(tw: death, blood, gore, violence, angst, sexual assault, sexual harassment, swearing, head injury) 

[a brief summary of this chapter is available on the next chapter for the people who do not want to read this for their own safety. this chapter contains subject matter that may be triggering for some people. reader discretion is advised.]

Technoblade felt as the anvil slammed into him, crushing him instantly. He tried to scream but his skull had been crushed and was now reforming, growing back muscle and skin as the totem in his hand brought him back to life. The pain was unbearable, as if he were on fire, his body sliced with millions of cuts. Then it was as if he had never died, his entire body was anew, exactly as it had been before. All his senses returned to him in a heartbeat. (Or perhaps a lack of one)

He threw himself over the bars of the cage and hit the ground running. All his muscles screamed in protest, but he ignored them and kept running. He could hear the Butcher Army's commotion as he ran towards where Y/N had been tied up. As he neared the fencepost, he realized she was gone from where he had seen her last. 

He noticed that the grass had been flattened, footsteps had approached where Y/N was, and then dragged something across the grass a ways, then picked up whatever they had been dragging.

Technoblade scanned the area, his heartbeat thundering in his ears. He then noticed a hooded figure near a cave entrance off a ways, a familiar shape draped across their shoulder.

"They've got Y/N!" Technoblade cried aloud, the voices in his head yelling so loudly he couldn't hear his own thoughts. 

He raced towards the figure, who had disappeared into the cave. He was tired and his entire body still hurt, but he was determined to get Y/N back.

Struggling into the cave, panting hard and leaning on the stone walls, Technoblade headed into the cave. The flickering light of the torches sitting in niches on the wall cast a strange light, sending sprawling shadows across the stone.

The cloaked figure was standing up ahead in a room full of chests. The room had been labeled "Final Control Room". As Technoblade entered the room, the figure turned around, staring at Techno from behind a white mask. 

"Dream. What the hell are you doing here. What did you do with Y/N? I don't have time for this." Technoblade panted, limping into the room and leaning himself against a chest. His strength was slowly returning.

Dream said nothing, he only turned and walked to the entrance of the cave. With one quick swing, he knocked a stone out of place, causing a rockslide to cover the entrance. He then turned around and headed back into the Final Control Room.

"Y/N is safe. She's waiting for you down that tunnel." Dream pointed down a tunnel leading away from L'Manberg.

"But she was unconscious, I saw her." Technoblade looked up at Dream, confused.

"Fainted. She's fine now. I told her to wait at the end of the tunnel for you." Dream was being suspiciously nice. "There's armor in the chest." The masked man pointed at the 'Technoblade' chest. Techno cautiously opened it, revealing iron armor and a silk touch pickaxe, as well as some other items, including potions and gapples.

"There's also an ender chest..." Dream pointed to the dark box with the familiar green eye embedded in it.

"Why are you doing this? Why are you helping me?" Technoblade began to put on the armor. Dream said nothing. Suddenly there was a noise from the entrance of the cave. It sounded like someone swinging a pickaxe.

Technoblade felt his panic rise. Fully in his armor, he slid the silk touch pickaxe into his hand. He could hear that whoever was at the entrance was almost through.

Techno turned to look at Dream, but the masked individual had disappeared as quickly as he appeared.

Technoblade looked around in panic. Where had Dream gone??

He glanced down the hallway Dream had said Y/N was down, but he couldn't see anything. 

Suddenly, there was an explosion from the front of the cave. Armor-clad footsteps echoed around around the room and Technoblade's ears pricked. Whoever was at the entrance had made it through.

Techno gripped his pickaxe. Whoever came through that door was going to get a nasty surprise.

"What the fuck is this, Techno?" Quackity's familiar mean-spirited voiced bounced against the walls as the dark-haired man stepped menacingly into the room.

"What the hell are you doing here? How the fuck did that anvil not kill you??" He asked, baring his teeth.

Technoblade looked down at him as calmly as he could manage, his heart pounding. He tilted his head and laughed.

"Did you really think, Quackity, that you could kill me that easily?" He smiled, pushing back his fear. He wouldn't let Quackity get to Y/N. He wouldn't let him hurt her again.

