"Don't lock yourself away from those who care about you because you think you'll hurt them or they'll hurt you. What point is there in being human if you don't let yourself feel anything?"
― Sabaa Tahir

The car stops so smoothly Tommy almost doesn't notice, but he does get the feeling that the machine underneath his body is no longer in motion. He blinks his eyes open. He lifts his head off Croupier's chest. He stretches his hands above his head. The photograph in his lap starts sliding off his lap to the floorboard, but Croupier swipes the edge before the frame can hit the ground. Croupier sets it back down in Tommy's hands. The blonde graciously accepts his prized possession, holding it against his chest.

Tommy looks out the window, putting a hand on the door handle. Instead of the populous and neon-colored Las Nevadas, Tommy is staring at a collection of snow-frosted trees. He keeps his hand on the handle as he turns to look at Croupier over his shoulder. The jester gives Tommy a half-smile. He waves away all of Tommy's unasked questions with his hand. "I'm not taking you to Las Nevadas. It isn't the place for you right now. You're always welcome, of course, but I think your current caretaker is doing an acceptable job."

"Oh," Tommy answers, looking back at the window. He is grateful that Croupier is taking him back to Techno instead of dropping him off at Las Nevadas. Tommy does miss the island and its inhabitants, but the alcoholic air and the boisterous sounds of people aren't good for his mental state. The somber and quiet cabin is much better for Tommy. Techno is also good for Tommy because other than his responsibilities to the land and caring for himself, Techno can devote a lot of time to keeping Tommy afloat. He watches out for Tommy with care. Tommy begrudgingly cares about Croupier, but he knows that he has duties other than Tommy. The blonde also cares about Charlie, and he knows more than anyone else how much attention needs to be devoted to keeping him calm. Techno's cabin is the best place for Tommy.

Tommy just knows that he's going to miss Croupier and the other Aces. Tommy wouldn't mind spending more time with them, but the sun is starting to fall between the trees. Tommy turns to look at Croupier. The jester reaches forward, putting a hand on Tommy's shoulder. He squeezes comfortingly. "You and Charlie are always going to be my legacy, no matter where you are. Las Nevadas will always be your home, no matter how long you are away from it. Get well soon, okay?"

"I'll do my best. I promise to come by Las Nevadas soon," Tommy promises. He smiles at Croupier, hoping his expression can convey everything he doesn't want to verbally say. Croupier returns the smile, a twinkling in his eyes. Tommy turns away, opening the door to the car. Tommy steps out onto the dirt road. He hears what he thinks is a rainstorm nearby, but he doesn't feel any drops on his body. Tommy shuts the door behind him. He steps away from the car. It starts heading down the road. Tommy doesn't know how close Croupier and Techno are, but it seems not close enough for Croupier to drop Tommy off directly at Techno's cabin.

Instead, Tommy is standing across the dirt road from a bus stop. Tommy thought he was going to have to ride the bus, but he realizes that isn't the reason Croupier dropped him off here. There are two people sitting inside the glass box that forms the bus stop, protecting the inhabitants from snow and the wind, possibly rain if Tommy's ears don't deceive him. One of the people has their back to Tommy, leaning against the side of the glass box from a standing position. The other person is facing Tommy, sitting down on the metal and wood bench. Since they are looking in Tommy's direction from inside a transparent construct, they notice Tommy first. They lift their hand to wave. The other person notices their companion doing this, turning around slightly to look at Tommy. When Tommy meets their eyes, the person gives him an enthusiastic wave.

Tommy steps into the box, the wind no longer against his skin. Tempestarius rushes to his side, throwing her arms over his shoulder. Tommy accepts the hug from the shorter woman. He leans down to accommodate her, ignoring the way the affection makes his heart warmer. Tempestarius pulls away from Tommy, keeping her hands on his shoulders. Her grip is firm as her eyes trail across his entire body. When she's done examining him with the eyes of a doctor, she meets his eyes once again. She sighs in relief, "I was expecting way worse."

"Me, too," Sparrow pipes up, leaning back against the bench he's sitting on. He puts his upper arm on the bench, bending his elbow to allow the side of his head to rest against his palm. He eyes Tommy with as much attention as Tempestarius, but Tommy doubts anyone could so blatantly worry about him as Tempestarius. "I was expecting you to have been starving yourself."

Tommy rolls his eyes. He steps away from Tempestarius. When he's free from her hand, he spins around in a slow circle with his hands outstretched. After making a complete circle, Tommy faces both of them head-on. He crosses his arms over his chest. "See? I'm fucking fine. You two don't have to... worry, if that's what you're doing."

