Archive of Our Own ^beta

Tommy slowly opened his eyes, already feeling the beginnings of a headache forming deep in his head. He hoped it wouldn't be too bad, but knowing his luck it was probably at least a mild concussion.

He groaned, slowly growing aware of his surroundings. Cold rough stone beneath him, a thin blanket covering him. Odd. He didn't remember getting into trouble lately.

When he went to rub the sleep out of his eyes, the rattling of a chain made itself known to him. 

Eyes snapping open in shock, he wasn't with Dream right now, that was for sure. As tightly as Dream held the reins, he never went as far as to have Tommy chained up like the criminals they caught. That could only mean one thing. 

Slowly, he sat up and took note of the cell he was in. Fairly standard. Large enough for him to pace about eight steps in any direction, a wooden bench bolted to the wall, and a tray of food resting within reach just outside the cell door.

After a few seconds Tommy got up and moved to the door, his stomach grumbling. Thankfully, his captors were kind and the tray was easy to pull towards himself and through the little slot with only a little help from his powers. 

With his abilities he was able to change the gravity around him, either making himself feather light or really heavy. Gliding was really him keeping gravity at just the right weight to help himself go faster and further with the help of his small wings. 

He pulled his mask halfway up his face and shoved the first bit of food into his mouth. A little voice yelled at him that he should be more careful and what if it was drugged, but Tommy hadn’t eaten at least a day before his capture and he had no idea how long he was out for. 

Of course he knew who had taken him; it could only be one group. The Sleepy Bois. Dream’s, and by extension his , mortal enemies. 

The villains were known menaces around the city, feared by all the heroes. They walked around causing chaos and destruction. Tommy couldn't count the amount of times that he had been sent in to clean up after them, Dream not trusting him  out on the battlefield with them 

But then he finally had, and Tommy had gotten taken prisoner. 

The battle was suddenly rushing back to Tommy. They had been fighting on the roofs of buildings. Corvid with his long wings, the Blade with his signature red glow indicating that his super strength was activated, and Siren with his eyes glowing their bluish white glow showing he was preparing to use his powers. 

The others had been there too- George, Sapnap, and Dream. 

But despite this, they had been losing badly. 

Dream had just given the order to retreat and Tommy had made the mistake of turning his back to the Blade in order to run. Something had hit his head and he had fallen onto the rooftop below him. 

More yelling, a little more fighting as Tommy anxiously waited for one of the Dream Team to grab him, but instead of evergreen eyes, he had been greeted with the plague doctor mask that adorned Corvid’s face. 

“Sorry, mate, looks like you're coming with us,” was the last thing Tommy remembered hearing before he lost consciousness. 

Now, he was deep within their base with no hope of escape. 

“Oh, you’re awake,” someone said walking in. 

Tommy looked up and saw Corvid walk through the door. He sported his signature mask that covered the top of his face, much like Tommy's own, the biggest difference was that the nose of Corvid’s had a slight beak.

Tommy narrowed his eyes. “Hello…” he said suspiciously. 

“Avian,” he said, dipping his head. 

Tommy stood up slowly, his small white wings spreading out either side of him, fluffing up. 

“So, as you've noticed, we have you hostage,” Corvid began. 

“Really?” Tommy drawled. “I hadn’t noticed.”

“Anyways, we’re not going to hurt you. However, we figured we might as well get some info out of you if we can,” Corvid explained. 

Tommy raised an eyebrow. 

“And if I don’t comply?” 

Corvid laughed, though it didn’t seem particularly cruel. 

“That won’t be a problem, mate. We’ve got Siren,” Corvid reminded him. 

Tommy felt the blood drain from his face. 

He had seen what Siren could do, had watched him command hordes of civilians off of streets,watched as he influenced heroes to turn on their allies in a heartbeat, watched as his eyes glowed their bright bluish white and had gently encouraged people to put down their weapons and surrender. 

“I’m sure you noticed you still have access to your powers, right?” Corvid asked, not having heard Tommy’s dilemma. 

Tommy nodded. 

“Your power didn’t seem particularly dangerous, so we left it off of you since we think you got a concussion and that can be dangerous. But we would prefer to have you in the interrogation room. So, what you’re going to do is sit on the bench so I can give you a full checkup to see if we need to have Siren come down. I wouldn’t recommend you fight it. That would only make your life harder,” Corvid told him. 

Tommy gulped and walked to the bench and slowly sat himself down. 

He clenched his fists together as Corvid unlocked the door before closing it again, the automatic lock’s click echoing loudly through the cell block. 

When he got to Tommy, he gently set down a cloth bag that Tommy hadn’t noticed he had. He pulled out a laminated sheet of paper. 

“Alright, let’s start with the easy stuff. I wouldn’t recommend lying, this is for your own good,” Corvid firmly stated. 

Tommy nodded. 

“Do you have a headache? Nausea? Is your vision doing anything weird at all?” he asked. 

Tommy shook his head. “Nothing other than a slight headache,” he added quickly, bruises lighting up on his body from when he hadn’t answered Dream in full sentences. 

“When you stood up, did you feel dizzy at all?” Corvid continued. 

“No, it was normal, sir,” he said. 

Corvid nodded his head. 

“A few more things then,” he said.

He reached into the bag and pulled out a thermometer and a small antiseptic wipe that he used after he pulled off the cover of the wipe. He held it up to Tommy’s mouth who compiled easily. He grimaced at the bitter taste even as the thermometer was placed beneath his tongue. 

Then Corvid pulled out a flashlight and with surprising gentleness cupped his face and angled it up towards him.

“Use your eyes and follow the tip of the flashlight. Try not to move your head,” he instructed.

He did as he was told, following the light when it moved. 

“Last, I just need to shine it in your eyes. I need to check for any dilation. This is really bright, but it’s the last thing I need to check for a concussion though, alright?” he told Tommy. 

He nodded and braced himself for the light. Corvid took his time with it, tilting his head lightly and moving the flash light around in both eyes. 

When he clicked it off and released Tommy’s head, he blinked trying to get rid of the imprint as fast as possible. 

“You look fine. You might have a mild concussion but nothing that shouldn't clear pretty quickly. The headache should clear pretty quickly, but there’s nothing aside from that,” Corvid reported, seeming pleased. 

Tommy nodded, confused as to why he seemed happy about that. Wouldn’t it be easier to deal with a concussed hero? 

Then Corvid leaned down and pulled out a small metal disc which he then attached to the cuff. 

Immediately, Tommy felt gravity collapse in on him. 

“I wouldn’t try anything with this, the disc is magnetically attached, and if you try to hit it, it makes a strong forcefield,” Corvid explained. 

He illustrated his point by grabbing a small mallet from the medical bag and trying to smash the disc, and, sure enough, it bounced back, hard . 

Corvid did something to the chains and rather than being attached to the wall there were about five inches from cuff to cuff. 

“Let’s not keep them waiting, shall we?” he said, grabbing onto the top of Tommy’s arm.

He gulped and nodded. 

They blindfolded him and led him through the base, it seemed to have a pretty standard layout from what Tommy could tell, carefully filing the information away for later. Soon though, they got to a heavy door. Corvid just pushed it open and sat Tommy down in the chair before removing his blindfold.

There was a long rectangular table and Tommy was put on the long side with Siren seated right in front of him and Corvid and the Blade sat on the short ends. 

Siren’s mask was a shiny dark material with matte swirls across it. The Blade had a much bulkier mask, looking like the skull of a boar. Both their malls covered the top halves of their faces 

The Blade had a small recording machine in front of him while Corvid had a stack of papers and a quill. 

Tommy snorted at the quill, how pretentious could someone get? A quill? Really? A quill ?.

“Welcome to the interrogation room,” Siren said with a smirk on his face. “Let me introduce myself. I’m Siren, though I’m sure you already knew that.” 

Tommy nodded. 

“This is the Blade who will be recording the interrogation, if you struggle to keep your story straight then he has a handy button there to remind you,” he told Tommy, “and Corvid over there just likes taking notes.” 

Tommy nodded his head, hands fiddling with the chain nervously. He felt his wings tighten against his back as if trying to protect him. 

“Quiet, are we?” Siren said, chuckling. “Let’s start with your name, shall we?”

Tommy heard a click come from his left and assumed the Blade had started recording. 

“Avian,” Tommy whispered. 

“What was that? A little louder for me, sweetheart,” Siren crooned, ignoring Corvid’s small admonishment.

“Avian,” Tommy said louder, wincing at the way his novice cracked. He was terrified. Dream had walked him through a whole gauntlet of what he could expect should he ever be captured by the villains. None of it had been pleasant.

“I don’t think I’ve seen you before,” Siren noted. 

Tommy just sat still, he wasn’t going to tell anyone anything they didn't already know. Corvid already knew his name, so withholding that would only cause trouble.

“ I must have misspoke ,” Siren said, his eyes starting to glow, blue indicating he was activating his powers. “I don’t think I’ve seen you around before, care to explain that?”

Tommy braced for the pull he had heard that Sirens powers had, but it never came. 

“Phi- Corvid?” Siren called, sounding confused. 

“He probably has a mild concussion so that might be messing with your powers on him?” Corvid suggested. “Try again.”

“Right then,” Siren said, shaking his head. “Why haven't we seen you before?” 

Tommy still felt nothing compelling him  but he figured playing along would help him out so, after a moment’s hesitation he responded, “I’ve been training under Dream for over a year, this was a test mission to see how I would fare on the battlefield,” he explained. 

It wasn’t quite true. He wasn’t supposed to be in this battle, but Tommy wanted to prove to Dream that he was worth it, so he had snuck in. 

Siren nodded looking to Corvid, who nodded for him to continue. 

“What do you know about the heroes’ upcoming missions?” Siren asked. 

Tommy was both disappointed and relieved he didn’t have to lie about this one. 

“They don’t tell me anything,” he replied. 

Siren turned off his powers, his eyes blinking from white to chocolate brown. 

“They don’t tell you anything?” he asked, confused. 

“I mean, why would they? I’m barely a hero. They just tell me what to do and when to do it and I follow orders.” 

“But you said you were training under Dream, and that you have been for over a year?” Siren pushed. 

“Yeah, but that doesn’t mean I'm privy to that kind of information,” Tommy said, scoffing, wings bristling. These guys were supposedly the biggest villains, but they didn't understand how the hierarchy worked. What a joke. 

“When would you have access to that information?” Siren asked, using his powers. Again, Tommy didn’t have to lie. 

“Whenever he deems me ready,” he responded. 

“Which would be when?” Siren asked. 

“No idea. I’ve tried asking him, but he tells me that I haven't proved myself yet.” 

Siren exchanged a few glances with his teammates before Corvid got up and took Tommy from the room. 

Tommy didn’t say anything as he was shuffled back to the cell. 

“We might have a few more questions for you, but we’ll negotiate something with Dream to release you. He has a few things of ours we want back,” Corvid told him. 

“I’m surprised you guys didn’t unmask me or ask for my civilian identity,” Tommy admitted when he was situated in his cell. He wasn’t quite sure why he had said that, especially because they still could. Hios mouth tended to run faster than his thoughts though, it had landed him in hot water plenty of times. He just never learned he supposed. 

“We dont believe in that. We don’t want our civilian identities out there and if we got yours, it would only be fair for the hero organization to start going after ours,” Corvid explained. 

“That makes sense,” Tommy said, nodding, before adding in a low mutter, “I wish the heroes thought the same thing.” 

“Sorry?” Corvid asked, sounding a bit confused. 

“I used to be a vigilante, but then one day, they arrested me and just took my identity and told me I could either work for them or they would send me to the Vault,” Tommy explained. “I mean, I get why they did it now– vigilantes are dangerous no matter what their intentions are- but still. My friends were caught in the fallout and it’s made their lives harder.” 

Tommy knew he should shut up, he knew it. But he still held a lot of resentment at that event and it always slipped out whenever the opportunity arose to talk about it. 

Corvid looked like he was about to say something but instead, he turned his heel and left. 

Tommy hoped they would wait a few days before giving him back to Dream. They didn’t seem like they were going to torture him and he wanted some sleep. Undoubtedly, as soon as he was returned to Dream, he would be worked to the bone to make up for what had happened. 

Tommy woke to people's voices from outside his cell. 

He opened his eyes and saw Corvid and Siren debating something. 

