Chapter 23

(Techno)

He and Wilbur were at the bottom of the stairs, listening to Tommy shouting curses at Quackity, before a slight scuffle could be heard. Wilbur was sitting in the middle of the floor, looking excited and barely containing himself from running up just to see what was happening. Techno wanted to go up there too, but they still weren't allowed in the nest, so whatever was happening, Phil would have to deal with when he got done over at his house.

"Who do you thinks winning?" Wilbur asked, after a particularly loud thump could be heard from upstairs with both Quackity and Tommy cursing.

"Not sure." Techno answered, trying very hard to distract himself, especially the voices.

'We should go up!'

'Yup! Yup!'

'Go referee!'

'Blood is so going to spill!'

'And we're missing it!'

'I want to see the fight!'

Yeah the voices were really interested in what was going on in the nest, but as long as there was noise both were still alive. And as long as they were in the nest, Techno wasn't going to cross into the nest unless it started to sound like someone was close to death. So he was trying to distract them by reading their favorite myth.….It wasn't working.

"I wanna go up!" Wilbur groaned, leaning forward like he was about to spring up to his feet.

"Don't do it. We're banned." Techno warned, not looking up from the book, even thought the voices weren't letting him read a word.

"This is so unfair. Tommy's got beef with him too! Why does he get to go up?" Wilbur groaned. He sounded just as bad as the voices.

"Tommy hadn't tried to kill him yet." He reminded, finally giving up on the book and looking toward the stair too.

"I was trying to help him fly!" Wilbur argued.

"Try explaining that to Phil again." He huffed, perking up a bit when a loud whack could be heard along with shouts of pain.

He really wanted to go up there too. Instincts wanted to protect the runt of their family, but also not disrespect Phil. So, he was thankful when Phil stepped through the door.

"Hey, Phil! Your fledglings are trying to kill each other up there!" Wilbur greeted with a smile.

Phil gaped and looked at Techno who motioned up the stairs with his eyes, as more cursing started getting louder in the nest room. Phil's gaze following Techno's gaze. Techno watched as Phil's face turned from shock to stern as he, in a very calm like walk, made his way up the stairs. Both Wilbur and Techno got up from their sitting positions to crowd around the bottom of the stairs to listen better at what Phil was going to do.

They both flinched back a bit, hearing a very familiar and demanding screech that was definitely Phil. And then silence. After a moment a small remorseful twittering sound could be heard, that was definitely Tommy.

"Only ones twittering." Wilbur murmured. "Think Tommy killed him?"

"Not likely, but its not impossible. Phil would have already said something if he did." Techno grunted, plus he didn't smell any blood, but then there were ways to kill someone with spilling their blood.

'Let us go up!'

'We want to see!'

'Maybe he didn't do it right!'

'It could be Quackity twittering!'

'I think we'd know if Tommy killed Quakcity.' The voices whispered.

"I taught Tommy well, I bet he did." Wilbur smiled.

Techno blinked at his brother. "You're cleaning the barn out if your wrong." He challenged. Besides he already had the list in his pocket, and Wilbur was freeloading off his space anyway.

"Deal!" Wilbur agreed, and jogged up the stairs. Techno followed at a leisurely pace. He was pretty sure they'd know if someone had died in the nest room.

He try to hide the smirk on his face when they both peeked into the room to see Tommy twittering and holding himself close to a still mad looking Phil, with one hand holding onto a near black feather. While Quackity sat in the corner of the room eyes locked on Phil, like Tommy, but not responding to the scolding screech that had been directed to both of them.

"Told ya." Techno gloated, holding out the list of chores for the barn out to Wilbur.

"Damn it…" Wilbur sulked.

Phil looked over at them with an arched eyebrow. "Anything you two would like to say?" He demanded.

"We stayed out of the nest." Wilbur said, while Techno shook his head 'No.'

