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Hear Me Out // Vigilante Tommy [1-6]

Full story; AO3

Summary;

Siren’s power couldn’t stop the vigilante Vé. Siren is their ace, the hero tower’s last resort when nobody else can catch someone. But he failed. Siren has failed. And maybe he explained it away by saying that Vé’s mysterious power has something to do with that, but that’s not it.

Vé, in his regular life known as Tommy, is deaf. In a cruel sense of irony, his power is to be able to sense all things around him, including sound- but he can’t quite hear it. When he lost his hearing due to an explosion, he took years to re-learn hearing through his powers. He wasn’t noticed by the media as a vigilante due to how subtle his powers are, but once the public finds out Siren can’t control him, he’s top priority.

OR; Minor vigilante Vé is deaf, and since nobody knew that, when Siren's voice-command powers don't work, everybody assumes he's far more powerful and scary than he is.

Playlist:

Hear Me Out - Spotify

Notes:

I have . problem. s, anyways my fics dont take themselves too seriously

Chapter One; The Hero Who Bullies Deaf Children

Somebody stepped closer behind him, their footsteps impossibly light and padded, more like paws than anything. Vé recognized it instantly, subtly scooting to the left to make room for his company on the rooftop.

The footsteps were, indeed, paws. Orange, fur-covered, animalistic legs swung off the ledge as the fox-person sat.

Vibrations went through the air as the hero, Foxtrot, started talking. Even with his mask on, Tommy could feel what his face looked like- the easygoing smile on his lips. In the same way, he could feel every bug and animal that moved anywhere near them. Physically, too, like an extension of himself.

"Vé, sorry I missed you yesterday. I was helping The Blade," Foxtrot said, leaning back on his hands.

Vé shook his head. "No worries. I had to leave early to help my group with a project."

"Speaking of your project- ah, wait..." Foxtrot looked around and stood up. He offered his hand to the vigilante. Vé stood too, following the lower-ranked hero to a room inside the run-down building with no windows and a lock- some form of custodian's closet. The hero- with no hesitation in doing so- unclipped his mask and revealed his face. In return, Vé took off his own.

Then, despite the rest of their outfits, they were just Fundy and Tommy again. Two civilians.

"Sorry. Anyway, speaking of your project, how is school going?" Fundy asked, sitting on the floor. Tommy huffed and dropped down across from him.

"Fuckin' awful. So, nothing new."

Nodding, Fundy waved it off. "You only have a year left, though. Make it through this, and you'll never have to go back."

Tommy looked down and paused, trying to form how he wanted to say what was next.

"I'm worried about that."

Fundy's ears moved back in concern. Tommy wasn't one to be transparent with his worried, but since the two had gotten close, Tommy wasn't wary around him. Though he had a blood family, they didn't know Tommy like Fundy. They didn't know him at all. As far as Tommy was concerned, Fundy was the only family he counted.

Fundy's hands moved to form words in BSL, the man fluent in the language. It seemed like a common thing of theirs. When there were serious conversations between the two, they would transition into signs. It helped Tommy think, as he didn't have to focus on the vibrations. 'Worried about the last year of school? What, are your grades dropping? I can help with that.'

'No. I'm- I'm worried about after that.' Tommy's hands were slower than usual, nerves catching up to him. 'My parents texted me about whether I'd be moving out when I'm eighteen. It seems they want me to, but I was thinking and-' His hands sped up. 'I realized I don't know who the hell would hire me. How will I pay rent, buy food, or live on my own when I can't do half the jobs that are hiring? I can't do customer service if I can't fucking hear the customers!'

Fundy held his hands up, motioning for Tommy to calm down and take a breath.

'Tommy, you are fully capable of any job. I wouldn't even know you're deaf if I met you today and didn't know you.'

'But- my powers aren't registered. You know I have to keep it a secret. My disability is registered, though. I already applied to every job hiring nearby but got turned down for all of them.' Tommy drew his knees up, avoiding Fundy's eyes.

Fundy shook his head, his eyebrows furrowing into a half-rage. Not at Tommy, the blond knew that much, but at the jobs. His hands flew to start signing, 'Assholes. Did they even give you an actual interview? Or did they just read your paper and decide no?'

'I got an interview at one, but when I got there, and saw the manager's face when they found out? I could already tell it was no good.'

This time, Fundy muttered something under his breath.

"Dick."

Tommy laughed, nodding quickly. "Dick," He agreed.

Fundy smiled, then shuffled around so that he was sitting next to Tommy. Putting his arm around the teen, Fundy laid his head back on the wall.

'If you can't find a job because of the bitches in charge, you can always stay with me. Even if you find a job.'

Tommy's lips twitched downward. 'Don't you live at the hero tower, though? Pretty sure that's illegal or some shit.'

'I could move out. I have the money. Here, we have a while before you turn eighteen, in the meantime we can figure out how to get you a decent job. Yeah?'

'Together?'

Fundy nodded. 'Together, you know it. I'd die before I left you alone.'

Tommy grinned, feeling far less tense than before. He sighed gratefully and closed his eyes.

Before he'd met Fundy, Tommy was lonely. He had lost his hearing a year before, and aside from the school's half-assed BSL lessons, Tommy knew nothing about communicating when deaf.

His parents gave up on him once he wasn't 'normal' or 'fixable.'

Then, when looking into a community effort to help the deaf and blind, Tommy met one of the teen recruits. Fundy had learned sign from his late mother, who had been deaf too. It took a while, but Tommy and Fundy became close.

When Tommy's sensing powers came in late, Fundy was the only person he told. They worked on it together, and Fundy's words were the first ones that Tommy interpreted from vibrations. They went to concerts together, coffee shops to let Tommy practice speaking again, and to speeches.

When Tommy became Vé, Fundy found out and- instead of being mad- he immediately offered to help Tommy be safer on the job.

Fundy was his brother.

Interrupting the comfortable moment, vibrations were sent to the comms on Fundy's mask across the room.

"Foxtrot, we have a robbery on Roberts Avenue- how far are you?"

Tommy tensed, knowing Fundy wouldn't be able to hear it without it on. Quickly, he rushed to hand Fundy the mask, putting his own on at the same time.

Fundy- Foxtrot now- raised a brow behind his mask at Vé.

"Foxtrot! Are you there?" A worried voice fed through the inside speakers. If it weren't for his power, Vé wouldn't have been able to hear it.

A quiet 'oh' escaped Foxtrot. "Oh, shit, sorry. I was..." Foxtrot smiled to himself. "I was helping a child."

Tommy gasped quietly, hands forming signs in a furious flurry.

'Did you just call me a child, dickhead?'

'Maybe.' Foxtrot signed back.

The voice came through the comms again, "Okay, well, there's a robbery on Robert's. At the bar there. How far away are you?"

"I'm a few blocks off. I'll be there in a minute or less."

Turning to Vé, Foxtrot pointed to the door, already walking as Vé followed behind him. Pressing a button so the other line couldn't hear, he spoke to the vigilante.

"I'll meet you there?"

"Only if you agree to never call me a child again."

"No-can-do."

