Santa's Secret Transfic Anthology Vol. 2 / Everyday Sweets #15 (Part 4)

Good Intentions / Bad Redemptions

by SylkWeaver

Sebastian Tinker is the child of a famous super hero family. A family full of famous inventor supers. But unfortunately for him, his power is underwhelming when compared to the rest of his family.

When he unexpectedly develops a second power that's more suited for hero work, he does the most logical thing. He becomes a villain. And also a girl, to protect his identity of course.

Okay, maybe not the MOST logical thing, but he definitely has a good reason! He'll become a hero eventually, there are just some things to take care of before then.

— SylkWeaver

9. Everyman

A map of the building is splayed across the rooftop, Sarah holding the opposing side down while I hold this side. I point towards a door at the back of the building, I marked it out earlier while I was planning this. “We’ll enter here. The door is metal, so I should be able to cut and bend it without triggering the alarm on the lock. The security room is in the basement, and we likely won’t be able to get there before being found. We’ll want to act fast.”

Sarah nods, looking over the map. “It’s a fairly straightforward path up to his personal room. We’ll have to deal with guards at every corner though.”

I nod at that, looking at the tiny marks she had made on the map of the guard positions she remembers. “They shouldn’t be a problem. You’re wearing the shirt I brought you underneath your suit, right?”

She nods, pulling her collar down slightly so I can see. “Yeah. Lighter than I expected it to be. A little big, but I’m glad for the extra protection.”

“Yeah, then the guards shouldn’t be a problem. I’m more worried about the two Supers he has working for him.” I say, reaching into my belt and unfolding two sheets of paper. Each paper explains a Super that Everyman has working for him.

I point to the first paper which depicts a gruff man with wolf ears. “Fadegaze, one hit from him will cause our stamina and energy to deteriorate faster. We want to avoid getting touched by him at all if possible.”

I point to the other paper. “And Pollock. He flings a liquid that he can travel freely through.”

“Did he seriously name himself after the painter?” She asks, unimpressed.

I chuckle at that, shrugging. “I can’t say that it doesn’t fit. More inspired than calling himself ‘paint’.”

I point to a room on an upper floor. “And finally, Everyman’s place.”

She nods solemnly, looking at the map. “What do we do after we beat him?” She asks. No doubt, she could consult her power for the options, but the fact that she cares about my opinion in the matter means a lot.

“We turn him over to the heroes.” I say simply.

“And then?”

I look over at her, noticing her looking at me seriously. I sigh, shifting backwards slightly. “And then, I guess we turn ourselves over. Plea for reform.” I say.

She doesn’t say anything for a bit, but then she nods her head. “Alright.”

I tilt my head at that. “Alright?”

“Yeah,” She shrugs, smiling at me, “I’ve known where we’re heading since I met you. The three outcomes still haven’t changed.”

I quirk an eyebrow at that. “What path are we on?” My tail flicks behind me anxiously.

She smiles at me conspiratorially. “That would be telling.” She looks back at the map. “If you want to become heroes, I’ll join you. I’d rather be a hero with you than a villain without you.”

I smile wide at that. “Well, then. Let’s go bust a gang boss.” I cheer. She smiles, rolling up the map and placing it into a small side pouch. “Do you have the gun I gave you?” I ask her.

“Sure do,” she pulls the high tech glue gun out of its holster. “Remember how to use it, too.”

“Good,” I say, “be careful with it, you don’t want to get yourself stuck in a bad position.”

“Please, this isn’t my first time using a gun. I’ll be careful.” She says, before thinking for a moment. “It’s my second. The first was when you taught me how to use it.”

She sticks her tongue out at me and I shoot her a withering look. There’s nothing for it though, it’s safer in her hands than in mine. If Everyman could manage to manipulate me into shooting her, she wouldn’t be able to dodge it.

“Come on.” I pick Sarah, no, Present Perfect, up bridal carry style and then hop off the building and down to the ground floor. It’s work time, so we’re in Super name mode. I set her down on her feet carefully, trying not to alert the nearby guards. I motion for her to stay where she is, softening the ground beneath my boots as I rush for the two guards.  I hit the first one with a vicious chop to the neck, softening his fall to the floor.

The other guard turns to me, attempting to train his gun on me. I rush forward, covering his mouth and softening the trigger before he can pull it. He pulls the trigger, the metal warping as he does so, but not firing. His eyes go wide in panic as I bring one of my tonfa up to his head. He gets knocked out cold and I lay him on the floor. He might have a headache when he wakes up, and maybe a concussion, but really it’s his fault for working for a gang.

Present Perfect walks over to me as quiet as possible, her tail swishing behind her. “Nice moves.”

I smile, turning to the door. We need to work fast. I soften the door, pressing a button on my tonfas. The blade pops out and I cut through the metal as if it were butter, using my hands to pull the buttery metal apart down the middle. I work it like play-doh to the point that both me and Present Perfect can step through easily. Present Perfect takes the lead, guiding me through the building. She’s been through here once before, so she remembers the map layout the best. We almost make it to the stairs and past several guards when the alarm blares. I curse slightly, taking the lead and rushing towards the stairwell.

