Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Techno stares at the cage for a second longer than necessary before continuing to make his way through the crowd squeezing between the tents and booths. He has to give them some credit: their camps resemble an ordinary congregation. That they managed to fool someone like him speaks volumes about their progress. Two years ago, the Guild emblem would have been flocked on banners at the entrance. Techno would have avoided them like the plague if that had been the case, but once in the lion's mouth, why bother? Slowing down his pace, he scans the crowd with his eyes, his failure to find a familiar face reinforcing his determination. He continues his procession identifying and cataloguing the Guild tents and those of civilians unaware of the situation. Of course, the fire will start from the area with the highest concentration of Guild tents.

He withdraws and settles in the groves next to the camp while waiting for the night. This one comes with the usual campfires and nightly brawls. This makes it even more apparent which members are responsible for maintaining order. The peak of activity is reached at midnight, with bargaining for the most illegal goods taking place under the moonlight. Techno knows that the camp will not be tranquil until around five in the morning, unfortunately too close to dawn to offer Techno a retreat, so it is around two in the morning when he makes his way around the camp to the area occupied solely by hunters.

The passage of two merchants discussing in low voices forces him to retreat into a tent. The bunk is fortunately deserted, but a noise resounds in the shadows at the back of the tent. Driven by a compelling curiosity, Techno approaches the now quiet area. The eerie silence is broken by a tiny breath caught between clenched fingers. He picks up the lantern on the table, and suddenly the shadows recede, revealing a cage identical to the one from this morning, only this time, someone is inside. Electric blue eyes stare at Techno. They remain stunned for a few seconds before they close, and the kid, because he is a kid, collapses like a doll whose wires have been cut. Techno takes a few seconds to make sure his wounds are not life-threatening before walking out as quietly as he came in. If he had any hesitation about his plan, it went up in smoke. He needs a distraction compelling enough to justify not looking for a lost trophy.

He methodically pours alcohol around the majestic tent that serves as the hunters' headquarters and a dozen others scattered within a fifty-meter radius. The fire takes immediately, forming a glowing crown. Techno lights two more canvases before the alarm is given, the smoke and panic providing him the time to light the last two. Once it is done, he rushes towards the tent containing the hybrid, following the torrent of people for some time before melting into the shadows.

The posted guard before the tent makes it even easier for Techno to spot it. They are far from the fire, the crowd has not yet invaded this part of the camp, so the guard spots him at once. Techno doesn't bother to argue, his axe stuck in the guard's neck before he can raise his sword. He pulls his weapon out of the gaping wound, causing an unpleasant sucking sound. His blade dropping blood, he enters the tent. Fortunately, the guard was there to guard the cage, not the owner. The hybrid is still unconscious, which is both convenient and worrying. The lock doesn't hold and a minute later a hunchbacked figure walks away from the torch that has become the camp and melts into the darkness of the woods.

Techno stops only at daybreak at the sight of a stream. He puts the hybrid down on the bank, his muscles making him pay for the night's efforts. After quenching his thirst and giving a drink to an avian still on the other side of the veil, Techno sets about the Herculean task of treating the hybrid's wounds. In addition to the bruises that colour a revolting portion of his body, he has two gaping gashes on his thigh and stomach, obviously caused by a blade. His right ankle is swollen, and his wings are in shambles, with bits of skin visible where feathers have been torn off by the handful. The cuts have already been treated rudely, or the hybrid would have died from blood loss. The hunter must have poured a regeneration potion directly into the wounds to curb the bleeding. Techno has no potion, but he has bandages and a handful of golden apples. He cleans the open wounds, bandaging them carefully. Techno gets back on the road despite his sore muscles. Their stop will have lasted only about fifteen minutes. It is necessary as their pursuers do not have a body to carry around to slow him down.

At the end of the day, Techno starts looking for a place to rest for the night. A clearing in the woods is deemed acceptable. The first thing he does is to check on his passenger. The heat his body had exuded during the day was enough to know that he had a fever, probably due to an infection of one of his wounds, Techno's body heat not making things any better. The hybrid drinks again without protesting, muttering something before falling back into a restless sleep. Techno redoes his bandages then settles down a few meters away, his eyes pointed in the direction they came from. He is about to doze off himself when the boy begins to thrash around in his sleep before sitting up, his eyes wide open and a scream in his throat. Techno watches the boy realize that it was a dream and take note of his surroundings. He makes a sudden movement groaning in pain, and finally, his eyes fall on Techno.

"Who the fuck are you?"

Chapter Text

The kid is fierce, he notes with relief. He wouldn't have known what to do with a broken and terrified individual.

"I saved you."

The eyes narrow, turning them black in the darkness.

"You're lying." he spits angrily. "You fucking-"

Techno waits but the kid seems to have bitten his words, caging them behind his teeth.

"I what?" he pushes, morbidly curious of the kid’s perspective at this instant. That's all it takes for the kid to loosen his jaws.

"You bought me."

The aggressiveness has given way to a deliberately neutral tone struggling to conceal the pit of bitterness and resignation in which the kid is drowning. Techno should have hunted down the cage owner. His death would have been slower than the guard's and much more satisfying.

"You really think I would have bought you in the middle of the night?"

Yes, of course he believes it. These kinds of purchases usually take place at night. Thinking that, it’s obvious the kid is going to resist him, putting them both in danger. Which means Techno has to find a way to convince him they are on the same side.

"Would a hybrid buy another hybrid?" asks Techno in a sudden gasp of inspiration.

This phrase stops the teenager in his tracks. Techno sees the kid realize that his wounds have been bandaged and that he is not tied up.

“Why else would I be here, genius?" spats the kid.

"Because I set their camp on fire, busted you out of your cage and dragged you here?"

“Why?” The kid sounds like a parrot, the only difference in his tone, now lost rather than on a warpath. Progress.

"Screw them, that's why." Techno answers with a smile, perhaps a little manic, stretching his cheeks.

The kid returns it with a dry smile of his own apparently unconcerned by his savior's mental state.

"I hope they burned." he says. 

Techno does not comment on the murdering glee letting the conversation lull into a rather pleasant silence. The atmosphere is almost peaceful, strikingly different from the electricity cursing between them at the beginning of their first interaction.

"I'm Tommy."

Techno tenses not having expected his companion to have neither the strength nor the wish to hold a conversation.

"Techno."

“They’re tracking us, aren’t they?"

The tone of his voice shows that this is completely normal for him. At least the kid knows the basics, thinks Techno cynically.

"Yup."

"I can't walk."

Nope, not with that wound on his thigh.

"I know where we could go."

Techno raises his eyebrows as the kid is ratting out coordinates. He writes them down and puts them on his map, but the kid is asleep before he can ask him what exactly the coordinates are. Techno holds back a sigh. It's not like they were going somewhere specific. He'll just have to cover their tracks before heading to their new destination.