"Downstairs." Phil ordered, Both he and Wilbur noticed that Phil's eyes were blown wide again and so didn't deter too long and went back downstairs.

(Quackity)

Quackity couldn't explain what happened, he and Tommy were fighting in the nest and then a very angry screech echoed in the room and Quackity found himself moving to the nearest corner, with his throat clogged, while Tommy had latched himself onto Phil, who seemed to have magically appeared, making sad and pitiful twittering sounds, a hand going to the wing that Quackity had been preening before Phil had left to go fly Tommy from the ravine, messing up the feathers and Phil wasn't stopping him.

"Phil..." Tommy finally started to say after twittering pitifully at him and Phil making disappointed sounding warbles at both of them.

"I told you to wait for me, Tommy." Phil said, giving the teen a very stern look. "And you both know I don't tolerate fighting in the nest." He added, eyes moving to Quackity.

"He was lounging in it like he owned it! He's in our nest!" Tommy complained.

"I invited him in the nest Tommy." Phil said.

And Quackity scoffed at that. "More like forced!" Quackity snarled in a snarl that was more so directed at Tommy than Phil.

Phil and Tommy both looked over at him, before back to each other. "He needs the nest." Phil continued. Hands coming up to gently grab Tommy's chin and turning the teens face, sharp blue eyes taking in the forming bruises that were starting to form, from where Quackity and Tommy had both shared fists to face.

"I don't want him in the nest!" Tommy snapped, letting Phil maneuver his face side to side.

"I know, I know." Phil hummed, a thumb swiping over the left eye barely touching the bruise that was going to show there. "But 'I' want both of you in the nest. I need you to help me teach him to be an avian. To start flying. Come on, Tommy, help me out. I need a big mans helps here." Phil chirped.

Tommy look contemplative. "Well, we all know that I am the best at being an avian." Tommy smirked, taking a step back from Phil only slightly to puff his chest out and his wings lifting up with pride at the praise.

And Quackity was not thinking about jumping up to show Tommy just who was the bigger man in the nest was. Nope. Not at all. He didn't need to prove who the nest belong to. But he couldn't stop the hiss that left him, when he and Tommy made eye contact.

Tommy hissed back lifted wings ruffling as he made to lunge at Quackity again with a curse on his lips. Phil was quick to catch the teen around the waist. "You bastard, you should be grateful I'm even considering helping you!" Tommy growled, an angry screech following close behind as he tried to get out of Phil's grip.

"I didn't ask for your help, you stupid brat! Go annoy someone else with you stupid chirping and squawking. Go act like an animal somewhere else!" Quackity growled out. Already halfway up on his feet in case Tommy did get loose.

"You!" Tommy growled legs kicking out as Phil pulled him from the room. "I'm gonna make you beg for forgiveness!" He shouted, as the door across the nest room, Phil's actual bedroom in the house, closed. Where everything suddenly went quiet.

Quackity, eyed the doorway. He didn't want Phil to bring Tommy back into the nest. He didn't want to share. He looked up to the rafters where Ranger sat, having watched the whole thing, the little crow, seemed to be giving Quackity a judgmental look again. "The nest is crowded enough." He said, to excuse his actions, because he didn't listen to his instinct and attacked Tommy. He wasn't an animal, he didn't have an animal side like Tommy and Phil. The nest was just crowded. Ranger let out a low sounding chirp that very much indicated that the little crow did not believe Quackity's words. "I- I'm not like them…." He murmured out, to try and convinced the bird. "I'm not like them." If he said enough it would stay true.

He shook himself out of the self doubt he was starting to spiral in just in time when Phil came back, with Tommy, only Tommy stayed at the edge of the nest. It looked like he had a bandage around his knuckles on the hand that he had used to punch Quackity in the jaw. Tommy's face looked less red too.

"Quackity come here." Phil said, waving Quackity to come close and away from the corner, with a calm sounding chirp, that sounded reassuring. There was something in Phil's other hand.