A pair of guards are blocking the stairwell and they see us coming. They open fire, bullets flying at us. I soften the bullets, trying to block them from sailing past me at all. I feel Present Perfect pull in closer to me, getting into my radius. A couple of the bullets slip past me and hit her, but the reinforced shirt I gave her combined with my softening power allows her to shrug the shots off easily. As we draw nearer, she slips past me and attacks the guard on the right. I hit him over the head with my tonfa and kick his legs from under him.

With the guards down, we run into the stairwell. I soften the metal door behind us, twisting it so it can’t be opened.

We make it up to the third floor when we hear footsteps above us. Present Perfect turns to me and grabs my arm lightly, “Come on, we can avoid them by taking the other stairwell.” I follow her, twisting the door behind us the same way I did the previous one. We rush across the floor towards the opposing stairwell when someone rushes out of the shadows at us.

He swipes at Present Perfect fiercely, and she skips back several steps to dodge his swipes. “Fadegaze,” She says evenly. He snarls, chasing her down the hallway with her swipes. I’m about to chase after her when I sense a spot on the ground directly behind me bulge outwards and reach out at me.

I dodge forward, looking behind me quickly and finding a hand reaching at me through a splatter of what looks to be orange paint. It retreats quickly back through the puddle. Pollock.

I look around the room and realize that I had overlooked something upon first entering the room. the room is filled with dozens of orange still dripping puddles, even the walls. I take a step back away from the puddles, looking around carefully. A gunshot rings out and I immediately soften the air around me. The bullet hits me in the side, stinging slightly despite it’s softening. I dip backwards at the next shot and it barely misses me.

I take another step back and trip over a hand that appears suddenly. I slow my fall, turning it into a combat roll. I draw too close to a wall and I feel a hand grabbing at me from behind. I pull back, turning to the wall. The hand is already gone. I curse as a shot rings out. I’m too slow in softening it and I fall to one knee. That’s going to bruise in the morning.

I get up and step away from another hand grabbing at my feet. I need to find him fast, I can’t let my guard down. I need to think smarter about this.

Wherever Pollock is, he can clearly still see me. I glance behind myself, seeing that I’m coming up on a wall with lots of paint. Or maybe I need to let my guard down. I press my back against the wall, looking anywhere but the wall.

He falls for the bait.

His arms shoot out of the wall, wrapping around me. “Got ya,” I say quietly, softening his arms. I stretch his arms forward, tying them together like a knot before slipping away from them. “Gee, I sure wonder what would happen if your hands were to leave my two meter radius while tied together like this?” I say out loud. Somewhere from another room, I hear a muffled scream of panic. “Poke your head through one of these portals for me and I’ll untie them.” I yell out.

Slowly, he pokes his head through and I grab a hold of it. I untie his arms with the other hand before knocking him over the head with one of my Tonfas, hard. He falls back through the orange paint like splatter on the wall and I rush over to the room I heard him yelling from. He’s out cold.

I leave the room and find Present Perfect returning from the hall looking slightly winded. Her tail is drooping a little bit behind her, exhaustion setting in. “Glue gun, very useful. He still managed to touch me, before I could glue him down.” I grimace slightly at that, gesturing for her to lead the way. Hopefully we can finish this up before that impedes her.

Two supers down. Only one left to go.

We continue up the opposite staircase, finally reaching the top floor. I open the door carefully, looking for an ambush. Surprisingly, it doesn’t come. We continue forward, eventually coming to a large open room.

“You know, Present Perfect, I thought I had made myself perfectly clear before.” I tense at that, the voice coming from every corner of the room. A man steps out of the far room, stepping into the middle of the room. “You seemed like such a smart girl, too. To think that you would even dare to openly defy me.” I scowl at him, his voice still booming over us at a normal speaking volume.

“Everyman.” I say, looking him over evenly.

“I see you even brought your girlfriend with you, this time.” He sneers, looking at me derisively. “Have you so easily forgotten what it is that I can do?” He asks, bellowing out a laugh. “Oh, wait, of course you have. Silly me.”

I stand up straight, looking him in the eyes. “Everyman. I’d say it’s nice to meet you, but I wouldn’t want to lie to you.”

He snarls at me, pointing a finger at me. “You’d best watch your mouth, you have no idea what I can do.”

I step towards him slowly, keeping my eyes trained on him. “Suit yourself,” He points at my feet and a fire springs out of the ground between us.

I stop, feeling the warmth of the fire as it flicks against my legs. I look down at it, worried. I can feel the fire. Did I misjudge the situation?

“Soft Paw!” Present Perfect is looking at me, worried.

I give her a thumbs up, taking a deep breath. The fire is making my legs feel warm, the flames drifting towards me slightly and flicking at my outfit. I step forward, feeling the fire rage against my legs. I grit my teeth against the pain, taking several more steps forward.

My dress catches fire, the fire slowly crawling upwards and burning my skirt. I smile, feeling some of the pain ease away at that. I finally step out of the fire, my entire body aflame, but none of the pain from before. Everyman is looking at me, eyes wide in disbelief.

