Safe in Brother's Wings Chapter 19: Disturbia, a DuckTales + Big Hero 6 Crossover fanfic

Chapter 19, everybody! And look! Civilization! And once again, I have to say that I have the thinnest of ideas of Californian geography, so please bear with me.

So apparently there's this thing now where your cremated ashes can indeed be forged into a diamond—or a vinyl record, and since Mom wants to be cremated we've been half-seriously discussing these options (hopefully it won't be something to worry about for many, many years). Me…actually you know what I'm not sure what vinyl I want to be I'll get back to you (but Beth's plan is tempting, ngl). And as Sashi said, the knight on a bike thing is something I saw on Tumblr—y'all don't have enough to do.

And as it turns out there's canon evidence for Beth's thought just look at Baron Von Steamer and Supersonic Sue. "Pleasant Valley Sunday" is a song by the Monkees, by the way.

For those of you unfamiliar with bird anatomy, the nares are basically bird-nostrils, and sometimes do have little scrubbly hairs on them—my Pionus parrot does, for example, and nightjars really do for sensing bugs. In bird-people cases, it kind of crosses over into cat whisker territory.

Also, kind of based the setting this chapter on the suburbia setting from E.T., and the title is a lift from the Shia LeBeouf film of the same name, which in itself is based on Alfred Hitchcock's movie Rear Window. Which I actually like better than the remake….

In other news, this fic and writer supports Second Amendment rights and you would too if you lived in the country we have wild animals people some of which are immune to the smaller calibers REMEMBER THE BEAR. D:

Angelwings2002, thanks for the review! YES. 3 And yes you go girls. :D And I do too that movie's so quotable and I end up thinking about it every time I cook. Thanks, I hope I can continue to please! :D

Hexyah, thanks for the review! Yes I very much love writing friendships we need more of that and it makes me happy writing it so there you go. :D

It was about the third night of flying when they spotted something on the horizon.

Tadashi still wasn't getting a decent night's sleep, was staggering in the air sometimes, agitation starting to wear him thin—had to stay focused, just—when they landed again, he'd actually sleep through the day this time, wouldn't jerk awake because of nightmares or thinking that the kids were getting into trouble…figured being tired was why he was seeing stars on the ground instead of the sky, kept thinking that until 'Kase said something.

"Guys…I think that's a town up ahead."

They skirted around it, struggling to keep the kids from diving down to check it out—saw streets and highways beginning to snake beneath them, started angling to follow them, Sashi wondering aloud if they should swoop down to see which interstate they were following, Brittany shooting that idea down by pointing out he'd make someone drive clean off the road if he did.

It was weird, though—he'd have thought that the sight of civilization would have gotten everyone energized, would have sparked some conversation. It did, but…the conversation was muted, concerned—they had been out in the wilderness for what felt like ages, and it just felt surreal seeing towns and streets and lights again.

Especially knowing how anyone down there would react to bird-people.

Tadashi shook his head, trying to get the fuzz out, ignoring the exhaustion and hunger gnawing at him—they were both common now, flying took a lot out of a person—said they'd have to look for a place to land and hide early if they were in populated territory again.

They skimmed around another town and back into uncharted territory again though, highway lights and headlights the only manmade sources of illumination around, stars starting to make a comeback but still sparse compared to what he had become used to. Try to settle back into his usual rhythm—ended up staggering in flight again, causing Violet to whistle in concern.

"I'm okay," he muttered, blinking hard. Violet didn't feel like she believed him.

Neither did Grump apparently—surprised him with a low hough and bark, causing 'Kase to glance over her shoulder before dipping down lower, the way she usually did when looking for someplace to land.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"All those in favor of Tadashi getting more sleep, say aye," 'Kase said.

"Aye" came from at least five different sources.

"You guys suck," Tadashi muttered.

"I want more sleep too," Sashi said. "Specifically, I want sleep at that Four Seasons we passed a while back. I'll take a Motel 6 at this point. I'll take a back room at Denny's."

"You'll take the coffin I pick out for you and like it," Brittany grumbled.

"Nah—guys—guys, if she kills me I want that thing done where they forge my ashes into like a diamond, and then I want you guys to set that diamond in a sword and avenge me."

"That's a lot of work just to avenge you," Sue pointed out.