“I don't think that's a good idea,” Siren was saying. 

“It just doesn't feel right leaving him here,” Corvid argued. 

“He's a hero ,” Siren emphasized. 

“But it doesn't seem to have been a choice.” 

“He was fighting villains before he was a hero,” Siren reminded him. 

“No, vigilantes take care of the petty thefts and non-powered criminals, in a humane way,” Corvid told him firmly. 

“Fine, but if something happens? You’re the one who takes the fall for it,” Siren said approaching Tommy’s cell. “Avian, wake-up!” he shouted. 

Tommy sat up and slowly scooted further back into the cell, afraid of whatever was coming. He knew had he been one of the villains at Dream that he was about to be littered in bruises in the name of information. 

“Corvid here, for some reason, feels like you shouldn't be in a cell and instead he’s been generous and has set up a guest room for you,” Siren told him. 

Tommy narrowed his eyes, his wings fluffing up in suspicion. That wasn't how this was supposed to go. He was supposed to be beaten within an inch of his life, whether for a specific reason or just to blow off some steam. Dream had thoroughly prepared Tommy in not giving into tactics like that. 

“And what do you want in return?” he asked, voice laced in apprehension. 

“We don't want anything,” Corvid explained patiently. 

Tommy stood there looking distrustfully at them, even Siren came and grabbed him from the cell. He wasn't rough, but he wasn’t all that gentle either. 

He was brought up a few flights of stairs where he was shown to a small plain bedroom. 

“There’s nothing here you can use as a weapon. We have 3D scanners in the room that will show us an approximation of what you’re doing while affording you some privacy, but we’ll be able to see if you try anything. Until we settle things with Dream, this is where you’ll stay,” Siren told him. 

Tommy walked into the room taking a thorough look around. He caught sight of bolts from the furniture into the floor and the distinct lack of anything solid. There were small throw pillows arranged neatly on his bed as well as some thick looking blankets. 

On the wall, there was a digital clock reading 2:13am. Tommy wasn’t sure how to feel about the fact that he had left his house to help with the battle at around 1am yesterday morning. 

“The chains have been left at a long enough length so we won’t need to remove them. We’ll get you and bring you to a shower later,” Corvid explained. 

Tommy nodded and waited for them to close the door before doing a more thorough look through the room. The sole dresser contained a few generic t-shirts and sweatpants and on the bedside there was a plastic water bottle and a few granola bars. Tommy wasn't too sure how many of those he would get so he vowed to only crack them open when he was starving. 

After that, Tommy just tucked himself under the covers, sighing as he sunk into the soft mattress. He had never felt so comfortable, and the thick blankets only added on to the feeling.

It was late, so he figured that sleeping wouldn’t mess with his sleep schedule, even if he usually was out during the night. 

With that thought, he drifted off into a dreamless sleep. 

He woke up to the sound of someone unlocking the door. He immediately tensed and slowed down his breathing. If needed, he could be up in a few seconds, but it was probably easier to feign sleep. 

Someone stepped through the door, the sound of dishes clanking together following them. It sounded like they were carrying a tray.

“I know you’re awake,” the voice said. 

Tommy ignored it, keeping his eyes stubbornly closed. 

Siren sighed and put something down. 

“Sit up,” he ordered, his voice taking on the silvery quality it did whenever he activated his powers. 

Once again, Tommy felt no urge to do what he was told, so he stayed still.

“I guess you really are asleep then,” Siren murmured, sounding confused. 

Tommy heard him take something out of his pocket before the click of a pen sounded through the room and Tommy heard him writing something down. 

With a flourish, he ripped the page out of the notebook then walked out the door, the lock clicking softly behind him. 

Tommy counted off twenty minutes in his head before he slowly sat up. Looking around the room to see what Siren had left. 

His eyes landed on the nightstand which now had a small tray with a bowl of oatmeal and fresh fruit as well as a glass of plain milk. 

Beside it was a note. 

Hey Avian, you were asleep when I came in. Now, we had a dilemma that we didn’t have any plastic cups, so we’ve decided to trust you with a glass. If you break it, and try to use it as a weapon we’ll know and I’ll just use my abilities on you. 

I wouldn't recommend it though, it'll just make your life harder ; )

~Siren 

Tommy scoffed at the winking smiley face. Seriously, how old was this guy? You’d think if he was a big bad villain, he’d be a bit more mature. Never mind that it read a lot like how Dream’s notes to him did, which terrified him slightly. 

His feathers fluffed up at the thought of Dream. He tried calming them down but to no avail.

He put the note down and reached for the oatmeal. 

It seemed to be a pretty good portion. It still wasn't quite enough for a teenage boy, but it was better than what Dream gave him. 

It looked to be just a plain oatmeal topped with some strawberries, bananas and blueberries. Tommy grimaced at the bananas. He knew he was their prisoner but that didnt mean they had to torture him. 

He avoided the mushy yellow fruit for as long as he could, but when he got to the end of the bowl, and was still hungry he knew what he had to do. 

He put the first one in his mouth and got it down as fast as possible, wrinkling his nose at the taste and texture. 

“Geez, you don't have to be so dramatic. It’s just a banana,” came a voice from the door. 

Tommy turned and glared at Siren. 

“Says you ! You probably like bananas like the wrongun you are,” Tommy cried. 

“They’re good,” Siren said, rolling his eyes.

Tommy rolled his eyes, muttering a string of curses under his breath as Siren moved further into the room. 

“Why are you here, anyways?” Tommy asked. 

“I wanted to discuss the terms of your release with you,” Siren told him. 

Internally, Tommy rolled his eyes. Good luck with that. Dream would probably leave him with them for at least a few months to teach him a lesson. That was unless he wanted to personally beat the lesson into Tommy’s head himself. 

He hoped that at the very least Dream would let Tommy continue training under him, though the chances of that were slim. 

“What would he be willing to give up for you?” Siren asked.

Tommy racked his brain. What would Dream give up for him? He knew he wouldn’t give money, he loved his paycheque a little too much. Plus, he was pretty sure that SBI wouldn’t want money for him. Tommy was tempted to try some lower level tech, but in the hands of villains, even the most harmless of hand grenades would prove fatal to the city. 

He shrugged. 

There were too many factors at play for Tommy to be able and give a guess. 

Dream once explained to him that even though a game of chess looked like there was only one movement happening at any given moment, the pieces were never actually still. The players were constantly moving them around in their heads, trying to see the consequences of each move before the other person even finished their move. 

He explained how since there were more games of chess possible than there were atoms in the universe, then in each game, dozens more universes were born. 

And, right now, the pieces were in play. 

The white side had made their first move and had captured a pawn. And it was up to Dream to try and reclaim him. 

He shrugged. 

The Bishop looked down on him, his eyes glowing their signature light. 

“I really don’t know,” Tommy, the pawn, told him, hoping his king was already turning the chess board in their favor. 

Siren just looked at him, narrowing his eyes. 

“Is that the truth?” he asked, his voice taking on a silky quality in tandem with his eyes. 

“It is,” Tommy told him. 

Siren, the bishop, walked out, the lock clicking as he went to Corvid, his king, and Blade, their rook. 

They had a long game ahead of them. 

Tommy paced around his room for the dozenth time. He already was usually in constant motion as it was, but being confined to a small space and being fed as much as he was only seemed to make it worse. Ordinarily, he would play around with gravity, amuse himself by walking on the ceiling or taking a nap on the wall. But, with the suppressor on his hand, he was limited to the ground. 

It was odd being held prisoner by SBI. He had been prepared for so much worse– Dream had prepared him so much worse. But, aside from the bananas which Tommy thought should be classified as a war crime, they hadn’t been too bad. 

Sure, the power suppressor was a bit annoying to deal with, but really that was the only expected part of this whole ordeal. 

Tommy couldn’t wait till he was safely tucked under the old worn blanket in his cold cramped apartment. Maybe after this Dream would be willing to raise his pay. 

Well, no actually. This would probably get it reduced. 

Tommy groaned and flopped back on the bed. He was already struggling, his last pay-cut had already taken away any safety net he had had in terms of finances. 

He knew it was fair, the more Tommy messed up, the more he cost the city, so it only made sense he got it reduced, to help make up for his mistake. Still, he wished he was allowed to raise it faster than he was currently able too. 

He got up and started shuffling through the drawers. They were all plain sweatpants and blue t-shirts for if he stayed long enough for them to take away his suit. 

“What are you looking for?” said a voice from behind. 

Tommy jumped and turned around, glaring at Corvid who was carrying a tray of food. 

“I’m looking for a pen and a notebook,” Tommy eventually told him. 

Corvid blinked.

“Oh, I can get you one. The boys might object but really what harm can you do with that, right?” he said, chuckling. 

When Tommy didn’t laugh, he turned it into an awkward cough. “Right then. Here’s some lunch. It’s just a plain sandwich since we don’t know if you have any allergies,” Corvid said, setting down the tray. 

Tommy raised his eyebrow at that. 

“Why would you care about that?” he asked bluntly. 

Corvod furrowed his brows. 

“Why wouldn’t we, mate? We don’t exactly want to kill you,” Corvid asked. 

Tommy just squinted before taking a bite from one of the celery sticks that were next to the sandwich. 

“My… trainer… told me that villains wouldn’t care and had me practice by eating a lot of the stuff I was allergic to so I would know how to deal with it if I ever needed to,” Tommy told him, the memories of puffed itchy skin bubbling up to the surface. The feeling of his throat closing up as an invisible threat as he struggled for each breath. Of Dream standing over him, holding the epi-pen in his hand as he tried to talk Tommy through it. 

Corvid stared at him, seemingly in shock. 

“Did that help at all?” he asked slowly, almost as if was dreading the answer. 

Tommy shrugged. 

“I don’t think so, but he insists it did, and he kinda runs the whole show?” Tommy said, chuckling. 

“...Right,” Corvid said, turning and walking back through the door. 

Tommy watched him go before carefully picking up the sandwich. It looked pretty normal.

He sniffed it. 

Nothing wrong there. 

With a shrug he took a bite of it and was pleased when the taste of real mayo exploded on his tongue. He had only been able to buy fake mayo for so long that the taste of real mayo seemed like a little slice of heaven. 

At some point, the Blade had walked in holding a small blue notebook and a ballpoint pen. 

“Siren wouldn’t let me bring you a decent notebook so you’re stuck with this one,” he told Tommy gruffly. 

Tommy took out the offer wondering what made it a worse book. Then Tommy realized it had a floppy cover. 

“Yeah, well, he’s a right prick,” Tommy said, rolling his eyes, then quietly added, “Thank you.” 

The Blade paused for just a second, startled at the soft gratitude Tommy had displayed. 

“No problem,” he eventually said. 

He stood there for a few more seconds, shuffling his feet in a way that displayed hidden nerves. Eventually he walked out awkwardly. 

Tommy just stared in confusion as to what was happening but just shrugged and opened the notebook. He wrote down all the pay cuts and raises he had received over the past few months as well as factoring in Tubbo and Ranboo’s rent that he pitched in on. 

They had tried to get him to move in so many times, but especially after he had been caught by Dream, he had put his foot down. He refused to be the reason they were hurt, and living together would only put them in the line of fire. 

Sometimes, family was two parents and some siblings, other times it was three ex-street kids who promised to never leave them. Sometimes family was people who shared the same smile or hair colour and eye-shape. Other times it was a freakishly tall beal pole who could teleport, a ram hybrid and a bird-hybrid who could control gravity. 

They were Tommy’s family, and at the end of the day that's all that mattered.

But since Tommy made decent money, or at least he used to, he insisted on paying at least part of their rent. 

Neither of his friends knew about the pay cuts other than he took them on occasion. They didn’t know how much or how often and he intended on keeping it that way. Afterall, they were already in danger. Dream had threatened to forcefully recruit them too when he had found out that they used to work as a team. 

But Tommy refused to let anything happen to them. 

It wasn’t looking good for him though. He had taken three pay cuts in a row thanks to his own stupidity. He would definitely have to move, but summer was coming up, so it might be better financially to live out on the streets for a few months. 

It wasn’t like he hadn’t done that before. 

Factoring in groceries was tricky too. Depending on which he picked, it would change how he bought food. If he were to just be a street rat, he would rely almost entirely on the free meals he got at the hero tower whenever he was on duty, supplying with fast food and deli sandwiches on his off days or after particularly gruelling patrol . 

