Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It was crisp and cool out that day, with blue sky overhead. The smell of rain lingered from the night before. On any other occasion it would be considered a good day. Techno did his best to focus on the air rushing past his face, as opposed to the deep gash in his left shoulder. He tried to push away the sound of his heartbeat pounding in his ears, and instead paid attention to the sound of thick hooves pummeling the damp; packed, dirt underfoot. Blood had soaked through his shirt and cloak. It dripped down his back, sending a shiver down his spine. He just hoped it wasn’t ruining the saddle, he was sure that blood wasn’t good for the leather. Spots began to darken his vision, so he kicked his horse in the side, sending the animal into a full gallop. His mouth was agape, panting to breath. He could feel his limbs getting weaker and weaker, having to concentrate to maintain his balance. If he passed out this far in the field the bugs and buzzards would get to him before anybody had a chance of finding him. He wasn’t afraid of dying, but he always imagined his death being a sort of public execution, as opposed to rotting away into the dirt.

Turning the corner, he could see the quaint cottage on the hill. The last thing he thought before his vision went completely dark, he fell off of his horse, and landed in the tall lush grass of the meadow, was how difficult it would be to suck up his pride and ask for help from one of the people he knew hated him most.

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It was a beautiful day out, perfect for gardening, so that’s exactly what Niki did. Sense moving out of Lmanberg, she’d gone east to live on her own. It had been a good life. Pleasant, quiet, always lots of work to keep her busy. Being a sort of jack of all trades, the local village was happy to accept her, and let her take over the old overgrown cottage at the end of the meadow and on a hill.

She’d planted white tulips and pretty golden daffodils the previous season, and they were just beginning to bloom. While Niki was weeding the garden, she saw something out of the corner of her eye. At first the girl thought it was a bear, she’d seen a few of them sense moving in. Squinting her eyes to get a better look, she could make out the figure of a large humanoid atop one of the biggest horses she’d ever seen. They seemed dangerous and they were barreling right towards her home. Part of her hoped that they were just passing by, but another part of her thought of where she kept her crossbow and how fast she’d be able to get to it. Her train of thought was cut off when the rider toppled off the horse and didn’t get back up. The horse hadn’t bucked or reared, and just kept running straight ahead for the cottage.

As the animal slowed down to a walk, Niki cautiously inspected it. It’s bridle and saddle were beautifully crafted. Though it seemed to be stained with something. Brushing the seat with her hand. Niki’s eyes widened when she looked back at her palm and saw blood. Fresh blood, still warm, and it definitely didn’t belong to her. Looking back to the meadow, she could see the figure that had fallen off still laying there, unmoving.

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When Techno awoke, he immediately sat up, causing a sharp pain in his left shoulder, though he ignored it. Moving to grab his axe, he panicked when he found that it was no longer on his back. Surveying his surroundings, the man found that he was in a small room that’s walls were covered in shelves, holding an array of bottles and vials. The gash in his shoulder had been wrapped in bandages. The most noticeable change to Techno’s appearance however was his lack of a shirt. His face burned red in embarrassment. He’d put together the pieces by now that Niki had found him and he was in her house, but this meant that she’d seen his bare torso. Looking down, he cringed at his own appearance. Discolored skin from bruises that never seemed to heal. Twisted, raised, scars that danced their way around his sides and chest. Ugly, he thought to himself, having to look away in disgust. He pulled the sheet over himself, groaning in discomfort from the awful pain in his shoulder.

The girl must’ve heard him cause she hurried in the room, carrying a bowl with a few scrap cloths thrown over her shoulder. Niki seemed surprised, freezing in place, when she saw him. Or maybe she was afraid? Her pale blue-grey eyes were wide, her lips slightly parted as if she wanted to say something but the words weren’t coming to her. Techno felt as if he hadn’t seen the girl in a lifetime. He remembered the way she looked at him when he lit off the explosives in Lmanberg. She had the same look on her face that she did back then. In fact, she looked like she hadn’t aged at all sense that day. The only big difference was that her platinum blond hair was now pink. Bringing a hand to his own hair, he wondered if she did that because of him, then quickly scolded himself for being so self-centered. She was even wearing the same white dress and apron that she wore back then. Their fear used to fuel him. Now though, he felt like a monster when she looked at him like that.

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Niki’s breath got caught in her throat when she recognized that it was Techno who was laying in the meadow. She hadn’t seen him sense the detonation of Lmanberg. He looked different. His hair was much shorter, he had a few more scars, his famously red cloak was now royal blue, and the gold embellishments she remembered to be scattered all over his attire were now nowhere to be found. Not to mention- he was ghostly pale and bleeding out in broad daylight. Though she could hear the explosions when she saw his face. She could see Will screaming in his hidden room under the podium. She could see herself sheltered under one of the stands in the square of Lmanberg, beside Tubbo and Fundy, getting hit with metal shrapnel. She could hear the deafening ringing in her ears- and for a moment, she saw Wilbur’s bloody body laying there in the meadow instead of Techno’s.

It was a challenge in itself to get the man up the hill and into her home where she could sterilize the wound and treat it accordingly. Thankfully, it was easy enough to bribe a few of the villagers with the promise of a free lunch.

After dressing the wound and getting Techno situated, Niki stared at him while he slept. He seemed so peaceful. His chest rhythmically rising and falling. It was nothing like how she remembered him- manically laughing as everything she ever knew was destroyed, with bloody knuckles and fists full of dynamite sticks. She had to look away when images of Wilbur popped into her mind again, though she couldn’t push them away. Phil standing over Wilbur’s corpse, tears streaming down his face. She could still hear the sound of the sword that pierced through Will’s chest clanging to the ground as his father threw it aside. The girl hadn’t realized she’d been silently crying until the tears were rolling off her cheeks.

