Tommy's eyes slowly opened. The sensation of being dragged down roused him from his sleep, and a salty wetness filled his mouth, blocking the way of oxygen. Awareness came to him all at once, informing him that he was not in the bed he went to sleep on earlier that night. Instead, he was staring up at the rising sun over the glistening waves. He felt a panic crest in his mind, but he couldn't allow it to stop his struggling. His clothes were soaked with water, growing heavier the more he thrashed around. He tried to keep his head above the ocean's surface. It was growing more difficult as his lungs burned with saltiness. His head was growing dizzy from lack of oxygen, and his limbs felt like they were made of a thousand bricks. He tried to swim towards land, but he could feel his head bobbing below the waves one too many times. It would be easier to allow himself to sink, but he couldn't do that. Despite his horrible situation, Tommy didn't want to die.

His conviction did not equal strength or more favorable conditions. He was still far from the shore, and his limbs were refusing his brain's instructions. He continued to claw at the water, but he was going down instead of towards. When it finally dawned on him that he wasn't going to make it, he felt something warm press into his back. An arm wrapped around his chest, underneath his shoulders. Someone was lifting him up. He tried to look behind him to see who, but his eyesight was blurry with salt. He could see a tinge of red, and he wondered if he knew anyone with red hair.

His head lolled to the side, and he felt the person's other hand come up to hold his head above water. The blur of tan and green on the horizon that was probably land was getting larger and larger. Whoever had kept him from drowning was helping him get to dry land. They didn't stop until Tommy was placed on the sand with his back up. The person leaned down to pat Tommy's back. It wasn't a gentle pat, but it wasn't all that harsh, either. It certainly helped Tommy cough up the remaining seawater that made him feel like his lungs were shriveled raisins. He kept vomiting and dry heaving, and soon he felt himself getting dragged backwards. His head was placed against something soft, and he was allowed to stare up at the sky.

A woman with dark maroon hair was leaning over him. She had glassy black eyes that shone despite the fact that the sun was behind her. She had a dark green skin with fins growing where ears would have been on a regular human. She used her webbed, clawed hands to push some of Tommy's curls to the side. She smiled down at him. "Silly human, you don't belong in the ocean!"

"Who the fuck are you?" Tommy attempted to say. The sounds certainly came out, but they were scratchy and low-pitched. Tommy wasn't sure how anyone could understand him when he was like this, but her eyes filled with understanding.

"My name is Sally! I live in the ocean around these parts after I was exiled from Essempei. You were dropped off here some weeks ago. I've been waiting for an opportunity to introduce myself! I would have liked us to meet under better circumstances, but I guess this will have to do!" Sally told him with the biggest smile appearing on her face. She ran her fingers through Tommy's hair one more time before helping him to see his feet. She wrapped one arm underneath his shoulders like she did when he was drowning. She easily hoisted his weight, and Tommy wondered where this strength came from. He wondered what she was exiled for.

He wasn't able to ask those questions as Sally helped him get off the beach. They walked towards the main house that everyone who had come under Tommy's care was staying at. They had cleaned out the attic and basement to make room for everyone. They couldn't really expand left and right since Dream would be suspicious. Tommy was worried that his guests would despise their new circumstances, but so far, nobody made a word of complaint. They all helped out with the chores, gardening, and hunting. They all made sure to respect each other's privacy and wishes. They even denoted Fridays as a game night where they would splurge a little with their food sources while playing card or board games. The atmosphere was completely different from Dream's apartment, and Tommy wished that Drista could be here with him to see it.

"Tommy?" A voice sounded from the door of the main house. Tommy looked up to see Henry running towards them with Clementine hovering at the door frame. Tommy gave them a cheeky smile as Henry brought Tommy into a bone-crushing hug. Sally easily let go of Tommy, but she remained close to them. Henry looked up at her with clear suspicion in his eyes. "Who are you?"

Sally didn't seem to notice the hostility. She thrusted her hand out towards Henry with a smile that had not diminished from the moment she was allowing Tommy to rest in her lap. "My name is Sally! I'm a salmon hybrid who was exiled from Essempei. I wasn't quite an informant, but I was something awfully close. The man I worked for petitioned to get me exiled instead of the death penalty. He even offered to put my son through school. I receive letters from him every month. My son has graduated and decided to be a hero, you know. His hero's name is Kitsune."

"Kitsune," Tommy whispered to himself. He had personally never met the new hero that used to be Royal's sidekick. He wore a fox mask that complimented his fox ears and tail. His suit was simple and uniform, and he wielded a katana that could discharge energy. He had shown up in the hero world not long before Tommy's exile. From what Tommy could tell, he was a boy who wanted people's acceptance. He acted cool, but Tommy was a fool that no one could fool. He could see it in Kistune's eyes and body language that he desperately wanted someone to care about him. Why didn't Kitsune turn to his mother's former boss then?

