little longer, which was expected since that child was stubborn as fuck, and Wilbur just watched with a smirk and his arms crossed. This was a common occurrence between these two. You were lucky to go a single minute without the two fighting or arguing but not in a bad way or because they hated each other. It was that brother love and sibling obligation way. Phil rather enjoyed it and it warmed his heart to see the two together and their tight bond. No matter what happened in life, Wilbur and Tommy would always be by each other’s side and that gave Phil that extra assurance to make him feel satisfied that they’d never be alone. 

Once Tommy had stopped moving, Phil let go of his shirt and continued walking, a hand on his younger son’s back to guide him along as well and also to be prepared if Tommy tried attacking his brother again. When they approached Wilbur, Phil placed his other hand on his other son’s back and they all walked down to the dining hall with minimal injury. That was an improvement from usual. 

It seemed Wilbur had in fact wanted pancakes too because both his and Tommy’s plates were piled high with them and drizzled in syrip. Phil had put some fruits on without the two watching and when they noticed, they simply groaned but ate them either way. Breakfast went as it usually would. Insults from both boys and enough laughter from Phil to make one think he had been under the effect of drugs. Both of his son’s teasing was enough of a drug for him. 

That normalness was however interrupted by the groan of the door opening. All 3 of their heads shot to the direction and when Phil caught sight of pink hair before a head poked through, his eyes grew wide and with his fork and knife still in hand, his entire body paused. 

Standing there as still as a statue and his eyes wider than any sort of boulder Phil had seen, giving Phil access to see the abnormally red colour of his eyes that he hadn’t noticed before, was the piglin-hybrid he was beginning to think would never wake up. At first, they just stared at each other and a sudden flicker of regret and fear flashed across the boy’s face which made Phil’s heart lurch into his throat. 

When-When had he woken up? Wait. He’d woken up. Life’s sake, the boy had woken up! Why was that only just hitting Phil? And he was walking. He shouldn’t be walking. He needed to rest. He needed to be in bed. Puffy would surely cause havoc if she saw the boy walking around and reasonably so. He was still healing, not just from the stab wound but his earlier ones as well which Phil grew red with anger when he first saw. 

Shooting up from his seat, quicker than intended, Phil watched the boy flinch and he realised his mistake too late because before he could try to calm him down, he had bolted. Fuck. 

“Dad. What’s happening?”

“Tommy. That’s him! That’s the boy who Puffy’s looking after.”

“Is it really? He has pink hair?!”

His boy’s chatter fell deaf on Phil’s ear as he quickly made his way to the door that the boy’s head was just poked out of. Okay this wasn’t good. This castle was big. No it was massive. If the boy got too much of a head start on Phil, he was certain he’d never be able to find him so he needed to inform his guards to be on the lookout for a pink-haired piglin-hybrid. Yes, that was the first move. Well the second actually. 

Turning around to Wilbur and Tommy, Phil have them an apologetic smile.  
“Sorry to cut breakfast short today but-“

“No, we understand dad. Go find him. He’s probably scared and hurt. We’ll wait here and finish breakfast.”

“We will?”

“Yes Tommy we will.”

“Oh yeah, we will dad. Don’t worry.”

Proudness bloomed in Phil’s chest at how grown up and mature Wilbur had become as well as Tommy. Where had the time gone? It seemed only yesterday the two were learning their first words and how to preen their feathers. The thought almost brought a tear to Phil’s eyes before he realised what he was supposed to be doing  and quickly left the dining room to find the nearest guard. 

Each deep inhale of the cold air around him made Techno’s lungs feel like they were about to burst and maybe they were. It sure felt like his head was about to because at every turn it just looked like he was going in circles because the halls were all the fucking same. Was he going crazy or was this place really that big? 

Neither of those options mattered anyway because he was going to get out of here. This wasn’t the arena; it was much too nice and lavish to be even the better part of the arena. The floors were carpeted and clean unlike the sharp rock covered floor of the arena  and the walls hung pieces of parchment that were decorated weirdly and pictures of people unlike the cold stone walls he had grown accustomed to. 

If this place wasn’t where Techno had spent the last portion of his life, that meant he’d been kidnapped again or bought. The recollection of how he’d ended up here was hazy but he could remember the fights and the crowd screaming in fear. Was what hurt them what had taken him? They had to be and that meant no good so he needed to escape. 

Technoblade was sure he’d learnt his lesson about escaping after the copious amount of punishments his earlier attempts had brought upon him but that was when he was with his trainer and his trainer- wait where was his trainer? Was his trainer here? That thought only had Techno running harder, making his side ache but he didn’t have the chance to stop and figure out why. 

He just kept running and the exertion and pain it brought soon paid off when he saw doors with see through things on it that looked out to the outside. The outside! Techno was so close to the outside. Like he had so dreamed. 

Now he was only a few steps away from his freedom, it felt fake. It felt like at any moment Techno would wake up and he’d be back in his cage waiting for another fight and trying not to be bad. But, it was there, the actual outside and Techno was so close. He was so close that his fingers tingled and his entire body burst into something he’d never felt before but it felt good. It felt so good. 

With one hand gripping what must have been the door handle, Technoblade pulled and suddenly, a harsh bite of coldness smacked him right in the face. Oh, it was cold. It was very cold. That was-that was okay. Even if it was cold, it was still the outside. That was what mattered. He had to take whatever he was given because anything was better than what his life had been for so long. Techno could deal with coldness, he had before so it couldn’t be hard. 

But, when he stepped out and his feet hit the whiteness of the floor, it almost felt like there were little cold creatures biting him. Quickly putting his foot back inside, Techno gritted his teeth. That hurt. Why was the floor so cold? Was that normal? It had to be. It didn’t matter. Techno had dealt with worse. He could deal with this. Of course he co-

“Hey kid. Don’t go out there!”

Instantly, his head snapped backwards and Technoblade’s eyes went wide when he saw a man standing there. A very tall man with very pointy ears and glasses on his face. He was running towards Techno and that only panicked him more. 

No, he was so close. He wasn’t going back to fighting this time. He was-he was going to leave and live his life. That was right. Technoblade was finally going to get the answers to his questions about life. He’d go out and find someone else to teach him how to be normal and live his life. He wasn’t going back. Never. 

With his breath held, Technoblade quickly took off running again, outside. His feet soon started to become numb under the coldness and he found that that was worse than when they weren’t numb. It was weird but it didn’t matter. If he kept running, he’d succeed this time and be free. Techno would be free like he’d always wished. Nothing was going to stop him this time. 

“Kid come on. Please. Just come back inside. We’re not going to hurt you. Just come back in.”

The unfamiliar man’s words weren’t going to work on Techno. He’d heard them so many times before and they never were true. They were going to hurt him. Everyone hurt him when he wasn’t good and Techno could never be good. That was why he needed to go and find someone to teach him how to be normal so he wasn’t bad. But not here. Not where his trainer could be and where he could be punished again. Not here. 

But, that seemed more difficult than Technoblade anticipated when more people began looking his way and chasing him. Multiple times he’d had to change his direction because someone had spotted him and started running at him. The more he ran, the more his lungs felt like they were on fire. It was becoming so painful but Techno just ignored it. He just kept pushing and pushing until he met a wall. Wait there was a wall. Why was there a wall? 

Looking up, this wasn’t the type of wall you could climb and jump either. No, this was a very tall wall and when Techno tilted his head to the side, it went on for ages. No. No. No. he was so close. Why was there a wall? Why was there a wall? He was-he was so close. There couldn’t be a wall. He was nearly there. Techno nearly had his freedom. Why was there a wall? 

No, this wasn’t the end. He refused to let it be the end. He’d-he’d get his freedom. It didn’t matter how. If he had to fight tooth and nail to get out of here he would. That was what Techno was good at after all. Now he’d gotten a taste of the outside, Techno was not going back to fighting and he’d kill whoever was in his way to make that possible. He didn’t like having to do that if he didn’t need to but he’d do it. Techno would do anything to be free. Anything . 

So, with a new fire in his chest and his fist ready to go flying at anyone, Technoblade turned and was instantly met with a lot of people, more than he’d initially thought, all armed up and holding weapons better than any he’d seen in the arena. Okay, that didn’t matter. He could still take them. Techno was strong. He could fight. Especially if it was for his freedom. That was something worth fighting and getting a little hurt for. 

“Kid. It’s okay. Just-Just come back inside. It’s too cold for you to be out right now. Wouldn’t you agree?”

Ignoring any rules his trainer had ever said, Technoblade narrowed his eyes on the man speaking to him. It was the same one from earlier with the black pointy ears and glasses. Techno could now see he had a tail and for a moment that intrigued him. He was a hybrid. Why was he working with them? Technoblade thought hybrids weren’t allowed to work as guards. None of the guards in the arena were hybrids. They were too wild and abnormal to have any jobs. Why was this hybrid working? 

Actually, Technoblade didn’t care. All he cared about right now was getting free and that man stood in his way. A growl crawled its way from his throat when the same man took a step forward with his arms outstretched but Technoblade swallowed it down quickly. He still knew not to make noise. Techno still knew that if he did, he wouldn’t be normal. 

“Come on. Please don’t make this hard. We just want to help.”

“Bad there’s-“

“Fuck off.”

Technoblade’s voice was rough and it hurt for him to speak after so long of not doing so. He almost sounded foreign to himself. Why was it so deep and why did it send vibrations through his whole body? Was that-was that normal? Probably not. Techno wasn’t normal after all. 

For a moment, the man stopped and his mouth fell open. He opened and closed it and Techno thought he looked rather foolish at that moment.  
“You can-you can speak? Does that mean you understand me?”

Just realising his mistake, Techno almost wanted to stab himself. The idea made his side ache again and Techno grit his teeth to push down the pain. If they knew he could understand them, then they wouldn’t be nice. What a stupid mistake. Technoblade was so so stupid. Why had he spoken? Now they knew he could understand him and now they were never going to be nice to-

Wait he shouldn’t be worrying because he wasn’t going to stick around anyway. He was going to escape and be free. It didn’t matter if these people knew Technoblade could understand them because he wasn’t going to be around long enough to listen to any of them. 

Surprising Technoblade enough to make him go stumbling back against the wall, another man seemed to fall from the sky. What-What? As soon as Techno’s eyes landed on the man’s wings though, he understood immediately. That man could fly! Holy fuck he could fly! That was-He’d never met anyone who could fly before. Even though he didn’t want to admit it, that was cool. Techno wished he could fly. That would make escaping so much easier. 

While Technoblade was practically ogling over the man’s ability to fly, he had now stood up straight and in an instant Techno recognised him. It was the same one he’d seen in the room with the two boys. His bright and straight hair was almost even more familiar but Techno didn’t know why. He had no recollection of ever seeing this man and he was sure it wasn’t in the arena because they would have never let him in to see Techno because he was a hybrid too. So why did Technoblade recognise him? 

The man took a step forward breaking Techno out of his momentary daze of confusion. The piglin-hybrid instantly tried to step away but there was no more space behind him, only the wall. Techno’s heart leaped into his throat and as he looked around for any sign of escape, he could hear the hard beating in his ears increase in intensity and volume, making them flick. 

“Hey mate. You-You don’t need to be afraid. I’m not going to hurt you. No one is actually. Just calm down and we can-we can help you.”

Technoblade didn’t like how soft this man’s voice was. It gave him a false sense of comfort along with a false sense of security when his words registered. They wouldn’t help him. They’d punish him and Technoblade was done with punishments. He was done with them! 

The left
Go left
Take down the man!
Escape to the left
Go Techno 

With the voices spurring him on, creating a new sense of confidence in him, Techno turned to the direction they insisted and bolted. His plan was to take down the man closest to him, like they advised, and then flee away again and try to find another escape whilst losing everyone. There had to be an exit somewhere, Techno just had to find it. 

His plan was quickly ruined however when arms encased him from behind, keeping him from moving any further. Suddenly, the most uncomfortable feeling Techno had ever experienced flowed through his veins. It made every inch of his skin itch and scramble in an attempt to soothe itself. He’d never felt like this before. It dug deep into his bones and insides and twisted them. Techno never wanted to feel like this again. So confined and trapped. 

However, one thing he couldn’t ignore was how warm it was. The warmth of whoever was holding him had Techno wanting to move closer to escape the harsh coldness of the outside. He would have if he didn’t know the threat that would entail. It didn’t concern him how warm and comfortable and secure and kind this person’s embrace was, Techno needed to get out of it and find an exit. 

Wiggling and squirming constantly, Technoblade’s hands came up to start hitting and scratching the ones that held him still. His attempt was useless though because no matter what he did, the man didn’t move. He just got tighter. Changing tactics and trying to bite whoever had him, Techno turned his head to meet bright blonde hair and it was then he realised it was the winged-man stopping him. Technoblade didn't look up into his eyes. He still knew that was disrespectful. Instead, he concentrated on trying to bite and get a nip at the man’s flesh. Because of the angle he was held at, that didn’t work at all either. 

As his chances of escaping slowly dwindled, Techno felt like his chest was caving in and a looming sense of dread was hanging around his neck, leaving him suffocating. The cold air could no longer make its way into his lungs and at this point, if he couldn’t be free and breath that air, what was the point in breathing it at all. 

Technoblade didn’t want to fight anymore. He didn’t-He didn’t want to kill anyone who didn’t deserve it anymore. He just wanted to be free and live his life. Why was that so hard? Yes, he didn’t deserve it. Yes, he was a dirty cross-breed who was only good at fighting. But, why, WHY couldn't he just have a chance? A little piece of that freedom? Maybe this was his little piece of freedom. The teasing sliver to get him hooked but never relieved. Was this all Techno would ever get from the outside? Would they lock him back up in his cage and hurt him again? 

The thought sent a sharp feeling to his eyes and before Technoblade could stop himself a shattering sob came bubbling out of his throat. Once the first one came, so did the rest and any effort Techno made to try escape stopped. 

There wasn’t any point. They were-he was just going to end up fighting. Whether that was to live or survive, there really was no difference. All Techno was good for was fighting anyway. It was useless to try to change that. Techno just had to accept it and find a way to make it easy for him and that was by being good. If he was good, they wouldn’t punish him. 

Chest rattling with sobs and face damp with his tears, Techno completely slumped and stopped resisting. For a moment, the man behind him stilled and then his arms softened around the pink-haired boy. That still didn’t help Techno with getting air into his lungs though. It felt like there was a rope wrapped around the part of his body that connected his throat and lungs. The air got trapped there, making his throat feel too full and his head lightheaded. Due to his crying and that new dizziness, Technoblade’s head started banging again and as the voices started to grow, it turned to a type of pain that was unbearable. 

There was a murmuring in his ears but there was no point trying to make it out because Technoblade ears were so blocked by the banging of his head and heart that there was no chance he’d hear it. But it’s insistent buzzing did bring him so strange type of comfort and when the arms around him moved to his shoulders and twisted him around, staying there afterwards, Technoblade’s eyes instantly landed on the winged-man’s chest, unwilling to let them raise to his eyes. 

Concentrating on the chest’s movement, Techno found himself mimicking it involuntarily. At some point, the rope around his throat had snapped and a quick rush of cold air made his lungs burn more but still, they were relieved to be able to be put to use again. 

As he gulped down more air, the banging in his head slowly ebbed away into tiredness and with another blink, the world around him seemed to slow it. Before he could even think about what was happening, Technoblade was falling and his eyes were closing, letting the confines of the peacefulness of his sleep comfort him again. 

Chapter Text

“fine…don’t know …wake…body…healed.”

A constant buzzing in Techno’s ear was making him annoyed. He just wanted to sleep but the buzzing was there, digging into his mind and fucking with his nerves. Why wouldn’t it go away? He just wanted to sleep. Was that too much? 

It seemed it was because now his ears had started to flick because of the buzzing and then there was a slight bang that made the heaviness that glewed his eyes closed disappear. A sort of distorted feeling had settled over his body and Techno could vividly feel the way his eyes moved behind his eyelids and it creeped him out. He’d never felt that before. Nor had he ever felt so exhausted but alive at the same time either. It was playing with his body, urging it to move but telling it it couldn’t. Technoblade was just fed up. 

After a few more moments, the hybrid’s eyes opened but he closed them immediately afterwards when a blinding light started to eat away at them and make his eyes burn. Fuck, why was it so bright? Opening them again, Technoblade tried to get adjusted to the light but it made his eyes sting for a while. He blinked the moisture away and lifted his hand, a groan leaving his mouth when the muscles in his left side ,where his left hand was lifting, started to flare up in pain. 

As soon as the sound left his mouth, the light disappeared and confusion quickly swept over Techno. Where-Where had it gone? Lifting his eyes from his side, Technoblade got his answer. In front of him stood a boy, probably younger than him, with so much bright clothes on that Techno instantly felt blinded again. The boy was smiling, so wide and he had a few teeth missing. Technoblade couldn’t help but think that it must have been painful to lose them. Techno had lost a few of his own before and it was never a pleasant experience. 

When it finally registered that there was a strange boy in front of him and so close to him, someone he didn’t know and had never met before as far as he could remember, Technoblade placed his arms under him to push himself up but collapsed back into the bed in the first attempt, when his weak arms gave way under his weight. The boy moved closer, smiling wide like something out of his nightmares, making Techno scramble away again, ignoring all of his weakness, eyes growing wider and breath hitching in fear and kicking away whatever was confining his legs along the way. 

Noticing his panic, the bright boy took steps away with his hands raised and a guilty expression on his face. 

“Sorry. Sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you. I’m sorry.”

Techno just watched him, his wide eyes laid on the boy’s hands before moving to his chest again. Although he didn’t want to come across as scared, the piglin-hybrid couldn’t help the way his chest was rising and falling like he’d ran 50 laps of the pit and his hands were becoming clammy like he’d been gripping his sword for ridiculous amounts of time. 

When the boy dropped his hands, Technoblade followed every single movement. The boy moved slowly, probably for Techno’s comfort but him being here at all was nothing but uncomfortable for the hybrid. Technoblade didn’t even know who he was. 

“My name-My name’s Dream. What’s your name?”

Well that answered that question. Techno apparently now knew who the boy was, Dream, but that didn’t mean he trusted him. Techno trusted no one. 

But he couldn’t help thinking that he’d never met anyone called Dream before. That was-That was a strange name. Technoblade couldn’t really judge anyone on their name anyway with a name like Technoblade but it was still strange. Dream. He said it over and over again in his head but it didn’t make it sound any less weird. 

Just staring at each other, Techno blinked a few times and that was when Dream realised he probably wouldn’t get the answer to his question; his mum had told him the hybrid didn’t understand Common but it was worth a try. So, instead, he decided to change the conversation. 

“Well, it’s nice to meet you. My mum is looking after you. She’s treating the wounds you have so you don’t get poorly because she says that would be bad. I’m not sure how-“

At the mention of wounds, Technoblade’s mind instantly went into survival mode and he started to pat down his body, starting at his head and then going down. When he touched his left side, there was an ache Techno wasn’t familiar with and he scrambled to lift his shirt- a shirt he’d never seen before but didn’t focus on for too long- to see a red, closed scar. What-What-When did he get that? That was new. Technoblade had no recollection of what caused the scar and that worried him further. It looked to be deep so he was probably stabbed but when? Why couldn’t he remember? Being stabbed was something that needed to be remembered but he couldn’t. Techno couldn’t remember. 

His breath hitched when he pressed down on the scar and a sudden shoot of pain entered his blood stream. Retracting his hand, Techno noticed the boy-Dream- take a careful seat on the- wait what was he on? Technoblade looked down at it and saw he was sitting on something white but it felt nice. Not like the floor of his cage. And there was a blue thick thing covering him making his legs, where they were still covered slightly, feel warm. What-What was this and why was it so comfortable?

“Mum says you had an accident and got stabbed. I tried to ask but she said that it wasn’t her story to tell. I kept asking but she wouldn’t let up. But, apparently it healed really well so you shouldn’t be worried. Everyone was actually surprised how quickly you healed! They didn’t think I could hear them but they’re very loud and I have very good hearing anyway. They were all speaking about how it was unusual for the wound to close and stitch itself up so quickly.”

“They?”

Dream’s eyes widened as soon as the word left Techno’s mouth and he moved past his shock quicker than Bad did and started nodding. 

“Yeah yeah, they! Wow you can understand me! This is so cool. Okay okay. Well I guess you don’t know who ‘they’ are but I can tell you if you want?”

Expecting an answer, Dream stared at Techno and the feeling of being watched made Technoblade shift slightly but he nodded anyway. 

It was strange to be having someone talk to him in a nice way after so long or having someone know he could actually understand them (Techno still wasn’t sure if that was a good move).  People usually just insulted and hit him. Techno…liked being spoken to like this. This boy seemed nice so surely nothing bad could happen. Hopefully. But he was still cautious. Kindness was temporary after all. He couldn’t forget that. 

“Okay, well you obviously have my mum. Her name’s Puffy and she’s a doctor. Do you know what that is?”
Techno nodded quickly this time and Dream beamed at the sight, happy with the response.
“Well, she’s been keeping you healthy and alive. You also have Bad. He’s a mage.”

“Mage?”

“Oh you don’t know what that is. Well it’s basically someone who can do magic? Do you know what magic is?”

Technoblade shook his head, genuinely invested in what Dream was saying but still on edge slightly, ready to have to start running although he could remember how bad that had turned out last time. 

“Ermm, well I’m not too sure how to explain magic. It’s kinda like…the natural essence of the world around us. Bad draws from nature and its energy to create his magic because you can’t have magic unless there’s something to draw from. He says you can’t create something out of nothing. Does-Does that make sense?”

Processing the words again, Techno nodded but albeit with a little more uncertainty this time. Magic was still a little confusing for him and he wondered why he’d never heard of it before. It seemed like it was something most people knew and that only made Techno determined to find out more. 

Magic
Good magic
Very powerful
Careful 

Technoblade’s head flinched when the voices invaded his senses again. It was a quick reminder that although his scenery had changed, they were still there. That hadn’t changed. Techno wasn’t sure whether that was a bad or good thing but didn’t have long to dwell on it either because Dream was talking again. 

“You also have Skeppy. He’s making sure you’re safe. He’s a guard. A very good one. The best actually! He's training me because I want to be a guard and be the best like him. Well if I’m the best, I guess he can’t be as well but that doesn’t matter. We’ll be the best together!”

When Dream’s voice grew louder, Techno flinched away, looking in the other direction and using his hair to shield him away. To keep himself grounded, the piglin-hybrid’s hands tightened around the comfortable thing covering his legs. Noticing the boy’s discomfort, Dream winced and smiled apologetically. 

“Sorry. I’m just excited. I get loud when I’m excited. Who else is there? Oh, Phil! How could I forget Phil? He’s the Emperor. Do you know what an Emperor is?”
The word was familiar to Technoblade but he didn’t so he shook his head, turning to look back at Dream again who was still smiling and had moved so his legs were crossed on the bed.  
“Well, an emperor is someone who rules and like, guides an empire. You probably don’t know what an empire is either. Ermmm, that's like a lot of towns and villages, those are groups of people living together in one place, who are ruled over by the same person, so…Phil in this case. Do you understand?”

This time Technoblade was more confident when he nodded and Dream was happy to see his explanations were actually working. He was always happy to flex his knowledge and how smart he was and this boy seemed to not know a lot of things so Dream was excited to speak more. However, when he opened his mouth again, ready to explain more about Phil and his role, the door opened behind him and a woman walked in. His mother. 

Technoblade quickly shoved himself as far into the wall as he could to get away from the new person who entered the room. Well, it wasn’t the wall because it was some type of wooden thing connected to the thing he was laid on but that didn’t matter. What did matter was there was some new strange unknown person near him and staring at him with wide eyes and an open mouth like he was a creature she’d never seen before. 

Momentarily, Technoblade’s eyes shifted to Dream when the boy moved away from Techno. The movement made him flinch but when Dream started walking away from him, he calmed. 

“Mum mum! Look, he woke up and he understands what I’m saying. I’ve been explaining who everyone is to him. He’s listening to me mum! Isn’t that cool?!”

Dream tugged on the woman’s arm and pulled her towards Technoblade making his whole body tense and his heart stop. She stumbled over her own feet, obviously caught off guard, before righting herself and moving. 

“Yeah it’s very cool, Dream. How about-why don’t you go tell Phil he’s awake while I check up on him okay?”

“Okay mum. Bye erm.”
Dream halted on his run to the door and looked back at Techno who was looking at him, not in the eyes of course, but at his chest and Dream frowned when he realised he didn’t know his name. But, his smile quickly appeared again when something else popped up.  
“Bye friend. I’ll see you soon, okay?”

And with a wave from Dream and a slight click, Technoblade was alone…with the unknown woman. He just stared at the door that Dream had gone out of for a moment and placed his hands under him, fisting what he sat on and realising how soft it was. There was fear deeply embedded in his body, making it run even colder than earlier and he didn’t dare look at her. She was an adult and above him so if Techno looked at her, he’d be punished. He didn’t-He didn’t want to be punished again. 

When the woman started to move, Technoblade’s eyes quickly snapped to her as panic squeezed him but he looked back down at his hands before she could catch him looking. As she moved closer, Techno shuffled even further away. Like Dream, she took a seat on the bed but she took up more space because she was bigger which was an unnerving reminder. But, Technoblade could take her. That would be easy. Yeah, he could win in a fight against her if she turned violent. 

“Hello, I’m Puffy. Dream says that you-can you understand what I’m saying?”

Technoblade didn't move his eyes and took a deep breath to try to calm himself down. For all that it was worth, this woman, Puffy’s, voice was very soft and it made Techno’s ears feel nice. It wasn’t gritty or harsh, it was soothing actually. Like if she spoke over and over again, Techno would find himself being lulled into a deep sleep that he’d never want to wake up from again. 

“It’s okay if you don’t want to speak to me. I understand that this is probably very scary for you.”
Puffy stared down at the child and took note of the rigid and straightness of his spine, actually his entire body. It made her lips dips and her forehead wrinkle just thinking about why he was so scared.  
“Just know I’m not going to hurt you. I know a lot of people have hurt you before and I’m so very sorry that that happened to you. It isn’t right at all. But, that’s not what I’m here for. I’m here to help you okay. That’s all. There’s no need to be afraid.”

Her velvety voice almost convinced Techno. Deep down, he could feel his soul bending to her will and believing what she was saying. That he wouldn’t be hurt. That she was good. But, Techno knew better. He’d been taught better. His soul could be manipulated however it wanted but his mind would never be fooled. Technoblade would never leave himself undefended and weak. Never. 

Words were just words. They meant nothing until supported by actions and most of the time, in Technoblade’s life, a person’s actions contradicted what they’d said and promised. You could never believe what a person said until they proved it with their actions as well. 

Making him flinch, the woman let out a deep breath and started to shuffle on the bed. Out of the corner of his eye, Techno watched her as she ruffled about on a silver tray and then turned back to him with a weak smile. 

“You probably must be confused as to what’s going on. Well, you’re currently in the castle that houses the royal family of the Antarctic Empire.”
Castle? Antarctic Empire? How-what? Technoblade was very confused.  
“Our emperor, Phil. I’m sure Dream told you a little about him but he destroyed the arena you-you were forced to fight in. Does that make sense to you?”

Technoblade would have nodded in response if he wasn’t completely consumed by his shock. The arena, it was destroyed? How-what happened? His trainer, oh his trainer. Was he dead as well? Technoblade should have been sad. The only person who had ever helped him be normal and kept him alive was dead. But the thought of never facing that man again had a sudden wave of relief washing over him. 

Puffy could see the shock on the young boy’s face and it was exactly the response she anticipated. Even when she heard the door open behind her and turned around to see Phil, the piglin-hybrid didn’t look up or react. He just continued to stare at the blanket on his legs with wide eyes and heavy breathing. 

She gave him one last glance, to see if he would change his position at all, hopeful he would, but when she saw no difference, Puffy just sighed and got up, walking towards Phil who was looking between the two with a heavy expression on his face. 

“How is he?”
Phil whispered as soon as Puffy was close enough for her to hear, optimistic that there would be an improvement. His gaze once again landed on the boy who was just staring down at his blanket with his eyebrows pinched and his fists scrunched full of blanket. 

“He’s-He’s processing the information of what’s happened.”

“Has he spoken again?”
Phil’s voice was hopeful when he spoke and Puffy smiled sadly at her emperor. 

“Not to me but Dream said he was speaking to him when he first woke up. I think he’s just a bit cautious. There had to be a reason why he kept quiet all those years and made everyone think he was stupid. Maybe he thinks he has to keep that up here. Poor boy probably thinks we’ll hurt him.”

Puffy’s words made Phil flinch back but they were true. That’s what hurt him most. No matter who that boy came in contact with, there would always be the underlying fear that ,like everyone in his past, they’d hurt him and Phil wanted to hurt every one of those motherfuckers who caused him even an ounce of pain again. 

“Fuck, Puffy. He’s-He’s gonna have such a hard time living properly because of those fuckers. I wish I’d drawn out their deaths longer now because of what they’ve done to him. He didn’t deserve to be treated like that.”

Placing a hand on Phil’s shoulder, the man’s eyes slowly pulled themselves away from Techno who hadn’t moved at all since Puffy had left his side, in fact his breathing had only got heavier and his fists were only clenched harder, to Puffy who looked just a distraught as him. Phil’s heart was breaking just seeing the piglin-hybrid and all the scars that littered his small malnourished body. How could anyone think of hurting a child like him? How fucked up could a person be?

“No child deserves to be treated like that. All we can do is try and help him adjust to his new reality and show him what life really is like. How beautiful and amazing being free is and the pure beauty of just living . We may not have been able to help him in the beginning but we can help him now. That’s what counts Phil.”

With a stuffy feeling in his throat and a stinging behind his eyes, Phil nodded and his feather shook behind him in an attempt to dispel the suffocating feeling holding him captive. Puffy patted his shoulder with a sad smile and then moved to the door. 

“I’ll go see what exactly the boy said to Dream and then I’ll be back to check up on him. Be-Be gentle okay. He’s very skittish and obviously doesn’t trust anyone. Just be patient.”

“I understand Puffy. Go do what you must.”

With a hand on the door handle, Puffy gave one last glance over to the small hybrid who was still staring at the blanket and the sight made her small sad smile drop. How someone could hurt him like they had was beyond Puffy but the motherly instinct within her was telling her she’d never let that happen again. Not to that boy. He’d been through too much already to be tortured anymore. As long as she was alive, nothing would ever hurt that boy again. 

Chapter Text

Phil took in a deep breath before lowering himself down onto the mattress, sitting a little away from the pink-haired boy. As soon as he put his weight on the soft object, the child jumped and his eyes darted upwards to Phil’s where he wore a shaky smile but that didn’t calm the boy before him at all. In fact, it seemed it only scared him more because he started to scurry away and was looking around the room, obviously in search of something. Properly Puffy or Dream. Maybe it was a bit overwhelming for the boy to be exposed to so many people when he’d just awoken but Phil couldn’t go back now. He could just try to help, like Puffy had said. 

“Hello mate. We-I actually spoke to you yesterday. You don’t need to be scared of me. I’m not going to hurt you.”

His words did nothing which was expected. Looking around for anything to offer to show how he was trying to help, Phil’s eyes landed on a full glass of water and they lit up just before his hand slowly, not wanting to scare the boy, moved to get it. With equally slow movements, Phil outstretched his hand to the boy and waited. 

“Here. You’re probably really thirsty. Drink some water and your throat will feel brand new. I promise.”

To try relieve some of the tension surrounding them, Phil let out an awkward laugh but the boy just stared at the glass with unmoving bright red eyes. His laugh died down into another uncomfortable silence and when he was beginning to think the hybrid wouldn’t take the water, his hands reached out to get it. 

When Techno first saw the water, his heart leaped into his throat and his bones started to rattle under his skin. Techno was still very scared of the liquid and he felt foolish for not having noticed it was in the room until now. Once he’d managed to swallow the initial fear down, the fact that it was quite a small amount, not enough to drown him, sank in and Techno assured himself that yes, he was dehydrated and yes, his throat did feel like an actual piece of stone so yes, it was a wise idea to drink some water. Just some though. That wouldn’t-that wouldn’t hurt him. A little bit. 

His hands slightly shook as he reached to grab the water. Technoblade was careful not to touch the man when he took the glass in his hand. It was only when its full weight was thrusted upon him that Techno realised his limbs were much too weak and the glass went tumbling out of his grip before he could lift his other hand to help. 

When the water sank into the fabrics below him, Techno practically felt his heart stop and his whole body went cold. 

“Oh, I probably should have expected that one. Are you okay mate?”
The man’s words didn’t even register because Techno was too preoccupied in his own mind. 

Fuck. He'd-he’d messed up. Techno had messed up big time. What was going to happen to him? Did the winged-man also have a punishment room or would he do it right here? Technoblade hated not knowing and the unknown was like an axe hanging over his head, ready to drop and kill him. 

When the man’s hand came towards him, Techno full-body flinched away and shrunk into himself, concentrating his entire gaze on his hands which were only shaking more. 

However, the man’s hand only grabbed the glass and placed it on the carved box next to the thing he sat on. 

“Hey, don’t panic. It’s okay. I’m not angry. That was my fault. I should have anticipated that you wouldn’t be up to your complete strength yet. We can get you another water okay. These things happen.”

When the man started moving, with the glass in his hand again, Technoblade couldn’t help but stare. Was-was he not being punished? But why? He’d messed up. He’d spilt the water that he had been gifted. That was being ungrateful and ungratefulness was a sign of disobedience. Why wasn’t the winged-man telling him off or even punishing him? And most of all, why was he taking the blame? Techno had spilt the water so why was he saying it was his fault? Technoblade was so confused and he still hadn’t found the answers to his questions when the man came back into the room with the glass filled with water again and a smile on his face. 

“Here. Use both of your hands this time. You’ll be able to hold it up then. Have you got it?”

Technoblade gripped the glass with both his hands, like advised and then pulled the glass away. It was heavy again but Techno could hold it, although shakily and when he brought it to his lips, some of the water slithered down the side onto his fingers making his hands buzz slightly. The second the cold water started to travel down his throat, Technoblade felt like he was being reborn. It swept away all the roughness and soreness and replaced it with a soothing, cold stroke. 

Before he realised, Techno was pulling the empty glass away and sighing. Next to him, the man laughed and Technoblade only then remembered he wasn’t alone and quickly his face turned warm and he turned his head away, using his hair to hide himself. 

“Guess you were thirsty after all. I’m really not surprised. You’ve been asleep for quite some time. You’re probably hungry too. We’ll have some food brought up later okay.”

Technoblade just listened to the man and when he heard shuffling, his head shifted so he could get a little glimpse of him, only to notice it was the wings on his back moving. They shifted and shook and it instinctively made Techno’s ears twitch. 

Phil watched the boy, observed his wings and smiled softly when his ears flicked along with the ruffling of his feathers. It was clear the boy wasn’t comfortable with staring at him completely, only doing it when he wasn’t looking or from the corner of his eye, and Phil guessed that was something he’d been ‘taught’. Hopefully, with time, the boy would realise it was okay to look at people. 

Now he was thinking, Phil was only then realising he didn’t know the boy’s name. He of course knew his stage name but not his actual name. Did he have an actual name? It couldn’t hurt to ask. Oh, he hadn’t even introduced himself yet either. That made him want to hit himself but if Phil just started assaulting himself, the boy would probably be spooked out.   

“Hey, I probably should have started with this but my name is Phil. Can you tell me yours please? You don’t have to, of course.”

Techno could hear him. He heard everyone even when they thought he couldn’t understand but he didn’t reply. His throat still felt sore and from the last few times that Techno had spoken, he knew it hurt a little because of how unfamiliar the feeling was. 

When Phil realised he wouldn’t reply, his smile dimmed but he didn’t give up.  
“How about I say a few names and you tell me if I’m right okay? Does that make sense?”

Technoblade knew this would be pointless because never would Phil guess his name randomly but he guess it was worth a try so he nodded. 

At the boy’s response, Phil’s smile grew ten times larger and he sat up straight.  
“Okay let’s go. Trevor. Carl. Bobby. Taylor. William. Thomas. Tommy. Timothy.”

Phil kept listing names but each and every single one was wrong. As the list continued, Techno was growing amused at the stupid name selections that were appearing. He almost pitied the man because after a while, he was obviously struggling to come up with new suggestions. The fact he was even trying, although it was pointless because he’d never get it right, made Techno feel something he never had before and it was that feeling that had him opening his mouth. 

“Technoblade.”

Phil’s words instantly stilled and his eyes went wide.  
“Pardon?”

Awkwardly looking around, Technoblade fiddled with his fingers and swallowed down the nerves that blocked his throat, letting his words spill out again.

“My name is Technoblade.”

Phil huffed a laugh to disguise his shock.  
“Yeah I’m glad you told me that because I would have never guessed that. Not even if I ran out of my usual names. That sure is a unique and beautiful name though. Never heard of anyone called Technoblade before.”

His response made Techno grow warm. He knew it before being told but just hearing about how his name was his and only his made Techno feel protective over it. He’d never had anything for himself but now he had his name. That was good and Techno wanted it to stay that way. 

“Technoblade, it’s very nice to meet you. I hope we can grow to be friends and if there’s anything you need or need help with, I’m always here okay. Don’t be afraid to ask.”

Techno just nodded. He wouldn’t ask but he could pretend he would and that seemed to work when from the corner of his eye, he saw Phil smile again before getting up and brushing down his pants.

“Well, I’ll be leaving you for now. I’m sure you’re just begging to get me out of your hair but I’ll be back later with some food okay? Bye Technoblade.”

When Phil had his back turned, Techno lifted his head to watch him leave and when he turned back to wave like Dream had, Techno quickly looked back down at his hands. Eventually, there was a slight click and he was alone again. What was he supposed to do now? 

There were locks on both doors in the room Technoblade was in. One of the doors he could open which was where Phil disappeared to get water and it seemed to have some things in it Techno didn’t recognise except from a tap. As soon as he saw the tap, Techno immediately stepped back out into the main room and closed the door abruptly behind him. It was only when he was out of sight of the tap that Techno could breathe properly again. 

The other door he couldn’t open. The handle would jiggle but not completely twist so Techno guessed it was locked. That was good to know. They were obviously trying to keep him in and didn’t want him escaping either, which told Techno that he was as much a prisoner here as he had been in the arena. The only difference was it was much more comfortable here and the people were kinder. But that was all probably a disguise for the cruelty that was hidden underneath. Kindness always hid cruelty. 

On the walls there were these see through things that let him see outside like what the door had. There was a handle but when Techno tried to open it, they were locked too. When he tapped on the material, it let out a slight dinging noise and Techno took a step away, unprepared for it. 

Windows 
They’re windows
Idiot
Windows

Windows. Hmmm Techno had never seen windows before. Why were they see-through and why did they make sounds? More questions to add to the endless list of questions he had and would never be able to answer. 

For the rest of his time, Techno ventured around the room and observed everything in it. Most of the objects he didn’t know but the voices helped fill him in. He discovered the thing he’d awoken on was a mattress which was on a wooden structure called a bed. The fabric covering him was a blanket and the box next to him was a table. Other things  the room contained were more tables, a sofa, a wardrobe, a mirror (which Techno discovered was like glass but you could see yourself in it. That was a shocking sight, seeing himself, and Techno spent a good while just observing his features and his nest-like hair that really really needed to be cleaned and finger combed) and just random bits. 

It was intriguing to learn about everything and when the door opened again, Technoblade was standing in front of the mirror, trying to run his fingers through his hair. The click of the door opening and then closing drew Techno’s eyes away from himself and to the small figure that made his way into the room.

Dream stood there, eyes directed at the bed but when he saw no one, they grew wide and started to dart around the room. As soon as he caught sight of Techno, his whole body relaxed and he smiled, which confused the piglin-hybrid. 

“You scared me. I thought you’d gotten lost or something. Whatcha doin?”

For a few seconds, Technoblade’s gaze stayed on Dream but after telling himself the kid wasn’t a threat and that he didn’t need to be too cautious, still a little cautious though because anything could happen, the pink-haired boy turned back to the mirror and frowned when he caught sight of himself again. The first thing he noticed when he saw the mirror was the sheer amount of scars that littered his body. Techno knew he had some but he didn’t know he had so many. 

It was overwhelming seeing the consequences of all his fights but also filled him with a great sense of pride. These scars were a symbol of how he’d survived and his victories. They didn’t look particularly pretty but they showed everyone how strong Techno was and if people knew he was strong, they wouldn’t mess with him. Maybe that was why people were scared of him in the arena. Because of his scars and his reputation of course and because he was a cross-breed. There were a lot of things about him that people were probably scared of. 

So caught up in his mind, Techno didn’t see Dream moving until he was beside him and Techno caught sight of him in the mirror, a little smaller in height next to him. Noticing their closeness, the hybrid stumbled away slightly and gripped the dresser -the voices had told him that was what the mirror was attached to and it had draws crafted into it containing things- to keep himself stable because Techno was still a little weak on his feet. 

Dream awkwardly smiled and placed his hand on the back of his neck rubbing it.  
“Sorry. Didn’t mean to scare you. Just wanted to see what you were doing.”

Technoblade slowly nodded as the words processed and that made Dream smile as he too turned to the mirror to look at himself. 

“Phil says your name is Technoblade. That’s so cool!”

Dream turned back to Techno, his smile even bigger if possible and the hybrid felt confused but nodded anyway. Did Dream really think his name was cool? No one had ever said anything about him was cool before. 

“I’ve never met anyone called Technoblade before.”
Phil had said the exact same thing and Techno still felt the same sense of pride as then.  
“People usually have boring, popular names here. Not me and you though. Dream and Technoblade. We can be…the unique name duo! Yeah! Isn’t that so awesome?”

Dream spoke a lot. That was something Technoblade was coming to realise but he was also coming to realise it wasn’t something he hated either. In the past, Techno used to hate when people spoke to him, mainly because they weren’t very kind. But, Dream, well he actually spoke to Techno and was nice. 

The piglin-hybrid found himself enjoying what Dream had to say and that was scary because at any moment, it could be taken away and the insults could be thrown at him again. Techno couldn’t let himself enjoy Dream’s ranting because they’d eventually use it as a ploy to hurt him. He needed to be guarded and prepared even if Dream never ever stopped. Maybe Techno could just listen, but… not enjoy! Yeah that would work. 

“I’m not actually supposed to be in here.”

Dream pushed himself away from the dresser and started towards, well Techno wasn’t too sure. He was really just walking and looking around and Techno just watched him move, his body much lighter and his muscles not as tense as usual. 

“My mum says you need rest but you’ve had a lot of rest so I thought you might want some company. When I’m hurt, I like someone to be with me and talk to me to distract me so I thought you might like that too! Phil also says you don’t need to be too overwhelmed since you’re already surrounded by all these new things but I can just answer your questions if you’re confused. Plus I think you're cool.”

With all these words, Techno’s head was reeling and he was struggling to keep up with Dream’s fast talking and when it finally hit that Dream thought he was cool, Techno’s eyes visibly widened. 

“Really?”
His voice was still a little scratchy but it didn’t hurt his throat as much as it did before. Maybe the water had actually worked like Phil said it would. 

Dream started nodding his head so quickly that Techno was scared it would just detach and fly off. The image made him shiver. That would be horrifying to see but Dream’s head stayed attached to his body so Techno guessed there wasn’t much to worry about in terms of Dream losing any limbs any time soon. 

The boy moved closer to Techno but stopped a little away so that the piglin-hybrid didn’t feel entirely uncomfortable having him near. 

“Yeah! You’re all mysterious and I’ve never met a piglin-hybrid before. They’re not very common around here and you have pink hair! Did you dye it?! My mum dyes her hair these pretty colours and even lets me help sometimes. It turns out amazing. Do you do that?”

Die? What? Technoblade’s hand subconsciously touched the tips of hair. It wasn’t dead. It was very much there. What was Dream going on about? Did it look dead? Techno knew it didn’t look particularly pretty because it was all tangled but I didn’t look dead, right? 

Seeing the confusion and worry on Techno’s face, Dream laughed pulling the boy’s gaze back to him. 

“I’m guessing you don’t know what I mean. That’s okay. Dying your hair basically means that you add colour to it to change its colour. My mum has naturally white hair but she adds different colours to it to change its colour. She just dyes it to make it more colourful and pretty. It’s her natural colour right now but she’s planning on dying it again soon. Does that make sense?”

Completely blown away, Techno still found himself nodding even when he was shocked to find out people could do that. He just thought, like him, people with bright hair were born with it. But no, they could change it and chose to do that. 

Techno was suddenly thankful that he was born with uniquely pink hair because he never felt the need to make it anymore unique. The fact it was naturally pink was unique enough for him. He was also glad that it didn’t look dead. Techno liked his hair and didn’t want it to look that bad. With a few finger brushes, it would look presentable enough not to look like rats lived in it. 

Just thinking about it had Techno’s fingers moving on their own. They started running through the locks,  only to get stopped by knots. His scalp burnt with a familiar sensation when his fingers pulled on the strands and his face scrunched up in a grimace. He looked down at his finger and where they’d gotten stuck and Techno started to pull the strands apart in an attempt to undo the knots. 

Dream watched him, an eyebrow raised as to why he wasn’t using a brush. Oh , he probably didn’t have one. That was why. Everyone needed a brush, even Dream even if his hair wasn’t long. His mum says any hair, no matter the length, needs brushing or else it…well it ended up like how Technoblade’s hair looked right now. All tangled and knotted together. 

The hybrid flinched away when Dream got closer and when his hand started to move closer, Techno’s eyes widened and he moved further away with quick steps. Dream’s hand simply opened one of the..draws? Yeah, draws (the voices had told him about them) and pulled out an object before turning to Techno with it in his hand. 

“You probably need a brush for your hair since you have so much. It’ll make untangling it much easier.”

The brush was held in the space between them and Techno stared at it, unsure what exactly it was supposed to do. How was that going to untangle his hair? Did he hit his head with it? Was-Was that how it worked?

“Oh do-do you not know how to use a brush?”

“Dream.”

Both boys turned to the door to see Phil standing there with a tray in his hand. At first, his eyes were narrowed on the boy with the brush in his hand before shifting to Techno who kept his gaze trained to the floor, his fingers fiddling in front of him, showing his nervousness. 

“You’re not supposed to be in here, Dream. What has your mother said?” 

“I just wanted to speak to him. Technoblade’s probably lonely. I don’t want him to be lonely. Plus, I was teaching him how to use a brush for his hair. I’m helping, Phil!”

The way Dream spoke to Phil had Techno’s eyes widening. From what he’d heard, Phil was the leader around here and a very important person. Techno wasn’t too sure what Dream’s position was but if he was speaking to Phil like that, Techno worried about the punishment it would cause. Never would Techno think of speaking to anyone like Dream had Phil. He wouldn’t live to see another day if he did. 

But, going against Techno’s suspicions of an incoming punishment, Phil just sighed and shook his head, not holding back his smile. 

“That’s very kind of you, Dream but Technoblade needs to rest.”

“He’s been resting for ages?! He’s surely had all the sleep he needs.”

“Yes but he still needs rest, Dream. His body is adjusting to the new surroundings and because he’s been resting for a while, Technoblade is still a little weak.”

Dream went to argue back but when he caught the look on Phil’s face -a look that said this was the end of their conversation- he instantly shut his mouth and kicked his feet in defeat. He wanted to stay and continue talking to Technoblade but deep down, Phil was right and Dream knew that. All he could do was just wait until he was actually allowed to come visit him. Surely that wouldn't take too long. Plus, if it did, Dream had managed to sneak in once so he could do it again. 

Hopeful that he’d be back soon, Dream turned to Technoblade with a sad smile. 

“I’ve gotta go now, Technoblade but I’ll be back soon. I promise and while I’m gone, I'll think of some stories to tell you. You’ll probably really like hearing about the ender dragon or the wither or, or the-“

“Dream.”

Phil’s word held that warning tone that told that boy he best start moving. So with a final goodbye and a wave, Techno listened as his feet reseeded and eventually disappeared. 

“That boy. I swear.”
Phil grumbled under his breath and started walking further into the room, still holding a tray.  
“Dream isn’t causing you too much grief is he? He’s a nice boy but sometimes comes on too strong without knowing that’s what he’s doing. He isn’t bothering you right?”

Technoblade was a little confused what the man meant by ‘coming on too strong’. He’d never heard anyone say that before but shook his head either way because Dream really wasn’t bothering him. Although he didn’t want to, Techno liked Dream and his ranting. It was entertaining. 

The boy’s response made Phil smile as he placed the tray of food on the bedside table and then turned around. He would remember to stock that piece of information away for later use. 

Dream had obviously made Techno somewhat more comfortable around him compared to how he was with anyone else. Phil guessed it may have to do with Dream and Techno both being children. It was less threatening being with a child than an adult. 

When Technoblade didn't move from where he stood after a few seconds, his fingers still playing with each other, Phil took a step away from the bed and gestured to it, hopeful Techno was looking up at him. 

“I brought some food, mate. You’re probably starving so I guessed it best to get food in you as soon as possible.”

The mention of food had Techno remembering that he was indeed hungry but he’d gone hungry so often in the past, that it didn’t really bother him too much. Smelling the absolute delicious aroma of the food brought to him though, that smelt so much better than what he’d been given before made his stomach rumble involuntarily. When Techno heard Phil’s laughter, his face turned hot and he quickly hid it under his hair. 

“It’s okay Technoblade. Come eat, why don’t you? You’re clearly hungry and I’m telling you, the chefs here make some of the best food I’ve ever tasted. It’s amazing and I don’t know how I’ll ever survive without it now.”

How Phil spoke made Techno even hungrier and after fighting his urges a little, telling himself he wasn’t that hungry and he had gone longer without food before, he eventually gave in and slowly shuffled to the bed. Phil took another step away as the piglin-hybrid climbed over, shakingly, to the tray and looked down at it. His eyebrows were pinched and his eyes were moving all of it. 

“Are you okay? Do you not like it?”

Technoblade quickly shook his head. He tried to figure out what exactly it was that he was staring at. There was something- 

Plate 
Plate

Okay, there was a plate the food was on and silver things next to it. 

Knife
Fork
Knife and fork
Utensils
Use them to eat 

But, how did he use them exactly? Technoblade had never used ‘utensils’ , as the Voices would call them, before and just looking at them heavily confounded Techno. He figured it was best to ask Phil but was still a bit anxious. Techno should know this. He should just know how to. If he didn’t, he was just useless. Would asking Phil something so simple make him see how useless and stupid Techno truly was? 

