Chapter Text
The boat rocked amongst the waves, rising and falling in a steady crescendo. All that could be seen was a translucent blue, reflecting the sun’s rays back to the sky. A briny scent of salt, heat, and ocean air permeated the ship in all of her glory.
The sun was high in the sky, signifying midday, though it hardly mattered when out on the open water. The Technoboat, named by a young boy who had thus named every one of his possessions with the first half of his name since his adoption, had been on the water for almost a week, finally sailing home after an expedition to a neighbouring country.
Emperor Philza Minecraft of the Antarctic Empire had left the empire after hearing news of a rising power across the ocean, leaving his sixteen-year-old twins and eight-year-old son at home. Technoblade and Wilbur were charged with both attending to the affairs of the empire as the twin Crown Princes and also watch over their little brother Theseus, though he preferred to go by Tommy.
Philza had adopted Techno and Wilbur as babies when they were left on the steps of the palace. Both were evidently piglin hybrids, with tiny tusks and pink floppy ears on each side of their heads. Lucky for them, Philza had been staying in the winter palace at the time due to renovations in the main castle. He was a lonely man, had just finished uniting neighbouring land under the rule of the empire, and was left to return to his home in solitude. He had taken one glance at the babies, watching them both reach for one of the braids adorning his blond hair, and laughing when he realized they were actually reaching for the golden thread woven into his hair. He had ordered his maids to set up a room and gather supplies for the babes.
The third child had come in when they were ten, the two-year-old being left in the same exact spot the twins had many years before. He was wrapped in a ratty blanket but looked as joyful as could be. Unlike his brothers, he was completely human. Philza’s heart was taken instantly by the toddler’s mischievous grin as he reached a sticky hand towards his wings, most definitely to try and pull one of the feathers out. Philza had asked the child for his name but he had never got a response, so Techno had taken it upon himself to name him after one of the Greek heroes he had been learning about in his classes: Theseus.
Philza was a kind and just ruler, giving every country under his power exactly what they needed to prosper. He doted on his children any chance he could and hated to be apart from them. However, sometimes he had to put his empire first, and the threat of a rising dictator in the west did not bode well for the Antarctic Empire. He had kissed and hugged his boys goodbye, promising to return unscathed, and left with his best fighters across the ocean.
A few months later, the three brothers had received a letter from one of the smaller countries under the Empire inviting the royal family to a festival. Lord Eret had promised a safe and festive experience for all of the princes, with grand music, food, and activities to entertain them. Techno had been skeptical, not wanting to leave the castle unless death was immediately upon them, but Wilbur was adamant about going to hear the music and Tommy was unwavering in pestering his older brother to “do something pog for once”.
Whatever that meant.
Which led them to now, a day of sailing away from the empire. Techno had to admit, the festival was fine. Lord Eret had toured them around the village, outlining the buildings and monuments lining the streets. Everyone kept a respectful distance and Techno was silently grateful for it.
There were no death threats or assassination attempts or kidnappings during their stay, and the smile on his brother’s faces as Theseus dragged them from booth to booth, begging for treats and prizes was one Techno would cherish.
Techno looked to the horizon and took in a deep breath, comfort washing over him as the ocean breeze tugged at his pink locks. He wouldn’t be able to see the port for a few more hours.
Behind you behind you!
Sneakbur.
Wilbur is Here!
E.
E.
Guys don’t spoil it.
Wilbro!
Techno winced at the onslaught of voices jamming in his head. He had these voices for as long as he could remember. Usually they craved blood and violence, occasionally they tried to trick him, and rarely were they actually helpful. He called them Chat because of the endless chatter they provided, and they never failed to comment on everything that was happening. They appeared to be omniscient, telling him things that he was unaware of and couldn’t even see.
Like the fact that his twin was trying to scare him.
“Boo.”
Wilbur appeared on his left, leaning on the handrail. His long brown coat swayed with the wind and somehow, miraculously, his beanie was still on his head. Techno gave a small smile to his twin, his shoulders losing some of their tension.
“How fearsome you are.” Techno commented, returning his gaze to the water.
“The Blood God, that’s what they call me.” Wilbur grinned in a way that accentuated his tusks.
