Techno watched from the corner of the room as police came in to talk with Phil about the house. The fire was started in the room next to Ranboo's and easily could have killed him had Techno not been awake studying like usual.

He'd not just alerted Ranboo to it he'd also gotten Wilbur and Phil up and went back in the house aftewards for Tommy and to open Floofs crate so he could run out behind him. People kept calling him a "hero" he wasn't, he just had a horrible sleep schedule.

He refused to talk to anyone but Wilbur and Phil for three days. He was anxious and the fact he wasn't peculiar friendly with police didn't help, you hit one guy who deserved it and you have to stand in front of a judge for hours on assault charges.

The officer talking to Phil gestures to him. "Does he know english? We can't seem to get a word out of him."

"Yes he's just extremely shy and doesn't trust easy." Phil says looking over at him, Techno looks down at his feet. He listened to the conversations for several more minutes before getting up and grabbing a book then locking himself in the bathroom.

He set up a timer on his phone for two hours and opened the book, not a care if anyone needed to use the bathroom he was in need of space. The small area made him relax, the only way in was in front of him and there were no windows no one can sneak up on him and no one can mess with him.

He let himself get lost in the fantasy world where three relatively stupid people are trying to fix a not quiet broken kingdom. They were fools and every thing was going to go up in smoke, the villains always win in this book.

Once he'd finished a full three pages he slammed the book closed and groaned, more of a growl really. This was Tommy's fault that kid was bad luck and had brought it down on his family. Techno put his hands on his head as the room began to tilt then turn, things were spinning, he could feel a headache coming on.

What was happening to him? He closed his eyes and waited for the feeling to pass but it wouldn't so he snarled at the air, digging his nails into his scalp.

Help, he needed help. Why does he need help? What's happening? Is he sick? Why is everything so hot? Who's panting in his ear? He's panting, when did that start?

He tries to stand but only results in him falling to the ground hard.

--------

"Hello." Everything stopped he was floating in a void of light. He opened his eyes to look out into the nothingness only to come face to face with his own memory.

A small version of himself sat on the steps of the now burnt down house, Phil looked anxious standing behind the lanky brown haired boy. "Techno say hi he's going to be living with us for awhile." The small version of him squinted then glared while standing up, the glare was at Phil.

Techno watched himself huff angrily, punch Wilbur in the nose then stomped upstairs to throw his tantrum. His tantrum had terrified Phil, he tried so hard to calm him but he'd raged for days. He'd given Phil and Wilbur the silent treatment, Wilbur got beaten up multiple times but Techno had never said a word through the violence.

Techno stood in his younger self room looking down at himself as he was curled up in his bed sniffling. He'd thought Phil was replacing him at the time now he knew better.

--------

"Techno?" Techno blinked and looked around, he was in the gym. Dream's hand was on his shoulder sweat dripping from his forehead. "How'd I get here?" He asks turning in a circle.

"You walked?" Dream's hand ran down Techno's arm before he took it away. "Are you okay dude?" Techno steps back eyes scanning the almost empty room. He doesn't remember walking, he remembered waking up in the bathroom then having a panic attack then... then... this.

"Sure." He mutters swatting away Dream's hand despite it already being back at the other man's side. "I think I zoned out for a second there." He caught a glimpse of himself in the full wall mirror, he was sweating hard, bruised and battered from something. "You do this or I show up looking this bad?"

"Little bit of both, I didn't give you the burn but may have hit it once or twice."

"I know you didn't give me the burn." Techno rolls his eyes gently touching his fingers to his burned cheek. He quickly shakes himself out of his own head and readys his fists.

Dream tipped their knuckles together, once, twice, then a swing for the temple. Techno ducked and sweeped for the legs, Dream danced away now off center Techno went to plow him to the floor. Dream resisted, getting his footing and slamming his smaller skinny body into Techno with almost the same strength.

Violence, Techno lived for it, breathed it, bled for it. He was made for this. The push and pull of combat. Fisticuffs. Dream was his only match when it came to loving the thrill and appreciating the art.

Swing, slide, dip, back, foward, jump, spin, swing, step. They went through the motions of what would most likely be a tie. Techno was powerful in build and muscle mass but Dream was sleek and slippery. Dream couldn't topple Techno but Techno could never get a hold of him.

Memories of the fire melted away, he didn't mind Tommy that much, his dog was safe, his brothers and father safe. His home may be gone but at least his family had lived.

In a fleeting moment he felt calm and unburdened by the world. A leaf in the wind. Waves over the beach. He was centered and whole, strong as an oak but nimble as seaweed. He was earth and sky, fire and water. Grounded yet floating.

Dream slide across the floor rolled then laided by the mirrors groaning, Techno had won.