Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Running from a hero you idolize is to put it simply shit. Tommy's currently being chased by The Captain, The Capitan! And the worst is he didn't even do anything! Well, aside from the illegal vigilantism, but that doesn't matter now. What matters is that the only good hero in this fucked-up society is trying to arrest him! 'Him!' He's torn between feeling honored and pissed that the hero commission sent her to catch him.

"Crimson!"

'Oh, for fuck's sake.' He takes a sharp turn into a shadowy alleyway, eyes darting for any escape routes. The hero is right behind him, and it won’t be long before she catches up. 'There.' He spots a rusted ladder leading to the rooftop of a crumbling apartment building. With a quick glance behind him, he sees Captain catching up to him.

Running faster than before, he leaps for the ladder and scrambles up to the rooftop, the metal biting into his hands. He looks down to see Captain slowing, preparing to follow.

"Just give yourself up!"

"No fucking way!"

His voice comes out metallic and slightly distorted, thanks to the voice changer he built himself(stole). He jumps across a few rooftops, before plunging down into another alleyway he knows well. His eyes dart around, looking for a familiar door. 'There!' He bolts inside the building, slamming the door behind him and listening intently. He hears a thump in the alley and some muttered curses. When the retreating footsteps fade, he finally exhales, his heart hammering.

'God, that was stressful as hell.'

He's currently in the backroom of Niki's bakery. She lets him hide out here sometimes and always offers sweets when he drops by. Speaking of Niki...

"Who the hell— Oh, Crimson!"

"Hi Niki, sorry for coming without warning."

She smiles softly at him.

"You know you can come here anytime."

He knows, but it doesn't make him any less guilty when she gives him food or drinks for free.

"I'll get you a muffin. Wait here."

Sighing, he leans against the wall. There's no convincing her to let him pay (he is rich, after all). In the brief silence, his mind drifts.

'Holy shit, I just got chased by The Captain. The Captain.'

He's relieved she only chased him instead of attacking. That was a battle he would definitely lose.

After receiving the muffin (and coffee—'Niki really is a blessing'), he exits through the back door, scaling another ladder, hopping across rooftops, and running through more alleys. Finally, he reaches the third district.

Essempi is divided into 28 districts. He lives in the third, a home to the the wealthy and to many heroes, including his family. Tommy, also known as Crimson, typically patrols the middle districts, but under special circumstances, he ventures into the lower ones. Today, he was patrolling between the 10th and 14th districts.

Entering an abandoned building, he changes into civilian clothes and mentally prepares to sneak back home. A glance at his watch making him sigh.

03:29

It's relatively early (for him) to end his patrol, but after his encounter with Captain, there will likely be more heroes dispatched to the 13th district where he ran from her.

'Whatever' he thinks. He needs the sleep anyway. With music playing in his earbuds, he zones out on the way home, and soon he’s climbing through his window on the 1st floor.

He hides his bag with his vigilante gear in the back of his closet and doesn’t bother changing into PJs, collapsing into bed and passing out the moment his head hits the pillow.

Chapter Text

Tommy woke up to the noise of voices drifting up from downstairs. Groaning, he unplugged his phone to check the time.

5:34 

His alarm was set to go off in about 30 minutes. Already pissed at his family for waking him up, he figured he might as well start getting ready for school. At least now he had time to make himself breakfast instead starving or stealing food from Tubbo or Ranboo at school.

He went over to his dresser, looking for clothes that didn't smell too bad. As he rummaged, he heard the front door slam shut with an thud. 'Finally'. Pulling out a comfy yet decent outfit, he headed to the shower. He needed it after yesterday's chase.

Freshly showered, he checked the time again.

6:01

Tommy trudged downstairs to the kitchen, greeted by a mountain of dirty dishes on the counter. With a sigh, he rummaged through the fridge, hoping for any leftovers his family could've left. Which of course there waren't any. He settled for cereal and made a sandwich for later.

As he sat down to eat, the front door creaked open. He didn't bother looking up until he saw an agitated Wilbur walking through the kitchen.

"Tommy, did you hide my phone?"

Uh-oh. An angry Wilbur was the last thing he needed. He could already see his brother throwing a tantrum like a little kid.

"No," he replied simply, biting back a sarcastic retort.

"Yes, you did. I left it here," Wilbur insisted, his face reddening.

"Yeah, no the fuck I didn't."

Wilburs face looked like it was about to explode. 'Ha that would've been funny'

"What are you chuckling about then?"

"Nothing. Just thought of something funny. Good luck finding your phone, though."

"Okay, listen here, you little sh—"

A ringing sound interrupted Wilbur, who spun toward the noise.

"You didn't even look there?"

Wilbur didn't respond. He just grabbed his phone and stormed out, slamming the door behind him.

Great way to start the day.

Tommy finished his breakfast, grabbed his bag, and headed out the door.

Tommy hated school with a burning passion. By the second class of the day, AP Chemistry, he was already losing it. He had no friends in this class, and the teacher was a bitch. He silently prayed for any excuse to leave early. His prayers seemed unanswered until a voice crackled over the speakers.

"Attention students and staff, there's a hero-villain fight near our school. Everyone must evacuate to the gym."

Shock froze Tommy for a second before his teacher hustled them towards the gym. The hallways were chaotic, students shoving and stumbling their way to the gym. He finally made it to the gym, where their chemistry teacher took attendance and told them to sit and wait.

Tommy scanned the crowd, quickly spotting his friends Tubbo and Ranboo. He rushed over to join them.

"Tommy!"