Techno snorted in response, heart seizing slightly at the title he had been granted. It had been on a whim that he proclaimed himself the Blood God as a joke after entering and dominating a tournament last year. Chat took great pleasure in the joke, chanting it whenever he fought anyone.
Wilbur shuffled closer so they were shoulder to shoulder, closing his eyes and breathing deeply.
Techno enjoyed these moments with his twin. There was never the need to fill the silence, the two being able to enjoy the company of each other just as it came. There were a lot more of these moments ever since their father had left the empire, though the monotony was always broken up by Theseus. He was always screaming about something, making any inconvenience he faced everybody’s problem. He loved the kid though, fiercely. Anyone who had a problem with Theseus would be facing Techno’s wrath tenfold. Thankfully, Theseus was down below deck with his personal butler playing some card games.
Sam Nook. The man was the most passionate person on the planet, able to take all of Theseus’ jabs and idiosyncrasies, herd the boy to his duties and classes, and was one of the only people who could get Theseus to do anything that wasn’t the boy’s own idea. He had watched over the kid ever since he was a toddler, the creeper hybrid fitting into the role perfectly. His knack for redstone engineering kept Theseus occupied for hours and while the kid didn’t have the patience to learn the intricacies of the art, he was always first in line to test Sam’s newest creations. Theseus was always striving for the man’s attention, and Sam was always happy to oblige.
“We should hold a festival back home,” Wilbur commented. “Bring the fun to our backyard, you know?”
Techno huffed, disagreement in the forefront of his mind. Did Wilbur even know how much work would have to go into the planning? And how much of a pain Theseus would be throughout the whole affair? And how many people would be near their home?
Chat seemingly disagreed, booing him and calling him ‘Technobore’.
His words were halted on his tongue with the sound of a bell ringing from above. The Crown Princes turned to the mainmast, watching one of the crew frantically hitting said bell.
“Ship sighted to port! All men to the main deck!”
Techno shared a look of urgency with his brother as both rushed to the other side of the ship. Sure enough, a faint outline of a ship was in the distance, steadily approaching the Technoboat.
“Is that one of ours?” Techno asked, though he already knew the shape of the ship did not match those made in the empire.
Wilbur pulled a monocular out of his coat pocket to get a closer look at the flag, his face paling at the sight.
“Surely not.” Wilbur muttered under his breath, handing the monoscope to his twin.
Techno snatched it from his hand and looked through, focussing on the waving flag in the distance. The silhouette of a ram greeted him with a taunting smile.
A shot rang out and hit the figurehead of the ship. Techno pulled Wilbur out of the way, shielding him from the splintering wood flying through the air. Shouts echoed across the deck as men scrambled into position.
“We’re under attack!”
Techno drew his sword in one fluid motion, hearing the rest of the crew arming themselves.
BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD!
BLOOD!
Technokill!
Technoattack!
BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD!
PROTECT BROTHERS!
TECHNOPROTECT!
“Tell Sam what’s happening then come back up.” He told Wilbur, who had his own sword drawn in his hand. “Theseus is the priority.”
A swift nod was the only response he got as Wilbur turned and ran below deck. Techno felt a low grumble in his chest as his ears flicked in irritation.
He hated his uncle.
“Go fish, bitch!”
Sam chuckled as he retrieved another card. Tommy grinned as he looked at the cards in the man’s hand. Now Sam had more cards in his hand then Tommy had in his!
Tommy was on his knees as he leaned on the table, the tip of his tongue peeking out of his mouth. He only had a few cards left and they were neck and neck in terms of pairs. He couldn’t afford to give up a single card.
Sam pulled his cards closer to him, catching onto what Tommy was trying to do.
“You got any sixes?” Tommy asked, sliding back into his chair, and absolutely not pouting that he couldn’t see what cards his butler had.
“Go fish.”
Tommy hissed out another curse as he picked up another card but laughed triumphantly when it was revealed to be a six.
