Heading Into The Storm

[doubled_speed]

WHO: Tommy Shepherd, Twin Roses Crew (or , OTA anyone heading into the Storm
WHERE: In the Storm
WHAT: Tommy can't help but be a hero; Seeing people who aren't there; Finally collapsing in a cave to wait out the storm.
WHEN: During the Storm
WARNINGS: References to the death of a teammate who was only a teen, possible discussion of his family history.

Storm Watch | Open to Twin Roses Crew or a ship heading into the storm

Agrii need you.

That had been all Tommy had needed to hear to know he was going into the storm. He'd stayed silent on the bridge while the thing had been talking, and once it was done he was gone to the dorms. Tommy stripped the pillow from his bed and then immediately started stuffing what clothes he had in there, as well as other items. Things that will help him get through the storm.

And then he heads to the cargo hold and waits by the hatch.

"You going?" he asks whoever comes close. "To the storm? I mean, that's why we're here. The sooner we fix this shit, the sooner we go home."

And later, once he's bummed a ride on another ship heading into the storm, he has a similar enough question as he waits in their cargo hold.

"You ready for this? It's not going to be easy."


Storm Warning | Anyone in the Storm

This, it turned out, was a bad idea. Tommy hadn't gotten too far into the storm before it happened. Before he could feel the weakness, draining his energy. It almost makes him sick, makes him keel over. He's had this sensation before. The way the 'juvie' he'd been in had devices all over to suppress his powers, radiating the power outwards when he wasn't in the cuffs. There's no strength, no energy, no speed. And he hates it. But he's not a coward, and he keeps moving, at a normal person's pace.

But what stops him are the people. A flash of lightning, a peal of thunder, and there he is. Vision.

"Pops!" Tommy shouts. The Agrii said he was gone, but clearly he wasn't, he was right there. Tommy runs, as fast as any other human, and he can't get there. Can't MAKE IT. No matter how fast he runs, now matter how much he reaches out, he can't catch up. Another strike and there's a voice nearby.

"Speed?"

Cassie. Tommy turns and spins and Vision is gone but there she is, on the ground, crumpled up in pain. Again he's running, and this time he closes the distance. Or nearly does. It's so hard to see, the winds and the water so hard to deal with. But the ground's uneven, and he doesn't see it coming. A crack there and Tommy's foot gets caught and he falls, his hand outstretched. But she isn't there, and the pain is there, so much pain. His ankle is... Tommy just curls up and holds his ankle because it hurts so much.


Storm Shelter

He doesn't even remember getting to the cave. Maybe someone carried him here, maybe he crawled here on the what he now realizes is broken ankle. Or maybe only sprained. But definitely hurt and the pain has Tommy curling up well away from the mouth of the cave. He can't heal as fast, and his bones are clearly weaker than they normally are. But mostly he's just curled up on himself, trying to stay warm despite his soaked through clothing.

He's a coward. He should have been out there, trying to find answers, and instead...

You're a useless boy, you deserve to die out here.

Tommy shudders against the memory of one of the things he'd seen in the storm. And he'd run away as fast as he could. For a given definition of run, since he couldn't get to his feet. But he'd crawled away and the next thing he remembered, he was here.

"I... wanna go home," he whispers, shivering. "I just want to go home to my stupid shitty apartment and my stupid shitty job and all the food I can buy and my favorite blanket. I just... I can't take this anymore."

He's a coward, and he hates it.

Comments

[hulkintraining]

He freezes mid-step, the muscles in his back tightening. As far as he sees it, he is saving someone. Tommy wouldn't have lasted much longer out there in his current state.

"Funny, because I always knew you could be an asshole."

He starts forward again, getting far enough inside the cave that he doesn't have to worry about Tommy trying to crawl his way back out. Only then does he stop and slowly fall into a crouch so the other teen can get down.

"I'm going to look for others later. But I need time to rest. And you need medical attention."

[doubled_speed]

It's less that Tommy gets off Teddy gracefully, and more that he falls to the ground and shouts in pain as he absorbs some of it on his ankle. And it was AGONIZING. He sobs in pain as he stays there on the ground, curled around his ankle.

Yeah, medical attention wasn't going to be helpful.

"Fuck you. I saw Vision out there too!"

[hulkintraining]

Biting back a curse, Teddy drops to his knees next to Tommy, his hands hovering in the air over him, not sure if or where he should be touching. Useless. He's utterly useless in a situation like this. If he could shift he could at least fly out there and cover more ground, find someone who can help.

There is something he can do, although he hates the idea of leaving Tommy here alone like this. Not that the other teen appears to care for the company. He pushes up to his feet.

"Fine. You want me to go out there and look for the others? I will. And if I find Vision--and it's actually him--I'll bring him to you. But you need to promise me you're not going to try and leave."

