Tommy sits on the floor, his blanket loosely wrapped around his torso. He holds a black bodysuit in his hands, attaching the tiny sleeves for mechanical parts to slot in and out of easily. He tugs on the thread, reaching for his scissors. Instead of finding them on the ground, Pulverize sets the handle in Tommy's awaiting palm. Pulverize doesn't look up from the machinery he was working on, so Tommy doesn't look up from the bodysuit. Neither of them say a word, but there is an unspoken gratitude lingering in the air that has been there since Pulverize dragged them both down on the ground to finally finish his costume. Tommy was grumpy about the seating arrangement, but he is no longer paying much attention to it, to the detriment of his body in the future.

"Done!" Pulverize cheers, reaching his hands so high above his head that he falls backwards onto his back. The machine he was working on lands on his stomach. Pulverize makes an odd noise as he rolls over to his side. The machine makes a heavy noise as it thuds on the wooden floorboards. Tommy snickers under his breath. Pulverize glares up at Tommy, wrapping both of his hands over his stomach. "Shut the fuck up, man."

"I didn't say anything," Tommy factually states, raising an eyebrow at Pulverize as he looks at the vigilante from the corner of his eye. Pulverize sticks his tongue out. Tommy laughs again, and Pulverize wears an amused smile. Tommy tosses the bodysuit at Pulverize's head. "Here, go put this on."

"Let's go!" Pulverize cheers excitedly. He quickly rises to his feet. He grabs the bodysuit along with the other machines he brought along. They stack in his arms, making it nearly impossible for Pulverize to see in front of him. Pulverize rushes headfirst towards the bathroom. Tommy scrambles to his feet, pushing Pulverize out of the way of the doorframe and into the bathroom proper. He sees Pulverize's smile for a second before the stack of machines cover it again. Pulverize uses his foot to close the door, and Tommy reaches forward to close it all the way. Tommy winces when he hears half a dozen machines drop onto the floor of the bathroom. Tommy lifts a hand to his head, running it down the side of his face as he takes a step away from the bathroom.

Tommy listens to the commotion. When the second floor of the boutique grows strangely quiet, Tommy risks glancing at the bathroom worriedly. His anxiety is cast away like an unwanted blanket as the bathroom door slams open. Tommy winces again at the noise. Pulverize's confident pose transforms in an instant as he rushes to grab onto the door. He closes it far more gently. Pulverize appraises the wall that the door hit. When he doesn't find anything in particular, he turns around, resuming the confident position.

The base of the outfit is a black bodysuit stretching down to the ankles and wrists. Braces made from a dark gray metal are attached to the bodysuit that stretch along the arms and the shoulders, wrapping around the upper chest. This compliments the braces around the legs made from the same material that additional wrap around his feet in stylized metal boots. While sleek in design, these braces are visually stunning because of the thick tubes interweaving through the design, pumping a toxic green liquid throughout the outfit from the backpack-like structure hanging off Pulverize's back. An odd belt-like structure made from metal wraps around the torso and hips, much thicker than a regular belt with a green and white toxicity symbol glowing in the centerpiece. Pulverize's mask is entirely formed by a gas mask that hangs over the bottom half of his face, connected to goggles with tinted green glass. His fingerless gloves have a golden ring in his palm, fused almost directly with the fabric. Although it doesn't quite match, Pulverize has two horns shooting out of his hair that glow a stunning blue color made from one of the rarest flames on the island: soulfire.

Tommy walks around Pulverize's body. He pulls at the fabric, testing its durability. The material gives a little, but it remains solid and firm for the most part. When Tommy finishes a complete rotation, he stands right in front of Pulverize. He looks into Pulverize's green-tinted eyes. They are silent for one long moment, assessing each other and getting a feel for the suit. The only noises are the frankly disturbing whirring noise coming from the gas mask that follows the beat of Pulverize's heart and the radio blaring some song that Tommy is pretty sure isn't English. Tommy feels the heartbeat quicken, and a smile spreads across his face. Tommy lifts his hand up just as Pulverize is doing the same. Without another word, they high-five each other.

