raspberries and dirt

18. swords

"I'm going to murder that sick son of a bitch."

Tommy shook his head. "You won't do anything. It'll just make him mad."

Technoblade was furious. Dream murders Techno's friend and kidnaps two twelve-year-old children and thinks he can get away with it?

He won't be getting away with it.

Techno will kill Dream himself.

"Those that have treated me with kindness, I will repay that kindness tenfold. But those that treat me with injustice, that use me, that hunt me down, that hurt my friends... I shall repay that injustice a thousand times over."

Phil clapped dramatically. "Great speech there. Do you even have a weapon anymore?"

Techno nodded. "Of course I do. I'm many things, but I'm not vulnerable."

"He managed to murder Karl right in front of Quackity and kidnap Tommy and Tubbo from under our noses. He's not just aggressive; he's sneaky. He's smart, Techno. You have to admit it," Phil said.

"We were taken by surprise. It won't happen again. In fact, I will personally make sure that Dream never hurts anyone. Ever."

Phil cleared his throat. "Very theatrical, Techno, thank you. Now, what's for dinner?"

"Drugs," Quackity said. He was getting back to his old self, bit by bit. It was a slow process, far too slow than Techno would have preferred, but it was recovery. Recovery takes time.

Time which they might now have.

Wilbur sighed. "No drugs, Quackity. We discussed this."

Quackity rolled his eyes. "You expect me to actually be paying attention to the discussions we have?"

"Yes, because that's what normal human beings do when someone talks to them."

Tommy interrupted. "But he isn't a normal human being. He's Big Q!"

Phil laughed. "Quackity isn't normal, that's for certain."

And all was well.
______

Techno heard Wilbur's audible sigh from twenty feet away when he approached Wilbur during dinner.

Technoblade sat down next to Wilbur and began to eat.

"How're you holding up, Wilbur?"

"I'm doing fine," Wilbur replied, lying through his teeth. Techno was good at spotting lies, but this was as clear as day. The bags under Wilbur's bloodshot eyes were more like suitcases. His hands visibly shook when he held something.

Wilbur's dinner had three bites taken out of it. Although they were small, he hadn't been coerced into eating, which was significant progress. Techno took the win while he was ahead.

"Considering what's been happening with Dream, I was going to sharpen my rusty sword fighting skills."

Wilbur stared at him. "You own a sword? An actual, genuine sword?"

"Yes, I do." Techno laughed. "Anyway, I was wondering if you wanted to practice with me. You know, I'll teach you something new."

At the last sentence, Wilbur tensed. "I'm alright, thank you, sir."

What?

In a few words, Wilbur went from tired to terrified and calling Techno 'sir.'

My fucking god. This poor, poor, kid.

"I didn't mean anything by it. I just meant you could learn to wield a sword if you wanted to. Up to you, of course."

Hesitantly, Wilbur nodded. "I'd like that."

Techno went to the pile of junk that contained most of the items they needed to survive, all of them jumbled together in a large mess. He rummaged through the mound before pulling out two sleek steel swords. They were nearly identical, both with slightly corroded blades and handles wrapped in leather. Techno held the sword out, hilt first, to Wilbur. The kid took it, testing its weight before giving it a practice swing.

Techno showed Wilbur how to position his feet, how to hold the sword, how to adjust his elbows. Then, they began to spar.

Techno went easy on Wilbur; he didn't want to kill the child. He would point out Wilbur's mistakes gently and showed him how to fix them. Wilbur was truly a natural, getting the hang of it quickly. He still flinched whenever the swords clashed together, which sent a bone-shaking vibration up the blade and into his arms.

At the end of the night, Wilbur was sore and exhausted. Techno, on the other hand, hadn't broken a sweat, although his braid had come undone once more. As Wilbur lay down to rest, Techno placed his arm over Wilbur's shoulder like a big brother.

"You're pretty cool, Wilbur."

Wilbur began to tear up, quickly wiping away his shining eyes.

"Thank you, Techno," he said softly.

And as the boy drifted off to sleep, Techno swore to himself that no matter what happened, he would let no harm come to this kid.