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The cold of the arctic was not something that bothered Technoblade. After the sultriness of the Nether during his youth, the warm blood of his enemies covering him during his battles or just the heat of the TNT days ago, the cold was more than welcome and refreshing. So for Phil to ask him to give up the peace of their cottage to go back to what used to be L’Manberg to check on Ghostbur and Ranboo…. It didn’t bother him, Phil could never do that. But Techno didn’t want to see a certain blond boy as he still felt hurt and betrayed. Luckily for him, that was not an issue since he appeared to not be in the lands of the servers. Nor was the bee boy who used to be president and the hybrid Phil wanted to check on.
They searched the whole Dream SMP and the crater of L’Manberg. No corpses but no living child either. Purple was still here but as usual, he just passed through the server quickly to go back on the battlefields of Hypixel. None of the inhabitants of the SMP bothered them during the day. They either just send them hateful looks or just scatter away as they made their way through the different places.
It was late afternoon when they decided to check Tommy’s base. Like all the other places, no boys here but a letter.
“They’re gone… “ said Phil staggered after reading the letter out loud “I knew something was off in Ranboo’s voice when I called him but… I did not imagine he would go with them”
Techno studied the dirt cave Tommy called his home. He knew the kid was not the best at building but he also knew he could do better. So why didn’t he bother ?
“Are you here to blow up his other house ?”
Phil and Techno turned towards the doors to see a tired looking Niki with Jack by her side.
“I know you must hate the child, understandably so, we all are angry with him nowadays. But surely you would know that blowing up his other and first house is cruel, even for you”
Techno pushed past her with Phil still looking at the letter following him.
“Do you know where they went ?” the piglin asked
“Why? Are you worried?" asked Niki with a smile.
"Worried!?" Technoblade looked offended but his mood shifted to a darker one "why would I be worried for a traitor who betrayed me for a government and discs?!"
"OH the discs, I remember" chirped Ghostbur
The group turned to see the ghost who, as usual, appeared out of nowhere, and was holding on a stack of logs with a bit of blue on top.
"Wilbur, what are you doing with those logs?" asked Phil who already knew of the answer
"Rebuilding L'Manberg of course! The boys will need a home to come back to when their vacation is over!"
"Do you know where Tommy, Tubbo and Ranboo are?" asked Phil, Techno decided to not point out the worries that he could hear in his voice.
Ghostbur ignored the question and put what he was holding in his inventory.
"I remember the discs" he said "Tommy would always play them during the independence war"
The ex-leader floated towards the remains of a jukebox and a bench, left to wither with time. He touched the wood, looked at the broken seat and with the sun setting down behind him, he recalled with a sad smile :
"He knew Dream was always lurking and that taking them out of his ender chest was dangerous. But as always, he was willing to take that risk to make us smile and offer us music. It was so refreshing and rewarding to hear music and laugh instead of blades collidings and TNT exploding "
Ghostbur looked at them all and with a proud and fond look in his eyes, he told them :
" Tommy did not just won us peace and independence with his discs at the end of the war. He gave us a taste of it during the worst time of it"
For a moment, Phil didn't saw Ghostbur there but the actual ghost of Wilbur. But that moment quickly vanished as Ghostbur joyfully exclaimed :
"I'm sure he's listening to them right now!"
A moment of realisation passed through his white and empty eyes and he took a more thoughtful pose. In his still innocent voice he continued :
"Oh no, Dream has 2 of them, right? He can't listen to them, oh no Phil!"
He quickly floated towards his father:
"Philza, Tommy must be sad, he's on vacation Phil, he shouldn't be sad"
The voice of his brother and the reassuring words of his fathers were drowned out by the voices as Techno stared at the bench where Wilbur stood seconds before. The image of Tommy, Tubbo, Wilbur and Fundy dancing, singing and laughing even if they were battered and injured crawled before his eyes. Techno frowned and hated the sorrow that this image brought him.
" Let's go Phil, we have to head home"
He already started walking towards the Nether Portal, he didn’t look back but knew that Phil was following him. He stayed silent that night and the day after. He mined and tended to his turtles while Phil went at his occupations. He was glad Phil did not ask him to continuously entertain a discussion but he also knew that if Phil was silent, it was not just out of respect for his boundaries . Phil was worried. Techno didn’t know what kept his father figure to just go and search for the kids but he didn’t ask. The only thing that was keeping him to have a peaceful retreat was a lack of sleep. Sure, he was used to that but this time, an eerie feeling was bothering him during his sleepless night.
After a week, he left, grumbling, his home in the middle of the night and went alone to Tommy’s base. Without any surprise, the kids were not back. Techno was standing right in front of the doors, asking himself why the fuck he was here when heard noises behind him. Swiftly and instinctively, he unsheathed the Orphan Obliterator and put the blade against the throat of the person who dared sneaking up on him. A clearly terrified and white Connor was trembling against it, hands up:
“Are you going to take me hostage again ?” he managed to ask
“To get leverage from what country ? I destroyed it, you are no use to me. What are you doing here ?”
“I live here”
Connor pointed the… construction across the path. Tommy told him about it, Ninja built it. Techno sighed and put his sword down and Connor relaxed a bit.
“Can I ask you what are you doing here too ? Like you said, you already unleashed your wrath on them… And I saw you here the other day… why are you back ?”
Techno stared at Tommy’s base and answered:
“I do not know”
And in a murmur that Connor almost didn’t caught he continued:
“I think I wanted to understand.”
“Understand what ?”
The piglin faced the other man and while pointing at the doors in the hill, he vociferate:
“Well first: why did Tommy never build a proper house ?”
An angel passed as Connor stared at Techno before bursting out in laughter. He cackled and only stopped after a minute when he noticed that the Blade wasn’t laughing
“Oh wait, you are serious.”
