Part of my collection of SBI-centric flufftober oneshots. These can all be read as standalone.
Prompt: Ghost hunting with Emduo (and Wilbur is also there)
This is set in the SBI Hunters universe I posted before. All you need to know is that Phil is an experiences ghost hunter, Techno is an empath in training and Wilbur is Phil's son who is part Death God!
"When you said most of these jobs are not very dangerous, I assume you weren't talking about the potential of an asthma attack."
Dramatic timing was on Techno's side once again, because as soon as he finished the sentence Phil knocked over a wooden board leaning against a wall. It hit the ground with a heavy thud and a dust cloud so impressive it would put most cave-ins to shame. Techno coughed into his elbow.
"Yeah, you know most ghost hunters have a higher chance of getting hurt because they spend their time crawling around deserted buildings than they do being attacked by an entity." Phil pulled his scarf up to protect his face. "There's statistics."
"Real ghost hunters or like… the social media nuts?" Techno asked.
"Real ghost hunters don't call themselves ghost hunters, mate."
Techno supposed it was true that he couldn't remember Phil or Wilbur ever referring to themselves as ghost hunters. They didn't even call them ghosts, just entities.
"So that's a bust on this place, then?" he said. They'd been walking around the hospital for more than two hours already and Techno hadn't sensed a single thing.
Well, nothing supernatural at least. It was hard not to feel vaguely creeped out by a place such as this. A hospital that had been abandoned since the early 50s and was the originator of various local myths about disappearances and mysterious accidents. Techno might have been more scared if his entire life hadn't been one big horror movie already. The 'paranormal' became a lot more 'just normal' if you had been experiencing it since early childhood.
"The lead was kind of vague to begin with," Phil said. "Usually when we called in for people experiencing random symptoms like headaches or an 'oppressive atmosphere'" - at those words, Phil added quotation marks with his gloved fingers - "there's a pretty mundane explanation. Like natural gas or mold."
"There's probably mold in the walls," Techno agreed.
"Let's go," Phil said. "We can stop at a diner on the way."
"I kinda have a lot of homework," Techno started evasively. Not because he disliked spending time with Phil, on the contrary, the few months since Phil had started to train him had been some of the happiest and most peaceful he'd had in years.
But because making Phil go through all that effort was starting to make Techno feel vaguely guilty. Techno had no way of ever repaying Phil, least of all literally since he was a student with no income.
"Techno," Phil said quietly. "When was the last time you ate?"
"I had breakfast… I think."
With a smile, Phil grabbed his elbow to lead him outside. "Dinner it is."
Techno started to feel sick by the time Phil dropped him off at his apartment.
Maybe getting loaded fries and a milkshake on an empty stomach hadn't been his best move. Techno was seriously considering putting a bucket down next to his bed, just in case.
He answered a few texts from Skeppy about what he had been up to, still carefully skirting around the full truth. One day, Techno would tell him. One day.
It wouldn't be today, while his head was pounding so bad that he had to squint at the screen, lest the glare become too much to bear.
Three seconds after sending a text to Wilbur, his phone started to ring. Techno dropped it in surprise, then winced when it landing against his chest felt like being punched in the sternum.
Okay, maybe there was a little more wrong with him than simple food poisoning.
He picked up the cell and pressed it to his ear. "What?"
"Wow, you sound grumpy. Are you grumpy, Techno?" Wilbur's voice came out twice as teasing through the speaker.
"It's almost midnight," Techno said. "I'm tired." It wasn't a complete lie.
"Sorry," Wilbur said a little softer. More sincerely. "I just wanted to check in to know how it went?"
"You can ask Phil."
"Yeah, but I'm asking you." There was almost a laugh there but it was a little strained around the edges.
Techno knew what Wilbur was really asking.
"It went fine," Techno said. "Really, Wilbur, I'm not going to stop hanging out with you if you have a lame dad."
"Oh my g- Shut up!" Wilbur laughed again, properly this time.
"Phil's pretty great though," Techno continued. "If anything I should be thanking him for putting up with a noob like me."
Wilbur scoffed. "Man, you know Dad absolutely loves you. And he loves having you tag along."
Techno closed his eyes.
He didn't know how to feel about that. So he was simply going to ignore it.
It was bad enough knowing he was already imposing in a big way on Phil's time and making him basically mentor Techno while also admitting that empaths were hard to manage and were supposed to be trained from birth. Phil didn't have to do all that.
"Techno?" Wilbur asked. "Are you there?"
"I'm here," Techno answered. "Sorry, I'm really tired."
"Get some rest then, I'll see you at school tomorrow."
