"I am my heart's undertaker. Daily I go and retrieve its tattered remains, place them delicately into its little coffin, and bury it in the depths of my memory, only to have to do it all again tomorrow."
― Emilie Autumn

Tommy sits at the wraparound desk in Sparrow's hideout cabin. He has a few papers spread out in front of him. There is a rack that holds a series of vials. Tommy plucks each vial off the rack one at a time when he's done writing down information on the appropriate sticker. He wraps the sticker around the glass, making sure it is on firmly. He puts the vial back on the rack when he is done, moving onto the next one without a spare second between each of his actions. He prefers the flow of it, after all. It keeps distracted from other thoughts that could populate his mind.

"What's wrong with your wrists?" One of those 'other thoughts' calls out to him. Tommy looks over his shoulder. Pearl is sitting on a furnished bed. She is still chained to the wall, but there is a layer of fluff between her wrist and the metal shackle. She has her blanket wrapped around her shoulders in a rather pathetic imitation of her cloak. She holds tightly onto the ends of her blanket. Her grips seem to whiten as she meets Tommy's eyes unflinchingly.

Tommy looks away from her, returning to the task at hand. Ever since the news spread about the Red Army's retaliatory kidnapping, Tommy has spent his days between Las Nevadas and this hideout. He doesn't go anywhere else, paranoid that someone is waiting to get revenge on him. Croupier assures Tommy that what happened wasn't his fault, but Tommy has trouble feeling that way when the halls of the casino are too quiet without Ankh and Reynard. Even Slime has noticed the difference, but Tommy can't bring himself to help his friend. Tommy ignores both Croupier and Slime, letting them handle their emotions together and the situation alone. Tommy has his own worries to deal with.

Least of all these worries is the dried blood and slowly healing scars around his wrists. His sleeping walking has gotten a lot worse. The chains still keep him in place, but he's starting to fight against them a lot harder than he used to. Tommy ignores the blood and the pain every morning. He sometimes cleans up his wrists, but he couldn't be bothered to do it today. He'll deal with the infection when it eventually comes.

Tommy picks up another vial, but he glances over at the other person in the room. Like Pearl, they have been upgraded to lying on a bed with a far more comfortable shackle than before. After staying in the cabin for a prolonged period, Tommy has discovered who Technician is underneath the mask. His real name is Etho, a former civil officer who fixed redstone issues within the guildhalls and government buildings. He was offered an official position by the mayor, but he disappeared before he could accept or decline. The mayor issued a missing person's case on Etho, but even with the power of the police, no one was able to figure out where the redstone technician went.

Tommy looks back to his vials. He picks up one with a clear liquid inside of it. He scribbles a few key words on the sticker. He puts the sticker on the vial. He is about to put it away when he hears Pearl's incredulous tone behind him, "Where the hell did you get my tears from?"

"You cry in your sleep," Tommy murmurs. With how frequently he comes and goes, it would be inevitable that Pearl would be asleep during some portion of that. During one of these instances, Tommy went ahead and got the tears.

"That's so creepy," Pearl hisses. Tommy feels a surge of amusement, thinking about how creepy Pearl was when they first met as Vendetta and the Scarlet Demoness.

"It's the only way," Tommy tells her. He puts the vial of tears away, picking up one with her blood in it. Although all blood is red, there seems to be two different shades swirling around the vial, not mixing together and evening out into one color. Tommy swishes the vial around, watching in mute fascination. "It's being sent to Sparrow."

After the news of the kidnapping spread, Sparrow thought it would be a good idea to start work on a cure. Sparrow admitted it would be better to collect some fluids and skin samples from the two people they had who were infected by the Red Army's drug and Crimson's brainwashing. Tommy, at first, didn't want to do it, but the longer people were in the Red Army's possession, the more he caved. He eventually got vials of Pearl and Etho's blood, sweat, and snot. He has a vial of Pearl's tears, but he hasn't seen Etho cry in all their time together. Tommy isn't going to hurt Etho just for the sake of getting tears.