“Mate, what’s wrong?”

Phil took a hesitant step closer and Techno swallowed down his nerves. It was okay. He would just ask. It couldn’t hurt, surely. Yeah he’d just ask. If Phil punished him, it would give Techno an idea of the rules around here. This was a teaching moment. 

With a deep breath, Techno lifted his head slightly but didn’t look at Phil’s face, just his chest.  
“Ho-How do I-“

“Oh oh. Okay yes. I can-let me just show you how to use the knife and fork. It’s relatively easy actually once you get used to it.”

As he spoke, Phil drew closer and Technoblade couldn’t help but tense up. Having someone so close in his space was never a comforting thing for Techno and Phil being so unknown and new only made the feeling stronger. When Phil picked up the knife, Techno’s breath got stuck in his throat but he didn’t have a chance to panic when Phil also picked up what Techno guessed was the fork and started to use them both, showing Techno the placement and movement of both pieces of equipment, to cut up a bit of meat. 

“See. Fairly easy. How about you try?”

Phil lifted his head and ,for a singular second, caught Techno’s gaze but the boy was quick to lower his back down to the plate before he could be told off. After a moment, Phil lowered the utensils back onto the tray and when Techno was done deliberating with himself, he picked them up. 

With diligent eyes, Phil watched the boy start cutting up the piece of beef, although a little more uncertain than Phil, but, after a bit of effort, managed to cut it up. He used the fork to bring the meat up to his mouth and stared at it for a few seconds and then brought it to his mouth. There was a tense and expectant atmosphere around them and Phil was beginning to stress over whether Technoblade would like the food when the boy started to eagerly eat more. Well, he guessed that was enough to answer his question. 

Silence surrounded them as Techno scarfed down the rest of the food. Phil was happy to see the boy wasn’t particularly picky. He wasn’t too sure what Technoblade could eat and wasn’t sure if there were any limitations due to his piglin side. From what Phil had read and what Skeppy, their go-to hybrid know-it-all, knew, there weren’t any but Phil couldn’t be too sure. It looked like his choice in food, simple beef, potatoes and a glass of water, was completely fine because Technoblade ate it all, not leaving a single crumble. 

Once he’d finished, he took the glass of water and drank all of it too, leaving an empty plate and glass in front of him. Not containing his own smile, Phil’s feathers ruffled, obviously as happy as he was and that attracted Technoblade’s attention immediately, making his ears flick as well. 

Phil wasn’t too sure why the boy did that. If it was because of his hearing or just an instinct but Phil couldn’t deny that it was cute. It was very cute and had his feathers ruffling more, making Technoblade’s ears flick more. 

“Thank you.”
The piglin-hybrid's voice was quiet. Almost indistinguishable to human ears but with Phil’s again enhanced hearing, he was able to pick it up and nodded in response. 

“It’s completely okay mate. You don’t need to thank me. I or Puffy or even Dream ,if you’d like, will be up to bring you your meals whenever you like or if you’re up to it, you can even come down and eat with us. But, you don’t have to of course.”

The instant Phil’s suggestion was brought up Techno wasn’t too keen on it. First of all, he wasn’t very good with new people. Just talking to Puffy, Dream and Phil was a lot for him. Meeting other people wasn’t something Techno necessarily wanted to do. 

Second, with more people meant Technoblade had to be on guard more because there were more bodies to monitor. In this room, it was just one on one most of the time so he only needed to pay attention to one person and one person was easier to take down than multiple people usually. 

The idea of finding out who else he needed to worry about was a good thing though. If Technoblade knew who was in the building that were important and significant to him, maybe he’d be able to figure a way past them all and also a way to make out who his true threats were. 

“Us?”
Techno asked and for a moment, Phil was confused before realising what he was being asked and diving into an explanation. 

“Well usually it’s just me and my boys, Wilbur and Tommy,  so not too many people. Tommy’s 10 whilst Wilbur’s 14. Mentioning that, I never asked how old you were? You don’t have to tell me, of course but I’m very intrigued.”

Technoblade knew his trainer never said his real age. He didn’t think the man knew it actually. The only reason Techno knew was because of the voices and how they knew, well that was beyond Technoblade’s understanding. 

So at this moment, Techno didn’t really know if it was wise to say his real age. If his trainer hadn’t, there had to be a reason but maybe that was to make it so he was allowed to fight. But, if Phil knew he was young, maybe he wouldn’t make him fight. Yeah, if he was honest, maybe Phil would realise he was too young and wouldn’t force him to compete anymore. 

“14.”
He spoke, saying the truth. 

Techno could feel the atmosphere around them become thicker and Phil’s feathers ruffled again, making Techno’s ears flick again. Was-was he upset? Maybe Techno should have lied. Fuck. He’d messed up hadn't he? Technoblade had fucked it up. 

Of course. If he couldn’t fight, what was Phil to do with him instead? Techno was only good for fighting so if he was too young, Phil would just have to get rid of him and find someone knew. 

Fuck. Why was Techno so stupid? Why was he so stupid? Why didn’t he think properly? Phil was going to kill him. He was-Techno was going to die. Wasn’t this what he wanted? To rest. Why wasn’t he happy? Why did the thought of dying distress him so much? Why- 

“Techno, hey. Take a deep break okay. It’s okay. Just take a deep breath with me. You’re fine. We’re fine.”

Phil’s voice broke its way through Techno’s blocked ears and its soothing tones made the hybrid gasp. His hand shot to his chest to grip his shirt and he let out a staggering exhale before gulping down more air. Phil’s chest rose and fell as normal and Techno concentrated on that to guide his own chest to move. After a few breaths, Techbo could finally feel his ears unclogging and his vision returning to normal, where he hadn’t even noticed it had gone blurry. 

“That’s it. Good. You don’t need to panic. You’re fine. Nothing’s going to hurt you Technoblade. How about I get you another glass of water?”

When the boy nodded, Phil did just that and when he returned back to the room, Technoblade had slumped against the headboard and still had his hand gripping his chest with his eyes closed. He wasn’t too sure what had thrown Technoblade into a panic attack but when he finally realised what that was, he’d have to remember to stay away from the topic so as to not trigger another one. 

As soon as Technoblade had the glass in his grip, he lifted it to his mouth, water shaking with his shaky hands along the way. It all disappeared down his throat and Techno didn't pull it away until all the water was gone, not even to get a breath. He held it in his lap with his two hands still gripped around it, looking down at the glass as well. 

“You know, Wilbur’s going to be so happy to find out there’s someone his age around. Most of the children are younger so he’ll be happy to find out you're the same age as him Technoblade.”

“Why?”

Phil wasn’t quite used to the boy speaking yet and his voice was rather gruff, catching him off guard each time but he tried to disguise his reactions as well as possible. 

“Well, I’m not too sure. I think he’ll just enjoy being able to be around someone who’s not younger than him and just as mature as him. I must warn you though, if Will does find his way in here, he’ll probably force you to listen to his music. That’s his thing.”

“What-What is mu-music?”

Technoblade was a little scared to know what he was going to be forced to do. Was music a way of saying fight around here? If so, that was something Techno never knew and it would be good to know for the future in case anyone else brought it up just so he could be prepared. 

Or maybe it was something else? That scared Techno even more because if it was something else, he wouldn’t be able to prepare himself and could potentially end up hurt again, maybe not so lucky to wake up from that injury like the last one (that he still couldn’t remember getting.)  

“Well music. It’s errr- how do I explain this?”
Phil scratched his hair as he thought and Techno watched him as he stared into the distance.  
“It’s kind of a form of art. Wilbur uses a guitar which is a designed piece of wood with strings that when plucked, like pulled, properly make nice sounds. He sings along with the guitar to make songs which are a series of words put together to sound nice. Does-have I explained that well enough?”

Technoblade blinked a few times, trying to get his head around everything he was just told. After a moment and a few inputs from the voices to help him out, Techno nodded and Phil let out a relieved sound. 

“That’s good. I’m not sure how else I would have explained it. Wilbur would probably hit me if he heard how much I just butchered that explanation anyway. Don’t tell him okay?”

Phil let out a laugh and at first Techno was genuinely concerned that this Wilbur, one of Phil’s sons, would hit his dad over some explanation that did the job. But, the way Phil laughed and had this slight soft tone to his words made Techno think that maybe he was joking. 

Technoblade wasn’t good with social interactions, not having been in a lot of them growing up so the fact he could differentiate between the truth and a joke was ground-breaking for him. Of course, Techno could be completely wrong but he was confident he wasn’t and that made him smile and nod eagerly, just happy with himself to be happy in the moment. 

And, as Phil watched him, Techno smiling for the first ever time since he’d been here, he couldn't help but feel like small pieces of his heart that had been torn apart by the pure mistreatment of the young piglin-hybrid before him were healing themselves together slowly but surely and that made his smile much brighter.

Chapter Text

“He slayed…the dragon.”

“Yeah. But it was going to kill him if he didn’t!”
Techno could understand that ultimatum all too well. 

Dream was telling him a story about the ender dragon- an entirely new animal Techno had just become aware of and was completely gobsmacked about- and how one single man had killed it all on his own with a sword and a few arrows. The man’s name had been lost through the years which Techno thought was ridiculous. A man that powerful and well known, you’d think people would remember his name. No, he just went by the ‘ender-dragon slayer’. 

“That just seems a bit mean. That dragon didn’t do anything.”
Technoblade’s reasoning was nothing against Dream’s persistence. 

“It was going to kill him! He had to kill it!”

The piglin hybrid had also quickly discovered that Dream was very stubborn. Like, he took stubbornness to a whole new level and once he had an idea in his head, that idea wasn’t gonna leave. Which was also why he kept sneaking into the room Technoblade was kept in even when he was told off every single time he was caught. It didn’t bother Dream at all. It most certainly didn’t make him stop. At this point, every time Phil or Puffy walked in, they expected the young boy to be there too. 

“Why did the man go there anyway?”

A knot in Techno’s hair snagged on the hairbrush he was pulling through it and caused his face to twist up a little. Dream kicked his legs in the air, laid on his back with his arms behind his head and his face tilted towards Techno, who was sitting with his back to the headboard and his legs crossed, as the hybrid placed the brush on the bed and used his fingers to undo the knot and then went right back to brushing his locks once it was undone. 

Teaching Technoblade how to use a brush was easy but actually being able to manage to get his entire head untangled and smooth took many conversations and pained expressions. At first, it wasn’t a very pleasurable or enjoyable experience at all but after results started to show, and ,with one look in the mirror and Techno realised his hair no longer looked like a nest, he declared it was worth the time and effort so continued on anyway. Now, after a good hour of brushing and untangling knots in a rotated motion, the results were near perfect with only a few strands still caught up with one another. A hairbrush was definitely something Techno needed in his life. 

“Well, I’m not too sure. He was an adventurer so travelled there because it was one of the only places he’d never been.”

“I’m not really surprised the dragon attacked him then.”

“Techno!”

Dream looked completely horrified by what he said and for a moment, Technoblade panicked. The hairbrush stopped and his entire body tensed, a sudden rush of adrenaline bursting through his veins in preparation for sudden activity in case he needed to fight or flee. It was a natural instinct whenever he panicked at this point. Techno couldn’t stop it. 

Thoughts flew through his mind making it hard to make a single one out. They just all blurred together and hurt his head. 

That was mean. What Technoblade had said was definitely mean and he was stupid to not have thought it through before saying it. Dream was obviously very passionate about this topic and Techno should have just agreed with him instead of voiced his own opinion. That was what everyone else had expected him to do; just agree with what they wanted Techno to do and believe with no question or personal opinion at all. Technoblade was an idiot to think Dream would have wanted his honest thoughts. What a stupid concept. 

“Sorry.”
No longer looking Dream in the eyes, Techno’s hand started to move again but the brush was much slower as it glided through his hair this time. 

Dream frowned at the apology, not quite understanding why Techno was apologising anyway. Then, something his mother had said hit him and Dream started feeling like an asshole.  
‘He’s a very fragile boy, Dream. Be careful what you say and what tone you use because Technoblade may take it more seriously than you think he will. It’s just what he's been taught to believe. That everyone is against him.’

Dream wasn’t actually upset with Technoblade. Maybe what he had said wasn’t what Dream believed but that was okay. The boy wouldn’t get mad at him for that. Everyone was entitled to their own opinion. Dream wasn’t going to stop Techno from having his own one either. Was-Was that what Technoblade’s old friends had done? It was worse than Dream thought. 

Even now, after a few days, Dream hadn’t been told where Technoblade came from. Just that it was a bad place that hurt him a lot, hence all the scars. The permanent marks on the hybrid’s skin were evidence enough to know it wasn’t nice to live there. And, with Techno’s jumpy and closed-off personality, it was obvious that his previous living space had taken a massive toll on him. Dream saw that and understood it completely. 

But, to restrict Technoblade’s entire right to voice and believe what he actually believed, that just made Dream realise how bad, no how horrible it was. It suddenly made him grateful with all he’d been graced with in life. People, similar to Technoblade, had it so much worse than him and Dream had no right to complain about anything. He was lucky. So very lucky actually. 

“Techno I-“

The clicking of the door cut Dream’s words off and both of the boys turned to the door, Techno lifting his head up from looking at the mattress and Dream tilting his head to the opposite direction of Techno. One glance at large black wings and shiny, blonde hair and it was obvious to the younger pair who had come into the room. 

“I’m not even surprised you’re here anymore, Dream.”

Phil took his hat off and ran his fingers through his hair, pulling strands away from his face during the actions before placing his hat back on his head. All of this was done with a fond smile on his face and Dream returned one of his own although a little cockier and smugger. 

“Good because I will just keep coming back.”

“What if we get new locks?”

“I’m a very good lock picker.”

Phil’s face twisted up at the young boy’s response and Techno looked between the two, interested in the way they interacted. It was friendly but also teasing and argumentative. Technoblade didn’t know the three things could go together. Friendliness and arguing were never anything that ever matched in Technoblade’s life. They never appeared together. But, Dream and Phil were here arguing, in a friendly way. It was strange. 

“Do I even wanna know how you learnt how to pick a lock?”

Phil walked further into the room, wings following behind him, slightly lifted above the floor so they didn’t drag. Dream had completely pushed himself up off his back now and was leaned back on his hands, still smiling. 

“You wouldn’t like the answer so probably not.”

Laughter surrounded the younger pair and Techno flinched away from the sound at first before realising it wasn’t meant as anything evil and relaxing again. 

“Yeah I probably wouldn’t. Now, go and find someone else to annoy. I need to talk to Technoblade.”

Dream groaned, making Phil smile, but he got up anyway and started trekking towards the door, his feet dragging behind him. 

“Bye Techno. I’ll be back soon.”

Like he always did, just in the doorway, Dream turned around and waved at Technoblade. The piglin-hybrid returned it and then went right back to brushing his hair when Dream left and Techno was left with Phil all alone. 

“How you doing mate?”

Technoblade shifted his back against the headboard when Phil took a seat on the edge of the bed, his hands gathered in his lap. 

“I’m okay.”

Phil nodded, hopefully satisfied with the response and Technoblade watched as his knee began to bounce slightly. 

“I was thinking that we get you in a nice bath today. It’ll get rid of the rest of the dirt on your body and you’ll be able to wash your hair, make it look better, yeah?”

A bath? That wasn’t a familiar word to Techno and that wasn’t surprising either. It was becoming obvious that Technoblade didn’t know a lot of things in the world. Things in the arena were very different compared to out here. It was confusing and intriguing at the same time. The voices were a lot of help teaching him what certain objects and words meant and Techno appreciated that but sometimes they were just as clueless as him and he just had to wallow in his confusion. 

It seemed this was one of those times because ,as Technoblade waited for them to pipe up and explain to him what a bath was, they instead were just a quiet murmur in his head and were going on about nonsense. Nothing that helped him in this situation. 

So, Technoblade just nodded, like he really had much of an option anyway, and shifted again when Phil got off the bed. 

“Good. Why don’t you follow me then and I’ll get it all sorted and then leave you be?”

Following after the man, Technoblade was taken to the other door in the room and in an instant, his entire body tensed. That was the room with the taps in. Was-was that what a bath was? Water. 

Everything Technoblade had done whilst he was here started rushing through his head as to explain this punishment. Was it the talking? He knew he should have kept quiet. Or maybe it was the attempted escape. Fuck, it was definitely that. There was no way Phil would just be okay with that. He would have obviously needed to teach Techno a lesson to make sure he never tried to escape again. 

Technoblade was so screwed. 

Phil was fiddling with the taps connected to a large white tub thing as Technoblade waited in the doorway. Feverishly, the piglin-hybrid’s entire body jumped up in temperature and his hands began to shake. In fact, his entire body began to shake. 

Techno didn’t like water. He really really didn’t like water. And here Phil was filling up a massive tub, a tub big enough to easily drown the boy in, with more water than Technoblade had ever seen all at once. It was enough to make the hybrid squeeze his eyes closed and try to pretend this wasn’t happening. 

He hadn’t been punished in a while and Phil-Phil had said he was safe here. Technoblade was so stupid. So fucking stupid. Of course he wasn’t safe here. He wasn’t safe anywhere. Everyone would punish him, try to hurt him. That was just what people were like. They were always going to hurt him and cause him pain. It was foolish to think anything else. That was just Technoblade’s reality. Always being harmed. Nothing more and nothing less. 

He just-he just needed to accept it. Technoblade needed to accept that this was his life. It wasn’t a nice life but it was his. Nothing would change that. Nothing at all. Not some nice man who told him he was safe. Not a kind boy who told him stories. Not a woman who kept him alive. Noth-

Hands came down onto his shoulders and Technoblade literally jumped in his spot, his soul feeling like it literally jumped out of his body. A slight murmuring of words was entering his ear but Techno couldn’t make anything out. All the words just jumbled together and Technoblade’s body was so strummed with fear and defeat that tears quickly rushed to his tightly-close eyes. They tried to push through the barrier but Techno sucked them back in as much as possible. 

He wouldn’t cry. He just needed to accept this. Technoblade just needed to take the punishment and get it over with as fast as he could. If he didn’t, Phil would just punish him more. 

So, with a deep breath, a few words of encouragement to keep himself calm and collected, Technoblade took a hesitant step forward, the hands falling from his shoulders and the body now in front of him, which Techno hadn’t even noticed, moving anyway. His legs were shaky and Phil was still trying to speak to him but Techno couldn’t understand any of the words as his brain became too hazy with his terror that was eating away at any of his senses. 

The more steps he took towards the slowly filling tub, the more the need in Technoblade’s body to run increased along with the shaking in his hands. It was okay. It was okay. Just-He just needed to close his eyes, hold his breath and then it would be over soon. Just like every other time. That was all Techno needed to do. It-It would be over soon. 

However, the minute Technoblade’s gaze landed on the water and he noticed just how much there already was and then recognised ,going off the tub’s size, how much water there would be, it was like something in him snapped and the tears began to flow. They ran quickly down Techno’s cheeks and he tasted the saltiness of them on his tongue as they slipped into his mouth. Even with his eyes squeezed closed as tightly as possible, they still slipped out and Technoblade’s shoulders began to shake with his grief and fear. 

It was-It was okay. This wasn’t anything to cry over. His trainer had punished Techno with water before too many times to count. This wasn’t anything new. It was okay. Technoblade just needed to take a breath, close-close his eyes and wait for it to be over. Just like before. It was-

“-te, hey. Come here. Come here, it’s okay mate.”

Instantly, Technoblade’s entire body was engulfed by warmth and strong arms wrapped around his body. It wasn’t a familiar feeling, the one that bloomed in his chest but it was welcoming and confusing all at once. Technoblade wasn’t sure how to react but when the tears began to run faster and his chest shuddered under the weight of his incoming sobs and a gentle hand cupped the back of his head, holding him close and protected, something he’d never felt before, Technoblade just completely broke down. 

His own hands gripped under the arms of the ones holding him and Technoblade held on to Phil like his life depended on it. Phil’s soothing words echoed around Techno’s head and quieted the voices who had also begun to start panicking at the sight of water, only making Techno panic more. It was like every muscle, every piece of tension in the piglin-hybrid’s body was absorbed by the man holding him and nothing but comfort and warmth filled him now. Was-was this what a hug felt like? Techno liked hugs, he thought.  

“It’s okay Techno. It’s okay. I’ve got you. I’m here mate. I’ve got you.”

Phil’s hand began to rub the back of Techno’s head and the other lay across the back of his shoulders, far enough up to not be touching any of the wounds on his back that had recently begun to flame up. Another sob escaped through Technoblade’s mouth and Phil only held him tighter, whispering more words in his ear, drowning out the sound of water rushing and calming Techno down. 

No one had done this for the piglin-hybrid before. If he cried, Techno’s trainer would just hit him and shout at him to shut up and be normal and he did, so he wouldn’t be punished. 

But, this feeling, this comforting, calming embrace, was something entirely new and although he didn’t want to admit it, Technoblade loved the feeling of it. The way he felt so protected and soothed in Phil’s arms. The way the man whispered gently in his ear, words of affirmation in an attempt to calm him. This feeling, the pure warmth, was something Techno never wanted to be without ever again and that was scary. It was so scary. 

After a while, once the tears had dried up and simply just turned into sniffles and Technoblade’s body had become tired under the weight of his sobs, Phil slowly unravelled himself from around the hybrid and smiled down softly. Guilt encompassed Techno quickly when the man pulled away and he suddenly felt foolish to have broken down so quickly. 

This hadn’t ever happened before. Not in a while anyway. Maybe when he was younger and not used to punishments but not now he was older. Technoblade should have been used to it. It was a routine at this point. So, why had Techno broken down? Why had he started crying? Yeah, he didn’t like water. That was obvious. But, this wasn’t anything new. 

If Phil wanted to punish him, he had every right to. Technoblade had messed up and needed to be punished so he knew never to do it again. Now, Techno needed to apologise and hope that Phil didn’t decide to punish him even harsher. Maybe the man would have mercy. His trainer never did but there was always hope. Techno just had to hope and pray Phil would have mercy and not be too upset over it. 

After all, he’d consoled and calmed the hybrid down in the moment instead of just shouting and hurting him so Phil couldn’t have been that mad. Techno still needed to apologise. It was what was right. 

“I’m-I’m sorry.”

Techno lifted a hand to his face and wiped the residue of wetness left on his cheeks. The feeling of it only brought more shame into his body and the piglin-hybrid tried as much as possible to become smaller by hunching in on himself. 

“For what Technoblade? It’s okay.”

“No. No it’s-it’s not okay. I’m sorry. I’ll accept whatever punishment. I’m-I’m sorry.”

“Punishment?”

The word sounded so wrong in Phil’s mouth. His soft tone wasn’t a match for the harshness and hostility that came from said punishment. It just didn’t go together and it was what reminded Techno of how one could look safe and friendly, but truly be cruel and mean. Anything was possible, no matter appearance. 

Phil’s heartbeat was reaching speeds never seen before. At any moment, he was sure he was about to have a heart attack. It all made sense now. Why Technoblade had broken down just looking at the water. Why he was practically shaking with fear and crying so badly like no one Phil had ever seen. 

Technoblade thought-he thought this was a punishment. A simple bath. Fuck, Techno thought Phil was punishing him. The idea made the man convinced that the next time he saw his wife, the same men he’d sent over to her domain would get a double dose of fucking pain. 

Water. They’d made the fucking kid scared of water. A simple necessity in life and they’d fucking made Techno scared of it. 

Once he was out of this room and free from the boy’s ears, Phil would destroy anything in his path. The mere thought of what exactly those bastards had had to do to make Technoblade scared of water was making Phil red with fury. It made Phil breathless with anger for a moment. 

But, the minute Phil regained the ability to speak, he spoke with purpose and promise, hoping what he was saying would get through to Techno because if there was anything Phil would ever truly mean, it would be these next words. 

“Techno. Never. Never will I punish you. Not in those ways. That is not how we deal with punishments around here. We don’t use violence or hurt people. That is not how we work. You hear me? Never will that happen to you again mate. Not under my watch.”

“But-But.”
It was clear Technoblade wanted to say something. His hands were shaking slightly but he stopped himself at the last minute. 

What was the point of arguing with that? It was what he wanted after all. No punishment. The only thing Techno worried about was Phil lying but thinking back, had the man lied yet. Had he tried hurting Technoblade yet. Sure, he’d stopped him from leaving and kept him locked in a room but Phil hadn’t hurt him. Never. Dream didn’t seem to be getting hurt for disobeying him either. No, they just joked instead. Phil never hurt either of them. 

Because of that, what the man said and promised seemed more believable and Techno nodded. There was still a large part of him paranoid and suspicious about the whole thing because this wasn’t what he was used to. Technoblade was used to being punished for his misbehaviour because that was how he learnt to never do it again. So, if he wasn’t being punished, how was he supposed to know not to be bad again? 

Did Phil have a different system? A different array of punishments? That was probably the case. Techno would just have to wait and find out what that was. Maybe it was good or maybe it was bad. It didn’t matter because in the long run, it was what Techno was going to need to be taught to be normal. Technoblade just wanted to be normal.

Chapter Text

Techno was starting to learn what the day and night cycle was. The windows on the wall let light through from ,what the voices said was, the sun and that was when it was day. When the natural light was gone and instead the moon -also something the voices had taught Techno- was in the sky, that was when it was night. 

The voices said people were usually more active in the day and Techno supported that statement when he saw multiple people ,out the windows, during the light but ,when it was night, and the moon was out, people were usually asleep. 

It was strange to Technoblade to think there was a complete universal schedule that most people followed. Like there was a rule that stated that people were awake during the day but asleep during the night. It made him wonder why exactly they chose it that way around and not the other. 

Another thing Techno had taken account of was when his meals came in correspondence to the light. When the sun was beginning to rise and a little in the sky, his first meal would be brought and that was called breakfast. When the sun was halfway in the sky or a little over, his second meal came and that was called lunch. When the sun was beginning to go down and it was turning darker, his third meal would come and that was called dinner. 

That was another strange thing to Techno; that people had organised times they would eat and not just whenever they felt like it. Why were there so many rules in life? It confused Techno. 

Each time he got a meal Phil would stay and talk to him. As time passed, Techno was growing more comfortable around the older man and was beginning to speak more. Not once had Phil snapped or let slip his mask of evilness, if he even had one. Phil was patient and nice with Technoblade, even when he started to panic or asked question after question. Phil just calmed him or answered him, not a single bit annoyed as far as Techno could see.

His actions were really worrying Technoblade because it went directly against what he knew. In the first few days, Techno was just waiting for Phil’s nice facade to drop and for the real him to be relieved. Technoblade was waiting for his punishment to come. It hadn’t with the water so there had to be a different type of punishment. 

But, no matter how long Techno waited, it never came. Phil was just…kind. He was always fucking kind and it was starting to fuck with Technoblade because kindness never stayed. He knew that but Phil was always fucking kind. He never let up. Not when Technoblade asked questions or didn’t answer him. Not when the boy refused to eat or even look at him. Phil was just fucking kind and Technoblade didn’t understand why. 

It didn’t make sense with what he knew and Technoblade knew what he knew was right. It was what had kept him alive for so long and it was how everyone else in his life had acted like so why wasn’t it working now. Why wasn’t Phil evil and why was he kind every second of every day? What was happening? 

Dream was the same, although it was clear he grew annoyed and bitter sometimes. Not at Technoblade but when he was speaking about certain topics. Dream’s voice would grow deeper and his words would be lathered in his dislike. 

At least with Dream, Techno knew he had the possibility of being mean directly to the piglin hybrid and that kept him on edge slightly but with Phil, Techno couldn’t help but feel relaxed and that wasn’t right. He needed to be on guard incase anything went wrong but Phil was so fucking kind that whenever Technoblade was in his presence, he didn’t worry that anything would happen and that terrified him. He was-he was growing weak. Techno couldn’t be weak. 

The voices were getting more agitated as well. They thrived on fighting and since he’d been here, although Techno didn’t know how long that exactly was, he had stayed in this room with no sort of action. That didn’t satisfy the voices and they were getting angrier and louder as the days passed because of that. 

Which was what led to Techno asking Phil,  
“When will I go back to fighting?”
one day during lunch. 

The question had made Phil’s entire body tense immediately and he stopped what he was doing- bringing a sandwich to his mouth for a bite- and turned to Technoblade with wide eyes. The boy still wouldn’t look at him, only his chest but Phil could see the slightly fearful expression on his face mixed with another emotion he couldn’t quite pinpoint. 

“Techno,-“
During a recent visit, Phil had asked whether it was okay to call him Techno because Technoblade was rather long to keep repeating and the hybrid found himself agreeing and rather happy with the prospect of a nickname. No one had ever given him a nice nickname before and it consumed him with excitement to finally have one.  
“-you don’t need to fight anymore.”

To say Techno was confused and shocked by Phil’s response was an understatement. Technoblade wasn’t entirely sure how to process what he’d been told. He was sure Phil had taken him to fight so why wouldn’t he need to fight? And if Techno didn't fight, what was he going to do? What would be his task? He was good at fighting. Why couldn’t he just stick to fighting? Phil had to know Technoblade was good at fighting? Why wasn’t he making him fight? 

For a moment, a flicker of panic settled upon Techno as well. Fighting was his way of making the voices happy. They liked to fight and if he couldn't fight, how was he going to appease them? From the last few days, it was easy to tell they got angry over time when not satisfied and Techno didn’t want to see the full extent of their true anger so he needed to fight to calm them again. But, Phil had said he didn’t need to fight so what was he going to do? 

However, he was more relieved to find out he wouldn’t be forced to fight. Techno was still slightly sceptical about the whole thing but he’d grown to believe what Phil said because his actions always supported his words and that was really all Techno needed. 

“Why?”

Techno decided to just ask about his concerns. Phil hadn’t ever gotten annoyed or upset when he asked questions before so Techno was more comfortable doing it. 

This question seemed to shock Phil a little though because he struggled to string together a reply quickly. Phil had assumed Techno would be happy to learn he wouldn’t be fighting anymore. If he was in the boy’s shoes, Phil would be overjoyed. But no, Technoblade was asking why he didn’t need to fight anymore and Phil wasn’t sure how to answer it. Of course, he had an answer, it was a simple answer actually. But, the fact Techno had even asked him threw him off guard slightly. 

“Well- because-you don’t need- because you’re a kid.”
Phil tried settling on that and hoped it would be enough of an answer for Techno but the boy just waited and stared at his chest and Phil sighed, realising he would have to elaborate more.  
“Here, in my empire, we don’t allow fighting like that, especially with children as well and people who aren’t doing it of their own free will. We call that slavery and it’s illegal here.”

“Illegal?”

“Yes. Illegal. That when it’s absolutely not allowed or else there’ll be consequences?”

“What-what type of consequences?”
This time Technoblade’s voice was much quieter and it was obvious the mention of ‘consequences’ slightly unnerved him so Phil treaded around the topic gently, careful not to trigger anything like what had happened back in the bathroom a few days ago. 

“Yes, consequences. Like being locked up or doing tasks to make a person realise their mistakes. Nothing violent because that isn’t allowed here either. What I’m trying to say though is that you don’t need to fight anymore because the fighting you’re used to isn’t allowed here and never will be so you’ll never be forced to do that again okay.”

“Never?”

“Yes, never. You’re safe here and whilst I’m alive, no one will do that to you ever again, Techno. I promise.”

So, if Techno wasn’t going to fight, what was he going to do? Just stay in this room. He liked the room. It was better than any other room he couldn’t remember going in. It was comfortable and let him see the outside and it was also safe. There was nothing to not like about the room. 

But, after being in it for so long, Techno was growing a little bored. Whilst it was a nice room, there wasn’t much to do in it. The piglin-hybrid had basically explored everything that was in it and his obsession with looking in the mirror had died down by now so that didn’t provide him with anymore entertainment. All Techno really did was just sit, sleep and wait. Not much fun in his opinion. 

Technoblade liked being active. It was what he thrived off so just sitting and waiting was making his body grow agitated and the fact he didn’t know what he was here for, also made Techno frustrated. He wasn’t able to prepare himself for something he didn’t know about. 

Phil watched the boy and the way a multitude of emotions flashed across his face. Confusion, confliction, fear and boredom and that was when he realised that maybe Techno was growing fed up with the room. He’d been awake for over 2 weeks now and hadn’t left the room once. Phil knew he’d be bored after only a few days and Techno had been here for much longer than that. 

Instantly, Phil felt like a dick. He hadn’t even offered to let Techno leave the room. It was like he was just keeping him locked up in here and that was probably what the hybrid thought too. Phil couldn’t even blame him for thinking that either. That needed to change though.  

“If you want, we can go explore and check out the castle today.”

“Really?”
Techno’s voice held the full extent of his hope and Phil only felt stupider for not offering earlier. 

“Yes, of course. How about I get you a change of clothes and then we go okay? It’s colder out of the room so you’ll need more layers.”

Technoblade didn't really know what Phil was saying but he agreed anyway. The only thought on his mind was the possibility of leaving this room and being able to look around. Maybe Phil would even let him see the outside as well. Techno didn’t get his hope up though. 

Phil was out of the room for a few minutes and when he returned, he had clothes in his hand. Techno took them and got changed, a bit confused about a certain piece of fabric but then, with help from the voices, he discovered it was a cloak and it went around his shoulders and clipped together to make sure it wouldn’t fall off. 

Once he was done, he gripped the door handle and this time when he twisted it, it actually opened. Full of shock, Techno pushed it and came face to face- well not face to face because Techno wouldn’t look at his face- with Phil who was waiting patiently outside. 

“Are you ready mate?”

Technoblade nodded and shuffled out of the room before closing the door. His body was buzzing with excitement and Techno hadn’t started to look around the hall yet because he wanted to wait to see if this was a true thing. He was still a little hesitant to believe that Phil was really letting him out. Techno was scared that at any moment he would be pushed back inside and told that this was just a joke and he’d never be let out. 

But, then Phil started moving, explaining that they may bump into some people but Techno didn’t need to get scared, and that was when the hybrid realised this was real. Phil was actually letting him leave the room! This wasn’t a joke or a ploy to hurt him. It was real. 

With that thought in mind, Techno’s feet started moving and he began to look at the environment around him. The floor was soft under his shoed-feet. Techno wasn’t used to wearing shoes but the voices told him that everyone wore them so he had to. They were weird to have on his feet but after a few steps, Techno wasn’t too bothered about them anymore. 

He was much too intrigued about the world around him. 

Like the halls he’d seen before, there were pieces of art -paintings were what the voices called them- on the wall and now Techno got an actual chance to look at them properly some of them were really nice. How did people do that? 

There were tables along the walls with pots on them and colourful things in them. 

Plants
Flowers
Tulip's 
Roses 

Flowers huh? They were pretty. Techno’s hand reached out to touch the colourful red bit of one of the flowers. Wow, it was soft as well. Technoblade liked flowers. 

“Those are roses. We grow them in the garden outside and then, when they’re completely grown, we bring them in here to decorate the halls and add a pop of colour.”

“They are from the outside?”

The idea was amazing to Technoblade. These things were from the outside. They were beautiful.  
“Yes, we have an entire garden of different flowers. Would you like to see it?”

Technoblade instantly nodded. He was beginning to grow more excited about this adventure. 

As he watched the young boy and how he was completely entranced by his surroundings, Phil’s whole body was pumped with adoration. The way Techno would gently touch the flowers, stroking their petals,  or stop and stare at the paintings with his head tilted to the side slightly was all Phil needed to make the idea that he’d have to be dead before anything hurt this boy again a solid thing in his head. In his whole body. 

As they walked more, Phil explaining certain things that Techno looked confused or intrigued by, in the back of the older man’s mind, something else was solidifying. A protective and paternal instinct that told him Technoblade would never be out of his sight again. That, eventually, he’d hold a place in his heart similar to the place Wilbur and Tommy held. 

“Techno!”

Hearing his name out of nowhere, Technoblade nearly jumped out of his own body. His eyes grew wide and he quickly retracted his hand from where it had been gently cupping the petals- the voices told him those where what they were called- of a flower Phil had said was a tulip. 

Slightly sceptical that Phil was telling the truth when he said he would let Techno go outside, it was a surprise- a happy surprise- when Techno finally did step outside again. This time because of the shoes on his feet, the coldness of what Phil called snow didn’t hurt him and with the cloak and extra layers of cold, Techno wasn’t as cold either. Phil had said it was always cold ,when he saw Techno shivering, simply because of where they were in the world. That confused Techno a little bit but he was too intrigued with his surroundings to be concerned about that for long. 

The chilliness still managed to seep its way through the fabrics sometimes but it wasn’t too bad that Techno couldn’t manage it. He was too thankful he was outside to be bothered anyway. If he complained, Phil may possibly take this away and Technoblade wanted to enjoy it a little longer before that happened. 

Now that Techno could actually admire it rather than focus on running, the outside was beautiful. The actual castle was…well something Techno would have never imagined ever seeing in his life. It was big, so big and its walls were stone but not like the horrible stone of the arena. No, not like the arena at all. This stone was clean and looked very stable. 

Towards the bottom, green plants (Vines the Voices said) were crawling their way upwards. Windows and ledges decorated the walls along with pointed ends and statues. Techno wasn’t sure he would ever see anything so majestical again. Nothing could compare to the structure he was staying in and he appreciated its beauty for quite a while, just standing and staring up at it. 

Eventually, moving on, Technoblade finally noticed the greenery that covered the floors. He didn’t know the name for most things but they were beautiful either way. It added that little bit of colour to the constant whiteness around him and Techno’s thoughts of what the outside was, would never have lived up to the reality. It almost felt like he was dreaming again. 

But, then people would walk past. They wouldn’t approach him and Phil but they’d lift a hand in recognition to Phil who would lift one back. There weren’t just guards around either. Mixes of people conversed with one another, communicating and smiling. It was such an anomaly to Techno to see such pure happiness and friendliness that he couldn’t help but stare in shock. 

There were hybrids too. That was something else Techno hadn’t expected. He’d seen at least a handful of people around with different features. Not similar to him but not completely human either. Phil himself was a hybrid and that amazed Techno to think that a hybrid was in such a high position of power. It always confused him because it didn’t align with what he was told. Nothing here seemed to match with what his trainer taught him. 

Because of that, Technoblade was questioning himself. Questioning everything he had been told. Just a little time here, in the Antarctic Empire and everything Techno believed was being disproved. It made him feel like his whole world was shattering. Technoblade’s complete belief system was wrong and he didn’t know how to deal with it. Whether to panic, celebrate, cry or-

“Technoblade. Over here. Techno!”

He jumped again and then turned to the side to see a boy running towards him. As he ran, footsteps were being left in the snow and it led to a trail of other children who were staring on. When the boy got closer, Techno could make out that it was Dream. At that discovery, the piglin-hybrid relaxed. Dream was friendly. He didn’t need to panic too much. 

“Techno. You’re outside!”

That was the first thing that Dream said when he stopped in front of Techno. Phil looked down at the two with a fond smile and watched as the hybrid shuffled on his feet slightly before nodding. 

“Phil said I could come out.”

That made the older frown slightly. The way Techno phrased it made it seem like all his decisions had to be dictated by Phil and it was only a second after that thought that Phil realised that they were. Fuck. Techno needed freedom and here Phil was deciding for him. 

Dream didn’t detect any tension and simply just continued talking. 

“That’s so cool! You should come meet my friends. They’re so excited to meet you and are always jealous when I say I’ve spoken to you. They’re not allowed to come see you because Phil and my mum say you need time to adjust and rest but you’re outside now so it should be okay. Right, Phil?”

The boy looked up at Phil with a wide smile and a hopeful look in his eyes. Dream truly was one of the happiest and most welcoming children there was around. If Techno was to make a first friend, Phil would be satisfied knowing it was Dream because the boy was also one of the most loyal and potential-filled children he knew. 

Since he was 10, Dream had been training to be a guard. That had always been an aspiration of his. He looked up to Skeppy and wished to be like him one day. The man was practically his idol and when the proposition of training under him arose, Dream practically snatched it away and protected and respected it with his life. 

From that day on, 3 years in the running, Dream only got better and stronger and now, he was a true future candidate for Skeppy’s position after the man retired. Right now, he was obviously a little too young and Skeppy didn’t see himself retiring for another few years, but when the time did eventually come, Dream most certainly would be on the top of that list. Phil would make sure of it himself. 

Too lost in his mind, Phil only remembered he was being asked a question when Technk began to shuffle on his feet again and started to stare over at the other kids in little glances. Whilst Phil was being asked for Techno’s permission, it made him remember that he needed to make the hybrid realise that he had his own freedom to choose his own decisions and right now would be the moment that started. 

“What do you think, Techno? Do you want to go?”

When Dream turned back to Technoblade, the piglin-hybrid was a little taken-aback. Phil-Phil was asking his opinion. No one ever asked for Technoblade’s opinion. They chose what he did and he thought Phil would too. 

But, no. Here Phil was letting him make his own decision and Techno was a little stumped. Did Phil want him to select a certain decision? Was this a test? Did Phil want to get rid of him? Or did he want to see if he would leave? Techno didn’t know. He was confused. 

Was-did he want to go over? There were a few people over there and that meant a lot of interactions and monitoring but-but a little bit of Techno wanted to go talk to them. He wanted to go and see who Dream’s friends were and potentially speak to them. Maybe they’d be like Dream. Patient and kind. Or maybe they wouldn’t. The only way Techno would find out was by going over so with a deep breath and a heavy amount of worry settling in his chest, the hybrid nodded and kicked the snow again. 

“Ye-Yeah. I want to go.”

“That’s fine. Dream, make sure nothing bad happens okay. I’ll be checking in with Skeppy about how the new guard schedule is going and will be back soon. If anything happens, come get me.”

The command was answered with an eager nod from Dream, who looked like he was about to explode. Phil chuckled and then looked back down at Techno who was looking between the floor and the other kids. It was clear he was worried and if Phil could, he would take every inch of that worry out of the pink-haired boy’s body and place it in his own. Of course that wasn’t possible so he would do everything that he could to try to make him worry less.

Crouching down so he was Technoblade’s height, Phil’s instinct was to place a hand on the boy’s shoulder but he wasn’t too certain how Techno would react to touch, even though he’d been very open to it in the bathroom but that was probably because of how vulnerable Techno was in the moment. So instead, Phil’s wing slightly wrapped itself around the back of Techno. Still not touching him but close enough to make the child aware it was there. 

“They’re really nice kids. I’m pretty sure my own two are among them somewhere although they shouldn’t be. They always weasel themselves out of studying somehow. The little rats.”
Phil laughed at his own joke making Techno relax.  
“But, if you ever feel like you want to leave, just tell Dream and he’ll take you somewhere else okay. If that’s to me or your room or somewhere else entirely, he’ll take you. Don’t feel like you have to stay but I’m sure you’ll love them. They all find a way to worm themselves into people’s hearts. Don’t worry mate.”

Phil’s feathers ruffled after he spoke, making Techno’s ear flick again and then the boy nodded and took in a deep breath, visibly relaxing as he did so. Finally satisfied that Techno was okay, Phil finally lifted himself up, sending Dream a kind but stern look which told the kid that everything he just said was true. Dream nodded, obviously understanding and then gripped Techno’s hand and ran off. 

Phil laughed as he watched the piglin-hybrid basically trip over his own feet from the abrupt movement before managing to stabilise himself and run properly. Next to each other, it was clear to see the fact that although Dream was fast and a good fighter, Techno was that much more experienced and Phil frowned, wondering what the future would hold for the hybrid. 

Chapter Text

“Guys, look who’s here.”

Technoblade was stopped when Dream stopped running. It wasn’t a very long distance from Phil to the other children but with Techno’s recent inactivity, he found himself struggling a little to keep up and that wasn’t good. If he was going to keep himself safe, Technoblade needed to be in his best shape but how would he manage that when Phil said he couldn’t fight? 

Ignoring that thought and instead looking up at the people around him, Techno realised that there weren’t as many of them as he initially thought. There were 3 other people: 2 boys and a girl. 4 boys and a girl now that Techno and Dream were there but she didn’t seem to care that she was surrounded by boys. In fact, it looked like she was used to it instead, blending in with the dirt covered clothes and scrapes on her. 

Whilst he was looking at her, Technoblade accidentally caught the girl’s eye but before he could pull away, she smiled softly and waved, shocking Technoblade a little. Instead of responding, Techno just ducked his head and kicked his feet again, heat crawling up his cheeks. 

But, he couldn’t hide for long when one of the other boys decided to start talking. 

“Hello. You must be Technoblade. My dad has told me so much about you and I’m excited to finally meet you.”

Unlike Dream, this boy spoke with a bit of a fancy accent and his words were much more put together and when Techno took a glance up at him, it was clear to see who his father was from the wings on his back and the boy next to him, practically rocking back and forth on his feet had the exact same wings. So that was Tommy and Wilbur. The only problem was which was which. 

Deciding to take a guess, Technoblade looked up again, at the taller one, and tilted his head.  
“Tommy?”

“What? No! I’m not Tommy. I’m Wilbur.”

“I’m Tommy! He knows who I am but doesn’t know who you are, Will. Sucks to be you bitch.”

The younger and blonder one pushed Wilbur out of the way ,with a laugh, to stand right in front of Techno with his arms crossed and his wings flapping excitedly. Wilbur just blew air into his face, making his hair fly upwards and out of his eyes, and crossed his arms over his chest with an annoyed glare on his face. Not directed at Techno but at Tommy. 

“Hi. I’m Tommy and do you like mud?”

“Ermm…”
Taking a glance at Dream who looked at Tommy with a face which practically screamed ‘are-you-kidding’, he then turned to Techno and rolled his eyes, making the hybrid smile and gave him a little boost of confidence.  
“Well, I guess it’s nice. Nothing too special.”

“Nothing-Nothing too special!”

Tommy looked absolutely appalled by his response and the feathers on his back began to ruffle, making Techno’s ear flick as well, just like they would with Phil’s. Words flew out of Tommy’s mouth, words no one could make out but going off the furious look on his face, Techno was guessing they weren’t nice words. 

He hadn’t meant to upset Tommy. Maybe he had said the wrong thing. But, no one else seemed angry. In fact, everyone else was laughing and Wilbur was even teasing Tommy. So, had Technoblade done something wrong? Looking at everyone, it was very hard to tell. 

“I knew I’d like this guy. He’s definitely on the sand team.”

“Sand?”
Techno asked, innocently with his head tilted again. 

“You don’t know what sand is?!”
This time it was Wilbur’s turn to look gobsmacked and Techno just shook his head in response. 

“You know what flowers are, right?”  
It was the girl who had asked him a question now. Techno still didn’t know her name but she took a step forward with a smile, although a wobbly one. 

“Yeah-yeah I know what flowers are. Phil was showing me the flower garden earlier. They’re very pretty.”

“Ha suck that, you two. He’s team flowers.”

“Niki~”
Tommy’s voice was very high, making it almost painful, when he spoke. It was like he was whining and with the pained look on his face Techno was almost inclined to believe he was. 

“Okay guys. Calm down. Techno has just met you all and you’re already fighting over him. Give him a chance to get to be friends with you first. Come on now.”

A hand came down on Techno’s shoulder and he turned to see it was Dream. Dream was shorter than Techno but not by a lot. Only enough to have to make him raise his hand awkwardly to put it on the hybrid’s shoulder. 

“Plus I know he’s already on my team anyway so shove off.”

“What? That’s not fair!”

“You got to speak to him more.”

“You cheater!”

All 4 of them bursted into shouts and Technoblade took a step away slightly when they only grew louder. Wilbur’s hands were flying everywhere, Tommy’s wings were moving a lot more than he’d ever seen Phil’s move, Dream was jumping up and down on the spot and the girl, Niki’s, hair was swinging here, there and everywhere. 

It was all a little bit overwhelming, the way they spoke over each other and argued and Technoblade would admit it was making his ears ring a little and was starting to give him flashbacks to the crowd and how he could never make out what they were saying because their words were all jumbled together. Without his notice, a sudden boulder lodged itself in Techno’s throat and the next breath he inhaled came through shaky. 

The 4 others only grew in volume and Tommy even leaped at Wilbur with his hands outstretched, making Techno’s eyes widen. They-they we’re fighting. Phil said fighting wasn’t allowed. Why were his own sons fighting then? Had-had he lied? Who was Techno kidding. Everyone lied to him. Of course Phil had lied to try build trust between the two and Technoblade was stupid to believe it. Oh he was so stupid. Stupid, stupid, stupid,-

“They’re loud, aren’t they?”

At the abrupt voice next to his ear, Techno jumped to the left, away from the unknown person, and in an instant, his hands went up in front of him as an act of defence. The person, now he got a proper look at them, was another young boy who looked similarly to Wilbur, with brown hair and soft facial features but without the glasses and a lot smaller. He smiled up at Techno, completely oblivious to his frightened state, with a group of plants in one of his hands and a shovel in the other. 

“They’re always arguing so I wouldn’t be too scared by it. I honestly wonder when they’ll stop sometimes but I don’t think they ever will. It’s in their blood at this point.”

The boy took another glance at the other group of children but he wasn’t annoyed. A fond smile was on his gentle face before turning back to Techno, shifting the plant in his hand (which the voices were telling Technoblade was an allium.) It didn’t matter what it was because it was beautiful either way in the hybrid’s eyes with its bright purple tone and balled shape. 

“My name’s George by the way.”
George slightly bounced on his feet, rocking back and forth and Techno’s hands slowly lowered to his side, seeing the new person was no threat, but were still balled, just in case. He could never be too cautious anyway.
“My dad’s a trader and stops through the Antarctic Empire a lot so I’m always coming back here. It’s my favourite place and I really like the wildlife and people. Did you know that there’s a very special flower that only grows here at certain times of the year?”

George was like Dream. In the way that he spoke a lot and sometimes Techno wasn’t completely sure what about. He was also a fast talker as well so it took the other boy a little while to comprehend what exactly was being said. 

When it finally did register in Techno’s mind, he tilted his head, intrigued and George smiled at the sight.  
“Really?”

“Yeah. It’s called the ‘Darwin’s slipper’ because it’s slightly shaped like a slipper because of its curved shape but other people say it looks like birds or other animals. I came to try and find it but I couldn’t. But I did find some alliums and they’re equally as pretty. Here take one.”

George outstretched his hand, the one with the flowers in it. Technoblade looked down at it and then looked back up at George, hesitant to take one but with one urging look and large smile from the boy, Techno reached his hand out and plucked one from the bunch. His grip was gentle, scared he’d harm the plant and Techno brought it close to his chest, holding it with both his hands like it was the most precious thing he’d ever held. To be completely honest, it probably was. 

