Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

For the past several weeks, Techno has been trying to do one thing and one thing only.

End the war.

Granted it’s not because he really cares about which side wins or loses–-although he'd quite like not dying, thank you very much–-but his investment is more so in the fact that he has no choice. 

As a hybrid stuck in a brutal, unforgiving system, he’s gotta do whatever these people ask of him. So if he wants to live, he'll keep on fighting until the day the fighting stops, and the collar wrapped around his neck makes sure of that. 

So Techno will do whatever he can to ensure that the war ends, and he knows that there's one way to best do that.

Kill the Angel of Death.

Should be easy, right?

I mean with a name like that, how scary could the guy really be?

Techno doesn't know much about the man besides his ominous name, but he's come to learn that the Angel of Death is General of the enemy's army, one said to have wings as dark as the night itself. And using those wings, he descends upon his enemies like a hungry vulture, tearing them limb from limb until there's nothing left.

Now he doesn't really believe all that, but it's obvious based on his name alone that the guy has to be an absolute pain, so in Techno’s opinion he's gotta go. Simple, easy, consider it done.

And that's how Techno finds himself sneaking into enemy territory after several long days of journeying there on horseback.

He most definitely didn't think that his owners the people in charge would send him to infiltrate enemy territory alone to take down the Angel of Death, but that means either one of two things: they’re losing so badly that they’ve become desperate enough to risk him potentially fleeing or dying, or they’ve deemed him worthless enough to allow him to go on what is most definitely a suicide mission.

So really Techno should probably be more concerned for his own safety right about now, but hey he's had a solid 3 days without anyone breathing down his neck and shouting at him for simply existing, so honestly he’s feeling pretty great.

He's not sure what he's supposed to do once this is over–-and deep down a part of him isn't too sure if he'll actually survive this–-but he supposes that that can be a job for Future Techno.

Current Techno is hiding in a bush on the outskirts of the enemy encampment, the piglin carefully watching different soldiers to see who remains on guard as night falls and how many head to their tents to sleep.

There hasn't been any sign of the General yet, but every army is always the same, and he's certain that the tent that's much larger than all the other ones houses the man in question.

All he's gotta do then is sneak past a couple of guys who are awake, make his way into the tent and stab the General while he's asleep, then dip before anyone notices.

Oh yeah, he's got this.

Really what could possibly go wrong?

Absolutely nothing, it's perfect.

It takes a while longer, but finally Techno deems that everyone who is planning on sleeping anytime soon has already gone to bed, so he might as well try and make his move.

With footsteps that are surprisingly light for someone of his hulking piglin stature, Techno begins approaching the General's tent, breathing a silent sigh of relief when he reaches the entrance without alerting anyone to his presence.

But that moment of triumph is terribly short-lived when, upon pulling back the flap of the tent, he sees a lantern lit up and a very much awake occupant. The man's back is to the entrance as he's hunched over some papers on a very small desk, but he must hear the rustle of fabric moving and knows that he isn't alone anymore.

Despite the late hour, the Angel of Death doesn't seem the slightest bit tired or sluggish as he quickly turns around to face Techno, his hand reaching for the sword at his hip, and oh wow, the guy actually does have wings, good to know…

In any other situation, Techno would have loved to admire the appendages for a few more moments, because they really do seem beautiful at a glance, but instead he's raising an arm to block the sword that was rapidly approaching to slice off his head.

So instead of a quick-in-out-stabbing-situation, Techno’s now gotta fight a guy who's called the Angel of Death while in a very tiny tent, and without alerting any of his soldiers who will definitely try to kill the piglin if they realize he’s here.

Fun.

As the two of them begin to trade blow for blow in the cramped space, Techno starts to realize with a growing sense of dread that he can't seem to land a single hit. The winged man always seems to perfectly block each one of his attacks, and when the Angel of Death strikes in return, Techno can't find even a single weak point in his form to use to his advantage.

It's… concerning? exhilarating? because never before has he come across an opponent who could actually keep up with him in a fight.

And the Angel of Death seems to feel the same, at one point he even laughs, a bubbly, joyous sound that should have no place amidst a fight to the death, but he too seems to be enjoying this deadly dance that the two of them are engaged in.

But they say that all good things must come to an end, and unfortunately for Techno, that end seems to most definitely not be in his favor.

Maybe if this was a fair fight, just him versus the Angel of Death with no one else around to interfere, he could’ve had a chance at winning.

As it is though, the first sword to draw blood is the Angel of Death’s, the man landing a deep gash on Techno’s right shoulder that causes him to wince and grit his teeth against the pain.

Normally an injury like that would be fine, and sure it's his dominant arm, but he's used to fighting while injured and can easily switch to the opposite hand mid-fight if he really has to.

See the problem here though is that that was the first sword to draw blood, not the first injury that Techno received during this fight.

Because the whole reason why the sword got him in the first place is due to the crossbow bolt currently sticking out of his lower back.

Yeah.

So one of the Angel of Death's men must have heard them fighting and decided to shoot him while he was distracted by the task of trying not to get stabbed.

He knew that this wasn’t really going to be a fair fight, but come on, shooting a guy in the back?

That's pretty low, he’ll definitely have to complain if he survives this one...

I mean at least they didn't go for anywhere that would immediately prove fatal, that increases his chances of not dying within the next 30 seconds, but still he can feel himself growing more sluggish, his reaction time slowing to the point of something that’ll prove to be deadly if he continues to slip up. 

Finally it all comes to a head when the Angel of Death tries to kick Techno’s legs out from underneath him, and on any other day the piglin would simply jump over a kick like that and stab the person in the stomach for their efforts, but this isn't any other day.

Instead he tries to dodge, but he's grown weak from blood loss, and suddenly the surroundings of the tent are spinning uncontrollably and his vision is graying out for a few moments. Then the next thing he knows he's laying on the ground on his back, his pain increasing tenfold as the crossbow bolt snaps in half upon landing and gets further wedged inside of him, but the threat of that pales in comparison to the sword that’s now inches away from his delicate throat.

When the Angel of Death speaks for the first time, Techno expected it to be something gloating or condescending for losing a fight that was unwinnable for the piglin.

Instead the man simply says, “You’re a good fighter.”

With a wry little smile, Techno bluntly replies, “You've gotta be to survive out here.”

Surprisingly the winged man snorts with laughter at that, a bitter smile on his face as he agrees, “Ain’t that the truth, Mate.”

Then as his smile fades completely, his face morphing into one that better fits a battle-hardened general who's ready to kill, the Angel of Death asks in a deadly quiet tone as the sword inches ever closer to cutting Techno’s throat, “You wanna tell me why you're here in my tent?” 

“Jus’ followin’ orders, ‘s nothin’ personal,” Techno says without hesitation, but apparently he's lost a bit more blood than he realized, because it’s suddenly growing kind of hard to talk without slurring his words, and huh, that could prove to be a problem. “Eith’r I kill ya, or they k’ll m’.”

While scoffing in disbelief, the General dismissively says, “I highly doubt your own men would kill you if you hadn’t come here tonight.”

“Ya’d b’ surpris’d,” Techno murmurs with a bitter laugh, his tongue feeling far too heavy and his limbs feeling even heavier, but with what feels like the last of his strength the piglin reaches a trembling hand to tug at the hem of his shirt, pulling it down a bit to reveal the collar wrapped around his neck. “Yer doin’ m’ a favor, s’ th’nks.”

For a split second Techno thinks that he might see a look of horror pass over the Angel of Death's face, but really that doesn't make any sense, and he doesn't have time to dwell on that anyways before everything goes dark and the world slips away.

Chapter Text

Well, this definitely isn't how Phil thought tonight would go.

For a few moments, the winged man can't help but simply stare at the unconscious form of his would-be-assassin, his gaze locked on the literal fucking collar wrapped around the piglin’s throat.

Yeah, definitely not what he was expecting…

Especially since he actually recognizes who the piglin is.

Because this is the Blood God, the strongest fighter that King Dream has on his side to the point that this piglin’s single-handedly prevented Phil from having already won this war.

He knows that the unconscious piglin couldn't be anyone else, yet it's hard to picture him as the ruthless person that he's heard so much about, the one that he’s spent countless late nights strategizing about how he might finally be able to take down such a fearsome opponent.

Now he's done it, but there isn't any of the satisfaction that he always imagined it would bring, not after he’s learned that the piglin’s been fighting in this war against his will. 

Phil doubts that the piglin has ever been given the choice whether he wanted to fight a battle or not, doubts that he’s had any chance of protesting being sent off into the winged man's territory all alone.

Because without any sort of backup or support, there was no chance of survival, even for someone as infamous as the Blood God.

And now he'll die, unable to escape that constricting grip of the collar even in death; despite this being Phil’s worst enemy, the winged man can’t deny that dying in such a way is a terrible fate, one that he thinks this piglin doesn't deserve. 

And that’s what makes Phil’s brain come back online again, because it doesn't have to end this way.

