<<Chapter 1
An ALiPverse Story
Note: Parts of the beginning have been revealed in the Origins stories but this is the official story! You can read those to get an idea of what’s going on but be wary of spoilers!
Chapter 2
Roman sat on the couch of his shared apartment, hunched over with his mask in his hands. It was crudely made with his limited knowledge and a few hours online searching, but he was proud of it. He ran his thumb over a part of the border that held on a piece of gold ribbon that was hanging on by hot glue. It was uncomfortable to wear but it was his. It’s what made him Prince Charging. It’s what allowed him to run around and help people as he had always dreamed.
It did nothing against his best friend who had discovered his secret anyway. He knew he had to be careful around Patton, but his friend had listened to him as he shamefully hung his head and admitted to running into danger on a daily basis. To his surprise, Patton had admitted to knowing about it before they had moved in together before walking off to make them some tea so they could talk.
“Okay!” Patton walked in with two mugs in his hands, eyes focused on them so he didn’t spill either as he walked. “Got the tea ready! Just how you like it, here you go.”
“Thanks, Pat,” Roman took the mug and let the warmth soak into his hands. He had removed his gloves just before his mask and now was grateful he had done so. He looked into the dark liquid at his poor reflection. He never really looked at himself as Prince, usually throwing on the costume as quickly as he could for fear of being caught.
He felt Patton take a seat next to him with his mug in his hands. “Roman?” He glanced up and noticed Patton’s expression, wondering what thoughts were running through his friend’s head. “You okay?”
“I’m fine. You’re, uh, taking this a bit better than I had expected, I suppose…”
He felt a weight lifted as Patton smiled before looking down at his mug. “Yeah, well, I did want to talk to you about it first. You know, calmly…” Patton turned toward the doorway to the kitchen. “I apologize, I didn’t mean to just drop that on you.”
Roman placed his mug on the table atop one of Patton’s punny coasters and shook his head. “No, no! It’s fine! You were worried for me, I can understand that.” He reached over and placed his hand on Patton’s knee. “I appreciate how accepting and caring you’ve been.”
Patton’s eyes flickered to the doorway again before turning back to his tea. “There’s something I have to share with you, Ro.”
“What is it?”
Patton looked at the doorway as footsteps approached. Hugging himself close was someone who looked exactly like Patton wearing the same outfit. He smiled and waved a bit before turning his gaze to the floor. “Hi,” he spoke softly as if worried his voice would give out on him.
“You have a twin?” Roman looked between the two before Patton shook his head. “Am I missing something?”
“Roman,” Patton placed his mug down next to Roman’s and turned toward him. “This is Two. He’s my… duplicate? I’ve called them my Pals. I can make them… from myself.” Patton looked over at Roman and shrugged. “I have powers too?”
Roman stared at Two before he started to smile. “Patton, this is amazing!” Roman shot up from his spot on the couch and tugged on Patton’s arm, pulling him up as well. “You have powers! We have powers!”
Patton chuckled as Roman started bouncing around. “Yes, I do! I was trying to plan on how I wanted to tell you but I didn’t want to before you told me first. I didn’t want to pressure you into revealing your secret.” Roman started giggling and Patton began bouncing with him. “You seem excited!”
Roman gasped and stopped grabbing Patton by his shoulders and smiling. “Become a hero with me!”
“What?!”
---
“-new about the newest hero in town, the Vigilante, has spread since the recent shooting downtown.”
“That’s not what I said!” The hooded figure threw his hands in the air, gripping the remote as the local news prattled on about the same things they’ve been repeating every hour. However, they played the clip of him calling himself The Vigilant and then said his name wrong.
He wasn’t a vigilante! He was vigilant! Determined and stubborn to keep the city safe. He swooped in and saved the beloved hero Prince who was in danger! He deserved to at least have his name said correctly!
“Virgil!” The figure on the couch jumped and fumbled the remote before quickly changing the channel. “You want anything special for dinner?”
Virgil looked over the back of the couch to his father who was watching the tv carefully with a frown. “I’m fine, dad. Whatever you want.”
His father looked at him with a pout. “My little hero goes and saves the day and he doesn’t want anything special for dinner?”
Virgil couldn’t hold back the wince that spread across his face. Found out so easily. “You know about that?”
“Hmm,” His father stroked the whiskers on his chin. “A mysterious hero with the power to ‘teleport’,” his father even dared to use air quotes. “Suddenly appears dressed with a dark purple aesthetic? Must have nothing to do with my anxious son with a similar style and the ability to stop time and move around who reads far too many comic books. Nope, no connection.” Virgil pulled his hood down over his face and turned away. “Come on, now. Be glad I’m not freaking out over the fact that the thief had a gun.”
“I’m surprised you’re not, honestly.” Virgil peeked up from his hood. “You worry as much as I do.”
“I’m honestly trying not to think about it. Hasn’t quite sunken in yet.”
“I’ll take advantage of your good mood, then.” Virgil turned and leaned his arms on the back of the couch. “Can we have Chinese for dinner?”
“I know how to cook!” Virgil raised a brow at his father’s statement. “Come on, Virgil!”
“Come on, James!” Virgil grinned as he spoke his father’s name. “Chinese! Besides, you’ll make me wash the dishes when you’re done ruining dinner anyway.”
With a sigh, he watched his father turn around and pat his pockets down for his phone. “The usual?”
“You know it.” Virgil spun back around and turned back to the news, watching clips of him and the Prince once more with a smile on his face. It was terrifying at the moment but right now? He had no regrets for what he did.
---
“Come on, Pat!” Roman followed Patton down the sidewalk like a lost puppy. “Please?! We could do so much together!”
“No, Roman. I’m glad you’re helping people but it’s just not for me! What good could I do?” Patton kept marching toward the bus stop, gripping the strap to his messenger bag over his shoulder. “Besides, I have to go to work!”
“You mean you have to go flirt with that guy on your route?” Patton flushed and ducked his head, ignoring his best friend as he trailed along. “At least tell me about him! When are you going to ask him out?”
“He’s not interested. I’m not even sure if he’s gay or anything.”
“Excuses!”
Patton sighed and finally stopped walking, turning to find Roman right on his trail. “Look, I like him, but this isn’t some romance movie. We’re just friends!” He shuffled his feet a bit and looked away. “Actually, I’m not sure if he even sees me as a friend. We just talk on the bus.”
