Doomsday:
Life Count: 25
Dream:
It was time.
He woke up curled around George, his arms around the shorter man and his chest pressed to his soulmate's back. Someone was shaking them awake, a deep laughter echoing from above him, gleaming amber eyes, and blurry strands of pink hair barely visible. Dream blinked awake, careful not to disturb the sleeping man in his arms as he glared at the man above him.
"Figured I'd find you here." Technoblade raised one angular eyebrow, his lean arms crossed and his hair tied back into a long braid. "It's almost time to go, and Phil told me to wake you up so you have a chance to prepare."
Something was slightly off about the tall man, maybe the dark circles underneath his amber and rust eyes. Maybe it was the little hint of red in his pale skin, the two thin lines like tear tracks etched from his lower eyelids to his sharp jaw. Maybe it was how his hands shook as he tucked a piece of his hair behind his ear, but Dream decided it was nothing.
"Tech, you could have given me, like, five more minutes. I was having a nice sleep, before you came and woke me up." Dream noticed the pink haired man glance away from him, his shoulders tensing slightly. "What is it?"
"It's just... you called me Tech." The pink haired man scratched the back of his neck, his eyes getting slightly sad as he looked back at Dream. "Wilbur was the only one who used to call me that before he... um, yeah."
"Oh, do you not want me to call you that?" The blond man's eyes widened with horror and his mind instantly went into panic mode.
"No, it's all right. I don't mind. You are more like a brother than he ever was anyway." Techno sighed, one hand tugging at the little strands of hair that had fallen out of his braid, the other hand rubbing at the scars on his chest.
"Aww, thanks Tech." Dream smiled at the pink haired man, and Techno hesitantly lifted the corners of his mouth into a sort of grin. "Hey, I've got your back today. Whatever goes down, I'll be by your side."
"Eh, I've got my dysfunctional family guarding me. You take care of your little boyfriend because he's going to need it. Wilbur goes after the weakest points of people. He threatened to kill Tommy, and he'll try and kill George." Techno warned, glancing down at the sleeping brown haired man. "I've experienced firsthand how much Wilbur can manipulate someone, use their attachments to his advantage. Just... be careful."
"I will, well, as careful as I can be in a warzone." Dream gently ran his fingers through George's hair, and his soulmate murmured sleepily, curling closer to the blond man. "All we need to do is kill Wilbur, and Sapnap, then we're fine."
"Huh, I hope it's that simple." Techno's amber eyes flicker to George's face as he started to wake up, the pink haired man moving towards the door. "Well, this was a nice conversation. I'll go before lover boy wakes up."
"Are you scared of affection, Technoblade?" Dream raised his eyebrow, smirking slightly as he leaned down and kissed George's temple, the pink haired man rolling his eyes but sighing uncomfortably. "Have you ever even dated anyone before?"
"Why does everyone ask me this!" Techno threw his hands in the air in exasperation, sighing as Dream laughed at him, making George stir. "I don't date, and I have no idea how to handle any kind of compassion or anything like that! The only thing I know how to do is stab people."
"Well, that's going to be pretty useful soon, Tech." Dream wrapped his arms tighter around his groggy soulmate as the brown haired man pressed a sleepy kiss to the blond man's jaw. "Well, see you soon. Keep Tommy and Tubbo safe, please."
"I'll try my best." Techno nodded to Dream, then pulled something out of his pocket. "Oh, and here you go. Phil and I fixed it for you."
He tossed something next to a green sweatshirt, lifted his hand in a lazy salute as Dream looked down at the mask laying between them. The cracks had been repaired with some kind of emerald green adhesive, like a green spiderweb. Techno lifted his chin, smiling slightly as he fixed his own mask to his face and turned away.
"Stay safe, Dream."
The blond man watched as Techno left, pink braid flicking behind him, a grin crossing his face as he looked down to see a pair of mocha eyes peering up at him. George's sleepily curious look made Dream smile as his soulmate tilted his head slightly, his eyes flicking to where Techno had just left.
"Yeah, Technoblade was just here. He just came to wake me up, because apparently we fell asleep and almost missed the start of the fight." Dream brushed his lips across the brown haired man's nose, George tilting his chin up so the blond man was 'forced' to kiss him.