So while quickly looking toward the soldier who’s standing in the entranceway, his crossbow still pointed at the Blood God as if he might spring to life and attack again, the winged man shouts, “Go get the medic!”

“But General, he tried to kill you-” The young soldier protests as he confusedly begins to lower his crossbow, looking down at the would-be-assassin with eyebrows furrowed in distrust and confusion.

Knowing that time is of the essence since the piglin is currently bleeding out on his fucking floor, Phil cuts him off by bluntly saying, “Yes and he was just following orders, which is something that you should be doing right now.”

The winged man immediately feels bad for his harsh tone when the soldier's eyes widen and he stutters out a meek, “Of course, Sir. My apologies, General”, but it does get him to leave the tent in search of the medic, so Phil will count that as a win.

While waiting for the medic to arrive, Phil kneels down next to the unconscious piglin, pressing his fingers to the man's neck and feeling for a pulse. It takes a few moments, but he can't help but sigh in relief when he finds it, thready but definitely there.

That means he can be saved…

Even though Phil feels like saving the piglin is the right thing to do, he knows that it’s going to make a lot of people angry.

It could even turn all his soldiers against him.

Because the piglin has been an absolute thorn in their side since day one, he’s responsible for the death of countless of Phil’s soldiers. 

Everyone in this camp absolutely despises the piglin, he’s even heard so many of his soldiers sit around the campfire and talk about the ways they’d most like to murder the Blood God if they ever got their hands on him.

Yet here Phil is, trying his best to keep the man alive. 

But if he was in the piglin's position, he'd want someone to help him, would hope that they'd take off that wicked collar rather than take his life.

At least that’s what the winged man used to hope for in the past.

Because before life as a war general, Phil was in some very very bad places.

He knows what it's like to not be in control of your own actions, to be at the mercy of every whim of whatever wicked person controls the collar that you wear.

If he didn't know what that was like, Phil probably wouldn't have had any issues with killing the piglin. And since no one else understands that terrible feeling of being a puppet in your own body, it’s certainly going to be a pain to explain to his soldiers why he’s using some of their limited medical supplies on the man who just tried to kill him, why he’s saving the Blood God’s life.

But if everything the piglin's done in this war has been while operating without any free will?

Phil can’t hate him for that, he could never hate someone who’s been stripped of their humanity and forced into a cruel system that he knows far too well.

He won't be able to tell his soldiers the true reason why he's spared the Blood God though, not without bringing up painful memories of the past that he isn’t ready to put on display. 

But if his soldiers won’t be able to understand that, they should be able to recognize this: having the Blood God fight on their side would end the war instantly.

Maybe it sounds cocky, but Phil bets that just him and the Blood God alone could take down the enemy’s army if they worked together, they probably wouldn't even need any other soldiers fighting alongside them.

That would have to come later though, not only after the piglin recovers from his wounds, but also if the man would even be willing to fight on Phil's side, because no way in hell is he becoming just another owner that orders the guy around.

When the medic arrives, she immediately begins working on cleaning and stitching up the piglin’s wounds, not asking any questions despite the curiosity in her gaze, and that's just one of the many reasons why Phil absolutely loves Niki.

While keeping his voice quiet enough to not distract her, Phil informs her with a wry smile, “And because you’re probably wondering, yes, he did in fact try to kill me. Did a damn good job too, he's probably the best fighter I've ever seen.”

“I wouldn't expect anything else from the Blood God,” Niki murmurs as she continues saving the piglin, and even though she doesn't look up from her stitches when she speaks, Phil knows that he has her attention, something that's confirmed when she continues in a contemplative tone, “We're gonna use him to win then?” 

“I hope so,” Phil says with a heavy sigh as he begins carefully poking and prodding at the collar to see if there's any way for him to remove it soon, because even just looking at it makes him feel like he’s gonna be sick. “He's the only one on their side who really put up a fight, so even if he doesn't help us, I think we’ll finally end this. Would sure as hell be easier if he helped us though.”

With a small little smile, Niki says in a teasing lit, “I'll make sure he survives long enough to do that then, General.”

“Thanks, Niki, you're the best,” Phil sincerely says as he continues messing around with the collar, and the good news is that it doesn't seem to be one that will shock the piglin when he tries to take it off, so small victories he supposes. 

The longer he pokes and prods at the collar, Phil realizes that he's begun to swallow harder than he would normally need to, his neck seeming to burn under the phantom touch of metal that once encased his own fragile skin.

And huh, alright.

Good to know that he still isn’t over all that stuff yet…

Well, guess it's time to shove that into the Trauma Box™ in the corner of his mind, he’ll just go ahead and deal with that once the war ends and he no longer has to spend every single moment on guard.

And in case that seems like an exaggeration, there’s a would-be-assassin currently on the floor of his own tent and, had he been sound asleep at a reasonable time for once, he’d be dead now.

So yeah, seems like there’s no time for sleeping or dealing with trauma until after the war ends, which might be sooner than expected now that they have the Blood God in captivity.

One can hope at least…

Chapter Text

When Techno first wakes up, it's with a splitting migraine, one that causes a groan to slip past his lips as he tries to move a hand to rub at his temple. His hand doesn't seem to comply though, and when ends up flexing both of his wrists, he can feel the harsh sting of rope digging into his skin.

And huh, right.

That happened.

He failed to kill the Angel of Death, passed out from blood loss, and he figured that’d be the end.

So why’s he still here?

What does the General want from him?

Whatever it is, Techno’s certain that it can't be anything good…

After a few moments of just laying there imagining what terrible things the General might have in store for him, Techno hears the gentle rustling of the tent flap opening, the Angel of Death saying in a surprised, cherry tone, “Didn't expect you to already be awake, Mate! How you feeling?”

“Well, I'm still alive,” Techno says with a wry smile, staring up at the roof of the tent as he mutters under his breath, “Don't know why though…”

With a snort of laughter--and for a guy called the Angel of Death, he sure does laugh a lot--the General teasingly says, “You sound pretty thrilled about that.”

“Oh yeah, I'm sure lots of great things are gonna be comin’ my way any moment now, what with the whole bein’ tied up in enemy territory after I just tried to kill the General himself. I mean really what could be better?” Techno sardonically replies, but despite the fact that he probably won't be alive for all that much longer, he's gotta say that so far his treatment here has been surprisingly decent.

Granted that’s probably gonna change for the worse real quick, but for now he’ll try to enjoy this little moment of reprieve, enjoy this little moment where no one's yelling at him or hurting him for not following directions oh so perfectly like what's always been expected of him back with his owners the people in charge.

“Y’know what that's fair,” the Angel of Death says with a little smile that causes his eyes to crinkle up in the corners, and Techno’s suddenly able to see that because the General is very close to him, his view of the roof of the tent now blocked by the guy looking down at him. “How's your back feeling?”

For a few moments Techno can only blink in stupid surprise at the sudden non-sequitur and the man's proximity to him, the Angel of Death casually peering down at him as if Techno didn't just try to kill him… however long ago that was now.

But then he takes stock of his injury by slowly trying to sit up, the General making a concerned sound as he hurriedly moves to help Techno so he doesn't hurt himself any further.

After a few moments of debating whether or not he should be honest, Techno hesitantly says, “It definitely hurts, but I've had to fight with worse injuries before.”

Then while hoping that he won't regret this, Techno squeezes his eyes shut tightly and murmurs, “So if you want me to fight for you, or you just wanna hurt me, ya might as well just get it over with.”

As he crouches down next to the piglin, Phil places a gentle hand on his shoulder and softly says, “Mate, I'm not gonna hurt you. That's not how we do things around here. And besides, it'd be kind of a waste to patch you up just to cause more damage, right?”

While opening his eyes again now that he's pretty sure he isn’t immediately going to get smacked in the face, Techno bitterly says, “We both know that there's a difference between wantin’ to keep someone alive and wantin’ to keep them unharmed. Doesn't take a genius to figure out that only one of those applies to me. You’ve got some kind of plan, ‘else I wouldn't be alive. And I'd be pretty naive to think that you’ve got good things in store for me.”

For far too long, the General is completely silent with his head slightly tilted to the side, as if Techno is some strange puzzle that he can't seem to solve. 

When the Angel of Death finally does speak again, it's accompanied by him standing up and saying, “Come on, let's go someplace else.”

And before Techno can even begin to think of protesting, the General is using the hand he had on the piglin’s shoulder to haul him upright, that hand moving to grip his arm as he begins leading Techno out of the tent.

With a bitter little smile that helps mask some of the fear he feels, Techno holds his head high as the two of them begin walking towards what is surely going to be his demise.

But hey, it looks like he's getting what he wanted.

Because he’d much rather just experience the pain now than stew in anxiety and fear as he tries to anticipate what horrific things might happen.

That's how he’s survived so far, by being prepared for the worst whenever it does come.

Hopefully that’ll be enough to continue keeping him alive…

As the two of them begin walking through the camp together, Techno expects to experience taunts and jeers from the enemy soldiers because of his failure to kill the General and subsequent capture. Much to his surprise though, almost everyone completely ignores his existence aside from a few who glare daggers at him, but he thought he'd experience a whole lot worse.