As Tommy levels Sparrow with a suspicious look, Sparrow starts laughing. He leans forward, putting his hands on his knees to hold him up. Tommy puts a pin in that, turning to face Tempestarius. She is shaking her head, and Tommy hears the distant rumbling of thunder. Tempestarius looks up at Tommy, "We still need to worry. We've been active in Las Nevadas since Minotaur's attack and subsequent defeat. While there, I overheard the Aces talking about how the family Vendetta swore to avenge wasn't really dead. Considering how worried they were about you, I knew that I needed to be tenfold that."

"Don't fucking call me that," Tommy demands, eyes narrowing at her. Tempestarius puts her hand up innocently. Sparrow wipes his eyes from laughing so much, looking up at Tommy with a slightly surprised expression. Tommy closes his eyes, taking a deep breath to push down his anger. He shouldn't be blowing up at Tempestarius or Sparrow. Neither of them have anything to do with what Tommy's upset about. Even if they did play a major role in it, Tommy hasn't exactly been going around telling people that he wants to put the identity of Vendetta behind him. "My name is Tommy, and yes, my family is alive. I'm... dealing with that."

"Isn't that ironic?" Sparrow whistles, leaning back again. He puts both of his arms behind his head, getting comfortable. Tempestarius turns, leveling Sparrow with a glare. Sparrow logically can only see it through his peripheral vision, but he stops whistling immediately. He shifts his body language, turning away from Tempestarius and Tommy even more.

"It is, isn't it?" Tommy agrees despite Tempestarius' glare. She gives Tommy an apologetic look, but he doesn't pay attention to her as he drops down onto the bench right beside Sparrow. He sets his picture down beside him. He leans forward onto his knees, taut as a wire, creating a contrast with the relaxed Sparrow. Tommy shakes his head. "The family I've been fighting for is alive. They have their own lives, and I'm so fucking terrified of fucking it all up."

"How does your family feel about this?" Tempestarius asks. She steps closer to Tommy and Sparrow, positioning herself between them but in front of them still. She is looking at Tommy with compassion in her eyes. Tommy has no idea what he's done to get her on his side. She's told him several times that they're friends, but Tommy doubts he's been particularly friendly with her. She mentioned that he reminds her of Empires. Tommy still thinks that's a stupid answer. It doesn't matter how much he resembles the borough she grew up in; she has no reason to care about him as much as she does.

"I haven't asked them," Tommy tells her the truth. He doesn't see the point of lying. They came all this way to talk to Tommy, and it isn't like they hurt Tommy any more than he already is with this information.

"Why not?" Sparrow asks, reminding Tommy that he's still in the bus stop with him. Tommy stares at the man from the corner of his eye. Although Sparrow doesn't seem to be as concerned as Tempestarius, he still came all this way with her, apparently from Las Nevadas. He's actively getting involved in Tommy's conflict. Instead of interest or curiosity, there is a tiny bit of worry in his eyes. If Tommy has no idea why Tempestarius is worried for him, he has no idea why Sparrow is.

"I don't want to fuck it all up?" Tommy repeats, looking at Sparrow like it was obvious. It was since Tommy literally just said why he doesn't want to interact with his family.

Sparrow huffs, rolling his eyes. He was expecting more from Tommy, and Tommy doesn't get it. He thinks he has a good reason to be avoiding his family right now. He gets comfortable again, barely looking at Tommy as he speaks. "That's a stupid reason. People ruin people, that's the way the world works."

"Sparrow!" Tempestarius hisses, reprimanding the man. Sparrow jolts at the sound of his name said so harshly. He stares at Tempestarius incredulously. Tempestarius sighs, rolling her eyes this time. Tommy realizes they're going around in circles with that. Tempestarius leans down to look at Tommy with something softer in her eyes. She reaches for his hands, taking them. She meets his eyes with a gentle expression. "His wording isn't the best, but I hope you see where Sparrow is coming from. You shouldn't worry about hurting your family. Everyone at some time or another will hurt the people they love, but it is because they love each other that they stick together even through the pain. We don't stop being someone's friend because we hurt their feelings. We mean our apologies and prove that our love is stronger than our mistakes."

"If you love your family enough to devote yourself to revenge for their sake, I imagine they love you just as much. If that's the case, you're hurting them right now by staying away," Sparrow adds, leaning over the side of the metal arm of the bench that separates Tommy and Sparrow. There is something honest in Sparrow's eyes, reminding Tommy of the precious moments when Hannah understood where Tommy's pain was coming from.

