Hello! Welcome to my latest brainchild of idle wondering, creative passion, and audacity. A legend has fallen, but as long as he is remembered, Technoblade will never truly die. Today, I'm beginning a wild undertaking, but one that's sure to be fun: what if Technoblade, fresh from armageddon, woke up in the world of Remnant?
The crimson king awoke with a gasp. Where am I? He felt his chest as he looked around. His armor was intact, the matte, ashy surface unblemished. His tools and weapons were unscathed. Even his crown and tusks were spotless. No. That can't be right. He distinctly remembered a battle. Las Nevadas and the Syndicate, Snowchester- everyone. They'd entered an unholy alliance to prevent the end of the world. Dream had performed a ritual, flaying Schlatt's soul in the process of becoming the world's true god. Techno had arrived just too late to stop the murder, but just soon enough to hear the screams. Schlatt had been a monster, no question, but his screams… by god the noise. It had made even the voices shy away.
At that, his oldest enemies made themselves known again, crimson whispers in the back of his mind. Damnit Techno, think! What the hell happened? Dream had brought Schlatt back from the dead to use his soul for a ritual. He had become nigh invincible and gained the power of flight, but Techno had interrupted the ritual before it could be completed, so Dream was left mostly invincible instead of truly unkillable. He'd flown away from the ritual bunker without a word to Techno.
He'd killed Wilbur first. Said he no longer had a use for him. Decapitated him on the spot. Even at the end no one could convince Wilbur to wear armor. Then he'd gone after Tommy. Tubbo had died to protect his friend, and then Dream caught Tommy anyway, but not before he could blow the Armageddon horn in the center of L'manberg's crater. Everyone had come to the lip of the crater to find Tommy in a bedrock prison, screaming as Dream repeatedly burned him alive and threw healing potions on the wounds to keep him from dying. Dream had waited for everyone to arrive, then turned to them and smiled as he poured lava over Tommy's head. The boy had drowned in liquid fire.
The battle had been cataclysmic. Phil. Quackity. Sam. Ant. Bad. Niki. Puffy. Everyone, hell, even George. They'd all joined forces at the eleventh hour. A flurry of arrows seemed to barely hinder the green god as he descended. The melee had been frantic- Dream had been one of the best fighters before his ascension, and after it, only Phil and Techno together could even put up a fight.
But what had happened? He was vaguely aware that basically everyone had wound up dead, but the specifics eluded him- a fog clouded his memories, tainted with horrific bloodlust and rage. The voices' doing then. He cursed them once again. Even death wouldn't thwart them. A thousand cruel and giddy replies went ignored as Techno forced through the mist.
In the end, it had come down to him, Phil, and the green god. He remembered that much. The survivor and the man who never died facing down the wrath of a mad deity. Dream's armor was scarred, pitted, and in places falling from his body. Techno remembered now. He remembered, and stood stock still in the forest as silent tears ran down his face.
Phil had died. He'd leapt at Dream when he should have retreated. Whether it was anger for his lost sons or an attempt to give Techno an opening, he never found out. Dream's sword speared Phil's chest, but before Dream could remove Phil's body from the blade, Techno leapt into the air and brought his axe down with all his might on the green god's head.
It wasn't enough. The man's helmet shattered, but his head was saved. Techno felt an axe bite deep into his gut, and pulled out his last ace in the hole. A vial of red, angry acid fell to the ground and exploded, and Techno felt agony, then nothing.
Had they won? Was Dream dead?
Did it matter?
Obviously Techno had died, and he was fairly certain he'd been the last man standing. Their entire society had fallen to the man with the mask. Even if he'd taken Dream down with him, there wouldn't be anyone left to celebrate, let alone rebuild. Now he found himself in a forest that, upon close examination, looked nothing like any he'd seen back in the SMP. The trees had more definition, more flowing shapes and varied colors.
Techno felt… odd. There was slightly more strength in his body, a bit more spring in his step. He felt younger, that much was certain, but then he'd only been in his twenties before. He certainly didn't feel like he was in a child's body, and this was indisputably still his own. He'd guess 17 or 18 years old? Long pink hair flowed out behind him, rustling gently in the breeze. His bone white tusks were a bit shorter, but still very much present. He still had his frame and height, tall, lean, and well-muscled from years of war and survival. On the note of survival…
He finally thought to take full inventory, and he realized something else. His building materials were gone. He had his weapons and tools, in a hefty leather pack on his back. A couple changes of clothes. A little food, a few spare diamonds, and bars of gold and iron. Techno's stomach sank. He needed blocks. He walked up to the nearest tree, and swung at it with all his might. The axe bit deep, and it only took a few more swings to break the block- or rather, fell the entire tree. Techno's eyes went wide as he dove free, the entire trunk falling to the ground. Worse, it didn't break into any blocks, and when he tried to lift the trunk, the weight was immense. There would be no picking that up.
He forced down the panic that edged into his mind with the cackling of a mad chorus. He needed to find somewhere safe, somewhere to rest, before he could allow himself to reckon with this new reality. He scanned the horizon and found a small plume of smoke rising to the northwest. Hefting a shield on his left arm and the Axe of Peace in his right hand, he stalked through the unfamiliar woods.
This was an unnatural quiet. There was the rustling of leaves, and the barely audible fall of his footsteps. Scarcely the sound of a songbird, nor the crunching of leaves from a passing animal. There should be something moving through these forests. Cattle, sheep, pigs, even chickens. There were a few distant chirps, and nothing else. Then, something. Something big, moving fast, disturbing a lot of leaves off to the left. Techno turned to face it, and saw something monstrous. It looked like a wolf, but only so far as a pebble looked like a boulder. This creature walked on two legs and stood taller than him, covered in fur blacker than night, and sporting a pale white mask of bone over glowing red eyes. They conveyed a hatred, but also a hint of something else in the way they flicked up and down as the creature bounded towards him. It was appraising him in turn. It was thinking. Techno fought back a shudder as he raised his shield. The creature slammed into him, and instead of it bouncing backwards from the stalwart wood as he expected, Techno toppled into the piles of autumn leaves. The creature stood atop him and roared, and the voices screeched and howled in return. Techno desperately swung his axe into its flank. The blade bit deep, and blood as dark and thick as tar dripped onto the soil. Techno made for another swing, but the wolf struck first, clamping a jaw around his head. Techno's helmet held, though it creaked as he stared directly down the monster's throat. His axe swung blind, and it cleaved through one of the creature's legs. It slumped off of him, and he scrambled to his feet, free of the crushing bite, and planted a third strike in the side of its skull before it could recover. The body quickly began to dissolve into nothing but bony armor plates.