"Tubbo!"

"Do I not get a greeting?" Ranboo asked, feigning hurt.

"No, you don't, Ranboob. Shut up."

"Wow, so you're not interested in seeing live footage of Angel and Blade fighting the Dream Team?"

"WHAT?! NONONO, I'M SORRY, LET ME SEE!"

Ranboo motioned for him to sit, and they watched the live feed on his phone. The battle was intense.

Angel was fighting 404, while Blade fought both Blaze and Dream. The villains had the upper hand, with Whisper already down and bleeding. Tommy felt a pang of worry but also a twisted sense of satisfaction. The heroes were his family, but he wasn't exactly their biggest fan. Safe to say he was rooting for the villains.

He noticed Angel slowing down, probably because of 404's power. Their power was still a mystery, but most people guessed it had something to do with taking ones energy.

"404's winning," Ranboo commented.

Tommy turned to him, confused. The change in Angel's fighting was subtle.

"How so?"

"Angel's moves are more sloppy than usual."

"You a fan of his?"

"Uh—I mean, sure, he's amazing."

Tommy rolled his eyes and focused back on the fight. Angel was retreating, flying over to get Whisper. Blade was struggling but holding his ground. Blaze and Dream exchanged a look and then bolted in the opposite direction. 404 quickly followed, leaving the heroes catching their breath. The footage shifted to a reporter at the scene, indicating the fight was over.

"Well, that was boring," Tommy said, standing and stretching, relieved to avoid chemistry.

"What do you mean?! Did you see how Blade—" Tubbo began rambling , but Tommy tuned him out. Praise for his family always rubbed him the wrong way.

As students filed back to class, Tommy and Ranboo, both with a free period, decided to chill in the library.

"Not a big fan of heroes?" Ranboo asked as they settled into bean bags in a secluded corner.

"Hate most of them, actually," Tommy deadpanned.

"Why?"

"Rather not say in a building full of people who want to be heroes."

The conversation drifted to other topics until the bell rang. They parted ways for their next classes. The rest of the day was uneventful, Tommy zoning out except in Art class with Ranboo that he had with his favorite teacher Eret.

Finally, school ended. Tommy took the long way home, dreading facing his family after the fight, knowing that his family was probably tired after the fight, which would make them more annoyed at his presence. He arrived at the front door, hesitating before stepping inside.

Chapter Text

As Tommy stepped inside, he could already feel the tense mood hanging over the entire house. Deciding it was better to get it over with, he headed to the kitchen to make himself some dinner. His brothers were lounging on the couch, doing seemingly nothing, and his father, Phil, was nowhere in sight.

Tommy tried to be as silent as possible while working in the kitchen, but Wilbur immediately noticed his presence.

"Tommy, be quiet, my head is pounding."

Sensing that Wilbur was in a bad mood, Tommy didn’t reply and continued what he was doing. He was making himself some pasta because, of course, there weren’t any ingredients for anything else.

“I swear I’m the only one doing any grocery shopping around here,” he muttered to himself, though not as quietly as he thought.

“SHUT THE FUCK UP!”

Tommy flinched at the sheer volume of his brother’s outburst.

“Sorry.”

Wilbur just shot him a glare, while Techno gave him an apologetic look. He finished cooking and took his food upstairs. Closing his door behind him, he went over to his desk and pulled out his “work” laptop.

Logging into a website he liked to call “The Spider Web”. The site didn’t have a real name, so everyone just called it whatever they wanted. Hidden deep in the dark web, it was a place where all the illegal dealings took place. It ranged from buying illegal weapons or substances to human trafficking and hiring assassins. Anyone who was part of Essempi’s underground used it or at least knew of its existence. Even the corrupt government officials were aware and sometimes used it for political or personal reasons. Not that Tommy cared.

Even though he was a vigilante—a hero of sorts—he didn’t get paid, and he needed money, no matter the source. His job was selling information. It might sound simple, but it was one of the hardest jobs out there. Hacking and days’ worth of tracking down information required immense patience, something Tommy lacked. He had considered quitting, but he had a reputation to maintain. Known as Theseus, he was famed for taking any job, no matter how sketchy or dangerous it was. He was one of the most wanted people in the underground, rivaling mercenaries.

Checking his inbox for any jobs, he found only one. Usually, there were more, but he wasn’t complaining, he could use some sleep. The job was from someone named 'Jester'. 'I swear I’ve heard that name before' . The message read:

“Hello Theseus, heard that you were the best information broker there is. I need information on President Schlatt. Anything that could count as blackmail. I don’t want this type of info sent over a website that could easily be hacked. We can meet at the casino in Las Nevadas. You can come yourself or send someone else. Just pick a time and date when you’re done collecting dirt on him and update me.
Payment: $50,000
Jester”

Holy shit, that was a lot of money for something so simple. This ‘Jester’ guy must be loaded. He should have the information ready by tomorrow if he pulled an all-nighter. Deciding between sleeping or getting this over with as soon as possible, he sent the guy a message.

“Tomorrow 5 pm.
Theseus.”

Well, there goes sleep. It was almost 6 pm, so he could start gathering information before sneaking out on patrol. Finding anything on the president that wasn’t already public wasn’t hard, but it wasn’t easy either. He spent hours hacking into multiple email accounts, finding old accounts of Schlatt on various websites, breaking into numerous government databases, and encrypting hidden or deleted files. He managed to gather blackmail that could ruin multiple lives. Hey, money is money, even if it’s illegal. By the time he was done, he had seven pen drives full of information on the president and his associates.

