Sorry for the wait! Summer has been crazy and I've been hit by writer's block more than once but I am back and writing and planning- ENJOY!

----

It's been about a week since that doctor's appointment. It's been about a week since they learnt that Tubbo is half Shulk and half Bee and it has also been a week since Stress has been even more stressed than normal. Tommy can't really fault the woman since the three of them have been stressed out themselves. Tubbo, now, is pretty much the housewife in their trio.

With one man down, they have fallen behind on work and vigilante duties. Tommy can only wash so many cars until the sun makes his brain melt on the seaside road. He can only carry the mop and the water-filled bin through so many streets before his arms begin to ache without the extra pair of hands. Without the extra pair of eyes, he can barely escape those of the passing heroes and random police cars. If he is ever caught, it is not as fun escaping through the fire escapes on his own.

Tommy misses having Tubbo by his side while he is waiting for the light to turn red. He misses running away from angry drivers together and he also misses dunking said angry drivers with the dirty mop water alongside his bestie.

It's fine, though. He can pull through. I mean, out of the three of them, Tommy is certainly the luckiest. Okay, maybe Ranboo is as well, because he is out of the attic during most mornings, while poor Tubbo is left at the house, at Stress' mercy. It's not like he's been grounded or anything but it was a unanimous decision for Tubbo to stay behind until the scrapes went away. Until the evidence to his Shulk heritage was hidden.

Tommy doesn't really like that decision anymore. Especially not after he and Ranboo were almost caught by Ghostbur a week ago on that rooftop. Tubbo always senses trouble before any of them do no matter how sleepy he is and it is extremely helpful when they're being snuck up on. It's like a moth attracted to a flame, just like the little incident with The Watcher and The Blade not so long ago.

Speaking of which, they've figured The Watcher out. They know his intent now, thanks to their almost-capture by Ghostbur -God, Tommy really hates that guy's abilities now. Not only did the hero sneak up on them with his ghost thing but he also took away their free will! That's just plain fuckin' rude and uncalled for! They hadn't even found any villains to beat up yet! (which is what Tommy complained about the most when they scampered). They had to return home early and do you know how hard it is to sneak past Fundy with his enhanced sense of smell? And then bribe him into not tattling to either Pearl, Gem or Stress?

Yeah, it's hard.

They also have these two noobs in the building who live right across from Stress' apartment. Tommy doesn't like this Wilbur fellow all that much but Technoblade seems cool and poggers enough to perhaps approach. Those two would probably not even bat an eye; they haven't learnt the rules yet.

But, back to the point! They now know what The Watcher, well, watches. It should've been obvious from the start, honestly, but the three of them thought that it could not be possible! And it shouldn't be possible because this just makes their professional relationship with the man and his associates so much weirder. They should've suspected this since the start, though, since the time he dropkicked Crowfather out of freaking nowhere -because he was fighting the Dream Team and he had no business attacking the avian hero.

The Watcher looks out for them -for some unexplained and stupid reason. What? All the clues lead to that! The man is a softy and you can not change Tommy's opinion. All evidence points to this! The first incident, then the one with The Blade where the villain basically sacrificed his own wings to save RaccoonInnit and then treating Tommy to McDonald's, the fact that he fought off a whole giant and put his well being at risk under that damn rock and finally saving both Tommy and Ranboo from Ghostbur a week ago. Oh, and let's not forget that almost every night since Tubbo withdrew himself from work duties, The Watcher has been creeping ever so closer to them -keeping his distance, always but at this point it is like he's breathing down their necks.

And yes, Tommy and Ranboo are planning on fully exploiting this weakness. If they gain the man's complete and utter trust, they could catch him off-guard and claim his bounty, finally carve their names in history books or even learn what his abilities are! They already know that his eyes are part of it but now it's his voice too -or words, Tommy can hardly give a fuck about the specifics.

"Hurry up, guys!", Tubbo hisses at them as Ranboo fiddles with the zipper of his costume and Tommy fails miserably to tie his bandanas right. Bee wings buzz in slight irritation.

"Can you tie these for me, Tubs?", Tommy asks with a small whine. With a very annoyed sigh, Tubbo does just that.

Tommy understands that being cooped up inside the attic has driven Tubbo bananas. It shows in the way he throws stuff around, in the way that he doesn't care about how dirty their little room is, in the way that he snaps every so often at everyone -including his friends. It's not the best atmosphere but at least Tommy and Ranboo get to be out of the attic before Tubbo creates chaos in the form of spilled cereal boxes, clothes thrown everywhere and spilled water.

It's fine, his scabs on his knees and back are healing well and he'll be good as new in a day or so. Doc said so when Stress took Tubbo for a check up three days ago. Doc also told them this when Stress went to the bathroom: "I know you three do vigilante work. Listen, it is a dangerous world out there and if you get something more than a scratch, come to me; free of charge, of course!"

It was the weirdest conversation they've ever had with a stranger but you know what? They'll take it if the occasion calls for a pediatrician. Maybe they'll need some vaccine to kill a villain, who knows?

"Alright, off you go! And don't return until 3!", Tubbo tells them, like he has the intent of doing something behind their backs until 3AM.

"Okay, okay, sheesh!", Ranboo responds, stumbling as he exits after Tommy.

