Archive of Our Own

The world changed when people began awakening the abilities that had lies dormant in themselves. Seemingly overnight, most of the world’s population woke up with powers. The governments from each country were scrambling to put a lid on what was essentially the pot boiling over. At first, there was a sense of excitement. A giddiness, with people reveling in the abilities they had gained. And then, that quickly turned into fear as crime rates shot up. Banks were robbed, stores raided, and people killed. Freak accidents grew exponentially as people lost control of their abilities, injuring countless people as they failed to reign in their powers. The world was thrown off kilter, and everyone could feel it.

But just like how people realized the harm they could do with their abilities, there were those who realized how much good they could do as well. There were many who saw the danger that threatened their homes and took action. Untrained and reckless, these people sought to fight back against these criminals. It was a difficult time for the justice system, unable to untangle the complicated mess that their cases became. Everything was chaos. 

And so, the Heroes Alliance was formed. An organization that would have the authority to prosecute these empowered criminals and apprehend them. They were the world’s leading force in wrangling the newly named class of villains. They had a set of rules and regulations, sanctioned by all governments. In a sense, the Heroes Alliance became a sort of government in itself. They handled the sentencing of villains that they had captured, the punishment, and had even placed certain laws into different countries in an attempt to lower the crime rates. Many believe that they are the reason that anyone had any semblance of normalcy anymore.

Along with their hand in regulating the lives of powered citizens, they were also known for the heroes they had in their repertoire. There were different branches of hero agencies that existed of course, but the Heroes Alliance was the biggest, and the very first of its kind. They also had some of the strongest heroes working for them with connections to almost every other agency in some capacity. They even had a hall of fame, created to honor the heroes that fell in battle and or retired after so many years of helping to maintain the balance of society. Many names were written down over the years, with each getting their own statue and a ceremony of remembrance upon which the alliance would televise the farewell speeches their fellow heroes would give to the crowds of people who wanted to show their support one last time. 

But one name in all of the history of the Heroes Alliance would live on in infamy. He was known to the people as Protesilaus. Of the heroes that the alliance had working for them, he was the strongest to date. He had saved countless lives during his tenure as a hero, hundreds of cities had him to thank for their continued existence, and he had saved the world itself twice over in his time as a hero. His signature cherry blossom hair was usually tied in a braid, his rich red cape billowing behind him as he was the first to step into the battlefield with a head held high. He was a man of few words, his stoic face giving many a sense of security in times of uncertainty.

Little was known to the public about the exact details of any heroes’ abilities as a safety measure against villains using their weaknesses against them. When it concerned the number one hero, all the public were able to discern about Protesilaus’ powers was that he had incredible physical prowess and that he was seemingly able to guess where he was going to be hit in a fight. There were rumors about the hero’s eyes turning red when working or that he would mumble to himself, but these rumors were never confirmed nor denied. Nonetheless, he was the most reliable hero that the world knew about. Revered by many with no shortage of enemies.

He was also the face of the alliance, his image plastered on recruitment flyers and even in the background of billboards that promoted the emergency hotline of the Heroes Alliance. When people thought of the alliance, he was who they pictured alongside their name. Not only was his success as a hero tied to the alliance, but his story was the type you only heard about in myths. He was a child of the slums, the first part of his life spent on the cold and unforgiving streets. And to top it off, he had a little brother he had to care for as well. The story goes that he couldn’t bear the thought of his little brother growing up with a life spent wondering if there would be enough food to eat that day or not and ducking for cover wherever they could when a fight between supers broke out. So, as soon as his power had been awakened, he applied to the school for heroes that many different hero organizations funded. Though he had been admitted mostly for his power, he threw himself into his studies.

Protesilaus was the top student in the whole school throughout his time there, only ever taking breaks from his studies to care for his brother. By the time he had graduated, hero agencies from all over were vying for him. In the end, as a sign of gratitude, he stuck with the Heroes Alliance, who were the very reason he had been able to get so far as a hero. And that was where his popularity first sparked. He was proof that anyone could become a hero through hard work, the hope of many kids who lived in the slums like he had. Even his brother was infamous, though only through his relation to his brother. No pictures existed of the child, not even a name to call him by. The people only knew him as “Protsilaus’ little brother”. The hero himself had said in an interview that it was for the sake of his brother’s safety that his identity was top secret, so that no villains could ever use him against him in a fight.

Protesilaus had been a hero for only six years, but his accomplishments were vast. Many thought him to be the greatest hero in history. So it was a shock to all when the hero mysteriously vanished after a villain attack. The attack had been coordinated by multiple villains, the entirety of the city suffering from it. Protesilaus had struggled in the fight, seemingly distracted for one reason or another. It was a long and arduous battle, but the villains had been taken care of and he had emerged victorious once more. It should have been a huge celebration. Yet another city saved by the hero, but in the aftermath, the hero was nowhere to be found. Usually, he could be seen assisting the victims of the attack to find shelter or ensuring that the civilians in the aftermath were able to get to safety. But this time, he had seemingly disappeared.

Though it was unusual, the public thought he had just gotten severely injured and had gone to take care of it. No one thought anything was amiss at first. But then, a month had passed and Protesilaus still had not made an appearance. Another month passed before the Heroes Alliance made a statement, saying that Protesilaus had gone “missing in action”. The press conference they held gave no information other than that the hero had cut communication suddenly and with no explanation. They stated that it was presumably the work of a villain, that the hero’s little brother had somehow gone missing before his disappearance and their theory was that the little brother was being used to keep the hero in hiding. The Heroes Alliance ended the meeting with that, ignoring the eruption of questions that came after and refusing to elaborate. Slowly, the posters and billboards that had the hero’s image were scrubbed clean and another up and coming hero stepped in to fill the void that Protesilaus had left behind.

Though the people had been in a panic after losing their beloved hero, time moved onwards, and other attacks from new villains took precedence over a missing hero. Though many had questioned why the hero didn’t get a statue of his own like others in the past to commemorate his contributions to the world, he was eventually left as nothing more than a vague memory to the public that would pop up now and then. New heroes came and went, the world kept spinning, and life went back to what could be considered normal now. 

