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Nicolas Antonio Sturniolo had always been the perfect example of what a child should be. It didn't happen through the expectations of his parents, though. No, despite the usual experience of the oldest siblings, Nick had always been the one to put this pressure on his own shoulders, not letting his brothers ever bear the weight, let alone help with it.
Because that was what the role of oldest siblings was and Nick clung to it each day. What was he without it, anyway?
It had probably all started when his power first presented itself. It was an accident, really — he wanted his Mom's attention, far too impatient for her to finish cooking. He still remembered how he narrowed his eyes and spoke the words into the existence:
"Talk to me."
His voice came out distorted and wrong, making goosebumps raise all over his body. The moments the words reached his mom, she dropped everything she was doing and walked up to him, her eyes clouded. It didn't last for too long, but the damage had already been done.
Even though, his mom tried to calm Nick down, telling him that he didn't do anything wrong, he really wanted to argue with that statement — he did just force his own Mom to do something against her own will, no? That, on its own, was a terrible thing to do.
And so, Nick had decided to get a hang of his power with his greatest talent: stubbornness.
He'd always believed it was one of his best qualities, no matter how many times his parents sighed each time he refused to budge on pretty much anything. But with that alone, he managed to get the power under control, no matter how uncomfortable the whole week was — yeah, he'd done it in a week, which was apparently rather impressive on its own.
Nick heard the whispers throughout their neighborhood, as people talked about him in hushed voices. He listened as people called him a prodigy, called him someone, who would be snatched away by the North American Hero Committee, sooner or later.
To everyone around him, it was more than obvious that Nick was meant for great things, something bigger than himself. But to Nick? He'd never given these things much thought — frankly, he just wanted to spend most of his time with his family and friends. But apparently he was supposed to want more, to dig his nails into these ambitions and never let go.
And just like that, the weight on his shoulders was getting worse and worse. Each day, he was getting dragged down, as people around him kept talking about the great things that awaited for him in his future, until the thought of his future became unbearable — it was enough to send him into a spiral, leaving him without energy for days at times, completely drained.
But the other side of the whispers wasn't any better, so really, Nick was not winning either way. While some were convinced that he was going to take over the Hero Committee with his charm alone, others swore up and down that it was only a matter of time before Nick eventually became a Villain. A child with those cursed, cunning words only meant trouble.
Even though, his Mom and Dad tried to shield him from it, and his brothers kept telling him not to listen to idiots, the damage had already been done. So, no matter how Nick looked at it, the world had already decided that he was meant for greatness — in their direction, it seemed.
Maybe that was the reason why Nick came up with that plan in the first place. After all, he'd never been too good at following what people expected of him. Hero? Villain? Who cared, anyway. If that was what people wanted from him, he was going to reject both and create a completely new path for himself.
The path of a Vigilante was right in the middle, presenting itself almost naturally, and for some time, Nick allowed himself to simply sit with that idea, seeing if he were to come up with anything else.
But then… ah, the whole Matt situation happened. The NAHC dared to threaten his younger brother, trying to wrap it in the idea that they were simply trying to protect the general public. They were trying to sell them the idea that Matt was dangerous — better lock him up, away from everyone, before the boy sent everyone into a never-ending fear episode.
Fucking bullshit.
Nick knew better, he always had. He was almost positive that Mary Lou figured out the whole meaning behind this, too — it was all about control. About labeling those with unusual powers as unstable and dangerous and make an example of them.
And he was meant to join the same people that wanted to paint his brother as a liability? Absolutely not. He refused. But he also refused to join the Villains, who kept on insisting that they were simply misunderstood — sure, because there was so much to understand behind a mass homicide, uh-huh.
So, being a Vigilante it was. And, well, wherever he went, his brothers went, too. Truth be told, Nick didn't expect either of them to agree to the idea that quickly, but, well, Chris was just as angry about the whole Matt situation, and Matt was… It seemed like their brother was done hiding.
