"You will never be happy if you continue to search for what happiness consists of. You will never live if you are looking for the meaning of life."
― Albert Camus

Tommy has been to Las Nevadas several times in the past few years. He has spent a near quarter of his life living here, give or take a couple of months. The Needle was made from his designs, and the balcony up there was the first time Tommy has received a hug in a long time. There is a nicely furnished room in the hotel that will always be left for his exclusive use. There are several rooms in the main casino, in Croupier's office, that Tommy has been to that no one else has. He knows almost all of the secrets hidden in the depths of these halls, aware how far every shadow stretches when the night descends upon the land and the neon light creates an artificial day again.

Tommy has never been to Las Nevadas with Wilbur. He has been twice with Serenade, but he has never been there with Wilbur. He has never been there with his north star walking right in front of him, their hands interlocked as if letting go would lead to one of them being lost forevermore. Tommy has never been as content as he is right now when he's gone to Las Nevadas, and surely Wilbur is responsible for that. His entire family is. Their warmth, their presence, in his life lifts a heavy weight off his chest, allowing him to breathe for the first time in a long time. Even the alcoholic smell in the air doesn't sour Tommy's mood as it usually does, and the smell is arguably stronger since Tommy isn't wearing his mask. Wilbur is here, and the rest of his family isn't far, and his new family continues to provide for him, and Tommy couldn't be happier.

Well, he could be a little happier. Tommy and Wilbur are sitting compliantly in Croupier's reception room. Their chairs are pushed so close together that Tommy is able to lean over the arms of both of their chairs to set his head against Wilbur's shoulder. Wilbur leans in close, too, settling a comforting hand on Tommy's hair. Wilbur is scrolling through his communicator, humming a song that he's played for Tommy at the cabin- at their new home. Tommy holds his prized possession right against his chest, running his fingers along the frame as he impatiently waits. He lets his eyes shut, hoping that time will tick a little faster.

Tommy has been trying to reconnect with his family, taking the advice he's been given to heart. He has also been trying to get his family together to get a new family portrait. For these reasons, Tommy has decided that it is time for him to face Fundy and Eret, the two people he hasn't encountered yet. Tommy brought it up during dinner. Techno, Wilbur, and Philza all shared a very particular look. They didn't talk further about it, but when Wilbur thought Tommy was asleep, Wilbur was on the communicator with Niki and Jack. They were talking late into the night. Tommy actually did fall asleep before they could come to a conclusion, but at breakfast, the others decided that if Tommy was sure, they would reach out to Fundy. Although Tommy was warned not to get his hopes up, both Fundy agreed to meet with Tommy. If this goes well, they'll find a way to contact Eret.

From what the others said, Fundy and Eret are excited and nervous to see Tommy again after so long. Tommy is plainly filled with anxiety. He wants to make a good first impression. He knows that he doesn't really have his life together, but he would at least like to present himself as having it all worked out. Even if he can't do that, Tommy doesn't want to ruin whatever relationship he could have with them. The last time Tommy saw Eret, the two of them were fighting over Eret's decision to join the Hunters. Fundy was a toddler at the time, so Tommy doesn't think he even remembers Tommy. With both of these unusual circumstances, Tommy feels like he really has to prove that he deserves to be in their lives, prove that he is a better person than he was before.

"You know, you're amazing, sunshine. You're so strong for even showing up today. I know Techno told you, but I'll say it again because it's true: if you want to leave, we will go. I'll take you. I'll make up some excuse for Fundy," Wilbur explains. Tommy didn't know this, but Eret and Fundy weren't together during the past five years. Eret brought Fundy to a place where they thought Fundy would be safe. They communicate more with each other than with the others, but even still, they have both made their own lives. Apparently, Fundy has made his life in Las Nevadas. Tommy wonders if they've met each other before.

"I'm staying, Wilbur," Tommy declares, reaching his elbow up to strike it into Wilbur's side. Instead of hurting Wilbur, his brother only laughs as if he were tickled. Tommy's nose scrunches up, but his heart instantly warms at the sound of such a beautiful song.

"So you are," Wilbur concedes. As Wilbur's laughter trickles to a stop, he takes a deep breath and releases it in the form of a sigh. His grip tightens imperceptibly. "Look, Toms, I should have mentioned this before, but... well, hybrids don't age the same way regular humans do. Most hybrids are pretty close with only a few years off one way or the other. Certain hybrids, however, are noticeably different. Fundy isn't the same kid you knew a long time ago."