“Take that, Sam Nook!” Tommy cackled as he rearranged the cards in his hand. “I am such a big man! The biggest and bestest and-“
A loud crack pierced the air and Sam was immediately on his feet. Tommy fell out of his chair, his knee instantly throbbing from the contact with the hard wood floor. Tommy watched Sam with wide eyes as a low hissing from the hybrid’s chest started up.
“Clean up the cards. Quickly.” Sam told him, crossing the room to grab some of Tommy’s personal belongings.
As much as Tommy wanted to gloat at how this was a forfeit and Sam had lost, but the severity of his tone had him silently sweeping up the cards.
He had just put the cards in the pack when the door slammed open. Sam had immediately thrown his arms wide to cover Tommy, the sound of hissing increasing from his chest before lowering them at the sight of Wilbur.
“What’s going on?” The older hybrid asked.
Wilbur’s hand was securely holding a sword, his eyes alight with panic. “Schlatt and his men are sailing towards us. You two need to hide until Techno or I come and retrieve you.”
Tommy had never actually met the man, but the stories told he was told by pestering Sam repeatedly didn’t paint a pretty picture. Dad always had a sad look in his eyes whenever Tommy asked about Schlatt and Techno absolutely refused to say anything about him. Even calling him a bitch didn’t prompt Techno into speaking, instead always managing to change the subject.
“I can fight!” Tommy spoke up, jumping up onto his bed to prove how big and scary of a man he was. Sure, he was only eight, but Techno had been teaching him how to wield a sword.
“No, Tommy.” Sam gave him a stern look. “We’re going to let your brothers and the crewmembers handle this. We have to trust they can fight them off without us.”
Tommy wanted to argue that he could help. He wanted to swear and yell and jump on the older man until he relented and let him go help above deck. But this was Sam and Sam was the smartest man he knew. He had proven himself time and time again that he knew what was right and what was smart. In the list of Biggest Men in the Empire, the first would be Dad, the second would be Sam, and the third would, obviously, be himself. Sam knew Tommy was a big man and wouldn’t keep him away from the action without a logical reason. He hated it, but he hated going against Sam more.
(There was also a small part of him that liked how Sam always used ‘we’, like they were a team. The most pog team if you will.)
Wilbur ruffled his hair before leaving to return upstairs. There was a lot of shouting and footsteps overhead, shaking any dust from above to come tumbling down. Tommy was sure he could hear Techno barking orders up above.
Sam herded him to the table they were playing cards on, moving the carpet and lifting the trapdoor underneath. Tommy crawled down, pulling his knees to his chest so that Sam could fit beside him. Sam was a tall person and Tommy tried to give him as much room as possible so they could both fit. He would hate for Sam to decide there wasn’t enough room and leave him below by himself.
The much taller man sunk down beside him, carefully closing the trapdoor, and submerging them in darkness. Tommy wished they could light a torch but already knew why that would be a bad idea.
The fighting was still prominent, and Sam had pulled him closer. The heat radiating from the gunpowder in his chest was comforting and Tommy sunk into the feeling.
“Do you think-“
Tommy slammed a hand over his mouth when he heard the door slam open. Sam’s hold on him tensed. He could feel himself shaking against Sam’s chest and his pulse was pounding in his head.
There was humming above them from the prick who had just entered, and Tommy couldn’t fucking see anything.
“You here, princeling?” The voice crooned, footsteps creaking as they walked across the room.
Tommy shuddered. If he were in that room, he would kick that man in the balls like Wilbur had told him to do if he were ever in trouble.
“Where are you, chico?”
A few pieces of furniture were moved, scraping against the wood. The humming continued travelling around the room before the door was closed, signalling his leave.
It was silent for a few minutes, both of them holding their breath and straining to hear if the man was returning.
“Sam-“
Sam shushed him and Tommy was half-tempted to lick him. The smaller boy squirmed slightly, stretching his legs in front of him. Sam shifted slightly to give him more room. Tommy tested his luck by reaching for the trap door above them and Sam gently took his hand and pulled it down by his side.
Being stuck in here sucked.
Wilbur was not as skilled with a weapon as Techno, but there was no one else that he would prefer to have his back in a fight.
(Well, that was a lie. Philza would actually be someone he would prefer over Wilbur, but in situations like this, Wilbur was a suitable second choice.)
