Debts To Be Settled

34

Tommy sits on the street curb, legs stretched out into the street. His duffle bag sits right beside him, nestled into his side. He keeps one elbow on the duffle bag, using it to subtly lift up his arm as he holds his communicator. The evening wind brushes through his hair, pulling at the strings of his hoodie with little lift, as Tommy taps the reload button once more. The screen goes white before showing the same screen he has been looking at for over two weeks. There is a list of one-sided messages without a response, and the lack of anything on the other side makes Tommy's stomach swell uncomfortably, like a wave crashing upon the rocky shore.

Behind Tommy, Techno closes the gym up for the night. Tommy listens to the clicking of the key. Techno's heartbeat continues to thunder against Tommy's fingertips as he taps the screen one more time. Nothing happens, and Tommy is starting to believe that nothing will. Techno approaches Tommy, and when Tommy sees the hybrid's legs in his peripheral, Tommy glances upward. "I wanted to look for you when you and the others went missing. I don't know how I fell asleep, but I fucking swear it wasn't on purpose. I even tried going after you. It was Salamander that wouldn't let me. I mean, the smoke was also making me dizzy, but I would have found you guys."

"I understand. I do not blame you nor do I require an apology," Techno says slowly, confusion rising in his red-brown eyes. He glances down at Tommy with narrowed eyebrows, and Tommy shifts to look away from that familiar expression.

"Does Wilbur understand that?" Tommy whispers. It has been a few weeks since the Craft family's outing with Tommy was interrupted by a fight between the heroes and the Binary Killer. A lot has happened since then, so Tommy has almost forgotten the way he felt when he saw the family again. He hasn't apologized for not going after them, for letting Salamander— Vulcan, these days—- and Nemesis to take care of it. Tommy thought he was doing the right thing at the time. He was getting people he... well, not trusted, but knew would follow through, to do what he could not. He figured the Craft family wouldn't want him to injure himself further. He would have gotten hurt in a heartbeat if it was necessary, but it didn't seem that way in this situation.

Techno steps down from the sidewalk onto the street. He squats, leaning backward to sit on the curb right beside Tommy. He sets his duffle bag on the other side as he crosses his ankles. He nudges Tommy with his shoulder. "I'm going to need more information than that."

Tommy sighs, pulling his legs up to his chest. He wraps his arms around himself, letting his communicator slide down in his hand so he cannot see the screen any longer. Tommy glances at Techno from the corner of his eye, unable to commit to making eye contact. "Wilbur hasn't answered any of my messages. He hasn't come to hang out in awhile, either. I don't know what else it could be."

Techno's expression shifts immediately, halfway between distant anger and intimate understanding. Techno sits up straighter, looking across the street like an explorer staring at the horizon. Techno shakes his head, his eyes reaching farther beyond what is presented in front of them. "Wilbur has always been like this. He sometimes gets into his own head, and he runs. He comes back eventually... Everyone else understands this and they accommodate him, but—"

Techno cuts himself off. His expression narrows momentarily, putting on display his full annoyance. Techno makes a conscious effort to rein in these emotions, but Tommy makes no such attempts as he finishes for Techno. "It's shit."

Techno snorts, a smile pulling on his lips. They don't fully turn upward, but the fact that they almost did provides a highlight in this conversation for Tommy. He has been ruminating on Wilbur's absence for the past two weeks, searching his memory for some sort of explanation. The answer he proposed to Techno about Wilbur being upset over Tommy not going after the family is the only one Tommy could think of, but Techno shot it down. Tommy is back at square one without an idea. He supposes he can trust the answer Shelby and Niki gave him about Wilbur disappearing for long periods to write music, but something feels different this time. Or maybe Tommy just thought he was special, that Wilbur would be able to leave his family but wouldn't abandon Tommy so carelessly. Tommy resents the selfish thought, especially now that it is causing unpleasant emotions inside his heart.