"Let's fucking go!" Pulverize shouts through the gas mask's electronic modification. Pulverize twirls around in a tight circle, spreading his arms out away from him. The area around him glimmers in the toxic light, and when he looks back at Tommy, his goggles are glowing faintly, too. While the words are too small for Tommy to see, he notices little squares of data appearing and disappearing in front of Pulverize's eyes. Tommy takes a step back, a huge grin on his face, and Pulverize jumps into the air. When he lands, he grabs Tommy's shoulders. "I have to test it out!"

"Not with me you aren't," Tommy hisses, pulling away immediately. While he didn't completely hate traveling with Ravager, he would rather not make that a common occurrence. These suits don't have insurance. If they break, Tommy is under no obligation to fix them. Tommy isn't going to say that to any of the villains, but Pulverize is a vigilante. Tommy wouldn't have a second thought about informing him about the no insurance policy.

"Of course, of course," Pulverize laughs, the sound distorted by his mask. Tommy taps his finger against his chin, wondering if this is going to be a problem. The sounds are off-putting to Tommy, and he has little doubt that other people are going to find them creepy. Pulverize is a vigilante meant to help people, not a villain meant to scare them off. Tommy might have done way too many villain suits recently, but he doesn't think much on that realization as he tries to think of ways to make Pulverize sound less inhuman.

The song from the radio suddenly cuts out. Tommy startles out of his thoughts, and Pulverize stops spinning to look at the radio. Tommy is about to comment that his radio is broken when Walter Crondale's voice spits out of the speakers, "Attention, everyone, sightings of the Binary Killer have been reported. If you or a loved one is a hybrid, we suggest that you hurry into your homes immediately. Find a room without a window to lock yourself in. If you do not have a lock, put anything you can in front of the door to block it-"

Pulverize shoots across the room at an above average speed, his boots making an airy noise and the green liquid bubbling. Pulverize grabs the radio. Tommy steps over, ready to ask Pulverize not to break his radio when he hears Pulverize mutter, "Shit."

Tommy puts his hand on Pulverize's shoulder, feeling the cold metal turn warm underneath his palm. He vaguely hears Walter Crondale mention the street the Madeleine's boutique is on as he notices a figure standing in the middle of the street. Tommy's eyes widen, fear coursing throughout his body with a fight-or-flight pull. The Binary Killer stalks down the street, silent and confident, a prowling beast in the waning moonlight. His lightsaber scrapes into the street, cutting a thin line into the asphalt that would dull any regular blade. The Binary Killer stops in front of a building across the street and down the road. Tommy watches the Binary Killer start heading into the building.

Pulverize scrambles to pull the window open. Tommy grabs both of Pulverize's wrists. Pulverize starts fighting against Tommy's grip. Tommy yanks, forcing Pulverize to look at him. Pulverize's eyes are wide behind his goggles. Tommy's eyes narrow. "Phantasm, Shadow Girl, and Nemesis weren't able to beat that fucking thing! You can't, either!"

"I still have to try," Pulverize pulls his wrists out of Tommy's hands. Pulverize looks back at the window, finally opening it. Pulverize looks over his shoulder into Tommy's eyes. "Someone will die if I don't."

Pulverize grabs the sides of the window frame. He kicks his legs up, sliding them through the frame. He releases his hands. Instead of falling to the concrete below, Pulverize remains hovering in the air. He panics for a second, trying to balance himself after implementing his hoverboard's technology into his personal suit. When Pulverize balances himself, he looks towards the building the Binary Killer went into. While the journey isn't a smooth one, he does fly over to the building without actually stepping onto the ground.

