Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Tommy was eight when everything fell down around him. And it all, quite literally, came falling down around him. 

The particulars from before the incident were fuzzy; a half finished page of homework, the oven timer beeping, his mother urging him to set the table – then, the explosion. He remembered everything after that in vivid detail.

The blast was close but muffled, enough to vibrate their floorboards like a bass-filled speaker. The view from their 14th floor apartment gave evidence of the chaos erupting on the street below. Distant shouting and rising columns of smoke made Tommy spring out of his seat and race to the window. He pressed his face fervently against the glass, smushing his nose and leaving soggy condensation as he breathed out. 

He could hear his father calling for him from the other room, using his real name. Tom . But he didn’t tear his eyes away from the scene below. Civilians had cleared the street in an instant, leaving behind only the costumed heroes and law enforcement officials containing the pandemonium. The road and surrounding buildings had been torn apart and set ablaze. Someone in a large, robotic suit was endlessly firing at the Supers as it lumbered down the street. It swung a mechanical fist at The Warden, fired at Halo, nearly crushed Smajor with its massive foot. 

Tommy had never been so close to the danger before. It was nothing like the videos they showed on the news. Seeing every moment play out in person, he was completely mesmerized. His father’s anxious voice carried into the living room. Tommy didn’t hear it. He wiped the fog from the glass as his breathing hastened.

Supers attacked from all angles; shooting, slamming, and hitting the mech suit with whatever they could. Tommy gripped the edge of the window sill and leaned impossibly closer against the glass. He tried to make out all the Supers who had joined the fray, searching for the greatest of them all. 

Then, as if he’d been summoned by the boy’s anticipation, a shadow darkened the window as a Super dove in front of it. A pair of jet black wings extended and the hero swooped into the battle. There he was. The Crow.

Too enthralled by the proximity to his childhood idol, Tommy didn’t notice when the mech turned to The Crow, raised its cannon laced arm, and fired.

The flying hero dove to the side and a ball of red, plasmatic energy flew straight towards the apartment complex. Tommy fell away from the window’s edge as the projectile blazed past, striking the floor above him. The shockwave pulsed through him as the structure shuddered. 

“Tom!”

The building creaked with a deafening groan. Tommy turned to see his dad racing forward with arms outstretched – he reached out too, scrambling as his knees slid against the polished floor. 

He didn’t get up in time.

There was a crack, and the support beams above gave way. A wall of rubble fell between them and debris exploded in a plume of drywall and wood particles. Tommy curled into a ball, choking on the dust that filled his lungs. His fingernails scratched at the hard wood floor as he tried desperately to grab a hold of something. There was nothing there. The white cloud settled and Tommy stared at the spot his father stood seconds ago.

Ominous silence followed the ringing in Tommy’s ears. His muscles were frozen until something tickled the back of his neck. Cautiously, he titled his head up, and noticed dust sprinkling down on him. His eyes followed the source – a large crack spreading in a jagged zig zag across the ceiling. It branched and widened, and with one final snap , it collapsed. 

Tommy threw his arms over his head, waiting for the concrete to crush him. But it never did.

A foreign, numbing sensation ran through him, like he was stepping outside his own body; then the feeling fizzled away, and was replaced by the warmth of something – someone – desperately holding him close. 

Tommy opened his eyes to the blurred vision of a teenager, dressed in a dark blue supersuit lined with golden threads. As he blinked away the dust he could see the details of the hero; the mop of dark brown hair that stuck out from under his hood, the chapped lips that hung agape and gasped for breath, and under the mask, bewildered eyes.

“Are you okay?”

Tommy nodded without processing the question, and the unknown hero’s grip loosened slightly. As he helped Tommy sit up he kept a stare trained on him, visibly at a loss. His mouth twitched open, words caught on his tongue, but he was jolted from his trance when a voice blared in his ear. The hero pressed a finger to his earpiece. He squinted and shook his head. 

“Phil – slow down – ” The hero stiffened and scrambled to his feet. “What? No. Not – not The Captain – where?” He looked out through the gaping hole that was left in the side of the apartment. The chaos had moved a few blocks down, car alarms and sirens sounded in the distance as the destruction continued to tear through the city. 

“I’m on my way.” The hero turned back to Tommy, pushing a strand of blonde, dust filled hair from his forehead. He stared into the boy’s vivid blue eyes, searing their visage into his memory. “You’re gonna be okay Kid, I promise.”

Before Tommy could say anything in reply, the hero faded into a sheer outline of himself, and phased through the floor of the destroyed building.

Chapter Text

Phantom. 

Tommy stared at the unmoving image of the masked hero’s face, and took in a slow, steady breath. His hands rose to meet the edge of the poster secured to his dorm room wall, tracing the edge of the paper one more time.

“Please tell me you aren’t going to take those with you.”

Tubbo’s judgment barely caught Tommy’s attention as he carefully removed the thumbtacks holding up the last poster. He paused momentarily, before slipping the glossy paper down and rolling into a neat tube. Phantom’s stoic stare slipped from view as it was tucked away. “ No . I wasn’t going to bring them. I won’t need them anymore.”

“Then why are you packing them up so carefully?” His best friend challenged. Tommy narrowed in on the other two posters that had been set in a pile on the mattress. 

“It’s called respect.” He added the third. “Big men like me know how to show it.”

Tubbo nodded in slow, exaggerated movements as he shoved his collection of hard drives into the last bit of space in his suitcase. 

Tommy reluctantly put his posters, figurines, and comic books into the cardboard box with ‘send back to mom’ scribbled hastily on the side. His eyes darted over his long-loved memorabilia. After a few seconds of consideration he fished out one of the small Phantom action figures, shoved it into his coat pocket, and taped the box shut.

“Are you nervous?” Tubbo asked. Tommy pushed the box of Super memorabilia across the floor.  

“No, I’ve just been all jittery because of all the coffee Freddie’s been giving me,” Tommy quipped sarcastically. 

Tubbo sniffed a few pairs of shirts that had been discarded on the ground days ago. His nose crinkled but he shrugged and threw them in his bag. “Don’t worry man, everything will go fine.”

“I’ve literally been waiting my entire life for this moment,” Tommy said. “It better be more than fine.” 

There was a dull thump on their door, and the handle jiggled as someone on the opposite side tried to open it. Tubbo opened it, and their lanky friend stumbled in with his mass of bags and suitcases.

“Thanks man, are you guys – ” Ranboo froze as he looked over the disheveled state of Tubbo and Tommy’s dorm “ – ready..”

Tommy shoved the top of his suitcase down over the mass of unfolded clothes. “Yeah, just a few more things left to put away.”

Ranboo dropped his things to the ground. “Seriously? We’re supposed to be completely packed up in – ” he checked his phone’s clock “ – four minutes!”

“Yeah.” Tommy nodded with a gesture to his half-packed things. “So we still have four minutes left to get ready.” 

Ranboo forced a puff of air through their nose and began grabbing whatever he could to help his friends finish getting their things together. 

“Do you think we’ll get paired as roommates together?” Tubbo postured.

“Maybe.” Ranboo hesitated and looked around the room. “Although, seeing the state of your guy’s dorm, I think I was lucky I got bunked with Eryn this year.”

“Where did he say he was sent again?” Tommy asked as he forced the zipper of his bag closed. 

“Snowchester. Apparently they requested Supers with speed powers for their program.”

Tommy gave a nod as he finally got his suitcase shut. Snowchester was alright, it was a much quieter city with half the amount of nefarious activity as most major metropolises. But Tommy had always had his sights set higher. 

Only the top performing students got the chance to train as a Sidekick in L’Manburg, and his desire to work alongside all his favorite heroes made Stronghold’s Trials ten times more nerve-wracking than they already were. Tommy had worked his ass off at the Academy, passing all the rigorous tests in order to land a top spot in Hero Tower. After years of intensive power training and conditioning, he managed to get the second spot, just below Ranboo. Now he was exactly where he’d dreamed of being, on his way to L’Manburg’s hero hub, and one step closer to being Phantom’s Sidekick.

“Alright.” Tubbo closed up his final backpack and hiked it over his shoulder. “You guys ready?”

Tommy stared at the empty walls of his Stronghold Academy dorm room, and nodded. “Yeah. I’m ready.” 

– – – – ⊂⊃ – – – –

“Don’t tell anyone the truth, Tom.”

“What do you mean?” 

“You can’t tell anyone what your power really is.”

– – – – ⊂⊃ – – – –

The one thing Tommy wanted more than anything in the world was to have powers. After all, he couldn’t be a superhero without them.

His mother had told him over and over that he didn’t need superpowers to help people. There were plenty more avenues that would allow him to save lives and make the world a better place. Sure, she was right, but none of those jobs were near as awesome as being a Super. 

Most of Tommy’s nights were filled with watching interviews and news clips from the heroes that populated L’Manburg’s streets. He’d stared at the LED screen in awe as he watched his idols fight against evil and take down threats. There were plenty of notable heroes, though Tommy had a particular penchant for SBI – Super Boys Incorporated, as their moniker titled them. No one fought like The Blade, and The Crow was an unstoppable force. Then there was Phantom, who in Tommy’s eyes, was the best hero to step foot in L’Manburg. 

Not every kid got powers. Tommy knew that. His odds were one in two hundred, according to the statistics given by The Department of Metaphysical and Corporeal Abilities. One in a hundred, which meant that of all the kids in his elementary school only two people would get them. By third grade Miranda Duerkson developed hers, so Tommy figured he was racing against the clock for the second spot. 

Twice a year the schools were required to administer detection tests to all students aged five and up. These tests would identify the manifestation of the sRNA, which became present when superhuman abilities were activated in a person. Each time Tommy was pricked with that needle he sent out a silent prayer, and each time it came back negative he felt a rush of disappointment. 

For years that was how it went: negative after negative test results. Neither of Tommy’s parents had powers, which meant his chance of having them were slim. Still, he was determined. He’d gone as far as searching up ways to increase the chance of developing powers. Willing to do anything, he took to attempting every trick he read online. Nothing was too bizarre to try. His mom wasn’t all too happy about the ridiculous rumors for acquiring powers; the last straw was when she found him soaking in a bathtub full of a tomato sauce, grape juice, and baking soda. That put an end to the superstitious methods, and was the day Tommy learned that not everything on the internet was true.

It would turn out that Tommy didn’t need wives tales or questionable baths to fulfill his hopes. At the end of his fourth grade year Tommy was assessed as usual, and a week later his mom received a letter in the mail, stamped with the DMCA insignia. When she opened the results of Tommy’s detection test her face went pale. 

“Tom..”

She didn’t say anything else, and she didn’t have to. The sight of the logo on the envelope was enough to tell him everything, and Tommy was never more ecstatic than when he read over the words on that page, confirming the presence of the mutated gene.

At nine years old Tommy knew he had the genetic disposition for superhuman abilities. He’d end up waiting another year to figure out what they were. 

– – – – ⊂⊃ – – – –

“Why not? Why can’t I tell anyone?” 

“Because not everyone gets to keep their powers, Tom. If they know what you can do, they’ll take them away. You want to be a superhero, don’t you?”

“Yeah, of course.” 

“Then you can’t tell anyone what you can do. They won’t let you be a hero if they find out.”

“How do you know that?”

…

“Mom?”

– – – – ⊂⊃ – – – –

Hero Tower was more than Tommy ever imagined it would be. From the outside it was a monolith of greatness, a symbol of L’Manburg’s advancements. The seventy-five story building was the tallest one in the city, distinguishable from its sleek exterior of titanium steel and impenetrable glass. The skyscraper twisted in an angle that resembled the curvature of a double helix, and at the top sat the headquarters for every superhero in the city. 

The interior was no less impressive. As the main doors swung open into the lobby Tommy was met with a rush of perfectly regulated air. Everyone inside was moving with purpose, not bothering to glance up at the fresh group of Sidekicks that had congregated in the empty space of the threshold. All six new recruits tried to mask their awe as they took in the grandeur of Hero Towers. From the sleek furniture to the high ceilings, the crisp business wear and the shine of the tile floor, it was unlike anything they’d ever seen before. 

In the midst of the bureaucratic rush a man stood poised and ready in the center of the lobby, waiting with a magazine-worthy smile. He donned a simple button down, tie, and slacks. Tommy also noticed the golden pins on the collar of his shirt.

“Welcome!” The man beckoned, and the group of awe-struck teenagers shuffled over to him. Despite dreaming of this day his whole life, Tommy felt unprepared for the orientation that awaited.

“I know all of you, but you may not know me,” The man stated as the group formed a semi-circle around him. Before he could finish, Tommy jumped in.

“You’re Smajor, aren’t you?” As soon as he said it, heat rose to his cheeks, realizing he was probably entirely out of line for calling out the hero’s alias.

Luckily, the Super looked more impressed than appalled. “I prefer Scott, but yes. You may be the first Sidekick to have guessed,” Smajor noted. 

“The pins on your shirt. They give those to heroes who retired from the field, right?” Tommy continued, feeling the need to justify how he knew. Smajor nodded.

“Yes they do. You know your stuff.”

This time Tommy shrugged in response. Tubbo gave him a teasing jab in the ribs for the teacher-pet behavior. Tommy was past the point of embarrassment over his deep obsession with Supers. It wasn’t like everyone didn’t already know.

“Well, it’s my honor to give you your official welcome into Hero Tower! I’ll guide you through your orientation and get you settled in. There’s a lot we need to do today to get you ready for compatibility trials tomorrow, so let’s not waste any time.

“Straight ahead you’ll see the elevators that will take you to any floor in the tower.” Smajor – no, Scott – pointed past the reception desk to the large, glass lifts beyond the security check. “Once you sign your NDA’s and get entered in the system you’ll have authorization to use it. For now, I’ll take you up to the Director’s office and you can get all your paperwork finalized."

Scott ushered them further into the lobby, and everyone followed but Tubbo, who’d gotten side tracked and was staring at the intricate light fixture overhead. As the rest of the group advanced, a second Smajor materialized in front of Tubbo, gently turning him towards the real Scott several feet away.

“Plenty of time to explore later,” the second Scott said, and when Tubbo had rejoined the group, the Smajor clone faded away and they continued on with the real one. Excitement shot through Tommy’s limbs like electricity. The Smajor had just cloned himself right in front of him, and it was so much cooler in real life. 

“Third floor is the cafeteria, eleventh and twelfth are the training gyms, and your rooms are on the 54th floor,” Scott explained as the elevator shot them upwards. “That’s the highest floor your clearance allows, the rest are the living quarters for the heroes.” 

Tommy’s heart hammered at the thought of how close he would be to his idols. Some concrete and plaster, that was all that would divide them.

“Will we get our own rooms?” One of the Sidekicks, Bill asked. 

Scott chuckled. “Yes, you’ll each have your own rooms.”

“What about the other floors in between the dorms and the gym?” Freddie asked.

“Mostly offices for the bureaucrats and state representatives. You won’t need to worry about any of that.” The elevator slowed to a smooth stop. “And here, floor 39, the Higher-ups offices.”

This floor, like the first, was spacious and pristine. The biggest difference was how quiet it was. The bustle of the lobby was left behind, now the silent air of important work quelled the rush in Tommy’s mind. Still, he took in every detail carefully – particularly the name etched in a gold plate on the Assistant Director’s door.

Phil Watson .

Tommy inhaled a sharp breath, but held it in his lungs as Scott walked past the office and further down the hall.

“Per legal stature, you’re all able to sign official documents without a parent or guardian required.” He opened a door to an unlabeled conference room where six identical stacks of paper sat in a row. “If you’d like to request an attorney to oversee your contract, we have several on standby.”

The words flew right past Tommy’s ears. He was too busy staring at the pen, itching to pick it up and officially become a Sidekick. Once his signature was on the dotted line, it would be real. 

Tommy was the first one to flip open the thick packet of papers. He certainly wasn’t going to take the time to read them. He’d already been briefed on what if contained – the conditions of his training, waivers for bodily harm, non-disclosures – he knew what he was signing up for. 

He scrawled his best possible signature at the bottom of the last page, and it was done. 

Scott scooped up the contract as soon as Tommy was done, and had collected the others soon after. It seemed Tommy wasn’t the only one who was excited to start. 

“Great! The last thing we need to do before you can get unpacked is a final physical exam. Follow me to our hospital wing.”

The medical floor was a short trip down, but was equally as impressive as the rest of the tower. It was set up to look like any other hospital, with a large lobby and circular reception desk that was surrounded by branching hallways in all directions. Tommy expected to see people rushing about like in the medical-dramas his mom always watched, but it was surprisingly quiet. The only person in the front lobby was the young woman at the desk. In front of her, a nameplate read Alyssa . 

She was quick to give a smile to the new recruits. “Oh good, you’re here! We’ve got you all set up with an exam room, Puffy will be around to each of you for your physicals.” Alyssa stepped out from around the desk with six clipboards, and Scott handed the teenagers off to her, letting them know that he’d be back to show them to their rooms soon.

Ranboo nudged Tommy and flashed him a reassuring smile as the six recruits were led into separate exam rooms. Now, without the pressure of playing it cool for Scott, Tommy was sure he looked completely overwhelmed. It wasn’t necessarily a bad kind of overwhelmed, more like a, holy-shit-my-lifelong-dream-is-being-fulfilled, kind of overwhelmed.

That, and the fact that Tommy knew what was going to come next. 

Tommy waited for nearly 10 minutes on the exam table. He stared at the clock, the paper beneath him crinkled with each small shift. The spotless nature of the high tech room put him even further on edge. 

Without warning the door was pushed open, and a woman stepped in holding a metal clipboard. She smiled, and it immediately eased the anxiety muddling Tommy’s brain.

“Good Morning! You must be Tom,” the doctor greeted as she plopped into the stool next to the exam table. She glanced at the photo attached to the file, then to the teenager in front of her. “You’re taller than you look in your picture.”

Tommy forced out a relaxed laugh. “Yeah, I get that a lot. You can call me Tommy.”

“Well Tommy, it’s nice to meet you. I’m Doctor Puffy, or Cara if you prefer. I’m the resident fix-em-up here in Hero Tower.” As she introduced herself she pulled a smattering of medical equipment out of the drawers to her right. “You’ll probably be seeing quite a bit of me throughout this next year – not to make you nervous, of course.”

She stood and motioned for Tommy to sit up straight as she pressed a stethoscope to his chest. “Take in a deep breath – good – and let it out.”

Tommy followed her directions as she carried out her exam. “So you’re, like, the main doctor then?”

“Mhm. Another deep breath. Good.”

She pulled back to write something down on the clipboard and Tommy debated if it was appropriate to ask if she had powers. It was a sort of taboo question, like asking someone how old they are. Luckily, he didn’t have to probe.

“I know you’re dying to ask me what my abilities are. Most new recruits do.” Puffy winked and gave him a playful smile. “I can mend tissue, muscle, and bone. I’m able to patch you up most injuries you may sustain, as long as you can get to me in one piece.”

Tommy chuckled. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

She carried out a few more routine tests, making small talk as she did. Tommy had almost forgotten about the dreaded aspect of the physical until she finished up her checks.

“So, the file lists your power as ‘adoptive muscle memory’ . I haven’t seen that one before.” Tommy’s heart skipped a beat as she tipped her eyes up to his, but he was quick to steady himself. 

He wasn’t a huge fan of dishonesty, but what he was about to say wasn’t really lying. Ranboo called it ‘stretching the truth’. Tubbo called it ‘selective honesty’. But of all things, Tommy kept his mother’s words in his head.

“You just have to tell them enough to make it believable.”

“Yeah, I can learn anyone’s physical mannerisms and mimic them.” Tommy explained habitually. “When I go up against an opponent, all I have to do is touch them and I can imitate their fighting abilities.”

Puffy gave an impressed nod. “Interesting. That’s one I’d like to see in action.”

Tommy let his muscles relax again as the doctor completely bought into his statement. She closed up the file and let it drop to the counter as she pushed herself off the stool. “The last thing I’ll need is a blood sample, then you can get on with the rest of your orientation.”

“Awesome.” He rolled up his sleeve and she was quick to take the sample. Tommy craned his neck to watch as she neatly labeled the vial with his first and last name. The sight of something as simple as that made him jittery with excitement. His name on a vial, being sent to a lab in Hero Tower . 

“You’re all set.” Tommy sprang from his seat as soon as the doctor gave the go-ahead. The hard part was over, or so he hoped.

When Tommy stepped back into the entrance of the medical ward he saw Tubbo and Ranboo already waiting outside, seated close together in the waiting room. Tommy darted into the seat beside his friends.

“How’d it go?” Tubbo asked, his face dropping into serious concentration. 

“Fine,” Tommy replied simply, checking to see if there was anyone at the reception desk. It was empty. “Went like any other physical, no skepticism as far as I could tell.”

Ranboo leaned back in his chair. “Good. That’s good.”

They all settled in as they waited for the other three recruits to join them. Not another word was said about the true nature of Tommy’s powers in the meantime. 

Between the silly conversation Ranboo and Tubbo eventually sparked up, Tommy couldn’t help but think about his power. His mother always told him that he could never tell anyone the truth. His two best friends didn’t count of course, but she was adamant about him keeping the true nature of his abilities a secret from L’Manburg Hero Organization – or any hero organization at that. 

Tommy did keep them hidden, he had since day one, and he told himself he would continue to do so. He could be a great Super without revealing his true powers. He’d come this far already, he’d finished at the top of his class and got chosen to train in L’Manburg, all while using only a fraction of his abilities. 

One day he could tell everyone the truth. He’d always dreamed of going down in history as the greatest Super to step foot in L’Manburg. Tommy promised himself he’d reveal the truth before he was done serving as a Super, and use his power to their full extent to protect the people.

After all, someone who could mimic the superpowers of anyone he touched would make the most legendary hero of all time.

– – – – ⊂⊃ – – – –

The maximum-security cells in Pandora’s Vault were designed to be tortuous. They were cold, obsidian boxes with no windows, no light, only an iron door with metal bars that filtered in the dim fluorescent bulbs of the hallway. The steep darkness of the cell made the prisoners feel alone, suffocated. It drove them insane.

He wanted to get the hell out.

He didn’t belong there. He wasn’t like the monsters that neighbored him on all sides, yet for some unknown reason he was being treated like one. There was no way to track how long he’d been held in that bleak box. It had to have been days without an explanation.

But he was going to get one.

The prisoner was half asleep on the metal slab bed when he heard murmurs of conversation outside his door. It was the guard who’d been stationed for the 24/7 watch at his cell – as if he was dangerous enough to warrant one.

“Not this one.” The guard said to someone unseen. “Boss says he doesn’t want this one neutralized.”

Neutralized. The prisoner knew what that meant. He’d been waiting for it.

All citizens found guilty of hiding or using their abilities unlawfully had their powers destroyed. Like neutering a dog, the government would stick you with a fancy needle and break down the mutated sRNA that granted you your superhuman abilities. It was an inevitable fate if you stepped out of the carefully drawn lines created by the powers-that-be. The prisoner knew from the moment the judge announced the guilty verdict that he’d have to kiss his powers goodbye.

So why the hell did the guard say he wasn’t supposed to be neutralized?

With a metallic screech his cell door swung open, and the blinding light made his eyes water instantaneously. As he ducked his head down, several pairs of footsteps marched into the small space. 

“On your feet, hands behind your back. Don’t make any unauthorized movement.”

The prisoner followed the command. This was the first time since he’d been thrown in the cell that another human had spoken to him. As he stood in wait, cold metal clamped over his wrists. The guard securing the cuffs was intentional not to make any contact.

“You’ll walk exactly where we tell you to. No funny business.” The guard commanded.

“Where are we going?” The prisoner asked. He was met with silence, and he reiterated his question with more force. “Where are you taking me?”

“Into the hallway.”

The prisoner hesitated, until he saw the baton the guard brandished. Not wanting to meet the wrong end of it, he started walking and the three men surrounded him on all sides. 

“My lawyer said I’d be in general population.” The prisoner stated. “Why the hell am I in maximum-fucking-lockdown?”

“Shut up and walk.” The sound of electric buzzing flicked to life. “Take a left, go all the way to the end of the next hall.

He was desperate for answers. Something was wrong here. 

The group continued to wind down the corridors and through security checkpoints until they reached a set of double doors. The head guard stepped forward and slid a key card into the scanner, and as the doors swung open another wave of blinding light struck.

They were going outside.

“Truck’s ready sir,” one of the men declared after receiving a call on his radio. The prisoner began to grow frantic. They were in a barren lot, walls surrounding them on three sides and a 10 foot fence in front. The end of a baton jabbed into his back – thankfully not electrified – and he stumbled forward again. 

When they rounded the corner he spotted a windowless, armored van parked along the side of the stone prison. The back doors were open, and another man stood in wait.

“Step into the back.” He was getting tired of these curt commands, but he followed instructions and did his best to climb into the van. He sat down along one of the benches, and the new guards sat opposite him. Without another word, the backdoors swung closed and latched with a deafening clang.

The prisoner’s heart was racing and his arms were sore from being tied behind his back. But he sat completely still, only his eyes moved around the metal box that was now rattling down the road. There was no way to see where they were going.

“I want to speak to my lawyer.” 

The guard in the back had the audacity to laugh, but provided no other indication he’d heard the request. The prisoner shifted, trying to get situated on the bench. A period of silence followed, and he continued to jostle around uncomfortably. 

“If you’re not going to give me my constitutional rights can you at least do me a favor?” The guard turned his head sluggishly, waiting for his request. “My shoulder itches like hell.”

“Seriously?” The guard grumbled.

“Come on man. I’ve been cuffed for nearly ten minutes. I’m dying over here.”

A long, drawn out sigh slipped through the guard’s lips, but he leaned forward and used his gloved hand to itch the spot the prisoner was gesturing to. As soon as the guard's fingers made contact the prisoner seized his chance. His eyes shut and his mind cleared, taking in exactly what he needed to know: where he was being taken.

Syndicate Laboratory and Research Facility. 

His internal response was to panic, but he maintained his calm demeanor. “Thanks pal.”

The guard grunted his approval, and the van pulled to a hard stop. 

All was still for a few seconds, and then everything inside and out of the vehicle moved at once. The doors flew open and he was commanded to exit. Three armed men were waiting outside the vehicle as he stepped out. A quick scan of the area showed that they were nowhere near a building that looked like a lab, more so a back alley. A different van, similar to the one he’d just come out of, was waiting with its engine running. 

“Load him up.”

The prisoners lurched forward as he was prodded again, watching as the first armored truck roared back to life. From where he stood he could barely hear the conversation between the driver and the guard who stood outside the window, but he managed to pick up the phrase, “Make it look like an accident.”

If he got into the new van it would be over. There had to be something around him to cause a diversion, anything he could use to give him a chance to run. All there was were the men and their guns, held tight in their grip. 

Being shot had to be a better fate than whatever awaited him when he got into the van.

Without another moment to think twice, he took his chance. He rammed into the nearest guard, shoving him into the side of the van. With a knee jerk reaction, the man pulled the trigger of his gun and sent a single shot into the air. 

Everyone ducked down, save for the prisoner, who took advantage of their momentary alarm to run. He leaped forward and took cover behind the car as the guards caught on, and the pings of bullets striking the armored metal echoed around him. In his moment of cover he brought his hands down and stepped through them so he had his arms in front of him.

“Hold fire!” Shouted one of the men, and the prisoner sprinted forward. A chain link fence was a few feet ahead, the only way out. He was half certain this would be his final moment, and prayed that his upper body strength would win out over his impairment of being cuffed. 

More shouts arose as he stepped on a dumpster to boost himself up and used both hands to grab the metal wiring of the fence. Adrenaline alone gave him the strength he needed, and he managed to pull himself over the edge. A second wave of gunfire came his way as he fell over the fence; a bullet grazed his leg and he dropped onto his side. The impact nearly knocked him out cold, but he managed to push himself forward and get to his feet. 

His entire body was afire, but he fought against the pain in his calf and ran. Even though they were on his tail, he had enough of an advantage to shake their line of sight. He wove through side streets and tried desperately to lose the men chasing him. 

And as each step took him closer towards freedom, all he could do was wonder what the hell he had gotten stuck in the middle of.

Chapter Text

In just one year, Tommy would be starting at Stronghold Academy for Youth with Enhanced Abilities. The only problem: he had no idea what his power was. 

Most kids had a power manifestation by the age of 10, so the fact that Tommy was still left in the dark was growing increasingly more frustrating by the day. He’d tried to force it to happen, thought of every power out there and attempted to conjure them. He tried setting his mom’s cactus on fire – nothing. He jumped from the tallest slide in an effort to fly, and only got a sprained ankle. Laser eyes, super speed, invisibility, mind reading, nothing was taking. 

His mom assured him that he would still get to go to Stronghold even if he didn’t have his powers yet. Some kids were just “late bloomers”. Tommy hated that term. He wanted to be an on-time bloomer.

So when he started 5th grade with a positive sRNA test but no powers, he was the talk of the school. Everyone had their eye on him, waiting for him to melt the swing set or spontaneously combust in the cafeteria. The further into the year he got without powers to show for, the more the whispers grew. 

Though the eyes on him were annoying, nothing was worse than the negative attention he drew from the infamous school bully, Nate Jones. Since kindergarten, Tommy had been one of Nate’s favorite victims. And as if the universe didn’t already have it out for him enough, Nate discovered he had super strength over the previous summer. When he came back to school that September he had a whole new arsenal of pummeling to enact on the outcasts in school.

Tommy tried to steer clear of him, but it was hardly an easy task. The bully hunted him down like a foxhound during open season.

“Hey, Simons!” 

The dreaded call came as Tommy was walking home from school one winter afternoon. He’d been so focused on not slipping over the icy sidewalks that he hadn’t noticed Nate approaching him from behind.

“What do you want, Jones?” Tommy tried to mask his unease as he carried on walking, albeit at a quicker pace.

“Just wanted to see if ya’ have a real power yet. Unless they count being a loser as a super ability. Then you’d be the best in L’Manburg.” Nate laughed at his own joke and Tommy couldn’t help but retort, still not turning to face him.

“You’re so funny. Someone should put you in a comedy show.”

A hand grabbed Tommy’s backpack and tugged hard. The strap ripped and sent Tommy spinning backwards, nearly tumbling to the ground. His arm socket felt like it had been pulled clean out of place.

“Hey! You’re not supposed to use your powers yet!” Tommy yelled, holding his aching arm.

“Yeah? And who ya’ gonna tell?” Nate spat, shoving Tommy in the chest. His feet slipped out from under him and he landed flat on his back, head narrowly missing slamming into the concrete. 

“Lay off man.” Tommy tried to get back on his feet, but Nate shoved his boot into Tommy’s stomach.

“Why dontcha’ use your powers to save yourself,” the bully taunted, pushing his foot further into Tommy’s stomach. “Ya’ know, kids are starting to think you lied about getting a positive test result. Maybe they’re right.”

Rage bubbled in Tommy’s throat. He wanted to prove this prick wrong, show him that he did have powers. He wanted desperately to throw Nate into a dumpster and give him a taste of his own medicine. 

So, he did.

Fueled by unbridled determination, Tommy forced himself to his feet, charged at the bully, and shoved him. Nate went flying back, slamming into a dumpster with a metallic thud. As he slumped to the ground, Tommy gawked at the crater that had been left in the side of the bin. The crater that he had made.

“What..” Nate sputtered, his sudden panic giving Tommy a burst of confidence. 

“Yeah, go on and tell everyone at school about that .” He took a step towards Nate, who scrambled to his feet and backed away. “Don’t mess with me again, you got it?”

The bully nodded profusely and took off in the other direction, leaving Tommy to stare down at himself in amazement. He walked slowly over to the dumpster, tracing the impact that had been left by Nate’s body. 

For a moment he thought that it was a fluke – I mean, what were the odds that they both had the same power? But when he grabbed the bottom of the dumpster he easily lifted the six ton container into the air. He breathed out, laughed aloud, and set it back down.

He’d finally found his super power.

When Tommy burst through his apartment door he was already shouting excitedly. His mother rushed into the hallway to meet him, prepared for the worst, as she usually did with her chaotically mannered son.

“Mom! Mom! You won’t believe it, I finally found my power! I was walking home and that dick – I mean – that mean kid Nate was pushing me around, and I got so mad, and I pushed him off and he went flying into a dumpster and left a massive dent! He was so freaked out mom, you should have seen his face!” 

Tommy flung his ripped backpack onto the couch and was nearly bouncing around the room when his mom finally managed to get a word in. “Tom, slow down. Are you alright?”

“Fantastic. I gotta show you what I can do.” 

Before she could stop him, Tommy bent down and grabbed the base of the couch. He lifted up, expecting the entire thing to fly into the air with ease, but instead it barely moved. Tommy stared at his hands, confused, and tried again. He only managed to budge it an inch across the floor.

“Wait.. but, I swear I just..” Tommy kept trying to lift it, sure he was doing something wrong. His mother ran over and pulled him away, guiding him to sit in the armchair across the room. For the first time since getting home he looked up at his mom’s face, and was surprised to find intense worry etched into her tired features.

“Tom..” she looked around the room, and pulled her son’s hands into hers. With a steadying breath she spoke in that all-too serious mom voice. “We need to talk about your powers.”

– – – – ⊂⊃ – – – –

“Ho - ly shit.” Tommy was pretty sure he would never stop being astounded by Hero Tower. 

His jaw hung slack as he took in the Sidekick common room. Well, room was an understatement. The space was bigger than his entire apartment growing up, and that wasn’t even including their bedrooms. 

Just like the floors they’d already visited, the Sidekick Quarters took up its own entire level of the tower. The elevator led directly into the common room, where the same architecture of high-vaulted ceilings and sleek furnishing could be found. In the center of the room was a lowered platform of squared couches, somehow looking sharp and plush at the same time. On the right was a kitchen area with marble counters, and the other side of the room hosted a large dining table and bar top with stools. Several other smaller seating areas were scattered about, intermixed with stocked bookshelves and Superhero memorabilia to boot. 

“Each of you will have your own designated sleeping quarters with an attached bathroom. You’ll find your things already delivered to your room.” Scott pointed to the right of the elevator. 

Aimee’s face was flushed with relief. “You mean we don’t have to share with a roommate?”

“One of the perks of moving up from Stronghold Academy,” Scott confirmed with a wink. “Now, I’ll let you get settled in for the evening. Feel free to explore the space, get your things unpacked, and rest up. Your bathrooms and the kitchen should be stocked with some essentials, but if there’s anything you’d like to request to be delivered, just make a note of it. You’ll have meals prepared by the cafeteria, but we can stock anything you may want in here.”

“Like.. anything?” Tommy gasped. “For free?”

“For free.” Scott chuckled. “Now, that’s the end of my tour. One last thing, there are a set of masks in your rooms. Whenever you go anywhere in the tower that’s a non-hero floor, you’ll need to be wearing one to conceal your identity. Starting now, you’re officially Sidekicks.”

Scott bid them a good night and left them on their own for the first time that day. The six of them stood in shared astonishment, eyes taking in every little detail there was. Eventually they broke off down the hallway in search of their new rooms. Above each door, engraved in sleek black metal, were their preferred names: Aimee, Bill, Freddie, Ranboo, Tubbo, then his – Tommy.

He was the last to peel into his room, opening the door slowly, as though he was intruding on someone else’s space. In comparison to the common room, this was less awe-striking, but still far better than his dorm room at Stronghold. A queen-sized bed sat in the middle of the room on a raised, under glowing pedestal, and there were end tables and dressers that all shared the same dark wood and metal aesthetic. His walk-in closet was huge and the bathroom was pristine and sparkling white. 

Just as Scott had stated, all his luggage was delivered and set in a nice stack at the foot of the bed. As he looked over the boxes and suitcases he was struck with the realization that this was his home. For the next year, and more after, he was going to be living in Hero Tower. 

As Tommy walked around the un-decorated room like he was in a dream. It was all surreal, like he’d wake up in his two-bedroom flat with his mom if he closed his eyes for too long. But no matter how many times he blinked, the room stayed right where it was. 

Everything had happened so suddenly, and Tommy didn’t feel inclined to start unpacking his clothes yet. He needed a minute to stop and take it all in. He walked around the perimeter of the room, hand dragging along the furniture to see how it felt under his fingers.

Eventually, he stopped at the wall opposite his bed where several floating shelves jutted out from the wall. Tommy stuck his hand into his coat pocket, feeling the familiar shape of his Phantom action figure in his fingers. He pulled it out, gave it a squeeze, then set it in the middle of one of the shelves. With a step back he nodded, smiling.

The silence in the room was starting to drag on him. He was used to noise, be it himself or his friend. He never imagined he’d miss bunking with Tubbo. 

Tommy rummaged through the first few boxes, mentally kicking himself for his haphazard packing before. Eventually he found what he was looking for – a small, old fashioned style radio. Tubbo had helped him convert it into a Bluetooth speaker last year. 

He stuck the speaker on his bedside table and connected his phone, fingers flying routinely to find his favorite podcast. He scrolled to an old episode and hit play. The familiar voices of Knuckle Sandwich floated from the radio and immediately made the place feel more like home. 

As Tommy listened to the rerun of the podcast – an episode where they ranked the strangest powers Supers have had – he settled into his bed. With feet kicked up and arms tucked behind his head he took in a deep breath.

This was his room. He was a Sidekick. And tomorrow morning he was going to meet his hero.

– – – – ⊂⊃ – – – –

When Tommy woke up the next morning, it was from a shrill beeping that he had never heard before. He flailed to his right to shut off the alarm he didn’t know was there before it rudely pulled him from his sleep. He certainly hadn’t set it for six a.m.

As his mind slowly adjusted from the fog of sleep he had to make sure he hadn’t dreamed up the previous day. When his senses returned, he only got confirmation that it was all real. His hands still felt the silken sheets of his new bed, his things were half unpacked at the foot of his bed, and the room held a clean, crisp scent, as if the vents filtered the air 100 times over before wafting it out at a perfect temperature. 

If Tommy were still at Stronghold he would have played chicken with the time and slept in until the last minute, but he had some impressions to make and an image to uphold. Instead of burrowing back under the covers he straightened his worn out t-shirt and underfitting sweats and made his way out into the common room. 

Besides Aimee and Ranboo, Tommy was the first one out. He suspected that they too had been awoken by the preset alarm clocks built into their nightstands. They were both sitting on the couches in the lower platform, Aimee with a steaming mug in her hand. Tommy quirked an eyebrow as he pointed to it.

“Is there coffee?”

She nodded with an excited grin, then pointed to the kitchen. “Automated espresso machine. Just input whatever you want.”

Tommy stepped over to the counter, and was able to pick out the machine from its array of buttons and flavor options. With a few simple presses it was churning out his drink. He could get used to this.

By the time he had his coffee in hand the others had joined, and they all sat in suspended excitement for the day ahead. Freddie was the first to notice the fact that there were six tablets on the coffee table that hadn’t been there the night before, each with their names labeled on the top. “Guys, look. We’ve got our schedules laid out. 

Freddie passed the tablets off, and Tommy tapped the translucent screen to reveal lines of text in electronic blue. At the top was the date, then below that, a manifest for their first day initiation. He took it in all at once, eyes scanning the list of important sounding tasks: Sidekick orientation, clearance protocol, tech consultations, and the one he was looking forward to most, compatibility trials.

“Is anyone else freaking out over who their mentor will be?” Freddie asked.

Tommy, of course, was nervous to no end, but he played it cool. “I mean, a bit. But I know I’ll end up with Phantom.”

“I hope I end up with The Blade,” Aimee said. “Or Nihachu – us girls gotta stick together.”

“If only The Crow was still in the field. Can you imagine being his Sidekick?” Ranboo said. 

“Whoever I get, I’ll be happy with.” Freddie shrugged. Tommy cast him a doubtful side eye. Maybe he was being honest, but Tommy could think of several people he’d like to avoid. Most Supers were cool, but some came off as cocky and overzealous. Especially the newer heroes, the ones who’d only just moved up from being a Sidekick in the past few years. 

He tried not to think about that though. He was certain he could shift the tides and make it clear he was supposed to be with Phantom. 

Scott showed up at their common room at 6:15 on the dot, already equipped with a broad smile on his glowing face. Tommy wasn’t sure how the man managed to seem so bright at all times.

“Good, you found your schedules. Are we ready to start our day?” Scott’s question was met with varying degrees of enthusiasm, stemming from the earliness of the day. He chuckled. “You’ll have plenty of time to sleep after dinner, but we’ve got a lot to do. You may have already found the training uniforms in your dressers. You’ve got fifteen minutes to get changed, and meet back here so we can get you fitted with your comms.”

Tommy had not discovered his Tower uniform, but was quick to dig through the drawers and find what he needed. The clothes ranged from pants to shorts, long sleeves to tank tops, all made of a breathable elastic material. He picked out a set of the matching black and silver clothes and threw them on. They were easy to move in, perfectly suited for the combat trials he would be doing in a few hours.

When the group left their rooms Scott continuously spewed important info about their day ahead. It was a quick elevator ride down to the 25th floor, where the group was informed they could find the main laboratory. 

The lab had a large open layout. There were windows surrounding them on both sides, and the morning light was just beginning to mix with the white fluorescents overhead. Around the room were dozens of stations, but one main table in the center. Beside it stood a vaguely familiar presence. 

“I can take ‘em from here Scott.” The tall, well built man said. “Nice to meet all of you. I’m Sam, you may also know me as The Warden. I’m the resident tech guy here at the tower. We’ll probably be seeing a lot of each other in these first few weeks as we get you set up.”

The Warden used to be active in the field a few years ago, Tommy recalled, but had been taken off the rotation to act primarily as the in-house engineer. With his power of telepathically controlling technological components, that only made sense. He’d helped create several innovative new devices that heroes used regularly.

Tubbo would have called Tommy a walking encyclopedia if he’d spouted all that out loud. 

“We need to get you set up with your comms,” Sam informed. “Each hero has one, it’s a vital device for everything we need – clearance access, identification, health monitoring, and as the name implies, communication.”

Sam slipped up the sleeve of his jacket to reveal the comm on the inside of his wrist. It was a thin, black metal device that only wrapped around a quarter of his wrist. The center screen was slightly wider than the band, but didn’t display anything. 

“It’s secured onto your wrist, so it can’t be removed or tampered with.” Sam laid out six of the comms on the table and ushered the teens forward. “Your device has already been prepped, and using the blood sample you gave yesterday we entered your information into our system. Once you have it on, you’ll be able to use it to gain clearance into the hero facilities.”

“It uses blood to detect who we are?” Aimee asked.

“It uses the DNA in your white blood cells,” he clarified. “It’s the quickest and safest way to identify you.”

Sam gave several more instructions, starting with sanitizing their hands and arms to getting them prepped for the device implantation. A group of lab techs were on standby to help prepare each Sidekick as Sam made his way around to each of them. 

Bill was the first to get his. Tommy watched over his shoulder at the process. From what he could see it was fairly simple; the back of the comm had several wires and microscopic tubes that connected to the wrist, but when it was secured, all those mechanics were hidden. It only took a few minutes for Bill’s comm to be attached.

“Not so bad, right?” Sam asked. Bill nodded, messing with the new metal implant on his wrist.

“It’s not going to come off if I yank on it?”

Sam shook his head. “Nope. Designed to be unmovable.” 

Aimee was next, then Ranboo, then Tommy. Nervous excitement pricked his skin as Sam wheeled his chair over. 

“It may hurt a bit when it goes on, but it’s just a quick pinch,” Sam explained as he prepped the comm. “The tube connects to your vein to have access to your blood cells. It’ll feel strange at first, but you get used to it quickly. I engineered the newest design to lay flat, so it won’t get in the way. You barely notice it’s there after a week or so.”

Tommy braced himself as Sam set the metal carefully on his wrist, an inch below his hand. The engineer mentally maneuvered the wires and tubes securely in place, there was a soft pinch, then he pushed the device into his skin. It was as though a strong glue stuck onto him, and the comm took hold. 

“All done.” 

Tommy flexed his wrist, surprised at how the implant moved freely with his motions. 

“Cool.”

“Feel free to check out the features. Tap twice on the screen.”

Sam went off to help Tubbo, and Tommy tapped on the middle screen. A web of options extended in a hologram. One monitored his heart rate, blood pressure, and body temperature. Another showed his clearance level, and a third allowed him to pull up messaging systems. Each of the applets opened to reveal more intricate data and uses. 

When everyone was situated Sam gave a brief overview of how to use them. Each comm could only be activated by someone whose fingerprints were in the system, so only Hero Tower personnel could pull up the data on the screen. He relayed a few other important notes, and allowed them time to test the comms and ask questions. 

As they did so, Tommy asked to step aside to use the bathroom. Sam pointed him down towards the back of the lab where a set of hallways led into some offices and side rooms. Tommy ventured off to pee, all the while still playing with his new wrist device. He was so preoccupied that he barely paid any attention to the lab assistants and engineers that were going about their work.

That was when he face planted into the chest of someone making their way out of an office. 

“Sorry mate – ” Tommy looked up and the words caught in his throat. He couldn’t stop the numb chills that flushed his entire body at the sight of the man in front of him. Tall, lanky limbs, a dark head of curls, and sleepy greens eyes that looked down at him with a comforting glow. Tommy had never seen this man’s face, but he knew without a doubt who was standing before him. 

Phantom. 

The Super gave Tommy a polite half-smile. “No worries man. Are you one of the new Sidekicks?” All Tommy could manage was a nod. Phantom tilted his head with a bemused smile, and gave a stiff laugh. “Right. Well, I’ll see you for Comp Trials.”

And then he was gone, continuing off down the hall without a second thought. 

Tommy clutched his shirt as though his heart would burst out of it. Had that just happened? Holy shit. That was Phantom. 

He took a moment to gain his composure, and began to replay the ten second interaction over and over. Why hadn’t he said anything? There were a million questions Tommy wanted to ask – only some of which seemed suitable for a first encounter. First of all, what’s your name? Tommy couldn’t very well keep calling him Phantom. Well, as long as Phantom gave out his real name. But the least he could have done was ask instead of standing there looking like a complete oaf.

Of all the ways Tommy imagined meeting his role model would go, that was not it. He internally kicked himself for his utter stage-fright in the presence of his favorite hero. The next time he met him he’d be ready. He was only caught off guard. Phantom may not even remember anyway.

When he finally regained feeling in his limbs, Tommy walked back into the lab, long forgetting his need to go to the bathroom. There was actually a slight chance he’d peed his pants during the encounter; he discreetly checked, he was all clear. 

When he got back to the main lab Scott had returned, this time with another man in tow. This person wasn’t recognizable at all, and he had no signifying pins on his collar, so Tommy assumed he wasn’t a hero like Smajor or The Warden. He wore a crisp, dark gray suit that looked more appropriate for an office than a fight. He had a full beard and mustache, and sported a pair of glasses that sat high on the bridge of his nose. He was observing the group with arms crossed behind his back and a pleased smirk under his facial hair. 

Scott noticed Tommy walking back into the room and gathered the group of Sidekicks around himself and the nicely dressed man. “Great! Now that everyone’s here, I’d like to introduce Noxite, the Director of Hero Tower.”

The Director gave a dignified nod as he took in the new recruits. “Nice to meet you all. I look forward to seeing you in action today. I’ve heard promising things about you six from Stronghold. We do only take the best here at hero tower.” Noxite spoke in the same way the politicians did in commercials – like he was trying to appear grander than he was. Tommy wondered if it was in an effort to seem equally as powerful as the Supers he was surrounded by.

Noxite continued. “Seeing as we’re all set up with communication devices, it’s time to finalize a few things before Compatibility Trials. If you’ll follow me to the elevators, we can check to ensure your comms are working properly.”

The group walked back into the spacious elevator, and when the doors closed Scott pressed the button for floor 34. As he did, a subtle vibration buzzed in Tommy’s wrist. Judging by the other’s reactions, they felt it too. 

“Each time you enter a restricted area, your comms will need to send a signal to allow you access. This ensures that only people with clearance can access certain floors.”

They zipped to a new floor with a large conference type space. There were already seven other business clad men and women seated on a long table at the head of the room. Once the Sidekicks were ushered in to take a seat, Noxite stepped up behind them.

“I’d like to introduce the Board here at Hero Tower. These are the folks who work behind the scenes to make sure our operations run smoothly, and allow you all to do what you do best: defend the city.”

The faces staring down at that gave little in the way of warmth. Instead, they offered a curt nod and a wave as Noxite introduced them each by name. Once again, no one on the Board wore the hero pins, indicating that they didn’t have powers either. 

With the introductions concluded, Noxite took a seat in the center of the members. The seat on his left was still empty, but Tommy couldn’t make out the nameplate in front of it.

“I’m certain you’re all feeling a mix of excitement and nervousness. You’ve got a big week ahead, and lots to do.” Noxite said. “Before we begin, I want to give a brief orientation to prepare you for what comes next. 

“You’ve all been carefully chosen to represent the heroes of this city, and that is a vital role in our society. It is also an incredible responsibility. We here at Hero Tower adhere to a strict code of conduct both on and off the clock. Our ideals are rooted in compassion, courage, and integrity. It is our job to uphold those values at all times. We expect that you six will be shining examples of what a hero is.”

Tommy nodded emphatically. He was definitely being a suck-up, but hey, this was the boss after all.

“As you go forth into the Sidekick Mentorship Program, you will need to exhibit strength and determination. Not everything in the SMP will be easy though. There are times when you will be tired, overwhelmed, or disheartened. Know that we are here for you, to support you and help you grow into the best Super you can be.”

Noxite’s stare landed on Tommy, and a small smile grew across his face. “With our more formal induction out of the way, there are a few things we need to do before you can start Compatibility Trials. The first, of course, being your hero aliases.”

Scott passed each of them a tablet. A large line of text displayed their full legal name, and a digital keyboard sat underneath it.

“Your Super identity should be brief, but memorable. Make sure you pick wisely, you won’t have a chance to change it once the public knows who you are. You have time now to consider what name to choose, but I’m sure you’ve been planning your alias since you started at Stronghold.”

As soon as Noxite gave them the go ahead, their fingers flew to the keyboard. This was something he’d spent years mulling over, going back and forth on what would sound best. After much deliberation, he’d eventually settled on one that he thought would look great in the history books, and one that would pair well with Phantom.

Mimic , he typed into the box.

Everyone else had input their alias quickly, and with a pleased nod Scott removed the screens. 

“Great. With that done, we’re ready to start Compatibility Trials.”

Chapter Text

Tommy was certain he was going to throw up. 

In a few minutes he’d be standing in front of every superhero in L’Manburg, all in one room, unmasked. His entire body was shaking as the elevator slowed to a smooth stop. He couldn’t stop flexing his fingers in and out of a fist, and his eyes were darting wildly as the doors opened.

“You look like you’re going to pass out,” Tubbo whispered as Tommy leaned forward. 

“Then you need to catch me when I do.”

Scott took the lead, guiding the Sidekicks through the initial locker area and towards a set of tall double doors. Tommy sprinted to the front, and was the first one to step into the large, concrete training gym. 

His heart slammed to a stop.

On the far side of the room, sprawled on benches or leaning casually against the wall, were his childhood idols. A few checked out the incoming Sidekicks, but most carried on their conversations without a second glance. 

Tommy wasn’t sure what he’d been expecting – a flawlessly straight line with each hero standing at attention, fully suited Supers in an action figure pose. Whatever was in his head, he definitely didn’t anticipate them to be lounging around so nonchalantly. They wore a mismatch of shorts, joggers, tanks and tees in a fashion similar to the outfits the Sidekicks were given. Their postures were slumped and relaxed, they were laughing and joking. They looked so.. normal.

Noxite instructed the Sidekicks to make their way to the benches opposite the heroes. Tommy took his seat, all the while trying to figure out who was who in the lineup of unmasked Supers. Some were easier to decipher than others. The tall ones stuck out – though, there was a staggering amount of vertically gifted heroes. Tommy already recognized Phantom from earlier. He guessed that the one with the poofy head of curls was Double Vision from their completely white eyes. The stoic titan next to Phantom was probably The Blade, judging by the intense aura he exuded. And of course, the only one wearing a mask had to be Dream. 

There were a few others he was quick to pick out. Nihachu and Elastic were the only female heroes. The man with only one hand was Supreme. Torch and Sleepwalker were likely the ones flanking Dream on each side. The rest he could only guess. It was strange seeing their entire faces. They didn’t look like real people. At least, not the way he imagined they’d look. 

“Let’s get started,” Noxite announced with a single clap, and the heroes quickly finished their conversations and stepped up to the navy blue mat that covered the training floor. Nox straightened himself and peered out over the sea of powered people before him, putting on a pleased grin like a detached father from the 50’s.

“Well, this year has flown by. It seems like only yesterday we were here with our last round of Sidekicks.” The Director gave a nod to the dark haired girl, which Tommy guessed had to be Elastic. She was the newest addition to Hero Tower, the only Sidekick from last years program who chose to stay in L’Manburg. “We’ve had continued success in our program, and September is upon us once again – our favorite time of the year.”

Tommy couldn’t tell if that was meant to be a joke or not, and the mixed reactions from the Supers did nothing to clarify. 

Noxite carried on. “As always, I want to begin today with a reminder of why we’re here. Our job is not one that comes easy, but one that is forged from trials, tribulations, and sacrifice. You’ve chosen to use the powers you’ve been given to protect the innocent, defend the foundations of our society, and stand against cruelty and injustice. This path is hard won, but you’ve earned your position amongst the greatest heroes in history.

“This is why I want to remind you all of the importance of our Code. We here in Hero Tower adhere to a set of rules implemented to keep the city safe, and keep you held in high esteem. Compliance and due diligence pushes us forward. It allows us to do our duty. Whether you’re out in the city or here in your quarters, it is of the utmost importance that you maintain the expectations of a Super.”

A glaze had fallen over most of the veteran heroes' faces. This was clearly a rerun they’d heard before, but Tommy was clinging to each word. 

“With our recent desire to expand our roster of heroes, we have chosen six Sidekicks to participate in L’Manburg’s Sidekick Mentorship Program this year. I’d like to introduce you to our newest round of promising heroes, and their abilities.” 

Noxite pulled out his tablet, which had now been updated with their new information. “Starting at the far end: Aimsey, force field generation. Vizo, enhanced vision. Ender, Teleportation. Beeline, wave manipulation. Tremor, earth manipulation. And Mimic, adoptive muscle memory.” 

The collection of new powers sparked whispers of conversations among the Supers as they sized up the Sidekicks. Tommy inhaled deeply, and took count of the heroes in front of him. Fourteen Supers. Fourteen possible mentors to end up with. He was never good at math, but he guessed that he had a little over five percent chance of ending up with Phantom. He could work with those odds.

 Scott took his positions next to Noxite at the far end of the mat between the Supers and Sidekicks. “Our resident heroes already know the drill, but for our Sidekick’s, I’ll explain how Compatibility Trials work. We’ll run a handful of matches where you’ll be paired up with a hero, working in teams of four – two Supers, two Sidekicks. You’ll have five minutes to attempt to down your opponents. Keep in mind that the goal isn’t just to beat the other team, it’s to work with your partner to beat the other team.”

Tommy knew all this, and had already planned on how to utilize Phantom’s fighting style with his own. 

Scott directed his next set of instructions towards the Sidekicks. “Trials will take a few hours, so be sure to pace yourselves. Conserve your energy and try to use your powers at the most opportune moments. As you know, overusing your abilities will weaken them significantly, and we want to ensure that you are in your best shape for the duration of trials.”

Scott pressed a button on the tablet in front of him, and the middle of the gym floor lowered down to create a concave arena to contain the fight. Four thick pillars were spaced evenly in the square to provide cover, and metal cubes were stacked in various areas of the arena. Tommy could already feel how much it would hurt to get hit by one.

“A few ground rules before we start,” Scott added. “If you tap out before the timer ends you forfeit that round. You may only use what’s in the arena to help you fight, and you can’t deal fatal blows – obviously. Looking at you Torch, don’t light anymore Sidekicks on fire.” 

The short, stocky man next to Dream shrugged with a playful grin. On Tommy’s left, Freddie shifted with unease, but Tommy wasn’t fazed. The prospect of a fight had sent away his nerves and replaced them with an itch to get onto the mat. He’d spent countless hours watching the Supers fight on TV, studied their powers and limitations. He was ready to get out there and show them what he could do.

As everyone began stretching and preparing for the matches, Scott and Noxite spoke with each other as they poured over their tablet. A screen placed high on the gym wall illuminated to show the current round, including who was on each team and what their powers were.

“First round: Nihachu with Aimsey and Thunder with Mimic versus Halo with Vizo, and Diamond with Tremor.”

Tommy was up first, both metaphorically and literally, getting to the edge of the arena before anyone else could beat him. He mentally assessed the line up. Thunder could control electricity, which made him a long distance fighter. Nihachu had to touch her opponents to empathically sway them, but with Aimee providing forcefields she could easily get up close. Against them, Diamond could turn himself into any variation of rock, and Freddie could manipulate earth. That would be interesting. Halo could go invisible, and with Bill being able to see through walls, that would be a massive advantage for them. 

Their team would have three minutes to strategize before the timer started. In the east corner he joined with Aimee and their heroes.

“Ay up,” Thunder nodded to Tommy and Aimee. “You guys cool with names?”

Tommy nodded, introducing himself. Aimee did as well.

“I’m Jack.”

“Niki.” Nihachu reached out to shake each of their hands. “Are you nervous?”

“A bit,” Aimee replied honestly.

“Here.” Niki placed a hand on Aimee and Tommy’s shoulders, and as soon as she made contact, Tommy’s whole body melted into tranquility. His muscles loosened and his shoulders dropped their tension. “You’ll do great,” she promised. 

“I could get used to that,” Tommy said, wiggling his relaxed arms. 

The four quickly talked strategy, agreeing to divide and take down a pair. Aimee and Niki would go for Halo and Bill, letting the force fields protect them. Jack and Tommy would target the other two, at first from a distance to weaken them, then taking them down in close quarters. 

Noxite gave the warning call. They readied up. With a countdown from three, the timer flashed and the match had begun.

As they’d planned, Aimee immediately threw up a forcefield around her and Niki. They moved in unison, avoiding the chunks of rock that were being broken off Diamond and hurled by Freddie. They bounced off the shield with ease, though each strike made Aimee shutter and weaken her hold on it.

Halo was gone the second the timer sounded, so all Thunder had to aim for was Bill. Jack brought a hand down, and a strike of electricity scorched the concrete inches from Bill’s foot. Tommy took the opportunity to dash forward and take cover closer to the other side of the arena. 

Immediately, Bill called out Tommy’s location, and a pair of invisible hands yanked the back of his shirt. He tumbled backwards, and a disembodied voice spoke from above. 

“Sorry about this.” 

Tommy tried to roll away, but Halo predicted the movement. A boot slammed into his chest, stopping him and knocking the wind from his lungs. Tommy grabbed for the invisible foot. The instant contact was made, a rush of energy tingled his arms and the new power seeped into his muscles. He wondered what it would feel like to turn invisible, but quickly disregarded that idea and twisted Halo’s ankle. Halo stepped to the side, and Tommy rolled back onto his feet.

A change in wind pressure told him a punch was coming. But now with the physical knowledge of his opponent, he anticipated the way Halo would swing, and managed to narrowly avoid the hit. Tommy took his best guess and grabbed his opponent's arm, prepared for any physical retaliation. Tommy managed to block the invisible knee with his other hand and twisted Halo’s arm backwards. The Super sputtered back into view with a pained grunt and yanked himself free. 

As Tommy readied another hit, a bolt of electricity came down on Halo’s chest and he crumpled to the ground. Tommy turned to Jack. “Thanks – took your time though, didn’t you?”

“I couldn’t damn well see the guy!” Jack shouted back, casting another wave of electricity at Freddie.

“Language..” Halo groaned. 

Tommy cast a wide gaze for anyone else around him. Niki was trying to get a hand on Diamond to calm his mind into passiveness, while Aimee provided somewhat effective cover from Freddie. Bill was nowhere to be seen, but Tommy could bet he was coming in for a sneak attack. Even without mimicking Bill’s fighting mechanisms, he knew his friend’s strategies well. 

Sure enough, Bill came barreling out from behind a pillar, nearly tackling Tommy to the ground. Tommy only barely dodged. In a second Jack was there, grabbing at Bill’s collar and using the momentum to send him sprawling to the floor. Tommy still had Halo’s fighting abilities coursing through him, and he readied himself to take on the Super again. 

However, Halo didn’t aim for Tommy. Instead the pair of invisible hands reached out and grabbed Jack. Tommy tried to run forward and pull Halo off his partner, but just as he reached where his opponent should be the timer overhead sounded off in a low pitched buzz. Everyone in the arena immediately let up their attack, and dropped their tension in unison. 

A round of applause came from the others, and Tommy wondered who they were intended for. Neither team had won, per se, but he felt good about his performance. Though, Tommy made sure to save his best. He wanted it to be clear who he was supposed to end up partnering with. 

After only one round, Tommy was out of breath when he sat back down on the bench. He was lucky enough to get a break as the next match-up commenced. This time it would be Tubbo, Aimee, Chronos, and Elastic against Ranboo, Bill, Torch, and Sleepwalker. The round went smoothly, both teams did well, though no one stood out as being particularly apt for mentor and mentee. 

As the hours moved on Tommy was constantly up and down, paired off with different heroes and facing off time and time again. He tried his best to maintain his energy, though it was certainly challenging with some of the duos he went up against. Freddie and Jack worked incredibly well off each other, and managed to take down Tommy and Supreme before the timer went up.

In the next few rounds Tommy was paired with Elastic, Double Vision, and Halo, all of which were good trials. He was definitely beginning to feel the pain, and had about three new bruises and a split lip from the beatings he’d taken in those trials. He wasn’t going to let that stop him though, and he ignored the soreness in his muscles as he waited for his long-overdue matchup with SBI.

 As the hours went on Scott and Noxite would chat briefly and alter whatever was on their tablet at the end of each round. Tommy wasn’t sure how many trials there would be, or if he’d even get to team with every Super. It seemed that they were ruling out pairs already.

By the end there were only two groups Tommy hadn’t been paired up with yet: SBI, and The Dream Team. Noxite called out the teams for the penultimate fight, and it took all Tommy had not to groan when he heard his pairing. 

“Torch with Beeline and Dream with Mimic, versus The Blade with Tremor and Phantom with Aimsey.”

He knew he’d be paired up with The Dream Team at some point, but he would have rather been with anyone but Dream. He convinced himself he could manage for one five minute round. Just because the group came off as arrogant and try-hard in news clips and interviews didn’t mean that’s what they were like in real life. They may turn out to be bearable, at the least.

Tommy met with his team in their designated corner, and they exchanged names and greetings – all but Dream, that was, who was silent behind his pristine white mask until it came time to talk strategy.

“Alright, I'll take lead. Mimic, you shadow me and cover Tremor while I fight Techno. Sapnap and Beeline will go for the others,” Dream quickly doled out to the team.

Tommy looked at their opponents on the opposite end of the course. “I think I’d actually be better off fighting Phantom. I’m really familiar with – ”

“When you’re the hero, you can make the calls,” Dream quickly barked. Seemed like Tommy’s initial impression of him wasn’t too far off. 

Sapnap tried to lighten the mood a bit and joke around while rattling off useful tips. However, Tommy couldn’t quite move past Dream’s unbearably cocky demeanor. At least he had Tubbo on his team, if nothing else he could work well with him. 

They were given the warning, and the four of them readied up. Tommy tried to assess how best to approach The Blade and Freddie. He could manage to best his friend in hand to hand, since he had no earth to manipulate in this fight. That would at least allow Dream the chance to fight Techno. 

The countdown sounded, then they were off.

As he and Dream sprinted into battle he nearly lost his composure over seeing SBI in action. The Blade materialized a sword from thin air, and Phantom faded into a blur and dove through the pillars and cubes stacked around the arena. With a steadying breath he focused on the task at hand and charged in for the fight. 

A cube flew through the air towards Techno, who rolled underneath it. Tommy turned back and watched Dream mentally levitate a second one, and hurl it forward with more strength. Before it could strike, a forcefield came up in front of it and it rebounded back. Tommy tried to dodge it, but it struck him in the shoulder and he tumbled to the side. 

“Stay on your feet Mimic!” Dream commanded.

Tommy cursed under his breath. “Thanks for the tip.” 

By the time he was back up, Dream was already locked in combat with The Blade. Tommy tried to get to Freddie, but the outline of Phantom appeared in front of him. One arm materialized and landed a hit to Tommy’s jaw. Rather than pain he only felt giddiness over the fact that Phantom had just punched him. That, mixed with the contact that sent Phantom's power rippling through his body, was a dream come true. Tommy finally had the tangible fighting powers of Phantom coursing through his veins. 

Phantom aimed another hit, Tommy ducked, and tried to restrain the arm that hit him. It dematerialized as he grabbed it and he was left holding nothing. Another strike was sure to follow. He was ready when Phantom tried to sweep his feet out. Tommy rolled into Phantom’s blindside and aimed a kick for the back of his leg. He would have landed it too, if a forcefield hadn’t popped up in his way.

“ Damn it Aimee ,” he mumbled, losing sight of Phantom again.

“Mimic!” Dream yelled out. Tommy turned back and realized he’d left him completely uncovered. He was trying to take on two opponents at once. “What the hell are you doing?!”

He sprinted over as Dream narrowly avoided a swipe of Techno’s sword. Tommy went for Freddie, tackling him to the ground and attempting to pin him. “Just got a bit side tracked,” Tommy shouted. 

“How about you try following directions!” 

Dream brought a hand up and Freddie went flying into the air, causing Tommy to be knocked backwards and nearly catch a foot to the head. “I had that covered!”

“Did you really?” 

From behind, Tommy felt a surge of warmth wash over him. Sapnap had barely missed Phantom and Aimee with a heatwave, but the distraction was enough for Tubbo to blast a high-pitched sound frequency into Aimee’s ears. She threw her hands up to block it, and the forcefield that had been around them dropped. Sapnap took the chance to roll forward and take her down at the shins. Phantom came back into a material form to help her, which Tubbo used to spring another attack. At least one pair of their team was doing well.

With Dream’s focus shifted back onto Techno, Freddie fell to the floor with a thud. Tommy figured he would be out after that hit, so he dashed over to help Dream take on Techno. He tried to jump onto The Blade’s back, but the hero must have sensed him coming. He ducked forward and Tommy went right over him – and into Dream. They fell to the floor, Dream let out a string of curses, and the buzzer sounded to end their match.

“Time!” Scott bellowed, and the fight was over. Tommy quickly stood and offered a hand to Dream with a sheepish apology. The Super ignored the gesture, fixing his mask and shaking his head with an audible scowl. 

So much for teamwork. 

“That went well!” Tubbo remarked, bounding over to Tommy and slapping him on the back. Tommy let out a vexed mumble and stomped over to get a drink of water.

“Take a minute to catch your breath, then we’ve got one more trial.” Scott skimmed over his tablet, and read the last match-up. “Chronos with Vizo, Elastic with Beeline up against The Blade with Ender, and Phantom with Mimic.”

Like the heavens had opened and light was pouring down, Tommy saw his future bloom from that very moment. It would all go to plan. He’d stun the Supers with his abilities and everyone would marvel at his teamwork with Phantom. He’d become his Sidekick, and they’d fight crime on L’Manburg’s streets like absolute badasses. By the end of the year he’d be the third member of SBI, and go down in history as one of the greatest heroes to live.

With renewed spirits he sprung back into the ring. The Blade and Phantom took their time returning to their positions.

“You’re making us go twice in a row?” Phantom called out teasingly to Scott, wiping a collection of sweat from Torch’s heat blasts.

Scott chuckled. “I think you can handle it. Or do we need to call Phil in to sub you out?” 

A chorus of oohs echoed as Phantom raised his hand, making all but his middle finger intangible. Scott laughed and Techno gave him a teasing shove as they made their way over to Tommy and Ranboo. 

“Holy shit this is happening,” Tommy whispered. Ranboo gave him a concerned glance.

“You good man?”

“I don’t know yet.”

Tommy rehearsed what he was going to say first as Phantom walked up. This time he wouldn’t be caught looking like an idiot. He smiled a normal amount and stuck out a hand as soon as Phantom was close enough to reach it. 

“I’m Tommy,” he announced. “Glad to be your partner.”

Phantom gingerly shook Tommy’s hand. “Wilbur,” he replied. The perfect name , Tommy couldn’t help but think. “You're the kid I ran into in the lab, right?”

“Yes sir,” he declared.

“You were a lot quieter before.”

Ranboo leaned his head in. “Yeah, that won’t last long.” 

Tommy backhanded Ranboo’s arm and scowled. Techno eyed the both of them with a flat expression, though behind his unreading eyes he seemed somewhat amused. 

“Right then, should we talk strategy?” Wilbur asked.

“Yes, we should. So Wil – Can I call you Wil?” Phantom gave a half hearted nod, and Tommy continued. “Right Wil, I think our best play would be to take on each opponent in bursts. You hit, phase away, I hit, juke, we keep them on their toes. When we tire them out we go for the take down.” 

Tommy glanced up, eyes begging for validation. Phantom shrugged, a placid smile coming and going. “Sounds fine to me.” 

The Phantom just agreed to a Tom Simons plan. He was going to faint.

“Ranboo and I will take Chronos and Vizo, you two got Beeline and Elastic?” Techno asked, and Wilbur confirmed. 

“Tubbo does this thing where he bends light waves to make himself appear further away than he is, keep an eye out for that,” Ranboo said to the two heroes.

“And his knees are his weak point,” Tommy added. 

“Anything else?” Wilbur asked.

“Bill has really good peripheral vision. He’s hard to sneak up on.”

“Noted.” Techno nodded.

Noxite called for ready positions, and the four went over the last details of their plan. Despite this being Tommy’s ninth trial of the morning, he had more energy than ever before. All the soreness of taking prior hits was forgotten, he felt like he was in peak condition. Tommy knew he could crush the other team, he’d imagined working alongside SBI for years. That, and he’d spent an embarrassing amount of hours reviewing footage of Phantom fighting crime. He could mimic his style from memory alone, no powers needed.

Wilbur extended a fist to Tommy, gesturing down with a smile. “You got this Kid.”

Tommy smiled, returned the fist bump, and the timer went off. It was go time. 

The pairs broke off and immediately began their attacks, but Tommy was only focused on Phantom. They stepped in unison, reaching Elastic and Tubbo in the center of the field. Tommy already knew what was coming, and braced himself as a high pitched sound wave broke into his ear drums. He barreled through it, charging and knocking into Tubbo’s shoulder. 

Tubbo went down, giving him time to turn his attention on Elastic. She stretched the distance between herself and Wilbur, but he easily phased through her and appeared on the other side. He jabbed at her elongated calf and she stumbled back into her regular size. Now it was Tommy’s turn, he rolled forward and swiped her legs. She tried to retaliate but he was out of the way in an instant, and Wilbur had the chance to throw a fist across her jaw. Elastic stretched herself away in retreat, and Tommy shared an ecstatic grin with Wil. He definitely should not have felt this good about beating a woman. 

Their chance to celebrate was short lived though. A set of heavy vibrations hit Tommy and Wilbur and they stumbled to the side. Tubbo readied to send another wave, but Wil dematerialized and charged forward. Tubbo braced, Tommy stepped into his blind spot. Phantom swung and missed, Tommy jabbed Tubbo in the stomach, and Wilbur finished with a kick to the knees. 

Tubbo coughed as he landed on his back, groaning and tapping the ground. He was out. 

“You were right. His knees are his weak spot.” 

“Sorry bud,” Tommy muttered, though his tone indicated no remorse. 

“I know where you sleep,” Tubbo sputtered. 

Wilbur signaled to Elastic approaching from behind. “Get ready to go again.” 

They continued their same strategy from before, taking turns dodging, hitting, and running circles around her. Wilbur and Tommy seemed to read each other’s minds – which they were, in a way. Tommy hadn’t allowed himself to absorb Tubbo or Elastic’s powers, so when he moved he did so with Phantom’s fighting style. The complementary actions showed, and by the time the buzzer ended their match, Elastic was about ready to tap out as well.

When it was officially over a wave of relief settled over Tommy, only from the fact that he and Wilbur had done so well in their pairing. He hadn’t even had time to see how the other two did, though from their upright state he assumed they managed well. 

“Alright, that was our final trial. Well done everyone, we’re very happy with the competition we saw today. Rehydrate, rest up, and air out any grievances after training hours.” Noxite waved a hand and the group of heroes dispersed in a variation of pleased and tired conversations. “Sidekicks, Scott will decide your assignments and they will be posted tomorrow afternoon. You’ve got an hour to eat lunch and see Dr. Puffy if need be. You’ve got press and media training at two.”

The other Sidekicks began making their way to the cafeteria, but Tommy was stuck in place. His mind replayed those moments fighting beside Phantom, how it felt to work as a team. It had all gone so fast, a blur that didn’t even seem real in hindsight. He only wished he’d taken it in more before it was over. 

But he wasn’t worried. There was no doubt in his mind that he would be working alongside Phantom again soon.

– – – – ⊂⊃ – – – –

The concrete walls had exactly 314 scuff marks on them. She’d counted them over and over. It kept her busy, kept her mind focused on something other than what was happening beyond the small room she’d come to memorize.