They leave at dawn after a breakfast of bread and golden apple for Tommy. Techno's tendency to over plan will save them because they don't have time to stop and fish or hunt. For the first time Tommy is awake. Surprisingly he does not complain about the mode of locomotion although it must be uncomfortable or even painful. On the other hand, he discusses. Of everything and nothing, asking Techno questions that have no importance like the name of the female salmon among others. Techno does not have the strength nor the will to tell him to shut up. Hearing the young hybrid speak may distract him from orienting himself but it provides a distraction from the pain carrying a fourteen teen for hours on end brings. Most of the time, he indicates his agreement with a grunt but sometimes he ignores the shower of words, concentrating on scrambling their trail. Tommy doesn't seem to take offense at Techno's sparse attention to him, just happy to be free to babble on about anything that catches his eye. It's not until around noon that Techno remembers to ask him about the coordinates.

"It's a meeting place with my relatives."

This news delights Techno. He was planning to run away until the kid recovered and could get back on his feet, but handing him over to his family is way more practical. The journey to the coordinates is not so long. In three days maximum they will be there.

The journey consists of endless hours of walking through lush green landscapes interspersed with short breaks to hydrate or refill their water bottles. Slowly, Techno gets back into the state of mind that allowed him to survive his adolescence, pain and physical strain becoming his mental landscape.

"Do you live alone?"

The question pierces the atmosphere almost making Techno trip. The sun is shining on them on this second day of trekking. It’s the first words Tommy had spoken since the flow of words had slowed to a crawl hours ago.

"I live alone, yes."

"But you have friends, right?"

Tommy's naiveté is almost hurtful in its purity.

"I have." admits Techno surprised himself by his answer.

Tommy remains silent for a few seconds.

"Do you like horses?"

That’s a way of switching topics among many others, Techno muses. From there he is bombarded with questions about his opinions of his favorite animal to questions about farming techniques. The questions are sometimes so absurd that Techno is left without a response.

"Are you a demon hybrid?" Techno wonders aloud after a particularly long rant over chicken being Drista’s spawns

"I am not!" shrieks Tommy in a manner that is not endearing at all. Even if Techno’s lips stretches a fraction at the kid's antics. "Demons are so lame, 'bla bla bla don't say that'. All wronguns the lot of them."

Techno does not answer, once again redeemed speechless by the creature he had rescued.

It becomes evident rather quickly once random topics are exhausted that Tommy’s favorite topic is his family and friends. He does not provide names but regale Techno with fond memories, apparently content with the monotonous jabs Techno sends him in lieu of conversation. At the end of the second day with an awakened Tommy, Techno can no longer deny a certain attachment to this kid who is far too energetic for his own good.

They settle down for the night, the thought that the next day they will say goodbye causing a tingle in Techno's heart. He squashes the possibility of visiting him. The kid already has a family, Techno would bring nothing to Tommy but the memory of this unfortunate incident. Anyway in view of his past it is better that Techno gets out of Tommy's life. And the sooner the better.

The next day Techno is more concentrated than ever, taking every precaution to hide their tracks. Tommy seems to perceive the gravity of the moment and only speaks to guide Techno through the thick forest of fir trees that they are crossing. In the middle of the day they are dangerously close to the exact coordinates. Techno checks the surroundings but detects no sign of a human presence present or past.

"How long do we have to wait before they come to check that rendezvous point of yours?"

They can't afford to wait for their pursuers to catch up. Techno may have taken every precaution, but these are hunters. His tricks will slow them down, but he's lucid enough to know that they won't be enough to throw them off their back.

Tommy opens his mouth before stopping abruptly, his eyes fixed above Techno. It is all the warning Techno gets before he’s toppled onto the floor. He can only curse himself for not checking the tops of the clearing as his face is pressed into the dirt by his assailant’s hand.

"Tommy."

Thank god it's a relative. Techno would have blamed himself for the rest of his short life for leading the kid to a meeting point compromised by the hunters.

"Hi Phil. This is Techno, he saved me."

"Are you okay?"

Quietly Techno tries to move under the figure pinning him to the ground. He stops as the tip of a blade joins the knee digging uncomfortably into his back. Techno could try to get rid of his assailant; whose attention is primarily focused on Tommy at the moment but he's counting on Tommy to convince the so-called 'Phil' not to kill him right away.

"Yeah, perfectly fine. Techno tended to my injuries."

Tommy's words purpose is painfully obvious, but Techno appreciates the gesture nonetheless.

"Tommy we can't grant sanctuary to a human." sighs the so-called Phil.

Techno wholeheartedly agrees to be honest. Being among a bunch of hybrids has never been his goal. Just letting him go is what he is aiming for here. He opens his mouth to say just that but Tommy takes him by storm.

"But he's a hybrid."

Techno’s mind blanks not believing Tommy would cover for him that much before he remembers what he said to reassure Tommy at the very beginning. His assailant stills.

"What is your Origin?"

If Techno had the luxury of reflection, he would have admitted to being a human. But Tommy has just lied for him even if unknowingly and the slightest hesitation would be fatal.

"Piglin."

A long pause.

"I have never heard of those."

The opposite would be surprising since this origin does not exist. Techno wisely chooses silence.

"Why didn’t you say it sooner?"

Hum. That's a good question. He glances upwards, his eyes landing on Tommy's face. The child’s expression is a wreck.

"Techno, we aren't going to sell you even if you're one of a kind hybrid. We hybrids stick by each other's side." Declares Tommy softly like Techno's is the most fragile between the two of them.

Techno blinks as understanding dawns. Kristin blesses this kid. He had offered him a perfect alibi.

"Sorry. I had bad experiences with- other hybrids." He harrumphs.

Miracle of miracles, the Elytrian seems to actually believe this explanation. He stands up, letting Techno do the same and finally get a view of his attacker. Phil is an Elytrian of average height, with eyes of a lighter blue than Tommy's, almost gray, and blond hair hidden under a bucket hat with green and white stripes. His outfit is completed with a sort of black and green kimono and wooden sandals.

"No, I am sorry. I shouldn't have been so quick to assume."

"You're protecting your people. You have every right to be paranoid."

And if Phil hadn't already bought it this would have sealed the deal. His eyes soften, his posture relaxes and he turns his back to Techno to talk with Tommy.

"Alright, let's get you to Medbay. Can you help me carry him please? I need my strength to lift him into the air later."

Techno crouches beside Phil the magnitude of his luck beginning to catch up with him.

"What's your name?"

"Technoblade."

They stand up, Phil holding Tommy under his armpits and Techno his feet. Techno refrains from asking how long the journey will take. They wander deeper into the forest, the temperature dropping noticeably as they advance. Suddenly, they cross the edge of the forest and find themselves at the foot of a natural wall. Techno's gaze runs along what turns out to be an authentic cliff. His observation is interrupted by Phil who approaches the wall. Techno watches, fascinated, as a section of the wall slides open, revealing a narrow tunnel. Without a word they rush in, the entrance closed by their passage on a pressure plate. The tunnel is cramped, the stall air dusty irritating their nostrils and eyes. What would be a secret tunnel without the complete darkness, though?