He grimaced as a pang ran through his wrist when he blocked a wide swipe from his left. He utilized his weight and pushed back, knocking the other man back so he could focus on the main threat.
Schlatt.
“Technoblade!” A snarl took over his uncle’s lips as he gracefully twirled his sword in hand. Techno let out a warning huff, eyes on the weapon. “My favourite nephew.”
Techno snarled. “What are you doing on my boat?”
“Techno, Techno. That’s no way to talk to your uncle.” One of Schlatt’s men stepped forward, sword raised, but Schlatt stopped them with a raise of his hand.
“You are no family of ours.” Wilbur spit, stepping forward to stand beside his brother.
“Ah, and Wilbur Soot is here, too.” Schlatt sneered at his twin and Techno bared his tusks. “As lovely as this family reunion is, we all know why I’m here.”
“Actually, why don’t you enlighten us?” Techno shifted his weight, taking into account all of the men surrounding them.
Techno knew full well why his uncle was here. Afterall, there was a reason they hadn’t seen the man since Tommy had joined the family. Schlatt has been a teensy bit upset when Philza had adopted Techno and Wilbur, meaning that Schlatt was no longer next in line for the empire.
The treason had started simple. Schlatt was slowly stealing from the treasury over the years and shipping the money across the sea to the land Philza had granted him. Philza had originally let it go, believing his brother had a reason for taking the money. He trusted his brother and had no reason to believe his younger brother would go against everything he had worked for.
When Schlatt officially moved out of the palace to be in his own country and watch over the land, Philza let him go. He was sure some distance between the two brothers would allow them to reunite on better terms. However, the people began to suffer under Schlatt’s watch. Crops were failing and Schlatt was refusing any trade from coming through. Any letters Philza sent had been returned unopened and the Emperor was forced to fly in and confront him. Philza had dueled his brother and took his power away, giving Eret rule over the land instead. Schlatt had been furious by this supposed betrayal but there was little he could do in retaliation.
The final straw was the attempted assassination of Theseus. He had stolen the child in the middle of the night and planned to drown him in the palace gardens. Thankfully, Techno was having trouble sleeping that night and had spotted his uncle with baby Theseus. It was the first time Techno had ever physically fought his uncle and the most important fight he had ever won. Philza had banished Schlatt from the Antarctic Empire with the threat of death if he should ever return.
Techno still had nightmares of that night, thinking about what would have happened if he had been sleeping or if he had been wandering another part of the palace.
“Where is Emperor Philza?” Schlatt demanded. “When will he be returning home?”
PHILZA!
PHILZA MINECRAFT!
Dadza pog!
Where is Dadza?
DADZA!
“I don’t think that concerns you, considering you have been banished from the empire.” Wilbur interjected.
“Holy shit, I forgot how annoying you are.” Schlatt had a pinched expression as he rubbed his temple. Techno felt exactly zero sympathy for him. Schlatt swung his blade back and forth, swiping the air in front of him. “You can either tell me now, or we do this the hard way.”
Techno loved doing things the hard way.
“If you wish to defeat me,” Techno stepped forward, sword brought up in front of him. “Train for another thousand years!”
Techno lunged forward, eyes reading every twitch in the other man’s form. Chat cheered and chanted for blood. Schlatt blocked the blow and immediately took on the offensive, pushing back with expertise. Techno heard his brother and the crew take on their own opponents and trusted them to take care of Schlatt’s men.
Schlatt’s laugh grated on his ears as they exchanged blows. Techno fell easily into each stance, using each shift of his weight into deliberate attacks. It was evident Schlatt had been maintaining his skills over exile, but Techno had improved. While this was only the second time he had faced his uncle one-on-one, this was a fight he was not going to lose.
“Well. . .” Schlatt was breathing heavily as he strained to deflect Techno’s hit. “Y’know, I never fucking liked you. Or your brother.”
“Feelin’s mutual.” Techno snarked, pushing his blade further against the older man’s sword.
First blood was drawn when he nicked Schlatt’s arm and Chat roared their approval.