But, if he found dirt cheap rent, he would keep a steady stream of fruit and granola bars in his cupboards, probably a few boxes of pasta while still relying on the hero tower. 

Frustrated, Tommy closed the notebook and flopped face first onto his pillows.

He didn’t even know how much money Dream would be deducting this time. There was no rhyme or reason to it. 

He ended up taking another nap. 

“What do you think he wrote in there that made him so upset?” he heard Siren ask. 

“Whatever it was, it isn’t our business,” the Blade replied. 

“I know that, I’m not that big of a prick. Still, you can’t deny that you’re curious,” Siren leveraged. 

“It was probably some poetry or something to get his feelings out,” the Blade told him with an audible eye roll, “but I doubt you would want to read some angsty young adult’s poetry. Trust me, I’ve been to enough poetry slams to know that no matter how  curious you are, it’s not worth it unless this guy’s secretly the next Shakespeare,” the Blade told him. 

“You really think he’s pretentious enough to ask for a notebook to write poems in?” Siren asked with mild disgust. 

“Says the aspiring songwriter. Trust me, that first album you released fits the bill of ‘angsty young adult poetry’,” the Blade said. 

“I thought you said you liked it?!” Siren said, squawking indignantly. 

“I mean, I did. That doesn't change the fact that it sounded like you wrote some of the lyrics in fifteen minutes on three shots of espresso after exam week,” the Blade said, teasingly.

Siren just sighed. 

“Should I wake him up?” he asked, changing the subject. 

“Up to you. He doesn’t seem particularly bothered either way,” the Blade said. 

“I don’t really want to deal with him right now. Let’s go,” Siren said, already walking to the door. 

The Blade followed silently. 

Tommy, as per usual, counted out some twenty minutes before ‘waking up’. He was greeted with the sight of a plain roasted chicken breast and rice and steamed vegetables.

He really thinks he should give these villains a lesson on how to best be villains. Cause the number one thing he had inadvertently learned from Dream teaching him how these things went would make him a way better villain. Not that he wanted to be a villain. 

But, if he did, he knew that would do a better job than these guys. 

He paced around a lot more.  There wasn't really anything else to do aside from sleep but Tommy was sure he had  slept enough to last him the next few months at least.

He was pretty sure that he had seen the last of SBI for the night, so he was surprised when the lock clicked from the outside. 

He sat up from where he had settled in for the night using the spare shirts and pants from the drawers.

"Oh, sorry, I didn't realize you were already settling in for the night. Would you want to use the washroom before?" Corvid offered.

Tommy paused for a minute before nodding his head. 

He got up and when he walked out of the room, Corvid gently grabbed his shoulder, walking behind him. 

He was led to a plain washroom themed in light blue. Pale shiny blue tiles in the shower littered with slightly darker tiles, baby blue walls with the white porcelain of the sink, tub, toilet and shower standing in stark contrast to the rest of the room. 

There was even a painting of a blue orchid on the wall.

Corvid opened a locked cabinet with a key and handed him a new toothbrush package and closed the door behind him. 

Tommy looked at himself in the mirror. He looked better rested than he had been in months, maybe years. There was more colour to his cheeks, his eyes even looked a bit brighter. 

He savored it, knowing he would never look like this again once he was back with Dream. 

When he got back, he immediately flopped back into the bed, ignoring the itching in his wings. He was due for a preening. But, he had been so busy lately that he hadn’t been able to stop by Tubbo and Ranboo’s apartment. 

Usually, the two of them were insistent that he dropped by at least twice a week, but Dream had him working overtime lately, so he hadn’t been able to.

Tomorrow, he would preen himself. It wasn’t anywhere near as good as getting someone else to preen him, but he was getting desperate. 

The next day, he woke up to the same breakfast that he had the morning before. This time the note read something differently. 

Avian, while you’re under my watch I figured I could help you get better taste. 

Enjoy ;) 

~Siren

Tommy reached for the bowl and quickly understood what Siren had been saying. There were more banana slices than there had been the day before. Tommy shoved them all in his mouth first, wincing as he bit down on the mushy fruit.

Once he had done that, he eagerly ate the rest of his oatmeal. 

When he was done with that, he felt the incessant energy that constantly burned underneath his skin remind him about it again. 

So he did the only thing he could, he paced. At some point, he dumped all the things from the top drawer onto the floor and started jumping between them. He flapped his small wings uselessly behind them, just needing to find a way to expel the excess energy inside of him. 

“Would you stop already?” Siren snapped. 

Tommy jumped and turned his body to face him, his wings coming to wrap around his shoulders and crossing his arms. 

“What?” he asked. 

“All the moving. It’s making me dizzy,” Siren told him. 

“Siren, calm down, he’s a bird hybrid. We’re not very good at staying still for very long,” Corvid said, bustling up behind him and placing a placating hand on his shoulder. 

“Can we do anything about him?” Siren asked, irritated as he brushed his hand off his shoulder. 

“I’m right here you know,” Tommy said, taking a threatening step forward, not that he had much power in this scenario.

“ Quiet ,” Siren snapped, his eyes briefly glowing. 

Tommy didn’t necessarily have to keep quiet, but so long as they didn’t know he was immune, then he had the upper hand. And if there was ever anything he had learned from hearing about Dream’s poker games, it was to always keep your ace safely out of sight until you need it. 

The two kept debating quietly at the door while Tommy distracted himself by examining his little nest. All the clothes were too light, even the duvet they had provided him with was a bit on the thin side. Ideally, he would have two thick heavy sheets to sandwich him in, but as it stood it wasn’t a very good nest. 

His nest at his apartment was closer to this one, although, when he had had some money to spare, he had splurged on some nicer duvets for himself. 

The best nest, however, was the one he had at Tubbo and Ranboo’s apartment. They had surprised him with it a while back for his birthday. It was large enough to hold the three of them and he had a whole dedicated closet for him to rotate the thinner blankets and throw pillows and unlimited access to their wardrobes for whenever he wanted more of them in the nest. 

His thought was interrupted when he caught sight of Siren and Corvid looking at him expectantly. 

“What?” he asked. 

“We were saying that we would be willing to let you into other parts of the base if you promise to behave,” Corvid explained. 

Tommy narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

“What’s the catch?” 

“I would put you under my abilities, but fortunately for you, that’s it,” Siren told him. 

Hesitantly, Tommy nodded. He would do almost anything to get out of the small cramped room. 

Siren’s eyes turned their usual silvery blue as he stared right at Tommy. 

“You will stay in the room we put you in unless one of us explicitly leads you to a different one. You will not attack any of us and you will under no circumstances try to escape,” he told Tommy, his voice echoing hypnotically around the room. 

Tommy gulped and nodded, still not feeling the order settle into him. 

“Come on then,” Siren said grumbling as he turned away from the room.

Corvid walked in and gently grabbed his bicep and led him down the hall. Surprisingly, it wasn’t too long before they reached a small living room. It was cozy with wood paneled walls and a three cushioned couch, a two cushioned couch, and a single cushioned couch. 

But, the best part of the room was the small pile of blankets in a pile on the floor in the corner. 

“That’s for you, mate. The boys know not to mess with the nest,” Corvid told him gently.

“Really?” Tommy breathed. He had never had a nest at the hero tower, so getting one while he was a prisoner was especially shocking. 

“Well, yeah. It would be a war crime not to provide you with a nest. We might be villains, but that doesn’t mean we’re gonna deprive your instincts,” Corvid told him as if it was obvious. 

“It’s a war crime?” Tommy asked, already settling into the nest. 

“I- yeah,” Corvid said, sounding confused. 

“Huh,” Tommy said, pulling a pillow up to his chest and curling around it protectively. 

Corvid said nothing, just retreating to the little kitchen off to the side of the living room. 

Tommy took another nap and when he woke up he was surprised to see that the lights had been dimmed. That was new. He appreciated it really, but being held hostage was nothing like he had imagined it would be like, like how he had been told it would be. 

This felt more like a vacation than anything. 

Sure, he was confined to a few rooms, but when he was being particularly rowdy, Dream had been known to toss him into a cell for a bit. 

Really the only “normal” part about this was the power suppressor. And yeah, that sucked, but he couldn’t deny that it was at worst just an inconvenience. 

He got out of the nest and immediately went back to pacing. It was really all he could do. He was on his third lap of jumping between the couches when one of the barbs of his wings snagged on the skin that they were covered in. 

He winced and landed, gently grabbing his wing and stretching it out to look at the damage. It wasn’t terrible, per say. But he definitely needed a preening. 

He once again cursed his small wing size before he started running his fingers through the soft plumage as best as he could, well aware that he wouldn't be able to properly lay each feather flat or even pull the loose ones out like he needed too.

“Do you need a preening?” Corvid asked, walking into the room. 

Tommy quickly snapped his wings behind him and stood up in a defensive position.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you there,” Corvid said, raising his hands to his chest in the ‘I mean no harm’ gesture. 

Tommy kept glaring at him. 

“Listen, Avian, I understand it better than anyone. Getting preened by anyone who isn’t flock isn’t fun, but it’s better than having bad wings for any amount of time. I swear I’ll be fast,” Corvid promised him. 

Tommy- Tommy really didn’t want that. Dream had preened his feathers once when there had been a massive crime ring bust a few months back and they had been working non-stop for about a week. 

His wings had felt so much better afterwards, he couldn’t deny that. 

But during the actual preening, Tommy had felt so uncomfortable. He couldn’t explain it, but it was like getting a hug and only feeling an icy dread fill him from the inside out instead of the rich warm love he had come to expect from hugs. 

It felt like his darkest secret had been exposed and the public was looking on it and absorbing every detail. 

It felt like he had been made to lie down on a surgical table, limbs attached to the surface while scientists carefully examined his wings, studied his feathers and habits, talking about him as if he wasn’t even there. 

Dream hadn't cared. As much as Tommy had asked him to be a bit gentler, a bit faster, and eventually to stop altogether, he had just  bulldozed through it. 

“You can say no,” Corvid told him, pulling Tommy out of his memories. 

“No, please, don’t touch my wings,” Tommy rasped out.

“Breathe, mate. I promise I won’t do anything you don’t want me to,” Corvid said, taking a step back and sitting on the floor. 

It was then that Tommy realized that he had been holding his breath. 

He took a gasping breath. Greedily, trying to suck in oxygen, collapsing onto his knees when his lungs refused to cooperate. 

He heard Corvid saying something to him, but all he could focus on was the tight feeling around his throat. 

Then Corvid’s voice broke through the haze of panic. Numbers, he was saying numbers. Why was he saying numbers? 

Another memory tickled the back of his head. 

It was of Ranboo crumpled in the corner with Tubbo sitting a few steps away from him gently calling out numbers for Ranboo to try and match his breathing too. He remembered only being able to watch as Tubbo slowly pulled Ranboo out of his panicked state. 

Tommy remembered Tubbo pulling Ranboo to his feet and leading him to the couch where he got Tommy to sit with him. 

With another gasp, he tried to latch onto the numbers Corvid was calling. It took a while but eventually he managed to raise his head from where it had been tucked into his knees. 

“Hey, Avian,” Corvid called gently, “are you back with us?” 

Tommy took another deep, shaky breath, nodding his head. 

“I’m glad. Blade is getting you some tea right now. Would you rather take it to your room or stay here?” he asked. 

“Room please,” Tommy choked out. 

Corvid nodded. “Of course. When you feel ready, you can stand up, okay?” he told him, still sitting down. Tommy wasn’t sure why he hadn’t moved but he couldn't help but be relieved. He wasn’t sure how he would feel if Corvid was walking around, reminding Tommy of the power he had in this scenario. 

Tommy nodded shakily and counted in his head to a hundred. As soon as he hit it, he tried standing up, grateful he had ended up by a wall. 

Corvid watched as he stood up with the grace of a newborn deer and slowly stood up himself. 

Tommy kept a hand on the wall as he made  his way to the doorway that led back to his room. As he was walking, he tripped. He braced himself for the impact but was surprised when he was instead caught. 

Before he could fully register what had happened he was sitting back on one of the couches. 

“Sorry, Avian,” Corvid apologized as he stepped back from the couch he had just deposited Tommy on to. 

