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“It’s over,” Techno says, his gruff words falling on deaf ears.
“Don’t be foolish, Blood God!” His opponent rasps, stumbling on his unsteady feet, “Its never over,” He basically wheezes out, before descending into a coughing fit. He sounds bad, practically choking on blood and spit as he weakly coughs it up and spitting it out.
Techno watches indifferently, though he can’t help the way worry creeps up into his chest, settling in the back of his mind. Maybe he had taken it a little too far on the hero, didn’t pull enough of his punches— but this was just the first step.
He had to bring the hero to his lowest point to be able to work him back up into something great. Something that Techno would be able to mold and shape, refine into his liking, his own creation that he could control like a puppet on strings.
The fallen hero in front of him was everything he was looking for, everything that he wanted.
“Theseus,” Techno says, his tone reprimanding, as the building continues to burn around them, “Give up.” He demands, taking a step towards the frail hero, his red cloak swishing around his boots.
His sword rests at his side, sheathed, no longer needed in this battle. Techno had only taken a couple hits from the hero, but he was otherwise untouched, no blood drawn on himself. His armor dully shines with enchantments, and his boar mask hides his face, keeping his expressions hidden.
Theseus straightens up from where he had been curled in on himself, doubled over from his coughing fit. His mask is askew, one of his blue eyes flashing from underneath it, glazed over from pain and fear. Blood streams down his face, dried and cracking, and his blonde hair is exposed, no longer hidden underneath that red hood of his.
Theseus shifts suddenly, standing before him with his fists in front of himself, all his weapons lost in the fight and his communicator broken. His mask was cracked, exposing part of his face and eye, and he was badly injured, sporting a couple fatal blows.
Even though he’s probably losing a lot of blood right now, and should definitely not be able to stand, he was still going, still fighting Techno to his very last breath.
It was admirable, and it only made Techno’s decision to take the husk of the hero in front of him under his wing that more concrete. Theseus was a hero willing to go out fighting until he no longer could stand anymore, on the battle field, bloodied and beaten but still fighting.
Techno can only imagine what that will bring him, and the rest of the Syndicate in the future. The way Theseus will evolve and grow into the perfect soldier for them, for him. Theseus has always been on Techno’s radar, from their few encounters in battle when he first debuted a year ago.
The hero had immediately caught his attention, from his playful banter on the battle field, and the way he would fight— it was nothing like Techno had ever seen before. He took interest in the little hero, watching him, studying him, deciding that he would be the perfect candidate for the Sydicnate.
Theseus was everything Techno needed, wanted.
He has no problem taking it.
Theseus just laughs, a horrible imitation of what his laugh usually sounds like— his voice raspy and cracked. He ends up going into another coughing fit that Techno lets him get over, the time allowing him to look over his wounds properly.
In the dim light of the fires that was still burning from the explosion he could make out a large gash in his side, where his suit was cut open, and a couple more cuts on his legs and arms. There was blood coating his hair from a head injury somewhere, likely from the moment Techno had thrown him into a wall.
The hero should not be able to stand, yet he was, impressing Techno with his perseverance.
Theseus recovers, shakily straightening back out before getting into a fighting stance again, his breathing sounding far worse then it had before. It makes Techno frown, as he checks and makes sure he has a healing potion with him.
The hero was definitely not going to make it back to his base like this.
“N- never,” He croaks out, his voice barely above a whisper now. It almost made Techno wince at how bad he sounds, with the way he practically wavers on his feet, unsteady.
The smoke in the air probably doesn’t help, nor does the broken mask, but in the end it all works in Techno’s favor.
“So be it,” Techno says in a flat voice, and then he’s lunging forwards towards the hero, not even bothering to draw his sword. Theseus punches first, though his aim is off and he misses, allowing Techno to whisk right past him and shove him backwards.
The hero stumbles, barely avoiding falling backwards as Techno stops his advance, just staring at him as he gets back on steady feet. He allows the hero the mercy to recover, out of respect for how long the hero has lasted against him.
Theseus was panting, his chest heaving with each breath as he tries to remain upright, though the hero couldn't pull this off much longer. His legs were trembling with the effort of keeping himself upright, and his movements were slow, unsteady.
“You’ve done well,” Techno praises— he never gives out praise unless he truly means it. Theseus has impressed him tonight greatly, with how long he’s lasted, how he hasn’t broken quite yet. It takes a lot to be able to stay this strong, especially against someone like Techno.