"Yeah, but I want it to be…metaphorical. No…poetic? I don't know, I just want to be sleeping."

Tadashi's eyes were itching with exhaustion and he was barely following the thread of the conversation, but he managed to glimpse Beth and Sue exchanging glances.

"What do you think?" Sue asked. "Too much effort?"

"I'm retired," Beth said. "I get the feeling I could visit a senior center and get more than a few people in on this whole thing."

"So the moral of the story is people do crazy things when they retire."

"I'm thinking of filing away the turn into a diamond thing—I want mine set into a ring to be worn on the middle finger."

Tadashi staggered again, this time from laughing.

"All right all right, chill," 'Kase said, angling down—the others followed her, landed in some hilly scrub that provided some cover and gave them some height to see if anyone was coming for them. Sashi landed, staggered, sat down hard enough to wake Drew.

"Sorry," Sashi said. "And—I know a guy, one of the preppers, he's into like ye olde fashioned blacksmithing—I already told him I want a sword and a suit of armor, I'd be ready for the zombie apocalypse then—just ride around on a bicycle, full knight armor, swinging a sword—"

"Are you being serious, or is this you being super-tired right now?" Tadashi asked, sitting down and telling himself he was just resting his eyes.

"Pretty sure I saw it on Tumblr," Sashi said, patting the area around him before sprawling out. "But it's an awesome idea. Pretty sure a suit of armor's effective against most things."

"I would pay good money for a Walking Dead episode like that," Sue said, curling up around Harry and Trisha.

Tadashi was sure there was a whole other conversation, but by then he was horizontal and barely registering kids crawling on him.

He jerked awake a few hours later.

"Nnh—what time is it?" he muttered, rubbing his face.

"Half-past stupid-o-clock—go back to sleep," 'Kase ordered.

"You need—"

"I will clock you with a rock if you don't go back to sleep."

"Fine, fine," he muttered, curling back up and trying to pillow his head. "Wake me if you need anything."

Her hmph told him that wasn't likely.

It took a while for him to drift back off, and when he did it was into the well-worn treads of nightmares, of something bad happening to his family, his friends, of Callaghan catching him and finishing the job—a couple of memorable times he had Hiro do it. Interspersed were run-of-the-mill odd dreams—being caught in his underwear on campus was oddly refreshing when he woke up and looked back on the break, but not during. And then the memorable one of coming downstairs to Aunt Cass sitting and chatting with 'Kase, Grump, Beth, and Sue in the café, all of them bird-people, Grump with his half-glasses and vest, pouring tea and informing him we're having a marvelous garden party, and you're not invited.

He wasn't certain what to make of the garden part of the garden party being the weird plastic ficus you'd find in waiting rooms and lobbies.

And then the one that was just plain concerning, of trying to tug clothes on Hiro and Nox in their bedroom, yelling every time they pulled them off that they wouldn't allow them on SFIT property unless they were dressed—

He could tell—this dream just felt snarly and weird, felt off—he had been on edge bracing for nightmares and every time he was worried something would happen—

Tug the shirt back on Hiro, telling him he'd like the classes at SFIT they had flying classes now and Lena was in charge of snake-bashing that was a thing—could feel himself twitching, sensing this dream starting to go sour—spin to catch Nox before he could crawl out the window—

Something was wrong—their room looked…different. Nests, scratchy and junk-filled, walls coated with scratches and nicks from claws, Hiro sitting on his haunches and loudly complaining about having to wear clothes—

Glance at the windows, shrinking even as he looked at them—grab Hiro and hustle him to the stairs, going forget the clothes—he always tried outrunning his bad dreams but that almost never worked—

The stairs were all wrong, branching and twisting, leaves blocking the view of the diverging pathways—he wondered aloud where Aunt Cass was—

This way, Hiro said, tugging him down a slippery path—Nox kept trying to pull him off—they reached a platform and he and Hiro started arguing—

Hey, stop—grab them both, pick a direction and go—

Come out of the deeper bushes into the woods, keep going, glancing up—no bars that he could see. Glance around—they weren't safe, they were being hunted….

Somehow ended up on the SFIT campus.