"Bitch."

After they stopped the robbery, Foxtrot had to bring in the gunman. Before he left, he signed to Tommy that he would look for a job that could take Tommy.

Vé patrolled for another hour before he finally went home. The house wasn't empty (he felt that his parents were in their room, their door locked), but it was quiet, meaning his parents had gone to bed. Likely, they hadn't even noticed he was gone.

He lay in bed, simply feeling the things around him. The wind rushed through the streets around their apartment, a few people passing by occasionally. The nighttime routine of the outside room eventually lulled him to sleep, accompanied by the assurance that, no matter what happened with jobs, he had a home with Fundy.

Chapter Two; Siren Sleeps For The First Time... Ever

Fundy was the only person in the breakroom when Wilbur walked in, eyes sunken and his posture slack. The two didn't know each other outside of recognition, and Fundy was exceedingly careful not to bother the man.

Wilbur was fucking Siren , after all. The number one, the big boss, the ace in their deck. If he wasn't in the tower, chances were that he was on missions.

After considering his status as a low-ranked hero, Fundy shook his head and decided that Wilbur could handle a low-life talking to him. Fundy gestured to Wilbur. "You alright, man?"

Wilbur startled, his blinking slow. "Oh. Oh, yeah. I've just been busy with paperwork and all."

"I bet." Fundy frowned and watched Wilbur stare into the fridge, mind blank. "Do you want me to help? Or, at least, take over for you so you can rest. I have a good bit of time on my hands. I usually use it to hang out with my brother, but he's busy."

Wilbur took a second to register the words. When he did, he stepped back to let the fridge shut and gave Fundy a wide-eyed look. "You'd do that?"

"Of course, man. Every time I see you, you look like a walking corpse." Fundy's ear pinned back as he realized he had insulted the top hero. "No offense, of course."

"No, don't worry. It's true." Wilbur laughed, closing his eyes and looking like he might collapse on the spot.

"Are they in your office?" Fundy stood up, frown deepening as he readied his hands to catch Wilbur if he fell over.

"Yeah, yeah- they uh..." Wilbur yawned, forcing his eyes open. He fished around in his pocket, pulling out a key. "This is the uh... It's locked, so- are you sure you want to?"

"Yeah, man. Can't have Siren dying because he couldn't get help on some forms."

"You- thank you. I'm usually so much better with the papers. I promise. Can I-" Wilbur stared at the couch of the break room. "Do you know if we're allowed to sleep on the..." He searched for the word. "Long recliner?"

Fundy stifled a laugh. "Here, let's just trade keys. Go to my apartment in the tower. Floor twenty, okay? It'll be the orange button." He handed Wilbur his apartment key from his utility belt. Wilbur took them, nearly dropping them. Fundy smiled. "You can sleep in my bedroom if you want. First door on the left in the hallway."

"You. Thanks, I will..." Wilbur blanked. "Give you so many high fives."

Fundy chuckled, flipping the office key through his fingers. "I'll hold you to that. Now go sleep, number one."

Wilbur sleepily walked to the elevator, holding Fundy's keys as though they were precious. Fundy shook his head and grabbed his lunch, deciding to finish it as he worked through Wilbur's paperwork.

Fundy learned how to copy Siren's signature that day- disturbingly well. The Blade (the number three hero and the only top ten that talked to Fundy regularly) saw Fundy through a window.

He hadn't come in but merely waved and went about his day.

Fundy wondered for a moment about what to do to get Tommy a job, but then noticed he got slower at the paperwork when he did. Whatever, he'd worry about that later. At the moment, he was thinking of everything he could use Wilbur's forged signature for.

When Wilbur woke up, he was in someone else's bed. Taking a moment, he could hazily recall this being Foxtrot's- Floris? Finn?- apartment in the tower. There was a smell in the room from the hallway, and the rumbling from his stomach convinced him to get up.

The difference he felt after a good night's sleep (first in a few months) was astronomical. Wilbur hesitantly walked into the hallway, the kitchen visible from there. Foxtrot was weaving through his kitchen through habit, obviously used to cooking breakfast every morning. When the younger hero saw Wilbur, he smiled.

"Hey, number one, you hungry?"

"Uh-" Wilbur's cheeks heated as his stomach growled again, the smell of eggs and bacon stronger. "Yeah, yeah, that's... Wow, that looks great. And a lot. Do you make this much every day?" Wilbur gaped at the food. He hardly had time to make instant coffee in the morning.

"No, I made a little bit more 'cause you're here. I just made enough to feed three."

"Three?" Wilbur asked, feeling awkward as he looked around for a third person. Foxtrot leaned back to look at the clock. "Uh, yeah, my brother. He comes by here for breakfast on his way to school."

Wilbur sat up straighter. "Wait, you're allowed visitors? I thought that was one of the rules of living in the hero tower- no other guests."

" Technically, this originally counted as community service. Plus, Kristen is so used to him coming by I think she'd be more suspicious if he didn't show up."

Kristen- the receptionist, Wilbur remembered. He was about to ask what Foxtrot meant by 'community service,' but the door opened.

"Fundy!" A voice called, blond curls bouncing as a teen barged in.

'Right! Foxtrot's name is Fundy!' Wilbur thought.

Alarmed, Fundy spun around and quickly used sign language, catching Wilbur and the teen off-guard. At some point, Fundy pointed to Wilbur, who was watching from the sidelines. The teen's mouth formed an inaudible 'oh' as he waved to Wilbur. Fundy shook his head and turned back to the food.

"Sorry, Wilbur. He doesn't know how to act normally around strangers, apparently. Anyway, this is Tommy, my brother."

"Wow, uh, you guys look..." Wilbur's gaze flickered between Fundy's orange ears, tail, and legs and Tommy's very human blond hair and skin. "So alike."

Fundy snorted a laugh, "Pfft- we're not blood-related. He's just like my brother."

"Oh!" Wilbur sighed in relief. "That makes more sense."

At some point, Tommy had left to get a whiteboard. When he came back, he had already written on it. He set it down in front of Wilbur beside a black marker and an eraser.

'WHO'RE YOU, DICKWAD?'

Wilbur raised his brows in amusement. He removed the words and gave Tommy a look. Wilbur considered telling the kid that he was the number one hero, but he didn't want to make the kid act differently. This was funny, and he never got funny interactions with people when he was Siren.

'I'M WILBUR. WHO'RE YOU, BITCH?'

Tommy full-on grinned at the words. He tried to play it off as annoyed, though.

'I'M THE BIGGEST MAN EVER. I'VE COME FOR MY BIG MAN BREAKFAST.'

Fundy leaned back to read the whiteboard as he plated the food on three ceramic plates. He scoffed, signing something to Tommy.

That made Tommy angry. He lightly punched his older brother. Fundy gave Wilbur a deadpan look. "I called him a child."

Tommy narrowed his eyes. "I will kill you."

The three ate breakfast, communicating via sign language, whiteboard, and speaking. It was unconventional, and Wilbur had a lot of unanswered questions about their familial bond, like how they met, but it was somehow perfect. The apartment felt warm despite the cold air.