Two years later, a ceremony was being held. It was one held by the Heroes Alliance to celebrate the hero that had stepped up when Protesilaus had disappeared. It was meant to be a way to celebrate his achievements and for the people to show support for their protector. The president of the Heroes Alliance had just stepped on stage, a bright smile on his aged face as he began his speech. Ceremonies like these were always well protected, high level heroes covering all entrances and smaller ones protecting the perimeter. It should have been the safest place for anyone to be. Which is why it came as such a shock when explosions began to ring out, originating from the stage where the president was.

The crowd’s panicked screams rang out as all the heroes on standby ran to protect as many civilians as they could. The hero who was supposed to have been commemorated ran and shielded the president from the brunt of the damage. As smoke billowed and the tremors of the explosions began to die out, a deep voice rang out. “Mr. President. It’s been a while, hasn’t it?” The people in the crowd looked around, trying to find the voice of the person who was likely behind the attack. It didn’t take long for someone to find the owner of the voice, calling everyone’s attention to the silhouette of the person.

Shock surged through the crowd as they took in the sight of the familiar image of the person standing atop the stadium. The president’s face went pale, and the heroes all around the stadium had gone tense. Everyone knew who that was. It was impossible not to, not when that very same person had once been the one to protect them in situations just like this two years prior. It was Protesilaus, his cherry blossom pink hair now hanging loose, his billowing red cape that seemed to be torn along the edges secured around him, and his piercing red eyes staring daggers into the President’s eyes. He had a cruel grin on his face as he looked down from where he stood, adorned with a boar skull mask and dressed like royalty, complete with a golden crown atop his head. In his hand, he held a blood red trident while a sword was attached to his hip. He pointed his trident at the president, his eyes ablaze with fury. “Your corrupt reign ends here.”

3 years earlier…

Technoblade stared at the electronic clock that sat on his bedside table, displaying 4:52 AM as the time. He had been held back at the alliance HQ for a discussion about the raid he would be leading on a villain’s base. It was set to be in a few days, so until then he wasn’t scheduled for any patrols. He let himself collapse into bed, abandoning the duffle bag at the foot of his bed. He was much too tired to put the clothes in there to wash, he could do it later. The quiet reigned for a single second before whispers began to fill his ears.

Tired

You should sleep

Sleep pog

It’s 5 am you should sleep

Insomnia pog?

Insomnia is so NOT pog

L sleep

“Shut up,” he muttered as he threw an arm over his eyes. The voices in his head continued to chatter away, mostly about nonsense. A few encouraged him to go to sleep while others called for him to stay up all day for the sake of fixing his sleep schedule. He had long since learned to tune them out, using them as white noise at this point while he took a moment to breathe. This past month of hero duties had taken a toll on him. Being exposed to so many people who saw him as their savior was..exhausting. He didn’t sign up for this. He never wanted to be the person who took the hopes of the people to safeguard them.

Quit. 

Heroes are so lame, leave those losers

DOWN WITH THE ALLIANCE

Those dudes suck omg

Anarchy pog?? 

Technoblade huffed. “Trust me, chat. If I could, I’d drop those losers and disappear from the face of the earth permanently. They’re way too much work.”

Leave!

Yes! Disappear! 

Run away!

Why don’t you leave?

Just tell them no five-head

Before Technoblade could respond to the voices, he heard the sound of footsteps approaching his bedroom. He smiled to himself and kept still, pretending as if he hadn’t heard anything. The footsteps came into his bedroom and towards his bed. After a few seconds, he could feel the bed dip with a new weight and crawl towards him. Then suddenly, the weight was thrown onto his torso and small arms wrapped around him. “Boo! I got you!”

Technoblade pretended as if he was winded, throwing his arms up and looking down at where his little brother had thrown himself onto his body. “Bruhhh, I spend all day defending the city and then get ambushed in my own home? What the heck?” Tommy laughed, looking up at Technoblade with his dazzling smile. ‘This. This is why I haven’t left yet.’ 

The voices cooed at the appearance of Tommy, prattling on about how cute he was and how much he had improved on his skills in sneaking up on Technoblade. At least he hadn’t giggled while approaching this time. Baby steps, but still, an improvement nonetheless. Technoblade mentally shushed them and looked at where Tommy lifted his head. “You were gone all day! What did you do? Did you kick evil butt?” he asked rapid-riding questions. 

Tehcnoblade chuckled at the questions and nodded, ruffling Tommy’s hair. “Sure did, Toms. Now I have a question for you.” He raised a brow and tilted his head to the side. “What are you doing awake?” 

Tommy grinned and sat up on his knees beside Technoblade. “I stayed up so I could say hi! Miss Puffy was sooo lame!” He huffed and crossed his arms, his face contorting into a frown. “All she wanted me to do was read and do my homework. I told her I already finished it, but she made me check it again !” He then had a triumphant look on his face as he continued. “She made okay food though. And she let me paint something for you!” Ah, that would explain the dried paint still decorating Tommy’s arms. And the mess on the kitchen table. That would be a pain to clean later.

“Mm. So I’m guessin’ you pretended to sleep until she left?” An enthusiastic nod. “Right. So when I came back home to let her off for the day and checked in your room earlier, you were also pretending to be asleep?” A more hesitant nod. Technoblade shook his head fondly, sighing at his brother’s antics. “Well, that was some very good pretending Toms. Why don’t you bring me whatever it is that you painted?” Tommy lit up at the suggestion and scrambled to get off the bed. Technoblade watched him scurry away to wherever the kid had left his project, taking the time to think. 

It was so jarring to think about what they had now compared to when they were younger. Before this big, fancy penthouse that they now lived in, they had started their lives living on the streets. He still remembered those days, his stomach going empty for days on end. And even when he did manage to find them some food, it would mostly go to his younger brother. They had nothing, not a single item to their name and just barely-there memories of who could have been their parents. All that Technoblade knew in those days was that the world was an unforgiving place that had no pity for children on the streets. There were times that they had run into kind strangers that would pity them enough to give them a warm meal. Maybe some blankets for the winter to keep them warm or a room for the night if the cold was particularly biting. But those were mere moments of warmth amidst the sea of bitter cold that they had been forced to adapt to.

