Chapter Text
Wilbur was acting off. He didn’t seem quite right. Phil had called him and called him for the past few days but he either couldn’t talk for long or didn’t answer at all. It's like he was hiding something. What if he was.. No. he couldn’t be. Viewer was a tyrannical monster, the Wilbur Phil knew couldn’t hurt a fly. Then again, he does have that friend, Techno, who has the same hair as Blade, and Will is the same height and build as Viewer, but no, there's no way Wilbur could be Viewer. Absolutely not. Because if Wilbur is Viewer, then Wilbur kidnapped Tommy. If that was true, Phil would never forgive himself.
And surely Tommy would never forgive him.
Phil stopped by at Ranboo’s work after his shift had ended. He needed to check on Tubbo. Since Tubbo had taken his break from heroism he had been spending most of his time curled up in one of the booths of Puffy’s cafe. As Phil entered the cafe he quickly noticed it was a different barista, which meant Ranboo and Tubbo were already home.
With a soft smile he ordered a decaf cappuccino from the barista, who’s name tag read Niki. She had pink hair just like Wilbur’s friend, but her’s was shoulder length. As ‘Niki’ handed Phil his drink, he noticed a hunched over man with chocolate brown hair, sobbing in a booth.
Phil recognized the man immediately.
Slowly and carefully he slid into the booth his old friend sat at. Wilbur jerked his head upwards, to look at Phil. His face was covered in debri, blood and bruises. Phil gasped and reached out to Wilbur. WIlbur flinched away, avoiding eye contact with the man.
“Will, mate.. Wha- What happened?” Phil worriedly asked, “You’re hurt.”
Wilbur rubbed some of the dirt off his face and stared into his hot chocolate. He quickly glanced at the area outside. Where he and Techno had first met Tommy less than a week ago. He looked back up at Phil.
“I-I got caught in the middle of… something,” Wilbur sheepishly muttered, “Just some hero villain fight.”
Phil’s worry grew immensely from that statement. He took Will’s hand and forcibly pulled him out of the cafe, leaving a generous tip on the table. As Phil pulled Wilbur in the direction of his work, he realised that Wilbur would probably figure out his identity, but he trusted Wilbur.
He hoped he could trust Wilbur.
He hoped Wilbur would trust him.
When they entered the hero Commission Wilbur grew nervous, Phil told him to stay there, and ran off to get medics. Wilbur’s breathing was shaky and irregular, it reminded him of the young boy left at his apartment with Techno. How scared that boy had been when he saw Mask.
How the boy could barely speak.
How that boy who would never shut up, could barely speak.
How Tommy could barely speak.
Wilbur began to piece things together one by one, every little clue that he must have missed finally falling into place. Tommy’s bright blond hair, so similar to Apex’s. Phil’s gentle caring tone, just like Flight. Techno’s sudden departure from the only life he’d known.
Tommy…
Tommy was apex.
Phil was Flight.
Tubbo was Sting.
Techno knew.
And Wilbur had fucked up.
He clasped his hands over his mouth at this realisation. As Phil came back with the medics, his face filled with pure fear, colour drained away from it. Tears filled his eyes as he stared at the man stopped in his tracks. The two medics behind him recognised Wilbur as Viewer, their faces filled with anger and fear.
Phil’s was confusion and worry.
“I’m fucking fine, ok, Phil!” Wilbur screamed at him, wiping the tears from his face, “I didn’t know it was Tommy, and I’m fucking sorry!”
With that he ran.
Phil fell.
His best friend was a supervillain. His face flooded with tears, his eyes going red. The medics he had brought ran to call it in, as Phil was not an active duty hero and could not chase after Wilbur himself.
Phil returned home that evening to fall into the arms of his wife. Kristin held him tightly, knowing, without even asking, what had happened. He cried himself to sleep that night, encaptured in the arms of his wife.
At least he still had her.
Tubbo was dormant, Ranboo was busy looking after him. The other heroes and staff at the commission didn’t give a shit about him, only about fame and a paycheck.
Tommy was gone. Kidnapped by his best friend.
But.. he still had Kristin.
Wilbur ran at full speed away from the commission, hastily putting on his mask. His vision blurred from tears. As he entered the apartment, he slammed the door open with a bang. Scaring Tommy so much he jumped out of his seat.
Wilbur made eye contact with the boy, ripped off his mask and slammed Tommy into a wall. His breath was heavy and quick, his eyes flooded with tears, he could think straight. He closed his fist into a ball, being sure to leave the thumb on the outside and with all his remaining strength, he punched Tommy in the face.
