Chapter Text
It was a cold night outside of Technoblade’s warm cottage, in fact, he could hear the wind whistling loudly outside his windows as well as the snow hitting the glass. Living in a tundra biome, Techno should be used to such a storm, but it was such a strong blizzard that he could barely even hear the zombies that were usually groaning beyond his little patch of land. Well, little patch of land for now.
Techno had big plans for this area. He had tried pushing anarchy on another community with anger and violence but he’d learned he’d been doing it all wrong when they kicked him to the curb. The way wasn’t to force anarchy, it was to show them that they could live without government. To give them the option to live without it. He needed to show them a different way of life. A better one with no corrupt leaders or threats of war. So he was going to make his own independent land, far away from the New L’Manburg and their residents.
Anyone who wanted to make the move would be welcomed with open arms (and probably a few snide ‘I told you so’ comments) as well as given a plot of land to build and work on. It would be a community. Their own village nestled between two others. It would be perfect. He was looking forward to it.
The perfect retirement plan.
He needed that… retirement.
As much as swinging a sword brought him a sense of power and drawing blood gave him a high nothing else could… it wasn’t healthy. Every time he came back to himself after, he felt worse and worse. Guilty over some of the things he’d done as well as just exhausted. He supposed he didn’t have the stamina he used to and that was starting to catch up with him.
It was like coming down from a strong potion. Weak and tiring. It gave him pounding headaches and sometimes he needed days to recover from using too many. It probably didn’t help that he mostly used potions when he was fighting as well, so the two feelings blended together.
But no more of that. He’d only be fighting out of self-defence from now on. He shouldn’t need potions, he shouldn’t need to draw blood. Just peace.
He sat in his attic surrounded by his bookshelves, reclining in a chair as his warm fire crackled in front of him. Techno read from the book in his hands with a peaceful expression on his face, reading glasses perched at the end of his nose as he flicked through the pages. Since it was a particularly cold night, his newly made blue cloak was draped over his legs to keep him just that little bit warmer.
Phil had made it for him.
He smiled at that thought, getting briefly distracted from his book. They both matched now, Philza claiming that if they were going to make a land together then they both at least needed to have a wardrobe upgrade so they could stay warm and look good.
Together.
Out of everyone that had betrayed him in recent events… he was glad that Phil wasn’t one of them. He could take everyone else’s betrayals 50 times over, he wasn’t surprised by them, but as long as he still had Phil he’d be happy. He was the only one he wanted to be with. The only one he cared for. He would defend his closest friend with his life if he asked. With all three of them.
The rest of this godforsaken world could burn in The Nether for all he cared.
He returned to his book for a little while, the blizzard outside combined with the crackling of the fire acting as calming white noise. It was so relaxing that he almost even fell asleep in his chair, something he very rarely did… but then there was a knock at the door.
He blinked his eyes awake, not even realising he’d closed them and looked around the room. He wondered if maybe he had fallen asleep, if the knock had been his imagination. After all, who would be knocking? No one knew where he was besides Philza, and why would he be out this north in the middle of the night in this terrible storm. He’d risk freezing to death. Phil was smarter than that. Unless it was an emergency that couldn’t wait.
Just when he was about to chalk it up to nothing, or maybe a monster of some sort, and return to his book, there was another knock. This one was loud, demanding attention, and Techno sat upright.
Philza must need help. It must be urgent. An emergency.
Techno stood up quickly and nearly tripped over his cloak as it pooled around his feet in his hurry to get to the door. He haphazardly threw his book to the side and slid down his ladder. He grabbed his netherite sword he kept by the main door and swung it open.
What he saw was only part of what he expected to see. He saw his compass, just like he thought he would, the plain iron contraption shimmering with magic as it connected with Techno’s home. Philza’s compass for him to use to come find him in emergencies, or really whenever, but when he looked up it was not Philza who was holding it. He moved his sword in the defensive position and the man did not even flinch as he stared at him in the eyes. He seemed very confident despite the fact Techno had already taken two of this man’s lives. There were people behind him, holding torches and their own weapons.
Techno shivered at the chill that the open door brought into his cottage.
“Mr. President.” He greeted coldly, his tone as icy at the weather. He looked over at the others, the wind blowing his loose hair that had been taken out of its braid. Quackity and Fundy were directly behind Tubbo, followed by some guy Techno had never met. Philza wasn’t here at all. He didn’t even have any armour on, he didn’t think anyone but Phil would find him out here, but they had his compass… “Where did you get that compass?”
“It was given to me.”
“Bullshit. By who?”
“Philza.”
Techno’s blood went cold. No, he had to be lying. “Phil wouldn’t-”
“We asked him if he would help us locate you so you can pay for the crimes you committed against Old and New L’Manburg, he handed it over without question. Said that everyone needs to be held accountable, even you.”