Nick had never been more proud of him.
But, despite the three of them choosing to walk down the same path, Nick had made one thing very clear — he would be the one giving out orders, either they liked it, or not. He was meant to be the protector, after all.
Because what else was the oldest sibling good for, anyway?
Most of their evenings and nights consisted of patrolling neighborhoods that didn't have enough funding and the NAHC simply couldn't be bothered with sending Heroes there.
It became a routine just after a few weeks — Nick liked it well enough, especially those nights that ended up being calm, and he didn't have to worry about Chris rushing into fights. Really, he had yet to understand how the youngest hadn't gotten seriously hurt.
"Doesn't today seem calm?" mused Chris, fixing his mask that was covering the lower half of his face.
Nick shot him a glare through the yellow-tinted goggles on his face. "If you're gonna jinx it, I swear to God I'm going to smack you."
Matt snorted, pulling on his hood. The two of them insisted on having the same disguise, consisting of a mask that mostly covered the lower half of their faces, a hood that hid their hair, and baggy clothes that were comfortable enough to run in if needed. Nick's disguise was fairly similar, since they weren't given the luxury of having the NAHC to give them clothes, anyway. But the oldest had opted for a mask that covered the upper half of his face, instead, while also wearing baggy clothes, but letting his hair be uncovered — he didn't have an unusual hair color, anyway.
"Well, he is not wrong," said Matt slowly, looking around. It wasn't like Nick could disagree — it seemed like the luck was finally on their side. Maybe, they even could go home early and get some very much needed sleep; especially Chris, who needed it the most.
Nick hummed, pursing his lips. He didn't trust this whole 'calm evening' thing — it rarely ever happened, anyway. "Let's do one more round," he said in the end, "and then we'll go home."
Matt and Chris agreed easily, already walking into a direction of a nearby alleyway with Nick in front of them. He listened as his brothers quietly chatted in between themselves — well, mostly it was Chris talking and Matt giving an answer in a form of a hum.
Just as they were finishing their round throughout the neighborhood, Nick felt it. The air shifted, making the hair at the back of his neck stand up.
They'd been doing this whole Vigilante thing for a few months now, meeting a handful of powerful people — Heroes and Villains equally — but none of them possessed a raw energy on such a scale that could make Nick freeze up.
"What the fuck?" whispered Chris, his voice tight.
Nick kept his eyes focused on the end of a narrow street in front of them, watching and waiting. He wanted to scream at his brothers to move, to run away, and to not look back, but he couldn't will his body to cooperate, doomed to simply stand there.
Finally, the person emerged from the darkness. Their attire consisted of a simple black hoodie, baggy cargo pants that were also black, except for a few yellow ornaments stitched into it, and simple white sneakers that somehow remained clean. There was, of course, a dark mask on their face, decorated by the same yellow ornaments. The only thing that could be seen clearly was their short, blond hair.
On instinct, Nick spread his arms as if to shield his brothers from whoever this person was.
There was no way they wouldn't have seen them before, right?
"Ah," the person cleared their throat, "sorry for scaring you."
Based on the voice alone, Nick assumed it was a man — he knew that assuming was wrong, but they were also in a terrible situation; he could feel shitty about it later.
"You are the three Vigilantes, no?" asked the guy, his lips curling up in an easy smile. "Dolus, Phobos, and Epiales, right? Man, everyone's talking about you!"
Nick shifted his eyes from side to side, looking for an escape route — the only option was turning around and hoping for the best, but they had absolutely zero idea what this guy's power was.
"What do you want?" asked Nick, schooling his voice into something more controlled, fighting against the tremor that was running through his body.
The guy only waved his hand, taking a few steps closer, his footsteps echoing against the walls of the narrow street. "I don't want any trouble, I promise," he said, but Nick couldn't find it in him to believe a stranger with so much power. "My name is Sol."
Well, quite fitting for so much energy, huh?