Years ago, they’d set it up to look like a normal bedroom. Poster’s had been tacked up with useless wall putty, a spotted rug was tucked under the wooden bed frame. A bookshelf and a desk were pushed into the corner. Pretty pastels attempted to bring color to the lifeless room, but all the gray walls did was make them feel piteous. 

She’d torn it all down. The facade did nothing to hide what the room truly was: A cell.

So now the walls were barren, and that meant she could count all the imperfections that marred them.

The metal door opened earlier than it was supposed to. The mousey blonde girl wasn’t there to bring her food. Neither was the doctor with the crooked nose who prodded her and poked her with needles. It was him .

Bile immediately rose to her throat as her stomach flipped. Despite her urge to leap up and claw his face she stayed on her bed, legs crossed and back hunched. Her lips twisted into a scowl. She didn’t care if he saw; he already knew she hated him. 

The photo in his hand told her everything. Before he even spoke a word she was shaking her head, pressing her fingernails into her palms.

“I can’t.” It came out hoarse. She hadn’t spoken in weeks.

“Just a few more.” His footsteps were clunky as he came closer. “I promise.”

They both knew that the words were worthless. All he did was lie. But who was she to do anything to deny him? Maybe this time he was telling the truth. Maybe he would finally keep his end of the promise.

Just a few more. 

“Let me see.”

The man extended the picture, and without moving she scanned it. It was a boy, maybe a few years older than her. He was gangly and his smile was crooked. The wisp of a mustache was growing on his top lip. By all accounts, he seemed incredibly ordinary.

The air grew heavier as she stared, unmoving. The man was growing impatient as he shifted his weight with a grunt. “I’ll bring you that book you asked for. And we won’t need to destabilize you if you play nice.”

Robotically, she took a hold of the picture and the man’s posture untensed. He sucked in a breath, waiting and watching her carefully. Her eyes closed and she thought of the boy in the picture. His face was imprinted in her prefrontal cortex and she felt the bed beneath her disappear. There were no walls, no floor, no him. Only a void, and this boy. 

Her mind screamed and hissed like a balloon releasing air, hurtling through the blackness. Limbs curled and skin crawled in a hot sweat but she didn’t feel it. All that she sensed were the neurons taking over, firing like gunshots that never ceased. It hurt, the searing, ripping pain that got worse with each passing second. 

It would be over soon, and she’d be out for weeks. At least she had that thought to comfort her.

Finally the image of the stranger imploded, warping itself into the void as she let out a scream. The agony flashed white hot, then it was nothing, then it was over.

Her body fell limp, nearly lifeless, onto the daisy patterned bed spread.

Chapter Text

The Sidekicks’ second morning in Hero Tower had been packed with even more orientations than the day before. Everything from daily schedules to SMP responsibilities to security protocols had been covered in the span of only a few hours. Tommy worried his head would explode with all the knowledge that had been dumped on him.

While everything that the Sidekicks had been told was highly important, Tommy’s mind was only half focused on the training he was in. All he could think about was getting his placement, so much so that on more than one occasion he’d completely zoned out in his daydream of fighting crime with Wilbur, and had to be pulled back to reality by Tubbo. 

After their lunch break they were given the day off to rest in preparation of the intensive training they would be doing the coming week. The Sidekick Quarters were buzzing with anticipatory energy. No one’s conversation lasted longer than a few minutes as they waited for news to arrive. Tommy was getting so stir crazy that he couldn’t stop himself from pacing around the oversized room. 

The minutes dragged on, but at one o’clock on the dot a chime rang out from all six of their tablets. Bill was the first one to reach his device, and he held it up so everyone could see the projection of the results. Tommy barreled forward and clambered to read what Scott had sent.

“Come on man, open it up!” He shook Bill’s shoulder roughly, urging his friend to display the message. 

“Alright, alright.” He tapped the screen, and the list extended into the air. Tommy scanned it, eyes flying to his name. 

As he read it out, a cold, disbelieving numbness washed over his body.

“DREAM!” He sprung out of his seat, grabbing his curls with an iron grip. “What the fuck! They put me with DREAM?!” 

Everyone else stared at him, mouths ajar and faces contorted in concern. Tubbo checked the list again, making sure Tommy had read it correctly. 

“There has to be some kind of mistake,” Tommy reasoned. “Dream and I were the least compatible pair in that room. There must have been a typo or – or something!” 

The rest shared uncertain glances. Ranboo stood to try and offer some condolences. “We can talk to Scott and see what happened.”

Tommy ignored him, looking back at the list. “Did someone else get paired up with Phantom?” 

Aimee curled in on herself, nodding and barely raising her voice. “I guess I did.”

He tried not to yell out, though every muscle in his body wanted to smash the tablet to pieces. “That’s not – there’s no way – I mean you all saw how well we worked together, right?”

A chorus of agreement was returned. Aimee was devastated. “I’m sorry Tommy, I agree that you two should have been paired up.”

Tommy groaned. “It’s not your fault. You two worked well together, it’s just..” He fell into the couch, dragging his hands down his face. “Of anyone else to be partnered with, why the hell did it have to be Dream?”

When he’d had a chance to calm down from the initial shock, he looked around the room and noticed the quiet that had fallen over the rest of the group. No one was saying a word about their mentors. A second wave of distress hit as he realized he’d stolen everyone else’s moment of excitement.

He stood and walked towards the elevator. “I’m going to go find Scott.”  

“Do you want us to go with you?” Tubbo offered.

“No, you guys stay. You should have a chance to celebrate the Supers you ended up with. I’ll be back later.”

He vaguely heard a chorus of half-hearted mumbles as he stepped into the elevator and stared at the panel. There was no way he would remember the correct floor on his own, but luckily his comm was loaded with a directory. He found Scott’s office listed on the floor with the Board of Representatives, and took off for it. 

Scott’s door wasn’t hard to find. His name was listed under his title, Hero Liaison . Tommy raised his fist to knock, but began to second guess himself. What if his complaint made a bad impression? Was it worth it to say something, or would it only landed him in a sour position with Hero Tower? 

Before he could turn around and change his mind, he sensed a presence. 

“Do you need something Tommy?” 

Tommy nearly screamed as he whipped around and found a clone of Scott standing behind him. He forced a smile and shrugged. “I, um, it’s nothing – ”

“No concern is too small to bring to me. Come on in, we can talk about it.” The second Scott vanished, and Tommy turned back around to open the door. The real Scott was leaning forward at his desk, gesturing to a chair in front of him. “So Tommy, what’s on your mind?”

“Well, we just got our placements for our SMP mentors and – ”

“You want to know why I put you with Dream.” 

Tommy nodded and slumped into the seat. “I don’t think we’d work well together.”

“I thought you may have some qualms,” Scott paused and looked past Tommy to the office door, before meeting his gaze again. “We thought it would be best if you worked with Dream because he would push you to learn in a way you haven’t before. The SMP is a program designed to prepare you for life as a Super in all aspects, not just combat. It’s important that you learn skills in navigating your role as a hero in situations that aren’t entirely comfortable – such as working with someone who you don’t immediately click with.”

That made sense, though Tommy still didn’t see how he could manage to learn with someone who was too far up his own ass to be a good mentor figure. “But what if Dream doesn’t want to work with me? What if he doesn’t teach me what I’m supposed to know?” 

“He will,” Scott assured. “It may take some time for you two to find a rhythm, but I’m certain you’ll end up working great together. Dream is one of our best heroes, and you’re one of our best Sidekicks. You two will help each other grow.”

Tommy fell silent. There wasn’t much else he could say. It was clear that Scott wasn’t going to change his mind, and Phantom was already paired up with Aimee. Things were set in stone, no matter how much he wanted to argue against it. 

“Tom.” He perked his head up and Scott’s shoulders settled with a relaxed posture. “The person you work with during the SMP isn’t necessarily the person you’ll end up teaming with when you become a Super. We take preference into account when we place you on an official team.”

“Really?” Tommy’s eyebrows quirked up.

“Really.” Scott nodded. “I’d love to see an optimistic outlook from you during your time as a Sidekick. I’m sure you’ll end up being a great hero. Dream can help you get there.”

Tommy immediately swelled with an air of manufactured positivity. “Thank you Mr. Smajor. I won’t let you down. And sorry for interrupting you.”

“Not at all. That’s what I’m here for.” Scott leaned back in his chair and nodded towards the door. “I look forward to seeing how you do this year. You’ve got a lot of potential.”

When Tommy walked out of Scott’s office, he felt better. Not good, but better. He didn’t get what he wanted, but he had been filled with a sense of assurance. He’d push through and do his best while he was forced to work with Dream, and then he could team up with Phantom and The Blade for the rest of his time as a Super. Besides, just because he was Dream’s Sidekick didn’t mean that he couldn’t train and socialize with other Supers. He’d find time to work with Wilbur, even if it wasn’t in an official capacity. 

He had a goal now, a promise. All he had to do was put up with Dream for one agonizingly long year. 

– – – – ⊂⊃ – – – –

At six o’clock sharp, Tommy’s alarm shook him from his sleep. He slapped the button with the ferocity of a man on a mission, and was out of bed before his brain could convince him to roll back under the covers. 

He’d finally gotten around to unpacking his old clothes, but it didn’t feel right wearing them anymore. He opted instead to throw on a matching set of joggers and hoodie, both of which were emblazoned with an embroidered logo for Hero Tower. He marveled at the perfectly fitting athletic wear in the mirror, brushed his teeth, and combed his fingers through his hair. 

The closed doors in the hallway signified that he was the first one up. As he walked by Tubbo’s bedroom he slammed the bottom of his fists against it several times. “Come on Tubs, we’ve gotta go!”

Agitated groaning came from the other side, and he gave the door a few more knocks for good measure. 

Tommy decided to skip the coffee that morning. He already had enough energy as it was, and he figured that Dream wouldn’t be all too happy with having a wired teenager bouncing around The Dream Team office. 

What a prick, naming his whole team after himself , Tommy thought on instinct, but forced himself to usher out any negativity. Scott told him to be optimistic, and damned if he wouldn’t pretend to be Dream’s best friend to make a good impression.

A few minutes later Tubbo came trudging out of the room, feet dragging as he stretched with a yawn. 

“Come on man, they’re expecting us soon,” Tommy urged. Tubbo cast him a side eye. 

“I thought you were all Debby-downer over being Dream’s Sidekick.” His friend grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl on the counter. “What’s with all the energy?” 

“I told you last night, I have a new outlook. I’m going to make this work even if it kills me.”

Tubbo sighed, biting into his meager breakfast. “Sure, sure. I mean, if anything’s going to kill you, it’ll be Dream.”

Tommy paid no mind to his friend’s teasing. He was too busy planning how he would win Dream’s respect. He’d need to play it cool in order to mend the fact that he’d totally whiffed on their fight in Compatibility Trials. He wasn’t too worried though, Tommy knew he was a very likable man.

It also helped that he wouldn’t be going into it alone. Tubbo had been placed as Sapnap’s Sidekick, which meant that he’d have a friend with him while they went about their Sidekick responsibilities. However, that also meant that Tubbo needed to hurry it up so they wouldn’t get to the office too late. 

As he pushed Tubbo to move faster once again, Tommy heard Ranboo and Aimee chatting together as they made their way out of the common room. A twang of envy struck, but he held it together. Ranboo had been paired with Techno – not much of a surprise to anyone. Ranboo was the top of their class at Stronghold, and Techno was undoubtedly the most skilled hero in L’Manburg. Aimee, of course, was with Wilbur, so she and Ranboo would be working together under SBI. Tommy tried not to think about what he’d be missing out on as the two made their way off. 

“Alright, I’m ready,” Tubbo finally said. Tommy practically dragged him to the elevator. 

“About time. Better hope we’re not late.”

“Hey, at least we’re not the last ones to leave,” Tubbo pointed out. 

“Yeah, but they got paired with the chillest team in the tower,” Tommy reminded. Freddie had been matched with Jack, and Bill with Niki, neither of which were the kind to get fussy over small things. That, and Eret was the most laid back hero Tommy had ever seen. There certainly wouldn’t be much high strung energy for those two Sidekicks.

As they approached the floor of The Dream Team office, Tommy felt that same nervous anticipation that he had on their first day. This time it was different – his chest was weighed more by dread than excitement. He tried to tell himself that things would work out, but the hammering against his ribcage was starting to make him doubt that. 

When the elevator doors opened on floor 47, they weren’t sure what to expect. Unlike the floor with Scott’s office, this one was more of an open concept. The entryway acted as a sort of break room with couches and a kitchenette. Beyond that was a large meeting table, and smaller offices that branched off on the left and right. The uniform furniture and office supplies left it feeling sterile. The space wasn’t messy, but it wasn’t clean either. Random knickknacks and gadgets were left strewn about and the files around the center table had little organization. It was a well-used office, that was for sure.

“Hey, there they are!” Sapnap cheered from where he lounged on one of the suede couches, bouncing a rubber ball against the wall. George walked over from the kitchen holding a fresh mug of coffee, and gave them a friendly smile.

“You two ready for the boring stuff?” George asked as they shuffled awkwardly into the common space. 

“I guess so,” Tommy replied. He scanned the space a second time, noticing a distinct lack of a certain permanently masked hero. 

“Well, we might as well jump into it.” Sapnap let the ball bounce unceremoniously onto the couch cushion and heaved himself off his back. “Today we’re covering the basics on how things work in the tower.” 

He walked over to the central table and riffled through the stacks littered about. Eventually he found what he was looking for, and passed a file to each of them. The front was labeled with their names, and was thick with papers. Boring was certainly right. 

“DREAM!” Sapnap yelled, eyeing the office behind him. Tommy shrunk as lumbering movements came from inside, and the masked man begrudgingly opened the door. He leaned against the frame, stared at Tommy, then sighed. Sapnap urged him forward. “Don’t make me do all the lame stuff by myself.”

“I didn’t sign up to babysit,” Dream said, not moving from his spot.

“Well I didn’t sign up to have a dickhead as a teammate,” Sapnap retorted, and surprisingly, Dream snorted out an amused laugh. So the guy wasn’t entirely emotionally constipated. Tommy could work with that. 

As Dream reluctantly made his way over to sit across from Tommy, Sapnap leaned in closer to him and Tubbo. “He’s never had a Sidekick before,” he whispered in a less than discreet manner.

“I told Scott not to give me one,” Dream corrected. “But apparently we were a ‘good fit for each other’ .” It sounded like Tommy hadn’t been the only one to go to Smajor with complaints over his SMP match-up.

“Most people find me annoying at first, but give it a few weeks and we’ll be the best of friends.” As the joke left Tommy’s mouth he instantly regretted it. Dream’s painted face stared at him with palpable contentment. Apparently he’d need to be more delicate in his timing.

“He’ll get over himself,” Sapnap said to dissolve the tension, once again referring to Dream as though he wasn’t in the room. “But we’ve got stuff to do. Mainly, going over what your day to day will look like.”

Tubbo flipped through the packets of paper. “Are we expected to read all this?” 

Sapnap shrugged. “Probably. But I didn’t when I first started, so do whatever you want I guess.”

Tommy was becoming jealous of Tubbo. His mentor seemed cool. Far less moody too. 

Dream grunted and leaned forward, tapping his fingers impatiently on the wood. “Your role as a Sidekick is to do whatever we tell you to do. You’ll get your schedule at the beginning of each week, and you’ll follow what it says. Simple as that.”

“But we should talk about what you’ll be doing while you’re with us,” Sapnap added. “About half the time we’ll be in the office, the other half we’ll be training or in the field. Each hero team takes turns running patrols, when you’re out in the city with us we’ll be keeping an eye out for trouble or waiting for a dispatch call.”

“What do we do when we’re in the office?” Tubbo asked.

Sapnap motioned to the stacks of folders. “Paperwork. The less glamorous side to being a Super. After every patrol, we make a report. Each time we make an arrest, it’s a report. Interfere with an ongoing crime, that’s another report.”

“You’ll be making a lot of reports,” Dream punctuated. 

Tommy masked his disappointment. He certainly didn’t anticipate half his time as a Super being spent in a stuffy office filing papers. 

“But that’s only one part of the job. There’s plenty of time where you’ll get to be out doing awesome superhero stuff,” Sapnap assured. 

“You’ll also have lots of scheduled sessions throughout the week. Combat training, tech training, resilience training..” 

“What’s resilience training?” Tubbo asked.

Sapnap and Dream shared a mischievous glance, and Sapnap tried to hide a knowing smile. “Oh, you’re going to love it. Trust me.”

Tommy filed that one away for things to mentally dread. “Will we ever get to do anything with the other Supers?”

“We have weekly meetings with the rest of the tower. Other than that, you’ll be with us most of the time.”

Well that was certainly not what he wanted to hear, but Tommy did his best to mask his disappointment.

There was plenty more that the four of them discussed. Within the mountains of papers they were given was their expectations as Sidekicks and a detailed list of all the prerequisites needed to pass the Sidekick Mentorship Program and become a Super. 

Tubbo and Tommy stayed in the office for the rest of the morning, taking a tour of the space, getting trained on how to complete paperwork, and being assigned their joint office to work out of – one that was notably smaller than the rest. When noon hit they got lunch from the cafeteria and were off to the lab for their next scheduled training.

The two met with the rest of the Sidekicks in a wing of the lab where Sam and another technician were setting up an array of devices and tools on a long metal table. The girl helping Sam looked only a few years older than Tommy, and was dressed in a smattering of pinks beneath her white lab coat. 

“Welcome back to the lab!” Sam greeted. “Today we’re going to go through the tech devices we’ve developed here in Hero Tower. You’ll have most of these things at your disposal during any patrol or mission. Your powers alone may not always be enough to handle a situation, so don’t neglect the gadgets at your disposal. Let’s run through what we’ve got!” 

Sam clapped his hands together and rubbed them excitedly as he stepped around the table. “First up, something you’ll all have these built into your suits – friction pads. These help you to grip onto surfaces, whether that's quick stops on the ground or jumping off walls and ledges. They won’t stick you to a surface, but they will help you maneuver. Your boots will also be equipped with shock absorption, so large falls and jumps won’t wreak as much havoc on your ankles.”

Sam picked up a few round plastic balls. “Next, Adhesion Bonds. Throw these down, and whatever they touch will be stuck to it. Do I have a volunteer?”

Bill nudged Freddie forward, who gave him a glare. Sam laughed and motioned for him to put his hand on the table. “Go on, it doesn’t hurt.”

He did, and Sam threw the ball. On impact it burst open, ejecting a surprising amount of green goo. Freddie pulled, but was cemented to the table. “Ah man, this feels weird.”

“The only way to get it off is with the solvent,” Hannah brought over a vial of liquid, and when he poured it over the goo it shriveled away. 

Sam looked back at the line up of newcomers. “Bill, why don’t you help me demonstrate the next gadget.”

Bill’s satisfied grin dropped, and he slowly stepped forward. Without warning Hannah lifted a skinny, cylindrical object and it cast a blinding ray of light onto Bill’s eyes. He back pedaled and covered his face with a yelp. 

“Well that hurt like hell.”

“It’s twice as bad on someone who doesn’t have enhanced vision,” Sam promised, and Hannah set it aside. “We call them blinders. There’s also foggers, which release a cloud of non-toxic, foggy gas into a room. Be careful with these ones though, they’ll limit your vision too. They’re best used when you’re trying to get away from an attack.”

Next were a handful of small, hexagonal metal pieces. “These are stun pods. They’ll latch onto whatever target they hit, and release continuous waves of electricity. I won’t test these on anyone, they do hurt quite a bit.”

Sam went through a few more devices that they’d be able to use in various situations, demonstrating when possible. It didn’t take long for him to get through the bulk of the tech, leaving only one left untouched.

“What about that one?” Tubbo asked, pointing to a syringe-like object sitting in a metal box at the far end of the table. Sam nodded slowly, walking over and gently lifting with two fingers.

“That’s probably one of the most dangerous devices you can come across in Hero Tower.” He held it up so the light caught the liquid inside the clear glass tube. It was a purplish blue, and moved with more viscosity than water. “This is a destabilizer. One vial of it injected into the bloodstream will cause any set of powers to be temporarily disabled.”

All of the Sidekicks' eyes were trained on the device. Not one of them made an attempt to speak. The reputation for the tech preceded itself, but Sam went on anyway. 

“A destabilizer doesn’t just incapacitate a person’s powers. Once it’s injected, it triggers full body seizures, intense migraines, and temporary paralysis. The physical effects last around twenty four hours, but the person’s abilities won’t be fully recovered for several days.”

“Shit,” Bill whispered. Aimee shivered at the thought of it. 

“If it’s so debilitating, isn’t that risky to carry around?” Freddie asked.

“It’s very risky to carry around, which is why you’ll never have one when you’re out in the field,” Sam confirmed. “We don’t even keep many in Hero Tower. They’re mainly utilized on specialized missions, or injected into high-risk detainees before they can be neutralized.”

Hannah nodded in agreement. “We don’t often ask Super’s to use them, so you won’t have to worry about it.”

“But it’s important to know what it looks like, so you can avoid it if someone tries to use it against you,” Sam stressed.

“Has one ever been used on a Super before? Like, has a wrongin’ ever gotten their hands on one?” Tommy asked.

Sam shook his head. “Thankfully, no. The only Super who’s been injected is me – but I did that to myself.”

“Why?” 

“I was the one who created it. Before I put it out into the world, I wanted to make sure it worked.”

Tommy’s eyes widened. If that wasn’t dedication to the craft, he didn’t know what was.

“Anyway!” Sam placed the destabilizer back into the box, and locked it. “That’s the tech rundown. You’ll get a chance to train with the other devices with your mentors, but the last thing for today is to get you fitted for your suits. Hannah?”

Sam gestured to his assistant, and she perked up immediately. “Yes! Today we’ll get you measured and discuss the design choices you’d like for your suits.” 

Hannah motioned for the group to follow her to a table across the room, where dozens of swatches of materials and colors were laid out. She gave more direction about what they’d be able to use, and what styles were best suited for their abilities. A handful of other lab techs began taking the Sidekicks measurements as Hannah walked around with her tablet to consult each one on their design ideas.

Tommy had spent arguably too much time planning out his supersuit. He knew what he wanted for his color scheme – red and white – but had bounced around on ideas for what the design would be. Some powers lent themselves to obvious themes, like the lightning bolts that stretched down Thunder’s suit or the layered flames on Sapnap’s. He wasn’t so lucky to have an obvious design choice to go with. 

When Hannah got to Tommy, she already had a model of him prepared on her tablet. He told her about what he knew he wanted, and she flipped rapidly through the digital catalog of patterns and fabrics. The speed she worked at made Tommy’s brain hurt.

“What kind of style do you want to go for?” She prompted. Tommy shrugged.

“I don’t know. I’m like a jack of all trades, so I don’t really have one power to work with.”

Hannah tapped her stylus against her chin. “Well, since you can mimic, we can work with a chameleon inspired look.”

He scrunched his nose. “Seems a bit gimmicky.” 

“Alright, scratch that.” She paused, and then scribbled a few lines over his blank form. “What about focusing on your versatility. We can add a bunch of utility straps and compartments to the top – form and function. Then give the rest of the look a sleek, modern design in red and white.”

He looked over the quick sketch and immediately his breath left his lungs. The model she’d mocked up was utterly perfect, like she’d reached into the part of Tommy’s brain even he couldn’t even access. 

“Yes! Yes, a hundred times yes! That’s awesome!” Giddiness took over like he was a child again, drawing himself as a superhero in the margins of his school notebooks.

“Great! The last thing to decide is the kind of mask you want to go for.” Hannah rolled over a cart spread with prototypes. They ranged in size and coverage; some only went over the eyes, some just the mouth, and others covered the entire face.

Tommy was overwhelmed at his range of options. “What do you think is best?”

“It depends on what is most comfortable for you to fight in. Some people find it distracting to have something obstructing their mouths or eyes, so it’s up to preference.” She passed him one that stopped at the bridge of his nose. “Try one on and see how it feels.”

Tommy secured the mask over his face, adjusting to the feeling of it. It was definitely new, but wasn’t as uncomfortable as he thought it might be. He gave a few ducks and swings, pretending to be in a fight. The mask was designed not to shift, and he didn’t have any issue with it blocking his vision. He tried one that covered the lower part of his face, but didn’t like the way it disrupted his breathing. 

He wondered how Dream could fight with his mask; the design his mentor wore had see through mesh instead of cut out eye holes, and blocked his nose and mouth. He was probably grumpy all the time because he was constantly suffocating behind it. 

“This one felt right.” he passed off the mask that went over just his eyes. As soon as he did he realized that it was the same design that Phantom used. Perhaps subconsciously he was drawn to it for that reason.

“Great! I’ll create a set for you using your color scheme.”

Hannah jotted down her last few notes and wheeled off to Aimee, leaving Tommy with the realization that his new masks would become essential to him. Like Scott had told them the first day, they were heroes now. Their real names and faces were now a paramount secret. 

Public opinions on a Super’s need to maintain their identities varied, but most people agreed that anonymity was ideal. Not only for the Supers themselves, but for their family and friends. Being in their line of work meant making enemies easily, and though the tower provided plenty of safety, having your real name available for anyone to find was dangerous. The Federal Bureau of Hero Affairs did strenuous work in wiping all records of Supers from both physical and digital files, but it wasn’t impossible to figure out who was behind the masks. Discussing or theorizing over identities was a taboo subject though, not to mention that those publicly trying to uncover a Super’s real name were dealt hefty fines or jail time. So, generally speaking, a mask was enough of a barrier to protect you from losing your secret identity.

Tommy wasn’t all too worried about that yet though. It wasn’t like he had any enemies he needed to look out for. For the time being he could focus on training and perfecting his abilities as a Super.

Once all the Sidekicks had been consulted on their supersuit designs, they were finally able to retire for the evening. That day had been a long one, and the amount of information dumped into Tommy’s brain was already double what he’d learn in a week at Stronghold. 

But the fun hadn’t even started yet. Once Hannah and her team finished with their suits, they’d finally be able to get to go out into L’Manburg and start actually doing what Tommy had dreamed of all his life.

And he could barely wait.

– – – – ⊂⊃ – – – –

His head hurt like hell. That was the first thing that came to mind when he woke up from what had to be the worst night’s sleep ever.

But it was soon clear that the throbbing at the base of his skull was the least pressing issue at hand. He certainly didn’t remember falling asleep on the floor of a prison cell, yet there he was, caged in a metal box with nothing more than a slab for a bed and a toilet in the corner. 

“Shit,” he mumbled, trying to piece together any vague memory of the previous night. It was hazy, but he hadn’t been drinking, so he wasn’t sure why he felt like shit. His whole body ached, and his muscles were rigid. He was so thirsty it hurt to swallow. A pain rose steadily in his stomach. 

“Hello?” His cry came out hoarse. No one would be able to hear that, especially not through the solid iron door that kept him locked inside the tiny cell. 

He propped himself up against the wall, but found that putting any amount of weight on his arms caused them to collapse like Jello. He had to scoot himself with his legs, which were barely any better off. There was no way he would manage to get himself onto the pitiful excuse for a bed. Not that it would be anymore comfortable.

Besides his limbs being mush, his brain felt equally as pulverized. There was nothing in his recent consciousness that could tell him what had happened. It wasn’t entirely surprising that he was there – he knew it would happen eventually – but it would have been nice to know what got him arrested. When he tried to piece together a string of events, the throbbing in his head only tripled. Instead of pushing it, he opted to rest his eyes and wait for answers to find him.

Eventually he heard some sort of commotion coming from beyond the prison walls. Shuffling feet and a shadow under the door perked his attention, and he cleared his throat. “Hey! Where’s my phone call? I know my rights, asshole.”

No response. Instead, a metallic clunk sounded out and the door cracked open. He squinted, not realizing how dark it was in the cell until the wave of light flooded in from the hallway. Through the cracks of his vision he could make out the silhouette of a man, though he couldn’t see any details of his face. One thing was certain: the dude looked nothing like a police officer.

“He’s awake,” the stranger said, seemingly to know one. He watched as the man pressed a finger to his ear, nodded, then wordlessly stepped into the cell. A large, glistening syringe was poised between his fingers.

“Hey, hey, hey! What the hell are you – ”

The needle was stuck into a vein on his neck, and he was out before he could utter another word.

Chapter Text

Over the course of the next few days, the Sidekicks went through numerous different trainings with their mentor teams. The main focus in the first week was cooperatively meshing their abilities as a newly formed group. 

Dream was widely known for his strategic leadership, and thus was the one to coordinate The Dream Team’s missions. He’d been giving out directions all afternoon as their team of five ran through drills. Training dummies had been brutalized as they stood in for mock-villains, some burnt, some missing limbs all together. Their wear and tear was evidence of The Dream Team becoming more and more acquainted with the fighting styles of their Sidekicks.

The same couldn’t necessarily be said for every aspect of their team’s cohesiveness..

“Tommy!” That was the twentieth time Dream had angrily shouted his Sidekick’s name. This time was prompted when Tommy had gone for a close range attack rather than remain clear of the area. Dream nearly flung a metal cube into Tommy’s skull instead of the dummy.

“You said I was going to go in for the attack this time!” Tommy retorted, standing up with the training dummy in hand.

“No – I said Tubbo disables the opponent with a sound wave, I strike, then you go in to immobilize the target.”

“Well it’s not my fault that your directions were unclear.”

Dream glowered, and mentally jerked the dummy out of Tommy’s grip. It rammed into his chin as it suddenly flew in the air. 

“Ow!” 

“Oops.” Dream shrugged.

“Alright, I think we can call for today,” George interrupted, grabbing the ankle of the levitating dummy and pulling it back down. Tommy cast a hardened stare at Dream, who rolled his shoulders in annoyance. Sapnap stepped between them and bumped Dream’s shoulder, starting up some playful banter. 

As they put away the equipment, Tommy noticed that another group had also finished their training session in the neighboring gym. From the towering stature of the two heroes at the helm, it barely took a second to recognize who it was.

SBI.

Tommy threw the fighting dummies into the closet, focused switching to the Supers at the far end of the room. Ranboo and Aimee were chatting as they gathered their things and Techno was already out the door, leaving Wilbur alone. 

Without waiting for clearance from his mentor, Tommy charged over and stopped a few feet short of Wilbur. “Hey.” 

Phantom turned, taking in the Sidekick standing far too close to him. He put on a polite smile. “Hey. Tommy, right?”

“Yep.” Tommy attempted to ease the grin spreading into his cheeks. “It was great fighting with you during Trials. We really kicked ass.”

“I guess we did,” Wilbur hummed, moving away to wipe the sweat from his forehead. Tommy stepped right up beside him again.

“Ranboo said you have the rest of the day off today.” Tommy didn’t wait for a response. “What are you gonna do next?”

“Dunno,” Wilbur took a step back. 

“Well since you don’t have any plans, maybe we could hang out before my next training session.” Tommy wiggled his eyebrows. Wil glanced around, silently searching for an excuse to dismiss himself as he gathered his things. 

“Hm, I promised Niki I’d – ”

“I haven’t had a full tour of Hero Tower yet,” Tommy blurted. “You could show me all the secret places to chill.”

Wilbur paused, sending a puff of air out of his nose. He began to shut the request down, but he found himself staring at the palpable adoration in the Sidekicks eyes. He softened. “Sure, yeah. I guess I have some spare time.”

Tommy hid his excitement poorly. “Sweet! So where should we go first? Are there hidden passageways that take you to different parts of the tower? That would be sick. What do you do when you have time off? Do you guys have your own common area?”

Wilbur was already starting to regret agreeing to be a tour guide. “Wow. Um, yeah, we kind of have a common space.”

“Are Sidekicks allowed? Can I see it?” Tommy followed as Wilbur walked out towards the elevator. The Super took in a sharp inhale and wiped a remaining spot of sweat from his forehead.

“Sure, but only if you stop asking so many questions. And you let me change out of my workout clothes.”

Trying to find good graces with Phantom, Tommy refrained from releasing the entire barrage of inquiries he had stored for his idol. He tried to think of the best one to ask for their short elevator ride. “So, do you have a floor all to yourself?”

“Almost. There are two apartments per floor.”

“But you have your own?”

“Yep.”

“Cool.”

Tommy made sure to note the level Wilbur entered for his apartment – 64 – in the least creepy way possible. It might come in handy. After all, they were destined to become best friends. As they started their ascent, Wilbur leaned against the wall of the elevator. 

“So, how’s Sidekick training going?” Wilbur asked.

“Great.” Tommy left out all the parts about hating his mentor and wishing he were with him instead. “I can’t wait to get out and start doing actual hero work.”

“Is this what you always wanted to do? Be a Super?”

“Doesn’t everyone?”

Wilbur laughed with a shrug. “I suppose so. At least when you’re a kid.”

“Didn’t you want to? When did you get your powers?” Tommy caught himself from continuing his question avalanche, and let Wilbur reply.

“I got them when I was nine. Phased right through my bedroom floor when I woke up one morning. Scared the shit out of the old lady who lived below us. Landed on top of her fridge right as she was grabbing her juice.”

The elevator slowed to a stop and the doors opened to reveal a hallway with two doors at either end. Tommy peeked down to the left. “Who lives across from you?”

“Techno.” Wilbur used his comm to unlock his door. Tommy planted himself in the hallway, but Wil gestured for him to follow. “You can come in if you want. Don’t mind the mess.”

With cautious steps Tommy stepped through the threshold. Wilbur slipped into the bedroom to change, and it gave Tommy a chance to look around. The apartment was stylistically similar to the Sidekick Quarters, but had a more homey feel to it. There were shelves filled with hundreds of books, a desk littered with papers, and a guitar stand in the corner of the living room. The furniture had a distinct wear and tear that the Sidekick rooms didn’t. There wasn’t much else to glean from the appearance of the main room, but it was definitely surreal to be standing in Phantom’s apartment. All these things belonged to his favorite person, and they were completely normal. Wilbur was just a guy, something incredibly grounded that they both had in common.

“Right.” Wilbur stepped back out in fresh clothes. “Where to next?”

“The Super’s common room,” Tommy said, though he wouldn’t have minded staying there and chatting. There were a hundred more things he wanted to know. But he was happy to check out the place where all the coolest people in L’Manburg hung out together. As they walked back out in the hallway Tommy continued his barrage of questions. “Who’s your best friend in Hero Tower?”

“Probably Techno. Niki and I are close friends too. Phil would also be up there, of course.” 

Tommy came alight at the mention of the retired member of SBI. “What was it like being The Crow’s Sidekick?” 

“It was great. He was an awesome mentor, really taught me a lot.” 

“He’s, like, the best hero. Except you, of course.”

Wilbur laughed. “You think I’m the best Super in L’Manburg?”

“Of course!” Tommy said.

“I’m not even the best Super on SBI. Techno and Phil are way better than I am.” 

That was complete blasphemy. Tommy shook his head, playfully appalled. “Sure, they’re great in lots of ways, but you’re the whole package. You’ve got it all.”

Wilbur shook his head. “I think you’re giving me too much credit, man.”

If he’d had the time, Tommy would have listed off a dozen reasons why his opinion was right, but they’d finally reached the 50th floor. When the elevator doors opened into the massive common space Tommy dashed out to see it, but his feet instantly slammed to a halt. The room was completely empty, and the plush seats forming a circular hub lacked that worn in look that Wilbur’s apartment couch had. 

“Where is everyone?” 

“What do you mean?” Wilbur asked.

“Don’t you guys all hang out together?” 

Wilbur let out a knee-jerk laugh, but his mouth pulled closed when Tommy’s face remained genuine. “Um, yeah, no.. we don’t really use the common room all that much.” 

He tried to play it off, but Tommy’s heart had been shattered. Images of all his favorite heroes chatting and joking together after a long day of crime fighting were dashed. He assumed they were all a big group of best friends, that being a Super was like having a sleepover that never ended.

“Well, where do you go when you want to hang out with each other?” Tommy pushed, trying to maintain some semblance of his rose-tinted preconception. 

“Our offices or our apartments. But we don’t always have a chance between our different schedules and needing time to rest up.”

“Oh. I see.” 

In an attempt to mask his disappointment, Tommy ran his hand along the countertops that lined the perimeter of the room. There were trays of non-perishable snacks and drinks that had been perfectly laid out in even rows. None of it looked like it had been touched. He picked up one of the granola bars, and immediately crinkled his nose. “This thing looks disgusting.”

Wilbur laughed. “Yeah, it’s all health food in here.”

“You don’t even get the good stuff?”

“Not unless we go out and get it ourselves.” 

Tommy threw the bar back on the tray. “Scott said Sidekicks aren’t allowed to go out on their own.”

Wilbur chuckled. “That’s for the better. Without the rule I definitely would have gotten into a bit of trouble back when I first started.”

“Does it go by fast? It feels like I’ve been waiting forever and it’s only been a few weeks.”

“It’ll go by faster than you’re ready for,” Wil promised.

“Really?”

He nodded. “Don’t try and rush through it. Take your time, learn everything you can. I know you’re probably itching to go out on your own, but savor the security you have as a Sidekick.”

That wasn’t the advice Tommy wanted to hear, especially not with Dream as his mentor. “But I already feel like I’m ready. I’ve been training years for this.”

A distant glaze took over Wilbur’s features. “There’s a lot of things you still have to learn, and they’re not things taught in a classroom or a gym.”

Tommy nodded. He wondered if he would actually get any of those lessons working with Dream. So far all he’d gotten was annoyed grunts and passive-aggressive instructions. “Maybe you can teach me some things then.”

“What, since I’m the best hero in the tower?” Wilbur teased. 

“Yeah, since you are,” Tommy replied in earnest. They both laughed, and Wilbur’s Comm suddenly lit up. The congeniality was dropped as Wil flipped his wrist over so the hologram could be projected into the air. An image of Hero Tower’s logo rotated slowly and a programmed voice repeated a message. 

“Code 1619. All available Supers report to Syndicate Labs. High Level Threat, engage with caution. Defer to Team Leader for further instruction.”

“Shit.” Wilbur tapped the comm and the message retracted. “Course a call comes in on my day off.”

“Should I go with you?” Tommy asked as Wil hurried towards the elevator. 

“No, you stay here.” Tommy nodded, stopping and letting Wil punch in the number in the elevator. “We’ll finish up our tour later, yeah?”

“Yeah sounds – ” The elevator doors slid to a close, swallowing Wilbur with them. Tommy looked around the empty common room and sighed. “ – good.”

– – – – ⊂⊃ – – – –

In the cafeteria the next day, all the Sidekicks were wolfing down their breakfast in eager anticipation of getting to their first Tower meeting. Every Monday morning was set aside for all the Supers to converge, an epic ensemble of the most powerful people in the city. This would only be the second chance Tommy would get to see them all in the same room. This time there would be far less physical combat. At least, as far as he was aware. Who knew though, he would be down for some business related brawling.

It would turn out that the weekly meetings weren’t even half as entertaining as Tommy imagined. He reported to the ‘Assembly Room’ on the 49th floor with the rest of the Sidekicks. Most of the Supers were already there milling about the room. A few seats were taken around the octagonal table. Nameplates at the head of each spot dictated where the heroes sat, arranged by team, with spots for Sam and Puffy as well. Tommy found his alias – Mimic – etched into a silver plate between Tubbo and Freddie at the foot of the table. Instead of sitting, he decided it would be a good time to network. 

Phantom wasn’t there yet, but Technoblade was lounged in his chair looking bored. Perfect, he clearly needed someone to come strike up a conversation with him. 

“Hello.” Tommy plopped in the chair next to him. Techno raised his eyebrows in confusion. “What’s up Blade ?”

Techno glanced around as though Tommy was referring to someone else. “Uh, not much.”

“Good, good. Keeping crime off the streets?”

“Mhm.” Techno tilted his head after Tommy didn’t leave him alone. “Do you need somethin’ from me?”

Tommy shook his head. “You looked lonely. Though I’d come brighten your day a bit.”

“Great. That’s just what I wanted,” Techno sighed monotonously.

Tommy, completely missing the obvious sarcasm, carried on anyway. “I want to say how great of a Super you are. Like, massive. I always wanted to know, what’s the biggest injury you’ve ever healed from?” 

“You wanna talk about powers?” Techno asked reluctantly. 

“Yeah! I mean, you’re the only hero in L’Manburg to have two of them. That’s so sick! That one news clip where you got shot, and you didn’t even flinch, the bullet hole just closed right up – does it feel weird?”

“Kinda,” Techno shrugged.

“Do you have to think about it? Or does it just happen?”

“Just happens.” 

Tommy hoped that one day he’d get to feel the ability to heal himself. He’d always wondered if he’d be able to mimic two powers at once, or if he’d have to choose. “Ranboo said you rematerialize stuff out of Wilbur’s hand and into yours when you want to mess with him.”

Techno gave a short laugh. “Yeah. He gets pretty upset.”

“I bet we’d make a good pranking team, ay? I’m pretty good at practical jokes.”

“Are you?” 

“Oh yeah. Ask Tubbo, he was my roommate at Stronghold.”

“I can imagine his pain.”

Tommy was about to launch into the time when he hid all of Tubbo’s left socks, but a voice stopped him before he could tell the story.

“I think you’re in my seat.” Tommy whipped around to see Wilbur leaning over the chair with raised brows. “And it seems you’re also torturing my teammate”

“We’ve been having a great conversation, haven’t we Techno?” Tommy nudged him with his elbow, Techno flashed Wilbur a ‘help me’ glance.

“You were right, he asks a lot’a questions,” Techno said. 

“Right, hop off Tommy.” Wilbur waved him away and Tommy sprang up immediately. 

“We can finish our conversation later then. I’ve been wanting to swing by the SBI office anyway.”

“Bruh..” Techno mumbled. Wilbur cracked a smile and gestured for Tommy to go to his own seat.

The Assembly room doors opened with a grand swing, and Noxite walked in with Scott and Phil behind him. Everyone in the room quickly made their way to their spot as the three took their places at the head of the table. By the time Noxite had his hands clasped and surveying the group, the room was silent and waiting. Tommy knew he should be focusing on the Director, but his eyes were immediately drawn to The Crow instead. 

This was the first time Tommy had seen the retired hero in person, and he was even cooler than he appeared on TV. There weren’t many Supers who inherited physical changes from their powers, but The Crow was one of those exceptions. His long, ebony wings were tucked up now, fitted inconspicuously against the back of his pressed suit jacket. Tommy could only see a glimpse of the metal repairs that had been interspersed through the left wing.

Tommy knew exactly who had given The Crow his injury: Red – the very same villain that led the attack that changed his life nine years ago. That day had gone down in history as one of the worst events the city had seen. Red had popped up with no apparent motive. The whole of Hero Tower came down on him, but he was too powerful to be stopped, and the mechanical villain managed to escape without a trace. He certainly left devastation behind though, affecting both Supers and civilians alike.

“Let’s get started.” Noxite’s commanding tone brought Tommy back to the meeting at hand. “To begin, I want to welcome our new Sidekicks to their first meeting.”

A short round of applause followed, as well as a whoop from Karl. Noxite continued. 

“We have a few important topics today, then I’ll open the floor to any other good-of-the-order updates. First off, I think we should discuss the elephant in the room. We all know about the recent controversy surrounding the incident that Supreme and Dead Eye handled last week.” All eyes shifted to Punz, who kept his unaffected stare transfixed on Noxite. “The family of the deceased is trying to file a wrongful death suit, but since Dead Eye acted in self defense, we believe they don’t have a case.”

The ordeal had been prominent in the news. It was a simple corner store robbery, two armed men holding up the cashier. Ponk and Punz had responded and gotten the cashier out of harm's way, but while Punz was trying to incapacitate one of the men he’d smashed his head against the edge of the counter. Despite all attempts to stop the massive blood loss, the man died on the way to the hospital.

“I think now is a good time to stress the importance of exercising caution in combat situations. Accidents happen, of course, but the fewer deaths we can incur, the better, regardless of their ability status. The public heavily scrutinizes our organization when deadly force is used, and we can’t afford the negative press. Our live arrests were at 96% as of last year, I’d like to raise that by at least one percent.”

Tommy had to put a concerted effort not to squirm nervously in his chair. The idea of having to kill someone made his gut twist. He wasn’t under some childish notion that it would never happen, but he didn’t want to imagine himself being in the same situation as Punz.

“With that out of the way, let’s review the data from our last quarter.” Noxite nodded to Scott, who pulled graphs and numbers up on the screen. “You’ll notice that misdemeanors and juvenile crime rates have dropped by seven percent. We think that’s in part due to the ‘Crime Isn’t Cool’ video campaign that we put together for the schools. Polls showed that The Dream Team is the most popular group among ages eleven to sixteen, so having them as the forerunners was an excellent choice Scott.”

What Tommy wouldn’t do to get his hands on those videos. He desperately wanted to make a joke to Tubbo, but didn’t dare speak up during the meeting.

“However, there was a four percent increase in crimes from Powered Offenders. In response, we’ve decided to increase Super presence during peak crime hours, so you’ll see that reflected in your schedules.” Muted groans and displeased faces came in response. Noxite lowered his hands to his lap and put on a corporate smile. “Anyone who has a grievance with protecting the people of our city may speak up now.”

No one said a word. Phil shifted in his seat, leaning back and blowing a silent sigh through his lips. Noxite’s smile dropped. “Great. Moving on.”

The meeting continued with more dissecting of statistics and other general updates, none of which were particularly interesting. When Tommy envisioned Tower meetings there was way more discussion of super villains, and far fewer bar graphs. He felt like he was back in class again, struggling to pay attention during one of his lectures. 

Eventually the meeting started to wrap up, and something the Director said piqued Tommy’s interest. “Just a reminder that starting Tuesday, all Sidekicks will be going out on their first patrols with their teams. Tomorrow we’ll be completing one more preemptive training course to ensure their field readiness.”

As the meeting was called to a close everyone scattered, and Tommy attempted to catch Wilbur before he made it out. He slipped through Halo and Diamond to step in the path of escape. 

“We never got to finish our tour.” He announced. “We could do that now. You could show me your office.”

Wil gave a sad smile. “Can’t right now. Techno and I have patrol. Maybe later.”

Tommy’s shoulders sagged as Wilbur slipped by him. Whatever. That was probably best anyway. There were plenty of other people Tommy wanted to introduce himself to. 

But that opportunity would also be squandered. Noxite was quick to approach Tommy, startling him with his sudden appearance. “I’d like to have a meeting with you in my office later today. If I recall correctly, your team has the rest of the day off after sidekick training. Can I put you down for two”

Tommy’s chin fell as he mumbled out a response. “Yeah – yeah I’ll be there.” 

Noxite gave a satisfied nod and strode off, leaving Tommy to spiral into the worst case scenario – that, of course, being that Hero Tower had found out about his true powers. That was the end, all of it, over. He’d get his powers neutralized and his career as a Super would end before it even began.

He caught sight of his friends exiting into the hallway and raced after them, forcing his way between Tubbo and Ranboo. “How fast do you think you could make a person disappear?”

Ranboo ogled at his unhinged question. “What the hell are you talking about?”

Tommy steered them into a side hall away from the rest of the Supers. “Noxite just asked me to meet him in his office. I think they know about my – you know . I need to get out while I still can.”

With an understanding sigh, Ranboo shook his head. “Dude, it’s fine. He asked all the Sidekicks for a meeting.” 

“Oh.” Tommy’s posture slumped forward. “Well, that’s one disaster averted.”

“You are so dramatic.”

“No. I’m just prepared. That’s what makes me the best Sidekick out of us.”

“Sure.”

There was no telling exactly what to expect when Tommy walked into his boss’s office. Despite the fact that all the Sidekicks were asked to come in for a private meeting with the Director, Tommy didn’t have a particularly good relationship with the opposite end of a superior’s desk. But this time, there was a lot more at stake than getting detention.

When two o’clock hit Tommy was already standing anxiously at the door, and Noxite ushered him in with a jovial enough tone. There were no papers on the desk, nothing to indicate that there was something serious to discuss. Tommy lowered himself into the chair and waited with a half smile.

“Tom Simons, how have you been?” the Director asked, professionalism leading the conversation.

“I’ve been good. Things are going alright. Great, in fact. Loving everything.” Tommy internally cringed as the words kept spewing out, and had to force himself to shut up.

Noxite nodded his head in a slow bob, looking past his awkward response. “Good. You’re settling in well in the Sidekick Quarters?”

“Yeah, they’re great.”

“And no problems with training?”

“Nope.”

Sweat was gathering on Tommy’s collar, and he was mindful not to let his leg bounce in nervous anticipation. The Director’s expression was still completely unreadable.

“I’ve been observing you closely these past few days,” he said, sending dread over Tommy. Were there cameras watching him during training? Had he seen how horribly he and Dream had been getting along?

“Really?”

“Oh yes.” Noxite nodded, smile growing. “I must say, I’m quite impressed with your performance so far. You were a strong contender during trials, and I’ve heard your training sessions have been going well.”

That was not what he expected to hear. “Well.. Thank you sir.”

“You hold so much potential for our program. I was very pleased we were able to get you here in L’Manburg.”

“This was the only place I wanted to be,” Tommy replied honestly.

Noxite gave a pleased nod, and leaned back in his chair. “I understand you went to Scott regarding your placement with Dream – ”

“Yes, but I – ”

Noxite raised a hand. “Don’t worry, I’m not upset. I expected as much. But the fact that you’re willing to work with him and put aside your disappointment speaks to your character. I can already tell that he’s going to bring out the best in you.”

So Smajor had been right. Maybe it was worth it to be paired with Dream, at least it gave him some points with the boss. It couldn’t hurt to schmooze a bit further. “At first I didn’t see how valuable he’d be as a mentor, but I think it was the right call.”

“I’m glad we’re seeing eye to eye.” Noxite said with a subtle wink. “I knew I could count on you to pull through for us.” 

Tommy chuckled, unsure of what to say to that. Noxite tilted his head down, and spoke in a lowered voice. “I trust that what I say in private can be kept between us.”

“Of course sir.” 

“I wouldn’t want you passing this onto any of the other Sidekicks, but I think you’re on track to be the star performer of this year's recruits.

For once, Tommy was stunned into silence. “I.. wow..”

“As long as you continue to work with Dream and follow his lead, you’ll be up to his caliber by the end of the year,” Noxite promised. “Your records at Stronghold and your effort here show how dedicated you are to the SMP. It’s refreshing to see a young person like yourself show so much promise.”

“I’m here to do whatever it takes to become a Super.”

The corner of the Director’s lips curled. “Excellent.”

“I do have one thing I wanted to ask, though,” Tommy cautioned. Noxite raised his brows in anticipation. “I was just wondering if it would be possible for me to work with other teams – along with Dream, of course.”

Noxite quirked an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

Tommy’s palms started to feel moist, he discretely rubbed them on his pants. “I wanted to know if I could ever go out on patrol with another team, like SBI, for example.”

The Director grew quiet, and his expression twisted to consideration. “It may be possible.. down the road. But for now I want you to focus on your training with Dream.”

He did his best to mask his disappointment. “Yeah. I can do that.”

“Great. I’m glad we could chat,” Noxite concluded, clasping his hands together. “I think it’s important to have these periodic meetings, to keep up your spirits and make sure everything is moving along as it should. I’ll try not to add too much to your load, but your homework tonight is to review Hero Tower’s code of conduct. I’m sure you’ve studied it plenty of times – given your enthusiasm for the opportunity here – but I do want to ensure that each of our Supers and Sidekicks understand the expectations we have laid out.”

Tommy quelled the urge to salute to the Director, instead giving a fervent nod in response. “Yes sir. Will do.”

Noxite leaned back in his chair, pleased smile filling his face. “Good. I’m excited for what you’ll bring to the betterment of L’Manburg’s Hero Program, Tom.”

– – – – ⊂⊃ – – – –

The lights in the Sidekick common room were dimmed to a soft glow and the space was dead quiet. The brightest thing in it was Tubbo’s laptop screen, which cast a white light over the seventeen year old’s drowsy face. Varying colors illuminated the radius of his spot on the couch as he scrolled past news articles. The monotonous task had begun to lull him to sleep, and a glance at the analog clock in the bottom corner informed him it was nearly midnight. 

Everyone else had gone to bed hours ago, and he should have done the same. He wasn’t entirely sure why he’d neglected sleep. Perhaps it was old habits from Stronghold, maybe it was because his new room felt foreign still. If he only focused on his computer screen he could turn the world around him to fuzz, pretend he was somewhere far more comforting than the severe architecture of the Sidekick common room. But staying up late scrolling through speculative tabloids on L’Manburg’s newest Sidekicks wasn’t doing himself any good.

Reluctantly, Tubbo’s fingers slipped over the top of the laptop. As he was about to close it a soft ding sounded out. He tipped his hand to the side as the notification bar slid onto the screen. He hovered his finger over the flashing alert for a second before he tapped it. 

The Instant Messaging app expanded to fit his screen, and he furrowed his brow. The message had been sent to an old account from before he started at the Stronghold. He didn’t even realize he still had it.

He clicked on the new conversation thread.

Is this Toby?

The message was sent from a username Tubbo didn’t recognize. He was about to dismiss it as spam, but a second message came through. 

I need help.

Tubbo’s heart lurched, and before he could think better than to reply, his fingers flew to the keyboard. 

who is this?

Eloquent. He waited for only a few seconds before a reply came through.

No names yet. 

We went to the same elementary school.

Tubbo bit the inside of his cheek. He shouldn’t have been entertaining whoever was doing this, but that didn’t stop him.

give me proof you knew me

March 2033, you spilled juice on the front of your pants and everyone thought you peed yourself.

They called you To-pee for the rest of the year.

okay okay

i believe you

why are you messaging me?

You’re in the SMP, right?

Tubbo looked over to the hallway where the rest of his friends were sleeping, and pulled his screen closer against his chest. 

why would that be important?

Because I need help from someone with special abilities.

And you’re the only person who I could think to ask.

there are plenty of people who are much more qualified to help you

I can’t get Supers or cops involved.

then why are you asking me? 

Because you’re not really a Super. Or a cop.

i’m a sidekick though. what makes you think i wouldn’t rat you out?

It may have been awhile since we last saw each other,

but I don’t think you’re that kind of person.

Tubbo scrunched his eyes closed and inhaled a long breath. He should close the laptop and report it to Sapnap. He could get in serious trouble for going through with this, hell, he could get kicked out. This wasn’t his problem to solve and he didn’t need to take the risk of involved. All he had to do was walk away.

But whoever was on the other end of the screen was right. Tubbo wasn’t that kind of person.

i won’t promise anything. but i’ll hear you out

Thank you.

One of my friends went missing. I would have called the cops,

but there may or may not be a warrant out for him.

Let’s just say he takes part in some less than legal operations.

The last time I saw him was when he was leaving our apartment to go

on a job with this group he usually works for.

That was five days ago. He hasn’t come home or called,

and he’s never dropped off the map like this before.

why don’t you ask the people he was working with?

they might know where he went

I did. I asked anyone who might have even the slightest idea what happened to him.

and? what did they say?

That’s the thing. Nobody knew what I was talking about.

No one else remembers that he exists.

Chapter Text

“You realize how crazy that sounds.”

“Yes, Tommy, I’m well aware.”

“And you actually believe him?”

“Maybe.”

Tommy jabbed a fork into his mound of waffles, dashing them through the pool of syrup with an incredulous scowl. “Do you even know this guy's name?”

Tubbo toyed with the napkin tucked under his glass of juice. “No. But he went to elementary school with me.”

“How do you know he wasn’t lying?” Ranboo asked.

“He had some very good proof.”

“What did he – ”

“ He had proof. ” Tubbo cut in. “Trust me.”

The three Sidekicks quieted as a group of desk jockeys strolled past with their breakfasts to go. After they were out of ear shot, Tommy leaned in close again.

“Even if he does know you, and he is telling the truth, this could get us in huge trouble. Like, kicked out of the SMP trouble,” Tommy pointed out.

“I know. It’s probably best that we turn this over to The Dream Team and let them handle it, but..” Tubbo shifted his weight. “I just have this gut feeling.”

Ranboo pointed to Tubbo’s plate. “Are you sure it’s not the breakfast burrito?” 

Ignoring the comment, Tubbo pulled his shoulders closer to his ears. “I understand why he doesn’t want law enforcement involved. We may be able to help him out without any Supers. I feel like we should sit on it. Think about it. ”

“I’m sorry, but what is there to think about?” Tommy asked. “We’re just a mixed bag of Sidekicks. What are we going to do?”

Tubbo looked to Ranboo for back up, but he had nothing to say, silently lifting his spoon of cereal to his mouth instead. With a sigh Tubbo turned his attention back to Tommy, but was cut short. Freddie, Bill, and Aimee were stepping out of line with their breakfasts. Tubbo pushed his half eaten meal to make space at the table.

“Look, I’m not asking you to jump into anything. Just think about it. We’ll figure out what to do later.” He whispered before the other three could join. Tommy put on a faux smile as their friends took their seats, but beneath the surface he was stuck thinking about the strange messages Tubbo had relayed to him and Ranboo.

The energy in Hero Tower was unique that day, different than the usual constant hum of productivity that imbued the hallways. A fresh excitement was alive in the Hero floors as each Super prepared for that day’s unique training session. It was only twenty four hours until the Sidekicks went on their first patrols, and in preparation the newcomers would be put through one last round of training. Its official title was unknown to Tommy, though he’d heard Sapnap refer to it as ‘the gauntlet’. 

The various gyms and training spaces had been transformed into a series of stations to be rotated through. Surprisingly though, the leads of each rotation were mixed together rather than separated by team. The disbursement of heroes and the odd pairings only added to the atypical atmosphere. Tommy was thrilled at the unique arrangement. There were plenty of Supers he’d grown up admiring that he wouldn’t otherwise have a chance to work with: Diamond, Halo, Double Vision, Wilbur and Techno, of course. Though the conversation from breakfast still rattled in the back of his mind, he had enough to distract himself from the pressing issue. 

For their first rotation, Tommy and Tubbo were sent to practice with the Tower’s technology. Sam was in charge, with Niki and Punz there to assist. The training was fairly simple, just a review of how to effectively employ the devices, when they're most effective, and how to make sure you don’t accidentally use them against a teammate. 

“You won’t be perfect with them yet, and that’s okay,” Niki assured as she handed the Sidekicks each a fogger to test. “The first time I used one of these, I somehow got it stuck on Jack’s boot and he was blinded for a minute straight. I’m sure you can’t do worse than that.”

Tommy laughed at the image of Jack flailing about in an attempt to dislodge the smoking device. “Really? Was he alright?”

“Yeah. A little bit flustered after, but nothing I couldn’t alter.”

Niki, much like her power set, was a calming presence in the midst of instruction. Tommy was thankful for that too, considering that Punz gave the opposite effect. It wasn’t clear if it was tactical advantage or natural energy that made Dead Eye so intimidating. Likely, a mix of the two.

“Aim for the torso – good,” Sam commended as Tommy threw a stun pod into the training dummy. Next to him, Tubbo struggled with the same accuracy. As Sam corrected Tubbo’s form, Tommy became acutely aware of Punz’s burning stare. A man of few words, the Super opted to watch from a distance with an ever growing impatience. 

“A little more in the wrist. Closer,” Sam continued. Tommy was about to throw another, but let his arm slowly fall as Punz finally stalked towards them with unyielding strides. He grabbed a stun pod from Niki’s hand, and without even looking at the target, landed one square on the dummy’s neck. Sam stilled with raised eyebrows, jaw tightening. Without a word, Punz pivoted on his heel and returned to his position against the wall. 

“Thank you for the demonstration,” Sam bit, glare lingering on Dead Eye a few seconds after he turned back to Tubbo. Their practice continued, and Niki brushed Tubbo’s arm as she walked past him. The tension in his shoulders fell away, and he managed to land a suitable hit on the dummy.

Next was hand to hand, but this particular training was focused on disarming attackers. Techno and Ponk acted as the assailants, wielding crowbars, unloaded guns, and other improvised weapons to facilitate the exercise. Sapnap and Skeppy took turns helping them in the fights, but the aim was to have the Sidekicks do most of the leg work. 

It was a tall order to get the better of either of the two. Ponk’s super strength made him a powerhouse of a hitter, even without him using it to the full extent. Of course, Techno was a combat god. He could wield a two by four like it was an expertly crafted sword. There was no limit to his weapon mastery, and it wasn’t even one of his super powers. Still, imbuing himself with Techno’s abilities gave Tommy the upper hand he needed to anticipate and defend against The Blade’s attacks. 

After a few rounds of disarming practice, Sapnap decided it was time they called it for their station. With a couple extra minutes to spare, the group devolved into unsanctioned combat quickly. Sapnap was singeing Ponk’s arm hairs whenever he wasn’t looking, and Ponk retaliated by trying to throw him across the room. Skeppy wasn’t helping resolve the situation by any means, purposefully turning to stone in Sapnap’s path of escape to allow Ponk to grab him. Techno stood back with Tommy and Tubbo, watching the chaos erupt. 

“You’re not going to stop it?” Tommy asked. Sapnap erupted into a burst of fire, but Skeppy was now a mass of obsidian.

“Not yet,” Techno said.

Ponk successfully lifted Skeppy overhead, causing him to return to a human state. He threw Skeppy at Sapnap, both of them colliding and toppling in a jumble of pained groans. With the two taken down, Ponk grabbed one of the crowbars and spun it in his hand, ready to take the fight to the next level.

“There we go.” Techno pushed himself up from the wall. He held his arm out, and the crowbar that was once raised above Ponk’s head materialized in Techno’s hand instead. With a look of fear, Ponk scrambled back to seek shelter behind the others. Sapnap squealed and shoved Skeppy forward as Techno swung. Skeppy turned himself into diamond just as the crowbar made contact. The fight would have carried on further, but Scott had discovered their antics and quickly announced that it was time to switch.

Perception tasks came after. It was a nice break in pace to slow down and focus more mental energy than physical. Bad and George led them through a series of staged scenes, with Jack and Tina playing various roles in each. The goal was for Tommy and Tubbo to work together to pick out possible threats and read the environment for information.

In the first scenario they had to identify signs of a bomb threat, which they were able to assess quickly. It only took a few minutes to identify the location of the fake explosive and disarm it. The second was set to look like a warehouse, with boxes stacked to create a maze-like arena. The only information George gave was that there was an alert to criminal activity, and that they were supposed to investigate. Bad went with them, prompting along the way.

“What’s your first move?”

Tommy motioned for them to crouch behind the first set of boxes. As they did, Tubbo concentrated on the space around them. “There are two sets of heat waves coming from there, and there.” Tubbo pointed out two locations in front of them. 

“Friend or foe?” Bad asked.

“Assume foe, hold attacks until we know for certain,” Tommy replied. He was ready to move forward, but Tubbo held out a hand to stop him.

“Wait.” Tubbo tipped his head, and refracted the light waves onto the floor. “That’s a trip wire.”

A stifled smirk pulled the corner of Bad’s mouth. “Interesting observation.”

The Sidekicks maneuvered past the trap, keenly aware of anything else in the space. As they came up on the location of the heat signatures, Tommy peered around the edge of the crates. Tina was pacing in circles around Jack, who was tied to a chair. Tommy held up a fogger with a grin before throwing it at Tina’s feet. The distraction allowed them to reach her without being seen, and in a matter of minutes they had “detained her” and set Jack free. 

“Wow, my heroes!” Jack gushed in an overtly boyish manner once the ropes were dropped. Tubbo chuckled.

“Don’t worry brave citizen, you’ve been saved.”

“Sorry about the fogger though. Heard you aren’t too keen on those,” Tommy teased. Jack squinted in confusion, before his face fell. 

“Did Niki tell you about that? I swear..” 

They wrapped up in that station and moved to their last: stealth. An obstacle course had been set with an objective to reach. Eret, Karl, and Wilbur acted as guards to get past, while Dream took the lead in giving instruction through an earpiece. 

For the first round none of them used their powers, and it was fairly simple to get past them without detection. Eret was the hardest to evade, their partial blindness increased the use of their other senses; one scuff of a shoe would set off their alarm bells immediately. 

It only became more challenging when the Supers used their powers. Wilbur’s intangibility made him almost impossible to track and rendered walls useless. With Karl slowing down time for short bursts, he could get on top of them quickly, and they could never be sure that the Eret they saw was the real one.

Even with Dream giving call outs, they couldn’t manage to make it to the objective once. It was becoming a competition between the Supers, they kept track of their wins. Sitting at zero, Dream was growing frustrated.

“Chronos to your left. No, other left!” They scrambled out of range, only to be met with another agitated command. “Phantom phasing through – shit!”

Tommy startled as a pair of hands clamped onto his shoulders. He groaned and let himself fall to the floor.

“That’s my third win!” Wilbur gloated. He leaned down close to Tommy’s earpiece. “And Dream’s still at nil, if I recall correctly.”

“You mother – ”

Tommy’s eyebrows shot up, the voice in his ear disconnected and was replaced by the real one. Dream stormed into the arena and tossed his headset at Wilbur. “You want to try guiding them? Be my guest.”

“Maybe if you weren’t giving shit callouts it would actually be a challenge to catch them,” Wilbur quipped, a goading smile pressed to lips. Tommy shrunk against Tubbo.

“I’ll show you a challenge, Soot.” Dream’s fingers curled and two sets of shelves rose from the ground. Wilbur cocked his head to the side, the opacity of his form began to fade. Before either could move, an illusion of Eret popped up between them. Wilbur rematerialized and Dream dropped the shelves. 

“Save it for The Ring.” The real Eret stepped over, commanding resonance easing the tension. Neither wanted to be the first to turn away, but eventually Wilbur stepped back. Dream retreated after, eyes following Phantom.

Tommy was now more hung up on Eret’s words. “What’s The Ring?”

Dream skimmed right past the question, not giving any attention to his Sidekick. Realizing he wouldn’t take on the responsibility of answering, Wilbur stepped up. “Nothing. Don’t worry about it.”

Far from satisfied, Tommy was about to do exactly the opposite, but their final training session was officially concluded by Scott. All six Sidekicks were given the rare luxury of getting the remainder of the day off to rest and prepare. Tomorrow would be their first patrol. It was important that they were at the top of their game. Of all the milestones thus far in their training, this was by far the most monumental.

And Tommy could hardly manage the wait.

The final piece of the puzzle came the following morning. Tommy awoke to a message on his comm, telling him that the Sidekick’s supersuits were ready. He took no time to bother changing out of his pajamas, going straight for The Dream Team’s office floor. All supersuits were set up in pressurized glass displays that stood permanently in the team’s gear storage room. Just as promised, his case was now standing next to Dream, George, and Sapnap’s.

Tommy veins were electric when he saw it for the first time. An whispered ‘holy fucking shit’ left his lips as the case opened and the mannequin rose up to come into full view. Hannah had completely surpassed any expectation for his first suit. 

It was a classic style, form fitting with short sleeves and armor padding. The suit was red with white in the center of the chest and the inseam of the pants. A multifaceted belt united the pieces together and two utility straps ran parallel up the torso. As was planned, pockets covered the suit. White boots and fingerless gloves finished off the look for a sleek, yet versatile design.

This supersuit was a dream. It was his. 

Putting it on was akin to floating outside his own body. When Tommy looked in the mirror he didn’t even recognize himself. He reached up to touch the red mask over his eyes and felt up and down the suit. If it weren’t for the sensation of the reinforced fabric under his fingers, he wouldn’t believe it was real. 

In an instant he was ten again, looking in the mirror at the Phantom costume he found for Halloween. He’d been ecstatic then, unable to fathom any greater joy than seeing himself in the likeness of his hero. Yet there he was, long gone from the days of baggy, cheaply made merchandise, now with a supersuit that fit his measurements to the smallest detail. They would be mass-producing his costume one day.

When the time came, Tubbo and Tommy met The Dream Team in the basement level of the tower where black cars with tinted, bullet proof windows waited to take them to their patrol sector. Beneath the first floor of the tower was a system of tunnels that led out to the city. The exits that popped up along the main streets appeared to be normal garages, nearly indistinguishable to a civilian eye. Tommy had probably walked past them before without realizing they were well disguised entrances into the basement of Hero Tower. 

There was a lot to debrief as they were driven out into the city. Dream made certain that Tommy understood the expectations, primarily the one about following any and all directions. Unlike training in the gym, being out on the streets meant unpredictability and an increased risk of getting hurt. One wrong move could mean a fatal accident. 

Though Tommy was definitely not one to take things too seriously, he made an exception for anything hero related. There was a time and place for fun and jokes, but his first ever patrol was not one of them. He trailed closely behind Dream as they got to their designated lookout point – the roof of L’Manburg’s Flight and Aeronautical Building. From the top they could see miles in each direction. The wind whipped at their suits as they stood at the edge of the skyscraper, peering out over the streets below. Tommy was on top of the world.

“So what happens now?” He glanced between the Supers, and Dream leaned forward ever so slightly.

“We wait.” He plopped down and dangled his feet over the edge. Sapnap and George found similar comfortable positions, leaving Tubbo and Tommy the only ones standing at the ready.

“For how long?” Tubbo questioned. 

“Until we get a call from dispatch.” Sapnap held up his wrist and showed the hologram of the radio broadcast for police-Super correspondence. 

Tubbo glanced down at the time. “So we wait around for four hours until something happens?” 

Sapnap grinned. “Pretty much.”  

“After a while we’ll roof-hop to a different lookout location and stake out there,” George said.

Tommy looked down at the street below, barely able to make anything out. “How long does it take for a call to come in?” 

“Depends on the night,” George replied. “Sometimes it's minutes, other times it takes hours. Weekends are usually busier.”

“It’s Tuesday,” Tubbo informed.

“Get comfy,” Sapnap said.

Tommy let out a deflating breath and stepped over to the roof where Dream sat. He glanced down at the empty space next to his mentor, taking too long to decide whether or not he should fill the empty space. 

“Well? Are you waiting for an invitation?” 

Tommy bit his tongue, letting the snark roll off him as he dropped down next to Dream. He leaned forward and rested his arms on his knees. “So. What do you guys do while you wait?” 

“Enjoy a break from the Tower.” This time Dream’s response didn’t hold the usual air of sarcasm. Tommy tilted his head to the side with a shrug.

“I guess it is nice to get out. Starts to feel a bit stuffy after a while.” 

Dream gave a hint of a nod. It wasn’t often that Tommy was at a loss for things to say, but right now all his usual chattiness was being suppressed by the fear of saying the wrong thing. He wasn’t anywhere near Dream’s good graces, and the man was harder to read than a book written in a dead language. 

After a few minutes of internal debate on what to say, Dream broke their silence. “Check this out.” 

He lifted his comm and extended a wall of text with a picture at the top. Tommy scanned the title, one that immediately screamed clickbait headline – Dream’s New Sidekick: Blessing or Nightmare? The picture was a spliced together image of Dream’s mask next to a blurred out stock image of a sidekick. 

“Is that about me?” Tommy scrunched his nose and leaned closer to read the article. 

“Are you surprised?” Dream laughed. He pulled the projection away before Tommy could see much of it. All he managed to catch was the speculative first sentence: Will Dream’s first Sidekick be the next best Super to come through Hero Tower, or will he crash and burn before he ever gets his cape?

Tommy tried to laugh off the lack of faith the article had for him. “I’m just a bit surprised is all. I didn’t even realize anyone knew who I was yet.”

“Scott released the information this morning,” Dream informed. “In 24 hours your name will be plastered all over the headlines.”

Tommy’s heart jumped at the thought. “Really?” 

“Oh yeah. In fact, by the time patrol is over there will be plenty of pictures published of your first appearance.”

“But I haven’t made an appearance.”

Dream snorted a laugh. “ This is your first appearance, Mimic. By now I’m sure there’s been at least a dozen pictures taken of us.”

“Are they taking pictures of us now?”

“Probably not. But you never know.” Tommy looked around, waiting to see the flash of a camera. Dream chuckled. “Lesson number one – always assume someone’s watching. Anything and everything you do can be caught on film. Try not to look like an idiot.”

Tommy nodded slowly, now consciously aware of any small movement around him.

It took a long time for anything of note to happen during their patrol. In the uneventful hour that passed, Tommy couldn’t help his brain from running wild with the thought of the bomb Tubbo dropped that morning. He had no idea what to make of it. It could be a lie, they could be getting baited, this could all be a ploy of some kind. Not to mention the trouble they could get in for just knowing about it and not telling anyone. 

It was a bad idea to even entertain, that was for certain. Tommy glanced back at Tubbo standing beside Sapnap and George, wishing he could read his mind. He seemed unbothered, but he always looked that way. 

“We got one.” Sapnap tapped the side of his ear piece, and Dream and George sprung up in ready positions. “It’s a Neutral, east bound on Prime, vehicle pursuit.” 

“A Neutral?”

 Dream was already following Sapnap down the fire escape, ignoring Tommy’s attempt for clarification. “Someone without powers,” George responded instead.

“Heading our way,” Sapnap reported as they neared ground level, and Tommy could hear the sirens streaming quickly towards them. The civilians on the street had already begun to turn towards the commotion, and the emergence of The Dream Team only escalated the intrigue of the onlookers. 

“Mimic.” Tommy snapped up and focused on Dream. “You and Beeline keep the crowds back. Do not engage.” Tommy started to move, but Dream grabbed his arm and pulled him back. “I said, do not engage, understood?”