Techno bared his teeth, his bottom tusks jutting out and eyes flaring red a little. People used to call him the blood god for it. He wasn’t sure what it was, but it always felt powerful. Yet… Tubbo still did not flinch. Why did he feel so brave? What did he have over Techno? Phil wouldn’t say what Tubbo claimed he did. He’d told Techno already that he’d done the right thing, that the only reason he hadn’t moved north with him yet was that he was slowly moving his stuff so he wasn’t followed. “You’ve done something to him. You’ve hurt him. I swear if you’ve hurt him, killed him, then-”
“Is that Philza’s emerald?” Tubbo suddenly asked, gesturing to the glowing green against Techno’s chest. The pigman immediately raised his hand to grasp at it, staring down at the jewel he’d turned into a necklace. It seemed fine… Still bright and glowing. “He mentioned using that as proof to show you that I wasn’t lying. To show to you that he was alive and unharmed.”
Friendship emeralds, they’d named them. A dumb name, mostly as a joke, but they each held them for each other. They’d tethered them to their lives. Techno had one that he’d turned into a necklace that glowed to represent Phil’s last remaining life. If he were wounded it would most likely be faded and if he’d died… it would go out completely. But it was fine. Strong. Normal. They didn’t do anything to Philza…
He lowered his sword a little, the red in his eyes fading somewhat. But… if they didn’t hurt Phil to get that compass, then… He had to have just handed it over. He’d never have just lost it.
“I suppose that is proof enough for you then that we got this under reasonable circumstances. Now.” The president pocketed the compass and pulled out his own diamond axe that shone with enchantments as the snow whipped around them still. “Are you going to come for your punishment peacefully, or are we going to have to take a life by force?”
Techno tucked one of his hairs that were blowing in front of his face behind his ear, face revealing nothing as he tightened his grip on his netherite sword. It was clear his mind was racing as he tried to figure out what came next. “A life?”
“One life for so many seems like a fair trade, in fact, it’s almost too fair to you. You took two of mine alone, but New L’Manburg has decided to let you off easy this time.” Tubbo smiled. “We’re rebuilding with mercy and kindness in mind. We take a life… and then we can call this hatchet buried.”
Techno sneered a little again. He hadn’t lost any of his lives… but is this what Phil wanted him to do? Why else would they have the compass and know about the friendship emeralds if Philza hadn’t told them? And clearly, he hadn’t been hurt into it since his life was still shining so brightly.
Why would he throw him under the bus like this?
Techno should just trust Phil… yes. Yes, Phil always did things with good reason. He’d explain his reasoning afterwards and it would make sense. This wasn’t a betrayal. He was still his friend. Losing one life wasn’t that bad. He’d lasted so long keeping his three, this time he was just choosing to let one go.
He was certain it was for the good of their land. The good of their future.
Techno backed up and rested his sword back inside the room and Tubbo nodded with a smile. The innocent one that made him seem like he could do no wrong. He removed his glasses too, as to not break them, and put on his boots. He considered asking to fetch his cape so he could die dressed up but he didn’t want to stain and tear Philza’s handy work. He walked outside and closed the door behind him. Hopefully, it would warm back up for him when this was all over.
“Alright.”
“Excellent. Follow me and my men to the front of your home.”
Techno followed the president of New L’Manburg with no hesitation, getting on his knees when asked and not even complaining when the snow seeped through his previously dry trousers as it melted around them. He had to trust Phil’s plan. His hands were tied behind his back and he looked up. The only light came from his windows and the green pendent around his neck in the dark, and neither reached very far. Tubbo stood over him, that man he’d never met formally stood just to his right behind him. There were noises of mobs being slain nearby as Quackity and Fundy kept the area clear of monsters in the dark, though the noises were muffled by wind and Techno could barely see them due to the snow. The storm was getting worse.
Tubbo held his teal axe in hand, grasping it so tightly his knuckles had gone white. “Any last words, Technoblade?”
The man sighed. “Just get it over with.” At least the axe would be swift. Messy, but he wouldn’t have to deal with that aspect.
He expected the president to lift his axe up and end it, but his eyes widened when instead he watched as he roughly passed the axed over to the other man and instead pulled a crossbow off his back. It was loaded with a firework. This whole situation suddenly felt very familiar and his heart picked up double pace. His face was suddenly painted with fear, lit up with the steady green of Phil’s life.
“Wait-!”
The trigger was pulled and the place briefly lit up in red, white, and blue, scaring off nearby mobs with its blinding light.
The white snow was painted red as the piglin hybrid slumped over it.
-
Somewhere else, Philza was trying to figure out why his compass was pointing him the wrong way, his shield raised above his head to keep him dry from the torrential downpour of rain as he arrived at a campsite that he’d never been to before. This wasn’t the right way... Techno wasn’t here.
He’d been in New L’Manburg, preparing to head out in the morning, when he realised that the compass was pointing in a different direction than before. He’d thought maybe Techno had moved the lodestone it was connected to for some reason and headed out without hesitation, just in case he’d been in danger, but this didn’t seem right. Something was off.
Wilbur exited a nearby lit up wall of logs suddenly and looked at him with furrowed brows. Philza echoed the expression with his own features. Wilbur’s half transparent body wasn’t even slightly phased by the rain. “Philza?” He asked in confusion before looking down at his hand that held the compass. “What are you doing with Tubbo’s Tommy compass?”
Philza looked down at his hand and noticed the three emeralds that decorated his wrist. Techno’s emeralds. Three were glowing bright green when he’d left New L’Manburg.
Now there were only two.