Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Tommy doesn't like their newest foster home. It's not that the family were bad, if they were he'd tell his older brother Techno and they'd be out by the week's end, but Tommy just… doesn't gel well there. Doesn't fit in or enjoy his time with his new foster brother and foster dad. 

He knew he wasn't going to have a good time at the newest foster family the second they entered the car and it drove further and further and further away from their care home. Their social worker, Captain Puffy as they called her, was talking about the newest family and how they were a family that had experience with hybrids, so they had a real chance with them. Tommy wasn't fully paying attention, his eyes welling up with tears the longer they were in the car. Techno was paying attention to Puffy's speech, but more importantly he was paying attention to Tommy, watching him with concerned eyes (his older brother was so cool and could multitask like a billion tasks at once).

"You alright, Toms?" Techno asked and Puffy instantly quietened down, always letting the brothers take control of the conversation when they wanted to.

"No," Tommy admits, his voice all watery. "We're so far away from home, how am I meant to go to school?"

How was he meant to see Tubbo and Ranboo, his bestest friends in the entire world? 

(The only one who could even hope to match up to them was Techno, but that was Techno. Techno was always number one. The eternal winner!)

"The family we're living with probably have a car, right Captain?" Techno tries to reassure, fingers gently running along Tommy's shoulder. 

"They do," Puffy admits, but there's a grimace on her face that promises not such good news. "But they live outside of your old school's district and after the fight you got into with Dream, Techno, it was decided you'd both benefit from a new school environment. Your new school is a ten-minute walk from your foster family's home, though I'm sure Phil will have no problem driving you to and from school if that's what you want."

"But Tubbo and Ranboo," Tommy whined and Techno is undoing both of their seatbelts so he can pull them together tightly. So, he can comfort his baby brother.

"Techno! Seatbelts, we've discussed this!" Puffy says, desperately trying to keep them safe on the road. When all Techno does is grunt threateningly at her, she pulls the car over to help with Techno's protective instincts (or to wait them out, you never really knew how it was going to go with Techno). "Tommy, we need you to articulate what's the matter. Remember what we discussed about only using Piglin distress noises? We can't help you or your brother if you don't articulate what you're feeling." 

Tommy tries to explain, but it's hard. It's hard to think over the fear of never seeing Tubbo and Ranboo again. It's hard to stop the tears when he thinks about his best friends forgetting about him, because he's no longer there. It's hard to think-

He whines again and Techno's hands wrap around him tighter. There's a threatening growl from Techno and all Tommy feels is safe. Protected. He's alright. He'll be alright as long as he's in Techno's arms.

"I…" he manages after a few false starts. "I didn't get to say goodbye to Tubbo and Ranboo…"

The tears fall indiscriminately, broadcasting his sadness for everyone to see. Techno rubs their foreheads together as Puffy shoots him a sympathetic smile.

"You don't need to say 'goodbye', you'll be able to visit them frequently, you'll accompany him, right Techno?" Puffy directs the question at Techno, trying to make his brother direct his thoughts on solutions to the problem instead of defending Tommy against a problem that doesn't need defence. 

"Every day," Techno promises and Puffy fondly sighs.

"What did we discuss about promises like that?" She questions and Tommy can feel Techno's arms tighten around him.

"It's not an impossible promise. Ranboo and Tubbo only live on the other side of town, hardly that much of a trip," Techno argues, and Tommy felt hope build up (if Techno said it was possible, then it was possible).

"You don't know the new house's rules, you haven't discussed with Ranboo, Tubbo or their parents if they're ok meeting that frequently and you don't know how taxing a journey that is, yet. Settle in, discuss it with the people involved and then make promises over how frequently you meet up," Puffy reasons.

"Fine," Techno glared, not satisfied with the logic even as he understood it. 

"I'm glad you understand. Now, seat belts back on," she demands.

With a huff Techno gently pushes Tommy into the seat beside him and although Tommy could buckle himself in, he lets his older brother do it for him. It makes him happy to be cared for and it makes Techno happy to care for him. They're sounder, they're pack, and they'd do anything for each other. Which is why Techno gives him one last hug and mutters a promise into his ear before buckling himself back in.

"I'll make sure you get to go back as frequently as possible. You won't ever need to say goodbye to your friends. You'll visit each other so much; you won't have a chance to miss them." 

And Techno manages to keep that promise for a month. For a month the constant feeling of dread is brushed off, because his brother talked to their foster dad and their foster dad called Tubbo and Ranboo's parents and they made plans to meet up numerous times a week, and it's good. They meet up in a park after school a couple times, spend whole weekends together. It's great until Techno just… stops taking him and their foster dad stops making calls. All he has after that is text messages they manage to send, but even that is limited. He's too young for a smartphone apparently, so he has an old beat-up flip phone that has 12 keys to represent the entire alphabet and £10 credit that he has to request is topped up. There's the internet, of course, but again he's considered too young to just use it unsupervised and when he is being supervised, he's usually made to do his homework (he does manage to get an hour or two of Minecraft with his best friends, but it's not the same and he feels like they're drifting apart even when none of them want to, he misses their care home. At least there he had his best friends).

The next reason he knows this foster home isn't going to work out for him is his foster family. As he said, his foster family isn't bad. They don't hit him or ignore him or belittle him or anything. He gets fed, they listen to him when he talks and they even take him out on little trips, but… it's never enough. It's never what Tommy wants (needs).

He remembers walking into their house the first time, Techno holding his hand right beside him, seeing a smiling Avian with wings that didn't quite fit in the hallway and an amused Phantom behind him and thinking maybe Puffy is right. Maybe he's worrying over nothing. Maybe this had the potential to be a home (the home). Maybe they could be fully understood for once. Maybe Techno could be happy at a foster home for once. 

And he’s kinda right. He’s… half right.

Phil, their foster dad, and Wilbur, their foster brother… they do understand what it’s like to be hybrids with the rest of the world ignorant to their needs…

Phil shows them how he has to preen his feathers, and how he has a nest that’s only allowed for family (Techno gets invited to preen Phil’s feathers in the nest one time, Tommy hadn’t been allowed to join, because he was apparently too young. Tommy would have called bullshit, because surely there are Avians younger than him who need their wings groomed, but Techno had seemed so eager to brush Phil’s feathers that Tommy had just quietly shuffled away). 

Wilbur explains how due to his Phantom nature he can’t stand people not getting enough sleep (this conflicts with Techno’s insomniac need to guard and protect Tommy. After three nights straight of Techno guarding and patrolling the outside of Tommy’s new room, a room separated and far away from Techno, Tommy wakes up to no protective brother guarding his door. Instead, he finds Techno asleep on the couch downstairs with Wilbur wrapped around him, both snoring). 

Their foster family… understand what being a hybrid entails and they respect the differences between hybrids and work on compromising, so all of their needs are met. Or… well… they compromise so Phil, Wilbur and Techno’s needs are met. 

Tommy… Tommy is a Big Man, the Biggest Man, but… he… he is only a shoat and… technically the runt of their sounder, he… he needs to be close to his brother, to his sounder… they… they had always shared a room, so his brother was right there, right where he needed him and… now Techno is all the way down the hall. 

Tommy had tried to sneak out a few times, but Phil’s room was between theirs and their foster dad would always catch him before he could find Techno (he shouldn’t need to find Techno, his brother was always beside him and was always guarding and protecting him from nightmares). Phil would always take him back to his room with this sympathetic (pitying) smile. 

“I know this must be very different for you, it must be difficult dealing with such a change, but this is for your brother’s health, ok?” Phil would say as he tucked in a displeased Tommy. “He can’t stay up all night like he has been. It’s not healthy for a growing Piglin hybrid. He needs sleep, which means he needs you to be a big boy, alright?”

“I am a Big Man,” Tommy would whine, and Phil would shush him with this indulgent (fake) smile.

“Of course,” he’d say, and Tommy would feel… belittled and mocked and not so great. “You’ll be fine to sleep alone tonight?”

Tommy would never say ‘yes’ or ‘no’. He’d just huff, look away, and try again later. One time he’ll manage to get to Techno…

He never did manage to reach Techno’s room. If Phil wasn’t stopping him, then Wilbur was coming in after Tommy spent too many restless nights tossing and turning. Wilbur would sigh, play him a song on his guitar and against Tommy’s will he’d fall asleep (those nights were the worst, he’d wake up alone and cold and whines backed up in his throat. He felt abandoned. Alone. Worthless. He was the runt, but that had always meant protection before. Now being a runt meant… not being good enough, not being worth anything).

Supposedly that must be the norm for a Piglin hybrid, because Techno didn’t say anything against this treatment. He… he seemed to be pretty happy with everything actually. He smiled as Phil nudged their foreheads together every morning (Tommy never got any forehead nudges). He laughed as Wilbur wrapped their tails around each other as they ate breakfast (Tommy… Tommy’s tail hadn’t grown in yet, but… but he thought maybe he would be the first to wrap his tail around Techno’s tail). He watched with fondness as Tommy struggled to eat the food Phil had prepared him (every morning he woke up feeling like he was drowning, every breakfast felt like trying to shove food around a mouthful of salt water; eating hurt, being alone hurt).

So… his foster family were good with hybrid traits, but… it seemed only Techno was getting what he needed (maybe it was because Techno was older, maybe when Tommy grew up a little more, sleeping alone wouldn’t feel like the end of the world. Maybe sleeping without protection wouldn’t be so scary). 

He… he’d just have to trust things would get better. That this was normal, because… Techno was happy. Techno never liked their previous foster families. There were always threats and growls and their foster families had always focused on Tommy, because he was ‘easier’ to deal with. He couldn’t ruin this for Techno. He was happy for once. 

(Techno deserved to be happy.)

(Just… did Tommy have to be left alone for that to be true?)

(He… he’s fine. Techno wouldn’t let anything bad happen to him. This must just be a part of Piglin aging. He was a Big Man, and he was becoming a Bigger Man.)

His new school sucks, it was always going to suck without Tubbo and Ranboo, but they discipline him every time he whines. Tell him ‘people’ shouldn’t show their distress in such a way. That he was interrupting the other students’ learning every time he cried out like that. That he was faking his displeasure. 

(He stops whining altogether. At the foster house, at school, if he whines, he’s just being a burden. He just needs to stop crying. Needs… needs to be a Bigger Man…)

He doesn’t like this new foster home. Wishes he was back at the care home with his brother. Usually… Usually just feeling that way was enough for Techno to agree the place wasn’t good and to move them out, but… Tommy can’t voice those feelings. He can’t, because… the worst thing this place has done is… it’s… it’s stolen his brother from him. 

Techno… Techno was getting along with the foster family (which… Tommy… Tommy was happy for him, but… but… why wasn’t Tommy included in that?). Techno had never gotten along with a foster family before, but now… he stopped patrolling, because he felt safe. He started sleeping more consistently. Didn’t check if their meals were safe. Didn’t mind leaving his gold out in the open. Didn’t mind leaving Tommy with the foster family. He was happy here and Tommy couldn’t ruin that. 

Which is why Tommy cried alone. Which is why Tommy struggled to eat the meals provided. Which is why Tommy lied when Puffy asked how the new house was, lied when she asked if he was getting along with the current foster family. Tommy put up with everything, but there was one thing Tommy couldn’t accept. Couldn’t deal with.

Tommy had been left with Wilbur as Techno and Phil went out and about to do… something. Everyone was being secretive, and Tommy wasn’t appreciating being left out of things again. But he pretended to enjoy Wilbur’s company (Techno always seemed happier if Tommy made it look like he was enjoying the company of the foster family). 

Then Techno came home and…

Tommy’s world had shattered. 

Techno had, almost shyly, approached Tommy. Resting in one of his floppy pointed ears was a golden hoop. It shined and dangled and sparkled and-

It was a Piglin ritual. A family Piglin ritual. One Techno had promised to take Tommy to when he saved up enough for the two of them to get piercings. One that Techno had left Tommy behind to do by himself apparently. 

“Looking good Dad,” Wilbur had laughed, because… standing behind Techno with a grin was Phil and-

In his ear…

A matching hoop. 

That shined and dangled and sparkled and-

Wilbur nudged Tommy’s side. Tommy startled out of his reverie and looked at the older boy who was grinning.

“It looks nice, right Toms?” Tommy hated being called ‘Toms’, but Wilbur only laughed like he was joking when he mentioned it, so he had stopped trying to correct him (even when it was annoying).

Tommy… Tommy didn’t know how to reply. Honestly… yeah it looked nice, of course it was going to look nice to Tommy, it was gold, but more pressingly Techno wasn’t matching with him, which made it ugly (not as ugly as the feelings growing and festering in Tommy’s chest. Those feelings were ugly and made Tommy feel bad and made him want to shove Phil away and pull that earring out of his ear, because Phil wasn’t sounder. He’d never be sounder!). 

Tommy was taking too long to reply, and Techno’s hopeful expression started faltering and Tommy… Tommy couldn’t hurt Techno (no matter how his chest burned with this rejection).

“It looks great, Big Man,” he says (and he can feel the sigh of relief from Wilbur next to him). “I always said hoops would look good on you.”

Techno collapses next to him, practically preening at the praise (preening wasn’t a Piglin thing, Piglins are physical with their affection and their joy, preening was an Avian thing). 

“I was worried it was going to hurt, after what Phil said, but you hardly feel a thing. Just a small bit of pressure and then-” Tommy listens to Techno as he describes a feeling Tommy is never going to be allowed to experience. He hangs on to every word knowing this is all he’ll get from this precious family bonding experience. 

Somewhen, Tommy doesn’t exactly when, but somewhen Tommy had stopped being Sounder. Maybe it was when Techno stopped watching him overnight, maybe it was when Techno stopped taking him to meet with Tubbo and Ranboo, maybe it was when Techno started to defer to Phil, like Phil was the head of their his Sounder. However it had happened, Tommy… Tommy knew he couldn’t stay here. Not anymore.

Tommy had only suffered through this foster family, but he had struggled through it because Techno was happy with them. He was happy, but he still would have left their foster family for Tommy, so Tommy hadn’t brought up how miserable he was. But now that they aren't Sounder anymore… Now that Tommy was all alone… Tommy can leave (like he’s wanted to from the beginning), and Techno can still be happy without him (he already was happy without him).

Techno doesn’t need Tommy like Tommy needs Techno. Phil and Wilbur had stolen Techno and tossed Tommy to the side. Tommy was going to leave.

He… he couldn’t make it ‘official’. Techno might feel guilty or have some misplaced feelings from being his original Sounder, but Tommy… Tommy knows how easy it would be to run away. Without the constant vigilance from Techno, it would be so easy to sneak out. 

Not at night. Phil and Wilbur were still listening out for him (he never gave up on trying to reach his brother).

Not during school hours. The school would call Phil, and everyone would discover far too soon. 

But there was a short period of time after school where he could easily escape. First, he had to text Techno, explaining that Phil was picking him up, so he should head home with Wilbur from school. Phil wouldn’t finish work for another two hours and it would take him another half an hour to get home, so Tommy had a few hours to run as far away as possible. 

It was shockingly easy, but then… Tommy didn’t have a Sounder anymore. A Sounder would have never allowed for any of this to happen…

It’s 7pm by the time Techno discovers his brother had not been with Phil. It’s 7pm when Techno loses control of his instincts and goes charging out of the house. It’s 7pm, Tommy is still loved and cared for, but it’s too late. It’s 7pm and Tommy won’t be found that night. 

Chapter Text

Not all hybrids are born equal. Some hybrids struggle from birth, like Avians who’s human and bird-like reproductive systems don't blend well together. Many Avian mothers die through childbirth, because of their child’s wings not positioning in the optimal way. Some hybrids spend their entire lives unaware of their heritage, due to the smallest changes to their human side. An odd eye colour or a slightly different temperament. Then there’s the Piglin hybrids. 

From birth a Piglin hybrid appears like your average human. There are no defining features in their appearance, but their nature is settled firmly in the Piglin culture. There’s a need for family, for herd. There’s a need for hierarchy. There’s a promise deep in their bones that they will do everything to protect their herd. These emotions are always there, and when a Piglin hybrid goes through the change in their teen years, when their physical attributes come in, they fall into these needs more firmly. They find their role in the herd and flourish in it.

That isn’t to say that the Piglins are the only unique hybrid, no Phantom hybrids show their traits through a near death experience, baby Creeper hybrids have to be cared for so gently, so they don’t accidentally spook and explode themselves, but Piglin hybrids… Piglin hybrids are so deeply rooted into their nature that it’s impossible to separate them from it. Maybe it’s because Piglins are more sentient with their own culture unlike most of the other non-human half of hybrids. Whatever the reason, a Piglin hybrid can’t be shoved into the same roles that other humans have. It’s why it’s been nearly impossible for Techno and Tommy to find a foster home that suits them.

Tommy doesn’t remember the early years. Doesn’t remember their loving parents who did everything for them. Doesn’t remember the way their parents would take turns guarding them at night and sharing stories as they were tucked into bed together. Doesn’t remember the lost feeling of having their parents suddenly passing away due to a car accident. Doesn’t remember being passed around between family members that didn’t want them, family members that their parents had cut contact with long before Tommy was born. Doesn’t remember Techno’s hybrid features growing in early, so Techno could protect them both.

Piglin families are large and it’s easy to get lost in them, but the blatant neglect their grandparents had shown them was hard to dismiss as anything less than them being spiteful over their parents getting together when they had argued against it. Techno had spent a week curled up around his baby brother as he bled through his body's changes. When someone finally decided to check on them, Techno was more Piglin than human and he had stabbed the uncle that had tried to check on them. 

Social services had gotten involved after that. Techno can’t quite remember it. Has no idea if anyone fought to keep them, because all he could focus on was his runt that he needed to protect. He fought anyone that tried to approach, knife firmly in his hand, whether the person approaching was trying to help or not. That’s how they met Captain Puffy.

Puffy was a short, white-haired lady with a pleasant smile. At the time she had seemed tall and intimidating; her smile was full of razor-sharp teeth. Techno had tried to stab her, growls leaving his throat as he fought to keep Tommy (his runt) as close as possible. Puffy hadn’t fought back, hadn’t talked, and tried to reassure them everything was fine; just kept out of knife swinging distance and waited them (him) out.

