Tommy's Ultra-Important Keychain

Chapter 38: Run

Tommy deadpanned. "Phil."

"Yes, Tommy?" Phil glanced up from his place on the floor, seated next to Kristin and Techno. Wilbur, with a smug look on his face, knew what was coming before it was even out of his apprentice's mouth.

"When you said it would be easy to master the Shifter Key," he hummed. "Did you forget you were training me?"

"Of course not, mate. Why would you think that?"

"I dunno. Something tells me you have a different impression about me and my studying habits." Tommy kicked at the pile of biology textbooks and watched them topple over with twisted delight. "See, I mostly wing-it when it comes to science tests. They're not really my thing."

"I see," Phil laughed. At the mention of wings, the shadows on the older man's back fluffed considerably. They'd made great progress in their recovery, even managing to lift Phil a few inches off the ground if he forced it. Wilbur predicted that Midnight would be slow, but operational, in time for the Unity Ball. Two weeks away.

"You're gonna have to suck it up this time, gremlin," Wilbur huffed. His body blocked the door, currently the only escape from the warehouse-turned-school. Tommy was pissed his mentor had enough foresight to do so. Without the guard, the apprentice would've been halfway home already. "This is how you're gonna get more powerful."

"I should just kill you and absorb your power instead," Tommy bit back. Phil snorted, stealing the blonde boy's attention. "You are not off the hook, old man. If I open a window, you're cooked."

"Ah, yes, a window," Techno grunted. He had a book on his lap, and didn't bother to meet Tommy's gaze while he spoke, "One of the many we installed in our secret warehouse where we come to not be spied on."

"There are windows," Tommy scoffed. Techno raised an eyebrow, and the apprentice tried to gesture upwards. He noticed in doing this that his windows were actually just skylights. Not even the see-through kind. It was doubtful they opened or let in enough sun to harm Phil. "Fuck all of you guys. Except Kristin."

"Aw," Kristin cooed. She was donning her droopy sunhat and dark glasses again today. "Thanks, Tommy, but I'm not gonna be here for much longer. I'm meeting up for lunch with Niki in a few minutes."

"I am surrounded by traitors."

"It's not that bad, mate," Phil cackled. He kissed his girlfriend goodbye, and Wil held the door for her. "The Shifter Key's secret step is easier than most: You just need to have a comprehensive knowledge of animal anatomy, or a complete understanding of a person's facial structure."

"Should be easy with the Memory Key," Techno commented. Tommy gripped onto the cold metal of the key he rarely carried with him. He had thought it was suspicious they asked him to bring it that day, even though they knew the risks of wearing it for too long consecutively.

"Come on," the older man beckoned. He patted the ground next to him. "Let's get started. These facts aren't going to memorize themselves."

There was no other option. That looming date was creeping closer, and he still couldn't use the Shifter Key. He had never transformed his body parts into that of an animal's or swapped faces with one of his mentors. The most it had done was transform into his and Tubbo's apartment key. If he continued to let it fester in its uselessness, they were certain to fail.

Tommy settled, but he was not happy about it. Techno slapped a book down in his lap, and he flipped to the first page.

Understanding Anatomy 101.

This was going to be a long training session.

~~~~

"Welcome in," someone called. The smell of freshly brewed coffee surrounded Tommy as he entered. The girl behind the counter grimaced. "Oh. It's you."