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Wilbur stayed outside a little too late and he knew it. He wandered along the road his foster parents lived on and kept kicking at the rocks. The lamps flared over his head and Wilbur slumped over himself a little more.
He didn't want to go back to the house.
Not home, Wil swore to not call the house home after one of the teachers yelled at him how he didn't understand the word. That bitch- Wilbur knew it was a bad word but he didn't care, she was a bitch- made him get a heavy dictionary and then he had to stutter his way through reading the definitions of both words. Wilbur didn't even remember the definitions exactly now, he just knew he had no home.
Home is where your family lives, where someone loves you.
And Wilbur had no family and no one loved him.
Wilbur scoffed and kicked at another rock. His hands had an unfamiliar texture of scales on them and his shorts had to be pulled down slightly to accommodate a tail he usually didn't have. Being a shapeshifter sucked when he was constantly the new kid. His stupid instincts kept changing him into his bullies and he hated it.
He sniffled a little. His knees and elbows hurt, after the stupid siren boy pushed him down the swings. He laughed when Wil chirped and changed and wanted to hit him too but couldn't.
Technoblade stopped the bully.
Techno was his only friend at school. They found out they had the same birthday and it was so cool and then Techno just… could whatever he wanted. He was the king of the playground in the sense! And a king in the classroom as well, since he could just say no to the teachers and he never got in trouble.
Wilbur really liked Technoblade, he always traded him his chocolate pudding at lunch and ate the broccoli the avian didn't like. Wil actually liked the little tree veggies so it was perfect.
And Technoblade liked Wilbur too, because he defended him, played with him and when they were doing their spelling tests, he let Wil cheat off his sheet.
And today, Techno punched the siren boy square in the nose, so hard it bled.
Wilbur sighed. He would much rather shift into a cool avian like Techno, rather than a smelly fish jerk.
The shift was not going away and Wil felt tears come back to his eyes. The foster mother didn't like when Wilbur shifted, she always sent him to his room and while she said it wasn't grounding , it sure frickin felt like one. Especially if his shift kept going through the night and she didn't want to look at him and didn't prepare his breakfast.
A car passed him slowly. Wilbur kicked his rock again. The car slowed even more and then stopped. It was black and had the funny dark windows, where you couldn't look inside. Like a spy car. Or a bad guy's car.
Wilbur gripped the straps of his schoolbag tighter and he continued his sulky walk. The engine of the car was really silent, Wilbur heard it working only when he stood really close to the car.
He wondered if the people inside knew they shouldn't keep their car working when they weren't driving, that it still costs money.
Before Wilbur passed the first door of the car, said door opened very suddenly and Wil yelped. He tried jumping back but a rough hand catched him by the front of the shirt and pulled him inside the car.
"No! Help, help, he-!"
The doors slammed shut and the hands yanked him back. Wilbur tried scratching and kicking but there was a second man inside the car and he grabbed his wrists and it hurt. It hurt a lot worse than when Wil fell down from the castle on the playground.
"Gag him, fucking hell, what are you waiting for!"
"Give me a fucking second! Where's the blindfold?!"
Wilbur cried and jerked forward, biting at the hands holding him. The man cursed again, which should make someone scold him, but he didn't care! He cursed again! And kept holding Wilbur!
And then the first man tied something around his eyes and shoved a disgusting ball of material to his mouth. His wrists were tied, as well as his legs when he kicked blindly and heard a pain filled groan.
Wilbur whined.
"What a fucking pain. Boss said to deliver brat where?"
"Watch your language. This brat is for the son of the boss, if he remembers your mug, you're fucked."
"That's why we blindfolded the kid. Hey, check if we can drug the little shit, he keeps trying to kick at me."
"Hell if I know. Push him to the floor and just don't step at him if he's too annoying.
Wilbur's weird fish tail whacked at the guy who suggested that. And subsequently, Wilbur got pushed to the car's floor.
At least the ride was smooth. Wilbur was still terrified out of his innocent baby mind because he actually got stolen. Like stranger danger stolen, except there wasn’t even a chance for him to scream stranger danger! They just grabbed him! He whined again and one of the men kicked him. Wilbur yelped.
