Chapter Text
Everyone on the server knew Dream was an avian.
It was really hard not to.
Whether the man was checking in on New L’manburg, his wings casting an arching shadow from the obsidian walls, or just a trail of gray feathers blowing across the desolate grasslands of Tommy’s exile, they knew.
Dream had wings and that was a fact.
He visited Tommy with his wings tucked behind his back, well out of reach of the grabby teen’s calloused hands.
He kept up with Phil with wings spread wide, sharing stories and preening tips and eventually stopping by just to entertain the other man. He never said anything aloud, but the way he frowned at Phil’s ankle cuffs or ran his fingers along the shards of broken windows gave a pretty clear view of how he took Phil’s house arrest predicament.
He met with Tubbo and Quackity and Fundy with folded wings, flaunting, but not quite, the gray feathers that shifted in silence behind the young president’s head.
Tubbo and Fundy acted like they didn't notice. Dream noticed when they did, their eyes drifting behind his shoulders during their meetings.
But their stares were never as bad as the other member of their council.
Quackity had his own wings to admire, but at the beginning of the server the other avian would grin at Dream from afar, feathers flaring in their own little “hey!” Now Quackity would shoot small glimpses at Dream’s feathers but avoid him for the most part.
Well, as much as Dream allows him to avoid him, what with them being on the same side.
Same side.
Dream takes note of the way Quackity won’t look at him besides with a glare and… maybe guilt? Was that guilt? Dream drummed his fingers on the table, trying to remember if he’d done anything to tip off the other avian.
Well, besides exiling Tommy, because pretty much everyone was upset with him for doing that. Which- it wasn’t even his fault. Yeah he might’ve given Tubbo the entire idea and pushed the president towards that metaphorical edge, but in the end Tubbo had been the one to make the final decision.
Either way he would’ve gotten something of value.
But for now, New L’manburg’s president didn’t particularly favor him at the moment.
Tubbo never showed that though. He might’ve been kind of secluded, but with a bit of Dream’s advice he’d relaxed into a more open mindset to having Dream around.
There was none of that now however.
“Oh Fundy. Did you finish our list?” Tubbo asked, hands pressed against the table as he leaned forwards. The table shook a bit under the sudden weight, however small, and Dream brought his hands away, frowning.
Fundy blinked. “Yeah! I uh- got it right here.” The fox slid a piece of paper forwards to the middle of the table, face up.
“What list?” Dream asked slowly, narrowing his eyes and tilting his head to try and make out the scribbled writing. Tec-
Before he could finish Tubbo snatched the paper to his chest, eyes wide before he relaxed his hold with a nervous laugh. “Nothing! Well, something actually. We wanted to run over the plan- “ Tubbo frowned at Fundy, who made a shrugging gesture with wide eyes. “-before we shared it with you.”
They're hiding something . Tec? Tec…hnoblade? Why would they have him on there? What is that list anyway?
Dream looked between Fundy and Tubbo, leaning back in his chair. “Huh. Does this plan happen to involve me in any way?”
The three seated shared a glance and Dream mentally smacked himself, wings drooping. Too direct .
Still he didn’t move his gaze from the group until Tubbo coughed awkwardly. “Well uh. You of all people should know about our enemies of the state.”
“Go on.”
“We’ve decided that although Tommy has been exiled, the walls have been taken down and we've been left… undefended.”
The room froze. “Are you regretting your choices Tubbo?” Dream asked, only the smallest amount of condescence on the tip of his tongue. The hint of a smirk ghosted his face.
Tubbo had lost his friend by exile and lost the walls by victory, but maybe after a couple weeks of being in the open the country had learned their lesson about protection.
It was too late for it but if Tubbo had thought it through a bit longer, he could have kept Tommy and the protection. A pity really. It would’ve been better to keep Tommy and his troupe in one place and under Dream’s rules.
It was kind of hard to help run a nation and “befriend” a stubborn as all hell teen hundreds of blocks away from each other.
