I don't have much to say this time, other than I'm really enjoying writing, and hoping that the pace of updating should increase soon. That's far from a promise though- It'll depend on my time management and how much my upcoming exams kill me. Other than that, not much to say. Techno Time.
/-/
No, no Ranboo couldn't be here. It wasn't possible. Techno had seen him die. How? How had he seen him die? He remembered a slit throat and Sam standing over the body of a hostage Dream didn't care to save, but that wasn't all, that wasn't-
Red mist parted in his memory, and the voices died out.
He remembered the deal with the devil. He'd spent one of Dream's favors to get Ranboo revived, and for a while things had been okay again. Ranboo came home to Tubbo and Michael, and the Syndicate welcomed their friend home.
And then came the end of the world.
He remembered Dream ordering Ranboo to help him, and the Green God's strange shock when Ranboo refused to obey. Remembered Ranboo blinking around the Green God, teleporting in and out too fast to catch, until he made one tiny misstep and Dream's pickaxe buried itself into his gut. He remembered blood on Ranboo's lips, Ranboo crying and whispering apologies as his intestines spilled onto green grass. He remembered as Lethe slipped into his final sleep besides Hypnos once more.
And here he was, standing just as frozen as Techno, but undoubtedly alive.
Ranboo broke the stalemate first, rushing forward and wrapping Techno in a hug. When Ranboo opened his mouth, his words came out as garbled, distorted white noise. He'd slipped into Endertongue.
The Blood God still didn't quite believe his eyes. "Ranboo?"
Ranboo caught himself and slipped back into human language as he leaned back from the hug and gestured wildly with his hands. "Techno! You're here! I thought I was never going to see you again!"
"Ranboo?"
"I'm so happy to see you! A-a-after the fight, I just woke up here and I didn't know what to do and everyone kept shooting me weird looks but then I saw a video of you on the news and I headed towards you because I didn't know what else to do but now you're here and you're in a hospital? That's kinda weird-"
"You were dead."
Ranboo's voice cut off in a heartbeat.
"You were dead. I watched you die. I looked into your eyes as you tried to apologize for failing to kill a god with your own blood pooling in your mouth."
Techno trailed off. When his voice returned, it was the subtlest whisper, barely audible over the hum of the medical machines. "How?"
Ranboo moved his mouth, but no words came out. He glanced off to the side and drummed his fingers on his legs before trying again. "I-I don't know. Like I said, I just woke up in some place called Mistral a week ago. Most people wouldn't even talk to me, and I've only really been ok because I had enough food in my ender chest and-"
Ranboo took a deep breath, steadying himself as much as he could. His fingers still hadn't stopped drumming. "I'm just so glad I found you. I'm not trying to act all like a scared little toddler here, but I just woke up alone and nobody would tell me anything, and then a couple people tried to shoot me-"
"What?!"
"Ahem." A gravelly voice from off to Techno's right reminded him that they were not alone. The nurse had made herself scarce, but Qrow was staring very intently at Techno and Ranboo.
"I just heard like, twelve different things in that conversation that all need to be unpacked, but first off, I'm assuming you know this kid Techno?"
Techno's mind screeched to a halt as he tried to shift back into any semblance of subtlety. "Yeah. He's an old friend."
"An old friend who you saw die." Qrow stated dryly.
"Twice, actually." Ranboo said.
Techno shot Ranboo a sidelong glare, and Qrow massaged his forehead. "That sounds like a joke, yet at the same time I can't help but feel that you're being serious. Let me guess, he also comes from your hometown? Manberg or something?"
"L'Manberg, but yes." Techno replied.
Qrow side-eyed Techno. "L'Manberg? What kinda lousy name is- you know what, never mind, not important right now. You, Ranboo, is it?"
Ranboo nodded.
"What the hell were those noises coming out of your mouth when you came in here?"
Ranboo tilted his head and stared at the ceiling for a moment before responding. "It's a dead language. My family were some of the last native speakers. I spoke it a lot when I was a kid, so sometimes I slip back into it when I get emotional."
"Alright, pretending like there isn't more to that for the moment, do I get any elaboration on the you dying twice thing? Or are we just gonna pretend that didn't happen?"
"Technically speaking, I've actually died four times. Techno only saw two of them."
"Ranboo!" Techno hissed.
Qrow was simultaneously slack-jawed and unamused.
"What?" Ranboo asked innocently.
Techno facepalmed. "Never mind, just let me do the talking- please."
"You know, normally elaboration is supposed to answer more questions than it raises." Qrow snarked.
"And what was that you said about a battle? Or an endie chest? Or how you also didn't know what Mistral was? Seriously, how shitty was your all's school system?"
"Qrow, stop." Techno said.
Qrow opened his mouth, but Techno raised a hand to stop him. "Please, just hear me out for a second." Techno stared him down. "I'm not gonna insult your intelligence. You have to know that I haven't been telling you everything. Either that or you're convinced both me and him are totally insane, which is honestly reasonable given the circumstances. What I told you about where I come from- none of it was wrong, but it's also far from the full story. That would take too long, and you wouldn't believe me."
Qrow smirked "It'd be a lot easier for me if you were nuts. Then I wouldn't have to take care of you anymore. But, you lot don't seem to show any other symptoms of insanity, at least that I know of. Besides, I can believe some pretty outlandish stuff. How bad could it be?" Qrow waved an arm out to the side before it thudded back to the bed. The man winced and took a deep breath, even the small motion taxing him.
"That depends. Do you believe in magic?"
Qrow's smile dropped like a sack of potatoes. A serious grimace overtook his face. "I might be partial to the idea. What's it to you?" he asked, tone suddenly much more guarded.
"Let's just say my working theory for how we got here involves a lot of magic then. Leave it at that. Is that enough for now? I still want to get to Beacon, and you still need your beauty rest old timer."
"Once again, still in my thirties punk. But... yeah. Loathe as I am to admit it, I still feel like shit. I feel like I'll wanna be fully awake and have a strong drink ready for that conversation. Plus, I got someone else who's definitely gonna want to talk to you two. Hey, Ranboo, you got a problem with stopping by Beacon?"