Elytrians must have night vision because Phil begins to walk into the tunnel like it’s a walk in a park. Techno can do nothing but follow, painfully aware Phil could trip him to his death for all he knows. The journey stretches in a suffocating darkness. Techno does not complain, aware that the Elytrian must be much more uncomfortable than him. A tiny square of light in the distance is the sole clue that they are still alive. Or maybe not, maybe they’ve just stepped into Death’s Tunnel muses Technoand are walking unknowingly into Kristin's Realm.

The deliverance comes when they don’t expect it anymore; their hope having evaporated into the thick darkness. The light scorching their retinas force them to take a moment to acclimate their poor eyes. Once his view is restored , Techno realizes the tunnel leads to a platform dug in the mountain a good hundred blocks from the ground. He can only stare, gobsmacked at the view. Before them stretches a valley encircled by mountains going as high as the breathable limit. The contrast between the green pastures spreading out below and the snowy peaks is hallucinating. Besides the geological aberration of such a terrain, Technoblade sees buildings obviously located on floating islands. Tommy laughs at Techno's astonishment, Phil only allowing himself a thin smile.

"Welcome to Floating Heaven Technoblade."

And like that he is introduced to the most secluded hybrid sanctuary he had ever heard of.

Chapter Text

The events that follow are unreal. Techno is introduced to the entire community after Tommy is dropped off in the infirmary and treated by a ghost hybrid, inconvenient as it is. No one asks any questions. Phil's stamp of approval is the golden ticket to the community's trust. It takes a week for Techno to accept that no one will confront him, even about his unique origin. Once his paranoia has subsided, he sets about doing his part. He's no redstoner, but he wasn't a renowned farmer in the Hypixel Kingdom for nothing, and he's going to put that to use. To his relief, no inhabitants reach out to him except Tommy and Philza.

Techno would have probably buried himself in the woods if Philza hadn't pulled him by the collar until his head was above the muddy water his stupid head was under. The first time Phil asked him why Techno hadn't visited Tommy yet, Techno had attributed it to curiosity or even a test. He claimed he didn't want to tire Tommy out. It took two more confrontations before Phil finally gave up the diplomatic route and yelled at him to visit Tommy, who was under the impression that Techno disliked him. Techno complied despite his scepticism, confident that Philza must have been reading between non-existent lines, preparing himself for a most awkward courtesy call. After all, the kid had been semi-delusional from his wounds during their journey and had no reason to want to talk with Techno now that he was back among family and friends. The view of the quaint but awfully quiet infirmary made Techno question that assessment.

Tommy was sitting in a red bed reading Steve's adventures, the last tome if Techno's memory was not betraying him. Seeing this book after all these years was surprisingly painful, a nervous movement signalling his inner turmoil. Averting his eyes, he coughed into his fist.

"Techno!"

The startled cry made him turn his head toward the bed. If the exclamation had softened Techno's heart, Tommy's radiant smile evaporated what was left. No one had ever reacted this way to the sight of him with such spontaneous joy. If Techno still had the heart not to visit Tommy ever again, the teen asking warily if he would come back obliterated his resolve. Ignoring the mental voices screaming at him that getting attached would make things a thousand times messier once the separation came, Techno went to Tommy's bedside the following days. Each time Tommy received him with genuine joy. It was clear that Tommy admired Techno and was craving his approval. Before such starry eyes, Techno did his best to preserve the night sight, listening and taking Tommy's side on the rare occasions Philza or Wilbur were present in the infirmary. Tommy seemed pleased that someone like Techno took him seriously, and Techno could no longer deny a fondness for the kid. Techno could resist many things. Pushing away such a sincere friendship was as impossible as a wanderer in the desert refusing water.

Until one day, Tommy not only shouted his name but jumped down from his bed to deck Techno with laughter. Techno caught him in his arms before dumping him into his bed again. But the damage was already done. Techno was utterly screwed. He was because he would burn the world to ashes for Tommy to be that carefree for the rest of his life.

Tommy's wounds had been deemed fully healed a week after Techno's first visit, leaving the server and its inhabitants at the mercy of Tommy's pranks. The first he had been subjected to had activated Techno's reflexes. Fortunately, the avian had taken the reflexive attack with humour. Unfortunately, this experience had not deterred him from jumping Techno at every opportunity.

Immune after more than a week of near-daily pranks, Techno watched Tommy land in his future carrot field with dull eyes. Tommy's Machiavellian smile was his only warning. Suddenly a sledgehammer fell on his shoulders, sending him to his knees and hammering his back. The culprit's instincts were sharper than Tommy's as he retreated before Techno could tackle him to the ground.

Techno blinked at the appearance of his assailant. A dark-haired teenager with four transparent elytras was standing before him, tense and dressed in overalls and a striped yellow and black jumper.

"Techno, Tubbo. Tubs, Technoblade."

"You're the infamous accomplice?"

Techno tuned out Tommy's shrieks of indignation, focusing on 'Tubbo', noting the spark of mischief in his eyes.

"I am a coerced accomplice."

A second menace then. With brains on top of it. Great. Techno resumed working, having learned that you don't simply whisk Tommy away. You endure as he makes you sigh, laugh or scream until he's done with you.

Tommy did not leave his side during the afternoon, never stopping goofing around with Tubbo. Surprisingly despite Tommy being at the peak of his energy, Techno found him more endearing than tiring. If Techno was honest with himself, he would admit to being touched by Tommy's willingness to spend time with him and amused by his transparent attempts to impress him. There was something immensely satisfying in the sight of the avian floating freely and happily around in shocking contrast to his situation a couple of weeks ago.

Except for the time Tubbo had threatened to cut his tendons if he hurt Tommy, Tubbo had been cordial. One could even speak of a friendly relationship based mainly on the solidarity of sensible men in the face of the Tommy tornado.

Apart from the nagging of Techno in a blatant attempt to get his attention or to him, Tubbo and Tommy were full of stories about a certain Ranboo, currently out of Floating Heaven. Techno would have assumed that their friend had been captured, but the two teenagers showed no concern, so he didn't ask any questions.

Besides the two teenagers, Phil was the only hybrid keeping him company. The Elytrian would just drop from his basalt mansion from time to time, handing him resources and sharing stories about people of Heaven or the builds. A month after his arrival, Phil offered to build him a house of his own.

