Chapter Text
Squid has never been a fan of the Main Hub System. Sure, he was used to the idea of "busy" thanks to the Hypixel lobbies but nothing compared to the sheer amount of people flooding in and out of portals and the loudness that this place had to offer. To put it simply, it was chaotic; if you took just one wrong turn you could easily end up at an unfamiliar portal, which would lead you to a completely different server that you were originally trying to get to.
'We should've met up earlier' the squid murmured to himself as he skimmed through the crowd. He somehow managed to find an open seat—a very uncomfortable one, mind you—in front of the giant Hypixel portal, but the big line blocked his vision, making it difficult to spot even someone like Techno.
Hell, it was also possible that he left a long time ago without him noticing.
He sighed and stared at the unsent Discord message he typed out 10 minutes ago. The Hub provided free WiFi but it took ages to connect to and he exhausted his mobile data by accident a few days back, which obviously he only noticed just now. With his lack of Techno's phone number, there was basically nothing he could do but wait and feel dumb for not arranging any kind of meetup plan beforehand.
In his boredom, he stared up at the ceiling, the sense of familiar unease settling in his stomach by the sight of the enormous see-through dome structure that separated him from the black void that surrounded them. He has seen the swirling particles countless times but somehow here, disconnected from all realms it felt so… real.
Threatening even.
He lost count of how many times the thought of the building collapsing has crossed his mind over the years, but it sent a shiver down his spine all the same. The rumors didn't help either: some said that if you died in the Hub, you would die forever and your soul would become a part of the void, while others speculated that you would just respawn in the center of the dome-like nothing had happened.
One thing's for sure, Squid didn't want to find out which one was true.
With an annoyed huff he fixed his eyes back on the exit. Most people who he managed to spot seemed to have the same thing in common:
They looked exhausted.
While the greater percentage of try-hards lived on Hypixel to avoid the trouble of constantly having to switch servers, some who couldn't afford the MVP ranks were forced to live the commute lifestyle to make room for the nones and VIPs. This created some issues amongst players, which was definitely growing itself into a big problem. In the more closed circles of Hypixel it was being murmured that this was the "calm before the storm", and a sort of revolution was boiling under the surface. Squid tried to stay informed, listened to Lego Maestro's interviews with some of the players who were more knowledgeable about the topic but ultimately, the situation was starting to leave him cold. Not because he didn't care, Hypixel was his home, he couldn't imagine himself living anywhere else! But those with the Youtuber rank seemed to seek neutrality and preferred to try and educate the masses about both sides' views instead of interfering directly. So, he did the same, attempting to just sit this one out and hope the rumors weren't true.
Lost in his thoughts like this, the people around him shifted from being annoying to simple white noise and he found himself relaxed, studying some of the passersby.
A girl with messily cut bangs and long green hair (that was just barely above the floor) was arguing with a guy, wearing a lab coat and thick goggles. It was a strange sight to behold but he guessed they were just doing some kind of cosplay. Next, he glanced at a kid with a red shirt pasturing his dad about wanting to sit on his shoulders, probably to see better. Squid could hear the dad refuse with the reason that his suit would get ruined but ultimately decided to give in and picked the boy up. A victory cheer could be heard as they walked by and the squid let out a quick laugh when he heard it. Finally, he noticed a guy dressed in a black hoodie, his animalistic ears barely poking out under his hood. The main reason he caught his eyes was because he was pulling around two suitcases, one in each hand. One of them was light pink, while the other was…?
No, surely not. He was just being paranoid, his luggage was just right on his left, out of arm's reach!
But when he turned to look, he couldn't find it. It was like it dissolved into thin air.
Except, he knew it didn't! He just saw it!
He snapped his head back from his side back to the man. He was still visible, getting further and further away at a steady pace.
And Squid's luggage, which was being stolen right this minute!
He felt himself panic since he knew he had a decision to make. Should he sprint after him and risk getting caught up in the crowd or should he try to turn to security? If he was late from the tournament, they would surely get kicked out! Even if he was still unsure about participating he knew Techno would be mad at him and invoking the pig's wrath was definitely the last thing he wanted to do today.
In a desperate attempt, he looked around: he spotted some security people near the back of the queue but they seemed rather occupied with trying to control the huge line. Not to mention, Squid didn't see the guy's face! Even someone with a giant neon sign could get lost in a crowd like this, let alone a guy in a black hoodie!
'Fuck!' he swore out loud as he made his decision and booked it after the thief. 'If I wouldn't have waited for that bozo…!'
He ran past and bumped into some people all while furiously apologizing. He even broke between a couple holding hands, the inappropriate words shouted after him drowning into a mere muffle as he focused on tracking and following the light pink suitcase. It was a few rows ahead of him, but he could still see it!