"Oi, don't bully a kid. You know how boss is, wanna piss him off?"
"I barely nudged him, he's just dramatic."
"As any kid that got kidnapped."
"Pish posh."
The ride slowed down again and one of the men picked him up by his bag. Wilbur tried to scream but the material in his muffled him greatly. So instead he tried to wiggle and somehow get away, like all of the film people always did.
It didn't work.
Wilbur was carried off somewhere and after like, a million steps from the jerk, he got dropped to the sand. He screamed and kicked violently, trying to scoot away.
"Untie him and surround the playground," a new voice said.
The hands returned and the material from around his eyes fell away first. Wilbur blinked away his tears and looked around fearfully.
He… was at the big playground. The very big one, where you had to run through a lot of mini castles and there was a wall to climb and all stuff, the zipline and at least three sandboxes. He went there only twice with his foster parents and he had to work really hard for it. It was so fun then.
It didn't seem very fun after the dark.
Wilbur looked up and he freezed for a second.
"Mister Craft?" He asked weakly.
Mister Craft, Technoblade's dad, smiled down at him. The big avian man was standing near the benches, a little strap contraption at his chest held a tiny baby with even tinier wings close. It had to be Tommy, Techno’s little brother.
"Mister Craft, what's happening?"
Wilbur didn't know Techno’s dad too well. The blond man picked Techno a few times and brought snacks for them that one time when both boys were playing at the park in the afternoon but Wil never talked to the adult. He found the shrill, blue eyes scary, whenever they landed on him and the urge to shift and escape the sense of danger was too strong.
But Techno always said his dad was cool and strong. And… he did say to untie him and the other scary guys listened, so maybe mister Craft could help?
The big avian stepped closer, bouncing the sleeping kid on his chest.
"Hello Wilbur. You and Techno are going to play a short game."
Wilbur looked around. There were… a lot of scary men around the playground. The kid curled a little around himself.
"Um, sorry, mister Craft but it's really late. I wanna go home."
The great wings rustled.
The feeling of danger returned tenfold when mister Craft's smile sharpened. His eyes looked wrong, too blue and bright and Wilbur unwillingly took a step backwards.
"It wasn't an ask, Wilbur. I said you will be playing."
Wilbur shuffled another step away from the man, obviously forgetting he still had a tail. He yelped as he fell on his bum and mister Craft didn't waste time. There was a boot on his ankle and he couldn't squirm off. Wilbur whined again.
"As it is after bedtime, it will be only an hour," mister Craft said calmly. Wilbur tried to yank his ankle back, but the man just stepped on his foot harsher. It hurt and Wilbur stilled before his leg would get broken. He didn't like this game already. "It'll be a simple hide and seek. Techno’s over there," the man pointed towards the trees, "and he will count to a hundred. He was very excited to show me his big numbers, you know."
Wilbur did know. They both practised counting for the last week and they went to a hundred and then to infinity, though with infinity, Wil was pretty sure Techno cheated. There wasn't actually a number called googilion after all.
"I don't wanna play."
"Then you'll lose immediately," mister Craft shrugged.
Wilbur swallowed. The big avian scared him, and his leg hurt and-
"What happens if I lose?"
The blond man grinned and Wilbur shuddered.
"I will take you with me, you will get your ears pierced and whatever else Techno wants."
"I-I wanna go to my house," Wilbur's voice trembled.
"You can, if you win the game."
Wilbur shivered again. Mister Craft cocked his head to the side and grinned in a scary way.
"Are you scared of me Wilbur?"
Wilbur knew it wasn't nice to lie but he still shook his head. He wasn't scared. But he was, oh so much.
Mister Craft's wings snapped open and a terrible hiss filled the air. Wilbur screamed and felt his form twist and pop, and it hurt and then he was panting from the effort of shifting.
He trilled a terrified note and chirped, his new wings beating wildly, trapped under his shirt.
Mister Craft cackled and stepped away.
"Well, you should be."
Wilbur scrambled away and he threw his schoolbag to the ground and tried to pull his shirt around the wings but they didn't want to fit through neck and his stomach wasn't hidden if he pulled them from under.
