Dream and Tempest. Nightly visions and wild storms. They were quickly rising the ranks of hero society. Since his introduction, the people had adored Dream. They wanted him to be on the top. With the aide of Tempest, his efficiency was equal to his popularity. He was a beloved hero that was good at his job. Tempest was the person lucky enough to stand beside Dream. It wasn't like Dream was any more known than Tempest was. They were elusive but instead of making people paranoid, they saw the mystery as part of the charm. Religious people speculated that Dream was the reincarnation of Prime sent to the world to relieve them of evil. Tempest was seen as Prime's attendant that was sent down to help his mortal avatar. Those who didn't believe in the gods were just appreciative of the hero.

This was the case that would make or break them. XD had personally given Dream the mission. They were supposed to investigate Fae Industries. If they succeeded, Dream would be declared as the number one hero in L'Manberg. This would give them a pay raise, an apartment in the Tower of Power, and give them enough political power to start reforming hero society. All they needed to do was go in, and deal with whatever Fae Industries was about. It was speculated that they were illegally experimenting on children, and it would be Tempest's job to find those children and evacuate them outside the building. Dream would deal with the head honcho.

Tempest was loaded up with his new gear. With the Spawner weapons, Tempest could go all out in a fight without anyone getting permanently killed. Dream had been hesitant to allow Tempest the weapons, but Tempest have proven his proficiency with them. When he didn't need to worry about what actions caused a fatality, Tempest could take down double the amount of enemies in the same timeframe. Tempest was going to make sure the kids survived while all the workers were sent to Spawn. The jury could figure out if they were guilty. Tempest was merely the means of getting the workers to court on time.

From the information gathered, the children were kept in the small building behind Fae Industries that was connected by a expansive hallway. Tempest planned on sneaking in through the air shafts. Tempest didn't know if Dream would try getting at a higher level or if he would walk right through the door, but it wasn't his problem. Dream had given him the order to find the children that were involved in the horrendous experimentation. That was all Tempest had to do. It wasn't his job to worry about Dream. Tempest had to trust that his hero would finish his own mission while Tempest saved the kids.

Tempest stopped in the air ducts when the smell of blood was sharper than anything else. Tempest peered down through the air duct to see the outline of boxed cells with metal bars. Guards carrying heavy machinery guns walked down the hallway at a slow pace that followed the same path every time. Tempest pulled the vent up into the air duct as quietly as he could manage. The guards didn't hear him, and if they did, they weren't concerned enough to look up. That was a bad move on their part because when Tempest had his chance, he dropped down from the vent, his knee angled into the shoulder of one of the guards. Tempest rolled forwards as the guard hit the ground, throwing a knife into the air to land in the forehead of the nearest guard. The man who had been struck disappeared into a puff of smoke to Spawn. With that guard gone, another one aimed their gun at Tempest. Before he could pull the trigger, Tempest ran forwards. Tommy grabbed the barrel of the gun with hand, and the other hand grabbed the area between the front sight and the receiver. Tempest pushed off the ground, bringing the gun with him as he flipped over the guard. Tempest pushed the gun back so the stock slammed into the back of the guards head. The guard tumbled to the ground. The three guards Tempest had estimated would be in the immediate hallway were out of commission.

Tempest looked around. A few of the cells were empty save for some chains and blood. The last cell Tempest came to had a girl in it, huddled in the corner with her chained wrists pulled into her chest. Tempest stared for a second. Tempest felt something in his throat start constricting like a hanging man's noose. Tempest never knew what he looked like when he was at Pandora's Vault, but he imagined that he looked something like this. Tempest knew that he had once been the experimental child that was pushed to the corner of a dark room that would never be home. The girl was the Tempest's reflection in a grime covered mirror. She had blown wide green eyes that were filled with emotions that Tempest used to experience every day of his life.