The plan had been to stay until Tommy was declared safe before leaving without fanfare and free of suspicion. Then the visits to the infirmary had begun, and the idea of leaving had deserted his mind. Phil's proposal only made him realize that he now wanted to stay as long as possible in Floating Heaven. And given Philza's proposal, the Elytrian had no problem with that. He had probably considered Techno a permanent addition from the beginning instead of a transient guest, temporarily housed for rescuing one of their own. Techno answered with a "Why not?" which, judging by Philza's triumphant smile, did not deceive anyone on the meaning behind his agreement.

Techno had honestly never built a house in his life and so devoted himself to gathering the necessary resources while absorbing Philza's explanations. Despite his minimal participation, it was strangely satisfying to stand in front of the terrier house they had excavated below his vitamin C terrace. Having something solid to call his own in Floating Heaven gave him such a sense of belonging that he almost forgot the tiny detail of his very nature that no matter what would always separate him from the other inhabitants. He brushed the thought under a mental rug. As long as the truth was buried, he could pretend to be a Piglin until he choked on the lie.

Moving into his new home meant moving the stuff he'd accumulated in the pub room he'd occupied for almost a month. The task of sorting and packing his many items into schulkers was thankless. For once, he was glad that the manager, Jack, was making conversation with him. Jack's words melted into the atmosphere as Techno immersed himself in his task until Ranboo's name rang in the air, catching his attention.

"Wait. What did you say?"

"Do you think Ranboo informed Phil beforehand, and he kept it to himself?"

Jack had repeated himself without making a show of being hurt by his inattentiveness, which Techno was grateful for, before remembering most people were not social menaces like Tommy.

"Informed him of what?"

Jack rolled his eyes.

"Seriously, dude, you're supposed to move into a cave, not having lived in one for the last month."

Before Techno's unimpressed gaze, Jack cracked in seconds.

"Alright, alright, jeez, don't give me that Iceman look. Ranboo is back, Technoblade. And he's brought someone with him. I just thought that Phil may have timed your house construction to give the new guy your room here."

Techno blinked, not quite believing they would accept a newcomer that easily. It was a miracle their sanctuary was still a secret.

"What is he?"

Jack shrugged.

"You don't know?" asked Techno, scandalized by such a carefree attitude when lives relied on Floating Heaven's secret existence.

"I did not ask!" protested Jack, outraged at the mere prospect. That actually explained a couple of things.

"Was he approved by Phil?"

"If he's here, yes."

Techno could see a couple of weaknesses in that reasoning, but he did not point them out. He finished tidying his things swiftly, dead set on investigating that new guy himself if it was the last thing he would do.

Techno was nearly convinced the "new guy" was a ghost hybrid three days later. However, he had managed to discuss with Wilbur, and the ghost had seen nothing worth-noting. More worryingly, Ranboo was a ghost as well, albeit metaphorically. Phil swore they were on the server and that Ranboo was probably tending to his new friend. It did nothing to ease Techno's worries, though.

He was drinking at the Pub's bar, examining the benefits of recruiting Tommy to hunt Ranboo down, when he heard a foreign voice. Whipping his head around, he saw an Enderman hybrid wearing a crown and a purple cloak deep in conversation with Jack, their words indistinguishable. If this was the new guy, he could see why nobody thought he was a hunter. He stood, still motivated to investigate. They could be Ranboo or someone he had never crossed before, or they could be the new arrival. Whatever the case, checking was vital. He walked to the duo, going against every introvert tendency engraved in his bones. Jack smiled as he noticed his approach.

"Hey! Technoblade, this is Ranboo. Ranboo, Techno. He was brought in by Tommy."

Ranboo's purpled eyes widened dramatically at that.

"You must be a mental beast."

"I heard we had a new habitant," asked Techno, ignoring the blatant attempt at flattery and the jab at Tommy for the time being.

"Yeah, yeah."

"What happened?"

Ranboo's flippantness was doing nothing to appease Techno's paranoia. Jack flew to Ranboo's rescue.

"We're not supposed to ask about what happens outside Floating Heaven."

Why would you inquire about silly info like newcomers' background indeed? It's not as if their survival depends on the safety of these guys, Techno mocked mentally. He refrained from saying anything out loud. That issue could be addressed at a later date.

"Bruh. Are they going to be introduced, or will they hide until we turn to dust?"

"Ha yeah. I'd forgotten about the introduction party. I'll tell Phil as soon as I see him, alright?"

Techno sighed internally, not entirely satisfied with Ranboo's proposal but nodded. Nothing could stop him from keeping an eye out and being on the ready in case the newbie would stir some troubles.

When his door creaked ominously in the heart of the night, Techno reacted before he was fully awake. He found himself standing beside his door with an axe in hand, his ears focused on every sound betraying the intruder's position.

"Tech?"

Tommy's whisper echoing in the near-perfect darkness was a relief despite its ghostly quality. Techno turned on the lantern in his room, knowing that Tommy was in the corridor by its sound. He didn't put his axe away immediately, as the use of the nickname could be a sign that Tommy was not alone. He was, though, and his relief at seeing Techno was perceptible.

"What's up?"

Tommy swallowed his eye, sitting on the axe still glowering in Techno's hand. He put it in his inventory swiftly.

"You want to sit down and eat something?"

Tommy froze, his eyes filled with panic for a couple of seconds before he swagged and nodded. Without a word, Techno went to the kitchen gesturing to Tommy to sit down at the table. He put out bread and milk from his barrels. After a short hesitation, he put a golden apple on the table as well. Tommy's eyes were comically round at that. The sincerity of his thanks twisted Techno's heart a little further.

"What happened, Tommy?"

Tommy's shaky breath was not a good sign.

"I'm sorry."

"I don't mind, Tommy. What pushed you to come here?"

Tommy's eyes would settle on anything but Techno, not even going in his general direction.

"I- I had a nightmare. About the cage."

Techno waited in bated silence until it became apparent the blond was lost in his recollection.

"What was the dream like?"

Tommy went even more still, holding his breath for a couple of seconds.

"I was in the cage," he whispered in the dark, his shame still plain as day. "You arrived, but suddenly it was Dream, not you."

Techno's heart stopped. Distantly he could hear his hope shattering against that name.

"Who's Dream?" he asked numbly, despite knowing the answer and at the same time not at all.

"The wrongun, who- you know. It was his tent I was in."

A heavy silence settled over them.

"Thank you."

Tommy's murmur jostled Techno back into the present.

"For saving me."

Techno nodded jerkily, an uncomfortable lump logged in his throat.

"He'll never lay a finger on you again," he vowed, the memory of the bruises coating Tommy's skin vivid in his mind.

They stayed there for at least an hour, Tommy munching his snacks and Techno sipping his nocturnal coffee, before Techno hushed Tommy to stay in his guest room to finish his night. Techno, however, did not step into Morphe's territory, preferring to head outside under a cloudy night sky. It was his turn to be deserted by sleep as memories chased him as relentlessly as Phantoms. Dream, huh. This development made their escape even more miraculous. Too much so, perhaps.

