Archive of Our Own ^beta

Tommy was twelve years old the first time he faked his death.

It was easy and it was the hardest thing he ever had to do.

He rationalized it, then compartmentalized it, then stopped thinking about it. It was the easiest way to keep himself sane.

Tommy was sixteen now. He had faked his death eight times so far. After the first time, it wasn't as difficult. Mainly because he didn't allow himself to get as close to people. When he realized he was getting too attached, he'd set up an out.

He always attended the funerals, when they were held. Someone else might think that strange, but Tommy needed it.

It wasn't like anyone ever remembered that he was there, anyways.

Tommy pulled on his hoodie. It didn't fit him too well, but he made do. He spun his gun in his hand, a trick he'd picked up from his old partner. Fundy had been fine to work with while Tommy was toying with being a vigilante, but ultimately, he had been too trusting. Now the man owned a pet shop and Tommy was alone again.

“Resurge.”

Tommy glanced back. A hero was standing there, one named Deny. If he remembered correctly, the hero usually worked with another hero named Forge, who was supposedly some sort of child prodigy with computers.

He did remember correctly. He always did.

“Hey there,” Tommy said, pushing himself to his feet. Forge was nowhere in sight. Deny was alone. “Can I help you?”

“You know why I'm here,” Deny said.

“I don't think I do,” Tommy said, tapping his chin. “Could you help me out?”

Deny glared at him. He had purple eyes, which Tommy thought was strange, but it wasn't the strangest thing he'd seen. With the lives he lived, he'd seen a lot of crazy stuff.

“I'm not here to play games,” Deny said. “You get one chance to turn yourself in.”

“That wouldn't be any fun now, would it?” Tommy asked, grinning.

“Your choice,” Deny said, flipping a knife in his hand that Tommy hadn’t seen him pull out.

“You seriously aren't going to stab me,” Tommy said. Heroes were never allowed to do stuff like that.

“You were the one who wanted a fight,” Deny said. “Unless you changed your mind.”

“Never,” Tommy said. He couldn’t quite make out Deny's expression. The lower half of his face was covered by a mask.

That was really a loser thing to do, in Tommy's opinion. He only wore a mask when he had to be around security cameras. Deny should simply get good.

Tommy lifted a hand and frowned. Deny’s mind was silent. That was unusual. Sometimes, memories were harder to tamper with or see, but Tommy was usually at least able to see everyone’s thoughts.

“Hm,” Tommy hummed, tilting his head. “You’re interesting.”

“And you’re arrested,” Deny said, striding forward. Tommy spun on his heel, bolting across the rooftop. He wasn’t a bad fighter, but he usually relied on his powers to disrupt the other fighter. He wasn’t sure how the fight would go if he was facing someone fully competent.

“Coward!” Deny called, but he wasn’t following him. He probably didn’t care enough to. Tommy didn’t have any big crimes under his belt, not that the heroes should know about. Tommy was nothing more than an arrogant villain that no one talked about.

That no one was supposed to talk about, at least. Tommy studied his hands. He could hear the distant thoughts of the people in the building, so he knew his powers were still active. Deny was just a particularly difficult mind to crack. Nothing to be concerned about.

(And yet, Tommy couldn’t help the sinking feeling in his gut.)

***

“Forge,” Purpled said, pushing down his mask as he stepped into the room. “Resurge. What's this guy's deal?”

“Resurge the villain?” Tubbo asked, looking up from his computer.

“No, Resurge the car salesman,” Purpled said sarcastically. “Yes, the villain. What do we know about him?”

“Not much,” Tubbo said, turning back to his screen. “I think he's pretty new. There's something weird about him but I'm not sure what that is off the top of my head. Haven’t heard much about him in general, really”

Tubbo got up, stretching. He walked over to the table, tossing an apple at Purpled. Purpled easily caught it, turning the fruit over in his hands.

“How’s the prototype going?” Purpled asked.

“It’s almost done, I think,” Tubbo said. “I’ve got patrol in a few, but once I get back, I’m going to test it out.”

“You have patrol?” Purpled asked. “Didn’t you just get off being ground control?” Tubbo hated being put on ground control, but because of his quick abilities with computers, he got put on ground control rotations most of the time.

“Yeah, but they don’t count ground control as actual work towards patrol hours, so I’ve got to go out too,” Tubbo said.

“Have fun with that,” Purpled said, taking a seat at the computer.

“You looking at stuff for Resurge?” Tubbo asked.

“Yep,” Purpled said. Tubbo was good with computers, but Purpled wasn’t half bad either. He had information pulled up on the villain in moments.

“I’m heading out,” Tubbo said, heading for the door. Purpled didn’t say anything, already engrossed in reading the reports.

Resurge had first appeared two months ago. He had only shown up as an unknown party for the first few weeks, but then Resurge had started getting himself into bigger messes. It wasn’t anything of huge note. He seemed like a perfectly normal villain.

There was one thing that stuck out from each report. Anyone involved: heroes, civilians, vigilantes, even fellow villains, they never remembered Resurge. The only proof that he existed was security footage and a few stray witnesses.

Purpled leaned back in the chair. No one ever remembered Resurge, but Purpled remembered their fight perfectly fine. Purpled had a hunch on why, but whether to act on it…

Resurge had never done anything major. He’d robbed a couple of banks, stolen a few things, gotten in a few fights. There wasn’t any reason Purpled should involve himself. It would just give him more work and get Resurge in a lot of trouble.

The villain could be extremely dangerous if his powers were as strong as they seemed. But the chances that it would actually affect Purpled was minor. He hadn’t even reported his interaction with the villain yet. There wouldn’t be any fallout for him once Resurge got caught.

He was almost tempted to report it out of spite. The villain acted cocky, then ran off like a coward.

But really, it wasn’t worth Purpled getting involved. He wiped the search history, pushing himself away from the computer. He was due for a nap.

***

Tommy’s hood was pulled low as he pushed his way through the crowd. It was the middle of a Saturday, so the people were completely expected, but that didn’t mean Tommy liked it.

There were so many thoughts rushing over each other, so much conflicting information, so much chaos. It was overwhelming. At times like this, Tommy wished that he could turn off his powers. 

He paused. Someone across the street was thinking about Resurge. It was a miracle Tommy could pick up something so far away with so many people in between, but the person was thinking loudly. Tommy walked over to a crosswalk while he dove a little deeper.

Forge. They were Forge. His real name was Tubbo. Tommy kept going, just a little further. He wanted more information on Deny, after their interaction the day before.

Deny’s name was Purpled, apparently, which was a very strange name. He and Forge were Tommy’s age, which was a little surprising. Tommy didn’t think that there were heroes as young as he was. It was intriguing. It made Tommy want to know more.

Tommy bumped into Tubbo, tossing his hood off as he spun around.

“Sorry!” Tommy said. He tilted his head. “Wait, Tubbo?”

“Do I know you?” Tubbo asked.

“Do you know me,” Tommy mocked, rolling his eyes. “We were in the same elementary school for years!”

As Tommy spoke, he planted memories in Tubbo’s mind. Memories of a baby-faced Tommy in an elementary school Tommy didn’t even know the name of.

Still, recognition filled Tubbo’s eyes. It was fake, but Tommy’s powers were good. Tubbo would never know the difference. No one ever did.

“Tommy!” Tubbo said, grinning. “It’s been forever, man! How have you been?”

“Pretty good, pretty good,” Tommy said, shrugging. “Just making my way through high school, you know. How about you?”

Tubbo’s smile didn’t waiver. “High school, all the same. Where’d you end up going?”

“Pogtopia High, it’s closer to where I live,” Tommy said, nodding over his shoulder as if his school was in that direction. “Where do you go?”

“L’manburg Tech,” Tubbo said. It was an easy lie. Tubbo could’ve gone to any tech school he wanted, with his powers.

Tommy grinned. “Oh, really? I’ve got some friends who go there. Do you know Eryn or Freddie?”

The names were real, because the best lies were rooted in truth. Tommy had known them when he was little, before he’d gotten his powers.

Eryn and Freddie didn’t know he was alive anymore. He didn’t know what happened to them. He didn’t let himself care.

“I don’t think so,” Tubbo said, shaking his head. “It’s a big school.”

“Right, right, yeah,” Tommy said. “If you ever run into them, tell them I said hi.”

“Sure thing,” Tubbo said. He turned away, but Tommy wasn’t quite done yet.

Tubbo should really be more paranoid. It was too easy to influence his thoughts.

“Actually,” Tubbo said, glancing back. “I was just picking up something for my friend. Do you want to tag along and catch up?”

Tommy smiled. “Sure.”

He didn’t use his powers to mess with Tubbo any more as they walked. He simply let Tubbo lead the conversation.

It was easy to laugh about teachers he’d never had and gossip about kids that he’d never met. This was familiar to Tommy now. He had taught himself how to be a liar, an actor, a manipulator. He had to sell the lies his powers sowed.

They eventually stopped in a shop, where Tubbo ducked in to grab something for his roommate, Purpled. Tommy took the opportunity to look deeper into who this ‘Purpled’ person was.

Tubbo’s memories explained it all, of course, but Tommy didn’t have the time to sift through everything. It was more difficult the older the information was, especially if the person was thinking of something entirely different.

Still, Tommy hadn’t gotten in the position he was in now for having mediocre powers. He had a good amount of info on Purpled by the time Tubbo walked back through the windows.

The most curious fact being, of course, his powers. Purpled wasn’t affected by other people’s powers. That explained why Tommy couldn’t see his thoughts.

Tommy grinned. This could be fun .

Tubbo ended up taking the long way to his house in order to spend more time catching up with Tommy. Tommy didn’t mind. It was better than a lonely afternoon he’d spend wandering around the city, and he was really starting to get into character.

“Well, this is me,” Tubbo said, glancing up at an apartment building. Tommy knew that was a lie; Tubbo really lived in Hero issued housing, but this was the building they were supposed to use if the had civilians around.

“This was fun,” Tommy said, surprised to find that he meant it. Even though the friendship was entirely fabricated, Tubbo was nice to talk to.

It could get lonely when you were the only one to remember you even existed.

“We should meet up again soon,” Tubbo said. “No waiting five years this time.”

“Oh, totally,” Tommy said, smiling. He hadn’t even had to put the thought in Tubbo’s head.

He held out his phone for Tubbo to type his number in it. Tubbo disappeared inside the building, a promise to text Tommy to arrange another hang out echoing behind him.

Tommy ran through the information he’d collected on his way home. Purpled was immune to his powers. Purpled would remember who he was. But Tommy had made certain cameras never caught his face, and there wasn’t anyone to corroborate Purpled’s story.

Tubbo was nice to talk to. Tommy liked him. It was worth sticking around for a little while, even though Tommy had already gotten the info he wanted.

Tommy unlocked the door to his apartment, shutting the door behind himself. It was in the shadier part of town, since he didn’t have any background of existing. This place took rent money and didn’t ask too many questions. It led to some crime, but, well, Tommy was a villain. He couldn’t exactly judge.

He eyed his villain getup. He knew what Deny’s powers were now. He knwe roughly where the hero usually patrolled. It would be so much fun to mess with him, even if he couldn’t get into his mind.

Maybe even more fun, then.

***

Purpled shot his grappling hook to the next building, swinging onto the roof. It had been a busy night; Saturday nights always were. Villains and criminals had collectively decided to cause the most problems on weekends, apparently. Anything to make Purpled’s life harder.

“Oi, grape!” a voice yelled. Purpled glanced around. He didn’t think his bordering-on-neon purple hoodie was particularly grape colored, but maybe the villain was colorblind.

“Over here!” the voice was coming from behind him. Purpled spun around, reaching for his gun, just in case. Resurge was sitting on the edge of the opposite building, waving at him.

“You,” Purpled said, scowling. “The coward.”

“Ouch,” Resurge said, dropping his hand. “I prefer to think of myself as an opportunist.”

“You ran away in the middle of a fight,” Purpled said. ‘You are a coward.”

“If you say so,” Resurge said, seeming completely unbothered. “I’ve got some questions for you, grape boy.”

“I’m not answering them,” Purpled said.

“Are you like, immune to all powers? Like someone with fire powers, they couldn’t burn you? Or would that be more of a physical immunity? Would you be immune to fire that doesn’t come from powers? Is not being affected by powers even a power itself?” Resurge rambled. Purpled scowled.

He didn’t know how Resurge had found out about his powers. It wasn’t too far of a stretch to guess them if Resurge realized that he couldn’t mess with Purpled’s memory, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t annoying.

“What?” Resurge asked. “Do I need to slow down for you? It’s okay, I’ve got all my questions written down somewhere. First-”

“I’m not answering any of your questions,” Purpled said.

“Aw, come on,” Resurge said, grinning. “What’s the harm? In a few months, you’ll be the only one who remembers me and I’ll be nothing but a cold case.”

