Chapter Text
“Sam! Sam! Hang on he’s waking up.” Sam groaned as he was being shaken. He heard a voice, but his head was foggy and he couldn’t place it. “Sam are you hurt?”
“No? I don’t think so? What happened?” He mumbled. His head was fuzzy and his limbs heavy. He was laying down somewhere soft, and even then he felt too dizzy to move or try and open his eyes.
“We blew up the egg, it’s gone.” The voice explained happily, and now Sam could tell it was Puffy talking.
“I thought only people affected by the egg fell unconscious.” A gruff voice grumbled from somewhere in the room. Sam managed to pry his eyes open only to see Techno leaning against the wall. He looked around to see he was in a bare room, laying on a bare couch with Puffy above him, looking concerned. Karl was also in the room, sitting on the floor and seeming injured. His pants were ripped and covered in blood, and his arms were wrapped in bandages.
“He was pretty close to the explosion.” Puffy explained, not taking her eyes away from Sam’s face. “How are you feeling? Do you think you could sit up?” Puffy asked sweetly. Sam nodded, and sat up with Puffy’s assistance. Immediately he was hit with a wave of vertigo. He grabbed Puffy’s arm tightly to avoid falling over. “Sam?” She asked, concern dripping in her voice.
“Dizzy” He grumbled “Fuzzy. Give me a second.” He mumbled as his vision focused, before letting Puffy go. After a few more minutes he felt confident enough to stand and stumbled up.
“Are you sure he wasn’t influenced?” Techno asked roughly, his hand resting on the axe by his side. “It’s the same effect Ponk had.” Sam found himself trying to remember why Techno was even there in the first place.
“Maybe a little bit, but it couldn’t have too much influence” Puffy said cheerfully as Sam tried to remember. “He hasn’t done anything bad that would show his influence.” Right, Techno joined and Philza joined the fight against the egg after…
Oh
“Oh fuck” Sam mumbled, his eyes wide “Tommy and Tubbo.” He said, suddenly remembering what he had done.
Puffy tilted her head in confusion “Bad’s not awake yet, we haven’t had a chance to ask him where they were.” Puffy and everyone else were under the impression that Bad had taken them after they went missing four months ago. Sam didn’t correct them.
He looked to the side, avoiding eye contact before finally speaking. “... I have them.”
The room was silent for a few seconds before a large, brutish hand grabbed his neck and shoved him against the wall. “What?” Techno hissed, his eyes filled with rage and his empty hand on his axe.
“Techno! Techno wait!” Puffy yelled “We don’t know what he means! Maybe he just means he knows where they are! Sam probably didn’t kidnap them!” Puffy said frantically, confusion and fear in her bright green eyes.
Techno was still enraged, but released Sam a little bit, just so he could talk. “Is that true?” He hissed, three seconds away from bashing Sam’s skull in.
“No, Bad knows nothing. I took the boys. They’re in Pandora’s vault” Sam said softly, looking down. As soon as he finished Techno immediately started choking him. Sam coughed and gasped, but didn’t fight back.
“You put them with Dream?” Puffy asked, shocked and heartbroken. Sam would have spoken up, but he was too busy being choked by Techno to respond.
Karl spoke up softly, his voice horse. “Dream’s dead, he’s been dead for months.” Everyone else in the room froze in shock. “Me, my fiance’s, and Sam have a copy of the book.”
Techno dropped Sam, his rage turned to Karl. “Did you know!” He demanded “Did you know he had Tommy!” He screeched, his eyes starting to tear up.
“No I didn’t! I swear I didn’t” He defended in a panic, standing up quickly, wincing at the sudden movement.
“No one else knew.” Sam said softly, getting in between them. “I kept that a secret, I… I wanted to keep them safe. I think. I wanted to protect them.” His words didn’t seem to calm Techno whatsoever, but it turned his rage away from Karl.
“Wait, I saw Dream. Last week.” Puffy whispered, still trying to wrap her head around what was going on.
“No you saw Quackity. He’s been ‘Dream’ for a long time.” Karl explained. He would have continued, but Techno was clearly done listening.
Grabbing Sam by the shoulder he glared at the creeper hybrid. “Alright, this is what’s going to happen. You’re going to give me the boys, I am going to kill you, and then depending on how pissed I am, I might kill you a second time.”
“W-wait!” Puffy exclaimed, feeling overwhelmed, betrayed, and confused.
“That’s fine.” Sam sighed “just let me get the boys out, then you can kill me.” Puffy looked like she wanted to protest, but Sam looked at her and nodded, telling her it was ok.
“Glad you’re being reasonable finally.” He hissed, still glaring. “Let’s go get Phil. He’s been looking for his son for a very long time.”