When Tommy left, Fundy was still smiling, obviously in a good mood. Wilbur thanked him for the food, looking at the door out like it was a gateway to hell.

"Oh!" Fundy ducked down and looked through a cabinet, pulling out a humorously large stack of paperwork. "I finished what I could up here. Your chair is severely uncomfortable."

Wilbur's eyes went wide. "You did a lot." Wilbur gave a few sheets a once-over. "I didn't sign these..."

Fundy smirked. "I know."

Wilbur barked out a laugh, patting the stack and turning to Fundy. "Thank you, I owe you. This means I have more time today. Do you want me to take over your patrol? As repayment, you know?"

"I don't know, wouldn't you rather relax while you can?"

Wilbur pushed out an exaggerated pout. " Please ? I haven't been on an actual patrol in years !"

Sighing, Fundy shook his head lightly. "Fine. I patrol District Eleven. There are a few vigilantes in those parts, of course. I try my best not to interact. They don't usually interfere with my work."

Wilbur nearly jumped in excitement, hardly listening to whatever Fundy was saying. He couldn't remember his latest patrol. Wilbur couldn't wait to get back into the field. Rushing to the door, he shouted a final thank-you to Fundy and darted into the elevator.

Siren stood on the rooftop of a bank, his heart hammering in his chest harder than any recent missions he'd been on. He'd stopped two small-time crimes already, and every person involved was shocked that Siren was patrolling District Eleven.

That was upsetting. If Wilbur had a say in it, he'd patrol every day, especially in poorer districts, just like he used to before the hero tower learned the true extent of his powers.

Just as he was trying to figure out how he could do this more often, a blur of black and red shot by in the corner of his vision. Spinning, Siren locked eyes with someone in hero-like gear, though he'd never seen them before.

The stranger paused, staring at the hero.

"Are you a Siren cosplayer?" He called from across the roofs. "You're not allowed on the roofs- it's dangerous."

Siren forced himself not to laugh, looking around himself. "Sorry! Uh, who are you?"

"Vé."

"Fae?"

"No, man, Vé, like the Norse myth?"

When Siren just stayed silent and shrugged, Vé groaned. "I knew I should've just gone with Apollo."

"Apollo, like the Greek God!" Siren grinned. "I know that one."

"See, that's the problem. Everybody knows all these fuckin' Greek myths, but Nordic myths are so much cooler."

Siren makes a disbelieving noise, "Eh- it's hard to argue with the classics. I mean, who even is Vé?"

"A vigilante. Obviously." The vigilante joked, gesturing to his outfit. Siren stood up straighter. "Oh, is that what you are?"

"Yeah, man, no shit." Vé came closer, hopping on the roof next to the bank. "Now, let's get you down. I know some safer areas with equally good lighting and works for scenery. Did you make that costume yourself, by the way? It's well done."

"Ah, no, the hero's tower made it for me."

Vé stopped mid-step. There was a second where they seemed focused, then took a step back. The two stared at each other, Siren putting one hand on the handcuffs on his side.

"When I said I was a vigilante..." Vé took another step back. "I was joking. Have a good day, big man!" And with that, he took off, dashing across the roof. Siren didn't miss a second, still smiling behind his mask as adrenaline rushed through his veins.

Vé hopped to the next roof as Siren's hand flew to a blue button on his mask. Clipping, his speakers hissed to life.

His power leaked into his voice easily, honey coating his words. " Vé ! Stop running !"

But Vé did not stop. He didn't even falter. Siren nearly tripped at that, his smile dropping in confusion.

Nobody had ever withstood his power before. At least, not unless they could deflect it with their own. Even when his enemies had noise-blockers and earplugs, if even a sliver of noise got through, they would succumb to his commands.

That was why Siren was the ace- the number one- he was invincible so long as he could speak.

Until now.

So, to try to assure himself, he tried again. " Turn yourself in, Vé !"

But the vigilante only sped up, weaving through buildings he knew well.

Siren lost Vé in the end. After he searched to find him, he rushed back to the tower in a panic. Kristen watched him speed through the lobby, blinking once before calling to tell Crow that Siren was on his way up.

When Siren got to the common floor, where most heroes off active duty were, everyone's eyes turned to him.

Crow stepped out of his office, The Blade just behind him. "Hey, Wil, you okay?"

Siren ripped off his mask, the urgency in his eyes startling a few heroes around him. The elevator door opened, and Foxtrot came in, immediately zoning in on the top hero. "Woah, there is no way my patrol was that rough."

Siren turned to Foxtrot, out of breath. "Do you- uh- do you know any vigilantes in District Eleven?"

Foxtrot visibly tensed. "Maybe. Why?"

"Vé." Foxtrot took a step back as Wilbur spoke, "Do you know Vé?"

"He's helped me a few times. He's not a threat, he's good at what he does, so..."

Their comms guy, 404, gaped at Foxtrot and stood up. "Fundy, you're supposed to report to me when you see a vigilante!"

"What, does it matter? He's not very powerful, and he's never seemingly used his power, so technically , he's not even a vigilante!"

"Bullshit, I'd say he's powerful enough!"

Foxtrot scoffed at Wilbur. "Oh, please, it's not like he hurt you." The hero said, crossing his arms. He sounded so certain .

The Blade- or, as he was out of costume now, Techno- gave Foxtrot a suspicious look. "How would you know? How often do you work with this vigilante, anyway? And then never reported to 404 about it..."

Siren held up his hands, shushing everyone around him.

"It doesn't matter anymore. We all need to be on the lookout for him." Wilbur looked around and spotted a sidekick to one of the lesser-known heroes. They had a boxy mask to cover their identity, their costume in orange and blue. "Picture-Perfect, I need you to draw him. We're putting him on the priority list." Quickly, Picture-Perfect brought out a sketchpad and waited to be able to recreate Siren's memory.

Crow's black wings ruffled. "Okay, Siren, I understand this is a vigilante, but I'm not sure about the priority list."

"I think he has a powerful ability I'd rather not have out there. Deflection abilities are rare, and for a vigilante to have them? That could go wrong."

" Deflection ?" Captain, the number five hero, stood up and turned to Siren. "Are you sure? All deflection abilities are registered, and there are only two in the country. I mean, one's in prison, and the other is six feet under."

"Then this one's not registered. I gave Vé a command, and he didn't react. Twice ."

"Not registering is illegal," Crow muttered.

"So, he's committed a crime." Siren sat down in a chair and let Picture-Perfect read his recent memories so it could draw the vigilante. "Who's to say he won't do it again."

Foxtrot looked anxiously around himself. "We... We don't have time to hunt for a vigilante who hasn't done anything but help."

"Then we'll make time," Siren said simply.

"How? I mean, the heroes are swamped in paperwork." Foxtrot laughed nervously. "You know that first-hand."

Wilbur snapped his fingers. "Then we'll hire some assistants. We should've done that ages ago, honestly."

Despite the next few attempts he made, Foxtrot was unable to get the heroes to lay off his apparent ally. Siren was going to question why the hero was so loyal to Vé but decided that probably was a side-effect of having fought together.

