Work Text:
"Why is Sapnap here?" Techno called out, confusion lacing his voice. He danced around the swirling mass of people, gracefully dodging their attacks. He was half-heartedly striking back, swiping with his axe here and there. He knew he was mainly a distraction, a chance for Dream to finally get away.
"Dream come back here!"
Techno's ears twitched as he heard Sam roar out the command. He knew that Dream wouldn't listen to it. Not after he had so recently gained his freedom.
"No! I'm leaving, bye." Dream shouted back. Techno saw him turn and run away. At least his favour was now fulfilled, Techno thought with a self-satisfied smirk. He jumped nimbly around the bank, hopping this way and that, up and down the hill.
'If your enemy is in superior strength evade him'- Sun Tzu.
Techno wasn't sure if the enemy had superior strength, but they certainly outnumbered him. Especially now that Dream had left. That was enough for him to be wary. Techno was nothing if not prepared for every eventuality.
Or so he thought.
Suddenly Sam called out again.
"STOP! Get back here, or I'm going to kill Ranboo!"
Techno turned swiftly, he could hardly believe it. Time seemed to slow down. He stumbled slightly, swiping numbly at Sapnap; he raced over to Sam and Ranboo, disbelief etched across his face as he saw Ranboo armour-less, terrified, shaking, a sword rammed tightly against his throat and the tiniest pinprick of bright crimson dribbling down his neck.
"You leave Ranboo alone." He growled threateningly, reaching for another golden apple. Techno's impassive face hardened into a scowl and he could feel his heart going THUMP THUMP THU- in his chest. In the back of his mind chat swirled around echoing his thoughts.
Ranbooo NOoooo
Noooo
Blood
Blood
Blood
Get Sam
NOT OUR BELOVED!!!
blood
Blood
BLOOD
BLOOD
BLOODBLOODBLOODBLOODBLOOD
He let the chaos of the battle behind him fade into the background, mind sharp with focus as he loaded Rocket Launcher, pointing it at Sam who stood steadfast, holding Ranboo steady.
"Get away. Get away. Get away..." Techno muttered, voice growing more and more desperate.
He couldn't let anything bad happen to his mentee.
They had talked about this. He was supposed to be the one with the untimely death. He was supposed to be the one to protect Ranboo until he was ready to properly use his powers. He was never supposed to have to see Ranboo like this.
"Techno! Lets get out of here!"
He could hear Dream shouting. He couldn't go. He couldn't leave Ranboo. Ranboo who had gifted him the axe, Ranboo who had never betrayed him, Ranboo who was the most innocent of them all.
"I can't leave Ranboo!" He called back, voice cracking a he urgently gazed around, looking for a way out of this situation.
Techno turned and ran into Sapnap, who swiped angrily with his axe, hitting hard against Techno's gleaming armour. He leapt back in surprise, yelling out, "Ranboo, Ranboo! I'm getting killed by Sapnap!" He tried to diffuse the situation with a harmless joke, hoping that Ranboo would be okay.
Dream was becoming more and more frenzied. There was a finality in his voice as he once again screamed at Techno, "Let's get out of here!" Dream's voice was still hoarse from misuse, body still shaking at the exertion after being trapped for so long. Techno tried to bring himself to care more, but he could only focus on Ranboo's plight.
"Techno I will kill him." Sam's soft statement once again bought Techno's world to a halt. He was in disbelief.
"Techno we're going now." Dream was frantic now.
"Just tell him to come back." Sam said, he seemed rather amicable for someone who was currently threatening Ranboo.
Techno stood torn between the two. Finally he addressed Sam.
"What do you have against Ranboo? Why? What did he do?"
"Ranboo's just my hostage."
Sam's flippant tone made Techno rage. There was nothing he could do. It was Ranboo or Dream. Ranboo or Dream. Ranboo or Dream.
He knew there was never really a choice.
Dream shouted out one last time, "Techno, we gotta go. NOW!"
There was no choice.
"Dream, I've got to save Ranboo. I'm not leaving him." Not the way that others have left me. Those words went unsaid.
Techno was loyal to the last, no matter how bad the odds. He wanted Ranboo to know that. He wanted Ranboo to know that someone cared, even if it was futile in the end.
As Dream brushed past him, trying to force him away from the prison, away from Ranboo, he resisted. His eyes were focused on Ranboo's own. He didn't dare look away. He watched Sam's sword brush lightly over Ranboo's neck. He watched as another bead of blood dripped and fell.
"The thing is Sam," Techno spoke, harsh words grating against his ears, "You've got the wrong hostage. Dream doesn't care. I care."
And he rushed forward, brandishing the glowing netherite axe that Ranboo had gifted him. Determination filled his eyes. Nothing was going to stop him.
He could see Sam calculating. He saw the moment that Sam made his choice.
He was too far. There was nothing that he could do.
His face crumpled in despair.
HIs eyes latched onto Ranboo's one last time.
Ranboo's trusting eyes that looked at him in hope.
Ranboo's trusting eyes that had never judged him, only loved him.
Ranboo's trusting eyes that, even now, were filled with care.
Then there was only pain.