“You said he was cute and had the same glasses and liked mystery novels!” Roman pouted. “Sounds like a rom-com to me! Why not at least try to bring it up? Try to see if he’s even interested?”
“I’m sure he’s not interested in me. He might not be single!”
Roman put an arm around Patton and started walking toward the bus stop once more. “Well good thing you have me! Your personal wingman!”
“Roman, no.” Patton shrugged the arm off but kept walking. “I appreciate it, I do! But I just want to keep this a friendship right now. Maybe, if I think I have a chance, you can help.”
Roman sighed heavily through his nose as they approached the stop. “Fine, but you read a book for this nerd. I think you’re close enough.”
“Hey! Agatha Christie is worth it! It’s such a good book, Ro! I can’t wait to see how it ends!” Roman watched as Patton’s face lit up. “Now Logan and I are reading through the books to talk about them together! It’s great.”
“As long as you’re happy, I won’t interfere.” Roman watched his best friend prattle on about his crush and the topics they talk about until he saw the bus pull up to the stop. “Have a good day at work, Pat. I’ll see you tonight.”
“See ya, Ro!”
Patton got on and swiped his card before heading to the area he normally sat in, waiting excitedly for the stop Logan would hop on.
Logan. He was younger than Patton and worked at a bookstore, which was a surprise. He didn’t seem much like a people person, but he loved books! Patton could relate to that. Although a job at the library was originally his mother’s idea, it wasn’t one Patton was upset by.
When Logan’s stop came, Patton perked up and waited. After the exchange of people, he slouched in his seat defeated. Logan didn’t work today. How had he forgotten that? It was Friday and Patton didn’t work over the weekend so he wouldn’t see him then either. When did he say he worked next. Tuesday?
Tuesday. Patton could wait a few more days until then. He pulled out a book from his bag, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd. Logan had said it was his favorite and Patton had signed it out immediately. He was still at the beginning and already hooked. He could finish it by Tuesday and then he could talk to Logan all about it!
Patton’s heart fluttered as he flipped open to his bookmark and kept himself busy for the rest of his ride.
---
“This just in! The Vigilante has made another appearance downtown to help the Prince! Wait, it looks like the Prince is… attacking him? Perhaps the Vigilante isn’t as much of a hero as he had thought!”
“Listen here, miscreant! I’m grateful you helped me the other day but we are rivals from here on out!”
“Are you kidding me, Princey?! I just want to help!”
Logan watched the broadcast with great interest, eying the new ‘hero’ as he bickered with the Prince. “Interesting.” He smirked and stood from his couch. “I’m going to need a closer look at these two and I have just the idea on how to do it.”
--
Taglist: @arandompasserby @waywordwriter
Do thunderstorms affect Roman’s power while fighting, kinda like how the moon in alta gave the waterbenders more power, dose the same thing happen to Roman with the surrounding electricity or dose the rain null him out?
I've answered something similar in a way before.
Basically, it gives him a boost. He gets more energy and is a bit more powerful depending on how much lightning there is.
For the fic title thing: The Defiance of Rationality
i should be preparing for the class I teach tomorrow but i’m losing focus anyway
send me a made-up fic title and i’ll tell you what i would write to go with it
(or, pick a pairing/side and a prompt!)
The Defiance of Rationality kinda sounds it should be in @residentanchor‘s ALiP or Impractical so here’s a lil AU on an AU
word count: 581 (I wrote something short oh my goodness gracious)
pairings: none
Spoilers for: A Lesson In Practicality and Probable Theorem
If Hypothesis (P) is true, then Conclusion (Q) is also trueP –> Q
If Conclusion (Q) is not true, then Hypothesis (P) is also not trueQ –> P
Logan knew this. It was logic at its purest form. In the world of mathematics and reason, an argument was not a back-and-forth, not a building crescendo of loud voices and rising emotions. It was not a fight to prove correctness, not a means to convince. No, an argument was simply a means of communicating a conclusion. A valid argument was one that correctly laid out premises and hypotheses, paired them with appropriate conditional statements, and then followed them to their logical conclusion.
Converse: If Conclusion (Q) is true, then Hypothesis (P) is also trueQ → P
Inverse: If Hypothesis (P) is not true, then Conclusion (Q) is also not trueP → Q
Logan knew these both to be incorrect constructions. He could point out an invalid argument without a second glance. Only the hypothesis could be sufficient to prove the conclusion true. And an incorrect hypothesis was not enough to necessarily prove the conclusion false.
He was a logical person. His arguments were valid. So how could he be in the wrong?
If a person does not remember actions done to them, they will not be upset.Remember → Upset
If a person is not upset by one’s actions, those actions are not wrongUpset → Wrong
By the transitive property,Remember → Upset → Wrong
If a person does not remember actions done to them, those actions are not wrong.Contrapositively, if an action was wrong, the person will remember the action.
His argument logically followed. It was sound. It was valid. Only an illogical person could object. Not, of course, that he thought he was better than those who could not use proper logic. He knew he was better. And the logic wasn’t the only reason.
His ability was, for lack of a better word, powerful. He could manipulate the world around him with his mind alone. Objects moved at this thought. Bystanders, teachers, classmates all altered their actions at his whim. Memories fled others’ minds in a moment. And no one had ever been upset by his actions. So they weren’t wrong. Q.E.D.
There were these… intrusive thoughts. These quiet, niggling doubts. His logic was valid, yes, that belief could not be shaken. But conditional fallacies were not the only way to weaken or disprove an argument.
What if your necessary assumptions are inaccurate? What if your premises are incorrect? The quiet voice asked in those moments of doubt.
What if this is all a falsehood?
When he saw anger on a face, just before it went blank with forgetfulness. The tears that hadn’t fully faded from others’ eyes when the light blue shine took over. When he listened to his favorite band and found himself relating so very much to the lyrics telling him we’ll all go to hell.
That terrible, terrible night when he realized he had no reason to believe his parents would ever remember his existence.
Maybe, just maybe, being logical was not the same as being good. A valid argument wasn’t necessarily a good one. Perhaps he’d convinced himself of falsehoods as his hypotheses, so that he wouldn’t need to question himself.
Perhaps it was high time he need a lesson in something more that rationality. Perhaps it was time he looked into something more practical.
