Screenshot Redraw Of Robinsdrawās animatic of A Lesson In Practicality, written by @residentanchor you guys should read it, itās amazing and I love it and thereās a SEQUEL.
I love robins style sm you guys donāt understand IM OBSESSED.
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Screenshot Redraw Of Robinsdrawās animatic of A Lesson In Practicality, written by @residentanchor you guys should read it, itās amazing and I love it and thereās a SEQUEL.
I love robins style sm you guys donāt understand IM OBSESSED.
Probable Theorem Ch. 18
<<Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Summary: Do you remember what even happened last time? In the last chapter, Patton confronted his mom(Maggie) with an ultimatum to help him or he'd cut her out of his life. Roman was kidnapped, Virgil was stressed, Roman's mother Liz was there and kinda chillin' and Logan was with Thomas who wanted to learn how to use his powers again. Word count: 3.2k
Patton stared out the window at each building that passed, keeping note of every turn and every street to their destination. He glanced at his phone to the map he had pulled up, his GPS helping him keep track of where he was. He definitely didnāt expect to find himself so deep into the city where the population would be so dense, but he supposed that any building could be hiding a number of secrets. He kept glancing out the window and at his phone, hoping it would calm his nerves. The longer the drive went, the more the silence taunted him. He kept bracing himself for the inevitable. He knew it was going to happen, he just wasnāt sure exactly when.
Then he heard his mother sigh. There it isā¦
āBack at the house,-ā
āWeāre not talking about this.ā Patton squeezed his phone in his hand as he felt the car roll to a stop.
āI just think itās a little unfair how you jumped me with all those questions!ā
āAnd I think itās really unfair how youāve been invalidating my feelingsĀ my whole life.ā
āI have done no such thing!ā
Patton huffed and looked over at his mother driving the truck. āThen what do you call what youāre doing right now?ā Maggie scrunched up her nose but kept her eyes on the road. He could tell she was thinking of something to retort with. Make her seem like it wasn't that bad. That it wasn't her fault. That it came from a place of love. āI know what you're thinking; you feel like youāve done something wrong,Ā because you have,Ā so youāre getting defensive. But that doesn't mean you can tell me how I feel is wrong becauseĀ you didn't mean to."
"Now you're just twisting this around to make me look like the bad guy! I'm trying to help you!"
"Pull over."
"What?"
"IĀ said," Patton balled his fists and braced himself,Ā "pull over!"
"You need me to help find Roman!"
"No, I don't!" Patton finally turned and looked at his mother. The shocked expression on her face as she finally glanced away from the road for a split second before turning back was enough for him to know that she was listening. "I don't need you for this. I can find him without you!"
"No! You don't know where he is and I do!"
"And my boyfriend canĀ read minds." Patton glared as he spoke. "I already told you back at the house. This is the last chance you have or you won't see me again. Ever."
The car grew silent with nothing more than the muffled noise from the city around them.
āPatton-ā
āIām not trying to be the bad guy here, mom. But I canāt just let you do this to me anymore.ā Pattonās voice grew softer as he spoke. āI canāt handle it anymore.ā
He heard his mother sigh from the driverās seat, refusing to look at her. Not wanting to lose his resolve if he saw how upset she was. āYouāre father would miss you.ā
Patton immediately tensed in anger. āUsingĀ dadĀ against me wonāt work. He already said I could reach out to him and that he would love me no matter what. I donāt need you to get to him and we both know you could never take him away from me.āĀ
āI wouldnāt-ā
āDonāt. We both know what you meant by it, so just donāt.ā
Patton watched as the car pulled into a parking lot and the truck slowly came to a halt. His mother turned the car off and sat in her seat, making no attempt to exit just yet. āDo you still want me to show you where he is?ā
Patton glanced at his phone, looking at the GPS app he had opened up to see where downtown he was. Technically, it was enough information to give to Logan and they could probably continue here on their own.Ā
He sat up and looked at her. āDepends. Do you think it was unfair? What I did back home?ā
Maggie stayed silent for a bit before turning back to him. āI do, but maybe itās because Iām being defensive. I just need to think about it and think before I act.ā
Patton stared at her, not completely satisfied with her answer. Her emotions were a mess, they were swirling so much and wouldnāt settle on one solid feeling. She was emotionally charged right now, enough that he felt it was the truth. He was also an emotional person, itās probably where he got it from. It probably explained why he started to become a bit of an empath. Possibly. He could bring it up to Logan who would go on and on with theories about how that would be probable.Ā
āThatās a start, I guess.ā Patton turned and reached for the door handle before getting out. He closed the door and looked back down at his phone while waiting for his mother to follow.Ā
She hopped out of the car and paid the parking for their spot before heading to a nearby building. The streets were already filled with people going about their day in the early morning. She walked a few buildings down before she stopped and looked over her shoulder. Patton looked up at the unassuming building before his mother continued on. People passed by the front desk and headed for the elevators which Patton could only assume were all filled with offices for all different businesses.Ā
This is where Roman was? In some office in a giant building? Patton glanced around at the people in business attire going about their day, unaware of what was happening to his best friend inside.Ā
āMargaret?ā Patton turned as someone approached his mother with a confused expression on his face. āI thought you left a while ago.ā The strangerās gaze slowly looked up at Patton. āAnd who is this?ā
Wait a minute.
āThis is my son! He works at the city library. I thought he could help us with our project. Maybe heāll shed some light on the subject.ā
Isnāt thatā¦?
The man seemed super friendly. He smiled down at Maggie and shook his head. āThank you for thinking of us but weāre gonna try to keep eyes off of that project for now.āĀ
Patton immediately got the hidden meaning. āWeāre not letting people look at Prince Charging right now.ā Why? Why the sudden change? Did they figure out Romanās identity already? Looking at the older man, Patton immediately knew this wasnāt the first time he saw him. He shoved his phone into his pocket.
This is the guy Clyde told me about.
āIām sorry,ā Patton stepped up and placed a hand on his motherās shoulder. āShe hasnāt really told me what this was about. Just something urgent. Is there no way I could help, Mr.-ā Patton hesitated for a moment, hoping the man would respond.
He smiled and reached out a hand. āCall me Bruce.āĀ
Patton grabbed his hand and shook it, repeating his name in his head so he didnāt forget it. āNice to meet you. Are you sure thereās nothing I could do to help? I came all this way and Iām already late for work.ā
Bruce let go and seemed apologetic. āNo, Iām sorry. I put a hold on it for now due to a few things beyond our control. I thank you for wanting to help.ā Bruce looked back to Maggie. āThis is your son youāre always talking about, right? You raised a fine young man, Margaret.ā
āThank you, Bruce. Are you sure thereās no way we canāt just look?ā
Bruce shook his head. āIām afraid not. Sorry for making you come all this way again.ā
āItās fine,ā Patton shrugged. āWhatever it was, if my mom really thinks I can help then we can try again another day.ā He patted his mother on the shoulder. āCome on, Iām already late enough. You can tell me about it another day.ā
āBut, Patty-ā Patton wrapped his arm around his motherās shoulder and turned them towards the front door.Ā
āIt was nice meeting you, Bruce! Come on, mom, letās go. Other people are trying to work.āĀ
Patton waited until they were outside before he pulled out his phone and sent Logan a quick text. āMom, what floor do you go to when you come here?ā
āOh, um⦠the fifteenth floor, why?ā
Patton punched in the address and the floor number before pressing āsendā. āThat was all the proof I needed.ā Patton immediately went into his contacts and started a call. The phone rang a few times before it picked up. āClyde, listen. We need to meet up. I just met Bruce.ā
ā
āYouāre absolutely sure about this, Thomas?ā Logan asked again.Ā
āIām sure.ā Thomas nodded. āThereās a lot going on right now and I want to help.ā
Virgil walked back in, a fresh cup of coffee in his hand. āOn one hand, Iām not sure how much training is gonna get done with everything going on.ā Virgil blew on his coffee before taking a sip. āOn the other hand, heās already learned it before so maybe heāll be faster this time. Besides, not sure how else weāre gonna find Roman so fast. Itās worth a try, especially since the fan club is helping look.ā
āThen maybe you should put down the coffee and get some rest.ā Virgil looked over to Elizabeth, Romanās mother. āMy boy is strong and youāre no help if youāre too tired.ā
āTell that to my brain,ā Virgil grumbled and took another sip of coffee.Ā
āTell me more about these recipes, Liz! Iāve never tried Puerto Rican dishes before.ā
āOh, honey. We need to go food shopping together.ā Liz seemed excited at the notion. āI know this grocery store that would be perfect to get you stocked up.ā
āPerfect! Logan and Virgil can help!āĀ
Virgil almost choked on his coffee as Logan gave Two a confused look. āI apologize if my inquiry seems a bit rude. We are getting brought into this how?ā
āWell, Virgil is Romanās boyfriend and Romanās your best friend!ā Two spoke as if it werenāt the most obvious thing in the world.
āWha, wait, Roman isĀ notĀ my best friend!ā Two kept smiling at Logan. āHe is not!ā Logan stood his ground for a moment before his face fell. āOh,Ā Romanās my best friend.ā
āThatās rough, buddy,ā Virgil patted Logan on the back sympathetically.Ā
A strange noise rang out and everyone looked at Logan as he pulled out his phone. He tapped on it a few times and froze.Ā
āWhat is it?ā Virgil peered over Loganās shoulder and looked at his phone. His eyes shot open as he reread the screen.Ā
Logan looked across the room toward Two. āItās from Patton. Itās an address.ā
āLogan, hold this for me, thanks,ā Logan put up his hands to catch Virgilās hot cup of coffee, dropping his phone in the process. Virgil was already scrolling on his phone and walking away.Ā
Logan blinked before he reached a hand outwards, āWait, Virgil, we should talk about this-ā In an instant, Virgil was gone. ā-before we do anythingā¦ā Logan finished and let out a sigh.
āHeās gone,ā Liz stared at the spot Virgil vanished from. āHe just disappeared.ā
āOh boy, itās okay!ā Two reached over to comfort Romanās mother. āI guess we have a little more explaining to do.ā
ā
āPatton, wait,ā Maggie cried out as she chased after her son. āI can drive you!ā
āGo back home, mom. I need to meet up with the others so we can come up with a plan.ā Patton looked around to find the nearest bus stop. He could figure out which line to take him closest to home from there.