“I wasn’t sure about your power before, but I’m more certain now.” I say, brushing the fire off of myself easily. The fire flickers out easily.

“Wh-what do you mean! You can’t possibly know what I can do! I can do anything!” He shouts, panic setting in. A wall shoots up in front of me, blocking him from my sight. I step forward, touching the wall. It feels solid, and it doesn’t budge as I push on it. I pull out one of my Tonfas from its holster, waving it through the wall easily. Just as fake as the fire.

I call out over the wall, “Your power makes me believe whatever you want. Those things are only as real as that belief, though.” I take another step forward, stepping through the wall easily. “And I don’t believe you.”

He smiles nervously, looking at me. “Your mind is just conjuring false memories as you approach me. You think you know what I do, but part of my power is that you can never know what I can do!” He holds a hand out, a knife flying at me. Reflexively, I try to soften it. There’s nothing there to soften.

Panic fills me as the knife pierces my leg, but I continue walking. I try to ignore the pain trying to trick me into believing that any of this is real. I close the distance between us, grabbing his collar and dragging him closer to me. “Sorry, Everyman. Your tricks won’t work on me anymore.” I smile at him and he just smiles conspiratorially.

I frown, eyes widening briefly as I realize that I can’t sense him in my radius. I throw the fake version of him to the ground, looking around frantically. Out of the shadows, all around the room, he steps out of the shadows. Multiple copies of him all around the room.

“It won’t be that easy, I’m afraid.” His voice booms from around us, his doubles stepping closer and closing in around me. “I don’t know how you learned what you did, but now that you know what you know, I’m sorry to say that I can’t let either of you leave here.”

I tense, my eyes shifting around the room carefully. I notice Present Perfect slumping against one of the walls, doubles of Everyman closing in on her. “Close your eyes!” I shout at her, “He can’t make you believe he’s hurting you if you can’t see it!” She nods, clenching her eyes shut.

Several gunshots ring out, flying through the air towards her, but she doesn’t move at all. I turn away, trusting that her power will keep her from getting seriously hurt. I can’t rely on any of my senses to know how she’s doing. I ignore the cries of pain I hear coming from behind me, glancing around the room.

If I was a gang boss with an ability to make people see whatever they’ll believe, where would I be? My eyes drift towards a corner of the room near the stairs. I start making my way towards it, shrugging off the body doubles rushing me. The room spins and suddenly I’m walking away from that corner.

I pause, turning around and looking at it. Bingo. I start to turn around and run for it, but I pause, reaching out with my softening power. I press against the floor, softening it. My foot sinks into the floor.

I didn’t actually get turned around, he’s just making me think that I did. I keep going in the same direction I was, the room spinning around me. I close my eyes, focusing on the sense of my surroundings that my power gives me. The room stops spinning and I continue walking forward.

Someone enters my two meter radius and I soften his legs before he can run. He turns, trying to run, but falls flat on the floor. I reach down, grabbing him by his collar. “Gotcha.”

He’s shaking in my hand, his hands up in surrender. “I c-can see that you’re very capable. Why don’t you join me? Together, we could rule this town!” He glances to the side, looking at Present Perfect. “You and your girlfriend both! You can live comfortably!” He says, smiling at me hopefully.

I frown at that, tapping his head with my Tonfa. “Not gonna happen. I don’t want to rule this town. I want to help it.” He looks at me in confusion, but I don’t give him a chance to respond. I hit him over the head, hard.

The room is still. I walk over to Present Perfect and she looks up at me, completely worn out. “Did we win?” she asks.

I chuckle, reaching down and picking the glue gun out of her fingers. “Yeah, we won.”

I take the gun, gluing Everyman to the floor. My ear twitches to the side, finally able to pick up on the sound of sirens outside. I sigh, looking over at the stairway. Stuffing the glue gun into the back of my belt, I walk back over to Present Perfect. To Sarah, and see that she’s fast asleep. I shake my head at that, picking her up bridal carry style.

I jump down the stairs, softening my descent and landing, jumping down the staircase one flight at a time. Once I’m on the ground floor, I set Sarah down long enough to cut my way through the metal doors.

I can see lights pouring in through the front windows, the sounds of sirens much louder now. I steel my resolve, carrying Sarah with me as I leave the front door. The moment the door opens, I can see dozens of guns trained on me. The heroes are standing between me and the rest of the police force, ready for a fight.

“Soft Paw.” Reflex says slowly. “It figures that you would be here. Do you work for Everyman, now?” He asks carefully. I set Present Perfect down against a nearby wall, turning back to the heroes.

“No. Quite the opposite.” I very slowly pull the glue gun out of the back of my belt, the heroes freezing slightly and then tensing. I drop the gun onto the floor, holding my hands up in surrender. I kick the gun across the floor over to them. “I just finished fighting Everyman, he’s secured upstairs.”

Reflex picks up the gun, testing it against the floor carefully. His eyes meet mine and he searches my face carefully. “Are you surrendering?”

I nod, my tail flicking anxiously behind me. “Yeah. Me and Present Perfect would like to become heroes.”