“What is so funny with this question ?”
“Well you have been on this server longer than I have, right ? You must know that nothing here lasts very long, I mean you did just blew up a country which had been destroyed...already two times before if I'm correct ?”
As Techno stared at Connor in the eyes, and the man turned his attention to a newcomer:
“Hello Technoblade, hello Connor, why are you awake ?”
The ghost didn’t need to sleep and was still working on rebuilding his country. Phil went sometimes and destroyed what the ghost had built without the said ghost knowing.
“It’s for his own good” he explained to Techno as he came home, axe still in hand.
Apparently, Ghostbur didn’t gave up yet and Techno knew Phil would have to go chop down the foundations of L’Manberg again in a few days. Since Techno was lost in his thoughts, Connor answered for the both of them:
“Oh, you know, I’m just explaining to the Blood God here how everyone on the server seems to blow stuff up.”
“Oh you’re right ! I blew up my country” cheered Ghostbur.
Connor looked back at Techno and said almost proudly:
“See what I mean ?”
He looked at his neighbor’s house and pursued his explanation:
“When I arrived here and was shown around, I saw the ruins of the house of the other kid… uuuh the president… “
“Tubbo !” informed Ghostbur happily.
“Yes, him ! Tommy is quite close to the guy, right ? I understand why he would not bother building something if he knew that the threat of his work being destroyed would continually hang above his head.”
“And Dream blew up his armor everyday and then he blew up Logstedshire !” supplied Ghostbur innocently without realizing the implication of what he was saying.
Connor just extended his hands towards the ghost while looking at Techno:
“Again: see what I mean ?? At least in all this madness, I was right about Tommy”
“About what ?”
“When he came back after the Community House incident, I saw him enter his house and… he looked so worn, tired and done. I told him he wasn’t a bad person… just a conflicted one. The kid has messed up, I know, I’m one of his victims with the whole hostage and torture thingy. But the kid is messed up to.”
He looked at Techno and said, seemingly pitying the boy:
“Nobody here showed him a way other than destruction and hurting people back”
“”The child who is no embraced by the village will burn it down to feel its warmth”” quoted Ghostbur who floated between them. “I read that in a book ! Do you think Tommy will come back to burn down the SMP to feel warmer ? I miss him !”
Techno didn’t say anything, didn’t even sighed and just started to go back to the Arctic but through L’Manberg and not the Nether. He saw Ghostbur following him and heard Connor confused noises and then a goodbye:
“Well uh… Good night, it was good to see you I guess”
Technoblade was still mad. But now he didn’t know against whom and that made him even more mad. Being mad against Tommy was easy, the kid made it that way. But at the same time, as Techno went toward the crater that used to be Tommy’s home, the kid didn’t have it easy either. So why ? Why would Tommy betray him ? Techno gave him a home, supplies, protected him, trained him, laughed with him. Why would Tommy turn his back against him and try to protect a land and people who did nothing for him ? He maybe came here because he had nothing better to do than try to understand but now he was even more confused. And he didn’t like that.
“Wow, you guys really did a number on them, didn't you?"
Techno looked beside him to find Purpled. He almost forgot the kid lived on the SMP too. In contrast to Tommy and Tubbo, Purpled spent his days on Hypixel, fighting in the Bedwars and earning a pretty good reputation for his age. Without leaving his eyes from the crater, the blond asked him:
" Do you know if Tommy and Tubbo are okay?"
The sudden moment of Techno facing him with glaring eyes made Purpled step back and get his weapon out :
"Wow, that's making you mad. Before you try to kill me for being worried, can I at least know why?"
"Tommy betrayed me for Tubbo"
"Not surprising"
"Yes it is, I don't understand why!"
Purpled understood that Techno was not mad at him and wouldn't actually hurt him so he put his sword back in his inventory and prepared some ender pearls, just in case. While he did that, he stared at the piglin dumbfounded.
" What do you mean why? It's Tommy and Tubbo!"
He argued that like he was stating a basic and world known fact.
"Tubbo hurt him! He exiled him! He's been a bad friend!"
"Maybe. But it's Tommy and Tubbo." Technoblade looked more confused than mad now "Don't look at me like that ! Wasn't you supposed to know the guy? Like before the SMP and then in Pogtopia? Didn't you see the extent he's willing to go to protect Tubbo or avenge him?"
Techno stayed silent. Tubbo had been "adopted" in Phil's family so he saw the two kids together since… Forever, he didn’t have a good notion of time. But he thought they grew out of that friendship, even more when Tommy was exiled and sought refuge at his house. Sure, he never saw Tommy that mad than when he killed Tubbo during that first Festival. His eyes bore anger and a desperation that a kid shouldn't have. But he guessed that seeing someone you trusted brutally executing a friend with fireworks would be enough to convey that feeling. He remembers the joy and pride he saw on Tommy's face when Tubbo was just assigned president after the war. And also just before Techno killed Tubbo again with fireworks. Tubbo told him how horrible dying to fireworks was after the festival. How feeling your limbs being ripped from your body with heating colors all around you was a dreadful way to die. And how the scars that he got, by their itching, reminded him for weeks that feeling. And still, Techno saw him jump between fireworks and Tommy during Doomsday. When he saw this, he just felt overjoyed that he sent Tommy the traitor and Tubbo the president to the unpleasant feeling of the respawn with some new colorful scars. But now… He shook his head, trying to keep those thoughts out of his head. Tommy betrayed him and Tubbo tried to execute him with no trial. They deserved everything that happened to them. So why? Why did he feel that pang of guilt grow beside his anger? Why did the voices seem to pity the boys?
A quick laugh got him out of those thoughts and he looked at the kid beside him. Purpled had a smirk on his face as he gazed over the crater.
"Why are you laughing?"
