Chapter Text
That was a low blow, threatening his horse.
Techno sighed, shivering as the cold, arctic wind blew from the crests of the waves that rocked his captor’s karvi.
Shouldn’t have dropped the fucking cloak. He berated himself. But, he had panicked.
The second he had seen the silver of Quackity’s blade pressed against the side of Carl’s neck, his world had spun inwards on itself.
Not Carl! He’d screamed. Not his horse, his only friend, the only creature he’d ever managed to forge any meaningful bond with. The only being who had never stabbed him in the back, never betrayed him, never hurt him, never cast him out.
Sweet, gentle, patient old Carl.
It was so stupid! Surrendering over the life of a horse. He could just get another horse! Except he couldn’t, he knew he couldn’t.
Carl was a part of his family.
And so, he’d thrown everything down at the threat.
Gods he’d sounded so pathetic, the way his voice had broken as he pleaded for Quackity to drop the blade, throwing his own to the ground.
He complied so readily to the man’s demands. Relinquishing his swords, his armour, his potions, his supplies, even his cloak.
And now, here he was. Shivering in a karvi with his old friends, now his enemies.
Had they ever truly been his friends, though? He wondered.
Carl, the one thing keeping him from trying to fight any further, and that stupid blue sheep Wilbur had insisted on taking with them, had been placed by the stern. Watched over by the oblivious ghost of his brother.
Quackity - that bastard!- stood at the bow, a map and an all too familiar compass in hand.
Phil… Techno shook his head. He’d worry about Phil later. The man was smart enough to handle himself. He had managed to send him a warning after all…
Should have destroyed the lodestone.
Stupid…
Stupid….
Useless…
Stupid….
It had been too late for that, he reasoned. Too late by the time he’d received the warning, by the time he had felt prepared enough to take on an invading force.
He’d panicked.
It was almost laughable, really. The many years he’d spent training, the all too ingrained expectation of the worst, the restless nights and hyper-vigilance sending him pacing around his cabin....around campfires years ago....
...up to Phil’s room, where he’d ask his father for tea and a quiet voice to ramble about nothing as he calmed his mind....
Anxious…
Anxious…
Got you nowhere…
Useless skill…
Not a skill…
Not a skill…
Hurt brain…
Hurts the mind…
Ouch…
Hurts…
Ouch….
Hello Wilbur…
Ouch…
Dead brother…
Ouch…
Techno shook his head, letting his eyes wander about the small ship. Ahead of him, rowing, were Tubbo and Fundy. Both looking more than a little weary from the day’s events. The scarred lad, occasionally slowing in his pace to massage the side of his face, where the gnarled, pink skin of not-so-old burns blossomed across his cheek and nose. Pulling the lids of his eye shut, the lashes and brow long gone from the old wound.
Ouch…
Ouch…
Hurt him…
Ouch…
Why did you do that?...
Hurt the boy…
Just a boy…
Scared…
We are scared…
He was scared…
Was scared…
Scarred…
Scared…
Scarred…
Ouch…
The fox-eared young man, beside the young president -Techno still couldn’t wrap his head around the logic of that choice- Fundy, continued to row at a steady pace. Now and then tucking the golden wolf-pelt hood further over his head against the wind. The face of the hood bearing a striking resemblance to his own Fae Born nature, unnervingly so. Techno wondered briefly whether Fundy had chosen it on purpose, as a sort of abandoning of his heritage, or whether he’d been forced to wear it.
It seemed the first option was more likely, Techno reasoned. From the reactions L’Manburg’s people had towards the Fae Born after Schlatt’s reign, he doubted anyone of Fae heritage wanted to be associated with the man.
Aside from the two rowing, and Quackity at the bow, still fiddling with the map, the fourth member of the troupe was someone Techno hadn’t seen before.
A young man, perhaps a bit older than Tubbo, sat across from him. Nursing a bleeding shoulder.
Techno had never seen someone with features quite like his, with skin snow white on one side and a dark grey on the other, the two colours melding together in the centre of his face with a dappled blending. His wind whipped hair followed the same pattern of his skin. With a pair of jagged horns, a thick hyena-like mane, a tufted tail and digitigrade legs; he was not at all unlike an EnderFolk.