Blood ran down Tommy’s face and he screamed in pain. Techno quickly stepped in, overpowering Wilbur easily. Wilbur’s vision still blurred, until everything went too blurry for him to see at all. It all went dark. Wilbur had passed out.
Techno wasn’t sure what to do, should he help Wilbur and leave Tommy for a second, or help Tommy first. Blood streamed down Tommy’s face, as he held his nose, hoping to stop the blood. Techn grunted as he moved Wilbur onto the couch and then left Will to get some bandages from his room.
What had happened? Why did Wilbur suddenly attack Tommy, last Techno heard from him he had attempted to rob a bank on Snowchester Road. A hero by the name of 404 had stepped in and stopped the robbery. Techno knew Will had gotten hurt, but he had gotten out of there with no major injuries. He had texted Techno, saying he was gonna get a hot chocolate from a cafe called “Puffy’s Cafe,” and asking if he and Tommy wanted anything. Techno recognised the name and realised something.
Quickly he searched for the cafe and found it on google maps, in a few of the pictures that showed the business, a tall young man with split bleached hair was making coffee. Ranboo. The cafe was only a few blocks from the hero commission.
Phil.
As Techno sat Tommy down on his bed he quickly realised what he had to do. Phil now knew that Wilbur was Viewer, and in return Wilbur knew Flight was Phil… and that Tommy was Apex. Techno sighed as he grabbed the backpack they had confiscated from Tommy when they had first kidnapped him. Less than a week after they kidnapped him, Techno had grown very fond of Tommy.
But the man had a feeling it wasn't safe for Tommy to be here anymore.
He attached a small emerald onto a keychain and attached that to the bag, a tracker hidden inside. He handed the bag to Tommy and nodded slightly, turning his head away from the boy so that he wouldn’t see what seemed to be a small tear forming in Techno’s eyes.
“I- Techno.. You..” Tommy stuttered, glancing around the room, there was still a little blood on his face and Techno wiped it off quickly.
“Yeah I’m letting you go, now scram before I change my mind.” Techno muttered.
Tommy smirked and ran out the door before turning around and running back. He gave Techno a hug, and Techno hugged him back.
“Techno is still a stupid name.” Tommy laughed, “I’ll see y’a around, Technoblade.”
And with that Tommy ran.
He ran and ran and didn't stop running until he recognised where he was. He sat down and curled up. He didn't have a jacket. It was cold. He wanted Wilbur. He wanted Wilbur's warm embrace. He wanted Wilbur's comforting embrace. He wanted the man that had become his brother.
He was freezing up as he curled tighter into the ball he had positioned himself in. Everything went black. He passed out, tears streaming down his face.
5 days.
Tommy was missing for 5 days.
Blade and View- Wilbur.. had kidnapped the boy and kept him for five days.
On the fifth, they let him go.
He was found by two pro heroes that were patrolling the area a few hours after he had fallen into sleep. They were accompanied by a couple medics. One of the heroes, 404, ordered the medics to pick up the boy while his partner, Flame, alerted Phil.
Well after Phil had fallen asleep himself.
They carried Tommy back to the commision, and set him down in the infirmary. He was treated for hypothermia and a broken nose. It was the middle of winter. At night it dipped below freezing.
When they found him he was curled into a ball, blue with the exception of red dripping down his face, they had suspected he had broken out, but after inspecting the boys backpack the had found a note.
“Dear the Hero commission,
We didn’t know it was Apex when we took him. You can have him back. He has a broken nose from one of Viewer's outbursts but other than that we tried to keep him in one piece. All of his stuff in his backpack, we made sure he had enough to eat at all times. It’s not safe for him here anymore.
Keep him safe.-Blade.”
His backpack was sitting next to the bed, the bright red sticking out like a sore thumb in the entirely white infirmary. The boy in the bed next to the backpack was snuggled comfortably into the white sheets.
His blond hair and pale skin matched well with the rest of the room, the red on the bandages and his backpack were the only things that stood out. Given the fact he had gone from having a boiling fever to sleeping in freezing cold temperatures his body had seen better days.
His mind too.
Tommy woke up, feeling a familiar sense of brightness as he stared into the bright strobe lights across the ceiling. Just like day one.
Day.. one? Why was that important to him? Why was he counting the days?
The familiar feeling was dizzying and blurry. He didn't remember anything.
