Chapter Text
"You hear about the bombing in the park?"
"Yeah, I'm happy no one was around. Sucks nobody can go until they fix the damage though."
"Definitely. The heroes should've caught the bastard doing this by now."
"I can't wait for them to get rid of him. What a monster."
Tubbo has to resist the urge to cry at hearing the people in front of him speak. Would they still say that if they knew it was him? Would they be scared? Tubbo is scared of himself. He wishes he was brave enough to tell the heroes to lock him up with the other bad guys, but he's seen how they beat them up. He doesn't want to get beat up too. He's only seven, so he knows it would be easy for them to do it. They're all so big and he's so tiny.
"Don't worry dearie, they'll catch that criminal." Tubbo looks at the old woman next to him. She smiles, reaching into a tin in her lap and pulling out a cookie. "Here. Boys your age are always hungry. Just don't tell your mother," she says with a wink.
Tubbo takes the cookie, trying to look happy for the lady. "Thank you ma'am," he says, remembering his manners. Tubbo wishes he still had a mommy to get mad at him though. If his mommy came back and screamed and screamed at him it'd be okay cause no matter how much she would hate him he'd have his mommy.
Tubbo can feel the tingling in his body get stronger. He hopes it doesn't happen here. He doesn't want to hurt more people. There's so many people on the bus and it scares him, but his feet hurt from walking everywhere and he wanted to rest...
The bus slows to a stop and Tubbo gets out of his seat and quickly walks off,not even looking back at the driver. The cookie is tasty. It's chocolate chip, his favorite. It isn't much food wise but it tastes really yummy.
The part of the city Tubbo was in scared him. It was really old, and it just felt spooky, like Tubbo might turn the corner and find a ghost. Some buildings were getting torn down to build over. He saw bad guys here before, but he's really good at hiding, so they never found him.
He hugs himself, scared knowing what's gonna happen soon. He doesn't feel so buzzy unless it will. He curls up next to a building, body trembling. He just has to wait now. He closes his eyes, trying to not panic as the tingling in his body gets stronger.
"Kid, what are you doing here?" Tubbo's eyes snap open as he looks up. His entire body goes rigid at the sight of the adult, the hero looking down at him. Their wearing a hooded green cloak, a black skintight suit underneath covered in belts and pouches. Most notable though is the white smiley face mask. It's the hero, Huntsman. "Kid? Look I'm on hero business you can't be here."
Tubbo opens his mouth to respond, a shakey gasp being the only thing to come out of his mouth as he feels the tingling turn into a powerful buzz right under his skin. "GET AWAY!" He screams before he squeezes his eyes shut tightly.
After a moment the explosion happens. Built up energy inside Tubbo comes out all at once, like Tubbo coughs as he breathes in dust, and he can hear broken bits of the building falling around him. When he finally opens his eyes the wall is destroyed, bricks laying around the crater he's laying in. His body aches, and he can't see the hero from where he is. Tears well in Tubbo's eyes before he starts to sob. He did it again, he hurt somebody and now he's gone.
Tubbo doesn't hear someone coming until he's being picked up. He panics, finding it hard to breathe now. "I'm sorry I'm sorry I didn't mean it I didn't wanna!"
"Hey, it's okay kid, I'm fine."
"H-huns'man?" Tubbo looks at who's holding him, seeing the hero's mask looking down at him. It's cracked now, but he's okay and he isn't mad. Tubbo bawls even harder, now clinging tightly onto Huntsman. "P-please don't h-hurt me!"
"Hey, everything is gonna be fine as long as you come with me." Tubbo nodded, hiding his face in the man's chest. It's been so long since someone held him. "There you go…"
Tubbo could feel the hero start to move, the motion calming as much as the steady beat of his heart. Tubbo felt exhausted, his body dragging him into sleep in what felt like somewhere safe.
-
"That's who's been bombing the city?"
"Yeah. Thought I'd be finding some asshat with explosives, not a living bomb."
"He's not gonna blow up in here...right?"
"No, I don't think he can control it yet. Should've heard how he was after he did blow up."
Tubbo slowly opened his eyes, woken up by the people talking. He's on a plush blue couch, feeling more comfortable than he has in a long time. "Huntsman…?" Tubbo sat up and rubbed his eyes, the blanket that was over him falling off. He was too curious where he was to fall back asleep.
"Awww! Dream he's adorable!" Tubbo looked over to see a pretty man with black fluffy hair smiling at him. Sitting next to him is a man in a green hoodie who is probably Dream. "What's your name?"
"It's Tubbo...are you gonna hurt me for being a bad guy?" Tubbo doesn't know why else he'd be here without any heroes.
"Of course not," Dream says as he gets up and moves to sit next to Tubbo. "Remember me? Huntsman."
"Oh!" Tubbo gasps. "But your identity…"
"It's fine. I wanted to know though why your blowing places up though. You're lucky I found you. Anyone else would've arrested you for being so dangerous."
Tubbo frowns, very happy he didn't try to talk to anyone about it. "I-I got powers. But um, th-they build up unless I blow up on purpose, and then I ca-can't stop it. Mommy and daddy didn't kn-know and….a-and…" Tubbo starts to cry again as he remembers the worst night of his life that replays in his head most every night.
"Mommy, mommy I feel tingly," Tubbo says as he eats dinner with his family. It'd started earlier, but now it was stronger and Tubbo was starting to get a little scared.
"Where is it tingly honey?" His mommy asks, reaching over to feel his forehead.
"Everywhere…"
"Maybe he's getting powers?" His daddy suggests. "We'll have to celebrate if it is. Not sure what kind of power that could be though."
"I'll take him to the doctor tomorrow just in case. He's going back to school soon and I don't want him to go sick."
Tubbo whines as he parents keep talking. He doesn't like the tingling, he wants it to go away. It's...it's WRONG. "Mommy I don't like it, I want it gone."
"Oh Tubbo." His mommy reaches to hug him, to make him feel better, and that's when it happens. He screams as an explosion comes FROM him. He's on the floor, he hears mommy and daddy screaming, he's still screaming, everything is breaking.
When it's over Tubbo is on the floor, sobbing in shock and fear, calling for his parents over and over again.
He doesn't see the bodies until he gets up ten minutes later. Not enough of mommy was left to be a body though.
"It's okay Tubbo," Dream says softly, reaching to wipe away his tears, before eventually pulling him closer for a hug. "The heroes aren't happy though."
Tubbo clings to Dream, tears still falling down his face as he speaks. "But...but you're a hero…"
"All those other heroes just want to say they put away the evil bomber. They'd probably kill you so no one knew you were a kid." Tubbo feels sick at the thought. He never realized they'd do that. But it makes sense cause he's so dangerous. "You hurt people. It makes you a bad person Tubbo, a monster...but if you stay with me, I'll protect you."
"You will!" Tubbo gasps, looking up at Dream hopefully. It still hurts to hear he's bad, it hurts to know he can't be good, but if Dream will protect him maybe he can still be at least a little good.
"Yes, but you have to do exactly as I say, okay? And you can't go out unless I say so. You'll have to stay hidden."
"Okay! I promise I'll do whatever you want!" Tubbo hugs him tighter. "Thank you thank you…" he feels a hand gently pet his head.
"Good boy."