That night, before Niki fell asleep, she checked the top shelf of the closet. It hurt to look at, but the girl felt that she had to make sure it was still there. Sure enough, neatly folded, and sitting in the same place that it had been for the past year, was a dusty; old, and torn, brown trench coat. She turned away and shut the closet door as soon as she caught a glimpse of it, as if it was medusa and would turn her to stone if she looked at it.

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“You’re awake.” Niki softly spoke, turning to the work table and setting down the bowl. “You were out for a few days. Your horse is staying at a stable in town and-” She was cut off.
“Carl.” Techno said.
“Jacobs?” Questioned Niki, her back still turned to the man.
“No, my horse. His name is Carl.” He shifted uncomfortably. Niki didn’t respond, only nodded to acknowledge him. Selecting a few vials from off the shelves, Techno couldn’t see what she was doing, but he wasn’t all that interested. Instead, he looked around the room. Dried bundles of herbs and flowers hung in front of a small window. It looked bright out, rays of sunlight casting in.
Niki walked over to Techno, undoing the bandage that was wrapped around the gash. He looked away, not wanting to see how he looked.

“This is going to sting.” She warned, before rubbing the substance that she’d mixed together onto a fresh bandage and proceeding to wrap it around his shoulder. She was right, it did sting. Techno clenched his hand into a fist, he’d felt far worse before. “I had to give you stitches, this will make it heal faster. You lost a lot of blood, I didn’t think you’d make it.” Her words were soft, strangly comforting. Somehow he’d forgotten about her accent, but now he was fascinated with it. A voice in the back of his mind was telling him it was probably because he’d only ever paid attention to her screams. He pushed the voice away, trying to focus on Niki as she skillfully wrapped up the bandage.

Sunbeams bounced off her cherry pink hair that had been pulled back into a loose bun. The golden glow dusted her cheeks and danced around her eyelashes. Though what caught Techno’s eye was a thin pale scar. It was a few inches long and stretched out from her ear down her cheek. Quickly turning his attention away from her face, he looked to her hands. Her sleeves were rolled up, and a few other light scars were visible on her forearm. An image of her standing in Lmanberg square beside Tubbo, drifted through Techno’s mind. He remembered blood on her face, and his eyes flickered back to the scar across her cheek. Beside Tubbo. Beside Tubbo who wore a starburst scar that covered the left side and twisted down his entire body. A scar that Techno made.

The memories that the man had tried so hard to push away were flooding back. The boy trapped in a cage on the podium. Schlatt and Quackity standing idly by, smiles creeping across their faces as Techno loaded his crossbow and shot not once but twice into the cage- and there was Niki again. Standing on the ground, looking up at him, the same look of horror on her face. Then later as she dragged the dying boy back to the ravine, wrapping up his burns the same way she was wrapping Techno’s wound now- only to watch him beat the daylight out of Tommy in the pit later that same day. Everywhere in Techno’s memories of violence, was Niki cleaning up the mess he made. The thought made him sick. He was a monster.

“Why are you doing this?” He asked.
“Hm?” She didn’t look up from her work.
“Why are you helping me? I don’t deserve it, and I haven’t even paid you.” He searched her face for answers. She didn’t respond. Her eyebrows knitted together, as if she too was trying to find the reason. “There has to be a reason.” He pressed. Still, no response from Niki. A few moments later, she got up and walked away, pausing at the door.
“I’ll bring you some food and water, you should get some rest.” With that she closed the door behind her.

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Niki didn’t know what she’d expected when she found him awake. Maybe she’d thought that he’d kill her. Maybe she thought that he wouldn’t wake up at all. Eitherway, she definitely didn’t think that he’d be so peaceful, watching her with soft and curious eyes as she worked. He looked aged. Not old, just aged. In all honesty, he seemed to be a lot younger than she always thought he was. Maybe even younger than Will was. She noticed a lot of things about him while he slept, like how little bits of his hair were braided, and how his ears had holes from piercings that were no longer there. Some things she could only notice while he was awake though, like how his irises were both partially blue and partially a sort of amber gold. She’d never gotten close enough to notice before. For some reason she’d always assumed they’d be an angry red.

She brought him soup and water, both of which he was quick to accept. Though for the rest of the day the question he’d asked her swarmed her head. Why are you helping me? The truth was that Niki didn’t know why. The girl just felt like she had to- and what would she do if she hadn’t? How would she get his body out of the meadow? He’d be thrown in an unmarked grave on the outskirts of the nearby village.

The next day she changed his bandage again, bringing him soup and water. He slept most of the time, though she still checked on him constantly while she was in between chores. They didn’t exchange many words, Niki could tell that he was deep in thought. Whenever they locked eyes, he had the same look of remorse on his face. She wondered what had happened to him. What made him change his ways- or if the old Techno that she remembered was never him to begin with.

A few days later, his injury was healing nicely, and he asked again.
“Why are you helping me?”
“Did you mean to come here?” Niki replied with a question of her own.
“What do you mean?”
“You didn’t make it to my doorstep but you got close enough for me to assume it was your intention to come to me, so was it? Or were you trying to get somewhere else but lost too much blood before you could get there.”
“I meant to come here.” Techno looked down.
“Then you knew I would help, so why are you so curious?”
“I thought I’d have to beg.” He quietly admitted. Neither of them said anything after that.

Chapter Text

“I thought I’d have to beg.” He quietly admitted. Neither of them said anything after that.

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The next morning, when Niki woke up and went to check on Techno, he was gone. She wasn’t surprised. She had a feeling that the moment he was well enough to stand he’d be running. His belongings were gone as well- all except the royal blue cloak. Niki had done her best to get the blood stains out of his belongings when she first found him, but it wouldn’t come out of the white fur of the cloak. She wondered if he’d left it because it no longer had any worth to him, or if this was his odd way of saying thank you. Either way, she neatly folded it up and stuck it on the top shelf of her closet, beside Wilbur’s old coat.

Just to be sure, she went into town that day and checked the stables where she’d dropped off Techno’s horse. As she’d suspected, the horse was gone. With a sigh, Niki headed back home.

