The Silence of a Somber Day

Clear Skies

Niki was a good friend. That was the whole reason why she agreed to work at the Logstedshire Hotel. Niki trusted Wilbur. She didn't trust this Tommy kid that he became infatuated with. Niki needed to know his intentions before she gave the okay for Wilbur and Tommy to be as close as Wilbur implied they were in his few and far between stories about what he did during the day.

A few months ago, Wilbur had been slipping into a depressive state. He spent far too much time in bed, and he spent the rest of his time alone with his phone dead. He wouldn't shower or eat until Techno dragged him out to the appropriate areas for both tasks. Wilbur wouldn't laugh as loud or for as long, and his smile was dim and barely there. Niki had tried her best to be there for him, but Wilbur pushed everyone away by ignoring them in some form or another. Niki had felt helpless as she watched him fade into a shell of who he used to be. He wasn't the friend that Niki had made when her life could have been a lot worse.

Niki had finally convinced Wilbur to go out. She told him that his favorite cafe was closing down, and he needed to have some of their coffee again before he lost his chance. Wilbur had been hesitant, but he eventually took a shower and headed off. Niki felt horrible for lying, but she was willing to accept any karmic punishment if it meant Wilbur could be at peace for even a few seconds.

What she didn't expect was Wilbur to come home with a soft smile. He had been angry with her, like she suspected, and told her that he didn't need or want her help. Niki knew that she would ignore her even more. Luckily, Wilbur had found someone to pay attention to. Niki had hoped it would be someone from the Syndicate, perhaps a new member Wilbur took an interest in, but Wilbur decided that he wanted to help the teen who looked in worse condition than Wilbur. Niki had been completely sure that this kid had some latent superpower that allowed him to manipulate Wilbur, but due to the nature of Wilbur's power that was impossible. Plus, Wilbur seemed happier. He would spend hours at a time at the cafe, sipping on coffee or eating scones while idly chatting with that teen. Niki didn't know what they did together, or what they talked about, but she knew that Wilbur went to that cafe every day at 3, and was getting home later every day.

Niki was planning to investigate on her own free will. She needed to make sure Wilbur wasn't getting duped by some spy for the Heroes Association or, Heaven forbid, the Cult of Red. Wilbur could take care of himself, but he was in a vulnerable state that Niki needed to make sure no one took advantage of. It was what a true friend would do, Niki decided. If Tommy was cleared, Niki would leave them alone. If she suspected foul play, she would try her best to shift Wilbur's newfound obsession onto something else that way he wouldn't get hurt, but wouldn't go back into his shell.

It was by sheer coincidence that Philza asked Niki to take a more personal approach at finding out information on Tommy. Philza explained that Wilbur was growing attached to the boy, and those same attachments had the potential to be used against him. Philza expressed worry over Tommy's intentions and unidentified past. Niki wholeheartedly agreed. She was glad that she wasn't paranoid, or at least, she wasn't alone in being paranoid. It was even better when Techno said he would do his own research, separate from Niki in case Wilbur caught one of them.

She took a researching standpoint first. Niki examined any and all technological and paper trails she could find to learn everything she could about Tommy. Unfortunately, Niki didn't find too much. Tommy was mostly a blank slate in the eyes of the internet and newspapers.

Theseus 'Tommy' Innit. Unknown age but assumed 16 or 17 years. Lives at the Tnret Apartments. Works at Logstedshire Hotel as a "cleaner". Anything else before that moment was guarded under a multitude of encryptions. Niki wondered what Tommy had done for his past to be so heavily concealed. He was either someone who had been smuggled into L'Manberg from a different country- most likely 2b2t- or he had done something so horribly wrong that his past had to be wiped. Maybe he had family in the government. Maybe he was one of the kids who escaped Fae Industries, though Niki doubted that since the age didn't match.