Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Syndicate City spanned out infront of Shadow, a vigilante who had been running through the streets of the lower sectors near the walls just minutes earlier. He stood on the rooftop, hand on his shoulder to stop the bleeding of the wound he had received from stopping a robbery. The lower sectors were overrun with crime, so it wasn’t often that he got to just stand on one of the taller, less crumbling buildings and just looked at the hero tower that stood a mile away on a small hill at the front of the city.

The tower was the shining monument of opportunity of the city, Heroes of all types of power backgrounds and hybrids resided in that tower. Watching over the city with a careful eye or rather, watching the upper sectors, the ones that can afford to pay rent and provide for their families all the time. Everyone thought the heroes were some type of gods, but Shadow knew better to call them gods. He sighed as he saw a figure dash across the roof towards him, the figure boosted himself with a small flash of light over the rooftops till he landed beside the taller vigilante.

“Ey! Atom! You weren’t supposed to be Patrolling tonight.” Shadow greeted the small goat hybrid. Atom was a well known vigilante in the lowest district, known for his energy manipulation down to the smallest atom. He could take energy from practically anywhere and use it as anything, but Shadow thought his explosions were the best.

The smaller goat hybrid just grinned up at Shadow, “I had a bit of extra energy and couldn't sleep big man. I’m not surprised to see you out though, what is this, the fourth week in a row that you’ve been out all night?”

Shadow rubbed the back of his head shamefully
“Hey! It’s not my fault this place is crawling with thugs! Someone’s gotta watch over it while the others take care of their personal lives”

He still held his shoulder, trying not to move it much, he had already gotten hurt once this week, he would be dead if Atom or Ender found out.

“Well still, you should take a break, Ender is back in commission starting tomorrow, he and i can cover your sectors, and plus I’m sure you got someone in your life outside of vigilantism that is worrying over your health, because you have another fucking stab wound, what is this, the fourth one this week?” Atom crossed his arms at the accusation. His horns gleaned in the moonlight, shaggy brown hair starting to lift from the energy Atom was subconsciously pulling in.

Shadow felt the energy being raised around him and quickly backed up with a nervous laugh. “Haha, Big man, Big A, we can talk about this! I’m perfectly fine the robber just got a lucky shot! How did you even know?”

Atoms took a couple steps forward, closing the distance between him and Shadow. “Shadow, I mean this in the nicest possible way, but your hand is quite literally red with your own blood. Plus you were on the news earlier. You are so lucky I'm not in the mood to fry you Shadow. Go to your base and get that patched up. And if I see you out on patrol tomorrow I won't stop Ender from going off on you.”

Atom could be scary when he wanted to, that was evident by Shadow’s wide eyes, partially hidden by his goggles. Shadow just nodded, too stunned to speak. His wrist watch buzzed and he looked at it, seeing a message from a dream. Shadow cursed before running down the roof of the building they were currently on

Atom scoffed watching him go, he shook his head, setting off small sparks of electricity as he did.

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Tommy crawled up the fire escape on the side of his building with ease, he had done this too many times to count, especially with an injury like his shoulder. With his good arm he pulled the ladder back up and pried open his window to his and Dream’s shitty apartment. It was one of the better ones in the lower districts, perfect for Dream to hide his base of operations and still live comfortably.

Tommy crawled inside, taking off his mask and goggles from his vigilante get up before quickly taking off his terribly made black outfit.

“Thomas, that better be you!” Dream’s voice yelled from deeper in the two bedroom apartment. Probably in the kitchen from the echo.
Tommy flinched under his brothers yelling. He quickly got dressed and walked out to meet him, hand holding his shoulder again, his shirt slowly staining red from the slowing bleeding. Tommy was pale from fear and blood loss.

Dream was in the kitchen, the radio going on and on about the robbery down on 21st street. Tommy flinched as dream looked up at him with those power activated emerald green eyes. “Thomas…What were you thinking! I told you not to go out today! You knew I was sending people out today, why did you interfere! Now you're on the news!”

Oh, he was most definitely angry with Tommy, using the real name and everything. “Listen, I can expl-”

“Explain!? You can explain!? Thomas! I gave you direct orders to stay in tonight! I told you that my men were going out!” Dream's voice was rising and Tommy felt light headed looking at dream, he was starting to become blurry, his voice at a distance now.

“Thomas, are you even- oh my god, your bleeding, fuck.” Dream raced over and dragged Tommy to sit down on their partially broken and stained couch. Tommy felt pretty tired, he knew it wasn't from the blood loss, most likely, but rather from dreams ability. Why did he get the powerful ablities and not tommy…oh right…because tommy was the fuck up, he was the hybrid in the family, unable to remember anything from before he was ten without having nightmares and throwing up blood all night.

Slowly he came back to reality. Dream was sitting on the coffee table rubbing his face like he was trying to get rid of the few freckles that dotted around his cheeks. Tommy frowned at the thought, he liked dreams freckles, he shouldn't be trying to get rid of them.

“tommy…I’m sorry I was so harsh… Just, you know how much we rely on these robberies.” Dream said softly using Tommy's nickname now instead of his legal name, not his true name, but his legal name. He didn’t know what his legal name was, but he was sure that if dream didn't like it then he shouldn't try and search for it.

“Is okay dream…I’m sorry I went out tonight…I shouldn’t have and yet I did.” Tommy said sleepily, recovering from dreams ability, he’s able to fight it for the most part, but it still made his brain a bit fuzzy.

“I understand tommy, just listen to me next time. Come on, sit up…” Dream coaxed him to sit up, Tommy groaned, not wanting to. His shoulder felt tight but the tightness was that of the familiar stitches and bandages. He sighed and finally sat up, his shirt was draped over him covering his front, and his small wings were out, feathers puffed. He didn't remember letting them out.

“I let them out Tommy, you’ve had them hidden away for a week now. I need to preen them.”

“But dream!!” Tommy went to argue against letting them out. He didn’t like the reminder that they were there. They didnt do anything for him since they were smaller than what they should’ve been. Probably because of hiding them away and not letting them grow properly. They still had a chance, but he didn’t care to let them grow.

“Tommy. Stop arguing with me. I’m preening them whether you want me too or not. They need to be preened. You’re useless with and without them, so why not see if they can do you any good.” Dream argued, tone stern and voice getting louder.

Dream yanked a wing harshly towards him to make it extend, scoffing at how messy the feathers were along with how scrawny they were. Tommy wouldn’t get dinner tonight after the stunt he pulled. Dream hated not letting Tommy eat but if it made him learn less he would do it.

Tommy always hated that he was an avian. They were one of the rarest hybrids to be born into and they were often hunted for whatever powers they developed after getting their wings early in life. Tommy had been in an orphanage, forced to show his wings on display whenever a family would come in. But after years of families taking him and then returning him like some sort of animal after villains and thugs coming after them, Tommy learned to hate them, to hide them constantly.

Tommy couldn't help the instincts that came with being an avian though. He leaned slightly into Dream's hands as the man’s finger carded through the broken and twisted feathers, pulling them out and apologizing whenever a small chirp of pain came from Tommy without him trying to stop it.

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When dream was done he sent Tommy to his room, before locking the door like usual and leaving the small shitty apartment. He walked down the block for a few minutes, using his power to make sure no one noticed him as he ducked down an alleyway and knocked on a door in a certain rhythm.

The door opened to an elevator, Dream stepped inside and pressed the only button. The elevator closed and started the jerky descent. He would really need to invest in a better system to get down to the base.

Dream’s power was mainly just reality manipulation, able to make people see whatever he wanted them too. Most thought his power was just making people live in a nightmare, but it was just so much more than that. However, the few times he encountered and fought the heroes, the city had dubbed him as Nightmare after making several top heroes cry as they tried to fight their way out of illusions.

As the elevator came to a stop at the bottom after what seemed like forever, Dream slid his mask over his face, stopping anyone to see anything but his green eyes. The mask had a poorly drawn smiley face on it, giving it a very eerie look to whoever was facing him. His powers when activated just added onto the aesthetic as they shined an emerald green against the black paint.

The doors opened with a creak and soon he was walking into a fairly high tech base, lower hybrid minions ran around carrying out different tasks, they all just scampered out of his way with just a glare from the high ranking villain. There was a shout from above on a small platform with a lounging area along with computers to plan their outings. Nightmare quickly walked up the steps to the platform, ignoring the purplish glow from the vents around the room, letting off the steam from the vats of chemicals around them.

In the lounging area was a man with a white shirt, black hair that was held back with a bandanna, and orange glowing eyes as he tried to fight with a taller, more lanky man with a blue shirt and white sunglasses. The two top tier villains were sparring to pass the time. The white shirt man, also known as Sapnap or villain Phoenix, was throwing punch after punch, hands covered in a blue flame, eyes glowing orange as his power stayed activated. Experion, otherwise known as George, was easily blocking Phoenix’s punches, his eyes stayed a natural blue as he yawned and let Phoenix finally get a hit in.

Nightmare watched, letting out a wheeze of a laugh as he watched Experion fall onto his ass and surrender with a tired smile. He hadn't really even tried, the dude just wanted to sleep. He had been on patrol and just got back so he was exhausted after fighting top hero fundy all night. Experion wasn’t one to usually use his power often as he usually does just as much damage to the mind as Nightmare’s.

The two villains looked over at Nightmare’s kettle whistle laugh. They both smiled and greeted him before pulling up the main computer as Experion flopped onto a couch and Nightmare sat down next to both of them to see the computer.

“Did either of you go on patrol tonight? I know we had that bank robbery up on 21st… But was that it tonight or..” Nightmare asked, he hadn't shown his face in public in a bit so he was a little behind on what the other two of his team were doing.

“I went out tonight, saw that kid of yours fighting our guys, and then ran into fundy up in 5th. He was a big thorn in my side tonight, and fought for a good five minutes before I managed to knock him out with the spores.” Experion explained, blanching a bit at the mention of his powers. He had used them out of necessity. He remembered hearing the thud of Fundy’s body as he fell to the ground unconscious.

“What was fundy doing out on 5th? He usually sticks to the richer neighborhoods, especially since he’s like number fifteen on the board.” Phoenix said, finally looking up from the computer where he had pulled up the plans for the new drug they were making in the vats around the room.

“I don’t know, but I managed to get out of there before anyone else came to get him. On my way back I realized that the boy of yours, Nightmare, had actually managed to stop the robbery, so I finished it myself. Cleared the bank out entirely. It's all in the vault already being counted into our funds.”

“Thank you george. I told the brat to stay in tonight because I knew the news would be out, but he went out anyway. Managed to get him back afterwards and locked him in his room.” Dream sighed leaning back, eyes glazing over the computer screen. “How’s production coming along?” He asked before Sap or George could argue with him about how he was raising tommy.

Sapnap rolled his eyes, “it’s almost done, at least the first batch is. You’ll be ready to make your dramatic re-entrance into the world in about a week or so. You sure you really want to be the first person to test this stuff… I still don't trust the book you found. It's been years since you found it. And you are so fucking protective of it.”

Dreams' eyes flared into the glowing emerald green and George immediately shrunk away off of the platform, making himself busy elsewhere. “You aren’t doubting me, are you Sapnap? This is gonna get us fucking rich and you are here doubting me?!” His voice started to turn deadly as sapnap gripped his chair. The world around him wavered as dream’s power activated in his anger.

“Of course I’m doubting you dream! You left for two years and came back with a book and a fucking child! And you’re suddenly so interested in avians and power boosters!” Sap argued back, blinking back the illusions dream was unintentionally weaving around him, but they just kept coming in the form of shadow figures trying to reach towards him before vanishing.

“These aren’t normal power boosters Sapnap! This could change the world with how powerful they are! These alter the fucking dna, they re-write the code of your powers instead of just giving them a tinee weanie boost. They stay that way forever Sap! We could take down the heroes with this stuff!” Dream yelled, practically on top of the man.

Sapnap shook his head before pushing dream off of him, hands burning a hole in the man's shirt. “You’re gonna get us fucking killed one day dream. I’m not leaving you or George, just know I'm concerned.”

Dream huffed, powers finally deactivating as he just shrugged Sapnap off of him and walked away. “I want production to go into rush mode. I don’t care if it gets done before it’s supposed to. I want it done and being packaged by the time I come back next week to start trial runs.”

The minions around the base nodded and rushed to their duties. Dream walked over a vent, passing through the purple mist, breathing it in with a sigh before making his way to the elevator and grabbing a small bag of money that a minion had brought to him

“Phoenix is on patrol tomorrow in the upper districts, cause as much damage as you can. The kid won’t be out tomorrow to stop you, I'll make sure of it.” He spoke before the elevator doors closed and he took off his mask, hiding it in his bag.

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Tommy worked during the day like a madman, or at least that's what he liked to believe. He just worked at a small corner store in one of the better funded parts of the city. There had apparently been a hero villain fight on 5th, causing him to be about ten minutes late to his shift because of the damage that had been done the night previous. His boss wasn't too happy about this but had let it slide since he hadn't been late like ever.

Tommy just worked at the register, and it didn't bring in alot of money but he was glad for the job because it let him escape dream for a couple hours. He also got to see a lot of weird people throughout the day. He was the legal working age of 16 but most still asked him if he was too young to be working here, he blamed it on his babyface, really it was because of how malnourished he looked everyday.

Today had been rather slow, once he had clocked in and sat at the cash register, he had a few of his normal customers come in to pick up an item here or there that they had forgotten to pick up before. It was about mid shift and he was restocking the shelves of the small corner store before his break when the bell chimed in the store. He looked around the shelf he was at to find a short shaggy brown haired boy come running in followed by a comically tall blonde haired man.

The shorter of the two was talking loudly, dragging the tall man further into the store towards the shelf of candy. “Tubbo, why are we here man..” The taller one spoke, a mask covering the lower portion of his face and sunglasses over his eyes. Tommy found that strange, so he walked over to them quietly, putting on his best customer service voice.

“Hello, can I help you find anything today?”

The shorter boy jumped with a small bleat like scream, Tommy's head tilted at the strange sound, confused on why it sounded like a goat. He shrugged it off as the boy looked at him, his hair covering his eyes and styled with a white beanie on top.

“Nah boss man, we’ve got it covered! Although, do you carry any flash drives here?” The boy asked, looking around.

“Why do you need flash drives tubbo, you literally bou-” The boy apparently named tubbo stomped on his tall companion's foot making him shut up.

Tommy couldn't help the small cackle from watching the tubbo stomp his friend's foot. “Well big man, I can't say that we carry flash drives, but if you need anything else just let me know. I'll be up at the cash register.”

The two customers went rushing off towards the back shelves of the store. “Ranboo, you can't just tell him that we already have the flash drives, i just wanted to know if there were any here, you can never have too many for-”

Tommy sighed once he couldn't hear the duo anymore. He went behind the counter and just sat on it, picking at his watch. It was one of those smart watches that track every vital and can send messages. He only had one contact in it though and that was just dream’s. He sighed softly, kicking his legs in boredom.

The door rang again and in walked a pink haired woman, Tommy lit up at seeing her. He got off the counter and waved as she looked over. “Hey there niki!”

The woman smiled softly, “Hey tommy! How’s the business” Sh talked softly as she grabbed an energy drink and set it on the counter carefully, pulling out her wallet to pay.

“Eh, it’s been slow today, taking the time to catch up on any news i missed last night, the tv here comes in handy.” Tommy chuckled, easily ringing up the drink. Before she could hand over the money however, the duo from before ran up and shoved bags of snacks and candy down onto the counter, pushing niki slightly out of the way. Tommy looked at them in shock “can’t you see that I’m already ringing someone up man!? Wait your turn!” he yelled, waving niki back up to the front.

Tubbo’s face looked like he was in shock as he looked to niki and back to tommy. “Niki, you know this man?”

“Yes tubbo, he’s a nice cashier just trying to do his job,” Niki laughed softly, handing Tommy the money and taking her drink. “Be nice to him boys. I’ll see you all later”

Tubbo just watched Niki leave, looking a bit stunned. It was hard to judge how the taller of the two, ranboo, was feeling. Tommy started to ring up the various snacks and candy tubbo had thrown onto the counter. “Did you find everything you needed?” Tommy asked, voice obviously pissed off. Tubbo just grinned and ranboo sighed.

“Sure did bossman!”

Tommy’s day just continued to get worse after that incident with the duo. After his shift ended and he locked up the store, Tommy headed home. He had to take a different route seeing as there was a crowd forming on the road. Or that’s what he would’ve done if he was smart.

He stopped at the crowd and followed their eyes to whatever poor soul was being recorded. As his gaze drifted upwards he saw the flames of Phoenix whip across the top of a building. The top villain decked out in his protective fighting gear. Tommy’s eyes widened watching the fireball he had thrown be blocked by non other than the number two hero, the Angel. The angel was the only known avian superhero, known for his black feathered wings and his kindness around kids. He was often seen transporting lost kids home in the upper districts.