More often than not, Technoblade would have to fight other kids who were just as desperate to survive as they were. Tommy had been so small then. Barely an infant at the time, if he remembered correctly. Thinking about the days that Technoblade had been forced to hide Tommy away while he fought someone back from taking their supplies hurt more than he cared to admit. Years spent keeping his guard up at all times was exhausting, but not once in all that time had he considered leaving his brother behind. They were the only family the other had left. Tommy was the light in the darkness, guiding Technoblade back home. He was what made it all worth it. So he endured. He endured all kinds of hardships for the sake of feeding and clothing his brother.

Thinking about their lives only made him think of the sensationalized story that the public knew about him. They believed him to be some kind of saint that could do no wrong, that had chosen the righteous path of the hero to do right by his brother. They would never know about the bloodied and bruised knuckles that hid beneath the gloves he used. That some of the scars he bore had nothing to do with his job as saving the lives of citizens, and everything to do with how cruel people can be to those who have nothing. The public thought he had studied at the library to get into the school of Prime, the school for up and coming heroes. He wondered what they would think if they knew the truth. That he had never planned on applying to Prime, but had instead been “recruited” because of his power.

(5 years earlier…)

He remembered it clearly. His power had just awoken in the midst of a scrap with some adult who thought stealing from kids would be easy pickings. The man had picked the fight because of a blanket, the only thing that was currently keeping Tommy’s fever at bay. When the man had knocked Technoblade’s head against the wall, it had bought him enough time to get within arm’s reach of Tommy. Tommy had been in a hazy state, he would have been helpless if the man decided to get back at Techno by hurting his little brother. Technoblade had panicked. One moment, he was watching helplessly as he watched the man reach for Tommy in slow motion. Then, all he saw was red.

When he seemingly came to, it was to the man laying on the ground, unmoving and a pool of blood growing around him. For the life of him, he couldn’t remember when he had moved. When he looked down at his hands, they were bloodied and dripping with blood. What was even more interesting, however, was the fact that in his right hand was a knife he had never seen before. It was all red, an odd sheen over the blade. By the time he had the time to consider how odd it looked, it did something completely unexpected: it started melting . He staggered back a few steps when the blade splattered onto the ground. Though the alley had already had a subtle scent of metal permeating throughout, the smell seemed to grow tenfold. Wait..did that- did that mean that the weird red blade that had been in his hand just a moment ago was formed from blood ? 

He could feel his chest tighten with panic, his hands trembling as he stared at the mess that was around him. As he stood there in shock, suddenly, whispers began to fill his head. They were quiet at first, asking where they were and who it was that had become their little host. 

Guys? Where are we?

Who are we?

Idk, let’s ask this kid

New host pog!

Oh that dude’s straight up dead lol

Damn, we did a number on him huh

L + Ratio + got killed by a child

Uhh, isn’t he like. 15?

Is that where we are in the timeline???

His name is Technoblade! Manners guys!

Uh oh, he seems a little freaked

They were curious, prodding him with questions at the same time. In that moment, all he could hear were voices overlapping, unable to distinguish one from the other. He reached up to clutch his head, shutting his eyes tightly. “Stop..stop it..SHUT UP-!” 

He felt something grab at his hands, making him jump. He whipped his head up, a shout sitting on the tip of his tongue to scare whatever it was that was grabbing at him to go away-

“Tech! Techno, are you okay?” Tommy stood there, teary-eyed and looking so concerned for his older brother. He was holding onto Technoblade’s bloodied hands, staining his own clean ones with the still fresh blood. And suddenly, it was as if the voices registered that the little boy in front of Technoblade was someone to protect, someone precious. Their questions turned to coos, words of comfort and admissions of how adorable Tommy looked filling his head. They quieted further, now more like murmurs rather than a tidal wave of whispers. 

Technoblade ran his eyes over Tommy quickly, checking for any sign of injuries on the little boy. If the fight had been bloody enough for Techno to be drenched in blood, what if that man had managed to get to Tommy before him? 

Tommy? Cute name!

Is he okay?

Of course he is, he’s our brother!

Child child child child

He’s okay! No injuries, TechnoProtect!

We’d never let the little champion get hurt

I would murder for this child

We just did bozo

If the voices in Technoblade’s head were to be believed (and that was a big “if” considering the fact that they had come from seemingly nowhere) then Tommy should be fine. What concerned Technoblade right now was the fact that Tommy was getting his hands dirty with the blood of this dead man in trying to comfort him . He tried to pull his shaking hands away. “Toms..Tommy, you’ll get dirty-”

“But you’re hurt!” Tommy cried, pointing at Technoblade’s arm. 

Looking over, he noted that his arm had a deep gash. Right, it looked like the guy had some kind of sharp object on him. He hadn’t even registered it when it happened. “It’s-It’s fine, Tommy.” He looked back at Tommy and gave him the best smile he could muster. “I’m gonna be okay. We just..we have to..” He felt dread fill his stomach when he heard heavy footsteps coming their way. Shit, it might have been the cops. He looked at the blood on both him and Tommy and at the dead body a few feet away from him. This didn’t look good for either of them, and who knew what would happen if they were caught? Would they even care if it was self-defense? They were nobodies, no one in the world that could protect them.

What are you doin standing around? Run!

A cacophony of voices voicing their agreement filled his head and snapped him out of his stupor. He lifted Tommy in his arms and started running, put his hand on the back of Tommy’s head and tucking his face into his shoulder. “Close your eyes and hang on tight Toms,” he ordered. Tommy did so without hesitation, clinging onto Technoblade’s shirt as they fled. 

While running, he realized that he had no idea where they were going. They didn’t know this part of town, it was just supposed to be a place they passed through to look for food before going back to their usual hiding spot.

Left here! The other way is a dead end!

Technoblade had nothing to lose, he supposed. He listened to the voices and took a left. He followed the directions they gave him, and for a minute, it looked like they would be getting out of this. It seemed like maybe he and his brother would get to live freely. But of course, it wasn’t just normal cops he should have been fearful of.

STOP! INCOMING-!

