Chapter Text
Warm days are Wilburs favourite days and cool days are okay.
Hot days are a nightmare and cold days are vile.
The last two can die which is why Wilbur is so glad they left that arctic bullshit of an area a day ago and have reached a coastal town. He can still feel his ribs ache from when he was thrown against the wall and he had been complaining about it the entire trip, just to spite his partners.
It was their idea after all to go there.
Yes there was a giant fury beast that looked akin to a mutant spider tormenting the town nearby it's cave but that didn't mean he deserved to suffer in ice and snow and thrown against the craggly walls of the ugly fuckers cave. He didn't deserve it at all.
Techno disagrees.
Fuck him anyway.
But they are away from that infernal place with more gold in their pockets, chowing down actual food after weeks eating dried meat and bread.
It was heaven.
"Fucking prime, I am in heaven right now. Next fucking job we get, I'm picking, okay?" He points that directly to his partners in crime or in this case, their humble and dangerous job.
Monster hunting.
Phil cracks a grin while Techno rolls his eyes.
"Sure Wil, to make it fair, you'll pick the next job," Phil amends before Techno can intercept with a quip that all of them know will end in disaster. Or them just being kicked out.
"Great, now he'll pick a job that'll be so easy, I could do it with my eyes closed," Techno drawls and Phil sighs as the two immediately start barking at each other like wild dogs, Phil sending an apologetic smile to the other customers and staff while mentally noting to leave a tip.
"You two done now?" Phil chastises with a sigh, being a little too tired to properly scold them at the moment
The two huff and turn away from each other with their arms crossed, almost at the same time. Phil sighd again.
It's not that they don't get along, quite the opposite actually. This is all just friendly banter the two like getting into.
"You're like siblings," Phil had said once and it turned to them shouting indigence which Phil cackled about. But it isn't wrong. A lot of the time, Techno and Wilbur are like brothers. And Phil feels a lot like a tired Dad.
Even with the joking dynamic of family and friendly banters and fights, they are an effective team
As said before, they are monster hunters.
The best in the business according to everyone throughout the lands of the Essempi.
The Angel of Death.
The Blood God.
The Serpent.
Three terrifying and powerful monster hunters. Unbeatable after 8 long years of working together.
They hunt all sorts of monsters they get paid to kill. If someone has the money and resources for it, they come and kill the monster to be slain. Although incredibly risky, well worth it when they leave with piles of gold and happy safe innocent villages.
However, one matters more than the last. But apparently only to Phil because according to Wilbur, "he has too much of a bleeding heart," which is very true.
Techno can be quite apathetic with his hardened heart and Wilbur is a mix of logic and heart.
If push comes to shove, the man can break under pressure when it comes to his emotions.
That's their flaws but with each other, they have ways of helping one another.
It's why they are effective as a team.
It's why their hearts identify each other as family, no matter what.
"Alright, you two have caused enough ruckus, we've got to rest before our next big job," Phil soothes the jeers the two jokingly throw at each other, digging through his pocket to leave a tip.
"Why are you leaving more gold Phil? We already paid," Wilbur asks questionably as he rises from his seat.
"I'm leaving a tip for the poor staff who've had to listen to you two go at each other," Phil deadpans and Wilbur scans the rest of the cafe and almost winces at the light glares on them from everyone.
Right, woops.
Wilbur laughs nervously.
"Makes sense, let's go you two," they begin to leave towards the door, Wilbur about to push the swinging door open when it suddenly bursts open with a panting man.
The guy has black hair and freckles dotted across his face. He looks quite young, maybe early twenties. Maybe even 19 or 18. Either way, the guy looks frantic as he looks up from where he's leaning against the door frame.
"Are the SBI hunters here?" He quickly speaks and everyone's heads snap to them. There men in obvious hunter gear.
The man looks them over and sees what the other patriots see and seems to sag in relief.
"Please sirs, can I speak to you? It's an emergency. My village, it's… they really need your help," the guy looks close to desperate as he practically begs.
Phil looks to the other two behind him, both boys catch his gaze. They are exhausted and have had a long trip. More leaning towards a well needed rest but… this guy looked very desperate.
