Work Text:
Despite what Mary thought, Tim didn’t set out to be a hero on a whim.
He just wanted to protect them, at first.
The suit came first; he thought it was almost done. It was simple, a shell of metal that would protect him from that robot bastard, allowed him to fight back.
“It’s a good concept.” A voice said behind him.
He almost jumped out of his skin.
The Dark stalked (that’s the best word for it) up to him and around the suit, circled it like a panther on the prowl. The outfit was what really did it for him, the tight black suit, the high-heeled boots, the mask. (Tim was not Jacob but he could see the appeal) Tim would never be that hero, but he wasn’t trying to be.
“But see,” The Dark pointed to a pair of seams on the side of the metal ensemble. “One good hit here from our robotic friend and this whole side crumbles inward, trapping you inside. Who knows how injured you’d be.”
Tim winced, he didn’t think about that.
“What do I have to do to fix it?” The Dark looked back at him, dark brown eyes glinting with something, trouble , a voice like Mary’s said in his head. This man was trouble.
“I got a partner,” He started and a quick laugh burst out of Tim.
“I thought you worked alone.” The Dark looked sheepish.
“Yeah, my fiancé didn’t really like that.” Tim was sure he didn’t keep the surprise off his face. “He’s fantastic with stuff like this, I could take a picture or bring him with me and we could work on it sometime?”
Something like excitement grew in his chest. Mary would hate this.
“Yeah!” He said. Hoping he didn’t sound too eager. “That’d be great.”
The Dark smiled, bright, cocky with blinding white teeth. “Just keep yourself safe till we finish this, alright, Jensen?”
He nodded. He could do that.
Then the other man left and Tim waited for a second but when he went outside, the man disappeared.
How did he?
“This better not be another one of your fool plans, Tim Jensen.”
Mary hated the idea.
“He could come back, Mary.”
“And you’re gonna take that tin can and fight him?”
“No, not like the way it is now when we get it all,”
“We?” It was soft and deadly.
“I,” he said. “when I get it all fixed up,”
“Tim Jensen!”
“I promise, if it gets too dangerous, I’ll quit but the thought of not being able to protect you or the kids from that monster, it scares the hell out of me, Mary.” He was being honest with her, why couldn’t she see that?
“What if you don’t have that option? What if they,” Mary was one of the bravest people he knew and this voice was downright terrified. He got it, he knew where she was coming from but she should get where he was coming from.
“They won’t.”
“You’re only one person,”
“But I’m not alone.” He said and when she opened her mouth he quickly said, “I have you, so I can’t fail.”
And she melted like she always did.
“He’s right the concept is great!” He was on the phone with the number left on the work table when he got home from work. And wasn’t it nice for his job to take him back once he got that whole identity thing sorted out? “But,” The voice on the phone said. “Our technology just isn’t there yet. It could work the first time or it could collapse before you even took the first step. Have you ever even tried it on?”
“No…” And the man on the phone laughs. It’s one of those twinkling laughs.
“Look, we’ll get you fitted, get you some real armor. It will do the same thing as your little suit but has the backing of history to protect you.”
“Armor, like a knight?” And the man laughs again.
“No, we’re probably gonna do leather in the torso and legs, your bracers will be metal. Blue would be a nice look for you,” He kept saying words like that and Tim just listened.
“But I can’t afford all that!” He finally said as he listened as the man talks about changing the metal hand guards he made. The man laughed again.
“Oh darling, did you think Mr. Dark,”
“THE,” A booming voice said in the background
“Paid for everything?” The voice keeps talking as if that didn’t happen. “That was all me. You? It will be a piece of cake.”
“I can’t,” It wasn’t charity, but it still rankled him.
“Don’t bother, Tim.” The voice said as if he knew him. “You’re already in this fight, they messed with your family, they took you, your life.” He knew that, but he wasn’t in this for revenge, he was trying to. “You can’t step out now, you’re in too deep.” He took deep breaths, tried to center himself.
“K, give me the phone.” He heard someone muttered.
“No, he needs to hear this!”