This part of the story has already been revealed in backstories if you pieced it together but it is the beginning of the official story so... Here ya go! The OFFICIAL start! Keep an eye open! Anyone with powers, named or not, are all chosen from the ocs submitted! So keep a look out!
Character List
Master List
TW: Gun mention, gun fire, yelling
“Oh, Roman! You’re early!”
“Sorry, couldn’t contain my excitement!”
“I see you brought all your stuff. And… you’re sure about this?”
“Of course I am, Pat! I’m surprised it hadn’t come up sooner!” Roman carried one of his few boxes across the room and placed it on the floor. His handwriting had scribbled ‘Disney Movies’ across the side. “We’ve been friends for years, how have we not thought of living together?”
“Hah, who knows?” Patton lifted another box and let out a huff before carrying it to Roman’s new room. “Better late than never!”
“Movie nights galore! It’ll just be like when I found out you had never had a slumber party so you stayed at my place for three days!” A bang followed by Patton letting out a yelp sent Roman running after. Entering his new room, he found Patton on the ground, the box he was carrying perfectly fine on the floor. “You okay?!”
“Yup! Mhm!” Patton nodded frantically, a wide smile on his face.
Roman skeptically stared at his friend as he walked in, inspecting his new room. “Rather small but comfortable! Thanks for helping me move things in!”
“Sure! You want to get the next box? That was a bit heavy for me and I think I need a minute to catch my breath.”
“Oh, sure thing, Pat.” Roman hesitated for a moment before walking out of the room.
Patton waited a moment before he slowly walked over to the closet door, throwing it open. “What are you doing in here?! You were supposed to stay in my room!”
“I panicked! I didn’t expect Roman to be here so soon!” Patton stood back from the closet as someone reached out for the frame to pull themselves up. An identical copy of Patton, down to the blue sweater and sweatpants he was wearing, stood up and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. “Sorry.”
“It’s okay, Two. Just… come back before Roman finds you.”
With a nod, ‘Two’ reached out and disappeared in a bright flash, one Patton hoped Roman wouldn’t notice or question.
“Hey, Patton! Did you hear about that person that was on the news outside of the city?” Roman walked in and placed down the box, not having noticed the light. “They just teleported! Poof! Gone in an instant!”
“People with powers exist, Roman. Stories like that pop up all the time.”
“Yeah, but how many have popped up since this Masked Prince guy showed up? They’ve been sprouting up a lot more than usual!”
“The Prince is a different story. There’s always been news stories about people with powers being caught. The Prince is just the first in like, forever to try to pull this hero thing.”
“Roughly fifty years but who's counting?”
Patton let out a chuckle and shook his head. “Well, I hope the Prince is careful. I’d hate to see him get hurt. He’s trying to bring some good into the world. There’s not enough of that, ya know?”
Patton smiled and looked over at his new roommate. Roman stared back, shocked and in awe as a smirk grew on his face. “Yeah. I think so.”
“So!” Patton clapped his hands together. “How about I bring in those boxes and you start unpacking, huh?”
---
For a child as lonely as Patton was, it was no surprise when he realized his power was making duplicates of himself. They were all copies of himself and they were each their own little piece of what was Patton. They were always the same ones created in the same order.
Thus, the Patton Pals came to be.
Living with a roommate that he had to hide his powers from was nothing new for Patton. He spent so much of his life hiding it from his own mother who was determined to make him be ‘a normal boy’. The words always made his stomach twist and his chest ache, but he chose to ignore it. Letting out a Pal when she was out was always his little act of rebellion that made him feel better, even if he was aware his mother knew even if he was never actually caught. It was something he was unfortunately good at, so living with Roman didn’t ever stop the Pals from making an appearance every chance he could get.
“Do you think we’ll tell Roman, Two?”
Two let out a sigh before looking over at the other. “You know the answer, why are you asking? If we tell him, it won’t be soon. We need to be careful.”
“Of course you’d say that. That’s what One says and you two always agree with each other.”
“Do not!”
“Do too!” Three sat up on the bed and glared down at Two on the floor. “If you took over for One for a day, not even Roman would notice! You are the perfect copy of him from the rest of us!"
"I'm not just some… copy! And neither are you, stop talking like that!" Three shrugged and sighed. “I know we want to tell Roman, but not yet. We need to be careful!”
“He’ll handle it better than mom did, at least.”
Two decided not to answer.
---
“-was rescued once again by the mysterious Masked Prince.”
Patton clicked the television off and leaned back into the couch, closing his eyes. Once again, the mysterious hero ran head first into danger and barely made it out okay. Patton watched in worry every time, hoping nothing bad would happen. Maybe it was his mother getting to him, making him believe only bad things would happen to those with powers.
“It’s safer to stay hidden. Gosh, I do sound like her, eugh.” He ran his hands over his face and readjusted his glasses before sitting up. “Alright well, how about I get up and make something for Roman to eat before he gets home, huh?” He wasn’t sure when Roman would be back, but that wasn’t going to stop him from playing it safe. Letting Two and Three out to help cook would make things go faster and he liked letting them stretch every chance he got.
“Alright! Let's get to work!”
“Yeah!”
“Teamwork makes the dream work!”
---
“I don’t see why we should be afraid of them, ya know? They’re just like us! Except they make life more like an action movie!”
“Not everyone sees it like that, Ro. They think people with powers are dangerous.”
Roman huffed, filling his cheeks with air and scrunching his nose. Patton smirked at the face as he watched his friend get frustrated about something he cared so deeply about. “That’s not fair! Regular people are dangerous too!”
Patton nodded and leaned onto the couch. “You’re right about that.”
Roman looked over and watched Patton carefully. “Hey… Um.” Roman’s voice got a lot softer as he started to fidget. “We never really talked about--I mean we have! But it’s normally me ranting and you just listening but. Um, w-what do you think about people with powers?”
Patton smiled and Roman immediately relaxed and smiled back. “That they’re just people, silly. They were born that way, right? So what does it matter? It’s just who they are.”
“Aww, Pat!” Roman ran over and jumped on the couch, wrapping his arms around his roommate. “I knew there wasn’t a bad bone in your body! No way you could be so narrow minded!”
“Of course! Just don’t mention it around my mom.”
Roman pulled away and scoffed. “Margaret. I don’t understand how you came from her. I mean, really! She’s very overprotective to the point where it’s almost like you’re a prisoner.”