Tommy blinked, still processing the past however long.

“It’s fine, it saved me a broken nose, didn’t it?” he said, giving a shaky laugh. 

Corvid flashed him a smile before he plucked a throw blanket from behind it and gently tossed it to Tommy. 

Tommy caught it gratefully and wrapped it around himself. 

“We can try your room again in a few minutes, but I think you’re still recovering a bit,” Corvod told him. 

Tommy nodded and snuggled into the blanket. 

A few minutes later, the Blade walked out from the kitchen holding a water bottle. 

He wordlessly handed it to Tommy, who accepted it gratefully. When he went to open it, bracing himself to break the plastic that attached the cap to the little ring, he found it already open. 

He narrowed his eyes suspiciously and unscrewed the cap, taking a precautionary sniff. 

“It’s not drugged, if that’s what you're thinking,” the Blade cut in “I just didn’t feel like watching you struggle with that.”

Tommy didn’t say anything, just taking a slow cautious sip, keeping an eye out on the colour of the water and scanning it in his mouth for any grittiness or off taste. When he found nothing, he kept sipping at it carefully. 

When the entire bottle had been emptied, he stood up, Corvid taking his queue and doing the same. 

This time, he was able to make it through the door and out the hall on his own, even if there were a few times when Corvid had needed to put a gentle hand on his shoulder to steady him. He never lingered, just long enough to make sure Tommy didn’t fall and then immediately retracting it, always apologizing for it afterwards. 

When they got to the room, he watched as Tommy got into bed, leaving for a moment before reappearing with a thicker blanket and leaving it within reaching distance of Tommy before leaving him alone. 

Tommy pulled it over him before finally succumbing to the exhaustion that had weighed down his bones since the panic attack. 

He slept peacefully and when he woke up he saw that the clock read four in the afternoon. 

He looked to the nightstand and saw that someone had left him another sandwich and a cupcake.

Tommy stared at the cupcake. It looked to only be a vanilla on vanilla, but Tommy wasn’t about to complain. The last time he had had a cupcake had been for Tubbo’s birthday when the three of them had saved up just for the occasion. 

They were fancy red velvet cupcakes from the bakery down the street, and they were the best tasting things Tommy had ever had. They had been planning on making it a tradition after that for their birthdays and Tommy’s was next, but he was already scheming how to get himself out of it. He couldn’t afford it like he could last time, but they didn’t need to know that.

Regardless, there stood this perfect vanilla cupcake just begging him to eat it. 

Still, he had some amount of self control, so he reached with the sandwich and took a bite. He munched through it slowly relishing in the rich creamy mayo mixed with just the right amount of mustard. 

Finally, he was done and he moved on to the cupcake. He lifted it up to his face and observed the perfect buttercream swirl that stood proudly on top. 

He methodically peeled away at the wrapper until the cupcake was free of its paper prison and brought it up to his mouth and took a bite. 

It was perfect. Rich sweet vanilla cake flooded his mouth alongside thick vanilla buttercream. It tasted like a slice of heaven cut right from the pearly white clouds themselves had been handed to him in the shape of a cupcake. 

He slowly ate through the rest of the small cake, savouring each bite before going in for a last one, eating away at the cake and frosting to make sure that the last bite had the perfect balance of cake to frosting. 

When he took the last one he settled back into his bed, pulling the covers around him to make himself comfortable in his nest. 

He just lounged there, his energy still sapped from his panic attack earlier. He didn’t know how much later but the door opened and through came Corvid, seemingly making an effort to be gentle. 

“Hi, Avian,” he said, walking in and holding a tray with some food. 

“Hi,” Tommy said warily. 

“I know you don’t really have a reason to trust me, but I promise you none of us will touch your wings without permission, okay?” Phil told him. 

Tommy nodded, accepting his dinner with a dip of his head. 

“In about an hour, someone will come and bring you to the bathroom for a shower, okay?” Corviid told him. 

“Sounds good,” Tommy said, already tearing into the sandwich. 

Corvid left him be and Tommy made his way through the sandwich and yoghurt he had been provided. With the remaining time he had left, he pulled out the notebook and went back to his finances. 

He had a few different numbers he had gotten that might be the amount he starts being paid now. He decided to work with the lowest one so he could prepare for the worst case scenario. 

None of them were very high, but the lowest one was low . This was the one where if he got within range of it, he would throw in the towel and go back to being a street kid. The meals at the hero tower were decent enough that he wouldn’t go hungry so long as he dropped in at least once a day and made sure to buy himself street foods high in iron and protein. 

He was in the middle of factoring in the costs of suit repairs that Dream always made him partially pay when the door opened again. 

“Avian, grab a pair of pants and a shirt,” the Blade said. 

Tommy clicked the pen and closed the notebook, leaving it on his night stand and did as he was told. The Blade then led him through the house back to the washroom. 

“You pull it this way to get the hot and cold, you can also use this knob up here to change the water pressure,” he explained doing a quick demonstration of the detachable shower head. 

Tommy nodded and the Blade left him to his own devices. He struggled a bit with the shower at first and then he found a good water temperature. He was grateful for the detachable shower head since he could wash himself without wetting his wings. That was always a pain at home, they took ages to dry. 

The soap had a pleasant fake strawberry scent and the shampoo claimed to be blueberries, though Tommy really doubted that that was what blueberries smelled like. 

Once he was done, he knocked on the door to the bathroom and the Blade opened it. He took in Tommy’s mask and ruffled hair from where he had dragged the towel through it before gesturing for Tommy to follow. 

The next day when he was brought to the living room after Siren had given him the same commands as yesterday, he was surprised to see a pile of board games on the coffee table. 

“What’s this?” Tommy asked, confused. 

“Siren here,” Corvid  started, jabbing a thumb in the villains direction, “got sick of watching you pace, so we figured that maybe keeping you entertained would keep you still for a bit.” 

“Okay…” Tommy said slowly, seating himself on one of the long sides. 

The Blade and Siren sat either side of him while Corvid took the side opposite of him. 

“Let’s start with some Uno, shall we?” Corvid said grinning. 

Tommy had never witnessed anyone make a bigger mistake. And he had watched as Ranboo told Tubbo he was allowed to bake him a cake so long as Tommy supervised. Tommy hadn’t really been there to supervise, more to spectate the trainwreck. 

The living room was in complete chaos, the Blade and Siren at each other's throats as they tried conspiring with Corvid and Tommy to give more cards to the other. 

Well, Siren conspired with Corvid and the Blade with both of them, it seemed Siren wasn’t really a fan of him still. 

In the end though, both of them had about a dozen cards each as Phil placed down his last card with a smug grin. 

They played a few more rounds of Uno, the living room spiraling into chaos everytime. Tommy ended up with a win, Corvid winning another and then Siren and the Blade each winning a round before Corvid told them to pack up for lunch.

He whipped up some pasta while Tommy went to his little nest in the corner and the other two watched a movie. It was oddly domestic. Tommy imagined that they had been working together for longer than the public knew. 

When it was done they all ate on the couches, aside from Tommy who took the floor. He really didn’t want to know what would happen if he got tomato sauce on the couches. 

After lunch, the others drifted into their own things. Corvid stayed in the living room while the other two went through a door Tommy knew was locked.

“I hope they weren’t too much for you,” Corvid told him. 

“I’ve seen worse,” Tommy said, shrugging. Game nights with Tubbo and Ranboo were always an experience. 

Corvid chuckled and went back to his book. 

The next week and a bit went similarly. They would let him out of his room for a few hours, sometimes putting on a movie, sometimes playing a board game or two, eating lunch. After lunch, two of them would always go somewhere leaving one person to babysit him. 

Usually Corvid or the Blade, but Siren had been left with him once or twice. 

Today was one of those days. One of the Siren days. 

As much as Tommy was tempted to annoy him, he hadn’t been able to sleep much last night and it had shown during the few rounds of President they had played. His wings were starting to bother him too.

He had preened them as best he could, but without someone else helping him, he couldn’t get the barbs to lay flat. 

He kept shifting around his nest, trying to relieve the itchy sensation of his wings as best he could. He kept surreptitiously glancing at Siren whenever he could, each time the villain seemed to be more and more annoyed at him. 

“What?” Siren finally snapped. 

Tommy pulled one of the blankets over top of his wings in a pathetic attempt of protecting them from Siren. He knew that Corvid promised him that no one would touch his wings, but he wasn’t ready to test out that promise. 

“Nothing,” he ground out. 

“Then why do you keep moving? You’re usually pretty still,” Siren asked disbelievingly. 

“We all have some off days,” Tommy told him glaring. 

Siren just rolled his eyes and went back to watching whatever he had put on the TV. Tommy sighed, glad the attention was off of him. But it really didn't solve the problem he was having with his wings. 

Deciding he didn’t want to get interrogated again, he slowly shifted himself into one last position and resolved to stay that way regardless how much he wanted to move. 

An hour had passed and Tommy hadn’t managed to take his usual afternoon nap, but Siren got up and led him back to his room. As soon as the door closed again, Tommy spread out his wings and did his best to preen them. It was a worthy effort, but like every other attempt, he ultimately failed. 

Dinner came in the form of the Blade carrying his usual tray. Tommy startled when he caught sight of the ceramic bowl containing a rich smelling soup. 

“I’m eating here with you, but if you try anything, we’re revoking your living room privileges and sticking you back in the holding cell,” he told Tommy gruffly. 

Tommy nodded slowly and took the tray when the Blade held it out to him. It was a rich chicken soup with little bits of cooked carrots, potatoes, and celery floating around. He picked up the plastic spoon next to it and took a small spoonful. 

“Careful, it’s hot,” the Blade warned Tommy. 

Tommy just used his free hand to flip him off and shoved the soup in his mouth. 

He immediately regretted it when he burnt his tongue. He heard the Blade let out a small chuckle and turned to glare at him. 

“What? Do you find joy in my suffering?” he asked him. 

“I mean, I am a supervillain. Not sure if you noticed,” the Blade told him, trying to keep a straight face. 

“Yeah, but you’re not that type of villain,” Tommy shot back. 

The Blade paused. 

“What do you mean by that?” 

“I mean, you guys aren’t terrible. I have a room and blankets. You guys even gave me a nest and stuff! And I’m pretty sure you haven’t drugged me– though, the jury’s still out on that one considering how much I sleep. But you aren’t so bad,” Tommy told him. 

“Riiiight,” the Blade said slowly. “You know that the only contradiction is you being here at all,” he pointed out. 

“What do you mean?” Tommy asked. 

“I mean, you haven't actually done anything to warrant being taken aside from being in the wrong place at the wrong time,” the Blade told him. 

“I mean, you guys are villains. I kinda have to expect the worst from you,” Tommy said. 

The Blade just nodded and Tommy dropped the topic, finishing his food in silence. 

When he finished, he stuck the spoon in the bowl and stood up to give the tray to the Blade, but the sheets had gotten tangled around his legs and he winded up tripping over them. The tray fell from his hands and Tommy watched in slow motion as the bowl shattered across the floor. 

Instinctively, Tommy dropped to his knees, ignoring the sting of the shards digging into his skin. He curled his arms in to protect his head and pulled his wings around his midsection and braced for the punches and kicks he was sure were coming. 

When nothing happened, he slowly poked his head from his protective stance and saw the Blade crouched in a non-threatening way. His mouth was moving although Tommy couldn’t hear what he was saying. 

Then Tommy saw the way he was holding a hand on his chest and the way it was rising and falling in a slow steady rhythm. He got the idea and started trying to match it much like the way Corvid had done for him the other day. 

“You back with me?” the Blade asked softly, a tone which startled Tommy.

He slowly nodded, still trying to catch his breath. 

“Right, this is what’s going to happen, all right? I’m going to come over to you and help you sit back on the bed. Then I’m going to go and get the first-aid kit and Corvid so he can clean the floor while I take care of your legs, okay?” the Blade told him. 

Tommy nodded numbly. The Blade came over to him and gently grabbed his midsection, being careful to avoid his wings and helped him back onto the bed. 

Then he left the room, returning quickly with Corvid in tow. 

“This is gonna hurt. You’ve got a lot of bits stuck in your skin, but I’m gonna be as careful as possible,” the Blade soothed. 

Tommy nodded and braced himself for it to begin. 