āI want to help, sweetie!ā
Patton stopped and spun around quickly. āDonāt you think youāve done enough to help?ā
āWha, but I thought you forgave me! I thought we were getting along again.ā
āThis doesnāt erase the years of damage youāve done, mom.ā Maggie froze and Patton felt a pit in his stomach. āI appreciate you helping me now but as it said, this was a start. I canāt forgive you for years of you making me feel bad about who I am just because of one good thing you did.ā The bustle of the city drowned them out and no one even gave them a second glance. āSo this is where I ask you to stay out of it and let me know if you get any updates. Otherwise, leave this to me and my friends.ā
āWait,ā Maggie reached out and grabbed Pattonās arm. āPlease, just⦠Let me at least take you where you need to go. No questions, no talking. Iāll bring you wherever you need and Iāll leave.ā
Patton stared down at his mother and sighed. He felt his anger slipping away immediately though not completely. This was his mother and despite it all, he did still love her. āOkay, you can drive me.ā
āGood! Excellent! Letās get back to my truck.ā Maggie kept her grip on her son as they walked arm and arm back to the parking lot. āYou spoke with someone on the phone, right? Where do they live?ā
āOh, um, actually, just take me home.ā Patton pulled out his phone and immediately dialed a number. They picked up almost immediately. āLogan. Hey. Iām on my way back home.āĀ
āAlright. Just a warning, Virgilās already gone.ā
āIām not surprised. He didnāt reappear there?ā
āNo, we're not quite sure where he is right now.ā
āAlright, no problem. I have to make one stop before I come back but Iāll explain everything then, okay?ā
āAlright, please stay safe. Weāll see you soon.ā
Patton and Maggie walked into the parking lot. Maggie reached to get into her car before she looked over at her son confused. āDo you need me to stop somewhere before I drop you off back home?ā
āNo.ā
Ā Maggie stared at her son for a moment before she pulled her door open. āRight, I wonāt ask. Back home it is.ā
When Margaret pulled up to her sonās building, she watched as he ran up the stairs of the porch and knocked on his neighborās door. He turned around and Maggie immediately turned her eyes away from him and back to the road. She pulled away from the curb and gripped her steering wheel as she drove off, wondering justĀ how muchĀ she messed up her relationship with her son.
ā
Roman was⦠Fine.
Except he was bored. Completely stir-crazy and stuck in an empty office in some random office building. In an empty conference room with no table or anything. The floor was carpeted and there was an outlet and Roman could feel it. He could feel the static from the floor and the charge running to the outlet. He could feel the electricity on his fingertips itching to be used. He wanted SOME sort of stimuli, anything to keep his mind off of the power itching to come out. Any distraction other than the faint pang of pain in his head. Though it was surprisingly feeling a lot better than it was just a few hours ago.Ā
Roman knew he could break out but there was a voice in his head that sounded suspiciously like Logan telling him it was a bad idea and he knew it. He had convinced them that his powers werenāt real and he was sticking to it. It wasnāt worth the risk to everyone else. This was HIS mess and he was gonna think his way out of it.Ā
Although hearing that Bruce guy knew someone with powers had him curious. And maybe Roman could have Clyde disguise himself as someone else so none of them REALLY had to reveal themselves. Though getting Clyde to agree would be difficult maybe this guy would understand if they didnāt want to meet him.
Roman sat up and groaned, rubbing his head. Okay, now he was pretty sure he was thinking too much and it was making his headache worse. But he didnāt know what else to do! And he couldnāt really burn off the energy he had, moving on the carpet only made it worse and-
POP
Roman was immediately tackled to the ground which caught him completely off guard. He didnāt think he was so distracted that he hadnāt heard the door open. He grabbed the person on top of him and looked at the door and, there it was, open and unguarded. Roman pushed with all his might but whoever had him wouldnāt loosen their grip around his neck. Roman shoved again, the stench of coffee filling his nose.Ā
āLet go of me!ā Roman leveraged himself and spun around, pinning the person beneath him, although they still didnāt let go. They also werenāt fighting either. Roman gripped the old sweater they were wearing, grabbed the hoodie, and pulled. āI said let-ā
āShut up you moron!ā Virgilās voice rang out loudly against his ear.Ā
Roman froze and glanced around. The sound of nothing but their breathing filled the air. Then Roman pieced it together. The quietness, the pop,Ā Virgil. Time must have stopped.
With a sigh of relief, Roman sat back and Virgl fell into his lap. āYou found me.ā
He could breathe. He was fine! In an entire city of people, his friends had found him. In only a few hours to boot! Roman was sure heād have to plan an escape later tonight.
Roman hugged Virgil closer and felt the stress he had been holding disappear. āIām so sorry I made you worry.ā Roman waited for a response before nudging Virgil a bit. āHey, please. I really am sorry!ā Virgilās arms fell down a bit and Roman nudged him again. āUh, Virge?ā Still no answer. āVirgil, are⦠Did you fall asleep?!ā
ā
āJust you?ā Clyde looked at Patton through the screen door. āFine by me. Come on up.ā
Patton tugged the door open and made his way to the second-floor apartment Clyde and Leslie shared. āI didnāt talk to him for long so I donāt have much to say.ā
Clyde vaguely motioned to the couch for Patton to sit before he began pacing the floor. āYouāre absolutely sure it was him?ā
Patton sat down on the couch and nodded. āYeah, a few more grays in his hair but that was him.ā
Clyde stopped pacing and faced Patton. āWhere were you? What were you doing?ā
āWell, you remember the APC thing? That club thatās against Prince Charging?ā Clyde nodded. āWell, turns out my mother was a part of it? She sort of revealed it on accident but I got her to bring me there to see him. This guy, Bruce, stopped us at the door.ā
āAnd?ā Clyde marched over to the couch. āWhat was he like?ā
Patton frowned and shrugged. āHe seemed nice?ā
Clyde scoffed and rolled his eyes. āYouāre an empath and all you can tell me was he seemed nice?ā
āOh,ā Patton became a bit stoic. āThat. Well, he strangely seemed a bit,ā Patton struggled to find the right word. āHe seemed excited about something.ā
Clyde seemed irritated by this news and let out his frustrations. āAuugh of course he was! Still so full of himself! Gosh, I hate him sometimes!ā
āClyde, who is this guy? Should we be worried?ā
Clyde quickly fell into a sitting position on the floor. āI had hoped that he would have stopped this by now but I guess I was too optimistic.ā Clyde huffed out a laugh. āImagine, me? Too optimistic?ā
āClyde?ā
Clyde shot an annoyed look at Patton. āAs much as I loathe to admit this,ā Clyde spat out. āThat jackass is my father.ā
Probable Theorem Ch. 17
<<Chapter 16 Chapter 17
Summary: We take a moment to follow Patton as he forms a plan. Warnings: Cursing, panic(mild), yelling(mild), kidnappingĀ Word Count: 10,760 (I honestly donāt know how I did it Iām sorry) Note: There was fan art I commissioned for the last chapter! Check it out if you missed it! Also, this one took a lot of editing. To the point where I might have missed something from reading it so much so lmk if there are any issues.
The entire journey home, Patton could feel Virgilās emotions bubbling over.Ā
Anger. Panic. Desperation. It all burned inside Patton, twisting around and mixing with his own feelings so furiously that he could barely tell them apart; a concoction of anger and worry and panic brewing inside, try as he might to quell it. The morning had been quite the ordeal already, and Pattonās racing heart and shallow breaths were making it rather difficult for him to focus on anything.
He had managed the entire journey home by focusing his breathing and sending calming waves out in an attempt to soothe the others. Heād seen Virgil relax enough to make it home, though he was worried about how much his mind was panicking and how deep he would spiral by the end of this. As for Logan? Patton could feel the anxious energy radiating from him, but it was unsettling how calm and collected Logan appeared to be despite that. He seemed to be pushing down his feelings about what had transpired to be the level headed one of the group. Patton couldnāt imagine that was going well for him, but he let it slide for the moment.
Once they made it home, Virgil raced forward to get inside first as Patton felt his anxiety spike. Distance made calming him down near impossible at this point, though, so as Virgil moved further and further away, Patton couldnāt help but start to worry about himself. Heād already been struggling to put himself at ease; trying to send those calming waves to the others at the same time was becoming impossible. By the time they all entered the apartment, Virgil had already begun pacing and Patton couldnāt focus on his thoughts anymore. With all of them now together in private, they finally had a chance to process what happened.Ā
Roman was gone. Attacked and taken in the early morning despite their best efforts to rescue him. Virgil was stressing over how he had failed Roman. Logan was struggling to hold himself together for both of them. And Patton himself was concerned about what the kidnappers could do to Roman, and what if they were too late to rescue him, andā
āPlease step out of the room for a moment while I try to calm down Virgil. Do those breathing practices like you taught me, okay?ā Patton looked up to see Logan staring at him distressed. He turned to glance at Virgil who was even more panicked than he was, then back to Logan.Ā
Nodding, Patton turned and headed for his door without another word, focusing on getting away from the swirl of negative emotions storming in their living room. After accidentally slamming his door behind him, he turned his focus solely to himself and the hurricane ofĀ emotions that had built up from the walk home. The separation between himself and the others seemed to be helping already as he promptly managed to settle his thoughts. As he started counting to himself, he could feel the anger and desperation melt away. Not entirely but enough to be notable. In the silence of his room with the muffled voices barely drifting through his bedroom door, Patton calmed down. It was almost startling how quickly he had managed to clear his thoughts with the distance from the others' emotions. It felt like so long ago since that day he sat down with Logan and discussed the possibility of him being an empath. Now he was nearly an expert on his newer skill.
With a much clearer mind, Patton could relax and gather his thoughts. With a few ideas in mind, he had come up with a plan but he knew that Virgil and Logan wouldnāt approve of it. He didnāt want to lie or hide anything from them, but part of him knew that keeping it secret would motivate him to just do it and get it over with. Patton was convinced that this was their best chance at finding Roman as quickly and as safely as possible. āSorry, guysā¦ā he mumbled to himself as he shut his eyes, hoping the others wouldnāt notice the flash of light from under his door.