"What's Beacon?"
"...The Hunter academy."
"You guys have a college for hitting cows with an axe? I didn't think it was too hard."
"..."
Techno interjected. "It's a school for monster hunters Ranboo. I was already on my way to check it out with him, unless you've got a better idea."
"Nope. Fine by me. Oh, yeah, um, who... are you?"
Qrow took up a shit-eating grin. "Qrow Branwen. Hunter extraordinaire, ladies' man, and devilish rogue, at your service."
All three of them snorted.
"I'm Ranboo, generally cool guy, ex-amnesiac, and queen of England." Ranboo said.
"If you have to call yourself cool, are you really cool, kid?"
Ranboo smirked. "That seems a little hypocritical coming from you."
"Damn straight. I'm a hypocrite and proud of it." Qrow jested. Ranboo let out a laugh, and Techno stifled his chuckle.
Qrow's smile slowly faded. "Alright. I really do need some rest, but I gotta ask one more question first. You said someone tried to kill you Ranboo?"
"Several someones, actually. It was a small mob. Kept calling me a monster, which is weird cause I'm pretty sure I've never met any of them."
"They probably tried to kill you because you look like a half-Grimm. Makes people nervous, and rightly so."
"Grimm?"
This time, Qrow simply sighed deeply. "The big black, red-eyed monsters in the woods? The ones that eat people? Track you based off negative emotions? Any of this ringing a bell?"
"Nope. Sounds scary."
"Yes. Scary. That's how I would describe it. ...Look, people are probably terrified of you because you've got a red eye and half-charcoal skin. Looking at you now, I only trust that you aren't one of them because the other kid knows you, and because it'd be trivially easy for you to kill both of us right now if you wanted to. Plus, if there really are Grimm that can look and act that similar to a person just popping up in the middle of Mistral, I'm fucked anyways. One of our greatest advantages is that most of the Grimm are dumbasses, and you talk like you have at least a few brain cells up there."
Ranboo bowed theatrically. "Thank you sir, I try my hardest."
Qrow snickered before continuing. "I believe that you're telling the truth kid, but- word to the wise?- it'd be in your best interests to keep your wits about you. Not everyone will take kindly to your appearance. People already give the Faunus shit constantly, and I wouldn't be surprised if red eyes have become a natural evolutionary fear by this point."
Ranboo's fingers ceased drumming on his leg. He raised his hand and snapped them. "That's what it was! I, uh, probably should have asked sooner but- well, why are you guys in the hospital? Wait, holy shit Qrow is that a stab wound?!" Techno found it hard to tell if Ranboo had even heard Qrow's advice.
"You tell him kid. I'm tired of your all's shit."
Techno nodded, and recounted the ambush to Ranboo. His face went grim. "Well that's concerning. You say he went toe to toe with both of you?"
"Yes."
"And he survived?"
"Yes."
Ranboo's frown deepened. "That's not good. There weren't a whole lot of people who stood a chance against you before. Dream and Phil, maybe. This is serious."
Techno smiled bitterly. "Well, you know me. If the universe wasn't constantly throwing life-or-death battles at me, I wouldn't be Technoblade."
Ranboo paused, then looked away as he shrugged. "I guess. But you still haven't told me why you've got a little IV needle in your arm." Ranboo flicked the tube with his finger.
"I may or may not have carried Qrow here from the ambush site."
"And?"
"Allow me to rephrase- I ran two and a half marathons while carrying Qrow."
"Oh." Ranboo paused. "...you know, I was almost surprised, but nope, that checks out. You are just the right kind of nuts to try that."
Ranboo scratched the back of his head with one hand. "So... what now?"
Techno's voice lowered to a whisper. "Between you and me, there's something more going on here. I trust Qrow not to hurt us, be he obviously isn't telling us everything either. I do want to go to Beacon, at least to see why Qrow wanted me there. Besides that, he's been insistent that whoever this Oz is would want to meet us. I want to gather information, and Qrow knows a lot. Stands to reason his contact would too. And... I might actually be considering joining the academies."
"Really?" Ranboo asked.
"Yes. I've already seen Qrow pull some stunts that would've been impossible back home, and clearly there are people out there who are just as skilled as him, not to mention that they're now invested in making me dead. These are combat schools. We need someplace to stay, and I don't think either of us have much of a resume here."
Ranboo chortled, and Techno smiled as he continued. "Right now, Beacon looks like the best option to me. We'd be nearer Qrow, the only person here that I trust any and a strong fighter in his own right. We'd get learn about how to keep ourselves alive out there. I'm gonna guess by your reaction earlier that you haven't seen the Grimm yet?"
Ranboo shook his head.
Techno's monotone lost any hint of amusement. "I have. Several actually. Smaller ones are dangerous, but manageable alone. I only fought one big one, and I am beyond lucky to be alive."
Ranboo's fingers began to drum agian. "I'll take your word for it. I've gotta admit, I'm scared Techno. This place doesn't sound very safe."
"You felt safe in the SMP?"
Ranboo's responding grin was weak. "No, but you know what I mean. I would've preferred not dying and waking up to get thrust into another war immediately."
Techno's eyes shut, and he leaned his head back against the wall.
I just wish I'd never been on a battlefield.
Techno stifled the thought and resultant emotions. They were pointless. His wishes about the past were worth nothing. It had happened, and now he was here, and he'd have to deal with it, like it or not."
"Sorry, I didn't mean to bring up bad memories." Ranboo apologized.
Techno waved it off. "You're fine. None of it was your fault."
In fact, though he'd never say it aloud, being around Ranboo stabilized him. The voices had remained silent this entire time, even at the mention of his first day bathed in blood. Under normal circumstances, that would have raised the voices into a mad chorus, but here he heard only intangible whispers. Only a few people made him feel so relaxed- just Ranboo and Phil. Once upon a time, that list might have included Tommy and Wilbur, and if he'd had more time it might've included Tubbo, Niki, and Puffy.