They exchanged blows for a few minutes, each getting their fair share of blood. The most damaging attack was on Techno’s left arm where he failed to block one of Schlatt’s swipes, an amateur move, a pitiful mistake.
(Not that it mattered to Chat, however. Blood was blood in their eyes.)
“Here’s the thing, Tech-no-blade.” Schlatt’s sword clanged against his and the two were at a standstill. “You stand down.” Techno slid his sword down and reflected Schlatt’s down stroke. “Or I kill your brother.”
Techno faltered. Was Theseus safe?
Wilbur hurt.
L.
Noooooooo
Wilbro!
Turn around!
Technokill!
PROTECT!
Techno spun to find his brother, finding a ginger haired man with fox ears holding a sword to his brother’s neck. The crew had already begun to backdown, no longer attacking but keeping a firm grasp on their weapons.
Wilbur looked to him with wide eyes, pleading for. . . something. The voices were chanting too loud for him to concentrate enough to know what he was asking for.
“You have five seconds to decide, Technoblade.” Schlatt said, lowering his sword and instead raising one hand in the air. “Five.”
Technoblade glanced between his brother and Schlatt.
“Four.”
Could he take the man holding Wilbur hostage while also warding off his uncle?
“Three.”
What should he do? What would Dad do?
“Two.”
There was no other option.
“One.”
“Fine.”
Techno dropped his sword, and his men did the same, lowering their weapons at the sight of one of the Crown Prince’s being held hostage. Schlatt beckoned two men to restrain Techno’s arms behind his back and Techno did not resist. He couldn’t resist.
“Well,” Schlatt returned his sword to his side, sharing a look with a man wearing a blue beanie. “That was easy.”
“Yes, sir.” The man pumped his fist in the air, smirking at Techno from behind his sunglasses.
Schlatt clapped his hands together. “Technoblade. Meet my vice president: Quackity.”
Techno had to admit, he wasn’t very impressed by what he saw. The man was short and scrawny, and Techno would win a fight against him a million times over. He wasn’t even dressed for battle, opting to wear a blue shirt and black pants that served no functional value for being on the open sea.
“Afternoon, Mr. Blade.” Quackity tipped his sunglasses down. “I’d say it’s nice to meet you, but it’s obviously not.”
“Quackity has been by my side since exile, helping me build my administration. He has the fattest ass in my cabinet, and I couldn’t be prouder.”
Techno could feel the disgust rolling off his twin and he hoped Wilbur knew he reciprocated the feeling.
“I have two questions for you.” Schlatt grabbed his chin and forced him to look up into his eyes. “When is my brother coming home?”
“Why would I tell you that?” Techno refused to flinch as Schlatt squeezed his chin, fingernails digging into his skin.
He knew exactly when he was coming back, but there was no way he’d be telling him that.
“Second question.” Schlatt continued like he hadn’t heard him. “Where is your little brother? Theseus, was it?”
“He stayed behind.” Schlatt turned to Wilbur, who was baring his teeth in a mock smile. “You’re shit out of luck if you wanted him.”
Schlatt hummed to himself, staring deep into Techno’s eyes before releasing his chin. “Quackity? Search the lower deck for a small blond child.”
Techno felt his heart drop.
“Yes, sir!” Quackity gave a two fingered salute before disappearing below deck.
Techno prayed that Sam had managed to wrangle Theseus into the secret compartment and that Theseus actually managed to stay quiet.
While Quackity had gone down, Schlatt begun ordering his men to take the crew to Schlatt’s ship. They had lost a few men, and Techno made sure to say a prayer for them so they could ascend safely to the afterlife. Anybody that had died was tipped overboard without care, including Schlatt’s own men. It was brutal and entirely disrespectful, and Techno felt a simmering hatred build in his chest.
Philza Minecraft would never.
Quackity returned empty handed shortly after everyone had boarded Schlatt’s ship with the exception of Techno, Wilbur, and the men holding them.
“He’s not there, boss.”
Schlatt pursed his lip. “That’s fine. Get these two aboard. We’re heading back home.”
The ginger-haired men tugged at Wilbur’s chains, forcing him to stumble forward. A short bark came from Techno and Wilbur chuffed back in response. He followed behind his brother, keeping himself from looking back lest he tip off to Schlatt that their little brother actually was here.
