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One, two, three, four,…
The clinking of metal against each other. Punz counted again.
One, two, three, four, five…
It was a lot. It was a whole lot.
They didn’t need to count to know that and the small part in the back of their mind that enjoyed the sight of gold, that loved the glimmer of diamonds, crowed in glee at all that they had been given. The knowledge of these riches being theirs, satisfying an intrinsic part in the mercenary.
Another part of them however…
It was just weird. Just plain weird.
This hadn’t happened before.
Never in all their years as a mercenary. And they had been one for a long, long time, even before they came to this world, to these lands. Before they ever took that fateful job.
Before Dream…
Before Dream.
Dream.
That was the problem.
Punzs heart gave another of those weird lurching beats, unfamiliar and uncomfortable at the thought of the man. At the man they had just betrayed, not even a few days ago. The… friend they had given up, had almost brought to his final end.
For what?
Punz stood up from in front of their enderchest and began a pacing walk, netherite steps hard on the stone floor of their tower. Wanting to walk away the fuzzy feeling that seemed to buzz under their skin like a hive of bees, that made their heart lurch and flutter with weird sensations.
This was unfamiliar.
Punz knew they had done it for the gold, for the diamonds. That had been their way for almost as long as they could remember, taking money, working for those that filled their pockets, that gave them the chance for a roof over their head and food on their table.
A bit of blood and violence here and there were part of the job description, and were never a problem.
Never had been, no matter the worlds they had hopped in between, all the bases they had built and all the missions they had undertaken. Building a rep on several worlds at once had been well and good, which meant they had never been out of a job.
Even if another world was swallowed by the void.
Often, they had even done recons as a speedrunner, taking the risks and flinging themselves into the endless abyss of nothing, in an attempt to find new seeds to unfold and grow into a new world. They had been good at it, famed for their skill and speed. They were still good at it.
Their reputation wasn’t without reason.
Their reputation was the reason.
It was the thing that had brought them to meet Dream, to meet Sapnap and George, Bad and all the other originals.
It had been a job. Of course it had been a job, a simple one at that.
Capture the infamous Dream, who was even more of a world jumper than Punz, who was one hell of a quick speedrunner as well, who was definitely a good fighter renowned across worlds.
A simple job. Just capture the runner and deliver him to their employer and the pay would have been enough to set Punz for life on several worlds at once.
They had taken the job of course.
They hadn’t been prepared for all that had followed.
-----
The infamous runner had been harder to track than anticipated, even if he was always clad in green, was always seen wearing a white mask with a mocking smile and was often anything but quiet in the worlds he visited. But Punz had managed, their experience guiding them to find the younger speedrunner in due time.
The plan hadn’t worked, a fight had broken out.
And for the first time in a long while, Punz’s skills hadn’t been enough to ensure their victory, hadn’t been enough to beat the infamous teen who was a few years younger than them. For all intents and purposes, that should have been it for that attempt.
As Punz was laying in that grassy field, dirt and sweat on their white hoodie and iron armor, the lean stature of a teen in green standing above them, iron blade to their neck, they knew that that would have to be it for that try.
Both their breaths were going hard, shallow cuts and purpling bruises distributed a bit unevenly in favor of the green hoodie wearing youngster. The wounds let trickling beads of familiar red escape, limbs trembling slightly with the thrill of the fight now over.
That should have been the end.
It should have meant a respawn, another attempt later on.
It didn’t.
Before the glimmering blade could sink into the weak flesh of Punzs neck, it halted, trembling faintly so close to their skin that they could feel the vibrations of it. But it didn’t go any further, and didn't cut the pale vulnerable spot.
It just held. The finishing blow stopped and not continued.
The mercenary threw a squinted blue-eyed gaze to their younger opponent, confusion flickering briefly through their mind. They were met with a blank white mask, small black circles as eyes and a wide dark glistening smile underneath, looking down upon their prone form, looming without a hint of the wearer's emotion over them.
No movement came from the target, the lean tall body stiff and frozen in its inaction, as the wind blew around their sweating and panting figures.
After a few moments of this, Punz got tired of it.
“Are you going to finish it? Or are we just going to awkwardly stare at each other for a while?”, they asked in between much needed breaths.
That made the green fighter abruptly flinch, whole body convulsing out of the frozen state it had been in. For a second that was it, the blade still staying close to the mercenary's neck, keeping them down under the threat of respawn.
The smiling mask tilted a bit, as its wearer seemed to contemplate something. Then, to the surprise of Punz, the blade was removed from their neck and a few steps taken back, giving the mercenary enough room to get up again.
Of course Punz didn’t trust the situation, gathering their weapon that had been knocked wide with a past quick blow, keeping their blue eyes on the target in case of any movements to stop them. The green teen let them however, just staring all the while, stance loose and as unthreatening as possible while fully armed, but still ready at a moment’s notice.