Quackity narrowed his eyes. Gaze jumping from Tommy to Phil, ignoring the push to go to the older avian. Although deep down he knew he would love nothing but to see Tommy's face, if 'he' hugged up to Phil. To show Tommy where his place was. But that was the bird in his brain talking. He didn't have to prove anything. And he wasn't going to come like an obedient dog. He was nobody's dog anymore.

Phil made another chirping sound, that was again prompting. And from the doorway Quackity noticed that Tommy's eyes were slightly dilated and he looked like he was trying to move toward Phil. But Quackity wasn't going to move, even if he wanted too.

Phil seemed to realize this and turned to Tommy, and made the same chirp to the teen, who was quick to re-enter the nest and straight to Phil, where he was greeted with a pleased warble from the older. Phil smiled at Tommy as he brought his other hand that Quackity now realized was a cloth that was stained a glowing pink-ish color; Healing potion. Phil was tapping the cloth dipped in healing potion on Tommy's face where bruise should be forming. "There." Phil chirped pleased, and then turned back to Quackity after, running a hand through Tommy's fluffy golden feathers. Tommy made a happy twittering sound, arching his wings into Phil's touch.

Quackity brought his wings closer to his back, drawing them in. So, Phil was petting Tommy's wings. That didn't bother him at all. Quackity didn't need to be petted like some animal, some pet. "Okay mate, your turn." Phil said, taking a step in Quackity's direction. Quackity looked past Phil to Tommy, who was glaring at him. So, Quackity decided that he could pretend to want Phil to touch his wings, just to piss Tommy off, of course. So he let Phil approach and let Phil, tap the cloth with healing potion dabbed on it, on the forming bruises from the little scuffle with Tommy. "There we go. Good job mate!" Phil praised, making those chirps that sounded very pleased. Hands going to Quackity's wings, just like Tommy's and petted them, even when his wings flinched Phil gave him time to relax them to continue the petting.

"Whatever." Quackity scoffed, finally having enough touching for the day, and pulled away till his back hit the wall.

"Now I am going to go downstairs. Tommy. You stay in the nest, I'm sure Quackity would like some company." Phil smiled.

"I don't need company."

"I don't want to stay here with him!" He and Tommy both said at the same time.

Phil just continued to the door. "Remember no fighting in the nest." He reminded, before disappearing from the doorway. Clearly ignoring both of their complants.

Now left alone again Quackity found he and Tommy in another stare down. Tommy plopping himself in the middle of the nest right where Quackity had laid Phi's extra robe. He almost snarled when Tommy started messing with it, picking it up and covering his legs with it.

"Bitch." Tommy spat, and then proceed to look to the rafters at the crows, making more bird sounds at the creatures until a few flew down. Apparently deciding on just ignoring Quackity's existence.

Ranger came down too, right to Quackity, but Quackity wasn't in the mood and so turned his back on the little crow. He wasn't like Tommy or Phil. He didn't need Ranger. Ranger grumpily squawked and fluttered back into Quackity's veiw pecking at his hand. Well, just because he didn't need Ranger, didn't mean that Ranger didn't need his attention, so checking just to be sure that he was turned enough that Tommy couldn't see what he was doing, he began to pet Ranger. The little crow shaking out its feather with each pass of his hands.

(Techno)

Phil came down the stairs with the biggest smile on his face. "I take it, both fledgling are now getting along?" He asked, curious how Phil got Tommy and Quackity to get along so quickly.

"Nah." Phil answered still with a smile. "They hate each other, its expected though, considering what happened between them."

Techno perked up. "And me?" He prompted.

"You don't really have much of a grudge unless push comes to shove." Phil shrugged. "But then that goes for me too."

"Fair." Techno nodded, after thinking about it for a moment.

"Where's Will?" Phil asked after looking around.

"Cleaning the barn." He answered with a shrug.

Phil laughed again, making his way tot he kitchen. "Hey, did you burn the feathers I preened from Quackity the other day?" He asked.

