Tommyinnit clinic for supervillains

Chapter 10: business negotiations

Siren was waiting for him outside the cafe when he finished his shift on Friday night.

They had arranged it before his shift began, with Tommy curled up in the corner of his couch, keeping his phone carefully angled away from his roommates as he went over the plan for the evening with the supervillain (over discord as ridiculous as that still seemed.)

The Syndicate meeting was that night. Before Tommy left for work, he told Tubbo and Ranboo that he was going to go out for dinner with Wilbur again after his shift, so they shouldn't wait up for him. Tubbo barely acknowledged the information, while Ranboo mumbled a half-hearted have fun his way. Although he could tell Ranboo wasn't happy with Tommy's secret keeping like Tubbo was, at least Ranboo was trying not to be a bitch about it.

Tommy had told Siren when his shift ended so he could wait for him, and then he could take Tommy to the meeting without issue. A part of Tommy had been worried that Wilbur was going to actually show up that day and invite him to dinner, and he'd have to make up some excuse about why he couldn't go. But it must've been his lucky day, because Wilbur didn't stop by the cafe that night, and Tommy was saved the dilemma.

As the door to the cafe shut behind Tommy, he quickly spotted Siren peeling himself from the shadows under the awning. He had been scrolling through his phone when Tommy opened the door, but quickly pocketed it to step up beside him as he locked the door to the shop.

"Did your shift go well?" Siren asked as Tommy twisted the key.

Asking about his work day. What a way to start an evening with a supervillain.

"Um, it was fine I guess," Tommy said, resisting the urge to give Siren a weird look as he shoved the key ring in his pocket. "Has, uh, your day been good?" He asked awkwardly, feeling like it was a bit rude not to return the small talk Siren had offered.

Siren snorted at Tommy's obvious discomfort. "Yeah, it was fine. Did lots of 'evil villain' stuff."

Tommy snorted, relaxing a bit as he followed Siren away from the store. "Have you gotten around to getting an evil lair yet?"

"Not yet. We're still working on the renovations. Thinking of having the Property Brothers take a look at it," Siren joked, his long coat spinning out behind him as he turned into an alleyway.

Unlike many of the alleyways in the city, this one didn't lead to a dead end. Instead, it led to a maze of different alleyways and Siren navigated through them like a pro. It was a labyrinth of brick walls and drain pipes, but Siren clearly knew these pathways, and within minutes the two of them were popping out into an empty parking lot blocks away from the cafe.

The parking lot was lit by only a few flickering streetlights, giving the entire place an eerie glow. The stars above were blotted out by dark clouds, and Tommy almost felt like he was being smothered under a blanket. Under one of the flickering lights was a sleek, black SUV, which Siren headed straight towards without any hesitation in his stride.

"Is that our ride?" Tommy asked, quickening his pace to keep up with Siren's long strides.

"Sure is," Siren replied. "Our meeting place is too far to walk to from your cafe."

"Got it," Tommy muttered, hunching his shoulders as they neared the car.

Siren opened the door to the backseat for him, gesturing for him to climb inside first. Tommy scooted across the rich leather to the far window, with Siren sliding in on the other side. The SUV was obviously very expensive, and from what Tommy could tell, the windows were tinted as well which was probably necessary for supervillains driving around town. When Tommy glanced up to the front, he jolted when he noticed the pink hair and boar mask sitting in front of the steering wheel.