It’s not difficult for Techno to let himself get caught.

The hunters are a persistent sort of folk, especially the ones working underneath the duke. It’s not hard for Techno to falter in his steps, to let them catch up past the trees. It’s not hard to give a good show, to kill a few, yet still let them clasp chains around his wrists.

It’s more tedious, if anything. He doesn’t enjoy being chained up. He doesn’t enjoy that prideful little victory in their eyes, as if they’ve truly won this fight. It makes him want to win his title back, rip off this shameful loss and show them what exactly they’re trying to put into a cage.

There’s something inside those stone walls that Phil wants, and what Phil wants, he gets. Technoblade can’t bring home failure. This is a delicate matter. It needs a delicate approach.

What Techno hates is when the thing Phil wants is immediately recognizable to him, he should have known. His dad always gets a certain way when he wants to adopt a child, and seeing and smelling all that blood, dried and some fresh on this child who looks barely older than Tommy who’s 17 makes him absolutely sick.

Their thrown on the ground, clothes ratty and dirty. They’re shaking all over, dried blood on their hands and knees and some other places Techno can’t immediately see.

It makes his blood boil, so he doesn’t hesitate to reach for them, grabbing their arms and examining the fledgling— the human.

This was only getting more interesting the more the night went on.