Actions

Work Header

Rating:
Archive Warning:
Categories:
Fandom:
Relationships:
Characters:
Additional Tags:
Language:
English
Stats:
Published:
2025-09-25
Updated:
2025-10-07
Words:
13,496
Chapters:
9/?
Comments:
30
Kudos:
21
Bookmarks:
4
Hits:
283

Broken Chains and Callous Hearts

Chapter 6: Communication is Key

Summary:

The chittlins and the adoption people are gonna have a littleeeee chatttttt

Notes:

Y’all, I am ready for angst! Thank you so much for your support so far, every kudo means a lot to me.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Techno was nervous.

No, scratch that, he was beyond nervous. That was the biggest understatement in the history of understatements. Techno was standing here with a bunch of children, all of them younger than him, after having just escaped the place he’d been imprisoned for ten years and was going to have a talk with the people who’d gotten them out. He felt he had  a reason to be nervous. 

“I think we want your names before we sit down,” Techno responded to the blonde man. The man in question nodded agreeably. 

“That can be arranged,” he responded. “My name is Phil.”

The brunette woman beside him smiled lightly. “My name is Kristin.”

The boy that had freed Techno from the wall shackles was leaning against her. “My name is Wilbur,” he called. 

“I’m Niki!” Niki chimed in. 

And so they went, with every person in the room introducing themselves. A person named Eret, a man named Fundy, a man named Quackity- and so on and so forth.

They went through the children after all of the adults were done. “I’m Tommy,” Tommy exclaimed. Tommy had left Techno’s side, running up to the counter where Niki pulled something out from the back. She came back with two containers filled with leftover goodies. 

As Niki started to pass around sweets, the kids continued to introduce themselves. When they had finally finished the last kid, Phil turned to Techno. “And your name?”

Techno sighed. “Technoblade Viper.”

Phil cocked his head, and Wilbur looked at him in perplexity. “Viper?”

Techno nodded. “My last name. Don’t ever use it though.”

Wilbur furrowed his eyebrows thoughtfully before mumbling, “I need to go get something.”

Wilbur left, and Phil turned back to Techno, “Okay. How about this: we wait for Wilbur to get the missing kids files from home, and once he comes here, we look through them and send the kids home. Clearly they need it.”

Techno nodded slowly. He didn’t know why they had access to the missing kids files but if it  meant the kids could see their families again, he wouldn’t question it.

Wilbur showed up about ten minutes later looking winded and holding a bulging manilla envelope. Techno could only assume that the files  were in there. 

“Eret, Q, Niki, Fundy!” he called, waving the file in the air. “I’m going to give you the files. Each of them have addresses on the case, and are organized by street. Can you take all the kids to their homes while Dad, Mum, and I talk with Technoblade?”

“And me!” Tommy chimed in. “I want to stay!”

Niki shook her head. “No, sweetheart. I’m sure your mommy and daddy miss you very much and want to see you as soon as they can.”

Tommy shook his head stubbornly. “No! I won’t get to see Mummy or Daddy! They have holes in them, they’re sleeping forever!”

Every adult in the room (and Wilbur) drew in a sharp gasp. “Oh…” Phil murmured. “...Okay, you can stay…”

Tommy pumped his fists in the air. “Yay!”

Eret sighed and accepted the files from Wilbur, taking a peek at the first one. “Okay!” they announced. “First one, Steve and Alex! Come on everybody!” They marched out the door with the kids and their comrades following closely. 

 

–(--<->--)--

 

Phil didn’t know where to start. There was so much he wanted to ask, so much he wanted to know. Were these kids okay, why had they been there, how had they never known  about this until now- there were so many questions. 

Phil sighed. He should just start with something basic. “How long were you at that place?” he tried. 

Techno sighed, and Tommy crawled up into his lap, leaning against his chest. “I was the one there for the longest. I was there for ten years.” 

Phil felt his chest tighten. Ten years? He could’ve sworn he got rid of all of  these institutions eight years ago, how had this one escaped his notice? 

“O-oh,” Phil rasped. He was at a loss for words, but thankfully Wilbur had the words Phil lacked. 

“Well, we were looking through the missing kids files, and all of the unexplained ones have been explained tonight. We found every answer to every file we looked through, yet you never had a file. Not one. No one was looking for you, no one reported you missing- why?”

Techno’s expression darkened. “I don’t wanna talk about it.”

Phil sighed. “Wilbur, that was a very insensitive thing to ask.”

Wilbur paled. “Sorry, Dad. And, Technoblade, I’m sorry if that sound rude, I wasn’t trying to be.”

Techno waved him off. “It’s whatever.”

Wilbur huffed. “So, what exactly happened there?” Kristin asked softly. "From what I saw, there was blood everywhere in some of the younger kids’ rooms.”

Techno nodded. “Makes sense. Those people weren’t very… nice…” He shook his head, like he was trying to get rid of unpleasant memories. The sadness in his eyes broke Phil. “I don’t really wanna talk about most of it.”

Wilbur tilted his head to the side and pursed his lips, clearly trying to hold himself back from asking another question. “Go ahead and ask, Wil,” Phil allowed. 

“Well, uh…” Wilbur started. “I was wondering if they took you because of your, um… wings?”

Phil and Kristin froze. Wings? Technoblade had wings?

Techno sighed. “Nope.”

“Why though? Wouldn’t they want someone with wings under their captivity? Why wouldn’t that be their reasoning?”

“I wasn’t born with wings,” Techno mumbled, staring down at Tommy, whose hold visibly tightened on him at this new topic of conversation. “Neither was Tommy. None of the others have wings.”

“Then how did you get them..?” Kristin asked. 

“I… they-” Techno sighed, lowering his head. He drew a shaky breath, tears so clearly threatening to spill. He whispered, “It hurt… when they did it… The liquid… it was bright green… they stuck it into us… and they strapped us to tables… and… and…”

Phil’s eyes widened. This already sounded so bad. Oh, these poor babies.

“It hurt,” Tommy cried. He curled into Techno’s chest, making himself smaller. Oh, this poor thing. “It hurt so bad! It felt like  my back was exploding and there was so much blood and it- it…”

Kristin’s hand was clasped over her mouth, squeezing so hard that her nails dug little crescents into her cheek. Phil’s hands clenched into fists, and he gritted his teeth in frustration as he fought  his urges to go back and slaughter every last one of those idiots. Wilbur gasped in distress, his eyes as wide as saucers. 

“That’s enough!” Phil exclaimed standing up. He didn’t miss the brief flash of fear on Technoblade’s face at his movement and tone. “You don’t have to answer any more questions. I’m sure this is a lot.”

Techno nodded, standing up and lifting Tommy up with him. Phil turned to Techno. “Why don’t we go find your family? I happen to know where the Vipers live, and I’m sure they’d love to see you.”

Techno froze, but nodded hesitantly. “...Fine…” He sounded like he didn’t want to go, like he was morally opposed to this new idea with every fiber of his being. Surely that was only because he didn’t want to leave Tommy, right?

Phil hoped so.

Notes:

Shout out to Goose_berry18 and EbonyIvory for being the first two to comment on this fic. Please feel free to comment, I love reading each and every one!