"Not yet, their in the bin marked for feathers out back. Why? Thinking about making some arrows or something?" He asked, kicking the rug off the trap door, he had to check on Fool and Hubert, make sure they were good on food and bedding too.

"Yeah, something like that." Phil answered with a grunt, coming back through the main room, carrying the bin.

Techno heard him set it near the door, but other than that wasn't really focused on what Phil was doing. So, when he felt a sharp tug of a strand of hair being pulled out, he could be excused for dropping the trap door leading to the lower basement, straightening up and whipping around with a growl. "Phil?! Bruh! What the hell?" He asked, growl cutting off to a confused grumbled, as he brought a hand up to rub at his head, where he had felt the hair strand get pulled.

Phil just stood there hold a long pink strand of hair between his fingers. "Sorry, mate." He smiled, looking non-apologetic. "But it was sticking out." He shrugged.

"Phil, warn a guy. What happened to the 'We only pull out falling out feathers, not hair?'" He asked.

"Techno, that's something I use to tell Tommy when he was small." Phil said with a fond shake of his head.

"Yeah? Well I just thought it was time to remind you. 'Don't pull Technoblade's hair.'" Techno grunted, watching as Phil go back to the door, apparently finding humor in Techno quoting him from years ago.

"I know, I know. I really am sorry, mate. Won't happen again." Phil promised, dropping the strand of pink hair in the feather bin, before picking the bin back up and leaving to go back to his house across the porch. "Can you come to the barn when your done?" He asked before he was out of earshot.

"Sure." Techno half shouted, as he watched the front door shut, before rubbing at his head again. "That was weird right?" He asked the voices. "I'm not the only one who thought that was weird?"

'Old man syndrome.'

'Its started, Dadza's losing it!'

'I think you almost decked Phil!'

'Why the hair though?'

'Didn't the crows say something….'

'No snitching!'

'Be quiet!'

'It was weird!'

'Phil being Phil!'

'Nothing to worry about!'

'Totally worry about it!'

'Nah, I'm sure its nothing.' As always the voices were no help. But at least a few of them seemed to agree with him. Though the voices like to contradict each other a lot, even if they did know what was going on by some miracle. But then again this was Phil so, he would just shrug it off for now. Besides Phil did like them all looking their best, even if he was centuries old, Phil could still slip into preening habits on he and Wilbur too. Hence why Phil liked braiding his hair.

Not really one to waste time, Techno was quick to make sure his monster pets had fresh bedding and plenty of food, and was making his way to the barn, in time to see Phil laying out a few items. At first Techno thought they looked unimportant, until he got close. "What the hell is this?" He demanded, with a growl, silencing all the animals in the barn, a few of his hounds whimpering and going to the furthest corner, like they were just scolded.

Phil and Wilbur who were already looking at the stuff the now littered his work table both stepped back. He recognized Quackity's little personal items like his beanie, tie, even an arm guard that the guy wore whenever he wielded a weapon. All little things that Quackity had laying around in his house When Techno found him. However, what made Techno's instincts roar in outrage was the mess of straps that had metal that was shaped to look like a spinal column.

"I've never seen anything like it."Wilbur said, breaking the uncomfortable silence that had taken over the barn.

Phil stepped forward and began trying got untangle the mess. Techno, although they weren't sure what it was, didn't want Phil to touch it. "It can't be….I think..." Phil mumbled, spreading the last of the straps out. "It wraps around the body."

Techno growled, eyeballing the dark stains that were on the abomination on his worktable. Bloodstains. There were runes on the metal pieces. Worn down to where Techno couldn't read what they said. The thing made something primal in him want to destroy it. It reeked of bad intentions and magic.

'It needs to be destroyed!'

'Get it away from Phil!'

'Destroy it!'

'The runt is home, get rid of it!'

'I hate it!'