“Do you think you’ll be able to explain what you’ve been through? If we have all the details, we can make sure you and your brother aren’t separated. Right now, the others are worried you’re a risk to your brother’s life,” she had explained, not sugar coating the situation. Treating Techno like he deserved to have a say. Treating Techno like a figure of authority.

(He shouldn’t have needed to be a figure of authority back then, but his growing tusks, tail, and ears, showed he had been forced into the position and that he wasn’t going to give that up to just anyone. That he needed someone trustworthy to look over Tommy with him.)

“Would you like me to hold your brother while we walk, your arms must be getting tired?” She’d ask questions with no expectations. If Techno said ‘no’, she’d back away without trying to force him to follow her wants. If Techno said ‘yes’, she’d do what he needed her to and that was it. 

(In an ideal world Puffy would be the family they found themselves being adopted by. Someone as understanding and as caring as Puffy. Someone who knew when to back off, when to firmly fight for her opinion. In an ideal world Puffy could be their mother, in this world she was their social worker, and she went above and beyond for them in that position.)

“Tell me what you want, and I’ll work my hardest to make it happen,” she had promised, and she had managed to deliver. 

(Tommy and Techno would not be separated. They were a package deal. If one wasn’t happy, they were allowed to leave. If Techno aged out of the system, he’d be allowed to adopt Tommy when he had a place to live and a job to support them. It hadn’t been easy for Puffy to get them what they wanted, and on numerous occasions other social workers had tried to separate them, but they fought hard and got what they wanted.)

Puffy had been good for them. Had worked hard for them. Had convinced the two to go to therapy after everything they’ve been through. Was always looking for families that would adapt for them and a lot of them had almost been what they needed. A lot of them had tried their best. It always came down to their Piglin instincts though. Always came down to someone overstepping when they shouldn’t.

Take Sam Dude for example. The man was nice, and had fostered numerous kids before them, one of which was a duck hybrid that still lived with the man. Techno had felt pretty neutral towards the entire family, thought that maybe he and Tommy would be able to survive being there for a little bit, but then Sam got attached to Tommy (like every foster family did, Tommy was bright and happy and an adorable runt, everyone was always trying to keep him for themselves). Getting attached to Tommy always came with the following events: arguing with Techno over how the kid should be treated, trying to forcibly separate them; trying to tell Techno off like he wasn’t the head of their little two-person sounder. 

As with every family before, they had phoned Captain Puffy and left them behind. It had looked hopeless, if Techno was honest. He started looking into what they’d need when he aged out of the system, what they’d need to create their own little safe haven. Then Puffy came to them with Philza Craft. 

An Avian hybrid that had already adopted one son (Wilbur Soot-Craft), a son who had been abandoned by his family when his hybrid traits came in after he nearly died. Techno had been informed before they moved in that Wilbur’s biological family had thought he’d been possessed by the devil, that he was just a corpse reanimated, and that he should be careful with his jokes around Wilbur.

The warning had been unnecessary. Techno wasn’t going to get comfortable enough to joke around with the family (Tommy was already freaking out about the move, missing his two little friends who were practically sounder, they’d be gone in a week tops). But… well…

Phil was very accommodating with their needs. Techno had been on guard at first, of course he had been, he wasn’t risking Tommy for anything, but… Phil just heard them out and did his best to get them what they needed.

The first time Phil had proven himself to be better than their last foster families was when he was willing to listen to their needs regarding Tommy wanting to visit his friends. Techno had explained the situation and Phil had sat down and made it work. Techno was admittedly used to doing the heavy lifting when it came to Tommy, was used to fighting against his anxiety to make calls and requests for his brother. So, having Phil just phone Tubbo and Ranboo’s parents and arrange a meetup for them? It was quite pleasant.

(Not pleasant enough to trust the man, of course. But pleasant enough to give the man a chance, pleasant enough to continue to allow him to arrange Tommy’s meetups. And, when Techno eventually did start trusting the family, it was pleasant to know he could leave Phil and Wilbur to take Tommy to meet up with his friends. Techno would always take Tommy if Tommy asked him to, but it was nice to know Wilbur had it covered while Techno caught up on schoolwork. Transferring school’s not easy when you’re in your last few years.)

The second time Phil had proven himself to be better than their last foster families was when he challenged Techno. It… sounds weird, but Techno and Tommy are Piglin hybrids, Techno would never instinctively listen to Phil unless Phil proved himself. There were plenty of ways to have a Piglin hybrid defer to a person, and Phil had won an argument. Many arguments, but the first one was the most important. 

“Mate, you can’t keep staying up all night,” Phil had said. His voice was quiet, because it was late and Tommy was asleep in his room (Techno knew, because he had gone in his room three times already to make sure he wasn’t faking and he wasn’t struggling with nightmares), and his voice was calm, like he had already won the argument. 

Techno rolled his eyes. “Of course, I can.”

“No. You can’t,” Phil sighed, walking closer to Techno, but stopping when Techno had growled and purposefully put himself between Phil and Tommy’s door. “This can’t be manageable, Tech, when do you sleep.”

“I manage.”

And by manage he means he sleeps through his classes and his lunch break. It had been unintentional at first and his grades had initially suffered, but he had found a good way to balance sleeping through school and studying while watching over Tommy in the evenings. The only thing that had really got hit by this was his social life (Dream started numerous competitions through exam period, all against Techno’s will, just so they’d keep in contact. Techno is thankful his old friend wants to remain friends, but it’s a pain he’d rather not deal with. An unnecessary stress, when all he wants to do is watch over Tommy. It’s why they keep getting into fights… Something he regretted so thoroughly when it meant Tommy lost his place at the school his friends all attended).

“It’s not manageable, especially in this household, Wilbur gets aggressive if others don’t get enough sleep,” Phil informs him and… Techno can respect another’s struggles with their hybrid abilities, but-

“I do get enough sleep,” Techno denies. “Just not at night.”

“Tech, there has to be a better way for this to work. Don’t the Protectors of herds usually take turns guarding?” They do, and every time Techno thinks about a normal sounder’s dynamic, he’s hit with the pain of losing his parents again (and the fear that he isn’t doing enough for Tommy. That he’s not making his parents proud, that his brother would be happier without him, that he’s a disappointment).

“I’m the only Protector, who am I meant to trade places with?” Techno spits out, eyes narrowed. 

“I can help,” it’s a simple statement. A statement that was so easy in admission, a statement that means everything, but at the time had Techno scoffing. 

“Why would you help? Why would I trust you? I’m not losing Tommy just so Wilbur can sleep a little easier.”

“I care, you two kids have gone through a lot, I want to make your lives easier. Give me a test run. A week, if neither of you are happy, I won’t argue again. This will be better for you both though, and I promise you won’t lose Tommy,” Phil had offered. 

“No,” Techno had been firm in his denial and, like Puffy, Phil had conceded. Had left Techno to his decision.

Then Wilbur had come by a few days later. Grumpy, hissing and completely disgruntled with Techno’s sleeping patterns. Apparently, Techno didn’t sleep enough to appease the hybrid’s Phantom side and Techno had been forced to concede with Phil’s plan as he drew Wilbur away from Tommy’s door (not wanting to risk the hissing waking up his runt).

“He gets nightmares sometimes and needs someone to hold him through them. He might get up a bunch through the night looking for me. Oh, and-”

“I’ll be fine,” Phil had cut him off with a laugh. “This isn’t my first rodeo.”

And apparently it wasn’t. Tommy didn’t seek him out once through the trial week. The few nights Techno had gone to check on Tommy, restless from not watching over his brother, he had found Wilbur singing him asleep. Or he’d found a tired Phil tucking Tommy into bed. The foster family… clearly had some experience with this and… Techno had to admit defeat. Phil was more than prepared to look after Tommy in this instance. 

It was the first time he had ever deferred to anyone when it came to Tommy, he wasn’t used to it and he wasn’t happy about it, but… Tommy didn’t seem to have a single complaint (which admittedly did make Techno a little jealous, he wanted to be the one Tommy relied on, but he knew from his old therapy sessions that that wasn’t a healthy mindset. It had taken forever to accept Tommy’s friends, but he had managed. He could do that for this foster family, as well).

Techno was even still allowed to watch over Tommy some nights (he had prepared himself for an argument, but Phil had only smiled and reassured him: ‘through school holidays, we’ll work something out, catch up on your sleep until then’). Techno had conceded, and allowed himself to start trusting Phil. 

Phil wasn’t the only one who made the new foster home bearable, Wilbur was just as valuable. If it wasn’t his insistence that he could look after Tommy when Techno needed to do something (and it’s strange, at first, having things to do that don’t involve Tommy), then it was the fact Wilbur was making Techno’s school life so much easier. 

Techno wasn’t against friendships and interacting with people, but he was never one to seek others' attention (he was never one to seek something that would take away from the time he needed to care for Tommy), but without the need to sleep constantly at school, Wilbur had been hanging out with him. Had introduced him to his friends who were pretty nice (Niki especially was a Godsend in dealing with the weird (and hilarious) things Wilbur came up with). And with the sudden increase of social interaction came the sudden need for social media. 

He only had a few friends on there, just enough to reach out if he wanted to talk or had questions about schoolwork, and somehow, on the first day of him setting the account up, Dream had found him. Reached out to him. Techno had been of two minds when he saw the message, but… he had accepted the friend request (he’d never forget how much Tommy cried over not being able to say goodbye to his friends and he refused to put Tommy into that position again. He’d be better this time). 

Their friendship… wasn’t fixed. It was awkward and Dream complained Techno was still too serious over protecting Tommy (as though protecting Tommy wasn’t the most serious matter in the world… personally Techno didn’t think Dream did enough in protecting his own little brother. Tubbo could do so much better). And Techno was still socially awkward and responded to a lot of Dream’s rants with a simple thumbs up, but… they were doing better than they were. They could… maybe be friends again. But, even if they never reached that level, Techno had Niki and… Wilbur?

Techno never thought he’d feel a connection to a foster sibling, but Wilbur… Wilbur was alright. He was no Tommy, but he wasn’t a dreadful brother. He was helpful in looking after Tommy and never judged Techno over the way his instincts reacted to certain things. 

Their life with the Craft family was… good. It was good. Better than a lot of other foster families. Maybe… they’d stay here for a little while. Maybe they’d want to stay there for good. But that was all a conversation for later (there is no way he’s making that decision without consulting Tommy, they were sounder; they came first). 

Admittedly if they were going to stay here long term there were… some problems they had to deal with. First the fact that he and Tommy weren’t sharing a room, it… wasn’t a welcome change. Techno dealt with it at first, because he was sure they’d be gone quickly (they usually were gone pretty quick), but if they were staying for longer, that needed to be dealt with. Then there was the problem with Tommy’s school. Techno technically didn’t know if there was a problem, but Tommy hadn’t been regaling him with tales of new friends or his favourite lessons, so he was probably hiding something to keep the peace (and Techno would not stand for it, he’d instigate all forms of war and mayhem for his brother’s happiness). And then the most important problem: the earrings.

Phil had approached him about the earrings and Techno had to stop himself from instantly agreeing to it. He and Tommy had been wanting these earrings for so long, they fantasized about them with soft purrs and happy grumbles, but they had been waiting for Tommy’s Piglin features to come in. He thought they had a few more years of waiting for that, that Tommy getting a piercing before the change would hurt, but apparently Techno had been incorrectly led. Phil mentioned them getting piercings and Techno-

Techno wanted.

Wanted the piece of gold that would forever bind him and Tommy together. The gold that would scare every other Piglin soul off. The gold that was a promise. His ear has felt so cold and empty for so long, his ear that should have been marked with the promise of possession a long time ago (but he was the leader of their pack and he wanted to share the experience with Tommy).

Techno, despite everything, had said no. He couldn’t deny he wanted the piercing, couldn’t deny he wanted to match with Tommy now, now, now, but when brought up in discussion Phil was against Techno and Tommy going together and getting a piercing at the same time. Mumbling something about the potential pain the kid could go through and…

The few words he heard had stuck with him that night. Potential pain…? Sure, a piercing should hurt a little, you are literally stabbing your flesh to put metal (gold) in, but Tommy should be fine. Maybe he’d cry a little, but Techno would be there to comfort him like always. Tommy would be fine through the piercing… right?

Techno… Techno had stayed up late, late, late into the night researching. So, late Wilbur had given him sceptical looks in the morning, but Techno had only given him a sleepy grin as he found himself leaning into Tommy’s side. Soaking up his runt’s presence, reassuring himself that his runt was fine. 

Maybe… Maybe it would be better to have them get their piercings separately? Techno… Techno wanted to make sure Tommy wouldn’t suffer from a needle getting stuck, or an unhygienic piercing place leaving him with an infection or the piercer missing the right spot and hitting a blood vein. Techno… Techno could go first, scout the place, make sure it wouldn’t be painful and then he could take Tommy later. That had to be fine, right?

Yeah. It would have to be (Techno wasn’t risking his runt for anything).

So, he got his piercing (and Phil had ended up joining him with getting one of his own, it was fun and all, but it wasn’t as fun as it was going to be to see Tommy get his). Tommy had looked worried when he saw Techno turn up with gold in his ear (he’ll admit… he was hoping for a brighter reaction, they were finally getting the piercings they always wanted), so Techno had spent a while reassuring Tommy. And-

The piercing was nice, but it wasn’t complete. It was the start for their sounder, but their sounder would only be complete when Tommy matched him. 

(The simple gold hoop wouldn’t be enough for their sounder anyways. It was a great start, but Techno had plans to design something better with Tommy right by his side the entire time. It would be a wonderful project to work on together.)

So, yeah… The Craft family weren’t doing too badly, but without those final changes, Techno couldn’t fully be happy here. He’s glad for the extra genuine help with Tommy, he’s glad he’s not having to live everyday exhausted (and it turns out he was running on fumes, the second he got into better sleeping habits he had found reserves of energy. He had too much energy nowadays, he was even thinking of joining the fencing club to burn it off (Tommy always thought sword fighting was cool, and he was always aiming at being the coolest person in Tommy’s life)). They just needed a few adjustments and… well… it seemed like the last one might already be a non-issue.

Phil’s picking me up.

That’s the message that Tommy sends him. 

It makes him smile. Knowing Tommy is cared for, knowing he can rely on others to look after his runt; knowing Tommy must be getting his own ears pierced right now. Phil was meant to be working late that night (at least that’s what he told Techno), so he wouldn’t just be cutting work for anything (and a Piglin getting their piercing is nothing to scoff at, it’s something precious. Something important).

(A little part of Techno is jealous he isn’t there to hold Tommy’s hand throughout the process, but it’s fine. He needs to squash those feelings down. Needs to focus on the happiness he feels that they’ll finally match. Needs to focus on the fact that Tommy’s going to come running into the house with a wide grin and it’ll be Techno’s turn to compliment Tommy.)

“Phil’s picking Tommy up,” Techno informs Wilbur. The two had taken to walking the few minutes’ walk to Tommy’s school to pick him up afterwards, before heading home (again Techno represses the jealousy over the fact that someone is cutting into his Tommy time, that someone else banters and teases his runt).

Wilbur laughs. “Who wants to bet he was lying about working late and just wanted to spoil the gremlin with ice cream? Phil clearly has a favourite... Can’t blame the man, Tommy is quite sweet once you get past all the yelling.”

“He’s sweet all the time,” Techno says instinctively (he’ll always defend Tommy, even if it isn’t completely necessary at the time).

“Right, this is your treasure we’re talking about,” Wilbur says, and Techno knows he’s meant to take it as a joke, but… Tommy is more than just treasure. He’s not some shiny piece of gold to show off and keep all for himself. He is sounder, he is someone to protect, someone to help raise into a great Piglin. Tommy is Techno’s everything.

(And Techno knows he’s Tommy’s everything, but he tries to provide Tommy with more. Wanting only the best for his runt.)

“That’s a cute nickname and all, but Tommy’s sounder. He’s more important than any piece of gold.”

“Oh? Piglins like things other than gold?” Again, Wilbur is only teasing, and Techno tries not to let it get to him. He jokes back as they walk home together (Wilbur is an easy target to make fun of; the weird outfits he has to wear to protect himself from the sun, the way he leaps at every opportunity to make an idiot of himself to get Sally Salmon’s attention, Wilbur is just… too easy a target to tease most days). 

He spends the rest of the afternoon socialising in the living room with Wilbur, waiting for Tommy to return. He’s restless and excited (he’s full of dread and can’t stop himself from staring at the clock).

Phil returns. 

Alone. 

Techno doesn’t freak out straight away (though he almost charges out of his seat to demand where his runt is). Doesn’t even think he needs to freak out, Tommy was probably trying to surprise him with his matching earring. 

Only-

“Hey boys, have you and Tommy had dinner already?” Phil asks and-

Tommy wasn’t with Phil. 

Tommy had told him he’d be with Phil.

Tommy had… lied to him?

Techno is a Protector. It’s his role in their little Piglin herd. He’s meant to guard and watch over and keep the runts safe. Protectors don’t whine. Protectors are strong and don’t cry in distress, even when they’re being beaten and hurt. Techno is a Protector.

Techno whines. 

A high-pitched squeal that’s forced past his lips as he looks down at his phone, at the message Tommy had sent him. 

Phil’s picking me up.

“Techno,” Phil jumps to his side quickly, worried, and-

Techno snarls. A nasty expression pulling at his face.

“Where is Tommy?” The words are harsh, broken. They don’t sound very human, and Techno doesn’t feel very human (he never really does, his Piglin instincts always pulling away at his consciousness). 

“Didn’t you pick him up after school?” Phil asks, confused. And…

Phil is ignorant. Phil has no idea what is going on here. Tommy is the one who lied to Techno, but… Phil is the one here. Phil is the one that allowed Tommy to make an excuse to… do whatever it is he’s doing (he hopes it’s a prank, it would be a horrifying prank, but it’s better than his runt being missing. But… his runt hasn’t pranked anyone in a long while… his runt has been rather quiet, sure he yells and acts all dramatic, but that’s tame for Tommy…).

Phil is the one Techno chooses to take his frustrations on. 

“Where. Is. Tommy.” 