Tommy remains at the window, watching Pulverize with narrowed eyes. Tommy's grip tightens on the frame. When he can no longer see Pulverize, he looks down at his hands. His first option is to call the Enforcers or try to get in touch with the heroes. It isn't much of a viable choice since they would take too long, probably won't even care, and will definitely try fighting Pulverize alongside the Binary Killer if they even did show up. Tommy could try to get in touch with the villains, but he doesn't know how to do that and it isn't like he can trust any of them, not with something this important and dire that doesn't actually involve him. The only person Tommy can trust completely is himself.

Tommy pushes off the window. He grabs his hoodie with one hand and the scissors with his other hand. He bites onto the scissors, throwing his hoodie over his shoulder. He pulls himself out of the window. He climbs down the side of the building. Tommy jumps down, landing on his feet. He opens his mouth, letting the scissors drop into his hand. Tommy starts running across the street, shoving his upper body into his hoodie. He blindly follows the sound of destruction until his head pops through the neck hole. Tommy twists his grip on the scissors, holding them defensively in front of him as he steps into the building.

The scissors were probably unnecessary since Tommy has stepped into an art and craft supply store. Tommy gets a second to admire a rack with scissors, among other utensils, before Pulverize launches right into it. The entire rack falls to the ground. Pulverize rolls, stopping when he meets the wall. Noises come from Pulverize's mask that don't sound remotely human but must be labored breathing or pained groans. Pulverize pushes himself onto one of his elbows, glaring at Tommy. "Get out of here!"

Tommy looks in the direction Pulverize came from. The Binary Killer hovers right above the ground, spilling dark green light across the splotchy pattern on the walls. The Binary Killer lifts up the lightsaber in his hands, the central beam glowing more intensely. It launches itself at Pulverize. Tommy wrings his hands, keeping a firm grip on the scissors. When the Binary Killer is near enough, Tommy jumps. Using all of his momentum, he knocks the Binary Killer off-course. Both he and it fall onto the ground right beside the turned over rack. Tommy attempts to stab the scissors into the Binary Killer's side. The scissors go into the skin with enough force, but Tommy accidentally pulls it out when his head knocks into the counter. A container with business cards falls over, hitting Tommy with less ferocity than the counter did. Tommy reaches a hand up, trying to rub the back of his head when he notices the Binary Killer already on his feet. The lightsaber is pointed at Tommy. With one hand, the Binary Killer leans forward, the lightsaber inches from Tommy's chest.

Pulverize leaps onto the Binary Killer's back. The counterweight drags the Binary Killer back, and the lightsaber simply goes through the tile ground. It lifts the lightsaber back up, twisting it around to stab into Pulverize's side. Tommy gets onto his knees. He throws the scissors at the Binary Killer. The creature twists the lightsaber, knocking the scissors away with enough force that they break the glass windows facing the street. The Binary Killer lifts a hand around its back, grabbing onto Pulverize's neck. With entirely inhuman anatomy, the Binary Killer throws Pulverize off its back and onto the ground in front of it. Pulverize's gas mask releases noise that sounds like a microphone peaking. Tommy throws his hands over his ears, but that doesn't stop him from hearing the microphone or the the sickening crunch of the Binary Killer snapping Pulverize's wrist with his foot. The gas mask stops making any noises entirely. The Binary Killer steps away from Pulverize, heading deeper into the building with no concern for either Pulverize or Tommy.

Tommy rushes to Pulverize. The vigilante is huddled around his broken wrist. Tommy can feel it with his powers. Pulverize's voice is softer than before as he gestures vaguely to the Binary Killer with his unbroken arm. "I put a tracker on the bitch... I'm heading after it."

Pulverize tries standing up with one hand, but he doesn't make it further than sitting up. With no thoughts in his head, Tommy grabs onto Pulverize's broken wrist. Pulverize hisses through the mask. Golden light spins out of Tommy's hands, brighter than the toxic green liquid running through Pulverize's suit. Tommy presses down on the visible skin with his thumb. He no longer feels any broken bones, not physically or with his powers. All he feels are Pulverize's shocked eyes on him. Tommy gives him a half-smile. "Why do you think so many villains want to keep me alive?"

