Wilbur hums a song Tommy doesn't recognize as they walk. His fingers are moving gracefully in front him like he's pressing down on piano keys or strumming guitar strings in front of him. Occasionally, he will stop humming altogether. He will either wear a contemplating expression or a dissatisfied one. In the former case, he will repeat the part he was humming previously, and in the latter case, he retries the same melody with subtle differences. Tommy, for his part, doesn't understand any of it. While the radio is his lifeline, he prefers people talking than musicians performing. He doesn't dislike music, though, and while he doesn't understand any of the intricacies, listening to Wilbur fascinates Tommy. It feels like he's peeking behind the curtain, watching a masterpiece in the making.

"Are you a professional musician?" Tommy asks innocently. He remembers Shelby saying that Wilbur usually comes back with albums after his disappearances. Tommy didn't think much of it then, just like how he didn't think much about Wilbur mentioning he knew how to play the guitar. Wilbur has made it clear music is important to him. Tommy thought it was a hobby before, but it seems like Wilbur is genuinely invested in his performances.

"Professionally? No. I just do this for the fun of it. I have a day job, you know," Wilbur answers. Even as he talks, his voice carries a melodious lilt. The way his voice rises and falls in pitch reminds Tommy of a quiet lullaby. He's noticed before that Wilbur sounds like he's singing a ballad when he's excited, his voice brilliantly bright. "Why? Do you think I should go into music professionally?"

The expression Wilbur is wearing makes Tommy's cheeks burn with embarrassment. Wilbur is smiling so widely that his eyes are halfway closed, the brown filling up the small space to make it look as dark as the night. He leans forward, turning slightly to give his entire attention to Tommy. The blonde hates it when Wilbur does that. Having someone's full attention has never been a good thing for Tommy until Wilbur came along. Tommy was content to skirt along the edges of people's vision, someone they knew of but never personally. If no one looked at him, if no one saw him, he didn't have to worry. No one punches empty air, after all. Wilbur has become the exception for Tommy because when his eyes rest on the blonde's shoulders, there is never hatred in his eyes. Never violence or ill intentions. There is only happiness, blooming like flowers in a sun-kissed meadow.

"Fuck off. I'm only asking to make sure you aren't. You suck at singing," Tommy hisses, turning away from Wilbur. Instead of offense, Tommy hears Wilbur's laughter rise high into the crisp morning. The people in the dilapidated apartments and offices all around them are going to be upset, but Wilbur is the kind of person who laughs with his entire soul. He reminds Tommy of himself in that regard, but at least Wilbur's laughter sounds like the jingling of bells, not the thunderous croak of crows like Tommy's laughter.

"Oh, we're almost there!" Wilbur declares, a little more energy coming into his steps as he rushes over to a building. Tommy watches Wilbur go, remaining at his steady pace. He takes the opportunity to look around. Wilbur has taken him to the very edge of the island. Unfortunately, this section of the island does not boast beaches with a cerulean sea. If it did, the rich people would have claimed it for their own. Because of the rocky area settled against an usually gray, sometimes brown ocean, people without a lot of credits in their communicators have claimed the area for their own. While the area isn't the worst in terms of average income and crime rates, the old-style buildings around Tommy prove that it isn't as great as the inner-city where the heroes patrol every day.

"Come on!" Wilbur calls out from the end of the street. As Tommy approaches, he can hear the ocean crashing against the rocks below the cliff face. Tommy looks out across the edge of the island, lifting a hand up to block out the rising sun. The view isn't as horrible as Tommy thought it would be, but he doesn't spend much more time staring out across the storm-colored water. He looks over at Wilbur, then his attention slides to the building Wilbur is staring up at.

On Tommy's days off, Wilbur has taken him to various locations to hang out. Wilbur has never taken Tommy to a gym before. The building is blocky, rather squat, and made from gray metal sheets with tiny windows a foot underneath the edge of the roof. The roof is made from a flat black rubbery stone. While there isn't a name above the gym's door, there is a sign hanging beside the door that attempts to convince passing people to get a membership. There isn't anyone around on the sidewalk to see the sign, but Tommy is rather certain that it isn't very effective. It obviously isn't in this area. While Tommy did admit the people here aren't the poorest, he knows that they don't have credits to waste on a gym that they don't have time for. The location was chosen poorly. Tommy doesn't know how the business is still running.