Technoblade skidded to a stop right as someone landed in front of him, dressed in bright colors and adorned in a mask that hid her eyes. “Whoa whoa whoa kid, take it easy,” she said, her head of white curls swaying in the breeze. He didn’t know who this was, but he could at least recognize the fact that she was a hero. “Talk to me kiddo. I’m not here to hurt you.”

Technoblade took a step back, holding Tommy closer to his chest. The voices didn’t seem to like her either, shouting at him to continue running away. 

Cheater! She cheated!

Forget her and run! We can help you hide!

Guys wait this feels like a trap-

Technoblade tensed, realizing much too late that this woman might have been a diversion. When he turned to look behind him, Tommy had been ripped out of his arms by the lady. When he lunged at her to get him back, he was tackled to the ground and surrounded. He could hear Tommy crying out for him, the sound of the woman trying to calm him down, and it filled him with rage. He screamed bloody murder, telling the men to get off of him so he could get to his little brother. He managed to throw the man who had tackled him off of him, but there were so many guards working against him. It was bound to end with his failure, the voices crying out as well.

It was a blur after that, being restrained by power dampening cuffs and being brought to a station specifically made to house powered individuals. He shut down when he saw the woman fly off with a still sobbing Tommy, his brother reaching out towards Techno even as he was taken away. He didn’t know how long he stayed in the dimly lit cell, but it was enough to allow himself to calm down. While detained, he spoke to the voices, prodding at them himself now and getting a grasp on what they could do. They had taken off the cuffs, the cells more than enough to keep most villains from breaking out easily. During this time, he figured that while the voices had some sense of omniscience, they weren’t all knowing. 

They couldn’t tell him what the guards were thinking or their identities, but they could tell him what could happen in the next few seconds. They could also tell him what the layout of the station was. And while they couldn’t tell him about anything he could use against the guards from their personal lives, they could tell him where to find that kind of information. When he asked about his brother, he was met with reassurances.

He’s ok, he’s with monma Puffy

Tommy pog

He’s holdin up just fine

He just told her to fuck off lol

KING SHIT

He let out a breath of relief at the news. His brother was safe for the time being at the very least.

Some undetermined amount of time later, some guards came to put the power dampening cuffs on him again before someone in a fancy suit came to talk to him about the incident. They introduced themselves, saying they were the president of the Heroes Alliance. Though Technoblade knew about the organization generally, he was sure he had never seen this man in any of the adverts they put on bus stops and fast food meals that would be themed after heroes occasionally. “Well, I work more in the backside of business. So while I don’t have big posters of me, all of those heroes work under me,” the man had explained with a smile. 

I don’t like this guy

Sus

His smile is so fake

He’s giving rancid vibes…

He’s hiding something

Technoblade looked at the man before him silently, listening to him drone on and on about the heroes he’d helped raise. He used flowery words to make the heroes seem like the ultimate good, like they were the change the world needed. He used words Technoblade didn’t understand, and when he looked confused, would give him a pitying sort of smile before elaborating. He was talking about a school program of sorts when Technoblade interrupted him. “When can I see my brother?”

The man paused, surprised that Technoblade had spoken. It would be the first time since the man had walked in some twenty minutes ago. “Ah, you mean the little boy the Captain took? Well, you see it’s a bit of a complicated situation-”

“When. Can I. See him.”

The president stayed quiet for a few minutes before sighing. “Right. Right to business then.” He pulled out a folder he had brought with him. Opening it, he started pulling out some pictures and laid them out before Technoblade. Looking at them, it looked like they were photos of the crime scene. They were various angles of the body Technoblade had killed, documenting all of his injuries. It looked like he had done quite a number on the man, though he couldn’t bring himself to find any sort of remorse for his actions. He looked from the photographs to the man in the suit again silently.

The man met his eyes for a moment before looking back at the folder. “This was quite the gruesome murder. Especially for a man so young like yourself.”

“He was going after my brother.”

“Right. Tommy, was it?” Technoblade clenched his hands into fists. “He talks quite highly about you. Says you’re his hero.” The man took out a sheet of paper and slid it over to Technoblade. Looking at it, it looked like a crude drawing of Tommy and Technoblade. Technoblade had a cape on, holding Tommy’s hand and standing inside of what looked like a house. He knew immediately that it was Tommy’s own work. He picked the paper up and held it close, clenching his teeth. “I’ll be completely honest here, Mr. Technoblade.”

Looking up, the man in the suit had a completely different air about him now. One that made the hairs on the back of Technoblade's neck stand up. “Odds aren’t quite in your favor on this case. Bloody murder, scary powered kid, and no one to vouch for your character. It could go either way. I know some lawyers who will have no problem painting a kid to look like an abomination. Like someone who killed once, and will kill again. You’ll get locked away, and never get the chance to see your little brother again.”

The man paused, watching as Technoblade’s eyes went wide. He crinkled the sides of the paper that had Tommy’s drawing on it. He seemingly waited for the panic to get the best of Technoblade before speaking once more. “Or..we go with the second option.” He pulled yet another paper out and slid it out towards Technoblade. Looking at it, Technoblade had only been able to discern the fact that it was a contract through the help of the voices. He had been to the library with his brother a few times to seek shelter, if only for a few hours, and had picked up a few words from books in the children’s section so he could read to Tommy. He looked up and saw a chilling smile on the suited man. “If you agree to sign this, I can make all of this go away. I can make sure no one ever hears of this, that you get to go with your brother..and that you both get yourselves a nice home.”

Technoblade narrowed his eyes at the offer. He didn’t need to be a scholar to understand that a deal like that was too good to be true. “What do you get from this?”

The man chuckled. “Smart boy. All I ask..is that you work under us as a hero.” He spread his arms wide. “And that’s all! You become a hero for the alliance, and all of this goes away. We will provide you with all that you need. Food, shelter, care for your brother..and you get to become a symbol of hope for the city. For the world, even! It’s every kid’s dream! And you get to do it for free! We’ll even pay you while you go to school! Get you all the tutors you need so you can catch up. Enroll your brother in school and give you both the lives you’ve been missing out on.” He pointed to a line at the bottom of the paper. “And you need to do..is sign here.”