“Give me the phone.” There is a clatter and then he hears the growly voice of The Dark. “Look, if you don’t want-,”
“I want this.” He blurted out, interrupting him, let his heart say what he wanted most. “What do I have to do?
There was silence on the other line for quite some time.
“Hello,” He said, and he heard The Dark cough.
“Alright, look, we need you to go to this place.”
Later. “Two strange men?” The whole situation exasperated Mary. “And you just listened to them?”
“Yeah.”
The place The Dark and the mysterious K sent him to was about an hour and a half from town, it was in one of the bigger cities and he felt out of place as he walked up to the ornate door.
He had taken off early from work and still only got there a right before the shop closed. It was empty and quiet and sparkling.
“Tim?” a voice asked. A stunning lady with a soft smile walked towards him. He nodded. “We’ve been expecting you, come on back.”
A quiet old man who only hums and hems to get Tim where he wanted him took his measurements.
“Do you know who’s paying for this?” He asked the man and got only a small smile for his troubles.
The old man shooed him out, he doesn’t see the woman again.
It’s like a visit to a strange land he’ll never see again. After a week or so passes and nothing new? He goes back to work on the tin can, he didn’t need them.
That was what he was working on when Mary brought a package out to him. She set it down and it gave a loud metallic clang. He looked at her, she frowned at him.
“I’m not going to ask!” Mary said as she rotated to leave the garage.
“Thank you! Love you.” He said, and he felt her rolling her eyes. The moment the door shut behind her, he tore the package open.
There were two shirts on top, a white long-sleeve shirt and a navy blue short-sleeve shirt, he rubbed the material between his fingers. It was really nice, nicer than he ever had. There was a pair of dark pants and shiny black dress shoes. He knew looking at the set, combined, it cost more than a month’s salary.
Underneath the clothes, there was - brown leather top and matching pants, tough on the outside with layers of padding on the inside. He knew if he tried them on they would fit perfectly.
At the very bottom of the package were shiny metal arm and leg bracers and a bright blue chest plate and a note that fluttered to the ground.
Sorry about the wait, Jensen. We’re gonna need to know when you get this ASAP for security reasons. Let us know the fit. We know it’s perfect but just so we know, if we need to change anything.
And then underneath that was another person’s handwriting.
I made minor modifications to your handguards so you don’t get your hands smashed the first time you use them. And if you know how to spin it, go get Mary fitted, we can get her something special. Have fun!
And then at the bottom were words from The Dark, he was sure, they said: “Don’t feel you have to do anything.”
It was unsigned.
He sat there before he finally worked up the courage to try the suit on.
The pants fit snugly and as he was pulling the tight-fitting long sleeve top over his head, he heard:
“That’s a good fit for you.” He nearly jumped out of his skin and stumbled and nearly fell, trapping himself in the shirt. He couldn’t see the voice. “Whoa there Tim,” Gloved hands cradled his side, so he didn’t fall and he finished pulling the top on, knowing his cheeks were flushed red. He glared at The Dark, who flashed him a crooked, bright smile, letting him go, stepping back.
That day, the Dark wore just a leather jacket and some black jeans, he had his hair out, which looked like short soft black curls coming from his head. A domino mask, without the normal get-up, he looked familiar . “It looks great! How does it fit?”
“It feels good,” Tim shifted, flexing his muscles. Since everything had happened, he felt fragile but standing here next to The Dark, in this suit of leather, he felt powerful.
“Here,” The Dark said, helping him fasten the metal arm and leg bracers on. The chest plate went on last but with it on, he felt a little more real. He bent his arms, tightening his legs. “K’s coming up with something he thinks might work a little better than this but those,” And he pointed at the metal gloves Tim had pulled on. “Those make you dangerous.”
“That’s what’s we need right?” The Dark nodded.
“You’re gonna need something to protect your pretty face.” And Tim shook his head.
“I want him to know it’s me, the real me.”
“Dangerous,” The Dark murmured. “But doable. Come on.” The other man turned to leave.