“Yeah, I got it.” Tommy yanked his arm away with a huff. Tubbo was already doing his best to herd the people off the sidewalk they were on. Traffic was pulling to the side of the road, and when the coast was clear Tommy crossed to the opposite side to manage the other crowd. He glanced back long enough to see The Dream Team stepping into place. 

The three moved in sync, like they were performing a dance routine for the hundredth time. Dream stood in the middle of the road, Sapnap and George on either side of him. Sapnap’s hands were beginning to glow orange as flames rose up the sleeves of the suit. The others were posed like immovable rocks.

The vehicles sped closer, flashes of blue and red lighting up the street. As the fleeing car came into view Dream held his hands out in front of him, fingers slowly curling as though he was holding an invisible force. The suspect’s engine revved harder as it hurtled straight towards the Supers, but with a single flick of Dream’s wrists the car launched into the air and hung suspended overhead. Torch sent a wave of scorching air forward, and the tires began to break down from the intense heat. 

Three police vehicles peeled to a halt as Dream brought the car back down with a crash. The melted tires tried to spin free, but they were useless. In a last ditch effort the suspect flung open his car door and ran for an opening, but Sleepwalker was on him in an instant. As soon as George made contact with the man’s arm, he dropped, completely unconscious. 

A low round of applause and whopping sounded from the civilians, and some tried to push forward to get a better view of the police arrest. Tommy stood as tall as he could and commanded a powerful tone. “Please stay back, the situation is under control.”

Despite his attempts, a few people managed to slip closer to the scene. Tommy tried to corral them away, urging them to stay put. He yelled out a few more times, losing control quickly. Suddenly the mass of people stopped. It soon became clear that he wasn’t the one who’d found control of the crowd.

“Everything’s taken care of, let the authorities do their job.” Dream stepped in front of Tommy with authoritative composure. The onlookers averted their attention from the road to Dream. Like a flipped switch they began to bombard the Super with questions and pushing things forward for autographs. Dream held a calming hand, expertly grabbing pens and signing hands, papers, and clothing as he addressed the fans he’d amassed. 

Tommy stepped to the side, feeling like his mind and body had become completely disconnected. He wasn’t entirely certain which side of the crowd he was standing in, one foot still in both worlds of fan and hero. His fingers flexed around the padded spandex of his supersuit. 

A young boy, no older than ten, had slipped closer to the heroes with a notepad clutched in his hands. His eyes drifted from Dream to Tommy. “Who are you?” he asked, a combination of wonder and dismissal.

As his mind came back to him, Tommy almost let his real name slip past his lips, but he caught it with a smile. “Mimic, at your service.”

“Okay Mimic. Can you sign my book?” 

Tommy opened his mouth, but nothing came out, so he wordlessly grabbed the pen and notebook from the kid. As he put the ink to paper he realized he’d never written his alias before. With his best handwriting he formed the name in arching loops. Before handing it back he briefly looked at the pages prior, noticing that he wasn’t the first signature in it. Chronos and Double Vision’s names were there, as well as Phantom’s. 

“You got quite a collection,” Tommy said.

“Mhm. I’m trying to get a signature from every Super in the city.” The boy brightened as he replied. Tommy’s grin grew wider.

“Do you want to be a Super when you grow up?” 

The boy nodded. “Yeah. But I don’t have powers. So I’ll probably never get to.”

“You know, I didn’t get my powers until I was 11.” 

“Really?”

“Really. It’s never too late.” 

The boy pulled his notebook to his chest and soaked in that idea. “I think I’d be a great superhero.”

“I don’t doubt that.” Tommy glanced over to Dream, who had finished his obligatory handful of fan interactions. “What’s your name, Kid?”

“Michael.”

“Well Michael, have you gotten Dream’s signature yet?” Michael shook his head, and Tommy motioned to get the notebook back. The boy passed it over, and with a wink, Tommy shoved it into Dream’s hand.

Dream cast Tommy a sideways glance, but didn’t say anything to indicate his discontent. 

“One more signature,” Tommy stated, nodding his head to Michael. From behind the mask he could hear Dream take a long inhale.

“Of course!” The Super’s tone was dripping in faux congeniality. He scribbled his name over the page and shoved it harshly back into Tommy’s hand. Michael was glowing as he reached up to grab his notebook.

“Thank you!” He beamed. 

“Sure thing,” Tommy said. “Keep working hard, Michael. Maybe one day you’ll get to join Hero Tower too.”

From the fringe of the crowd, flashes started sporadically snapping in their direction and hurried voices started to rise above the others. Dream pulled away from the fans, waving as he went. 

“Paparazzi are here,” the Super muttered, only loud enough for Tommy to hear. “Time to go.” 

Tommy gave a playful salute to Michael and spun around to follow his Mentor. Dream expertly maneuvered them away from the photographers trying to catch a picture of the two heroes. Curiosity overtook his better judgment, and Tommy cautioned one glance in the direction of the paparazzi. The second his face was in view, dozens of cameras all snapped at once. A drowning sensation filled his lungs at the sudden onslaught of attention, and he seized under the attention. Dream tugged Tommy’s arm, forcing him away from the photographers. 

“Remember what I said about not looking like an idiot?” Dream whispered sharply. “I can guarantee you had a dumb look on your face, and that’s what will be plastered in the news tomorrow.”

Tommy tried to wrap his head around the idea that a candid of him could be spread so publicly. He’d taken hundreds of stupid pictures of himself, ones he would never want posted online. “Is that why you cover your entire face? So you don’t look dumb in pictures?”

Dream’s shoulders tensed, but a muffled sigh came from behind the mask. “For that, I shouldn’t even do this. But I can’t let my Sidekick look stupid the first time we’re seen together. Now smile, idiot.”

Dream turned them both around, striking a purposeful pose as cameras snapped rapidly. Tommy tried to look normal, but he was suddenly hyper aware of himself. He was sure he still looked unnatural, even as he tried to smile normally. Once the paparazzi had gotten a chance to take a sellable picture, Dream turned them back and they crossed into the relative safety of the newly laid police tape. 

“If you’re going to be in front of a camera, make sure you look good.”

That wasn’t exactly the learning experience Tommy had expected from his first run, but it was a good start nonetheless. 

“Well, besides that, I think everything went great!” Tommy was only met with a short shrug from Dream. “Don’t you think it went great?”

“Sure.” Dream said.

“I did exactly what you told me to do.”

“Great. You want a trophy?”

Tommy tried to bite his tongue. It didn’t work. “A little appreciation would be nice.”

Dream pivoted to a stop in front of Tommy, bending down and putting his hands on the side of his mask in a cupping motion as he cooed in a mockingly honeyed voice. “Wow Mimic! You were able to follow simple instructions! Awesome job!” Dream dropped his hands and his voice slipped back to normal. “Is that what you wanted?”

Tommy’s cheeks began to burn, anger and embarrassment mixing together to bring out his spitfire nature. “Yeah, actually. All I’ve ever wanted is your approval, all mighty Dream.”

“Everyone does,” Dream crowed.

“I was joking.”

“Sure you were.”

“Dick.”

“Child.”

They both stopped feet away from the rest of The Dream Team, staring as they waited for someone to break and back down from their pissing contest. Tommy knew it was only hurting himself to continue their feud, but Dream was just so aggravating.

“I don’t like you,” Tommy muttered.

“How will I ever get over the heartbreak?” 

Tommy finally decided to ignore his mentor, finding solace at Tubbo’s side as they got a debrief from the police on the scene.

The rest of the patrol was uneventful, and amidst rotating through rooftops waiting for another call, Tommy imagined what it would be like if he were with Wilbur instead. He wouldn’t be so rude. He wouldn’t belittle Tommy. He would actually be helpful and teach Tommy some valuable hero skills, not lecture him on how to look good on the cover of a magazine.

The team got back to Hero Tower late that afternoon, and until dinner they would be filling out paperwork for the day’s patrol. The only good thing about an uneventful outing meant that there was far less clerical work to do. But Dream still found plenty of ways to keep Tommy busy. 

When the clock hit six Tommy was ready to bolt, dying to get away from Dream and his endless tasks. But before he could make a break for it, Dream caught him one last time.

“Hey.” He passed a collection of papers over to Tommy. “Before you finish today, bring these to Phil so he can sign them. Scott wants them completed by tomorrow morning.”

Tommy yanked the packet into his chest. His pitch rose by several octaves. “You want me to get these signed by The Crow?”

Dream leaned his head forward. “Can you handle that?”

“Yes. Absolutely,” Tommy said, and before Dream could give any other instructions he was running full tilt towards the elevator. 

Approaching the Assistant Directors office felt different this time. He wasn’t the doe-eyed new kid he’d been two weeks ago. He had a right to be there. This was where he belonged.

He knocked on the door. 

“Yeah, come in.” 

Tommy cracked the door open and spotted him across the room. The Crow was leaning over his desk, phone to his ear. He glanced up at Tommy and a flash of surprise lit Phil’s face. Despite the fact that he was mid-phone call, Phil ushered Tommy over with a gentle smile. The Sidekick took his seat, staring in awe at the man before him.

“No, I understand that, but at the end of the day it’s still encroaching on the rights of – frankly, I don’t care if we lose their funding. I’ve been trying to get this piece of legislation through the senate for three months.” Phil fell back in his chair, tapping his foot resentfully against the side of his polished oak desk. “You know what, tell him to call me. Yes, as soon as possible. Alright. Okay. Thank you.”

Phil placed the phone down on his desk and took a steadying breath. Within a second his shoulders settled and the tension in his jaw fell, reverting himself entirely to a warm presence. “Sorry, that’s not how I usually like to greet our new Sidekicks. Tom, right?”

Tommy was momentarily frozen, but nodded his head as soon as his brain caught up with his shock. “Yes sir, Mr. Watson. It’s an honor to meet you.

“You can call me Phil. There’s no need to be formal.” 

That hardly seemed like enough respect to give to one of the greatest Super’s in history, but Tommy agreed anyway. He remembered the stack of papers in his hands, and held them out. “Dream asked me to bring these to be signed.”

“Ah, yes. You went out on your first patrol today, is that right?”

“Yes sir. Phil, sir.” 

Phil flipped through the pages, writing his name on the bottom of each one. “I usually try to make my rounds beforehand, introduce myself to all the new Sidekicks and give them a bit of a pep talk, but I’ve been.. very busy, these past few weeks.”

The phone conversation echoed back into Tommy’s head, and he wondered if that had anything to do with the fact that he’d seldom been seen. Being Hero Tower’s Assistant Director seemed far less fun than being a Super. Tommy had no clue why Phil would choose to move into a stuffy office job.

Phil wrote his last signature and passed the papers back. “Here you are, all good to go. I’ll try and come around to The Dream Team office soon to chat a bit more with you and Toby.”

“That’d be amazing.” Tommy tucked the packet under his arm, but the magnetic pull of being in The Crow’s presence kept him glued to his seat. “By the way, you’re like, one of my biggest heroes. Not only because you were literally a hero. You’re just so awesome.”

“Thank you,” Phil said. “I’m glad I had such a positive impact.”

“I think you should still be out kicking ass– I mean, kicking butt. You were incredible! When you led the take down of that ring of villains who tried to steal destabilizers from Syndicate Lab. Or how you saved all those people when the Innit Hotel was blown up! And – ” Tommy stopped to take a breath, and finally looked over at the discomfit on the Assistant Director’s face. “Well, anyway, you were unbelievable.” 

“I definitely had plenty of achievements in my time,” Phil said. “You know quite a bit about L’Manburg’s Super history.”

“Yeah, well, I watched the news a lot. And I always wanted to be a Super. You, The Blade, Phantom and all the other heroes inspired me to want to make the world a better place.”

“I see.” Phil studied Tommy for a second, a smile falling across his face. “You remind me a lot of myself when I first started out.”

“I do?”

“Sure. I’ve read up on your file from Stronghold. All your professors had similar things to say. You’re full of passion, dedicated, hardworking, there for the right reasons. At the top of your class not only for your abilities as a fighter, but also for your strategy and problem solving skills.” 

“Nothing in there about any demerits, right?”

A sly smile slipped over Phil’s face. “I’ve found that the best Supers were the ones who pushed the boundaries a bit.”

Tommy laughed, mostly in surprise. “Well then I promise I’ll keep pushing. Just a little.”

“Make sure you won’t lose that desire to keep fighting the good fights. As long as you do that, you’ll become a better hero than I ever was.”

“I don’t know if I could ever live up to your legacy.”

“I think you have it in you,” Phil assured. The phone on his desk started to ring, and Phil took in a long sigh. “It was good talking to you Tom. I’ll be sure to stop in to see you soon.”

As Tommy stepped out of Phil’s office his heart felt full, but his mind was racing. He couldn’t have imagined a more perfect interaction if he tried. It was nice knowing he’d been right to hold The Crow in such high regards, that he was a good person on and off the field. 

On the other hand, their conversation had resurfaced the issue that Tommy had been pushing down all day. It seemed like it had been a year since breakfast that morning, he’d nearly forgotten about the mysterious request from Tubbo’s old classmate and the vanishing friend. This wasn’t going to go away on its own.

They needed to figure out what the hell they were going to do about it.

Chapter Text

Dream, annoyingly, had been right about Mimic’s explosion of intrigue from the media. The night of his first outing he’d found dozens of articles detailing the newest round of Sidekicks to grace L’Manburg’s streets. His name filled them all, as well as pictures taken of him from cameras he never knew were there.

The bulk of the articles relayed the same information, what little they knew at least. Of course there were mountains of speculation already building about him, particularly due to the fame of his mentor. Tommy had spent the last hour scrolling through news pages and staring at the candid pictures taken of him. It was unreal. In a matter of hours, thousands of people went from not knowing he existed to wanting to learn everything about him.

His obsessive scrolling had only been interrupted when Tubbo came knocking. 

“Yeah?” He yelled to the closed door. Tubbo poked his head inside, and raised a suggestive eyebrow that Tommy couldn’t decipher. He scrunched his nose and let out a ‘huh’, to which Tubbo rolled his eyes.

“Ranboo and I were hanging out in my room. We were just.. chatting. Thought you might want to join. And chat with us. Privately.”

“Right. Yeah. I’m on my way.”

Tubbo left and Tommy sat on the edge of his bed. With one final sigh he closed the article he’d been reading. Nothing was as simple as he’d expected it to be. The addition of the strange messages wasn’t helping the overwhelming wave of what sidekick life entailed. He wished the whole thing would go away, that he’d wake up from this nightmare with Wilbur as his mentor and a lack of suspicious messages plaguing his subconscious.

When he slipped into Tubbo’s room, Ranboo was talking about his first patrol with SBI. By what he could pick up from the middle of the conversation, it sounded far more exciting than The Dream Team’s patrol.

“ – and we managed to stop him right before he jumped onto the back of the bus. I teleported Wilbur onto the top of it and he phased right through and caught the guy – ” Ranboo cut himself off when he noticed Tommy make his way in, replacing the conclusion with a polite grin. 

“You can finish the story,” he said.

“That was pretty much it.” Ranboo shrugged. “Heard you guys stopped a chase.”

“ Dream stopped a chase,” Tommy corrected. “Tubbo and I stood on the sidelines.”

“It was a good learning experience,” Tubbo chipped in.

“Sure.”

Ranboo looked between his friends and cleared his throat. “Anyway. We should, um, talk about the whole..”

“Yeah.” Tubbo flipped open to the messages he’d been sent. He read them out in their entirety, only skipping the part where the stranger mentioned him peeing his pants. That wasn’t pertinent to the dilemma.

“Are you guys really considering doing this?” Tommy asked when Tubbo had concluded the string of messages. He and Ranboo exchanged uncertain glances.

“We’re not saying no,” Ranboo admitted.

“This is insane,” Tommy flopped down on the bed. “It’s insane!”

“I’m surprised you aren’t the one gunning to do it. You were usually the ring leader for the shenanigans at Stronghold,” Ranboo said.

“That was Stronghold. This is Hero Tower. There’s more to lose now – not to mention the fact that this is incredibly illegal. I just don’t know if it’s worth us risking our asses.”

“But there’s someone missing,” Tubbo argued. “And it seems like he’s pretty adamant about not going to the authorities. So if we don’t do it, there’s no way he’ll be able to find his friend.”

The thought filled Tommy with guilt. He would be letting down someone who was in trouble. As unfair as it was to put the task on a bunch of Sidekicks, it was still his duty to serve and protect.

“Does this guy know you’re bringing us in on this?” Tommy asked.

Tubbo nodded. “Yeah. I told him I’d only do it if I could have two trusted friends help me. He agreed.”

“Great,” Tommy muttered. Now he was contingent on this thing going through.

“None of us would be in the wrong for saying no,” Ranboo offered. “Tommy’s right, we’d be breaking the law. But I agree, we either all do it together, or we all say no.”

Tommy rolled his shoulders and strained his voice to a raised whisper. “Alright. If we did go through with this – if – we’d need to make sure no one realizes we were gone. Sidekicks aren’t allowed to leave Hero Tower unattended, and all the doors are guarded 24/7.”

“Ranboo could just teleport us out,” Tubbo stated. Tommy turned to their lanky friend.

“You’d be able to do that?” 

“As long as it’s not very far beyond the tower. If I can visualize the spot I can get us there without spending too much energy.”

“What about these?” Tommy held up his comm. “Sam didn’t say anything about a GPS unit being implanted in them, but I’m willing to bet they have some kind of tracking software.”

“I thought about that too.” Tubbo pulled over his laptop. “I can spoof our locations for long enough to cover us from being tracked outside of the tower. The GPS system works very similarly to one in a car or phone, It’s just a simple – ”

Tommy raised a hand up. “I trust you, no need to launch into a tech talk.” 

The room fell quiet and all eyes landed on Tommy. He was, in many ways, the linchpin to the plan. Tubbo was ready to go, and Ranboo was a short way from being completely convinced. All the uncertainty landed on Tommy, but he wasn’t able to convince himself that the outcome of helping one unknown person outweighed the consequences of getting caught. 

“Everything’s laid out..” Tubbo stated, being careful as he spoke. “We could do this. But we should do it together.”

Tommy let his weight fall against the headboard, jaw clenched tight. His hesitation was written across his concerted face, and the other two took notice.

“When did the guy say he wanted an answer?” Ranboo clarified.

“Midnight tomorrow.” Tubbo laid his open laptop on his bed. His instant messaging thread was left open, a taunting reminder that this person was waiting for their response.

“How about this,” Ranboo said, “We take a day to think and make our decision. If we all meet back here at 11:00 tomorrow night, then we do it. If not, we forget this ever happened.”

All three agreed. If they weren’t certain in 24 hours, then they would never be. A bout of clarity would come to them in the time between then and now, and they’d know for certain what the right choice was.  

Tommy certainly hoped so, at least.

– – – – ⊂⊃ – – – –

“Three civs on the second floor, two civs trapped under rubble on the first floor. All units respond.”

“Copy. Tremor and Aimsey on rubble.”

“Ender and Beeline on second floor.”

“Mimic on standby.”

All five Sidekicks moved from the rendezvous point of their rescue drill as Bill gave the call outs. Ranboo teleported himself and Tubbo into the second floor of the structure, and the others broke out into sprints to find their targets amongst the staged training ground.

Bill scanned the facade of the building, pinpointing exact locations through the walls. “Rubble unit, move east. No, the other east – to your right.”

Aimee and Freddie pivoted at the confusing directions, but eventually they picked up on the recorded yelling emanating from a pile of precariously placed concrete chunks. Freddie lifted the pieces away while Aimee set a forcefield around the training dummies. Tubbo and Ranboo were already to their rescue location, ferrying their civilians back to Tommy. 

“Are you sure you have them all Bill?” Niki asked, standing by and watching the Sidekicks with clipboard in hand. Bill glanced back at the building, focusing his x-ray vision on the back of the structure. 

“Oh shit. One more civ, first floor.” 

“Appropriate language over the comms, please,” Niki chastised. 

“Oh gosh diddly darn it, one more civ.”

Tommy chuckled. “Mimic on it.” 

He moved deftly through the crumbled first story, careful to avoid the weakened support beams and sections of fire that had been lit intermittently. With the smoke and dust, it was hard to make out where his civilian was located. 

“Vizo, I need a location.”

“Further back. It’s a small space, seems like a closet.” 

Tommy looked ahead of him, where a large chunk of concrete was blocking a door. He tried to move it, a vain attempt if ever there was one. “Tremor, I need an assist.” 

“On it.” Freddie was at his side in seconds, quickly moving the obstruction and allowing Tommy to get through the door. On the other side he found the last civilian; this one was a child, smaller than the rest of the practice dummies that had been placed throughout the staged arena. Tommy lifted it into his arms with as much care as he would a real person. He began to carry it back out to the rendezvous point, when he heard a thunderous snap overhead. 

Tommy’s entire body went rigid. His feet refused to move, glued to the floor. The ceiling above him was cracking, seconds away from coming down. Tommy knew that Dream was on the sidelines ready to levitate the pieces of the breaking structure, he would prevent anyone from actually getting hurt, but that did nothing to stop the innate fear that overtook him. His lips stuttered as he tried to call out for help, but he was too gripped by the panic that burned through his stomach. 

“We need cover!” Freddie finally yelled out. He tried to keep the roof afloat, but after the long hours of training he was losing energy. Luckily, Aimsey was there in a matter of seconds and a forcefield was thrown around the group. Freddie let the rubble drop. It bounced off the shield and piled around them. 

Tommy sucked air into his lungs, preparing for the dust that would coat his mouth. But the forcefield had kept the debris out, kept away that long forgotten sting in the back of his throat.

“Do we have a clear path out?” Aimee asked, not letting the shield fall. 

“It seems stable, but I can’t guarantee,” Bill responded. 

“You need to problem solve,” Niki instructed through the comms. “We’ve discussed this scenario before, what are your options?” 

Tommy remembered this from pre-training. At least, he should have, but the forefront of his thoughts were being invaded by his gut-twisting flashbacks. 

“I’m picking up abnormal vibrations,” Tubbo warned. “More might come down.”

From outside the building, the other three Sidekicks observed what they could, relying on Bill’s enhanced vision to guide them. Ranboo tried to get a visual on the group. “I can get in to teleport, but I need to know where they are.”

“They’re in the back, about 12 feet from the window, middle of the room.”

With a warped hum and flash of purple, Ranboo was at their side, barely managing to make it into the perimeter of Aimee’s forcefield. The muscles in her arms tensed, and the shield around them dimmed. “Any time now, Ran.” 

Ranboo placed a hand on Tommy’s shoulder. “Freddie and Aimee, grab me on the count of three. One, two, three.”

Aimee dropped the forcefield, and they were all warped back to the rendezvous point. Once Tommy was steady on his feet, he shakily lowered the child dummy down to the ground and looked at the blank face. A lump formed in the back of his throat. He’d completely frozen up. If it hadn’t been for Freddie, he would have been the reason that kid didn’t make it out.

Niki broke him free of his guilt with a small applause for the group. “Six minutes, forty two seconds. Not bad. I saw a lot of great communication, and you allocated tasks in a manner that fit best with your power sets.”

Dream walked over, masked eyes staring Tommy down, he knew his mentor wasn’t as pleased as Niki, but he didn’t say anything as she continued with her debrief of the training session.

“There were a few things to improve on. First, you all need to make sure you have a plan before you enter an active zone. Toby, you went straight to the group of civilians without watching for weak points in the ground. Bill – ”

“I should have done a second sweep of the building,” he finished for her. 

“Exactly. And lastly, Aimee, Ranboo, you used real names while on the field. Even under drills, get into the habit of using aliases.” They both nodded. “Overall it was a good final run for today. Next time I want to focus on strategies that don’t rely on teleportation as a means for rescue. Ranboo already knew the layout of this building, but it’s more likely that he won’t be able to get a visual in a real rescue situation. We can’t always rely on him retrieving you.” 

With that she dismissed the group to clean themselves up and regenerate the energy they’d spent over the last hour. Tommy was a bit surprised that she didn’t bring up his massive fumble. Dream was about to do it for her, but she intercepted Tommy before he could get an earful.

“Are you doing okay?” Niki gave Tommy’s arm a reassuring touch, and immediately the cocktail of guilt, chagrin, and anxiety ebbed from his mind. Despite the new wave of calm, he wished she hadn’t given him the mental relief.

“I’m fine.” They both knew it was a lie. Niki’s powers worked by exchanging emotions, and once she’d given him easement from his anguish, she’d taken some of it on herself. Even without her ability, it wasn’t hard to see that Tommy was upset. 

“Why don’t you take the rest of the evening off?” She offered. Tommy shook his head.

“I’ve got endurance training with – ” Tommy’s eyes flicked to his mentor, who was waiting on the sideline for his opportunity to spring a lecture. 

“I’ll handle it,” she promised, giving Dream a side eye. At that alone he stood down and stepped away to begin telepathically cleaning up the training area. Tommy wasn’t surprised. He was a bit terrified of the empathic Super at times; despite her gentle demeanor she was a formidable contender to oppose.

“Thanks,” Tommy murmured. 

“No problem.” Niki gave him one last soothing touch. “By the way, Wilbur mentioned he’d be in the gym around five. Maybe he’d be willing to train with you instead.” She sent him off with a knowing twinkle in her eye. Apparently his eagerness to spend time with Phantom was far from a secret. 

As Tommy made his way off to his room, Dream watched his retreat. Tommy knew he’d hear about it later, but at least for now he’d get some respite. What he needed was a long nap, and a chance to wipe his nerves from the training session.

Just like Niki stated, Tommy found Wilbur alone in one of the training gyms that evening. He’d just started up one of the treadmills as Tommy snuck in. The hero’s trained ears picked up on his entrance, and his head whipped to the side.

“Hey, funny finding you here.” Tommy tossed his bag on one of the benches. Wilbur stopped his machine and stepped to the side. 

“Niki mentioned you might come looking for me.” It wasn’t clear if Wilbur was enthused about his friend giving away his location, but at the very least he didn’t look upset.

“I decided you might want some company.”

“How thoughtful.”

Tommy stepped onto the treadmill next to Wilbur. “Since you’re here anyway, we might as well train together.”

Wilbur glanced down at the headphones that he’d brought, and set them aside. “You think you can keep up with me?”

“Is that a challenge?”

Wilbur grinned, reached over to Tommy’s machine, and adjusted the settings to match his own. The intensity was set to a 10, a steep incline, and the duration was an hour. Uh oh. 

“Think you can handle it?” Wilbur goaded.

The answer was a resounding no – not without some help. “No problem,” Tommy responded instead. Wil raised a skeptical eyebrow. 

“Alright. Let’s do it.”

“Before we do, can I have a high five for good luck?”

Phantom gave him a strange look, but reciprocated with half-hearted enthusiasm. The contact sent Wilbur’s increased endurance through Tommy’s body. Was that technically cheating? Yes. Did this do anything to actually improve his own endurance? No. Did Tommy care? Also, no.

They started the workout, and from the get go it was already proving to be tiring. Even Wilbur was straining himself to keep up as the run continued. It was hard enough to maintain his energy, but Tommy couldn’t help himself from babbling on between labored breaths.

“This is a breeze.”

“Is it?” Wilbur responded.

“Oh yeah. Basically just my morning walk.”

“You’re full of it.”

Tommy laughed, and then had to work extra hard to catch his breath. The hour seemed to last forever, with a few snippets of conversation intermixed as they fought to keep up with each other. By the time the countdown ended and the treadmill slowed to a stop, Tommy’s legs were jelly. He was barely able to keep upright on them as he stepped off to seek the refuge of a seat.

“I can’t lie, I’m impressed,” Wilbur admitted as he took a long drink of water. 

“Of course you are. I’m the best Sidekick to come through L’Manburg.”

Wilbur chuckled. “You’ve got a lot of enthusiasm, you know that?”

“My mom says that’s code for being ‘too much to handle’.”

“Your mom’s right.”

“But I’m incredibly likable. It’s worth handling me.” He stopped himself. “Not like that. Don’t make it weird.”

Wilbur laughed again, raising his hands up in mock surrender. “I haven’t even said anything.” 

“Okay, sure. But I am very fun to be around.”

“You don’t need to convince me Tommy,” Wilbur said. “I wouldn’t be able to shake you even if I wanted to.”

Tommy perked up, no attempt to disguise his excitement. “So you do like hanging out with me?”

“Sure.” Wilbur paused, eyeing the Sidekick who was practically vibrating. “But you’re teetering the line between endearing and annoying.”

He furrowed his brow. “What does endearing mean?”

“Means I like having you around.” Wilbur took another drink of water.

That was all Tommy needed to hear. “I was thinking, actually, maybe – that you and I could train together. Aside from my time training with Dream. Once or twice a week, whenever you have time. Since you find me so endearing to have around, after all.”

Wilbur slowly lowered his water bottle, taking in the request. “You want to do extra training?” 

“Well, I really just want to do extra training with you. ” 

Something about Tommy’s earnestness struck a chord. Wilbur couldn’t help but smile. “Why?”

That question caught Tommy off guard. “I already told you before, you’re the greatest Superhero ever. I want to be just like you, and if I’m going to be just like you I have to learn from you.”

A suspended silence filled the gym, but eventually Wilbur nodded his head with a reluctant sigh. “Sure. We can train together once a week.” Tommy welled up with explosive excitement, but before it could come out full force Wilbur cut in. “I have one more question though.”

The seriousness in Wilbur’s tone made Tommy perk up. “What is it?”

“Did you have my merch?”

Tommy’s eyes widened. “No.” Wilbur squinted. “Yes. A few things.”

“A few things?”

“Yeah. Just a poster and a t-shirt..” Tommy felt Phantom’s stare burning into him. “A few figurines, maybe a bedspread. But I swear I got rid of it before I got to Stronghold.”

“Ranboo said otherwise.” 

A stab of betrayal hit Tommy. “That bitch.. Wait – so you already knew?”

“Yeah, I just wanted to hear you admit how big of a fan boy you are,” Wil said. 

“Now you’re the bitch!” For a split second Tommy wondered if that had taken it too far, but thankfully Wilbur found it more comical than offensive. Though, most of the laughing was at Tommy’s expense.

“That wasn’t actually the question I wanted to ask,” Wilbur admitted.

“Oh. Then what is it?”

“Why did you want to become a Super?”

The answer came easily. “To help people.”

Wilbur nodded, his muscles settling. “Good. That’s good.”

“Is there any other reason?” Tommy asked. Wil looked down at his water bottle, spinning it in his hand. 

“There’s plenty of other reasons.” He didn’t elaborate. “Promise me something.”

“Anything.” Tommy shifted closer. 

“Don’t forget who you’re here for.”

It took Tommy a minute to figure out exactly what that meant, but by the time he did, Wilbur was already standing up and pulling his bag over his shoulder. 

“Wednesday afternoons at one.” He said. “I’ve got a free hour before patrol.”

Tommy nodded. “Great. Awesome.” 

Wilbur gave a short, but satisfied nod. “I look forward to our next session, Kid.”

– – – – ⊂⊃ – – – –

10:24. That’s what his bedside clock read. 46 minutes until he needed to make his decision – no 36 minutes. Tommy was never good at math. Supers didn’t need to do math.

At the very least, he knew that he had enough time to listen to part of a Knuckle Sandwich podcast. It was better than sitting in complete silence while he tried desperately to make up his mind. To help or not to help. That was the fucking question. 

Tommy’s fingers flew habitually through his phone as he found the long list of episodes. He’d already listened to them all at least twice, so he let the next queued episode play without much thought. As the intro jingle played, Tommy fell into his bed.

“Do doo, do do doo dodo, do do, do dododoooo ..” He hummed, flipping onto his stomach and ripping a piece of paper from an old school notebook. He drew a line down the side and labeled one half pros, the other cons.

Pros: I get to save someone, Tubbo and Ranboo want my help, It would make me feel good and shit, I’d be a badass vigilante.

Cons: I could get in trouble, I could be kicked out of the SMP, I could get my powers neutralized, I might never get to become a real Super.

The list was not as much of a help as he thought it would be. And by looking at it now, it was obvious that the cons were the heavy hitters. He groaned and cast the paper aside, letting the voices of his favorite influencers distract him from the decision at hand.

“Alright, what’s the first question?” Schlatt asked, prompting their usual debate-esque format to start.

“Should people be required to take a personality test before becoming a Super?” Ted posed. That was a dumb one though – Tommy already had to take several before passing trials at Stronghold. Charlie responded with the same thought.

“They have to take one already.”

“Yeah, but should they?”

“Yes,” Schlatt said without hesitation. “You want just anyone on the street to walk in and be in charge of enforcing the law. That’s the same reason why police have to do them.”

“But to play the other side, should we eliminate people for a certain job based on a personality test?” Ted asked.

“I think it’s less about their Myers Briggs type and more about whether or not they're mentally stable. Like a psych evaluation.” Charlie pointed out.

“So then should they be required to take a morality test?” Ted furthered.

“What’s the difference?” Schlatt asked.

“Morality is stuff like the Trolley Problem.” Ted replied.

“Do they have to do that? Is that a part of it?” Charlie asked. 

Yes, they do, Tommy responded in his head. Not necessarily in the same vein as those dilemma situations like the Trolley Problem, but basic prompts to weed out anyone lacking basic principles. 

“I mean that’s interesting though. Because when you think about it, we assume that the Supers are morally superior people, but what gives them those credentials?”

“Besides the fact that they happened to be born with powers, nothing,” Charlie said. 

“Well Super Villains are proof that having special abilities doesn’t automatically make you a good person,” Schlatt reasoned.

Ted hummed out in thought. “That’s true. And would you really trust a Super to make the best choice if they were put in a Trolley Problem-esque situation?”

“No.” Schlatt stated. “I wouldn’t trust anyone, to be honest. I don’t care if they wear a silly little suit or can shoot lasers out of their eyes.”

Tommy’s stomach dropped. He knew it wasn’t a direct attack on him or any Super in specific, but it still affected him as though it were. It was common knowledge that there were plenty of people who didn’t trust or even like Supers. Still, his goal was to someone that was universally looked at as honorable. Beyond his status as a hero, he wanted people to think of him as a good person.

“They’re better equipped to handle those types of situations though,” Charlie said. 

“If there’s a major threat, sure. But would they do the little things, you know?” Ted asked rhetorically. “If they weren’t a Super would they give a dollar to the homeless person on the corner or return their shopping cart to the cage thing.“

“That’s true. Those should be questions on the evaluations,” Charlie agreed.

“Sure you stopped the mega villain from blowing up the orphanage, but do you tip your waiter at the restaurant?” Ted added.

“Right, like, are you only doing those ‘good’ things because you have a vocational obligation to?” Charlie postured.

“Look, I don’t give a shit if you’re a Super, I care about what you do with that title,” Schlatt stated, giving the topic a sense of finality. The other members shared their agreement, and Ted raised the next topic of discussion. 

Tommy didn’t pay much mind to the next segment though. He got lost in the thoughts about his idols – Phantom, The Crow, The Blade, so many others in Hero Tower – and what they would do if they were in his shoes. What choice would they make? Would they go through with it, despite knowing that they risked losing their status as a Super?

Of course they would. Tommy knew that, without a shadow of a doubt. That was why they were his heroes. It wasn’t just their cool supersuits and epic powers. He didn’t love them for their ability to fight crime. Everything had always come down to the kind of person they were behind the mask. 

A chorus of words bounced around in Tommy’s restless mind. The voices of his idols echoed in his ears, like whispers urging him forward.

“I don’t give a shit if you’re a Super, I care about what you do with that title.”

“I’ve found that the best Supers were the ones who pushed the boundaries a bit.” 

“Don’t forget who you’re here for.”

Those words were all true. They had to be. Being a Super wasn’t about following the rules, it was about doing what was right. Justice was blurry, but goodness wasn’t. He chose this path because he believed in helping people, and everyone deserved a hero to stand up for them.

He picked up his list and added one more reason to the pros side.

All my heroes would help him, because it’s the right thing to do.

As the Sidekick Quarters grew still Tommy tiptoed out into the hallway, noting that every room’s lights were out but one. He knocked gently on Tubbo’s door, and in only a few seconds it cracked open. Without a word Tommy stepped inside, not at all surprised that Ranboo was already there sitting on Tubbo’s bed. 

They were both waiting with anticipatory stares, and as soon as the door was closed Tommy nodded his head. “Alright, let’s do it.”

There weren’t many times when Tom Simons thought he may have made the wrong choice, but this was starting to become one of them.

The mystery contact had left specific details on where and when to meet, and it was far from the nicest place in L’Manburg. It was a quarter past one, they were stowed away in a dingy brick alley between a 24 hour mini mart and a smoke shop, and it smelled like garbage and stale cigarettes. Every so often a shadowy figure would pass by their hiding spot, linger to take note of them, and then carry on. 

Despite the fact that the three of them were highly trained, superpowered Sidekicks, they were extremely unnerved.

“Where is this guy?” Tommy adjusted the mask under his hood, starting to fear the worst. “He said he’d be here 15 minutes ago.”

“Just give it a second,” Tubbo tried to reassure, while glancing quickly from side to side. Ranboo shifted, but kept his hands out at his sides in case they needed to make a last second getaway.

As the minutes dragged on, Tommy started to fear that this had been a setup. Maybe it was a test from Hero Tower to see what they’d do with a sketchy request for a less than legal operation. He was about ready to give up and get out of there, but a subtle movement from down the alley made all three of them perk up in a defensive position.

“Toby?” The voice called. Tubbo stepped forward, squinting to get a better look at who was concealed in the shadows. It was a scrawny looking kid who wore a baggy hoodie with a baseball cap that covered the top of his face. He shifted, dug his hands deeper into his pockets, and stepped into the orange glow of the flickering street lamp.

Tubbo’s face twisted, and it took him a few seconds to search the recesses of his mind for a memory of who this was. “Wait.. you’re – ”

“No names,” he interjected. “5 Up. That’s what you can call me.”

“Okay.” Tubbo nodded. He looked between 5 Up and his friends. “You called us here, and we came. What is it that you want from us?” 

“I told you already. I need help finding my missing friend.” 

“And how exactly do you want us to do that?” Tubbo clarified.

“I don’t know.” 5 Up shrugged admittedly. “Look, this whole situation is completely insane. You may not even be equipped to handle this, but I don’t have any other options.”

“Clearly,” Tommy quipped. The statement made 5 Up bristle, and Tubbo held out a hand to regain lead of the conversation.

“Like I said in my message, I don’t know if we’ll be able to help. But we can try, I can promise that at least.”

“Thank you.” 5 Up ducked his head, and glanced around the area. No one else was around. “I’ll tell you what I know, but it’s not much.”

“Anything will help,” Tubbo assured.

5 Up was reluctant to carry on, but quickly got over his trepidation. “This all happened a week ago. My friend left Tuesday morning on a job. It was run of the mill, nothing seemed weird. Sometimes he’s gone for a few hours, sometimes the whole day. He didn’t come back that night, and when I woke up the next morning he wasn’t at our apartment. No word from him. Like I said, I checked in with everyone else he may have been in contact with. No one even knew who he was – like, complete blank. I showed them pictures, described the work he did, they looked at me like I was crazy.”

Tommy leaned around Tubbo. “And you’re sure you aren’t crazy?”

5 Up gave an offended scowl. “If I made him up in my head, I wouldn’t have all his belongings in my apartment. He’s real, he’s just – it’s like he dropped off the face of the earth.”

“Where were you the night he went missing? Are you sure he didn’t come back at any point?” Ranboo asked. 5 Up stilled. His head tilted from side to side and his reply came out slowly. 

“I.. don’t know for sure. I was home but I wasn’t exactly.. present.” Tommy raised his brows and brought his hands to his lips as though he was smoking something. 5 Up rolled his eyes and shook his head. “Not like that. I.. have a super power that allows me to trap people in their own minds, like a catatonic state – but I swear, I only ever use it on myself. I have insomnia, and it helps me fall asleep when I’m having a particularly rough episode.”

Tommy didn’t bother to question how 5 Up had managed to keep his power without going through training at Stronghold, like the law required. There were plenty of illegal avenues to conceal super abilities, alter test results, or evade the system all together. It made even more sense that 5 Up wanted to avoid Supers or cops. If his ability had been discovered, he would have been neutralized and arrested immediately. Mind imprisonment was high on the list of illicit powers. 

“So you were essentially in a coma until the next morning?” 

“Yeah. It’s where my name comes from. I can lock up all 5 areas of my brain for as long as I need to.”

“Does your friend have super powers too?”

5 Up nodded. “Cyberkinesis. Makes him a hell of an asset when it comes to online crimes. That’s the way he makes most of his money.”

The Sidekicks were starting to see why 5 Up had been hesitant to call in law enforcement. Illegal side jobs, concealed powers, and cyber crimes. That was quite a rap sheet. 

Tubbo looked to Tommy and Ranboo, trying to get a read on their reaction to everything. This was more than just going against some rules at Hero Tower, this was colluding with a felon. By helping him, they could be found guilty through association. Anyone else would have turned away then and there – or arrested 5 Up on the spot. But at the end of the day, a person needed help. Someone had been kidnapped, and regardless of what crimes they were guilty of, they deserved help as much as any other civilian. 

With a round of shared nods it was agreed. For better or worse, they were all in.

“Okay. We’ll see what we can do. But if we’re going to help find him, we need a name.”

5 Up sighed. “Fundy. I don’t think that’s his real name, but he never told me another one. I don’t know a last name either.”

“What about a photo?”

“There aren’t many. This was the only one I could find.” 5 Up passed them a creased polaroid. It wasn’t great quality, but they could make out enough of the guy to get an idea of what he looked like. Tubbo tucked it in his pocket. 

“Is there anything else you can give us that might set us on the right track?”

“I do have this.” 5 Up pulled a notebook out of his jacket, and handed it off to Tubbo. “It’s Fundy’s journal. It seems like gibberish to me, he didn’t keep track of anything decipherable, in case our apartment was searched.”

Tubbo flipped through it. As stated, it was a collection of disjointed thoughts that didn’t appear to amount to much. Nothing stood out as particularly helpful. With their arsenal of scant leads in hand, the group was the most prepared they’d be to take on the impossible task before them. They slowly started to prepare themselves to leave, but Tubbo asked one final question before they did.

“How do we know we can trust you?” 

5 Up pulled his hat down and threw his hood over his head. “An exchange of leverage. You don’t tell anyone about me or my missing friend, I won’t tell anyone that a bunch of Sidekicks are running rogue.” 

Tubbo nodded. “Fair enough.”

5 Up turned heel to go, and as he scampered back down the alley he gave one final plea. “Please bring Fundy back. There’s something strange going on in L’Manburg, and you’re my only chance of figuring it out.”

Chapter Text

Tommy hurt everywhere. It felt like every single muscle in his body had been ripped out, put through a paper shredder, and then glued back onto his bones. 

“Come on Tommy, get up!” Dream demanded from across the gym floor, but that was the last thing he wanted to do – he’d much rather curl up into a ball and melt into the sweaty mat beneath him. But that would be going directly against the point of that day’s training. 

With a groan Tommy pushed himself to feet, ignoring the ache in his stomach from the blow he’d received. Dream was bouncing on the balls of his feet, that damn smile taunting him. Tommy readied up in a defensive stance for another round of sparring, but instead, Dream telepathically lifted Tommy off the ground and flung him sideways into the wall. His shoulder collided with a metal post and he was certain he heard a crack. But he didn’t allow himself to stay down long, dragging himself up and getting ready to take another blow.

Resilience training sucked, but it was a mandatory part of the Sidekick program. Its purpose was to prepare Supers to be able to recover quickly after taking a hit. Out on the field it was a vital skill; every second you took to catch your breath was a chance for your opponent to strike. A hero was only as good as their perseverance, and the best Supers knew how to push past the pain and keep themselves in the fight. 

Tommy had endured ten straight minutes of taking hits, and he was dying to tap out as he drug himself back to his mentor. In a rare moment of mercy, Dream allowed Tommy a chance to catch his breath. He shifted his mask and shook his hands out, as though he was the one in pain from doing all the punching. 

“You need to detach from the pain,” Dream instructed, “It’s not about how strong your body is, it’s about how strong your mind is. Find a place to go in your head, refuse to acknowledge how much it hurts.”

“The only thing I can acknowledge is my rib puncturing my lung.”

“Don’t. Go somewhere else, block it out.” Tommy let his eyelids close, wincing at the swelling of a newly forming black eye. His halfhearted attempt was obvious. Dream shook his head. “Come on. Where are you going to go?”

This time Tommy put all his mental energy into removing himself, sifting through his memories to pull out a moment he could hide behind. He tried to think of his greatest memory. A few filtered through his brain before he landed on the most recent one – working out and joking alongside Phantom.

“Okay, I think I got it.”

As soon as the words left Tommy’s lips Dream was hitting him again, this time across the jaw. Tommy fell to the side, focusing all his energy on recalling the moment with Wilbur. It didn’t do much to help. The ache of his face slipped through the cracks of his recollection and whisked it away.

“That wasn’t good enough,” Dream chided as Tommy slowly returned to his feet. “Try something else.”

“I think you’re getting too much fun out of hitting me,” Tommy retorted, bracing as Dream wound back for another punch. He took it to the chest, tripping and landing on his back. Again, he couldn’t manage to put up a mental barricade, and he took several seconds too long to get back up.

“I need a break,” Tommy grunted.

“You don’t get a break out on the field.” Dream telepathically lifted him and slammed him back down. “What are you thinking about?”

“I don’t know.” Tommy was picked up and dropped again. His head bounced off the floor and daggers were sent through his skull. “Ow!”

“What are you thinking about to remove yourself from the pain?” 

“A good memory.” 

Up and down again, Dream stepped closer. “Is it working?”

“Clearly not – ” Another slam into the ground. Tommy was angry now. He rolled onto his feet and backpedaled away, surprised to see Dream triumphantly holding his hands out at his side.

“There you go!” Dream cheered. 

Tommy coughed and he tasted the metallic tang of blood. “You’re a prick.”

“But you got up.”

“Because you were being a dickhead!”

Dream tilted his head to the side. “You were angry, weren’t you? That’s what changed. You had an emotion to hold onto.”

Tommy sighed and his chest ached. “I tried to do that before.”

“Happy feelings aren’t enough. You need something stronger to hide behind.”

He simmered on that thought. It had merit, clearly, seeing as his anger towards Dream was the thing that made him push through. Tommy glanced up at his mentor. “What do you think about then?”

Dream let the question hang in the air for a moment, before turning and waving his hand. “Get a drink of water. We can call it for today.” 

He wanted to push the question, but it wasn’t worth the risk of an elongated session of resilience, so he limped off the mat. Each step brought on a new wave of suffering. “I seriously think you broke one of my ribs.” 

“Puffy will fix you.” Dream took a long swig of water, watching Tommy from his peripherals. “Are you okay though?”

A snippy remark was loaded to fire, but Tommy stopped himself. For once, Dream actually sounded sincere. “Yeah, I’ll be fine. But I don’t think it’s fair that my mentor can throw me around. No other Sidekick has to deal with that.”

“You think getting burned by Sapnap is much better?” 

Tommy thought of Tubbo in the training room across from him. A grimace filled his face. “Maybe not.”

Dream laughed and tossed a towel to Tommy. “You’ll thank me one day. The harder I am on you, the tougher you’ll become.” 

Thankfully, Tommy and the other Sidekicks were given mercy after enduring resilience training, and they had the rest of the day off to recuperate. With an entire afternoon left wide open, it was time to finally dive into Fundy’s notebook for a lead on the case. 

After a quick trip to Puffy to mend their injuries, they were knee to knee in a circle on Tubbo’s floor with the journal and a mess of papers in the middle of them. 

They’d set up the room to look like they were just hanging out and chatting, with hiding places pre established in case someone walked in on them. They also had plans A through Z concocted to account for any of the various things that could go wrong. Considering what was on the line, they were incredibly nervous about the consequences they could face if they were caught. Still, Tubbo’s room seemed safe enough for them to finally pull the journal out of the loose panel in the back of Ranboo’s closet.

“Right, where do we start?” Tommy asked, adjusting the ice pack he was holding to his jaw. 

“I’ve actually been looking through the journal already, and there are a few pages that I think could be something.” Ranboo laid the notebook down and flipped to the first bookmarked page. “I think this is a coded list of groups Fundy worked for, and on the next page is the date he worked for them.”

“Have you broken the code?” Tommy asked.

“Nope.”

“Well that’s a bust then. What else?”

Ranboo leafed further ahead. He pointed at a string of digits written in the margin of a grocery list. “I think this is a phone number, but I don’t know who it would call.”

“And we don’t want our location pinged,” Tubbo pointed out.

“So that leaves this..” One of the last entries was another set of numbers. “Which looks like a set of coordinates, but when I looked them up they were nowhere close to L’Manburg.”

“Let me see.” Tommy was passed the page, and he took a long look at the numbers. “Yeah, I think that’s a set of coordinates.”

“I literally just said that.”

“And I concurred. Two opinions make discoveries more compelling, Ranbus.”

Tubbo snatched the notebook from Tommy’s hands. “You’re an idiot. Let me look at it.” While Tommy and Ranboo carried on their bickering, Tubbo pulled out a blank piece of paper and began scribbling numbers down. In a matter of minutes he held up a new set of coordinates. “Here. Look these up on my laptop.”

Ranboo typed them in while Tommy stared at the set of numbers that were seemingly spawned at random. “How the hell did you come up with that?”

“Well, L’Manburg sits on the latitude line of 40 degrees, and those coordinates were set on the line of 73. I noticed that the digits were each shifted 3 ahead of 40, so I used a simple Caesar cipher to shift all the numbers in the coordinates down by 3.”

Tommy let the ice pack fall out of his hand. “Huh?” 

Tubbo rolled his eyes. “I used a code breaker to change the numbers in the coordinates, and if it worked out then they should put us – ”

“In the middle L’Manburg’s shipping district,” Ranboo finished, flipping the screen so they could both see. Sure enough, the new coordinates led to a warehouse on the outskirts the ports. 

“Holy shit.” A rush of excited energy shot through Tommy’s nerves. “This has gotta be something! We have to check it out, right?”

The other two exchanged nods, though there was a shared hesitancy in the room. A location was one thing, a plan to investigate was another, but actually breaking into an unknown facility was jumping straight into the deep end. They had barely gotten any experience fighting crime as Sidekicks, let alone leading an infiltration mission on their own. 

“This is going to take a lot of planning,” Ranboo said. “I don’t know about you guys, but I don’t have any experience in stealth operations.”

Tommy shrugged. “Do you count that time at Stronghold when we snuck into Professor Ethos' office to steal the exam answer key?”

“Something tells me this has higher stakes than that,” Tubbo reasoned.

“Okay, well, let’s prepare then. Besides a plan, what else do we need?” Tommy asked. 

Ranboo began rattling things off as he counted on his fingers. “A place to safely teleport in and out of, information about the location, defensive gadgets, surveillance equipment..”

“And disguises,” Tubbo added. “We can’t let anyone know who we are, and we definitely can’t wear our suits.” 

“Which means that we also shouldn’t use our powers. It’d be too easy to figure out who we are.”

“And we can’t use any tech that’s made in Hero Tower either.”

Tommy strained a breath through his lips. “Okay. This is going to be a lot more complicated than we thought.”

The three sat in silence as they took it all in, before Tubbo finally gathered all their materials into a pile. “Let’s divide and conquer. Ranboo, you see what you can figure out about the spot the coordinates pointed to. Tommy, you can work on disguises, and I’ll get us the other equipment.”

They all gave their agreement, and the ball was in motion. When they had the pieces they needed they’d formulate a plan of action. Until then, they needed to continue on as though nothing was out of the ordinary. That wouldn’t be hard either, because things in the SMP were only getting more and more intense as each day passed.

– – – – ⊂⊃ – – – –

Week four marked an important milestone for the Sidekick’s in Hero Tower: it was finally time for them to start taking an active role on patrol runs. 

The novelty of going out on patrol had begun to wear off for Tommy, but knowing that this time he’d be able to actually do something, he was over the moon. Dream, however, did not share the same enthusiasm. It was clear that the mentor hadn’t forgotten Tommy’s fumble in civilian rescue training, and was babying him more than usual. 

“Watch your step,” Dream called as Tommy jumped from one rooftop to the next – only a few feet of space to clear. Tommy rolled his eyes.

“I’m not going to fall.” 

“You might. Especially if you’re as reckless as usual.”

Tommy twirled around, fluttered his lashes from behind his mask, and raised the pitch of his voice several octaves. “You’d catch me though, wouldn’t you Big D?” 

“Not if you keep calling me that.”

“What’s wrong with Big D?”

Dream refused to answer, pushing past to catch up to George instead. A grin filled Tommy’s face, knowing he managed to get under his mentor’s skin. 

As the group made it to the edge of the current apartment complex, all five of their comms lit up in unison. Tommy’s heart leapt to his throat – he’d never gotten an alert before. His eyes scanned the message, and suddenly the reality of being a Super sunk in all at once. 

‘Robbery in progress: Emerald Bank, Kinoko Ave. Two culprits confirmed. Powereds, engage with caution.’

“Go time,” Sapnap cheered, and they pivoted to make their way towards the criminal activity. A rush of adrenaline filled Tommy’s veins as they moved swiftly across rooftops. He tried to maintain his focus, channeling all his energy into the years of training he’d received for this very moment.

Eventually they hit the edge of a building overlooking Emerald Bank. The outside was already swarmed with police cars, lights flashing but sirens off. Crowds had begun to gather as onlookers tried to see what was going on inside. What was it with people putting themselves so close to ongoing danger? 

Dream led them towards the police line, giving instructions to Tommy as they went. “You need to follow my lead. That’s what will help the team, and keep you safe, got it?”

“Yeah, I got it.”

“And don’t forget to utilize your tech if you need to. We have it for a reason.”

“Right.” 

“Hey.” He stopped, followed by Tommy. Dream lowered his voice so it was barely audible. “You probably think you know what you’re walking into. But you don’t. You can’t let the shock of it freeze you up, okay?”

Being so close to the throngs of people, all Tommy could do was nod. Beneath it, he was humiliated by Dream’s insinuation that he wasn’t capable of handling a real fight. All of it came back to that one stupid moment, and now his mentor thought that he was entirely inadequate. 

Tommy would prove him wrong. 

George and Sapnap had already reached the head officer on the scene, who was giving a debrief of the situation. It was clear in the anxiety on the cops face that this wasn’t a run of the mill robbery. 

“As far as we can tell there are eleven hostages in the building, including bank employees. We don’t think they intend to harm anyone as long as we comply on the outside.”

“Do we know what we’re up against?” Torch asked. 

The officer nodded. “We sure do. The Botez sisters.” 

That name rang familiar to Tommy. They’d been circulating in the news the past few months, a duo who’d successfully robbed seven banks without being caught. They’d managed to do it by working quick enough to be gone by the time Supers showed up, and had left no trace behind. They shared the same power of enhanced intelligence, which aided in their ability to complete such infallible heists. 

“Are you certain it’s them?” George clarified. 

“We got one of them on camera.”

“Then we need to move now,” Dream said. “How many exits are there in the building?”

“Two,” the officer responded. “The main entrance and a side door for employees.”

“Are they armed?” George asked.

The officer shook his head. “Not that we’ve seen. They’ve never used weapons in their heists before, so we don’t have any reason to think they do now.”

Tubbo tipped his head. “How are they controlling the hostages then?”

“They’ve never needed to.” Dream responded apprehensively. “They’re always in and out before anyone even realizes what they’ve done.”

“So then what went wrong this time?” Sapnap asked. Dream shook his head, eyes trained on the bank.

“I guess we’ll find out. Torch, you take the side door with Beeline. We’ll go through the main door and divert attention so you can clear the civilians. Once they see us, they’ll focus all their attention on evading an arrest.”

The team gave the affirmative, and then they were on the move. Luckily, Niki had covered hostage situations in one of their rescue courses a week earlier, so he and Tubbo were prepared on how to handle the people trapped inside. Tommy knew now more than ever that he needed to be at his best to get those people out safely. 

“Alright. Keep calls coming.” Sapnap and Tubbo took off around the back as the rest of the group started up the steps. Dream motioned for them to stop outside the large glass doors, where they could make out the figure of one of the sisters standing with her back to them. 

“They don’t have physical powers to worry about, but they probably have an escape plan prepared. Don’t let them get away.” Dream gave a countdown, and they stormed through the doors, intentionally drawing all attention to themselves. 

Only one of the sisters – Andrea – was in sight. She turned to them, nothing in hand. A grin slowly tugged at her lips as she took in the sight of the Supers.

Something was off. 

Movement from above gave them only a seconds warning as a dozen shards of ice came hurtling towards them. George and Tommy scrambled to the side as Dream telepathically diverted the icicles, narrowly avoiding being impaled as they shattered against the marble floor. 

The hostages screamed, backing further into the corner of the lobby as a new offender dropped down in front of Andrea. This wasn’t Alex though. It was a man, and his hands were covered in frozen crystals. He raised them, and more sharp ice began to form from the moisture in the air. 

“Torch!” George called into the earpiece as the three split, dodging the second wave of icicles. “We’ve got ice powers, we need heat!” 

“What?” Sapnap’s confused voice came from the comms, but he burst out from behind the bank teller’s desk a second later with Tubbo close behind. The iceman turned, and threw a new shard at them. Sapnap raised his hands, a plume of heat billowed, and the ice turned to water mid air. 

“This is about to get slippery,” Sapnap said, sending a heat wave towards Iceman. The two culprits split up, running out of the way of both sets of Heroes. 

“Beeline, Sleepwalker, you two get the hostages,” Dream instructed, switching plans on the fly. Neither villains moved towards the civilians. Sapnap trailed Iceman while Dream and Tommy sprinted after Andrea. As she ran towards the back of the bank, Tommy managed to graze her wrist as they pursued her. A wave of new powers coursed through him, but it wasn’t enhanced intelligence. Tommy slowed as he tried to realize what new ability he’d inherited, causing Dream to fumble as the two collided. 

“What did I say Mimic?” Dream chastised as Andrea disappeared into the back. “You can’t panic!”

“Wait, Dream – ” but the Super had already taken off after Andrea. George and Tubbo had herded the hostages out of the front doors. The building was clear. Tommy followed Dream.

When he rounded into the back, Dream was standing still, having completely dropped all defenses. The employee exit was left open, and a woman with a name tag was huddled in the corner, fear etched into her face. 

“Sleepwalker, we need coverage around the back. Andrea got away,” Dream said into his earpiece. He pivoted his attention to the woman, hiding his frustration to address her. “Are you okay?” 

The woman nodded, lip trembling as she started to her feet. Tommy was the only one to catch the near invisible smirk that tugged at the corner of her lips. A tingling radiated across Tommy’s skin. That was when it clicked.

“Dream, that’s the Powered! They’re a shapeshifter!”

The shifter whipped their head to Tommy, shock slowly turning to amusement. They turned their face back to Andrea’s with a grin, pulling a gun from their waistband and pointing it at Dream’s chest. The Super forced the gun sideways as it was shot; the bullet ricocheted off the bank’s walk-in safe. Fake-Andrea kicked Dream’s shins and scrambled for the door. Tommy sprinted after and managed to tackle them to the ground.

Dream was there a split second later, helping pull the shapeshifter’s hands behind their back. Relief flooded Tommy as soon as they were cuffed. 

“We got the second culprit. Everything okay with Ice?” Dream called over the comms.

“He’s out. Sleepwalker put him to bed.” Sapnap responded. 

Dream forced the shapeshifter onto their feet, shoving them towards the main entrance. “That was a nifty little trick you pulled,” he taunted. 

“Would’ve had you fooled if it wasn’t for pip-squeak,” fake-Andrea spat.

“I’m six foot three!”

Out in the lobby, Iceman was unconscious on the floor and officers had arrived on the scene to secure the assailants in handcuffs. Iceman was carried out while Shapeshifter was led to the awaiting police cars out front.

Paramedics and more officers flooded the entrance, checking on hostages and sweeping the area for any lingering threats. The Supers remained to direct wherever needed. It wasn’t long before the scene was secured. It was officially over. Tommy hadn’t stopped to register the fact that this was his first major crime interference. His heart was still racing, the adrenaline caused everything else to dull as he recanted the short lived but intense attack.

Tom Simons had just defeated two Powereds without breaking a sweat. Not only that, but he was the one to figure out the ruse the thieves had devised. He’d saved those people. He’d saved Dream. 

“Mimic?” 

Tommy jolted, stare focusing on Dream’s perfectly polished mask. “Huh?”

Dream rolled his head in annoyance. “I said, how did you know that Andrea was actually a shapeshifter?”

A short lived wave of familiar panic washed over him, but he’d become good at covering for his secret power. “I.. just thought it was weird that we only saw one of the Botez sisters. Also, the ‘bank employee’ was wearing the same pants as Andrea. Figured they removed their jacket when we lost line of sight.”

Dream nodded, impressed as far as Tommy could tell. “Glad you caught that.”

Was that a compliment? Tommy could barely believe his ears. That would be enough fuel to keep him going for the rest of the week. 

As they emerged from the bank, cheers erupted from the edge of the crime-scene tape. Nearly a hundred onlookers had gathered to watch the events unfold, and now they were celebrating The Dream Team’s victory in defeating the villains.

As per usual, Dream raised his hand to give static waves to the crowd, simultaneously thanking them and assuring that everything was okay. Tommy tried to copy the calm his mentor exuded, but the police, crowds, and flashes of cameras were starting to frazzle his brain. The bank fight was much more comforting than the chaos on the sidewalk. 

“I’ll do police correspondence, you and Sleepwalker handle press?” Sapnap offered, to which Dream agreed. Tommy started to drift off towards Sapnap and Tubbo, but Dream reached out and stopped him.

“You’re coming with me,” Dream insisted. 

Tommy planted his feet. “I think seeing Torch communicate with law enforcement would be a great learning opportunity.”

“You want a learning opportunity?” Dream pointed to the news crews that threatened to break through the police barrier. “Let’s get you comfortable in front of a camera.”

There was no stopping the ball from rolling, and Dream pulled his Sidekick along with him as they approached the awaiting reporters. Tommy started to drag his feet. “I don’t know how to talk to the news.”

“You don’t have to. Just don’t look stupid.”

Before Tommy could object any further, he, Dream, and George were being recorded as a dozen questions were being tossed their way. Tommy once again tried to control his facial features, but his body didn’t fit into his skin anymore. The best he could do was put on a crooked smile as Dream fielded questions. 

“Were any hostages hurt?” One reporter asked.

“No civilians were hurt. We were able to get them out of harm's way quickly and safely,” Dream announced.

A woman’s voice raised above the rest. “Was this the work of the Botez sisters?”

“That’s what they wanted us to think. One of the culprits had the power of shapeshifting, and led law enforcement to assume they were the ones in the building,” George stated.

“We believe their intention was to lure us into a trap and catch us off guard. Of course, we saw through their ploy immediately, and managed to apprehend them both.” Dream’s stretch of the truth was an attempt to inflate the infallibility of The Dream Team. He’d conveniently left out the moment where they’d nearly been killed by shards of ice.

“And what about the Sidekicks? Were they prepared for the attack.”

Dream looked at Tommy, who could sense the mischievous grin from under his mask. “Why don’t you ask one yourself?”

Tommy was pushed forward, eye’s widening as the cameras shifted to him. He tried to compose himself. It was just talking. He was great at that. The best, even. “Um, yeah. Everything went great. Beeline and I have trained years for this, so we were more than ready.”

George took the next question and Tommy swallowed a breath. That wasn’t as bad as he’d imagined. Still, his feet felt numb and he was desperate to wrap up the filming. It was only a few more minutes until Dream closed out the questions and they could escape the cameras.

“I’m so glad that’s over,” Tommy sighed. “All I want to do is go back to the tower and hide in my room for the rest of the day.”

“Don’t get too comfortable,” Dream bumped Tommy with his elbow. “We’ve still got some showing off to do.”

“What do you mean?”

“They didn’t tell you” Tommy shook his head. Dream grinned. “It’s PR day tomorrow.”

– – – – ⊂⊃ – – – –

If someone had told Tommy that the hardest part about being a Super was standing in front of a camera, he’d have laughed in their face. Now, however, he would give anything to go back to gym and get the shit kicked out of him during a session of resilience training. 

Noxite had arranged for the Sidekicks and their mentors to do a photo spread for Obsidian Weekly to get the public more familiar with the soon-to-be Supers. Tommy had never had his photo professionally taken, and he had no idea what to expect. If it was anything like the feeling he had when those news cameras were shoved in his face, he was screwed. Though, the idea of being poster-ized did make Tommy giddy. He remembered the many pictures of heroes he’d posted on his own wall, either torn from magazine articles or sold as merchandise. The idea of himself being the one tacked up around children’s bedrooms was thrilling. That thought led him down a rabbit hole, wondering if cheap replicas of his suit would be sold or what a bobblehead Mimic would look like. It was a good enough distraction from the rising anxiety that bubbled in his gut.

The photoshoot was held in a large studio on the outskirts of L’Manburg, intermixed with the other warehouses along the pier. It looked unassuming from the exterior, but inside, the space had been transformed into a massive press shoot, with backdrops, lights, and expensive camera equipment all around the area. Large curtains had been set up to create greenrooms containing lighted mirrors and director style chairs. 

When the Sidekicks entered their respective team’s room – masks already on – they were immediately met by a styling team to get them camera ready. Tommy looked at the hundreds of hair and makeup products lined at the ready, only adding to the mounting unease.

“Is that all for us?”

A woman with bright blue hair smiled and answered his question with a different one. “First time being in front of a camera?” 

Everything moved by in a blur, as three different pairs of hands worked simultaneously to cover Tommy’s face in creams and powders, and style his hair into perfectly looping curls. By the time he was done he barely recognized himself. He’d certainly never looked so put together before. 

“Damn, I look good,” he breathed, refraining from touching his face. Tubbo was staring at his reflection in awe. 

“I look weird..”

From his peripheral vision, Tommy caught sight of Dream, George, and Sapnap making their way into the green room. They had already gotten their hair and makeup done, and looked nearly identical to the action figure versions of themselves. For public occasions, each Super also had a spectacular yet impractical version of their supersuits. This was the first time he’d seen the team with all the bells and whistles. Needless to say, it was utterly amazing.

George and Sapnap both wore classic style supersuits, each with their own flair. George’s outfit was turquoise and deep blue, reminiscent of a sleepy evening. He wore a cape that was lined with silver stars on the inside, his half-face mask was the same shimmering tone. Sapnap was a complete contrast, with orange and red flames woven in a pattern that climbed up his legs and arms. Under the white suit he wore a black, turtle neck compression shirt, designed to look like crackling coals. 

Dream’s suit was one of the most unique ones to come through hero tower. Rather than the standard combat pants and padded tops that George and Sapnap wore, Dream’s outfit was modeled in a gothic style. He had a black, slim fitting suit beneath and a dark green, hooded cloak that hung over the top. The seams of his shirt and pants were sewn with vivid green thread that almost seemed to glow. He wore gloves, laced up boots, and his iconic white mask, which left no visible trace of who he could be underneath it all. 

Tommy hadn’t seen the costumed version of his or Tubbo’s suit, but he wouldn’t have to wait long. Hannah had followed just behind The Dream Team, dragging a large cart of sleek metal boxes. 

“Let’s get you two dressed!” She waved the Sidekicks over and passed them each one of the boxes. Inside, Tommy discovered that his suit was very similar to his original. It had a few extra straps and pouches that didn’t actually serve a purpose, and the stitching was more elaborate. The quality was far less suited for fighting than his real one, and lacked the padding that normally offered him protection. None of Sam’s technology had been included in its design, solidifying the fact that it wasn’t suitable for combat.

Tubbo’s photo-op suit was also very similar to his original, maintaining the same pale green waves along the chest. The gray underlying his suit faded to black as it went down his limbs. Instead of his normal mask he was given a pair of goggles, and a short cape was added in the same green color his suit was themed around.

“These are cool!” Tubbo said to Hannah as he examined his suit. She returned a smile.

“It’s always fun to play around with the designs, especially when I don’t have to take functionality into account,” she buzzed. “I think these will look awesome paired with the rest of your team.”

Hannah made sure each of them looked picture perfect before toting her cart to the next group. A production assistant popped their head into the room to let them know they’d be up next. The high neckline of Tommy’s suit suddenly seemed tighter. He followed Tubbo to take a spot on one of the chairs set up for the team.

“You two ready?” Dream asked, an unusually cheerful lilt to his voice. His posture lacked its usual tension.

“A bit nervous,” Tommy admitted.

“Don’t be. This is the easy part of the job. You just have to stand there and look good,” Dream said. “Actually, Mimic, that may be a bit hard for you.”

“Coming from the guy that covers his whole face,” Tommy retorted before thinking better. He panicked, eyes darting to his mentor. To everyone’s surprise, Dream actually started chuckling.

“You’re going to be doing extra paperwork for that one, Mimic.”

The mood in the group shifted quickly, and soon everyone was sitting around and chatting amicably while they waited to be called for their shoot. Their conversation, for the first time, wasn’t centered around work. Dream gave a few pointers about posing in front of the camera, they practiced some stances, and goofed off while pretending to be in a cheesy comic strip. It was vastly different from the time they spent in the office; it was like the real Dream had been abducted and replaced by a much more tolerable version of himself. 

A PA soon called for The Dream Team. As the five stepped out to take their turn in front of the camera, SBI was finishing with their shoot. The two heroes and their Sidekicks looked like a poster come to life. Wilbur and Techno struck practiced poses with ease, but as soon as the director called a wrap, their faux stoicism dropped in an instant. Their faces fell neutral as they shrugged off their extraneous suit attachments and messed with their perfectly styled hair. 

“You’re up Kid,” Wilbur mused sardonically as he passed Tommy. Aimee gave him a friendly smile as she hurried to keep up with Wil, and Tommy had to push down the twang of resentment for the fact that he wasn’t the one that would be printed next to Phantom.

“Alright, let’s start with individuals, then go on to team photos,” the director called out, and a barrage of production staff began throwing directions at them. It was entirely overwhelming, and all Tommy could do was focus on watching Dream as he took his position against the backdrop. 

The director barely needed to give any direction. Every few seconds Dream switched between poses, finding the perfect angles to show off his suit’s features. It only took a matter of minutes before he was done. Sapnap followed, then George, both of which also seemed comfortable in front of the camera. They didn’t have the same affinity for it that Dream had though. 

When it was Tommy’s turn he shuffled awkwardly onto the set. Half a dozen lights blinded him from all sides, and he became inundated by the amount of eyes and voices being directed at him. He was all too aware of his limbs, finding it impossible to place them somewhere that felt natural. For all the posing he did in front of his bedroom mirror, this should have been a breeze. 

“Alright, let’s mix it up, keep it moving,” the director snapped, flashes coming every two seconds. Tommy tried to shift poses, but he could tell from the continued attempts to give instructions that he was failing miserably. 

“Mimic.” Dream’s voice sounded loud and clear over the others. “Just relax. Don’t overthink it.”

“Can we get some help over here?” The director called, but before anyone else could step forward, Dream hopped in front of him. 

“Just copy me, alright?” He said, low enough for only the two of them to hear. Dream stepped out of the shot, and gave a pose. Tommy took a breath, and mirrored it. 

“Better.” Dream moved, so did Tommy. “Your name is Mimic, it would be embarrassing if you couldn’t at least stand the same way as me.”

“Shut up,” Tommy laughed, and the camera snapped to capture the moment. With Dream’s help and a lighter atmosphere, Tommy found it much easier to get his individual shots over with. 

After Tubbo took his turn with individuals they switched to their pairs – Sapnap and Tubbo first, then Tommy and Dream. Once again, Tommy found it much easier to work when Dream was next to him. He’d finally found the one thing his mentor was an excellent teacher in.

After taking some shots with the full Dream Team, they wrapped up and allowed Team Rocket to step up with Bill and Freddie. Tommy was relieved this whole thing was finally over. He watched Eret step up in their magnificent cape and skirted suit, before running over to catch up with Dream

“You were wrong, by the way.” 

He cast Tommy a masked side eye. “What do you mean?”

“That was way harder than beating up bad guys.”

Dream laughed and shook his head. “It gets easier, trust me.”

“Well, thanks for helping me out back there. I thought I was going to melt behind all those lights and cameras.”

“Can’t have my Sidekick looking like a loser, hard as that may be,” Dream teased. 

Another barrage of press attendants rushed to their side, one of them hurriedly mentioning needing them for an interview for the magazine spread. Tommy sighed a breath of relief that he didn’t have to get his picture taken again. 

“Mimic!” Tommy turned as Scott came speed walking up to him, clipboard in hand and looking frazzled from the long day of shoots. “Before you go in for your interview, I wanted to review your PR training.”

“Probably a good idea,” Dream nodded. Tommy ignored it.

“I know, reveal any and all state secrets I can.”

Scott gave a forced laugh at Tommy’s joke. “Seriously though. Your answers to any questions should be vague, but personable. Don’t go into details about anything related to yourself, the tower, your team, or what happens while you’re on the job. ”

“What can I talk about then?”

“How much fun you’re having as a Sidekick.” Scott grinned, gave Tommy a hearty pat on the back, and went off to find the next hero that needed directing.