Siren ended the day by arranging a news appearance to get the word out about a possibly dangerous vigilante that went by Vé.

Chapter Three; A Little Birdie Told Him (What a Snitch)

I have good news and bad news. Meet me on top of your complex.

Tommy stared at his phone. Confused, he mindlessly unlocked his apartment's door. Fundy, using proper punctuation? That could only mean something horrible had happened.

Who fuckin died ???

Despite his joking, Tommy started to worry. He tossed his backpack down and grabbed the bag with his vigilante gear- just in case.

Stfu child

Tommy snorted a laugh and darted up the stairs, making it to the roof in moments.

"What's wrong?" He asked out loud, feeling Fundy's presence before he saw him. Fundy stepped closer, head tilting at the bag. Tommy finally turned to look at him.

Birds flew into Tommy's field of sense. It nearly distracted him from how Fundy's heart beat faster than usual. He was nervous- maybe scared.

Fundy started to sign, Tommy stiffening. He automatically tuned out the vibrations, letting himself learn by looking now.

'I know you ran into Siren on patrol.'

The birds that had flown into Tommy's sensory field settled on a wire, just as caught in the bubble of tension as Tommy.

Tommy slowly nodded, hands moving. 'Yeah? I thought you guys didn't talk much. Nothing happened, don't worry, I'm not hurt.'

Waving in dismissal, Fundy shook his head. 'No, he didn't tell me about it. He told everyone as soon as he got back.'

'What? Why?' Tommy swallowed nervously. He shouldn't have made that much of an impact. He'd run as soon as he found it was the real Siren. It wasn't much to write home about.

'Have you seen the news?'

Tommy could've sworn his blood ran cold. His run-in with Siren was somehow newsworthy, but he couldn't think of a reason why. Fumbling, Tommy grabbed his phone and went to his local news app. He only ever used it for vigilantism up until now.

The news had a photo of him already up when the video loaded.

The drawing was hand-done, similar to many of Picture-Perfect's recreations. He cringed at the accuracy of his vigilante outfit.

The sound was off, so no vibrations bothered or contributed to the mess of senses around him. Instead, the subtitles popped up as the newscaster talked.

'-in last night. We have Siren in the studio right now to inform us of- what he says- is a possible public risk. Bad?'

The camera switched away from Skeppy, one of the hosts. Now it turned to Bad, who was sitting across from Siren. Vé's poster was still in the frame, this time on the television beside the two.

'Thanks, Skeppy. And Siren, thanks for contacting us. This situation seems serious- enough for you to come to the media. Why is this vigilante such a big concern?'

'I was covering Foxtrot's patrol last night in District Eleven-" Tommy glanced at a guilty Fundy, reading over his shoulder. "-When I met Vé on the roof of some buildings. He approached me, he didn't realize who I was- and after a bit of back and forth, he took off. I told him to turn himself in."

Bad shifted, re-aligning the papers in his hands as he knit his brows. 'So then, how did he escape after turning himself in?'

'That's just the thing. Vé did not react to my power. He didn't stop when I asked him to, neither time I did. He ignored it both times.' Siren sighed and shifted to his other side. 'We suspect deflection abilities. Rare, but we know it's not impossible.'

Tommy felt ill. Ignoring Siren's powers hadn't even crossed his mind as an issue before. The idea of him having deflection abilities? It was absurd, abstract, and so far removed from the truth that he wanted to laugh. Maybe cry, actually. He couldn't tell.

Tommy switched off his phone and slid down to sit on the roof. Fundy sighed and sat across from him, observing Tommy.

'None of this would've happened if I had warned you about Siren,' He signed, frown deep. 'I'm sorry.'

'It's okay. It's not your fault.' Tommy ignored the way Fundy's face shifted, portraying his disagreement. 'Just sucks ass that it happened.'

'Yeah.' Fundy shuffled to sit next to Tommy, ears twitching back. 'Here, I'll take your bag. Hide it and all.'

'Hide it?' Tommy moved the bag a little farther away from Fundy. The fox grabbed at it, Tommy holding it out of his reach. Fundy grunted and went back to using his hands for signing instead.

'Yeah, fucking obviously. I need you to stop.' His face softened. 'I don't want you getting hurt. They have damn near every hero after you, you know.'

Tommy crossed his arms and rolled his eyes, only moving his hands enough for Fundy to know what he was saying, 'No way in hell. I'm not going to stop helping people, and you know that. Even if every hero is after me, that doesn't mean I can call it quits. I'd hate myself forever. I'm no pussy, man.'

'Tommy. You're fucking seventeen.' Fundy made a more aggressive attempt to get the bag. 'You're not going to live in fucking fear of Siren. I can't help you this time.'

'You can't help me forever, anyway.' Tommy pushed him back and narrowed his eyes. 'I love you, Fundy, I do- but you're not always going to be right there to have my back. It's my decision, and if it's the wrong choice, let me make my wrong choice.' Tommy pointed, jabbing a finger into Fundy's chest before he continued signing, 'You're not my dad. You're my brother, so don't tell me what to do like a goddamn parent. Okay?'

Neither of them moved for a solid minute. It was tense, and all Tommy could focus on was the overbearing feeling of hearts. There was Fundy's that was most prominent, and the birds'.

Finally, Fundy managed to move his hands.

'You said you love me? And I'm your brother? You're so sweet, Tommy.'

Tommy huffed and rolled his eyes, unable to suppress the massive grin on his face. He flipped Fundy off, though he didn't fight the laugh as Fundy wiped an imaginary tear and hugged him.

Like it could tell that all of the tension had dissipated, the bird ruffled its feathers and fell away from the wire, flying out of Tommmy's field of sense.

When Fundy pulled back, he sighed. 'Seriously, be careful. If you die, I'll kill you.'

"Yeah, yeah," Tommy spoke, "If that's the good news, I'd hate to hear your bad news."

"Oh, right! So, good news, the Hero's Tower is hiring." Tommy's face scrunched in confusion, so Fundy kept talking, "Every hero is going to get an assistant to help with paperwork and stuff. I'm thinking of telling them you can read lips, too, and talking you up."

"I don't know- who would I even be interviewing for?"

Fundy shrugged. "I don't know. They're having assistants interview with the top heroes, then, if they think you'd be better for a lower-ranked hero, they send out your application to the rest of us. They're like a pre-test."

"Alright. When's the first interview opening?"

"I'll try and get you in first thing tomorrow morning."

A bird coasted on the air, black feathers glimmering in the sunset. The bird settled into the open window, waiting patiently. Phil- Crow - did not have his wings present, but still, the bird didn't seem to recognize him as human.

"What did you find?" Phil asked, finger gliding over to pet the bird.

The crow cawed, speaking as though Phil could understand. Phil nodded, humming before he responded, "Did you see the inside of the bag?"

Caw.

"But, what, Foxtrot tried to get it?"

Caw.

"The news?"

Caw.

"I see..." Phil let the crow hop onto his wrist as he sat in a recliner. His office was messy, but comfortable all the same. "Deaf... That's his brother. Wilbur told me about the kid a few hours ago."