"I'll ask again — and I refuse to repeat myself," said Nick, raising his chin, "what do you want?"
Sol chuckled, looking far too relaxed about the whole situation. "I think," he began, his lips curling up in an easy smirk, "that we should start working together."
"Huh?" mumbled Chris from behind him, while Matt only made a quiet, confused noise.
"What does that even mean?" huffed Nick, raising one unimpressed eyebrow.
Sol shrugged, his whole composure still far too relaxed — was he not scared? At all? Did this guy lack any sense of fear? Or was he just so sure of himself? Did the three of them seem like no threat at all? Nick really couldn't decide what option was worse.
"I just think we can help each other," said the other man. "Vigilantes always relay on each other or just some small groups, if they're lucky, of course."
Nick bit the inside of his cheek, listening to the man before him. It wasn't like he was wrong — not in the slightest, actually. Vigilantes were known to stick to themselves for the most part, except for cases such as theirs, but by that alone they were attracting quite a lot of attention.
"So what?" asked Nick, raising one eyebrow. "You want to create a vigilante organization? And here I thought we were meant to go against these things," he noted, pursing his lips.
Sol hummed in response, taking another measured step forward. The energy surrounding him seemed palpable, making Nick feel as if he was suffocating. If that wasn't bad enough, he could hear how ragged Matt's breathing was becoming — really, the last thing they needed was another fear induced episode.
"I do not want hierarchy," spoke up Sol, raising chin. "I don't like the whole… Top Ten thing that the NAHC has going on. It's a popularity contest at best and rigged elections at worst, in my opinion. Think of it as an alliance. We all do our own thing, but we can always help each other out if needed."
There had to be a catch. Nick was not born yesterday, after all, and he knew how this world operated. Everything was far more twisted than it seemed at first, causing him to stay far more careful — especially if Matt and Chris were involved.
"I've never seen you around here," said Nick instead, narrowing his eyes. "I can't… We can't trust you."
Sol chuckled, nodding his head as he put his hands in his pockets. "Stranger danger, huh?"
Nick nodded, the movement curt. "Sure, let's call it that."
"I believe that sharing my real name this quick wouldn't be wise," began Sol, his voice light, "but I can tell you a bit more about who I am. I just want to show you that you can trust me."
This seemed like the worst idea of them all, but there didn't seem any other option that to entertain this too strong stranger. And so, Nick only hummed in response, gesturing vaguely with one hand to prompt Sol to continue.
Sol made a pleased sound in response, his posture relaxing even more. "Like I've said, my name is Sol, and just like you, I'm a Vigilante. Have been for a couple of years now. And, well, I only came to Boston to see what this newest sensation is all about," he chuckled.
"Where are you from?" asked Chris, who finally seemed to find his voice.
Sol paused for a moment, as if pondering over the response, before speaking up, "Midwest."
"Quite far from home, no?" mused Nick, tilting his chin up.
"Yeah," breathed Sol, the word barely audible, "quite far."
There was a strange emotion lacing his words that Nick couldn't quite place, but he decided not to think about it too hard — or at least not now. There were more important things to worry about, after all. "What is your power?" he asked, already bracing himself for the answer.
"Energy manipulation."
Over the years, Nick had done his readings on seemingly all the powers there were, mainly because he wanted to find out how rare his and his brothers' powers were (Nick was winning this one), but energy manipulation? Holy fuck that was a whole new level.
Apparently, the last time someone had possessed this power, had been recorded back in the nineteenth century, despite how desperately people were looking for individuals with energy manipulation. The main reason, of course, boiled down to secure all the power for the state — and wasn't that just about everything? Because, after all, energy manipulation had always been deemed as the ultimate power that had evolved into the most perfect form.
And, now, someone like that was standing right before them.
Fucking terrifying, if anyone were to ask Nick.
"Oh," breathed out Matt.
Shit. Fuck. If Matt were to start panicking right now, he would send them all into a fear episode — that was the last thing they needed.