But, in the end, Techno needs his little hero broke, full of cracks and gaping holes that he can come back in and fill. So that he can make the hero in front of him his puppet, his apprentice and successor, the one person who will continue to live on by Technos ways when he inevitably dies.
“But its time for all of this to end.” Techno sighs, and the hero must take his words differently, his eyes going wide as he holds his shaking fists out in front of him.
“You can’t kill me,” He bites out, the waver in his voice betraying the fear hidden within him, “You— you can’t.” He stutters, his words sounding oddly broken.
Techno hums, taking a step towards his hero, his red cloak billowing out behind him.
“I can,” Techno states bluntly, not able to suppress the grin underneath his mask.
Techno always had the chance and opportunity to kill Theseus, the only reason he didn't was becuase he saw something in him, something that lead him to this very moment. “But that is not my intention today.” He says, barely able to hold back the anticipation in his tone.
Theseus just shakes his head, making himself stumble forwards as his knees finally give out, but Techno lunges forwards, catching the hero in his arms. He holds up his limp form as Theseus pants, wheezing for breath as he collapses into Techno’s hold, his legs giving out beneath him.
“I’ve got you.” Techno says softly, lowering the both of them to the ground.
“F- fuck you,” Theseus snaps out, but he is too weak to resist, the fall having ruined his previous momentum. “I hope you rot in hell.” He mutters bitterly, spewing more unrecognizable words under his breath.
Techno gently lays Theseus down, before kneeling besides him, looking the hero over. He was badly beaten, dying, his breathing irregular and shallow. He was weak, exhausted, and losing quite a bit of blood.
“You know what I always admired about you, Theseus?” Techno asks, not waiting for a response as he slowly snakes his arms under the hero, being careful not to jostle his wounds. Theseus tenses up, but he can’t do much besides cry out in pain as Techno gently moves him.
“Is that you never give up,” Techno hums, placing the fallen hero in his lap, resting his head on his legs. Theseus just whines, a quiet, sad sound that catches Techno’s attention in a way it shouldn’t. He brushes it off, shoving his instincts back down as he focuses on the hero in front of him.
“Don’t worry, little hero,” Techno coos, stroking his hair with one hand, avoiding the blood soaked in it.
“I’m here now,” He breathes out, “I will take care of you, build you back up into something great. Finally, your talent won’t be wasted with the heros. You will be able to truly thrive, to live up to your full potential.” Techno smiles, his fingers slowly reaching out to the straps on his mask.
Theseus whines again, shaking his head slightly but he's far to weak to put up a fight. Techno easily brushes off his attempts to stop him as he unclips it, slowly removing he mask from his face. He tosses the broken thing aside, letting it skid across the floor, finding its final resting spot besides the crumbled wall.
De-masking a hero or villain was taboo, something that was looked down upon and publicly shamed for, no matter which side you were on.
Techno, currently, could care less about it all, not when he had Theseus in his grasp now. Plus he needed his mask off to give him a healing potion, otherwise he will die, and he really doesn’t want to kill of his favorite hero.
Techno meets Theseus’ full gaze for the first time and freezes, his hands hovering in the air above his face in shock.
This— this was not in the plan.
The terrified look that greets him back is no other then a kid.
Techno feels like he might be sick, as he gently moves the hero to be laying on the ground, so he can look at his face properly. Blood covers his whole face, splattered against his skin, along with a big gash in his cheek from where his mask had caved in.
Scars litter his face, his nose, forehead, eyebrows even— his blue eyes stare up at him with tears in them, terror and fear making them waver.
Techno reaches out, his movements carefully slow, his hands shaking as he cups the heros face, realizing for the first time that he had been fighting a literal child.
“You— you’re…” Techno begins, but his words die on his tongue, as the kid blinks his eyes, tears streaming down his face. It mixes with the blood, turning it red as it falls down his cheek, landing onto his chest.
“Fuck you,” Theseus spits, though theres no real heat behind his words. It seems as if he leans into Techno’s hold on his face, his eyes slipping closed. The hero reaches up with one hand, gripping onto his own, his fingers shakily intertwining with his to keep his grip more steady.
Techno’s plan goes out the door immediately, his mind going blank as he stares at the dying kid before him. Theseus leans into his hand like a fucking cat, bloody tears streaming down his face as he takes comfort in Techno’s hold.