It’s a trap 

The voices whispered, warning him.

He’s a liar

We can’t trust him!

No. This man absolutely couldn’t be trusted. He looked down at the paper in his hands. ‘ But what choice do I have? He has Tommy ..I can’t say no .’ He looked back at the paper before him then back at the president. “Can you promise me you’ll keep Tommy safe?” he asked. “I don’t care about being a hero. But I know that they have to fight villains all the time. Can you promise me that you’ll keep my brother safe?” 

The man nodded, bringing a pen out and offering it to Technoblade. “I promise. Once you debut as a hero, we’ll make sure no one knows what your brother looks like, what his name is, and we’ll even get a hero to look after him when you can’t. He’ll be in good hands.” 

Technoblade bit the inside of his cheek, staring at the offered pen silently. Finally, he reached out and took the pen to sign his name. And so began his path towards heroism. 

Technoblade snapped to attention when Tommy came running back, a canvas in his hands. He turned it around and showed it to Technoblade. It brought a smile to his face. It was a painting of Technoblade and his getup. He bore his classic red cloak with a crown atop his head and the netherite sword that the alliance had gifted him on the day he joined their ranks as a hero. It was as good as a ten year old could paint. “Excellent portrait, Theseus. Like lookin’ in a mirror.” 

Tommy beamed and set the painting aside. “We should hang it up!” 

Technoblade nodded. “And we will. But first..” He reached out and snatched Tommy up, bringing him to his chest and rolling onto the bed with his brother. “It is way too early for your to be awake. It’s nap time.”

Tommy laughed as he was hugged, wiggling around. “Nooooo! I’m not tired!”

“Nope. Nap time. It’s time for sleep.”

“Chat! Chat, help!”

That little shit, he knew that the chat would always side with him. They were traitors, the lot of them. But this time around, he grinned as they all feigned ignorance to his call. “Ha. Chat’s on my side this time. You lose, Theseus.”

“Noo! Oh! Chat, chat, tell Techno he was late to come home! He said he’d be back at midnight!”

“Heh?!” And now his head was full of disembodied voices calling him ‘Technolate’. “Bruhhhh.”

2 years earlier…

Fire blazed on, eating away at the remains of buildings. Debris littered the streets, any vehicles that were left in the middle of the streets now nothing but mangled pieces of metal. The sky was a deep shade of red, the lights of the city all but blown out after a rather coordinated attack by three major villains the alliance had been struggling to catch. Tonight, it all came to a head as they attacked the city on three fronts to ensure the maximum amount of damage was inflicted. While the shaking from powerful strikes had stopped and the villains were either dead or finally apprehended, the fight still hadn’t ended for one man. 

A blur of red was barely visible while it sped through the streets. Technoblade held a hand to his ear piece, hoping that whatever he had heard had been some sort of mistake. “What the hell are you saying?” he shouted, his glowing red eyes going wide. “You people told me that he would be safe with you, it was in my damn contract -”

“I understand that, sir, but our orders were to pull every available hero onto the scene to apprehend the villains. Your brother was supposed to be dropped off at a safe house before the hero in charge of caring for him made it to the scene. But it appears that he may have been intercepted on the way there by a villain-”

Technoblade cursed under his breath. “So what are you telling me? Where the hell is my brother then?” When silence greeted him, he lost all patience he could have afforded this intelligence officer. “WHERE IS HE?!” 

“...we don’t know.”

That admittance nearly made him lose himself, the edges of his vision going dark. 

Focus! 

Have to find Tommy, hurry!

He needs you! Don’t lose it now!

Hurry!

“Send me his last known location. Now.” A second later, a ping sounded off from his alliance issued hologram watch. 

“I can send all available reinforcements to that location to help you look-”

“You people have done enough,” he hissed before purposely disconnecting from the line. He looked at the location and kept running, his heart beating out of his chest. He was still beat up from the fight earlier, the thought of his brother being in the same city as this attack distracting him during the attack. He knew something had felt wrong, the voices had sensed it too. But he had been too focused on the fight to question it until it was too late. He didn’t bother with healing his still fresh wounds, his brother was in danger right now.

It took him a few minutes to reach where the ping had been set off, but it felt like an eternity. When he arrived, he felt his heart plummet. The structure that used to be a building was nothing but a pile of rubble. It was the building that used to be his home. Where Tommy had last been. And he knew for a fact that the hero that was in charge of protecting him that day didn’t have enhanced strength. So what happened to Tommy? “Theseus!” he called out, throwing huge chunks of concrete to the side and digging through the rubble with a panic. He dug through the ruins of the apartment complex as fast as he could, getting more and more desperate as he looked. “Tommy! Toms, I’m here! Answer me if you can hear me bud!”

He’s there, under the rubble!

Hurry hurry!

Save the child, omg

TOMMY WE’RE COMING

The voices were just as antsy as Technoblade was to get to his brother. They guided him as best they could, telling him what to move and the safest way to get everything out of the way. When he heard no responses to his calls, he felt his hope dwindling. What if the voices were wrong this time? What if they were too late-

“...-echno..”

Technoblade perked up, straining his ears for the voice he had heard. “Tommy!” He rushed to the mound of cement that he heard the voice come from and started moving them out of the way. It barely took any time before Technoblade made it to where his little brother lay. He could feel his blood run cold at the sight. Tommy laid atop a pile of rubble, rebar sticking right through his abdomen and his leg, which had previously been under heavier pieces of concrete, looked an unnatural shade of purple. Tommy had a trickle of blood running down his chin with even more dried blood caking his golden locks and staining the left side of his forehead. “I’m here,” he whispered, running to kneel beside Tommy without unsettling any of the concrete. “I’m here, Toms, it’s gonna be okay.” Technoblade swallowed past the lump in his throat, ripping the hero mask off of his face as he gave a shaky smile to his little brother.

WHO DID THIS

HES HURT HES HURT OH NO

THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO KEEP HIM SAFE

WHO DID THIS TO YOU

The voices were whipped into a frenzy, seeing Tommy like this. Even with all his years of practice, Technoblade couldn’t distinguish what they were saying anymore. They had turned into an indistinguishable mess of jumbled threats and cries of worry. He tuned them out completely, focussing entirely on Tommy. 