“She’s not that bad, Roman.”
“She tried grounding you last week. You’re almost thirty and living on your own.”
“Y-yeah… I’m sure she didn’t mean it seriously!” Roman gave Patton a look he knew all too well. “She’s gotten better!”
“That’s what worries me. But no worries! I shall be here to protect you!”
---
“The Masked Prince has been pinned down outside the bank in an attempt at stopping an armed robber.”
“Roman you brave idiot…” Patton sat on the couch with a pillow clutched tightly in his grasp. He watched as the news anchor showed the battle from a distance, the Masked Prince hiding behind a car while a man wearing a mask stood with a gun aimed in his direction. The hero dug through a bag and took out a can, cracking it open and chugging it as fast as he could. After a moment, he let out his electricity and let it spark about. The blue sparks gathered and almost solidified into a shield in front of the hero. He glanced over the car and stood up. “No, Roman, don’t you do it.” A moment later, the hero charged.
Patton winced every time he heard a gunshot but the electric shield deflected and stopped each shot. The Prince was able to charge and tackle the robber before attempting to disarm him. They grappled and the Prince shoved the man away before charging. The robber wasted no time, turning around and aiming his gun point blank at the hero.
“NO!” Patton jumped up from the couch as he heard the shot go off. The reporter on the other end went quiet for a moment as everyone held their breath.
The Prince hesitated a moment, his hands in front of him on his shield, sweat dripping down his face. He staggered back and let his shield drop, sparks fizzling out. The sound of the bullet shell falling to the ground was announced by the reporter, causing Patton to let out the biggest sigh. He watched the Prince jump and dive around the nearest car in a panic, the robber still armed and dangerous.
“No, Roman… Please be okay….” The robber shot at the hero’s direction a few more times, Patton’s heart racing as he tried to think of what to do. What could he do? Even if he went out there, he couldn’t stop a mad man with a gun who was more than okay with killing someone!
Then… Then he saw it. In a blink of an eye, a man appeared in costume with the Prince. They stared at each other for a moment before the robber called out to them. Then, the Prince was alone again.
Except… He wasn’t alone. The new hero appeared behind the robber and reached out, grappling him from behind. He grabbed onto his wrist, pulling the gun away from anyone and aimed at the ground. The Prince held up his hands and sparks shot out, aiming them at the robber. After a moment, the gun flew out of the robber’s hand. The Prince had used his electromagnetism to rob him of his weapon, leaving him defenseless in the new hero’s arms.
After the man was apprehended, the reporters rushed the new hero. Can he teleport? Why was he here? Did he want to help the Prince? What was his name?
The hero watched the reporter as he was bombarded with questions before tugging on his scarf. He pulled it down, giving a smile as he spoke. “I’m the Vigilant.” With a flash, he disappeared without a trace.
Patton stood there in his living room, the news reporting on what little they knew at that moment, but Patton’s heart wouldn’t calm down. Who was that? What would have happened if they didn’t appear??
And boy was Roman going to hear it when he got home.
In the Impractical AU, superpowers are not that strange. While a very rare few have powers, they are more accepted in society. Which of the Impractical crew would you work best with? Which would you get along with? Take the quiz to find out!
Note: This is not only a Dr. Horrible Sing Along Blog AU, but it is also an AU of A Lesson in Practicality! I wrote this last year for a warm-up and there was interest so I’m sharing it here! I have edited it a bit since my writing has improved.
If you have not read ALiP, all you need to know is that the guys have powers. Logan has telekinesis, Virgil can stop time, Roman has electricity powers, and Patton’s do not come into play but he can make duplicates of himself!
Warnings: This follows the plot to Dr Horrible loosely so this is a spoiler warning, this will give away the ending! Which is not a happy one! Angst, death mention, blood mention, character death, sad, cursing, Roman is kind of a dick (to fit the role)
"It's coming along splendidly, Virgil!" Logan flitted around his lab in his excitement. Items floated above the table as Logan’s eyes softly glowed golden as he worked. "Theoretically, it should be fully operational by the end of the week! I just need to get my hands on some Wonderflonium--are you even listening to me?"
Virgil continued to sift through the mail, half paying attention. "Yeah, yeah. Awesome freeze ray, gonna stop your archnemesis, fix the city then the world. I’ve heard it all before," He held out a letter while keeping his eyes on the letters in his hand. "Here, this seems to be the only not junk today."
Logan sighed at his failed attempt to keep his friend slash sidekicks' attention and grabbed the letter, placing it to the side without bothering to look. "Can't you pretend to be listening to me just once?"
"You're after the same thing, Logan, and you know how I feel about it." Virgil walked around the room and sat down on a stool. "You want to take down the hero of the city and rule it your way, blah blah blah."
"I want to help the city!" Logan slammed a fist on the table in front of him. Virgil didn’t jump at his sudden outburst, used to the small bouts of anger. "They laughed at my ideas, especially that so-called hero! Mocked me and threw me out, and now he's telling the mayor to run the city into the ground! Things are even worse since he came about! Why does anyone even like that pompous imbecile?!"
"I get that Logan, you know I do. This just doesn't seem to be the way to fix it though. First off, making yourself into the super villain just to fight him?" Virgil leaned forwards onto the table. "You're too good of a person to be a villain. Heck, your motive is to make things easier for everyone, how is that evil?"
"If that bumbling moron can trounce around the city as a hero and be the most self-serving jackass in the city and be praised, he will only be countered by his opposite."
"Uh huh," Virgil smirked up at his friend. "And what about what he will think when he finds out?"
Logan spun around and turned back to his project. "I have no idea who you're talking about."
"Oh? So you aren't running late to do your laundry right now just to see him?"
Logan jumped and looked over at the clock. "Damn," He quickly ripped off the goggles around his neck and started to remove his jacket. "We shall discuss this later!"
It started a few months ago...
Logan was a man of habit. There was a day he went to the bank and a day he did his grocery shopping. There was a day for everything to get done, so going to the laundromat on a day he normally wouldn't be deviating from the familiar and comfortable schedule he abided by. However, he had left city hall after a much-anticipated meeting with the mayor. He presented all his ideas on plans and budgets to improve the city over the next few years. The mayor seemed thoroughly intrigued in the beginning, that is, before The Prince, the hero of the city walked in and mocked every idea he had. He went from being hopeful to being kicked out and laughed at in a matter of minutes.