When she moved away, she never thought she’d see any of them again. Not Tubbo, not Fundy, not Eret, not George, and definitely not Techno. Though for the short time that he stayed with her, Techno seemed like an entirely different person. She wondered how the others had changed. Niki wondered if Wilbur would’ve changed like Techno did, had he not passed.

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Techno was regretting leaving his cloak behind by the time he and Carl made it into the snow. The journey had taken a few days, but he was used to that. He was partially thankful for the time he had to retrace the events of the past few days without Phil clouding his thoughts with questions and worry. When he did finally make it home, the older man welcomed him at the door.

“Aye mate, where’ve you been? You had me worried there-”
“There were some complications. I’ll be leaving for another week in a few days.” Techno bluntly stated, shouldering past Phil.
“Complications? You couldn’t find him?” The older man pressed.
“Oh I found him all right.” He huffed.
“He got away?” There was no response from the pink haired man. He avoided meeting Phil’s gaze, instead rifling through their storage. “Since when do you lose fights?” Still no response. “The voice’s aren’t coming back, are they?”
“No.” He said, turning to search a different chest. Phil finally got the message, looking at his feet and walking away- but not before patting Techno on the shoulder. The action was of course meant to be sympathetic and comforting, but it made the larger man wince.
“Mate-” Phil began.
“It’s nothing, don’t worry about it.” Techno cut him off.

After searching through nearly all the storage in the house, the pink haired man finally found what he’d been searching for. An old sword of his. The detailing on the handle would fetch a high price on any market, not to mention the encrusted gemstones. It was too small for him to use now, and needed to be polished and sharpened, but it was perfect for his needs.

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It had been a week since Techno left. Niki wouldn’t say she missed him, but she missed the company. His presence had been a sort of nostalgia. Still, she’d gone back to her usual routine. Baking, cleaning, gardening, laundry. A few children from the village visited her to buy medicine for a cough, but that was all she had to deal with in terms of being a healer. She’d been considering buying a few goats to keep in the meadow and use for milk. It was the life that Niki had fallen into and gotten comfortable with over the past year. Her biggest worry being running out of honey to put in her tea. Techno’s visit felt like closure from her past life, and she could now finally leave it all behind. Leave behind all the bad memories and all the bad people.

When the tall man showed up at her doorstep in the evening, she didn’t know what to say. He looked better than the last time she saw him in the light. His face was full of color, his breathing was normal, he seemed to carry his arm easily. Niki silently applauded herself.

“Hello Niki.” He bowed his head.
“Hi Techno, can I help you?”
“I’ve come to say thank you. You saved my life, and there’s no way to repay you for that, but I hope you’ll accept this.” He presented a sheathed sword to her. Cautiously, she accepted it. The leather detailing on the sheath was enough to make her stare. The cross-guard was adorned with small steel roses, and sparkling white gems, along with white leather wrapped around the grip. Partially unsheathing it, the blade sparkled as if it had been newly polished.
“It’s beautiful. Thank you.” She spoke “I don’t know if I’ll be able to do it justice, I’m not much of a swordsman.”
“I could teach you.” The man offered. That caught her attention. Looking up, Niki met his gaze. The expression on his face was unreadable, but he seemed sincere. For a split moment, she saw him back in Lmanberg, eyes wide and crazed, explosions going off all around them, his cape and hair getting caught in the wind. Snapping back to reality, she looked at the man again, who was patiently waiting for her to say something.
“Really?” Niki was skeptical. He nodded in response. She thought of all the things that could go wrong. He could easily kill her. Then again, if he wanted her life, she would already be dead.

Chapter Text

“Really?” Niki was skeptical. He nodded in response. She thought of all the things that could go wrong. He could easily kill her. Then again, if he wanted her life, she would already be dead.

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The sun was going down as a light breeze passed by. The sky was a brilliant orange, but would soon be black with the exception of twinkling stars, so Techno had tasked himself with hanging a few lanterns from low branches so that they could see. They were in the woods behind Niki’s cottage. The tree’s were far enough apart that they had plenty of room to move, but still had to be wary of obstacles. It was the perfect place for sparring. Techno had instructed Niki to stretch before they began. She’d changed into a plain shirt and trousers, as opposed to the dress and apron, though her hair was still pulled back. He couldn’t help but let his gaze linger in the soft and warm lighting of the lanterns. Her icy gray eyes darted up to meet his gaze for a moment, and he looked away.
“Let's start with some basic defense strategies first.” He announced, clearing his throat. Niki looked back to him, attentively listening. He thought back to what Phil would do when he was first teaching him how to fight. The first thing he remembered learning was a simple roll, so that’s what he showed Niki. “The key is to roll onto your shoulder, not your head. You want to protect your neck and stomach, so this is perfect for a short term escape.” He explained.
By the time the fireflies were coming out, he’d taught Niki a few other simple defence moves. He was happy with how quickly she was getting a hang of them, so they picked up their swords.
“We’re going to keep the sheaths on for now.” Techno spoke, and Niki nodded in response. Techno’s sword was much heftier than the girl’s, he wasn’t sure how well the demonstration would work. Twirling the weapon a few times in his hand, he decided against it, and picked up a fallen branch from off the ground instead. “I’ll use this, just pretend it’s a sword.” He said. Niki tried to hold back her laugh, but it came out as a snort, which just made her laugh more. Techno’s ears reddened in embarrassment, he wasn’t sure what she was laughing at. “It’s about the same size as yours-”
“I’m not laughing at you- you’re just funny, that’s all” Niki spoke between dying down giggles.
“Oh-” Techno straightened himself out “Well, let’s begin.”