“You think you can handle talking?” Dream teased as they were pointed to a few eagerly waiting interviewers.

“Oh yeah. If there’s one thing the great T – ” he stopped himself, not missing the warning head tilt from Dream. “The great Mimic is good at, it’s words.”

“Sure.” Dream shook his head. “Don’t forget to mention how great of a mentor I am.”

“Only if you tell them I’m the world’s best Sidekick.”

“Don’t push your luck, Child.”

“Then expect me to absolutely slander you, Dick.”

And this time, Dream laughed.

Chapter Text

“Listen to this poetic, genius, masterfully delivered response!” Tommy fell over the back of the Sidekick Quarter’s couch, magazine stretched open in his hands. “ ‘So Mimic, what is it like finally getting to join Hero Tower after six years of training at Stronghold?’. ‘Imagine you’re in the coolest place you’ve ever been, then multiply that by a thousand. It’s awesome.’ ”

“Will you put that down?” Bill tried to swipe the magazine from Tommy’s hands. “This is the tenth time you’ve read that stupid thing out loud.”

“But it’s epic, man!” 

Freddie reached over Tommy’s head and snagged it away, much to his protest. “Yeah, I’m confiscating this.”

“You’re just jealous that your bits weren’t as good as mine.”

“I’m actually quite pleased with what I said,” Freddie defended. 

Tommy rolled his eyes. “It doesn’t matter. I have the whole thing memorized anyway.”

“Oh God..” Aimee muttered.

“Isn’t it Wednesday?” Tubbo conveniently reminded, and Tommy shot up and checked his comm. It was ten til one, Wilbur would be waiting in the training gym for him. 

Tommy sprinted for the elevator. “I’ll dissect my incredible interview skills later tonight.”

“Please don’t,” Ranboo begged flatly. 

Tommy excitedly made his way down to meet Wilbur for their weekly sessions. This would be the second time they met up since Wil had offered the extra training, but the novelty of it hadn’t worn off yet. 

In a response to Tommy’s uncontainable energy, Wilbur suggested boxing for their day’s session. At first Tommy was hesitant; anytime he and Dream were scheduled for combat based training, Dream used it as a time to air his grievances. But it was far different with Wil. Particularly in the fact that Wilbur made a real attempt to instruct Tommy on how to improve his fighting. And while Wilbur definitely took any chance he could to smack Tommy around, it felt far more endearing than with Dream.

An hour of practicing form and sparring with each other did little to quell the excitement of the Sidekick, who was eager to keep the good times rolling. Even after they’d cleaned up and wiped down, Tommy stuck to Wilbur’s side like glue.

“You know, I don’t have to be back with The Dream Team for another thirty minutes.” 

Wilbur eyed Tommy. “You want to see SBI’s office, don’t you?”

“More than literally anything in the entire world.”

Wilbur shook his head, barely hiding his amused smile. “Come on then.” 

Tommy was quick to follow after, already typing a message into his comm. “Can I bring a friend along?”

Tubbo met them on the elevator ride up – an agreement only reached after Tommy promised they’d behave – and they excitedly made their way into SBI’s office. In stark contrast to The Dream Team’s floor, SBI had a comfortable feel to it. Much of the harsh, metal furniture had been replaced by comfier designs of wood and plush, giving the space a warmer atmosphere. It looked well lived in, like a home. Personal affects littered the common area. The kitchen was stocked with mismatched mugs and various takeout menus were stacked on top of the microwave. The walls were adorned with various posters; many of them were merch items of the team, albeit altered to create humorous versions of their otherwise serious likenesses. Tommy’s favorite was one of Techno where his usual bonelike boar mask was painted over with a cartoon pig face. 

“Now this is an office,” Tommy muttered.

“Different from The Dream Team’s?” Wilbur asked.

“Much different,” Tubbo confirmed.

Wilbur discarded his gym bag on the kitchen counter and swiped a water from the fridge, tossing some to the other two as well. From within one of the offices a grunt could be heard. Wilbur seemed to understand what it meant. 

“I told you to wait on the casework from Phil,” he shouted to the back. “I’ll help you with it later.”

“Will you though?” Came Techno’s skepticism. Wilbur scrunched his nose and waggled his head. Tommy laughed. 

“I brought guests, by the way,” Wilbur alerted as he walked to the meeting table and rifled through a fresh stack of papers. 

“You know how much I love company.”

The last bit of conversation had been lost on Tommy, who was wandering the room and taking in every detail he could. From the faded newspaper clippings to the masks from their previous suit designs, there was a plethora of memorabilia decorating the walls. If he’d seen this place a few years ago he would have lost his shit. Now, his acclimation to becoming part of the Super world had curbed his ardor. 

As Tommy skimmed the various SBI keepsakes he stopped on a picture frame hung between Wilbur and Techno’s office door. The Crow, Phantom, and The Blade were posed haphazardly in a bunch as Phil held up the phone for the selfie. Each wore genuine, warm smiles beneath their masks. The photo was old, taken eight or nine years ago. Tommy knew because he recognized Wilbur’s original Sidekick suit. Many of the same elements stuck through to the current iterations, including the hood and the purple, navy, and gold color scheme. Phantom’s first design lacked the wispy cloak that draped over his torso and stitched into the arms of his current suit, and overall had a more juvenile feel. 

Looking at the old picture made Tommy sad to see the original team cut down to two members. It had been his dream to work with all of SBI one day. But Phil had left his position on the team only a year after Red attacked the city. The idea of becoming the fourth member of SBI had died a long time ago, something he’d never gotten over the disappointment of. 

His reminiscence was cut short by Ranboo and Aimee making their way into the space. They were confused to find that they weren’t the only Sidekicks there.

“Is it already time to go back?” Tubbo checked his comm for the time.

“We’re a bit early,” Ranboo assured. 

Tommy backpedaled away from the picture, eyeing it as long as he could. “Must be nice when you actually like hanging out at your office.”

Aimee’s face fell, despite her attempts to maintain a steady expression. “Yeah.”

Tommy cringed inwardly. He’d never actually talked with her about the fact that she was Wilbur’s mentee. He didn’t blame her for feeling targeted at the passive aggressive comment he made. 

“I’ve heard how great you guys work together,” he tried to amend, gesturing to Wil. Aimee shrugged, but the tension ebbed enough to let her relax again. Tommy joined the other three Sidekicks on the couch, and their conversation shifted to the photo spreads that had been published from their shoot. This time, he made a concerted effort to make it seem like he was pleased with his pictures with Dream. It wasn’t far from the truth. They looked epic together. Their duo photo had been blown up and used as the front page of the magazine, and Tommy couldn’t deny that they made a great pair. 

More grunting and shuffling came from Techno’s office, and he dragged himself into the common space. He wore thick joggers, had a blanket draped around him, and held a cup of coffee in a mug with his picture on it. Tommy choked down a laugh, and Tubbo saluted with earnest respect. 

“Why are there so many children in here?” Techno asked, scanning the room. Wilbur clapped him on the back and downed the last of his water.

“I have a feeling you’ll need to get used to the added company,” he whispered, nudging his head towards Tommy.

“Bruh.”

Wilbur laughed. Tommy was about to launch into a rousing conversation with the stoic hero, but was cut short. The office door flew open, and a furious Noxite unknowingly stormed right past the Sidekicks lounging on the couches. 

“Do either of you want to tell me why you’re the only team in the tower that hasn’t submitted your patrol outcome report?” Noxite fumed, holding up what was presumably an empty packet of papers. Techno and Wilbur stiffened, and Wilbur glanced warningly at the teens that Nox had failed to see. 

“We’ll finish that tonight,” Wil promised, careful in his response. 

“I shouldn’t have to come down here and remind you to do basic parts of your job,” Nox snapped. Techno tilted his head toward the Sidekicks, eyebrows raised. Noxite didn’t pick up on the cue. “Just because your old pal Phil is in the Assistant Director’s chair doesn’t mean you get special treatment.”

Tubbo shifted uncomfortably on the couch, and the sound finally caught Noxite’s attention. He looked behind him, doing a double take as he realized he had an audience. His rigid demeanor melted away, and that corporate smile returned. Nox turned back to Wilbur and Techno, tone blatantly sweeter than before. “I appreciate your hard work. I know you have a lot of tasks on your plate. Please get this to me as soon as possible.” 

Saving as much face as possible, Noxite gave a friendly nod to the Sidekicks and escaped the office. Strained silence hung in the room as everyone waited for their boss to leave. At the sound of the elevator doors closing, Techno let out a breath of long held air. 

“Welcome to the Tower,” he hummed, lumbering back into his office. 

Tommy nudged Tubbo. “We should probably get going anyway. George was going to show us some tips on using spreadsheets.”

Tubbo nodded. “Riveting stuff.”

They gathered their things, and as they were leaving, Wilbur walked up and leaned into Tommy. “If you want to stop by again, just drop me a message. Maybe you’ll catch us when we’re not in hot water with the boss.”

“Really?” It was impossible for Tommy to hide his surprise at Wilbur offering more time to hang out.

“Sure.” Wil glanced to Techno. “I think we could use more dynamic energy in here.” 

“You know that ‘dynamic’ is my middle name.”

“Is it?” Wilbur played along.

“That’s one of them,” Tommy said.

“What are the others then?” 

“Depends on the situation. Danger, careful, serious – ”

“Bit contradicting, aren’t they?”

Tommy’s nose scrunched in confusion. “What does contradicting mean?”

“Tommy.” Tubbo held up his comm. “Sapnap’s asking where we are.”

“I’ll tell you next time I see you,” Wilbur promised, nudging him forward. “Wouldn’t want to upset the green man, would we?”

Reality slapped Tommy hard across the face as he and Tubbo left for The Dream Team office. The banter, the laughs, the companionship, that could have been his every day. But he’d been stuck with the biggest prick in the Tower. 

That afternoon’s work seemed particularly dreary after hanging out with SBI, but at least Dream hadn’t done anything to make it any worse than normal. If anything, he was largely absent, leaving Tommy and Tubbo to finish their work in their shared office.

But even after finishing up paperwork in the office, Tommy’s day wasn’t over yet. In fact, there was one more, very important thing left on the docket. Something he, Ranboo, and Tubbo had been putting off for a few weeks now. 

They needed to figure out what was on the opposite end of those coordinates in Fundy’s notebook.

Each of them had done their part, and with all the pieces finally in place, it was time to enact their vigilantism. 

As was delegated, Tommy had made disguises for each of them to wear during their vigilante mission. He’d gotten a hold of some sewing supplies and fashioned masks out of an old t-shirt. They couldn’t wear anything from the Tower, so he’d scrounged up some of their black clothes from their days at Stronghold and fixed them with extra pockets and utility straps. It wasn’t anything close to the versatility of their supersuits, but it would work. 

They’d arranged to meet in Ranboo’s room at ten. Tommy fished into the back of his drawers to pull out the crudely constructed disguises, and slipped his on underneath his sweatpants and a hoodie. 

Tubbo had amassed an impressive collection of supplies for them to use, ranging from a drone camera to night vision goggles to extendable batons.

“Where did you get all this stuff?” Tommy asked as he handed the others their disguises. 

“Some of it I already had, some of it I got from around the tower.” He held up a set of throwing knives. “I took a few weapons from the training gym, and asked Sam if I could borrow some of his old tech prototypes to study. None of it should be missed, or raise any suspicions if we’re caught using it.”

“Don’t underestimate the little guy,” Tommy muttered, impressed.

“Well I got the low down on the location,” Ranboo said. “At least, as much as I could find. It used to be a packing warehouse for canned food, but it’s been ‘unused’ for the past two years. It’s isolated, and according to satellite maps, no large trucks are seen going in or out.”

“So maybe an underground entrance?” Tubbo raised.

“Or they only sneak in when it’s dark,” Tommy offered.

“Either way, it seems quiet. I doubt it’s a distribution hub. If anything, I’d guess it’s a meeting location to discuss illegal stuff in private.”

“So there’s a chance it’s empty, or there’s a chance we walk in on a drug deal or some shit,” Tommy said. 

“Pretty much.”

“Great. How close can you get us?”

Ranboo wiggled his head back and forth. “The closest I could get us is here.” He pointed to a spot on the map that was a few blocks away. “I’ve been to this store before, so I think I can visualize it enough to teleport us there.”

“Okay. Tubs, you got the GPS in our comms speefed?” 

“It’s ‘spoofed’, Tommy.”

“Same difference.”

“It’s really not. But yes, I have the locations spoofed.”

“Alright. Let’s do it then.”

With their gear distributed and their makeshift masks on, they all took hold and braced themselves as Ranboo’s powers zipped them off their feet in a haze of purple particles.

When they touched down again, they were in a parking lot outside a small grocery store. The lights were all out and there was no one around, leaving them alone in the eerie glow of a flickering street lamp. Ranboo stumbled backwards and nearly collided with the wall, but Tubbo managed to ease his fall.

“You good, man?” 

Ranboo nodded, wiping a dot of blood that had begun to drip from his nose. “Just give me a second to regen.”

He tipped his head down and took in a few deep breaths while Tommy and Tubbo scouted the area. They mapped the route they’d need to take to get the coordinates, and picked out a few buildings they could hop between to avoid walking the main streets. 

After a few minutes Ranboo gave the all clear, but he’d be out of juice for another long-distance teleportation for a few hours. And even though Tommy could mimic his powers, he‘d only been able to teleport himself. It had taken Ranboo years of training to safely teleport other people, and Tommy wasn’t near skilled enough in that power set to do the same. That meant they’d need to take the rest of the journey on foot.

“I was thinking, we need to have nicknames, like our aliases,” Tommy pointed out as they scaled a fire-escape to reach the top of a shabby apartment complex. 

“True. We shouldn’t call each other by our real names,” Tubbo agreed.

“Any ideas?”

Tommy shrugged. “Nope.”

“So helpful,” Tubbo quipped.

“What’s something cool?” Ranboo asked.

“Women,” Tommy blurted

Ranboo narrowed his eyes in confusion. “How are we supposed to work with that?”

“Fine. We can each pick a name from someone on Knuckle Sandwich. I’ll be Schlatt.”

“Absolutely not.”

“What about Greek Mythology?” Ranboo suggested. “They made us read all those Epics in professor Wels' class. We could pick names of heroes from those stories, that way we’re still on brand.”

“Dibs on Hercules!” Tubbo shouted, momentarily forgetting the stealth part of their mission.

“Actually, his original Greek name is Heracles,” Ranboo corrected.

“Nerd,” Tommy blurted.

Tubbo shook his head. “Whatever. Heracles, Hercules, that’s my code name.”

“Who should I be then?” Tommy pushed. “Who’s the coolest hero?”

“Hercules, but I already called dibs.”

“Shut up Tubbo. Ranboo, who should I be?”

“You could be Theseus,” he suggested.

Tommy thought on that. “What did Theseus do?”

“He killed the minotaur.”

“Alright. Cool.” Tommy let the name settle on his tongue. “Theseus – vigilante extraordinaire. Villains fear him, civilians cheer at the sound of his name..”

Tubbo cut off Tommy’s monologue. “Ranboo, you can be Achilles.” 

“Why?” 

“That’s the only other one I remember.”

Before they could discuss the names any further they came to a halt atop the last building butting against the lines of decrepit warehouses. Ranboo gestured to one in the middle of a cluster. A soft, yellow light could barely be seen shining between the cracks of a boarded up window. “That one there.”

Tubbo pulled the miniature drone from a pocket sewn into his jacket and powered it on. The propellers whirred to life, and he carefully flew it ahead to get a better look. The screen on the controller displayed the grainy image of the drone’s camera. In the dim light of the night sky it was hard to make anything out, but a sweep around the exterior showed no obvious signs of guards posted.

“There’s an entrance, but I’m willing to bet that it’s locked.” Tubbo said.

“One of us will need to open it from the inside then.” Tommy suggested. “I could use Ranboo’s powers to pop in real quick, since he still needs to recover.”

“You just want to teleport,” Ranboo called out.

“Yeah, I totally do.”

“There’s no windows to see inside, but I bet you can look through the crack of the door to get a visual.” Tubbo pointed out.

“Got it.”

“If you’re not back in thirty seconds I’m coming in to find you,” Ranboo asserted.

Tommy placed a hand on Ranboo’s shoulders and absorbed their power. Teleportation was one of his favorites to mimic, but it took a lot of concentration. He closed his eyes, pictured the location outside the warehouse, and sent himself there.

Teleporting was nauseating as a passenger, but doing it himself was much more tolerable. Tommy swallowed back a bit of bile as he materialized on the concrete, but was able to steady himself and check around the area. Like Tubbo had said, he managed to get a peek through the door. No one was around, at least that he could see. He braced himself as he teleported inside, but no alert was made. Satisfied, he unlocked the door and popped back to the rooftop.

“It’s a go.”

“Do we have a plan?” Ranboo asked as the other two started off.

“Fuck shit up,” Tubbo whispered in a gravely voice.

Ranboo took a few long strides to keep up with them. “That is not a plan.”

Neither gave any sort of consolation, let alone a series of logical steps. Their gung-ho means of approaching the task was a far removal from the strategery employed during a Super mission. They were walking in blind, not knowing who or what they’d find. 

It was easy enough to get into the warehouse. Tubbo disrupted the visuals of the security cameras by shifting the light waves, allowing them to sneak in undetected. They found themselves in a dimly lit garage, though it was empty of any vehicles. It looked like it had once been a depot to store broken trucks, but currently it was only filled with miscellaneous crates. 

Tommy gestured to the boxes and they spread out, silently sifting through the contents. Given the nature of the mission, the massive amounts of firearms and ammunition shouldn’t have been a surprise, but they still caught him off guard. There were enough rounds in a single crate to supply a small army.

“Holy shit, you guys!” Tommy whisper-yelled across the room. Judging from their concerned looks, they’d found the same thing. “We can’t just leave this here.”

Ranboo teleported to Tommy’s side, gesturing to the childish garb they wore. “It’s not like we can arrest anyone looking like this.” 

He had a point. There wasn’t anything they could do now, but he was certain that this was a supplier. They must have a secret means of moving freight, considering no suspicious activity had been tracked. 

“We’ll make an anonymous tip, then the authorities can handle it,” Ranboo suggested. 

“We are the authorities,” Tubbo pointed out as he joined their huddle. 

“Then we’ll deal with it later. Wearing our actual supersuits. Not old pajama pants sewn into masks.”

“Hey!” Tommy crossed his arms with a frown. “I worked hard on these.”

Tubbo started to wander towards the only interior door of the warehouse. Ranboo and Tommy quickly caught up, and they carefully peeked through it. A single hallway with doors lining both sides stood on the opposite end, appearing to be offices. Tommy scanned the area. “Split up?”

“What are we, the Scooby Doo gang?” Ranboo objected. 

With those words of wisdom they decided to stick together. The doors were locked, but Tommy and Ranboo teleported inside and opened them each up. No one was behind any of them. The place was deserted. 

“Does anyone else find it weird that there were no guards and no alarms set up to protect this place?” Tubbo asked. It was incredibly strange, even more so with the thousands of dollars worth of cargo sitting around. Anyone could have picked the lock and snuck in. 

“Let’s just search quickly and get out of here.”

Agreeing that they shouldn’t in fact ‘Scooby Doo’ it, they continued to stay as a group. They started with the largest room, one that looked the most used. Besides the dingy layer of filth and cigar scent that clung to the walls, it looked like it was being used as a makeshift office. There wasn’t much to find other than a very outdated computer and some old fast food wrappers. 

While Tommy and Ranboo searched for anything else of note, Tubbo inspected the PC. “If I can remove the hard drive, I can search it at the Tower.” 

“Can you get it out?”

“Maybe.” Tubbo pulled a screwdriver from one of his pockets. “I came prepared.”

He went to work dismantling the machine while Tommy and Ranboo searched the rest of the space. Tommy flung open the drawers of the old rusted desk and sifted through them without much care. The haphazard manner of digging heightened Ranboo’s anxiety. “They're going to know that someone's been in here.”

“We’re taking their entire hard drive. I think they’ll figure it out anyway.”

“True, true.”

As Tommy was pulling compartments open he got to one that was locked. That seemed like it was important. “Hey Tubs, you got anything we can use to break open a lock?”

Tubbo perked up, fished through his pockets, and tipped a handful of small, rock looking pellets into his hands. “Try these.”

“What are they?”

“Mini explosives.”

Tommy recoiled, nearly dropping them. “What the fuck, Tubbo!” 

He looked up with a completely flaccid expression. “What?”

“Let’s not resort to using bombs,” Ranboo pushed Tommy’s open palm away, and pulled out one of the training knives instead. He wedged it into the crack and pushed it forward until it hit the latch. After a bit of wiggling it was pushed down and the drawer popped open.

“How did you know how to do that?” Tommy gaped.

“Techno has a lot of unique skills. I’m a good listener.”

Inside the locked compartment there was a single manila envelope. Tommy gently pocketed the mini-explosives and picked it up. Something heavy slid around inside. He dumped the contents onto the desk, revealing a folded piece of paper and a single gold coin. It wasn’t a currency that either of them recognized – it was more akin to a toy than anything real. 

“What the hell..”

Ranboo picked up the paper that came with it, reading the contents aloud. “If anyone asks, it didn’t come from me. Spend it wisely. – R.”

A loud, echoing thud of a metal door sounded from the main room of the warehouse. The three vigilantes stilled. Movement and voices floated towards them, and they were clearly angry. Someone knew they were there. 

“We gotta go.” Tommy shoved the coin into his pocket and Ranboo folded up the paper. “Toby, come on.”

“I don’t have it yet,” Tubbo protested as he fiddled with the hard drive. The footsteps got closer. 

“Time’s up, we gotta cut our losses.” Tommy pulled Tubbo away from the computer, reaching out to Ranboo. “Do you have enough juice to get us out of here?”

But Ranboo didn’t respond. He stood loosely with his mouth slightly agape, eyes void of any sign of life. Tommy shook his shoulder, still no response. “Ran? Achilles?” 

Ranboo finally sprung up, but something was wrong. Their body moved like they were animatronic, and his face was still devoid of any expression. Tubbo stepped forward, and Ranboo swung. His fist was inches from colliding with Tubbo’s nose as he and Tommy sprawled back in shock. Ranboo lurched forward, held his hands out to examine them, then teleported to the other side of the room. A stilted, unnatural grin spread over his face, and he appeared behind his friends. 

“Move!” Tommy didn’t even have to say it, they were both already scrambling to avoid getting hit again. Ranboo teleported closer, this time managing to land a stinging punch to Tommy’s eye. 

“What’s wrong with him!” Tubbo shouted. That was when two men burst into the office holding bags of takeout.

“Fucking Super wannabes. Can’t even go on a lunch break,” The taller man grumbled, shaking his head as though the teenagers were a mere inconvenience. His partner gave little response, eyes narrowed in concentration, but stepped towards Tommy while cracking his knuckles.

Tommy lunged to the side to avoid Ranboo, while also deflecting the attack from the short, beefy man that advanced on him. He tried to punch the man but his swing met open air, and the man grabbed the fabric of his shirt and tossed him aside. Tommy fell into a roll and was back on his feet, but Ranboo was right in front of him. His friend tried to punch him, he ducked, and barreled into Ranboo’s knees. Before being taken down Ranboo teleported across the room and turned their attention on Tubbo, who was too distracted fighting to notice.

“Hercules!” Tubbo whipped his attention to Tommy. 

“I thought we decided on Heracles.”

“Now really isn’t the time to be debating the specifics of our names!”

With perfect timing, Ranboo tackled Tubbo to the ground. But before Tommy could help, an arm hooked around his neck, crushing his throat. Besides the sudden inability to breath, Tommy felt a somersaulting sensation roll over his brain. It wasn’t the lack of oxygen though. 

His opponent had a superpower. 

Tommy squeezed his eyes shut and neurons fired as he tried to decipher what the ability was. He kicked his legs as his lungs desperately fought for air. Then, he found it. 

Like his soul left his body, Tommy’s consciousness sprung out of himself. It was as if his mind was torn in half – one piece still left in his own body, the other floating like an omniscient observer in the room. He focused the second part of him on his attacker, and suddenly Tommy was inhabiting the opponent’s mind. 

“What the fuck?” He heard the man think to himself, and the arm choking him dropped. Tommy stumbled forward, still able to vaguely control his own limbs, while simultaneously controlling the man too. Tommy sifted through his attacker’s consciousness, forcing the man to lift his hands and slap himself across the face. 

“Holy shit!” Tommy laughed, but was ejected from the man’s brain. He toppled backwards as his full consciousness came back. Across the room Ranboo jolted and blinked in confusion as he was given back control of his brain. Blood was running in a thick stream from his nose, he wiped it on the back of his shirt sleeve.

The thug stared at Tommy, agape. “How the hell – ”

“Boss!” 

The short man looked over to see the empty envelope his partner held up. The three vigilantes froze, and anger consumed the leader’s face. His stare narrowed in on Tommy. “You have something that doesn’t belong to you.”

The boss didn’t lunge for Tommy again. This time he attacked his mind. Tommy lost complete control of himself, his hands forced to reach into the pockets of his makeshift suit in search of the coin. His mind lit on fire as he tried to overpower the possession, and for a split second he regained control of his fingers. He pushed them past the metal coin, and fished out the small pebble like devices instead. Limbs flailing, he threw them towards the man’s feet. 

The small explosion wasn’t enough to disable his attacker, but it was a good enough distraction to stop everyone in their tracks. His mind was vacated again, and he threw one of the knives into the calf of the attacker.

“We gotta go!” Tommy yelled. Ranboo grabbed a hold of Tubbo and teleported him across the room to Tommy, but the possessor had turned his attention back on Ranboo. Tommy flung himself into Ranboo’s head at the exact same time, battling each other for control. Ranboo stumbled around with a dazed expression as Tommy and the man yanked his consciousness around like it was tug of war. Tubbo watched helplessly at the strange interaction going on, finally throwing all caution to the wind and sending a high-pitched sound wave through the room. 

Everyone recoiled and Ranboo’s head was vacated. While the two men were disoriented, Tubbo grabbed his friends and hauled them out of the room and into the large garage area. “We need to go – “

Three more thugs poured into the warehouse, guns raised. Ranboo reached out and teleported with barely enough time to visualize a destination, causing them to appear two feet from where several rounds of bullets struck concrete. Tommy cast himself into one of the men. When he had control of his mind he forced the man to drop his gun and smack the weapons from the hands of the other two. 

“They’re blocking the exit,” Tubbo stated. The men scrambled in confusion to pick up their weapons. Tommy returned fully to himself. Beside him Ranboo was unsteady, blood had begun to drip from his ears and he winced from the splitting headache between his eyes. Just as the thugs were pointing the guns towards them again, Ranboo grabbed Tommy and Tubbo, wavering on his feet, and warped them outside the warehouse. As soon as they were out he fell into Tommy.

“Shit,” Tommy cursed, dragging Ranboo in their half-conscious state as the three ran from the scene. “Come on man, don’t pass out on us now.”

“I‘m fine..” Ranboo lied. They wound through several rows of buildings and ducked down in the relative safety of a row of parked semi trucks. The cover was enough to allow Ranboo to sit and recover from the over expenditure of energy. 

“What the hell happened back there?” Tubbo asked. 

“Big man had superpowers. Possession. He got into Ranboo’s head and made him pop around until I stopped him.”

Ranboo leaned his head against the metal of the truck’s shipping unit. “It felt like you two were having a boxing match in my brain.”

“You’re welcome,” Tommy replied.

Tubbo shook his head and peeled his mask off his face. “So much for keeping a low profile on our powers.”

“Something tells me these guys aren’t going to tattle on us,” Tommy reasoned.

They fell into silence, and frustrated shouting echoed down the alleys. Tubbo nudged Ranboo. “Are you good to go?”

“Yeah. But we’re going to need to make it on foot for a while.”

They were able to easily avoid another confrontation, but the journey back would be a slow one. They were at last thirty blocks from the Tower, but that would give Ranboo enough time to regenerate the energy to get them back into Tubbo’s room. Other than Ranboo’s overuse of powers, everyone was practically unscathed. It was a miracle they’d all gotten out with no more than a few scrapes and bruises. Little injuries could be attributed to training mishaps, but it would have been challenging to come up with a cover story for a stab wound.

As they moved between the compact buildings, Tommy fished the coin from his pocket. He studied it in the low light. It had been indented with lines around the border, something similar to a poker chip. In the center circle was a simple, pixelated smiley face. It was heavy, giving credence to the possibility that it was real gold. However, there was nothing else that gave away where it was from or why it was so important.

“Why do you think that guy was so worried about us getting our hands on this?” Tommy asked as he brought it close to his eye. “Seems like a token you’d win at an arcade or some shit.”

“Let me get a look.” Tubbo swiped the coin from Tommy’s hand.

“Careful man!” 

Tubbo held it up to the light, studied the simple design, then bit the edge of it. Ranboo recoiled. “What the hell?”

“Just testing to see if it’s real.”

“And?”

Tubbo looked on in momentary silence. “I don’t know. Do I look like a metal expert to you?”

Tommy shook his head. “Give it here.” He had to grab it back, and placed it in one of his sewed-on pockets. “I’ll keep it safe.”

“Who gave you the authority here?” Tubbo questioned.

“Well, I’m obviously the leader.”

“Obviously?”

“Yeah!” 

“I was the one who got the message from 5 Up!” Tubbo retorted.

“But I’m the biggest man of the three of us!”

“Technically, I am,” Ranboo stated.

Tommy shook his head. “Maybe in height, but not in power .”

“You’re the worst,” Tubbo continued. 

“I am the leader though,” Tommy muttered.

“Like hell you are.”

A sound from the street below caught Tommy’s attention. “Wait. Quiet.”

“Don’t tell me to – ”

“Seriously man, listen.”

They finally stopped, and when they did, pieces of intense conversation drifted up to them. The echo from the alley underneath them projected the words.

“I’m not asking again. Your wallet. Now.”

“We don’t want any trouble..”

The trio dropped and peered over the edge. Below them a man was holding a couple at gunpoint, waving the weapon as the man tried to quell the situation. Tommy’s breath hitched. “We have to do something.”

“We’re in our vigilante suits,” Ranboo warned.

“But they need help.” Tommy looked between the two, quickly formulating a plan. “We’ll do it without making our powers obvious. Follow my lead.”

Ranboo used a bit of his energy to teleport them behind a dumpster close to the conflict. Tommy crept out to where the couple could see them, behind the mugger’s sight. He motioned for the victims to stay quiet, while Tubbo subtly gathered the energy from a sound wave. A burst of high-pitched ringing hit the mugger’s ears; he brought his hands up in surprise, grunting in pain as he cringed.

In the moment of distraction Tommy ran forward and kicked the back of the mugger’s knee. He crumpled forward. Ranboo pinned the man’s wrist and shoved the gun far down the alley while Tubbo ushered the couple out of the way from the fight. 

Despite being outnumbered, the mugger managed to flip over and kick Tommy away. He tried to stand up, but Ranboo still had a hold of his arm, which he twisted backwards. The mugger yelled out in pain, and Tommy punched him in the stomach. The combined attack was enough to immobilize the man and get him to his knees. Tommy stepped behind and pulled the attacker’s arms back to keep him from breaking free once more.

“We can’t stay here,” Ranboo whispered. Tommy nodded, looking back to Tubbo, who’d been watching the fight. 

“Heracles. Is everyone okay.” Tubbo nodded, and Tommy motioned for him to come back and help. Tubbo turned to the couple one final time.

“Call 911 – ” as he gave the command he realized that the woman had her phone held up, camera light shining on them. He stuttered, jaw locking in place, when the distant sound of sirens approaching alerted him.

“Theseus, Achilles, we gotta go!” Tubbo called, and the other two whipped around to see red and blue flashes coming their way. Tommy looked down at the mugger, made sure the gun wasn’t nearby, and gave him one final blow to the temple. He slumped down as the sound of car doors opened nearby. The three took off for the nearest fire escape, not looking back as they scrambled away from the scene. Only once they were several blocks away did they slow to catch their breath.

Tubbo stepped up to the edge of the building's roof and plopped down, rubbing his face in his hands. “Damn it..” he cursed between heavy breaths. “I should have told them to delete it.”

“What do you mean?” Tommy crouched next to him. “What happened?”

Tubbo’s head dropped, and he let out a pained laugh. “We may or may not be totally fucked.”

Chapter Text

For the next few days, Tommy, Tubbo, and Ranboo were on high alert. Any second, Nox could come storming into the Sidekick quarters and reveal that he knew all about their vigilante excursion. Whenever they had a free moment they scoured social media for a sign of the video that the couple had taken. Nothing had shown up yet, but it was only a matter of time before the evidence of their vigilantism came to light.

Tubbo had put in the anonymous tip about the crime ring, and ironically, the case was given to The Dream Team. Crime analytics had run the details and found just about the same information that the Sidekicks had when they did their own research. Nothing about missing people or strange coins. The one new piece of information was the name of the ring’s leader – Carlos Beckett. 

Apparently, Beckett had been on the radar for a while, but he’d managed to avoid detection for a few years. His power of possession made him a highly wanted criminal, and would require a complete stealth operation to bring him down. Now that they had a lead, finding Beckett’s real hideout became a more manageable task...

In the meantime, business would continue as normal. Tommy and Tubbo had been planted at their desks for the past hour filing paperwork. Between boring secretarial work Tubbo was scrolling through posts under the hashtags vigilantes, arrest, Supers, and anything else related to the appearance of a new group of amateur heroes. 

“I think this place could use some more pizzazz,” Tommy noted out loud, focus drifting from his work to the barren walls of their office. “Maybe I could get back one of my Phantom posters to tack up.”

“I’m sure Dream would love that,” Tubbo murmured, eyes still glued to his screen.

“We could at least use some of those swinging balls that every CEO seems to have on their desk. You know the ones I’m talking about?”

“Newton balls.”

“Yeah, some of them.”

Tubbo shot from his chair so fast that it wheeled back a few feet. “No...”

“Chill man, it was just a suggestion.”

“Not the fucking newton balls. Look.” Tubbo turned the screen so Tommy could see: a grainy, low-lit video of an alleyway was captured by a shaking camera. Several feet away were himself and Ranboo taking down the mugger, identities obscured by their masks and the wobbly cinematography. Tommy could vaguely be heard calling out Tubbo’s alias, followed shortly by Tubbo’s scratchy voice yelling out to the others to leave. The phone dropped as they ran off, and the video ended. 

“Well, shit...” Tommy slumped into his chair, fingers drumming on his legs. “At least you can’t see our faces. And the audio isn’t that good either.”

“Good enough,” Tubbo said.

“It’s fine, man. It’s only got – ” Tommy leaned into the screen. “500 views. Maybe it’ll go unnoticed. We just need to play it cool.”

A knock at their door caused them both to jump. Tubbo closed out the video as Dream stuck his head into their office. “You two ready for patrol?”

“Sir, yes sir.” Tommy saluted, immediately regretting his choice. Dream’s neck craned forward in confusion, but he shook his head and left. 

“Just play it cool, Tom,” Tubbo whispered mockingly. Tommy threw a pen at him

“Let’s go, dickhead.”

With a month of patrols under their belt, the routine of maintaining safety on the city streets had become natural. The group would move along a habitual route for the sector they were stationed in, occasionally stepping in for minor crimes. Though most of the time was spent waiting for a job, it wasn’t as mind-numbingly boring as it used to be. Dream had actually started to give Tommy useful advice in the downtime between crimes.

“What would you do when someone is about to harm a civilian?” Tommy asked Dream as they stopped at the edge of a rooftop. “Like, how do you stop them without hurting the person?”

“Best thing to do is divert their attention,” Dream replied. “Usually, they either want to attack a Super or avoid a Super. If you can draw them away from whoever they're targeting, that’s your best option.”

“What about quippy one liners? Would that be a good way to pull their attention?” 

“I wouldn’t recommend it.”

Tommy shrugged. “That’s not a no.”

A call came in on their comms before Dream could shut down Tommy’s idea. George read it out loud. “Code 1619. All available Supers report to L’Manburg Federal Courthouse. High Level Threat. Engage with caution.”

“Shit, that’s Snag.” Dream said, turning to the direction they’d come from. He pulled up the Tower communication line and tapped his ear piece. “Dream Team inbound, three blocks away. What are our instructions?”

The team followed his lead and Tubbo looked over to Sapnap. “Who’s Snag?”

“A new villain, just popped up a few weeks ago.” Sapnap informed as they vaulted between rooftops.

“He’s broken into three other government and hero facilities already,” George added. “He’s at the top of L’Manburg’s most wanted, and highly dangerous.”

“Is he Powered?”

Sapnap nodded. “He can read minds, but only if he makes contact.”

“So this fight is going to be a ranged attack?” Tommy reasoned.

“Definitely.”

Police had only begun to pull up to the front of the court house when the team arrived on the scene. All employees had pooled on the sidewalk as law enforcement tried to get a gauge of the situation. From the outside the building looked calm; no fires or explosions, no loud noises or evidence that anything was awry. The group met the head officer on the scene.

“We think everyone made it out of the building. We don’t have an exact number yet.” The Police Chief’s voice strained with nerves. “All we know is that he was able to force his way into the back, and that he’s wearing a metal suit of some kind.”

George nodded knowingly. “He’s got one of Syndicate Lab’s prototype mech suits. It’s armed to the teeth with defenses.”

“So he’s got all the tech we do?” Tubbo clarified.

George nodded. “And then some.”

Dream adjusted the gloves of his suit and rolled his neck. “We can’t waste anymore time. Our directive is to conduct a full takedown, use anything necessary save for lethal force. The Tower wants him alive.”

“How are we supposed to take him down if we can’t touch him?” Tommy asked. 

Dream glanced at him from his peripherals. “We stall long enough for The Warden to get here with a destabilizer.”

The lobby of the courthouse was eerily silent. Their footsteps echoed against the marble floor up into the domed ceiling, gently announcing their presence. No words were exchanged, but they knew the plan. Stick together. Draw Snag’s attention. Don’t let him get close.

Dream gave the nonverbal command to move, and the five of them swept through the building. There was no mistaking exactly where Snag had gone; the trail of cracked stone flooring gave him away. The team snuck into a door that had been smashed through, and into the back of the building. They finally came upon a large, outdated room. It was lined with metal shelves in endless rows, many of which had now been shoved out of place. Papers and folders littered the ground, creating a minefield of documents. The only sound was the frustrated grunts and tossing of files that came from deep within.

“On my mark,” Dream whispered, amplified only by the comms in their ears. They spaced out to surround the room and flank on all sides. Tommy fell behind his mentor, and was soon able to see the lethal criminal. The mech suit was latched to his body, save for his arms, which were removed from the tech and flying through papers in a frantic search. Dread pooled in Tommy’s stomach as his gaze remained firmly on the target. 

Dream found Sapnap across the room, gave one nod, and it was go time. “Now.”

Torch threw a ball of heat towards Snag while Dream mentally forced him backwards into the shelves. Snag grunted in shock, but reacted quickly enough to secure his arms in the mech suit before he could suffer any burns. All five heroes threw down adhesion bonds in unison. Pockets of pale green sludge burst and expanded against the suit and the ground. The team stood in hopeful anticipation, but without an ounce of resistance, the mech yanked free of the restraint. 

“Plan B!” Sapnap yelled, causing them all to retreat as Snag got back onto his feet. Tubbo was the only one who remained within range. 

“Plug your ears!” He warned, and sent an ear piercing sound wave through the room. Snag barely flinched, but Tommy, Dream, George, and Sapnap recoiled as their eardrums were assaulted by the vibration. Tubbo swiveled, realizing the move had backfired. He looked back at Snag, to the metal suit, and focused on the electromagnetic waves pulsing from the technology. Tubbo twisted his arm, facial features straining, as he heighted the suit's magnetic pull. The shelves from around the room began to inch towards Snag, before snapping to stick to his suit.

George looked up to Snag, who was starting to get lost under the shelves magnetized to him. “I can go in to immobilize,” he stated as Tubbo tried to maintain his intense focus.

Dream grabbed his arm. “No. It’s too risky. You won’t be able to get through the mech suit.”

“Guys...” Tubbo’s arm jerked as it strained under the energy exertion. He faltered for a brief second, but it was enough to allow Snag to shove away the shelves. As Tubbo dove to avoid getting crushed he released his hold on the magnetism. Snag used the robotic arm to fling the shelves at the Supers. Everyone dove to the sides, but Tubbo’s proximity made him an easier target. He was knocked to the ground and pinned underneath the massive amount of weight. The other heroes tried to regain formation as Snag grabbed another shelf.

“I got him!” Dream levitated the shelf off of Tubbo and threw it at Snag. It knocked the mech sideways, Tubbo rolled back to the safety of the sideline to recover. Another projectile hurtled towards George, but Dream stopped it in midair and sent it straight back. 

“The Warden is five minutes out. Maintain control of the suspect.” Dispatch crackled in their headset. Tommy looked to the team leader, realizing that all of their attempts had proved futile. Dream took in a large breath of air, and used his powers to grab the mech suit itself. He lifted Snag up and levitated him out of reach.

“Can you hold him until Warden gets here?” Tommy asked.

“I can try,” Dream grunted.

Despite being suspended, Snag could still utilize the mech. He tried to shake himself free of the telepathy, but the movement was useless. Instead, Snag lowered the arms of the suit and they recoiled as two projectiles fired; stun pods spread out like a shotgun spray, searching for targets. Tommy rolled behind the cover of a fallen shelf with Sapnap, but Dream and George were caught in their path. The prongs latched through their supersuits and electricity spread through their limbs, Snag dropped, George did too. Dream managed to rip the pods off himself, but they’d lost their upper hand once again. 

“Shit – ” Sapnap started sending jets of fire at Snag in a desperate attempt to take him down, but the suit seemed resistant to heat. It barely stopped him as he marched towards the offending Super. 

“How is that thing so strong?” Tommy yelled as Dream ripped the pods off George and dragged him to where Tubbo was slouched in pain. 

“It was designed to be invincible against any villain’s superpower.” Sapnap gathered a larger ball of flames and flung it at Snag. “They didn’t account for the fact that it would be invincible to our powers too.”

Snag threw another shelf at Tommy and Sapnap, forcing them out of their cover. They were running out of strategies. Tommy ran his hands up the many pockets and pouches of his suit, mind racing for an option. He stopped on one of his belt attachments, fingers finding the end of a metal chord. Without much forethought he yanked on the concealed coil.

“Torch!” Tommy held up the thick wire of undetermined length. He didn’t even know what his own plan was, he just hoped that Sapnap would figure out what to do. Luckily, the Super connected the dots for him. 

Sapnap grabbed the end of the line. “Are you a Star Wars fan?” 

Tommy’s eyes widened. “Hell yes.” 

Without needing to voice their plan they took off in the opposite direction of each other. Tommy ran to the other side of Snag, bringing the chord around the mech’s feet. They managed to tangle it enough to bring him down – a short lived victory as Tommy realized that the chord was attached to his belt. The wire hit its limit, and Tommy was dragged to the ground with Snag. His forehead hit the stone floor and white hot lightning shot through his skull. Around him the world stuttered, sounds and sights blurring. 

Get up. Every second you're down is a chance for Snag to crush you.

Pushing past the splitting pain, Tommy hoisted himself to his feet. Across the room he could see Snag, free of his binds, as Dream and Sapnap readied another round of attacks. 

“We have the destabilizer on site. Close in on the suspect.” Dispatch ordered. Snag, as if he could hear the call, stopped his defense long enough to survey the room. Before Dream or Torch could reach him, he pulled a round vial from the stomach of the mech and threw it on the ground. The moment it shattered the room was consumed in a plume of smoke. Tommy squinted his eyes and shoved his mouth into his sleeve as the chemical scent of the manufactured fog blocked his senses. 

“We lost visual!” Sapnap yelled down the comms. The sound of the mechanical suit moving was all they had to go off of. Dream tried to find his target, but without a line of sight he couldn’t get a mental hold. The two Supers tried to pursue, Tommy shortly behind. 

At the edge of the fog cloud Tommy found a smashed doorway and a mech suit lying on the ground. His heart lifted as he stumbled over to where Sapnap and Dream were already kneeling over the machine. 

“Did... you get him?” 

No reply came from either, but as Dream irately shot to his feet Tommy could see that the mech was open, and there was no one inside.

“The suit was left behind, he’s moving on foot. No indication of what direction he took.” Sapnap fell backwards into a seated position, fingers raking through his sweat drenched hair. 

“Officers are in pursuit. Hero teams, fall back. I repeat, Hero teams, do not engage.”

Tommy stepped forward to look at the possible direction Snag escaped in, trying to piece together where he could have gone to evade capture. “Shouldn’t we help... find him?”

“We can’t risk the chance of Snag touching us.” Dream stared down at the abandoned mech. “If he were to read our minds it would give him way more classified information than whatever documents he’s stolen already.”

The image of Dream swayed and doubled, and the sharp pain fired in Tommy’s skull again. He blinked his vision back to normal. “I should... go check on Tubbo...”

Dream whipped around to berate Tommy for using a real name on the field, but his ferocity dimmed when he caught the state of his sidekick. “Mimic, you okay?”

“Fine.” Tommy’s balance slipped, then Dream was propping him up. “Just... bonked my head a bit.”

“We need a medic at the rear entrance, possible concussion,” Dream called, then turned to address Tommy. “You need to sit down.”

“Beeline... and Sleepwalker...” 

“ – Will be fine,” Dream finished. “Hold tight, okay?” 

He lowered Tommy to the ground, the sidekick dropped ungracefully to the pavement. “We were so close... They have to find him...” 

Dream’s jaw tightened. “You don’t win every fight you walk into.”

That was the final note to Tommy’s anthem of defeat. Losing Snag at the last second hurt more than the splitting headache overtaking his brain. Everything around him was becoming more and more fuzzy. A faint tickle made the side of his face twitch, and when he brought up his hand to scratch at it he was met with something warm and wet. He brought his hand into his field of vision and recognized the crimson staining his fingers.

“Huh...” Tommy cringed as the pain amplified. No villain. No victory. Nothing to show for but a split forehead and a pissed off mentor.

Losing felt awful. Terrible. Completely and utterly deflating.

There were several things that inflated the disappointment of the failed capture; being carted to the Tower Hospital wing with a debilitating headache and a useless ice pack, for one. The defeat would have felt much more dignified if Tommy could have walked out with his team and recanted the epic battle. Instead, he was whisked off on a stretcher while a middle aged man asked him to repeat strings of numbers over and over. 

After several more tests, Puffy confirmed that he did in fact have a concussion. She mended the gash on his forehead but couldn’t do much to quell the head injury. Brain tissue was trickier than muscle tissue, and her power set wasn’t advanced enough to reverse any damage. That meant Tommy would need to ride out the headache the old fashioned way.

The door of the recovery room creaked open and Tommy perked his head up. No one had visited him other than Puffy and a nurse. A piece of him expected Dream to step through, to check on him after the fight, but it was just Tubbo who walked in.

“How’s the head?” his best friend asked.

“Feels like someone clapped a cymbal right next to my ear.” He lowered the ice pack to his lap. “What about you? What did Puffy say?”

“Bruised rib. She got it fixed up, it’ll just be sore for a few days.”

Tommy nodded, kicking his feet over the edge of the bed. He stared down at laminate tiles, thinking back to the details of the attack. Tubbo took notice. 

“We were really close to catching him,” he offered. 

“Close isn’t good enough,” Tommy retorted.

Tubbo tilted his head in placid contemplation. He stepped over to sit on the bed next to Tommy. “I guess it’s not. But Snag doesn’t have the mech suit anymore, that’s one good thing we managed to do. And no one got hurt – ”

Tommy lifted his ice pack indignantly. Tubbo shrugged. “No civilians got hurt.”

“But Snag got away. What if the next time he attacks, someone does get hurt. That’ll be on us.”

“We could think like that about every bad person out there.” The contrast of Tubbo’s neutral expression and blunt tone piqued Tommy’s attention. “There are probably hundreds of villains in L’Manburg. Each minute we’re not catching one is another minute where someone gets hurt. But we can’t hold ourselves to blame for not stopping them before it happened.”

“But this time was different. We had him – The Warden was seconds away from coming in with the destabilizer. We fucked it up and now he’s still out there.”

“You’re right.” Tubbo shrugged. His blasé reactions were grating on Tommy’s nerves.

“Doesn’t that make you upset?”

“Sure it does.” His lack of inflection was contradictory to his earnestness. “We tried our best, and we failed. Sometimes we’re going to lose.”

When Tubbo fell silent Tommy realized he’d been holding his tension in his jaw. He relaxed his gritted teeth and manually loosened his muscles. It didn’t take the fire away, but it did quell the flames. 

“That’s the shit part of this job, isn’t it.” Tommy tucked his knees up against his stomach. “Knowing you won’t always win against the evil, no matter how hard you try.”

“Yeah. It is.” Tubbo placed a hand stiffly on Tommy’s, eyes trained down. “But we’re trying. That’s what counts.”

The hospital room’s door pushed open, and Puffy walked in with water and a paper cup of pills. “How’re you holding up?” Tommy replied with a disheartened shrug, accepting the medication she passed to him. “The concussion you sustained was mild, but we want to make sure it doesn’t get aggravated. I want you to rest for the next 72 hours – no training, no working in the field. You can take pain medication every six hours if needed.”

Tommy’s shoulders dropped. “I can’t do anything for three days?” he groaned.

“Except paperwork,” Tubbo chipped in.

“You’re being the least helpful person right now,” Tommy grunted.

“I’ll add ‘no office work’ to my recovery order,” Puffy winked, easing his frustration. “Enjoy the break while you have it, Tommy. A year from now you’ll look back and wonder why you were disappointed about having to take a three-day vacation.”

Rather than fight the rationale he accepted the advice. After all, she was probably right. The heroes all maintained a six-day work week, not to mention being on call at any given moment. He’d only been at it for over a month, he imagined that years of this non-stop grind would make anyone desperate for more time off – a respite only granted for injury recovery.

“Can I at least be released back to my room?” Tommy asked.

Puffy nodded slowly. “You’re free to go. Let me know right away if your headaches get worse or you experience any new symptoms. Toby, keep an eye on him.”

Tubbo nodded with a salute, and Tommy waved him off as he gathered his things. Puffy passed him his recovery instructions and the pain medication, and he was finally out the door.

“You’re not going to just hang out in the Sidekick dorms, are you?” Tubbo asked when they were in the elevator. 

Tommy smiled. “Nope.”

By the time Tommy changed out of his supersuit and showered off the sweat and blood from the fight with Snag, it was a quarter past ten. Which meant that he wasn’t too late to make a surprise trip to his favorite team office. 

It was common knowledge that SBI’s Thursday patrol block was six to ten – and lots of people knew that after that day’s shift they had a standing team game night. It wasn’t all that weird that Tommy knew exactly when Wilbur and Techno would be in their office at any given moment of the day. Definitely not. 

And Wilbur had said that Tommy could stop by the office whenever he wanted, as long as he messaged him. So, as the elevator reached the floor of SBI’s office, Tommy typed a text into his comm. 

‘I hit my head today and I need emotional support. Can I come into the office?’

A few seconds later the reply buzzed against his wrist and extended into the air. 

‘Yeah, that’s fine.’

As soon as he had the go ahead Tommy pushed the doors open and waltzed into where Techno and Wilbur were arranging scrabble tiles on the central table. Ranboo and Aimee weren’t in sight. They’d likely gone to bed right after the patrol ended, exactly what Tommy should be doing.

“Were you waitin’ at the door?” Techno asked.

Tommy dropped into the seat next to Wilbur. “Not for very long.”

“We heard about Snag’s attack. You alright?” Wilbur asked.

“Yeah. Just a concussion. I don’t want to talk about it.” He fished in a palmful of letter tiles and began counting them out. Techno and Wilbur exchanged subtle eye contact, letting the topic slide. They knew as well as Tommy that once work hours ended, all the stress of the job was best left behind. 

“You know how to play?” Wilbur shifted the conversation, moving the board into the center of the trio.

“Make big words, get points?”

“Pretty much. We do have one house rule: If you come up with a word that no one else knows the definition of, it’s worth double.” Wilbur smiled at Techno, leaning back in his chair.

“Cool.” Tommy set up his tiles on the stand. “I think I can pull out some advanced vocabulary words for you.”

Tommy could not, in fact, pull out any advanced vocabulary words. 

“Acquiesce!” Tommy yelled out as Techno placed the final e of his turn. “That’s gotta be a made up word. What does that even mean?”

“To agree reluctantly, but without protest,” Wilbur defined. “And with the double word bonus, that’s 44 points to Techno.”

Tommy slumped down in defeat as Wilbur updated the score board. Techno was leading with 175, Wilbur second with 151, and Tommy following with a meager 45. Surveying the board, it was clear who’d laid down what. Wilbur’s plays included panoply and abstain. Techno had pulled out irrigate and embolden . Tommy was sitting proudly with dog, melon, and butt.

“This game sucks. Let’s play Monopoly instead,” Tommy huffed.

“You were the one who asked to join us,” Techno said.

“I didn’t think I’d be up against Shakespeare and Einstein!” 

“Einstein was actually a mathematician. A better comparison would have been Shakespeare and Tolstoy,” Wilbur corrected. 

Tommy was about ready to flip the table. “How do you guys know so many big words anyway?”

Wil shrugged. “I read a lot. And Techno has a degree in English Literature.”

“You do?” Tommy gawked. “How?”

“Took online classes.”

“I didn’t realize we were allowed to do that,” Tommy muttered.

“Well, that’s because we’re really not,” Wilbur said. 

Tommy scrunched his nose. “Why?” 

“Because they don’t want Supers working outside of Hero Tower after they finish their assignment in the field,” Wilbur explained. 

“ If they finish their assignment in the field.” 

Wilbur shot Techno an admonitory scowl. “The only reason Techno got to complete his degree was because Phil talked Noxite into it. He basically threatened not to take the position of Assistant Director unless Nox eased up on a few things – Techno getting to take college classes on the side was one of them.”

The mention of The Crow pulled Tommy’s attention to the empty office where the Team Lead had once been stationed. The door was slightly ajar, but there was nothing more than boxes of files and outdated office furniture inside. All the personal effects had been removed, now housed two floors above in his isolated office.

“Why did Phil leave SBI?” Tommy thought aloud. “He was only 31 right? He still had four years left before he could retire from the field.”

Neither Super responded. The air in the room shifted, an uncomfortable mood settling over the unanswered question. It was alarming to see the duo, usually brazen and self-assured, suddenly shrink in on themselves like a gun was being held to their heads.

“He... didn’t have much of a choice,” Wilbur finally said. Techno stared down at his scrabble tiles, pushing them with pent up frustration. 

“Did Noxite make him?”

Again, neither was keen to answer. Wilbur glanced to the corner of the room where a security camera’s red light blinked at a steady pace. “Every Super Subdivision is required to have an Assistant Director who’s Powered. It acts as a checks and balance since the Director and the Board are all comprised of Neutrals. Jordan – The Captain – used to hold the Assistant Director position...”

Wilbur didn’t need to finish. Tommy remembered the loss all too well. The Captain had been killed by Red, the same day Tommy had almost been crushed, the day Wilbur saved him. The loss of the city’s most adored Super was felt for weeks after. 

“But Phil didn’t leave SBI until years after that,” Tommy said.

Wilbur nodded. “No one wanted the job, including him. It was left unfilled for nearly five years after Jordan died.”

“Nox preferred it that way,” Techno mumbled, only loud enough for the two of them to hear. This time Wilbur made no attempt to shun the comment.

“But the FBHA kept pushing Hero Tower to fill the role. Phil was the oldest hero in the Tower at the time, so the job was pretty much forced onto him.” 

Tommy nodded slowly. The timeline of SBI was starting to make more sense. When The Crow left the team Tommy had been ten, about to start his first year at Stronghold Academy. It was crushing, realizing he’d never be able to be the fourth addition to his favorite Super squad. “Do you guys ever wish that hadn’t happened?”

The Supers shared a collective sigh. Wilbur nodded, but his words gave no indication of his regret. “There’s not much use in wishing things were different. What happened was for the best.”

Techno eyed his partner, but Wilbur didn’t give any notice. He swiped his tiles back into the box and circled Techno’s final points on the score sheet. “Well, it looks like Techno took it tonight. I think it’s time for bed.”

The others silently packed away the rest of the game, but Techno made no indication of moving from his spot. Wilbur gave Tommy’s shoulder a nudge before grabbing his bag and exiting the office. Tommy was tentative to leave, gauging Techno’s reaction. The giant didn’t seem upset at the teenager’s lingering presence, so he pushed his luck and sank further into his chair. 

Stilted silence hung between them. Tommy studied Techno’s expression, barely readable, save for the emptiness behind his eyes. His stare was transfixed on Phil’s old office.

“Jordan wasn’t supposed to be in the field that day.” Tommy perked up at the abrupt comment. The curtain was slipping, and Techno wasn’t trying to hold it back. A rare show of his emotions threatened to step through. “He was out of the game. Once you hang up the cape, that’s supposed to be it. But they called him back in for support, just that once.”

Tommy swallowed back saliva, unsure of what to say. The way Techno spoke, it wasn’t sadness that led him to say anything. There was something different, stronger. Techno pushed himself up, grabbing his supersuit’s cape and flinging it over his shoulder. He stared at the empty office.

“I can’t help but wonder when they’ll do the same thing to Phil.”

Chapter Text

As it would turn out, “rest” for Tommy’s concussion didn’t bar him from setting up in The Dream Team office with a stack of papers and a list of tasks to complete. Against Puffy’s strong suggestion, the boss mandated some work time the morning after the fight with Snag. Noxite wasn’t fond of misusing time and resources, and a sidekick laying in bed all day was a wasted opportunity for unpaid labor. Techno’s words, of course.

Tommy would be lying if he said he was all too upset about it. The idea of being cooped up in the Sidekick Dorms without anyone to bother was torture. At least he could pester Dream, who had been instructed to stay behind for that day’s patrol.

“Did Phil finally realize that Sapnap and George are the better members of the team?” Tommy taunted.

Dream threw one of Sapnap’s tennis balls across the room, nearly nailing Tommy in the stomach. “It’s actually because you need a babysitter.”

“Do not!” Tommy threw the ball back, but Dream stopped it midair. 

“That’s not what Nox said.” 

Tommy didn’t attempt to push the argument any further, turning instead to the new stack of files on his desk. His hand already cramped just thinking about all the writing he would need to do. It would have been so much easier if he could type instead.

“There’s so many papers. Why don’t they put all this on the computer?” Tommy asked.

“So it can’t be hacked into. None of the Hero Facilities use digital storage for any of their important documentation.”

Tommy groaned. Analog – reduced risk, more work. He hated doing things the old fashioned way. Tommy riffled through the piles. Towards the bottom were a set of deep maroon folders, unlike anything he’d come across so far. He opened the first page and found that it contained all the intel they’d collected on Carlos Beckett.

“Why are Beckett’s files a different color?” He held up the folder in question. Dream peered out of his office.

“Because it’s a High Level Case.” Tommy’s furrowed brow indicated his confusion. Dream inhaled and pulled himself begrudgingly out of his seat. “No one’s told you about High Levels yet?” 

“I’m pretty sure that’s your job, Mentor . ”  

Though Dream was wearing his dumb mask, Tommy sensed an eye roll from beneath it. “High Level Cases are for the most wanted Powereds. The worst of the worst, incredibly dangerous – people like Beckett.”

“How many High Levels are there?”

“At any given time, thirty to forty.”

Tommy’s eyes widened. “That’s a lot of big bad criminals.”

“The ones we know about,” Dream amended. “There are plenty more that are too good about keeping themselves off our radar.”

“So how do High Levels work? How do we catch them?”

Dream perched himself on the edge of Tommy’s desk. “Every hero in L’Manburg is assigned to a handful of Villains. I have three right now, Beckett is one of them.”

“And you have to figure out how to catch him?”

“I take the lead on it, yeah. We have a bunch of other people in the Tower who are helping with the investigation: tech analysts, detectives, undercover agents. But when we get a chance to make an arrest, I’ll be the Super in charge of the operation.”

“How do they decide who gets which case?”

“Sometimes it’s based on what power set would best combat the target, sometimes it’s random. I get the most dangerous cases because I’m one of the best Supers in the Tower.”

Tommy started to chuckle, but one glance at Dream’s body language indicated that he’d said it braggadociously, not tongue in cheek. Tommy changed the subject quickly. “So will I go with you when you catch Beckett?”

“Probably.” Dream stood again, using the top of the door frame to stretch his arms. “And then after that you’ll need to help with the conviction trial.”

More bureaucratic work? Great. That’s exactly why Tommy wanted to become a hero – to do all the boring stuff, not be out on the streets fighting crime. 

“The trial would be a breeze though, right?” Tommy reasoned. “There’s no way he wouldn’t get found guilty.”

“It’s not about getting him to jail, it’s about keeping him in jail.” Dream said. “When you’re in the courtroom you need to try your damndest to make sure your Villain gets a life sentence.”

“Don’t they all?”

“Most do, but not every one.” Dream raised his shoulders and gave one single shake of his head. “And if one of your case files isn’t issued a life sentence, then you better know exactly what day they get released.”

Tommy didn’t have to ask why. Criminals didn’t take too kindly to those who were responsible for their arrest. Revenge was the deadliest threat a Super could face. 

“But hey, you don’t have to worry about any of that yet,” Dream played off with an overly-soft cadence, tapping Tommy on the head with Beckett’s file. Tommy swatted Dream away and grabbed the papers. He took one look at the thick stack and tossed them on the desk.

“Well,” Tommy announced with a played up yawn, “Doctor’s orders were that I couldn’t do any work for another 55 hours.”

“54, actually.” Dream leaned against the doorframe. “I’ve been counting.”

“Glad that you care so much about my health.” Tommy stood from his cramped position and checked his comm. Noxite’s mandatory office hours were up. “I’m going to go wallow in my room, bored and alone.”

“You poor thing. Put those case files away before you go.” 

Tommy made a big huff about the order, but didn’t refuse. He carried the stack to the filing room, and was about to stow the papers away when he stopped himself. Being bed ridden wasn’t a complete loss. After all, he had some investigating of his own to do. While Dream was preoccupied, Tommy tucked Beckett’s file into his bag. Surely the Team wouldn’t miss it for a few hours.

“Have fun with your reports!” Tommy shouted, dipping out of the office and making his way quickly up to the Sidekick dorms. 

Without any of the other Sidekicks in the dorms, the room felt sterile and lifeless. Over two months into his time at Hero Tower and he hadn’t ever had the space to himself. Tommy was decidedly not a fan, and moved quickly through the uncannily empty common space to his room.

Having all the evidence of their vigilante escapades sprawled out on his bed left a constant anxiety rolling in his stomach, but he knew they’d gone far too long without looking for more leads. He carefully leafed through the pitiful collection they’d amassed: Fundy’s journal, the envelope with the weird coin, and the Beckett file. Slim, to say the least.

Tommy spread out the paperwork on Beckett and flipped through the journal, carefully cross referencing to see if anything stood out. Fundy’s scribblings were still as cryptic as before. There was nothing that seemed to connect, save for the coordinates they’d found before. Tommy even went as far as to try and decode blurbs of the journal with the ‘ceaser cipher’ Tubbo had used. Still nothing. 

Tommy fell back into his pillows, groaning and throwing his hands over his skull. All the thinking had spiked the pain in his head and he hadn’t even gotten a lick of new information. 

Maybe that was a sign that they should throw in the towel on this case. They gave it the old college try – hell, they broke into a crime den – but they were coming up short. Tubbo wanted to help his old friend, and so did Tommy and Ranboo, but there wasn’t much left to do. The video of them in their alter- alter egos was still circulating and growing in view count. One more slip and his career as a Super would be over. 

It was incredibly tempting to give up, move on, and pretend like none of this had ever happened. And yet, Tommy couldn’t bring himself to abandon the mission. As much as he wanted to leave his stint of vigilantism behind, something in his gut told him not to move on just yet. He had to keep pushing. 

With a heavy sigh Tommy pushed himself upright once again, this time reaching for the envelope. Rather than go for the coin, he reread the brief note that accompanied it. ‘If anyone asks, it didn’t come from me. Use it wisely. – R’.

Huh. R.

Tommy grabbed the file and leafed through the pages, searching until he found the one he was looking for: known associates. The list wasn’t too long, making it easy to skim the first letter of each name. Only one started with R – Roier. It wasn’t familiar, and it wasn’t all that unique. Plenty of wanted criminals were only known by a single word or nickname. 

According to the file, Roier was yet to be apprehended. His last known appearance was in the downtown district of L’Manburg, close by a seedy club called the Enchanting Room. In one last hail Mary move, Tommy flipped open Fundy’s journal again and began looking for addresses in the vicinity of the Enchanting Room. After several minutes of using his phone’s GPS map to search up the locations, he found one that was a block away from Roier’s last known location. It was to a random residential building in a seedy neighborhood. The trio had originally ignored it, thinking better than to start knocking on random doors that might belong to criminals. Now, it seemed like their best option.

Tommy wrote the address on a separate piece of paper and stowed it away with the rest of the items. He would tell Ranboo and Tubbo about it when they got back that night. They were on thin ice, and this was only going to make things more treacherous, but what other option did they have?

– – – – ⊂⊃ – – – –

Wednesday fell past the 72 hour recovery mark, meaning Tommy and Wilbur’s weekly training session would occur unhindered. In an effort to ease Tommy back into things, Wilbur opted for a less physical training session than usual. 

“I want to test the extent of your powers,” Wilbur stated as they strolled onto the training mat. A bolt of apprehension shot through Tommy’s spine. 

“What do you mean?” 

Wilbur gestured for Tommy to stand in front of him in a readied position. He did so slowly, trying to read Wil’s face. There was nothing decipherable past the mischievous glint in his eye. Wilbur extended his hand with an open palm. Unsure of exactly what he wanted, Tommy gingerly slapped it in an awkward high-five. 

“I was going for a handshake, but sure,” Wilbur said. “Have you got it?”

If Wil was asking about his power of intangibility then yes, Tommy’s skin was awash with the numbing tingle of Wilbur’s power. “Have I got what?”

“My... energy, or whatever,” Wilbur shrugged. “Can you mimic my physicality?”

“Oh.” Tommy’s lungs inflated with a sense of relief. “Yeah.”

Wilbur shook his head. “I think your head’s still jostled up.”

“Probably,” Tommy laughed.

“Alright then. Let’s warm up.”

To start them off Wilbur walked through a few basic jabs and defenses, quite literally moving at half speed to not hinder Tommy’s recovery. It was easy enough for Tommy to fall into a rhythm of mirroring Wilbur. Each person had a distinct way of fighting, no matter how good, they could always be predicted with enough time spent studying them. 

Once Wilbur was satisfied, he made Tommy wait on the mat while he ran back to his bag. Tommy couldn’t make out what he’d brought with him until he was holding it out in front of him: a blindfold. 

“What the hell?” Tommy gawked.

“Put it on.”

“You’re gonna hit me, aren’t you?”

“Yes. Now put it on.”

It wasn’t that Tommy didn’t trust Wilbur, but he had an inkling of where this was going, and he wasn’t sure he could maintain the lie he’d built up around his powers. 

“You want to see if I can predict where you’ll punch me if I can’t see you.”

“Smart kid.”

Tommy still had the blindfold in his hands, unable to move it up around his eyes. Wilbur tilted his head to the side with an eye roll.

“I’m not actually going to hit you.”

“I know,” Tommy scoffed, forcing his muscles to kick into gear. There was a chance that this wouldn’t be a complete disaster. Maybe he really could predict Wilbur’s movements with brain power alone. If he panicked it would only make things harder, so he steadied himself and channeled his unwavering confidence to his side.

“Now what?” He asked as the fabric tightened over his eyes. He got no response, but could vaguely hear Wilbur’s shoes shuffling along the mat. As the sound moved right, Tommy swung with it. 

“I haven’t even started yet,” Wilbur’s voice said.

“You’ve got loud feet.”

“Alright then.” 

The squeak of his sneakers stopped, and Tommy could only guess that Wilbur had made them intangible. It was stupid of him to admit how he knew where Wilbur was coming from. Now he had nothing. 

Tommy slowed his breathing and focused instead on the space around him. Being steady wasn’t a practiced skill of his, but he picked up on movement in the general space on his right. Moving purely on a guess, Tommy decided to dip to the left. A pleased laugh filled his ears. 

“Well I’ll be damned.”

Tommy removed the blindfold and looked up to see Wilbur’s fist still hovering where his face used to be. He grinned, equally as surprised as Wil. 

“I didn’t know I could do that.” Tommy stood up with newfound exuberance. “Let’s go again.”

Several more rounds later, Tommy had managed to evade all but three hits. Each time Wilbur made another move he fell into the pace of the fight, letting his senses mix with Wilbur’s powers to carry him through the round. Of course, Wilbur was holding back. Tommy knew he wouldn’t be able to really match any Super without his sight, but the exercise was surprisingly beneficial.

Time flew as Tommy moved around the gym, getting more engrossed in the exercise by the minute. After an especially close dodge – Wilbur’s knuckles graced the side of his jaw – a voice interrupted their session.

“What the hell?”

Tommy immediately ripped the blindfold off. His eyes took a moment to adjust to the influx of light that poured into his pupils.

“Hey Phil,” Wilbur greeted nonchalantly as The Crow’s wings raised in concern.

Tommy smiled and blinked back his vision. “I can fight without looking.”

“I’m glad to hear it, but I’m going to have to interrupt.”

Wilbur checked the time on his comm. “It’s not two already, is it?” 

“No, no.” Phil crossed his hands behind his back. “I’ve just got a quick favor to ask.”

“Definitely.” Wilbur’s demeanor shifted out of its goofy tone and he nodded knowingly. Brows furrowed, Tommy followed as Wilbur quickly packed up their workout gear. He eyed Phil, but the assistant director gave no indication that anything was out of the ordinary. Wilbur glanced at the sidekick with a tight jaw. “Can Tommy come with?”

Phil hesitated, but slowly nodded his head. “That might be good, actually.”

The ambiguity of the conversation had Tommy’s heart racing, but he kept quiet as Phil led them out of the gym. Rather than go to either of their offices, like expected, they rode the elevator past the hero apartments to the top floor. Seeing the 75th button light up was an exhilarating sensation. Tommy quickly learned what the tower’s penthouse was saved for, and it wasn’t a shock at all.

It was fitting that The Crow’s apartment was the uppermost floor; the top suite had wrap-around windows that gave way to a stunning 360 degree view of the cityscape. As they stepped into Phil’s well maintained living room Tommy was lost in the scenery, jamming his knee against the back of a couch. 

“Pays to be the boss, huh?” Wilbur said to Tommy.

“I’m not the boss,” Phil corrected. 

“Might as well be.”

Tommy didn’t pry into exactly what Wilbur meant by the jab. It was easy enough to pick up in the shade thrown towards Noxite. Come to think of it, he couldn’t really recall any specific thing the director had done for the hero teams beyond enforcing rules and hounding them for paperwork.

“Tom, you got good grades in English, didn’t you?” Phil asked.

He nodded, taken aback. “Yeah...”

“It was all in your file from Stronghold,” Phil explained. “I read your essay on power exertion. Really well done.” 

“Thank you sir.”

“Phil, remember?”

Again, Tommy nodded. “So – Phil – what exactly are we doing?”

The assistant director pulled a filing crate from the floor and dropped it on the coffee table. “Reforming laws.”

The response took a few seconds to compute. “I don’t think I’m qualified for that.”

“And you think I am?” Phil asked.

“Well, it comes with the job...” Tommy stopped himself from going on. This wasn’t a position Phil had wanted, least of all formally prepared for. 

“Phil handles the legal end,” Wilbur assured. “But it’s helpful to have other people here to help draft bills and proposed amendments to the legislature surrounding heroes.”

“That was a lot of big words.”

“You’ll be okay.”

“Do I need to remind you how our scrabble game went?”

Wilbur laughed. “Speaking of, where’s Mr. English degree?”

“Nox has him running a special op this morning,” Phil said.

Tommy gawked. “By himself?”

“He can handle it.” Phil’s tone betrayed his words, concern lacing his response. “Today I actually have a different request than normal. I need to get a few hero testimonies to present to the Board tomorrow. They’re finally reviewing the section of the contract outlining maximum weekly hours.”

Tommy looked between Wilbur and Phil. “And you want me to help?”

“I think it would be nice to have the perspective of a sidekick, yes,” Phil confirmed. “It would all be anonymous. No one would know it was from you.”

He took a moment to think about that. With only seven weeks under his belt, he hadn’t become overwhelmed with the required schedule yet. Though he could imagine that it wouldn’t be long until the nine hour days of training, office work and patrols finally caught up to him. “I can help... but can I ask why we’re not doing this in your office?”

Wilbur buried his face in a document he was definitely not reading. Phil sighed. “The Director is not a huge fan of me enlisting help from the heroes in the tower. He doesn’t even like me pushing back on the contract requirements. Nox would be much happier if I focused my efforts on things like data analysis and coordinating public appearances.”

“Oh.”

“You won’t get in trouble for helping me,” Phil assured with a warm smile. “I don’t let anything happen to my heroes.”