Purpled faltered. “What?”

“I’ll answer your question if you answer mine,” Resurge said.

“No,” Purpled said. “We’re not doing that. We’re not friends.”

“I never claimed we were,” Resurge said, raising his eyebrows. “Can friends be the only ones who ask each other questions? I’ve got some bad news for some reporters, then.”

“Shut up,” Purpled snapped. This guy was really getting on his nerves. “Are we going to fight or what?”

“A hero really shouldn’t be encouraging fighting,” Resurge said. “That wouldn’t be a great look for you.”

“A hero shouldn’t be entertaining a conversation with a villain, yet here we are,” Purpled said. “Besides, it’s like you said. No one will remember this but you and me.”

Resurge tilted his head. “You catch on quick. That’s smart.”

Purpled scowled. He wasn’t a child. Resurge sounded younger than he was. He was being condescending and rude, but most villains were.

“You don’t want people to remember you,” Purpled said. “So what’s the point of doing this?”

“All villains aren’t just in it for the fame,” Resurge said. “Sometimes, being a villain is the only way to pay the bills.”

“Do you even have bills to pay?” Purpled asked. “You sound like you’re fifteen.”

“First off, I am not fifteen, but even if I were, that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t have bills to pay,” Resurge said. “Not everyone has parents.”

Purpled sighed, rolling his eyes. He didn’t need this villain to preach to him things that he already knew far too well.

“As lovely as this chat has been,” Purpled said sarcastically, “I’m going to arrest you now.”

Resurge was on his feet in an instant. “Oh, really? Sorry, I think my schedule’s a little full for that. Maybe next time.”

“You’re not getting away this time,” Purpled said. He shot his grappling hook on the building Resurge was on, swinging over. He landed with a flip, reaching for where Resurge had been standing, but the villain was already running.

Purpled groaned. Was it really worth it to go after him? He’d been a bit rude, but Purpled didn’t really care that much. The villain wasn’t nearly as annoying as he seemed to think he was.

He didn’t like proving a villain right, but he had run before Purpled even tried fighting him. It just wasn’t worth it for Purpled to go after him.

Yeah, maybe Purpled was the only one who could reasonably fight him, but that really didn’t matter much to him. It wasn’t like he was going around and blowing up buildings. Resurge was barely of a hero’s notice.

Purpled watched as the villain disappeared in the distance. He fired his grappling hook in the other direction.

***

“Tommy!” Tubbo called, waving. Tommy grinned, spinning around.

“Tubso!” Tommy said, holding out his hand. Tubbo’s hand followed a pattern he hadn’t thought about in years. How could he have forgotten about their secret handshake? They had spent a week of recesses coming up with it.

“How do you still remember that?” Tubbo asked, grinning.

“How do you?” Tommy shot back. “It’s been forever.”

“Just muscle memory, I guess,” Tubbo said, shrugging. “How have you been?”

Tommy shrugged. “Alright. You?”

“My job has been giving me so many hours,” Tubbo complained. “They’re working me to the bone.”

“Isn’t there a legal limit to how many hours you can work?” Tommy asked. “With school, and all.”

“They’re maxing it out,” Tubbo said. It was reasonable enough. Plenty of normal jobs overworked their employees, kids or not.

“Where do you work?” Tommy asked. The dreaded question.

“It’s this tech firm,” Tubbo lied. “It’s pretty small. I doubt you’ve heard of it.”

“I’ve got plenty of friends interested in tech stuff,” Tommy said. “Try me.”

“Oh, it’s just, uh-” Tubbo’s mind was racing as he tried to come up with a reasonable lie. “Snow-chester-incorporated?”

“Don’t think I’ve heard of that one,” Tommy said, shaking his head. “What do you do?”

“Just coding stuff,” Tubbo said, waving a hand. “Encrypting files, stuff like that. It’s pretty boring, honestly.”

“Do you at least get paid well?” Tommy asked.

“Eh,” Tubbo said, shrugging. He got paid well enough for someone his age, but for risking his life every other night and dedicating his life to being a hero, it really wasn’t much.

“You’ve got to get a better job, Tubso,” Tommy said. “Get paid what you’re worth.”

“It’s too much work to go looking for something else,” Tubbo said. “With school and all.”

His records were sealed, which would make it incredibly difficult to find another job. Plus, he wasn’t eighteen yet, so there weren’t many places who would hire him for a liveable wage.

It was a pretty predatory practice, recruiting heroes so young, but it was like Olympic athletes. You had to start training young and it wasn’t worth training heroes if they were just going to go and get another job.

Tommy shrugged. “As long as it’s good enough for you.”

“Yeah,” Tubbo agreed. “It’s good enough.” It really was. Sure, he worked a little too much, but he had Purpled and protection and a place to live. He couldn’t ask for that much more.

“So, what did you want to do today, boss man?” Tubbo asked, changing the subject.

“The woods,” Tommy said, grinning.

“The woods?” Tubbo repeated.

“The woods over by Pogtopia park,” Tommy said, gesturing to the left. Tubbo could easily map out where Pogtopia park was from here. It was a part of training from years ago. You couldn’t be a good hero if you didn’t know where you were going.

“Why?” Tubbo asked.

“Because it’s the woods!” Tommy said, throwing his hands in the air. “I haven’t been able to drag any of my friends into them yet.”

“Are they haunted or something?” Tubbo asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Well-” Tommy laughed nervously.

“Tommy!” Tubbo exclaimed. 

“Ghosts aren't real!” Tommy said. “Come on, Tubbo, even if they were real, what’s the point of hanging around some dark forest?”

“What’s the point of us going into that dark forest if ghosts wouldn’t want to?” Tubbo challenged.

“So say we’ve done it,” Tommy said. “To be cool. For fun. Ghosts don’t care about being cool or fun but we do! So come on, Tubs. I don’t have anyone else to go with me.”

Tubbo sighed, rolling his eyes. “Only because you'll hurt yourself otherwise.

“Yeah!” Tommy cheered, pumping a fist in the air. “To the woods we go!” Tommys et off towards the park, with Tubbo trailing right after him. Tommy was chatting the whole way, waving his hands as he spoke. Tubbo had to admit, it was nice. He liked talking to Purpled, of course, Purpled was his best friend, but it was refreshing.

THe park was crowded when they got there. Kids were running around, screaming and shouting. THeir parents watched from the shade of nearby trees. Whenever a kid would stray a little too close to the forest, their parents would call them back.

“Are you sure we’re allowed to do this?” Tubbo asked, glancing around.

“There’s no laws against it,” Tommy said. “What's stopping us?”

“Something just feels… off,” Tubbo said. “I don't know.”

“You’re just being paranoid,” Tommy said. He grabbed Tubbo’s arm, dragging him beneath the leaves of the forest.

It was immediately cooler and quieter. The kids’ noises became distant as they walked into the woods. Tubbo kept swearing he was seeing something out of the corner of his eye, but whenever he turned his head to look, nothing was there.

“You alright, Tubbo?” Tommy asked after a few minutes.

“Yeah,” Tubbo said. “Just being paranoid.”

“You don’t believe the stories, right?” Tommy asked, smiling.

“I haven’t heard any of the stories,” Tubbo said. He wasn’t around Pogtopia park often, especially not in the day, when there were actually people around.

“They say kids go missing in here all the time,” Tommy said. “It’s not a huge forest, but they’re never seen again.”

“And you walked in here on purpose?” Tubbo asked, trying for a grin. Tommy tilted his head, studying Tubbo for a minute.

“If you’re freaked out, we can go,” Tommy said. “This isn’t as interesting as I thought it’d be.”

“If you’re okay with it,” Tubbo said. He didn’t want to cut off Tommy’s fun just because he was scared.

It was ridiculous, really. Tubbo fought villains every day. He thrived in the night. Some dark trees shouldn’t be freaking him out.

But normally, the threats Tubbo fought were something he could actually see. Unless the villain had invisibility powers, but that was different. They were villains, they were tangible threats.  Not some spooky forest.

Tommy and Tubbo ended up spending the rest of the afternoon walking around the city aimlessly while they talked. It was nice. Much nicer than spending the afternoon in a maybe haunted forest.

Tubbo had to run back to the Hero Tower when night fell, but he and Tommy made plans to meet up again the next day. Tubbo made his excuses and Tommy believed them, leaving Tubbo to head off.

***

Tommy watched Tubbo as  he walked away. He had held up well against the test. The tricks often sent people Tommy’s age running out of the forest in terror.

Tubbo lied that he had to get home before running off. Tommy saw straight through it, of course, but he let Tubbo go. He had things to think about.

He’d had fun with Tubbo. The afternoon had been nice, and Tubbo had been a good sport with everything.

Tommy wouldn’t mind hanging out with Tubbo for a while longer. He was interesting. His attempts to keep his secrets were amusing. If Tommy couldn’t see his thoughts, maybe he’d believe them.

He shoved his hands in his pockets as he walked back towards his apartment. It was dangerous to get mixed up with heroes. If they caught wind of his powers, he could get in a lot of trouble.

But he also knew that the heroes would never know. Even if they did, it wouldn’t be that hard to reset the entire Tower. The only people who would remember was Purpled, and there wasn’t he could do anything about it other than report it.

Tommy would be fine.

It was dark by the time he got home. He put on his villain outfit, climbing out his window and up to the rooftops.

Tommy looked at the ground, so far away. This was the one thing he hated about being a vigilante or a villain. He lied to himself that he wasn’t afraid of every gap he jumped. He couldn’t afford to be afraid.

His feet hit the next building. He kept running. If he stopped, maybe he wouldn’t keep going.

“So, you’re the new kid.”

Tommy jumped, spinning around, barely biting back a yelp. Someone was standing behind him.

“Who are you?” Tommy demanded.

“What?” the person asked. “Don’t you know who I am?”

Tommy squinted. The man was wearing a skull mask and a red cape. He had pink hair and a golden crown on his head. He was taller than Tommy and had a sword strapped to his waist.

Seriously. A sword . What was this, the 1400s?

“Nope,” Tommy said. “No clue who you are. Seems like you know me, though.”

“You’ve been the talk of the villains for a while now,” the man said. “Many of us are intrigued.

“I don’t care,” Tommy said blatantly.

“That’s evident,” the man said.

“Listen, this chat was nice and all, but I’m going to get going,” Tommy said. “See ya.” He reached into the man’s mind to wipe his existence from memories, but he reeled back.

[Child!]

[are we gonna fight him or not]

[this boring]

[is phil in place yet]

[What’s the kid doing?]

[Does he really not know who Techno is?]

[L]

[Does he think he can just run away?]

[child looks scared]

[E]

[ This message was deleted by a moderator ]

[someone call for Phil]

[PHIIIIIL]

[techno’s not in any danger guys chill]

“What the heck?” Tommy exclaimed, clutching his head. The man- Techno? took a step forward, but Tommy scrambled backwards.

“Stay away,” Tommy snapped, reaching for his gun. He could hardly think straight after that- whatever that was.

“I don’t want to hurt you,” Techno said. “I just want to talk.”

“Well I don’t want to talk!” Tommy yelled. “Get away! And- and whoever Phil is, make him go away too.”

Techno stilled. “How did you know-”

Tommy shot at the man before turning to run, not even waiting to see if he missed or not. He sent a wild blast of his powers behind him, desperately trying to just make this man forget .

A figure with big black wings swooped down from above. Tommy screamed, shooting at him too. The shot went wide, but the figure squawked, pulling up. 

Tommy shot at a window, diving through the broken glass into a window. It was a bakery- the bakery Tubbo had gone to a few days ago, Tommy noted in the back of his mind, but that really wasn’t important at that moment.

He kicked the back door open, stumbling into an alleyway. He was bleeding and his hoodie was torn from the glass, but no one was following him.

Tommy pulled off his hoodie and mask, dumping them in a nearby dumpster. It wouldn’t be hard to get new ones, and he did not want to head home with those maniacs potentially on his tail.

What had been going on inside Techno’s mind? Why were there dozens of voices, overlapping and conflicting and confusing all inside one dude’s mind?

Tommy stepped out to the sidewalk, taking a few deep breaths. It was fine. He was away from whoever it was, and would hopefully never have to face them again. Even if he did, he’d be prepared, next time. He wouldn’t be caught off guard and he wouldn’t freak out and panic.

He was never panicking in the first place! He was too cool and poggers and awesome for that and he would never panic about anything ever and if someone said he was then they were a liar.

Tommy walked home to his empty, dingy apartment alone in the dark, the events of the night swirling around his head.

What were those voices?

***

“What was that, mate?” Phil asked, landing next to Techno. “We were supposed to talk to him, not scare him.”

“I didn’t scare him,” Techno said. “He just freaked out and ran away.”