The only problem was that they came to a big intersection—the crowd only got denser he was practically touching shoulders with the two strangers by his side—and Squid knew he needed to think something up. The man could take any unpredictable turn and he wouldn't be able to follow. Cutting him off now would be the most ideal but… how?
He furrowed his eyebrows together, as he tried his best to inch closer; it sort of worked as he managed to squeeze past, earning some more complaints from the people around him.
Yes, he definitely stepped on someone's foot. Did he give a crap? Absolutely not! He was getting his stuff back one way or another and if he had to scramble someone's foot over it, well, so be it!
'What seems to be the problem?'
Scared by the sudden voice, he needed a second to suppress a surprised noise that built up in his chest; an ender-like security guard stood by his side, towering over him with vibrant eyes. His throat felt dry all of a sudden as he opened his mouth to speak, staring up at the guard. 'Officer I–'
'You rAN. A lot. Too MUch.' he spoke with a thick ender accent, which consisted of a strangely jumpy tone with small stops in between words. It seemed like the first initial greeting was a line he practiced, that's why it came out so fluent. 'I wAS. Cautious. Watching yOU!'
Many of the guards of this place were ender creatures who still possessed the ability to teleport, although some were ghosts while others merely had the capability to fly. These mobilities greatly helped with public control, but it was clear that those who weren't of the ender variety quickly grew anxious because of the void's presence.
Squid often heard that enders had a certain vibe that could be described as uncomfortable but he usually felt quite the opposite and sensed a sort of familiarity when interacting with them—he guessed it was the stare since many sea creatures had eyes that could be described as unsettling or creepy as well—but in this situation, he could sympathize with the uneasy sensation. A tall, lanky figure could always come off as menacing but the fact that the man in front of him was watching him and decided he was acting out of the ordinary enough to appear right behind him was definitely terrifying.
Not to mention the authority this person had over him! It was a known fact that this place had a jail and Squid was not about to go there because of a misunderstanding!
'H-he–' trying his hardest to not draw any more attention to himself, he lowered his voice before he swiftly pointed at the hooded man. 'He has my stuff!'
The tall man turned towards the guy to look at him, then back at Squid. He had an unreadable expression on his face for a split second before he nodded and the squid let out a long breath he didn't realize he was holding.
He was finally getting justice!
But instead of going for the thief to arrest him, the officer firmly placed his hands on the squid's shoulders, who shivered in response.
'Wha–?' before Squid processed what was happening, he was wrapped in purple darkness. He inhaled some of the thick particles, stumbling onto his feet with a nauseous feeling as the guard let him go.
'FrieND!' the enderman explained with delight while the squid blinked a few times to clear his purple vision; to his horror, he found himself next to the man he was chasing all this time! He and the guard were having a chat and by the sound of it, it wasn't the tone Squid hoped for.
'No, we're not–' he wanted to protest. This was going all wrong, this guy should be in prison!
'Yeah, we got separated. He's short so I keep losing him.' the ender and the guy laughed before he turned towards him. 'Right, Squid?'
Finally, being able to see his face clearly, he felt his initial shock turn into rage: the animalistic ears he'd seen from afar were clearly pig ears! Not to mention the clothing he mistook for a hoodie was clearly a zippered pullover. Half of it was open, revealing a red "Blood For The Blood God" T-shirt underneath.
'You–!' he wanted to shout, scream, and just straight up punch when he realized the culprit he was chasing was Techno this whole time! Instead, he could only cough, the irritating particles he inhaled still itching the back of his throat.
'Careful! NeXT time?' the security guard instructed with an expression that was the closest to resembling a smile before he teleported away.
'Bro, you didn't need to call the police on me like that!' Techno asserted as Squid finally managed to get his breathing back in control. 'Damn, do you need like… water?'
'This is all your fault!' Squid flashed a death glare towards him as he snatched his suitcase out of his hand. 'Why did you even–? W-what were you trying to achieve?!' he was angry, maybe even angrier than after he realized his #1 Potato Ranks has been taken from him. If this is what was going to be like to team with Techno, these two days were going to be straight-up torture!
'Psh, relax! You're just going to draw more attention again' slowly but surely the crowd around them begin to move and Techno, without even looking, took one of the turns. 'Uhh, this way!'
'Wait–' Squid struggled to push past some people for a second as he followed. It was a miracle this time he didn't get shouted at. 'How do you know?'
'Human GPS' he simply replied, as he slowed his pace to let the other catch up.
'Oh, brother…' Squid simply sighed. He was still frustrated but then again, he did achieve his main objectives: get his stuff back and find Techno.
And speaking of the pig. 'What the hell are you wearing by the way?'
'My merch, quite clearly. Did you get some sort of brain damage the last time I saw you?'
'You're the one giving me brain damage!' he cried out, hearing Techno chuckle but choosing to ignore it. 'No, but seriously, where's your fancy cape?'
