Chapter Text
There was a reason why Ranboo never really remembered his childhood, the same reason why Quackity has to wear a mask over his face, to hide any trace of his real facial features, the reason why Ranboo does not remembers his father’s real face, a face he pictures blank without the mask.
Ranboo grew up knowing only the smiley face of his father’s mask :]
What most kids would find creepy and horrifying to see at night in a dark hallway Ranboo found perfectly normal, his family wasn't particularly normal.
You see his family was full with Hybrid, all besides his mom(Quackity), he himself was a mix hybrid, two pisces in one, his adoptive dad was a pigling hybrid, large bottom canine teeth, bigger and sharper than ordinary canine teeth, pink hair, and slightly pointy ears, he was naturally bigger due to the genes, his grandpa was an Avian hybrid, he had large black wings on his back and would always have a few crows following him around, either on his shoulder or from afar.
As far as he knew his step-dad, Alex or how he called himself Quackity’ was not a hybrid of any kind, he was perfectly normal and human, and he never showed his face to anyone, not even his(Ranboo) other dad.
At the age of 17 he decided to actually ask his dad to show him his face or at least make it clear to him the reason why he never showed him his face.
“You’ve seen my face before”
“What?”
“Ranboo you met me with out the mask, I never wore the mask during your childhood” Quackity explained, reaching for the glass of water in front of him in the table bringing it close to his mask before beginning to lift it, out of reflex Ranboo looked away, keeping his gaze on the fridge, letter magnets scattered but there in a line was a few letters pushed together to form the word “Michael”.
Once he heard the glass being put down, he counted to ten before turning back to face Quackity.
The mask instead of having the smile had changed to just the eyes, black dots just stared back at him, he gulped and continued to speak.
“I don't remember”
“I expect you not to, it was a traumatic event the therapist said you might never remember, or you'll have a terrible breakdown if you do remember”
“Remember what?”
“Your kidnapping, the accident”
“I was kidnapped? When?”
Quackity fiddled with his wedding ring twisting it in his finger before turning back to Ranboo.
“It was a raid, attempted kinapping, int eh daycare from when we lived in DarkOaks, when you were 3 and when your dad and I had just begun dating”
“I don't remember anything”
“Don't try to”
“But I want to!” Ranboo lost his temper slamming his hands on the table, particles buzzing and humming around him, multiplying by the second, Quackity just sat there and stared, particles circling around him and trying to snoop from underneath his mask but he would brush them off.
“I cant show you my face Ranboo it's for your own good, trust me on that, what I can show you is a fraction of my face but besides that you will never see my face”
Ranboo sat on the edge of his chair, anything, he’ll take anything he just wants to see something of the face from the person who raised him, the person who always made sure he was healthy and properly taken care for, someone who did anything to make and keep him happy.
“Yes please”
Quackity took a deep breath and and reached for the back of the mask, straps of leather hidden underneath a dark blue beanie, he unclipped two of the four straps of leather, the mask split in two and the bottom half of the mask went from white to black, the mask hissed and the bottom half came off, Quackity held it in one hand, pulling it off from his face and placing it on the table, particles circling the object.
Ranboo started, his dad had beauty marks on his face, and a scar on the side of his lip, lips of pink, the bottom more plump than the top lip, a few other faint beauty marks catter around but those were less noticeable unless in a close proximity.
Quackity opened his mouth and closed it, trying to get words out but they just wouldn't come out.
A few moments of silence passed and then he spoke.
And Ranboo will never forget the voice of his dad, and how clear it sounds without being muffled or disoriented due to the mask.
It was perfectly clear to him now, his dad’s actual voice.
“This is all I will show you, and please understand it's for your own safety”
That evening hey spent hours upon hours talking, about whatever they could possible speak about, anr Ranboo tok in every detail every lips movement, and the way he laughed and how he smiled.
That evening Ranboo went to bed with a smile.
Quackity went to bed with worry and concern, Technoblade noticed this and asked him if he was okay to which he answered and explained about the day’s event while he was gone.
“What if they find him?” Quackity voiced his concerns.
“They’ll never find him, or us, we’re safe here”
Quackity knew they were safe but he was allowed to worry he was allowed to have anxiety over the subject, about living in fear for not his life but his son’s life.
He remembers the day when it happened.
He and Technoblade had recently began going out, they were as happiest as could be,
Living as hybrids in a not so hybrid friendly society was hard.
He could barely maintain a job for longer than a week, Techno had it better for people asked him to go on these cruel and treacherous missions to which he would come back exhausted and injured, clearly no one felt pity for him as long as he brought their necessities he would be payed and sent away.
But everything they did was for Ranboo, a child from Techno’s previous relationship a child that isn't blood related to him, but his previous lover’s child, their hard efforts and sleepless nights was all for Ranboo so he had a meal on the table and a roof over his head, as well as an education.
