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Techno was at his locker, the halls were mostly devoid of people, it was friday and everyone was desperate to get home. He had stopped after class to use the restroom and was now packing up his bag when someone pushed his shoulder roughly.
“Hey, what the hell is the matter with you?” Techno turned to see two people from his math class standing there looking pissed.
“Excuse me, what?” Techno asked, straightening up, turning to look at the pair.
“You know what I’m talking about!” The boy, Brandon, snapped, pushing Techno again.
“If I did I wouldn’t have asked what you meant,”
“I’m talking about you acting like such a stuck up jackass! The only time you talk in class is to answer the teacher or prove someone else wrong- what- do you think you’re too good to talk to everyone else?”
“Uh, no,” Techno huffed lightly, panic started to flare in his chest, this dude was taller then Wilbur.
“You act like it! My friends tell me how you are in their classes too! You act like you’re better then everyone else and someone needs to put you in your place!”
His blood went cold.
Before he could move, Brandon reared back and punched him across the face. He gasped, stumbling slightly, Brandon pulled back his fist again but Techno shoved him away.
His eye throbbed and his hands were shaking, he didn’t know what to do, he couldn’t take one of these guys let alone both, he couldn’t outrun them either and with his locker close to a wall he was trapped.
The other boy, Gavin, lunged forward and punched him in the nose, sending shockwaves through his head. He could feel blood dribbling down his lips and chin.Techno lashed out, shoving Gavin away only for Brandon to grab the front of his shirt and slam him against the lockers.
Techno stifled a groan as his head spun, his eyes flickered around wildly, Brandon was glaring at him with the intensity of ten suns, Gavin was stepping closer, also looking pissed.
His locker was still open and his backpack was on the floor, Gavin kicked it over, sending his books and papers everywhere.
“Think you can pull a fast one on me? Let me tell you something, you have book smarts but I have street smarts, you can’t hurt me because you’re just a weak coward-”
Techno swore he heard footsteps.
Suddenly someone slammed into Brandon, he fell to the ground, half dragging Techno with him. Techno stumbled but managed to keep his balance. He looked up to see Tommy grappling with Gavin.
He dodged a punch with ease and hit a blow to the others stomach then swept his legs out from underneath him, Gavin hit the ground and groaned loudly.
Brandon was getting to his feet when Tommy grabbed him and slammed him against the lockers just like he had done to Techno.
“Stay the fuck away from my brother or I’ll leave you with more then just bruises,” He hissed sharply, he let go of Brandon and stepped away. Brandon scrambled to his feet then rushed down the hall, Gavin on his heels, looking back nervously every few feet.
Tommy turned to him worry and anger in his fiery eyes, “Are you okay- wait that was a stupid question, of course you’re not okay- what happened? Who were those guys and why were they attacking you?”
“I don’t know, they were just some random guys from my math class,” Techno put a hand on his head, he could still feel a bit of blood trickling down his face.
“They were going on about how I am a jackass because apparently answering questions in class is pretentious.” He wiped at his face with the back of his hand and adjusted his glasses.
“That’s bullshit! I should’ve knocked the shit out of that guy!”
“I don’t think that would have helped but thank you for getting those guys off me,” Techno crouched down, collecting his papers that had been scattered from their folders, Tommy knelt down with him and started helping him gather his things.
“Of course, I just wish I would have hit them harder- I mean- what the hell is that matter with them!” Techno chuckled lightly.
They managed to get his things back together and pack them up, Techno zipped up his bag and closed his locker, he turned back to grab his bag only to see Tommy pulling it on his other shoulder.
“I can carry my own bag Tommy,” Techno said, rolling his eyes, “I’m fine.”
“No you’re not and I’m doing this to make your life easier so shut up and let me help you!” Tommy held onto the backpack straps tighter, Techno groaned but didn’t put up a fight. Tommy felt his phone buzz and pulled it out of his pocket.
“Wilbur says to hurry up or he’s gonna ditch us,” Tommy read off the message with a bad intimation of their older brother, he scoffed and rolled his eyes,“Like he can ditch us, we walk!”
They walked down the hall, both going at a slower pace then normal, Tommy mumbled out the text he was sending Wilbur,
“Give us a minute, we’re in the East unit,”
Techno’s head was spinning, his eye throbbed and nose ached, he felt dizzy but knew he only had himself to blame on that front- working through lunch was probably not the best idea.
They got towards the front of the school, Wilbur was leaning on one of the pillars near the front doors. He spotted them quickly, standing up straighter but as they got closer he was able to get a better look at Techno. He dropped his bag to the floor and jogged up to them.
Wilbur immediately grabbed Techno chin and tilted his head to the side, inspecting his injuries ,rage starting to flare up in his eyes, Techno could see it, the blue fire was just getting started.
He let go of his brother's head, hands clenched at his side, he looked between his younger brothers, frowning.
“What happened?”
Techno looked away while Tommy sighed, “Two guys jumped him while he was at his locker,” he supplied, Wilbur’s eyes darkened.
“Who?”
Tommy shrugged, Techno’s eyes shifted even further away and he gripped his arm awkwardly, feeling Wilbur’s gaze burn into him.
Finally he cracked, sort of.
“I don’t know-” Tommy elbowed him in the side, Techno glared at him before mumbling, “Two guys from my math class,”
“Uh huh,” Wilbur nodded, pulling out his phone, “What are their names?”
“No! No, it’s fine, it’s fine, I’m fine, you don’t need to do
that!” Techno’s head shot up, “Everything is fine!”
“Everything is not fine! You look like shit dude!” Wilbur snapped, he was trying to control his anger but the sight of his brother made his chest hurt.
“Thanks Wil, can always count on you to make me feel better,” Techno forced a shitty half smile onto his face, Wilbur shoved his head.