"I know. I was awake the entire time." The brown haired man pulled back slightly and rubbed his thumb on the shadows that were below his soulmate's eyes. "You don't look like you got good sleep last night. Something up?"
Silence.
"Yeah, something is up. People are going to die! You could die! Tommy or Tubbo could die! Phil or Techno could die!" Dream sighed, burying his head in his hands, trying to ignore the warmth of George's arms wrapping around him. "I'm not ready."
More silence.
Then, slowly, cautiously, George gently pulled Dream's hands away from his face, gently intertwining their fingers together. The blond man looked away, but the brown eyed man reached out and grasped Dream's chin, turning him to look George in the eyes.
"Look at me and take a deep breath." The brown haired man took a deep breath and Dream hesitantly did the same, the panicked look fading slightly from his eyes. "Just calm down and focus on the sound of my voice. There, better?"
"Yeah. Sorry." Dream murmured, rubbing the scars on his chest, and closing his eyes, just slowly breathing in and out. "I'm fine. I'm fine. I'm fine."
George just leaned in and wrapped his arms around the blond man, feeling the small tremors racing through Dream's body. He could hear his soulmate just repeating the same words over and over again as he lay limp against George's chest. The brown haired man could hear Dream's heart racing, the beating rapid like a cornered animal as he was held in his soulmate's arms shaking.
"This will be the first time I've seen him since he kept me bound in chains away from the sun and hurt me until my throat was bleeding." Dream didn't take his face out of George's hoodie, his blond hair falling over his forehead. "Same with Tommy. I wonder how he and Techno are doing."
"Techno did seem a little more... on edge. Did you notice the dark circles under his eyes, or how he was shaking?" George asked, and Dream shook his head, making the brown haired man laugh slightly and roll his eyes. "You are closer to him than me, you should notice things like this."
"I see it in the mirror too much." The blond man joked, a sad hint in his tone, still not lifting his face from George's chest, his eyes still closed. "But I guess it's something me, him and Tommy have in common, because I see it in the kid too. He also needs a good meal and a week of good sleep."
"We all do, but him especially. I've seen how thin he's gotten, and even for him, that's not healthy." George just pet Dream's hair, humming that sunshine song that Techno had sang when the blond man had been rescuing.
"Wait, how do you know that?" Dream still didn't glance up, but his shoulders were a lot more relaxed once George had started humming. "I remember that song, well, kind of. I just remember someone singing that to me and stroking my hair while I was healing."
"Yeah, Techno told me about that. We spent a lot of time in the medbay together when you and Tommy were passed out, so he taught me that song." George tilted his head slightly. "He also said that you talked about me in your sleep."
"Um... he said that would stay between us." Dream finally looked back up at the brown haired man, a small blush on his cheeks. "I'm allowed to be worried about you."
"You were worried about me when you were laying in a cave and recovering from being tortured?" George facepalmed and Dream gave a small wheezy laugh. "That sounds like something you would do."
"Hey, I have all the right in the world to be worried about you." The blond man sighed and stood up, stretching, and hearing his joints crack, feeling a bites of pain from his not fully healed wounds, hissing through his teeth.
"Are you feeling okay? Some of your more severe injuries are still open, and you still haven't recovered yet..." George trailed off, his shoulders slumping slightly. "I know we don't have a choice, but please stay safe."
Dream didn't answer.
The blond man just picked up a fresh green hoodie and pulled it on, ruffling his hair and glancing down at the mask Techno had dropped off. The emerald veins running through the white porcelain, almost glowing in his hands as he picked it up, contemplating it. After a bit, he reached up and fastened it around his head, turning it so his face was still exposed, his green eyes determined and his lips in a thin line as he looked over at George.
"I'm not hiding anymore." Dream growled as he hooked his sword to his belt, the purple blade shimmering in the light as he also grabbed a crossbow and a quiver of arrows. "I'm done keeping my face a secret. It will be the last thing Wilbur sees before he dies. I'll make sure."
"I don't doubt you, Clay." George laughed as Dream glanced over at him, his eyebrow raised slightly. "What? Did I studder?"
"No, it's just weird to hear my name again after all this time." The blond man glanced at George's bare arms, than shrugged off his sweatshirt. "Here. You look cold, and you're going to need it more than me out there."