Tommy looked at him, his skin too pale for his liking and his eyes drooping. “Techno..” he whispered, sounding pained. “Tech, it hurts..it hurts a lot.”

Technoblade nodded, reaching over and setting his hand atop Tommy’s head. “It’s okay..it’s gonna be okay. I’m here now..”

Tommy whimpered, eyes shutting for a few moments. “I was so scared..I-I..I thought..I thought you forgot about me..”

Technoblade shook his head. “Of course not, Tommy. You’re my little brother..I’ll never forget about you.” He didn’t like how ragged Tommy’s breathing was. “I’m gonna get you some help, okay?” When Tommy looked at him in a panic, Technoblade rushed to comfort him. “I’m not leaving! I won’t go away, I promise. I just need to call a hero-”

“No!” Tommy cried, looking just as panicked. “Please, don’t-” he coughed, more blood staining his lips. “Not- not a hero-”

“Okay okay,” he agreed, reaching over and holding Tommy’s free hand. “No heroes. No heroes, I promise..” He felt a burning anger building in his gut. What the hell had the heroes done to warrant Tommy’s fear of them like this? And these were the people he had entrusted his brother to?

Call him!

It’s time to get the real Father involved-

Angel of Death! Angel of Death pog!

Angel of Death! 

Technoblade grit his teeth and took his personal phone out. It was one of those prepaid store ones. He opened it up and looked at the only contact he had there. It was labeled “Angel”. Back when Technoblade had started his career, he had run into the man on one of his patrols. He was notorious for being a thorn in the alliance’s side. He had been warned against speaking with him, that the man was a master manipulator and one of the biggest villains in the underworld. But when Techno had finally crossed paths with the man whose villain profile had said “detain at all costs”, the man had been..kind. 

Technoblade had been prepared for someone who would throw punches first, kill civilians without a care, and be dead set on world domination. Instead, he had met the most father-coded man to grace the world. Turns out, the only reason that the alliance hated the Angel of Death so much was because he had a penchant for exposing the alliance and a desire to bring them down. He had a burning hatred for the alliance, something that Technoblade could relate to. They stayed out of each other’s turf for the most time. But one night, after a particularly rough patrol, the man had given Technoblade this number and told him, “If you ever need my help, no questions asked, call me. I’ll be there in the blink of an eye.” 

Technoblade had never had a need to use the number before, but looking at his brother’s drooping eyes, it seemed the day had come. He marked the number and waited with baited breath. The call was picked up after only two rings.

“Hello? Who is-”

“It’s Protesilaus ,” he said immediately. “You said you would help me, no questions asked.” He took a shaky breath in. “It’s my little brother. He’s..he’s really hurt, and I can’t call the heroes. I need your help, so please..” He shut his eyes tightly, clinging onto Tommy’s hand. “Please help him,” he whispered breathlessly.

“...is it just you and him? Is anyone around you?”

“No. It’s just us.. Please, I’ll give you anything, just-”

“Set your phone a few feet away from you and wait. As soon as you do, say so.”

Technoblade didn’t have any room to question it. He tossed the phone a few feet away after putting the phone on speaker. “It’s done,” he called out.

There was a moment of silence that seemed to stretch on for minutes. He looked at Tommy with worry, his eyes lingering on the wounds where the rebar was protruding through him. He had never missed the sound of his little brother’s loud laugh more than that moment. He whispered reassurances, trying to keep him awake. As he continued talking to his brother, a flash of purple caught his attention. 

Looking over where he had tossed the phone to, there was a little kid around Tommy’s age with monochrome hair split right down the middle, purple sprites dancing around him. The hand he was holding belonged to a man that was dressed in casual attire with a deep green shawl around his shoulders and his short blonde hair was tied back in a small ponytail. The two rushed over to where Technoblade was knelt beside Tommy.

The man with blonde hair spoke first. “It’s me, mate. You kinda caught me on my off day, so no mask for now.” When Technoblade spotted movement from behind the man, what he saw were wings. He had obsidian colored wings that were folded against his back with a slight purple sheen that appeared on his feathers when they shifted. And while Technoblade was unfamiliar with the man’s face, he could recognize those wings anywhere. It was the Angel of Death. When the Angel of Death’s eyes landed on Tommy, Technoblade could see an array of emotions flash through his eyes: shock, despair, anger, and grief. It was only a fraction of the emotions that Technoblade himself was feeling. “Is..is that-?”

Technoblade nodded, looking back at his brother. The boy looked between the newcomers and squeezed Technoblade’s hand as tight as he could. Technoblade squeezed back. “It’s okay, Toms. These people are here to help you, okay?” He could feel the villain  step closer to him. “Tommy, this is-..uh-”

“My name is Phil, mate.” The man knelt beside Tommy, giving him a gentle smile. “Your big brother called me so I could help. Can I get a better look at you?”

Tommy looked between the Angel of Death- Phil - and him. When Technoblade gave him a reassuring nod, Tommy seemed to relax ever so slightly. 

“Good lad.” Phil looked over where the rebar protruded and looked to be fighting back a wince. “That must hurt a lot, huh mate?” Tommy nodded, his lip wobbling as more tears filled his eyes. “I’m sorry about that, mate. Here, I brought something that should help.” He reached into the bag at his side and took out a syringe with clear fluid in it. “This is morphine, it’ll make the pain go away. How about you close your eyes and count to ten for me, yeah?”

Tommy whimpered, clinging onto Technoblade’s hand tighter. “I’m-I’m scared-”

“I know mate. But it’s gonna be okay. Your big brother here would never let anything hurt you, right?” Tommy nodded hesitantly. “It won’t hurt, I promise. This is only gonna help you.” Tommy shot one more look at Technoblade, his eyes filled with fear. Technoblade could only nod in reassurance and shift to the other side of Tommy so he could take his attention away from where Phil was preparing the injection. There was no other choice. Just like that fateful day when he was forced to sign the cursed contract with the Heroes Alliance. 

