Free-Fall: Vigilante Tommyinnit AU

《CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE》

Wanted to add a quick warning for; Depersonalization, anxiety, implied anxiety attacks, manipulation, toxic family relationships, and implied self hatred. 

Puffy POV-

When I said I might quit my job as a Hero and become a Vigilante, I wasn't kidding, so I went to the only person I could think of, to help me figure out the best course of action for me to take.

That person was Tommy, because i'm not as clueless as Philza to disregard the many signs the blonde had passed on, obviously he was the vigilante, "Jester".

I found him rather quickly, in his Vigilante outfit, while he had been gazing over the streets from the top of an apartment complex, one far from the one he lived him. Still, I chose to confront him as calmly as possible, but when I whispered to him that I knew it was him, he didn't even seem surprised, just disappointed and frustrated. "Goddamnit, I really let everyone find out, huh?", I raised an eyebrow, "Do any other people know?", Tommy sighed, "Yeah, Wilbur, Techno and Philza know, which is because of me, not that I regret it, it's just that my roommates are so gonna fuckin' kill me, or at least Tubbo will, Ranboo will just stand there and look disappointed", he laughed dryly, "Their both already gonna be upset when they find out I snuck out to patrol again",  he mumbled, more so to himself, but still, I continued with my proposition, "Hold on, you quit?!", I nodded, "I did", "and you came to me because you wanted to become a Vigilante too?", "That's correct", "Holy shit, give me a moment to process this all, it's been a long night, a very, very long night, and now you just show up, out of nowhere, might I add, only to tell me you are one of the many who also know my identity as the Jester, and  that you quit your job to become a vigilante", I allowed him to take his own words him, "i'm sorry, I really just sprung that on you", I apologized, but be shook his head, "nah, it's fine, I was kinda hoping you'd become a Vigilante, with how shit the Hero Corporation actually is, your too good for it, but the media is gonna lose it's shit when they find out you quit and that 'Captain Puffy' has resigned", I thought that over, I did think about the lasting impact of my leaving, but I didn't care in the heat of the moment, only wanting to get out of XD's corrupt power, "I'm aware of that, but it's better than having to keep working with that corporation", Tommy nodded in understanding, "that's fair, yeah, but holy shit am I still feeling a bit weird, talking to you like this while I was patrolling", he laughed, I offered a smile, "again, I am sorry to have come to you so suddenly, I just needed to let you know", "why me, out of all people? Surly you would much rather have talked to Niki or Sam? Maybe Even Hannah, but me? We haven't interacted much, and I haven't even been working with the Corporation for that long, so it's kinda...upsetting with how fast all this shit has happened", he said quietly, and he was right, so much had happened, I was sure so much went down with Tommy too, with Wilbur, Techno and Philza finding out who he was so quickly, probably from Tommy having to tell them, because god knows they are so clueless, it was almost embarrassing, I figured I might as well try to lighten the mood a bit, "Did you have to tell them you were the Jester? No way they could have taken your little hints, they can be so clueless sometimes", Tommy laughed, genuinely this time, "God, they really are"

Or maybe they just didn't want to believe Tommy was the Jester? That, I could question another time, for now I stayed, focusing on the boy in front of me, who I had came to see so suddenly, despite how late it was.

"Hey, Tommy? Could I walk you back home?", "If your fine with helping me sneak back into my apartment through my window", he joked, and I couldn't help but smile and laugh again, "I dont mind that, surprisingly."

Dream POV-

Regret was something I didn't think I'd find myself spiraling down, but greed has blinded me and what I thought was good, my reasons to believe what I was doing was good- were all just excuses. I convinced myself I was doing this for George, for my friends- Sapnap, Karl, Sam, Punz, Bad, foolish- I now realize that I was just dragging them down with my obsession over power, my want for control and my desire for authority. The cruel side-affect society leaves you when you get a taste of it's drug: power. The corruption caused by the littlest speck of power is intimidating, persistent and contagious.

When Karl came to me, he looked almost delusional, out of touch with reality. I thought he might have been spiraling too, down what though- I have no clue. Maybe it was my fault he was like that. It probably was. George cant even look at me, Sapnap cant stand being in the same building as me- as deserved, I did drag him along with me when I took Tommy. I regret that too. I want to make it better, but I dont know how. I still dont even know what i'm doing anymore.

I need to stop, I have to stop. I've broken too much already, and yeah, it's late, really late to start fixing things, but better late than never I suppose.

"Do you think George will ever forgive me? Or Tommy?", Karl paused before he finally spoke again- "I know we can get there", he gripped my hand tight, as if he was afraid I'd let go, but I never did, I wouldn't dare. "I know Tommy doesn't hate you for what you did", "He should", I said. Karl nodded, "He should", Karl started, "but he doesn't", he said gently, "why not?", "Why dont you ask him yourself?"

Karl didn't elaborate on what he meant, though it was obvious, he wanted me to talk to Tommy. That wouldn't be right though, I cant just go find Tommy and go "Hey, i'm sorry for literally kidnapping you and traumatizing you, but I'm a changed man now", thats fucking stupid. Not to mention, it would be completely inconsiderate.

The sudden change that shook me out of my previous mindset was caused by the millions of protests to my actions that came left in right, first from George, then Drista, then my own self-conscious, the grounded side of my brain that was so hard to find, the side of me that was sane, that was buried so deep down.

Drista, my only sister, had cursed me out, screamed at me, spoke to me like she didn't know who I was anymore, and to be honest, I didn't know who I was either, not anymore.

"Why are you doing this?! What did you gain?!"

I dont know. I dont know anymore.

The pain in my head spread down to my legs and I didn't know where I was moving.

Black, it was just dark, all I could see was black while a million voices screamed at me, all at the same time, causing a distant ring in my ears that was almost loud enough to block out the voices that yelled in my head. Almost.

"What did you gain from causing so much suffering?!", That sounds kinda like Sapnap

"How could you do this?!", "I didn't ask for this!!", definitely George

"I dont know who you are anymore! I look at you now and I cant even recognize you!", Drista.

"Your not good enough yet, I can make you better though, you just have to trust me", That was XD.

XD, god, my eldest brother. Foolish wouldn't have let him trick me, if only he didn't go off looking for his friend Alastair. Wasn't that Eret?

I found myself down on the floor, practically shaking when I found myself holding a syringe. This was the XD virus, wasn't it? Named after him too, that self centered piece of shit, but fuck, who am I to talk??

Does that mean I was back in the same place I kept Tommy? In a goddamned laboratory? Where I locked him in a cell, while others were ordered by XD to "mold him into the perfect weapon".

Why did XD want to do that again? Why did I listen to him? Why did I do this?

I should understand what I made Tommy go through. I should go through what he did.

I blacked out when I injected the glowing gold and green liquid directly into my arm.