He supposes there’s still time for things to get bad though…

And speaking of, it seems like that's happening right about now, because the two of them have reached the edge of the camp, and yet the Angel of Death keeps on going, Techno having no choice but to follow due to the guy still holding onto his arm.

After a few moments of walking through the trees that surround the enemy encampment, Techno hesitantly breaks the silence they’d fallen into by wryly questioning, “So is this the part where you kill me someplace in the woods where no one will ever find my body?”

While rolling his eyes, the General exasperatedly says, “Come on Mate, I said that I wasn't going to hurt you just a few minutes ago.”

“Yeah and now you've brought us away from anyone who might witness my murder, so excuse me for bein' a bit skeptical,” Techno replies without missing a beat, and he knows that he's probably tempting fate right now, but ehhh he might as well just get it over with if he's about to be stabbed and left to die out here.

When the General stops moving, Techno is forced to do the same, his hands nervously clenching and unclenching into fists as he tries to brace himself for whatever pain might come.

For a few moments the Angel of Death just watches him closely, his gaze seeming to pierce through Techno’s very soul, that intense stare making him fidget even more.

Because for as much as he likes to look death in the face and laugh, he'd be lying if he said he wasn't scared right now.

He’s all alone.

Surrounded by people who would love to kill him in terrible, painful ways.

Hands tied behind his back, his injuries preventing him from trying to run and escape.

He’s sure as hell not giving up, but things certainly do seem pretty bleak right now…

But for some unfathomable reason, when the General pulls out his sword, he doesn't use it to stab Techno.

“Turn around so I can untie your hands,” are the words that accompany the unsheathing of a deadly sharp blade, and sure, right, that's definitely what the Angel of Death is about to do with that sword.

Despite himself though, Techno turns around, every fiber of his being screaming in protest at showing his back to someone who is very much an enemy, but he tries to tell himself that it's fine since he couldn't really do all that much if he was looking at the General anyways. 

When he feels the rope around his wrists fall away, Techno’s eyebrows immediately furrow in confusion, because: “Why'd you untie me?”

Shrugging his shoulders, as though what he just did was inconsequential, the Angel of Death casually says, “Why not? Only reason you were tied up in the first place is because my men would've skinned me alive if I just let you roam around, they’re already pissed that you're even alive still. So trust me, if I wanted to kill you, I wouldn't need to drag you all the way out here.”

As he begins rubbing feeling back into his aching wrists, Techno sarcastically mutters, “You're really aspirin’ confidence in my chances of survival, so thanks for that.”

While snorting with laughter at that, the General sincerely says, “You're pretty funny y’know.”

“Thanks,” Techno replies in that same sarcastic tone, but it does turn a bit more genuine as he continues speaking: “And you're surprisingly nice for someone holdin’ me captive. Speaking of, do ya take all of your assassins as prisoners?”

“Nope, you're the first,” the Angel of Death as he shrugs his shoulders and begins walking again, and even though his arm is no longer being held onto, Techno finds himself following the winged man anyways. 

That reply causes the piglin to feel at a loss for words, because surely plenty of other people have tried and failed to kill the Angel of Death?

If the winged man killed all of those people, why did he leave Techno alive?

With each step they take, Techno tries to figure out why he's any different, why the Angel of Death didn't just kill him and be done with it like the others who failed.

But he can't come up with a single reason that makes any sense, causing him to hesitantly ask, “Why didn't you just kill me?”

As he stops walking to look at the piglin, Phil meets his gaze and softly says, “Mate, you had a literal collar wrapped around your throat.”

And that fills Techno with fury; he's been to hell and back and came out the other side, so the thought of being looked down on like that leaves the piglin absolutely seething as he demands, “So you pity me?” 

“No, I understand you, there's a fuckin’ difference” the winged man corrects him in a steely tone, and those words are definitely ones coming from a war general, harsh and firm and impossible to argue with. 

But then his tone turns to something softer and sadder as he continues, “I'm a hybrid too y'know. And some of the shit people do to us is pretty fucking vile, don't you agree?”

While that’s most definitely true, Techno can't help but point out, “But you're a general…”

“Yeah I am, and before that I was a noble’s pretty little pet,” the General practically sneers, and Techno notices that his hands are trembling violently at his sides, but it's impossible to know whether it's from rage or the memories threatening to consume him as he keeps on speaking. “Kept me locked in a fancy golden cage and I had to sing for his guests, he always wanted me to keep 'em entertained. And anytime I refused, that fucking collar around my neck shocked me till I gave in or passed out.”

After taking a deep breath to collect himself, the Angel of Death gives him a sad, broken little smile, one that seems so out of place on someone bearing such a fearsome title, his voice scarcely above a whisper as he finishes by saying, “So trust me, I get it. When I saw that collar of yours, it brought me back to a time that I'm so fucking glad I escaped from. And I thought that maybe instead of killing you, you deserved to be able to escape from the things hurting you too.”

Techno opens his mouth to speak, but nothing seems to come out, the piglin completely at a loss for what to say in the face of such brutal honesty, especially since there's something so unexpectedly kind in the winged man trying to save Techno--his enemy--from experiencing even more pain once he saw that collar.

When the piglin doesn't say anything for quite a while, Phil decides to ask something that's been nagging at him ever since he first saw that collar: “Do you even know what your side of the war is fighting for?”

And that’s something that unfreezes Techno's tongue, the man able to say without hesitation the words that have been beaten into him time and time again, “I don't need to know, I just need to follow orders.” 

“Right, of course, should’ve expected that,” the Angel of Death bitterly says, his heart aching as he asks, “And how many times did they say those exact words to you if ever you tried to ask what you were fighting for or question orders?” 

“I… I don't know,” because it's far too hazy where the line is drawn, the line in which Techno stopped fighting back because it was easier to just do as they said without questioning it. “They just told me what to do, and either I did it or they hurt me. I don't even know what any of this is about, I just gotta do what they say.”

“Not anymore, you're free now,” the General softly says with an oh-so-kind smile, but Techno can't believe a word of that, not when he knows who holds all the power here, not when the winged man could kill him right now and there's nothing he could do to stop it.

But instead of pointing that out, Techno just reaches a hand up to his collar, tugging at it with a rueful smile as he says, “I'll never be free with this thing on.” 

“I'm working on trying to get it off, I promise,” The winged man earnestly says, and despite all the alarm bells ringing in Techno’s mind, he finds himself wanting to believe the General.

Techno knows that hope is a deadly thing though, which is why all he says is, “Okay.”

Maybe the Angel of Death will prove him wrong by actually getting this collar off.

But if not, Techno supposes that he probably doesn't have too long to live anyways, so does it really matter all that much?

And no, he decides, right now it doesn't matter if his collar leaves or stays, not when his main focus is still the same as it's always been:

Survive long enough to see another day. 

If he plays his cards right and gets through this conversation, gets through whatever else might happen tonight, he can make it to another sunrise, and really what more could he ask for? 

Chapter Text

After a few moments of continuing to stand there, Phil motions his hand forward as he addresses the piglin, “Come on, let's keep moving.”

It takes a couple seconds, but then Phil hears the piglin’s footsteps begin to follow, that sound accompanied by him asking, “And where exactly are we goin’?”

With a little smirk that the piglin can’t see, Phil mysteriously says, “You'll just have to see when we get there. I think you'll like it.”

Techno doesn't say anything to that, just releases a noncommittal hum as he keeps following the winged man to… wherever it is that they're heading.

When they reach their destination about 10 minutes later, Phil can immediately feel some of the tension drop from his shoulders and wings now that he's in his favorite spot, a place where he’s managed to find some peace even during this war.

Within the dense forest surrounding their camp is a clearing that leads to a steep cliffside, one where it seems like you can see the whole entire world while standing on the edge of it. It's not quite sunset yet, but that's Phil’s favorite time of the day to be here; he loves letting his legs dangle over the edge, a smile on his face as he watches the sky turn to splatterings of purples pinks oranges and reds as the sun starts to dip below the horizon.

This is his favorite place to be, and when he wanted to go somewhere private to talk to the piglin, he couldn't think of any better place to go, especially since he isn't sure how long it's been since the man was able to just watch the sunset without fearing repercussions from those who control his collar. 

While turning away from the magical view to look at the piglin, Phil asks with a smile, “So, what do you think of it?”

Techno’s gotta admit that it really is a nice place, but he doesn't take his eyes off the winged man for more than a couple of seconds, too on edge to even think about enjoying the beauty of this hidden little place.

“It's nice, but what even is this place?" Techno warily asks, because being so close to such a steep cliff is making it hard to not feel antsy. "Why'd you bring me here?”

“Oh y’know, it's just a cliff for me to push you off of,” Phil teasingly says with a shit-eating grin, unable to contain his laughter as the piglin quickly takes a few steps away from him and the edge.

