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When he lifted his head, she barely recognised him for the bruises littering his face. He was clutching his side, and a line of blood was running down from his hairline.
"Niki...Niki I'm so sorry...I didn't know who else to go to..."
"Tommy what happened?" She sputtered, all traces of drowsiness gone.
"I...I'll tell you once we get insi-" The hand he had leaning on the door of her bakery slipped and he would have fallen to the concrete if Niki hadn't grabbed him and held him up.
"Were you followed?" She muttered in his ear.
His eyes widened. "No...I don' think so..."
His words were starting to slur. Either he was starting to lose consciousness or he had a concussion.
"C'mon in, Tommy. I'll fix you up."
“Y’sure y’know what you’re doin’?” Tommy said, spitting a little bit of blood from his mouth and onto the concrete. He didn’t want to get it on her floor.
"Of course I do, Tommy. There's more to me than what meets the eye."
Tommy smiled, a small line of spit and blood dripping from his mouth.
And then his eyes closed.
When Tommy opened his eyes, Niki was standing over him, looking worried. "I'm so glad you're awake. Do you want anything to drink?"
"I'm a vigilante."
F*ck. Why was that the first thing out of his mouth? Niki, who he'd known for years, helped for years, was helping him once again and that was the first thing he said?
What he was expecting was a 'what?' or maybe a 'you're a criminal mememe you should be in jail' like other people he’d interacted with or saved had done when he explained that no, he was not a hero.
But what he got was a smile.
"Oh, Tommy. Did you really think I'd turn you in?"
"Well...I mean I'm illegal n sh*t, so....yeah, kinda." He wanted to facepalm at his words. WHY on earth was he so stupid?
Niki chuckled. "I'm not going to turn you in."
She turned to the doorway. "After all, we vigilantes need to look out for each other, yes?"