He checked the time.

01:12

Damn, he really spent seven hours on this. He deserved some drinks at the casino for all this effort. He dug out his vigilante costume from his closet. It wasn’t fancy like the outfits heroes or villains wore. Just black cargo pants with numerous pockets, a black hoodie with red accents, non-brand black sneakers, and most importantly, his mask. The lower part of his face was covered with a gas mask with a built-in voice changer, and his eyes were hidden by night-vision goggles. His mask was clipped to his hood so neither would fall off during a fight. He also had an earpiece that alerted him to any criminal activity, hero sightings, or vigilante activity.

He jumped out of his window to the backyard, hopped the fence, and ran towards the train tracks 20 minutes away. Traveling on foot to the lower districts could take hours, so he jumped on whatever train was heading towards the 18th district. Turning on his earpiece while waiting for a train to pass, he heard that all districts above the 19th were being patrolled by two other vigilantes, and there were a few heroes in the 14th and below districts. That left him with the 18th, 17th, 16th, and 15th. Not bad. Finally, he saw a train approach and prepared to jump on it. As it came close, he jumped, catching onto its roof and swinging himself up. It wasn’t moving fast, so he could just sit and chill.

Arriving at the 18th district, he immediately got a notification about a robbery a few streets away. He ran to stop it.

After stopping a few robberies, an attempted kidnapping, stopping drunk teenagers from stealing a car, and helping a woman move boxes into her truck, he was done for the day. Running around four districts was tiring, so he went to a store for snacks and a Coke. He sat on the roof of an apartment building, observing the city below. It was peaceful for a few minutes until he saw a huge fire rise from thin air just a street over. Abandoning his drink and food, he leapt across a few buildings and saw an old warehouse on fire. He unmuted his earpiece.

“Hero Vulpes fighting the villain Blaze in the-”

“Fuck,” he muttered.

Tommy looked around for civilians needing help and heard a scream. He ran towards the person trapped in the rubble of the warehouse.

“Crimson, oh thank god!”

The woman cried, holding a small child.

“It’s gonna be okay. I’m gonna lift this, and you’re gonna crawl out. Can you do that for me?”

“I- Yeah.”

He positioned himself to lift a large piece of concrete.

“1, 2, 3, Now!”

The woman crawled out, and he let go of the concrete piece. Her legs were in horrible shape. He almost puked when he saw them.

“I can’t feel my legs- oh god-”

“Hey, hey, I can help, alright? Don’t panic, okay?”

The child she held, no older than four, was sobbing hysterically.

“Hey kid, it’s okay. Look, I can do magic, see?”

The child, still crying but less intensely, looked at him. Tommy went over to the woman and placed his hands on her legs.

“Now, this will feel a little weird.”

His palms shone a bright light. His powers allowed him to heal almost anything. He stopped, and the woman looked shocked. Healing powers were extremely rare. There was only one registered person with them ever, and they were dead. The kid, on the other hand, looked amazed, now smiling.

"Oh god- Thank you so much I-"

“Just my job. Can you get home safely?”

“Ye-Yeah, we can. Really, thank you.”

“I’m just glad I could help.”

The woman, still in shock, stood up as if her legs hadn’t been crushed a moment ago. He watched them leave before ensuring no more people or bodies were trapped in the rubble. Thankfully, there weren’t. All buildings around the fight were untouched, but that could change any second.

Blaze and Vulpes were still going at it, though it seemed like no one was winning. Vulpes’ powers were water manipulation, and he was also a fox hybrid, giving him extra speed and stamina. Blaze’s fire powers did almost no damage to the hero, making the battle seemingly endless. Tommy hid behind a wall that was left of the warehouse and watched the fight closely.

Vulpes was new on the field but skilled. He dodged all of the villain’s attacks while responding with his own. But so did Blaze. If either wanted to win, they’d need backup, hero or villain. Vulpes seemed tired of all the pointless dodging and picked up a small metal pipe. Blaze didn’t seem to notice, so when he prepared to attack, the fox hybrid threw it at him. The pipe pierced Blaze’s abdomen. Blaze paused for a moment before running away at an unbelievable speed. Vulpes prepared to chase him but suddenly collapsed. Tommy quickly ran over and checked for a pulse. Oh, thank god. He had just passed out. Vulpes was probably running on pure adrenaline. Hearing sirens, Tommy decided to run as well.

He climbed an office building and began jumping across rooftops, stopping when he saw a body leaning against a wall in an alleyway below. He leapt down to take a look.

“STOP RIGHT THERE.”

Tommy froze, realizing it was Blaze. The villain Blaze. For fuck’s sake.

“U-Uh, hey man, you need some medical attention ASAP.”

'Fuck, he’s so stupid.' Of course, he needs medical attention, he has a hole in him.

“No shit.”

His words were slurred, probably from blood loss.

“Yeah, well, I can help.”

Tommy, for a second, wanted to slap himself. He was talking to a villain. A murderer. Why was he considering healing him?

“Whatever…”

Then Blaze passed out. Tommy had to catch him. And fuck, this man was heavy.

“Okay, I’m doing this, fuck.”

He pulled out the pipe and sat Blaze down, placing his hands on the wound. The bright light almost blinded him, but when he blinked, all that remained was a scar. While he could heal, he couldn’t replace the lost blood, so Blaze probably wouldn’t wake up anytime soon.

“Who the hell are you, and what do you think you’re doing?”

A voice came from behind him, accompanied by the sound of a gun reloading.

“You one of his teammates?”