"Nah, I was just thinking about that one time where Ponk and Karl asked me why I didn't spend more time on the server. But as usual, they weren't asking the right question.”
He started walking down the stairs who dangerously creaked under his feet and pursued:
“Why would I rather spend my time on the battlefield of bedwars than here, trying to build something with you all ?”
He turned back on his feet to face Techno and have his back to the crater:
“The answer, sir Blade, is right before your eyes ! Bye”
The kid in a purple hoodie disappeared into the night, leaving Techno and Ghostbur silent. The voices were all agreeing with the teen, at least the ones that made sense. A ghostly and real voice spoke and asked:
“Techno, do you know why I love L’Manberg ?”
Techno just grunted and Wilbur took that as an invitation to continue his thoughts:
“L’Manberg kinda became the heart of the SMP. Like, I don’t know if you noticed but people gathered at L’Manberg. We organized events. Ok, I admit, most of them ended probably badly because I don’t remember how they finished BUT ! People from everywhere on the server came and interacted with each other. Did you notice that since it’s gone, everyone is doing their own thing but don’t interact and play together ? The kids are on vacation, Niki, Quackity and Fundy are gone their separate ways, Dream too, you are far away with Phil…”
Techno turned to Wilbur to see the ghost of his brother crying:
“Techno, you and Phil keep saying me L’Manberg was bad…. but didn’t it needed and deserved salvation rather than total destruction ? “
Techno wasn’t already really good with emotion, everybody and himself knew that but between this question, the voices and the several deep discussions he had tonight, he was just totally lost and didn’t know what to do. Wilbur kept on looking at him, crying, his eyes more empty than before. Then, he blinked twice and smile:
“Hey Techno, what are you doing here in the middle of the night ? I know your sleep schedule is messed up but you should be in bed !”
The piglin hated himself to thank the ghost’s memory issue but he truly didn’t know how to deal with what just happened.
“Yeah yeah Wil, I’m going to bed. I’ll see you later, ok ?”
He went down the stairs but instead to follow his initial plan to go through the crater and go back home with his trident and the sea, he went back to the portal next to the ruins of the community house and nether traveled.
During the next week, Techno stayed home, healing villagers, reading books to help Phil with his research, studying enchants books, forging weapons: everything to stay home and avoid any social interaction. First because he decided that all the interactions he had the past month and just on his last night in the SMP was enough socialization for the year. And second because his mind was a turmoil, between his own doubts and lingering anger and the voices that taunted him and held their own arguments, just trying to focus on a task was tiring enough.
Truth be told, he was missing Tommy. But he was still angry against the kid and that contradiction just made him more upset.
Phil seemed a little off too but Techno knew it wasn’t for the same reasons. Phil felt… some sort of guilt. The piglin knew none of them felt remorses to have destroyed the country that hurt them but maybe… maybe they felt remorses to have destroyed the kids that lived there.
A little more than a month and a half after Doomsday, Ghostbur disappeared. Phil, who went to the server alone, came back distressed to Techno. None of them had seen the ghost for at least two weeks and what worried them the most was the fact that the constructions in the crater had stopped too. After sending multiple whispers and trying to call the ghost multiple times, they finally got a response and coordinates. He was almost a week of travel away so Phil and Techno went to him though the Nether.
“Wilbur, what were you thinking ? Going in the wilderness like that without telling me ?”
Techno couldn’t help but smile while listening to his father scolding his brother on their way to get him. It reminded him of a better and sweeter time. And it was always funny to see one of his brothers getting a reprimand. They found Wilbur in a cave, he was chilling with a lama, waiting for them.
“Please tell me you didn’t adopt this lama as a friend” was the first thing Phil said when he notice his son’s ghost
“No, he’s a dick” answered Ghostbur with no hesitations “are you going to help me see Tommy and Tubbo ?”
Techno and Phil both got closer to Ghostbur and exclaimed:
“You know where they are ?”
They looked at each other, both surprised at how worried they were about the kids. Ghostbur didn’t notice or didn’t say anything about that and just replied:
“Yes, they called me one or two nights ago” he paused “.. maybe it was weeks ? I don’t really have a good sense of time anymore since I don’t sleep, but they called me ! They reached their vacation place ! And they invited me but I got lost.”
Ghostbur looked sad when he finished his explanation. Phil sighed and offered him a smile:
“If you want, I can help you travel where they are.”
Wil’s eyes started shining like ones of a kid before christmas, they almost looked alive.
“You can ?” He said cheerfully.
“Yes, but for now, let’s go home, ok ? It’s not safe for you to travel in the overworld.”
They all made their way back to the Arctic after Ghostbur said his goodbye to the lama with a middle finger. He gave the coordinates to Phil during their walk and Techno heard him shout a surprised exclamation so he looked over his best friend's shoulder to see what the fuss was about. And seeing the numbers, he couldn’t help but gasp too. The kids seemed to have traveled over ten thousands blocks away from the server, there was no chance for Ghostbur to just go visit them traveling through the overworld. He tried though, multiples times after they got home. Phil wanted to wait for a few days and travel on the nether roof but Ghostbur with his childlike mentality didn’t seem to understand that. Because with Phil knowledge and calculations, even on the Nether roof it would take days for them to reach the coordinates. So they had to take food and obsidian to create a portal to go back in the overworld and sleep. This required preparations and Phil tried to explain that to the ghost multiple times but during the next weeks, he delayed unintentionally the departure by trying to reach “his boys” by himself. Phil and Technoblade had to save Wilbur at least 5 times before Phil was ready. Techno decided he would stay at the cottage while Phil would go check on the children.
Maybe he admitted to himself and the voices that he missed Tommy and even the two other kids that he didn’t know that well but he also knew that he was still mad at the kid. If he saw him, he would get angry and that would help nobody and it wouldn’t help Phil at all.
