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As Tango’s communicator buzzed over on the table, he absent-mindedly looked up from where he was sorting a new pack of jolly ranchers. Gem had found a left over bag from Halloween that was larger than Jimmy or Tango had ever seen.
The rain pattered against the window even harder as he got up from the couch. Tango assumed it probably Scar sending another essay about Disney world, or the death star, but since Jimmy was out on patrol, he had to at least check.
Normally it would be his night, but it took more effort to use his blaze born powers in the rain, so Jimmy had taken tonight’s patrol. It worked well that between the two of them, they had someone who could cover all weather. Plus, they knew each other’s strength and weakness after growing up together, so it had been given when they joined the heroes that they would be partners.
At least then, siblings had a tendency to die together and avoid survivors guilt.
He’d seen it first hand only a couple months ago. Impulse and Etho patrolled the district next to them, and Impulse’s brother, Skizz had been posted in another district across town since his powers would have been more use there.
One night a villain had attacked, and Impulse was too far away to do anything except get there in time to be the first to recover what was left of Skizz.
At least that wouldn’t be him and Jimmy.
They would both live, or die together. Tango had come to peace when he first signed the contract to be a hero that he would die for his little brother.
No one hurt his family.
Picking up the communicator, he swiped up to unlock it. As his eyes landed on the bright yellow message, he froze. Even his lungs refused to work.
No.
No….
Solidarity : Help.
The single word no one in this tower ever wanted to read…
Tek : On my way.
Tango didn’t even think past what he needed to grab. All he needed was his dagger and communicator. He wasn’t even going to take the extra time to switch into his hero suit.
That wasn’t important.
All that was important was getting to Jimmy.
Within only a minute, Tango was out the door and in the elevator to take him to the ground floor, but his fingers hesitated above the button for the seventh floor, where Impulse was…
Impulse and Etho were the only people he would feel comfortable asking to come with him. Jimmy had only sent the alert to Tango, though, and that concerned him. Plus, Impulse was still on a light patrol schedule after Skizz, so Tango shook his head and hit the ground floor button.
He couldn’t ask Impulse to do that for him.
Tango wouldn’t ask Impulse to do that for him.
Jimmy was his brother, who he had sworn to protect.
Tango switched his communicator over to pull up where Jimmy’s signal was coming from. It showed a gentle yellow blinking in the middle of Evo Park, and Tango groaned.
He was going to get wet, and there was no avoiding it…
But it was worth it to get Jimmy home safe…
By the time he made it to Evo park, he was already soaked. Any moves he used that required the flams come out of his body were going to be useless. Tango was going to be limited to just channeling his fire into his dagger, which meant that he was going to have to do everything in his power to talk them out of this situation.
Shivering, a second of regret flicked through Tango that he didn’t switch into hero outfit out of his red fleece pajamas. The thick fabric stuck to him and made it harder to move.
Running under the gate entrance to the park, he looked up from his communicator. Tango was close enough that he should be able to see them by now.
Up ahead, he could see through the pouring rain, two figures standing by the statue.
Slowing down, he drew his dagger and pressed as much flame into it as he could. It wasn’t a lot since each time a drop hit it, there was a sizzle from the flame being put out.
As he got closer, the sinking feeling started to hit.
There was something off here…
Too many things not lining up…
“Solidarity…” Tango called out as he came to a stop a couple yards in front of the other figures.
The figure on the right stiffened as the one on the left pulled down their hood.
“Oh come now. We’re all friends here, Tango,” the figure yelled. “Jimmy told me you might be interested in helping us.”
“Martyn-” Jimmy interrupted just loud enough that Tango could hear. “Don’t listen to Woods.”
Tango hadn’t recognized him without his mask…
That was one of the most dangerous villains on the list…
Tango raised his dagger as Jimmy took a step toward him. “Stay there if you’re friends with villains.” He could feel is hand shaking and there was nothing he could do to stop it.
“None of that,” Martyn said with a flick of his hand.
Before Tango could move, vines surged through the concrete wrapping themselves around his legs. Normally he would be able to burn them off, but since he was wet, there wasn’t even a way to burn off a single leaf.
Bending over, he started to use his knife to cut them away, but before he made enough progress, the knife was snatched from his hand using a vine.
That was it.
Tango forgot all his training and just fell back to his body’s scream of survival.
It had kept him alive on the trip up to the city from the nether…
It had kept him alive long enough to find someone that was his little brother in everything but blood.
Tango screamed.
It was a brutal, pained scream that hurt a part of his soul.
“Tango, listen to me,” Jimmy said quietly as he stepped next to Tango.
On instinct, Tango lunged at Jimmy who flinched back.
“Why should I?”
Jimmy pulled his hood off to reveal his golden feathers on either side. “Because it will save your life.”
Tango snapped at him again, as if he was fully blazeborn, wild and unpredictable…
“I would rather die.”