He doesn't know why he and Wilbur are there, either. While Wilbur does carry himself like someone who has a decent amount of credits, Tommy never thought he would be the kind of person to spend it at a gym. Wilbur doesn't even seem like the type who goes to a gym. Tommy gives him an incredulous look, "I don't fucking get it, Wilbur. Do you want to work out all of a sudden?"

"No, it's not that," Wilbur shrugs. He reaches forward, opening the door. Tommy raises an eyebrow. There is a small black box with a scanner at the bottom right beside the door, supposedly connected to the lock. Wilbur didn't have to scan anything to get the door open. It was simply unlocked. As Tommy passes through the threshold, he stares at the box. It doesn't look fake with the way a small red light bulb blinks on top of it. The scanner, too, flashes green every few seconds, prompting people to use their cards or IDs. Tommy's cheeks expand as he tries to figure out the mystery of the gym.

The first room Tommy comes into isn't a waiting room like he expected. There isn't even an area for new people to get whatever they need to unlock the scanner. Instead, Tommy is immediately placed into the main room of the gym. There are dozens of pieces of equipment creating loose rows from the wall sharing space with the door to the very back of the gym. The only place without machinery is a brightly lit corner where a red foam mat spreads out across the black rubbery ground. There are a few racks on the wall beside the mat, showcasing an assortment of weapons. Beside the rack is a hallway that must lead to another room, though Tommy doesn't know what could be back there when it seems like the main room has everything covered.

The gym is empty save for one person. They are sitting on their knees on the red mat, hands folded over their thighs. As Tommy and Wilbur approach, Tommy takes in more of his appearance. He has long pink hair braided down his back. He wears a gray shirt that shines silver in the lighting with a pair of black pants that remind Tommy of a thicker version of leggings. With the tight clothing, the man's muscles are extremely visible. They are as calm as the man is right now, but Tommy knows this is a person that can seriously pack a punch should the opportunity present itself.

"This is the twin brother I've been telling you about, Techno," Wilbur whispers, putting a hand on Tommy's shoulder. Tommy flinches. His eyes widen as he looks between Wilbur and who Wilbur claims is Techno. Tommy can hardly believe it. They look so different from each other. Not only the hair, of course, but also their body types and the way they seem to carry themselves. Wilbur is constantly in motion. Techno looks like he could spend an eternity sitting on the ground. The only reason Tommy doesn't immediately call Wilbur's bluff is because he starts to see the similarities. While it might be his brain trying to rationalize the situation, he thinks Wilbur and Techno have similar facial structures.

Tommy lets out a slow breath, nodding as if that would help him understand the situation better. Wilbur snorts, like he's always gotten that response. Tommy feels a little bad. While it might be true that Techno simply works out more than Wilbur does, there is a possibility that their body types were influenced by their hybrid traits. Wilbur and Tommy haven't talked about it since that night, but Tommy is now aware that his friend isn't as human as he portrays himself to be. Tommy doesn't think he discriminates against hybrids, but he knows a lot of people who do. He has heard it on the radio. He's seen it in real life, both in the foster system and in the tailor shop. Wilbur's brother could also be a hybrid. He might be a different type, though, and that is why his hair is as pink as clouds during a pleasant sunrise.

"I want you to start learning self-defense from Techno," Wilbur continues, not commenting on Tommy's surprise. Tommy feels a surge of something- possibly hurt- rise inside his body as he wonders when Wilbur will trust him enough to talk to him about his hybrid side.

Those emotions are quickly shoved down when Wilbur's words register in Tommy's mind. Wilbur and Tommy have never talked about self-defense before. They haven't talked about fighting at all. Sure, Tommy has threatened to shank a few people and told Wilbur he would win a fight, but Tommy didn't mean any of that. Tommy shakes his head to rid himself of those thoughts. "The fuck? Explain better, bitch."

"When I first met you Tommy, you got shot in the shoulder. You get most of your groceries in an unsafe area," Wilbur explains. His tone is light, but Tommy can catch a hint of something strained underneath the surface. Wilbur turns a little more towards Tommy, putting his hands on both of the blonde's shoulders. Wilbur leans in close, their foreheads a few inches from touching. Wilbur looks right into Tommy's eyes. There is nothing funny about the intensity there. "You went into a Syndicate base. If you're going to keep that behavior up, I want you to at least be able to throw a proper punch."