“Answer first.”

Okay, he is not dying today.

“Crimson. I healed him.”

“Y-you what?”

Tommy turned to face the speaker, who wore formal attire and a mask covering their whole face.

“Who are you? I don’t recognize you from anywhere.”

“Call me Jester. I’m gonna take him. Um, thanks.”

Jester? As in about to pay him $50,000 Jester? Wow, the world really is small.

“No problem. Make sure he gets actual medical attention.”

And with that, he was gone. Tommy ran through more alleyways, arriving at the train tracks again, this time to head home.

Chapter Text

Tommy climbed through his window at almost 5 am, the cold early morning air biting at his skin. He could feel the exhaustion from last night's events catching up to him. Healing took a lot out of him, and considering he had healed two people in the same night, he was utterly drained. But with only one hour left before he had to start his day, he decided that sleep wasn't worth it. Instead, he resolved to finish some of his homework.

Usually, he would complete his assignments in between classes, as he never really had time to do it at home. Tommy changed out of his vigilante costume and stashed it deep in his closet. Picking out a decent outfit for the day, he chose a simple pair of jeans and a hoodie, then went over to his desk and started working on his homework.

By the time he was finished with almost everything, it was 6:30. That meant he had about 30 minutes before he had to leave for school. He packed up his things, making sure to hide the pendrives meant for Jester in a hidden pocket of his bag. Today, he would go to the Las Nevadas casino after school, probably hang around there until it was time for his patrol. He would swing by his house to grab his vigilante outfit  because there was no way he was going to go there in his civilian clothes.

Deciding to skip breakfast, Tommy didn't bother going downstairs. Instead, he jumped out of his window and headed to school. It was still early, and the streets were quiet, save for the occasional early riser or jogger. The walk gave him time to clear his mind and mentally prepare for the day ahead.

It was pretty early for him to arrive at school. Usually, he would be late or just on time for his first class. He wasn't complaining, though. It gave him a rare chance to explore the halls without the usual crowd. Tommy wandered the halls, looking for a classroom where he could sit and pass the time. Unfortunately, almost all were closed or occupied by teachers he didn't particularly like. His first class was at 9:30 am, and it was currently 7:46. He almost gave up and started walking to the library, which was on the other side of the school, when someone called out to him.

"Tommy?"

He turned to see Eret, his favorite teacher. Eret was young and relatable, and most students called them by their first name.

"Eret!" Tommy greeted, a genuine smile spreading across his face.

"I have never seen you here so early. Did something happen?" Eret asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Nah, just woke up early and didn't want to deal with my family in the morning," Tommy replied, shrugging.

Eret smiled apologetically at the second part of his statement. They knew his home situation wasn't ideal. Often, Eret was the one Tommy confided in when things got too tough at home.

"I don't have any classes until 10. Do you want to hang out in my classroom until your first class?" Eret offered.

"Yes, oh my god, you're literally my savior!" Tommy exclaimed, relief evident in his voice.

Chuckling, Eret led Tommy to the art room. Tommy sat at a desk, deciding to sketch out his vigilante costume. He really needed to improve it. He wanted to add compartments in his cargo pants to hold more knives and first aid supplies without making it obvious he was carrying them. After a few sketches and notes, he had a rough idea of what he wanted. What he didn't have were the materials to make it at home, and the art class, full of people who didn't understand personal space, wasn't the place to do it.

Lost in thought, Tommy didn't notice Eret leaning over his shoulder to see what he was working on.

"Why do you need so many pockets?" Eret asked, amused.

"To hide knives, duh," Tommy replied without thinking.

Eret laughed, not knowing Tommy was dead serious. Tommy laughed along to avoid raising suspicion.

"Are you going to sew this in our next class?" 

"Fuck no, these art kids are sooo nosy. I would never sew anything in front of them," Tommy replied, rolling his eyes.

"Don't talk about your peers like that," 

"Am I lying? No," Tommy shot back. He had made the mistake of sewing a dress in that class once, and the second someone saw what he was working on, they either made fun of him or asked if he could make something for them.

"Well, you can come early Thursday and have the classroom to yourself for about two hours" 

"Eret, you have no idea how much you're saving me right now," Tommy said, genuinely grateful.

"Just make sure you don't leave a mess," Eret replied with a smile.

Tommy glanced at the clock. It was 8:49. He groaned and decided he should head to class. He waved at Eret as he walked out of the art room, dreading the day ahead. He had no classes with his friends today, which meant it would be actual hell.

By 3:30 pm, Tommy was ready to go home. Nothing significant had happened at school, except Tubbo and Ranboo acting weirdly happy. They didn't even tell him what they were so excited about! 'Fake ass bitches' 

Entering through the front door, Tommy noticed the house was silent. His family wasn't home. He went to his room and dumped all of his school stuff on his bed. 'Eh, I'll clean that up later' He then retrieved his vigilante outfit from its hiding place and stashed it into his bag. It was still too early to go around as Crimson. Grabbing a granola bar from his snack drawer, he headed downstairs and swiped some money lying on the counter.Does it count as stealing? Yes. Does he care? No.

Las Nevadas wasn't legally a place, but since one guy owned almost every building in the area, people had started calling the 6th district after the casino, "Las Nevadas." Tommy wasn't sure who owned it, as he almost never went there. He walked to the nearest bus stop and, shockingly, bought a ticket. His stop would be a three-minute walk from the casino, so he figured he'd easily find an alleyway to change in.