“That’s why I should’ve been the one to speak with him,” Phil said.

“Picking him up and flying him to a tall building wouldn’t have helped anything, Corvus,” Techno said, rolling his eyes.

“At least he couldn’t have run away,” Phil said. “Unless he had powers. Did you see him use any powers?”

“No-”

[child has powers!]

[he could hear us!]

[And we could hear him]

[Guys shut up they gotta figure it out on their own]

[you shut up we want the story to go faster]

[shush don’t break the illusion]

“Chat says he could hear them,” Techno said thoughtfully. How could he hear Chat? Maybe he also had voices, or some kind of mind reading power. That would make sense.

“Some kind of mind power, then,” Phil confirmed. “What else do you remember?”

“Uh…” Techno narrowed his eyes. The entire interaction was a little hazy, as though it had happened weeks ago, not minutes.

“Nothing of note,” Techno said. “He didn’t know who I was.”

“He didn’t?” Phil asked. “That’s rare. Why would he be scared, then?”

“Chat might’ve scared him off,” Techno said.

[We did no such thing]

[we’re the nicest ever we would never scare a child]

[child was scared of us L]

[imagine being scared of us]

[E]

[we’re so scary of course the child is afraid]

Techno cleared his throat. Chat quieted a little, but they were still loud in his ears.

“I see,” Phil said. “I’ll look more into his past. See if I can find any hints to his identity.”

“If Mischief couldn’t find anything, I don’t know if there is anything to find,” Techno said. “He said there was almost nothing, not even in the hero database.”

“Almost nothing,” Phil said. “That’s not nothing.”

“If you think you can find anything else, go for it,” Techno said. “I still think we’re wasting our time. He’s just a kid.”

“He doesn’t have many records for a reason,” Phil said. “Maybe he can help us.”

Techno sighed. “We don’t need him.”

“He’s not going to hurt us,” Phil said. 

Techno glanced away. “You don’t know that.”

“No,” Phil said. “But like you said, he’s just a kid. If he’s really a danger to us, we can just get rid of him.”

Techno sighed. “I can’t stop you, Phil.”

Phil smiled under his crow mask, patting Techno’s shoulder. “Thanks, mate. You finish patrol. I’m going to get started.”

“Good luck,” Techno said. Phil was going to need it.

***

“Did you hear about what that hero did last night?” Tommy asked, grabbing Tubbo’s arm.

“There’s a lot of heroes,” Tubbo said. “Which one?”

“Look,” Tommy said, handing his phone to Tubbo. Tubbo looked down, finding a video of Grian swinging from a grappling hook. He went to aim his next shot, but he fumbled the hook, dropping it. He hit the ground a moment later, making Tubbo wince.

“How does he even do that?” Tommy asked, shaking his head. “Aren’t heroes supposed to be super trained?”

“They’ve got off days sometimes,” Tubbo reasoned, handing the phone back.

“I’d be surprised if he’s even alive,” Tommy said, shoving his phone back in his pocket.

“He is,” Tubbo reassured.

“What?” Tommy asked. Tubbo froze.

“Come on,” he groaned. “I was doing so good!” Tubbo was such an idiot. He just wanted to make sure his friend wasn’t worrying for no reason, and now his identity was compromised. He hadn’t ever leaked it to a civilian before.

“Good at what?” Tommy asked.

“It’s… a long story,” Tubbo said, glancing away. He hoped that was enough for Tommy to drop it.

“I’ve got time.” It wasn’t.

“I’m not really supposed to tell people,” Tubbo said, shifting his weight uncomfortably.

“Have I ever told one of your secrets, Tubso?” Tommy asked. Tubbo thought back to elementary school. Admittedly, he couldn’t remember a time where Tommy had betrayed his trust.

“You can’t tell anyone,” Tubbo said. “Not your brother, not your dad, no one.”

“My lips are sealed,” Tommy said.

Tubbo sighed. “When I told you I worked at that tech firm… I lied.”

“Where do you work?” Tommy asked.

“The Hero Tower,” Tubbo muttered.

“What?” Tommy asked, eyes blown wide. “Are you a hero, Tubso!?”

“Shush!” Tubbo said. “It’s supposed to be a secret!”

“Don’t worry,” Tommy said. “I’ll keep your secret. I’m the best at keeping secrets.”

Tubbo raised an eyebrow. “The way I remember things-”

“The best!” Tommy yelled over him.

“Fine, fine, whatever you say,” Tubbo said. “It’s not like I can make you forget.”

“Nope,” Tommy said, grinning at the irony. If only he could forget things. If only he could forget everything.

“I guess you can meet Purpled now, at least,” Tubbo said. “I think you’d be good friends.”

“Who’s Purpled?” Tommy asked.

“He’s the hero who works with me,” Tubbo said. “We went through training together. He’s pretty cool, once you get to know him. He might threaten to stab you, though.”

“I’ll just stab him back,” Tommy said. “I’m not afraid of someone whose name is a color.”

Tubbo laughed. “Whatever you say, big man.”

***

Purpled was sitting at the computer, typing up a report of some boring fight he’d had the night before when Tubbo barged in. The villain had barely even been a contest, so Purpled was rushing through the report.

There were two sets of footsteps. Tubbo was speaking to someone. Purpled groaned inwardly. He was going to have to be social now with one of Tubbo’s friends.

“Purpled, this is Tommy!” Tubbo introduced. “He already knows my identity, so there’s no need to hide about that.”

Purpled sighed, rubbing his face. A civilian. Even better. “You’ve really got to start being more careful.”

“It’s fine, I’ve known Tommy for forever,” Tubbo said dismissively. Purpled spun his chair around, freezing as his eyes landed on Tubbo’s friend.

“You,” Purpled hissed, reaching for the knife strapped to his leg.

“Hi,” Tommy said, waving. “I… don’t think we’ve met before?”

“You weren’t wearing a mask,” Purpled said, standing up. Tommy’s brow furrowed.

“I don’t know what you mean,” Tommy said.

“Chill out, Purpled, he’s a civilian,” Tubbo said, stepping in between the two of them.

“No, he is not,” Purpled snapped. “He's Resurge.”

Tubbo looked at Tommy. “He doesn’t even have powers, Purpled. Chill.”

“He’s messing with your mind,” Purpled said. “That’s why we don’t have any information about him. He makes everyone forget what he looks like or what he did.”

“Purpled, I’ve known Tommy since elementary school,” Tubbo said. “When was the last time you slept?”

“I’m not being paranoid,” Purpled snapped.

“Yes, you are,” Tubbo said. “Relax. He’s not going to do anything.”

Purpled looked between Tubbo and Tommy. There was a villain in his home and he couldn’t do anything about it. He couldn’t just attack a civilian with no reason. There was no proof of Resurge’s identity. Especially since Purpled didn’t know how much he could alter people’s minds. He knew that he could wipe memories. Purpled could get in a lot of trouble if Tommy messed with things enough to make it go his way.

“At least put away everything that’s confidential,” Purpled said, turning away. “Whether he’s a villain or civilian, he shouldn’t be seeing that.

“I- yeah, I’ll do that,” Tubbo said, heading over towards the table. Purpled walked into his room, shutting the door behind himself.

Resurge hadn’t been a problem before. Purpled didn’t care.

He was a problem now.

***

Purpled slammed his door behind himself. Tommy just glanced at Tubbo, who was quickly shoving stuff into a box. It looked like a bunch of papers and some sort of device.

‘The prototype,’ Tubbo's mind was muttering. Well, now Tommy was curious. He shifted through Tubbo's memories, which was easy, since most of Tubbo's thoughts were about it, as well as wondering what got Purpled so on edge.

Tommy's blood ran cold as he found the information. The device was a prototype to copy Purpled's power. Tubbo was being forced to build it by the Tower, but they had no idea how close Tubbo was to actually finishing it.

“You okay, Tommy?” Tubbo asked. Tommy nodded stiffly.

Purpled knowing who he was was one thing. That could be written off as Purpled being paranoid, as him being crazy. Tubbo had already done that. But if Tubbo or the entire Tower got their hands on information like this, Tommy was doomed.

He was tempted to wipe Tubbo's memory of it completely. He could never finish it if he didn't know what it was. But there was that whole box of information that would be so much more difficult to get rid of, and if Tubbo ever saw it again, he could figure out that Purpled wasn’t being as paranoid as he thought.

“So,” Tommy said. “Purpled’s interesting.”

“Sorry about him,” Tubbo said, wincing. “He’s met a civilian friend of mine once before and didn’t act like that.”

“You have more friends than me?” Tommy asked, raising an eyebrow. It was mostly a joke, but Tommy hadn’t seen recent memories of another friend recently.

“It was a while ago,” Tubbo said, shaking his head. “Right when Purpled and I got promoted to real heroes. I lost contact with him a little bit after.”

“Oh,” Tommy said. “That’s too bad.” He didn’t bother going through Tubbo’s memories for that.

Tubbo shrugged. “It’s life.”

“Does Purpled have any civilian friends?” Tommy asked.

“No,” Tubbo said. “He doesn’t even talk to other heroes that much. He prefers to keep to himself. I’m the only one he regularly speaks to.”

“Maybe he’s just jealous because I’m so cool and poggers,” Tommy said.

“He doesn’t really get jealous,” Tubbo said. “He kind of just… doesn’t care.”

“He seemed to care a lot a minute ago,” Tommy said, glancing at the shut door. “Calling someone a villain doesn’t exactly scream ‘not caring’.”

“I don’t know why he did that,” Tubbo said. “He can be pretty paranoid though, so it might just be that.”

“Maybe,” Tommy said. He glanced around the room. “You have a nice place.”

“Yeah, they keep us pretty comfortable,” Tubbo said. “Can’t go out and fight villains if we’ve got a bad place to stay, you know.”

“Do heroes have to live in the Hero Tower?” Tommy asked.

“Yeah,” Tubbo said. “Something about our identities.”

“That doesn’t seem very fair,” Tommy said.

“Eh,” Tubbo said. “We don’t have to worry about keeping our identities a secret from our neighbors this way. It’s easier for everyone this way.”

“If you say so,” Tommy said, making his tone clear that he didn’t quite agree. Tubbo didn’t seem to be entirely happy with the arrangement either, which was interesting.

Being a hero didn’t seem as fun as civilians liked to make it out to be.

***

Purpled could hear Tommy and Tubbo the entire time they were there.  He didn’t leave his room, but he listened carefully. If Tubbo needed help, Purpled was ready to jump in.

Eventually, when it was getting dark, Tommy was about to leave. Purpled opened his door. Tommy and Tubbo both stopped talking, looking up at him.

“Can I speak to you, Tommy?” Purpled asked. He glanced at Tubbo. “Privately.”

“I mean, as long as you’re not going to attack me because I’m a villain or anything,” Tommy said. There was a grin on his face, as though it was a joke.

“No,” Purpled said honestly. He couldn’t get away with that.

“I’ve got to get ready for patrol anyways,” Tubbo said, inching towards the front door. He shot Purpled a look. Purpled just rolled his eyes.

“I’m not going to do anything,” Purpled said. Not unless Tommy started something.

“Great,” Tubbo said. “You can let yourself out, Tommy?”

“Yep,” Tommy said. “Go put on your clown costume or whatever.”

“It’s a hero outfit!” Tubbo squawked in offense, but didn’t wait for Tommy to respond before leaving the apartment. Their hero outfits were kept on another floor, in case they needed cleaning or repairs while they were off shift.

“What’s up, big man?” Tommy asked, looking at Purpled.

“You listen to me,” Purpled hissed, marching over to him. “I hadn’t turned you in because you weren’t a problem for me.”

“Thanks?” Tommy said.

“You just became a problem,” Purpled said.

“I’m not doing anything,” Tommy said, his grin turning from amused to confused. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“If they find out what your powers really are, they’re never going to stop until you’re captured,” Purpled said. “You might be able to wipe their memories, but you can’t do anything about the information they store. They’ll know what you did and who you are.”

Tommy’s confused grin had grown strained.

“How, exactly, have I become a problem for you?” Tommy asked. “If I were Resurge.”

“You’re hurting Tubbo,” Purpled said.

“I would never hurt Tubbo,” Tommy said, face falling to a frown. He seemed genuinely upset, but Purpled didn’t trust that. He had to be a good actor to sell whatever he did with people’s heads.

“You’re using him,” Purpled said. “You’re getting involved with the heroes for a reason.”

“I didn’t even know he was a hero a few days ago,” Tommy said. “We’ve been friends for years.”

“Tubbo never mentioned you,” Purpled said.

“Do you tell Tubbo about your friends from elementary school?” Tommy challenged. 

Purpled narrowed his eyes, ignoring the question. “I don’t know what you’re planning on doing, but you better quit while you’re ahead.”

