Vengeance

11- Home

Two skull masks hung on the wall. The boar mask  was hoisted up by the man it belonged to while the other blatantly stared at the boy. It had large fangs protruding from its upper jaw, eye holes gaping, staring, taunting the boy. Tommy grabbed it, pulling it from the hook, wrapping his fingers around the smooth sections and gripping the rough areas that his fingers found in the sockets. He sighed, flipped it and raised it to his face. It fit perfectly, the insides had been worn down to make it smooth. He fastened the leather strap on the back of his head and looked out from the sockets. It was time.

He pushed down any feelings of apprehension. This was something he had to do. For techno, for himself. L'manberg had terrorised the world for too long. It was time to put an end to it. For the good of everyone.

Tommy felt a hand grab his wrist. Phil's hand was extended to collide with his.

"Tommy," Phil began, "don't do this, please." He pleaded, hoping that his words could reach the old Tommy that he knew was still inside the boy.

Techno stepped in and grabbed the man's arm, pulling it away from the boy's with what Tommy assumed to be a death glare from behind techno's boar mask. His eyes were barely visible in those dark sockets which gave him an extra layer of menace. Phil stared in to those sockets and backed away, the fear evident in his paling face.

Tommy turned away from Phil, he wasn't going to let an old man stop him now. The man was too late, he was too far gone.

The boy adjusted his mask so it fit nicely around his bun. He picked up a sword from the corner of the room, various enchantments swirling on its surface. Tommy turned back towards Phil and in moving past techno, placed the sword at Phil's neck.

Phil gasped slightly and his already fearful gaze darkened. Techno took a step back, letting the boy decide what to do with their father. Tommy lifted the sword gently so the smooth edge pressed against his father's chin. He had to show his father that he wasn't a weak child that could just be ordered around. Tommy was his own man. His father didn't understand that. He tilted the sword so the sharp edge pressed against the skin of his father's chin. Tommy dragged the sword upwards.

Phil's eyes widened in surprise at the sudden movement, then his hands brought themselves up to his chin to investigate the damage. The boy had sliced a chunk out of Phil's chin. Nothing too harmful but it would definitely leave a scar. Phil stared at Tommy in shock as his chin dripped. He couldn't see the boy's eyes anymore, they were hidden behind his mask. Phil lowered his gaze.

Tommy placed the blade of his sword in his hands, wiping off a small splatter of Phil's blood with his gloved hand. He turned towards techno.

"You ready to go?" The man asked the boy, wither skull in hand.

"Yeah." Tommy responded curtly, grabbing his cloak.

This was the day they had been preparing for.

It took a short while for them to travel to the nether portal that would lead them to L'manberg. Techno had already collected all the resources for their withers from his cave the previous day which filled both of their inventories to the brim, besides for the potions and golden apples. The operation would be gory but they were prepared. They had been for a long time. L'manberg wouldn't know what hit them.

They reached the main portal back to L'manberg in the nether. Tommy hadn't noticed it but he had been holding his breath. Either the sweltering heat of the nether or his past experiences with the country he was about to destroy made him feel sick. He couldn't tell which.

Technoblade placed a hand on Tommy's shoulder.

"It's gonna be ok." He stated. "We'll get this over with quickly then head home."