Knowing the identity of their pursuer, seeing Dream enter the Pub on the day of the newcomer's introduction shouldn't have come as a shock to Techno.

Chapter Text

Dream looks fit, his step sure. His posture is less rigid than he remembers. Dream looks like the man he used to be before he fit too much into the mould he was presented with, Techno realizes abruptly. He is relaxed, conversing amiably with his interlocutors and seems to enjoy being the centre of the crowd's attention, a thin smile on his face. Techno grimaces. The picture is fundamentally wrong; Dream's casualness, a hunter, among the inhabitants of Floating Heaven sounds like an insult. Lost in thought, he belatedly notices Dream's approach.

"Tech-no?" Dream seems to disbelieve the vision before him, and who can blame him. This is the last place they would expect to find the other. Uncertainty is soon replaced by amusement, however.

"You two know each other?"

Jack is so clueless it hurts. How they managed to survive for so long, Techno cannot grasp it.

"Yup." He quips, returning Dream's burning glare with ease.

"We're brothers."

Jake squeals at that while Techno shoots a dirty look at a smug Dream. The bastard has decided to toy with him. He must think they are at a stalemate, neither of them able to expose the past of the other. He's right, but that will not prevent Techno from dealing with him.

"Brothers in arms." Corrects Techno because a fictive Piglin hybrid can't be brothers with whatever Dream is pretending to be. Dream hums softly in what seems to be victory.

"Let's hang up one of these days; we have so much to catch up with."

Techno watches, paralyzed, as Dream disappears into the crowd.

It takes him several hours to put the sense of impending danger that deafens his mind on a leash and a few more to settle on how to handle this delicate situation. He chooses to confront Dream alone and resolve the problem somehow. Shamefully, he apprehends talking to Dream. Even more shamefully, a part of him still longs for the person he knows has ceased to exist a long time ago. He lets the emotional turmoil web him into a stifling cocoon of indecision, postponing the confrontation constantly.

Turns out Techno doesn't have to make the first move. The bastard comes to him. Techno is working on his fields, and suddenly Dream is at the edge of the crops, watching him with rapt attention. Techno stops his work and walks over to the other, well aware this will be a Talk.

"Nice little vacation spot you've found."

Dream sounds almost wistful.

"I could say the same to you."

For seconds they face the other in a terse silence only broken by the cries of the wind racing in foliage and chasms.

"I know you did not return to the Guild Techno."

Techno does not bother denying it. Dream tilts his head as if admiring a remarkable painting.

"You're the one who killed Punz aren't you?"

"And you're the one who captured Tommy."

Dream dismisses Techno's anger with a nonchalant movement of the hand.

"You should have been more careful if he was yours, Techno. Is that why they let you live? Because you rescued one of them?"

Techno considers letting Dream in the wrong. The only problem is that Dream could expose him without even wanting to screw Techno over.

"I told them I was a Piglin hybrid."

Dream's sudden intake of breath is the only give of his shock.

"They fell for an Origin we made up as kids?"

Techno shrugs, eliciting a "What a bunch of idiots" from Dream.

"So, when we come to slaughter them, will you help?"

Techno's head whips to the side so fast his nest cricks.

"If you don't, I can always tell the Guild you are a hybrid. No one would question it. Maybe you are one after all."

Dream's smile exudes smugness.

"I won't force you to kill your protege, though. Unlike him, I'm not a monster."

Techno is on Dream before his brain registers his own moves. They crumple to the ground.
Techno crushing Dream with a knee in his stomach, his hands on the collar of his sweat. His fist fell once, twice, thrice. Dream doesn't try to escape, ripping apart Techno's shirt instead, the buttons falling on him and the soil forgotten.

"Techno!"

Techno doesn't bulge staring Dream down with bared teeth. He realizes that he needs to kill him in a second of stark lucidity amid his roaring despair. Before he tips other hunters, spills Techno's secret, what a mistake that was, and destroys that bubble of happiness Techno has stumbled into by sheer dumb luck. His hands wrapped around Dream's neck are deadly precise as snakes around their prey. Dream tugs at his shirt, stripping him, but Techno does not care. Two minutes and Dream will be unconscious three, and he'll be on his way to Death's doors. Sunrays and wind alike hit his back, but Techno does not care. The pulse beneath his fingers is the sun of his entire Universe. It stutters like a dying bird, and finally, Dream's gurgles stop alongside his struggle. His arm falls on the ground as he dives into unconsciousness. Techno maintains his grip on Dream's neck and the buoy that is his mental count of the second. They've just reached two minutes when a shadow falls onto their prostrate forms, followed by a sword laying at the curve of his neck.

"Get away from him."

No. The three minutes are not up.

"He's a hunter."

That stops Phil on his track for a solid grasp of seconds.

"If it's true, I'll kill him myself. Techno. Don't do this."

Techno laughs. An honest laugh that bubbles despite its distraught roots.

"Ha, Phil! You always treat us like we never lived outside of your private garden. Do you really believe we have never killed before?"

He readjusts himself. He's doing the right thing. Dream wants to kill them all, to kill Tommy.

It's not the faces of the hybrids is saving that surges when he braces to break Dream's neck, but memories. Memories of the boy he's killing for his own benefit, if he's honest. The vertebrates whine loudly, and Techno cannot stop thinking that he's doing a bad thing. He does it nonetheless like he did all those years back, again and again under the Guild's rule.

There is a second of pure silence after the deed is done where the entire world seems to be still. And then blood floods Techno's eardrums once again. He stares at Dream's face, irrationally terrified that the features would morph into hybrid ones, but Dream's face is exactly how he remembers it. His blond hair is the only moving part of what is a dead statue, its pupils forever turned towards the sky, facial scars standing up on his now ghastly white skin. The sight tugs painfully at an unknown part of Techno's chest. Hands, Phil's hands, push him off the body, letting him crumble on the side.

"Are you okay? Techno."

Phil's voice startles him out of his reverie, eyes detaching themselves from the face of his only childhood friend. He had killed Dream, Tommy's persecutor, Techno's friend.

"Techno."

This time his eyes actually land on Phil's face. Right. He killed Dream in front of Phil. Phil had let him.

"He's the hunter who captured Tommy." says hoarsely Techno, his defence pathetic even to his own ears.

Phil's frown deepens, but he doesn't say anything, extending Techno a hand instead. He takes it, never breaking eye contact. Standing is a success even if on wobbling feet, his shirt joining all the trash on the ground. Phil's give him a once over. Techno lets him, checking if anyone has spotted them. Three figures in the field, one down and two standing.

He lets Phil carry the body following him mechanically, fully absorbed in his head's veritable storm of emotions. He doesn't realize where Phil is dragging him until he is sitting on the Pub floor with his eyes fixed on the portal to the Nether. Slowly, he looks around, feeling like he's looking at the situation from the spyglass' big lens. Wilbur and Phil are at the bedside of what must be the Dream's corpse. Jack is cleaning glasses with such terse motions; it's a miracle there hasn't been any breakage yet. The atmosphere is grim. A rustle behind him reveals Tubbo sitting on one of the benches of this aisle. His dark expression twists Techno's stomach. He had never wanted to bring death to these children's safe haven threshold.