“I—“ Tehcno can’t find the words, his bravado is gone, his plan that he had rehearsed a hundred times in his head suddenly is useless. He has no script to follow, no plan, nothing—
“Keep your eyes open,” Techno orders, reaching into his cloak with his free hand as Theseus’ grip on his other one tightens, “You're not gonna die, kid.” He promises, his throat tightening up at the idea of the hero dying because of Techno.
How had the heros allowed this? A child to be amongst their ranks, to fight villains as cruel as the Syndicate? To allow them to be able to be picked off like flies, hurt and bruised from fights, sustaining life long injuries.
Theseus whines again, making Techno’s eyes snap to his limp form on the ground. The more he stares at him the more things he notices new things, like his slightly pointed ears, and the way his bottom canines are larger and more pointed then an average humans, similar to Techno.
He doesn’t linger on that for long as he pulls out a healing potion, untangling his fingers from the heros as he snakes his hand under his head, gently lifting his head up. Theseus cries out at the movement, panting, his eyes glazed over in pain as he struggles for breath.
“You’ll be okay,” He says again, though he’s not sure the hero can hear him, as he uncorks the potion and brings it up to his lips. His mouth is already wide open, as he gasps for breath, his chest weakly rising up and down.
Fuck— how did he let it get this bad? He regrets playing with Theseus for so long, dragging on his attacks and hits.
He slowly pours the potion down his throat, watching as the kid splutters on the liquid, nearly ending up choking on it a couple times. But after he gets a couple sips down and the potion starts to heal, allowing the rest to go down easily, as the hero slowly but steadily drinks the rest.
His breathing evens out, his chest no longer heaving irregularly, as his wounds start to close up, stitching themselves back together.
Techno sighs in relief now that Theseus wasn’t on deaths door, tossing the bottle aside. It shatters, but he could care less as he pulls the kid closer to himself. His eyes were closed, and he was probably passed out from exhaustion and the potion, his chest rising and falling at a normal rate.
He rests one of his hands on his face again, marveling at how his hand practically cradled his whole face. Now that Techno was up close to the hero, he was realizing just how small he was— the way his bones seemed to jut out from underneath his skin, and the fact that the hero carried no muscle on him at all.
It made him frown, as he looked over the kid again.
He— he can’t just let him go, can he?
Techno’s plans might be scrapped, placed on the back burner for the time being, but he never planned on letting him go.
The heros have clearly not been taking care of him, letting a child join their ranks to be hurt and hunted down by villains.
It made Techno sick, and mad, that he had been fighting a teenager this whole time. There was no way he was not going to take him. His plans would have to be changed, and the way he was going to approach it all has to be different.
He wasn't going to make the kid suffer, not like how the heros have done it.
Techno… Techno didn't know what this meant for him, or the hero laying in his arms. He wasn't sure what he was supposed to do now, beside take the kid with him and get him cleaned up and more medical attention- but after that? He was at a loss.
He sighs, hefting the fallen hero into his arms, cradling him against his chest. He was light, far too light for how tall he was, and it only made him angrier.
He pulls out his comm, dialing Wilbur. It takes his brother a few long moments to pick up, making Techno impatient as he starts to walk through the debris of the building he was in. He could hear sirens off in the distance, and there was no doubt more heros were on their way— he needed to get out of here quickly.
“Techno?” Comes Wilbur’s voice, and Techno can’t help but roll his eyes.
“I have Theseus,” He starts, listening as Wilbur cheers into the comm, giving him a bigger headache then he already has.
“Good job, Tech! Is he everything you wanted him to be and more?“ Wilbur asks way to enthusiastically over the comm, making Techno wince as he glances back down at Theseus’ face. The kid looks so peaceful now that he was passed out, the tension that had been lining his entire body gone.
“There’s gonna be a change of plans,” Techno decides upon, “I just need you ready to pick us up.” There’s silence over the comm for a moment before Wilbur speaks again.
“He’s not dead, is he?“ He asks, and Techno can’t help the way his eyes flicker back to his chest, watching the slow rise and fall of his breathing. It eases some sort of worry in his head as he walks, keeping the hero tucked close, trying to hide him away under his red cloak as much as possible.
“No,” He responds with, “Just— be ready.” He sighs, before tucking his comm away, ignoring whatever Wilbur says back.
Techno has a feeling its going to be a long night.
~~~~
Techno doesn’t leave the heros side once, always being in the same room as him.