Tommy was handed a pen and paper, with the simple instructions to write about his experience adapting to the tower’s regiment. Knowing it would be used to back Phil up, Tommy did his best to highlight the pitfalls of the intense weeks without leaning too far into the brown-nosing. He threw in a few advantages to having a busy schedule to balance it out. One of those things, which was honestly a plus, was the fact that he was always kept busy and moving. Tommy wasn’t one to take it slow, and in the moments between action he often found himself overthinking. It was nice to be preoccupied.

With The Dream Team’s Wednesday patrol starting at two, Tommy wasn’t able to stay for long. He managed to finish up a short but well written letter, which Phil thanked him for. As Tommy prepared to get suited up, a message came through on his comm. 

“Code 3127. Dream Team report to Tower Lab. Further instructions to follow.”

“What’s a code 3127?” 

Wilbur’s head shot up from his writing, trepidation quickly passing over his features. Phil placed a reassuring hand on Wil’s arm, voice keeping a calm cadence. “Looks like you’re going to be taking out your first High Level, Tommy.”

Chapter Text

The Tower Lab was abuzz with anticipation when Tommy stepped into it. Technicians were assembling gadgets and equipment for the task ahead, some of which wasn’t used on a typical patrol. The rest of The Dream Team was already grouped together with Sam. The engineer turned when he heard Tommy approach. 

“Good, you’re here. Let’s get you guys suited up.”

Sam led the five to a separate part of the lab, one Tommy hadn’t seen before. Inside, the walls were lined with dozens of supersuits, similar in design but varying in style. They shared the common characteristic of sleek, gray metal coating that resembled armor plating. The closer Tommy studied each one, he began to see details that resembled the suits of the heroes in the tower. One with a golden lighting bolt engraved in the chest had to be Jacks, next to it was one with pink streaks and subtle hearts that belonged to Niki. Every Super in the tower had an alternate suit pre-made for them, and Tommy soon spotted his next to Dream’s. It had red paint on the shoulders, and the metallic waistband resembled the utility belt on his suit. 

“Holy shit...” Tommy mumbled. Sam pressed a button that unlatched the case’s covering and maneuvered the suit out towards him. 

“High armored suits, designed to defend against most High Level powers, and very expensive to produce,” Sam debriefed. “Safer to fight in, but restrictive on movement. You’ll want to get some practice with it before we go.”

It wasn’t until that moment that Tommy realized how intense of a mission this would be. They had a full battalion preparing outside. Whatever was going on, it was bigger than just taking out Beckett. They must have found a link to his entire network.

Only a few weeks ago Tommy, Tubbo and Ranboo had actually fought against the High Level, without employing the full extent of their powers, no less. It was crazy to think that they had gone in so underprepared in comparison. The fact that they got out unscathed had to have been a crazy fluke.

As they were stepping into their armored suits, a sixth case also unlatched. It took Tommy a moment to recognize the design of the golden painted chest piece and the green helmet. The child in him jumped with excitement. “Sam, are you coming too?”

Sam secured the helmet in place, unlatched a compartment in his suit, and held up a deep blue vial. “Someone has to administer the destabilizer.”

A convoy of trucks rumbled down the streets of L’Manburg in perfect formation. At the helm, six Supers sat in a military style jeep and prepared for their plan of attack.

As expected, Tower intel had uncovered a weak link and used it to gain access to important information about Beckett’s operation. The warehouse Tommy and his friends uncovered was a stopover point in their trafficking route, one that was “easily abandoned”. Tommy didn’t say a word about how underplayed the location was. Beckett had hidden the coin at that location for a reason. Either the warehouse was more important than anyone realized, or Beckett had it there so no one else in his organization would discover it. 

The location they were going to, conversely, was the ring’s central hub. If all things went according to plan, they would be able to take down several criminals wanted for having concealed powers. Most would be simple enough to get, but the one to worry about was Beckett.

“There’s a high chance that one of us gets possessed. For that reason, we need to be hyper vigilant. Don’t stay too close to each other, and keep watch for sudden changes in demeanor,” Sam said.

“If we get possessed, is Beckett able to access our thoughts?” Sapnap asked.

Sam wobbled his head. “We don’t think so. But the best thing to do is assume that once he gets into our heads, he knows the plan. Our strategy is to reach him before he realizes we're there, knock him out, and destabilize him.”

“And if he possesses you …” Tubbo didn’t need to finish his statement. Sam’s hand brushed against the compartment containing the destabilizer.

“Let’s hope he doesn’t figure out I have it.”

The convoy stopped just out of sight from the compound. It would be challenging to get in close enough to reach Beckett without sounding the alarm bells, so the plan was to get the Super team in first, then have the armed forces sweep the rest afterwards. Tommy missed having Ranboo with them. Having to stealth past security in their clunky suits wasn’t half as easy as being teleported. 

Luckily Sam had mapped a route through the back of the compound, where he was fairly certain Beckett’s main office was. As long as he was there, they could detain him smoothly. 

On Dream’s mark, the group moved through rows of parked trucks, past a smattering of small storage buildings, and towards a back entrance. Two guards were posted in wait. Dream gave a nod, and Tubbo sent a shrill sound wave forward. The sudden ear splitting noise caused them both to cringe inward. The grips on their guns loosened and Dream mentally pulled the objects from their hands. With Sam disabling their walkie talkies, George and Tommy sprinted forward. Tommy pulled the man on the left into a restraining hold. The guard George touched immediately dropped unconscious, he pivoted and took out the one in Tommy’s hold too. So far, so good.

Inside the building they found surprisingly little commotion. Sam anticipated more enemies to come between them, but the way towards Beckett’s office was met with no resistance. Uncertainty crept up Tommy’s spine. This was too simple. 

Before they crested the top of the stairs they halted. Sapnap went up first, scouting the path. He gave an all clear sign, to the shock of the group. Nevertheless, they followed, posting themselves outside the office door. Everyone knew the plan – spread out, Dream would pull Beckett forward, George would knock him out, and Sam would destabilize him. 

When they were ready, Tubbo and Sapnap threw open the double doors. A rush of adrenaline carried Tommy into the room, only to be met with a vacant desk. 

Sam sighed, and reached to his earpiece. “No sign of Beckett. Do not proceed with armed forces until my command.” 

Dream pivoted to the group with his mouth open, ready to reconvene, when he froze. His line of sight landed on George, and before he could shout out a warning, George lunged for Tubbo. The instant he made contact, Tubbo dropped to the floor. Dream lifted an office chair and hurled it at George as the rest of the group dispersed. 

“Everyone split up, find Beckett!” Sam shouted, throwing stealth to the wind. Tommy grabbed Tubbo, and the unpossessed heroes filed out of the office. Sapnap slammed the door behind them, fusing the metal together to lock George in. 

Dream realized what he was doing, and turned to stop him. “We need Sleepwalker to take down Beckett!”

“We might not get him back before then!” Sapnap retorted. 

Tommy continued dragging Tubbo’s sleeping body, suddenly realizing he had nowhere to put him. “Guys, Beeline needs an evac.”

Sam looked over his shoulder. “We won’t be able to get one yet. Come one, take him this way.” 

Dream and Sapnap had finished their argument and were running in the opposite direction to search for the possessor. Tommy hoisted Tubbo up and followed after Sam. 

“Here.” Sam opened a utility closet. “It’s the best we can do.”

A pit formed in Tommy’s stomach as he placed his best friend inside. Sam closed the door and gave him a stiff smile. “He’ll be okay.”

“Yeah.” His head was a whirl. Tubbo was out, George was locked away, and the team was separated. At any given point he could be possessed again. He would have to let it happen to protect his real power. But if he did, would Beckett exploit the fact that Tommy could copy powers anyway? 

“Mimic.” Sam’s voice snapped Tommy back to attention. “Stay in range of me, but not too close.”

Tommy nodded. Regaining his composure he followed Sam’s lead. As they moved down the hallway footsteps approached. Sam threw a fogger down into the path ahead of them, obscuring the view of the oncoming enemies. A few seconds later two armed men stepped through. Sam grabbed the first and shoved him into the other, Tommy dropped adhesion bonds to keep them pinned to the ground. A spray of bullets left the man’s gun as he went down, pinging off the metal armor of Sam and Tommy’s suits. Despite the protection, it left a rattling numbness where it struck his arm and chest. 

More guards were advancing, and the two heroes alone weren’t equipped to take them on. After kicking the guns away from the two they’d taken down, Sam turned to Tommy and pulled out a stun pod. “On my command.” Tommy fished one out, and Sam tapped them together. “Aim for the far wall, I’ll get the close one. Three, two, one, go.”

They threw the devices in unison, and as soon as they latched to the walls a line of electricity connected between them. Two guards ran full force into the current and crumpled with a groan. 

“Fall back, we’ll look for another route,” Sam commanded, and tuned into his comm. “Requesting backup. Beeline down, Sleepwalker incapacitated. Proceed with caution, Beckett is not detained.”

They pivoted and retreated the direction they’d come from. Sapnap’s voice flooded their earpieces.

“We’ve got eyes on Beckett. Dream’s – ” his statement drifted off to static, then the message cut. Sam pulled a mini map up on his comm and found the two dots showing Dream and Sapnap’s position. 

“This way.”

“Shouldn’t we get Sleepwalker?” Tommy asked.

“Do you have a way to unfuse that metal?”

“Take that as a no then.”

Dream and Sapnap were close, the way forward was clear of many guards. The suit’s heavy duty construction allowed them to bull through the few opponents that did cross their path, knocking them out and smashing their weapons with a few well placed hits. They were quick to find the GPS location, but before they burst in, Sam placed a hand on Tommy’s chest. “I only have one shot at getting him. When we move in go straight for Beckett and pin him however you can. No matter what comes at us, keep him down.”

“Alright. Don’t miss.”

The two burst into a large surveillance room with TVs watching the entire siege. The video feed showed the Tower forces breaking their way into the compound. Sapnap was trying desperately to fend off Dream, Beckett, and the man Beckett had been with at the warehouse. The fight stilled as the new players entered, but picked up immediately with a TV being telepathically thrown towards Sam and Tommy. Like planned, Tommy went straight for Beckett, vaulting over a desk to tackle him to the ground. They rolled together, Tommy landing on top, but he was levitated up and thrown to the side. As his body hit the tile, he felt the energy of the possession power wash over him. If he could just get into Beckett’s head, make him drop Dream’s possession...

Tommy pushed past the urge, knowing he could still do this without mimicking. He returned to Beckett, who was trying to wrestle Sam to the ground. With his attention diverted Tommy kicked the back of Beckett’s knee. He jolted forward, Tommy pulled his arms behind his back and twisted. Beckett tried to shake Tommy, desperation growing when he saw the blue vial Sam pulled from his suit. As Sam raised his arm to use it, Dream lifted a desk, unanimated eyes staring straight at Tommy. Sapnap lunged forward, sending a wave of flames towards Dream. The distraction didn’t register, even as the heat bubbled and blistered the exposed skin on Dream’s neck. Tommy braced, Sam plunged the destabilizer in Beckett’s arm, and the desk slammed into all three of them. 

They went down together, Beckett crushing Tommy as his dead weight toppled over. Seconds later, the smuggler was pulled to the side. Tommy scrambled to sit up. His eyes were glued to Beckett, who was convulsing like he was having a seizure. Grunts of pain garbled from his mouth. Slowly, they dimmed, as he faded out of consciousness. 

“Mimic?” Sam was next to him, hand on his shoulder. “You okay?”

Tommy nodded fervently. Finally broken from his trance he looked back around the room. Sapnap had cuffed the other villain, and Dream was regaining his sentience. His metal fingertips brushed the blistered skin along his neck and he flinched. 

“Did we get him?” Dream asked.

“We got him,” Sam confirmed.

Sapnap waved Sam over to the cuffed guard, leaving Tommy to watch over Beckett. It was clear he wasn’t in a position to move. His half lidded eyes glazed in pain as recursive seizes jolted his limbs. Nausea turned in Tommy’s stomach and traveled up his throat.

“Beckett’s destabilized. Dream needs medical,” Sapnap called over the comms. He knelt at his friend's side, examining the burns he’d inflicted.

“Copy. Renegades are on site, Medical inbound. Dream Team fall back.”

“I'll stay here with the detainees,” Sam said. “You guys get Sleepwalker and Beeline.”

Free from his station, Tommy scrambled to the rest of his team. With the full face mask, he couldn’t tell how much pain Dream was in. Sapnap was lifting him to his feet, but Dream was denying the help. “Let’s get Sleepwalker first,” Dream said. “Then we can wake up Beeline.”

The halls had been mostly cleared, so the path back to the office was met without any resistance. Sapnap melted the metal and pulled the doors open to reveal George waiting patiently in an office chair. 

“Have fun?” He asked.

“Just a little,” Dream responded with a wince of pain.

When they returned to the utility closet Tubbo was still slumped over against a shelving unit. George tapped his neck, and he sprung awake with a sharp inhale. 

“What the fuck!” Tubbo shouted in shock, eyes blinking rapidly before realizing his team was hovering over him. “Where am I?”

“A closet. Let’s go, time to get out.”

Tubbo wobbled as he was pulled to his feet. “I did that in middle school already.”

Tommy snorted and placed an arm around his friend. “Glad you’re okay.”

“Did I pee my pants?” Tommy recoiled as Tubbo grimaced. “I feel like I peed my pants.”

George shrugged. “It’s happened before.”

Once the team was back at the convoy, the tension of the mission finally ebbed. Puffy was waiting with a team of medics as they dragged themselves into the temporary tents. Dream was immediately pulled into a secluded area with Puffy, and everyone else was flocked by doctors to assess damages. Beyond a few bruises and grogginess from possessions, each of them got a green light from the medical team.

While they were recuperating, status updates kept coming through their comms. Ponk and Punz had swept through and found three other Powereds. Among them were an X-ray, a Regeneration, and an Ice Manipulation. As the Tower forces slowly returned with prisoners in tow, Tommy caught sight of Ponk easily pulling two Powereds along with his super strength. Punz was short behind, a gun still in his grasp. There was no third with him. A minute later, a gurney wheeled by with a large, black bag. 

Rustling tarp pulled Tommy’s attention as Dream emerged from the medical tent. The burns on his skin were gone, save for a slight red tinge. 

“Looks like they finished the takedown,” Dream commented.

“Yeah...”

Tommy startled as Dream’s hand rested on his shoulder. He looked up at the masked face of his mentor. “You did great, for your first High Level mission.”

The sidekick’s face lit up. “Really?”

“Yeah. From what I actually remember, and from what Sapnap told me, you were able to help Sam take down Beckett.”

“I guess I did.”

Dream chuckled and slapped his back a bit too hard. “Give yourself credit. You’re good at what you do.”

Tommy let out an exaggerated gasp. “Did the famed Super Dream just give me a compliment?”

“Okay, I take it back.”

“No, no, you said it. I’ll never forget it either. When I go to bed at night I’ll think of those words as I drift off to sleep.”

“You’re so annoying.”

Before Tommy could fire back, a commotion from the direction of the compound quieted him. The Warden was helping drag Beckett’s limp form towards an awaiting police vehicle. The image of his twitching body returned like an awful taste in his mouth. He could still feel the way Beckett convulsed on top of him, writing in agony.

“So that’s what it’s like when someone gets destabilized.”

Dream nodded grimly. “You just made one of your first enemies, Mimic.” 

Tommy’s eyes followed Beckett as he was dragged into a heavily armored vehicle. A lump formed at the back of Tommy’s throat.

Dream bumped Tommy’s shoulder with a chuckle. “Don’t worry. I know I spooked you with the whole ‘make sure your high level gets a life sentence’, but you’ll never see him again. Considering the charge he’ll get for harboring an illegal cognitive ability, he’s going to spend the rest of his days locked in Pandora’s Vault.”

Prickling goosebumps covered Tommy’s skin. The doors on the van slammed closed, concealing the detainee inside. As it drove off Tommy couldn’t help but think about what it would feel like to be on the inside, barreling towards the misery of a prison cell. All of that for a person who hid an illegal power. A punishment fitting of the crime.

Dream clapped Tommy on the back, shaking him of his daze. “C’mon child. We’ve got to pick up some marshmallows on the way back to the Tower.”

“Marshmallows?”

“It’s a Dream Team tradition to make s’mores after a major arrest. Sapnap toasts ‘em up perfectly. But the best part is going through the grocery store checkout in your supersuit. The look on the cashier’s face never gets old.”

Tommy laughed, doing his best to shake away any lingering unease at the threat of what would happen if his own powers were found out. He told himself he wouldn’t end up the same. That guy was a criminal, but he was a hero. 

And heroes didn’t belong on the inside of a jail cell.

– – – – ⊂⊃ – – – –

“Tom...” His mother pulled his hands into hers. With a steadying breath she spoke in that all-too serious parent voice. “We need to talk about your powers.”

A nervous hitch stuck in the back of Tommy’s throat. “What do you mean?”

His mother pulled her bottom lip between her teeth, looking nearly on the verge of tears. “I knew this would happen... I should have expected it...”

“Mom.” Tommy squeezed her fingers. “What is it?”

She sucked in a deep breath. “Your power isn’t super strength. It’s mimicry.”

Tommy was on his feet before he could even process it. It was like a floodgate had opened and answers were rushing to fill the questions that had plagued his brain for over a year. It wasn’t that he was a late bloomer, he couldn’t use his powers since he didn’t have anything to copy. That was why he could lift that dumpster and fend off Nate Jones. 

He had the greatest power anyone could ever imagine.

“Holy crap!” He leapt to the other side of the room, twisting his hands around as if they were suddenly new. “This is epic!” 

“Tom – ” his mother tried to quell. 

“Just wait until the kids at school hear about this! I’m going to be the coolest Super that ever lived!”

“Tom, stop.” Her sharp tone cut his triumph short, and he finally listened. “No one else can know about your powers, okay? Don’t tell anyone the truth.”

His face twisted instantly to dismay. “What do you mean?” 

“You can’t tell anyone what your power really is,” she reiterated. 

“Why not? Why can’t I tell anyone?” 

“Because not everyone gets to keep their powers,” she said, expression tightening. “If they know what you can do, they’ll take them away. You want to be a superhero, don’t you?”

“Yeah, of course.” 

“Then you can’t tell anyone what you can do. They won’t let you be a hero if they find out.”

“How do you know that?” Silence settled, his mother cast her gaze down and steadied her breath. Tommy knelt beside her on the couch. “Mom?”

She finally looked into Tommy’s eyes, finding the resemblance of her late husband in them. “Your father had the same superpower you do.”

Tommy stared on, utterly dumbfounded. “Dad had powers?” She nodded. He scooted closer to her, tripping over his words. “Why – what – why didn’t I know? Why didn’t you tell me – why wasn’t he a Super?”

“They didn’t let him keep his powers.” 

“Why not?” Tommy couldn’t fathom why Hero Tower wouldn’t want someone with power mimicry on their team. 

“There are certain powers that people aren’t allowed to have,” his mother explained. “Some abilities are too strong. So the authorities decided that it was safer to neutralize them, even if the person wants to use them for good.”

“Like what?”

“Mental powers, like mind control. It would be impossible to stop a bad guy who can make you do whatever they want.” She forced a sad smile. “And they thought that it wouldn’t be safe to have a person who could copy any power – even the dangerous ones. So when your dad found out his ability, and he tried to become a superhero, they took his powers away.”

Anger surged in Tommy’s stomach. Why should someone get to decide what he was allowed to do? Why would they take away such a special ability without even giving that person a chance to prove they were good?

“Well it’s not dad’s fault he was born with those powers!” 

“You’re right it’s not.”

“So it’s not fair for them to take them away like that!”

“I know. It isn’t fair.”

“And they shouldn’t be allowed to take away mine either!” 

“This time they won’t,” she promised. “You and I will keep it a secret. I know how much you want to be a Super. We’ll figure out a way to get you into Stronghold without them knowing your real powers.” She smoothed the sleeve of his shirt and pushed a blonde curl from his forehead. “Come here, Tom.”

She pulled him in for a hug, and he buried his head in her shoulder. Memories of his dad danced in his mind, ones that now felt tainted. All his life he’d grown up with a man who was so close to the Super’s he’d looked up to. If only he’d known that he didn’t need to search in the news to find a hero of his own. One had been with him all along.

He had been. But not anymore.

“I wish he was here,” Tommy whispered, choking back a sob. His mother hugged him tighter.

“Me too, love. Me too.”

Chapter Text

“Dream and Mimic inbound, hold your positions.”

“Copy. Beeline and Torch on the eastern side.”

A plume of dust bloomed from the gravel underneath Dream and Tommy’s feet as they slid into the parking lot. Several yards ahead of them, a car flew through the air and slammed into the wall of a fast food joint. The echo of metal crunching against brick sparked a wave of panic as civilians flooded to the safety of the police cars amassed behind them. 

Dream didn’t even need to give a verbal command. The two took off running for the restaurant, all the while scanning for a sign of either suspect responsible for the attack. 

“Any visuals?” George called over the comms. 

“Negative.” Dream responded. 

“I’ve got one,” Tubbo yelped down the headset. “Moving south towards Dream and Mimic.”

A flash of movement was caught between rows of parked cars, and the two pivoted to a stop. “On it,” Tommy responded.

Dream thrust his hand in front of him and a truck flew forward, inches from slamming into the suspect. She rolled underneath a sedan, breaking line of sight. 

“Left,” Dream directed, and they broke apart. Tommy hooked around the backside of the suspect, opposite Dream. They waited for an attack, but none came. It was completely still. The two shared a quick glance, and then Tommy picked up the slightest shift ahead. His eyes focused on what he was looking at, taking several seconds to notice the outline of the person blending into the blue car ahead. With a tip of his head, Dream understood, and they charged.

The Camouflager peeled away as soon as she realized she was caught, but Tommy was fast enough to catch her. He grabbed her wrist and slowed her down, easily evading a retaliating kick. Dream stepped forward and Tommy spun just in time for him to elbow her across the jaw. Tommy kicked the back of her knee, and she toppled. With her guard down Dream slapped one handcuff on her wrist, and attached the other to a car mirror.

“One down,” he called. 

“Ready for another?” Sapnap replied. With perfect timing, another car went sailing over their heads. 

“Are you guys napping over there?” Dream called with a grin as he and Tommy ran in their direction. “We’re completely carrying over here.”

“You’re going to love this one,” George chimed in.

Dream scrunched his brow. “Why’s that?”

“This guy stole your power,” Sapnap laughed. 

More commotion ahead proved his point. A man was telepathically throwing vehicles around in a frenzy, desperately trying to hit George, Sapnap or Tubbo as they evaded his attacks.

“Oh, hell no.” Dream charged forward, lifting his own car with ease. Ego was now solely fueling his energy stream as he tried to take down the other Telepathy. The suspect saw the projectile in time to catch it mid air. The vehicle hung suspended as the two battled for control. It wasn’t long before Dream won out, and the car spun towards Telepathy. He was knocked to the ground, but in a flash of color he was gone. 

“What the – ” Tommy gasped, when someone rammed into his shoulder at light speed and sent him flying to the ground. He struck the gravel and vibrations of energy shot down his limbs.

“We’ve got a Speed!” George called, and the new villain made another lap to take out Sapnap. 

“Any visual on Telepathy?” Tubbo called.

Scrambling to his feet, Tommy scanned for the evaded suspect. “There, moving towards the restaurant!”

George was trying to find Speed still, arms outstretched to put him to sleep. “You and Dream stay on him.”

Happy not to face off against the speedster, Tommy took off running after Telepathy, Dream right behind him. Telepathy noticed his tail, and flung whatever he could get a hold of to fend them off. Each one was deflected by Dream as they drew closer.

“Ready for the tuck and roll?” Dream asked Tommy, eliciting a groan.

“I hate the tuck and roll.”

“I know, but it’s effective.”

“You owe me an hour's worth of paperwork.” 

Tommy braced himself, for the ‘tuck’. Subtly using the speed powers he’d inherited, he gave himself the slightest push and charged head first towards Telepathy. He collided with the villain and the two of them tumbled to the ground. As soon as he made contact the new power set took over. Using it, he fell into rhythm with the physical mannerisms of Telepathy, and easily countered all attacks from the villain. 

“Roll!” Dream shouted, and Tommy somersaulted sideways. Telepathy was raised in the air and slammed back into the ground, knocking the wind from his lungs. Now dazed, Tommy was able to give him a swift punch across the jaw. His head lurched sideways and went limp. 

“See, it always works,” Dream said. Tommy stood and dusted dirt from his suit. 

“You’re not the one tucking and rolling.”

“Because that’s your specialty.”

Tommy shoved Dream’s shoulder, both of them laughing. They were about to turn and see if the rest of the team had caught Speed, when a metallic creak pulled their attention back. Another car was lethargically lifting from the parking lot. 

“Down!” 

They hit the floor and the car sailed overhead, through the windows of the fast food restaurant. With a delayed breath, Tommy whipped his head to the building. Hairs stood on the back of his neck. His body pivoted towards the car falling through the smashed wall. That’s when he heard the soft groan of pain.

Tommy broke into a full sprint. Glass sliced through his supersuit into his skin as he scrambled through the shattered window. The interior of the restaurant fell eerily silent, save for the strained gasps of air muffled by debris and dust. 

He only knew where she was from the bloodied hand that stuck out from beneath the car’s bumper. Her fingers twitched as another fading cry bubbled from her lips. 

In the moment, Tommy didn’t even register the telepathy running through his veins. He would have used it if he did, consequences be damned. Instead he dropped down and gripped the front of the car, lifting with all the strength he had. It rose a few inches, only thanks to the center of the vehicle teetering on the edge of the wall like a see-saw. His muscles screamed in pain but he kept pushing, shoving his shoulder underneath the vehicle to lift the weight from the girl underneath.

“You’re okay. You’re okay.” Tommy looked down to see the victim curled in a fetal position, blood and grime coating her bright yellow shirt. His knees buckled, the car threatened to crush them again. “Dream!” 

Seconds later the weight was lifted. Tommy fell forward, crawling to the girl. She was struggling to take air into her lungs. But she was breathing. 

“Medical.” That was all Tommy could manage to call for, then Dream was at his side. The Super caught sight of the girl, and held Tommy back.

“They’re on their way.”

Just as he assured, a team of paramedics rushed the scene and surrounded the girl, cutting off Tommy’s line of sight. Dream pulled him back, leading him back to the parking lot. Police and more medical personnel had filled the area, indicating that the rest of the team had taken down the Powereds. 

“I thought...” Tommy swallowed. “I thought I knocked him out.”

Dream’s grip tightened, his hands never having left Tommy’s shoulders. “We both did. It’s alright.”

“No if – if I had checked then – ”

Dream pulled Tommy to face him. “She’s going to be okay. These things happen, but you did what you were supposed to do and you saved her, okay?”

The words barely registered, but Tommy nodded anyway. He tried to turn back but Dream kept him from returning to the scene. 

“Look at me.” Tommy blinked the moisture from his eyes, finding the black dots on Dream’s mask. “Even the best heroes make mistakes. There’s no way that you can account for everything that will happen in the field. You can’t let this tear you apart.”

Tommy let his lids flutter shut. The pain of straining his muscles was finally setting in, and the sting of his cuts helped to ground him. “You really think she’s going to be okay.”

“I know she will.” Dream nodded. Now that Tommy was coming back to himself, Dream began walking him back to the rest of the team. “Because you saved her.”

Because you saved her. Maybe Dream really meant those words, but Tommy wasn’t sure he believed them. 

Freddie was the only one in the common area when Tommy returned from the hospital wing. The cuts along his arms had been healed, but the ache in his muscles would linger for a while longer. Not that he could even focus on that. Tommy dropped onto the couch, mind somehow running amok and completely void at the same time. His uncharacteristic silence was enough of a tip to his mood.

“Rough patrol?” Tommy didn’t respond, desperate not to dredge up the image of the girl’s mangled hand jutting from beneath the car. Freddie set aside the box of crackers he’d been eating. “Do you need to talk or wallow?”

Tommy flipped onto his back. “Both. Neither.”

“Do you want something that’ll cheer you up?” Freddie extended his tablet, showing the cover image of an article. It was a photo from the PR shoot with Dream.

“I’ve already seen those.”

“Read the title.”

With a groan Tommy pulled himself up. His head lulled lazily to the side as he squinted at the screen. “Dream and Mimic take the mantle of L’Manburg’s favorite sidekick-hero pair.”

Reading the headline made his heart skip a beat, but he concealed his excitement. Freddie raised his eyebrows. “That’s cool, isn’t it? Everyone really likes you.”

“I guess.”

Freddie let the tablet fall to the couch. “Come on man, this is what you’ve wanted for years. All you’d talk about was being next to the greats.”

“Yeah, but – ” Tommy stopped himself. His friend was right, it was what he wanted. He was allowed to revel in the accomplishment. “Yeah. It’s really cool. Thanks for showing me.”

He stood to leave, but Freddie stopped him. “You’re beating yourself up about something. Whatever it is, cut yourself some slack.”

Tommy nodded, trying to accept the encouragement. “I will.”

Freddie handed him the article with a lopsided smile, and sat back down on the couch. With a sigh, Tommy took it back to his room. 

In truth, he was glued to every word. The article gushed about all the things he’d done up to that point: the bank robbery, their battle against Snag, and the countless smaller crimes he and The Dream Team had prevented. They even mentioned the operation to take down Beckett and his crime ring – he had no idea how the publication knew about that. 

But what really seemed to tip the public’s opinion was a set of candid photos from a few weeks earlier. Several people had snapped pictures of him and Dream when they were at the grocery store buying marshmallows. There were a dozen images of the two of them searching the aisles, standing at the register, and posing with fans. In each one Tommy was sporting a massive smile. That outing had sparked a wave of intrigue online, with everyone gushing over how relatable and quirky it was to see the city’s greatest doing something so mundane.

At the bottom of the article he found several comment chains. Tommy scrolled through, reading what the consensus was.

‘omg this is great.’

‘Imagine what it’s like in their office. Must be so fun.’

‘I was literally there! So cool to meet Dream, and Mimic was so funny!”

‘Am i the only one who thinks mimic is the best sidekick? Like, he doesn’t have crazy powers but he seems really kickass.’

‘they’re best friends your honor.”

There were hundreds more just like those, all but a handful with positive things to say. Cynicism seeped past Tommy’s initial appreciation. All those strangers were so certain they knew what his relationship with Dream was like based on a few pictures. They were gushing over one event like it was the greatest thing to hit the news. 

But so had Tommy. Back when he was a kid, in the same shoes as the commenters, he would have said the same things about Wilbur or Techno. In fact, up until the day he stepped foot in hero tower, he believed that everyone inside lived an idyllic dream of triumph and comradery. 

And he thought that one day, he’d get to experience it too.

– – – – ⊂⊃ – – – –

On Saturday night, at four on the dot, Ranboo, Tubbo, and Tommy met in the 52nd floor custodial closet. It had been decided that of all the places to teleport from, that would be the most innocuous to come and go from. It also added to the intrigue of their mission, according to Tubbo. As if tracking down criminals and asking them about strange coins and cartels wasn’t intriguing enough.

The warp out of the tower was as nauseating as it usually was, but the walk to the mysterious address was entirely uneventful. With it being early evening, the trio decided that it would draw less attention to themselves if they donned civilian clothes and used the sidewalks like normal people. 

They only began to feel conspicuous when the crowds on the street thinned and the facades of the buildings grew more deteriorated. The hum of the historic district quickly gave way to shady alleys and hooded figures. A group of teenagers like them didn’t blend in well to the seedy side of L’Manburg. Tubbo kept his phone held close to his chest as he routinely checked their route. 

When they came upon the address from Fundy’s journal, it didn’t do anything but heighten their unease. The exterior was cobbled together with bricks that had been long worn by the weather. Metal bars covered the windows and the paint on the door and trim was peeling in long tendrils. The place hadn’t been maintained in years, if it was even vacated at all.

Ranboo shifted his weight as Tommy rang the doorbell. “Are we really about to ask a stranger if they know a wanted criminal?” 

Tommy nodded, eyes glued to the door. “Yes we are.” 

From inside the door all three boys could hear shuffling and movement, but it took nearly a minute for anyone to actually reach the door. The handle jiggled and it opened a few inches, stopped by a chain lock. The face of an older woman with graying hair pulled into curlers met them in the crevice, much to the shock of the boys.

“Can I help you?” Her scratchy voice asked.

Tommy’s previous confidence plummeted, thrown by the fact that the owner of the house wasn’t a surly man or a stringy drug dealer. “We, uh, we’re looking for an associate of ours. Roier.”

The lady squinted her eyes, studied the teenagers, and scoffed. “I don’t know anyone by that name. Have a good night.”

“It’s about the coin,” Tubbo blurted before she could shut the door. “We just had a few questions.”

Ranboo’s eyebrows shot up, but the lady seemed intrigued. She stared at the boys for a few agonizing seconds, then slowly shut the door. Momentary disappointment flooded them, until the unlatching of the chain allowed her to open the door fully. 

“Hurry in. Don’t let the warm air out.” 

Without having a chance to second guess themselves, all three filed into the old woman’s house. The interior was a stark contrast to the raggedy outside. It was the epitome of a grandma’s home, with dated figurines and lace doilies covering every square inch. Dozens of plants were scattered around the home, causing greenery to overtake the small rooms. 

“Would you boys like something to drink? Tea, perhaps?” The lady hobbled into the kitchen, already putting a kettle of water on the stove. 

Ranboo shook his head “That’s alright – ” 

“ – Do you have earl gray?” Tubbo cut over him

“Of course love.” As the lady turned to pull out a basket of tea bags Ranboo slapped the side of Tubbo’s head with a scowl. Tubbo looked back at him with genuine confusion. Their silent argument was immediately dropped when she swiveled back around. “What would you like?” She asked Tommy.

“The same for us.” Tommy caught Ranboo’s exasperation, and offered a shrug in return. 

“Take these too.” She placed a tray of assorted cookies into Ranboo’s hands. “You’re twigs, all three of you. Now come along, let’s talk in my greenhouse.” 

Without room for debate she led the boys up a set of spiral stairs to a second floor with roof access. It hadn’t been noticeable from the street, but atop the townhouse was a large, blossoming greenhouse filled to the brim with plants. The pots that lined the shelves inside hosted both familiar and foreign looking flora. In the center of it was a wicker table, which the lady gestured them to sit at. 

“Don’t touch anything. I’ll be right up with the tea.” 

The lady gave them a soft smile before leaving them alone in the green house. As soon as she was out of ear shot, Ranboo and Tubbo burst into a fervent whisper fight.

“Why the hell would you accept a drink from a stranger?”

“She’s an old lady! She looks nice.”

“An old lady who knows criminals .” 

“She seems harmless! And she’s right, I’m hungry.”

“Do not eat that cookie!” 

As Ranboo was slapping the food from Tubbo’s hand Tommy shushed them, moments before the woman reemerged with a tray. The three fell back into the seats in silence. The lady handed each an empty cup, including herself, and poured hot water from the kettle. Tommy glanced at the drinks, then back to his friends with a shrug. Ranboo looked ready to implode as Tommy steeped his tea bag and added a heaping scoop of sugar.

“So...” Tommy took a sip. “Lovely place you have.”

“Thank you.” The woman eyed the kids. “How did you happen upon it?” 

Ranboo cleared his throat. “Intel, from people who’d prefer not to be named.” That technically wasn’t a lie, so the answer came out believable. The lady settled into her seat, eyes still pulled together in contemplation. 

“You three seem a little young to be associated with people of that sort.”

“We get that a lot,” Ranboo smiled thinly. “Good genetics, I guess.”

“He’s actually 25.” Tubbo tilted his head towards Tommy, who raised a hand to give an assenting wave. 

“Sure am.”

Either the bold faced lies were bought, or the woman didn’t care to challenge them. “You’ll have to forgive me, I never introduced myself. Assuming you don’t know who I am. You can call me Rose. If you’re colleagues of Roier, then I’d hazard to guess you don’t like giving out names, so I won’t ask.”

“Thank you.” Tommy nodded. Her willingness to let identities slide was relieving, but begged the question of why she was so familiar with the notion of it.

“You can ask whatever you like, but I can’t promise an answer.” Rose stirred her tea and took a sip, eyes never leaving the boys. Tommy glanced at Tubbo and Ranboo, silently agreeing that he would take the lead. They’d told the lady that they knew Roier, so asking about his identity would give themselves away. He needed to tread carefully to keep up their facade. 

Tommy flexed his hands under the table. “How are you connected with Roier?”

“How is an old woman tied to the criminal underworld, you mean?” Rose asked with a smirk. Heat flooded Tommy’s cheeks, but before he could recant the accusation she chuckled and shooed away his nerves. “I’ve lived an exciting life. Let’s leave it at that, for the sake of time. I don’t dabble in those misdoings personally, but I’ve got a collection that interests many of that kind.”

Rose gestured around her at the garden. As she did, the plants appeared to perk up. Tommy took a second look at the stocked greenhouse. Tubbo leaned over the back of his chair to a potted plant with hanging leaves. He reached out his finger to poke it.

“I wouldn’t, if I were you.” Rose took another sip of tea. “A single drop of sap can close your airway in seconds.” 

Tubbo’s eyes widened and he slowly sank back, inching his chair further away from the deadly plant. 

“You sell poisonous plants to the crime rings?” Ranboo clarified. 

“Not just poisonous ones. And I sell to anybody for the right price.” Rose nodded. “I pride myself on a diverse collection. It’s taken decades to amass.”

“Did Roier ever buy from you?” 

“I don’t disclose my client’s identities. Most prefer not to be named.” The woman’s calm demeanor never faltered. “Though, I have a feeling you didn’t come here to discuss my trade.”

“No... we were hoping you knew where we could find Roier,” Tommy finally pressed. 

“I don’t have his contact, and I haven’t seen him in quite some time,” Rose said. “It’s my understanding that he likes to remain under the radar.”

“He sure does,” Ranboo muttered.

Rose tilted her head with a knowing glint in her eyes. “You suppose he had something special in his possession.”

“You mean the coin.”

“That’s what you came knocking at my door for.”

“So you know about it?”

“I do.” 

The woman’s cryptic responses forced Tommy to be far more blunt. “Where did he get it from?”

“Heavens if I know,” Rose responded earnestly. “I don’t get myself tangled up in that sort of business.”

“And what business would that be?” 

That was the first time that Tommy’s question had been met with silence. Rose slowly exhaled, and stood from her seat. 

“You three seem to be out of your element – despite being so old, of course.” She turned with a partial wink. “I’m not sure why you’re interested in that coin, or how you even know about it, but if I can offer a word of advice, keep your hands as clean as you can. Once you get the dirt under your nails, it’s hard to wash out.”

Rose twirled her fingers around the vines of a hanging plant; the leaves followed them like magnets. 

“Honestly, ma’am, we’re trying to help a friend,” Tubbo admitted.

“If your friend is tied up in the same affairs as Roier and that coin, there’s not much either of us can do.”

“Can you at least tell us where to go next for answers?” The question fell from Tommy’s lips with desperation. Rose gave him a pitiful frown. 

“Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t. Like I said, I don’t know where the coin came from…” Rose’s droopy eyes fixated on Tommy. “...or who has it now. But whoever does is going to have a mark on their back. Don’t get involved, love.”

With that, Rose walked back to the table and began gathering the cups, signaling that their chat was over. Tommy politely stood, fighting back the urge to demand more answers. She could get them one step closer, if only she would let on more than she was willing.

The three followed her back down the stairs to the kitchen, defeat permeating the air. Tubbo glanced down the hallway with a sheepish smile. “Do you mind if I use your bathroom?” 

“Second door on the left.” Rose nodded. 

Ranboo had to duck down to avoid more hanging plants in the corner of the room. “Well, thank you for your time.”

“We promise we won’t repeat anything we heard tonight,” Tommy ensured. 

Rose laughed to herself. “Love, there’s nothing I have to hide. But I appreciate it.” As she thanked him she reached out and squeezed his hand. The second contact was made, surges of energy shot up his limbs. He had to keep himself from recoiling in reaction, maintaining his gracious smile.

“Alright! I’m good to go.” Tubbo came lumbering back into the kitchen, and Tommy pulled his hand gently back to his side. Ranboo gestured to the front door. Before he turned to go, Tommy asked one last question.

“Does the name Fundy sound at all familiar?”

Consideration crossed Rose’s features, before she shook her head. “Is that the friend you’re trying to help?”

“Yeah.”

“I’m sorry. I don’t know anyone by that name.”

Tommy nodded, expecting as much. “Thank you. Have a good night.”

“You too. Be safe.”

Back on the streets of downtown L’Manburg the sun had almost completely set, allowing the trio some cover of night. Leaving Rose’s townhouse with more questions and no answers was the last blow to their unstable vigilante plans. They truly had nowhere else to go.

“I searched her bedroom. Nothing,” Tubbo admitted nonchalantly. Ranboo and Tommy slumped against the side of the building without a word.

“I think she was telling the truth. She really didn’t know anything about the coin,” Ranboo said.

“Another bust. Perfect.”

Tommy shook his head and gestured down a side alley. “We need to get moving. Dream Team’s expecting us back at the office at six.” 

Ranboo pulled their masks back out of their backpack. “We’ll need to get a little closer to the tower. I can’t handle this big of a jump without wiping myself, and I need to keep my energy up for SBI’s patrol tonight.”

“I think Punz and Ponk are covering the northern sector right now, we should go east.” 

Tommy led the way up a fire escape to the rooftop. They all slipped their masks back over their heads as they crested the edge of the building. Ranboo and Tubbo began jogging toward Hero Tower, but Tommy stopped them.

“Hold up for a second.” His friends pivoted as Tommy focused on a weed that had sprouted in the cracks of the concrete. With a curl of his fingers the plant slowly grew, leaves sprouting and the bud of a yellow flower peeling open. He smirked, a small laugh on his lips. “Alright, let’s go.”

Most of the trip back over the rooftops was quiet. With nothing to discuss and no hopeful leads coming from their risky venture, all of them shared the same downtrodden defeat. There was only one question that remained now: what would they do next?

“I think I’m going to message 5 Up,” Tubbo spoke up as the group stopped at the edge of a building. “Tell him that we’re at a dead end.”

Ranboo turned back with a frown. “Like, give up?”

Tubbo shrugged. “Yeah. What else is there to do?”

“I don’t know. Maybe you’re right...” 

Tommy pulled his lips in a tight line and shook his head. “No. Not yet.”

His friends both shared a look of shock at his denial. “You want to keep at it?” Ranboo gawked.

“Yeah, I do.”

“You? The one who we barely managed to convince in the first place?” Tubbo said.

Tommy threw his hands to the side. “It was different then, I didn’t know if it was even real. But we’re in it now. There’s something serious going on. We haven’t even come close to figuring out why everyone suddenly forgot that Fundy existed.”

“Exactly.” Tubbo folded his arms. “We’ve been lost down a rabbit hole of crime rings, strange coins, and an old lady with plant powers. None of that has anything to do with Fundy’s disappearance. We haven’t even touched the bizarre memory wiping thing. It could take us months to even get close to an answer.”

“Well we can’t just give up because it’s getting hard. If we don’t find Fundy, no one will.” Tommy’s heart rate had slowly risen over the short debate, and his hands were forming fists. Tubbo was ready to just let it all go with nothing to show for it. “We can’t let whoever did this get away! That’s not what a Superhero does!” 

“Well we’re not being Superheroes right now, are we?”

Tommy's face scrunched. “Of course we are! Just because we aren’t wearing our fancy suits and we’re using different aliases doesn’t mean we’re not doing what a hero would do.”

Tubbo opened his mouth to fire back a retort but Ranboo slapped his hand over the lower half of his face. Tommy and Tubbo followed their friend’s line of sight to see half of Team Rocket cresting the roof of a building right across from them. 

“Go. Now!” Ranboo whispered loudly, shoving his friends out of the hero team’s sight. 

“Pop us out of here!” Tommy urged.

“Not if they can see me!” Ranboo retorted, and just as he did, Eret was suddenly blocking their escape route. All three let out a startled yell as Double Vision began walking towards them, ushering them back to the rest of his team. 

“Wait!” Tommy swung a fist into ‘Eret’, and his hand went straight through. “It’s just one of their projections. Down that way!”

They ran through the illusion towards the fire escape when a bolt of lightning struck the roof inches from their feet. Scrambling back, they tried a different direction, but the concrete of the building rose up in jagged pieces and sent them sprawling. There was no getting out of this without a fight, and that was the last thing they needed.

Freddie, Jack, and Eret came running over, and Ranboo whispered an obvious reminder, “Code names, no powers, stick together and get out of sight so I can teleport us.”

As Freddie and Jack neared the trio they were surrounded by a ring of fake Erets, making it near impossible to detect the real one. Tubbo was the first one to his feet, helping pull his friends up and trying to locate Eret’s true form. 

Jack came to a stop a few yards away, a hand up as a sign of peace. “This doesn’t have to end in a fight. Just take off your masks and put your hands over your head.” 

Tommy looked at Jack, then to Freddie. It was clear neither of them wanted to engage, but giving themselves up wasn’t an option. He was about to charge towards an Eret and pray it was a fake, when he spotted a branch of ivy growing over the edge of the roof. 

The old lady’s power.

With all the energy he could muster, Tommy forced the ivy vines to grow, bringing them up on either side of Tremor and Thunder. As soon as the two realized what was happening the tendrils wrapped around their legs. Tommy yanked them to the side, and they were pulled to the ground. 

“Go!” Tommy yelled as the Erets rushed them. Ranboo dove left. Tubbo went right, colliding with the real Double Vision. Eret grabbed Tubbo’s arm and twisted it into a painful hold. Ranboo ran forward to throw a punch while Tommy tightened the ivy holding Jack and Freddie down. 

Ranboo’s swing missed Eret but caused them to loosen their hold, allowing Tubbo to pivot out of reach and run for the fire escape. 

“Theseus!” Tubbo called. Tommy let the vines go, glancing over to see Ranboo maneuvering all too well from Eret’s attacks. The longer they stayed in the fight the clearer it would become that they had trained with Hero Tower. He needed to downplay their skills. 

Tommy barreled towards Eret and carelessly threw himself into their side, allowing Ranboo the chance to follow Tubbo. Eret easily found their balance, Tommy threw a punch with terrible form, and Eret caught his wrist. Tommy had to resist his innate disposition of absorbing Double Vision’s power, maintaining the plant manipulation ability instead. 

Before Tommy could wrench himself free of Eret, something came soaring through the air between the two. Eret recoiled and Tommy had to duck as Tubbo threw a second brick.

“Holy – Heracles! Cut it out!” Tommy scrambled to join the group, pulling a new vine up to wrap around Eret’s ankle. All he had to do now was get to the others and get out of sight. 

But before he could, a wave of electricity shot down his calf. He stumbled, but refused to let the pain stop him. He focused on Dream, imaging the beratement he’d get for forgetting his resistance training, and barreled forward. Another lighting strike almost hit him, but he’d already thrown himself down the fire escape after his friends. The second Tubbo and Tommy had their hands on Ranboo, they were gone.

The floor of the janitor's closet materialized beneath them and they fell into the cleaning supplies in an ungraceful heap. As the bottles clattered to the floor, all that was heard was the heavy breaths of the Sidekicks as they regained their composure. 

“Okay...” Tommy removed his mask. “That could have gone better.” 

“You think?” Ranboo quipped, annoyance lacing his voice. He pulled himself up, knocking into his friends. Tommy looked to Tubbo, who was staring forward with an indecipherable silence. 

“They didn’t recognize us. They would have said something if they did,” Tommy tried to reassure.

“And they won’t.” Tubbo finally pulled himself to his feet too, Tommy following. “Because we’re done.”

“What? No – ”

“Tom.” Tubbo grabbed him by the shoulders, pulling him slightly down to his level. “We were nearly caught. Jack and Eret would have turned us in. We would have been arrested, or neutralized, or both. We’re done.” 

There was no room left for a reply. Tubbo spun to the closet door, and after ensuring there was no one in the hallway, pulled Ranboo with him back to the dorms. Tommy stood in silence, unable to will himself to follow. Maybe Tubbo was right. Maybe it was time to call it. 

Tommy let his head drop against the closet wall, and the thud reignited a ghost pain from his old concussion. More than just the dull ache, it came with a wave of regrets. Everything that had gone wrong since he’d joined Hero Tower, every lost opportunity, every fumbled chance to do something good. He thought about Snag getting away and the girl clinging to life in the hospital, suffering because he wasn’t fast enough to help her. 

Being a Super meant helping people. So why did it feel like all he’d done was let others down?

Ranboo and Tubbo were stowing their disguises in the loose panel behind Ranboo’s closet when Tommy stormed in with a renewed confidence. “I’m not giving up yet. You guys can throw in the towel and move on, but I can’t.” Tommy looked down at his lopsided mask with a sigh. “There are people out there who need us. People with names, with lives, with family and friends. Maybe we can’t save everyone, but we can save Fundy.”

His friends stared at him, neither saying a word. Tommy’s hopeful expression began to fall, and he was ready to retreat and accept that he was on his own. He balled his mask up, gave a nod, and pivoted on his heel.

“I’m in too,” Ranboo called after him. Tommy smiled and turned back, eyes flashing to Tubbo. He was staring into the floor, eyes squeezed shut. 

“Fine.” He mumbled.

“Then it’s settled,” Tommy beamed. “Heracles, Theseus, and Achilles live to see another day.”

Ranboo sighed. “Now, we just need to find a new lead, figure out what the hell that coin is, and keep our identities hidden from all the Superheroes in the city.”

A lopsided smile flashed across Tommy’s face. “Easy.”

– – – – ⊂⊃ – – – –

The Weekly Tower meeting the following Monday was fraught with anxiety. It was all the three could do not to implode as they waited for the inevitable. All the information Noxite spewed was white noise until he finally wrapped up his statistic analytics and clicked a button to drop the data and graphs from the surrounding TVs.

“Last order of business. You may have seen this video floating around social media last week.” The screens shifted to the grainy, dimly lit camera footage of the alleyway fight. “They go by the aliases Achilles, Heracles, and Theseus. At first we assumed it was a group of Neutral vigilantes, but Double Vision, Thunder, and Tremor had a run in with this same group last night. One had the power of plant manipulation, which means that not only are they vigilantes, but at least one of them has unregistered powers.”

Tubbo’s eyes flicked to Tommy, but he ignored the distress in his friend's stare.

“All units are to be on the lookout for this group. We need them brought in as soon as possible. Vigilantism is dangerous to the masses and undermines our position as law enforcement. Allowing Powereds to act as free agents is detrimental to our mission of keeping super powers under strict control.”

The video of Tommy, Tubbo, and Ranboo continued to loop in the background. Tommy was transfixed on it, watching himself over and over. He hadn’t even heard Noxite dismiss the meeting, and was only yanked from his doom spiraling when Tubbo kicked his foot. He robotically walked out with the others, all the while wondering if he’d signed his own arrest warrant.

Chapter Text

Everything in Tommy’s life was teetering on the edge of total disaster. That should have been the only thought consuming him, but he had never craved a diet coke and packet of Larry’s barbeque chips more in his life. That was currently taking precedent, which was better than wallowing on the recent failures in his work and personal endeavors. 

He could practically taste the delectable mix of tangy spiced dust and carbonated sugar rushing down his throat. On Stronghold’s campus they had a set of vending machines outside the dorms that he could raid whenever he pleased. Now he was machineless, and it would take a day or two for his snack request to be fulfilled. He needed the food now . It was a matter of utmost importance, one that was squandered by the stupid rule that forced Sidekicks to stay inside Hero Tower.

Unless, of course, they had a chaperone to go with him.

His options were limited, considering he would need to be accompanied by a superior. Scott was their go-to man for any and all problems, though this one seemed below his pay grade. Jack may have agreed to tag along if his team wasn’t out on patrol that night. Dream would only be willing if Tommy promised to cover his share of reports, but he wasn’t about to make more work for himself. That, quite incidentally, left Wilbur as his only option. And the best by far.

In order to get any of the hero apartments Tommy would need to be buzzed in, so he stepped into the elevator and pressed the button for 64. The sensor scanned his identification, the button lit up orange, and a few seconds later a voice hummed out from his comm.

“Yeah?” Wilbur sounded groggy. He must have just gotten out of the office...

“It’s me. You know, Tommy. I have a question.”

There was a pause. “Can it wait?”  

“It’s an emergency.” 

The elevator button shifted from orange to green and he began to move. “I’ll meet you at the door,” Wilbur promised, voice now clear and alert.

It wasn’t until Tommy was outside Wilbur’s apartment that he realized he may have used the term ‘emergency’ a bit too liberally. The Super rushed out with a worried look etched in his brows. “What is it?”

Tommy put on his best smile. “How would you feel about accompanying me on an important mission?” His question was met with confusion. He clarified, “I’m desperate for a very specific snack and I need someone to be my chaperone.”

The brotherly worry dropped in a heartbeat, replaced instead by brotherly vexation. “You said it was an emergency.”

“It is! It’s a snack emergency.”

“Seriously?”

Tommy pushed his shoulders up to his ears and gave an exaggerated pouty face. “Please?”

Wilbur pressed his face into the door frame, looking behind him at the glass of wine and queued up TV show. His face scrunched and he sighed. “Give me five minutes.”

Every time Tommy thought he was getting used to this whole superhero thing, he would be proven wrong. 

There was something strikingly surreal in the way he casually walked out the doors of Hero Tower with his idol by his side. He was living out his dream, yet it was completely normal. That giddy excitement he usually felt was all but gone, instead replaced by an appreciation for the fact that he was getting to spend time with a – dare he say it – friend.

The streets were relatively quiet, it being nearly nine on a Tuesday evening. Though the people walking by were sparse, Tommy still rushed with anxiety each time a person passed. He hadn’t been out in plain clothes since he’d joined Hero Tower. Between being a wanted vigilante and standing next to one of the most famous Supers in the world, he was certain that someone was going to realize who they were.

“Is it weird going out without a mask on?” Tommy asked. 

“A bit.”

“Have you ever been recognized?”

“Not once.”

Tommy stared up at him in disbelief. “Really?”

“Really.” Wilbur shrugged. “Everyone you pass is going about their day, focusing on whatever they need to do. No one stops to look at you and question if you could be a Super.”

“So I could have bumped into you on the street and not even known it?” 

“Maybe.”

Tommy was barely able to hold his tongue back from mentioning the fact that he had run into Phantom before. Ultimately, he decided that this wasn’t the best time to give an unprompted, ‘Hey, you saved my life once, and I modeled my every decision around being just like you’.

Wilbur took Tommy’s sudden silence to change the subject. “So how has it been being Dream’s Sidekick?”

“Ugh.” Tommy groaned, earning a laugh.

“Figured as much,” Wilbur chuckled.

“So you don’t like him either?” Tommy asked.

“We don’t mesh well,” Wilbur replied, tone implying more left unspoken. “He’s great at what he does, I’ll give him that. But he’s more preoccupied in the fanfare of it all. Doesn’t seem genuine to me.”

Tommy agreed with that. Dream was overly invested in his image as a hero, being one of the most well liked and well hated of the Supers. He held the public’s opinion highly, too highly sometimes. But he was a good hero, one of the strongest, and Tommy couldn’t deny that he’d learned a lot from him already. “I used to hate him. Now I just mildly dislike him.”

“Yeah?” Wilbur hummed.

“Yeah. He’s alright. Sometimes he’s funny. And even though he’s a shit teacher, he showed me a few useful things.”

“Well, I’m glad you aren’t miserable.” Wilbur’s gaze drifted lazily ahead of him. “I’ll be honest, I was surprised when I heard you two had been paired up.”

“Did you think we’d end up being matched together?”

Wilbur shrugged. “Sure. We worked well together in trials. It would have made more sense, in my opinion.”

Tommy couldn’t help himself. “Do you wish we had been?”

This time the hero finally looked over at Tommy with a poor attempt to hide his lopsided grin. “I don’t know, you are a bit annoying. I can only handle so much of you.”

Wilbur bumped Tommy with his shoulder and they both laughed. Rather than push for a real answer Tommy decided to let the subject go. Besides, they had reached their desired corner store. 

A set of bells jingled as the door pushed open, a sound that instantly took Tommy back. He was seven again, his dad was trailing behind him, and he had three dollars in hand to spend on any junk food his heart desired. Now his feet carried him through the empty shop on instinct, winding through the aisles in a route he remembered even a decade since he’d been there. 

“Why this place? There were plenty of shops closer to the tower,” Wilbur postured, dragging his fingers along a row of candy bars on display. 

“Used to come here as a kid. Trust me, they have the best packages of Larry’s around.”

“You know all the stores get their stock from the same manufacturer, don’t you?”

Tommy ignored that, reaching his desired barbeque chips and snatching three bags off the stand. He needed to stock up while he was there. 

“These are the holy grails you’ve been dying to get?” Wilbur picked up a pack, less than impressed.

“You wouldn’t be saying that if you’d had Larry’s chips before.”

“You talk about them like you know Larry personally.”

“In a deeply spiritual way, I do.”

The bell on the front door jingled. Tommy shoved the chips into the crook of his arm and wound deeper towards the fridges of drinks. Wilbur trailed behind, another witty comment loading, while Tommy opened the cooler door and started to pull out a bottle of diet coke. From the front of the store the clerk's voice suddenly sounded out. “Hey man, take it easy.”

Both Wilbur and Tommy swiveled their heads in unison, going deathly still as their eyes trained on the checkout stand. A man wearing a bandana across the bottom of his face held a gun forward, calmly gesturing to the register. “Pass the money over.”

Tommy’s heart lurched and instinct pulled him forward, but Wilbur had a hand on Tommy’s shoulder before he could move. Wil pulled them both down behind a display stand, motioning for Tommy to be silent. 

“We need to help!” he frantically whispered.

“Do you have a mask?” Wil asked. Tommy shook his head as Wilbur pulled one from his pocket and slid it onto his face. “Then stay down. Let me handle this.”

As soon as the words left his mouth, Wilbur faded out of view and was phasing through the stands of food. Tommy moved to the edge of the rack to watch the front of the store.

The clerk was pulling money from the register, fumbling as he handed wads of bills across the counter. Tommy could barely see the outline of Wil as he approached the robber, but in a split second his hand rematerialized and pushed the gun down into the ground. The thief, visibly startled, squeezed the trigger in his panic. A single shot rang out as the bullet was sent into the floor. The clerk dropped behind the counter, and Wilbur came back into form to twist the thief's hand to the side. The gun dropped, Wilbur kicked it away, and tried to bring the man down onto his knees. 

Tommy shot up as he noticed a second masked person burst into the shop, armed and aiming at Wilbur. The jingle in the door was enough warning, and Wilbur phased as a bullet was fired. Tommy ducked, cursing and scrambling to figure out what to do. His hands flew to the display stand, searching for anything to use to cover his face. By a stroke of luck he spotted a package of disposable face masks, ripped it open, and threw one on. 

He started towards the fight before he had a plan. Wilbur was still intangible, and the men were scrambling to grab the money and go. One of them was pointing the gun frantically in search of Wil, but when Tommy came into view, he was the next target. 

Tommy had touched Wilbur only seconds ago. He had the ability to phase out of harm's way. It was either that or be shot, and he knew he didn’t have a choice. He braced himself, seconds away from becoming intangible, but movement in front of him stopped the action.

Wilbur popped up in between Tommy and the gunman, punching the assailant in the jaw. It knocked him aside, the gun dropped, and Tommy charged for the thief carrying off the money. He grabbed the burglar’s collar and yanked him backwards. He stumbled, Tommy grabbed his arm and twisted it behind his back. His training kicked in full swing, and in seconds he had the man down and locked in a hold that left him immobilized. Wilbur had accomplished the same, and a quiet had fallen over the store. 

Tommy let out a breath and looked up at Wilbur, finding a hardened stare behind Phantom’s eyes. He was either worried or pissed. Probably both.

“Are you okay?” Wilbur asked, voice somehow maintaining an even kilter. Tommy nodded, then Wil turned to the clerk that was peeking over the edge of the counter. “Call 911. Bring us zip ties if you have them.”

The clerk gave an anxious nod as he pulled his cell phone out of his pocket. The thieves pinned to the ground made a vain attempt to shake off the heroes on top of them, but to no avail. Tommy took in a deep breath and tried to settle his nerves as Wilbur pulled his prisoner up to a standing position. 

“Is there anything else I can do?” The clerk asked, as he offered up a pack of the impromptu handcuffs. Tommy smiled beneath his mask. 

“Could you ring up a diet coke and a packet of Larry’s barbeque for us.”

Tommy was certain he was going to be in trouble. Wilbur assured him he wouldn’t be. 

As was explained by Phil back at the tower, they did exactly what was expected when a situation of that nature arose: they stepped in, stopped a crime from occuring, and prevented any injury to innocent civilians. Tommy was in a bit of hot water for neglecting to follow Wilbur’s directions of staying put, but was let off easy for the fact that he handled the situation well.

Of all things, Wilbur was the most upset over the fact that Tommy had nearly gotten shot, which was fair. Tommy should have thought about what the best course of action was before jumping into the fray. He’d never been in a situation like that though. It was one thing to be out on the streets patrolling, mentally prepared to take on danger. It was another to have it unfold seconds after a lighthearted conversation over a bag of chips. There were plenty of lessons he’d take away from that night, the first of which was to always carry a mask with you. Apparently trouble could find you at any time. 

After his firm but reassuring talk with Phil, Tommy was free to retreat back to his room with his convenience-store prizes. The hankering from a few hours before had dimmed from the near death experience, but he far deserved his snack by that point. 

Listening to an episode of Knuckle Sandwich always helped to settle Tommy when he was anxious, so as he flopped in bed with his chips and soda he flipped on one of the newer episodes. He hadn’t listened to that one in particular yet – an installment in which they took online quizzes to see which Super they were the most like.

As they went through and answered the questions, Tommy wondered if he would be one of the possible results from the quiz. Rationale told him no, of course. He’d only been a sidekick for a few months, and no one even knew his persona well enough to set up the questions. 

After some banter they each got their results. The descriptions of each Super were incredibly, generic, obviously tied more to their powers and on-screen personality than what they were actually like in real life. Charlie got Thunder for his ‘goofy, yet loyal’ traits, as the quiz put it. Ted got Diamond, a bit of a strange result; the quiz likened Ted to Skeppy’s ambition and wit. Schlatt ended up with The Blade for their shared stoicism and pragmatic outlook on life. That led to some major bragging rights in the last few minutes of the episode. 

“I can’t help it if I’m the strongest hero in the city,” Schlatt teased. 

“We need to find a different website. This one is unreliable,” Ted insisted. 

“Next episode, we’re out of time. You guys let us know if you’d want more online quizzes,” Charlie said as the outro music faded in.

“And while you’re at it, be sure to send us your interesting hero-related stories and theories. The link to our fan-submission page is listed below. If your suggestion is cool enough, we may pick it for our next podcast,” Schlatt added.

“Until next time. Thanks for listening.”

As Ted concluded, a very stupid and far-fetched idea filled Tommy’s brain. It caused him to shoot up straight, chip crumbs flying onto his bed sheet. He scooped up his phone and scrolled down to the link in the description, fingers flying against the keyboard before he could think better to send it.

Tommy burst into Tubbo’s room, lucky to find that it was just him and Ranboo playing video games together. “Guys!”

Neither looked up from the TV screen. “Mhm?” Tubbo hummed. 

Tommy’s shoulders drooped. He stomped over the TV and blocked their vision. Ranboo paused the game with an annoyed shrug. “What?”

“I have our next lead,” Tommy said. 

As soon as they realized what he was referring to, Tubbo and Ranboo exchanged a look. “Really?”

“Yes. It’s a bit of a long shot, but I think it could pan out for us.”

Tubbo raised his brows. “What is it?”

“Knuckle Sandwich.”

His friends shared a simultaneous groan. “Tom, that’s not a lead, that’s a podcast,” Ranboo said.

“Well, I already sent them a message.”

“What!”

“Yeah, I told them that we had an intriguing story about people vanishing without a trace, and that it could be connected to unknown powers and a hidden conspiracy. It was very well written.”

Ranboo shook his head and tossed the controller aside. “But we don’t have any clue what’s actually going on.”

“Well I had to get their attention somehow!” 

“And what’s the plan when they respond? Tell them everything we’ve been doing?”

Tommy shrugged, slowly realizing that he didn’t have much of a plan in place. “We won’t tell them everything. Just enough to see if they have any possible explanations.”

As vexed as Tubbo and Ranboo were, there wasn’t anything they could do at that point. Tommy had already sent the message, and they were completely out of other ideas. Ranboo waved Tommy away from the screen, and pressed play on their game.

“Fine. We’ll see what they say.”

A week passed, and Knuckle Sandwich hadn’t said anything. 

Tommy had submitted two more entries in that time, each one more detailed and adjective-filled than the next. None of them got a response. 

Time was being wasted and they needed to take more drastic measures. The trio’s desperation for answers led them – or Tommy, specifically – to see if they could go straight to the source. Knuckle Sandwich’s inbox was likely very full, and it may take more direct methods to get the acknowledgement they needed. 

While they were in the vicinity of long shots, Tommy wondered if Hero Tower had the information of any of the podcast’s hosts on file. With Tubbo’s reluctant assistance, he managed to find his way into the Tower’s general data base. Any non-classified intel was hosted on the computer’s digital files, considering it wasn’t a security risk. Tommy reasoned that the Tower may want to keep tabs on a podcast group dedicated to discussing the inner workings of Super’s and their institutions, and he was right. 

There was a concise file with the basic information of all three members, including their personal and work addresses. Feeling giddy beyond compare, Tommy jotted down the location of their studio, and closed out the computer before they got caught snooping. 

They had to wait for another innocuous evening to make their trek out. This time it was after dinner on a Wednesday, when both Dream Team and SBI were finished with their duties for the evening. The plan was essentially the same as any other time they snuck out, just with a few minor changes. Rather than wearing their vigilante suits, they opted for civilian clothes, stowing away masks to use just in case. Tommy also grabbed the coin from its hiding spot and tucked it in the pocket of his jeans. If things got desperate, he might share it with the podcasters.

Tommy was set to meet Ranboo and Tubbo in their usual janitor closet rendezvous point after dinner, but a buzz on his wrist halted his plan just before he could make it there. A message from Dream.

Have a second? In the office.

A deep inhale filled Tommy’s lungs as he closed the message. The soles of his feet bounced between the elevator and the closet. He desperately wanted to ignore it, but knew better than to leave Dream on read. His fingers curled into a ball and he forced the air back out through his mouth. 

Sure

He switched gears, taking out the old cell phone he used to secretly communicate with Ranboo and Tubbo. His fingers flew over the keyboard as he typed out a hasty text. 

Caught up with Big D. Be there in 10.

Stowing the phone away on silent mode, Tommy hurried up to The Dream Team office. Hopefully whatever Dream had in store would be easy to cut short. He’d better have a few lies locked and loaded just in case things drug on.

Tommy found the entire floor to be empty, save for a single lamp on in Dream’s office. He knocked on the doorframe of the open room, and Dream perked his head up from a pile of papers. 

“You wanted to see me?” Tommy did nothing to hide the fact that he wasn’t expecting to stay long.

“Yeah. Do you want to come in?”

The offer was tantalizing. Dream had never asked him to come inside his office before. It was a sacred space, one that was forbidden. Tommy’s feet moved him forward on their own accord. Next to Dream’s desk were two extra chairs, well worn in, no doubt where George and Sapnap usually sat. Tommy took one for himself. 

“Did I do something wrong?” Tommy asked. 

“No, no. I just...” Dream toyed with the hairs on the back of his neck. “I wanted to... check in. You were pretty shaken up after the call we went on last week. I also heard about the robbery at the convenience store. You’ve been quieter than normal. It seems like you’re distracted.”

“Really?” Sweat was dampening Tommy’s palms and forming in his hairline. “I don’t know.”

Dream tilted his head, and that damned mask made him indecipherable. “Tommy... There’s no reason to lie. It’s okay to admit if you’re feeling overwhelmed.”

Moisture returned to Tommy’s mouth and his teeth unclenched. “Oh.” He let slip, relief spilled out before he could stop it. “Yeah, I – I guess things just aren’t what I expected. There’s a lot I wasn’t prepared for.”

Dream nodded “I get that.” Silence followed, a strong indication that he wasn’t well versed in emotionally charged conversations. “If you want to talk about it, Puffy is always there. She’s great at working through tough things with the heroes here.”

Tommy shouldn’t have been surprised that Dream deflected the responsibility of playing a listening ear. Admittedly, he had hoped that he would at least offer. “Yeah. I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Good.” Dream tapped the table with the tips of his fingers and stretched in his chair. Tommy rose from his seat with a thin smile. 

“Thank you... for checking in.”

“Sure.”

Tommy gave an awkward nod and stepped towards the door. At least it was a short conversation, albeit strange and somewhat forced.

“Hey Tommy.” 

He stopped and leaned to look over his shoulder. “Hm?”

Dreams' head moved with the start of a sentence, but it was left suspended. His posture tightened and he swallowed to clear his throat. “Just, don’t be too hard on yourself. You’re a good kid.”

A far more honest smile was all Tommy gave in return before nodding and stepping out of Dream’s office all together. He scrunched his brows together, trying to make sense of the last few minutes. There wasn’t time though. Tubbo and Ranboo were waiting.

As Tommy went to press the elevator button he was startled by it opening on its own. Punz nearly ran right into him as he decisively strode out. The Super stilled when he realized Tommy was there. His gaze latched onto him but he didn’t mutter a word. Tommy nodded and stepped to the side. “Sorry.”

Punz took a second to study him before finally moving forward. Even as he passed, Tommy sensed that Punz was still watching him. He stepped into the elevator and jammed his finger into the button. As they eventually slid shut, Punz tipped his head back to watch the Sidekick fade from view.

Unsettling. How did Ponk manage to be on a team with that guy? Questions for later, he would add them to the list. He needed to make it to his friends before they ran out of time.

Once in the closet, the trio prepared themselves to take off for the Knuckle Sandwich studio. Luckily, the address was close enough to Hero Tower for Ranboo to teleport them to a gas station a few blocks down. It took only a second for him to recover from the intense power usage, and they were off.

The address in question was in an office block, and luckily the lobby of the building was unlocked for the public. It took a few minutes for them to find the right place, but once they did they knocked loudly on the door. There was silence for a moment, then quiet mumblings from inside. Maybe they had the wrong address. Tommy wasn’t entirely convinced they were in the right place until the door opened, and the Schlatt stood in the threshold with a confused look on his face.

“Holy shit,” Tommy whispered. Ranboo smacked his arm, and he sprung back into character. “Good afternoon Mr. Schlatt. Sorry to disturb you, but we were hoping we could have a second of your time.”

Schlatt gave them an elongated stare, shaking his head. “I’m sorry, do I know you?”

“Not yet. I’m Tommy, this is Ranboo, and Tubbo. This is the office of the famed Knuckle Sandwich podcast, is it not?”

“I don’t know if I should answer that,” Schlatt replied.

Ranboo stepped up to settle Schlatt’s obvious unease. “We tried to reach out to you through your business email, but we couldn’t get a reply.”

“How the hell did you find our studio?”

Tommy cleared his throat. “We’re big fans.”

“Tom’s a big fan.”

“Yes, I’m a big fan. But we all admire the success of your podcast, the intrigue of each segment, the way the bits are interwoven into the – ”

“Is there a point to this?” Schlatt asked. He was clearly itching to end the invasive conversation. 

“Yes.” Tommy straightened his posture. “We have a story you may be interested in helping us cover. Real captivating stuff.”

“Help you cover?”

Tommy nodded. “You see, we have our own podcast. We discuss conspiracies related to Supers and the government and stuff. It’s called, um...”

“Bench Talk,” Tubbo interjected.

“Yeah, Bench Talk.” 

Schlatt looked unconvinced. “Never heard of it.”

“We came up with it... very recently,” Ranboo sighed.

Schlatt pulled his arms across his chest. He looked at the teenagers in front of him, shaking his head. “I’m glad you kids like our podcast, but we don’t do collabs. Have a good night. Please don’t post our address online.”

Schlatt tried to push the door shut. “At least listen to the story,” Tommy begged, catching the knob. “We’ve got intel that people have been going missing, but not just MIA, missing from people’s memories. Like they’re being wiped from existence.”

That piqued the podcaster’s interest enough to buy them a second more, and Tubbo jumped in to seal the deal. “We’ll let you cover it on Knuckle Sandwich first. We just want to know if you have any information that could give us evidence of what’s going on.”

After taking a painfully long second to think, Schlatt finally let his shoulders fall and he checked the room behind him. “Alright. We’ll give you ten minutes. That’s it though.”

A wave of relief washed over the trio, and they hesitantly stepped into the office. Ranboo grabbed Tommy and Tubbo back as Schlatt walked further, speaking only loud enough for them to hear.

“We can’t actually let them cover this story,” he warned, eyeing the door Schlatt had just walked through. 

“They won’t,” Tommy assured.

“Tubbo just told them they could.”

Tubbo raised his hands in defense and Tommy shook his head. “I’ll come up with something. I’m very good at persuasion.”