After he hung up, Techno knew he should get changed and maybe brush his teeth or something. Finish that homework he neglected earlier.
Except, he couldn't force his eyes open again.
Techno didn't remember falling asleep.
(His dream that night was dark and cold. Like being pulled below the waves of an endless ocean)
Techno woke up feeling even worse than the evening before.
He looked down at himself, at the sleepshirt and boxers he was wearing, feeling decidedly off about it. But with the fogginess occupying the majority of his brain, he couldn't figure out why.
The trace gem Phil had given him was on his bedside table too. Techno's hand hovered over it.
He was supposed to wear the necklace daily to build up a resistance to entities. A major side effect of the gem was that it made Techno feel vaguely sick.
And he was already feeling like crap.
So he decided against it. Phil did also say that skipping a couple of days would do no harm.
He went to school as usual, managing not to throw up during the bus ride. He spent most of the journey in a trance away, disconnected from his own thoughts. Wilbur's loudness cut through his hazy awareness though.
"Wow, you look like shit!"
Techno grimaced at those words. "Thanks."
"No, seriously." Wilbur touched his forehead as soon as he sat down. Techno wanted to say something about Wilbur reaching out for him so casually, something he wouldn't have done a few months ago. Maybe he should also consider twice about how he didn't blink at the touch either, despite knowing about Wilbur's powers.
He was too tired to care.
"You don't have a fever," Wilbur said lightly.
"I don't think I'm sick." Techo didn't know what was wrong with him, but it was more akin to when he used to overwork himself. Or, 'used to' - he still did that often.
"Didn't sleep well?" Wilbur asked.
(There was no light. There was no water. He could be drowning and he wouldn't know. There was a weight there, settling on the back of his neck to drag him down, down, down-)
Wilbur waved a hand in front of his face. "Techno?"
"I'm fine. I'm just going to the bathroom real quick." He got up and stumbled back out of the room. The teacher probably wouldn't be there for another ten minutes anyway.
Once he got to the bathroom, Techno splashed water into his face. It made him shiver and had him gasp suddenly.
(It was waiting for him beneath the waves. It was stuck there. It wanted Techno to help.
Why wouldn't Techno help?)
He blinked out of it when his phone buzzed. Techno looked down, only to notice Wilbur had sent him about ten texts. The first two to warn him class was starting. Then a few more to check if he was okay. He'd been in the bathroom for over half an hour.
Heh?
Shaking his head, he quickly returned to class. Wilbur did throw him a quizzical look but Techno kind of shrugged back. He could chalk it up to a migraine later.
He canceled going out with Phil again that night, citing that he needed to catch up on sleep. Surely, he'd feel better tomorrow.
Phil's return message about how Techno should call him if he needed anything went ignored.
(Its glow was purple.
Techno didn't know why he felt that was important.
He didn't know.
Techno?
His inhale halted, burning inside his lungs. Techno shook his head. Wait.
You can reach me, can't you?)
Techno didn't go to school the next day. He woke up completely worn out. As if he hadn't slept at all.
Maybe he hadn't. He couldn't…. Remember? Though people never remember sleeping, Techno supposed.
He rubbed his eyes and walked into the kitchen to make sure he could have something to eat, at least. He wasn't as nauseous anymore. But now his stomach just felt hollow. Carved open. He avoided turning the tap.
(It went drip, drip, drip, against cold stone and it wanted to claw its way out)
He had nothing in the fridge. There was some instant coffee - that Techno passed on because he had to take his meds and caffeine didn't mix well with those. He'd be even more exhausted - and no food. He sighed. Looked like he'd have to go outside anyway.
Or… he could go back to bed.
He sent Wilbur a message to make sure he wouldn't be worried again. Just something generic about not sleeping well. Then he crawled back under the sheets.
The room was warm but Techno couldn't stop shaking.
The trace gem was on his bedside table, a delicate gold chain wound half-around. Techno recalled how the chain had been silver at first. But Phil noticed Techno's piercings and the next week, he'd replaced it with a gold chain.
"You're right," Phil had said, helping it clasp closed at his neck. "It suits you a lot better, mate. It's a warmer color."
Techno had wanted to say something but couldn't.
He still couldn't repay Phil.
(Repay.
Repay Phil.
Yes, I do want to repay Phil for what he did to me.)
The pull of sleep was stronger than any tide.
(Do you know what it is to be famished?
Do you understand the pain of being bereft?
Growing, ever-growing. Starved. Helpless.
Help me make him feel like that.
Help me.)
Techno wished he could say this was the first time that he woke up in the middle of the woods.