The angel easily dodged the fire ball and dropped down from the sky, landing a kick to Phoenix’s shoulder. Phoenix grunted and stumbled, quickly recovering and lashing out with his flames again towards the angel. The angel danced around him like it was some kind of waltz, Phoenix would lash out without a plan and the Angel would dodge to the side before giving a clean and precise strike back at the blaze born.

The fight went on in circles for a while and the crowd just got bored and dispersed. Some stayed because after a few minutes there were shouts of surprises as Experion climbed onto the roof and caught the angel off guard. Now with a 1v2 on his hands The angel faltered in his waltz like fight. Trying to use his wings to his advantage he would take to the skies and dodge attacks before swooping down and landing a hit or two.

Experion’s eyes started glowing a strong blue as green little particles started floating through the air and surrounding the Angel. Tommy’s mouth opened as he saw the Angel’s wings falter in the air, he quickly brought up his hand to his mouth, seeming to slip on a mask filter to stop the particles from coming through.

Phoenix got a few more hits on the angel, effectively grounding the avian. Smoke rose up from the building before Phoenix was knocked onto his stomach by a taller, more masculine hero. A cape flowing behind him as he pulled out an axe and started swinging toward experion. This caught both the villains off guard, Experion's eyes faltered from their glowing, power-activated state back to their normal color.

Soon The stronger hero, known as Atlas, was fighting both phoenix and Experion without faltering, giving the Angel time to recover and fight off the sleep inducing particles from before. The angel soon got to his feet and looked for anything on the top of the building he could use to knock out the villains from above. He found nothing, so he just joined the fight with a sword in hand, making his way to Atlas’ back, fighting phoenix.

It was clear to see that the two villains were getting impatient and so was the crowd, eventually Tommy walked off into a nearby alleyway to get home. He listened closely to anything in the alleyway in case he wound up getting blocked by any debris from the fighting above.

He heard a loud boom followed by a grunt as Angel came tumbling down off the roof into the alleyway, his wings twitched as he rolled to a stop against a wall in the alleyway. Tommy froze eyes wide. The Angel’s mask had been burned off leaving his identity open to the public. The man with blue eyes and blonde hair looked up at Tommy before his own blue eyes went wide, realizing his mask was off. He chuckled softly before coughing “hi mate”

Tommy just stood frozen, not hearing the thud off someone landing behind him until it was too late, he turned around to find the boar mask of Atlas watching him, arms lifted with the but of the axe coming down towards Tommy's head.

He heard faintly Angel calling out to Atlas to tell him to stop but the world went black too quickly for him to really tell.

Chapter Text

Tommy remembered the world going black very very quickly. Anything before that was lost to his mind. Tommy’s ears rang sharply as his mind woke from being so abruptly knocked out. As the ringing slowly died down he started to hear voices.

“Techno! Do you know how much paperwork this is going to be!? You knocked out an innocent bystander!” the voice of the Angel came to him first, on his right side he thought. Weird…why was the Angel here?

“Listen, in my defense Phil, I panicked.” A monotone voice came, techno Angle had called them…

“You panicked?” Angel, Phil, sighed heavily. Tommy opened his eyes enough to watch the avian rub his face. “That is a kid tech! How much damage could he have done!?”

“He saw your face Phil! That is extremely dangerous!” Techno shot back, his voice raising a hare. Tommy must've flinched at the yelling because they both stopped talking immediately and he felt a hand touch his own

“Hey mate, You waking up?” The soft voice of Angel filtered through to Tommy's ears. The ringing is still there partially in the background. Tommy squinted his eyes, trying to get them to focus against the harsh light above him. Where was he?

“You're in the heroes tower’s med-bay kiddo.. Tech turn down the lights..” Tommy heard techno grumble to himself before the harsh lights over head turned off. It was slowly sinking in that he was in the presence of super heroes in the hero tower. Tommy quickly tried to sit up and leave, eyes wide and panicked. He was barely holding back the panicked chirps that came from his avian side.

“Hey hey, calm down kid. You’re safe, nothing’s gonna happen to you. What's your name?” Phil asked, pushing Tommy gently back into the medical bed, with the lights off Tommy could actually focus and take in the masked hero of atlas standing in a corner and the crow avian Angel kneeling next to the bed trying to get his attention.
“Uh….” Tommy said, just looking between the two, unknowing if he should actually attempt to answer the question or not, was he actually safe here? He was a vigilante after all so of course he isn't safe in the one place that wanted vigilantes in jail. “Name’s Tommy.” He finally answered after a brief pause. Even though he tried to make himself sound older, his voice ended up cracking and Atlas let out a huff of a laugh, earning a cold glare from Tommy. “What? Is that funny to you!? I have a pog name, mind you! And what even is a kind of name like Techno, sounds Fuckin stupid innit.”

Tommy defended, covering his mouth slightly when he realized he had actually said all that to the number one hero. Phil leaned back and let out a soft laugh, his face crinkled in all the spots reasonable for a smile. It made Tommy smile.

“Bruh..” was all that techno responded, adjusting the boar skull mask that sat on his face.
“Thanks for that Phil. He knows my name along with your face now. Don’t come running to me when the hero tower is burning.” With that sarcastic note Techno walked out of the room with a huff.

“Don’t worry about him mate, He doesn't take well to citizens knowing his name. Something about privacy. Anyway, how are you feeling?” Phil asked after calming down from his laughing fit.

Tommy didn’t really know how to respond. His head felt like it had been bashed into a wall repeatedly, and he was learning that the hero’s actually had a sense of humor. He thought that they were all just big scumbags like the villains, both on different sides of the same wrong. “Uh…feels like my head has been bashed into a wall..” he responded, feeling like he had to give something to the hero.

“Hm, okay, I'm gonna check for a concussion, okay? Techno did hit you pretty hard, but I don't think it will cause any lasting damage, we have a pretty good medical team here after all.” Philza stood up and grabbed a small medical flashlight, testing Tommy's pupils with it to see if they responded correctly or not. They did. “Seems like you survived without a concussion Tommy. I’ll arrange a ride home for ya okay? So you can get home safely.”

Tommy looked around, realizing he had already been late home after locking up the store, “wait! What time is it?”

“Uh it’s early morning mate, why?”

“Shit! He’s gonna kill me! I need to get home,” Tommy started to panic. He shot up into a sitting position and tried to get off the bed, consequentially tearing out the one iv he had that just made sure he stayed hydrated.

Phil’s eyes widened in shock as the too thin boy ripped out the iv and ran towards the door, stumbling a bit. “Hold on mate! I can drive you home if you want!” He went to run after the boy.

“No need for that Mr angel sir! I’ll be fine on my own!” And like that Tommy was out the door of the med bay before anyone could get him. Tommy was definitely panicking, he probably had been seen on the new being carried by Atlas, meaning Dream most definitely knew what happened. He would understand right? He wouldn’t be beaten for being out all night?

Tommy was stuck in his mind as he raced out of the hero’s tower onto the street to find his way home. He had never gotten this far into the city. This train of thought was interrupted when he was knocked onto his hind end. Tommy winced and growled as he looked up at whoever knocked him over.

A tall, brown curly haired man stood above him looking down at him halfway through taking a sip from a freshly bought coffee. “What the fuck man!” Tommy yelled from where he now sat on the ground. “You fucker! Can’t you see that I'm in a hurry!? You’re such a bitch for knocking me down!”

The man just tilted his head and held out a hand to help him up, a small smile on his face as he listened to Tommy ramble and splutter. “Well, aren’t you just a gremlin child.” The man chuckled as Tommy stood up without his help.

“Gremlin child!? I am Not a child!” Tommy argued, face a bright red from the constant yelling.

“Sure, '' says the gremlin child. Anyway, what are you doing coming out of the hero tower in such a hurry?”

“Fuckin, got knocked out by Atlas trying to get home last night. And now I'm la-” Tommy got interrupted by Angel running out the door, wings all puffed up as he searched for Tommy.

“Ah thank Prime, you found him Wilbur!” Phil said as he ran up to the two.” Now, will you please just take my offer to drive you home? It’s a lot faster than just running there, especially with how thin you look mate.” Phil offered, his voice the one he uses on children most times

Tommy stuttered at the voice, it sounded nice to not have to run home but Angel had called him thin. “That's the voice you use on children! Fuck off I’m not a child!” Tommy shook his head, these people weren’t safe, they can’t be this friendly.

“Just go home with him, you absolute gremlin child.” Wilbur said, using his powers when he realized the kid would refuse anything said to him.

Tommy’s head got really fuzzy as the command just rang through his head consistently, making him really want to do it. He felt like his body wasn't his own as he calmed down and nodded. The angel looked at Wilbur disappointedly.

“Oh Don’t look at me like that Phil. The kid would have run home if I hadn't and honestly, he looks like he lives in the bottom sector. I did you a favor.” Wilbur sighed dramatically just wanting to have his coffee in peace.

“That doesn't mean you can just use your-” Phil rubbed his face “Ask him where he lives so i can take him home and apologize to his parents. After I get back you and tech are in so much trouble.”

Wilbur rolled his eyes “ Where do you live kid?” His voice flooded Tommy’s already controlled mind, his eyes glazed over just a bit more as the command went into effect.

“I live at the intersection between 29th and 30th street.” Tommy answered, his voice quiet as he tried to fight the effect. Phil nodded and sent Wilbur inside. Phil looked Tommy over, a bruise had formed just under the kid’s hairline. He set a gentle hand on the kid’s shoulder before taking him to his car. It was just a common red Toyota but it did the job of keeping Tommy in and driving through the sectors to the apartment building on the corner of 29th and 30th like Tommy said.

As they arrived Tommy started to come too as Wilbur's commands wore off from distance. Phil could only tell because the kid went from very relaxed and fluid to move, to very rigid and tense as he looked around with wide eyes. Phil put the car in park. “We’re here Tommy. Sorry about Wilbur using his powers on ya,”

Tommy swallowed with his very dry throat and nodded, looking at the apartment with a sort of fear in his eyes before opening the door and getting out quickly. “Uh, thank you Mr angel sir, er…I guess.” He was definitely scared of something. Phil furrowed his eyebrows just watching

“No problem kid, and please just Phil is fine. If you need anything, just call the hero tower and ask for me.” Tommy closed the door to the car and headed towards the stairs of the ragged looking apartment. Phil shivered some before driving away quietly, planning on scolding both top heroes when he got back.

Tommy took the stairs two at a time to get up to his and dream’s apartment. His hands shook as he got closer to the door, already hearing chatter from inside. He stopped in front of the door, hand outstretched to sit on the door knob. His brows furrowed as he closed his eyes tightly and took a deep breath. He twisted the door open and took a cautious step inside.

The chatter inside stopped and the three heads inside snapped to face him. Tommy froze at the silence like a deer in headlights. His body tensed, eyes wide as he looked at the trio of Dream, Sapnap and George. Dream had been pacing the room, his mask of a poorly drawn on smiley face sat over his eyes like he had planned on going out to find Tommy.

“I’m sorry I was late…” Tommy said quietly as dream stomped over.

“Where were you Tommy! You were supposed to be back before five! And you got back almost ten hours later!” Dream grabbed his shoulders harshly. To Sapnap and George this gesture seemed like just something the older did when scared for the boy.

“It’s a funny story actually…I was with the top heroes…” Tommy flinched as dream’s grip tightened on his shoulders more. “I didn’t Purposefully go with them of course, but I was on my way home and I stopped to watch the fight between Phoenix and The angel and The hero fell into the alleyway that i was walking down and before i could do much, Atlas knocked me out and took me to the hero tower.” He rambled just trying to explain his story so he could get out of the spotlight. Tommy knew dream was a villain of some kind but he didn't know sap or George were the largest villains in the city, he just thought dream was a low level thief with a few goons working for him.

“You…were with Atlas and Angel…at the hero tower..” Dream said slowly, grip tightening to a bruising hold on Tommy’s shoulders, his eyes becoming that emerald green. Tommy saw Sapnap stand up from the living room where the couch was.

“Dream, he obviously wasn't there by choice. Let the kid go get some rest.” Sapnap spoke knowing his friend would lash out at anything if he wasn't stopped.

Dream tensed up in his shoulders before slapping Tommy across the face. Tommy's head moved with the slap, now looking at the ground on the other side of himself, his eyes wide with shock as he reached up to feel the stinging area where dreams hand had landed.

He looked up at his brother and legal guardian quickly. “What the fuck!?” He said a bit exasperated. Dream just grabbed Tommy’s face with his hand, fingers digging into his chin and cheeks.

“You were at the hero tower!? With fucking Atlas and Angel! The First and Third ranked Hero, After they fought with Phoenix! You are Fucking stupid Tommy!” Tommy felt dreams hand pressing that weak spot on his neck and soon his wings came ripping through his shirt with a groan. At the small noise Tommy's head went reeling as Dream’s fist collided with his nose, effectively breaking it in one easy strike.

Tommy stumbled, wings splaying out to keep him upright on instinct. He was usually better at recovering quickly but his head was still throbbing from being knocked out let alone being slapped and then punched. This meant he was surprised when he couldn’t dodge dream’s hand latching onto his wing with a bruising grip and giving it a hard yank. Tommy let out a blood curdling scream as the fragile bones in his wing were pulled just slightly out of the socket on his back.

Tommy dropped to the ground, hands going up to protect his head in case Dream decided to strike his face anymore. He heard yelling from somewhere in the room but he couldn't really focus. He winced as the crushing grip on his injured wing was released and he saw the green hoodie of Dream fall to the floor.

The avian looked up and saw sapnap kneel down next to him and gently pick him up. Tommy instinctively leaned into the warm touch of his brother’s friend. He saw a glimpse of George hovering over Dream, a worried look on his face.

Sapnap couldn't believe his eyes when he saw wings come out of Tommy's back. All these years of knowing the teenager and he was just now seeing that the kid was an avian. He was in shock to say the least; but when dream actually injured the golden dusted wings and Tommy, sapnap went crazy. George caught the message of helping Tommy went sapnap starting shouting for dream to stop and get off the kid.

George’s eyes shifted to a hazy purple as he reached out to dream and spores wrapped around his friend's mouth and nose. He winced as he saw dream fall with a thud to the floor, effectively freeing Tommy. Sapnap ran over and picked the kid up, taking him to his room, the kid was shaking and George knew he wouldn't be of any help for sapnap. He stood over the dream worriedly, dispersing the spore and turning off his powers as he dragged the man over to the couch.

Sapnap was furious at dream, but his focus was on the shaking Tommy in his arms. The teenager’s hands were fisted against sap’s shirt. Sapnap spoke quietly to the boy, trying to get him to calm down some. Sapnap entered the bedroom quietly, eyes scanning over the fairly clean room of red walls and posters for the bed. The twin sized mattress in the corner with no box spring or bed frame in sight, was covered in blankets and sheets all in the colors of red white and black, one small stuffed cow sat on the bed. Sapnap gently sat Tommy down on the bed and gave the stuffed animal for him to clutch onto.

The fire-born man grabbed a small towel and rolled it up before telling Tommy to bite into it. Tommy tried to refuse. “Tommy, I gotta put the wing back in place…It’s gonna hurt a lot for a split second and I don't want you to break your teeth.” Sapnap said, rubbing Tommy’s shoulder gently as the kid curled onto his side and grumbled about the towel before finally biting into it.

Sapnap sighed a bit and ruffled the kids hair before giving Tommy a small warning as he touched around the base of the wing to find the socket and pop it back into place. Tommy tensed as it finally clicked back into place and let out a muffled scream, tears started to run down his face unbeknownst to him. Sapnap gently wrapped his wing so that it stayed in place and then got Tommy some pain killers.

Tommy didn't want to face sapnap at all. He felt horrible and his nose and wing were throbbing. he didn't really notice he was crying until sapnap gently wiped some tears away and pulled Tommy up into a gentle hug. “It’s over Tommy. Get some sleep.” Sapnap used his powers to warm the room to a comfortable temperature.

The avian hugged sapnap tightly before fixing his nose himself and taking the pain medication. “I didn’t mean to go with them sap-” Tommy spoke with shaky words, his throat closing up some. This wasn’t the worst that he’s experienced before but it was the first time dream had attacked his wings.

“I know you didn’t Tommy, maybe next time try and avoid any fights between heroes and villains. I don’t know what I would've done..” Sapnap trailed off, remembering the fight between him and the two heroes. It had been a close call getting out but he hadn’t seen Tommy in the crowd below. He would’ve been devastated if he had collapsed the building when Tommy was in the alleyway next to it. But Tommy couldn’t know he was a villain.

Sapnap eventually left Tommy to sleep, huddled under blankets to stay warm and keep anyone from touching him. As sap left the room and closed the door gently behind him he saw dream sitting up on the couch, mask off looking furious while fiddling with the handcuffs that were on his hand keeping him attached to the couch. George was fiddling with the keys halfway across the room.

Dream looked up when sapnap entered the room. “You done coddling him? Come to beat the shit out of me Sapnap? Huh?” Dream said his voice low as he relaxed in to the couch staring him down.

“No. I’m not touching you Dream, even if I want to punch you in the face. But what you did wasn’t okay! He’s a kid, Dream! Do you do this often?” Sapnap walked over, a disgusted look on his face. Dream just clicked his tongue and looked the other direction. “So you do! You are abusing him!” Sapnap accused him, seeing the reaction.