And by run a nation, he meant this; getting random plans thrown at his face at the last moment and having to balance executing those plans with keeping New L’manburg pacifist.
“No! No. We’ve made the peaceful decision, we’ve done what you wanted, Dream. But we would like a little violence now.”
“As a treat.” Fundy pitched in, but shrunk under Dream’s withering glare.
“So you’re declaring war after everything I’ve done for you?”
“No we-“
Dream pushed on, his chair long forgotten as he stalked slowly towards the president. “You’re contradicting yourself Tubbo~. You’re regretting your actions like you could change the consequences .”
Tubbo raised his chin as Dream got closer, words edged like a knife. “I’m regretting my actions because Schlatt never did!”
Dream let that hang in the air, leaning back on his heels, arms crossed. Waiting.
Tubbo took a deep breath before blanking his expression again. “He also never gave you a fair chance. What I’m saying, Dream, is that we have a hit list.
And we need you to help us find our first target.”
* •*. •. * .• .*• *
Hit list. Why would they need a hit list?
Dream thought he’d worn tracks on the top of this building from how long he’d been pacing.
Since the walls came down I guess, but even then, who would attack them? Tommy ? Techno? They’re right to assume Techno would come after them again but last I heard from Phil he was “retired”. Hah. If Technoblade’s retired then I’m part moobloom.
A gust of wind ruffled his feathers, as if reminding his thoughts that he was a bird , thank you very much.
He sighed and stilled, peeking over the edge of the building. He could see the window he’d flown out of after getting most of the info from Tubbo.
His group was on the right track with trying to hunt down Techno but now Dream would have to go through the annoyingly hard process of finding out where the piglin was hiding.
The president had clearly stated how Technoblade was the biggest threat to their country at the moment. But there still was something going on between Tubbo and his people.
Quackity still wouldn’t look at him. More so after Tubbo had told Dream who was on the list. Fundy looked like he had been trying to get Tubbo’s attention multiple times, and Dream had caught the fox staring at him for a bit too long. Every time he saw Fundy clearly watching, he would jolt and look away.
They were hiding something. Something that might end up worse than the whole exiling Tommy issue.
Dream spread his wings then dove, flapping to slow his descent until he was walking normally across the boardwalks.
There’s something they don’t want me to know. They don’t want anyone to know? Or just me. It seemed like anyone, judging by what Tubbo said about it being “nothing”. Unless that was a lie.
He clenched his fists as he walked. George and Sapnap always made fun of him for being too paranoid, but now that he actually needed to be paranoid he couldn’t figure out why.
Let's say they don’t want anyone to know. Unless they just completely don’t trust me, they know I wouldn’t spill their secrets for no good reason. They would tell me.
So they’re just against me. And they were talking about a hit list…
Does Tubbo consider me a danger to L’manburg?
Before he knew it Dream’s nervousness had been put to good use. His pacing had been turned into a short walk leading him to a boarded up door and smashed in windows.
With a flap of his wings he shot upwards and over the roof, lightly tapping the top before hopping off the back edge and landing on a windowsill. Dream crouched down and knocked three times on the only unbroken window in Phil’s house.
He glanced around while he waited, shifting his wings up with a grimace as water droplets crashed into the sheer cliff and sent mist spiraling up into the air.
A crow cawed down at him from the rooftop. Dream glared at it. It squawked at him again.
“Hey mate!”
Dream shrieked.
Wind shrieked in his ears for a moment as he jumped back, wings snapping open and snagging a gust of air.
He flapped back upwards, each beat in time to Phil’s wheezing laughs.
“Not funny! What the hell is wrong with you,” Dream grumbled, returning and swinging through the window sill.
“That never gets old,” Phil wheezed, leaning back against the wall. Dream scowled and shook his wings out, silent revenge as he scattered water droplets all over Phil.
“You little shit , stop!”
“Your fault for making me fall all the way down to the water.”