“Techno, I-”

“Phil, I don’t think-

He doesn’t get his answer quick enough so he’s barrelling past them in seconds. Rushing upstairs to turn Tommy’s room upside down for a clue or something. His room is… is…

His room is the same as when they first arrived. His bags only lightly emptied. His cow plush, Henry, pokes out of a bag but doesn’t rest on his bed like he would if Tommy was comfortable leaving his treasures out in the open. His clothes are neatly folded in a corner like he doesn’t dare to throw them every which way. There are no new decorations that make this home stand out (like the old beat up laptop Techno had gotten, or the bookshelf that he’s slowly filling up with books Phil’s been buying him). 

Tommy’s room… isn’t a safe haven and… Techno hadn’t noticed. Had only walked into Tommy’s room a couple times at night when he wants to check on his brother, and by then it’s too dark to see this truth he’s apparently missed… 

It’s not like they haven’t been hanging out. It’s just… Tommy usually comes into his room, or they’re expected to hang out with everyone as a ‘big happy family’ downstairs and… Phil or Wilbur will take up Techno’s attention (he tries to split his attention evenly, tries to be a polite guest and good brother at the same time, but it clearly hasn’t worked as well as he wished).

Tommy isn’t happy or safe or comfortable here. That’s what his room says. 

It also says he hasn’t planned whatever this is all that well. His possessions are still around (and what Piglin would forget such precious items like the last plush their deceased parents had gifted them?). There’s no note. No… nothing. 

Techno pulls his phone out. Sends a message begging Tommy to explain what’s going on and then… turns to his social media. There’s… there’s one place Techno can think Tommy could be running off to. A little friend of his that is basically sounder. A little friend that is brothers with an old friend of Techno’s.

Dream is online. 

He isn’t happy with what he finds out. 

Is Tommy at yours?

No? Tommy hasn’t been around in a while, why? I thought you guys were busy?

What do you mean he hasn’t been around in a while?

You haven’t brought the kid around? Tubbo’s been pretty sad about it but understanding that you’re getting used to a new situation. Why? What’s going on? Is Tommy, OK?

No… No, I don’t think he is…

Wilbur had offered to take Tommy to his friends, so that Phil could take Techno to a bookshop. Techno hadn’t wanted to go, not really, but he kinda needed the book for a school project he was really enjoying, and Tommy just wanted Tubbo and Ranboo at these events… Tommy would be fine without Techno, and Techno thought that had been true. He’d returned and Tommy was all smiles and hugs, like he had a great day. 

The next time Tommy was meant to visit his friends Techno had been ill and… he couldn’t really remember that day all that well. Too groggy. But he assumed someone had taken Tommy, because he doesn't remember Tommy curled up into his side, like he usually does when either of them is ill. 

It’s… it’s been a while since Techno had taken Tommy to his friends’. Things just kept coming up on the arranged day. He thought Tommy was going though! Thought he was safe and happy heading there with their new foster family, he had been assured Wilbur had Tommy covered.

Techno storms downstairs. His steps aren’t soft or quiet. He cares not for subtly or being a polite guest. He is furious and he wants answers.

“-couldn’t get in contact with the school, it was too late, there had been a text message and- yes, thank you, we could- no, he was-”

Phil’s on the phone, but Techno doesn’t care. He doesn’t care.

(The only thing he cares about isn’t in this house. The only thing he cares about could be miles away abducted by some creep and being carted off to another country. The only thing he cares about is missing!)

“Did you ever take Tommy to his friends?” He asks, eyes focusing on Wilbur. Their foster brother who made a promise.

“Uh, no? Tommy never asked me to take him, I thought he wasn’t interested-”

Techno growls, a deep sound that makes his tusks vibrate with the sound. There’s a lot he could say to that. There’s so much stupidity in that one sentence, but he doesn’t have time to correct Wilbur’s idiocy. Doesn’t have time for another foster family that don’t care. Tommy is out there, scared and alone and at risk and-

Techno is the Protector. He is Tommy’s Protector. He made a promise when their parents died, and they were left to die slowly from the neglect. Tommy would live the best life Techno could provide and he was going to follow through with that. 

First thing’s first. Finding his baby brother. His runt. 

He leaves the house without a single care for the people behind him. He’s running on instincts. Following the paths towards Tubbo and Dream’s house (because it really is the most likely place, Tommy’s gone, he probably just hasn’t reached the house yet). 

There are many turns and twists on the path ahead. Many main roads and crossroads. Their care home and old friends live on the other side of the city, so there’s a lot of terrain to cover. A lot of places to get lost in. 

Techno knows the path like the back of his hand. He had memorised it precisely for Tommy. 

He zigs and zags as the street demands (and if smaller footsteps had accidentally zagged instead of zigged, no one needs to know that until much later…).

Chapter Text

Tommy is prepared. He has everything he could possibly ever need to run away. He looked up the directions to Tubbo’s house when it became obvious, he couldn’t remember the way (Techno had always been there to remember, so why had Tommy ever needed to retain something as mundane as directions?). Took pictures of the route on his old flip phone. Took a snack or two from the kitchen. And most importantly he has Techno’s hoodie for warmth!

He felt bad as he stole it. Techno and he… weren’t sounder anymore (he had to repress, repress, repress the whines at that new fact. They weren’t sounder anymore and it hurt, and it hurt, and it hurt). They weren’t sounder, they never would be again… but… Techno couldn’t complain about Tommy taking one last memento of his.

(He could and he should. Only sounder got a free pass of messing with another Piglin’s things. Piglins that weren’t family weren’t allowed to touch another Piglin’s possessions. It was a death sentence to do so, you were inviting discord and revenge. Historically Piglins had started wars over less and they may be more ‘civilised’ nowadays, but it didn’t stop a Piglin’s mind from blinding them from everything but their missing belongings.)

(A part of Tommy wanted Techno to get angry about the hoodie and chase him down. A small part of him thought it would be preferable to still have Techno’s whole attention, even if it was for a bad reason.)

(Another part of Tommy dreaded Techno ever realising his hoodie was missing. He left so he and Techno could both be happy… well, as happy as they could be given the circumstances. And being a nuisance to his brother wasn’t going to make his brother happy. Losing the one item he had on hand that smelled of his brother wouldn’t make Tommy happy.)

The hoodie was large on Tommy’s frame, looking more like a dress with the way it hung just below his knees. It was a bright red with a little piggie design resting on the chest and Techno had got it at Tommy’s prompting. They were living with a foster family full of Nether hybrids at the time and their foster father had insisted on taking them shopping. Tommy had got a bunch of clothes in red, it being his favourite colour, and wanted Techno to match with him. Techno had done so, even though he had been eyeing this nice blue coat.

Techno used to wear the hoodie religiously. Would wear it so he and Tommy would always match. It didn’t matter if someone would say some stupid comment about the hoodie, it didn’t matter that the hoodie was battered beyond belief and was fraying at the edges and the hoodie had hung on Techno’s frame (Techno had thought ahead and got the hoodie two sizes too big, so he could grow into it, never sure when they’d get brand new clothes instead of hand-me-downs or things found in the charity bin). Techno used to wear the hoodie religiously, but Tommy hasn’t seen Techno wear it since he accepted Phil and Wilbur as sounder.

When they first arrived at the foster home they were still matching (matching, matching, matching). It always made Tommy purr at the fact he and Techno would match, that he and Techno were a pair. Tommy’s purrs always had Techno responding with his own grumbly purrs that shook his entire chest and were so deep it sounded more like a motorbike. They were purry matchy brothers with Techno’s hoodie and Tommy’s entire wardrobe. 

Then Phil took Techno shopping one day. Took Techno shopping without Tommy. Techno had come back with an entire wardrobe of new clothes, and they were in all different colours. Blacks and blues, greys and whites, yellows and browns, and even some greens. There was no red in sight. There was no matching in sight.

(When Phil had taken Tommy shopping a week later, just the two of them, Tommy had cried and cried and cried. He wanted Techno, and he wanted to match, and there were too many colours Techno had picked out, and none of them were red like Tommy, and Tommy wanted red, and Tommy wanted to match, and Tommy couldn’t figure out how to do both of those things. So, he cried. He stood in the middle of the store, tears falling down his face; not knowing what to do. All he knew was he wanted to go home, wanted to be with Techno. Wanted to match with Techno.)

(They never did get any clothes. Phil had taken Tommy from the store and treated him to ice-cream instead. It was the worst ice-cream Tommy has ever had. Suddenly being asked what flavour he wanted reminded me of his failure to figure out how to match with Techno and he just cried harder. Phil had to choose for him, and he chose some bland vanilla thing that just made Tommy’s tears fall harder.)

Tommy and Techno will never match again. They wouldn’t match with the colour of their clothes. They wouldn’t match with their family piercings. They weren’t sounder so they didn’t deserve to match, so… Tommy had stolen the hoodie he had chosen for Techno. The hoodie that represented their once Familia bond.

It hadn’t been hard to steal. Tommy had been in Techno’s room a few times since they first joined this foster family. Techno had a large fluffy bed that was big enough for both of them (sometimes, through the time Phil would dub ‘recreational hour’, they would watch YouTube videos together in the bed; Techno’s new smart phone lighting up their faces as they curled around each other. Tommy would try to fall asleep through these moments. Hoping if he fell asleep, he’d be allowed to stay in the room for the night… it never worked. He always woke up in his own bed, he’d always be more distressed than if he just slept in his own bed. Disturbed over the fact Techno had let him go without a single protest). 

The red hoodie lay forgotten over the bed’s headboard.

Tommy had snuck into Techno’s room the morning that he planned to run away. Where Techno had completely disregarded the true value of the hoodie, Tommy didn’t want to risk his last memory of Techno being one of fury if he realised Tommy had stolen something from him (it might not be important to Techno, but it was still his, it still smelled like him). So, Tommy had snuck in after breakfast, after Techno had gotten everything ready for the school day ahead. He had snuck into the room and nabbed the hoodie and…

Hesitated.

A part of him thought maybe he shouldn’t be taking something from Techno. He didn’t want to be remembered as someone so horrible that he not only was unloved, but he was also an ungrateful thief. Techno had done so much for him; Tommy doesn’t think he’d be alive if it wasn’t for Techno. Plenty of people made sure he was aware of how much Techno sacrificed for him and-

He’s being so ungrateful. He should leave it, but-

He can’t pry it from his hands. Nails digging in so deep he’s almost scared he’s going to tear the hoodie apart (he’d never be able to though, he wasn’t strong like Techno, didn’t have the strengthened nails that Techno and adult Piglins have). He can’t tear it apart, but he’s worried he will, so he tries to let it go, but-

There’s a whine stuffed in the back of his throat, he knows, knows, knows, he shouldn’t take the hoodie and yet-

A glance around Techno’s new room and… There’s a desk and laptop that Techno probably does his schoolwork at (Tommy doesn’t know, he’s never seen Techno sitting there and Tommy has to use the family computer supervised by Phil when he wants to do his schoolwork, but he never sees anyone else using the computer). There’s a bookshelf that has plenty of empty spots, but it is slowly getting filled up (Tommy is happy about that, Techno loves stories, he used to make up stories to comfort Tommy at night. Maybe he’d have his own form of comfort now). And everything in the room… is new. The clothes thrown in a hamper, the notebooks; the… the everything. There’s none of the stuff that Techno had got over the last few years. There’s none of the stuff that represents Tommy.

Tommy has made no mark in this room. 

The only place he touched in this room was Techno’s bed. Sometimes to lay down with Techno and watch videos, sometimes he’d sit there and watch Techno and Wilbur talk about stuff Tommy barely understood, but the only permanent, the only consistent way Tommy had touched this room was this hoodie he had chosen, the hoodie that had hung over the headboard. 

Tommy… Tommy was doing Techno a favour.

The hoodie was the last sign that Tommy was ever a part of Techno’s life. Tommy taking it was him doing Techno a favour.

He shoved it in his school bag (a bag that he had thrown his schoolwork out of to make room for the essentials of his escape. A bag that couldn’t fit both his precious Henry and the final reminder of Techno in, so he had to choose, and he chose his brother. The smallest bag he owned, but the bag he had to bring so as to not rouse any suspicions).

And he had left for school as though nothing was wrong. His bag didn’t weigh him down (it did, it felt like he had packed the entire world in there. He wasn’t sure how he wasn’t keeling over from his burden, but he survived somehow). 

Throughout his school day he didn’t make a single sound. He kept to himself, so no one could complain about his whines that came to him naturally (but they shouldn’t come so easily, he was a big man and he needed to be a bigger man. He wasn’t going to have an older brother to defend him anymore).

He felt sick like he was going to throw up the entire day and as he lied to his brother over text he wanted to apologise. To beg to be taken back. Wanted nothing more than to be part of a sounder, even if it was a sounder that hated him.

Planning and leaving were not physically hard. It was pitiful how no one mentioned his plan, not even a token amount of protest, he hadn’t exactly been subtle (didn’t think he needed to).

(Was sure they had caught on and were happy he was taking the initiative of their separation. Happy that they didn’t have to do any of the hard work themselves. Happy they don’t have to look into his eyes and tell him he was unwanted.)

Physically it was fine, but mentally he was damaged. His head hurt, his stomach turned, his back hurt, his hands shook and tried to find comfort by clawing at Techno’s hoodie (a hoodie he put on as soon as school had ended and he was free, was it truly freedom when he wanted nothing more than to curl up into Techno’s side?).

The only hope he had going for him was Tubbo and Ranboo, so that’s what he focused on.

His friends wanted him around (probably), they had told him as much (right?). Through the few hours they got to hang out online they assured him that they missed him. If Tommy left their next meetup to those two, they’d probably be doing what he’s doing: traversing across the entire city on their own.

(But… they hadn’t even tried to arrange a meetup… It was always Tommy begging for people to work things out for him… They never came to him… He always went to them… Why?)

It’s… a little nerve wracking… being so alone on streets that aren’t… all that familiar... 

He had left the school with a swarm of other happy students. Tommy had kept his head down, repressing whimpers as the crowd slowly bit by bit chipped away as the students reached their homes. His mind was a mess of excuses he could say if he got caught by Techno or Wilbur (he hopes they don’t pass each other on the way home, he chose the most turn-y, twisty path he could find on Google Maps to avoid bumping into each other), and he tried to keep shaky hands steady as he held onto his flip phone with the directions he needed.

The photo quality was shit.

Grainy photos that Tommy could just make out, but…

Tommy’s got this. He… he doesn’t have his GPS (“I never get lost!” Techno had assured him when they lost an older foster family at the park. “I’m the human GPS!”), but he was the brother of the human GPS. Tommy could read a map. He’d never get lost. He was like Techno.

(Not that anyone would ever know that. Not now. Now that they aren’t sounder. Tommy will talk about his brother all fondly and someone will ask who he’s talking about, and Tommy’s world will shatter when he realises, they’re not a duo anymore. That they will be known as separate beings for the rest of his life.)

Tommy follows the map.

He ignores every horrible thought running through his mind about being sounder-less.

(He can survive without a sounder, right? Tommy never thought about it before. Never thought he’d have to question it before, but… Piglins can survive on their own, right? Because… because every step he takes further away from Techno seems to burn. To ache. He won’t die without Techno, right?)

(He feels like he’ll die without Techno.)

It’s… hard to focus on the map. And on the streets. And on his phone. But… he manages.

(If he has to die for Techno to be happy, he’ll do it.)

Tommy walks for hours, wary of every person he passes (his nails dig painfully into Techno’s hoodie every time someone gets too close). He walks for hours, and he doesn’t recognise a single place (sometimes while in the car or on the bus the scenery goes by too quickly to take note of anything, but this doesn’t feel like that. This feels like when they left their care home to join their foster family. Just moving further and further away, until there’s too much distance between you and the things you love).

(Maybe the distance is good. If Tommy disappears forever, he gets to keep the hoodie. Techno can’t be mad and fight for it back, if Techno can’t reach him the hoodie was his forever. Tommy would have something irreplaceable.)

Tommy’s not lost though. He’s the human GPS’s brother. Tommy never gets lost. He knows exactly where he’s going.

So, he walks.

And walks.

And walks.

One step after the other. One step after the other.

He gets hungry and thirsty, and he doesn’t want to waste his supplies so early in his journey. He isn’t anywhere near Tubbo yet (he knows all the areas around Tubbo’s house; they’ve been playing for years. He knows about the broken-down treehouse in the nearby woods, the fox den that if you try approaching just creates these human-like screams and the spot where the ice-cream man sells the only ice-cream ever).

He has limited supplies and he doesn’t want to waste them. 

But…

He finds a bench to sit down (his legs ache) and takes a single biscuit out.

One shouldn’t hurt…

He takes his time. It’s one of those biscuits that have two biscuity sides and cream in the middle. He tears them apart and licks at the cream before going to bite one of the biscuits and-

He drops the biscuit, a whine he can’t repress falling past his lips, as a single side of the biscuit is left for the ants on the ground. 

He brings a hand up to his mouth and rubs along his jaw. The biscuit was hard and unpleasant, and Tommy’s teeth had been hurting lately (only Wilbur had noticed and when he asked, Tommy insisted he was fine. If Techno had asked, he’d have whined and complained and answered honestly. He was waiting for Techno to ask)-

He glares at the last remaining biscuit in his hand. He must have accidentally taken some of Phil’s old man biscuits. Biscuits should be a pleasant experience, nothing painful. He wants to throw the monstrosity away, but…

He needs to savour the snacks he has brought. Until he reaches Tubbo.

He eats.

(It’s a careful process of discovering that it doesn’t hurt when he uses his front teeth to bite down and then chew with his molars.)

It’s as he’s going through the awkward process of eating his biscuit (a process that has him wincing more than enjoying his snack) that he’s approached by an adult. By a stranger.

Tommy is quick to grab a hold of his bag, to pull it on his back and to stand up. He shoves the last of the biscuit in his mouth (and it hurts to eat, but he doesn’t have time to slowly eat when someone is approaching him). 

It’s an older lady, eyes filled with concern. Tommy’s never seen her in his life and Tommy decides quickly he’s rather never see her, so-

He turns on his heel before she can say anything and without a care for the map he’s following on his phone, he bolts down the streets. He takes turns and ignores any looks he gets and-

He doesn’t want people to approach him. He doesn’t want people to talk to him. He doesn’t want people to look at him. He wants- He wants-

He wants Techno and Techno doesn’t want him!