As soon as Two had made his appearance, he looked at Patton and sighed. āYouāre sure about this?ā
āWell, donāt you think itās worth a shot?ā Patton turned towards his dresser as Two glanced away. āYouāll go with Logan and Virgil and Iāll start getting ready for work.ā
āThis doesnāt feel right,ā Two said, looking at the door. āI donāt like the thought of tricking them like that.ā
āI donāt either.ā Two heard the sound of ruffling clothes as Patton got changed. āIāll send Three off to work, so I wonāt be lying about that part, at least. And we will be helping them search after! I justā¦ā
Two exhaled from his nose and nodded. āYeah. I get it. Besides, itās about time, right? We⦠will tell them afterward?ā
āOf course! By this afternoon Iāll have an answer and we'll tell them everything. Itās just a few hours.ā Patton walked up to him, buttoning up his shirt. āGo on, Iām worried about Virgil. Iāll join you in a bit. I should call Romanās job and let them know heās not coming in for a few days, too. Thatāll give him some time. Iāll just say heās incapacitated and seeing a doctor or somethingā¦āĀ
Two stayed for a moment, watching as Patton pulled out his phone and searched for the number for Romanās job. He had the number in case of an emergency and he was glad he had the foresight to ask for it. As Patton began talking to someone on the phone, Two reached for the doorknob and opened it up. āYou both alright? Feeling any better, Virge?ā
Patton was quick to apologize to the person on the phoneĀ and finished the conversation before hiding it away and walking out into the living room, aware that he would probably be mistaken for Two. āNow, none of that! We need to start making a plan, right?ā he said as he adjusted his collar, looking over at Logan. He questioned his boyfriend, taken slightly by surprise at his different attire.Ā
Ā āUm⦠ahem. Whatās with the outfit change?ā
One thing Patton liked about Two was that he never had to share his plan out loud. The Pals couldnāt read each other's minds, but it was almost just as good. They were always on the same wavelength, their ideas forming almost at the same time. It made sense since they were all connected, he supposed.Ā
Patton and Two were synchronized as they crossed their arms, berating Virgil for his lack of sleep. Virgil admitted to not getting a proper nightās rest in at least two days but lashed out at the idea of staying back to rest. He was running on fumes and anxiety, a dangerous mix, but couldnāt be stopped. Rebelling against the idea of a nap, Virgil turned and bolted out the front door, Logan following after him.
Two turned to Patton and their eyes met for a brief moment. They both nodded at the same time and Two ran out, shutting the door behind him.
Patton took a moment to celebrate his success. So far, the plan was going flawlessly. Two would spend the day looking for Roman with Logan and Virgil. Patton had some time before he needed to head out himself. He took the opportunity to pace himself and try to make sure everything kept going smoothly.
Another flash of light and there was Three in Pattonās work outfit. Three looked a bit uneasy, but smiled. āAnd youāre absolutely sure about this?ā
āYou just have to go to work and focus on that. If anything comes up, you know Iāll have the cell on me. If you need to contact him, Logan should have his. If Logan calls, just try to keep him distracted. I donāt want him to find out until Iāve spoken with her. Everything is fine.ā
āRight, right⦠Iām sorry, I guess Iām just nervous.ā
Patton chuckled anxiously. āSo am I.ā
The two looked at one another for a moment before Three gave a genuine smile. āThough, I am upset Iām not going to be there for that conversation with her.ā
āOh, donāt worry. Youāll be filled in on everything tonight.ā
āStanding up to her will take a lot, One. I know you can do it. Just be careful with whatever you decide to do after."
Patton smiled at the nickname. āIāve got this, Three. You go on ahead. Iāll leave in a moment. I have one more thing I need to do first.ā
Three understood without another word and readied himself for the day before heading out the door for work. With that, Patton had completed step two.
Now for step threeā¦
Locking up his apartment, Patton stood on the porch and took a moment to breathe. The sun was much higher now; Logan and Virgil had been out for a while. He had eaten and prepared for the most difficult task of them all, but first, there was one more important thing he had to do.
He turned to the other apartment door on the shared porch and knocked, hoping it wasnāt still too early in the morning. After a long moment waiting, he heard footsteps approach as the door cracked open.
Leslie appeared on the other side of the doorway and smiled. āOh, Patton? Good morning!ā
āGood morning, Leslie. I know itās a bit early, but is Clyde awake yet?ā
Leslie seemed confused, but nodded. āYeah, I just made him breakfast. Is everything okay?ā
āI just want to know if I could talk to him in private for a moment?ā
Leslie gave a worried look before nodding again. āIāll go ask him, wait right here.ā
Patton felt his heart thudding in his chest as he stood on the porch in silence. This was probably the easiest thing he had to do today and it still had him on edge. After a minute, he heard Clyde groan and stomp down the stairway that led to the apartment door.
Clyde appeared in the doorway with a baggy hoodie on, the hood thrown up over his messy bedhead. āWhat do you want? Itās stupid early, so someone better be dying!ā
Patton nervously chuckled and clapped his hands together. āI mean, I sure hope not! But, uhā¦āĀ
Clyde raised an eyebrow at him and crossed his arms, leaning against the door frame. āIām listening, but make it quick.ā
āOkay, well, I know youāre going to say āI told you soā, but Roman sort ofā¦ā Patton motioned with his hands as he tried to find a delicate way to share the news.
āDid that idiot get hurt?!ā Clydeās eyes shot open wide as he pushed off of the doorframe. āIs he okay?ā Clyde caught himself and tried to appear nonchalant. āI mean, he probably got what he deserved.ā
Patton was surprised by Clydeās genuine concern, even if his neighbor tried to shrug it off. āI mean, he was⦠but he, um⦠was sort of taken last night.ā Clyde didnāt move or respond to what Patton had said. āWe think it was the APC. Anti-Prince Club.ā
Finally, after a moment, Clyde huffed out a soft laugh and shook his head. āI knew it! I knew that damned idiot was nothing but trouble! So? Do they know about us, then?ā
āI⦠donāt know. We tried not using powers to rescue him, though we eventually had to as they made their escape. We donāt know what they saw. I just wanted to warn you.ā āAnd hear me say āI told you soā. Of course, that moron would be the one! What an idiot! I tried telling you all, but noooo! Iām just a kid, donāt listen to me!ā Clyde threw up his arms in frustration.
āYouāre right, Iām sorry. We really hoped to avoid all this.ā Clyde huffed and crossed his arms again. āUm⦠well⦠thatās it. I guess.ā
āYeah, thanks for possibly putting me in danger. If they find out there are more people with powers and they find me, this is on you.ā
āI know, Clyde. I really am sorry.ā Patton hung his head shamefully. āI try to see the good in the world and sometimes I forget how much that can get me in trouble. But donāt worry!ā He smiled and puffed out his chest. āI have a plan. Iāll fix this, just you wait!ā
Patton turned to march off before he heard the door creak open wider. āWait!ā He looked over his shoulder and saw Clyde looking a bit uncomfortable and glancing away. āI mean⦠Look, I may be thinking too much into this, but I have a bad feeling, so..."
āWhat is it?ā
Clyde closed his eyes and the air around him shifted. Soon, he was gone, and instead, the image of a middle-aged man was standing in his place. He seemed friendly, with smile lines on his face and a balding head with a widowās peak. He had a bushy mustache and a beer gut and overall seemed like an average person Patton would see walking down a street. āIf youāsorry. A-hem.ā Clyde cleared his throat. āIf you see me while trying to rescue Romanā¦ā Clydeās voice took on a much rougher, scratchier tone. āDonāt trust me, Patton. Iām dangerous, okay? Tell Clyde immediately and donāt let my appearance fool you.ā
Patton nodded, still in a bit of shock at Clydeās blatant display, before the image shifted back. āWho was that?ā
āDonāt worry about it. Iāll⦠Iāll tell you if you do see him. Iām just being paranoid, but it doesnāt hurt to be overly cautious sometimes, ya know?ā
With a nod and a wave, Patton said goodbye to Clyde and began to head out for the most difficult step he had planned so far.
Step four: Time to give his mother a visit.
The entire bus ride to his parentās house had him on edge. Patton couldnāt help but glance at his phone over and over again. He tried to keep his nerves down and focus on Two and Three, making sure they were alright. He felt them both on edge but okay for the time being before staring out the window as buildings zoomed past.
Finally, at his stop, Patton hopped off and practically started speed walking down the road. His heart was racing with excitement and nervous energy; he was trying to burn it off as soon as possible.
While he was approaching his parentās neighborhood, he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He jumped and pulled it out, looking to see the name āLogan <3ā pop up on the screen. He looked at the clock and sighed, realizing he probably had been found out, since he had been too nervous himself to have felt the other Pals. Of course, Logan had discovered everything faster than he had anticipated. He hesitated before he answered it, hoping to catch it before it went to voicemail. He opened his mouth and froze, his heart pounding heavily. How much had Logan figured out? How mad was he for what Patton had done?
āPatton?ā Loganās tone was even, which didnāt help his nerves.
āLogan? Everything alright?ā
āCare to explain why Two is here and Three is at work?ā Well, it seemed heād figured out most of it, if not everything. āDid you really find it necessary to sneak away from us like that?ā
āWould you have stopped me from doing this if I had told you?ā
āI⦠Weāre just worried. I donāt want you rushing into anything.ā
āSheās my mother, Lo.ā Patton smiled for a bit, though Patton could feel how empty it was. āI have to be able to talk to her about things.ā
āI donāt want her to keepāā Logan paused as he rethought his words. āYou always forgive her.ā
āNot for this.ā Pattonās nose wrinkled and he furrowed his brows in anger. He always forgave his mother for what she would say to him, but his friends? He should have stood up to her before, but this was as good a time as any to fix his mistakes. āIāll call you back when itās done. Trust me on this?āĀ
āYes, of course. Always.ā Logan answered immediately, with no hesitation nor hint of anger in his voice. āJust be careful.ā
āDonāt worry. I have her outnumbered.ā He heard Logan chuckle softly. āIāll see you later.ā
āRight, of course. Later.ā
Hanging up, Patton felt much more at ease than he had before. Logan was behind him every step of the way. He could do this. He wasnāt alone.
As he approached his house, neither of his parentsā cars were in view. There was no sign of his dadās small sedan which was a familiar sight. Patton was used to the carās absence when his father would work longer shifts. Patton wasnāt sure when heād return; he would often stay late, and go straight to bed when he got home. His motherās beat-up pickup truck was also nowhere in sight. Wondering where she could have been only made Patton worry.
Patton fished out the spare key they had entrusted him with and entered the home he had grown up in. The lights were off and everything was silent, causing Patton to pause. He could almost close his eyes and imagine being a teenager again, coming home to an empty house. Then, it would have made him excited. A bit of peace and quiet alone where he could relax and work on other things. Heād hated being stuck in his room and avoided it when he could, especially since his mother had always made him leave the door open. Moments of privacy had always been a treat, rare as they were.
Now, he was walking into the empty house and the feeling wasnāt there anymore. Heād lived on his own for so long that it was never really quiet. It was a bit unnerving.
Flicking the light switch, Patton took in the familiar sights as a wave of nostalgia swept over him. The photos all around the living room, along with a random painting here or there. The couch with his fatherās La-Z-Boy chair next to it. Patton chuckled as he shut the door and walked ināthe chair reminded him of the one Logan had favored at their old apartment that was destroyed in the fire. It hadnāt been long since Patton had been back in the house, having moved in temporarily after theyād lost their old apartment.Ā
He walked around, inspecting the living room and kitchen before pausing at the end of the stairs. āMom? Dad?ā There was no responseānot that he expected one. He pulled out his phone and checked the time, letting out a small sigh. āDad probably stayed late for work again, so whereās mom?ā
He paused as he glanced around the living room, the house to himself. A thought caused his heart to jump as his mind raced. Alone. In the house he always hated being alone in. He smiled and glanced around before shutting his eyes in a flash of light.