Tommy understands instantly. They haven't talked about a lot of things since that night a couple of days ago. Tommy assumed Wilbur got over it quickly. He didn't want to bring it up in case that would set Wilbur off. Tommy guesses that he should have. As much as Tommy has been worrying about Wilbur, he must have been worrying about Tommy. While he wasn't the one to get kidnapped, Tommy did watch his friend get kidnapped. He willingly went into the shadows to save Wilbur, and he faced down the Binary Killer. Tommy was willing to sacrifice himself to buy Wilbur some time. Tommy should have known that Wilbur would feel a similar way. Wilbur isn't just Tommy's friend. Tommy is Wilbur's friend, too.

"Why Techno, huh?" Tommy asks softly, trying to sound a little more energetic than he feels. He sees the value in Wilbur's words. It would be good for Tommy to be a little better at fighting. He does acknowledge that he lives in a rough area, and considering his recent involvement in dangerous figures, Tommy would like to at least be able to fight off one of the grunts. He knows that he doesn't stand a chance against the villains. Hell, most of the vigilantes have offensive powers. Tommy can't even heal himself. But it would still be nice not to go down immediately. Surviving a few seconds against a well-known villain is still an achievement.

"It was short-notice... and Techno said he would do it for free," Wilbur explains, looking away slightly. One of his hands lifts from Tommy's shoulder to move around as if to wave off his words before they reach Tommy's ears.

They do not, in fact, suddenly disappear. Tommy frowns dramatically at Wilbur. "Fucking cheapskate."

Wilbur cracks a smile, a tiny laugh pulling the pitch of his voice up. "Come on. It isn't all bad. Techno is really strong. I have high hopes for this."

Tommy doesn't share Wilbur's sentiment, but he doesn't pull away when Tommy turns him towards the mat. Wilbur pushes Tommy onto the red material. He only stops when Tommy and Wilbur are close enough to cast a shadow over Techno's form. The pinkette lifts his head slowly, gracefully, in an unbothered way. He lifts one of his eyes open, acknowledging both Tommy and Wilbur's presence. Tommy's lips part as he realizes that Techno has the same eye color as Wilbur. The shades are too far off, either. Techno's eyes do look a little redder in the darkness.

"Hello- uh, I'm Tommy," The blonde tells Techno, unsure if Wilbur has ever talked about him. Wilbur talks about his family a lot, but Tommy doesn't know if that's a two-way street.

"Hullo," Techno replies. Tommy's lips snap shut. Techno's voice is so much deeper than Wilbur's voice. If Wilbur's voice is bells or a flute, Techno's voice is a large bass. Tommy has a flimsy thought, wondering if all of Wilbur's family have musical voices.

"I'm your new trainee, but don't get too upset if I'm so much better than you. Even geniuses like me can learn a new thing or two," Tommy jokes, a smile rising on his lips.

Techno closes his eye, raising an eyebrow. There is no shift in his expression or body language as he says, "Is that so?"

"Er- yeah- no, I-" Tommy fumbles over his speech. He doesn't know what to say to someone like Techno. He shakes his head, trying again, "We should probably get started. You know, I have a great deal of women waiting for me. They are my wives. All of them, and a Big Man such as yourself must know how impatient wives can be."

"I do not know that," Techno answers. He rises to his feet in a slow, continuous motion. As he stands taller than Tommy, looking down at him with eyes sharper than his monotonous tone, Tommy shivers. He wonders if 'self-defense' is just an excuse for Techno to beat Tommy up. It might be revenge for Tommy getting Wilbur kidnapped. What if Techno knows? Oh, Tommy is going to be sick in front of both Wilbur and his twin. Tommy isn't making a good impression at all. Techno raises his hand. Tommy takes a half-step back, preparing to flee, but Techno is only gesturing over to the weapons rack. Between the metal and the doorway, a black duffle bag sits patiently on the ground. A red duffle bag, a little smaller in size, sits next to it, the tag hanging off of it moving underneath the air vent. "Since you wish to get started, you can get changed. The red bag has clothes for you. The bathroom is the first door in the hallway."

Tommy laughs awkwardly, staring into the darkness of the hallway. He looks back up at Techno. The man seems to be assessing Tommy. The blonde gives him a half-smile. "Do you know what a joke is, Big Man?"

Techno tilts his head to the side curiously. His eyes narrow slightly. Tommy tenses, realizing what he's just said. As he opens his mouth to apologize, Techno straightens his expression. "A lesbian referred to me as 'actually pretty funny' once."