He’s alone, he’s alone, he’s alone!

He can’t stop the tears, can’t stops the whines and-

He can’t be in public. Can’t be surrounded by other people. He remembers one of his earliest foster homes. It was a nice couple that had taken them and sat them down to explain etiquette for going outside. 

“You can’t leave your brother’s side, alright Tommy?” He had been told. “Piglins aren’t able to stop their whines when they get lost and that’ll summon every nearby Piglin to you. They’ll be aggressive and attack anyone that approaches you, until you return to your sounder. We don’t want that kind of violence. Never let go of Techno’s hand, ok?”

“I’m not going to lose him,” Techno had rolled his eyes, but had appeared grateful to have Tommy’s hand in his own, to have Tommy pressed up against his side.

(Tommy will never get that grateful, happy look again.)

(That family had given up on them, because of how hard it was to care for Piglin children.)

(If Tommy was caught whining here, he’d have no sounder to be returned to. They’d only be pointless violence.)

He runs. Runs as far as he can away from civilization. He can’t be caught. He can’t be returned. He can’t find his way to Tubbo’s!

He’s lost!

He’s lost!

He’s lost!

He wails.

It’s not pretty. Snot and tears running down his face. His hair gets knotted as it flies in every direction. Claws ripping holes into Techno’s hoodie. A pained screech shredding his vocal cords to pieces.

He’s alone in a crowd and he wants out, out, out!

He wants to be alone, alone. Wants to have everyone away from him. Wants to survive!

He can’t stop the noises from escaping him. But he does manage to run away from civilization (from the disturbed and concerned looks). He manages to find a random woods away from everyone. He runs deep into the woodlands and finds some bushes to hide in. 

He screeches and cries in those bushes. So far away from everything that no one can hear him.

He writhes in the mud. Techno’s precious matchy hoodie getting covered in the dirt. His hair picking up every leaf on the ground. He can’t rest. He can’t rest. He can barely breathe! His skin feels like there are thousands of bugs crawling underneath (and he usually loves bug, he’s usually so gentle with them as he leads them out of buildings, but right now he wants to squash them. To kill them for his own comfort).

He digs his nails into his arms, breaking flesh as he tries to pry the feeling away (no bugs die under his hands, but there must be something, everything hurts and everything’s painful and it hurts).

He wants Techno! He wants Techno! He wants his sounder!

He cries for him.

“Techno! Techno! Techno!” That’s what he chants, but he sounds like a wild beast. No distinguishable syllables. If Techno heard him, he’d recoil over how much of a monster he sounds like.

(Techno would recoil, because of how much he doesn’t love nor need Tommy. Tommy was useless. A burden. Unwanted.)

Tommy whines.

“Techno?!”

The person he wants to hear, doesn’t. No one does. He’s alone. 

Alone.

He wanted this. To be away from everyone. To not be a burden and yet he cries out for those he was trying to make happy by disappearing. He’s the worst.

He cries into the dirt.

“Techno?” He tries once more. 

Not even the birds sing. 

Not even the bees buzz.

Tommy is alone.

Alone. Alone. Alone.

No one loves him.

He reaches out for his flip phone, desperate to hear Techno’s voice one more time, but… he can’t find it. He’s lost his phone, his map; his only way of hearing Techno’s voice one last time.

He cries.

He’s alone. 

The bugs beneath his skin seem to become of one mind, crawling towards certain points of his body and Tommy lies down and accepts his fate with a new stream of tears running down his face. He’ll be consumed. His body feasted upon. At least he’ll be wanted by something.

The feeling grows and grows and grows. His teeth ache. His ears tingle. His back aches. 

He screams as the bugs finally tear through his flesh and his body freezes as he can’t compute the pain. 

He can’t remember anything after that. Can’t remember the way his spine reforms and grows out of his back; a tail he’d love to wrap around Techno’s. Can’t remember the way his bottom teeth reform into tusks that break through his lips and cause his face to be wet with blood and tears. Can’t remember the way his ears now dangle down the side of his face, ears perfect for gold that’ll never match with anyone else.

He can’t remember anything, because his instincts take over and all his instincts can focus on is how cold he is. A single hoodie was never going to be warm enough.

Chapter Text

It’s cold as Techno sprints down the city streets. A kind of cold that stings his sensitive ears. His ears are longer, pointer and entirely more Piglin than human. There isn’t too much of a difference, outside of the cosmetic, since his Piglin features came in, but there are some changes. He can hear a tiny bit better and can block out unnecessary background noise, but they’re more of a nuisance than a benefit... 

They don’t deal well with the cold at all.

His ears had turned a bright red mere seconds after leaving the foster house behind him. They’ve only gotten progressively worse as Techno frantically searches for Tommy. You’d think he’d have become numb to the pain, but the cold and the sting is a painful reminder of what he’s missing. A reminder of all the times he’d swing Tommy onto his shoulders or back and Tommy would wrap his little fingers around Techno’s cold ears. How Tommy felt like a furnace that Techno wanted nothing more than to cuddle close to. 

At least he doesn’t have to worry about Tommy having to deal with this stinging, painful cold.

(It’s still too cold for his runt to be out here alone though, even if his Piglin features haven’t come in yet.)

It’s dark as Techno screams Tommy’s name into every crowded and empty street he runs down. It had been 7pm by the time he realised Tommy was gone (that was far too long, that was hours of ignorance; what if Tommy was hurt or someone had kidnapped his precious baby brother?!). The streetlamps had flickered on long before Techno had noticed Tommy’s absence. They were the only reason Techno could see as he struggled down every conceivable corner that Tommy could have taken.

Tommy… Tommy wasn’t necessarily scared of the dark, but he wasn’t fond of it (no Piglin was really, the Nether was a land that was always lit by lava, pure darkness is unwelcome to all Piglins). Tommy… Tommy shouldn’t have to be suffering out here. He should… he should be curled under numerous blankets as Techno protected him.

(Except Techno hadn’t protected him. He had left him to fend against the darkness alone for too long. He had naively believed he had help. He had naively gotten comfortable around people who couldn’t care less. He had naively forgotten that he was the head of their sounder. That he should be the one protecting Tommy, that he should be the one staying awake every night to keep his runt safe, that he should be comforting Tommy from his nightmares. Whatever Wilbur and Phil had done wasn’t enough and Techno should have realised that.)

(Nothing would be enough. Their sounder would always be Tommy, Techno, and their dead parents. The rest of their ‘family’ had proven to be worthless and every foster family after had proven to be ignorant to their needs. How could Techno have ever forgotten that? How could Techno have ever gotten complacent?)

(They only ever needed each other.)

Techno’s legs threaten to give out on him as he rushes down every street and still, he pushes on (he can’t feel the ache, the only reason he knows he should stop and take a breather is because his muscles start locking up with his every step forward, with his every step closer to Tommy). He can’t fall now though; he has a plan. He has a goal. 

He’s going to find Tommy and to do that… he has to be careful. He can’t leave a single rock unturned. 

Despite Techno’s clear negligence while they lived with Phil and Wilbur, he still knows his brother. He knows where Tommy will be going. There is only one place he’d feel safe enough to sleep that wasn’t beside Techno (though he apparently hadn’t felt safe enough to sleep beside Techno in so long, probably because of his accidental complacency in their foster family’s disappointing (expected) treatment). 

The only place Tommy would feel safe now is with Tubbo or Ranboo. 

Dream hadn’t heard about Tommy (but then Dream isn’t the most aware person; Tommy, Tubbo and Ranboo once built a ‘secret base’ in Dream’s cupboard with a pillow fortress and everything and the teen had been oblivious for weeks). 

If Tommy hadn’t reached there yet, he had either gotten lost, gotten hurt or… kidnapped… 

Techno needed to chase his brother down on foot even if it would be easier to hop on a bus and charge into Tubbo’s house begging for a change in their current situation.

(He doesn’t want to hop onto the bus without Tommy. That was their route back to Tubbo’s and Ranboo’s. He’d always hold Tommy’s hand throughout the journey, would worry over the kid walking up the steps of the bus (though he was definitely old enough to walk them without Techno’s help) and he’d make up stories or play games of I-spy or… or happily listen to Tommy ramble about whatever he wanted...)

(He hadn’t heard Tommy mindlessly ramble in a while…)

(He missed it…)

(He missed Tommy.)

He needs to chase after Tommy on foot, because Tommy most likely went to Tubbo's on foot. They all received pocket money (it was one of the things Puffy made sure to discuss with any foster family they stayed with), but Tommy had never been good at saving it (never needed to, not when Techno saved his pocket money up and would buy Tommy anything when he turned watery eyes in his older brother's direction). Tommy probably wouldn't have had the cash for the bus…

(Unless Tommy had started saving while Techno had been ignorant to the changes in their lives.)

(Unless Tommy had kept some money aside in preparation for this moment where he could leave Techno behind and return to a sounder that cared for him as he needed.)

(Unless Tommy had gotten desperate enough that he stole money from Phil's wallet when no one was paying attention (Phil would deserve it, he should have given Techno's runt the attention he deserved and needed).)

Whatever the case Tommy not arriving at Tubbo's hours after school ends means Tommy most likely was lost, or hurt, or kidnapped and for any of those to be possible he had… either not got on the bus, got the wrong bus or… well there were a whole lot of reasons for a person to go missing (white vans that could garb a child and speed off in seconds, creeps that lure people in with false promises; an alleyway too dark to see what you were stumbling across). Tommy could be anywhere, and Techno was going to run down every street strategically calling Tommy's name.

(Begging for his runt to come running back to him. Begging for his Tommy to come charging out through the crowds and into his awaiting arms. They'd both be crying messes, but that's fine. Techno would wipe Tommy's tears away and Tommy would mimic Techno instinctively like he always does. They'd be a disaster, but they'd be together.)

He also tries calling Tommy every couple of minutes. Hoping Tommy isn't ignoring him, hoping that Tommy is just having so much fun that he hasn't heard his cheap phone's choppy ringtone.

(It really is a rubbish phone. Techno would have gotten offended on Tommy's behalf, but… the few times Tommy had been given an expensive phone before he had accidentally shattered the screen and… well Tommy was never meant to be lost. Tommy was never meant to need to use his phone. Techno was always meant to be there. Techno was the only one who needed to answer calls (no matter how much he hated phone calls).)

He received no answer.

The longer he went without Tommy phoning him back or answering or… or anything, he felt like he was breaking. Like he was shattering into tiny parts. Like he was a vase that had been purposefully pushed to the ground and then left spread out across the ground. Just sharp shards waiting to pierce any who came close. Waiting to hurt others as he was hurting.

He didn't see Tommy.

He was getting deeper and deeper into familiar paths. Paths he and Tommy had walked along hand in hand since they were both able to walk. Streets that should only be filled with happy nostalgic thoughts, but now were filled with a sense of dread. What if Techno found Tommy half dead in the middle of the road? What if he had been in a hit and run and Techno was the first to find him? What would he do if his runt wasn't safe?

He just… he just wanted his brother.

He just wanted his runt!

He passed a post-box and remembered a time before he was the head of their sounder. Where he held a baby Tommy up to the letter box, and helped his brother post a letter they had both carefully written out (well… Techno had carefully written out, Tommy had scribbled over it in crayons). A letter that would be sent back to their own house as a surprise birthday card for their mother, who always seemed a little sad about the way her family refused to contact them due to who she chose to start a family with.

He passed the corner shop. A shop that Techno and Tommy would visit every Tuesday and Friday for a 10p mix-up. They were always jumping between the care home and foster families, so Techno had created some semblance of scheduled fun. Two weekly treats to make the dark days happy and the happy days happier. They hadn't missed a Tuesday or Friday treat day until they went to Phil's house. Until there were suddenly no nearby shops, the closest shop was a 10–15-minute drive. 

He passed the local doctor's, their GP until the current move, a place Techno had frantically found himself bursting into with an ill Tommy collapsed on his back when they met their first bad foster family. Tommy had gained a fever and the family hadn't believed Techno. Constantly arguing that Nether hybrids always ran hot and yeah, sure, but when Tommy was boiling to Techno, an actually developed Piglin hybrid, then something was clearly wrong. Techno had cared for him at the home to the best of his ability, but when Tommy stopped producing tears due to dehydration, Techno knew they couldn't stay. He had got them away from a foster family who were too stubborn to understand and into the hands of people who could actually help. 

He… he passes all these memories alone.

(He fears he'll have to pass these memories alone for the rest of his life.)

(He fears that would be a very short rest of his life without his sounder… without his Tommy there.)

He approaches Tubbo's house with no shortage of dread. 

(If dread could be sold Techno would be a trillionaire.)

He knocks the door. Firm. Loud. Leaving no room to doubt his announcement.

It's odd… knocking the door and waiting. Usually, he'd knock the door and Tommy would throw the door open and invite the two of them in without a single care. It's… a much longer wait than Techno could ever have imagined.

(But maybe they're on the other side of the door, waiting for gleeful cheers and rambunctious laughter.)

(Neither of them gets what they want.)

"I'm sorry, but we don't want what- Techno?" Schlatt had initially only pushed a small gap of the door open, but after seeing Techno he opens the door fully. He doesn't look good.

Tubbo and Dream's dad is… usually seen in a suit so carefully ironed and free of any lint that you could only assume he was a conman. That he spent hours making sure his disguise and lies were perfect, that he could talk his way out of anything. And well… you'd be mostly right. Schlatt was a lawyer. A good one (it was just best to ignore all the rumours about who he was getting paid by).

The Schlatt that opens the door is not well put together. His blazer is nowhere in sight and his white shirt has been stained in tears and mucus (Techno recognises the sight, Tommy having used him as a rag numerous times through their childhood). Schlatt's hair isn't jelled back but clumped together in knots. 

Techno knows on sight that he's not going to get a positive answer.

"Has Tommy been here?" He has to ask anyway. He won't give up until he knows exactly where Tommy is. And this is the location.

If Techno was being sentimental earlier, it has nothing on this place. There's a dent in one wall where Tubbo had rammed into it while Tommy had been chasing him. There was the biscuit tin that they used to pretend had magical properties that would change what was stored in it every time the lid was opened. There are the photos on the wall. A few contain Tommy and Techno, such as the school year group photos.

(Techno has every school photo Tommy has ever been in. He had thought it rather cruel at first, to have a couple of orphans that couldn't purchase their own pictures have to line up for an hour just to have their photo taken, but… well Puffy had paid for the first one and Techno had been prepared ever since. Keeping money aside for that very moment. He has numerous tubes filled with curled up photos he needed to frame. He had numerous photos of his runt slowly growing up over the years.)

Tommy has to be here. 

Tommy has marked this place as much as the people who live here.

"He hasn't," Schlatt says and… and…

Techno wants to snarl at him. Wants to demand he give his runt back now. That he stop lying, but… but Schlatt is a mess. Schlatt is giving him familiar sympathetic eyes and…

Tommy isn't here.

He can't repress the whine that builds up in his throat, but that… That's fine. That's a-ok! Whining is… is normal and Techno isn't even focusing on the pitiful choked sounds he makes as he reaches out for his phone and redials Tommy's number again.

Schlatt gives him a sympathetic smile.

The phone rings.

“Phil phoned, explaining the situation,” Schlatt starts explaining. 

The phone rings. 

“They’ve contacted the police and the police are out searching with Phil.”

The phone rings.

“Wilbur’s going through Tommy’s things in the hope of finding-”

Techno snarls.

The phone fades off to voicemail and Techno’s movements are harsh as he ends the call. 

How dare Wilbur go through Tommy’s things. After everything that’s happened, they think they have the right to just go through Tommy’s things like everything is normal?! Like everything is fine?!

“Hey now, kid,” Schlatt says, but Techno. Does. Not. Care.

He pulls away. Further from Tubbo’s house. Further from a false hope.

“He’s not here?” He double checks.

Schlatt sighs. “No.”

“And he’s not at Ranboo’s?”

“Do you think I'd have spent the evening comforting Tubbo if we knew where he was?” Schlatt indicates to the gross spot on his shirt and-

Techno nods his head and turns swiftly. He has no time for pleasantries. He has no time for the panicked ‘Kid!’ behind him. He only has time for Tommy. He only has time for his runt and… If his runt isn’t with Tubbo or Ranboo, Techno isn’t sure where he is.

Could he have tried to go back to the care home? Could he have tried to visit their parents' grave? Could he have new friends at school that he wanted to sneakily hang out with? Did he have bullies who have trapped him somewhere where he can’t reach his phone?

There were too many unknowns (there shouldn’t be any) and he wasn’t happy. He was even unhappier about the steps he heard catching up behind him. 

He tries calling Tommy again (his phone’s battery is on 10%, he doesn’t know how much longer it will last).

Ring…

Ring…

Ring-

“You are a pain to keep up with when you go all overprotective brother,” Dream’s familiar voice cuts in just as the voicemail kicks in and Techno hangs up the phone. 

He side-eyes Dream before turning back to his phone. He tries again.

Ring…

Ring…

Ring…

Voicemail.

He growls, a throaty sound as he glares at his phone. He just wants his runt back. He just wants Tommy to be safe and happy and-

“You really are impossible to talk to like this,” Dream says.

“Then stop trying to talk to me.”

He tries calling again, as he rushes towards the care home (it’s the closest place to Tubbo’s house that hasn’t been checked, but Techno can’t understand why Tommy would be there instead of Tubbo’s or Ranboo’s… Did… did the group of friends get into an argument recently? Has Tommy be mourning two sounders?).

Tommy doesn’t answer once again. 

“You know Wilbur, your foster brother?, he’s been frantically messaging out on social media and calling every number connected to either you or Tommy in the hopes of figuring out what’s going on. You should probably give him a call,” Dream says and… Give Wilbur a call?

Why would Techno do that when he’s busy trying to call his runt?!

Why would Techno ever do that when Wilbur took part in hurting Tommy?

“If Tommy was here, I wouldn’t tell him off for calling you a bitch right now,” Techno grunts out. Trying to call out once more.

“You wouldn’t tell him off anyway. He has you wrapped around his finger,” not tight enough apparently, because this wouldn’t be happening otherwise.