“Wait, now?” He imagined walked out the garage in this and his feet felt stuck to the ground. Hat if Mary saw him, what if he wasn’t strong enough? What if she was right, and this was stupid? “I, uh,”
“You thought you were just going to wait here, listen to the radio and wait for them to bring up the robot?” Yeah, he did. The Dark laughed, kinda mockingly. “You’ll get torn apart. I bet you’ve never even gotten into a fight before.”
“I have!” He said. He thought of when he first attacked the robot him, how scared he had been, how angry. That counted.
“Over one?” Tim’s silence was all the answer the man needed. “Look, come train with me, it can’t hurt.” It could, it could just show him, he was not cut out for this. The Dark gave him that cocky smile again. “Plus,” And he tossed a box at Tim. “Portable radios work way better.”
‘I can’t.” Tim said. The Dark tilted his head, scrutinizing him.
“Fine. Here.” He pressed a slip of paper into his hand. “You ever think about training, I got a friend with a huge space. Call us.”
He doesn’t think about it again. He put the suit in a crate underneath his work shelf, left it alone. Kept the portable radio tucked in his pocket, just in case.
Then the robot him destroys Troy’s cruiser anymore and he can’t hold back anymore.
“Mary, he could have killed them, this is my problem!”
“Your problem?” She asks, voice soft and hurt. “You didn’t make him, Tim.”
“He’s me!”
“He’s not,”
“You don’t get it!” He said.
“Then help me understand,” Mary loved him, she loved him so much that she would do anything to help him, but she couldn’t help with this.
“So you want to train now,” The Dark said. His voice wasn’t as low as it normally, it sounded like he as straining to maintain it.
“No, but I’m working on a helmet, for the suit, I thought you could look at it.” There was silence on the other side of the line for a bit. He heard the shifting of covers, someone murmuring.
“I’ll be there in 15.”
Tim heard him arrive (for the first time). The Dark was just wearing a black shirt, and a pair of black running pants, the mask is on but he looked normal. Like a regular person.
“What?” The man asked and there was no under growl.
“Sorry,” Tim said. “I know it’s late.”
“It’s fine.” He said. “Let me see it.”
They tinkered with the helmet through the night, The Dark was insightful on what Tim wanted from it. The more Tim listened to him though, the more something ticked in the back of his mind.
The Dark’s watch went off, the distinctive beep startled them both. “I got to go,” The Dark said, putting down the power tool in his hand. He doesn’t move though and he and Tim stare at each other. “You’re gonna have to take this out, one day.”
“I know.” He said as The Dark stood from the workbench.
“The offer is still open.” He said as he headed out the door.
“Dwayne Libbydale?” He heard Mary’s voice ask, and it all clicked. Oh!
She walked into the garage, a determined look on her face.
“Tim Jensen! Dwayne Libbydale! What in the wide world of sports do you two think you’re doing in-”
“Mary! Don’t touch that!” The Dark, Dwayne Libbydale said as her hand headed to the helmet. “It’s not done yet.”
“Do you know what time it is!” She asked whirling to face Tim. “All the noise you’re making?”
“I’m sorry,” Tim said.
“We’re sorry,” Dwayne said, smooth. “Time got away from us, we’re finished up now, we’re just working on this project,”
“Don’t think I don’t know about you,” but she trailed off. “I thought, I saw,” and the mask that the man was wearing was nowhere to be found instead there was Dwayne Libbydale with deep shadows beneath his eyes and a sleepy but wide smile, it grew wider as she stared at him.
“Don’t worry,”. The other man said, slinging an arm over Tim’s shoulders. “I won’t let anything bad happen to your man here.” Mary nodded slowly, but Tim could see her brain running a mile a minute behind her eyes.
“Let me walk Dwayne out.” He told Mary. “I’ll be right in.”
“No need,” Dwayne said quickly. “Y’all lovebirds head inside, I know my way.”
He expected Mary to say something the moment they were in the house but she just gave him a searching look before nodding. “Goodnight Tim.” She said, voice even.
“Night, Mary.” He said back, his hand clenched around the slip of paper in his pocket.
They didn’t talk about it, which was okay because Tim hated lying to Mary and he didn’t want to think about what would happen if she found out he lied to her.