Observing him, George was happy by the way the boy was so gentle with the plant. Some people - cough Tommy cough - had absolutely no care for the wildlife around them and stomped their way through its beauty. But, the new boy held that one singular flower and looked at it like it was the best thing in his life. That was good enough for George to label him as a good person. Anyone who was good to plants was a good person in George’s books. 

“What’s your name anyway? I’m sorry I didn’t ask earlier.”

Lifting his eyes from the allium, Techno met George’s gaze, the kid still smiling from ear to ear and couldn’t help but smile a little himself before responding. 

“I’m Technoblade.”

“Wow. That’s an awesome name. I wish I had a name that cool. I’m just called George.”

“I-I think George is a cool name.”

Now concentrating on his flower again, Techno could feel the heat pooling in his face as well as the eyes digging into his head. It was overwhelming to have someone staring at you but also hear a handful of people arguing next to you. 

Technoblade almost couldn’t handle it all but the feeling of the allium in his grasp, it’s soft and silky stem rubbing on Techno’s fingertips and it’s fuzzy heads of petals being blown by the wind into his chest was enough to keep him grounded and in reality. Maybe flowers were magic too. They seemed magic in Techno’s opinion and Dream had said that magic was nature’s essence so the flowers probably were a little magic. 

“Awww thank you Technoblade. My name is nowhere near as cool as yours, that’s obvious, but I’m glad you think it’s cool anyway.”

“George! Guys George is here!”

There went the peace that Techno had found because all of a sudden, Dream came barrelling into George, his arms going around the smaller’s back and George’s arms encasing Dream as well. With the sudden intrusion of space, Techno took a step back, still gripping his flower and watched as George and Dream pulled apart, both smiling brightly at each other. 

The pure happiness and trust that swelled between the two had something bitter growing in Techno’s chest. It wasn’t like anything he’d felt before. It hurt in a way that wasn’t painful but it was definitely suffocating. 

Just staring at the friends, the two of them obviously very close with one another, just made Techno remember that that was something he’d never had. He wasn’t ever close with anyone like Dream was with George. He didn’t have anyone like that in his life. And Techno found himself wishing he did. For once in his life, he found himself wanting to be close with other people and that was terrifying to him. 

Other people around him meant Techno needed to be on guard more and they probably wouldn’t like him anyway. Not a lot of people did. Phil seemed to like him and Dream did too but that was 2 out of hundreds of people Techno had met and sometimes the hybrid wasn’t sure if they really did like him or if it was because he was hurt and they didn’t want to hurt him more. He didn’t want to think that but Techno couldn’t help it. It’s how his mind worked. Always looking at the bad. 

And right now, as Techno wondered what it would be like to be close with people and have ‘friends’ , his mind instantly started raising alarms saying it would be bad, that he’d get hurt, that it wouldn’t be safe and most of all, it wouldn’t last. 

But, Technoblade wanted it badly. He wanted what George and Dream had, their friendship and happiness. Maybe it wouldn’t end badly?

Maybe, just maybe, Technoblade could finally have something good in his life. 

Maybe. Or Maybe not. The only real way to tell was for Techno to just wait and see. 

Chapter Text

There was an anxious feeling settling in Phil’s stomach. It told him there was something wrong but not what exactly that was. The feeling had him pacing the hall connecting his sons’ rooms late at night, feathers ruffling excessively on his back and his heart never seeming to be able to calm down. 

Still in his sleepwear, having had this troubling feeling awaken him in the middle of the night, it was no shock the expression of surprise and curiosity the night guard’s gave him, just walking up and down the halls like a crazed man. He’d poked his head into both Wilbur and Tommy’s rooms to see the two laid peacefully and safely asleep. Nothing looking to be troubling them but even with that confirmation, there was a nagging in Phil’s brain telling him there was definitely something wrong. 

It was the same feeling he had when Tommy had broken his arm whilst Phil was in a meeting or when Wilbur had fallen when he was learning to fly and many times before when tragedy had struck so Phil knew to take it seriously but this time, there was no actual hint as to what was wrong and that was rubbing Phil the entirely wrong way. It was like a physical pain. If he didn’t know what was hurting, then Phil couldn’t help and the feeling wouldn’t go away until he helped. 

A sudden jerk in his wings was what sent Phil’s mind reeling back into reality where ,all of a sudden, he’d found himself standing outside of a different door, one closer to the infirmary. He tilted his head at the door and its intricate design and colouring before slowly placing his hand on the doorknob and twisting. It made the slightest of sound, a quiet clicking, and then it was open. 

This room was warmer than all of the rest purely because of who slept in it and when Phil caught sight of that person, it was clear where the troubling feeling in his gut was coming from. Technoblade was practically shaking as he had his head locked in between his knees and his arms wrapped around them. His body rocked back and forth and a few words tumbled out of his mouth, in between staggering sobs and breaths, incoherent to Phil even with his enhanced hearing. 

The blanket had been kicked to the floor and from where Phil stood, there was a spot of blood on the blanket that covered the mattress. That sight was what had him flying forwards and towards the frightened hybrid with no thought besides pure concern plaguing his mind.  

“Techno.”
Phil’s voice was soft, the softest he could make it, but it still managed to make the boy flinch away and curl further into himself, his rocking stopping and his shaking increasing. 

A hesitant hand on the bed and his knees on the floor, Phil tried to calm Technoblade with more reassuring and soothing words, knowing that was what always worked for his sons. 

“Techno. Hey mate. It’s me, Phil. You don’t have to be afraid, okay. You’re safe now. You’re okay.”
Techno’s body completely stilled and it was like he’d stopped breathing as well, making the atmosphere tense and anxiety-riddled. Phil watched as his ears twitched and flicked and that was all he needed to know that Techno was actually listening so he continued.
“You’ll always be safe with me and there’s nothing to be scared of here. Nothing at all mate. Just, how about you tell me what’s wrong, hey? And I can help you.”

After a moment of stillness, the air only becoming more suffocating and Phil’s mind racing at speeds he was sure he’d never experience again, Techno’s body slowly slumped and his breathing once again returned, making Phil manage to breathe properly again too. The man hadn’t even realised he was holding his breath until that moment when the slight burning sensation in his chest momentarily stole his attention.  

Phil took another glance at the blood, not too much but enough to be a little concerned, and then turned back to Techno in an attempt to find where it came from. Concern wiggled its way into Phil’s body only making his feathers ruffle more. After a little looking, Phil took notice of the irritated tone of Techno’s hand and although he couldn’t see a cut ,because of how the hand was tucked around his knees, he could see the colour of red beneath it on the blanket, blood obviously having dripped down. 

“Phil.” 

Before he could try to speculate where it came from and let his mind wander to horrible things that would for sure only have him stressing and worrying to the point of a heart attack, Technoblade’s voice was snapping Phil out of his trance and bringing his entire attention back to the problem at hand. The injured and clearly distressed piglin-hybrid before him who had the avian’s heart gripped tightly in his little, scarred fists without even knowing it. 

“Hey, yeah it’s me mate. I’m here okay. You’re safe. How are you feeling?”
Phil’s words held their gentleness but also a sense of urgency and desperation. 

Technoblade’s arms slowly uncurled themselves and his knees started to lower away from his chest and back down, straight, on the bed. It gave Phil the chance to look at his hand and how bad the injury was. 

Phil’s guess was that he must have knocked it on the bedside table in his panic and not even realised it. It wasn’t too bad, a larger than average cut, hence the excess blood, but nothing that bandages and a few days of healing wouldn’t solve. It was certainly better than the wound Technoblade had arrived at the castle with and Phil was thankful for that, more relieved for the lack of anxiety, which was definitely going to make his hair start falling out soon, he’d no longer have to endure just thinking of Techno’s wellbeing. 

“Phil, there-there was a man.”

In an instant, Phil’s eyes started to dart around the room in search of this said ‘man’. His heart literally leaped into his mouth. How-how had a man gotten into the castle, let alone Techno’s room? Security was always Phil’s first priority when it came to his home, especially considering it was the home that Phil’s children resided in and there was no doubt that there were people out there that were heartless enough to use innocent children to get and hurt him. 

From Technoblade’s reaction, Phil was inclined to believe him but from a singular search, his eyes darting to every nook and cranny of the room in desperation, a protective instinct grappling its way into Phil’s entire body, there was nothing to indicate that anyone had been in here. The windows were closed, probably still locked if Phil went over to check and all the furniture was as it once was. Nothing had changed. No evidence of anyone being here. 

Not wanting Technoblade to think Phil was just brushing him off, because that was not what he was doing at all, the older turned back and smiled gently, which seemed to calm the boy more and for the first time, Technoblade lifted his gaze to properly look Phil in the eyes. It gave him the perfect chance to look at the pure redness of the hybrid’s eyes, an abnormal colour to see in people but Phil had seen many abnormal things in his life so this wasn’t really a surprise, and also the terrified glint swirling within them which tugged at Phil’s heart strings. 

“What did he look like, Techno? The man?”

“He-he had long hair, really really long hair like mine.”
Techno lifted a shaky hand to point at his hair as if to remind Phil what it looked like but Phil just listened and nodded along, telling the boy he was listening and taking him seriously.
“And he-and he had this armour thing on. I don’t know what it-it was made from but it wasn’t like usual armour. Like black. I-I don’t really know. His face-I couldn’t-I couldn’t see his face. It was bright. Really bright. Maybe it was-it was probably a dream.”

Techno looked back down at the blanket and began to fiddle with his fingers, feeling pathetic for ever considering that what he experienced might have been reality and obviously having woken Phil up because of it. However, that was the moment Techno realised his hand was cut and a completely shocked look broke the calmness of his face. Phil looked down at the cut and then back up at the boy’s face and sighed before lifting himself up off the floor, his wings finally calming down on his back. 

“How about we clean that up okay? And then if you want, we can move you to a room further into the castle. I’d feel much safer having you closer anyway. How does that sound, mate?”

Phil outstretched his hand, on instinct, and, then remembering that Techno probably wasn’t too big on touch which was understanding with all the shit he’d unfairly been tortured through, was about to retract it when the hybrid gripped it, with his uninjured hand, and pulled himself up and off the bed as well. Feeling the natural body warmth along with a blooming sense of acceptance in his chest, Phil smiled and gave the boy’s hand a reassuring squeeze again before walking out of the room, Technoblade following behind.

After cleaning up the blood and applying a bandage which was done with not a single wince or sound from Techno, Phil led the piglin-hybrid back into the main area of the castle and retraced his steps back to his, Wilbur and Tommy’s rooms. There was an extra room right opposite Wilbur’s that was there purely because it could be and Phil pushed the door open, allowing Techno to walk in himself first and check the room out.

“Is it okay, mate? I’m right down the hall if you need anything and so is Tommy and Wilbur’s right across the hall as well. Anything happens you can come to either one of us.”

Eyes flicking around the room, their red hues lighting up at certain features like the large window that looked right out into the flower garden, Technoblade eventually turned back around, shuffling on his feet nervously, and nodded, gaze now on the floor. Despite guilt crippling his bones and a overwhelming sense that Phil may be angry with him for causing such a problem over absolutely nothing, the fact that the man was actually there and had actually helped him rather than just tell him to shut up and get over it made Techno’s lips quirk up slightly. 

Phil noticed the young boy’s small smile even with his head ducked slightly and one of his own made an appearance. With one last look around the room, making sure everything was safe and up to standard, Phil nodded once more and took a step away towards the door again. 

“How about you go back to bed mate? It’s still late and you may manage to get some more hours of sleep before breakfast.”

Technoblade’s response was another nod and then he started to shuffle over to the bed ,which was directly opposite the door, another thing he liked because it would be easy to see when and who came into the room and gave him a chance to prepare himself. Looking down at the floor the entire way, Techno pulled the covers back and slid in, warmth instantly engulfing and make his muscles and mind relax .As Phil stood in the doorway, watching as Technoblade got comfortable and his breathing slowly evened out over time, the feeling in the man’s chest slowly calmed and for the first time that night, the avian could breathe properly. 

The door closed quietly behind him and the normal change between the cold room and the cold hallways reminded Phil to ask Bad to cast another heating spell on that room since Technoblade needed the warmth to be more comfortable. He’d noticed how the hybrid would shiver almost always in his few days here and ,along with Skeppy, quickly came to the conclusion it was naturally just too cold for him which was no surprise because it was fucking freezing in the Antarctic Empire. Phil couldn’t change that but he could try make it more manageable by heating the rooms up more. 

But, he’d do that in the morning. Now, Phil was going to get some sleep and pray that it was enough to get him through the day. 

“Do you think he’s awake?”

“If you keep being so fucking loud, he will be.”

“I’m not being loud.”

“Don’t joke with me right now.”

“I'm not being fucking loud! I'm never loud.”

Techno rolled over to grab the pillow next to him. He used it to stuff his face and block his ears in an attempt to block out the sound surrounding him. It didn’t work by the way. 

“Oh look what you’ve done. Now he is awake.”

“That wasn’t my fault Will.”

“Tommy, you were being so loud I'm sure dad could hear you from his room.”

Wait. Tommy and Will? Why were Tommy and Wilbur near him and why were they being loud? Wasn’t Technoblade in hi-the room? In his disorientated and sleep ridden haze, Technoblade slowly peeled his eyes open to see two boys looming over him. One standing next to the bed a scowl on his face which twisted his lips and curled his eyebrows and the other, an equally as venomous glare marking his expression, kneeled on the mattress next to Techno’s body, making a slight dent in the fabric. 

As soon as he saw them, Techno’s whole body flinched and he quickly shot upwards. Obviously too quickly because his head instantly connected with another and the younger of the two brothers let out a loud groan, placed his hand on his forehead and leaned backwards, falling onto his wings and causing the bed to shake. 

Whilst Techno’s eyes widened, fear and worry rocketing through his body, Wilbur burst out laughing next to him and leaned his weight against his arm on the bedside table with one of his hands going across his stomach and the other over his face. 

“Oh oh, that was bloody wonderful. I don’t-I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything funnier.”

“Shut the fuck up Will.”

Tommy’s words were muffled by his hand and Techno watched as he started to rub his forehead whilst he glared at Wilbur like it would make the older burst into flames. Wilbur was still making a high-pitched laughing sound with breaks in between making him sound even weirder and louder. 

Technoblade looked between the two with a whole bunch of confusion making his eyes go wide. Why were they in the room with him? In fact, why was the room different? This-this wasn’t the room Techno had been in the past few days. Looking around, its layout was completely different and looking down, the colour of the blanket and mattress cover were different too. Where-where was he? 

As if answering the question itself, Techno’s brain started bringing up memories and it all began clicking. The man in his room who wasn’t actually there and Phil coming to calm him down, patch him up and then take him to a different room. So that’s how he ended up here, in an entirely different room. 

Wait. A man. More memories started flooding in, although this time a little hazier before the clear image of said man finally appeared after a few blinks and hard thinking that made Techno’s mind throb. It was stupid to even consider that whatever Techno saw was real because it probably wasn’t. It definitely wasn’t actually. How would a man, hair like his and armour made out of literal black bones, have found his way into Techno’s room? And why? It didn’t make any sense at all. He couldn’t remember anything the man said, just that he was there and-

The cut
Real
Hurt
Hand bandaged

Techno’s eyes darted down to his hand and he saw that it was indeed bandaged. A little red staining the fabric, showing evidence of an injury beneath as well. Techno could remember the unknown man hurting his hand now as he looked at it and the pain that accompanied the cut, a slight burning but nothing painful or that he couldn’t deal with. It was just an amateur cut, meant to cause inconvenience. Was it too coincidental for that cut to also be there when he woke up? 

It hurt Technoblade’s brain too much to think about so he closed his eyes and let out a deep breath, slumping back down into the bed and just slowly letting the air enter his lungs. 

“Is-is he dead? Did we kill him?”

Oh yeah. Tommy and Wilbur were still here. That was also a weird thing. Why were Tommy and Wilbur here? 

“Don’t be stupid Tommy. He’s not dead. He’s just…Techno what are you doing actually?”

Light was streaming in from the draw curtains and that was enough to make Techno want to keep his eyes closed but Tommy and Wilbur were here so Techno knew that was disrespectful. So, with a heavy sigh and a deep regret in his chest, his eyes opened once again and just focused on the ceiling, ignoring the two boys surrounding him. 

“I’m trying to sleep.”

“But it’s morning.”

“And it’s nearly breakfast.”

Both Tommy and Wilbur spoke in unison and their words jumbled together, confusing the hybrid more. Was that something they always did? Or was it an occasional thing? Techno hoped it was an occasional thing because he’d never be able to tell who was saying what and what was actually being said if they spoke together all the time? That would be confusing as fuck. 

“You-you do eat breakfast, right?”

Wilbur’s question had Technoblade’s eyebrows furrowing and he tilted his head to the side to focus on the older who looked concerned at the thought that Techno didn’t eat breakfast. Was it really that important to these people? 

“I-I do eat breakfast. Phil brings it up for me.”

His response pulled a relieved sigh from Wilbur and a smile replaced the worried frown on his face.  
“Good. Dad always says he brings food up for you but for all we know, he could just be eating the extras in his office instead.”

“Yeah. That sounds like something dad would do. He’s very sneaky like that but tells us off when we’re being sneaky. But hippocriticle.”

What? Techno tilted his head to Tommy’s direction as the young boy began to lift himself up again into a sitting position, wings slightly shaking as they adjusted back to normal again. 

“I think you mean hypocritical Tommy.”
Wilbur sat himself down on the side of the bed, legs turned away. He wasn’t touching Techno but was close enough to make the hybrid aware that he was close. 

Tommy lifted himself up again, once again kneeling at Techno’s side but this time with his arms crossed and a strange expression on his lips, making them ball up together and his forehead wrinkle. 

“Don’t correct me bitch. I’m always right.”

“No-no. I think it is hypocritical.”

Tommy’s whole face fell and his arms quickly uncrossed from his chest.  
“Techno! You’re supposed to be on my side man. How could you gang up against me with Will like this? It’s the ultimate betrayal.”

Tommy-Tommy wasn’t actually upset right? Techno was just trying to help the boy understand his wrongs and Wilbur was actually right. Was-was this another joke? He wasn’t too sure. 

“Oh shove off Toms. Techno was obviously on the right team anyway. He’s not dumb like you.”

“I am-I am not dumb, you-you bastard!”

Tommy’s feathers ruffled as he spoke and Techno’s left ear flicked along with the movement. And then Wilbur’s wings began to ruffle and Techno’s right ear began flicking too. He wasn’t sure why that happened. If it was an instinct or just a trigger, Techno didn’t know but it happened every single time, whether it was Tommy, Phil or Wilbur, without doubt and at this point, Technoblade wasn’t too fussed over it to be concerned why it happened. 

“Whatever helps you sleep at night Tommy.”

Wilbur’s tone was nonchalant and he rolled his eyes. That seemed to just piss Tommy off more because the boy leaped across the bed and attached himself to Wilbur’s back, his arms around the older’s neck and his legs around his waist. 

Wilbur’s throat made a choking sound as his wings flapped frantically and Techno’s entire body tensed when Tommy started laughing maniacally. 

“Who’s the dumb one now huh? You bitchboy.”

“Tommy, get-get the fuck off me. You psycho!”

Tommy laughed again and his own wings began to flap. If they went any faster, the two boys were going to be lifted off the bed, which they were already half-falling off of. 

Technoblade wasn’t too sure what he was supposed to do. For a few seconds, he just sat there looking at the two intently with his hands gripping the blanket to keep himself grounded and his mouth and eyes wide. Was this a brother thing? Techno didn't have siblings or even friends so maybe this was just a loving friendly thing he didn’t know about. They’d argued before in the garden so it was obviously something they did often. But what if Tommy was actually trying to hurt Wilbur? Would-would Phil be mad if Techno didn’t help? Would Tommy actually do that anyway? He didn’t look like the violent type but looks could be deceiving. What was Techno supposed to do?  

“Tech-Techno. Get the gremlin off me! Help-Help me.”

Guess the decision had been made for him. Techno quickly- although gently so he didn’t hurt the boy because that was something that would definitely get him in trouble- grabbed Tommy’s sides and pulled him away. There wasn’t much strength needed, despite the boy clinging on to his older brother for dear life, because Tommy was quite light and before Techno knew it, Tommy was on his back again and was kicking his legs, one coming a bit too close to Techno’s face for his liking and another actually connecting with his thigh making it ache slightly. 

“Grab his arms. I’ll get his legs okay?”

Techno’s eyes lifted up to Wilbur who was grinning again, his face a little flushed from the attack and his breathing heavy. 

So, this was a sibling thing. Wilbur wouldn’t be happy if Tommy had actually tried killing him and the way he grabbed Tommy’s legs made the hybrid think that this had happened before because he did it so effortlessly. Tommy’s hands though were causing Techno a bit more grief and a whole dictionary of words were flying from the child’s mouth along with a handful of death threats mixed in. 

Pin him to the bed!  
Restrain him
Tommy captive
Brothers!  
Brothers! 

The voices seemed to be having fun as well and this time when they piped up, it wasn’t to cause any damage. It was to simply add to the fun. 

Eventually, both of Tommy’s hands and legs were restrained by the older two and all he could do was wiggle and struggle on the bed. Wilbur laughed and as Techno lifted his head up, he found himself smiling at the scene too, matching Wilbur’s bright expression. 

“Not so fun to be attacked is it Tommy?”

“Get the fuck off me you fucking bitches. This isn’t fair!”

“You started it.”

Techno’s voice was much quieter than the other two’s and he was hesitant to add his two pence but Wilbur just laughed so Techno hadn’t said the wrong thing necessarily. 

“How could you do this to me Techno? I thought we were friends?!”

“We-we’re friends?”
Wilbur was basically howling now but Techno was too concentrated on the concept of being friends with Tommy to focus on the sound for too long. 

Tommy…thought they were friends? They had spoken on only one occasion although it was multiple times. Was that all that was needed to be friends with someone? Technoblade didn’t mind being friends with Tommy, or Wilbur! It was actually an exciting and wonderful thing to think about. Being friends with other people and having fun experiences like ones right now. In fact, Techno wanted to be friends with Tommy and Wilbur and he was glad to know that Tommy already saw them as friends. It made him happier than ever. 

“What the fuck is happening here?”

All 3 heads turned to the door where they spotted Phil who was standing with one of his hands over his mouth, obviously covering a smile by the way his eyes crinkled underneath. Techno panicked slightly at the sight of Tommy and Wilbur’s dad but when the amused expression on Phil’s face sank in, the piglin-hybrid realised that he wasn’t in trouble so there wasn’t any need to panic too badly. How to explain what was happening though, that was something to panic over. 

“Dad! Dad! Save me! They’re ganging up on me and it isn’t fair.”

“No! Don’t save him. He attacked me. Isn’t that right Techno? Didn’t Tommy attack me?!”

All eyes turned to Technoblade and this time, surprisingly, he didn’t even hesitate to nod eagerly.  
“Tommy started it.”

“Techno! Come on man. You are supposed to be on my side! Not that dick’s!”

“Watch your language Tommy. And maybe this will teach you a lesson not to just randomly attack people.”

“I didn’t randomly attack Will. He called me dumb!”

Phil was now closer to the bed and he crossed his arms over his chest with one eyebrow raised. Technoblade caught Wilbur’s eye and the two only smiled wider. 

This whole experience, the feelings within Techno, was almost surreal. 

For so long, he’d been guarded and tense, ready for someone to attack and cause him pain. But, now he was messing about with Tommy and Wilbur, like it was something that he did on the daily. And the thing was, Techno enjoyed it. He enjoyed being involved in something that was pleasant and something that made him feel…happy. 

The voices were happy as well which was a surprise. The only time they were happy was during fights. But, shockingly, at that moment, they weren’t screaming for violence and urging him to fight. They were just laughing and enjoying themselves as well. That was something that he would have never believed a few weeks ago. 

This whole thing was surreal. 

“Okay. Well Tommy, take this as a lesson not to start on people bigger than you.”

“I-I. You’re all traitors! Fuck you all!”

Tommy’s body slumped and he grumbled under his breath with his eyes concentrated down onto his chest. Wilbur huffed out a laugh and Phil just rolled his eyes before giving Will a look. The boy begrudgingly let go off his brother’s ankles and took a step away, just in case he did decide to retaliate. When Wilbur let go of Tommy, Techno decided to do the same and as soon as he was free, Tommy was scrambling to get off the bed, causing Techno to move away slightly as well, out of the boy’s war path. 

“Let’s just have breakfast, yeah?”

Tommy kicked his feet but nodded anyway at his dad’s request and walked towards the door, shoving Wilbur on the way. He was a very violent boy Techno was beginning to realise. It was both concerning and funny. 

Eventually, Wilbur, Phil and Tommy were at the door and Techno remained sitting on his bed, fiddling with the blanket under him and now frowning. 

Wilbur turned around, noticing the boy hadn’t moved and furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.  
“Are you not coming, Technoblade? I thought you liked breakfast.”

The offer had his head shooting up. Eyes wide and his breath held, the hopeful look in Wilbur’s eyes told Techno he was being serious. Breakfast…with them? Was Techno allowed to do that? Phil had offered it beforehand but maybe that was just to make him more trusting and comfortable. Wilbur was asking him now though? And Phil wasn’t saying anything against it either. 

Did Techno want to have breakfast with them? The answer was simple. Yes he did. Tommy and Wilbur were fun and Techno liked being around them, although that had only been briefly before. The thought spurred him on more because he wanted to be with them more. 

Go 
Go with them 
Have breakfast
Be fun 

It was decided then. With a deep breath and a lot of encouragement from himself and the voices, Techno pushed himself off the bed and slowly walked towards the trio. He was going to have breakfast with them. For the first time. 

Yeah, this was totally surreal.

Chapter Text

“Tommy, eat with your mouth closed. The sound is bloody annoying.”

The sound of utensils scraping against plates was annoying but nothing compared to the sound of food in Tommy’s mouth and the way he chomped away at it. Because, fuck, Technoblade could live his whole life without that sound. It went right through him and annoyance was rising high within his body the more Tommy continued even though he was told not to with a taunting smirk on his face showing that he knew exactly what he was doing. 

Technoblade was cutting up a piece of sausage with his knife when Wilbur turned to him and frowned.
“Isn’t-Isn't that strange?”

Technoblade looked down at the sausage and then back up at Wilbur, his face twisted in confusion.  
“Why would it be strange? Should-Should it be strange?”

“No. I just-I don’t know. Because you’re half-piglin and sausages come from pigs.”

In an instant, Techno was dropping his utensils and causing them to clatter against his plate. His hands went to his head, as far away from his plate as possible and he looked at the food like it was poisonous. 

Pig was something he had never eaten before. It was never something he was given in the arena so he was safe with not consuming it there. The voices had told him years ago that his species (piglin) was like a more sentient and capable upgrade to pigs but that was who they’d originated from. Pigs. And here, Techno was eating them. Sure it was only one bite of sausage. But he’d still eaten it. 

Techno wasn’t sure how to feel. Morally, it was wrong. It was so wrong. But at the same time, it wasn’t like the exact pig he was eating was his ancestor. It was a very conflicting thing to think about. However, I did still make it feel sick, not only in general but at himself, when the actual thought he’d eaten a little bit of pig. 

The sudden influx of noise had dragged Tommy and Phil’s attention away from Phil's insistence in his son eating with his mouth closed. Technoblade blinked a few times but then eventually pushed the plate away and grabbed his drink to wash away the taste of the sausage -pig- in his mouth. He was too disgusted with himself and the after taste to be concerned about the people looking at him. Probably judging him. 

“Is-is he okay?”
Tommy whispered to his brother and Wilbur hesitantly nodded, still looking horrified and guilty and not taking his eyes away from the pink-haired boy who was sure to drown himself in the water he was gulping down. 

“He just found out that sausage was pig.” 

“Oh fuck. I’d be just as freaked. Dad. Dad.”
Tommy turned to Phil who pulled his concerned gaze away from Technoblade to his eager son.
“Techno can’t eat the pig.”

“What?”

“Technoblade can’t eat pig. That’s why he freaked out. He didn’t know sausage was pig.”

Phil’s entire face dropped and Techno placed his glass back down on the table, now empty. His stomach felt full but it was really just water so Techno would be hungry later. That didn’t matter really. He’d eaten more here already in the time he’d been in the castle ( 2 weeks , the voices preached over and over again) than he’d probably ever eaten in the arena. So, he’d surely be able to go a while longer without eating now. 

But, then the fact that he’d just exposed himself to the people around him hit Techno. Just like how he’d made it clear to his trainer that he didn’t like water and that he was always strong enough to fight no matter the injuries littering his body, Technoblade had just made it abundantly clear, with his reaction and appalled face, that eating pig was not something he liked or ever wanted to do. That was…bad. That was really bad. 

Tommy watched Techno look over all the food, with a horrified and scared look on his face and put it down to not being sure what on the table was pig; very different to what was actually going through the hybrid’s head.  An idea clicked in Tommy’s head and a large beaming smile split his face at the pure geniusness of himself. Tommy was so fucking smart and no one could convince him otherwise. 

Leaning over the table and grabbing a plate of bacon closest to the hybrid, Tommy pulled it away and replaced it with some pancakes from near Wilbur. He did the exact same with the sausages and black pudding and took away the plate Techno had been eating off and gave him a new one. 

When his work was finished, Tommy brushed his hands with a happy smile and slumped back in his seat. 

“There you go.”

Technoblade looked down at the plates which had replaced the ones -along with the sausages- that were once near him before lifting his gaze up to Tommy, his head slightly tilted in confusion. 

“What-Why did you change them?”

“Well, they were all pig so I took them away so you didn’t accidentally take them. I’m a genius I know. No need to say.”

“And there he goes ruining it.”

Wilbur rolled his eyes and picked up his knife and fork again, beginning to cut up some egg. Phil laughed at his older son’s response and Tommy just stuck his tongue out, showing the remnants of food in his mouth as well. Okay, Technoblade didn’t want to see that. Ever again. 

To try paint over the disgusting image now in his head, he looked back down at his new plate and the array of food near him. Tommy had said none of it was pig. Was-Was he telling the truth? Surely the boy wouldn’t go through the effort of replacing the dishes just to lie and mess with Technoblade. He could have just left the original plates and enjoyed watching him guess and struggle. 

Yeah, maybe Tommy was telling the truth. And looking at the plates, none of what he was seeing looked like pig though Techno didn’t really know what pig looked like. He’d just have to be cautious and hope for the best. 

Therefore, with slow hands, Technoblade placed a few new things on his plate, not much because he didn’t need a lot to be full after years of having very minimal food, and started to eat again, although taking a little while to chew this time in an attempt to see if anything tasted like the sausage. Nothing he put in his mouth did so Techno must have been safe. 

There was a steady stream of chatter whilst everyone ate. Whether that was Tommy and Wilbur arguing or Phil talking over the boys and speaking about other things going on, there was always someone constantly speaking. It was nice chatter as well. Comforting to Techno’s ears as he ate his food and just listened. 

They didn’t seem to be calculating or thinking of plans on how to torture Technoblade with eating pig, like he thought they would. No, Wilbur, Tommy and Phil were just eating and going as normal. When that didn’t change, Techno allowed himself to relax a little and eat with little to no hesitation as he listened to their conversations. 

Listening to them was helping him stake out their personalities as well and how they spoke. If Techno learnt how they spoke and the type of tone and words they used, it was easier to separate them from a crowd or when someone spoke over them. 

Eventually, when he was eating another piece of toast, Tommy decided it was Techno’s turn to handle the shots of questions. 

“What do you like to do then Techno?”

The piglin-hybrid looked up from his plate and at Tommy who was very eagerly blinking at Technoblade with a wide smile. With the speed Tommy was blinking, Techno couldn’t help but speed up his blinking as well. When it registered that he was doing that, Technoblade closed his eyes a little, to handle the sudden heaviness and tiredness of his eyelids, before opening his eyes again. Tommy was still smiling at him though, expecting an answer. 

Technoblade didn’t really have an answer though. What did he like to do? He sometimes liked fighting but that wasn’t most of the time. Especially when it involved doing it when his body was absolutely spent and his limbs ached as well as when he had to kill because of it. Technoblade didn't like that when fighting.   

But, the voices liked fighting and the voices, against his proper judgement and without his actual blessing, were a part of Technoblade. They had been for so long that Techno’s body was just as much of his as it was there’s.

Still, even after thinking, Technoblade didn’t have an answer so shrugged, embarrassment blooming in his chest at his lack of proper response. 

“I don’t know.”

“Well what did you do before you came here? Surely you did something you liked then. Everyone likes something.”

The question confused Technoblade. Did-Did Tommy not know about the arena and who Techno was? And with the equally intrigued expression plaguing Wilbur’s face, it was starting to dawn on Techno that maybe Wilbur didn’t know either. To think about it, neither did Dream. The only people who had brought it up to him were Puffy and Phil. 

With the way both Tommy and Wilbur looked at him though, very expectant and curious, whilst Phil looked entirely panicked and ready to divert the entire conversation, Technoblade felt like he should tell them. He didn’t know why but the urge to just tell them what they wanted was strong so he did just that. 

“I fought a lot.”

“Fighting?! You did fighting? That’s so fucking cool. Did you like it?”
Wilbur responded this time and abandoned the piece of pancake he was bringing to his mouth in favour of being involved with Tommy and Technoblade’s conversation. 

“Ermm, sometimes. Not most-most of the time.”
Techno’s eyes were concentrated on his lap now where his fingers were fiddling together nervously. 

“How good are you? Maybe you’d even be able to beat Dream! He says he’s the best fighter here. I’m saying he cheats to win. I’d love to see him get beat cocky ba-“

“Okay Tommy. We get it. Wilbur, how’s your music going? Is the new song finished?”

Completely unaware of the quick conversation change made by Phil, apart from Technoblade who was deeply gratified that Wilbur and Tommy were no longer trying to hound him about his past and potentially make him reveal things that would horrify them and stop everyone from being so kind to him, Wilbur quickly dove right into speaking about his music, passion clear in his voice. 

Terms he’s used like ‘tune’, ‘acoustics’ and a whole lot more went right over Technoblade’s head. Phil had told Techno that Wilbur played and made a lot of music and explained what exactly that was but even now, Techno still didn’t understand a how bunch of the shit Wilbur was saying so all he could do was just sit there and listen, too full to eat anymore food even though there was still some left on his plate. 

“That sounds great, Will.”

“Boring more like.”

Tommy grumbled which earned him a slap over the head from Phil. Techno’s eyes widened and he looked between the pair, surprised at the act of violence. Tommy didn’t look too hurt though, more just irritated. Was-Was that a normal thing? 

“You’ll be saying that now but we all know once I’m finished you’ll be begging to listen to it over and over again.”

“I-I. This is slander! I will not have you ruining my big man name! I won’t do any of that. Don’t listen to him, Techno. He’s a liar! You hear me. A liar!”

Tommy’s hands came down on the table, making it shake slightly but the expression on Wilbur’s face was what had Techno cracking a smile smile. Wilbur was pointing to Tommy and doing this motion next to his head with his other hand as if he was saying the kid was crazy. Maybe that assumption wasn’t too wrong. 

“Okay okay. Is everyone finished? I’d like to leave this breakfast with Toms not sending the table flying across the room.”

The brothers grumbled their response and pushed themselves out of their seats, Tommy shoving Wilbur in the process who retaliated by tripping his younger brother over, followed by Phil who sat up like a normal person. Technoblade did the same, making sure to push his chair under the table like the others had done. They left the table and soon people started coming out. The sight made Technoblade’s eyes widen. Dishes were taken away and the table was cleaned down. 

“You good, Techno?”

Wilbur was at his side, which Technoblade hadn’t even noticed in his awe. These people had people to clean away their plates. That was…cool to say the least. Wilbur’s voice broke Techno out of his trance and he nodded, making his feet move again. 

Shocking him completely, as they walked out of the room, Wilbur’s arm was thrown over Technoblade’s shoulder. The sudden contact made him tense and because of how close Techno was to Wilbur his heart started to pick up. 

“You can join me in horse riding today if you want?”

“No! No! Techno wants to join me in going to see Tubbo. We’re going with Eret to scout the forest!”

Tommy had latched himself onto the other side of the piglin-hybrid that Wilbur didn’t occupy, although he was only gripping his arm because he wants quite tall enough to throw an arm over his shoulder now. The sudden complete invasion of privacy of both of his sides was having Techno’s head spinning and the voices were screaming all together. But not in the mean way Techno was used to, no they seemed to like Wilbur and Tommy. Surprisingly, in the short time he’d known them, the voices had taken a liking to the two brothers. That had never happened before and it bewildered Technoblade. 

“Before any of that, I will have to steal Techno away for a check up first.”

From the left side, Puffy approached and stopped with one hand on her hip and her eyebrows raised at the 3 boys, pity directed at the middle one squished between the clingy Watson boys. 

“Buttttt Puffy. I want him to come with me.”
Wilbur’s voice was higher than it had been earlier and he leaned more to the side, closer to Technoblade, making the boy’s eyes widen significantly. 

“No, he wants to come with me to see Tubbo and Eret!”

“Tommy, Wilbur. Let the boy breathe for Life’s sake. You’re squishing him.”

Phil had approached Tommy and was physically delaching him from Techno’s side, with some resistance from the younger. Instantly, it felt easier for Technoblade to breathe again when Tommy was no longer practically stuck to his side, even with Wilbur’s arm over him. Now he was used to the pressure of the boy’s arm, it didn’t feel as suffocating or harmful. It was kind of just there and Techno found that he didn’t hate the contact as much as he initially thought he would. 

“But daddd -“

“No, Technoblade needs to have his check up with Puffy. His health is first priority and then the two of you can ask what he wants to do. Ask, you hear me.”

Wilbur groaned and finally, slower than he draped it over, removed his arm from Technoblade’s shoulder and took a step away. Shockingly, the decrease in warmth and contact created a pit in Technoblade’s chest and he looked over to Wilbur who had some sort of pout on his face. 

Technoblade didn’t know why he was feeling like this. These emotions and feelings had never occurred before. Was it normal? Maybe they were normal. He had no one to tell him that anymore. But, Techno had never felt them before. Maybe it was because he liked to be in Wilbur and Tommy’s company and the fact they actually wanted to be around him and spend time with him had the piglin-hybrid’s heart growing twice in size. 

No one, except Dream, had wanted to spend time with Techno willingly. This was completely new territory and Technoblade wasn’t entirely sure how to feel about it. 

“Okay now that’s set.”
Puffy straightened her posture and plastered a welcoming and gentle smile on her face as she gestured her hand to the hall behind her.  
“Why don’t we go back to your room Technoblade and get your bandages changed? How does that sound?”

Taking a final look at the 3 people around him, a foreign heavy feeling of disappointment and…sadness in his chest, Technoblade nodded and started to follow Puffy as she walked. Halfway down the hall, he risked a glance back only to meet the three of them waving at him, all in a like way, with almost identical smiles on their faces. 

If a smile spread across Techno’s lips and a warm feeling settled in his stomach as he turned around back to Puffy after seeing the sight, that was no one else’s business but his own. 

Chapter Text

“Your hair looks much better now. It’s a lovely colour as well. I’m jealous, really.”

Puffy took a seat on the bed, the new bed Techno had awoken in, and he could feel his muscles tensing but this action had happened time and time again that it was completely normal now. 

That didn’t mean it was comfortable though. Feeling Puffy’s hands on his skin as she wrapped up his back and side wasn’t very fun. It made Techno’s entire body burn and he was just counting down the seconds until it was over. It never seemed to be done quick enough though in his opinion. 

Walking into the room a few seconds ago, Techno had spotted a hairbrush on the dressing table and quickly grabbed it, to brush through his hair ,which had been slightly knotted from his sleep, as he went and sat down. 

However, after the compliment from Puffy which had Techno feeling all awkward, the brush he had gliding through his locks stilled and he placed it on the bed before nodding in acknowledgement and fiddling with the ends of his hair. 

Technoblade truly did like his hair. His trainer said it was abnormal and horrible but Techno liked it. Maybe it wasn’t normal but Dream had said many people dyed their hair unnatural colours so Technoblade wasn’t really sticking out. The only difference was  that he didn’t need to dye it. It was just pink anyway. 

People complimenting it really only validated his feelings because at least then, it was clear that it wasn’t just Techno who liked it. 

“Thank you.”

The piglin hybrid’s voice was quiet as he pulled himself up and turned around, slowly lifting up his shirt. At first, it was hard to have someone so close behind him. Having his back to someone wasn’t something Techno liked to do. For all he knew, at any moment they could just stab him or hurt him in some way. Puffy hadn’t done that though yet so Techno was a little more confident with having his back to her as she worked. He was still on-edge about it though. 

“You’re welcome. It’s much longer than I thought as well. With some braids in it, I think it’ll look gorgeous.”

The bandages around Techno’s chest were being undone and he kept his shirt up so it was easier. Puffy was cautious about touching him, having seen how the boy reacted when she did so before. 

“What are braids?”

“Oh, they’re these little designs you can put in your hair. I’m not too sure how to explain it.”

Puffy had finished undoing the bandages now and her hands shook as she started to unroll the new roll of bandages in preparation. Just seeing the clearly infected slashes on Technoblade’s back was enough to make her feel sick. 

When he came in, he had dirty bandages around them and as soon as they were undone, it was obvious they were infected. With the environment they were healing in, it wasn’t a surprise either. Another few weeks there and Technoblade could have been in serious trouble with the infections. Unlike his stab wound, these ones were healing as quickly or efficiently. It was a surprise Technoblade wasn’t in constant pain with how many whip marks there were and the condition they were in. 

The sight of them, along with the copious amount of other scars on the boy’s body, also made Puffy’s blood boil. Some of them were years old. It was fucking disgusting that anyone could do this to a little boy. What was wrong with some people? 

Shaking the thoughts from her head, she laid a large gauze on the wounds first, noticing how Techno didn’t even flinch or make a sound as it was laid down. That was also something she’d noticed. No matter the injury or scenario, Technoblade always kept quiet even if he was in pain, which there was no way he wasn't. Puffy blamed that on another thing he’d been taught to do. To not make any sound unless told to. Another thing that made her feel sick and enraged. 

“Once I’m done with this, I can show you some in my hair, okay? They’re easy to do once you get a hang of it.”

Technoblade’s response was a small nod and for the rest of the time Puffy spent whilst re-covering his back and checking his stab wound, they were silent. His jaw was clenched throughout the whole thing to handle the pain and aching and whatever Puffy put on Techbo’s back to keep it numb was very much appreciated by the boy because it meant there wasn’t a constant ache whenever he laid down or moved. 

Like she promised, once everything was re-wrapped and sorted, Puffy showed Technoblade how to do braids. They sat facing each other, Puffy with one leg bent on the bed and another hanging off whilst Technoblade had his legs still crossed and his hands in his lap. 

It was confusing to see how her hands weaved around each other to create something as simple as a braid. Sometimes Techno would get lost and not be able to tell where one strand had gone and where the other had changed to. After a few braids though, Techno was thankfully getting a hang of how it all worked and even attempted it on his own hair. They obviously didn’t come out as good as Puffy’s but they were good enough to satisfy him and they looked nice anyway. With enough practice, Technoblade was going to be a master at braiding and his hair would look amazing. 

“There we go. It’s really not difficult once you start. Maybe one day I can do a few designs in your hair. It’s a perfectly good length and thickness for a lot of stuff really.”

Puffy said all of this as she was putting everything back on the silver tray she always brought in with her. Technoblade watched every single one of her actions like usual, but this time he had a simmering awe and hope in his eyes. 

“Can-Can-“

Techno couldn’t get the words out properly and focused entirely on his hands, his fingers fiddling with each other. Puffy probably only said that to be kind. Maybe she didn’t mean it. Or maybe she did. She hadn’t lied to him before and she was nice to Techno. 

The thought of asking her, coming off as vulnerable and incapable of doing something himself, was difficult to Technoblade though. He didn’t want people to think he wasn’t strong and capable. That wasn’t who he was. He was the number 1 fighter in his ring who had defeated all his opponents. Techno was far from weak and incapable and he’d make sure it would stay that way. 

“What was that Techno?”
Puffy had turned back around to him now, a hand placing her hat back on from where she’d taken it off to show the piglin-hybrid how to braid. 

With a deep inhale and a mantra going through his head, a mixture of his own voice and the additional voices, Technoblade slightly lifted his head to focus on her chin, not too close to her eyes but close enough to make Puffy feel like this was groundbreaking. 

“Can-Can you do that now?”

Her eyes blew wide and Puffy was momentarily stunned. She hadn’t expected the boy to be comfortable enough with her yet to let Puffy touch his hair. From what she’d seen, Technoblade’s hair was a very important and valued part of himself and Puffy could understand why. It was beautiful and healthy despite all it’d been through. No surprise Techno loved it. 

But, the fact that he’d asked for Puffy to touch it and braid it made the woman feel like she was about to burst. It was a feeling similar to the one she had when Dream started his training and on multiple other occasions. She was about to burst with proudness and excitement and Puffy didn’t waste any time nodding and sitting back down. 

“Of course. Of course. Do you have any idea what you’d like, Techno?”

As he turned his body back around, back now returned to facing Puffy, he shook his head slowly.  
“I don’t really know any. Do what you think will look pretty please.”

Puffy nodded and then remembered Techno couldn’t see it.  
“Don’t worry. I’ll make your hair look like a masterpiece. It’ll look beautiful I promise.”

At those promises and affirmations, Technoblade nodded and Puffy started. It was strange feeling his hair being touched and weaved. No one had done this to him before and it was also strangely soothing. Technoblade didn’t know whether that was because of how Puffy hummed slightly as she worked or because of how it made his scalp feel like it was being stroked. Maybe it was a mix of two. 

But, as time went on and more hair was captured into braids and designs, Technoblade’s body relaxed and his eyes closed a little. Puffy still hummed, a tune unfamiliar to Techno but very much appreciated by him.

Just as he could feel his entire brain shutting off and his body falling forward, Puffy put a hand on his shoulder.  
“There we go. I’m done.”

Eyes instantly going wide and excitement gripping his insides, Technoblade scrambled off the bed, leaving a laughing Puffy behind, and hurried to the mirror on the dressing table. The second he caught sight of his hair, it was like he was paralysed. It was-it was gorgeous. Technoblade’s hair had never looked so organised and beautiful and this was done in such little time. Puffy must have been a master at braids and looking at how neat and perfect they’d been done, Techno was certain she definitely was. 

“Do you like it Techno?”
Puffy was standing a little behind him now and she could see the boy’s expression completely. She didn’t need an answer to that question because the answer was abundantly clear on the boy’s face. 

Technoblade’s hand ran over the four braids, 2 coming from the front, from each end of his forehead and 2 coming from the back ,from slightly behind each ear, to connect to a ponytail at the top of his hair that swayed down his back. There weren’t any words he knew to describe how he felt about it. 

Pretty 
Again again
Puffy like
Look good
Look pretty 

The voice had their own selection of words but none of them lived up to how strongly Technoblade was feeling. But, he responded anyway, a large grin on his face which portrayed his feelings to Puffy better than any of his words could. 

“I love it.”

Swivelling his body around, feelings rushing through his body that made it feel warm, Techno couldn’t stop his feet as they went walking to Puffy and in an instant, his arms were around his stomach. As soon as his body made contact, Techno’s muscles as well as Puffy’s tensed and the two stood awkwardly for a moment. 

Fuck. Fuck. Why had he done that? Why had he hugged her? Puffy probably didn’t want Technoblade touching her. Why had he done this? Stupid emotions and stupid feelings not making him think straight. This was all everyone’s fault for making him feel nice and happy things. It was clouding Techno’s proper judgement and lowering his guard. That couldn’t happen. Not now and not ever. 

However, as his mind raced at 150 miles an hour, Puffy’s arms slowly came around his body and the woman had to hold back her tears. She hadn’t expected Technoblade to ever initiate any contact, let alone a full-blow hug. But here they were, Techno hugging Puffy and Puffy on the verge of tears at the realisation. Her heart was just about ready to beat out of her chest. And, after moving past her shock, she was quick to embrace the boy too. 

They stayed like that for a few seconds, both of their body’s slowly calming and relaxing, before Technoblade pulled himself away and took a step back, creating a little distance. He concentrated on his feet but the slight tint of his cheeks didn’t go unnoticed by Puffy and her cheeks spreaded under the weight of her smile. 

“Thank you.”

Technoblade flicked his eyes up a little to look up at Puffy, never in her eyes still but that was fine. His hand came to fiddle with the hair of his ponytail that wrapped down his shoulder perfectly and Puffy couldn’t even lie and say she did a shit job because that hair design right there was gorgeous, mainly to do with the colour and texture of Techno’s hair as well. It was perfect to not only braid but just mess about with.  Maybe in the future the boy would let her braid it again or try different designs. Puffy could hope.  

“It’s no problem Techno. I was happy to do it. Truly, your hair is perfect for braiding. There’s so much that could be done with it.”

A proper response was lost on Techno but he nodded anyway and just watched as Puffy once again gathered her things. He was about to speak again when the door slammed open, making him jump on the spot a little.

“Techno! Techno!”

“Dream please be quieter and don’t just slam open doors. Knock first. You’re gonna give the both of us a heart attack at this rate if you don’t.”
Puffy gave Dream that scalding but playful look she always gave him. 

“Sorry mum. I won’t do it again.”
Dream ducked his head slightly and Puffy just rolled her eyes. Dream definitely would do it again. That was just the type of kid he was. 

“What are you doing here anyway Dream?”

That seemed to have the green-boy remembering his purpose for today and he went walking -maybe running actually- towards Technoblade and he was in front of the hybrid before Techno could blink.  

“Tommy told me you used to fight. Do you wanna fight with me?!”

“Dream I don’t think-“

“But mum . No one else around my age is as good as me here and Skeppy just always beats me. If Technoblade used to fight, maybe he’s a worthy opponent. Please. Please. Please Techno.”

The prospect of fighting excited the voices. They wanted to and had been begging to fight for ages. Fighting was their energy and they were becoming restless without it. This was a chance for Technoblade to feed them. Not too much because he didn’t want to hurt Dream but enough to keep them tamed for a little while until Techno found out a better plan. 

