Work Text:
Technos heart shattered at the sight before him as he rode up to l’manberg. His eyes widened under his pig mask before narrowing in a deep cold gaze. His face was directed on the masked man dressed in green. The man standing on the podium that Tubbo and Wilbur built. Acting like he was the one who ruled this new nation.
Techno hated governments, this was true. But what he hated even more was a dictator. A monarch who would take what he wanted and do what he wanted. Wilbur respected his people, Schlatt didn’t senselessly murder his people, Tubbo at least had his peoples best interests at heart evenif he struggled with showing it, Eret as a king had respect for every person he met, and George was kind to every one of his peers.
But Dream..?
He wanted to kill the motherfucker.
The person who manipulated children, the person who really had fun murdering his family, tormenting the ghost of his brother, tormenting him and his father, manipulating a president who just wanted their to be peace, who was only engaged to a man for power. Technoblade knew Dream was smug and arrogant and couldn’t stand him on a good day.
Granted, when Dream offered to help him take down Manberg, he had agreed to since it was driving his family insane, it was tearing them apart with trying to take back their home so of course he had agreed to help them bring down Schlatt. But when Tommy was gifted power of the land? When Wilbur then gifted it to Tubbo?
Technoblade saw history repeating itself and of course took up Dreams offer… Does he regret it?
.
.
.
If Techno wasn’t so focused on disbanding what had just formed before his eyes, he could’ve saved his brother. He could’ve convinced him that no one hated him, that no one wanted him dead.
He was too caught up in his own anarchic ways to see that his brother was so far gone. It hurt when he met Phil after all that happened, when he asked him what happened, as only Tommy and Tubbo saw Wilbur die.
Phils hands were covered in blood, his eyes and gaze were cold as he looked at Techno. Not filled with hate or fear, but sadness. Pure sadness that Techno has never seen from his father since he knew him. Techno looked around him before meeting his eyes, “Where's… Where's Wilbur?” his monotone voice was barely above a whisper.
Phil looked down and couldn’t meet his gaze again.
“D-Dad? Where is he? Where-” he stepped closer, his voice getting higher as he threw off his helmet and his tusks poked out, “Where-”
Phil was slow with his movements as from his side, he pulled Wilburs sword. The one Techno had crafted with him in Pogtopia, the one where on one of Wilburs bad nights he had whispered to Techno that no matter how much he fell from grace, he would never lose it or get rid of it. Because it was special between them. Wilbur had to leave behind so much when he was forced to leave his home, anything that he didn’t have on him, he basically never got back. Dream had been strict on letting Wilbur or Tommy come back to get their things which, fair, they were exiled.
But then he didn’t let his own father come to comfort his sons, but instead let Techno come to help his brothers.
Which Technoblade now sees, was to Dreams advantage. Because if Phil was allowed to come see them? He would’ve kept his brothers safe and happy. With Techno on the other hand, Dream knew everything would burn.
And it all did. Everything burned and blew to the ground.
Which is why he didn’t blame Phil. He didn’t blame his father for being the end of his brother. Because in the end, Dream was the one responsible. Dream manipulated Wilbur, Dream manipulated Tommy, and he manipulated Tubbo.
Which is why Techno had felt more pain than he ever has that day. Which is why even though Tommy hated Techno and Tubbo felt hurt, they each stayed close until the sun set, after burying Wilbur and letting him rest.
Techno wanted to murder Dream that day.
He used his family for his own enjoyment, forced them into pain.
Which is why Techo was a coward and ran. He could’ve stayed, tried to help them, try to connect with Tommy again, even if he hated him… But he couldn’t watch the people he cared for, the people he loved just be hurt again and again and again. He was scared of being hated forever, by his own little brother.
So he ran.
And only told one person where he was. The only friend he had.
Phil.
And he noticed as Phil walked with him to his base that he wasn’t as cheery as he used to be. His smile wasn’t the same, but he still carried kindness with him.
And when he gave Phil the compass to his base and the emeralds, his smile was bittersweet, because they both knew the downside to him being allowed to join.
The downside was that Phil only had one life, had one chance to die before he was gone. He wasn’t letting anyone in his family die. Not again, not because of Dream.
.
.
.
Everyone was there in New L’Manberg. Ghostbur was sitting on top of the crane, confused as to why his little brothers and father were in cages and why Techno was standing on the prime path with Karl, ironically watching Carl at the front gates.
Ghostbur frowned, he was still confused as one day he woke up and Tommy was just gone. No note, no nothing. So, he came back to his home, his resting place. To see this site before him. He couldn’t do much of course.
All he could do was watch.
.
.
.