Quackity never wore his mask, he proudly showed every bit of himself, sometimes he would catch the attention of a desperate man in need of blowing some steam and well, there began QUackity’s night jobs job Techno would plead and beg for him to let go, but QUackity would cry along with him telling him he couldn't,
A reason why the townspeople kept them around for so long was not only for Quackity’s body and his constant prostitution but because the people saw them as a reason to have business, people would come to take a look at the hybrids living there.
It brought unwanted attention too, occasional bounty hunters, and hybrid traffickers would come by, but it was a blessing that the townspeople needed them so they would defend their home, and have them locked inside with armed people standing ground in order for no one in the family to be harmed.
It was a win-lose situation living in DarkOaks.
You lose your freedom, respect, freewill, your rights yet you win protection and money for a better future of the little one.
One evening, Quackity had finished his shift, and Technoblade was out on another mission. He was on his way to pick Ranboo up from his daycare, a daycare where the lady was nice enough to allow Ranboo to be placed and cared for while both his parents were away at work.
On the way there, men kept passing by and catcalling him something he found normal as it was his job to sell his body, but he kept saying he was out of service for the evening, yet they followed him, one went around and whispered in each one of the men’s ear and they all took out weapons of their own, in a panic, Quackity tucked in his wings inside of his skin, and ran to the corner building where Ranboo was located in.
As soon as he entered he locked the door behind him, getting the attention of the young girl, no older than 17, just one year younger than him. She walked towards him and asked if he was okay and that Ranboo was in his sleeping bag taking a nap as he tried to wait for him, Quackity looked around and noticed other parents were in the same situation, children sleeping in their individual sleeping bags, holding toys in their arms as they slept with no interruptions.
He removed his shoes and began walking around shutting every window, and locking it, he began instructing “Victoria” to close all windows and doors,for he was being followed and the men were armed, understanding the task Victoria rushed all around the building, closing and tightly locking any possible point of entrance.
Once Quackity deemed it safe enough he shut off all lights in the bottom floor, Victoria shutting all lights in the building, she returned with weapons in her hands, a sword and axe.
Quackity helped her move all the children to a safer location just in case, one by one the sleeping children were carried to a room behind a wall, a room Victoria kept to herself as a “children free zone” were she would often go to in order to have free time without the kids interrupting her.
A knock was heard from the main door, then a voice.
“Victoria! Victoria Open up! I'm here to pick up Jason”
A parent.
Victoria hushed the children as they went back to sleep, and told Quackity she would be back as she would go and explain the situation to them.
So he picked Ranboo up and placed him with the other children, he walked behind Victoria and hid, axe ready in his grip, as they both looked at one another and nodded.
Victoria opened the door and the light from the street lights poured in, in walked a parent as Victoria hushed them, locking the door behind her.
How the men had not gotten there was to Quackitys surprise, either they were incredibly slow walkers or they were already here, waiting outside.
The parents expressed their concerns and demanded to have their child brought to them. They lost their temper when they Saw Quackity with an axe, both Quackity and Victoria tried to calm the raging 30 something year old woman, when a kid walked up to them, Ranboo.
He was rubbing his eye and walked up to Quackity who picked him up, there the woman calmed, and Victoria explained.
At the description given by Quackity of the group of men, the woman took out a radio phone from between her breasts and yanked up the antena, twisting the knobs and getting a radio station, she brought it close to her ear and began to speak.
“Sation 20-AG-47, we have buyers wanting to buy 3 pounds of meat, and possibly one serve of orange pie, the might be customer that qualify for the special coupon”
She spoke in code, and everyone that was thought knew the code.
3 pounds of meat meant 3 hybrids.
Orange pie, meant possible sexual tendencies towards one person
And special coupons meant traffickers.
Quackity held Ranboo closer, and skied his head and he lulled him to sleep, the woman continued to speak into the radio, in a hushed manner, lowering the volume so no outsiders in the streets could hear the loud radio static.
“I see the Rainbow is filled with color, the green man, has seven leaves with their pink petals opened”
They were in the daycare, and the daycare has children, and all are unaware of the situation.
As soon as they heard a voice come in.
“The chair cane make a tune if sat in properly”
On our way
The windows shattered a hiss came through, TnT.
Quackity extended his wings and pulled VIctoria and the woman he now recognized as Magdalen, his neighbor, covering them from any flying debris with his wings, these taking both of the impact, his shirt tore and his back was scratched with stones and that hurt.
Immediately men walked in, stepping on the broken glass, victoria took out the sword from beside the counter.
Magdalene radio one last time before hooking the radio on her belt and she snatched the axe from Quackity’s hand and told him to go to the clovers(kids), understanding he ran, and closed the bookshelf behind him, kids now beginning to wake up, Ranboo now fully aware was shaking, and did not stop as he hid his face in Quackity’s shoulder.
When he thought they were out of danger, the door was blown up and a man began pulling Ranboo and Quackity apart, Ranboo crying, and Quackity too, reaching for his son.
Others walked in and began picking up kids and passing them over to others.
Quackity was apprehended, a hand brought to his chin to look at the same man he denied his services to.