Caw, caw.

"I hate to think it, but they might be working with Vé. Foxtrot was very defensive of him. We'll have to keep a close eye on him. His brother, too, if we can."

The crow adjusted itself on his arm, nodding. It tilted its head at Phil, almost concerned.

"I- We can't have another villain with deflective abilities on the loose. Not after the last time."

Chapter Four; Nepotism Is A Powerful Gift

Phil read over the article again. It laid out Siren's statement, meaning Phil could finally analyze Vé's actions.

Vé's defense of Norse mythology was the only part that stood out to Phil. It seemed Vé found it noteworthy, enough to name himself after one of them, meaning he would've talked about it with any trusted accomplices at some point.

Standing up, Phil readied himself. Black wings sprouted from the man's back, still held to his sides. The wingspan was much larger than the office he'd gotten as his office, so when he stepped into the much larger communal room, he stretched his wings wide.

Spotting Techno, Phil walked up behind him. "Tech', you're into myths, yeah? Do you know anything about Nordic mythology?"

Without looking up from his phone, Techno grunted, "Eh, not enough. Not about Vé. I already talked to Wil about that."

"Well, do you know where to find information on that stuff?"

Slowly, as though to make a point, Techno turned to Phil.

"... Google."

"No good," Wil's voice echoed from his office. He walked out, a deep frown etched onto his face, laptop in hand. "I'm getting a lot of mixed answers. None of them tell me anything about Vé."

"Huh... Well, what'd you find?"

"A lot of stuff, but some of it contradicts, like any old mythology, I guess." Wilbur dropped into one of the couches and scrolled up. "So, overall, Vé, Vili, and Odin are all brothers- all of 'em give humans shit."

"Okay, what did Vé give?" Techno turned off his phone and leaned against the couch, interested. He had always been big on Greek mythology but had never strayed to Nordic myths. Phil's wings ruffled.

"A few things." Wilbur squinted at his screen and paraphrased the information, "So, Odin gives them life..." Wilbur scrolls. "Vili gives them understanding? Thoughts, I guess, and- there, Vé gives them their senses and appearance."

"Senses? Like touch, smell, all that?"

"Yeah." Wilbur's head lulled back. "See? It tells me nothing other than Odin would've been a better name to go with."

Phil stared off at nothing. "Odin's more recognizable, but there has to be some reason he went with Vé. A reason that can tell us about who he is- behind the mask. We need something ."

A door opened, making the three turn. Foxtrot walked through, already in the process of taking off his mask. "Hey, uhm- so I have a question about the assistants we're hiring."

"Yeah?" Wilbur asked, sitting up. He was in charge of a good portion of the hiring process since it was his idea.

Fundy smiled a little wider upon seeing Wilbur. "Right, you remember my brother, right?"

Phil straightened, wings tensing on his back.

"Tommy? Yeah, why?"

"Once they figure out he's deaf, no jobs will hire him. The thing is, he's good at lip-reading, and he's a quick thinker. Plus, he speaks pretty damn clearly." Fundy cringed. "Well, he can be a bit loud, but that might be how he is."

Techno raised a brow. "Are you asking us to submit to nepotism?"

"No- no, uh-" Foxtrot laughed nervously, still not used to talking to the top-ranking heroes often. He cleared his throat and forced himself to be calm. "Listen, I'm just asking you to give him a fair shot. He already comes by every day, anyway. Uhm, school ends in about a week for summer break, so he's looking for a job, and I think this one would suit him. Oh- maybe mess with him a bit." Fundy waved as he started to leave. "I'm going to my flat. Think about it?"

Techno looked back at his phone. "Okay then, schedule him for whatever time he'd be coming around anyway."

"I could fit him in tomorrow morning," Wilbur murmured, looking at a spreadsheet of times. When he finally finished with that tab, Wilbur shut his laptop. "So, any idea where to go on the Vé situation?"

"I have an idea..." Phil's eyes lit up as his wings lifted. He turned to Techno. "Where do you get your physical books on Greek mythology?"

"Eh- our local public library has a good historical collection in the religion section. Why? It couldn't tell you more than the internet."

"I need a physical copy." Phil started to leave the room, lost in his thoughts. "Oh, Techno, leave a Greek book on my desk, would you? Whichever one looks the most used."

Before either of the heroes in the room could respond, Phil took the open elevator down.

"He's so fucking cryptic." Wilbur rolled his eyes and slumped into the couch, burying himself in the cushions.

"Yeah, but when he's cryptic, it means he's getting things done." Techno paused his scrolling. " Usually. "

Crow handed the book to the shocked worker. Horns peaked out of the teen's hair, goat-like ears pushed back in surprise.

Like an idiot, Crow had decided to get his book on patrol as he'd been passing by the library. Now, everyone was staring. He brought his wings in, attempting to shrink into himself to hide. It did not work.

The book was in perfect condition. Crow did that on purpose, grabbing the least-used one of the bunch.

The worker- Tubbo , as the nametag read- stammered his way into a sentence. "Wh- You- Is that- Do you have a library card?"

"No, I'll be getting on today, thanks."

"Right, what... Tubbo blanked. "Do I just put these under the name Crow?" He whispered to himself.

Ranboo, his coworker, threw his hands and spoke hushedly, "Jesus, man, just give him the book! He's a hero! He's going to give it back."

"I will fucking shank you. I'm literally just doing my job, bitch." All at once, Tubbo's nervousness disappeared, replaced by annoyance and a visible grudge.

"You won't because you need this job- and they'd fire you for getting my blood on the carpets."

"Fucking obviously , I need this job. I would've quit as soon as your stupid ass walked in those doors- if I could work anywhere other than here."

"Right back at you." Ranboo faced away from Tubbo pointedly, doing something on another computer screen. "As soon as I get out of here, I'll be glad not to hear you complain constantly."

Crow perked up, seeing his opportunity. "Well, the Hero's Tower hiring."

Both employees jumped, having forgotten he was there. Ranboo's bracelet around his wrist clanged against the counter.

"Sorry?" Ranboo said- more of an ask, really.

"The Hero Tower. Every hero and hero-adjacent is hiring an assistant. We're holding interviews for the next few days if you want to call in to schedule one."

Crow grabbed two bits of receipt paper from his pocket and scribbled Kristen's number on them.

The librarians glanced at one another before snatching up a paper each, then separating.

Tubbo cleared his throat, "Ehm- you just... I mean, you'll return it- I assume. So..." His cheeks flushed. "I will call. Of course. Thank you, sir."

Crow nodded, assuring them he would return it, then headed for the doors.

"Like you'll get the job," Ranboo muttered.

" The job, like there's not multiple." Tubbo shoved the paper in his pocket and crossed his arms. "Fucking- says you , anyway."

"I do say. If the Hero Tower hires you instead of me, there's something wrong with their system."

"I will kill you."

"You can try ."

Phil set down the worn book in the open, placing an old, loved bookmark near the end. He opened the new library book around a third of the way through.

Techno and Wilbur watched him. They were waiting on Tommy's interview time, and Phil had told them in advance to 'go along with it.' That he would 'explain later.'

