Branded for Failure

What was left of Tommy

Tommy worked so hard to get to where he was. He was a prodigy, completing the hero training program in only nine months. Come graduation day and every other Hero in the Order of the SMP were lined up to take him under their wing. But Tommy wanted the best of the best. He wanted Dream.

Tommy went mentorless for a year. Denied major missions because he had to be apprenticed for two years before he was considered A-Team. Tommy sharpened his skills, pushing his powers to the limit and after saving Dreams life. Dream had no choice but to take him in.

Dream never regretted his decision, Tommy made sure of that. Working late into the night when the compound was silent, Tommy could be found pushing harder and further than anyone had ever gone before.

The Red Shadow was both beloved, feared, and admired by everyone. And Dream showed him off proudly at every chance.

But behind the scenes Tommy started to notice things. Despite being the number one hero, Dream was...

Tommy knew only one thing about what happened that night.

Dream was a liar.

Dream said a lot of things this week. Tubbo screamed at him a lot of things. Words that painted half finished stories were tossed back and forth around him. And Tommy passed through it in a daze. There were intense lights shined in his face, as the Warden roughly integrated him. It was hard to remember the good times when Sam used to play animal crossing with him when Dream used to drop him off at Sam's labs when Dream had meetings because Tommy could never sit still well enough for those apparently.

The Warden grabbed him by the hair and demanded to know what he did to George. Hours upon hours The Warden would examine him. Tommy at first thought it was a joke. He explained that he had no idea what Sam was talking about.

The Warden hasn't responded well to that.

For days Tommy begged and cried that he knew nothing. Demanding to see Dream. But The Warded just picked at him to think, THINK about the cruel crime Tommy committed.

He was made to run on the treadmill too. Hours and hours at top speeds until Tommys powers were long gone, his legs made of jello and drenched in sweat. The Warden still made him run, 'after that big meal you ate Tommy? You must have the energy to run for a week and not get winded. You are only tourcering yourself .'

But when there was even the slightest bit of doubt in Tommy's mind, that maybe he did do something. There was a voice that screamed-

Dream lied.

But when Tommy tried to remember that night there were only painful flashes. The more Tommy tried to relive the worse the pain in his head grew, until Tommy was screaming and passed out.

The Warden thought he was throwing a tantrum.

And then something changed. Tommy hadn't a clue what it was. Or how long he had been in Pandora's vault but one day Dream came.

And Tommy had another black out. He remembers the door opening, seeing Dreams' masked face, untraceable fury rising inside him.

And it hurt to remember the rest.

But as frustrated as Tommy was he learned something very important from that. Dream did something to him, to his head to make moments scrambled like this. Dream possibly messed with everyone else's heads too because everyone seemed to be on a totally different script ever since he got thrown in the vault.

Just when Tommy thought he would be stuck in the vault forever. Tommy was exiled from La'manburg city.

Tommy hit the ground hard. The force of falling a flight of stairs sent a shock wave through his body. He let out a gasp of pain and let himself lie on the floor.

Tommy laid there for only a second or two, or maybe it was an eternity, he soaked up what energy he could from the sun until he could gather the will to stand. The world spun for a moment until his view of the back door of Pandora's vault cleared.

"What do you expect me to do?" Tommy asked the door, but it was directed at The Warden, at Dream, at the Order of the SMP.

Tommy automatically took stock of the situation, a plan formulating in his head. He laughed, his instinct fell back on his hero training. As though he could pretend this was just another mission.

'Get out Tom- what are you- shut- DREAM- X'

Tommy winced and shuddered. His hands flew to his temple and he massaged the pain away. Hissing a breath through his teeth Tommy started walking.

Tommy didn't even know where Pandora's Vault was located, he just hoped to find a pay phone, assuming those still existed.

"Well this place is a crap hole."

Walking for thirty minutes Tommy weaved through abandoned buildings after deserted establishment. There were a few homeless people about, they paid him no mind. After all, Tommy was dressed in a red shirt and jeans he had worn all week, there were traces of blood, and other stains. He fit right in.

After another twenty minutes of walking Tommy finally came across a gas station. When Tommy saw the gas pump he was about ready to cry in relief. Tommy slumped into the pump and immediately his arms glowed faintly red.

Energy manipulation came in handy. Most commonly Tommy used it to cause explosions, or to not have to sleep. After a minute or two of just ingesting the energy of the pump flowing out in red tendrils Tommy spotted a pay phone.

"Thank God." he groaned and collected a small ball of energy in his palm. Tommy didn't have any money, heck, he didn't even have any shoes on. But the phone wouldn't turn on unless you put money in. In theory he should be able to bypass that mechanism by forcing it on.

At least Tommy hoped that was what would happen.

Tommy pushed the energy into the phone, immediately he started swearing because the phone started to smoak. There was a loud pop and Tommy whined leaning his forehead against the wall.

"Hey! Are you alright? I heard an explosion." the gas station attendant asked him.

Tommy wiped his face and chuckled. "Yah I'm alright big man. Your phone just broke on me."

The gas station attendant took a look and nodded. "Yah sorry about that, It's ancient. I think its been there since my grandfather worked at the station."

Tommy gave him a look.

The man shrugged. "I come from a long line of gas station owners."

"That's nice. Would you mind if I borrow your phone?" Tommy asked hopefully.

"Sure." The guy handed him an iphone and went back inside.

Tommy snorted at how stupidly trusting this guy was but punched in the number and. . . his finger hovered over the call button. Then quickly pressed it before he thought about it too much. He held the phone to his ear with a shaking hand, listening to it ring for several moments.

"Hello? This is Phil Watson speaking."

Tommy wanted to laugh because he still answered the phone like an old man. Tommy wanted to cry because-

"Dad?"

Then Tommy cursed under his breath because crap he didn't mean to say it all shaky like that.

"Tommy? Tommy is that you? Are you okay?"

Tommy meant to say, 'of course I'm okay, I'm a big man Phil, all I need to survive is spite and women.'

Instead what came out of his mouth was.

"Dad please."