“Can it Tech,” He face softened, “Let's just get home,we’ll deal with those jackasses later.”
Techno nodded, glad the conversation was over, Wilbur grabbed his bag and they started home. The walk home seemed so much longer then normal, once they got back to the apartment Techno tried to go to his room only for Wilbur to grab him and pull him into the bathroom.
“Sit.” He pushed Techno onto the sink counter and started rummaging through the drawers, “Where’s that shit you keep for Tommy?”
“Bottom drawer,” Tommy called from the hallway, Wilbur opened it and started digging through the supplies.
Techno’s eyes drifted to the mirror.
His right eye was bruised with a dark, angry, purple and a small cut under it, blood was smeared across one part of his face and he realized that’s why his brothers were so freaked out.
He grabbed a washcloth and stuck it under the faucet then scrubbed it along his cheek and chin, cleaning off the crimson. Once he finished he turned to his brother.
“See, not that bad, just a bloody nose,” Wilbur’s shoulders relaxed slightly.
“That’s good, you look less shitty now but your eye needs work,” He pushed him back onto the counter, “Now hold still,”
He grabbed his chin and tilted his head to the side once again, dabbing the cut with a disinfectant wipe, Techno winced against the sting. Wilbur finished by sticking a small bandaid on it.
“Thanks,” Wilbur shrugged.
“It’s nothing but Phil’s not gonna think that when he sees-”
“Don’t tell Phil! It’s not that bad!”
Wilbur snorted, “Dude, he’s gonna see it anyways, that bruise isn’t going away from awhile,”
Techno groaned, “He’s gonna react even worse then both you and Tommy put together!” He put two fingers to his temple, “This is gonna suck to explain again,”
“Yeah especially cause you suck at explaining it already,” Wilbur teased, biting his tongue through a grin. Techno actually laughed, shoving his shoulder slightly.
“I-I think I’m gonna go lay down for a bit,”
“Yeah, alright,you go do that. I’ve got something else to do,”
“Please don’t stalk the internet for them or blackmail them or anything,” Techno said tiredly.
“Aw, those were already on the list, sorry Tech,” Wilbur grinned before walking out of the bathroom.
Techno groaned, following him out, “Damn theater kid.”
Phil had just gotten home from work, Wilbur had already heated up food for dinner, it was sitting on the counter.
Him and Tommy had both been sitting in the living room, stewing about what happened to Techno. Wilbur had messaged a friend of a friend and asked for the social media of every kid in the last period math class they shared with Techno.
With Tommy’s vague recollections of the boys they were able to narrow it down to 4 possibilities when Phil walked in.
“Hey boys, how was your day?” He asked, setting his stuff down on the couch.
“Pretty good, I got dinner ready,” Wilbur said, nodding towards the kitchen counter.
“Awesome, thank you, we can eat in a minute,” Phil said, walking towards the bathroom, he stopped on the way and knocked on Techno’s door, “Techno, dinner’s ready!” He said, then stepped into the bathroom.
Techno came out of his and Tommy’s room and into the kitchen, shoulders hunched,nervously drumming his fingers along his arm.
“Wow, Techno, you look so relaxed,” Tommy commented, leaning against the wall.
“I’m leaving you my jacket Wil,” He said, ignoring Tommy, Wilbur raised an eyebrow.
“Wait, do you actually think that Phil is gonna be mad-”
“Of course he’s gonna be mad!”
“At you?”
Techno shrugged, “...Maybe…”
“What am I gonna be mad about?” Phil asked, emerging from the bathroom, all three boys turned to look at him.
It only took a second for him to identify the problem.
He rushed forwards, grabbing Techno’s chin and turning his head to the side. Techno groaned.
“Why do both you and Wilbur do this?” He asked, trying to pull away.
“Because we care so shut it and let me look,” He pulled him closer, checking over the rest of his face, grumbling, “I knew I should have texted you guys, I should have trusted my gut.” Eventually he let go and crossed his arms.
“What happened?”
Techno looked away nervously, “Two guys from my Math class just kind of jumped me after school while I was at my locker. Tommy got to me before they could do anything really bad.”
“I’d hate to see what ‘really bad’ would look with these guys, why’d they go after you?”
“I’m not really sure, guess they just thought I was a stuck up jackass or something- no no don’t look at me like that.”
Phil’s eyes had softened, “Like what?”
“Like- that!”
Phil chuckled, “Okay then I wasn’t looking at you weirdly but who did this? Because they are not getting away with it,”
“No no, it’s fine, I don’t care, I don’t think they are gonna mess with me again; Tommy scared them off.” Techno pointed at his younger brother, who beamed with pride.
“I already tried Phil, he won’t budge,” Wilbur shrugged, Phil rolled his eyes. He already knew to give the stubborn boy a few days.
They ate dinner together while Tommy talked about his day, joking around to lighten the mood. By the end of their meal everyone seemed to have loosened up but as Phil set his dishes in the sink he whispered to Wilbur; “Find out who-”
“Way ahead of you, already have it narrowed down to four guys.”
Phil grinned, “Atta boy,”
It was later that night, Techno was doing the dishes, claiming he needed to do something with his hands. He was just finishing up when Phil approached him, silently he wrapped his arms around him, in typical Phil fashion, one hand was tight around his back while the other cupped the back of his head.
Techno tensed up then relaxed into the embrace, face against his shoulder.
“You know, whatever they said wasn’t true right?” He said quietly, Techno nodded, “Yeah,” His voice was barely audible.
“And I want you to know I am so proud of you and I’m so sorry they did that to you, it’s unacceptable and you didn’t deserve it.”
Techno didn’t say anything, he just hugged back tighter.