Techno felt winded, but he pushed on. If there were more of those things out here, he didn't want to chance running into two of them at once. His shield hadn't protected him from the creature's momentum, only its claws. Increasingly, it seemed all bets were off. He was taking nothing for granted, and he really didn't want to gamble his life on assuming that his armor would hold, or that he could quickly heal from wounds. The rules have changed. Trust nothing. He made his way swiftly through the woods, and after thirty minutes' travel, he came upon a town.
Yet more signs that he was somewhere far from home. The architecture here resembled nothing he'd ever seen. There was dark wood ornamentation on white stone walls, with sloping roofs made of red tiles. It wasn't overwhelming in its complexity, but simply because it was foreign to him. Less foreign was the wall surrounding it. Though hewn from the same strange white stone, it was flat and simple. Many a place had built fortifications like this in the violent lands of the SMP. He saw a few guards patrolling the walls, holding weapons he didn't recognize- long, thin tubes with handles and sights like the ones on his crossbow. Projectile weapons? I'll want to get in close if I have to fight, then. He skirted the edge of the treeline until he found a gate, then approached across the open ground along a dirt path with shield raised and crossbow at the ready.
The man who called out to Techno wore an iron helm and simple chain mail, wielding one of the strange tubes. "Where might you be from, traveler?" he queried.
Techno mulled it over before settling on an answer. "A long way from here. I'm quite lost. Stumbled upon this place by accident."
"Lost, eh? You don't look like some newbie to get turned around in the woods to me. I'd have pegged you for a hunter in training with that kit. Still, I guess everyone has bad days. Welcome to Hakaturi. You're a ways off from Mistral proper, if that's what you're lookin for."
Two names that meant nothing to him. Techno simply shrugged, and pushed on. "I don't suppose you have an inn to stay at? I've had a long day."
"Sure! Come right on in." The apparent leader waved to the other guards. They cranked a mechanical handle, and the gate slowly rose up into the stonework with the clanking of gears. Techno lowered his weapons. He cautiously entered the town and found it bustling. People in flowing clothes with unfamiliar designs moved about between market stalls and homes. He shouted his thanks to the gate guards and moved towards the building at the end of the street holding a sign that read "Inn". Weaving through the crowd, he knew he stood out. The tusks, crown, and armor set him apart from these civilians. They gave him a comfortable berth as he made his way deeper into the village. He didn't mind. Honestly, he wanted to keep questions to a minimum right now, and talking to people would only make them even more suspicious.
Unfortunately, it looked like he'd have to do at least a little talking. He'd seen people passing around small plastic cards at market stalls, and he was fairly sure he didn't have any of that local currency on him. He needed money. He scanned the street and found a smithy not far past the inn. Pushing through the crowd, he stepped inside to a wash of heat from a fiery forge. Blinking the heat away, he stepped forward to the counter and saw a man pounding away at a glowing hot blade on a work table. Techno stood there for a few minutes, until the man seemed satisfied with his work and turned to the counter. The smith did a double take upon seeing Techno standing there. "Oh! Sorry, you frightened me. Didn't hear ya enter. What can I do ya for?"
Techno put on his best faux smile and hefted his pack. "Well, I'm not quite from around these parts. I've got some metals that need offloading and I figured you'd be a good place to start."
"Heh. Not often we get metal round these parts. It's a bit out of the ordinary for me to buy things in my own shop, but sure. Let me take a look at what you've got."
Techno removed the hefty bricks of iron and gold from his pack, and saw the smith's eyes dilate a little. He scooted the gold to one side of the counter, then picked up one of the iron ingots and looked it over thoroughly. He tapped it with a small hammer all over and inspected it again to be sure. "Well I'll be. I'm more of a war smith than anything else, so I don't have much use for the gold, but this iron… This is some of the purest metal I've ever laid hands on. It'd make armor fit for a knight of old. Where'd you come by it?"
"Mined it."
"Really now? I wouldn't have taken you for the mining type. You've got the air of an adventurer about you. Come to think of it, what's that your armor's made out of?" the smith asked, pointing to his bulky netherite plate.
Techno doubted a metal they'd named after a place back in the SMP would be well known here, so he deflected. "It's a long story. Suffice it to say, it's good metal, but I almost died acquiring it, and I've no idea where more might be found." None of that was technically false. He had almost died to a fall once when traveling home from the mine, and he had no idea how one might get to the Nether from here.
The smith looked disheartened by that. Still, he placed the iron ingot in his hand back down on the counter and spoke. "Well, if that's all, let's see. We've got nine ingots of high quality iron. What'll that run us? I'll say- a happy 3000 lien." Techno had no idea how far that would get him. He took a gamble. "3500. Take it or leave it." The smith's eyes hardened for a second, before a smile cracked onto his face. "Ah. A man who knows the worth of his materials. Alright, 3500 lien." Techno nodded, and the man went into a back room and came back holding a stack of small plastic cards. He scooped the iron ingots into a bag, and Techno packed the gold back into his. He lifted the cards, flicked through them to make sure they added up to 3500, and then waved to the smith as he exited. The man called after him, "Pleasure doing business with ya!"
That settled, he entered the inn and walked up to the desk. Despite the bustle of the street outside, this building was quiet. Not many travelers, I guess. He tapped the little bell on the counter, and the woman behind it looked up from her magazine. "Oh! Sorry, you snuck up on me. Looking for a room?"
He nodded. "Alright! that 'll run you 80 lien for one night, or 500 for a week."
"I'll take one night, if that's okay." He handed over one of the lien cards, and the woman gave him back change and a room key. He thanked her and stepped through, finding the room on the second floor, and then entered, slung his pack down on the bed, doffed his armor, and laid on the surprisingly comfortable mattress. Techno sighed deeply.
