Story Scenes and Oneshots

For you, my life

Ah, angst. This chapter, my dear friend KaiAndLavender, is for when you need a sad story with no happy ending.

Tigger warnings:
Character death
Blood
Torture
Sharp weapons
SEVERE ANGST. Like, the worst I've written so far. Be Fore-Warned! If you cannot take that, I won't mind and neither should anyone else.

This is an AU of what happened to Philza on the day of the Execution Arc. Not from my A Faithful Memory story, I just came up with this on its own.

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He could see Quackity down below, pacing up and down the planks while talking excitedly to Ranboo, Tubbo and Fundy. Everyone but Ranboo had apparently gotten a costume change, unless the white aprons they wore were just a coincidence. Philza withdrew into his house again. One of his Crows bobbed up and down on the windowsill, its bright little eyes fixed on him in worry.

"Keep an eye on me, alright?" Phil whispered, stroking the bird's wings and scratching under its beak. "Whatever happens, just watch and don't get involved. I don't want to lose you, and Quackity couldn't care less about shooting a bird."

The Crow arched its wings and gave a squawk. But it obeyed, flapping away to rest in the rooftop of the next house over, peeking through the window to get a good view of whatever might happen to its master.

Phil returned to his window. Most of what Quackity said was inaudible to him, but there was little mistaking the look of dark hatred in the gambler's face, or the expert way he twirled the ax in his hand. His excitement, too, was revealing, and more than once his raised voice reached Philza's ears where he stood beside the open glass. Words like "pig" and "revenge" were commonly repeated, as were the phrases "for our city", "he has to pay" and "we know". Phil clenched his jaw. Technoblade was in a safe place, he knew. No one in this place besides himself knew where Techno was. And that meant he would be receiving some visitors very shortly. He crossed his room again to beckon his Crow over as he wrote out a hurried message.

Quackity, Tubbo, Fundy and perhaps Ranboo are coming for you, old friend. They want blood. Hurry.

Hastily he grabbed a random string from one of his chests and tied it to the Crow's leg. "Go, mate," he whispered, "fly to Techno, and don't come back unless it's with him."

The bird, looking askance at its master for a moment, obediently hopped to the window, hunched up its wings and took off into the sky. Phil released a sigh. At least Techno had some warning. Now for his own trial.

Footsteps were already thumping outside his door and the bell outside began to clang. Phil hesitated. He didn't want to open that door. He could just refuse them entrance. The bell continued to clang, getting steadily louder and more irritating the longer it was rung. Philza's hands began to shake as he thought of that look on Quackity's face, of the axe he was probably still holding.

"Open up, old man!" He heard the gambler shout from outside. "We know you're in there, you can't hide from us!"

"Come on, Phil," Tubbo's voice was gentler, but no less ominous, "we just wanna have a talk. Just open up, okay? We just wanna talk."

"If you don't open this door, I will personally break it down!" Quackity yelled. He was clearly in no mood for negotiation or patience.

A sense of doom settled over Phil as he took several reluctant steps forward. He didn't really want to do this, but maybe they were just all talk. Besides, surely they wouldn't actually hurt him. He'd done nothing wrong, Tubbo would know that. And he was the President, so he was technically in charge, no matter how much Quackity shouted. Phil's hand rested on the latch for a moment. He took a breath. And opened the door.