[doubled_speed]

Alone. He's going to be left alone. Sure, he's upset, sure he wants Teddy to go out there and find people. But there's another thing. A deeper fear. That now he's useless because of his injury. He's useless and Teddy is leaving. Abandoning him. Because... because he doesn't have a use for Tommy anymore.

It's stupid. He should want Teddy to go out there and find and protect Billy. But mostly, he's just scared of being abandoned again.

"You're leaving?"

[hulkintraining]

Confusion and frustration twist Teddy's expression as he stares down at Tommy. Was he leaving? It had seemed like the only thing to do just a moment ago, but something in his friend's voice has him doubting himself.

"Isn't that what you want?"

[doubled_speed]

"I..."

Tommy doesn't know what he wants. He's scared and he's hurt and he's ruined and Teddy's just going to go.

"Do what you want," he says softly. Because he WANTS Teddy to stay, but he can't ask.

[hulkintraining]

He releases a sigh of frustration before taking a seat on the cave floor next to Tommy. It's not entirely clear to him what to do, or what his friend needs, but he knows Tommy needs something. So he might as well sit here until Tommy is ready is ready to share.

"...Do you think it's broken?" When he speaks again his voice is soft. It might just trigger another argument, but he can't help but worry about the extent of Tommy's injury. And what it would do to the Speedster if it really was that bad.

[doubled_speed]

Turns out Tommy is an inherently frustrating person to be around. Sometimes people get used to it. But he sighs and shakes his head. Except it’s hard to stay that stable, really, to deal with the pain in his ankle.

“I don’t know. It’s just... I can’t put any weight on it. So I’m pretty useless.”

And there’s the problem. He was useless to his team. He wasn’t needed. He didn’t want Teddy to go because the moment he did, he knew the guy wouldn’t come back.

[hulkintraining]

"I think we're all pretty useless right now." Thanks to the storm and its ability draining quality. If Teddy had his wings he could fly them back to the city and get Tommy the help he needs. He could find Billy.

Tommy isn't the only one feeling sorry for himself.

"Do you need a splint? Maybe I can find something to use. I've seen it done with a bunch of sticks tied together before." In a movie. But the idea at least gives him something use to focus on.

[doubled_speed]

“Why bother? I’m just as fucking useless with a splint as I am without one right now.”

And it kills him. Being useless.

“You should go out there and find B. I know you want to. He needs you.”

[hulkintraining]

"It'll keep you from making it even worse. Especially if it is a break."

Despite Tommy's words he climbs back to his feet and begins looking around the cave for anything he can use.

"I will. After I make sure you're going to be alright. Do you think he'd be alright with me just leaving you like this?"

[doubled_speed]

Making it worse is definitely a thing. Tommy sighs. But he doesn't know how to answer that. Teddy definitely has to deal with all of this Tommy being manic.

"I think you should be with him."

[hulkintraining]

There isn't much in the way of large sticks in the cave, unfortunately. Just a lot of rocks and dirt, with a few smaller twigs and sticks. Would they be enough to use as a splint if he packs them around the injury? He's not sure.

The fact that Tommy is being less than helpful is only making the situation more frustrating. He sighs.

"Just a second ago you were worried about me leaving. Now you're telling me to go. What is going on with you?"

[doubled_speed]

Tommy looks away from Teddy. He can't say it. He shouldn't say it. It's...

"Without my powers, none of you need me. I'm useless without it."

[hulkintraining]

"That's not true."

His response is immediate and vehement even as his expression shifts into concern. He's navigated situations like this with Billy, but he's not sure if the same things that work on him would work with his twin.

Returning to his spot on the ground next to Tommy, he watches the other boy's profile.

"We will always need you. Powers or not. You're family, Tommy."

[doubled_speed]

Isn't it, though? The Young Avengers only wanted him to find Teddy. And as he finally got his pace with them, finally felt accepted... It was gone.

He can't look at Teddy, because he knows that Teddy knows what vulnerability and fear look like on his face. Surely Teddy sees it a lot with Billy. So Tommy looks away.

"Nice sentiment. But Wanda barely makes time for B and me, Pietro doesn't talk to me at all, B tends to like, forget hanging with me until we got here... Not seeing the family shit."

[hulkintraining]

It's almost physically painful to sit there and listen to Tommy be so vulnerable while knowing there's not much he can do to make it better. Not here. In this situation. He can tell Tommy over and over again how much he cares, but sometimes words carry so little weight.

Especially when someone has convinced themselves they're not true, like he's sure Tommy has. He's seen it many times with Billy as well, and he's found that sometimes the best he can do is to just be there. No matter how much it hurts.

But that doesn't stop him from reaching an arm around the other boy's shoulders and gently pulling him to his side in a half hug.