Jimmy sighed. “The heroes are planning to attack the villains as revenge for Skizz’s death. They’re going to wipe out any villains and vigilantes, Tango. People are going to die.”
“They attacked a hero patrol,” Tango spat. “What did they expect?”
“It wasn’t them.”
Tango laughed, an angry laugh. “Of course it was.”
“Martyn has proof it was fellow heroes.”
Tango turned back to look at the villain, who was simply watching the scene unfold. “And you believe him? Impulse was there, he saw the mark of the villains.”
“He lied,” Martyn yelled, board with the conversation.
Jimmy sighed annoyed. “We’re trying to talk with heroes who would be willing to help us.”
“And you think I’ll help villains?” Tango growled. “You’re dead wrong.”
“Unfortunately you’re the one that’s dead wrong,” Martyn said, walking toward the duo. “Out of time, Jimmy. We’ve got other people to talk to tonight.”
His brother reached out to Tango but before he could reach him, vines surged up and grabbed his wrists, holding them still in place.
“It’s me, you’re brother. Trust me in this, Tango,” Jimmy whispered, just loud enough that it was heard over the rain.
Tango tried to slow his breathing enough to think, but the only thing was the pain of betrayal and the fury of his brother choosing the other side over the one they had fought for their entire lives.
“I don’t have a brother. He died whatever night you betrayed me,” Tango screamed.
Martyn hummed. “Since you don’t want to join us, and Jimmy told you what we know, unfortunately we can’t just release you.” Leaning over, he picked up Tango’s dagger from where it had fallen and pased it over to Jimmy.
Tango stopped struggling and stood up as straight as the vines would let him as Jimmy moved eye to eye with him.
He had to talk his way out of this…
He had to get back to the heroes.
“People are going to die, Tango. I’m going to do whatever I have to in order to prevent that. Tell me you won’t run back to the heroes and tell them our plan.”
There was no point in lying. Jimmy knew him well enough to know that it was one, so all he could do was switch the topic.
Tango just stared at Jimmy as the rain kept pouring down on top of them. “Martyn is lying to you.”
The heroes couldn’t do what ever Martyn was saying they’d do.
Grian…Pearl…Gem…Himself…Etho and Impusle wouldn’t let it happen.
Jimmy smiled a sad smile. “You didn’t answer me.”
“The heroes wouldn’t do that,” Tango spat back.
“Three months ago, would you have killed anyone who killed me?” Jimmy asked, staring straight into his eyes.
Tango clenched his jaw. Jimmy knew the answer to that. “ Yes.”
“And you know Impulse is the same. He would kill anyone who went after Skizz or Etho,” Jimmy said slowly, as if explaining it to a child. “You all would follow Impulse to get revenge.”
“But it was villains who killed him,” Tango growled. Not letting himself be swayed.
Jimmy sighed. “I get it, that’s what I said at first, but I saw the proof. Tango…I wish it didn’t have to end like this. The higher ups are using you and when you guys realize, it will be too late. We can’t take that risk of the damage you’ll all do in the meantime.”
Tango felt his heart stop beating as he realized what was happening. There was something almost surreal about it…In a single night, everything he had believed, or trusted was turned on its head.
And he was about to loose everything…
“You’re going to kill me, aren’t you?” Tango whispered, desperately searching Jimmy’s eyes for any hint that it was a lie, or a bluff…
But he knew Jimmy too well to even have a flicker of hope that there was anything there.
Jimmy nodded. “I know you said you don’t see me as your brother, but you’ll be forever mine.”
Before Tango could respond, he felt the pain shooting up through his gut as Jimmy stabbed him. He bit down the most of the scream, but let out a small little whimper. As he started to fall, the vines untangled letting him fall to the wet, cold ground.
“I’m sorry, Tango,” Jimmy said, kneeling by him. “But I can’t let people die. That’s why we joined the heroes, right? To protect people.”
To protect the people from those who wanted to hurt them…the villains…
Tango couldn’t open his mouth to say anything, and Jimmy took that as enough of a response. Getting up, Jimmy turned his back to Tango.
Tango wanted to call out, to beg, to do or say something, but he couldn’t.
As the figures disappeared, he rolled back over to look back up at the sky. He felt the rain falling surround him to the point he couldn’t even tell that he was bleeding out.
But as the shadows surged in his vision, he knew there was nothing else he could do. There wasn’t even enough strength in his body to lift his com up to type on it.
This was it.
Out of all the ways he had thought he would have died, this was not it…
The pain flashed through his side at each breath, tearing at the nerves. Finally, he couldn’t hold out any longer. Giving in, he felt himself fall back into his mind as he let out his last breath.
He had always expected to die from a villain’s attack, and in a way he had, it had just been much closer to home than he preferred.
But Tango couldn’t shake the feeling that he had made the wrong choice…Jimmy’s desperate eyes haunted him as he fell into pitch dark.
It was too late for any second guessing…He had dug his grave, and now he had to lay in it.