But the ears were far more like Techno’s own. Pointed, yes, but very nearly dog-like -or pig-like in his case- the boy's toes were hoofed, rather than clawed like a normal Enderfolk.
Strange…
Strange boy…
Familiar?
Strange boy…
Features…
Know some features?
Strange…
Ouch…
Hurt the boy…
Ouch….
He reminded Techno of someone, somehow.
He studied the red and green eyes of the piebald youth. The young man seemed out of place here amongst the Butcher Party. The rest he knew all had some quarrel with him, one more than the others, but what was this newcomer here for?
The young man gave him a confused look, no doubt growing wary from the glaring way he was being stared at, before returning to tending his shoulder wound.
“You should be honoured.” Techno grinned, flashing his tusks. “I could've killed you, you know.”
“So I’ve heard.” The young man nodded, cinching a bandage across his wound, his tufted tail curling as he hissed in pain.
“You didn’t sterilise it.” Techno pointed out. “I don’t know how many Undead and BoneFolk I’ve killed with that sword you know.”
He remembered the startled scream that had come from the young man as he had pierced through his armour.
He grinned at the memory, the youth had merely grit his teeth and swung right back at him. A determined fighter. He could respect that.
“Oh….” the piebald man frowned, proceeding to undo the bandage.
“Mind shutting up for five minutes?”
Loud!
Shut up!
Loud!
Loud!
Ouch!
Shut up!
Quackity loud!
Angry man!
Angry!
Techno flattened his ears at the voice, turning to see Quackity at the bow, gripping the map in his hands. His eyes narrowed and mouth curled in a frustrated snarl.
“Alright, guess being personable isn’t welcome here.” Techno mumbled, leaning back against the mast of the karvi, trying to reposition his arms. They’d been bound behind his back, much tighter than they really needed to be, he could tell. His hands had already begun to go numb and he could feel faint, sticky drops of blood forming along the cords around his wrists.
His captors weren’t taking any chances with him it seemed.
“HA! Personable.” Quackity rolled his eyes.
“We gave you a family.” The dark haired man muttered angrily. “And you had the gall to betray us!”
Liar!
Liar!
Lies!
Spoke the truth!
Gave the truth!
Bite him!
Lying man!
Bite the liar!
Techno’s tail thumped in warning, his ears flattening against the sides of his head.
“You used me.” Techno countered, keeping his voice steady.
Becoming confrontational now was unwise.
“I made my conditions clear as day and you elected to ignore them the second it was convenient for you.”
“You think family does that?” he continued calmly, knowing he had touched a few nerves with that statement. He could sense the young men around him shifting uncomfortably.
He turned his gaze to Fundy, the FaeBorn stiffened.
“You think family only acknowledges you until it’s inconvenient-”
“Shut the fuck up!” Fundy hissed, stabbing at the water with his paddle.
Techno chuckled.
Behind him he heard the weak voice of Ghostbur laugh as well.
“Techno you’re laughing!” the shade giggled. “Fundy! You’re uncle’s laughing! Isn’t that nice? This is a nice little trip.”
Techno flinched as the voices chattered at the sight of the ghost.
Wilbur!
Wilbur!
Brother!
Wilbur!
Hi Wilbur!
Hello!
Hello!
Love you!
Hello!
Not dead?
Dead…
Very dead…
Dadza killed him…
Why?
Dadza kill…
Killza…
KILLZA!
Hate him!
Love him!
Love him!
Can’t hate him!
Mistakes…
Mistakes…
Hurts…
Ouch…
Hurts…
Techno saw Fundy’s eyes shut tight, fighting away tears of frustration before turning back to rowing, a bit more angrily than before.
Of course, Techno sighed. He wasn’t the only one hurting…
It had been so bizarre to learn that Wilbur wasn’t just a hallucination, some cruel joke his mind was playing in him.
He was still getting used to the idea that others could see his brother too, not just him. He wasn’t sure if he should feel relieved or concerned.
At the moment he just felt a strange sense of wonder, as he imagined what it must have been like for the others to see something they previously thought impossible.