Prime, he hoped Sam could protect Theseus.
Sam forced him to stay in the secret room for another hour after the person left. He wouldn’t let him talk or do anything while they sat there, shushing him if he so much as lifted a finger.
When they were finally able to leave (Sam deciding that since they hadn’t heard anything that the coast must be clear), Tommy crawled out first, exerting his princely status to get the fuck out of the cramped space.
“Techie! Wilby!” Tommy called, listening for the sound of his brothers.
“Tommy, get away from the door please.” Sam softly grabbed his shoulder and pulled him back.
He did not pout (because Big Men most definitely did not pout) but obliged, allowing Sam to pass him and check out the main deck. Tommy didn’t have his knife, so if someone were waiting to stab him, he wouldn’t be able to do much more then kick them. Luckily, he knew Sam would handle them quickly.
Before he could follow him through the hatch, Sam swiftly yanked the doors closed, his face pale.
“What’s wrong, Sammy?”
“Uh. . .” Sam licked his lips nervously. “There’s no one on the ship.” He answered, trying to appear calm but Tommy could see his hands shaking.
But what he said didn’t make sense. Techno and Wilbur never went anywhere without telling Tommy and he would have surely heard the lifeboats being lowered if they had left.
“Where’d they go?” Tommy asked, tugging on Sam’s sleeve.
“I. . .” Sam let out a long breath. “I’m not sure. But they must have been taken by Schlatt. He would have no reason to kill them.”
Tommy nodded seriously and turned back to head to his room without a word. Sam followed obediently, though was obviously confused. He threw the door open and ran over to his chest, digging to the bottom. He knew he placed it in here earlier.
“Tommy? What are you looking for?” Sam peered over his shoulder, but Tommy waved him away.
He spotted the soft glow of what he was looking for and pulled everything out of the way before yanking the object out and softly cradling it in his palm. The golden orb pulsed with power and Tommy carefully carried it to the table.
“What is that?” Sam followed Tommy to the table and sat beside him as Tommy fiddled with the orb. “I’ve never seen anything like it before.”
“Dad made it.” Tommy flipped it over in his hands, looking at it from every angle. The golden orb looked similar to an eye of ender, only golden instead of green. “He said if there was ever a really big emergency and he wasn’t here to fix it, to use this to call for help. He only made one, so I have to be careful with it.”
Sam eyed it skeptically. “How’s it work?”
Instead of responding, Tommy felt it was better to just show him. He led his butler up the stairs to the main deck. Sam tried to stop him, reaching to grab the back of his shirt but missing as Tommy ducked under his hand and scurried out of the door.
“Tommy! Don’t-“
Tommy instantly knew why Sam didn’t want him to see the main deck. There were red pools of blood spread out across the deck and the scent of copper made Tommy’s stomach twist. He swallowed down the rising bile in his throat and focussed on getting to the railing.
“Tommy, I-“
“Dad said I just need to tell it what I need and throw this in the air to make the help come.” Tommy could only look at the orb, clenching it tightly in his fist. He didn’t want to hear whatever Sam was going to say. “What do we need?”
“The army, the navy.” Sam listed off. “Emperor Philza Minecraft himself.”
Tommy had a better idea. “We need heroes!”
Techno loved going on about heroes, telling all about the stories where they conquered countries and slayed monsters. Tommy really only paid attention to the action parts to be fair. They were always strong, always getting shit done.
“Tommy, I really think we should be getting help from people who we know can help us.” Sam said gently.
Tommy knew Sam Nook had a point. It would make sense to call for the army or the navy to come and save him from starving at sea and his brothers from his shitty evil uncle, but it didn’t feel right.
And besides, heroes always had a way of being exactly where they needed to be at the exact right time.
“I trust Dad.” Tommy closed his eyes and let out a breath. He wished his brothers were here. “He wouldn’t give this to me if I could fuck it up. The orb will grab exactly who we need no matter what I actually ask for.”
Sam sighed but did not object. Tommy took it as the go ahead and whispered his request into the orb.
He chucked it into the air, and it blinked out of existence.