“You can’t fit everything you know in a bottle for you to show”
“ Breaking news- Once again a hybrid has gone crazy downtown at Prime Path Mall. Two were injured before the police could arrive. They are currently in the hospital being treated for their wounds. Minimal damage was done to the shop and the hybrid responsible has been stopped and brought into police custody. Back to you John.”
“Thank you Morgan. Man these hybrid attacks just seem to be getting more and more common as the months continue. Hybrids are going to have to get into control of their instincts or Mayor Schlatt is going to have no choice but to create some new laws restricting some of them.”
“Mayor Schlatt, One Hybrid that has never seemed to have an issue with his instincts. It just goes to show if hybrids really wanted to they could just cut off-”
“That's it I can’t listen to them anymore,” Tommy muttered, shutting off the TV that seemed to be on its last leg. “All they do is blame the hybrids but do ever stop to think what maybe could have set them off? No! it's always the hybrids fault,” He ranted, his feathers puffing up as they often did when he got excited.
“I know, but maybe let's put the wings away before the only window we have is broken and it is the hybrids fault,” Tubbo suggested, earning a small glare back. He had already been smacked once that day and he really didn't want it to happen again to him or the window they couldn't afford to have replaced. For as fluffy and pretty Tommy’s wings were they were quite hard and painful if you were hit by one.
Tommy just sighed listening as he pulled his wings against his back again “It's just annoying Tubzo. A third of the population are hybrids and that number is growing daily but the humans can't seem to wrap their heads around that fact and keep blaming us for everything and anything that happens.” he continued ranting, flopping onto the couch near Tubbo when he was done. He shifted as he felt the pokey part of a spring press against his thigh “The whole Mayor Schlatt stuff is dumb as well half the time hes not even sober enough for any of his ‘hybrid instincts’ to take over as they have so eloquently decided to put it.”
“Big man I know you don’t have to preach it to me,” Tubbo chuckled, leaning against the avian hybrid next to him. He knew plenty about the injustices to hybrids done constantly. Mainly because he was a hybrid as well but if normal, regular, human people just looked they would see it just as easily too. But why would you try to see someone elses side if your side was shoved into others brains constantly?
“Oi clingy bitch get off,” Tommy exclaimed, shoving Tubbo off him with a huff. He knew Tubbo understood he just needed to rant, nothing about the hybrid vs. human situation seemed right to him and it was all annoying. Even if some of their top heroes were hybrids. They were only looked up to and praised because they were slightly useful to them. Humans just couldn't take change that much has been made plainly clear in the past few days.
For some reason it seems the ‘hybrid’ crime rate has gone up. Or at least that's what the police and news stations are saying. Tommy knows for a fact that it’s a lie. He has been on the streets almost every night and more often than not it’s a normal human stealing old lady’s purses and parked cars. But as of lately they've been getting smarter and have been pretending to be hybrids but getting fake horns or ears. He has even met one who grabbed some childrens fairy wings from a dollar store and tried saying he was a butterfly hybrid. Tommy had a field day that night. The man wasn't hurt, not one scrape to his body, not one hair missing but he was probably quite traumatized and will not be going anywhere near a ferris wheel or anywhere high for quite some time.
Tubbo huffed, “Maybe I wouldn’t be so clingy if you just let me be clingy once in a while,” he reached out brushing his finger lightly against one of Tommy’s wings, “Will you let me try preening them today?” he asked hopefully.
Tommy just about never let Tubbo touch him and that was no different when it came to preening. Avian hybrids were told to preen around once a day, if they missed a day it wouldn’t be the end of the world just a little uncomfortable. Tommy has gone about 2 months without preening this time. His record was 5 or 6 years and that was before he met Tubbo. See avian hybrids have trouble preening on their own, they can get the edge of their wings usually but not their full wings and with Tommy being on his own for quite a while... preening his wings wasn't something that happened often or actually ever. When he finally did meet Tubbo it took a while for Tubbo to convince him to let him touch his wings and even then it took several meltdowns till it was done. Tubbo wasn’t sure what happened to his friend to make him so averse to touch but he wouldn’t pry and has come to accept it asking or at least getting off when told no every once in while though Tommy seemed to give in and let Tubbo be as clingy as he wanted.
Tommy will let Tubbo preen him every once in a while usually on those rare clingy days but not often enough and today was no exception because right after he finished asking a ping from the computer sounded through the room.
Tommy grinned “Sorry big man but I believe I was just saved by the bell- or well ping,” hopping up he went to grab his suit which was actually just a red hoodie with some well placed cut outs for his wings and a piece of fabric he wrapped around his eyes, which he could still see out of, it hid his identity fairly well with the hood and night covering him besides even if it wasn't the greatest the media barely even knew about him. “Vigilantism waits for no man or well preening in this case,” he said, throwing on his hoodie maneuvering and his wings into the slots with practiced ease.
“Yeah, yeah I’ll convince you eventually. Till then it seems a blaze hybrid has gone a little insane beside the hospital and the police aren’t sure what to do.”