"You're back with us?"

Tubbo's voice is calm and devoid of any temperature, let it be cold or warm. In other circumstances, it would unnerve Techno. He nods slightly. His brain feels like it's wrapped in cotton wool.

"What happened?"

His mind protests at the thought of opening his mouth, currently a Herculean task. Tubbo doesn't push, seeming to understand that Techno isn't fully recovered from the shock yet. Finally, Techno manages to free himself from the mental fatigue tying up his vocal cords. Techno tells the bare minimum, enunciating each word like putting diamonds in the open. Wilbur joins them soon after. Tubbo takes on the task of repeating Techno's version, provoking an explosion of gratitude towards the young hybrid. Wilbur considers his words for long seconds, a vertical wrinkle between his eyebrows betraying his concern.

"Why are you so sure he was a hunter?"

"This guy has been hunting me for years."

"Is that how you knew each other?" wondered aloud Jack, now sitting into the lava across them having probably grown tired of mistreating his glasses

Techno only provides a nod wishing for this conversation to be done with all his might.

"And you managed to escape for years?" quipped Tubbo scepticism sketched all over his features.

"He let me go a couple times," admits Techno.

"Excuse me?"

"It was a game for him, " shrugs Techno, not pretending to understand Dream's psyche even if it had seemed quite the matter for Dream. He had covered his escape and let him go away from the burning village. Today was the first time Dream had threatened him, taking Techno by surprise. He had never seemed overly judgemental of Techno's decision. After all, letting him escape twice was as big as any admission that Techno passed before any loyalty to the Guild Dream may have. Only then does he realizes Dream's provocations had maybe just been that. Provocations. He had been annoyed to stumble once again upon Techno during a mission, and there was no doubt that Dream would have carried out his mission, but his threats towards Techno were probably empty. This realization added to the over increasing armour of lead coating Techno's body, making it hard to move.

"I don't think we should settle this issue on your testimony alone," states Wilbur dissecting eyes never leaving Techno.

If Techno had the strength, he would have rolled his eyes.

"Tommy will be able to identify him."

"How do you know that?" asks Sneeg, genuinely curious.

"He told me the name of his captor, obviously."

"And you said nothing?" inquired Tubbo frowning disapprovingly.

"I did not know Ranboo had brought a hunter into a hybrid shelter at the time."

Tubbo shook his head.

"You kept quiet about knowing Dream, putting us all in danger."

Techno could not deny it. He had taken a calculated risk, but a risk nonetheless.

"You're sus as hell, man."

Heads turned towards the direction of the voice to see a slime hybrid in quarter form glaring at Techno.

"Yeah, I wonder why I am not exactly thrilled at the prospect of exposing my past."

Philza's return brought the conversation to a halt, the whole audience forgetting their grievances as they saw who was following the Elytrian.

"Tommy. Do you recognize this man?" demanded Wilbur in a severe voice inducing Phil's confused frown as all eyes focused on Tommy.

The teenager's gaze followed Wilbur's direction with apprehension. He stood as if transfixed for a few seconds, his blind eyes glued to the corpse lying on the pub floor.

"Tommy?"

"What?"

Wilbur repeated the question as they all waited in bated breaths. Even Techno was a bit restless.

"He's the bastard who captured me," confirmed Tommy with a dejected look.

The tension suddenly descended as several people threw apologetic glances in Techno's direction. He left without a word, happy that the audience felt too guilty to protest his sudden departure.

Chapter Text

Techno had not expected to have to mourn Dream. Subconsciously, it had always seemed impossible to him that the killer would regret his murder not for the consequences to himself but for the loss of the victim. Worse than impossible, it was indecent. And yet he could no longer think of the hunter without a painful lump occupying his heart, bleeding all the way through his torso and leaving him with a clogged throat and mind weighting a tone. Everything was heavy these days. It was as if the gravity had been upped overnight. Moving his limbs was a chore, his muscles and bones vibrating with a diffused pain. Techno needed to occupy his mind, but he did not have the will to read anything. Neither working manually succeeded in drawing his mind away from his thoughts and pain. Worse, touching things with his hands would awaken ghostly sensations of Dream's neck under his fingers. It was like he was haunted. He could swear his mark would heat up sometimes, and the warning issued to traitors would ring freely in his mind. All things considered, he had passed a hellish week, tucked into his house, enduring the pain his brain thought was adequate punishment for his crime.

After what seemed like a decade, the pain finally receded to an acceptable level. One morning he got up and, finding he had the strength for it, went for a walk. This improved his mental state immensely, and so he found himself digging in his garden all afternoon, enjoying the sun for the first time in days. The sensations hadn't gone away, but they no longer provoked the urge to vomit from Techno, who endured it stoically. Someone must have informed Phil of this development because the Elytrian knocked on his door that evening. Further proof of his improvement, Techno let him in.

Phil sat in the same seat Tommy had that night, his eyes never leaving Techno. At the extent of Phil's concern for him, fatigue and gratitude fought in his chest. He went through the motions of coffee making with the most accuracy he was capable of at the moment, delivering it in a pristine silence. As Phil's frown stayed firmly on his face, Techno felt himself grow antsy, the fear that Phil would kick him out of Floating Heaven for what he had done rearing its ugly head. Phil took a couple of sips before finally breaching the topic he was clearly here for.

"Wilbur has a theory."

That completely threw out the window Techno's plans for this conversation.

"Does he now?" He recovered quickly, using his most bored voice, hoping to cover his unrest. Wilbur was the resident of Floating Heaven, most likely to discover his secret. A theory on his part, however wrong, could lead to catastrophe.

"Dream had been branded with the Guild's emblem."

Techno was glad Phil could only see his back as he could not prevent a wince from rippling through his expression.

"Kinky."

Phil sighed.

"Have you ever had a reason to think Dream was forced to work for them?"

Techno nearly snorted at that. Nobody liked their stay at the beginning. Life there had been too grim, the instructors too severe. However, it changed as time went on. Techno could not explain what had prompted it, but slowly, as weaker recruits had been eliminated, they had come around to their new situation. Talk about escape attempts had all but stopped, replaced by gossip about fellow recruits and instructors who had grown slightly complacent. They had accepted in their heart there was nowhere else for them. Their situation had not seemed tragic anymore. The final step was reached when they were given a choice to leave. They had all stayed, many because they had come to enjoy being part of the Guild; Dream had counted among those, Techno because he could not return to a life of loneliness after tasting friendship for the first time in his life. It had cemented their firstly forced engagement. The day after the test, they swore their loyalty and went to complete their training on the field. Techno did not know how he had not been swayed and could have survived the recruitment with that mindset, but it happened even if it was not supposed to. Everyone around him vanished or became a hunter in their heart, and Techno stood alone in the river, the only one who had not morphed into a fish yet and plunged into their new reality. Even in this situation, escaping had not seemed a priority. Not until the incident.