Now. What am I gonna do next?
He was a long way from home, and honestly leaning towards the idea that he was in an entirely different world. It wasn't too outlandish for him to consider. He'd come from a land where everyone had one life, while those of the SMP had three. On top of that, there had been occasions where the rules worked differently in the past. Beds exploded in the nether, and some animals couldn't enter it. He knew traveling to places with different rules was possible.
But there was an issue. He had died. He had died, and woken up healthy and intact, in a world where it seemed like most of the rules had changed. How? More importantly, where the hell was he really, and what was his next step?
For all that he had been treated like a famed strategist and deadly mastermind, he could not find a satisfactory answer. His best idea was to head to this Mistral and see what lay there. He had next to no information, and the guards had spoken of Mistral like some capital city. A whisper, origin unclear, snaked through his thoughts. Where else would the greatest stores of knowledge be held than the seat of power?
Techno drifted into a fitful sleep.
He was awoken in the dead of night by a bang, then many. It sounded like his firework rockets from the red festival, but louder, tinged with metal rather than the fragile wrappings of paper and cardboard. Techno threw on his armor, gathered his weapons, and charged down the stairs and out the door. It was storming outside, and Techno could see brief flashes of intense light as the men on the walls fired their weapons down at something and lightning split the sky. He raced towards the walls, past homes where the muffled screaming of children could just be heard from the streets. Finding a wooden stair, he barreled to the top to find the guard captain from earlier today loosing shot after shot from his tube-weapon at something tall and shadowy. It looked like a stretched-out, emaciated body riding atop a war-steed from hell, merged into one nightmarish form. Spikes of bone protruded from skin darker than the void between stars, and hateful red eyes snapped from target to target. The beast slammed its arms into the gate over and over, causing great bangs to echo into the forest, but it seemed not to feel the pain, throwing itself against the metal over and over. Somehow, he saw the beast in near-perfect clarity, despite the darkness and the storm.
Without a word, Techno drew his crossbow, nocked a firework, and loosed it at the beast. The rocket soared true, striking it dead in the torso and exploding in a ball of red. The smoke cleared to show scarcely a dent in the creature's flesh, though flames licked at its skin. Techno reloaded and fired again, striking the same wound to little effect. He scowled, and voices built up in his mind.
Someone to his left muttered. "To hell with this."
Techno turned to see a man in long black slacks with a hip flask and a white dress shirt that might once have been classy but was now wrinkled, faded, and untucked. The man brandished a sword half as tall as him and vaulted the wall's battlement, sweeping his blade forward in a horizontal slash for the monster's neck. One of the creature's arms shot forward with wicked claws, but when they struck the man, they were stopped by a thin layer of light, turning a sure disembowelment into an unpleasant bash. The man wasn't knocked off course despite that, and his blade struck home, leaving a gash across the giant's neck that spurted black blood.
Techno slung his crossbow, pulled out his water bucket, and leapt from the wall, pouring it at his feet. To his surprise, it did not comfortably break his fall, instead splashing all over the ground and leaving him to execute an unexpected and painful forward roll. Right. Trust nothing. The ever present, hateful onlookers cackled as he staggered to his feet and brandished his axe and shield. Techno slowly moved towards the titan, its' focus taken by the man who'd just slashed its throat.
"Hey! Get out of here kid, let the huntsman do his thing!" The disheveled man in the white shirt yelled, dodging the flailing arms of the beast as the steed rammed into the gate again. huntsman- another word that meant nothing to him. He ignored the warning and moved in towards the steed. He may not have known what this beast truly was, but it sure as hell didn't look friendly, and he wasn't interested in letting it near a bunch of defenseless families. The men on the walls kept firing, but their projectiles seemed to do little better than his rockets. However, the gash from the huntsman's blade was still bleeding. Techno smirked, and the voices spoke of war and death and glee.
He leapt forward, axe in hand. The blade bit deep into the steed's leg, and it reared with a screech. Unfortunately, this caused the huntsman to miss his next strike as the beast rose away from his blade. Not one to lose the advantage, Techno slammed the blade home again. The creature stumbled and fell back to all fours, the huntsman narrowly dodging the hooves. "Kid, you're really crimping my style here!" Techno stayed laser focused as the ephemeral audience bayed for blood, a third swing biting deep into the leg. He saw a blur of motion and quickly raised his shield. It was just in time- one of the rider's hands slashed along the wood and shunted him backwards. Another came in from the right, and Techno batted it away with his axe. The huntsman flicked a switch on his sword, and the blade moved down from the hilt at an angle to reveal two tubes- like the weapons of the men on the wall. The huntsman fired both projectiles into the wounded leg with two brilliant bangs and a blinding flash of light in the stormy darkness. With that, the limb was severed from the body. The steed screeched in primal, monstrous fury and then fell limp. Techno rolled forward as the corpse sunk to the ground, barely escaping the falling mount.
His body coated in mud, he stood and turned to face the monster, only to hear a sickening cracking noise. The rider detached from the fallen mount and stood tall tall as its thin, bony legs emerged from the flesh of the dying warhorse like they were surfacing from murky water. The thing then dashed towards Techno and the huntsman at dizzying speed, lashing one arm out at Techno, and the other at the huntsman. Techno's shield barely blocked the first blow, the force sending him slipping to the muddy ground but in pain rather than bisected. The mad chorus screamed in rage as Techno slipped in the wet soil. The huntsman parried the other arm with his weapon, now back in sword form, then spun away from the beast's path, scoring a deep slash along the pelvis at the same time. Techno drew his loaded crossbow from the sling and fired another firework at the gash, and it struck true. Fire caught inside the beast's organs, and it let out an inhuman screech, a terrible mix of agony and rage from a voice that was never meant to exist. The concert in Techno's mind came to a crescendo, a discordant wail from a thousand throats of anger, of justice, of pride, and of blood. The beast spun around and lashed out in an instant, slamming the huntsman's parry aside and searing across Techno's forehead. Two claws were blocked by the helm, but one cut into flesh above his eyes, and blood began to drip into his vision. If he didn't finish this soon, he'd be fighting completely blind. He loaded a normal bolt into the crossbow and aimed for the crimson eye of the beast as it stepped forward to plunge its claws into his prone body. He loosed.
