“Don’t you turn against me!” Tears rolled down her cheeks as he shouted at her. Harsh winds whipped a few wispy curls across her face.

“I don’t know you anymore!” She cried, “-Vincent, you’re breaking my heart! You’re going down a path I can’t follow!” The shadowy figure loomed over her.

“Because of the Guardians?” He tilted his head slightly, eyes empty. She shook her head.

“Because of what you’ve done-- what you plan to do.” She took his arm, “-Stop! Stop now, come back! I love you!” He pushed her away as he saw the figure lurking just behind her.

The gold of his suit reflected the fiery lighting.

“Liar!” She glanced back just as the other hero stepped forward.

“No!” She cried. The villain before her took a few terrifying steps closer, forcing her to stumble back.

“You’re with him! You’ve brought him here to kill me!” He raised a hand, and she started to choke. All the while pleading and protesting.

Her face was so clear in that moment. Familiar stormy blue eyes wide with fear. Blonde hair twisted back in some sort of intricate braid that fell down her back. She raised her hands to her neck as she gasped for air.

The other hero charged forward.

“Let her go, Muse!”

Tommy sat bolt upright in bed, gasping for air as he raised his hands to his own neck.

No force-choking to report. Just another nightmare.

“Tommy?” Tommy was a little closer to hypereventilating than he would have liked. He glanced up as his uncle appeared at his bedside, watery eyes open wide.

“It’s okay, buddy. Just a nightmare. You’re okay.” Marcus murmured as he sank onto the bed and reached for Tommy.

Tommy practically threw himself forward, burying his face in the material of Marcus’s t-shirt. He squeezed his eyes shut tight as he let his uncle envelop him in his arms.

“Hey, shhhhh. I gotcha.” Marcus patted Tommy’s back lightly as he held him.

“Mom again.” Tommy just barely managed to choke the words out. He felt his uncle’s arms tense a bit.

“I’m so sorry.” He kissed Tommy’s temple, “-It’s my fault. We should have waited to tell you the truth, I just thought-” Tommy started to shake his head, pulling away just far enough to speak more clearly.

“No, it’s not- I wanted to know. I’m old enough.” He insisted. And he felt like he was. He’d like to think he’d taken the news well.

It didn’t really change much about his life. He still lived with his aunt and uncle and cousins. Still looked after his little sisters. And his mother had still died when he was a toddler.

He just knew now not to hold out any hope that his father would appear someday and decide to be an active participant in their lives. And he knew that if the man did show up, then there was probably a jailbreak and a much larger issue involved.

Tommy had known the truth for a few months now. It didn’t usually bother him so much. It was just…when Uncle Phil had let him spend the night…

“It was Star Wars.” Tommy muttered sheepishly. His uncle raised an eyebrow, awaiting a better explanation.

“Uncle Phil showed me the prequels. And I thought-- I thought of them.” Marcus’s expression soured a bit, illuminated by the dim glow of Tommy’s little nightlight that he “just kept forgetting” to unplug and remove.

“I told Phil no Star Wars.” 

“I’m thirteen.” Tommy protested. Marcus reached to ruffle his hair.

“That doesn’t mean you were ready.” Tommy tried to come up with an argument.

He had nothing.

“I’m okay.” He said instead. Marcus threaded his fingers through Tommy’s curls loosely.

“Do you want any water or anything?” Tommy frowned.

His eyelids were still heavy. The digital clock on his nightstand informed him that it was very much still the middle of the night.

“I don’t think so.” He sighed as he considered it a bit more, “-I think I’m good. I can sleep.” He scrubbed at his eyes with his fists.

“Are you sure?” Tommy yawned.

“Yeah.”

“You don’t need anything at all?” Uncle Marcus fussed. Tommy’s frown returned.

He pressed close for another quick hug. Marcus hugged him back in half a heartbeat, strong arms making him feel as secure as they always did.

“Now I’m good.” Tommy decided as he let go. Marcus pulled the blankets up to Tommy’s chin as he laid back down.

“Get some rest, kiddo. School in the morning.” He patted Tommy’s shoulder lightly. Tommy groaned dramatically.

“Don’t remind me.” Marcus pulled the door mostly closed until it was only partially ajar.

“I love you.” He murmured. And Tommy almost smiled as he closed his eyes.

“Another year, another lemonade stand?” Principal Summers stood a few feet away from their makeshift table, her arms crossed.

The four of them certainly looked…peculiar, sitting behind a slanted table with a scribbled out sign and little plastic cups lined up next to the mostly empty pitcher.