He gets voicemail once more.

He can’t stop the snarl. Can’t stop the whine. Can’t stop the way his arm rises high in the air ready to throw the stupid phone on the ground. To watch it shatter into pieces (like his hopes, his heart, his everything). 

“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Dream reaches out, stopping him from acting out in frustration (Techno feels like starting a fight, wants to shove Dream out of his business, wants to punch the teen across the face and make him suffer like Techno is). “You need that to find Tommy, remember?”

“It’s not working!” Techno cries out (he can’t help it; his feelings are reaching a boiling point and he’s seconds from just exploding and taking everything out with him). “I’ve been calling him for hours! The entire time I ran here! Again, and again, and again!”

“Hey… hey! We just… have to try again and… and again… but maybe also try some other methods…” Dream is bad at being comforting (he doesn’t know what it’s like to curl up around a hurt brother, doesn’t know it’s like to be the only thing keeping your brother alive).

“Like what?” 

“Like… like… Well, aren’t you meant to be good at tracking people down? Like you have your hybrid traits, you should be able to smell him out or something,” Dream says and Techno grimaces as he pulls away from Dream. 

“That’s a pig hybrid, a pig hybrid. They can find truffles, that doesn’t help a Piglin hybrid find his missing herd,” Techno… Techno is just… so frustrated. So frustrated. Why can’t people just understand his and Tommy’s relationship?! Why can’t they see they aren’t helping by forcing their own ideals onto them?! They are fine! “You want to know how a Piglin hybrid experiences losing their herd?”

“How?” Techno can hear the gulp in Dream’s voice. 

It’s deserved. 

It’s necessary.

“They die. There is nothing more important to us than our sounder. We can’t exist alone, it’s not possible. We break bit by bit until we’re nothing by mindless hopeless zombies. Until we’re beings without a purpose. Living an existence of fruitlessly searching, eternally wishing for something we can’t find. I am dying, Dream. Tommy is my life. He is my sounder and I’d do anything for him.”

“Even die?” Dream asks like Techno hadn’t just explained that… like he just can’t comprehend Techno’s words.

Techno looks Dream in the eye. Stares deep into a stare that has never understood.

“Especially die.”

He turns back to his phone. The phone he tried to break. The home screen reads 21:46 and Techno decides to try again like Dream had suggested. 

Ring…

Ring… 

Ri-

A clicking sound. 

A sound like someone has answered. 

“Tom-!”

“Ugh… hello?” A voice cuts him off. A voice that is distinctly not Tommy. 

A Piglin hybrid would happily succumb to death for their sounder. 

A Piglin hybrid would happily murder for their sounder. 

“Who the fuck are you?”

The person on the other side of the phone better have a good answer, or Techno would be wasting away in a jail cell by the night’s end…

Chapter Text

Phil’s fucked up.

He doesn’t know when, he doesn’t know why, he doesn’t know how, but somewhere over the last few months he’s fucked up. 

Could Tommy’s disappearance have been something malicious? Could someone have purposefully targeted Tommy and have watched him enough to know to text Techno after kidnapping him? To have known to mention Phil in the message, to know that Phil wouldn’t have been home until late that evening? Yes. It was technically possible, but the possibility was so low that he has no doubt this was an intentional case of running away.

Could Tommy have every intention of returning home after doing whatever he’s doing? Sure. He could be going out to see his friends (because apparently Wilbur hadn’t been taking Tommy to visit Tubbo and Ranboo like Phil was under the impression he had been doing). He could have made new friends at school and was out playing with them (Phil knew it was a common thing for kids to do, Wilbur had done so plenty of times when he first adopted the kid. Wilbur would disappear for hours after school without telling Phil where he was and then turn incorporeal for hours in fear that he would face harsh punishment for worrying him). All of this was a possibility, and Phil was hoping that was why Tommy wasn’t home, he knew how to deal with that. Knew how to explain what was wrong with going off the grid without any explanation, Wilbur had given him a ton of experience on that front, but…

Phil has fucked up. It wasn’t just that Tommy wasn’t home when he should be (though that was a massive fuck up on Phil’s behalf), it wasn’t that this running away had caused Techno to revert back to his mindset of sole protector (though that was also a massive fuck up on Phil’s behalf), but it was the fact that Phil couldn’t say why Tommy wasn’t home for sure. With Wilbur he knew why the kid was missing, even if he wasn’t happy with Wilbur running off to socialise without informing him, but with Tommy… With Tommy he had no idea.

Tommy had struggled to adapt to the new living situation. Phil was surprised to be honest, through the entire process of fostering Tommy and Techno, Phil had been told by everyone that Tommy would be a pleasure to look after. That the kid never had any problems with a home they moved into. That Techno would be the one to watch out for. That Techno had gotten aggressive with past foster families, and he was willing to fight to keep Tommy safe (and there was a lot he would consider a threat to Tommy).

Phil had asked questions, had researched, and talked the situation out with a child therapist (a child therapist that specializes in hybrid children. He had seen him when he adopted Wilbur and he had helped them both out with Wilbur’s new Phantom traits, he knew he’d be able to help with Tommy and Techno, so he’d gone to him without a single doubt in his mind). 

Phil had fostered the kids with a plan. A plan he had accepted might have to change depending on how the kids reacted to Phil and Wilbur and… Well… he wasn’t wrong per say. He had needed to change the plan up. Just not how any of them had suspected.

“Techno has been the sole provider of his sounder for years,” the child therapist had explained. “That’s not healthy. Herds are functionable, because they’re large. Piglin and Piglin hybrids need a lot of attention, too much attention for one or two people to be able to provide, it’s why they usually live in large groups. Every Piglin has a chance to step up and help and if a Piglin does need some time to themselves, there’s no risk to the rest of their sounder if they leave for a day or two, because they know there are others there to help. If you want this to work long term, you need Techno to see you as the head of his sounder.”

So, that’s what Phil had done. His therapist had told him there were three main things to focus on: proving he could provide for the sounder, giving out affection in a Piglin accepted fashion and making sure to stand his ground. It hadn’t been easy, mostly because they couldn’t predict how Techno would react to anything Phil would do. For all they knew Techno would lash out if Phil stood his ground, Piglins were notorious for their protective natures turning violent. 

But… Well, Techno was more reasonable than anyone had given Phil the impression of. Sure, Techno had been headstrong and bared his tusks at anyone who got too close to Tommy at first, but… he would hear Phil out before making any judgements. He’d argue against Phil, but he was always articulate and mostly reasonable with his arguments. 

After a week of discussions Techno had conceded to Phil’s arrangements and was more than happy to bring up any problems he had with Phil’s opinions. It… it had been a concerningly easy acceptance of the situation and Phil made sure to bring it up with his therapist, but supposedly that was normal Piglin behaviour if they found a sounder was acceptable. 

That… that just made Phil more concerned over Techno and Tommy’s previous foster families if this was all it took to have Techno relax around him and Wil. If the most difficult child in the care home could start to see them as sounder from a few conversations, then what had their previous families been up to?

Phil was tempted to put in a request for an investigation, to make sure no other kids had to suffer, and he’s still tempted to do so, but… he’s starting to think that maybe the previous foster families weren’t the problem, and it was the care home, because…

Tommy is not an easy kid. Phil has no problem with Tommy not being an easy kid, but he had prepared for a teenager who would fight him and not a child who would cry for hours every night. If he had been given the correct information, he’d have been able to prepare for this with his therapist before the problems started up.

Techno needed to start actually sleeping at night, so Phil took on the task of comforting Tommy every night, but the kid… The kid was inconsolable and would constantly try and interrupt Techno’s sleep. Honestly, Phil wanted to just let the kid go and sneak into Techno’s room, at least for a few nights a week, but… well…

“From the information provided it sounds like Techno has survived the early transition of his Piglin features coming through by latching onto Tommy, this has helped them both survive their unfortunate living conditions, but it’s not going to do either of them good long term. Techno can’t cling to Tommy for the rest of their lives and Tommy is learning that their co-dependent relationship is the norm; is the only way to show love and affection. They shouldn’t be fully separated, that would cause more distress, give them periods of time where they can be together on their own, but either keep them separate outside of those hours or have those hours be an entire family bonding moment. They need to unlearn bad habits, it’ll be hard for everyone, but it’s necessary.”

And sleeping hours were the hours Phil had to be most strict with. He had asked if there was the possibility of the two sharing a room for at least the weekends but was told this was a cold turkey situation. That if he let up even once, they’d both fall back into their old routine, and it would be harder to get them back into good habits.

So… every night, Phil checked on Tommy. Every night, he held Tommy close as the kid cried his little eyes out. Every night, he slept lightly just to make sure Tommy wouldn’t interrupt Techno. 

It was an incredibly unfair situation. Either Tommy got a peaceful night’s sleep or Techno did. Phil didn’t like choosing but was promised if the situation didn’t get better soon, they’d re-evaluate the current process. 

(There had to be a better way to do this, but Techno and Tommy’s situation was unique. Delicate. It wasn’t often a Piglin hybrid found themself in foster care.)

So, Phil pushed through, even as Tommy whined and complained and did everything in his power to return back to the sounder dynamic that was dangerous to both him and Techno. It was painful, but Phil tried to spoil the kid in his own way. Ruffling the kid's hair when Techno wasn’t around (his therapist had suggested minimising giving Tommy affection in Techno's direct eyesight, to try to prevent any steps backwards in their healing process, that if they were too affectionate with Tommy with Techno around, that Techno might fall back into only giving Tommy affection). And there… there might have been treats as well… An unhealthy number of snacks that would cheer any child up. An unhealthy amount that might have had Wilbur grinning.

"Aw, is your bird brain going into hyperdrive around a baby bird?" His son teased, after Phil had given Tommy some hard candies for successfully finishing his homework. The kid was alone upstairs now, Techno and Wilbur having watched from a distance as Phil had helped Tommy.

"A baby bird?" Techno had questioned, brow furrowed in a way that Phil knew meant they had to be careful with how this conversation progressed.

"Tommy?" Wilbur clearly did not understand what that furrowed brow meant.

Techno snarled. "He's not a bird."

"Obviously, I didn't mean it literally," Wilbur said, without a single care, sometimes his son had no tact in conversation (Phil is almost positive it's because he can just fade out of existence, fade out of any awkward conversations, with minimal problems).

"He didn't mean anything by it, he's just teasing me, Techno," Phil reassures, nudging his head against both Techno and Wilbur's heads (a show of Piglin affection that his therapist insisted he use if Techno was comfortable with it. Techno was surprisingly comfortable with a lot of affectionate gestures; it was constantly surprising Phil). 

"Yeah, momma birds are all about feeding their young. The allofeeding behaviour carries over to bird-based hybrids," Wilbur explains, always amused by Phil's hybrid traits (even more amused now that someone else is suffering from the effects).

"Please don't spit food in my brother's mouth," Techno says, and it's said in such a dry way that it catches both Phil and Wilbur off guard, causing them both to crack up with laughter.

(Phil had learnt over the months of Techno and Tommy living with them that Techno had a great sense of humour. He’d often use it just to make Tommy either question him with a naive seriousness or to cackle with uncontrollable laughter. It was sweet to see, and Phil was glad Techno had started to share that humour with the rest of the flock.)

“No, you brats, I do not regurgitate food into my chicks’ mouths,” Phil shook his head, but knew he was just egging his boys on (saying he wasn’t old had always made Wilbur insist he was older). 

“Ah, so you admit we’re your little chicks?” Wilbur grinned, and it wasn’t like it was untrue, but he couldn’t spring that onto Techno until he was ready (if he was ever ready, Phil couldn’t force Techno and Tommy into their family, but he’s going to try hard to prove to Techno that he and Wilbur could be a sounder he could trust to help him and Tommy).

“Wilbur,” Phil had said with a sigh (and it was all an act for Techno, because truly in his heart of heart, Techno and Tommy were already his. They were both such sweet boys who deserved so much more).

The act seemed to work, because Techno didn’t argue. Didn’t fight them over the position Wilbur had given them in the flock. In actual fact the next morning Techno had snuck Phil a list of sweets Tommy liked. 

“If you’re gonna be giving him a sugar high, at least make it something he actually likes.”

So… Phil had gone out and bought everything on Techno’s list… more than once, but… but it was for a good cause! Tommy was sad, and baby birds only got sad and loud when they were hungry (of course, Phil knew he wasn’t a bird hybrid, but he couldn’t help but see the adorable kid as his baby bird… He might have been stressing over empty nest syndrome since Wilbur had grown taller than him. His son is years from leaving the nest, but… he worries).

It hadn’t helped. Not really. Tommy still wasn’t connecting with Phil, not really. All he wanted was Techno and…

Phil was worried. He was incredibly worried, but he had to keep up a strong front. Had to be the adult. Had to be the one everyone could rely on as a sturdy pillar. He had to be their father and that meant… listening to his therapist’s advice (even though he challenged him more and more every time he visited). That meant figuring out how to word an e-mail to Puffy to explain his concerns. 

But ultimately Phil had fucked up. Maybe it was because he hadn’t pushed his therapist enough, maybe it was because he hadn’t managed to finish typing the email out, but whatever it was he’s lost his youngest. He’d lost Tommy and this is hell. 

Techno had run up to Tommy’s room, desperation and denial seeping into his every movement.

Phil had phoned the school and had no reply.

Wilbur had freaked out as he scrolled through his phone, sending messages out to his friends asking if they had seen Tommy.

Phil had phoned the police and explained the situation.

Techno had run after Tommy the second he could (but there was no destination in mind, only a Piglin hybrids desperate bid to find their sounder no matter the cost). 

And Phil was left to wait for the police to arrive with a Wilbur who was on the urge of a panic attack. 

Phil needed to know why Wilbur had lied about taking Tommy to his friends, but he couldn’t even begin to ask the question with the way Wilbur was almost hyperventilating. They’d… they’d have to deal with that later. 

“Deep breathes, Wil,” Phil had reassured him, his instincts screaming at him to be in three places at once (a very impossible solution to his problem), so he solved the one problem he could solve while he waited for the police (who would help with the needing to be in more than one place at once, when they got here to help).

“I…I- can’t- I-”

“Match your breathes with mine,” Phil shushed, forcing Wilbur to focus on his breathing. “There, there, Wil. You’ve got it.”

“But Tommy-”

“We’ll get him back, don’t worry. I’ll go out and help Techno look for him. You can stay here; in case he comes back on his own-”

“No! I want to go out and help. It’s my fault that he’s gone! I can find him!” Wilbur had that look about him, the look that promised he was about to disappear and do whatever he wanted, so Phil put a comforting hand on his shoulder.

“Wil, you can help us out more here. You can reach out to his friends, try calling him and them. You have a lot of friends you could message for help, and we need someone to stay back home, just in case,” Phil had stressed the words, made sure Wil knew how important they were and…

“Alright, but if he’s not back by midnight, I’m going out. I can break into houses without anyone knowing!”

Phil laughs. “We won’t need that skill.” Well… he hoped they wouldn’t. Hopefully Tommy was just lost… Lost was much better than any of the alternatives.

(Lost meant he still fucked up, why was his littlest bird wandering alone to get lost?!)

The police arrive. The situation is explained more. And then… Well, there’s the searching. 

It’s an odd situation, having to coordinate with the police so you can cover more ground. There’s a lot of having to call the officers that had come out (a lovely young lady with roses in her hair and a frog hybrid with white hair). Keeping each other constantly up to date.

Phil flies high above the world, hoping the aerial view will make his job easier. The officers drive around and radio in for the hopes of more information. Wilbur tries to reach out to as many people; tries to uncover anything they’ve missed and tries calling Techno and Tommy (Wilbur cries to him on the phone that their phones are busy, and Phil can only imagine Techno hasn’t for a single second stopped trying to reach out to Tommy).

They search, and they search, and they search, and they come up with nothing. 

There’s no precious blonde child who cries every night over nightmares. No stubborn child who pretends he doesn’t like the sweets Phil gives him. There is no sweet flock who is trying his best to adapt to a new situation!

He needs to find Tommy, now!

The police call. 

He answers.

“Any news?” He asks without greeting (there was no time for pleasantries).

“Well… Maybe… A case of a child losing themselves to their instincts came in that matched the description of Tommy, we were wondering if that could have possibly been Tommy? You didn’t mention any hybrid traits…”

Phil can feel his entire body deflate at that painful reveal. He doesn’t bother repressing his sigh.

“No. Tommy’s not a hybrid, that can’t be him.”

“Ah, alright, we’ll keep searching then.”

“Keep me updated,” Phil hangs up, speeding off. It’s a shame there’s a child hurting out their due to his hybrid instincts, but Phil only has room in his heart to be concerned over Tommy right now. He’ll be sympathetic for others once he has his little bird back home.

Chapter Text

Hannah Rose-Dude never expected to end up where she was, then again there were some days she wasn’t sure she ever make something of herself. Her younger brother Quackity was always so sure he was meant for big things and her two other brothers were content not aiming for anything grand (Boomer was happy following whichever sibling he dubbed was doing something ‘fun’ and George was happy sleeping his life away). But for Hannah… she didn’t think she’d amount to much. Being put for adoption by her biological parents who had tried, but decided it wasn’t for them, and then being thrown from house to house before being adopted by her dad Sam Dude, well… it wasn’t a great environment to cultivate her own sense of identity and worth, but… 

Somehow… 

Somehow, she had made something of herself, and she needed to thank her dad for that. He had adopted her two years after he had fostered her (and it would have been a whole lot sooner if the system hadn’t made them jump through so many hoops), but she was his daughter (his only daughter, who made her by default his favourite daughter) and she was happy and… 

She wanted to be like her dad. 

She wanted to be like Sam Dude. 

She wanted to help families, wanted to help kids that are suffering like she was, wanted to be a force of good in the world and… well there were many ways she could have gone about that. She could have been a social worker, could have become a therapist, but she knows she’s more of a doer. She likes to be out in the action. She’d rather run until her heart is thumping so loudly against her chest, she’s sure it’s trying to escape her. 

She becomes a police officer. 

It’s not… Exactly what she thought it would be. 

