"Our memory is a more perfect world than the universe: it gives back life to those who no longer exist."
― Guy de Maupassant

Dyscardia walks down the sidewalk in Snowchester, holding her communicator against her chest. She stares down at it occasionally, trusting her feet to lead her down the concrete without slipping up. She probably uses muscle memory or her peripheral vision to navigate. If something does spring up in her path unexpectedly, Tommy will take care of it. He's trailing behind her with maybe a foot between them. He lolls behind mainly because the sidewalk would be crowded if they walked side-by-side and she was the one that knew where to go. It was also because he was someone who enjoyed looking around when he walked. He didn't get many breaks in his life, so he took a chance to smell the roses when it was presented to him. He never stopped, no, but the scent lingers in the air, flashes of fantastical lives all around him, enticing his mind for a moment before he passes on.

"Have you seen the movie Moana?" Tommy asks. Even though he predominantly watched Up when he was with Enderwalk and Jolt, he was also introduced to the world of a young wavefarer by his incessant movie companions. He would never admit it to those two, but Tommy enjoyed Moana almost as much as Up. He supposed he just liked movies that were bitterly sad at the beginning but lightened up into a happy ending.

"Yeah," Dyscardia answers. Even through the voice modifier, Tommy can tell her that her voice is light. She's distracted by her communicator. By the way she's typing, she's probably still messaging Thermoculus. She messaged him soon after they left the diner to inform him that they would be arriving at the safehouse soon. Tommy was allowed to know that Thermoculus and Jolt were expecting them. If Thermoculus said anything else, Tommy wouldn't know.

"It was the shit, wasn't it? I loved it. The music was amazing. The characters were badasses, especially Moana. I fucking hated that crab thing, but his song was a bop. And we have to mention the animation, don't we? As Ravager would probably say, it was immaculate. That's such an old person's word. It's fun to say, though. Imm-ac-u-late. That's what the movie is. All of it. We should watch it again sometime. By 'we', I mean me, Jolt, and Enderwalk. No offense, but I would rather not watch a movie with someone who can fucking stop my heart from beating. And other shit. I know your power. Fucking terrifying. We could watch Moana if you wanted, though. Who am I to deny a woman? They are factually the best," Tommy continues speaking, vaguely aware that Dyscardia probably isn't paying attention. He doesn't mind. The person he talks to most is Crowfather, and while the crow responds, he doesn't talk back. Tommy can go on tangents about nearly any subject because of this fact.

It was also one of the few traits that carried over from his childhood. No one in his family was mute. Well, Fundy couldn't actually talk, but he did babble and could say a few words at a time. In either case, Tommy wasn't the only one who made noise. He was the loudest, however. He was always yelling, cheering, and kicking up a fuss with wild dance moves or active games. He laughed more than he cried. It was extremely difficult to get him to stay quiet. Even in his sleep, he would sometimes mutter words or roll around the shared mattresses. Fundy might have been a baby who squalled all the time, but his little lungs had nothing on Tommy.

The reason for his loud temperament was probably because out of everyone, he was the most excitable. Every memory he had was from the streets with Wilbur. Unlike everyone else, he didn't really remember his abusers, if they could be called that. According to Wilbur, their parents didn't actually hate Tommy. This was probably because Wilbur's father ignored Tommy, too caught up in work to even recognize that this blonde-haired, blue-eyed child probably didn't come from two brunettes with dark eyes. Wilbur and Tommy's mother didn't care about anything. She was depressed so much of the time that Wilbur wasn't sure he ever saw her move more than a few feet at a time. Wilbur describes their former home as a sad, lonely place no better than the alleyways.

As far as Tommy was concerned, he simply didn't care. He never knew his real father, or his fake father, or his mother. All he knew was Wilbur, and that was all he needed. Even on the cold nights without any food in their bellies or water down their throats, Wilbur would hold Tommy close to his chest, enough that their heartbeats synced, and would sing the prettiest songs to make Tommy's eyes droop closed. Eret was Tommy's first taste of another kind person, and it spiraled from there. Tommy didn't need his parents or a proper home. He just needed his family.