"Well, women are factually always right, so I am inclined to agree. I just need to figure out your style of humor," Tommy accepts the answer, a loose smile finding a place on his face. A little bit of Tommy's fear seems to melt away. He steps away from Techno, heading over to the duffle bag. He hears Techno wish him luck on 'that,' probably referring to Tommy trying to figure out how Techno's humor works. Tommy's smile grows a little brighter. He accepts the challenge with dignity.

Tommy unzips the duffle bag. He finds a pair of leggings like Techno has, but Tommy's shirt is a deep red like his favorite hoodie. Tommy runs his fingers along the smooth material. He pulls it against his chest. He knows instinctively that Wilbur was the one to get these clothes for Tommy. Techno wouldn't know Tommy's favorite color or his clothing size. Considering they just met, Techno probably wouldn't care enough to ask Wilbur these questions to get these clothes himself. Tommy's smile softens. The thoughtful gift from Wilbur coaxes away the rest of his fears.

Tommy finds his way into the bathroom. He turns the light on. The entire room washes with a pale yellow light. Tommy wrinkles his nose at the disinfectant smell as he looks around the room. It isn't a small half-bath. It has a full shower, warm purple walls, and a fancy sign that tells Tommy he should remember to wash his hands in swirling cursive. Tommy sets his clothes on a little stand alongside a stack of folded paper towels. Tommy changes into the new clothing, feeling a little uncomfortable as he gets used to the material. He has never worn anything like this before, so it takes him a minute to situate. When he does, Tommy picks his clothes back up and leaves the bathroom. He drops the clothes on top of the duffle bag as he passes instead of tucking them inside. Tommy continues on his path, jumping into position beside Techno. He notices once he's there that Wilbur is gone. Tommy frowns slightly, but he ignores that thought to meet Techno's eyes.

The man looks over Tommy carefully. His face bears no expression, but his eyes blur with alertness. Techno takes a step back. Tommy mirrors him, face twisting in concentration. Techno takes a step to the side. Tommy does the same. They continue until they have walked a full square. When they get back into their starting position, Tommy glances up at Techno's face. He isn't smiling, but Tommy feels like he is. It must be the eyes. They are shimmering with amusement. Tommy's face blushes with embarrassment. Techno probably only stepped back to get a better look at Tommy. It was the blonde who copied Techno without being told to.

"Copy me now. We need to stretch," Techno nods at Tommy. Techno stretches his arms out. Tommy follows. They windmill their arms in one direction in wide and tight circles. They go in the opposite direction similarly. When they're done, they bring their arms up to their chest, pushing gently. Techno helps Tommy through most of the stretching, murmuring adjustments to himself before physically pushing and pulling Tommy's body into position. It isn't long until Tommy's body begins to burn, but Techno doesn't give him the opportunity to rest.

When the preliminary stretches are completed, Techno and Tommy start jogging around the red mat. After a little while, Techno makes them speed up for short intervals. Tommy's lungs hurt after a couple of laps, but he refuses to throw in the towel until Techno does. While he says that, Tommy does stop running so much after a certain period of time. Techno brought Tommy a bottle of water as Tommy tries not to puke up his breakfast for a reason other than fear. The water cools Tommy down, but it does momentarily unsettle his stomach.

Techno takes the water back, reminding Tommy to maintain a good balance of too much and too little water. Tommy doesn't know how much water he's supposed to drink, though, so he ignores that tidbit of advice until his health falls into the yellow. He hopes that Techno is good at watching out for his student's health.

The next step in Techno's training plan is weight-lifting. Techno makes Tommy start with the littlest weights. This upsets Tommy's pride, but he doesn't complain as he follows Techno's movements. After a little while, Techno does let him move up to the next set, but they don't go any further than that. Tommy was about to set a goal to reach the lifts Techno can pick up, but after watching Techno easily pick up the heaviest with one hand, Tommy decides to set a far more reasonable goal.

Techno gives Tommy a short rest when they're finished. He throws a towel at Tommy. As the blonde wipes his face off, he hears something set down beside him. Techno put Tommy's water bottle down beside his thigh. Tommy sets his towel on his other side, picking up his water. He drinks some of it, feeling Techno's eyes burning into him. Tommy gives him a half-smile, screwing the cap back on his water. Techno doesn't smile back, but he does look a little lighter than before. Techno steps away from the bench, and Tommy hurries to follow him back onto the mat.