Nonetheless, all of this was overwhelming. Technoblade wasn’t sure if he wanted to fight again. He’d told himself that he didn’t but Phil had told him they didn’t support the type of fighting Techno had once done. Did that mean there was a different, maybe safer and better, type of fighting in the Antarctic Empire? After all, Puffy had allowed her son to participate in it and Puffy didn’t seem like the type to want to purposely hurt anyone, let alone her own son. 

Maybe-Maybe fighting here wasn’t as bad as it had been for Technoblade in the past. Maybe it was safer and not as violent. Techno didn’t know how that would work because fighting in itself wasn’t safe and was violent but maybe they had a wider range of rules to keep everyone uninjured and protected. Dream never seemed to be hurt and he trained every day. 

Were their trainers different?  Everytime after Technoblade’s training, he was exhausted and felt like dying. His trainer kept him in the training room for ages and never let Techno out until he was satisfied with the work done. Satisfied was when Techno physically could move anymore and was literally gulping down the air around him to catch a breath. Dream never seemed exhausted or in pain after training.  

Everything was different here. The people, the fighting, the treatment and at the start, Technoblade was just waiting for it all to just switch and for everything to turn on him. But, Phil’s kind and patient attitude never disappeared. Puffy's gentle and considerate hands never turned violent. Dream’s joyous and loud stories never turned into insults. Nothing had changed but at the same time, everything had changed at the same time. 

And Technoblade was starting to realise that yes, maybe he was safe here. Not completely safe because he was never completely safe but maybe he didn’t need to be completely on guard. Maybe just maybe he could trust the people around him and not doubt their every move. They hadn’t hurt him yet and Techno had been here a while. 

With that thought in his mind,  and a new found hope and happiness in his chest, Technoblade nodded.  
“Okay.”

Chapter Text

The thing with being a God is that it’s a lot of work. So much fucking work. 

Domains aren’t easy to control and mixing in their otherworldly duties, any alone time is non-existent. There’s no point even thinking of it. Even the smaller Gods have struggles juggling their responsibilities. That says a lot about the bigger Gods. 

Not a lot could be done about that for a while. They just had to bear it. 

Because of the struggle, there was also a lot of conflict. One God forgets to do this because they’re too busy focusing on something else. That pisses off another God and bam , there’s a war. Well, not always a war. Actually, most didn’t end in wars. Mostly just petty arguments and grudges that still existed centuries later. Still, it was difficult. 

And when the God’s were having troubles, the humans were too. 

For example, years ago, the God of harvest had accidentally not shown up for a meeting with the God of water whilst they focused on trying to solve flaws in land on earth. The two Gods were heavily entwined due to their responsibilities, like most Gods were. Feeling disrespected, the god of water refused any rainfall on the god of harvest’s most vital farms. 

Because of this, the humans who relied on those farms went without and eventually had to leave or die of starvation. 

Moral of the story, if Gods struggled, so did the people who relied on them. It was a tight-knitted relationship that was very fragile if disrupted. 

To solve this issue, there came the idea of the ‘god-touched.’ People who would take some responsibilities away from the God’s so there wasn’t as much weight on their shoulders and in return, the blessed would gain special abilities. 

But, that was very hard to prove -someone being god-touched- and Phil was just figuring that out.  

“Bad just hear me out.”

“Not there’s no way. Absolutely no way Phil.”

“Just listen-“

“You’re saying he’s exhibiting symptoms of being ‘god-touched’ ?! I can’t possibly believe that’s the case.”

“It’s not that hard to believe. Haven’t you wondered how he survived so long in that place?”

Phil paced the floor around him, nearly wearing a hole into the ground of Bad’s office. Well, it was more of a lab than an office really. Potion ingredients were laid here, there and everywhere and what little space was left was covered in books, topics on magic and anything related. 

“Yeah but that could have been pure luck really. That doesn’t-“

“And the healing. That’s not normal. Piglin’s do not have healing abilities. You know that. I know that. Skeppy knows that. There’s no explanation for why Techno has them.”

Now, that was a point Bad couldn’t easily argue against. It was true. There was no reason for Technoblade to have exceptional healing. 

But, Phil couldn’t be right. Being god-touched wasn’t common. Only a handful of people in history had been blessed by God’s and even then it was adults. Never children and if they were basing how long Technoblade had been god-touched for on when he first started fighting, that would be when he was 7. No God would bless a child that young. It wouldn’t be good for them. Practically useless actually. 

“No. No he can’t be.”

“Bad, it’s clear he is. I’ve thought this over after his dream last night and what other explana-.”

“Dream? What do you mean? What dream did he have?”

Now that caught Bad’s attention. Dreams were powerful but tricky things. If Techno had managed to see someone in his dream, someone who was purposefully trying to contact him, then Bad would be more willing to believe Phil’s theory. After all, that was how Phil communicated with the God who blessed him. But, at the same time, dreams were natural. Whatever Technoblade saw may have been something his mind had made up. Nothing was solid. 

“He said there was a man, with hair like his, pink and long, and with armour that was black.”

The description was vague, so very vague, but still enticed panic in Bad’s body and every cell of his body locked up. Not many people would be able to describe someone like that appearing in their dreams, especially children, especially a child who’d spent most of his life in captivity. And because Technoblade hadn’t had any prior time to actually be able to see a man like that before, who he’d then be able to replicate in his sleep, because of his circumstances, Bad only felt the fear and tension in his body tightening. 

He turned around to his desk and leaned his arms against it with his head tilted down to try calm himself down because that wasn’t possible. Bad knew it couldn’t be possible.  

But-

No, no it couldn’t be. He wouldn’t- especially not a child. He’d never blessed anyone. His first person wouldn’t be a child. But the description. That description only fitted one specific God and if Phil, someone who was god-touched himself, believed Technoblade was too, that person he just described would be one of the worst God’s to be blessed by. Potentially the worst actually. 

“I know it’s not a lot.”

Phil took a step forward, urgency surging through his body and seeping into his voice as he tried to convince Bad of his idea. The said ‘idea’ at hand -that Technoblade was god-touched- had only come to him when he was trying to sleep last night and couldn’t.

Being God-touched was rare. It was when a God took particular interest in you and saw the potential within you and then decided to bestow upon you particular traits and abilities. Some were better than others, in both power and actually how they were intended to be used (for good or for bad), but that all depended on the God who blessed you. 

For Phil, when he was god-touched, he’d been given the wings that now sat proudly on his back and an increased strength, as well as lifespan. That was his first blessing. They were intended to be used to help Phil evoke peace in what way he saw fit; the God trusted his moral compass to trust him enough to do with the blessing as he pleased. 

His next blessing came in the form of his first child, Wilbur. And then the next came in the form of his second child, Tommy. It was never intended that Phil would be blessed more than once, that was even more rare, but things happen when the God who blesses you is inevitably the one you fall in love with and who falls in love with you. 

It isn’t easy- being god-touched - but Phil wouldn’t change it for the world. In return, not only did he get the wings that felt like they’d always been a part of Phil, but he also got a family and a wonderful woman to love in the form of Lady Death, the God who’d blessed him. Nothing could ever make him want to change that. Nothing. 

Because he was God-blessed, Phil had experience. 

He could remember the first time he’d seen his now lover in his dreams -pure terror and bewilderment (that wasn’t anything new when someone came face to face with Death herself)- and when Phil had woken up, his reaction was so similar to Technoblade’s.

The only difference was the cut and ,at first, Phil blamed that on him accidentally whacking it on the bed-side table in his distress. That was the obvious answer, right? However, after going back to Techno’s old room, in the middle of the night when he couldn’t sleep, and seeing no sort of blood on the table or on the floor next to it, Phil decided that couldn’t be the solution. 

That got him thinking. Whilst wrapping the wound, something else also stuck out to Phil. That was the fact that the cut didn’t look like it came from an impact. Instead, the precision and straightness it was drawn in made Phil suspect that maybe, just maybe, it had been done intentionally. 

Thoughts of Technoblade’s dream started to be pulled into the equation then. Phil had assumed it was a simple dream, a nightmare actually with the boy’s reaction to it. Every child had them and it was no surprise Technoblade would too with all the shit he’d been through in his life. 

But, with the addition of the new cut, which had clearly been done by someone, Phil started to suspect that maybe Techno had seen someone and connecting it with what he knew from his own experiences from Kristen (Lady Death) in dreams, where Phil knew it was definitely possible for a person to be physically touched or affected and then still feel it when awoken again, the idea popped up that maybe Technoblade was god-touched. 

A lot of unanswerable questions surrounding the piglin-hybrid could be explained by that. Like how he had unusually good healing or how he’d survived for so long in an arena even at the age of 7 where one hard hit would surely kill him or maybe how Techno was such a good fighter anyway, exceptionally and unnaturally good for his age. 

As time passed and the moon was slowly replaced by the early rising sun, the idea only made more sense to Phil and he hoped that Bad would be on board with it too and maybe be able to help figure out if it were true. But it was clear the mage wasn’t convinced. 

Catching Phil off guard though and preventing him from further continuing his explanation, Bad quickly swivelled around and levelled Phil with a serious look once again. 

“Phil. You better pray he’s not god-touched if that’s the man he saw.”

“What?”

Ignoring the question and confused look on Phil’s face, Bad quickly strided over to a table near him, pooled high with books, and started sifting through the collection, not taking into consideration just where the unwanted books landed and with a quick urgency. Phil watched from the same place he’d stopped with curiosity clouding his eyes. 

“Bad, what are you doing?”

There wasn't a response. Just more books being moved and then finally, with a loud shout and his ears pointing high, Bad picked up a vibrant, red book with a golden-painted spine, words on the front also written in gold but unseeable for Phil to make out, and started walking towards the avian, eyes concentrated solely on the book but still being able to step over any stray books in his path. Pages were being flipped and Bad grew restless the more he struggled to locate the page he needed until he finally found it. 

“Look.”

Turning the book around, so it was now upside down for Bad but visible to Phil at the right angle, the winged-man leaned closer and furrowed his eyebrows slightly. 

“What am I looking at?”

There were words. So many fucking words, written so small that Phil couldn’t even make them out. They were just all jumbled together in his eyes. Obviously Bad could make them out because there were notes written on a piece of paper on the page next to it. There was a drawing as well, a poorly done drawing though and Phil had no clue what it was supposed to be. There looked to be a face and maybe hair (was that hair?) and other things. Fuck, whoever drew this, should never draw again. 

Bad rolled his eyes and started pointing at the drawing, digging his fingers into the old texture of the page.  
“If we’re assuming that’s the man that Techno saw in his dream, which I’m not saying it definitely is but if it is, then…” 

Cutting himself off, Bad looked Phil right in the eye. The minute contact was made Phil could clearly see the seriousness within his friend’s gaze and the apparent fear and panic as well. That caught his attention immediately and had his feathers ruffling. If Bad was panicking and scared, then fuck, everyone should be too. What God could be that terrible to have Bad, the best mage Phil had ever known, fearing?

“Then what, Bad? What are you getting at?”

With a deep sigh and his eyes closed, Bad closed the book, unable to tell the man ,who had obviously taken quite a liking to Technoblade, the true horrible reality of the boy’s situation if he was god-touched. 

A little annoyance bubbling under his skin because of the theatrics and wait, Phil’s eyes flicked over the title of the book, the gold sparkling under the light of the room. ‘A complete history and all there is to know of-‘

“The Blood God.”
Phil’s mouth went dry immediately and dread quickly settled in his stomach. 

No. 

“Techno, are you excited! I’m excited! You’ll love Skeppy. He’s so good and he’ll be amazing.”

Dream was walking backwards, which had resulted in him tripping over a few rocks on the way over. That didn’t make him stop though. Dream had not a single care in the world, except when it came to training and being able to fight against Technoblade.  

“I’m so going to beat you. I’m the best fighter of our age around here!”

Technoblade raised an eyebrow. Like he’d once said, cockiness was never a good attribute to have when going into a fight. It would make you underestimate your opponent and then lose because you didn’t anticipate their moves and strength properly. If Dream was going to go into this fight with so much smugness to power the whole of the Antarctic Empire, then Technoblade wasn’t scared of losing at all anymore. Maybe this would be easy. 

“I wouldn’t be so sure Dream.”

The boy gasped out loud, ready to defend himself, and then tripped over again, with a loud high-pitched yelp, nearly falling to the floor this time. Lucky for Dream, there was a fence nearby for him to grip onto and keep himself up. Technoblade let out a laugh at the panicked look on his friend’s face and Dream just grumbled under his breath as he pulled himself up. 

“Shut up. It wasn’t funny.”

Nudging his shoulder with his own, Dream sent Techno tumbling to the side a little and the piglin-hybrid’s eyes went wide when Dream himself started laughing this time. And then Techno’s own lips twisted into a smile, a mischievous one, and that sight had Dream running. Free of any worry or fear of consequences, Technoblade ran right after him, catching up easily and simply just in the moment. 

It was nice to feel the air brushing up against his face and tickling his skin. He’d been deprived of free air from the outside for years and now, Technoblade was loving the feeling. He was loving just being free finally. Not only from the confines of his cage and that entire arena, although that was a good thing. But also free from worrying. 

Techno spent a large majority of his life worrying and stressing. Would he be punished? Was he being normal? Would he survive this fight? Every second of every day was spent on edge and scared. But not now, Technoblade felt free as he laughed and chased Dream, slowing down here and there so it would last longer, like a child would. Because, at the end of the day, that was exactly what Technoblade was. He was a child and now, finally free, he was able to think and enjoy his life like a child. 

It was rejuvenating. 

Approaching a large building, also stone, a lot of the buildings were stone around here, Dream didn't hesitate running right inside and Technoblade followed right after him, still making sure to close the door gently behind him. The way Dream’s laughter echoed off the walls made it clear to Techno that he’d be able to easily find the boy again even if he managed to escape. 

“Dream, what on earth are you doing?”

Also joining Dream’s laugh, another voice, a familiar voice, echoed through the stone halls and Technoblade’s steps slowed slightly. That voice. He knew that voice. But from where? 

“Skeppy. I brought someone with me. He’s gonna fight against me. Tommy says he’s a really good fighter and I want a capable opponent.”

“Is that so? Where is he then?”

That’s when Technoblade turned the corner into a much larger room. He followed their voices to it and for a moment, just looked around at the circular ground. It felt very much like the pit but not as large. The ground was sand and the walls were curved into a perfect circle. The similarities had Technoblade’s head filling with memories for a moment. Memories of fighting. Memories of tiredness and pain. And memories of death. The death he caused more specifically. 

Pit 
Pit 
Fight
Challenger 

No. No this wasn’t the pit. Technoblade shook his head and took a deep breath. It might have looked like the pit but it wasn’t. It wasn’t the pit. Technoblade wasn’t in the arena anymore. He was in the Antarctic Empire and Phil said they didn’t allow that type of fighting here. This was different. This pit was different. It wasn’t his pit. 

“Technoblade.”

As soon as he heard his name, his eyes snapped to the person it came from. Blue. A lot of blue. And not just from his clothing. Protruding from his skin was also blue…rocks? Were they rocks? Why would this man have rocks coming out of his skin? And why did the blue along with this man’s voice sound and feel so similar? Had he met this man before? 

“Tommy says he used to fight and Technoblade agreed to fight with me. Please Skeppy. Techno’s okay with it. Aren’t you Techno?”

Dream addressing him was what pulled Technoblade from trying to figure out why this man, Skeppy, was so familiar. The question registered after a moment and with a small nod, Technoblade answered. 

“Ye-Yeah. I agreed.”

Skeppy’s eyes were drilling into Technoblade's body, as if he was trying to burn through his skin and find all his secrets. It was an uncomfortable feeling and made him want to squirm and hide in a corner. And it was that feeling that had Technoblade remembering. Remembering where he knew Skeppy from. 

The man who would come visit him, more times than any other person would. And the blue. The man always wore blue. This was that man. 

The recognition must have been clear on his face because Skeppy took a hesitant step forward with his hands outstretched like he would do when there was a wild goat on their forest scouting missions. Dream furrowed his eyebrows at the man who’d trained him for years and his panicked expression. And then turned his gaze to Technoblade who looked as if he’d just seen a ghost as he stared at Skeppy with obvious fear over his features. What? What was happening? 

“Hey, ermm Technoblade it’s okay. I- my name’s Skeppy.”

“You were-you were there? You visited me. A lot.”

Skeppy bit the inside of his cheek. Fuck. He’d hoped that Technoblade would never be able to recognise him. After all, the kid never lifted his head to look at him. Techno was always just bunched up in a ball in the corner, his head in his knees or whenever he did stand up, his head was looking at the floor.  

Technoblade would never be able to recognise his face. Skeppy’s voice though. That was more tricky to try disguise. He hadn’t expected the kid to be here today hence hadn’t prepared a proper explanation and with Dream close behind, who knew nothing at all about where Technoblade was from, probably very confused, Skeppy could do nothing but try to rush out a quick ,and pathetically put together on the spot, explanation.  

Dream seemed to have other plans though. 

“Skeppy visited you at your old home! That’s so cool. Did he train you as well? Why didn’t you tell me, Techno? Isn’t he a good trainer?!”
The boy was now in between Skeppy and Techno, oblivious to the rising tension in the room. 

That was until Technoblade quickly stepped in front of him and Dream was shoved behind him slightly. He stumbled on his feet and let out an ‘oof’ sort of sound. 

Skeppy’s eyes widened at the piglin-hybrid in front of him, standing in an offensive position, who had no issue looking in his eyes now. A vicious snarl twisted his lips, showing the small growing tusks that protruded from his mouth, and Techno’s eyes were thin as he glared Skeppy down. For a moment, the older man’s eyes snapped to Dream who looked so fucking confused. 

That wasn’t any surprise. Everyone who had their hand in the mission in Avenida had refrained from telling anyone, especially the children. Not even Wilbur or Tommy knew. 

So, for Technoblade to now be standing guard, ready to fight Skeppy to keep his friend protected, must have been one hell of a shock Dream didn’t expect when he woke up this morning. 

“You’re a bad man. Phil said-he said that type of fighting isn’t allowed here.”

“It isn’t. I promise.”
Skeppy was quick with his response, trying to convince Technoblade, but it did nothing but make him snarl again. 

“Why are you here? You visited me there. You were involved. You’re a bad man.”

“Techno, it’s okay. Skeppy’s good. He’s a good man. He’s my friend. You don’t need to be afraid.”

Dream tried to move forward, past Technoblade and back in Skeppy’s direction but the hybrid simply lifted his arm up, preventing Dream from doing so and lightly pushing him back again. 

“No. He’s bad. He-He was there. He was there to-to get me! To hurt me! He’s bad Dream.”

Shocked by the way Technoblade practically spat out his response, using a venomous and deep tone Dream had never heard from him before, Dream gasped and his eyes widened.  
“Techno I don’t-“

“Dream it’s fine. This is just a misunderstanding from when we saved Technoblade okay? I was there to scout out the area before Phil went in to help him.”
Skeppy now directed his gaze to Technoblade as he spoke, hoping his words would convince the boy he wasn’t a threat.  
“I wasn’t there to hurt you Technoblade. I was there to figure out the layout and how exactly things worked as well as who were the top guys so Phil and his team knew where to go and who to focus on.”

There was a slight falter in Technoblade’s glare as he thought over the possibility. Phil had said the fighting Technoblade participated in wasn't allowed here so there was no explanation as to why he’d also have a man who was involved in it. 

But, then again, Skeppy could be lying. People lied, Technoblade knew that from a lot of experience. His explanation didn’t explain why he always visited Technoblade, unless he was evaluating whether he needed to be dealt with too during the attack on the arena. Skeppy didn’t need to visit him so much and if he was a hybrid, the rocks coming out of his skin suggested he was, Skeppy would have risked a lot spending so much time inside and around Technoblade’s trainer. It didn’t make sense. 

“Why did you visit me so much then? Was I a threat too that you-you wanted to take out?”

“No! No, that was never the plan, Technoblade. You were never the target. Believe me. We just needed to know who we needed to save. You were a high priority because of your status in the arena, and after everything I found out whilst visiting you, you only became a higher priority that needed to be safe. And, if you started attacking out of fear during the plan, we needed to know that you weren’t someone to kill. I was there to make sure you were safe! I promise. I was never and will never hurt you. Phil would have my head if I ever thought of it, which I never will. I promise.”

Skeppy’s hand moved to his chest, placed just above where his heart would be and Technoblade blinked as he took all the information in. 

He was there…to keep Techno safe. But why? They could have just killed him along with the rest. Technoblade was an unstable and deadly threat to them. That was clear when he killed all those guards that tried to take him back and-and. It was at that moment that Technoblade realised what else he’d done in his moment of rage and his face fell. He'd-he had killed his trainer. Techno had killed his trainer.  

He expected to feel pain, regret, guilt. Anything that signified that he regretted killing the one man who’d tried helping him be normal as the memory of what happened finally appeared, breaking free from the box his mind had placed them in to protect the hybrid. That was what Techno expected to feel. 

Instead, an immense amount of relief consumed him. Technoblade would never have to worry about seeing his trainer again or him coming back to get Techno. He’d never have to worry about being punished by him again or even insulted by the man again. He was gone, forever. 

Techno hated killing people but he found, thinking about what he’d done to his trainer and how he’d killed him in such a violent way, that Techno didn’t regret it at all. And he was okay with that. He was okay with killing that man. 

“I'm-I'm so confused. I don’t even know-what?”
Technoblade and Skeppy’s attention both turned to Dream who’s eyes were blown wide and mouth was definitely going to catch flies soon.  
“Where exactly are you from Techno?”

Chapter Text

“Dream I-“

Technoblade didn’t want to explain. Of course he didn’t. But at this moment, what other choice was there? Dream had listened into the whole conversation. He’d been there when Technoblade basically threw himself in front of Dream and challenged Skeppy thinking he was a bad man who was going to hurt Techno and his friend. What was there to say to explain that but the truth? And Skeppy had revealed most of it in his explanation anyway. 

Even now, Technoblade was still cautious and suspicious of Skeppy. The man could still be lying but then why would he be here when that type of fighting was illegal? Techno had a lot of trust in what Phil said about it being illegal but what if that was a lie? Phil wouldn’t lie would he? He hadn’t lied yet, had he? 

No. Technoblade couldn’t think like that. Phil had been nothing but nice to Techno since he’d been here. Just because of his past, he couldn’t keep thinking the worst of the man anymore. It wasn’t fair on him when all he was trying to do was help. 

That’s why he couldn’t lie to Dream now as well. Dream had been nothing but a good person and there to keep Technoblade happy and in company, even when he wasn’t allowed to and could -and did- get in trouble for it repeatedly.

Technoblade didn’t want to. He really didn’t want to have to try to explain the arena and what he had to do -the horrible, violent things he was forced to do- to survive every single second he was there but at the end of the day, Dream deserved at least that after Technoblade’s previous display of aggression and most of it had been exposed by Skeppy already anyway so there was little left to reveal now.  

So, with a deep breath and heavy reluctance twisting his guts, Techno opened his mouth, an explanation on the tip of his tongue. 

“Tommy Innit Watson in the house. Where’s this fight then bitches?”

That wasn’t Techno’s voice. Both Skeppy, Dream and Technoblade turned to the other side of the pit, opposite to where Techno and Dream had come out of. Standing there were 3 people. Wilbur and Tommy and another unknown person to Techno but he was shorter than Tommy with brown curly hair and horns twisted from the side of his head. Another hybrid. 

“Tommy, they do not need you to announce yourself. They can smell you from a mile away.”

“Hey! I do not smell Wilbur. Don’t be throwing these lies around.”

“You do smell Tommy.”

“Tubbo! Stop being a traitor. You’re my best friend. Don’t side with my bitch brother.”

The new kid, Tubbo, shrugged but when Tommy ran for him, he ran away, seemingly faster than the blonde boy, probably because of his hybrid traits. That was interesting to Technoblade. 

From what he’d gathered from experience, bull/sheep/goat hybrids- he was assuming Tubbo was one of them because of the curled horns on either side of his head- weren’t usually fast because they were big. Looking at Tubbo though, he was quite small anyway so that had to mean not all sheep/bull/goat hybrids were big and slow. How fascinating. Technoblade would have to remember that for next time he f-

Oh wait. He didn’t need to remember that because he wasn’t going to fight like that again. Phil said Techno wouldn’t. 

Wilbur rolled his eyes at the two younger boys and instead focused his attention on the 3 other people in the room who were standing in the middle of the training grounds. 

“What’s going off then?”

“Wilbur, what are you doing here and why are Tommy and Tubbo barking at each other now?”

Turning to the side, that statement seemed to be very true. Tommy and Tubbo were now barking at each other. 

“I’ll be honest. I haven’t a clue why they do that but I leave it to them. They may bite me if I intervene really and I’d probably get rabies. As to why I’m here-“
Wilbur turned back to the trio and took more steps towards them until he was in their inner little triangle -now square with Wilbur.
“-Tommy dragged me, literally off my horse may I add, saying that Dream and Techno were fighting, raving on about how this was unmissable and we needed to see it. Tubbo was just standing there agreeing to everything. I’m here to make sure Tommy doesn’t try challenge one of the two of them and then get his ass handed to him.”

That was only partly the reason. He was also here because he wanted to see the fight too. 

Technoblade hadn’t revealed a lot about when he used to fight or how good he was either; his dad had ever so conveniently interrupted the boy before he could do so. Just looking at Techno’s physique and the clear signs of battle in the forms of scars, which was a concerning amount to Wilbur, it was easy to guess Technoblade was better than good. 

So, if Dream, the best fighter around their age here, and Technoblade, the mysterious new kid who appeared out of nowhere with the body of a soldier, were going to fight, Wilbur was going to be there. 

“Yeah that didn’t end well for him last time, did it?”

Skeppy casted a glance at the younger prince and smirked. Tommy was a good candidate for fighting. With his aggressive and defensive nature, it was almost perfect. And along with his hybrid traits that strengthened his abilities anyway, it was like a match made in heaven. 

But Tommy was also rebellious and unable to follow any command and rules that he was given. Skeppy actually thought the child revelled in going against everything he was ordered to do. A disobedient child in training isn’t easy to handle. Skeppy had tried and let’s just say, it didn’t have a good ending. It ended with Skeppy believing Tommy was evil reincarnated and refusing to ever teach him again. 

“That wouldn’t stop him. I guarantee but anyway, what’s happening then? Does my dad know you're fighting, Techno?”

“No, I don’t.”

Another arrival to the party it seemed. The people just kept flooding in. 

From the same direction Tommy, Tubbo and Wilbur came from, Phil appeared. This time though, when Techno looked at him, he didn’t seem as bright and relaxed as he always was. Quite the opposite actually. The wings on his back were tightly held to his body, shaking somewhat nervously. That was interesting and worried Techno a little. 

“Phil, my old pal, this was not my idea. It was Dream.”

“Hey! Don’t throw me under the cart Skeppy! You’re supposed to cover me with things like this.”

“I don’t care who it was, I just need a word with Skeppy for a moment?”

Phil phrased it like a question but with the urgent and almost desperate and concerned look on the man’s face, Skeppy knew that it wasn’t and even if it was, he would have agreed anyway. It was worrying that Phil had come to him looking all tense and stressed. That didn’t mean anything good and with the way his eyes kept flicking to the pink-haired boy next to him, Skeppy had an inkling of a suspicion that it had something to do with him. 

“Of course.”

Skeppy straightened out his uniform and turned back to the group of children now surrounding him. How had his day gone from training one child to being hounded by 4 other ones. This wasn’t what he’d signed up for today. 

“Okay, no fighting until I’m back. And please keep Tommy and Tubbo away from the weapons and anything lethal around. I don’t want to be responsible for one of them or one of you getting hurt. That’s just more paperwork for me. Understood?”

All 3 of them nodded and then Skeppy was gone, outside of the door but that was where they stopped. Through the window, Techno could see Phil and Skeppy talking. 

“What do you think that’s about? Do you think dad’s actually upset with Techno fighting again?”

Wilbur leaned forward to try see more through the window but it was pretty useless because he couldn’t hear them nor read people’s lips. All he could do was just watch as they conversed. 

As he did so, Dream casted Techno a look. It wasn’t a lot and he turned back to Wilbur almost immediately afterwards but it was enough to make the piglin-hybrid aware that what had happened before wasn’t just going to be something that Dream just forgot. 

Technoblade had almost let it slip right over his head that yeah, Dream wanted, no needed, and explanation for what had just happened. Now, he kind of hoped it had gone over Dream’s head as well because that could have saved him but obviously it hadn’t and Technoblade was starting to dread the next private conversation they would have. 

“No. Probably not. That seemed like something else.”
Wilbur hummed at Dream’s response and then stood back up straight. 

“Why would he be upset about-about me fighting?”

Wilbur’s attention now turned to Techno and he frowned, confusing the piglin-hybrid. Why would Phil be upset? 

“Because you’re still recovering, man.”

Oh that made sense. That made a lot of sense actually. 

Phil 
Looking
Skeppy looking
Talking about you
Phil
Skeppy 

Turning his head to the side, Techno found what the voices were saying was true. Phil and Skeppy were looking at him. But, the minute he turned, they turned away and started to speak to one another again, with little glances to Techno throughout it. That-That wasn’t good was it? When you’re being spoken about, that never means anything positive. 

Was Phil-was Techno finally getting kicked out? That was the only possibility that the hybrid could think up. Had he overstayed his welcome? Had he done something wrong? Had Phil finally had enough of him and was making up a plan on where he could drop Techno to get the boy off his back? 

Without thinking, the idea had a set of shivers travelling through Technoblade’s body. As they touched his organs, they dropped off immense packages of dread that slowly consumed his body. He-He didn’t want to go. The realisation scared him. Technoblade didn't want to leave. He liked it in the Antarctic Empire, with Phil and Dream and Puffy and Wilbur and Tommy and all the others. He liked it here. 

When had that happened? When had Technoblade started seeing this as a nice place to live rather than a prison where he was being kept? 

It was a scary thought; how attached he was to the things around him already because they could be used against Techno to hurt him. But, at the same time, it was almost comforting and exciting to have things in his life that he liked and enjoyed. Techno hadn’t had that before. All the hybrid had was bad and pain. Now, he had happiness and a choice. Technoblade had a choice here and he had freedom. 

“You good, Techno?”

A new voice stole his attention away again and Technoblade turned to Wilbur who was looking at him weirdly. After clearing his throat, one last glance casted to Skeppy and Phil who were still looking over to him every now and then and were now in a much more heated and serious conversation, Techno nodded. 

“Yeah I’m good. I’m okay.”

“Good.”

“You know what else would be good? If we fought?”

Tommy and Tubbo were running towards them now, little legs carrying them rather quickly- Tubbo quicker than Tommy still. The two of them stopped just in front of the older boy’s and Tommy had a devious smirk plastered on his face. 

“Tommy, remember what happened the last time you challenged someone stronger than you? Don’t make the same mistake?”

“That was-that was a moment of weakness. I wasn’t at my strongest then. And Dream cheated anyway.”

“I vividly remember you telling me you weren’t going to hold back, Tommy. Not my fault you not holding back was not anywhere near me not trying at all. That’s your fault not mine.”

Dream crossed his arms over his chest and smirked down at the boy who was struggling to grasp at words to defend himself. 

“Well-Well I’m a big man. A bigger man that you Dream! Aren’t I Tubbo? I'm the biggest man.”
Tommy turned to his friend who seemed a little flustered over the quick switch of attention but responded almost instantaneously. 

“You’re the biggest man Tommy.”

“That’s right. Me, Tommy Innit Watson, is the biggest man.”

“I’d this a normal thing?” Technoblade raised his eyebrows and regarded Wilbur and Dream with a look that said he was genuinely wondering if this was a joke or if Tommy was being serious. 

“Yes. This is just Tommy being Tommy. He’s entirely serious.”

“That’s because it’s true. I’m the biggest man and you’re all just bitch-boy’s.”

“Am I a bitch-boy then?”

“No- well yeah. But-But you're my bitch-boy Tubs so that makes you the biggest bitch-boy so you’re better than these idiots.”  

Tommy’s explanation was severely flawed, so very flawed, but Tubbo didn’t see past that and just smiled widely, nodding his head with excitement. 

“Okay. I’m okay with that boss man.”

“Good. Now, who wants to fight me?”

“Not me.”

“No way hose say.”

“Not a chance Tommy.”

The three of them replied in tandem and Tommy’s face immediately fell.  
“Come on. One of you has to. Wilbur?”

“You literally attacked me this morning. I don’t want to be anywhere near your grubby hands after that Tommy.”

“Dream?”

“You threw a fit the last time we fought cuz I won. No thank you.”

“Techno?”
Tommy’s voice was hopeful but Techno quickly declined as well. 

“It’s probably the best for you if I don’t fight you.”

“Wow, you’re so confident you’ll beat me. What if-“

“Yes. I’d beat you in like a second, no doubt so I don’t think that’s a good idea Tommy.”
Technoblade voice was entirely serious and that had Tommy left speechless. 

Most of the time Tommy would just think people were flaunting when they said things like that to him. It was just a tactic of intimidation to make him back down. And Tommy never backed down from a threat. He was a big man who could defend himself. That was no problem for Tommy. 

But the way Technoblade said that, and because it was Techno who had said that, (he’d seen the man’s scars. You’d have to be blind not to), Tommy was inclined to believe that he was being entirely serious. How strong was Technoblade? 

“So, you know what that means Tommy?”

He turned his attention back to his brothers and the taunting smile on the boy’s face only made Tommy want to fight him more. 

“What?” 

“No one wants to fight you so you can go. Fuck off.”

“Hey! You don’t tell me what to do bitch. I’m my own person and I’m a big man. The biggest man.”

“Oh, we’re all so very aware how you’re the biggest man Tommy. You’ve told us thousands of times already and we totally believe you.”

“See Dream gets-“

No. That wasn’t right. Dream never agreed with him. He was being sarcastic. The fucker was being sarcastic. 

“Now you little-“  

“Tommy, you better not be trying to get into fights.”

Once again appearing through the door, Phil levelled his youngest child with a glare. Not a proper one because Techno noticed it didn’t hold nearly enough amount of annoyance or hatred to be a proper glare. It was more of…Techno didn’t know. Maybe a parent glare? Was that a thing? 

Dad glare.
Dadza. 
Dad mode 

Okay, maybe it was a thing. The voices seemed to believe it was and the voices were usually right about these types of things. 

“No. No. I would never. Why would you assume that dad? I’m an Angel.”

“More like evil reincarnated.”

Skeppy whispered under his breath as he walked further into the room. Phil shot the man a look that held just how unimpressed but amused he was but Skeppy just rolled his eyes. It didn’t matter if this was his friend’s child or how much Phil insisted Tommy was a good boy at heart, in Skeppy’s eyes, he would always be the epitome of evil. Nothing would change that. Ever. 

“Whatever you say Tommy. Now, why don’t you all leave Skeppy to his lesson and go back to your own lessons yeah? Because as far as I’m aware, Wilbur, you’re supposed to be in horse riding lessons.”
He pointed to the boy in question and Wilbur just looked away, in the other direction, scratching his hair with a caught-out look plastered on his face.
“-and, Tommy and Tubbo, you’re supposed to be out with Eret scouting and learning the terrain of the forest. Am I right?”

“Well-Well yeah. But-“

“No buts-”

Tubbo started snickering at that and Phil just huffed. Of course Tubbo would laugh at that. Phil should have expected that really. 

With one last pathetic attempt from Tommy at saving himself, the three of them begrudgingly retreated back to their respected places with a few -a lot- of grumble of protest and how this was unfair under their voice. 

Once Wilbur, Tommy and Tubbo had finally gone, Phil sighed. What was he going to do with those three? He was sure Schlatt would love to hear about how his son was skipping a day of learning that was supposed to be spent with his other son ,Eret. But Phil wasn’t petty enough to be a snitch. He just hoped the 3 boys would actually listen to him. 

Would they? Probably not. Was it worth a try? Probably not either. 

“Now, me and Phil have had a chat.”

Technoblade quickly turned his gaze to Skeppy who stood before the two boy’s with his hands held together in front of him and a very serious look on his face. 

Was-Was this were they told him he was leaving? In front of Dream as well. That was just mean. How would Dream even react if Techno left? Would he be sad? Or maybe relieved? Did Dream even enjoy the time they spent together or was he just doing it out of pity? Maybe what Techno thought he had here was just made up in his mind to make him happier. Maybe it wasn’t even-

“Techno, is that okay with you?”

“Pardon?”

Skeppy was speaking to him. Oh, Skeppy was speaking to him and Techno was so caught up in his own mind that he didn’t even realise. 

The man didn’t seem annoyed though- like Techno expected him to be- and simply just repeated what he said. 

“Phil and I have spoken and we’ve decided, if it’s what you want, you can continue training but alongside Dream. Of course, if that’s not something you’d like, because of obvious reasons, then that’s okay. No one’s going to force you to do something you don’t want. But, if it is something you’re interested in, I’d be happy to add you into our little sessions. And I promise, that how I train my students isn’t anything close to what you may think it is. It’s all entirely safe and I only look out to better you and don’t ever intend to harm you. I’d rather die before letting that happen okay. Would that be something you’d like?”

Technoblade was being offered…lessons. So, he wasn’t being kicked out?

There was a mixture of relief and joy and hesitation swirling around his body. He was relieved Phil wasn’t sending him away somewhere and was actually letting Techno stay. He liked it here more than he’d realised and after the possibility of potentially being told to leave had come up, Technoblade had quickly noticed that was something he definitely didn’t want to do.  

But, at the same time, what was being offered -training and getting back into fighting-, was something Technoblade was a little conflicted on. 

On one hand, he’d spent his whole life fighting and it had only ever brought him pain. Why would he willingly want to put himself through that again when he had the choice to decline and live a life free of pain? 

On the other hand though, Skeppy and Phil had both assured him that this fighting, the one allowed in the Antarctic Empire, wasn’t anything near the fighting Technoblade had nearly lost his life to so many times. So, there was little possibility he’d ever get hurt again. And the training, Skeppy had said it wasn’t what Techno was used to and Phil agreed. Did that mean it wasn’t as violent, tiring and painful? Maybe Skeppy wasn’t a harsh trainer. Maybe he was a nice one. 

And the voices. They needed to fight. They needed to let the pent up energy and frustration ,that they had been disturbing Technoblade’s brain with for days now, out and if Skeppy and Phil were offering a safe and pain-free way of achieving that, then what was Technoblade waiting for? 

After a lot of deliberation and reluctance -purely because of how he was so accustomed to having one singular, bad idea of fighting in his head-, Technoblade finally nodded and agreed. 

Maybe this was a chance to make Techno see that there wasn’t always an underlying sense of doom and pain when it came to fighting. Maybe it would be the moment he realised that fighting could be something he enjoyed. 

Maybe this was where Technoblade finally recognised the difference in doing something because he had to to survive and doing something because he wanted to, because he had the choice and freedom to. 

Chapter Text

The new room Technoblade was in was cold in the beginning. It was one of the first things he noticed. Even with all the blankets he could pile on top of himself, Techno never seemed to be warm unless he was doing some sort of activity but he couldn’t exactly do that when he was trying to sleep. 

That was until there was a knock on his door one day after dinner. 

“Technoblade. Can I come in?”

The voice was somewhat familiar but not recognisable. Panic was an early feeling that bloomed within him and from where Techno sat on a chair opposite his mirror, practising braiding his hair,  which had become a nightly ritual now, his entire body tensed. 

It was a foreign thing to Technoblade to have someone knocking on a door to ask to come in. Usually, he wouldn’t even have a door, let alone someone asking for permission from Techno to speak to him. That wasn’t a choice he had. But, ever since he’d been capable of walking around the castle, every person knocked on the door before entering whichever room Techno was staying in. 

It was confusing to say the least. There was no need for them to knock. This was their home, their castle. Technoblade was just staying here. But, still they knocked and although he’d never voiced it to anyone, that small action was very much appreciated by the young boy. It gave Techno the feeling that he had some sort of grasp on his own privacy and, even though he always let them in because he didn't want to seem ungrateful or mean by not, it also made Techno feel like he had a choice. 

Still, sitting opposite the mirror, the reminder that Phil was only down the hall, along with Tommy, as well as Wilbur who was across the hall, in his room playing his music (that Technoblade was slowly coming to enjoy and find soothing more and more as the days passed), helped relieve some of the tension within his muscles and Techno replied. 

“Ye-Yeah. Come in.”

The door opened with a little click that Techno had figured out- told by the voices more like- were the hinges that connected the door to the wall. From where he was sitting, the piglin-hybrid instantly saw who had entered the room and it was indeed someone familiar. 

“Hello, my name’s Bad. We’ve actually met before. Not on so good terms though.”
The man laughed awkwardly and Techno could agree with that statement. The first time, him trying to escape and Bad chasing after him, wasn’t such a good first meeting. 

The mage
Magic
Powerful
He mage
Dream say he mage 

“Dream says you’re a mage.”

Techno wasn’t quite sure what caused him to say such an outlandish thing, even if it was what the voices preached in his head, because days ago, he would never have spoken unless spoken to. But, before the piglin-hybrid could even start to overthink the action and wonder what the consequences could be for it, Bad began laughing again and nodded, causing his pointed ears to flop slightly. 

“Yes. Yes. I am indeed a mage. It’s actually good you’re aware of that because I’m here for a reason, which you’re probably also aware of by now.”  
The man laughed once again and Techno furrowed his eyebrows slightly, head tilted. This man laughed a lot. 

Uncontrollably, Technoblade’s eyes landed on Bad’s ears again. He hadn’t ever seen anyone with hybrid features like this man. A lot of people had ears. Many hybrid variations inherited ears, that was one of the most common occurrences. Not many had black, pointed ones though. Let alone a matching tail. 

It was intriguing as well as concerning because Techno not knowing this man’s hybrid heritage, also meant he didn’t know his abilities and adding on the fact that Bad was a mage, only made it a more dangerous situation. It was uncomfortable for Techno to not know the strengths of the people around him, purely because of how embedded it was in his nature to want to know what the best course of actions to take down his opponents were. 

The man started to walk, a little further into the room but not towards Technoblade, which was comforting and helped the boy remain calm. Another rack of shivers came over him and the hairbrush which was in Techno’s hand shook along with his body. The mage took notice of that and hummed. 

“That’s actually why I’m here.”

“Pardon?”

“The shivering. Because of your hybrid nature, the normal climates of the Overworld are much too cold for you, let alone the climate of the Antarctic which is one of the colder regions of earth so I’m here to help with that.”

Technoblade already knew that, he’d discovered that long ago but the Overworld? That was something Technoblade wasn’t quite sure of nor were the voices piping up to help him. He knew of earth, the planet he lived on, and the Antarctic, the region of that said planet that he lived in, but the Overworld? Was that something else? Did that mean there were other worlds?

“You look confused. Is there something I’ve said that you don’t quite understand? I can try to help explain, if you’d like.”
Bad turned his entire body to Techno now, showing the boy he had the man’s full attention, hand joined behind his back to demonstrate he was no threat. 

The question had the piglin-hybrid slightly dazed. Was he really that transparent? He hadn’t realised. 

But, this was a good opening to find the answers to his question. There was no point adding more to the endless list of things he didn’t know and Bad was offering to help so there was no harm in it surely. 

“What is the Overworld?”

“Oh.”
That wasn’t what Bad had been expecting. 

It bewildered him at first how Techno didn’t even know the difference between the world he now lived in and the one he originally came from. Everyone knew the difference. Then, the fact that Technoblade didn’t know a lot of things because of his previous ‘living circumstances’- putting it nicely- brushed away all of that confusion and replaced it with pure pity, with a pinch of loathing towards the ones who had deprived this child of the basic knowledge of his own history. 

Bad would change that and made it his personal mission right then and there to make sure any questions Technoblade had about anything in general he’d answer to the best of his ability. 

“Well, there’s 2 worlds on Earth. You have the nether region, the region in which you and I are originally from, and the Overworld region, the region Phil, his sons and Dream and basically everyone else you’ve encountered have come from.”  

Techno tilted his head more, his eyebrows pinched closer together, obviously confused and Bad acknowledged that and took it as his cue to explain further. 

“The Overworld region is the world we’re living in right now. It’s a much happier and brighter and better place overall to live in compared to the Nether if I’m being entirely honest. People here are friendlier and the majority are sentient creatures, mostly humans and hybrids but also people like me ,mages, and a whole other bunch.”

Technoblade nodded along as Bad explained, turned around in his seat now to look at the mage head on. 

“Then, there’s the Nether region. That place, well it isn’t a very desirable place to live in.”
Bad’s face scrunched up as he grimaced.  
“Creatures there, like pigmen, piglins and many others, aren’t able to come here, to the Overworld because they physically can’t or else they die. It’s a vast place and very very dangerous. There are pools of lava everywhere, which is a substance that burns you if you touch it, and the creatures there are violent. Most aren’t sentient so can’t understand or think for themselves. Pigmen are friendly as long as you don’t attack them. Other creatures like hoglins, blazes, piglins and so many to count will attack on sight. It’s their nature. So, going there and living there isn’t the best choice.”

“So, I ,and you, come from there?”
Technoblade asked once Bad had finished and the mage nodded. 

“That’s what I assume. Based on the fact you’re part piglin, it would make the most sense. That’s why you aren’t built to live in a colder climate. Your piglin nature, like my demon nature, is to be in hot areas so being in colder places isn’t ideal so I’m here to help with that by heating up the room.”

Along with many other things, Techno had gathered that this man was part demon. He wasn’t sure if that was bad. Techno hadn’t encountered a demon before, didn’t even know what they were, so wasn’t aware of their strengths.  

Interesting
Like us
Nether
Netherborn 

The voices were obviously being helpful because that clearly wasn't something Technoblade hadn’t just been told. That was a whole bit of new information to him. He almost wanted to roll his eyes at them but knew that would look strange so just settled with doing it in his head. They’d get the message. 

Another thought popped into Techno’s head then.
“But-But you said piglins aren’t able to come here? Why am I here and alive still then?”

The question seemed to take Bad aback slightly and his face twisted up as he thought. 
“That, I’m not too sure about. I’ll be entirely honest and open right now and say that you are the first piglin-hybrid I’ve come across, as well as most people here, so I don’t know a lot. My best guess though is that your human side is much more dominant that your piglin side so helps you stay alive here. But, like I said, that’s a guess so it could be something entirely different we’re not aware of yet.”

Technoblade nodded. So, what he was being told was that, by nature’s laws, it shouldn’t be possible he was alive right now because he was part piglin. But, because he was more part human, it’s possible.

Wait. If Technoblade was dominantly human, that meant he wasn’t as unnatural as he presumed. It meant his piglin side, despite his piglin features (tusks, ears and pinkish skin) weren’t as powerful as his human side. Therefore, it wouldn’t take as much effort to be normal as Technoblade had guessed. Now that was something he was happy about.

Silence fell upon them then, when the chatter quieted down, and Technoblade shifted slightly in his seat as the awkwardness suffocated him. Bad didn’t seem to fazed by it and simply just looked around the room.

Eventually, it got to the point where Techno couldn’t take it anymore and finally spoke in an attempt to dispel the heavy air around him.
“How will you heat up the room? With a fire?”

The man shook his head and turned back to Techno, his hands moving from behind his back to in front of him.
“No. With my magic.”

Bad said that with a weird smile on his face and Techno watched as he got down on his knees and pressed his hands into the floor. What the? 

After a moment, Bad’s hands started the glow, the glow getting swallowed into the floor and Techno got up and out of his seat to get a closer look. The alarms going off in his head saying it wasn’t good getting so close to someone he didn’t know and someone who was so obviously very powerful were ignored and forgotten in favour of Techno’s amazement. 

He’d never seen magic before, which was obvious. Witnessing it now was amazing. Technoblade couldn’t keep the wonder and astonishment off his face and when the room did heat up, quite quickly actually, the change being entirely welcomed by his body, Technoblade gasped. 

“It actually worked.”
He whispered before thinking about it and Bad laughed looking up at the kid, the glow slowly vanishing from his hands. 

“Of course it did. I had done it in the room before this one as well. Phil asked me to come in a few days ago when you first moved in here to place a heating enchantment on the room, as well as you.”

“On me?”

Bad pushed himself up off the floor and brushed down his pants, getting rid of non-existent dirt.  
“Yes. So you’re able to remain warm even outside of this room. I hadn’t been able to do it before because your body was too weak, but you’ve gained more strength now and I’m confident you’ll be able to handle the enchantment. Would I be able to do that?”

For a moment, Technoblade eyed Bad’s hands with suspicion as he held them out. Was having an enchantment placed on him such a good idea? It didn’t seem like it would do any harm and it would be good to not be cold all the time but Techno was still hesitant. 

If his body wasn’t strong enough before, did that mean it was supposed to hurt? Techno didn’t exactly want to get hurt but if Phil suggested it, surely it wouldn’t hurt that much and Techno did like the idea of being warm a lot. He’d been cold for quite a while. Technoblade could handle a little pain. He’d been through a lot more before so it was fine. 

After a little bit more deliberation, the boy nodded and slowly, with a little reluctance, took a step towards Bad, who continued to smile encouragingly. Technoblade was very aware the minute Bad placed his hands on his shoulders and it made every bone in Techno’s body grind against the one closest to it. Bad’s hands themselves didn’t feel bad but the fact they were touching Techno at all unnerved the hybrid heavily. 

Hands touching him had ,for the majority of the time, never been a good experience before. They just brought him pain. Even after having had positive experiences with people touching Techno recently, his body definitely didn’t appreciate having someone it didn't exactly know or trust touching the boy. 

However, as soon as a warming and almost relaxing feeling washed through his body, blooming from his shoulders and travelling up and down through his blood, that uncomfort was slowly forgotten and Techno didn’t even register when Bad removed his hands and took a step back. 

“There we go. It’s done.”

Techno looked up at the man and blinked.  
“It didn’t-It didn’t hurt?”

“It wasn’t supposed to, Techno. I would never have done it if it was going to hurt you.”

The piglin-hybrid nodded and then shook his arms slightly. The feeling was disappearing now but a small bit of it still lingered in his body, making him feel weird. 

As if reading his mind, Bad started to explain that.  
“The initial strangeness will disappear completely in a minute but if it doesn’t, don’t worry. It will go.”

And it did. As soon as the word’s left Bad’s mouth, Techno could no longer feel anything foreign coursing through his veins and was instead just warm. Warmer than he’d ever been in ages. It was strange but appreciated. 

“Thank you.”
Technoblade looked up from his hands at Bad who nodded with a smile. 