"Fucking obvious, innit?" Tommy answers, opening his eyes. He shifts, lifting his head off Wilbur's shoulder and putting both of his forearms on the arm of the chair between him and Wilbur. Tommy leans forward a little, looking slightly back at Wilbur's face. Tommy wears a half-smile, and Wilbur releases an amused breath. Wilbur runs his fingers through Tommy's hair, pulling it down Tommy's neck and letting it rest between his shoulder blades. Wilbur rubs the spot gently, staring at Tommy with unending adoration in his eyes. Tommy's smile lifts up even higher. There is something special about being the container that holds Wilbur's love.

Wilbur's eyes flicker upward, looking over Tommy's head. Tommy hears the sound of a creaky door opening. Wilbur wears a conflicted expression, and Tommy wants to reach up to press away Wilbur's worry lines. Wilbur's hand drops away, no longer touching or comforting Tommy. This has the effect of setting Tommy on edge. As Tommy starts to turn around, he hears a clear voice declaring angrily, "I never wanted to see you again."

Tommy shifts in his seat. A twenty-something year old man is standing near the center of the room. The sclera of his eyes is a dirty yellow shade while the pupil stretches from the top to the bottom, pulling at the yellow color like a scruffed carpet. His strange eyes are complemented by the twitching pair of fox ears visible through a mop of bold orange resting on top of his head. He wears a dark black jacket with colored squares along the inside and a matching pair of black pants. He wears a pair of brown leather fingerless gloves, and they are both crossed over his chest as he glares unflinchingly at Wilbur.

"Fundy?" Tommy questions cautiously. Fundy was a fox hybrid. The man in front of him is a fox hybrid. Tommy was supposed to be meeting Fundy right now, and this man showed up. Fundy would have obviously known Wilbur, and the man in front of him knows Wilbur. Though, the man's opinion of Wilbur isn't what Tommy thought it would be. Fundy was quite fond of Wilbur, probably because Wilbur was the one to bring Fundy into their home after some woman Wilbur knew in passing- Sally, Tommy thinks her name was- died.

After a moment, the fox hybrid's eyes transition to Tommy. The anger fades away completely, leaving behind unadulterated confusion and anticipation. The hybrid unwinds one of his arms from the other, lifting it towards Tommy as if he is afraid to touch the blonde. The hybrid lets out a breathy laugh, quiet and slow and gone like the wind. "Tommy?"

The response is enough of an answer for Tommy. The blonde shoots up onto his feet. Fundy startles forward a couple of steps, but Tommy crosses the distance in the matter of seconds. Tommy wraps his arms around Fundy. The fox hybrid's body tenses. His ears flicker, wavering. Fundy eventually makes the decision to return to hug, slowly lowering his chin onto Tommy's shoulder. Tommy squeezes Fundy tighter, taking a deep breath. Fundy feels so alive underneath Tommy's arms. The hybrid's heart is thundering in his chest, and Tommy feels like he's holding it directly in his palm. He wants to protect that heart at all costs. He wants to keep it in a place where he keeps all of his precious things- the box he was given by Serenade that holds Tommy's picture and Ravager's letters. He is keeping other things in that box now, like the journal Niki gave him and a business card from Jack's bar. He even has some of the inventions Jolt has made for Tommy over the years.

Tommy pulls back slowly, keeping his hands on Fundy's shoulder. He is close enough to Fundy's face that he starts noticing the similarities between the toddler he once knew and the man who looks older than Tommy yet is still a few inches shorter. The eyes are the same, both in color and the way they reflect Fundy's internal emotions. Fundy's hair has darkened a few shades, but it is still fairly vibrant. There isn't any baby fat against his cheeks. There is a collection of hairs starting to form a beard on Fundy's chin. Tommy carefully lifts his hand up, setting it against Fundy's cheek. He feels the way Fundy intakes a sharp breath, but Fundy doesn't pull away. He remains near Tommy. The blonde is left wondering if Fundy even remembers him that clearly. What is Fundy seeing when he looks upon Tommy now? Does he remember that golden-haired little boy that laughed and cried and yelled and loved louder than anyone else in the world, according to his family?