The Blade carefully went in with his tweezers. He was gentle as he pulled out shards of bowl from Tommy’s skin, muttering soft apologies whenever Tommy flinched particularly hard. When he was done, he put antibacterial cream over the cuts, putting bandages over the worst of it. 

Meanwhile, Corvid efficiently cleaned off the floor, going over it with a mop at the end to pick up at the last few stray shards and ceramic powder. 

“If you feel like any of these are bothering you more than they should, just give us a shout,” Corvid told him as he left. 

“I will. Thank you,” Tommy said softly, thoroughly confused about the villains’ behaviour.

“Come on! Today’s a special day!” Siren exclaimed, shaking Tommy awake the next morning. 

Groggily, Tommy opened his eyes, annoyed at being woken up at the early hour. 

“Hurry up and change,” Siren told him before walking out the door. 

Tommy just sighed before peeling himself off the mattress and changing into a pair of sweats and a clean t-shirt. Ever since the shower ,he had ditched his suit with the promise he would get it back when he was returned to Dream. He didn’t know how much he trusted them, but they had yet to break a promise so he was hopeful. 

When he walked out the door, Siren gestured for him to turn around and Tommy complied, letting him put on the blindfold.  

Once he was done, he carefully led Tommy down the hall. He didn’t recognize the direction that Siren was taking him. It put Tommy’s on edge, straining his ears to see if he could get any clues as to where he was being taken. 

Finally they paused while Siren opened a door and ushered Tommy through it. Once he was safely through, he heard Siren lock it and remove his blindfold. 

Tommy blinked at the bright light that invaded his senses. When the light had faded to normal, he looked around the room. It looked to be some sort of training gym. Mats covered most of the floor with various platforms and hoops leading up to the top of the high ceiling. One of the walls had a rock climbing wall. Tommy noticed a suspicious lack of weapons, though that made sense.

“I’m giving you an hour. Don’t waste it,” Siren said stepping further into the gm 

“An hour for what?” Tommy asked, narrowing his eyes. 

“With your powers,” Siren said, pulling out a key from his pocket. 

Tommy took a step back, raising his hands in front of his chest. 

“What’s the deal here?” 

“There isn’t a  deal,” Siren told him. 

“I don’t believe that.” 

“Yeah, that’s fair.” 

Siren just stood there, looking Tommy up and down before he sat down on the floor cross legged with a sigh. “Let me tell you something,” he said, gesturing for Tommy to take a seat. 

Tommy bit his lip consideringly before he took a seat a few feet in front of Siren. 

Siren took a deep breath before he started, “Years ago, when I was younger and still new to villainy, I was taken by the heroes. I was being dumb, though I was  invcinable. And sure, it was weird being separated from Corvid and Techno, and they used some… less than kind interrogation techniques that didn't help. 

“But, by far, the worst part was being separated from my abilities. They put me in a cuff a lot like yours and the only thing I could really focus on the entire time was how empty I felt, how a part of me was missing. 

“I was with them for I think just under three weeks before I got rescued. Before even leaving the base, I begged Corvid to remove the cuff, and when he finally did,  it was like my world was finally right again. I hate seeing you like this, anyone like this really. So, you have an hour in this room to just use your ability. All the weapons have been removed and if I need to, I can stop you with my powers. ” 

“I get that,” Tommy said without thinking. ”Being separated from your powers is the weirdest thing. I- my trainer liked to get me used to it in case I was ever taken. I once spent a month without them. Granted, I wasn’t in a cell so I think that made it easier, but I’ve learned to ignore it.”

Tommy didn't know why he said that, it probably went against the hero code to tell the enemy about their training techniques. But the raw pain in Siren’s voice as he told Tommy of what he went through made him want to sympathize with Siren, wanting to let him know he understood.

“That’s- that’s awful,” Siren said, his eyes widening and sounding mildly ill. 

“I mean, training isn’t supposed to be easy. It’s supposed to prepare you for worst case scenarios,” he said nonchalantly, parroting what Dream had told him so many times before. 

“But a month ,” Siren emphasized. “Wait, were you still training during the month?” 

“Well, duh, it's not like I can just take a month off,” Tommy told him. Seriously, what kind of training did these villains do?

Siren just stared at Tommy, his mouth opening and closing a few times before he eventually just shook his head. 

“Give me your hands, please, let me give you this,” he whispered.  

The blonde looked up at Wilbur, still unsure before he cautiously held out his hands. Siren took out the key from his pocket and unlocked them. 

Tommy stumbled from the feeling of gravity crashing into him again. He was suddenly acutely aware of how much gravity was pushing on the things around him. His power was humming right under his skin. 

He took a few seconds to orient himself again before he latched onto the gravity around him and thinned it. He felt himself lift up a bit, his toes now being the only point of contact he had to the ground. He hopped up a bit before he sprinted off to the rock wall, launching himself onto it, grabbing onto a handhold.

He shouted with glee as he reached the peak of his jump, relishing in the thrill of being so high up. 

Tommy  climbed up easily, whenever he felt like he was slipping, he just thinned gravity around him, letting himself float before latching onto a new one and weighing himself down again. 

When he hit the peak, he looked down at Siren who was watching him attentively. Part of Tommy thought that he should be worried, that Siren was taking notes of his abilities to fight him better in battles. But he reasoned that if that was what was happening, it wasn’t anything he wouldn’t eventually find out. 

So, with a shout, he launched himself to one of the platforms, flapping his small wings and ignoring the sting of the misaligned feathers as he pushed himself further forward. His wings weren’t powerful enough to steer him in any direction, but he could push himself forward if he flapped hard enough. 

Gliding on the other hand was different. 

He landed on the platform and immediately dove off, angling his wings out either side of him as he weighed himself down. He leaned on his right wing, and glided in small spirals until he hit the bottom. 

“Having fun, Avian?” Siren called from where he was sitting. 

Tommy eagerly nodded, “It’s been a while since I’ve been able to have fun like that!” he shouted before thinning the gravity around himself and going upward. 

He spent the entire hour just gliding around, jumping from platform to platform. At one point, he even challenged himself to grab onto various sets of rings dangling from the ceiling. He enjoyed the thrill of each stomach churning drop and lightning fast rise as he eliminated gravity. 

“Times up!” Siren called up to him just as he was about to jump on to another platform. 

Tommy looked down at where the brunette was, sighing sadly. With a heavy heart, he jumped off, making himself just heavy enough for a slow descent. When he got to the ground, he held out his hands and Siren snapped the cuffs around his wrists. 

Gravity crashed down on him immediately, in an attempt to rebalance himself, Tommy took a step backwards. only to fall flat on his back. 

“Are you okay?” Siren asked, kneeling down next to him in an instant. 

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Tommy said with a groan. “I was just really light when you put the cuff back on. I should have made myself heavier before.” 

Siren nodded and sat back, obviously waiting for Tommy to right himself. When he eventually sat up, he handed Tommy a water bottle that he accepted gratefully. 

“Depending on how much longer you’re with us, I might bring you out here one more time. We’ll see how it goes though,” Siren told Tommy who just nodded as he kept draining the water bottle. 

When he was done with the water,  he offered Tommy a hand up which he accepted gratefully. Tommy really couldn’t figure out what the deal was with these villains, but he wasn’t complaining. 

“Do you know how much longer it’s supposed to be before I can go back?” he asked tentatively as they walked to the doors of the gym. 

“I think we’re gonna give the heroes a call tomorrow with you to finalize some things. I’m not too sure though,” Siren told him after a pause. 

Tommy nodded. Right before they got to the doors, Siren put a gentle hand on his shoulder, stopping him from going forward. 

“Blindfold,” Siren said simply.

Tommy nodded and let Siren tie the familiar black cloth around his eyes. Once Siren checked the tightness, he put a permanent hand on Tommy’s shoulder and led him through the door. 

After his fifth stumble, Siren sat Tommy down by gently pushing down on him. 

“Gravity?” he asked.

Tommy nodded. 

“Sorry about that. I’m usually a lot steadier after someone takes off power suppressors. I also don’t usually do a lot of jumping like that when they’re taken off,” Tommy told him. 

“It’s fine, just take your time. No one expects you to immediately acclimate to being without your powers,” Siren said. 

Tommy just nodded, leaning his head against the wall behind him so he was facing upward. 

“Do you want more water?” Siren asked after a few minutes. 

Tommy considered for a moment before nodding his head with a small ‘please’. 

“Don’t get up,”  Siren said, his power weaving itself through the words. 

Tommy could feel the fact that he could easily resist it but made no move too. He didn’t want to know what they would do if they knew he was immune, especially with all the freedom they had given him so far. 

He heard Siren return and carefully place a cold water bottle in his hand. 

“The cap is already off,” Siren informed him. 

Tommy nodded and carefully pulled the top of the bottle towards his lips. He took slow long sips, enjoying the feeling of cool water going down his throat. Once he was done, Siren once again helped him stand up and kept a careful hand on him.

There were still a few stumbles but they were small and easily helped. 

When they arrived back at the room, Siren undid the blindfold and left Tommy to his own devices. He caught sight of his usual oatmeal and immediately remembered how he hadn't had time for that this morning. 

With a rumbling stomach, Tommy eagerly picked up the bowl and enjoyed it, even if he grimaced at the bananas. In the end, he fell asleep again, the morning having tuckered him out a lot more than he realized. 

He went to his usual afternoon board game, this time getting destroyed in a game of Sorry as he targeted Siren who targeted him right back and got luckier with his dice rolls. 

This time, it also seemed to be a Siren day. Tommy did his usual where he just layed in his nest, constantly shifting as the itch in his wings had gotten worse, but this time Siren didn't say anything. He just let him shift as he needed, at one point, tossing Tommy another throw pillow which he caught and hugged to his chest.  

As he finally managed to find himself on the cusp of sleep, Tommy swore that he heard the TV get turned down a bit, but he was pretty sure that that was just a trick of his imagination. No way Siren would do that. 

The next afternoon, they blindfolded Tommy after lunch and brought him back to the interrogation room. The room was set up differently this time, all the chairs had been shoved to one side while a projector screen was pulled down on the other side. 

Corvid and Tommy took the center two chairs, with the Blade sitting beside Tommy and Siren on the other side of Corvid. 

“Avian, I wouldn’t suggest saying anything. You’re here so Breakneck knows that you’re safe,” Corvid told him softly, a dangerous edge to his voice. 

Tommy gulped and nodded. That was the first time he had heard anything like that tone the entire time he had been there from Corvid. It was the tone he heard while on the battlefield, on the news reports. But never at him. He meant business right now. 

They waited a few minutes and then a video call came in. Siren accepted with the click of a mouse in front of him. 

“Breakneck,” Corvid greeted coldly. 

“Corvid,” Dream said with a dip of his head. “Siren, Blade,” then with mild disgust, “ Avian .” 

Tommy winced at the tone, the others stiffening when they heard it. 

“We’re here to discuss the terms of Avian’s release,” Corvid told him, a hand drifting to Tommy’s shoulder. 

“Yes, I’m aware. You listed off a few prices, however, all of those are much too high for him,” Dream said silkily. 

Tommy curled in on himself at those words. He knew what Dream thought of him— he did- but it hurt to hear it. 

“Very well. We’re willing to negotiate. Our tech division had some blueprints stolen a while back. Any chance you know where they are?” Corvid asked. 

“Mmmm, nope. Can’t say I do,” Dream said easily. 

“Blade, what’s left?” Corvid asked. 

“We have that crate of supplies that went missing from the port a while ago,” the Blade said gruffly. 

“Breakneck?” Corvid offered, tilting his head like his namesake. 

“Still a little high for him, though I can’t imagine you would be willing to go lower,” Dream told them. “I can have my people drop them off at a location of your choosing in three weeks.” 

“Three weeks?!” Siren exclaimed standing up.

“That’s how long it would take us to review the shipment. Surely, you understand,” Dream told them. 

“We do, we just figured it would be shorter. We have things to do, crimes to commit. And it's rather difficult to do with a hero in the base,” Corvid said, jumping in before Siren could say anything more. 

“Well, I would try to speed up the process but we have our hands tied with a few rogues at the moment. I trust that my protégé won’t come to any… excessive harm whilst under your care,” Dream asked. 

“Rest assured he won’t,” Corvid said, placing his hand back on Tommy’s shoulder before ending the call. 