He blinked, looked around—what—

Hiro was tugging—grab them both, start running in the other direction—something was wrong, his legs were snarling and not wanting to bend right what—

Stumble, fall, Hiro and Nox tumbling away—Tadashi spun to see what was wrong—

His legs—his legs were wrong, encased in jeans and feet in shoes, no talons or scales or feathers to speak of, no tail—scramble upright, trying to get to—

'DASHI!

Gasp at the sight of SFIT burning, of Hiro trapped in one building, of Nox in another—

Of Callaghan and the microbots barring his way.

You can only save one, Tadashi—which will it be? You have to choose one or the other.

It was an impossible choice—it shouldn't have been—

Try for the third option, dream logic telling him to get rid of the boogeyman causing this, leaped for Callaghan, fully intending to slam his fist in his face—

Halfway through his fingers flexed out instead of curling in—

On top of him suddenly, talons wrapped around his neck, blood seeping everywhere—dead—he was dead—

Oh hon, monsters don't have families.

The familiar terrifying sound of a burning building crashing down on itself—

'DASHI!

He jerked awake, breathing hard—crashing crunching noise still sharp in his ears—

Wait—it was a real thing, it had a source—

"Whoever's doing landscaping at this hour is getting my fist in his face," Brittany groaned, face buried in her arms. Tadashi sat up tentatively, ears pricked, scanning the area…spotted a guy at the base of the hill, putting trimmed tree limbs in a woodchipper.

"Well," he muttered to Brittany. "Welcome back to civilization."

"Civilization can shut up for about three more years."

Tadashi watched the man work. "Well I can go down there and ask, but I don't think that'll help."

"Super."

Tadashi shifted around a little, getting his haunches under him—having an ice-shock moment at being relieved at the now-familiar feeling.

They couldn't get to San Fransokyo fast enough.

Nox murmured, stretched—flopped down, arms stretching, fingers grasping—rolled the other way—Tadashi moved a foot or two away so he'd be out of Nox's reach, shuffled over to 'Kase, one eye on Nox and the other on the nearest houses and yards. They were on the edge of a development, he thought.

"So what do you think?" he asked 'Kase when he was close enough. "Missed this?"

"Not hardly," she said, eyebrows twitching as she looked down the hill. "I never knew the outside of a lab before you, remember?"

Tadashi felt his wings ruffle a bit in embarrassment, tried very hard to ignore that feeling. "Okay fine—what do you think of it now that you see it?"

"Boring," she said promptly. "Ordinary. Not enough happening down there to warrant all the fuss."

"'Another Pleasant Valley Sunday,'" Beth murmured, looking like she was trying for more sleep, Mei and Drew and Taylor curled up against her chest.

"Izzit Sunday?" Sashi asked, yawning.

Ah. "Beth, what do you think?" Tadashi asked her.

Beth's tail twitched. "I think if I lived here me and woodchipper guy would be having words."

"We'll tag-team him," Brittany said.

Tadashi grimaced, looked around, looked at 'Kase—tipped his head at the rest of their hill. "Maybe we should move further into the woods—less exposed."

"I thought you were desperate to get back to this," 'Kase said, gesturing.

"To San Fransokyo—this isn't San Fransokyo. And I'd rather not try to explain to suburbia about the feathers."

"Tell them it's new wave."

"You can get away with that in the city; not so much here."

"Word gets out and then you're the crazy survivalist family hoarding bullets and baked beans," Sashi said, half-lifting his head. "What time is it?"

"Daytime, if I had to guess. Come on, it's darker under the trees, we can get some more sleep that way."

"And be less exposed," 'Kase said, guessing his ulterior motive. "And when you say we, are you including yourself in that estimation?"

"I was thinking you might like a break—"

"All those in favor of Tadashi getting more sleep say aye."

"Aye" came from at least five different sources.

"Seriously," Tadashi huffed. "You guys suck."

"You'll get over it."

'Kase got Grump to take over for a while, curled up in a ball to sleep…decided she was being stupid when she went to curl up next to Tadashi, although it paid off when he stirred and tried to get up only for her to growl "Don't even think about it."

Her sleep wasn't as restful as she would have liked—having to cut flying short meant sleeping longer meant she wasn't sleeping as hard when she tried, and her stomach was gnawing at her and getting hard to ignore. And the idea that there were people—normal people—just past the tenuous safety of the trees…her mind was screaming no-danger-bad-not safe no matter how hard she told it to shut up. Combined with the jerk down the hill with the woodchipper, and any sleep she did get was fleeting and full of half-remembered snippets from a life that wasn't hers.

