Chapter Text
Avery is working at the flower shop, watering the uncut plants when a figure wearing a yellow cloak walks in.
Avery's first thought is that they are a villian yet they walk up to the counters like a normal customer.
They ask in a feminine voice-although it is impossible to clearly see her face at his angle-, "Can I get some help?"
"Just one second please." The slime hybrid says somewhat nervously as he rushes to finish up watering a poppy.
When he finishes he walks behind the counter, smiling at the lady.
The lady hesitates for a moment before speaking. "I'm looking for a yellow flower. Do you have any?"
"Of course! We have many, is there a specific one you're looking for?"
"No," The lady shook her head. "Do you have any you would recommend?"
Avery thought for a moment. "Well, yellow often has positive meanings when it's on a flower? Would you mind telling me what specifically you want to do with it?"
It's not that he means to pry but it would be helpful to know more.
The lady pauses for a moment before answering, "To use in an alter for the King. You know of him right?"
Avery blinks. Oh, she's religious. He wonders what type of religion calls their God a King. Greek? He doesn't know. Not that he needs to know.
...Does the shop have a yellow flower meaning 'devotion'? He answers her question. "Um sorry, I can't say a recall what king you mean."
The cloaked lady immediately starts explaining. "He's called the King in Yellow-" Is that why she wears that cloak? "-and sometimes Hastur. He is who I serve. He is the one that knows all."
"That's... cool. Maybe a sunflower would work. Means loyalty." He remembers looking it up. He is a bit worried its not a fit meaning for a god, but that's the only yellow flower he knew that might work. "How many do you want?"
Luckily she doesn't speak more of her King. "Ten if you will."
He nods, walking to the sunflower pots are. They weren't a common buy so they weren't already cut.
"And that's..." He calculates the number in his head as he gave her the flowers. "Four-eighty."
The cloaked lady nods and quickly places a five dollar bill on his hand.
"Thank you. Have a good day." She says politely before practically running out of the shop.
Strange, Avery thinks.
The rest of his shift goes by normally at least.
He turns on the TV news out of boredom a few minutes before he has to close shop, catching a recap on the fight a few days ago between Andre and Assimilation.
"The fight lasted for three hours before Andre was taken by Assimilation. Luckily, the Hero Federation has concluded that Andre has escaped the villians clutches." The news woman reports.
"Thank God. What would we do without our speedster?" The news man lets out a dramatic sigh of relief before speaking to the audience. "But watch out folks! During the attack, the villian D3rlord3 was spotted near by."
Avery immediately becames more attentive to the television. Did people spot D3rlord3 saving him?
...If so he's going to be questioned by the Hero Association. That would be exhausting.
A blurry picture clearly taken by a phone shows on screen. The picture depicts D3rlord3 in an alleyway talking to a man in white and huge wings. It is White (Ze).
Luckily though, the camera didn't capture Avery. He sighs in relief as the News guy moves on from D3rlord3.
The News Woman starts talking on a different subject. "Also in recent news, another villian known as Watchdog has escaped from the priso-"
Brinngggg
Suddenly Avery's phone ringed. Pulling his phone out of his pocket, he sees who is calling.
He answers easily. "Mason?"
Was he calling to make sure Avery was still going to the abandoned building with him and Ze? He did accidently make other plans last time.
A panicked voice comes out of the phone. "Avery! Please tell me you're of work."
Nope, not about the building then. The slime hybrid quickly glances at the time. "I'm closing up shop. Are you okay? Where are you?"
"Okay- well I'm okay but Ptolemy, the guy I told you about, isn't! Please say you can help me."
"I can! Can you tell me what happened?" When did Mason ever say anything about a Ptolemy? No, that doesn't matter. Avery quickly turns off the shops light and rushes out, almost forgetting to lock the doors.
"He's incredibly hurt- he got caught up in a villian attack, he has so many injuries. The hero got him bad-"
"Wait the hero hurt him?" Avery would have paused if the situation wasn't so dire.
Mason sounded sheepish. "Well. Ptolemy might have been the villian in this scenario... you'll still help though right?"
Avery all but gaped. "Uh- sure? I um."
"Sure." He repeats as he bolts out of the shop. The slime doesn't know what Mason has gotten himself into, but he will be damned if he doesn't help.
Arriving at Mason's house, he hurriedly knocks at the dorm and the human let him in.