Techno’s bone-like mask covered his frown as Dream's own mask covered his grin. No one knew exactly what Dream had planned. But they all knew it was going to be big. Seeing three of the more notable players, Phil, Tommy, and Tubbo all locked in Bedrock boxes, looking beaten and bloody.
Niki had tried to claw out Tubbo with Ranboo but they failed and as Dream approached them with his netherite axe shining, they let them be.
.
.
.
“Hello, Technoblade.” Dreams axe gleamed in the rays of light that seeped through the sun, his voice filled with joy.
“Dream.” Technos eyes were narrow beneath his mask, his voice monotone and acute.
There was tense silence between the two as all eyes were between the two and the three locked in boxes behind Dream, sitting on the podium.Until Dream spoke.
“Well, I guess I’ll start.” Dream hummed as he began to slowly pace along the path that connected the two, his lanky figure menacing as he walked to Techno but the piglin didn’t seem to flinch or even be bothered by him.
“Ya see Techno, while you were in ‘Retirement, I was busy… Preparing for this day, preparing for the day we were meant to cross paths once again.” he giggled, his tone mocking the other. “Now, my dear Blood God, you see that I have your family held captive, well, your living family that is. And as you are aware, each of them are just so close to losing their last chance here!” he laughed and slowly stepped back, “And I am the only person capable of saving them.” Techno huffed and furrowed his brows, steadying his hand on his sheath.
Dream didn’t seem to care, “Kill me if you want, I’ll still have enough time to slaughter your loved ones before I’m gone for good. Now, Techno, I have the ability to set them free, to restore their health in an instant,” his fingers snapped, “Or I could kill them just as easily. But because I’m kind, I won’t. Because you know what I have? After all this time?”
The taller man giggled from in front of the boxes, “I have the discs! I have the badlands, I have everything under my thumb except for you, Technoblade.” he hummed as Techno readied himself to strike if need be, Dream’s axe reached out, pointing to the piglin who stood in town square, the gap in the crater separating them.
“And you see, to get you, well, sure,” his axe relaxed by his side, “You have Carl and Bob, which wouldn’t be enough to get out of retirement, but I know what would. Because like me, you only have one weakness. Well, I don’t. Not anymore. But you, you have your family. Your father, the first human who didn’t try to kill you on sight, your baby brother who saw you as this- this cool badass or something. The brother you met with youre found family together and cared for.”
“You already lost one brother. And surely you don’t want to lose your father at least. So, I’m willing to make a deal with you.”
Dream hummed as Techno relaxed slightly, standing still with his only movement being his breath. Dream continued, “Your brothers, your family and your home, everyone here will be free. I have the discs, I have my home, but no one can leave anywhere here without my say so.” he grinned, his mask tilting up, revealing his chin.
“But they’ll all go free, if you give up your extra chances.” he chuckled.
Techno froze, his eyes going wide.
“Technoblade never dies right? Well, that won't be true for much longer. While yes, getting you down to one life would be all I need to make you go into hiding, I still need your assurance that you wont ever come in my path again. And your family, my people will go free.”
Techno knew Dream going to kill him today, knew today would be his last day walking this ground now.
“What are these conditions exactly? If you get to my last life.” he muttered.
Dream grinned again, his teeth devilish, “Well, as I stated everyone here would be free, your family would never be bothered again, but if you die again, after I free them, you’ll be gone for good. Just like Willbur, you’ll be a shell of your previous self, if you even come back at all.”
By this time, Phil was the only one to wake up out of the three of them. He knew he couldn’t convince Techno, with how stubborn he was. He could just watch as this deal went down, through teary eyes. He couldn’t lose another son.
Techno gulped. “Will it be quick?” he muttered.
Dream shrugged, “Sure. Well, maybe. We’ll see how well you agree to these terms.”
Techno frowned and looked out to the boxes behind Dream, glancing at his family then looking up to the crane. Ghostbur frowned and tilted his head. He was still confused. His brother couldn’t die! He was the Blood God… right?
Techno let out a gentle sigh and reached behind his neck, reaching under his long pink hair. Tommy stirred to consciousness and as he looked to Techno, then around him, then to Dream. Sure, Tommy was dumb.
But he could put two and two together. “TECHNO-” his voice was hoarse, “DON’T YOU FUCKING DARE MAKE A DEAL WITH HIM, I’LL KILL YOU MYSELF YOU FUCKHEAD-” he coughed, holding his throat as he shut his eyes tight. His body shivered in pain.
“Heal them first. I’ll agree to your terms as long as you help them first.” he gently took off his school mask, his scarred eyes and face staring down Dream.
Dream hummed softly before shrugging, “Why not?” he looked down at his communicator and gently typed in a simple code, before entering it and started to regenerate the others health. He could only do that with extreme focus, even if at times he put him in pain.
