You Were Never Meant to be a Hero (Quackbur Superhero AU)

Chapter 17: Shorts

"That's... really sad," Slime frowned.

"Most stories about these heroes are even worse, like Icarus, who got too close to the sun as he flew, causing his wax wings to burn away," Wilbur commented. "So you can imagine why I wouldn't want to foreshadow any tragic endings with my name. It wasn't much better for the Titans who all had varying punishments that differed in brutality. Prometheus, for example, had a specifically violent one for helping humanity reclaim fire. Every day he'd have his liver or some other organ ripped out by some kind of bird, varies from telling to telling but most often an eagle. As a Titan, it would regrow every night, but it still fucking hurt. An eternal torture. Not the best choice of name in my opinion."

"Yeah, smart call Wilbur," Foolish agreed.

"Which left me, eventually, with mythological creatures," the magpie avian chuckled.

The medic handed him another drink which he tried, but he didn't quite like that one either. It was better than the last few attempts though, so he waved his hand in a so-so motion.

"Now, there were a lot of mythological creatures to choose from. And so many different variations of those creatures," he explained. "But eventually, I decided to stick with something simple. Sirens were half-bird, half-human, harpy-like creatures in the original Greek tellings. They would use their enchanting voices to draw sailors into their deaths. A form of mind control with songs that nobody could resist. It felt right, in a way. Accurate. Even if people don't get the mind control connection at first, they might make the connection with magpie being known for their songs in the same way that sirens are. It just clicked in a way."

He waved his hand in a slightly dramatic flourish, "And thus, I decided on Siren. Something simple, but rings true no matter how you look at it."

Slime pushed him the next drink, and when he tried it, he found a surprisingly sweet taste. The bitter alcohol was still there, but it was actually a nice balance.

He hummed in approval, taking another sip and earning a loud laugh from Slime.

"I told you he was a wine guy!"

Wilbur smiled as conversations started up around him, people laughing as the shape shifting villain pulled out his phone and connected to the casino speakers, starting to play some music.

It was a bouncy, happy atmosphere. Not a care in the world to be found.

DIY Therapy Part 1-Foolish Gives Them a Plant (before villain debut, month two):

Foolish held out the potted plant with a serious expression in contrast to Quackity's bewildered stare.

"Just take it," the medic huffed, eventually handing the plant to Wilbur who wasn't sure what to do with the purple flowers (he wasn't even sure if it was a flower). "I did some research online, and honestly, it's probably the closest thing to actual therapy either of you are going to get."

"What?" Wilbur questioned, equally confused as the currently bluescreening shrike avian who had yet to say anything.

"It's lavender," Foolish explained. "Just keep it exposed to the sun and water it if the soil feels dry. It's easy to take care of, and the fragrance is supposed to help people sleep. You don't need to give it fertilizer very often, but it is recommended to keep it healthy."

And with that, he just fucking left.

The magpie avian looked over at his villain, who looked at him with an equally confused expression.

"What?" They both questioned in unison.

...

It was relaxing, Wilbur supposed.