"There is some comfort in killing that which has hurt you, but it is cold comfort. It'll destroy things inside of you that the original pain wouldn't have harmed. Sometimes it's not a question of whether a piece of your soul is going to go missing, only which piece it's going to be."
― Laurell K. Hamilton

Due to an excessive amount of money, Tommy can barely feel the car moving even when he can see the passing city through the tinted windows. There is a faint feeling in his stomach that doesn't allow him to completely forget, but he can't do much about that. He can only appreciate that Croupier threw enough money into a vehicle to make sure the people riding don't get car sick. Tommy chooses to focus on the other people riding in the car alongside him instead.

Serenade is sitting beside Tommy. Although the hero told himself to maintain distance, his head is resting against the villain's shoulder. Serenade has graciously leaned back against the upholster of the backseat, barely moving his body as he argues with Croupier, who sits across from them in the limousine's back. Tommy doesn't know what they're arguing about, but their tones imply that it isn't so much an argument as it is trying to one-up each other. Ultraviolet is sitting beside Croupier, in front of Tommy. He is slouched down in the chair, his legs spread out so far that they tangle with Tommy's legs. He is playing a game on his communicator. He mumbles directions and curses to himself as his body twitches with the communicator. While his concentration seems tight, he does occasionally pipe up to give his opinion on the argument between Croupier and Serenade, resulting in his master's satisfaction or disappointment. Tommy laughs under his breath every time, enjoying seeing Croupier flustered and on the opposite side he's usually on.

"Reiterating the same point does not make your argument more viable, Serenade," Croupier hisses. Tommy blinks lazily, turning his attention away from the window to look at Croupier. The villain is leaning forward, one hand on his knee and the other one moving as he speaks.

"It does if the point I'm reiterating is factually correct and you continue to show signs of not understanding even the most simple of sentences," Serenade responds. Tommy can see his hand move from his peripheral vision, but Serenade is careful not to jostle Tommy. The blonde finds himself smiling softly. He blames his happiness on the fuzziness rippling across his mind, a strange tranquility that also descends upon him before an important mission. This is the first time Tommy has been with anyone else while in this state, not unless they were seconds away from the beginning of the mission. He's never rested on anyone's shoulder, not since those training days with Sleepy and Red Dragon.

"Both of you can shut the fuck up. We're here," Ultraviolet chides them both with a scowl on his face. The galaxy paint on his face that forms his mask dims, the stars trapped inside the swirling ink dimming considerably. It almost allows Tommy to recognize the Ace of Spades' personal features, but Tommy forces himself to look away before it's too late. He really doesn't want to know anyone's secret identities. He has enough of those secrets hiding quietly in his mind.

"Finally. I thought I was going to be talking to this idiot for an eternity," Croupier murmurs to himself. He forces his body to relax. A salesman's smile spreads across his face as he reaches for his door. He pulls the handle, and a light wind breezes through the backseat. Tommy jolts as the chill climbs up his arm from his bare hands. Tommy feels a dozen cuss words resting on his tongue, eyes narrowing at the dealer who slips out of the limousine. Before Tommy's anger can unfurl verbally, he feels a hand pat against his hood. Serenade tilts his head at Tommy, the veil covering his face but not his body language. Tommy scowls at him, but the words evaporate in his throat at the blatant display of comfort.

Serenade pulls away eventually (far too quickly). As he steps out of the limousine, Tommy can hear him insulting Croupier for 'running away.' Tommy shakes his head, trying to rid himself of the comfortable feeling mewling in his chest. As he shakes his head, his eyes land on Ultraviolet. The Ace of Spades' mask has returned in full force, the stars twinkling as his dark eyes study Tommy. The hero shudders. He opens his mouth to explain that he isn't switching sides and he actually really dislikes Serenade. His words are cut off when Ultraviolet inclines his head to the side, saying in a completely neutral tone, "Good."

Tommy wants to ask what Ultraviolet means by that, but the Ace of Spades is climbing out of the limousine, his communicator forgotten on the seat between where he sat and where Croupier sat. Tommy stares at the black metal for a long moment like the machine could give Tommy the answers Ultraviolet probably won't. Tommy raises his fist, resisting the urge to smash the communicator to vent his anger. Serenade has this unhelpful way of lulling Tommy into comfort before upsetting him so greatly Tommy wonders why he let himself be lulled in the first place.