Once Punz had their weapon, they stood back up fully and squinted at the taller. “You wanna go again?” They let their blade experimentally circle in their hand to underline their point, ignoring the sting of an overtaxed wrist.
The winner of the last fight just shook his head at that, before loudly clearing his throat. “I… No, I don’t really want that.”
Punz only raised an eyebrow at the answer, prompting the other to continue.
“You’re a mercenary, right? Sent to hunt me?”, the target asked with a faint voice an unrecognizable emotion dripping from the words.
“Yeah”, Punz answered as they stilled their blade.
This job hadn’t said anything about secrecy, so it was the employers fault for not paying the extra confidentiality fee in the first place.
The target scuffed his boots in a seemingly nervous gesture over the ground. “Better give it up now, the people you’re working for won’t keep their word", he spoke with a hardened voice, mask slightly turned away from Punz.
The mercenary scoffed. “How would you know?”
The answer came quickly. “Past experience. You don’t want to mess with them and you certainly don’t want to work for them. It won’t end nicely.”
“Well, they paid me good money for you, so I don’t think I’ll stop. Unless…”, a sudden thought made Punz lower their sword further, a twinkle in their eyes, “you can pay me more.”
The mercenary huffed lightly incredulously at their own suggestion, shaking their head. “But I don’t think you can.”
“Oh, I might”, came the immediate surefire answer, making Punz focus fully back on the teen. The green lean body before them stilled as the target tilted his head slightly in question. “Uhm, do you think eleven inscribed diamond blocks are enough?”
Punz froze at that, mouth slightly open in disbelief. “Eleven?! All inscribed?!”
“Yeah, nice and easy for world hopping.”
“And diamonds you say? I thought those were impossible to inscribe?!”
The white mask covered the entire face, but Punz would have to be deaf to miss the grin in the following words. “It’s not if you know one or two tricks.”
That made a small smile quirk the mercenary’s lips as they disbelievingly shook their head. “No wonder they want you alive…”
The target only gave a small humm at that, before lowering his axe and shield further. “We got a deal?”
“Definitely.”
“Nice”, the axe disappeared into an inventory, leaving the right hand free.
Normally Punz would have seen that as an opening, but they knew it wasn’t. They had the bruises and cuts to prove that the green teen had a fast enough reaction time to counter, should they attack now.
Pointing and gesturing with the now free hand, the target asked: “Thank the void, I really didn't want to drag this out too long. Glad to have a deal with…" He stopped for a second, body language clear in that he was seemingly trying to think of something. "Ehm, whatever your name is", he finished lamely
“Call me Punz.”
“Oh, I’ve heard of you! I guess you know who I am, hunting me and all, but call me Dream.”
“Okay Dream", Punz answered, putting his own blade away as well, hopefully to remain there. They grinned lightly as they asked: “Now, where are those diamond blocks?”
-----
It had been a great deal at the time.
Eleven diamond blocks that could be taken on world hops without a problem?
Priceless and worth way more than the actual rough material itself ever could be. Punz had without a single second thought cancelled their mission on Dream, disappearing to one of the worlds they had a base on.
They should have thought that action over more. They really should’ve.
It seemed Dream had been more than right on what kind of employers Punz had had back then. Putting them in the nasty category was especially easy for Punz, when they sent people after the mercenary, for whatever goal or reason.
Not that that was revealed.
A reason was never found out, the corpses of those attackers having disappeared by the time the mercenary stood half-victorious in front of their burning base, cradling a slightly bleeding arm and fumbling with a regeneration pot.
The glowing liquid tasted salty as it was chugged down their throat, spreading a warmth over their body and healing all the scrapes and burns the conflict had caused.
They had liked that base. But now it was definitely gone, the flames burning it hungrily swallowing up the empty glass bottle they threw in as well.
They needed a new plan, the next few steps for the future. Recuperate and strike back or hide and disappear?
Both seemed good, they would just have to go to one of the other worlds and…
An impressed sounding whistle cut through the air, making Punz turn abruptly towards its source, weapon raised and ready to continue fighting. They were met with a familiar green figure wearing a white mask, who had his hands raised in a show of non-hostility.
Punz didn't relieve the tension in their body, keeping the blade up while staring intensely at the familiar newcomer.
“Well, didn’t think they would be so quick to retaliate", the teen said.
“You think?”, Punz incredulously replied, grip tight on their sword.
Dream let his hands flap up and down, in the universal gesture of: “Calm down.” He spoke further with an even voice. “I’m not here for another fight.”
“What are you here for then?”
“Well…” Dream sheepishly rubbed the back of his hood. “I kinda, y'know, wanted to extend an offer to you. To maybe come to a world with me.”
Punz squinted at that, suspicion flickering in their gut. “Which one?”
“Ever heard of Munchy?”
“The one that’s run by a literal shadow and a living diamond? Yeah, I know about it.” They tilted their head lightly, while also loosening the grip on their handle. “Why should I go though and not just disappear to another one of my bases?”