Tempest threw his fist back to slam into a guard's face that tried to sneak up on him. Tempest reached back to grab the guard's collar, shoving it forwards so his face collided with the metal bars of the cage. The guard crumbled to the ground at Tempest's feet. Tempest looked up from the man to the girl. She was slowly crawling towards the edge of her cell. Tempest lowered himself onto his knees as the girl came to the bars. She hesitantly grabbed onto them, and Tempest wrapped his hands around hers. She almost flinched away, but he could see her resolve illuminated in those brilliant green orbs.

"My name is Tempest. I work for the Heroes Association. I'm here to rescue you and all the other kids who have been hurt. I need your help to find them all. Can you do that for me?" Tempest asked. The girl nodded quickly. She pointed towards the guard near Tempest's feet. On his belt was a ring of keys that Tempest unlatched. The girl pointed a bronze key that was throne into the mix, and pointed up at the lock that kept her confined in the cell. Tempest unlocked the cage. He stepped into the cell to unlock the chains around the girl's wrists. Her skin was been rubbed raw, the skin peeling off from wearing the chains for so long. Tempest didn't falter as he helped the girl stand on her feet. She seemed like a newborn deer as she stumbled around for balance. Tempest held her in position until she got the hang of walking, even if she wasn't fast.

"I-I'm Hannah... I'm, uh... p-part r-r-rose," The girl pointed towards herself. Tempest tilted his head to the side. That didn't really mean anything to him, but he was sure that the information Hannah told him would he good for the people who would look after her once Tempest escorted her out. Hannah almost tripped over her legs as she started walking down the hallway, but Tempest caught her before she hit the ground. He held onto Hannah's hand as they looked for the other children.

Hannah led Tempest to another room where the walls went from dungeon gray to hospital white. Hannah stopped in front of a window. She tapped it twice to make Tempest look inside. It wasn't a window to the outside world but into another room. This room had metal tables with something covered in a white sheet on top. Hannah raised her hands towards Tempest, hoping he would lift her up to see what was outside. Tempest frowned beneath his mask, wondering if Hannah knew what was beyond the glass. When Tempest shook his head, Hannah tilted her head in confusion. She tapped it again. "W-window... out-outside... flowers... sky."

That answered that question, Tempest thought warily. He shook his head again. Hannah had a sad look come over her face as she took Tempest's hand to lead him onwards. Tempest gave a small prayer for the children beneath the sheets in hopes that he would set their souls at peace. Hannah didn't seem to realize what the room was actually for, and Tempest was grateful for that. She looked abused enough, he didn't want to add mental trauma of seeing dead bodies on top of that.

Hannah stopped at a huge metal door with a blinking red light above it. Hannah tapped against her inner elbow with a fist. Tempest examined the action, noticing the red puncture marks when Hannah let her hands hang at her side. Hannah was trying to tell Tempest that they either had blood drawn or were injected with something in that room. Tempest breathed out to push his anger down. He slammed a knife into the screen beside the door. A few wires fell from the incision point, sparks fluttering out that Tempest had to pull Hannah away from when her curiosity got the better of her. Tempest leaned down to the wires. He twisted two of them together to open the door. The blinking light above the door shut off as the metal slid upwards.

Tempest instinctively covered Hannah's eyes. She didn't push his hand away when her hand enclosed around his wrist. Tempest held in his breath to keep him from growling at the scene before him. The scientists laid on the ground with chemicals injected into their arms as a planned suicide. A few of the kids were dead, most were fatally injured, and the remaining were confused, some crying and others going still. Tempest whistled beneath his mask. Every one who was alive looked towards him. Most were scared of him, but he could see a select few were angry. Tempest raised his remaining hand as a sign to show that he was innocent. Hannah waved at the room even though she hadn't seen what was in it. Tempest was thankful that the kids recognized and trusted Hannah because he had no idea how he would convince any of them to leave with them. Tempest pushed Hannah out of sight of the door. He gestured for the kids to follow her. Most of the healthy ones instantly did. Tempest went in, holding the injured ones in his arms and across his back. With everyone who was injured accounted for, the rest of the healthy kids found their way out.