Did they think they were seeing things at first? Or had they just accepted it? How long had that taken them? Did they now know how he felt?
Nice trip…
Not nice..
Cold…
Bad men…
Ouch…
Not nice…
Hello Wilbur…
Brother…
Wilbur…
Punch the ghost…
“I’m not punching the ghost.” he mumbled under his breath. The voices giggled in response.
They’d been growing louder ever since he had been captured.
Taunt them…
Annoying…
You’re annoying…
Escape…
You’re annoying…
Funny joke…
Now that , he grinned, that he could do.
“Nah, this trip sucks.” Techno shrugged at Wilbur’s comment, attempting to get at least one more jab at his captors before they had him gagged.
If he was going to be their prisoner, he would at least be the most annoying prisoner they’d ever had to deal with. “I’d give it maybe one star out of five. Worst kidnapping ever.”
“.....come on man,” Tubbo’s quiet voice spoke up as he rowed. “Maybe at least a two star?”
The boy grinned, timidly, clearly unsure of what he was supposed to be doing here. Perhaps, Techno thought, he’d hoped to add some levity by returning the joke?
“Well, I guess cause you’re here” He smiled softly back. “I’ll raise it, at least, to a one point five star.”
Poor kid. He thought. Always trying to make the best of things.
Little…
Too little…
Not a leader…
Baby…
Punt the child…
Child killer…
Nearly died…
Child killer…
He could almost, almost, see why the lad had been chosen as president. He didn’t fault Tommy and Wilbur for that choice. The boy could make friends with anyone, he was always willing to lend a kind hand to any situation, traits that were a far cry from the late Schlatt. Of course people would want a leader like him after what they had gone through.
But that was just the problem, wasn’t it. There was being kind, and then there was being a doormat. And Tubbo, sweet as he was, had been too much of a people pleaser to be much of an actual leader.
“This isn’t a fucking UverCarriage service!” Quackity snapped from his spot at the bow, angrily rolling up the map within his fists, storming towards where Techno was bound. “Tubbo, you’re in the Butcher Party, fucking act like it!”
Techno leaned towards scar covered, young man. “You’re really gonna take orders from someone like that Mr. President?”
Tubbo stiffened.
“Alright either shut the fuck up right now or you’re getting gagged!” Quackity slapped the map against the side of the longboat, sending Tubbo jerking upright with a gasp, his face growing sheet white at the loud banging sound near his ear.
Techno flinched.
A slew of bright colours flashed briefly in his vision.
Someone was screaming…
He shook his head with a snarl, the colours fading as his eyes landed on Tubbo once more. The kid was staring blankly ahead, unmoving.
That was just mean, had Quackity done that on purpose?
Explosion….
Explode the child…
Shoot the child…
Ouch…
Meanie…
Child hurt…
“What’s it gonna be Mr. President?” Techno chuckled, subtly attempting to bring Tubbo out of where Quackity had sent him. He sensed the group beginning to tense around him at the shifting power within the karvi.
Of course they would. Techno eyed the four of them, Fundy’s eyes narrowing and glancing between Quackity and Tubbo. Ranboo staring at the dark haired man with a look of uncertainty.
So, Quacks is the ringleader. Techno realised.
And his grip on the team was shaky at best it seemed, too harsh. Too angry to be fully rational.
He knew Quackity had been a silver tongued instigator, working alongside and sometimes even behind a few of Schlatt’s schemes. But…it seemed that without someone to direct him, his own leadership was…shaky at best.
Techno saw Tubbo shake his head with a faint whimper, rubbing the base of his horns as he returned to the present. He then set his jaw firmly, before returning to rowing.
“You tried to sabotage our government.” the lad spat, refusing to look at Techno as he addressed him.
Techno snarled.
Lies!
Lies!
Did not!
Made a deal!
We made a deal!
“Oh I tried to sabotage YOUR government huh?!” he snapped, his nerves finally tweaked. “Your pathetic excuse for democracy huh?! Well look where that’s fucking gotten you-”
The sharp sting of rolled paper slapped across his face.
He growled, his tusks gleaming wickedly as he jerked his head towards his assailant.