Patton Pals in the house were a big no-no, and only Two and Three had been around when he had tried as a child. But the rest? They all blinked and looked around, different levels of excitement on their faces as they all had the same thought.
āMom is gonna be so pissed if she finds out.ā
āāIfā? Oh, I am definitely telling her we did this.ā
āI donāt wanna start a fight.ā
āYes, you do. Come on, how many times did we imagine doing this? Like stealing a cookie from the cookie jar before dinner.ā
They all chuckled and gathered in a group. Four, Five, Six, and Seven all smiled at Patton and he returned the favor. āIt feels so bad,ā Patton giggled. āItās as good as I imagined.ā
āYeah, well.ā Six crossed his arms and turned away. āIāve been wanting to do something like this forever, but you never listen to me.ā
Patton blinked and threw up his arms. āYouāre always trying to get me to rebel by doing something bad! This isnāt bad!ā
āYeah? Tell that to mom.ā Patton frowned and turned away as Six rolled his eyes. āThatās why weāre here, arenāt we? We're finally going to tell her off?ā
āI wouldnāt put it like that,ā Five chimed in, ābut we are going to say something, arenāt we? I mean, after that dinner with Logan, we have to say something. Weāve been avoiding her for long enough.ā
Patton looked at the four Pals standing in front of him and took a deep breath. āI did want to ask if we were going to take⦠extreme measures.ā
āObviously, yes!ā Seven said, throwing his hands in the air. āShe basically admitted to being a part of the APC! And now they have Roman!ā āWe donāt have proof of either of those things for certain.āĀ
āYeah, but we believe that they could be true, and that says enough!ā
The Pals turned to Patton, as he hadnāt given his opinion yet. āWell, even still. This is a big decision and I donāt know what to do.ā
āYou canāt decide?ā Seven questioned, as if Patton had said something ridiculous. āWhat is there to argue about?ā
āSheās our mom,ā Patton mumbled. āCutting her out completely is a bit drastic, isnāt it?ā
āNot really,ā Seven shrugged. āAfter everything? Weāve asked her to hear us out how many times? We have to draw the line somewhere.ā
āIām with Seven on this,ā Six added. āIf she cares, sheāll hear us out.ā
āI dunno.ā Four turned and sat back on the couch, tired of standing. āI think itās a bit much, donāt you?ā Five nodded in agreement. āSee? I just think thereās more at stake if we go all in! Why take the risk?ā
āFive only agrees because thatās what Three would want.ā
āHey!ā Five shouted. āThatās not true! And even if it is, it doesnāt matter because Two would agree with you, which leaves us at a stalemate!ā Five turned to Patton. āSo, we need a tiebreaker. What do you think? We hear her out and forgive her because sheās our loving mother?ā
āOr, and hear me out,ā Seven spoke up, holding up his hands defensively, āwe stop giving her excuses and hold her responsible for her actions? Like this! āMargaret, tell me everything, or else Iām never speaking to you again.ā See? Simple!ā
āSheās our mom, Seven,ā Patton sighed. āSheās forgiven me for a lot of things. Iām not saying we let her off easy, but cutting her off from us completely is a lot, right? I just donāt know what to do.ā āIf we canāt agree on this, then how are we going to agree on what to do after we talk to her about Roman, hmm? Thatās what we came here to talk about, right?! We need to make a decision and we need to make it now.ā āOkay, letās put it to a vote.ā Patton turned to Four. āFour? Do you want to make the deal with mom? Cut her off completely if she doesnāt comply?ā
āNo.ā
Patton nodded and turned to Five. He shook his head and frowned, looking over to the last two. When Patton turned to Six, he didnāt hesitate to answer. āYes.ā āSeven?ā
āYes.ā
Patton sighed and pushed up his glasses, rubbing his eyes. āOkay. Well, we still have to vote on what weāre gonna do when we ask her about the Anti-Prince Club. Do we want to take the information back to the others first? Or shall we have her take us there to make sure sheās not lying and thatās where Roman is first?ā Four watched as Patton turned to him for his answer. āI think we should go back and regroup first.ā Five huffed and shook his head. āNo, we need to go and make sure sheās not lying.ā
āIām with Five,ā Six crossed his arms. āWe donāt want to waste their time if heās not there or if she takes us on a wild goose chase. We confirm itās real first, then tell the others.ā
āWeāll just worry them by taking too long! If we have a lead, then we should share it right away.ā Seven nodded his head toward Four. āSo Iām with Four, and we have a tie on both decisions. Now what?ā
The front door jiggled and the five froze, eyes darting to the noise. The door opened and the sunlight shined through brightly as a figure stood in the doorway.
Patton watched as his dad tiredly shrugged off his shoes and shut the door behind him. He turned and removed his jacket before hanging it on a hook beside the door. He started walking into his home and looked up, taking in the five men standing in his living room.
āWell, what a wonderful surprise! My favorite son!ā He smiled as his eyes wrinkled with age. āAll five of them, it seems! Wow, thatās more than I remember. Youāre getting good at that, huh? How many can you make now?ā
Patton and the Pals all smiled at their dad; the old manās beard had grown more since they had last seen him. His eyes were sunken in from exhaustion, like always, but he carried himself as tall as he could. He was always such a burly man, but Patton knew better: he was a total softie at heart.
āHey, dad,ā Patton spoke as he turned.Ā
āNow, none of that.ā He held out his arms and wiggled his fingers. āWhereās a hug for your honorary Pal? You call them pals now, right?ā
Chuckling, Patton raced forward and wrapped his arms around him and squeezed as much as he could. āYouāll always be my favorite Pat! And my favorite pal.ā
āAnd youāll always be mine.ā He patted Patton on the back and chuckled at the silent joke as they pulled away. āAre you here to see your mother? She told me you argued again.ā
āUh, yeah. Do you know where she is?ā
āI dunno, she joined some book club or something.ā He rubbed the sleep from his eyes for a moment, but Patton could tell it hadnāt done much. He could just feel the exhaustion rolling off of him. āIām glad sheās gotten out to be more social, but Iām not usually around to get all the details.ā He yawned and ran a hand through his hair. āWant me to stay up till she gets back?ā
āNo, get some sleep. You pulled a double shift again, didnāt you?ā
āGotta pay the bills.ā He shrugged and turned to walk towards the staircase to his room. āLet me know if you need anything, even if Iām asleep, got it?ā
āYeah, dad.ā
He paused on the bottom stair and turned to them once more. āPatton?ā
āPatrick?ā
His father smiled briefly before it fell, his expression turning serious. āI love you and no matter what, I always will.ā
āI knowāā
āI know you know. But I also know your mother worries about you, and all thisāā he waved his hand toward the pals, āāgetting out scares her. But youāre an adult and you need to make your own decisions. Now, I donāt know what the fight was about, but due to your track record, thatās my best guess.ā Patton turned away briefly in embarrassment. āYou ever need to talk to me, Iām a phone call away. I donāt care what itās about.ā
āThanks, dad. Really.ā
Patrick nodded and started heading up the stairs. āIām off to bed. Oh! And visit again soon, will ya? I know I missed that dinner with that boy of yours but heās not off the hook yet!ā
Patton chuckled and watched his father disappear up the stairs. āI will! Go get some sleep!ā
He and the Pals sat silently, listening as Patrick made his way to the bedroom. The click of the door cut off any other sounds that could be heard, diverting their attention back to one another.
They looked around and Patton frowned as their topic came back to mind. āItāll be hard to cut her out and not him.ā
āWe can work around that.ā Seven spoke immediately to defend his point. āHeās willing to work with us! He can meet us at our place. That shouldnāt even be a factor.ā
āYouāre right.ā Patton held up his hands to prevent any further arguments. āYouāre right. Well, at leastā¦ā Patton looked up at the Pals with a look of surprise in his eyes. āIāve got an idea.ā
āWhat?ā Six asked. āIs it gonna help us with a decision?āĀ
āProbably. Itās the best chance we have right now to make up our minds.ā āHow?ā Four asked. āWeāre at a total stalemate if you canāt make a choice.ā
āNo, not exactly,ā Patton smiled as the realization sunk into the rest of them. āNot if I give someone else the choice as well.ā
āEight?!ā Seven cried out. āYou want to make Eight?! Youāve never made anyone past me before!ā
āItās our best bet, I guess.ā Four mumbled. āI mean, if he canāt decide, it makes sense. They can vote on both and we get everything sorted.ā
āWoah, hold on.ā Six stepped into the center of the room a bit more. āAre you absolutely sure? You know that after making a new one, you canāt go back. Weāre stressed out right now. You shouldnāt do anything drastic.ā
Patton wrapped his arms around himself and paused a bit. Then, looking up at Six, he nodded. āIām sure. We need Eight. Besides, I feel like⦠heāll be helpful to have with everything going on.ā
āRight, okay,ā Six stepped back and motioned to the room. āThe floor is yours, One.ā
Patton nodded and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath.Ā
Summoning a Pal was familiar to him. Reflecting in on himself, searching for that warm feeling like when you get a hug and then grabbing that feeling before pulling. But creating a new one for the first time was like breaking something apart. Itād fit back perfectly and he wouldnāt even notice it break, but heād have to be careful.Ā
Concentrate and focus. Ignore the warmth building and the light you can tell is shining behind your closed eyes and just pull.
---
Roman was enjoying the view beyond the single glass wall he was imprisoned behind, but his desire to hear what the old man was yelling about meant he couldnāt sing. The two morons that had attacked him and brought him here were looking more like children being scolded for doing something wrong at the moment. They tried to speak up at one point, but Bruce cut them off quickly and they just looked more ashamed after that. Eventually, they walked off and he sighed before disappearing behind the door and out of view from the glass. Most of it was still covered, except for that one part that kept being lifted so people could look in on him. The last time someone looked in, Bruce had appeared and turned red with anger, chasing them off. Then heād turned to the other two orchestrating the āviewingsā and started shouting.Ā
Roman was glad for the reprieve, but he just wanted to go home. He felt like a prisoner, which he supposed he was, but worse. Almost more like an object to be stared at and less like a person. The people coming in and ogling at him like he was some sort of spectacle made him feel uneasy. His roommates must have been worried and he was still exhausted beyond belief. They didnāt know where he was yet, or else Virgil definitely would have found a way to talk to him and yell at him himself, paradoxes be damned.