“It’s no problem really. I’m glad to have been able to help a fellow nether born. I can remember just how horrible the cold was when I first came here and don’t want you to have to struggle with that any longer, Technoblade. I’m happy to help in whatever way.”

Bad watched as the boy nodded and then silence consumed the air around them again. He took that as his cue to leave and said a quick goodbye before exiting the room, closing the door behind him, a thought staying constant in his head as he briskly walked back to his office.

There was most certainly something strong in Technoblade’s body that wasn’t normal. The idea that he was god-blessed was only becoming more believable to Bad as the days passed and that severely worried the mage. 

Chapter Text

Wilbur was playing his music still. It travelled through the stone walls of the castle and as Techno laid in bed, the relaxing order of the strings as well as the soothing sound of Wilbur’s voice was slowly lulling him into a peaceful sleep. Along with the new warmth of the room, which made Techno feel like he was in a constants state of calm, it was easy for Technoblade’s eyelids to fall close and his body to sink into the mattress below him, Wilbur’s voice following him all the way to his dreams. 

But, then, Techno’s eyes shot open again and an almost harsh grip held him in place. It wasn’t like anything was holding him, nothing was touching him nor was anything keeping the boy retrained, but there was something in chest that just wouldn’t let him move. Not his hands, not his legs, not anything. Technoblade was rooted in the spot. 

When his eyes looked up, fear holding his breath hostage, there was nothing but black. Far in the distance, there was black and Techno was sure, if he was able to look behind him, there would just be black too. 

It was possible he wasn’t breathing at this point with the way there was a growing pressure in his chest but at the same time, Techno’s torso was rising up and down in quick repeated motions. 

Was-Was this his dream? But why did it feel so real? Why did the awareness in Technoblade’s mind make him consider that this was where his body actually was? He could feel everything but nothing at the same time. He couldn’t feel the physical floor beneath his feet but could feel the pressure of something holding him up. He couldn’t feel the wind around him but could feel something brushing against his skin. Technoblade could feel everything and nothing. 

“Welcome back, my child.”

The voice boomed in his ear, almost rupturing his eardrum, and when Techno went to move his head to the side, he found he actually could. As soon as he discovered that, the hold that had his limbs held captive disappeared and Technoblade could finally move fully. 

The happiness of that realisation soon faded away when off to the side, moving closer, there was a man. A man much taller than him, much buffer and much scarier as well. The second Technoblade’s eyes landed on pink hair -so similar to his own- that was entwined around a golden crown with pieces of gold also woven into some strands of hair, along with the cage of some black skeleton encasing his body and a bright red cape following behind him, being carried by the non-existent wind, it was suddenly apparent who stood before him. 

“Oh don’t panic, child. I mean no harm to you.”
The man lifted a hand out and Techno flinched away, taking a step back with the jerk of his body. 

Memories of the last time he’d seen this man came flying to the forefront of his mind and Techno’s stomach only became heavier. 

“You-You cut me last time.”

The piglin-hybrid’s feet further back as the man took steps forward, approaching him at an alarming rate. Trying to create distance was useless though because every step the man took was worth 4 steps Techno took back. So, in less time than the young boy would have liked, this man, who was too oddly similar to him in appearance, was standing before him, hands behind his back and a dark, twisting smile on his face that sent shivers all the way into the deepest part of Techno’s body. 

“That was because you were ever so adamant I didn’t exist. I needed a way to make you believe and yet you still chose to decide that your wound appeared in your panic.”

Technoblade shook his head, teror rendering him paralysed, holding him jailed like the non-existent restraints earlier. Just looking at this man was a cell in itself. 

“No-No. I’m asleep. This is-This is just-“

“Oh do not start saying this is a dream again? Here.“
A hand came down on Techno’s shoulder, making him jump but also holding him in place and preventing Techno from pulling away and moving.  
“Would you be able to feel that if this were a dream?”

“I don’t-I don’t know. Who are you?”

Techno’s shoulder was free suddenly and in the hand’s place was a warming feeling that quickly spread through his body. He hadn’t ever felt that when he was in a dream before but this had to be a dream. There was no way it wasn’t. There was no way Technoblade was actually speaking to some man who looked like him. That just-that wasn’t possible. That couldn’t happen. It couldn’t. 

But, then the man started smiling again and its unnerving shape shot right into Techno’s stomach and the idea that this may not actually be a dream became more believable. That was just scarier. 

“That’s a rather ambiguous question, child. I’m many people. I’ve had a lot of names. Bringer of death, reaper of violence, starborne of blood, embodiment of evil.”

None of those names seemed pleasant at all. Actually, they all seemed quite violent and menacing and Technoblade could feel his panic multiplying tenfolds. 

If he could step back, escape or do anything to get out of here, he would but his body wasn’t willing to listen to him now so Techno could do nothing but just stand and stare at this man as if he was literal death. Maybe he actually was. With those names, it wasn’t exactly hard to believe. 

The man seemed fed up of tilting his head to look down at Technoblade and in an instant, as if if Techno blinked he wouldn’t have even noticed the movement, he was now face to face with the boy, with his hands on his knees and his eyes shining a bright red under the excitement of his grin. 

“Most people these days refer to me by one name though. The Blood God.”

That didn’t sound any better than any of the rest. It was still a terrifying name and accompanied by the menacing grin and hollow look in his eyes, Technoblade almost wanted to shiver under the weight of his fear. But, at last, he just remained still and felt his breath hitch. 

“Why-Why am I here? Are you going to kill me?”

“Don’t be ridiculous, my child. Kill you? Do I look like the Goddess of Death?”

Was that a serious question? Was there a Goddess of Death? Was Death an actual physical person? Or was this a trick? Technoblade didn’t know. When he thought of death and heard his trainer speak about her, Techno assumed it was just a metaphorical being to make sense of what actually happened after death. Was she real? 

And the voices- wait, Techno couldn’t hear the voices. He’d always been able to hear the voices, even if they were very quiet. They were still there, murmuring in the deep parts of his mind. Always. But right now, Techno couldn’t hear them and the revelation only panicked him more. 

The voices had kept him safe in too many scenarios to keep track of. They were constantly there to help guide Techno in the right direction when he didn’t have a clue what was happening. They told him things he didn’t know and pointed out little pieces of information, whether insignificant or significant. 

But, they were gone now. The voices were gone and Techno felt like a piece of him was gone along with them. 

The Blood God remained where he was and just stared at Technoblade, silent as ever. Techno didn’t know whether that was good or bad. But, it was still terrifying and worrying to have this man looking at him, poking and prodding at the inner, private parts of his body like he knew the exact way around it -well that was what it felt like anyway. Technoblade would have preferred the man to be speaking rather than looking at him like this for any longer. 

It seemed his wish was granted anyway because that’s exactly what the Blood God did. He started speaking again.  

“I forget you don’t know a lot about us Gods and I also see you’ve finally noticed the absence of your companions.”

Companinions. Was he referring to-

“The voices?”

“Yes. The voices. But don’t worry. As soon as you’re awake again, they’ll be back.”

“So-So this is a dream?”

The Blood god groaned and it was comical the way he rolled his eyes. It was almost too human of an action for the so-called ‘God’ before him. But, he wasn’t human. That much was clear. 

“In some aspects, yes this is a dream. But everything that happens and has been said here is real. I am real. You are real. Everything here is real. You’re not in a normal dream. You’re in a dream that I’ve designed and created so I can speak to you.”

Okay. Okay. That made… absolutely no sense at all. The voices would have been so much help right now. Techno was certain they would have had some inkling of an idea as to what any of that meant. All Technoblade gathered was that this was a dream but not a dream at the same time. How that was possible? Fuck if Techno had a clue but apparently it was because it was happening right now. 

“Why would you want to speak to me?”
His words came out shaky, almost like they wished to have never left his mouth in the first place, just stay bottled up in the bottle in his throat that was tightly sealed shut by his terror. 

“Just the right question to be asking. You’re on fire tonight my child.”

In an instant, Technoblade’s eyes shot down to his body to see if he was on fire like the man said but he wasn’t. There wasn’t any fire in sight. Just darkness. 

“I’m-Im not on fire?”

“That wasn’t-That was not what I meant. You know what it doesn’t matter. What does matter though is that you’re here with me because you're a very very special person.” 

The Blood God was speaking to Techno like he was a child and the piglin-hybrid didn’t appreciate it. He was a child but he wasn’t that much of a child. ‘Very very special ’, what was he 4 years old, being convinced that he was important. What was this man going on about? 

Nonetheless, Technoblade just nodded and listened, too scared to ever voice anything somewhat mean to the obviously powerful man before him. Lord knows what the consequences would be. Nothing good that’s for sure. 

“You, my child. Have an important gift bestowed upon you and only you. A gift that’s helped you survive all these years and kept your body alive in situations where it should have given up already.”

“A gift? What gift?”
The young boy’s wonder was overpowering his fear now and any thought about not speaking was thrown out of the window. 

The Blood God stood up tall again, making his hair, hair that still freaked Techno out, shifted slightly around the crown. It was like it was actually moving and slithering around the gold. What the? 

“The gift of a blessing obviously.”

That didn’t explain anything. At all actually. It seemed he wasn’t done though because even more words came barreling out of the Blood God’s mouth, crafted into perfectly designed sentences. 

“I’ve blessed you with abilities to do as you please, although your companions, the voices, should guide you in the right direction.”

Still didn’t explain anything. Did this man just enjoy being ominous and completely unwilling to reveal anything that actually made any sense? Because Techno was so fucking confused right now. Nothing he was being told was turning on any light switches. 

Though, Techno still didn’t voice his bewilderment nor try to figure it out himself. That would be too risky of a move to play towards a man he didn’t even know. Let alone a man that he’d observed was much bigger, much stronger and a whole lot more powerful than Techno. 

Hell, if what this God was saying was true, Techno had no sort of control in this dream even if it was his . It had been made by the man before him and Techno guessed that that would allow him to have some sort of control over it as well, therefore some sort of control over him. In no way would Technoblade have the upper hand right now. 

If he didn’t have the physical strength or the ability to trick his opponent, all Techno could do was just agree and go along with what he was being told. At the end of the day, that was what would keep him alive. 

Staying alive? 

Thinking about it now, Technoblade would never have thought that staying alive would be of any benefit to him at all weeks ago. It would be more of an easy escape from the torture he would endure, the endless trail of pain and hardship he’d suffer through in his day to day life. Maybe not easy because Death would never be merciful to him because of his actions but desperate, depressed time led to desperate, depressed thoughts. 

Now, however, the mere idea of dying, being pulled out of the wonderful world Technoblade had finally been welcomed and exposed to, losing his new freedom he finally had a grasp on, was daunting and heartbreaking. Techno found that he didn’t want to leave. He didn’t want to leave Phil. He didn’t want to leave Wilbur and Tommy. He didn’t want to leave Dream and Puffy. Techno didn't want to leave any of them. 

And dying would take him away from all of that forever and Technoblade could almost cry at the idea of that ever happening. 

He’d never had someone to care for. Someone to be a friend to him. Techno didn't have any of that before. But now. Now Techno had it all. Maybe he didn’t. Maybe it was just his mind trying to create things to make him feel better. Either way, Techno had that, even if it was just him who had it, and although it was overwhelming, although it sometimes felt like a trick or test, although Techno was still cautious and afraid every day that he’d be hurt at any second, he didn’t want to go. Technoblade never wanted to go. 

“My child, do not worry.”
The God crouched again, eyes seemingly softer this time as they connected with Techno’s own pair.
“You have many years ahead of you. Do not fear Death. She knows to stay far away from you.”

“Wh-What? Why?”

The same hand on the same shoulder created another uncomfortable buzz and itch in Technoblade’s body but this time, when the Blood God smiled, it wasn’t scary. It wasn’t haunting. It was…kind and soft. 

“Because you are a child of mine. The only child of mine.”

And before Techno could question about that, ask what exactly that meant and how exactly he was this man’s, this God’s , child, a warm feeling slithered its way through his bloodstream, soothing and relaxing all his muscles and tension, and Techno could feel the heat turning his legs to a pile of sludge too quickly to stop. The boy went falling before he knew it and kept falling, arms grabbing and gripping at nothing but darkness to stop himself. 

Pure blackness enveloped him and the piglin-hybrid met red eyes, full of excitement and anticipation and that image was what Technoblade saw as soon as his eyes once again darted open, cold air rushing into his lungs and pacifying the burning. 

“Techno! Oh my Life. Techno are you okay?! Can you hear me? Tec-“

Another hand gripped his shoulder and the familiarity of the action and feeling sent Techno lunging backwards, his legs kicking out beneath him and escaping from what kept them confined. Suddenly, he was falling again but this time, before he could start to panic completely, Techno met something hard and an ache sprouted from his back up into his hips bringing him back to reality slightly. 

A groan accompanied one of his own and Technoblade lifted a hand to his head, when the sudden influx of voices were the beginning of the insistent banging. 

Back!
We’re back!  
Techno back!  
Let’s not do that again!  
I love it here! 

Well at least they were back. Techno felt some comfort in that. 

“Techno? Are you okay down there bro?”

From above, Technoblade met the warm brown eyes of a familiar boy. Wilbur. It was-it was just Wilbur. No one else. It wasn’t-it was just Wilbur. 

Despite that clarification, he couldn’t help the way his eyes scampered around the room, looking for any hint of vibrant red, or any silhouette of skeleton armour. Leftover fright still held Technoblade hostage and it almost felt like there was someone physically holding onto him, keeping him too enclosed and confined. That familiar feeling only spurred on his distress. 

But, after a very thorough inspection, every nook and cranny of the room looked over about 5 times, there was no one else in the room. No pink hair like his. No man much bigger, much stronger or much more powerful than Techno. There was no one. Just the steady stream of a small peak of sunlight shining against the couch opposite the window and the quiet howling of the wind. 

There was no there. Just Techno and Wilbur. No one else but him and Wilbur. 

“Techno?”

Bringing his attention back to the boy above him, leaning over the bed, Techno took in a deep breath and nodded, ready to forge whatever lie he could perfect in so little time. 

“Ye-Yeah I’m okay. I’m okay. Just a-it was just a nightmare. Just a nightmare.”

He whispered the last bit to himself, almost in an attempt to make what he was saying seem believable to himself. But the slowly disappearing feeling of a suffocating warmth that floated in his body and the forever imprinted image of bright eyes staring at him as he fell, was evidence enough for Techno for him to know that it wasn’t just a nightmare. It wasn’t just something his brain made up to scare him. 

What just happened had actually happened and Technoblade didn’t know why. All he could do was hope that it never happened again and even if that left him with even more questions, it didn’t matter. Being clueless was better than being exposed to that again. Having to meet the Blood God again. Anything was better than that.   

Wilbur seemed to believe him though and shrugged, offering a hand out.  
“Tommy gets them sometimes. It’s normal to be honest.”

Without thinking, Techno let his hand fall into Wilbur’s and with a little push from himself upwards, the hybrid let his friend pull him back onto his feet and nearer to the bed, where Wilbur still kneeled. As Technoblade sat down, hands still shaking slightly even if he willed them to stop and a ghostly expression on his face he couldn’t even try to hide, Wilbur watched him diligently, a foreign and weird glint glimmering in his eyes. 

“You’re okay though?”

“Yes Wilbur. I’m okay. Just a little spooked I guess.”

This time, when Wilbur nodded, it with much less certainty and when his gaze flickered down to Techno’s shaking hands, eyebrows furrowed and wrinkles peeking through his forehead, the piglin-hybrid pushed them under his thighs. 

“Why are you in here anyway? Not that you’re not allowed to be because-because this is one of your rooms but how did you know? That I was…having a nightmare?”

“Just a hunch I guess.”
Wilbur replied with a shrug and then moved so he was sitting normally, his legs crossed, one over the other.  
“Dad has them sometimes. It’s what woke me up and I came out of my room and heard struggling from across the hall. I knocked a few times but you didn’t answer and I was worried so I came in to see what was happening and saw you tossing back and forth, words flowing from your mouth that I couldn’t make out.”

“You were-you were worried? About me?”

Out of all the things Wilbur had just said, from the struggling in his sleep and the slew of sounds that escaped his mouth, Techno focused entirely on that because it was what had his feelings going crazy and the voices running rampant. 

“Well of course I was-I am worried about you Techno. You’re like-You’re like a…close friend to me. I wouldn’t want anything to happen to you. That’s one of the last things I want to happen actually.” 

Awwww
Wilbur
Wilbur
Wilbur
Brother era!!!  
Bestiesss 

Techno was pretty sure that his heart may have just fallen out of its chest. He couldn’t feel its beating nor the normal pressure of it taking up room in his chest. Instead, there was an overwhelming and overpowering ball of happiness and adoration in its place. 

Wilbur said that like it was the simplest thing in the world. The way he was sitting with his face still scrunched and a wide smile brightening his face made Techno know that it was one of the simplest things in the world for Wilbur to say. 

But for Technoblade, no one had ever said that to him before. No one. But Wilbur, Wilbur who had known him for so little time, Wilbur who had only spoken to him a handful of times, Wilbur who probably had so many friends that he cared for, had said that he’d be physically pained if Techno got hurt. 

In a way, that may have just been one of the best - maybe the best - things that anyone had ever said to Techno. 

“The sun is about to rise soon. We could watch it if you like?”

Pulling Techno back to reality, Wilbur moved slightly on the bed and gestured to the sofa opposite the window. His heart had only just started beating again so Techno was a little breathless but either way, he was going to respond. 

“Rise?”

“Oh. You haven’t seen a sunrise?”

With a shake of the head, Technoblade’s answer was obvious and for a moment, confusion crossed Wilbur’s face before his lips spread into a wide grin. 

“Well this can be your first. Come on.”

Techno was taken by surprise when Wilbur grabbed his hand- a rather tight grip- and started moving off the bed, prompting the hybrid to follow along. From the way he’d been sitting, Techno’s legs were slightly numb and the unexpected movement sent a tense ache through his muscles which disappeared as quickly as it came. 

In due time, they were at the sofa and Wilbur sat down, pulling the other boy along with him. 

“Just wait. It’s so beautiful Techno. You’re going to absolutely love it.”

Yeah
Pretty
So nice 
Wilbur right 

Okay, Technoblade was excited now. If Wilbur was saying it was pretty and so were the voice, then it must have been so he sat and waited patiently. Wilbur’s hand was still in his and every once in a while, the avian boy would squeeze it causing Techno to turn to him where all he met was a smile and sparkling eyes full of excitement. Technoblade couldn’t help but mirror it. 

After some time, a lot of smiles and a lot of screaming from the voices in anticipation, which was for once comforting after they’d been gone for so long- a sudden shift in colour in the sky left Techno speechless. 

A whole sea of pigments highlighted the plains before him. Mixtures of pinks, oranges and yellows -dashes of light blues and greens accompanying it- painted a picture greater than any he’d seen in the castle. It casted a gentle glow on the kingdom below and the soft chirps on birds ,finally awakening from their sleep like the people around, sang a peaceful melody which matched the serenity of the scene in front of Techno. 

It was like nature had this perfect orchestrated masterpiece. The sunrise, the sounds of the land, the calmness of morning. It was all meticulously crafted to be what Technoblade would describe as the best thing he’d ever seen and heard. 

Once the colours started appearing, the sun slowly peeking out through the array of clouds that shaded the natural tones of the sky’s beauty, Technoblade couldn’t  look away. It was like there was a hypnotic spell which had been placed upon him, freezing his limbs and concentrating his eyes. 

Things like these, a simple but beautiful sunset, was what being free was about. Just seeing the beauty of nature. 

Wilbur’s hand slithered it’s way out of Technoblade’s but soon draped itself over his shoulder and in the hybrid’s dazed and mesmerised state, it was on instinct that his head drooped down and laid on Wilbur’s shoulder, allowing the other boy to place his cheek on top of Technoblade’s head. 

The whole moment, Wilbur’s embrace and the art before him, had all of Techno’s worries vanishing. A free feeling overcame him and a heaviness weighted down his eyes. This time when he allowed himself to sleep, the steady and consistent rhythm of Wilbur’s shoulders rising and falling soothing him, Techno didn’t stress about what he’d see. He just relaxed. 

And moments later, Wilbur’s own eyes laid closed and his breath steady out. 

If, only a minute after the two boy’s had passed out, another- a much younger and much blonder- boy walked in and joined them, laying down on Technoblade’s other side, small wings trying their hardest to curl around the boy, then no one had to know. 

And, if, in the later morning, when Phil walked in and saw the three boys, his three boys, cuddled up and passed out, and a smile instantly brightened his face and a piece of his heart carved open for the new pink-haired boy who had moulded himself into the family so easily, then that was for no one else to know but Phil.

Chapter Text

“ Anddddd , there we go. The final bandage you’ll need from me for now. Bet you’re relieved to finally be rid of me, hey?” 

Puffy clapped her hands together the minute she’d securely placed the end of the bandage around Techno’s back and then pushed herself up and off the bed, heading towards her silver platter to gather all the things she’d arrived with. Technoblade let the shirt he was holding up fall before turning around and watching her. 

“You’ll still come see me, right?”

The innocence and vulnerability of the boy’s words pulled at Puffy’s heart strings and she turned her back to him, sitting back on the bed and tentatively taking one of his hands in both of hers, with a soft smile, eyes full of adoration as she gazed down at him. 

“Of course I will, Techno. This is definitely not the last time you’ll see me. You may be quickly catching up on my title of ‘the best braider’ with the way you’re practically a master at them now. But, our little hair sessions aren’t just going to end just because I’m no longer caring for your wounds. I’ll always want to teach you and watch you improve and just speak to you, Technoblade. I promise.”

Sincerity and absolute truth lathered Puffy’s words and it attacked Technoblade’s heart so brutally that he had to look down at his one hand so warmly embraced in hers, an embrace that he’d never think would cause him harm, as his face heated up. The evidence of it surely painting his cheeks clearly. 

It was still foreign to him to have someone actually wanting to speak and spend time with him. Even now, after spending time with Wilbur, Tommy, Dream and Phil, and all of those times filled with happiness and laughter, Techno’s heart physically couldn’t handle the completely new prospect of having fun because he could now and wanted to and being around people that actually wanted to be around him, especially after so long of people only wanting him for their own benefit and gain.

In only about 2 months, Techno had smiled more, laughed more, felt more comfortable, than he ever had in his life. He’d never thought that this was what the outside would be like but it was definitely accepted with open arms. 

His moments with Puffy, although sometimes cut short and fleeting and tainted by the before actions of having to be re-wrapped with bandages, were some of Techno's favourite memories by far. Just the comfortable peacefulness and simplicity of their silence and Puffy’s gentle encouragement and teachings were enough to break down every single one of Techno’s walls and for once, the idea of being completely open and potentially vulnerable didn’t make the piglin-hybrid feel sick. 

Instead, it made him feel accepted and finally at peace. 

In their sessions, just braiding and chatting about everything and anything, Technoblade had finally realised just how at home he felt, to the point that looking Puffy in the eyes no longer felt like a sin. It felt natural. 

Sometimes the instinct would kick in and he’d have to look somewhere else but Puffy never pointed that out. She never made fun of him for that. Puffy was patient and she was kind. She was so wholeheartedly kind always and it gave Techno’s initial idea that kindness was only temporary a run for its money. 

Just being around her, and everyone else, was also a good distraction. 

Since his nightmare, since meeting a man, a God , that looked way too much like him, Techno’s mind had been plagued with fear and anticipation. Questions of when they’d meet again, how it would go, how he was this man’s one and only child and what would happen the next time they’d meet, because there would definitely be a next time, taunted Technoblade constantly. 

But, when he was smiling and laughing with his friends, all of that disappeared. Technoblade could just enjoy himself. 

Of course, the thought and questions still lingered in the back of the boy’s mind, always there to remind him that not everything was good even if he was finally free and happy, but ,in the moment, he just let himself enjoy everything and forget all the stress and potential future troubles. 

The snug tension of his strands of hair pulled so effortlessly and pleasantly in a braid of his own making was another reminder of why he loved his moments with Puffy so much and pulled his mind away from that dark rabbit hole it was beginning to travel down. 

Puffy had taught Techno something new, something he actually enjoyed and Techno couldn’t ever express how grateful he felt for such a simple act of her natural kindness. 

He’d picked up on the action of braiding quite quickly, like Techno did with most things, and every step of the way Puffy was there, complimenting and correcting him. She was so considerate with when she touched him, how she spoke to him and just in everything she did. Puffy created a safe environment where there was no stress of ever being hurt or shouted at. She was just such a loving woman that it wasn’t in her nature to do any of those things. 

All of that was why he loved spending time with her so much and the validation that there would be so many more moments for them in the future filled Technoblade with so much joy and relief. 

“Okay. You best be off to dinner before I start crying.”

With a deep inhale and a sniff, Puffy removed her hands from Technoblade’s, the decline in warmth instantly noticeable, and went back to grabbing her things and sorting herself out. The strength of keeping her tears in was another thing to concentrate on now. 

However, the second Technoblade got up and off the bed and wrapped his arms around her back, the smile so evident on his face from where it lay against her skin, a single tear fell and Puffy immediately turned around to embrace him properly. 

Reminders of where he was when she first met the boy, fragile and wary and scared of everything and everyone, to now, where Technoblade was no longer fearful to initiate contact and look her in the eyes, had even more tears escaping but she sucked the rest in before Techno could notice. 

The two of them bathed in the calmness and love of the moment, just happy and comfortable to be in each other's presence. Techno pulled away first, shuffling on his feet and flicking his eyes to look up at Puffy who was smiling widely, cheeks wet from tears. Swallowing down the rest of the happiness that had formed itself into the wet substance that escaped her eyes, Puffy turned to grab her tray and then led Techno to the door where they both walked towards the dining hall. 

This time as they walked Technoblade could recognise exactly where he was going. The halls were still completely the same but it was like a mental map had been created in his mind after repeated travels over the months, every twist and turn was just natural now. Before long, he was at the dining hall door and Puffy stopped, offering him a warm goodbye and soft smile before leaving to the medical wing and back to rest of her work. 

Behind the door, the familiar screech of Tommy’s voice and the warmth of Phil’s laugh had Techno smiling brighter and he pushed the door open to meet the 3 people behind it. Wilbur sat in his usual chair, a glass connected to his lips as he smiled around the rim. Towards the window on the left, Tommy was slightly elevated in the air, wings beating behind him and incoherent words all jumbled together to form nonsense leaving his mouth. Phil had his arms crossed, mouth open as his laugh escaped and a ridiculously joyous look on his face. 

Technoblade didn’t hesitate to walk in, instinctively walking to his seat, opposite Wilbur. The brunette boy was the first to notice his presence and waved, gulping down the rest of his orange juice eagerly before speaking. 

“Techno, you’re finally here! Wow, did Puffy do that to your hair or did you?”

As he pulled out the seat and took a seat, Technoblade smiled back at the boy.  
“I did it.”

“It looks beautiful. I wish I had long hair like yours. You’d be able to braid mine then and I could look as good and cool as you as well.”

Without his consent, Techno’s cheeks flamed again and Wilbur just laughed at the sight, taking a sip of his drink instead of commenting on it. 

“Oh Techno! Techno!”

Tommy came barreling towards them, feet now on the ground and Phil following close behind, laughter dying down now. The youngest of the group fumbled greatly just to get in his chair next to Wilbur but the second he finally sat up straight, body still vibrating like he was high on his own energy, Tommy focused entirely on Techno. 

“Dad’s been trying to teach me how to fly. I think I’m rather spendalis at it actually.”

“Splendid Tommy.”
Wilbur corrected which earned him a glare from his brother. 

“Shut up bitchboy.”

“Tommy. Be kind to your brother.”
Phil warned as he took his own seat at the end of the table, next to Techno and Wilbur. 

“Yeah Tommy. Be kind to your brother.”

“You’re an idiot.”

“That’s not being kind to me is it?”

“I don’t care. You don’t deserve my kindness bitch. Only Techno does.”

“Why only Techno? That’s not fair.”

“I’m just better I guess.” 
Technoblade was filling up his own glass with orange juice now and Wilbur shot him an appalled look as soon as the words left his mouth.  

“Better? Better than me?! I’d like to see you try Techno.”

“I don’t need to try Wilbur. I just am.”
He said this was a shrug, like it was the simplest thing in the world and Phil laughed pulling away all of their attention. 

“Don’t laugh at him dad. You’re supposed to be on my side! My side!”
Voice growing in decibels, Wilbur slumped down in his seat and groaned. 

“Sorry Will. Techno just has those quick remarks. They're hilarious.”

“See. I’m just better.”

“You are not!”
Wilbur was sitting back up straight now, finger pointing at Techno but it held no threat. It just made the hybrid smile and shrug again. 

“He is.”
Getting a glare similar to his own one earlier, Tommy smirked and stuck his tongue out at Wilbur. 

“Even your own family agrees, Will. Accept it.”

“I can’t believe you’re all betraying me like this.”
Wilbur pulled his beanie over this eyes and shoved his arms over his chest as he let himself shrink further into the seat. 

“Oh cheer up Will. We’re just kidding.”

“We are?”
Tommy’s words were spoken through a mouthful of sausage, making Techno grimace slightly, both at the sight and the food. 

“To say my own brother is backstabbing me. This is a betrayal, Techno. A true betrayal.”

A laugh escaped the piglin-hybrid’s mouth and Techno started grabbing his own food. Wilbur was still wallowing in his grief and Techno smiled at his b- wait. Wait. Wilbur had said- Wilbur had called him his ‘brother’ . Wilbur had actually called Technoblade his ‘brother’  

The piglin-hybrid’s entire body stilled, looking a bit awkward now as he leaned over the table to grab a spoonful of potatoes, his favourite. 

Techno had definitely heard that correctly right? Wilbur wasn’t referencing Tommy. He was obviously referencing Technoblade. Wilbur had called him, Techno, a brother . 

That-That. Technoblade couldn’t explain how it made him feel exactly. It was like his own heart was trying to dig its way out of his rib cage. It was trying to join together with Wilbur’s and give it a massive hug. His brain was running so fast that it was overheating but at the same time, the voices screamed their joy and acceptance. 

Brother
Finally!
Family
We have a family!
Brothers!! 

All at once, Technoblade felt like he was being hugged tightly but punched in the face roughly. It was confusing. 

But, one thing he wasn’t confused about, one thing Technoblade did know, was that being Wilbur’s - even Tommy’s - brother didn't sound bad. It sounded amazing actually. And if Will saw him like a brother, Techno wouldn’t complain, especially when having a family was all he’d ever wanted. 

“You alright, Tech?”

His head finally returned to his body and Technoblade shook it, the remnants of the voices still cheering in his mind. Phil stared at him, eyebrows pinched with concern and Techno only smiled at the man, a reminder that these people were people he truly loved and wanted to be with increasing the release of endorphins in his body. 

“I’m alright.”

Phil nodded, a little hesitation in the action but with a smile from Techno, a smile which reflected clearly the pure joy the boy felt, all hesitation simmered away and Phil relaxed, taking a bite of his beef as he watched Tommy and Wilbur argue. What it was about this time, Phil didn’t know but it sure was entertaining to watch them. 

Halfway through the meal, Wilbur and Tommy having calmed down and actually eating now, Techno finally realised something. With a potato in his mouth, he noticed that there was something sharp poking into the inner part of his lip. Running his tongue along it, causing his lip to jut out slightly, it only hit Technoblade then what exactly it was. 

His tusks. His tusks had grown back. 

With everything else going on, Techno hadn’t even noticed which was strange because whenever his tusks were growing back, he was always aware of them. Only to keep track of when they’d have to be filed down again. It always happened when they reached a certain length. 

Now though, his tusks were longer than they’d ever been. Hell, Techno was sure in only a few weeks they’d be jutting through his lips. 

A stream of worry coursed through his body. The grating of a file turning his tusks into dust sent a shiver through his body and Technoblade rubbed his hands over his arms to try dispel the feeling. But, it remained in his mind, reminding him of the horrors of that file on his bone. 

The potato in his mouth now tasted disgusting and Techno swallowed it down, with a lot of resistance. His tongue ran over the sharp pointed edge of his tusks again. Yep, they were definitely back. Would Phil shave them down again? Surely, the man had noticed that they’d grown back again. Was he waiting? After all, Techno needed them gone to be normal. Phil probably didn’t want someone not normal in his home. Was he waiting until they were completely visible to get rid of them? 

“Techno, are you sure everything’s okay?”

Phil was staring at him again, his glass held lazily in his hand, filled with some red substance that ,earlier, he denied Tommy of. Technoblade blinked and realised that one of his hands were rubbing the skin under his lip, feeling the protruded shape of his tusks underneath. 

Opposite him, Tommy and Wilbur were in a conversation. Technoblade wasn’t too sure what it was about but they looked to be acting civil with one another so it mustn’t have been another argument. 

Looking at Phil again, the man had now placed his glass down and leaned towards Techno more, moving his upper body away from Wilbur. Techno rubbed the skin again and Phil’s eyes flickered down to the movement, eyebrows furrowing, before looking back up into the hybrid’s eyes. 

“Are you hurt Techno?”

The piglin-hybrid instantly shook his head and an instant rush of relief swallowed up most of the nerves in Phil’s body. His wings instantly calmed, the feathers no longer ruffled and his shoulders relaxed, making his posture look somewhat unhealthy. 

“My tusks.”
Techno whispered, risking a glance to Tommy and Wilbur just to make sure they were still concentrated on their own conversation. They were, so Technoblade felt a little better that they wouldn’t hear what was going to happen. 

“What about them? Are they bothering you?”
Phil’s voice held genuine concern and Techno’s tongue ran over the tusks again, anxiety eating up his insides. 

“When-When are you going to file them down?”

“Excuse me.”
With his entire back now straightened, making his sit up, Phil stared at Technoblade, completely baffled by the question. 

Technoblade however looked as if this was the most normal thing to ask someone, actually appearing rather nervous about it. 

“They’re long again. I thought-well, don’t they need to be filed down?”

Oh my god. Technoblade actually thought that it was normal. Phil was horrified by that realisation. He’d always wondered why a child of Technoblade’s age hadn’t grown into his tusks yet like Skeppy said he should have. He simply blamed it on Techno being a late bloomer. 

But no. He’d had them filed down. They had shaved down this poor boy’s fucking tusks. That was like pulling out Phil’s feathers. A fucking abomination. Phil felt sick to his stomach even thinking about someone doing that to him. If he felt like that just imagining that happening, how must Techno have felt when they were actually shaving down his tusks? And how many times had they done that? 

The young boy was still staring at him, expecting an answer to his question. Probably to prepare himself for it. That just made Phil even more sick. The food in front of him no longer felt appetising and the food in him was just begging to come back out. 

“No. Technoblade. No. I-I am not going to file down your tusks. No one is going to do that. Ever again. You hear me? Not again okay?”
Phil’s words held a sharper edge, one Techno had never heard. They came out harsher than intended purely become the mere idea of doing such a horrendous thing brought back his anger about Technoblade’s prior situation ten folds. 

“Oh.”

Technoblade looked back down at his plate but didn’t move. His hand was still under his lip and his tongue was still running over his tusks. 

That was-That was good. Phil wasn’t going to take a file to his tusks. He wasn’t going to have to put through the sickening, horrible feeling of having his own bone be turned to dust again. That was definitely good. 

But, at the same time, if his tusks weren’t shaved down, then people would just realise how abnormal he was. With one look at Techno, they’d see his tusks and notice that he wasn’t normal. At least with his tusks gone, he could look a little more normal. After all, like Bad had said, his human side was more dominant than his piglin. 

Why wasn’t Phil shaving them down? He did a lot of things differently here. Very opposite to what Technoblade was used to. But still, the piglin-hybrid would have thought- did think- that Phil would care whether he looked normal or not. 

“Why? They don’t make me normal.”

“Technoblade, listen to me now.”

Dad voice
Ohhhhh
Dad voice
Serious

Oh. Phil had doned his ‘dad voice’. He meant business now. The man had even leaned in further. Technoblade nodded instantly and turned his complete attention to Phil, inclined to obey him, especially with his ‘dad voice’ activated. 

“You’re tusks, they are a part of you. Just like how my wings are a part of me. And how Wilbur and Tommy’s wings are a part of them. Whatever they told you about being normal, throw that away. How you are now, what you look like, how you act, that is normal. It doesn’t matter if those horrible people said otherwise. Fuck them all. They’re the ones who aren’t normal, considering what they found entertainment in. 

You are a boy, not yet having grown up and found your place in the world yet. Everything about you, even if you aren’t completely human, is normal. Just because I’m part avian doesn’t make me not normal. My wings are as normal as my hair. Wilbur’s wings are as normal as his music. Tommy’s wings are as normal as his chaotic energy.  Your tusks are as normal as your strength. You understand me? Do not let anyone tell you you aren’t normal just because you are a hybrid and have hybrid traits. We deserve to be treated just as fairly as complete humans. We’re as normal as they are. You’re as normal as they are. Some people believe differently but let me tell you something, they’re completely fucked in the head and entirely wrong. We’re no different to them. Don't let them tell you otherwise okay? You are normal Techno. You always have been. No matter what they told you.”

Phil ended his speech with a curt nod and sat back up straight, pushing some hair out his face. The noise of Tommy and Wilbur chatting faded into the background as Technoblade once again retreated into his mind, to think over everything he’d just been told. 

He was normal. He was normal. Phil had said he was normal. But, Technoblade had always been told he wasn’t. His hair, his tusks, his ears. None of that was normal. Him being part piglin wasn’t normal. That was what he’d always been told. 

But, who did he trust more? The people who had taught Technoblade nothing but harm and pain or the man who’d taught Technoblade kindness and freedom?  The answer to that question was obvious. 

Was he normal? Had Technoblade always been normal? Was this whole quest to become normal pointless? If he couldn’t find a way to be normal, what was he to do? That was all Techno had ever wanted. His first thought entering the outside was to find someone to teach him to be normal. If he was already normal, what was Techno supposed to be now? 

Glancing up at Tommy and Wilbur, laughing now, tears in their eyes, maybe Techno had found his answer. Maybe he could just be a child. Maybe he could just enjoy life. Maybe he could just live. He was normal. Phil had said he was normal. And Technoblade trusted Phil. Without having to find a way to be normal, to fit in, Techno could relax, he could stop worrying, and he could be completely free for once. 

Yeah that sounded good. That sounded like a plan. Maybe he could be just happy.

Chapter Text

“Thank you all for coming. I know this is very last minute but it’s incredibly important that we discuss this immediately.”
Phil’s voice projected around the large room he stood in, surrounded by the most significant members of his empire. 

“This is no joke then. Thought you were simply calling us here for a quick chit chat. A little catch up if you’d like.”
Schlatt joked, one leg crossed over the other and both propped up on the table in front of him. His arms were lazily entwined across his chest and a teasing smirk was painted across his lips. 

“Of course you’d think that Schlatt. That’s all you do all day anyway.”
Hannah retorted, sitting much straighter in her seat. It was clear that she was taking this much more seriously than Schlatt was. But that was just who the man was. In any situation, he’d find a way to make it humorous to some extent. 

“Hey. Just because I don’t spend my time covered in horse shit like you Hannah and getting attacked by animals doesn’t mean I don’t do stuff around here. You wouldn’t have half the weaponry and equipment you have if it weren’t for me.”

“Yes, we’re all fully aware of what you provide Schlatt. If only that reflected over into your personal life. Maybe you’d have a wife by now if it did.”

A series of snickers followed Connor’s words and Schlatt just rolled his eyes. 

“Ha Ha Connor. Why don’t you go back to fiddling with your little gadgets and toys?”

“Hey! They aren’t toys. But, going off how enthralled your son ,Tubbo, is by my explosives, I wouldn’t be too surprised if you did give him bombs as toys when he was a child.”

“Don’t forget the weapons as well. Tubbo liked playing with those too.”

“Okay okay. Stop now. The two of you act worse than the kids. It’s giving me a migraine.”
Bad emphasised his point by rubbing his temples, his body slightly doubled over as his elbows leaned on the table. 

“Just because the only sort of action you get is when Skeppy fucks up doesn’t mean we can’t have fun Bad.”

“I deny any accusations thrown out there of me being scolded by Bad, like I’ve said multiple times before. Schlatt is simply lying.”
Skeppy was stood to the side and took a step forward as he spoke, drawing all eyes to him. 

Schlatt raised an eyebrows and took a sip of his beer before speaking again.  
“Whatever you say, Skeppy. But we all know the truth.”

“You don’t know shit jackass! I will throw hands with you right here and now. Don’t test me!”

“Oh you wanna go rocky. I’ll batter you in seconds!”

Schlatt pushed himself up and out of his seat, now towering over Skeppy by many inches. The rock man didn't back down though. He just took more steps forward. 

“I’d like to see you try Rammy.”

“Why you little-“

“Okay. Everyone sit down. Now!”

Phil’s voice once again echoed off the walls. Much louder and much harsher than last time and with one last fleeting glance to one another, Schlatt and Skeppy went to their respective seats; Schlatt next to Connor, to the other end of the table compared to Phil and Skeppy next to Bad, directly next to Phil. 

As soon as everyone had finally sat and their chatter died down, Phil nodded, appeased by the neutrality and inhaled a deep breath through his nostrils. His wings lowered closer to the ground as he exhaled and the usual small smile of his returned back to Phil’s face. 

“Okay. Now you’re all finally acting your age.”

The man shot Skeppy and Schlatt their own individual quick looks. The two looked the other direction, Schlatt even grumbling under his breath a little. 

“Like I’d said previously, I’ve asked you to meet me because of an important matter I’ve recently been made aware of by our scouts on the border of the Antarctic Empire and Borealis.”

“Oh fuck.”

“Oh fuck indeed Connor. Obviously, you wouldn’t be here if this wasn’t something that needed to be brought to everyone’s attention. They reported back to me that they’d noticed what looked to be soldiers, highly equipped ones at that, surveying the border. Concentrating their efforts on our side mainly.”

“They’re probably just hunters. With the winter approaching, more wild animals are starting to hibernate. They might just be trying to get the last batch for the summer.”
Phil nodded at Hannah’s answer and the woman grinned at the approval. 

“That’s what I’d initially thought too. It made the most sense. A day later though, today, I was told by Emperor Sparklez of Borealis that he’d welcomed very important people into his kingdom from none other than Avenida.”

“Avenida! You have to be kidding me?!”
With his voice now raised, Bad’s ears stood up straight and he looked around the table to see his fellow companions just as shocked as he was. 

Sad smile and his wings now tense, Phil nodded again, tenser this time though. 

“Sadly, I am not kidding. We have a much stronger alliance with Borealis than they have with Avenida, especially since we’re bordering kingdoms. Sparklez had heard of our adventures to eliminate the underground fighting ring and saw it fit to inform me of their unexpected presence in his kingdom. Along with the addition of the scouts on our border, it seems too consequential that they appeared a day before I was told Avendia was right next door. It is clear they are planning something and…”

The mere thought of what he wanted to say had Phil struggling. The words got stuck in his throat and even when he tried to swallow down his hesitation, the words wouldn’t unlodge themselves. 

“You-You think they’re here for Techno?”
Bad tentatively asked. He really hoped that that wasn’t the aim, especially with the new information they’d potentially just uncovered about him. But with one small nod from his emperor, it was obvious that the young boy was the reason Avenida was trying to infiltrate their home. 

“Over my dead fucking body!”
Puffy shot up from her seat, making the chair stumbled backwards a little. 

“Puffy-“
Hannah followed up after her, hand outstretched but Puffy just took a step away, removing her hat and running a hand through her hair, all sense of reasonability getting washed away with her fury.  

“No. I would put my life on the line before letting them take that poor boy back to the torture they’d inflicted on him for all those years! Not a single one of you have even seen the full extent of the scars which litter his body. Hell, neither have I but from what I have seen, it sickens me. He can’t-I won’t allow them to take him back to that-that type of life.”

Phil stepped forward, one of his hands on Puffy’s shoulder and the other grabbing one of her hands. Slowly, she raised her eyes upwards, tears gathering in the corner of them just begging to be released. Mirroring her look, Phil looked just as heartbroken at the prospect of that ever happening. Hell, he looked even more heartbroken and that was understandable. Technoblade was a part of his flock now, a part of his family. If he were to ever be taken, it would be like taking away Phil’s wings. Fucking horrible. 

“I hear you Puffy and I understand you. I don’t know why they want him or why they have such a big infactuation with ‘owning’ him?”  
That was a lie. Phil had some sort of idea why exactly they wanted Technoblade but not everyone needed to know his secrets right now. 
“But trust me wholeheartedly when I say nothing will happen to Technoblade as long as I’m alive but we do have to discuss where we’re going to go in terms of dealing with this new problem. It can’t just be left unspoken about.”

“Is Emperor Alyssa in Borealis?”
Skeppy asked. 

Phil gave Puffy one last small smile, an encouragement and promise of his words before turning to his head guard. Puffy hesitantly took her seat again, fingers just itching to be woven through that pink-hair again, only to make sure that nothing had happened to Technoblade yet, although it would have been impossible for anything to have happened. 

“No. As far as Emperor Sparklez has informed me, it is only their head guard, Callahan, and a group of soldiers.”

“What are their reasons for being in Borealis? What excuse have they spewed?”
Schlatt grunted, all irritation once directed to Skeppy now channelled into the situation at hand.  

“Training opportunities. Callahan’s men have said that their head guard deems it fit they train with Borealis guards to advance and learn better tactics and also share their own.”

“Bullshit.”
Connor spat, everyone nodding along. 

“His men say? Why not Callahan himself?”

“Callahan has never spoken”
Bad started. All eyes turned to him.  
“We trained at the same academy and not once did he ever speak. From the energy I could sense from him then though, my best guess is that it was a curse placed upon him from birth up until death. For what in return, I don’t know. But, it can’t be anything good.”

Bad’s response didn’t help aid anyone’s nerves. Curses like those never reaped anything good. Whatever Callahan got in return for his eternal silence must have been something powerful and in this specific case, that was dangerous, especially considering which side he was on. 

“So what we know is that Avenida’s head guard, a guard we don’t know the complete ability of but must be extremely well-equip in battle to have gotten that position, as well as a group of Avenida’s best soldiers are in the Empire bordering our own, scouting our border?”
Phil nodded, making Puffy’s lips scrunch up in frustration. That was very little to go off. 
“What’s the plan then? How are we going to deal with this Phil?”

That was the question on everyone’s mind. What was the plan? How were they gonna to combat a battle they didn’t even know the complete details of? 

Obviously, Phil was never going to let anything happen to Technoblade, nor was any one else in that room. The top priority was making sure he stayed safe, along with the rest of the kids and the empire. But, at what cost would that come? At what cost was protecting this kid, Avenida obviously had an obsession with, going to create? 

That was a mystery they would just have to wait and discover. 

With both of his hands on the table, Phil took in a deep breath, closing his eyes for a moment to collect and organise his thoughts which had been scrambled by the prior idea of anything bad happening to Techno again, before opening them again and leaning forwards. 

“To begin with, Skeppy, you’re going to increase the number of soldiers on the border but don’t make it suspicious. We don’t want Avenida knowing we have an inkling of an idea that anything’s going on. If you have to, create an accident that explains the soldiers but don’t injure anyone in the process okay?”

Skeppy nodded, ideas of what type of scene he was going to create already flying through his mind at top speeds. 

“Bad, you ensure that the defensive shields protecting the castle and village are the best they can be. Without letting him know anything’s going on, try to place an enchantment on Technoblade so we know his location at all times. If anything’s out of the norm with him, then we know something’s happening.”

The exact enchantment Phil was mentioning had started repeating in Bad’s head. His hands tingled with the feeling of its power. 

“Puffy, ensure the medical equipment is completely stocked and get ready to have to repair and heal as many people as possible in case anything goes south.  If you’re needing anything, let me know and I’ll have it to you in seconds. Schlatt, make sure all the weaponry is up to standard. Any improvements you’ve been working on would be helpful right now. Same goes for you Connor. Any new ideas in the works are much appreciated in this time of preparation. You got that?”

The three of them gave their own forms of approval and turning to the last person at the table, Hannah, Phil’s moods slightly dimmed. Even asking her of this was making his throat go dry. 

“Now, Hannah. You’ll have the most important but dangerous role of all. If you’re not up to it or simply don’t want to, I won’t force you of course. Just tell me and I’ll have someone else do it.”

Now that didn’t sound good and Hannah knew that. It had her eyes darting around the table, taking in everyone’s expression just to try to help stabilise her own nervous, fearful one. But, at the end of the day, when her eyes returned back to Phil, Hannah knew, whatever she was asked,  it was something she’d agree to. For her kingdom and family, she’d do anything. So, with a nod and a confident smile, Hannah urged Phil to continue, which he did so, but with a tight smile. 

“For weeks now, it’s been advised that breeding between Charlotte, our strongest mare, and Charlie, Borealis’ fastest steed, would be in our best favour. Because of that, you’ll be travelling to Borealis with that intent, as far as most people are aware. Sparklez will be informed that your true intentions are to scope out the enemy. Obviously, he will also be informed that you must be out of harm's way at all times but if you still feel uneasy or want to outright decline, I would completely understand. I will not-“

“I’ll do it.”
Hannah interrupted, drawing Phil’s sentence to an abrupt close. 

“Are you certain? This could potentially turn violent.”

“I know but for the empire and for the safety of the people I love and care for and for everything you’ve done for me, I’ll take that risk. To keep all of that safe, I’ll go to Borealis and gather as much information as I can. Do you have a way of receiving that information?”

“Yes. Sparklez will tell you that upon your arrival. Thank you Hannah. This will place us in a great advantage to have one of our in their quarters. At any point, if you feel unsafe and want to return, say the word to Sparklez and he’ll arrange for you to return home immediately.”

“Okay, thank you Phil. I’ll try my best to help.”

One final nod in Hannah’s direction, Phil straightened back up, wings slightly shifting behind him under the new found stress, and cleared his throat. His eyes glanced over the people in front of him, the most essential people in his kingdom and he smiled. 

“With all of your contributions, I’m certain we won’t lose. If not for ourselves, then for our children. Our kingdom won’t fall to the greedy, malicious hands of those dickheads. They don’t know who they’re dealing with.”

Chapter Text

“Okay so I want the both of you to concentrate your energy on blocking. Having an amazing offense is nothing if your defence is poor. Not being able to defend yourself will do nothing but get you killed even if you are the best fighter out there. You understand me? Now, go!”