"Have fun, bigman!", Tommy calls out before the attic door swings closed behind them. Rude.

They successfully make it to the ground floor and past the surveillance of Fundy. The fox isn't even at his post and Tommy thinks he can hear him nearby; he's probably hanging out with Jimmy at the video club or something. It's fine, he won't notice them when he has Jimmy to pester.

So, the rooftops are quiet tonight -that's one thing Tommy notes. They've been idly walking and parkouring about on the highest roofs they can find, (accidentally) sabotaging TV antennas and (not accidentally) pulling out cables as they go. It's pretty boring. The streets are quiet too, there isn't even a grandma to help cross the street. There is only one thing that is very much out of place; something they've grown accustomed to is missing.

They look at the tallest building there is in the area and see no Watcher perched on the ledge. It's weird; has something happened?

"Maybe he's busy?", Ranboo is unsure himself but Tommy can do nothing but share the excuse. It's a shitty excuse but it's fine. They've been doing just fine by themselves, even without The Watcher to swoop low and take down whatever hero is chasing them.

"Who is busy?"

"The Watch- Oi!", Tommy shouts when he turns around, having realized that it's not Ranboo who asked that question. The kitsune mask is the first thing he sees and then the incredibly tall black figure with bright red eyes and tall ass horns and a swishing tail-

"Holy shit!", he exclaims, stumbling back when the creature opens its mouth into a fucking grin- is that a demon? It probably is because Pearlescent Moon is laughing her heart out at his and Ranboo's reaction; the taller boy having hunched in on himself and looking a moment away from falling over.

"Please don't murder us!", Ranboo exclaims. Tommy pats him roughly on the back, making the enderborn straighten and hold in his breath. This time, the demon laughs, rolls its head back like this is the funniest thing ever. The villain chuckles -or so Tommy thinks because the demon's laugh is an echoing roar that will definitely not receive some noise complaints.

"Calm down, calm down!", Pearlescent tells them but Tommy really wants to scream. So, he does. It does not deter either of the two and Ranboo almost clings onto him despite him being the most intimidating in their little trio.

"No, I'd rather not!", Tommy shouts without really thinking about it. The demon's laughter halts, only the grin remaining on its face. Is the demon even an 'it'? They don't teach these things in school- wait, they don't go to school. They'll have to ask Cleo.

"I'm just here to fulfill my promise to Tubbee", she says and she takes a step towards them, arms folded under her chest.

"What promise?", Tommy doesn't remember any sort of promise that Tubbo made with a villain. Ranboo certainly doesn't remember because his memory is shit. Then again, Tubbo can be very cunning and inventive in ways no normal human, so maybe he figured out how to blackmail villains without dying.

She completely ignores them in favor of looking around the rooftop.

"Where is your friend?"

Tommy does not know why Ranboo has not teleported them out of here yet. Pearlescent Moon seems docile enough for now but he doubts the demon behind her intention to remain that way.

"And why should we tell you?", he snaps. It's not the wisest choice.

"Because I asked"

"Haha, real smart, smartass!"

Then, like they've just insulted a god, the demon beside Pearlescent frowns. The frown is accompanied by a soft growl, just short of threatening but it scares the living daylights out of them both anyway. Still, there is no harm coming their way, so Tommy guesses there is a bit more patience to chew through before they're pounced on.

"I can make them talk", it's a voice alien to the ears of mortals. It is a voice not thwarted by the use of a voice changer or any other technology; it is natural and terrifying and it rumbles through the air, through their bones until they ache -faintly but they do. The tone of it leaves no room to argue, stern and sure and so intimidating that Tommy's tail tucked between his legs involuntarily.

Pearlescent simply waves him off and that is vastly different to the way she treated BBH when he'd started to talk; when he'd started to regain consciousness and escape the holds of the woman's hypnosis. It is like they know each other on a more personal level and the way the demon backs off with only a scowl -that growl lowering to a burr- on its face. It stands beside her almost, maybe a step behind but they can't tell from this distance and the creature is so tall that it is still intimidating; a warning still. It leaves both of them confused but the fear is slowly going away and Tommy could not be more thankful.

"Don't worry, Xornoth, they'll talk", Pearlescent tells the demon, Xornoth -that suits it... him?- before she addresses the two of them again. "That is if they want to get their hands on some of Jumbo's bombs"

Oh- oh wait- Now Tommy remembers! Tubbo told him in the McDonald's (when they were with Pearlescent Moon and The Watcher) that the villain had promised the bee chaos and explosions. That's the promise she wants to fulfill then. Okay. They can maybe drag Tubbo out of the attic for an hour or two if that's the case.

Tommy slaps Ranboo in the chest, successfully grabbing his friend's attention -who yelps in turn- and they whisper a few words.

"What if it's a trap?", Ranboo hisses at him.

"You TP us out of there, dumbass", Tommy hisses in return.

"If we get in trouble, I'm blaming you"

"And I'll blame you both, who will Stress believe?"

"I'm her favorite, Tommy"

"Fuck you"

They raise their heads, Tommy tutting in annoyance as they do. The duo has been waiting patiently as it appears, only Xornoth has slouched slightly, seeming bored.