Sol raised his hands ever so slightly as if to show them that he was harmless. "I have no reason to hurt you," he said, talking slowly and clearly, "and you seem smart enough not to attack me. So, it's alright."
"How come the NAHC hasn't gotten to you, yet?" asked Nick, swallowing around the lump in his throat. "People like you are wanted, no? So, how the fuck am I supposed to believe that you're not just a Hero that'll try to arrest us? Or maybe kill us?"
The bitter taste of fear started to slowly coat his tongue, squeezing his lungs, and it felt like as if he could touch it with his bare hands if he truly wanted to. Fuck, Matt's power must've been getting to him, even when Nick knew that his younger brother was trying to keep it under control.
This was not good.
Sol heaved a loud sigh, rubbing the back of his neck as if the whole situation was starting to slowly agitate him. "Listen, I know you have no reason to trust me, since I'm literally a fucking stranger, but the last organization I am working with is the NAHC. They… I have my reason to go against them, and I believe that you're the people that could help me to, y'know, take it down."
Nick opened and closed his mouth, before biting on his lower lip enough to make it bleed. It would've been a big help to have someone like Sol on their side. But, in the same breath, how could he possibly trust anyone outside his brothers? Their world had never been kind to him or Matt, mainly because of their powers, so how exactly was Nick supposed to trust anyone?
Ah, well, perhaps he needed to work on his trust issues. But that, of course, was a problem for future-Nick.
He turned his head just enough to glance at Matt and Chris — it seemed like Chris had managed to somewhat calm down Matt, but there was no telling for how long it'd last.
"I don't want to make a rash decision," spoke Nick, keeping his voice even, before glancing back at Sol. "I hope you understand that. I can't… I can't put Phobos and Epiales in danger."
Sol nodded. "I get it, trust me. When, ah, when you have people like this in your life, it's important to take care of them," he said, his voice filled with a strange emotion. "You better protect them, Dolus. The NAHC will not hesitate."
Nick frowned, taking a step forward. "What does that mean?"
"You're drawing attention to yourself," replied Sol. "The NAHC is known to hunt down new Vigilantes, especially those, who do not fly under radar. And, well… you've had a whole article about you in the news, did you not?"
Nick swallowed around nothing, taking in deep breath as he tried to compose himself. "How come they haven't tracked you down? You're just walking around with so much energy surrounding you," he huffed, rolling his eyes. "I doubt that someone like you can fly under the radar."
"Oh, but who said I'm not getting hunted down?" mused Sol, tilting his chin up. "But I'm not exactly easy to take down. Can you say the same about yourself? And, well, can you even protect them?"
Ah, fuck.
Over the course of the past few months, Nick had started to feel as if nothing could touch them. Both him and Chris had always been rather talented when it came to controlling their powers, and Matt had been making a great progress — it seemed like the therapy sessions paired with power training were doing wonders for him. But the main point was that they had yet to come across someone, who was stronger than them.
However, what if the NAHC got involved? Then what? Could Nick protect his brothers? And what was Nick if not the sole protector? What had he been made for if not for this?
"I'll do everything in my power to protect both Phobos and Epiales," replied Nick, trying to keep his voice firm, despite the tremors going through his body. He bit his lower lip, trying to stop it from trembling too much.
"Sometimes your own power isn't enough, Dolus," said Sol, his voice gentle, despite how harsh the words were.
Just who was this person, anyway? Showing up out of nowhere and talking about all these things… It was making Nick's head hurt.
"How about I give you until tomorrow to decide?" continued Sol, his tone morphing into something lighter once more — oh, yeah, Nick was about to have the worst headache. "We can meet up again tomorrow, and you'll just tell me your decision."
"What if we won't be joining you?" asked Matt, finally finding his voice. "Then what?"
Sol sighed, "Then nothing. I just go on with my life to find someone else. Though, I believe we could work together rather well," he added. "How about we meet by the Muddy River? Around this time? There's an abandoned building there."