Skeppy’s hand shone a bright blue before a surge of magic shot through the training dummies. In only a second, they started charging forward intent on the mission they’d been given. Hits were thrown, swords were raised, contact was made. Blurs of motion mixed together as the minutes passed and Skeppy took a few steps back as the two boys started doing exactly as he had said; defending themselves. 

“Dream, control that sword like it’s a part of your body! You’re being too stiff!”

Another rapid hit from the dummy came down onto Dream and this time, he raised his sword without thinking twice and shoved the dummy back before returning his sword back to his side, awaiting the next attack. 

“Excellent. Techno keep your attention focused on your own dummy! Don’t look at what Dream’s doing! Don’t even think about what Dream’s doing! Keep your focus on your own dummy! Yes, just like that. That’s brilliant Techno!”

The encouragement surged the piglin-hybrid on and the next time he blocked the incoming hit, the dummie went stumbling back further than before. The sudden weakness caught Techno’s eyes and in a second he went charging, forgetting what the session of today was about. 

“Techno, do not tackle that dummy! We’ve spoken about this! This is working on your defence! You are not on the offensive right n-Techno!”

Skeppy went running forwards, once again having to get into action to pull the piglin-hybrid off yet another one of the training dummies before he absolutely ripped it to shreds (yes that had actually happened, more than once ). Technoblade’s fists were flying into its face, expression blank and force stronger than usual. One of his hands laid around its neck.

Even with the pure magic that should have made the dummy much more powerful than both Dream and Techno, somehow, each and every time, Techno managed to find a way to tackle them and have them on the ground beneath his body. Each and every fucking time. 

Skeppy had seen it happen a lot in the arena. Tackling his opponents seemed to be Techno’s main motive and it was no surprise that was carrying on into the present. But, the problem was that even if the objective wasn’t to eliminate the dummy, Technoblade did it anyway, on instinct like he needed to completely destroy his enemy. Even if it was a fake enemy. 

Skeppy hadn’t found a way to break that instinct yet. It was something he really needed to figure out, especially with everything going on at the moment. Technoblade needed to be at his best, just in case, and if his first instinct was to always go in for a tackle, that left the piglin-hybrid very open and vulnerable to a sneak attack. Skeppy couldn’t let that happen but he hadn’t found a way to stop it yet. 

Just like everyone other time as well, once Skeppy’s arms were under the boy’s shoulders and pulling him back, a switch seemed to flip and every piece of tension and aggression within Technoblade’s body disappeared and he went away willingly, no resistance at all. The dummy laid motionless on the ground, all magic pulled away. 

“Techno, I’ve told you time and time again. You are not trying to take down the dummy. You’re trying to defend yourself against it. Why do you keep going against what I’m telling you?”

Dream was still blocking hit after hit from his own training dummy but now his attention was split, also concentrating on the conversation near him. Concern flashed across his face for Technoblade as Skeppy’s face scrunched up in anger and exasperation and his arms laid under Techno’s arms. 

Pure adrenaline rushed through Technoblade’s body and it was what had him replying with no thought about the disrespect he was clearly showing. 

“I don’t understand why if there’s a clear opening where I can attack it, I shouldn’t just do that. It’s the obvious answer and I’m strong enough to take them anyway.”

“I know. I know you’re strong enough Techno.”
Skeppy let go of the hybrid with a sigh and watched as he stumbled forwards before brushing down his clothing and pushing back the stray hairs which had escaped the intricate beautiful braids that always decorated his hair, every single day.  
“If neither you or Dream weren’t strong enough or didn’t show potential to become strong enough, I wouldn’t be wasting time training you personally. But, it’s not just about being strong enough in your offence. I can clearly see your strength in that area. You have to be strong enough in your defence as well. That weakness is what will get you killed.”

Technoblade turned back around to look at Skeppy and the hard and pure disappointed look on the man’s face attacked his heart personally. His eyes darted down to the floor and he swallowed. 

Techno didn’t mean to always try to tackle the dummies. He went into each training session telling himself that he wouldn’t. It was a constant chant in his mind as he walked through the doors with Dream everyday. 

But, still, when it came to the fighting, when it came to actually having to attack, the action was the main one taking up space in his mind. 

The dummies weren’t real. It was clear they weren’t real. They moved with the power Skeppy gave them and he could stop them at any moment. 

Still, in the moment, as the voices screamed and Technoblade’s flight or fight instinct kicked in, his first thought was to get his opponent to the ground and start punching. That was when everyone would know he had won. That was when Techno would know he had won. 

Skeppy didn’t seem too impressed when he did that though. Too many times to count over the past few weeks the man had said that the move was ‘too reckless’. That it left him open to weakness and further attacks. 

Dream never tackled. Technoblade had noticed that. His fighting style was perfected and created by Skeppy to fit the boy perfectly. Technoblade had thought that his aggressive, unexpected fighting style fit him perfectly too. He was starting to doubt that though. 

Skeppy clearly much preferred more sophisticated and prepared moves. That was shown in the way both him and Dream fought. They had grown up training with each other. 

Technoblade obviously hadn’t. He was the odd one out. 

Being in the arena you had to be unknown, your tactics had to be rough and sometimes illegal so your opponent could never predict your next move and prepare for it beforehand. That was all Techno knew. It was hard to break that but Skeppy still tried. He still corrected Techno when he was wrong, and pointed out what he should change. Whenever the piglin-hybrid tried it though, the moves didn’t feel natural. It didn’t feel like him . 

And the voices didn’t like it either. 

They liked to go with the flow, pull out moves in the middle of battle that weren’t expected. Having a set schedule on when to hit,  how to hit and where to hit wasn’t normal for them and when Techno tried doing that, they just rioted making him resort back to his old ways, aggressive and unpredictable. A flight risk and uncontrollable. 

Skeppy adapted. He tried anyway and Techno appreciated that as well. Skeppy didn’t need to try but he did, to make the piglin-hybrid feel much more comfortable and like himself. 

Unlike Dream, Techno had much more freedom with the moves he used. The way he attacked was more informal and rough and Skeppy would alter his own attacks to fit the boy’s style when they practised against each other. But, it was clear he wasn’t used to such an abstract type of fight. 

It made Technoblade feel guilty. He was trying to learn what Skeppy was teaching him. The more formal and practised type of fighting but deep down, after years upon years of fighting, what he’d been taught in the arena, how he’d been taught to fight, was what inevitably took over and controlled his body.

Technoblade couldn’t change that. He had tried and he just couldn’t. He just couldn’t be like Skeppy and Dream. 

“Techno, okay follow me. Dream you keep focusing on that dummy and when I come back, you best not have been hit!”

Too concentrated on keeping himself on his feet, Dream could reply back with no more than a quick yes before having to bring his sword to his side to block another attack. 

Away from the room, Skeppy started walking and Technoblade followed, up until they walked through another door, which Techno had never been through before. It wasn’t too different from the large fighting area. Although it was a lot smaller and there was a desk in it with little rocks decorating it. 

“Feel free to take a seat.”

Skeppy rounded the desk and sat behind it in the only chair on that side. Technoblade walked towards two other chairs, on the opposite side of the desk and slowly lowered himself down into one, uncertainty about what was going on or was going to happen gnawing away at his insides.  

“I’ll be entirely honest with you here, Techno.”

That never meant anything good. Technoblade knew that. It had his shoulders drooping and his heart beating too fast to be normal. 

“Your fighting style isn’t what I’m used to. I'm sure that’s obvious enough.”
The way Skeppy laughed afterwards did nothing to calm the tension polluting the atmosphere around them. 

Instead, it just had Techno’s body going stiffer and running hotter. 

“You’re strong. I can see that clearly when you do fight. And I know a lot of that does have to do with the arena and the ruthlessly inhumane training and practises they forced you through and the thousands of fights you had no choice to compete in. That’s why I wanted to speak to you about this here rather than in front of Dream.”

The reminder of the arena had Techno sinking further into his seat, avoiding looking at Skeppy at all. Instead, his attention was focused on the array of rocks in the room. Looking at the colours and their shapes in an attempt to distract himself from the memories of that place. It didn’t work by the way. 

Also remembering that, eventually Techno would have to explain to Dream what he’d lived through and what he’d done, only made the boy feel worse. Over the past few weeks, he’d managed to escape doing that, dodging questions and just not answering, even if it was disrespectful and made him feel like a shit friend. 

But, some day, hopefully not soon, Technoblade would have to reveal what he’d done, even if it wasn’t to Dream, and that thought was daunting. 

“But I also know-“
Skeppy crossed one of his legs over the other and leaned back against his chair.  
“-it has to do with the fact that naturally, you’re born strong. Not because you’re a piglin hybrid. That does help though. But, just looking at you, feeling the energy and power that surges through you, it’s clear you harness a lot of strength. 

How you use that strength, well that’s up to you. My job here is to make sure that if you do eventually have to -not saying that you will because no one who cares for you will force you into a situation you don’t want but just in case something does happen and you are forced to defend yourself and the people around you- my job is to make sure you’re physically able to keep yourself alive. That’s what I’m here for Techno and I need you to know that sometimes, what you’re used to doing, how you’re used to fighting, isn’t exactly good for you and your health okay.”

“So I have to change how I fight?”

Skeppy quickly shook his head and leaned forwards so his hands were laid on the desk. A slight thump accompanied the action due to the rocks that were embedded in Skeppy’s skin. It had Techno thinking that maybe the rocks on the desk had come from Skeppy. The blues ones definitely had. The other coloured ones, well he wasn’t too sure about those but it would make sense. 

“I'm not saying you have to change it all. How you fight clearly suits you. I can see that. You move much smoothly and with much more ease when you’re  fighting how you want to fight.”

That was comforting to hear at least. Technoblade was just waiting for the incoming ‘but’ though. 

“ But -“
There it was.  
“-what I am trying to say is that some parts of how you fight may need to be altered. Including your uncontrollable urge to tackle everything you fight.”

“It worked for me in the past though.”
The innocence in Techno’s voice almost broke Skeppy but he just nodded and smiled sadly. 

“Yeah I know. I saw you…fighting in there . I had to and that was always your ending move, tackling your opponent to the ground. But, here, you don’t always have to do that. Sometimes doing that will get you more hurt than you think.”

“How?”

“Well, sometimes, unlike in the arena, people don’t fight one on one. If you’re busy tackling someone, focusing your entire attention on that one person, it may give an opening for someone else to attack you and hurt you and maybe even kill you.”

“ Oh .”

Techno knew people didn't always fight one on one. His last day in the arena, he didn’t fight one on one. But, what Skeppy was saying, wasn’t really something Technoblade had thought about before. 

Sometimes, in the moment, when he was on top of someone else, his fists battering their face, Techno’s mind went blank unwillingly and everything around him faded away. He typically would just forget about everything else and just allow the voices to control his movement. 

But, if that happened now, in a different setting, what Skeppy was saying may just be true. And Technoblade didn't want to be hurt again, let alone be killed. 

It had him thinking that maybe it was good to try to break his habit of always tackling, even if it had worked in the past. Before, he was only trying to stop because it was what Skeppy wanted. But now, if he didn’t change his ways, it may result in Techno’s death and that would mean he’d lose everything. 

“Okay.”

“Okay?”
Skeppy questioned, his confusion of the quick compliance on his face. 

“Yeah okay. I know that- well what you’re saying makes sense and I’ll try stop.”

“That’s-that's good then. You don’t have to change everything of course. That would be the worst thing because then you wouldn’t be able to move as freely and the main part of fighting is to be one with yourself. But, just try thinking about being more open with your attention, rather than focusing it entirely on one person, or one training dummy in this case. That has given me a good idea though.”

Skeppy whispered the last bit to himself and looked to the side. Haziness clouded his eyes and this time, it was Technoblade’s face that scrunched up but he didn’t question it. He just sat there until Skeppy came back to reality and led them back out into the training area, where Dream was still defending himself, tiredness obvious in the sluggish movements of his body and the sheen of sweat glinting his skin. 

After a few more fights against the dummies, Technoblade actually trying to not impulsively tackle, only succeeding once, which wasn’t a lot but enough to make Skeppy happy which made Techno happy, they were allowed to go. The sudden coldness of the outside was actually appreciated by the pair as it soothed the burning of their bodies from the excessive movements. The sweat coating their skin slowly dried and Dream chugged the air like he had been deprived of it for hours. 

“I hate training sometimes.”

“You’re telling me.”

Dream huffed a laugh at his friend’s response and shrugged his cloak on when the coldness started to bite at his skin. Techno just continued walking, the heating enchantment keeping him warm enough to walk around freely without having the coldness to be too much of an issue. It was still there, biting at his skin, but not enough to hurt. 

“When do you think Skeppy will finally let us fight each othe?”
A rock went flying forwards as Dream shoved his hands into his pockets. 

“It has to be soon surely. We’ve been training alongside each other for ages now.”
Techno kicked the rock when he approached it, making it stumble forwards, more in Dream’s line of walking. 

“Yeah. I don’t know why he hasn’t allowed it yet anyway. I know he’s been concentrating on the disruption at the border with Borealis and sorting that out so maybe that’s why. We’re clearly evenly matched, in terms of strength. Although I definitely am stronger than you.”
Dream kicked the rock, much further this time. 

“Big headed much?”
Technoblade laughed and knocked his shoulder with Dream’s, walking past the rock and not kicking it this time. 

“What can I say? I'm just very confident in my abilities.”

“More like egotistical.”

“I am not egotistical, Techno!”

“Are you sure about that?”
He levelled the blonde boy with a deadpan look but couldn’t help the way his smile peeked through. 

“Yes! You-You-how dare you think I’m egotistical? Wait till I get my hands on you! I’ll show you I’m better!”

Both boys went running, Technoblade laughing and Dream screaming threats. Before, Techno may have taken a few of those threats seriously and tried to profusely apologise. Now though, it was obvious the way that Dream was joking. His amusement bled into his words clearly and that gave Technoblade the confirmation he needed to know to play along with the joke. 

Even if that meant having to run all the way from the training arena to the castle with a screaming boy behind him, who was spewing insult after insult at him with a mix of death threats alongside them. 

“Dream. Techno. Why are you running?”

Off to the side, just coming out of the main entrance of the castle where the two boys were running up the steps to, Wilbur appeared with a saddle draped over his arms and his guitar strapped to his back. His typical yellow beanie -the voices had said that that was some sort of hat- was keeping the puffy cloud of his hair trapped and he had boots ,which Wilbur always wore for horse riding, hiked high up his legs over a pair of dark pants. A classic white shirt ,with a cloak draped over his shoulders, was tucked into his pants. 

His outfit was similar to Dream and Techno’s in some ways. Although they didn’t have high boots on, rather ankle ones, and the boys instead wore black shirts instead of a white one like Wilbur’s. 

Just at the entrance of the castle, Dream tripped over the last step and went stumbling down with a yelp. Turning around, Techno couldn’t help but laugh, Wilbur doing the same behind him while he walked towards the two. His breathing slightly laboured, Technoblade stepped forwards with his hand outstretched to his friend on the floor. Dream looked at it insulted but gripped it anyway with a huff of defeat and allowed the piglin-hybrid to pull him up and back onto his feet. To say Dream was very good at keeping stable during fighting, he was quite clumsy in his day to day life. Techno found that fact amusing. 

“Techno says I’m egotistical.”

“Is he wrong?”

Dream’s entire face fell at Wilbur’s agreement and Technoblade smirked at the boy and stood next to Wilbur with his arms crossed. In height, Wilbur was a little taller but side by side, it appeared that Techno was much bigger, more to do with his wider shoulders and bigger arms from fighting. Wilbur was much leaner, little muscle but enough not to make him look like a complete stick. His height at the age of 14 was enough to make him look threatening in his own way. 

“I am not egotistical! You’re both wrong!”
Arms flailing around him, like they always did when he was trying to argue his case, Dream threw the two boys who, looking at them now, appeared very much similar in Dream’s eyes. 

“Whatever helps you sleep at night, Dream.”

Techno raised an eyebrow at the way Dream’s mouth opened again, about to fight against Techno’s claim again, but was cut off by Wilbur. 

“I assume you’re heading up to the study Techno. Dad’s already in there, well he was when I last checked.”

Ignoring Dream for now, which only aggravated the blonde more, Technoblade turned to Wilbur and nodded in agreement. 

“Yeah. He said I was doing something called ‘scouting’ today.”

“What?! You get to do scouting. That’s not fair! Especially when I’m stuck with horse riding for the rest of the day.”

Technoblade simply shrugged. He still didn’t know what scouting was but if Wilbur was upset that he wasn’t allowed to join, then it must have been something good. That made him excited. 

“You think he’ll let me tag along?”
Dream piped up now, reminding the other two that he existed within this conversation. 

Wilbur turned to him with a false smirk, making Dream smile hopefully.  
“Absolutely not. Not with what happened the last time you tagged along with Tubbo.”

Dream’s smile dropped and he winced a little at the memory of the last time that Wilbur was speaking about. Okay, it wasn’t like it was his fault Tubbo had thought it was a good idea to try take home a bees nest. That wasn’t at all anything to do with the fact Dream spurred him on to do it. It was all Tubbo. None of that was Dream’s fault. None of it. 

Still, he somewhat agreed that maybe it was for the best that he wasn’t tagging along with Techno. This would be the piglin-hybrid’s time scouting and Dream’s mischief and bad ideas would probably not help at all when he was trying to learn the layout and best spots and various animals in the surrounding area. Maybe he’d try tagging along at a later time. Scouting with Techno sounded fun anyway. Yeah, Dream was definitely going to try to scout with Technoblade at some point. Even if he had to fight tooth and nail against Phil and his mum to make it happen. It would be worth it. 

There was a pause in the conversation and Wilbur cleared it with a cough and then started walking down the stairs Dream and Techno had just run up. 

“I best be off then. I'm sure Hannah will throw a fit if I’m late again. Plus, this is our last lesson for a while before she goes off to Borealis so bye guys.”

“Yeah. I agreed to help mum in the infirmary so she’s expecting me. See you soon, Techno.”

Once Dream and Wilbur had walked off, that left Techno alone and he decided it was probably time for him to go meet Phil as well so that’s where he headed. 

It had become a schedule at this point. Training with Dream in the morning and then he’d meet Phil or ,sometimes Bad when Phil was busy, to study. 

Sometimes it was fun. Techno liked learning about certain things like literature and battle tactics. Sitting was never his favourite thing, it mainly just consisted of him waiting for the worst in the past, but listening to Phil explain and read extracts with that gentle tone and help Techno when he was struggling, the pink-haired boy would sit forever for that 

Maths and science though, he’d rather die than sit through learning about that. Phil made it enjoyable to some extent but maths and science were just painful in themself. 

In the beginning, Technoblade was confused as to why he needed to do this. They never taught him anything besides fighting in the arena so why would he need to learn about the human body’s insides and how exactly a potion was made and used? Was that normal?

Phil explained that it was though. That this was a part of every child’s upbringing. Wilbur and Tommy had lessons and were taught similar things ,with additions like horse riding, and because Techno was deprived of proper education because of where he’d grown up, he was very far behind the two, even Tommy who was 4 years younger than him. 

To his pleasure though, as well as Phil’s, in the two months he'd been studying with the man, Techno had picked up everything very quickly, sometimes with a little confusion and many many tries when it came to certain things. The voices were helpful with further explaining and helping to make everything make sense though so Techno was grateful for that. 

It was shocking how quickly a routine had been created though and as the month passed, Techno found that he was much more comfortable in his place here. When he was alone with Phil and got things wrong or made the man wait as he tried to understand, Technoblade didn’t fear that he’d be punished. When he messed up training with Skeppy and Dream, Technoblade’s first thought wasn’t that he’d get thrown away like garbage because of it or hit to try to make sure he remembered what was correct. When he woke up in the night with nearly no air in his lungs, Technoblade didn’t think that the person who had found him, whether it was Phil or Wilbur, though it was mainly Wilbur now, would shout at him for disturbing their sleep. 

Technoblade wasn’t scared like he used to be. He felt like…he was welcomed and that was the best feeling ever. 

Sometimes he would feel out of place. Like when Wilbur and Tommy were shouting and arguing with each other. Or when Phil would pull the two into a hug and smile at them with so much love. Times that made Techno feel like he didn’t belong here with them. 

But, then, he’d look around when he was eating food with Wilbur, Tommy and Phil and laughing with them, or when he and Dream were bickering and tormenting each other, or when Puffy was braiding his hair and teaching him how to do it himself, and Technoblade would feel like this may just be where he was created to be. With these people , enjoying these times and any bit of fear that he didn’t deserve to be among them, bathing in the experience, would disappear and he’d just feel happy. 

Technoblade was happy. 

“Aahh Techno, you’re here.”

Too lost in his own mind, Technoblade hadn’t realised that he was in the study he was always taught in until he heard Phil’s voice. The man walked around the desk and approached Techno with a large smile. The boy mirrored it and nodded. 

“Yeah. Sorry I’m a little late. I was speaking to Dream and Wilbur.”

“It’s fine. I have everything prepared already so we should be out of the castle in no time for today’s lesson. I just need to go get Tubbo and Tommy.”

“Tubbo and Tommy?”

Phil walked past him, making Techno turn around to follow him.  
“Yes. They’ll be accompanying us today on the scouting. They were supposed to have a scouting lesson yesterday but Eret fell sick so I decided it was best they join us today to make up for that. Is that okay with you?”

“Yes. It’s fine.”

Even if he was scared to disagree with Phil, which he wasn’t most of the time now, Technoblade found that it was actually okay to have Tommy and Tubbo joining them. Over the time spent with them, Techno knew they were a handful, always bouncing off each other’s energy, but they were fun to be around so Techno didn’t mind having them around today for his lesson. They’d make whatever this scouting was probably even more enjoyable. 

Wilbur would be pissed though that they were coming and not him. Techno wished that all 3 of them were joining Phil and him and even Dream but it was alright. Maybe next time. 

Hopefully next time because there would be a next time. Technoblade was certain of that now. 

Chapter Text

“You see that plant there, Techno? Yeah, the one Tommy’s approaching right now.”

Phil’s arm was outstretched to his left and Techno leaned forward ,around the man, to see the exact plant he was speaking about. Poking through the glistening whiteness of the floor were leafs, similar in colour and shape to the others but bunched up under a tree where Tommy was walking to. Tubbo followed behind, animatedly talking as his hands moved with his words. 

Technoblade nodded and then peered back up at Phil who was already looking down at him. For a moment, Techno’s eyes flickered to the ground, reminders of words telling him to never look a man in the eyes rattling through his mind but they flicked back upwards a second later, just in time to notice the smirk slithering its way onto Phil’s lips. 

“Well, that just happens to be-“

“Tommy, do not touch that! It’s poison ivy!”
Tubbo screeched, practically running to pull Tommy away from where he was crouching down to stroke the leaves of the so-called ‘poison ivy’. 

Silly
Isn’t he good at this?  
Tubbo clutch
Tommy poisoned 

Technoblade shook his head at the murmuring in his mind and followed Phil as he walked towards the two younger boys. 

“Tubbo, don’t be silly. I know what poison ivy looks like.”
The blonde one of the duo pulled his arm out of Tubbo’s grasp only to take another step forwards again. 

“Tommy, I'm being serious. Don’t touch it! Phil tell him. Tell him it’s poison ivy.”

Techno and Phil were basically next to Tubbo and Tommy now and the urgent look on Tubbo’s face was almost amusing when you took into consideration how Tommy’s was the exact opposite. It perfectly described their dynamic honestly. 

“Tommy, maybe it would be wise to actually listen to Tubbo once in a while. After all, we don’t want a repeat of the last time you managed to touch poison ivy.”

With the addition of his father’s opinion, Tommy actually took a step away- well, he more jumped backwards like a snake was going to bounce out of the trees and attack him. Phil’s chest rumbled with a laugh and even Techno was smiling at the boy, one hand laid on the strap of the bag on his back as he hiked it up his shoulder again. 

“I told you Tommy. You never listen to me.”
Arms crossed over his chest and a fierce expression on his face, Tubbo turned his back to his friend and huffed, the warm breath coming from his mouth vaporising as soon as it made contact with the coldness around them. 

“I didn’t know you were actually telling the truth and not just pulling my leg!”
Tommy’s wings ruffled on his back, causing the cloak that laid around them to shift slightly. 

Tubbo shrugged, a bothered facade on show but it was obvious to see the smile trying to peek through his lips.  
“You should have listened to me anyway. You didn’t last time and ended up having to rub your wings against a wall like a dog to itch them.”

Phil was full blown laughing now and had leant against a tree to just simply observe the boy’s. Whatever this last time was, Tommy didn’t appreciate having it brought up because his face turned a deep violent red, not because of the biting cold this time, and he struggled to get his words out. 

“You-why-you. Tubbo I’m going to kill you!”

The minute he darted forwards, Tubbo screeched and ran in the opposite direction, away from Tommy and towards Phil and Techno. Snow crunched under the weight of his feet, leaving unnatural indents in his path.

Before a new fight could ensue between the two, Phil grabbed onto the back of Tommy’s cloak and held him back. The young boy’s legs moved uselessly and hopefully like it would make him move faster but Phil’s grip was strong and Tommy couldn’t move an inch closer. Tubbo stopped running, a little behind Techno now, peeking around the hybrid to see what was happening. 

“Tommy, I let the two of you tag along as long as you promised not to fuck about. This is Techno’s first time scouting and he doesn’t need to be distracted by you two bickering and fighting.”

Phil had donned his ‘dad’ voice again, as the Voices like to call it and Techno could agree with that, especially with how it made both Wilbur and Tommy actually listen and do as Phil said. Like, how right now, Tommy stopped struggling and nodded, eyes flickering to Tubbo who was also nodding, a slightly guilty look pulling down his face. 

Satisfied Tommy would actually listen and not go for Tubbo again, Phil let go of his cloak and Techno watched as Tommy rolled his shoulders before turning around and looking at his dad. Tubbo revealed himself from behind Techno and went to stand back next to Tommy. The two simply just smiled at each other this time, all malice and urge to kill the other gone. That happened a lot actually. 

Technoblade had observed over his time with the two that they were almost complete opposites of each other and yet the same person but in different bodies. Sometimes Tommy acted like he was completely off his head, bouncing off walls and speaking in a volume that seemed much too loud to come from such a small child and Tubbo would be silent, simply observing and laughing. Other times Tubbo would be a complete maniac, much deadlier and more psychotic than Tommy to the point it was concerning and Tommy did nothing but add to the fuel. 

Together the pair was basically unmanageable but also a delight. You’d never know which type you’d get on the day and Technoblade always looked forward to seeing how they’d act whenever he saw them. Whether it was calm and polite or violent and feral, he didn’t mind. Techno liked both sides, entertained by them either way as he watched. 

“Okay, now we’re all civil again.”
Phil gave Tubbo and Tommy another look and the pair focused anywhere but on the older man.  
“Today, we’re mainly focusing on the terrain. I don’t want you looking for any of the animals or going after them. Don’t get distracted by the plants either. Just focus on learning what’s around you and the landmarks.”

“That’s boring though.”
Tommy moaned, stomping his foot like the child he claimed not to be. 

“Yeah! Can’t we hunt? I like hunting.”
Tubbo was much more reasonable with his disagreement but still held that childish disheartening as he argued. 

“Not today boys. I want to know that every single one you know the layout of the land like the back of your hand. If anything were to happen and you get lost or have to run, I want to be certain that you’d be able to find your way to a safe place or back to the castle. That’s why I need you to learn what’s where and how to distinguish certain things. There are hideouts in these woods you need to know in case the castle is ever unsafe. Wilbur and Dream have done this and so must you three. Do you understand?”

All 3 of them nodded and Phil smiled at them all, nodding to himself. 

“That’s good. First, we’re going to be walking about and I’ll be pointing out certain landmarks you need to learn and remember. Some of them will be significant, others not so much. The non-significant ones you will have to use to deter anyone that may be following you. The significant ones will help you find hideouts. After, you’ll go off on your own to find me at one of the hideouts so I know you’ve been listening and have actually learnt.”

“What if we can’t find it?”
Techno asked and Phil turned to him with a shrug. 

“Well, I guess you’ll be spending the night in the woods then.”

The response had all 3 boys going stiff and their reaction made Phil laugh again, his head falling back as he did and the feathers of his wings shaking with the rumble of his chest. 

“I’m kidding boys. I’ll just come get you and we’ll have to try again. Does that make sense?”

Tommy, Tubbo and Technoblade answered with their own form of agreement, relieved to know they actually wouldn’t have to sleep in the woods tonight if they failed, and Phil nodded at them before walking again. The beginning of the scouting seeming to have begun as Tommy, Tubbo and Techno followed behind him. 

The woods which surrounded the Antarctic Empire like its own natural wall of defence was massive to say the least. Trees spanned on for what felt like miles, tall and small ones mixed together like a perfect gradient. Ancient, eroded structures sprouted from the ground, weathered away with time and their origins unknown. Phil pointed them out, showing certain enscribings that weren’t understandable at first to any of the boys but later, after being explained by the man, were supposedly used as a hint to the direction hide outs were. 

It was quite smart actually. Having hideouts in the woods. The Voices agreed with Technoblade’s observation too. Thinking it was genius actually to have safe places to keep people alive in emergencies. 

Phil as well as his entire empire and colleagues had obviously planned vicariously to keep themselves and the people of the town safe. Techno wasn’t sure if everyone learnt to scout and knew where these hideouts l were or if it was just the children of the castle but it was clear to see that the higher officials of the empire had their survival in mind if anything were to happen. 

Phil had assured them that the likelihood of an attack wasn’t very high. Technoblade believed that wholeheartedly as well; he’d seen the defence and strength of the Antarctic Empire and would fear to ever have to be against them in the time of war. But, knowing where to go in emergencies was ‘extremely important ’, as Phil proclaimed. It also helped to relieve everyone else's stress in times where they needed to be concentrated because it assured them that their children would be somewhere safe and not in any danger. 

Eventually, the sun shifted from the middle of the sky to about ¾’s down, brightness turning to incoming darkness, and Phil led them to a specific place. The same one they’d begun in, with the poison ivy and then just disappeared. 

“What? Where’d he go? Have we just been ditched? Am I being put up for adoption?”
Tommy screeched, turning around in a circle as if that would help him spot his dad. 

“Don’t be stupid Tommy. This is obviously the part of the scouting where we have to find our way to the safe house. Remember? Phil said that at the beginning.”

“Oh. Okay then. Let’s go bitches.”

Leading the way, the complete wrong way may Techno add , Tommy started skipping. Tubbo shot Technoblade a look, a look that said they were so doomed, but the piglin-hybrid just shrugged and followed the avian, leaving Tubbo to shuffle behind, grumbling in protest under his breath  

For what it was worth, Tommy did end up leading them to the same ruined structure as before. How that was possible, Life knows but it definitely took longer to get there than it did before. Tubbo leant down and deciphered the inscription which was something he was surprisingly good at, and started walking in a specific direction, Techno and Tommy following behind. 

Throughout the whole experience, Techno kept his ears and eyes on full alert. Any noise he registered and concentrated on for any signs of a threat. Movement in the surroundings were investigated from afar until Techno could make them out to be just animals. It was with this awareness that he first noticed Tommy running in the complete opposite direction. 

The blonde boy’s legs moved rapidly, twigs snapping under his steps, to the left and Technoblade’s eyes blew wide as he watched him. In the far distance, the sound of water crashing against the land had his feet staying firm in their spot. 

Tubbo too eventually noticed Tommy’s quick diversion and ran after the boy. Pure sheer worry for the two younger boys overpowered Technoblade’s deep rooted fear of the crashing waves and he followed after them, ears flickering at Tubbo’s shouts. Still, Tommy didn’t stop. He just kept running. Why? Fuck knows. 

He only stopped when they got to a clearing. After Tubbo halted, hands laid on his knees as he heaved in deep breaths, Technoblade stopped too and looked around. Just next to a river Tommy stood. Next to him was a horse. That’s what he must have been running after. It was awkwardly bending down to try get some of the water but couldn’t because the dip from the land to the water. 

The mere sound of the water had Technoblade going stiff earlier. Seeing it now, so much of it, violently travelling downstream, almost sent him into cardiac arrest. And Tommy was so close to it as well. That didn’t help lessen his worry and fear. 

“To-Tommy get away from the water please.”
Techno begged, having to urge his feet to move closer.  

“The horse wants some water though. Just let me get some and then we can continue okay?”

Fucking hell. Was Tommy trying to kill him? Techno was certain he was. Especially when he knelt down on the river bed and leant closer to the water. The minute his hands dipped under, Techno’s entire heart leapt into his throat. It was like every single one of his emotions was holding him captive, preventing him from speaking or moving. 

Tommy brought the water, cupped in his hands, to the horse’s mouth and it slurped it up. As soon as it was all gone, Technoblade was relieved and he got ready to start walking away. Just to see Tommy leaning down and scooping up more water. 

This time though, just like Technoblade worried, the land beneath Tommy’s knees started to crumble slightly. Dirt scattered into the water, only to be swept away like it never existed. Tommy didn’t care though. If he could hear just how hard Techno’s heart was beating or how heavily the boy was breathing, maybe he would have taken a step away. But, no, instead he just leaned in closer, his arms outstretched until-

In the blink of an eye, the land beneath Tommy’s legs completely disappeared and the boy went crashing into the water below. The horse screeched, kicking its legs and darting away just as Tubbo and Techno went running forwards. 

“Oh my god! Toms! Tommy!”

Tubbo got as close to the water as he could, still cautious of the land below and both he and Techno leaned forwards to see a single one of Tommy’s hands above the water, flailing and struggling, before his head popped up, mouth wide and face completely red from the cold. In a second, it was shoved back under and he was brushed further downstream. The two of them ran along the land, hands outstretched and both of them screaming either Tommy’s name or for Phil to help. 

Yet, as they hit a barricade of trees and Tommy continued moving further down, Phil hadn’t appeared and Tommy hadn’t magically teleported back onto the land. 

Looking at the trees stopping them from going any further and Tommy being assaulted by the water, Technoblade had only one thought in mind, hesitation a fleeting thought, and went diving in immediately, no thought of the consequences or his fear beforehand. Tubbo’s quick shout was cut off by the crashing suffocating hug of the waves as they bit and scratched at his skin. 

The initial contact, the coldness and wetness stole Technoblade’s breath right from his lungs and it was like everything he was thinking was swept away with the water. Desperately, he kicked his legs, untangling them from the imaginary grip of the water and batted his attackers away helplessly with his arms. 

Every sense was blocked. Water rushed into his ears, his mouth, his nose, his eyes. A burning sensation ate away at his brain and his throat felt as if it was on fire. The lack of oxygen had his lungs screaming, screaming, screaming. 

Up!
Air!
Techno you need air!  
Go up!

Crashing through the surface, Technoblade’s mouth desperately gulped down all the air he could. Some clarity returned to his brain, and despite the stinging, his eyes darted around urgently until they caught sight of bright red clothing and damp blonde hair. Tommy’s cloak seemed to be stuck on a branch just left of Techno and just before the piglin-hybrid went back under, he could see the sluggish, tired movements on Tommy’s limbs. 

Then all of a sudden, he was being shoved back down by the brute hands of the monster he’d always feared. This time though, Techno didn’t let his fear grasp him. He didn’t let his panic hold his body hostage. He had to save his brother. He needed to save his brother. 

Instead, Technoblade tried his hardest to fight the current and swim left. Even under water, the red vibrancy of Tommy’s cloak deeply contrasted the blueness of the murky water swallowing them. With too much struggle and more pain, Techno outstretched his hand and grabbed it, the horrible dampness feeling like pure lava under his fingers. 

He used that grip to pull himself forwards and all of a sudden, the water shoved Techno back upwards above the water. Biting cold nipped at the wetness of his skin, making him feel like he was on fire. But, he could see Tommy. He could see a motionless Tommy, eyes closed and head lolled backwards onto a slightly lower back of the river bed. 

This time when Techno's body was flooded with panic, it wasn’t because of the water surrounding him. It was because of the idea of his brother being dead before him. 

Even if the water protested, trying to take him away just like it had Tommy, Techno fought with all his strength to grab onto the land, his hands slipping so many times, almost sending him to his own untimely death. He relented though and eventually, with the help of a protruding root, Techno managed to get a firm grasp, firm enough to keep himself afloat even if his body felt weak to the point it just wanted to give in and feel peace. 

The voices screamed for him to continue though and with another grip of Tommy’s cloak, Techno lifted him upwards, using the last of his strength to push Tommy up and into safety. The boy’s body landed with a slump but Tommy didn’t move. Not even under the sudden impact. 

As Techno scraped to get himself up, the water dragging him down, his foot slipped and he went falling again. Memories flooded his mind. All good memories and he thought that maybe this was what Tommy saw when he first fell. His life flashing before his eyes, a final reminder of all he’d done and enjoyed. If this was what Tommy saw, then maybe he didn’t go so miserably. 

Still he shouldn’t have ever gone. He was too young but at least he went with some happiness, experiencing the love and joy he’d always had in his final moments. That’s what Techno felt. That’s what Techno felt when-

His hand gripped onto a root and Techno was no longer falling, instead, he was stuck. The barks dug into his fingers, cutting and squeezing them. That was the least of his problems right now though. Techno’s lower half was being engulfed by the water, whilst the upper half of his chest and head stayed afloat. A burning sensation erupted in his shoulder but the adrenaline washed that away. 

His position was dangerous, hanging on for life with one single root that could give out at any moment to keep him up but Techno still had hope and with another harsh tug, he pulled himself up. His legs kicked beneath him, digging into the side to help push himself up and eventually one of them got caught on a rock and Techno used that to get another final push and he leapt up, crawling desperately to get out of the hands of a monster that had always haunted him. 

Now, with the ability to get as much air as possible, Techno couldn’t feel any difference in his lungs. They still were on fire but this time, the coldness of the air around them only worsened it. He started coughing, water coming up from his stomach until Technoblade was completely hurling everything he’d eaten prior to this scouting mission. His stomach scraped up everything it had until there was nothing but an empty gruelling pit. Even then, Technoblade heaved up nothing. His throat restricted over and over again. His body doubled over and Techno took a look around only to see- Fucking hell Tommy. Oh Tommy. 

Any thought of his own struggle disappeared and Techno stumbled over his own feet to get to Tommy, falling too many times to keep count. As soon as he made contact with the boy’s skin, it was clear to Technoblade it was too cold to be natural. 

Like he’d seen many people do in the arena, Technoblade brought his hands down on Tommy’s chest and started to pump. They shook and protested under the movement but he didn’t stop. 

Techno wasn’t sure what that would do but as he continued, pumping again and again and again and again, it seemed pretty hopeless. Techno didn’t give up though. He kept going and going and going. 

Words begged to leave his mouth, begged to plea with Tommy to wake up, to just breathe, to come back to him, to be here, to, to, to. Tommy was dead. To-Tommy was dead. Tommy was dead beneath Technoblade’s hands but he couldn’t stop. He couldn’t stop. He couldn’t. He couldn’t. He couldn’t. Tommy was dead. Technoblade couldn’t. 

Tears had started pouring down his face and sobs pushed their way up through the struggles of his throat. Techno pushed, sobbed, pushed, sobbed, pushed. A repeated cycle but Tommy didn’t move. Tommy didn’t move once. 

“To-To..mmy pl..ea.se.”

Techno managed to get out before coughing again. He hunched over as his stomach fought against itself again, forehead laid on Tommy’s chest. That only reminded him of how it wasn’t moving, how Tommy wasn’t breathing and Techno only sobbed harder. 

“To..mmy. Co-Come o-on. To-Tom..my ple..ase. T…om..mmy.”

Technoblade lifted his head up, a headache forming and achingly brought his hands back up to Tommy’s chest. As he pressed down, they gave up, sending him face first into Tommy’s chest and Techno just started crying. Full blown crying and sobbing as he clung to the motionless body of his brother. 

His begs were lost in the wet fabric of the boy’s ruined and ripped clothes and they somehow managed to soak up the rest of his tears. But they just kept coming and coming and coming. And Tommy wasn’t coming back. Tommy wasn’t coming back and-and Techno couldn’t help. Technoblade couldn’t help. He was useless. Tommy wasn’t coming back. He couldn’t-Techno couldn’t-he couldn’t-

“To..mmy.”

With one final ounce of strength, Techno pushed himself up and brought his hands back down harshly on Tommy’s chest. 

“Tommy!”

A swarm of blackness escaped Techno’d mouth, like a cloud of darkness and Technoblade’s eyes widened. The darkness whispered and swirled like a swarm of bees. Technoblade hadn’t seen anything like it before. 

It disappeared into Tommy’s face, through his eyes, his nose, his mouth, his ears. Everywhere and then the boy was moving again. His chest shot upwards first and gargled coughs blocked his airways. 

Technoblade quickly, body slurred with shock and amazement but moving nervously with relief and urgency, tilted the boy’s head to the side to let the water and vomit escape, just like it had Techno’s mouth only moments ago. Tommy coughed and heaved for a considerable amount of time,  his own tears darting down his cheeks and Technoblade just held him, convincing himself that this was real. That Tommy was awake. He was alive. He was breathing. His brother was back. Technoblade’s brother-Tommy was back. This was-This was real. This was 100% real. 

“Tommy! Techno! Please! Answer me! Tommy! Tech- oh my Life. Tommy! Techno!”

From the bushes, a blur of green mushed together in Techno’s hazy vision and even if he wanted to defend his family and himself, he couldn’t. His body was simply too weak and he just wanted to sleep. His eyes urged to close but Tommy-he needed to make sure Tommy was safe. The only way he could think of doing that right now was enveloping the boy’s body with his own body, covering it entirely so any impact would strike his back because that was okay. As long as Tommy was safe. Technoblade would take any type of pain as long as his brother was okay. 

“Tommy! Techno, please-please let me see Tommy!”

Technoblade held on tighter, the feeling of his grasp on reality slipping making the boy feel powerless and useless. A gentle hand cupped the back of his head and Techno flinched in closer, Tommy’s coughs and sobs rattling from the piglin-hybrid’s ears into his brain. The young boy’s chest moved at an alarming rate below Techno but at least it was moving now. At least it was moving. Techno could be thankful for that. At least Tommy was breathing again. 

“Techno. It’s okay. It’s okay. Just-Just let me look at Tommy. I need-I need to make sure the both of you are okay. Please Techno.”

Please Techno. Please Techno. Please Techno. The voice-that-that. 

“Ph…il.”

“Yeah. It’s me. It’s me Techno. I’m here. I’m here now. You’re safe. Both you and Tommy are safe now. Please just let me have a look at him. I need-I need to make sure he’s still alive.”

Slowly uncurling himself from the boy, Technoblade lifted himself up, his arms stumbling beneath him slightly but with a little help from Phil, Techno sat back, letting Phil get a look at the both of them. 

The man looked like he was on the verge of pulling out his hair. Tears streaks painted his cheeks and his wings nervously shook behind him and Techno-Techno could-Techno could. Techno couldn’t see. He-He couldn’t see. That was the last thing he could remember before everything went black. He couldn’t see. 

Technoblade couldn’t see. 

Chapter Text

The darkness was back. It completely swallowed up Techno’s vision but this time, his own haziness distorted the sight of his surroundings. Even if it was entirely black, his eyes blurred, making the endless void seem like it wasn’t even there and maybe it wasn’t. Maybe this was just a figment of Techno’s mind. A place it had taken him to calm him down. Maybe it wasn’t even-

“We weren’t supposed to meet again for a while, my child.”

Technoblade’s head shot to the side, just like last time. But this time, his body wasn’t ever immobilised. His limbs weren’t ever held and his movement wasn’t restricted at all. From the moment he opened his eyes, he was free to move. That was entirely different to the last time he was here.  

“What-What happened? Why am I here?”

The Blood God was close now. Only a few steps away and even though the man still scared Techno a little, enough to make him cautious, the boy didn’t take any steps away. He just stood and waited, his vision finally returning back to normal and letting him make out more defined details rather than just the overall silhouette of the God before him.

“You’re here to let your body heal. You’ve put it through a lot recently.”

“I have?”

“You have. Come and rest.”

Contrary to the endless darkness Techno had gotten somewhat used to- if you could get used to seeing nothing in a place that was definitely something-, there was now things in the distance and even if he wasn’t moving, it was moving to him. 

As it got closer, this time Techno did take a step back but the Blood God did the exact opposite. He walked closer and when Technoblade blinked, the moving things had stopped and he could make out a- was that a couch? And a fire? How the fuck was there a couch and fire here? In his mind? 

At this point, he shouldn’t even be questioning that. A lot of things -just being here and speaking to this God- didn’t make any sense, no matter how much he pondered over them. Techno was beginning to realise that anything that happened here, in his dream, should just be accepted with no sort of questioning or confusion. Anything seemed possible here. 

“Come. I promise it won’t hurt you, my child.”

Technoblade still eyed the furniture up suspiciously. As a demonstration to his words, the Blood God took a seat on the couch and leaned back, no sort of pain being inflicted. His eyes were unmoving, not even blinking. It was unnerving the way they just stared at him and that was enough to make Techno do as he was told and start moving. 

Slowly, he lowered himself down onto the sofa and the second he was completely sat, it was like he was floating on pure softness. The cushions swallowed him whole, hugged his muscles so perfectly and rested against his skin softly. He’d never felt anything so comfortable. It almost made him just want to close his eyes and sleep. How did- wait Techno shouldn’t question it. Anything was possible here, remember. Even irreplaceable, to die for comfort. 

“I told you, my child. I mean no ill-intent upon you. I’m simply here to make your recovery bearable.”

“Why do you call me that?”

“Call you what? My child?”
His response was so nonchalant. Like it wasn’t the strangest thing to Technoblade. 

“Yeah. Why do you call me your child?”

“Because you are. You’re my child, Technoblade. You always have been.”

The Blood God spoke with such an air of confidence. He knew what he was saying and what he meant. On the other hand, Technoblade was still as confused as ever about what that meant. 

“But how? I-I didn’t-you didn’t-“

“No. Nothing like that. When a person is a God’s ‘child’ , like you are mine, it doesn’t hold the same meaning as human relationships do.”

“Then what does it mean?”

Technoblade shifted on the couch just to touch a pillow next to him. Without thought, similar to how he did in his own bed, he grabbed the pillow and placed it on his lap and gripped it tightly. This pillow, like the rest of the large cushions he was sitting on, was pure softness and his fingers simply sank into the material. Still, it gave him a sort of feeling of control and like he was grounded in a place where he couldn’t even see an end to the ground he stood on. 

“It means that you are mine. I have taken to you like a parent would a child. With my blessing bestowed upon you, it is my goal to help and look over you. And ,like a child would a parent, you can rely on me. We may not be biologically linked like human families are but mentally and eternally we are because of the bond that blessing creates. You are mine just as much as I am yours. You hurt, I hurt. I’m in pain, you’re in pain. With my magic flowing through you, we are one.”

Techno wasn’t sure what it was but as the God spoke it was like a sliver of calmness and peace that slithered into his ear and cuddled around his brain. His explanation was slightly confusing but with the way he spoke it, it was like it made Techno entirely understand it. 

The God’s words usually held grit to them, a roughness that grated against Technoblade’s eardrum. However, now, sinking into the material of the couch, the sound was similar to Wilbur’s when he sang; a well crafted melody that could lure him into a soundless sleep. 

But, Techno was already asleep. He wouldn’t be here if he weren’t and he had so many more questions to ask so even as his eyes fell heavy and a yawn ached it’s way up his throat, Techno’s brain moved quickly. 

“Why me though?” 

There was a pregnant pause between the two and for the first time, the Blood God turned away and looked off into the expanse of nothingness. He pondered over Techno’s response as the piglin-hybrid sank further into the cushions below him. 

“I felt your presence the very second you were born Technoblade.”

The Blood God turned back to him but now, his face had softened significantly. The wrinkled bags under his eyes smoothed themselves out into fatherly lines of a life that looked like it spent most of its time lecturing people and children alike. His mouth set into a thin line, a small tilt at one side as the God retreated back into his mind, seemingly thinking back on memories that held strong fondness. It was the same look Phil would wear when looking at his two sons from a distance. It was that look of happiness. 

“You were like a beacon. I felt your strength, your potential and your eventual pain. I felt it all and when I saw you, the second I laid my eyes on your small bundle of pink hair and barely-open ruby eyes, I felt your love and your childlike innocence. It was nothing I’d ever seen before and it was beautiful.”

These small pieces of Technoblade’s life, pieces of it that he’d forgotten or never had the chance to remember had tears sprouting to the boy’s eyes, especially with how the God phrased it. 

“I was instantly drawn to you. Life gifted you onto this earth for a purpose. A purpose I knew was to benefit everyone. You were destined for greatness. I could sense it. And I made a decision right there and then that whatever that purpose was, whatever you would eventually plan to be or do, I’d help you. I’d make you my child. My one and only child because I knew, no matter what you did, it would bring me nothing but proudness. Your development and who you are today has brought me nothing but proudness my child.”

A single tear escaped and Techno quickly brushed it away with his sleeve, embarrassment at the show of his emotions sizzling in his stomach. With a deep breath, Technoblade looked back up and this time, the God was completely smiling. His teeth were bared, teeth that were obscured at the bottom by tusks. One snapped and jagged at the end. Nonetheless, unlike the multiple times Techno had seen people bearing their teeth before, it didn’t hold any malicious promise or violent background. It was just…normal and peaceful. 

“You may not think it now or when it uncovers itself but what I’ve gifted you isn’t to harm you Techno. I never gave you my gift to hurt you or hate yourself or it. It’s to help you. You just need to learn how to harness it and with my help, that will be easier than you think.”
The God leaned forward, a single hand laid on Technoblade’s knee but he didn’t flinch back or try make the God withdraw it. Techno simply looked down at it, a fondness in his eyes that held little suspicion.  
“I want nothing but to aid you with becoming your best self and to reach your full potential. That’s all I’ve ever wanted, my child. I want to be here to help you.” 

“Why did you let me get hurt then?”

That one singular question was what tormented Technoblade endlessly. If what the Blood God was saying was true, then why did he allow Technoblade to go through years of pain and torture? Why did he leave Technoblade to suffer on his own, injured everyday and crying every night until it was beaten out of him? Why did this man just leave him to get used and abused? Why didn’t he help? Why didn’t anyone help? 