The door opened and Bruce walked in with another water bottle, sighing as he shut the door behind him. āSorry about that. Those two are unbelievable.ā
āThen why let them be in charge of anything?ā
āIn charge?ā Bruce laughed at the thought. āNo, they know someone who let us use this empty office space until it gets rented as long as we keep it clean. I think they told them we were cleaners, actually. They have no idea what we use it for. Otherwise, those knuckleheads wouldnāt even be here. Theyāre not in charge of anything.ā
Bruce held out the water bottle and sat down slowly. āI told them to stop going out on searches, and said that kidnapping a person was illegal and that we are not the cops, but no. They have it in their heads that thisāll turn out like their comic books or a movie and they wonāt get in trouble, and roped all of us into it in the process.ā
Roman frowned and played with the water bottle, watching the small bubble of air move around. āSo this was all a mistake? Canāt you just let me go, then?ā
āWell, now that we have you, the others are arguing on what to do. Fortunately, I convinced most of them that letting you go at sundown was our best bet with the cover of the night where people might just think youāre on another patrol or something. As long as I can convince you not to press charges or anything.ā
Romanās heart jumped at the idea of finally being let go, but he didnāt let it show. āWhat proof do you have that I wonāt?ā
āThey have your face, Charging. Those morons who brought you here never got a photo, but some of the others did, and I canāt get them to delete all of them.ā Roman frowned at that, gripping the fabric of his jacket in one of his hands. He knew he had convinced the two idiots that had attacked him, and he had hoped that was it, but someone must have snuck a photo without him knowing. āSo weāll both have to agree to each other's terms and come to an understanding. Besides, the photos are of you locked in a room trapped so itāll be hard for them to share it and also look innocent. Everyone wins.ā
āAll I understand is that Iāve been assaulted more than once and you want to get away with it completely.ā He shook his head. āShort of you disbanding, I canāt agree to that. You donāt just have my face. You find out who I am and everyone I care about is in danger. I canāt have that.ā
āWellāā Bruce leaned in a bit closer ā ācan your powers do something about that? Take out their electronics?ā
āI told you, I donāt actually have powers!ā Roman hissed out and turned away. āI would if I could, that sounds great! Point me in the direction and Iāll fry everything in this building if I had to. But I canāt do that! Because powers arenāt real.ā
Roman waited a moment before turning to Bruce who just watched him carefully with a frown on his face. āYou really donāt have powers, huh?ā Roman waited a moment before he shook his head. Bruce sighed and turned away. āDamn, and I was really hoping. Shit.ā Roman sat up in surprise at his reaction. āWell, I can still get you out, but it looks like my time in this club is done.ā
āReally?ā Roman squeezed the water bottle and heard it slightly crinkle. āWhy is that? Sick at what they did to an innocent person?ā
āI infiltrated this club to find someone with powers, Charging. If you donāt have any, Iām not interested. Sorry, no offense.ā
āYou infiltratedāwait, why? You said you knew someone else with powers, whatās going on?ā
āIām afraid thatās classified on a need-to-know basis.ā Bruce leaned back and slapped his hands on his thighs. āWell, if you come across anyone with powers, youāll have to let me know.ā Bruce leaned forward and started to stand. āIāll let you think about their proposition and come back for an answer.ā
āWait!ā Roman dropped the bottle and reached out. Puzzled, Bruce knelt back down to look at him as Roman felt his throat close up. āMaybe I do know somethingā¦ā He pulled his hand to his chest and could almost feel his heart pounding through his jacket. āHow do I know youāre not lying? Whoās this person with powers?ā
āYou know someone with actual powers? Youāre not lying to me?ā In response, Roman shook his head quickly. āWell, ratting out someone else isnāt exactly fair, is it? But if we both know someone, maybe we can work something out.ā
Roman sat a moment, processing his next words carefully. āI suppose⦠it depends. Iāll have to talk to them when I get out.ā
āAlright.ā Bruce began to push himself up from the floor slowly and leaned back to crack his back. āWell, then sit on this as well as your answer and Iāll return in an hour, okay?ā He looked down at Roman and paused for a moment. āIf youāre willing to share, then Iād love to meet up with this person. Iāve been searching for others with powers for years.ā Roman watched as Bruce turned to walk out the door. ā Just remember. Iāll come for your answer in an hour, Prince. I hope youāre ready by then.ā
---
Everything was still, no one willing to move and break the quiet that had fallen. They all stood there, staring at the new Patton Pal in anticipation. Patton had tumbled a bit as Eight appeared, catching himself on the side of the couch and glancing around the room.The others were all waiting excitedly for the newest arrival to speak.
āEight?ā As Patton spoke, the new Pal turned toward him. āUm, hi! Nice to meet you, Eight! We were kind of⦠stuck. Did you have any input? Or something you wanted to say?ā Eight blinked at Patton and then looked back at the Pals, standing and stepping away from the side of the couch. āEight?ā
āSay something!ā Seven cried out, frustrated. āWe need an answer, please just say something already.ā After a moment, Eight opened his mouth, abruptly spinning around and turning to Patton. āYouāre going to tell mom that sheās going to bring us to the APC, or we walk out and find them ourselves and we wonāt ever be coming back.ā
Patton and the pals jumped as Eight spoke, glancing around at one another in surprise. āAre you sure?ā Four asked from the couch. āSheās family!ā
āYes, and we gave her ten yearsā worth of chances to hear us out. How many has she returned in kind?ā Eight looked at Three as he spoke. āHow many times have we asked to talk before she cut us off, saying what she says goes? How many times do we excuse her behavior? Weāve stood up to her too many times.ā Eight turned to Patton and frowned. āItās time to stand up to ourselves. She made mistakes, but that doesnāt mean we have to forgive her for them. I think you know that. I think you all know that. Youāre just not brave enough to say it.ā
āIs that what you are to me?ā Patton spoke softly. āMy bravery?ā
āAnother thing we need to discuss.ā Eight spun around instead of answering. āOur plan. In a little more detail, at the very least.ā
Patton and the others waited a moment before Eight squared his shoulders and looked at Patton.Ā
āI know weāre all afraid⦠but I think you know what you want to do.ā
āBut⦠Logan and Virgilā¦ā
āItās easier to ask for forgiveness than permission. You know you can convince them, but we donāt have the time. We donāt know whatās happening to Roman right now. At least let them know we have a plan. We can keep them updated as we learn more.ā
āButā¦ā Patton sighed. āAre you sure? We could just get the location from her. She might not even tell us!ā
āSheāll tell us. I know you donāt trust that sheāll be completely honest, though, so we need to make sure Romanās actually there first. We canāt get the othersā hopes up. After we know where Roman is, then we can regroup just like you want. We need to do this, weāre risking more if we take the safe route. If we donāt pace ourselves, weāll just be putting the others at risk.ā Eight paused for a moment. āDonāt you think Virgil will just run there in frozen time the first chance he gets? We have to be sure.ā
Patton slowly nodded before looking at the others. āYeah. Okay. We go to the APC first, then we regroup.ā Five and Seven looked a bit upset at the news, but nodded in agreement. āSo, what do we tell her when she gets here?ā
āWe can discuss that together until she does.ā Eight smiled. āWe got this, One.ā
---
āThomas?ā Logan spoke softly as he approached the other. āI just wanted to apologize again for my behavior in the past. It was rather uncouth of me. I may have had my reasons, but it does not justify my actions. I am sorry.ā
Thomas smiled and shrugged. āI know you feel bad about it, and Patton said you had some personal reason why. Youāre trying, right? So I can forgive you this time.ā
āI donāt get it, though.ā Virgil walked up with a new cup of coffee in his hands. āI didnāt think you wanted anything to do with this. Why are you here?ā
āAbout that.ā Thomas ran his hands through his hair. āI was talking with Joan and they kind of acted like they already knew I was going to do something. Even before I decided to tell them that I wanted to come on my own. Which was weird, because I kept getting this deja vu feeling like I needed to go find you guys and help.ā He looked up at Virgil and Logan. āIs this something weāve been through before? Maybe not this exact scenario, but similar? I just couldnāt stand by, something wasnāt sitting right with me.ā
Virgil sipped his coffee, let out a loud sigh, and nodded his head. āYour memories arenāt completely gone, just locked up.Your body is responding based on what youāve done before, I guess.ā
Logan turned to Virgil, confused. āThatās not actually how any of that works?ā
āHey. Whoās sipping at coffee looking brilliant with his deductions, huh?ā Virgil raised his mug. āThatās what I thought. I donāt have to be right. I just have to look like I know what Iām doing.ā
āThatās not how that works at all either, Virgil.āĀ
Virgil shrugged. āWorks for Tony Stark.ā
Logan looked even more confused. āWho?ā
āDonāt worry about it,ā Thomas interfered. āSo, what have you figured out so far?ā
Two walked up at that point, rubbing at his chest. āWell, I donāt know what Patton is up to, but I just got a weird feeling, so I at least have an idea.ā
āAre you alright?ā Logan turned his full attention to the Pal. āAre the others alright?ā
āYeah. Donāt worry, Lo.ā Two smiled sincerely, which put Logan at ease. āHeāll tell you later. Right now, heās fine.ā
Confused, Thomas turned toward Virgil, who mouthed āPatton Palā back. Thomas nodded and Virgil held up a hand, raising two fingers to signify it was Two talking.
Clyde walked in from the kitchen and up to the others, holding a mug in his hands. āSo, you figure anything out yet?ā
āAre you drinking my coffee?ā Virgil looked offended as he stared at the cup. āIs that my Nightmare Before Christmas mug?!ā
Clyde looked Virgil dead in the eyes as he brought the mug up to his mouth and took an obnoxiously loud sip. āNo.ā āWhat do you mean ānoā?ā Virgil pointed at him. āI can see you drinking my coffee in my mug right now!ā āOh?ā Clyde tried to hide his smile behind the mug. āDo you have any proof of that?ā Virgil stuttered, a bit speechless as Clyde held a shit-eating grin on his face. āAlright, enough of that.ā Two stepped in and looked at Clyde. āShould you even be drinking that?ā
āShould he?ā Clyde motioned to Virgil with his totally-not-stolen mug. āBesides, didnāt you wake me up super early this morning?ā
Two was taken aback by the comment and blushed in embarrassment. āYou were already awake when Patton knocked on the door!ā
āIād like to see your evidence to this claim,ā Clyde simply took a sip of his coffee again as Two was flabbergasted. āThis is slander. I demand a lawyer.ā
āYou always like this?ā Virgil asked with a quirked eyebrow. āI bet youāre fun at parties.ā
āI light up the room more than you do, Tinkerbell. Donāt see me complaining.ā Clyde felt a bit of pride when Virgil snorted out a laugh at the comment.