"Are you going to get a urine sample?" Etho asks with a faint note of mirth in his tone. In contrast to Etho, Pearl makes a disgusted noise. When Tommy looks at both of them, Pearl is scowling and Etho is smiling wryly with his eyes closed.

"I really hope I don't fucking have to," Tommy shudders. At the moment, when Etho and Pearl need to use the restroom, someone else far stronger and less emotional than Tommy deals with it. Tommy doesn't know the bodyguard personally, but Sparrow recommended him to take care of all the issues that come with keeping two people captive that Tommy didn't consider at first. Tommy is grateful to the bodyguard, but that man's apathetic stare makes Tommy ill at ease.

Tommy turns his chair to look back at his desk. He shuffles the papers together into a stack. He stands up, pushing his chair in. He starts sorting the vials into a bag. He prays none of the vials unexpectedly open. He doesn't want to collect more from the two former cultists. He also doesn't want to clean up his bag, but that concern is secondary to the other one.

"Where is Grian and Jimmy?" Pearl asks. Tommy flinches, surprise choking him for a moment. Pearl has no qualms about calling her brothers by their real names. Tommy would prefer to keep some level of business between him and the other two heroes, but Pearl doesn't care about his preferences. In fact, it would be safe to say that Pearl despises the hero names her brothers have. The red in her eyes deepen when she hears it, and she refuses to answer any questions about them if Tommy says their hero name instead of their real name. She hardly answers his question when he does use their real names, but at least she says something.

"Fuck if I know. I'm not their damn babysitter," Tommy informs her. Even though he uses their real names occasionally, he keeps as much distance as possible between him and them as possible. They barely notice Tommy when they are here at the same time as him. Tommy doesn't blame them when he knows their attention is solely focused on their sister's harsh glares and venomous words.

"You do know," Pearl tells him, leaning forward. Even without her powers, she has an uncanny set of eyes that seem to peer through Tommy into the depths of his soul. She can tell when he's lying, and Tommy doesn't know how. Half the time, he can't even tell when he's lying.

"Are you trying to get me fucking killed?" Tommy asks, squinting his eyes. Watcher- Grian- is an S-rank hero. He is at the top of the bracket, and he has rescued many lives. For some reason, though, Watcher seems to be a little less heroic these days. While he's increasingly comforting to Good Guy, he's distant all the other times. He treats Tommy cordially, but there's always a flare in his eyes that Tommy understands. Tommy, technically, has no reason to really keep Pearl and Etho alive and protected. The two of them certainly don't make it easy to take care of them. Grian is waiting for Tommy- for Vendetta, the villainous hero- to snap. He's waiting for Tommy to prove that he only has one goal in life: revenge. Tommy wonders when his breaking point will be, too.

Pearl laughs. Tommy scowls at her. He can even hear Etho chuckling from his bed. Tommy narrows his eyes at both of them, unimpressed with their method of getting entertainment. When Pearl is finished howling to a moon that might be glowing outside, she repeats her original question, "Where are Grian and Jimmy?"

"You are actively trying to fucking murder them, Pearl. That makes them sad," Tommy informs her as if she doesn't know. The two heroes can't be in the room with their sister for long. Jimmy devolves into hysterics, crying and demanding that Pearl recognize him. Pearl and Grian argue with so much vitriol in their voices. Eventually, Jimmy is too dejected to enter the room and Grian is too tired. They watch from afar. Tommy has seen Grian holding his sister's cheeks when she was asleep, a mournful expression on his face. Tommy doesn't say anything. He pretends he doesn't see any of it, pretends he isn't the one with the best relationship with Pearl at the moment despite having no connection to her. Nothing substantial, anyway, just mirror-like reflections of each other.

"That's the part I don't get. Why do they care? Why does this make them upset?" Pearl whispers. Her voice sounds detached. Her expression screams that she truly doesn't understand. While her eyes accentuate both facts, they also tell about a profound melancholy that has probably been growing since her lonesome youth. There is, in the depths of those eyes, the Pearl that Grian and Jimmy came to love when they finally reunited.

