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Tommy’s on his back, staring blearily up into an ash filled sky. His ears are ringing unbearably loud, the sound piercing through his skull as he takes in a slow shuddering breath. One that feels like it’s ripping him apart from the inside.
Everything hurts.
The tiniest of movements feel like agony, he doesn’t dare move his head to look at his injuries, his skin feels hot and blazing with pain, his stomach throbbing with every breath only making the ache worse. He can barely register it all beyond the pounding in his skull. Everything seems dull, out of focus. Distantly he remembers the explosion, he remembers flying through the air and hitting the ground so hard the world went white, he remembers screaming, calling for someone’s name-
Niki-
Tommy’s chest tightens with panic as he remembers the girl who was with him. She had left him just before the explosion, he didn’t know where she was, or if she was hurt. He tries to sit up but only manages to roll over with a pained groan as his body screams with protest. He shuts his eyes, the pain worse then anything’s he’s ever felt, and he’s died twice.
Is he dying?
The question dances somewhere in the back of his pain riddled mind. It sears at him like another wave of fire. He doesn’t want to die. Not now. Not after he’d finally thought he’d won. Not here- all alone.
Or so he thought.
As he forces his eyes back open, he can just barely make out a figure standing in the ash. He recognizes the pink hair billowing in the wind and relief washes over him. Niki was here, she was okay, she would help him.
“Niki-“ Tommy croaks, voices crackling with pain. He tastes blood on his lips as he speaks.
Niki doesn’t move.
Tommy stares up at her, the silence stretching on, only interrupted by the crackling smolder of the nearby burning trees. He slowly lifts an arm, hand outstretched bloody and trembling.
“Niki help me-“ The words fall loud and desperate in the smoke filled air. She stares at him, stoic countenance unreadable.
Then slowly, without a breath of hesitation, she turns and walks away.
Tommy’s hand falls back to the snow, terrible dread sinking into his very core. The betrayal rips into him, worse then the countless wounds that littered his trembling form. In its wake all he can do is curl into himself and watch as his blood stains the white around him a deep crimson, until the cold numbs the pain and he’s pulled into a heavy sleep, thinking distantly of disks and pink hair a friend he’ll never see again.
Nothing hurts more then when he shuts his eyes, a familiar face burned into his eyelids as the last he’ll ever see. He wishes it were Tubbo he thinks, as he drifts away. Then at least he’d feel less alone as the cold drags him under.
~
The voices are loud.
They wake Techno up with a jolt, screaming in his ears in a roar louder then he’s ever heard. The force of it makes him dizzy, burying his face into his hands as the sound ricochets through his skull. Through the chaos Techno can only make out a few words, jumbled and warped but still ever present in the sea of madness.
Save Tommy.
Phil glances up with worry at Techno from across the sitting room where the pink haired man had fallen asleep only a few hours prior. He watches his son hunch over in the chair, head in his hands, only to stand up and reach swiftly for his trident.
“You alright there mate?”
“Phil we need to go” Techno barely spits out, teeth gritted as he grabs his red cloak from its perch beside the door.
“I think Tommy needs our help”
~
Techno is racing on Carl, Phil flying above to try and get a view of the land ahead, occasionally glancing down with furrowed brows at Techno, who’s still grappling with the voices roaring in his head.
“And you’re sure it’s serious-“ Phil calls down, lowering in altitude to speak to his son.
“I don’t know for sure- but the voices seem convinced.” Techno grumbles, understanding Phil’s hesitation. Tommy wasn’t exactly fond of either of them at the moment, and the feeling was mostly mutual. But still techno couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong.
Phil nods, still unsure. Techno’s voices tended to be overzealous at times. But if it was worrisome enough to get the Piglin hybrid this worked up over Tommy of all people, Phil couldn’t help but get a bit anxious. Still, it was Tommy they were talking about, Phil knew his youngest well enough to know most situations he could wiggle himself out of just fine. He was sure whatever had happened he would be alright.
That was until he saw the smoke.
“Techno-“
The fear in Phil’s voice drew Technoblades eyes up to the sky, where a massive plume of black smoke was gathering. It was enough for Techno to hop off Carl and frantically grab a pearl. Phil does the same, and in an instant they’re both teleporting right into the heart of the chaos.
Nothing could have prepared them for the carnage as their feet landed in rubble. The air was thick with ash, the area completely demolished. Techno and Phil slowly looked around, horror lacing their features. Phil took a hesitant step forward, only for Techno to yank him back quickly, there just a foot in front of them was a massive crater, so deep neither could see the bottom through the soot in the air.
This was bad.
The voices cried out in anguish at the sight, making Techno wince as he frantically looked around. He didn’t know who caused this, or what had happened. But he knew he needed to find Tommy.
“Tommy!” Phil shouts, seeming to be thinking the same thing. The winged man sprints into the ash, screaming his sons name. Techno follows suit, stumbling over rubble as he runs in the other direction, yelling for his brother into the crackling evening air, getting no response. With every step his dread only increased tenfold, trying to keep his voice steady as he yells desperately into the ash. Phil was faring no better.
“Techno do you see him!?” Phil cries from somewhere to his left.