So he waved goodbye to Phil and his brother and went about his life like usual. He saved the village next to his cottage from a raid because he could and was bored. The anarchist tried to tame the ravager from the pillagers but when the beast tried to attack Carl, Techno and the voices screamed for blood and there was no more ravager to tame. It was that day, when Technoblade was washing off the blood from his clothes and weapons that Phil called him.
“‘sup ?” greeted Techno putting the phone on the table next to him because his hands were still busy with the bloody mess his vest was.
“Heya mate, we arrived at their place !”
“And ?”
“They’re alive.”
“You didn’t talk with them ?”
Phil took some time to answer and Techno let him think about what he was going to say:
“No, I didn’t. Tommy saw me but didn’t came to see me. Ghostbur is currently talking with him. They’re in a mushroom biome so they’re safe and they also have a house and… I don’t really know how to instigate a discussion with them…”
“Please don’t ask me for advice on that” pleaded Techno.
At least that earned a chuckle on the other end of the line.
“Don’t worry Techno, I think we just need all a little more time.”
And with that hope, Phil stayed a few hundreds blocks away from the teens island, using the Nether to get there with Ghostbur. While the ghost had fun with Tommy, Tubbo and Ranboo, Phil decided to build a path with ice to get faster to this location from the Arctic. Techno said nothing when Phil talked about this but he knew it was just a tactic for the older man to procrastinate on the true goal of this trip. This standpoint situation annoyed Technoblade to the point where the piglin decided to join Phil and Ghostbur.
The situation needed an action to clear all this mess and Techno knew that this action may be him talking to Tommy. Because after all, between all the people involved in this mess they called family, him and Tommy were the most stubborn, so if they could talk, it’ll prove that nothing was totally lost.
That’s why he appeared on their doorstep mere minutes after announcing his presence to Phil. He was preparing himself to knock when Tommy, all geared up, opened the door. An angel passed as they stared at each other before Tommy frowned:
““Uh uh, hell no, not today”
And closed the door. It took all Techno’s patience and energy to keep himself from destroying the door and get the kid but that would be doing the opposite of why he was here. So Techno just growled and went to sit on the beach. It took him some time to remember that mushroom island didn’t typically have beaches so the boys had to probably build it. He heard the strumming of a ukulele inside the house but kept his eyes on the horizon. He hoped that Tommy would come out at some point. He was angry, that’s right but… he had time to reflect. He was the adult here, he had to admit he made mistakes. He had to do that for him to grow and be a better person but also to show an example to Tommy. He was determined to break this vicious circle they both trapped themselves in, not only for their sakes but also for WIlbur and Phil who were both impacted and suffered from the situation. And also, a lot of the voices screamed for him to give the child another chance, if he did that, maybe he could get a few moments of peace and quiet.
At dusk, he heard Ranboo go inside the house and understood that Tommy wouldn’t go outside today. He begrudgingly went back to the portal to Phil who couldn’t help but smirk
“ ‘suppose you didn’t get any luck”
Techno’s only response was him angrily eating and chewing on a golden carrot. Phil chuckled and said:
‘I saw Tubbo having trouble with his redstone with what I suppose will be automated bee hives. I think I’m going to try and help him, maybe it’ll help with the whole situation ? I don’t think Tubbo is that mad at me.”
From the screaming Techno heard when he was at the portal the next day, the piglin guessed that Phil was wrong and that Tubbo was truly mad at him. Phil came back, looking almost shameful and embarrassed.
“It was that bad ?” asked Techno
“I never saw Tubbo that mad at someone… and the someone was me… Techno… did I… did I fucked up ? “
Techno didn’t know what to respond but from what he gathered during the past few months… Techno is a bad influence, he’s close-minded when it comes to ideologies and anarchy, he’s violent, he hears voices who always for more blood without caring about morals and ethics so he never wanted and never will be a responsible figure for the next generation. But Philza ? He might be the Angel of Death but he can also be caring and he knows how to guide people. The silence of the blood god gave away to Phil his response and Phil couldn’t help but put his pride aside and question himself.
“I came on this server to help Tommy and Tubbo. I was hearing the news and everything that happened here, Tubbo’s execution, Wil’s madness. I was too late for Wilbur but I wanted to be there for the two others and… I messed up…”
He sat on a log besides a campfire they built next to the portal. Phil started to stare silently at the flames and Techno knew that he couldn’t do anything more for the man. He needed to rethink every step and mistake he made to properly make amends to the kids. So Techno wandered mindlessly on the island, finding the kids mine next to a hill, saw the house they made for the pets and a football field which basically just consisted in a goal and an abandoned ball. He saw the bee farm and without noticing, arrived in front of the house, once again. But this time, as he was looking towards the sea, he heard the door open and footsteps. Techno turned around to see Tommy. In the light of the day and without all his gear, he could see that the kid was in a way better shape than he was During doomsday despite several new scars on his arms, throat and legs. But the blond seemed tense but determined. They both gauged each other before Tommy broke the silent:
“I fucking hate you, you know that ?”
“I share the same sentiment towards you”
“And I considered you like a friend… a brother even”
“And you still betrayed me”
“YOU WANTED ME TO KILL MY BEST FRIEND”
Like all the other discussions they had about their ideals where Tommy would bring up Tubbo, Techno was about to retort and try to explain how Tubbo was a bad friend but Tommy didn’t let him speak.
“NO NO NO, you don’t get to speak, you only saw me as equal and worthy when I was adhering to your ideals, you wanted me to be like you even though he meant for me betraying all I stood for and my friends ! How could that have been good for me ? You are ok on your own and have Philza, I am ok with L’Manberg and have Wilbur, OH YEAH RIGHT, I DON’T”
Without explosions or people around, Techno didn’t have anything to worry about other than the kid who with distressed eyes let his anger explode in a way Techno never saw him do. His anger was hiding so much traumatisms, weariness and sadness. Techno knew that because at this moment, he could almost see himself in Tommy.
