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Every step sent lightning bolts of pain through his body. He could feel the bruises on his chest forming, the way his ribs shifted out of place, the weakness in his legs, and the sledgehammer that was pounding in his skull. He clutched his right arm tightly to his chest, knowing that it was undoubtedly broken. His whole body shook with the effort to move. One misstep and he thinks that his legs might just shatter.
Tommy carefully made his way down the steps of the fire escape. He’s ashamed to admit that he had to scoot on his butt down some of the steps, feeling shivers of pain every time he had to catch himself on the railing. He’s taken a lot of breaks to just breathe, blinking away tears and black dots when the pain rendered him immobile.
Everything hurts.
Why did he have to live so far down this fire escape? Prime he should have just gone through the front doors, no one would have cared. It was like two in the morning, why did he torture himself climbing up that building around the block? He crawled his way from building to building to get to his own apartment and it was not worth the pain he’s feeling now.
He just wanted to go to sleep. But he couldn’t even do that. It’s not safe to sleep with a concussion. Judging by the pain in his head and the spin in his vision he probably has one. His head did slam pretty hard into the pavement. He hoped that he didn’t crack his head open. That would be hard to explain.
Prime, what was he going to tell his brother? Techno doesn’t know about his nightly escapes, only Tubbo and Ranboo do. How was he going to explain the broken arm, bruised ribs, probably sprained leg, and more?
Never mind the injuries, what about his vigilante gear? How would he explain to his brother that since the late manifestation of his powers, he’s been running around the lower districts as the vigilante Dragonfly?
He could imagine the way Techno would look at him if he found out. Maybe he would be angry, maybe he would be happy. Maybe he would be disappointed. Tommy thinks that would be the worst outcome, to pour his heart and soul into saving the people of his district only for Techno to be disappointed in him. Would he turn his head away in shame? Would he scowl and call him foolish? What if Techno–
It made his head hurt more to think about.
That’s a problem for future Tommy. Right now Tommy just needed to get to his apartment floor and climb through the fire escape window. Then he could take care to make sure he wasn’t concussed anymore before passing the fuck out.
Yeah, passing the fuck out sounded pretty nice right about now.
When Tommy finally made it to his apartment window he almost sobbed with relief. The lock on the window was broken—they never bothered to let their landlord know to have him fix it—so it didn’t take much effort to let himself inside. He took extra care to avoid Techno’s potted succulent that sat in the windowsill. Poor thing barely got enough sun as is, having to be repotted probably wouldn’t do it any good. But it did hurt when Tommy tucked his body in so he could fit through the window and not risk kicking the plant.
The apartment was dark. That was expected. Tommy left a few hours ago—just before midnight—as soon as he was sure Techno was asleep. Then he went on patrol, jumping rooftops and using his shields to catch his falls. Dancing around criminals and helping citizens make their way through the dark night. He wasn’t expecting to come back this early, but his plans were ruined after the accident.
Tommy collapsed as soon as his body was all the way through the window. It had ever felt nicer to just lie on the floor. His vision swam as he stared up at the ceiling, and he really wanted to cry and succumb to his pain. It took all of his strength to get back on his feet, having to extend out his good arm to brace himself against the wall. He let out a whimper and choked on a sob as he did, closing the window as best as he could.
Ouch. Dear Prime, everything hurts.
He tugged off his goggles, letting them hang around his neck, wanting nothing more than to be out of his sweaty, blood-stained vigilante gear. Next he tugged off the cloth mask that he wore to cover his face, letting it fall to the floor. The headband that usually kept his hair out of his face was lost an hour ago.
Limping through the hallway Tommy tried his best to be quiet. He banged against the wall when he lost his balance, but other than that he managed to make his way to his bedroom. He was so close to collapsing, but he wanted to do it on his own bed.
His bedroom door opened easily, and Tommy nearly fell as it swung open. He fumbled for the light as he pushed the door shut, eyes blinking rapidly as they adjusted to the light. Biting down another whimper of pain Tommy turned to collapse on his bed.
Instead, he found Techno staring at him, expression unreadable.
