Chapter Text
Tommy sat in the middle of the chaos, in the middle of the battle.
Aliens began to reign down on earth, sucking up humans they deemed “the perfect breed.” Tommy was one of those humans.
He couldn’t understand how, or why. The thought of theorists being true baffled him. Those humans called insane for believing in other lifeforms, for believing there was something in the stars were true. And it had come to erase humanity fully. Only a select few were able to live in the stars with the aliens.
The insane were correct, and the sane were wrong.
Tommy was a street kid for all his life, living with the creatures most deemed as pest. Although, most saw Tommy as a pest. So as he was placed in a large white T-shirt and boxers, shipped to god knows where. He first felt fear, fear for his life, fear for the many humans around him. Then he felt glee. Finally he was taken from the cold streets, finally he was brought into a home.
But the home was full of injections and tests, making him work for his meals. He didn’t understand a thing around him. Creatures deemed as monsters spoke in all kinds of languages. Some closer to the human accent, others animal noises.
He was isolated for the first week of his stay, stuck in a clear box floating above aliens that walked below. At first having no privacy made him paranoid, each one of his actions thought of being he made them.
But as he watched most of the aliens not care about his actions, they actually seemed quite amused with how he was. Tommy began stretching the boundaries of what he could do. Turns out the aliens didn’t care until he was in some kind of harm.
Once he was free from his isolation and able to meet with other kids his age, he was first hostile. He didn’t recognise anyone, thankfully. But that didn’t stop him from pushing any kid he deemed a threat away. Only one kid seemed to stay by him, even when he bared his teeth.
That kid’s name was Tubbo, a sweet brown haired, blue eyed kid. Who seemed like the most innocent kid you’d ever lay your eyes on. But after gaining each other's trust, he found the darkness in Tubbo’s heart. Something Tommy respected.
“Hey!” Tommy heard to his left from where he was curled in the corner, a food tray left untouched next to him. “Piss off.” Tommy spat, curling on himself. “You should mix the brown stuff and the rice together, makes it easier to eat.” Tommy finally looked up and was hit with shock.
A smile, an actual smile different from the either scared or angry faces you see often. It shocked Tommy into silence, leaving him staring at the kid in shock. “Okay..” The kid sat next to Tommy and watched with expectant eyes as Tommy did what he said. The kid was true, it was easier to stomach.
Tommy reluctantly looked back towards the kid. “Thanks…?” The kid swiftly put out his hand to Tommy. “Tubbo!” The kid- Tubbo said with another smile. “Tommy..” He shook Tubbo’s hand, weirded out by him.
It turned out Tubbo was the kid of a mayor, the mayor of Manburg to be exact. So he’s seen all sorts of horrors, things no child should ever have seen. Tommy had seen his fair share of things, but under Tubbo’s smile were things you’d throw up thinking about. Still, Tommy was the protector.
Bigger kids saw them as targets, as they seemed to only stick with each other and not the big groups that slowly grew.
But as Tommy held up his fists and cursed out one of the kids, the aliens began to panic. Staring at them both. Tommy saw his chance, his chance to find out what they truly wanted. And as the kid raised his fists as well, they fought.
It was weak and childish, not a fight where you’d expect someone to die. But blinded by rage the blood that splattered on his white uniform seemed null. He was pulled away, screaming profanities as the bloody and bruised kid below him.
Tommy was at fault for the collars, and he apologised to Tubbo constantly. Sobbing as they huddled next to each other. Tubbo didn’t seem upset, and merely pet his head, giving him that same innocent smile he gave Tommy when they’d first met.
The aliens had kept a close eye on Tommy after that, but with Tubbo keeping him in check, he didn’t start any more fights after that. And after his display, the rest of the kids seemed fearful of him. Leaving the two alone. Tommy and Tubbo grew up together in that zoo, getting “lessons” from the aliens on how to act.
But after the first few lessons, Tommy knew what they were doing. The aliens were turning the kids into pets, making them submissive for whatever alien wanted to buy them. Slowly, the kids began to get bought. The best acting ones going first. Some of the kids seemed hellbent on becoming pets, wanting to see if they could get an easy life.
But Tubbo shook his head, making Tommy promise to never become like those kids. Tommy was quick to agree, not wanting to become a pet for any aliens. So, they grew up in the ‘zoo.’ Using every tactic they could to stay, until there was a small group of them left. Tommy, Tubbo and a few other kids that he couldn’t be bothered remembering.
It was a surprise once Tommy had turned 16, he was led away from the rest of the group and into the doctor room. He was placed on the chair, the same medical alien he’d seen for years looking at him with a look he couldn’t recognise. As he was about to question the alien, a sharp prick in his ear began then it felt like his head was on fire.