“I lost everything Techno and that includes you because you were my friend”
With the way that Tommy’s voice broke when he said that sentence, Techno finally understood and knew that Tommy was telling the truth. Tommy never used him, Tommy saw him as an ally, a friend. Techno didn’t have time to reflect on that because Tommy continued his rant except he wasn’t screaming anymore.
“and I understood and acknowledged your ideology and that’s why I had to “betray” you because you were going to make a big mistake and I had to do everything to protect the people and what I loved.”
He took an ender pearl out and stepped away from Techno. Techno guessed what he was about to do but couldn’t move and was totally speechless. Tommy kept going, looking the Blood god right in the eyes, without faltering.
“I’m sorry I hurt you, I truly am because like I said, you were my friend. My brother. My hero. But you killed my best friend, allied with my abuser and worst enemy even though I told you what he did to me and then you destroyed my home country and last memory of Wilbur. So I think we’re even.”
Without breaking eye contact, Tommy threw his ender pearl toward the house and disappeared. Techno sweared his saw tears in the eyes of the kid. He stayed here, stunned, without moving an inch. He heard Tommy. For the first time in age, he heard the pain he had too. He clenched his fist and growled. Tommy was hurt because of him and he was hurt because of Tommy so yes, he was right, they were even. Techno could leave this island and never saw the blond again. But he didn't want that. He wanted to and had to discuss with Tommy.
The sun was set when he joined Phil at the portal. None of them exchanged any words, too preoccupied by their interactions with the kids. A tall figure with glowing red and green eyes approached them. Techno only had a few interactions with the hybrid but he kinda liked him. He seemed smart for his age. He was capable of joining the jokes and friendly banter he had with Tommy and he saw him helping the best he could Tubbo with his role as president. Techno surprised himself by thinking that he was glad that Tommy and Tubbo had someone like Ranboo who cared about them.
“Are you coming back here ?” he asked
“Yes” answered Techno without hesitating “I’m not done with that… with Tommy.”
Technoblade almost called Tommy a traitor again but this time it felt wrong. Ranboo hummed in agreement and looked around him.
“You know we chose this place because Phil taught Tommy this biome was safe ?”
Techno looked at the island too before looking at his oldest friend. Philza looked surprised and a little soft at this.
“He speaks little about you two but when he does, he speaks highly of the both of you. He wears the turtle helmet and uses the Axe of peace when he goes into his expeditions. When we found an ice picks biome, he claimed it for Phil. He’s so proud of all the accomplishments of Techno…”
“Maybe but he’s still betrayed us” snarled the Piglin, turning towards the portal.
“Maybe you disowned him and for you he’s dead but to Tommy… He still has hope to mend his relationship with you and will defend you and your honor if he has to.”
The teen sighed and after a moment, took his time to look them in their eyes. Techno remembered that Ranboo talked about being half-enderman, making eye contact was not something easy for him. But he still did that for Tommy. Ranboo, and despite showing signs of being uncomfortable, he spoke with a convinced tone:
“You may hate him and he probably does too but you still matter to him.”
He turned back and before totally being out of earshot, he mumbled :
“If only y’all had put your pride and bias aside for 2 minutes, and actually talked and listened to each other…. Maybe all this mess could have been avoided"
Techno stiffened before grumbling and going through the portal. Phil and him had set up a pretty good base a thousand blocks away, the nether travelling helping a lot with the respect of the kids’s privacy and the need for the adults to stay close to them. Like most of the time since they arrived, Phil and Techno were silent the whole evening. “You still matter to him” … “You still matter to him”. Why did those words resonated in Techno’s mind ? Even the voices couldn’t divert him from the enderman hybrid’s word.
Sighing, Techno looked up to the stars and let his mind wander freely. He closed his eyes and immediately, a blond boy appeared in front of him. It was Tommy, the first time Wilbur brought him home. The common misconception for the people that knew of their family was that they were all related by blood. They were not. They were… well they used to be bound together by laughs, common history and adventures, love and care for each other. Phil, father of Wilbur, found Techno in the nether, took him under his wings and for years, they were a family of 3. Then, one day, Wil brought this racoon kid, this pickpocket who lied as much as he breathed. He wasn’t even a teen yet, maybe ten or eleven years old, not older. He managed to raise himself on the streets of random servers before Wilbur met him. He got his way into Wilbur’s heart and then Techno’s and Phil’s. There was something about this kid that they all liked and cherished. Maybe it was because they all saw themselves into the kid, charisma and trickery for WIlbur, determination for Technoblade and the fury that Phil could often show. Tommy brought something new to their group. When they all came to the Earth SMP and went all their own way, Tommy forged a reputation for himself as a troublemaker by starting war and conflicts everywhere he went. The rest of the family had to admit, they were proud of him. Techno couldn’t help but smile when he heard that Tommy successfully scammed someone despite everyone knowing what kind of person he was. It was weird for him to have accepted the kid like that because both of them were really different. Technoblade knew how to work to get what he wanted and Tommy was more used to stealing and tricking people to get that. Technoblade liked calm and despised small talk where Tommy was a loud and brash kid who failed at having one normal and calm discussion. The list could go on and on.
After all this time Technoblade didn’t know why he wanted to give this kid another chance.
He opened his eyes and mechanically reached out in the ender chest that they brought to get the block of bedrock. Phil was already lying down in his bed, maybe asleep, maybe just lost in his thoughts, like Techno. Either way, the piglin wouldn’t have to explain the smile that grew on his face.