Tempest did a headcount. Hannah was in the front, whispering reassurances to the younger kids. There was five healthy kids, ranging from five to probably ten, but Tempest couldn't take into account malnourishment and the experimentation affected growing speeds. Tempest had three sickly children in his arms, and one kid whose legs had a deep, bloody gash hanging onto his back. Tempest looked back into the room. Everyone else was dead. About thirteen scientists and five kids laid on the ground, their deaths mostly self inflicted but some of the kids looked like they had been shot. Tempest wasn't going to question that since he had ten alive kids to protect and worry about. Tempest whistled to Hannah to make her start moving. She nodded at Tempest. Hannah grabbed the hands of the two littlest kids, pulling them down the hallway. Tempest led the rear, all senses searching for anyone who would try sneaking up on them.

Hannah pointed at a doorway at the end of the last hallway she had sent them down. Hannah tapped against the screen, pointing at Tempest's knife, and twisting her fingers together in an imitation of what Tempest did with the wires to open the last door. Tempest felt a small smile tug at his lips. He looked at the children in his hands. He would need to put them down in order to open the door. Tempest didn't think that would be the smartest option. Tempest whistled. Hannah looked at him confused, wandering closer. Tempest nodded down to his leg. Hannah got the message after a moment, pulling the knife from its sheath. She held it up to her face, the red metal making her eyes look like Christmas lights. Tempest nodded to the wall. Hannah took a deep breath before stabbing the wall with a little more force than necessary, but it wasn't like Hannah knew her own strength or how much force was required. Tempest nodded as Hannah pulled the knife out. The other kids stared on with fascination as Tempest whispered the colors out loud. "Twist yellow and gray together. Don't touch the metal with your hands, but make sure the metal touches each other."

Hannah swallowed as she did what she was told. Hannah was a lot slower than Tempest with shaking hands and focused eyes. When Hannah had finished, the door slid to the side. All the kids had the brightest eyes as a warm breeze blew into the hallway from the parking lot. Hannah reached a hand out. She pulled the hand back to her chest as she felt sunlight. The other kids weren't as hesitant. They ran outside with no fear in their eyes. Tempest started walking outside with the injured kids, but he saw Hannah's eyes grow wide as she looked behind Tempest. Before he could turn, Hannah forwards with her hands raised. Tempest heard something snap as dust fluttered around his legs. Tempest stared to see a full grown rose bush breaking out of the ground to the roof with a guard struggling inside the roses, trying not to be struck by thorns. The roses started blooming as Hannah reached her hand towards them. Tempest didn't want to unpack that can of worms as he whistled. Hannah turned to him, following behind him as Tempest walked into the parking lot. He whistled at all the kids. They looked at each other before forming a line in front of Tempest.

Tempest's new ducklings followed behind him as he led them all to the medical staff waiting for them. Once Tempest saw the doctors, he whistled at the kids. He pointed towards the tent that had been set up in front of Fae Industries. The kids looked like they would rather do anything else, but when Hannah led the charge to the new environment, they followed her without hesitation. Tempest rushed to the tent as fast as he was willing to go with so many injured children clinging to him. Thankfully, some of the doctors came out to meet him. The kids were gently tugged off him and placed on rolling beds. Tempest sighed as he sat on the curb. He stretched his arms out before him. He looked over to see that Dream was already outside, informing the public of a successful mission.

Tempest was pulled away from this when someone grabbed his hand. Hannah sat beside him on the curb, her legs reaching out onto the street beside Tempest's longer legs. She placed his knife into his lap, and held the throwing knife that he used on the second guard. Tempest took both weapons away from the child. Hannah giggled at this instead of throwing a fit. Tempest rolled his eyes affectionately. Tempest wished that someone had saved him and the other kids from Pandora's Vault before it was too late. Tempest wished that this wouldn't be the last time that he would see Hannah. He could only hope that Hannah got a better life after this.