“For some reason that doesn’t strike me with confidence.” Ranboo quickly stood back up as Schlatt led Ted and Charlie out to where they were. Tommy held air in his lungs as his fanboy outburst threatened to burst. 

“Okay, make this quick,” Schlatt said. 

Tommy rattled off his rehearsed spiel, only giving away the information that they all agreed was safe to drop. He told them about the wiped memories, the journal that led nowhere (and had been conveniently forgotten at home), and the fact that the guy who’d vanished had unregistered super powers. There were no names dropped, and no mentions of the criminal underworld that they’d infiltrated in the process of exploring the mystery. As the podcasters listened, skepticism clouded their expressions.

“That’s all you have?” Ted pressed as Tommy concluded. “No names, no evidence?” 

“Well, yeah – ”

“And the journal?” Charlie added. “Could we see that?”

“Maybe, we sort of – lost it.”

Schlatt, Ted, and Charlie exchanged an unspoken look. Ted put on a fabricated smile. “Look, we appreciate you guys bringing this to us, but there’s not enough information here for us to cover on Knuckle Sandwich. You three should totally cover it on your podcast though... Table Chat?

“Bench Talk,” Tubbo corrected.

“Right. That.” Ted began ushering the teenagers back to the entrance. “Best of luck to you guys.”

“Before we go, in case you guys hear about anything or change your mind, let me give you my number.” Tommy fished into his jeans, trying to find a scrap of paper to write on. As he rummaged and pulled his hand free something came out with his upturned pocket. The coin clattered to the floor – Tommy had forgotten he’d taken it with him in the first place. As he reached down to grab it, Charlie bristled and lunged forward. 

“Where did you get that?” 

Tommy flinched at the sudden diversion from Charlie’s previous laid-back tone. “This?” He picked up the coin, eyeing Tubbo and Ranboo for help coming up with a suitable cover story. “Don’t quite remember. Think I found it on the street somewhere downtown.”

“Yeah, that’s definitely where we got it,” Tubbo pitched in. 

Charlie’s stare flicked between the three of them, then back to Schlatt and Ted. “Why don’t you guys get back to editing. We need to have the next episode ready by tomorrow. I’ll get these guys out of here.” 

There was plenty left unspoken, but the two said nothing about the strange shift in mood. Instead the trio gave an uneasy farewell and they were left alone with Charlie. Tommy squeezed the coin in his fist, heart racing.

Charlie waited until he was certain no one else could hear, then turned calmly back to Tommy. “Can I see that?”

He hesitated, but Ranboo nudged his shoulder and he extended his hand. Charlie took the coin, flipped it over in his palm, and cast them an apprehensive stare. “Seriously. Where did you get this coin?”

There wasn’t much left to say besides the truth. None of them wanted to be the one to speak up though. Tommy eventually cleared his throat and mustered up the words he needed to explain the situation. “We may have stumbled across it in a warehouse... full of illegal activities.”

“What the hell were a bunch of teenage conspiracy podcasters doing in a warehouse full of illegal activities?”

“That is a very complicated answer.”

“Were you working for the person who had this?” Charlie asked.

“No. The opposite, actually.” 

That caused Charlie’s brows to raise. “There’s a lot more going on here that you’re not telling me.”

“And you know more than you’re telling us ,” Tubbo stated with narrowed brows. Surprisingly, the brazen retort made Charlie let out a breathy laugh.

“We’re willing to explain,” Tommy offered, trying to even the playing field, “but only if you tell us why that coin is so important.”

Charlie studied the enigmatic teenagers in his studio and let out an exasperated sigh. “Fine. Let’s hear it.”

So they explained everything: the warehouse, the envelope, the old lady, the long winded path they’d followed in an effort to make a connection to Fundy. Charlie took in all the details carefully, scanning their story in search of a loose thread. His suspicion was beyond apparent, but nothing gave him cause to believe they were lying. As the pieces came into place his apprehension eased. 

“You’re really telling the truth,” Charlie said, a realization rather than a question. The three teens nodded. “I’ll admit, I’m a bit surprised. You three don’t strike me as the vigilante type.” 

Tommy bit his tongue. “Like we said, we’re just trying to help a friend.”

Charlie squeezed the coin in his palm. “Well, you opened a can of worms you shouldn’t have. You’re definitely in over your head with this.”

“Surprisingly, that’s not the first time we’ve heard that."

“You need to hold up your end of the deal,” Tubbo pushed. “What’s the coin?” 

Charlie sighed. “It’s a favor.” 

“A favor?”

“That’s what I said.” 

“So like an I-O-U?” Tommy clarified.

“Yep.” Charlie nodded.

“And who is the person that gave it out?” 

Charlie let the question hang suspended. “Someone who has a lot of power. And who likes to remain anonymous.”

That spoke on exactly what kind of work this mysterious man ran, but at that point they’d already dipped their toes into the world of crooked characters. Ranboo leaned forward. “Would he be able to help us find out what happened to Fundy?”

“He might know what’s going on. Or, at the very least, he can get some information.”

Tommy clapped his hands with a grin. “Great! When can we meet them?”

“He isn’t exactly the type to welcome in strangers.” Charlie flicked the coin up between his fingers. “But if you let me keep this, we can talk about arranging a meeting.”

The vigilantes exchanged uncertain glances. Tommy crossed his arms over his chest. “If that coin is used for a powerful favor, how can we trust that you won’t use it for yourself?”

“Because I don’t need to,” Charlie responded simply. “He’s my boss.”

All their eyes went wide. Tommy’s jaw fell open. “A crime boss runs Knuckle Sandwich?” 

Ranboo’s head dropped with a sigh, and Charlie comprehended the question with a dumbfounded stare. “No. Knuckle Sandwich is a side gig I do. My other line of work isn’t exactly public knowledge.” He eyed the kids with a warning stare. “And I trust it will stay that way.”

“If you keep our business secret, we’ll keep yours secret,” Ranboo agreed.

“But you’ll set up a meeting with this mystery crime lord?” Tubbo assured.

“I’ll see what I can do.” 

Tommy tried not to let his excitement blind him, still not certain he could trust Charlie’s word. After all, it was doubtful that a high status criminal would take the time to meet with some amateur teenagers over a random missing person. “You’ll really try to get us a meeting?”

Charlie nodded. “If someone’s really missing, and I can help, yes.” He slid the coin into his back pocket. “And once my boss gets this back, I have a feeling he’ll be very grateful to the people who returned it to him.”

As reassurance washed over Tommy, his previous anxiety was replaced by thrill. After weeks of coming up empty, they had a real chance of finding answers. All the work they’d done and the longshots they’d taken were going to come up fruitful.

“Thank you so much,” Tommy said. “Really, you have no idea how long we’ve been searching for a lead on this.”

“No problem. Leave me your number and I’ll let you know what happens.”

As Tommy scribbled his personal number on a scrap of paper, Ranboo added an amendment to Charlie's statement. “Just a heads up, our schedules are pretty set in stone... The best time for us is evenings, early in the week.”

Charlie took in Ranboo’s statement with a slow nod. He looked between the three, brows knitted together. “I’ll try to work with that.”

Tommy handed over his contact information and bounced on the balls of his heels. “I look forward to hearing from you. Again, thank you.”

“Sure.” Charlie gave them a nod, and watched them make their way out. As they filtered into the hall Charlie followed up behind them, propping the door and leaning out to stop them.

“One last question. Am I about to bring a group of Super’s into my boss’s office?”

The way they stiffened was enough to tell Charlie everything. Tommy pivoted back. “Technically, no. You’ll be bringing in a group of Sidekicks.”

The corner of Charlie’s mouth quirked into a sly smile. “I’ll see what I can arrange.”

Chapter Text

“There they are! The Dream Team just pulled up!”

“Dream! Dream, over here!” 

“Can I get you all for this shot!”

“Torch, can you give a little fire!”

Shutters of camera lenses and flashes of white attacked Tommy’s senses the second he stepped out of the limousine. A crowd of journalists, news anchors, and paparazzi pressed against the feeble stretch of the rope stanchion that parted the path towards the ballroom doors. Bodyguards flanked all sides, likely feeling pointless in their station to protect some of the city’s most powerful residents.

“Remember to smile,” Dream whispered to Tommy as they started walking the length of the red carpet. “Your eyes may be covered, but your mouth isn’t.” 

Tommy forced his face to conceal the fear of the public perception and put on the grin he’d practiced with Tubbo on the drive over. This was his first noncombatant appearance as Mimic – a charity gala organized by the mayor – and he was determined to make a good impression. There had been plenty of pieces of advice Dream had offered to make sure he accomplished that goal, all of which was washed away by the drone of media attention. He would never get used to the adrenaline rush it brought. 

As the barrage of questions and commands continued The Dream Team paused along the barrier to allow a photo to be taken or give a congenial wave. Tommy was photographed with Tubbo, then Dream, easily sliding into one of their rehearsed poses. Sapnap snapped a small flame between his fingers, much to the delight of the sea of cameras. 

One of the reporters pushed her way to the front of the rope barricade and extended a microphone to George. “Sleepwalker, how are you feeling tonight?”

George smiled and leaned into the microphone. “We’re all happy to be here. The money being donated to the L’Manburg Youth Center is going to make a big difference in our community.”

“Anything to add?” The question was passed to Dream. 

“The Dream Team has been honored to work alongside Mayor Scar and the LYC to give our city’s children a safe and supportive outlet.”

Dream and George began to walk into the building, but the microphone was shoved in front of Tommy. “Mimic, this is your first event attended under your Super alias, how do you feel?”

The question didn’t stun him like the last time he’d been put on the spot. “Like Dream and Sleepwalker said, I’m glad to be able to support the program and those who donated to its cause.”

“Anything you’d like to say about being Dream’s first sidekick? Did you look up to The Dream Team like the rest of today’s children and teens?”

 In an instant the roof of Tommy’s mouth was void of moisture and his tongue stuck to the back of his teeth. He swallowed dryly, eyes flashing briefly to Dream’s subtle nod. “Yeah, I was a huge fan. Posters on my walls and everything. When I found out I was partnered with Dream, it was – well – a dream come true.” 

The reporter laughed, and Tommy reciprocated in an attempt to hide his nerves. Dream threw a hand around Tommy’s shoulder and gave him a squeeze – one that looked like a side hug from any outsider’s perspective – and bade the journalists a good night as they finally escaped into the foyer of the building. Instantaneous relief flooded over him as they stepped out of view. Tommy already wanted to drop the character of Mimic , but the night had only just begun. 

“You did good... I know that wasn’t easy to say,” Dream commented as he adjusted his dark green suit jacket.

“Thanks.” It was all Tommy could muster. A beat passed between them, and Dream slowly placed his hands on his sidekick’s shoulders. He carefully smoothed out Tommy’s suit and straightened his maroon tie. 

“I know I’m not Phantom, but I hope you don’t still regret being matched with me.”

Tommy’s heart thundered against his ribs, and for the second time in only a few minutes, his mouth was transformed to the Sahara.

A sudden surge of volume from outside broke their moment, and the team looked back at the doors. “SBI just pulled up,” Sapnap informed.

Dream cleared his throat and tucked his gloved hands into his pants pockets, taking a step away. Tommy wanted to say something, but he couldn’t muster up the courage to let the words out. 

“We should go.” Dream tilted his head towards the ballroom. “We’ve got some schmoozing to do.” 

The group had only a brief moment to prepare themselves before the evening of publicity officially commenced. Sapnap had warned that making small talk with politicians and benefactors was somehow worse than dealing with the unrelenting paparazzi. It wasn’t hard to believe.

For the first hour Tommy was glued to Dream’s side, being pulled between groups by his mentor. The topics of discussion were inconsequential small talk; an old man would note how organized the event was, another commented on the nice weather, and then the obligatory congratulation to the newest political win or city project. Everyone would gush over how great the heroes of their city were, shower Tommy and Dream in praise, then it would start all over again with the next group.

Though Tommy was bored beyond measure, that didn’t mean he wasn’t suave in every conversation he found himself in. His quick tongue delighted the stuffy guests of that night’s events, and he left everyone with smiles plastered to their faces. A trail of laughter followed him around the hall as he was swept off to meet dozens of faces he’d forget by the next morning. 

“You’re pretty good at this,” Dream commented once they finally took a break to grab refreshments away from the crowd. 

“I’m offended that you’re so surprised,” Tommy said.

“Considering how you do in front of a camera...” 

Tommy threw a fancy looking cheese into his mouth. “That’s different. Everyone loves big T. I mean, big M. My charisma and charm is infectious.”

Dream didn’t bother scolding Tommy for the slip of the name. He was eyeing a flute of champagne from behind his mask. “Is anyone watching?”

Tommy quickly scanned, but no one was nearby their hideout. “No.”

Without a word Dream turned his back and lifted his mask to expose his mouth. Instinctively, Tommy looked away. It wasn’t like he could see much anyway, just the edge of his jaw and a brief flash of skin. Dream downed the drink and shoved a few salmon covered crackers into his mouth before readjusting the face covering. “Alright. That should help me get through the rest of the night. 

As they stepped back out to the crowd Dream was immediately met by an overly-eager man who began rambling about some people dying to meet him. Tommy took the opportunity to slip away from Dream’s side. He quickly spotted Tubbo, Ranboo, and Aimee huddled near the back of the venue.

“Man...” Tommy wheezed as he met them. 

“Yeah.” Aimee said.

“Who knew that this would be more exhausting than patrol,” Tubbo puffed.

Finally given a moment away from his Mimic persona, Tommy took in the event. Beyond the people from Hero Tower and the mayor, he didn’t recognize a single person in the ballroom. No doubt they were all high-standing members of the city, many of them were probably invested in L’Manburg’s Hero Subdivision in some way or another. Knowing that everyone in that room knew more about him than he knew about them was strange, to say the least. Each attendee was thrilled to get to shake his hand, to meet him and tell him how impressed they were by his accomplishments. It wasn’t the same as with fans on the street though. It wasn’t an idolization like he used to look at heroes with, it was a commodification. 

“You ever wonder if you’ll be this rich?” 

Tommy wasn’t sure how much of the conversation he’d zoned out on before Aimee proposed the question to the group.

“Nope. And I don’t want to be,” Tubbo answered quickly.

“Really?” Tommy humphed. “Why not?”

“Looks miserable, honestly.”

Ranboo laughed and shrugged. “I think the only way I’d have this much money is if I marry rich.”

Aimee nudged her elbow into Ranboo’s stomach. “Good luck finding someone like that.”

“Wait, what does that mean?” He looked down with playful offense. “I’m very likable.”

Tommy wrapped an arm around his shoulder and gave a comforting pat. “I would date you Ranboo.”

“That is not the compliment you think it is.”

Speakers all around the room blared the sound of a cleared throat, and the roar in the room shifted to a quiet hum. A woman in a black dress stood on the immaculately decorated stage. “Welcome, welcome everyone. If you could make your way to your seat, dinner service will begin shortly.”

The Sidekicks prepared themselves to rejoin the group, bracing for another round of small talk. Luckily, their assigned seating placed them in with only people from the Tower. At least dinner wouldn’t be as tortuous.

SBI and Dream Team’s tables were right next to each other, and Tommy took note that his nametag was the farthest away from Wilbur. He quickly swapped his with George’s – he’d want to sit next to Dream anyway. Despite seeing the entire thing, George didn’t say a word. Noxite and Scott were also joining them; Noxite finding a spot next to Dream, and Scott at SBI’s table. With the director so close, Tommy had to maintain a certain level of decorum. Heeding his actions, Tommy plopped into his seat and leaned his chair back into Wilbur’s.

“How long is this thing going to last?”

Wilbur shoved Tommy’s chair with his elbow and it fell back onto all four legs. “Several hours.”

A muted groan gurgled in the back of his throat. Wilbur chuckled. 

“I think I might die.”

“What a way to go.”

Techno leaned over to butt into the conversation. “At least they’re servin’ roast potatoes. They had those last year and I haven’t stopped thinkin’ about them since.”

The meal was very fancy. Half of the menu was made up of things Tommy had never heard of. Foie Gras was better than it sounded, tartare was worse than it looked. But Techno was right, the potatoes were like the heavens had opened up in his mouth.

As the desserts were being brought out the Mayor took the stage. He got the attention of the room, and began his speech thanking the donors and supporters of the L’Manburg Youth Center. He informed the group that they had raised 1.2 million for their various programs, which elicited modest applause from the audience.

“And I of course want to thank our magnificent heroes for partnering with us to reach our goals. Through The Dream Team’s ‘Crime Isn’t Cool’ campaign, we’ve been able to reach more teenagers than ever before. Let’s give a hand to Dream, Torch, and Sleepwalker for their wonderful video messages and school intervention program.”

The three raised their hand in thanks and a large eruption of praise was showered from the room. Tommy stifled a chuckle at the ridiculous name of the program. Wilbur leaned back to make a comment only they could hear.

“I think we should start our own campaign called ‘Felonies Aren’t Fresh’ .”

Tommy let out a much more audible laugh. Dream’s head turned towards him, mask concealing the annoyance he was building. 

“Let’s not forget about one of our most beloved duos, Phantom and The Blade,” The mayor continued, “For leading the efforts in our LYC charity fund and helping us raise a record amount in the program’s history.”

Tommy let Wilbur take his turn to give a polite wave. He turned back to his own seat, and noticed that Dream was still staring at him. At least, as far as he could tell.

“Thank you again, to Hero Tower and all it does to support our city.” The mayor looked very pleased with himself, taking a moment to revel in his pride before continuing. “Now, I’d like to introduce our guest speaker for this evening: the first place winner of this year’s Crime Isn’t Cool essay contest!”

A young girl nervously made her way up to the microphone, which the Mayor helped adjust for her to reach. She looked like she was no older than twelve. When the applause died down, she unfolded a piece of paper and shakily leaned up to the mic. 

“Hello everyone, my name is Michelle and I’m very excited to be here today.” Her hands shook as she took in the mass of people. Her gaze traveled along until it found the two hero tables. She reinstated her smile. “When my school told us that we had a chance to enter into the Crime Isn’t Cool essay contest, I knew what my topic would be right away, and I want to share a small piece of it with you today.

“When I was growing up, I always wanted to help people. My mom says I would be the first one to help a friend who fell or give away a toy to someone who was sad. That love of helping hasn’t changed. Each day I strive to make a difference in someone’s life, even if it’s small.”

Michelle was looking directly at the Supers now. Her nerves had eased, and she fell into a more natural cadence. 

“Like many kids my age, I love the superheroes in our city. The sacrifice they make every day is truly inspiring. I always wanted to watch the news and learn all about them. I look up to all the heroes, especially my favorite: Nihachu.” Her eyes widened and she looked down at the teams in front of her. “No offense.”

The room filled with laughter, which Michelle mirrored. “Seeing someone like me, who is kind and devoted to others, lets me know that strength isn’t just in having powers, it’s in your heart. I know that every superhero in L’Manburg is there because they want to make a difference. I lead my life by their example, knowing that I don’t have to be a superhero to make a change. Everyone can be a hero as long as they show love to the people around them.”

Cheers rang out, and Tommy caught how enraptured he was by her words. He joined in as the message of the young girl sank in. So simple, but so profound for someone of her age. He was glad to know what was out there in the next generation.

And even happier to know that she would get to maintain her idyllic image of the Supers in L’Manburg.

Michelle cleared her throat one final time and leaned back to the microphone. “I wrote my essay last year, and at the time I didn’t know what was going to come in the future. But I’m excited to say that I will get to be a hero inside and out.”

Tommy’s heart plummeted to his stomach.

“Next year I will be attending Stronghold Academy and starting my journey of following in the footsteps of Nihachu and all the other superheroes like her. I can’t wait for my chance to be a leader in our city. Thank you.”

A thunderous applause echoed in Tommy’s ribs. He pulled his hands together to follow suit in a robotic motion. Without consciously choosing to, he felt his attention pull back to Wilbur. The Super was staring straight ahead, neutral expression playing its part. For the briefest moment though, his peripherals caught Tommy.

Noxite was out of his seat as Michelle stepped away from the microphone, extending a hand up to shake hers. Tommy couldn’t hear what he was saying to her, but his gut still twisted at the broad grin he gave her. In a matter of seconds Techno had risen too, broad frame quickly descending on Nox and stepping in to redirect the girls attention. His stiff posture only softened once Michelle was averted from Noxite. Wilbur joined him, followed by the rest of the heroes. 

Michelle was rather starstruck at the band of heroes who’d come to her side, and her face failed to hide just how amazed she was. “Would you mind signing this?” 

Wilbur reached out a hand to receive the paper she’d passed forward – the notes from her speech. He grinned and nodded, scribbling his alias on the paper and handing it to Techno. He looked up at Michelle through his mask, eyes glassy. “If you don’t mind parting with it for a few days, I can have Nihachu sign it too.”

“Really!” Michelle gushed. 

“Sure. Her and I are good friends, and I know she’d be happy to hear how much she means to you.”

“Thank you.” The girl nodded her head emphatically. 

The paper made its way around the group before it was passed to Scott, who promised to keep it safe and get it returned as quickly as possible. As they returned to their seats, Tommy caught Nox’s probing observance. He was the last one to take his seat again.

The evening finished as it had started. More meaningless conversation and schmoozing found the heroes until their departure was finally announced. Rather than making a stunning exit to match their arrival, they were led to the back of the venue. Nondescript cars would take them back to the Tower, away from prying eyes of reporters looking to scrounge a few last details for the next day’s article. 

Exhausted from the social event, the nine honored guests waited for their rides in near silence. They all faced the road where the cars were directed to retrieve them. Noxite and Scott had stayed behind to see the night through, which left them unattended by their superiors. 

A strange tension hung between the two teams, though Tommy couldn’t entirely pick up on what had fueled it. His mind fished up the comment Dream had made earlier that night – “I know I’m not Phantom” – and the way he’d eyed him and Wilbur at dinner. It hadn’t struck him until that moment, that perhaps it wasn’t scrutiny that caused the glare. 

Dream wasn’t... He couldn’t be... 

Tommy loosened his tie, elbow accidentally bumping into Wilbur’s arm. The Super leaned down slightly, checking to see if Tommy had been trying to get his attention. The movement pulled Dream’s attention again. Tommy shuffled as inconspicuously as possible to get closer to his team.

Sapnap stretched and yawned aloud. “I’m excited to get some sleep.”

George muttered an agreement, and the stillness had broken. Wilbur inhaled deeply.

“It was nice what you did for Michelle,” Aimee commented to Wil. He nodded with a shrug.

“We were all in her shoes at one point, right?” 

Tommy didn’t look up from the cracks in the pavement, but he knew Wilbur was looking at him. 

“Wouldn’t it be great to have her join Hero Tower one day?” Dream asked rhetorically, a carelessness underlying his words. 

“More fuel for the fire,” Wilbur mumbled. Techno shifted his feet.

Ranboo checked his watch, thinking the same as the others. The cars wouldn’t be arriving soon enough.

“I heard that Tommy almost got shot when you took him out of the tower.” Dream spat out the words with an intensity that was a step removed from his usual frustrated cadence. Wilbur’s shoulders squared, and Tommy pressed his lips in a tight line as Dream relaxed into himself. “You should really take better care of my Sidekick.”

A heaviness descended on the group. Behind their masks, their eyes flicked from sluggishness to apprehension – all but Dream and Wilbur, who had finally turned to face each other head on. Equidistant from both of them, Tommy didn’t know where to go.

“If I’m not mistaken, Tommy’s only been injured when he’s with you.” Wilbur stepped closer. Techno bristled. “Or are concussions and broken ribs normal for The Dream Team.”

Now it was George and Sapnap who assumed a defensive stance. Dream tipped his head menacingly. “Coming from someone who put him in a gun fight during a grocery run.”

“Says a lot that he’d still rather go with me than you, doesn’t it?”

Dream took one step forward, fist clenched, and the group tensed in unison. 

“Don’t,” Techno growled. His large hand slowly rose to rest on Wilbur’s shoulders, pulling him off the edge. The stare that lingered between them was cutting, and if two pairs of headlights hadn’t pulled in at that exact moment, Tommy wasn’t sure they would all leave in one piece.

With an audience, the group retreated back into their civil personas, but only from a superficial exterior. Tubbo stared at Tommy, who was the last one to move towards their transport. His feet were planted like they were cement themselves, eyes flicking between his mentor and Wil. The SUV doors were ajar, both of them. 

Finally he pulled himself forward, avoiding the other teenager’s wariness. Without a word he stepped into the car behind Dream, sliding into the seat next to him. Dream’s body pivoted to stare out the tinted windows.

No one spoke the entirety of the drive back, but the tension between the two Supers could be felt even with their separation. There was no doubt that whatever was brewing between them would simmer over, the only question was when.

It had been almost a week since Charlie agreed to set up a meeting with his mystery boss, and there was no word yet. Fear set in quickly, the usual stresses of vigilantism. Charlie could have changed his mind and chose not to trust them, his boss might have declined to help, or he decided to turn them in. Maybe it was all a lie so he could get the coin back. Hell, Tommy’s handwriting may have been so sloppy he couldn’t tell what the phone number was. 

Whatever the case, he was itching for any communication. Tommy kept his old cell phone stowed under his pillow with the ringer turned all the way up. Not that he needed the sound to know if a notification came in; any moment he wasn’t spending in the office or on patrol, he was checking the lock screen for a new message. 

Nothing was coming in. Without a way to contact Charlie – other than breaking into their studio – all Tommy could do was wait. 

The patrol with The Dream Team was uneventful that day. Things between him and Dream had become muddled from the night before. They barely spoke to each other. It didn’t help that they were stuck waiting around the entire four hours. All they got called in on was a suspected robbery, which turned out to be a few kids trying to scale a fence to retrieve a lost ball. The only thing that was saved that day was a game of street soccer. 

Tommy never wished for crime to happen, but having something to do would help keep his mind off of waiting for Charlie’s response. Instead he had to listen to Sapnap and George argue over who was better at Just Dance . Neither won, but Tommy sure did lose. 

His desperation to keep himself preoccupied was only relieved when Wilbur messaged him that night asking if he could get the signature page from Niki. Tommy was far too quick to respond affirmatively. Apparently, Scott wanted to return the paper to Michelle the next day, but Wilbur was preoccupied with a job and couldn’t get it himself.

Tommy had been in Team Rocket’s office a few times before. It was nice, not quite as cozy as SBI’s but less sterile than The Dream Team’s. Quite a goldilocks type of situation. When he arrived on their floor it was mostly empty. It was past their team’s office hours, so he was lucky to catch anyone at all. Jack was just packing up a box of case files with Bill and Freddie when Tommy knocked on the door.

“Come on in!” Jack passed the files to Freddie and leaned back over the chair to see who had arrived. “Oh, hey man! What’s up?”

“Just came to grab the paper Niki signed. Is she here?”

“No, but she left it on her desk. One sec.” Jack disappeared into a side office. Bill sat on the center table and leaned back while Freddie stepped out to put the box away.

“How did the charity event go?” Bill asked.

Tommy sucked in a breath. “Good. Boring, really.” That was mostly the truth, anyway.

“Glad I wasn’t forced to go,” Bill laughed. “Though I do look damn good in a suit.”

“Yeah, well, I’m sure there’ll be plenty more chances to dress up.”

“Are you guys talking about the gala?” Freddie butted once as he returned. “I was bummed I didn’t get to go. Seems like it would be fun.”

Bill rolled his head with a playful side eye. “You wonder how we get on as teammates.”

Without the context of the conversation, Freddie tilted his head in confusion. Jack returned with the paper, extending it to Tommy. “Here you go man. The rest of us signed it too, figured she wouldn’t mind.”

“I’m sure she’ll be thrilled.” Tommy examined the paper, now hosting the signatures of over half the tower. “She seemed like a sweet kid.”

“Glad to know we’ve got a few of those around.”

Tommy nodded and folded the paper back up. Bill and Freddie grabbed their things to go, and Tommy took that as his cue to leave.

“Tommy, hold on a second.” Jack threw a jacket on. “We were just heading to the basement. You wanna come with?”

Confusion flooded Tommy’s face. “The Tower has a basement?”

Jack tucked his hands in his pocket, proceeding cautiously. “I take it you haven’t seen the show.”

The cryptic way Jack spoke only further solidified Tommy’s lack of understanding. “What?”

“Come on.” Jack threw an arm over Tommy’s shoulder. “You’ll see.”

The descent past the lobby brought a chill, and Tommy understood why the others had grabbed warmer clothing. When they finally slowed to a stop the elevator forewent its usual jingle for silence and opened onto a dimly lit hallway. The architecture was still reminiscent of the rest of the tower, but outdated by at least a decade.

“Where are we?” Tommy gaped as Jack steered them to the left.

“These used to be the old training floors before the Tower was renovated. They never bothered to touch anything down here, and now it’s mostly used for storage.”

“Among other things,” Bill added.

Rather than press for information, Tommy allowed Jack to wind them through the old corridors until they reached a set of solid metal doors. Music drifted through, evidence that they weren’t the only ones down there. Tommy’s heartbeat rose as Jack pushed them open.

“Welcome to The Ring, Tommy.”

The full wave of sound struck Tommy as they stepped into the open room. The speakers echoed the deep thuds of the instrumental track into his bones, and a smell of sweat and must infiltrated his nostrils. He could barely see anything around him, the only lights in the room were a few flickering lamps hanging from the low ceiling, directly above a raised platform. An old fashioned boxing ring contained what Jack had meant by ‘the show’. In the center of the room, Ponk and Sapnap were engaged in a no-holds barred fist fight.

The image in front of him was staggering. Bill had to push Tommy forward to get him to take a place along the wall, but his eyes never left the brawl in the ring. Sapnap had a swollen bruise forming under his eye and Ponk spat a mouthful of blood off to the side. They were at each other relentlessly, throwing punches and dodging hits. Neither seemed to have an upper hand, nor did they look like they were going to attempt to take the other out completely. 

“Holy shit...” Tommy whispered, flinching as Sapnap took a fist to the stomach. “Is this legal?”

“If we call it training, sure,” Jack said. Ponk narrowly avoided an elbow to the chin and came tumbling backwards against the rope closest to them.

“I didn’t realize Ponk and Sapnap had beef.”

“Things have been a bit unsteady between them.” Jack shrugged. “But this is all in good sport.”

Tommy craned his neck. The knuckle splitting hit Sapnap dealt didn’t look very sportsmanlike. “Really?”

“Yeah,” Jack replied with confidence. “It’s a way to air out tensions. We all know not to take it personally.”

“All? Have you gone in there?”

Jack shrugged. “A few times. More fun to watch though.”

Sapnap and Ponk had started to lumber in their movements. It was a guess as to whether it was decreasing energy or a reaction to their injuries.

“So they just... hit each other?”

“Oh yeah,” Bill chimed in. “It’s hand to hand only. No powers. Just some good old fashioned beat-em-ups.”

It wasn’t a shock that Bill was intrigued by the literal underground fighting ring. That sort of thing was just up his alley. Tommy turned to his right to face the other Sidekick. “Freddie, are you into this?” Freddie shrugged indeterminately and winced at a particularly painful looking jab. 

As the fight continued, Tommy scanned the room. He couldn’t make out exactly who was positioned on the perimeter of the gym in the low lighting, but there were at least eight others in the basement. Onlookers or participants, who knew. Tommy wondered if any other Sidekicks knew about the unsanctioned gathering; Tubbo certainly didn’t, considering no one on The Dream Team had said a word about it. 

Tommy’s eyes landed on a timer flashing red numbers in a backwards countdown, ten seconds left in the match. Karl stepped up to the ropes, giving them the verbal signal as their round ended.

“Three, two, one, time!” 

As soon as Karl called the match, Sapnap and Ponk separated and the viciousness that had once fueled their fight was gone in an instant. They stretched out their hands, shaking with a nod. The two fighters ducked under the ropes and Puffy met them. With one prolonged touch, their injuries healed over in seconds and disappeared from their faces, taking any evidence of the fight with them.

“Alright, who’s taking the ring next?” Karl called, finger scanning the shadowed faces on the wall. “Techno?”

Tommy’s head jolted upright. He hadn’t seen the giant earlier, but the deep monotone voice that responded was definitely him.

“I’m just watchin’ tonight.”

“Lame,” Karl teased, “I’m sure we could find someone brave – or stupid enough to take you.”

“I will.” 

Dream stepped into the light and pulled himself onto the platform. His presence there wasn’t what shocked Tommy, but rather his appearance. The usual full face mask he wore was exchanged for one that displayed his mouth and chin. Looking at him felt like a betrayal of trust, so Tommy did his best to avert his gaze.

“Come on Techno,” Dream taunted. “We doing this or what?”

“No. But we are.”

Tommy’s blood ran cold. Wilbur slowly stepped into the ring across from Dream, rubbing his thumbs over his palms to warm up his hands. Dream’s playful energy died instantly. His mouth turned down. For once Tommy could see exactly what his mentor was feeling.

“You sure Soot?” Dream cracked his knuckles and advanced until they were inches apart. “You don’t have your partner in here to back you up?”

If it weren’t for the panic gripping Tommy’s lungs, he would have done something to stop what was about to go down. But he was having trouble breathing in enough air, and the abruptness of the evening’s turn had rendered him immobile. 

“Start the timer, Karl,” Wilbur spat. 

Each opponent took their corner, and Karl slowly reset the clock. “Alright, let’s have a clean fight. No hits below the belt.”

Neither responded as they readied up. Wilbur was deathly still, fists balled at his side. Dream, on the other hand, looked far too eager to begin. 

“Ready, set, fight.”

The start was slow, both advancing with small but intentional movements. Tommy’s breath wasn’t the only one that was held in anticipation; the entire room could sense the bad blood between the opponents. This wouldn’t end as civilly as the previous match.

Dream threw the first punch. Wilbur dodged and retaliated, also missing. Those were the only two times a hit wouldn’t land. 

With a wicked hook Dream caught Wilbur’s jaw hard enough to knock teeth loose. Wilbur was barely fazed, returning an uppercut that was whiplash inducing. Their swings were skilled, but messy. Remnants of their Tower training underlied each action, but there was little attempt to maintain proper form. Emotions fueled each strike. Blood spilled from busted lips and open wounds, but neither relented. 

Each time someone took a hit it was as though Tommy felt it himself. Guilt drove deeper with each new bruise and cut sustained. If he’d spoken up at the gala, tried to bridge the divide…

Dream slammed a fist into Wilbur’s face and toppled him. Wilbur only barely managed to avoid a kick to the gut before he was on his feet. Tommy flinched into an upright posture. Besides him, Freddie placed a hand on his arm. 

A new rage fed Wilbur’s next move. He grabbed Dream’s shoulders and brought a knee up into his stomach. Dream doubled over, and Wilbur slammed a fist into the side of his head. A wave of ‘oohs’ rippled from the audience. Blood dribbled from Dream’s ear and a snarl filled his face. 

What happened next was a blur. Dream charged and took Wilbur into the ropes of the ring. He was able to land three consecutives hits to Wilbur’s nose, cracks and crunches echoing with each one. Tommy was ready to jump in and pull Dream away, and he would have if Jack didn’t hold him back.

On the fourth swing Wilbur finally blocked and kicked Dream’s shin. That sent him back, but he kept his balance. Wilbur started towards him again, but a voice cut in before he could reel back.

“Time!” 

Tommy whipped his head to the countdown just in time to see Karl set the clock from 1:56 back to zero. The air was thick and oppressive, overtaken by the seething stare down in the ring. No one dared to move, not even Techno.

Wilbur and Dream’s lungs heaved in air as the crowd waited for the match to be concluded. No hand was extended. Dream’s fists were still balled like he intended to strike again. 

This time Tommy didn’t let Jack hold him back. He had no plan, other than to step forward and hope that his presence alone was enough to shake the brewing reinitiation. 

It did. 

Wilbur was the first to realize he was there. As soon as recognition crossed him he stood down, muscles slackening with shock. Dream followed his line of sight, blood covered lips parting with a stunned exhale. Tommy shook his head. Unable to look at either of them any longer, he turned and rushed out the doors. 

His mind was a mess with the anger and disappointment he’d been left with. The basement was a foreign place and without a guide he quickly found himself at a dead end. He stopped and dropped his head against the wall, taking in a deep breath.

“Tom!” Wilbur’s voice echoed down the hallway. In a few seconds footsteps caught up with him, and Wil slid around the bend of the hallway. “Tom, I didn’t – ”

“You don’t have to say anything.” 

Tommy kept his head turned away. Wilbur advanced slowly, labored breaths giving his position away. His jaw ticked as he tried to find a response.

“I had no idea you’d be there. I didn’t want you to see any of that.”

“Well I did.” 

Wilbur flinched, more than he had in the entirety of the match. Tommy finally looked up at Wilbur, recoiling at the sight of his condition. Sweat had mixed with the blood pouring from his nose, which rested at an unnatural angle. The left side of his face was already swelling under a blooming bruise. He was an utter mess.

“It was wrong of me.”

“It doesn’t matter.” The welling in Tommy’s eyes betrayed him. “You’re an adult, you can make your own choices. Dream was being a dick. He deserved it.”

Wilbur’s brows came together. “That doesn’t mean I should have fed into him.”

“I get it. I probably would have done the same,” Tommy sighed. “I’m not a kid. You don’t need to treat me like one.”

“I know you’re not.” Wilbur’s eyes shut with a wince. “But you wouldn’t have done the same. You’re better than that. God knows you’re better than that...”

Sadness bubbled in Tommy’s throat. He caught it before it could come up. With his adrenaline fading and the aftermath of the fight so tangible, all that remained was heartache. Not for the version of himself then, for the one past. The one that would have been broken by the rivalry within the Supers, who would have never fathomed that his idol would be locked in such brutal, vindictive violence with a fellow hero.

“I’m so sorry.”

A single tear escaped, Tommy caught it just as fast. “You don’t need to apologize to me.”

“Yes I do.” Wilbur grunted and gently rubbed the side of his face. “I should probably apologize to Dream too.”

In a knee jerk reaction, Tommy chuckled. “I don’t think he deserves it.”

“I don’t know. I hit him pretty hard.” It was Wilbur’s turn to laugh, somehow finding light in the beatdown. He wiped his face on his shirt sleeve, cringing as the pain of his wounds intensified.

“Go see Puffy,” Tommy nudged. “You look like shit.”

“Feel like it too.” Tommy let himself smile, and satisfied with the resolution, turned to leave. Wilbur’s hand brushed his shoulder to stop him. “Will I see you tomorrow for our training session?”

“You said you couldn’t shake me if you wanted to.” Tommy didn’t hesitate in his response. “That won’t change anytime soon.”

But when he said the words, Tommy didn’t turn around to meet the eyes of his hero.

– – – – ⊂⊃ – – – –

Phil knew Noxite was outside his office door before he heard the knock. His boss’ presence always made Phil’s muscles stiffen, sent the surface of his skin crawling. When the sharp rap on the door came he forced himself to relax, calling in the Director with an even cadence. There was no way to tell exactly what Nox wanted, but The Crow knew that it wasn’t good. That notion was proven by the rigid posture of the Director as he stepped in and slammed the door behind him. 

Phil met his boss’ irritated scowl with a smile. “What can I do for you?”

“It’s been four weeks.” Nox dropped a meager file of papers onto Phil’s desk. It fell open to reveal the grainy screenshot of the three masked vigilantes that had been caught on tape a month ago. “Why haven’t we made any progress in apprehending them?”

Phil leafed through the pages, only finding a few more stills from the original video and the report from Team Rocket. “I don’t know what you want me to tell you. My hero teams have been keeping their eye out on patrols, but the vigilantes aren’t making many appearances.”

“Our hero teams need to extend their patrols to increase surveillance,’ Noxite retorted. Phil’s jaw clenched, but he forced a smile. 

“I don’t think that’s necessary. As far as we’ve seen, this group hasn’t given much cause for concern. If they surface we’ll do everything we can to catch them, but in the meantime, there’s no use in scouring the city.”

Noxite’s dress shoes tapped against the floor and he propped his hands on the edge of Phil’s desk. “I’m not asking your opinion, Watson, I’m telling you what I want done.”

Heavy air filtered between them. Phil’s fingertips tingled, he stood slowly from his chair. “Why exactly are you so intent on bringing in three inconsequential vigilantes, Nox?”

The question hung unanswered. Without breaking eye contact, Noxite swept the file back into his hands and heightened his posture. “Put more hero teams on vigilante patrol. I’m not going to ask again.”

Chapter Text

There was no real training in Wilbur and Tommy’s session the following morning. 

Perhaps it was the circumstance of their previous interaction, or the fact that Wilbur was still aching from being hit so many times, but neither felt inclined to do any exercise. And, truthfully, their sessions had really become an excuse to hang out together under the guise of productivity. 

The two took to the Tower cafeteria instead, courtesy of Tommy’s suggestion. It had a massive ice cream machine with a topping station that no one ever seemed to utilize, which he found to be a damn shame. Of course, he didn’t want to be that Sidekick who went crazy with the sundae bar alone , so he convinced Wilbur to indulge in it with him. The bureaucrats and office workers taking their lunch break were shocked to see a fully fledged Super in the cafeteria at all – it was really only utilized by the Sidekicks, considering most heroes preferred to make their own meals in the privacy of their apartments. So the sight of Phantom piling chocolate chips and cookie crumbles on a large bowl of soft serve was stunning.

Wilbur did draw the line at eating in front of the business men, and led Tommy up to the top floor of the tower. There was a lesser known roof access that was often left unlocked, granting them full range of the top of Hero Tower. Several folding chairs were stashed between air vents from visits. They spread them out near the edge of the roof and dug into their treat.

“I’m now realizing that it’s far too cold to be eating ice cream outside.” Wilbur had commented through a bite of vanilla-chocolate swirl. 

“If you’re a wimp.” Tommy snorted back.

But Wilbur was right, of course. Late November had brought temperatures close to freezing, and if they hadn’t put on their warmest Tower-appointed gear, it would have been too cold to remain on the roof. Despite the chill, it was nice being there. The seclusion brought a sense of freedom from the responsibilities below. It was easier to let go, if only for a few hours. That was exactly what they needed.

They didn’t talk about the fight or Dream. They didn’t need to. Nothing more could be said that hadn’t already been mutually understood. There was a way about life as a Super that Tommy was slowly becoming accustomed to, and a large part of it was what was left unsaid. Between heroes, between higher-ups, it didn’t matter. There was a culture of pretending they were blind to the realities of the job. Heads would turn at the small comments, glances were all that got shared in consolidation. 

Hero Tower’s floors were covered in eggshells, and everyone was walking lightly. 

Empty ice cream bowls sat collecting frost as Wilbur and Tommy conversed about all the things that didn’t matter: favorite bands, good books, a comedian who they both liked, a comedian they both hated, where to get the best dumplings, if “that’s what she said” jokes were funny. Those were the conversations that past Tommy always envisioned having. 

So, in a way, life had given him a slice of his fantasied future.

The buzzing of Tommy’s comm brought them both back to reality. The sensation was quickly creating a pavlovian response in the Sidekick, and not a positive one. His smile was already wiped clean when he pulled up the message.

Wilbur scooped up their bowls. “Who is it?” 

“Just Phil,” Tommy breathed. “He says to meet him in the lobby, and to wear my fancy suit. What does that mean?”

“Your photo op suit,” Wilbur sighed. Tommy made an ‘o’ with his mouth. It faded as he tried to figure out why he’d need it.

“Should I be worried?” 

“Probably not.” That was less than comforting. Tommy helped Wilbur hide the chairs and took off to get his special supersuit from the lab storage. It hadn’t been used since their press shoot, and was dazzlingly pristine compared to his everyday suit. Hannah gave him a knowing look as she released it from its case and passed it off to him. 

“Looks like we’ll be seeing you in tomorrow’s headlines,” she said matter of factly. “What’re you in for?”

He shrugged. “I have no idea.”

“Sounds about right.”

After he put it on, Hannah helped straighten out the pieces to ensure it looked picture ready. She bid him good luck, he thanked her, and he was off. Before going to the lobby, he stopped at his room and threw clean civilian clothes into a backpack to change into when he was done with whatever lay in store.

Unsurprisingly, it wasn’t just Phil waiting in the lobby. Scott, Nox, and a crew of unfamiliar people were preparing a spread of camera equipment. Once the group spotted Tommy, the mood lifted like he was Santa coming to bring presents for Christmas.

“Mimic!” Nox came over and clapped a hand on Tommy’s back. “Great news. The girl from the 53rd Street Parking Lot Attack is making a strong recovery, and she agreed to meet with you to thank you. Come on, we’ll talk details in the car.”

Tommy’s mouth floundered as Nox pulled him towards the parking garages. He looked over his shoulder at Phil, who only offered a small shrug.

“The girl who got hurt by the car?” Tommy clarified. “She’s doing okay?”

“And ready to sing your praises. It’ll be a great boost to your ratings.”

Tommy wanted to question what he meant, but he was suddenly surrounded by a mob of people in the elevator. They did a quick job of styling his hair and applying a simple layer of corrective makeup before Noxite shooed them away. “Not too much. We still want him to look relatable.”

It was a blur getting out of the tower, but he soon found himself in an SUV with Noxite, Scott, and Phil on their way to L’Manburg Memorial Hospital. Nerves had infected his hands, causing a fidgeting in his fingers he couldn’t quell.

“Here you go Tommy.” Scott passed him a set of notecards. Tommy squinted with an upturned lip.

“What are these?”

“The basic points you need to hit during today’s visit,” Noxite said while typing something into his phone. He gestured to them without looking up. “Incorporate them into the conversation naturally, of course. You’re good at that, aren’t you?”

“Sure...” Tommy flipped through the prompts. ‘ Recognize how Dream has helped shape you into a hero. Discuss the triumph you felt over defeating three Powereds as a Sidekick. Thank Hero Tower for giving you the opportunity to defend the citizens of L’Manburg.’ “Is all this really necessary?”

Noxite finally looked up. “Of course. We plan to use this as the opening segment in a new mini-series we’re producing with M! News . You’re going to be the star of A Sidekick’s Story .”

“We’re still workshopping the title,” Scott stated.

“We’ll have a piece dedicated to each of the six Sidekicks in the SMP. People are going to eat it up. ”

Phil hadn’t said a word the entire car ride, and by the disdain hidden under his features, it was because he was biting his tongue. All Tommy could do was nod along and smile. 

A crew of paparazzi were somehow already congregating around the hospital entrance. How they knew to find them there was a mystery, save for the guess that Nox had tipped them off to their arrival. Tommy put on a practiced smile, and emerged from the SUV with a polite wave. 

Scott and Phil ushered the crew past the flurry of camera flashes and into the relative privacy of the hospital. At least there wouldn’t be journalists inside. Just the Tower’s own invasive filming crew. 

Taping began the second Tommy stepped foot in the building. He ogled at the massive camera propped on the cinematographer’s shoulder and the boom mic that was angled just over his head. Sound technicians tested audio levels, and Noxite gave directions for what to do. 

“Smile,” Nox mouthed, pointer fingers lifting the corner of his lips as a visual display. Tommy nodded and put on the fake smile again as a nurse showed him where to go. 

A new unease grew as they approached the girl’s hospital room. The fanfare of the filming had distracted him from the fact that he would be seeing the girl he’d almost gotten killed. The guilt of his mistake made his hands shake.

The nurse knocked on the girls door, and a muted voice beckoned them in. Tommy stepped through the door hesitantly, bracing himself for what he would see on the other side. The cameras followed just behind, capturing the gut wrenching reaction to seeing the girl’s injuries. Several stitches ran from her collar bone up the side of her neck, and dozens more small scratches marred her skin. Her right arm was in cast, which was already littered with signatures. Despite the weariness behind her sunken features, she smiled.

“Hi.” Tommy struggled to find the right thing to say. He looked over his shoulder for Phil, but found Noxite instead. The Director held up a note card and gestured for him to keep going. 

“You’re Mimic, right?” The girl clarified, pulling Tommy’s attention back to her.

“Yeah. You’re...” He hesitated. “I don’t actually know your name.”

“Rue,” she offered.

“Nice to meet you Rue.” Tommy shuffled further in, tilting his head towards a chair that looked a little too staged. “May I?”

“Of course.”

As he sank into the seat he cleared his mind of the fact that there was a film crew in front of him, trying instead to focus on having an authentic conversation. “I’m glad to see you doing so well.”

“All thanks to you.” Her response didn’t come across as disingenuous, but there was a stiltedness to it that gave it an unnatural feel. He wondered if she’d been fed lines too.

“I’m just glad I could help.” He recalled the note cards. “Without Hero Tower, I wouldn’t have been able to defend against the villains that caused the accident in the first place.”

The words left a bitterness in Tommy’s mouth, but Noxite gave him two thumbs up. In the back of the group, Phil shook his head and stepped out of the room. Tommy tried not to dwell on that, returning to continue his conversation with Rue. 

Their interaction continued to feel uncanny all the way until Noxite called a wrap on their conversation. With the recording stopped, Tommy let his shoulders release the tension they’d developed. 

“Get a new angle,” Nox motioned, “Mimic, let’s get a shot of you signing her cast.”

Tommy glanced at Rue as a pen was placed in his hand. “Is that okay?”

She smiled. “Yeah.” 

Once more they filmed their scripted interaction. Tommy tried to crack a joke and Rue laughed, though he honestly couldn’t tell if it was genuine. They exchanged goodbyes, Tommy gave the camera a closing statement, and their session was finished.

“Amazing!” Noxite beamed. The cameras and mics were returned to their cases, and the Director turned to Rue. “Mimic has to get back to his patrol, but we appreciate your time.”

“No problem.” She appeared relieved to have it over. Tommy gave a sad smile, and filtered out with the rest of the crew. In the hallway, Tommy spotted Phil waiting with his backpack to the left of Rue’s room. Noxite carried on towards the lobby, not noticing Tommy peel off from the group.

“Hey Phil.” The retired super radiated disappointment, keeping Tommy from fully approaching him. “You’re upset at me, aren’t you.”

Phil shook his head, meeting him the rest of the way. “No. I’m not upset at you , Tom. You did everything you were told to do.” 

“You couldn’t stand there and listen to me bullshit though,” Tommy stated. “I don’t blame you.”

They looked back at Rue’s hospital room. Phil placed the backpack in Tommy’s hand. “Get changed, but leave your mask on. I’ll buy you a few minutes.”

Tommy squinted down at the bag, but his confusion didn’t last long. With a smirk he nodded, and took off towards the bathroom to rid himself of his flashy supersuit. 

When he knocked on Rue’s door again she responded differently than before, far more natural. Her eyebrows furrowed when he stepped in alone. It took her a few seconds to figure out who he was, a testament to how unrecognizable any Super was with just their mask on. 

“Oh. Hi.”

“Hey.” Tommy glanced to ensure no one was coming back down the hallway, and closed the door. “It’s just me. No more cameras.”

Rue nodded, relaxing into her bed. Tommy took her silence as a chance to step forward. “This whole thing wasn’t my idea. Hopefully it didn’t make you too uncomfortable.”

“It’s alright,” Rue assured. “They offered to pay my hospital bills if I agreed to be in the documentary, so it was worth it.”

Tommy nodded with a wince. At least it was nice that the Tower covered her medical expenses, even if it was a shady way of going about it. “Well, I’m glad things ended up okay.”

“Yeah.”

An unsteady sigh rattled through his throat. “I’m so sorry. I wanted to say that the second I saw you but with the cameras on I didn’t get a chance to apologize.”

“Why would you apologize?” She asked with palpable sincerity. 

“Because...” Tommy averted his gaze. “I didn’t stop the villain in time. I could have prevented the car from going through that building, but... I just wish I could go back and do that day over again.”

Rue sat up with a wince. “Maybe. But you were also the one who lifted that car off of me. I don’t blame you for what happened. All I care about is the fact that you saved my life.”

For the first time since the attack, Tommy felt a relief from the self-imposed guilt of Rue’s injury. Before he could thank her, Phil had popped his head into the room. 

“Mimic, it’s time to go.”

Tommy nodded and turned back to Rue. “It was good to meet you. Good luck on your recovery.”

“Good luck on becoming a hero.”

Tommy smiled, scooped up his backpack, and followed Phil out of the room before he would be subjected to a scolding from Noxite.

Despite the fact that there was only an hour left in The Dream Team rotation, Tommy was still instructed to join the remainder of the patrol. He changed into his real supersuit and was quickly reunited with his group. Tubbo gave him a friendly greeting when he found their rooftop post. Dream didn’t so much as give him a second glance. The Super maintained his stoic stare over the city until Tommy found a spot to settle in next to him. 

“How did the filming session go?” Dream mumbled, attention still outward.

“Fine. Anything happen on patrol?”

“Just a gas station robbery. No civilians harmed.”

“Cool.”

That was the entirety of their conversation. It wasn’t like Dream to have a feelings pow-wow, especially not while on the job. Everything considered, the evening went better than expected. At least the air between them hadn’t shifted too drastically; set them back a few steps perhaps, but nothing that couldn’t be bottled up with enough time.

After their duties had finished for the day, Tommy was craving a simple, carefree evening. There was nothing that brought him repose quite like hanging out in SBI’s office and doing absolutely nothing. Of course, Tommy never let on that he made a habit of visiting them, especially after the tension boiled over between Dream and Wilbur. So when he left the office that night, he made no indication of his evening plans. 

Before making his way to the office, Tommy stopped by the Sidekick Headquarters and checked his phone. There was still no word from Charlie, as if he needed one more negative added to his plate. At least he could find solace in his friends. Being around Wilbur and Techno and talking aimlessly for hours was therapeutic. Visiting them had lost its thrilling novelty, but it was replaced with a sense of familiar nostalgia instead.

Well, except for that night.

When Tommy let himself into SBI’s office he was not prepared for the scene he stumbled into. Wilbur was sprawled out on their meeting table with several bananas in hand, one peel already discarded to the side. Techno sat in a chair with a plastic rain poncho over his shoulders, half his hair wrapped up in layers of foil. Niki stood on a step stool behind him with a bowl of hair dye. 

“Hey Tommy!” Niki cheered as she applied another layer of goo onto a strand of Techno’s hair.

Tommy threw his bag onto the couch. “What the hell is happening?”

“You think my hair naturally grows bright pink?” Techno asked rhetorically.

Tommy shrugged, shifting his attention to Wilbur. He pointed at the bananas in his hand. Wilbur peeled another one. “Potassium.”

“Alright.” Tommy pulled up a chair at the table and fell into it. “I didn’t want a normal night, I suppose.”

“How’d the publicity stunt go?” Wilbur prodded through a bite of fruit. Tommy groaned. 

“Ugh, let’s not talk about that.”

“What publicity stunt?” Techno questioned.

“Dude, I just let’s not talk about it.”

“Can’t blame a guy for askin’.” 

“I literally can.”

Wilbur passed a banana to Tommy with a loving pat. “Here, calm yourself.”

“I don’t need potassium Wil.”

“Everyone needs potassium.”

Niki decided to help Tommy from getting ganged up on. “Tommy, I heard from Bill that you’re quite good at chutes and ladders.”

“Oh yeah, I fully am.”

Wilbur pushed a dismissive laugh through his lips. “You can’t be good at chutes and ladders. It’s literally a game of chance.”

“Tell that to the rest of the Sidekicks Quarters when I demolished them in every single round of our chutes and ladders tournament last Thursday.”

Wilbur stared at Tommy for a considerable time. “Has anyone told you that your head is very kickable?” 

“Wil, be nice,” Niki chided.

“No, actually I vouch for that,” Techno added. Tommy threw his hands up with an offended scoff. 

“You know you guys used to be my heroes,” he announced with a hint of honesty behind his attempt for pity.

“What changed?” 

“I met you.”

The witty response fell out before Tommy could think through the context of the night prior. Guilt plunged into his chest, but it didn’t remain long. Wilbur threw a banana peel at him, the soggy end slapping him across the cheek with a comically wet thwap. The act of slapstick war instantly washed away any accidental gravity from the conversation.

“You did not.” Tommy launched himself onto the table. Wilbur leaned to the side, not even needing to dematerialize to avoid the uncoordinated attack. He picked up a second banana peel and whacked Tommy again.

“Fight, fight, fight,” Techno chanted. Tommy pushed Wilbur away and rolled off the table, taking up an offensive stance.

“Quick, what’s one of Wilbur’s weaknesses?”

Wilbur pointed to Techno with an unpeeled banana. “Don’t answer that.”

The office door opened and pulled them all out of their playful spat as they anticipated a higher up to walk through. Everyone relaxed when they realized it was Phil. He took in the scene with fatherly confusion. “Oh boy.”

Wilbur held up one of his bananas. “Want one?”

“Aren’t you two supposed to be finishing up the paperwork from the bridge attack yesterday?”

“I don’t know what you’re talkin’ about,” Techno deflected as Niki wrapped a strand of his hair in foil. 

“I think you’re just getting old,” Wilbur added.

“I’ll write you both up,” Phil threatened, completely lacking sincerity. 

Tommy leaned in front of Wilbur with a grin. “Well I think you’re the picture of youth, Phil.” Wilbur shoved his head. Tommy scowled and tried to slap him back, but Wilbur phased away, only furthering Tommy’s annoyance. 

“Alright.” One stern look from Phil stopped them both. He directed his words to Wilbur and Techno. “You’re not going to be happy with me, but Nox has been breathing down my neck about vigilante patrols. He’s upset that we haven’t made any headway in catching them.”

The hair on Tommy’s neck bristled, but he kept a straight face. Phil looked around the chaos of the room. “I was going to ask you two to go on an extra run to get him off my back, but...” His gaze landed on Techno with a sigh. 

“My roots were showin’, Phil.”

“Whatever. Wil, can you find someone else to go with?”

“I’ll do it!” Tommy jumped up, apprehension of his alter ego long forgotten. “I can go.”

That was all the convincing Phil needed. “Great. I just need you to put on the song and dance, make it seem like you’re searching.” Phil eyed Tommy briefly, but the boy didn’t catch it. “I doubt the vigilantes will be out tonight anyway.” 

Wilbur stretched his back with a melodramatic groan. “Alright, but you owe me one.” 

The pair left Techno and Niki to finish up their hair dying endeavor and they went to suit up for the patrol. As they stepped into the elevator, a loud ping rang out from Tommy’s pocket. His heart leapt and then plummeted straight into his stomach as Wilbur cast him a side eye.

“What was that?”

“Nothing.” Tommy’s fingers resisted the urge to pull out his cellphone. “Sometimes Tubbo and I text each other on our old phones. For… nostalgia.”

Wilbur shrugged and gave a simple nod. The glass of the elevator wasn’t enough to relieve the suffocating sensation taking hold in Tommy’s throat. When the doors finally slid open, he shot out of them. “Meet you at your apartment!” 

The closing elevator swallowed up Wil’s befuddled frown. Finally alone, Tommy pulled out the phone and scanned the text.

10 pm, Friday night. Meet me at the corner of 85th and Taiga. Just you three, no electronics.

“Shit...” Tommy whispered to himself. That was right as Dream Team Patrol ended, and the middle of SBI patrol.

That won’t work. What about a different day? 

Tommy stared at the screen for a solid ten seconds before the typing bubble appeared. Sweat grew on his palm as he waited for a reply. 

The boss doesn’t reschedule. Make it work, or the deal is off.

Okay. Don’t call it off. We’ll figure it out. 

Can we just change it to 10:30? Please.

It took a few minutes until Tommy got a reply back.

Fine. 10:30.

My boss wanted me to inform you that if there’s even a

hint that this is a setup, you’re not going to be making

it back to your day job.

No setup. I swear it.

No response followed, and Tommy shakily returned the phone to the security of the underside of his pillow. That wasn’t ideal. He and Tubbo could make it work, but Ranboo would need to find an excuse not to go out on patrol. They couldn’t make it out of the tower without him.

There wasn’t time to divulge the new information to his friends yet. He threw on his suit and made his way up to meet Wilbur. Everything had to appear fine. The last thing they needed was for a Super to catch onto what was happening – even Wilbur. As much as Tommy hated keeping it a secret, he knew it was probably a bad idea to let him in on the plot. 

L’Manburg was breathtaking at night. Evening patrols were the highlight of the week because they meant that Tommy had a chance to perch himself on top of the tallest building in the city and gaze across the sea of lights. Yellow, red, and white illuminations took place of the stars in the smoggy sky. Past the buildings the harbor reflected it all, a mirror of the world Tommy knew. 

Wilbur led them across the rooftops, but rather than stopping, he continued his march. Phil had made it clear that they didn’t really need to patrol with purpose, but Wilbur kept their pace steady. In truth, Tommy didn’t care. All he could focus on was the fact that he was out on a patrol with Phantom. Phantom. If only his twelve year old self could see him now.

The conversation between them was sparse for the first time. Tommy’s focus was funneled into observing how they appeared together in the puddles of the roof. The winter version of his supersuit had long sleeves instead of short ones, making his appearance overall more mature, like Phantom’s. He made sure his steps fell in line with Wilbur’s, and he mimicked his upright posture. It was impossible for him to see the two from a spectator’s view, but Tommy wondered if they looked like they belonged together. He wanted to think that his red and white ensemble paired well against the deep blue and purples of Wilbur’s. A voice in the back of his brain recognized that green looked better standing next to him. 

“Should we stop here for a bit?” Tommy asked as Wilbur readied to jump to an adjacent fire escape. 

“That would defeat the purpose of the patrol,” Wilbur pointed out.

“Don’t you and Techno stop during your normal patrol?”

“No,” Wilbur responded as though it was a given. “Does The Dream Team?” 

As though he accidentally tattled on his mentor, he gave a noncommittal shrug in response. “I mean...”

“Figures.” Wilbur shook his head. “I guess we can take a quick break.”

Sheepishly, Tommy dropped to the edge of the building. Wilbur hesitated, but eventually joined him. The air between them was thick with unspoken words. The fight was put behind them, but it was impossible to forget. It wasn’t a secret that much of the tension stemmed from the way Dream handled being Tommy’s mentor. But Wilbur gave the impression that his dislike for Dream went farther back. Tommy wondered how much more there was to it. He didn’t ask.

“You ever wonder if people realize that there’s a Super sitting on the roof of their apartments?” He prompted instead.

Wilbur laughed. “I haven’t. The people below us probably heard your clunky footsteps.”

Tommy smacked Wil’s arm. “I’m graceful as hell.”

“Is that another one of your middle names?”

“It is, actually.”

Another soft laugh echoed from Wilbur’s throat as his eyes scanned the scene in front of them. In the distance there was a line forming in front of a movie theater, past that a collection of teenagers walked out of a minimart with a haul of snacks. People milled about the streets, carrying out their very average evenings. 

“I don’t think I’ll ever get over the attention,” Tommy admitted as he caught a flash of a newsreel in a shop window. It displayed footage of The Dream Team stopping a store robbery from a few nights ago.

“It’s definitely strange,” Wilbur agreed.

“How many people do you think you’ve taken pictures with since you became a hero?”

A dismissive scoff came out of Wilbur’s throat automatically. “I don’t take pictures with people.”

“Oh.” Once again, Tommy felt embarrassed for his enthusiasm. “So you don’t greet people or sign anything.”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“Because we aren’t celebrities. We’re law enforcement. We have important jobs, and having meet and greets on the sidewalk diminishes the authority of our position.”

A pause lulled their back and forth. “What about Michelle, at the gala? And a few months ago I saw your signature in a notebook. A little kid had a collection of them, and yours was in there.”

Wilbur stilled. “Yeah, well, I have a soft spot for kids.”

Tommy’s mouth ran dry. He thought of that day nine years ago. Did Wilbur remember it too? Surely after a decade of being a Super, he wouldn’t hold onto the memory of saving a blonde haired boy from a collapsing roof. A swell of emotions grew in Tommy’s stomach. He should tell Wilbur how much it all meant, how it changed his life.

He opened his mouth to speak, but Wilbur rose to his feet. “We should get on with our patrol.” 

Just as quickly, Tommy’s jaw snapped shut. “Yeah. Good idea.”

Another several blocks were covered before Tommy was able to shake off the disappointment. He tried to convince himself to say it anyway, but truthfully, he wanted the moment to be perfect. So far a lot of things about being a Super hadn’t panned out, but he could control this one. The right moment would come again, he just needed to wait for it. 

In trying to figure out a way to move their conversation along, Tommy’s mind drifted back to the text from Charlie. In a few days he’d be back on the streets under the guise of Theseus again. It was a jarring transition, going from feeling invincible as a Super to being hunted as an outlaw. The need to increase vigilante patrol seemed like a disproportionate response from the higher ups. It wasn’t like ‘Theseus, Achilles, and Heracles’ had done anything to warrant such intense intervention. 

Wilbur was taking the task seriously though. Maybe it had something to do with Nox, a feeling that they needed to put on a team-player attitude for the boss.

“What do you think about all this anyway?” Tommy asked.

“What? The vigilantes?” Wilbur clarified. “It’s nothing new. There’s been plenty of them before. Though, this is the first time Nox has been up our asses to catch them.”

“So you don’t think it’s right then?” Tommy pushed.

Wilbur forced air through his nose. “No. I don’t.”

The answer pushed a metaphorical knife into Tommy’s side. “What if they have a good reason for it?”

“There’s no good reason to be a vigilante,” Wilbur shot down quickly. “Especially not when they’re just kids. They have no idea what they’re getting themselves into. It's reckless, for themselves and for the people they’re trying to save.”

“If they get caught they’ll lose their powers.”

“Better that than dead.” Tommy recoiled at the brazen statement. Wilbur was rarely ever so forward. He seemed to read the Sidekicks discomfort, and settled his tensed shoulders. “The first year I joined SBI, there was a vigilante that kept popping up around the city. She called herself the Salmon. She could control water. Not really the best powerset for fighting crime, but that didn’t stop her. Me, Phil, and Techno never really tried to stop her. We’d give her a chance to evade arrest, coincidentally arrive a few moments after there was a report of her in the area. I thought the same way as you. She was just trying to help, it wouldn’t be fair to get her powers neutralized.” 

Tommy studied the shift in Wilbur’s face. His muscles softened, aging him in an instant. “I was the one who found her body. She was behind a gas station, tried to stop an armed robbery. A bullet struck her heart and she bled out in minutes. She was just nineteen years old.”

Wilbur turned, eyes glassed over as he peered at Tommy in his peripherals. “I’m willing to admit that the Super system... it’s fucked. But there’s a reason it exists. If we didn’t have it, more people would end up like her.”

Tommy had nothing to say in response. He clung onto Wilbur’s words like they were rocks crumbling on the edge of a cliff. “So... you think this vigilante group is doing the wrong thing then?”

“I think they believe what they’re doing is right. They just don’t realize how much danger they're putting themselves in.”

“What would happen if you caught them?”

Wilbur fell silent. Tommy thought that was all he would get in response, but Wilbur slowly raised his head and looked him straight in the eye. “I’d make sure they don’t end up dead too.”

Chapter Text

Friday morning’s training was supposed to be a double with Tubbo and Sapnap. It would provide a buffer to ease Tommy back into being alone with his mentor, so he was grateful for the timing. However, when he entered the training gym after breakfast, Dream was the only one stretching on the mat.

Tommy slowly dropped his bag on the bench. “Where are the others?”

“Sapnap got pulled to do a vigilante patrol. Tubbo decided to go with him.” 

Tommy’s limbs grew heavier. “Really? They asked him to go on his own?”

“Yeah.” Dream mentally lifted a few training dummies to the center of the floor. “Nox wants more people out during the day, and the best way is to stagger with solo patrols.”

A hum of understanding left Tommy’s throat as he pulled his arm across his chest. “What are we doing today?”

“How does defense sound?”

“Great.”

They practiced dodging and evading in near silence. The only time they spoke was to change up the drill or give a technique tip. Tommy avoided punches and projectiles effectively and Dream didn’t once chastise his form.

The hour didn’t go by as slowly as he anticipated it would, and by the time they were cleaning up, the air between them felt lighter. It was strange that Dream wasn’t as critical as usual. Tommy didn’t pay too much mind to it though. He was already halfway out the door, planning how his secret meeting with Charlie would go that night, when Dream stopped him.

“Tommy, hold up a sec.” Dream flung his bag over his shoulder and jogged to catch up with him. “Me, George, and Sapnap are ordering in pizzas tonight. We have this monthly movie night thing we do. We’re still deciding between sci-fi or action... Anyway, if you wanted, you can meet us in my apartment after patrol. Tubbo too.”

“Tonight?” Tommy’s mouth went dry. “I mean, that sounds awesome, but Tubbo and I already have plans.”

Dream nodded, shrugging his shoulders. Even though his face was hidden, it was clear that the rejection had stung. “Yeah. No problem.”

“Next time,” Tommy promised.

“Sure.”

There was no graceful way to exit after that. All Tommy could do was smile nervously and hide himself behind the elevator doors as quickly as he could. His back slumped against the glass wall and his face scrunched. Maybe he would have agreed if it were any other night. But he couldn’t dwell on that. Even though it was hours out, he wanted to make sure everything was ready for their meeting that night.

Nothing in his hero training would be remotely applicable to what lay ahead. Surprisingly, there wasn’t a ‘Collaborating with Criminals 101’ course offered at Stronghold. Tommy was used to rules, orders, stable systems. Tonight they would be stepping into uncharted territory, a game they had never played before. There was no telling what could happen, and honestly, that was a terrifying notion. 

Fear wouldn’t drive Tommy and his friends away from trying though. They would just need to tread carefully, be prepared for anything. So while out on patrol with The Dream Team that night, Tommy constructed several emergency plans that they could employ in case things went awry.

By the time Tubbo and Tommy got back to the Tower and exchanged their supersuits for their vigilante disguises, it was already a quarter past ten. They left everything in their rooms, including the old phone they used to contact Charlie, and crept out to their hidden meeting spot.

Neither knew how Ranboo had planned to get out of SBI’s late shift patrol, but as promised, they were waiting for Tubbo and Tommy in the janitor’s closet. In the dim lighting of the overhead bulb he looked paler than usual from underneath his mask. 

“You good man?” Tubbo whispered, latching the door behind him.

“Mhm,” Ranboo hummed, less than certain. “I just ate half a brick of cheese.”

Tommy’s eyes bulged. “Aren’t you lactose intolerant?”

“I needed a valid reason to skip patrol.”

“And that was your best choice?” Tommy asked.

“Are you sure you can zap us boss man?”

Ranboo nodded, straightening their sweatshirt. “Oh yeah. It was a few hours ago. I got it out of my system. Ready?”

Tommy and Tubbo shared a skeptical glance. “I guess.”

Ranboo swallowed back a groan, grabbed his friend’s shoulders, and they were out.

85th and Taiga was a quick walk from the cafe parking lot Ranboo teleported them too. They weren’t sure where exactly Charlie planned to meet them, but they wouldn’t need to wonder for long.

As soon as they walked past a laundromat on the corner of the two streets, a low whistle sounded from the alcoved entrance. The three friends turned in unison, and Charlie appeared in front of the locked door. It had definitely been empty a second before.

“You ready?” Charlie asked. They nodded, and he gestured down the side of the building. “Let’s do it.”

In the back parking lot was a single van, the one that a stereotypical kidnapper would drive. All that was missing were the words ‘free candy’ painted on the side. Charlie slid the side door open and slapped the side of the vehicle. 

“You should really rethink your method of transportation,” Tommy stated, peering inside the empty van.

“It’s convenient. You know, in case you need to move a lot of stuff, you don’t have to keep asking to borrow a friend’s truck.” A goofy smile spread across his face, which was not reciprocated. “Alrighty, looks like we’re not at the joke stage yet.”

Charlie stepped away and allowed the Sidekicks to enter. The back of the van was completely empty, no seats in sight, which didn’t help the unsettling vibes. Tubbo climbed in first, plopping himself down on the metal floor without a fuss. The others followed with far more hesitancy.

“You’re awfully eager to get into the back of the stranger’s vehicle,” Ranboo mumbled. 

“It’s not like we have anything to worry about,” Tubbo whispered. “You can’t kidnap a group when one of them can teleport.”

“What makes you think I’ll take you with me?”

“Will both of you shut it?” Tommy whispered as Charlie climbed into the driver's seat. The engine roared to life, and their chauffeur tipped his head over the seat. 

“Do you guys mind throwing those bags over your heads?” The Sidekicks looked at the floor, finding three empty sacks waiting for them. “Don’t worry, they’re fresh.”

“This definitely isn’t helping the kidnapper vibe,” Ranboo muttered, but they had no other choice than to secure the coverings on their head.

“Yeah, my apologies. The boss is pretty serious about keeping his locations secret.” Charlie backed the truck up with a jolt, causing the teens to topple over. Ranboo groaned from under his face covering. Hopefully it wouldn’t need to turn into a barf bag.

“Can you tell us anything more about this boss of yours?” Tubbo asked.

“His favorite food is polenta, he prefers tea to coffee, he’s a hell of a golfer – ”

“Anything useful?” 

Charlie paused. “No, I got nothing.”

Tubbo sighed and settled himself against the floor of the van, attempting to make himself comfier for the duration of the jerky ride. The way Charlie drove was like he was attempting to knock them sideways, taking sharp turns and lurching at last seconds. More groans came from Ranboo’s bagged head. Tommy scooted as far away from them as he could. 