10. Feather Tinker

Reflex sends Tempo and Ballast in to check on Everyman while he and Burnout keep an eye on me and Present Perfect. I tell them all what Everyman's power is before they head in so that there are no surprises. Burnout looks like he has a question, but he glances at the police around us, ultimately deciding against it.

I'm sitting on the ground next to Present Perfect, making the ground softer for her to sleep on. She hasn't woken up since the battle with Everyman. Some medics come over to check on her and I explain that she had a run in with Fadegaze. They accept this answer, looking her over for only a moment.

After a moment, Ballast returns, confirming what I told them. Police follow her into the building to collect all three villains, Sensate and Tempo accompanying the armored carry to contain any incidents.

"Burnout. An escort has arrived for Soft Paw, please guide her over there." Reflex commands Burnout, his eyes lingering on me for a few seconds. He turns away, watching the building as police escort more armed guards away.

"What about Present Perfect?" I ask cautiously.

He looks over at her. "She'll be taken to the medical wing while she recovers, I'll supervise her. Burnout, please relay anything else that I need to know about the situation from the police chief." I nod gently, accepting that.

Burnout turns abruptly, gesturing for me to follow him. I walk beside him, glancing to the side and up to see his eyes. He's glancing down at me too. My tail flicks behind myself nervously. "So… Guess you didn't expect this, huh Burny?" I smile at him widely.

He looks down at me, the over a foot difference in our height much more apparent to me now. "How did you do it?" He asks quietly.

I tilt my head, "how did I do what?"

"The Glue Gun. Toybox's Glue Gun. How did you get it?" He asks, staring me in the eyes. My ears flatten against my head and I scratch at my cheek nervously.

"Uh, about that… I-" I'm cut off before I can finish what I'm saying.

"Soft Paw." I stop instantly, my blood turning to ice. I turn, looking at the figure standing by the Wardens transport vehicle.

Mom!? "S-sniper…?" I say, stuttering slightly. She narrows her eyes at me, looking me up and down. She has her trademark sniper strapped across her back, her arms folded sternly. "Why are you here?" I ask, flabbergasted.

"Well, I was on lookout duty, gathering intel on my mark. But then someone busted in and took him out before I could. I was the one that called the other Wardens when I heard the gunshots." She says pointedly, looking at me significantly. I gulp at that, glancing back at the building.

"Your mark…? Everyman?" I ask. She nods simply.

She gestures into the car. "Come on. We have a lot to talk about." She tells me. My mouth goes dry, my ears stuck in their flattened position. I get into the car without another word.

She sits in the back of the vehicle with me, holding her sniper loosely. Her eyes are locked on me the whole way. I fidget under her gaze, not looking her in the eye at all. After only a couple minutes into the drive, I meet her gaze. She doesn't react at all. "Look, Sniper, I-"

She cuts me off. "No. Not here. Not now. We'll have a long talk back at base." She says.

I nod numbly, fiddling with the edge of my dress. Alone with only my mom and my thoughts, I think about Dustin. Hopefully he forgives me for all of those times I beat him up… 

You know, maybe I didn't think about that part of my plan enough. Having to deal with the heroes after I've had so much fun messing with them. I can imagine that Tempo won't be too happy with me when she finds out… Or Ballast. Or Reflex. Or- okay, you know what, maybe I should have thought about that sooner.

I get the feeling that sparring with everyone will be different from now on too, if they let me. I frown slightly. At least I took down Everyman?

I sigh, leaning back in the seat. I smile as a thought comes to mind. At least I have Sarah reforming with me. It'll definitely help to not be the only reformed villain on the team.

Not to mention, I've really been enjoying hanging out with her. She's a good friend.

I'm done pretending and keeping secrets. I want people to know the real me. I'm not a Villain, I'm a hero. And yeah, I have two powers. And maybe… and maybe, I do kinda like my new form more than the old one. And maybe I do like wearing my dresses and my skirts in my off time over jeans and hoodies. If they have a problem with me wearing skirts and dresses, well, screw them. I took out Everyman, what did they do!

And, if I'm being honest with people… I can be honest to myself. Sebastian sucks, I'm going by Feather now anytime I can help it.

I smile to myself, still fiddling with my skirt. Huh, maybe I am a girl after all.

The vehicle stutters to a stop, Sniper standing up and opening the door. "We're here. Come on."

I follow along behind her quietly, my tail flicking nervously as we make our way into the building. All of the other employees in the building end up staring at us as Sniper leads us to the elevator. I give a couple of them friendly waves and they just gawk at me. Sniper ushers me into the elevator, scanning her eyes and having it take us to the first basement level. She guides me to one of the interrogation rooms and I enter it quietly, glancing at her nervously. I sit down at one side of the table and she sits at the other, laying her Sniper against the wall near the door.

For several seconds, we stare at each other, not saying a word. I fidget under her stare slightly. Then, she leans forward, pulling out a notepad. "So, first of all, what do I call you?"

"I, um… You can call me Feather…" I answer quietly, grabbing my tail and holding it in my lap.

"Alright, Feather," She looks me up and down, "I take it that I have a daughter, then?"

