Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Stephanie yawned rubbing her eyes.

Why does school have to start so early?

She scanned the area searching for Pete, wondering where he could have gotten.

I swear, if anyones targeting him again.

Her eyes landed on his familiar form, hurrying over.

“Hey Pe-.”

She trailed off as she caught sight of the man dressed in orange standing next to a very uncomfortable Pete, a smile stretched across his face that looked a bit to wide.

“Hello Stephanie, it’s been a while.”

***
Hannah kept to the side of the crowd, keeping her eyes on the floor, a bad feeling boiling up in her head down

I wish Webby was here, maybe she could tell me what's wrong.

“Hello Hannah Banana.”

She flinched at the unfamiliar voice a cold wave washing over her she turned around, her fists balled, finding a man dressed in all green, looking like the onceler if he’d been in high school.

“W-who are you?”

She shivered taking a step back. The man pouted.

“You don’t recognize me Hannah? You and I are old pally wals.”

Hannah shook her head, taking a step back.

“I think I’d know if I had a friend like you.”

The thing tilted it’s head.

“And here I’d thought Webby would warn you about me at least.”

It finally clicked, the green, the slightly inhuman look.

“Your Wiggly.”

Wiggly grinned, doing a bow.

“I told you knew me.”

She glanced around, looking for a way out, she needed to tell Webby about this. The sound of the bell filled the hallway, and she slumped in relief hurrying away.

“Tell Webby I said hi.”

Wiggly called after her.

***

She exchanged a look with Pete, seeing her own fear and confusion reflected on his face.

“T’noy, what are you doing here?”

T’noy Karaxis’s smile somehow stretched even wider.

“It’s Terrance now, and we had so much fun watching you humans that we decided to come down here and join you, Pete here decided to give me a tour!”

I highly doubt that was voluntary. Wait we, does that mean his brothers are here?

“Your other brothers? You mean there here to?”

T’n-Terrance nodded, before she could ask him more, the bell rang.

“Come on Pete cub, we’re going to be late.”

He said, dragging Pete along, Stephanie hurrying to catch up, glad that they shared a morning class.

***
Oh come on!

She hadn’t expected to encounter two more of the Lords in Black in her class but there was Nibblenephim and Bliklotep sitting next to Grace Chastity of all people in her usual seat. She glanced back at Pete, whose face had gone white over something Terrance had said.

“Anyway, that’s why I call you Pete cub.”

Terrance headed to a desk behind Grace and the others and settling down, dragging Pete with him.

I swear to god, if he hurts him.

As she passed by two other Lords in black, she managed to catch a bit of their conversation.

“What I’m saying is I want more like him-. Yes he had so fear around his secrets being found out.”

Well, that’s worrying.

Chapter Text

Hannah stumbled into the bathroom, feeling overwhelmed.

“Webby, I need you.”

She whispered, glancing around, hoping no one would hear her. Webby appeared in front of her, a worried expression on her face.

“What’s going on Hannah? You never talk to me at school.”

Hannah shivered.

“Your brothers are here, they’re enrolled in school.”

Webbys face dropped, the worry growing stronger.

“I’ll be here to help, don’t worry.”

***

The whole class went by in a blur, Stephanie barely paid attention to the class, to focused on their new classmates. At least she wasn’t the only one, whenever she looked over at Grace and Pete, both looked equally distracted.

At least he won’t be disappointed in me for not paying attention.

She checked the clock again, her finger tapping on the desk, relieved when the bell rang.

Hopefully this will be the only class we have with them.

Knowing they’re luck, it’d probably wouldn’t be.

What are they even doing here? Their eldritch gods, don’t they have anything better to then being in highschool?

She stood up, pulling on her backpack, making sure she was walking alongside Pete and Theodore, who was talking about something involving a cube, to an increasingly pale looking Pete.

“Hey Pete, you wanna come to my place after school for another study session?”

She cut in, Pete shooting her a grateful look. Theodore throwing an arm around both of them.

“I’ll join you two! I have a lot to catch up on seeing as I’m starting school late in the semester, and I can go see Teddy Bear again..”

