"It was never easy to say goodbye to a friend.
Even if that friend had been a monster."
― Kayla Krantz

Tommy sits at a dinner table with several platters and pots. He picks at the food on his plate absentmindedly. He listens to the fire flickering across the room in the brick fireplace. He can hear a few soft howls of the dogs from the pavilion outside in the snow. The cold wind beats relentlessly against the window, muted somewhat by the special sound-proof quality of the glass. The cabin is exceedingly warm. That is as much because of the cold weather outside as it is the fact that Tommy is sitting across from a Piglin hybrid, a half-human half-piglin who originally came from the Nether, the land of lava and brimstone. Tommy doesn't mind the extreme temperature or eating across from a Piglin hybrid, but he does find himself unable to meet the eyes of his eating companion.

"It doesn't matter," The Piglin reminds Tommy. In surprise, Tommy dares to look at the Piglin. He is met with a pair of muddy brown eyes instead of a set of blaring red eyes. Tommy continues to find it alarmingly strange that Ravager has discarded both his mask, and also his secret identity considering Tommy now knows his name. "I trust you won't tell anyone."

"Yeah," Tommy murmurs, looking down at his plate. Right now, he knows the identities of Good Guy, Watcher, and the Scarlet Demoness. Tommy was hoping to keep it at that, but Ravager came down for breakfast one day without his mask on. Tommy averted his eyes as quickly as he could, but Ravager didn't seem bothered by the removal of the barrier between their secret identities. He even went so far as to tell Tommy to call him 'Techno.' Tommy could not bring himself to do so. He didn't want to know Ravager's secret identity. He didn't want to know anyone's secret identities. It was too much pressure on his back, too many avoidable risks.

"Why are you still hung up on this? You don't wear a mask, either," Techno comments, lifting his fork up to point at Tommy's face before picking up more potato slices off his plate. Tommy watches as Ravager- the Ravager with multiple powers and a bloodied history- eats a cooked potato slice. Tommy feels his life spiraling out of his control.

Techno is not wrong, however. Tommy is not wearing his gas mask, his glasses, or his blindfold. Originally, he didn't wear them because Techno wanted to monitor the discoloration of his eyes. As the drug went through his system, his eyes went from red to purple and began lighting back up to blue. They were blue now, so by all accounts, he should have put his blindfold back on. Tommy just doesn't put it on. He doesn't entirely know why. It might be from laziness or the lack of mirrors in the cabin, but he hasn't been able to find the strength to slide his masks back into place. This didn't make Ravager's refusal to wear a mask any less weird.

Even weirder was that Ravager told Tommy his real name. Even Tommy hasn't done that, and he has the least to lose by doing so.

Tommy shakes his head. He doesn't want to talk about this any longer, so he changes the subject. He stares at Techno's face- refusing to meet his eyes- and says, "You know, I saved your ass once."

"I remember. Vendetta saving me was one of the reasons I let you partner with the Syndicate despite my reservations," Techno recalls. When Tommy was first given the task to fight the Red Army by the higher-ups, he planned on heading out to the Sandlands to investigate the last known disappearance traced back to the Red Army. On his way, he saved a Piglin hybrid from an attempted mugging. He even walked that Piglin hybrid to the G-Train station. They parted ways, and Tommy didn't think too much about it. He saves people all the time, so one hybrid among the many didn't stand out. Tommy can't believe the hybrid he saved as Ravager, though. Tommy wonders what would have become of the would-be mugger if Tommy hadn't arrived on the scene.

"What were some of the other reasons?" Tommy asks. Ravager and Tommy did not like each other when they had their official first meeting, and they hated each other for a long time before that. Tommy can't say with as much confidence now that he hates Ravager as he did back then. Through some shared experiences, Tommy was able to see a new side of Ravager. This doesn't mean he likes Ravager, but Tommy is more okay with him than a lot of the other Syndicate members.

It could also be because Ravager doesn't remind Tommy of any of his family members, but Tommy never wants to think about them for long.

"Despite your crude mouth and the fact you wanted my... leaders dead, I acknowledged your resilience and strength. These are some of the virtues of a warrior, and I will always hold respect for warriors even if I don't agree with them," Techno explains. He sounds like he's going to start quoting Sun Tzu again, something he did during their first official meeting.

Tommy laughs rather bitterly. "I wasn't strong enough to stop Reaper."

"No, you weren't," Techno agrees with the facts of the matter with a coldness in his expression that rivals the growing storm outside. His eyes soften as he continues, "However, you were strong enough to break free of the drug, something no one else has done."

"Yeah, and I still don't understand that shit. I can get resisting in the beginning since even Briar was able to do that... but I conquered it," Tommy murmurs, moving his fork through his green beans. The greens roll across each other, and Tommy watches them topple. "I want to know why the fuck I was able to do that."

"It is not necessary to ponder the why. There are other people with the appropriate qualifications who are mulling this over. I am content with the knowledge that something about your disposition enabled this to happen, and that we are able to benefit from it," Techno tells Tommy without missing the beat. Tommy wishes he could be as easy-going about this as Techno, but his curiosity nags at him. If he's able to undo this drug's possession, is it possible that he could free himself from Crimson should he come under the villain's manipulation? If he were able to do that, would it be possible to extract his blood to make a new antidote specially tailored for the cultists?