"Help him."
He chirped with panic when another scary man caught him. This one had a knife and Wilbur felt himself chirping and trilling and crying, unable to even scream properly.
The knife ripped through his shirt and then rough hands pulled at his new wings.
A croon answered his panicked cheeps and Wilbur stilled, as his copied instincts whispered calm calm calm.
But his heart still hammered.
Mister Craft watched him with curiosity filled eyes, his wings thankfully folded against his back. Wilbur swallowed.
"What a curious little bugger you are," Techno’s dad hummed.
Wilbur felt his feathers puffing up and he knew he had to look like startled chicken or pissed off owl, because that's how Techno always looked. Usually Wil would help to pat the feathers down but now he had his own and he didn't want them down. He wanted to be bigger and scare off the jerks. Or for someone to come and protect him.
The tears slipped down Wilbur's cheeks.
Tommy chirped quietly and stirred and mister Craft bounced the baby a few times.
"Alright, let's get it over, Tommy needs to come back to the nest at some point tonight. Techno will count to a hundred, you hide. If you win, you can go back home, I will give you some snacks and money. If Techno wins, I take you. Techno did pick the earrings for you already, just a warning mate."
Wilbur covered his ears with a terrified chirp. He didn't want needles in his ears! Techno did have earrings and they were cool but Wilbur very much didn't want any. He wasn't sure if the ears would change and it could hurt if he had earrings in them and it would be scary!
"But if I win," Wilbur's voice trembled, "I'm fine? You won't hurt me?"
"Sure mate. You'll be fine," mister Craft shrugged.
Wilbur looked around. The playground was huge, there were a lot of bushes and structures… and Wilbur was good at hiding. The best even. Okay, maybe not, but he was good enough.
"Techno, start counting! Wilbur, don't try to run, my men will catch you and herd you back inside, got it?" Mister Craft waited for Wilbur to nod. "Good, now go play."
Wilbur bolted. He heard Techno’s counting, the boy was rushing through numbers and that wasn't fair but Wilbur decided that yelling at him for that would be incredibly stupid. Instead, he rushed through the first two castles, ran past the third one, made sure to stomp a lot in the sandbox and then he carefully ran back to the third castle. Wilbur knew that the slanted roofs had spaces in them, just enough that he could climb and sit there. He just had to make sure his legs won't stick out.
Wilbur climbed and forced himself under the 'rafters', his new wings scraping painfully over the rough wood. A low chirrup stirred in his throat and Wil clamped his mouth shut.
He couldn't hear Techno counting anymore.
The silence stretched. Hide and seek always made Wilbur's heart beat wildly in his chest but today was worse. There was no giggle hiding in his throat, only terrified chirps and peeps, he wasn't in his neutral form, he had wings and stupid avian instincts.
He didn't like hide and seek.
A quiet pitter of feet resounded from outside the castle. Wilbur stiffened when he heard a quiet grunt as Techno climbed up the slide.
"Wiiilbur. Where aaaare you," the boy whispered to himself.
Wilbur heard him. He shuddered and forced himself to stay put. Running now would be stupid.
Techno grunted and Wilbur heard him sliding down and running away, towards the sandbox. Wilbur waited still, the roof digging into his back and his muscles shaking from the effort of keeping him up.
It was quiet for another few minutes before Techno ran past the castle again. And then a minute after he climbed into the castle.
"Are you under the tower?"
There was a spot in the castle where the tower had a badly covered entrance, just under tic tac toe board. Wilbur remembered that he and Techno saw one kid get stuck inside with bugs, because there was no easy way out.
Techno ran beneath Wilbur and the kid didn't dare to twitch a muscle.
"Frick," Techno mumbled.
Wilbur heard him jump down and run back, towards the first castle. The brunet waited for thirty seconds more before he also dropped down, his legs aching and his arms weak. The boy peeked cautiously over the edge of the nearest wall and tried to find Technoblade.
He spotted him near the swings, checking under the bridges and under the zipline fake wood hill. Wilbur looked back and quietly came down the slide and ran for the nearest cover. And then the next.
He wracked his head feverishly, trying to remember any other good hiding spots.