A bedrock block. What a great block to symbolise his relationship with Tommy. Hidden but always there, indestructible and franctly unexplainable. His english major brain was delighted by all the symbolisms this simple block possessed that only both him and Tommy had on this server.
Maybe…
Maybe that’s because they had such differing personalities that Technoblade wanted to give Tommy another chance. Tommy could succeed where Techno could not and in the few weeks they lived together, Technoblade had to admit, he laughed a lot more than he usually did. Which was weird since Tommy was in a traumatised and wretched state when Techno took him in. But still, he made Christmas with Phil and Ghostbur so much fun and delightful. He made them smile even though the situation was far from being light hearted. He had this gift of bringing people together and making them smile. Despite being a trickster, he was a good kid that cared more than he let it show. After all, the first thing he did when he saw Dream at the portal was giving Techno some gapples and potions. He gave up some items that could have helped him against Dream despite his traumatisms and fear of the man. Why would he have done that if he didn’t care about Techno ?
Maybe it wasn’t just that Techno wanted to give Tommy another chance but also that Tommy deserved that second chance.
That’s why, after a couple of days, Techno sat on the beach, facing the ocean and watched the sunset. As the sun started his descent, Tommy, all dusty and sweaty from a day in the mine, came and sat by his side. Techno wasn’t angry anymore. He was still lost and didn’t understand every action Tommy did but he wasn’t filled with resentment like before. And neither was Tommy. The Blade, by the silence, guessed that this time, it was his turn to talk. He decided to open up, tell the simple truth about how he felt, like Tommy did the day before:
“Your betrayal hurt me you know ?”
Because that was the truth. At first he hated himself for that because the voices mocked him. He hated how stupid and vulnerable he felt.
“I know and I’m sorry but it was what I had to do.”
He knew Tommy was saying the truth too.
“I considered you like a friend. I thought that what we were doing would be good for the both of us”
“You were wrong. But I wasn’t in the right either”
As they were talking honestly and calmly, Techno could feel his anger melting away. He was getting answers. They were clearing misunderstandings.
“I didn’t know what Tubbo meant to you.”
“And I didn’t know you were scared for your life on this podium.”
That … was not what Techno thought Tommy was going to say?
“Are you serious ??”
Tommy looked at him with eyes filled with admiration and a little bit of playfulness
“You are the Blood God, the Blade ! You never die ! Of course I trusted your skills !”
Techno huffed and after a moment and breaking eye contact, Tommy mumbled:
“Plus, you were supposed to be the overprepared and smart one… You could have given Tubbo an ender pearl and got the fuck out the festival. That’s what I thought you were going to do. I don’t know what Wilbur thought though.”
“Wilbur ?”
“I wanted to join you on the podium, I had the ender pearl ready for that… But Wilbur told me not to, I don’t know if like me he believed in you or if…”
While Tommy was lost in his thoughts and implications of Wilbur’s act, the piglin felt a warm feeling come over him. Tommy had been there for him before but he didn’t notice it.
“Or if he knew you would kill Tubbo and that it would make me hate you, proving his paranoïd point that we couldn’t trust anyone.”
Techno who had zoned out for a moment, tuned back into the conversation and looked at Tommy. He smiled at him and both of them let a comfortable silent take place. At some point, Tommy fetched the disc Pigstep and played it on a jukebox. The sun set and Tommy and Techno knew their relationship was getting a new start.
Techno came home that night. The travel was still very long even with potions and the ice highway. Techno couldn’t help but curse at the young boys who decided to settle this far. But his grumbling held a lot more affection this time. And when he finally reached his home, he didn’t sleep, of course. No, instead he went down under his house, where a den used to be. And after looking at the crater he created out of anger, he sighed, feeling fulfilled and for the first time in months, content with himself. He still understood the violent and hate he felt that night right after his little brother betrayed him. But now, he also felt the need to rebuild this place. He blew it up and destroyed it to move on from the boy and now he needed to create and build it again in order to move on from his anger. This was his way to grow from his past mistakes and become a better person.
When he came back to the island, a week later, he fixed another thing: his relationship with Tubbo. It was really easy, him and the ex-president had this weird relationship of respect and banter. In his hate for the government and with Tubbo almost executing him, Techno almost forgot that this kid had originally a heart of gold. Sadly, the world around him just taught him that violence was the only universal language and Techno knew he was to blame too for that. So after a discussion and a little bantering, Tubbo and him were on good terms again. And they were both front row spectators for Phil’s attempt to mend things with Tommy. They both knew that things would get better in the end because Tommy wanted to have his father back too so they couldn’t help but smirk at Tommy’s ruses to avoid Phil.
Their smirks disappeared though when one day, a new and unwanted person found their way to the island. When he saw Dream discussing with Phil and Tommy, Techno wanted to intervene but Tubbo kept him from doing so.
“Dream won’t kill Tommy and he knows you’re here so he won’t hurt Phil. But if you intervene, Tommy will use that to avoid his discussion with Phil once more”
Relanctucly, Technoblade stayed put, a hand still on his weapon, ready to strike. Tommy went home, clearly tired and upset and minutes after him, Phil entered the house too. Dream went back towards the portal and Techno followed him. Maybe he allied with the admin to destroy L’Manberg and also Tommy but he didn’t forget what the boy had told him. Tommy didn’t told him everything, he was sure of that. He just quickly mentioned Dream taking all his stuff often but he had only learned from Ghostbur that his stuff wasn’t just taken. Instead of using it, Dream blew it up, he did that to purposefully break Tommy, not just bullying or punishment for his mistakes. Technoblade remembers how Tommy was when he took him under his protection. His bright blue eyes were grey and the light inside them almost extinct. He flinched at almost any sound and was reckless but not the “Tommy reckless”, the kind that showed that he didn’t care for himself. He got better with him and Techno tried his best to help him even if he was a dimwit when it came to dealing with emotions and traumas. But the piglin knew Tommy never told him the whole story and he knew Dream will never do that as well. And he was also aware that Dream on the island was no good for anyone. He would protect them all, Tommy, Tubbo, Ranboo and Phil, he would not let Dream have his way again.