"How do you even know about that place?" asked Chris, his voice gruff.
Sol shrugged, already turning around. "I've always liked abandoned places. See you there tomorrow."
And just like that, Sol was gone.
Once they entered back into their house, careful not to make too much noise, the three of them opted to go to Matt's room. Immediately, Matt and Chris lied down on the bed, close to each other, eerily quiet — especially Chris — while Nick paced the small space, biting on his nails, until they were bleeding, but it had yet to stop him.
They had until tomorrow to decide. This Sol person didn't seem dangerous — to them, at least — but it still didn't erase some of the facts they'd just learned. Fact number one: Sol possessed the most dangerous power that had ever existed. Fact number two: Sol was being hunted down by the NAHC, which seemed like a very probable fate for the three of them soon enough. And fact number three: Sol wanted to take down the NAHC, though his reasons stayed unclear.
What was Nick supposed to do, anyway? It was different to try and do some work that Heroes refused to do, and then it was completely different to… do whatever Sol was planning on doing. What were his reasons, actually? There had to be another meaning than just thinking that the Hero Committee was corrupted, right? There had to be something else, but Nick was missing some crucial facts here — he did not like that.
"Nick," spoke up Chris, pulling Nick out of the trance he'd found himself in. "You're going to hurt yourself if you keep biting your nails like that."
Slowly, Nick lowered his hand from his mouth, but he couldn't stop his pacing. "I don't know what to do," he admitted, his voice quiet. He stopped by a small cork board in Matt's room, looking at the photos there — their whole family, only the three of them, Matt and their parents, the three of them with Nate…
They could lose it all.
The NAHC would soon be getting to them, that much was certain. Matt was in the system, labeled as a risk to the general public, while Nick's power was rare as it was, and he was waiting, each day, for some Heroes trying to recruit him. Chris could've had a normal life if he wanted — but the curse of the youngest siblings didn't allow him that. For he was forever cursed to follow his older siblings.
"They'll go after us, no?" asked Matt, making Nick turned from the cork board. He had his hands folded in his lap, biting on his lower lip. "It won't take them too long to figure out who I am. And you'll get dragged into it, too."
Chris huffed, dumping his head in Matt's lap. "You're not dragging us anywhere. We're going willingly, actually," he mumbled, looking up at Matt. "But, ah… whatever decision Nick goes for, I'm here for it."
Nick clicked his tongue, resuming his pacing. "You're taking it too lightly!" he hissed, shaking his head. "We either get hunted down or leave what we have right now. Those are our only options! Why aren't you panicking, Chris?"
"Well," began Chris, closing his eyes, "I'm still with you, so that's all that matters. You can go wherever you want, honestly, because I'll follow you no matter what."
See? Nick told you, did he not? Chris was cursed.
"You should think for yourself," mumbled Matt, even as he buried his fingers in Chris' hair.
Chris pouted at the statement, but his lips soon curled up in a smile. "But I am. I am going with you!" he chuckled, opening his eyes to look in between Matt and Nick. "And, well, you're also waiting for what Nick says, no?"
Matt froze for a split second, but nodded, the movement careful. He looked at Nick with a soft smile, his eyes so trusting it made Nick's heart clench. "Whatever you decide for, we do it."
It was such a terrifying to be the eldest, and Nick wished anyone had prepared him for it — why didn't he ever ask Justin how to be a good older brother? He should've done that truly. Because, now, his brothers were putting their futures, their very own lives into his hands, not even batting an eye. How could they possibly have so much trust in someone like Nick?
Because Nick had put so much burden on his own shoulders, without actually knowing how to carry it — he simply took more and more from both of his brothers, wanting to shield them from any hardship of the world. But Nick would do it over and over again. For them? The world.
What was he made for, anyway, if not for this?