“Cause those have been hit as well.” Dreams white mask seemed to stare right at the mercenary. “And Munchy is restricted. It’s pretty safe, especially against those guys.”
“Why? Why are you offering me this?” Punz stared back hard with icy eyes. “I tried to capture you.”
Dream was quick to answer. “Ehmm, well, I’m kinda the reason you’re in this mess. And, to be honest, we-”, abruptly the teen cut himself off, before continuing with a bit of a higher tone and quicker words. “You put up a good fight and I respect that! So, y'know, maybe we could…”, he trailed off, fidgeting with his fingers slightly.
Punz raised an eyebrow at the answer, not believing it for all that it was worth. At least not completely, there was some truth in the words, but they knew from experience, hell, they didn’t even need experience to know that there was something that the other was keeping back, that he was trying to hide.
It could be bad.
Punz took another look at the pire his former home had become, the billowing smoke that had once been almost all of his belongings on this world.
Saying no could be worse.
“Fine, I’ll follow you.”
-----
And follow Punz did.
First to Munchy, meeting a very firehappy teen named Sapnap, the two striking up an easy going friendship over time, the rest of the bunch not far behind. Dream having kept his word, their former employers not able to do shit there, until they eventually disappeared fully from the map.
Later they followed Dream to a world he claimed to be safe and perfect for all of them, to escape the crowded spaces of Munchy and create something of their very own. To finally have something they could safely call their own without the chance of it disappearing all too soon.
Punz did create their own, not a base, not just a simple place to sleep, but an actual house with a waterfall and all. It was nice, even if cleaning up the front lawn had been a pain after that first fateful build battle of Tommy and Tubbo against Dream for some stupid discs.
Despite that, it was still nice. Calmer than any world before, a sense of safety and security thanks to their seclusion and low numbers.
Until it wasn't anymore.
Punz followed the Dream Team into the sudden war that erupted in the world, playing their part and dealing a deadly blow to the starter of all the troubles, to Wilbur Soot himself.
It wasn't the only time they took a later to be revealed canon-life. A good shot towards an invisible figure taking the second precious life from the abruptly exiled former ruler, when a government turned and a new president reigned.
The mercenary fought in the second big war as well, taking a stance with Dream once again. Batting not too much of an eye at the chaos that unfolded, staying strong on the side they were on.
They kept that stance, sticking by Dream's side even when opinions soured and friendships broke, the steady tingling of gold and diamond making the decision easy. Staying by the steadily spiralling young man’s, old friends' side, helping and working and acting and fighting.
Stopping executions, offering their blade when need be and even their ear when asked to.
Until one payment swayed that steady support. Until one act broke that unfrayed string that connected Punz to his former target. Until one betrayal made them the hero of the world and the traitor in the splintered heart of the seeming cause of all, in the big villain and monster everyone proclaimed to see.
Punz was the reason Dream lost two lives, they were the one who had led the charge. They almost caused Dream to lose that last one as well, to almost be responsible for the death of the one who had reached out first.
The sight of blood had never been that…
… concerning.
The alien sight of a scuffed and wounded Dream, unmasked green eyes with a splotch of gold widened in fear, holding his bleeding injuries and bargaining for his life had caused something that had always been so clear-cut and normal, to suddenly be thrown into turmoil.
It should not have been concerning. It should not have caused these chaotic feelings. Punz should be used to it. They really should be.
Punz was anything but squeamish.
And despite that…
Despite that.
Sam's solution had made the slight sweetness of relief bloom over that bitter chaos for just a moment, as the turmoil kept persisting even after it disappeared. Kept tumbling inside the mercenary and made Punz pinch his face into a light frown.
The rhythmic steps stilled on the stone floor, the surrounding walls of the room in Punzs tower echoing the last weak vestiges of their sounds back. Punz stayed with a tense body in the center of their build, trying to ignore the squabbling feelings in their gut, trying to smooth out their pinched features.
It didn't work as well as hoped.
They had done what they had done. It had been a job, nothing more. It wasn’t anything more.
Punz just had to keep telling themselves that and maybe their heart would stop fluttering at every thought of green stained in red. Just had to keep on repeating and those traitorous flashes of a deep ache in their lungs would ebb.
Just keep on denying.
Just keep on ignoring the feeling of something broken, that had once been lit in that first fight, been intertwined with a blade kept back and an offer extended.
Punz shook their head slightly, releasing a sigh out of their coil tensed body.
Maybe they should get some fresh air on top of their tower, maybe that would help. Their feet already moved according to that thought, heading for the ladder, mind still sunken in turmoil.
There was still that humming and rooting pest of red growing from the top of their tower, that they still needed to get rid of. Maybe doing that would take their mind off of the repeated whispers of XTraitor in the back of their thoughts.
Or...
Maybe they would finally have the incentive to listen to the whispers of the crimson instead.
They definitely sounded nicer at the moment.