“No! No I don’t-“ Techno stops when he sees a mass in the snow. He recognizes the thin lanky form in an instant, and can’t help the shout that tears from his throat.
“Phil!”
Techno is with him in an instant, head screaming as he takes in his brothers limp form. Covered in burns and bruises, a piece of stone embedded in his stomach, blood pouring down the side of his head and face. Techno’s hands linger in the air, unsure what to do. Panic seizes him as he realizes his brother isn’t moving, he looks dead. His hands are at his throat in an instant, feeling for a pulse, relief floods him when he feels a faint thumping there, weak and barely noticeable. He flinches as he hears a strained gasp behind him and backs up just barely as Phil drops down beside him.
“Oh my god is he-“ Is all Phil can manage.
“He’s alive, barely.” Techno says, sounding much calmer then he felt. He thanks whatever god there is for his steady voice, otherwise he fear he’d be a stuttering mess.
“We need to get him back to the house” Phil speaks quickly, tearing off his coat and pressing it against Tommy’s stomach, around the shard of stone. “We’ll have to keep him stable, if this thing comes out he’ll bleed to death.” He presses it firmly into the wound, tearing off a piece and pressing it against Tommy’s head. “Hold this piece here-“
Tommy stirs as Techno presses the fabric against the bleeding cut on his forehead. His eyes blearily blink open as cry of pain is torn from his lips. The sound just about rips Techno open. He can’t remember ever seeing his brother in such a state, the sight of it shakes the blade to his core, panic gripping him tight.
“Shh you’re alright son- I’ve got you.” Phil soothes, wrapping the fabric around the wound as best he could. Tommy could only whine in reply, the high pitched sound making Phil grimace. “I know- I know it hurts but I have to- we’re going to get you home.”
Tommy reaches, grabbing a fistful of red fabric. He’s barely there, only registering the pain and the hand buried in his hair, the hand with pink toned skin and claws that his pain riddled mind just barely manages to recognize through the haze.
“Techno?“ Tommy croaks, a cough interrupting him as blood bubbles past his tongue. Techno stills at his name, grip loosening just barely.
“Keep pressure on that!” Phil snaps, pulling Techno from his panicked daze. “ And don’t let him talk he’ll jostle the wound.” Phil tries not to sound fearful, he can see his oldest slipping, he needs him here, he can’t do this alone. Techno must realize this because his gaze hardens as he looks back down at his younger brother.
He’s pressing down again on the cut, trying not to think about the way the blood was soaking through to his palm. He clears his throat instead, staring down into the wide blue eyes below him, glazed over with pain and what must be a terrible concussion.
“Yeah it’s me Toms- try not to talk alright?” Techno speaks as gently as he can manage, his hand lifts to where Tommy is grasping at his coat, gripping the smaller hand within his own. Tommy squeezes even tighter, another terrible sound tearing from his throat.
“Don’t leave me- please don’t-“ Tommy’s eyes are blown wind with panic now, seized with delirium.
“I won’t- I won’t. I’m not goin anywhere me and Phil are going to get you home alright?”
“With- with Tubbo?”
“Yeah kid with-“ Techno’s voice cracks, just barely. If Phil hears it he doesn’t acknowledge it. For that Technoblade is grateful. “-with Tubbo.” He takes a deep breath, steadying himself again. “So stay with me- just look at me, don’t talk okay?”
Tommy nods, gaze already growing more distant as his head lulls back into the red stained snow. The sight is pitiful and Techno hates it. Hates seeing his brother like this. Seeing him in pain and delirious and crying for his best friend-
Where was Tubbo?
Techno still didn’t know what had happened, but the fact that Tommy was here, alone, bleeding out in the snow with no one else in sight was quickly filling him a familiar burning rage. The voices were growing more angry with every passing second, hot and blazing like the smoldering ash filtering around him.
“What the hell happened here Phil?”
“I don’t know-“ Phil manages, finally pulling away, arms up to his elbows now painted red, trembling from the cold and the shock. “We’ll sort that out later, right now we have to get him back. He’ll die of the cold if we leave him here any longer.” The fear of it presses on Phil, making it hard to breath. His son could die, he could be dying now, and he doesn’t even know why, or who did this. He pushes the dread down, unfurling his wings, large and stark in their darkness against the surrounding snow. He picks up his son carefully, pulling him as close to his chest as he can, a fierce protectiveness burning in him as he stands up, wings sheltering the boy from the cold wind that whipped through the surrounding trees. Techno stands with him, face set with the same grim determination as the voices in his head screamed for blood. Blood to match the crimson that now stained the snow beneath their feet.
With Phil and techno’s anger with Tommy now diminished, a new rage boiled in them both, hatred burning for whoever left their little boy for dead in the freezing cold. Techno carefully touches the spot where Tommy had gripped at his coat. He can still feel the desperate tug of his hands on the red fabric, begging to not be left to die. The very thought of it made Techno’s blood boil as he gripped his trident and joined Phil’s side, both of them staring down at the frail form of Tommy tucked carefully into Phils arms. They both were thinking the same thing it seemed, faces set in the same grim determination as they both watched the faint rise and fall of the boys chest.
Tommy had to make it. He had to.
And Someone was going to pay.