Neutrality Order (TomBoo)

N.E. - Chapter 6

"YOU LOST HIM!?"

Sir Nighteye honestly didn't know Crow Father's voice could go that high in a panic, feeling his ear ring as he held his phone at arm's length, thinking that when Crow Father said Tommy was something they could talk about together, he was pretty sure 'I've lost sight of your protege' was not on the list of things to talk about. "Crow Father, I-"

"Stay RIGHT there, I'm headed over!" Crow Father commanded, sounding like he was shoving several people out of his way as he made a break for the train station, hanging up at some point en route. Sir Nighteye stared at his phone before closing the call menu himself.  Well. Crow Father's email about how special Tommy was to him certainly wasn't lying. He sat down hard and massaged his temples, feeling that gnaw of guilt and shame chew on his soul harder.

How far had his own issues fallen to have brought a CHILD into it, he berated himself. In the span of fifteen minutes, his day had gone from bad to worse, and if ANYTHING had happened to Tommy, it would be CATASTROPHIC. His agency may be shut down, his own license revoked, and what was worse, he was SURE to get a punch in the face from Crow Father. He did't need Foresight to see THAT happening.

A soft clink next to him sometime later had him looking up, seeing Connor setting a cup of coffee down next to him with a worried expression. He closed his eyes and sighed before sitting upright. "Thank you, Connor," he said, taking it and sipping it. Connor quietly pulled a chair up to the other side of the desk, sitting down himself.

"Sir...are you alright?" he asked. Sir Nighteye shook his head, holding the hot cup in his hands.

"Until Tommy is found, nothing will be alright," he replied, feeling a greater shame at having been such a terrible example of a mentor, having had to stop Connor soon as he heard Tommy was missing from the building. He recalled somewhat the confidence and anticipation Connor had on his face when he put in Tommy's name for a work-study hopeful, and wished now more than anything that his curiosity overrode his bitterness. "Connor," he said, getting the boy's attention, "what do you think of Tommy?"

Connor blinked, folding his hands on the desk, wringing them slightly from nerves. "I thought he was brilliant," he answered frankly. "When I put in my demonstration to the class, he hung back with Aizawa in order to observe what I could do rather than jump right in. His classmates noticed, and took it that much more seriously. Then he went into his turn knowing that I'd win, but he still managed to outmaneuver me on my first try before I got a hold of him. Then he asked like a dozen questions about my quirk and actually wrote them down in a study guide." Despite the situation, a smile perked at his lips.

"When Crow Father called us in and asked me about being the middleman, I asked Tommy what kind of hero he wanted to be. And he said he wanted to inspire change. He made it sound like he wanted to make it so no one ever felt so lonely and powerless that they felt they HAD to turn to villainy. Like...if Crow Father is a pillar of peace, Tommy sounded like he wanted to be a pillar of hope. And he was so SURE of himself when he said it, I just COULDN'T deny him a chance to get him a start on it."

The smile slipped somewhat. "I honestly thought you would like someone like him," he said. "Someone who throws himself into whatever it is that needs doing, with all his heart and soul." His hands wrung a little tighter. "...did he...was I wrong?"

"No," Sir Nighteye said quickly. "No...you weren't wrong....I was wrong." He put his coffee down, sliding his fingers under his glasses to rub his face. "I hope your opinion of me does not spoil, Connor, though I won't blame you if it does."

Connor was spared a reply when even from his office he could hear the front door slam open and thunderous footfalls echo all the way down the hall before Crow Father threw open his door, looking like he'd ran all the way from the train station.