Tommy decides those thoughts are best reserved for a later date when he can throttle Serenade while mulling them over. Tommy plants his boots down on the concrete sidewalk. He squints his eyes as he climbs onto a sparsely populated street. Tommy glances around, closing the door with the heel of his boot. As soon as the door is closed, Tommy hears it lock and Croupier's chauffeur merges into oncoming traffic. Tommy watches the limousine continue down the street, and he catches the tailend of it as it passes onto a side street.

Tommy looks at the building he was deposited at. Judging by the advertisements on the marquee and the small booth attached to the front wall, this is a theater. The dirty establishment and the lack of people imply that it's been abandoned. Tommy cranes his neck. He notices some construction tape practically glowing in the dark alley, and he sees a few stacks of bricks. It must have been abandoned after an accident, probably a hero and villain fight. Tommy doesn't recognize more than that. He's never been to this theater before, and he doesn't know what heroes and villains have been fighting in the area lately. Though he has no proof, Tommy feels as if it is safe to assume that the Red Army purposefully decimated part of the building so that they might use it for their own nefarious purposes. Tommy rolls his shoulders. It's no matter to him how the building got destroyed; only that the Cult of Erythr is hosting an important event here tonight.

Done with his observations, Tommy activates his power on himself. He pushes off the ground. He floats into the air. He continues moving until he is above the tops of the buildings. He quickly switches off his power, the red caustic light withdrawing to the pads of his fingers. He clicks a button to unfurl his gliders. The blood rushes in his ears as he navigates to a building near the theater. He lands on the roof. His glider returns to his small backpack. Tommy takes a couple steps forward to get rid of the excess energy clinging to his form.

Ravager is standing on the edge of the building, eyeing the partially destroyed area Tommy observed mere moments before. Beside Ravager, Crowfather sits on the parapet. Tommy finds a dull smile spreading across his face. He approaches swiftly. Ravager's gaze lands on him almost immediately. There is a funny look in his eyes, but Tommy ignores it as he sidles up to Crowfather. He rubs his fingers along the crow's head, watching the bird preen under the attention. "Crowfather! The fucking man! I haven't seen you in awhile. That wasn't cool, by the way. I should be fucking pissed at you right now, but I am a kind person so you get my forgiveness. Don't pull that shit again, though."

Crowfather squawks something similar to an agreement. Tommy rolls his eyes, knowing that his pet bird isn't going to listen to Tommy if he doesn't want to. Tommy turns his attention to someone else who definitely won't do what Tommy wants him to do but is a lot more direct about it. Ravager's funny look has disappeared. Right now, he just seems upset. Tommy's eyebrows furrow together, an incredulous smile softening his features even when the smile itself is hidden behind his mask. "Ravager? Don't tell me your fucking jealous? That's so childish."

"I am not jealous of a... bird," Ravager replies, saying the name 'bird' as if it were the most disgusting thing he's ever been made to say.

"You've always had this childish rivalry with Crowfather. Frankly, it's a little disappointing. I thought you were so much fucking cooler than this," Tommy replies, glancing down at the dark entrance into the side of the theater. He remembers the time he introduced Crowfather and Ravager to each other. They constantly cut each other off with their various noises. Ravager had even given Crowfather these odd looks the entire conversation, and he still sometimes carries that expression when the bird appears with Tommy. There's something there, Tommy knows, but he can't exactly tell what it is. What would Ravager- a one-man army with multiple powers, near unlimited access to deadly weapons and people, and a long reputation as a bloodthirsty warmonger- have any sort of beef with a bird named after an old hero?

"That is not the case," Ravager says, looking away from both Tommy and Crowfather. The bird ruffles his feathers. Tommy glances down, and he finds himself looking directly into Crowfather's beady eyes. The bird has an unnaturally knowing expression on its face. Tommy shudders, forcing himself to look away. He understands a tiny bit why Ravager might be uncomfortable around Crowfather. Despite being a bird, Crowfather knows a lot more than should be naturally possible. Tommy shakes his head. It doesn't matter. At the end of the day, Crowfather is just a bird and Ravager is being an idiot. At least, Tommy thinks so, as he takes a half-step away from Crowfather.