Of course you are. Also why are you calling him Teddy Bear?

She gritted her teeth, reminding herself it’d be a bad idea to anger an eldritch god.

“Are your brothers going to be joining us?”

She hoped not, being near one of these things was bad enough, having to share a classroom with them was near suffocating. Theodore shook his head.

“Nope, Pokeys trying out for the drama club, and the others are busy.”

Well that’s one good thing, only problem is what the others are busy doing.

***
“Oh no, that’s going to be trouble.”

Steph mumbled, Peter looked up, feeling worried, seeing somebody had grabbed Wigglys toy back pack, grinning down at him, saying something

“Oh don’t worry, my brother will be fine, he can take care of it himself.”

Theodore chimed in.

“It’s not him that I’m worried about.”

Theodore waved it off.

“That’ll be the consequences of their actions.”

As he said this, something dark flashed across Wigglys face, and even at that far away, images flashed in her head, of violence, blood, people going nuts over a toy. He shivered, feeling sick, as the boy dropped the toy, and started to scream.

“See, I told you he’d be fine.”

He tried to block out the screams as Wiggly walked away, a sneer on his face.

***
“Grace!”

Stephanie called out to her, waving her over, now that she was finally alone. She still had her own problems with Grace but she and Pete were the only ones who knew what was truly going on, and she didn’t want to know what Grace would do, with only the Lord's influence.

Chapter Text

Grace came over, a strained smile on her face.

“What is it?”

Steph glanced around, deciding that it was probably a better idea not have any anybody hear them, and lowered her voice.

“How are you holding up, dealing with the Lords?”

Grace’s smile somehow looked even more strained.

“I’m fine, no need to worry.”

Steph exchanged a look with Pete, seeing her own worry reflected in his.

God I can’t believe I’m worried about Grace Chastity.

“Are you sure-?”

“Gracie! Pete Cub”

Steph groaned, turning around to find Blinky and Terrance running up.

“What can we help you with?”

She asked. Terrance threw an arm around Pete.

“Pete Cub I thought I’d lost you! Where did you go?”

Terrance threw an arm around Pete who flinched back.

“Ooh, Grace I have some information you’d like.”

“I-I wanted to see Stephanie before the bell rang.”

Terrance grinned apparently ignoring Pete’s shaking and stuttering, Terrance looked like he was about to respond when the bell rang, and Terrance started to drag him away,

“Come on don’t want to be late, have you heard anything from Teddy Bear? Does he ever talk about Jenny?”

Pete somehow looked more uncomfortable as Stephanie followed behind them, Terrance’s questions getting more invasive.

***
How did I get this unlucky?

Pete tensed as he entered the class, Terrance still talking his ear off, finding that three of the other lords were sitting in the class, Wigog looking bored, Pokotho listening to music, and Nibblenephim eating something, Blinkhotep walking past.

Just one more class to go, then I only have to deal with T’noy.

He was bad enough, but he was only one of them. He felt his phone vibrate and he pulled it out, seeing a text from Steph.

How are u holding up? Want to go to Beanies to get some hot chocolate.

He sighed feeling Terrance lean over him.

“Ooh, Beanies? One of my brothers' puppets likes to go there. Tell Stephanie that I’d like to go with her.”

Pete sunk into the chair, glad when class started, sending one last text to Stephanie.

Doing okay, Terrance says he wants to go with us to Beanies.

***
Stephanie sighed in relief as the last bell finally rung, class had been a nightmare with Terrance interrupting the teacher with corrections.

At least that's over with.

But the day was still not over with, they had to go to Beanies with Terrance. She looked up as she saw people gathering around, seeing limousine pulling up and seeing Wigog pushing to the front of the crowd.

Maybe we’ll get lucky and they’ll all leave with him.

Terrance caught her eyes and gave her a malicious grin, and she got the distinct impression he heard what she said. A man in a denim suit stepped out of the limo, opening the door for him.

“My lord.”

Most people don’t call others my lord.

The man looked up, meeting her in the eyes, and grinned, and for a moment his teeth became far to sharp, his pupils disappearing to only a bright green color.