"Okay, yeah, um", Ranboo begins in an awkward way before Tommy nudges him in the side. "Oof- We'll go get him, then"

"No dirty tricks!", Tommy warns, catching onto Ranboo's arms before they disappear from existence- momentarily, of course.

Tubbo shrieks when they zip into the attic. Bee wings flare and buzz but Tommy is quick to clap a hand over Tubbo's mouth before any of the tenants could be alerted. It wouldn't do any of them any good if Stress or the other two weirdos were the ones to rush to their 'aid' first.

"What in hell are you two doing back so early?!", Tubbo whisper-yells. He pushes Tommy away, pushing him right into Ranboo. He is working on some sort of metallic thing, some weird redstone contraption like those they've seen in Mumbo's room -on the high shelves because the man thinks they're too short to reach up there even with Ranboo's height, Tubbo's hovering and Tommy's God-tier climbing skills.

"Pearlescent visited us on the roofs", Ranboo explains. Tommy picks up a stray, red cord, only to have it slapped out of his hands.

"Ow"

"And she has bombs-", before he can finish, Tubbo's eyes widen with this playful and excited glimmer that Tommy and Ranboo have learnt to be afraid of.

"SHE HAS BOMBS?!"

Ranboo teleports them out of the attic before any of the adults wakes up.

*

"WHERE ARE THE BOMBS?!", is the first thing that Tubbo screeches when they reappear on the rooftop, his civilian identity hidden only by some of Tommy's extra bandanas and the engineer goggles that False had gifted him in one of her visits. It's a hasty disguise but it fits their hasty exit.

"Woah, calm down there!", Pearlescent Moon exclaims, sounding amused even with the voice changer. The demon is still beside her, now crouched over and looking half-way to falling asleep. "It's nice to see you lot again"

"Yeah, it's very nice to see such a beautiful lady such as your- ow! Ra- Endwalker!", Tommy scolds as Ranboo laughs his butt off. The bastard elbowed him in the side! It's fine, though. Tommy will pay him back threefold when they get home.

"It's nice to see you too! Is Jumbo with you?", Tubbo asks, his smile and excitement sounding in his voice and Tommy rolls his eyes. In truth, he is hiding a smile of his own.

"The bee is too loud", growls Xornoth, who yawns and stretches his long limbs. Tubbo jumps, having been so focused on the villain to notice her company. The demon looks Tubbo up and down and then he grins from ear to ear -literally. Frankly, it is disturbing. "Half-bee"

Tommy gulps. He knows. Xornoth knows, somehow, that Tubbo is half a Shulk. Maybe it's the fact that he's a demon, maybe demons know everything like God or something. Tommy catches Ranboo stiffening beside him, having picked up on the little fact too. They are so screwed if the demon tattles. Or maybe he doesn't know and Tommy is panicking for nothing!

"Is that a demon?!", Tubbo, ever so oblivious and negligent, exclaims. "But... isn't it bad that he's talking?"

Pearlescent Moon nods her head as Xornoth steps up beside her. He is much calmer now but that bright red grin plastered on the black and purple surface of his face does not make them any less nervous.

"Xornoth is a friend", she tells them, leaving them all dumbfounded.

"If any scoundrels appear, I'll take care of them", Xornoth states. However, Tommy thinks the demon should look up the word "scoundrel" in a dictionary because it clearly does not mean what he thinks it means. Either that or he dislikes heroes enough to think of them as the bad guys... he could just hate good guys in general, now that he thinks about it; he's a demon, isn't he?

"Jumbo is waiting for us at an abandoned warehouse outside of town", Pearlescent continues casually, "You'll be able to play with his toys there"

Tubbo nods enthusiastically, already hovering off the floor to fly wherever that warehouse is. "Right! Where is it?"

The villain snorts at his reaction and puts a hand on her hip.

"I'll drive you"

*

This must be the craziest thing they've done in their lives. Tommy does not know why they agreed to this so easily and with so little thinking; they didn't even try to negotiate a better way to do this! In what universe do three vigilantes just trust a villain so much on their second meeting that they pile in a black van, of all things, without question? This one apparently, as shown by Tommy, Tubbo and Ranboo's poor decision making!

We're going to be sold for organs, Tommy thinks, Goodbye, cruel world! -like he didn't let himself be dragged into this predicament. They literally clambered into the backseats of the van the moment the lot of them were on the pavement, following Pearlescent Moon and Xornoth to the unassuming, totally not fear-inducing vehicle without so much as a question. They were all too excited to see the red flags; too ecstatic and giddy to be given explosives and be allowed to explode things under villain supervision. Which, thinking of it, is this villain training?

Oh well, they can't back out now. Not with Xornoth curled awkwardly in a seat, back hunched so much thanks to his height, representing one of those scary bouncers outside of nightclubs. He has his knees up to his chests, hands on his knees and chin ontop. The demon reminds Tommy of Ranboo when the boy has to duck under short doorways or bend to a 45 degree angle to hug someone. At the same time, the guy is intimidating. Even docile, he still has that huge and bright red grin on his face that stretches from one ear to the other -and whether he has ears is a question in and of itself- and it matches his eyes (at this point, Tommy is questioning if the demon's innards are that flat, red color).

