The Burning ~ Dreamnotfound + Skephalo

Chapter 9: This Boat has Legs

          Now that he was free from his restraints, George was determined to escape for real this time. No more playing games or sneaking around. George was going to find a way out if it was the last thing he did.
          Because he already escaped once, Techno made sure that the Piglins removed anything that George could potentially use to escape again. The broken furnace was taken, as well as the wood from the messed up bed. Even though he hadn't tried to sleep, he was still mad that the wood was taken. His only hope at making another weapon was destroyed. He picks up some of the rocks on the ground to see if they could be used for anything, but only found junk. George also started to notice how sticky his hands were becoming now that his blood from his wrists trickled into his palms.
          "What happened to your wrists?" Techno asks, startling George. The man didn't seem to care that he was no longer restrained. He was just concerned about his torn up wrists.
          George carefully runs one of his hands over the tears in his skin. "I pulled myself free." He looks back to Techno, expecting him to become furious. Instead, he leaves without saying a word. After a moment, he comes back with a roll of gauze and tosses it into the cell. George doesn't take it and, instead, looks at Techno, waiting for him to say something. "Did you lace it with wither rose petals or something?" Techno shakes his head in response. "What did you do to it then?"
          "Nothing," Techno states. "I just thought I'd help you out."
          George rolls his eyes and scoffs. "Ok, yeah, whatever." He picks up the gauze and tosses it back out of the cell. "I don't need it."
          Techno throws it back into the cell, this time with more force. "You're bleeding. Wrap yourself up or you'll get it infected."
          George throws the roll back at him. "I don't want your hand-outs. You don't get to pretend like we are on good terms right now."
          Techno's eyes meet George's for a split second. It was just long enough for George to catch a glimpse of something in him besides his insanity. He was sad. George had no idea what he could possibly be sad about. He was getting everything he wanted. Why the hell would he be sad? Techno picks the gauze up off of the floor and slumps down against the wall behind him, facing George. He pulls his knees up to his chest and stares at George with his big brown eyes. George then noticed that they were bloodshot.
          "Are you ok?" George asks, sounding a little more aggressive than he meant to.
          "I killed my best friend," Techno whispers, losing himself in a daze. "I made him fall. I killed him."
          George crosses his arms. He knew that A6D was alive, but Techno must've missed him getting out of the lava pool. And he wasn't about to tell him what he knew. "Are you expecting pity from me?"
          Techno shakes his head, biting the inside of his cheek and he thinks. "No. I just needed to say it out loud, I guess. I've been holding it back for so long that I just had to say it."
          "Some friend you are," George mumbles. "You know, if my friend was about to fall to their death, I'd do everything in my power to save them."
          "That's because you're good, George." Techno covers his face. "You're a good man who cares so much about other people that you'd give your life if it meant saving them."
          "You don't even know me," George points out.
          Techno loudly exhales through his nose. "I know enough."
          George walks over to the cell bars and sits down. He was so close to the bars that he could feel the heat coming off of them. But he was already so hot from the atmosphere in the nether that he was starting to get used to it. "What do you know about me that makes you think I'm good?"
          "You built a house for you and your husband, you were upset when A6D fell, and you helped take care of that one orphan girl," Techno explains.
          George feels a sharp pain in his heart when Techno mentions Lily. He had done everything he could to block out what he was feeling because he was scared that if he gave into his sadness, he wouldn't make it out alive. "That doesn't mean that I'm good, Techno."
          Techno shrugs. "Sounds good to me."
          "There are no good or bad people in the world," George explains. "There are only people. We all make mistakes. We all have bad days. It's how you recover from them that defines who you are."
          Techno sadly laughs. "If you seriously think that's true, look me in the eyes and tell me I'm not a bad person." George slowly looks down to the ground, finding that he was unable to say it. He didn't think Technoblade was inherently evil, but he wasn't about to forgive him either. Eager to change the subject, Techno begins talking again. "You know, I used to live in a normal village. I was a pig farmer. I had a younger brother, Tommy, and two really close friends named Phil and Wilbur. Growing up, I was picked on a lot. I always felt so powerless. It was like nothing I did was good enough. So when I found that I could make a portal to another world, I knew I found my place."
          "So, then what?" George asks. "Did you unleash the hellish terrors in here onto your village for revenge?"
          Techno picks at his nails nervously. "Not on purpose. I mean, I wanted to show them what I was capable of. I wanted to show them that I had power." He closes his eyes and whispers, "I didn't mean to kill them, George. But the monsters went crazy and wouldn't listen to me. A6D and I barely escaped with our lives. Then when I made my Wither, it destroyed everything that was left. I wanted to rule everyone, but I didn't mean to kill them."
          "If you didn't mean to kill everything, why do you continue your reign of terror like this?"
          Techno shakes his head. "You wouldn't understand."
          "Try me." George raises his eyebrows, trying his best to not look angry. Unfortunately, it didn't work. His scowl was permanently stuck to his face.
          Techno stands up. "Alright, that's enough talking for me." He laughs. "You know, you almost got me to like you for a second. Nice try, man."
          As soon as his footsteps are gone, George closes his eyes and allows a single tear to glide down his cheek. It left a cold trail down his face that made him shiver a little when the wind hit it just right. He knew he couldn't give up, but he had no idea what to do. Even if he got out, where would he go? He had no idea where the portal was. For the first time since he'd been there, he let his emotions in. He let himself hurt over Lily's death. He let himself feel ashamed for breaking Dream's heart. He let himself feel scared, half believing that he would never escape. His mind began spiraling to scary extremes, so in an attempt to keep himself from breaking too much, George tried to remind himself of all of the good times he had with his friends.
          George thought back to the first real moment he shared with Dream in the desert village. The night that changed his life. He smiled through the pain thinking about their first kiss and how perfect it was. He then thought about Skeppy and how happy everyone was to have him back, especially Bad. Bad's smile was always contagious, so it made George feel a little better thinking about him. Then, he thought about his first trip to the nether where Dream and Sapnap were locked in a cage of iron bars. At that moment, he was pissed. But now, it was something they all could laugh about together. George was entertained thinking about that whole day. The stupid jail cell, the bonding moment he had with Sapnap, and the exploding bed.