Immediately the tension in the room dropped, Siren in particular slumping back in his chair. 

“Right, that’s over with boys. Would one of you mind taking Avian back to his room? We have lots to discuss.” 

The Blade sat up and motioned for Tommy to do the same. Numbly he stood up, still reeling from the fact that he would spend another three weeks with the villains. Even if a little traitorous part of him was relieved. 

He had three more weeks of full meals and a comfy bed. Three more weeks of full-night sleeps and three more weeks without having someone watch his every misstep and weakness.

But, when he got back to his room, he felt the pain of Dream’s words burrow under his skin, attacking his still-beating heart. Felt their sharp barbed tips stick to him like burrs on a long summer day, constantly reminding him of his worth. 

The feelings of self-hatred and longing bubbled up, spilling over in the form of long heavy sobs and blue eyes glazed over with an ocean of tears, reflecting the stormy blue of his iris. He cried because his heart was telling him so many things.

It told him that SBI were dangerous, that they were villains, that he was only a bargaining chip to them. Another part of him reminded him of the way they gave him space, of how gentle the Blade was when he hurt himself with the soup bowl, how Siren gave him time with his abilities and how gentle he handled Tommy as he was getting used to gravity again. 

Still another part of him screamed that he was a hero, that he was supposed to fight villains. But a small terrified part of him screamed about how harsh Dream was during his training, about how he threatened to hurt Tubbo and Ranboo, about how all his words seemed to always target the softest parts of Tommy’s heart. 

He was split, torn. Trapped at a crossroads with two conflicting maps and a broken compass. 

When he finally calmed himself down enough, he rearranged his nest, switching around the placement of everything until it was much tighter around him. Once he was satisfied, he curled up in the middle, ignoring the incessant itch of his wings and fell into a fitful sleep.

When he woke up the next morning, he could tell the day was going to be long and hard. His oatmeal was already next to him, but unlike the other days, he took his time waking up and reaching for it. 

It felt like his blood had been replaced with molasses, sleep weighing heavily in his bones. He wanted more sleep but knew that he wouldn’t be able to find it again, and if he did, it would be much like the sad half sleep he had been able to achieve the previous night. 

When Corvid came to get him for their usual afternoon, he paused at the sight of Tommy sitting in his nest. 

“Are you all right?” he asked softly. 

Tommy just nodded and got himself out of bed, even the itch in his wings having seemingly dulled down. Tommy at the last minute grabbed his notebook and pen. He figured the numbers would be a nice distraction. 

Corvid led him through the base as per usual, much gentler than normal. When they reached the living room, he didn’t go to the cupboard where Tommy knew they kept the games, instead he walked over to a closet Tommy hadn’t seen open yet. 

He shuffled through it and pulled out a few thick blankets. He inspected a few of them and after replacing one of them with a different one, he came and tipped them all onto Tommy’s lap. 

“You look like you need that, mate,” he said softly. 

Tommy, who was feeling his emotions begin to overwhelm him again only nodded, burying his face in the soft fuzzy material. 

He winded up not going back to the nest, instead choosing to commandeer the three person couch he had found himself on.

When the other two entered they paused and then the Blade went and sat down on the couch while Siren went to the shelf that contained all the DVD’s they owned. As Corvid returned with tea for Tommy, he popped in a movie Tommy had never heard of. “How to Train Your Dragon”. 

Corvid winded up sitting with Siren while the Blade claimed the single couch. Tommy appreciated it. He knew it was dangerous what he was doing, letting the villains see him vulnerable, letting them coddle like this. But, for so long, he had no one but himself, so the idea of letting other people take care of him was very foreign yet too tempting to resist. 

Tommy lost himself in the music of the movie, the visuals stunning. He also found himself relating to Toothless. Lost and scared, but unable to leave. He couldn't fly, not in the way he so desperately wanted too, unable to reach for the clouds he had made a home in for so long. 

They left him alone all afternoon. When lunch came, they only left a few sandwiches on a plate in front of him, letting him eat at his own pace. He pulled out the notebook at one point to try and distract himself, but it only seemed to thicken the heavy molasses that already sat in his body, so he just tossed it off to the side. 

When it came time to put him back in the room, they seemed reluctant to disturb him. They were kind though and let him keep the blanket he had wrapped around his shoulder. 

The next morning happened much the same way. Same long and fitful night, same slow oatmeal. Same molasses-infused blood. Corvid came, but this time, Tommy just went for the nest. 

SBI seemed to have slightly different plans. They pulled out a few different board games and started playing them with half the energy they usually did. Tommy appreciated it, appreciated the white noise as he drifted in and out of awareness all afternoon. Appreciated the way that Corvid just nudged Tommy when he left him his lunch. 

At some point, they pulled out a small shiny silver briefcase and Tommy immediately tensed up, it looked far too similar to the case that Dream would receive new imports of weapons in. 

Corvid noticed his tension and tilted his head up questioningly. 

“If you guys are going to test something, can I go back to my room?” Tommy asked timidly. 

“Test something?” Corvid asked. 

“With the weapon,” Tommy said, nodding towards the briefcase. 

“The wea- oh mate, did you mean this?” Corvid asked, holding up the case. 

Tommy nodded and subconsciously fluffed his feathers. 

“This is just poker,” Corvid said with a small life. 

“Huh?” 

Siren took the case and got closer to Tommy before he unlatched it and showed Tommy the inside. Sure enough, there were just rows of various coloured chips and playing cards. 

“Oh,” Tommy said. 

“Yeah, oh,” Siren said laughing. “What? Have you never played poker?”

“It’s not like I’m allowed in casinos,” Tommy grumbled without thinking, not seeing the way that Siren tensed. 

“Sorry?” Siren asked with forced lightness. 

Tommy looked at him quizzically, rolling his words around in his mind before he found the problem. His wings flared up either side of him. 

“I mean, heroes aren’t supposed to hang out in casinos, y’know? A bunch of wronguns go there,” he tried. 

“Avian, how old are you?” Siren said in a low voice with a dangerous undertone. 

“Nineteen,” Tommy responded. 

Siren squinted up at him suspiciously. “Do I have to use my power on you?” he asked. 

Tommy vigorously shook his head, “I swear it.”

Siren looked at him in disbelief but ultimately dropped the topic. Instead, he stood up and offered Tommy a hand. Tommy accepted and he was ushered over to the table where they patiently taught Tommy how to play poker. He wasn’t very good at it, but the Blade complimented him on his stoic posture. 

Tommy smiled at that, thanking Dream for having needed to learn to lie and mean it in order to avoid the worst of his wrath. 

When they finished off, Tommy was feeling sleepy, barely able to keep his eyes open despite the fact that it was still mid-afternoon. At his request, he was taken back to the nest rather than his room. He enjoyed the noise they made. The perfect backdrop to his peaceful slumber. 

Just before he fell asleep, when he was less aware of himself, he unthinkingly reached a hand up to his mask and moved it upwards so he could properly rub his eye.

When he did, he noticed they had stopped talking. He cracked open an eye intending to tell them that they could make noise when he saw them all staring at him. 

He sat up and then felt his mask slide back down on his face and realized what had happened. 

“Avian,” Siren asked, his eyes lighting up, “how old are you really?” 

Tommy hesitated for a beat, going through all his options. He knew he didn’t look nineteen, but he couldn’t play off eighteen thanks to his casino slip-up. That meant he would need to be honest, as much as he didnt want to. If they called out his bluff of him being eighteen, then they would know he was immune and there went his one trump card. 

“Seventeen,” he told them, ducking his gaze. 

The tension in the room was palpable. 

“Avian, can you look at me?” Corvid asked softly. 

Tommy took a deep breath before nodding and meeting the villain’s eyes. He was sitting on the floor, his legs tucked under him. 

“Hiya, mate. I know you don’t know too much about what we’re like, but I want you to understand one thing. We don’t want to hurt you, especially now. So, to even the playing field-” Corvid’s hands then went to the back of his head and after a few clicks the mask fell to his lap. 

Tommy was left staring at a blonde man with blue eyes that seemed to rival his in brightness. He had such a kind open face that Tommy struggled to remember that he was the same one wearing a bird shaped mask just seconds prior. 

Tommy didn't know what to say, how did he move on. They knew how young he was. 

“I want you to understand something. We don’t approve of child soldiers,” Corvid said, his eyes flashing dangerously. 

“I’m not a-” 

“You are kid,” the Blade said, stepping forward. “You didn't even want to be a hero. You told us yourself you were forced into it. You’re still a kid and that makes you a child soldier.” 

Tommy didn’t have a counter for that, so he just kept quiet. 

“Avian, we need you to be honest. Do you want to be a hero,” Siren said slowly. 

Tommy thought about it. Thought of all the pain he had gone through, of how trapped he felt, of how alone he was. He had Tubbo and Ranboo, but they would never understand what it was like being a hero, and he hoped they never would. It was why he kept going– to protect them. To love them, to let them live the life he wished they could all live together. 

“Villains, especially us, have reasons for doing what we do. And one of those is actually protecting people like you, protecting the people who have been wronged by the so-called heroes. So we have a few offers for you that we want you to at least consider ,” Corvid continued. 

Tommy nodded, he didn't fully trust them yet, but even in the little time he had spent with them they treated him miles better than Dream ever had. 

“First off, we can help you escape. We have connections all throughout the country. We could bring you to another city and keep you off the radar,” Corvid offered. 

“I have a family. They would need to come with me,” Tommy immediately said. “They would have be your priority.” 

“Whatever you want,” Corvid said, nodding. 

“The other is we can find a way to make a deal with Breakneck that would guarantee you immunity,” Corvid told him.

Tommy nodded. And then he had an idea. But he needed to test the waters. 

“I want you to be honest with me. Why are you villains,” he asked tentatively. 

“We’re villains because the heroes have always done more harm than good. We're villains not just for the sake of being villains, but for the sake of slowing down their power. We're villains in hopes that one day we can take them down. We're villains because sometimes in order to make things right, you have to hurt the people who take advantage of people like you.” 

Tommy nodded, suddenly feeling safety flood his veins. At the end of the day, black and white didn't exist. Everything was in shades of grey, most people refused to acknowledge that, they ignored the way that right and wrong were fluid. 

He had been hurt by heroes and he knew that there were thousands of people just like him. Only the rich benefited from the existence of heroes. The poor were taken like him trained up to be heroes. They were collateral in a war that wasn’t theirs to fight. 

Meanwhile the villains had shown him nothing but kindness since he had arrived. They had been gentle and kind, they had respected his space, had respected his hybrid half in a way that he had never gotten from Dream. 

So he stood up, watching the way Corvid did the same, his face an expression of confusion with a spark of hope. 

“Let me join you. They hurt me, threatened my family. It wasn’t my battle to fight, but they threw me in and it’s become mine.” 

So with apprehension and excitement, Corvid stuck out his hand, Tommy meeting it in the middle.

“Welcome to the team, Avian,” he told him pleased. 

“Please, call me Tommy," he said with a grin.

After shaking his hand, Tommy had been escorted to his room once again, the villains promising it wasn’t anything personal, they just needed to discuss some things together. Tommy nodded and let himself be taken back to his room, not even complaining when they didn’t take off the cuffs. 

He sat there, pacing his room again, unsure of how they would proceed. 

“Avian,” Siren said walking through the door. 

“What’s up?” Tommy asked, jumping off the bed to stand and face the villain. 

“We need to make sure that you’re being honest with us so we’re taking you for one last interrogation, all right?” 

Tommy nodded, that made sense. He would have been disappointed if they took him in just like that. 

So he allowed Siren to put on the blindfold and lead him through the base. It didn’t escape him how gentle he was this time. The soft edge his voice took on when he told Tommy which direction he needed to turn. The way he seemed to hear Tommy’s racing heart and squeezed his shoulder reassuringly. 

Finally, he was sat down back in the interrogation room, once again arranged the way it was the first time.

“Ready, Tommy?” Corvid asked 

Tommy jumped a bit at hearing his name from him, but he nodded. He was ready. 

“Full name please,” Siren asked, his eyes alight with his power. 

“Tomathy Kraken Innit,” he said. 

“How did you become a hero?”