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“You want your hips turned towards whoever you’re fighting, and remember to keep your weight evenly distributed.” The man explained. Niki followed his lead. “You always want to move the blade down in a straight line and keep the edges parallel when you’re striking. If you hit somebody with the side then you won’t be doing any damage.” He went on and on. She did her best to pay attention but she wasn’t sure how much of the information she was really retaining. He would strike, and she would block. She would strike, and he would block. Again and again over and over. By the time the glittering stars were far overhead, the sounds of crickets and frogs chirping an orchestra from deep within the forest were filling their ears, and the air was beginning to hang heavy and cold, she felt partially confident in her ability to wield her new weapon. Her hair had fallen down, and she had to push the pink locks out of her face to properly see what she was doing.
“Here.” Techno paused, circling behind her and gathering her hair in his hands. He quickly twisted it up into a bun for her- though his touch had surprised her. She stiffened when his fingertips brushed the back of her neck. Explosions, a crash, the stage and podium crumbling to the ground, a deafening ringing in her ears. Her eyes widened and she flinched away from him. “Oh- I’m sorry-” He began.
“No no it’s not you.” It is you, she thought “I was just caught off guard is all.” There was an awkward silence for a few seconds before Niki commented again. “You’re good at that.” She patted her hair to check it’s stability, it stayed in place.
“I’ve had some practice on myself, and Phil always had me put his hair up for him.” Techno was quick to explain.
“Well thank you for the lesson. You’re a good teacher.”
“I try.” He smiled at her.

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The cottage made Techno feel like a giant, he was constantly bumping into things. She’d invited him in for supper after their sparring session. He wasn’t sure if she was just being polite or if she really wanted his company, because she suddenly seemed uncomfortable in his presence. The guilt buried itself deeper in his gut when he thought about why. He felt as though he was an entirely different person from whoever he was during his days of living in the ravine and detonating Lmanberg, but Niki wasn’t. She was still the same scared girl that she was back then.

He ran his fingers along the grain of the wooden table he was sat at. It was warm inside the cottage, cozy, safe. He wondered what Phil was doing back at their house. Probably working on maps, sorting through their inventory. His mind wandered throughout the entire meal. Every once in a while glancing up to Niki who was sitting across the table from him. They ate in silence, apart from the girl asking him how his shoulder was.

Soon Niki was clearing the table, and putting on a record.

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“Put your hand here, and your foot there, and step like this.” Niki softly directed him, “and step, and step, and step, and one, and two, and three-” She said along to the rhythm of the song. It was her favorite record, it made her feel like a royal in the middle of a ballroom. Techno seemed hesitant to accept her offer to dance. She didn’t know what made her offer in the first place. She didn’t particularly enjoy the man’s presence. They didn’t have much space to move in her living room, so she was impressed with the larger man when he didn’t bump into anything or step on her feet.

His hands were large on her hip with the other in her own as they twirled around in a circle. The music lifted her mind away from the room, out of the house, over the forest, and beyond the town, to a different life that felt like a not-so-distant memory. A different life where instead of Techno it was Will who she was dancing with. A different life where pink hair turned into dark curly locks that fell over the man’s face, and his poet shirt turned into a navy coat complete with a ruff and gold sash. A life where they were dancing on the docks outside her bakery, while foamy waves crashed and the sun bounced off the horizon like a mirror. A life where she twirled around barefoot and carefree. A life where her skin was free of scars. She could almost still hear his voice.

“Which song is this?”
“It’s the Waltz Of The Flowers.”
“Well then that would make us the flowers, wouldn’t it?”
“I suppose it would.”

Chapter Text

“Which song is this?”
“It’s the Waltz Of The Flowers.”
“Well then that would make us the flowers, wouldn’t it?”
“I suppose it would.”

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All the heads in the lively tavern turned to look at Techno when he trudged through the door. He ignored their stares, dropping a few gold coins on the bar and taking a seat. In a few seconds they all looked away, going back to their business. He kept his head down, staring at his hands as the bartender poured him a drink. Usually he would gulp it down seconds, but he wasn’t in a rush. He let the laughter and voices fill his ears, flooding his brain, searching for conversations that would give away anything. Surveying the tavern, he silently searched for anybody that could be of use to him. His gaze rested on a table of men who looked well worn and traveled. Bingo.

“Do you recognize this face?” Techno huffed, reaching into his satchel and pulling out a stack of papers, placing one of them on the sticky table in the middle of all the men with a firm hand. They passed it around, until one of them stopped to look at it closely.
“Aye ain’t that the kid with the compass, over by the snowbanks last week.” The man said to his friend.
“Oh yeah, maybe. I dunno, I didn’t get a good look.” The other commented.
“In which town?” Techno questioned. The group looked at eachother. “Which town?” He asked again.
“Well now, we can’t go giving away valuable information for free now can we?” The one holding the paper laughed. “That’d just be bad business.”
“I don’t want to ask again, which town.” Techno leaned in.
“Listen big shot that just ain’t the way things work ‘round here alri-” The man began, but couldn’t finish his sentence before Techno was pulling him up out of his seat but the collar of his shirt, and dragging him out the door. “Hey hey hey hey listen pal listen I don’t want any trouble ok im just trying to make a deal make a living you understand I’m sure you do yeah big brute like you i'm sure you’ve shook a couple hands in the past-” The man ran his mouth as Techno dragged him around to the side of the tavern, slamming his back against the exposed brick and cracking his knuckles.
“I use my hands for a lot of things but shaking isn’t one that comes to mind.” He grumbled, clenching his hand into a fist.
“All right all right all right, he was over in Doveport, ‘bout a week ago, maybe a little bit less. Let me think, uh, four days- no- five days! Snow was coming down hard last I saw, he was probably staying at the inn. Tall kid, right? Looked a little full of himself, that’s your boy, right? Now let me go, will ya?” The man squacked. Techno sighed, yanking him off the wall and throwing him to the ground. The man scrambled to his feet, running away.
Doveport was a few day’s journey North. Techno had been there not too long ago. It was cold.