There was the boat with tunnels inside but Wil could be trapped if Techno climbed inside. There were trees but Wil wasn't good at climbing them and Techno was.
Though there was that big tree, where the third graders kept digging under the roots…
Wilbur ran, hiding and diving under covers. He found the tree and looked through the roots. There he found a small hole, barely big enough for Wilbur. It wasn't the best hiding place but Wikbur forced himself inside, curling as much as he could.
He would rest there and then go to the climbing wall, and then spider web, even though spider web sucked as a hiding place. Wil hoped that the darkness would make it harder to see him.
The silence was the worst.
Wilbur hasn't been sure how much time passed, the hole was so small he couldn't even count on his fingers but it felt like forever. Wil shivered, not only because of the fear, but because of the cold as well. The ground was very cold and he didn't like how dark it was outside. He wanted to go back to the house and cover himself with blankets, as much as he would be able and then skip school for forever.
He didn't want to play with Techno after tonight anymore.
The small scrape of talons against the bark made Wilbur hunker down even more in his hole.
He listened with his breath bated. The scraping, the rustling, the growling and grumbling.
"Yeah, Wil wouldn't climb the tree," Techno said to himself.
Wil heard a small thud and reasoned that the avian boy jumped down.
"But then where…"
The leaves and sticks crumpled under the six year olds feet, coming closer and closer to the roots where Wilbur sat and the boy closed his eyes.
"Hey!"
Wilbur flinched and he looked up.
There was no Techno above him.
"Did you see Wilbur running through here?!"
"Sorry, boss said we can't be helping you to look."
"You're not gonna look, you just have to tell me!"
"No can do, little boss.
Technoblade growled and he must have kicked something.
The kid stomped away with an angry mumble and a flutter of wings.
Wilbur climbed out of the hole, shaking all over. He looked behind the tree and he saw a man standing just on the outskirt of the playground.
He didn't sell him out but he wasn't looking at Wilbur kindly.
Wilbur swallowed another chirp and he got up and ran to the climbing wall.
Techno was too close. Wil hunkered behind the wall and peered outside, trying to spot the pink hair in the darkness.
The boy was coming towards him.
Wilbur's breaths picked up the pace and he looked around but there was no cover. So he looked up. Maybe… maybe if he climbed fast enough, he could go over the top and hang there long enough for Techno to go somewhere else. He had no time to think, so he just threw himself at the wall, climbing as fast and as silently as he could.
The tears weren't helping. Wilbur looked down, just to check if Techno was already under him and his head spun.
He didn't fear heights but the wall seemed like it was miles to the ground now. Wil choked silently but before he could panic, he saw pink hair rounding the corner of the wall and the brunet chambered up, over the edge.
He hung down, his fingers screaming from pain. He heard Techno looking around, checking this and that.
It hurt.
Wilbur tried to heave himself up but his arms just shook.
The boy paled when he realised he had to drop down.
He looked down, towards the sand. It seemed so far below, he was sure he would not only scrape his knees, he would get so much worse.
But his fingers were slipping and it would be better if he fell himself, tried to land. Or at least that's what he said to himself, as he uncurled his fingers.
He didn't scream, even as he thudded down and his everything blew up in pain.
He cried silently as his legs and palms bled. His butt hurt as well. He stood up shakily and ran to the closest structure. It had closed slides and Wilbur crawled inside.
It was a shitty hiding place but Wil had no idea what to do anymore.
He sniffled and tried to shimmy his way up. If Techno came from up, he could slide down, if he came from down, he could just run.
He reached to his fake wings and started scratching at them, trying to take the sticks and rocks and bits of dirt out. They were itchy and also hurt. Wings seemed a lot cooler when they were on Techno and the boy glided everywhere.
He didn't know how much time was left. It was much darker outside but Wil had no watch and no phone to check. He laid down on the dirty slide and cried more.
He wanted to sing or chirp to himself to soothe himself but couldn't and that just made the whole situation worse. His hands and knees stung, his wings cramped, he was cold and hunted, and he hated hide and seek!
"Wilbur?! Did you hurt yourself?!"
Wilbur stayed quiet.