So, they finally put on their masks, Tommy walked in, and they let Phil take the lead.

The first thing Tommy noticed when he walked in was their heartbeats.

Crow's heart was a bit faster than Siren and The Blade. Tommy swallowed. He tried not to think of why. It was probably just Crow's power making his body work differently.

The second thing he noticed was how familiar Siren's face felt. He assumed it was due to their recent run-in.

The third thing he noticed was the state of Siren's office.

It was a mess. The desk itself was clear aside from a book on-

A book on Nordic mythology .

And Tommy was observant. He'd learned how to be from Fundy- that and his power. Tommy didn't realize that it was set up to be that way but noticed how old and worn out the Greek book was next to the Norse one. He refrained from saying anything- for the moment.

"Thomas Innes. Fundy's brother?"

There was a tablet between them, subtitling every word they were saying. Tommy's heart soared. Now he didn't have to worry about pretending to lip-read.

He directed his eyes to the screen, only looking up to smile and be excruciatingly polite.

"In all but blood, yes, sir." Tommy nodded.

"Okay, why don't you tell us why you'd be good in this position?"

The interview bits zipped by. Tommy answered how he was meant to. Not dishonestly, but still how he was supposed to.

At some point, Siren had started being the one to ask interview questions, Crow going back to the book on Norse mythology.

Tommy didn't fail to notice how long it took him to flip a page.

At the end of the interview, Siren rolled back in the desk chair, smiling behind his mask. "That's it for us. Did you have any questions?"

"No- not really." Tommy looked at the book again, trying to stop himself. Then again, how often do you get an excuse to bring up a niche interest like Norse mythology? "Actually, is that... Nordic myth?"

Phil gave an exaggerated groan, the vibration echoing around Tommy's space. He set the book down. "Yeah, it is. But I just don't understand it. Like it goes in one ear and out the other."

"It's not any more convoluted than Greek mythology." Tommy defended quickly, gesturing to the Greek book on the desk. "If you just gave it a chance, I mean-"

Tommy's face flushed as he stopped himself from rambling. "Sorry."

"No worries, mate. We can talk about it some other time." Crow's wings shifted like he'd won a silent victory. "Check out with Kristen in the lobby. Normally, we'd email you, but it'd probably be faster to reach you through Fundy."

Tommy swallowed nervously, bowing a bit before he headed out. As he headed down, in the corner of his area of sense, he made out some of Crow's vibrations.

"I think I have a lead."

Chapter Five; The Kid? A Criminal? Siren Doesn't Think So

"This is stupid," Wilbur said when Phil left the office in the morning.

According to Phil, Fundy and his little brother were secretly working with Vé. Wilbur calls it bullshit, though. Tommy had been so sweet- behind the friendly bickering and jokes. Fundy had even given him his first patrol day in years . In no way was he involved with a dangerous vigilante.

Techno grunted in disagreement. "I don't know. Phil's crows never lie, Wil."

"I don't think they lied. Maybe they misinterpreted it."

"Foxtrot went out right after we officially announced Vé as a priority- they were watching the news . What else would it have been about?"

"I don't know, man, something else?" Wilbur's voice became muffled as he mumbled into his sweatshirt. "I'm picking Tommy as my intern. I'm proving you wrong."

"You can't do that, Wil- You won't be looking for leads properly. You are biased, after all."

"You can't stop me. I'm fucking Siren . The directors will let me do it."

"Not if I insist limiting the top three heroes to one assistant will decrease major security risk. You know how much the board loves saving money and keeping their Siren safe." Techno crossed his arms and raised a brow, shooting Wilbur a look that tested his will.

The tension settled, eyes locked across the room. Wilbur's eyes narrowed. "You wouldn't."

Techno hummed, shrugging loosely. He left the room without another word. Of course, the direction he headed in was the elevator. He was going to get in touch with the board of directors. Wilbur stumbled to his feet, chasing after the bastard.

For as great as Wilbur's power is, using them is prohibited against his fellow heroes. He failed to make the elevator in time, watching as the doors closed, vanishing away a sliver of Techno's calm face, hand on the 'close door' button.

The staircases down would be far slower. Wilbur was on the tenth floor, and the stairs weren't continuous. He went down one flight, across the floor, down another, across-

It was to make it easier to catch intruders, but right now, all it was doing was putting Wilbur into a fury.

When Wilbur got to the ground floor, Techno was already standing in front of the desk, the phone in Kristen's hand as she spoke to the directors.

"You little bitch ."

"Wil, Wil- please." Techno sarcastically patted Wilbur's shoulder. "I'm just lookin' out for a security breach. You're welcome. I've saved you."

Fundy told his brother that (if he were going on to interview with other hero ranks) he would get a call back within the week. Tommy didn't get a call back for two weeks. It left him feeling vaguely disappointed, but it was nothing new. He kept applying for jobs but was running out of places.

He was about to phone Fundy to ask about moving in when his phone vibrated. He expected to see Fundy, but his contact labeled 'Hero Tower' popped up.

Panicking, Tommy hit the wrong button, hanging up on them.

Heart dropping into his stomach, he froze.

Grabbing at straws, he quickly texted the number.

Hello, I'm so sorry for not answering. I'm deaf and can't chat over the phone. Would you mind talking over text?

Letting out a heavy sigh, Tommy let himself relax. He fell into a chair, glad for his improvisation skills. The response came quickly, apologizing profusely. Kristen (Tommy felt more comfortable knowing it was her- after all, she had only ever been kind to him) admitted to not realizing who she was calling and explained that, after heavy consideration, he was to be an assistant.

Tommy's heart bloomed. A heavy weight fell from his shoulders, fingers shaky as he called Fundy

Fundy, sure as he was that the callbacks had ended, was elated that Tommy was accepted. Whether or not Tommy would be his assistant, he didn't care, only that his brother was finally getting recognition. Tommy could be described as many things, but reliable was one of them. He had an incredible work ethic, and Fundy couldn't help the smile on his face as he entered the common area.

"Tommy's getting called in? Do you know what heroes you're recommending for him?" He asked, grinning as he leaned over the couch. He'd grown comfortable around the top three heroes as they asked the odd question about his brother or talked to him more. Fundy supposed it was a case of not quite noticing him until recently.

Wilbur sucked in a hiss of air, looking to Techno and Phil to elaborate.

"So, we're not recommending him for any heroes, exactly..."

Fundy's smile dropped quickly. "What does that mean?"

"We already have a specific assistant position in mind."

Shoulders releasing the tension, Fundy felt relief as he believed to understand. "Oh, so, like, working with Kristen?" He gave a considering nod. That made sense. Kristen and Tommy already got along.

"Me?" Kristen voiced from his right, papers in hand. Fundy jumped at her sudden appearance. She handed a stack to Wilbur. "No, I've already accepted an assistant. Nice person, too. Tommy's..." Kristen looked at the top three, eyeing them as she fell silent.

Fundy's jaw opened, silence clear enough to tell him what she meant. " He's working with one of you ?"