There’s still a lot of paperwork. There’s still a lot of carefully worded sentences to reassure others. There’s a lot of tragedy: people they’re too late to save, people who fall into desperate situations that legally they can do nothing about; she’s seen the worst of people and she still has to get up every day and remind herself that there’s plenty of good in the world. There are people like her dad. 

It’s tough, but she gets by (it helps that Boomer’s there, even if he’s only there because he wanted to drive the cars with sirens on… it may be a lame reason, but he is saving a lot of people and that’s what really matters at the end of the day).

And it’s worth it when she gets to help in cases like this (well assuming they find the kid, but it’s better to stay positive, to believe that they will find little Tommy, that the kid has just taken a wrong turn somewhere).

“Take the next turn, Boomer, we should look through the city centre,” she demands, and her brother obeys, smoothly taking the corner like he was born to drive. “What do you think the likelihood is that the kid snuck out to play at an arcade or something?”

“About the same odds as the kid having run away, because of abuse or because he was kidnapped.” 

“Boomer!”

“What? It’s not like I’m lying, that family had no idea why the kid was missing, and they didn’t even have a single photo to share with us. All we have is a vague description, do you know how many blonde-haired, blue-eyed kids live in this city?” It’s realistic, but… 

“You’re wrong as always, and as the favourite sister I’m going to prove it to you,” Boomer sighs.

“You’re my only sister.”

“Thus, I win by default,” and she’s… she’s hoping that’s true. The situation, from a distance, doesn’t look good, but… 

She remembers what it was like being shuffled around to different houses. Remembers how she lost baby photos and photos of her biological family. Remembers how she kept things to herself, hoarded items away just in case this family wanted to steal something. She remembers what a family that doesn’t care looks like and…

She had seen Phil, the father of this family, doing everything within his power to look for Tommy. Has seen Wilbur, one of the siblings of the family, crying and searching out for reasons why Tommy had disappeared. Had heard how the last brother of the family had gone charging out to go searching for their missing family member.

The family cared, it was hard to hide that, but… there must have been some kind of misunderstanding or miscommunication, there always was with foster families (Hannah remember when her dad was asking if he could adopt her, and she had cried and begged him not to give her up before he even had a chance to explain why they were going out for a fancy dinner). She hopes that this family is the one for Tommy and that whatever happened was something simple, something that could easily be solved (Quackity used to run away all the time, positive that they didn’t care).

“Are you sure you’re not trying so hard, because the kid’s name is Tommy?” Boomer asks and Hannah gasps.

“I take full offense; I always try this hard.”

“Yeah, but you feel guilty about our last foster brothers,” Boomer says and… he’s not wrong. 

Their dad was always adopting. Always trying to help out the less fortunate. But he also is always realistic. He won't adopt more than he can afford, won't stretch himself super thin; won't make him and his family homeless from his need to help. So, it was after Hannah and Boomer had moved out that he had looked into adoption again, and it was then that he met Tommy and Techno. Two Piglin hybrid brothers in foster care.

It was never going to work, not because Tommy and Techno weren’t worth fighting for and not because their family wouldn’t be willing to fight for them, but because the needs and hierarchy between Piglins and Piglin hybrids is so different from anything else that it was almost impossible to know what to do. They had tried, they all had tried, even George who never really cared how these things went. But…

Techno and Tommy just wanted a place they could rest for a while before they moved on to the next part of their life’s journey.

Sam wanted to be family. 

Hannah had watched as her dad did everything to make them comfortable, to make them feel at home with them. He tried doting on Tommy, tried proving to Techno that he could look after his sounder and Techno had perceived it as a threat. As someone trying to take Tommy from him and…

Hannah feels guilty about it all. She had noticed. Had noticed on the weekly family dinner nights that they weren’t ever going to be family. That they were going to do more harm if they continued to push (she should have spoken up, explained how Tommy and Techno just wanted a place to feel safe for a little while, just wanted some stability, but she had allowed her family and herself to remain in denial. To remain ignorant and the two-person sounder had suffered from it).

“They’re big boys, they’ll be fine,” she says, all the while knowing they won’t be, because one is a literal child, and the other has given up their entire childhood for their brother.

“You-”

“Code Eight,” the radio crackles between them, cutting off their conversation as they focus in, “a Mob call has turned out to be a lost Piglin child.”

“Any signs of a nearby family?” Another officer replies. 

“No, the child is showing signs of going through the Piglin change. There’s a lot of blood, an ambulance has been called, but we need to calm the kid down first. Find his sounder.”

Hannah calls in. “Do you have a description. We have a lost child on our end.”

“It’s dark, but the kid can’t be any older than eleven and has blonde hair.”

“Copy, we’ll be making our way over,” Hannah agrees, cutting the radio out on their end. 

“Hannah, there’s no way they’re the same Tommy,” Boomer sighs, while giving her this pitying look. “Phil, didn’t mention any hybrid traits.”

“We won’t know unless we look, and why would he mention them when Tommy shouldn’t have those traits yet-”

“There’s no way Techno would have allowed for Tommy to run away-”

“Techno could have easily been the kid that’s out searching, that is Piglin behaviour to a-”

“Why would Tommy leave Techno? Those two dare not let the other leave their sight!”

“I don’t know, but isn’t better that we look? And I can phone Phil and Puffy up as you drive us over, just in case.”

“Fine,” Boomer sighs and drives towards their newest destination. It’s… it’s a little far off from both Tommy’s old care home and the new foster house, but… it’s so easy to get lost. So easy to take one wrong street and end up in the completely wrong location. 

She phones Phil and Boomer looks like he has to repress the ‘I told you so’ when the call ends, but Hannah doesn’t let it get to her. She phones Puffy and-

“Yes, Tommy and Techno’s new foster family is with Phil Craft. Did you want to meet up with them? I’d have to get Techno and Tommy’s blessings first, but they’ve been doing good in the new house. I’m sure they’ll say yes,” Puffy sounds so… so happy like she’s glad the brothers are finally finding some peace and quiet and now… Hannah has to be the one to break the truth to her.

(It’s not the worst news she’s ever had to give.)

“I’m actually working right now on a missing person’s case with Phil Craft, he claimed his youngest wasn’t a Piglin hybrid…”

“What?” Puffy says, disbelief in her words. “But I made sure the paperwork got out to him. I- He said he read everything. He was able to answer questions about their welfare like he had read everything. Are we sure this is the same Phil Craft?”

“Checking that now, we’re heading towards the scene where a young Piglin child is going through the change,” trying to be calm, a reassuring pillar, when everything sucks is… hard. But Hannah, as always, tries her best.

“No,” Puffy’s pain is obvious, as is her anger. 

“One son, Wilbur, was trying to look up information on the kid online, while the other son had rushed off to look for Tommy, I didn’t get a chance to find out the kid’s name, but that is something that-”

“Techno would do. He’d… he’d push himself to exhaustion looking for Tommy. He’ll die before giving up on his brother. I… I’ll look into this on my side. This shouldn’t have been possible!”

“Thank you, Puffy, hopefully this’ll be solved quickly,” with a quick farewell she hangs up and… she can’t resist the ‘I told you so’. “Oh, it’s just the ‘guilt’ talking, huh?”

“It could be a coincidence,” Boomer argues. 

“A pretty ridiculous coincidence.”

“It still could be.”

They’re silent the rest of the journey. She should maybe reach out to Techno, she should maybe call and scream at Phil, but… it’s best to be 100% sure before she does either of those actions. She needs to make sure she isn’t giving teenagers heart attacks and that she isn’t yelling needlessly at civilians.

They arrive swiftly, and she can understand why this was called in as a potential Mob attack. They’re at a woodland (that’s already been bordered off with police tape, and having large spotlights directed into the foliage). And there are grunts that to the average person would sound inhuman.

(To Hannah it sounds like a scared, desperate child. She can remember hearing that sound from Tommy, from Techno, when they mistakenly thought they were being separated. When they thought, Sam was trying to replace Techno in their sounder.)

“Do you know where the kid is?” Hannah asks, rushing over. Desperately looking. 

“We think he’s over there,” the officer nods in one direction and without waiting for any confirmation or doing anything professional, Hannah books it (Boomer can cover for her).

She darts behind the police tape and quickly approaches the area, ignoring the voices behind her yelling for her to be careful. She has to know. She needs to know. 

“Tommy?” She calls out gently, hoping for anything (anything positive).

She gets a snarl. An angry panicked snarl and-

She’s knocked over as something sharp digs into her side. She falls over with a yelp of pain, but that… that doesn’t stop her from staring with wide eyes at what she sees. Tommy.

Tommy.

There’s so much blood. 

It runs down the front of his face, those tusks clearly not growing in slowly like they’re meant to. Having knocked Tommy’s normal teeth (and Tommy was young enough to probably still have a couple of milk teeth, right?) out of whack, to grow and breaking past his lips, lips that hadn’t adjusted to make room for the sudden growth (shouldn’t have had space to for years).

His ears are longer and are bloody, though whether his ears are actually bleeding or it’s just blood that’s been smudged onto the flesh there, Hannah can’t tell, because Tommy’s hands are covered in blood. He had nails that he never did before, and they’re covered in the sticky red substance. Self-inflicted damage from what Hannah can see (there are tears all over his hoodie… Techno’s hoodie).

The most jarring thing for Hannah though is Tommy’s eyes. They’ve always been this pleasant sky blue, like Tommy is this bright sunshine child, but right now his eyes… his eyes are a deep unseeing blue, dazed and angry like the ocean through a storm and-

They’re just like Techno’s…

Just like Techno when he had lost control of his instincts and tried attacking her dad. 

“Hannah!” Boomer yells, rushing over and Tommy snarls, but backs away. Scared of the group in front of him and-

“Are you ok?”

“I-”

A phone rings. An old, annoying ringtone chiming out and she looks down … There’s a phone. Tommy’s phone?

The screen says Techno and…

Hannah answers.

“Tom-”

“Ugh… Hello?”

“Who the fuck are you?” And that sounds like Techno, sounds like the teenager who would do anything to protect Tommy.

“Ugh, it’s Hannah, you remember from your last home-”

“He went back to you?!” Techno sounds so offended, and Hannah can’t help, but laugh. An awkward, disbelieving laugh.

“No, I’m pretty sure he just tried to kill me. We need you to get over here now.”

Hannah would like to say everything went smoothly after that. That she wasn’t chewed out by her superiors and her brother, that Techno had arrived and was instantly allowed to help Tommy, that everyone got to return home that night to their own beds, but well… she’d be lying. There was talk whether Tommy would be able to survive being tasered if anything went wrong, there was the fact they had to physically restrain Techno and his friend until they had lured Tommy into a safe area, and there was having to call up Phil and explain exactly how he had messed with a perfectly good sounder. 

It was a lot of work, but they had managed to give Techno his one chance (and it was only one, if anything went wrong, other officers would get themselves involved). They let Techno wonder into where Tommy was and-

It should have been a heart-warming sight to see, a sounder being reunited, but… Tommy's tiny frame shudders as his dazed eyes focus onto Techno. Shaky steps, steps that shouldn't even be possible with how roughed up he looks, shuffle Tommy's small frame backwards, away from his sounder. Small tusks are bloody as they're bared towards the brother that had raised him, the brother that had been there for everything but the most life changing moment a Piglin will experience. The brother that had missed the one moment a sounder couldn't afford to miss, and the most tragic thing about the situation is Hannah knows, she knows, Techno would never have wanted to miss this moment. 

“Does it hurt?” A younger Tommy had asked one night back when Hannah was still their foster sister. She shouldn’t have been eavesdropping, they didn’t trust anyone in the family, and this certainly wouldn’t have helped, but she couldn’t resist it. Couldn’t resist trying to understand these two brothers who refused to be apart for even a second. Couldn’t resist trying to understand why it felt like they would rather die than be separated. 

“It doesn’t have to,” she had heard Techno say, and she winced, knowing that… that wasn’t exactly the most reassuring sentence to hear, if one of her younger brothers asked her if something hurt, she’d be reassuring them that it would be fine (even if it wouldn’t be… Quackity still didn’t trust her after she assured him the doctor’s needle wouldn’t hurt).

“But it can?” Tommy asks, and to Hannah’s surprise he hadn’t sounded worried or fearful, just curious. An honest and unbreakable trust in his older brother’s judgment.

“If you gain your features early, either from stress or them being forced out, it will hurt. Your body isn’t prepared for it, but if they’re allowed to grow when they’re meant to it’ll be fine, maybe a little uncomfortable,” Techno had made a weird noise, a noise Hannah would later learn Piglin’s called a ‘chuff’, a sound that is meant to be comforting (and it was, if not a little shocking to hear that first time). “You won’t have to experience the change for years. We’ll have our own house by then, a place that’s just our own. And you’ll kick up a fuss on purpose even when you’re fine and I’ll complain as I wait hand and foot for you, but I won’t mean it. I’ll secretly love every second of it and be so proud of you and- what’s the matter?”

“You’ve went through it before you were meant to…” Tommy’s voice sounds wet, and Hannah wishes she could peer in their room at them, but she’d give herself away. She’d scare her new foster brothers away.

“I have,” she’s never heard Techno sound so soft, so sweet (it was like he was talking about his everything).

“Did it hurt for you?”

“Not as much as not being able to do anything for you. Not as much as having to sit aside as they hurt you.”

And Hannah knew, in that one moment, that their foster family was never going to be enough. That maybe no foster family ever would. She’d try, oh she had tried, but the devotion those two brothers had for each other was unlimited, which is why… Which is why… This hurts.

“Tommy,” Techno says, his voice soft (the same softness as all those years ago, the same reverence, the same devotion). “It’s alright. You’re safe. I promise.”

And usually that would be enough for Tommy. That would be enough, but… 

But something has changed since Hannah has last seen these boys and it doesn’t make sense.

“Toms,” Techno says, the nickname is familiar, but the answering snarl is not. 

Hannah never thought Tommy could ever sound so frustrated (she never thought a child could simultaneously sound so terrifying and terrified).

“I don’t get it,” Boomer mutters to her, trying to not interrupt the moment in front of them (as though the flashing lights from the numerous police cars and ambulances weren’t already distracting enough, as though they weren’t making a spectacle of these two innocent brothers). His eyes darted between the two. “Weren’t they all like I’ll-murder-for-you before? I thought for sure the next time we’d see them Techno would be thrown in jail for throwing hands.”

Hannah elbows Boomer and doesn’t care that he grunts in pain. Her brother doesn’t matter right now, what matters is the two brothers reuniting before her and…

Although Techno has managed to get closer to Tommy than any officer has managed thus far, it doesn’t look like it’s going to be particularly safe for Techno either (sounder should run straight into their herd’s arms, Hannah had only got Techno this chance with Tommy because they’re meant to be sounder. This was meant to be a done and done deal. She can’t in good conscience allow Techno to keep trying, but…)

She glances over to the head of this operation, and he hasn’t said anything yet, so… 

She lets Techno take another cautious step forward…

It ends up being a terrible idea. 

Tommy snarls, a warning snarl, a sound everyone knows to run from if a Piglin makes and-

Techno… Techno was on the edge of falling into his instincts since the moment he entered the scene (probably for hours before, since Tommy has been missing, maybe even before that), but now… now… two pairs of unfocused blue eyes lock onto each other (one pair filled with the need to escape and protect himself, the other pair filled with a desperation to reach what is his and protect them).

Tommy charges forward and what should have been a hug, what should have been a heart-warming moment is anything but. Tommy comes forward with sharper claws than he’s ever had and newly grown tusks and Techno… 

Techno holds his arms out wide, prepared to take everything Tommy is willing to give him.

Tommy gives him violence.

It’s a horrific sight to see. A small child throwing themself at their older teenage brother, digging sharp claws into flesh and tearing it apart. Tommy snarls and grunt and hisses at Techno, trying to hurt the brother that, until this moment, has looked after him so gently. 

And Techno…

Techno makes the comforting chuffs, and his arms wrap around Tommy’s shoulders and brings him in closer. Holds him tight to himself and tries every comforting trick he can imagine (every comforting trick Hannah has seen work before. Gentle hands running through blonde locks, forehead nudges, little happy snorts). 

Nothing works. 

It’s like watching two people talk but both having different conversations. Like one person is trying to explain how something they said was a compliment while the other gets increasingly offended. 

It’s like watching animals fight, how you want to insert yourself to stop them, but how sometimes the violence is necessary, how sometimes this is how they make their peace with each other.

Techno hugs Tommy; holds him close like he’s everything precious in the world. Tommy makes him bleed; digging his nails down Techno’s arms like he needs to fight him off. Like he needs to hurt Techno and then escape. 

“This isn’t going to work,” Hannah stares in worry and… she remembers how she hadn’t been able to help before, how everyone had ignored the signs of Piglin hierarchy and… how the boys had suffered from it. She looks at the tasers and the threats all around them and knows, everyone is going to do the exact same thing now.

If Tommy gets tasered while in Techno’s arms, he’s going to associate that pain with Techno. He’s not in the right state of mind to recognise the nuisances of the situation. He won’t realize that Techno is trying to protect him from that. They… they need to stop treating them like they’re normal human kids, because they aren’t.

Once a Piglin’s traits come through, other Piglins will treat them as adults. 

Once a Piglin’s traits come through, they’re expected to fit into a role in their sounder.

A Piglin is meant to go through the change surrounded by their loved ones, by their sounder. If they aren’t they sometimes consider themselves alone. Abandoned. A sounder of one. 

Tommy needs to understand he’s not alone; Techno needs to make Tommy understand his position in the sounder and… 

With the two of them fallen into their instincts like this… there’s only one way that they’ll be able to understand that. Only one way for Tommy to calm down enough to accept everything that’s going on. 

“Techno,” Hannah steps forward, she’s greeted with twin growls. She stops, takes a calming breath. “Tommy isn’t seeing you as sounder right now, he went through the change alone, he needs you to help him remember who his sounder is. Who you are.”

“Hannah, what-” Boomer says behind her, but she ignores him, focuses on the kids in front of her, hoping they understand before things get worse and-

Techno makes a sound between a snarl and a chuff; tusks break flesh and Tommy whimpers as he tries fighting Techno off one last time. All it takes is a few seconds, and Tommy goes limp as his shoulder bleeds into his older brother’s mouth. 

