Chapter Text
Her eyes opens slowly as the crimson sky bleeds through her window, into a furnished bedroom. Tomme can hear a soft groan from across her room. She looks to the sound as her eyes lands on the familiar anime blanket covering a body on a familiar cot. The only person that Tomme will only fight along side with and protect.
"Hero, does your dad know your here?" A question Tomme feels like she has asked this question far too many times since Mister told Tomme that it is okay for Hero to come over every now and than. Those numbers are almost frequent to 4-5 times a week.
Hero stretches while sitting up, yawning followed with rubbing sleep from her own eyes and stretching her arms while yawning and replying. "My dad and Uncle both said I can come over whenever I want. Remember?"
"Okay. Just don't get squeemish as I filter out the emotions from this dream." Tomme gets up, and heads to her vanity. Clean and empty syringes sits on the top as she lines up a needle over one of the two dot scars on her neck. A clear sign she does this a lot.
"Again!? How many dreams is that this month?" Hero sounds concern, watching Tomme with practiced ease remove some static snow liquid into the syringe, only to plunge it back into the same spot. Tomme does this several times, the static growing more still and black until the liquid is just black.
"Since the start of the month? Every night." Tomme carefully removes the needle from her neck, tossing thr syringe into a small can with other similarly discarded needles. "It's never been this bad before at least."
"Sounds like the Doodler is growing either restless or is becoming more aware." Hero frowns, looking to the bin of the used needles. "Norm has detention today. We can train, or you can feed me any new information Uncle Lark told you."
Tomme frowns a bit at what Hero is really wanting. Information about her dad's and uncles trip starting today. "Don't we have field and track training today?" She places what looks to be a heavy black veil on her head, hiding her face. An item that allows Tomme to exist and still be unseen, the Forget Me Mask.
Hero sighs deeply and dramatically. "I have field and track. YOU sit in the bleachers to read your books!"
"I support you."
"I am the only one who knows your there! It feels...wrong and somehow unhealthy. I wish you could ignore Uncle Lark's orders and be rid of that shackle you always wear." Hero points to the ceil obscuring Tomme's face. "Be yourself for a change."
Tomme slips a black bodice on with far too many laces and ribbons. "Mister saved me after my parents went mad. I owe him my life, and intend to pay him back in full."
"I also find it weird you don't call Uncle Lark dad. Was that really your choice? Or his?" Hero asks, eyeing Tomme with deep suspicion. It does seem odd at least. Tomme knows of other orphans who address their adopted parents as such. She just don't understand why she does not.
"Mine." She turns to get Hero to lace up the bodice. Feeling it cinch up as they talked. "Please drop my relationship with your uncle. I don't want to think about him as I get ready for school. Nor your dad while we are at it."
Hero ties off the bodice on Tomme, then proceeds to dress into her own Track and Field Varcity practice uniform. "Did he say anything new about the Doodler? Or taught you any new spells? Anything you can teach me?"
Tomme pulls up an equally long and black skirt. Even more ribbons and lace than the bodice. She then sits on her bed to pull on her own socks and combat boots.
"He told me about a kidnapper from when he was younger. This kidnapper tried to kill his own son. Hurt him and his friends, your dad included, and messed with them. This kidnapper is now forever locked away, and based on what I was told, he should stay there."
"Did this kidnapper have a name?"
"Yeah. Willy Stampler." Hearing her mouth the name sent a shiver down her own spine. Tomme blames the fear on how Lark told her about him. Like she was really too young to know.
Hero frowns, trying to catch at anything she might have learned about this person. "Wait, Stampler? As in Ron Stampler? Pantless Ron? Hi, I'm Ron Ron?"
Tomme tries to follow Hero's connections, shrugging and standing up. "Maybe? Though I found it very weird that your dad and uncle were perfectly comfortable with you, Normal, and me being around him without his pants on."
"That was very weird, though Ron was sweet. He gave you a piece of candy." Hero perks up, then immediately looked upset at her own comment.
"From where? He only wore boxers!"
"I don't know. I just know it is a memory I cherish. It was the last time you were genuinly happy. That was almost 10 years ago."
"Has... has it been that long?"
"Yeah." The mood soured between the two at this. Tomme leads Hero out of her home and begins to walk to the school in silence. "I'll go to practice, alone. Don't show up. Spend today to learn how to smile, and why. This is your homework assignment, and I expect a report tonight after dinner."
Tomme rolls her eyes. "Fine. Just be safe at practice. I really don't think the Javalin Tossers should be there." Tomme lets her body relax as Hero hugs her quickly. "I will go to the school first, then walk around San Dimos, and look for my smile."
Hero would continue to talk about the most recent fantasy anime on the way to school, and based on the description, the two will end up watching it at her home late into the night, as they always do on Saturday. Though, something feeling told Tomme that this will not be happening tonight.
Tomme seperates from Hero, and stood at the school entrance trying to figure out what to do next. Going to get some Swallows Ice Cream seemed like a good idea, if it wasn't interrupted by an unfamiliar shape. Noticing the Limo parked in front when Normal started to scream in protest. She looks towards him and three other students, watching one being man handled and placed in the back of the limo. Tomme acts quickly, summoning an unseen servant and having it follow Normal. Ice cream plans, cancelled.
The limo doors shut, and the driver pulls away from the curb it parked next to. Tomme follows the vehicle at first. When she looses track of that, she follows the magic trace her unseen servant leaves behind.
The black dot known as a sun is high in the sky when she arrives to the worn down and remains of the D.A.D.D.I.E.S. Head Quarters. Limo and the under classmen all not in sight. Broken glass on the building entrance tells her nothing more. She looks around, watching some humans move in an ambling, zombie like walk. Tomme pulls a book out, opens a page, and touches it. Her hand sparks to life as the page disolves, and lightning shoots from her finger tips. She hits her target, then proceeds to redirect her lightning bolt spell to hit others. Another item for her to use, and happy she brought it along. The Tome of Componites. Refilling will take time, right now, she needs to stop these...ghouls?
The behavior was confusing Tomme. They were not charging at her. They didn't seem interested in her. She was also growing weaker in fighting them. "Forget that." She whirls up some powerful wind spell as a cars engine roars to life within the building. The winds throw all the remaining ghouls back away from herself and the unguarded entrance. Tomme pants slightly from the casting, doing it again. "...Not enough..." Tomme readies another lightning bolt spell from her tome. "They need to back off!" She moves to block the entrance, throwing another lightning bolt. She is uncertain how many more she threw before gunfire cracks behind her. Tomme glances behind herself, seeing an unfamiliar woman firing at the ghouls. She moves aside, making her own way away from the building. Whoever she is, she is good.
Tomme looks back to the delapitated building. It should be unoppertable, and yet it feels wrong. Something is going on involving Normal. A frown growing on her face as she heads back to her now empty home.
"Today, I want you to find your smile, and why." Hero's voice echos in Tomme's head. She sighs. "Sorry, bestie. I know you're too scared to do your destiny. Looks like it stays in your family. I need to protect you both on ny own." Tomme gets to her empty home, removes her veil and start her dinner. She felt famished after walking and spell casting all day. Her thoughts racing on what was going on at the old HQ. Why is it in operation? Lark had told both of them it was no longer in operation. It was is clearly up and running. Tomme didn't realized how lost she was in her thoughts until a familiar touch presses against her shoulder. Her eyes focus on Hero's face suddenly being there.
"You okay!?" Hero asks, looking over Tomme. "You look so worn out, what happened?"
"...Hero?" Tomme's throat hurt to speak. "I think Normal is in trouble."