"What if my family doesn't love the person I've become?" Tommy asks slowly, looking between the two of them. Tommy remembers what he was like as a kid. He was, for lack of a better word, childish. He wanted the attention to always be on him. He wanted to have fun all the time. He was chaotic, impatient, and oftentimes selfish. He was also trusting and generally kind-hearted, even if his kindness was brash and forceful. He was eager to lend a helping hand to his family. He was even more eager to soak up their praises. He liked hiding in their arms and the folds of their hearts.

Tommy isn't like that anymore. He's learned the value of patience. He's been through too much pain to be naive. He's given up his entire life for one goal. He hasn't really done anything fun since recently. He is legitimately violent now. His selfishness has completely consumed him, leaving very little room for the kindness he was often praised for as a child. The one quality he's retained is being an annoyance and running away from his problems. There are dozens of other minute changes that set him apart from the little boy who screamed 'I hate you' and left his home to be destroyed. Just as traumatic events can awaken espers, it can also change a person so fundamentally that when they see their family again, their family doesn't recognize them anymore even though a mask doesn't change a personality.

Tempestarius puts her hand on Tommy's cheek, drawing his attention entirely on her. She is smiling, shaking her head softly like she has an easy answer for Tommy. She even giggles a little as if it's entirely too obvious. Tempestarius asks, "How could they not?"

Tommy's lips part in surprise. He feels tears burn inside his eyes, so painful that he has to close his eyes. Tempestarius' expression lingers on the back of his eyelids, but it's her words that continue to echo inside his mind. Tommy hasn't looked at himself objectively in so long. He doesn't even know what good qualities he still possesses. He doesn't know why anyone cares about him when he doesn't love himself, when he's an asshole to pretty much everyone. In all the time he's spent around the Syndicate, he hasn't given any of them a reason to love him. The one thing he has going for him is that fact that he was once their little brother, but Tommy doesn't know if he's that anymore. He was family with Niki, Jack, and Tubbo because they were all homeless kids depending on each other. Wilbur doesn't consider his biological parents as family, so Tommy knows that blood isn't going to be enough to keep them together.

"I think this conversation has been very insightful," Sparrow notes, breaking Tommy out of his sadness. Tommy opens his eyes to find Tempestarius glaring at Sparrow. She stops holding Tommy's cheek to slap Sparrow. The man releases a shrieking noise that makes Tommy think he's some sort of shulker hybrid. Sparrow slides away from Tempestarius' hands. She doesn't move away from Tommy, so Sparrow is still subjected to her glare but not her forceful hands.

"I don't know why I was ever surprised you were friends with Firestriker," Tempestarius murmurs, shaking her head. She looks down at Tommy and her intertwined hands. She takes his other one again, almost like she's trying to distract him from Sparrow's senseless ramblings.

Sparrow laughs, the noise soothing a part of Tommy that didn't like how heavy the atmosphere was. Sparrow adds, "That is absolutely why we're friends. Disregarding the fact that he terrifies. He sets whatever he wants on fire. He's threatened to set me on fire. I hate fire."

"I wouldn't even know where to start," Tommy tells Tempestarius, ignoring her mini-conversation with Sparrow. Despite the poor timing, Tommy is grateful because it gave him enough time to organize his thoughts and clear his voice.

"I have faith in you and the love you've held in your heart for this long. I can say from experience that a family doesn't give up on each other. They remain together even through the pain," Tempestarius reminds Tommy. She rises up to her feet, pulling gently at Tommy's hands like she wants him to get up with her. Tommy remains seated, and Tempestarius raises an eyebrow at him. "We should get you back to your caretaker before he throws a fit. No one wants to deal with that, least of all me and Sparrow."

"How the fuck do you know who I'm staying with?" Tommy startles. He assumes they came to the bus stop because they went to Croupier. It would explain why Croupier dropped him off here and why he didn't seem concerned with Tempestarius and Sparrow being here. Tommy didn't think they knew that he was staying in Snowchester with someone specific. He could have been staying all by himself, for all these two should know.

"Well, we assume it's someone in the Syndicate, and statistically, you're staying with a 'he' since there are more of those in the Syndicate than anything else," Sparrow offers an explanation. When Tommy gives him another surprised look, Sparrow makes an 'ah' face. He explains even further, "Minotaur went ahead with the blackmail information in order to lessen his sentence in Pandora's Vault. Everyone knows that you've been working with the Syndicate. Some people are calling you a fraud or a traitor. Other people are praising your ability to put aside your personal qualms to stop the Red Army. The tabloids are having a field day about this, I assure you. Probably the most coverage you've ever had, and you're not even getting paid for it."