Tommy looks around. He can see some of the others getting into their positions. Thermoculus, Enderwalk, and Jolt are standing together on the roof of a nearby building. Although they are too far away for Tommy to hear them, Thermoculus is pointing to different spots around the theater, leaning towards the vigilantes with a serious look on his face. Serenade is sitting on the balcony of a building across the street. He is sitting casually without a care in the world showing in his languid position. On the ground level, Croupier and Ultraviolet are speaking in soft tones to one another, looking like they're waiting for one of Croupier's accomplices. Tommy even thinks he can see Red Dragon in a slow forming crowd down the street. The other Syndicate members are being held hostage inside the theater right now, if their intel is correct.

There are two people noticeably absent. Tommy's fingers clench into a fist as he scans the skies. He double-checks the ground for a small flash of color. He feels anger rise in his chest, and he asks Ravager, "Where the hell are Azrael and Inchling?"

"They're running support and back-up. They might show up if the situation goes awry," Ravager explains softly, turning his attention to Tommy. Ravager's gaze feels extremely heavy against Tommy's shoulders. There is the faint undercurrent of their first real conversation with one another on Ravager's face and in Tommy's body language. Tommy narrows his eyes, refusing to meet Ravager's eyes. "Are you going to be okay with that?"

A far too innocent question. Tommy is unable to hide his laughter. It bursts from his mouth like a knife stabbing through tissue paper. It is just as sharp, too, an ugly and foul thing that permeates in the air like a cold poison. Tommy looks around at the other buildings, watching the Syndicate members communicate seamlessly with one another, ready to hatch their ultimate plan. Tommy's eyes land on Ravager, and he feels some sick satisfaction at seeing the way Ravager's eyes recoil even when his body and face remain stoic. Tommy smiles, knowing Ravager cannot see it. "The real question is if everyone else is going to be okay when Azrael and Inchling do."

Tommy had made it abundantly clear that he was going to try to kill Azrael and Inchling. He wouldn't stop trying until they were dead or he was falling into his grave. What hasn't been made clear is how far the others are willing to go for their leaders, but it doesn't take a genius to figure it out. Ravager will probably dispatch Tommy before the blonde can get a few feet away from Azrael or Inchling. Would Ravager continue to wear that funny look as he chokes Tommy or stabs him with one of his many weapons?

Crowfather squawks, lifting his wings up. Ravager and Tommy's attention snaps to the bird. Ravager looks around quickly. The others are all making signals. Ravager returns their gestures. He jumps onto the parapet beside Crowfather. Ravager glances over his shoulder at Tommy. There is something profound in his red eyes, but it fades as easily as it comes. Ravager hops into the air, landing gracefully onto the ground. Tommy plants his feet on the parapet, but he remains on the edge of the building as Ravager groups up with Croupier and Ultraviolet. Tommy watches as the three of them break into the theater, disappearing from his line of sight.

After much deliberation, the plan eventually became that those three would be the first wave. They would fight as many cultists as they could. Enderwalk would remain on standby, teleporting in and teleporting out with the rescued victims. Jolt, Thermoculus, Serenade, and Tommy were on interference. If someone wanted to enter the brawl to help or if someone thought retreating was their safest bet, it was their job to stop them. If Red Dragon was actually here, he would help with the interference. The looming threat of Azrael and Inchling joining to help out hangs over Tommy's head.

They are putting the plan into action right now. Tommy stares down at the opening on his side of the theater. Crowfather waits with him, silent like a predator waiting for prey to scurry out from its home. Tommy ignores the way that makes his skin prickle. He has a job to do. He isn't the best at waiting and focusing. Luckily for him, it didn't take too long for a few soldiers from the Red Army to come spilling out of the hole in the wall. They are as loud as a creaky door after curfew, and they each leave a trail of blood, some thicker and redder than others. Tommy brings out his baton, letting it unfurl into a staff. He stands up, letting his shadow loom over the fleeing soldiers. A few of them glance up, and he can hear their curses on the wind. Tommy jumps down, using his power and someone's body to soften his fall. He rolls forward immediately, ignoring the way his metal backpack digs into his skin. He pops up, moving his staff to trip people up. Unlike the cultists, the members of the Red Army are significantly weaker. They are grunts, no match for an A-rank hero.

Tommy whirls around to chase a few of the fleeing soldiers. His eyes catch on a hood disappearing behind a corner. Tommy races forward, sliding into the new alley. He gets a second to see Reaper's body before the villain enters into the labyrinth that is the border between Empires and Snowchester. Tommy could go after the grunts, but one of the reasons for this raid was to capture members of the Cult of Erythr. Tommy decides that Reaper is a far more worthy target than a couple of bumbling idiots who joined with the wrong side of history.

