Chapter Text
"Heh?!"
There he was, staring down at a child whose palms are halfway through his chests, golden apple still in his mouth partly chewed. They blink, both staring dumbfounded at each other, Techno even more so.
"Heeeeeeey Blade?"
"What are you doing in my house?"
He huffed, trying to ignore the voices in his head, screaming at him. His tone came off as blunt but annoyed. Normally, the kid before him would be laughing nervously, he noted. He'd seen Technoblade angry, numerous times actually in his short time being here. An achievement all on its own.
But no, Technoblade is instead greeted by an impassive stare, an eyebrow raised.
He resumes digging through Techno's belongings once more, standing up immediately with an obviously full inventory. Techno had to suppress a groan, blood boiling and head ringing with screams, he continued to ignore them.
"What are you doing in my house Tommy?"
There's a growl in his voice, which didn't even get any louder. The simple insinuation at mentioning the kid's name would've made anybody quiver, and for a moment, he sensed fear in Tommy.
Which shifts back to stubborn determination as he stood his ground, eyes not leaving Techno's as he chomped on his half eaten gapple, trying to assert his courage, which Techno internally found hilarious, stopping himself from snickering.
"I'm just borrowing some shit." He stated. "It's no big deal."
He hears him chuckle. Techno's eye twitches.
He laughs. "What? You think I'm just gonna let you waltz in here and steal my stuff?" This has been a rough day already, first with those hitmen wannabe 'Butcher Army' going after his head, to an actual anvil crushing his head (and the mildly nauseating revival process of the Totem), to Phil-
Phil…
Techno reminds himself to get Phil later, right now, he has a mooch to deal with.
He is met with a defiant glare. "Oh yeah? Whatchu gonna do about it?"
As any warrior should, Techno only gripped his pickaxe, blood still dripping from its tip, fresh from Quackity's jaws. 'Toothpick.' He thought, chuckling internally at his clever naming skills.
He'd expect Tommy to cower at the sight. He did so back in Pogtopia, when all Techno had to do was don his armor, intimidating the small child immediately into backing off whenever he was bothering him. But no-
There remains a spark in the kid's eyes, despite the obvious fatigue in those eyebags, for a second, Techno is actually impressed.
But he's still a filthy thief so-
"Leave ." Techno commanded, with an authority of a man in complete control over the situation. And yet, the kid wouldn't budge.
"Make me, bitch."
And there he stood, glaring daggers at Techno who remained there, standing. A long pause as the two men glared at each other. Neither moving from their spot as sparks of tension fills the air.
Finally, the pickaxe is unequipped. Techno sighs. For the first time, he actually takes a good look at his unwanted visitor. His clothes are torn, almost shredded, the cuts from natural elements he definitely received from being stuck in the middle of nowhere is visible across his body. There always remains a certain jumpiness in his stance, a tremble in his limbs despite being able to stand up to Technoblade's intimidation. He is breathing rather heavily. His once blue burning eyes are grayed out, wide with desperation.
This isn't normal.
"What happened to you?"
It was a simple question, yet it is what got Tommy to back away from him, gritting his teeth.
"And why should I tell you dick head?" He spat, clearly defensive.
"Look-" There is audible frustration in Techno's voice "I'm giving you three options here, two of which are gonna be so bad for you, I can assure you Tommy." He chuckled as he spoke.
"Heh, like I'm listening to you-"
"Either-" He immediately interrupted his mumbling, raising a single finger. "One, you give me back my stuff and you get off of my property-" He began.
"Two, I kill you and get back my belongings. Easiest option by far…" He raises his second finger, before walking up, threateningly closer to Tommy who keeps backing away from him.
"Or three, you tell me what made you think mooching off of me like some raccoon is a great idea, and I, generously, hear you out." He raises his third finger as he speaks, agitated. "It's that simple."
"Oh yeah? And what are you gonna do about it? Help me?" He questioned, laughing, earning him a shrug from Techno.
"Perhaps." He found himself saying. Why is he saying that?