“Oh my fault?”
The two avians paused, stood like two matching statues, wings mantling their heads, heated grins set on their faces.
In the time between Tubbo running L’manburg to now, putting Phil under house arrest hadn’t seemed to change anything on the outside. It just looked like a house had been closed off, and nobody really seemed to notice that much of a difference.
But inside the house was where things changed. Inside, the house was spotlessly clean, every book in its place, every stray feather swept away.
Inside the house got better. Inside, its inhabitant got worse.
Near the beginning Phil was a lot more open with the community, offering help and talking with just about anyone who wanted to.
Now when Dream visited he almost had to watch his tone.
Something could set the other avian off, whether it be a mention of Ghostbur, Techno, Tommy, or Prime forbid, Tubbo . Or it could just be Dream being slightly infuriating.
Phil never got super pissed though. It was more like a silent “fuck off” while he heatedly explained why he couldn’t tell you what the weather was like because he’s been stuck in his house for days.
For Dream it was just fun to see what would happen. In this case they ended up staring each other down, manic smiles cut into their faces with their wings puffing up behind them.
“Push me out the window Phil. Turn me into a flying fish. Do it, you won’t,” Dream taunted, his grin only widening as Phil’s hands twitched.
“If I do that you’re just going to splash me again,” Phil said slowly, seeing right through Dream’s plan.
“Guilty,” he admitted, lowering his defensive stance with a shrug.
Phil huffed but folded his wings back too. “So what brings you here?”
Dream scratched at the back of his neck, fidgeting with his mask’s straps.
It would be ill advised to come to Phil’s house to ask where his friend was so Tubbo could attack him.
“Um.” He crossed his arms, looking out the window for a second before abruptly turning to look directly at Phil. “I need to know where Techno is.”
Phil narrowed his eyes. “Why? You two better not be up to something. Not after what happened to L’manburg before.”
Dream chuckled lowly. “Nothing like that. Just a… a message from L’manburg. They must think I’m their little… messenger owl or something.”
Phil laughed as well. “I don’t think Techno would be very happy getting a letter from the government, and don’t tell me it’s another festival. Would’ve thought that they'd learnt their lesson when inviting him to those.”
“The past is the past Phil.” Dream walked towards the front door then turned around. “If L’manburg decides they want to take on something bigger than them again, I won’t be the one stopping it.”
A crow cawed loudly outside. Faint thunder rolled in the distance. The wind whistled.
Phil’s eyes widened.
“ Dream .”
Dream tensed. “What? …What is it?”
Then the door exploded behind him.
Dream stumbled forwards, wings flaring out to catch himself as he spun around and was met with a face full of glass.
His mask shielded the worst of it but he could smell the tendrils of potion seeping into his lungs.
“What the hell,” he growled, trying not to breathe too hard as he brought his axe around. The pale cloud of a weakness potion swirled in front of him.
Two shadows pushed their way through the smoke, masks covering their own faces and Dream faltered when he caught the sight of stubby horns and golden wings. He unfroze though as soon as Tubbo’s sword grazed his arm.
“Tubbo calm down! It’s me, Dream,” he shouted, folding his wings in completely as he dissolved in a coughing fit. “You- never said- anything about Phil- being-“
Pain flashed across his face. Quackity’s axe swung back to his side, spraying blood drops behind it.
Dream heard his mask break with a crack, felt crimson red drip down his chin and pain beat in time to his heart along the right side of his face.
“ Fuck ,” he cursed, backing up a step until he collided hard with the wall. He gasped and then froze, realizing his mistake as a weakness potion’s mist curled into his lungs.
“Tubbo what are you doing?!” Phil was shouting, sharp chirps escaping him as Fundy held him towards the back of the house. “What did he do?! What did he fucking do?!”
“Ranboo fucking- do something !”
“Wha- what… you-?”
“He’s… enemy… state Phil.”