Logan stared at the two before turning back to Thomas. āRight. Well, to answer your question, Thomas, weāve figured out very little since we discoveredāā
āWe donāt know jack squat,ā Virgil cut him off, huffing as he took a big swig of his coffee. āIāve been awake while trying not to panic for hours and we had to come back because Romanās mom is on her way here to kick my ass.ā
āSheās not going to harm you, Virgil. She was simply worried about her son and wanted to come help and figure out what happened.ā
āHe disappeared under my watch and sheās going to kick my ass.ā Virgil stared down at his almost empty mug with a frown. āNot how I wanted to die, but Iāll take it.ā
āAww, Virgil, Iām sure she wonāt kill you that slowly.ā Clyde tried to seem genuine as he placed a soft hand on Virgilās back. āIāll totally miss you. Itāll be easier to steal this mug if youāre dead.ā
āYouāre putting that back or Iāll kill you myself before I die.ā Virgil glared at him and Clyde smiled and rolled his eyes in response.
āAre we going to tell her about our powers?ā Everyone turned to Thomas as he spoke up. He quickly became self-conscious with so many eyes on him and shuffled his feet. āI mean, she knows about Romanās, right? What about us?ā
Logan hummed and closed his eyes as he took a moment to think about it. āIt would probably be for the best to wait for now. Iām sure we all arenāt comfortable with divulging such a big secret so letās keep it to ourselves unless we need to āspill the beansā. Metaphorically speaking.ā
Another cup of coffee and a worried scolding from Two later, there was a knock on the door. Virgil sighed and stood up from the couch to answer it. āWell, it was nice knowing you all.ā
Opening the door, Virgil blinked as his gaze drifted downward. At least a foot shorter than him was a middle-aged woman with graying brown hair. She smiled up at him excitedly and threw open her arms.
āOh, Iād know that face anywhere! My son has shown me pictures! You have to be Virgil! Come here and give mama a hug!ā She waited for Virgil to hesitantly bend down and extend his arms a bit before latching onto him. She squeezed him and swayed back and forth before letting go. āSuch a handsome, strong man! Oh, my boy better be taking good care of you! Come, let us talk.ā Virgil moved out of the way as she walked in and inspected the room. āOh, company! Hello, Iām Romanās mother, Liz. Iām sorry if heās been quite a handful.ā
The room was silent for a moment before Clyde started snickering to himself. āAt least someone apologized for that moron.ā
Liz frowned and sighed, placing her hands on her hips. āMy son is a brilliant boy who is just very passionate and thinks with his heart instead of his head sometimes.ā Clyde blushed and turned away, focusing on his coffee. āBut I understand. That is why we are all here, yes? What has he gotten himself into now?ā
āHello, maāam. My name is Logan.ā Liz turned to shake Loganās hand he had extended already. āYou may want to sit down, itās not good news.ā
āSo I take it he didnāt just break something again?ā Liz looked worried as Logan led her to the couch.
Two walked up and tried to smile, though it came off more as a grimace. āHi, Iām Patton. Would you like something to drink?ā
āAfter I hear the news, dear. I donāt know how much youāll need to put in the glass.ā
Two looked confused for a moment. āHow much what? Water?ā
āTequila.ā
Virgil covered his mouth to stop himself from laughing as Clydeās eyes grew wide.Ā
Logan cleared his throat and ran a hand down his tie to distract himself. āIām afraid Roman was assaulted and taken early this morning.ā Logan diverted his gaze away and braced himself for her reaction. āAs of right now, he is currently missing.ā
Liz paused and nodded her head. āAh, is that all?ā She turned to Patton with a smile, though still seemed tense. āWater will be fine, dear.ā
Virgil walked up to the couch as Two moved to go to the kitchen. āWait, thatās it? Youāre not mad?ā Virgil ran both of his hands through his hair. āI was there! I froze and I didnāt stop them!ā
āWell, goodness, Virgil! I sure hope not!ā Liz reached for her purse and sat it in her lap. āI wouldnāt want to have heard you got hurt as well. That would be far worse!ā She began rummaging through her purse for a moment. āIt sounds like that hate group that was out to get him might be behind this if I had to guess. Iām a part of his fan club, though Iām sure my Ro doesnāt know that.ā She pulled out a pack of gum and extended it out to Virgil. āDear, take this. I hear chewing gum can help with the nerves.ā
Virgil took it and stared at her before looking down at the gum. āYou⦠figured that all out already?ā
āHeās my son, my shining star! I will always worry about him so I like to make sure heās okay.ā
āWait a second!ā Clyde pushed past Virgil and looked at her. āYou knew he was out there using his powers and you just let him?!ā
āIt is who he is, who am I to deny that? Heās not hurting anyone and is trying to put more good in the world. Iām proud of what he does.ā
āHe has powers!ā Clyde threw up his hands. āHe is showing the world that people with powers exist! He could be putting all of them in danger!ā
Liz watched Clyde as he slowly grew impatient, waiting for an answer. āHoney⦠are you mad he is using his powers because youāre worried about someone else? Are you worried about yourself?āĀ
āWhat?!ā Clyde shouted. Two jumped from where he stood in the doorway, holding a tall glass of ice water. āI mean, what do you mean by that?ā
āWell, if he has powers, I always assumed others probably did as well. Is that what worries you?ā She turned back to Clyde. āI could just be guessing but⦠sweetie, do you have powers?ā
Clyde turned red in the face before turning and heading for the door. āThatās it! Iāve had enough of all of you. Iām out of here! Donāt bother me again, heās your headache and I want nothing to do with him!ā
Clyde slammed the door and they heard his feet stomp all the way up the stairs to the apartment above him. Liz, however, seemed undeterred as she started to stand up to take the glass of water from Two. āWell, how about a plan to find my little bolt while he calms down, shall we?ā Virgil was beginning to realize that he was still afraid of Romanās mother, but for completely different reasons.
---
Pattonās phone began to ring, cutting short the conversation they had been having.
āMomā popped up on the screen and Patton answered it immediately.Ā
There was a pause as both remained silent before Patton spoke. āHello?ā
āPatton? Is that you?ā
āWell, you did call me.ā
āIāve been getting your answering machine all week! I didnāt expect you to pick up this time.ā
Patton looked over to Eight who silently was cheering him on. āWell, I figured it was about time we talked. Where are you?ā
āI was out running a quick errand, but Iām home now.ā Patton watched the front doorknob twist as it unlocked and opened.Ā
āGood.ā Patton pulled the phone away and hung up, watching as his mother walked into the house. āWe can start there. What errands were you running?ā
Maggie lowered the phone as she took in the sight before her. Her son who had not answered his phone in days was in her home, and he had made more of those copies. They stood there in the center of her living room without a care in the world, all of them watching her. After what she had just witnessed this morning? She wasn't pleased.
āWhat are you doing?!ā She closed the door quickly and locked it once more before marching into the living room. āYou know you shouldnāt be using your powers! What if someone saw?ā
āThe door was locked, mom. Please be quiet, dad just got home not too long ago and should be asleep.ā Patton watched as his mother grew red with rage.
āDo not speak to me in that tone, young man! This is my home!ā
āWhich you have extended to me as my home,ā Eight called out. Patton felt his heart flutter in fear as he spoke.
āI was not talking to you! I was talking to my son!ā
āHow do you know Iām the original?ā Patton asked. āHow do you know? Can you look and tell me that he didnāt just give me his phone? That heās even in this room right now?ā
āDonāt try to pull the wool over my eyes!ā She quickly looked around the room before turning back to him. āI am very cross with you leaving dinner the other night! And hiding the fact that Logan had powers? Now I find Roman is Prince Charging and he has powers too! You moved into an apartment with a bunch of delinquents! I wouldnāt be surprised if Virgil had them; you're just keeping all sorts of secrets now, huh? What else have you been lying to me about? How many times have you told me you havenāt been using your powers and youāve been running around with half a dozen of them out?ā
Patton remained motionless as she berated him.Ā
āWell? Answer me!ā
āWhereās Roman?ā
āWhat?ā
All of the Pals approached Maggie, surrounding her and cutting off all her exits. āYour little ābook clubā has him. Dad told me about that, by the way. Youāre keeping secrets too, mom. So, where is he?āĀ
Maggie looked around and opened her mouth to speak.
āThink carefully,ā Eight cut her off before she could say a word. āBecause whatever you say will decide how we handle the other conversation we will be having afterward.ā
āWhat āotherā conversation?ā Maggie backed off a bit as she glared at Eight.
āWell, mom, funny story about that,ā Seven spoke up, crossing his arms. āWhen your friends decided to attack Roman and hit him over the head with a bat before kidnapping him,-ā
āRemind me. Was that before or after they tried running us over?ā
āThey what?!ā Maggie shouted as she stared at the Pattons in disbelief.
āFunny story, really,ā Four cut in. Maggie gawked at all of their faces in her growing panic. āWhen you side with people willing to hurt others? They donāt care who gets in their way.ā
āSo.ā Patton took a step closer and held his head up high. He imagined Logan standing beside him and supporting him every step of the way. He knew that no matter what happened, he wasnāt alone. āWhat did you want to talk to me about?ā
Maggie looked anguished as her eyes quickly flickered from each Pal before landing on Patton, who she had talked to first. āThey almost hit you?ā Her voice was soft and it shook before she reached out. As she cupped his cheeks, Patton frowned and tried to cling to his wavering confidence. āMy baby boy, are you okay?ā
Patton felt his throat ache and close up and took a moment to calm himself. āYeah.ā He pulled her in for a hug and looked over her shoulder to the Pal staring at him. āIām okay.ā They embraced for a moment before Patton pulled away.Ā
āMom, whereās Roman? Is he okay? What do they want to do with him?ā
āThe poor dear! Heās at the office, I just saw him. Theyāre trying to see if any of us recognize him.ā Maggie watched as Patton paled at her words. āI didnāt say anything! They asked and I said Iād never seen him before! I said he was such a young boy that he reminded me of you, and that I had to go.ā She reached out and grabbed his arms. āYou have to believe me, sweetie, I didnāt say a thing! Youāre all I talk about there, and they know that.ā
Patton nodded and closed his eyes. āOkay. I believe you.ā She sighed and he opened his eyes once more, standing up tall as he did. āBut you have to take me to him. I want to see him for myself.ā
āNo, Patty, itās not safe!ā
āThey have my friend, mom!ā Patton stepped back and shook his head. āWeāre all worried about him. Virgil was there when he was taken and he hasnāt slept, and Loganās barely holding himself together.ā Pattonās voice wavered. āI have to see him. We need to get him out.ā
āWell, maybe no one will recognize him! Maybe we can come up with a plan, or...ā
Patton shook his head. āNo! No, he worked in public for years and he performs in plays! He puts his face out there every chance he gets. Anyone could accidentally recognize him. The sooner we get him out, the better!ā Maggie looked conflicted. āHe has a family. His mother will be worried sick. What if it were me?ā
Maggie clenched her eyes shut and nodded. āYes. Youāre right, of course, youāre right.ā She looked up at her son as her eyes glistened with tears she fought back. āI just wanted to protect you. You know that, right? I want to keep you safe. I havenāt been doing a great job of that, have I?ā
āItās not too late to start.ā Eight spoke up. Everyone turned to him as he smiled. āWe were going to walk out if you didnāt want to help, if Iām honest.ā
āWalk out? W-what do you mean āwalk outā?ā
āOf your life, mom.ā Eight stepped closer and left no distance between them. āLogan was right. We love who we are. Every quirk we have and everything we can do. But you lashed out with rude comments and backhanded jokes. You didnāt realize how harmful your words were. Every time we tried to talk to you, you didnāt want to hear anything about it. We gained empathetic abilities. Did you know that? Did you ever wonder if these powers grew to something more?ā
Patton held a hand up to his chest and rubbed it. He was so overwhelmed with his emotions, but the heartbreak his mother felt at Eightās words were blossoming. He watched as she shook her head and looked at him.Ā
āIs it true?ā
āIām okay with you not agreeing with my choices, mom. Iām okay with you worrying about me using my powers. But itās more than that. Itās not just me anymore. When you start interfering with my friends, thatās when I have to realize that something isnāt right. I have to say something about it for their sakes.ā
āNot the healthiest thing weāve ever said,ā Five chimed in.Ā
āBut thatās our issue.ā Seven said. He approached Patton with a smile. āMaybe we still need to learn to love ourselves more. Maybe weāre not selfish enough. Maybe we care about others over us and we need to work on that.ā He reached out and disappeared in a flash of light. Maggie gasped, not used to seeing it again after so many years.