No use thinking about what ifs.
Still, there was a single wonder that refused to leave his mind, and before he could stop himself, it escaped his lips.
"Do you think the rest of them are here Ranboo?"
Ranboo looked puzzled for a moment, before realization dawned on his face. "Oh shoot. I didn't even think about it. I don't know. They might still be here too! Tubbo and Tommy and Phil!"
"And Dream."
They both fell silent.
"We can't forget about him. If we both came back, what's to say he couldn't have as well. I know that I died at the end, and I watched you die in front of me. There's no way to be certain, but we should assume that Dream is still out there."
Ranboo shivered. Techno's mouth fumbled for words as tears welled up in the corners of Ranboo's eyes and the man started trembling.
"Hey, hey, Ranboo look at me. It's going to be ok. Dream isn't unkillable, we know that. In fact, I'm pretty sure I took him down with me at the end."
"I know, I know, it's just- I remember the fight. He was picking us off one by one and I was fast enough to get away, but every time I hit him it barely did anything and every time I got away someone else didn't. And then I tripped on Niki's bow lying in the grass, and he put a pickaxe in my gut, and I just fell, my legs stopped working and I was so cold and I remember crying and being so upset because I failed and I wanted to say goodbye but you were still fighting and Tubbo was gone and I realized that Michael's parents were never coming home and-"
Ranboo took a shaky gasp of air. "I thought I had failed everybody."
Ranboo's face morphed quickly back into a smile. "But it's ok! Everyone's back now! We're all alive, and if Dream comes back we know more about how to beat him!"
Techno stared up at his friend. "Ranboo... you're not a failure. You never were."
"Unless you think I wanted to die, I'm gonna have to disagree with you there buddy."
"We were practically fighting god. You stood your ground with him for a half hour. Not many people can claim that."
Ranboo snorted derisively. "I cheated, and I still lost. There's no participation trophies in war."
"You lost because we were up against impossible odds."
"And yet somehow, you still managed to beat them."
Techno didn't know how to respond to that.
Ranboo leaned against the wall, arms crossed and muscles tensed. "Look, it's okay Techno. You don't have to lie to me. If I hadn't tripped up, maybe the fight wouldn't have come down to the wire. Maybe we could've won if I was just a little faster."
At that, words sprung from Techno like a cool mountain stream. "Thinking like that will drive you nuts Ranboo. Not every bad thing that happens is your fault. If I'd gone to find Dream a few minutes earlier, he never would've finished the ritual. If I hadn't broken into Connor's cell in the prison escape, you might have survived it. We all make mistakes, and you can't plant the blame for what happened on your shoulders. None of us knew what Dream was planning. We were all caught off guard. Making a mistake is not failure. Mistakes are a part of living as much as breathing oxygen. Failure is... not simple, but if you asked me to, I'd describe it as refusing to learn from your mistakes and change. It's not as elementary as success or failure. You're not a binary. You are not a success nor a failure. You are you. You are Ranboo."
Ranboo relaxed, and tilted his head forwards, looking down at the tiled floor. "...thank you Techno. I needed that."
There seemed to be nothing left to say.
Techno stood from his chair and pulled the IV from his arm.
Ranboo placed a hand on his shoulder. "Whoa, dude, where are you going? Are you sure you should be on your feet?"
"I'll be fine. That IV isn't medicine, it was just water to keep my hydrated while I was asleep. I'm not hurt, just tired. I won't be fighting any battles, but I'm ok to go get some food and see if I can find a scroll to contact Ozpin."
"I can do that for you!"
"I appreciate the offer, but I don't want anyone else trying to kill you for looking weird."
"Ah. Yeah, good point."
Techno smiled, shook his head, and exited the room. "I'll be back soon dude. Don't die and all that. And I wanna see that ender chest when I get back."
Ranboo laughed.
/-/
The excursion didn't take that long all things considered, which wasn't necessarily what Techno wanted. Ranboo showing up was amazing, but it had raised a lot of questions , and made things with Qrow a lot more complicated. He needed some time for his thoughts to settle, and as always the voices were not helping. Since he'd left Ranboo, they had returned to their maddening commentary, whispering beneath every thought and action. He'd gotten one of the devices Qrow called a scroll from a store across the street. It'd cost a pretty chunk of his money, but he'd been spending as little as he could, so it should still last him a while yet. His hospital bill had actually come out really cheap all things considered- he hadn't gotten much actual treatment, and apparently Mistral had universal healthcare. Honestly, from what he'd seen, Remnant had far more dangerous wildlife than the SMP ever had, and yet there were still sizeable towns and a few sprawling cities spread across it. That just went to show how violent and dysfunctional their little community had been.
As it should be, called the voices.
He ignored them as he munched on a sandwich on a bench outside the front of the hospital. He clutched the scroll in his hand as cars wandered past one by one. Qrow had given him Oz'z contact info back in the woods, but Techno had, understandably he felt, been focused on other things at the time. He still had the number on a crumpled note in his pocket, and debated whether or not he should use it. He really knew nothing about this Ozpin, other than Qrow seemed to trust him. Techno took in a hefty sigh. He should at least give it a try. This Ozpin probably had no idea whether Qrow was even alive, and Techno really didn't want anyone suspecting him of murder or kidnapping if he could help it. It sounded like a hassle.
After some difficulty, he was able to put the number into his contacts and compose a message.
Yo. Is this Ozpin?
Techno stared at the screen, but no response seemed imminent, so he went back to his meal. Just before he finished off his food, a reply came through.
Who is this?
Techno measured his words carefully before responding.
My name's Techno. You probably don't know me, but I was travelling with a guy named Qrow. Long story short, some nutjob screaming about a goddess ambushed us in the middle of the woods. We fought him off, but he poisoned Qrow. I got him to a hospital in time, but right now he's still pretty weak. I'm with him at the King's Mercy hospital in Atrodus.
How did you get this number?