"I saw Tommy arrive a few weeks ago. I wanted to introduce myself then, but that green guy rubbed me the wrong way. I kept trying to show myself, but your house kept expanding. I didn't want to be yet another mouth to feed. I showed myself today because Tommy needed help!" Sally continued talking, most likely unaware how Tommy's thoughts ran cold at the mention of heroes. She clapped her hands together. "I want to stay, though! I can help you fish if you want some meat other than chicken. There are other good foods beneath the ocean that I can help you get. Seaweed can be used for a variety of things, and I hear oysters and shrimp are lovely dishes when prepared correctly! Oh, oh, maybe we can get some squid! Oh, that would be so great!"

"She did save my life," Tommy relented, his stomach grumbling as Sally told them about the animals under the sea that she would butcher for them. Henry looked between Sally and Tommy with an unreadable expression on his face. This wasn't the first person that they had stumbled upon and taken in, and Henry was wondering if they would ever stop. Tommy's life was in danger because if Dream ever found out Tommy was harboring hybrids- or another exile evacuee- he would certainly be punished. Tommy's brash kindness knew no bounds since he was willing to take in another person who had complete control over his safety.

"Sally?" A voice asked from the door frame. Tommy peered over Henry's broad shoulder to see a smiling Ghostbur. The phantom floated out of the house, approaching Sally. His face began to glow as Sally smiled at him, opening her arms. Ghostbur crashed into them, almost going through them. He was able to stop his ability before he actually did.

"Ghostbur! It's been a long, long time! How are you? Are you having fun?" Sally said, pulling away slightly to look at Ghostbur's face.

The ghost spun around before catching Sally's arms. "I'm really good, Sally! I've been playing the guitar. I get to cuddle with Tommy, and I play games with Clementine all the time. Beau has been teaching me how to read. Henry lets me go hunting with him sometimes. He tells me a lot of stories about the world! I hope you can tell me more stories, too!"

"And we can make new songs together," Sally told him. Ghostbur floated up higher in the air as if he was trying to jump. He fell back down with the biggest smile on his face. He seemed to be glowing and vibrating with happiness. Tommy raised an eyebrow at his companion. Sally was the one to explain. "Wilbur is the man I used to work for. Sometimes, he would get really hurt or sick. When that happened, this little guy would always appear. Sometimes, I would get to play with him. Ghostbur is one of my favorite people in this whole world, isn't that right?"

"Yes! And Sally is one of my favorite people. Oh, but Tommy is my most favorite," Ghostbur said, turning towards the blonde. Tommy felt his heart lurch in his chest. Wilbur was someone Tommy truly cared about. Tommy would even go as far as to say he loves Wilbur. But Banshee was part of who Wilbur was, and Tommy absolutely hated the villain who had turned him into a gladiator when he was younger. Tommy could still remember the cold ground against his back as he laid in his cell, waiting for a guard to drag him out and show him who he was supposed to kill for the entertainment of greedy vultures. Tommy didn't want to be Banshee's favorite person because that usually meant he was Banshee's favorite fighter. Tommy wasn't anyone's puppet. Not anymore.

Before Tommy could say anything, they all heard the soft wing beats of someone approaching them. Tommy looked towards the sky to see Beau landing on the rooftop of the house. Despite her wishes to get the master bedroom, she took the attic because it was the tallest part of the house. Her Avian instincts made it impossible for her to sleep on the ground. She needed to be part of the sky, and Tommy was willing to give her the attic for the information she brought to them. Plus, Beau was a good hunter and knew how to babysit Ghostbur and Clementine. While the two hybrids weren't children, they didn't have the mental capacity of adults. Beau had taken such a liking to the two that she volunteered to teach them how to read and write. Her helpfulness made Henry like her, and since everyone was okay with her, Tommy was, too. He would never admit that she was growing on him as a friend.

"Alright, I'm here with your shit," Beau said, jumping towards the ground. Her wings shot out to soften her fall. When she touched the ground, she turned to Tommy without bothering to look around. "Minotaur has been looking for information on multiple things, Dream included. Dream has a new sidekick called Eryn Cyberonix. He goes by Hellion. He has the ability to produce and manipulate a blood-like substance called Ichor. He's half-demon. He is a big fan of you, Dream, the Captain, and an old hero group called the Paladins. He's the only sidekick Dream is getting. Corpse is also getting a sidekick called Tina Kitten, a cat hybrid with unknown powers. Two new heroes have appeared called Spark, a Starborne hybrid, and Lilka, a Fae hybrid. Blaze is lying low in L'Manberg, not talking to anyone, even his former partner. HoneyBee is joining forces with Croupier in order to overthrow his father... and for some reason, Minotaur is extremely curious about Spark, Jordan Sparklez. I don't know why yet."

"Thank you, Beau," Henry said when no one said anything, still processing the information.

She shrugged at his gratitude. She was about to turn around when she looked Tommy up and down. "You look like shit."

"Look in a mirror and you'll see what shit really looks like," Tommy responded. Beau's wings ruffled at the insult, and she looked like she was about to attack Tommy. Henry sighed tiredly as he pulled Beau on one side and kept Tommy on his other. He led the two back inside, keeping them from physically fighting but unable to stop their childish argument.

"This is certainly going to be fun," Sally said to Ghostbur almost as if she was telling him a secret. Ghostbur giggles to himself as he takes Sally's hand into his own. The two of them follow Henry, Tommy, and Beau into the house to prepare for breakfast and the day.