The bolt sailed straight and true despite his screaming thoughts, plunging into the hateful red of the beast's eye and turning it a dull maroon.
The creature screeched again, stampeding forward, and Techno rolled sideways in the mud to avoid the stomp meant to crush his skull. He heard two more deafening bangs, and the creature staggered forwards before finally crumpling with a croak, the head slamming into the bony remains of its former mount. Techno, dripping with mud and forehead wet with blood, used his axe as a cane to raise himself from the ground, and came face to face with the man who'd called himself a huntsman.
"Do you have any idea how much danger you just put yourself in kid?" Up close, he could barely make out jet black hair and stubble on the man's face. The storm still raged around them, and they walked towards the raising gate as they talked. Techno simply shook his head no, as he forced down the charnel choir, calling for him to continue the slaughter, to strike the man down and then murder the guards, burn the village to bone and ashes.
"No? Well allow me to enlighten you. That was a Nuckelavee. Nasty buggers. Grimm, actually. Not only that, the kind of Grimm that can level a town in a night. You should thank the gods you're still breathing."
The man looked closely at Techno's face, then blinked twice. "Oh my- It got your forehead. You don't even have aura. You don't even have aura!"
Techno, having no idea what aura was, let the man continue as he choked out the bloody intrusions in his thoughts.
"Do you have a death wish kid? Most people don't go looking for Grimm encounters. Most people are lucky to survive one, and you dove in headfirst. I don't know where you got those weapons or armor, but they don't make you a huntsman."
The gate had risen, and the two stepped through into the empty streets. "With all due respect sir, this isn't my first battle." Techno decided to take a gamble. "I've seen villages wiped off the map, turned into smoking craters. I made it through that alive."
"You're not doing much for the doesn't have a death wish argument kid. Getting lucky enough to survive once doesn't mean you're better or stronger. It just means you're lucky. If I were you, I'd stop pushing your luck."
"Not gonna happen. I may not be some stereotypical hero, but I'm not letting innocent people die if I can help it."
"Even if it gets you killed?"
Techno simply stared at him, nonchalant.
The man put a hand on his forehead. "Look, kid, you're giving me a headache. How about we both get some rest, and you and I have a chat in the morning, if you're that committed to throwing yourself in harm's way. Saradakis diner, right by the east gate."
"What if I say no?"
"You can. I might have to report you as an unlicensed hunter, but that probably won't achieve much in the long run. Still, I've got a feeling you're gonna want to hear what I have to say."
Techno and Qrow arrived at the inn. Techno knocked on the door and then opened it. The woman at the desk stared wide-eyed at the door, calmed momentarily when she saw it was two patrons, and then surprise slipped back onto her face when she saw one of them bleeding and covered in mud. "I don't suppose you have a place for me to wash up?" Techno asked. The woman nodded slowly and pointed to a door on the other side of the room. The hunter headed upstairs as Techno walked up, took the key from a peg on the wall and entered the bathroom. He stepped into a shower, and after some confused fiddling with the shower handle, removed his armor and clothes, and then let the warm water wash over him. He stood there for a while, just enjoying the sensation and letting the water scourge the coating of mud.
He didn't have a bandage in his pack, and when he scarfed down a spare steak the gash on his forehead didn't heal like his wounds would back in the old world. That was upsetting, but the wound had stopped bleeding and he'd cleaned it as best he could, so he decided to slap a rag torn from a shirt sleeve over it and leave it be. After that, he took his armor and ran it under the showerhead, wiping mud from the grooves with a washcloth, then washed out his muddy clothes. He dried off the armor and got dressed in a spare outfit, then stepped out into the lobby to see the innkeeper mopping mud from the floor. He walked up and offered to take the mop, insisting when she protested, and finished cleaning up the mess. He bid the woman good night and headed back up to his room, took off his armor, and collapsed into bed.
He felt monumentally tired. More so than he could remember feeling- well, ever. He'd kept his fighting skills, but it appeared his stamina was much more limited in this place than it had been in the SMP. He was still incredibly fit, but apparently fatigue was much more potent here. It felt like he'd been given weakness and slowness potions. A problem for later, he thought. A problem that probably won't get better unless I get some rest. Techno yawned and drifted quickly off to restful sleep, borne more by exhaustion than comfort.
He awoke not long after sunrise, gathered his kit, and left his room. After running his wet clothes from last night through a machine called a dryer, he bid the innkeeper adieu and headed for the Saradakis Diner. He'd decided to meet with the huntsman. Not like he had any better ideas. The only other thing on his list was walking to Mistral, wherever that was.
The man stood out in the diner- his clothes looked like they were supposed to be more proper, and didn't match the color or style of the locals, plus he was drinking at ten thirty in the morning. Oh, and the giant sword. That too. Techno took a seat opposite the man, and the huntsman shot him a mischievous smile. "I don't think I ever caught your name, kid."
"Techno."
"Techno? Can't say I've heard that one before. I'm Qrow. That's Qrow with a Q."
Techno smiled. "Qrow, huh? I had an old friend who was fond of crows."
Qrow lit up at that. "Hah! I told Tai people talked about me."
Techno held his monotone. "Somehow, I doubt my friend was talking about you."
Qrow took up a scowl, but his tone remained playful. "Damn. You could let a guy down gently you know."
Qrow gestured towards him with the bottle of beer. "But to the matter at hand. You thought any more on my offer? If you're really insisting on throwing yourself into danger, being a huntsman's a good way to live longer."
Still not knowing the meaning of the word, Techno played along. "Impressed? I thought I was taking stupid risks with my life."
Qrow swirled the bottle in his hand. "They can both be true. You fought well, but the fact is that anyone who makes a habit of fighting Grimm without aura and proper training ain't expected to live long. Between you and me, you had some decent footwork for a kid your age. It'd need some tailoring for fighting Grimm, but it's damn impressive."
Techno took pause, and then made his choice. "Ok, I'll bite. What's being a hunter entail?"
Qrow shot him a piercing look for a moment, then it dropped away. What was that about?
Qrow continued. "Going to a hunter academy. There's one in each major kingdom. I'd recommend Beacon. It's where I went, and I turned out to be a fine, upstanding member of society. Learned to fight Grimm with the best of em."