"Soooo", Tommy starts, addressing Xornoth with a nod. He notices Pearlescent eye the rear view mirror for a second but she doesn't say anything. "Are the two of you... y'know"

The demon raises an eyebrow while Pearlescent almost chokes on thin air before howling with laughter. The question must've taken her by surprise and that is shown in the way that she half-slams on the breaks and they all screech at the sudden stop and start.

"We are allies, mortal raccoon"

"We're friends, Xornoth", Pearlescent says in an amused tone. "Anyway, how are you, guys? Have any heroes caused you trouble?"

Tubbo leans forward in his seat, hands grasping the plush material of the driver's one.

"Nah, The Watcher has been taking care of them before they can lay a finger on us", he tells her.

"Ah, you noticed?", she giggles. "Took you long enough"

Ranboo shifts in his seat, tugs at the seatbelt to make himself more comfortable.

"Is he going to be there?"

"No, he has business to take care of in Las Nevadas"

"Birds protect their nests", Xornoth chuckles, though not without Pearlescent throwing a warning look at him through the rear view mirror. The three of them look at him, confused and lost. "They already know", the demon shrugs, the grin still on his face but at this point, Tommy figures that it may as well be permanent.

"Anyway, we're almost there", the villain sighs. The van turns right and Tommy now notices that the houses are few and far away from each other, allowing for stretches of farmland to roll in the unoccupied fields. He's never been here before and he can't hide that he is very curious.

So curious, in fact, that he squishes his face against the window in an attempt to see the hay and wheat better. A bump in the road quickly makes him regret that action, however, and he turns away with a pained grunt and a hand rubbing his face. Fuckin' bumpy roads, man. Can't the government invest in good roads rather than funding a hero HQ? Seriously, those guys have everything they'll ever need and at this point, they've made enough money to buy a small country!

"Wait, I know this road", Ranboo says right before he enacts Tommy's mistake. Xornoth hums his interest, Pearlescent Moon glances at them again but apparently, this is supposed to be classified information because he grabs Tubbo and Tommy and drags them into a huddle.

"How do you even know this road? We've never been outside of the city", Tubbo asks in an accusing tone.

"Back when I went with Impulse to work, we took this exact road to get to the main warehouse before going to the factory", he whispers to them.

"Speak louder" -they ignore him.

"Wait, you mean...", Tommy is quick to connect the dots. They're going to be sabotaging Impulse's work. Holy Hell, this is actual villain training. They have to turn this car around, somehow, because Tommy does not know how he'll be able to look the man in the eyes after this- but at the same time, it'll be so much fun and Tubbo looks more excited than he's seen his BFF be the last week. He can't fuckin' ruin it for him.

"I'm afraid so, yeah", Ranboo sighs and leans slightly back.

"Well, he has money to rebuild everything", Tubbo says with his usual carelessness as he also leans back and crosses a leg over the other.

Well... worse comes to worst, Tommy will blame everything on Tubbo.

"Are you talking about the warehouse owner, kids?", Pearlescent asks when Tommy shifts back into his seat. "Eh, don't worry about it. We'll be the front of the whole thing so you can go be chaotic"

Nevermind, Tommy won't have to blame Tubbo for anything. Unless Grian sniffs the soot and gunpowder on them after they get home, that is.

After another turn, the warehouse slowly comes into view. It is tall and painted in dark colors that make it hard to distinguish from the surrounding environment. Only the moonlight that hits it from behind makes it obvious on a hidden side street. It sounds like they're driving on pebbles, so it's a dirt road that leads up to the giant building of metal and wood and whatever else a warehouse is made out of. There are no lights, so at least there will be no live casualties in their destructive endeavor but there will be plenty of noise once they get some explosives in their hands.

Tommy wonders how long it would take a handful of heroes to get here. It's been about half an hour, maybe 45 minutes give or take. It'll be a quick trip for them but it will also be hard for them to appear out of nowhere, especially with a demon and Pearlescent Moon, and Jumbo looking out for them.

"Aaaand, we're here! Come on, out!"

With that, all of them get out of the van, which the villain ditches in a nearby patch of reeds quickly. Must've been a stolen van, then. Tommy looks at the road they're walking on and true to his suspicions, it is a dirt road. Red dirt and pebbles and a bunch of grass in a single line ripping through the side street; it appears that there's plenty of traffic here.

"Finally! You're here!", an incredibly masculine and accented voice says. A man in a... is that a fucking Superman suit? Tommy freezes and ogles the guy; this is the most ridiculous villain costume he's ever seen -and he's seen a lot. It's the first time he sees Jumbo -and he only figures out who it is because Pearlescent informed them he'd be here beforehand.

"What the fuck are you wearing?", is the first thing that leaves Tommy's mouth, despite the fact that there's some pretty dangerous individuals around him. Tubbo huffs a laugh behind him while Pearlescent high fives her villain friend. Xornoth's dark chuckle sounds amused. Ranboo just cowers behind them, one hand on each of them in case they need to skedaddle.

Jumbo freezes as well. He sounds surprised when he speaks.

"That's rude" -it's not what Tommy expected his answer to be but he'll take that over being blown up; this guy is infamous for blowing factories to the fucking skies but clearly, he has a moral compass to not attack innocent vigilantes!