It’s a tragic sight in front of them all. A sounder that has been put through more than they ever should have. A sounder that just wants to be happy. A sounder that deserves peace and quiet and so much unconditional love and-

Hannah hopes she made the right choice. 

She hopes she hasn’t accidentally hurt their relationship with this decision. 

She wishes for nothing but happiness for her foster brothers…

Chapter Text

His runt is in his arms. His runt is in his arms and yet… things aren’t as perfect as they should be. His runt had fought against him like he didn’t recognize him. His runt is bleeding like he’s about to die. His runt is lifelessly in his arms.

Techno holds his runt close. Holds him so tightly they’re practically one being, and he chuffs. 

The chuff isn’t hindered by the fact his teeth, his tusks, are firmly embedded in his runt’s shoulder. Chuffs build up from the chest, you don’t need your lips or tongue to make those comforting sounds. And his runt needs those comforting sounds. His runt had needed this comfort all evening (his runt just hadn’t realised it, had been panicked and not thinking straight; not realising Techno was trying to comfort him. Was trying to be there for him like he always had and always would).

His runt doesn’t react to the chuffs, his body remaining perfectly immobile, and Techno pulls him closer with a whine. Blood rushes into his mouth, but he doesn’t care if it slips past his lips or is drunk. Piglins don’t bite because they like the taste of blood, they bite to assert dominance. Techno should never have needed to prove such a thing to his runt, his runt knows he’s the head of their sounder. Knows that only Techno can play this role for their sounder. 

“I’m gonna be a Gatherer!” His runt had proudly informed him, before when they were (safe) discussing the different roles that existed among Piglin herds.

“Oh?” Techno had tried to sound inquisitive but came off more amused.

“What? Don’t think I’d manage?” His runt huffed; cheeks ballooned up like an angry pufferfish.

“I didn’t say that; I just thought you’d suit being a Trader more,” and it’s true, his runt would easily be able to convince even the most stubborn fool to do what he wanted them to do. He had a way with his words, even if that way was to just keep talking until someone conceded, and if all else failed his runt gave the most adorable puppy dog eyes. Bring in baby blues that were hard to ignore and his runt would never miss an opportunity. “Why’d you even want to be a Gatherer, that’s a lot of hours doing the same thing over and over, wouldn’t that bore you?”

“But you wanted to be a Gatherer, right? If you wanted to do it, then it must be the best thing,” and his runt… his runt looks so certain in this. Like it was fact that everything Techno wanted to do was the best thing and-

Techno’s eyes had softened as he ran his hands through his runt’s golden hair. 

“I wouldn’t give up being a Protector over anything, so surely that makes that the best role?” 

“Then I’ll be a Protector!” 

“Can’t,” Techno had snorted, ruffling his runt’s golden locks enough that his runt squawked. “We’re a sounder of two, we can’t both be Protectors, we’d be at each other’s throats.”

“Then you be a Gatherer and I’ll be the Protector!” Techno had nudged his head into his runt’s, fond of everything about his runt, even the stupid exclamations he makes in ignorance.

“It takes a lot to convince a Piglin to change roles once they’ve settled into one. You’d have to convince me that you could protect our sounder better than I can.” 

“I can do that,” his runt looked so proud, and Techno couldn’t help but laugh.

“I doubt that; you’re always going to be a runt to me. My runt.” 

And he is still his runt. Even when his nails broke his flesh, even as he tried to bite him with tusks he shouldn’t have yet, even as he’s found a role Techno can’t be sure of yet (Protector. He’s a Protector, he had to change to protect himself, like Techno had to change to protect his runt. His runt thought he was so alone he had to forcibly grow up to defend himself). Tommy is his runt and he’s going to protect him (even if Tommy’s only enemy right now is his own self… and whatever caused him to want to leave, Techno was going to interrogate Tommy as soon as he had shaken his instincts off).

It… it takes longer than Techno would like to admit to talk himself out of his instincts, he thinks if Puffy was here she’d have already convinced Techno and Tommy that they need to think and communicate, but she isn’t here. All Techno has is the night, a bloody and injured Tommy in his arms and flashing lights from police cars and ambulances. It takes him far too long to realise he’s probably unwittingly hurting Tommy (whether that be from the way his body is crushing his runt beneath him, or the way his tusks are still sunk into Tommy’s flesh). Tommy whimpers constantly, but in his dazed state it takes far too long to realise he’s part of the problem. But…

But every time he starts to get past the haze of instincts, someone approaches and…

Every time someone tries stepping closer, he snarls at them (which makes Tommy whimper and causes his body to slump even more in his hold, which in turn make Techno chuff-chuff-chuff at him and…) and-

Fall deeper into his need to protect.

It’s… It’s a whole process, but Techno does come around. Tiny bit by tiny bit. He… he needs to get Tommy over to the ambulance, needs to make sure Tommy is safe, but… (but his arms are the safest place for Tommy to be, no one else can protect him like Techno can, he can’t just let his runt go, what if-).

Footsteps approach. Recognisable footsteps. 

Instinctively he growls at whoever is approaching and clings tighter to his runt’s motionless, scared (his runt is scared of everything right now, he needs to be somewhere safe, somewhere less stressful… less… less everything), form closer to himself. 

The footsteps hesitate. They do not retreat.

“You know… you said something earlier about dying without Tommy, if you… keep that up you might… uh, lose him or-”

Techno snarls, a vicious sound that makes everything around them jump (including his runt’s heartbeat, his runt is alive, alive and as safe as can be in Techno’s arms).

“That’s not… that’s not,” Dream sighs, because that is the moron that’s talked of him losing his runt, talked of death and his runt in the same sentence. “Why am I the one they sent over?”

Techno side eyes Dream and… his old friend looks like a mess. His white trainers that he cleans thoroughly every time a bit of dirt splatters on them are covered in mud, and his hair is a windswept sweaty mess and… Techno can’t see it well from his angle, he can’t bring himself to move far from his runt, but Dream’s eyes look so stressed, they’re darting around, and they look slightly watery, and Dream looks like he’s the one that’s lost his runt.

Techno… Techno doesn’t care all that much about what happens to Dream, they were close at one point, but it’s been a while and Techno has more pressing things to worry about, so… He stops trying to threaten Dream away from him and focuses on his runt. His runt that… he still can’t bring himself to break away from. 

(The tusks must hurt, right? Does his runt feel them every time Techno moves? Every time he tries to threaten another away? Do his chuffs vibrate through his tusks into Tommy’s very being? Has he asserted his dominance, proven his place in their sounder enough yet? He… he doesn’t know. He hadn’t learnt this, he had foolishly thought they’d never have to go through this, thought they were both sure of their position in their sounder, that Tommy would go through the change at a happier time in their life. He was looking forward to that happier time.)

“Right,” Dream says, kneeling down beside him (Techno can see mud clinging to Dream’s trousers and… those are jeans. Dream has been running around in jeans to keep up with him?). “I have no idea what I’m doing here, but can you snap out of this? I… I’m starting to understand I really didn’t fully comprehend your sounder… bond thing? And I’m sorry about that, but you can’t want this and… Tommy’s really bleeding, and there’s a team over there that are just waiting to help him. We just need you to bring him over, are you even understanding me right now?”

He wants to say that ‘yes, yes he can understand Dream’s incomprehensible rambling’, but… but Techno isn’t sure he knows how to unhinge his jaw. How to lessen the way his jaw doesn’t want to move away from his runt. Doesn’t know if he can stand letting go and losing Tommy.

(What if he lets Tommy go and his runt runs away in panic again? What if he lets go and their sounder bond is unfixable? What if Tommy can never be his brother again? What is the foster system separates them now that they’re both mature Piglins? He’s… he’s tried so hard, for so many years now to keep the two together. To be everything that Tommy needs and… it can’t have been for nothing. He can’t have been Tommy’s whole world for so long only to lose it.)

He whines and pulls Tommy closer to himself. 

Dream sighs and fully sits beside him. 

“You really are so hard to deal with like this,” Dream rests his chin on his closed fist, before jolting upwards. “I mean, ugh- you know what, no, you are hard to deal with like this, why can’t you just tell me what I need to do to help? I want to help you and Tommy, you think Tubbo’s going to be ok knowing how Tommy is when he’s wanted nothing more than to see his little friend recently? Do you think you’re going to be ok with what you’ve done once you’re out of your instincts? Just what do I need to do?”

And Techno’s first instinct is to tell him to go. To leave them be. That they’re fine, but…

They’re not.

They’re not, they’re not, they’re not-

‘-there has to be a better way for this to work-’

He tries to speak. Tries to articulate the fact that… that he’s not sure this is working (whatever this even is-).

‘-I can help-’

That… that he needs… help… He needs help.

‘-I care-’

That he’s done everything he possibly could have done and now he’s failed, and he doesn’t know how to collect the pieces back up. Doesn’t know how to solve this problem, that this was never within in his calculations-

He tries to speak, but his mouth is filled with blood and Tommy, and he wants to let go, wants to speak, but he can't risk it. Can't risk it. 

He can't lose Tommy. Can't lose his runt. They've been through so much together and he's tried so hard and… most importantly… he loves his brother.

He loves his brother so much… 

Tommy is his world. He always had been. Since that very first day at the hospital; the day Tommy was born. Their dad had been stressed beyond belief, trying to keep an eye on Techno who patiently waited outside the delivery room and his wife who was in the process of giving birth to their second child, to Tommy. Techno was the fourth person who got to hold Tommy (after the nurse and after his mum and after his dad). He had sat on the bed right beside their mum as their dad had guided his hands into the right position and… Tommy had stared at him with wide mesmerized blue eyes (Techno stared back with an equally as wide and mesmerized and blue gaze). Techno knows there's always talk of connections and bonds forming from a single glance in fiction and he never really believed it, but he couldn't deny he was overwhelmed with love from that single first glance.

(But then… the connection never really formed then. It had formed from the second he was informed he'd be an older brother. He had spent hours reading his books to their mum's baby bump. He was always asking questions about how he was meant to act now that he wasn't the youngest runt anymore. He swore he'd do anything for his brother and the feeling only grew when he officially met him.)

Little Tommy had been his everything. He had doted on his brother, helped his parents out with him and made games for them to play even as Tommy was too young to properly understand. Maybe Techno was always perfect for the role of Protector. 

He doesn’t want to lose that. 

Doesn’t want everything to break.

He wants his sounder.

But he can’t stay here. He can’t. Tommy is injured, that’s more important than Techno’s comfort. He wants his runt to be healthy and safe and-

He can’t do that alone. He can’t. No matter how he wishes it was otherwise. He… he needs help.

But. He. Just. Can’t. Move.

He’s trying. He’s really trying to will himself to get up, to gather Tommy in his arms and bring him to safety, but he can’t. His body is just not obeying him, stuck in this state of panic.

(And it is panic, he’s so terrified. Terrified for Tommy. Terrified for himself. Terrified for their future.)

He looks over at Dream, tries to plead with his eyes alone, tries to beg for the understanding he’s never gotten before, the understanding Dream promised to try and give him from now on. Dream stares. And stares. And-

“Are you stuck? Like did you bite down on bone or something and have just been jammed there this entire time,” Dream says, completely in disbelief and-

Somehow… somehow… that completely shakes him from his instincts. Did… did Dream genuinely think his tusks were stuck? That he couldn’t remove them from Tommy’s neck? That… that he was just flailing around this entire time with bone tearing into bone? The… the thought is so stupid, so like Dream, that Techno… Techno’s jaw relaxes (and… ah… that feels so much better, he… he didn’t realise his jaw was so tense, that… that kinda hurt). And he manages to pull a centimetre away from Tommy, blood drips past his lips and he splutters.

“Heh?” He manages to grumble, to question, before Tommy whines and-

All of Techno’s focus is on Tommy again and-

Oh…

His runt…

His runt.

Tommy’s face is a mess with tears streaming down both cheeks, his eyes are completely dazed as he stares blankly ahead, his Piglin features are so tiny and small and heartbreak fresh and his neck is profusely bleeding. And Techno… Techno did that. He hurt his brother, his runt, his sounder, just to keep them together, to keep their positions in their sounder the same and- 

(Was there ever a justifiable reason to hurt someone you love? Techno doesn’t think so, this shouldn’t have happened. How did this happen? He, he can taste Tommy’s blood in his mouth, and he wants to throw up at the taste of iron that won’t leave, that will never leave, his lip will be eternally stained red like a murderer’s hands are stained red and-)

“Hey, Techno, it’s alright, uh…” Dream stutters, presses on something in his ear and-

Dream is talking through a headset? What…?

Flashing lights catch his eyes and- right… This was technically an emergency scene. Piglins going off the rails, probably going to make the morning news round, because nothing was more fun to discuss than a Piglin losing control. 

With narrowed eyes, Techno pulls Tommy close to him. Holds him tightly in his arms and hopefully shields him from the rest of the world. Tommy whimpers and Techno gently shushes him, wants to reassure him everything will be fine, but he’s not sure it will be.

(He hopes it will be.)

(He’ll… he’ll make sure it will be.)

“Tell whoever it is, I’m fine,” he grunts at Dream, not completely out of the instinct driven desperation. “I’m bringing Tommy over right now.”

“Right,” Dream relays the information, keeping close to Techno, they’re not far from everything of course, but… it is reassuring to have someone he knows on his side as they approach everyone. Approach their jury, judge and executioner.

The first to approach is Hannah, and isn’t it weird to see her around? When he heard her on the phone, he was reminded that he’d happily kill for his runt, but she had been nothing but helpful the entire time. It… it was jarring, all he remembered from her prior was judgemental glances and wary apprehension (but maybe that was justified, look what he’s done to his runt thanks to his instincts; his lack of control over his instincts… but then… Hannah was the one to suggest it… what if she wanted to separate them? To keep Tommy for hers and her family?).

“I’m glad you got control of the situation,” Hannah says, just to be contrary to his epiphany (but maybe they’re always destined to be on opposing sides). “Let’s bring Tommy over to the ambulance, quick.”

A part of him wants to just run off with Tommy. Go and start life in a nice little cave somewhere (maybe travel to the Nether, surely, they’ll fit in more naturally there), but a larger part of him knows he can’t. Tommy is bleeding (Techno made Tommy bleed), and he needs help. So, he follows behind, quietly… subdued. 

He stares down at Tommy as Hannah talks about something and Dream tries to banter and nudge into his side (he’s never been good at multitasking, not with his whole world in his arms).

(It can’t be a deadly wound, Piglins instinctively do this all the time, he’s seen the scars on other hybrids and Piglins, their dad had these kinds of scars, but Tommy is so little and young and- what if Techno’s hurt him more than he can recover from? How will Techno survive? He can’t survive without Tommy. He refuses.)

Because he can’t take his eyes off Tommy, because he can only focus on every shift and movement Tommy makes, he notices when Tommy’s blue eyes start focusing, notices as Tommy’s eyes trail across Techno’s face, notices how he relaxes before tensing and whining.

(It takes everything in him to not just fall back into protective instincts, to think carefully and get actual words out.)

“Tommy? It’s Techno… I promise you’re safe, we’re together,” nothing seems to work, no matter how gentle he is, Tommy starts struggling (and they can’t afford to do the whole bite routine again- who’s to say it’ll even work). “Tommy, please, tell me what’s wrong?”

He doesn’t care if this conversation is in front of everyone, doesn’t care if it’s an inconvenience to the officers and medical professionals; he needs his runt to be comfortable first.

Tommy struggles more, but he’s weak from everything, he’s forced to slump back even though he doesn’t look happy about it (he should be happy in Techno’s arms, he always was before).

“Matching…” Tommy grumbles and-

They’re matching brothers. It’s just a thing that helps their instincts; to see each other in similar clothes and usually Techno wear the red hoodie Tommy is currently in (and that would usually be an endearing sight, but it’s bloody and torn apart and Techno doesn’t know whether to cry because Tommy is hurt or because his precious matching hoodie is destroyed) and Tommy would usually wear anything red, but… Well, the hoodie… the hoodie had been fraying for a while, threads falling away every day, it was so old now that… Techno didn’t want to risk ruining it further, so he… kept it safe in his room. Right by his bed so he could stare at it on the nights he woke up sad that his runt wasn’t in reaching distance. 

He had been planning on suggesting he and Tommy get a new matching outfit (but well… they hadn’t been shopping together, and Techno had failed to realise that like an idiot, and Tommy hadn’t even been given new clothes and Techno hadn’t realised that like the biggest moron).

“I can’t match when you’re wearing my hoodie,” Techno keeps his voice gentle, sweet, like seeing the hoodie torn up, isn’t tearing him up on the inside (he can’t stress Tommy out, especially when he’s injured like this). 

Tommy whines. “No. Not like that, though… want to match… Want to match in every way. We’re meant to be matchy brothers, but…”

And Tommy’s eyes trail to Techno’s ear where-

Gold sits cold and lifelessly against his lobe (it has been something amazing to get before, Tommy had seemed happy, but… but he took too long to say anything and Tommy was always quick with his compliments or insults, he shouldn’t have taken so long to talk about gold- but maybe he was dazed by the gleam- but no, he wouldn’t be acting like this now, if that was the case- Tommy hated the earring and-).

“You’re matchy with Phil now.”

Techno has never heard Tommy sound so heartbroken before and Techno-

Techno freezes. 

He matches with Phil?

Why would Tommy ever… ever…

Tommy had stared at Phil just as much as Techno that day, at both of them freshly pierced and-

Techno hadn’t thought anything of Phil getting a piercing at the same time as him. Hadn’t thought it was important, he was too caught up in his own piercing and how Tommy would match with him and-

Yeah… that did look like a sounder bonding moment, didn’t it? 

Had… had Phil intended for it to be a sounder bonding moment? 

Techno… Techno feels cheated. Feels like someone’s manipulated him into something he didn’t want. And… and maybe he’s overthinking things, Phil just said it looked cool and it wasn’t like Techno really cared what Phil was doing, which is the opposite of what a sounder experience would be, but… it still feels… horrible…

The cold gold suddenly feels like it’s crawling. Like it’s biting him. Like it’s trying to constrain him, force him to be something he doesn’t want to be.

He doesn’t take his eyes off Tommy, his actual sounder, his only sounder, but he releases one arm off of Tommy. And Tommy looks like he’s about to bolt but can’t bring himself to when he sees Techno’s hand raise up to his earring. Morbid curiosity keeping him in place, which; good. Tommy deserves to see this, to know Techno’s devotion.