Tommy shakes his head, letting his eyes fall to the wayside. Techno doesn't seem keen on continuing this conversation thread, so Tommy chooses to change the subject again. If it weren't for Tommy's adept social skills, talking about anything with Techno would have devolved into a stalemate on their first day together in this cabin. "What are the others up to?"

"There are a few who are raiding Cult of Erythr safe houses and meeting spots, but the majority of them are testing Supreme's prototype cures," Techno answers.

"And the results?" Tommy prompts.

"Nothing noteworthy. I will tell you if that should change," Techno explains as he picks up both of their plates, having finished his own food and realizing that Tommy wasn't going to finish his. Techno walks over to the sink in the kitchen right beside the dining room table.

Tommy sighs in his chair. Tommy has been here for about a week. He doesn't necessarily hate being cooped up in the cabin. He thought he would, but the moment of peace in his otherwise chaotic life does wonders for his soul. It's nice not to worry about anything for a while. The only problem is that there are things Tommy needs to be worried about. Other people are working right now, and Tommy should join them. Minotaur gave Tommy time off after Tommy explained the situation with the drug, but Tommy knows that Minotaur will start asking questions soon if Tommy doesn't start bringing in some results. Someone has to check on Pearl and Etho, and Tommy feels horrible about leaving that responsibility to Jimmy and Grian considering Pearl's attitude towards them.

With those thoughts, Tommy is driven to his feet. Instead of heading out the door to start doing something productive, he flops down on the couch. He sets his forearm on the arm of the couch. He takes several deep breaths. When the faucet turns off in the kitchen, Techno appears with a chair from the dining room in his hands. He sets the chair down beside the couch. He picks up a box from off the coffee table. He opens the box, preparing Tommy's arm for the blood removal. Tommy closes his eyes as the needle pricks him. The blood is coaxed out of his body, and Supreme suddenly has one more vial to experiment with.

Techno handles the clean up process. He bandages Tommy's arm with gentle hands despite his status as a warmonger. Tommy watches Techno put the instruments back into the box and set the vial away to be sent out later. When he's finished, he sits down on the couch beside Tommy. He has a book in his lap that he starts reading to himself. Tommy tilts his body until his cheek rests on Techno's upper arm. Tommy closes his eyes, soaking up the excessive warmth exuding from Techno's body.

Tommy thought he would hate the monotony of it all. Techno wakes up first, getting up to make breakfast. Since their first night when Techno found Tommy about to jump into the pond, they have slept on opposite sides of the same bed. Despite having their own blankets, Techno's body heat expands across the entire room, so his absence and the subsequent colder air wakes Tommy up. He gets ready for the day and eats the breakfast Techno prepared. He helps Techno with the animals during the day, bundled up in borrowed jackets and cloaks. He will sometimes assist in making their lunch or dinner. At the end of the day, they will chat while eating and take a vial of Tommy's blood. Tommy will usually fall asleep resting against Techno's shoulder. It is a structured, scheduled life, something Tommy has never once had.

He likes it a lot more than he thought he would. He especially loves the whiteboard Techno set up on the back wall with a list of objectives Tommy wants to complete. While Techno does give Tommy an odd look any time Tommy puts down something ridiculous, he never erases any of Tommy's goals. He even added his own, making Tommy inexplicably happy. They were falling into a rhythm together, and for some reason, having this rhythm with someone else to hold him accountable eases his heart. It makes him feel calmer- safer, even, despite the company. For the first time in his life, he feels like he's moving on.

He still misses his family, though. He imagines they would love this cabin even more than he does. The kitchen is perfect for Niki's baking. Tubbo would enjoy the snowy weather, and Jack would spend his time sitting at the fireplace. Eret and Fundy would enjoy being among the dogs and other animals. Wilbur would cradle Tommy close, warming each other up even as the snow poured outside. Tommy feels a sense of loss at the thought of them, but the pain is not as sharp as it could be... as it used to be.

Half-asleep, Tommy thinks he hears a knocking noise. He opens his eyes halfway, staring at the door. Another knock follows the first, and Tommy frowns. No one ever comes out here. Supreme and Techno assured Tommy no one would, so who was outside the cabin, especially this late at night in this weather?

Tommy glances up at Techno. The hybrid is frowning, head tilted down like he's listening intently. The shadows around their feet curl around Tommy's ankles, oddly protective. Tommy opens his mouth to ask Techno about the knock, but Techno practically leaps to his feet. He picks Tommy up with one hand. The other one comes to cover Tommy's mouth, stopping the blonde from screaming as loudly as he can. Techno looks around, and he eventually shoves Tommy into a box that used to hold a couple of blankets and pillows before Tommy made Techno drag them out for him. Tommy makes a questioning noise as Techno closes the box. Tommy's eyes widen in panic as the darkness curls around his body. His only solace is that the lid does not close all the way. There is a thin sliver of light that allows Tommy to see the inside of the box and the living room outside of it.