My brain freezes at that, taking several seconds to run her words over several times before it finally clicks. "I- what. You knew!?" I ask, my voice incredulous. I sink into my seat, continuing much more quietly. "Does everyone else know?"

She shrugs, "they'll figure it out, but I don't think they've put it together yet."

"How did you know, then?" I ask. 

"I didn't. Not until today. Only Wardens should know about, much less have access to that Glue Gun of yours. I had a hunch, but I didn't quite believe it until I watched you during that car ride." She smiles at me gently. "I'd know my child anywhere." She gestures to me, "though, I must say you're looking…" She pauses, thinking for a second.

I cringe gently, fearing what she's thinking. "More villainous than normal?"

She blinks slightly, chuckling. "I was going to say happier. Nicer, even. I think those are the nicest clothes I've ever seen you wear." She smiles at me gently, "they look good on you."

"Ah… Yeah. I guess I just didn't like any of the options I had before." I look down at the table, bracing myself gently. "You're not mad, are you?"

"Hmmm," I glance up to find her frowning at me. "It depends. I'm not mad that you've found yourself. If you're my daughter, I'll support you in any way I can. Similarly, I'm not mad that you took out Everyman. If it weren't for the circumstances, I'd probably be proud of you."

I wince, preparing for the 'but'.

"Now, am I mad that you were masquerading as a villain behind my back, making a fool of the local super heroes in your free time? I'm furious. I'd ground you for months if I could, but I don't think it would matter. You'll be on strict watch for a month at least, maybe more. And you'll be on parole even when you can leave HQ again." She frowns, leaning forward once more. "What you did was pretty serious, and even if you did a lot of good with taking out Everyman, I'm not sure it makes up for all of the bad you did as a Villain. You're going to have a lot of work to do in repairing your image. It's not going to be easy."

I nod solemnly at that, feeling my stomach drop in guilt. "Yeah."

"Not to mention your relationships with your team-mates. I'm not sure how all of them are going to take it, but you might have done irreparable damage with your little stunt." She continues.

"...yeah." I sigh, running my hand through my hair slightly.

"But," she says gently, "you're not alone. You'll have your friend doing the same. Granted, less complications for her, but, this is the path you've chosen." She smiles at me, leaning forward and ruffling my hair. "I'm here too. I'll make sure to check up on you regularly when I can." She smirks at that, leaning back in her chair. "I've got some spare time on my hands now, seeing as my months-long project has ended early."

I chuckle lightly, my tail still flicking behind me nervously. "You're really not mad at me being… Feather?" I ask quietly.

"Not even a little. Surprised, maybe, but not mad. Never mad."

"And, uh," I say nervously, emboldened by her words, "what if I told you that I might like Dustin? Like, like like, him."

She rolls her eyes at that, snorting out a small laugh. My brain has the decency to make me look offended at that, but she just gives me a pointed look, saying "now that one wouldn't even surprise me. I've had my suspicions." My eyes go wide at that and my brain spins gently. I'd only just realized it! How could she know! Her look is gentler as she looks me in the eye. "Remember, hun… You might have some repairing to do in regards to his trust."

I nod numbly at that, my gut churning uncomfortably. Please, please, please don't be too mad at me, Dustin…

Mom nods back, clicking her pen. She looks at me carefully, Mom mode is gone and now she's back in hero mode. "Now that all of that's covered, why don't you run me through how you figured out Everyman's power and we can work our way towards what you pulled tonight."

The next hour, maybe two, is filled with me explaining everything. Really everything. I start with some further explanation of Present Perfects power, as well as my own. I explain making my suit, showing her the transformation back into my normal clothes. Her eyebrow upticks slightly at the sight of my casual skirt and blouse combo that I have on underneath my super suit, but she nods approvingly and tells me to continue. I blush slightly, but manage to compose myself and move onwards. I switch back to my Super suit just in case anyone else comes in.

I explain about Everyman contacting us and Present Perfect's meeting with him. About the recording glasses and about my work as Toybox. Eventually, I make it to the raid on his place and explain how both of us beat Pollock and Fadegaze. Her eyes seem to lock on me as I explain how I took down Pollock, her look narrowing in intensity as I recount my threat at him. She seems placated, if a little disappointed in me, when I explain to her that it was likely an empty threat. I've never tried it, but I'm fairly certain my power would persist just long enough for the knot to undo itself before snapping back into place, regardless of range. There will be no serious breaking of bones for me.

I eventually get to Everyman, and my mind blanks. I… Remember fighting him. But I can't for the life of me remember the specifics. I walked into the room and he did something when I tried to walk towards him, but I couldn't tell her what it was. All I know is that it was fake. All of it. The pain, the getting turned around. I also explain that while I don't exactly remember how he wasn't where I expected him to be, I know that his ability allows him to make other people believe things that aren't true. I know that he must have misdirected me by making me believe he was somewhere else, even if I can't remember him doing that.

Dang, even when I've defeated him I can't recall what he did to me. All I can recall is that what I gleaned from the glasses was true.

Sniper nods down at her notes, looking at me apologetically. "Yeah. That about tracks. Without your tech, you're just as susceptible to the 'forgetting his power' part of his ability as everyone and everything else." I nod solemnly at that, suddenly wishing I had recorded the fight.