Where was he? What was he doing here? What time is it?
Who was he?
What was his name?
He couldn't remember.
The familiar brightness faded as the darkness took him back, fading out of consciousness.
Phil woke up the next morning and immediately checked his phone. He had two missed calls from Flame and 404, and a few text messages.
They found Tommy.
Tommy was safe.
Phil leapt out of bed and sprinted towards the door when Kristin chuckled and reminded him he was in his pyjamas. Phil smiled and gave her a kiss on the cheek then changed quickly.
Phil was far too restless to drive so Kristin drove him into work. When he finally reached the hero commision he ran towards the infirmary and paced around the entrance until he was allowed inside.
Quietly he sat down next to the bed, flinching everytime the boy ever so slightly moved. He took the boy's hand, squeezing it, trying to reassure the kid he was safe. He came to the decision that he wasn't gonna tell Tubbo and Ranboo they had found him, until he woke up.
Slowly Tommy opened his eyes for the second time. His eyelids fluttered before opening wide. Phil’s hand was clasped desperately around his own, small murmuring words of assurance were muttered as he began to ask the same questions he did when he first woke up. Phil answered each with a soft smile on his face
Philza stood up and took out his phone, still clutching onto Tommy’s hand for dear life. He called Tubbo and explained the situation, smiling at the boy in a way that made Tommy want to shrink. It wasn't a look of disappointment or anger, it was a look of worry and pity, two things Tommy despised with a great passion.
He wasn’t someone to be pitied. He was strong and brave and… he didn’t need anyone. He liked his friends, sure, but… he was never in a situation where he needed them. Physically he had always been able to survive without people, mentally… is another story.
Tubbo and Ranboo burst into the infirmary a few hours after Phil had called, surprising Tommy a bit and Phil who was pacing the room. Tubbo ran at Tommy with tears filling his eyes, which Tommy only had the strength to counter with a weak smile.
The smile that Tommy showed was weaker, and softer to what Tubbo remembered. It scared Tubbo to his core to see his best friend weaker than the victims he had rescued with Tommy in the past. It hurt knowing that Tommy was a victim.
Not a hero.
Tubbo embraced Tommy, holding so tightly as if he was going to disappear. As if this was just a dream that felt as real as day. As if this was the last chance Tubbo had to save him.
But… Tommy didn't need saving. He never had needed saving in the first place. He was a big man and he could take care of himself.
Right?
He didn’t need anyone else. He was a..
A hero.
Breaking News: SIDEKICK APEX FOUND UNCONSCIOUS BY HEROS FLAME AND 404
Apex, sidekick to the number two hero in the city, Sting, was found unconscious last night, and is thought to have frostbite or . He and Sting have been on leave since their fight with Mask, but after tonight, the question on everyone's mind is what is the real reason they went on leave?
- Nihachu, an hour ago
The Blade’s sudden removal from villain work, Mask’s rampage, and Sting’s leave, what is going on down at the hero commission? Clearly there’s something they’re not telling us, and our suspicions were as good as confirmed when Sting’s sidekick, Apex, was found unconscious on the corner of Pogtopia Drive and Kinoko Street, with non-fatal injuries, and hypothermia.
The question is, what happened? Some are saying that Mask and Viewer have teamed up and kidnapped Apex, the details not being released to the public for his safety. Others are saying It was Blade and Viewer, the duo known as the “Twins” having recently been broken up.
Firstly let's look over the facts. Apex and Sting, also known as the hero duo “Clingy Duo'' have been on leave since their most recent fight with Mask, five days ago. Apex was found unconscious and is suspected to have hypothermia, as well as having bruises covering his face and arms, but the injuries are not life threatening. Mask, who is known as Clingy Duo’s rival, has been on a crime spree since their leave was announced, 404 and Flame have been keeping him mainly at bay. Blade, the younger part of Twins Duo, announced his resignation from villain work earlier this week.
One of the major theories is that the Twins duo has fallen apart, hence Blade’s resignation. This supports the theory that Viewer and Mask had teamed up, Viewer likely looking for a new partner. Mask and Viewer have not been seen together in public though, so there is not much evidence to support this theory.
Personally I believe that Apex was kidnapped by the Twins, and at some point in the duration of his capture, Blade decided to resign, causing a tiff between the two, and Apex was let go. Sting’s leave would likely be related to Apex’s kidnapping as it is well known the two are good friends, and their relationship is not just sidekick/hero.