Dream whipped his head to sapnap again, facial features falling into something like an emotional hurt. “I don’t abuse him Sap! Sure I've punished him a few times based on the severity of the problem but it’s not abuse!”

Sapnap scoffed. “Yeah fuckin’ right dream. I’m not dumb enough to report you for child abuse, because that crashes all of our operations once they take you to jail. But I’m keeping an eye on the kid from now on. Every time he’s on patrol, he’s under my watch.” Sapnap walked away towards the apartment door. “George, knock him out again for me and let’s get out of here.”

George yawned with a shrug. Dream’s eyes lit up with his power trying to get George to not listen to sapnap but he was out before reality could even start to shift. The man set the handcuff keys on the counter before walking out after sapnap.

Tommy woke up an hour later and decided to go out on patrol even if he felt like shit. Maybe he could run into Atom and Ender tonight. He pulled his mask on and his outfit, wincing when his wings pulled the wrong way before opening the window and stepping out onto the fire escape. This was going to be a fun patrol…

Chapter Text

Tommy launched himself over buildings, making his way towards an alert on his watch about a robbery from a jewelry store. He struggled a bit thanks to the extra weight of his injured wings underneath, he could feel the fabric rubbing against the sensitive feathers and it made the hair on the back of his neck stand up in annoyance.

Tommy from a young age had learned that having his wings out usually was just an annoyance over anything since he could fly or even glide. But putting them in that little area they go as tattoos on his back was bad for them, especially when hurt.

Shadow finally saw the jewelry store down on the street as he stopped on top of a building across the street and studied the broken glass front of the store. His breathing was heavy, his injuries from dream were definitely slowing him down. His face pulled into a scowl under his mask at the realization.

He spotted movement under the store’s annoying fluorescent lights, a short figure fighting back to back with an obnoxiously tall figure. Shadow grinned realizing Atom and Ender were already here. Tommy decided to take action as he jumped to new buildings before he could swing himself inside the store quietly, kicking a robber off of Atom, the man went stumbling with a grunt.

“Shadow! Glad to see you here,” Atom said, rubbing his head as he got up off the floor and got back into the fight. There weren’t many opponents, only three robbers in total, it was an even match now.

Shadow stayed silent, knowing he didn't have a voice changer like them. He couldn't afford his voice being leaked, it's one of the reasons he was called shadow, he knew how to stay quiet when he needed to.

They fought side by side, shoes crunching in the broken glass scattered across the floor, the lights buzzing and flickering as explosions came from the smallest vigilante and Purple particles left in the air from the tallest vigilante confusing the robbers thoroughly. Flame came from the hand of one of the robbers, the first power they saw from the group, The orange flame singed the black hoodie on shadow. The fabric lit up with the fire, fibers burning a hole in his sleeves singing his skin before he could react.

Shadows eyes widened trying to beat out the fire while still trying to restrain the criminal in front of him. Ender had restrained and tied up his guy already and came racing over to shadow, tackling the robber in one swift move leaving the vigilante to put out the fire.

By the time Shadow got the fire put out, his skin was thoroughly burnt on his arm and the sleeve of his hoodie was gone. The robbers had been tied up and the police were being called to pick them up. Shadow let out a small sigh of relief and rolled his shoulders, they were tense from the fight and his slumped posture from his wings were not helping. He was leaning forward pretty far to make up for the added weight.

Atom walked up to him and started talking to him. Tommy wasn't really listening, instead opting to look out toward the road where distant sirens could be heard growing closer. Shadow thought he also heard soft wing beats in the distance.

“Shadow! Shadow!” Atom yelled, shaking Tommy softly to bring him back too. Shadow blinked quickly and shook his head, focusing back on the small vigilante.

“Yeah Big A?” Tommy said softly, acting like he had been listening this entire time.

“You weren’t listening were you? We need to get out of here, the police are on their way and I don't want to go to jail today either.” Atom huffed, pushing Tommy towards the broken entrance where Ender was waiting to teleport them out. He looked exhausted but he had one teleport left in him it seemed.

Shadow just sighed and went to Ender, totally because he wanted to. However right as they went to teleport out there was the soft voice inching into their brains to freeze. Shadow cursed as his brain yielded to the command and fell still.

Seconds after the command he saw the second and third top hero step into view. The angel stood to the right of his higher ranked companion. The phantom hybrid stood with a strong posture, and his light blue hero suit allowed for him to fight swiftly and his words to sting even harder. Tommy could just barely spot the phantom’s skeleton-like tail waving gently behind him.

Shadow’s eyes widened considerably seeing Phantom and Angel together. It wasn’t often that they patrolled together, given that they were often seen as a father son duo. There was a flicker of movement behind Angel and Tommy spotted the raven like wings that the hero sported with confidence and pride. Thankfully his eyes were slightly covered by night vision goggles which shielded his expression when he had a flash of jealousy towards the avian man. He clenched his jaw to fight any sounds coming out.

“Well, seems you didn't get out in time,” Phantom spoke in a voice that dripped like molasses, “It’s about time we take the bench trio in for their crimes of vigilantism, isn’t it Angel.”

Angel smiled softly under his large hat and weighted veil that covered his eyes. “Sure does mate. Seems like play time’s over.”

Phantom walked forward, making to grab for Ender who was visibly shaking, when the first sound slipped out of shadow. He hadn’t meant to make the sound, but sometimes even fighting against it all, a small chirp of fear could slip out and he can usually pull it off as a cough, but he couldn't move to do his fake coughs to cover it up.

Tommy saw Angel pause, his smile from before falling as his wings puffed up, he quickly stopped phantom, pulling him back to discuss. Phantom seemed confused and was worried for Angel. This caused enough distraction that the command to stay still wore off and Ender reacted quickly enough to grab the two vigilantes on either side of him and teleport away quickly.

All Tommy heard before he was teleported away was Angel shouting to wait and trying to lunge forward towards him. He flinched at the sudden movements, feeling sick from it all.

They landed on top of an apartment building, likely one that Ender lived in since this was where he visioned to land. Tommy stumbled out of Ender’s grasp quickly to get away and try to avoid the questions he knew were going to come. He looked over at Atom and Ender, expecting to see anger, but instead he just saw concern from the two. Atom took a step forward.

“Shadow…are you okay?” Atom asked, not knowing how to approach the subject of your friend potentially being a hybrid this entire time.

Tommy stayed silent for a bit, remembering he was on patrol and was supposed to be a strong vigilante, not some scared helpless kid like he was whenever he was back home. He was the hero in this situation. He didn’t need help, he didn't need their concern. Shadow tensed as he looked at Atom, who was slowly approaching as he waited for an answer.

“I’m okay Atom, It was all part of the plan to get us out. Not a lot is known about avians y'know. But if they are like any other hybrid, they respond to sounds of their species. In this case, birds.” Shadow spoke, his voice tight in his chest and he kept just out of reach from Atom the entire time.

Atom tilted his head, not expecting that to have been a plan in Shadow’s head. It sounded so genuine when it happened, he saw how shadow had tensed, and he said his name, not the stupid nickname he had made.

“Okay, if you say so…stay on the down-low for a bit, there’s probably gonna be rumors about you for a bit.” Ender stated in a small hybrid like warble as he pulled Atom back towards him and teleported them down into their apartment, leaving Shadow alone on the roof to go back home.

Shadow sighed heavily and his posture sank, returning back to how he felt as Tommy. He started the trek back home, trying not to itch his wings until he got home.

Tubbo paced the small living room of their apartment, goat like ears flicking in annoyance as he changed out of his vigilante clothes only at Ranboo’s insistence before going back to pacing.

“I’m guessing you don’t buy his answer…” Ranboo asked, now out of his getup, his dual colored hair puffed up from a quick wash and dry. “Of course don't fucking buy his answer Ranboo! You saw how he flinched immediately after doing it. It sounded so fucking genuine!” Tubbo was shaking, the air around him becoming static as he paced and got worked up over their vigilante friend.

“Bo, he will tell us when he is ready. You can’t know if it was real or not and even then it was probably just a plan…there’s only one known avian and it's The Angel…” Ranboo spoke softly, just trying to calm the explosion prone boy who continued to pace the room angrily.

“Just sit down bo, we need to get groceries tomorrow…and we don't exactly have the money to.” Ranboo said, guiding the goat hybrid to the couch and just ruffling his hair.

Tubbo huffed softly leaning into Ranboo's touch, “okay, yeah you’re right i guess boo…I’m just worried for him”

“I know, I am too, but we can’t do much, so we wait for him.” Ranboo slowly fell asleep there leaving Tubbo awake and to his own devices.

“ ‘M sorry boo, but i have to do this…” Tubbo got up off the couch and walked to their one bedroom where his crappy laptop he used for information sat already loaded up. He had planned to do this for a while, so he logged in and pulled up all the malware he used to track down Shadow’s watch to see where his house was. Seeing it ping the location he suited backup and hunted down the apartment.

The trek to the apartment was far and seeing the run down building would be sad if Tubbo lived any better than paycheck to paycheck. He spotted an open window with fresh footprints on the dusty fire escape. He sat on the roof opposite and watched into the window, spotting a head of blonde hair dampened with water. Tommy sat on his bed, his wings exposed to the air, with the dim headlight illuminating the dirty blonde and brown feathers, dusted with gold. The wings looked horribly injured and dirty. It was a surprise Tommy had managed this long. He had fresh bruises on his arms and bandages covering the burn wound on the one.

Tubbo just watched through binoculars in shock. This had to be his Shadow. The burn on his arm proved it.

There was a crash of a door closing in the alley way. Tubbo quickly turned towards the sound, hands clenching as static started up. A wooden door, beaten up and filled with splintering hinges had swung open, banging against the brick wall behind it. Tubbo’s eyes glowed a soft yellow as he powered up in case he was caught, he watched the door intently, not noticing the masked man behind him.

There was a crackle and pop as Tubbo was grabbed and pinned, flipped over quickly so he could see who had trapped him without effect from his powers. Tubbo was met with a dark green hoodie, a white mask with a poorly drawn smile and glowing green eyes.

The sky around the man seemed to wave as Tubbo started to struggle and fight, recognizing the man as nightmare.

“Good night little ram.” Nightmare said in a distorted tone as the world around Tubbo went black. His hearing rang a sharp piercing sound that only seemed to worsen until he passed out. He felt his body get lifted before the noise became too much.

Chapter Text

Dream had been having a rough night, first the whole ordeal with Tommy and sapnap and George. Then he goes down to the hideout, only to find out that the heroes were getting closer and closer. He was so close to the product being ready. So so close, and yet the heroes were catching up with the lack of villains being out and about.

Dream was currently overseeing the packaging of the test product, he just needed someone to test on, and as much as he wanted to test it on himself, he wasn't that much of an idiot. A glass vial shattered over one of the vents that dispersed a small amount of purple fog. Dream’s gaze snapped over to the purple liquid on the floor and the small mouse hybrid who had dropped it. The mouse froze before he started screaming and writhing in an invisible pain, Dream’s eyes glowed a harsh green as he stared at the worker.

If it weren’t for the mask on his face, the workers who had stopped to look over at the mouse would’ve seen a sadistic glint of a smile. However his mask just gave off an eerie emotionless smile.

Dream would have kept going if not for the hand that was placed harshly on his shoulder. Dream’s green glowing eyes turned to the person who dared to interrupt his punishment, however he quickly was cut out of his rage when he saw the two curling ram horns attached to a head of brown slicked back hair.

The man standing next to him smiled, teeth glinting in the low light. “Sorry to interrupt you nightmare,”

“As you should be Schlatt. I don’t take kindly to unwelcome visitors.” Dream rolled his eyes, power’s deactivated. Schlatt was one of his colleagues but he honestly wasn’t good for anything other than security detailing.
“You better have a good reason for making the trek down here from your pretty sector one tower.” Dream scoffed

“Oh, I'm sure you are gonna be plenty happy with what information I have for you.” Schlatt laughed, guiding dream to the computer console in the center of the lair. “You know that kid the captain dumped on me all those years ago?”

“Yeah, the little ram child that you threw out the second he was old enough to catch onto you.” Dream let out a small laugh, suddenly interested.

“Well, I did a little cyber check up, just to see if he was still alive or not. And oh boy, I hit the jackpot. My little ram is the vigilante Atom. The boy may be good at hiding his cyber tracks but man is he terrible about covering up security cameras. Caught him coming into his own shitty apartment with the whole getup on, as well as his room mate.” Schlatt said, plugging in a flash drive to the computer and uploading files he had stolen from Tubbo’s small little computer.

“So what are you saying, sure their vigilantes-”

“And good ones at that. I think they would be perfect for your little test subjects with the new drug. You need test subjects correct?” Schlatt asked, looking from the computer to Nightmare.

“That I do Schlatt, that I do. What makes them so perfect other than they are vigilantes with powers.” Nightmare said, switching to business mode.

Schlatt chuckled and turned back to the computer, pulling up some videos of atom’s biggest explosions, and then of Ender's largest teleport with how much he can teleport. “This is the most information I can find. His explosions can cause up to a single building collapse and at most hearing damage with 2nd degree burns, Ender however is mainly supported for quick recalls. He can teleport him and two other people at once, up to half a mile before running out of steam, maybe two or three smaller jumps before he tires out.”

Nightmare listened intently. “Where can I find them? I have a feeling getting them will be difficult?”

“Not exactly, you see. Your little chick is friends with them, and he may have just exposed himself at their most recent run in with Angel and Phantom.” Schlatt laughed excitedly.

“What do you mean?” Nightmare was caught off guard by this, he shoved schlatt to the side seeing a replaying video of the angel and phantom in front of the three boys, the boys frozen and phantom walking to catch them. Before a small chirp filled the audio and they teleported away. Nightmare slammed his hands down onto the table and started to pace angrily.

“He was supposed to stay in his fucking room! The kid’s worth too much trouble! I’m doing this for him and this is..” Nightmare stalked to the elevator out of this place. Schaltt quickly checking the security cameras.

“Nightmare! He’s on the roof if you want him!” Schlatt called seeing live feed of the young ram looking into Tommy's apartment room. Nightmare left a moment later. The cameras fizzled as dream’s powers took hold of everything around him. He spotted Atom the moment he walked out, the kid wasn't subtle.

Dream smiled, focusing on hiding himself from the boy’s senses before easily climbing the building and standing behind him. Dream studied him a bit, took in a rough height estimate, his features, his clothing etc.

He made Tubbo hear a door closing in the alleyway to get his attention before grabbing the boy and twisting him around. The sight of the vigilante’s wide scared eyes gave the villain a sense of glee. Dream heard the vigilante start to crackle as he pulled atoms together to prepare a fight.

Dream rolled his glowing eyes and twisted the boy's vision to darkness. “Good night little ram”

Tubbo woke up in a dimly lit cell, purple seemed to flow within the walls. He looked around tiredly, trying to get his bearings and shake the ringing out of his ears. He saw a cage-like door straight in front of him. The smell of the room was toxic though. Like burning chemicals from a rusted car. Tubbo tried to stand up only to have his legs give out under him, he hit the floor with a grunt. “No walking then i guess” he thought.

Footsteps echoed outside of the room, too many sets to count, but on the most prominent in the confident steps of thick combat boots walking towards the door. Tubbo’s hands clenched and he tried to collect his power, ready to bust a hole through the man who was now opening the door.

“Glad to see you awake Tubbo.” The older ram smiled , eyes red with his power deactivated, his horns curled against his head, hair its normal greasy mess.

“Schlatt. “ Tubbo gritted his teeth, trying so hard to get his powers to actually cooperate. All he got in return was a piercing pain in his head. Tubbo winced before looking back at a smug looking schlatt.

“Don’t even try to use your powers. Nightmare made sure you had strong blockers in your system. After all, we can’t have a test subject trying to blow this whole operation.” Schlatt laughed before just walking closer to tubbo. Tubbo tried to fight his restraints, trying to keep away from his technical parent.

“C’mon tubs, make this easy for us all. You found out too much and now karma’s gonna kick your ass. It’s just business kid.” Schlatt rolled his glowing red eyes, grabbing the kid’s shirt and holding him still. Tubbo struggled, or at least tried too. Schlatt pulled out a small syringe, filled with a clear liquid and injected it into the vigilante’s arm.

Tubbo’s eyes went wide at being injected with the clear liquid. He opened his mouth to scream but nothing came out as he felt like his head was being smashed in.

“The pain will just get worse from there, Tubbo, or should I say Atom. No one’s coming to get you, but i have the antidote. So you either cooperate or just suffer till you die.” Schlatt dropped tubbo back to the ground before walking back out of the cell and locking the door behind him.

Tubbo writhed on the ground, jaw clenched as he tried to vocalize his pain. The liquid was like fire as it circulated through his blood, he refused to work for Schlatt or even Nightmare. “Ranboo was right..i should’ve just let Shadow come to us..” Tubbo thought as he tried to manage the pain.