After quite a while the car engine died, and the jingling of keys signaled they had arrived. “Don’t take off your bags,” Charlie instructed, and they waited with tensed muscles as the side door pulled open. More than one set of footsteps approached the vehicle, and soon they were being led out one at a time. A pair of hands clamped onto Tommy’s shoulders, then moved down to check for anything concealed in his clothes. Tommy’s fingers flexed with the instinctual urge to slam his fist into the person patting him down. 

It was obvious the moment they were led inside. The crisp outdoor breeze was replaced by dense, smoke filled air. Heat pushed under their head coverings, carpet scuffed beneath their boots, and in the distance a steady hum of conversation was present. Tommy’s ears strained to listen past the canvas sack, and he made out the distinct sound of dinging bells and whirring machinery. 

The Sidekicks were steered down several winding hallways, through an elevator, and up several stories until they were escorted through a doorway. The hands guiding them pushed them down into plush chairs, and the bags were yanked off their heads. 

They weren’t greeted by a harsh light, but rather the warm glow of a low lit office. Deep wood tones and maroon velvet adorned every inch of the distinguished interior before them. At the head of the room, a man leaned back in a leather chair with his feet propped up on the surface of his large, polished desk.

“Hola Compinches.”  

The boss dropped his feet from his desk and leaned over it to look them over. His aura gave off that he was a man of means, despite the fact that his suit jacket was absent, leaving him in an unbuttoned dress shirt and pair of suspenders. His hair was pushed back, not slicked with product, instead tousled like his hand had been running through it all day. He flipped a poker chip between his fingers as he grinned at the three Sidekicks. 

“So, I hear you’re looking for a bit of intel,” the man remarked. No one had their bearings enough to answer, and it didn’t help when a tank of a man stepped out from behind their chairs to stand next to the boss. 

“Um, yeah...” Tommy looked behind him and caught Charlie’s familiar smile. “We were told you may know how to find someone.”

“Finding someone, hm?” The boss set his poker chip on the desk with a calculated flick. “That’s within my wheelhouse. But I want to know if it’s worth my time to help you first.”

Tubbo straightened his posture with an indignant frown. “We gave you back your coin. That means you owe us a favor.” 

Ranboo’s eyes widened and they stared at Tubbo, who hadn’t backed down from his brazen retort. The boss wasn’t perturbed by it, even offering a lopsided smirk in return. He leaned forward further across the desk.

“Before we discuss that, why don’t you tell me your names?” The man prompted. Without even beginning to think better of it, Tommy replied. 

“I’m Tommy, this is Ranboo and Toby.” The others shot him perplexed stares, and Tommy’s eyes widened. The words had stumbled out like they were nothing. He stuttered as he tried to back track. “But we’d prefer to go by our aliases – ”

“Alright Thomas .”

The panic of revealing their identities was stifled as Tommy furrowed his brow. “That’s not even what I said…”

“You can call me Quackity,” he told them, settling back into his seat. His brows rose as if he was waiting for something, but the silence gave him permission to move on. “And Cortito over there is right, perhaps I do owe you a favor. Though, it’s my understanding that you didn’t come across my coin legitimately. So, where did you find it?”

“In a warehouse, in the shipping district,” Izzy replied. 

Quackity hummed in consideration. “Interesting. And who had it before you three nabbed it?”

“A man named Carlos Beckett.”

“Is that so?” Quackity tapped his fingers against the desk. “The same one that your hero squadron took down several weeks back?”

Tommy nodded. Quackity glanced at the muscular man standing beside him, then to Charlie. “Foolish, Slime, you can go. I think I can handle things from here.”

The two nodded and stepped out together, leaving the Sidekicks alone with Quackity. “It seems like everything you told my liaison was truthful. What perplexes me is that I never gave Beckett a coin. I’m wondering how he came across it.”

Quackity focused his stare on Ranboo, who didn’t even need prompting. “There was a note with it. We didn’t bring it here, but it said ‘ If anyone asks, it didn’t come from me. Use it wisely’, signed by the initial R.”

The information crossed Quackity’s features. Before he could ferry anymore information, Tommy added on. “We know that someone named Roier was the one who gave it to him.”

“Roier?” Quackity chuckled. “I’m not sure how you know that name in the first place, but he wasn’t the one who passed it on.”

Tommy furrowed his brow. “Why don’t you think it was him?”

“Because Roier has been in the middle of the ocean for the past three months.” 

Three lungs sucked in sharp breaths of air. Tubbo leaned backwards into his chair. “Like… dead?”

Quackity rolled his eyes. “I didn’t say bottom of the ocean, did I? He’s helping me with my overseas ventures. Hasn’t been in the country for quite some time.” He shook his head. “Did you speak to anyone else about the coin?”

Once again, a response toppled off Tommy’s tongue. “Just one person. A lady named Rose.” 

Quackity’s expression tensed, and he let out a low hum of disapproval. Rose. Tommy’s jaw dropped open, and suddenly his mind was racing through his encounter with the woman, trying to recall how she’d responded to their questions – the fact that she only let them in when they mentioned the coin. 

Quackity clicked his tongue. “It’s always the ones you don’t expect, huh?” He pulled a pen out and scribbled something on a notepad. “I’ll need to rearrange some business affairs for the future.”

Ranboo and Tubbo were coming to the same conclusion as Tommy. They also shared an unease at the connotation of Quackity’s “future affairs”, but the conversation moved too quickly to linger on it.

“So, you’re looking for a kid named Fundy...” Quackity rose from his chair and pulled a cigarette from his pocket. One flick of a lighter and the acrid scent of tobacco seized the room.

“Do you know anything about him?” Tubbo asked.

“No.” Quackity took a drag of the cigarette. “Not from my memory. But that’s part of this whole issue, isn’t it? No one seems to remember who this ‘Fundy’ is.”

The way Quackity drew out his responses was aggravating, though there was nothing they could do besides accept the taunting and wait for the criminal to grace them with answers. As he waltzed across the room he reached an old fashioned filing cabinet, ornately carved from wood. He slid open the top shelf and produced a single folder.

“Coincidentally, I happen to have tabs on a freelancer under that name, but I have no God damn clue who he is.” Quackity stopped between the group and dropped the file open onto Ranboo’s lap. They craned over it, studying the picture. There was no questioning the resemblance, it was Fundy.

A thrilled laugh leapt from the back of Tommy’s throat. This was the closest they’d gotten after months of searching. “This is him. This is the guy who went missing.”

“What else do you know?” Ranboo asked.

“What else am I willing to tell you, is the better question.” Quackity blew a puff of smoke over their heads. Tommy grumbled in annoyance, but it went unnoticed. “He did odd jobs for me. Like you told Slime, he had cyberkinesis, which came in handy for me.”

“Any specific jobs?” Ranboo pushed.

“According to my records, I sent Fundy out to investigate our friend Beckett and how he managed to get ahold of one of my coins. I wondered why I never got answers on that front, but I suppose that if he was wiped from existence, that would be my answer.”

The Sidekicks nodded, each reading further into the sparse file as Quackity watched on. The information in the pages was nothing groundbreaking: his address, a physical description, and any other identifying information Quackity had compiled. None of it would do them any good on locating him. There was undoubtedly more information, but Quackity wasn’t likely to give that up.

“So you have no idea what caused his disappearance or why no one remembers him?” Tommy asked.

“Not a clue, Compinche .” Quackity returned to his desk. “But I am curious why I don’t have any recollection of him.”

“Does that mean you’re going to help us find the answer?”

Quackity shrugged and snubbed the cigarette in an ashtray. “I won’t promise anything, but I’ll look into it. I don’t like having chunks of my memory stolen from me, so it’s in my best interest to figure out what happened.”

Ranboo slowly closed the file, lips tightening. “If you sent Fundy on that mission, that means he was more than just a freelancer. You had to have trusted him.”

Quackity waved a finger at Ranboo with a nod. “He’s the smart one, isn’t he? Si , apparently I did trust him. He was one of my clients.”

“Clients?” Tommy mused.

Quackity clicked his tongue. “I thought you knew my line of work.” He pulled his feet up onto his desk again. “Power concealment, Compinches. I helped Fundy slip past those pesky DMCA hounds.”

Realization sunk in, the pieces beginning to fit together. When 5 Up told them that Fundy worked for a group of criminals, Quackity must have been the one he was referring to. If that was the case, they may be able to actually solve this entire mystery.

“Are all your employees ex-clients of yours?” Ranboo asked.

“The ones I trust,” Quackity responded simply.

Tommy, Tubbo, and Ranboo stilled, processing the meeting and the mountain of intel that had been dropped on them. Quackity pulled a packet of papers from the top drawer of his desk, as well as a gold plated pen. 

“Now’s the part of the evening where we strike our deal,” Quackity stated. “The terms are simple. I agree to dig deeper into this whole Fundy debacle, and I won’t say a word about you or your identities to anyone. You three agree not to take anything you learned here today and use it against me in your little tower. No Hero business comes past those doors, and it definitely doesn’t leave. Trato?”

Hesitancy washed over the trio. Ranboo scanned the short but succinct contract. “You’ll actually follow the terms written out here?”

“I may be a villain, but I don’t go back on my word.”

Tubbo and Tommy waited for Ranboo to finish reading the pages, eventually giving his friends a reluctant shrug. “It looks fine.”

“We’re this far in,” Tubbo reasoned. With that, they each penned their vigilante aliases on the bottom of the page, and Quackity followed suit with his own. The paper was carefully slipped into an envelope and returned to the place it came. 

“Bueno.” Quackity laced his fingers and set them in his lap. “I’ll see what I can find. Slime will be my correspondence. If I come up with nothing, then we move on with our lives and go back to trying to kill each other. Comprenden?”

The group had nothing more to give than halfhearted nods. Quackity stood, leaned over his desk, and gestured to their hands. “Open your comms.” Their shared confusion prompted a grunt of impatience. “You think I’m going to let you walk out of my office without checking your implants?”

They tapped on the inside of their wrists and opened the menus of their devices. 

“Foolish!” The henchman returned to the door, awaiting instructions. “Take them into the hall and sweep them for recordings, then you can load them back up into the truck.” Foolish gestured for them to follow him out, but Quackity pointed to Tommy. “But let me keep this one a second longer.”

A chill flashed over his limbs, but he lowered himself back into his chair. The other two were led out of the room, and when Tommy was alone again, Quackity’s eyes bore into him.

“Earlier, you said you spoke with Rose?” Tommy nodded. “So you know where I can find her?”

A queasiness erupted in Tommy’s stomach, but he nodded once again. “I don’t – ”

“I’m not asking you to do anything. Just write down the address so I can plan accordingly.” Quackity slid the paper across the desk, but Tommy didn’t reach for it. 

“This isn’t part of the deal. We didn’t agree to give you anything else.”

“Sure. But you’re a sidekick who told me his real name ten minutes ago.” A menacing growl underlied his words, absent from his speech until that moment. “Just the address, Thomas .”

Tommy’s nails dug into the skin on his palms, but he reluctantly picked up the pen and scribbled the street and number down. His teeth ground together as Quackity dragged it slowly back in front of him.

“Bueno.” He stowed the paper in his pocket. “Glad to do business with you.”

Tommy stood to join his friends, but a magnetic pull kept him from leaving the room. Something pricked the back of his brain, and he knew he’d regret leaving with it lingering there. Quackity quirked an eyebrow, and Tommy moved back to the chair. “Can I ask you a question?”

“You can ask. I can’t guarantee an answer.”

“Why did you make a deal with a group of Supers?” 

Quackity dragged in a long inhale, and gestured for Tommy to sit again. He glanced at the door, but took the seat anyway. Quackity studied the teenager in front of him, giving away a softness he hadn’t revealed yet. “Do you know who my largest customer base is, Thomas ?”

“Um, criminals?” 

Quackity shook his head with a sly smile. “Parents.”

Tommy’s brows knitted together. “What?”

“Mhm.” The crime boss nodded. “September and May are my busiest months because that’s when schools run their detection clinics. Moms, dads, grandparents, they’re the ones who are the most likely to come to me begging for a Dampener. ”

“Why?”

“Because they don’t want their child taken away from them. They know that the moment their kids step foot in Stronghold, they’ll never see them again.” Quackity scooped up his poker chip and flicked it into the air. “Tell me, when was the last time you saw your parents?”

The memory came back to him in pieces: how he walked across the stage of the academy’s auditorium, scanning the crowd like a ten year old in a school play. He remembered the blur of his mom’s face – pride and sorrow wrapped up into one as she watched him take his diploma from the headmaster. Tommy swallowed a lump in his throat. “Three months ago.” 

“And before that?” It took too long for Tommy to actually recall. Quackity gave a sad grin. “Exactly.”

Tommy tore his head to the side with a heavy sniff. “What does this have to do with you trusting us?”

“I do what I do because it prevents Stronghold from manufacturing more brainwashed, self-righteous kids to spit out into the Super Programs.” He read Tommy’s scowl with a shrug. “No offense.” 

“If you hate Sidekicks so much then why are you working with us?”

Quackity froze, and flipped the poker chip at him. He startled, but caught it as the villain leaned in with amusement. “Because you’re here. You could have run crying to those elastic wearing pendejos, but instead you signed a deal with a villain. You’re going against the system, and I respect that.”

Tommy shook his head in adamant denial. “I never said we were going against Hero Tower. We just want to figure out what happened to Fundy. That’s it.”

The knowing grin never left Quackity’s face. “Sure. Three Sidekicks that land a top spot in L’Manburg’s SMP are convening with a crime lord as a fun weekend venture.” He stood from his chair and walked around to meet the teenager. “Come on Tommy, let’s be real here. You wouldn’t be risking your ass if there wasn’t a part of you that knew, deep down, that the Super System is fucked.”

Tommy squeezed the poker chip in his hand until the edges dug into his flesh. If he allowed himself to respond he wouldn’t hold himself back from offending the dangerous man inches from him. It was a terrible idea to get on Quackity’s bad side, no matter how badly he wanted to reach out and punch him square in the jaw. 

“Take that with you,” Quackity motioned to the chip. “I know they don’t pay Sidekicks at your precious tower.”

The villain sauntered back over to his cushy leather chair with a slight hum from the back of his throat. Tommy stood stiffly, dropped the poker chip on his desk, and stormed out into the hallway.

When Foolish had ensured that there were no recordings or stolen data regarding Quackity, they were re-blindfolded and ferried through the building. Charlie’s upbeat attitude had dimmed, and Tommy wondered how he managed to work for a guy like Quackity. The car ride took them to a different part of the city, but was still as winding and jostling as before. When they were released, they stepped out onto the concrete with a cocktail of confusion settled between the trio. They started back towards the tower without a word.

“What did Quackity want with you?” Ranboo eventually asked.

“Just to ask if I knew anything else about Fundy.” He doubted either of them bought the lie. They didn’t push him though.

A glance at their comms showed it was almost midnight. The meeting hadn’t taken long, but with how much happened in that time, it felt like they’d been out for hours. Tommy should have felt better, considering the fact that they finally made real headway with Fundy, but his mind was a haze instead. He couldn’t seem to compartmentalize the swirling in his head. That uncertainty extended to the rest of him, giving him a queasiness that wouldn’t settle. 

Tommy recognized the section of town they’d crossed into, and he couldn’t ignore the guilt pressing him any longer.

“Wait here.” Tommy gestured towards the back of the mini-mart. His stomach did a somersault as he reached into his pockets and pulled out a scrap of paper. “I need to do something real quick.” 

“What is it?” Ranboo asked, eyes narrowing in concern.

“I’ll tell you later,” Tommy swallowed the saliva that pooled in his mouth. He didn’t intend to keep that promise though, not if he could help it. Handing that information over to Quackity had left him feeling sick. He didn’t need his friends to know.

It was a short stop down the block to reach the old, dilapidated building with the greenhouse nestled atop it. Tommy was thankful he’d thought to bring a pen along with him in his makeshift tool belt.

Quackity knows your location. Find somewhere safe.

Tommy tucked the paper under a stone to ensure that it didn’t fly off anywhere, and knocked on the door. He took off before anyone could see who’d left the note, only lingering in the shadows long enough to make sure the old woman got the message. The hurricane inside him ebbed, quelled by the knowledge that she could evade whatever Quackity may have been planning. Maybe the crime boss would figure out that Tommy had given her a warning in advance, but hopefully they wouldn’t be in cahoots by the time that happened. 

As he sped back towards the mini-mart parking lot, Tommy adjusted the eyeholes of his mask. The stupid thing kept riding down, and he had half a mind to just take it off. Thank God he didn’t. When Tommy stepped onto the corner of the street, he saw him: deep blue and purple suit, golden threads, and dark curls. His breathing stopped, he froze. Phantom looked straight at him.

Tommy bolted back the way he came. He barely knew what direction he was going in, mind ablaze as he made out the light footfalls of Wilbur behind him. His brain tried to keep up with his feet as he deciphered the unfamiliar surroundings. With enough looping he caught sight of the neon mini-mart logo up ahead. He took a turn so well timed that it hindered Phantom’s chase, and bought him just enough time.

In the unlit back alcove of the store Tubbo and Ranboo waited, postures going rigid as they noticed Tommy’s full tilt sprint towards them. They weren’t able to get a word out before Tommy reached out, grabbed their arms, and hurtled them through time and space. He barely managed to visualize a location to teleport them too – the destroyed fast food joint from the fight three weeks earlier – before they were crashing into the pavement. Bile and blood shot through Tommy’s throat and he threw up. His body was ravaged by the over expenditure of energy, worse was the searing pressure in his skull. 

“What the fuck!” Tubbo yelled, louder than he should have.

“Phantom...” Was all Tommy managed to get out as blood ran from his nose into his mouth.

“How did you do that?” Ranboo was clenching his jaw, holding back a groan of pain at the brutal teleportation. “Where the hell are we?”

Tommy shook his head and spat out the lingering fluids in his mouth. “He would have known. Wilbur – if I spoke – he would have known it was me.”

As they regained their composure Ranboo pushed himself up, trying to figure out where they were. Tubbo made no attempt to move, opting instead to lay prone on the ground. His eyes were shut but the frustration was still evident in his face.

“We gotta go.” Ranboo pulled Tubbo up. “We’re in the open.”

“He can’t know,” Tommy whispered.

“Tom.” Ranboo hesitated to place a hand on him. “You’re good. We need to move.”

Finally, Tommy wiped the blood from his face and stumbled in the direction Ranboo was leading them. His mind was on fire and his limbs threatened to give. All Tommy could focus on was the feeling of dread upon seeing Phantom. A feeling that his entire world was about to cave in. 

Running from his hero. Teaming up with villains. Everything was backwards.

“The Super system, it’s fucked. But there’s a reason it exists.” Those were Wilbur’s words. So similar to Quackity’s. That was a universal truth, hero and villain alike. The Super System is fucked. Heroes donning vigilante masks to find a forgotten delinquent, the moral elite coercing with crime kingpins, and the one person Tommy always looked to suddenly framed as the enemy. 

As the trio slinked through back alleys and startled at every distant police siren, Tommy craved the simplicity of life. He never imagined he would miss his Stronghold dorm room, when the great heroes of the city were mere pictures on his wall and he wasn’t baptized into the world of Supers and Sidekicks and Villains. All he wanted was to be a kid again – to be naïve again. But they were in too deep, and there was no coming up for air just yet.

Chapter Text

The trio didn’t speak about Quackity’s contract. Not even in the privacy of their rooms. There wasn’t much to say. It certainly felt like they were ignoring, which was worse than if they attempted to rationalize their choice. Keeping it tucked away reminded Tommy that it was in fact a dirty secret. What Quackity had said, there was an inkling of truth behind it. They were going against the system, and no matter how just the cause, it was a violation of the ethical code Tommy once clung to.

It was all a mess. And to make it worse, there was no one Tommy could just talk to get his mind off things. Dream wasn’t one to listen, being around Wilbur still made him nervous, and Tubbo and Ranboo were equally as frazzled as he was. Tommy could go to one of the other Sidekicks, or another Super like Techno or Jack, but what he really craved was the comfort of someone safe. 

There was only one other person that fit that description.

“I want to call home.” 

Tommy dropped the request like a brick upon entering Smajor’s office. Scott took in the boy in front of him, fingers laced as he crossed his hands on his desk.

“Tommy... we advise against making contact with family or friends outside the tower. There are several factors to take into account regarding safety and security,” Scott began.

“I’m well aware,” Tommy refuted. “But with all due respect, I don’t think one phone call is going to put my mom in any more danger than she already would be.”

Scott shook his head. “There are more things to consider than your mother’s safety – ”

“Is there a clause in my hero contract saying I can’t talk to her?” Tommy cut in bluntly. Scott stilled, eyes softening, and shook his head.

“No. Technically speaking, there is not.” Scott leaned forward, shoulders deflating. “Heroes are allowed one opportunity of outward communication per month, if they choose to use it.”

“Then I choose to use it.”

Scott pursed his lips. “Can I be honest with you – not as Hero Liaison, but as a friend?” Tommy nodded, settling into a seat as Scott composed his words. “Sometimes it can be harder having limited communication with outside relationships than if you didn’t have any at all.”

Tommy’s lips slipped into a frown. “Wouldn’t it be worse if I never got to talk to her?”

“Having contact reminds us of how much we may miss them,“ Scott stated, gentle yet blunt. “Many heroes find it easier to sever the tie altogether, rather than cling to the thread they do get.”

Tommy’s limbs grew heavy. As tempting as it was to discard that notion, he knew there was truth behind it. He hadn’t thought about how much he missed his mom until Quackity brought it up the night before. If he hadn’t, Tommy probably wouldn’t ache to see her as much as he was. 

“It’s far from fair,” Scott conceded. “There are a lot of things Supers are forced to give up, and this is undoubtedly the hardest.”

Without giving himself time to think better, Tommy shook himself free of the smothering feeling of loneliness. “I want to talk to her.”

Scott nodded, head tilted down to hide his disappointment. “I’ll set up the call for you.”

That Sunday Tommy was shown to an empty conference room. All that sat inside was an old-fashioned wired telephone and a single chair to sit in. Shades were drawn over the windows, and the door was locked from the inside. The intensity of the seclusion seemed a bit over the top to Tommy, but it was nice to know that Hero Tower cared about keeping his family safe.

As instructed by Scott, Tommy picked up the phone and held it to his ear. It automatically began to ring, only playing the dial tone for two seconds before the other line connected. 

“Tom?”

The full, tender sound of his mother’s voice was enough to choke Tommy into a fit of tears. He swallowed and covered it with a laugh. “Hey mom.”

“It’s actually you! My god, you sound so different already. How are you? Are you doing alright?”

“Everything’s great. I’m doing great.”

“I want to hear everything. I’ve been seeing you all over the place, in my magazines and on the TV – you know how badly I want to tell my friends that my boy is the one standing next to all those big heroes? But I haven’t, of course.”

“That’s good, mom. I can’t tell you much about the Tower. They’ve got our call monitored and all that. Security, you know,” Tommy said.

“Of course,” she dampened her enthusiasm.

“They’re also requesting that you call me by my alias too. Just in case any part of our call got leaked.”

There was a moment of silence over the line. “Sure. I can do that.” 

“I’m really glad I get to talk to you. There’s so much I want to tell you about,” Tommy sighed, yearning to spew out everything about Dream and Wilbur, but all of that was off limits. 

“I want to ask you all about your mentor – I don’t know if I’m allowed to say – ”

“Dream. You can say his alias.”

“Right, Dream. He wasn’t ever one that you had posters of, was he?”

Tommy’s cheeks warmed with embarrassment, thinking about security personnel listening in on the recollection of his childhood bedroom. “No... Dream didn’t become a Super until I started at Stronghold, so I never saw much of him as a kid.”

“But you like him alright?”

Tommy couldn’t help the hesitation in his response. He knew his mom would pick up on it. “He’s a good mentor. Taught me a lot.”

“And he looks out for you, doesn’t he? Makes sure you’re staying safe?”

“Definitely.” More than Tommy wanted, actually. 

“That’s good,” his mom sighed. “I know he wasn’t who you were hoping to be with.”

“It’s fine,” Tommy dismissed quickly. Again, he wasn’t sure who was listening in, and he didn’t want word to spread about his reluctance in working with Dream. “I think they made a good call putting us together. We’ve really helped each other grow.”

“But did you get to meet Phantom?” 

“Yeah, I did.”

“Is he nice?”

Tommy couldn’t help but laugh. “He’s great.”

“Oh that’s so amazing to hear. You never know with celebrities. I was hoping that he was as good a person as he seemed.”

“We’re actually pretty close now,” Tommy beamed. “He’s kind of like a brother.”

“If I could I would give him a big hug. I bet he’s a hugger.”

“I’m sure he is.” The conversation lulled, lack of time spent together lending little for them to connect over.

“I wish I could see you,” his mom sighed.

“Me too... But you know how strict they are on rules.”

“I do...” A heavy silence sat on the line. The conference room door sounded with a quick knock, and Scott poked his head in. He gestured to his watch and held up one finger.

“Well, I should probably go. I’m almost at my time,” Tommy said. Scott disappeared from the doorway.

“Alright. I’ll let you off...” Tommy’s mother inhaled slowly, audible through the phone. “You know, I think I’m going to get dinner at Ping’s Palace tomorrow night. I’ll get an extra side of sweet and sour pork, since it’s your favorite.”

Tommy’s mind drifted to the taste of his favorite Chinese takeout, yearning for the simple luxury he and his family used to get so often. He almost missed the subtlety of his mom’s message, until she cleared her throat in an obvious manner. Oh.

“You’re making me jealous,” he replied, leading enough to convey that he understood. “Maybe I should order in. You think they’d deliver to Hero Tower?”

Tommy’s mom laughed, a real, honest laugh. It had been a while since he’d heard that. “If you give a good enough tip, I’m sure they would.”

“I’ll talk to you soon. I love you mom.”

“I love you too To– I love you too, Mimic.”

The line disconnected, and the alias echoed foreign and unsettling in Tommy’s ears. He placed the phone back on the receiver, and stepped out into the hallway to find Scott waiting for him. The retired Super gave a smile that immediately read as pitying. “How did it go?”

“Good.” They both knew that response was hardly the truth. 

“If you’d like, I can schedule another call for the same time next month.”

Next month. Four more Sundays. “Yeah, thank you.”

Without any other farewell, Tommy slipped past Scott towards the elevator. A month’s time would certainly be more daunting if he wasn’t already working out the logistics of how to get to Ping’s Palace. Four weeks wouldn’t seem so bad if he could see her in person.

The Dream Team had the late patrol shift that night, so Tommy didn’t have a chance to set his plan into motion until the next day. Luckily, Mondays were his Team’s day off, which gave him ample time to bend the rules of Hero Tower.

Tommy was waiting in SBI’s office when they returned from their patrol at four that evening. He had stolen a few snacks from their kitchen and was munching happily as the four heroes trudged in. When Wilbur and Tommy made eye contact, his stomach lurched. He hadn’t spoken to him in person since Friday, and there was a lingering fear that Wilbur would figure out the truth. In an attempt to shake the anxiety he gave a friendly wave to Aimee and Ranboo. Techno did a double take as he realized there was an uninvited guest in their office

“So we’re just lettin’ anyone come and go as they please?” Techno noted as he tossed his boar mask onto the couch. Tommy scooped it up, unable to resist the urge to pull it over his face. 

“This thing is heavier than I imagined.” The mask slid down Tommy’s nose and pushed into the cartilage. A second later Wilbur snatched it off him, along with the cashews Tommy had stolen. 

“What do you want, gremlin?” 

“I’m bored.” Not technically a lie, though Tommy didn’t want to explain the full truth to everyone. 

“So you thought you’d bother us?” Wilbur asked. 

“Of course.” 

Wilbur shook his head and moved to the fridge for a cold water. Ranboo – now freed from his sleek, obsidian hued supersuit – remerged with a stack of empty papers. “Since you’re so bored, you can help me fill out the report on the ATM robbery we stopped.”

Tommy stood with an exaggerated stretch. “Oh, you know what? Puffy just told me that the lab results came back and, would you believe it, I’m allergic to paperwork.”

“That’s crazy, because my lab results just came back and I’m allergic to liars.” Ranboo crinkled his nose, and faked a sneeze. 

“Seriously, you’re both dumb assess,” Aimee cut in, unable to hide her smile of amusement. “Ran, you were the one who broke the guy’s nose, you get to fill out the report.”

Tommy’s eyebrows rose with intrigue. “You broke someone’s nose.”

Ranboo shrugged. “It was a spur of the moment reaction. He tried to run away, I teleported a bit too close to him, and went for it.”

“I was proud,” Techno added from within his office. 

Wilbur bumped Tommy’s shoulder as he walked past him, popping a handful of cashews into his mouth. “How did the call with your mom go?”

“Really good.” Tommy followed as Wilbur made his way to his office. “That’s actually kind of why I’m here.”

Wilbur plopped into his chair and eyed Tommy. “Okay...”

“You’re off at six today, right?” 

“Yeah,” Wilbur threw another cashew into his mouth. “Why?”

“How does Chinese sound?

The facade of Ping’s Palace was deeply nostalgic and a bit insensitive. Red planks were built into the entrance to look like a Japanese shrine, a theming that was not cohesive with the cuisine. Regardless of the details of Asian architecture, the restaurant was a staple of Tommy’s childhood. It was their go-to location for a lazy night’s dinner. When he was younger Tommy always talked his parents into eating at a table in the back; there was a neon sign that lit up in a rotation to look like koi fish were jumping out of a pond. He would stare at it all through the meal, retinas burned by the illumination.

When Tommy got older, after the accident, they seemed to get Ping’s more than usual, but they didn’t dine in as often. His mom would always suggest they take it home, put on a movie, and eat on the couch instead. That table by the koi pond sign was too big for just the two of them. 

It was half past six when Wilbur and Tommy walked through the doors of Ping’s. The second Tommy breathed in the scent of fried Chinese food a flood of memories came back. His feet carried him to the back of the restaurant, eyes scanning for the neon of memories past. 

His mom sat waiting, two diet cokes at their table. All he could see was the back of her frizzy blonde hair and the pink flowery blouse she wore so often. For just a moment, he froze. Tears tugged at the corner of his eyes, and for an inexplicable reason, he couldn’t bring himself to move.

Wilbur leaned in, placing a nudging hand on Tommy’s shoulder. “I’ll be waiting a few tables down.”

The teenager nodded, finally stepping forward. “Do you have room for one more?”

As soon as she heard her son’s voice, Sarah Simons leapt from the booth. 

“Tom!” She pulled him into a hug so quickly it nearly toppled both of them over. “Oh, my baby boy!”

Tommy wrapped his arms around her, placing his forehead against her hair. “You know I love you, but you’re making a bit of a scene.”

“It’s my job to embarrass you,” she said, muffled through her embrace. Finally, she pulled back, still keeping a hold of his arms. “Look at you. Have you gotten taller?”

“I don’t think so,” Tommy laughed. “Stronger definitely.”

“I’ll say!” She squeezed his biceps. “What are they feeding you up there?”

“Alright...” Tommy led them back to their seat, trying to quiet his mother’s exuberance. He wasn’t entirely comfortable with the idea of being out in public yet – especially since his field trip was against Tower rules – and he wanted to keep a low profile. 

“I already ordered for you. I wasn’t sure when you’d be able to come, but it should be out any minute. How long do you have?” His mom moved the untouched coke and a set of utensils in front of him.

“It’s my day off, so as much time as we want,” Tommy said. 

His mom smiled, pulling her bottom lip into her mouth to hold back tears. “I missed you.”

“I missed you too, mom.”

She reached out and took his hand in hers, giving it one last squeeze. “Alright, enough of that sappy stuff. I want to hear everything you couldn’t say over the phone.”

So Tommy started from the beginning, going through and telling her all about trials, placements, training, and patrols. Their secluded table meant no one was around to hear anything, but he was still as quiet and ambiguous as possible. He didn’t give any details about exactly what was going on in Hero Tower, and he left out a few major things about his life up to that point. Mainly, their vigilantism and meeting with the leader of a power-concealment ring. It wasn’t that he couldn’t trust his mom, but the last thing he needed was her worrying over the dangerous choices he and his friends had made. 

As their conversation went on, his mom kept directing the topic back to him instead of the Super world. How was he feeling? Was he happy with Dream? Did he ever get scared on patrols? And of course, she wanted to know about Phantom.

“I know you said he’s great, and he’s like a brother to you, but I want to know the details,” she pushed as Tommy finished a bite of sweet and sour pork.

“What do I say about him? He’s funny, he’s cool, we get on great.”

“And he looks out for you?”

“Yeah.” Tommy nodded toward the table Wilbur was sitting at, pretending he had no idea about the reunion behind him. “He’s the one who took me here, since Sidekicks aren’t allowed to leave on their own.”

His mom turned in the booth, glancing where Tommy had gestured. All she could see was the back of Wilbur’s head, his curly hair peeking out from under the beanie he wore. She smiled to herself and turned to face her son again. 

“I know you wanted him as your mentor...” 

“It’s alright mom, really. Everything worked out fine.” Tommy looked back up at Wilbur, who was finishing up a plate of spring rolls. “He’s still taught me alot. Maybe more than if we were teamed up. With him it’s not just about being a hero and using your powers, he’s helped me handle all the other stuff.”

His mom nodded, the light falling from her face. “I’m glad you have someone to protect you.”

“Yeah. Me too.”

A buzz against Tommy’s wrist made him jump. He shoved his hand under the table to check the message on his comm. 

“Code 1225. Dream Team report to Garage Entrance C. Low Level Threat Reported. Defer to Team Leader for further instruction.”

“Shit...” Tommy muttered under his breath. “They’re calling us in.”

His mom swallowed back her disappointment. “The world doesn’t wait for a hero, does it?”

The idea of having to step away tore Tommy’s heart in half. It could be months before he would get to see his mom again. His eyes glassed over as he pulled himself out of the booth. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t.” She followed after him, pulling him into one final hug. “I’m so proud of you.”

Tommy held himself together and gave his mom one final goodbye. “I’ll see you soon, okay?”

“I can’t wait.”

With that Tommy finally pulled away, keeping his mother in his sight as long as he could before grabbing Wilbur. They both stepped out into the parking lot, and as soon as Tommy’s feet hit the pavement he was crying. The tears were sparse and silent, and he didn’t realize they were falling until Wilbur stopped him.

“Hey,” Wilbur whispered. “It will start to hurt less. I promise.”

All Tommy could do was nod. Maybe Wilbur was right, just like Scott had been right. It hadn’t hurt that bad before. If he hadn’t been given a reminder of what he was missing, he could have gone on in blissful ignorance. At the end of the day, there was a good reason why most heroes let themselves become detached. Tommy wasn’t sure if he could be that person, though.

He wasn’t sure if he wanted to be.

The rest of the team was waiting for Tommy. They’d already been debriefed, he would get the spark’s notes on the drive over. 

A call had been made an hour ago alerting police of suspicious activity in a vacant facility. The anonymous caller gave few details, other than the fact that there had been unusual movement seen around the area. Tommy took in the details, doing his best to leave his emotions behind. Mimic wasn’t hurting, Mimic didn’t get deterred from the objective of his job.

The reported building appeared completely lifeless as The Dream Team neared it. Usually a smuggling operation would have evidence of activity, be it from trucks coming and going or movement from within the building. But there was no light or sound emitting from the facility. On the contrary, it was eerily silent. 

“Are you sure they gave us the right location?” George questioned. Sapnap double checked the details on his comm, and nodded.

“Yeah, this is the place.”

“Maybe they moved their operation,” Tubbo suggested. 

George wasn’t convinced. “In a matter of hours? The report just came in from dispatch.”

Dream shrugged. “Let’s check it out. Best case scenario, we find nothing and get back to our day off.”

A round of agreements followed, and they broke off to start surveying the scene. Sapnap, Tubbo, and George went around the back, while Dream and Tommy started from the main entrance. They’d do a detailed sweep, and meet in the middle. 

By then Dream didn’t even need to give out verbal commands. With short hand gestures, Tommy kept pace behind and heeded his directions with practiced synchronicity. The large garage door in the front of the building was chained shut, but the entrance was left unlocked. Like the exterior suggested, there was no sign of activity inside the building lobby. Outdated furniture and a thick layer of dust was all that greeted them as they scanned for anything noteworthy.

“Welcome to 2020,” Tommy joked as he dragged his hand on the worn down office chair behind the desk.

“Let’s search the conference rooms.” Dream pointed down a hallway, and they made their way through. Once again, nothing but a long abandoned building full of untouched furniture. 

“Why hasn’t this place been sold and made useful again?” Tommy questioned.

“No one wants to set up shop in this part of the city. It’s notorious for its crime rates,” Dream explained.

“Then they should at least demolish it,” Tommy said. “They’re basically asking for places like this to be used as bases for organized crime.”

Dream motioned towards a set of double doors ahead of them, and they slowly pushed through. On the opposite end was a large, high-ceilinged space that housed used factory equipment. Like everything else, it was old and rusted and completely unusable. The electrical wiring still worked though, evident as Tommy flicked on the overhead lights.  

“I think this is a bust,” Dream shrugged, letting his defensive position fall. 

While he checked for anything else of note, Tommy jogged over to a set of crates stowed in the far corner of the room. “Maybe they left some freight behind.” He shoved the lid off the first box, expecting to find racks of automatic weapons, but was only met with an array of cracked glass jars.

“Nevermind, I guess.”

A creaking sound echoed behind him. He turned, and Dream was suddenly yelling out. “GET DOWN!”

Something heavy collided with Tommy’s chest, and he was thrown into the crates. He sputtered out, gasping for breath. The machinery weighing him down was lifted, allowing Tommy to roll out from under it. As he regained footing, Dream telepathically flung the metal towards someone stowed in the rafters above

“Torch, Sleepwalker, we need backup! Powereds on the factory floor!”

Tommy pushed past the ache of the impact and sprinted to Dream’s side. All the while he scanned the room, trying to find the assailants. The woman above them was jumping around ceiling’s framing with superhuman agility. There was another person to their right, who was mentally tearing the metal machinery apart. His partner was picking it up like it was nothing, and getting ready to hurl it towards them again. 

“Three located – agility, metal manipulation, strength,” Tommy reported. The metal chunk came flying towards them, but Dream swiped his hand to the side and the projectile diverted away from them.

Dream pointed towards the cover of a machine, and they dove forward as another object was hurtled towards them. “Torch, Sleepwalker, do you copy?” Nothing came back over the comms. Dream gritted his teeth. “Shit.”

The metal they were under began to crunch down on top of them, and they rolled out to avoid being crushed. With only a few seconds to recoup, they retreated to a stack of crates for momentary cover.

“Do we fall back?” Tommy asked, but before Dream could answer, the metal doors molded together, closing off their only way out. “Well, fuck.”

“We need to take out Metal and Strength first,” Dream instructed. “Can you manage hand-to-hand with Strength?” 

“I can try.” 

“Call for backup if you get pinned. Split on three. One, two, three.” 

Dream went right, Tommy went left, and they found their targets. Tommy pulled the stun pods from his belt and threw them towards Strength. Two missed, but one stuck to his neck, and the man convulsed as it sent electricity through him. Strength reached up and managed to tear it off, but the distraction caused enough time for Tommy to get close. He used his boot to jam Strength's shin, then brought an elbow down into his shoulder blades. With a grunt, Strength shoved Tommy. He flew back, but managed to catch himself in a backwards roll. 

Strength charged. With the man’s power now coursing through Tommy’s veins, he managed to keep his balance as he was knocked to the side. Careful not to give away his copied force, Tommy swung and hit the attacker in the jaw. Strength retaliated, Tommy dodged, and braced himself to charge forward. Before he could move, his vision went completely black.

Panic gripped him, and within a second of his sight vanishing he was hit across the jaw. Tommy dropped to the floor, piercing pain enveloped his lower face and blood pooled quickly in his mouth. Still completely blind, he scrambled backwards. He called out for Dream, and the ache in his mouth doubled. “I lost visuals, I need backup!” 

“I can’t see either – ” his mentor was cut off, hit with something. Tommy got to his feet and swung wildly, now using the full strength he’d inherited without reservation. Nothing else was getting close enough for him to hit. If he could make contact with whoever was taking away his sight, he could try to disable it for himself and Dream. 

“Beeline!” Tommy screamed into his earpiece. “Anyone, do you copy?”

Crackling came over his comm, and a faded voice responded. “Calling in back … too … of them … is your location?”

An arm wrapped around Tommy’s neck, cutting off his air. A rush of new abilities took over. He focused the power on his eyes – nothing – but when he tried to manipulate the light waves he was able to bring his vision back. Thank God he’d practiced with Tubbo’s powers before. 

Strength was in front of Tommy, ready to hit him again. Tommy brought his feet up and kicked his chest, using the new leverage to flip the other assailant over his back. A woman crashed to his feet in front of him. He slammed his foot into her wrist and flung an adhesion bond down to keep her hand stuck to the cement. That was all he managed to do though, before Strength was back on his feet.

Dream was struggling to fend off Metal, still blinded. Tommy bent the light once more. As Dream blinked back his sight, he barely managed to dodge a piece of machinery being hurled at him.

“Dream … doors stuck …” Sapnap’s voice crackled down the comm. 

“The doors are fused. Melt them down,” Tommy instructed, pivoting away from Strengths fists. Tommy and Dream’s vision flashed away again, and Tommy had to mentally battle the woman to bring it back. Black spots faded in and out of their eyes. When he managed to regain their vision, Tommy made an attempt to backpedal away from Strength. That was when he saw the fourth attacker. Agility was swinging down from the rafters, about to jump on top of Dream, knife in hand. He was too preoccupied with fighting Metal to realize. 

“Dream, above!” 

Dream pivoted just in time, narrowly avoiding getting stabbed in the neck. But Tommy had stretched himself too thin. He had put so much focus on maintaining their vision and seeking out the fourth opponent, that he didn’t have enough time to evade Strength’s next assault. 

Heavy, searing pressure filled Tommy’s stomach, and all the air was stolen from his lungs. He lurched forward, hands reaching down to his throbbing abdomen. His fingers stretched across spandex and found something sharp and wet. 

He couldn’t lose focus. Dream was depending on him. All of his energy was tunneled onto the light refracting off his mentor's eyes. His own vision went blurry, different this time. His knees buckled, he fell forward. 

“Mimic?” 

But Dream got no response. When he finally saw Tommy keeled over on the warehouse floor, Dream’s body seized. Time froze, the world moved in slow motion. All that the Super could register was his sidekick hunched over the floor, blood pooling rapidly in a sprawling puddle. Dream flipped in an instant, no longer tense and jerky, but awash with a lethal stillness.

Dream thrust his hand up. Four towering pieces of machinery rose like they were ragdolls, and with unparalleled acceleration they sought their targets. Every villain in the room was simultaneously crushed by a projectile. The power of light refraction was sucked from Tommy’s body, and his mind was freed from the mental strain of using the power. 

He blinked, Dream was in front of him.

“Hey, you’re okay.” 

Dream placed both hands on Tommy’s shoulders, holding him upright. Tommy wasn’t paying attention to his mentor though. Strength was somehow getting back up, outside Dream’s field of vision. They still needed to fight.

“Behind,” Tommy coughed, blood dribbled down his chin. Dream turned his head, lifted a hand, and the metal dropped again with rapid force. The attacker didn’t move.

“Listen to me.” Dream’s voice was soft. Tommy hadn’t heard it like that before. “I need you to keep your eyes open, okay?”

Tommy nodded, and let his gaze drift downward. Dream was yelling into his earpiece, but Tommy was no longer listening. He was transfixed on the metal shard protruding from his chest. 

“That’s not supposed to be there.” Tommy laughed. He went slowly, only feeling Dream against him as his senses dulled to nothing.

Chapter Text

Tom.

Tommy.

“He’s going to be okay. Give him time.”

“Can I stay here?”

“Sure. I’m not sure how long you’ll be waiting though.”

Is this what you pictured?

“I kind of want to poke him. Doesn’t he look poke-able?”

“Don’t poke him.”

“I wasn’t actually. I’m just saying.”

“...”

“I wish he would wake up.”

Are you happy with what you did?

Or did you even do enough at all?

“Nox is askin’ where we are. Patrol started thirty minutes ago.”

“...”

“I’ll talk to him. You two stay.”

If you never woke up, would it all have been worth it?

Tom.

Wake up.

Fluorescent lights dimmed and brightened to the steady beat of the heart monitor. It was soft at first, then louder. The tiles that made up the hospital wing ceiling followed a strange, rigid pattern. Left, up, right, down, back around. It repeated itself, a never ending loop to trace with pupils still dilating. 

Tommy sat up. His muscles operated without him, keeping him upright as the fuzziness under his skin dissipated. The dryness of his throat kept him from making a sound, though he had nothing to say anyway. Someone was slumped over a chair, chest rising and falling slowly. Tommy’s stomach hurt. There was something stuck into his hand. He swallowed. It was a strain to keep sitting, so he fell back against the sterile mattress. 

“What time is it?”

Wilbur startled from his light sleep, wiping his tousled hair from his face as he shot up. A subdued smile filled his tired features. “You’re up.” He scrambled to the side of Tommy’s bed, but kept himself from appearing frantic. “How are you feeling?”

“Okay.” Tommy tugged curiously at the IV in his hand. Wilbur stopped him.

“I’ll let Cara know you’re awake. Do you need anything?”

Tommy’s eyes blinked in a flutter. “What happened?”

Wilbur tightened his lips and stood. “I’ll bring you some water.”

When the room was empty Tommy found the silence suffocating. He was forced to pull together his own memories: the call, the fight. Dream.

Puffy returned with Wilbur, bringing water and broth with her. She carried out a routine check, all the while Tommy followed along blankly. The directions she gave went in one ear and out the other, but Wilbur seemed to be following along for him. By the time she left he felt exhausted all over again.

“How long was I asleep?” Tommy asked between spoonfuls of soup. 

“About twenty four hours. A little less.” Wilbur’s vague responses felt intentional, and it only set Tommy more on edge. 

“I got stabbed, didn’t I?” 

Wilbur nodded. “You’re okay though. Puffy fixed it up right away. She says it’ll be sore for a few days, so she wants you to take it easy.”

Tommy set down his unfinished bowl of broth. “What happened while I was out?”

“We got it covered,” Wilbur dismissed. “I let the others know you’re up. They should be here – ”

A commotion in the hall finished his thought, and Tubbo and Ranboo came piling in seconds later. Refreshingly, they weren’t as somber as Wilbur. The room was infused with energy as they stepped over to his bed.

“Hey man!” Tubbo gave Tommy a pat on the shoulders, which was surprisingly nice in contrast to how Wilbur treated him like glass.

“You doing good?” Ranboo asked.

“Yeah.” 

Wilbur stood to exit the room, giving the friends space to reconnect. Tubbo found himself a comfortable place to perch on the bed and began rambling on about how lonely it was in the office that morning. Tommy listened with friendly nods, but couldn’t help wish that he could get more information about what exactly had gone down with the attack the previous day.

Over the next few hours that evening several other people popped in to see him. Normally Tommy liked the attention, but something about the visits made him feel pathetic. His containment to the hospital bed and the sad smiles from the other heroes sent a clear message, one that no one had the courage to actually say.

There was one face – or lack thereof – that hadn’t shown up yet. His mentor was absent from the parade of visitors, even when George and Sapnap dropped in. There was no denying how much it hurt to not see him yet, but he was too exhausted to think much of it. Even after being out for a full day, Tommy was still far from rested. Every time he laid his head down his eyelids pulled closed like magnets.

The stream of attention was cut off around 10, that was when Puffy came in for her final check of the night. 

“Everything looks normal, I’d just prefer you stay here a little while longer.” She replaced the IV fluid bag. “Nox has a habit of assuming that when a hero leaves my wing that means they’re ready to jump back in again.”

“Sure.” Maybe being kept another night wasn’t a bad thing. A lot had piled on Tommy in the past week, and a forced break may help with the mounting stress.

“Here.” Puffy passed Tommy a paper cup filled with two light purple tablets. He raised his brows.

“What are these?”

“Subconscious suppressants,” she answered. “They stop you from having dreams when you fall asleep.”

Tommy eyed the pills skeptically, offering the cup back. “I don’t think I need them.”

She pushed it towards him again. “Trust me, you will. You may think you’re okay, but every Super has nightmares after their first near death experience.”

He laughed, a disguise for the shock her words incurred. “I didn’t have a near death experience.”

Puffy’s lips pressed together. “You were minutes away from bleeding out,” she stated, tone as gentle as possible. “Ranboo teleported me out there as soon as Dream got the message to the tower, that’s the only reason I was able to get to you in time.”

Tommy bit the inside of his lip. He swallowed the pills. That was why Wilbur was so soft with him. “What happened after I blacked out?”

Just like all the others, Puffy refused to answer. “You don’t have to worry about that. You can get those details when you’ve had a chance to recover.”

– – – – ⊂⊃ – – – –

Tommy was gifted the best night of sleep he’d had since arriving in the tower. Those pills Puffy gave him had delivered on their promise, and not once did he stir from the tornado of thoughts that usually spun him into a tangle. 

Even though Tommy felt completely fine, Puffy had required that he stay put for continued monitoring. Having his major organs torn up was no small matter, and though Puffy was able to heal the tissue, he was still prone to hampering his progress by jumping back into action. He was released from the tether of his IV, but had nowhere other than his bed to go. Boredom set in quickly in the absence of his usual jam packed schedule. That problem wouldn’t last long.

At noon Wilbur had arrived in Tommy’s room with a projector, a laptop, and a stack of old fashioned CD movies. “You didn’t think I’d let you skip out on our Wednesday training session, did you?” Wilbur teased.

Tommy examined the collection of films. “What exactly is this helping me train in?” 

“Observational skills.”

The projector was positioned towards the blank wall of the room. Wilbur moved the hospital bed along the far wall, where they could sit on it lengthwise. As Tommy was shuffling through the options Wilbur had brought, another figure knocked on the door. 

“I heard we were watchin’ a movie.” Techno lumbered in with a handful of various snacks, all of which were dumped on Tommy’s bed. Among them he spotted a bag of Larry’s barbecue chips. 

“Which one are we going with Tommy?” Wilbur made himself space next to Tommy.

“How about a classic.” He held up the box for Dumb and Dumber.

Wilbur rolled his eyes. “Of course you’d go for that one.”

“It was in your collection,” Tommy defended.

“And it’s a good analogy,” Techno added. Wilbur and Tommy both eyed him suspiciously, not sure if the insult was for one or both of them. Techno materialized a handful of sour patch kids into his palm and tossed them into his mouth without acknowledging them any further. “So are we watchin’ it or not?”

With the weight of three people on the bed, Tommy thought it would break under the pressure. But despite the fact that they were all squished together on the precarious setup, Tommy had never felt more secure. Between scenes the boxes of candy and bags of chips were passed over Tommy’s lap and sent crumbs everywhere. Techno was ridiculing them on their proclivity for making messes when the recovery room door cracked open.

“Oh.” Phil hesitated as his head poked through the door. When he recognized that Wilbur and Techno were the ones inside, he exhaled and stepped fully into the room. “Movie day?”

Wilbur gave a thumbs up. Phil nodded slowly, pretending to be interested in the film while observing Tommy. He settled into a chair off to the side with a gentle smirk. 

“Did you need something?” Tommy asked. Phil frowned and shook his head. 

“No. Just wanted to see where my favorite heroes ended up.”

Techno threw him a playful glance. “Thought you weren’t supposed to say that kind of stuff out loud.”

Phil shrugged. “Oops.”

Even though it was the middle of the day, and all three of Tommy’s visitors had things they should be doing, they stuck around for the entirety of the movie. It was a bit of a stretch to say that they watched it though, considering that most of the time was spent chatting and teasing each other. It was warm. Tommy forgot about everything else besides the little family that wrapped themselves around him. 

He fell asleep against Wilbur’s shoulder. He didn’t need the pills to find peace in his rest.

– – – – ⊂⊃ – – – –

When Tommy woke up again, there was a stranger sitting next to him. 

He blinked away his sleep and stared unapologetically at the foreign face, completely disregarding social etiquette. At first he assumed it was another doctor or nurse, but something about the man struck a chord. His posture, his height, the way he flexed his fingers nervously in his lap. Tommy sat up straight, ignoring the wave of pain that bloomed in his abdomen.

“Dream?” 

The man smiled, and somehow, it was completely familiar. “How are you feeling?”

Tommy gawked, jaw stuttering. “You’re not wearing your mask.”

Dream gave a soft laugh. “Glad your eyes still work.” 

Tommy was at a loss for words. Should he apologize? Pretend he hadn’t seen it? He checked the bedside table but couldn’t find evidence that Dream even had the mask with him at all. 

“Don’t hurt yourself.” Dream put up a hand to calm Tommy’s nervous squirming. “It’s fine, I... I don’t need to wear it in here.”

“Okay...” He settled back in, still staring at his mentor. Dream barely seemed real. He looked weird. Definitely not what he’d pictured – not hardened and harsh, like his demeanor would insinuate. Instead, his features were warm, gentle, inviting. 

“Seriously, how do you feel?” Dream pushed. Tommy snapped back from his drifting thoughts. 

“I’m fine.” That was mostly true. Tommy had more pressing matters than his injuries though. “What happened at the warehouse? No one will tell me.”

Dream’s jaw clenched. “We took care of it.”

“But what happened?” 

Dream looked up at the door, leaned forward, and dropped his head into his hands. “Phil told us not to say anything yet.” 

“Just tell me something.” Tommy’s gut tighten, and not from being impaled. “Please.”

“I...” Dream sighed. “I mean there’s not much that you don’t already know. There were five other Powereds waiting on the opposite side of the building. That’s why it took so long to get a response from Sapnap and George. They were attacked the same time we were.” Tommy was silent, clinging to every detail. Dream was reluctant to go on, but did anyway. “George was able to take out two right away, and they got a handle of their situation faster than we did. But they didn’t get to us until after... and...”

He stopped and sat unmoving. Tommy knew there was more. He remembered enough. That moment, the switch in Dream’s demeanor when he realized what had happened, it was seared in Tommy’s memory. 

“Did you kill them?”

Dream kept his head in his hands, fingers pressed to his lips. “Yeah. I did.”

The beeping of hospital equipment filled the space, drowning out the silence that fell between them. Tommy realized his shoulders were pulled tight, and he forced himself to relax his posture. “I’m sorry.”

“You have nothing to apologize for,” Dream deflected, eyes trained on the perfectly made corner of the bed.

Tommy pulled himself upright, adjusting the hospital gown falling of shoulder. “Was that the first time you had to...”

Dream shook his head. It was evident that the conversation was not a comfortable one. Tommy wasn’t sure what else he could say to mend the situation. 

“Thank you.”

Tommy’s gratitude was met with silence. Now, finally able to see Dream’s eyes, Tommy could tell that he was lost somewhere else. His mentor had never looked more human before. 

“I’m just glad we got you help in time,” Dream finally concluded, forcing a smile. He straightened his back and the solemnity from before had vanished. “I’ll let you get some more rest.”

Dream stiffly rose from his seat, patting his thighs with a filtered breath. Something still sat heavy in Tommy’s lungs like water yet to be expelled from a drowning victim. “Those people were there to kill us, weren’t they? That’s all they wanted to do.”

The room fell still. Without turning around, Dream nodded. “The call the police received was staged. It was an ambush.”

“Did you recognize any of them?” Tommy asked. “Were they villains that the Tower has tried to capture before?”

“No.” Dream rolled his shoulders. “We had no prior knowledge about any of them.”

Tommy could finally breathe again, but his air had been tainted. His inhales couldn’t take enough oxygen in. “Thank you for telling me the truth.”

Dream nodded. “You can pay me back by getting better. I need my sidekick out there with me.”

Tommy smiled, for the fact that he finally saw the sincerity that his mentor usually hid behind his mask. “I can do that.” 

Chapter Text

The cell walls had 314 scuff marks. The number was too familiar. It was a part of the room now, and she hated her room. 

She faced the headboard of her bed and found an empty space on the wall above it. Shaking hands lifted to the concrete, and she dug her fingernail as hard as she could into the rock. Pain shot down the nerves in her hand as she drug it with just enough force to leave a mark behind it. The bed of her nail bloomed red.

315 scuff marks. Better. But for as much joy as the new number gave her, nothing could deflect the crippling sound of her cell door unlatching.

“I have another one for you.”

The girl’s lungs inflated rapidly as she heard his voice. Even without seeing him she knew what he wanted. He’d be waiting with a new stranger, another innocent person to fall victim. 

She didn’t want to do it anymore. She was tired. 

“No.”

The air in the cell thickened, and polished dress shoes took a calculated step towards her. “No?”

“No. I won’t do it.”

A seething exhale filtered through the man’s teeth. “Need I remind you whose life is on the line?”

She swallowed back her dread as he sat down on the bed, a hair's width away from her. Her nails dug into the skin of her hands now, blood staining her skin.

“Do you know how easy it is to make something look like an accident?” The threat was like water in her lungs, drowning her from the inside out. She couldn’t breathe. The man reached around her to set the picture in her lap. “Do. It. Now.”

She picked up the photo, stared into the printed eyes of an innocent woman, and obeyed.

– – – – ⊂⊃ – – – –

“What are you doing here?” 

Dream squinted in confusion as Tommy walked through the office doors. Not quite the welcome back he was expecting. Sapnap and George peered out from an office with equal surprise as Tommy held up his supersuit. 

“We have patrol in 15 minutes.”

With a sigh, Dream shoved himself out of his chair and swiped the suit from Tommy’s hands. “ We have patrol. You don’t.’

“Nox cleared me,” Tommy explained, but Dream had already thrown his suit onto the couch. “He’s expecting me to join you guys today.”

“Last I checked, Nox isn’t a medical professional.” Dream led Tommy gently to a chair. He allowed himself to be sat down. Admittedly, he did still feel a lingering soreness in his abdomen each time his stomach muscles flexed.

“I don’t want to get in trouble.”

“You won’t,” Dream dismissed. “I’ll stay here with you. George, Sapnap, and Tubbo can handle the patrol just fine.”

Shouts of ascent backed up Dream’s statement, and he held his hands out as if to say I told you so.

“You aren’t afraid of him?” Tommy whispered.

Dream scoffed. “Noxite? No. He’s all talk.” 

Tommy was far from convinced, but Dream’s mind had been made up. He was already in the process of ironing out the details with the other Supers when Tubbo arrived for the patrol shift.

“You’re back!” His friend exclaimed, excitement short lived. “Wait, you’re back?”

“Not according to Big D,” Tommy conceded. 

Tubbo raised his head in understanding. He leaned over to check that no one was coming back into the room and pulled Tommy aside. “We’re meeting in Ran’s room when they’re done with patrols tonight. We got a message.”

“You did?” Tommy’s heart lurched.

“He says he has a lead on Fundy.”

The rest of the team emerged and their conversation was cut short. Tubbo gave Tommy a reassuring nod, and he began suiting up to leave for their patrol sector.

“You’re sure we won’t get in trouble for skipping?” Tommy confirmed. 

“Positive.” Dream waved off the rest of the team. “Besides, there’s an important job we have to finish.”

Tommy had been working with Dream long enough to know that the cadence of his voice meant the task was anything but important. He cracked a grin. “Then we should get started right away.”

The only instruction Dream gave Tommy was to put on warm civilian clothes and meet him by the south garage exit. When he returned with a beanie and an old jacket from his Stronghold days, Dream was waiting in similar garb. His stereotypical hero build was hidden underneath a puffy coat and a baseball cap helped shield his face, which was notably unmasked. Once again, Tommy barely recognized his mentor. 

“Ready?” Dream nodded his head towards the disguised exit onto the main street.

Tommy shrugged in surrender. “I have no idea what we’re doing, but at this point why even bother asking?”

Dream laughed and threw an arm around his shoulder. “That’s the spirit.”

December had just begun, and the month delivered its reputation for the cold. Snow had steadily fallen over the last few days, and a gradual supply had built up on the edges of the sidewalk. The constant movement of people had left the pavement mostly ice free, but Tommy still had to step carefully to keep up with Dream’s long strides. 

“Any plan to tell me where we’re going?” Tommy asked once they’d traversed their fourth block without conversation.

A response was delayed, Dream kept his head down and waited to speak until there was no one directly in ear shot. “I think I like keeping you in the dark.”

It wasn’t until the two neared a small office supply store that Tommy started to put the pieces together. “Is this your way of saying that me and Tubbo’s office is shit?”

“Your words, not mine.” Dream held the door open with a small smile, and Tommy stepped into the heated shop. The aisles displayed a variety of supplies, as well as general desk paraphernalia. Tommy quirked an eyebrow up to his mentor. He nodded forward. “Go nuts.” 

The first place Tommy was drawn to was a display of hokey utensils. A set of pens that looked like neon colored ostriches was snatched off the shelf, as well as sticky notes in the shape of a middle finger.

“This is what you go for?” Dream swiped the pens from his hand and eyed them judgmentally. 

He grabbed them back. “You told me to go nuts.” 

“I meant to get things to make your office less boring,” Dream said. 

Tommy shook the gag gifts with emphasis. “These are the opposite of boring.”

“You want your office to look nice. Trust me, when you’re spending hours sitting in a small room, it starts to feel suffocating.”

“Then what would you suggest I go for?”

Dream stepped into the next aisle and grabbed a sleek pencil holder and matching file organizer. “Something like this.”

“I thought you said less boring.” 

“Fine, I won’t bother to help you then.” 

Without the restraint of Dream’s constant nagging, Tommy wandered down the shelves perusing the options. He was still sharing with Tubbo, so whatever he got needed to fly for the both of them. As his arms became full with an assortment of new desk supplies Dream grabbed a basket to carry them all. He had pulled a few actually useful items, but made sure to get some things that would fill up the empty space in their office. A few items included bookends that looked like Star Wars spaceships, some cheesy motivational posters, and a fancy desk organizer to replace the basic black one they already had. He also caught sight of a miniature set of Newton balls and added that too. One of the last aisles was filled with school supplies, some of which were branded with various characters. Tommy noticed a lime green notebook with Dream’s hero persona drawn in a cartoon style. 

“Should I get myself a new journal to fill all my secrets with?” Tommy held up the notebook with a shit-eating grin. “Ooh, I can pair it with a Dream pencil pouch too!” 

“Fuck off.” Dream laughed and tossed both the supplies back onto the shelf. 

“Do you make commission on these?” Tommy asked, adjusting them nicely back in place. 

“Kind of.” Dream’s voice had softened. “We get a percentage of merch revenue in our paychecks.”

Tommy hadn’t ever considered the money before. He wasn’t making any as a sidekick, but heroes were compensated. The exact numbers were probably laid out in his contract, but he hadn’t cared enough to look. “How much do you make anyway?” 

“Enough.”

“Why don’t you want to tell me?” Tommy pushed. “Is it because it’s not a lot?”

“It’s a decent amount, after you factor in the housing, food, and insurance that we have covered.”

“So how much is it?”

“About a grand a month.” 

Tommy wasn’t sure how to feel about the answer. He didn’t have a guess in mind, so the number felt both too big and too small at once. He nodded slowly, trying to do the math on how much a hero would make cumulatively by the time they retired from the field. 

“Are you done shopping?” Dream cut into his thought process, bumping him to keep going past the Super merchandise. “We still need to set all this up.”

“Yeah. I can help pay for it though.”

“Oh come on,” Dream scoffed and pulled out his wallet. “A few knickknacks isn’t going to wipe me out. Now take that to the counter before I put those stupid bird pens back.”

Tommy didn’t push the matter any further. When everything was rung up Dream paid in cash and they took their haul back into the streets of L’Manburg. The lack of light in the winter meant that it was already getting dark. The street lights cast a nostalgic glow on the pavement, a yellow hue that juxtaposed the cold seeping into their skin.

“Thank you for getting me all this,” Tommy said quietly, as though he didn’t want Dream to hear it at all.

“No problem, child.”

With the lower half of his face buried in the collar of his jacket, Tommy couldn’t help but smile. 

It only took a few minutes to get the new space set up. The change wasn’t drastic, but it helped mitigate the sterile feel that the Tower-supplied office gave off. What made the biggest difference was the gesture, though Tommy would never say that out loud. 

The last few hours should have been used to complete their piles of cases and reports, but neither Tommy or Dream would be the ones to suggest diving into the work. With the cold still leaving a numbness from their outing, Dream brewed a fresh pot of coffee to beat the biting chill they kept with them. They were each two cups in and an hour deep in Super-based conversation by the time the rest of their team returned. George and Sapnap’s bickering could be heard before the elevator doors even opened. The sound quickly carried into the office and brought a chaotic energy back with it. They’d already changed out of their supersuits, but their conversation sounded like it had been long winded.

“No way man! It’s gotta be ice cubes.”

“You’re literally an idiot. Ice cubes! How would that help you against a bear?”

“Bears can’t live through the cold, that’s why they hibernate!”

Tubbo was wiped, flopping onto the sofa the second he was in the room. Though, it seemed that his exhaustion hadn't been spurred by physical exertion. Sapnap and George continued their debate into the kitchen, pulling snacks from the shelves. 

“Dream, Tommy. What would be better in a fight against a bear: one metal baseball bat or infinite ice cubes?”

“I already refused to get involved,” Tubbo stated, face muffled in the couch cushion.

“Yeah, Tubbo’s being lame.” Sapnap waved off, turning to Dream. “Tell George he’s stupid.”

“Honestly, I’m going with the baseball bat.” Dream gave George a playful wink. 

Tommy shook his head. “No, ice cubes all the way.” He didn’t really have a strong opinion, but it was entertaining watching the two get riled up. George didn’t share his amusement.

“You know what, your opinion doesn’t count if you’re not conscious.” George reached out a hand like he was going to put Tommy to sleep, but he wheeled himself away with a laugh. 

“Easy.” Dream telepathically pulled the hood of George’s sweatshirt over his eyes. 

Amidst the debacle Tubbo had propped himself back up and was glancing at the time on his comm. He caught Tommy’s attention and motioned towards the door. Tommy’s smile faded.

“I think I should go get some recovery sleep,” Tommy declared slowly. Disappointment flooded his heart as he stood. For the first time, Tommy didn’t want to leave The Dream Team’s office.

“I’ll talk with Nox tonight, maybe I can buy you some more recovery time,” Dream promised.

“I’ll be okay,” Tommy shrugged as Tubbo urged him out the door. “Thank you for looking out for me though.”

Dream smiled, but there was a sadness behind it. “Any time.”

While Ranboo was still out on patrol, Tubbo gave Tommy the rundown on what had happened since he was in the hospital wing. All of Quackity’s correspondence had come through Charlie’s texts to Tommy. They were vague, but that was a given. What Charlie did tell them was that Quackity had found a few possible connections within his organization’s files. Nothing was concrete, but it looked promising. 

“Did he say when we could meet again?” Tommy asked.

“No. We tried to schedule a time, but Charlie said that when Quackity is ready, he’ll let us know.” Tubbo handed Tommy his phone, which he and Ranboo had borrowed.

“Awesome,” Tommy sighed sarcastically. “Anything else of note happen while I was out?”

“Snag hit another government building,” Tubbo splayed out on Tommy’s bed. “Dynamic Duo and Team Rocket tried to stop him, but they couldn’t.”

“Did he get the mech suit back?” 

“He had a better one. Must have built it himself, because it wasn’t one that was stolen.”

“Damn.” 

“Noxite’s also been upping vigilante patrols,” Tubbo added. “And Team Rocket was assigned to investigate the villain group that attacked us.”

“I thought we took down everyone involved.”

“The Board isn’t so sure. They wanted a team to take the lead on looking for more loose ends.”

“Speaking of The Board...” Tommy checked the time on his comms. “I have my first performance review tomorrow. Did you get one already?”

“Yeah.” Tubbo shrugged. “It went alright.”

“That’s it?”

“It seemed pretty standard. I haven’t been given a performance review before though, so how would I know?”

“Course.” Tommy pushed himself off his bed, ignoring the dull pain in his abdomen. 

“You’ll do fine,” Tubbo reassured. “They don’t know anything about us breaking the rules, obviously. If they did, I wouldn’t be here right now.”

“Very comforting.” 

It wasn’t that Tommy was nervous about being caught, exactly. What really worried him was how his work would be perceived. He wasn’t sure what they would be looking at – patrol statistics, reports, arrests? If there was a number he was supposed to meet, he had no idea if he’d reached it. Not to mention the fact that he had no inclination of what the review itself entailed. He would soon find out the following morning. 

After his multi-day stint in the hospital wing recovering, it felt nice to finally get dressed in something other than sweatpants and t-shirts. Tommy appeared like he belonged amongst the bureaucrats and Tower executives on the lower floors. Despite that, his hands still flexed nervously when he was invited into The Board’s Assembly Room.

His eyes swiped across the suits in front of him, finding some respite in Phil’s presence beside Noxite. The Assistant Director gave him a warm smile, and Tommy felt far safer settling into the isolated chair that had been designated for him.

“How are you feeling Tom?” Phil asked as Tommy adjusted his blazer.

“Good. I’m ready to get back into the swing of things.” He gave a side glance to Nox, wondering if the Director knew that he and Dream had skipped that day’s patrol. The Director’s face remained neutral. If he was aware, he gave no indication of it.

“Let’s get started then.” Nox passed packets of paper down the line of board members. “Since this is your fist performance review, we aren’t going to go as in depth as we would if you were a registered hero. This is just for us to take a look at your strengths and weaknesses. So don’t be nervous.”

That was easier said than done. Tommy nodded anyway, but kept returning his focus to Phil to calm himself.

“Let’s pull up the numbers,” said the person on Noxite’s left, a stout and clean shaven man whose name plate read Dan Clancy. One of the other board members, a woman with the name Laura Lee in front of her , clicked a remote and a series of screens pulled up to display data. Tommy scanned through the information, but couldn’t glean if it was good or bad. 

“Looks like your arrests in patrols and emergency calls have been solid,” Noxite mused. “You’ve got a 93% success rate in completing live detainments of suspects.”

Live detainments. The muscles in Tommy’s chest spasmed and he ground his teeth together to prevent his face from twisting to reveal his emotional response. 

“Bystander reports show minimal casualties,” Clancy stated as he flipped through the packet. 

“Powered confrontations are dealt with in an average of twelve minutes,” Lee added.

The other members of the board continued their analysis, speaking to each other as though Tommy was a grade school student at parent conferences. All he could do was nod and keep his limbs from visibly jittering.

Phil was one to conclude the statistics portion, shifting focus away from the quantitative measurement of his success. “From the reports Dream has been writing each week, it seems that you’ve been a strong asset on the team. You’re skilled, capable, and responsive on each call you respond to. Even though you started the SMP at a proficient level, he’s seen vast improvements over the past few months, which is a testament to the kind of hero you’re becoming.”

“Dream wrote all that about me?” Tommy gawked, forgetting to hide his surprise.

“He did,” Noxite beamed. “I’ve got to say, you’ve exceeded the board’s expectations – you’ve exceeded my expectations. I knew you’d do well here, but I’m more than pleased with your outcomes so far.”

Tommy leaned forward, pushing a relieved breath out in one huff. “Thank you, sir.”

“Don’t thank me. You and Dream are the ones who have put in the hard work.”

The review carried on with each member of the panel chiming in with patterns of strengths, as well as areas of improvement. They set up a few goals that they wanted to see reached by the end of his Sidekick year, and an action plan to follow for the next time they met. 

Any anxious energy had long dissipated by the time the meeting wrapped up, and Tommy left the room feeling far better than he entered. It was hard to remember that amongst the chaos of vigilantism and near death experiences, he was making positive strides in his avenue as a Sidekick. Once Tommy worked out Fundy’s case and set himself back on his normal track, he would have a solid foundation to build his hero career. 

All he needed was the word from Quackity.

The long awaited message came late that Saturday afternoon. Its contents continued the villain’s streak of impeccably horrible timing. The text from Charlie was as straightforward as it could be:

Tonight, 10 pm. Meet me at the same rendezvous point.

Tommy was getting awfully tired of the scheduling methods Quackity employed. It was almost as if he was setting up the times during their patrols on purpose. Though, what else did he expect from working with a villain?

Your boss has terrible timing.

Feel free to tell him when you see him.

I think I can manage to make it work. It’ll just be me though. 

Aw. Send the others my warm regards then.

I’ll be waiting at 10 on the dot.

Great. Now he needed a way to get out of patrol, get out of the tower, and not get caught sneaking out, all on his own. And he only had a few hours to figure out how. 

First thing first, he needed a solid excuse to get out of patrol. His initial thought was to play up his stomach injury, but it had mostly healed over. It was flimsy, and he needed something certain. Memories of ditching school flashed back, all the methods he used to fake an illness. Yeah. That could work. Especially now that he had a power set to utilize.

Tommy had gotten a pretty good grasp on the schedules of his teammates. Sapnap could almost always be found in the boxing gym getting a set in before late night patrols. The dark haired hot head was lost in concentration as his wrapped hands sent wicked jabs into a punching bag. Tommy slipped in, observing him for a few seconds before timing his entrance. He stepped out as though he was searching the room, gestures over articulated to catch Sapnap’s attention.

“Dang, I thought I left my water bottle in here. Oh well,” Tommy announced. He nodded to Sapnap and held his hand up. “Nice form by the way.”