“I used to be a vigilante by the name of Glider. It didn't take me long to find a niche in cleaning up after big fights. Breakneck wasn’t a fan of that apparently cause he arrested me. 

“Technically, vigilantes are illegal, but the cops don’t mind us– they even like us most of the time. Obviously, he didn't agree. When he took me to the hero tower he offered me an ultimatum. Become a hero or spend twenty years in a maximum security prison. He threatened my family too, told me he would arrest them as accessories to my crimes. So, Avian was born,” Tommy told them, flashes of the day flashing in front of his eyes. 

He remembered the cold metal of the handcuffs digging into his skin, the too-bright light that hung above his head. Of the way Dream’s voice sounded like it was woven with dangerous silk. He remembered accepting, knowing it was the only option. 

“What are your intentions with us?” Siren asked him.

“I don’t really know to be honest. Breakneck took me under his wing a year ago and he confuses me, you know? Sometimes he hurts me, tells me I’m worthless, that I need to be better. Other times he smiles and tells me I do a good job. And I know it’s not normal, my family treats me so differently, but I thought maybe for hero-ing it was normal. But now I’m here and it’s so good . Now I’m here and I see that maybe you guys aren’t the bad guys, now I’m here, and you’ve offered me freedom and kindness, and I think that’s all I want,” Tommy admitted, rambling more than he meant too. 

“You’ve mentioned your family a few times now, who are they? Tell me about them,”  Siren asked, tilting his head to the side. 

Tommy debated lying, but he knew that since he was trusting the villains with his identity that they would find out eventually and only land him in hot water. 

“They’re not really my family, not by blood anyways. Their names are Tubbo and Ranboo, and they’re my brothers in all the ways that matter. We were all living out on the streets when we met. My own parents kicked me out cause of the wings, Tubbo’s ‘cause of his own hybrid traits and Ranboo cause he failed to qualify for the hero academy. They’re my everything, the reason I get up in the morning,” then he shifted, ducking his head, softening his tone and he added, “so please, if you ever need to punish me for whatever reason, leave them out of it, they don’t deserve it. Please.”  

Siren shook his head, “Never, we would never dream of hurting them, of hurting you . You’re one of us now. And I know what that’s like, finding someone who loves you when it seems like the whole world is against you.” 

“What do you-.” 

Before Tommy could properly process what was happening all three of them simultaneously removed their masks. 

The Blade had blood-red eyes, a firm jaw and a large nose. Siren on the other hand had deep brown eyes and soft cheek bones. 

“My name is Phil,” Corvid said. “And this Techno and Wilbur,” he said pointing at the Blade and Siren. 

“And that’s my dad,” Wilbur said, pointing to Phil. 

Tommy blinked. “Wait, really?” 

Phil smiled softly, “I was a villain for a while before I met them. I was pretty young, but I could tell there was more for me. Then I met these two. They were twelve and out on their own. I offered them a place to stay, I could tell they needed it more than most. It was a while before they trusted me, years before they saw me as a father figure.” 

“What Phil is trying to say,” Siren said butting in, “is that we get it. We get the need to protect your family. But, by joining us, we promise to take care of yours the same way we take care of each other, the same way we’re going to protect you.” 

“Thank you,” Tommy cried in relief. “Thank you so much.” 

He had what he had never had before, he had the promise that his brothers would be safe, that they wouldn’t have to live everyday in fear. 

They trooped to the living room afterwards, this time leading Tommy through without the blindfold. It was weird, seeing the walls of the areas he had walked through so many times now. It was so much larger than he thought. 

“This is just the villain floor. We have the locked bedrooms like yours and the bathroom, but the rest of the mansion is way better,” Wilbur was telling him. The other two had left to change into normal clothes and WIlbur had opted to stay behind.

“Wait, mansion ?!” Tommy exclaimed. 

“Well, yeah. This place has like, six floors total. This floor and the holding cell floor are actually hidden. We’ll give you a proper tour tomorrow. This floor is super useful for people like you, people caught in the crossfire. We use it for work too though, hency why the living room has so many games and blankets, so we don't drown ourselves in work,” Wilbur explained. 

“Wait, but you didn’t want me moved at first,” Tommy said, remembering his first chunk of time here. 

“Because it looked like you worked with Dream. You just happened to have the perfect sob story ready,” Wilbur told him. 

“That’s not the full story,” Tommy said, narrowing his eyes. 

“No, it's not. The truth is I hated myself for keeping you here. I hate power suppressors so much. They're awful. And I hated the idea that we had someone that would be wearing one. Down with the holding cells, we could have let you have access. There isn’t much to lift and everything is sturdy. But up here I know that you would be needing to have one on. I hated that, so I tried to distance myself as much as possible. I wanted to ignore that that was happening,” Wilbur admitted softly. 

“Oh,” Tommy said softly. 

“Yeah,” Wilbur said, looking away. 

“I mean, it was a good thing, right? I’m here now, with you guys. It paid off,” Tommy offered. 

“Yeah, I guess we did get something good out of it,” Wilbur said, flashing a soft smile at him. 

Tommy nervously shuffled closer to Wilbur and gave him a hesitant hug. 

“What’s this for?” Wilbur asked, recropicating the hug. 

“We’re brothers now, aren’t we,” Tommy asked softly. “This just felt like the right time.” 

“Don’t say that, I’m going to cry,” Wilbur told him, sounding emotional. 

Tommy just grinned and hugged him tighter. 

When the other two returned, Wilbur went to change and they set up the room for a movie night. Phil pulled out all the blankets from the closet and Techno had Tommy help him in moving the couches tighter together. 

Techno as usual claimed the single person couch and Phil took the three-seater leaving Tommy to the two person couch. He wasn’t usually disappointed by that arrangement, in fact, he preferred it. 

But he thought about what it would be like having them as family. Phil was already kind to him, Techo already gentle. And as much as Wilbur had pretended to be cold and distant, he had joked around a lot with Tommy, even if at the time the jokes were laced with venom and the light jabs were meant to poke at his most vulnerable parts of him. 

Despite it though, Tommy swore he could always hear the genuine laughter hidden beneath the surface. 

Wilbur returned wearing a soft pair of sweats and a fuzzy yellow sweater Tommy immediately wanted to steal. He sat down next to Phil who pulled a blanket over them and started the movie. 

Tommy couldn't even focus on the plot though, the only thing he was able to focus on all night was how soft they were with each other. How Phil wrapped his wings around Wilbur gently, cradling him like the inky night sky cradled even the dullest stars, how relaxed Wilbur was against him. 

Tommy longed for that kind of contact. Tubbo and Ranboo knew how much he craved that kind of touch and tried to indulge him as much as possible, but it was difficult with how few nights off he got and how many times he winded up with an early shift on the already rare occasions he had a night off. 

Wilbur apparently noticed because halfway through the movie he stood up and kneeled in front of Tommy’s couch. 

“You’re looking a little lonely. Are you okay up here on your own?” he asked gently. 

“It’s been a while since I’ve had a night like this,” Tommy admitted softly. 

“Do you want me to sit with you? I know you might not be comfortable with that yet, but I’m willing to if you want me too,” Wilbur offered. 

Tommy looked at him carefully. He didn’t know them very well, but one thing he did know is if he asked them to stop doing something that made him uncomfortable then they would in an instant. 

So, slowly, he nodded. 

Wilbur stood up and sat next to him, still a few inches of space between them. Techno popped in the next movie. The Rise of the Guardians. Slowly throughout the movie, Tommy got closer to Wilbur until their sides were pressed up against each other, Then his head was on Wilbur’s shoulder, then he was cradled in Wilbur’s chest and Wilbur’s hand was holding his reassuringly. 

Tommy felt something in him shift as he laid there. He was finally safe, finally had people who would look out and protect him. Tubbo and Ranboo did their best and Tommy loved them for everything they were, but it was different with SBI. He was the protected now, and in return, he would fight tooth and nail for them. 

But he remembered what they had told him about child soldiers, how they hated that they existed, hated how children who had nothing to do with heroes and villains were dragged into a senseless war. A war that wasn’t theirs to fight, a war they had no opinions on. 

So he leaned back against Wilbur’s chest, content with the knowledge that he was finally safe. 

When he woke up he was tucked safely in someone's arms and being carried somewhere. 

“Are you sure he won’t find it weird to wake up in a totally new room?” he heard Techno ask. As he spoke Tommy felt the vibrations off his word against the chest he was being held against. 

“Positive. I’ll leave a note. I just feel bad that he always wakes up to the same small room,” Wilbur answered. 

In a sleepy haze Tommy let out a small questioning noise, shifting around and trying to face them. 

“Hi, Tommy, we’re just going to take you to your new room,” Wilbur told him softly, noticing his movements. 

Tommy nodded and shifted again, dropping off to sleep after only a few seconds.

The next morning was disorienting for Tommy. He understood that he had been moved to his new room, but he hadn’t actually registered what that would mean up until just then.

Rather than the usual single bed and his small nest, he woke up to what he figured was a queen bed. The blankets that he was tucked under were much finer than the ones he used to have. Plusher, thicker, warmer. The pillows too seemed to be just a touch firmer. 

The room was large too. The bed sat comfortably in the middle, creating a small U shape around it. There was a closet that was partially opened, a dresser and a desk with a small wall of cubbies off to the side. 

There were two doors in the room too, he didn’t know where they went. So slowly, he got up from the bed and made his way to the one on the wall opposite of the bed. When he pushed it open he noticed that it had a lock from the inside . 

He opened it and with wide eyes saw a long hallway. Tasteful blue paint covered the walls and a plush looking cream coloured carpet lined the floor. Gold wall sconces with white shades lined the walls giving it a cozy feeling. There were a few finely painted deep reddish-brown end tables along the walls filled with various kickbacks. 

Unsure if he was allowed out, Tommy quickly shut the door, keeping it quiet to make sure no one would hear. He then turned his attention to the door on the wall beside that one. 

His eyes widened as he realized what he was looking at. It was an ensuite bathroom. It had a large bathtub and a standing shower. The walls were painted a light mint colour. A scattered green backsplash and a few portraits of trees covered the walls. 

“Tommy,” he heard someone call, knocking on his door. 

He jumped to attention and opened the door to a pyjama-clad Wilbur. 

“How did you sleep last night?” Wilbur asked him. 

“Really well! I haven't been able to sleep since the call with Breakneck,” Tommy admitted. 

“Yeah, that checks out. Those things he said to you were awful . You know they’re not true, right?” Wilbur asked, bending down a bit to look Tommy in the eye. 

Tommy averted his gaze. 

“I don’t think I get that yet,” he admitted, “but I think I can learn too.” 

Wilbur slowly wrapped his arms around Tommy, giving him time to pull away from the hug. He didn’t, if anything, he melted into it.. 

“We’ll help you. For now just know that we don't think of you as anything less,” Wilbur told him softly. 

They stood there for a few more seconds before Wilbur dragged Tommy down the hall and a flight of stairs. He led him down past a large living room and before they hit the dining room where Phil and Techno were already waiting.

On the table was a spread of various breakfast foods. Eggs, pancakes, breakfast sausages, bacon. Steaming mugs of coffee and tea, a jug of milk, and another one of orange juice. 

“Come on, you two, sit down. We haven't started yet,” Phil said, waving them over. 

Tommy tentatively took a seat next to Techno who just slid an empty plate in front of him. Tommy quickly grabbed a little bit of everything and as soon as he got an approving nod from Phil, started plowing through everything on his plate. 

He hadn’t had this much food available at one meal ever. It all tasted so good. The pancakes were perfectly fluffy, the bacon just the right mix of crunchy and chewy. 

At one point, he tried to pour himself a cup of coffee, but that plan was quickly thwarted by Wilbur who snatched the empty mug from his hand. 

“When you have a normal meal, you pace around enough. I am not letting the child have caffeine,” he declared. 

Tommy just grumbled and went back to his orange juice. 

After breakfast was cleared, they sat down at the table and had a chat. 

“So, Tommy. I don’t know if we made it clear, but seeing as though you’re here, we’re also offering up our home to your brothers. They wouldn’t have to do anything. Not be villains, not too many chores, just what I expect from all of you. How would we ask them to come?” Phil asked. 

Tommy stared at him with wide eyes. 

“Really?” he breathed. “You would take all of us.”