They set up a lemonade stand every year to help facilitate tablet distributions. Students from other schools could drop by with minimal suspicion. Students that they didn’t come across during their daily class schedules could find them at the stand. It was a good strategy.

It was Purpled’s idea. Of course.

“Yes ma’am.” Ranboo confirmed. Tommy gave an anxious thumbs up.

They had just gotten quite the earful from the vice principal. He was not eager to repeat the experience.

“Still not charging?” She raised an eyebrow.

“We enjoy giving back to…the people.” Tommy supplied. An amused smile twitched at the corner of the principal’s mouth.

“I see.” She stepped forward, sliding a twenty dollar bill across the table before grabbing a little plastic cup of what was technically lemonade.

She always paid them for the shitty lemonade. She always paid them way too much for the shitty lemonade. They’d long since given up on trying to deny payment.

She took a sip as she stood in front of the stand. Tommy was impressed that she managed not to make a face. Years of dealing with petulant students and her less than pleasant vice principal, he supposed.

“You know what? Not as bad as last year.” She commented pleasantly. Ranboo glanced sideways at Tubbo.

“What’d you do different, Tubbo?” Tubbo shrugged.

“I have no idea.”

“We don’t need a permit, do we?” Tommy squinted up at Principal Summers. She furrowed her brow as she peered back at him, waiting for him to elaborate.

“Theno was pretty adamant that we shouldn’t be here without a permit.” Ranboo explained.

“She didn’t like it when I told her we were just handing it out for free…for the people.” Tommy added with a dramatic sigh. Principal Summers looked rather amused at that.

“Your lemonade stand is fine. We’ll say you have my official sanctions.” She assured them. Tommy slowly glanced sideways at Purpled.

“Sanctions are permissions. That’s a good thing.” Purpled stated flatly. He was sitting slouched in his seat, his arms constantly crossed. Quiet, mostly, unless directly addressed.

“Right, no I knew that.” Tommy scoffed.

“Good luck at your tournament tomorrow, Purpled. I’m sure you’ll do great.” Principal Summers offered him a genuine smile.

Purpled shifted in his seat, rolling his shoulders a bit as he received the casual positive attention. He let his arms rest in his lap as he sat up. Tommy didn’t typically see Purpled do much with his face but scowl, but his expression seemed to crack as he peered up at the principal.

“Thank you.” He said quietly. Principal Summers gestured wide with her lemonade cup.

“And good luck with…the people.” She looked amused again. She nodded to them before heading towards the entrance of the building.

Tommy reached for a cup as he watched her walk away.

“Is it really better this year?” He took a sip.

He whirled around and spat the lemonade all over the side of the building.

“No. Worse. I actually think it’s worse.”

“You know what? You make the lemonade next year.” Tubbo huffed.

“Sure thing.” Tommy took a swig from the water bottle he’d kept from lunch.

“And no asking Puffy to make it for you.” Tubbo added. Tommy rolled his eyes as he twisted the cap back over his water bottle.

“Whatever.”

“No Foolish, either.”

“Well now you’re just being unreasonable.”

They continued to bicker, with Ranboo trying and failing to mediate. Purpled ignored them as he helped an anxious freshman that he’d been watching psych herself up to approach the stand.

She was new. She’d never met any of them before. She’d probably heard of their operation through friends.

She was a blubbering mess by the time she finally stood on the other side of the table. Purpled didn’t interrupt her. He let her talk and brought out their spare mint container.

She hesitated, opening her hand as he gestured towards her. Purpled poured a tablet into her waiting palm, sealed the container, and tucked it back into his pocket.

The freshman was in tears all over again.

“Thank you.”

Purpled wasn’t able to feel proud of his work and accomplishments very often. But he felt a sort of pride then. A greater sense of the impact that they were having on the community, the choices that they were opening up for so many people.

If nothing else mattered, this did. This was good.

Tommy and Tubbo didn’t stop bickering until Tubbo’s phone started buzzing on the table.

Tubbo checked the notification and grimaced.

“Bank robbery in progress. Only a few blocks away.” Ranboo and Tommy exchanged a glance. Tubbo just looked at Purpled.

“I can stay. You can go.” Purpled said without glancing over.

“Are you sure?” Ranboo frowned. Purpled finally looked at the three of them as he raised an eyebrow.

“I can sit here for a bit, clean up a table, and dump shitty lemonade, yes.” Tommy patted Purpled’s shoulder.

“You’re a legend.” He declared.

“Okay.” Purpled sighed.

“Thanks, Purpled!” Ranboo patted Purpled’s other shoulder as he stood. Purpled just stayed as he was, staring forward.

“Sure.”