Philza was pacing in front of Bad’s room while he slept, waiting for news of his son and Tubbo from the unconscious demon.
He did receive news, but not from who he expected. Answers came in the form of his eldest, a quiet sheep girl, and a towering creeper hybrid dripping with guilt.
He didn’t even know how to respond when he was told what had happened. He only paled in shock, before finally whispering “My boys” more to himself than anyone else.
He looked at the creeper with disdain and hatred, but couldn’t help but feel the slightest bit of sympathy for the clear guilt he showed. Still, when Techno said he was planning on killing Sam Phil didn’t argue.
All the way to the prison he fretted. He’d never seen the inside of the imposing building himself, but he’d heard stories. He heard how bare the walls were and how small the cells were. He heard that they were inescapable, with no windows to tell what day it was. How were his boys? How had they held up, four mouths alone and trapped. Would they be ok?
Of course they wouldn't, that was a stupid question. There was no way they'd be ok after all that. But could Phil even help them? How bad would they be?
As Sam led them through the prison Phil looked around in confusion. It didn’t seem to be all that terrifying and imposing on the inside. There were pictures on the walls, flowers decorating the halls, and carpets on the floors. When Sam led them to the main cell instead of lava he saw obsidian surrounded by clean water, and a few swimming fish. He shared a confused glance with Techno. This clearly wasn’t the terrifying and imposing prison they thought it was, but they knew looks could be deceiving. Sam had made it very clear the place was inescapable, and what was in the main cell waited to be seen.
Sam rushed down the hall to the cell and flung the door open, the three of them following behind. He wasted no time flinging the door open, revealing the cell.
Phil furrowed his brow in confusion. He didn’t know what he was expecting, but it wasn’t what he saw. Instead of obsidian the walls and ground were covered with soft wool, and the room didn’t look nearly as empty as he expected. Along with the wool the walls were also covered with other things, drawings, signs, a clock and a disc. There was a large and comfortable bed with a jukebox behind it. A shall shelf filled to the brim with books and notebooks, with a dog and bee nestled together beside it. Finally in the center of the room was a wooden table with three chairs. Tommy sat in one, Tubbo in the other.
They looked… Fine? They didn’t look hurt at all, or even sick in any way. Tommy had put on some weight and actually looked a lot healthier than when Phil had seen him last. Tubbo as well, the dark circles that made a permanent home under his eyes were gone as well. They were smiling and laughing, clearly not having seen the group yet.
Finally Tommy looked over, his long blonde hair tied back “Hey Sam, you’re here early-” He started, but froze when he saw all of them. Tubbo turned around to see, freezing as well. Two pairs of bright blue eyes stared in awe, and Phil didn’t know what to do.
“Son” Phil mumbled, though he wasn’t even sure he was talking too. Suddenly the boys jumped up and ran to them. Tubbo dove into his arms, and Tommy dove into Techno’s.
“You’re ok, it’s ok, you’re ok” Philza mumbled, wrapping his arms around Tubbo tightly. He went to run his fingers through his brown curls, but noticed his hair was braided. He rubbed his back instead as Tubby buried his face in Philza’s chest, all while the older man was whispering assurances.
He glanced over at Techno and Tommy to see how they were. Techno held his brother in a vice grip, almost as if he was scared he’d be pulled away. Tommy didn’t seem to mind, smiling as he hugged Techno back.
“Hey Theseus, glad you’re ok kid.” Techno said, his voice lacking its usual bite or roughness.
“Shut up you asshole!” Tommy laughed, clearly not bothered and not pulling away.
They were fine. His kids were fine, they weren’t hurt, they weren’t sick. They were ok. He would get them out of there, and they would be ok.
Tommy glanced back at Sam, and smiled even wider. “Hey your gem is back to normal! The egg doesn’t have you anymore! Does that mean we can leave?” He asked.
Sam looked surprised, though at what Phil couldn’t say. He nodded as he furrowed his brow, his fingers touching the red gem on his headband.
Wait, red? Wasn’t it white?
“Sweet! I’ll grab Sunny and Charlie” Tubbo said, pulling out of Phil’s grasp and running back to the cell. Before Phil could ask he reamerged, fluffy bee in hand and the dog on his heels.
“You two go leave with Puffy and Phil.” Sam commanded softly. “The egg is gone so it should be safe for you two. Things are still a bit messy, but the Big Innit Hotel is free of its presence.”
“The hotel is finished? Sweet! Thanks Sammy!” Tommy exclaimed, before thinking for a second and frowning slightly. “Wait, where are you and Techno going?”
Sam was going to tell him not to worry, but Techno spoke up first, throwing all tact out the window.
“I’m going to take him outside and stab him several times.”