He froze.
Tommy became acutely more aware of the blood staining his clothes and skin. Techno’s eyes widened a little when he saw him too.
In all of the scenarios that Tommy created in his mind about revealing his vigilante identity, he did not expect Techno to look at him in fear .
“Uh, ‘ow do?” Tommy asked sheepishly. He thinks he’s swaying on his feet. It’s hard to see straight when the lights are so bright.
“Tommy,” Techno said. “We need to talk.”
Tommy laughed nervously, pressing his broken arm closer to his chest.
“I think this can wait until tomorrow, don’t you?” he rambled. “It’s been a long night and I should be in bed-”
“Tommy,” Techno said sternly—albeit shakily—standing up. Tommy fell silent. “Tommy, you were kicked off a six story building.”
“Seven, actually,” Tommy muttered, eyes glancing down at the floor.
“That doesn’t make it any better!” Techno said, throwing his hands into the air. One of them ran through and tugged at his hair, which wasn’t pulled back into his usual braid. Right now it was loose and tousled by sleep, like a pink bird’s nest. Tommy felt out of place with his bruised and bloodied skin, dressed in his vigilante gear, while Techno stood in his pajamas.
“Do you know how worried your friends are?” Techno continued. “They called me an hour ago—waking me up in the middle of the night—screaming about how they lost contact with you after you got hurt! They thought you died!”
“So you–” Tommy began but Techno quickly cut him off.
“Yes, of course I know!” Techno said. “I’ve known about your vigilante work for months, but your friends calling today confirmed it for me. This isn’t how I wanted to talk about it but Tommy—Tommy you almost died today!”
“But I didn’t!” Tommy argued. “My shields caught me and made the impact not as bad, then I hid for an hour and made my way home!”
“Tommy you can barely stand on your feet, you’re cradling a broken arm to your chest, and you are clearly concussed,” Techno said.
Tommy shrank into himself, wishing he could disappear. He’s always wanted to tell Techno about his nightly escapes, running around the city and being a hero. It’s been his dream since he was a little kid. Even in his spiraling scenarios that he thought of, he expected that Techno would be proud of him, not berate him.
He stared at the floor, kicking the leg that didn’t hurt as much against the foot of his bed. It still hurt and he bit back a wince of pain. He’s never wanted to cry so hard before.
His brother let out a weary sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose where his glasses usually sit. He looked unbelievably tired, heavy bags rested under his eyes and his hair was a mess. Techno did look like he crawled out of bed and waited for Tommy to come home. He probably anxiously tugged at his hair for the whole hour he sat here, looking at the state of it.
Tubbo and Ranboo had thought he was dead. Probably because his communicator earpiece broke during his fall. Had Techno thought he was dead too? How long did he sit here, counting the seconds, hoping Tommy would make it home.
What would have happened if Tommy didn’t?
A horrid feeling began to swell in Tommy’s stomach at the thought.
“Look, kiddo, I’m not mad,” Techno said, voice soft. “I was just worried.”
“I just wanted to help people,” Tommy whispered, whimpering as pain jolted through his body again.
“I know, I know,” Techno said. He crossed the distance between them and pulled Tommy into his arms. Tommy let him—being mindful of his arm—allowing himself to go limp in Techno’s arms.
Techno ran a hand through his hair, scratching lightly at his scalp. Tommy leaned his head into the space between Techno’s neck and shoulder, letting out a whine. Everything hurts.
“I would never stop you from doing what you think is right,” Techno said as he played with Tommy’s hair. He walked them over to Tommy’s bed and they both fell back to sit on the mattress. “I was just like you once, running around and doing what I thought was right under the safety of a mask. But please kid, make sure you’ve got the right people to help you.”
“I’ve got Tubbo and Ranboo,” Tommy said, blinking back tears. “And now you.”
“I’m talking about a healer or other medical help,” Techno said. “I can stitch a wound but I can’t set a broken bone.”