Qrow gave it to me. We were between sixty and seventy miles out from town when he collapsed from the poison, and he shoved the note towards me when he told me to leave him behind. I chose not to. I'm not in the business of letting people I care about die.
I see.
Allow me to be blunt, mister Techno. How can I be certain that you're telling me the truth?
You tell me. I'm mostly doing this so that you don't think I killed Qrow. Personally, I don't think it's easy to gauge someone's trustworthiness through text. Qrow asked if I'd be willing to meet you in person, and I think I'll reserve my judgments until I can look you in the eyes.
A fair enough answer. I'll be routing a Bullhead transport to the hospital for tomorrow morning. If you'd like to meet face to face, then you may accompany Qrow back to Beacon on board the ship.
Alright. What time?
Nine fifteen in the morning.
Fine be me. I'll spread the word. One more thing- I ran into a friend of mine here in Atrdous. We're both considering applying to Beacon. He'll be coming along.
Understood.
Cool. Techno out.
Techno pocketed the scroll, polished off his drink, and turned to head back to the room.
/-/
The rest of the night was spent mostly in silence. Qrow was asleep, and Ranboo and Techno had talked enough for one day. The silence wasn't awkward, but actually rather comfortable. The two knew that it wasn't a sign of failing friendship, but a sign of their confidence and comfort around one another. There were only so many words one could really say to another at a time, after all. In this quiet spell, Techno began to read through some of the most famous stories and myths of this world of Remnant. He'd been a bit of a sucker for a good story in his time, and held a particular affinity for Greek mythology. The idea of a literal whole new world of fiction excited him. Ranboo took some notes in his journal before dozing off, and it wasn't until well into the night that Techno finally set down his scroll and slipped into restful sleep.
The alarm woke him in the morning, and he was a bit shocked to find Qrow rising from his bed under his own power. "You feeling better old-timer?"
Qrow flipped him the bird before answering with a yawn. "Aura's a hell of a drug, kid. You'd be hard pressed to find an injury other than an amputation that'll keep a Hunter down for more than a few days. If I wasn't poisoned, the wound would've healed before I even went to sleep. Speaking of, why are you waking us up at nine in the morning?"
"I texted Ozpin."
Qrow spluttered as he lowered his water bottle from his lips. "Ack-ah-What?!"
"You gave me his number before you passed out? I sent him a message saying who I was and that you were ok. He said he'd send a Bullhead to be here by 9:15."
"Kid, for your own sake, I hope you didn't spook him. Oz is a friend, but he is one paranoid motherfucker."
"What, you don't trust my natural charisma?" Techno jabbed.
"Seeing as I wanted to kill you myself for your stupidity when we first met, no , I don't." Qrow snarked.
Techno snorted, and Qrow grinned at him.
"Well kiddos, it's about time for us to go apparently. Let's get up to the roof."
"The roof?" Ranboo asked.
"Yeah, the roof. Where did you think a Bullhead was gonna land?"
"Land?" Ranboo replied, astounded.
Qrow turned to them, and saw the same confusion written on Techno's face. He chuckled. "Oh, you two are in for a treat. Just follow me."
Somewhat reluctantly, they did, first collecting their belongings from storage before heading upstairs. Techno hadn't forgotten about Ranboo's ender chest, but there hadn't been a good opportunity to check it, and he didn't want to open that can of worms in front of Qrow. He had a feeling that the man was already put off by Ranboo's the conspicuously large cube in Ranboo's backpack. Emerging onto the hospital rooftop, Techno still didn't see how someone was supposed to get a transport up here. This was just a flat surface, except for an elevated pad with some weird markings on it. Then he saw the dark shape approaching on the horizon.
Techno's hand went to his crossbow. "Is that a dragon?!" Ranboo's hand slipped to his blade.
Qrow cackled. "Nope. That's our ride." Qrow put a hand on both their shoulders as the shape approached, slowed down to a hover, and gently lowered itself to the rooftop. Techno could see now that the vessel was no dragon, but a machine. One far more advanced than any he'd seen, save maybe those nukes Tubbo had gotten his hands on, but definitely a machine of some kind. The mechanics of it boggled his mind. He'd needed a space as large as this vehicle to set up wiring for a retracting door, and this thing appeared capable of long distance controlled flight. "We're flying in style today, kiddos." Qrow said, stepping towards the rear of the vessel as it slid open, and a ramp descended to the rooftop.
Techno stumbled on board, Ranboo not far behind. "I guess you've got friends in high places, huh Qrow?" Techno asked, his humor undercut by the shock he knew wasn't fully hidden by his monotone. Ranboo followed suit. "Are you like a billionaire or something?"
That only seemed to amuse Qrow more. As his laughter died down, the ramp behind them closed, and the vessel vibrated gently as the engines prepared for takeoff. "Nothing so fancy. Ozpin's in charge of Beacon Academy. We have our own small fleet of these things for training missions, so he can send one out on a private mission when he needs to. Apparently me nearly getting myself killed qualifies as important."
"You have more of these things?!" Ranboo asked. "Can I fly one?"
"Hah, no."
"What if I, hypothetically, were to fly one anyways?"
Qrow rolled his eyes. "Assuming you didn't hypothetically kill yourself in a fiery crash, you'd get hypothetically sent to hypothetical prison for hypothetical grand theft. Hypothetically."
"Alright, so don't get caught."
"That is not what I said. I want it on the record I'm not responsible for any future crashes you may commit."
Techno spoke up. "What's that? Qrow is influencing my friend to make bad life decisions! I barely believed it either Ozpin, but I saw it right in front of me."
"Oi, stop that. No mutinies on my ship."
"This isn't your ship, it's Ozman's!" Ranboo protested.
"It's Ozpin, and he's my boss, which means I get command before either of you two brats."
"Please, to call me a brat is infantile. I consider myself an excellent nuisance." Techno replied.
"What about me?" Ranboo asked.
"What about you?" Techno smirked. "He's right."