Tommy chases after Reaper. He hears Crowfather flying after him. He is able to close the distance between them but only by a marginal amount. He keeps Reaper in his sights, unable to fully grab onto his hood. Tommy breathes in harshly, pumping his arms even more as he tries to increase his momentum. He nearly slams into every wooden wall surrounding the alleyways, but the pain is negligible. Reaper is getting closer. Tommy can almost grab onto his hood. He reaches his hand out, his powers swirling across his skin, ready to send Reaper to the ground. He can almost feel the cloth of the villain's hood. He just needs to...

Reaper turns unexpectedly. Tommy tries stopping himself, but this trips him up. He rolls across the ground. He grits his teeth in pain. He forces himself back onto his feet. Crowfather makes a noise like he's concerned. He takes in even breaths, walking back to the place where he lost Reaper. It seems the villain has darted into a warehouse of some sort. One of the dirty windows is cracked, enough space for someone to slip through if they wanted to. Tommy hopes that Reaper is far from the entrance into the warehouse as Tommy goes in after him. Crowfather makes a displeased noise, trying to get into the building but hitting the glass. Tommy waves the bird away, and Crowfather follows orders for once in his life.

Tommy looks around the warehouse. It is actually a factory, Tommy realizes, looking at the conveyor belts and the sorting machinery. Tommy grimaces at all the hiding places Reaper could be. He starts poking his head into each shaded area. He doesn't find a trace of the villain, not even a lingering ghoul meant to watch Tommy's movements. Tommy feels an angry sound bubble in his throat as he gets to the main floor. He stops, noticing Reaper standing in the middle of the machines. Reaper is calm, hands behind his back. He doesn't carry a weapon. There are no spirits waiting to crawl out of the ground. Tommy brings out his staff, but Reaper's unnerving stare doesn't get even a hint of fear. Tommy realizes far too late that this had been a trap. Well, Tommy is like a vicious animal- he is liable to hurt the person who trapped him and escape.

"I have been trying to talk with you alone for many moons now. You are a very busy person, and you have far more people attached to you than I initially suspected. You were always so lonesome, but I guess you do have the uncanny ability of making people care about you. Even people who have sworn off attachments," Reaper proclaims. Tommy winces. Reaper can't be talking about anyone other than Reverie. Reaper waves his hand, clearly only using Reverie as an example and not actually caring what happened between the leader and a former member of the organization Reaper was once part of. "Do not misconstrue, Vendetta. I am not here to discuss the past. I am here to offer a potential future, the best one, in fact."

Reaper takes a step forward. Tommy tenses, getting into a defensive possession. Reaper raises one of his hands to Tommy as if he's offering something. There is nothing in Reaper's palm, but there is a promise on his lips. "I am sure that you noticed last time we saw each other that I have gained a new... ability. It should not surprise you. Espers get their powers from trauma, and therefore, more trauma will enhance their power. That is what happened to the Scarlet Demoness, that girl you captured."

Tommy tries to make his body move. He finds himself unable to. Part of him- a stupid part of him that has taken control of his motor skills- has convinced him to listen to Reaper. There's nothing to lose except for time. Tommy has been living on stolen time for as long as he can remember, so he doesn't care about losing it. He listens as Reaper continues. "I can see what my victims see in their hallucinations. I was finally able to see your family, the one you always talk about and the one you've devoted your life to. They had innocent faces, and they seemed to love you very much. I can see why you've given your life to pursuing their killers. It is a rather noble cause, I should think.

"But you are going to fail, Vendetta. You are not strong enough to fight Azrael and Inchling, especially not when the rest of the Syndicate protects them. You will be cut down as if you were nothing at all. What you need is strength. You need a boost of power that will allow you to reach the impossible. It is very difficult to acquire that kind of power, but you have a very easy way to do it, Vendetta. You can join the Cult of Erythr. We will offer you the elixir of the gods, providing you with the power to vanquish what has haunted you for ten years."

Reaper tilts his head, the shadows across his face from his hood growing shallow. Tommy can almost see Reaper's contemplative expression. "Frankly, though, more power is simply unnecessary. Revenge won't make you happy. It will not calm your restless spirit. It will only drive you to madness and depression. You will realize that you've wasted your life trying to attain cold comfort, and now you will be without a purpose."