"Later," Pulverize declares firmly. He twists his arm, sliding his hand into Tommy's instead of having Tommy holding his wrist. Pulverize tugs, and the two of them are on their feet. They hurry deeper into the building, heading towards the storage room filled with boxes and shelving units. The Binary Killer is standing in front of a group of three. There is an unconscious human lying next to the door, and a cat hybrid in the midst of the group. Pulverize glances between Tommy, the unconscious person, and the civilians. Tommy, somehow, understands what Pulverize is trying to tell him.

Pulverize leaps at the Binary Killer, pulling out some of the machines Tommy didn't know he had. Someone in the human group pushes the cat hybrid out of the group towards Tommy. The blonde grabs their hand. He pushes them out of the room. They look over their shoulder as they start running out of the building. Tommy leans down to grab the unconscious person. He reaches for the back of their head, healing the wound there as best as he can in the short time he takes the other civilians to get to him. Tommy pushes the unconscious person to them. They accept their fellow worker. Together, the two of them take the unconscious person. They wrap their arms around their shoulders, dragging them out of the building alongside them.

"Wait!" Pulverize shouts. Tommy twists around. His eyes widen slightly as green fills his vision. The lightsaber is pushed through his shoulder, exiting out the other side. He stumbles back from the force, slamming into the doorframe. Pulverize rushes to attack the Binary Killer, causing the lightsaber to be pulled back out. Tommy falls forward, landing on his knees. He puts his hands on the ground. Red splashes on the ground next to his fingers. The blood forms into a puddle, turning a murky color as it reflects back the yellow-white fluorescent lighting and the green from the Binary Killer and Pulverize.

"Hey!" Pulverize yells. Tommy looks up, vision blurring around the edges. Pulverize is on his knee, both hands on the ground. The Binary Killer is untangling itself from a shelving unit. Pulverize nods, and Tommy notices Pulverize's hoverboard floating in the air in front of him. Tommy grabs onto the hoverboard. As he pulls himself on it, he hears a soft, powdery noise like a well-muffled explosion. This is followed immediately by harsh clanging and shattering glass. Tommy looks over the side of the hoverboard to find part of the floor missing, reduced to dust by Pulverize's power. Pulverize stands on the part of the floor that remained.

Tommy situates himself on the hoverboard. He sees the Binary Killer stand at the bottom of the hole, pushing fallen shelves off itself. The Binary Killer kicks up its lightsaber. It holds the lightsaber towards Tommy, switching to Pulverize at the last second. The Binary Killer squats down in a fashion that reminds Tommy of Ravager. The Binary Killer jumps into the air, arms wrapped around itself. When its foot finds purchase on the side of the building, it slashes outward. Pulverize lifts up the back of his arm, using the Netherite braces to catch the lightsaber. The Binary Killer takes a step forward, continuing to push.

Tommy rises uneasily onto his feet. He puts one hand on his shoulder, feeling more blood wash across his fingers. Tommy takes one step forward, right on the edge of the hoverboard, and he leaps forward. He grabs the Binary Killer's body. His foot slips on the lip of the hole. If he wasn't holding onto the Binary Killer so tightly, Tommy would have gone down. Instead, the Binary Killer unintentionally sets Tommy down on the remaining floor as it twists around to notice him. The Binary Killer tries hitting Tommy, but some of Techno's training filters into Tommy's mind. He ducks down, readying his punch. He launches it right into the space where a regular person's stomach would be. The Binary Killer doesn't flinch or tense. It only stares down at Tommy with eyes that don't truly see. The Binary Killer lifts his arms and slams the back of its hand into Tommy's cheek, not even finding him worthy of his sword anymore. Not like he needs it since the backhand is so powerful that Tommy goes flying, crashing into Pulverize as he launches through the air. They don't stop until they hit a handful of boxes, squashing them and whatever was inside in the process.