"Oh ha ha ha." Ranboo grumbled, but couldn't conceal his smile.
The ship lifted off, and made way to Beacon Academy, three friends on board.
The banter flowed easily all the way there.
/-/
As they made the final approach to Beacon, Techno could almost feel the lightheartedness slipping away from him. His few messages to Ozpin, the man's apparent power, and the grand tower rising before him put him ill at ease. Techno was not one to stand against institutions in all forms, more so tyranny itself, but he couldn't help but wonder if the man they were going to meet would be another power-hungry despot. Qrow seemed like a good man, but Techno had seen good men lead astray, and sometimes turned into monsters, by those with silver tongues and axes to grind.
When the ship touched down and the doors opened, he was caught more than a little off guard. They'd come to a school for warriors, and the headmaster stood before them brandished no grand weapon and wore no ostentatious armor. He wore rimmed spectacles and a simple suit, and held an ornate, mechanical cane in one hand. His hair was a light grey, betraying the young-looking man's years. Still, looks could be deceiving. Techno kept himself guarded as he stepped clear of the vehicle, and Ranboo followed suit as Qrow moved up to Ozpin and placed a hand on the man's shoulder. Techno held an arm out in front of Ranboo, and the two hung back while Qrow and Ozpin talked, clearly thinking themself safe from overhearing.
To be fair, they normally should be, what with the distance and the volume of the engines. Techno's new Faunus ears were still able to pick out a few words though, namely her, pawns, strike, and wary. He turned to Ranboo. "I think we should be fine, but if things go sideways, I'll need you to teleport us out of here, ok?" Ranboo hesitated, then nodded. Techno turned back to Ozpin and found the man staring at him. Techno swore internally, and the voices threatened to rise, but were forced back by Ranboo's mere proximity.
Ozpin blinked as he nodded, then turned towards the tower. "Come, children. We have much to discuss."
Ozpin's office was impressive, he had to give the man that. The roof soared into a dome above them, the walls lined with an intricate web of gears behind glass, and the room sat at the top of the tallest tower in Beacon. Techno thought that was a little egotistical, but kept such thoughts to himself as he took a seat opposite Ozpin. There were only five of them in the room- him, Ranboo, Qrow, Ozpin, and a stern-looking older blonde woman he didn't recognize. A grand plate-glass window towered behind Ozpin, and he sat in a comfortable office chair facing a seated Techno and Ranboo on the opposite side of his desk.
Ozpin noticed Techno appraising the situation and extended a hand. "Ah, but where are my manners. I'm Headmaster Ozpin of Beacon Academy. That over there is miss Goodwitch, my Deputy Headmaster and the reason the school hasn't fallen apart. You've already met Qrow."
"I'm Ranboo!"
"Techno."
Techno's guard was not down, far from it. Ozpin's jokes and warmth could be genuine, or they could be a tactic he was using to get them to open up. It could be both.
"Qrow tells me you saved his life from an assassin in the Mistralian wilderness, Techno?"
Techno shrugged. "That's a bit generous. We beat the assassin, I just saved him from the poison."
"I would say the results are singular. I am sure Qrow appreciates his continued survival just as much either way. As do I. You have my thanks. Qrow is a friend, and I am glad to see him return safely."
Techno shrugged again. "Don't mention it. I take care of my friends."
That brought a smile to the old man's face. "But such pleasantries are not the only reason for our meeting, I'm afraid. Qrow tells me you have quite the colorful history, as does your friend here. I believe you had also wanted to ask about attending Beacon Academy."
"Perhaps. I feel like that second point relies a lot on the answer to the first, so we'll start there. I'm not going to mince words- do you beleive in magic.
Ozpin's smile melted in a microsecond, his face left blank and unreadable.
"I'm open to new ideas. Why do you ask?"
"My background, as well as that of my friend here, is, as you said, very colorful. Quite frankly, if you don't believe in magic then you won't believe me. Even then you might still think I'm insane."
"Somehow, I think we'll arrive at the truth." The man's words were cold, all jovial airs having vanished. His grip on his cane was tight. Qrow was shifting on his feet, and Goodwitch rested her hand on the wand at her hip. Ranboo was sweating beside him, and the voices began to whisper.
"My full name is Technoblade. I know it's odd, but it's the only one I've ever known, and leaving it behind now would feel like a betrayal of my oldest friend. I was an orphan in a backwards nation far, far from here, and at a young age I was forced to see and do things that no child should ever do or see. I was a soldier, for a time. At first, I was scared and alone, barely surviving each bloody skirmish. Over time, I learned. Over more, I became feared. Friend and foe alike referred to me as the god of blood. Eventually, I developed the confidence to stand up against the nation who sent me to war as a child. I killed the mad king, and fled my home country as his generals tried to hunt me down."
"I wound up in a small village called L'Manberg struggling with a tyrant of its' own, and helped them overthrow him too. I provided them with the grandest weapons in the world to aid their cause. But the men of that nation sought to immediately instill another leader with absolute power, and I could not abide it. I tried to destroy the town. A friend set off a bomb beneath the city as I brought a monster within the walls. There were two casualties. I killed the new leader, though the man came back to life. The one that hurt more was my friend, a man I once called a brother, who begged his own father to kill him and smiled as he died."
"I became a pariah. Though I hadn't permanently killed anyone, I had helped destroy the land these men loved. I came to realize how futile it had been. They would not change their minds about government, and all I had succeeded in doing was making them hate me, wounding a man who was innocent, and getting my own brother killed. With the aid of a friend I moved to a frozen wasteland far from the town. I hoped to build a cabin, settle down, and live in peace, free from the violence at last. It was not to be. An army came after me to bring me to execution. I would have beaten them back, but they threatened to kill my horse, and I relented to save its' life. I escaped my execution and killed the ringleader of the self-proclaimed Butcher Army, but once again he did not stay dead."