Tommy froze, before tearing out of Techno’s arms and bolting to Sam.
“Tommy!” Multiple voices yelled as the blonde wrapped his arms around Sam’s toroso, squeezing tightly.
“Don’t hurt him!” Tommy yelled back, not budging.
Sam himself was frozen, not expecting the sudden outburst and having no idea how to even respond. “Tommy” he finally stuttered “it’s ok, don’t worry, I’ll be fine.” He tried to reassure the young boy. Tommy only squeezed tighter.
“No! Not until Techno promises not to kill him!”
Techno looked confused “Tommy, he kidnapped you.” Techno explained slowly, as if he was talking to a child.
“He was under the influence of the egg” Tubbo mumbled, and Phil felt himself squeeze a little tighter.
“Besides, it could have been much worse.” Tommy stated plainly, glaring at his older brother. All the adults shared a look, till Sam finally spoke up.
“I don’t really think it could have been.” Sam sighed “I kidnapped you.”
Tommy shrugged, before looking up at Sam with his youthful blue eyes. “So? You didn’t torture us or starve us or take our things. I mean you drugged us that one time, but it wasn’t even poison. As long as you’re letting us go I don’t care.”
Phil felt his heart twist and Sam was starting to remember why he thought this whole kidnapping thing was a good idea in the first place.
“And he didn’t separate us either, even when we tried to fight him.” Tubbo spoke softly, sending everyone on a whole nother roller coaster of emotions.
Techno thought for a second, before finally scoffing “alright, I won’t kill him. But I still want to talk to him. You two leave with Phil and Puffy, we’ll stay here.” The piglin hybrid was clearly angry, but he was hiding it well.
Tommy seemed hesitant “promise?” He asked in a hesitant voice, still holding tightly.
“I promise I won’t kill or maim Sam. Is that good enough?” Tommy hesitated, before letting go.
“Alright” He mumbled, grabbing Phil’s hand as Tubbo untangled his arms. As he led the boys away they glanced back, looking worried. Sam gave them a comforting smile as they left the prison, to let them know he’d be ok.
Of course when he looked back at Techno, who was frothing with rage, he wasn’t so sure that was the case.
“Alright, what the fuck” He finally growled “I knew the bar for my brother was low, but Jesus Christ.”
“The bar was low, and I dug.” Sam finally mumbled. “They should hate me. I would prefer them hating me, that would be healthy. What sort of reaction was that?” He slowly became more and more confused as he spoke.
Finally Techno turned to Sam, still fuming “did you manipulate them? Gaslight them? Anything?” He demanded.
Sam shook his head “no, not at all. I spoke to them, and gave them things when they asked, but that’s it.” He confessed “I was concerned with keeping the safe and happy. Well as happy as they could be.”
Techno sighed, and suddenly looked exhausted. Sam realized that Techno wasn’t actually mad at him, not really.
“Look, I was really pissed earlier, but seeing that they were safe and how they look better than I’ve seen them in who knows how long, well you might have had a point.” Techno finally concedes.
“Huh?” Sam mumbled in confusion.
“Now don’t get me wrong, you have a lot of groveling to do.” Techno joked, “Also, if you pull that shit again I will take all of your canon lives.”
“I won’t, I promise” Sam stuttered, still confused “but what do you mean? I kidnapped him.”
“Yeah, and you’re clearly in the wrong for that, but if you didn’t take them then they would have either tried to stop the egg themselves, or they would have gotten possessed.” He sighed “it wasn’t a good solution, but it did have the best outcome.”
“Look, I’m sorry-” Sam started, but was cut off by Techno.
“Save your apologies for Phil, Tommy, and Tubbo.” Techno grunted “They deserve them the most. Now let’s get out of here before they get worried.” He turned and started heading back down the hallway, but Sam didn’t follow.
“W-wait, aren’t you going to kill me?” He asked in confusion.
Techno huffed a laugh. “I said I wasn’t going to, right? Now granted, I might owe you a punch or two later, but I won’t kill you.”
“Right.” Sam mumbled, only then following Techno down the hall, past the obsidian walls and to the outside, where the rest were waiting.
He was already wracked with guilt, but when he saw Tommy and Tubbo staring at the sun with pure joy he felt his heart twist.
It’s been four months since they’ve seen the sun, or even outside. That was Sam’s fault. Egg or no egg, he drugged them, kidnapped them, violated his trust.
Tommy smiled when he saw him, waving for him to leave the prison. Sam gave him a weak smile, which seemed to satisfy him.
Sam made a decision, right then and there. He would never be able to make up for what he had done, for keeping them locked away for so long, for worrying their father and brother.
He might never be able to make up for it, but he would spend his life trying to.