"Anyone would be sad if someone they love is trying to kill them," Tommy says softly. He closes his eyes, looking away from Pearl. Without something to do, Tommy thinks back to his argument with Jolt in the latter's hideout. Jolt didn't seem scared when his life was in Tommy's hands, but then again, he must have known that Tommy wouldn't have been able to do it. Tommy's hands tremble as he remembers the warmth underneath his palms, the fluttery heartbeat pounding against his fingers. Tommy shakes his hand, moving his hands to grab his bag. He doesn't need to think about this right now. He has other things to worry about.

"Have a good night," Tommy says to Pearl and Etho. They do not respond to him, but at least they don't shout profanity at him. Although two of them aren't particularly kind to Tommy, they seem to hold some amount of respect for him. They make fun of him, but their words are never too harsh. Tommy dishes back what he can, murmuring insults as he works through the papers he has about their physical wellbeing, habits, and attitudes.

Tommy trades out nightwatch with the guard that handles Pearl and Etho's business. Tommy nods at the guard, but they don't exchange any words. Tommy is fairly certain the bodyguard can't even talk. Tommy doesn't judge. He just walks away. He opens the door to the hideout, stepping outside. As he suspected earlier, the moon is above his head. It is pale, tonight, and he believes it is waning.

Tommy walks down the sidewalk. He adjusts the bag on his shoulder as he walks. The night air is cold, ghosting across his skin. His bloody wrists sting when the wind starts picking up. He rubs his hands together to warm them up. He sways on his feet for a moment. He takes a deep breath, listening to the whirring noise of his mask. He brings his hands up to rub his forehead.He glances back up at the moon. He has a fleeting thought to float to Las Nevadas, but he can't seem to conjure up his power. He hasn't been floating much these days. He prefers feeling grounded. When his feet are solidly on the ground, he feels a lot more present in his body. The physical exertion and time-consuming nature of walking strains his body in a way that he really needs right now.

Tommy regrets his decision when he feels an arm wrap around his waist. His surprise allows Tommy to be dragged back. He nearly trips over his own feet, but he regains his footing. He slides his elbow back, hitting his attacker. Tommy squirms out of their hold. He hits their arm as he leaps away from them. He turns around sharply, one hand on his baton and the other raised up into a defensive stance. He prepares for a fight, but he discovers how unnecessary that is when he sees a veil swaying in the night air. Tommy shuffles, releasing his baton but not lowering his arm. "What drugs are you fucking on, Serenade? You can't just kidnap someone off the damn street!"

Serenade's arms lower to his sides. Tommy can feel his stare even when those brown eyes are hidden behind the thick veil. His eyes aren't glowing, Tommy notes the useless detail. Serenade doesn't deign Tommy's question a response, instead skipping over to why he would pull such a maneuver. "The Syndicate is planning a raid on the Cult of Erythr to get our members back. Croupier and the Aces are welcome to join in order to get Ankh and Reynard."

"Why the fuck did you come to me, then? Shouldn't you have gone to... I don't know, Croupier? Hell, Ultraviolet would have been fucking better," Tommy huffs. He is affiliated with Croupier, yes, but he isn't part of Croupier's Deck.

"Why didn't I go to Croupier?" Serenade responds sullenly. He does not answer Tommy's question or his own rendition of it. He shrugs, "I don't know. I just didn't, I guess."

Tommy sighs. He shifts his foot, ready to leave the alleyway. He doesn't move more than that, though. He continues staring at Serenade. Tommy should leave, he knows, but he can't make his body move more than it already has. Serenade is dangerous. He is a villain with a body-count and the ability to manipulate other people's minds. He is part of the organization that killed Tommy's family.

But Serenade is familiar. Comfortable, even, in a way Tommy hasn't experienced in a long time. Serenade hasn't hurt him personally, and even when they were enemies, their fights were never anything more than petty squabbles. Tommy has come to know Serenade in a new way. Maybe it's because Serenade reminds Tommy of Wilbur, but Tommy regretfully, shamefully considers Serenade a source of solace. It actually hurts him to say as much. He can barely think it with how his chest tightens. But Tommy has learned a long time ago that the truth is a spiteful creature that prefers tearing him apart than it does giving him 'justice' or 'closure.'