He kept working on the helmet. Made sure he set alarms, so he headed inside, turned on the portable radio now and then, listening out for signs of the Dark and himself.
Only a week had passed before he found himself pulling up outside of Libbydale farms.
He hadn’t been here in years, he and Mary tried when Bella was small to bring the kids out every fall for the mazes and festivities. They only remembered the first couple of times.
It was a clear day, and he sat in his car instead of walking up to the door. What would he even say?
A figure came out of the house, a cute small farmhouse, and not at all what he pictured The Dark living. The man came up to his car.
“How can I,” He cut off his words upon seeing him, a pleased expression appearing on the man’s face. “Tim,” Tim racked his brain for why the man’s voice sounded so familiar. Oh!
“K,” He said. The man smiled at him.
“I go by Kirk,” He said with a laugh and it definitely was the same man. He looked Tim up and down and said, “Yep, he’s going to hate this.”
“I can go!” Tim blurted out and Kirk laughed again, shaking his head.
“So you can go home and tell Mary, the Libbydales didn’t treat you right? Nope, come on in.” Tim started to shake his head but Kirk “Come on, Tim, we don’t bite.”
The inside of the Farmhouse was as cute as the outside.
“We might change a few things, but Dwayne gets all touchy and nostalgic. It’s growing on me.”
“You’re not from around here, are you?” He hoped it didn’t sound as judgemental as he felt it probably came out.
“Is it that obvious? I’m from a city that makes King Falls look tiny but Dwayne wanted to come back so I followed him.” There was a misty look in his eyes. “I’d follow him anywhere.”
“How did you guys meet?” A smile lit up Kirk’s face.
“It was Dwayne’s senior year of college, I had graduated the year before and,” He talked to Kirk for what felt like hours, exchanging stories about King Falls, Dwayne, Mary. The man was really easy to talk to.
They were still talking when Dwayne entered, who took one look at Tim and said: “I’m getting a beer, you want one?” And vanished into the kitchen.
Kirk sighed but smiled as his fiance re-entered the room.
“Gonna have to pass, babe.” He said as he stood from his chair. Dwayne’s face dropped. “I have work to do.” He kissed the spot between Dwayne’s brows, waved at Tim and exited the room, slipping away as quietly as a cat.
Dwayne placed the two beers between them and they sipped them together in silence.
“You were in Ben’s class in school, right?” Tim asked, satisfied by the surprised, pleased look on Dwayne’s face.
“Yeah, how did you,”
“You left,” Tim said. The people who left King Falls were the ones people knew, they were the breakouts, the stars. “I didn’t.” Dwayne snorted.
“And Mary?” he asked.
“I think she’s just good with voices.” Dwayne dropped his head.
“I think Troy knows, and Ben is like this close to figuring it out.” He sounded defeated.
“So?” The disappointed look Dwayne sends him made him chuckle.
“I can’t, The Dark, Me, we can’t be the same.”
“Why not?”
“I’m not you, you want everyone to know Tim Jensen because you have to rebuild Tim Jensen.” Tim shifted uncertainly, that’s wasn’t why at all. At least, he didn’t think so. “But The Dark is different! He’s”
“The Night?” He laughed when Dwayne glared at him.
“Not funny.” He drained his drink. “Why are you here Tim?” Tim sipped his drink, it held him back from answering too quickly.
“I want to train.” Dwayne looked away from him, stared at a spot in the wall, bit his lip. He seemed conflicted. Wasn’t this what he wanted from Tim?
“Do you want to train with The Dark or Dwayne Libbydale?” The other man finally asked.
“Which one is gonna go easy on me?” It surprised a laugh of Dwayne, a dark quick bark of a sound, but he smiled and nodded.
“The Bot won’t go easy on you.” Tim smiled, finished his drink quickly.
“I hope he doesn’t.” The grin that Dwayne gave him screamed danger. Tim leaned into it.
A week later, as his metal-coated fist connected with Robo-Tim’s jaw, he felt exhilarated.
Mary was going to hate this.