"What have you been up to, huh?" Tommy asks softly, his voice too loud to be a whisper but too soft to be spoken word. Tommy feels a surge of emotion wash against his chest, threatening to crack him open and spill out across the floor. Tommy pulls his hand off Fundy's shoulder, setting it against his own chest to feel his heartbeat underneath his clothing and skin. He feels it, faintly, and notices how quick it is. He is going to give himself a heart attack at this rate.

"My home blew up. Eret took me, but they left me on Las Nevadas with someone they used to know. I've been here for a little while. Puberty was hell. I grew at a faster rate than the people around me. I got a job on the island. It's actually a pretty important job, but I can't really tell you about it," Fundy starts explaining. He waves his hands around the small space between their bodies, trying very hard to express something more with his motions than with simply his words within the given area. Tommy doesn't catch whatever meaning Fundy is getting at, but he does notice something else when he watches those fingers curl around each other. Fundy continues to speak in Tommy's ear, and his voice borders on uncannily familiar when it shouldn't. Fundy's voice should have changed since he was a toddler, but Tommy realizes as he tunes back in that he doesn't know Fundy's voice because he heard it as a child. He knows it because he's heard a filtered version of it.

"Reynard?" Tommy says the name with the same inflection he used to say Fundy's name originally. Fundy stops talking, and his hands fall dangerously still. Tommy looks away from his hands, meeting his eyes. Fundy looks spooked, like he's seen a ghost even though he's been talking to one for the past few minutes. Tommy's hand presses closer to Fundy's cheek, searching for some similarity in the curvature even though he's never seen Reynard's face. "The Ace of Clubs?"

"How... do you know that? Wilbur doesn't even know that," Fundy hisses quietly, looking over Tommy's shoulder. Tommy does, too, realizing that Wilbur is sitting down, pointedly looking everywhere but Fundy and Tommy to give them a moment alone. Tommy does have to wonder if Wilbur knew the truth that Fundy has just proven is true to Tommy.

"I'm Vendetta, Fundy. You're part of the family I was trying to avenge, not knowing they were alive this entire fucking time," Tommy explains, reaching up to put both of his hands on Fundy's cheeks. He wants to keep the fox hybrid's attention on him for a few moments as they parse through what the truth means for them. Tommy has been within the vicinity of the Syndicate for years now, but he's been close to the Aces ever since he made his deal with Croupier. He has talked to Reynard- to Fundy- a lot. The conversations have never been long nor more than what was necessary, but they existed. Tommy should have figured out who Reynard was a lot sooner. Maybe he did figure it out, but trauma kept him from fully realizing it.

Fundy sputters. A laugh eventually surfaces in the midst of his comical panicking, but it sounds like Fundy is choking on the humor instead of indulging in it. There is disbelief blatantly in his eyes, shimmering like gemstones underneath a jeweler's flashlight. Fundy sets both of his hands on Tommy's shoulder, looking at him with a gruesome smile on his face, the frown he wants to wear retreating into the way he holds his body up. "I'm supposed to be Croupier's secretary and greatest informant."

"Don't blame yourself. I didn't fucking realize, either," Tommy explains, letting his hands slide down from Fundy's cheek to hold steadily onto his shoulders. As they literally hold each other at arm's length, Tommy feels like they are both drowning. They are holding onto each other so that they might survive, but Tommy isn't sure floating works like that. If it doesn't, they may be holding onto each other so that they don't drown alone.

"And we hated each other," Fundy continues, barely paying attention to Tommy's response. Fundy lifts one hand up, running it along the side of his face. He genuinely looks horrified and surprised, halfway between bolting and dragging Tommy to the ground. Tommy moves his arms, holding Fundy up from his underarms. Although Fundy doesn't fall, Tommy doesn't doubt he's a few seconds away from doing so.

"Hate is strong word-"

"I legitimately didn't like you at first," Fundy interrupts, meeting Tommy's eyes with grave seriousness. Tommy snorts. Vendetta wasn't a likable person. Tommy remembers being more than a little rude to Reynard. That disrespect went both ways. Fundy sighs in the present, probably remembering those little moments that created friction between Reynard and Vendetta. "We got better, but we've always been more neutral than positive."

"What about now? What's your opinion of me now?" Tommy asks with a smile, fragile and crooked, coming onto his face.