"The world would not let me live in peace. In my anger, I decided to finish what I had started and raze L'Manberg to the ground. It wasn't much of a battle. It hurt more because I stood face to face with another brother, and we screamed our hatred out over a wasteland of my making. Both times the city burned, I was helped and influenced by another. He pushed me towards violence at every turn. I am not so naive as to blame him solely, but I realized too late that he engineered situations intended to force me back into violent action. The choice to be violent was still my own failure, but he placed his hand on the scales at every opportunity. His name was Dream. I mention this because it is integral to how we came to be here, and because the man, if he has returned, may be the greatest threat this world has ever known."
"Dream was always a megalomaniac, but none of us expected him to go so far. He brought a man, admittedly a monster in his own right, but still a human, back from the dead, only to consume his soul in a ritual. He became nearly godlike in power. The rest of the town stood together against him, and they fell to the last man, woman, and child. I was the last one standing, and I believe I killed him with an acid bomb that also ended my own life."
"And therein lies the crux of this issue. I died. So did Ranboo. In fact, I watched Ranboo die. I honestly believe that me and Ranboo here are from another world entirely. Physics worked differently. There were different nations, different history books, different myths, different technologies, different magic. We had functioning portals to a realm of fire, rot, and desolation. We had monsters, but they were nothing like the Grimm. Not everyone stayed dead when you killed them the first time. I was one of the unluckiest- I had only one life. Most people were born with three. Since Ranboo here was resurrected once, he's died four times in total."
"Right. Now that that's out of the way, are you going to try to arrest me?"
Glynda's hand was over her mouth, Qrow stood dumbstruck, and Ozpin's eyes betrayed confusion and a strange mourning, emotions that looked simultaneously out of place but far too familiar to the man.
It was Oz who spoke first. "No, I... Technically speaking, you've already served a life sentence. I would not deign to punish you when you have already lost so much, and when you realize the wrong you have done. I would be the worst kind of hypocrite to do so."
"Good. I don't want to fight you if I don't have to. You all seem like nice people."
Qrow collected himself a fraction. "Ozpin... is... are you saying you believe them?"
Ozpin shook his head. "It's worse than that my friend. I used a spell. I cannot be more certain that he speaks the truth."
"Cool. You want to ask your questions before or after his story?" Techno cut in, pointing his thumb at Ranboo beside him. Ranboo was quiet, slumped into his chair.
Ozpin waved a hand to him. "If he is willing to speak it."
Ranboo wiped his eyes and sat up straight.
"Alright. Um, hi guys. I'm Ranboo. Don't really know what to say, so I guess I'll just tell you what I know. I don't remember most of my early life. I know that I'm half enderman and half some weird magic construct. I never had any parents, but the evidence points to Dream creating me in a lab. I'm still not sure about that. Endermen were one of the other species in our world. They only spoke in a weird language, and weren't super smart, but they were peaceful unless attacked and they could teleport. I can too, actually. I've had really bad amnesia for as long as I can remember. From what I can gather, Dream raised me to be some kind of sleeper agent. I don't know the specifics of how, but I'm sure he did. He comes up a lot in my notes, and I have a bunch of weird memory gaps that just so happen to match up with things going missing or getting blown up. I eventually figured out what was going on, and I slowly broke down my programming until I was able to resist his commands. I only remember three of my deaths. I don't know how the other one happened, but it must have happened because I know I started with three lives and had to be revived after the first two deaths. The first one I remember was sacrificing myself to save Tubbo from a bomb. The second time I got arrested for a crime I didn't remember committing, and the warden executed me when Techno tried to break me out. The third time Dream stuck a pickaxe in my gut. I don't- I don't remember a lot. There's gaps in my memory, sometimes for months at a time. I'd run into friends and they'd be angry at me for stealing from them, and I'd have no idea what they were talking about. I'm pretty sure Dream had me bomb a prison and a community center once too. I'm probably missing other things too. I just- I just wanna be a good, upstanding guy, you know? I've done so many bad things that I don't even remember, and I've made so many mistakes, and I just... I just want to be a good person. Do something to help people, something that makes me feel happy and makes the world better. I want to look into my memories and find things that make me happy instead of gaps and anxiety and guilt. I'm sorry I don't have as much as Techno here, but he was always better with stories than me."
Techno could swear he saw tears on Glynda's face, and he quashed the voices as their anger flared- for once, not a wanton call for violence, but a spike of pure hatred for Dream, for what he had done to Ranboo. Stolen control of his mind and made him believe he was somehow at fault for being brainwashed and used since birth. Techno had known that Ranboo was apprehensive around Dream, but never had he guessed that this was the cause. It seemed Techno could still learn new ways to hate. Qrow just looked hollow and lethargic. Ozpin pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a shaky sigh.
"Are you guys okay?" Techno asked. All three looked at him like he'd grown a second head.
"Yeah, you seem a bit stressed." Ranboo said. The incredulous looks turned to him.
Ozpin swallowed. "Respectfully, I do not think you are the ones who should be asking that question. Your world is gone. You saw your friends die. Beyond that, it seems as though both of you have had a life far too tragic for your years. How old are you?"
"I was twenty-three when I died, and fourteen when I was drafted into the army. This body feels like it's about seventeen to me." Techno replied.
"I don't know." Ranboo said. "I think I was eighteen or nineteen, but it's hard to tell. I don't know if I remember all my birthdays, plus I was dead for a few months, so that makes things complicated."
Ozpin took another deep, shuddering breath. "Forgive me, but how can the two of you be so calm about this?"
Techno raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
"You were drafted into an active warzone as a child. You had to kill regularly before you were old enough to vote or drive. You seem to have known nothing but violence. Perhaps that is the answer I am searching for. It does not seem strange to you because you scarcely remember a time when you were not at war."
"And you." He turned to Ranboo. "You are struggling to create an identity because someone treated your very mind as a tool and a toy. That is among the most truly reprehensible actions one can take. Your greatest sin in this account was being unfortunate, and somehow you have been convinced that you are at fault for being lied to and used from before you knew how to reason."
"You have both already seen worse than most do in a lifetime. I am truly sorry, children."