Quackity rolled the map tighter in his hands, as if wringing the neck of some poor bird.
“Like I said,” the man sneered down at him. “Not, a, fucking, UverCarriage.”
Quackity knelt before Techno, just barely out of reach of his teeth.
“Hell, you should be grateful,” the dark haired man laughed. “UverCarriages don’t take animals.”
Like a string finally snapping, the atmosphere turned harshly on Quackity.
“Hey!” Tubbo snapped.
“What the fuck?!” Fundy jerked his oar around.
“Dude what the hell?” the piebald man put a hand on Quackity’s shoulder, tail flicking angrily. “Don’t bring that into this!”
“Sorry! Shit!” Quackity back-pedalled, raising his hands in defeat and backing away.
“FaeBorn aren’t animals man!” Tubbo hissed. “Neither are Piglin Descendents!”
“Read the room!” Fundy snarled. “You’re the only human here!”
“I know! I know! Shit I’m sorry! It just slipped out ok?!” the dark haired man continued to apologise, quickly realising his mistake and overcorrecting for it.
Techno laughed. To the man’s credit, he did seem genuinely sorry, at least for Tubbo and Fundy’s sake. Maybe the piebald boy too, he wasn’t sure what the kid was yet.
Though, his laugh was cut short as a thick cloth was shoved between his teeth, before being tied behind his head, silencing him.
His heart began to race as the all too familiar feeling settled between his jaws…over his tongue…
Wrong…
NO!
NO!
Get it out!
Wrong…
Get it out!
Bite it!
Bite!
Bite through it!
Bite!
Stupid!
Not again…
Stop it…
Stop…
Stop…
Take it off!
Take it off…
Take it off…..
…..a rocking ship….a dark hold….the scent of death….iron digging into his cheeks….the clink of chains…
Techno shook his head, digging his teeth into the cloth with a muffled hiss, clenching his eyes shut as he forced the memories back down. Tapping his tail against the floor of the karvi, he counted.
One…
One two…
One…
One two…
Breathe…
Breathe…
Breathe…
“Sorry.” The piebald youth mumbled as he finished tying the knot behind him.
Techno flattened his ears, hissing, his hackles raised in warning as he glared at the young man.
Breathe…
One…
One two…
Breathe…
One…
Ouch…
One two….
Breath….
Hurts….
We know…
Know…
Breathe…
One two…
Breathe…
Techno swallowed against the cloth, finally feeling the repetition, the tapping of his tail, beginning to calm his heart beat.
He wished he could grab at his hair…
“Finally,” Quackity’s voice cut him from his counting. “Some fucking silence!”
He stood in front of Techno, placing the rolled up map under his chin, tilting his head to look at him. Techno continued to snarl between his gag as the dark haired man spoke.
Bite him!
Bite him!
Can’t…
Breathe…
Stay calm…
Breathe…
“Like I said,” the dark haired man’s voice dropped to a deadly hiss. “You sabotaged us. You’ve hurt us and our country far too many times. And you’re gonna pay for it, you hear me?”
Techno yanked his head away from the map, still glaring. His skin crawling, burning. Like he’d been touched by some extension of his captor’s hand, where the paper had been in contact with him.
“You’re gonna be taken to trial, and charged for your crimes, and you’re gonna pay for them.” Techno noticed Quackity’s eyes darkening with a fury he’d never expected from the man.
Angry…
Angry…
Angry….
Hurts…
“Oh by the gods,” Quackity hissed. “You’re gonna fucking pay.”
“He is very rich,” Ghostbur’s raspy voice commented, breaking the darkened atmosphere with a light chuckle. “I’m sure he can pay for any damages he made. Isn’t that right Technoblade? You did say you were loaded.”
The shade smiled innocently at him.
And it truly was innocent.
Techno almost tried to smile back.
Dead brother…
Dead…
Sweet Wilbur…
Punch the ghost…
Ghost…
Ghostbur…
Ghostbur...
Ghostbur at least made things less lonely. Sometimes.
“Gods dammit…” Quackity shook his head at the ghost, his threat clearly lost amidst the shade’s comment. “That’s not...never-mind.”