He decided to distract himself with work, it's always what he did when things got rough. However, he couldn't help but notice the other man in the next row over.
His radiant smile seemed to shine like the world held no grievances with him, he was a bright light on a normally dreary day. He hummed to himself as he happily sorted through his clothes and sat down with a puzzle book to pass the time.
Logan kept stealing glances his way, wondering why he couldn't keep himself from being distracted by the man until he eventually gathered his own things and left.
The next week, Logan changed his schedule for the first time and went back to the laundromat. Just like the week before, it wasn't long before the same man came in. Logan smiled, he seemed to have a scheduled laundry day much like he did, an attribute he could appreciate. This time the random stranger did a bit of paperwork and Logan wondered who this stranger was and what life he lived outside these walls.
By the next week, Virgil had found out by obviously noticing the change in schedule, and was already berating Logan to talk to the guy. Determined to do just the opposite and watch from afar, Logan had only learned what he knew in passing over time. Not wanting to indulge in the bad habit of stalking to discover more had, unfortunately, told him a little bit but was never enough.
One day, he answered his phone with his name, Patton. He also learned that outside of his job, Patton volunteered at a local homeless shelter, because of course, he did. The man seemed selfless and a beacon of hope in the city that never seemed to want to do the right thing. He saw Patton try his best to fix things from the inside, the right way, just like Logan had attempted to. He was watching him fail, also as he had, but persevere through it all. Failed attempt after failed attempt never seemed to put the man down for too long before he was back again with his next idea. Logan determined, then and there, he was going to fix the city for both of them.
---
Logan looked back at Virgil with a pleading look and hopeful smile like he did every week. "You wouldn't want to join me this time, would you?"
"Sorry, man. Not today, just suck it up and do it yourself!"
Logan sighed and Virgil rolled his eyes. Every week he offered to have Virgil accompany him to the laundromat for moral support. With someone at his side, he would maybe get the motivational push needed to finally talk to Patton, but every week Virgil shot him down.
"Actually..." Logan froze and turned around, watching Virgil smirk over at him. "Stop by that frozen yogurt place on your way and I'll meet you there."
"Virgil, I am already running behind!"
"If you want me to show, you have to pay me."
"You are the worst evil sidekick," Logan's shoulders dropped in defeat. "Fine, but you're getting plain vanilla and no complaints."
"Sure, boss, whatever you say."
Logan entered the laundromat with a paper bag in one hand, scanning the room in excitement. He couldn’t deny there was a bit of extra bounce in his step knowing that with Virgil’s help, today just might be the day! He looked around at his usual spot but found no sign of Patton. Of course, the one time Virgil agrees and the man wasn't even there! He placed the bag down and went to retrieve his hamper in hopes Patton was perhaps running a bit late.
Ten excruciatingly long minutes had passed and he heard the jingle of the door once more, eagerly looking up and finally finding Patton walking in, a bit later than normal. Logan quickly sent Virgil a text asking his current location, now that Logan was alone with the other man.
His phone dinged and he looked down, frowning at his response.
'I'm not showing up, give him the frozen yogurt for me. ; ) '
Logan groaned and rubbed his eyes under his glasses, pocketing his phone. Of course. Virgil’s sudden change of heart made a lot more sense to him now. He readjusted them and looked up, eyes meeting Patton's who had glanced over at him in concern.
"You okay?" Patton asked.
Logan froze before glancing away quickly. "Y-yes," He looked down at the brown paper bag that held the frozen treats and thought back to the message Virgil had sent. "It seems..." He cleared his throat a bit. "My acquaintance will no longer be joining me today after he forced me to buy him a treat as payment." Logan dare not look over at Patton as he reached over and grabbed the bag. "Y-you wouldn't happen to enjoy frozen yogurt, would you?"
He reached in and pulled out the plain cup on top before finally getting the courage to glance over. Patton looked shocked and a small smile grew on his face. "Are you sure?"
"Yes!" Logan reached out and handed it to him. "I have my own, so it will simply be a waste."
"Well, then! I guess we're officially laundry buddies, huh?" Patton reached and grabbed the cup from him. "Thank you! My name's Patton."
"Logan," Patton reached out and shook his hand before he popped off the lid and took a bite with a smile. It was infectious, Logan decided, smiling back at him as Patton seemed to light up the room more than the cheap fluorescent bulbs above them.
"It's good! So, Logan..." Patton walked around and jumped up on a machine, cup still in hand. "I see you here all the time and we never talk. We both have some time to waste so let's fix that, shall we?"
---
Virgil heard the door creak open and lazily glanced over from his comfy position lounging on the couch. Logan had a smile a mile wide plastered on his face and was still flushed red from he could only imagine was due to his plan being successful. "So... How much do you hate me right now?"
Logan ignored him and walked over and fell dramatically into his chair with a happy sigh. "I managed to talk to him. We talked! Like an actual conversation! He even said we should talk next week as well! Can you believe it? An actual verbal connection after all this time."
"You're like a school girl with a hopeless crush, you know that?"
Logan got up from his seat and flitted around the room. "Anyway... I’m bursting with energy now and I have a freeze ray to build, we can talk later."
"Whatever you say, boss."
Logan sifted through his blueprints and started typing away at his laptop before suddenly freezing and looking over at Virgil. "Did you know his eyes are a shockingly bright shade of blue? Apparently a trait he gained from his mother, which is surprising due to their recessive-"
"Logan!" Virgil laughed as the other was startled out of his rant. "Freeze ray, remember?"
"Sorry. Just started thinking about freezing and cold and blue..."
"You're a hopeless gay, you know that?"
---
Things had been going so well lately for the ‘evil’ duo. Logan had Virgil hop on the roof of the van and plant the device while time was frozen. He made it look like he could merely teleport to any unknowing passerby, he didn't need others knowing his true powers. He hopped off safely and the guard driving the van was none the wiser.
That’s when things started going poorly.
While Logan was using his remote to take control of the van, he ran into Patton and got heavily distracted. Patton’s bright blue eyes had practically turned him into a bumbling moron and next thing he knew, he was signing a petition to turn an old abandoned building into a homeless shelter. Logan could do nothing but listen as Patton's face lit up, eager to explain what his plan was for the building. He was going on and on until the device in Logan’s hand beeped angrily at him for his attention. Logan jumped and sighed, apologizing as he ran off with a promise to make it up to him and hear the rest of his story on laundry day.