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Niki wasn’t sure what to do when Techno shouldered his way past her into the house. He’d slept in the treatment room the night before, afterall he was used to sleeping on the bed she kept patients on. Though he’d left early that morning, saying he was going into town. She’d assumed that he wouldn’t come back, and that she’d finally seen the last of him. Her assumptions were quickly proved false by noon when he was back, and began going through her belongings. “What are you doing?” She followed him as he opened cabinets and went through chests. He didn’t respond until he found what he was looking for, at the top shelf of her closet. Her breath caught in her throat as he pulled down the blue cloak and brown coat.
“We’re going to need these.” He put the old torn coat in her hands. “I’m going to Doveport, you’re coming with me.”
“I- I can’t…” She quietly said. Tears pricking the corners of her eyes. When Techno closed the closet door she jumped. Looking to her hands, they were covered in blood, and so was the coat. Ash falling from the sky stuck to the thick red liquid. The deafening ringing in her ears drowned out everything else. At her feet was Wilbur’s body, slumped against the hard rocky wall. His once deep brown eyes were dull and lifeless, his mouth was left slightly open. The wind still caught his curls, shifting slightly in the breeze.
“What?” Techno’s voice pulled her out of the memory- but when she looked up at him she still saw him standing on what was left of the red carpet that led to the stage in Lmanberg, ash raining from the sky and collecting in hair hair, grinning wildly, beginning to laugh as their eyes met- and then she was back in reality. Looking back to her hands, they were clean and dry, and so was the trench coat. Silently unfolding it, she held it out in front of her for Techno to see the giant tear through the back, where the sword had pierced through Wilbur’s chest. Niki shook her head.
“I’m not going with you.” She said, folding the coat back up.
“That’s not your choice to make.” He huffed.
“Why do you need me.” Her eyes narrowed, searching Techno’s face for answers.
“In case I get hurt again, you’re proven to be a skilled medic.”
“I won’t help you again, especially if I’m your prisoner.”
“You will, and you won’t need to be a prisoner if you come by choice.”
“What’ll you do if I refuse, kill me?”
“You won’t refuse.”
“What makes you so sure.” Her brows knitted together.
“Because you want Will back, don’t you.” He locked eyes with her, his face unreadable. Niki looked down, wiping the unfallen tears from her eyes.
“What do you mean…”
“Will’s never coming back, but his brother is still out there.”
“Tommy?” She looked back up at Techno. The man handed her a paper from out of his satchel. In bold letters was written WANTED, with Tommy’s face below. At the bottom of the page were the details, charged with 19 counts of theft and 8 cases of armed robbery- dead or alive delivered to the king’s guard -REWARD- 2,000 gold pieces.“You want to turn him in?”
“I want to bring him home, where he belongs.”

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Chapter Text

The small town was bustling as snowflakes slowly floated down to the ground. Artisans and tradesmen were arguing and bartering, passing goods back and forth. They were a bunch of sitting ducks, it was almost too easy, like taking candy from a baby. Maybe Tommy would’ve been able to enjoy himself if he wasn’t completely miserable- not that he wasn’t used to it. Tommy shivered, putting his hood up, and keeping his head down. His socks were thin and his shoes were too small for him. His trousers were torn in the knees and all the pockets but one had holes in them. His thick coat was stolen and he was sure that it’s description would be getting added to his wanted fliers, but he wasn’t about to get rid of the one comfortable thing he owned just to narrow the chances of him getting captured. Besides, it had huge pockets and wide sleeves. He walked past the stands, slipping a small loaf of bread into his sleeve, stuffing some carrots into his pockets, and grabbing a handful of turnips. Stopping by another stand, he traded the turnips for a small block of cheese.

Afraid of drawing any more attention, Tommy hurried away from the market, but not before sliding a few coins into his pocket. Afterall, he can’t pick-pocket a room at the inn he was staying at. He knew that it was a bad idea to stay in the same place for so long, he’d already been in Doveport for a week, but he couldn’t imagine trying to travel in the snow.

The boy remembered the last time he’d stayed in one place for longer than a week. He gripped his arm, feeling the sting from where his new scar was. Still, guilt flooded his conscience. The memory of the sound of his sword sinking into the man’s shoulder made a chill run down his spine. He tried to shake it off. Besides, Techno was probably fine, right? He couldn't possibly have done that much damage, right? Images of blood soaked snow filled his mind and made him sick. There had been so much blood, covering his hands, staining his shirt, droplets of it dripping from his face. Granted, almost none of it was his own, which was the silver lining. Tommy had to stop walking and sit down beside one of the snowbanks, his head in his hands, to set his mind right and keep himself from throwing up. Deep breaths, just like Will taught him. Breath in through your nose and out through your mouth. He could practically hear the man’s voice.

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Techno kept glancing up at Niki as he started their fire for the night. She kept catching his eyes meeting her own, before quickly looking back down. Hot red embers flew from his hands on each strike of the flint. She sat on the forest floor with her back against one of the hulking fir trees that filled the area. It was cold. The trench coat wasn’t doing much to keep her body heat in with the giant tear through the back.. She rubbed the fabric between her index finger and thumb.

When the coat was safely stored where she didn’t have to look at it, Niki could pretend that she’d never met Wilbur. She was able to label the memory of Lmanberg as nothing more than a bad dream, as something that couldn’t affect her in her actual life. She could tell herself that the scars that sprinkled themselves along her body had been there forever- or better yet, that they didn’t exist at all. She was able to reason with herself that everybody could feel their heart pounding in their chest and hear their pulse in their ears when they heard a loud noise. She could reason that nobody could stand to watch snow fall because it reminded them too much of ash falling from the sky. She could tell herself that it was normal.

When Techno first showed up, his very presence had begun ruining the allusion. Now with the coat on her back and the fabric between her fingers, she couldn’t play pretend anymore. She was forced to remember the way he smiled, the way he laughed, the way he cared for Tommy, Tubbo, Fundy, and herself- and she was forced to remember the look in his eyes when he was too far gone. All day long she hadn’t been able to push the image of the tall man with soft brown curls falling over his face from her mind. Though it flashed between the Wilbur that she knew, and the man who she no longer recognized when she found him amongst the debris and ash, without a pulse.