As the winged man continues to just laugh and not make any moves to actually toss him off the cliff, Techno releases a nervous chuckle and sarcastically says, “Haha, very funny, you're a real comedian. Clearly you shoulda become one of those instead of bein’ a war general.”

And that causes the Angel of Death to giggle uncontrollably, his eyes still shining with mirth as he finally recovers from his laughter enough to apologize, “Sorry, mate, couldn't help myself. Promise I'm just joking. I only brought you here because I wanted somewhere we could talk away from camp, and figured I might as well make it someplace pretty right?”

It's only when the General sits down on the edge of the cliff with his back turned toward Techno that the piglin allows himself to relax the slightest bit, his eyebrows raising in surprise and awe when he finally does get a moment to appreciate the view from the cliffside.

Wow, he kinda forgot how beautiful things really could be...

Spending day after day surrounded by nothing but death and bloodshed, it's hard to remember that life isn’t all just harsh shades of grays and reds, that nature doesn't care about their petty squabbles and continues to grow and blossom even as people's lives come to an end.

Techno’s pulled from his awe-struck daze as the Angel of Death softly asks, “Do you like watching the sunset?”

While slowly approaching the winged man and cautiously sitting down a couple feet away from him, Techno thoughtfully says, “I dunno. Never really’ve gotten the chance to.”

“I think it'll be a real pretty one tonight,” Phil says as he turns around to look at the piglin, a kind smile on his face as he continues, “We could stay here and watch it if you'd like.”

For a few moments, Techno doesn't know what to say, because this has to be some sort of trap, but the General seems so… nice.

He knows that it can't possibly be true, that this is the Angel of Death, and someone with a name like that couldn't possibly be this genuinely kind.

But he also desperately wants to believe that it's true, he wants to believe that the winged man’s kind smile won't soon turn into shouts and fists as he demands to know everything about his side’s attack plans and battle formations, as if Techno’s trusted with that sort of information in the first place.

So even though he knows that none of this is real, Techno can't help but be honest as he murmurs, “I think I'd like that.”

“That's what we'll do then,” The Angel of Death says as if it's as simple as that, and maybe it really is. 

And that’s actually what the two of them do.

In silence that surprisingly doesn't feel too awkward or tense, the two of them watch as the world begins to change around them, their eyes seemingly glued to the sky as it begins to morph into something oh so filled with color and beauty.

And it's as purples and pinks become intertwined in the sky that Techno hesitantly asks, “Why haven't you hurt me yet?”

While looking away from the sunset to give his companion a sad little smile, Phil replies without hesitation, “That's not how I do things around here, I don't hurt people just because I can. And besides, you might be on the enemy's side, but that doesn't necessarily make you my enemy.”

As he stares at the winged man in utter disbelief, Techno protests, “I think that’s exactly what it does actually. I literally tried to kill you and you’re sayin’ that I'm not your enemy? How does that make any sense?”

“Earlier you said you didn't even know what this war’s about,” The General bluntly says, and those words feel like a punch to the gut to Techno, because they make him feel so stupid, they remind him of the way he’s been used. “Like can you even tell me a single thing we're fighting over? I know you said you were just told to follow orders, but seriously, do you even have any idea why we're out here?”

“I…” Techno starts to say, but words seem to fail him entirely, because no, he doesn't have the slightest clue why he's been fighting and killing and nearly dying for weeks now. “They didn't tell me anythin'. I've given them everythin' I had, and they couldn't even be bothered to tell me why.”

“And that's why you're not my enemy,” The winged man says in a sad but firm tone, and Techno can't even begin to understand why the Angel of Death doesn't hate him, especially since he's killed so many people, some of which might have even been the man's friend. “I didn't want any of this to happen, and neither did you. We aren't all that different really, you've just been fighting on the wrong side.”

With a growing sense of dread, Techno cautiously asks, “And what have I been fighting for?”

While sighing heavily, hating that he has to tell this to someone who's been fighting for who knows how long already, Phil begins to explain, “A few months before the war started, one of the nearby kings was assassinated, and his heir took his place. The original king was never all that great, so the new one tried to do better, he tried to treat his subjects like the actual people that they were. I think most people he ruled over quickly grew to love the new king.”

Then as his voice takes on a hard, angry edge, he continues, “That's when King Dream showed up and ruined everything. Once he heard about the new king's kindness, he viewed that as a weakness and invaded the new king's land. He killed so many innocent people on the day he first invaded because there was nothing we could do, all of us were blindsided. But we learned that he was preparing an even bigger army to come back and leave the kingdom in ruin, so those of us who were left and able to fight picked up our weapons and came here.”

“A little ways behind this camp is our home,” The winged man finishes with a broken little smile, one that looks a lot more like a grimace than anything else. “If Dream’s soldiers get past us, then that's it, we’ll have failed and everything will be lost. Not only will our home be gone, but all the people left there who couldn't join this fight will be without anyone to protect them.”

When the Angel of Death finishes talking, Techno knows that he should say something, knows that he desperately needs to apologize for all the damage he caused to a man who just wanted his home back, but all he feels is numb.

Because he's been killing people for a tyrant.

And sure, most wars throughout history have started with power-hungry people looking to gain more land and power. But Techno knows what it's like to be enslaved, knows what it's like to have to bow down and listen to someone's every whim as you’re unable to fight back.

That’s what he’s unknowingly been doing all this time, he’s been killing anyone who tried to protest or fight this.

It's not like he wanted to, but that doesn't matter, his intentions don't matter when there's the blood of hundreds of innocent people on his hands, his intentions don't matter when he's killed so many people whose only crime was wanting to go home.

Techno's abruptly pulled from his thoughts when he feels a hand on his uninjured shoulder, that unexpected contact causing his gaze to snap up to the winged man who’s looking at him with nothing but sadness and understanding in his eyes.

“I don't blame you for what you've done, Mate,” Phil honestly says, and if he had any doubts about the piglin truly not knowing why this war's happening, it's painfully obvious in the man’s crestfallen expression that he genuinely had no idea. “You didn't have a choice. It’s like you said, either you killed my soldiers or the higher-ups killed you.” 

With a bitter laugh, Techno wholeheartedly says, “My life isn’t worth that much. I should’ve just let them kill me, this war already would’ve been over.”

“If you really feel that way, then go on, let them win,” The Angel of Death sternly says as he flippantly throws his hand out to gesture at the cliff behind him. “This is what they wanted after all, right?”

And that throws Techno off to the point that all he can do is ever so eloquently question, “Heh?”

“The people who sent you here,” Phil mutters as he stands up and begins to pace, feeling terribly restless now that he's come to this realization. “It seems like such a stupid move on their part, but they wanted me to kill you, right? That's why they sent you here alone into an enemy camp, without any backup or way out if things went wrong?”

“I was never meant to kill you,” Techno agrees as he stares up at the night sky, a sky that he never would have seen again had things gone his owners their way. “I was gonna try my hardest to, because I knew that'd be the end if I failed. But I figured either I'd kill you or I'd be dead, there was no in-between. I've got no idea what to do now."

Then with a terribly bitter smile, Techno mutters under his breath, "Not like I'll be alive much longer anyways though."

“Mate, I’ve already said about a hundred times that I'm not killing you-” Phil reminds him with an exasperated sigh, and he might as well write it down on some kind of sign at this point so he doesn't have to keep repeating himself. 

While wryly grabbing his collar and tugging on it, Techno looks him dead in the eyes and says in a tone that's devoid of any emotion, “Even if that's true, this thing’ll just finish the job.”

“What?” The winged man demands as he abruptly stops his pacing, his voice carrying threats of violence and pain befitting of the name Angel of Death as he continues, “Are you telling me that your collar will kill you?”

“Don't act like you care,” Techno harshly says, and all the sudden he's so frustrated, so sick of this man pretending to be kind to him. 

Without hesitation, Phil shouts in an emotion-filled tone: “I do care!” 

And that leaves Techno reeling for a few moments, because how could the winged man possibly care about him after talking to him for such a short time, how could the winged man possibly care about him when not too long ago the piglin tried to kill him?

It's just not possible to care about someone when you don't even know anything about them, especially since, “You don’t even know my name-”

But Phil cuts him off, because while that might be true, he means it wholeheartedly when he says, “That doesn’t mean I can't care about you still. I don’t want you to die. You don’t deserve to die with a fuckin' collar around your neck. And I don’t think you wanna go out like that either.”

Instead of acknowledging the truth in that, Techno releases a heavy sigh while defeatedly saying, “They said it’ll never come off.”

That doesn't deter the winged man though, Phil’s expression open and earnest as he asks, “Will you at least let me try? Please?”

Techno doesn't really think that there's any hope of the collar actually coming off, but he supposes that if it's gonna kill him anyways he doesn't have anything to lose by letting the General try, causing him to reluctantly agree, “Okay… If you're sure you wanna go through all that effort, then I won't stop you.”

With a relieved smile, Phil softly says, “Thanks, Mate.”

And in a spur-of-the-moment decision, the piglin finds himself saying, “Techno. That’s my name.”