Flying through the city, not with wings but from running and jumping along rooftops—fighting children in costumes—poisoning a man with sushi to rob him—a net—a trap—a cage—

…A man giving her the means to escape….

She lifted her head, shaking it—she never liked that particular snippet. She had a vague idea…she should have known better, she thought it had just been something they did not that she wasn't….

Shake her head again—she knew she had met that man later, had plotted and schemed with him…well, not her, per se. She was disappointed in herself, knowing the number of times she had laid in her prison and hoped that guy would come back, provide her with the means to escape once more.

No. Instead, it was a different guy.

Hamada…why did that name ring a bell?

Still too early to even be thinking about flying—groan, flop her head down, not thinking too much on where it landed until Tadashi stirred and she realized she was flopped on his shoulder. "Um…."

"You hush," she ordered. "This is so you don't try to sneak off and do guard duty instead of sleeping."

"You're so mean to me."

"I do try."

Grump snorted a little, got up and paced around—there wasn't really a clearing, just a small clean spot under a few trees where bushes hadn't gotten to. Some assorted debris told her that kids snuck up here to do things they shouldn't—Tadashi and Sashi had used sticks to scrape it all into a pile to flick under some brambles so the kids would leave it alone. Move around a little, try to get back to sleep…nothing doing, and it wasn't being distracting enough to quiet her thoughts on the matter. Tadashi had asked her what she thought of the place?

She hated it.

She hadn't been lying when she said she found it boring, bland, and ordinary. She was comparing a bunch of identical houses planted in neat little rows with a city that housed millions and had been around for well over a century, that housed the brightest and the best. Of course this would be bland and blasé in comparison.

That wasn't it though.

It was something else—something she linked with the corner of her mind that sounded like the bird-kids' incessant chattering. That corner had been perfectly fine with woods and deserts crawling with dangerous animals, but decided that houses were evil and should be avoided at all costs.

It was stupid, it really was.

Grump continued to pace, huffed that to one direction was more woods (not that he thought anyone cared, he added), and that apparently the ground dipped into a valley and that's where the development started. She wondered who he thought he was talking to, considering she was the only one who could translate his and the kids' vocalizations into English.

What if the gene cleansers did work on her, what then? She didn't think she'd be able to stay in San Fransokyo, but if this was how she felt about suburbs and towns…no. No this was her encountering suburbia for the first time of course she wouldn't like it it was new and strange and different and she was used to woods and desert and a horrible lab full of bright lights and sterile smells before that. She was just being stupid.

Staying with Tadashi wherever he went after they got back to normal was stupid too.

Darn him and his niceness—his annoying helpful attitude had gotten him under her skin, and she didn't much care for trying to tailor what two sets of instincts told her to do to what he said was the right thing. Sure she could feel inside what he was telling her, that she'd be able to tell what the right thing was to do—but it was much easier to look out for number one, to be worried about herself, to be worried about flock about flight—

She ground her teeth, tucked her head down against her chest so Tadashi wouldn't feel it and comment. That line of thinking came from the bird-side of her brain, from hearing the kids chatter all day—

Oi it was tempting to just fall in with what the kids were thinking of this whole thing, that this was all a grand adventure and they'd find something great they were certain to because 'Dashi was good and safe and good…stupid naïve kids.

Then why are you following him?

That was a good question—she had told him that her original wouldn't have done this, would have needed a good reason like that guy had given her (revenge on…someone. She wasn't sure, those memories were starting to blur more now that she had new ones to focus on). Her reasons for following Tadashi…well let's see, get her out of the lab, yeah sure…too nice, he'd wander off a cliff if she didn't keep after him….

Flock-flight-important-good-safe-good—

Ugh, shut up.

Maybe it was just easier to follow him right now—following him meant less effort on her part, meant she could stave off the inevitable problem of flying off by herself being only stop that—

But yes—she felt safer with others around right now, calmer…felt useful this way. If she were ambling around by herself she'd be in a panic, but in the middle of a bunch of others making the same questionable decisions, she felt safer. She didn't know if that was a thing unique to her, or if it was a product of the feathers, but it was something she could…somewhat get.