Techno watched, helpless, as Ranboo's face contorted with pain, as Sam's sword was pressed further into his neck, slicing his vein, and as his bright red blood spilled out in a torrent, seeping away into the parched earth beneath their feet. Techno saw the exact moment that Ranboo's eyes went cloudy, seeing no more, feeling no more. His body slouched, limp and unresponsive, broken, unseeing gaze now looking towards the countless stars in the night sky.
Never again would they sit together and read, warm and cosy by the fire.
Never again would they look up at the same stars, no matter how far the distance between them.
Never again would Ranboo trail behind him as he fed his pets, waiting patiently for their time to spar.
Never again would Techno hold him close, have the chance to thank him for everything, to remind him of his love.
A broken, guttural scream tore it's way out of Techno's throat, even as Ranboo's body was still falling out of Sam's grasp. He pushed down his grief, he channelled the rage and anger of chat and relished the way Sam's face seemed to pale, even as he prepared to fight.
"That's it." He growled, voice echoing with the might of a god, with the power of a hundred thousand voices.
"We're gaming."
And with that, Techno launched himself forward, axe twirling and shimmering in the glare of the afternoon sun. It struck hard against Sam's shield as he carried forward his momentum and swiped with the rocket in his left hand.
He pushed into Sam with unrelenting pressure, hell-bent on revenge. He ignored the figures around him: Michael, Jack, Bad, Sapnap, all trying to get a hit. He knew that Connor was somewhere around, probably clueless as to what was happening. Even Dream has re-joined the fray, whether it was care for Ranboo, some twisted sense of justice or even an attempt to repay Techno himself, he didn't know. Nor did he care.
He stared intently, focusing on the beating of his heart (thumping out a rhythm that Ranboo's would never beat again) and the swirl of a familiar chaos. His eyes glowed red, piercing and strong, he was unwavering in his ideals of absolute reciprocity.
He let himself fall into the all too well-known haze of battle. A swipe here, a dodge there, allowing that sword to get just a little too close before leaping back and making his attacker unbalanced. It was a well-practiced art.
Soon they grew tired, like Techno knew they would. No mere mortal could hope to stand up to a man, close to a god, letting out his grief and anger.
All it took was a few mistakes.
Jack was first. He had tripped and now cowered on the floor, unable to muster the energy to leap back up again. Techno stood over him menacingly, smile wide and manic as he plunged his sword down into his chest, laughing as Jack's body disappeared in a puff of smoke. It wasn't canon. That was one more mercy than Ranboo got.
Bad was the next to fall. He had foolishly hoped that Techno would be distracted enough to sneak in a hit. He had no such luck. Techno whirled round with all the fury of a man who had lost everything dear to him. His axe crashed heavily into Bad's armour, causing the man to stumble backwards and allowing Techno to take the final blow.
Michael ran. Not willing to risk his life to the man, (the god) that all the server so rightly feared.
Blood dripped from the god, the voices in his head clamouring for blood as he let the familiar haze wash over him. He would get his revenge.
He focused his gaze on Sapnap, relishing the way the man gulped at his fury. He was a clever fighter, but still no match for one who was fighting for vengeance. Sapnap managed to dodge the first few blows, even managing to get his own hits in, before he stumbled and seemed to give his life as lost. His body crumpled to the floor, acceptance on his face, even as Techno turned his eyes to the main culprit.
Sam.
Sam.
Sam who had stood there mercilessly. Sam who had slaughtered an unarmed teenager. Sam who would now face the consequences of his actions.
Techno stalked over to where the man was stood, calling fruitlessly after Dream. His eyes narrowed onto one target.
He would make this hurt.
"Sam!" He called out, voice cracking slightly with the weight of emotion he put behind it. "Come and face me." He growled, low and threatening.
Techno watched as Sam carelessly brandished his axe, fumbling with it slightly as he turned with trembling fingers to face the blood god.
"It was nothing personal, Techno. Surely you can see that?" he said mirthlessly.
Techno only growled in reply.
He rushed forward, blade meeting blade with a loud clang. Technoblade fought like a monster dead-set on revenge.
He danced the dance of the gods, one as familiar to him was the warm embrace of Ranboo himself.
All his fury boiled down to this one moment. The world around him seemed to go quiet. He could no longer hear the distant shouts of Phil and Niki. The rushing of the river behind him all but faded in his ears.
And with the chorus of silence echoing in his ears, Technoblade made the final blow.
His axe pierced through Sam's armour, sinking deep into flesh and bone.
He was dead in an instant.
Some part of Technoblade knew that it was too simple, too easy. Ranboo's killer deserved a much more painful death.
How could revenge be over so swiftly?
After all, all that was left now was the silence.
The silence of the commune without Ranboo humming to himself as he walked around.
The silence of the dogs as he wasn't following him around, sneakily giving them treats.
The silence around the Syndicate Table as the chair of their youngest member slowly becomes caked in dust, the name Lethe all but unreadable, yet still never forgotten.
Techno knew his day would be emptier now without the promise of a spar, of a warm meal at the end of it.
Somehow, despite his violent revenge, Ranboo's death didn't feel more justified.
This was a mistake Techno had made over and over again, a path that was familiar to him.
Still, he questioned why it hurt so much when he crumpled to the ground, clutching at Ranboo's axe with nothing left give.
He wondered why he felt nothing but emptiness inside.