Tempest ran his fingers through Hannah's hair before standing up. He gave one last whistle before he walked away to meet up with Dream. He didn't even need enhanced senses to know that Hannah remained sitting on the curb. When Tempest gave her one last look, he could see her sadness as a doctor came to take her away. Tempest gave a wave that she wouldn't see as he prayed that a loving home would take her in. It might have been too much to ask for, but it helped Tempest sleep at night to believe that he did all he could. It wasn't like he could have taken Hannah with him. His job was extremely dangerous. Hannah would only be more hurt if she followed him. Hannah would probably forget about him, anyways, once her brain repressed the memories of the psychological horror she faced.

"Tom- I mean, Tempest! We did it! I'm the number one hero!" Dream said once he saw his sidekick. Tempest was hidden in the shadows away from the crowd, but Dream still decided to give Tempest a big hug. The sidekick sighed miserably as he gave Dream a head pat. Tempest could tell that Dream was grinning ear to ear underneath his mask. The smile was well deserved considering Dream had been working extremely hard for this goal. Since the day Dream first met Tempest, this had been his biggest goal, and Tempest had sworn to see it to its fruition. It was thankless work that Tempest couldn't get enough of. He liked helping people, even if he was doing that helping in Dream's shadows. Now, Tempest had the power to help a lot of people, and Dream would have his chance at reforming Hero Society.

"Congratulations," Tempest replied. Dream pulled his mask aside to give Tempest a funny look. Tempest tilted his head to the side to show the confusion that his mask covered. Dream hummed in thought, looking towards the sky. His happiness was floating around in his aura even when his face showed much deeper emotion. Tempest didn't say a word as he waited for Dream to collect his thoughts. Dream sighed as he looked at his hands, flexing them in the sunlight. It was ironic that Tempest was standing in the shadows by the wall while Dream was glowing the sun's rays.

"We have power, Tommy. There is obligations and responsibilities that come with this title. We have to be better. We have to be faster, stronger, and smarter than everyone else. We have to remain at the peak of perfection without ever stopping. We have to strive for impossible greatness that we could never hope to achieve and yet reach for, anyways. We've made it, Tommy, but we haven't done anything with it. There is a lot that needs to be done. Long nights, harsh battles, powerful enemies... it'll follow us from the lifetime to the next," Dream explained as he reached a hand towards the blue sky. It might have been metaphorical, but Tempest thought Dream looked stupid. Dream turned to Tempest with a hard look on his face. His eyes met Tempest's eyes that were covered in a red, glowing glass. Dream had his fists tight at his sides. "Will you follow me to infinity, though will never reach it? Will you remain my sidekick even though hardships will break us down until we are buried in the ground? I'm asking for a lot, I know, so if you decide to back out now, I'll understand. You've done more than enough for me. You've sacrificed enough of your life and happiness to this unattainable goal. I-"

"Shut the fuck up," Tempest said. He tapped the sides of his face, his mask clicking out of place that way he could pull it off. Tommy stared at Dream (Clay, his real name was) with eyes that were brimming with indomitable resolve. Tommy held the mask tightly in both hands to the point that his arms started shaking. "As long as you hold out your hand, I'll take it. As long as you take a step, I'll follow. As long as you reach for the cosmos, I'll raise my arms. I'm your fucking sidekick, Clay. I have your back, I hold your secrets, and I'll lay down my fucking life for this mission that you made for yourself. For every second I breath, I will continue to help people because that's who I am. For every second I breath, I'll follow your guidance because I trust you. No matter if we were number one or number one million, we're going to be the best Prime-damn heroes in the fucking world."

Clay had a smile spread on his face as tears rolled down his cheeks. He pulled Tommy into a hug, pressing tight into Tommy's metal armor. The blonde complained about the hug as he wrapped his arms around Clay in return. This was the beginning of a long, prosperous career.

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Guess what next chapter will be about? I'll give you a hint: it's one of the biggest questions you all have about this series...