“Let’s get this execution on the road shall we?” He grinned as Tommy panted, getting some energy in his voice, letting out a piercing scream, “TECHNO-” and Phil gasped as Wilbur let out a tear.
Dreams axe slashed right through Technos heart, leaving himself frozen as Dream jumped next to his ear, Techno barely seeing the outline of Dreams fierce green eyes as he muttered, “Blood for the blood god.” And Technos body fell to the ground.
The group of players there silent, with George and Sapnap standing far in the back as they gasped. Fundy turned away, tears streaming down his face. He was just standing by… While his own husband did this… He didn’t even speak up… He felt like a coward.
Dream grinned as Techno stared up at him, before his body grew limp. Dream yanked out his axe of Technos corpse after letting it sit, almost admiring his work. “One more to go.” He sang gently.
Technoblade was slain by Dream.
Technos body vanished in a puff of smoke. His heart stilling as he fell into a dark, dark hole that felt like it went on forever until he started to float. His body felt hollow and cold and he felt alone, with his chest aching in more and more pain as if needles pulled open his wound and blood just poured and poured down his body.
He had forgotten what death felt like. He hadn’t missed it.
The respawning hurt the most, as he felt his wound get stitched together in seconds, but it felt like hours of excruciating pain. People who died, over and over again in battle said that they grew numb to it. But also grew colder themselves.
Techno didn’t want to be cold.
Ghostbur looked around. He had to protect his brother. He had to! He silently flew down to the bottom of his crane, searching through his items.
Dream grinned as a shaking Technoblade spawned in the town center. His face stern as he stared at the other. “Fuck. You.” he coughed into his arm, blood falling from his lips. The other man chuckled.
The feeling of respawning was like a stabbing pain, over and over and over again. And you just sat in an empty space. And it was just so, so cold. Techno had died once before, to describe it the first time was unbearable. He never respawned again until now.
Dream stared at Techno before he stood on shaky feet. Dream hummed, “Aw, is the Blood God scared?” he chuckled.
George frowned. This was the man that he cared for. This was his best friend. Yet if he stepped out of line, he would be treated much worse than when he was dethroned. So he just stared off with the rest of the players. Not sure of what to do or say that wouldn’t get people killed.
Techno took deep breaths, trying to stabilize himself before he was stricken down once more. Dream cackled, “Aw, it can’t have been that bad. Afterall you wouldn’t be so willy-nilly about killing Tubbo then would you?” he mocked him, “You wouldn’t kill your family and bring your little brothers half to death would you?”
Techno held a hand over his heart, “You really are just a scared little piglin underneath all that confidence, aren’t you? You’re just a coward, maybe I should just take the rest of your lives here-” Tommy spoke up again, his voice raw, “Leave him alone-!” he coughed again, his voice sounding as if his throat was being torn out.
Dream sighed, “Well, we did make a deal.” He shrugged and then kicked the weaker one down, Technos back hitting the spruce wood that held up L’Manberg as Dream raised his axe.
Dream expected fear in his enemies eyes, but instead… He was determined. He had little to no fear in his red eyes. Instead it was pure anger, determination.
Dream didn’t care.
The axe came down and he laughed, the axe spiking the center of his chest and staining his blood red blouse once more, but Dream quickly pulled the axe back, bringing it down onto his chest until he heard it hit the wood.
Dream grinned as he pulled the axe out of the others mutilated body, blood splattered on his mask, his hands, the wood.
His family only watched in horror. Even with the knowledge of him respawning, they all were terrified. Tommy and Tubbo would never forget this image in front of him. Phil would never forget the image of his first son mutilated like this.
Technoblade was slain by Dream.
Techno would never forget the feeling of respawning from this.
Techno came back with a cold stare in his eyes on Dream, his legs weak. He held an arm over his chest and muttered, “We done?” his monotone voice feeling dead of any trace of emotion, his heart beating slow and calm.
Dream smirked softly, “A deals a deal.” He pulled out his communicator and typed in a code, the three of his family members locked up, being dropped from the bedrock cages. Techno took deep slow breaths and Dream stepped back and out of the way, as Tommy ran to him, sending him back onto the wood as he tackled him a hug, wrapping his arms around his barely taller brother.
Techno puffed a laugh, but his body felt too weak for much else, as Tubbo helped Phil stand up. Phil dropped a heavy glare at Dream, for causing so much pain to his children, for causing the death for his second child. He would kill him… Someday, not today.