He quickly put away the device and ran for cover to put on his costume, if he could really call it that. People didn't tend to know the difference even with his face not covered in anything other than goggles.
He quickly took control of the van with success, causing the driver to jump out... when Prince appeared.
The man was serenading himself as he jumped on the van and punched the remote control. Logan fought to regain control and steer the van but it swerved uncontrollably. He looked up and panicked as he saw it turn and head straight for Patton.
Logan's heart stopped for a moment as he watched on. He didn't think as he tossed the broken remote to the ground. His eyes lit up and he reached out a hand, following nothing but instinct as he attempted to pull the van to a complete stop. Logan didn’t rely on his telekinetic powers over his brain often, but he wasn’t going to let the Prince’s carelessness risk the safety of others. ESPECIALLY when the ‘others’ was Patton of all people. In his desperation, Logan felt the vehicle slow to a stop and let out a cry of relief. He dropped to his knees gasping for breath, not entirely sure how he managed to pull that off.
He stumbled up and looked over, hoping Patton wasn't too frazzled, only to freeze in place.
Prince was there, holding Patton way too close and singing to himself still, grinding on the last of his nerves.
"You saved me..." Patton muttered out just loud enough for him to hear. "T-that van would have... and you stopped it!" He smiled up. "Thank you!"
"Of course, it was no problem for me, the Prince." He smiled and stared off into the distance, surely hearing applause for him that did not exist. "And your name would me?"
"P-patton!"
"Of course! A beautiful name for a beautiful creature."
Logan watched as the Prince grabbed Patton's hand, lifting it up to his lips and giving it a quick kiss. His eyes flickered from the van back to the duo as Patton giggled and fell for the stupid act. Rescue Patton from the Prince’s clutches or take the opportunity to succeed in his mission?
He ran and used his powers to force the back doors of the van open, quickly hopping inside. There was a briefcase strapped down that he quickly grabbed and freed, not bothering to look back as he angrily raced off of the crime scene.
"If Prince wants a fight, he's going to get one," Logan muttered angrily to himself.
---
Virgil stood to the side, tossing darts at the dartboard across from him that donned a mugshot of The Prince, various holes in the photo near the center. "Seems like it failed to me, Lo."
"It was a test run, Virgil, I needed to make sure the freeze ray was functional."
"It was functional, alright. It didn't shut off until you broke it." He tossed a dark and smirked as it hit the photo on the chin. "Think you can fix it?"
"Can I fix it..." Logan scoffed, the broken gun spread out in front of him. "Give me a few hours and it will be back and that stupid loose wire will be glued back in place with something a bit more reliable this time."
"I'm sorry, Elmer has never let me down before!"
Logan looked up and froze the dart Virgil had just tossed in the air. It suddenly flew straight, hitting the bullseye of the dart board. "WOAH!" Virgil put his hands up in mock surrender. "You okay, buddy?"
"Of course I am."
Logan looked away, but not before causing the previous darts to fly out and meet the center of the photo as well. Virgil snorted out a laugh and turned around. "Okay, tell me what's wrong."
Virgil sat down on his favorite stool, waiting for a response. Logan leaned over the table and sighed heavily before giving in. "They went on a date today."
"Ouch," Logan reached forward and continued disassembling the machine in front of him. "So, what? You're gonna build a death ray and kill the guy, mister 'I'm totally evil'?"
"Nonsense, although a death ray would be rather simple. I have that old stun ray, it's a matter of amplifying its effects and switching out the core for-"
"WOAH!" Virgil stood up, knocking over the stool in the process. He walked over to his friend and held up his arms, waving them back and forth. "No, stop that thought process right now! No death ray, you are not killing someone, Lo!"
Logan huffed and turned back to his project. "Of course not, don’t be ridiculous."
"No," Virgil grabbed Logan's shoulders, spinning him around. "I know how you are. Promise me, promise me, you will not build a death ray." Logan stared Virgil down and shifted his eyes away but didn't speak. "LOGAN!"
"Okay!" He shouted. "No death ray."
Virgil nodded and removed his arms. "Good. Now, I'm going to go spy on your arch nemesis for you while you work. Gotta be a good sidekick. Maybe try and sabotage that date."
"Heh, how you like that fool is beyond me."
Virgil spun around quickly. "I do not like the Prince, I am just trying to help so you don't sit here wondering what he's doing constantly!"
Logan made no comment as he went back to his work. He heard Virgil angrily groan and walk out the door in a huff. He waited, counting silently to himself before walking over to one of his drawers of abandoned projects. He pulled open the biggest one, staring down at the 'Stun Ray' in front of him, deep in thought.
---
"So, how was your weekend, Logan?" Patton sifted through his clothes in the dryer, making sure they were warm and completely dried.
"Dull, same as always. Just working on a new project or two."
"You know, I'm so impressed with you." Patton looked up and smiled. "You said you went to town hall with ideas to improve the city and they shot you down, but you just picked yourself right back up and now you're working on new stuff and doing it yourself! That’s so inspiring!"
"Yeah. Well, how about you? You're actually out there, actively fixing the city while I'm behind a door trying to get ready, always trying to..."
Patton saw Logan look out the window, letting his sentence fade off. "Hey," Patton leaned forward, placing his hand on Logan's as it rested on the machine. "Everything happens."
"Don't say for a reason, Patton, please."
"Well, no." Patton gave a small, sadder smile. "But everything does happen. It just depends on what we do next."
Logan sighed softly and smiled up at Patton, who could swear see the shine in his eyes brighten. "The world needs more people like you." He muttered mostly to himself. Logan quickly looked away, embarrassed at his words. "This world is going to burn the way it keeps going, and the flood that goes to wipe away that fire will leave us with nothing but ashes in its wake."
"That's not true!" Logan looked back at Patton who stared him down with a determined glint in his eyes. "Seeds can't grow without a little rain! It just takes some hard work to make sure it's just the right amount and taken care of!"
Logan watched as Patton smiled and finished loading his clothes into the basket and closing the door. "So, how was your weekend then, Patton?"