His ears twitched at the screams of the voices, despite them all being in his head. He was expecting chanting, the cry for blood, or at least the typical ringing of 'E' on the back of his skull. But no, there is desperation in these voices, yet not for violence.
Protect him!
Keep Dream away from him!
He's family!
"Then no."
Tommy's attempt to walk off is halted by Techno's large form standing between him and the ladder. Instead, he just turned and stomped off into the tunnel he made leading outside. Techno simply followed, witnessing as Tommy ascended the ladders to the snowy tundra outside.
"You're a fool! You think you can just get vengeance on your own?!" Techno jeered, stopping Tommy in his tracks. The kid turned, staring.
He knows Tommy. He, Wilbur, and Phil watched the little brat grow into the semi decent warrior he is today. He's been on many of the conflicts he recklessly started, on both sides of the battlefield. He saw the boy's look of despair as he was exiled by his best friend and dearest brother. He witnessed Theseus's journey up to this point. He saw everything.
There is only one reason he can think of as to why he is here.
"...You're gonna start a war Tommy?"
He smirked, he lit a fire in the kid and he knew it. Tommy fully turns towards him, the glare still there, bearing into the older warrior.
"Why do you care?" For a second, his voice is low, a seriousness Techno didn't expect from him. "Mr I get peer pressured into becoming Schlatt's bitch." Now that's the Tommy he knew.
"Stays in the pit." He mumbled, shrugging.
"YOU STILL BLEW UP L'MANBERG!"
"First of all, THAT WAS WILBUR-" He snapped.
"AND SECOND, YOU DON'T THINK THEY DESERVED IT?!"
His reaction is surprising, even to himself. There is legitimate anger burning in his chest. Why? As much as the voices yell family or brother... That just ain't true. He should not feel anger for him. He has no relations to this boy, he is merely the son of Techno's closest friend, nothing more.
Phil…
"I kept telling you, it was the government . Look at how it destroyed Wilbur-" A look of regret immediately shows in Tommy's face. "How it turned Tubbo against you!"
Regret turns into despair as Tommy forcefully shook off Technoblade's grip on his shoulders, Techno not even aware he was grabbing him in the first place.
"They messed with me." He began, smirking. "Don't you want revenge, Tommy?"
"Because now's the time for revenge !" He growled.
"Stop it! " The kid protested, shaking his head. He barely stayed standing, arms wrapping around himself as he trembled, either by the turbulent winds pelting him or his own turbulent feelings. The spark in his eyes had fallen into dejection as he stared up at Techno, unsure of himself.
"I just wanted my disk back-" He trembles as he spoke. "I just-"
"You just wanted Tubbo back." Slowly this time, Technoblade steps forward, and places his palm as gently as possible on the smaller warrior's shoulder. Tommy shivers in his touch, but doesn't respond. Techno presses on.
"Join me, Tommy . " His voice is uncharacteristically soft, comforting as he held Tommy close, he felt the child relaxing in his hand. He pulls him closer, staring down deep into his soul, eye to eye, as a fire lit in his.
"Together we can put an end to TYRANNY. Make them pay for what they did to us, Tommy!" He declared. Tommy is still staring at his eyes, unflinching.
"I once fought with them as brothers, and yet what did they do? They betrayed me, hunted me down, locked up Phil ."
Techno watched as the implication set in, he didn't have to point out that his precious L'Manberg just locked up his closest friend, Tommy's own father.
"Y-You're joking, right?" Tommy gave him a nervous laugh. "Seriously, Phil?" There is a look of disbelief in his face, smiling like it ain't real.
"It's true." He pulls away. There is a long pause as the new information whirled in Tommy's head, processing what he just learned barely believing it.
"And then there's you."
"Tell me something Tommy" Techno started. "How much did you sacrifice for that country only for you to end up here the moment Dream, a foreign power, threatened them? What type of government can't protect its citizens? Let alone one of its officials and founders?!" His arms are wide out, wind picking up behind him, his regal cape dancing in the air, like his statement is backed by the forces of nature itself. And yet, Tommy turned away.