"Thanks Clay." George slid on the hoodie, rolling up the sleaves to be able to see his hands before clasping his sword to his belt. "It's a little big for me, but I don't really mind."
"It looks good on you." Dream reached up and pulled the hood down over George's eyes, and the brown haired man batted his hands away, laughing. "Now, let's go. I don't want to keep Wilbur waiting."
He intertwined his fingers with George's and started to walk towards the door, but the brown haired man pulled him back.
"Hey, wait." George looked up at Dream, his free hand shaking a bit as he reached up and brushed a strand of blond hair from the tall man's face. "If we do... die today, than I just want you to know I- I..."
George broke off, unable to finish his sentence, his fingertips lightly tracing Dream's nose, cheekbone, and jawline. His hand fell, and he looked down to the stone below his feet, his shoulders falling in a sigh.
"I know, George." Dream reached over and pulled the brown eyed man into a hug, letting his fingers get tangled in his soulmate's soft hair. "I know."
~
Technoblade:
Dream arrived in style.
As usual.
Him, Phil, Badboyhalo, Skeppy and a few of the group leaders were standing in a circle as Bad drew plans in the dirt. Techno had long since drowned out the sound of the brown haired man's voice, his ADHD getting the better of him. His gaze was wandering around the forest they were standing in, when a sharp crack, then a thump of boots on ground echoed through his ears.
"Sorry we're late."
That man always had to make an entrance.
Dream had leaped down from the trees, landed right in the middle of the circle, his sword out and his mask sideways across his face. A few seconds later, George jumped down beside him, the oversized green hoodie not making him look any less threatening. He too had a sword in his hand, and a small and threatening frown on his face as he met Punz's gaze, his eyes narrowing.
"Punz." George greeted the blond man coldly, every bit of cold distaste poured into his voice, and the taller man flinched slightly.
"Nice to see you finally made it." Punz shot back, glancing at Dream's exposed face with a bit of shock as he took in the blond man's exposed features. "And you've finally decided to take that stupid mask off."
"Punz." Techno growled warningly, and the white hooded man gave a little step back, a silver of fear in his gaze for one second.
He almost tripped over Tommy as the blond boy wrapped his arms around Dream, and the half-masked man laughed, hugging the kid back. Tubbo hesitantly joined in, the two blondes pulling him into their embrace, Dream gently ruffling the boy's hair. Techno gave a small chuckle as the little group broke apart, a small smile crossing the pink haired man's face as Dream and George walked over to where him and Phil were standing.
"Did we miss anything?" Dream asked, hand in hand with George as he sheathed his sword, looking out over the meadows.
"No, just a few arguments, maybe one or two fights." Techno cracked his knuckles threateningly and Dream finally noticed the blood on his fists and the feared looks everyone present was giving him.
"Tech, who did you beat up?"
Dream stared down Techno.
Techno stared right back.
"Fine. Punz and a few others suggested we just give Tommy or you up, so I may have hit him." Techno crossed his arms and raised one elegant eyebrow. "I know that if you heard what he said, you would have done the same."
"I don't doubt you, Tech. It's nice to see you, by the way." Dream held his arms open for a hug, and Techno sighed before curling into the embrace.
Tommy reached out and grabbed Phil's sleeve before ducking under Techno's elbow and wrapping his thin arms around the pink haired man's waist. Phil joined the hug too, ruffling Tommy's blond hair and gently smiling at his family as he gently ran his hands through Techno's unbound hair.
"It's like the Avengers!" Tommy squeaked excitedly as he escaped from the embrace and bounced around them, sword clinking in it's sheathe. "We're in Endgame, bitches!"
"Language!" Bad peeped as he appeared beside them, Skeppy next to him with his shimmery axe in hand. "But yeah, it does really feel like everything will be over after this."
"Bad, you can't say language anymore. You've cussed in front of me." George smirked as the emerald eyed man's head whipped towards him.
"What!" Tommy's eyes were so wide as he stared at Bad.
The blond boy looked so shocked, then he burst out laughing so hard that he collapsed to the floor, his old self appearing for that silver of a moment before he winced from the wounds crossing his body. He rubbed his chest slightly, something that him, Dream and Techno had a habit of doing, before standing back up. The smile dropped from his face as that happy boy fell back into that solder, too young to go to war.
