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Our story begins with a boy in search of greatness.
This young man is on a quest to be a top-ranking Bedwars player, and he’s got a decent streak going! He and his team have gone undefeated for several few weeks—he’s got the scars to prove it! One on his cheek even, it looks so cool, everyone can see it—and they had several good win streaks before that. This one is the longest by far, just over 200 games, and today is a day like any other.
When they walk through the lobby to find a game, they pass by the win streak leaderboards.
- [MVP+] Technoblade - 1512
The young man stops in his tracks and rubs his eyes, hoping to blink away the impossible number. It remains there, clear as day, hauntingly high.
“Hey guys,” he calls to his team, who had doubled back upon realizing he was no longer accompanying them. “Didn’t this guy hit 1400 like, yesterday?”
“Three days ago, I think,” one of them—Nick—replies, standing beside him to look up at the leaderboard. “The guy’s insane, man. Rumor has it he’s started playing without a sword just to see if anyone can stop him.”
Our protagonist scoffs in disbelief. “Yeah right. Even the best of the best can’t do that. And who in their right mind would throw away a streak that long just like that?”
Nick shrugs. “Yeah, it’s probably just a rumor. People will say anything for clout these days.”
“True.”
“Well you wanna know what I heard?” Another of their teammates, Darryl, interjects, sidling up between them. He continues without waiting for an answer, like usual. “I heard he wears red—“
“So no one can see him bleed,” Nick cuts in, rolling his eyes. “Everyone knows that one.”
“And a crown!”
“Well he is the king of Bedwars,” the young man says.
“And that he has pink hair!”
“Pink hair?” Nick snorts, “now I know you’re making things up.”
“No, really! It’s true!”
“Have you seen him?”
“Well, no...”
“Then stop spreading rumors. We have no idea if that’s true.”
Their bickering continues, but our protagonist’s attention is on the board, transfixed by the number.
- [MVP+] Technoblade - 1514
Wait...
“Hey Nick, isn’t this—“
“Guys! ” Georgia yells, stomping towards them with a scowl on her face. “Stop being idiots, our game is about to start!”
-=+=+=-
The game begins like any other. They divide into pairs—Nick with Darryl, our protagonist with Georgia—and quickly get to work. Nick collects resources to buy them better weapons while Darryl builds a defense around their bed, and the other two make quick work of bridging to the middle island.
Not two seconds after they step from wool to sandstone, an explosion rings out across the map, followed by several screams and the clanging of blades against armor.
Bright blue fireworks explode in the sky. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out what happened.
The noise ends as quickly as it began, but the silence that ensues is deafening.
“Already..?” Georgia mumbles, she and the young man both frozen in place. “It’s so early in the game, how could they...”
Our protagonist shakes his head and throws himself into motion. “It had to have been the yellow team. They’ve gotta be weak after doing that, let’s take them out while we have the chance.”
Georgia hesitates for a moment, then nods. “Right.”
The duo makes their way towards the yellow island. As they’re walking, a red blur flies overhead. They assume it must be Nick, collecting from the diamond generators on the upper level.
They bridge over to yellow, dodging eggs and snowballs all the while, and engage in combat. Despite having swords sheathed at their waists, the two present members of yellow team continue throwing projectiles and dodging swings and even punching them in an attempt to knock them off the edge. When our protagonist manages to break their bed, two explosions ring out. When Georgia is sent flying into the void after landing three solid hits in a row, green fireworks dance in the sky.
Even without swords, two skilled opponents prove to be too much for the young man, and he too falls off the island.
He smiles as he falls, waiting to be teleported to their base. Our bed is fine. We have the advantage. We can still do this!
He appears amidst disaster.
Their bed is destroyed. Fires ravage the wood and wool Darryl had used to protect it, and the boy himself is nowhere to be seen. Nick is unconscious and bleeding, far too close to the edge of the island, and our dear young man barely moves out of the way in time for Georgia to be thrown past him and sprawl across the ground. She growls and attempts to push herself to her feet, but collapses after several fruitless attempts.
Our protagonist is alone, and what little advantage he thought he had is gone.
And in the middle of it all stands a man, not much older than him, with minimal armor and no weapon in hand. He’s wearing the telltale yellow sash over a billowing red cloak.
A glimmering gold crown rests atop comically pink hair.
The boy grips his sword so tight his knuckles nearly burst. The man studies him with a keen eye.
He unsheathes a simple stone sword.
“I would go weaponless like I did with everyone else, but, well... there’s no need to drag this out. You’ve already lost.”
They both know it’s true, but that doesn’t stop our boy from trying his best. He lunges forward in the blink of an eye, and Techno reacts just as fast, their blades meeting with an echoing clang .
“Not bad, kid,” the record-holder says, humming approvingly when a swing manages to graze his chest. “You should go for the stomach next time; the organs there are less vital but much more soft, perfect for incapacitating an enemy.”
The boy snarls, animalistically baring his teeth. “You think you’re that high and mighty, huh? Just because you’re at the top of the leaderboard?”
Techno dodges another swing and raises an eyebrow. “I’m just offering advice. Take it or don’t, I don’t care.”
“I’m going to kill you ,” the boy spits, pushing further forward with his attacks. Techno is nearing the edge now, but he doesn’t look phased. It only makes him angrier. “If I can’t beat your win streak, I’ll bring you down with me!”
“Don’t let your emotions control you.” Techno ducks under the next slash and kicks, off-setting our protagonist’s balance. “Always pay attention.” In that split second of struggling to right himself, an arrow goes flying over the boy’s head. “Never underestimate the element of—“ It lodges in Techno’s shoulder and sends him careening into the void. For a split second, he almost seems surprised.
Our protagonist whirls around to see Darryl standing there, bow in hand, looking like he’s got one foot in the grave. Blood pools at his feet, and the boy doesn’t even get to thank him before he collapses.
He pauses to breathe.
A blue-green orb sails past him, and in a pink-yellow-red flash, our young man is dangling over the edge.
“One more thing, kid,” that deep voice rumbles. “If you don’t want to be targeted by any player with half a brain cell, cover up that scar.”
Long sleeves. High collar. Gloves and boots and a cloak.
The boy laughs. “So that’s why you dress like such a pretentious jerk .”
Techno smirks. “Besides the fact that I am one, sure, that could explain it.”
Seconds later, the game is lost.
-=+=+=-
Months later, a man in green stares up at a leaderboard, his team at his side. “Everyone remember the plan?”
Three voices issue confirmation at once, and he smiles.
“Sapnap? Bad? George?”
“Yeah?”
“Hm?”
“What is it?”
- [Pig++] Technoblade - 1515
- [MVP+] Dream - 793
Clay pulls his mask down to cover his face, hiding the new scar on his forehead.
“Let’s get this bacon.”
-=+=+=-
Artist: @Snepnej on Twitter!