Before Tommy knew it, he was strapped down screaming. The pain was something he had never felt before. It hurt more than the thousands of injuries he got on the street. And after a minute of screaming he passed out, heavy breaths in his lungs.
He woke up back in another room, the world spinning. “Hello?” Tommy swiftly sat up, then was shocked at what he was staring at. There was a kid in front of him with bright yellow hair and blue eyes. That wasn’t what shocked him. What shocked him were the other things he had on his body. The kid had a skull mask on his face, which seemed to be a dragon skull.
He also had wings and a tail. It was a shock to see. “H-Hi?” Tommy stuttered out, not expecting to be able to understand the kid. “Yes! You can understand me!” The kid shuffled forward, he seemed to be 10. “I’m Chayanne! I room with you!” Tommy looked around, seemingly in a different room then his normal one. “Oh.. I’m Tommy.”
Chayanne just stared at him with his tail wagging, and Tommy stared back before clearing his throat. “W-Where am I?” Tommy could see the cogs turning in Chayanne’s head before he jumped off the bed and took Tommy’s hand. “You’re at bay 6! Where the cool humans go!”
Tommy questioned if this kid was ever human, but let him lead him anyway. “If you’re hard to get adopted they put you here and train you to become a warrior!” Chayanne bounced on his feet as he took Tommy through the halls.
Tommy was vaguely aware that he grew up in bay 2, so being 4 bays up frightened him. The ship Tommy lived on was a mothership that flew through space. Taking control of any planet they see fit. Chayanne opened a door, and it opened up to a larger area. There were training dummies and multiple weapons that were obviously made out of a soft material.
What shocked Tommy the most, was the fact that all the ‘humans.’ Looked nothing like humans. All of them had some sort of animal features. Tommy paused, not wanting to take another step closer. “W-What is this, why am I here?” Chayanne turned to Tommy and tilted his head. “Cause you can’t be adopted duh.”
Tommy pulled away from Chayanne’s grip, ignoring the hurt look on the kids face. “You said only the cool humans go here, but none of you are humans.” He hissed, taking a step away from Chayanne. The kid tilted his head before perking up. “We were! But the caretakers gave us stuff to be more useful since we can’t be adopted!” Tommy felt his breath begin to quicken as he remembered the sharp pain he felt in his neck. “You mean… I’ll become like you?” He stared down at Chayanne with slight disgust, not wanting a tail or the weird claws the kid seemed to have.
Chayanne didn’t seem bothered by his look and nodded. “Yup! You’ve been asleep a lot longer then your friend.” Chayanne smiled innocently, and that shoved memories back to him. “Tubbo! Is he-""-right here.” Tommy turned around, happiness filling him as he heard his friend's voice.
But ice cold fear hit him as he looked at Tubbo. Tubbo almost looked the same, same blue eyes and same brown hair. But he had also grown weird animalistic features. He had brown fluffy goat legs, a tail. Horns and fluffy ears. It sent shock and fear through him. “Tubbo- You-.” Tubbo gave Tommy a look of empathy. “I knew this would happen.”
Tommy could only gape at him. “You… You knew?!” He hissed, an inhuman sound coming out of him. “You knew they’d f*ck with our bodies?!” Tubbo looked away, slightly ashamed. “It was either this or maybe get stuck with an alien that would torture us.” He dared to look back up at Tommy with empathy. “It was the only way to keep you safe.”
Tommy stared for a second, before scrunching up his nose in disgust and taking a step back. “You tricked me, you bastard!” He hissed and turned and fled, running back to his shared room. He scampered under his bed, feeling like that would be the safest place to be.
Chayanne came in a few minutes after, trying to get Tommy out with games and food. But Tommy refused, hissing at him as soon as he got close. He knew this was instincts rising out of him that he didn’t want, but no matter what he couldn’t control it.
It took until the aliens wanted him to get him from under the bed. But one look at him and they sent him into a coma, their weird language finally able to be understood other than cues and body movement. Tommy fought sleep for as long as he could, knowing that if he woke up, he wouldn’t like who he became.
As Tommy awoke once more, he already felt gross. His body was weird, His hands seemed relatively the same but they were full black up to his elbows. And his nails seemed more like claws.
He stood up and quickly hated standing, his legs weren’t like Tubbo’s with his weird backwards knees. But he did in turn have paws for feed, making him have to stand on his toes. Tommy already knew what he was, and he hated the irony. He was a raccoon, a trash panda. His bushy tail swung behind him, keeping him balanced. And he no longer had ears on the side of his head, instead he had two fluffy ears poking out from his hair.
