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English
Series:
Part 3 of Castles of Cards
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Published:
2025-06-29
Updated:
2025-12-12
Words:
1,204
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2/4
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42
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288
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This will be the death of me

Summary:

Flock.

 

Family.

 

Parrot lets his head drop onto her shoulder, tears dripping down his face. She’s shaking too, gripping him tightly. Distantly, he hears Branzy say something to Jumper, then step out of the room. He keeps hugging her, wrapping his wings around them both.

 

Or,

Three times something lost was returned, and one time it was lost for good.

(aka the 3+1 BAT reunion fic cause cannon is shit)

Notes:

(See the end of the work for notes.)

Chapter 1: Jumper

Chapter Text

Jumper’s had it rough the past couple weeks. Originally, she had been with Leo and Derap, but the three of them had gotten separated somewhere along the way. They’ve been constantly chased by the Director’s - by Wifies’s-  minions. Jumper hopes neither of the others got caught, just for Parrot's sake.

 

The less leverage Wifies has on him the better.

 

Jumper herself isn’t in great shape. New scrapes and scars cover her body, results of scuffles with players. This world isn’t a place for the weak. It makes her sad to see the world like this, to see players fighting over netherite like rats fighting for a scrap of cheese.

 

But Jumper is strong, and she’s also got a reputation. Two things that can serve one well on a server like this one.

 

She’s also smart, of course. Smart in the way that the assassins that she’s following haven’t noticed her. Smart in the way that she knows that Parrot has escaped, purely because Wifies is getting fucking desperate . He’s playing all his cards at once.

 

Jumper slips through the forest behind Wifies’s assassins. (Or hunters. Same difference, in her opinion.) They aren’t meant for her, as she figured out a few days ago. No, these two are headed somewhere with a purpose.

 

Parrot.

 

And following them is going quite well. She’s been tailing them for a few days. Yeah, it’s going well. Until, rather suddenly it isn't anymore.

 

Jumper’s following them through a small clearing when it happens. She’s creeping carefully through some bushes, when she realizes that the usual dull chatter between the two hunters has gone suddenly silent.

 

Something’s wrong.

 

Suddenly, an arrow lodges itself in the ground beside Jumper. She shoots up, drawing her sword and raising her shield. She splashes a strength potion at her feet, gasping slightly as it enters her bloodstream.

 

The two netherite clothed hunters lunge at her. Jumper leaps back, and swipes her sword at one of them, honestly just hoping for some sort of contact. She has no idea about the enchantments on their armor or on their weapons. The whole fight is honestly a blind hope. A prayer.

 

Jumper dodges the sword that comes at her in return to her attack. She jabs her own sword at the hunter, and they stumble, tripping through the tall grass around them.

 

With that hunter occupied Jumper whirls on the other. They catch her incoming sword with their shield. Behind Jumper, the other hunter has stood back up, and swings his axe at her quickly. It slams into her side. Her chestplate takes the blunt force of the attack, and a large crack spider webs across it.

 

Jumper wheezes in pain. Shit.

 

She feels warm blood underneath her sweater.

 

She staggers slightly, but just as she’s about to fall, a careful hand steadies her. A black blur rushes through her vision, scythe slashing at the two hunters. In mere seconds the hunters thud to the ground. Dead. 

 

Now it’s just Jumper…. and ClownPierce.

 

He runs a silken glove over his scythe, wiping the blood away gently. Jumper doesn't dare twitch, for fear that it will end up being her own blood covering the silver blade. 

 

A minute passes. 

 

Jumper’s side throbs.

 

Clown continues to clean his scythe.

 

“Thanks,” Jumper says finally, voice cutting through the silence. 

 

Clown hums his acknowledgement, bringing his scythe back down to his side. Jumper feels a weight leave her shoulders.

 

“You should come with me,” Clown says casually, in the sort of tone that tells Jumper that this is more of a command than a request.

 

“Why,” she bites out, taking a quick step back.

 

Clown sighs, which just serves to confuse Jumper. It’s not like the two of them are friends, or even friendly. Hell, she tried to kill him for a while.

 

“Why? I can take you to Parrot,” Clown says grimly.

 

Jumper stares.

 

“And,” Clown continues, “I can offer you somewhere to hide.”

 

A shuddering exhale leaves Jumper's lips. Did she break a rib?

 

“Okay.”

 

“Okay?” Clown asks. She can almost picture his eyebrows raised behind the mask.

 

“I’ll come with you.”



—-




Branzy says that he has a surprise for Parrot. Honestly, Parrot doesn't really think he wants to know what that means. Recently, surprises have not been good to him.

 

Branzy goes to go “get the surprise”, leaving Parrot waiting nervously on the bed.

 

He’s not sure what exactly he expected when Branzy came back.

 

But it definitely wasn’t this. Beside Branzy, Jumper stands in the doorway. Her stomach is wrapped in bandages, sweater hanging oddly around it. They stare at each other for a moment, a thousand emotions arcing across both their faces. She slowly walks over, with a little help from Branzy,  concern covering her face.

 

“Hi,” she says, as she sits down with Parrot.

 

“Hi,” he whispers. Then she opens her arms and crushes him in a hug.

 

Flock. 

 

Family.

 

Parrot lets his head drop onto her shoulder, tears dripping down his face. She’s shaking too, gripping him tightly. Distantly, he hears Branzy say something to Jumper, then step out of the room. He keeps hugging her, wrapping his wings around them both.

 

“I was so fucking scared, all the time,” he admits quietly, and Jumper doesn’t need to ask to know what he’s talking about. Who he’s talking about.

 

“For me and for you all,” he continues. 

 

Jumper lets out a shaky laugh. “We were worried too. Trying not to get caught, so he wouldn’t have any leverage over you.”

 

She pulls back slightly and looks him over, taking in every single bruise and cut and broken feather. The desperation that Parrot knows is in his eyes, the sadness.

 

“I’m so sorry,” she whispers.

 

Parrot’s deathly quiet. He exhales a breath. He considers telling her everything, the time he spent with Wifies, what Wifies did- but he also doesn’t want to burden her with that. Besides, Jumper’s smart. She can draw her own conclusions- and Parrot knows that she’s already drawn quite a few.

 

“Do you trust them?” she asks quietly, eyes darting towards the door.

 

Parrot hums in thought.

 

 “For now,” he responds lowly.

 

Jumper nods her agreement.

 

“The others?” Parrot asks.

 

Jumper doesn’t meet his eyes. “We got separated a bit back. I don’t know where they are- but Branzy and Clown are apparently trying to find them.”

 

He nods to her side.

 

“What happened there?”

 

Jumper snorts. “Took an axe to the side before I got here. Chestplate helped, but Clown thinks I broke a rib.”

 

“You took a health potion?”

 

“Course.”

 

Her eyes find his wings again- and he knows that she wants to ask. Knows that she wants to help. But something must urge her to stop. Maybe it’s the fact that the others will hopefully be with them soon- maybe it’s the fact that she’s tired, and hurt, and so is Parrot.

 

They sit in silence until their eyes slowly slide shut, leaving them curled together on the bed. Half a flock, half a family, half a heart.

 

They both dream that it will be more than half sometime soon.



Chapter 2: (this chapter will be deleted in a day)

Chapter Text

 

im working around some stuff

 

relationships will be platonic from now on

im locking in

 

 

 

 

 

12/13/25 :)

 

 

Notes:

hihiihihihi

so uhm. dw its a safe space here we hate cannon fuck cannon

thanks for reading hehe :D

Next one of these might come out soon. Idk I have a trip planned so we shall see. (And a realm fic coming but shhhhhshsh)

thanks again <3

-Avs

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