"Yeah. Everything will be over after this." He mumbled as Tubbo wrapped an arm around him, and Tommy leaned into the touch of his best friend. "Thanks Toby."
"No problem, Big Man." The brown haired boy sighed, letting Tommy burry his head into his shoulder and wrap his arms tighter.
There was silence for a bit, everyone just lost in their own world, Techno twisting and untwisting strands of his hair as Phil tugged on his hat. Dream was fiddling with the corners of his mask as Bad absentmindedly ran his fingers through Skeppy's hair. Tommy was knotting the corners of his shirt together, only stopping when Tubbo gently took his hand and held it away from the fabric.
"Hey. Wilbur is here." George broke the moment, tapping Dream on the shoulder and making everyone standing there flinch. "Oh, sorry."
"He's actually here." Techno muttered, raising his hand to shield his eyes from the morning sun, a single figure silhouetted against the glare. "I haven't seen him since..."
"Yeah me too." Dream shivered, leaning into George, and letting the brown haired man pull him closer. "God, this is going to be rough."
Tommy just stepped forwards and gently took Techno's hand, his brother visibly relaxing as the blond boy stood beside him. Slowly, the outline of Wilbur Soot became more clear, his hair falling over his face, his beanie crooked on his head and his two knives held in his hand. He looked like he was staring right at them, and Tommy visibly flinched back, Techno wrapping strong arms around the boy, that protective instinct back.
"Hey, hey. It's okay." He whispered as Tommy buried his head into Techno's shirt, shaking slightly. "I'm not going to let him get you."
Than his head snapped up.
He could recognize the hiss of gunpowder anywhere.
"GET DOWN!" He screamed, grabbing Tubbo and curling himself around the two boys as everyone around him threw themselves to the ground.
The bomb hit.
He shut his eyes tightly as the first explosion rocked the ground under him, feeling as stones and branches hit his back, tearing at his clothes. He was just glad that it was him taking the brunt of the bomb instead of the two kids curled beneath him. Several more explosions rang out through the air, one passing so close that he could feel his skin burn. There was silence and he counted one, two, three beats, no more bombs raining from the sky, and he cautiously lifted his head.
"Are you two okay?" He rasped, the smoke from the explosions filling his lungs and making him cough slightly as he knelt on the ripped apart ground, still holding the boys close. "There are going to be more volleys soon. Wilbur won't let us relax for long."
"It's too loud Techie." Tommy mumbled, his voice muffled, his head still buried in Techno's shirt, both boys shaking in the pink haired man's arms.
"I know, I know. But it's going to be all right Toms. Just close your ears and hum a song." Techno pulled them both close, shielding them again as a second round of bombs hit the ground. "It's going to be okay."
He couldn't open his eyes without them smoke clouding his vision, blocking everyone else from sight. He couldn't see Phil or Dream or anyone else except for Tommy and Tubbo curled close to his body. He could feel them both shaking as more and more explosions rocked the ground beneath them, the heat and smoke filling the air.
"RETURN FIRE!"
Huh.
Apparently Bad and Skeppy had bombs too.
It sounded like the pair were fine because it was Skeppy's voice that had called out the order. They must had gotten away, maybe they had run to where Punz and the others had stood at the top of the hill when Techno had yelled. It seemed like it was only him, the kids, Phil, Dream and George that were actually getting bombed.
How unfair.
Wilbur was targeting them.
Why was he not surprised.
He curled himself back around the kids as another round of bombs rained over his head, cursing under his breath as one exploded too close. It knocked him back and creating a long burn along his side, but he ignored it, keeping the kids close as more bombs hit the ground. He tried not to breathe in that toxic smoke as he counted one, two, three, than uncurled from around the kids.
"WE'VE GOT THEM ON THE RUN!" Punz yelled, seemingly unaware of the warzone almost right next to him as Techno blinked open his eyes.
He sat back, carefully scanning the sky for more bombs, the ringing in his ears not going away after the explosions faded. Tommy and Tubbo were still huddled against his chest, tears staining both boy's faces as they breathed in gulps of ash filled air. Techno let them cling onto him, running his hands through their hair to calm them down as blasts echoed from their side of the meadow. Techno could see the red line of fire and smoke as bombs were launched, hitting the ridge where Wilbur and his camp stood.
