Thus Always to Tyrants

will you leave your shaded hollow?

Another day passed, the day's torture was far more brutal. A lighter was held to Ranboo's cheek with threats of burning more if he squirmed. He tried to not cry, but he couldn't close his eyes. All he saw were the flames, burning his house, burning his family.

His wrists were bound to the chair as Knife brought out a knife. The knife was aligned with his left pinkie finger, a gag in his mouth.

Ranboo screamed as his finger was severed, screaming and crying in pain through the gag. Brit grinned and put the severed finger into a bag.

"You're gonna write somethin' for us, Ranboo." Brit said, sliding forward a piece of paper and a pen. Ranboo gritted his teeth, thankful that they didn't take his dominant hand.

Dear friends,

Take this as a warning. We are to be taken seriously, Theseus and Blood God will meet us at the water tower tomorrow or we will take more.

Brit looked over his work before nodding.

"Good. Be good and I'll think about fixing up your finger." Knife took Ranboo back to his room, throwing him in. Ranboo shook as he looked at his hand, covering his mouth with his other hand to try and suppress his scream.

He needed to stop the bleeding, that's the first coherent thought that entered his mind. The sheets that covered his bed were ratty and he could probably tear them, though they weren't the cleanest.

He tied the sheets as best he could over his finger to try and stop the bleeding, but it wasn't great. Ranboo hoped, prayed that they would come. It felt selfish, to want them to come into what could well be a death trap, but he didn't want to go through that again.

He didn't want to loose another finger.

***

"Phil?" Technoblade called as he saw a small package on their doorstep. "Did you order anything?"

"No? Why?" The blonde called from his seat on the couch. Technoblade picked up the box and walked over to them.

"Because I saw this." He said, setting it down on the coffee table. "I don't think Tommy and Tubbo have done... anything. In the past few days and Kristin and Wilbur aren't that stupid."

"So you asked me if I ordered anything? Really mate?" Techno sputtered, searching for a response but couldn't supply one.

"Whatever. I just figured you'd want to know." He shrugged before heading off towards Tubbo's room. The kid asked him for help trying to find a lead where Ranboo was, so he figured he'd need to oblige him.

He heard a scream come from down the hallway. Techno shot up from his seat beside Tubbo and went racing out, fully prepared to fight anyone. But Phil was just sitting in front of the box, white as a ghost.

"Phil? What's going on?" The blonde's jaw opened and closed, as if trying to find words.

"Someone sent us a fucking FINGER Techno!" He screamed. Techno's face contorted and he sat beside Phil. There was a severed finger in the box in a plastic bag. His stomach churned, but he noticed a slip of paper wedged into the box.

"They didn't." He mumbled as he read through the note.

"They didn't?" Phil questioned. Techno tore the letter in half, glaring at the box.

"They made good on their threats." He growled. "We have no choice Phil, unless we want to see another one of Ranboo's fingers without Ranboo attached."

"The fuck do you mean that's Ranboo's finger?" Phil yelled. Techno tossed the torn paper towards Phil.

"That's his damn hand writing. That's his fucking finger. I'm going to the water tower tomorrow, I don't give a fuck."