"My old feelings might linger... but you're my brother, Tommy. What few memories I do have of you are good," Fundy honestly replies, returning Tommy's smile with a cracked one of his own. The two of them stare at each other for a few more moments, not quite happy or content but as close to those emotions as they can be given the circumstances.

Tommy pulls away only to retrieve the photograph he left behind. He notices Wilbur glancing at him from the corner of his eye. Tommy winks at his brother, and he gets an affectionate eyeroll in response. Wilbur turns back to his communicator. Tommy brings the photograph to Fundy. The hybrid waits impatiently, rolling on the heels of his feet. Tommy flips the picture over to show Fundy. It takes a moment for Fundy to recognize the figures. He wears a small smile when he does, but it fades into an embarrassed blush as Fundy recognizes the infant version of himself resting in Eret's arms. Tommy chuckles faintly, wrapping both of his arms around the photograph. "I'm getting a new one made. I want you to be part of it."

Fundy looks up from the picture. His eyes start shining even before a smile pulls at his lips, revealing his sharp teeth. "Of course, I'll be part of it!"

Wilbur coughs in the corner. Fundy immediately glares at the man, and Tommy raises an eyebrow. Wilbur wears a placating smile as he puts his hands up innocently. "Fundy, we were hoping that you would get in contact with Eret to ask them if they wanted to join the pictures."

Fundy's glare sharpens. His ears flicker forward, and his lips pull back into a soundless growl. Fundy composes himself, glancing at Tommy from the corner of his eye. Fundy huffs, crossing his arms. He looks at Tommy, not sparing another second to entertain Wilbur. "You want all of your family there, don't you? Fine, I'll contact Eret for Tommy's sake and no one else's. I can't guarantee they'll show up, but I have a feeling they will. They've always felt guilty about... you know. They would be happy to know that you're alive."

—

It was easy to get every member of the Syndicate along with affiliated people to come to one area. It was even easier to get someone to show up with a fancy camera and lighting poles, ready to photograph who they thought were ordinary people.

The hard part was getting everyone to take a decent picture. While waiting for more people to arrive, the people who showed up first- including Tommy- did random pictures with different themes and groupings. It was fun until a whole lot of people showed up. Now, it was a hassle to get anything done. Tommy was laughing his ass off, obviously, but he could see how badly Philza wanted to drop Sneeg, the latter forcing Philza to hold him in a princess carry. Tubbo wanted to do something similar, but Ranboo was absolutely not prepared for that. As he went crashing down, he took half a dozen people with him. Puffy was now fluttering around, trying to subtly heal everyone without the photographer noticing. Sneeg was laughing at the epic failure, and Philza was trying to laugh without wearing himself out since he was holding a fully grown man in both arms.

As Tommy's laughter settles down, he wipes his eyes. A cold wind caresses him, wiping away the warmth that such an intriguing experience provides Tommy. He turns toward the wind, attempting to trace where it comes from. All he can see are buildings blocking the horizon. They are taking pictures on a rooftop, after all, one apparently owned by the Syndicate, though Fundy and the photographer don't know that. The latter is only because he refuses to listen to Syndicate affairs, the latter for more obvious reasons.

"It seems I have missed something hilarious," A cool voice travels alongside the wind. Tommy startles, looking over. A person is standing right beside Tommy, holding a gift underneath their arm. They were a long red coat with a white fur lining, the buttons a muted gold color. Their brown hair moves in soft waves because of the wind. They have a pair of sunglasses over their eyes, but as they lean forward, the sunglasses slide down their pale nose, revealing a set of warm brown eyes. The person smiles lightly, gently placing down the present they brought onto a nearby lawnchair. When they are done, they open their arms toward Tommy.

Either by instinct or because he recognizes some remnant of his sibling, Tommy launches himself into those arms. He soaks up the warmth of Eret's body. He feels emotions burn the back of his throat. He opens his mouth to let them out. The wind cools off the heat, but it also steals away whatever words Tommy was going to say. Eret takes the initiative, grinning so wide that Tommy feels like he's a golden prize Eret just won. "You don't know how happy I am to know that you're alive. I never thought I would be able to see you again."