"Dad, dad! Wil is bleeding! Look!"
"You have twelve minutes left! He'll be fine!"
Twelve minutes. He could survive twelve minutes.
The brunet waited till he heard Techno run off and then he slid down. He sneaked between the swings and bridges, all the way to the start.
He saw mister Craft walking in circles and gently shushing crying Tommy. The littlest avian was incredibly loud and fussy. The blond man barely looked in Wilbur's direction and raised one eyebrow, before his attention got stolen by the baby again.
Wilbur dropped to his knees and he crawled inside the hedge lining this side of the playground.
The sticks inside scraped at his wings and smacked his face but it was a good hiding place. He could see outside but he was not seen and he knew Techno wouldn't check the start again. And the adults couldn't apparently help Techno cheat so he should be safer.
Plus it felt somehow better when he was in the reach of the light from the lamps.
He looked outside tiredly, watching as Techno periodically popped from the darkness, just to disappear again and again. Tommy kept crying in the background, mister Craft tried to shush him, make him sleep, feed him, all for naught.
And then the timer in the phone went off and mister Craft sighed.
"Finish!"
"What? No!"
"Wilbur won mate!"
Techno came as fast as lightning and glared at his father. He stomped angrily and puffed his wings. Ha. Angry owl.
Wilbur shivered again.
"That's no fair, I nearly had him! Five more minutes!"
"Sorry mate, he won. Wilbur, you can come out."
Oh. Wilbur forgot that Techno’s dad saw him get in the hedge. The brunet slowly crawled outside, gently hissing at the sting from new cuts that he gathered. He stood up warily and looked up to the three avians.
Techno blinked up and tried to come closer to him, but Wilbur flinched back.
"Wilbur?" Techno asked, his voice oh so small.
But Wilbur was mad and scared too and he didn't want Technoblade anywhere near him. He looked at the blond man.
"I won?"
"Yep. An hour, Tech hasn't found you. You won."
"So I can go?"
"Sure," the avian man shrugged and stepped away.
"But dad…!"
"Shush. You need to learn to lose too, not everything always works out."
Techno stomped angrily and clenched his fists. Wilbur knew that the pink haired boy could throw a mean punch and he didn't want to be on the receiving end of one. So he slowly, carefully went to pick up his school bag, all the while looking at the father and son.
He didn't trust them for shit.
He sprinted away and heard a wild cackle behind. Something crashed behind him, a bottle, but he didn't slow down. He screamed and pushed himself more. Then there was another bottle, and hands and holy shit!
The next bottle hit him square in the back and the glass shattered on his skin.
He screamed and fell down, as a flourish of particles erupted around him. It hurt, it hurt so bad, and he couldn't move, he was so… weak…
He blinked, he was laying on the street. He could barely force his eyelids to work, everything hurt.
"What a smart pecker. He knew to run, hm? Funny little guy."
Right. He was stranger-dangered.
Wilbur pushed past the weakness and dug his-not his- talons into the ground. He dragged, his body moving barely an inch.
It hurt.
"Techno put on your mask properly. Yeah, like that."
The particles were still oozing from his skin but he wouldn't give up. He just had to keep going. He flapped his fake wings and grunted, while trying to push himself further.
"Okay, now, remember, you have to spray it very carefully on his wounds, yes?"
"Yes, I know, I know! Give me, he's hurting!"
"Don't breathe in the weakness. Oh Tommy, what do you want? A bottle?"
Wilbur chirped helplessly.
"I'm coming Wil, I have the medicine!"
He didn't want Technoblade!
He chirped and cheeped cries and complaints, calling for help help help protector help , but of course no one would help a stupid shape shifter.
Techno stood over Wil and pointed a spray bottle at him. Something cold was spat at his wings and back, and after that Techno kneeled next to him and lifted his arms to spray onto his wounded palms.
"Your knees hurt too, right?"
They were sprayed too.
Wilbur sniffled and chirped. Techno answered him with a chirp of his own. It felt impossible to stop and soon a whole cascade of chirps resounded from both of the boys.
"Techno, go get the earrings you wanted for him."
"We're still taking Wil home?" The boy asked excitedly.
