LOSING GAME ➳ dreamwastaken

𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐧 𝐢𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐥

"I've been trying to have these whole ideals, you know?" Techno started. The sound of his boots clacking against the panelled floor was strangely daunting. "I decided to be a pacifist, I decided to show mercy, but no one cares. No one cares, it doesn't work. Ideals don't work."

"We're just kids," Reverie sympathised. "We're not supposed to be warriors, we're not supposed to be heroes."

"The only thing that works in this world is that you treat others how they treat you," Techno added. It was an old saying, one that Reverie used to hear as a child, but she had come to learn that it was a fantastic life motto. Two wrongs don't make a right, but it takes a monster to kill another monster. "Those that have treated me with kindness, I will repay that kindness tenfold."

Techno forcefully planted his fist against the wall and, though Reverie would usually be alarmed when Techno grew angry, she found herself to be quite at ease with his anger now. Possibly because she herself reciprocated his feelings of bitterness.

"And those that treat me with injustice, that use me, that hunt me down, that hurt my friends, I shall repay that injustice a thousand times over."

Goosebumps rippled across Reverie's skin. Rising to her feet, she approached the window and pushed open the wooden shutters, the beauty of the night unfolding before her. Stars peppered the night sky, twinkling happily despite the horrifying events of the day. Reverie felt her grip on the windowsill tighten.

"Dream was right," she said gravely. "We'll never get free. This is who we are, a product of war."

"So, I'll ask again—what's the plan?"

Reverie turned to Technoblade and was not surprised to be met with piercing blue eyes that were shining with malice.

"I have one condition," Reverie put forth. "Don't hurt Tubbo. I know he can be saved if you just give me time."

Techno grunted indignantly. "You said the same thing about Dream, and look where that's gotten you."

Reverie's heart sank to the pit of her stomach, which had twisted into knots of unease. Promptly turning away from Techno, she anxiously fumbled with the loose ends of her hair.

"Dream, he—he saved me back there," Reverie mumbled, her voice barely inaudible, but Techno still managed to catch ear of her words.

"What?"

"They had me beaten and—and Fundy tried to—but Dream—"

"Fundy tried to what, Reverie?" Techno gritted, and now Reverie felt intimidated by him. Sometimes it was hard to distinguish between the comedic, slightly awkward Techno that she knew and the powerful, daunting figure that was The Blade that she had heard countless of menacing stories about.

"That's doesn't matter," Reverie proceeded quickly. "My point is, if we're going to do what I think we're going to do, Dream might be able to help."

Techno folded his arms, his scrutinising eyes sweeping over Reverie and she shrank beneath his gaze. She felt as she did the very first time she had been in the presence of Technoblade, when Tommy led her into a side cave in Pogtopia and, without any kind of warning, she had found herself standing before a legend, a god.

"You're saying you want to fight alongside him?" Techno seethed shrewdly.

"No, oh God, no!" Reverie hastened, her heart jolting uncomfortably. "No, not at all, but he might be willing to supply us if we asked him."

"He's a tyrant, Rev, not a drug dealer," Techno joked.

Scoffing, Reverie rolled her eyes and suppressed an amused smile, "Oh, you know what I mean."

There was not much left for Reverie and Techno to say to each other. They had undergone their emotional reunion and discussed their plans for the foreseeable future, and while they were sure to hit some bumps in the road, tonight was not the night to worry about them.

The first issue would be Tommy. He would not be prone to the idea of marching upon L'Manberg, weapons blazing, ready to put and end to the nation once and for all. For one, that was Tommy's home, and for another, his best friend was the president. Despite the fact that Tubbo had exiled Tommy, their bond could never truly be broken. They had each other to the end of the line. Tommy had made it quite clear that he was only hanging around because Techno had promised that he would help him get his discs back from Dream.

Reverie and Techno were also severely lacking in arms. A small quantity of Netherite armour was stored in the secret armoury that was hidden beneath the cabin, but all of Techno's weapons had been seized by the Butcher Army when they captured him and were now being held in L'Manberg. In the coming weeks, Reverie and Techno would have to plan an expedition to retrieve these weapons, because they could not hope to overthrow a government without them.

The final complication was the obvious fact that Reverie and Techno were a duo against an entire nation of people, and while L'Manberg was still relatively insubstantial in size and population, Reverie was almost certain that, given the option, there was a vast portion of Dream's kingdom that would side with L'Manberg were it to be attacked by outside forces. Especially if said outside force was Technoblade—he was widely disliked.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Techno said out of the blue.

Reverie done a double take when she saw what he was doing. Technoblade was washing the dishes in the sink, which was a normal thing to do, but after the manic events of the day, seeing Techno carry out mundane tasks was a rather odd sight.

Though he offered no context to his statement, Reverie knew exactly what Techno was asking. Feeling the hairs on the back of her neck stand up as her skin was overrun with goosebumps, Reverie faced him directly, crystal on steely blue.

"Ever since it was founded, L'Manberg has caused nothing but problems," Reverie started, surprising even herself and the unsuspecting quivers of passion in her voice. "First it took Dream from me, then it took Wilbur, and then Tubbo, and today it tried to take you from me too. I'm done suffering at the hands of L'Manberg."

For the first time in forever, Reverie and Technoblade had a role-reversal. For the first time in forever, it was Reverie who was delivering a powerful and somewhat daunting speech, her voice reverberating through the very walls of the cabin, and it was Techno who appeared to be mildly intimidated.

"I've said it before and I'll say it again," Reverie continued, the intensity in her voice unwavering. "That country is nothing but a plague, a curse, and its about time we thwarted it."

Techno's stance shifted as he secured his cloak on his shoulders, his eyebrows slightly furrowed as he considered Reverie carefully. Her own chest was heaving as all of her pent up rage and bitterness came surging forward, escaping in a whirlwind of venomous words and spiking emotions. If Reverie didn't know better, she would say that Technoblade almost looked nervous.

"What are you saying?" Techno asked warily. "What are you saying, Reverie?"

The cabin itself seemed to hold its breath as all was silent. The gentle creaking of the floorboards subsided and the whistling winds that blew on the other side of the window shutters grew still. Reverie had seized the very consciousness of the earth and held it in the palm of her hand, her first closed tightly, building up a pulverising sense of anticipation.

At long last, the words rolled from her tongue like threatening sparks, disintegrating any traces of serenity that still lingered in the air.

"Let's burn that place to the fucking ground."