He’s not sure why, but some part of him just can’t leave him, with the thought of it alone making his chest tighten and his head hurt. The voices have been awfully quiet, almost suspiciously so, making Techno weary of what is to come.
The monitors beep in the background, a constant reminder that the kids alive. He’s hooked up to an iv system, on some really high pain meds that will keep him knocked out for a while longer. His hero suit had been swapped out for a plain white t-shirt and shorts, the blood cleaned off of him and his wounds patched up.
The healing potion healed most of his injuries, but some of them were only partly stitched back together, so the kid still had some healing to do. Giving him another healing potion this soon could have some negative side effects Techno would rather avoid, so they would have to wait at least a day.
He sits at his bed side, in the small room the hero has been placed in for the moment. It has no windows, with just the lights on the ceiling and a door to go out into the hallway. Old hospital machines line the walls, ready to be used at a moments notice.
Techno stares at the hero, at the kid, as he sleeps, taking in every little detail of him.
His face is covered in scars, with a new one added on from their fight. His hair is blonde, the blondest Techno has ever seen before— not even Phil’s was this blonde. In the light it reminded him of gold almost, making his piglin side preen at the thought.
The kid was way too small for his age, battered and bruised, covered in so many nasty scars.
Techno doesn’t understand why the hero’s did this to Theseus. Why they let him out to fight villains head on, with no backup or anyone to keep an eye on him. There had been no one looking after the kid, not once in the time Techno had watched him.
It makes him angry, his chest tightening with the urge to go to the heros and kill them, speaking of their outrageous crimes to the whole entire world— because who lets a kid fight in the war? Enduring the countless bloody battles of life and death situations— was this even what Theseus wanted?
He sighs, his red eyes flickering to the sleeping kid in front of him, watching his chest rise and fall.
Everything is peaceful for a while. No one enters the room, at least not while he’s in it. Even Wilbur stays away, having come by a couple hours ago asking if he needed anything. When Phil gets to the base there is no doubt that he will be dragging Techno away from the kid, to talk to him in a more private place.
But the man wasn’t here, so Techno sits by Theseus’ bed side, waiting, watching. Protecting.
It isn't until Theseus is jolting awake in his bed, the heart monitor picking up in speed is the peace and quiet shattered.
Techno is up in an instant, pushing the chair away as he looms over the kid, pressing him back down onto the bed. Theseus cries out, his eyes wide, glazed over with terror as he claws at his arms, trying to get him off of him.
“Theseus— kid, calm down,” Techno says, as Theseus cries out, a terrified high pitched keen coming from the back of his throat. Techno freezes, his eyes wide as he stares down at the kid who continues to struggle underneath him, small cries and whimpers leaving him as he calls for help.
Theseus was a piglin hybrid.
Techno’s not sure what overcomes him, but he chuffs at the hero in front of him, watching as he immediately falls still. His eyes are glazed over still, looking wild and frantic as they land on Techno’s, meeting his maskless face for the first time.
Techno chuffs again, pushing calm-safe-safe. Theseus stares at him, captivated, his eyes blowing wide as he falls completely limp underneath him. Techno slowly lets up his hold on him, watching as panic fills the heros eyes once again.
He cries out, piglin noises mixed in as he reaches for him, his blunt nails digging into his skin. Techno lets Theseus pull him closer, as his slender fingers curl around his own, holding onto his hand like a life line.
“Its okay,” Techno mumbles, “I’m not going anywhere.” He promises, as Theseus starts to calm down again, pressing his hand against his face. Techno cups his cheek, gently cradling his head in his hand, watching as his eyes close, leaning into his touch. Both his hands hold his other one, his fingers curled around his own.
Theseus starts to purr, a small, faint thing, but its a purr nonetheless. Techno’s eyes widen for a moment, as Theseus presses his face further into his hand, trying to tug Techno closer with a needy whine.
“You—“ Techno begins, emotions making his throat tighten, “You’re just a runt,” He breathes out, his eyes flickering over the kid as he purrs louder, a small smile parting his lips.
“Theseus,” Techno breathes out, as the kid opens his eyes again. They’re blown wide, his whole iris almost completely black as he stares back at him, chuffing protector-safe-warm to him.
It makes Techno lock up, his eyes pinned on the heros before him, as he rests his hands on his chest, still keeping Techno’s hostage. He nuzzles into his hand like a cat, closing his eyes again as he purrs, calling out for him again.