"Techno?"

Techno flinched, Phil's voice having all but wrested him from his thoughts.

"He certainly enjoyed his job." was all the response he could give.

"Do you know how he got the mark? Was it a punishment?"

"What?" It was so far from what Techno had expected, so far from the truth, he let slip his utter confusion.

"You know what it is then."

It was not a question. Techno averted his eyes, the house seemingly shrinking on him all of a sudden.

"Techno. Answer me"

Phil was unrelenting. He could either give in or clash head down with him. Apparently, his silence was answer enough for Phil. The soft ringing of an unsheathed sword made him realize he may have underestimated the situation here.

"Wow, wow, Phil." he rushed, spinning around, not quite believing it until it was right before his eyes to see, Phil, lips white and turned downwards eyes slit from distrust, a blade at hand, ready to strike him down if necessary.

"Man, I don't know." He sputtered, trying to quell his rising panic. Never before had Phil reacted that way to his reluctance to talk. Unfortunately, those words seemed to aggravate Phil further.

"The truth, Techno. Now."

"Alright, alright." placated Techno thinking fast before speaking his next words. "I am not one-hundred percents sure, but I think it is something they do to each other when they pass an initiation or something."

Phil's frown deepened, the tension not leaving his body posture. If anything, the white of his knuckles around the sword hilt increased.

"You're saying it's something a hunter would sport."

Techno's confirmation only made him more restless.

"Only hunters? Did you hear of anyone being branded that were not a hunter? A prisoner they wanted to torture?"

Phil was desperate, and Techno found he had not the strength to deny him.

"I haven't heard of such a case, no. The few lunatics I talked to spoke of it as a mark of honour. I don't know if this brand that Dream sported is that mark. But if it's the only one he had, it's pretty likely."

Phil stood transfixed for a couple of seconds, seeming to struggle coming to terms with all he had just learned before Techno's increasingly concerned eyes. He had provided Phil with answers in the hope they would quelch any doubts that Dream had not been a faithful and willing hunter. His answers had provoked the opposite reaction he was expecting, leaving Techno in the realm of cluelessness.

Phil sheathed his sword, his eyes adverting Techo's, shame dancing on his face. Techno turned his back to him, putting cups in the sink as a pretext to give Phil a moment after his near breakdown.

"I am sorry."

Techno had opened his mouth, words like "It's nothing." on the verge of tumbling from his lips when something hit his back, followed by glass chiming against the tiles and the sickening smell of slowness potion. Techno turned around just in time to watch a second vial explode at his feet. His leg muscles convulsed from the effect, causing him to fall to his knees before a Phil sporting a mask as ruthless as Dream's. The betrayal raging in his heart was so violent he could have cried.

"You were my friend", he gritted out, unsure of the identity of the person standing in his kitchen. What had he done to deserve to be backstabbed like that? Was Phil linked to Dream somehow? Was this revenge? Justice?

"Why?" He groaned, begging Phil to explain this aggression. Surely his tea was not that bad, he thought hysterically. Surely he did not do something that terrible during his stay, right? he prayed, his eyes in those of steel of Philza, who took out a vial of his pocket without breaking the visual contact throwing it to break with a nonchalant gesture on the chest of Techno. The effect of the potion almost knocked him out immediately. He fell to the floor like a tree to its doom. Laying on his side, body spasming with pain due to weakness, he could only blink as Phil looked down at him as if he were the stabber.

"I saw your mark."

He did not see the fourth vial coming.

Chapter Text

Techno's awakening is hardly agreeable. He recognizes the sour cramps of potion overuse before his eyes even flutter. The sight that greets his swagging vision is no consolation. He is in an unfamiliar room, which looks suspiciously like a cell. Two walls and a ground of cobblestones surround him, complete with a wall of bars. The windows are both barred as well. He falls all the way down on his bunk, not believing the irony of the situation. He had to be discovered after having committed the irreparable for them. With a hefty heart, he starts to look for a way out. The bars are set too deep into the stone to be a possibility. However, a brick on the wall next to the bunk is loose. The position makes potential digging difficult as Techno must lay on the couchette to reach it. Having found a stick on his windowsill, he immediately sets to work.

They come roughly two hours after. Techno refrains from being too smug before Phil's visible surprise. That's what he gets for underestimating his human composition. They used to douse them in potions back in the training camp. Phil stays in front of the wall of bars, not daring to risk an actual face-to-face. Shame stains his previous pride at the reminder that Phil knows him for what he is now. For God's sake, Phil saw him killed; he knows better than anyone in this town what Techno is capable of.

"Why am I here?"

It's not that he thinks it's unjustified. He just has no idea which action was decisive in Phil throwing him into a barred cellar.

"As I said, I saw your mark."

"I was unaware having the same mark as Dream was worthy of imprisonment", mocks Techno, the dehiscent wound of betrayal still pulsing in his chest.

"I never said your mark was the same as Dream's."

Techno could strangle himself.

"Well, I just did. My point still stands. You see we have similar marks, and you jump to the conclusion I must be detained?"

"You were the one who told me this mark was only sported by hunters," growls Phil.

"Or, you know, you could have asked what you wanted to know directly?"

"So that you could lie your way through it?" sneers Phil, his arms crossed.

"I have the distinct impression there is a lack of trust here."

Phil's head's tilt screams, 'I wonder why.'

"Let me set things straight then. I was friends with Dream. I got this mark for him as a token of friendship. Nothing else. It was never a sign of loyalty to the Guild for me."

"You got scarred inches of your back burnt off," says Phil slowly, "for a friend?"

His disbelief is so thick it could be cut by a knife.  

"We may have been codependent."

"I can see that. Care to explain how you happened to befriend a Guild's recruit?"

Techno knows he needs to be truthful if he wants to preserve the chance Phil may still have the heart to give him, but damn, if it is incredibly hard to confess.

"I met him there."

Thank Kristin Phil does not react to that incriminating fact. Must be waiting for him to dig deeper. Techno rarely declines challenges.

"Yes, I'm saying I was also a recruit."

"So your mark was done by the Guild."

"It never meant to me what it meant to the others." hammers Techno..

Phil sighs. Techno could almost see Floating Heaven weighing on his shoulders.

"You expect me to believe that you were, what? not like the others?"

"May I remind you that I rescued Tommy from Dream?"

"Like Dream saved Ranboo?"

Techno's jaws snap shut at that bombshell. Phil's point is undeniable. He has worried enough about the easy acceptance of the community himself.

"You're the one who let us both in."