A knock comes through the door and Sniper gets up, stretching wide. She opens the door and on the other side is Burnout. "Sorry to interrupt, Sniper." He says, looking down at her respectfully.

Sniper glances back at me, showing her notepad. "Just finished actually."

"I was wondering if I could have a word with her, real quick?" He asks, his voice quiet. Sniper stares at him for a moment, shifting to meet his eyes carefully.

"That's not protocol." She says evenly.

"I know." He meets her eyes and they both stare at each other for a while.

Sniper breaks eye contact, reaching over and slipping her signature sniper back over her shoulder. It rests against her back and she steps past Burnout to stand in the hallway. "Alright then. I'm gonna go grab a coffee and some food. I'll be back in thirty. Watch her until then." She turns to look at me. "Feather, you want anything?"

I look up at her hopefully, "a sandwich and a pop?" She gives me a thumbs up, heading down the hall while whistling a tune. I smile at that. My mom rocks. I'll have to make an effort to do more mother daughter bonding with her when I'm not on house arrest. Err, HQ-arrest? Maybe it's just regular arrest actually?

Burnout closes the door behind her, glancing over at me. I give him a small wave, my heart fluttering slightly as he looks at me. He steps forward, taking a seat across the table from me.

"Uh, hey." I say quietly. He doesn't respond immediately, staring at me as if I'm a puzzle to be solved.

After a few moments, he folds his arms. "Where is he?"

Huh? "Where is who?"

"Toybox. Where is he? I can't reach him. You had his gun and I want your word that you didn't hurt him." He says seriously, slamming his fists on the table. He hangs his head slightly, taking deep breaths. I wince at that, my hand going to where my communicator should be. Shoot, I must have left it at home.

"About, that… Dustin-" I start to explain myself, but when I say that name his head snaps up to me. His eyes are intense as he stares me down. I gulp slightly, continuing. "Dustin, it's me. I'm Sebastian." I wince again, this time at calling myself that name. "Though, I'd rather be called Feather now, actually."

He stares at me for several long and hard seconds. "So it's true… Tempo was right." He slumps back into his chair and then onto the table. "Fuck, Seb. Fuck."

I wince, looking away at that. "Feather…" I correct him quietly.

"I- I'm sorry… Feather. I just…" He leans back in the chair, staring at the ceiling. "I don't know what to say!"

I put my hands in my lap, my ears folding themselves back on my head. "I'm sorry." It's the truth.

He looks at me, frowning. "I really want to believe you, Feather… But, all of this. You've been kicking my butt and the rest of the team's collective butts with your partner Present Perfect for the past month or so." He glances up at me, hesitating. "Or… Is she your girlfriend?"

"No!" I say quickly. "No, we're uh… Just friends. She's Ace." I tell him evenly. He nods slightly at that.

"Regardless, you've been a Super Villain for Christ's sake. Not to mention however long you've been hiding that you have a second power from me!" He exclaims.

I look up at him, my tail flicking agitatedly. "I wanted to tell you! I really did! But when I messaged you to tell you, you came in and told me that you had joined the Wardens. That you were the hero me and Present had just fought against not that many hours earlier." I sigh, slumping onto the table. "I panicked."

We sit there, neither of us saying anything. He eventually pushes his chair back, getting up. He walks around the table, standing over me with his arms open. "No more secrets?" He asks.

I get up quickly, rushing to hug him. "No, I'm done with secrets. I never wanted to hurt you because of them." I squeeze him tightly. “And, uh, also sorry for fighting you all those times.”

He wraps his arms around me, holding me tightly. "God, I thought you were small before." He says idly.

My face flushes crimson as I pull back. "Uh, in the spirit of no more secrets, I don't suppose you meant it when you said you were into girls?" I look furtively up to him, "cause, uh… I sort of maybe really, really, like you…" I trail off, my face impossibly warm. He stares at me, wringing his hands slightly.

"I'm… Not sure. I was just starting to accept that I might be into guys. Err, into you." He sighs, ruffling my hair. "Give me some time to get used to this first and I'll get back to you on that, okay?" I nod at that, trying to hold my composure as his hands near my ears.

"Yeah, that makes sense." I wince slightly, "though, it may be a while before we can hang out like we have been…"

He shakes his head, chuckling under his breath. "Yeah… We'll figure something out."

I rush over and hug him once more for good measure. "Thank you, Dustin. Love you." I say.

"I love you too, you dork." He hugs me gently once more. The door clicks open once more, Sniper stepping into the room at that moment. She pauses instantly, her eyebrow ticking upward as she looks at us. Burnout pulls away quickly, looking scandalized. "Sniper! You're back! I can explain."

She folds her arms, looking at him. I open my mouth, but she motions for me to shut it. It snaps shut with a nod. Looking back at burnout, she says "I'm listening."

"I-uh…" He looks at me nervously and I can only shrug apologetically. He looks at the ground, ashamed. "I take it back, I… I don't know how to explain this."

Sniper takes a step forward, putting an arm up onto his shoulder. She smiles gently up at him, "if you break my daughters heart, I'll bury you."