So maybe she would be on her own when they got to the gene cleansers. Hopefully by then she'd have acclimated herself to the idea.

In the meantime….

In the meantime she managed to drift back off to sleep with the thought of flock of flight surrounding her.

Exploring this new place was harder than it ought to be.

'Dashi was sitting up, acting like he wasn't quite awake yet, flopping back down at growls from 'Kase, sitting back up when he heard them scurrying about. Nox squeaked, snuggled in tight against 'Dashi, burbled and tried to assure 'Dashi that he was being good-yes-good, but it was hard he had slept for so long and he was awake now he wanted to play and fly and explore there were things with lights down the hill and he wanted to see—

'Dashi hooked an arm around him and hugged him close, looking like he wanted to go back to sleep wanted to get up—Nox chirped, tried to get him to get up, chittering that there was new and they needed to go see everyone else was waking up and excited they hadn't flown for nearly long enough there had to be something good around here right?

Violet sniffed the air, chirped at Lena—Lena sniffed the air too, confirmed what Violet had scented—food.

That got everyone chirping and squawking, Nox trying to wriggle out from 'Dashi's grip—'Dashi hugged him tighter, going no Nox no—Louie and Dewey were already bolting in the direction Violet said food was—

Grump landed heavily in front of them, snarling NO-you-STAY.

Nox hissed at Grump Louie and Dewey hissed at Grump that was no fun they didn't want to stay they wanted to explore what was this place they wanted to see—

"Nox, stop squirming," 'Dashi said, sitting up again, still looking bleary. Nox whistled concern, batted at him—

"'Dashi—Dashi-Dashi-Dashi 'Dashi fly yes fwee chirrp—" sleep-tired-not tired-me-want-play-yes—

"It's gotta get dark first, Nox, give it a bit."

Nox hissed under his breath he didn't want to do that he wanted to explore and it was okay that 'Dashi needed to sleep but Nox needed to explore so he was going to. Glance at Grump, glaring at all of them—slink over to Webby and Della, trying to peer through bushes, Huey with a stick poking at the pile of no don't touch that the olders had swept into the bramble-bush that hurt and poked and bit and so was DEFINITELY no don't touch.

Webby looked over when he whistled question, told him that there were lights and noises and they were odd and they didn't know what they were and Grump and 'Kase weren't being helpful about it they were acting twitchy like they needed to go but the lights were pretty so maybe it was okay—

Violet slipped up next to Nox, reported that this was probably not going to be nest this was not-good-place there was no food up here and none of the olders wanted to go down there to get food—

Nox looked at Huey, still poking—Huey looked at him, warbled that he wasn't sure what was bad-bad-no good-bad about the pile of no don't touch, that he was hungry-hungry-hungry too and wanted something to eat they agreed on this why were they staying in one spot if there was no food to eat?

Nox twitched his ears, looked up at the sky going out—bright-light-sun had set, it was getting dark—good smells still on the air, down off of hill, near the lights….

Glance at the others before quietly rasping plan.

The others immediately voiced support, Huey abandoning the bramble-bush and the no don't touch, Della looking herself over and volunteering for distract of the olders because she wouldn't be able to slink through brush properly—Huey volunteered to help her, and that left Nox and Webby to slip down hill as the last burnings of bright-light-sun disappeared, leaving the area dark.

Nox paused, warbled a bit in concern—this wasn't bit that 'Dashi had said, was it? They wouldn't all leave without them, would they? They wouldn't think that they had done like those olders from ages and ages and ages ago did and leave, would they?

Webby shushed and chittered for him not to be silly, they hadn't thought that during cougar, 'Dashi would come find them, don't worry, focus on good-smells that might mean food.