'Kill whoever made it!' The voices hissed, agreeing with him

"One way to know for sure. Techno help me put it on." Phil said, face set.

Techno let another growl rip through him. "No one is putting that on!" He growled, grabbing Phil by the shoulders and pulling him away.

"I'll put it on then." Wilbur volunteered.

"You touch it Wilbur and I'll break your hand." Techno threatened. "No one is wearing it."

"Better me than Phil right?" Wilbur countered. "We got know what it was for." He insisted.

Techno let out a displeased rumble.

"Wilbur, I'm not letting you out that on." Phil said, shrugging Techno's hand off him. His tone leaving no room for argument. "Now one of you help me put it on." Phil ordered.

Techno grumbled, letting Phil hear his displeasure as he snatched the contraption off the table, as Phil presented his back to him. Shoulders and wings relaxed. He really didn't want this disgusting thing to touch Phil. Slowly he held the top metal piece that held the thickest strap up to the back of Phil's neck, while Wilbur was the one to buckle it.

Techno didn't like how the rest of the metal pieces seemed to click together, and when they got to the second strap, he tried to maneuver where they would avoid Phil's wings. "Its not going to fit Phil. I don't think this was made for someone with wings." He bit out.

"No. It was. Quackity has smaller wings remember." Phil said. His black wings furling closer in. Making them smaller than what they were. "Now try."

Techno and Wilbur both made a face when the straps looped around the top of the wings. And Techno winced when the third strap just seemed to pull them inward more. "Not so tight Wilbur!" He growled. They weren't trying to hurt Phil after all.

"I'm not! I got in the very first notch." Wilbur argued.

"Boys! No arguing." Phil snapped, and Techno could hear the strain in his voice, as they were now on the last strap; nine fucking straps now wrapped around Phil's whole torso. The black wings now forced flat to Phil's back and pressed in so tight, they looked under half their size. Techno wouldn't be surprised if blood circulation was being cut off. And Phil's back was made to stay in a more straight position that was similar to how Quackity had use to hold himself. It looked uncomfortable. Unnatural. If Phil had clothes over his wings now, you wouldn't know he had wings.

"Done. Now let's take it off." Techno growled, not liking it. Wilbur nodding it agreement.

Phil just waved them off. "Let me just…. Move around in it first." He said, taking a deep breath in the middle of his sentence.

Techno and Wilbur both stepped back, but even Wilbur had his hands held at the ready to rip the thing off Phil. "I don't like it." Wilbur murmured.

Phil walked around the barn. Techno could see his wings twitching in the confines of the strap, and the way the runes on the metal pieces took a faint glow, and the falter steps in Phil's gait, when they did. They seemed to glow whenever Phil twitched his wings. Phil seemed to test this theory, by attempting to bend over to pet a nearby hound. The pieces of metal disconnecting with each other to allow the movement of the bend, but the ruins on them glowed a little more, because naturally Phil's wings would unfurl a bit to help balance him. But instead of that happening now, with Phil's wing trapped, when the wings tried to even move, the runes glowed and Phil yelped, letting out a pained warble as he stood back up straight. And that's when Techno spotted the runes on the strap that encircled Phil's neck, and Phil made another pained yelped, hands coming to cradle his neck.

'IT'S HURTING PHIL!'

'SAVE DADZA!'

'BLOOD FOR MUST BE PAID!'

'ITS HURTING HIM!'

'BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD'

'RIP IT OFF HIM!' The voices screamed.

"That's it!"Techno roar, vision red as he pulled out a dagger that he had hidden in his boot as he found himself in Phil's space, pushing the crow hybrid up against the barns wall. Careful not to hurt him, to not press the trapped wings against the wall. He was going to cut it off him, unbuckling the straps would take too long.

"Techno! Techno no!" Phil said, voice calm yet firm, while others would be trembling if he had them up against the wall with a weapon in his hand.