He knew how it was, Virgil had spotted Patton with the Prince at the park in a swan boat of all things. Logan had even followed them to the homeless shelter Patton volunteered at later that weekend. He was amazed Prince kept a straight face as he sat down and ate, listening to Patton go on and on about future projects and improvements to the place, eyes lit up and filled with hope...
"I went on a date, actually."
"You're kidding."
If Patton noticed the uninterested tone, he ignored it. "Yeah, I thought he would be a bit self-centered, you know? He's got a bit of a reputation and people only talk about how good looking he is as the only redeeming thing about him, but I guess that just goes to show you can't judge a book. He was so kind and sweet and he actually listened, you know?"
"Sounds wonderful."
"Yeah, I think I might see him again." The lights began to shake and flicker. Patton looked up and around the room, noticing some of the machines shake as well. "Is-are... is this an earthquake?"
Suddenly everything stopped and Logan let out a slow breath. "Don't worry, it seems to have passed."
"Oh, that was a bit scary." Patton looked over and lit up again, as he always did. "Good thing you're here to protect me, huh?"
Surely, this was the worst hell Logan could imagine for himself.
"Oh! Actually, speaking of my date... he said he might stop by!"
And it got even worse.
"Here?" Logan at Patton in a panic. "Oh, that reminds me, I was supposed to be somewhere!"
Logan headed straight for the door, abandoning everything behind. "What about your clothes?"
"I'll just come back, don’t worry!"
Logan threw open the door and immediately met with a force that caused him to stumble back. "Woah there!" Before he could even look up, a pair of hands caught him and spun him around, an arm wrapped around his shoulder, forcing him back into the laundromat. "Is your friend so intimidated he's trying to run?"
"Prince, I was hoping you could make it!"
"Of course, and with good news! But first!" He let go of Logan and stuck out his hand. "The Prince, the one and only! You must be the laundry buddy Patton has mentioned!"
Logan ducked his head and quickly took the hand, giving it a quick shake. "Yeah, we're meeting for the first time!" He pulled back his hand quickly and mentally berated himself. "I need to be going so-"
"GUESS what the mayor is doing behind closed doors right now?" The Prince cut him off from escaping. "Signing over a certain building into a homeless shelter."
"Oh my goodness, is he really?" Patton jumped up and down in his spot before jumping to the Prince, giving him a tight hug. "That's amazing!"
The Prince laughed and for a moment, Logan could understand why Virgil and Patton fell for the hero act watching him laugh and hug Patton close.
"Of course, the only signature he needed was my fist! With a pen in it, as I signed the petition you had..."
"Oh this is great, I have so much to do but I have all these ideas, this is great!" Patton picked up one of his filled baskets of clothes. "I'll take care of this, I'll be right back! We have so much to talk about!"
Logan and the Prince watched Patton happily trot out of the laundromat with small smiles. As soon as the door shut, Logan shifted away from the Prince. "Well, I was on my way out personally-"
"Not so fast!" Prince grabbed him and pulled him close once more. "Not before I say how wonderful it has been to meet you!" Prince bent down and looked at Logan as he hunched over. "... Doctor."
Logan jumped back as much as the Prince would allow and glared up at him. "You must have me mistaken for someone else."
"You have a little crush, don't you doc?" Prince spun them around and watched Patton give up a shirt straight from his basket to a man he must have recognized from the shelter. The homeless man smiled and thanked Patton before hugging the freshly washed shirt close. "That's what makes this all the more... sweeter. Because he's what you want... and I have taken that from you now, too. I must say, you have impeccable tastes, he is quite the catch."
Logan stumbled as he was released from the Prince's grip. "I'm sure I'll see you around... Logan, was it?"
As the Prince turned around to join Patton outside, Logan couldn't think of anything else but...
"I'm going to end you and everything you stand for."
---
"This is a bad idea, you promised me, Logan!"
"I don't care."
Logan adjusted the weapon in front of him, placing tape over the word 'stun' angrily before picking it up and swinging around, meeting Virgil face to face.
"I'm coming with you, and you know you can't stop me, Logan."
Logan's eyes sparked with a golden light and pure determination. "You know I can."
Virgil vanished and in an instant was in Logan's face, staring him down. "I dare you." They stood nose to nose silently before Logan's eyes slowly faded back to normal. "You're going to make an irreversible mistake, Logan, and as your best friend I can't just stand by and watch."
Logan took a step back and held the raygun in between the two. "Guess we'll just see how this turns out, then.”
---
"Justice has a name. And its name that it has, besides Justice, is the Prince!"
The mayor stood down from the podium and the Prince proudly took his place. "I just would like to say, I met my wonderful new boyfriend and he had such a strong determination to help others, it inspired me to step up! He made me want to help, even for someone like you all!"
"Prince!" Patton hissed, covering his face in embarrassment.
"Oh, of course, there's nothing wrong with being homeless and smelly!" Patton slouched over in his chair trying to hide away from everyone. "That did not come out right. ANYWAY! Patton had this wonderful idea to make this old building into a homeless shelter to help the less fortunate, so of course, I talked to the mayor to help out. In his kind generosity, he made me a statue, which is just-" the Prince laughed and shook his head. "-just the nicest thing! See how one small act can affect all those around you? How such generosity is met with more kindness? Wonderful! Now, I wrote a small speech!" Patton peered out from behind his hands as the Prince pulled index cards out from his pocket. "I hate the homeless!" He flipped to the next card. "...ness problem that plagues this city!"
"Oh, brother," Virgil grumbled, crossing his arms and falling back into his chair in the very back row. He looked over at the large cloth covering the statue of the Prince that was brought in earlier. He got up from his chair with a sigh and turned away from the Prince giving his speech. Meeting the back wall where the lights to the room were held, he turned and met eyes with the Prince who saw him as they made eye contact. The Prince paused in his speech and Virgil smirked before pushing the button and plunging the room in darkness.
Murmurs grew loud in confusion and mild panic as the darkness settled from the crowd. A sigh of relief was heard as the lights suddenly turned back on. Everyone looked around as the Prince looked back up at Virgil, sending him a glare. He walked around the podium and stared him down before pointing. "You, I know you. What are you up to, villain?"
Virgil smiled and tilted his head. "It's called a distraction, your majesty. Thank you for falling for it."