"I can't say much for Wanda and Pietro...except that your uncle is a dick and you shouldn't expect much else there," he says, placing a special emphasis on the word dick. He's met Pietro once and it wasn't a good time. "As for Billy...well maybe part of that is my fault too. I guess we both thought when you left the Kaplans' you wanted some space. Maybe we gave you too much space."

[doubled_speed]

The problem was half that he’d needed space. And half that watching his brother breaking down had been killing him. Tommy missed their friends too. Vision and Cassie had been his best friends, more than even Billy and Teddy because they didn’t mind Tommy needing them extra attention. They didn’t begrudge him it. Hell, Tommy and Vision were both learning to be more human through each other, though neither of them had advertised that fact. Cassie had told him stories about Wanda and Pietro, who Tommy had actually believed might be his family the second the Super Skrull had told them it, because he’d so desperately wanted somewhere to belong and clearly it wasn’t with the Shepherds.

He’d lost his support too, his best friends, and then he lost his brother too. A brother he had started feeling comfortable around. A family situation he had let himself become slowly content with. Sure, the Kaplans could sometimes be overbearing and have expectations that Tommy couldn’t live up to, but they wanted him and supported him and they didn’t have to.

No one had to put up with him. But people had chosen too.

“Dude, needing space from the cutesy couple and the doctor parents who were way too nice to seem like anything other than pod people is one thing.”

And needing somewhere that was his own so he didn’t have to fear getting put to the street when people were tired of him was something else entirely.

[hulkintraining]

"You think I didn't want some space of my own sometimes? I nagged Billy about getting an apartment almost as soon as we were old enough to get a lease." Even then it had taken some time to warm him up to the idea.

He loves the Kaplans, and he can never truly repay them for all the kindness that they have shown him, especially after his mother's death. But living in that house never really felt like home. It was like an extended sleepover with a guest bedroom that had been redecorated for his use. It wasn't permanent.

"They already had three kids to worry about and then on top of that they get the two of us. It can be hard sometimes not to feel like you're taking up space that you shouldn't."

[doubled_speed]

Wait, what? Tommy turns his attention back to Teddy and stares at him in open shock. He'd... he'd always thought that Teddy liked the whole thing. Tommy had just...

"I spent so much time worrying that I was eating too much. Yeah, they were nice, but like you said, B's little brothers."

Who were also the ones who didn't seem to mind Tommy there the most. Then again, Tommy had found time and time again that he really liked making time for kids. The littles had been awesome. And had made him feel welcome like he wasn't a burden. Even if the adult Kaplans hadn't meant to do that.

"You two... ever get a place?"

[hulkintraining]

Teddy looks amused in the face of Tommy's surprise. Maybe he had been really good at hiding his discomfort. After all, he hadn't wanted to hurt the Kaplan's feelings. Especially over something he couldn't really explain well to himself.

"I don't think even you could have eaten too much. You've seen the portions Mrs. Kaplan would serve. Like she was expecting to feet a football team instead of five boys." Even though, if pressed, Teddy and Tommy could probably eat the amount of a football team themselves.

"Yeah. An apartment. It's nice. The Avengers gig kind of consumes most of our time though. There's still a ton of boxes to unpack."

[doubled_speed]

Could Teddy shift away his emotions? Could he make it seem like he didn't hurt by making his face soften? Tommy almost wished he could do the same. But Tommy smiles because he definitely is thinking the same thought.

"You kidding me? I bet you and me could pack away enough to make the football team look so undercarbed," he grins and shakes his head. It's... easier. When they're like this, it's easier. Billy might be his soul brother, but Teddy was just such a good guy that the guy almost felt like one. In this moment he really feels like he's like a brother to the guy. Even if he knows it isn't true.

"We both know if you or B called to ask me to help, I'd get it done for you in minutes. Are... we not close?"

[hulkintraining]

He shakes his head at the question, a bit forcefully.

"It's not that, Tommy. We just wanted to do it ourselves. It's supposed to be a milestone in live, moving out of your parents house and decorating your own place. It wouldn't be the same if you did it all for us.

But...I'll definitely invite you come over and help us out once we have the time to work on it."

He bumps his shoulder gently against Tommy's.

[doubled_speed]

Will he? Because the distance between them before Tommy got nabbed by the Patirnot had felt like... like an ocean. And he hadn't really understood why it had happened.

"I... yeah. I'd like that. Coming over. Seeing whatever place you've got. Don't... forget about me back there."

[hulkintraining]

Teddy's expression turns sad and he doesn't resist the urge he has to throw his arm over Tommy's shoulders and pull him into a side hug. It kills him that his friend, his brother feels like they've abandoned him. He needs to make it right. Starting now.

"We would never forget about you. I guess we just need to get better at showing it."