"Did you think that death could stop me?" A little cocky of a statement, but Technoblade knew it was true, "You know- you know what? I've got a lot to say." Technoblade started, his anger flaring up as the voices muttered and yelled and begged for blood, "I was going to say it at the trial but we got a little interrupted." He flicked his ear, "Y'know I tried convincing you guys that government was not the answer. That the government was the cause of all your problems." Technoblade and Quackity began to circle each other, waiting for the other to attack. "I tried to convince you guys by fighting along side you as brothers, and you just cast me aside!" Technoblade was angry, the hurt of the betrayal he had felt came rushing back, it's bittersweet sting piercing him once again. 

"You used me." He growled, "I tried to use force, but you still formed the government. And when I went into hiding, when I retired... when I swore off violence..." He paused, glaring at Quackity, who brandished his axe, his netherite armor gleaming. 

"You hunted me down. You hurt my friends." Technoblade thought of what the Butcher Army had done to Phil, trapping him in his own home. What they had done to Y/N, taking her hostage and hurting her.

"You don't understand, Technoblade..." Quackity kept his dark eyes locked on the pink-haired individual. Technoblade flicked his ear again, confused.

"You don't understand," Big Q repeated, "You can't see what we're trying to do here. You think this is all about you, all about your anarchy. I don't give a shit about the withers, Technoblade. No, Technoblade. You see... you're on the hit list." Quackity's eyes gleamed.

"What?" Technoblade muttered. Hit list?

"I'm building a country here." Quackity continued, "This is what this is, an organization. We need power. I don't care how long it fucking takes me, or what I have to do to get you, Technoblade, but I'm going to fucking kill you."

Techno felt ice run through his veins. Quackity simply stated this with cold hard determination. He wasn't lying.

"I just have one question, Quackity." Technoblade tilted his head at the shorter male. Big Q seemed so confident, and soon that would be his downfall. Technoblade's tail lashed.

"Do you really think that you're enough to kill me?"

Quackity's confidence seemed to falter. Fear flashed into his eyes, and radiated off of him. Technoblade could smell it. The voices grew louder.

"Even here, unarmed, with only iron armor?" Technoblade continued, smirking. He could see that Big Q was second-guessing himself. Then the lines on Big Q's face grew sharper as he clenched his teeth in determination.

"Yeah, you know what? Let's find out you son of a bitch."

Quackity swung at Technoblade, who parried the blow. Big Q swung again, his eyes grim. Technoblade blocked, then attacked. The pickaxe collided with Quackity's chestplate, leaving a sizable dent. Technoblade backed out of the Final Control Room as Big Q took another few swings at him, all of them missing.

"Oh running away, huh? Get out of here." Quackity roared, and Technoblade felt the axe connect with the back of his chestplate. 

Techno ripped potions from the chest off of his belt and threw them on the ground, feeling himself surge with energy and strength.

"Oh yeah you have to use potions. You have to use potions. Coward!" Quackity took another swing at him. Technoblade was quicker, and dodged. The axe hit the stone where Techno had been only a split second ago.

Again, Technoblade swung at Quackity, getting in a few hits. Big Q's armor was roughed up, and it looked like he was getting tired. He took a few half-assed swings as Technoblade, only one of which met it's target, cutting through Techno's shoulder pad.

Techno could smell the blood from the wound on his shoulder. He felt the voices rear up, a new surge of strength running through him.

He attacked Quackity again, his onslaught causing the raven-haired male to stumble back, his foot catching on a rock. He was sent sprawling backwards, his axe spinning away from him.

Technoblade's vision was red. He knew no mercy. He barely registered what happened as he threw his arm back to swing, Quackity's dark eyes looking up at him in fear. His mouth was opening on it's own, a statement of pure rage slipping through his teeth as the pickaxe swung towards Big Q's face.

"I HAVE A PICKAXE, AND I'LL PUT IT THROUGH YOUR TEETH!!"

(???'s POV)

You awoke with a splitting headache.