"He's on the couch- but your healing works on all hybrids right?" Mason asks nervously as he shows Avery behind him, the entrance to the dorm being the living room. "I don't know exactly what Ptolemy is, but he doesn't have much human in him."
"It does work on non-humans. It's more restoring and sealing than complete healing though." Avery explains awkwardly before finally seeing Ptolemy.
And WOW. Avery can't help but gawk at the injured man. He was not human indeed. Ptolemy was -----. The couch is bloodied and seems to just get redder. Avery forces himself to focus. tearing off the same finger he had weeks before. It is weaker anyways, even if not by much.
The pain stings but it's far from what Ptolemy must be feeling.
Avery spreads the slime across his burns, the man grunting in pain at the touch.
The legs are much harder to help. They are mangled and shredded but he tries his best.
Avery feels queezy but he yanks off another of his fingers.
He can't do much for the chunks that are missing, but he straightens out the legs and tries his best. Despite what Avery said about his power restoring- he can't just make matter out of nothing!
A thought passes through his mind that he could technically help more, maybe even sacrificing on of his legs. But it would hurt to much for Avery to handle. It would take so much energy that Avery would never be able to form solid again.
It might be selfish but Avery would rather not go through that.
He can feel Mason's glaze as he tries to spread the slime. Unlike Golden, Ptolemy will not be healed overnight but Avery can at least have the knowledge that he would be in far less pain.
"I did what I can. Do you have any bandages I can wrap around his injuries?" Avery is surprised at how tired his voice sounds. Looking behind him, Mason looks a bit disturbed but nods as he gets up to get Avery some.
Avery never really used bandages before (he always just regenerated) but he's sure he can apply them. ...He still looks up how-to videos on his phone when he's given the bandages.
As he starts though, banging comes from the dorms door.
Avery and Mason share a glance before Mason nervously goes to see who it is.
"Oh... hi? What is a hero doing here?" Avery hears Mason ask. The slime nervously gulped.
A more distant voice answers, feminine. "Nothing much. Just got a few noise complaints and decided to get a hero to check."
"Not a police officer?"
"I know- they are making me do the cop's job. They want to be safe though. Guess there was a villian attack nearby. Think they called the villian Ptolemy?" Avery can hear how exasperated she is. "So anyhow, everything good here? Actually I might have to check your home."
"Don't you need a permit for that?" Mason immediately brings up.
"I mean. Do heros need those?" This woman can not be serious, right?
"Yeah they do. Anyways, everything is good. I just... had a fight with my significant other. I already kicked him out." Mason lies quickly. "So I appreciate the concern but everything is all good!"
"Well sure. I guess if everything is fine. But if there's another complaint, can't promise there won't be a search of your place." She tells him.
"Alright. Thanks for warning me?" Mason sounds unsure.
Suddenly Ptolemy grunts in pain and Avery freezes.
"...What was that?" The hero's voice instantly turns suspicious.
Avery quickly speaks up loud enough for the hero to hear. "Um. Sorry I just stubbed my knee!"
Terrible excuse but Avery isn't given much time to think of a better one.
"Who is that? I thought you kicked your... lover out."
"Oh that's my- uh friend. He's here to comfort me after my possibly ruined relationship?" Mason speaks it like a question before his voice turns very weak. "I... my-my boyfriend might be cheating on me... that what our fight was about!"
"Damn. Really?"
"Yes- Sob! !"
"Ah. Well. I gotta go." The hero awkwardly responds, clearly wanting nothing more to do with the conversation anymore.
The hero made a quick escape.
Mason looks to Avery as he closes the door.
"That was... something."
"We almost got caught!" Avery almost yells. He takes a deep breath to calm down. "How did you even get caught up in this business?"
Mason stares towards Ptolemy as he takes a moment.
"Well, you know how Ze is a vigilante? I might have also became one." He tries.
"So... you're a vigilante now?"
Mason shrugs unsure. "It was meant to be a one time thing until I met Ptolemy."
"Dating a villian made you a vigilante?" Avery doesn't understand how one led to another.
"Sorta. I needed a way to see him again. Where we both didn't have to be enemies. Still, being in a mask and suit is something I'd rather stay away from." Mason adds.
Well, Avery guesses he can't judge. But a shared friend of theirs is not really keen on villians.
"Does Ze know about this?"