The man shot a weak smile into the bottom of his drink. Techno could tell there was more there, but now was not the time to broach such subjects.
"And how would I get to Beacon? Or any of the kingdoms for that matter?"
Qrow's expression now was unmasked surprise. "I can believe that you've never been to any of the kingdoms, but not knowing where any of em are? What kinda lousy education did you get?"
Techno grinned. "School of hard knocks and self deprecation."
Qrow snorted. "Mistral is due east. Just out this gate, follow this road and you'll get there eventually. If you want to get to Beacon, or just any of the other kingdoms, you can catch a boat or an airship from there."
Never seen an airship before, and I'm assuming he means boats larger than our little dinghies back in the SMP. I hope, anyway. Taking those things out on the open ocean was terrible.
"Where are you headed?"
"Funny you should ask. I'm headed out to Mistral and then back to Beacon."
"Mind if I come with?"
That shocked the man again. "I mean, you can, I guess. Just surprised you're ok with it. You barely know me, and I'm a huntsman. I could easily rob you or off you in the woods."
Techno shrugged. "Maybe. But if being a huntsman is as important as you say, you wouldn't wanna sully your reputation like that. Plus, you've already shown a bit of kindness. I'm going to bet that since you were holed up in the inn and not a house, you don't live here, and further, that you didn't technically have to fight that… Grimm. You chose to help these people."
"Could've been trying to curry favor on purpose, or maybe I just wanted to make sure I survived and thought I could handle it better than some farmers with rifles."
"You don't strike me as the kind who cares much about public opinion over meaningful action, and the people here didn't seem surprised when you jumped the wall. They expected you to help. I'd say that's enough proof that stealing good will wasn't your motive. As for preserving your own life? Then you'd have chosen to fight the beast only if it got into the town, maybe let it focus on hunting someone else first for use as a diversion."
Qrow's face showed morbid curiosity. "You remind me of some bad friends I used to have. Where'd you say you came from?"
Techno thought, then took a gamble. "L'Manberg. A tiny place, and far from here. You wouldn't know of it."
"Then how'd you get good at fighting? The small villages have to lay low to survive."
Techno stared directly into the man's eyes, cold and unflinching, as whispers threatened to climb to the surface. "Necessity."
Qrow backed off, no doubt sensing Techno's poorly concealed hostility and the warning of bad memories just under the surface. "Alright. Well, if you really trust me, we can head out whenever. I was just waiting on this conversation before I skipped town. You ready, little hero?"
"Ready as you are, old man."
"Someone's cocky! I gave you one compliment wannabe. You keep that up and I'll make you put your money where your mouth is." Qrow side-eyed Techno, and Techno made no response. Qrow's eyes narrowed a fraction, but then he stood, took a swig from his flask, refilled it from the bottle of brandy on the table, and then waved Techno out the door. The two of them exited the diner, then the gate, and stalked off into the woods, weapons close to hand. They walked mostly in silence, and Techno watched the roadside as Qrow pulled some small glass and metal device from his pocket.
Qrow was texting Ozpin as they walked, trusting his own senses in case of any attack.
Signs are piling up, Oz. Nuckelavee attack on the village last night. Shouldn't be this many major Grimm attacks in close succession . Luckily I got off pretty scot free, and the thing's dead now. Town guard helped a little. I'm still worried there's someone pulling the strings here though.
Unfortunately, that's more than likely my friend. Salem has worked through underlings before, and directing the Grimm to fight for her is a favored tactic when she wants to keep attention away from herself.
Yeah. Still haven't run into any of her little minions face to face though, and some of these attacks were too coordinated for her to have directed remotely.
Keep your wits about you Qrow. I have the utmost confidence in you. Pay attention and you'll be able to handle any of her petty madmen.
Yeah, yeah. Keep flattering me. There is one other thing though. Pretty small in comparison.
Do tell.
Someone helped me kill the Nuckelavee. Wasn't a huntsman, or Huntsman in training, or even a town guard, but still managed to majorly fuck up its' leg and go toe to toe with it for a minute. Decked out in weird armor I've never seen, about Beacon age, and fought like a veteran.
A bit odd, but why is he of special note?
Two reasons. Simple one is he's shown interest in being a hunter. Might be headed to Beacon, and with the raw skill he showed, he'd be a damn good fighter. Both against the Grimm and her, if he's trustworthy. But secondly, those aren't the only things off about him. I made a comment about changing his fighting style to work better against Grimm, and he didn't correct me. Makes me think he's fought people before.
He asked to travel with me to Mistral, maybe even back to Beacon, but he had no idea who I was. I asked why he trusted me, and he gave me some pretty disturbing answers. Reminded me of Raven. Thing is, he sure as hell doesn't look like a bandit, and he threw himself in harm's way to help the village. Put that together…
You've got a young man who acts like a veteran, is equipped like a hunter in training, doesn't appear to be a bandit, yet still fights and talks like he's battled with other humans before. I see. Keep an eye on him for me, please. Not to the expense of your mission, but I'll admit you've made me curious Qrow. Was that all?
For now. Qrow out.
Qrow glanced at his social media feed for a moment, and caught something interesting. He turned his scroll to Techno and called out.
"Hey, kid. Looks like you got your fifteen minutes of fame."
Someone had recorded the Nuckelavee fight with their scroll, and the clip was going viral.
Techno rolled his eyes, and Qrow laughed.
Qrow stowed the scroll as he thought back to their brunch, and his jovial mood left as quickly as it'd come. There was definitely something off about this kid. That look in his eyes when he'd said he'd learned to fight through necessity. It was cold. Gave him chills a little. It spoke of two things. First, someone who'd lost too much too quickly, and wouldn't let the wounds show. But second, and more concerning, there was an edge, a sharpness to his glare. Qrow had gotten good at spotting it, and he was rarely wrong.
That was the glare of a killer.
Though he'd never admit it, Qrow suddenly felt just a little less confident.