Techno waved it off. "Don't be. Wasn't your fault."
"Be that as it may, I still wish you never had to endure such suffering."
"Unless you can turn back time sir, I appreciate your sentiment, but it changes little."
Ozpin paused, and refocused. "I suppose that is true. On a more imminent matter, you claim that this Dream may yet live?"
"It's only a possibility. It might just be the two of us, but we both died and wound up here, so it wouldn't surprise me if he's come back too. He's a monster, but he's not unkillable. You get a large enough team of skilled fighters, and he can be beaten. We managed to do it once, and that's when he had the element of surprise and we were disorganized. That won't happen again."
Ozpin nodded. "I think I see. You wish to come to Beacon to be prepared in case Dream does return."
Techno shrugged. "That, and I don't exactly have many skills beyond fighting. Even if he doesn't come back, I'd like to put those skills to a good use."
Ranboo interjected. "I just want to help people. And I'm not as good as him, but I was a pretty decent fighter too. Saving lives sounds like a good use of my time to me."
"I see. In that case, I'd like to extend an invitation. This is atypical- we usually only have a few walk-on applicants, but I think in this instance I can make an exception. The admission trials to Beacon take place in three days. Until then, I will set aside an empty dorm room for you two, should you choose to take it. I should warn you that you'll have much to learn if you pass the initiation. You may be skilled in war, but fighting Grimm is a different beast, and you may find Hunters to be quite different to your previous enemies. In addition, not all of our subjects are purely combat-oriented. You'll learn about weapons engineering, history, public relations, and more. If you do pass the initiation, you'll be offered admission to Beacon Academy. We will do all in our power to teach you how best to fight the Grimm and protect the innocent from harm. It is a life that is often violent, I will not lie. It is not normally common for Hunters to fight other people, but given what you have told me, and your encounter with Qrow, I fear that such battle may be thrust upon you again regardless."
Techno grinned. "Nothing we aren't used to then."
Ozpin grimaced. "As for a cover story, it'd be best for both of you to claim that you are Faunus. Most people wouldn't believe the truth if you told them. I only do because of my own bag of tricks. I'd also ask that this particular conversation not leave those of us present in the room. Knowledge of magic is not exactly common-"
"I'm gonna stop you right there," Techno interrupted.
Techno leaned back in his chair. "I understand the bit about calling us Faunus. In fact, since I woke up here, I've had better hearing and night vision, so that might not even be a lie. I am, however, curious as to why news of magic can't leave this room."
Ozpin nodded, and raised up a hand. "Allow me to explain. There are only a very few people in this world that can use magic. I am one of them, but my abilities are much diminished from what they once were. There are others who would see the world destroyed if given the chance. We keep it secret because the enemy have done the same. We live in a world where panic is tangibly dangerous. It actively attracts monsters that want nothing less than the end of our species. If news of magic were to get out, it could trigger a panic potent enough to end nations. I do not like the notion, but revealing the truth would put the world at risk."
"Is that risk greater than the damage that these enemies could inflict on an unprepared populace? I don't know the answer, but I suspect you do. I am willing to trust you, Oz, because Qrow trusts you, and I trust him, but that trust comes under one condition- that you do the same with me. I do not ask that you spill your life's secrets to me, but if we are to fight an enemy and you send us off half-cocked in the name of informational security, I will not forgive you. Is that acceptable?"
"More than acceptable."
"Alright." Techno agreed, before continuing. "One last question though. Maybe the most important question I'll ever ask you. Why do you cling to power?"
Ozpin settled into his chair and took a long sip from his coffee mug. "A good question, mister Techno. I wonder what kind of answers you would get from others in positions of power. I hold power because I want to protect people, but I am not so naive as to leave it at that. I am far from infallible. I have made many mistakes, and will no doubt make more in my life. No, I do it because I believe it is the right thing to do."
"A decent answer. One I can accept. At least you've got some humility. That's my question. Carry on."
Ozpin tapped a finger on the desk. "Now, your cover stories. You are a pig Faunus, that one should be easy. But what about you?" Ozpin seemed to be looking through Ranboo rather than at him. "Skunk?"
"What about panda? I like pandas. More than skunks, anyways." Ranboo offered.
Ozpin let out the slightest grin. "We can work with that. As for your origin, we'll run with a story not too dissimilar from your own excuse mister Techno. You come from a remote village with poor education systems that fell as the result of a tragic calamity. The less detail you give, the better. People will sense that it is not a story you wish to discuss, and if they pressure you, then you may simply refuse to elaborate. Those are the most important points covered. I believe that all of us could use some rest. I will have Miss Goodwitch take you to your dorms. With any luck, I shall address you again as students in three days time."
"Alright. Thanks Ozpin!" Ranboo called, standing from his seat and heading to the door. Techno trailed a bit behind, but followed Ranboo and Goodwitch out of the room.
/-/
"Fucking gods above." exclaimed Qrow as soon as the trio exited the room.
"Indeed." Ozpin agreed.
"I mean I knew there was something off about them, but I never expected- that!"
"I can assure you I was no less surprised, my friend. This is something that even I have never seen before. Your friend is very... direct."
"You're really not helpin my nerves here Oz."
Ozpin placed a hand on his heart. "I apologize, but I cannot retract the statement. This is new to me."
Qrow took a long swig from his hip flask, and for once Ozpin didn't chastise him. Qrow was grateful for that at least.
Brother gods. What the hell happened to you two?
Qrow hadn't grown up peaceful or happy. Far from it. The Branwen tribe was a brutal place at the best of times, and they'd been raised for martial strength almost from birth. Even then, Qrow hadn't been in a fight until sixteen, and those were usually bloody, one-sided affairs. Ambushes that didn't leave a lot of room for counterattacks. From the sound of it, Techno had been a normal kid thrown into a full blown warzone at fourteen. Ranboo didn't even remember his childhood, and he'd lived mosy of his life as someone else's puppet. He couldn't begin to imagine what that must've been like. His childhood was shit, but it seemed absolutely peachy compared to what he'd just seen laid out in front of him. He never would have guessed at how right he'd been about the killer's glint in Techno's eyes.