Ranboo couldn’t believe what he saw when he woke up. Tubbo was gone, his gear with him, but his laptop open and running with a red message sprawled in text across the screen. A ransom. This is what this was, nothing bad was gonna happen yeah? He was totally not meeting a villain in broad daylight to ransom his friend out of his capture. Ranboo fidgeted with his hands in a worried manner as he walked through the streets, a mask over his lower face, a hood covering his dual colored hair. The alley behind the local cafe. That was the location. He just had to go, give the man the money, that he totally had to steal from his poor savings account and just get tubbo back. Nothing would go wrong. He had to keep telling himself that, only activating his powers once he got into the alleyway. His normally gray eyes glowing red and green respectively.

Ranboo didn’t choose this location obviously, but this cafe was used to heroes and villains fighting in it or around it. He just hoped it wasn’t some set up…Of course it would be a set up, it’s a villain and a vigilante, why wouldn’t it be a set up. Ranboo started to panic more. His fingers tapped out random rhythms as he walked further into the alleyway, finally spotting someone up ahead.

See Experion really didn't want to be here. He was worn out and tired from his nightly job, and now he has to kidnap some random kid that Schlatt's kid apparently knows. And that's if the kid even shows up. “The kid will be jumpy,” schlatt says. “Just knock him out after you get the money,” Schlatt says. I need a pay raise after this. Maybe a free punch to Schlatt’s stupid face.” Would Nightmare probably scold him for complaining, yes yes he would. Does Experion really care? No, no he does not.

Experion straightened his stance from where he was leaning against a wall when he saw the red and green glow of the kids eyes. He rolled his eyes to himself realizing he actually had to go through with the plan now.

“Ender, you came.” Experion stated with a yawn, trying to get the kid to underestimate him.

“Of course I would come Experion. You have my friend. And I have the money you want, you just have to hand him over.” Ender stated, voice muffled by a mask of some sort, maybe with a twinge of computer enhancing to change the voice. Clever kid.

“I’ll hand him over, but I need the money first. Once i have it counted you can have him” Experion was already over this. He pushed off the walk and closed the gap between the teleporting vigilante and himself. His hand stretched to take the wad of cash.

Ender tensed, his jaw clenched before digging into a hoodie pocket and pulling out the hefty wad of cash. Experion grinned as he counted it, the perfect amount of money if not a few dollars more. Experion made a scene of counting it twice before pocketing it.

“You aren’t getting him back.” He stated, watching the vigilante's face as the realization kicked him. His eyes flared, purple particles starting to form against his body. Experion realized he was about to teleport away. “Oh shit” he mumbled, his eyes glowing a light blue as he flung out his hand. Spores shot out and into Ender’s respiratory system, effectively knocking him out in a matter of seconds before he teleported.

Ender’s dual colored eyes were wide as they rolled back and he collapsed to the ground. Experion rushed forward to catch him before his head hit the ground. The villain grunted at the weight of the boy and the awkwardness of his height. “Primes, I deserve a pay raise. Who is this freakishly tall…Could’ve used his teleportation to get back to the base, but no, i had to knock him out and drag him halfway across the city.”

Ranboo remembered meeting one of the largest villains to get his friend back. He had been in an alleyway, a thousand dollars in his pocket. Before experion knocked him out moments before he managed to teleport away. He didn't get away…he didn't get away.

“Boo, I need you to wake up.” A pain filled voice gritted out near him. He couldn’t make out who the voice was from but there was only one person to call him boo. Tubbo. Ranboo groaned, his head throbbing softly from shaking off Experion’s powers. He opened his gray eyes and took in the room. The lights dim and flickering, vein-like ribbons of purple embedded into the walls and actively flowing around, acting as power blockers.

He looked to his left and spotted the teen who had told him to wake up. It was indeed tubbo, but he was curled in on himself, a cold sweat running off of his body, his jaw clenched so tightly it looked painful, and his face flushed of color. Ranboo immediately tried to go over to him to see if he could help but he was stopped by his hands being cuffed to the floor. “Tubbo!” He said, trying to get the boy's attention.

Tubbo looked up at him. “I-i’m fine boo. Just… Don’t do a single thing they tell you. I can survive this.” The boy sounded like he was going to pass out at any second.

“You’re not fine bo! I need to do something, anything please..” Ranboo said, his anxiety peaking seeing his roommate like this.

“I'm glad someone has a good sense of helping others and friends.” Schlatt’s voice rang out through a speaker. It was slightly distorted thanks to the mechanical device but it got the point across.

“Schlatt.” Ranboo spat recognizing the voice in a second.

“Yes yes, I know, I'm famous amongst your little crew. Now, You want to help my failure of a kid? Then you’ll subject yourself to some testing that my colleagues want to do.” Schlatt said, a grin in his voice. Ranboo tensed, trying to find the camera in the room. Tubbo pointed to a corner where a small red light exposed the camera. Ranboo looked at the camera debating.

“Tick tock little hybrid. It’s not like tubbo is dying or anything” Sarcasm dripped from his voice.

“Fine! But you have to give Tubbo the antidote first! And I have to see it make a difference.” Ranboo shouted, not wanting his friend to die even if he did.

“In a bargaining mood I see. Fine, I'll give him the antidote and let you see I didn't drug him more. And then you come with me willingly. See you in a little bit, little vigilante.”

“Ranboo.”

“Yes tubbo?”

“You’re a fucking idiot.”

“I know bo. I know.”

Schlatt walked in not even moments later, a syringe with blue liquid in it. He grabbed tubbos arm and made a show of injecting him. A few seconds later, color returned to the teen’s face and his breathing steadied out, Tubbo’s eyes were closed in the relief he got from almost a full day of constant throbbing inhumane pain. He had known he wasn't going to last any longer, but he would’ve rather died than agree to Schlatt’s terms.

Schlatt turned to Ranboo. “You come willingly now, don't make me get Experion again. He’s already pissed at me.”

Ranboo was uncuffed from the floor and hefted into a standing position, only made easy since schlatt’s eyes glowed red with his power. Ranboo was pushed in front of schlatt before they exited the room, the steel door shutting and locking automatically.

Ranboo was tense with anxiety. At least tubbo wasn’t in pain now. But he had no idea what would happen to himself. They passed tanks upon tanks filled with a bubbling purple liquid, vents puffing out a purple smoke. Workers of all sorts of hybrid natures. Schaltt stopped in front of a tank, taller than Ranboo was and filled with the purple tinted clear liquid. Nightmare stood at the top of the tank, an oxygen mask held in his hand. His mask, illuminated by the purple glow of the tank and walls along with the green powered up eyes behind the mask. “Bring him up here schlatt, we are trying something a little different this time” Nightmare said, a grin in his tone.

Schaltt just smiled and walked ranboo up the steps to the platform where Dream stood. Schlatt uncuffed Ranboo’s hands entirely before handing him off to Nightmare. Ranboo’s breathing quickened seeing the supposedly dead villain. “Y-you’re supposed to be dead…” Ranboo stuttered.

“Well little vigilante, I’m quite alive aren’t I? I just needed a reason to go off the map for a little bit. You’re going to be contributing to my comeback. I thank you for that. Now, what's going to happen. You are going to put on this mask, and you are going to go into the tank. That’s all.”

“That’s all? Uhm…” Ranboo looked down into the tank. It looked like water only purple and bubbling. Ranboo couldn’t touch water other than drinking it. It burned him severely, the downside to his practically hidden hybrid traits. He swallowed nervously before nodding. This was for tubbo. He had to do this for tubbo.

“Good.” Nightmare replied, slipping the mask onto ranboos face and started pumping in the medical grade oxygen. He moved ranboo to the edge of the tank before pushing him in suddenly. Ranboo screamed as he fell into the tank.

The purple liquid fizzed as soon as he hit the substance. It burned worse than normal water, but it was leaking into the mask. He looked up to the surface, screaming as he heard muffled hinges. The lid of the tank closed above him, locking him in. The liquid filled his ears and open eyes, making itself absorb into his bloodstream. A sharp pain along his spine had him contorting to try and move away from the pain. The pain was continuous and just went both lower and higher on his spine. His mouth was open in silent screaming as the oxygen mask pushed air into his lung as well as the substance that was spilling in through the cracks. His eyes glowed dual colors, his power activating as a survival response. The activation was unfruitful. Ranboo let out one final piercing scream as he felt his skull pulse and break near his forehead.

Chapter Text

Dream had tested this liquid on countless of his workers after he was told it was ready. Exactly forty three hybrids and powered humans died to his testing. A single injection can kill an individual. However, Dream had not tested a powered hybrid. That is why he asked for the vigilante that was in the tank currently. An Enderman hybrid blessed with teleportation powers. Dream had taken off the mask as he stared at the teen currently floating in the unnamed purple liquid.

His thought of maybe a powered hybrid surviving the changing process was correct. The enderman hybrid teen was unconscious yes but, he was undergoing changes. The most visible ones currently were the horns growing at a rapid pace from his skull. They stuck close to his scalp as they curved up and over his head, almost flattening the dual colored hair in the process. His hair was much longer, probably around his middle back. And a tuft of fur that seemed attached to a twitching tail connecting straight to his spine on his back. Dream grinned, taking off his mask so he could see better but shifting reality to make it seem like he still had it on to everyone else.

“Take him out of the tank! His oxygen is dropping too low!” Dream barked out the order, noticing the teens oxygen level dropping too low to be healthy. The workers scrambled to get the kid out. Covered in body suits to keep from touching the liquid as they dragged him out of the tank and onto the platform. They washed him off with a hose, before getting him back on oxygen.

Dream took the steps of the tank two at a time, eager to see the results of the experiment. “It worked…a few unexpected physical additions but it worked!!” His shouts and laughter rang out through the underground base around him, reaching even the quietest of corners. “Get him back to the cell, we are trying the goat next. This time we will try it as an injection again.”

“Are you sure the injection is going to work this time, Dream?” Phoenix asked as he looked over from the supercomputer in the main room of the cavern-like base.

Dream spun to face him as Ranboo was carried off back to the cell, Schlatt watching the cameras to make sure tubbo didn't try anything. “I’m sure Sapnap. It’s going to work. It has to work! I can’t afford for it not to work!” He knew he was yelling at his best friend, but he couldn’t care. His life’s work is finally coming together! He just had to see how well the subjects listened to him after the dose. He could actually make this plan work.

Sapnap scoffed before turning back around and just walking out of the cavern. He hated when Dream got like this. Maybe he would just turn himself in and go through the recovery process. Maybe turn Dream in for abuse as well.

Dream let him leave. His plans were going right for once, he couldn’t give up now. Screaming filled the hallway to the cell. It was tubbo, angry at seeing his unconscious friend in the state of change he was going through. The screaming only grew as he was dragged out to where dream had prepped a sterile needle and syringe filled with the purple substance. Tubbo fought the entire time to break out of the workers’ grasp. He spat on the floor after he reached Dream's feet.

“Gross. Anyway, Tubbo. I still need a name for it, something catchy that the public will catch onto quickly. Something unforgettable.” Dream smiled, flicking the syringe to make sure the air bubbles were out.

“How about, ‘nightmare’s a bitch’ that’s pretty catchy” Tubbo spat again, knelt down on the cold stone ground.

Dream laughed, his kettle like wheeze sounding out. “Oh it’s funny how much you sound like Tommy. No wonder you two make such great partners in your vigilante gig. Too bad it won't last once I'm done with you. I plan on making him into the perfect little minion once I have the drug’s kinks worked out.”

“You won’t touch him!” Tubbo argued.

“He already lives with me. Just have to put him in his place, is all.” Dream grinned feral, reality shifting to show tubbo the grin. Tubbo paled a bit, trying to back up away from the crazed villain in front of him.

Before Tubbo could go far, Dream grabbed his shirt and stabbed the syringe into his arm. Pushing the liquid in quickly. Tubbo gasped in surprise at the syringe. The major veins around Tubbo’s arm started to glow a faint purple and tubbo started to scream as it spread, taking over his entire arm in the purple veins and then traveling up to his face. His eyes glowed his yellowish orange in a fight response, his powers sparked, the represent worn off hours ago. He managed to aim an arm at dream and fire an explosion, breaking a vat of the chemical drug and making it spill across the floor and sending dream flying back into the broken vat, now empty of chemicals.

Tubbo's eyes flickered as his powers turned off, he felt a pressure in his skull as the drug took over entirely and he started screeching and writhing on the ground. His small nub for horns grew rapidly, causing blood to leak from tubbos scalp as the horns twisted into a fully grown pair of Boer male goat horns, similar to a ram's horns. Tubbo eventually stilled as the pain moved from his head to his eyes.

Tommy wasn't having a good time. First he goes out on patrol and exposes his biggest secret in front of the heroes and then Ender and Atom weren’t on patrol for the second day in a row. Now he was on his way into his opening shift at the small corner store. As he rounded the corner he started to smell smoke and then just stared blankly at the burnt and crumbling building.

“This day cannot get any worse…Well…i never liked this job anyway.” Tommy sighed heavily. Dream hadn’t been home in three days, atom and ender missing for two, and now his job was destroyed.

Tommy wandered the streets blankly, his wings hidden away and his clothing hiding the tattoo that the wings made when they were gone. When he finally decided to maybe head home, he bumped into a lady who was dressed very nicely. When had he made it to the upper portions of the city? He apologized quickly seeing she dropped the flyers she had been holding, effectively scattering them around the sidewalk.

“I’m so sorry ma’am.” He said dropping onto his knees to collect the scattered flyers. He had to put on his gentleman voice since he was up in the rich neighborhoods.

“Oh…oh no! It’s fine, really, but thank you for helping pick them up..” her voice was light, like her pink hair. She was dressed in a nice suit and tie, as if on her way to a high paying job offer of sorts.

Tommy picked up one of the flyers that was farther away and just read over it.

The heroes want you!
The heroes are hiring, looking for someone capable of managing social media accounts, financial information, or even just willing to run errands!
You think the job is right?
Come to the open interviews! Any attire is welcome just come with a basic resume!

“Pretentious pricks” Tommy muttered before standing up and walking up to the lady who held the flyers. “What time are the interviews?” Note, he was in his only decent clothes of a hoodie and jeans. His sneakers even had holes in them.

“The interviews start in an hour exactly, are you thinking of going to it?” She asked, she seemed excited seeing him holding one of the flyers.

“Pshh no. I don’t entirely like the heroes.” Tommy rolled his eyes. Of course he was going to the interview. His job had just burned down and he needed a new one to keep himself out of the house. But if he actually landed the job, maybe he could just work from home… because a vigilante working for heroes in the day time? That’s a death sentence.

“Oh? I don’t know many people that don’t like the heroes..” The pink haired lady seemed curious now and Tommy never liked people trying to dig deeper into his views.

“Yeah. anyway, you seemed in a hurry, have fun!” Tommy walked off quickly, in the direction of the bus stop. The lady blinked in surprise from the abrupt goodbye. She walked off towards the lower sections of the city, ignoring the buzzing of her phone in her pocket. Her co-workers could wait a bit more.

Tommy walked quickly. Heading towards the menacing hero complex in front of him. He had no idea what he was doing here. He really didn't. But, he was dressed in his nicest clothes already and he needed the money. The blonde stopped in front of the big glass doors, just trying to calm his nerves.

Inside it was like a whole new world. People were rushing all over the place, Heroes in costume were bringing in reports or criminals that needed to be registered before going down to the jail. And a single receptionist at the door, behind a desk filled with many computers and papers.

“Hello, welcome to Syndicate City Hero tower. What is your business with the heroes today?” The receptionist said, looking up from her computer to look at Tommy who had just entered. She was wearing a rose themed sweater and her name plate read ‘Hannah rose’.

“I’m here for the interviews that I saw on the flyers around town?” Tommy said, his back feeling like it was crawling from all the noise and activity in the building. His eyes were darting around the place trying to locate every exit in case something went south.

“Ah yes, the positions that recently opened up…Okay, you’ll want to go up the elevator to the fourth floor, once off you’ll see a room filled with people waiting. That's where you’ll sit till you are called in. What’s a name I can give the Warden?”

“ah..Thomas..” Tommy just said the name on instinct, it was on his legal documents even if it wasn’t the name everyone used for him. He kind of zoned out after giving his name. Too worried with watching the elevator in the back of the room and the little reception area slowly empty out. He was brought back by finger snapping in his face.

Tommy startled and took a quick step back. A curse flying out at the person who had startled him. Hannah sat back in her seat with a sigh. “I need a last name sir.”

“Oh. Innit! Thomas Innit’ Tommy gave a cool and collected grin at the name. Hannah just nodded before waving him off.

The blonde walked to the elevator quickly. Just wanting to get this over with. And by some miracle if he actually managed to get the job then maybe he could start freaking out and maybe just maybe finally realize that dream was right in saying he had no self preservation skills.

He entered the elevator and endured the short ride to the fourth floor. Only stopping at the second to pick up a white haired woman with large ram horns. The captain. Tommy tried not to stare at the hero, no face covering in sight.