To Qrow's relief, the journey was calm for the next few days. Techno was quiet, but rarely annoying and never a burden. The two didn't talk much, but the kid seemed to take to Qrow's lessons quickly, and showed quite the appetite for learning about the world- including some stuff he really should've known already, like the basics of what aura, Dust, Grimm, and guns were. Odd that he didn't know of them, but then the boy looked seventeen and professed to be from a tiny rural town that had been utterly destroyed, so it wasn't hard to imagine he hadn't even finished what passed for school in his backwater village. On the other hand, Qrow'd been raised in a near medieval tribe in the woods, and he'd still known more about the world then this kid. Regardless, Qrow wasn't getting anything out of him. Every query about his past was met with a vague non-answer or plain ol' silence.
The kid had wanted to unlock his aura as soon as Qrow'd explained it to him, but Qrow'd refused. Partially because Qrow wasn't in the mood for teaching, partially because training would take time he didn't have, partially because more aura attracted more Grimm, and finally because he was still wary of the kid. Giving Techno what was essentially a force field that recharged over time and could also be used to increase stamina, move faster, and hit harder scared Qrow more than it probably should. He wasn't really worried about Techno beating him in a fight, even with aura, but giving someone you barely knew aura was a risky play at the best of times, and could turn into a bigger problem down the road.
Techno spoke eloquently, marveled at the simplest things, and loved to learn, but the kid's glare wouldn't leave Qrow's mind, even as days turned to a week. They spent each night at various inns in the towns they passed through. The kid had insisted on paying his own fare, and Qrow hadn't pushed him on it. He got the feeling that independence mattered to Techno, and it was far too early for either of them to be pushing boundaries.
/-/
Techno had actually kind of enjoyed the trip. Qrow was nice enough, refusal to unlock his aura notwithstanding. Come to think of it, there was no guarantee he could even have his aura unlocked. Qrow had described it as a manifestation of the soul, and technically his soul might come from another world. He hadn't forgotten about that. It was still weird as hell, but honestly, Techno couldn't afford to stress too much about what he'd left behind. He had far more imminent problems to worry about, and it's not like he could just magically hop back over to the SMP because he was scared. Besides, the old world has nothing left for me. Just rubble and bodies to bury. He shivered. He was stuck here, and since he didn't plan on giving up, he'd just have to learn the ropes.
Techno heard the slightest movement of a bush off the left side of the road. He turned to face it, and was met with dead silence. He tapped Qrow on the shoulder and quickly hefted his shield and blade. Qrow stopped and drew his weapon, trusting the kid's ears.
The sound of slow clapping came from within the treeline, but Techno couldn't see the source. A voice that sounded almost mad with glee rose over the treetops.
"Impressive. Impressive! The little piggy heard me before the scary Qrow! You are a curious one child. Armor that I cannot place, and the skill to fight a Nuckelavee with no aura! Yes, yes, I am quite interested in you. But alas, that is not why I'm here, and so, unfortunately, I'll just have to kill you. It's all for the goddess, you understand."
A man with wild golden eyes and a long, black scorpion's tail burst from the treetops and slammed into Qrow's chest, and the bloody congregation roared in Techno's mind.
Qrow barely got his blade up in time, stumbling back as the mystery man plunged two short, double-pronged push daggers into his shoulder and side. Techno rushed forward as the assailant launched himself backwards off of Qrow's chest. Techno's axe bit into the man's shin, but pierced no flesh, stopped by a flash of purple aura.
"And so fast too! You fight well for a child! Ooo hoo hoo, I would so wish to learn more about you stranger."
As the madman rambled, Qrow's sword swept for his throat, but the man merely leaned back into a cartwheel, cackling.
"So rude, Mr. Branwen. We haven't even made introductions!" He ducked under another swipe of Qrow's blade.
Qrow snarled. "That doesn't even make any sense! You attacked me first!"
"Why should I make sense? I'm clearly mad! At any rate, I am Tyrian, trusted servant of the goddess. You are Qrow. What about you, little pig?"
"What 'Goddess'? What 'Demon'?" sneered Techno, not taking his eyes off Tyrian for a second. He's crazier than the damned voices.
"Oh, I wish I could extoll her majesty's virtues, but I really shouldn't say. She likes her secrecy, you see."
Techno's distraction worked, as Qrow landed two clean shots on Tyrian's torso. In response, Tyrian flicked a switch on his daggers, and then pulled on two triggers. Both daggers began spewing bullets at an alarming rate. Techno ducked behind a tree as rounds pounded into the bark, and then he heard the clash of metal on metal. He drew his crossbow, loaded a normal bolt, and leaned out from the trunk. Tyrian was trying to hook Qrow's blade in between the tips of his daggers, uncaring of the metal scraping against his knuckles. Techno fired, and the bolt drifted right, passing between Tyrian and Qrow. Techno frowned as the ravenous onlookers hissed in fury.
I could've sworn I had that zeroed.
Tyrian giggled as he flicked his left blade upwards, forcing Qrow's sword back, and whipped the right blade out towards Techno, spraying fire in his general direction. A few rounds connected with Techno's chestplate. His breath was knocked out as he slumped behind another tree, but fortunately for him the Netherite seemed to have stopped the bullets from doing any permanent damage.
But Tyrian and Qrow didn't know that.
"So sad mister Qrow! I really wanted to meet him before he died. But that is why people like you should not associate with those without aura. Yours is a dangerous line of work. They might get hurt!" Tyrian howled with laughter.
Techno rose to all fours, seeing anguish on Qrow's face as he dueled the scorpion-man hybrid. Stepping to his feet, Techno loaded a rocket into his crossbow and waited for an opening. It was obvious he couldn't fight this guy head on, so he'd strike when Tyrian was exposed.
Unfortunately, that also meant he couldn't tell Qrow he'd survived. Tyrian grinned even wider at Qrow's grimace, the faunus landing a punch on the right of his torso.
"What's wrong little birdie? Can't handle the truth? I bet your little friend never even knew what he was fighting for. You took him under your wing without so much as a warning, and yet you act surprised when the auraless child can't face the power of the divine mistress! Are you foolish? Or perhaps as callous as I?"
Qrow's grimace morphed to rage, and he let out a roar. He slammed an uppercut into Tyrian's jaw, slashed across his throat, then shoved him to the ground. Tyrian managed to raise his blades to block Qrow's downward thrust, but failed to block the aura-enhanced stomp to the stomach. Despite that, he smiled.