"Whao! Techno! What are you doing?!" Wilbur shouted, running over and grabbing the hand holding the dagger. "Come on! Technoblade stop it! You could hurt him!" He cautioned, the words falling on deaf ears with the voices so loud and insistent.

"We're taking this off. Now." He growled, in Phil's face. Bringing the dagger closer to the strap on Phil's neck despite Wilbur trying to pull his hand back with all his strength and weight. But Techno just ended up pulling Wilbur closer the closer his dagger got to the straps.

Phil looked him in the eyes. Face set not in fear but a calm understanding. "I'm okay. You trust my judgment right, mate?" He said, with a tilt of his head. "You and the voices know this. The voices understand I am safe with you near." He said, now talking to the voices. The voices calming down at being addressed. "We can take this off. But we're not cutting it off. No need to do something drastic, right." He said.

Techno took deep breaths, his vision no longer red, now that the voices were calm. The hand Wilbur was trying to restrain, being pulled back now that he wasn't resisting Wilbur's hold. "Sorry." He mumbled. Letting Wilbur pluck the blade from his hand as he backed off. "Its hurting you. I don't like it." He huffed.

Phil let out a breath once he had his personal space back. "I know. I don't either." He said, hands coming to undo the strap around his nest. "I know what this is. But its something that should have disappeared from existence long ago." He said, as Wilbur and Techno both came to his aide to get him rid of it. "Only found in ancient texts now. This is an avian slavers, training device. Used to trap the wings and flatten them to the back and to train the avian to keep them there. It also cause muscles to waste away so that by the time your trained, the wings no longer have the muscles to hold your body weight. No muscles to fly or glide. The metal pieces look like a spine so to help allow movement. But the runes activate to stop any wing movement or natural bird sounds. In the times this was used people wanted avian servants with their wings because they were beautiful instead of cutting or clipping." Phil hissed, shaking his wings out once Techno and Wilbur and pulled the thing off him.

Techno growled at the device and Wilbur held it out like it was trash. Which it was. Techno wanted to burn it. "What's one doing here then, if to suppose to exist only in literature?" He growled out, baring his teeth when Wilbur tossed the thing back on his worktable.

"Looks like someone built it. It got that homemade feel to it. Maybe Schlatt." Phil hissed, glaring at the device too. "I was wondering why he was able to keep his wing so close to his back. Why there was little to no muscle built up? Now I have my answer."

"So, Quackity wore this?" Wilbur asked. Hand tapping at his chin.

"Most likely. It explains why he could hold his wings so flat. Avians aren't suppose to do that, at least not all day or night. He held them like that in his sleep too." Phil spat, eyes still staring down at the device.

"Not anymore." Techno reminded.

"Not anymore. He's my fledgling now." Phil hissed, turning to leave the barn. "Leave it for now. We'll deal with it later. I got to get him to re-imprint."

Techno and Wilbur watched as the barn doors closed. "I thought avians imprinted once?" Wilbur mumbled.

"Same." He agreed.

"Does Phil know something we don't or something?" Wilbur asked. Poking at the device on the table.

Techno not even liking Wilbur touching it, grabbed his hand. "Maybe. Phil knows a lot of things." He answered, pulling Wilbur with him back out of the barn and too the house.

"Hey, I'm not done cleaning it yet!" Wilbur complained.

"Finish tomorrow. In the house." Techno grunted. He didn't want his family near the device. It reeked pain, blood, and bad magic.

He distantly remembered Phil telling them stories about lands and distant worlds long gone. About things that no longer existed. And if that device was one of them, then it needed to be destroyed, along with the place such knowledge had been gained.

(Quackity)

He stumbled as the blunt end of a sword hit his wings hidden under his clothes and armor, barely catching himself before the soldier Schlatt had pick to toughen him, to test him. Attacked again, aiming for his hidden wings again. He had to maneuver himself away in a spin that allowed him to aim for the soldiers open midsection, taking the soldiers breath before using the handle of his own sword to deliver a finishing punch to the soldiers face, knocking the grunt out.