They padded along, being shh-quiet, putting paws just so, Webby slinking forward to find best path forward, beak not as affected by twig-scratching, thin scrabbly-hair on her nares sensing space—Nox tried not to hiss at the thought of something else he didn't have that would be useful, it didn't matter that he didn't have it he did because he had Webby they were flock were flight and flock and flight worked and played and ate and slept as one they were one even when splintered off into smaller like this so long as they weren't only they were safe—

Webby glanced back, rasping lightly before looking forward, ear-flick gesturing him forward to look-see-scent—he slipped up close next to her, spreading a dark wing to help hide her lighter feathers, nose twitching and eyes squinting as she snuggled up close against his wing join under wing was best place to be it was safe it was warm—

Big squares of light made patches of light on grass, like tiny suns but not bright-bright, or maybe like crackle-fire but not quite, lighting inside of cave-nest, or—or cabin, showing movement within—

Sniff—food-smell.

Churr lightly at Webby, who went churr back, quietly slipping forward, skittering around brush not wanting to go across big-empty-open space open space was exposed could be bad—sniffed at big SHINY things that had food-smell and other blech smells coming from it—another big SHINY thing smelled like fire and food—warm smells good smells food smells were coming from a big square that was like door that 'Dashi opened in cabin was worth investigating—

Door swung in, making Nox and Webby flinch back—

Something strange came out, no wings no tail no feathers, making grumbly noises and heading for the big SHINY things—

Froze wide-eyed when it spotted Nox and Webby. Nox and Webby froze—stay still stay quiet stay safe—

It screamed, bolted through door—Nox and Webby bolted for brush for safety for 'Dashi 'Dashi was safe and good and safe he'd protect them from the no-feather—

'Dashi nearly stepped on them coming after them, tackled them, hugged them close, scolding—

All of them froze at the sound of sharp ka-chunk.

Two more no-feathers had come out of the cave-nest, feeling like 'Dashi and Sashi but not, the smaller no-feather peeking out of door, one big no-feather with something long and metal in its paws, squinting suspiciously at everything—

"I don't see anything," it said finally. "I think you saw a coon, El."

"It wasn't a coon, Danny!" the smaller one shrieked.

Nox wasn't sure about these things, but fear made him shh-quiet and still, wilfed down to nothing, pressed tight against 'Dashi hugging them tight against him, paws covering Nox's mouth covering Webby's mouth, all of them wide-eyed and frozen in the bushes, 'Dashi with wings wrapped tight around them, still-silent, fear soaking into Nox and making him tremble—these were BAD if 'Dashi was scared he didn't know what they were he just wanted them to go away wanted to get back to the others—

BANG!

Nox flinched hard at bright-light-loud-noise 'Dashi flinched hard Webby flinched hard—Nox screwed his eyes shut, whimpering smothered by 'Dashi's paw by 'Dashi hugging him close—

"That'll scare off whatever it was," the no-feather said, barely audible over Nox's ringing ears. Nox squinched his eyes open to see the no-feathers going back into the nest. "El, Mom asks and I was shooting at a bear."

"Your mom would never leave you guys alone if she thought bears were in the area," the other big no-feather said.

"It wasn't a bear, Danny!" the smaller no-feather wailed, still protesting loudly despite head-ruffle from the larger no-feather—Nox could still hear it even after door was shut.

They stayed there for long agonizing minutes, 'Dashi hugging them tight against him, straining and sensing….Finally gusting out air in relieved, arms loosening a little.

Nox quickly clung to him. "'Dashi—'Dashi no bad—"

"Shh-shh, it's okay—it's okay," he said softly, patting Nox patting Webby Webby was clinging close too burying face against him and making quiet weep-warble—"It's okay, we're just—we're going back to the others now, okay?"

"Okay," Nox hiccupped, still trembling—that had been bad been scary and it made 'Dashi scared so it HAD to be bad—"Okay. Okay…."

'Dashi carefully picked his way back up hill, hissing whenever branches caught him caught wing caught feather, down on all fours to keep from tumble—Sashi met him about halfway up.

"I heard—please tell me I just heard a car backfire, or-or a firework," Sashi said breathlessly.

"Some kids," 'Dashi told him, quiet and tone wobbly. "Two about our age, one like preteen—one of the older guys shot a round into the ground, thought he was scaring coons off."

"Well I got news for him, it works on bird-people too," Sashi said, teeth chattering. "Can we go now?"

'Dashi looked back the way they came, stiff and listening—Nox could feel him looking and listening trying to see to hear to sense….

"Yeah," 'Dashi said finally, still staying low to ground on all fours—Nox clung tighter Webby clung tighter 'Dashi was good was safe was good—"Let's go."