"Enough chit-chatting", Tubbo pipes in, bee wings buzzing whilst he readjusts the oversized bandana on his face. "Where are the bombs?"

"I haven't even introduced myself- At least ask how I'm doing!"

"Hello, how are you? Bombs!" and the bee extends his hands with jittery enthusiasm, caring not for the villain's wellbeing. Ranboo laughs at Jumbo's shocked appearance -Tommy only now notices the potato skin domino mask he's wearing. He also has a mustache, which weirdly suits him.

Guess you have to go the extra mile to really support your idol and ideals.

"The bee wants to destroy", Xornoth grins, then again, he never stopped grinning. "Let him destroy"

"Yeah, yeah, sheesh. No one cares about the people nowadays, just the explosions", Jumbo complains but complies nonetheless. He digs through a sack hanging off his shoulder and takes something out before promptly depositing it in Tubbo's eager hands. Tommy and Ranboo lean over his friend's shoulders to find three unassuming... potatoes?

"What?"

"They are Potats. Potato bombs. These ones will explode upon impact", is the explanation they get.

"How do you even make potatoes into bombs?", Ranboo asks as he picks one up to examine.

"You just do", is their only answer.

"Who cares?! Let's go explode shit!"

Oh man, Impulse will be so angry but Tommy finds himself caring very little as they charge towards the warehouse. It's going to be a fun night.

*

They burn through the Potats incredibly quickly. Tubbp, especially, as the bee immediately hovers above the metal beams of the building and begins throwing the bombs everywhere. The Potats explode the moment they make contact with any surface; he tries it on metal, on hard concrete, on the plastic covering of machinery, on the wood of the ingredient crates in the storage area- everywhere! They all do that, actually. Even Ranboo has become slightly unhinged, though he is still respectful of the more expensive parts of the warehouse.

Tommy goes ham on the outside instead. He has half the mind to be a menace to society and half the mind to be cautious. He thinks himself as the smartest of the three at the moment, because Tubbo has been blowing the support pillars of the warehouse and at this rate, it's going to collapse with his friends inside of it. That's fine, though, because there are three villains who are watching over them like parents watching over their children at the beach, so they are safe. Even without The Watcher, they can do as they please with zero repercussions.

Well, they'll be facing consequences for sure afterwards but right now, this is their moment! And they're going seize it and hold it and-

And there's someone in the sky. Tommy only spared one glance through all this chaos and of course he spies danger right off the bat! But who is it? The Watcher isn't supposed to be here and the guy has wings but they don't look feathered. There are no sharp edges that would betray the shape of feathers, so... membrane? Is there a bat hero that they haven't seen before?

"Hey, there's someone up there!", he shouts at the villains over the sounds of explosions and metal breaking and falling.

Pearlescent turns to face him but doesn't say anything. She mustn't have heard him. Tommy doesn't make an effort to shout again as another beam clanks against the ground and the whole front of the warehouse begins to collapse. Instead, he waves a hand towards the flying figure in the sky with the giant wings of membrane.

The reaction is instantaneous as Jumbo notices the guy as well and Xornoth perks up from where he was hunched over on a tall rock. What a lookout. But the demon does nothing; he simply resumes doing what he was doing without really paying attention to the new arrival. Neither of the villains do anything, actually, other than to begin shouting "Here!" at the top of their lungs

An ally, then? Another villain?

Tommy jumps off the warehouse roof and jogs over to Jumbo's side. His friends have yet to notice the new arrival but that's only natural, seeing as they're too busy destroying shit.

"Who is that?", he shouts at the top of his lungs this time. Yet another explosion sounds but he was quick enough that the villains heard him.

"That", Pearlescent says in a pitch that makes her out to grin, "is The Listener"

The Listener? Tommy tests the name on his tongue and grimaces at the familiarity of it. He's never heard of this guy, nor has he heard any descriptions of him in their trio's vigilante missions. It sounds suspiciously like The Watcher but that is a title and not a villain name. And as the newcomer makes an awkward landing, webbed wings flapping wildly to stabilize his body, Tommy notes that his attire is almost identical to that of The Watcher's. While the latter's clothes are a dark, royal purple that is barely distinguishable in the dark sky, The Listener's -man it feels weird using that name- cloak and scarf are a very dark gray with pixels of black at the hem. His wings are incredibly dark but Tommy can't discern the color of them, almost like his great night vision is failing him.

Tommy approaches carefully and he sees Xornoth stand up to follow, and he only stops walking when there is a clawed hand on his shoulder and a light growl emitting from behind him. Naturally, he freezes, while the other three seem to not have heard. He can see the guy clearer now, with his wings folded the dude doesn't look as intimidating as The Watcher does but then again, this newbie doesn't have a reputation to back him up.

Whatever, Tommy is not fascinated nor has he been wooed.