“You're imprinting.” Techno states, confusion lacing his voice, “How are you imprinting— kid, what kind of life have you been through?” He whispers the last part, as Theseus just calls out for him again, like he wasn’t just shattering Techno’s heart.
Techno feels grief wash through him, as he leans against the bed, giving into the heros demands. Theseus reaches out with one of his hands, his blue eyes blinking up at him as he wraps his fingers around one of his pink strands of hair, drawn to the golden bead braided into it.
Techno watches as he plays with it, trying to tug it out, but he can’t get it, so he turns to Techno with a pleading look, chuffing gold-want-protecter. Each time Theseus calls him protector Techno feels his resolve crack more and more, his heart shattering into tinier pieces as his own instincts rise up.
Techno curls his fingers into Theseus hair, watching as the kid leans into his touch, the gold forgotten as he starts to purr even more, soaking up any comfort Tehcno gives him. He closes his eyes as Techno slowly threads his fingers through his hair, lightly scratching at his scalp.
Techno manages to slip off one of his rings on the hand Theseus had hostage, his eyes flickering open as he makes a curious noise, watching what he was doing with his big eyes.
Techno smiles dimly, handing the kid the golden ring. Theseus takes it, purring in delight as he takes it from Techno, inspecting it. He puts the large ring on his fingers, but its way to big to stay put, so instead he just curls his fingers around it, feeling over the engravings on it with his thumb.
Techno smiles down at the kid, everything suddenly coming crashing down onto him, the gravity of what all of this means weighing heavy on his shoulders. A tear runs down his cheek, as he watches Theseus hold the small piece of gold like it was the most precious thing in the world, staring at it as if he had never been given a single piece of gold in his whole entire life.
Theseus was a piglin hybrid— a runt at that. He had never imprinted on anyone before, never even been around another piglin most likely, and was severely touch starved. Techno has never seen a case this bad, with the way Theseus holds onto his hands as if he was afraid he was going to leave him forever, the way he desperately leans into his touch like a cat, soaking up his comfort like a sponge.
Theseus’ instincts were so messed up that he didn’t even register Techno as a potential threat, a predator. He must have been so desperate for a sounder of his own, a protector, thats his instincts latched onto the first piglin around.
And that so happened to be Techno, a brute. Theseus should be terrified of him, cowering away and trying to hide from him, yet here he was leaning into his hold and purring.
He can’t let him go. He can never let Theseus go. His own instincts rise up in the back of his mind, latching onto the kid in front of him. He preens at the way Theseus isn't scared of him, but instead trusts him enough to care for him when he’s this vulnerable, to be able to hold him and purr.
It makes him want to bring Theseus back to his den, to bundle him up in a bunch of blankets and let him rest in his den as he stands guard, making sure no one comes to hurt him.
He was tempted to do it, to take out the iv’s in his arms and carry him back to his den, to drown him in his own scent, to let him rest in his room, protected by Techno himself.
He can feel his possessiveness rising up, making him curl his fingers into the fallen heros blonde hair, his grip on his hand tightening slightly. He doesn’t want anyone to touch Theseus, to even look at him, not while he was so vulnerable. He wants Theseus all to himself, safe and protected by Techno, wrapped up in his arms and held close, safely hidden away from the world.
His want for Theseus has shifted so much in the past couple of hours, going from his original plan of taking in the hero and shaping him into something new and dangerous, to wanting to protect, preserve his youth and keep him tucked close, underneath his arm hidden away from the world.
The urge to take him is too strong, as Techno starts to detach him from all the machines running, very carefully taking out the iv’s from his arm. Theseus makes a noise of distress at the lack of contact, reaching out for him again, calling for him to come back.
Techno shushes him, as he unhooks the last bits, ignroing the machines as they start beeping. He quickly puts his mask back on, before snaking his arms underneath Theseus, lifting him up and pressing him against his chest. Theseus’ purrs stutter for a moment, before it picks back up as he melts into Techno’s hold, his fingers curling into his shirt.
Calm-safe-den Techno chuffs to him, as he makes his way out of the small infirmary, ignoring the frantic nurses outside as he makes his way to his room.
He was in the Syndicate base, a complex underground structure under a huge empty warehouse in the outskirts of L’Manberg. All three of them had rooms here, tucked away in their own private section of the base. It was their main place of living, as all their other houses have been found way to quickly by the heros.
