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The bus woke at the attack.
Immediately, Techno was on his feet. They had been camping outside the bus for the night. Fire roared over his head. Someone screamed. What’s happening? Where are the kids?
A fist slammed into his cheek and he was thrown to the side. Stumbling, Techno threw his arms out. Caught himself. Then, he shoved himself up. Faced off with the person.
It was December 2. The not-apocalypse had begun in late July. In the nearly six months since, they had changed. Some for the better, some for the stranger. At the start of it, Techno had been some scrawny gamer who could get worn out by trying to tire out his four-month-old puppy.
Techno had changed, too.
Rolling forwards, he slammed both feet into his attacker’s legs. Surged up and slammed his elbow into their jaw. Then, he jumped to his feet. Could he punch? Sure he could. But elbows were better weapons—sharpest point on the body and all. So he turned and roundhoused the person with his right elbow. It cracked against their nose. A crunch split the air. Grabbing their head by the hair, he kicked his leg back slightly and then smashed his knee into their forehead as he pulled it down. Knee to face, knee to face, knee to face, yanking them up, he repeated it twice to their groin. They huffed twice, then he shoved them to the ground and front snap-kicked them to the stomach. They stayed down this time, thankfully.
He turned right in time for another fight. Shit. Dropping back, he twisted so they were under him. His full weight slammed down on them. They let out a groan as the wind was forced from their lungs. Then, even on the ground, Techno slammed a fist into their stomach, rebounded the punch back to hit them in the face with his knuckles. Their hands loosened and he got to his feet.
Something in him roared. If he weren’t trying to not die, he would be paying more attention. But their attackers were humans and wolves and half-wolf looking things. Abnormally fast humans, too. Preternaturally so. Or supernaturally, he thought for a second.
Alyssa screamed beside him as she was hefted into the air, one of the half-wolf looking things digging his claws into the back of her hoodie. Within a second, Connor was there, snarling almost inhumanly and dragging the half-wolf back down. Teeth snapped down and Connor shrieked as it dug into his shoulder.
The next thing Techno knew, everything was red at the edges. Surging forwards, he charged. His hands slashed up. Drove his fingers—now thick, sharp claws—into the wolf-beast’s neck. It let go of Alyssa and Connor with a wet gurgle. Squeezing, he flipped it and slammed it into the ground. Reared back and screamed at it.
Connor and Alyssa screamed at him. Turning, Techno looked over. Saw his reflection in the reading glasses Alyssa was wearing. He didn’t look human anymore. Instead, he was something that looked like a cross between a boar, a bear, and a wolf. At the same time, though, it looked like it had never been those creatures and could not possibly have been one. Red glowing eyes sat where he must have been looking through. Shards of sharp fur sat at his shoulders.
Somewhere, Tommy shrieked. Head snapping around, Techno released the beast. Yelping, it sprinted off into the woods, tail between its legs. Tommy was on the ground, curled up with Dream trying to fight off the person in front of him. Key word: trying.
Around Techno, so much was happening. Callahan was nursing a wound, Ponk trying to tend to him with golden magic slivers coming from his hands. Punz and Sam were blocking the nearest attackers, Sam throwing pulses of something from his hands to force them back. Punz had glowing silver blades in his hands, slashing easily to throw them around. Purpled was holding himself over Fundy, who was splayed out across the ground and unconscious. When someone attacked, Purpled grabbed Fundy and sprinted, touching his own chest. They floated above the ground, like the rocks and debris at Purpled’s house.
Charlie had Ranboo and Tubbo behind him, eyes wide. Something had changed about his smell, but Techno wasn’t sure what. Sapnap and Jack were fighting people off. Bad and Skeppy were wrestling with the wolves, snarling and hissing with Bad sounding like a genuine demon. Minx was beating the shit out of some random human, Niki at her back. Puffy sprang up, twisted, and kicked someone in the head as they approached. They dropped to the ground, head snapped back immediately. Ant was slashing at anyone who came even close to Velvet, tail bristled out and ears flattened back, teeth bared. Karl and Quackity were pressed back to the bus, trying to treat an injury cut across Wilbur’s chest while Phil and Kristin tried to keep him from writhing around. Eret was on top of the bus, firing off arrows. George was beside him, trying to do the same but holding onto his hand where it was wounded.
