Tommy's Ultra-Important Keychain

Chapter 16: Naming is hard and stupid

"Get up."

Tommy gasped for air. His lungs, bruised and frantic, burned with each breath. Through the blur in his vision, he watched a black-clad figure step closer. He scrambled backwards, but his limbs protested with sharp pains.

Icarus sneered. "You're weak."

"Shut up," Tommy huffed. "You're cheating."

His mentor laughed, "I'm not even wearing my key. I'm powerless and pathetic without it, remember?"

"You've put me on my ass twelve times now." Tommy stood, brushing himself off. The abandoned warehouse where they were sparring wasn't wonderfully clean. He loathed to think of his growing laundry pile at home.

When Wilbur had first received Tommy's message about learning how to fight, he'd been way too excited. His apprentice considered quitting just to wipe that stupid smile off his face. He only let it continue because he needed to know how to beat up his bullies. No other reason.

Their first lesson started two days after he sent the text message. Tommy hadn't been expecting his mentor to drag him to the east side of town in full costume, but thirty minutes later, they were flailing around in a dimly-lit building.

Wilbur said it was to help Tommy get used to fighting someone else in costume. As soon as Eret finished his, he would also start wearing it to their practices. Tommy allowed himself to be a little excited at the thought.

The basics were simple enough to grasp, although Wilbur had far too much to say about his form. They beat up a punching bag for the majority of the time. Tommy was supremely glad that Niki's intense workout sessions had built up his stamina.

At the end, Wilbur suggested they spar. It was frankly terrifying how quickly his mentor could move, especially with how tall and crinkly he was. Tommy didn't receive an inch of mercy. He had a long way to go before he could fight back to any degree.

They'd been training every single night for two weeks. Wilbur let him rest on days where Niki was especially harsh, but even then, they got a little practice in. The biggest thing he'd learned was that his pain tolerance did not apply to whatever went on inside his body; aching muscles, sore throats, and cramps were a daily plague.

"Why do we have to rush this much," Tommy asked, despite knowing the answer.

Wilbur was in a hurry to prepare him for his debut. They'd settled on a date, and it wasn't flexible. Phil said it was a perfect chance to make his mark on the world, and all before his senior year of high school began.

Tommy wasn't the only one under pressure of a deadline; Wilbur needed to trust that he could defend himself well enough to even debut in the first place, Phil was arranging the small details, and Techno was managing the business and media while the other two were distracted.

Techno's role had surprised him at first. Apparently, villains cared about PR. It was ever-so-slightly different from the way the heroes marketed themselves, but it was very interesting. The Corporation had to keep up their guise of being these horrible, terrible people even when they weren't making many public appearances.

"We're rushing because you're shit," Wil grumbled to his apprentice.

"You're so mean to me," Tommy said.

"Well, yeah," his mentor replied. "I'm evil."

There were two weeks left before Tommy was set to debut. He wasn't ready. Not even close.

Eret had finished the costume a few days prior, but when he went to try it on, she wasn't satisfied. Wilbur reasoned that it was because he had gained muscles since they originally took his measurements. Tommy thought it fit fine, but if the designer saw an issue, there was no point in arguing.