When he arrived near the portal, Dream was looking around the island, glaring a little more at the mines, the iron farm and the sparring and training area. The blood god smiled.
“You are scared.” he remarked.
Dream chuckled:
“Noooo, why would I be scared ?”
“The habit that Tommy lost when he came on this server was grinding for himself. You broke him and rendered him weak, without any will power. And then, you underestimate him and let him off the hook for a few months and …”
He gestured vaguely, showing the island:
“He doesn’t just come back on his feet, he uses all the anger that brew inside him to learn and get stronger.”
“He can try and prepare all he wants, he’ll never defeat me, compared to me he’s just like a bug. A funny one, but a bug nonetheless. Our fight just will be more entertaining to me”
Technoblade stared at Dream, his smile fading.
“Do you know the story of Nestor and the giant Ereuthalion ?” he pondered
Dream shook his head and Techno broke eye contact to look at the boy’s house, seeing Phil exit it.
“Then maybe you know the story of David and Goliath better ! Both have one common point, a giant defeated by what they thought was a bug-like human. Funny ones, maybe, but they still both end up dead. “
“Are you threatening me Techno ? You own m-.”
“I’m not threatening anyone Dream. This is not my fight. But between the two of you…”
I know who I'm rooting for.
This was just implied but the two gods didn’t need that truth to be said out loud to be known. This closed the discussion and Phil joined them and threatened Dream immediately. Techno zoned out again, thinking that if Philza had the energy to come after Dream, that meant his discussion with Tommy went at least well. Their family was coming together once again. No dispute and war could really sever their bond in the end. As Dream left for the Nether, chuckling, Techno and Phil shared a look. A silent discussion happened and the resolution to not let Tommy down on the subject of Dream was decided.
They would let him fight and figure things on his own because he needed to learn but they would make sure this fight was fair. Fair as in trying to protect Tommy from the manipulation of Dream so he could fight him as a challenger and not a pawn in Dream’s mad game.
That’s why they came around the island more often. They were right because they saw Dream watching them from afar more than once. But none of them cared, if Dream tried to strike him, with Tommy, Techno and Phil, he didn’t stood a chance. Instead of worrying about the green man, the group spent time together and even went travelling around the world. Technoblade and Philza were astonished by the knowledge Tommy gained doing expeditions by himself. In those moments, Techno understood why he grew to consider Tommy family in the first place. Sure, the brat was insufferable and wild but on the battlefield ? He had ideas and strategies that were so unexpected and brilliant that sometimes he would be the one who got rid of most of the enemies of one dungeon. Where Techno liked to plan and sometimes panicked when things didn’t go like he thought they would, Tommy would barge in and improvise like no one Phil or Techno ever saw. And they spend decades on battlefields.
After one of their travels with the two other boys where they all went to an ice pick biom, Techno was resting next to the portal, waiting for Phil. He had a lot of fun, he must admit. They all laughed so much that a smile crept on his face as he remembered the events of the past days. Those couple of months have been a bliss, no wars but still enough adrenaline and blood to calm the voices. No betrayal but instead reconciliations and a new found friend in Ranboo. The teen was actually approaching the piglin with a block of grass in his hands and crouched before him to talk:
“Tired ?” he inquired
“Yeah…’m waiting for Phil”
“He’s talking with Tommy and Tubbo about… food I think. Not balanced enough apparently.”
Techno huffed. Oh Phil and his habit of being the dad friend. Ranboo sat, legs crossed, in front of him.
“It’s funny how … we click all together so well “ he conceded while picking at grass on his block. He looked shy and blurted “I mean like hmmm”
“I see what you mean” admitted Technoblade cutting the hybrid. “We’re all different people with not always the same ideals and yet… we’re acting like family… I have to admit, I don’t even know how Tommy and I can still talk to each other. Our truce and reconciliation is a mystery to me”
Techno laughed lightly but Ranboo didn’t noticed it, too absorbed by his grass block and responded absentmindedly:
“It’s not a mystery, both of you took your enchanted armor off”
Techno stared at Ranboo, confused and exclaimed:
“What on earth are you talking about ?”
That snapped Ranboo out of his transfixation and the kid spouted:
“Like metaphorical armors ! With enchants like Thorns !”
Techno shook his head, inquiring him to continue:
“Like, both of you, to defend and protect yourself, you have those metaphorical armors with Thorns IV on it ! And when it came to defend yourselves, you had to hurt the other even if none of you had control over that !”
Ranboo calmed down a little and pursued his explanation:
“So like, to defend his friends, beliefs and last memory of Wilbur, Tommy had to betray you and hurt you in the process. And as a defense mechanism, to defend your beliefs, Phil’s and your lifes and your broken heart, you had to destroy L’Manberg, hurting Tommy in the process. This could’ve gone forever if none of you let your guard down and actually talked. And that is what you both did. You accepted to be vulnerable, gave up the armors and Thorns and finally found your brother again in what you thought was an enemy. “
He started to pick grass again distractedly:
“Neither you or Tommy chose to put on this armor which reflects the damage that people do to you, even loved ones. You both went through a lot of rough times and it’s a common response to trauma.”
Techno hummed, thinking about what Ranboo helped him realized:
“Thanks you Ranboo”
“Oh hum… you’re welcome I guess ?”
Techno and Phil went home tonight and on the way back, Phil talked about actually building a vacation house on the island. Techno answered by saying they would have to ask the kids if they were alright with letting down even more armor. Philza laughed but Techno knew he understood what he meant.