The others gathered and all smiled at Patton as they reached out one by one, each one disappearing in their own flash of light. When Eight reached out, Patton mouthed a quiet āthank youā before he disappeared. The rush of the Palsā emotions from their conversations surged for a moment before he turned to Maggie once more.
She tried to smile at him before she launched and pulled him in for another hug. āI never meant to hurt you. Iām so sorry, I hadnāt realized it was so bad!ā
āItās okay.ā
āNo, itās not.ā
āWell, yeah. Youāre right, itās not.ā Patton chuckled and felt his tears finally overflow. āBut we can work on that together. Iām not exactly the perfect son either.ā
āYes, you are. And maybe Logan isnāt so bad. When heās not scaring the living daylights out of me with those eyes!ā
āYou donāt know half of it.ā Patton pulled away and removed his glasses to wipe at his eyes. āGosh, Iām not ready for this talk.ā He put them back on to catch his mother doing the same thing. āItās going to have to wait, unfortunately. I want to see Roman.ā
āOkay. Of course, absolutely. Iāll take you there right now.ā
---
āSo, thatās it, then.ā Liz seemed frustrated with the plan they had shared, which hadnāt been much. āYou think you might know how to get in?ā
Two nodded and crossed his arms. āIām working on a way to get into the APC. Iām just waiting to hear back from my source thatās checking to see if they even have him. I donāt like waiting around but weāre running out of ideas.ā
Liz sighed and nodded. āThatās good. What other plans do you have?ā
āWe arenāt sure,ā Logan frowned and looked at Two. āPattonās plan was all we came up with, really. We were going on a manual search when you had called. We came back here to tell you everything we knew.ā
āWell, what about the fan club?ā Eyes turned to Virgil, who ducked his head and began nervously chewing on the gum Romanās mother had given him. āI mean, would they know anything?ā
Liz smiled and pulled her phone out of her purse. āThatās not a bad idea! Iāll contact Sammy right away. We may just get lucky, maybe they can reach out to the others. I know some old members left to join the other club as a way to get inside information, like spies! We can ask the rest to keep their eyes open.ā
āIs there anything we can do as we wait?ā Thomas ruffled his hair a bit, then leaned in and whispered as Liz started to call someone, distracted. āI mean, power-wise?ā
Logan shook his head. āNot really. I mean, I could scan the city for him, but that could take days, and itās not a perfect process. I missed Clyde the first time.ā
āThatās if heās even in the city,ā Two chimed in. āClyde mentioned moving from the suburbs. You didnāt miss him, he just wasnāt here. So thereās a chance Romanās out of reach, too.ā
āCan we extend that reach?ā Thomas asked. āThereās got to be something we can do.ā
āWeād have to amplify his powers to do that,ā Virgil pointed to Thomas. āBut our power amplifier is busted and we donāt have a manual, so thatās a no.ā
Thomasā eyes widened in realization as he turned to Logan. āWell, that just leaves one thing left to do.ā He smiled at Logan before fishing into his pocket and pulling out a small, beaten up memo pad. āI was actually planning on bringing this up anyway and now seems as good of a time as any.ā
Logan seemed perplexed as his eyes went from Thomas to the small memo pad. āThomas, as you sure? You donāt have to do this now.ā
āIām sure,ā Thomas lowered it and took a step closer. āTime to take up those lessons again. Letās fix my memories, shall we?ā --- Chapter 18>> (If your name is in italics, I was unable to tag you. Please contact me before you are removed.) Tag list: @cyberpunkjinx @phlying-squirrel Ā @equipodeleo @ace-anxā @tisithelittleelephant @fandomsofrandom @thestoryofme13 @herequeerandverytired @too-random-for-me @midknight-mania @sleepyssnail @dragonsight9 @queer-human-being @ab-artist @arandompasserby @musikasworld @hellomusicalnerdhere @izzynuggets @noahlovescoffee @rosesisupposes @detective-lemon @kanejandkruge @draw-till-die @dreaming-about-kittens @nico-holly @maxwithanxiety @cornycornfriendo @pixelysparklez @icequeenoriginal @coloursintheblur @omg-rainbowgalxy-things @myqueen4art @billy-jeans23 @llamaly @len-art-trash @i-know-im-smart @nightmaretyrantvantas @mooniecoockieā @prettymuchpugs @itsalexiastuff @littledog-draws @jay-reid @the-better-bard @the-lavender-creator @skskskkskskskk @starry-knight-skies @lynnthefander @notkolaidoscop @sweetkirbi @stablerock @astute-goldfish @4ngstyc00kie @a-5-7-b-8-4-c @nadja-chamack16 General:Ā @helloisthisusernametaken @entitydark @lightningbug04 @moonstone-fox @another-sandersidesblog @thesynysterunknown @roo-kangas @singingjo-blog-blog @unikornavenger @rememberfateau-nowoffical @sanders-sides-trasshcan @sleepyssnail @jemthebookworm @spectralheartt @fandomsofrandom @johnlaurensadmirer-johnsenpaiowo@rosie601 @ultimate-queen-of-fandoms2 @izzyfandoms @zaidiashipper @enbyamy @romanmustberomantic @daylnvale @that-one-sunfish-with-a-wig-on @squiddney69 @decayingfoxx @watchoutforthefanfics @pigeonsinatree @lynnthefander @k1ngtok1 @wewuzraw @lovelyisthesunrise @sparkedawg @pukingdraws @pixelatedrose
The Summary of a Practical Story
Everything sort of important that has happened in A Lesson in Practicality and Probable Theorem. Spoilers ahead!
Note: This will update as the story progresses so if youāre seeing this again, I may have updated it.
A Lesson in Practicality
The story starts with Logan, Roman, Patton and Virgil moving into an apartment together. After a few awkward weeks and a slip up from Patton, they discover that they allĀ have some sort of strange ability. Logan seemed to be the only one who had been aware of this, taking note of their slip ups the weeks prior.
Roman could generate electricity and power. Patton could make duplicates of himself that each reflected parts of his personality when split. He called the Patton Pals and numbered them to help confusion. Logan had telekinesis and could read minds. Virgil could stop time and move around as he did so.
With the secret out, Logan started taking notes. He was curious to how the powers worked overall. Patton stepped in and theorized that the powers actually grew with time and grew other abilities after noting he had started feeling others emotions as if he had started becoming an empath.
With that new theory, the others started testing out their own abilities. Virgil discovered the rifts he created when he broke free from time were actually portals through time and space depending on what/where he was thinking about. Roman had already started testing out his abilities and practiced everyday before revealing a costume and a plan to become the city superhero.
In Virgilās paranoia, he corners Logan and gets him to admit that Logan used his powers to bring them all together. With this, he reveals he also had tried approaching them with the idea but the first person he approached had lashed out. As a result, Logan doesnāt remember the interaction or who he talked to. There was someone else out in the city with powers. After an incident where Roman finds himself trapped in time the day before, he stumbled into a person(literally) who let out a spark of electricity and ran off in panic. After a stroke of luck and a few hours searching, they find the man and question him. They learned his name was Thomas and he didnāt know he even had powers. Apparently, he can copy and absorb others abilities and use them himself.
Thomas, afraid of hurting others by literally stealing their energy from them, runs and asks them to leave him alone. After talking to him and encouraging him to give it another try, he agrees.
Then, one night while Virgil and Roman were passed out on the couch, Virgil begins feeling a bit claustrophobic as he wakes up from a nightmare. He begins to wildly panic and freezes time while pushing himself and Roman off of the couch. Roman tries to calm him down while a black smoke-like form crawls out of the portal Virgil made. Roman manages to get it out of the apartment in a panic and check to make sure Virgil is alright.
He is, but knowing some creature was out on the streets had them all worried. Roman dresses in his hero uniform, dubbed the Masked Prince at the time, and keeps an eye out for the creature. They decide to warn Thomas since he could be in danger and the creature finds them and attacks. Patton lets out a few of the Patton Pals and they all begin to worry. The creature takes over a Pal, Three, and says heāll let the body go in exchange for Roman. Roman agrees and goes to shake on it before pulling the possessed Three close and shocking the creature out of him.
They knew they were being targeted now since the creature showed an interest in wanting power and they were the most powerful ones in the city. They decide the only thing they can really do is wait and prepare themselves for anything. During all this, Roman discovers he has a fan club and gets very excited, forcing Patton and Logan to go check it out for him. (After Patton came up with Prince Charging, they shrugged and accepted it since they didnāt have a better name)
One day, Thomas was attacked at his apartment by a stranger possessed by the smoke creature and ran to their apartment where he saw Logan and began to panic. The others were called home and they waited for the creature to attack.
In the middle of the night, their apartment building caught fire and Virgil froze time to help them all escape. Roman led them to the theater he volunteered at for a dramatic final battle. As they all awaited the creature to follow them, he turned and confessed his feelings for Virgil he had been ignoring this whole time.