Techno hummed. "Not one- uh- all three of us. It's only one assistant for security reasons." Fundy missed the glare Wilbur shot The Blade. He sputtered, "What- but- I mean- isn't that too much paperwork for one person?"

Phil grew a proud smile. "Not really. We've delegated unnecessary papers to the department. Since it is more work, he will be getting better pay than one-to-one assistants."

"Shit..." Fundy swallowed an awful dread. Crow, The Blade, and Siren were the main three headhunting Vé. Having him work under them would be dangerous. But, then again, Tommy is deaf, and Vé is assumed not to be. He sighed. "Tommy will be thrilled about this..." He murmured, "Unfortunately."

Tommy was buzzing with excitement. Kristen told him in person- with Foxtrot there to interpret- that he was to be the assistant to the top three heroes, even if rankings switched, as opposed to the other assistants.

A starkly familiar teen his age came out of the hallway, eyes wider when they saw Tommy.

"You're Tubbo's old tutor." He said, brows raised. Kristen shifted behind him, motioning for him to shut up. That something was wrong with how he talked to Tommy. Tommy held back an awkward laugh, merely tilting his head and staring at their lips pointedly. Pretending to be unsure, he nodded. "I was Tubbo's tutor. Is that what you said?"

Tutoring was the only job Tommy could take. There was a lack of volunteers around the school, so some students had no choice but to accept him despite his hearing loss.

Tubbo was one of the kinder ones to him, making efforts to conversate in a way he believed Tommy would understand. He had even learned a good bit of sign. Although the two didn't end things well, he had still been kind.

"He's deaf, Ranboo!" Kristen hissed quietly behind him, low vibrations reaching through Tommy's sphere of sense.

Ranboo's eyes flickered between Fundy's still-interpreting hands and Tommy's eyes, fixed on his lips. "Oh!" Face flushing, the teen facepalmed. Carefully, he did a stiff version of 'sorry' in sign. Tommy laughed openly this time, "No worries, man. I can lip-read, too, so it's all good."

Bullshit - that's what that was. Lip reading was harder than reading vibrations, honestly. Especially when, in their city, there's such a varying range of accents and dialects.

Ranboo nodded stiffly, motioning off and mumbling an excuse that, ironically, only Tommy could understand.

"I'm gonna go- y'know... figure out what to do with my life... now..."

Tommy's smile grew slightly as Ranboo waved and rushed off.

Kristen slowly sat, wincing. "Sorry, that's my new assistant. He means well, I promise."

Fundy didn't interpret that, instead signing, 'I am trying so hard not to laugh at both of you.'

Pushing down a scoff, Tommy signed back. 'I'll shank you.'

"He says Ranboo seems nice."

The phone rang, scaring Tommy out of his skin as the vibrations invaded his every sense. Kristen picked up. Confused, she listened.

"Code orange. We need all available heroes down at the north loading docks." The voice said hurriedly. Kristen's eyes widened, hand=ging up quickly and dialing a number.

She frantically picked up the phone again as it rang. Before anyone picked up, she looked at Fundy. "Tommy, I'm sorry, but we'll have to move your first day to tomorrow. Fundy- code orange. Get to the loading docks- uh- fuck, north, they said."

Fundy looked at Tommy, knowing he'd already heard. Tommy's eyes glinted with an idea. Tommy signed a quick goodbye as Fundy hurried off, too quickly to notice Tommy determine what Vé was to do that day.

A few halls down, Ranboo swiftly turned a corner, still berating himself. He had a video open on beginner sign language, determined to convince Tommy he wasn't an asshole.

Another turn late, and they slammed into someone.

Realizing the other person had fallen, Ranboo hurriedly put their phone away. "I am so sorry, are-" Ranboo's lips sealed when they saw who it was.

Fucking Tubbo .

" You ." Ranboo sneered. Tubbo glared up at him. "Me, bitch. What the fuck're you doing here?"

"I'm an assistant."

"Me too..." Tubbo paused. "To who?"

"Kristen, the receptionist." Ranboo raised a brow, watching as Tubbo struggled to get up.

"Warden," Tubbo muttered.

The goat's eyes trailed down to Ranboo's pocket. The phone wasn't very far in, so he could make out a BSL video.

"The fuck're you watching?"

"Uh, your tutor- Tommy- he's an assistant here too." Ranboo flushed again, struggling to hold his glare. "I'm just trying to be able to communicate, is all."

"Tommy?"

"Yeah."

Tubbo's glare completely fell as he thought. "Who's he the assistant to?"

"Not a single clue." Ranboo shrugged, looking off at a window. Awkwardly, neither of them said anything for far too long.

"Do you need... Help... Learning?" Tubbo forced out, staring pointedly at the ground.

"From you?" Ranboo quirked a brow questioningly. "Sure, but we have work." They said uncomfortably.

Tubbo tilted his head, ears peeling back. "No, they've called us all off for the day. Just now, something about an orange."

"What...?"

"Yeah, uhm- Tommy..." Tubbo stopped himself, frowning. "I just want to practice signing again. I'm pretty rusty."

"Oh, do you and Tommy not talk anymore?" Ranboo hadn't meant anything by it, but Tubbo's face soured. "None of your business, bitch."

Ranboo held up their hands and rolled their eyes. "Jeez, my bad, moody."

Tubbo shook his head and grabbed Ranboo's wrist. "Come on, I have a lot to teach you, and I can tell you're a slow learner."

"What does that mean?"

"It means you're dumb. Obviously ." And, with that, Tubbo dragged Ranboo closer to his house.

Tubbo's house by the loading docks.

Chapter Six; Loading Docks, More Like Loading Villains, Amiright?

Vé swung over a gap between buildings, adrenaline pumping as he neared the loading docks. Most of the heroes were either already there or on their way. While Vé was unsure of what kind of threat there was, he did know what a code orange was.

Potential total wipeout.

If there was even a slight chance whatever was happening could reach outside of the located district, that was a code orange. The immediate area was in danger.

As he jumped another building, Vé landed with a low thud of vibrations. He felt a hero zip past him- the space they took up in shape resembling Picture-Perfect. They slid past him without realizing, rushing down to the docks.

Vé peered over, taking in the scene. Most of the on-duty heroes gathered in front of a terrifyingly familiar face.

It was a short villain who used to wear an eerie bunny mask. After their arrest, they were revealed as Aimsey Jones, someone Tommy had sat beside in classes before they disappeared, a missing person.

His biggest crime was a bomb that went off inside the hero tower, injuring eight heroes, and killing two.

Aimsey held another bomb encased in shrapnel to her chest, a wide grin across her face. Vé winced, head tilting as he felt a low vibration circle in the air around Aimsey.

A posse of people stood defensively around Aimsey in the bomb.

"Welcome, heroes!" Aimsey shouted, though there was something different in how they talked, too. Vé slid down to the windowsill, edging closer to feel more of the area out.

Aimsey's heart kept a steady resting rate, so slow that, if Vé wasn't looking right at him, he'd have thought Aimsey was asleep. Aimsey's body wasn't matching with their actions at all .

Something was very wrong .