"Hey, guys!", and his voice isn't loud nor is it of normal volume. If anything, it is high-pitched but quiet, making it hard for Tommy to hear him from this far away but his raccoon ears are the best at picking up on quiet sounds. No gossip gets away from him! "I heard some commotion so I came to check"

"Is he, like, The Watcher's apprentice or some shit?", Tommy asks right after he escapes Xornoth's stern hold. No demon is going to hold him down. The Listener's ears flick and Tommy raises an eyebrow when he actually pays attention to the quite long, thin and sharp and wide appendages -they look like bat ears. Then, his head turns to his general direction and Tommy is, quite frankly, taken aback by the milky white he meets -or, he doesn't meet them, because the guy is looking straight at his head rather than the eyes.

Is he blind? Tommy waves a hand around silently; the man's eyes don't follow. The Listener is blind. Well, at least his name isn't an oxymoron but isn't this a huge weakness for a villain who looks like The Watcher from a distance? Regardless, he keeps his mouth shut about it.

"I'm The Listener. You're RaccoonInnit, right?"

"Best vigilante and crime stopper ever-"

"You aren't stopping any crime right now, though-"

"Who fuckin' asked you?"

Both Pearlescent Moon and Jumbo burst out laughing, whilst Xornoth silently leaves when another part of the warehouse collapses. He's probably going to check that Tubbo and Ranboo haven't managed to kill themselves or that they aren't trapped under some heavy, metal beam yet. That's smart.

Opposite him, The Listener's eyebrows scrunch together in an amused way. Tommy has no doubt that the guy is smiling under that gray ass scarf. Yes, gray. It's so monotone and bland that it mixes with the cloak in a very not exciting way. The guy doesn't have a fashion sense but then again, he can't really see to pick out his clothes, right? He probably had someone else help him with the outfit and when he finds out who it is, Tommy is going to beat some fashion knowledge in their heads; at least the few things he's learnt from the ladies of the block of flats.

"It is an evident observation", the guy says with a shrug. One ear twitches at the sound of Tubbo and Ranboo's whining. Turning to see what the raucous is all about, Tommy finds Xornoth carrying them like fucking potato bags and he bends over laughing.

"What the fuck?", he manages between giggles and Tubbo repeats the question but in a more panicked and irritated manner.

"Put us down!", Ranboo protests and it is a very satisfying thing to see the tall endborn be hauled around like that by a much taller demon.

"Fucking asshole!"

"They were trapped behind a collapsed wall", he informs the rest of them. But couldn't Ranboo just teleport Tubbo and himself out? What were they doing behind a collapsed wall?

"We were doing just fine!"

The demon chuckles right as the words leave Ranboo's mouth and he lets them roll off his shoulders and unceremoniously land on their backs. The groans and yelps of pain are greatly satisfying.

"Endwalker, couldn't you TP the two of you out of there?", Tommy asks whilst he helps his friends up.

"I couldn't teleport outside for some reason", is what he responds with.

"Well, the warehouse is made out of some material with power nullifying properties", Jumbo explains matter-of-factly. He tries to speak again but Tommy stops him with a death glare.

"You used us to do your dirty work?!"

He can not believe it! They used the three's excitement for their own fucking benefit! They were used like tools and that analogy leaves a sour taste in Tommy's mouth. Tubbo looks just as upset, if not more, and their rage is joined by Ranboo's, weirdly enough.

"I feel very betrayed right now"

"Hey, it's a win-win, isn't it?", Pearlescent responds calmly, like they hadn't just turned three vigilantes into their own pawns. "You got to have your fun and we managed to achieve our own goal- and it's not like we left you unprotected! We stood by in case anything went wrong!"

"You two are the worst", The Listener says and it's the first time Tubbo and Ranboo notice him in this little argument. "You had three kids do all the work for you? You lazy, mad people!"

"They didn't get hurt-"

"But they could've! And what would you have told him in that scenario? And the...", the rest is unintelligible, his voice fading to something lower than a whisper but Tommy catches something about stress without the context of the full sentence.

And while Tommy thinks that they are big enough to handle themselves and not do stupid shit, he is glad that The Listener has their backs.

"Who even are you?", but apparently Tubbo has grown too attached to the other two to respect the addition and Tommy really wants to strangle him.

"I am The Listener, a friend of The Watcher's and disappointingly enough, of these two as well", his tone is reprimanding but Pearlescent doesn't take the man seriously, laughing at his words.

"The Watcher has strange friends", Ranboo notes.

"Whatever, what even was your goal?"

The villains stop arguing for a moment to look at Tommy, who backs up and almost bumps into Xornoth. The demon looms over him in a non-threatening but not comforting way. Pearlescent exchanges a look with Jumbo and The Listener before speaking.

"Helping out a friend to redeem their reputation in the underground", she explains and nods towards the absolutely decimated warehouse. "They are a mole and our enemies suspect them, so we have to sabotage them to get them off their backs"

"You mean the mole is the owner of iDimpy?", Ranboo asks, trying to keep the surprise to a minimum but failing like the other two.

But before Pearlescent can confirm or deny his claim, there is a deep, loud growl that comes from above Tommy; from Xornoth. It is the most terrifying thing his raccoon ears have had the displeasure of hearing but thankfully, whatever anger and frustration he's verbalizing isn't aimed at Tommy or Ranboo or Tubbo. Instead, he is looking towards the main road and Tommy now gets why he is growling. There's lights coming from the road, all belonging to what look to be black, unassuming tracks and SWAT vehicles.