Months had passed since he’d finally realised what life really was, since he’d finally realised what being accepted and treated normally really was, and Technoblade had finally come to the realise that what happened to him wasn’t what he deserved. He was a child. An innocent child left to fend for himself in the hands of people who hurt and used him. He was a child. He didn’t deserve to be hit, to be screamed at, to be moulded into a child. Technoblade was just a child. He didn’t deserve any of that. And he’d finally realised that reality. He was a mere child, undeserving of the treatment those monsters tormented years of his life with  

He’d finally realised that he wasn’t different. That, just because he was a piglin-hybrid, he shouldn’t have been spat at, he shouldn’t have been kicked down over and over again, locked in a cage and punished for the tiniest mistakes. People shouldn’t have looked at Technoblade and labelled him as lesser than them because of his features. They shouldn’t have done that. 

So, why didn’t this God, this man who proclaimed to only want to help him, to protect him, stop them? Why didn’t he help Techno? Why? 

The Blood God’s hand tightened on Technoblade’s knee and he looked into the man’s eyes, momentarily distracted by the ragged scar that ran through the left one but it wasn’t long until eye contact was made again. 

“It isn’t my role to interfere in Fate’s plans. Fate is a God in himself and if I were to disrupt his plan, then the repercussions wouldn’t have just affected me and you, but everyone. We God’s must work together because we have everyone relying on us. If we fall into an imbalance because of disputes, then all of humanity suffers. If I were to have changed what Fate had planned for you, then he would have punished everyone. 

But you must believe me Technoblade, the pain you suffered, the horrors you endured, affected me just as much as they did you. As I said earlier, your hurt is my hurt. Every hit you took, every stab you got was inflicted upon me too and I longed everyday to get you out of the place. I begged Fate to change your path but Fate had it set in stone. All I could do was wait. Wait and hope it would get better.”

“And it did.”
Technoblade added with a small smile and the God nodded, his own smile growing. 

“It did. It got so much better, my child.”

“Why only now am I seeing you? Why not before? Why couldn’t you tell me this before?”

The God removed his hand from Techno's knee and leaned back, both hands now laid on his own knees. Surprisingly, the lack of warmth disappointed Technoblade and he frowned down at his knee, missing the contact. 

“With a stable home and people surrounding you that you feel comfortable and welcomed by, you're psychologically much stronger to be able to handle the truth. You’re able to think rationally, my child and realise that this is truth and not just fantasy. Imagine if I’d come to you before, a God, and told you that you were blessed and my child. You would have believed you were going crazy, wouldn't you?”

Although he didn’t want to admit it, Technoblade knew that was true and nodded. He would have believed it was something he’d conjured up in his mind to comfort him and make what happened to him understandable. Not a single thing he’d recently been told in these ‘dreams’ he would have believed. 

A silence fell upon them now and Technoblade realised he had no other questions to ask. He of course had questions. So many of them but right now, it didn’t feel suitable to ask them. Instead, he just relaxed back and let all the leftover tension simmer from his body. In here, Techno couldn’t be harmed, he knew that now, so he could let all his walls drop and finally just relax. 

But, then, another question popped up and Technoblade knew it was one he had to ask. 

“Why am I here now then? You said it was to let my body heal and you weren’t expecting me back so soon. What happened?”

The atmosphere, if it even could, got heavier and the Blood God sighed. 

“You don’t remember?”

Technoblade shook his head and only grew more confused. For the first time, the Blood God’s eyes fell shut and he sighed. They opened again but focused on the fire that somehow was lit. 

“There was an accident…with Tommy.”

“Tommy! What do you mean ‘an accident’?! What happened?!”

All tension quickly rushed back into Technoblade’s body and his muscle instantly became stiffer, the cushions no longer feeling as comfortable as before. The fact he couldn’t remember what the God was speaking about only made the situation worse. Why couldn’t he remember? 

The Blood God sighed again and he turned to Technoblade with a frown. 

“During your scouting with Phil, Tommy had fallen into a river and you’d jumped into to save him.”

As he spoke, a hazy form of Technoblade’s memories were returning. It was like a fog, clouded but still apparent. They existed but felt forged. 

“The trauma had a massive effect on Tommy’s body and he momentarily died.”

“Tommy’s dead! What-What? He’s dead!”

Technoblade shot up from the couch and his mind ran at rapid speeds whilst his heart shattered. Images of Tommy’s pale, cold, lifeless body flashed across Techno’s vision and it only made the situation 10x’s worse. It was like he was reliving the entire event. 

“No. He’s not dead anymore. You managed to crawl out of the river and with the strong emotions that flowed through your body at the time, the pain and despair, and the power of the voices, when you screamed it surged an ounce of your own power into his body and with Tommy’s own power, the two mixed and connected and shocked him back to life. He’s fine now, after a little recovery.”

The relief that surged through Technoblade’s body was like nothing he’d ever experienced. His whole body slumped and he fell harshly back onto the couch, mind lost with his astonishment and joy. Tommy wasn’t dead then. Tommy was okay. Technoblade didn’t need to mourn or cry or worry. Tommy was okay. He was okay now. 

Thank fuck Tommy was okay. Technoblade didn’t know what he would have done if the boy was indeed still dead. 

“And me? Where am I-where is my body right now?”

“You’re in recovery too. The toll of the entire disaster as well as the initial fear you had of water and how you shocked your body with its full force made it so you fell into a deep sleep my child. Usually, your body would do that to heal itself like it had before. It is also natural for you to experience times where you sleep longer and harder. That’s simply the piglin side of you trying to hibernate. That’s what you’re doing right now.”

“I’m…hibernating?”

“Putting it simply, yes. You’re sleeping and when you leave here, you’ll wake up there. That’s why I’d said you were here to let your body heal my child because that is the truth.”

Technoblade nodded, a little slower this time as he let the information settled. So, the times he felt like he couldn’t even walk because he was so tired, let alone operate his entire body, was because he was trying to hibernate. And that was completely normal. He didn’t need to worry about it being because he was dying or because he had something wrong with him. It was normal for Technoblade to want to sleep all day and just not move. His body was just regenerating itself. 

That was relieving to finally know. One more question ticked off his list. A thousand more to go. 

“And when am I going to wake up?”

The blood God shrugged.  
“When your body heals. That could be right now or in a few hours. Sleeping now, in this plane, will quicken the process and I can see the tiredness lingering in your body but if you wish to stay awake, that’s fine with me, my child. I’ll be here either way.”

“And-And you won’t let anything happen to me if I do sleep?”

“Of course not. You are my child and this is our home. Nothing can hurt you here. If you sleep, I will be right here Techno, protecting and looking over you. Always and forever. I promise you that.”

Technoblade once again nodded and with that reassurance and his newfound trust in this God, Techno finally settled back into the couch again and sighed. As his eyes closed finally, like they’d begged to for a while, he heard movement and peeked one eye open to see the Blood God standing only to sit himself down next to Technoblade. When the God met his eye, he smiled and its love and fondness had Techno closing his eyes again and letting his head fall back. 

The last thing Technoblade remembered was a heavy arm laying over his shoulder, a warm, buzzing but welcomed feeling on his cheek. The last thing he could remember was feeling safe. Technoblade was safe here. 

Chapter Text

“It’s been a month, Bad! A whole fucking month! Why hasn’t he woken up?! Tell me why he hasn’t woken up!”

“Phil I-“

“Don’t you dare fucking tell me you don’t know! A month! He’s been asleep for a fucking month! He should have woken up by now!”

Phil would have been cautious with the volume of his voice taking into consideration the boy that laid soundly next to him. But, like he’d said, Technoblade hadn’t woken up in a month so Phil heavily doubted that his shouting would wake the boy up now. 

“Phil, I don't know what to tell you. He-He-We don’t know why he isn’t awake. Maybe his body is healing. Maybe he’s simply too weak. Maybe-“

“I don’t want fucking maybes Bad! I want answers! I want to know why my- Techno hasn’t woken up!”
Phil’s fist came down on the medical stand next to Technoblade’s bed and the abrupt harshness had it crashing to the floor, the equipment scattering in all directions. 

Bad jumped -nearly out of his skin- and stepped away as Phil’s wings puffed out. He knew the man would never hurt him physically but in this frustrated, stressed state Phil was prone to very aggressive sprouts of destruction. Bad had seen it a handful of times in the past and with Technoblade -a boy Phil probably classified as his own son now, Bad guessed with the way he nearly slipped up calling him his son a moment ago- not awake yet, Phil was becoming increasingly frustrated and concerned. That led to him projecting his feelings onto anything he could. 

It didn’t help when the problems with Avenida were only growing. Hannah had managed to gather and relay information on their plans of invading the Antarctic Empire recently and that added stress was only making Phil more overwhelmed. They physically couldn’t do anything right now without harming Borealis so they were sitting ducks, waiting. 

Bad was surprised Phil hadn’t burst yet. 

“Dad.”
Tommy’s quiet voice, almost a whisper, broke through the fierce tension of the room like a knife. The two men swivelled around to see the boy standing in the doorway, both hands gripping the door tightly. 

Every piece of anger on Phil’s face quickly disappeared and his wings fell to the floor, no longer taking on their defensive posture. 

“Tommy what are you doing up? It’s past your bedtime.”

Phil’s shoes echoed around the much too quiet room and in no time, he was crouched in front of his youngest, hands on the boy’s shoulders. His eyes were struggling to stay open and it was clear Tommy had only just awoken again. 

Tommy frowned, eyes flickering to the motionless body of Technoblade behind his dad before looking his dad in the eyes again. 

“I-I had a nightmare. Can you tell me a story?”

“Of course Toms. Come on.”

Knees cracking as he did so, Phil rose from his crouched position and ,with one hand on Tommy’s shoulder, guided his son back to his room. Before closing the door to Techno’s room completely, he took one more glance back at the boy. Bad once again had his hand on the boy’s forehead, his palm and the skin underneath shining a bright white but still, Techno didn’t awake. 

At this rate, it would be a complete surprise if he did. With so much care and a family-bond created over the months together, this time when they had no reason for Technoblade not waking up, Phil felt like his whole body was being torn apart from the inside. It was torture not knowing what was going on with his son. It was even more torture knowing he couldn’t do anything to help it. Phil felt utterly and completely useless. 

What he could do now though was tuck Tommy in and tell him a story and that’s what he’d do. With Tommy tight beneath his quilt and his wings laid comfortable below him, Tommy turned his cheek onto the pillow, a frown still embedded on his lips. 

“Why won’t he wake up dad?”

Phil sighed and ran a gentle hand through his son’s hair. His own frown to match the boy’s. 

“I don’t know Tommy. I wish I did know but we can’t figure it out.”

“Is-Is he ever going to wake up?”
Tommy sounded like the answer to that question being a no would break him completely and Phil could understand why. He felt the exact same. 

“I’d like to think so. This same thing happened when Techno first came to the castle-“

“From the bad people?”
Tommy asked, voice laced with his innocence. After all, he didn’t exactly know who these bad people were, just that they’d given or been the reason Techno had all his scars. In Tommy’s books, they were the worst people. Anyone who harmed his family were the worst people. 

“Yes from the bad people. We believed it was his body trying to heal itself and give itself a rest and we believed that was what was happening this time. But, now we’re not too sure.”

“Because he’s been asleep too long?”

“Yes. We just don’t know Toms.”

Phil looked off into the window above Tommy’s bed and sighed again before looking back down at his son when he started to shift in the bed. Tommy was now sat up, legs crossed under the quilt. Phil’s hand fell from the boy's hair and Tommy gripped it tightly, making Phil smile fondly at how he’d always do that as a young child. 

“I miss Technoblade, dad. Don’t tell him this but he’s like a brother to me. If he found that out, his ego would only get bigger.”

Like it was a foreign concept to him now, Phil’s throat wrapped strangely around the sound of his laughter. With how Tommy whispered his words like there was someone listening in on them, even Technoblade himself, to the way he still somehow found a way to get a jab in at the piglin-hybrid despite the situation, Phil couldn’t help but laugh. It felt nice too after so long of worrying and constant fear 

“I miss him too Tom and don’t worry I won’t tell him that. As long as you don’t tell him that he’s like a son to me now.”
Phil leaned in and whispered that to Tommy, just like the boy had down to him. 

And it was the truth. Technoblade had carved himself his own little place in Phil’s heart and when he looked at the hybrid, it was the very same as when he looked at Tommy and Wilbur. Like he was the most precious thing in Phil’s life and he was. Being one of Phil’s sons, that was what happened. 

If they could, Tommy’s eyes lit up brighter.  
“So that means he’s definitely my brother now?”

Phil laughed again and leaned away, one hand coming to cup Tommy’s cheek. Instinctively, he leaned into the warmth of his father’s touch and Phil's smile turned softer, his face relaxing and all wrinkles of worry disappearing. 

“If that’s what Techno wants, then yes.”

“Why wouldn’t he want to be my brother? I’m amazing. Wilbur’s okay sometimes I guess.”
Tommy said this with a toothy grin and Phil only laughed harder.  

“Okay Toms. We’re not here to shit talk your brother. Lay down and I’ll tell you that story.”

“The one about how you met mum again?”

With a nod from his dad, Tommy lowered himself back down into his bed and placed his hands over the quilt. Phil settled in beside his son and Tommy shifted so his head was laid on his father’s chest and Phil’s arm laid around Tommy’s back. 

And then Phil started. He spoke about a night of peace. Stars glistened in the sky, winking and torturing him about a moment he had not yet experienced. He spoke about a sense of wonder and curiosity. New land spread in front of him that Phil was ever so eager to travel and discover. He spoke about his sleep. Peaceful and safe, the best he’d ever had. He spoke about her . A woman taller than any he’d seen before. Dark black veil obscuring her face and a dress that matched which trailed far behind where she walked. He spoke about what she promised and what she gave. A gift that Phil was so cautious but so delighted to receive. He spoke about his love. Time passing and feelings growing and eventually, relationships forming.  And finally, he spoke about his sons. The days that Death once again blessed Phil, but this time with something he’d never be scared about or hate.  

Phil spoke about it all and as his words travelled around the room, being picked up by the wind and carried away, Tommy’s eyes started to fall heavy and with a content smile on his face, he drifted away, images of just how amazing these memories of his dad’s were. 

As Phil’s story came to an end, he looked down at his son and smiled. One hand came up to brush away hair that laid against his forehead and the other mindlessly ran through the feathers of his wings. They shone a light gold with the moonlight that reflected onto the bed and Phil couldn’t ever express the love he had for the boy before him. Or the boy in the room down the hall. Or the boy who had yet to awake. Phil had an immeasurable amount of love for all 3 of them and would do anything to keep them safe. 

That brought back the reminder that right now, one of them wasn’t safe. And he regretfully rose from the bed, shushing and adjusting Tommy as he moaned and squirmed. When the boy finally settled down again, Phil leaned down to place a chaste kiss against his forehead and then stood back up and walked out of the door, closing it softly behind him afterwards. His footsteps carried him back to the same room he’d spent so much time in this past month and he closed the door behind him, before sitting on the bed. 

One of his hands gripped the pinkish-toned one that laid peacefully against the stark white sheets. The warmth that radiated from the flesh relaxed Phil’s body: it was a reminder that Techno was still alive and that he was only asleep. With the scare of Tommy’s momentary death, Phil had only grown more cautious about his children.  

He attempted to speak to his lover, Death herself. But the attempt had been futile because it seemed she evaded every one of his dreams; they were very few in occurrence recently anyway with the stress keeping him awake. But Phil still tried, if only to see her. And maybe ask questions. Still, his dreams remained void of the woman he loved and Phil was left in the dark, literally and figuratively.

If Kristen wasn’t able to visit, there had to be a very serious reason. Phil didn’t question her or doubt her. He trusted that woman with his life and the life of every one of his loved ones. Death would do nothing to harm them.

Still, with that uncertainty and blindness, Phil only worried more and as he looked down at the boy, his face blank, scars smoothed out on pinkish skin and not a single hint of hurt or pain painted across his features, Phil could feel a deep ache in his chest, stabbing into his heart. 

“Come on Techno”
He whispered into the silence around him.  
“Just wake up for me please. I don’t know how long I can keep going with you not here, my son. Please.”

“Dad! Dad!” 

With a loud bang, Phil’s bedroom door hit the wall behind it and he shot up from his bed instantly, wings puffing out behind him and sleep clouding his vision. He blinked repeatedly until he made out the silhouette of a boy. 

Running into the room was his eldest with a face full of panic and lanky limbs shaking around his guitar. Wilbur was still in his pyjamas, hair slightly roused from his sleep and he didn’t even have his glasses on yet. 

“Wilbur. What’s wrong?”

For a moment, the boy paused just to collect his thoughts because right now they were scattered everywhere. His heart was trying to lurch out of his throat and his hands wouldn’t stop shaking around the base of his guitar. 

“I-I was-You know how I go see Techno every morning to-like you know sing to him. I always do that-Maybe to see if he will wake up. You know-“
Wilbur was rambling on and on, his words too rushed to be coherent. Phil settled himself in his bed, feeling much more awake now than a moment ago. 

“Wilbur I love you but please get to the prob-.”

“Techno isn’t there!”
Wilbur interrupted frantically. 

What? 

Chapter Text

Techno was gone? 

It felt like Phil’s heart was reaching to tear itself out of his chest. In a swift moment, the covers were pulled back, his feet were on the ground, the cold seeping into his skin like it always did, and he was running down the hall, Wilbur following close behind. Technoblade’s door was wide open, left like that by Wilbur in his rush to get to his dad, and because of that, Phil had the perfect opportunity to look right in and see…no one. 

His eyes darted around the room, trying to spot pink but there wasn’t anything remotely similar to the boy’s features in this room besides a hairbrush left on the dresser with hair tangled in it. To clear all grounds, he knocked on the bathroom door ,waited, knocked again, waited, kno- 

“Techno.”

“He’s not in there dad! I already checked! I don’t know where he is!”

“Fuck.”

All of a sudden, just in perfect time, Bad appeared in the doorway. His gaze first landed on the frantic father and son and his eyebrows scrunched up. 

“What’s going-“

“Techno’s gone Bad.”

As soon as those words left Phil’s mouth, Bad’s eyes snapped over to the bed the piglin-hybrid inhabited last night and indeed, Technoblade was gone. Now that wasn’t good. 

“What?-“

“Get every guard on duty on the lookout for him. This could be the same as last time where he ran or it could be something more serious .”

Phil phrased the end of his speech with a certain tone to make sure Bad knew exactly what he was speaking about. It was highly unlikely that that could be the reason but Avenida had many aces up their sleeves. Maybe a teleporter could be one of them. But, surely that would have alerted Bad’s barrier. It didn’t matter. With the threats surrounding them all now, Phil had to cover all grounds, especially the worst ones. 

“What do you mean serious , Dad? Is something happening?”

Wilbur’s voice was even more panicked now and his eyes had blown even wider. They separated their attention between the two men in front of Will and he couldn’t help tightening his grip on his guitar, the nerves refusing to be swallowed down his throat. 

When he walked in and saw Technoblade was gone, Wilbur couldn’t even explain how he felt. At that moment, he just paused. A brief sudden rush of excitement and relief engulfed him and he ran around the room trying to find the hybrid. Because, if he was out of bed, he had to be awake and that was all Wilbur had ever wanted for such a long time. To see his brother again. But, once all grounds were cleared and there was no sign of his brother, that was when Wilbur started feeling like his world was caving in. 

He called Techno’s name over and over again, hopeful that that would make the hybrid realise he was there. He just wanted to see Techno. Make sure he was okay. 

But, Techno didn’t appear and Wilbur only got more panicked. That’s when he went to his dad because if anyone was going to find Techno, it would be Phil. He could do anything and he’d found Techno once, so he could find him again surely. If not, he’d do everything in his power to try, even searching to the far ends of the earth. Nothing would stop him and Wilbur knew that. 

So, even though it felt like his body was betraying him right now and the world was coming to an end, Wilbur still had hope. He trusted his dad and knew exactly what he was capable of, especially when it came to his flock and at the end of the day, Technoblade was part of Phil’s flock now. 

Phil turned to his son and kneeled slightly, not too much since Wilbur was much taller than Tommy, and placed his hands on the boy’s shoulders. The touch was instantly comforting and soothed Wilbur’s shaking limbs. 

“Don’t worry yourself with that Will. We have it all covered. I just need you to go stay with Tommy so I know the two of you are safe and together. Can you do that?”

“But Dad, what did you-“

“Wilbur please . Just go to Tommy. I won’t be able to find Technoblade if I don’t know you two aren’t safe. Please just go to him.”

Urgency bled into Phil’s voice and his eyes shone with desperation. Wilbur stalled for a moment and then nodded, eyes casting themselves to the floor as he kicked his feet against the ground in defeat. Phil sighed and stood up again, hesitating to remove his hands but eventually did, turning back to Bad. 

Wilbur took this as his sign to start going to Tommy’s room and he did. With much reluctance and a whole lot of regret and guilt for not trying to help more, Wilbur lugged himself down the hall until he was outside Tommy’s door. He stared at it for a few seconds. 

He should be trying to help. He could help. This was Technoblade they were talking about. His brother. Wilbur needed to help. 

What if he had been taken by the same people who had hurt him so much in the past? The idea only made Wilbur panic more. How they would managed to get in the castle? Wilbur didn’t know. But still, anything was possible and Wilbur needed to find some sort of explanation before the uncertainty and unknown sent him mad. 

But, at the same time, Phil could do so much more than Wilbur could. He’d managed to save Techno before so surely he could do it again. No, Wilbur knew he could do it again. But first, he needed to make sure Wilbur and Tommy were safe. Like his dad had said only seconds ago, he wouldn’t be able to concentrate entirely unless he knew his two sons were safe. 

Therefore, even if Wilbur wanted to do the exact opposite, he slid the door to Tommy’s room open slowly and quietly. Sunlight peeked through the window and right onto the bed and as soon as Wilbur was completely in the room, he stopped in his tracks. His mouth fell right to the floor. 

“Dad! Dad!”
Once again this morning, he shouted to his dad. The loud noise didn’t wake anyone at all. 

“What is it, Wilbur?”
His dad replied back from Techno’s room but Wilbur didn’t move from where he was standing.  

“You’ll want to come see this.”

The second those words left Wilbur’s mouth Phil’s body only got tenser and he quickly made his way to his youngest son’s room. His mind was leading him down dangerous paths. What if this was a similar situation to Technoblade? What if Tommy was gone too? Phil couldn’t bear losing two of his sons in the same night. It would tear him-

Oh. Oh. 

Phil was in Tommy’s room now and like Wilbur, his entire body was immobilised. He couldn’t move and his shock was keeping him stuck to the spot. 

“Is that-“

“Yeah, that's Techno. Guess he hadn’t run then.”

Just like Will had said, Techno was there, cuddled up next to Tommy. The two were entwined with each other; Techno’s cheek on Tommy’s hair, Tommy’s head stuffed into the oldest’s chest. There was a peacefulness and calm that surrounded the two as they slept, like not a single thing could disturb their sanctity. 

When had Techno come here?

(Let’s rewind for a moment guys ;D)

Tommy awoke again, later in the night. But not because of a nightmare this time. His mind didn’t thrust him into the world of the awake to escape the horrors of his mind. Not this time. 

Instead, there was an unknown presence on his face and when Tommy blinked his eyes open, he caught sight of a hand. It was a hand on his face. A warm hand that made his skin tingle and burst into flames. It contrasted the coldness so strongly. He followed the hand to an arm covered in a white shirt to a shoulder, skin peeking out from the v-neck design of the neckline to a neck, scars running across in no sort of order until finally he met a face. A familiar face and pink hair. 

“Techno.”
Tommy whispered, disbelief in his voice. Both of his hands came up to his eyes and he tried to wipe the sleep out of them. 

Techno didn’t move or say anything as Tommy sat up in his bed, pyjamas wrinkled from his sleep. When he was finally confident he was awake enough to differentiate reality from sleep, Tommy opened his eyes again. And Technoblade was still there. 

“Techno! You’re awake!”

The hand on Tommy’s face tightened slightly, not enough to cause harm though. Technoblade sniffled and it was only then Tommy noticed the tears in the boy’s eyes and it broke his heart. 

“Tec-Techno what’s wrong? Why are you crying? Please tell me what’s wrong.”

Technoblade looked upwards to fight away his tears and when he looked back down at Tommy, it seemed the attempt was useless because they just rushed back to their original position. 

Alive!  
Brother!  
He’s okay!
Techno he’s okay!  
Yes!  
Love Tommy! 

“You’re alive Tommy. You’re alive. Oh thank Life, you’re alive. He wasn’t lying.”

Tommy’s eyebrows furrowed when tears leaked from Technoblade’s eyes. He still didn’t understand why the piglin-hybrid was crying but he did the only thing he knew to do to comfort him. The thing Phil did to Tommy when he was upset. He pulled Techno into a hug. 

As soon as the young boy’s arms were around his brother’s back, barely meeting each other at the back, Technoblade fell into the presence instantly. His own arms gripped Tommy’s body tightly and with his head laid on the boy’s shoulder, Techno could faintly hear his steady, normal heartbeat. It made his ears flick and his eyes sting more. It was more reassurance that Tommy was alive. 

When he’d awoken in his room, the only source of light, the moonlight leaking through his window, his first thought was checking on Tommy. He wasn’t groggy from his sleep nor was his vision hazy. In fact, Techno felt completely rejuvenated, like he could go hours of training without breaking a sweat. He’d decided then that hibernating was amazing. 

Getting out of his room was easy and getting to Tommy’s was easy too and the minute his eyes landed on the blonde, chest rising and falling normally -not rapid and uneven like when he was returned back to the land of the living near the lake- Technoblade almost fell to his knees and thanked the Gods. 

Now, in his brother's arms, yes his brother’s because that was what Tommy was to Techno, it felt like peace had finally been restored to his body. The voices quietened down- they had been rather loud since he’d woken up and gotten them back, just like how they were the last time they had been separated from him- and Techno’s body no longer had pent up tension making his muscles and movement stiff. 

It felt like he was right where he belonged. With his brother. 

“I’m so glad you’re alive Tommy. I though-I thought I’d lost you.”

Technoblade’s hand laid itself in blonde locks and he stroked the hair with a gentleness so similar to Phil’s. Tommy’s body relaxed deeper into Technoblade’s arms, the hybrid's natural heat only making the embrace better. 

“I’m okay, Techno. I promise. You saved me. You brought me back.”

“I couldn’t bear losing you Tommy. I would have done anything to bring you back.”

Now, tears were swarming Tommy’s eyes and he was the one to sniffle. 

The two boys sat in silence, just content in each other's arms. Technoblade shifted them so his back was against the headboard and Tommy was at his side. The blonde’s head laid comfortably against his brother’s chest and his arms wrapped around Techno’d stomach, small wings trying their best to encase the two of them. Technoblade had one hand around the back of Tommy’s shoulder and the other over the front, keeping him close. 

“We were all scared you wouldn’t wake up Techno. I was scared.”
Tommy whispered. 

If Tommy was his normal self, he never would have said that and it made Techno smile. 

“I’m never going to leave you or Wilbur or Phil, Tommy. I’ll always come back to you.”

“You best do. Dad would start getting more grey hairs if you didn’t.”

There was the Tommy Techno knew. 

“More?”

“Yep. Why do you think he wears that hat? It’s very con-ven-ent when it comes to hiding his biggest shame.”

“I think I’d cry if I got grey hairs. Would ruin my look.”

“What look? The look of a helpless puppy?”
Tommy retorted with a laugh, snorts in between. 

“HEH. A puppy. Oh just wait until you see me in action. I’m the fiercest warrior you’ve ever seen.”

“And you call Dream egotistical.”
Tommy tilted his head up to look at Technoblade. He wore a large smirk that matched Tommy’s perfectly. Like they were identical. 

“I’m just confident in my ability.”

“Isn’t that the same thing Dream says?”

“I-I shut up and go back to sleep Tommy.”

Techno’s struggle only brought Tommy more laughter and he laid his head back into its original place, tightening his arms slightly. 

“You won’t leave again?”

“Never Tommy. I’ll be right here when you wake up.”

And with that promise, Tommy closed his eyes once again and drowned in the comfort of his brother next to him. A few seconds later, after staring and assuring himself that Tommy was okay, Technoblade settled himself down -cheek on Tommy’s hair- and ,too, closed his eyes, following after the boy. 

(Back to present) 

Although they’d never admit it, Wilbur and Phil stood staring at the two for a considerate amount of time. 

Wilbur was both relieved because his brother wasn’t in danger and shocked because here was where Techno had gone. It was obvious why with the events that had occurred before Technoblade had fallen into a deep sleep. But, still. He’d never imagine seeing Techno be cuddly with anyone. This was going to be such good blackmail. On both of them. 

Phil, on the other hand, was staring in awe and pride. Both at the progress the piglin-hybrid had made- because he would never have considered doing anything like being this close to anyone months ago let alone actually do it- and at the pure comfort the two found in each other. Tommy and Techno looked so much at peace in one another’s arms. It was making Phil’s heart grow significantly. 

“Do you think we should wake them?”
Wilbur whispered, tearing his eyes away finally and looking up at his dad. 

“No. Let them sleep. They’ll come find us when they’re awake.”
Phil lingered on the pair a little longer but eventually turned to his other son and smiled. 

Wilbur nodded and casted his brother's one last glance before turning and walking out of the room. Phil did the same a few seconds later and the door closed quietly behind him, keeping his two sons safe and undisturbed behind it.   

Chapter Text

Technoblade wasn’t sure how long he’d slept for but it was enough to make the simple aroma of breakfast have his stomach grumbling. And it wasn’t the type of grumbling that came when you skipped one meal. No, it was the type of grumbling that overpowered him to the point he could hurl over and die. 

So, the second the smell of food drifted all the way up to Tommy’s room, Techno was awake in an instant. And, when Techno moved, the sleeping Tommy latched onto him woke as well. 

“Techno?”
Tommy questioned, sleep still attached to his voice. The boy rose into a sitting position and stretched his arms above his head with a yawn before rubbing his eyes. The movement was very child-like and it made Techno smile. 

For a moment, it seemed like nothing but a dream for Tommy to have the piglin-hybrid beside him after so long of wondering when the next time he’d see Technoblade was. But, memories of last night, of how Techno was actually awake and this wasn’t just a figment of Tommy’s imagination, made seeing the older boy much more believable for the blonde. 

Making his way out of the comfort and warmth of Tommy’s bed, a little regret simmering in his chest when the chilliness of the stone room set into his skin, Techno brushed down his clothes, only realising now that they weren’t the ones he’d been scouting in. Instead, it was a pair of pyjamas. Someone must have changed him then. The thought made him incredibly uncomfortable. 

“What time is it, Techno?”
Tommy sounded much more awake now but it was obvious he didn’t want to be by the way he wrapped the blankets tightly around him again. 

“I’m not too sure. But I smell breakfast.”

“You smell breakfast from up here? Weirdo.”
A snicker arose from the bundle of blankets and Techno scoffed before shoving Tommy’s covered body with a huff. 

The boy squealed as he went tumbling to the ground with a thump. In an instant, Tommy was trying to untangle himself from the quilts, stumbling and struggling along the way. Technoblade simply stood back and watched with a smirk and a few snorts here and there. Eventually, after a lot of mishaps and a whole handful of curses and death threats, Tommy had escaped and was shooting glares at Techno as he ran his fingers through his feathers. 

“You fucking bitch!”

“Don’t call me a weirdo then.”
Techno replied with a shrug. Tommy simply scoffed. 

“I only speak the truth. You are a weirdo.”

“Are you sure about that?”

Technoblade took a step forward. He meant it to be more teasing-threatening rather than actually threatening and it seemed to work because Tommy’s eyes widened and he darted to the door.

In a second, Technoblade was running after him. His legs ached slightly with all the new movement but they also felt alive. Techno was built to be active and on his feet and now he was, it was like he was free. Free from the confines of immobility and a bed. 

The wind ran through his tangled hair and the coldness gently scratched against his face, a reminder of the beauty and small cruelty of what he’d been missing as he slept. The walls all looked the same, like they always did, but Techno still knew his way around. The familiarity of his home was comforting and the shouts and begs of his brother was music to his ears. Technoblade had missed being awake although it only felt like a second that he wasn’t. 

Soon, Tommy had made it down to the dining room, after gliding down a pair of stairs. Seeing that, Techno had to stop and stare in amazement at the way Tommy’s wings spread vastly behind him. Their golden colour twinkling under the chandelier. 

All 3 avians he lived with had different colour wings. Phil’s were a dark black. They reminded Techno of the crows he’d see around the castle. The feathers themselves stood tall and gleamed in perfect health, a perfect image of what Wilbur’s and Tommy’s would one day look like.

Wilbur’s were a mixture of hazel brown and blonde. The two colours created a gorgeous gradient as they swirled with each other and looking at Wilbur’s wings, and how the blonde shone brighter than the brown, it reminded Techno of the stars and Techno loved the stars. 

Tommy’s wings were a pure golden colour. They spread smaller than the two others, purely because he was younger, but it was clear they were just as looked after. His feathers laid perfectly against one another, not a single one out of place. All 3 pairs of wings were beautiful and Techno found himself envious sometimes. 

That was until he would see something like right now, Tommy crashing into the ground, and Technoblade reminded himself of how difficult it would be to learn how to fly. That wasn’t something he wanted to experience. He’d leave that up to Tommy and Wilbur and would just smirk and laugh at their failures. That sounded like a plan to Techno. 

Something else that sounded like a plan to Techno -and his growling stomach- was getting some food. Therefore, skipping a few steps as he went down, Techno descended the stairs as Tommy shoved himself upwards with a groan. As soon as Techno was beside him, he crouched down and offered Tommy a hand which he took with a grumble. The boy shook his limbs slightly and Techno watched as his wings ruffled behind him in agitation. Without thinking, Techno stroked them, smoothing down a few ruffled feathers. He paused when an unfamiliar sound left Tommy’s mouth. Did Tommy just-

“Not a single word of this okay bitch. This never happened, you understand?”

Tommy pulled himself away, his wings betraying them as they stretched to remain close to Techno. Seeing the redness and lividness of Tommy’s face, Techno hesitantly moved his hands away, guilt eating up his insides, and he nodded. With a huff, Tommy stomped forwards and pushed open the two looming doors of the dining room. 

For a moment, Techno remained frozen, wondering what had just happened. But eventually he moved forwards too and walked inside, the murmuring of conversation dying down as he finally appeared. 

“Techno! You’re awake!”

Wilbur shot up from his chair and in the blink of an eye,  was engulfing Techno in a hug. There was a moment of shock where Technoblade didn’t move but it didn’t last long, and he was quickly wrapping his own arms around Wilbur, inhaling the familiar smell of the boy. 

They remained hugging for a few seconds before Wilbur squeezed Techno once again and then pulled away. He wore a large smile and Techno saw Wilbur’s hands shook slightly as he took a step back. 

“You can’t just go off and sleep for that long, man. It would be wonderful if you gave us some warning beforehand.”
Wilbur laughed but there was a nervous tone to how it wavered. Techno’s smile dimmed and his face flushed a deep red. 

“I’m sorry?”

“Don’t be sorry Tech. Just had us all worried. I thought you weren’t going to wake up”
Wilbur’s voice turned into a whisper towards the end. 

Eye contact was never broken between the two older boys and that allowed Technoblade to see right into Wilbur’s soul. Waves of worry and sadness washed through them and it warmed and broke Techno: warmed him because it showed Wilbur actually cared, broke him because Wilbur actually cared and was suffering because of Techno. Maybe hibernating wasn’t so cool after all. 

“I was-I was just hibernating. I can’t control it.”

“Hibernating?”
Phil asked from behind the two. He was still sitting at his seat at the head of the table. 

After he’d spoken, staring at Wilbur and Techno, Wilbur grabbed the hybrid’s hand and dragged him over to the table, only letting go to let Technoblade get into his seat and to get into his own. Sitting down at the table, large arrays of different kinds of foods before him, Techno’s stomach only growled louder.

“You hibernate? I didn’t know that.”
Tommy said through a mouthful of food. Techno was used to the sight now that he didn’t even grimace. 

“Neither did I.”
Techno shrugged in response before he could think about what he was saying properly, and leaned forwards and grabbed a few pancakes. Phil’s eyebrows furrowed slightly. 

“How do you know it’s hibernating then?”

Pausing completely, Techno felt like his eyes were about to bulge out of his head. How was he supposed to respond to that? The truth? Lie? Hell, Phil wouldn’t believe him at all if Techno said the truth anyway. A god who’s blessed him and sometimes disturbs his sleep and tells him things in their own little realm. Not exactly an everyday occurrence, well Technoblade didn’t think it was. 

Phil would think he’d gone mad and sometimes Techno thought he had too. Just think about it. How does that happen? It doesn’t sound believable at all. But, then Techno would speak to the Blood God once more, and every ounce of doubt would disappear because he just knew it was real. It had to be real. Nothing that correlates to the normal world, nothing Technoblade can vividly remember and feel from his dreams has the possibility of not being real. He knew it was. 

The people around this table though? Technoblade trusted them. Don’t get that wrong. They were some of the only people he’d ever trusted in his life, let alone cared for. But, they wouldn’t believe him. He was sure no one would. 

“Just a-a-a gut feeling! I just know.”

“You just know ?”
Wilbur sounded sceptical and Technoblade didn’t like that because it poked flaws in his lie. He urged his limbs to move again, trying to act more normal, and grabbed the pancakes he was aiming for before sitting back down in his seat. 

“Yeah, I just know. You have a gut feeling sometimes Will. Is it so hard to believe that I do too?”

Aggravated by the situation, Technoblade’s voice came out harsher and rougher than intended. The table fell quiet and that only made things more tense. Even Tommy was being quiet. 

“We believe you, Techno. If you say it’s hibernation, then it’s hibernation. We’re just surprised, that's all.”
Phil reasoned from his seat, a pitiful attempt to bring back the normal atmosphere of breakfast.  

Dadza believes us  
He trusts  
We love Dadza!  
Phil for the win 

Technoblade just grunted before shoving some food in his mouth, the voices still raving in his head. When waking up, he didn’t expect this to be his very first proper conversation with people and it soured his mood entirely. Not only because of how quickly they doubted and questioned him but because Techno knew he was lying. He didn’t want to lie and it ate away at his insides just doing it, especially to the only people who’d accepted and cared for him. But he had to. They wouldn’t believe him. 

The rest of breakfast passed normally, tension still polluted the air. Anyone who stepped into the room could sense it. From the way Technoblade grunted in response to questions rather than giving verbal answers to the way Phil’s wings were pulled tight to his body, it was obvious as fuck that this wasn’t how they usually ate. But, the 4 of them moved past it and tried to make breakfast as normal as it usually was.  

Throughout the ordeal, Technoblade was asked question after question. Phil fussed over how much food he ate saying he must be hungry after all the time he’d slept, laughing right afterwards. He fussed over Techno’s health, insisting he have a check up with Puffy soon. Phil fussed over everything. This type of concern was foreign to the piglin-hybrid so he just huffed again, words lost on him, and shoved more food in his mouth. 

The incident with Tommy and the river was never brought up and that was relieving. None of them seemed to want to talk about it and Technoblade appreciated that. How he’d explain the fact he’d somehow brought Tommy back to life was beyond him. Maybe now was a good time to start thinking up excuses. Maybe it was by luck? Pure strength? Fate? Anything rea-

“Techno. Techno! Do you hear me bro? Hey Techno.”

With a blink, Techno returned back to the present. Right next to his face was Wilbur’s, way too close for comfort, and the pink-haired boy flinched away slightly, leaning closer to Phil who huffed a laugh from around the rim of his morning coffee.

“What?”

“Me and Tommy are going to hang out with Dream and some others. You wanna come?”

Oh so that was what Wilbur was asking him. That didn’t sound bad at all. Technoblade didn't mind doing that. 

“Okay. Just let me get changed first.”

“Maybe brush your hair as well while you’re at it mate.”
Phil once again laughed, eyes darting to the pink bird's nest that was Techno’s hair. Said boy just rolled his eyes but smiled anyway as he pushed away from the table. 

“I’ll be sure to do that Phi-oh wait a minute. Is that a grey hair?”

Techno leaned in closer to Phil, a hand coming up to touch a piece of his hair. The man let out a shout closer to what one would describe a squawk as and started running his hands through his hair, inspecting the colours. Tommy, Wilbur and Technoblade all started laughing, tears accumulating at the corner of their eyes. Phil’s eyes turned into slits immediately when the realisation he’d been tricked finally arose. 

“ Why you little -“

“Bye guys. See you in a bit.”
Those were the piglin-hybrid’s final words before darting out of the dining room and making his way back to his room.  

Phil followed Technoblade’s last moves until the boy completely disappeared through the same doors he’d come from. His expression softened immediately and he sighed before taking another drink of his coffee. 

“ Soo… when’s the adoption?”

Phil nearly snorted his coffee this time. Coughs forced their way up his throat as he placed the mug back down.  He looked up at Wilbur with wide eyes. The boy just stared at him with a wide smirk, chin in the middle of both of his hands as his elbow laid against the table. 

“Yeah!”
Tommy shot up from his seat, now standing on the chair. Phil would have had the mind to chastise him for it if he wasn’t so gobsmacked by the abruptness of the question just asked of him.  
“Techno’s basically our brother already. You’re the one slacking dad.”

With a hand on his chest, a pathetic attempt to stop himself from coughing, Phil shook his head and then watched Wilbur roll his eyes and huff. The exhale caused his hair to fly up and out of his eyes slightly. 

“Come on old man. Surely mum’s not upset about it either. Wait , have you even spoken to her about Techno?”

The answer must have been clear on Phil’s face because Wilbur gasped immediately. 

The truth was that Phil hadn’t exactly had the chance to talk to Kristen about Techno since the hybrid had first been rescued. It wasn’t like he could pick and choose when she decided to grace his dreams. After all, Death was a very busy woman. She was literal Death . It was a surprise she had any extra time on her hands to visit Phil at all. Still, somehow in whatever way possible, Kristen visited Phil as much as she could. 

However, recently, that clearly hadn’t been the case. As he’d said before, Kristen hadn’t visited Phil’s dreams in quite a while. So long that he was growing concerned actually but he knew there had to be a good reason, one that his lover was probably handling like a boss because that what she always did, so Phil didn’t stress too much over it. Especially when Tommy had revealed that the two of them spoke when he was momentarily ‘gone’. 

Phil didn’t like to admit it, to say that Tommy had died because the thought was too painful to even be allowed room in his mind. Of course he knew that was what had happened. Tommy had died. That was obvious after the boy had revealed his visit with his mother, Death. How he didn’t stay dead, well that was the true question. 

Phil wasn’t stupid, he knew it clearly had something to do with Technoblade and probably his god-blessed abilities- if he even had those because that was still a hypothesis- but to be gifted the ability to resurrect people from the dead was unheard of and absolutely unallowed. It disrupted the laws of nature and the actions of Fate and Death. If the Blood God had given his child that ability, the ability to fuck over all other Gods, then it was certain to cause disruptions within the Godly world and Phil doubted the Blood God was that dangerous and ridiculous to risk that. 

Of course, that could have been the case. From every scripture Phil had gotten his hands on, the Blood God wasn’t exactly portrayed as a very friendly God. His name itself wasn’t one to provoke security and happiness. Words like ‘destructive’ and ‘unpredictable’ were more suitable. Stories painted him as a prowling monster in battlefields who manipulated the tides of war in favour of what would suit him best and that was whatever ending would provide him with the most violence and death. Whilst he was no God of Battle who caused war, the Blood God definitely took advantage of whatever conflict he could get himself involved in. That was who he was. The Blood God whose main aim was acquiring blood in the form of harm. 

Nonetheless, Phil knew better to believe stories. After all, Death wasn’t exactly known as being kind. Mortals would rather say she was ‘vengeful’ and ‘unfair’. And with the circumstances, maybe that was true. 

But Death didn’t decide when a person died. That was Fate’s decision. Death simply gathered the souls of those who died and brought them to the afterlife. Kristen didn’t kill them; she just helped them reach their final destination and held onto their souls. 

And Phil knew she was nothing close to being vengeful and unfair. His lover was the exact opposite. Kristen was compassionate. She protected everyone. And most importantly, she cared deeply, especially for the ones closest to her. Phil knew that wholeheartedly because Kristen had done nothing but care for him and their children since day 1. 

Whilst the Blood God may have been described as a monster who cared for nothing but blood, Phil wouldn’t dare make a proper opinion of him based on those stories because he’d done that to Death and she had in fact turned out to be the exact opposite as to what he thought. The likelihood they’d ever meet was low and Phil may never actually find out how the God had blessed Techno or if he had blessed the boy with the power of resurrection but that was okay. As long as the God protected and cared for Technoblade just as Death had done for Phil. That was all he really cared for. 

Still, it left the question as to how Technoblade had brought Tommy back from the dead unanswered and Phil hated not knowing, especially when it involved his children. But, for now, he guessed he could be thankful that it had happened because it meant Tommy was still here and Phil didn’t need to grieve the loss of his child. He could be grateful for that at least. 

“No no. Mum knows about Techno. She spoke to me about him! We had a conversation about Techno when I visited her.”

Both Wilbur and Phil cringed at the implications of this ‘visit’ but Tommy didn’t seem phased and just continued. 

“She said that he was one of her favourites to watch over. Obviously, I’m still her all-time favourite but she likes Techno. One of her friends likes him as well. Mum was telling me about how her friend was trying to help him but she laughed and said he was way out of his depth- I didn’t know what that meant but nodded anyway.  And mum said she was trying to help her friend help Techno.”

“Wait-Wait, one of her friends? Who?”
Wilbur questioned, leaned closer to Tommy and Phil’s eyebrows shot up. 

Of course Wilbur would be curious about that but Phil wasn’t too sure if now was the right time for his sons to be aware of Technoblade’s situation. They knew about his , after all his children had to know to be able to understand how Death was their mother, but Phil wasn’t even sure if Techno knew about his blessing, a blessing which was basically just proved by what Tommy just revealed. 

“I don’t know. Mum wouldn’t tell me but she did say that he was a very close friend and I shouldn’t worry because she trusts him with her life so he wouldn’t do anything to harm Techno in any way. His goal is to just help him. She wouldn’t tell me how either.”

Tommy shrugged again and the wings behind him fluttered slightly as he let himself drop back into his seat. 

From the expression Wilbur wore, it was obvious the cogs in his head were rolling and trying to piece things together. What exactly the pieces were that he’d gathered, well Phil didn’t know and to be completely honest, that worried him a little. It wasn’t his place to reveal sensitive information about Techno that he may not have even known about himself.

However, Wilbur was smart. One of the smartest and most observant kids Phil had ever known. With enough time, Wilbur was eventually going to figure it out and Phil wasn’t too sure whether that was a good or bad thing. 

“ Buutttt, this shows that mum likes Techno so dad should just adopt him! Sounds easy to me.”
Tommy clapped his hands together like adopting a child was as simple as that. 

Phil rolled his eyes and took another sip of his coffee.
“It’s not that easy, Toms.”

“But you’re an emperor! Surely that comes with extra privileges like adopting.”

“ Tommy .”
Phil warned which made the boy’s devious smirk drop immediately.  
“That is not what we do. I may hold a higher position here but I will not exploit that to aid myself and neither should you. Not in any circumstances. And even if I did, adoption isn’t an easy process anyway , even for an Emperor.”

“But that doesn’t mean you’re against it dad. It sure doesn’t sound like you think it’s a bad idea.”
With a teasing tone, Wilbur’s voice surrounded Phil and he just rolled his eyes again. 

Phil had never said that it was a bad idea. Sure, he was a bit hesitant and cautious regarding the whole situation. And at the end of the day, Phil felt the exact opposite. The prospect of legally clarifying and making Technoblade a part of their family - a family he had already moulded himself a place in whether he meant to or not - had a deep, sentimental and profoundly emotional feeling settling in Phil’s chest. Without being ‘legally’ his son, Phil knew that whenever he thought of Technoblade, the word son was always on the tip of his tongue. 

Techno was his son no matter what happened. Adoption was just the final part of making that clear to everyone else. 

With another sigh, Phil lifted himself up and out of his seat, brushing down his clothes as he did so to rid himself of any crumbs that had found their way onto his lap. 

“Maybe you should be asking if Techno even wants to be your brother. I sure wouldn’t.”

“Hey!”
Tommy shouted as Phil retreated to the exit, laughter following his steps.  
“Anyone would be lucky to have me as a brother.”

“I’m not.”
Wilbur piped up, also rising from his seat just like his father a second again. 

“That’s a lie and you know it Will! You love having me as a brother.”

“Whoever told you that was high.”

Tommy shifted awkwardly in his seat to get out before falling face first on the floor, not being elegant and smooth like his two other family members. Wilbur snorted whilst Phil simply rolled his eyes but still smiled. Just as quickly as he’d fallen, Tommy staggered his way back onto his feet, cheeks painted bright with his embarrassment. 

“Don’t even say a word bitchboy. Not a word.”
Tommy interrupted as Wilbur’s mouth opened and the older huffed, walking away from his brother and towards his father. 

“Hey! Don’t leave me. I’m coming!”

“Catch up then slow poke or I’m leaving you and just going with Technoblade and the others!”

And then Wilbur started running, surpassing Phil and after only a few seconds, Tommy was racing out of the room too, following the same direction and the sound of his older brother's torment and laughter with a turret of his own insults and giggles. Closing the door behind him, Phil chuckled to himself and just gazed on at where his two boys had disappeared. Potentially the same direction his other son had disappeared down.  

“Hey Techno, can I come in?”

There was a gentle knock on the door and with the gentleness of the voice that floated through the gaps of the wood, Technoblade didn’t hesitate to grant access and soon, the door was opening to show puffy white hair. 

“Hey kid. How you doing?”

Puffy strided into the room with a few things gathered in her arms. Technoblade placed down the brush he was using and turned around in his seat to look at Puffy easier. 

“I’m okay. Just a little unused to so much movement.”

Puffy snorted and placed down her things on the bedside table before taking a seat on the bed.  

“Yeah. I’d expect that to happen after you decided to take a month long nap without telling any of us.”

Technoblade rolled his eyes and pushed himself off his seat before taking a seat back down next to Puffy. A little distance between the two of them. 

“I’ll be sure to set a reminder for the next time my body spontaneously decides to shut itself down to heal again. Maybe you have a piece of paper I can write the date down on.”

“Oh shush Tech. Your sarcasm is worse than Skeppy’s.”

“I wouldn’t have guessed?”
Techno said with a flat voice and a face void of emotion. 