“Heroes?”
“What a surprise none have seemed to even think about showing up yet so you're in the clear,” he said the first purely sarcasm. He turned just in time to see Tommy jump out the window with a small salute before flying off in the direction of the hospital.
**
Tommy was such a new vigilante who worked mainly in the shadows almost no one
knew who he was or that he even existed. Today that seemed like it was going to change and not in a good way.
The blaze was much stronger then he originally believed and he hugely underestimated which landed him a fireball to the shoulder and now he was currently dodging fireballs left and right. Leaving little time for him to actually try and stop him. Tubbo has gone silent and he wasn't sure if that was because he was trying to let Tommy focus or that first fireball that hit him rendered it useless.
He was more than kinda getting annoyed with all these fireballs or maybe because at some point the new station arrived and lights kept flashing around him that he was annoyed but either way he felt the wind pick up around him right at the same time one of those annoying fireballs was launched at his face. Without thinking about it he moved his head and made the wind push it away… in the wrong direction.
Everything seemed to stop as soon as he realized where that fireball was now going. Straight towards the hospital. This whole time he's been managing to keep them going towards the ground or the river right beside them so as to not harm anyone or anything but now he's pushed one straight towards the hospital and if it hit, it was definitely all his fault but there was no way he could stop it now or at least there wasn't a way his brain supplied before it hit the building easily lighting it aflame.
Tommy couldn’t tell you what happened next all he knows is that he managed to stop the hybrid and throw him towards the police before he flew off glancing back just as he saw the fire trucks arrive one of the lesser heroes right behind him. The hero is too late to grab him but right on time to take the hybrid somewhere to get help.
He glanced behind him right before the hospital went out from his view, his heart sinking as he saw that at least a fourth of the outside was covered in red flames. He winced as he sped up it seemed adrenaline had worn off and the burn was a bit worse than he originally believed. One thing was for sure Tubbo was going to kill him.
**
Tommy hissed as cold water dripped over the burn, accidentally letting a small pained chirp slip out. Tubbo instantly felt bad any previous anger slipped away for the moment “I know, I'm really sorry I don't have anything to numb it with at the moment though so just hold on a little longer.”
“I know, it’s okay just ignore me and just continue it’s my own fault anyway,” he said instantly gasping and grabbing onto Tubbo’s shirt as the cold wet cloth was gently placed on the burn
“There you go it's okay just leave that on there for a bit and i’ll do more to it later. The object is just to cool it down and stop it from doing any more damage before I apply some lotion and wrap it up,” he explained, letting Tommy ease up and let go of his shirt before sitting beside him. “Hey you realize tonight wasn’t truly all your fault right?” he asked gently, taking notice of how distraught the avian looked next to him and he was pretty sure it wasn’t all because of his shoulder.
“I was trying to help but I'm pretty sure I just hurt more people then that blaze would have if I hadn’t stepped in,” he muttered looking at him. He already had imagined just how many people he had hurt tonight and it didn't help the more he thought about it the worse the damage got he already convinced himself he killed a couple people.
“Tommy I know you haven’t picked up your phone since you left but no one got hurt, not even a scratch. Everyone was evacuated to the opposite side of the building as soon as the blaze hybrid was spotted. And the fire was easily put out. The siding was only a little melted in the end. Even with the melting it's not like the hospital doesn't have money to easily fix it.” Tubbo explained picking up his own phone and showing him everything. “And if you're worried about your new found fame and how it is already tarnished, they’re assuming you’re blind because of the fabric you tie around your eyes so they aren’t even blaming you for maneuvering the fireball towards the building.”
“Seriously?” He asked taking the phone from Tubbo, skimming over the quickly put together article. Noticing how everything he said was true. They hadn’t even given vigilante Tommy a name but as he skimmed through the comments he found plenty of people throwing around ideas a lot seeming to center around Icarus giving the wings he had and the fire that burned him.
He didn’t really care what they called him to be honest and he had
hadn’t ever given any true thought to a name himself he was pretty content to stay in the background and help. Though, with the sudden news and people already analyzing him he doubted he would stay under the radar for any longer.
“It’s pretty cool isn’t it?” Tubbo said grinning “You’re finally getting some recognition. Though I think the heroes will start to be a bit more of a problem now. I’m sure you can handle them though.”
Tommy smiled slightly hearing his friend’s easily placed faith in him. “No, we can handle them together.” Wincing when he remembered the earpiece, “Well we can when we get a new ear piece,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck with his good arm.
“Seriously Tommy.”
****
Thank you for Reading!
I cannot guarantee a constant update schedule as I am a busy band kid but it is concert season so more time? perhaps
If you have any suggestions or ideas please let me know!
**
This story is inspired by the song 'Ship in a Bottle' by, Steffan (fin) Argus
if you havent checked the song out please do you can find it on Spotify, Youtube, and Apple Music
(AO3 Gets the update first you can find it under the author name Varsea :))