"Look, if you think for a second I would- I would hurt them." He declared, voice low, Techno sensing a small lack of assurance.
"Well you kind of got to if you want to get your disk back." Techno crosses his arms.
"If you are still trying to convince me to destroy L'Manberg, forget it." Techno hears a legitimate conviction forming in his tone as Tommy pushes through him, walking away, Techno's smirk only growing larger.
"Fine, good luck getting anything back Tommy! You can't even get any proper equipment on your own, let alone take back what's yours!" At that, Tommy is already walking off into the blizzard.
"Yeah! Well I don't even NEED your help Techno!" He yelled from the distance as he kept marching off.
"Fool! You will end up dead without me or my stuff- Actually, you know what? Keep it! Let's see how badly you'll mess it up. Don't come crawling back to me!" He spat, earning a resentful glare from the kid, a glare he felt despite their already considerable distance, feeling it burn at his skin, regardless of the actual cold around him.
"FINE!" Tommy spats.
"FINE!" Techno spat back.
With a scoff, Tommy ran off, his form fading in the distance, until all Techno could see was snow. The retired warrior sighed and turned away, back into his cabin, ignoring the gnawing feeling he is having, it wasn't the cold.
Briefly, he finds himself wondering about how ill-equipped for the chill Tommy is, how his barely holding together clothing is gonna shield him from freezing to death. Then he wonders why he cares. The kid despises him, he shouldn't give a damn about somebody who also definitely doesn't. He shakes his head, trying to clear this gnawing feeling inside his gut, guilt.
And then he remembers him.
His closest, and only friend .
Oh god-
"Tommy?!" Without realizing it, he found himself rushing through the snow, calling out for his name. His calls became more and more desperate as he kept searching the wide tundra, trying to remember what he got from mapping out the area. Tommy should be heading back to exile- He shouldn't have gone far should he? No, he couldn't. He's seen his condition. Tommy wouldn't have the strength if he tried. Tommy wouldn't have the strength if he tried… Crap.
Just as he was beginning to panic, he spotted a familiar red.
Gasping, unaware he's been holding his breath for so long, he ran. Digging through snow trying to free the half buried form of whom he immediately identified as Tommy, he dug and dug and dug, ignoring the sting on his fingertips as he kept clawing into snow like that. He cursed himself for not bringing a shovel, finding himself praying to Prime or whatever god is even up there that he isn't too late. Soon, he managed to grab onto Tommy's still shivering form. Shivering? Good, he is alive.
And he runs back to his base, carrying the small form closely in his chest, hugging the shivering kid tightly as he shields him from any hostile mobs he doesn't even bother to defend against, ignoring the arrows striking him or the creepers exploding before him. He just kept running, not even bothering to think why he was doing this. It doesn't matter, there's only one thing in his head and one thing only.
Phil, I won't let you down again.
---
The sun sets one final time on their cold land. The wind howls its swan song, as the cold embraces a lone warrior, as if asking him to reconsider leaving. No, there is no more future in this dying world, they must pass as the once great empire they had created fell before them. The very first empire he founded, and definitely the last. Technoblade could only scoff at the sight of his future abandoned creation, having left all of his earthly valuables to any future scavenger willing to find it, or to rot in his on ce pristine palace. The pride he would've felt buried in a pit of regret and anger.
None of these were worth it.
Yet still, the pride r emained, like a flickering candle amidst a blizzard, he felt it amongst the storm of bitterness. For he had not created this kingdom alone.
Philza stood besides him as he took one final glance of their fallen empire. Techno will always remember his words, one that forged their bond for the decades to come.
"For you Techno, the world."
A rare warmth envelops his chest. Someday, he will repay him, three-fold. Words cannot express how much he owed this man. There is no other person he would gladly fight the world for than him. And as this world crumbles beneath him, and he gets separated from Phil once more, only one thought is in his mind.
"For you Phil, the world."
And that's how it should be.