Tommy breathes out harshly at the painful reminder. Two old friends called loneliness and regret wraps its arms around his throat, loose enough to be a threat instead of a punishment. Tommy looks at Dyscardia's back, watching her cape sway around her midthighs. She wraps it around her tightly as the cold wind of the borough picks up.  "I would like to watch Moana with my family. I'm sure they would fucking love it. My older brother loved music, so he would learn all of the fucking songs. I had another brother who liked good fights. Maui would have been his favorite character. Especially after Maui's backstory is revealed. He loved good mysteries, too. When I think of my youngest brother, I can only see a dumb, little toddler. I would like to assume he would still like the colors and movement. I would probably sit with another one of my brothers. He would lean his head against my shoulder because even though he's older than me, that bitch was shorter. I think my sibling would love the theatrics of it. And my sister..."

Tommy finds his mouth falling closed. Niki is fresh on his mind because of the diner. He can almost feel her walking beside him. She would nudge his shoulder, pointing out things she wanted him to look at. She would smile at him, looking down because she was his older sister. They would come to a crosswalk. She would reach for his hand. She would hold it close to her to force him to stay by her side. They would cross the street together, and she would emote correctly as he told her all about the many thoughts in his mind. If she was here, listening to him talk about Moana, she would probably say... "I like Moana. It's a fine movie. I saw it with Thermoculus and Serenade. Thermoculus was at the edge of his seat when Maui was fighting Te Kā. His favorite character was probably those coconut pirates. Serenade nearly got us kicked out of the theater because he was singing too loud."

Tommy freezes. Dyscardia is standing on a gentle ramp that leads down into the street's crosswalk. She had her communicator lowered, her full attention on him. She still has a hand on the button for the stoplight for the crosswalk. Tommy's shoulders fall. Her eyes are just like Niki's, he realizes. Not just in color, a chocolate brown like cookies pulled fresh from the oven or frosting lingering on fingertips, but in warmth. For a moment, Dyscardia was looking at him favorably, if not downright kindly. There was so much Niki in this one expression that Tommy felt tears rush to his eyes.

He refuses to let them fall as he joins Dyscardia at the crosswalk. As if he needed more reminding that Niki was dead, he forces himself to remember the moment one more time. He returns back from a childish temper tantrum to see smoke lifting above the warehouse that used to be the four walls of his entire world. The heroes are standing around stretchers with bodies, each one covered by a white sheet. Six in all, each one the appropriate size and shape for his family. The heroes are whispering to each other about Azrael and Inchling. Not a single one pays attention to the dirty blonde kid darting into the heart of the destruction to dig in the rubble. They don't notice the floating cement blocks or feel a strange tension weighing them down. The heroes don't find him; Reverie does. That's where all the trouble begins. That was where his pain originated.

"Vendetta?" Dyscardia asks. Tommy opens his eyes, striding across the white lines without giving Dyscardia a glance. He no longer cares that she's the one who knows where they're going. He wants to put as much distance between them as possible. Dyscardia is not a dead girl. She is an assassin with the ability to manipulate internal organs. She despises Tommy, and he's supposed to feel the same way towards her. He will not be tricked by a momentary expression of fondness. He always thought Serenade was the one who manipulated people in the Syndicate, but it seems Dyscardia knows exactly how to pull at the right heartstrings. He will not let her know that she's discovered his weakness. Niki is dead. She can't be his liability.

"Vendetta," Dyscardia repeats, harsher. Tommy looks up. He plans to whirl around to face her for some dramatic argument, but something else catches his eyes before he commits to the plan. A man stands in the center of the street, unconcerned about the fact that a car could suddenly decimate him. He wears dark green military gear including a bulletproof vest over a black, thick bodysuit. The lower part of his face is obscured by a black neck gaiter, and his white hair is pushed up by a black headband with a metal engraving in the forefront. He crosses his arms over his chest, revealing a metal skeleton connected to the back of his body, powered by some sort of energy source the same color as his blood red eyes.

"Dyscardia, Vendetta," Technician, a villain working for the Red Army, directly part of the Cult of Erythr, speaks as he nods at each of them. "I must admit, you are a difficult man to find, Vendetta."

"Shit, king, if I knew a fan was looking for me, I would have allotted some time," Tommy laughs. Dyscardia takes the remaining few steps to reach him. She stands at his side with tight fists. Tommy reaches down to his thigh. He undos the holster tied there, subtly passing it over to Dyscardia. She blinks when she accepts the weapon. Tommy wonders if Technician saw, if he even cares.