He sputters at that, reeling back. Sniper chuckles, turning to me. She hands me a brown paper bag and I accept it gratefully.

"Thanks, mom." I shoot her a smile. She returns to her seat on the other side of the table, opening her own lunch. I pull out my sandwich, looking at it. I give her an unimpressed look. "Really, mom? Tuna?"

She hides her smile, taking a sip of her coffee. "I know, right? Don't I just spoil my little kitten?"

Now it's my turn to sputter in embarrassment, opening my mouth to say anything in refute to that. Nothing is forthcoming. She grins victoriously, biting into her own sandwich.

Burnout stutters out some goodbyes at that point, getting called away by Reflex because he's needed elsewhere. We exchange another quick hug, while Mom offers him a more genuine smile and wave. Alone, we continue eating, her occasionally sipping at her coffee and me at my soda.

"So, it sounds like things are okay between you and Dustin at least." She says, sipping from her coffee.

"Mom!" I exclaim, feeling a blush come on. 

"What? I'm happy for you. Genuinely. I hope things continue to go well." She says sincerely. I smile at that, my tail flicking idly behind me as I stare at the door a little wistfully.

"I hope so too.”

E. Feather and Dustin and Sarah

I slink into the break room, exhausted. “Adira, power down.” My suit disappears in an instant, replaced by my casual clothes in that same moment. My casual clothes today are a summer dress with a jacket over top.

“Yo, Feather.” I look up, seeing Ballast smiling at me. I smile at her, waving gently. I plop down on the couch next to her. I soften the cushions, sinking into the softened material happily. “Long shift?” She asks me, lowering the volume on the television.

“Always.” I sigh, sinking into the cushion more. “Good shift though. Someone actually told me that they look up to me.” I smile brightly, remembering the moment. “I didn’t really know how to respond though.”

“Hey, congrats.” She says, holding her fist up for me to bump. I do so. “Makes sense, you’re definitely climbing up there in popularity.” She looks up thoughtfully. “Not many heroes around with two powers, and you took out Everyman. Not to mention how many people are strangely into the 'redeemed villain' thing." She shrugs, "also, you're good at what you do."

I smile at her, blushing a little. "Thanks, Vi."

Violet, or Ballast, was the Warden who took the revelation of my deception the best. If anything, her opinion of me increased when she found out. Where the other wardens showed hesitance at my admittance, Violet had gone out of her way to make nice with me. Patrols with her are among the best, behind only patrols with Dustin or Sarah.

Me and Violet end up chilling until she's called away for paperwork, and then it's just me. My mind drifts to the other Wardens.

Reflex and I get along in a business capacity, but that's about it. That's how we got along before too, so not much has changed there.

Sensate's opinion of me got worse when everything came out, but I get the feeling it had more to do with me being trans than any of the villain stuff. We keep our distance when we patrol together, which is easy since he can fly. I get the feeling he's not very likable despite any of his thoughts about me. That's just what I've picked up from the civilians when we patrol together, though.

Tempo is a little trickier.

I hear the door open behind me, and turn around to see who it is. Well, speak of the devil. Lily freezes as she sees me, looking conflicted. I sigh slightly at that, shooting her a weak smile before turning back to the television.

Surprisingly, she enters anyway. She sits down on the couch, on the opposite side from me. I wordlessly extend my power over, softening her seat. She looks at me in surprise. "Oh, um, thank you."

I smile at her, "of course."

We settle into an awkward silence after a moment. I don't know what to say. I've already apologized countless times, so, I don't know what else there is for me to do.

Her voice is quiet, "I'm sorry, Feather." I turn at that, shocked out of my thoughts.

"I- what?" I ask, surprised. "Sorry for what?"

"For how weird I've been making things between us." She shifts in her seat uncomfortably. "I haven't really been treating you fairly."

I look at her incredulously. "Lily, you don't have anything to apologize for. It's my fault for everything that happened. I don't really blame you for not wanting anything to do with me after that." I wince at that. 'Even if it stings a little,' I add mentally. 

"No, it's not because of that." She sighs. "I mean… It's a little bit because of that, but…" She bites her lip gently, looking at me seriously, "and you have to promise not to tell Burnout."

I raise my eyebrow at that. It's about Dustin? I cross my heart. "Promise."

She sighs, sinking further into the couch. "I was jealous because I had a crush on him. And at first it was because of everything else, but… Not anymore. I've just been too scared to talk to you about it because I'm an idiot…" I blink at that. Ah. That explains it then.

I chuckle at that, scooting closer to her on the couch. I hold out my fist. "Apology accepted. No hard feelings?"

She smiles gratefully, bumping her own fist against mine. "No hard feelings."

The door behind us opens once more. I turn to see who it is. It’s him, Dustin. I skip to my feet, getting up to greet him. I cross the floor quickly, pecking him on the cheek. "Hey babe." I grin at him widely.

He responds with a quick peck on the lips, hands somewhere around my midsection. He'd have to crouch a bit to comfortably lay them on my hips. "Hey yourself." He says. He pulls away slightly, waving to Lily. "Hey, Lily." She waves back shyly.