Tommy feels exactly the same way, even down to the thick emotions layered on top of Eret's voice. Tommy's smile shifts, growing heavier on one side. Eret's smile falters. They look around, eyeing the other people who haven't noticed their presence yet. When Eret's eyes come back to Tommy, there is something crushing waiting for Tommy. Eret opens his mouth, and Tommy has to stop himself from slamming his hands over their mouth. He doesn't think he wants to know, but he decides that he probably needs to. Eret continues, unaware of Tommy's internal conflict, or perhaps very aware of it but deciding they need to say what they have opened their mouth to say. "Fundy told me about your secret identity as Vendetta. I'm touched that you would do so much for us, Toms, but I have to be honest with you. I'm Monarch."

Tommy's stomach drops. He feels tears burn in his eyes as painfully as the emotions clogging his throat, gunking up his airways, whittling away at the air inside his blood. He feels like someone has electrocuted him, the pinpricks against his brain almost laughable even if they are fatally tender. Monarch was Tommy's handler when he was part of the Hero's Guild. He was the person Tommy was assigned to after graduating from Red Dragon's class. Monarch has been taking care of Tommy for the five years he's been part of the guild, and although Tommy isn't often at the guild or Monarch's office, there has been enough moments where Tommy really feels the weight of this revelation like a metal bat slamming against the side of his head several times. "I fucking dropped the ball at figuring out who my siblings were, huh?"

Eret doesn't laugh at Tommy's attempt at humor- a broken, pitiful attempt that makes Tommy cry more than laugh. Eret takes both of Tommy's hands into their own, squeezing gently. "I think we were all terrible at it. Though, I must admit that the Hunters didn't make it easy for us. Nor did the person who gave us a fake corpse."

"I didn't know you knew about that," Tommy murmurs, lifting up his forearm to wipe his tears since his hands are preoccupied inside Eret's hands.

"I still cared about the people I grew up with even after I left. I kept tabs on all of you when I was part of the Hunters. Once I learned the others were alive, I did my best to look out for them. I didn't break any laws, but... well, the Syndicate might not have gotten away with as much if it wasn't for me," Eret explains with a wink. When the self-pride comes to a stop, Eret's expression grows somber once more. Tommy feels like a kid again, for some reason. He feels like Eret is quietly lecturing him, doing it in a way that makes Tommy feel like they're only having a regular conversation.

"I'm glad," Tommy honestly speaks. He would have been unhappy if he learned his family was in Pandora's Vault, especially with Minotaur there. Tommy would have broken several laws to find his way back to them, though, so Tommy doesn't think it would have been all bad. Tommy shakes his head. He doesn't need to think about that when his family is right here. Eret's hands are in Tommy's hands, and the others are on the other side of the rooftop, their laughter trickling into Tommy's ears even as he realizes how close he's been to his family this entire time. As Tommy focuses on that, he ends up asking, "Do we know who the fucker was? The one who faked my corpse? What about the explosion? Who the fuck did that shit?"

"I'm sure the Syndicate members have the alias of the person. They can cross-reference and all of that. They're even in contact with that Sparrow guy, so I'm sure everything will work itself out in that regard," Eret answers, waving their hand around as they speculate. Their face grows a little more somber as they answer the second question. "As for the explosion, you know everything the guild knows. While most people accepted the idea that the Syndicate were the ones responsible, there were a couple of other plausible theories. The second most common theory was that it was someone who worked for Minotaur, if not the villain himself, in an attempt to erase any of his wrongdoings and open up the area for new buildings. We're trying to get his testimony, but he refuses to speak to us after we put him back in prison. Unless we can find the person working for him, we'll never know if it was actually under his orders."

"I see," Tommy whispers. Minotaur has always been the hidden devil in Tommy's life. Not everything is the villain's fault, but round and round it goes until Minotaur's name appears in Tommy's mind once more. It unnerves the blonde, and it upsets him greatly. He wishes he could put an end to Minotaur, but he needs the man to suffer more. He needs the villain to regret his actions one day, just so that no one will give him the forgiveness he seeks.

"Enough of this. You wanted to get a family portrait, no? Since I'm here, we might as well get it over with before the others overwork Dame Puffy," Eret says with a slight touch of laughter in their voice. They release one of Tommy's hands, but keep the other one connecting the two of them. Tommy leans into Eret's arm as they join the others. They are accepted joyfully, the buzz of conversation accompanying the motions of the family arranging themselves. After a few seconds, everyone gets into position, and the camera snaps.

Despite the pain and surprise he's been through for the past few weeks, Tommy's smile is bright and genuine as a new family portrait is made for him to carry inside his little box.