“It’s nice to officially meet you, Techno,” The Angel of Death says with an absolutely beaming grin, one that causes Techno’s own lips to form a small smile without conscious thought. “I’m Phil.”

“Hi…” Techno murmurs in a tone so terribly soft that he hardly even recognizes the sound of his own voice, afterward trailing off, unsure what to say when everything that's happened so far is vastly different from what he expected.

“Hey,” Phil replies in turn, still giving the piglin that stupid happy grin.

Techno isn't looking at him anymore though, instead watching as the last few bits of dying sunlight make way for the stars, and after a few more moments, Phil too fixes his gaze on the sky.

As it well and truly starts to become night, colder temperatures roll in, and Phil doesn't mind the frigid breeze at all, the General opening up his wings and allowing them to catch the night air from where he continues to sit on the edge of the cliffside.

But a single glance at his nether-born companion shows that he isn't fairing nearly as well, a harsh shiver wracking the piglin's body yet again, and Phil can’t have that.

So with a slightly nervous smile, Phil extends one of his wings toward the piglin, allowing it to wrap around Techno despite the man's confused, questioning look.

And the second those oh-so-soft feathers touch his skin, Techno can't help but release a surprised little, “Oh, wow.”

“They're soft huh?” Phil asks with a pleased smile, that little bird brain part of him cheering at the fact that the piglin seems to like his wings.

“And warm,” Techno agrees, and after a few moments of hesitation, he allows himself to lean into the warmth.

It's only because it's really really cold outside, that's why he enjoys the feeling of those soft, cozy feathers wrapped around him, no other reason at all.

And that's also why, when Phil reaches out an arm to pull him in closer, Techno complies without hesitation, a happy rumble starting to build in his chest as he rests his head against the inside of Phil's shoulder.

The winged man releases a pleased, content chirp now that Techno's fully in his embrace, his wings shifting to cocoon them both in a little bubble of warmth and safety, one in which the rest of the world doesn't exist, at least for a little while.

Phill knows that eventually they’ll both have to return to camp, especially since he has to figure out a way to get that damned collar off of Techno, but for now he allows himself to simply enjoy this calm, peaceful moment. 

Chapter Text

“You ready to go back to camp, Mate?” Phil asks after a while of continuing to sit there wrapped up in the warmth of his wings, and the General doesn't really want to leave, but they're at the point where his feathers might literally start growing icicles if they keep staying out here any longer.

All Techno does is hum in response, not really wanting to speak right now when his head's a little fuzzy and there's still a rumbling purr running through him, but he does pull back from Phil once the man moves his wings away.

When Phil rises to his feet first, he offers a hand out to help Techno up, and after a few moments of nervous hesitation, the piglin accepts his hand and allows the winged man to help him to his feet, something that actually proves to be helpful when his injuries twinge with pain as they protest moving again.

As the two of them begin walking back to camp, Phil can’t help but ask in a solemn tone, “Any idea when they might try to activate the kill switch in your collar?”

After humming in thought, Techno shares that, “They said the journey should only take six days, three to get there and another three to come back. So if I’m not there by sunrise on the seventh day, they’re gonna activate it. Supposedly it’ll blow my head off, so uh, hopefully there’s a way to avoid that. If not, you better get all the use you can outta me before that happens.”

“No, that's not happening,” Phil adamantly says, and it's probably stupid to say this, but he continues nonetheless: “I promise I'm getting that shit off you. And they're fuckin' dead, if you don't kill them I will, and it sure as hell won’t be fast. Have they done this to you before?”

“Um, yeah, a few times,” Techno says as he shrugs his shoulders, because it’s just been a way of life for long enough now that there's no point getting upset over it. “Sent me out on a scoutin’ mission a little bit ago to uh, well, spy on you guys actually. Guess they thought I might've tried to join the enemy side though ‘cause same thing, if I didn't come back in time they'd active the kill switch.”

After a few moments of stewing in silent horror, Phil asks in an appalled tone, “You do realize how fucked that is, right?”

“Of course I do, I'm not an idiot,” Techno scoffs, glaring up at the night sky as if it was the one who stuck this collar around his neck. “But what am I gonna do, disobey orders knowin’ that they can kill me with the press of a button? Yeah no way is that happenin’, so I just do what they say so I can keep on livin’.”

“Well it's not gonna be like that anymore, promise,” Phil adamantly says, and he knows that he shouldn't promise freedom to a man with a ticking time bomb wrapped around his neck, yet he finds himself meaning those words wholeheartedly.

Techno doesn't say anything to that, because while he might've felt some fleeting feeling of hope sitting on that cliffside, it's completely vanished by now, gone in the face of the crushing reality that awaits him back at camp.

He doesn't know what'll happen when they go back, but Techno's certain that, whatever it may be, it's not gonna be his collar coming off.

“You don't believe me,” Phil states after a little while of the silence dragging on, but there's no accusation in his tone, those words merely spoken factually. 

“Would ya believe yourself if you were in my position?” Techno questions with a raised eyebrow, already certain of what the General's answer will be.

“Hell no,” Phil replies without hesitation, and despite himself Techno can't help but snort with laughter. “I'd think this winged guy was fuckin’ nuts.”

“Glad we're on the same page then,” Techno sagely nods his head, as if they've just settled some sort of longstanding feud, his words causing Phil to squawk indignantly. 

Then, unable to help himself, Techno teasingly deadpans, "Wow, I guess you really are part bird, good to know.”

“Shut,” Phil commands, but there's a wide grin on his face, so Techno doesn't take that as the threat that it would usually be. 

“Nah, I don't think I'm goin’ to,” Techno says after a few moments of pretending to think deeply, smirking as he continues, “See your first mistake was decidin’ to keep me alive, now you gotta deal with the consequences.”

“I suppose I can live with that,” Phil acquiesces with a mock reluctant sigh, but really he feels like he's on cloud fucking nine.

When was the last time he was able to just… talk to someone?

Just have a conversation like an actual person, not as a war general who's always supposed to be calm and collected in the face of danger, not as someone who's supposed to be the ever-infallible Angel of Death.

And it's with those thoughts in mind that Phil finds himself asking, “Hey Techno?”

When Techno hums in acknowledgment, Phil nervously asks, “Do you have someplace to go after this war ends?”

At first, the piglin is dead silent, the question throwing him off to the point that he nearly trips over his own feet as they continue walking.

But once he gets over his shock, the answer comes easily despite how sad his words are, “Nah, I don't. I’ve always figured that if I survived this war, I'd just be sold to the next person and they'd do whatever they wanted with me.”

“Oh, that makes sense. I'm sorry for asking,” Phil sincerely apologizes, feeling like a complete idiot now, especially since there's absolutely no way the piglin would ever choose to be anywhere near Phil once he's no longer being held against his will.

While shrugging his shoulders, really not feeling bothered by Phil's question, Techno honestly says, “Don't be. You've been nothin’ but kind to me, you've got no reason to be sorry for things other people’ve done.”

And those words make Phil feel upset, because, “I haven't been ‘kind’, I'm just trying to be a decent person.”

“Then there's very few of those people in this world,” Techno thoughtfully says, unsure if that's actually true or if Phil is just selling himself short, but either way the winged man is still far nicer than anyone Techno has known in a very long time. 

And that causes Phil's anger to leave in a rush, his voice sounding terribly defeated as he murmurs, “Ain't that the fuckin’ truth.”

The two of them fall into silence after that, Techno just admiring the nighttime scenery as they continue to walk. Meanwhile Phil is trapped deep in his thoughts, unable to help but think about this war and just how much it's taken away from him and so many others, how many lives have been lost because of shitty fucking people like King Dream.

He's pulled from his thoughts though when he sees the lights of his camp in the distance.

And if Techno really did think he was a nice person, that's certainly gonna change now.

While feeling like an absolute dick, Phil clears his throat to break the silence and guiltily says, “We're almost at camp, so I'll have to tie your hands again.”

“Okay,” Techno simply says, pausing in walking to turn around and put his hands together behind his back.

“Okay?” Phil repeats in a bewildered tone, because surely that can't be it? “You're not like, gonna put up any sort of fight, or even complain?”

While turning around halfway to look Phil in the eyes, Techno bluntly says, “Usually when someone wants to tie me up, I get held down by at least four people, and nothin’ about it’s gentle even when I don't fight back. And if I do? Things just get a whole lot worse. So if you need to tie me up for peace of mind, go ahead, I'm not gonna stop ya.”

For a few moments, the winged man just opens and closes his mouth uselessly, because what is he supposed to say to that, especially when he's hit by the powerful urge to cry.

Instead of sobbing like he really wants to, Phil closes the distance between him and Techno, hugging him tightly despite how rigid the piglin has become.

“Y'know I gotta say this is a pretty weird way of restrainin' someone,” Techno dully comments, hesitantly moving his hands from where he had them behind his back before cautiously returning the embrace.

After a few more moments of still being hugged, Techno asks in a terribly confused tone, “Phil?”