The abandoned building had always given Nick eerie vibes — from the very first moment he'd seen it, he'd always tried to stay as far away as possible. But, despite all that, he was now standing before it, Matt and Chris right behind him. Matt patted him on the shoulder, giving it a quick squeeze, while Chris put one hand in between his shoulders as if to transfer all the reassurance into him.
"Are we… y'know, going in?" asked Matt, his voice hesitant.
Nick nodded, the movement curt, finally willing his legs to move forward. "Matt, dear, if I give you a signal, make sure to use your power, okay? And Chris, you as well. We need to work together to take him down if it's needed."
"Do you think…" Chris trailed off.
Nick shrugged in response, putting a hand on the door handle. "Anything could happen," he whispered before pushing the door open.
The inside of the building was just as dilapidated as the outside — the supporting beams were eaten through by the termites, the walls were filled with graffiti, and there were strange stains on the floor that looked too much like blood, but Nick truly refused to think about it. The air around them was damp and stale, making him wrinkle his nose in disgust. The only source of light was the full moon coming through the windows with no glass left, helping them move around.
"There you are!"
Nick looked up, swallowing around the lump in his throat as he looked up. He watched as Sol walked down the stairs, seemingly not bothered by their ruined state. It looked as if the man was right in his element, moving around with a strange sense of grace and comfort.
Really, this Sol person really was a strange guy.
"Thought you wouldn't show up," added Sol, his voice light.
Nick licked his dry lips, forcing words out of his mouth, "I'm a man of my word."
Sol hummed in response, the sound pleased. "That's a good quality to have, Dolus."
"We came to talk about the decision," continued Nick, his hands curling into fists. He needed to keep his composure — especially for his brothers' sake, but for his own, too. Oh, he was so close to losing his mind.
"Amazing," replied Sol with a chuckle, walking up to them with hands in his pockets. The carefree energy was making Nick far more nervous than it should've. "What's the conclusion, then?"
There was only one right decision to be done in this situation — Nick knew it better than anyone. No matter how dangerous it seemed, the other one would certainly resulted in their deaths, sooner or later.
Nick took in a deep breath, trying to make his lungs expand properly despite the heavy weight on his chest. He looked at Sol, tilting his chin up. "We will join you."
There was a beat of silence, before Sol let out a delighted laugh, shifting his weight on his heels. "Really?" he asked. Somehow, in that very moment, the man sounded like a little kid — full of joy.
"Yeah," breathed Nick, slowly nodding his head. "We… I thought about it. The NAHC will figure out who Matt is soon enough. Then, it won't take long to connect the dots, so I guess having someone like you on our side will be the best course of action here."
Sol nodded a few times, the movements fast and full of energy. Then, after a short moment, the man before them grabbed his mask, carefully taking it off, and Nick could only stare in shock.
The man's eyes were oh so fucking blue, with crows feet around them. The contours of his face were sharp, even as his expression morphed into something so very soft as he smiled at them.
"Well, this is rather exciting," chuckled Sol, looking so delighted with the whole situation. "Don't you think?"
"Aren't you worried we might rat you out?" asked Chris, his voice alarmed. "I mean, showing us your face and all…"
Sol shrugged, licking the corner of his mouth as he walked past them. "I have nothing to fear and not that much to lose. If you do want to snitch, be my guests, but ah I don't think it's gonna end well for you."
Nick swallowed, watching Sol move around with all the confidence in the world, making his skin crawl. Just who exactly was this person?
"I wouldn't put them in any danger," spoke up Nick. "So, don't worry about us betraying you. We all want the same thing, no? To take down the NAHC?"
"To destroy it and level it with the ground," corrected Sol, glancing over his shoulder, grinning.
Despite the carefree smiles, Nick could now see what the mask had been covering all along — all the hatred and resentment was now fully on display, making the air around them heavy.
"What's your reason to do that?" asked Nick, before he could've changed his mind.
Sol only shrugged one response. "I'll tell you one day, how about that?"
And, well, it seemed like that answer had to be enough for Nick for now.