The captain was known to be a great hero, representing the more common of hybrids. Her powers included water manipulation. She had been a sailor for trade when during a fierce storm she gained the powers and had been recruited as a hero.

While this was all public knowledge, Tommy would've been considered a fanatic with how much he knew from dream’s urgences that he knew every weakness and hero the city had ever had.

Tommy never understood why he needed to know, but he had followed his brother's demands anyway. What else was a ten year old supposed to do?

He must’ve ended up staring at the captain as the elevator hit the fourth floor. Her voice startled him out of his thoughts. “Sorry, what was that?” He asked, cringing at how scared his voice sounded.

“I asked if this was your floor” The captain laughed softly at seeing the boy get startled after staring at her.

Tommy quickly looked at the floor number and rushed out, yelling an apology to the captain. He took a couple twists and turns until he found a room filled with few candidates that were nicely dressed and held a printed resume in their hands.

Tommy nervously took a seat in an empty arm chair in a corner. There were multiple doors around the room but Phantom stood at one, picking at his nails as he stood guard. Tommy deduced that to be the interview room. Siren was probably there to make sure no weapons got to the warden.

Ah yes, the warden. A creeper hybrid hero, known for his redstone mechanics and overall technology creation. He wore a respiratory mask so that if he wound up getting riled up he wouldn’t start hissing out the common creeper gas that was the cause for the explosions. It was also just a cool aesthetic.

Tommy just watched Phantom and the door. Bouncing his leg as he waited for his name to be called. He watched almost everyone of different looks walk in and out of the room, all disappointed after the interview.

“Thomas Innit?” Phantom called from a paper slip he got after phasing through the door for the final time.

Tommy stood up and walked over to the hero and the door, posture correct for once, before the hero scoffed at the kid, recognizing him of sorts. Tommy didn't know that, but he heard the scoff. Tommy gave Phantom a glare as he walked past the pro hero into the interview room. His mind stuttered seeing the pro hero and the head of engineering the Warden sitting right beside the hero who had taken him home all those days ago. It was like less than a week but to Tommy it felt like forever. The number two hero, the Angel. The Angel’s black wings were tucked calmly behind his back, he was playfully chatting with the warden about everyone who had come in so far. Warden had a couple files on his desk it seemed but Tommy didn't really care as he greeted the heroes with a stutter to his voice, catching their attention.

Angel looked over and gave a warm smile and wave, while Warden’s eyes just scrunched up in a smile, his mouth blocked by his gas mask. Tommy sat down with a nervous smile on the other side of the desk. Angel’s face lit up in recognition. “Tommy?!”

Tommy jumped a little, not expecting the hero to remember his name, let alone the random kid he took home to the lower districts. He nodded, not trusting his voice until the questions started.

“You know this kid Phil?”

“Not a kid-” Tommy retorted.

“Yeah, He was the kid that Atlas was all grumpy about me taking down to his home in the lower districts.” Angel explained, Phil, Tommy remembering that the hero had given him permission to use Phil instead of his hero alias.

“Again, not a kid. And I’m sitting right here. You heroes are really bad at having conversations with civilians aren’t you?” Tommy scoffed, leaning back into the plush chair and crossing his arms in front of his chest.

Warden coughed, caught off guard at Tommy's blatant disregard for manners. Phil just continued to smile, though it was more genuine this time. The boy was stubborn, it reminded him of will and techno when they argued with each other.

“Anyway. Hello, Thomas was it? Welcome to the open interviews, do you possibly have a resume we could look at while asking you some basic questions regarding past work experience and what do you expect this job to be like?” the engineer asked, going back into work mode.

“It’s Tommy and, no I don't but everything you need to know is in here.” Tommy tapped his head a few times.

Warden sighed but nodded after Phil set his hand on his shoulder. “Take it easy Sam, I can do this one if you want”

“No no, it’s fine Phil. Okay Tommy, since I don’t have a resume, I'm going to ask basic questions like your address and age until I can get your records from the city database…” He sent a quick text to Hannah down at the front desk. “So Tommy, first off, how old are you and what district are you from?

“I’m eighteen years old, and down in the lower slummier area of the city, specifically 29th and 30th street..” Tommy replied honestly, well mostly honestly. The tower would never hire a sixteen year old into this line of work.

“Okay, so you are in district four, gotcha”

“We don't do districts down there, just street numbers, the whole area is just poor enough that we’ve just got our own little community.” Tommy said, correcting the warden on instinct. District four was the poorest district, and while Tommy knew dream wasn’t poor, he knew that it was the only area dream wouldn’t get caught in.

Tommy only knew of the district system because he had to travel to find a decent job. Otherwise he would have only referred to the streets like everyone else down there. Just like how the vigilantes were everyone’s heroes down there, instead of the actual heroes.

“Ah sure, sorry.” the Warden said a bit awkwardly, letting the Angel take over.

“Well, I'm sure it is a wonderful little community, what brings you to this interview though? This is on the entire opposite side of town and would take a while to travel everyday, even by train?”

“Ah, well Phil, if i can call you that,” Tommy said snarkily, diving into his story telling mode to try and get sympathy points from the avian. “ I used to work at this little family owned corner store, had almost anything that you would need in a jiffy. However, I went into work today only to find it burning and basically leveled to the ground from a recent villain and hero fight. The owner couldn’t afford to rebuild so I had to quit.” He sighed a bit dramatically to add on effect, his posture slumped and inward to make himself seem smaller.

Angel seemed to just crumple under the story and Tommy’s little dramatic performance. He nodded, face now tight with worry rather than a calm smile. “Ah, I’m sorry for the damages, ill see if i can contact the store owner and give some funds to rebuild. Though that does bring up how stressful this job can be compared to a corner store job. We are constantly being pulled for patrols and bringing in villains and vigilantes for processing. So how do you feel your multitasking and stress management skills are? You understand the liabilities that can come from being an assistant or even the social media manager?”

Tommy followed the conversation surprisingly well, his nerves had faded after the first few lies, he just continued to make some things up and blend them in with the truth to make himself seem like the perfect candidate. However, he still had an attitude whenever one of the two interviewers decided to make a remark about how he looked like a kid, or if he had stuttered and one of them would try to hide a snicker after a long day.

Phil had never thought a person would be more perfect for working with him and his sons as their assistant or even just managing their social media accounts. The kid in front of him and Sam was snarky and he could take a few verbal hits as well. This was important knowing how Wilbur and techno could get. And the interview went surprisingly well by the time Tommy was walking out of the tower, leaving Phil and Sam to go through the few applicants they had liked. Wilbur walks in a bit later to help with the decision from an outside perspective.

“I like that Tommy kid.” Phil said bringing it up to Wilbur, knowing that if Wilbur agreed to have an assistant then techno wouldn’t care.

“The kid who you took home? I can’t believe he actually came in for an interview.” Will said, going over the few scratched notes from Tommy's interview. Mainly just his age, place of resident, and how he answered the few questions given. Phil leaned back into his chair, wings fluttering anxiously, really hoping that Wilbur would like the kid’s responses and agree.

He perked up to attention when Wilbur, who had taken a sip of water, sprayed the water out of his mouth and started coughing while trying to not laugh. “What…the fuck…is this…answer!!” He spoke in between coughs. Phil smiled remembering the question that had sent the warden flying as well.

“So do you have any experience managing any social media accounts?” Phil had asked running through the pre-made list of questions.

“Phil, Phil my man, Big P. Of course I do! I’m a big man after-all Phil-za. Only the biggest could do what I can do.” Tommy had responded, his voice confident as he talked with his hands and over pronounced syllables.

“That's what I mean Will, he’s a wildcard compared to the other interviewees. He came in wearing a shirt and jeans with barely put together gym shoes. I can't count how many suits and ties I saw today. It was a nice change.” Phil said with a smile.

Wilbur looked up at Phil and narrowed his eyes at him. “You are already attached aren't you.”

“I am not-”

“He is too.”

The warden looked dead serious as he turned to Phil and responded at the same time as Phil denied it. Phil looked shocked, his wings puffed up and his face blushed. “You are the worst Sam.”

“I know”

Chapter Text

When Tommy received a call on his little wrist watch, he wasn’t expecting to be told he had landed the job as the SBI’s social media manager. He just hadn’t. He doesn't own a phone or a computer, and therefore has never been on any social media before.

It had been a few days since the interview, he had gone on patrol once or twice in recent days and the city was suspiciously quiet recently. He had gotten hit by Dream once when he had arrived home and made dinner but had forgotten to set some food out for him. But in Tommy's defense, Dream hadn’t been home in like a week, and he had come home looking like shit.

Tommy put on the best clothes that he could, aka a non torn up shirt and jeans, before going in for his first shift. He wondered how the SBI would react when he told them he didn't have anything to do his job on. He was a nervous wreck to say the least. Though he cleaned up nicely, the tattoo across his back, indicating his wings was peaking through the shirt he had chosen. He just had to hope his unruly hair hid it, along with the large bruises forming on the backside of his neck and shoulders from one run in with a villain named Ace. Tommy had never seen the villain before in his life, maybe he had stuck to the higher districts until now.

Tommy had completely zoned out once he got onto the subway to take the trip to sector one. The train had filled up on a couple stops throughout the sector. People of all different hybrids or even just normal humans commuting to work. Tommy’s knee bounced as a sign above the door stated the next stop of sector one. A mechanical voice jumped through the speakers, reinforcing the next stop on the signs. Tommy waited for the train to stop with a whine of the breaks before squeezing through the crowd of bustling people.

Sector one was still unfamiliar territory, he felt on edge as he walked through the streets, eyes blinded for a split moment from the sun reflecting off of the many windows dotted along business buildings that lined the street that lead to the subway, looking for a quick buck from the rich. It was a decently warm day with the sun out, a few clouds passing by the sun with a soft and cool breeze. People walked on the sidewalks not having a care of the world, protected by the looming building that was the heroes tower in the middle of the sector. Tommy felt a bit disgusted at the sight of all the windows reflecting the sunlight and casting perfect reflection of the businesses below as well as the sky.

Tommy picked up his pace, just wanting to be inside, his back was burning. He hated the tattoos that showed he was avian. If he kept his wings away for too long they started to burn something vicious. Tommy just hunched over a little bit more as the burning sensation started. Of course it had to be on his first day at a new job. His posture was bad enough for his tall height, why not just make it a little bit worse. See if his bosses have any medication…maybe steal the avian strength ones. Prime knows anything else wouldn't work.

Tommy eventually entered the main lobby and walked over to the receptionist Hannah, ignoring anyone else in the room. He was nervous and grumpy from the pain, he could deal with some snarky person who thought that he owed them a chat.

“Thomas innit?” Hannah asked not looking up from her computer behind the desk.

Tommy startled a bit at how she knew even with staring directly at her computer. “Uh, yeah that's me. Was told I landed a job.”
Tommy sounded ridiculous, his voice came out a bit too small as he answered, and on top of that the woman had yet to even look at him, which just made the entire interaction worse. Hannah nodded at the answer before rolling her chair to pick up a green colored plastic card from a printer sort of machine. She rolled back over to Tommy and handed him the card.

“That card is your worker’s access, being a social media manager you will only need access to the Sbi’s workspace and the few worker rooms on different floors, such as the I.T. work that Sam does for the workers here. But you won't have access to the training rooms or the labs. Understood?” It was like she was reciting a script before giving Tommy the most genuine smile. Tommy was disturbed.

“Sure, understood and memorized” He gave his own cocky smile back before taking the card and heading towards the elevator. The buttons on the elevator were labeled once he swiped the card to show he had access.

Once on the elevator and out of sight from many people, he relaxed and let out a sigh. He stayed near the corner of the elevator, repeatedly talking in his head, wishing for no one to come into the woody brown and very fancy elevator system.

There was faint music playing as he was raised higher into the building. The very top was the Sbi’s living quarters, and the floor right below that was their working quarters. Tommy felt his hand clench on the lift’s railing as the elevator slowed and came to a stop on the thirteenth floor, and the doors opened to a rather homey setting. Did he accidentally press the top button? He didn't even have access to that button.

He stepped forward onto the newly polished hardwood floor. His shoes squeaked slightly as he walked towards the voices that were hidden by a corner.

“Phil. listen. We don’t need a social media manager. We never have, so why do we need one now?” A monotone voice, probably Atlas who wasn’t filled in on him being there.

“We really do though tech. Public appearances are important, and when was the last time you got onto social media and made sure to keep up appearances?” Phil said, crossing his arms as he walked through the small kitchenette that the work room offered.

Tommy wasn’t sure if he should make an appearance now or what. He really needed the money, but mixed with the pain radiating from…well…everywhere now, and Atlas being opposed to someone taking the job. His odds didn't seem good. He was standing in a little corridor that connected the elevator to the main rooms. He zoned back into the conversation just to see a wild brown haired man holding a coffee cup and looking extremely tired walk into the room and spot him. He froze a little at being spotted but it was fine. Everything was fine. Mhm totally fine, he totally wasn’t trying to stop his wings from coming out because of fear. Fear of what? Fear of being accused of eavesdropping on the top three heroes.

“The new guy is here. Looks like he’s seen a ghost as well” Wilbur stated with a yawn before moving to the kitchenette to flop onto Techno.

“He probably has. Aka you.” Techno rolled his eyes, shrugging Wilbur off and causing him to spill his coffee.

Wilbur just stared at the spill on the floor. Tommy walked out of the corridor to see what happened. He held back a snicker at the spilled coffee and tired looking hero. Wilbur dragged his gaze from the spilled coffee on the floor to techno who wasn’t phased at all and just continued to try and chat with Phil. Wilbur’s gaze turned murderous and he launched himself at techno, effectively tackling him onto the ground. Techno didn't make much more noise than a snort of surprise but soon they were wrestling on the floor over some spilled coffee.

Phil sighed heavily and just stepped around the boys to walk towards Tommy. The man’s wings were out and proud, gleaming with a fresh preen. To say Tommy was a little jealous was an understatement. But Phil just gave a tired smile.

“Welcome to the Sleepy Boys inc. working floor. Ignore the children over there. I'm glad you could make it today”

He guided Tommy over towards the more office-like area and showed him around. The layout was a bit cramped, everyone's work spaces either across the hall or right next to each other, along with a small stairwell to their private floor.

The tour ended with Phil opening a door at the very entrance of the hallway. It was a small office space, set up with an intercom and computer/laptop for all Tommy needed.

“And this is your office. If you need anything the intercom connects to all of us including Hannah down at the front desk. Your computer is already set up and the password is on a sticky note. Um what else…Oh! And I got you a work phone, it should be in one of the drawers for you to set up! Once you get all situated I’ll send Wilbur in to help you log in to the social media accounts.”

Phil gave a grateful smile before leaving Tommy to go stop the literal brawl that had started on his floor. Wilbur was now pinned beneath Techno, but was still attempting to hit the man. Tommy quickly moved his gaze away from the heroes and explored his office. He noted every exit and entrance, there was only one door to the hallway, not counting the large window looking over the city.

Tommy hugged himself and stood at the window looking out with wide eyes. The sun was on the horizon, rising up to meet the gleaming city, it crested over one of the buildings, casting a golden glow over the upper sectors, as if blessing them. Tommy had never been so high up before, even with climbing buildings, he was still higher in this office than in the lowest sector fighting crime. There were clouds forming near his window, a lower type of fog from the morning dew. Something in him screamed to feel the wind on his face at this height. He just stared and admired, wishing that his vigilante friends were here to see this view.

Tommy felt a whine rise in his throat at the thought of his missing friends. They had never taken off patrol so suddenly without telling him. He remembers their last patrol like it had happened yesterday…

Phantom walked forward, making to grab for Ender who was visibly shaking, when the first sound slipped out of shadow. He hadn’t meant to make the sound, but sometimes even fighting against it all, a small chirp of fear could slip out and he can usually pull it off as a cough, but he couldn't move to do his fake coughs to cover it up.

Tommy saw Angel pause, his smile from before falling as his wings puffed up, he quickly stopped phantom, pulling him back to discuss. Phantom seemed confused and was worried for Angel. This caused enough distraction that the command to stay still wore off and ender reacted quickly enough to grab the two vigilantes on either side of him and teleport away quickly.

All Tommy heard before he was teleported away was Angel shouting to wait and trying to lunge forward towards him. He flinched at the sudden movements, feeling sick from it all.

They landed on top of an apartment building, likely one that Ender lived in since this was where he visioned to land. Tommy stumbled out of Ender’s grasp quickly to get away and try to avoid the questions he knew were going to come. He looked over at Atom and Ender, expecting to see anger, but instead he just saw concern from the two. Atom took a step forward.

“Shadow…are you okay?” Atom asked, not knowing how to approach the subject of your friend potentially being a hybrid this entire time.

Tommy stayed silent for a bit, remembering he was on patrol and was supposed to be a strong vigilante, not some scared helpless kid like he was whenever he was back home. He was the hero in this situation. He didn’t need help, he didn't need their concern.(even if he felt like he would pass out any second from his hammering heart). Shadow tensed as he looked at Atom, who was slowly approaching as he waited for an answer.