When Puffy gave up and rolled her eyes, twisting her body to grab something of her tray, a large smile broke across Techno’s face and when she returned to face him again, Puffy too was smiling. 

“What are those for?”
Technoblade watched as Puffy placed a weirdly shaped object in her ears and then grabbed the end of it and led it towards Techno. 

“Well, I’m just going to quickly check your heartbeat to see if there’s anything irregular. After everything that happened, I want to be certain your body is working correctly and efficiently before clearing you for any physical activity that may put a strain on you. Can I?”

Puffy gestured to his chest and Techno nodded, pushing some of his hair over his shoulder so it wasn’t in the way. Placing the circular shape on his chest, Puffy stayed still for a moment, the only movement being the closing of her eyelids and the rising and falling of her chest. That was until the sound of shouts ,which could only belong to two boys, echoed down the hall outside Techno’s room. Puffy rolled her eyes but was smiling anyway and when the two voices had eventually disappeared Technoblade returned his eyes back to the circular object on his chest. 

After a few seconds, Puffy nodded and sat up straight, removing the device from her ears and placing it back down on the tray. 

“Sounds all good to me. Whatever wounds you’d acquired had healed weeks ago so you should be alright there. Anything bothering you I should know about? Like tiredness? Nausea? Light-headless? All of that is expected after… what happened.”

Like everyone else, Puffy was very careful addressing the subject of the accident. Technoblade diverted his eyes to the window and swallowed the nervousness of his mind. 

“No-No. Nothing like that. I feel-I’m perfectly fine.”

Taking him by surprise, warmth encased Technoblade’s hand and he gazed down to see both of Puffy’s hands laying around one of his own. Technoblade raised his eyes slowly to look at the woman. Puffy wore a small but sad smile and rubbed her thumb across his skin, causing goosebumps to rise. 

“Nearly drowning takes not only a physical but mental toll on the body. I know you’ve been out of it for a month and your body may be too jacked up on energy to be taking into account it’s true exhaustion and stress yet but when it does or if it does, just know that I’ll be here to help you Techno. I’ll always be here for you okay?”

Puffy squeezed the boy’s hand before pulling away finally, smiling a little bigger now. Technoblade nodded but his mind was elsewhere right now. 

Was that what was going to happen to him? Techno would come down from the high of his energy and finally realise the actual impact the whole event had had on him. Was worrying that Tommy was even alive not bad enough? Was it going to get worse? Technoblade sure hoped not because he didn’t know exactly what that would entail. All he knew was that even at the mention of water now, it was like a knife right through his heart. This was more than a fear now. Water was a nightmare to him. 

But at the same time, there was a new fire in his chest. He’d hesitated to save Tommy because of the same fear. Maybe he could have been faster if he wasn’t so scared of water. His fear was a weakness and if Technoblade wanted to protect his family, he needed to find a way to get over it. Even if it pained him to do so. How he would do that, well that was a problem to figure out later. But he’d get over his fear no matter what it did to him. He’d do anything to ensure he could keep his family safe. Anything .  

Chapter Text

“Techno! You’re back!”

A body came barreling towards Technoblade out of nowhere and he only had a millisecond to prepare for the abrupt collision of the boy he’d been training with over the past couple of weeks. Dream’s arm instantly went around the piglin-hybrid’s neck and Technoblade only hesitated momentarily -still taken aback by the hug- before wrapping his own arms around Dream, returning the hug just as fiercely. 

When the two boy’s finally pulled back, the wetness of Dream’s eyes didn’t escape Techno’s attention. It was strange to think he was gone for so long; long enough to have everyone thinking he wouldn’t wake up, when for him it was only about an hour. Time in his dreams with the Blood God passed much quicker than it seemed to do in the regular world. That was something Technoblade would need to consider next time. 

Nonetheless, Dream sniffled and the tears quickly retreated back into his body and before Techno knew, a fist was connecting with his shoulder making him stumble backwards a little. 

“You had us all worried bitch! We thought you weren’t going to wake up!”

“You were worried?”

“Of course I was worried, Techno.”
Dream rolled his eyes and raised his hand again for another punch but Technoblade blocked it this time and pushed Dream backwards instead, making the blonde stagger back a few steps. 

Instead of looking peeved by the attack though, Dream smiled and laughed.  
“And yet you still haven’t lost your touch. I shouldn’t be surprised really.”

A smirk slithered its way onto Technoblade’s face, happy that the pair’s regular teasing and taunting hadn’t disappeared whilst he was gone, and he shrugged.  
“Don’t expect so low of me Dream. I didn’t fight my whole life just to lose all that experience in a month.”

In an instant, Dream’s smile dropped and Technoblade only then realised what he’d said. 

For months, he’d managed to evade questions about his past from Dream until the boy eventually stopped asking all together, leaving the mystery alone. Obviously, that didn’t make his curiosity disappear completely though. Dream still wanted to know where exactly Technoblade had come from. He’d even attempted asking his mother a few times but she always shot down his attempts, saying it wasn’t her place to say and he’d just have to wait until Technoblade was comfortable with telling him. And that’s what Dream was doing. He was waiting until Techno told him. 

Yet, moments like this where the hybrid’s past was brought up -one of a measly handful of times- only made Dream more concerned about what the answer was because if Technoblade had been fighting his whole life then-

“Hey! 

Both boys turned to see Tommy running towards them looking rather red and out of breath. Behind him, Wilbur didn’t look any better. He looked as if he prepared to just drop onto the floor and smash his face into the snow, not caring about the possibility of a sickness bug because of it.  

Eventually, Tommy reached them but before he could even say anything a long heave left his mouth as he hunched over with his hands on his knees. Unfortunately for Tommy though, as Wilbur approached them, it didn’t seem like he was slowing down and in a small amount of time, the two brother’s collided, wings fluttering in panic as they fell, and were on the floor in a pile of groans and huffs. 

“Wilbur you-you bitch!”
Tommy screeched, attempting to push his older brother off of him. Wilbur wasn’t moving though and just stayed slumped on the floor, well on Tommy actually. 

Dream let out a loud wheeze and even Techno couldn’t help but laugh. 

“Don’t laugh. Get…Get him off me!”
Tommy still sounded like he was out of breath and with Will now on top of him, that mustn’t have been making things any better. 

Out of pure pity, Technoblade leaned down and hauled Wilbur’s body up with little struggle even with the large wings on his back adding extra weight. When the older was once again on his feet, he instantly leaned against Technoblade’s body and huffed, one hand going against his stomach and the other through his hair under his beanie. 

“Don’t-Don’t ever make me-make me run again Techno. I’m-my body isn’t-it isn’t made for this.”
Wilbur sounded like he’d run a marathon rather than the distance from the castle to the flower garden. Let’s just say that wasn’t anywhere near a marathon.  

“Duly noted Wilbur.”

“Good.”

And with that, Wilbur pulled himself off of the piglin-hybrid and attempted to stand up straight but was rather hunched over. Technoblade was sure the boy’s wings were the only thing preventing him from falling face first into the ground again. 

Tommy had now gotten up off the floor and was brushing as much snow as he could off his cloak and clothes and Dream just watched him, wheezing and laughing. Throughout it all, Tommy was shooting the older boy glares and baring his teeth at him. Dream didn’t seem fazed at all; it actually only made him laugh more and if he kept laughing so hard, he would be the one hunched over and breathless. 

“Where are-“
Wilbur was quickly cut off by a voice in the distance. 

“Dream! Don’t just run off on us man.”

Technoblade gazed behind Dream to see a boy he didn’t recognise jogging towards them. The boy behind him though, Techno did recognise. What was his name again? Greg? No. Geo? George! That was it. Technoblade never was good with names. 

Quicker than Tommy and Wilbur reached them, George and the new boy were beside Dream. George looked at the two brother’s with his eyebrows furrowed, obviously confused by their out of breath expressions, but was still wearing a teasing smirk. The new boy though, he was staring directly at Technoblade with his face twisted up and not in a good way, although Techno wasn’t sure there ever could be a good way. 

Immediately put off by the negative expression, Techno gave the boy his own form of a glare, hoping it would intimidate and make him stop looking at Technoblade like he was the filthiest thing he’d ever seen. Only one of those things the piglin-hybrid achieved because whilst the boy’s expression faltered for a moment, it returned back to its former position but much more spiteful and disgusted this time. No one had looked at him like that since the arena and it was severely putting Techno off. Instantly, he had decided that whoever this boy was, he wasn’t good news. At least for Technoblade he wasn’t. 

“ Ewwwwww , what’s Sapnap doing here?”

Being the first to break their battle of glares, the new boy turned to Tommy and his bitter expression immediately dropped. 

“Oh shut up Tommy. I should be asking why you’re here.”

“I live here dumbass.”

Tommy’s response had everyone laughing, Techno included. The new boy’s -Sapnap, was that his name?- face quickly turned red and he must have decided it would be Techno he’d direct his anger towards because he instantly shot him another dirty look. Technoblade’s laughter died immediately and his face fell back into its emotionless persona. 

What was this boy’s problem? As far as Techno was aware, he’d never done anything to Sapnap. Nothing to prompt such a reaction upon their first meeting. Yet this new boy still insisted to be spiteful and look at him as if he was the embodiment of evil. What actually was his problem?

George looked between the pair and worry bloomed in his chest. Whilst Sapnap’s reaction to the piglin-hybrid wasn’t fair, George understood why Sapnap was so hatred-filled by the sight of Techno, especially when you took into account his past with piglins. But, from Dream’s letters and his stories of their fighting together, George knew Techno wasn’t one to mess with when it came to physical altercations and it just so happened that Sapnap was very prone to them in his moments of anger. 

Therefore, in an attempt to dispel the tension, George lugged his arm over Sapnap’s shoulder and pulled him away with an easy smile.  
“You promised to help me make a bouquet for my mum Sap before I leave again. Don’t think I’ve forgotten.”

Just as George planned, Sapnap’s attention was drawn elsewhere and he groaned and tried pulling away from the boy’s grip on his shoulder.  
“Do we have to?”

“Is flower picking not for you Sapnap? You look like the type to do that?”
Wilbur taunted, making Sapnap grit his teeth. 

“Piss off Wilbur. Go back to making your silly songs.”

“My songs are not silly. Aren’t my songs amazing Techno?”

Wilbur turned to the piglin-hybrid, prompting everyone else to as well. All of a sudden Techno felt a shiver deep under his skin and not from the cold either. He nodded anyway and shakingly smiled down at Wilbur. 

“I think your songs are amazing, Wilbur.”

As soon as he’d spoken, Sapnap grumbled something under his breath. Nothing that was decipherable but from their earlier interaction, Technoblade knew it was nothing good. And from the way George scoffed and instantly dragged Sapnap back in the direction they’d come from, whispering something as they left, it only cemented Techno’s suspicions. 

Dream watched as they went and then turned back to the trio, a guilty smile directed towards Techno.  
“Sorry about him. Sapnap’s… he well, he’s very wary around new people.”

“Yeah I’m sure that’s the only reason.”
Wilbur whispered into Technoblade’s shoulder and then turned to Dream with an innocent smile. 

Technoblade cleared his throat and shook his head with an easy but shaky smile.  
“It’s-It’s okay. Can’t really blame him when I was the same.”

Dream huffed a laugh.  
“True. But the three of you are welcome to come with us if you want. We’re just chatting and chilling really.”

Tommy must have found his tongue again because he quickly piped up.  
“Tubbo’s coming soon. Can he join?”

Dream acted as if he was contemplating the idea, a finger on his chin and his eyes wondering elsewhere. Tommy scoffed and was about to argue when Dream shrugged and started smiling again.  
“I don’t see why not.”

All protest on Tommy’s tongue died down and his smile returned tenfolds. 

“ Butttt… you both have to help George make his bouquet.”

“What?! That’s-that’s not fair. I’m a big man! I don’t pick flowers.”

Dream shrugged again and then stuffed his hands into the pockets of his coat.  
“I guess the two of you can’t come then.”

“What about me and Techno? We can still come, yeah?”
Wilbur shot Dream a look that the boy understood immediately. 

“Of course you can.”

“Do they have to help George as well?”

“Of course not Tommy.”

“What! That’s not fair.”
Tommy’s wings flapped on his back and subconsciously Techno’s ears started flicking again. The action was so common that he didn’t even take account of it anymore and neither did anyone else. 

“You get special privileges when you’re older Tommy. The ‘little ones’ have to help.”
Wilbur taunted, taking the brute of Tommy’s anger. 

“ Little ones! Little ones! Why you son of a bi-“

“Do you want to come or not Tommy?”
Dream asked once again, not a single feature of his face showing he was messing about. It was clear that both he and Wilbur were though. 

Tommy grumbled under his breath for a moment, obviously displeased with the ultimatums. Not wanting to be excluded though, he kicked his feet and spat out an approval. Dream shot Wilbur a wink and Wilbur raised his eyebrows back before bumping his shoulders with Technoblade who smirked down at the brown-haired boy. 

Eventually, the four of them retreated over to a flower patch that George and Sapnap were treading in. While Tommy and Wilbur were accepted with warm smiles, Technoblade received the expected glare from Sapnap but he’d decided not to pay attention to the boy. It bothered him that Sapnap hated him for something Techno didn’t know or could control; it reminded him of the arena and how he always looked down upon in there. 

But ,at the end of the day, Technoblade had been asleep for a while and he was determined to have a good day with his friends. Some random boy with an unexplainable hatred for him wasn’t going to ruin that. Technoblade would ignore Sapnap even if it was difficult to do so when the voices constantly raged in his head about the boy and his glares. But that was okay. Everything was okay. Technoblade was okay because he was with his friends and his family. 

Time passed quickly and just as George had moved a little away to gather some yellow flowers again, another person approached them from the left. Technoblade picked up on their footsteps immediately and was the first to take notice of their appearance. From the distance, coming from the gate that let one through the walls of the castle, was a small boy with his head tilted slightly down and horns protruding from his hair. 

Technoblade’s body relaxed when he recognised the kid as Tubbo and Wilbur turned to see where he was looking only to smile and nudge Tommy to look. 

“What do you- Tubbo!”

Tommy shot up from the floor and ran to meet Tubbo halfway. Once the pair were next to one another, one of Tommy’s small wings tucked themselves behind the boy and then two walked back, animatedly chatting and laughing with one another. 

“Hey guys.”

Tubbo waved at them all and they all returned their own form of greeting. Tommy dragged Tubbo to sit down next to where he was once sitting, a pathetic gathering of flowers on the floor next to him which was why George had banned the boy from helping him. Technoblade was certain Tommy ruined the flowers purposefully just so he didn’t have to help. Either way, it worked because Tommy wasn’t being forced to do anything even if he agreed to beforehand. 

Technoblade’s back lay against a tree that sprouted in the middle of the flowers. Leafs would occasionally fall to lay on the ground beside him and whenever they did, he gathered them into a small pile he’d collected in between him and Wilbur who was sitting right next to him with his back also against the tree. As it grew, Wilbur would start doing the same with the leafs closer to him and now the pair had a considerably big pile of leafs in between them as they spoke and laughed with one another and the people around them. 

Every once in a while George would wander off just to return with a massive array of different flowers. Each and every time he’d lay them out and arrange them however he wanted. Sometimes Technoblade would point specific ones out that he found pretty and ask about them. George answered his questions enthusiastically, telling him their name and what they were used for. And then the next time he’d wander off and then return back, George would have another one of whatever flower Technoblade pointed out to give to him. 

Because of that, Dream had insisted he do a quick braid in the piglin-hybrid’s hair just to be able to put the flowers in it. Dream was surprisingly -or maybe not surprisingly because his mother ,Puffy, was a master at braiding- very good at doing Technoblade’s hair and with a little help from Wilbur and Tommy, Techno now had every single flower George had given him tucked into his hair; a whole collection of colours matching the pinkness of his strands. 

Throughout it all, Sapnap would remain quiet. He was happy to speak to everyone else but didn’t utter a word to Technoblade. At first, it didn’t nerve him too much and then Sapnap’s disregard became so obvious that it was hard to not be bothered. Mainly because Technoblade just didn’t understand why Sapnap didn’t like him. But like he’d say, he wouldn’t react. He was having fun. Sapnap wouldn’t ruin that. 

“Oh my god!”
Tubbo exclaimed, drawing everyone’s attention to him. 

“What? What’s wrong Tubs?”
Tommy urged, knocking his shoulder with the boy’s. 

“Techno’s awake! I completely forgot he was supposed to be asleep! You’re here!”

Tommy’s face twisted up and he scoffed, bumping Tubbo’s shoulder harder this time. Off to the side, Sapnap rolled his eyes and was about to make a remark but was cut off by a swift kick to the thigh by Dream as he walked back over from where he was helping George. 

“Sometimes I wonder how hard you were dropped as a child Tubbo.”

“Hey!”

This time, Tubbo was knocking Tommy’s shoulder with a bit more force. But Tommy wasn’t one to be outdone. As the knocks became more aggressive, eventually Tubbo shoved Tommy hard enough to have him stumbling to the side. When the blonde sat back up, he lurched towards Tubbo, the two meeting in a tumble as they both fought to get on top. Technoblade let out a laugh at their pathetic fight, neither having proper form of tactic, and even Wilbur snickered at the pair. 

“Now I see why neither of them fight. This is a truly embarrassing display.”
Technoblade taunted. 

“You’re telling me. Imagine if we fought like this. Skeppy would have a heart attack.”  
Dream added, sitting back down next to Sapnap but with some flowers in his hand this time that he was obviously holding onto for George who was still collecting more somewhere else. 

“If we fought like this, Skeppy wouldn’t have even thought about training us. He’d have scoffed and walked right away.”

A high wheeze escaped Dream’s lungs and Technoblade’s lips only curled further upwards. If he wasn’t so happy in the moment, then maybe he would have tried to make out what Sapnap muttered under his breath but Technoblade just ignored it and turned back to Tommy and Tubbo, deciding it would be best to break the pair up now. They’d had their fun. Best to separate them before one of them got hurt in some sort of way and whined about it all day. 

With a huff, he heaved himself up off the ground and walked towards the pair. Arms around Tommy’s stomach and feet planted firmly on the snow so he wouldn’t slip, Techno hauled the boy off his friend. Tommy protested and flapped his wings excessively, managing to get a few hits on Technoblade but they didn’t hurt so he didn’t let go until Tommy was a little away. Then, he let go and watched Tommy fall to the floor with a yelp. Brushing his hands together, Technoblade took his seat against the tree and beside Wilbur again. Another leaf fell beside him and he picked it up to add to the pile whilst Tommy situated himself properly again and Tubbo sorted himself out. 

“Are the two of you finished?”
Wilbur questioned. He took his beanie off to sort his hair out just to put it back on again and shove his hands back in his pocket. 

“Tommy started it.”

“Tubbo started it.”

“Ahhh the blame game. Truly child behaviour right there.”
Sapnap taunted, earning a glare from Tommy. 

“You’re one to talk about ‘ child behaviour ’, Sapnap. ”  
Whatever playful atmosphere that had formed, quickly disappeared and Sapnap’s features turned sharp. 

“What’s that supposed to mean, Tommy ?”

Technoblade shot Wilbur a worried glance but the boy just shrugged. The piglin-hybrid took that as his cue not to intervene and just watch what played out in case he needed to further down the line. 

“Well you’ve been making petty remarks all this time under your breath about Technoblade and you call me childish. Speak with your chest big man. Don’t be afraid.”

Oh shit. 

BAHAHAHAH  
Tommy savage  
What a legend!  
Go Tommy  
Tommy! 

This time when Technoblade looked at Wilbur the boy looked panicked and when he turned to Dream, so did he. Tommy and Sapnap though, they looked ready to go to war against one another and truly at this moment, they probably were going to. 

“You really want to know what I think Tommy?”
Sapnap asked, pushing himself off the ground. Tommy followed right after, feathers puffing out behind him as his anger grew. 

“Yeah I do pussy. Go on. Say it. Or are you too much of a-“

“He shouldn’t be here.”
Sapnap pointed directly at Technoblade and the boy flinched into the tree because of the venom that coated those words. Well he hadn’t expected that. 

“How fucking dare you.”
Tommy spat, taking a step forward, anger blazing in his eyes and a defensive instinct blooming in his chest to protect his brother. But he was stopped by Tubbo’s hand on his shoulder. 

“Sapnap come on ma-“
Dream lifted himself off the ground and attempted to place a hand on Sapnap’s shoulder too to calm him down as well but he just shrugged it off. 

“No. You’re all playing friendly with him but his kind is violent.”

“Don’t be like that Sapnap. That’s not fair.”
Wilbur gritted out but Sapnap wasn’t having any of it. 

“Why? Why shouldn’t I? I don’t understand how you can all be friends with someone so-so-so abnormal and dangerous?! He could kill us all right this second?!”

“Sapnap!”
Dream shouted, pushing the boy back. 

Technoblade pushed himself up and off the floor. His hands shook under him involuntarily and Wilbur’s eyes widened and he quickly got up too, hand on Techno’s forearm to help him. But, right now, the pink-haired boy couldn’t feel the contact. No he couldn’t feel anything from the outside. 

All Technoblade could feel was the bitter, heartbreaking shatter of his heart. Those exact words - ‘abnormal’ and ‘dangerous’ - were the ones he was trying so desperately to escape from. He was abnormal and dangerous in the arena. That was what they had said he was. A freak of nature. Good for nothing but violence. A monster. That was all Technoblade was in the arena. 

He didn’t want to be that. Not here. But, Sapnap believed he was. One look at him, at his features and his hybrid side, and Sapnap had decided that he was just the same person as he was in the arena. Sapnap treated him just like his trainer did. Like he was inferior and a slave. Did Technoblade deserve that treatment? Was that the treatment he should expect his whole life? 

Here, in the Antarctic Empire, it was supposed to be better. A fresh start from those beliefs, from the hold Technoblade’s trainer had on him. But as he stared at Sapnap, a burning fire in the boy’s eyes as he looked Technoblade up and down, a sudden coldness overwhelmed him and it was like a knife had been wedged into his stomach, again . This time intending to leave a much deeper scar. 

Sapnap recovered from Dream’s shove pretty easily and he sneered down at Technoblade as he got up off the floor. Just looking at the piglin-hybrid was a reminder of what he’d lost, of what they’d taken away from him and it hurt. It hurt so much. And Sapnap just couldn’t handle that pain so it morphed into something more spiteful and angrier and his words mixed with the hurt of his heart and loss. 

“He doesn’t belong here. You should have left him wherever you found him.”

And just as Tommy lurched forward, Technoblade bolted and Wilbur could do nothing but follow, shouting the name of his brother to make him stop. But Techno didn’t. He kept running and running and running. 

Should Phil have just left him in the arena? Was he too dangerous and abnormal to think he could have a normal life? Maybe he was. Maybe the outside wasn’t as good as he thought it would be. It sure didn’t seem like it was right now. 

Chapter Text

Fuck, why was life so complicated? Phil could think about nothing but about how time after time life just seemed to want to fuck him over. No matter what he did, the good he influenced, life just wasn’t being merciful. 

Phil was certain that after taking down Avenida’s illegal underground fighting ring that it would spread the message that he was one not to mess with. That he wouldn’t accept any shit and they should think twice before trying to fuck with him or the Antarctic Empire. Was it that hard for something like that to be reality? 

Seemingly so because now he was stressing over Avenida’s forces being in the bordering country with a scheme brewing to attack Phil’s empire but no hint as to what that scheme was. Not only that but the scouts on the border had increased significantly and there was no political or legal reason Phil could use to take them out or arrest any of them because they never crossed the border. All he could do was increase his own men and make sure every single one of Bad’s barriers were up to their full strength to ensure any type of invasion would be detected and handled immediately.

It was fucking with his ability to live his life because Phil knew Emperor Alyssa was planning something but couldn’t do anything about it because there was no proof. She had her head guard in Borealis and away from Avenida for some reason that definitely wasn’t for ‘training’ . Sure that left an opening for an attack on Avenida but what would that do but give them a viable reason to invade? Using the attack on the arena was out of the question because it was an illegal place to begin with. 

What Phil wanted was no attack at all but obviously that wasn’t going to happen. 

Hannah was trying to gather information but one look at her and where she’d come from and the Avenidan soldiers were instantly on guard around her, unwilling to let anything slip. The only thing she’d managed to gather was that Callahan had requested for ‘Boo’ to join them in Borealis. Whoever this ‘Boo’ was was unknown -Phil nor Bad had never heard that name-  but that didn’t matter. If Callahan wanted them in Borealis, it was obvious it was to be involved in the attack and with that uncertainty and blank knowledge regarding their ability, it only created more worry and aggravation. 

Phil was done with feeling powerless and like he had no control. But, he couldn’t do anything about it. He just had to sit and wait and make sure his empire was safe and that’s what he hated most. Being a sitting duck fucking sucked. 

At least his sons were safe. That was his biggest concern and knowing they were with one another and in the safety of the walls of the castle allowed Phil to relax slightly. As long as they stayed in the castle, they’d be safe. 

“Techno! Technoblade! Where are you?! Please answer me Techno!”

Birds fled at the sudden disturbance of a loud, desperate human voice in the home of their woods. It didn’t go with the gentle whispering of the branches as the wind tickled and brushed against them. It didn’t match the galloping of horses or the marching of deers who played with one another. It didn’t work with the serenity of nature and how peace flushed over everything in a quiet blanket of naturalness. This human voice screaming and shouting broke through the natural order of the earth and had animals fleeing in the opposite direction of it. 

“Please answer me Techno! Just tell me-I just want to make sure you're okay. Sapnap was wrong. He was so wrong. Please Techno! Where are you?!”

With the coldness that invaded his lungs every time he inhaled, Wilbur’s insides were beginning to burn. No they weren’t beginning to burn; they had been burning for the past 10 minutes. Add on the running he’d been doing, running his body most certainly wasn’t built for, Wilbur was ready to just sit down and rest.  

But he couldn’t do that. He couldn’t stop and catch his breath. He had to find Technoblade. He had to find his brother . That was his priority. Not his aching legs or stinging lungs. Not his croaking voice and grating throat. Nothing else mattered besides finding Technoblade because Wilbur had experienced what it was like to be without him for a month and he never wanted to experience anything like that again. Wilbur was going to do anything to find his brother, even if that meant working until his body physically stopped and his voice no longer worked. He would do anything for Technoblade. 

That also included venturing out into the woods, all alone with no sort of protection even if his dad would absolutely kill him for doing it because that was the way Technoblade had run. Wilbur had sight of the piglin-hybrid up until he disappeared into the covers of the trees and just vanished all together. 

For the past few minutes, Wilbur hadn’t gotten a single glimpse of pink hair or a blue cloak. Nothing that remotely pointed towards being Technoblade. All he could see was stark whiteness and slight peeks of colours as plants urged their way through the snow to escape the cold and find some light. Wilbur sympathised with them with that one because even he had to wrap his cloak and wings tightly around himself to combat the harshness of the breeze, especially with the gruelling winter quickly approaching them. 

Speaking about approaching, Wilbur was starting to notice the rushing of water as he walked further towards a clearing where the trees thinned out and the snow turned to sludge. The sight of a river made him stop. The water pushed its way viciously down stream and Wilbur’s breath faltered just looking at it. 

Was that-Was this the place where Tommy had fallen in? There was no evidence to say it was but deep in Wilbur’s guts he could just sense it. He could sense the panic and previous distress of the area. 

Deep in the roots of the ground, he could feel the twinge of a tragedy that had occurred here. It dug far into his being and connected with him, depressing his own mood and filling him with his own panic and distress, like he was here when it happened. Like Wilbur was feeling those exact emotions but they weren’t his emotions. They didn’t belong to him. He knew that. They belonged to someone else. This panic and distress weren’t Wilbur’s but as he stood still, inhaling the freshness of the water that blanketed the danger of itself, it was almost like he absorbed those feelings and made them his own, channelling them into something. 

It didn’t make sense to Wilbur. Not a single bit but he didn’t have time to dwell over that when he turned and spotted pink. The first glimpse of pink he’d had in minutes, although it felt like hours, and in an instant, Wilbur was running again. 

“Techno! Oh my Life. Techno you’re okay!”

Wilbur skidded down onto his knees, uncaring about the chilliness of the snow seeping its way into his pants, and placed a gentle hand on Technoblade’s shoulder. The hybrid had his arms around his knees and his head tucked into his legs. His cloak was big enough to hide his entire body but his hair. 

Relief buzzing through his veins with a sprinkle of concern, Wilbur squeezed Technoblade’s shoulder and watched as he didn’t react at all. His eyes darted all over his body, looking for any sign of injury, but there wasn’t much to look at when Techno was balled up into himself and that didn’t aid Wilbur’s anxiety at all. 

“Techno, please talk to me. I just want to make sure you’re okay.”

There wasn’t a response. Not even a little bit of movement. Wilbur waited for a few seconds to see if Techno would eventually react but he didn’t. He just stayed still, shoulders rising and falling like they usually would and his face hidden away from Wilbur’s vision. 

“Techno.“
Wilbur placed his other hand on the boy’s other shoulder and squeezed both of them, in an attempt to provide some sort of comfort.  
“What Sapnap said wasn’t true. You do belong here. I know you belong here. You belong with us. With me, Tommy and dad. I know you do.”

Wilbur moved from sitting in front of Technoblade to beside him, one hand tightly wiggling its way into the grasp Techno’s two hands were joined into and the other wrapping itself around Technoblade’s shoulder. 

“It doesn’t matter where you come from or what you look like. I don’t care about that and neither should anyone else. I couldn’t care even the tiniest bit if people say piglin’s are violent and dangerous and we shouldn’t be friends with a piglin-hybrid because I know that you wouldn’t even think about doing anything to hurt us. I know you would do anything to protect us. Hell, you jumped into a river just to save Tommy. That just shows the lengths you’d go to to keep us safe.”

There was a pregnant pause as Wilbur mauled over his next words. He let out a deep breath finally and then turned to look over the river. 

“Sapnap, he-well he lost his parents a few years back. To a piglin attack. Both of them-how do I say this? Well they were violently torn to pieces. Like literally. A proper funeral couldn’t even be held because they couldn’t-they couldn’t find all of their…body parts. They lived in the village a little down from the castle and were butchers.”

Wilbur took in another deep breath and squeezed his eyes closed to keep the tears away but couldn’t help one from slipping down his face as he looked down at his lap. 

“We all used to go down to their shop every-every Saturday to get a sandwich. Even to this day, I haven’t tasted a better sandwich than the ones Sapnap’s dad would make.”
Letting out a wet laugh, Wilbur tilted his head to the sky before turning to look at Techno again. 
“When they died, it affected Sapnap deeply, as one would expect. Everyone in the village was hurt by their death and dad, he tried to help. He really did. But losing-losing your parents is hard. It’s one of the worst pains ever and especially at such a young age like Sapnap. He didn’t cope very well and eventually went away for a while to a different empire to live with some relatives in hopes it would help him get better. Only recently has he come back to the Antarctic to live with his grandma.”

Wilbur paused for a moment again and just let himself divulge in the memories of his childhood and how Sapnap used to be such a vocal, kind kid. He was similar to Tommy in a lot of ways. Always looking and causing trouble but still managing to wiggle his way out by acting innocent. He and Dream used to be unmanageable together. 

It didn’t surprise Wilbur that Sapnap changed when he came back. Carrying a new deep pain, it would change a person, make them more closed off and quiet it seemed. Wilbur couldn’t even begin to imagine the true hurt that Sapnap felt and he never wished to. 

“I’m not saying this to excuse what he’s said. Every word that’s just come out of Sapnap’s mouth is wrong and for him to even say that is just unacceptable. But, what I am trying to do is help you realise that he didn’t say that because of you. It’s because of what others have done to him. He will forever have that pain of his parent’s death and that’s something that only he can help himself with. Please don’t think that just because he thinks you’re what he said you are, it means that’s who you are. You are so much more and I’m some fucking glad that you’re here with us. I’m so glad that dad saved you when he did Technoblade.”

“Phil saved-saved me from a-a fighting arena.”

Technoblade lifted his head up to look Wilbur right in the eyes. It left the brunette speechless and unable to stitch together proper sentences but that didn’t matter because Technoblade kept talking anyway. 

“I lived-well I think I was there my entire life. I don’t remember a single thing from before the arena. All I remember is fighting. They used to-they made me fight Wilbur. Every day of my life I would fight. They didn’t care if I was hurt. They didn’t-they didn’t care if I didn’t want to fight. They said-they said that was what I was made for. I wasn’t nor-normal and needed to be taught how to be normal. The only way they that could do that was-was by using me as a fighter and punishing me. I’ve fought my entire life, Wilbur. I’ve-I’ve killed so many people.”

Technoblade turned away just as his shoulders began to shake. Wilbur subconsciously tightened his arm around the boy’s shoulder and moved his other so it was gripping one of his brother’s tightly. 

“Did you-Did you try escaping?”
The words were quiet, quickly engulfed by the air and Technoblade sniffled before nodding and turning back to look Wilbur in the face as he revealed his deepest shames. 

“So many times. They would-They just caught me and then would…punish me. Eventually, I learnt just not to try anymore. I learnt that that was my life. I wasn’t placed on this planet for anything but fighting. I couldn’t be anything but a fighter.”

“Techno-“

“They would shave down my tusks every month, have my hands in cuffs and keep me in a cage. I’m scared of water Wilbur. That’s-That’s my worst fear and they used that to punish me. I was an animal to them. Something to make money and entertain people. I wasn’t a-a person because I was part piglin. They made that clear. They called me names and called-called me an ‘it’ . I wasn't normal. I was-I was abnormal and dangerous, just-just like Sapnap said.”

“Technoblade. You aren’t abnormal and dangerous. You-“

“You don’t understand Wilbur!”
Technoblade shot up onto his feet, making Wilbur stumble back a little.  
“I’ve killed so many people! I have so much blood on my hands. Some of that blood is innocent blood from when I couldn’t control myself. And the worst thing is, is, I like fighting. I like the rush, the peace it brings me. I-I-I love it! How can you know that and still-and still think I’m normal? I’m not normal, Wilbur!”

“Yes you are!”
Wilbur too got onto his feet and took a step towards Technoblade. The hybrid simply just turned around, hands gripping his hair and he shook his head excessively. 

“No I’m not! No I’m not! I can’t be normal. What I am-what I have isn’t normal! Here everyone made me feel-feel like I was normal. But I’m not. I know-I know I’m not normal deep down even if I try fool myself that I am.”

Tears in his eyes and voice wobbling under the weight of an incoming sob, Technoblade turned back around and Wilbur’s face fell at the pure pain and heartbreak he saw painted on the features of his brother. 

“At least in the arena people didn’t pretend I was normal. At least they tried to teach me how to be normal. They hurt me and I-I know that. I know-I know I didn’t deserve that. I know that now. But they-they helped me Wilbur. They were trying to help me be normal. I just want to be normal, Wilbur. I just-I just.”

Technoblade didn’t even get a chance to finish his sentence before a sob escaped his throat and before Wilbur could even think about anything else, he was embracing his brother and the two of them were falling to the ground. Techno clung onto Wilbur like he was his lifeline and Wilbur clung onto Techno just as tightly. His own tears escaped as his brother sobbed into his shoulder. 

“I just-I just want-want to be normal, Wilbur. Why-why can’t-why can’t I be normal?”

Wilbur squeezed his eyes closed, heart breaking at the words of his brother. A hand came to the back of Technoblade’s head and Wilbur tightly dug his fingers into the strands of Techno’s hair as his wings encased the both of them. 

“You are normal Tech. You’re just as normal as me.”
Technoblade shook his head, still sobbing and Wilbur pulled back to grab his cheeks, only finally speaking when the hybrid looked him in his eyes and could see the sincerity of his words.  
“Yes, you are. You’re normal Techno. It doesn’t-it doesn’t matter what they told you. The people in that-that arena, the people who forced you to do things you didn’t want to do had no fucking right to tell you otherwise. They were nasty people Tech and I’m so so so sorry you had to go through that. I’m so sorry, Techno.”

Once again, much tighter than last time, Wilbur pulled Technoblade into another hug. The only thing that could be heard now was the choky sounds of pain that left Techno’s throat and the sniffles of Wilbur’s nose as he wished and begged to take some of his brother's pain and make it his own. Anything to take away the burden of what Techno had been through and give him some peace of mind.   

“I don’t-I don’t even know what happened to my-my parents Wilbur. I don’t even know who-who they are. All I ever knew was the arena and how-how to be a good fighter.”

Technoblade pulled back and used his cloak to wipe his face. Still, nothing could wipe away the deep rooted pain of Technoblade’s upbringing. That was something only he could overcome like Wilbur had said about Sapnap. He guessed that he and Sapnap at least had something in common. 

“That’s-That’s-I don’t even know what to say Techno. All I can say is I’m so sorry that you had to go through that. I couldn’t ever imagine being able to survive all those years in a place like that.”

Technoblade shrugged and sniffled, instinctively biting his lip as the anxiety and stress of the last few minutes finally fell down upon him and left him in a hazy state of tiredness. Wilbur moved his wings so they were once again at his back and then placed a gentle hand on Techno’s shoulder, smiling kindly at the boy as he lifted his head to look at him, eyes still shining with tears and lips wobbling. 

“Eventhough you never knew your parents Techno, you’ll always have a parent here. With Phil. Because, even if it may be hard to believe or maybe not be so hard, you’re as much his son as me and Tommy are.”

“Wilbur-“

“It’s true Techno.”
Wilbur moved his hand to adjust one of the squished flowers in Techno’s now dishevelled, messy hair.
“You will always have a place in dad’s heart and after all the months you’ve been with us, I don’t think even he can deny it anymore.”  
With a laugh, Wilbur placed his hand back on Technoblade’s shoulder and turned to him to notice the tears desperately urging to leave his eyes.  
“Ever since he saved you and brought you home, it’s like something’s changed and finally the family is…whole. And, I can’t speak for Tommy but I’m 100% certain he feels the same when I say you’re my brother and will always be Technoblade. This is your home and all of us will do everything in our power to make sure you’ll never be hurt again. I promise my brother.”

And just like that, Technoblade and Wilbur were hugging again. Both had tears streaming down their faces. However, unlike last time, where they were tears of heartbreak and pain, these were tears of happiness. Because, finally, although they’d both been feeling it for much longer than just right now, Wilbur and Technoblade were finally brothers. And when they got back to the castle, Technoblade and Tommy would be brothers too and the next time they’d meet, Technoblade and Phil would be father and son. They’d all be family and for Techno, that was something he couldn’t ever have imagined to happen.

“Wilbur you’re my br-“

Vwhoop

Technoblade pulled away instantly, his ears flicking at the unknown sound. Matching his expression, Wilbur’s eyebrows were pinched together and he tilted his head to look behind Techno only for his eyes to go wide and his arms to drop to his side. 

Vwhoop  

Alarmed by the expression on Wilbur’s face, Technoblade leaped up off the floor and swivelled around only to be met with nothing. His eyes scanned the entire area but nothing was out of the normal. When he turned back around though, his instincts kicked in immediately. 

“Wilbur!”

Chapter Text

“Wilbur!”
Technoblade’s arms met Wilbur’s body and he was shoving him to the side, just as…whatever that creature was came barrelling forward. 

Its teeth were on show and every step it took, feet bare, it left a trail of purple in its wake. Even for Technoblade with all the animals he’d seen, this creature was most certainly the tallest but the weird thing was it was skinny as fuck. Its limbs were much too thin for its height. The weirdest thing though was how one half of the creature was painted a stark white, blended into the snow of the ground, and the other was a dark black, the complete opposite. Emitting for its body were purple orbs and its eyes show a bright purple as well. Technoblade hadn’t ever seen anything like this thing.   

What the fuck?  
Fight
What?  
Protect  
Defend. 

As it ran, it wasn’t aiming for Techno. It had its eyes intensely trained on Wilbur as he struggled to push himself away and get back onto his feet. Just as it was getting closer though, Technoblade’s body moved and he was running towards it. Its eyes still didn’t move and this gave Techno the perfect opportunity to slam into the lanky creature and send it tumbling to the left. 

As its body crumbled to the floor, a loud screech ripped from its mouth and both Techno and Wilbur had to slap their hands over their ears to calm the ringing it caused. What the fuck was that? 

Make it stop!
Stop!
Please!  
Hurts! 

The voices screaming weren’t helping the crisis either. Nonetheless, Technoblade would have to ignore the banging of his head because the creature was pushing itself up onto its feet again and running. With its long legs, it would only need a few seconds to reach Wilbur but Technoblade would die before letting whatever this thing was hurt his brother. So, once again, he was running but this time, instead of slamming into it, he grabbed the back of its shoulders and pulled the creature back before wrapping both of his arms around its body. 

It let out a ear-defeaning screech again and Technoblade’s grip faltered but quickly tightened again. The creature thrashed in his arms, head slamming back and forth but Technoblade simply knocked his legs into the back of its knees and sent it onto its knees, a much more manageable height for Technoblade to handle.  

A deep growl escaped the piglin-hybrid’s throat as one of its claws dug deep into his arm, making the flesh split and the blood pour. Its other claw grabbed onto Technoblade’s shoulder and dug deep as well. Wilbur watched as his brother groaned but Techno didn’t move, just taking the pain in favour of keeping the animal restrained and unable to attack again. 

Wilbur wanted to help. He did. He wanted to send a swift punch to that creature's face and knock it out. It was hurting Techno and only seconds ago, Wilbur had promised he’d do anything to make sure his brother wasn’t hurt again. But, as he watched, hands dug deep into the snow and eyes wide, Wilbur was immobilised with fear. He’d never had to be in a situation like this before. Never had he been attacked. That never happened in the castle. The castle was way too protected to ever be invaded. So Wilbur had no experience with this type of thing. 

Obviously, Technoblade did though, which was now no surprise to Wilbur after finding out his past, because even as the creature screeched and scraped at his body, Techno didn’t even falter. Instead, he moved his arms further up until one was around its neck, and the other was digging into its face. Painted across Techno’s own face was not an ounce of pain. Contrary to it, there was an expression so similar to the one he’d wear in the arena: blankness with a tinge of satisfaction and Wilbur finally realised what Techno meant by saying he enjoyed fighting. 

Momentarily, Wilbur watched as the creature’s eyes flickered to a bright green and red and its face fell into a deep confusion and hurt but that didn’t last long before it returned back to its violent, screeching self. 

Far above, there was the sound of beating and Wilbur’s head shot up at the familiar sound to spot black among the cloudy sky. It whizzed across the clouds before diving down towards the pair- well trio now. Wilbur could almost cry in relief when he realised who was approaching them and he scrambled his way onto his feet, causing Techno’s attention to jump towards him. 

Unfortunately, this gave the creature an opening to take one of its claws and drag it right across Techno’s face, drawing blood and making the hybrid cry out. Wilbur instantly turned to look at him and his eyes widened as the blood began to pour down from multiple claw marks on Technoblade’s face. 

The figure in the sky was quickly approaching now but Techno’s ears were too muffled by the voices to notice. They exclaimed in delight at the final release they found in fighting but also screamed their concerns and worried. Neither of those things were helping Techno right now because it was severely distracting him from the problem at hand. The problem that was still thrashing in his arms and was now digging its claws into his leg. 

The position they were in wasn’t exactly strategically good. Without its arms restrained, the creature had pretty good access to attack Technoblade, especially being so close to him. However, Technoblade’s priority was making sure it wouldn’t hurt Wilbur, not himself. After all, he’d survived this long. Some strange creature that just appeared out of nowhere wasn’t going to kill him after everything he’d been through. 

And anyway, the Blood God had promised he would protect Techno and Techno had confidence that he’d keep the promise. Well he sure hoped the God would. This would be rather unfortunate if he didn’t. 

Snapping him out of his own mind, the creature let out another screech but this time it was much louder and Techno’s ears couldn’t take the high pitch and he had to slap his hands over his ears to stop them from bleeding. Taking this as an opportunity for freedom, the creature flung itself forwards onto the ground and then crawled back onto its feet. By the time, Technoblade could collect himself and get back onto his own feet, nothing was left of the creature but a cloud of purple particles and purple footsteps in the snow in its wake. What the-

“Techno! Are you okay! Your face! Oh my Life.”

Finally being able to move towards his brother, Wilbur went running forwards and went to put his hands on Technoblade’s face but hesitated. The piglin-hybrid furrowed his eyebrows and placed a hand tentatively on his cheek. When he pulled it back to look at it, there was indeed blood, a whole lot of it actually. The adrenaline must have still been rushing through his system because even as he looked down at his torn arms and his bloodied shoulder, there was nothing but numbness. 

“Are you okay?! That’s a stupid question. Of course you’re not. Techno. Techno!”

“What?”

Wilbur stared at him like he was out of his mind and Technoblade let out a sigh, removing his cloak to use it to wipe away the blood. However, before he could even do that, there was a thump from behind him and Technoblade quickly swivelled around, arms spanned out to protect Wilbur. Could he not catch a break? Not even for a single second?

Unfurling themselves from the body they hid, black wings copied the posture of Technoblade’s arms and spanned far. Underneath them, was a familiar figure and Techno relaxed, placing his arms back at his side, one still clutching his cloak.  

“Dad! Thank god you’re here”.
Wilbur’s feet carried him quickly to Phil whose eyes were concentrated entirely on Technoblade. 

The piglin-hybrid could feel tinges of pain spotting across his face and when he wiped his cloak over the blood that was dripping down his neck now, he had to grind his teeth together to handle the sudden ache it caused. Okay, the adrenaline was definitely wearing off now. Only to prove that point, his shoulder erupted into a whole wave of hurt as he moved it and his eyes started to turn hazy along with his head. That was fabulous. So very fucking fabulous. He’d just woken up and now Technoblade was covered in new wounds and more blood. His life was wonderful. 

Even if it caused him a lot of pain, Technoblade wouldn’t have done anything different. Because in the end, Wilbur was safe and uninjured and whatever that creature was was no longer trying to hurt them. That was worth it all. 

“What the fuck happened?”

Phil went darting towards Techno once the shock had worn off but didn’t know what exactly to do. What could he do? 

“There-There was this-this creature. I’ve never seen anything like it. Not even-not even in books. It came out of nowhere and then started coming for me. But-But Techno-he grabbed it and it just kept attacking him, dad. Like it wouldn’t stop even when it was hurt. It screeched so loud and then disappeared again. Like-Like-Like it just teleported! But it-it wasn’t an enderman.”

Wilbur came back to Technoblade’s side and grabbed his hand, being cautious of the wound further up his arm. He squeezed it as he told the story and would send concerned glances to Techno as he did so whenever the piglin-hybrid would sway or blink his eyes repeatedly. Phil nodded along, eyes entirely focused on the piglin-hybrid as he processed the information and accessed the wounds and blood. 

From the amount of blood, they seemed deep and that was enough information for Phil to collect to know they needed to get back to the castle immediately. Any sort of injury on either of his children, drawing blood or not, would have Phil wanting to get them back in the security of the castle walls. They shouldn’t have been out of them in the first place. 

That was a matter to deal with later. Right now, Phil needed to urgently get his children back to the castle and get Techno to Puffy before he passed out. Hopefully, he wouldn’t pass out at all but looking at how he swayed on his feet and how his body was slumped significantly, Phil didn’t have much hope for that happening. 

So, with gentle hands and a small, wobbly smile for reassurance, Phil crouched and placed his arms under Techno’s knees and shoulders before lifting him up. Instantly, there was a massive change in how heavy he was compared to the last time Phil had had to carry him, from the arena. That would have been something to be happy about because it would be another indication of how much healthier and stronger Technoblade was but right now, the only emotions Phil was consumed with were alarm and grief. 

“What-What are-are you doing Ph-Phil?”
Technoblade asked, his words starting to blur together as all his energy went towards keeping himself awake. 

“It’s okay mate. We’re just going to get you cleaned up, yeah? It seems every time I find you you just seem to pass out on me.”

A weak laugh escaped the piglin-hybrid’s mouth and Phil chuckled along.  
“What can-can I say? It’s my-my brand.”

Phil’s golden halo of hair swayed as he shook his head and he prepared his wings to take off. 
“For my sake, please get a new brand mate. You’re gonna give me a heart attack one of these days.”

“Old-Old man.”

With a final laugh and a knowing nod to Wilbur, who stared at his father and brother with a glint of entertainment shining in his eyes, Phil took off from the floor with a heavy beat of his wings. Following behind, Wilbur’s wings carried him up into the sky but slower and with much more uncertainty. Nonetheless, he followed his father as quickly as he could and when they finally landed back on ground, outside the castle rather than inside it, Wilbur stumbled on his feet and his wings groaned in protest at the sudden activity. 

Phil ran through the gardens to the cottage Puffy had close to the castle. As he passed people, a slurring bloody piglin-hybrid in his arms who was on the verge of passing out, they shot him concerned, worrisome glances, especially when they noticed the distressed prince running close behind. Eventually, they made it to Puffy’s cottage. 

“Puffy! This is urgent! Puffy!” 

Phil’s fist banged on the door but when it finally opened, a woman wasn’t there. Instead, there was a child with charcoal hair and a bandana across his forehead. He looked up at Phil with irritation but that expression quickly shifted to shock when he took into account the boy in his arms. 

“What-What-“

“Where’s Puffy, Sapnap? I need her now!”

Technoblade lulled his head to the side to look over Phil’s arm and his eyes connected with bright orange ones that danced just like flames. He blinked a few times before making out who they belonged to but this time when Sapnap looked at him, he wasn’t glaring. His face was covered in guilt and panic and Techno couldn’t even smile before Phil was shoving his way into the home and the sight of white fluffy hair was in view. 

Wilbur entered behind his father and like he’d been summoned, Dream’s footsteps banged against the stairs before he made his appearance, obviously confused by the sudden disruption in his home. 

“What’s going on?”
He asked innocently. 

Wilbur’s gaze lingered on where his father had disappeared for a moment before he pulled them away. They didn’t land on Dream though. They focused on Sapnap and the boy didn’t even have the heart to look up from the ground. There was a heavy guilt eating away at his heart;it had been for a while. But seeing how his words had caused Technoblade to flee and end up getting hurt in some type of way, it was like that guilt was only multiplying until it entirely consumed and drowned him. 

Dragging his eyes away from Sapnap, Wilbur turned to an extremely confused Dream who looked between the pair with his eyebrows pulled close together. Sighing and slumped against the wall, Wilbur pushed his hair back and closed his eyes. 

“It’s a fucking long story man.”