“Sorry, Mate,” Phil apologizes as he swiftly pulls away from the man, subtly wiping at his eyes where a few tears managed to escape. “Just thought that maybe you could use a hug.”

“Uh, thanks then I guess?” Techno hesitantly says, not at all understanding why Phil just hugged him, but he certainly didn't hate it by any means. 

“Look Mate, I can't help but feel like a real asshole right about now because even after you said that shit, I'm still gonna have to tie you up,” Phil mutters as he angrily runs a hand through his hair, because damn, this is really hard. 

Then while deciding to just tell the whole truth, Phil continues, “I’m just gonna be honest with you, okay? The whole camp really wants you dead. When they realized that I kept you alive, I genuinely thought they were gonna try to find someone else to take my place as General. We're both on thin fuckin’ ice right now, which is why we left camp to talk-”

“Phil, it's okay, really,” Techno interrupts him with a small smile, and while it does look forced, it helps Phil feel a bit better. “If my options are gettin’ ripped to shreds by your soldiers or bein’ tied up, I'm obviously gonna choose the second one. So stop feelin' bad and just do it.”

“Why am I getting a pep talk from my own prisoner?” Phil asks with a wry smile, but those words do make him finally take action.

“Eh, can’t say it’s the weirdest thing I've ever done,” Techno nonchalantly jokes as he puts his hands behind his back again.

As the rope begins to wrap around his wrists, Techno can’t help but flex his hands out of habit to test the strength of his binds, feeling pleasantly surprised when he realizes that it's not tight at all; he'd probably still end up dislocating something if he tried to get out of it, but it won't be cutting off his circulation or giving him rope burn unless he struggles, so he’ll take that as a win.

“Not too tight?” Phil asks once he finishes, and Techno's surprised to hear that he sounds genuinely concerned.

Once he shakes his head no, Phil gives him a pat on the shoulder, that hand moving lower to grip his arm as they begin walking into camp, but Techno can tell that it's more for show than to actually keep him from running away.

The walk to Phil's tent goes much quicker this time now that Techno isn't in fear for his life, the piglin keeping his head down and posture slouched, hoping to make what soldiers are still awake think that he's been sufficiently cowed during their time away from camp.

In reality, he's filled with a new fire for the first time in far, far too long, one that he foolishly hopes won’t be dying out anytime soon.

When they make it to the tent, Phil releases his arm and walks over to the cot, flopping down dramatically on it and rubbing both his hands down his face as he murmurs, “They all fuckin’ hate me now.”

“That bad huh?” Techno wryly questions from where he awkwardly stands near the tent entrance, feeling terribly out of place now that he’s back in the confines of the enemy encampment.

“If their glares could've killed us, we'd have died as painfully as possible,” Phil sardonically says as he removes his hands from his face to stare forlornly at the roof of the tent.

“I mean you could always jus’ kill me to make ‘em happy, nothing’s stoppin’ ya really,” Techno helpfully offers, smirking when Phil just glares at him, because that's pretty much what he figured the winged man would do.

Just a few hours ago Techno never would've said something like that, because he was beyond certain that his death was already on the General's agenda, but sometime between leaving camp and coming back here, Techno found himself believing that the winged man doesn't want him dead.

He knows that things might change, that he could end up proving to be more trouble than he's worth, but right now he's feeling a lot more confident than he thought he ever could in enemy territory.

(Or is that even true anymore, because Techno can't forget that Phil said he wasn't an enemy despite the way they've been fighting on opposing sides-)

Before he can dwell on that any longer, Phil beckons him over to the cot and tiredly says, “Come on, let's get some sleep. And first thing in the morning I’ll get that fucking collar off you. Wanted to do it tonight, but I figured that's something better to try when we have more than just some shitty torchlight.”

“That makes sense,” Techno nods his agreement, perfectly fine with waiting until they have proper lighting to try and tackle his collar. 

But then the first part of Phil’s words register in his brain, causing Techno to incredulously blurt out, “Wait hold on, we're sharin’ the cot?”

“The ground's way too fucking cold to sleep on, and you're injured anyways,” Phil says as if it's as simple as that.

But then as his face suddenly grows hot, Phil hurriedly stutters out, “But we don't have to! It's not like, y'know, I just figured it would be cold for you on the ground, especially since you're from the nether, and I’ve got a perfectly good cot right here-”

And as entertaining as the Angel of Death's flustered rambling is, Techno decides to help the guy out by making his way over to the cot and sitting down by Phil's legs, the winged man immediately scooting over so Techno can lay down too. 

Despite thinking about putting Phil out of his misery, Techno can't help himself and cheekily says, “If you thought they hated us now, you better hope no one catches us sleepin’ together.”

Phil groans loudly at that and once again buries his head in his hands, his face somehow growing an even brighter shade of pink as he desperately wishes the cot would swallow him up so he could just disappear. And that makes Techno laugh, like full-blown boisterous laughter, the sound startling the piglin, because when was the last time he did that?

Before he can delve too deep into those thoughts, Phil is laughing too, the two of them giggling like idiots as they lay on a shitty cot together, their laughter not stopping until they both can hardly even breathe.

In between giggles and gasps for air, Phil mutters, “We are… so… fucked.”

But that just makes the two of them laugh even harder, Phil covering his mouth with his hands to try to stifle his giggles, like a child up past their bedtime might try to crawl under the covers to hide from their parents when they hear the door open. 

Once their laughter finally comes to an end, Phil reaches out toward Techno, quickly explaining himself when the piglin stiffens, “Figured I might as well untie you since we're already in deep shit.”

When Techno just frowns in confusion, Phil can’t help but elaborate, “We'll still have to do it during the day even when you're in my tent, because I really can't afford to give them any more reasons to distrust me. But if anyone were to walk in and see us right now, there's much bigger concerns than your hands being untied.”

“But…” Techno starts to protest before trailing off, because he can understand that logic, but there's an even more pressing issue than just that.

When Techno doesn't say anything else, Phil gently prompts, “But?”

“I-I could hurt you,” Techno points out despite knowing how stupid it is to do so, despite knowing that he's painting an even bigger target on his back right now. “I could kill you in your sleep if you untie me. Why would you take that risk?”

Instead of answering his question though, Phil begins untying him as he softly says, “I could do the same thing to you, y'know. I almost killed you during our fight, I could certainly do it again. And yet you're laying here on the same cot as me.”

“Oh,” Techno mutters, because that's true, yet for some inexplicable reason he hadn't even considered that.

(You didn’t consider it because you don't think he'd do that to you-)

“Let's get some sleep, yeah?” Phil asks after the rope comes free from Techno's wrists, the winged man carelessly tossing it onto the ground below. 

“Sounds good to me,” Techno murmurs as his eyes slip shut of their own accord, all the stress of today and his injuries dragging him into sleep much quicker than usual.

The last thing Techno remembers before falling asleep is the feeling of a warm, fuzzy wing draping over him, that gentle touch causing the piglin to drift into his dreams with a small smile tugging at his lips.

Chapter Text

Awareness is something that comes in stages for Techno.

He's used to abrupt wake-up calls, used to bolting upright to the sound of shouted orders or the harsh pain of an incoming kick that greets him first thing in the morning.

But right now all he's met with is softness and warmth unlike anything he's ever known, at least not since he was just a runt in the nether, spending those blissful days surrounded by the love and safety that his sounder gave so freely.

As he continues to slowly wake up, the piglin finds it even more shocking to realize that his arms are wrapped around someone, this person held snugly to his chest as if his sleeping mind couldn't bear to let them go. 

And that causes him to jolt back as if burned by that embrace, the piglin in such a haste to distance himself from this person that he ends up falling out of the cot and tumbling onto the ground below, a hoarse cry tearing free from him as the impact jostles his injuries unforgivingly.

That sudden noise causes Phil to wake up as well, one of his hands sleepily reaching out for the piglin’s warmth, only to panic when he's met with empty sheets, his heart beating fast at the thought of the man slipping away during the night while he was none the wiser.

When he sits up though, the winged man realizes that his fears were unfounded, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion as his sleep-addled brain asks, “Whatcha doing on the floor, Mate?”

“Oh y’know, just hangin’ out really, the ground’s pretty cozy this time of year afterall,” Techno sarcastically says as he gingerly begins testing his injured shoulder, wincing at the spike of pain he feels since that was the side he landed on.

“Wait a second, did you seriously fall out of bed?” Phil asks with a growing smile, unable to help but snicker under his breath when Techno shoots him a deadly glare.

“I admit to doin’ nothin’ of the sort,” The piglin denies as he continues glaring at Phil, crossing his arms over his chest to up the dramatics despite the way it makes his shoulder twinge with pain.

Before Phil can say anything to that, they hear the sound of footsteps right outside the tent, Techno stiffening in fear as a woman questions, “General, can I come inside?”

“Just a second, Niki!” Phil calls out in a panicked tone as he quickly leaps out of bed, scooping up the rope off of the ground and giving Techno an apologetic smile before beginning to tie his hands behind his back, the General blurting out the first excuse that comes to mind. “I just need to get some clothes on, can’t be seen in my sleep pants!”