He stood in the middle of the training arena over his fallen training opponent. He tried to control the painful twitches his wings were doing, They had taken several direct hits despite the protect the armor gave. Schlatt had wanted him to prove himself, So the during the training sessions with their soldiers, his opponents were directed to aim for his back. Avain's were easy to spot if you went for their wings. They had one or two responses, flying away or screeching battle cries to try and intimidate their opponents, but Quackity had stopped making those sounds months ago. They had to train his body to ignore the wings. To keep them still during battle, because he wasn't going to always have armor on.

"That was sloppy!" Schlatt growled from the sidelines.

"I won." He countered, breathing heavy. He was ready to go lay down. He had been train tirelessly for day to train himself. His body hurt.

"If you want to be the General of my army, I might as well surrender! What make you think you could even meet my standers, if you can't even stay human! You can't even handle getting hit." Schlatt demanded, already turning to leave.

Quackity could feel something in him wilt at not hearing the praise he had hoped for his fighting capability to hold his own despite the handicap of the wings. Schlatt still wasn't happy with him. He couldn't make Schlatt happy. He wasn't good enough. The wings had ruined him. He used to be good at fighting. He was better. He could be better.

"Are you coming or not! We have other business to do instead of you wasting our armies time!" Schlatt demanded not even looking back.

Quackity hissed as quietly as he could, as he went to catch up. Ripping off the armor as he went. It was driving him insane. Why couldn't he do things right?!

"Honestly, You should just accept your place." Schlatt, sighed like talking to Quackity was a chore. "Go and organize the file room, 'kay. I'll got more important stuff to do than to watch you stumble around the arena." Schlatt advised, patting a heavy hand on his back and adding to the soreness that were already plaguing his hidden wings.

Quackity already stiff back stiffened more, forcing his wings not to try and twitch.

"Besides your much more better as a carrier pigeon than anything." Schlatt laughed.

That made him pause and the reality of the position Schlatt saw him, hit him hard. He was a footstool. A stepping stone. Schlatt was never going to let him have equal standing like they had agreed on. Not even as a friend. Or whatever the wings had made him believe Schlatt was to him. The wing were a lie. Schlatt saw him as nothing. And Schlatt was nothing to him.

"You okay there Sugar Pumpkin?" Schlatt chuckled, catching Quackity lagging behind.

"Yeah, I'm….fine." Quackity forced out, making himself smile at the Schlatt like he normally would.

"Then get moving, those papers aren't going to organize themselves." Schlatt huffed, leaving Quackity to stand in the hallway.

Quackity was fuming. Ignoring what that little voice in his brain was saying about needing Schlatt to praise him, because he wasn't anyone's footstool. "Hey, Big Q!" He felt Tubbo's hand touch near his hidden wings before he recognized the voice to be Tubbo.

He twist around and swung, fist hitting something fluffy and soft to the touch. "FUCKING OW!" Tommy yelped.

Quackity rolled to his feet from a laying position, fist raised. Wings pressed tight to his back. Tommy had sat up from where he had been laying down.

"What happened?!" Phil's voice asked, from over Tommy. There was a rustle of feathers as the older avian sat up looking around the room, before his eyes landed on Quackity and Tommy. During those few seconds, Quackity was able to fully wake up. Remembering that Tommy had placed himself between Quackity and Phil, curling into Phil. And by the way that Tommy was holding one of his wings, Quackity must have hit Tommy's wing.

"He fucking hit me in the fucking wings!" Tommy tattled.

"You touched my wings!" Quackity snapped, he could feel his feather bristle.

"Bitch, I was asleep!" Tommy hissed.

"I don't care!" Quackity hissed back.

"Okay, that's enough." Phil said, stepping between them, hands coming to rest on their shoulders. Quackity ducked from the touch. Not missing the frown that the older had directed his way. "Remember what I said, 'No fighting in the nest.' Now I want you two to say sorry and then we're going to go back to sleep." Phil stated.