After 20 minutes, he arrived. Looking around to see if anyone was paying attention to him, he bolted into the nearest alleyway and quickly changed into his vigilante outfit. He spotted a fire escape leading all the way to the roof of a building and decided it would be easier to hop across rooftops to reach his destination.

At 4:54, he was thankfully on time. He jumped down from a building and landed next to the casino's entrance. As he was about to make his way in, a bouncer stopped him.

"Got a pass?" the bouncer asked gruffly.

"Uh, I got a meeting with someone," Tommy replied, trying to sound confident.

"Who?"

"Jester or some shit," Tommy answered, hoping he sounded convincing.

The bouncer immediately took out his phone and made a call. 'I swear to god, if this is some sort of trap, I will start a villain arc' 

"I will show you to his office," the bouncer said after hanging up.

'Okay, if that wasn't suspicious,' Tommy thought. 'Well, it's not like I have much to lose anyway.'

Tommy followed the bouncer to a back entrance. It seemed the main one was just for show. The bouncer led him through a maze of hallways until they reached a stop.

"Go ahead," the bouncer instructed.

"Thank you?" Tommy replied, confused.

The bouncer started walking away, and Tommy, for a second, just stared at the huge door in front of him. He slowly opened it, holding a knife in one hand.

"Come sit here"

"Wow, not even a 'hello'?" Tommy remarked as he entered the room.

Jester ignored him, and Tommy sat down, digging out the pendrives from his bag.

"Money first"

"How can I know you didn't just give me empty pendrives?"

"Dude, may I remind you that I saved your friend's life yesterday?" Tommy shot back.

"Whatever," Jester murmured, pulling out a case.

Tommy checked the money to ensure it was the right amount and not fake. It was all authentic. He smiled to himself as he handed Jester the pendrives.

"Pleasure doing business with you," Tommy said with a smirk.

Jester rolled his eyes throwing the pendrives into a drawer.

"Yo, can you at least buy me some drinks?"

"Why would I do that??" Jester replied, raising an eyebrow.

"You owe me," Tommy stated matter-of-factly.

"Wha- You know what, sure, come on," 

Two wins in one day, no way. He got $50,000 AND free drinks as a minor. Tommy had a feeling he and Jester would be good friends.

Chapter Text

Tommy and Jester walked into the main area of the casino, the heavy doors closing behind them with a dull thud. The place was unusually quiet for a Friday night. Neon lights flickered overhead, casting a colorful glow across the room, reflecting off the deep red carpets and golden accents. The air was thick with the smell of smoke and booze.

There weren’t many people around. A couple of half-conscious gamblers were glued to the machines, their eyes barely focused.. A few more were slumped at the bar, their drunken conversations barely rising above the clinking of glasses. They were probably too wasted to give a shit that a well-known vigilante and some random guy in a mask were walking by. Not that anyone would believe what they saw after this many drinks.

“Looks pretty dead” Tommy muttered under his breath, his eyes scanning the room with a mix of curiosity and caution. He wasn’t used to places like this.

“It’s never really dead,” Jester replied with a smirk, his voice full of confidence, like someone who knew this place inside and out. He strode over to the bar like he owned the place, which, as it turned out, he did.

They sat down, and Jester gave a lazy wave to the bartender. Within seconds, a perfectly mixed drink was placed in front of him, complete with a little umbrella.

“What the fuck? You just wave your hand, and they give you a drink?” Tommy asked, half-surprised, half-impressed.

“Yeah? I own this place,” Jester said casually, as if it was no big deal. He took a sip of his drink, clearly enjoying the look of shock on Tommy’s face.

“You what?!” Tommy couldn’t believe it. This guy—this weird, masked dude—actually owned a whole ass casino?

Jester just looked at him, clearly amused. With a sigh, he pulled off his mask, revealing a face Tommy instantly recognized. ‘Is that who I think it is?’ 

“No way,” Tommy mumbled to himself, shaking his head. 'Oh this will be fun.'

“Who the hell did you think I was?” Jester asked, still grinning.

“Some random wannabe villain?” Tommy admitted.

Jester laughed. “I’m not really a villain, more of a behind-the-scenes guy, you know? I just like to keep things interesting.”

Tommy stared at him, still confused but starting to get the picture.

“How are you supposed to drink with a mask on?”

Tommy hadn’t really thought about it. He hadn’t expected Jester to actually get him a drink, let alone offer it so casually. He’d figured Jester would kick him out, not go along with his request. He could take off the bottom half of his mask, but then he wouldn’t be able to talk. And lifting it halfway might reveal too much. But then again, seeing Jester’s reaction could be pretty funny...

When the bartender handed him the drink, Tommy hesitated for a moment before unclipping half of his mask to take a sip. The drink was surprisingly good for someone that doesn't drink often.

“Holy shit! You know people would pay a ton just to find out who you are!” Jester exclaimed, clearly suprised as he watched Tommy take a sip.

 “I seriously doubt you, of all people, would need money bad enough to sell my identity,” he replied, not even looking at Jester as he took another sip.

“Fuck me, you sound young…” Jester said, his voice trailing off as he realized how young Tommy actually was.

“You’re not that much older than me, Big Q,” Tommy shot back, using a nickname that slipped out before he could stop himself. If this nickname didn't reveal his identity to Jester, then he doesn't know what would.

For a moment, Jester just stared at him, trying to process what he’d just heard. Then, slowly, realization dawned on his face.

“What the fuck..” Jester muttered, his eyes widening. “Holy shit.”