"Where are you headed?" Serenade asks, stuck in the same predicament of being unable to leave as Tommy is. At least, Tommy hopes that's the case. He doesn't know what he would do with himself if Serenade was sticking around because he genuinely didn't want to leave, like the thought never crossed his mind. Tommy prays his reading too much into the situation, and the fact that he's praying makes Tommy ache something awful. He has been pushing down his emotions too much lately. He feels seconds away from crying, and Serenade hasn't even done anything!

"Las Nevadas," Tommy responds, his voice shaky even through the voice modifier. Serenade's body language shows that he doesn't notice enough to care, but Tommy can't know for certain. Serenade is probably the smartest person Tommy knows since he wears a veil over his eyes. "I'm heading in for the night."

"How do you sleep in Las Nevadas?" Serenade asks, and now he shows signs of concern. Tommy winces. He fears he's going to start reading into the situation too much. His argument with Jolt echoes unpleasantly in his mind. Maybe Tommy has become attached to these villains. He swore to Grian that he would never stray from his mission, and Tommy knows that he won't, but he feels weak in the knees at the thought of having to hurt Serenade in the process. Having to hurt any of the people in the Syndicate he foolishly became close to.

"The regular method," Tommy answers, grabbing his wrist subconsciously. His fingers trail along a prominent scar. Tommy knows Serenade is looking there, too. Tommy should have cleaned up the wound and bandaged it. He doesn't want Serenade to see him like this. Tommy wishes that was because he didn't want to appear weak, but honestly, he didn't want Serenade to worry. For some unfathomable reason, Serenade would be concerned, and Tommy is far too weak to say no, to walk away, to keep himself from reaching for that comfort.

"The raid will be in a few days. You need to be at peak health if you want to join," Serenade tells Tommy. He steps forward slowly like he's trying to ease Tommy into something. It almost feels like Serenade is using his powers, but there isn't the telltale static swirling around at the edges of Tommy's mind.

"Yeah, well, what the fuck do you propose I do? Magically cure my sleepwalking?" Tommy hisses sarcastically, knowing damn well where this conversation is going but unwilling to face it until Serenade voices it.

"I could watch over you again," Serenade offers. Tommy winces, closing his eyes. He could ignore the entire situation. He could walk away. He knows that Serenade would let him. The situation right now is too precarious; the tension around them is too fragile. If they break it, they break themselves, and Tommy can't afford to be broken right now. Serenade can't, either.

"I can't get involved with the fucking Syndicate right now," Tommy says quietly, looking around like Minotaur will be waiting in the shadows. Tommy wishes he wasn't under the thumb of that villain-turned-hero, but he's stuck there for the time being. He has too much on his plate to worry about Minotaur specifically, though Tommy is ready to pick a fight at a moment's notice.

"Then, don't. This will be a deal between you and me only. No one else will be involved," Serenade confirms, taking another step forward. He's close to Tommy right now. Tommy should back away. He should keep his hand away from Serenade's. He doesn't step away, and he doesn't pull his hand from Serenade's when the villain intertwines their fingers.

"What do you want in exchange?" Tommy murmurs softly.

"It would make me feel better if someone who will be helping me on a raid had proper sleep," Serenade shrugs, his excuse making sense but his voice implying there's so much more to the situation.

Tommy tilts his head, staring at their intertwined fingers. He squeezes, and Serenade responds with a gentle tug. It is painfully familiar, Tommy thinks. The act of holding hands. He has done it with members of the Syndicate before. He's definitely done it with Serenade at some point or another. He occasionally does it with Slime, and there are people who grab his hand, if not continue to hold it. But this brings Tommy back to the depths of his past. He feels that if he closes his eyes, he can pretend that his brother is here again, waiting for Tommy to open his eyes so they can share a smile together.

"As long as I can still stay in Las Nevadas," Tommy adds another condition to their deal as if that would make it more businesslike and less personal.

"Deal," Serenade agrees with a soft whisper. Serenade moves their hands like they are shaking hands, but he doesn't let go when they are finished. He keeps Tommy's hand in his as they start heading to Las Nevadas.