“I don’t know what you’re planning on doing,” Tommy said. “No one’s going to go after a civilian just because you say so.”

“You underestimate what I can do,” Purpled said.

Tommy raised his eyebrows. “Do I?”

“It’s a mistake to underestimate me,” Purpled said, scowling.

“And it’s a mistake to threaten me,” Tommy said, grinning. “A hero shouldn’t treat a civilian like that, right?”

“You’re not a civilian,” Purpled said. “We both know it. You can drop the act.”

“Even if I wasn’t,” Tommy said. “Who would listen to you? Who would even remember if you ever brought it up?”

Purpled’s scowl deepened.

“Does anyone even listen to you in this place?” Tommy asked. “You’re not just seen as some annoying kid?”

“Shut up,” Purpled snapped. “You don’t know anything about me.”

“Maybe I don’t,” Tommy said. “But Tubbo does. And Tubbo talks.”

“Tubbo doesn’t talk about me,” Purpled said. “You were messing with his head.”

“See, that would mean I have powers,” Tommy said. “But I don’t. Because I’m not whoever you think I am.”

“I saw you,” Purpled said. “You can’t make me forget.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Tommy said. “How could I make you forget anything?”

“Gaslighting won’t work either,” Purpled said. “You can’t trick me.”

“I don’t have anything I need to trick you about,” Tommy said.

“I can’t do anything right now,” Purpled said. “But trust me, if I find out that you’re hurting Tubbo in some way, I don’t care what happens to me. You’re done for.”

“I’m not doing anything to Tubbo,” Tommy said. “You don’t have to worry about me.”

“You can leave now,” Purpled said.

“So you just wanted to threaten me without Tubbo telling you to stop,” Tommy said.

“More or less,” Purpled said.

“At least you’re honest,” Tommy muttered, turning away. Purpled watched him walk to the door with narrowed eyes.

He wasn’t fooled for a second. He had seen Resurge’s face.

Purpled was going to keep a careful eye on this villain.

***

Tubbo had apologized for Purpled again the next time they met up. Tommy didn’t mention the threatening Purpled had done when Tubbo wasn’t in the room. There was no point to bring it up, not when Tubbo knew that Tommy could never be a villain.

Tommy was a little concerned about the things Purpled had said, but Tommy  meant it when he said he wasn’t hurting Tubbo. Honestly, he was probably making Tubbo’s life better. He was such an amazing friend that everyone’s life was improved simply because Tommy was there.

“-and I don’t even know what he was expecting me to do-” Tubbo was animatedly telling a story, waving his hands around. Tommy was doing his best to focus on his words while his mind was plagued by the crowds’ thoughts.

Tommy’s head snapped to the side as a set of thoughts he recognized floated over.

[sun-no-blade]

[we’re gonna get a sunburn]

[hurry up phil’s gonna get cranky if he doesn’t get his tea soon]

[E]

[child]

[child]

[child is here]

“You okay?” Tubbo asked.

“I’m listening,” Tommy said, looking back. “Sorry, thought I saw someone I knew.”

“You’re fine,” Tubbo said. “Anyways, like I was saying-” Tubbo continued rambling on. Tommy reached out carefully, trying to see how far away Techno was. When he had pinpointed the rough direction of the voices, he turned his head again, staring straight at a tall man with pale pink hair.

He was wearing a hoodie and glasses, which made him look a lot less imposing than he had a few nights before.

And he was looking right at Tommy.

Tommy quickly looked back at Tubbo, who hadn’t noticed the exchange. He finished the story with a laugh and Tommy forced a chuckle, making a comment about the parts that he’d managed to hear.

“Sorry, Tubso, but I’ve got to run,” Tommy said. “I have an appointment that I can’t miss.”

“No worries,” Tubbo said. “I’ve got to get back anyways. I have a shift at four.”

“Good luck,” Tommy said, sending a short wave behind himself before disappearing into the crowd. He was heading straight for Techno, which probably wasn’t safe, but Tommy was curious. Sue him.

“Techno!” Tommy said, grinning as he walked up to the man.

“Do I know you?” Techno asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Of course you do,” Tommy said. He looked through Techno’s memories, picking one that made sense and putting himself into it. “Your fencing class last year? I was your best student. I can’t believe you don’t remember me.”

“Oh, Tommy,” Techno said, his expression shifting from confusion to vague recognition. “It’s been a while. How have you been?”

“Great, big man,” Tommy said. “You?”

“Good,” Techno said, shrugging.

“How’s Phil?” Tommy asked. “Still old as ever?”

“He’s not getting any younger,” Techno said. Tommy grinned. 

[WAIT WHO IS THE CHILD]

[I DON’T REMEMBER THE CHILD]

[he was in the fencing class guys don’t you remember]

[yeah he was the favorite because child]

[CHILD]

[E]

[DADZA IS SO OLD CHILD IS RIGHT]

Tommy’s eye twitched. He wanted to yell at whatever those- voices, memories, whatever- were that he wasn’t a child, but he couldn’t say a thing without giving away his identity.

“It’s good seeing you,” Tommy said. “Your teaching helped me win a tournament just a couple weeks ago.”

“You’re still doing fencing?” Techno asked.

“On and off,” Tommy said, shrugging. “I’m not taking lessons anymore, but I do competitions sometimes.”

“That’s good,” Techno said, nodding. “You were a good student.”

“Thanks,” Tommy said, smiling. “I’ve got to go, but it was nice seeing you.”

“You too,” Techno said. Tommy walked off, leaving a vaguely confused Techno behind him.

Had it been stupid? Maybe. But it gave Tommy a chance to look through the villain’s memories without being jumpscared by whatever those voices were.

Techno was a villain named Anarchy, who was apparently some big deal in the city, along with villain Corvus, also known as Phil. Phil was very interested by Tommy. Techno thought that it was mostly because Tommy seemed young.

Later that night, Techno was proved correct.

***

Phil tucked his wings in as he landed next to the kid, not wanting to scare him too much. Resurge looked at his side, looking completely calm that one of the most dangerous villains in the city had just appeared next to him.

Resurge wasn’t wearing a mask. How curious. He couldn’t have been older than fifteen or sixteen.

“Hello,” Phil said. “I’m Corvus.”

“I know,” Resurge said. “You tried grabbing me last week.”

Phil chuckled awkwardly. “Sorry about that. I didn’t mean to scare you. I just wanted to talk.”

“You could’ve said that,” Resurge said, crossing his arms. “You didn’t need to send Mr. Dramatic stupid king costume in to talk for you.”

“I thought I’d scare you more than he would,” Phil said. “I was wrong, obviously.”

“You were,” Resurge said. “What did you want to talk about?”

“You’re a strong villain,” Phil said. “But you’re young. If you keep working on your own, you’re going to get yourself into trouble. You don’t even wear a mask.”

Resurge grinned sharply. “Do you think I need a mask?”

“You do whatever you want,” Phil said. “I’m just offering to help.”

“I don’t need help,” Resurge said. “I could be the most powerful villain in the city if I wanted.”

Phil tilted his head. “But you don’t want to?”

“I’m just having fun for now,” Resurge said. “I do what I want, when I want. Being the most powerful villain in the city would be too much work.”

“If you say so,” Phil said. “I’m not saying you have to work with us, or that you have to be more notable or stronger if you don’t want to. I’m just saying that we can show you the ropes.”

“Is being a villain really that hard?” Resurge asked. “You steal stuff, you cause heroes problems, you don’t get caught.”

“No offense, but you’re not doing so great in that last part,” Phil said.

“That’s what you think,” Resurge said. “You don’t know what my powers are.”

“I don’t,” Phil said. “And I’m not going to try to find out.”

“You couldn’t if you tried,” Resurge said. Phil’s patience was growing thin. Couldn’t this kid just see that he was trying to help?

“Anarchy and I will help you if you need,” Phil said. “If not, then don’t get arrested.”

“Thanks for the advice,” Resurge said sarcastically. “Why didn’t I think of that?” 

“You’ve got the right attitude, at least,” Phil said. “Good luck.” He flapped his wings, shooting into the sky. Resurge stayed there for a minute, but eventually walked away.

Phil flew home, mind swirling. The kid was reckless and stupid, but Phil almost admired it.

By the time he landed, he didn’t remember what Resurge’s face looked like.

***

Tubbo rubbed his eyes as he stepped out of his room. It was nearly 2pm, and Tubbo had only gotten five hours of sleep. Better than his usual, honestly.

“Look at this!” Purpled said, pushing a paper at Tubbo.

“What?” Tubbo asked blearily, looking at the paper. It was a grainy photo of Resurge standing with Corvus, seemingly speaking to him. Resurge was turned away from the camera, but Tubbo recognized the rest of his outfit.

“He’s conspiring with the most dangerous villain in the city,” Purpled said. “Do you think they talk to just anyone?”

“They’re villains,” Tubbo said, setting the paper down. “I don’t think it means as much as you want it to.”

“Why don’t you see this as a problem?” Purpled asked.

“Resurge is a new villain,” Tubbo said. “They’re probably just trying to recruit him.

“And if they do recruit him?” Purpled asked.

“Then we’ll deal with it,” Tubbo said. “He’s not that dangerous of a villain.”

“If Corvus is trying to recruit him, he has to be powerful,” Purpled said. “He wouldn’t try to recruit just anyone.”

“Like I said, we’ll deal with it later,” Tubbo said. “It’s not a problem right now. And if he does become a powerful villain, he’s not going to be our responsibility. They’ll make the stronger heroes do it.”

“Resurge has memory powers,” Purpled said. “I'm the only one that won't affect.”

Tubbo frowned. “Are you sure? He didn't have any recorded powers when I looked.”

“How could you be able to tell that a villain has memory powers?” Purpled asked. “He could erase any memory of it before you could do anything.”

Tubbo was silent for a minute. “That doesn’t mean Resurge is Tommy.”

“That’s not my point right now,” Purpled said. “My point is that he’s dangerous.”

“What are you going to do about it?” Tubbo asked.

Purpled looked down at the paper. “I don’t know.”

“If you hate him so much, just report what his powers are,” Tubbo said. “You’ll get put on the case and you can go arrest him.”

“You don’t even believe me about his powers,” Purpled said. “Is anyone else?”

“I never said I didn’t believe you,” Tubbo said. “But you didn’t care this much about him a couple weeks ago. You were looking into him, sure, but you didn’t care. You never care about villains like this.”

“Isn’t that proof that I have a point?” Purpled asked.

“I think it’s proof that you’re paranoid,” Tubbo said.

Purpled rolled his eyes. “I think you’re blind and being manipulated.”

“Agree to disagree,” Tubbo said. It was rare that Purpled got like this, but he’d done it before. Sometimes he just got fixated on villains and wanted them dealt with.

And generally preferred to not do the dealing with. Like now.

“I’m going to eat something,” Tubbo said. “Are you going to be normal or are you going to keep being weird?”

“I’m just trying to help you,” Purpled said.

“I get that,” Tubbo said, and he did. He got that Purpled thought he was doing what was best for Tubbo. He was just wrong.

Purpled sighed. “When you realize I’m right, I’m going to rub it in your face.”

“You do that,” Tubbo said, walking over to the kitchen.

***

“Are you sure this is the right place?” Tommy asked, squinting at the building. It was some cutesy little cafe, a style that did not fit the name ‘Revolutionary Sweets’.

“It looks a little deceiving,” Tubbo said. “But trust me this is the best bakery in all of L’manburg.”

“If you say so,” Tommy said, trailing after Tommy as he pushed the door open. A woman with pink hair stood behind the counter, looking up with a smile as the boys walked in.

“Hello, how may I- Oh, Tubbo!” the woman’s customer service smile turned genuine as she recognized Tubbo.

“Hey Niki,” Tubbo said.

“It’s been so long,” Niki said. “How have you been?”

“Pretty good,” Tubbo said. “This is my friend, Tommy. I’ve known him since elementary school.”

“Hey,” Tommy said, grinning awkwardly. He rarely ever actually had to introduce himself. Usually, he’d just put a memory of a past meeting in people’s heads and they would never know the difference. He couldn’t do that now easily, so he could brave the awkwardness for a few minutes.

“It’s nice to meet you,” Niki said.

“Nice to meet you too,” Tommy said. He glanced around. “You’ve got a nice bakery.”

“Thanks,” Niki said. “I’ve been working on it for years.”

“It’s cool,” Tommy said. “Why call it Revolutionary Sweets, though?”

“Inside joke,” Niki said, waving a hand. “Something in my past.” Now that made Tommy interested. He looked through Niki’s memories, surprised to find that she used to be a vigilante. Apparently she wasn’t thrilled with the Hero system in the city. Tommy had heard of her vigilante name before, but never interacted with her before.

“Cool,” Tommy said again. He glanced at Tubbo. “You’re the regular. What’s good here?”