"I'm no fan, Vendetta, but the Red King wishes to have an audience with you. The fastest way is for you to come with me willingly right now. If not, I will have to start using force," Technician informs the hero. Tommy frowns. Passerine did tell him that the cult was looking for him specifically, but he didn't really acknowledge that fact until right now. What does it mean to be hunted down by a cult? What do they want with him specifically? He doesn't have much to offer other than the few personal connections he's managed to make in his lifetime. Those wouldn't be worth it, however. Croupier wouldn't risk his neck to save Tommy. The Hero's Guild would frame his kidnapping and eventual death as something more light-hearted for their audiences. The Syndicate doesn't care about him at all. The Hunters would enjoy seeing him hurt. Tommy really doesn't have anything to offer.

"Vendetta isn't going anywhere with the Red Army," Dyscardia proclaims, unsheathing the knife to aim it at Technician. Although Tommy firmly believes he can speak for him, a small part of him is touched that Dyscardia would step up to defend him. He knows he has a deal going on with the Syndicate right now, but he wouldn't blame Dyscardia if she sold him out to save herself. It was the optimal decision considering her position. The Syndicate might be upset that one of their own broke a deal, but they would much rather Dyscardia return to them than end up dying here with Tommy.

"I still don't understand how the Syndicate can work with someone who so clearly stands for their destruction," Technician shakes his head, unimpressed with Dyscardia's defensive nature. Technician reaches for his pocket. He pulls out a cube the size of a baseball made from a copper like material and tubing. He throws the cube to the ground in front of him. Dyscardia and Tommy inch back, waiting for an explosion. Instead, steam exhales out of one of the pipes. A low whirring sound fills the air, not too dissimilar to Warden's suit. The copper cube begins to unfold. As it moves, it stretches out, growing larger. Sparks of Enderian magic cut across the air like sword slashes tearing through reality itself. A robotic automaton the size of the nearby lampposts stands in the center of the street. Tommy's eyes widen. That is a copper golem- not a hybrid but an actual golem.

Technician steps back, waiting for his summoned creature to do the work for him. Tommy brings out his metal baton. He clicks a button, and it expands out into his staff. He gets into position, and then he notices Dyscardia standing right beside him with his knife in her hand. He frowns at her actions. "Dyscardia, go get Technician. I'll deal with the golem."

"I don't think it's a good idea to split up," Dyscardia tells him. Tommy curses. The Syndicate must be a fucking cult if they've indoctrinated every member into believing that stupid power of friendship bullshit. Tommy breathes out, calming his nerves. This is not the time or place to get upset. He has to focus.

"There are two enemies: the golem and Technician. We need to defeat them both. My power works on anything. Your power is limited to organic materials. You know what that means? I need you to go fuck that human being up. I'll deal with this copper monstrosity," Tommy orders her. She frowns at him. He backtracks, deciding not to take his anger out on her right now. "I'll be fine, Dyscardia. I promise you that we're going to make it out of this alive if we play to our strengths."

"Fine," Dyscardia grits out. She changes directions, running after Technician as the cultist runs into a nearby warehouse. Tommy twirls his staff in his hands as he feels the pressing weight of the golem's camera on him. Tommy doesn't know much about golems, let alone a copper one, but he knows enough about machines to know that beating them into submission usually works. It's how he solves all of his problems regarding kitchen and laundry appliances. Why wouldn't it work for him now?

Tommy dodges out of the way as the copper golem aims its arm at him. The metal plating around its palm spreads apart to reveal a black barrel. The barrel twists as the golem changes its positioning several times. It follows Tommy, and when it feels like it finally has a lock, it releases a quick beam of energy. Tommy's power activates to lift him into the air, out of the way of the energy blast. It lands in the wall of a building leaving behind a scorching hole. The copper golem's camera eyes follow Tommy as he pulls his power back to the center of his chest. His glider unfolds to help him navigate. He places one foot on the shoulder of the copper golem. He lifts his staff up, letting his power make it twice as heavy. He swings it back down with all the strength he can conjure. As it collides with the golem's shoulder blade, a dent appears in the metal exterior. Before Tommy can continue, the golem allows something to lift from his shoulder, knocking Tommy off balance. He throws his staff up, landing on the street in a handstand. He kicks his legs back down to rise up, catching his staff as it lands. He stares at the golem to see that it is about to release a series of missiles.

