Chapter Text
The groceries Tommy had been carrying dropped to the floor, contents spilling out across the pavement as Tommy stared blankly ahead, a growing sense of horror, shock and confusion twisted in his gut and made him feel sick.
He'd just gone grocery shopping and was on his way home, before he decided to make a quick detour through the commercial district to buy a baked treat for him and dream to share from their favorite local bakery, taking a shortcut a back alley to move through to the commercial district, if Tommy where to guess, accounting for the small detour he was only 16 minutes max away from home.
He stopped abruptly in his tracks right before he could step out onto the main street.
A breaking news report was blasting on every video display screen in the commercial district.
"A young hero trainee known as Red Inferno tragically died yesterday, the brave young man had a surprise run-in with the syndicate on his very first solo mission. He fought valiantly and was able to save many civilian lives but ultimately he was killed before more heroes could arrive on the scene…"
"What the fuck….what the actual fuck!" Tommy swore, fumbling around for his phone on which he had Dream on speed dial.
"Come on.. come on you idiot pick up your damn phone" Tommy swore as his call went to voicemail for the fifth time.
Tommy Broke out into a full on panicked sprint, only just dodging people, getting him a few frustrated shouts and a couple of swears from the passers-by, but Tommy hardly paid them any attention, too focused on trying to get Dream to respond to his damn phone.
*bzzt… bzzt… bzzt*
*sorry, the number you have called is not available please leave a short message after the-*
"For fucks sake!" Finally Tommy gave up the idea of contacting Dream through his normal phone, instead Tommy pulled out the hero comms.
*the number you have called has been disconnected or is no longer in service*
Tommy slowly came to a stop right outside the small apartment he and dream had occupied since Tommy was 11 years old and just freshly off the streets dirty scrawny and scowling like there was no tomorrow ready to jump on anyone or anything that so much as moved in his direction.
Staring numbly down at the dented, cracked but clearly loved to death hero communicator dream had given to him on his 13th birthday.
A wide proud smile had adorned his face as a wide-eyed Tommy had gingerly taken the comm from dream's grasp, slowly turning it around in his hand before bringing it close to his chest as if it was the most precious jewel in the world that he needed to protect with his life.
Eyes filled with hope and glee, glistening as if Tommy was just about to cry in joy.
The words dream had said to Tommy that day swirling around his head as he slowly headed up the steps to their second floor apartment, shivering slightly as the front door easily swung open when he swore he'd locked it before he had left earlier that day.
"In an emergency if you can't contact me through normal means contact me through this, if I can't answer the call will be redirected through to the hero tower receptionist or another hero who can get your message through to me.
I know you're a hero trainee now and you're strong and you'll grow even stronger, strong enough to be able to deal with anything that puts you in harm's way, but still."Dream firmly gripped Tommy's shoulder in a reassuring gesture.
"If you ever feel like you're in danger or that you've gotten a little bit too in over your head, call me. Doesn't matter whether you're a hero trainee or a full fledged hero everyone needs help sometimes, I want you to remember that."
Tommy's breath hitched as he walked slowly into his apartment finding his way to the kitchen, the familiar walls of the home he'd lived in for past 6 years of his life felt foreign, shadows obscured pictures of happy faces and captured moments of time, hiding the walls dents, kinks and stains of long gone miscellaneous substances Tommy knows are there.
The kitchen table is still as messy as it was when dream and Tommy had left it this morning, paper documents strewn across the dining table, half filled pages of the incident report pertaining to what happened yesterday, which Tommy swore to dream he'd finish as soon as he got home.
Finally something caught his eye, on the kitchen counter lay a letter and an envelope that Tommy knew wasn't there before he left.
Moving over to the countertop Tommy picked up the letter and started to read, face furrowing in annoyance and disbelief the more he read.
*To Tommy,
I'm sure by now you're extremely frustrated and confused, let me be the first to apologise, unfortunately due to the time sensitive circumstances this had to be rushed and I'm not able to explain to you what's happening in person.
Your meeting with the syndicate yesterday made a lot of the higher-ups antsy and trigger happy, they were already weary about you and the powers you hold, we already knew that from the start.
Last night there was a board meeting. They were aiming for blood, and said it was only a matter of before you'd changed sides and that the only way to prevent that was to have you permanently locked up in Pandora. I tried as hard as I could to calm their anxiety but it was no use.
To at least prevent your imprisonment in Pandora I suggested the plan you've probably already seen play out.
Red Inferno is dead in all official records, that is the truth.
But Tommy Innit has nothing to do with heroes and villains; he's just a normal 17 year old boy.
In the envelope is a new debit card made in your name, you'll be sent money for the rent, food and other things you might need.
There's also the contact number of a Cafe owner in the commercial district, the food is not as great as Nikki's bakery but it's a close second, you might not not necessarily need the money, but it's better than wallowing in self pitty and isolating your self and the owner Bad is really friendly. I'm sure he'd hire you if you asked.
Tommy I really am sorry, it seems I really can't keep the promise that we made back then, but when I first saw that scrawny, dirt covered raccoon like child scavenging through my garbage all those years ago, I swore I'd do anything in my power to keep you safe.
To keep my brother safe.
— : )
By the end of the letter Tommy had practically scrunched it completely up.
He barely noticed the tears running down his face as his jaw clenched tightly in a mixture frustration and anger.
"GOD DAMMNIT!, FUCK!" Tommy yelled out before slamming his first into countertop, nearly splitting the whole thing clean in half.
Of course the first and only time dream had the courage to call Tommy his brother, was through a letter essentially explaining why his brother was abandoning him and their promise.
'Fucking typical asshole'
Sinking down to the floor Tommy sobbed his heart out in a now cold and unfamiliar home, feeling more lost than ever.