“Everything, basically,” Tubbo said. “I think you’d like the chocolate donuts, though.”

“I’ll have one of those, then,” Tommy said. Tubbo ordered his own dessert. The boys paid, then went to sit down. The cafe had been mostly empty when the boys entered, but it was filling up now. Tubbo had mentioned something about it being very popular, Tommy remembered. That was why they had gotten there so early.

Tubbo was in the middle of saying something when Tommy recognized a train of thought nearby.

No. That was impossible. It couldn’t be.

Tommy cut off his powers, reeling them in as much as possible. He focused entirely on Tubbo, going into the deepest memories he could find. It was nothing of note, really. Birthday parties and vacations that Tommy didn’t care about but he made himself care because he couldn’t handle the truth that was behind him.

“Tommy?” Tubbo asked. “You okay?”

“Yeah,” Tommy said automatically. “Yeah, I just… thought I saw someone I recognized.”

“Oh, I saw someone I knew a couple minutes ago,” Tubbo said. He glanced around the room, discreetly pointing in a direction Tommy didn’t allow himself to look in. “Over there. He’s that civilian friend I mentioned a couple weeks ago. He’s actually the one who introduced me to this place.”

“How fun,” Tommy said, trying to keep his tone light.

“I don’t think he remembers me anymore,” Tubbo said. “He has some memory problems. Part of the reason we lost contact. By the time I found him again, I figured he was better off if he didn’t know me.”

“Why?” Tommy asked for some reason.

“It’s dangerous to know a hero’s identity,” Tubbo said, shrugging. “I was stupid when I became friends with him, and I was stupid when I told you. If he already forgot, then it’s really for his own good.”

“Right,” Tommy said. He couldn’t keep his emotions from his tone anymore.

“Are- are you sure you’re okay?” Tubbo asked. “If you’re worried-”

“It’s not that,” Tommy said. He stood up suddenly. “I have to go to the bathroom.”

“Oh, oka-”

Tommy was already walking away, pushing his way through the crowd that had seemingly formed only to get in his way.

He locked himself in a stall, trying to stop his powers from straying away.

Tommy’s powers had never worked the way he wanted them to, not when he wanted them to stop .

He could hear the thoughts through the walls. They only got clearer the more Tommy tried to ignore them.

They were broken and distracted, and that only made it hurt worse. Tommy wanted to throw up. This was his fault. This was his fault and he had the audacity to stay in the same city. He should’ve run. He should’ve run and never stopped until he got far enough that he couldn’t hurt anyone else ever again.

His brother’s thoughts were loud in Tommy’s head. They had always been so loud.

So loud, except for when Tommy had broken them.

Tommy hadn’t known how to use his powers when he was young. No one understood them, not even himself. He couldn’t explain them. He couldn’t figure out how to use them. All he knew was that he could hear everyone’s thoughts and they were so loud .

He hadn’t meant to hurt anyone. It was just so loud and he wanted it to stop.

And then they stopped and it was so much worse.

Tommy had broken his brother and didn’t know how to fix it.

So, like a coward, he ran.

He ran. He gave everyone memories of his death, of his funeral, and he ran. No one remembered what his powers had been. No one remembered he was alive.

Ranboo barely remembered him at all.

He was better off that way.

Everyone was better off forgetting Tommy. 

Tommy sent a text to Tubbo that he was sick and had to leave. He didn’t respond to any of Tubbo’s concerned messages afterwards.

***

Tubbo was surprised to find Purpled at home when he walked inside. He was still distracted by what had happened with Tommy. He had left so suddenly. Did Tubbo freak him out by telling him about Ranboo? Had he changed his mind about being friends? Tubbo couldn’t blame him, but he just wanted to know the reason.

“Blowing off patrol?” Tubbo asked, raising an eyebrow as he kicked off his shoes. “Careful, you’re going to get fired.”

“They can’t fire me,” Purpled said, waving a hand. “I’m too valuable to them. Who will they throw in life threatening situations if they get rid of me?”

“Me,” Tubbo said bluntly.

“What, you got the prototype working?” Purpled asked, half sitting up.

“No, but they’re going to expect results at some point,” Tubbo said.

“Tell them it’s impossible,” Purpled said. “You can’t replicate my powers with someone else using their powers to build something.”

“I could try that, but what if they just pass the project off to someone else and they put it together?” Tubbo asked. “I’d have to hand over my research and if they found out I was holding back any of it, I’d get in so much trouble.”

Purpled sighed. “It’s not going to be a regular thing. I just have to finish this.”

“What are you doing?” Tubbo asked, swinging around the corner to look at the screen. “You’ve been on the computer for hours.”

“Just looking into a villain,” Purpled said.

“Which one?” Tubbo asked.

“You’re not going to like the answer.”

“Is it Resurge?” Tubbo asked, annoyance in his tone.

“He’s dangerous, Tubbo,” Purpled said.

“And he isn’t Tommy,” Tubbo said. “Do you really think I could get tricked like that? I’m not that stupid.”

“I never said you were,” Purpled said. “He can mess with your memories. You’d never even know!”

“I think I could tell if my memories were screwed with,” Tubbo said.

“How do you know?” Purpled asked.

“They’re my memories,” Tubbo said. “It’s my mind. How do you even know Resurge has memory powers? Just because you’re the only one who’s written a report on him? What if everyone else just doesn’t care enough?”

“You’re just defending him because I say he’s Tommy,” Purpled said.

***

Techno tilted his head. Was that the kid Phil was so concerned about? Resurge? The one the voices claimed could hear them?

The kid was sitting on a rooftop, hunched in on himself. His shoulders were shaking as if he was crying.

Techno hesitated. He didn’t know how to comfort anyone while they were crying, much less a villain kid who had run in terror the last time Techno tried interacting with him.

Still, there wasn’t anyone else there. Phil would get too concerned that a child was crying and get all birdbrained. The kid was in his villain costume for a reason. If he had anyone to go to as a civilian, he’d be there.

“Hey,” Techno said. The kid froze, obviously wiping his eyes before glancing back.

“What?” Resurge asked.

“Are you okay?” Techno asked. Resurge blinked. He looked like a teenager.

“Why do you care?” Resurge asked. “Because your bird friend wants to get me to join you?”

“Honestly, kid, I could not care less if you join us,” Techno said. He would prefer if Resurge didn’t join them, actually.

“Then what?” Resurge asked. “You’re a villain. You don’t care about people.”

“Just because I’m a villain doesn’t mean I don’t care about anyone,” Techno said. “You need someone to talk to.”

“I have people to talk to,” Resurge said. “People who aren’t a villain.”

[THE CHILD IS SCARED]

[Awww sad boi]

[E]

[Techno HLEP him

[how does one comfort a child]

[SOMEONE GET DADZA]

[BIRD DAD CAN FIX THINGS]

[no dadza will make things worse]

[You’ve got this, Techno!]

[Comfortno]

[Brotherno]

[Helpno]

As always, chat was of absolute zero help.

“You don’t have ot talk to me,” Techno said. “But if you need to, I’m good at keeping secrets.”

The kid stared at Techno for a long minute.

“I hurt someone,” he finally muttered.

“You’re a villain,” Techno said. “Don’t you do that a lot?”

“I hurt someone I care about,” Resurge snapped. “How would you like it if you hurt your bird friend?”

“Was it an accident?” Techno asked. The kid faltered.

“Well, yeah, but-”

“Then it’s fine,” Techno said.

“No it’s not,” Resurge said. “I ruined it all. I ruined him .”

“It was an accident,” Techno said. “You can still fix things. You didn’t mean to hurt him. There’s a big difference between accidents and doing things on purpose.”

Techno had hurt someone on purpose. Techno had hurt his brother on purpose. Techno had killed his brother because his brother was out of control and wouldn’t stop. Techno had ruined things. But maybe this kid could fix his own things.

Resurge laughed. “He’s better off if I never speak to him again.”

“I’m sure he doesn’t think that,” Techno said. “If you care about him, then he probably cares about you. It might hurt him worse to stay away.”

“Don’t talk like you know what I’m going through,” Resurge snapped. “Just because you wish you could fix your brother doesn’t mean I can fix mine.”

Techno’s blood ran cold. His thoughts hit a wall. There was no way this kid could know. No one knew. It was some sort of stupid lucky guess. It had to be.

“Secrets are hard to keep when someone can see into your mind,” Resurge said.

“You what?” Techno asked. He must’ve heard the kid wrong.

“It doesn’t matter,” Resurge said. “It never matters.” He looked up at the sky, the sparse stars reflecting in his blue eyes.

Techno didn’t know what to say to that. He didn’t know how to respond to this kid who could apparently read his thoughts. Maybe chat’s claim that he could hear them wasn’t completely unfounded.

“Thanks, Tech,” Resurge said. “I don’t know why that helped. Maybe I just needed to talk about it.”

“You’re welcome?” Techno said. He wasn’t entirely surprised by the name drop. Resurge had known about Wilbur. Of course he knew Techno’s name.

“I’ll see you around, I guess,” Resurge said, standing up.

“Wait-” Techno said, but Resurge was already gone.

Techno barely remembered the conversation even took place.

***

Tubbo opened the door with a wide grin on his face.

“Tommy!” he exclaimed. “I was so worried. I’m glad you’re feeling better.”

Tubbo’s thoughts told Tommy that he hadn’t believed Tommy was sick for a second. Tommy could replace thoughts thoughts if he wanted. He could make it so that Tubbo remembered that Tommy had been sick. Tubbo had even brought him soup!

Tommy didn’t touch Tubbo’s thoughts.

“Yeah,” Tommy said. “Sorry about that. Must’ve eaten something I was allergic to or something.”

“Or something,” Tubbo agreed. He stepped aside to let Tommy in. Purpled was in the living room, already staring at the door.

“Hey,” Tommy said, throwing a wave his way.

“Hey,” Purpled said. He glanced at Tubbo. “Can I talk to Tommy alone?”

“I’m not going to let you accuse him of being a villain again,” Tubbo said, sounding exasperated. How much had Purpled insisted on who Tommy was?

“I was going to apologize,” Purpled said, a light tone of offense in his voice.

“Oh,” Tubbo said, glancing between Tommy and Purpled. “Okay then.”

Tubbo stepped out of the door Tommy had just walked through. He knew that the walls in the apartment were paper thin and respected privacy, apparently. 

“You wanted to apologize?” Tommy asked, raising his eyebrows as he stepped further into the room. He couldn’t read Purpled’s mind, but he could tell that was a lie.

“Thomas Beloved, Theo Dangerson, Theseus Krakenson, Kraken Danger, Red Simon, Mellohi Kat, Tommy Innit,” Purpled listed. He looked at Tommy as though he was waiting for some kind of reaction. “Any of those ringing a bell?”

“They’re dead,” Tommy said plainly. Tubbo wasn’t there. He didn’t have to put on an act and he was sick of pretending in front of someone whose thoughts he couldn’t read.

“Oh?” Purpled asked, raising his eyebrows. “Says who?”

“They’re dead,” Tommy said. “I went to the funerals.”

That seemed to throw Purpled off.

“You- what?”

“I’ve gone to the funerals,” Tommy said. “Those names you read off. They’re all dead.”

“How did they die?” Purpled asked, tilting his head.

“Thomas drowned,” Tommy said. “Theo disappeared in the woods. Theseus fell off a cliff. Kraken got in a car crash. Tim ran away. Red got killed by the heroes. Mellohi burned in a fire. Cardinal never even existed.”

The names swirled around Tommy’s mind each time he went to sleep. He remembered everything. He remembered the fake deaths he assigned them. He remembered the people he left and the people who didn’t remember him anymore.

Purpled was staring at Tommy now, a peculiar look in his eyes.

“You’re Resurge,” Purpled said.

“You’ve always known that,” Tommy said.

“What can your powers do?” Purpled asked. Tommy couldn’t tell if there was fear, concern, or amazement in his voice.

“Anything with your mind,” Tommy said. He didn’t know why he was telling Purpled. It was stupid, really. Purpled could turn him in and Tommy would be hunted down until he was thrown in Pandora’s Vault.

But Purpled had the chance to turn him in already. He could’ve turned him in the first time Tommy walked into his home.

And he hadn’t.

Even if he did get turned in, well… Tommy was tired. He was tired of faking the deaths, he was tired of losing people he loved, he was tired of everyone’s thoughts constantly drowning out his. Maybe in Pandora’s, he could get a break from the constant noise at war in his mind.

“Anything?” Purpled prodded.

“Thoughts, memories, emotions,” Tommy listed. “I can see them. I can mess with them. I can change them.”

“That’s why Tubbo thought he knew you,” Purpled said.

“It was a lie then,” Tommy said. “But whatever happens now, don’t get him involved in it. He didn’t know. It was my fault.”