It was all Techno’s fault, and she felt nothing but hatred and anger. Niki felt stupid for thinking he’d changed. Of course he’d act helpless and kind when he was hurt. If he hadn’t he’d be dead. He knew it as well as she did. She wished he hadn’t come back. She wished she’d left him to bleed out in that field. Better yet, she wished he’d never existed, that he’d never come to Wilbur in the ravine. Maybe then Will never would’ve gotten the idea to rig Lmanberg with explosives. Maybe then he wouldn’t have lost his mind. Maybe she’d still have Will, she’d still have Fundy, she’d still have Tommy, she’d still have Tubbo, and she’d still have her bakery down by the docks. She’d still be able to sit with her feet in the water, the warm sun on her face, listening to Wilbur softly sing and strum his guitar as a cool breeze carried the sound to the grassy hills where the boys would be running and laughing. She wanted to have that life more than anything in the world.

She couldn’t have that life though. Wilbur was gone, Fundy and Tubbo disappeared, and Lmanberg itself but nothing more than a rocky crater in the ground. 'His brother is still out there.' It was the thought that eased her anger towards Techno. He was taking her to Tommy. She couldn't remember the last time she’d seen him. He’d been there during the explosion, but she’d only seen him from a distance.

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Niki had hardly spoken a word sense they left her cottage. Techno wasn’t sure what he’d expected, and he tried to not dwell on her silence for too long. She was hurting, he knew that. Nobody had left Lmanberg unscarred, not even himself. Though he couldn’t worry about her too much, she wasn’t important enough to the mission for that. For all he knew, he might not need her at all. A voice in the back of his mind told him to bring his axe to her throat and end her suffering right then, that it would be justified, nobody needed to live with all that she’d been through. He quickly pushed the voice away. Focussing on the dull pain in his shoulder from where he was still healing. He had to remind himself that Niki had saved him. Without her, Phil would be alone and Tommy would be a lost cause. He owed that to her. He probably owed her much more than a sword, and a short sparring session- but Techno had never been a particularly appreciative man, much less so when it came to showing it.

That night as he got ready for the night he thought about it some more.
“Get up.” He said to Niki, she looked up at him, a confused look on her face, though she complied. Rifling through the saddle bags that held their belongings, he tossed her sword to her.
“Time for your next lesson.” He grabbed his own sword, looking back to the girl. She looked tired, dark circles under her eyes, her hair was tangled, and he could tell that Wilbur’s old coat sat heavy on her shoulders. A pang of guilt twisted his gut. He remembered the way she looked the last time they’d sparred just a few days prior- the lantern light putting shines in her eyes, she seemed almost radiant. He thought of how they’d danced that night. The way she’d gently directed his steps and how soft her voice was. He was suddenly longing to hear that voice again.

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Tommy left town as soon as the sun began rising from the horizon. The snow wasn’t much better than it had been the previous day, but he didn’t want to risk getting found. Fishing a compass out of his pocket, he sighed. It was heavy in his palm, the result of being gold dipped. There was no doubt that it would fetch him a high price in any market. Getting rid of it would probably make his life easier, but he couldn’t bear the thought of parting with the object. It was one of the only belongings he had that wasn’t stolen. Flipping it over, on the other side was engraved Your Tubbo. He wasn’t sure if it even worked, but the thought made him smile. The needle wobbled, Tommy put it back in his pocket.

He traveled the entire day, going between hitch hiking and walking. He kept his eyes on the sky, keeping a lookout for any birds that seemed suspiciously large. Thankfully the sun was out that day, he hated cloudy days. By the time the sun began to set, he had made it to the next town, Hillfar. Unfortunately for Tommy, Hillfar wasn’t nearly as busy as Doveport had been. The streets were practically empty, and his heart raced when he spotted a wanted poster tacked to a wall. Quickly tearing it off, he ripped it up and stuffed the remains in his pocket. The boy knew he wouldn’t be able to stay in the new town for half as long as he’d stayed in the previous one. He considered not even staying at the inn, but as the sun fully set, he shivered. There was no way he’d make it through the night sleeping on the street.

A blanket of warmth rolled over him as soon as he stepped foot in the inn. A woman sat behind the counter, flipping through a book. Dropping a few coins on the counter, she handed him a room key, only looking up for a split moment before going back to her book.
“Thanks.” Tommy muttered, hurrying to his room. It looked the same as almost all inn rooms he’d stayed in. A small bed with a bedside table and dim lamp. Tacky, peeling, wallpaper and stained carpet. Though this one had something he hadn’t seen in a while. A mirror. Setting down the pack from off of his back, he brought a hand to his face as he watched himself in the mirror. His hair had grown out, he had dark circles under his eyes, and he found a few scars he didn’t remember getting. There was dirt on his face, same as his hands. He tried rubbing it off, but it didn’t do much. Taking off his coat, his brows knitted together as he looked at his body. He’d always been a skinny kid, and his new lifestyle hadn’t done him any favors. Lifting up his shirt just a bit, he ran his fingertips across his ribs. There was a large bruise that was transitioning between purple and green on his side, and he winced when he pressed on it. He decided that he didn’t appreciate the mirror, letting his shirt fall back down and flopping down on the bed.

Chapter Text

Niki shivered. Techno stood behind her, braiding her hair to keep it out of her face. Usually she’d reject the offer, but she was tired, and cold, and the wind had been heavy since they woke up that morning. They’d been traveling for four days. After finding that Tommy had moved on for Doveport, Techno asked around until he was pointed in the direction of the neighboring town, Hillfar. Now they were standing on a hill that overlooked the town. Thankfully, the pine and spruce trees seemed to be endless, so they had some cover from the wind, and it was unlikely that anybody would be able to spot them from the streets.