Tommy and Pulverize lie in a heap together. Tommy reaches a hand out, trying his best to heal Pulverize of his injuries. Unfortunately, Tommy's powers flicker as inconstantly as his mind does. As his vision blurs, he no longer feels anyone's heartbeats, not even his own. Tommy blearily looks upward. The Binary Killer, ever calm, ever collected, starts walking towards Tommy and Pulverize with slow, methodical steps and a glowing lightsaber trailing behind it. The grimness of the situation is not lost on Tommy even as pain starts to clog his mind.

They say that a person's life flashes in front of their eyes when they're dying. Tommy thought it was a myth, and maybe it still is, but he can only see the people he cares about in his mind. There is so much more he should have said to them. He should have at least admitted how much he cares about them in the first place. As selfish as it is, he hopes they'll grieve him when he's gone. That's the mark of a life well-lived, isn't it? Someone to grieve you when you're gone. Tommy never thought he would have that.

The Binary Killer is thrown back by a black sphere surrounded by purple flames. The energy blast dissipates as the Binary Killer falls to the ground. Tommy looks around. A woman in a black outfit wearing a purple cape and a veil around her face stands in the doorframe with her hand lifted and palm pointing at the Binary Killer. Purple flames continue to flicker around her fingertips, rich and dark, tinged with writhing shadows and ghoulish faces. Although her outfit leaves much to be desired, like all villains, Tommy knows exactly who this is. It is rather fitting that Lady Necrosis, often called a goddess of death, would arrive as Tommy is rationalizing his approaching end.

Lady Necrosis is a member of the Syndicate, often regarded as the most powerful members of them all. She is a wither hybrid, allowing her to fly and shoot energy blasts. Her main ability allows her to steal the lifeforce of any organic material, siphoning away the vitality to use for herself– increasing her base stats or healing her body when anyone does manage to land a hit. If there is anyone on this island to fear, anyone that can cause massive amounts of damage with a glance, it would be Lady Necrosis.

Her veil shifts, indicating that she's looking at Pulverize and Tommy. The vigilante's arms wrap around Tommy's body. Tommy hisses when Pulverize's arm presses into his shoulder, but he doesn't say a word about the minimal protection Pulverize is offering him. Lady Necrosis waves her hand at them instead of shooting them with an energy blast. She lifts off the ground, flying over the hole in the ground. She flicks her fingers toward the doorframe. She probably said 'leave' out loud, but Tommy can only hear it as a haunting whisper directly in his ears.

Neither he nor Pulverize need to be told twice. Pulverize forces Tommy onto his feet, and the two of them stumble out of the storage room together. They leave a trail of blood behind them and Pulverize's toxic glow isn't built for masking him in darkness, but the battle sounds in the room they left lets Tommy know that it doesn't matter. Lady Necrosis and the Binary Killer are going to be at it for a little while now.

The sounds get fainter and Tommy's vision gets blurry. Eventually, he collapses. Pulverize goes down with him. Tommy doesn't know where they are as he stares at Pulverize's gas mask. Tommy reaches a hand up, setting it on Pulverize's exposed forehead. Tommy's powers trickle out of him in soft bursts, wrapping around Pulverize to heal his wounds. Pulverize grabs Tommy's wrist, yanking it away from him. "Heal yourself."

"I can't," Tommy murmurs, letting his hand drop away since Pulverize doesn't want the healing. "I can... only... heal others."

Tommy's consciousness slips away from him, a thousand grands spilling through the tight pillar between each cage of the hourglass. The darkness encroaches from all eyes, swimming like minnows darting along the bottom of a river. Pulverize's face is the last thing Tommy sees. Pulverize yells, "Wait! Wait! Stay awake!"

Tommy wishes he could. Like all his wishes, it doesn't come true.