Techno rushes to put on pieces of his costume, including his mask. Tommy frowns, pressing his lips together to keep from making a noise. It must be someone important and not from the Syndicate if Techno is going this far.

Dressed as Ravager, Techno opens the door. Tommy slams a hand over his mouth to keep himself from making any noise. He stares with widening eyes as Reverie steps into the cabin. The speedster wipes the snow off his shoulders with a sheepish expression. A slow smile spreads across his face, and Tommy feels the urge to puke. "Sorry for showing up like this, Ravager. I was in the area and decided to say hello to an old friend."

"You happened to be in the area?" Techno asks dryly, closing the door behind Reverie. Tommy feels the urge to sink into the darkness of the box, but he cannot take his eyes off of Reverie. He needs to watch this all.

"Okay, that was a lie. I just didn't want to admit that I missed you," Reverie replies, laughing. He sounds like a normal person. Tommy shudders, remembering the amount of crazy Reverie's voice can carry when he isn't acting.

"You missed me," Techno deadpans, raising an eyebrow at his companion. Tommy wonders what the relationship between Reverie and Ravager is. Reverie makes it sound like they're old friends and while Techno's responses cast some doubt on this, Tommy doesn't think it's a complete lie. Ravager and Reverie have some history together. Tommy doesn't know if this happened before, during, or after he was part of the Hunters. He remembers Reverie and Ravager having some sort of rivalry, but he thought that was a coy way of saying they were nemeses. He didn't think it was more like they were old companions who were trying to achieve the same goal before the other one. If they did have a shared goal... Tommy swallows thickly, wondering what he's missing.

"Is that so difficult to believe? You are quite the funny person when you aren't even trying," Reverie proclaims. He half-sits, half-leans against the arm of the couch. He has his back to Tommy and the box the blonde is in, but Tommy doesn't feel any safer. He arguably feels worse. Reverie could whip around at any moment, noticing there are a pair of eyes on him. Would Ravager be able to talk him out of opening the box should the moment arrive? "And being your friend comes with certain benefits."

"You need something," Techno says knowingly. Tommy presses his hand closer to his face to muffle the sound of his breathing. He can hear his blood roaring in his ears, and his heart is thundering his chest. He feels like he's going to burst. He feels like Reverie is breathing down his neck despite being across the room. He feels like this is his coffin, and Tommy almost wishes that it would be.

"Everyone needs something. The real trick is knowing where the something you need is," Reverie answers, waving his hand. His upper body hunches forward, leaning towards Ravager like he has a conspiracy on his tongue. Despite this, Tommy can hear Reverie loud and clear. "There are a few interested parties who want to know where Vendetta disappeared to. The city, for instance, misses their hero. Monarch has been personally looking for him, and Minotaur has even been secretly looking into it. The heroes might not know this, but I know that you were working with Vendetta for a little while. I was wondering if you knew where he was."

Tommy nearly vomits, but he holds back the bile. He doesn't like this, not one fucking bit. Ravager tilts his head to the side, observing Reverie as he speaks, "Vendetta left us. I don't know where he went. Las Nevadas last I checked."

"He isn't there," Reverie mutters. Tommy nearly crumples. Is Las Nevadas not safe, either? Would Croupier sell Tommy out to Reverie of all people? "You know, Ravager, you owe me one."

Tommy's thoughts stutter to a stop. He isn't able to process anything other than the words from Ravager's mouth. "Yes, I do. Is it Vendetta that you want?"

Tommy's hands slowly fall into his lap. His mouth gapes open. His eyes widen. His heart freezes as Reverie whispers, "What if it is?"

"Then, I would deliver Vendetta to you, wherever he may be," Ravager shrugs like this is common knowledge, like he isn't giving away Tommy's life to one of his greatest abusers. Tommy hears his heart shattering in his chest. He nearly chokes on the breath he tries forcing inside his body. He can feel his sense of self slipping away, disassociating from the situation. He keeps himself present only because Reverie is still here.

Reverie laughs, and Tommy flinches back. He nearly slams his head against the back of the box. Reverie pushes off the arm of the couch to stand back up. "Don't worry, Ravager, I have a few more avenues I want to explore before I cash in that favor. Thank you for your time and providing a place for me to warm up. I'll see you around."

Ravager hums his agreement. He opens the door, and Reverie steps outside. Ravager closes the door. He steps away to look out the window. Tommy presses a hand against his chest. He tries calming down his heart. In his attempts, he feels his anger surge to the surface. He pushes the lid of the box up, nearly falling out as he screams at Ravager, "What the fuck was that?"

Ravager looks away from the window, raising an eyebrow. Tommy marches across the room. "You were going to sell me out? To fucking Reverie? Do you not know what shit he put me through? Just look at my fucking jaw, Ravager."

"Ravager..." The villain murmurs. He shakes his head, "A favor is a favor, Vendetta."

With those words, Ravager walks up the stairs to the bedroom. Tommy feels tears rise to his eyes. Something cold and empty settles in his chest when he remembers that at the end of the day, Ravager is a villain. Ravager is a member of the Syndicate. Tommy is a hero who wants to kill the leaders of the Syndicate. They are not friends.

They never were.