Tommy chuckled, finishing his drink and putting his mask back on. He could feel Jester’s eyes on him, but he didn’t turn around. Instead, he stood up and started walking toward the back exit. He’d pushed his luck enough for one night.

But just as he was about to leave, he felt a hand grab his arm, pulling him back.

“Tommy…?” The voice was softer now, almost hesitant. There was something in Jester’s tone that sounded concerned, like he was worried about Tommy.

Tommy paused, glancing over his shoulder with a grin. “Nice seeing you again, man,” he said, trying to sound casual, even though he knew he’d just dropped a huge bomb on Jester.

Jester—no, Quackity—stared at him, his eyes wide. “You’re Crimson AND Theseus?!” he blurted out, his voice filled with a mix of shock and concern.

"Nope just Crimson"

“Shit, man, you’re just a kid… What the hell are you doing out here?”

Tommy’s smirk softened a bit. He wasn’t used to people being concerned about him—not like this, anyway. “I’m not a kid. I can handle myself,” he said, though there was a hint of uncertainty in his voice.

Quackity looked at him and shook his head. “Tommy, this is serious shit. You’re out here playing hero and you’re, what, still in school?”

Tommy shrugged, trying to play it cool. “I’ve got it under control. Besides, it’s not like I’m the only one out there doing this shit.”

Quackity sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Fuck, Tommy, that’s not the point. You shouldn’t have to do this. You’re too young for this kind of shit.”

Tommy didn’t know what to say to that. He wasn’t used to people caring about what he did, especially not someone like Quackity. “Look, I appreciate the concern, but I’m fine. Really. I’ve been doing this for a while now.”

Quackity shook his head again, but he didn’t push it. “Just… be careful, okay? I’d rather not see you get hurt—or worse.”

Tommy nodded, feeling a bit awkward. “Yeah… sure. Thanks, Big Q.”

Quackity looked at him for a long moment, like he was trying to decide if he should say more. But then he just sighed and let go of Tommy’s arm. “Alright. We’ll catch up soon, yeah?”

“Yeah, sure,” Tommy said, already turning to leave. “See you around.”

“To-Crimson!” Quackity called after him, but Tommy was already out the door, disappearing into the cool night air.

As he walked away, Tommy couldn’t shake the feeling that maybe, just maybe, Quackity had a point. But he pushed that thought aside. He had too much to do to worry about that right now. Still, as he slipped into the shadows, he couldn’t help but mutter to himself, “Nice seeing you again, Big Q.”

Chapter Text

In Tommy's opinion, the meeting went fine. Well, maybe not for Quackity. To be fair, finding out that the kid you used to hang out with years ago is now a well-known vigilante with a whole bounty on his head would probably upset most people. Tommy didn’t blame him. But right now, that wasn’t his problem. That was a problem for future Tommy. Present him, though, needed to get home. His family wouldn’t notice his absence—they probably weren’t even home at this hour. Not that they would care much if they were. Running across those rooftops as a vigilante in a highly populated area in broad daylight was far from the safest way to get around, but he had forgotten to bring spare clothes to change into after the meeting. The 6th district was full of rich people, and that meant if anyone saw him, they would definitely call the police or, worse, a hero. And dealing with a hero was NOT something he wanted to do today.

As he jumped across the rooftops, Tommy kept his movements swift and purposeful. While making his way through the district, he noticed some crimes taking place. A mugging in progress, a group of kids tagging a wall, a break-in. Normally, Tommy would step in without a second thought, but today wasn’t the day. He was close to intervening in a couple of robberies, even a fight between some gang members, but he quickly ducked out of sight when a hero showed up. Of course, they’d stop crime in the rich part of the city. In the poorer areas, though? They only showed up if it was absolutely necessary. And even then, they took their sweet time.

This is why so many vigilantes existed in the first place. The heroes, with all their fame and glory, couldn’t be everywhere at once, and when they did show up, it was often too late. Most vigilantes got arrested in their first few months, but not Tommy. He’d been on the scene for almost two years now, and before that, he’d spent three years as an information broker. He knew the streets, the people, and most importantly, the heroes’ schedules. The only reason he hadn’t been caught yet was because he knew when to stay out of sight. The perks of being his own informant.

What he didn’t know, though, were the routines of the heroes that patrolled the higher districts. He almost never ventured up here as a vigilante. The only exceptions were when there were huge fights between heroes and villains or if, by some reason, a vigilante got chased out of the lower districts and needed assistance. 

He was almost in the 5th district when a figure dropped from the sky onto a rooftop across from him. 'Shit.' Instinct kicked in, and Tommy immediately turned and bolted in the opposite direction, hoping it would lead him somewhere safe. But the hero didn’t waste any time and started chasing after him. One glance back was all it took for Tommy to see who it was. Captain. 'Fuck, not again!' She was faster and knew the layout of this part of the city way better than he did. Tommy needed to think of a plan, and he needed to think of one fast.

"Crimson, give yourself up! You can become a real hero!" she shouted, her voice cutting through the wind as she gained on him.

Like hell was he going to listen to her. The whole hero society was corrupt. Most of the heroes only chose the job for money and fame. There were inly a few who actually did it for the good of the people. Captain was one of them. She was one of the rare ones who genuinely believed in helping others only out of the goodness of her heart. She had tried multiple times to recruit vigilantes who shared her view of the hero community, but no one was willing to lose the freedom that came with being a vigilante. They were outlaws and criminals in the eyes of the heroes, and that was fine by Tommy. He didn’t need their validation.