Before the Prince could utter another word, the cloth on the statue flew up and Logan stood up proudly. In front of him, his freeze ray was mounted and glowed with a bluish light at the end before pulling the trigger. The blue ray shot out, hitting the Prince right in the center of his chest. He staggered back before freezing completely in place. "Amazing what one can do in a dark room and frozen time." Virgil chuckled to himself.
Logan jumped down and slowly started walking towards the stage. "How funny, not a word, no one? You were all so talkative before. Always had a few choice words to say to me whenever you can." He spun around and looked at the crowd around him. "Strange, I've been trying to get someone to listen to me for quite a while. Is the silence of your hero all it took?"
"He'll stop you!"
Logan stopped and turned towards the sound of the voice, looking over at the crowd. No one stood up or made a move that they had spoken. "Oh, of course, he will. He'll always protect you." Logan looked back towards the stage. "Your Highness!" He made a dramatic bow and held it before standing back up. His long coat flourished as he pulled the hidden ray gun out from underneath it, pointing it straight up at the ceiling and letting loose a shot. The room grew loud with panic as people ran for the doors in a rush. Mayhem quickly broke out as the room emptied, Logan silently let them all flee as he stared up at the man frozen on stage. "So much for keeping them all safe, huh?"
Logan walked up and jumped up the few feet onto the stage. He looked out at the few reporters and people too terrified or too curious to leave their seats. He looked in the back and saw Virgil standing there, arms crossed and shaking his head in displeasure. Logan turned back to the Prince and held up the gun, leveling it with the man’s heart. "Next time you want to help others, how about actually caring? Fitting you'd die on a stage, you were quite the actor."
Logan lowered his head as he aimed it, merely a foot away from his target. He took in a deep breath and stared down the frozen hero before him. Roman’s shock face frozen, staring blankly ahead. Logan’s hands shook and his palms grew sweaty before he started to lower the raygun. "I..."
A sound rang out and Logan spun around, looking over at his freeze ray. "That can't be good..."
He looked back at the Prince who quickly shot up and grabbed Logan, holding him by the scruff of his jacket. He then spun around and threw him off the stage and down the row between the setup chairs. "Oh, sorry, were you in the middle of something?" The Prince jumped off the stage and stalked forward, stomping a foot down onto Logan's chest. "Seems your time is up, Doctor."
He looked over and reached down, picking up the ray gun. The tape had peeled off, revealing 'STUN RAY' underneath it. "A stun ray and a freeze ray? Very original," The Prince spoke sarcastically, rolling his eyes. He aimed it straight at Logan, who shook his head but couldn't speak, gasping for his limited breath as the pressure on his chest refused to let up. "Let us see if this one works better than your others, shall we?"
"No, idiot, don't-!"
The gun sparked, a crack on the side glowing as the Prince pulled the trigger. It suddenly erupted and let out a shockwave, causing the Prince to fly back several feet.
"Logan!"
He heard footsteps approach as he rolled to the side, gasping for breath. Glancing up, Virgil was right there helping him. "I-i c-couldn't-"
"No shit," Virgil pulled on his arm, helping him stand. "I told you. You're not a bad guy, Lo. Of course, you couldn’t pull the trigger. You think I’d let you try otherwise?"
A pained shout rang out and they looked over at the Prince. He writhed on the ground before sitting up, holding onto his arm. A shard from the gun stuck out of it, blue sparks flying as he slowly lost control of his abilities in his panic. "Ah, g-get it out!"
"No!" Logan shouted. "Removing it will cause quicker blood loss, wait for the medics!"
The Prince glared over at the duo. "Why should I listen to a villain like you? You tried to kill me!"
"YOU just tried to kill ME!"
"I didn't know it was going to KILL YOU!" The Prince stood up, pulling his arm close but heeding his nemesis' words. "I'm not through with you yet, Doctor!"
Logan watched as the Prince sprinted to the door, busting it open with his good arm. "Are you good to go?" Logan looked over at Virgil before nodding. The sidekick sprinted after the hero, Logan not quite sure what he was planning to do.
He looked around the room at the overturned chairs and remains of the chaos, wondering how it had gone so wrong. Or perhaps so right, seeing as he was sure he wouldn't have pulled the trigger. He was so sure he would be able to pull it off but when it came down to it, Virgil was right. Logan cared too much and didn’t have it in him to end another’s life.
Logan slowly got to his feet and looked around, finding the seats on the stage were empty. The mayor had left once everything started, but… "Patton." He whispered, glancing around frantically as he thought of the man, hoping he made it out safely. "PATTON!"
"L-lo?"
He spun and took a few steps toward the voice before freezing in place.
Against the wall, trying to hide behind a few chairs that had since fallen over, was Patton. His hand was in his lap, painted red. As was his shirt, and his face and-
"Patton!" He ran forward, frantic and numb to all his previous pain. He slid onto his knees and held out his arms, too afraid to touch the other man. "Hold on, Pat! You're okay, the medics will be here and you'll be okay!" He eyed the rather large piece of the raygun sticking out from Patton's gut.
"Lo..." Patton's head fell to the side as he looked up at him. "Don't worry, Lo."
"P-patton!"
"The Prince... will save us..."
Logan froze at those words, at Patton's small smile that appeared after he said them. Patton slowly closed his eyes, letting out a small sigh as he did.
"Patton, no please!" He reached out and shook the man. "J-just a moment! Patton! You can’t fall asleep, you need to stay awake!"
Logan watched as Patton's head fell limp, his hair falling over his face and the small smile still plastered, full of hope as it always had been. With shaking hands, Logan reached over and picked up the man as a sound erupted in the back of the room. He turned and saw a reporter that had remained taking a photo as he stood there, frozen to the reality to everything happening around him. Logan walked forward as medics arrived, placing him on a gurney that had appeared slowly and carefully before turning and walking out the door.
No one bothered to stop him.
Reports would talk about a brave, selfless man that stood up to the horribleness of the city and gave it everything he could. How he tried to fix it in every way he could from cleaning up the parks to helping the homeless. How he was the best the city had to offer in their darkest times. How this person managed to catch their hero’s eye and even his heart.
They would tell about how a villain came out and took the one person the city's hero had ever cared for without a thought. They would talk about how he picked up the body and left it, not a tear on the villain's face as he walked away victorious.
No one stopped him as he walked into banks and demanded anything he needed.
No one stopped him as he took over the city, fixing it the ways he always had wished, the Prince nowhere to be found.
No one stopped the man who had already lost everything.