Techno huffs out a little laugh at that since the winged man is still in the same uniform he was wearing yesterday, but that excuse somehow seems to work since the woman does in fact wait to enter the tent.

“At least this time you’re wearing actual pants, we don’t need a repeat of that,” Niki teasingly says with a smile, that expression turning into a shit-eating grin when she hears the General’s telltale groan at being reminded yet again of that time he was in such a rush to get a meeting after oversleeping that he somehow managed to forget to put on pants, something his soldiers relentlessly mocked him over for weeks.

“That was the last time I’ll ever sleep in just my boxers,” Phil gravely says as he pointedly ignores the smirk on Techno's face; he’s certain that he'll be asked for the full story next time they're alone, and that's something he's very excited for, he totally can’t wait to relive the most embarrassing moment of his life in excruciating detail as the piglin laughs at him. 

Once he finishes tying the rope and stands up, Phil calls out to Niki, “You can come in now, thanks for waiting.”

“Of course, can't have our General being caught indecent after all,” Niki cheerily says as she enters the tent, unable to help herself from one last jab at the General's pride before they get down to business.

Phil doesn't dignify that with a response beyond another embarrassed groan, wondering if he'll ever get to a time when that blunder’s just a distant memory.

When her gaze lands on the other person in the tent, Niki’s smile fades, instead becoming replaced by a clinical stare befitting of her role as a medic as she addresses the piglin, “I see you're awake now. How are you feeling?”

Instead of answering her question, the piglin not wanting to show any sort of weakness in front of this stranger, Techno asks a question of his own: “Who are you?” 

“I'm the medic who saved your life. So I’d suggest that you answer me when I ask you a question, understood?” Niki says in a cold tone, and Phil can’t help but look at her in surprise, because he’s never heard her like this before; sure she's definitely gotten stern with him and plenty of others who were being stubborn about getting wounds treated, but never before has he heard her voice filled with so much disdain. 

“Yes, Ma’am,” Techno replies without hesitation as he drops his gaze down to the ground below, even lowering his head a bit in a show of respect, and that reaction is one that comes without conscious thought, one that comes purely from years spent trying to appease his owners those in charge in whatever way will cause him the least amount of pain possible. “Thank you for keepin’ me alive, I'll do whatever I can to repay that debt.” 

And Phil really wants to step in, wants to tell Techno that he doesn't owe Niki anything, but he knows that he can't afford to do so, not without letting Niki see that he actually cares about his captive.

Because he's known Niki for a while now, they were good friends long before becoming General and Medic. She knows how to read him better than anyone else, and normally that wouldn't bother him one bit, but right now it’s a detriment he really can't afford.

So Phil keeps his mouth sealed shut, silently watching as Niki begins to approach the piglin, and despite being much larger than her, Techno seems so small from where he sits hunched on the ground, hands tied behind his back. 

When she puts a hand on his injured shoulder, Techno flinches violently despite her grip not being painful, his breath catching in his throat and head snapping up to watch her with undisguised fear in his eyes, the piglin trying his best to brace himself for when that grip turns agonizingly harsh. 

And seeing that absolute terror leaves Niki feeling torn and confused. 

Because this man is the reason why so many people have been hurt irreparably, the reason why there’s been so many people that she's desperately tried and failed to save.

What gives him the right to be scared when he's caused so much pain to countless people?

What gives him the right to seem so afraid when he's the reason why so many people wake up screaming from nightmares, clutching desperately at limbs that are no longer there? 

What gives him the right to look at her like she's gonna hurt him when this piglin’s sword was the last thing many people she cared about ever saw? 

But regardless of her personal feelings on the piglin, she can't deny that he’s scared, because the unadulterated fear written clearly on his face is the kind that can't be faked.

It’s then that her gaze lands on the collar wrapped around his neck. And once upon a time, she remembers holding a sobbing Phil as his own collar finally came off, remembers the way he clung to her as if he was terrified that letting go of her would mean ending up back in that hell again. 

She knows that it’s not the same, knows this piglin’s collar doesn’t necessarily mean that he’s experienced the same horrors as her friend, but still, she can’t help but think that he’s probably been given plenty of reasons to be afraid throughout his days spent wearing that wicked thing. 

So even though she absolutely hates his guts, Niki still has a job to do as a medic. 

That's why she sits down in front of the piglin instead of continuing to tower over him, her voice turning much kinder as she explains, “My job as a medic is to help people, not hurt them. So even though you're the last person I’d ever want to save, I'm going to look over your wounds to make sure they're not infected. And once I know you aren't in danger of dying, I'll be on my way and we can pretend like this never happened, got it?”

Techno just jerkily nods his head, not trusting himself to speak, because with how badly his hands are shaking he’s certain his voice will be too, and he can't stand the thought of showing any more weakness than he already has.

Without another word, Niki begins unbandaging the wrappings around his shoulder, humming appreciatively when she sees the state of his wound.

And because the piglin is still coiled up so tightly, as if anticipating a harsh blow, Niki takes pity on him and informs him that, “Your shoulder is healing up nicely, you should be able to use it to fight again in about a week, closer to two if you wanted to wait until you aren't feeling any pain it in.”

“I can fight in a week, no need to wait until it stops hurting,” Techno says without hesitation, hesitantly meeting her gaze as he earnestly continues, “I could fight for you guys right now even, I've done it with worse injuries before.”

After a few moments of searching for any sign of him lying but, shockingly, not finding any, she shrugs her shoulders and dismissively says, “That's not my call to make, I'm just patching you up.” 

Techno looks towards Phil for any sign of when he might have to next pick up a sword, but the General is sitting at his desk with his back toward the two of them, seeming to have drowned out their conversation in favor of pouring over whatever papers are in front of him. 

After wrapping up his shoulder with fresh bandages, she focuses her attention on his back, and Techno tells himself that everything is fine as she sits behind him and begins unwrapping the numerous bandages around his back and midsection.

But the longer it goes on, Techno can feel his skin crawl, the air seeming to grow a bit thinner because it's getting harder and harder to breathe the longer someone sits in his blind spot, especially since he's left utterly defenseless with his hands tied behind his back.

If she pulled out a dagger right now he wouldn't be able to even see it, not until it had already sunk deep into his flesh, not until his blood was already pooling onto the ground below, his bound hands useless as the world grows darker and darker until his eyes slip shut for the final time-

“Breathe, Mate,” A soft voice suddenly says, and somehow those words manage to cut through his panic, those two little words able to push through the roaring pound of the blood rushing through his ears from his too-fast heartbeat.

It’s only when he sucks in a bit of air that he realizes that there's spots dancing in his vision, that breath leaving him in a wheezing rush when he exhales, but all Phil does is encouragingly say, “That's it, you're doing great. Keep on breathing just like that.”

As he slowly starts to get his breathing back under control, Techno becomes more aware of his surroundings, realizing that not only are his hands no longer tied, but that he can feel a steady heartbeat thudding away underneath his right hand.

Sure enough, once his vision clears, he sees Phil sitting right in front of him, the winged man's hand resting on top of Techno’s own and keeping it pressed against his chest so he could feel the General's heartbeat amidst his panic.

While closing his eyes so he doesn't have to see the worry and pity in Phil’s gaze, Techno ducks his head and sheepishly murmurs, “I’m really sorry about all that. Promise I won't let it happen again, Sir.”

“It's okay, I’m not a fan of having people behind me either. Makes me feel too exposed, especially since they could hurt my wings y’know,” Phil softly shares, and normally that's not something he'd ever say out loud, but he hates the thought of Techno apologizing for having a panic attack, as if his fear is something to be ashamed of.

Techno doesn't say anything to that, just gives him a shaky, grateful smile, and the sight of that causes a wide grin to tug at Phil’s own lips, the winged man feeling incredibly pleased with himself for making the piglin smile.

Thankfully, the remainder of treating Techno’s wounds passes without incident, Niki finishing with wrapping up his back again as she says, “I'm all done now. As long as your wounds continue to heal like this, you'll be good to go again in no time.”

“Thank you, Ma'am, I really appreciate it,” Techno murmurs as he lowers his head in a show of respect, and he means those words wholeheartedly, especially since Niki’s helping keep him alive despite her own dislike for him.

Niki doesn’t say anything to that, just nods her head in acknowledgment, then while standing up and turning to face Phil, the medic asks in a firm tone, “General, can I have a word with you? Alone.”

While fully knowing that he's in deep shit now, Phil gives Techno the most encouraging smile he can muster and says, “I'll be back soon, alright?”

As he starts making his way toward the entrance of the tent, Niki loudly clears her throat, her voice holding so much judgment as she questions, “Aren't you going to tie him up again?”

“Right, right, of course! Silly me, can't believe I almost forgot!” Phil exclaims as he hurriedly turns back around, the winged man most definitely catching Techno’s eyeroll directed at him for messing this up so badly.