“I wouldn’t get Tubbo involved in it anyways,” Purpled said, looking away. “He doesn’t deserve that.”

“And neither do you,” Tommy said. Purpled’s head snapped back.

“What?”

“I’ve seen what the Hero Tower does,” Tommy said. “I’ve been a vigilante. I’ve been a villain. I’ve been a civilian. But I’ve never been a hero. Do you know why that is?”

“Because they’d find out your powers,” Purpled said. “They’d lock you up. You couldn’t fake your death again.”

“They would,” Tommy said. “They’d lock me up until I broke, then they’d use me.”

“The heroes would never-”

“If everyone realized what my powers could do, who would be sent after me?” Tommy asked. Purpled didn’t say anything, but Tommy knew he knew the answer. “You’re so willing to do whatever job that’s thrown at you. Why is that?”

“That doesn’t have anything to do with this,” Purpled said.

“Fine,” Tommy said. He could drop it, if Purpled really wanted him to. “I haven’t done anything worthy of Pandora’s Vault. But I'd still get put in there, wouldn’t I? Just because of what my powers could do?”

“You’ve committed a lot of identity fraud,” Purpled muttered half-heartedly.

“Identity fraud doesn't land people in Pandora’s Vault,” Tommy said. “What would they do if you turned them down? If you ran away? They don’t have a way to control you. Powers don’t work on you, so Pandora’s Vault won’t do anything to you. Why are you still here?”

“They have ways of controlling other people,” Purpled said shortly, not meeting Tommy’s eyes.

“Oh,” Tommy said quietly. Purpled had someone; a family member, friend, out there who would pay if Purpled tried to do anything.

“And you think the heroes are in the right?” Tommy asked quietly.

He had not come here intending to change Purpled’s mind about the heroes. He hadn’t come here for a discussion on heroes and villains at all. He came here to say sorry to Tubbo. He had come here to make Tubbo forget that he existed at all.

Everyone was better off with Tommy gone.

“They’re not the ones constantly killing people,” Purpled said.

“But they put people in Pandora’s Vault,” Tommy said.

“People who deserve it,” Purpled said.

“People who they decide deserve it,” Tommy said. “They’re judge, jury, and executioner.”

Purpled didn’t say anything.

“Do you know why I’m a villain, Purpled?” Tommy asked.

“No,” Purpled said. “I don’t think I do.”

“My powers are dangerous,” Tommy said, glancing at the window. He could see the city stretching out for miles. “I know that. I’ve always known that. Since the moment I got them, I’ve been ruining people’s lives. I got sick of it. I hurt someone I cared about. So I faked my death. And it’s… it’s surprisingly addictive, really. Starting over like you never did anything or hurt anyone.”

Purpled’s stoic expression had turned strange again.

“It gets boring, doing the same thing, over and over again,” Tommy continued. “Being a civilian every time. I tried being a vigilante once, but it was so much easier to wipe people’s minds after I saved them. Fundy kept telling me I shouldn’t, kept telling me it was wrong, but I didn’t get it. Wasn’t it better if someone didn’t remember they had been kidnapped? If they didn’t remember they had been stabbed? If they didn’t remember the pain they had to go through?”

“You can’t just forget every hard thing you went through,” Purpled said. “That’s not how the world works.”

“It would be easier,” Tommy said. “I don’t know which one of us was right, but Fundy doesn’t remember he was ever a vigilante and I’m still here.”

Tommy was always still there. Everyone else forgot and moved on and got new lives, new friends, new family, and Tommy was left behind. Tommy was forgotten.

It was better that way.

Tommy was better off forgotten. At least then he couldn’t hurt anyone.

“That doesn’t explain why you’re a villain,” Purpled said. “Villains are the ones who hurt people. I thought you wanted people to forget their hurt.”

“I got bored,” Tommy said. “I thought I deserved a bit of a break.”

“You’re- you did all this because you wanted a break?” Purpled asked. “Hurting people is a break?”

“It’s easier to be the bad guy,” Tommy said. “No one expects anything from you but a good show. No one expects you to pick up the pieces other people tore apart. No, you’re the one who gets to tear everything apart.”

Tommy met Purpled’s eyes.

“It’s freeing. Much more free than you will ever be.”

“At least I help people,” Purpled said.

“Not because you want to,” Tommy said. “It’s because you can’t quit. Because they won’t let you. Maybe you wanted to help people once, but you’re done.”

Purpled frowned.

“But no one will let you be done,” Tommy said. He tilted his head. “I could help you.”

“With what?” Purpled asked. “You can’t make me forget anything.”

“You wouldn’t see that as help anyways,” Tommy said. “No, I can’t make you forget anything or change your memories. But I could make everyone else forget you ever existed. You could be free.”

Tommy couldn’t read Purpled’s memories. He couldn’t read Purpled’s thoughts. He had never been able to and probably never would.

But still, in that moment, Tommy could tell that Purpled was conflicted. He was tempted. And how Tommy wanted him to say yes. To have someone with him in all this, someone who remembered everything, someone whose mind wouldn’t keep him up late with their dreams, someone who couldn’t get hurt by Tommy’s powers.

“You’re not free,” Purpled said.

“What?” Tommy asked.

“You’re not free,” Purpled repeated. “You pretend that you’re free and you pretend that you’re alright and you pretend that you’re fine, but you’re lying to everyone and yourself.”

Tommy scoffed. “Why would I be lying to myself?”

“Because you’re scared of the truth,” Purpled said. “Because you’re scared of yourself.”

Tommy narrowed his eyes. “You don’t know anything.”

“You have to mess with people’s minds for them to trust you,” Purpled said. Tommy’s eyes grew wide.

“I don’t-”

“You put fake memories in their head so they care,” Purpled said. “You keep on making connections, despite all the deaths you fake. What’s the point, if you’re so free? Why don’t you just control everything and everyone if you’re so free?”

“It’s- it’s too much work,” Tommy stuttered. “I can’t just-”

“You could,” Purpled said. “You could if you wanted to but you don’t. You don’t because you’re still desperately hoping that people will care about you because of the person you are and not the person you put in their heads.”

“You don’t know that,” Tommy snapped. “You’re not the one who can see thoughts.”

“I don’t need to, not when you wear it on your sleeve,” Purpled said.

“I do not!” Tommy loudly protested.

“Why are you here, Tommy?” Purpled asked. “You’re not here because you’re bored. You’re here because Tubbo cares.”

“I’m here so Tubbo doesn’t have to deal with me anymore,” Tommy said. “Isn’t that great for you? Tubbo will forget I exist and I won’t be a problem for you anymore.”

“That’s it?” Purpled asked. “You’re just leaving again?”

“It’s not like it’s hard for me,” Tommy said. “After all, you’re the only one who will ever remember I exist.”

That hurt to say, but Tommy would never admit it.

It hurt every time that Tommy had to make his friends and his family forget him. It hurt every time that Tommy had to come up with some new name to pretend belonged to him. It hurt every time when he looked at someone and knew that they only cared because Tommy was making them care. Because Tommy was a manipulative monster who no one could love unless he made them.

“I don’t have to be,” Purpled said. “Tubbo cares about you, you know.”

“You’re lying,” Tommy said. “This is all your fault, you know. I only got involved with Tubbo because he was a way to get to you.”

It was mean. It was mean and it had been true and it wasn’t true anymore and Purpled’s expression didn’t change.

“You don’t have to, you know,” Purpled said. “You don’t have to erase it all.”

“What?” Tommy asked. “I thought you hated me.”

“I think you’re a danger to Tubbo,” Purpled said. “That doesn’t mean I think you don’t deserve to be happy. Everyone deserves that.”

“So do you,” Tommy said. “You’re not happy here. We could go, just the three of us. No one would ever come looking, no one that we don’t want.”

“You can’t just run away,” Purpled said. “I can’t just run away. I have a life, people I care about, a job.”

“You only care about Tubbo,” Tommy said. “You hate your job. You hate being a hero. You hate being used in every situation where the heroes don’t have any other solution.”

“Just because you can see Tubbo’s memories of me doesn’t mean you know who I am,” Purpled said.

“Maybe not,” Tommy said. “But I know who Tubbo thinks you are.”

“And?” Purpled asked.

Tommy grinned. “I could take that away.”

Purpled’s mouth dropped open. Finally, his expression had gone from slightly changing to purely shocked.

Was that the only reason Tommy had said it? He didn’t even know.

He’d never go through with it. He could threaten Purpled all he wanted, but he could never subject someone else to the live Tommy was forced to live, long forgotten or thought dead by anyone who ever truly cared.

But it was tempting. It was so tempting to say the words and watch fear cover Purpled’s face. It was so tempting to have someone with him for once, someone who couldn’t forget, someone who was there because of who Tommy was, not because of who Tommy made them think he was.

Purpled wouldn’t be with him because he cared, though. He’d probably kill Tommy if Tommy erased Tubbo’s memories of him. Tommy couldn’t trick Purpled like everyone else. He couldn’t change Purpled like some sick puppet master.

A part of Tommy was grateful for that. He was grateful for the slap of reality, for the proof that Tommy wasn’t in control of everything, for showing Tommy that people could see him without him messing with their minds.

Most of Tommy hated Purpled for that. Because if Purpled didn’t remember, maybe Tommy would’ve stayed around Tubbo a little longer. Maybe he could’ve played the part of a good friend, could’ve pretended that someone cared about him just a little longer.

But could he really blame Purpled for just living? For not being affected by Tommy’s powers and not being another pawn in Tommy’s awful games?

No. No, he couldn’t blame Purpled. He couldn’t blame Purpled because he was a monster and treated lives as though they were playthings, treated minds as though they were clay for him to mold.

“You wouldn’t,” Purpled said. He met Tommy’s eyes, bright magenta meeting a faded, tired blue.

“You don’t know that,” Tommy said. “I’m a villain, right? I’m a bad person. You can’t trust me.”

“I can’t,” Purpled said. “But you’ve said it before. If you were going to hurt Tubbo, you already would’ve done it. Making Tubbo forget me would hurt him more than any fight he could get in.”

Tommy didn’t say anything. He knew Purpled was right.

“Making Tubbo forget you would hurt him too,” Purpled said.

“Yeah,” Tommy said. “It always hurts them. They always cry at the funerals or look confused when there’s someone in family photos that they can’t recognize anymore. But it would hurt them so much more if I stayed.”

“Says who?” Purpled asked. “You’re just lying to yourself again.”

“I know they’re better off without me,” Tommy said. “You think I just leave them forever and never think about them? You think I can forget as easily as they do? You think I don’t walk past their house sometimes, listening to their thoughts, just to make sure they’re okay?”

Tommy was on the verge of tears that he roughly brushed away. He had no business crying here.

“And they always are,” Tommy said. “They’re always just fine without me. They carry on after they’re done mourning or after they come up with some excuse for me to have never existed. Tubbo will be better off once I’m gone. And it’d be better if you didn’t bring me up to him.”

“Tommy, I don’t-”

“He won’t remember,” Tommy said. “It’s not like my powers bury the memories somewhere deep down. No, I take them. I take the memories, I erase them as if they were never there. There’s no putting it back.”

“What if you put it back?” Purpled asked. “Could you fix things?”

“I’d break too much,” Tommy said, shaking his head. “My powers help my memory, but it’s not perfect when it comes to other people’s minds. I won’t remember enough to fix them and it’ll only hurt them worse if I try.”

“How do you know that?” Purpled asked.

“How do you think?” Tommy snapped. He knew it because he learned it the hard way. Because he had second thoughts and wanted to take back what he had done, but he couldn’t . The people whose memories he took were changed when he messed with them and he couldn’t put them back, no matter how much Tommy had tried.

“Then don’t do it,” Purpled said.

“I have to,” Tommy said. “It’ll hurt less than if I just left.”

“If it messes with his head, don’t do it,” Purpled said. “Let Tubbo feel sad that you left. Let him feel hurt. You wanted people to care about you, didn’t you?”

“And you didn’t want Tubbo to get hurt,” Tommy said. “This is the easiest way for everyone.”

“The easiest way isn’t always the best way,” Purpled said. He cringed. “Ew. That sounds like something you tell kids.”

“I’m not a kid,” Tommy said. He hadn’t been a kid since he ruined Ranboo’s mind and faked his death for the first time.

“I never said you were,” Purpled said. “You’re as much of a kid as I am.”

Tommy looked at Purpled. They really were similar, if Tommy thought about it. If people had known what his powers were and the true extent of what he could do, Tommy would’ve been forced to become a hero a long time ago. 

Maybe he’d be in Purpled’s shoes right now, staring at a villain whose memory he couldn’t wipe, whose morals he couldn’t change.