It was the night, as the lights were dim and not blaring. Then Tommy realised the lights were out, he seemed to have night vision. He turned his head to the right, Chayanne seemed to be resting in his bed. Tommy walked up to the bed, staring down at the kid. Tommy knew the kid meant well, probably born in this alien world. So he was spared Tommy’s rage, but Tubbo wasn’t.
He walked out of the room, and a small growl in his throat as he walked through the hall. Normally you’d hear slight footsteps, but his new paws maybe his steps quiet. The only downside being Tommy’s slightly wobbliness. He searched for a mirror, wanting to see his reflection. And walking into the room Chayanne showed him earlier, he ran to the large mirrors on the other side of the room.
Seeing himself, he didn’t know what to think. He had slight fuzz over his legs and arms, as well as around his face. And on his face was a mask, a bandit mask to be exact. He stared at his reflection for a long second before poking around his body. He was strange, he looked like himself. But he wasn’t?
“Thought I’d find you here, i woke up late when i first changed.” Tommy turned to Tubbo standing right behind him, looking guilty. “You look good?” Tubbo tried, smiling softly at him. Tommy walked forward, silent and full of rage. “Tommy- you’ll just get another collar-!” Tommy shoved Tubbo to the ground, getting on top of him and holding onto his shirt.
Tommy was aware he could heard the guards move from whatever hidden station, so Tommy did do anything, just hiss a Tubbo. “Stay away from me.” He shoved Tubbo down and walked out of the room, leaving Tubbo on the floor.
Tubbo watched Tommy leave and sighed, this wasn’t what he planned. Tubbo knew everything that was going to happen a year before it actually happened.
His father was given a warning, a warning from space to give in now. Or they’ll take everything forcefully. His father laughed, sending swears and slurs back, spitting in the face of the tiger. But tubbo believed. Tubbo believed the stars would come crashing down on them. And they did.
Tubbo watched his fathers panicked face as he was grabbed, watched as tears streamed down his face before his head was taken clean off. Tubbo didn’t cry. He himself had already taken lives at age 6, so he waved to his fathers corpse and let himself be taken away.
The first thing he did when taken was learn all he could about the aliens. And being a cute kid with a cute smile, they slipped up around him often. It was easy to get the weird tablet off one of the aliens, it was practically begging to get stolen. But translating the weird language took awhile.
As Tubbo learned from the aliens, he met another boy with the same fire in his eyes as his own. Making friends with the other kids seemed useless, most were either crying or making themselves as sweet as possible for their alien captors. But this kid, Tommy, hissed at everyone who came near.
Tommy did not cry, like he was born tough. And it seemed he was. As Tubbo slowly gained his trust, he learned that he had lived on the street for as long as he could remember. Only having vague memories of his mother holding him tight.
From then on, Tubbo silently promised Tommy he’d do everything in his power to keep him safe. But it turned out the opposite happened. A kid coming after him was quickly beaten down. And even if everyone got collars that shocked you after that, the sign of care Tubbo hadn’t seen from even his father was shown.
So, fueled by Tommy’s care, he put himself into making sure they got the best way out of their issues. Finally, after playing with all the wires and almost breaking the tablet. He was able to change the language, then all the plans were clear.
The aliens see humans as humans saw cats and dogs. Cute pets that needed to be cared for, because they couldn’t do it themselves. And those who couldn’t would be used for protection, and that was Tubbo’s and Tommy’s way out of becoming pets to a cruel alien like humans had become.
But the way out was modification, a way to change human DNA into something more liked, upgrading their strength. Tubbo had to weigh the pros and cons for a few days, smiling at Tommy when he was concerned. It took awhile, but changing his DNA seemed like the best case scenario.
Tubbo went through all his research, finding logs from 30 years before they’d be taken.
Humans gone missing without word had actually been taken before, used as trial’s for the huge round-up of “human pups.” So, the next time he saw Tommy, he gave the plan of being the least adoptable, and thankfully he agreed without questions.
So they bit, they scratched. Making sure no alien hands could ever get them. And their plan worked, as they and a few other kids were left. Tubbo could feel the regret going through him as he watched Tommy get pulled away. Tubbo knew he was next, so he didn’t fight it.
The pain was horrible, waking up was horrible. But a sweet little girl called Sunny helped him understand, even if she was 5 and sorta clueless on the world around her. Tubbo was just surprised that humans were actually allowed to give birth in a world like this. So he happily took her in, claiming the small thing as his own.
She was the one to bring him to a mirror and settle him in, calming him down before he panicked at the new look. She was away when Tommy came into the room, his own little dragon by his side, that was a thankful thing. He didn’t want to explain who Tommy was, and why he was so mad.
So as he walked into their room after the scuffle with Tommy, he ignored her questions on where he was. He fell onto his pillow, the exhaustion of the day hitting him all at once and sending him to sleep.