Thatās when the creature attacked, chasing Logan, Patton and Thomas into a prop and costume storage closet. They looked around in panic to see who the creature had been taken as Roman and Virgil raced over.
The creature had taken their first moment of panic to slip through the air vents and out the back, possessing Virgil in the process. He froze time and glanced around before heading to Thomas, curious if he could just take the otherās powers into one form. However, with direct contact to Thomas, his power kicked in and he absorbed the ability to stop time. Since Virgil is forced from time when it freezes, the same happened to Thomas suddenly. In his panic, he restarted time, nullifying the only advantage the creature had.
As a bargaining tool, the creature did exactly what he had done before. Give up one of their forms or heād just take over Virgil completely. Heād even leave the city and start somewhere else. Logan offers himself against the protest of the others. The creature laughs, knowing about Loganās plan to have Virgil go back and stop this from happening as a worst case scenario.
Jumping from Virgil to Logan, Thomas stepped in and sacrificed himself. The creature laughed, saying he was okay with that, since Thomas wasĀ his initial target. He left Virgil motionless on the ground, causing Roman to try to start his heart again with his powers.
Logan smirked and the creature began to panic. He had made a plan with Thomas in case either one of them were captured by the monster. The creature latched onto their brains to control them, so attacking their minds would weaken it. Roman grabbed him from behind as Logan attacked so he couldnāt escape. He wiped Thomasā memories completely, leaving him comatose on the ground. The creature tired to escape but Roman turned and called out to Virgil. He had managed to start his heart but in the panic, no one noticed. Virgil opened a portal and threw the creature through before starting time and shutting it forever.
Logan tried bringing any parts of Thomas back that he could, managing to salvage quite a bit. Thomasā memories were spotty and random, but he was okay.
In the aftermath, they helped Thomas back to his apartment and apologized. Logan commented that heād never been able to bring back memories like that before but didnāt elaborate. They decided to move back to their old homes before looking for an apartment where they could all move in together once more.
Probable Theorem
Logan had found them a new apartment just as before and the others eagerly moved in. Roman was nervous to explain to Virgil that he had been ignoring him because he was ashamed of himself. He lost his job and couldnāt afford to take Virgil out on any dates. Virgil calls him a moron and forgives him since Romanās mother and sister had given Virgil an embarrassing photo of Roman as collateral. Virgil bonds with Julie, Romanās sister and Elizabeth, Romanās mother. Elizabeth worries about Roman but knows that if anything happens, Virgil will be there and let her know.Ā
Patton and Logan had been trying out the dating thing for a bit. Logan reveals his aunt and uncle, whom he had been living with since he was a late teen, owned and ran a bakery. He takes Patton there and they bake cookies, becoming an official couple. (Patton makes a pun about it.)
On the same day, Roman and Virgil have a movie night and Virgil comments on how wonderful a date it was. Though, obviously, he could out romance Roman and had an even better date planned. Traveling back in time on a brisk day in Paris, France, Virgil brings Roman to the Eiffel Tower. He presents him a rose and smiles, asking if Roman had anything he wanted to say at such a romantic moment. Giving Roman the chance to be the overly dramatic gay he was, he asks Virgil out and he agrees. (Sarcastically.) They go back home and the four meet up, revealing their new relationship statuses to one another. And then Thomas, who was visiting to check out the new apartment.
While working at the bakery, Loganās parents show up wishing to speak with him. His aunt tried chasing them away, but not before Logan found out. He was a punk when he was a teenager and did whatever he wanted. In an emotional moment, he told his parents toĀ āforget he even existedā, thus wiping their memory of their only child. They shunned him and he ran away, living with his aunt and uncle. He threw away his old life and became cautious of his powers, never using them until more recently. Finding out his parents had wanted to make amends,he remembers being able to fix mostĀ of Thomasā memory and forms a plan.
Logan goes to Thomas and offers to retrain him on his powers, though he was much more aggressive than before. He HAD to get Thomas to learn how to use his powers. Thomasā powers didnāt just absorbed others abilities. It was an energy exchange--a give and take. When Logan brought his memories back, it could only have been because Thomas boosted his powers. If he could do it again, he could bring his own parentās memories back and fix everything. This forcefulness scares Thomas away.Ā
During all of this, Patton had been going through his own troubles. His whole life, his mother never approved of his abilities. She worried they would get him in trouble and told him to never use them. But despite that, Patton loved his ability and ignored her, to her dismay.
Virgil reveals that he had been working on a new costume for Roman. An updated version of his old Prince Charging outfit with a brand new mask. Just in time too, as they learned there was an Anti-Prince Charging Club (or APC for short) out to stop him. While most people thought his powers were just a trick of light, these people thought it was real and that the Prince was a threat who needed to be stopped. Unfortunately, Pattonās mother Margaret (Maggie) was a part of this club.
The four had heard noises coming from the apartment above then and learned about their new neighbors. At first they thought it was just Leslie, a wonderfully kind middle aged woman. Then they learned she had a nephew she was taking care of. Clyde. Strange things started happening around the apartment. Loganās old journal about their powers went missing. ThenĀ āRomanā apologized for taking it and tried putting it back.Ā āLoganā came in from work in a rush one day and was aggressive toward Patton, breaking up with him for being clingy. Patton fought back, wanting to talk things out before making a decision, when the actual Logan walked in.
Turns out, Clyde had abilities too. Heās 19 and was kicked out after a fight with his father and moved in with his aunt. He could create illusions and turn himself invisible completely. He had a natural ability and was really good at impersonating otherās voices. He had been snooping on his neighbors and learning about their powers. Patton convinced Logan to let him off with a warning, but Virgil went upstairs and threatened Clyde if he ever pulled a stunt like that again.
On patrol one night, Prince Charging is attacked by two idiots with a taser. While it does nothing, it puts Roman on edge. The only people he can think of are the APC and decides to be more careful in the future. (This does not go over well with Virgil as he starts following Roman at night to make sure heās okay)
Thomas comes over for a training lesson but this time with Virgil and Patton. For the first time, they make progress and Thomas starts getting an idea on how his powers work. Turns out Logan had some things wrong and Virgil and Patton theorized and figured things out. Proud he had more control, Thomas wanted a break to get to learn more about himself that he had forgotten before continuing. He was worried Logan would be upset, but Patton promised to talk with him.
Logan WAS upset and exploded, saying they didnāt get it. He had only told Virgil about what had happened and decided to explain to the others. Once they knew what Logan had done, they reassured him that they would try to help, but forcing Thomas wasnāt the way to do it.
Patton and Logan had an argument and made up over it, becoming closer because of it. Logan answered Pattonās phone for him and itās Maggie, Pattonās mother. She tells Logan that he will come over for dinner and hangs up before he can get a word in. He agrees to go and sees Pattonās childhood home. He learns more about the dad who single-handedly supported the family and worked overnights and slept during the day. This left Patton alone with his mother a lot who tried to force Patton to be aĀ ānormal boyā. Logan caught a few backhanded phrases toward Patton that made fun of Pattonās powers. Logan lashed out, telling her to support her son no matter what. Maggie yelled at Patton for telling such a big secret, which Logan told her toĀ ājust accept and it wouldnāt be an issueā. They learn that sheās joined the APC and Logan tells her that he has powers too. They storm out and leave Maggie behind and donāt let her get another word in.
Roman goes out for patrol but this time, Virgil puts on a hoodie and an old mask and joins him. Tired of following the Prince to make sure he was okay, he walks along side him on an uneventful patrol night. At the end, Virgil decides to hop back home and set up a nest of blankets and pillows for them and washes the makeup off of his face. When he goes back to get Roman, he finds the prince unconscious and being shoved into a van by two strangers.
In a panic, Virgil stops time and runs through a portal back home. He wakes up Logan and Patton and the decide to playĀ āinnocent bystandersā who try to stop the kidnapping. After nearly getting run over, attacking the two kidnappers and stopping the van with telekinesis... they fail and Roman goes missing.
[This is where the story leaves off...]
Yes, ALiP is amazing.
But go read the sequel too, COWARD.
May I propose my idea for a "side chapter" for the ALiP (A Lesson in Practicality) guys: BASKETBALL!
My idea was: Roman and Virgil are fighting over a disneyshirt (or something? Idk) and they decide to play for it with a friendly basketball game (Roman and Virgil have been watching some sportanimes)
Patton is on Virgil's team and Logan is on Romans.
It starts out with a normal game. Virgil surprisingly good and fast, Patton and him are a good team he always passes to him to let him make the points.
Roman is also pretty good, throws hard, he is very sportsy and has good reflexes because of his Prince Charging work. Logan is good with strategy, which has limited effectiveness when the other team has the power of friendship.
At some point it escalates and they start using their powers and is more like a battle royale. Everyone vs. everyone. Logan makes it into a learning experience.
Virgil:
his powers would be kinda unfair if balls thrown in stopped time would count, so they don't. He instead uses them to sorta "teleport" over the feld whenever he doesn't have the ball (rules still sorta apply in stopped time ... Even when there would technically nobody to prove it but Virgil plays relatively nice) but he is reluctant to use his powers anyway, so he mainly counts on his fit body.
Roman:
One could think he has the most useless powers for this competition but he just has to use them ... Creatively. He can charge himself a little bit to keep the other away from him, he can cage (cage because the ball is made of rubber and doesn't take in the electricity) the ball in electricity so the others can't get to it when he has it, whenever Roman's happy his "Luck thing" activates (idk help me here Celery) and he gets the ball on instinct and runs to the best places to win the round (on the other hand, should he become sad or frustrated in the game he's out of luck ) ... And more!
Patton:
he makes some of his Pals appear and plays as a team with .. himself? Yeah. They're playing great together but are not as compatitive as the other three, they make sure the others play nice.
Logan:
He can just throw a bunch of balls with his telekenisis. They put up some rules for him to not let the balls float completely out of range and so on. But Logan makes this friendly battle into an experiment between all of them to use their powers in different ways.
(Ok slight spoilery for Probable Theorem now)
Thomas could be there with them, not to really use or train his powers just to watch (and beeing dragged in as judge) maybe Clyde is there too?
So, yeah, do with this whatever you want @residentanchor
Sorry that I haven't been posting anything the last weeks š I sorta have been taking somewhat of a break of the SS fandom and I still can't promise I'm back fully...
@robinsdraw @residentanchor
So... I hope i did this justice. I just got my new tablet and decided to tinker with it. I have never done digital art before and got bored. So i hopw this doesnt suck and hope you guys like it...
I really should be doing homework, but I HAD to draw Virgilās new outfit from the latest chapter of PT by @residentanchor, so i drew him in my notebook. @residentanchorās writing is phenomenal and I canāt get enough of it!