With their morning training done, Techno starts preparing Tommy for the actual self-defense part. He gets Tommy to show him how the blonde would fight. Tommy's cheeks turn red when he feels the weight of Techno's disbelief- maybe even disappointment. Tommy stops, deciding not to embarrass himself further. Techno takes mercy on Tommy, and they start with the lesson.

By the end of their first lesson, Tommy is lying flat on the mat. He is completely exhausted, and he knows that he sports a few more bruises than usual. Tommy knows Techno was holding back, and that thought terrifies Tommy more than Techno easily defeating him every damn time does. Tommy turns over, flopping onto his back. Techno lifts a hand to Tommy. The blonde heaves a breath with his entire body, letting Techno pull him up with barely a single muscle overworking itself.

Techno forces Tommy to go through a process he calls 'cooling down.' Tommy would not call it that because he still feels unbearably hot and sweaty as they go through the motions. When Techno and Tommy are walking around the red mat, Tommy looks over at Techno. "Where the fuck is Wilbur? His bitchass should be suffering with me."

"Wilbur has already learned all the self-defense he wants to learn," Techno answers Tommy. The blonde huffs, realizing how literal Techno always is.

"That is so fucking stupid. I should have known Wilbur's dumbass would say some bullshit like that," Tommy huffs. He is half-upset that he's stuck in this situation without Wilbur to suffer with him. He is more upset that Wilbur has decided he's 'learned enough.' Tommy doesn't even know what that means. He doesn't think a person can learn too much self-defense. It is literally a life-saving method. There will come a time when Wilbur is going to regret this decision. Tommy is going to laugh at Wilbur if he survives and grieve him if he doesn't.

"I share a similar sentiment," Techno answers. Tommy snorts, imagining Techo calling Wilbur a 'dumbass.' While he imagines Techno and Wilbur have a healthy dose of sibling rivalry, he can't imagine Techno taking the low-hanging fruit of name calling.

As if he knew they were talking about him, the door swings open to reveal Wilbur. He is smiling ear-to-ear, waving a hand above his head. Tommy stops walking with Techno, leveling a glare at Wilbur. When the brunette stands in front of Tommy, the blonde tries to throw an arm up to hit Wilbur. He fails spectacularly, but Tommy doesn't make a comment about this as his glare intensifies. "You could have told me to fuck off and die instead of sending me to this damned torture chamber!"

"Did you do well today?" Wilbur asks, ignoring Tommy's comment. Wilbur looks over Tommy's shoulder to speak with Techno. Tommy continues trying to bash Wilbur's chest. With how slow and heavy his limbs are, Wilbur doesn't seem to notice any of the hits. Wilbur even puts his hands on Tommy's shoulders, a soft smile on his face. Tommy feels like a toddler trying to beat up their parents. The thought makes Tommy angrier for some reason, so he tries to hit even harder. It doesn't do more than what it is currently doing.

"He was productive today, but we have a long way to go," Techno concedes. "He should come here every morning or evening for physical training. On his days off, I will continue to train him in self-defense. This will allow him to build up his natural strength and speed while learning the necessary skills."

Tommy audibly groans in response, letting his arms fall to his sides. His forehead lands on Wilbur's shoulder. Tommy turns, glaring at Techno. "I fucking hate working out."

"It's good for you, Toms, especially if you want to get caught up in reckless things," Wilbur responds for Techno, tapping his index finger against Tommy's nose like he's booping it.

"You're the reckless thing I got caught up in," Tommy hisses, turning away to fully bury his face in Wilbur's shoulder. While it might be because Tommy is as hot as a fever right now, he can't help but notice that Wilbur feels cold. It seems to radiate right off his skin. Tommy frowns. This could be a hybrid trait. Wilbur could be sick.

"Tommy," Techno says. Tommy steps away from Wilbur to look at Techno. The man is pointing towards the hallway. "You should take a shower and get changed. We're going to eat together. Working out is only one part. Knowing how to fight doesn't help you if you don't have energy. Plus, you need to eat the right foods to assist your body in strengthening itself."

"Damnit, I have a fucking diet, too?" Tommy complains. He would have said more choice words, but Techno's cool expression and the anticipation in Wilbur's eyes makes Tommy stop in his tracks. He shakes his head, letting a small smile and a huff leave his lips. "Fine, fine, I'll go with you two. But we're negotiating the diet."

Tommy takes the clothes from Techno with a grateful nod. As he heads toward the bathroom, he hears Techno and Wilbur whispering to each other. Tommy ignores it, deciding to let the twins have their moment.