"Sure, let's go speak somewhere private," Phil says with a kind smile, ignoring the groans of annoyance coming from the pair behind him.
Luckily the man doesn't notice the resigned attitude the other two hunters have and beams up at him.
Phil leads them to their Inn they had been staying at, their room quite large, even having a dining table they all take a seat at. The man looks ansty to start and fidgets where he sits. But he remains silent.
Once everyone is situated, Phil leans forward.
"Alright, before we start, can we know your name mate?" The man kindly asks.
"Um, I'm Jean Swalt sir," the man introduces, Phil nodding at him.
"Nice to meet you Jean, I'm Phil, and these two are my partner's, Wilbur and Techno," he introduces back, pointing to both the men behind him respectfully.
"So, what seems to be the problem Jean?"
Jean forgetting gets more ansty as he tries to find his words.
"We've got a monster problem, a pretty devastating one," he starts off, Wilbur and Techno lean back, letting Phil collect the info.
"Does it attack or eat people?" Phil questions, thinking devastating meant losses. But the man shakes his head.
"No, it doesn't take or eat people to our knowledge although three teens did disappear a few years back. But it does eat our livestock. We're pretty out in the country so our livestock are incredibly important to us. But that's not the worst of it, it also talks to our kids."
That makes all three men pause.
"What do you mean it talks to your kids?" Wilbur lifts a questioning eyebrow, pulling his eye away from where he was fiddling with his nails. Techno freezes after fiddling and throwing a small dagger in his hand.
"A lot of the kids say they've spoken to the beast. They describe it as a giant black and white creature with glowing purple eyes. Its jaw is unhinged and makes strange sounds. We've had a few villagers see it as well, see the lumbering beast with tight skin that would show its ribs and tall as the houses."
"One of the older women nearly had a heart attack when she first saw it and a kid was with it too," Jean lowers his gaze, fear and distraught clear in his eyes.
"One of the kids especially, a boy named Michael talks to it the most. We try to keep him away but he's set on going to it. The boy has no parents so there is no one to keep him safe," Jean practically fidgets in his seat.
"Please, we're all terrified. We're worried for our kids and I'm worried for Michael, he's a good boy, I don't… I don't want something awful to happen to him."
And by the looks of it, he means it. This boy, even if he's an adult, looks too young in Phil's eyes.
Phil manages a smile.
"Hey, it's okay, we'll look into it okay? Don't worry about a thing," he reassures and the shaky smile and tears almost bleeding from his eyes as the man looks hopeful.
"Thank you, thank you so much."
Internally, the three men all sigh.
Guess they aren't having that relaxing week just yet.
—---
"I heard they're bringing in hunters," a boy, maybe just at the cupse of 18, with brown hair, blue eyes and a scar that cuts the side of his face speaks as he enters his home.
Another boy, sitting at the edge of a nest, stills. A blonde haired head whips to him and is greeted as well with bright blue eyes, both identical because they are brothers.
"What? When? Where?" He panics, sitting at the edge now but not quite leaving, he can't, not when his hand is being held.
"To that village nearby, I don't know when but I heard they sent someone to find hunters," the boy's voice is unbelievably monotone as he speaks. Almost like he doesn't care but the other blonde knows better.
His brother is afraid and he understands why. Scars can be more than just physical.
"We should leave then, get as far away as possible," the blonde reasons, moving aside as his brother sits beside him.
"And go where? We don't know anything about what's out there Tom's, I want to protect him too but…" he doesn't get to finish his sentence, they both know the answer.
"We'll have to prepare then," they both nod at that, determination written in their eyes.
They will not back down, nor give up.
They have someone important to protect after all.
"Guys, is that you?" Someone, in a sleepy voice, yawns out as he runs his eyes. The blonde gives the boy's hand a squeeze.
"It's fine Boo, it's just me and Bo, go back to sleep," the blonde whispers gently, getting a hum of confirmation in response.
The third boy falls to sleep and the other two watch over, plans and ideas flit quietly between the two.
They will protect their third brother, no matter what.
They will not lose him ever again.