"Of course we do mate. At least if we have him at home, I will get to keep an eye on you, instead of trying to find which park you escaped to."
Techno’s wings flapped and nyoom, he was gone. Wilbur chirped desperately.
"Bring him to the table, I need some light."
Hands picked him up and Wil twitched in all of his weakened struggle. Earrings, mister Craft wanted to pierce his ears even though he won. The tears once again flooded down the boy's cheeks.
A warm hand wiped them off.
"Aw mate. Did we scare you that much?"
Techno ran back and shoved something at his dad. Mister Craft chuckled and put the gold, small earrings on the table, just where Wilbur was held in a sitting position. He pouted at the adult, because he had no strength for anything else.
"I was really mean, hm? Don't worry, I'll be nicer now. Techno told me a lot about you, Wilbur."
The small avian climbed on the table to sit next to the brunet.
"I told dad that you have no parents and that your foster mom is actually really dumb. And that the teacher yelled at you too, for not having a home or family."
Wow. Technoblade was actually really mean. Wilbur chirped complaint.
Techno chirped back.
Mister Craft crooned back.
"And I asked and dad said that if I won, we could take you!" Techno exclaimed and then glared at his father. "And apparently he was lying! Since we take you anyway!"
The blond man snorted. Tommy was still fussing but he was clearly nodding off in his little sling.
"What can I say, I took a liking to him as well," the man said and then he was touching Wilbur's ears.
The shape shifter whined and chirped with panic, stupidly soothed by another croon that said it was fine good calm fledgling.
It wasn't fine and whatever Techno’s dad was doing hurt!
Hurt hurt protector help hurt hurt!
Calm calm fledgling good fine calm
Techno snuggled to his side and Wil twitched. He didn't want hugs from Techno. The little avian was bad, scary and even worse than bullies! Wilbur sniffled again.
"So he joins family then?"
Mister Craft hummed as he reached to Wilbur's second ear. The boy cried out again. Something stabbed him, and then there was cold in his ear. The fingers pulled at something, and his whole ear hurt. It was so mean!
"Family… and family too, I suppose. I don't mind a quirky fledgling and he is up for adoption from what you told me."
Techno squeezed Wilbur's hand and trilled happily.
"Wilbur, hear that? We're brothers! You're mine! I'm gonna be the best brother. I'm gonna break Jared's stupid nose again, no one will bully you ever again."
Brothers? Wil… no, that wasn't supposed to work like that! Did it…?
His ears got sprayed with the potion in the spray bottle again.
"Wilbur won't go to school for some time mate. We have to teach him well about family, remember?"
Techno grumbled lightly.
Mister Craft snorted and leaned over them. Wilbur got picked up and sat on the hip, like a complete baby. The blond man hugged him close and Wil once more shifted a whole inch away. He was useless.
"Yes yes, you are very upset. Poor little Wilbur. Don't worry, you'll do fine at home now. Even if it doesn't work out with the family, I could use a little shapeshifter in the family," the man crooned.
Wilbur didn't understand. He didn't like it either way. He whined and cried again.
"Aw. Nah, I'm sure it will work out. You're a persistent, clever little bugger. You'll do just fine, right?"
"He's my brother! And Tommy's, he will be great!"
"Exactly. Techno, you picked a nice pair, they suit him."
Wilbur saw Technoblade jump from the table and puff up his wings like a proud chicken. He ran to his father's side and tugged at Wil's leg, as if he was trying to see for himself how the stupid earrings looked on the brunet.
Wilbur didn't like it.
"Techno, it's late, you'll wake Tommy again. It's past all of your bedtimes, come on. Go to the car."
"Can Wilbur sit with me?"
"You won't both fit into the car seat. That's why we bought the other one, remember?"
"But just once!" Technoblade whined.
"Nope. Safety first mate."
Wilbur's eyes slipped close.
"Can he sleep in my room then?"
"Then why did I order the other one to be made?"
He was very tired.
"He can go there tomorrow, just today, daaaaad!"
"Don't wake Tommy, Tech please."
The car door opened. Wilbur barely stirred.
"Just today. And sh," mister Craft whispered, "both your brothers are sleeping."