Lionhearts ||Skephalo||

68

"We're going to be FINE," Tommy impresses upon the others as they tip their chins up, reluctantly allowing the guards to hold them at blade point. "Look, Techno is gonna wake up an' he's gonna be just fine, he won't kill us."

Minutes pass with similar drivel, and then Technoblade hauls himself upright with a groan, feeling the back of his neck and shuddering.

"Myr—" One of the guards blurts out, "Myr Techno, thank goodness!" Techno's eyes drift around the room, and lock on Tommy.

"Ah, you," he says almost pleasantly, "Philza suggested dipping you in tar, sound good big man?"

Tommy looks alarmed at first, but then it clicks. Phil spoke to him!

"Techno—" The guard nearest to him lifts their blade warningly. Techno dismissively waves, staggering up from the puddle.

"Let him down, like, I don't mind if you keep a close eye on his friends but he's not a threat. Didn't I throw your sword out the window?" Tommy nods as the blade is lowered from his throat. "What's happening then? Where'd the blood come from?"

"Came from Notfound," Punz interjects, unflinching as the blade is raised a bit closer to his skin. "Guy traveling with Dream, friend of the Skeppy who decided to storm this place trying to rescue his soulmate. Something burst out of the poor man and it looked real painful."

Techno's lack of understanding in the situation is clear; but he seems to register one coherent idea.

"...So Dream is in the fortress?" He asks, and Tommy waves his hands nervously.

"Whoa whoa whoa, hold your horses Tech," he babbles, "Dream, uh, he, he's an ally, and right now he's dealing with his critically injured boyfriend and allat so I really think you can hold off fighting him!—"

Techno's hand comes down on top of Tommy's head, and the teen initially flinched; but he relaxes when he feels the older playfully ruffle his hair.

"Calm down, I'm not going to hurt him," Techno reassures his brother, "In fact, I'd like to have a chat with him. But first I need to see Will again. Phil wasn't, er, very forthcoming about his state."

Tommy glances to the others, and then back to Techno with a sheepish grin.

"Well, Tech, uh, this is...how do you say this tactfully, right...He's a fucking ghost, bro," Tommy reveals. The room goes silent for a moment.

And then Techno's low chuckles fill the silence. He's really back, Tommy realizes, and a hopeful spark ignites in his heart. Tech is back!

The group is soon to make their way down the hall towards the infirmary, Tommy animatedly explaining to Techno the situation in as much detail as he can. The others, once freed from the threatening swords at their throats, help fill in where they can which is, admittedly, not very often.

"You see apparently he's a real bigshot mage," Tommy gestures, pantomiming an explosion, "An' from what I got, if he dies or like mentally gets frazzled beyond fixin' the whole big magic he's been holding in goes kaploosh everywhere." Techno nods thoughtfully, contemplating it.

"And I'm the one who captured this guy?" He asks wearily.

"And you're the one who captured this guy," Punz confirms, "From what I know anyway. Why else would his soulmate be tracking you down via your name alone?"

"Eeeh? He was?" Techno fumbles under the mask hiding most of his features and then pushes it back into place. "You're sayin all this is my fault?"

"Could be argued it's just fate," Awesam offers, "After all, a lot of the things happening with soulmates are particularly unusual."

"Main character behavior," Punz closes lightly. Techno's heels click against the brick underfoot, echoing through the halls as they approach the door that's, notably, flanked on either side by two (partially) alert piglin. They glance towards the incoming group, and take a second to properly register the sight of Techno. Their hastily fumbled salutes seem to amuse him; he nods as he passes them, entering the infirmary.