Phil furrowed his brows, “Why wouldn't I? We’re not exactly hurting for space-” 

“We’re a lot,” Tommy told him, not wanting to risk them getting kicked out in a few months. “We’re loud and Tubbo likes messing with spare tech. We have prank wars when we get bored.” 

“Mate, none of that is a problem. Nothing I’m not used to. I mean, I have Techno and Wilbur right here,” Phil told him. 

“You guys deserve to have some fun. You’re kids who were forced to grow up too fast,” Wilbur told him, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. 

Tommy felt tears well up in his eyes at the thought of him, Tubbo and Ranboo finally being allowed to exist the way they had always wanted too. 

“Let’s go grab them then.” 

It turned out to be much more complicated than they would have liked. It turned out their apartment was under heavy surveillance. The villains had some plan they wanted to execute to try and take Dream down and dramatically introduce Tommy to the world as a villain. So, they managed to get a message to the other two that Tommy was safe and that they would be able to join him in a few weeks. 

It had apparently taken a lot for them to convince Tubbo and Ranboo that Tommy was safe. Tubbo had gotten his hands on a large kitchen knife and had held it up to Wilbur’s throat. 

Tommy had just grinned proudly when he heard that, shrugging at Wilbur’s indignant ‘hey! ’. 

The weeks dragged on slowly, Tommy wandering the mansion in his free time, trying to learn the layout of the place. He had a lot of that so he had it mostly down fairly quickly. 

He spent time with the members of SBI too. It turned out Techno really liked gardening and he always pulled Tommy outside whenever he went out. He showed Tommy how to weed the garden, the ways to tell if plants needed watering. He even gave Tommy a small plot of dirt he let Tommy plant whatever he pleased in it. 

Tommy chose a sunflower. Techno had just grinned and ruffled his hair. 

With Phil he winded up in the kitchen, slowly learning how to cook. He learned how to make pasta from scratch, noodles, sauce and everything in between. They made roast chicken and potatoes in more ways than Tommy had thought possible. They made cakes, tarts, brownies, scones and blueberry compote and every sweet treat under the sun. 

With Wilbur, he learned that he played guitar and had written an album. Their time spent together consisted of Wilbur teaching Tommy to play, sometimes it was just Wilbur playing and Tommy falling asleep to his soothing low timber and gentle guitar playing. 

He kept looking for an opportunity to tell them that he was immune to Wilbur’s powers. He felt guilty not telling them, but he could never find a good time. Occasionally, Wilbur would jokingly use his powers and Tommy always went with it, afraid of what their reaction would be if he told them. But the guilt grew stronger every day. 

Finally, the day came. It had been raining all day, the sound of rain hitting the roof helping to ease Tommy's nerves, if only slightly.

An hour before, Phil pulled Tommy into the kitchen and had him kneading pizza dough for the next day's dinner. It was just busy work to keep Tommy's mind off the impending confrontation. 

Tommy appreciated it.

They had a light dinner and changed into their villain clothes and headed out. Tommy was put back in the cuffs without the power suppressors and they all loaded into the large black van they had. 

Tommy was terrified. He hadn’t seen Dream in so long. He wasn't sure how he would react to seeing him again. Even the thought of it was making him nervous all over. SBI noticed and turned on the radio a bit louder to help Tommy relax. It worked, if only a little bit. 

Far too soon had Phil stopped the car and they were leading Tommy down a long dark alleyway, splashing in the puddles beneath their feet. When they saw Dream already standing there Wilbur, who had been put in charge of Tommy, squeezed his shoulder reassuringly and whispered a small ‘we’ve got you’. 

Tommy took a deep breath and stopped when Wilbur did. Phil going right up to Dream to meet him. 

“I assume you have what we agreed on?” he asked Dream. 

He nodded and opened the small crate that stood at his feet. 

“Excellent,” Phil said, scooping it up and going through the contents, careful to shield it from the rain.

All of a sudden, what looked to be eight black shadows dropped from the rooftops above. 

“What’s going on?” Phil demanded. 

“SBI, you are hereby under arrest. Come quietly and there won’t be any additional problems,” Dream boomed. 

“Breakneck, there is an agreement between heroes and villains that good faith agreements can be made like this,” Phil pointed out. 

“I’m aware, but quite frankly, I’m done with you,” Dream said, shrugging. 

“Boys, you know what to do,” Phil called out, pulling out his weapon.

The other followed. 

“Tommy, get back to the car. The keys are still there. Drive somewhere, anywhere. There’s a tracker in the car so we can come get you later,” Wilbur told Tommy. 

Tommy shook his head, “I’m one of you now, that means I have to help out.” 

“No, not now. You don’t even have a weapon,” Wilbur cried. 

“Dream prepped me for every scenario. I can do this, don’t worry,” Tommy told him sincerely. 

“Tommy, no! Go back,” Wilbur told him firmly. 

Tommy just dove for the pocket in Wilbur’s suit, knowing it had a false bottom and was used to conceal a dagger. 

He went to unsheathe it when Wilbur grabbed his wrist, eyes already glowing. 

“Tommy, go to the car and drive to a safe hiding place. Don’t move until we come get you,” he ordered Tommy. 

Tommy just smiled apologetically. 

“That’s never worked on me, Wilbur,” he said before running off into the fray. 

And just like that, Tommy had become more than the black king’s pawn. White had taken him and turned him into their white knight.

He was erratic, moving arcross the board in such a strange pattern it was difficult to see where he would be in only a few moves time.

He was a protector, jumping out even before the pawns to start on their warpath.

Tommy had a massive advantage when it came to fighting Dream that none of the others did. He knew how he fought, knew his weak points. The problem was that Dream also knew his and was a lot more skilled.

Tommy had yet to ever take Dream in a fight, but this time he had backup. The eight shadows Dream had hired fought with equal vigor.

Tommy had gone straight for Dream while the others opted to take care of the figures. 

"Always a disappointment, I see. I mean, really Tommy, siding with the villains ," Dream spat.

"They treated me better than you ever did," Tommy countered, just barely managing to dodge Dream's sword. 

"Not for long. You seem to forget Tommy, that I used to treat you well. Then you started acting out, you started rebelling. That's when things changed. I did my best to turn you from a lowly vigilante to a proper hero. You were the problem, you were always the problem," Dream told him with a venomous flare.

Tommy faltered. Dream had a point. It hadn't always been bad. His training was rough, but that was to be expected when it came to hero training. Dream had been kind in the beginning, warm wide smiles and sparkling green eyes. 

And Tommy had ruined it. He wasn't progressing fast enough, he made mistakes that he had no reason to be making even after weeks of working on them. He was mouthy and loud.

Dream attacked him again, his sword aiming for Tommy's dagger hand. This time he was too slow to block him. 

The sword sliced cleanly across his forearm diagonally.

His fingers let go of the dagger, his nerves screaming in pain as he scrambled to pick it up again, but it was already slick with his blood. 

But Tommy felt nothing beyond his now shattered heart. Dream's words sinking into his skin like a ship in a storm. 

He fell to his knees, watching numbly as Dream approached and placed the tip of his sword to the hollow of Tommy's throat.

"How long till they realize just how unlovable you really are?" Dream asked him coldly.

In a flash, a pink blur tackled Dream while Tommy was pulled protectively against someone's chest.

Tommy blinked as awareness flooded his senses. His arm was burning as the open wound gushed, his body was sore from the fight, muscles screaming in protest.

The rain was still coming down in sheets, soaking Tommy to the bone, freezing him from the inside out.

He was being held against Wilbur's chest as Phil rushed in front of the both of them, first aid kit in hand. 

He tried his best to stop the pained noises from escaping his mouth even as Wilbur soothed him, whispering gentle assurances into his ear.

When Phil was satisfied he stood up, motioning for Wilbur and Tommy to do the same.

He barely had a chance to blink before Techno was once again scooping him up and carrying him towards the car.

Tommy squirmed a bit, trying to be let down when Wilbur put a hand on his shoulder, his face stony, betrayal shining through his eyes.

"Don't," he said softly. Not angry, not upset. Just hurt. And that was the worst of them all.

So Tommy stilled, hand attempting to grab Wilbur's but missing as Wilbur just turned away.

They walked back to the car in silence, the only sound being the rain that continued to fall. When they got back Wilbur opted for the front seat with Phil driving, Techno sitting with Tommy.

No one said anything, even the radio was left off.

Finally, Tommy decided he had enough and he broke the silence.

"Wil," he called timidly, "are you mad at me?" 

Wilbur took a deep breath and let out a shuddering sigh.

"Why didn't you tell us you were immune to me? How much of what you told us is a lie?" he asked, sounding broken.

"At first, I didn't tell you cause I thought I could use that to escape," Tommy told him softly, "and afterwards, I was afraid of what you would do if you found out I could resist.

"I've never lied to you, not about the stuff that mattered anyways. The things I said about you guys being kind, about wanting to join you and why, that was all real, I'm sorry I lied, I just didn't know what to do," Tommy whispered.

"I believe you, I do," Wilbur started, "but it hurts you didn't trust us. I can’t forgive you yet. I will, I- I just need some time."

Tommy nodded. That was fair. “I’m sorry,” he whispered again.

Wilbur only nodded and turned his head back to the windshield.

The next few days were… weird, to say the least. He was woken up the next morning to Tubbo and Ranboo barging into his room. They hugged him tightly with Tubbo giving him a firm scolding about disappearing like that again. 

Tommy gave them a tour of the mansion and SBI showed them their rooms which were conveniently in the same hallway as Tommy’s. Techno also took the three of them down to the training gym Wilbur had taken him too, telling them they were welcome anytime. 

Phil promised them that they would never be obligated to help out with missions, though the three of them asked to be kept in the loop. 

Wilbur remained distant, only giving Tommy a tight-lipped smile when he gave Wilbur a few of the cupcakes he, Phil, Tubbo and Ranboo made. When Tommy knocked on his door asking if they could play guitar together, he told Tommy that he was tired. 

Tommy made sure to send Tubbo and Ranboo to him for a bit, and when they returned, Tubbo offered to talk some sense into him. Tommy’s heart warmed at the offer but he ultimately waved it off. Wilbur had every right to be upset at Tommy. 

The nights found Tubbo and Ranboo piling onto Tommy’s bed, his nest built to fit the three of them. It was peaceful, this new routine they had found. Getting breakfast together with the others, being put in charge of dishes where they splashed water on each other. Helping Phil with lunch and training with Techno in the gym. 

But there was something missing. A soothing voice singing Tommy to sleep, someone who would argue with him on the merits of bananas. Someone who would tuck Tommy into his chest and whisper calming words.

He missed Wilbur. 

It was a week later when they sat down for a movie, all six of them, that it finally came to a head. 

“Tommy!” he heard Tubbo exclaim. “You’re wings! Are they all right?” 

“Hm,” Tommy asked, rolling his shoulders, “oh, yeah. Not really to be honest.” 

Tubbo leapt into action, settling two large pillows on the floor, taking a seat on one and motioning for Tommy to sit in the one in front. 

Tommy dutifully sat down as the movie started. At some point Ranboo took over for Tubbo, soothing down his feathers and whispering apologies when Tommy shuffled from the discomfort of his wings. 

“Can- can I help?” someone asked tentatively. Wilbur. 

“Do you know how?” Ranboo asked. 

“I do Phil’s all the time.” 

Ranboo considered. “Tommy, are you okay with it,” he asked. 

“I think… I think I am,” Tommy said softly. 

“All right, then,” Ranboo said standing up. “He’s all yours.” 

Wilbur came and carefully took a seat behind him. His fingers started gently going through the process of preening.

“I forgive you,” he whispered about halfway through the movie. 

Tommy sucked in a breath. Something shifted in him and he felt completely at peace for the first time possibly ever. He finally had all that he wanted. A full family, a family where he could let himself be taken care of and not fear the consequences. He had someone to look out for him, someone who was older and wiser. 

He was safe. 

“Thank you,” he whispered, flooded by endless love. 

And with fingers running through his feathers, he fell asleep feeling warm from the inside out. 

He was finally safe, finally free. He finally had the chance to be truly happy for the first time. 

That night marked the first one where he was well and truly happy.

As his life went on, it would become only one of dozens, one of hundreds. 

So Tommy reached for the sun, knowing that only it would be able to contain all the love he had, all the love he was now so freely given. 

All because he was finally home.