He didn’t bother replying to her, she knew the answer anyway. Instead, he focused on his escape. He’d lost track of where he was going, but his best guess was that he was somewhere in the 8th district. Maybe he could make it to the 13th district—that’s where Niki’s bakery was. She always had a back door open for him. But that was a big-ass distance, and he was already almost out of breath. Captain, on the other hand, only seemed to be getting faster.

Out of nowhere, she stopped mid-air between two rooftops. Tommy stopped to a halt, staring at her in confusion. She looked as if she were frozen in place, struggling to move but unable to. 'What the fuck?' Then, from the shadows, a familiar figure emerged, leaping from yet another rooftop.

"Thought you needed some help," Purpled said.

"Purpled, you have no idea how much I needed it," Tommy replied, finally catching his breath. 'God, running was really tiring!'

"Let's get out of here, yeah?"

Tommy nodded, and the two of them took off together, sprinting across the rooftops with renewed energy. Purpled knew the city almost as well as Tommy did, and he was leading them towards his place. It was all the way in the 22nd district, which unfortunately meant more running, but it was their safest bet.

After what felt like an eternity (two hours) they finally reached their destination. Purpled immediately flopped down on the couch, not even bothering to change out of his costume. Tommy, on the other hand, had no clothes to change into, so he decided to borrow (steal) some from his friend. He rummaged through Purpled’s closet, pulling out anything that looked decent. He settled on a baggy T-shirt and some sweatpants. They’d do for now.

He walked out of Purpled’s room and back into the living room/kitchen area, feeling a bit more relaxed now that they were safe.

"Are those my clothes?" Purpled asked, finally out of his costume. Tommy had no idea how he had changed so fast.

"Yep."

His friend just stared at him for a second before shrugging and lying back down on the couch.

"Which district are you covering today?" Purpled asked, his voice muffled by the cushions.

"I don’t think there are any left."

The vigilante community was more professional than most people thought. It was a whole society of its own, with rules and everything. One of those rules was that unless there was an emergency, there didn’t need to be two vigilantes in the same area. It was too risky to have that many people patrolling, made them more visible on the hero radar. Plus, it helped with managing crime. One vigilante could handle a robbery or an attempted murder; there was no need for two or more at the scene. Sometimes vigilantes would team up, but that was a rare sight. With so many vigilantes, you had to be quick to “reserve” a district or area. Tommy usually made sure he had at least one district to patrol after school, but with everything that had happened today, he hadn’t had the time.

"I’m patrolling some of the middle ones. You can join me if you want," Purpled offered.

Oh, Purpled knew him so well.

"Fuck yeah!" Tommy replied, a grin spreading across his face. Maybe the night wasn’t going so bad after all.

Chapter Text

Tommy had no idea how Purpled could sit in this boring apartment all day, only going out when he absolutely had to. The place was so plain, like nobody really lived there. It could definitely use some decorations, something to make it feel less empty. They still had a few hours to kill before going out on patrol, and Tommy was already tired of scrolling through his phone. He flopped back on the couch, staring at the ceiling.

“Dude, can you give me a laptop?” Tommy asked, his voice full of annoyance. He was half-lying on the couch, barely holding on, but he couldn’t be bothered to sit up.

“Why?” Purpled replied, not looking up from what he was doing.

“No offense, but there’s literally nothing to do here. I might as well get some work done,” Tommy said, throwing his phone onto the couch beside him. 

Purpled was the only person who knew all of Tommy’s identities. He had met all of Tommy’s personas and figured out early on that all three were just him in different disguises. Tommy trusted him completely, even though they hadn’t known each other for very long—barely two years. But in that short time, they had built one of the strongest bonds. They would fight for each other, protect each other, and even die for each other if it came to that. They understood each other like no one else did. They knew their strengths and weaknesses. Tommy knew it was risky to trust someone with his secret, especially when he had a bounty on his head. But if one of them went down, the other would probably follow. They were both in this shit together.

“Sure, just... maybe don’t lead the FBI to my place again this time?” Purpled said with a smirk.

“Oh, come on! That was one time!” Tommy shot back, pretending to be annoyed. Purpled chuckled quietly to himself.

Time passed slowly. Tommy checked a few messages, noticing that his inbox was flooded with texts from Jester. He didn’t take on any new jobs, but he started working on a few he could probably finish by tomorrow. The city had been strangely quiet, which made him nervous. It was never a good sign when there was less criminal activity. Usually, that meant someone was planning something big, and Tommy really wasn’t in the mood to deal with a massive problem anytime soon.

As he was lost in his thoughts, something soft hit him in the chest. He looked down and saw his vigilante costume lying there.

“What the fuck?” Tommy muttered, a bit confused. Could it really be time for patrol already?

“Patrol,” Purpled said simply, already dressed and ready to go. 

Tommy sighed deeply. As he put on his mask, he glanced at Purpled, who was leaning against the door, waiting for him. Tommy knew Purpled wasn’t one for small talk, and that was fine by him. They didn’t need to say much to understand each other. Some friendships were built on words, but theirs was built on actions. 

“Let’s go,” Tommy finally said, securing the last piece of his costume.

Purpled nodded and opened the door, stepping out into the night without another word. Tommy followed close behind, his mind already shifting into vigilante mode.

Tommy and Purpled flew across the rooftops, moving fast and silent. The city felt like it was holding its breath tonight. They stopped a few crimes—some asshole robbing a guy, a couple of people trying to steal car—but nothing major. 

But Tommy felt that something big was about to happen. He could feel it in his bones, that nagging gut feeling he always got right before things went to shit. 