Tommy took a few big breaths and nodded, closing his eyes tightly as he turned his face towards Technoblade once more. Technoblade looked over and watched as Phil slowly injected the morphine into his little brother while Tommy counted up to ten like instructed. While this was happening, the little boy with purple sprites around him approached. He knelt beside Tommy and pat his shoulder. “It’s gonna be okay. Phil’s really nice, he and mumza will take good care of you.” Technoblade looked at the little boy. He had never seen him before, nor had he seen any files on him when working at the Heroes Alliance. If Phil had been hiding the kid, he had done a good job of keeping his power under the radar. 

Tommy looked up at the kid with fluttering eyes. “Who are you..?”

“My name is Ranboo. I’m gonna help take you home. And when you get better, we can play together with Tubbo! Okay?”

Tommy thought for a moment before nodding. “Okay..”

Of course Tommy was able to make friends at a time like this. He looked over at Phil as the man put the syringe away. “There, we should be able to move him. Ranboo, can you help us out?”

Ranboo nodded and grabbed onto Tommy’s available arm. “Just hold onto me. I’m gonna move you a little bit so that the metal stuff is out of you. Okay?” When Tommy nodded, Ranboo shut his eyes tightly and then VWOOP!

Phil must have seen the panic in Technoblade’s eyes, reaching over and grabbing onto his arm before he could move to get up. “It’s okay, mate. Just give Ran a second.” Technoblade stilled, looking at Phil. And just like the man had said, a few seconds later, the child reappeared on the other side of Technoblade. 

He quickly turned to his little brother, hands reaching out to where the puncture marks of where the rebar had stuck through his body once were. Tommy seemed pretty out of it, most likely due to the morphine in his system. His eyes glowed a vibrant red as he activated his ability. Not many knew about the full extent of his abilities, not even the alliance. There were some things he kept to himself, if only to have some sort of leverage against the people who had shackled him for so long. Using his blood manipulation, he was able to stop the blood from pouring out of Tommy’s wounds, though he wasn’t sure how long he could keep this up. 

Phil walked over, looking over Tommy’s injuries. “He looks like he’s still in rough shape..I have a healer back on the base, but we’d have to take you both there.” Phil looked Technoblade in the eyes, uncertain. “How can I be sure that you won’t turn us over to the heroes when he’s healed?”

Technoblade looked away, carefully lifting his brother into his arms. “I give you my word. I won’t let the heroes know anything about this.” He held his brother close to his chest, the image of him still stuck beneath the rubble fresh in his mind. “The Heroes Alliance is the reason my brother ended up like this. I won’t be goin’ back.” He looked up to meet Phil’s eyes, a simmering rage burning in them. “Not unless it’s to burn their organization to the ground.”

Phil kept his gaze for a few seconds, as if trying to search for any sign of deceit. When he seemingly found none, he looked to Ranboo and gave him a nod. “Then it’s settled. Take us home, Ran.” 

Ranboo gave a nod, one hand going to hold Phil’s while the other was gently placed on Technoblade’s side. With a flash of purple particles and a VWOOP!! noise, the four of them disappeared. All that was found later at the scene was Technoblade’s mask, the earpiece that connected him to the Heroes Alliance, and the watch he used as a communicator.

After teleporting them away, Technoblade and Tommy were taken to the base of operations that Phil had been working out of. There, they met Philza’s wife and resident healer. She took one look at the state they were both in and ushered them into her office. She was kind, understanding when Technoblade refused to step away from his brother throughout the entire process. She let him stay in the same room as his brother, watching as she wove astral golden threads through the wounds left behind by the rebar and hovering her hands over the wounds with golden colored palms. However, his leg was a different story. Despite her best efforts, it looked like he had been trapped under the rubble for quite some time, and the leg was unable to be saved. In the end, they had to amputate it.

During the procedure, that had been the only time Technoblade had been away from his brother. They had a team of private doctors on call, so they had at least been able to act quickly to minimize the damage. During this time, Phil approached him and asked what his plans were. Technoblade sat in what resembled a living room, dressed in borrowed clothes and holding the tattered hero uniform in his hands. Phil stood across from him, arms crossed as he waited for Technoblade’s answer.

They need to pay

They hurt him

They promised he would be safe

Make them pay

Pay back their ‘kindness’ tenfold

Technoblade couldn’t have agreed more with the voices for once. He looked up to meet Phil’s eyes. “I want them to pay for what they did to my brother.”

Phil nodded. “They will. But you need to understand something: if you go through with this, it won’t just be you they’ll go after. They know about your brother. They know who he is and what he means to you. I can give you all the resources you need to leave, to find a cabin somewhere and just go into hiding with him if you want.” He paused, his wings shifting behind him. “Or..you can stay. And you can join me. You aren’t the only one the Heroes Alliance has fucked over.” Phil walked past where Technoblade sat and came back with the red cloak Technoblade had worn as a hero, though the ends were torn up and singed. “There’s a project I’ve been working on. An organization, built to take down corrupt governments like the alliance.” He held out the cloak towards Technoblade. “If you take the offer, I will do everything in my power to protect you both. I have kids I’m looking after myself. You don’t have to do this on your own. But know that you do have options.”

Technoblade looked up at the cloak being offered. That was the only part of the hero outfit he had enjoyed. It was the cape his brother had picked out himself. Everything that Technoblade was, everything he had done to date, had been for his little brother. Thinking about him in another room, about the way his brother had been abandoned and left for dead..there was really no other option, was there?

Blood for the blood god

Blood for the blood god

Blood for the blood god

He reached out and took the cloak, standing as he did so. He gave Phil a nod. “Down with the government,” he said, a grin on his face.

It was another 30 minutes before he was allowed to see his little brother. When he walked in, there were two children who were talking to Tommy, who looked tired but had a smile on his face. Upon hearing Technoblade entering, Tommy seemed to light up. “Tech! Look, this is Ranboo and Tubbo. They were telling me about their uncle Sam. They say that he’s gonna give me a new leg!” 