"I thought you're master wanted to fucking meet me," Tommy screams, looking around for a place to hide that would be able to tank several missiles that are probably tracking him. He ends up racing across the street. He feels bad for ducking into the alleyway between the building Technician and Dyscardia went into, but he can't find himself caring too much when he hears the missiles explode against the corner. Tommy slams his hands over his ears as the sound of metal tearing like paper fills his head. He feels a sharp pain skirt across his shoulder, and he realizes that some metal fragments from the warehouse are probably in his arm right now. He runs his hand along the pain, hissing when his fingers brush against warm blood. Tommy peeks around the corner at the copper golem. "Unless you kill your master, too, I'm not going to meet him, you metal bastard!"

The copper golem is oblivious of his threats. It just brings up the energy barrel again. Tommy rolls out of the way as the golem blasts. He keeps running when he realizes the golem is going for a prolonged blast instead of short bursts. Tommy pivots as he runs, ducking down to avoid the energy blast, thankful for the angle. The golem probably didn't account for this, mainly because Tommy could still feel the jittering of energy all around him as he stopped sliding. He comes up to the golem, taking full advantage of its momentary miscalculation. He shoves his staff into the space between the golem's metal plating, underneath its armpit. Tommy shoves his entire body against his staff. The metal creaks. The plate finally snaps. Tommy is flung behind the golem from underneath its armpit as its front breastplate drops to the ground. Tommy rolls across the ground. His vision turns white as he lands against his ruined arm, the metal pieces pressing in even further. He holds his breath as he reaches for his staff. The golem turns around, oblivious to its glaring weakness. Tommy's power makes his staff heavier as he shoves it into the golem's internal structure.

Tommy reaches forward to touch the golem's arm, activating his superpower on that plate. The golem's arm sinks to the ground, thrown off-kilter. This allows the staff to drag along more of the internal mechanisms. The gears struggle to continue turning with something clogging them, and the staff hits against a container of some red powder. The container cracks, leaking the scarlet dust. As it falls on Tommy's staff, it sends a jolt of energy up his arm. It isn't quite electricity or fire, but it feels like both as some of the metal pieces stuck in his arm are thrown out like exploding shrapnel. Tommy drops his arm, sinking to the floor alongside the golem. Ignoring his staff, Tommy reaches his hand up to slam the heel of his uninjured palm to the golem's camera eyes. He slams down several times so hard that he bruises his skin, but the golem whirrs less aggressively as its visuals become unresponsive. Tommy sighs in satisfaction.

He rises to his feet, holding his injured arm with the other arm. He decides to leave his staff for now, unsure if the red energy is still pumping through it. Tommy almost walks away from the golem when he notices something strange on its face plating. He leans down, wiping away some of the smudge to get a better look. Tommy thought Technician was the one to make the golem, but that doesn't make complete sense. Technician can manipulate technology, but that doesn't technically extend to automatons. They work on mechanical parts, not electricity. More than that, it has never been recorded that he has access to Enderian magic, enough to store away mass in a small cube. It would make sense that there is a company logo on the plating. Tommy just doesn't know who the company is. Or maybe it's a single person? It's a carving of a sparrow with that name running along the bottom. Tommy follows the path of the 's' with his finger. Who or what is Sparrow, and why do they know how to make golems, specifically copper ones, and use Enderian magic?

Tommy stops looking when he hears another noise echo across the street. He doesn't have time to worry about Sparrow right now. Dyscardia must still be fighting Technician. Tommy rises to his feet. He runs to the building Dyscardia and Technician went into, the one whose corner is destroyed in a small section. Tommy runs right into the building. He stops in the main room, straining to hear where the noises are coming from. As he twirls around, he notices that the room is not as barren as he would like. There are small backpack-like machines hugging the pillars. Tommy's eyes widen, knowing what a bomb looks like. Technician has rigged the place to go up in smoke. Tommy's breath stutters. He's finally going to be able to watch a warehouse explode instead of seeing it afterwards. He's going to die here. Technician probably has an escape plan. And Dyscardia...

Tommy starts running again, reaching the stairs to the second floor. He races up them, his boots slamming against each metal step. He practically launches himself onto the second landing. He rolls his body, ignoring all the pain flooding his system as he searches the damn place for Dyscardia. He notices more backpacks hidden in the shadows. He can almost hear the incessant beeping. It ticks louder and louder, thundering in his ears with a stagnant shrill. He feels his heart hammering in his chest, flooded with panic and adrenaline in unhealthy doses. If he stops moving, he probably will have a panic attack, so he continues to push through his fuzzy thoughts to find the large room Dyscardia and Technician are fighting in.