This wasn't even the first time he had woken up in the woods without shoes. He wasn't wearing a jacket either. He was freezing. His skin was itchy, there were leaves stuck in his hair.
No blood on his hands, though. An improvement from previous times.
He was so tired.
Techno laid back down and watched the canopy of the trees above him sway in the wind. There was something almost hypnotic about the movements. He could feel his eyelids start to close again.
That wasn't- That wasn't right, was it?
Maybe the thing that saved him that night was that Techno still had his phone on him. He pressed it to his ear with shaky hands, fingers gripping clumsily around the plastic. He couldn't feel his legs. Why had he only just noticed he couldn't feel his legs?
Phil picked up on the third dial.
"Techno?" His voice was rough with sleep. This wasn't the first time Techno had called him awake either.
"Phil," he said. "Can you come get me?"
He could hear Phil getting up before he'd properly finished the sentence.
"Tell me where to head."
Phil brought him a blanket.
Techno couldn't stop staring at it, clutched in Phil's hands. Hanging limply with about as much vigor as Techno currently felt in his muscles. There was a small spasm in his leg but that was the extent of his current strength.
"Sorry," he said. "I don't think a possession has ever left me quite this helpless. Kind of rude of them, really." Maybe making light of the situation would make him less embarrassed. Phil hadn't brought Wilbur, something Techno was feeling distinctly grateful for.
This was pathetic enough without a second person witnessing it.
"Fuck!" Phil said.
That was probably a bad thing, but then in the next moment, Phil was hauling him upright and wrapping his arms around Techno in an embrace so warm he could only melt into it. And any thoughts were chased away by how that was infinitely preferable to lying on the ground.
More importantly, however, was that Techno also instantly felt somewhat better.
"Wha-"
"It wasn't just a possession, Techno. It was a siphoning." Phil pulled back a bit to wrap the blanket around him.
Techno nodded absently. "I'm just going to pretend I know what that means."
"Pretty self-explanatory, the entity was not trying to control you but rather drain your powers for its own use." Phil sighed. "And I'm a fucking idiot for not noticing. The complaints we got about the hospital… the entity must have had anchor points there. They had a more profound effect on you compared to normal people. Don't worry, I already broke the connection it used to latch onto you just now."
Well, it was good to know he'd been feeling like crap for a reason.
"It knew you," Techno said. He couldn't exactly remember why he thought that, but as he spoke the words it sounded true.
"Me?" Phil asked.
"It said your name."
Phil's expression got more troubled. Techno bit his tongue, suddenly feeling like he shouldn't have brought it up. He shouldn't make Phil feel bad about-
"It's my fault."
-something that was totally not his fault. Oh no. Techno quickly tried to change tracks.
"It's not-"
"Let me guess," Phil started. "You dreamt about water, right?"
He wasn't going to lie though. If Techno knew anything about entities, it was that knowing what you were dealing with was the most important part. "Something like that."
"Fuck," Phil said again. "Of course, I should have fucking known. It targeted you because of me."
"What, are you about to say this entity has a personal vendetta against you?"
It sounded too comical to be taken seriously, but Phil sighed. That look of guilt was still there, Techno loathed it with a burning passion.
"We've given it the name Ender. Don't ask me why, Sam comes up with them. Makes them easier to classify, I guess. It might be a tiny bit pissed about me locking it away into an entombment beneath the ocean."
Lethargically, Techno blinked. He was not as tired as before. That didn't mean he was up for this conversation. Phil's expression softened.
"I'm sorry, this is my fault. If you'd never-"
"Stop," Techno said firmly. He could feel his legs again, so he took the opportunity to use Phil's shoulder as a support and get on his feet. Very unsteady feet, yet feet all the same. If he had to mostly lean on Phil to not collapse again, they'd both refuse to mention it. "My life was miserable before I met you. And Wilbur too. I'll take some-" Techno gestured vaguely. "Weird, horrific entity of void living beneath the depths of the sea any day if it means I get everything else you've done for me."
Lucky thing Techno was cold enough that his cheeks could not heat up at the strange, feel-y conversation they were having. He was never good at those.
"Still," Phil muttered. Techno silenced him with a look.
Maybe he'd never be able to express exactly how much Phil and Wilbur had done for him. He'd not have Phil tear himself up over something as silly as this.
"Let's take you home?" Phil asked. "No diner this time, I'll cook you something myself."
Techno nodded. "Yeah, that'd be pretty nice."
And when Techno realized that he hadn't blinked at Phil meaning his own house when he said he'd be bringing Techno home, then he didn't need to mention that either.