Maybe Tommy would make a good hero. Maybe he could turn all the criminals and villains into blank slates and set them back out to society safely. That’s what he was trying to do while he was a vigilante, to the victims, at least. Letting them go with no memory of whatever crime had transpired.

But maybe Tommy wouldn’t be a good hero. Maybe he’d still have his tired, faded blue eyes and he’d be staring at Purpled, almost wishing that he would attack because maybe Tommy could finally face an opponent he couldn’t beat.

Maybe Tommy was looking at Purpled even now, as a villain and as Purpled a hero, wishing that Purpled would just treat him like the monster he was and put him in prison where he belonged.

At least Tommy couldn’t hurt anyone else if he were locked up. Not if he was put in Pandora’s Vault. Anywhere else would be easy for Tommy to escape. You couldn’t keep a criminal in jail if the guards didn’t remember that the criminal was  supposed to be there.

Pandora’s Vault would be a safe place to put Tommy. He wouldn’t pretend there wasn’t a part of him that wanted to turn himself in now so he didn’t have to keep hurting people.

The stronger part of Tommy wanted to keep living. For what, Tommy didn’t know anymore. It wasn’t as if he would leave any legacy behind.

Maybe there was a world where Tommy was a hero and Purpled was a villain and they were staring at each other and their roles were reversed. But maybe there was a world where they were nothing but civilians and kids and maybe in that world they could be friends.

“We’re just kids,” Tommy murmured. “We’re just kids who never should’ve had to do all this.”

“It’s the world we live in,” Purpled said, as though it was final, as though he was just the piece in the machine and not someone who could tear it all apart.

“We could change that,” Tommy said.

“No,” Purpled said. “We couldn’t. Not without hurting a lot of people.”

“Who cares?” Tommy asked. “They’re already getting hurt by an awful system that does nothing to actually protect people. The Tower has heroes as publicity tools and to fight villains. You don’t fix actual problems.”

“Villains are actual problems,” Purpled said. 

“They aren’t homelessness and poverty and starvation,” Tommy said. “I’ve seen every sorry inch of this city. Heroes are for show. You’re something shiny and fancy and everyone wants to cheer you on and pretend they live in a utopia and ignore everything that’s actually wrong with this place.”

“What do you want me to do about it?” Purpled asked, a sharp edge to his tone. “I’m just some kid with lousy powers. If I try to do anything, they’ll hurt Tubbo.”

“Then bring Tubbo with you,” Tommy said. “You’re powerful. You know that. Tubbo’s powerful too. The three of us-”

“There is no ‘three of us’,” Purpled said. “I know you’ve got memory powers and whatever, but you couldn’t change the entire system. You can’t make a utopia because you believe in yourself and the power of friendship. That’s not how the world works.”

But it could be. The world could be anything Tommy wanted it to be, if he just changed a few minds. There couldn’t be many people like Purpled out there. Tommy had never heard of anyone with similar powers before. It wouldn’t be difficult to get rid of the few people who fought against him.

And there was the monster again, rearing its ugly head, screaming for Tommy to rule because that’s what powers he had been given. He could change the world, so why wasn’t he? What was stopping him other than his own stupid mind?

Common sense and fear, mostly.

“You're right,” Tommy said. "That's not how the world works.”

He was stupid to think he could ever be remembered.

“What are you going to do, then?” Purpled asked. “About Tubbo?”

“It'll be better if he doesn't remember,” Tommy said. “Trust me.”

“And what if I don’t?” Purpled asked. 

“There’s not a lot you could do to stop me,” Tommy said. He didn’t mean it maliciously, but there was almost nothing Purpled could do to stop Tommy’s powers. Just because Purpled wasn’t affected by them didn’t mean that Tommy couldn’t control the rest of the world.

“Give me a minute,” Purpled said. “Let me try to talk to him about it, at least.”

“He doesn’t believe that I’m a villain,” Tommy said. “He barely even knows who Resurge is.”

“Let me try to explain it,” Purpled said. “You said you weren’t going to hurt Tubbo. I’m giving you the opportunity to not hurt him.”It was stupid. Tommy should just reach through the wall and erase Tubbo’s memory now. There wasn't any point in listening to Purpled

“Fine,” Tommy still said, inexplicably. Maybe there was a part of him who wanted Purpled to be right. Who wanted Purpled to be able to explain away everything and for Tunno to accept him.

It wouldn't be that simple. Tommy knew it wouldn't be that simple but he still let Purpled walk past him.

He didn't look at Purpled as he left the room. He couldn’t stand it if he caught a glimpse of Tubbo through the door. 

But of course, as always, Tubbo’s thoughts were loud. The entire Hero Tower was ringing with thoughts, everyone’s but Purpled’s floating through Tommy’s head.

It was going to drive Tommy mad someday. He knew it.

Tommy’s head snapped to the side. Tubbo’s thoughts had gone silent. That didn’t make any sense. That didn’t just happen, not unless someone was knocked out. But Purpled would never do that to Tubbo, they had just had a whole argument about not hurting Tubbo. Purpled would never.

Still, Tommy rushed to the door and pushed it open. Tubbo was standing alone in the hallway, his thoughts quiet.

“Tubbo?” Tommy asked. “Where’s Purpled?

“How much… how much of it was fake?” Tubbo asked quietly. He wasn’t facing Tommy.

“What do you mean?” Tommy asked, tilting his head.

Tubbo’s thoughts were silent. That was wrong. It was quiet, but it wasn’t supposed to be quiet. Tubbo’s thoughts were supposed to be buzzing around, bouncing off the walls as Tubbo excitedly spoke. Instead, both his thoughts and the boy were deadly still.

“You can’t mess with my head anymore,” Tubbo said.

“How did you manage that?” Tommy asked. It was a genuine question. If he could stop everyone’s thoughts from bothering him all the time, Tommy would gladly go for it.

“You already know what Purpled’s powers are,” Tubbo said. “What do you think I did?”

“You finished the prototype,” Tommy said, voice blank. Purpled must’ve grabbed it. Tommy hadn’t been looking. Tommy hadn’t even checked to see if Tubbo had been thinking about it. “Smart. Handy. Too bad you didn’t have it earlier.”

There was that monster, creeping into Tommy’s voice again. Wanting him to snap and thrash because someone wasn’t under his control.

“Is it too bad?” Tubbo asked. “You haven’t done anything to hurt me.”

“I know your identity. I know Purpled’s identity. I know enough to ruin your life,” Tommy said. “How is that not going to hurt you?” Tommy had hurt Tubbo. He had messed with his memories, had run into his life when he could’ve just stayed away. He had ruined everything.

“You could ruin my life,” Tubbo said. “But you haven’t.”

“That doesn’t mean I’m not going to,” Tommy said defensively. That monster wanted to keep some of its dignity, some proof that it wasn’t a soft kid inside like it really was.

“How much of it was fake?” Tubbo demanded, whirling around to face Tommy. His eyes were full of anger and hurt and Tommy wished he could take everything back.

“Elementary school,” Tommy admitted. “We didn’t meet each other until that time on the sidewalk. Just a couple months ago.” And a wild couple of months it had been, but Tommy’s lives were always wild. They were always different and filled with turns and Tommy thought this one had been his favorite but he messed it all up because he was a monster and that was what he did.

“Elementary school?” Tubbo repeated faintly, eyes going wide. “But- you’re telling me that’s all- and I didn’t notice- I- you-”

Tubbo was looking at Tommy with horror in his eyes. Tommy wanted to make it go away, to make the memories fade, to take the admittance back, but Tubbo’s mind was as silent to him as Purpled’s was now.

A part of him was relieved by the quiet. Another part was terrified.

“How could you do that?” Tubbo asked quietly. “I thought we were friends.”

“We weren’t friends,” Tommy said. “Not at first.”

Not at first. At first Tubbo had been a tool for Tommy to use to learn about Purpled.

But now, now things were different. Now Tommy cared. And Tubbo did too, didn’t he?

“We weren’t ever friends,” Tubbo snapped. The words felt like arrows, piercing Tommy’s soul and making him want to cry again. “You were lying the entire time.”

“I only talked to you because I heard that you were a hero,” Tommy said. “I had just fought with Purpled and I was curious. But as time went on, we became real friends, I promise, Tubbo.”

“I don’t believe you,” Tubbo said. “You were messing with my mind. With my memories. You could read my thoughts. Do you know how invasive that is?”

“I can’t stop it,” Tommy said. “It’s not like I have a choice.”

“You had a choice to never ruin my life!” Tubbo yelled. Tommy didn’t say anything.

“Run,” Tubbo said.

“What?” Tommy asked.

“Run, now,” Tubbo said, turning away. “I don’t know why I’m giving you any mercy. You don’t deserve it.”

“But-”

“This is your last chance,” Tubbo said. “Go, and I’ll forget I ever knew you.”

Forget. Everyone always forgot who Tommy was. He could never stay in anyone’s mind, not even someone whose mind was silent to him.

“I’m sorry,” Tommy said genuinely. Tubbo didn’t react. Tommy walked away. He didn’t run. Maybe a small part of him wished that Tubbo would call for him to come back. Maybe another part of him wanted Tubbo to arrest him to just get it over with. At least Tubbo might be nice about it.

He rounded the corner and nearly ran into Purpled. Purpled opened his mouth to say something, and Tommy would never know what it would be. His ears felt like they were filled with cotton and the sounds of a thousand people’s thoughts as he walked down the hallway, ignoring Purpled.

Maybe it was an apology. Maybe it was more angry words to try to make Tommy understand the monster he knew he was. Maybe it was Purpled saying that he didn’t think Tubbo was going to react that way. Maybe it was him saying Tommy deserved this.

Whatever it was, Tomy didn’t near it.

Purpled didn’t follow him out of the hero Tower.

***

Patrol was supposed to be normal. It was supposed to be fine and Techno was just supposed to be scoping out the next place for his and Phil’s heist.

But then he saw that kid again. He saw Resurge sitting on a rooftop. His shoulders weren’t shaking this time, but the kid wasn’t moving. He was only staring up at the stars.

Phil had figured out that Resurge’s powers had something to do with the mind, something to do with memory. That was why they could never figure out what he looked like, despite him wearing a mask. That’s why the voices claimed he could hear them.

Maybe Techno should leave him alone. But Techno remembered another night, just like this, where he went up and talked to the kid. Resurge had been crying, but Techno remembered nothing else from the conversation.

And that he had somehow helped. That the kid had looked at him with a face that was blurry now and said thanks.

So Techno walked over to the kid sitting on the edge of the rooftop.

***

“You okay, kid?” Techno asked, walking up behind Tommy. 

[child sad]

[FIX THE CHILD]

[MAKE HIM NOT SAD]

[E]

[GET PHILZA]

[DADZA]

[DAD DAD DAD]

[DADZA MAKES EVERYTHING BETTER]

“No,” Tommy said bluntly.

“Do you- want to talk about it?” Techno asked awkwardly. Tommy laughed.

“With you?”

“If you had anyone else to talk to about it, you wouldn’t be out here,” Techno said.

“Wow,” Tommy said. “Way to call me out.”

“If you don’t want to talk, I don’t care,” Techno said. “I was just offering. You wanted to talk last time.”

Tommy was quiet for a minute. He kicked his legs, watching the ground below. Techno didn’t remember most of their last conversation. Tommy remembered it all. He always did.

“You’re not thinking about jumping, right?” Techno asked, taking a step closer.

“Nah,” Tommy said. “If I were going to kill myself, I would’ve done that a long time ago. I just keep living, for whatever reason.”

“I keep on living because there are people who want me dead,” Techno said. “And I don’t want them to be right.”

“Why are you talking to me?” Tommy asked. “I’ve told you I don’t want to join you.”

Techno sat down next to Tommy, keeping a respectable distance.

“Because I’ve been you,” Techno said.

Tommy looked at him. The words were on the tip of his tongue. A single mention and Techno would never want to speak to him again. Because Tommy had been going through his memories, because Tommy knew about his past, because Tommy knew things that Techno had never told anyone. Heck, he might just kill Tommy right there if he said the right thing.

Usually, that wouldn’t stop Tommy. He’d say whatever he wanted and play around until wiping his opponent’s memory and running off like nothing happened.

Tommy didn’t say anything.

“I don’t know why you do what you do,” Techno said. “But you’re a villain for a reason. Which probably means you’ve been hurt. Keeping that all bottled up inside isn’t going to help anyone.”

“I’m a villain for fun,” Tommy said, forcing a grin. “Being a civilian was boring.”

“Then you would’ve been a vigilante,” Techno said.

“Too much work,” Tommy said. “I get to blow up crap and fight with the government this way.”

Techno raised an eyebrow. Tommy sighed.

“You’re not going to remember this conversation,” Tommy said. “It doesn’t matter what I say.”

“What?” Techno asked.