Techno’s not even sure how they managed to track the houses back to the Syndicate, but they never last long.
Everybody stays clear of Techno, keeping their eyes on the ground as they silently walk past him, scared to intervene.
Theseus stays curled up in his arms, pressing his face against his chest as he purrs, holding the golden ring in his hands as he dozes off.
Finally, he makes it back to his room, basically kicking open the door in the process.
He can feel his own instincts start to overwhelm him, rearing up in the back of his head and crashing into his mind like a wave.
He closes the door with a little more force then necessary, holding Theseus closer to him as the kid makes an inquisitive noise, his blue eyes scanning Techno’s room.
It was nothing special, by all means, a huge bed with a bunch of blankets and pillows scattered on top, some gold mixed in here and there.
He had a closet off to the side, and a large bookshelf with all of his personal favorite books in it. A desk sits off to the side, papers scattered about on it from the project he had been working on.
His room was simple but it looked nice, not overly crowded like Wilbur’s room who jam packed in as much stuff as possible.
Techno walks over to his bed, gently laying Theseus down in the pile of blankets, though the kid clings onto him, his fingers curled into his shirt as he lets out a whine, calling for him to stay.
Techno chuffs reassuringly back to him, managing to pry his fingers off his shirt. He takes his boots off, before undoing his mask and setting it down on his desk, running his fingers through his messy pink hair as he closes his eyes, feeling just how intense his instincts were.
Theseus watches everything he does, his big blue eyes observing his face, as Techno goes to turn off the lights. He leaves a lamp on, lighting up the room in a warm dim glow, before making his way back over to the kid.
Theseus cries out for him, reaching towards him with his shaky arms as he tries to grab onto Techno. Techno chuffs at him safe-calm-runt. Theseus’ cries simmer down, though he still whimpers quietly for Techno, his blue eyes blinking in the dark.
Techno sighs, sitting on the edge of his bed, his red eyes staring at Theseus as he reaches out for him. The heros fingers grip onto his sleeve as he tries to pull him further into the pile of blankets, calling softly for him.
“I—“ Techno begins, staring at the hero in his den, at the way his eyes were blown wide, transfixed with Techno. “What happened to you, Theseus?” He asks, though he receives no response other then Theseus chuffing at him, a desperate edge to his tone as he tries to drag Techno towards him.
Techno relents, letting Theseus drag him further into the den of blankets, as the hero presses into his side, hiding his face away against his shirt. He wraps his arms around him, a small purr starting back up in his chest again.
Techno gives in, wrapping his own arms around Theseus and dragging him to rest against his chest, laying down with him and grabbing a blanket. He pulls it over the two, as Theseus snuggles in closer to him, purring away as he presses his head against his collar bone, right under his chin.
Techno gently runs his fingers through his hair, his red eyes pinned on the hero as he cuddles in closer to him, leaning into his touch, his purrs only getting louder as Techno messes with his hair.
It was as if the kid had never been given affection before in his life, soaking up every gentle touch greedily, gripping onto Techno as if he was afraid Techno was going to leave. It makes his heart hurt, as he holds Theseus closer, silently vowing he was never going to let the kid leave his side.
He can feel a small purr building up in his own chest, as he chuffs safe-runt-mine to the kid in his arms. Theseus purrs louder, rubbing his face on his chest as he chuffs back sounder-protector-yours.
Techno’s purrs pick up at that, a dark and possessive feeling growing in his chest as he rest his head on top of Theseus’, his arms curling around him.
It should not be this easy to win over a piglin runt, to appeal so much to his instincts that the hybrid immediately imprinted on him. Something was seriously wrong here, more then likely it was from years of surprising his instincts and trauma causing Theseus to act the way he is now.
“Go to sleep, kid,” He barely manages to get out, his own instincts rising up and taking over his mind, as Theseus purrs, contently resting on Techno’s chest. He starts to wind down quickly, his purr stuttering out in his chest, his breathing evening out as he drifts off to sleep.
Techno continues to run his fingers through his hair, his eyes pinned on the sleeping kid in his arms.
He was still figuring out how this all happened.
Just a couple weeks ago, Techno had been watching the hero prance around the city, stalking him in the shadows as he watched him stop criminals. The kid fought like a well trained hero, someone with years of experience under their belt. He was fast, and unpredictable, managing to always take his targets by surprise.
His fighting style was nothing like Techno had ever seen before, either, something so crazy and wild yet it all flowed together to create a deadly rhythm.