"Ugh, I don't give a fuck," Tommy grumbles. He is absolutely done with both Minotaur and the media. He has way too much to worry about. He doesn't have a single thought to devote to them at the end of the day, especially when he sometimes doesn't even have enough thoughts to devote to doing daily necessities. "I'm not even a hero anymore."

"I thought as much. There's a bounty on your head right now issued by some rich people. I also think some members of the board had a hand in the bounty, but I can't prove that. All I can say is that most heroes are eager to find you," Tempestarius explains. A rather sinister smirk appears on her face as she gestures to the world outside the glass box. Tommy looks out there, but he doesn't see anything except distant storm clouds. "Anyone who is interested has recently found that the borders of Snowchester are far too stormy to enter. This is strange because the interior isn't storming as horrible."

"You're terrifying," Sparrow pipes up, shaking his head. Tommy looks Tempestarius right in the eyes. He nods, agreeing with Sparrow's claim. Tommy knew Tempestarius was terrifying from the moment she caught him following her, but this adds a whole other level on top of that original fear. Thinking back to the cityscape he nearly destroyed, Tommy wonders if he could be just as scary one day.

Tempestarius giggles, looking a lot softer in the fading light than the storm that is waiting to begin pouring. Behind her, a bus slows down to park beside the bus stop. Tommy stands up, realizing his hands are still in Tempestarius'. She squeezes gently, a smile playing on her lips. She drops his hands, sliding away from him. Tommy uses this moment to grab his photograph. Sparrow stands up, clapping a hand on Tommy's shoulder. He returns both of their gestures with a smile of his own. "Goodbye. Thank you for helping me. Thank you, Tempestarius, for helping me. You barely did shit, Sparrow."

"Rude," Sparrow laughs lightly, unoffended. "See ya, Tommy."

"I hope to see you in better spirits next time we meet," Tempestarius adds. Tommy waves at them both, stepping out of the bus stop after the bus has started pulling away. Tommy waits a few more minutes, activating his power. He flies across the sky for a few moments, dropping onto the top of the bus. The wind whips around his hair as he situates himself against the cold metal. Tommy wraps his arms around his prized possession, wishing he hadn't left his jacket in Sam's truck. Tommy shivers, looking up enough to see Tempestarius and Sparrow waving at him. Tommy waves back the moment a surprisingly warm wind brushes against his body. Tempestarius eyes are glowing so bright he can see them even from an increasing distance. She winks at him, grasping Sparrow's hand. The two of them turn into teal-green sparkles that fly away as the warm wind wraps around Tommy's form.

The bus meanders down the road even more. Tommy closes his eyes, reminded of the time he took the bus into Snowchester's main town in order to get away from Techno and the promise he had with Reverie. This brings Tommy to think about Reverie. For better or for worse, Reverie was a big part of Tommy's life. Tommy hates his guts, especially after realizing Reverie lied about Eret being dead, but Tommy can't help but wonder what Reverie is doing right now. Does he care where Tommy is? Did he know that Tommy's family was actually alive? Were the Hunters the ones responsible for the explosion since it wasn't the Syndicate?

The bus stops, turning around so that it might go back into the city. Tommy pushes off the bus, flying into the air. The warm wind follows him as he shoots away from the bus. He crosses over the tall trees, brushing his hand against the snow. It practically burns his fingers, but he doesn't mind so much as he sees the puff of smoke from the cabin's fireplace in the distance. He lands on the ground at the edge of Techno's main yard. He sinks into the snow. Luckily, he's wearing the appropriate shoes. He might have left his jacket in Sam's truck, but he didn't strip off all his clothes. The weather bothers him, but he isn't in critical condition yet.

Techno is sitting on the porch with a mug in his hands. Tommy's jacket is hung over his arm. He is staring up at the stars. When Tommy puts his hand on the wooden railing of the stairs, Techno looks down at Tommy with a stare hard enough to make Tommy stop. Tommy gives Techno a placating smile, innocently explaining himself, "Croupier wanted to talk to me. Then, Tempestarius and Sparrow wanted to talk. I talked to them."

"Did you come to any conclusions?" Techno asks, setting down his mug on the railing of the porch. Techno climbs down the steps to put Tommy's jacket around his shoulders. Tommy puts his arms through the sleeves. He follows Techno up the stairs. Techno grabs his mug, pushing the door open. Techno holds the door open for Tommy.

Tommy enters the cabin. He hugs his picture closer to him. He thinks about what Croupier told him and what Sparrow and Tempestarius said. He closes his eyes, shaking his head. "No... I haven't come to any decisions yet."