They had just landed on another rooftop when the air shifted. Before Tommy could say a word, the building shook, and a dark figure slammed into the ground in front of them.

“Fuck me…” Tommy muttered under his breath, his heart sinking. He didn’t need to see the guy’s face to know who it was.

Blade—Techno—stood there, muscles tense and eyes full of fury. His black suit looked battle-worn, but he still had that cold, deadly look in his eyes that Tommy knew all too well. 

Techno didn’t know. He had no fucking clue who Tommy really was under the mask, and Tommy hated that fact more than anything. Fighting criminals was one thing, but fighting his own brother? It made him sick to his stomach. But Blade had no clue. He just saw Crimson—another vigilante he wanted to put down.

“Crimson. Mauve,” Blade growled, taking a step forward. “You two have been quite troublesome for the heroes lately, right?.”

Tommy swallowed hard, feeling his pulse quicken. “Of course, it’s fuckin’ Techno,” he muttered under his breath.

Blade cracked his knuckles, his eyes narrowing. “This ends tonight.”

Tommy felt the stress bubbling up inside him. He hated Blade—no, Techno—for the shit he pulled as a hero, for being part of the system Tommy despised. But he couldn’t stop thinking about how this was his brother, the same guy who taught him how to fight when they were kids, the one who had his back long before they ended up on opposite sides. 

Purpled, as usual, didn’t waste time. He flicked his hand, and Blade’s body lurched to the side, like gravity just decided to fuck off for a second. But Techno wasn’t going down that easily. With a roar, he snapped out of Purpled’s grip and charged at them, faster than Tommy could react.

“Fuck!” Tommy yelled, jumping back just as Blade’s fist slammed into the ground, cracking the rooftop. The force of it sent a shockwave through the building, and Tommy staggered, barely keeping his balance.

Blade came at them again, his enhanced strength on full display. Tommy threw a punch, but Blade caught his arm, twisting it painfully before tossing him to the side like he was nothing. 

Tommy hit the ground hard, gasping for air. His ribs ached, but he could already feel his healing kicking in, bones snapping back into place. Still, every hit hurt. And worse, every hit from Blade felt personal.

Purpled acted fast, using his powers to yank Blade off the ground again, this time slamming him into a wall. Tommy scrambled to his feet, wincing from the pain, but he pushed through it. 

He threw a punch, landing it square in Blade’s jaw. For a second, it looked like Blade might go down, but he growled and shoved Tommy away, sending him crashing into the rooftop again.

Tommy coughed, spitting blood. He glared up at Blade, the conflict tearing him apart inside. He fucking hated this guy. But he couldn’t ignore the truth. That was his brother. His goddamn brother. And no matter how much he hated him, hurting him like this didn’t sit right with Tommy. It never did.

Blade turned, heading for Purpled, who was struggling to stay upright after one of Blade’s earlier punches. 

“Fuck, no!” Tommy shouted, adrenaline kicking in. He launched himself at Blade, landing a hard kick to his side, but Blade barely flinched.

“You’re pathetic, Crimson,” Blade sneered, his voice cold. “You and Mauve. You’re just criminals hiding behind masks,trying to play hero.”

Tommy felt the anger boil up, but it wasn’t just anger. It was pain. “Yeah? Atleast were doing some good , unlike you heros!” Tommy shot back, his voice cracking slightly.

Blade didn’t respond. He just swung at Tommy again, and the punch landed square in his gut, knocking the wind out of him. Tommy hit the ground, coughing and clutching his side as his healing struggled to keep up.

Purpled stepped in, lifting Blade off the ground again with a flick of his wrist. “You okay?” Purpled asked.

Tommy nodded, forcing himself back up. “Yeah. I’ll be fine.”

Together, they fought hard. Purpled’s gravity manipulation kept Blade off-balance, while Tommy used every opening to strike. They were a good team, better than anyone else in the city. But Blade… Blade was a monster. He was stronger than both of them combined, and no matter how many times they knocked him down, he kept getting back up.

Blade charged at them again, and this time, he grabbed Purpled by the arm, slamming him into the ground hard. Purpled groaned in pain, but managed to send Blade flying with a final burst of power.

Tommy, panting, stared at Blade as he stood up again, blood running down his face. This was his brother. And he was going to have to break him if he wanted to get out of this.

“I’m sorry, Techno,” Tommy whispered under his breath, just loud enough for himself. He couldn’t let Blade win, but damn if it didn’t hurt every time he landed a punch.

Blade, bleeding and breathing heavily, charged one last time. But Purpled and Tommy moved in sync. Purpled flicked his wrist, sending Blade off-balance, and Tommy drove a hard kick into his ribs, sending him crashing into the wall.

Blade grunted, his body finally giving out as he slumped to the ground, too injured to get up.

“We gotta go,” Purpled gasped, holding his side, clearly in pain.

“Yeah,” Tommy muttered, grabbing Purpled’s arm. “Let’s fucking get out of here.”

Purpled’s hand touched his shoulder, and they shot into the air, flying over the rooftops and leaving Blade behind. 

As they soared away, Tommy glanced back. Blade was too injured to follow, but Tommy knew this wasn’t over. It would never be over.

When they finally touched down on a distant rooftop, both of them collapsed, breathing heavily.

Tommy looked up at the sky, his body already healing, but his heart still hurt. 

“That guy’s a fuckin’ nightmare” he muttered.

Purpled nodded, too tired to respond. Tommy didn’t say it out loud, but deep down, he knew it was more than that. He wasn’t just fighting a nightmare.

He was fighting family.