But Vé didn't have time to worry about that right now. Instead, he attempted to feel out the inside of the bomb as Aimsey spoke, red eyes glinting.

"It's so nice of you to show your faces, especially after showing mine! Unfortunately, it didn't affect me like you wanted it to. How sad." Aimsey inspected the bomb, shrugging loosely after a moment. "This may have to be a suicide bomb. You seem to have cornered me. Did you think I would give up in the face of death?" Aimsey smiled still, looking up at the crowd of heroes as their fingers hovered over the switch, taunting.

Siren snarled in Aimsey's direction. "What are you trying to accomplish, Rabbid?"

"Murder, clearly," Aimsey deadpanned, rolling their eyes. Siren's eyes narrowed behind his fabric, speakers hissing to life.

Siren's voice boomed. "Villains, sleep."

Like ragdolls, the villains around Aimsey folded, dropping to the floor. Their guns fell, a few shooting off into the air. Some fell off the docks and into the water. The only one that stood now was Aimsey.

But xey didn't even flinch. Instead, xe laughed. It was cold, nothing like the Aimsey Tommy used to know.

"What was that supposed to do? You know damn well your powers are useless here, little mermaid." Aimsey cackled to themself.

It was like watching a standstill, none of the heroes daring to move in a way that would make Aimsey set off the bomb.

"Rabbid, please, you don't have to do this," Nihachu called, eyes glued to the bomb.

Just as Vé was about to form a plan, two new figures stepped into his field of sense.

One was so achingly familiar that Tommy knew who it was- Tubbo. Then, by height, he assumed the other was Ranboo.

Tommy slides back, eyes narrowing. They must not have been in the district when the evacuation alarms went off. They'd been in the hero tower, but they wouldn't have known about the evacuation.

Deciding that the heroes could handle it themselves, Tommy quietly found an alley. He scaled the fire escape and made his way to where he felt the two walking. Their heartbeats were normal, completely unaware of the situation happening behind the building.

Vé noted that they were walking to Tubbo's house and slid in front of them from behind an alley wall. Tubbo yelped, stumbling back. Ranboo jumped, slapping a hand over his mouth as their jaw dropped.

Tubbo sucked in a sharp breath. "Shit, shit, uhm, listen, we- we don't want any trouble." Tubbo stepped back and to the side, hands up as he absentmindedly stood in front of Ranboo.

"That's good because neither do I," Tommy murmured, pushing down the urge to glare at Tubbo. "There's been an evacuation. You need to leave, like, now."

Tubbo's hands faltered, eyes narrowing. "I didn't hear about an evacuation."

"I don't have time for this. I'm not out to hurt you." Vé's voice had a biting tone as he kept part of his mind focused on the heroes he could still feel.

He felt some of their hearts skip a beat. The threat has increased.

Vé's eyes shot back to the two. "I need to get you two out of here. Aimsey- uh, Ragged is back. They have a bomb."

Ranboo's hand fell from their mouth, voice finally breaking. "Aimsey?"

Vé nodded slowly, watching their expression falter to one of sadness. Vé filed it away for later, instead, he grabbed their hands. Ranboo didn't fight it, lost in thought, but Tubbo snatched his hand away.

"You're top of the priority list," Tubbo states, lips pursing.

"Well- fucking not anymore, with Rabbid back!" Vé hissed, shaking his head violently. His heart stopped as he felt a wave of vibrations.

Not listening for Tubbo's vibrations as he spoke, Tommy froze. There were five locations nearby that he could feel the vibrations coming from.

And now that he had realized it, he could feel five bombs. What Aimsey had had must've been a detonator.

Tommy caught Tubbo mid-sentence, throwing the shorter boy over his shoulder and yanking Ranboo by the shirt, dashing down to the enclosed alley farthest from the bombs across the street.

Vé threw the two against the wall, wincing as he felt Tubbo yell.

There were heroes by the buildings with bombs, though- he didn't have time to worry about a few bruises. Tommy kicked the dumpster in front of the two to cover them. "Stay here, there are about to be a lot of explosions. Don't be a dumbass!"

Jumping onto the dumpster, Vé scaled the building and searched. Unfortunately, the bombs didn't have a very long timer. One exploded two buildings away The shock it created sent rubble flying onto the rooftops, one of them heading straight for Tommy's stomach.

Trying to evade it, Tommy rushed to the side. Just barely, the concrete clipped his shoulder and knocked him back, teetering on the edge of the roof before feeling his feet grind against the corner, dropping back down to the alley.

Vé had fallen loads of times- just never from a fucking roof .

He felt a screech come from below him- Ranboo , if he had to guess. They may have moved to catch him, though if they did, it didn't work. His back hit the top of the dumpster as another explosion went off, tumbling towards the back of the alley. His mask hit the concrete, a large crack vibrating off of the walls.

His mask split open, he realized hazily. Tommy scrambled to grab the other half of the mask, but it was too late. Tubbo gasped, stepping away as Ranboo knelt by Tommy, asking a question he couldn't piece together.

After a minute of staring, Tubbo winced, another bomb exploding. Tommy murmured a swear, stumbling to his feet in an attempt to go help the heroes. Tubbo grabbed his arm and yanked him back down, nervously grabbing the mask from him.

Tubbo's hands moved, unsure. 'Your power?' His brows knit together.

'My hearing? Yes, if you mean Siren- no, that's just my deafness,' Tommy signed, not using his arms as support anymore. That failed him, though, as he nearly hit his head again.

Ranboo, still confused, blinked. "Wait, so, I thought he couldn't hear, but he was hearing us earlier. Was- wait, am I allowed to say that? What- didn't he... Nevermind." Ranboo gave up, standing up and looking over the dumpster. "Shit- how many more bombs are there?"

Tommy closed his eyes, feeling nauseous as he tried to focus.

Vé held up two fingers, then, as another bomb went off, only one. Tubbo pursed his lips. 'Is it a clear shot to my place?'

Frowning, Vé nodded. Tubbo sucked in a breath and helped Tommy up, his arm over his shoulder. Ranboo soon stepped up, pushing the dumpster out of the way and getting Tommy's other side. They made it a few steps of the alley before someone rushing into the street made them panic. It was Aimsey, no heroes behind them as they ran. He caught the three in his gaze and grinned, raising a brow. "Well, isn't this sweet? I'll say-"

A snap of vibrations interrupted them. The support from Tommy's side disappeared and Ranboo appeared behind Aimsey, hitting them with a piece of Vé's mask. Ranboo yelled themselves, dropping the piece of the mask as Aimsey fell unconscious.

Tommy's jaw dropped, unsure if this was just a hallucination. Tubbo sputtered. Tommy couldn't figure out what he was saying, but it was certainly said through shock. Ranboo kept murmuring what Tommy thought was 'sorry,' though he wasn't sure.

Ranboo picked up Aimsey and appeared beside them again, holding the villain as far from himself as possible. The only thing Tommy could figure out as he spoke was, "-Didn't mean to, I'm so sorry, I panicked!"

That was just before he finally passed out from blood loss, the gash in his shoulder showing through his clothes.

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