Techno tensed and held, the murderous throng begging him to loose, to charge in and hack and slash till nothing remained but charnel.
Tyrian's stinger lanced for Qrow's right side, somehow bypassing Qrow's aura and plunging deep into the man's gut. Tyrian sprung to his feet, sending Qrow reeling, then slammed his forehead into Qrow's and finally sent the man flying with a kick to the fresh wound from his stinger.
His thoughts and the voices converged on a single word.
Now.
Techno loosed the firework and it soared towards Tyrian's back. The sound of the rocket's exhaust was just enough for Tyrian to turn and spot the impromptu missile inches from impact. It struck the small of Tyrian's back and exploded, sending him into the air before he slammed to the ground next to Qrow. Qrow spared Techno an incredulous glance before he wised up and smashed his blade into Tyrian's spine.
The man cackled brokenly, laughter split by shrieks of pain. He pounced into the treeline and scrambled deeper into the woods.
"So sad, so sad! The birdie gets away for the moment, him and his little pet. I cannot risk dying here, no no no! We will meet again, friends. When the time comes, I would so like to savor your blood on my skin. Adieu for nooow!"
He let out one last monstrous laugh, and vanished into the trees. Techno reloaded his crossbow and kept an eye on the forest as he approached Qrow. "You alright, old man?"
"Old man? I'm still in my thirties!"
"Sounds pretty old to me. Seriously though, do I need to worry about you bleeding to death? How'd he even get past your aura?"
Qrow looked at him like he'd sprouted another head. "I should be asking you that! How are you not dead? You got shot multiple times in the chest."
Techno rapped a knuckle on his chestplate, only lightly deformed from the bullet impacts. "I don't have aura. That doesn't mean I'm completely unprotected."
Qrow tilted his head to the side. "...Alright then. To answer your question, nah. Aura's already working on the wound. Should be sealed by nightfall. As for how he got past it in the first place… beats me. I'm guessing a semblance."
"Poison on the table?"
Qrow looked ready to rebuke him, and then stopped. "You know what, with my luck? I wouldn't rule it out. That's an even better reason to get moving, unless you wanna carry me."
Qrow slapped on a bandage, climbed to his feet, and then they pushed on through the forest trail, voices quiet and weapons at the ready.
"So who was that guy anyway? And what's with the talk about the 'goddess'? He seemed to know your name."
"Beats me. All I know's the same as you. Crazy scorpion Faunus named Tyrian."
"Faunus?"
Qrow stared at Techno, incredulous.
When Techno didn't respond, he sighed.
"You're serious."
"Yep."
"What kinda school did you go tokid? A dirt shack in the middle of the woods? Were you raised by wolves?"
Techno grimaced. "Let's just say they had a very abnormal curriculum."
"Whatever you say kid."
Both knew that Techno was lying, but Qrow seemed to understand that prying wouldn't get him anywhere.
"Faunus. You're one of em. 'S the term for people with animal features. Crazy-ass back there had a big scorpion tail, you got your little tusks there. Some people got cat ears, or chameleon skin. They've all got better night vision and senses. Not that uncommon, but some people like to be dicks about it. Treat Faunus worse because they're quote unquote 'different'. Not everyone, mind you, but enough that they're a problem."
"That's incredibly stupid."
"Never said I agreed. Just the way things are."
Techno supposed that was one way where the SMP had this world beat. Fundy was a full blown fox man, Ranboo was part enderman, Phil had his thing with the crows (no relation to present company), and he had his tusks. People kinda just rolled with it. Apparently that wasn't the case here.
"Qrow," Techno started.
"Why do I get the feeling that this question is gonna suck?"
Qrow had him there. "What did the nutcase mean about 'what I'm fighting for'?"
"You answered your own question. Guy's nuts. Best not to try and understand that kind of crazy, unless you wanna follow in his footsteps. In that case, be my guest."
He passed it off as a joke, but Qrow had dodged the question again. Is this how it feels when I lie to him about my past? He could see how that got frustrating fast.
After Qrow's comment, they settled into tense silence, expecting Tyrian to jump back out at any moment. They were still a day's walk from the nearest town, and they'd have to make camp at some point. Techno didn't envy having to keep watch in a dark forest, even with his apparently heightened senses. That would explain why he'd heard Tyrian first and why he could see so the Nuckelavee so clearly even in the stormy night, come to think of it.
They were both waiting for something to go wrong.
Techno wasn't prepared for Qrow to simply stagger and fall.
He rushed to the prone man's side and turned him over, where Qrow clutched his wound. Techno gently moved the hand and saw purple seeping through the bandage.
"I'm guessing aura isn't supposed to turn your blood purple?"
"Nope, that's normal. Just a part of my aesthetic. Why'd you have to be right about the poison kid?" Qrow coughed.
Techno smirked, but stared at the bandage as he squatted beside Qrow, mind racing. How should he extricate venom from a stab wound? It had to have reached Qrow's heart by now, which meant time was running short. He had no medicine, no knowledge of the type of poison, it's effects or how to counteract it.
"Come here." Qrow said, voice grating.
Techno froze.
"Trust me." Qrow grabbed Techno's arm and began to chant.
"For it is in redemption that we achieve immortality. Through this, we become an agent of righteousness with a duty to all. From here to the ends of the earth, bound by choice, I release your soul, and by my deed accept thee."
"Qrow, what the hell was that mumbo jumbo-"
A surge of energy rushed through Techno's body as his soul came alive. A well of warmth opened deep inside his chest and spread across his skin, producing a faint, blood red shimmer around his body. Even the voices grew quieter.
"So that's what aura feels like."
Qrow smirked. "You wanna call it mumbo jumbo again? I can still take it back."
Techno smiled back. "No, I think I'm good actually."
The simple grin quickly turned back to a frown. "How does this help you, though? I can't like, heal you, can I?"
Qrow stared into the trees, solemn. "It doesn't help me, kid. It helps you."
Techno glared dead into Qrow's eyes. "Then what was the point?"