He sits between me and Lily on the couch. I soften the couch for all three of us, leaning against him slightly.

That's another positive change in the last couple of months. Getting to be more mushy and romantic with Dustin.

"So, your quote unquote 'house arrest' ends soon." Dustin says, doing air quotes around 'house arrest'.

I nod happily. "Excited to be able to finally go outside for a reason that isn't patrolling." I sigh, sinking closer into the couch. "Getting some serious cabin fever." I admit bitterly.

He nods in agreement, all too aware as to how the isolation has been treating me. "Do you want to do something to celebrate? We could set up an actual date."

I smile wide at that, my ears perking up. I sit up, nodding aggressively. "That sounds great. Mom set up a mother daughter day for the two of us." I smile wide, "I finally have my appointment for hormones then." I tell him.

"Hey, congrats!" He says. I nuzzle in closer to his side.

"Congratulations," Lily says. I smile at her earnestly. It feels good to be on her good side again. I can tell that our relationship still isn't quite mended entirely, but it's getting there. 

"So it can't be that day, but the next one we have off after that." I say, sighing exasperatedly. "I can't believe Sarah got off house arrest before I did."

Dustin rolls his eyes, looking at me pointedly. "She didn't betray the heroes while also posing as one secretly." He pokes me in the side gently. "You're lucky they didn't give you worse."

"I was barely even an actual Villain!" I defend. 

"You robbed several banks!" He exclaims, "Sure, you didn't rob much, but you did."

I wave my hand, "they were insured, that's not really that bad." He only shakes his head in response. I switch the subject, "Anyways, what were you thinking, date wise?"

"Dinner and a movie?" He grins. "It's been a while since we did that."

I smile, but before I can respond, the door opens yet again. Sarah enters, loudly announcing her presence. "Hey, is there a party in here? Without moi?" She fakes shock and offense. Despite that, she comes around the couch and despite there not being any room, splays herself across my and Dustin's lap. "What did I miss?" She asks casually.

"We were planning date ideas for when I get off house arrest." I giggle, I run my fingers through her tail idly.

"Oh, eww, mushy stuff." Sarah says, sticking out her tongue and making a face. "Where are we going, then?" She continues.

I laugh at that, bopping her on the nose. "You don't have to come if you don't want to, you know," I say, teasingly.

"Of course I want to come! You're my favorite mushy thing." She grins widely and I giggle. "You know cause your power-"

"I think we got it, Sarah," Dustin groans. She sticks her tongue out at him and he sticks his tongue out in response.

"Behave you two," I laugh out loud, bopping them both lightly on the head.

Lily gets up, stretching. "I, uh, think I'm gonna go chill out in my room a bit." She says. I wave good-bye and she smiles gently at the lot of us. She leaves, the door closing behind her.

I give Sarah's tail a light kiss, still stroking my fingers through it. "I love you both, you know.”

Sarah grins at me, flicking her tail up to hit me in the face. "Yeah, we know." Dustin nods, kissing one of my ears.

As luck would have it, It turns out that Sarah is Asexual, but not Aromantic. I'm glad to have her as a part of our little triad, and I can tell that despite his initial hesitancy towards it, Dustin is quickly warming up to her as well.

It's funny how much reading you can do when you're cooped up inside for months at a time. Some time after Dustin and I officially hooked up, I had heard about Polyamory. Several serious conversations between myself, Dustin, and Sarah, eventually led to this arrangement we're at now.

Aside from the polyamory, I feel way more informed about so many things I was ignorant to before. Like, the fact that I'm trans. There's a label for people who feel like I do. It feels good to have a community. I’ve been learning a lot about myself recently now that I’ve expanded my knowledge on those things. There's also the fact that I can go and get hormones. I’ve been excited for those since the moment I heard about them.

Dustin isn't ready for the public to know about our collectively unconventional relationship, but around the forums and servers I've been frequenting in my free time, I've heard rumors that are awfully close to the truth already. He's resigned to it coming out sooner rather than later, especially with my house arrest ending soon. I'm a Tinker, my family ends up in the media a lot whether we like it or not.

For once, I'll happily show off to the media. Let them know about my partners. Let them know exactly how trans I am. I'm proud of it.

Like I said, no more lying to people. This is the real me. This is Feather Tinker.

---FIN---

 

Okay! You made it! That was probably too much writing, but when I started on my prompt I just couldn't stop. I fell into a writing trance for one week and this was the result, I hope you all enjoyed! I'll hopefully be posting this story to my main account at a bit of a stagger to the bundle release, but just *maybe* I've got an extra chapter I'll be throwing on that version as a little treat. An encounter idea I had, but didn't quite progress the plot enough for me to include it in the full story.

I hope you continue to enjoy the anthology and maybe consider picking up the full itch bundle! I can personally say that every story is wonderful and a joy to read!

And maybe hop by my author page to give it some love! Writing is slow, but it should hopefully catch back up.

— SylkWeaver

 

Santa's Secret Transfic Anthology Vol. 2 / Everyday Sweets #15 (Part 4)

Follow to catch Found You on June 26th

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