People of the town arrived at the scene, catching everyone's attention, for a split second the grip on his chin softened and Quackity bit down, thankful for his natural pointy teeth.
The man yelled in pain and punched Quackity in the face, making him fall to the ground.
Children used as shields, yet he couldn't see his own, where was Ranboo?
He looked around and couldn't find him, he began chirping, and flapped his wings, a man grabbed his wings and pulled, making Quackity cry out in pain.
Parents yelling and trying to negotiate with the men, to which the hard choice came.
“The children, or the hybrids”
He knew they didn't stand a chance, the townsfolk would give them up so Quackity grabbed a large glass shard and stabbed the man in the men before retracting it and moving on to the next.
The townspeople too began attacking, Quackity grabbing kids and shielding them from the men with his wings, handing them back to their crying mothers and older siblings, orphaned children.
As soon as most children were out of danger he heard a screech, Ranboo.
He looked around and saw Ranboo struggling as they tried to put a nuzzle not meant for endermen but for foxes over his mouth, angered Quackity ran, wings no longer being able to move as much.
He yelled as he reached for Ranboo, when a man stepped in front of him and raised his pickaxe, hitting Quackity on the right side of his face, blood spilling everywhere as QUackity groaned out in pain and held his eye.
Ranboo struggled further and began kicking, particles flowing out of him as they began to pile up and more in a frenzy.
Quackity got up and began walking forwards, the man who had just injured him taking a step back and began to try and get a hit on Quackity again but the avian just dodge every attack blessed for his boyfriends training.
Another person came from behind and lassoed his wings together, another pulled on his air but Quackity began hitting and smacking at any skin contact, with the shard of glass still in his hand he made contact with something and pressed down, later cutting a chunk of his hair, the hold of his wings only tighten, pulling and he felt his bone wings getting pulled from his internal organs.
He reached out for Ranboo who kept kicking and fighting, Ranboo too reached out for him, and Quackity made eye contact with him, the action made Ranboo let out a screech and particles began buzzing and circling around him as Ranboo disappeared leaving only a few particles behind which dissolved in thin air.
Quackity’s eye widen and began looking around for his son, when the ropes pulled tighter on his wings, he let out an awful scream, then a loud roar was heard, there came Technoblade, a once white shirt stained with blood, his face having blood splatters and his hair was short, it was cut at an angle, he had a blondie axe in his left hand and a sword on the other.
Behind him was the townspeople a few covered in blood, he moved forward and cut a mans torso open, men began pulling down from the carriage, a bloody battle had begun, and Quackity was still unable to do anything,
Ranboo was in the tree line, eyes glowing purple and particles keeping behind him.
Quackity saw him and smiled, he used the same glass shard and cut the rope as soon as he felt the grip losen,
He rushed to ranboo’s side who hissed at him as soon as he got close, Quackity managed to calm him and got a hold of his son, but he wasn't the one Ranboo was hissing but the man behind them, as soon as Quackity turned his head, he was met with the reflection of the moon in a blade, then he saw red, his eyes were covered in blood and Quackity yelled, Ranboo shrieked and began pulling him to his tony chest, particles circling around them as if attempting to protect them.
Quackity’s wings flapped as little as they could, making the man irritated as he grabbed them and pulled, with one simple swing he cut them right off from the base of the skin, making Quackity let out a gut wrenching scream, blood gushing from his back, and as if it wasn't enough, the man pierced the blade of his sword through Quackity’s chest.
Ranboo was mortified, his dad was being killed in front of him and he couldn't do anything but stare, he stared at his dad’s eyes, chocolate brown being tainted with red.
The sight before him was horrifying.
Then came technoblade and he finished the job, killing the man on sight and pulling his family close to him, ranboo calmed but he was in shock, he didn't cry, speak or even move, he was shaking but standing still like in a trance, Quackity was bleeding out, eyes beginning to fall, gaze dropping.
From there on everything went blank.
Years later, QUackity dared ask his now husband what happened that night, for he doesn't remember anything, were as Technoblade explained that he got them both out from the woods and the townspeople treated his wounds and saved his(Quackity) life, Ranboo had been in a coma state of sorts, and once Quackity was deemed healed enough to travel he got them on a horse and left the town all together, until they arrived at his father’s house, a cottage hidden in the woods, in a location his older brother had created for hybrids to hide and live at peace with humans who accept them.
When Ranboo awakened from his coma, Quackity hugged him crying into his hair, pulling away Ranboo began freaking out, he kicked and trashed agaits Quackity yelling and telling him off.
Turns out his mind was still stuck on that image, the image of his dad bleeding before him, his dad who his mind had created this image of his dad being dead, so seeing anyone with those eyes and face made him think it was his dad telling him and asking why he didnt save him, his own conscious would discord Quackity’s face back to that evenings expression, disrupting his eyes and mouth into this horrifying wide grin, since then Quackity always wore a mask.
It's for the best since, now everyone thought he was dead, when he had accidentally stumbled upon that same village he found out that everyone believed his family to be dead himself included.
It's for the best he would think.