(Maybe Tommy doesn’t deserve to see even more bloodshed tonight though.)

His fingers curl around the gold and maybe Hannah catches on to something because she hears her yell ‘No!’, but it’s too late. 

Techno yanks.

He doesn’t even feel it as the earring splits his lobe in half.

“Matching, only with you,” he promises, and he intends to keep it this time. None of this foster family stuff, he’s done with all that nonsense, he has his family with Tommy and that’s all he needs.

Chapter Text

Puffy had been having a good day. It was her day off (though she always had her phone on her in case of sudden work emergencies) and she had spent the day with her son. It had been a good day, no worries, no emergencies. Just her and her son having fun, going on a little shopping spree and then having a meal together. It wasn’t until she was on her way home that everything went to shit. 

An unknown number popped up on her phone and she answered it with a sense of dread. There was always a chance it was some phishing scam (she gets more than enough of them), but more likely than not it was something work related (she can’t even begin to count the amount of times someone has called her to inform her something bad had happened to one of her kids, her profession as a social worker has led to her having to accept that she and her kids were going to have some very, very bad days).

The caller was a young woman named Hannah Dude. A woman Puffy was vaguely familiar with due to her father fostering and adopting numerous kids over the years, due to the fact her father had fostered (with the hopeful intent of adopting) the set of brothers Puffy was most familiar with. And like she feared since her mind made that connection… This call was about those poor boys.

Puffy was kind of new to the whole social worker job when she met Techno and Tommy. In all honesty she may not have been the best person to be put on such a sensitive case, Piglin and Piglin hybrids rarely found themselves in the system, and when they did the situation was usually volatile and horrifying for all parties involved. Puffy saw people turn away the possibility of helping them and stepped in. She might have been new, a little inexperienced, but she had enough heart and stubbornness to see them through.

And she had. 

She got the boys to trust her. She had pulled all kinds of favours and used as much legal jargon and loopholes as possible to keep the kids together (could it really be considered a loophole when the system was meant to try and keep siblings together?), all just to get the kids what they wanted. She treated Techno as an adult, like his early change made him appear to be to the average Piglin, all the while helping Techno reach decisions that were good for him and his brother (the day Techno had agreed that therapy seemed like a good idea had been such a relief to Puffy, who was always worrying about Techno and Tommy’s mental health). 

She had done everything within her power to make their lives easier, while not disrespecting their boundaries and wishes and-

It wasn’t good enough for some. 

Some foster families wouldn’t even consider the idea of accepting the Piglin brothers into their home, so sure that the two would be violent, insisting that they couldn’t risk their families for some potentially ‘troubled’ children. Some foster families were so sure they had the ‘answers’ to make the kids' lives easier, only to quickly realise that Techno and Tommy didn’t need ‘fixing’, they needed an environment that was hard for the average person to comprehend.

Puffy can’t blame those families that tried and failed. There were many mornings Puffy woke up and wondered if treating Techno as an adult with the same decision-making skills as someone in their twenties was a good idea. But it was the only way she had been able to make Techno trust her, to the Piglin culture it was the ‘correct’ thing to do, but sometimes she’s haunted by the image of a young ten-almost-eleven-year-old clutching his baby brother close to his chest and she knows that if she could she’d have wanted to shield the kids from the rest of the world. To protect them from the horrors of the adult world for as long as possible.

She couldn’t though. That would never have helped them. Techno might have gotten aggressive (he had already been aggressive when they first found him in that home that had neglected him and his brother). He might have attacked and then Tommy might have been separated from him and… Piglin and Piglin hybrids can’t survive alone. Tommy would have had his traits come through before he even reached double digits and…

It was painful to know Techno had to sacrifice his childhood to protect Tommy, but that was the only way the boys could have survived Foster Care. Until Techno decided a family was good enough to be considered sounder, the two were forever going to be drifting, clinging to each other as they fought for stability. 

Puffy’s methods were often brought to question, other social workers giving her unwanted feedback or trying to insert themselves into her case (the amount of people who told her how they’d have done her job, but flee, when the possibility to act is brought up, is a little ridiculous). But Puffy constantly updated her bosses, was constantly in communication with her Piglin boys, and often consulted professionals who focus on Piglin dynamics and relations. 

Puffy did everything she could to give them the best chance they had. 

She found them homes that had a reputation of being good to hybrids, or homes that were willing to learn and try. She answered every call they made where it hadn't worked out for them and helped when they wanted to leave the foster family they were with. She fought behind the scenes with everyone who thought she was making a mistake, that thought they knew best while giving her dreadful advice.

'Tommy would have already found a home if Techno wasn't being so overprotective, you need to tell his therapist to work on that.'

'Their co-dependency is really concerning; I don't know how you deal with kids like that.'

'If I was working on their case, they'd have already found a home. Have you thought about a nice Piglin family?' 

The advice was always dreadful, especially that last one. Techno wanted nothing to do with another Piglin family after everything that happened to put him and his brother into social service's protection. Not to mention Piglin families were so tight knit that it would be hard to bring Techno, an adult in a Piglin's eyes, into their fold. Techno and Tommy joining a Piglin family was asking for trouble. And, sure, if it worked the benefits would be great, but… getting to that point could be life threatening. Puffy would not put her boys into a situation that has the potential of ending their lives. 

Which is why the current situation is… less than ideal.

When she found their current foster family, she had been very hopeful. Wilbur had been a special case, like her boys, with a tragically terrible background and Phil had managed to help the kid. He had gone through everything to help his kid get used to his hybrid traits and Wilbur was flourishing under Phil's care. Phil knew what it was like to be a hybrid and he knew how to learn and care for another hybrid. She had high hopes and…

She thought it had been going well.

On her check-ups with the kids, they had appeared happy enough with the situation. They both appeared... hopeful… in how they described the fostering and their new foster family (neither would open up completely to a family that fast. They had gone through too much to be trusting, but this was the best reaction she had ever gotten from them and… She had become hopeful).

But…

Now…

The hospital is busy, which could never really be considered a good thing, but the floor she's currently approaching is even more manic. There's yelling in the distance and growls and grunts she knows to be a warning, one voice is achingly familiar (Techno's voice had dropped pretty early on in Puffy’s relationship with the boys, and it had been deep ever since). The other voices are also vaguely familiar.

"-his legal guardian, I'm meant-"

"-but, in cases with Piglin children, we're not allowed-"

"-Can't we just-"

Puffy pushes through the crowds (and they gather, like there's a spectacle they wouldn’t dare miss, like Shakespeare himself has been reborn and is performing in the middle of a hospital hallway. Sometimes human nature to be curious was so very, very cruel). She doesn't care if she treads or anyone's toes or if her actions are perceived rude (how could she ever regret shoving people who stand back and watch the drama of other people's lives like its high-quality entertainment?). No, all she cares about is reaching her boys and-

"Leave!" She hears Techno snarl before she sees him. "Now!"

There's a higher pitched growl from a voice that should only know how to whine and huff and chuff and-

On one side of the corridor stands Phil. The man's blonde hair is a mess like he's been flying around all evening. His hands are clasped tightly together, his sharp nails digging into his own flesh like he wants to be clinging to something, like he wants to dig his talons into something so tightly it could never escape. Standing in front of him is a police officer that must be Hannah, the young woman looks exhausted. Puffy understands it must have been a long shift for her, and how she probably never expected to be in this situation with her old foster brothers.

There, standing opposite them with a few lingering doctors and nurses, is Techno. His frame blocks out a fair chunk of the doorway. He sways where he stands, like his legs just want to give in. There's blood trailing down his face, matting his hair and splattered across his clothes. He's completely covering the form of a person, who could only be Tommy, but…

Puffy can see long ears peeking out of blonde hair. Can see a tail that keeps jerking nervously in every direction (a tail that seems to jerk and tense even more whenever Techno's tail gets close enough to brush against). Can see so much blood… an alarming amount of blood. That can't be Tommy, but…

Tommy is the only one Techno would curl around protectively like this. Tommy is the only one Techno would be comfortable being this close to. Tommy…

Tommy has gone through the change.

Over the phone Puffy had been told about a Piglin hybrid losing themselves to their instincts. Had been told Techno and Tommy were involved. And… for some reason, even though she had been told otherwise, even though she had been told all the details of the current situation, she still had expected Techno to have lost his patience with their current foster family and to have run off with Tommy. There was no world in which Tommy goes through the change early. There was no world where Tommy’s life was put at risk so thoroughly that he needed to change himself. There was no world where Techno would allow Tommy to mature before he needed to. 

The sight in front of her doesn’t compute. She doesn't think it ever will. 

(She was always sad over Techno losing his chance to be a child, but she had always felt a little glad knowing at least one of them wouldn’t go through the change early. If one of them could grow up as the child he deserved to be, and the other got as much support as she could give, then she had done her best.)

(Now two young Piglin boys were going to haunt her dreams. An eternal reminder of the future she couldn’t prevent for them.)

“You bring nothing but misery!” Techno screamed towards Phil, pulling Tommy closer. “Stop ruining our happiness! Leave!”

“Te-” Phil tries to speak, looking overwhelmed, concerned, confused-

It’s Puffy who steps forward to interrupt and set things right. 

“Techno, what do you need?” She questions, because she is here for these boys. She has always been here for them. She will always put them first.

Her voice seems to put almost everyone at ease. She sees Techno’s and Hannah’s shoulders relax. Tommy’s ear twitches (she doesn’t know what kind of emotion that expresses in this new changed Piglin, but she knows that means he's at least aware of her presence). And Phil turns toward her. 

“Puffy,” Techno acknowledges, he even sounds much calmer. “Tell Phil to get lost.” 

“I’m sorry, I just-”

“Okay,” Puffy agrees, easily cutting Phil off. She looks the older man dead in the eye, makes sure her seriousness is seen to her very core. “Phil, I need you to leave. Wait outside, I’ll come to see you when there’s an opportunity.” 

Puffy has no idea what arguments have been shared, she has no idea what is even going on here, but whatever fight Phil had before this leaves him in an instance. 

"Alright. I will be waiting in the cafeteria. Please keep me informed," Phil relents, as he walks away the crowds slowly start departing (the current act ending, all impatient for the next act to begin, but aware this is the interval).

The further away they get, the more relaxed Techno gets. His grip doesn't leave Tommy though, and it reminds her of when they first met. A terrified Piglin child clinging to his younger brother like his life depended on it. Back then Tommy hadn't seemed to mind, babbling happily to his older brother whether Techno heard or not. Now… Now Tommy almost seems listless, it's… unpleasant. Disturbing.

(A child that is that energetic and happy should never be quiet like this. Should never have had their traits come through early.)

"What now?" Puffy asks Techno (she never demands. She asks questions, makes suggestions, but never demands).

"I… Tommy needs medical attention; he's bleeding a lot. I… I don't want to leave him on his own though," Puffy doesn't think Techno physically can bring himself to let go of Tommy.

"Alright," Puffy agrees and arranges with the doctors a way for both boys to get looked over, while sticking with each other. It's not hard to arrange, doctors are used to Piglin and Piglin hybrids being overbearing through medical procedures (it's why a lot of sounders have their own doctors within the family, so they don't have to stress over an outsider trying to help their sounder).

Both boys end up needing stitches. It's painful to watch. They're both clearly exhausted, but neither are comfortable enough to sleep. Neither can sleep without the protection of home and sounder around them. Techno watches every move the doctors make and can't stop himself from snarling every time Tommy so much as flinches.

It's a slow progress, and Puffy knows this is going to have lasting effects… Tommy grumbles back instead of chuffing like he used to, neither brother can relax even though their sounder is right there and the bite mark that starts on Tommy's neck, only to span down onto his shoulder is deep and going to scar…

The fact Techno even thought to leave a scar of dominance of his younger brother shows just how poor of a state the two of them are in. Puffy… Puffy is well informed on the kind of scars Piglins can leave on each other. She had done her research, and it was one of the many reasons she had been hesitant to even look at Piglin families for the brothers (it's why she was glad Techno had been equally as hesitant).

"Scars are pretty common amongst Brutes and Protectors, they're even more prevalent on newly changed Brutes and Protectors who are trying to find their place in a sounder," Puffy had been informed while researching, when she was trying to figure out if she needed go push for a Piglin family even though Techno didn't want one. "Techno's current mindset wouldn't be good for the average Piglin sounder, he's comfortable being Tommy's only Protector and if someone challenges him, which any matured Protector would, he wouldn't hesitate to fight back. With a situation as delicate as theirs, that's guaranteed to end up with Techno hurt and Tommy unable to trust anyone who hurt his only surviving sounder. This… is quite the rare case, a sounder formed of two, I'd recommend keeping a careful eye on them, you'll have to make sure they don't overdo it. They'll need all the help they can get."

So, Puffy had observed and helped and-

Things weren't perfect, there was no world where this situation would be perfect, but it was going alright. And… it had never gone this sideways so quickly before.

Puffy continues to watch over them through the procedure, and when they've both been cleaned and stitched up, when Tommy's been given painkillers to help with the pain of going through the change young, when Techno demands they leave so Tommy can rest, she assures herself that she is going to do everything she possibly can for them. Like she always has.

It would be cruel to ask more of them right now though, so she saves her questions for later (and Hannah must also feel the same, because although she needs to talk to the brothers about the whole running away thing, she promises to stop by another day). 

Puffy saves her questions for her boys for later, there's someone she can demand answers from, someone she has to demand answers from, and he's waiting downstairs just for her.

She, temporarily, leaves Techno and Tommy to their hospital room (she can’t do anything more for them at their room, they’ve secluded themselves and she has to trust they’ll reach out to her like they have every other time something has happened in the past). She heads down to the cafeteria. 

Phil sees her before she sees him.

Maybe he had been eagerly waiting for information, maybe he had been idly twiddling his thumbs; it doesn’t matter why he was waiting; it doesn't matter if he was remorseful or if everything that has happened was done intentionally or not. What matters at the end of the day is results.

“Are they o-”

“Sit down,” Puffy says. Phil had been rising from his seat, and she can’t be bothered to read whether it was because he was eager for information, or if it was some weird form of politeness like he was trying to greet her. She doesn’t have time to analyse everything, all she has time for now are the facts.

She falls into her seat with a deep exhausted sigh.

Phil is quick to follow, obeying her command with an awkward gait.

“A ripped ear lobe that needed six butterfly stitches, that’s going to take up to six weeks to heal and will forever leave an ear torn apart. Twenty stitches needed to close up a bitten shoulder… not to mention that the doctors are worried the wound could be infected and that if it is, the patient in question might struggle to fight the infection off, due to his body being weak after being forced to go through an early Piglin change,” she says it all so clinically but the anger in her voice can’t be misplaced (and she can’t bring herself to stay professional, she is angry. Rightfully so). “What do you have to say? How could something like this have happened?”

Phil has this look that is both horrified and worried and a few weeks ago Puffy would have believed it. She had no doubts that this man was trying his best for her boys, but right now… She can’t find it in herself to be merciful. To be generous with her opinions. Hannah had mentioned somethings over the phone and she’s not sure how much she can trust Phil right now if what she said was true… 

Right now, Phil is the biggest potential threat around, and she is evaluating him as one.

(And if he proves to be a risk, she’d see to it that he never fostered or adopted ever again.)

“I should have done more,” Phil says, at last (the man had opened his mouth, tried to force words out and failed numerous times before finally choking on them). “I was following my therapist's advice and following numerous parenting methods, but… it wasn’t working, I saw it wasn’t working and I was planning to bring it up, but I didn’t do so in time and… They’ve suffered more than I could possibly imagine, and it would have been such an easy thing to catch if we just spoke and-”

Phil had been looking down at his hands since he started speaking, like his hands had all the answers in the world, but now… Now he looks up. His eyes burn Puffy where she sits. They’re desperate, depressed… grieved. 

“I didn’t know Tommy was a hybrid. I didn’t know Tommy was also a Piglin hybrid.”

And that…

That doesn’t make sense.

Sure, she had heard Hannah say that, but… it doesn’t make any sense.

“You went over the documents I gave you. I questioned you about the documents, there was no way you didn’t know Tommy was a Piglin hybrid-”

“Nothing you gave me mentioned Tommy being a hybrid. Nothing,” and now Phil looks angry. “Why wouldn’t Tommy’s legal documents mention something so important?! And is that why Techno clung to Tommy? Because they were both Piglin hybrids? Were they purposefully forced together because of their heritage, forced into an unhealthy dynamic to ease social services’ burden?!”

“They were never forced together. Techno has known Tommy, Tommy’s entire life, because he is biologically related to him. They are brothers by blood and heart, which you should know. It was also mentioned in their files,” Puffy says and…

Lying is something you have to get good at reading in her line of work. There are many scummy people in the world, and some are scummy enough to try making a profit from fostering kids. But… She can’t sense any lies from Phil. Which… Doesn’t make any sense. She knows Techno and Tommy’s files like the back of her hand. She knows what she had requested to be sent off. She knows what Phil should have read and-

Phil’s answers to the files had made him seem completely informed. He must have read something and-

She can’t give Phil the benefit of the doubt on this. She can’t. So, when the silence has pressed on them for a little too long, when Phil asks his next question, she doesn’t beat around the bush. She is painfully honest.

“Are you going to take Techno and Tommy from their home?”

“There'll have to be an investigation. Tommy has never run away from a home before, neither of them have ever gotten this injured before, no one has ever claimed to have been given false information about Tommy before… An investigation will have to take place and the boys will have to want to stay. I wouldn’t say it’s looking too good that they’ll be staying, but ultimately the decision isn’t up to me.”

She wishes it was. If it was up to her, the kids would be free of this torment. They’d be allowed to grow exactly as they wish. They’d be happy. 

She has a long night ahead of her. Preparing things for Techno and Tommy. Arranging for a thorough investigation. 

She can’t wait for the night to be over. Can’t wait to get home where she can wrap her arms around her son and remind herself that the world isn’t all lost, that some parents treat their children right. But for now…

She stares Phil down as the man goes through an impressive number of emotions and she plans. Plans every phone call and action she needs to take…

It’s gonna be a long night.