Techno had tasked Niki with looking through the spyglass, waiting to catch a glimpse of anything promising. So far all she’d seen was drab looking townsfolk, and a man getting thrown out of a tavern. She felt sad for the people that lived here, it seemed to be a very dull life. Suddenly, she spotted something out of the ordinary. Three men walking through the square. They seemed- for lack of a better term- cleaner, than the average Hillfar citizen. Niki tried to get a better look for any discernible features. All three had black hair, and were dressed in black and white.
“You might wanna look at this-” Niki spoke, handing Techno the spyglass.
“I don’t see anything.” He grunted. She slightly tilted it to point at the three men.
“-there.” She said, waiting for a reaction from Techno. His brow furrowed and he huffed.
“Well, that’s not good.”
“What is it?”
“Casino workers.” This answer puzzled Niki. What did a casino have to do with anything, and why was it bad news that the employees happened to be in Hillfar?

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Techno knew better than to approach them head on, that was what they wanted. Instead he hung back, watching as they scoured the town, doing his work for them. Leaning against the cold redbrick of the alleyway outside the local inn, he watched as the raven haired men filed into the building. Now all he had to do was wait.
Surely enough, within minutes he heard yelling and ceramic breaking from inside the inn. A few moments later, two of the workers came out of the building, each holding onto an arm of a loud; tall, skinny kid. The third appeared right behind them. Techno’s fists clenched and his nostrils flared, but he had to turn his back, as to go unnoticed. Great, the pink haired man thought to himself, just great. If they’d gone ahead and searched the town when they first got there, then Tommy would be in his custody by then. But no- instead, he was getting dragged to the casino for a reason that Techno couldn’t possibly think of- unless the kid had stolen from them. Every bone in his body wanted to grab the kid right then, but his hand went to the twisted burn scar on his bicep from the last time he’d bluntly approached a particular one of the raven haired men. His eyes flickered back up to the pine covered hill where he’d left Niki.

Chapter Text

The rushing water filled Techno’s thoughts. It was loud, and angry. Violently crashing over sharp jutting rocks, falling back down to the river, swirling and tumbling and throwing itself up in the air only to throw cold droplets at Techno’s face. White water rapids. Getting to the island before the casino’s construction would’ve been a dangerous feat with little reward, although now that there was a rather large building right in the middle, there was a convenient bridge. Techno was busy tying his horse to a sturdy tree while Niki toyed with how close she could get to the river bed without being splashed with water.
“Come on, we need to get this over with.” Techno huffed, pulling the girl away from the water’s edge as they trudged across the bridge. It creaked with every step, and quite frankly, the man didn’t trust that it wouldn’t crumble beneath their feet and plunge them both into the roaring icy cold water below. Niki stayed close to Techno, pulling at the sleeves of the old coat that she still had on her back. Although he didn’t show it, he knew that they were both unsure of what would be waiting for them inside.