"Vermin"

"Heroes", Pearlescent translates, sounding quite amused. "I hope Bad is with them"

"You mean that's the Dream Team coming to get us?", Tommy questions.

"Yes but you don't need to be here. They just need to see us four"

"You mean, you three. I'm not about to debut", The Listener claims.

"Nope, you're debuting. Endborns can't instantly teleport over thirty kilometers so you're going to get them out of here"

And it's decided, apparently. There are no protests by either side, no second guesses and Tommy hears Ranboo breathe a sigh of relief beside him, which is a plus. None of them would be able to make it out of here without being seen, even in the cover of darkness. Tubbo's wings buzz too loud, Tommy can't run long distances with the short legs of a raccoon and Ranboo's white side sticks out like a sore thumb.

"Okay but I am not staying for their entrance"

"How will you even get us out of here?", Tubbo asks. Tommy can agree that he is not up for being flown by a blind person because of flying safety reasons. He does not want to splat into the side of a building. The Listener cocks his head towards Tubbo's direction.

"I'll fly you?", he says, like it's the most obvious thing in the world -which, yes, it is- and that Tubbo is weird for even asking.

"No offense, big man but I don't want to be crashed into a building"

The Listener chuckles and shakes his head like he was expecting that sort of reaction. Perhaps the three of them are not the first to notice his disability, which is very plausible if he has more villain friends or friends in general.

"I won't crash you into a building, Tubbee", he shrugs with a smile in his tone.

"That's a likely story. How are you going to do that without, well, yknow??", Tubbo does some vague motions but it's not like The Listener can see them. And, The Listener, in turn, appears to grin; his cheeks push up to his eyes and he puts his hands on his hips in a proud manner.

"I !"echolocate! That's how bats go about!", he says in this higher pitch of voice that promoted his pride in that weird eco-locate shit. Tommy has no idea what that is-

"Basically, I can map out an area with sound waves"

-but it sounds like something out of a Superhero comic and he's all for it. This guy is actually poggers!

"So... you can see?"

"Hurry your tongues, peasants"

"Right, we should hurry- one by one, climb on my back"

Just as they are about to decide on who gets to go first, Ranboo pushes Tubbo -gently- to the villain. Tommy does not argue, only falters when Jumbo hands him and Ranboo some Potats and tells them to hide while they fight. The Listener takes a few steps away from them, Tubbo almost choking the man with how tight his arms are wound around his neck, even over the scarf, and Tommy is thankful that the villain can still bend his knees despite the legs squeezing his midriff. And you'd think that someone who could fly would not be scared of being flown.

"I'll go last, since I can TP half way. That way, the trip will be shorter", is all Ranboo explains and Tommy merely nods. They duck behind some prickly underbrush and hide all but their heads as they peek at the villains and the approaching heroes with wide eyes and nervousness. They haven't even brought snacks! Are Potats even edible? Will they explode his insides if he tries to eat one? They are some mysterious spuds.

They see the wings of a dragon unfurl with jagged movements, clearly lacking the grace and elegance of a feathered avian. Tubbo looks tense but he can't be more tense than The Listener with how much of a koala grip the bee has on him. The wings flap once for an initial gust of wind, preparation to take off maybe, and the next has them a fair distance off the ground and flapping wildly to keep them airborn.

The heroes approach fast, running towards the villains and by the looks of it, it's just the Dream Team. Dream, 404, Sapnap and weirdly enough, they are accompanied by BBH. Xornoth's deep, rumbly chuckle at the sight of the other demons reverbarates through the air, making Sapnap take a step back from where the others have stopped, Bad stepping forth like he's shielding him.

"I did not think that you'd align yourselves with human scoundrels. You even dragged him into this", and something about his words has the heroes tensing and shuffling, but maybe it's Xornoth's voice making their own bones ache. Tommy finds that he and Ranboo are lucky enough to be far away enough to not be getting the worst of the effects. Regardless, it is clear to them that this is a distraction because The Listener is struggling with Tubbo suddenly being acrophobic; they haven't made good distance from the heroes yet.

But Dream isn't distracted, apparent by the way that golden energy weaves against his back, light filling the otherwise dark road. Wings materialize behind him, similar to the ones they'd witnessed in his fight against The Watcher- and they already know what that means for their friend. The green-clad hero does not hesitate to take flight when there is a click, and the villain furls to the side, successfully dodging the oncoming attack -a little clumsily but it's a dodge nonetheless.

There is a mist swiftly surrounding 404, filled with his famous mushroom sleep spores. His demonic teammates remain unaffected due to their nature of being in spite of their proximity. One of Jumbo's Potats is enough to break them up, however, and Pearlescent rushes after the demon duo, Xornoth remaining in the space between the two villains.

They are protecting them; keeping them safe and sound. Even the darned demon is doing just that and even if it's an order by Pearlescent Moon, it is greatly appreciated.

Tommy hears Tubbo shout and yell quite loudly, and it makes his skin crawl. Before he can comprehend what is happening, he is rushing out of the bushes with Ranboo hot on his heels.

"Oi! Leave him alone, fuckfaces!"