Technoblade nodded to the two children, eyes landing on the unfamiliar little boy. He had brown, fluffy hair that covered his eyes completely. He gave Technoblade a toothy grin and waved excitedly. Ranboo, the child that had teleported them to this place when they first met, gave a smaller wave. He whispered something to Tubbo and led the little boy out of the room, as if understanding that Technoblade wanted to talk to his brother alone. Once they were alone, Technoblade took a seat next to Tommy’s bed. “Holdin’ up okay, Toms?”

Tommy nodded, looking at where his leg once was. “Yeah..I’m..I’m sad that they had to cut it off..and it feels weird. But..I know that you did what was best.”

Technoblade felt more than he heard the collective cooing of the voices in his head. He sighed outwardly, leaning in and bringing Tommy in to bud their heads together lightly. His brother had been forced to grow up too quickly. He was far too mature for his age, despite Technoblade’s best efforts. “I’m sorry, Tommy. If I had known-” No, he couldn’t talk like this in front of his brother. He needed to be strong for him. “Tommy. I want you to know something. Listen to me, and listen close, okay?” When Tommy nodded, he made sure to look in his eyes as he said this slowly. “I would let the world burn for you. I would raze the world to the ground to keep you safe. What happened was not your fault. It was the hero who did this to you, okay?”

Tommy’s eyes went wide, tears gathering as he stared at Technoblade. It broke his heart to know that on some level, Tommy had been blaming himself for this. Technoblade got up and sat on the bed with him, hugging his brother close. “You’ll never have to be near the heroes again. We’re gonna stay here for a little while, okay? You can make friends with Ranboo and Tubbo. I’m gonna stay right by your side until you’re all better. Okay?”

Tommy nodded, burying his head in Technoblade’s shoulder. “Okay..are you not gonna be a hero anymore?” Technoblade hesitated for a moment before shaking his head. He hadn’t ever kept things from his brother, and he wasn’t going to start now. “Good. Those guys are pricks, they don’t deserve to have a cool guy like you be their friend.”

That made Technoblade laugh aloud, shaking his head fondly. This entire ordeal had been a shit show, but they were gonna be okay. He knew that as long as he was able to stick to his brother’s side, nothing was gonna be able to hurt him again.

Present day…

Over the course of two years, Technoblade had planned with Phil and recruited others into the fold. Just like Phil had said, Technoblade hadn’t been the only one that was screwed over by the Heroes Alliance. They gathered their numbers, and when the perfect opportunity presented itself, they set their plans into motion. While most of the past two years had been spent by his brother’s side during his recovery, it was also spent gathering information. With Sam and Tubbo teaming together, they were able to get into the Hero Alliance’s database and started gathering everything they could. There was nothing they could hide anymore, and the alliance was none the wiser.

As Technoblade stared down at the president, who stood frozen in fear, he couldn't help the grin that spread on his face. He leaped off the top of the stadium, eyes never leaving the man who chose to hide behind some hero Technoblade couldn’t care less about. A figure with a wide-brimmed hat that had a veil obscuring the top half of their face dove down and caught Technoblade’s extended arm. The people screamed in terror as the Angel of Death made his appearance. Phil simply smirked and helped Technoblade land mere feet away from the president. Phil had his own job to do, so as soon as Technoblade’s feet touched the ground he was flying off once more. Technoblade continued his approach, not stopping when the hero tried to lunge at Technoblade. He simply drew his sword with his other hand and cut the man down. The president fell back as Technoblade made it over to him. “Wait- wait wait wait, don’t- don’t kill me, please-”

“How many others pleaded for their lives at the hands of your organization?” Technoblade asked, planting his foot on the president’s chest. “How many others were killed because they didn’t fall prey to your threats?” He tilted his head to the side. “Would you have done the same to me if I hadn’t signed that contract?” The man trembled before him, wide-eyed and pathetic. The image was broadcasted onto the big screen behind them, and he knew that with Tubbo’s help, it was also being broadcasted to television screens everywhere.  

“You promised me that my brother would be safe. That you would look after him. And what happened while he was under your care?” He slammed the trident made of the blood of the other guards he slayed on the way here down, two prongs piercing the man’s shoulder. He ignored the pained cry and looked out to the captive audience. “The hero this man assigned to protect my brother left him to die. Because he valued the ‘greater good’ over the life of a child.” He swept his hand over to the screen as it began to be dotted with the posters of missing children and people. “His crimes don’t end there. He has been abducting people with powers he deemed ‘too dangerous’ and has been keeping them captive to experiment on them.” The screen flashed to silent videos that played, all of them taking place in similar white rooms. “Most of the so-called ‘heroes’ who work for the Alliance all knew, even helping in the abductions.”

He looked back to the president. “That ends today. Mr. President, you will pay for your crimes with your life.” He brought the netherite sword up. 

Kill him!

Make him pay! 

Revenge!

Blood for the Blood God!

“Blood for the Blood God.” With that, he brought the sword down and pierced the man’s throat, the sword being planted deep in the concrete below. With the sound of the man gurgling quietly, Technoblade turned back to the people. “You can try continuing in his place, but know this.” The screen cut to live footage of the Heroes Alliance tower before it exploded, the explosion so powerful that even the people of the stadium could feel the shockwave. “We will be watching, and we will be there to put a stop to it.” With that, Technoblade walked right out of the stadium, leaving a bloody message behind.

The world erupted into chaos after the display of power made by the syndicate. Not only had the headquarters been attacked and the president killed, but hundreds of confidential documents of secret dealings of the alliance had been leaked. The world outside was scrambling to establish power, but none of that mattered.

No, nothing mattered to Technoblade other than the sight before him. Tommy was running around, running away from Tubbo with some kind of tool in hand and cackling loudly. Tubbo was complaining, shouting at Ranboo to get it from him, though the lanky teen didn’t seem like he was going to do anything of the sort from where he laid on the couch. Phil was shaking his head fondly at their antics from where he was in the kitchen, preparing food for them all with Tristin. Technoblade smiled softly at the scene, sinking into the couch with a soft sigh. He had earned a nap after the entire ordeal. And now, he could finally rest, knowing his brother and him were in good hands.

technoSoft lol

What a softie

Guys I’m gonna cry this is so cute

You don’t even have tears-

They’re fambly ur honor

Technoblade closed his eyes slowly. ‘Family, huh?...I guess I can live with that.’