Techno had chosen Theseus because he had been everything he was looking for, and here he comes to find out the hero is not only a piglin hybrid but a child no younger then sixteen, with no doubt a shit ton of trauma.
All his plans for his hero are ruined, useless now, the countless hours he had spent on coming up with training programs wasted. Theseus could not be who Techno had planned for him to be.
But these new changes presents a whole other array of possibilities.
Techno… Techno doesn’t want Theseus to leave his side. He wants to keep the kid around him at all times, to have him cling onto him and come for him for protection. He wants to keep him safe, take care of him, treat his injuries and take revenge on the people that hurt Theseus.
He wants Theseus to be his runt, his sounder, his to protect and keep safe. He wants to decorate Theseus in the finest clothes and jewels, spoil him and shower him in gold. He wants Theseus to live a stable life without having to fight anymore, to depend on Techno for everything, to be his and his alone.
He wants to be Theseus’ whole world.
His plans shift, turning away from making him into the perfect weapon to becoming his, Techno’s runt to take care of.
Theseus will learn to love him, to appreciate everything he will do for him, to accept that all he needs is Techno, and in return Techno will get a runt to take care of and protect.
His instincts preen at the thought, his purr picking up as twirls one of his curls around his finger, staring down at the sleeping kid on his chest.
Theseus will be his.
~~~~
Techno wakes up before the kid does.
It was early in the morning, the both of them had fallen asleep pretty late, but Techno never usually slept for long. He was hoping to let the kid sleep for as long as possible before getting him something to eat, and maybe another health potion in his system.
Theseus lays sprawled out on his chest, his head tucked away under his chin, his hair tickling his face though he doesn’t mind. His arms are wrapped loosely around him, his fingers curled into his shirt as he sleeps peacefully, surrounded by blankets and pillows.
Techno’s own arms are wrapped around him, keeping him close, the need to hold his runt strong.
Everything was peaceful, and quiet, as he watches Theseus’ breathing, his red eyes glowing dimly in the dark.
He notes with satisfaction that Theseus was starting to smell like him, from being surrounded by his blankets in the den and Techno himself. It was good, for getting the runt used to him, to make him more comfortable around him and to show off his claim of the kid.
He had no doubt that Theseus was going to be freaked out when he wakes up, in a foreign place, sleeping on the villain that almost killed him just a couple hours ago. But Techno should be able to calm him down, maybe drag him back down into his instincts if he’s lucky.
The peace only lasted about an hour longer before Theseus suddenly tenses in his hold, his breathing picking up before he’s jolting upwards, his eyes frantically searching his surroundings before landing on Techno’s face.
His blue eyes are wide, as he stares down at Techno, meeting his gaze. The blanket that had been over the two of them slips down his shoulders, as his breathing starts to pick up, his blue eyes never leaving his red ones.
Techno just grunts before he tugs Theseus back down to rest on his chest, earning him a squeak from the kid as he’s smushed back into his chest.
“What the fuck,” Theseus mutters out, his voice sounding a little raspy, “What the fuck what the fuck what the fuck—“
“Theseus,” Techno sighs, cutting him off, meeting the heros eyes once again, “You're fine, kid. You're safe.” He promises, chuffing safe-runt-calm. He watches as his eyes glaze over, the way the kid slumps in his hold, his muscles going slack as he whines confused-protector-help.
Techno cradles his head with one of his hands, gently cupping his cheek as he chuffs back safe-protector-here. His chest rumbles, as Theseus whines again, hiding his face away in his hand.
They stay like that for a couple of moments, as Theseus slowly comes back to himself, using Techno’s hand to hide away in. It was cute, in a kind of sad way, that Theseus always leans into his touches, never letting Techno go even when he’s scared.
“Fuck you,” Theseus spits out, though he doesn’t move his face away from his hand, instead reaching out with a hand of his own and holding onto his, “What did you do to me?” He whispers out, not meeting his gaze as his slender fingers curl around his own.
“I saved you,” Techno says softly, rubbing his thumb underneath his eye, “You— you're just a kid. You don't deserve any of what you’ve gone through.” He says, bringing Theseus’ head closer to his own.
Theseus’ eyes flicker open, meeting his as Techno presses their foreheads together, a small purr building up in his chest.
“You don’t need to worry about anything anymore, runt,” He breathes out, as Theseus’ grip on his hand tightens.
“I’ve got you now.”