“I’m okay Atom, It was all part of the plan to get us out. Not a lot is known about avians y'know. But if they are like any other hybrid, they respond to sounds of their species. In this case, birds.” Shadow spoke, his voice tight in his chest and he kept just out of reach from Atom the entire time. He sounded out of breath, (Was he hyperventilating? Is this what a panic attack feels like? Oh god.)

Atom tilted his head, not expecting that to have been a plan in Shadow’s head. It sounded so genuine when it happened, he saw how shadow had tensed, and he said his name, not the stupid nickname he had made.

Tommy knew he had messed up that night, but my god, he didn't expect his two best friends (if they were considered that) to ditch him immediately after he had panicked. He felt his back burn, wanting to find a way to comfort himself, his throat burned with distressed noises that he couldn’t allow himself to leave his body. There was a harsh knock on his door.

Tommy jumped, scared out of his thoughts, the glass becoming observant to him as he realized he was supposed to be working. He quickly spun to sit in his chair, only to find the chair was indeed not under him as he crashed to the floor. “Fuck” He hissed as his sat looking at the bottom of the desk.

Laughter rang out from the doorway. When he stood up to fix his disheveled clothing from the fall he found he had an audience. Wilbur was standing in the doorway laughing his head off from watching Tommy essentially scramble to look like he hadn’t been staring out the window for ten minutes.

“You saw nothing bitch!” Tommy retorted as he sat down in the desk chair and booted up the pc with what he hoped was the power button.

“Of course. I totally didn't see our new intern staring out the window like he hasn’t seen the sun before.” Wilbur said in between him laughing and gasping for air. He walked into the office and shut the door. A yellow sweater and red beanie combo on the hero.

Tommy spluttered, unsure how to respond as he was sure he already had a few strikes. He felt his heart start beating in his chest again.

“Dude, don't worry. I promise you, you are probably about to do more work then we will in a day…we don't get a lot done around here. I was just told to make sure you got the phone set up and help you log into things.” Wilbur shrugged off the panicking boy before pulling a chair to the desk and helping Tommy learn the ropes of the computer and phone.

The day went by like a blur, all three heroes at some point wound up teaching him how to use social media, and saying that he was catching on quickly. Phil was always the nicest of the three as they switched in and out, techno being the quietest and not really reacting to anything Tommy threw at him verbally.

And Wilbur. Poor poor Wilbur. He was the easiest for Tommy to get riled up, and once he started, the man couldn't stop. That was probably the best part of Tommy's day.

Wilbur had come in for the third time, he had just gotten off of a quick patrol that ended in absolutely nothing happening. You could tell the man was bored. He flopped onto the small loveseat in Tommy's office complaining about the crowd he had got caught in on patrol, which would explain the amount of tweets and posts he had to report online while Wilbur was out.

Tommy wound up teasing him over something he couldn’t even remember and Wilbur and him ended up yelling back and forth before laughing to the point of struggling to stop. Phil had walked in at all the noise and just rolled his eyes fondly.

Eventually it was time for Tommy to clock out. The sun was setting in the sky and Tommy was looking forward to a night of patrolling the lower sectors. He shut down his computer and put it in a small backpack that held his vigilante gear, he had managed to sneak the bag in during lunch.

He grabbed the work phone, now complete with each of the SBIs contacts and a few other heroes who popped in to say hello since it isn't everyday that they had new people working in the tower. As he got down to the bottom floor, waving goodbye to Phil and Wilbur who both had on their hero gear, going over their patrol route down in the main lobby. He managed to leave before them and duck into an alleyway to change into his vigilante gear.

Now, getting into his vigilante gear was a bad idea while in the upper sector. But Climbing up onto the small office building next to him and then continuing to jump from roof to roof towards the lower sector was his biggest mistake.

Chapter Text

Phantom and Angel were both out patrolling the middle sectors, unable to set foot in the lower sectors, they planned on trying to catch Shadow and figure out what had gone down that day of the store robbery. They had a small idea of where to find him, however what they didn't expect was a flash of black zooming across rooftops towards the lowest sector.

Phantom notified Angel and the avian tilted his wings just enough to do a wide sweep towards the racing figure silently. The phantom hero let his skeletal wings shake into sight before leaping off the nearest building and using momentum to tilt himself back up into the air. He couldn’t fly like Angel, but he could use momentum of dives to get him into the air and glide quickly.

The two were quickly tailing the vigilante, Phantom dropped to the roof before running after him before Angel sped forwards and landed in front of the man, effectively stopping him. Shadow slowed down, stopping a distance away from Angel and becoming aware of the hero behind him. He turned to have both of them in sight.

“H-Heyyy Boysss!” Shadow stammered out, hands shaking already at being caught so fast. How did he manage to get caught so early, he knew their routes he thought. He was obviously wrong. Oh shit…He just talked in front of the heroes. He still hadn’t saved up enough money to get a voice changer. Hopefully his voice was distorted enough with surprise that they wouldn’t catch on.

Angel stepped forward slowly, a bit surprised, “we don’t want any problems mate, just want to ask you some questions”

Shadow stepped back, which was technically closer to Phantom, he quickly redirected his course to the side, which was towards the edge of the building and the road. “Yeah right, you’ve been on my tail since the store, there's a reason I stay out of your paths usually.” The vigilante scoffed, taking a quick check at how far he had till the drop off.

“I promise we just want to talk. Nothing more. Your posse hasn’t been around lately, we want to know why.” Phantom stated as he attempted to close in on the vigilante. Angel took the other side, moving slowly.

“My ‘posse’ is none of your business…” He snapped, already tense from the heroes being there. Shadow figured this was the end, he didn’t have his grappling hook to get him out of this fall, if he did fall that was. His back burned something fierce, probably the stress of not having them out since a few days ago.

His head subconsciously snapped to face Angel when the hero let out a trill. He didn't know what the trill was supposed to mean but his avian instincts attempted to calm at the sound. Tommy’s eyes were wide underneath his night vision goggles, he was grateful to have them.

His hands flexed as he forced his eyes off of the hero. Angel continued to make the noises, noting the reaction of Shadow visibly tensing up. Phantom made slow moves towards him, soon he was close enough that he attempted to grab the vigilante.

The sudden movement from the hero had Shadow twisting away with a squawk of surprise. Twisting away from Phantom caused him to be closer to Angel. He wound up having to dodge his way away from night sky wings and faintly translucent hands.

They danced across the rooftop, both heroes using their powers to grab the vigilante. Shadow was running on pure adrenaline trying to evade a 2v1. This was looking less and less in his favor. His head whipped between both heroes who were lunging towards him. His muscles tensed as time seemed to slow down, he couldn't dodge to either side or wind up in either of his opponents arms, he couldn't go above or under, Angel's wings were in the way.

Tommy tensed, realizing this was the end of his career, until his foot took a step back and slipped off the side of the tall building. His heart stopped in his chest as his body weight shifted backwards and he free fell off the building.

He saw Angel peak over the edge cautiously before stepping up to dive after him. Phantom pulled him back away from the edge. Tommy took in a large gasp of breath, he was panicking, he didn't have his grappling hook, and he wouldn't dare show his wings to the public. His back burned as the world stayed in its slow state to Tommy. He grit his teeth as instincts took over and his un-preened wings ripped from his back and ripped through his clothes. They flipped him over to catch the air.

The muscles of these beautifully dull wings protested as they stayed stretched out, filtering through wind as he clumsily glided down to the alley below. Tommy braced himself for impact as his unused wings gave out and he tumbled into a cluttered pile of garbage. He felt like he couldn’t breathe. Agony filled him if he moved and agony filled him if he didn’t move.

Black dots danced around the boy’s vision. His ears rang as the sounds of the world caught up to him. The sounds of wings flapping in the distance barely registered in his mind. They were growing farther away, meaning the heroes didn’t care if he made it or not.

Typical, he thought, they got what they wanted and left him here to suffer and possibly die. Alone. That’s what he was…oh god.. He was alone. He didn’t have Atom or Ender to fall back on this time. Dream wouldn’t comfort him or say he did a good job. He was utterly alone wasn’t he…

Tommy passed out shortly after that. Unaware of the distressed warble that came from an abnormally tall Enderman hybrid. Freshly out in the world. He seemed to be called here by something when he found the masked black vigilante, dull golden feathers scattered about the alleyway, leading to a pile of trash.

A black and white speckled thin tail lashed behind the hybrid, bending down to check the pulse of the poor vigilante. A heart beat. A slow, antagonizing heart beat. It’s all he could hear. It was taunting him. A warble…a bleat…then nothing. The sounds teasing him for being weak. Voices screaming for him to wake up. To bust them free…

Phil wanted to reach out to the vigilante, a boy who fell like Icarus. With the sun blazing behind him into a dark alleyway. Wilbur would’ve said it was poetic if he could’ve seen the boy fall like he did. The way the eyes hidden behind the goggles pleaded for someone to save him. This was one of the worst times in Phil’s career. Wilbur dragged him away, telling him the boy would be fine if their suspicions were correct.

But the way Phil felt his heart drop at the vigilante falling backwards off the roof. It reminded him of a dark day when he wasn’t aware of this city many years ago. Wilbur pulled him out of his thoughts.

“Phil…Phil, we need to report back to headquarters. It's movie night Friday. We can’t let techno pick the movie tonight. I’m not sitting through another Karate Kid.” He urged, trying to change the subject. Wilbur was affected by the vigilante falling as well. He saw the way Phil lit up at the masked man training his attention on the trills and coos he offered.

Wilbur knew enough about avians that the wanna-be hero acted like he had never had anyone to make those noises with. How he had tensed and swallowed multiple times, caught off guard. Wilbur just needed to get Phil home and get his attention away from work.

Wilbur poked one of Phil’s wings as a way to get him to start flying back to the tower. Wilbur was concerned for his adoptive father. He had never acted like this before to his knowledge, except for when Wilbur first learned how to glide, Phil had been sad that he wouldn’t be able to fly alongside him high up in the clouds, but only be able to manage small gliding periods.

Soon they were entering the hero tower, the sun had set by now. They passed by Captain who was going out onto patrol with a new hero, also named captain, but most referred to him as sparkles.

The two duos waved to each other. Respect showing between each other. Phil tipped his head to the Captain before entering the elevator. Wilbur followed closely behind, the doors soon closed.

“Wanna tell me what that was about? We got nothing off of that kid except body language. And the fact that he can actually speak.” Wilbur demanded in a soft tone keeping his eyes forward and not at the corvid avian.

“What, what was about Will? He reacted to the calls. That gives us so much. He’s obviously an avian. I just want to know why he isn’t using his wings. Even the limited information about Ace shows that he once had wings…” Phil rubbed his face. “His voice sounded so familiar…I just can’t place it. But we need to keep this under wraps. We need to get him in here for questioning. Then we can worry about the vigilante part.”

Wilbur rolled his eyes. “Phil, he patrol’s the lowest sectors and just fell off a building. If he is still alive and smart, he probably won't show his face for a few days, maybe even for the rest of his life.”

“I know. That's why I want to send The Time Keeper out to do an investigation. See if there’s anything we missed after we left.” Phil said. Hands clenching as the elevator opened to a floor that wasn’t theirs.

“The Time Keeper?! Phil, you are insane! You are just asking for the fiances to get involved with this if you want His help.” Wilbur shouted in a whisper, half turning to Phil as the older hero led the way out of the elevator and to an office room labeled ‘The Time Keeper’. A title given to the best detective the heroes have access to.

Phil rolled his eyes, tuning out his son and coworker. He raised his hand in a fist to knock on the door. His wings tensed as the door opened before he could hit the wooden door. “Phil! What a surprise!”

A brown shaggy haired man stood in the doorway, a color block hoodie thrown over his clothing casually. He held a giant beaming smile on his face and a can of energy drink rested in his free hand. Karl quickly waved them in before going to his desk.

“Well, you arrived just on time! What do you need me for Mr. Angel and Phantom. An investigation of course, but what villain did something to pique your interest this time?” Karl rambled as he pulled out some files of the most recent villain attacks.

“It’s actually a vigilante.” Phil stated. The grimness in his voice was evident. He sat down in a chair across from the time manipulator and Wilbur stood at the door. Still in slight disbelief that they were actually doing this.

Karl, who had taken a drink of white Monster when Phil started talking, spit out his drink and started coughing from surprise. “Well that is certainly new for you Phil. However, you’re gonna need to be more specific. There's like ten different recorded vigilantes in the recent four years.”

Phil clenched up and looked Karl dead in his multi-colored eyes.

“The public calls him Shadow.”

Chapter Text

“Shadow. You want to go after Shadow? Okay, I guess. This is gonna be a hard investigation but I can handle it.” Karl said, rubbing his throat after he had been taken by surprise by Philza’s request.

“I know you can handle it, it's why you’re in this profession after all. Though, I need enough information to be able to bring him in. We suspect he is an unregistered Avian. Which means we need to bring him in to get a measure of his abilities and heritage.” Phil said, keeping a professional tone while he was in the room. Realistically Phil wasn't a scary guy, until he wanted something from you. Then all hell could break loose.

“So you need evidence and a place of residence. Got it. Can’t promise the residence part, he’s a smart vigilante, those usually don’t stay in one place for very long. I’ll get evidence of him being an avian though. Maybe follow him around for a day, I’ll get some pots from The Warden..” Karl tapered off, planning his hunt.

“Thank you for your time Karl,” Phantom said, dismissing himself and his father figure. Wilbur dragged the older man out of the office and back into the elevator.

“Okay…” Karl said, confused by their sudden leaving. He stood up and cracked his back before finishing off his white monster. With slow steps to a back wall he punched in a code to his personal room where his uniform was kept.

Inside his private quarters was like being transported to a library, books lined the walls and his walls were a mess of different hues of purple and pink. The bed was circular with colorful blankets and pillows. His closet sat at the back of the room near the bathroom.

Karl walked to his closet and slid it open quietly. At the back of the walk-in was a hanging body length mirror. He gripped the edge of the mirror and pulled. A click and a hiss sounded through the room as the mirror swung open guided by Karl's hand. In the little space hidden by the mirror was a mannequin the size and shape of Karl. It held his hero suit.

A black bodysuit with a neon blocky swirl on the chest, blue stripes lining his hips and legs. Purple boots with only two thin chevrons of blue and pink. A color block trench coat of sorts, pink on the inside, a light purple for the body and blue sleeves. Yellow finger-less gloves protected his hands from his magic. And for his identity, some goggles block his eyes but allow him to see clearly.

Karl had designed the outfit with the Warden to make sure it was bulletproof when he was out investigating. So far it has saved his life in multiple scenarios. Such as the incident with Phoenix. Karl had gone out to investigate a burned down building months ago and it turns out phoenix had not left the area yet. The villain had gone on the offensive until he could escape.

Karl hadn’t had a case since then. He was left with burns all over and was stuck on bed-rest for a few weeks. Luckily his suit had stopped the most lethal blasts of fire. His breath stuttered as he saw the suit, still in perfect condition after the Warden had fixed the burns and tears.

Karl reached out with a shaky hand, taking the suit off the mannequin and taking it to the bathroom to change into. A few minutes later he walked out of his office and onto the elevator to the lobby. He was tense, terrified of dawning the pieces of fabric. He didn't even know if he could use his powers again at this point.

Once in the lobby he went to walk out to the city. His monitor on the inside of his forearm beeped giving him the location of the confrontation that had Angel and phantom upset. When he looked back up, two heroes in costume were standing in front of him. Warden and Foolish.

“Hey Sam, foolish…what's the occasion?” Karl asked, realizing the two looked very pissed off at him.

“When exactly were you gonna come get one of us after putting on your suit?” Sam asked, crossing his arms, well his four arms, two on top, two on the bottom. His gas mask casting a greenish color over his face. His green hair didn't help his case of the green glow. It was a creeper thing apparently.

“Uh..” Karl said, laughing nervously.

“You know, after you were almost killed by Phoenix you would’ve thought to grab one of us before going to some random alleyway.” Foolish said, towering over even Sam. He was a totem hybrid apparently, around the same rarity as avians. Though he liked wearing a shark onesie, making him one of the weirder heroes of the tower. Though he was great at what he did.

“Listen, I wasn't thinking, I planned to do a small scale look around before coming back to get pots..” Karl stated, it wasn’t an entire lie.

“Well, you’re caught, so both of us are coming with you to keep you safe. Sam is going because he has all the tech, and I can help fight and keep you alive.” Foolish stated, giving a grin before standing at Karl's side and nudging his shoulder.

Karl sighed heavily he hadn’t meant to be caught but guess having company is better than not. He put a smile back on his face. “Okay i guess. Let’s go then, I wanna get out of this suit as soon as possible.”

“That’s the spirit” Foolish cheered before guiding the two out of the building and to the alleyway halfway across the city. Luckily, since it was night, there weren’t that many people out and about to catch Karl’s supposed return.

Karl would be lying if he said he didn't miss this thrill. His powers thrum under his skin. His smile was noticed by foolish and Sam. Both poking fun at him for being so anxious in the tower before. Karl blushed a little as the two poked at him and he spoke some retorts back.