Tommy sniffled, humming to himself as he let his eyes close. He rested against Techno, savoring the warmth of his brother's embrace. He always felt the safest in his brother’s arms. Even when he flicked his forehead, making Tommy blink his eyes back open to glare at Techno.
“Don’t fall asleep, not until I can get you to a healer,” Techno said.
“Since when do you–” Tommy started, cutting himself off as his eyes began to widen. “Wait, what do you mean just like me?”
Techno laughed. “I was a vigilante like you once.”
“No fucking way.” Tommy gaped at his brother. Techno smiled.
“I was,” he said, and he almost sounded proud. Nostalgic maybe. “And I think it’s about time I called in a favor with an old friend of mine.”
The car ride was silent. Techno let Tommy change into some more comfortable clothes before he dragged him to the apartment’s car garage and shoved him into the passenger seat of his old beater car. He didn’t say anything about where they were going, but Tommy didn't ask. He was too tired and in too much pain to ask.
They had the forethought to let Tubbo and Ranboo know that Tommy was still alive before taking off to Techno’s undisclosed location. The two both sent back messages of relief that Tommy was alright. Although Tubbo did threaten to kill Tommy if he did that again. Honestly, Tommy kind of deserved that, but he knew that his friend was grateful that he was okay.
After that, they hit the road quickly. The tube lines were closed this late at night, they wouldn’t open again until around five in the morning. There was only one bus that ran this late too, and it didn’t travel outside the district. Most people didn’t use it anyway, considering how many drug addicts used the bus to sleep.
Taking Techno’s car was the only option they had. The car was old as dirt and barely ran because Techno didn’t use it, leaving it to sit in the car garage among other abandoned vehicles. Gas was too expensive for anyone living in this district, getting a train or bus pass would save more money. But the car was a gift from one of Techno’s old friends and Techno wouldn’t get rid of it for that reason. Plus if they tried to sell it they probably wouldn’t make any more than a couple hundred bucks.
In rare cases like this—where Tommy needed immediate medical attention after being kicked off a seven story building—it was nice to have.
Techno played the radio softly and left the windows rolled down to keep Tommy awake. Tommy almost nodded off a couple of times but Techno always gently nudged him awake.
The brothers sat silently throughout the car ride. Street lights passed overhead and the streets were empty. Tommy didn’t pay much attention to the view out his window, but he took note of the way the buildings changed, getting cleaner and nicer the farther they drove out.
Music played softly from the car stereo and wind tousled their hair. Tommy kept having to spit hair back out of his face, making Techno snort softly a couple of times as he checked on him out of the corner of his eyes. Tommy would just lift his middle finger in response. He hoped Techno choked on his own hair.
Tommy was close to nodding off again when the car pulled to a stop. He blinked his eyes open to find that they were parked on the street of some random suburban neighborhood. The house they stopped in front of was painted white, with a cerulean blue door and a neat garden underneath the front windows. It was clear that they were in one of the middle districts, maybe a lower-upper district if you were being generous. It was a very different sight from the lower districts that he was used to.
“C’mon kiddo, we’re here,” Techno said, getting out of the car. He walked around to the passenger seat and helped Tommy out, letting Tommy lean heavily on him for support. Together they walked to the front door of the house, Tommy limping and Techno helping him with every step.
Techno rang the doorbell. Tommy closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
Heavy footsteps and muttering came from the other side of the door. A light flicked on in the front room and a curse could be heard before the footsteps came to a stop. The locks of the door clicked and Tommy leaned further into Techno as the door swung open.
A young man with wild, curly brown hair answered the door. He looked irritated and exhausted when he opened the door, but that look quickly faded away when he took both of them in.
“Oh shit,” the man said, letting out a breath. “Techno why does it look like your brother fell down a flight of stairs?”
“It was a six story building actually,” Techno said.
“Seven,” Tommy corrected tiredly.
“Fuck me,” the man said. “Get inside before you collapse, Prime above.”
Tommy was guided to a couch where he collapsed. The air was stolen out of his lungs when he hit the cushions a little too hard, making both Techno and the other guy snap to look at him. He gave them a shaky smile.
