In the Shadows We Fight (for justice and ourselves)

Why can't you put the pieces together?

Tommy had a lot on his mind as he walked down the sidewalk. On the more emotional end, Clay's lecturing (and abuse) was reeling in his mind. Clay's final words about how Tommy had a choice to make kept ringing in his ears on loop because Tommy didn't know what choice he would be making. He was disappearing without informing anyone about where he was going for an indefinite amount of time to investigate the man he had sworn to be loyal to. To make matters worse, Tommy was going back to his past. He was going back to the place he swore he would never return to once he had left. Tommy didn't know if he was supposed to feel regret, nostalgia, apprehension, or something else entirely. It wasn't like there was a tutorial for this sort of thing. Tommy considered going to a therapist, but he wasn't sure if he was going to be able to afford that. Or if his pride was going to let him sit down across from a therapist. If Tommy had to describe his emotional state, he would use the same phrase that he used to describe his powers: chaotic without cause.

In the material world, Tommy was stuck with an uncomfortable outfit with slightly aching ribs and a rubbed red neck. He was shaking off the aftereffects of his panic attack that left his hands trembling and his eyes searching for every light source around him. Tommy avoided every shadow, and the crowds on the sidewalk made him want to throw up in the nearest trashcan. Instead of doing that, Tommy pulled his hood down lower while keeping a steady, inconspicuous pace. He was hoping that anybody who looked at him would see an edgy teenager in no rush to get anywhere. They wouldn't know that he was an undercover sidekick going rogue with some of his friends because he was suspicious of his hero's intentions with another hero. Tommy chuckled under his breath at the irony.

Tommy recognized the group because of Ranboo's unique appearance. He was wearing a hat over his hair but a few strands fell down. His eyes had faded into a unnatural shade of purple, and the colors of the skin went completely black like a real Enderman. Ranboo remained just as tall and lanky with an air of awkward kindness around him that was unmistakable even with the magic of a disguise. Beside him was Tubbo who was wearing a purple blocky jacket over black cargo pants with a huge backpack on his back. Purpled was wearing a visor with a gray hoodie that hid his bulletproof vest and boots that concealed hidden blades. The three stood near the corner of two sidewalks meeting at a perpendicular angle. Tommy looked them all up and down now that he was closer. He was able to see that Ranboo's cloak had flames sown on the bottom. "Why do you look different? You look hot... er. Uh, red."

Tubbo nearly fell to his knees with laughter. Purpled held a hand over his barely restrained smile. Ranboo had a purple blush against his cheeks while he sputtered with laughter and words that wouldn't form. Tommy's face went a brilliant shade of scarlet as he tried to understand why that had been the first thing to come into his head. Ranboo finally composed himself to take a small bow. "Thank you, thank you."

Tommy released a tight smile as his fingers grasped the edge of Ranboo's cloak to get a better look at it. The craftsmanship was lackluster, but it was clear that someone had really tried hard to make it with the best of their abilities. Tommy trailed his hands along the thread around the edges. Tommy pursed his lips as he felt the uneven ridges. Ranboo had been staring at him the whole time in visible confusion didn't expect Tommy to say that the next chance he got, Tommy was teaching Ranboo to actually sow. Ranboo was about to respond when Purpled said it was time to go.

The walk to Pogtopia wasn't long, but it was clear how the districts degraded the farther they got from the main hub of L'Manberg and the capital district of Greater. Tommy kept his gaze away from the dilapidated buildings to ward off any unwanted memories from that district. His hand brushed against a cement wall that he had a clear memory of being thrown into in a fight with Banshee. Tommy lingered at that building as he saw a splattering of dried blood that would look like paint to anyone else. Tommy reached for it, but he felt someone grab his hand. Tommy looked up to see Ranboo standing there with a concerned frown, and Tommy hesitated to do anything. He almost wanted to explain. There was an urge to tell Ranboo every gory detail of that particular fight until Ranboo was begging him to stop. Tommy closed his mouth before he started doing that. He yanked his hand away from Ranboo's grasp to follow Tubbo and Purpled, who hadn't even noticed that Tommy and Ranboo had fallen behind. They weren't behind for long because Ranboo touched Tommy's shoulder. Before Tommy could flip him off, the two of them were right behind Tubbo and Purpled. Tommy slid away as the pain of spacial displacement ricocheted through his body. Ranboo rubbed a comforting hand on Tommy's shoulder as the blonde felt a sharp stabbing in his ribs. No one said he had healed all the way from his encounter with Minotaur and afterwards with Clay.