"What the fuck-" Tommy begins, his fists clenching tighter around his staff.

Reaper snaps back to attention, closing his own hand into fist. There is a faint trace of determination in his voice as he cuts Tommy off, "The Cult of Erythr can do something better for you. We will give you a purpose. We will give you power. And when we achieve our goals, we will have the ability to bring your family back to. I will have the power to give you back that which you have lost. All I wish for in return is that you join our fight against the oppressors and warmongers. We shall liberate this city together. No one else shall suffer as you have, not with gangs or villains or the destruction of a family."

Reaper's speech is better than Pearl and Etho's, Tommy thinks. It makes his steely determination waver temporarily. Reaper has the power to communicate with the dead. With enough of a power boost, it isn't too out there to imagine he could give the dead passage to the land of the living as semi-permanent ghosts. Tommy is willing to commit a lot of sins in order to speak with his family just one more time. But destroying the city in the process of 'liberating' it is not one of the sins Tommy has the heart to do. He apologizes to his family for picking the city over them, but he imagines they would understand his point of view. It was the destruction of a part of the city that resulted in their death, after all.

"Fuck off," Tommy growls. He rushes forward, lifting his staff above his head. He gets close enough to Reaper to slam it down. Before he can, Reaper takes a step back. His shadowy spirits cloud his body, allowing him to disappear. Tommy is left standing on his own. He whirls around, trying to find out where Reaper disappeared to. Unlike his partner, Cait Sith, Reaper cannot teleport far from his original position. Even if he could go far, he wouldn't. He will continue to convince Tommy to join the Cult of Erythr or try to eliminate him here and now to put an end to a thorn in the cult's side.

"Vendetta!" A voice snaps Tommy out of his searching. He turns. Serenade is standing at the factory doors. Serenade continues to get closer, stepping into the dim light that falls through the dirty windows of the factory. Tommy cannot see Serenade's face, but his body language shows his displeasure very clearly. "This was only a rescue mission, Vendetta. We got everyone we wanted, so we need to leave now. You can't just disappear like this."

Tommy sighs. He lowers his staff. Reaper probably has disappeared now that Serenade is here. Tommy feels failure curl in his stomach. Tommy glances up, deciding that blaming Serenade is going to make him feel better and loudly complaining will make him feel a whole lot better.

Tommy takes one step forward, stopping when he feels a strange prickling sensation in his neck. Eyes widening in horror, Tommy looks over his shoulder. Reaper is standing right behind him, pressed so close Tommy can see the villain's face beneath the mask. Reaper is frowning apologetically as his thumb slams down on the syringe, pushing a red liquid into Tommy's bloodstream. Tommy chokes on a breath, barely hearing Reaper's mournful words over the roaring in his ears. "It is unfortunate that we could not do this the easy way."

Reaper steps away, taking the syringe with him. Tommy feels a tiny rivulet of warm blood fall down his neck. Reaper's spirits take him away. Tommy stumbles away from the spot he was just standing. He feels weird. His breathing is heavy despite it feeling like someone is sitting on his chest and squeezing his heart in their fist. He feels sweat fall down his head, but he's unnaturally cold. He shivers, glancing around the factory in a mind-numbing panic. He holds tight to that panic, but it slips from his grasp like a fragile leaf in the currents of a raging river. In the next moment, Tommy feels a surge of anger in his body. Pure, unadulterated hate spreads from his soul to his body. He trembles with excess energy, and he feels a sort of froth start to come from his lips. He clenches his teeth, unable to hold back a growl. He slams his hands on the sides of his head. He is incredibly upset, and he wants to lash out. He wants to make someone hurt. He-

"Vendetta?" Serenade asks quietly. Tommy looks up sharply. Serenade. Tommy feels a laugh climbing up his throat, but it sounds more like a howl when it falls alongside the froth. Tommy tears his mask off, throwing it at Serenade. He activated his power, so when the Serenade dodges and the mask hits the wall behind him, the wall cracks. Serenade flinches away from the impact. Tommy's laugh-howl grows louder. He starts walking towards Serenade. Who else should he hurt but someone who works with the Syndicate? Who should he hurt but the person who is manipulating Tommy by pretending to be Wilbur? Who should he hurt but the idiot standing right in front of him? Tommy is going to hurt a lot of people, but he is going to start with Serenade.