Without another word, Phil grabs Techno’s hands and holds them together out in front of the piglin, the General pointedly ignoring the way Techno's eyebrows furrow in confusion.

Because yes, he's always tied Techno’s hands behind his back rather than in front since it's much less likely for him to escape, but Phil just can't right now, not when that was one of the main reasons why the piglin just had a panic attack.

If it was up to him, he would have just left Techno in here completely untied, but he knows that there's no way he could have gotten away with that once Niki called him out on it.

Once Techno’s secured, Phil stands up and exits the tent, Niki's presence at his back feeling like physical weight dragging him down, because now he's really in for it.

The two of them begin walking away from camp so as to not be overheard, but the second they've traveled far enough away to be out of sight and earshot, Niki rounds on him.

While harshly shoving a finger against his chest, Niki angrily demands to know, “What the hell do you think you're doing, Phil?”

“I…” Phil starts to defend himself, but he finds himself trailing off almost immediately, because how does he respond when even he has no idea what he's doing?

With a heavy, weary sigh, Phil closes his eyes and defeatedly says, “I think I fucked up.”

“You think?” Niki sarcastically asks with a bitter, disbelieving laugh. “I can't believe you. Don't you understand what he's done?!”

“Niki, please-” Phil tries to explain, because this at least he has the words for, the winged man truly believing that Techno wanted no part in this war and, had he been given a choice, he wouldn't have taken the lives of so many people on their side.

“No, you don't get to do this!” Niki shouts as the finger against his chest turns into fist, but when she hits him there isn't any real force behind it, just frustration and worry and fear with no better place to go. “Do you know how many people I’ve had to watch die?! How many people I’ve held as they took their last breath because of him?! And now look at you, you've gone and become his friend!”

Then, as her anger leaves in a rush and tears begin to prick at the corners of her eyes, Niki brokenly finishes, “You can't even begin to imagine how awful it is for me to see that you care about him. He’s already taken so much, and now you're letting him take you too.”

“I'm sorry,” Phil whispers, his voice unable to go any louder as his throat feels choked by emotion, the winged man reaching out his arms in invitation for a hug even though he doubts she'll accept. “I promise that I never wanted to hurt you.”

As tears begin to slip down her cheeks, Niki can't help but lean into Phil’s welcoming embrace, the medic hating herself when the feeling of his arms and wings wrapping around her causes her tears to flow quicker.

Because even when she's so upset with Phil, being wrapped up in his wings still feels like the closest thing to home that she has. 

After a few moments of just letting Phil hug her as the tears continue to silently race down her cheeks, Niki finally wraps her arms around him in return and sadly says, “I know you didn't mean to hurt me. You’re too kind to do that. That’s the problem, you’re too nice to hurt him.” 

“You know I can't do that to him,” Phil agrees despite knowing that those aren't the words that she’ll want to hear from him. “Niki, you saw his collar. Whenever I look at it, I just… it reminds me of… I-I can’t-”

Phil has to take a deep breath to steel himself, his exhale coming out shaky and his own tears threatening to spill over as he finishes, “You know better than anyone the shit I went through. If you hadn't been there for me once I was rescued, I don't know if I would have survived. Techno doesn't have anyone. He even asked me why I wasn't hurting him, he just can't imagine someone genuinely being kind to him and it's just so fucked. Everything about this is fucked up.”

“What are you gonna do about it then?” Niki asks as she tries her best to keep her voice free of anger she feels toward the Blood God; she’d love nothing more than for Phil to realize the grave mistake he's making right now, she’d love nothing more than for Phil to walk into that tent and kill the piglin like he should have the night the Blood God came into their camp and attacked him, but she knows her friend far too well to think he’d ever actually be capable of such a thing. 

Because, despite bearing the name Angel of Death, Phil has the kindest heart of anyone she's ever known.

If someone’s being cruel, he has no trouble dealing with them, the winged man won’t even hesitate before cutting someone down in the name of justice. 

But the second things are no longer black and white, no longer just good vs. bad?

Phil always seems to find a light even when everything’s shrouded in darkness, always seems to reveal a hidden soft side of the most heartless of people.

Niki loves Phil to death, loves the fact that he’s unflinchingly kind even to people who may not deserve it, but just this once she wishes that her friend could be a little more selfish. 

She’s already seen Phil break once, has already tried to help piece her friend back together when his very freedom was stolen from him. Niki knows that Phil’s strong, but his walls are built higher than most, she could count the number of people he trusts on one hand.

The fact that he’s already begun to care about the piglin is terrifying, because, the way Niki sees it, there’s no way for this to end without someone getting hurt. And, if she had to guess, the one who’s going to end up with his heart shattered yet again will be kind, wonderful Phil. 

“I don’t know what to do,” Phil mutters with a wry smile that lacks any sort of mirth, holding her a bit tighter, because right now it feels like she’s the only thing keeping him from falling apart. “I know I’m in too deep, but I can’t back out now. Niki, that collar’s gonna kill him if I can’t get it off. I wish I was just exaggerating, but they’ve got a kill switch hooked up to it, I-I just can’t let that happen.”

“You know that it wouldn’t be your fault if it did though, right?” Niki hesitantly asks, and while she is horrified at the thought of the collar being able to kill the Blood God--especially since her best friend was once wearing a collar, and who knows if his could’ve been rigged to kill like the piglin’s--she’s far more concerned about Phil’s well-being and the amount of pressure he’s probably putting on himself right now. “It’s not like you’re the one who put the collar on him.”

“I know,” Phil agrees, but then, as his voice drops to a low, melancholic whisper, the man continues, “It wouldn’t be my fault, but I don’t know if I’d be able to go a single day without wondering if there was something more I could’ve done to save him.”

“And why are you so determined to save him, especially after everything he’s done?” Niki can’t help but ask, some of the disdain she feels toward the piglin creeping into her tone despite trying to hold it back.

While finally pulling away from Niki, Phil holds out both of his hands toward her, his friend immediately grabbing them and holding them in her own smaller ones. 

“How many people do you think these hands have killed?” Phil matter-of-factly asks instead of answering her question, and while those words do make Niki flinch, she doesn’t let go of his hands. “Hundreds? Thousands? I wouldn’t be surprised if it was that many. I lost count when I hit around two hundred, and that was quite a while ago.”

“Phil…” Niki starts to say, but she trails off, at a loss for words because she knows that her friend speaks nothing but the truth. 

“How can you condemn him when I have just as much blood on my hands, maybe even more than he does?” Phil asks as he gives her hands a gentle squeeze, and while his hands are oh so delicate at this moment, they both know the damage he’s caused to countless others. 

“You’re my friend, I trust you, Phil,” Niki says without hesitation, as if it’s as simple as that. “You’ve hurt a lot of people, but I know you’d never hurt me.”

Her words cause him to smile bitterly, his voice filled with so much sadness as he asks, “Would you be able to forgive me if that’s how I’m starting to feel about Techno?”

“You trust him?” Niki asks in an appalled tone, and she knew that her friend was starting to care about the piglin, but trusting him goes far, far deeper than that.

“I know I probably shouldn’t, but I think I do,” Phil wryly says with that bitter little smile still in place. “I guess I wasn't kidding when I said that I was in too deep, huh?”

But his words don't make her laugh, not even the barest hint of a smile gracing her lips. 

Instead all she does is release his hands, and the sudden coldness from the lack of her touch is utterly damning, chilling him straight to the bone more than the passing breeze ever could.

“I need a minute, j-just some time alone to think about all this,” Niki hurriedly says as she steps back away from him, her legs threatening to give out beneath her from how much she's started shaking.

Because that right there? 

That admission of trust feels like a death sentence for her friend.

And the worst part of it all is that there isn't a damn thing she can do to stop this, not when the damage has already been done, not when Phil has already opened up that big, beautiful heart of his to someone who doesn't deserve it. 

“I'm so sorry,” Phil sincerely says as another onslaught of tears threatens to break free, feeling like those words were ripped straight out of his very soul.

For a few moments, Niki just watches her friend closely, taking in the clear anguish on his features. And seeing that expression of hurt on her best friend's face almost makes her cave, almost makes her stay so they can try to work this out, because she truly doesn't want to fight, not with Phil. 

But she dismisses that thought almost as quickly as it had first come, knowing deep down that there isn't a way to sort any of this out, that all the time in the world to try and talk this out just wouldn't be good enough, not when:

“You're not sorry enough to abandon him though, are you?”

The silence following those words is deafening.

Because there's nothing for Phil to say, not when they both already know the truth. 

After releasing a heavy, weary sigh, Niki begins to walk back toward camp, a part of her wishing that she could feel shocked or angered or betrayed by his silence, but she doesn't. 

How could she when she's not even the slightest bit surprised that this happened, how could she when some days it feels like she knows Phil better than she even knows herself? 

And as he watches her retreating back, Phil’s wings droop behind him to the point where they nearly graze the dirt beneath him, the man unable to help but feel like part of his heart is chipped away and stolen, that little piece being the only thing to accompany her as she leaves.