Pearlescent seems to have stuff under control on her part, already working her magic on the two demons who are slowly falling for her spell. Like a snake charmer and the cobra, or like a siren in the sea and a pirate ship of men, she sings a beautiful hymn that easily overpowers the sounds of exploding Potats. Sapnap is already stumbling, hands to his ears but BBH is putting up some resistance.

Briefly, Tommy wonders if the woman's power has the same properties as a drug; when you need more and more of the stupid thing to feel shit. Drugs are bad. Don't do them kids.

"End, think you can throw me at them?", Tommy asks, eyes glued on the fight in the skies; on the hero and the villain and Tubbo screeching at the top of his lungs. There is a hand on his shoulder, and immediately, he knows the answer and he jumps- his body shrinks, a furry raccoon with a bandana replacing him as Ranboo's hand grips his collar.

He is kneaded into a tight ball of fur and he hisses in displeasure. He feels like an armadillo and the analogy to those peasant creatures is not at all pleasant. Ranboo has always been a better basketball player than Tubbo, as was proven a long ass time ago in the yard of a school (after-hours with some neighborhood gang of kids; of course, their trio won with Ranboo towering over everyone else).

Ranboo halts in his steps, raises his arm, aims and throws like his life is depending on it. Tommy can feel the air rushing past him as he zips through; he can feel his body taking on an oval shape due to the incredible force he's been thrown with. He can barely see through the fur in his face and the constant, speedy rotation that makes him want to vomit does not make things easier.

He misses The Listener completely, a mess of clicks assaulting his ears as he passes by and hits the bull's eye: Dream's fucking mask, and he clings at the edges of it with his paws. They are so high off the ground that he doesn't dare lighten his grip- he doubts Ranboo will catch him in the mess of villains and heroes.

"What the! A raccoon!", Dream shouts in distress and Tommy can't help but cackle like the little menace that he is. He moves a paw on the smooth, porcelain surface of the mask and he grips and scratches. The way the material gives way to his claws is the most satisfying thing he's ever had the pleasure of hearing.

The distraction gives The Listener time to distance himself from the hero but Tubbo is still yelling profanities and it must be disorientating to a guy who can only hear. It is perfectly clear in the way he doesn't fly away, how the clicks silence to tell Tubbee to quiet down-

Tommy wiggles away from the hands that try to snatch him- they catch onto him and catch on his fur and tug. He repays the favor with more scratching and angry chittering. And then, there is a zap on his size, electricity making him flinch and muscles spasm.

"Scram, filthy creature! I've had enough!", it's not Dream's voice that says it. It's not a familiar one either and he has no idea where it came from but he can feel his limbs turn to jelly. The hero detaches him from his mask and in an effort to get away, Tommy wiggles and wiggles until he slips out of the grip.

And he falls.A zip of lightning and The Listener is falling after him, Tubbo's wings buzzing in an attempt to soften the fall. Tommy lands in long, gentle hands as Ranboo teleports to the spot he would have fallen but the villain is not so lucky, falling on the top of a nearby hill, Tubbo on top of him. The two of them look towards the other villains, whose movements have grown sluggish thanks to 404; Pearlescent's control is wavering, Xornoth ramming horns with BBH as she orders Sapnap to go against his teammates. Jumbo is busy throwing spuds, his aim shaky and missing half the time.

It's a fucking mess and Tubbo is uprotected in the open space, against a hero that could put him down in a heartbeat. They can already see Dream weaving a weapon of some kind and that's their cue to run; run to Tubbo's side, that is. Ranboo is quick with his teleports, barely getting a break between each one but they arrive on time anyway.

The hero has a catch pole on one hand while he holds a sparkling axe in his other, pointing it towards Tubbo, who is standing his ground on top of The Listener. The villain is lying flat on his stomach, blood running down his face from a wound hidden by the hood and fluffy, blond tufts of hair.

"What are you three doing here? Training to become villains?"

It's a hit to their ego, to the beliefs they've set for themselves. Tommy chitters angrily, hissing at the hero who merely chuckles.

"Stay back and no one gets hurt, green fuck", Tubbo warns. The Listener twitches, beginning to stir, milky white eyes opening just enough to be noticeable. He pushes himself up to his knees.

Dream doesn't reply, only advances on them, silently and intimidatingly, the pole threatening the villain who sways even on his knees. It must've been a bad landing. Tommy hops from Ranboo's hands to Tubbo's shoulders and he climbs up until he's hunched.

"Tubbee, RaccoonInnit, stand down", The Listener commands. He reaches behind him, hand grabbing towards Ranboo's direction. The endborn reaches over and helps him to his feet, or as much to his feet as the villain will allow. "Please, Endwalker, forgive me"

And Ranboo screeches at the top of his lungs like he's being gutted; gutted like a fish. When Tubbo and Tommy look back, they only see a bright light emitting from where The Listener is gripping the other's wrist, smoke rising like the touch itself is burning the boy like water. The villain grabs the two of them when they rush to pull the two away and suddenly, the world swirls.

Tommy feels like the world is disappearing beneath his feet as he falls off the shoulder he's on, thrown off balance by the nauseating effect that has muddled his brain.

The world twists in on itself for only a second and all sound cuts off. Reality shifts itself around them, the very soul of it tearing apart to enclose them in cold and nothingness. One moment, they were standing on solid ground and the next, they were floating in a void.