Champion ~ Book 1

Chapter 5

"George!" Dream cried, hurrying toward his friend.

"Dream...?" George hissed, his eyes wide. Dream stopped a few paces away from him and examined his friend in amazement. 

"Why are you here?" He demanded.

"I- I went looking for you and I got captured," George stammered. "I can't believe you're alive," He added with a smile. 

"Oh, it seems these two know each other!" The announcer commented. Dream stiffened and looked up as if searching for the sound he could somehow fin dit and erase it. "This will be one heck of a fight!"

"Fight?" George said suddenly. He glanced at his sword and suddenly put two and two together with a gasp. "We- we have to fight?" He breathed. "Like... like practice? Like when you train Sapnap and I and- and it's all just a game?" Dream said nothing, feeling torn. 

"I can't fight him!" Dream yelled after a moment, eyeing the balcony where five people were seated. He could just make out Chris, Chandler, Karl, and Technoblade while the other man was someone Dream didn't recognize. He also seemed to be the announcer. "He's my friend!"

"There are no friends in the Beast Arena!" The announcer called. Dream felt sick to his stomach as he was forced to look back at George whose eyes were wide with fear. 

"Dream...?" George said hesitantly. 

"I- I can't kill him!" Dream yelled again. 

"Kill?" George said, his sword beginning to quiver slightly. "You mean you've- you've been killing people in here?" Dream said nothing and met his friend's gaze sadly.

"I had no choice," Dream said hoarsely. George looked shocked for a moment before slightly disappointed. 

"There's always a choice," George said. "You just made the wrong one,"

"Tick tock, tick tock!" The announcer called. Dream looked up at the sky once more before looking at George who was watching him expectantly.

"I have no choice," Dream said. George shook his head and started backing away slowly. 

"You always have a choice," He hissed. Dream shook his head and started toward his friend.

"I have no choice," He repeated. 

"Dream..." George warned. Dream stopped a few paces from George. This isn't right! I can't just kill my friend! He thought. 

"Dream, you have a sword, use the sword!" Dream heard Karl yell through the announcement system. 

"No!" Dream cried. "This is my friend! I'm not going to kill my friend!" 

"If two people refuse to fight, we'll send in Technoblade to kill one of them," Dream stiffened. He knew that Techno would come for him, there was no way he wouldn't. Not after their fight. Dream turned his gaze to George again who was staring at him. "You have ten seconds to begin the fight!" The announcer called. Dream felt awful. This was an impossible choice, either he kills George and lives, or Technoblade comes in and kills him. Unless we kill Technoblade... Dream looked at George.

"We have to kill Techno," Dream said shakily. 

"Who's Techno?" George asked warily.

"The best fighter I've ever seen in my life," Dream said, glancing at the balcony. He stiffened as he realized Technoblade was no longer there and glanced around.

"Entering...." The announcer yelled. Another garage door opened, one probably built just for a time like this, and there stood Technoblade holding two diamond blades. He started forward slowly, examining George and Dream evenly. "The undefeated, the world's greatest warrior, the blood god... Technoblade!" Is that what he goes by? The blood god? Dream thought, his heart beginning to pound against his ribs. 

"Dream, what do we do," George said, eyeing Technoblade as he slowly neared them.

"We try to kill him," Dream gripped his iron sword tightly and watched Technoblade carefully. 

"Ok," George muttered, giving Dream a glance before turning to Techno. Technoblade stopped a few feet from them and shook his head.

"Which one of you wants to die?" Techno asked. "I'll give you a choice," 

"You," Dream growled. "You'll die," Techno shook his head.

"Afraid it doesn't work like that," He sighed. "Dream, you're up," Dream opened his mouth to snap something at Technoblade before the other man flew at him, landing a deep blow on his leather armor and causing it to tear slightly. He was knocked aside due to the impact and landed with a thud in the dirt. He gasped and pushed himself to his feet, lashing out and catching Technoblade in the side again. His armor defended him and at once he turned and slammed Dream away again, this time so hard Dream stumbled multiple meters away from him.

"Dream!" George cried, starting toward Dream who was wheezing currently. He shakily got to his feet and watched as Techno raised a hand and used one of his swords to slam George into the dusty ground. George yelped with surprise as Technoblade turned to look at Dream. Techno waited a moment for George to get up and rush to Dream's side. Then he watched as George helped Dream up and they both stumbled toward one of the walls. "We can't beat that guy, we gotta run!" George hissed, skidding to a halt beside the wall. 

"There's nowhere to run," Dream wheezed, still trying to catch his breath. Technoblade's cape flowed out behind him as he marched toward them. His diamond blades glimmered in the sunlight and his golden crown cast yellow shadows across the dusty earth.

"It's nothing personal," Technoblade said, eyeing them from behind his pig mask. Dream saw Techno's gaze flicker to George who was glaring at him.

"Leave my friend alone!" George yelled, suddenly he lunged for Technoblade who easily dodged and spun George onto his back.

"George!" Dream yelled, starting forward.

"Hey, don't move," Techno ordered, aiming one blade at George's throat. Dream halted and stared at the two. George stared up at Technoblade fearfully and clutched his sword shakily. After a moment, George lashed out, catching Technoblade on the arm and leaving a long gash along his elbow. Techno gasped and thrust George's sword from his grasp, glaring at him angrily. Dream used this opportunity to attack, lashing out at Technoblade who blocked with his other sword. Dream was about to lash out again when Techno used one of his diamond blades to trip Dream and force him into a sitting position. "I take that back, this is very personal," With that, he raised his blade and before Dream could even move, lashed out across George's neck, dealing a deep blow that drizzled blood across the earth. 

"No!" Dream yelled, stumbling to his feet and lunging at Techno again. Technoblade blocked and flung Dream away, his blue eyes fierce. George gasped and twitched before falling still and Dream cried out again. "No! George!" Techno glared at Dream and plunged one of his swords into the ground before marching toward him with the other raised. "You- you killed him!" Dream snarled, lashing out again. Techno deflected it and flung the iron blade aside.

"This is what happens if you step out of line," Techno snarled back, shoving Dream into the wall with his free hand and holding the diamond sword to his throat with the other. "It's hard to lose people, but there's nothing you can do," Techno growled.

"You have no idea how it feels to lose your best friend!" Dream cried, unable to fight the tears from seeping out of his eyes any longer. "You're a monster!"

"I know exactly how it feels," Techno snarled, his breath hot against Dream's face. "The same thing happened to me, my best friend Phil, they forced me to fight him and I wouldn't. Phil was all I had, I never had a family, just him." Technoblade's voice hitched in some places but he didn't let Dream comment. "Next time when we fight I won't let you get back up," Techno snarled. With that Technoblade pulled his sword away and turned around, heading away from Dream who stared after him.

Dream shifted his gaze to George's limp form and let out a choking sound. His friend was dead and it was his fault. I killed him. I should be dead, not him. He doesn't deserve this. Dream thought. He looked up again and saw Technoblade marching away. I'm going to kill that man. Dream thought. He's going to die for this!