'Ah, I get uncomfortable when people approach me at places like these' Techno explained as he took another turn, the squid almost slipping as he tried to keep up. There were fewer people around them the further they got from the main area, and Squid was pretty sure they passed more and more familiar faces. 'Like this, it's not so obvious it's me'
'You're telling me you have… what? Social anxiety?' a laugh bubbled up to the surface in Squid's chest by that proclamation. 'You're literally wearing your own brand! Even the stupidest bozo would be able to recognize you!'
'Well, maybe' Techno shrugged, flashing him a half-smile that could only be described as taunting. 'I fooled you though'
Oh, that was it! That was the last straw Squid needed as he curled up his hand into a fist and took a swing at Techno's face. A loud clatter could be heard from both of them as the pig got the upper hand, easily dodging the attack and strongly gripping the squid's arm. He swiftly pulled him closer to his face as they came to a halt and Squid's eyes were met with the pig's—he was completely calm, almost frighteningly like it took absolutely no effort to stop the attempted punch. Squid kept their gaze connected, refusing to turn his head as he channeled every bit of anger into his stare to make sure the other understood how upset he was. Techno on the other hand didn't seem to notice as his attention quickly shifted past the squid's shoulder, some sort of realization appearing in his eyes.
Whatever it was, it made him lose his grip on Squid's arm and lowered it between them. The squid attempted to free himself but soon he was being dragged like he weighed nothing and before he could call for help, he was yanked into the nearest public bathroom.
'What the hell?!' Squid shouted, finally being able to pull away.
'I took your bag because you stole my shoes.' Techno replied as he spun around on his heel to look at the other. 'Not important. Listen–'
'Not important? Not important?! You nearly gave me a heart attack!' he felt his rage building up again as he tried to kick Techno's shin, apparently not learning from his previous mistake of trying to one-up him; the pig dodged him again and took Squid by the wrists, pushing him against the cold tile wall with his arms pinned above his head.
'Are you TRYING to get us kicked out?' Techno shouted, his voice followed by a slight echo. The squid sloppily tried to kick again to no result. The pig simply stepped on his feet, leaving him only to struggle. Karma was for sure a ruthless bitch. 'You literally got the police on us–!'
'Oh, like you haven't done that before!' Squid complained. He figured if he couldn't use physical force, he might as well use his ability to be able to start an argument about anything and everything.
Techno exhaled some air through his nose, clearly frustrated. If he was in a cartoon, there would be smoke coming out of it to emphasize his anger. The mental image made Squid smirk, which only made Techno's stare grow darker.
So much for not wanting to make him mad today.
'If you keep this up, you'll be the first to die in this tournament.' the pig stated as he stepped away from the squid, letting him go. The other dropped his hands, bringing his gloved covered wrist in front of him to inspect them—there were no marks that could indicate what just happened, even though they still felt numb from the force the pig used. 'That is if we get in.'
'Why wouldn't we? You're literally Technoblade!' he laughed, because really, who would deny him participating? The amount of money he could raise just by being on screen for a second was more than enough to fund a small orphanage if needed.
'Uh, hello?' a door opening behind them could be heard, both men turning towards the source of the voice. 'Techno? Squid?'
The one standing in the doorway was no other than Pikaclicks himself. He was primarily famous for helping to organize Minecraft Ultimate, an event focused on Hunger Games. To Squid's knowledge, both him and Techno have been invited but none of them took the offer because of the war.
'Hey, Noah' Squid awkwardly waved as the other slid down his sunglasses to take a better look at them—his yellow bunny-like ears perked up, clearly suspicious of the two.
'Did you two… fight?'
Squid and Techno shared a quick glance at each seemingly clicking for the first time today as they both let out a long 'No' as an answer.
'Would we ever do that?' Techno asked, the sarcasm in his voice thicker than plot convenient fog in horror movies. Squid suppressed an eye roll.
'Okay, good' he sighed, clearly still skeptical. 'If you fight, we'll probably have to send you home. Honestly, who even thought teaming you two up was a good idea?' pushing up his shades, he turned on his heels, gesturing with his hand for them to follow. 'C'mon, I already sent your luggage through the portal!'
'Wait… How?' Squid asked, suddenly aware that he managed to lose his stuff again.
Pika stopped, holding the door open with his foot as he glanced back at the two. His lip twitched into a smile, one that could've been mistaken for a friendly one if not for the black sunglasses that covered his eyes.
'You dropped them' he responded coldly before he left, the door swinging close behind him.
Squid stood in the middle of the restroom, uneasy. The feeling reminded him of the time he accidentally broke one of his mother's expensive teacups—she hugged him tightly, telling him it was okay but he could still sense her disappointment, the anger choked back in her voice.
While in this dumbfounded state, Techno brushed against his arm, heading for the exit. They exchanged a quick glance: the pig's gaze was strong, sending a shiver down his spine.
He wasn't sure what it meant, really, but he had a good guess what it implied.