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The casino was completely empty. A guard led them to a room in the back, which proved to be an office. Techno’s fists clenched at his sides. Niki held her breath.
“I wouldn’t suggest doing anything. Just so you know.” A familiar voice said from behind a desk. Niki didn’t recognize it at first, it was dark in the room, and she couldn’t see the man’s voice. The figure struck a match, and took it’s time lighting a few lanterns on his desk. “Don’t worry, I won’t bite. I like your new look, Techno.” She could hear the smile in the person’s voice. Techno took a few steps closer, so Niki followed his movements, and her eyes widened when it finally clicked at who it was. Even in the proper lighting, she hardly recognized him. There was a huge scar going from his right temple to his chin, it went right through his eyebrow and eye, which used to be a deep brown but was now foggy grey. The scar abnormally twisted the right side of his lip upwards.
“Quackity…” Niki whispered. The last time she’d seen him he was standing over Schlatt’s corpse with tears pricking his eyes.
“Hi Niki.” He said warmly, folding his hands neatly in front of him. “I wasn’t expecting to see you today- or honestly, ever again. We haven’t seen each other in quite a while. I hope there’s no hard feelings over the whole tax situation. I’m sure we were both different people back then.”
“No hard feelings.” She quietly repeated, still processing what she was seeing.
“Let’s see, when was the last time we saw each other-” Quackity sighed.
“The explosion.” Niki quickly answered, hearing the ringing in her ears for a moment. She tried to recall where the previous vice president had been when the detonation occurred, but her memories only consisted of running a hiding, occasionally being hit with metal shrapnel yet hardly feeling it over the rapid beating in her chest.
“How could I forget.” The raven haired man warmly smiled again, though this time he stood up. “Of course, I couldn’t forget- not with this.” Walking around the desk so Niki could see his full body. Pulling up his right pant leg, he revealed a prosthetic leg. Niki gasped, her eyes widening. Yes. Of course. She now vaguely remembered spotting a figure running up the stairs right before the entire structure got blown to bits. “I would say that this taught me a lesson, but how was I supposed to know what our old friend, Wilbur, was brewing under the steps of the podium?” Quackity laughed, “Oh sorry, I forgot, one of us did know.” He looked at Techno, who was still clenching his fists. There was a deafening silence for a few moments, though it felt like hours, as the raven haired man searched Techno’s expression, as if waiting for him to say something. Until he finally looked to Niki. “Oh, won’t you look at that.” He grabbed the collar of the coat that the girl wore. “This is his old trench coat, isn’t it?” Niki looked down, squeezing her eyes shut, not knowing what to say. “Well…” He sighed, “I suppose we all take trophies in some way or another.” He took his seat once more on the other side of the desk.
“What happened to you?” Niki asked, softly, looking back up with wide eyes.
“Y’know- it wasn’t the explosion itself that took the leg. The blast threw me into the water and I got trapped under the wreckage.” He kept a pleasant look on his face throughout the story. “I almost drowned, but that was a while ago, if we’re talking about-” He gestured to his face “-this, well, why don’t we ask our friend?” He smiled, looking expectantly to Techno once more, who was uncomfortably shifting his weight from foot to foot. “Of course, always a man of few words. Let’s just say that Techno is very skilled with a pickaxe.” Quackity chuckled to himself.
“How did you get out from under the wreckage?” Niki quickly asked, trying to change the subject.
“Karl and Sapnap saved me.” The casino owner looked down, glancing at the guard who stood at the door before looking back up to the two guests.
“We all have our scars and stories, Quackity. Let’s cut the bullshit, where’s the kid.” Techno’s eyes narrowed.
“Hey now big guy, I really don’t think you’re in any position to talk to me like that.” The man leaned back in his chair, kicking his feet up onto the desk. “What’s your relation to Tommy anyway- your Phil’s friend, and Tommy is his kid, so you’re like some weird uncle. But then again you were Wilbur’s friend- Tommy’s brother- so, what’s the deal?” He laughed again.
“I’m not here to fight, I’m just here to pay off whatever the kid stole. I don’t want any more trouble from you.” The pink hair man’s tone only got rougher.
“If Tommy stole from me then I’m not aware of it.” Quackity stated matter-of-factly. Techno stiffened, his breath hitching. Quackity smiled widely, his teeth abornally white, Niki felt a chill creep up her spine.
“It’s a trap.” The larger man murmured, and just then, the guard closed the doors behind them. Niki stumbled back a few steps as Techno drew his axe.
“Bravo! Bravo!” Quackity clapped his hands, tilting his head back and laughing.
“It doesn’t have to be this way-” Techno said through gritted teeth.
“Oh but it does, and really, I recommend putting the axe away. We can still kill Tommy at any moment.”
“You wouldn’t.”
“Oh but I would! The little brother of the man who- technically- took my leg, why wouldn’t I want him dead? I could kill Niki too-” He looked over to her “-what were you? His first lady or something? Sure! I’ve got plenty of reason to kill either one of them, maybe even both. I don’t have to of course, if you just put the axe away.” Quackity kept his smile present as the larger man hesitantly dropped the axe. “Remind me why she’s here again- Is she a prisoner that you didn’t want to risk leaving outside, or does she just have a thing for terrorists?” He laughed at his own joke. Niki wasn’t laughing. She flinched at the implication of Wilbur being a terrorist.
“She’s a doctor.” He left it at that, not wanting to say anything that would give the casino owner a real reason to want her dead. “I wouldn’t be so judgmental about Niki’s previous relationships, considering your own-”
“SHUT THE FUCK UP.” Quackity burst out, making Niki jump, she backed up a few more steps. “Shut- just-” He forced out a laugh, “-shut up. Please. Don’t make it any harder on yourself then it has to be.”
“Do you hate him, or do you miss him?” Techno kept talking.
“What are you doing? Stop-” Niki whispered, panicking.
“STOP TALKING!” Quackity yelled, snapping his fingers, and one of the guards approached Techno. For the first time, Niki got a good look at the guard, and her heart skipped a beat. The white piece of cloth tied around his forehead to keep his shaggy black hair out of his face gave away his identity. With a flick of his wrist, a ball of flame appeared in his palm.
“You’re just like him y’know. The smile, the laugh, the faux charisma and feeling of power, you’re even in a suit.” The corners of Techno’s mouth slightly lifted, his eyes narrowing.
“Do it Sapnap.” Quackity ordered, and right as the man was about to launch the fireball into Techno’s face, he grabbed the man’s arm and slammed it down on the desk. A few papers that had been sitting on the desk caught on fire, which was enough to distract Quackity as Techno pulled the sweatband off of Sapnap’s head, letting the man’s hair fall in front of his eyes, and wrapping the piece of cloth around his neck. Sapnap stumbled back, clawing at his throat as his air was cut off. Niki watched in horror from the corner of the room as the scene played out, her pulse pounding in her ears, and back pressed against the wall. Techno walked backwards until his back hit the door with a loud thud, only pulled tighter with one hand, holding onto the man’s wrists with his other as to keep him from being able to throw any more flame. The bang of him hitting the door sent a flurry of images racing through Niki’s mind and she crumpled to the ground with her head in her knees, trying to steady her breathing as fireworks and blood tore through her memories.
“Seems like we’re even now.” Techno said through gritted teeth, huffing to keep Sapnap detained as he thrashed about.
“LET HIM GO-” Quackity stumbled out of his seat.
“Let Tommy go first.”
“DON’T HURT HIM-” It was almost pathetic to see the man hurry to try and pry Sapnap out of Techno’s grasp.
“Tell me that you’ll let the kid go.” Techno lifted his arms up, holding the man off of the ground by his neck.
“YOU’RE GONNA FUCKING KILL HIM-” Quackity began to break down as Sapnap’s struggling got weaker, but him and Niki both saw something that Techno didn’t. Quackity slowly backed away, panic still set in his eyes. Sapnap’s hands were glowing red hot and random embers sparked from his fingertips. It was weak compared to what he was normally capable of, but his hands weren’t the only things affected. His shoes began smoking as flames ate through the soles, his eyes rolled back, his hair became enveloped in fire, and for a split moment he cried out as his entire body burst out with flame. Techno quickly let go, cursing as he clutched his hands close to his chest. Sapnap had dropped to the ground, coughing and wheezing, the only sign of the fire that had burst from his skin were the holes in his singed clothing. Quackity hesitated, glancing from Sapnap to Techno, before reaching into his pocket and pulling out a key. With shaky hands, he unlocked the door and walked out of his office, Techno close behind.

Niki scrambled to her feet, following them, but not before glancing at Sapnap. He was shaking on the ground, kneeling as he rubbed his neck and wheezed. Niki’s heart panged with guilt. He’d just been following Quackity’s orders, and she couldn’t blame either of them for wanting the anarchistic man dead. Techno had done damage to all of their lives. She could see herself in another life, standing beside Sapnap instead of Techno. Not wanting to delve too much deeper into thought, she hurried to catch up with the casino owner and pink-haired man.