Qrow put a hand on Techno's shoulder. His grip was weak. "With that power, you should be able to make it to the next town by nightfall. You'll be safe there. The bastard picked his ambush well. This was the longest leg of the trip. Even if I get back up, there's no shot I'm making it all the way there, and it'd take even longer to get back to the last town."
"You want me to leave you here."
"Hell no. I want to head back to Patch, have a drink with Tai and complain about you and my nieces. But we don't get what we want. I can't make it out of here. You can."
Techno gritted his teeth. "No."
Qrow sighed. "Kid, I appreciate the heroics, I really do, but if you try and carry me all the way there, you wouldn't make it halfway before you collapsed. It ain't gettin better, that's for damn sure."
Techno's voice became a whisper as he grasped at straws. "Don't you have a way to contact someone?"
Qrow grimaced. "Normally, yeah."
He pulled his scroll from his pocket, the thing bent and shattered around a radial point.
"But the bastard hit it directly with a bullet. Aura stopped it from tearing into me, but didn't stop the force of the impact. This thing's useless now. I guess you could call it bad luck." Qrow chuckled to himself at that, though Techno couldn't fathom why.
The tired man stared him down. "Just- promise me something. Get a message to Ozpin. Tell him what happened. Tell him I'm sorry."
"No. I'm not leaving you." Techno's gaze was steely.
"Kid, you're not-" Qrow was cut off by Techno lifting him up and slinging the man over his shoulder.
"What're you doing?!" Qrow asked, incredulous.
"I don't abandon my friends."
Techno started walking, then jogging, and then broke into a full blown sprint. It was by no means comfortable, Qrow's weight bouncing up and down on his shoulder, but the man's complaints soon turned into shaking gasps. It was not an easy run, to say the least, but Techno hadn't exactly lived close to everyone else after the first bombing of L'manburg. It would've been bad for his continued survival. As such, he had a lot of muscle and endurance to his name. Even so, and even with his newfound aura boosting him, it didn't take long for his muscles to start to burn. They'd been a day's walk from the next village. If he paced himself, Techno bet he could get there in twelve hours' running.
The burn only increased with every passing step, and Techno ignored it. He was no stranger to pain, and had pushed through worse. If it gave Qrow a shot, to hell with his comfort. Sure they'd been secretive with one another, but Techno had good reasons, and suspected Qrow did too if Tyrian's very existence was much to go off of. Qrow reminded him of Phil, in a way. A good man who looked and acted far too old for his age, who was clearly but quietly hurting and unwilling to admit it. Admittedly, Qrow was far more crass, but that was his charm.
Like that, his mind was off on a tangent as he raced through the trees. Phil, for the longest time his only real friend, who'd put his life on the line for him, fought with him at Doomsday, sprung him from the vault.
Been by his side to the bitter end.
So much had been lost, damnit, and he wasn't about to lose someone else so soon.
Hours melted behind the tortuous monotony of sprinting in silence through the quiet wood. The few Grimm he encountered were deftly avoided or quickly dispatched with well-aimed crossbow bolts. The voices faded to a low mumble as he single mindedly forced himself past his limits.
Twists and turns faded into a haze of copse after copse of blurry foliage rushing past him, the dense wood hiding any hint of how close he was to his objective. It was maddening, but he forced himself to channel that rage into his faltering steps, willing himself through the endless trees.
At the eleventh hour, dazed and legs leaden, he finally saw a gate rising into the night sky. With a final burst of strength, he sprinted to the gate, screamed in a hoarse voice for a doctor, and stumbled through the doors, climbing into the ambulance as soon as it arrived, doing his best to describe the poison to the medics. Only once they laid Qrow in a hospital bed did he scarf down a few granola bars, down a water, and collapse into a chair beside Qrow's bed to slumber.
/-/
When Techno woke, there was an IV in his arm and a note from a doctor warning him to take it easy for the next few days. He was far more concerned with his friend. Looking up at the bed, Qrow was deathly pale, but awake. His voice was frail and gravelly, but undoubtedly present.
"I can't believe you actually did it."
Techno was silent.
"You sprinted almost 60 miles with me on your back."
Silence.
"You got here in 11 hours!"
Silence again.
"How did you even get past the Grimm? How didn't you collapse from exhaustion? …How?"
Techno spoke up, voice still ragged. "Because I had to."
Qrow rubbed his forehead and shut his eyes. "Why did you care that much about me? We met like a week ago."
Techno dripped sarcasm into his tone. "Because I don't want you to die. Is that so hard to believe? You're kinda funny, you've taught me a lot about this stupid world, and you remind me of an old friend, coincidentally the one obsessed with crows."
Qrow stared, wide-eyed. "How can you be so casual about this? You could've killed yourself from exertion!"
Techno shrugged. "Maybe. But I didn't. I don't make a habit of dying anyway."
"You make that sound like death is a choice." Qrow deadpanned.
"Isn't it?" Techno grinned.
"No! I basically told you to let me die!"
"I didn't say it was your choice." Techno grinned wider.
Qrow threw an arm out to the side. "Did you even think about what could've happened? If you tired out at any point, you would've ended up just as dead as me."
"I mean, you're looking pretty alive to me dude."
Qrow rubbed his own forehead. "You are impossible, kid."
"Thanks. It's an art I've refined over decades of practice being stubborn."
The door to the hospital room opened, and a nurse walked in. "If you'll excuse me, Mr. Branwen and Mr…."
"Techno."
"Right. Techno. We have someone who's been asking to see both of you. Normally we don't accept random visitors, but they've been quite persistent. Would you happen to know them?"
Techno cracked open a soda can left on the table next to him. "We'd have to see them to say, wouldn't we? What do you think Qrow?" Techno sipped the drink.
Qrow waved dismissively. "Send em in. Not like anybody's gonna try to off us in the middle of town, and not like we could stop em right now anyways."
The nurse nodded slowly, apprehensive. "Right. I'll go fetch him then." The nurse departed, and Techno and Qrow sat in exhausted silence as Techno sipped at his soda.
"Here's your visitor!" called the nurse scant minutes later. She opened the door, and Techno was met with a black and white face with two mismatched eyes, green and red.
He spewed out his drink.
"Ranboo?!"
Even when the Blade dies, the Blade does not die. I am curious friends- what do you think of this idea? I'm pumped!