“I’ve got memory powers,” Tommy said. “I know you’ve figured it out. I could wipe your memory now and you’d never even know I existed.”

“You can’t wipe Phil’s from here,” Techno said, even though there was no way Techno could know that. “And you can’t wipe the files.”

“I can destroy your memory of Phil ever existing,” Tommy said. “I can make it so you don’t remember what the files are or how to access them. I can make it so you don’t even know that you were ever a villain.”

Techno didn’t say anything, but Tommy’s voice was getting louder.

“I could delete anything that makes you who you are!” Tommy yelled. “I could make you a new person. I could mold the entire city into whatever I wanted, one mind at a time, and no one would ever know that wasn’t the way things always were.”

“You haven’t,” Techno said.

“I haven’t yet ,” Tommy snapped. “There’s nothing stopping me from doing it whenever I want. I could make myself a god in everyone’s memories. I could make people bow to me. I could run this city. Probably the world, if I had enough time.”

“And yet, you stick to petty crime,” Techno said. “Why?”

“The city isn’t worth my effort,” Tommy muttered.

“Why not?” Techno asked. “You could be the most powerful man in the world. But you’re hiding behind the mask of a villain no one cares about. Why?”

“No one would remember. No one could care,” Tommy said.

“About what?” Techno asked.

“Me,” Tommy said.

[depressed child]

[SAD BOI]

[L]

[fix the sad >:(]

[WE REMEMBER YOU TOMMY]

“What do you mean?” Techno asked.

“No one would care about me because I’m me,” Tommy said. “They would just care about me because they thought I’m some glorified version of myself I put in their head.”

Tommy’s tone was dead, emotionless. He had come to terms with this a long time ago. Through all the deaths he’d faked, people he’d lost, memories erased, he lost a piece of himself every time.

It was easier to keep losing pieces than try to pick up the ones he’d left behind.

“You haven’t used your powers on me,” Techno said. “I still remember you.”

“How do you know?” Tommy asked. “If anyone knew my powers, they could never trust me again. They could never know if I’m messing with their mind.”

“If they really care about you, they’d trust you,” Techno said.

“Why, because you trust me?” Tommy asked sarcastically. He rolled his eyes. “Sure. You don’t even know who I really am.”

“I know you’re a kid who needs help,” Techno said.

“I don’t need anyone,” Tommy said.

Purpled and Tubbo were letting him go. He should leave, really. Go to another city where he wouldn’t have to run into Ranboo or Techno or Tubbo or Purpled or Phil ever again. Leave the past behind and destroy the evidence that he was ever in it. Tear the pages out from the books of history that recorded his name.

That’s what his powers were meant for. That’s what Tommy did. He was a kid with no history, no backstory, no family, no proof of existence.

Half the time, Tommy wondered if he existed at all.

[child sad :(]

[techno fix the sad child]

[get dadza he’ll fix the child]

[DADZA DADZA DADZA]

[E]

[ This message was removed by a moderator ]

[GUYS LET TECHNO DEAL WITH US WE’RE BOTHERING THE CHILD]

“The voices in your head are loud,” Tommy said.

“You can hear them?” Techno asked.

“They already told you I can,” Tommy said, narrowing his eyes.

“I thought they were lying,” Techno said.

“What are they?” Tommy asked.

“They’re connected to my power somehow,” Techno said. “The voice of the dead, or so they claim.”

“I thought your powers had to do with blood,” Tommy said.

“It’s complicated,” Techno said. “They’re supposed to help me in battle, but most of the time, they’re just a nuisance.”

[HEY WE’RE ALWAYS THE MOST HELPFUL IN BATTLE]

[WE’RE THE BEST VOICES EVER]

[WE ARE SO POWERFUL WE CAN BREAK THE FOURTH WALL CAN YOU BREAK THE FOURTH WALL]

[E]

[guys let techno focus on tommy he’s just empathizing with the child]

[child]

[child]

“I can see why,” Tommy said.

“How can you hear them?” Techno asked.

“Heck if I know,” Tommy said. He tapped his head. “I can hear your thoughts. I can hear everyone’s thoughts. I always hear everyone’s thoughts. I guess it extends to the voices.”

“Can you turn it off?” Techno asked.

“No,” Tommy said. He was quiet for a moment. “It’s always so loud. That’s why I’ve liked it when I’m a vigilante or a villain. Dreams aren’t as loud.”

Techno didn’t say anything. The voices were too loud for Tommy to easily hear his thoughts, and he didn’t care enough to try harder to listen.

“I knew someone once who wouldn’t control his powers,” Techno said eventually. Tommy already knew who he was talking about, but he didn’t say that. Techno knew that he knew too. Tommy could let him make his point.

“You’re a villain,” Tommy said. “Isn’t the point to not control your powers?”

“It went beyond that,” Techno said. “He could control anyone with his voice. He would use it on me and Corvus, even if we weren’t in costume. Even if we weren’t villains in that moment.”

Techno fell silent again.

[TELL HIM]

[pog talking it out therapy]

[Don’t make the child a therapist]

[just wait for techno to prove his point okay give him a chance]

[E]

[TELL THE CHILD]

“Even growing up,” Techno continued softly.

“He was your brother,” Tommy said. Techno didn’t seem surprised by the guess. He must’ve thought he’d given enough information for Tommy to guess on his own. Or maybe he anticipated Tommy reading his mind.

“He was my brother and he abused his powers,” Techno said.

“So you killed him,” Tommy said. He knew what had happened to the third member of their trio. It had been all over the news apparently, a huge spectacle in front of the Hero Tower. It had happened in a period when Tommy was staying underground, when he didn’t care for heroes or villains anyways, so he had never heard about it until he went looking.

“He deserved it,” Techno said. “He hurt his family.”

“So you’re saying you’re going to kill me,” Tommy said shortly.

He knew Techno didn’t know about Ranboo, but couldn’t help but draw the parallels. He had ruined who his brother was, as Techno’s brother must’ve done to him. Tommy deserved it.

“No,” Techno said.

“What?” Tommy asked.

“I’m saying that you have a chance to be better,” Techno said. “We warned him. We warned him so many times. We told him to stop. We tried to make him stop. He never would.” Techno met Tommy’s eyes. “You still can.”

“I can’t .” The words tore themselves out of Tommy’s throat. “I can’t stop it. I hear everyone’s thoughts, I have to change them, if I don't change them then I have no one.  I can’t just- I can’t just go back to being a civilian, everyone thinks I’m dead. I can’t just stop.”

“You can stop doing it to people you care about,” Techno said. “Maybe you don’t have a choice about listening to their thoughts, but you don’t have to tamper with their memories. You don’t have to change who they are.”

“They’re going to ask questions,” Tommy said. ‘Even if I make friends like a normal person, they’re going to wonder why a kid is all on his own without a family. Without school. I can’t get a job. I can’t do anything without my powers.”

“Kid,” Techno said. “You are so much more than your powers.”

“I’m not,” Tommy insisted. “My powers are who I am now. I’ve made it that way. I don’t have a choice anymore.”

“You always have a choice.” Techno stood up. “I’m not saying you have to do anything. But our doors are open, powers or not.”

With a flick of Techno's cape, Tommy was alone on the rooftop.

Tubbo remembered him. Purpled remembered him. Techno remembered him, simply because Tommy couldn’t be bothered to wipe his memory as he walked away.

More people remembered him now than had since Tommy was twelve years old and broke his brother’s mind and planted the thoughts in everyone’s head that he had died.

It had been an accident. Tommy and Ranboo had been swimming. Tommy went too deep. Ranboo tried to save him, but got swept away in the current.

Ranboo didn’t remember the incident. He didn’t remember stumbling home, sobbing as he recounted the events. He didn’t remember the funeral, he didn’t remember a thing about Tommy other than bits and pieces their parents had told them. 

Everyone else remembered the funeral. They remembered running to the river and screaming and crying at Tommy’s body on the shore.

Maybe it had been morbid of his twelve-year-old self to fake his death that way. Maybe Tommy didn’t care. Maybe he never had.

Maybe life was filled with maybes that Tommy didn’t know how to find the answers to.

***

Tommy looked at a door looming over him.

He was tired.

He was tired of everyone else’s thoughts plaguing his own. He was tired of how he dipped into other’s memories like it was second nature. He was tired of the person he was turning into. He was tired of hurting people. He was tired of losing people. He was tired of being forgotten.

Tommy knocked on the door. No one had ever told him where it was, but it had been easy to find in Techno’s thoughts. A man with kind eyes and a green hat opened the door. Tommy looked at him for a minute. Phil stepped aside, allowing Tommy inside.

“Tommy,” Techno said, standing up when Tommy entered the room he was in. It looked like a living room. It looked like a home.

“Techno,” Tommy responded.

“What are you doing here?” Techno asked.

“Being a villain isn’t good for anyone,” Tommy muttered. Techno stilled.

“What?”

“You’re only hurting yourself,” Tommy said. “You think that you’re going to make some big change in the world, but you’re just hurting people. The heroes are never going to change. They’re just going to keep on blaming everything bad on you and getting worse themselves and not fixing real problems.”

“You don’t have to do this, Tommy,” Techno said. There was concern in his eyes and he had a hand outstretched as if that would stop Tommy.

[You can’t wipe us, Tommy!]

[Yeah, we’ll remember you and we’ll tell techno everything]

[its okay though we’ll tell him not to hurt the child]

[E]

[child]

[Where’s dadza?]

[DADZA]

[DADZA CALM THE CHILD]

[ This message has been deleted by a moderator ]

[Wait guys I think this is actually serious-]

“My powers hurt people,” Tommy said. “They hurt and they take and they change and I can’t fix it and they’re awful.”

“You don’t have to use them,” Techno said.

Tommy smiled. There were tears falling from his eyes. From his faded, tired blue eyes.

He was tired.

“Thank you, Techno,” Tommy said. “You helped me a lot.”

“Tommy, no-” Techno was reaching for his sword, but it was too late.

It only took seconds for Tommy to erase years. To erase everything that made someone who they were. To put something new in, something better, something nicer.

A clouded look crossed Techno’s eyes for a moment. He blinked, glancing around. He looked at Tommy.

“Oh, hey kid,” Techno said. There was something missing from his voice, but something new had replaced it. “What are you doing here?”

“I was just heading out,” Tommy said. “Phil’s waiting for you in the front hall.”

“You coming out to the farm today?” Techno asked.

“No,” Tommy said, shaking his head. “I have other things to do.”

Techno wouldn’t remember Tommy’s face once Tommy left the property. It would’ve been like Tommy never existed.

Did he?

[what happened]

[I feel weird]

[E]

[Are we gonna go farm some potatoes or not?]

[There’s something wrong]

[what happened]

[ This message was deleted by a moderator ]

[ This message was deleted by a moderator ]

[ This message was deleted by a moderator ]

[ This message was deleted by a moderator ]

[so… about those potatoes?]

Chat was right that Tommy couldn’t erase everything. But they worked largely off of Techno’s memories. With those gone, they had little to sustain themselves on unless they latched onto what Tommy had replaced them with.

“Goodbye, Techno,” Tommy said. He turned around, slipping his mask back on as he walked down the hallway. Phil waved at him.

“Where’re you going, mate?” Phil asked.

“Just to see some friends,” Tommy said.

“Have fun,” Phil said.

“I will,” Tommy said. The large doors shut behind him.

Maybe it would’ve been nice to be in a family. A family of monsters who maybe would understand whatever awful thing Tommy was. 

But that family would fear him, Tommy knew. They would look at him with eyes that wondered when he would turn on them. That wondered if anything they remembered was real. That wondered if he was just like their last brother, their last son. That would wonder if Tommy needed to be killed.

They would be right, on all the accounts. Tommy had turned on their kindness, but in the end, he was trying to help.

That didn’t absolve him of his crimes. That didn’t fix what he’d done. Still, it put some peace of mind in Tommy’s mind, so he kept thinking it.

The city was waking up. Thoughts were bouncing around Tommy’s mind that didn’t belong to him. Cars roared down the road and people walked past. People, living their everyday lives, not having a clue that there was a monster among them. Not knowing that a teenager was walking by who could ruin their life. Not knowing that a stranger next to them was potentially one of the most powerful people in the world.

Tommy had never wanted those powers. He had never wanted to hurt people. But that seemed like what he was destined to do, and who was he to fight destiny, really?

He boarded a train without a ticket. Any ticket inspector walking by would remember checking it. He had one, of course he did. They had seen it with their own eyes.

Tommy had never left L’manburg before. Some part of him was still attached to the buildings, to his old lives, to his family that he’d ruined.

Maybe he was still attached. But he locked those feelings in a box, far away, where they couldn’t bother him anymore.

Instead, he grinned.

Tommy could take over the world if he wanted.

And maybe that’s what he wanted to do.