While Ranboo and Tubbo enjoyed going out adventuring, Tommy, Phil and Techno often went just as a trio. Like always, they fought together and defeated armies of pillagers like it was a peaceful stroll. Tommy was ecstatic about finding his place in the family again, gloating on how they were a really good team but if Wilbur were here, they would be the actual dream team. When he said that the first time, a silent fell on the trio in the manor they were currently raiding.
But not a silent filled with sadness and sorrow, more of a dauntless and awaiting silent. Phil was, after months of search and with the help of Bad and Eret, close to resurrecting Wil. One of their last expeditions actually was to find a certain god, a totem god person. They found him, he was nice and agreed to help even if apparently, he didn’t know the extent of his powers. The date was set. Techno and Tommy already found an excuse to not be here. Neither of them wanted to be here because they still held conflicting emotions towards their brother. But also they didn’t want to be there in case the ritual included Ghostbur being stabbed by Philza. They didn’t need to see that a second time.
So they already had an expedition toward a lost temple thousands and thousands of blocks away planned. Philza didn’t hold that against them, if he were honest, he was pleased and even overjoyed by that fact. Pleased because he didn’t want to put his sons through the painful experience of their brother's death again. And overjoyed because he clearly saw the complicity between Techno and Tommy when they both started to blurt out excuses to not be attending the ritual.
The morning of the ritual, nobody was on the island. Ranboo and Tubbo were on the SMP, helping Phil with the last arrangements and Technoblade and Tommy were in a bad position at least thirty thousand blocks away from them.
Really, their brotherly and bonding expedition started greatly. Tommy was excited about this new location and the trophies and loot it could have and Techno was ready to stab shit. And oh boi, did they stab shit. Apparently, all of their past peregrinations didn’t go unnoticed and the cult of the illagers decided that Tommy Innit and Technoblade simply had to die. So they gathered more than an army of evokers and vindicators and ambushed the two combatants in the jungle near their target.
“Hmm Techno ? I think the cartograph that gave us this map may have sold us out” suggested Tommy, out of breath as they ran through the vegetation to find a place to hide and collect themselves.
“Nooooo you think so ? “ replied sarcastically Techno as he plunged under the roots of a big tree to hide “Remind me to stab him when we get home”
Tommy chuckled and followed him:
“Only if you let me help you”.
They sat down and went silent. They didn’t think about bringing invisibility potions and the enemies knew they were here so a surprise attack would be difficult to execute. Tommy was on the lookout when he heard Techno growl. He turned back to see the piglin holding his head, catching a glimpse of mad red eyes before Techno closed them quickly. Tommy knew those signs. The voices were loud. It was something that ran in the family but Techno definitely had the worst case among them. He whispered:
“Techno ?”
Not wanting to get to close in case the crisis was even worse than he thought and Techno attacked him. Techno flinched and in a low and inhuman voice, he roared:
“they want blood”
“I figured that… mine ?”
“No… theirs. They threatened us. They deserve to die.”
“And I’m totally with you on that plan but we don’t want you to get into total beast mode and do things you might regret”
Techno knew what he was talking about. Surrender to the voices and let his wrath decimate the enemy line was an enticing idea but it was a double edged sword. In his blood lust, he didn’t distinguish friend or foe anymore and more than once he accidentally injured people he cared about; Tommy included. He was more than capable of taking care of the illagers with his normal and cold fury state of mind. With the help of Tommy, they could easily slaughter them all, they had to retreat because they had been taken by surprise. But now, they ran in this hideout and had gathered information on the ones that attacked them. They had estimated their numbers and what kind of illagers they would have to face. So now the illagers weren’t the biggest threat to Tommy anymore, Techno was and with his wish to protect his little brother, that didn’t sit well with him. And that fact made the voices even louder in his head.
He was losing grip on reality, opening an eye to fearfully glance at Tommy when a bright and gold object entered his sight… a golden carrot ?
“Calm yourself, have a carrot”
Techno surprised and kinda lost, chuckled and took an effort to join Tommy in this bit:
“You took Ghostbur manners now ?”
“NO, if anything, he took MY manners, I used to give Wilbur carrots to calm him down during the war”
Seeing Tommy acting so casual made Techno grin without thinking.
“Why ?”
“What do you mean “Why ?””
“Why carrots ?”
“Well Pigman, why potatoes ?”
“I had a war over those”
“Well again, maybe I’ll follow in your footsteps and have a war over carrots !”
Techno stared at Tommy, puzzled before the both of them started laughing. Tommy had successfully drowned out the voices with this discussion. He did that so naturally and fearlessly that Techno could almost believe that he hadn’t been a deadly threat to the boy a minute ago. They both remained silent a few more minutes, organizing their inventory, ready to strike back.
An hour later, they were standing bloody but not injured, outside the jungle or more exactly what was left of it. A big fire had spread and they were too occupied with finishing off the enemies, none of them had the idea to extinguish it before it was too late.
“Uugh, Tubbo and Phil are going to kill us if they knew what we just did to mother nature” shivered Tommy.
“I won’t say a word if you say nothing too.”
“Deal”
They both giggled before turning their back to the flames and starting to head home. The temple marked on the map never existed so there was a cartographer at Techno’s base who needed to be stabbed.
They went through the Nether and after a week of walking, they were back on the island. The island was still empty. For a moment, Techno and Tommy thought something bad happened. That Dream came and attacked Ranboo and Tubbo. But those fears were washed away when Tommy stepped into the living room of his house and found a letter in evidence on the table. Nothing was written on it except for “W. S. aka big man” in elegant letters. Tommy picked up the envelope and with a smile turned to Technoblade who smirked too:
“The Sleepy bois are back” he marveled
“And they’re ready to fuck things up” vowed Tommy.