Soon they reached the partially hidden alleyway. No light seemed to reach the far end, and no windows or doors faced the walkway back. Karl stood in front of it and shivered. Warden pointed a flashlight down the dark crevice between buildings with a sharp click of the button.

Seeing no immediate danger on Karl's front, Karl walked in slowly, shoulders tense with either anticipation or fear. He wasn’t too sure himself.

“You got this Timekeeper!” Foolish called softly, causing Karl to giggle as he lifted his hands and summoned the swirling hourglass between them. The hourglass was large and glowed a variety of colors, Karl’s hands and eyes glowed a bright pinkish purple, his coat billowed out behind him as his powers took effect.

With gentle hands the hour glass was tilted to the side. Time stopped, foolish and warden were frozen on the other side of the bubble, poses and faces stuck where they had been as the hourglass had been summoned. Karl looked back at them before pushing a hand forward towards them. The copper and gold bubble decorated with working and shifting gears slowly inched past foolish and warden, leaving them blinking to orient themselves.
Timekeeper smiled with strain as he fully stepped back into his title. He turned back and flipped the hourglass to be fully upside down. The bright sand flowed back down and ghostly figures raced past the trio as people walked up and down the alley during the day. The time turner was suddenly flipped onto its side to stop the flow of time.

Foolish was confused, there were no more teal translucent figures around them, until he followed Karl's eyesight upwards. There mid air, frozen in his fall, with wings outspread treading through the rushing wind, was the ghostly figure of Shadow. Feathers stayed frozen in their drift away from the wide horrible looking wings. The vigilante’s back was arched downwards towards the concrete alley, his hand outstretched upwards as his wings were curled slightly trying to catch a gust of wind. Foolish quickly tapped Warden to get his attention. Warden shifted his gaze upwards and gasped quietly.

The vigilante’s wings were stretched out way past where they should comfortably be for flight, the back of his hoodie was ripped open showing a thin layer of skin. His spine was visible on the teal translucent figure, the arteries on the wing’s bases protruded from the skin as well, casting a shadow. His hands outstretched upwards towards the building edge as well as his legs. He was in true free fall.

Timekeeper clenched his hands as a gear formed on the ground below him, lifting him to meet the figure in the air, studying him, taking in the smallest of details. Soon they were watching the boy fall in slow motion, his wings shaking in effort as he flipped around and glided to the garbage pile at the far end of the alley.

The landing looked very rough, one of his wings was stuck under him while the other was stuck at an awkward angle next to him. Karl felt some pity for this vigilante, he obviously wasn’t used to rescue maneuvers such as what he just performed to save himself. Karl let time run again. Watching as the translucent figure on the pile didn't move for a while, a tall horned hybrid walked up to him. The figure's eyes glowed and particles danced around the insanely tall ender hybrid . Karl watched as the man reached down and gently picked up the vigilante.

He turned around to the exit of the alley, Karl stuttered, recognizing the hybrid in front of him. He must've made a noise because foolishly set a gentle hand on him as the images faltered.

Timekeeper shrugged the hand off. “I'm fine. Let’s keep going, there's more to this story yet.”

Foolish just looked to warden with a worried expression, Karl let time flow smoothly again, watching a short ram hybrid stand at the end of the alley, his mouth moving like he was talking, soon he touched the ender hybrid and they vanished in a flash of drifting particles. he clicked his tongue sharply. The cog under him vanished. He walked over to where they had teleported from and froze the particles in time, letting the copper bubble around the area vanish as time outside resumed as normal.

Foolish gagged, “I will never get used to time manipulation” Warden just chuckled at his pain.

“This is gonna be hard to track. But I think I have the basis of the story. Now, warden, foolish. Have any of you seen a hybrid be able to teleport three people like that. He didn’t seem like he was in his right mind.” Timekeeper stated, studying the blue retelling of the puff of particles..

“Never. It was as if he was on a booster of some sort.” Warden said.

“Of course..With the recent resurgence of Phoenix and Experion.. I think we might be missing something big.” Foolish said deep in thought.

The rise in both of the villains was suspicious enough, especially when they never aimed for anything but rather just wanted to cause as much damage as possible before vanishing again. Foolish wondered if they had ever solved the case of Nightmare’s missing body after one of their biggest battles in history. Foolish had been recruited from a vigilante because of that. He remembered being remade three times in the span of an hour because of Nightmare. But he vanished under the rubble of a building as a sense of calm had washed over the city.

Eight years later after the battle, the vigilante shadow had made an appearance in the lower sectors. The man was not labeled as a threat until Timekeeper got involved just now. Foolish was trying to make connections.

While they were brainstorming and investigating the puff. What they didn't see was the figure on the roof next to them, a smile mask sat on his face, his vision set on warden. Eyes glowing a soft green as he studied warden. He would get him onto his side. He just had to figure out how to separate them.

Chapter Text

Tommy awoke with a groan. His body wasn’t on fire anymore, he went to move his head, regretting it immediately as pain flared through his back. He tensed harshly. Prime, why did everything hurt? After the flare of pain was over he just tried to get a sense of his surroundings without moving or opening his eyes.

“Oh thank Prime. I think he’s finally awake, Ran…” A familiar voice stated from what seemed to be across the room from him… he heard..hooves? Come clattering over to him. He didn’t know anyone with hooves, let alone anyone named ran. What a weird name that was.

“Shadow..Shadow make a noise if you can hear me” The voice said.

“Shut up bitch, I'm trying to sleep.” Tommy said. Or, that’s what he wanted to say. He could feel the exhaustion running through his body slowly but who knows how long he had already been out. Instead all that came out was a low groan and slurred speech.

“Oh good, he still has an attitude, he’s gonna be fine” The person said dramatically, a voice responding farther away.

Tommy knew these voices…he just had to get his brain to actually work for once. He moved his hand just enough to feel his face. Grimacing at the pain he felt his face covering still in place. Whoever they were had the decency to keep it on, but it reeked of trash and Tommy started to panic as his chest felt tight. He gripped the mask tightly.

“Woah big man, you don’t need to take your mask off…” The closer voice said in a slight panic, but Tommy didn’t care. He couldn’t breathe. He ripped the mask off taking in a deep shuddering breath as cool home air hit his lungs. He relaxed as the tightness in his chest slowly faded and he slowly opened his eyes, despite the headache that was brewing.

He was met with a kind face leaning over him, large ram horns curling around his head. The brown eyes just watched him with worry, he stepped back seeing Tommy's eyes open. Behind the goggles.

“Hey there big man, good to see you awake finally” The boy smiled, he looked frail, and his hands shook slightly as he gripped the edge of the couch. The boy was familiar…oh! He had seen this kid at the small corner store. He had tried to cut the line in front of Niki. How could he forget this bitch.

“Of course, the bitch who tried to cut in line at a corner store took me in.” Tommy groaned trying to sit up. The flare of pain from his back moving made him tense up and stop.

“Hey! I’m not just some bitch, Shadow. Believe it or not, Atom and Ender saved your ass.” He huffed and rattled back.

“Yeah right…they have been missing for weeks, left my sorry ass behind wherever they went..” He mumbled, just trying to get sat up straight. He took it an inch at a time.

“Ender! Am I allowed to slap him if he just woke up?” Tubbo called behind his shoulder to a very tall hybrid standing in the kitchen.

“Preferably not.”

“Fine, I guess”

“Wait…Ender? You're the tall kid that was with this Bitch. But you didn't have horns before…and this bitch didn't have horns at all…” Tommy said, his brain short circuiting. They couldn’t have grown that fast could they? Hybrid traits just didn’t work like that from what he understood.

“Yeah… this is why we went off the grid. Some big news that we can deal with later. But how are you feeling? We tried to set your wings, we also stole a healing pot from a local pharmacy so you should be good in like another two hours…” Ranboo stated, nervously fidgeting with his hands as he just wandered the kitchen, staying away from the sink.

“So, you are actually Ender and Atom…shit…” Tommy rubbed his face with a groan. His body was starting to untense. He felt tired again as the potion worked its magic.

“Yeah..it’s us, dumb-ass. We were kidnapped by villains. Escaped though, right under their noses” Tubbo smiled, his hair was shaggy and covered his eyes as his horns were curled tightly to his head like a ram’s

“Oh…” Tommy was just in shock. He finally managed to sit up, swinging his legs to feel the carpeted floor. His wings were so sore behind him. He didn't know how people managed this.

Tubbo just looked at Tommy before sitting down next to him. “Can I touch you?”

“What?” Tommy asked, confused on why someone would ask that.

“Can I touch you? I need to check on how your back is doing. And then we need to get you caught up on some things.” Tubbo asked again as he just left his hair in his face. Ranboo walked over with another small potion in his hands and a plate of light food.

“I-I guess. I’ve never had anyone ask that.” Tommy slowly moved to make his back face tubbo and ranboo. He gently pulled his hoodie up.

Tubbo clenched his jaw as Tommy’s wings and back came into full view. Tubbo realized just how skinny Tommy was when he spotted his spine showing through the black and purple skin covering his back. Tommy had taken some hard hits when he fell. His wings were held at the correct angle now but you could see the thin muscles attempting to hold them steady. Ranboo knelt down next to Tubbo. The ender hybrid placed a steadying hand on the ram’s knee, they both realized just how bad this situation actually was with the dual life Tommy was attempting to live. Ranboo poured the potion on a towel and gently pressed it to Tommy’s back. As the skin absorbed the chemicals the giant bruise started to fade to a lighter color and look like healthy skin again in places. The tension in Tommy faded almost instantly.

“Thank you, both of you…” Tommy said, not really used to this kind of care.

“It's okay, you can call us by our names y'know, I’m Tubbo, and Ender is Ranboo.” Tubbo said soon getting up to throw the towel in a hamper. It was a small apartment.

“Well Tubbo and Ranboo” he said, exaggerating their names, “Why did you guys just dip on me for weeks no less. Usually if one of you takes a break you leave some kind of message. And I guess without code names, you can call me Tommy.” He stated turning back to a more comfortable position and put his torn sweatshirt back on.

Tubbo just kept silent for a bit. “I can give you the short version or the long version Tommy. Neither are pretty.”

“Long version then, It’s not like I am on a Time crunch…If anything by tomorrow I can just log into work on the computer and do the stuff from here..” Tommy yawned.

“Long version it is then…” Tubbo took a deep breath and started the recounting of his capture and torture. He started with his concern for Tommy after the robbery incident and moved to wanting to make sure that he was okay, and how when he was on the other side of the street watching he had been knocked out by a nightmare. It was around this point that Tommy needed to interrupt.

“Tubbo, big T if you will. Nightmare is dead and has been dead for years. There’s no way that you aren’t making this up.”

“Except I’m not, Tommy. Nightmare is alive and hiding underground. The reason why we have visible hybrid traits now is because of that maniacal man. I don’t know how he has done it, but he has this…” He waved his hands trying to figure out the word. “This serum! And he calls it Flare. From what I overheard it takes the hybrid genes and just amplifies them, and since your powers are usually within your hybrid genes then your powers get amplified too. I can’t use mine without hurting someone anymore. I might try to go into the heroes program…I want to get back in the field but me and ranboo are dangerous. He has had memory loss since he was given the serum…”

Tommy just stared at him. He couldn’t make words come out. It seemed the room was an uncomfortable silence now. Why could he not find something to say? He was Tommy, the kid that always had something to say no matter what. He felt horrible. His friends were tested on and he couldn’t even save them from that.

The silence just got louder as Tubbo stood up and walked around. Letting his words settle in. “I’m serious Tommy. I swear if you are pulling a ranboo and blaming yourself for this I'm going to slap you. You didn’t know we were captured, and we couldn’t tell you.”

“I’m not..I’m not blaming myself, not entirely. But I’m working as a Social media manager for the heroes..specifically the SBI. I can see if I can get you a recommendation to go through the legal process…You’d have to register though… I know that none of us are registered Hybrids or powered individuals. You probably wouldn't know me if I was registered.” Tommy stated, remembering that he had his laptop and phone with him for work. Turning his head he didn't see his bag anywhere. “Where’s my bag?”

Ranboo looked up, finally having just sat on the floor breathing quickly. “I’ll go get it,” the tall man quickly teleported away, leaving just a slowly disappearing dust of purple in the air and where he was sitting. Tubbo sighed heavily.

“It costs money to register, but you also get paid to register. The system is so screwed when Nightmare makes his comeback experience. If he starts selling that serum, then everyone is gonna start taking it as a booster…” Tubbo rubbed his face.

“I’ll pay for you to register if you really want to try hero training, you get the money from actually registering” Tommy offered. Just wanting the best for his friend. Because even though he had just learned each other's identities, they had still known each other from patrolling.

Tubbo sighed softly. “It’s gonna be different, no running from cops, no late nights just chilling on roof tops..” He would get paid though, and could get medical help for both of them. But he would be training and would be under a strict set of rules…He’s gonna regret this wasn't he.

Ranboo soon popped back into the room with a soft vrwoop and handed Tommy his bag. “I think everything is in there.” He seemed calmer, though his newly formed tail was flicking softly behind him, giving it away that he was still anxious.

“Thanks boob boy” Tommy grinned, grabbing the bag and pulling out his phone. Stuttering when he saw he had about an hour or two before work. “Oh my fucking- I’m gonna be late for work!” Tommy shouted, instantly trying to get up, and then immediately regretting it as his legs wobbled and he almost fell. Two strong arms kept him from crashing. ‘Twas Tubbo. Tommy winced at the look he was giving him.

“Ranboo, take his phone. Use his finger to unlock it. Text his boss that he is taking a sick day and not feeling well.” Tubbo stated, holding Tommy's hand splayed out for ranboo to unlock the phone despite Tommy’s protests. Eventually the avian just slumped in defeat.

“They're gonna have me sit in on a meeting with my video on now though!!!” Tommy whined.

“Then I’ll put a fucking beauty filter on you or something, you are in no shape to be going into work. Need i remind you of your idiotic fall off of a building.” Tubbo stated, sitting Tommy back down onto the couch.

“But Big T!!!” Tommy just continued to complain, not strong enough to fight the arms keeping him down on the couch.

“No but’s. You're taking a sick day, I already told them. They just want you to go through some emails about a recent video circulating.” Ranboo said as he set Tommy’s phone back down.

Tommy seemed to just deflate. Why did his friends have to match his energy at this exact second? He was just a fuck up hybrid..why did they care so much about him again? Oh god, he hasn’t been home in a while…Is dream looking for him, or worried? Or has he not been home again? He should probably go ho-

“Tommy?”

Tommy snapped out of his thoughts, clear blue eyes turned to brown. “Hm?”

“I asked if you were feeling alright? You spaced out for a second and I wanted to know about your new workplace..” Tubbo stated.

“Oh sorry Tubso, yeah I’m feelin’ fine, and whatcha want to know about it? It's at the hero tower so..” Tommy trailed off. Just explaining his job as he slowly opened his laptop for work. Healing was a hard process on his wings. He would wind up taking two more days off before he finally could hide his wings without burning pain.

Chapter Text

The train ride to the upper portion of town the day after he could put his wings away was chaotic, to say the least. Ranboo just wanted to teleport him, but Tubbo and Tommy just shut that idea down immediately. Tubbo stated that ranboo would get caught if he teleported in broad daylight and would freeze if anyone made even the slightest bit of eye contact. Ranboo had just grumbled and started to make Tommy's lunch. They didn’t have much, but it was better than nothing for the boy.

On his way out, Tubbo had just clung to him, stating he was coming along too, to talk about possible hero paths. Tommy rolled his eyes. "That’s a bad idea since you aren’t even remotely close to being registered on the government database." Tommy said as he walked out. Tubbo had snickered at that, his wild hair in his face as he practically jumped down the shitty apartment stairs.

"That's what you think, Toms," Tubbo said with the same grin he had whenever they went on a patrol together.

"What do you mean? You are... you can’t have gone to get registered, you were in the house the entire time I've been here. " Tommy huffed, knowing his friend had caused trouble.

"Let’s just say government websites are poorly secured, and me and Ranboo are now married for tax benefits." Tubbo giggled manically before racing ahead of Tommy to the train.

Oh boy, the train. A packed mess of hybrids and humans. Tommy had to cling to Tubbo just so he didn't end up losing his small friend as people pushed and shoved to get onto the train. Someone managed to elbow Tommy directly in the middle of his back, where the tattoo for his wings sat against his spine. Tubbo had caught him as his back flared in pain and he could barely stand. The anger on Tubbo’s face was not a pretty sight to behold as Tommy finally regained his footing.

Tommy wasn’t scared of his friend, rather he was scared for the dude who had accidentally hit him. Tommy just wrapped his arms around Tubbo, effectively stopping the sheep hybrid from trying to hit the man behind Tommy. The train moved quickly after everyone had cleared away from the doors. "I told you we should’ve just walked Tubso..." Tommy said, his voice a bit raspy from holding back a scream when his back was hit.

"Should’ve walked my arse, let me at that man!" Tubbo tried to get closer to the man who was walking away. Tommy gave a sheepish look to those who were looking at them weird now. The train soon stopped at a different station, and Tommy pulled Tubbo out onto the train platform.