There was a snort like laughter from the door and that's when Quacktiy noticed that Techno was sitting in the room leaning on the doors frame, and Wilbur outside of the room in the hallways in a similar position. They were both looking at them, but the aura coming off them was different. They look in their eyes were different. While one of them obviously found what was happening in the nest amusing, their eyes were bouncing all over the place. After a moment, Wilbur turned his head back facing the hallway and stairs. In fact if Quackity wanted to be paranoid. They way they were sitting with Wilbur facing the hallway and Techno facing the nest. It looked like they were guarding the entry way. But from what? To keep something in and to keep something out?

A chirp from Phil had him whipping his attention back to the man. "Quackity, I said its time to lay back down. Come on, mate." Phil said, apparently repeating the request, since he had missed the first time it was said.

Quackity grumbled a bit not as Phil reached over and gently pushed him back down into the nest, with coaxing chirps, that he hated was working to calming him down. "Tommy didn't know you don't like your wings touched. He has a habit of sleeping like a starfish." Phil smiled. "I'll sleep in between you two, how's that?" Phil asked, already sitting in the nest with Tommy, leaning up against him, wrapping a black wing around the teen. Quackity might have let Phil sit him back down, but he wasn't about to be like Tommy, who needed to snuggle. So he pushed himself away from the two and positioned himself where he was facing the door and the wall at his back. Now he had all four in his sights. Techno and Wilbur were guarding the door for a reason. And Quackity despite that little bird that was very loud in his head, didn't trust Wilbur and Techno being on guard, because it triggered his training as a soldier. It made him be on guard. They were guarding for a reason.

He ignored the soft coaxing chirp from Phil, and closed his eyes, maybe if he faked sleep Phil would leave him be. But he knew he wasn't going back to sleep now that he was so on edge. "Forget him, Phil. Let's just go back to sleep." Tommy yawned.

And if Quacktiy hissed a bit well, He could go round two with Tommy. He didn't care about fighting in the nest. Ranger came from the rafters to settle itself on his shoulder in the crook of his neck, and the urge to snuggle with Phil, dimmed a bit. Though not for long. He had to let his wing relax behind him, letting them slouch were the practically laid on the floor beside him. He couldn't hold his wings flat as long any more. It hurt to hold them so close. It made his shoulder-blades feel like they were going to snap in half holding his wings like that. It was a little confusing as to why he was no longer able to hold them like he use to. He blamed it all on Phil. The one thing that he had work to train himself to do and it was gone. Maybe he would have been better cutting them off. Not like they ever did him any favors, beside causing him trouble. Sometimes he wish he had.

Opening his eyes, he looked over at to the door to see Wilbur standing up and walking away, carrying himself like he was waiting for something. Body at that attention. Techno only shift his attention enough to watch Wilbur leave before returning to his first position. His eyes taking in the whole nest, those red eyes only stopping to watch Quackity, letting him know that it was known that he was awake, before resuming their scouting. It still made Quackity feel a chill down his spine, at how Techno's eyes seemed to glow red, that when they did it was like thousands of eyes were watching him.

"Go back to sleep Quackity. You have flight training tomorrow." Techno grunted, eyes not landing back on him, until they retraced the room.

That was more easier said than done with Techno and Wilbur both looking like they were ready to jump someone. Although he guessed, it must have something to do with Phil or Tommy, or both. He knew they were protective, he just didn't know it was on this level of paranoid. Did they think he was going to try and hurt one or both in their sleep or something. Not really wanting to try his luck Quackity re-close his eyes and maybe he could ignore the energy radiating off the two in the doorway.

TBC

A/N: Two Chapters in one weekend. I am very proud of myself. So what do you all think of the thing the crows found? What potion is Phil making? How long will it take for them all to start getting along? Let me know what you think