As the thoughts consume Tommy, he manages to grab hold of the knife in the pocket along his thigh. He pulls the material out. He watches the metal glint in the dirty light. Tommy raises the knife up. When he slams it back down, he feels a sharp pain in his thigh. Tommy hisses, feeling tears spring into his eyes. His body bends, nearly crumpling forward. Tommy keeps the knife lodged in his thigh as he looks up. It takes him a heavy moment to growl out, "Get... away... now..."

Serenade does not follow the order Tommy is struggling to give. Tommy winces apologetically, but he feels the anger inside his body roar even louder at Serenade's blatant refusal. Tommy is trying to help the villain. If Serenade doesn't want help, Tommy shouldn't give it to him. He should show Serenade what happens if he doesn't listen. It is only fair, Tommy reasons. For these thoughts, Tommy twists the knife. He really does howl in pain this time. His knees lock together. He feels conflicted. Part of him wants to keep turning, part of him does not. He doesn't want to hurt Serenade, but at the same time, he knows he will feel so much pleasure in doing so. He should go after every member of the Syndicate, then he should pick off the Hunters, and anyone else who gets in his way- even the people that Tommy knows he cares about and doesn't want dead.

"Vendetta, listen to me, this isn't you. You're stronger than this. You were the one that chose to fight against the Cult of Erythr. You even put aside your revenge for this. You have to find that same strength right now. Do not let Reaper win," Serenade is attempting to thrall Tommy using his power. Tommy feels sickened by this. Serenade's thrall rarely works on Tommy because the blonde is a steadfast person that doesn't normally fall for honeyed promises. But Serenade isn't wrong. Tommy does hate the cult. He doesn't want them to win, and he doesn't want to be their puppet.

But he isn't being their puppet. He may be using their power, but he's doing what he wants. He is going to cut down Serenade because that's what he wants to do. He is going to kill every member of the Syndicate because that's what he wants to do. He is going to turn the Hunters into the hunted because that's what he wants to do. Every action he's taking is only something he wants to do. While the power might not be his, the anger and hatred definitely are. And really, Serenade using his voice just makes Tommy want to tear his larynx out.

"Serenade, Vendetta, what is-" A voice calls as two people enter the factory. Tommy's eyes flash over to the two people entering. Thermoculus and Dyscardia. More members of the Syndicate, and two members that Tommy particularly hates right now. Tommy switches his focus from Serenade, and he aims at the closer of the two. Even with the knife in his thigh, Tommy is able to tackle Thermoculus to the ground. The villain makes a startled noise, but it quickly gets cut off by Tommy's hands squeezing Thermoculus' throat. The villain tries bucking Tommy off of him, but the blonde remains as still as stone. He spreads his power to make Thermoculus sit still, and the red caustic light on Thermoculus' body illuminates the fear in the villain's eyes. Tommy grins wickedly at it. He likes this. He likes being in power. He likes holding Thermoculus' life in his hands. It feels a lot like revenge, and it's so much better than Tommy thought it would be.

Tommy's heart slows down. His smile disappears as he tries to breathe normally, but every movement makes his heart hurt. He looks to the side. Dyscardia is standing near him and Thermoculus. Serenade is right by her. Tommy's grip loosens on Thermoculus as a result, and the villain is able to lift his hand up enough to push the knife in Tommy's thigh deeper. Tommy tries to scream, but his exhale is airy. Finally, Dyscardia releases his heart, and Tommy feels the tiny organ start beating excessively. The chemical in his bloodstream continues to spread to the tips of his fingers and toes. He glares up at Dyscardia, preparing to attack her.

He feels a hand grab onto his chin. Tommy is forced to look at Thermoculus, and the villain has removed his glasses. Tommy screams again as the feeling of burning alive spreads across his body. He feels tears mingle with his sweat. His heart slows down again. He distantly hears Serenade chanting the word 'sleep.' Despite the anger in his body, Tommy finds himself agreeing with the idiot. Sleep sounds especially nice right now. It would keep him from looking into Thermoculus' eyes or hearing Serenade's voice. It would also naturally put his heart at the same speed Dyscardia is trying to force it to be.

Yes, sleep is his best option, Tommy agrees as he falls unconsciously against Thermoculus' shoulder.