No one touches the Pack. Some part of him snarled. Turning, Techno threw himself towards Tommy, Dream, and their attacker. Claws splayed out, he sprang up with a roar.
“Ah, ah.” They said, raising a hand. Techno slammed into something and dropped down beside Tommy. Immediately, he yanked Tommy to his chest, curled his tail around him. In their other hand was Dream. His mask was gone. Blood dripped down the side of his face, and he reached up and clawed at their hand. His eyes were half-closed, dulling. His lips were already starting to turn blue. Raising his head, Techno stared at them in horror. “I’m going to kill all of you, you little monsters. You came onto our territory. And now all of you have to die.” Looking back, they met Dream’s gaze. “I think I’ll start with that little blond in your friend’s care there.”
Techno snarled.
Dream’s eyes started glowing.
Everything slowed down. Dream shifted, shoulders rolling. His lips quirked up in a smile, and he struck out with his hand and slammed it into the person’s chest. Their eyes widened. “Shit!” They choked out.
“Dream!” George screamed. The air dropped in a chill. Everything happened so fast. Dimly, Techno realized he needed to protect Tommy.
“Everyone protect someone else!” Phil yelled the order. Immediately, fur bristling, Techno curled around Tommy. There was a flare of ice, roaring up around them, a flash of bright light. Then, everything went quiet.
Taking in a shaky breath, Techno closed his eyes and sank into the darkness.
+++
When he stirred, he was back in the bus, which was driving and rattling slightly.
Raising his head, Techno looked around. He was clothed, but not in the same outfit he had worn that morning. Swallowing, he raised his hands. He was bandaged up. Next to him was Tommy, curled in his arms. Wilbur was lying next to him, stretched out across the backseat with his head on Techno’s thigh and a pillow braced next to Techno’s hip.
Carefully, he pushed himself up just a little bit more. Looked around. “Did they—do you think—does it hurt?” Puffy asked quietly. When Techno raised his head, he found an interesting situation. Almost every single one of the seats had been flattened back as much as possible, letting everyone lay across the entirety of the seats. Pillows and blankets formed a flattish surface. Techno wasn’t sure how it worked.
Puffy was sitting up with Schlatt. Her hands were on his head. Gently, she poked at…something settled in his hair. “No, they didn’t hurt. How do your feet feel? I know the whole…” He tipped his head to the side slightly. “Ankles going the other way—“
“I thought I broke them, honestly.” Puffy pulled her legs up beside her. White, curled fur poked out from underneath where her sweatpants covered. On Schlatt, dark brown, straight fur covered the same places. Both of them had black hooves.
There were small horns growing out of Schlatt’s hair.
He wasn’t the only one who had changed. Fundy was curled up, a russet-brown tail poking out from under his hoodie. Callahan’s arms seemed to be thicker-furred, almost. He knew Purpled, Ponk, Punz, and Sam had some kind of powers—they had shown that in the fight. Charlie was shifting in his sleep, a soft green glow to his skin. Connor and Alyssa were both pale and sweating, obviously sick in the same way Bad had been. Techno knew he and Dream had changed. Skeppy was driving, Bad talking to him quietly. Which meant Techno had a clear view of Dream, who was casting a faint golden glow over the whole bus like a sort of natural nightlight. In his arms was George.
Frost spiraled up George’s arms, from his fingers to his elbows. His lips were blue, and fog swirled out with every breath of his.
They were changing, and they were going to have to deal with it. But that was for tomorrow. Turning back, Techno searched for the others. Ant and Velvet were snuggled together. Phil and Kristin were the same. Quackity, Karl, and Sapnap were lying on one another. Ranboo had temporarily taken Tommy’s spot, Eret had taken Puffy’s with Minx and Niki. Everyone was there, everyone was safe.
Delicately, Techno settled the pillows, pulled Wilbur up beside Tommy, and then wrapped his arms around the both of them. Tommy mumbled happily in his sleep, buried his face in Techno’s chest. Wilbur’s eyes opened for a moment, looked at him. Then, he laid his head back down. Kissed Tommy’s temple and closed his eyes.
Leaning back into the pillows, Techno closed his eyes.