Phil scoffs in shock, clearly having not expected Techno to go on the offensive.

"And I'm making up for my mistakes right now."

"I killed Dream for you."

Phil straightens up with a stern look, his scowl one of utter disapprobation.

"I distinctly remember ordering you to let me do it."

"You're delusional if you think killing is hard for me," snares Techno, his patience thinned to a thread by Phil's condescending tone, "I do not need you holding my hand while I reap a life. Nor do I need your stamp of approval to do it. In case it wasn't clear, I was a hunter!"

His tirade leaves him panting. He struggles to regulate his breathing feeling oddly vulnerable from it.

"Not anymore?"

"No." He grunts, not offering any further information. Phil does not let him any reprieve, though.

"You met Dream at the Guild, you were marked but not loyal, then you met up with him and what? You killed him? Why Techno?"

"He said he was going to slaughter Floating Heaven," mumbles Techno. All emotions drained away, leaving an expanse of weariness behind.

"Is that the only reason?"

Techno's eyes shoot to Phil.

"You seem to have already made up your mind."

"I think you killed him because he was going to reveal who you were."

Techno's arm jerks violently, an indefinite emotion seeping into his entire body, gripping his throat.

"I don't think I'm wrong here." muses Phil, and in that instant, Techno feels scorching hatred for the Elytrian.

He would argue if his voice was available, but as it is, he can only watch as Phil leaves him to rot.

He's lying back on his bench, the Moon's thin rays outlining Phil's silhouette looming over him, a vial casting blue hues in hand. Suddenly Techno knows with absolute certitude it's a Death Potion. Phil is mere seconds away from killing him, with the Moon as the sole witness. In horror, he discovers he can't move a muscle. The potion bursts without a sound, its heady vapours spreading throughout the room. Phil could die from it too. Techno tries to warn him, but his throat is tight as if gripped by an iron golem. He pleads mentally with Phil to free him, to no avail. The pain in his throat increases as fingers seem to dip into the soft flesh with implacable force. He can do nothing, completely paralyzed as he's slowly strangled to death, frustration and panic seizing him with the realization that he's going to die.

The thought jolts him awake. Techno gasps, still feeling the atrocious vise of fingers digging his throat.

He needs to get out of here.

Techno had not expected his wish to come true barely a couple hours after he had crafted it. Still, Tommy is standing before him in the grey light announcing dawn, bars between them, his frown and set jaw screaming he's dead-set on breaking Techno free. If Techno was a better man, if he had not made that dream that very night, he might have told him not to do it. Instead, the likeliness of Phil creeping into his cell to kill him during his sleep cannot desert his mind. He lets Tommy hook the lock on the door with bated breaths.

The first steps he takes outside his cell are pure bliss. He basks in the sheer relief a few seconds before snapping back into focus, his attention split between signs they might have been discovered and Tommy. He's standing proudly in the dawn glow, a tensed grin stretching his lips.

"Thank you. I swear I will not bring any more death to Floating Heaven.", Techno vows, words laden with conviction.

He goes to the chests lined along the walls,  rummaging quickly, finding potatoes, steak, and a dozen torches. When he turns around, however, Tommy is still standing there.  

"What are you doing? Go back to bed before they find you out there."

"You don't know where the tunnels are. I'm coming with you."

They both know he could tell him instead, but Techno knows by now Tommy is not someone easily deterred. The situation is too urgent to try. So he resigns himself to his fate.

"At one condition, we part at the frontier of Floating Heaven."

Techno could cry from sheer relief when Tommy agrees. He wants to live, not to be hunted by Philza until the end of the world for kidnapping one of his proteges.

Without further ado, he signals Tommy to show him the way. He does so, going in the opposite direction of the village towards a spruce forest. Techno follows him after having checked that nobody was nearby to see him leaving the prison. The fact that they are two silhouettes has at least the advantage that they should not attract suspicion from distant witnesses. The journey to the edge of the forest is still nerve-wracking. He's never ventured there before but knows it extends beyond the mountainous crown, which is perfect for hiding from an insect-man's aerial patrols.

The air is even chiller under the branches' cover, with mist stagnating at the bottom of some depressions. Soon, Techno realizes that the terrain will be a significant hindrance. It is incredibly bumpy with rocks or clods of dirt caused by creeper explosions. To make matters worse, crevices are buried among this mess of roots and rocks. Realizing that it would take them at least several hours to reach the mountain tunnel, Techno looks around for Tommy, determined to convince him to leave him with instructions. He finds him perched atop a colossal boulder preparing to jump onto a rocky platform below. Between the two stretches a crevasse that Tommy obviously overlooked. He jumps without the slightest hesitation, his wings spread wide. He has aimed well, but his landing is abrupt, making his foot slip. Tommy meets Techno's eyes as his expression turns horrified. The foot in questionhas plunged into the chasm. Unbalanced and without support, Tommy falls backwards, his wings beating frantically, unable to stop his plummet. He disappears from Techno's sight with a cry of fright.

"Tommy!!!"

Techno scrambles to where the earth has swallowed Tommy, uncaring of the mica cutting his hands. The fissure is deep, narrow and crooked, the bottom invisible from the top.

"Tommy, do you hear me?"

The silence that follows freezes his heart. He frantically checks if the crevasse widens somewhere, allowing him to go down.

"Techno?"

Tears come to his eyes at the fearful cry. Tommy's alive. For now, it's all that counts.

"Tommy, are you hurt?"

A welp.

"I think my leg is broken."

Tommy's voice is brittle from pain but most of all fear. Who would not be at the bottom of a chasm too narrow to let anyone but a scrawny kid like Tommy get into it?

"It's okay, Tommy. We're gonna get you out. Everything's gonna be okay."

Words of reassurance rush out of his mouth while his mind buzzes with worry. Nobody knows where they are; he must leave Tommy alone to get help. He plants torches around the chasm.

"Tommy, could you say something, so I know where you're at? I'm gonna drop torches. I already torched around here, and they won't drop on top of you if you can tuck yourself under a steep relief anyway."

Tommy takes his rambling like a champ, using "Fuck." as a signal. Techno does not mind the swearing, aware it's helping Tommy deal with pain and giving him back a modicum of control. Once Techno is reasonably sure he's above Tommy, he drops a torch. After Tommy's confirmation that it has landed safely alongside him, he drops the rest and his bag full of food, knowing the thirst would kill Tommy first if Techno fails to find someone in time. It will not happen.

"Tommy, listen to me. I'm gonna get help. I'll be as fast as possible, I promise."

Tommy groans, still out of breath from the pain or the shock.

"Hang on in there. I'll be back before you know it."

Before he can waste any more time hesitating to leave Tommy as a sitting duck in the forest, he retraces their steps, already passing the people nearest to their localization in review. He reaches the edge of the forest in about thirty minutes. Immediately he starts to run in the open. This time his goal is to attract attention.