You didn't know where you were. As you looked around, you were able to pick out a few details about the location you were. However everything took on a blurry quality, and your eyes refused to focus.

You were in some sort of tunnel, leading out as far as you could see on either side of you. There was water that ran down the middle. It seemed to be some sort of subterranean river. However something that struck you as odd was the fact that the entire tunnel had been lit up. Torches covered the walls in a haphazard way, as if the person who put them there didn't put a lot of time or effort into it. 

Your head was still pounding, so you closed your eyes. You were able to tell that you were laying on your side, your hands were stuck behind your back somehow. You didn't know why.

You couldn't remember how you got here, or really anything at all. You could tell that the back of your head was damp and sticky, and in a lot of pain. You slowly struggled and sat up, opening your eyes and glancing down at where your head had just been.

A puddle of blood covered the stone floor. You must have hit your head somehow.

You moved your arms to try and get your hands in front of you, but they were bound behind your back. You remembered that they had been bound for a reason, but you couldn't remember what the reason was.

You had to close your eyes again, because the light from the torches hurt them. Your nose was dripping, and you didn't know why. It might have been bleeding, but when you tapped your nose against your knee, the liquid dripping from it was clear. 

You felt really lightheaded, possibly from the blood loss, or from your head injury. You could feel your blood dripping onto your hands, and you would wipe them off on your back every so often.

You knew that something really awful had happened. You could remember you were in a horse stable, but something had happened and were taken somewhere else. You could remember being in a boat with someone. 

You didn't know where you were. You didn't know what day it was. You couldn't even remember your own name. 

You began to panic, and you tried to stand up. You immediately got very dizzy, and soon you were on the ground again. Your body ached. 

Blood pooled on the stone around you and you leaned over the river and threw up. You felt a little better after throwing up, but you were still trapped on the ground. 

Breathing hard, you felt around on the ground for a sharp rock. You soon found a stone that could possibly be used to cut rope. Maneuvering it against your other wrist, you tried to cut whatever was around it. The rock bounced off of some sort of metal with a quiet ringing noise. Seemingly, you couldn't get out of your bonds using what you had. 

You were so tired.

Struggling back against the stone wall, you propped yourself against it. You coughed a few times, your ribs aching.

You tried to remember something. Anything.

Technoblade.

Technoblade was the name of someone. Someone who was very important to you. He had pink hair and wore a crown. 

He was very important to you. 

Something was wrong. Something happened to him.

You were living with Technoblade. People came and took you away. They took Technoblade. Phil. Phil was your friend and he was trapped. 

Ranboo. Ranboo was part... part something. He was friends with someone. 

Tubbo was Ranboo's friend. Tubbo was your friend. Tubbo was Tommy's friend. 

Who was Tommy? You didn't know. Tubbo and Ranboo came and took you and Technoblade. They came with two other people who you couldn't remember.

You knew that you knew them. You knew you had known. 

But now you didn't. 

This was so frustrating. How could you have forgotten??

The two people and Ranboo and Tubbo had taken you to L'Manberg. You remembered L'Manberg. It had been your home before everyone was mad at you. They were mad at you for nothing. You hadn't done anything. 

But then Technoblade. Technoblade was important to you.

Quackity. That's why you were bound. Quackity was the name of the bad man who had taken you and Technoblade away from your home. You had thought that there had also been something around your neck, but surely you were mistaken, as there was nothing there now. Quackity and Tubbo and Ranboo all were mad at you and Technoblade. They wanted to do something bad.

Well, maybe Ranboo didn't, it didn't seem like he was that kind of person. 

They had taken Technoblade and put him in a cage. He was going to have a trial. Phil was trapped in his house and you were too far away to help anyone. 

You could remember.

You name was Y/N, and Technoblade had found you after you ran away from L'Manberg. He was your best friend, and Phil had come over. Dream -someone you wished you hadn't remembered- had been after you, and Phil had stopped coming. Phil was now under house arrest for helping you, and the Butcher Army had come to put you and Techno to justice. 

But it hadn't been a trial. 

You felt tears slide down your cheeks. Technoblade. It had been an execution. He was gone.

No, that couldn't be right. He had said that he would never die. 