Dream huffed heavily, trying desperately to rid himself of the potions effects. While he was still bent over, Quackity went in for another blow. He quickly threw himself to the side, kicking at the axe handle and sending the weapon skidding across the floor.
As the other avian turned from his downed weapon Dream shoved the head of his axe into his chest.
Quackity landed with a thump on the floor and Dream snapped his wings open, fanning the air to try and thin out the potion fumes.
He was too late.
Darkness was already steadily creeping into his vision, fuzzy static covering his ears and eating at his limbs.
He needed to get out of here and somewhere safe before he fully passed out. Fast .
A sword sunk into the wood behind him, nicking his neck in the process as he looked around, trying to find a window wide enough that he wouldn’t get caught on the glass shards.
None of them were as big as the one he’d entered before. That one was closed. Shit.
He shifted from foot to foot, indecisive and worried he'd tear a good amount of feathers on the way out of a smaller window. The chances he’d make it out of here unhurt were low .
If you’re gonna get hurt at least do it while you’re escaping.
He snarled as he dodged another one of Tubbo’s swings, shifting back a step one more time then deciding “fuck it”.
Before the president could get a better grip on the weapon, Dream used his axe to hook the edge and throw it away again. He took a step-
.*•. * •. .• *.• •.
Blinking hard as his head spun violently, he dodged around Ranboo and lept towards the closest window. The enderman shouted something that sounded like “hey!” as he folded his wings in tight and prayed to gods he didn’t believe in.
Maybe he’d make it out.
Halfway through the window his hopes were dashed as white hot pain lanced through his left wing. Still he grit his teeth and spread his wings, plummeting alongside the cliff for a second before catching a breeze and sailing across the lake.
More glass shattered behind him, shouts of “after him” and “he’s getting away” tailing him like a determined hoglin. He let the shouts wash away with the bursts of air coming from below, from the lake’s surface.
Another wave crashed into the shore and he rode the misty cloud up and away from the country.
Flying felt like beating a fire with his wing. Like pumping air from a bellows to keep the flame kicking at his feathers.
He could handle it but it didn’t help his situation.
What the hell was Tubbo even doing ?
It was getting harder to form coherent thoughts, most of Dream’s energy spent on not falling out of the sky. He watched disconnectedly as drops of his blood fell down to the ground and it took him a second to realize that he was making a clear trail to himself.
With what felt like cotton in his ears, he didn’t hear the shallow wing beats behind him until he was getting tackled out of the sky.
“Should’ve stayed grounded motherfucker!”
Dream tried to fly against the blur of gold and dark blue latched onto him, but even though Quackity had a smaller wing size, the weakness potion turning his wings into lead weights was not working for him exactly.
The two danced around each other, squawking and clawing through heavy clouds; flashes of color in the gray sky.
Dream fought with what he could, spinning and diving, trying to get rid of his attacker, but his energy was waning.
Midair his wings just stopped moving, limply thrown out to the sides and the delayed panic of falling finally caught up to Dream’s sluggish mind. He actually grasped tighter to Quackity, hoping that if the other avian decided to drop him he might be able to hold on until they weren’t hundreds of feet in the air.
Quackity cawed something annoyed as Dream frantically clawed at his arms but didn’t stop him. Instead he just shouted, “Crash landing!”
It took a second too long for Dream to realize what that meant and by that point they’d already hit the tree line.
Branches whipped across his body, cutting thin red lines into any exposed skin. Wind whistled sharp in his ears, whispering faint promises of freedom if he could only spread his wings. If he could move properly, maybe he could save himself and get out of there.
They hit the ground.
Cracks echoed through the area, leaves flung into the air like frail confetti. Lightning struck bright in the distance. A roll of thunder.
Dream skidded to a stop in the grass.
The forest was quiet.
Everything hurt . He keened quietly into the ground, the blades pricking his face.
His wings were on fire .
One last breath, one last whisper of “Got him.”
One last flash of pain before Dream sank completely into darkness.