Lying still, trying to breathe normally as Techno and the other guy whispered to one another, Tommy watched warily as Techno’s friend approached him.
“I’m Wilbur, by the way, a healer,” the man said, crouching beside Tommy. He smiled softly at him, the same way that Techno would when Tommy says or does something sweet. It comes so easily to Wilbur even though he’s known Tommy for all of two minutes. “I’m an old friend of Techno’s, I don’t know if he mentioned me.”
“I thought Techno was bitchless,” Tommy muttered. He paused. “Wait–”
Wilbur only laughed and smirked at Techno, who groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose with annoyance. He never put his glasses back on. Good thing he only really needed those to read.
“That’s not even funny,” Techno said.
“It kind of is,” Wilbur said with a cheeky grin.
“Shut up and heal my brother Tangled.”
“Tangled?” Tommy asked, feeling lost. Wilbur groaned.
“Inside joke,” he explained. “Singing or humming helps me focus on healing.”
Tommy furrowed his brows.
“Do you glow?”
“No.”
Aw man, that would have been neat. Tommy couldn’t glow. He can just make his red shields. They’re pretty cool, he used them as a force field a lot of the time, before discovering that he can walk on them. Since then he’s used them to make bridges and catch himself when he tripped. The impact hurt a lot less.
Not so much when you fall from seven stories though.
“I’m going to touch you know, if that’s okay,” Wilbur said. “I have to have contact to heal.”
Tommy barely managed to nod in response. He’s really tired, and it’s getting a lot more difficult to stay awake. He glanced over at Techno, who had taken a seat in an armchair nearby. His brother gave him a reassuring smile and Tommy smiled back as best as he could.
“Alright, I’m going to start with your ribs, so you can breathe better,” Wilbur said. He helped Tommy slip his shirt off and both of them wince when Tommy’s chest was exposed. Tommy because the action of getting his shirt over his head with his broken arm fucking hurt, and Wilbur because the bruises on his chest looked horrible.
Wilbur walked Tommy through each of his movements, humming through each of the motions as his hands gently ran over Tommy’s bruises and cuts. The explanations and humming honestly helped Tommy calm down whenever he felt a tingle run through his skin. The healing hurt—his cells were literally regenerating themselves at a rapid pace—and Wilbur apologized, but Tommy only gritted his teeth and whimpered throughout the process. Techno reached out his hand at some point and Tommy took it, squeezing it tightly whenever Wilbur healed an injury that was particularly nasty.
“The arm you’ll probably need to see a hospital for,” Wilbur said, fingers touching gently against his bruises and making them fade. “Maybe your leg too, I don’t know how bad your sprain was.”
Tommy nodded, feeling exhausted. Wilbur pushed his sweaty bangs out of his eyes and gave him another soft smile.
“One last thing to heal Tommy, then you can sleep,” Wilbur said. “Let’s get rid of this concussion.”
Tommy barely felt a thing as Wilbur’s fingers gently touched his forehead and the humming began again. He just remembered slipping into sleep as Wilbur healed him and Techno gave his hand one last reassuring squeeze.
Tommy faded in and out of consciousness, blinking into awareness as he opened his eyes. The room was still dark, but faint light peaked between the closed curtains. He still laid on the sofa he collapsed on hours ago, albeit more comfortable now that half of his bones didn't feel broken.
He slowly blinked, twisting his head into a more comfortable position so he could go back to sleep.
He could hear voices from the other room. Techno and Wilbur.
“–good kid. I can’t imagine being in your shoes and waiting for him to come home.”
“Yeah. I’ve known for a while but that doesn’t make it anymore scary. He’s my kid brother and he’s risking his life out there. Today proves it.”
“Seven stories. Prime, if that was me I would be dead.”
“As if the Syndicate didn’t have to save your sorry ass a dozen other times because you picked a fight you couldn’t win.”
“Hey!”
Tommy let his eyes blink shut again. The room was warm and his brother was nearby. His body no longer hurts like it used to, even though there was a splint carefully wrapped around his arm and leg. Everything was going to be okay.
He could afford to sleep a little longer.