“Are you going to leave him alone now? Y’know Techno was never a threat to ya.” he muttered. Dream shrugged and looked at Phil, “I don’t have a reason to bother any of you after today. It was mostly for insurance anyway. He’s the only person on the server who can bring me down.” Then, Dream turned, walking away from the bloodstained wood with his axe slung over his shoulder, humming calmly.
Phil carefully made his way over to his eldest as he slowly stood on his own, giving a sad smile.
Everyone in the crowd didn’t know what to say or do, so one by one, they began to disperse. Fundy, Niki, and Ranboo ended up staying the longest as the family reunited
However, the one sibling that was missing, came back eventually with a quiet and raspy, “Hello, Dream.” Smiling as he flew by Dreams side as he made his way to the edge of L’Manberg, “Can I help you, Ghostbu-” And a sword was impaled through Dreams chest a moment after. Blood dripped from his tongue.
Ghostbur tilted his head, “Is everything alright, Dream? You look a little under the weather.” he hummed calmly. Dream gasped and put a hand over his chest as the sword seemed to vanish in thin air.
Dream was slain by WilburSoot.
Techno froze as he looked over to Ghostbur floating next to a puff of smoke. Ghostbur shrugged, “Guess Wilbur did another bad thing.” he hummed lightly before floating back up to the crane. The four others sat in silence, yet were comfortable. Both him and Dream were down to one life… Teetering just on the edge. And it was… Terrifying.
After a bit longer of Techno recovering from… That. He stood up slowly, his eyes still vacant. It was silent among the four of them before Phil mumbled, “Guess you’re going into longer retirement, eh?” he snorted as Techno offered a quiet laugh, “Permanent retirement more like it.” Tommy and Tubbo clung onto each other with a gentle smile. Techno reached down and gently picked up his skull mask, starting to tie it onto the back of his hair.
It was more quiet among them as of now.
But… It soon grew loud.
And Loud… Loud, loud, loud, loud, loud, and loud and loud.
And then it was quiet.
Technos body dropped before any of them could register it.
Technoblade was slain by Dream.
Dream panted and chuckled, “Well, I technically kept my deal.” he pulled back his sword and laughed.
“You… You bastard! You fucking-” Tommy screamed and before they knew it, Dream vanished in front of them.
Phil’s eyes were wide and he dropped down, staring at his sons body, holding a hand over his mouth. His hands were shaking. He couldn’t think or breathe. He could just stare and let his mind wander... Tommy looked down at the motionless body below them. “N-No… This is just a joke, this has to be a fucking joke, n-no, no!” The younger one grew frantic, his hands shaking as he stared down below him.
Blood pooled at their feet.
Fundys jaw was dropped and his ears were pulled back. He looked around them, looking for any sign of Dream. But yet… How could he forgive this man… His lover for doing this to his home, his family. And instead of mourning with them… He left. Quietly. As Niki sobbed quietly and Ranboo stood in shock.
Their friend throughout it all was gone… They all lost someone that day.
.
.
.
.
The funeral was bleak. It was out far, far North. Down by a cottage near a village. Phil held the compass close that night as gentle snow covered the wooden coffin, before helping bury it in the ground. Tommy would never admit how much he cried that night. Tubbo wouldn’t admit that he stayed by Tommys side for the days following, moving his bed right next to his. Ghostbur wouldn’t admit that he felt colder around L’Manberg.
None of them would acknowledge the sight of pink hair from the corner of their eye. They all felt like they were going mad.
None of them came to the cottage for months
.
.
.
.
The night of the funeral, when everyone read:
Dream fell to his death trying to escape Ph1lzA.
No one shed a tear. George and Fundy mourned together, but neither of them cried.
.
.
.
.
It took Tubbo five weeks. He resigned as President the day after his oldest brother died. Giving his cabinet the task of picking a leader. While Tommy was never welcomed home, no one said he couldn’t return either. So instead, Tubbo went to Tommy. And things were rough. But they still cared for each other.
They argued alot at the beginning. But they knew they needed a friend. And hey… Tubbo got the disks back. So really… They had everything they really wanted.
.
.
.
.
It took Ghostbur five months. He never believed people when they told him his brother was gone. Some days, he doesn’t want to believe them. But after months passed, he grew into some acceptance. And built him a statue. Not only that but a sparring circle by the potato farm.
Maybe they sparred together, in the dead of night. Maybe they laughed together every now and then.
Maybe they didn’t.
.
.
.
.
It took seven months. Seven months for Philto to accept the death of Techno. After those seven months, he paid the cottage a visit. Holding the compass and the emeralds close in his icey coat. No one said a word when he changed it in style of his late son.
When he passed the treeline, he saw the cottage. But then he saw the field.
And he smiled.
And he then cried, when he saw a pink haired figure dress in blue glance through the window before vanishing in the blink of an eye.