"Techno?"
He gave a sigh of relief, his lungs too filled with smoke to call back as Phil rushed towards him, half his face covered with soot, but otherwise unharmed. The blond man slid to the ground next to his sons and Tubbo, wrapping them in his arms as Techno rested his head on his father's shoulder. Phil sighed, a tired sigh of a man who had already had too much of war, and Techno understood how he felt.
"Do you know where Dream and George are?" Phil asked, and Techno shook his head, the blond man scanning the crater ridden earth. "They were the only ones I couldn't see when the first explosions started."
Techno pushed himself to his feet, ignoring the pain in his back, his shoulders, and his sides, holding his hands out to help the kids up. Tommy was still shaking, his hand in a vice-like grip around Tubbo's arm, but he looked better. Techno was just glad he was able to reach them in time, and he was fine with the burns and scrapes that littered his skin, so long as the kids were all right.
"Phil!"
"George!"
The brown haired man came into sight, his arm around the waist of Dream, supporting the half-masked man. Phil ran forwards and slid his shoulder under the blond man's arm, helping George carry him over to where Techno and the kids sat. Dream didn't look that great, a burn across his back and a light sheen of sweat across his face.
"What happened?" Phil asked as Techno quickly bandaged up the half-masked man's back, glancing up at George. "Were you guys caught in the explosion?"
"Yeah, I almost got killed by the first volley, but Dream protected me." George's voice was louder than normal, his head tilting to his right side and his hand instinctively rubbing his ear. "The last bomb came too close, and he collapsed. I got him out before we were crushed by any falling debris or killed by more explosions."
"Wait, George." Techno sat back on his heals, studying the brown haired man before sighing slightly. "Cover your left ear with your hand until you can't hear out of it."
"Okay?" George looked slightly confused, but followed the pink haired man's instructions, his hand shaking slightly as he covered the left side of his head. "Now what?"
"Can you still hear what I'm saying?" Techno raised his eyebrow slightly as George sat, unresponsive. "Hello? Can you hear me?"
Silence.
"I don't know if you're talking to me." George started, his voice louder, a little shocked expression crossing his face. "I can see your lips move, but I can't hear you. I know your talking, but I can't hear what your saying? I can't hear me, I can't hear anything. Someone say something!"
He started panicking, his hand still over his left ear, glancing around the bomb ridden area, his eyes wide. His fingertips were shaking as his free hand fingered with the edge of that green hoodie that looked like Dream's sweatshirt. Techno reached out and pulled George's hand away from his ear, and the brown haired man let out a breath he didn't know he was holding.
"Hey. Can you hear me?" Techno asked hesitantly, and George nodded before reaching up to lightly touch the right side of his face. "I guess the first explosion damaged your ear enough so you went deaf on that side, but not on the other."
"Oh god. I wonder how Dream will be when he wakes up!" George had that panic back on his face as he gently grabbed the half-masked man's hand. "He was closest to most of the explosions."
"Well, I survived, and Dream is pretty tough." Techno had to laugh a bit, causing the brown haired man to glance up at him. "It's funny how you two can be almost dead, and still worry about the other who is probably fine."
"Yeah, he's probably fine." George murmured, more to himself than to Techno, but the pink haired man still caught the way his grip tightened on Dream's hand, like he was afraid of letting go. "He's fine."
There was silence as Techno sat back, letting Tommy curl back into his embrace, the blond kid shivering slightly. The pink haired man didn't mind his little brother's clinginess, in fact, he enjoyed the constant human contact. He guessed both him and Tommy were touch-deprived after spending so much time secluded from each other under Wilbur's grasp. So Techno let the blond boy tuck his head in the crook of his neck, Tommy's breath ruffling his pink hair.
"Hey, we survived the first battle." Phil laughed humorlessly, no excitement in his words as he sat down beside his sons.
Techno glanced around at George holding Dream's hand, the blond man unconscious and injured while his soulmate was half deaf. There were no bodies, yet, but Techno could still feel Tommy shaking in his arms, Phil's hand trembling as he gently wrapped the pink haired man's arm in bandages. Tubbo was curled next to them, his clothes and hair dusted with ash as Tommy reached over and pulled him closer.
Yeah, they survived this time.
Barely.