You hadn't seen him die. Maybe your memory was still faulty.

Footsteps. Footsteps were echoing towards you from down the tunnel. Your eyes shot open and you looked around in panic. A figure was coming towards you. It was someone you recognized.

It was Dream.

The masked monster was soon standing in front of you, looking down on you. Cold fear ran through you. You struggled against your bonds, trying desperately to escape.

"What- what the hell are you doing here?"  The words clawed their way up your throat, slurring together in a fiery mass. You felt as though your lungs were filled with dust, and hadn't been used in years.

Dream said nothing. He stared at you coldly from behind his perpetually smiling white mask. 

You heard him chuckle, dark and menacing.

"Y/N..." You could see the hint of a smile underneath the mask. "Do you know... why I saved you?" He looked down at you.

You were shaking. You didn't have your sword, or any armor. You were bound and entirely at his mercy.

"I saved you... because I realized that you have a use now." Dream continued.

You had a use now? What was that supposed to mean? "What does that mean?" You asked, wanting to keep him monologuing so you would have more time to think of a way you could escape. (As well as the fact you didn't feel like talking.)

"Well... I'm sure you've noticed that Technoblade has gotten quite attached to you..." Dream mused. You said nothing.

"Do you know what that means?" Dream asked. "It means I have something I can control him with." He continued without waiting for an answer. "It means that as long as I have you, Technoblade will do whatever I want."

That meant that Technoblade was still alive. If he wasn't, Dream wouldn't need anything to control Techno with. That was good. This means that Technoblade wasn't killed by the anvil. You didn't know how, but you had hope that he had somehow survived. 

"But... there's a catch." Dream bent down, so his face was level with yours. "I can't allow you to survive."

You froze. Dream didn't continue, he just stared at you.

"Do you know why that is, dearest Y/N?" He asked. You didn't respond, you just stared back at him in defiance. "It's because..." He leaned forward, "I still love you." 

He was so close to you. Way too close. You felt a wave of nausea hit you, and you wished that you would throw up again, all over Dream's stupid smug face. 

 "It's the same reason I had to get rid of you in the first place." Dream smirked, lifting his mask slightly to expose more of his face.

What did he mean? Get rid of you?

"I'm sure you know the reason you were supposed to be executed." Dream's mouth was curled in a sadistic smile. "But I also know that you weren't the person who did it."

You were filled with confusion. Dream had been so angry at you before, because of what you had been accused of doing. If he had known you hadn't done it, why had he acted angry? What was there to gain? And... who had really done it?

"I'm sure you're just dying  to know who really did all those things, killed pets and stole precious items... hurt everyone... framed you for it..." Dream leaned closer to you. You tried to lean away from him, but you head only collided painfully on the rock behind you.

"It was me."

You couldn't collect your thoughts. You weren't even sure if what you had heard had been what Dream had really said. Why? How? So many questions filled your mind. Somehow deep down, amidst the confusion, you knew it had been him.

"You see..." Dream started, "I realized that everyone had something of ultimate value. Something that was irreplaceable. Something that they would do anything for." 

"Why would you do that? Why do you want me dead if you love me?" You were angry, furious. He had essentially turned everyone who had cared about you against you. You were dead to all of them. (However, a small part of your mind whispered that you would have never met Technoblade if Dream hadn't done this.)

"That's just it. You were that irreplaceable thing for me. I loved you. I would have died for you, Y/N. And that was dangerous. What if someone used you against me. I couldn't have that." Dream shook his head, his face still disgustingly close to yours. "But I couldn't just kill you. Everyone would cast me out for it. So instead I took everything of value to people, and framed you for it. That way you would be out of my life forever, and everything would go back to normal. And, a plus, now I have things to control everyone else with. It was the perfect plan." Dream smiled as if he were a genius. 

You spat at him. "You're a monster." You hissed. Dream laughed coldly. 

"You really shouldn't do that. It makes you so much more... inviting..." His voice grew an octave lower, and you felt your stomach twist in disgust. 

"I like how fiery you've become. I enjoy a challenge. I'll have to thank Technoblade."