"Those kids are damaged Oz. They don't need a Hunter school, they need fucking therapy. A lot of it."
"We have therapists on staff."
"That's not what I meant and you know it. Seriously, they make me and Raven look well-adjusted. You just saw how casual Techno is about violence, how much that fucker in Ranboo's head stunted him. This isn't what's best for them."
"I agree with you Qrow."
"Then what are-"
"But it is the best we can do. Techno has already crossed paths with Salem's underlings, and the madman as good as told us he'd return to kill both of you. If this Dream they speak of has also returned, it will be a while yet before it is possible for either of them to live in peace. I could deny them application to Beacon, but what then? They would either seek enrollment at another academy, where we could not protect them, or failing that strike off on their own, where we would never even know if they died. I am a firm believer in the ability of the human mind to adapt and overcome. Studying at Beacon will be safest for them, and among other trainees they are likely to come out of their shells, slowly but surely. It is not perfect, but it will keep them alive and offer the best chance at healing we can provide. That is all we can do."
Qrow sighed deeply. He actually cared for Techno now. Had started to care for Ranboo too. It wasn't his place to make decisions for them, though. They were, technically, adults. He'd have to make himself content with helping them as much as he could. It wouldn't be easy between his job and the travelling, but damn it, he was invested in the little brats now. He'd prefer it greatly if they kept breathing.
Actually, come to think of it...
"Oz, I've got an idea."
"Qrow, is this one of your insightful ideas, or your death peppers in the graduation party soft drinks ideas?"
Qrow snorted. "Not sure yet. What if I stopped going out on so many missions and came to teach at Beacon?"
Ozpin's coffee mug clinked down onto the table. "I suppose it's possible. You have been of great use in the field, however. Why the change of heart?"
"Nearly dying, for one. Things are getting riskier out there, and I wouldn't be breathing if not for Techno. I don't even wanna think about what that would've done to Tai or the girls. A lone Hunter is too vulnerable to an enemy that can control Grimm and has an unknown number of skilled Hunters at their side."
"A fair point. I'll see what I can do to get you in for weapons engineering and combat practice."
"Plus it'd cut down on all the travel costs from me flying cross-continent-" Ozpin's words registered in Qrow's head.
"Wait, you're agreeing?"
Ozpin smirked. "Is that so hard to believe? You raised a good point. I do not wish for you to die, Qrow. If you think it's too dangerous for one man, and the evidence is on your side, I will not order you to continue missions far from home on your own. As if I could. I will simply have to talk to my other contacts."
"Heh. I thought you'd put up more of a fight. Thanks Oz."
"Don't mention it. You'll be cursing my name the moment you have to grade your first exam."
Qrow's smile fell. "Oh shit. I forgot about all the paperwork. Is it too late too back out?"
"I'm afraid so, Qrow. The pact is sealed. You are bound to Beacon until death. Please enjoy the complementary coffee."
/-/
Even from the very brief time he'd known the woman, Techno could tell that Miss Goodwitch was not used to crying. She seemed angry at the very fact that she had shown such emotion, but none of it came close to Techno or Ranboo. From the looks of it, this was a woman that cared deeply about children, and hearing about their upbringings had not sat well with her. Techno couldn't say he fully understood it. What had happened to Ranboo, sure. That evil was unparalleled in his head. But him? He was just a soldier. Many of the soldiers in the army had been as young as him. A few were younger. This world seemed more peaceful, but his brief research told him that it had had wars before. There were multiple recorded instances of Mistral subsuming smaller cultures, many accounts on civil wars, and even the so called Great War that sat within living memory, where the war had reached a global scale. War had never been so large scale back home. If they were concerned about his age, he was still confused. Yes, he'd seen too much as a child, but was it really so much better to cast someone into the bloody crucible at eighteen than fourteen? They would witness the same horrors, face the same dilemmas, commit the same atrocities.
When they arrived at their dorm, Goodwitch paused outside the door. "This is it. Your temporary quarters until the initiation trial. We've had an unusually high number of walk-on applications this year, so be glad you get this instead of the communal bunkroom where the others will be staying."
"Thank you, ma'am." Techno said, and bowed to the woman.
Goodwitch barely seemed to notice. She nibbled her lip for a fraction of a second as her eyes shot to the side, but said nothing. Ranboo moved to the door and opened it to step through, Techno close behind. Just before they closed the door, Goodwitch spoke up. "Wait."
Techno cracked the door to look at her. "A good teacher isn't supposed to play favorites, but right now I'm too angry to care. I have no doubt you two will pass the test. If either of you come across evidence pertinent to this 'Dream', pass it along to us. I will help you deal with it, personally."
Techno smirked. "Thanks for the offer, Miss G. I'll keep it in mind. Most of the time, though, we can take care of ourselves. Good night."
"Good night." the woman said. The door closed, and only then did she let out the words she'd been holding in.
"You shouldn't have to."
/-/
I am become death, destroyer of worlds. That is to say, I wrote this chapter in two days. Granted, I won't have this much free time again for a while, but I'm extremely proud of both how much work I got done and how well it came out. I'm aware that this chapter was very dialogue heavy, but that's just how setting this up has to go. We'll get some nice action next chapter, don't you worry.
Now, replying to reviews!
Karmax- As we see here, Ranboo's got an ender chest, but Techno hasn't had a chance to crack it open yet. That will answer a lot of your questions. As for enchants on his gear, I'll directly address that in the next chapter. I can confirm, however, that he does not have a minecraft inventory. He and Ranboo are both limited by what they can physically carry- I intended to show that with Techno trying to chop down the tree in chapter 1. Sorry if that wasn't made clear.
Neo-Charlemagne- That's a good point, and I have in fact changed the numbers to something more intense. 60-70 miles is still possible, since Techno is very fit and he got an Aura boost here, but is also carrying Qrow's entire body weight.