“Thanks Tommy!” Sapnap gave him a crisp high five. The second of contact was all he needed. 

Next stop, hospital wing.

“I’m not feeling too good,” Tommy told Alyssa, coughing into his elbow. “I might be getting sick.”

Alyssa pulled a face mask on with a nod. “I’ll let Puffy know.”

Within five minutes he was in an exam room with a thermometer scanning his forehead. He carefully heated the skin on his face, trying not to overdue the temperature increase. Puffy noted the result with a frown. 

“101.8.” Thank goodness his reading wasn’t extreme. “Are you having any symptoms’ other than the cough?”

“I have a bit of a sore throat.”

“It is flu season,” she stated. “I’m going to have you take the night off. We’ll check in the morning. For now, take these acetaminophen and get some sleep.”

She passed him a paper cup with the pills and a glass of water. When her back was turned Tommy pocketed the medicine, but downed the water with a hearty sigh. “Thanks doc.”

“Of course. Try not to wind up in here anymore though, alright?” She teased.

“I’ll do my best.”

Tommy caught Tubbo just before eight. Quite literally, actually. He managed to snag Tubbo just as he was leaving his room and pulled him right back in.

“I need you to spiff my GPS location.”

“Holy shit, it’s spoof. ” Tubbo groaned. “Why though?”

“Quackity wants to meet in a few hours.” Tubbo started to react, but Tommy shut him down. “I know it’s last minute, but I managed to fake a fever. Puffy put in the order to take me off patrol tonight.”

Tubbo shook his head. “It’s way too dangerous to go alone, man.”

“It’ll be fine. I won’t be out long, just enough to get the intel from Quackity.”

His friend was still unconvinced, but pulled open his laptop anyway. “Please be careful.”

“You know that’s one of my middle names.”

“Seriously Tom.”

The playful smirk dropped, and Tommy lowered his register. “I will.”

A ping sounded from the laptop. “Do you have a plan to get out?” 

“That’s where I’m going next.”

Tommy decided it was better to wait until the last minute to let Ranboo know about the plan. They of all people could be the one to talk him out of the risky plan. The less time there was for critical thinking, the better. 

Tommy caught them in the living space just before they left for patrol. He clamped a hand on Ranboo’s shoulder and dropped his volume to a whisper. “Try to keep SBI away from 85th street.”

Ranboo startled and looked down at him, puzzled. “Why?”

“I’m meeting Slime there tonight.”

“What?” Ranboo registered the hand Tommy had on his shoulder, and shook it off. “Tom, don’t you dare use my powers – ”

“I already told Tubbo, it’ll be fine.” Tommy nodded. “I’ll be careful.”

“What if my abilities wear off before you can get back? Just wait until we can all go.”

“If I’m not back in my room by the time you get done with patrol, meet me behind the coffee shop east of the tower to get me.”

“Tom – ”

“I’ll see you in a bit.” 

Ranboo never got to object any further. In a flash of purple particles, Tommy warped out of the room.

He’d gotten better at sticking the landing each time he teleported. When his feet made contact with the concrete of the alleyway, he barely wobbled. Tommy checked to make sure his backpack had made it with him, as well as his old cell phone, and he took off down the street. 

With the increased vigilante awareness from the Supers, Tommy would usually be better off blending in with the people on the streets below. However, both teams on patrol would be able to recognize him from a mile away. It was probably safer to hide his identity and make his way along fire escapes and low sitting rooftops. 

The meeting point wasn’t far away, and neither team was supposed to be in the vicinity. All seemed to be going well, until his phone began vibrating rhythmically in his pocket. He ducked into a balcony alcove and pulled it out. It had been years since he’d gotten a call on the thing, but the I.D. was Charlie’s code name. He hit the answer button.

“Is everything okay?” Tommy asked as soon as the line connected.

“Slight change in plans,” Charlie replied. “There was a car crash near the meeting point, and a bunch of cops are in the area. We need to convene in a different location.”

Tommy sighed. “Okay, sure. Where should I go?” 

“Behind the pawn shop on Acacia.”

“Seriously?” That was nearly two dozen blocks in the opposite direction. “There isn’t anywhere closer that we can meet?”

“The boss is particular about his pickups.”

Tommy groaned down the speaker, wanting Charlie to hear it loud and clear. “Your boss is pissing me off.”

“Like I said before, feel free to tell him that yourself.”

“It’s going to take me a while to get there.”

“I’ll be eagerly awaiting your arrival.”

The line went dead and Tommy stuffed the phone back in his pocket. Great. With the added time it would take to get to Charlie, there was no way he could keep a hold of Ranboo’s powers long enough to teleport himself into the tower. He really didn’t want to wait until 2 in the morning to get back in, if he wanted to make it work he would need to move quickly...

Running across the rooftops, Tommy was only focused on getting to Charlie as fast as he could. The cover of night and his all-black ensemble would be enough to obscure him from searching eyes. At least, that was what he assumed, and that was his first mistake. He didn’t account for the fact that they would split up to cover their sector. 

The stun pod that struck his leg shocked him in more than one way. Electric currents took him to the ground and the suddenness of the attack left him without time to strategize an escape. He rolled onto his back and grabbed the device, pushing past the spasming in his muscles and ripping it from his skin. The prongs tore his flesh, but he ignored the searing pain and tried to catch sight of the Super who was on him. There was no one in the vicinity of the rooftop. Not that he could see.

He realized it was Wilbur the same moment Phantom materialized in front of him. Tommy kicked Wilbur’s shins and propelled himself into a backwards roll, narrowly avoiding an adhesion bond. When he got back to his feet Phantom was gone again, but this time Tommy was prepared. Wilbur favored the right side. When the fist appeared Tommy was already blocking it. But that was when he made his second mistake of the night.

When Tommy’s hand made contact, he didn’t act quick enough to prevent inheriting Phantom’s powers. Tommy tried to pull away but it was too late. Ranboo’s teleportation was gone, his best chance of escaping vanished. 

Fuck. Tommy sprinted to the side of the rooftop, trying to break line of sight and phase himself away. Wilbur was faster though, and pulled him back by the arm before he could jump over the side. Tommy turned the fall into a somersault and was back on his feet. He knew that his Tower training was showing, but all that mattered was that he got away. Tommy stepped forward to face Phantom, but he had vanished again.

“Come on, kid.” Wilbur’s disembodied voice called. Tommy couldn’t place exactly where it came from. “I know you think what you’re doing is right, but I promise you, it’s not.”

Tommy sensed a change in air pressure behind him. For a split second he was back in the Tower gym, blindfold on, Wilbur’s playful teases filling his ears. He ducked and avoided the hand that tried to grab him. When he pivoted Wilbur was gone again. 

“I promise you won’t get hurt.” Tommy spun to where the words came from, but the sound kept moving. “If you stand down now, I’ll make sure you can move on from this.”

Once more he waited for the air to shift, and this time he grabbed a hold of Wilbur’s arm when it came down on him. He twisted it sideways and brought Phantom fully to form. Using the brief upper hand, he pulled Wilbur forward and stomped the back of his knee. It nearly sent him to the ground, but Wilbur recovered and spun to grab Tommy’s shirt. An iron grip kept him from wrenching free. Tommy swung a fist towards Phantom’s jaw, but his punch was hindered by an engrained reluctance to hurt Wilbur. His restraint allowed Phantom to block the hit with ease. Tommy tried one more time to throw him off, but Wilbur already had the leverage he needed. He took them both to the ground, pinning Tommy’s legs.

“It’s over,” Wilbur stated, a softness underlying his authoritative declaration. Panic surged through Tommy’s limbs, giving him one final push of strength. He didn’t hold back as he attempted to fight Wilbur off him, a desperate whine escaping from the back of his throat. Wilbur tried to keep Tommy down with one hand, while his other reached for the bottom of the makeshift mask. Fingers wrapped around the cloth by his chin, dragging against his skin and prying away the last shield he had.

“No!” Tommy screamed. But it was over. 

The cold winter air struck his face as the mask was ripped away. All attempts to fight died instantly as Wilbur stared down at Tommy in abject shock. Their breaths synced, swirls of condensation clouding the space between them as Wilbur tried to comprehend what he was seeing.

The overbearing silence would have stretched on for eternity, but Wilbur’s twisted features were broken by a voice from his comm. He dropped to the side, placing a hand gingerly to his ear piece. “No. He got away. I’ll meet you at the drop point.”

“Wil...” Tommy finally managed to let out, but he received no comfort from the Super before him. Wilbur rose to his feet, backing away with Tommy’s vigilante mask still clutched in his hand. The confusion he once wore was absent, replaced instead by an outrage only a brother could exude.

“What the fuck did you get yourself into Tom?”

Chapter Text

The stillness that permeated the rooftop was temporary. Tommy knew he had only seconds until Wilbur’s patience would run out.

“I can explain everything.” Tommy slowly got to his feet, hands at his sides as though Wilbur would spring forward and arrest him any second. “But there’s something important I have to do first.”

Wilbur went rigid as Tommy took a single step backwards. He moved in closer to block him from leaving. “Do you seriously think I’m going to let you run off?”

“I get why you’re upset, but you need to trust me.”

“Trust you? Tom, I just caught you outside of Hero Tower, on your own, wearing a makeshift ski mask.”

Tommy stole a few steps towards the edge of the roof. “I know, and I’ll answer any questions, but this is time sensitive and – ”

Before he could finish Wilbur was towering over him, grabbing the loose fabric of his sweatshirt and holding him in place. “I have half a mind to radio back to Techno and bring you into Hero Tower right now. Tell me why I shouldn’t.”

Fear gripped Tommy. He wanted to believe it was a bluff, but Wilbur had never spoken to him like that before. “Because I’m trying to save someone.”

The deep blue mask covering Wilbur’s eyes creased. “You’re a superhero, Tom. Why would you need to turn yourself into a vigilante to save someone?”

“It’s complicated.”

“Then simplify it for me.”

Tommy let out a huff of frustration and pulled Wilbur’s hand off his sweatshirt. “A guy named Fundy went missing, and all evidence that he existed was wiped from the face of the Earth. Only one of his friends remembered him. The people we’re trying to help can’t go to normal law enforcement because they’re involved in some illegal business.”

Wilbur tipped his head with a frown. “The people we’re trying to help?”

The air was sucked from Tommy’s lungs. “Umm...”

“You are already so far in the hole Tom Simons, do not try to lie to me.”

“Tubbo and Ranboo.”

“Of course.” Wilbur jerked to the side and rubbed his hands up his face. “What were you guys thinking!”

“We wanted to help!” Tommy’s phone began buzzing again. His hand slapped the outside of his pocket, but he didn’t pull it out. “Look, this isn’t the place to hash things out.”

“You’re right. We’re going back to the Tower.” Tommy’s eyes widened and Wilbur tapped his ear piece again. “Blade, send Ender to meet me on top of the radio station. You and Aimsey finish patrolling the Eastern sector.”

“Wil – ”

“I’m not turning you in,” Wilbur reassured. “But you, Ranboo, and Tubbo are going to tell me everything that you’ve done.”

“But I – ”

“This is not an open negotiation!” The fury in Wilbur’s voice infected his body, turning him to ice. Tears pricked the corner of Tommy’s eyes. He twisted his body past Wilbur, indignant footsteps carrying him to where Wilbur commanded. Nothing but the sharp howl of the wind filled their strenuous journey across the rooftops of the city.

When Tommy and Wilbur crested the top of the radio station, Ranboo was already waiting for them. He spun lazily to greet Phantom, but jolted when he saw Tommy standing sheepishly behind him. 

“He knows, doesn’t he?”

Tommy nodded. “Yeah.”

“And we’re in trouble, aren’t we.”

This time it was Wilbur who tipped his head affirmatively. “Yes you are.”

The three vigilante Sidekicks gathered in Wilbur’s living room, too on edge to sit. Tubbo was holding Ranboo in place to prevent his nervous pacing, and Tommy clung to the back of the couch so hard his knuckles were whitening. Wilbur leaned against a set of built in shelves, finger pressed to his lips and eyes flicking between the three Sidekicks.

“Okay.” His voice was steady. “How long?”

Tommy mentally backtracked, tallying up the weeks. “Almost three months.”

Wilbur’s face twitched as he fought to maintain calm. “Three months. And you’ve been working this case the entire time?”

“Sporadically,” Tubbo corrected. “Net total, just counting the actual time we’ve taken to investigate and infiltrate operations and meet with people, it’s really only a handful of days. Honestly, it’s more like – ”

“Dude,” Ranboo cut off. 

“But this has been going on – essentially – since you got to Hero Tower.”

Tubbo nodded. “About, yeah.”

Wilbur inhaled and held it in his head. “Nox is looking for you. All of Hero Tower is looking for you.” 

“Yeah.”

“How the hell have you not been caught?” Wilbur asked.

“Technically, we were caught by you.”

Ranboo slowly tilted his head towards Tubbo. “Dude.” 

“Look, we weren’t idiots about it,” Tommy finally said. “Tubbo hid our GPS locations, Ranboo teleported us out of a hidden location, we wore disguises, we had aliases, and we didn’t use our powers! We did everything we could to keep ourselves hidden.”

“Even when Nox had us on video, he didn’t know it was us,” Tubbo added.

The interrogative conversation lulled, but Wilbur’s disbelief did not. His incredulous stare lingered on the teenagers for a few more agonzing seconds before he shook his head and surrendered to the situation. “Alright. This is insane and stupid, but alright.”

“You’ll help us?” Ranboo asked.

“Help is not the word I would use,” Wilbur replied. “You’ve gotten yourselves into a huge fucking mess. You need an adult to sort it out for you.”

“By sort it out you mean get to the bottom of everything,” Tommy clarified. 

“I mean tie up all the loose ends.” Wilbur’s tightened jaw didn’t leave much room for debate on the matter. “The sooner we can get this swept under the rug, the less likely you three are to get in trouble.”

Tommy slumped against the couch, face softening to bring out the last remnants of his boyish features. “I’m fine to put this behind us, but only after we find Fundy. We have to help him. That’s non negotiable.”

Wilbur’s stare narrowed, frustrated for only a small second, before reluctance filled him instead. “I’m impressed you used the term non negotiable correctly.” 

“So that’s a yes?”

Wilbur didn’t say anything, but silence wasn’t a no. Tommy inched his way around the couch, pleading eyes unavoidable. 

“If we have enough of a lead, maybe,” Wilbur finally conceded, gaze sweeping the three Sidekicks. “But as of right now I doubt you do. Where did you guys plan to go from here? How are you going to track this Fundy guy down?”

Ranboo looked at Tommy. “How much did you tell him?”

The uncomfortable smile on Tommy’s face was telling. “Enough.”

“Enough?” Ranboo said, doubtful.

Wilbur stared expectantly. Tommy cleared his throat. “We got some help from someone who is verifiable.”

“Verifiable?” Wilbur squinted. “Verified of what?”

“Being able to get answers.” 

Wilbur’s shoulders fell and he stood completely upright. “Who the hell did you go to?”

Tommy’s jaw locked. He looked to his friends, but there was no way they were going to take the brunt of Wilbur’s admonishment. “It was kind of an accident.”

“Tom.”

“We’re getting a little help from the leader of a power concealment ring.”

The veins in Wilbur’s neck bulged. He was about ready to scream or faint, maybe both, but he kept his tone low. “A villain? You decided to get involved with a villain ?”

“Not at first! We went to this guy, Charlie, he’s on that podcast I like that covers all things Super related. The one you never actually listened to even though I told you to – ”

“Tom!”

“They seemed like they might know something and we had no other leads. I was right, because he said he knew someone who could help! We didn’t know who he was or that he was a criminal until after we met him.”

“Well we actually figured it out from context clues when we were talking to Charlie,” Tubbo said. 

Tommy pivoted and reached out to make a strangling motion. “Whose side are you on!”

“Hey, voices down!” Wilbur shushed. He dragged his hands up his face and through his hair. “Look... it might be okay. Hero Tower has worked with criminal organizations in the past. Sometimes there’s a gray area if it’s for a greater good. What was the name of the person you met with?”

“Quackity.”

Wilbur’s mouth fell open. He stared at Tommy, ire from before now replaced with complete and utter dread. “Quackity?” 

Tommy nodded slowly, Wil’s face twisted into contempt. “Tubbo, Ranboo, can you two leave me and Tom to talk.”

He didn’t have to convince them. They were quick to flee the room, retreating to the hallway and leaving Tommy to his demise. Wilbur’s eyes never let Tommy. His voice dropped to an icy calmness. “What did you tell him?” 

“What do you mean?”

“What did Quackity get you to say?”

A chill ran through Tommy’s veins. What did Quackity get him to say. “He... I told him about the case, and the – ”

“Did you tell him your real name?”

Tommy considered lying, but knew Wilbur would see right through him. “Yes.”

“Fucking hell, Tom.” Wilbur crossed the room to his desk with a fervent head shake. His fist slammed against the wood and Tommy jumped. “This is why there are rules. This is why you don’t run off on secret missions when you don’t have a fucking clue what you’re up against!”

Tommy shrank into himself, bottom lip pulled into his teeth. “I’m sorry, I just – ”

“Quackity – ” Wilbur spat, brandishing a thick, maroon folder. “ – is my longest running High Level Case. His power is verbal persuasion . As long as you don’t realize he’s using his suggestion, he can get you to say anything he wants.”

Wilbur slapped the file against Tommy’s chest. Petrified, Tommy fumbled through the papers. Mugshots, wanted posters, and mountains of crime logs filled the overflowing folder. 

“We didn’t know.”

This time Wilbur was out of replies. He slumped over the kitchen counter, fingers drumming impatiently on the granite. The wheels of his mind were spinning, trying to process the influx of information Tommy had dumped.

“Wilbur,” Tommy closed the file. “We can still figure out a way to fix this.”

“No.” He didn’t move from his hunched position. “I know I said I would help, but I’m not doing this.”

“What?” Tommy followed after, standing behind Wilbur like a child asking his mom for more candy. “Why?”

Wilbur whipped around, spit flying from his lips. “This mother fucker has been evading my attempts to pin him for three years. It's a personal goal of his to see just how many bread crumbs he can leave without me being able to follow them. He gets off on outsmarting me, and he makes sure I know it. I am not going to turn around and buddy up with him.”

Tommy sucked in a breath. “But he knew who Fundy was. He had records of him, he could find out what happened. Quackity is the only person who’s come close to figuring out why people are being wiped from existence.”

“We cannot work with a High Level just to find one missing person. I know you care about this, but we can’t go this route.”

“Do we have a choice?” Tommy blurted. Wilbur opened his mouth to shut him down, but it snapped shut again.

“He’s got your bloody names. Damn it…” Defeat finally took root, and Wilbur dropped himself onto a barstool. “Go get Ranboo and Tubbo.”

For the first time that night, Tommy felt a sense of relief. Sure, things had gotten far worse; Tommy had to tell Charlie the meeting needed to be postponed and Quackity was probably pissed. But Wilbur was with them now. He would make sure nothing else went wrong.

Of course, having Wilbur in on the situation meant they were no longer at the helm. Wilbur sat them down after chugging a very full glass of wine, and laid out exactly how things were going to proceed.

“No more sneaking out. No more texting criminals,” he instructed. “Starting now, I orchestrate the plans. We either figure this out quickly, or we cut our losses and find a way to safely drop it. No one else in the Tower needs to know about your vigilantism.”

“What about Phil?” Tommy asked.

“Or Techno?” Ranboo added.

“I’m not going to drag them into this. Not if I can clean it up on my own,” Wilbur’s anger sobered for the first time that evening, finally replaced by the overwhelming reality of the danger ahead. “The fewer hands getting dirty, the better.”

– – – – ⊂⊃ – – – –

Phil was waiting for Tommy in the Dream Team’s office the following morning.

George and Sapnap’s stiff small talk with the Assistant Director immediately ceased once Tommy pushed through the doors. Phil’s stare caught him like a child in a lie. The air became dense between them, and Tommy knew something was wrong. 

“Don’t change into your suit,” Phil instructed calmly. “You’re excused from patrol today.”

Tommy searched for Dream, but didn’t find him in his office. “Should I wait here then?”

“No, I’ll have you join me.” Phil’s wings rustled against his back as he straightened his posture. “You can leave your bag here.”

In his heart, Tommy wasn’t afraid of The Crow. Phil was his friend, a father figure even, there was no reason to think that the sudden removal from his duties was anything to fear. Logic didn’t stop the heart beat pounding in his ears as Phil wordlessly programmed the elevator to take them to the top floor. Did Wilbur tell him about the case after all? Or had Phil somehow figured it out on his own?

“Unlock your comm.” Phil’s command was followed without hesitation. As soon as Tommy had unlocked the device, Phil was shuffling through the operations menu. He typed in a code, pressed a few of the holographic icons, and shut down the comm. “You’ll have access to my personal floor, as well as Wilbur and Techno’s. You won’t need to be given permission to reach them anymore.”

“Why?” 

Phil didn’t give an answer, instead keeping his stare transfixed on the doors ahead. It wasn’t until they were out of the hallway and inside the penthouse apartment that he spoke again. Life filled his voice, familiar and reassuring. “I gave you access to those floors in case you need them, in the event of an emergency.”

Tommy stopped in the threshold of the apartment, mouth ajar. “Am I in trouble?”

“No.” Phil patted Tommy on the back and moved a stack of binders to the dining room table. “I wanted to have a personal training session with you.”

“Oh.” Tommy couldn’t tell what the titles of the materials read. “What kind of training?”

“I’m allowed three sessions to instruct Sidekicks on the legal proceedings of their time as a hero. More specifically, what your contract as a full time hero will entail, so you can decide if you want to stay in L’Manburg at the end of your Sidekick training.” 

Tommy followed Phil and sat across from him at the table. “I already know I want to stay in L’Manburg.”

A heavy breath of air left Phil’s nose. “I assumed that was your intention, but I still want to use this time to better prepare you for what that looks like.”

“Does Dream know I won’t be on patrol?”

“He isn’t on patrol either,” Phil responded. “That was why I figured now would be a good time to have our meeting.”

“Where is he?”

“Noxite pulled him for a special op.”

Though he wanted to inquire what Phil meant, Tommy knew he wouldn’t be getting any answers. A wordy spread of papers was pushed towards him, and upon simply glancing at the blocks of text, Tommy was bored. “Do we have to go through all this legal stuff?”

The apathy in his tone earned him a patronizing eye from Phil. “Yes. This is important to know, Tom. I understand it’s not as exciting as being in the field, but this contract dictates your life for the next eighteen years. You need to understand what it is you’re agreeing to.”

Red spread across Tommy’s face and he slid the binder to the edge of the table with a nod. For the next hour Phil dissected the verbose jargon embedded in the contract. He highlighted the important details from each section, and made sure to explain them thoroughly. While it admittedly was very insightful, there was so much more on Tommy’s mind that kept him from focusing on the given task. What mission had Dream been placed on? How would things with Quackity go now that Wilbur was involved? Did Phil know anything about it? More pertinently, why did Phil pull him out of patrol now, and why do this “training” in his apartment instead of his office?

It was clear when Tommy’s drifting mind was becoming a hindrance to their task. Eventually, Phil wrapped up their official chatter and pushed the documents aside. With nothing to fill the time Tommy expected to be dismissed back to his duties, but Phil didn’t motion for him to leave. The space between them was held open, something that felt far from accidental.

“Have you met with any of the other Sidekicks?”

“Not yet. I will within the next few weeks, when I get a chance.” Phil paused. “We have extra time today, if there’s anything you wanted to talk about.”

There were a million things Tommy wanted to talk about, but he recognized the unique situation he found himself in. Privacy from the cameras was a rarity, so he opted for the topics he wouldn’t normally bring up. “Do you remember the villain Red? He attacked the city back in 2032.”

Phil didn’t take a second to think before nodding. “That was the same year Wilbur became my Sidekick.”

“What happened to Red?” Tommy’s voice sped up as the words tumbled out. “No one ever saw him again and the news said that the heroes couldn’t figure out where he went.”

“In all honesty, I don’t have the answers either. We had no notion of Red until he showed up in the city center. There was no apparent motive, no way to identify who was operating that mech suit.”

A knot formed in Tommy’s stomach as memories clawed the edge of his subconscious. “And you weren’t able to stop him.”

“No. No, we weren’t.” Silence fell over Phil’s features. In the white light of the dining room chandelier, his age began to show. 

“So what happened?”

Yet again, Tommy’s prodding nearly crossed the line. Despite his evident reluctance, Phil cleared his throat. “The Liberators were the first team to respond. They called in back up right away. The Tower had all available heroes answer. We threw everything we had at him and it didn’t even make a dent. One by one we got pinned or injured, taken out of the fight. By the end it was just me and Jordan, and… after he was killed, Red managed to get away and he never resurfaced.”

Tommy tried to line up Phil’s account with his own memory of the fight. All of his recollections were covered in a fog, one his brain had long since adopted to obscure the intensity of the event. But he did clearly remember the look of dread on Wilbur’s face, how quickly he’d run off. Maybe if Wilbur hadn’t been there to save Tommy, if he’d been with Phil and Jordan, he would have suffered a similar fate as The Captain.

“Techno said that Jordan wasn’t supposed to be in the field that day,” Tommy said slowly. Phil gave no reaction. His shoulders tensed and the muscles in his face twitched. An internal battle raged in the ex-heroes head.

“The year the Hero Initiative passed, L’Manburg accepted fifteen heroes into its program.” Phil’s eyes stared forward, void of anything. “Do you know how many of those heroes are still alive today?”

Tommy shook his head.

“Two.” Phil’s jaw locked in place. “Me and Scott. We’re the only Supers to make it to the age of 35.”

Years worth of news clips and media headlines swarmed Tommy’s mind; all the somber broadcasters and live streamed candlelight vigils. Every person in the city dreaded hearing the distinct inflection of the reporter’s statement, ‘ tonight we mourn the loss of a great hero’ , waiting with stomachs twisting to see what Super had been killed. The people grieved each passing hero, but it was never for long. L’Manburg would honor the fallen Super’s namesake in parks and monuments, move on with their lives, and eventually forget. It was easy to let go of the old heroes when another was already stepping in to fill the void. 

“Why did so many of the original heroes die?” 

“Things have gotten better since. More safety protocols, better equipment, better training. They’ve been able to minimize hero losses.” Phil’s voice took on a new cadence, far more strained and unnatural. “Whenever you start a new program, there will always be... complications that need fixed. Nox cleaned up those problems.”

Tommy’s neck erupted with goose bumps. He was overcome with a prickling uncertainty, It clawed at his brain as if it were trying to get inside. It was unlike any physiological response he’d experienced before, and it unsettled him. “Nox seems to fix a lot of problems around here.”

“Not all of them.” Phil began gathering the binders in a neat stack. “He hasn’t managed to catch those three vigilantes that have popped up.”

That same unnerving sensation took over Tommy. “That’s true.”

“I worry what will happen when he does.” Phil looked up just as Tommy did, their stares met in an unbreakable hold. “Noxite is a stickler for the rules. He doesn’t like it when people step outside their boxes.”

Tommy tried to swallow away the dryness left in his mouth. Phil stood without furthering the topic, and the space brought a new wave of fresh air. “A wise man once told me that the best heroes push the boundaries.”

Phil froze, regret shuddering down his wings. “As long as that hero knows which boundaries are safe to push.” 

“He’s figuring that out.”

Before Tommy could stand to begin his retreat back to the office, Phil set the binder back down the table. “You know you have a safe place here. If you need anything, I’m just a call away.”

“I know. Thank you.” Tommy finally pulled himself out of his seat, ready to escape the itch under his skin. Phil watched him go, waiting until he was at the door to give him one final send off.

“Please be safe, Tom.”

All Tommy did was nod and pretend he could keep that promise.

Chapter Text

Tommy didn’t realize how hard it would be to lose leadership of the Fundy case. Several days had passed, and Wilbur gave him little information regarding his communication with Quackity. It was hard for Tommy to relinquish control over orchestrating the plans, but he knew better than to push it. Wilbur had been teetering on the edge of a breakdown since taking on the responsibility of the case. He felt an obligation to keep the sidekicks safe, from both Quackity and Noxite.

Since Wilbur became involved, Tommy had tried to hang out with him like normal, but each time they were together it was unsettled. They couldn’t joke around like they used to, not with Fundy and Quackity hanging over their head. It was agonizing. 

Perhaps in an effort to distract himself from the ongoing crisis, Wilbur had doubled the amount of time spent with work. Even after Techno was gone, Wil could be found hunched over a spread of papers in the dimly lit center room of SBI’s office. That’s where Tommy found him that night. A single overhead lamp cast a warm light on the conference table, illuminating the spread of documents that took up the entirety of the surface. If Wilbur heard Tommy enter the room he made no indication. His palms were planted flat on the table, shoulder blades pulled back in tension as he stared blankly across the pages. As Tommy stepped closer he could see what they were, marked by the deep red folder: Quackity’s files.

“Need any help?” 

Wilbur didn’t move, except to shake his head. “Just thinking.”

“I could help you think.”

“Tom,” he scolded.

Tommy pulled his lips together and sank into a chair. He allowed Wilbur to continue his mindless scanning of the papers. The hero’s face twisted in concentration as he bit at the loose skin on his lip. Black circles and a set of pronounced frown lines stained his face, aged him beyond twenty-six. He was exhausted, and Tommy knew it was his fault.

“Where do you go when you need a break?” 

The question threw Wilbur’s focus. “What do you mean?” 

“When you’re overwhelmed and overworked, where do you go to get away from it?”

Wilbur finally settled back from the table. He searched his memory and something brought life back to his face. “I haven’t been out like that in years. We used to go to this park on the north side of town. It had a gravel lot where food trucks would set up, right next to a little manmade lake.”

“You, Phil, and Techno?”

“Yeah.” A recollection sparked a smirk. “It was nice. Quiet.”

“Let’s go there now.”

Wilbur shook his head. “It’s late. All the food trucks will be closed.”

“I’m not hungry. I just want to get away for a bit.” Wilbur turned back to Quackity’s files. Tommy pulled his chair forward. “Please?”

With a heavy sigh, Wilbur nodded. “Sure. We can go.”

Lansbury Park was tucked on the outskirts of a historic neighborhood. The juxtaposition of the antiquated architecture and the modern outdoor dining area gave it a charming feel. Several stone tables lined a sidewalk that wound around the small, polluted lake. There were a few lamps spread intermittently around the property. They illuminated the snow on the metal playground, the covered pavilion, and the footbridge over a frozen creek. 

The park was small and simple. It was perfect.

Being outside seemed to help Wilbur. Without masks they felt no obligation to take on the duties of their alter egos. They couldn’t even if they’d wanted to, which was exactly what Tommy wanted.

“Why’d Phil pick this place?” Tommy asked once they’d settled on a bench overlooking the glorified pond.

“Dunno.” Wilbur tucked his chin into the collar of his jacket. “He always said it was important to remember how normalcy feels.”

Tommy scooped a section of snow off the armrest of the bench and smashed it into a ball. He was intently aware of the way Wilbur watched with an unbreaking stare. He couldn’t tell if it was good or bad. He couldn’t tell a lot anymore. 

“I know why you made me come here,” Wilbur whispered.

Tommy opted to play dumb. “Why?”

“You think I’m uptight.” Tommy tried to protest, but Wilbur placed a hand on his arm to stop him. “And you’re right. I have been uptight.”

Tommy threw the snowball into the lake, watching the ripples of the impact disturb the perfect stillness of the surface. A guilty sigh swirled into the night air. “You have plenty of reason to be.”

“Don’t blame yourself,” Wilbur chided. “Not entirely.”

“I should have told you earlier.”

“Yeah, you should have.”

“But you would have stopped me. We wouldn’t have come so close to finding Fundy.”

Wilbur’s words hitched. “You’re right. I would have stopped you. Is that such a bad thing?”

“Yes!” Tommy shot to his feet, immediately composing himself after. “We’re supposed to help people. No one else was going to go after him, he would have been forgotten forever.”

Wilbur studied him for a moment. His calculated manner made Tommy unreasonably annoyed. “There are a lot of things that are unfair – ”

“I don’t want a lecture.”

“Will you let me finish?” Wilbur waited for Tommy to calm down before gesturing to the bench. Tommy sat down slowly. “There are a lot of things that are unfair about being a hero. It should be black and white. We should be able to help everyone. But there are lines we need to toe, an order to things that doesn’t always feel right.”

“Then why don’t we change that?”

“It’s not that simple, Tom.” Wilbur tucked his hands in his pocket. “Phil’s trying. We’re all trying. But – ”

“But it’s not fair.” Tommy finished.

“You’re very impatient,” Wilbur said warmly. “Just like you’re impulsive, and outspoken, and opinionated, and stubborn.”

Tommy made sure Wilbur was finished speaking. “All the things I shouldn’t be?”

“I never said that. Sure, sometimes those traits land you in hot water, but they also make you a good hero. One who will do what’s right no matter what stands in the way.”

“Then why are you saying all this like it’s a bad thing?”

Wilbur fell silent, and his eyes flicked up to the sky instinctually. It took him several seconds to settle his shoulders. “That’s not what I’m saying. I don’t want you to lose those parts of yourself. But I also want you to be safe, and make smart choices.”

Not go colluding with villains, is what Wilbur wanted to say, but there was no need to voice that out loud. “I know I should have been more careful now. It was pretty stupid of me.”

“What matters is that you’re okay. We’ll get this worked out, and it’ll be a hell of a learning opportunity.”

Tommy laughed. “I think it’s kinda my style to figure things out the hard way.”

“Maybe. But from now on you can come to me first. I know there’s a lot of things you want to do, a lot of good things, and you will in time.” Wilbur pulled himself closer to Tommy, pressing an arm against his. “You’ll have a long time to be a Super, but not a long time to learn how to be a good one.”

A saddened laugh threatened to bubble out of Tommy’s throat. The rest of his life lay ahead of him, a life with Wilbur at his side. He desperately wanted that. For years he convinced himself that he deserved it, too. But he knew that he couldn’t have it until he was completely honest. It wouldn’t take much to break what they had, and Tommy couldn’t hang onto the guilt of harboring the truth any longer.

“I have another secret.”

Wilbur pulled his head back with apprehension. “Tell me you didn’t break any more laws.”

Tommy’s stomach rolled. “This time it’s different. It doesn’t have to do with vigilantes or villains.”

“Okay…” Wilbur was now staring in wait, mind racing through possibilities of what would come next. He’d never get close to guessing correctly. 

“I have to show you.” Tommy stood, questioning for a moment if he was making the right choice. His hands clenched in his polyester gloves. “No more secrets.”

He closed his eyes and focused on his body. Wilbur’s powers took over, and with a numbing energy he faded into transparency. Wilbur was on his feet, bewilderment replacing the concern that gripped him moments before. When Tommy reappeared his face was carved with fear, waiting for Wilbur to say something. 

“How…” He reached out, fingertips grazing Tommy’s jacket. “How did you do that?”

“It’s my real power.” He held out a hand and phased it away, only to swipe it through Wilbur’s arm to prove he could truly adopt the ability. “I’ve kept it a secret my whole life because I was afraid they would neutralize me if they knew.”

As Wilbur slowly accepted the fact he nodded. “Who knows?”

“My mom, Tubbo, Ranboo, and now you.” Tommy said. “You’ll keep it a secret?”

“Of course.”

Tommy stood awkwardly in wait as Wilbur’s mind reeled in comprehension. Tears pricked the corner of Tommy’s eyes. He stepped to the side, but couldn’t hide their existence. 

“Hey.” Wilbur chased after him. “What’s wrong?”

“I don’t know,” Tommy replied honestly. 

“It’s going to be alright.” Wilbur pulled Tommy in slowly, wrapping an arm around his shoulder. Tommy fell into the hug, burying his head in Wilbur’s chest. A hand held the back of Tommy’s head, and tears of relief fell freely along the nylon jacket of his hero. “Everything’s going to be alright.”

The lake had settled once again, but the glassy perfection Tommy disrupted was now replaced by small peaks of water that rose and fell in rhythm. Moonlight danced in flickers, never seeming to die. The movement wasn’t calm like the unbroken tension.

But Tommy never thrived on things left untouched. 

– – – – ⊂⊃ – – – –

Snag was captured by Hero Tower forces with little fanfare to show.

Despite the fact that the villain had been able to expertly evade capture for months, it took only a team of two to finally take him down. Punz and Ponk happened to be patrolling right next to the Hero manufacturing facility that Snag targeted that day. All it took was one perfectly placed bullet through the glass dome of his self-engineered mech suit. It struck Snag’s shoulder, and that was enough of an upper hand to incapacitate him. 

The Dream Team was called in for back up, but they wouldn’t be needed. By the time they arrived, Snag had already been destabilized, and was being loaded into an armored vehicle. Tommy only managed to catch a glance of him before it was officially over. Another villain taken down. 

Their team did a sweep of the building just to ensure there was no remaining threat. Tommy and Dream cleared their sector quickly, and were back outside in a matter of minutes. As they waited to reunite with the rest of their team, Tommy noticed Punz talking with someone outside the van. Their discussion looked tense, but they were too far away to be heard. Tommy almost made a note of it to Dream, but the others had finished their sector and met up with them. They were quick to return to Hero Tower, considering there was nothing else needed to wrap up the case.

“What are you up to tonight?” Dream asked Tommy once the group was settled back into their office. Tommy was hesitant to reply, but found no logical reason to be wary of answering.

“Nothing, I guess.”

“Do you want to hang out?”

The offer caught Tommy speechless. “In the office?”

“I meant at my apartment, but whatever you want.” 

Once again, Tommy floundered to get the words out. “Would Sapnap and George be there too? Or Tubbo?”

“I was thinking just the two of us. We haven’t hung out much, besides that one time, and it was fun.” Dream itched the side of his neck and gave a noncommittal shrug. “Whatever you’re down for though.”

“Yeah,” Tommy’s heart rate picked up. “That’d be awesome.”

Dream let out a sigh of relief. “Cool. How about nine?”

Dream’s apartment wasn’t anything close to what Tommy envisioned. Despite the fact that the aesthetic still matched the harsh architecture of the rest of the tower, there was something soft about the way Dream had set up the space. His lights were kept at a permanent low setting, their yellow hue softened the sharp corners of the furniture. It was modern, but not suffocating, with a few personal touches to bring it together. 

“Grab a spot wherever. I’ll get us some drinks.” 

Tommy ventured hesitantly into the living room. The couches were made up perfectly, like they were out of a catalog. It felt wrong to mar the pristine setup, so he lowered himself carefully into the middle of the sectional. “It’s really clean in here,” Tommy remarked.

“Why is that surprising?” Dream shot back from the kitchen.

“Have you not seen the state of our office?”

Dream chuckled. “That’s all Sapnap.”

“Sure.” Tommy’s gaze wandered the walls. Dream had hung up several framed magazine articles, as well as awards and plaques he’d received over the years. One in particular sparked Tommy’s interest; the image above the article was of Dream early on in his career, just after he finished his sidekick training. He was carrying a young girl in his arms as she hugged his neck. The bolded title read Dream Team Busts Child Trafficking Ring.

“That was our team’s first high level case.” Dream set down two bottles on the coffee table. “We got our name from that article.”

“You didn’t come up with it?”

Dream shook his head. “We went without one for the first few months. At first it was just George and I, when they split us off from Skeppy and Bad. We considered something about the night, you know, Dream and Sleepwalker. But then Sapnap joined as George’s sidekick, and we scrapped that. After that article was published people started calling us The Dream Team so we stuck with it.”

The two lingered on the article clipping for a few seconds longer, before Dream turned his attention away. Tommy mirrored, walking over and finding a spot a few feet away from where Dream sat on the couch. Without saying anything, Dream offered one of the bottles to Tommy. 

“This is beer.”

“Yeah.” Dream took a swig of his, watching Tommy curiously. “You don’t want it?”

“I’ve never drunk alcohol before.”

“Do you want to?”

Tommy picked at the edge of the beer’s label. “I don’t know.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Dream took the bottle gently from his hand, and went back into the kitchen. “I’ve got soda. Diet okay?”

“That’s my favorite actually.”

The can of cola felt far more comfortable in his hand. Dream settled into the couch cushions and took another long pull of his beer. For a while they took in the quiet night and made a dent in their drinks. It was awkward, but not like Tommy expected. Not uncomfortable. 

“I don’t think we’ve ever had a conversation outside of work,” Tommy remarked when the silence became too much.

“Sure we have.”

“Well yeah. But not really. You know?”

“No.” Dream laughed. “But I’m used to you not making sense.”

Tommy reached across the divide to give Dream a playful punch. “What do you even do when you’re not working?”

“Watch movies, play video games, think of new ways I can bully you.”

Tommy ignored the tease. “What kind of games?”

“Depends on my mood.”

“You’re riveting to hang out with.”

“You’re free to go.” Dream laughed. 

Of course, Tommy didn’t. Instead, he decided to answer his own question by perusing the shelf of games. It was no surprise to find plenty of first person shooters as well as some older classics. Tommy pulled a cart racing game out and held it up. “Wanna face off?”

“Only if you’re okay with having your ass handed to you.”

Unsurprisingly, but infuriatingly, Dream took first place each round. It was like the man came out of a factory, designed to be good at everything. The losing streak would have ruined Tommy’s night several months ago. He didn’t seem to mind now. Between smack talk and attempts to knock each other over, he found himself having fun. More fun than he’d had in weeks. 

Soon they were each on their second drink. Tommy considered taking up the offer to try his first beer, but he could imagine Wilbur’s outrage if he found out Dream had given him one. He stuck to his diet soda. 

“Would you look at that, first place again,” Dream tossed his remote to the side with a cocky chuckle. 

“Meh-meh, I’m Dream, I’m the best,” Tommy mocked in a nasally voice. 

“Child.”

“Dick. I’m done with this game.” Tommy launched himself up and ejected the disk from the console. Dream watched lazily as Tommy slid the box back in place and skimmed the shelf. His fingers drug over the games, eventually abandoning them and finding the books next door. Most were novels, but some were binders labeled with miscellaneous years and categories. He tugged at one with ‘for autobiography’ written in sharpie along the spine of the binder. 

“Dream the author?” Tommy held it up, waiting for Dream to shut him down. He didn't.

“I haven’t actually written anything. Just setting stuff aside for when I do.”

A hum tickled the back of Tommy’s throat. He carried it back to the couch and pulled it open dramatically on his lap. “You really think people will want to hear about your boring ass?”

“I’m one of the most famous heroes to come through L’Manburg,” Dream said.

“Whatever makes you feel good about yourself.”

Tommy began leafing through the pages, finding a museum of memories contained within. Most of the photos and articles were new to him. Tommy had been at Stronghold when Dream became a L’Manburg Super; he missed overlapping their school training by just one year. Tommy hadn’t ever paid much mind to Dream’s career. 

Looking through the book was like taking a peek into the past. Things were laid out chronologically for the most part. It started with the photos of Dream’s sidekick suit, far different from the current iteration. Rather than the moody, dark, suit and the deep green cape, he had a neon green jumpsuit lined in black and white stripes. His mask was the only thing that stayed consistent. 

There were photos from way back in the day of Dream, George, Bad, and Skeppy, when they were still one team under the moniker Power House. A few were of Dream and Bad posing together as Sidekick and Mentor. Then later, when they were split up, and Dream and George were joined by Sapnap. That was where the bulk of the memories came from. Records of their major wins, magazine spreads, and personal photos filled dozens of pages. 

“You’ve been doing this awhile,” Tommy remarked.

“Sixth year in the tower.”

“Do you ever get tired of it?” 

Dream frowned as if he’d never been asked the question before. “No. It’s not like we run out of things to do. And every day brings something different, so it doesn’t get boring either.”

Tommy hummed in agreement. He couldn’t imagine every tiring of his role as a hero, and there would always be a need for people to put evil to rest.

“Wait, wait, check this one out.” Dream slipped a photo from the page with a chuckle. “This is from last year, when we filmed those stupid anti-crime PSAs. Look at how ridiculous George looks.”

It was a candid from the set, George was mid-sentence and his mouth was opened with an exaggerated expression. Tommy laughed too, but more so from the non-descript green, blue, and red t-shirts they donned. “What on earth are you guys wearing?”

“Don’t get me started.”

“You look like the hosts of a kids show.”

“That was kind of the point.” Dream put the picture back in its place, and Tommy continued flipping. The articles that came up were recent, events that Tommy remembered in more detail. He didn’t spend too much time reading them.

The next page was another newspaper clipping, this one older. The headline read Investigation for Missing Girl Stalls. Tommy couldn’t make out anything more; Dream snatched up the binder so fast that it snapped the tips of Tommy’s fingers. He sucked in a surprised gasp of air as Dream stared intently into empty space. The room turned cold. 

“I’m sorry.” Dream shook his head. “I… I didn’t realize that was in there.” He rubbed his face in his hand, foot tapping rapidly against the hardwood floors. 

“We can put it away,” Tommy offered. Dream sat on the suggestion. He forced his foot still, and gently lifted the binder again. Silently, he leafed through to find a new page, and handed Tommy a picture. Uncertain, Tommy grabbed the edge and examined it. Two kids stared up at him– an older boy hugging a younger girl from behind. Identical smiles gave away their relation to each other. It took a moment for Tommy to recognize that the boy was Dream. 

“My little sister.” Dream explained. “She went missing five years ago.”

A flash of recognition lit somewhere in Tommy’s brain, and he clung to it. That article, the news stories, a missing girl. He remembered pieces. It was the same year he started at Stronghold, so the details never stuck with him. There was lots of news coverage, that much he knew. A teenager and his mom hounded by the media, faces plastered along the headlines.

“I had no idea,” Tommy stuttered. Dream took the photo back.

“During resilience training, you asked me what I think about to keep myself going.” Dream stared at the picture, eyes glassy, before he tucked it back into place. “If I had been at home, instead of Stronghold, maybe it wouldn’t have happened. I should have been there to protect her.”

That statement was so far from fair. But Tommy knew that grief was anything but logical. For years he’d held onto the same sentiment. If only he’d listened to his dad, if only he’d stepped away from that window, then they would both be free from the rubble that crushed them. 

“You can’t blame yourself,” Tommy whispered, only half believing the words. Dream set the binder to the side as if he hadn’t heard him. “I lost someone too. My dad. He died when I was eight.”

Dream looked at him, and Tommy braced himself for the piteous stare. Instead, he was met with sympathy, sweet and reverential. “My mom… she passed away two years ago. I think being on her own, it wore her down. She got sick, and she didn’t try to get treatment.”

“I’m sorry.” 

“It’s okay. In a way, it wasn’t a surprise when it happened. I just wish I could have given her answers about…” Dream trailed off, a name caught in his throat. “I’m still looking for her. No matter what, I’m going to find out what happened to her.”

All Tommy offered was a nod. He thought back to the newspaper clipping he only caught a glance of, to the stories that had been run. Being a hero wasn’t the first thing to put Dream on the front page. 

“Is that why you wear the mask?” 

Dream stared forward, as if suddenly remembering he didn’t have it on. There was no hiding. “I want to be known for what I’ve accomplished now, not what happened to me in the past.” 

With that Dream stood, and Tommy assumed that meant it was time to leave. But all that Dream did was put the binder carefully back in its place. Tommy observed, waiting for a cue. 

“I think you did a good job of that,” Tommy offered.

“A good job of what?”

“Defining yourself. As much as it hurts to admit, you are a really good hero. You’ve helped a lot of people. Your mom and sister, they'd be proud. ” 

“I like to hope so.” Dream drummed his fingers against the shelves. His head tilted lazily to the side, face softening. Maybe it was the slight buzz from his drinks that dropped his guard. “You know what I’ve always wanted?”

“What?”

Instead of giving an answer, Dream wandered to a desk in the corner of the room. Tommy leaned over the back of the couch to watch him as he rummaged around. A few seconds later he returned with a sharpie held up in the air. “I always wanted to get a tattoo to honor my family. A part of me thinks – no, I shouldn’t get anything so blatantly identifiable. But I also don’t give a fuck.”

Dream vaulted himself over the back of the couch, and Tommy had to roll backwards to avoid getting landed on. “So what, you’re gonna give yourself one now?”

“Why not. I’m thinking of getting it right here.” He pointed to his collarbone. “Somewhere it won’t be visible.”

“And you’re going to draw it on yourself?” Tommy questioned.

“I can try.” 

“Why don’t you let me do it.”

Dream contemplated the idea. “Only if you let me give you one.”

“Deal.” He nodded. Dream pulled the neckline of his hoodie down and passed the pen to Tommy. “What do you want me to draw?”

“A tree.” Nostalgia crossed Dream’s features. “We used to have family picnics beneath this big oak in the park across the street. And, you know, something profound about roots.”

“Sure.” Tommy was never the greatest artist, but he could manage to at least make it look vaguely tree-like. Dream craned back his neck to watch the best he could as Tommy traced the outline of a trunk and a very rudimentary blob of leaves. It was hard to get the marker straight going over the bump of the collarbone, but Tommy was happy enough with the final product. 

“Not terrible,” Dream conceded. “Your turn. Hopefully you know what you want.”

“A koi fish.”

“Seriously? I gave you something as easy as a tree and you give me a koi fish?”

Tommy tossed his head to the side. “A fish then.” 

“Cool. I can do a fish.”

Just like his own art, Dream’s final product was far from spectacular. The ink was a bit smudgy and the fins were crooked. Tommy didn’t mind though. 

“Someday we’ll get these tattoos for real,” Dream said.

“Hopefully from a better artist.”

Dream threw the sharpie at Tommy. “Rude.”

As the banter died down and silence overtook them again, Dream’s playfulness faded. His face returned to that usual blank expression that so perfectly matched his mask.

“Can you keep everything we talked about between us?” Dream looked at the bookshelf. “The only other people who know about it are George and Sapnap. I don’t want word spreading.”

“Of course,” Tommy replied immediately. There was no one who understood that feeling better than him. 

“I appreciate that you – that we – ” Dream cleared his throat and rolled his shoulder. “I know I can count on you. I trust you.”

The admission threw Tommy off guard. He tripped over his own response, not sure what he was going to say until the words were spilling out. “Me too. I mean, I do too – trust you.” 

Dream made no note of his clunky response. “If you ever need someone to listen, I’m here. Whatever you say can stay between us.”

“Thank you.” The offer was tantalizing, it begged to be utilized. But Tommy’s mouth refused to open, so it was left to hang between them. “It’s getting pretty late.”

Dream’s chest deflated, and his eyelids squinted together. He opened his mouth, closed it, and eventually nodded. “Yeah. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

When Tommy left Dream’s apartment his heart was heavier. The emotions attached to Dream were never simple, not like they were with Wilbur or Tubbo or Ranboo. There was always something left to be reached. No matter how much Tommy worked to reach the other side, an impassable gap kept him from feeling satisfied. 

One day he’d find a way to build that bridge. It was only a matter of time.

Chapter Text

Wilbur gave them little notice when it was finally time to meet with Quackity. Within an hour they were notified, told to get ready, and were leaving with Ranboo’s teleportation. Each of them wore their usual black outfits, including Wilbur, who was also equipped with one of the Tower’s simple black masks. He made no effort in finding something that would conceal his connection to the Supers.

It wasn’t clear how much Wilbur had told Quackity regarding his involvement. With their intense rivalry, Tommy assumed he had kept his identity a secret. It was unlikely that Quackity would want to team up with Phantom, but then again, the man was wildly unpredictable.

As they moved briskly across the rooftops, Tommy opted to break the silence just once, “Does Quackity know you’re the one who’s been arranging the meeting?”

It took a long inhale and a concerted effort to conceal his discontent, but Wilbur replied. “Yes.” That was all he offered.

They quickly arrived on a row of tightly packed commercial lots. None of them were open, and without any customers the area was empty. The building they sought was vacant; a sign on the door signaled that it was up for rent. Wilbur led them around back, where the door was already propped open.

The room they entered had no windows and only one entrance. All that furnished the space was a large table and set of matching chairs that were out of place in the plain office setting. Three people were already sitting in waiting.

“Compinches . Finally decided to show up.” The only person Quackity was looking at was Wilbur. A devious grin cracked his face. “And you brought my favorite Super with you.”

Wilbur gave no reaction to Quackity aside from a hardened stare. Beneath his mask he was fuming, using all his willpower not to lunge at the villain and start swinging. 

“Come on in. Take a seat.” Everyone moved to a chair, but Wilbur remained standing. His lack of response caused Quackity’s lip to twitch, but he maintained his cool demeanor. 

“You want to introduce us to your friends?” Tommy pointed to the two, one of which he recognized as ‘Foolish’ from their first meeting. 

“When you need to know, I’ll tell you.” Quackity laced his fingers together. “We have a lot to discuss and you’ve kept me waiting, Phantom.”

Tommy sighed, trying not to make eye contact with the thugs. “About that – ”

“We need to lay out terms,” Wilbur said.

Quackity finally perked up. “So he speaks.”

“You signed a contract. It needs amending.”

“I’ve already made up a new draft.” With the snap of Quackity’s fingers, the wiry boy on his left produced a new stack of papers and passed it to Wilbur. He snatched it away and glanced at it only briefly before iterating his demands.

“There won’t be any divulging of information from either side, our involvement and identities will remain completely anonymous, even after our partnership has ended.”

“Already in there.”

“And I want specific verbiage ensuring that you won’t do anything that would intentionally or unintentionally harm us.”

Quackity rolled his eyes. “You have so little faith in me. If you’d just read the damn thing you’d see that I already covered everything I knew you’d ask for.”

With a grunt Wilbur finally read through the pages. The room was overcome with an uncomfortably long silence as they waited for him to finally give his approval. “Fine.”

“Excellent.”

With Phantom’s signature added to the bottom of the document, their meeting was officially underway. They gathered around the large table in a division, heroes on one side, villains on the other. The space between acted as a no man’s land that neither were willing to cross. 

Wilbur pulled his arms across his chest and stiffened his posture. “Tell us what you know.”

“Now wait a moment, Guapito,” Quackity purred. “As much as I’d love to chat about old times, I’m not inclined to put up with your sour attitude all night. This partnership started between me and the Compinches, so that’s who I plan to confer with.”

Wilbur was absolutely seething, but did a good job of disguising it. He waved a hand nonchalantly towards Tommy. “The less I have to talk to you the better.”

With a taunting grin, Quackity shifted his body so he was facing the three teenagers. “The meeting we arranged previously was interrupted. It was incredibly frustrating to be stood up without a word of communication.”

Wilbur opened his mouth to retort, but Quackity held up his pointer finger and silenced him. Tommy timidly replied. “We’re really sorry. It won’t happen again. Whatever we can do to show that we’re willing to make it up.”

“Lighten up, Thomas.” He slapped the table, making the heroes jump. “I’m not mad anymore. Unless you do it again, in which case I will be furious. But I know you won’t disappoint.”

“Thank you…” 

The wood of Wilbur’s chair creaked as he pushed himself further into it. His discomfort was drawing Quackity’s attention. Tubbo leaned forward, eyes darting between the two enemies. “So… what did you find?”

Before replying, Quackity’s pupils flicked up and down Wilbur, taking him in. He maintained eye contact as he started speaking, only to return slowly to the sidekicks. “While we were apart, I did a lot of digging. Came across something interesting.” Quackity dropped a file on the center of the table. It fell with a thump of importance. “I think I’ve got us the lead we’ve been looking for.”

“What is it?”

“Not what, who.” He used two fingers to push the folder forward. “Brandon Thro.”

The heroes exchanged confused looks, trying to decipher if that name was supposed to mean anything. Apparently, Quackity was doing the same, because he waited for several seconds before continuing his spiel. “I looked into some more missing person reports. Wasn’t much to work off of. Problem is, if a person is reported missing, that means they haven’t been forgotten.”

“So you have nothing?” Wilbur said.

“Patience, Guapito .” He made a tsk noise with his tongue. “I didn’t find much from the police database, but I did a bit of perusing through my own records. I like to keep tabs on past clients of mine. See what they get up to.”

“Or whether they’re at risk of turning you over to the cops,” Wilbur muttered. 

Quackity ignored him. “It took quite a bit of effort – which you should thank me for, by the way – but I noticed that a few of my old customers have been MIA.”

“You think they could have been mind-wiped like Fundy?” Tommy asked.

For the first time, Quackity’s shrug indicated his uncertainty in his own knowledge. “It’s hard to say, exactly. Many of my clients are people who prefer to stay off the radar. It’s not entirely strange that several are lacking a trail to follow.”

“But this Brandon guy stood out?”

“Not for the same reason as our boy Fundy, but yes.”

“What was his power?” Wilbur asked.

“I’m not at liberty to discuss that.” Quackity flashed an aggravating grin. “Now, if you’d stop interrupting me, I could tell you why I was so interested in this individual. But you’ve always been one to jump the gun though, haven’t you Phantom?”

Wilbur bit back a retort, and Tommy stepped in to redirect. “So, the lead…”

“Right.” Quackity eased off.  “It didn’t take long to find out why I had no recent info on Thro. He was arrested four months ago. Not much was public record, strangely enough, but it wasn’t hard to get information.”

“Why not?”

“His wife has been throwing a very public hissy fit about his arrest. I didn’t even have to persuade her to tell me anything. As soon as I showed up at her door with a notebook in hand and a fake newspaper ID she was an open book.”

Tommy frowned. “That seems immoral.”

“You’re right, what was I thinking?” Quackity stated with an unenthused expression. “Anyways, turns out Thro wasn’t just arrested, he was locked up in Pandora's Vault.”

The name alone made everyone at the table cringe. “Pandora's Vault? They only throw the worst of the worst in there. Like, mass murder kind of the worst. That place is... ”

“Traumatizing?”

“Yeah.” Tommy nodded

“What did he do?” Tubbo asked.

Quackity pulled out a cigarette. “According to his wife: insider trading.”

“And they put him in Pandora's Vault?”

“Hence the hissy fit.” Quackity held out his hand. Foolish flicked a lighter on, allowing his boss to take a drag. “She was trying to get action taken to transfer him to a general population prison. Claimed that the punishment didn’t fit the crime.”

Wilbur scoffed and shook his head. “There has to be more to it. People don’t get thrown into a maximum security prison without a reason.”

“Maybe he was sharing state secrets,” Tubbo offered.

Quackity waved a hand dismissively. “Not even close. He worked as a stock broker. The worst he did, according to the judge, was sell off information about tech companies.”

“So what are we missing here?” Wilbur snarked. “You didn’t bring up this guy without a reason, so quit stringing us along and cut to the chase.”

“I love it when you get feisty. Reminds me of all our little fights,” Quackity cooed, letting his head loll side to side. A bloom of red took over Wilbur’s cheeks, and Quackity inflated his lungs with satisfaction. “You remember how I mentioned he was a client of mine.”

“Hard to forget,” Wilbur muttered.

“Well, let’s just say his power was what put him in hot water.”

“So you’re admitting that concealing powers does cause harm to the general population?”

“A few millionaires took a hit to their fat wallets, boo hoo. Would you let me finish?” Wilbur held up his hands with an eye roll. “Mr. Thro was so good at selling secrets because he could steal right from someone’s brain. All it took was a handshake.”

The heroes at the table perked in simultaneous realization, each of them scrambling to their feet to look at the file that sat importantly in the middle of the table. 

“You’re trying to say that Brandon Thro is – ”

“Snag. And, if I’m not mistaken, your organization has him in custody at this very moment.”

Tommy’s attention whipped up to Quackity, who was all too pleased with himself. “I see where this is going.”

“I think we should find out exactly what it was that Snag was trying to – well, this is just too easy – what Snag was trying to snag from Hero Tower’s facilities.”

Wilbur hadn’t quite picked up Quackity’s insulation, too lost in reviewing Snag’s file to focus on what the villain’s blossoming plan was. Instead, Tommy spoke up. “We don’t know where he’s being kept.”

“Luckily, I do. Syndicate Lab.”

Wilbur finally rejoined the conversation. “How the hell do you have that information?”

“Do you seriously think I’d tell you where I get my intel? It’s reliable, that’s all you need to know.”

“And you’re suggesting we walk in there and start asking him questions?”

“Of course not. That would draw far too much attention.” Quackity tapped the ashes of his cigarette onto the floor. “I’m suggesting we stage a heist.”

A surprised laugh escaped Wilbur’s throat. “A heist? You’re asking heroes to stage a heist on their own facility?”

“I don’t think I can be any more clear.”

Ranboo sat back in his chair. “That would be very, very hard to pull off. That place is maximum security.”

“Your lack of faith still hurts. In case you’ve forgotten, I’m infamous for my ability to get whatever information I ask for.” Quackity leaned back and gestured to the two employees he’d brought along. “Purpled here can shapeshift into whoever he pleases, and Foolish can see visions of the future. If there’s anyone in this city who can get into a hero facility undetected, it’s me and my team.”

“Is that so?” Wilbur challenged. “Then why haven’t you broken in and obtained that information already?”

The room stilled and Quackity took in a deep breath. “Alright, I admit, the job would be easier if I could utilize the powers of a few heroes.”

“I’m sure it would.” Wilbur grabbed the folder. “But I’m not going to allow a high level villain to break into a Hero facility. We’ll get what we need ourselves.”

“Really? You’re going to concoct a full proof plan to gain access to the facility, bypass the security measures, gather all the needed intel, and not alert anyone to the fact that a bunch of rogue Supers are running amok?”

“Yes. Because it’s my job to plan and execute missions in hazardous circumstances.” 

“Excuse my skepticism, but my confidence in you is miniscule. How many times have I slipped out from right under your nose?”

“Alright you mother – ”

“Can we get back to business!” Ranboo’s shout froze the whole room. Even Foolish, with his two hundred pounds of muscle, looked nervous. “I hate this just as much as you guys, but our best bet of doing this successfully is if we do it together.”

Still far from ready to concede, Wilbur chewed on the inside of his cheek and stared at Quackity. “I’m guessing you already have a plan then?”

“I do. The details can wait, but I’ll paint the broad stroke. We split into three teams: one for surveillance, one to look for more documents, and one to interrogate Snag. Getting into the building will be easy. Getting into Snag’s cell is the tricky part.”

Based purely off what Tommy knew of other Hero facilities, Snag would be kept somewhere with restricted access. It was more than likely that wherever he was, even the Supers wouldn’t be allowed in. “That’s why you want us.”

“Exactly. We could go about obtaining the eyeballs and fingers of high ranking officials, but I figured that having a Super who can walk through walls would make things a bit less... bloody.” Quackity cast a playful grin at Wilbur, who scoffed and rolled his eyes.

“Can’t Purpled just shapeshift into one of the guards with access?” Tommy asked. 

“He can’t get the details down.” Quackity waggled the tips of his fingers. “Trust me, we’ve tried.”

Wilbur stared on in pensive silence, hand curled in a fist against his mouth. All eyes were on him now, waiting for his answer. 

“Fine.” He sighed, clearly unhappy. “But I have more terms.”

“What would those be?”

“Whatever comes out of Syndicate Lab goes to me. You don’t keep anything.”

Quackity faked a frown and leaned over the table, eyes flicking to a soft, tempting shine. “Wouldn’t you be happier sharing those files with the ones who helped you get them?”

Wilbur mirrored Quackity, brows furrowing together. “No. I would not.”

Quackity maintained the tension for a second longer, then shrugged off his persistence. “Worth a shot. You can keep any physical information, but I can’t help what my people end up hearing. Or reading. Or stealing.”

Wilbur opened his mouth to protest but Quackity clapped and stood up from his chair. “Alright then, now that we’re all in, I can finalize the plan. We’ll meet again in 48 hours, discuss details, then get this over with.”

With a snap from Quackity, Foolish and Purpled stood up in unison, a clear indication that the Supers were now past their welcome. But before they could be ushered out, Tommy gave one last request. “I want to go with Phantom. I want to help him question Snag.”

The air stilled as Quackity swiveled to face the Sidekick. His head cocked to the side. “You want to go into the cell?”

Tommy nodded. “I know this case better than anyone. I think I should be the one to ask the questions we need answered.”

Wilbur shifted his weight, audible discomfort practically emanating off him. Quackity inhaled through his nose. “Alright. I’ll allow it. I don’t entirely trust Phantom to do his job anyway, so why not.”

Tommy masked his smile and looked at Wil, who didn’t even register Quackity’s insult. Instead his expression gave off unease. Wilbur ushered them out of the building quickly. Once they were far enough away from the villains, Ranboo was zipping them back to the Tower.

As soon as their feet materialized on the tile floor Wilbur was grabbing the sleeve of Tommy’s jacket. Without a word he led the two out of the custodial closet, and onto the elevator bound for his apartment. Tubbo and Ranboo let them go with a side eye.

Knowing better than to publicly discuss Wil’s distrust, Tommy contained his outburst until they were behind closed doors. As soon as the latch clicked he was nearly yelling out. “What was with the acting weird and shit? Why don’t you trust me? I can handle going in there, I know what I’m doing!” 

“Shh,” Wilbur grabbed Tommy’s shoulder and waved his hand in a downward motion. “I do trust you. That’s not the problem.”

“Oh.” Tommy went slack. “Then why were you being all pissy about me going with you?”

“Because if you walk through the wall with me, Quackity is going to put the pieces together and figure out that can mimic powers.”

“Huh?” Lack of understanding painted Tommy’s face. Wilbur stared at him, waiting for the statement to click. He sighed and shook his head.

“My powers only extend to objects. I can’t phase people.”

“Yes you can.” 

“No, Tommy, I can’t.”

“You can.” 

“I swear to you, I can’t phase humans.”

“But you can! You did it before – ”

Tommy stopped breathing. Realization hit like a roof caving in on top of him.

His stare was transfixed on Wilbur, whose expression slowly morphed from confusion to epiphany. He was frozen, transfixed on the boy who stood in front of him. A boy who – he only now realized – he’d met before.

Wilbur reached out, hands touching the side of Tommy’s face as though he’d vanish into thin air. “Oh my God.”

Tommy’s eyes filled with tears, his body reacting without his mind. He tried to speak, to say anything, but he wasn’t ready. This wasn’t the perfect moment he envisioned, and yet the truth was unraveling before him like a stitch sprung loose.

“I… I thought…” All those years ago, when he’d stolen Nate Jones super strength, that hadn’t been the first time he’d mimicked a power. It had been Wilbur. 

“February third, 2032. You were the one I saved. You were the boy in the rubble.” Wilbur whispered. All Tommy could do was nod. “How – why didn’t you tell me before?”

“It never felt like the right time,” Tommy admitted with a small laugh. Wilbur returned it, face lighting up like he’d heard the best joke of his life.

“For nearly a decade I wondered how I did it. I wondered how I managed to get you out from under there – why I could never do it again, no matter how hard I tried to phase anyone else...”

“Guess you’re only that amazing of a hero when you’re with me.”

Wilbur laughed again, a melody Tommy could play for eternity. The hero stepped back to take in the view of Tommy, to find the face of the child that had never left his memory, before pulling him back into his arms.

“Welcome home, kid.”

Chapter Text

It was a dull Monday afternoon at Syndicate Lab. Scientists and engineers moved groggily through the halls of the sprawling facility as they shook off their weekend idleness. Business was conducted as usual. There was a banality that overtook the staff and infected the mood of the lab.

Several hundred yards north, a van stowed itself between rows of unused train cars. The exterior did nothing to show the apprehension bottled within its locked doors. Four heroes, three villains, waiting in loaded silence as the minutes ticked on. The digital clock embedded in the van’s surveillance system hit 12:30, and Quackity clasped his hands together.

“We all know our assignments?” A round of nods met him, some more enthusiastic than others. He smiled. “And everyone remembers the terms of the contract.”

Wilbur was the only one who didn’t give an affirmative. Quackity raised his brows patiently, and Wilbur snorted. “Everyone, including you?”

“I was the one who wrote it, Guapito.” Quackity gave him a taunting grin. “Let’s all remember, you complete the task you're assigned, you keep to the plan, and you don’t take the rest of the ship down if you’re caught.” 

“Simple enough,” Tommy muttered.

“Then what are we waiting for?” 

The van doors swung open and the teams diverged. They carried nothing with them besides the intel they’d committed to memory and the determination needed to complete such a risky mission. Physical tools wouldn’t be a necessity in getting beyond the doors – or walls – of Syndicate Lab.

“Comm check. This is Surveillance Team to Evidence Team, do you copy?”

“Evidence Team copies,” Foolish replied for himself and Purpled. 

“Surveillance Team to Interrogation Team, do you copy?”

“Interview team copies,” Wilbur corrected through gritted teeth.

“You sound just as alluring through an earpiece, Guapito,” Quackity purred. Wilbur clenched his jaw.

“I’m not looking forward to having his voice in my ear this whole mission,” Wilbur grumbled to Tommy. 

Inside the van, Tubbo and Ranboo sat in wait as Quackity flicked the vast array of monitors to life. The vehicle filled with artificial blue light of empty screens. A few clicks and taps of the keyboard pulled up a server connection screen.

“I would love to have this Fundy kid back. Must have made my life much easier when I didn’t have to do things the old fashioned way.” Quackity picked up a flip phone and dialed a number. The tone rang once before the call connected. Quackity’s voice altered drastically, face shifting with the character he put on. “Hey this is IT calling, I’m trying to log into the access server and my passcode isn’t working. I’m guessing they changed it up in the latest software update and never got the new one to me. You know how those guys are.” 

He gave a corporate laugh. A muffled voice sounded from the phone’s speaker “My badge number?” Quackity leafed through a stack of papers to his left. “R9Q24.”

The Sidekicks shifted uncomfortably as the line went silent. The man’s response made Quackity roll his eyes, but didn’t dash his confidence. “Look man, you could put in the official request, but it’ll just go back around through my boss and waste everyone’s time. Could you drop me the code this once?” A conceited smirk tipped the corner of his mouth. His fingers flew across the keyboard. “Thanks a million pal. Hey, I’ll grab you a coffee next time I’m down there. Alright, you too. Bye.”

The monitors filled with the camera feed inside Syndicate Lab. With one fluid motion Quackity snapped the phone in half and passed the broken pieces to Tubbo. “Toss that in the trash can for me?” 

Tubbo slowly tipped the electronic scraps into a metal basket and leaned in close to Ranboo. “This guy scares me.”

“Evidence Team, we got camera feed. Visual disruption is a go. The target should be arriving any second,” Quackity updated.

“We got our eyes peeled, boss,” Foolish assured.

Purpled was leaning against the side of an SUV with a placid expression as Foolish narrowed his focus. Images danced across his mind, and he sucked in a sharp breath. The sound of a car pulling into the lot made them both perk up. Foolish gestured towards the blue sedan a few feet away.

As soon as Purpled was poised and ready, a man in a suit moved past with a determined stride. Purpled stepped out just in time to collide with the Lab Executive. 

“Woah! My bad,” Purpled apologized as the Executive attempted to regain his bearings. 

“Watch where you’re – ” The man’s grumble was cut short as a fist swung into his temple. His head whipped to the side and he flopped to the ground. Foolish dragged the Executive towards the cover of the tightly parked cars as Purpled’s face shifted to steal his identity. 

“Are you going to undress him?” Foolish prompted.

“I had to do it last time.”

Just past the main building stood the East Wing, a sector that appeared as unassuming as the rest of the Lab. It was impossible to tell that the walls were reinforced with dense layers of impenetrable metal, or that the personnel entering the sector were far from the average engineers and military employees of Hero Tower. The East Wing, unlike the standard entrance, was flanked by an ever present set of armed guards. When the ‘Lab Executive’ approached with a handcuffed villain in tow, the men stationed at the door readied their weapons.

Purpled flashed the stolen badge and motioned towards the door. “I’m on my way to the holding unit.”

“We weren’t informed of any detainees arriving today,” one of the men stated. 

“I’m responding to an unexpected development.” Purpled ticked his jaw to the side and jostled the handcuffs Foolish was confined in. “I’ve had a long day, and I’m not inclined to make it worse. Can I take the prisoner to detainment, or do I need to call in your superior and explain the situation to them?”

The guards gave each other nervous glances, but stepped to the side to reveal the door’s scanner. Purpled swiped the badge and it lit up green. He shoved Foolish past the security checkpoint, and they shared a knowing look as they made their way down the hall.

“Evidence Team is in the building. Waiting on a visual for Ender to join.” 

“Copy,” Wilbur responded. A shaky breath rattled his throat as he looked over at Tommy. He was nervous, that much was obvious, though it wasn’t entirely clear which reason fueled it in particular. Nevertheless Wilbur maintained his professionalism. He placed a hand on Tommy’s shoulder and they both dematerialized in unison. As the power set took over, Tommy was filled with a rush of adrenaline. They advanced towards the backside of the east wing and stopped in a row of hedges.

“If we go through here, we should end up close to the detainment sector,” Wilbur motioned to a section of wall between a set of windows. “You ready?”

“Let’s do this.”

Every move they made would need to be slow and calculated. The schematic Quackity had provided gave only a vague approximation of the facility’s layout, so they would need to search each corridor until they found the room Snag was being kept in. With cameras arranged to cover every corner of the facility, they wouldn’t be able to return to form until they were certain Tubbo had control of the light waves entering the feed.

The first thing they found when they stepped through the thickly reinforced walls was a chemical lab. It was empty.