"Tubbo, as much as I would’ve liked to see you beat that man up, you can’t do that in a public setting. You will get arrested, and I’m too tired to bail you out. " Tommy sighed as he dragged the shorter boy out of the subway station and onto the sidewalk. Looking around, it seemed they were about a mile away from the building in which he worked. He just groaned as he realized. "I should’ve stayed on the couch."

Tubbo stopped in his tracks, a smug look on his face.

"Don’t even dare say it, tubbo."

"I told you so! Whew, it felt good to say that!" Tubbo cheered before walking in front of Tommy.

Tommy just deflated a little inside. "I hate you." The tall boy slouched over and followed the hybrid in front of him. The rest of the walk was filled with banter between the two and small breaks for when Tommy's back hurt too much to bear every now and then.

The hero tower was bigger in person, thought Tubbo. He had only seen it from far away, never having a reason to go into the upper sectors. He had moved into L'manburg early in his life and had a comfortable yet strange life in the more run-down parts of the city. His parents bought him the essentials, and he even went to school! Though it was mostly online in the latter years thanks to him running away with a kid he met named Ranboo. Now, though, he saw how they had used the money to make the tower and to make the building. It was the shining center. He could almost snort at how stupid it was to him.

"Why’d you snort at it, Tubs? That’s literally the one thing you shouldn’t do when looking at the heroes' "Pride and Joy" of buildings." Tommy said, jokingly laughing at his friend's loud snort at seeing the building.

"I don't think anyone calls a building their ‘pride and joy." Tubbo shoved his side with his elbow before following the tall blond inside. He subconsciously went to tug his beanie down a bit more but felt his large ram horns and just put his hands down in slight embarrassment. Thankfully, his hair covered most of his eyes and upper cheeks to hide the blush.

The doors opened automatically to Tommy's badge, and Tubbo followed closely behind. They were greeted by the receptionist on duty, Miss Hannah Rose. a registered powered individual who is not powerful enough to be considered a hero

"Hannah! So nice to see you! " Tommy cheered, hands flying as he talked animatedly.

"Hello Tommy, what do you need?" Hannah said fondly as he signed in on the time sheet for work.

Tommy acted offended. "Why would you think I need something!"

"Because Tommy, you aren’t one to talk so animatedly at me without needing something." Hannah sighed with a slight shake of her head before turning back to her computer.

"Fine-you're right, but know that I'm still offended." Tommy huffed. "But, my friend here would like to sign up for hero training. He is very qualified, I tell you. So where would one go for that? "

"Ah, just leave him here with me. I'll have Sam come talk to him. What's your name?"

"Tubbo underscore beloved." Tubbo responded listening back on the conversation after Tommy hit his side. He had been looking at the hero's walking around all nonchalantly. He had fought with half of these heroes before. He had mainly been focused on the elevator where a tall brunette with a medical mask was walking towards them with a coffee in hand.

"Alright Mr Tubbo, just have a seat over there and Sam will be here soon to talk to ya!" Hannah said, side-eyeing the brunette.

"THOMAS!!!" Wilbur called as he leaned on Tommy's shoulder and threw an arm around the other shoulder. Tommy stumbled at the sudden weight, clenching his jaw when Wilbur touched him.

"Wilba. What are you doing down here? And how did you know I was---"

"Your name is Thomas!" Tubbo interrupted with a laugh before walking off to go sit down where he was told.

"It’s Tommy, you pricks!" He elbowed Wilbur, causing the brunette to back off with a cough

"Sorry sorry, I was sent down by Phil to pick you up. Something about a meeting that you get to take notes for because tech can't make it. " Wilbur chuckled, placing a gentle hand on Tommy's back to guide him to the elevator.

Tommy gripped the bag slung over his shoulder tightly. "Meeting? You sure? I'm not usually allowed in meetings; I'm just a social media person. " They stepped into the elevator, and Wilbur held up a finger as he took a large swig of coffee.

"You aren’t, your right. But Techno specifically told us to have you take notes. Why, I don’t know. You have to keep the meeting a secret, though, according to Phil ‘Behave. There are going to be lots of heroes there.' His word, not mine. "

Tommy snorted. "I think that was meant for you!"

"No no, it was definitely meant for you. I can behave myself," Wilbur retorted.

"Sure, sure," Tommy laughed. He was relieved to be back and to have Wilbur and work to distract his mind as they exited the elevator. His back still throbbed with every step that he took, but it wasn't bad enough to stop him from going through the day.

Wilbur led Tommy to a meeting room that was usually locked. with a tap of a card and a pull of a door that showed it was heavily sealed most of the time. Tommy watched with wide eyes. Wilbur held the door open and allowed Tommy to walk in first. The door shut with a heavy click after Wilbur walked in.

In front of Tommy sat the top five heroes, minus Techno, the number one hero. The angel, timekeeper, the captain, foolish, and, of course, Wilbur, the phantom. They sat at a round table with a projector on one of the walls. Karl had changed into commoners' clothes before the meeting, which left Foolish, dressed in his hero gear, to give a wave to Tommy, which caught all the heroes' attention. "Ah good! Your here! How are you feeling, mate? " Phil asked seeing Tommy.

"Ah, I'm feeling a lot better! Just needed a few days off, got a bit sick, "Tommy shrugged. Totally didn't get pushed off a roof by you. Tommy sat down closer to the captain and got out his secure work laptop.

"That's good, that's good. Thank you for filling in for Techno, by the way," Philza smiled softly before turning back to the crowd at hand. "Now, back to the topic at hand. Karl, you said you got results, yeah? "

Karl cleared his throat and nodded. "Of course, who wouldn't I be if I didn't get results? So I went to the location of the alley you sent me. And man... what a thrill it was to be back on the scene. " He giggled as he remembered the thrill.

Foolish rolled his eyes, and Tommy just looked slightly confused. Karl was just a random employee, right? So why was he here? Tommy wasn’t left to wonder as long as Karl continued to talk.

"Let’s just say, what I saw was very interesting, Mr. Angel, the only avian in Syndicate City." Phil just scowled at Karl.

"Rewinding time showed a scene that one could only make up in a story of Icarus. Maybe even that one Greek figure that got pushed off a cliff, if I remember correctly. I mean, an avian vigilante in mid-air, arm reaching up to the elder, his wings stretched way past where healthy wings would rest, all as he-" Karl made a whistling sound as he used a finger to go from a high altitude to the table. "-plummeted to his supposed death."

Philza cringed. "You can stop right there, mate. I remember what I saw. Did you find out anything after the point of me and Wilbur leaving? "

Karl smiled. "We wouldn't be here if I didn’t. But, if you must, Angel, Phil. This vigilante..by putting me on the case, you just skyrocketed him into high priority to be taken in. And to be quite fair, they can't be any older than a low-district kid. They were so malnourished that I could see literal bones and tendons on their wings from below. Are you sure you want this?" That smile had faded quickly, and Tommy’s answer was thrown in his face.

He zoned out. Primes, they were talking about him—why were they talking about him!? The room started to feel too small. His throat was closing up. His back burned like it was on absolute fire. He had already relived the fall over and over in his head. Why did techno have to skip this meeting!? ‘I mean, truly, fuck him for making me sit through fucking timekeeper being but onto Shadow’s case as his come back’ Tommy thought, jumping in his seat and being pulled out of his thoughts by Wilbur, snapping his fingers in his face and the captain gently holding his shoulder.

"Tommy you okay?" Wilbur asked, his voice filled with concern.

"Yeah big man, other than the fact that fuckin'-Karl, of all people, is Timekeeper." Tommy shouted, a ruse to make it seem he was just trying to wrap his head around Karl's hero identity rather than panicking.

Karl laughed, "Yep! Timekeeper at your service. But anyway, I know you're from the lower districts and probably like Shadow, so if this is hard for you to hear, there's no shame in taking a small break, "he said sincerely before moving on with the conversation.

Tommy just rolled his eyes and went back to taking shitty notes for techno.

"I couldn’t figure out where Shadow lived. because he didn't leave on foot or through the air. What I did notice was that an Enderman hybrid had teleported him away along with a ram or a goat hybrid. " Timekeeper stated, pulling up a recreation through digital art that he had a connection draw.

Tommy’s eyes widened and he choked on the sip of water he had taken. He was thrown into a coughing fit and excused himself from the room. Once free from the stares of the heroes, he sprinted to the bathroom and pulled out his phone, texting Tubbo.

Big T: Get out of the tower! They know!

Tubster: What do you mean they know?

Big T: they have your and Ran’s description for saving Shadow!

Tubster: Oh shit-

Tommy turned off his phone and just rubbed his face anxiously. How could they have been so careless? But how could they have known that Timekeeper, of all people, was going to end up in this case?

Tommy just pulled at his hair, cursing himself out. "Tommy?" Wilbur’s voice called from the bathroom doorway.

Tommy spun to face him and froze, his throat burning as a scared chirp bubbled up and out of his mouth. His eyes widened at hearing it. He was done now.

Chapter Text

Wilbur opened the door to the bathroom cautiously, he had been confused at Tommy’s sudden leaving. I mean, sure the kid was coughing from taking a drink, but it just happened after Karl revealed some important information. Tommy couldn’t know something about this could he?

“Tommy?” he called out timidly as he turned his eyes from the ground to the open space in front of him. He half expected to see a head of golden hair in front of a mirror washing his hands. He didn't expect the bathroom to be silent with no golden hair in sight. All stall doors open, a slight echo in the room.

What Wilbur didn’t notice as he walked out of the bathroom letting the door swing gently closed was the dusting of slowly disappearing purple particles on the floor.

Tommy let out a sharp gasp as he tumbled into a storage room and pressed into the body behind him and beside him. Wilbur must’ve heard the chirp before his friends came to his rescue. I mean, how did they even get here so fast. Wilbur was opening the door by the time ranboo had grabbed him to teleport out.

Prime, he must have some of the dumbest luck in the world if it meant Wilbur didn't see them or hear them.

“How did you time that so perfectly…He must’ve heard or seen-” Tommy sobbed, his whole body shaking with fears of being found out.

“Tommy, just shut up about that for right now, we have bigger issues to deal with! Like I don’t know, Timekeeper being told to investigate your latest sighting with the Angel!” Tubbo whispered as he shook Tommy gently.

“How was I supposed to know he was coming back from retirement!?” Tommy shouted back at him. He swatted at Tubbo’s hands to stop the shaking.

“I don’t know but we are so fucking screwed” Tommy’s voice cracked as he rubbed his face, finally getting out of his friends’ hold. He took a second to look up at ranboo only to see eyes of green staring off into the wall nearby. “Uhh, what’s up with him-”

The green eyes turned back to duel color as ranboo blinked and quickly looked back to the group nervously. “Hm? Oh sorry, zoned out there. I think the time keeper situation will be fine guys, we just have to lay low y’know?” Ranboo chuckled with a nervous tendency as Tommy and Tubbo eyed him with suspicion.

“I mean, my interview in the lab went great, I was hired. But I don't start till next week, and Tommy's day isn't over yet, so like…what do we do?” Tubbo asked tiredly.

“Maybe Tommy can call Wilbur and just tell him an emergency happened at home…and then we just lay low for a while?” Ranboo said, rubbing the back of his head nervously. He didn’t feel quite right.

The world didn’t seem in focus and taking a breath was like dragging his body through a thick tar. Leaving his chest burning and aching for more air than he was getting. Tubbo and Tommy didn’t seem to notice the second time the mutated man’s eyes turned a shade of green so bright it could blind an entire room. Ranboo felt like he was floating in a viscous liquid, a bitter sour flooded his mouth as he was pulled back by the collar of his own shirt, the world faded out of focus, like unfocusing a microscope in science class.

“I think he’s right, I’ll tell Wilbur that something happened and I need to get home. He will buy it surely…Ranboo can teleport us back to your house or at least an alleyway near your’s. I’ll walk to my house from there…” Tommy dreaded going back to his brother. I mean he has been gone for however many days now, without even the slightest hint of checking in. His watch had been crushed when he fell off the roof and into that alleyway. Tubbo had tried to fix it but nothing came of that. Just more broken pieces of glass and plastic with the occasional metal screw to hold the weak structure together.

“I guess. Okay, Ran, teleport us onto the fire escape back home.” Tubbo gently took Ranboo’s arm and Tommy did the same. There was a small bit of hesitation before Tommy lurched forward, blinded by a swirl of green and purple before he was clutching the rails of a fire escape looking like he was going to throw up.
He groaned heavily and dramatically, earning a pat on the back from Tubbo. “See you tomorrow big man” The ram stated before ducking in a window followed by the green eyed mutant. Tommy gave another tired and annoyed groan before making his way down the fire escape ladder and walking the back alleys to his shack of an apartment with his brother.

The apartment was quiet when he entered, quiet when he made dinner, and quiet when he called Wilbur to say he rushed home after someone got hurt. It wasn’t until he got into his room and saw it was a mess did he figure something was a little weird about the quiet. He picked up his vigilante outfit, just simple black clothing that made him blend into the shadows without a trace. It was torn in several places almost to the point of no recognition from the blond haired teen. His body lurched at seeing it, vision flashing back to The Angel’s face looking over the edge of the building. His mask just reflects the horror in Tommy’s own face.

He gasped sharply as he slammed the ruined fabric into a trash can nearby, his back throbbed before tearing through his shirt, his weak and freshly healed wings hanging stiffly at his side as his body was forced into action. He moved to a small desk in the corner with pictures of heroes and villains hanging on the wall next to crudely drawn designs of possible suits he could make. Shaking hands flew upwards, nails turning to golden talons as he tore down the paintings with a scream.

Papers were wiped off the desk, causing a worse mess than he had entered into. Figurines were broken and thrown into the trash along with every hope of ever doing good in this world. Golden dusted wings flared in anger as his throat swelled and closed. His bright blue eyes squeezed shut as he faced the ruin of his dreams, golden talons cutting into his palm as tears slipped silently down his face. His whole body jolted as he hit the floor, now kneeling on the ground. The gravity of the situation at hand was finally able to seep in. Timekeeper was sent to find him and bring him in. Give the other leads to where he might be possibly found. Timekeeper knew his friends’s identities, or at least had their descriptions. Timekeeper came out of retirement for this. All because of a single patrol that ruined him and caused more trauma than was necessary.

Tommy screamed again, body shaking as he sobbed, body heavy from the amount that was weighing on him. He faintly heard a door open and close before he found himself letting out a flurry of chirps and pips and just tripped next to the man radiating warmth in a white and black hoodie that walked in the door.

Now if you told Sapnap that he would find Dream’s brother home after not being seen for weeks, he would probably say that he hoped you were lying. After all it's not hard to admit that dream was a dick to the kid on a daily basis when he was actually home.

But when the kid basically fell into his arms, palms bleeding from what seemed to be razor-like cuts and he was buried in instinct. Now he wasn't gonna leave the kid. With a grunt he picked Tommy up and carried him to the couch and sat down. Sapnap settled in with a blanket and a soft mimic of Tommy’s noises. A soft sigh came from him as he realized just how long he was gonna be here for.

A ding came from his phone. Dread filled him as he recognized the unsaved number, telling him to come to the base with his gear on to get ready for phase on of the plan. It hadn't even been an hour of sapnap being in the stale smelling apartment when Tommy had fallen asleep, curled up in a ridiculous amount of blankets. Probably enough to finally make even sapnap sweat.

The fire controlling man just quietly stood up and left through Tommy's window and fire escape. Or that was the plan before he was met with bright green eyes staring down at him and his half in the apartment half not state. The tall hybrid mutant grabbed sapnap roughly with a inhuman growl and soon sapnap found himself falling onto the ground of dreams freaky base across the street.

“God dammit-” sapnap wheezed out after being teleported then thrown on the ground. A hand reached up only to find his face mask was actually in place. As he stood up on the cracked concrete, purple flowing through the cracks like veins, he realized he was in his villain attire. With a shake of his head he walked passed worker after worker carrying vials of the purple serum, Flare, what a dumb name Sapnap thought. He shook his head softly before just walking up the few steps to the caverns jumbo computers. He flopped on a couch near experion.

“He called You out here too I see” Experion stated with a form of annoyance in his tone.

“Yeah, went to clean his apartment and found his brother home having a panic attack and then got teleported here.”

Experion laughed loudly “he actually sent Ender to pick you up too?! Oh prime he’s desperate” The man was laughing hysterically.

“Yeah, he scared the shit out of me, I wasn’t expecting-”

“Great You’re both...here.” Nightmare's voice echoed through the chamber as the computers turned on with footage of the city center and the hero tower. Green eyes glowed at them from the shadows followed by another two pairs of the same glowing green, one shorter than the rest, and one way taller than expected.

Chapter Text

This is gonna be short.

I dont agree with anything that happened in this fandom. I enjoyed it while it lasted but I will no longer write for something that I despise. This story is scrapped but I will be writing this concept with my own characters for myself.

I hope yall enjoyed it while it lasted

Peace out gays, theys and all of the above.