"Dyscardia!" Tommy yells at her. She visibly startles. She turns to face him, and Technician is no longer in her line of sight. He takes this opportunity to activate what Tommy assumes is an Enderpearl stasis chamber. Tommy doesn't care either way as Technician disappears. He kicks up his knife discarded on the ground. As it lands in his palms, he immediately throws it at the window with all his strength. It easily breaks the glass, falling to the ground. Dyscardia flinches at the noise, but Tommy doesn't stop to explain. Tommy grabs onto her arms, activating his powers. Dyscardia makes a noise as she floats off the ground. Tommy pushes out of the window, and she continues moving away without anything to stop her. She yells at him. Tommy jumps out of the window after her. His glider unravels to help guide him towards the ground.

As they float away, the explosion sounds. Tommy covers his head as he is flung forward. His glider helps him for the most part, but the force is enough to swat him towards the ground. He lands in the snowbank, face squished against the freezing cold mass. He lies there for a few moments. He slowly curls himself into a ball, watching the snow become red underneath the weight of his wounds. He reaches for the snow. It reminds him of Wilbur's hugs. It reminds him of the alleyway setting of his first memories. He reminds him of the hot chocolate Niki would steal for everyone when the weather got really bad. He closes his eyes, allowing the cold to seep into his bones as he stays in the memory. He would like to stay there. He can almost feel Niki holding him close, pressing his face against her heart, whispering to him that it was okay to go, okay to move on, to...

"Vendetta!" Tommy's eyes fly open. He breathes in deeply, his mask regulating the cold air. He flops over to his back, looking up at the sky. Dyscardia is holding onto the rooftop of another building, the one across the street from the explosion. The caustic red light of his powers washes over her body, and panic floods her eyes. For some reason, Tommy can't tell if the panic is because she's floating or because she thought Tommy wasn't going to wake up. Tommy almost wishes it was the latter. It would be nice to have someone care about him again.

Pushing through the pain, Tommy lifts his body up, slowly but surely. He eventually balances on his feet, barely swaying. He reaches a hand out. Dyscardia extends her arms in order to send herself flying downward. When she gets close enough, she intertwines their fingers. The physical contact is enough for Tommy to withdraw his power. Dyscardia's feet drop to the ground. Tommy envies her balance as his body pitches forward. Dyscardia catches him, cradling his body in her arms. She's looking down at him. Her eyes really are just like Niki's, Tommy thinks soberly as his vision begins blurring. He smiles, then winces as Dyscardia's hands touch his back. Her eyes widen as she brings back her hands covered in blood. She starts using her powers, and he can feel her coaxing his heart to keep beating. "Stay awake, Vendetta."

"I told you I would be fine," Tommy laughs at her. His vision keeps blurring, and he feels really light, almost like he used his power on himself. He feels something warm drip on his face. He thinks Niki is crying. Tommy frowns. Why would Niki be crying? She's holding him, isn't she? He likes it when Niki holds him. Her touch is always so gentle, so protective. He wishes Niki were his mother instead of the woman Wilbur will sometimes mention when he gets sad like she apparently did. Tommy frowns. Where is Wilbur? Tommy feels sick right now, and Wilbur would never abandon Tommy when he was sick.

"Vendetta?" Oh... oh... This isn't Niki. This is Dyscardia. Wilbur isn't here, either. They're both dead. Tommy feels more warmth flood down the sides of his face, but he thinks he's crying. That first tear must have been from him, too. Why would Dyscardia ever cry over him?

Tommy reaches his hand out. His goal is to stop Dyscardia from using her powers, but he doesn't mind who she interlocks their fingers again. It's a nice gesture, one that gives Tommy the strength to lift onto his feet. He winces as pain floods his entire body, but he's been through a lot worse. They're already in Snowchester. The safehouse can't be too far away. He tugs at Dyscardia's hand. "Are we still going to see the others? Jolt will bitch if you skip, you know."

Dyscardia jumps to her feet, wrapping her arms around Tommy's shoulders. She pulls him close as they start walking towards this safehouse.