For Wearingthestars

[doubled_speed]

I wish I wasn't alone.

The words were whispered from inside the relative safety of the tiny closet in Tommy Shepherd's bedroom in Springfield, New Jersey. Whispered because there was no way that he wanted Frank or Mary, fighting in the living room, shouting and screaming, to hear them.

I wish I wasn't alone.

Repeated as Tommy held his hands out before him in the darkness palms up. He put as much conviction behind them as he put into anything he said starting with those two words. He had found rather quickly that whatever this power of his was, it came more readily when he framed it as a wish.

I wish I wasn't alone.

He repeated a third time. Three times always seemed to be the right amount when it came to willfully using his power. Even now he could see the faint green glow of energy radiating from his hands, trying to catch his words and shape them into whate he was asking for. At school he didn't always need it three times. He could feel the energy building in his gut like a tidal wave and crashing over him when he wished the bullies would leave him alone, or that he'd actually gotten a good grade so Mary wouldn't yell at him, or that the shirt that got torn up and bloody was clean so Frank wouldn't hit him for wasting good clothes.

Now, though, the words didn't seem to catch, and after a moment of held breath, the energy faded back, leaving behind only the briefest flash of sparks and static that he had to shake out of his hands. Apparently even magic, or whatever this was, couldn't help him.

It was a stupid wish, anyway, Tommy realized as he pulled his legs up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them. And then, of course, he flinched at the sound of a breaking plate. They were getting bad tonight. He didn't want to be alone, not with them shouting like that. Sometimes it turned into Frank driving off to drink. Sometimes Mary stormed to their room and locked the door, leaving Frank on the couch. The former tended to mean Frank not coming home at all that night, and when he did the next day he smelled like booze and some other woman's perfume. The latter tended to mean Tommy couldn't sneak some breakfast in the kitchen before school, or being caught if he tried and he really didn't want to be on the receiving end of Frank's belt.

“Dammit. All I wanted was someone to talk to.”

He feels the rush of power even as he feels his body go limp and the world go dark around him. It’s a strange mix between a sneeze and passing out. When the sensation passes things are weird. For one thing, he can’t feel his body. There isn’t the cold of his room or the rough drag of his scratchy wool sweater that is too small for him or even the gnawing in his belly. No, there is just the swelling feeling of his magic, a prickly energy across his skin, and this place.

This new place is nicer than his room. There is more space. There are nerdy decorations on the wall. There are no cracks anywhere or dents from fists or broken furniture. He hates seeing how much nicer this place is than his home. But he is more interested in why his magic brought him here. And in the soft green light everything around him seems bathed in. Tommy raises his hand, or maybe just the concept of a hand, and is faced with the scary truth. His whole body is green and transparent. Okay. That is a bit weirder than normal.

Welcome, Tommy Shepherd, to the world of astral projection. And Billy Kaplan? Meet the strange, glowing ghostly boy in your room.

Comments

[doubled_speed]

The thing about Teddy is that he's pretty good at listening. Like, really good. And really, it's a lot easier to want to listen when it's with a guy that you have a serious bit of tangled up feelings about. Still, when he'd settled into Billy's room, ostensibly to 'read comics and stuff' per what they'd told the Kaplans, he hadn't expected the talk to turn away from comics or powers or being heroes.

Doesn't mean he doesn't listen.

"Well, maybe you are missing something," he offers, voice thoughtful. "Roughly when did the feeling start? Maybe that can help us figure out how. I think I remember something like that from these self-help books of my Mom's that I used to figure out my powers. That when we miss something it's for a reason. And we have to figure out what it is so we can either find it and restore ourselves, or let it go and move forward as stronger people."

[wearingthestars]

It's not the sort of reply Billy expected. Honestly, he's not sure what he expected, but Teddy straight up accepting the strange feeling as real was not one of them. He blinks in surprise, and his smile grows, palming at the back of his neck as he considers.

"I guess...before I met Nate? Like just before." He pauses then and looks Teddy over with a fond sort of puzzled look. "...You really believe me?"

[doubled_speed]

"And have you given me any reason to doubt you?"

Teddy shrugs and considers things briefly, and he gives Billy a small smile back. Because of course he does.

"So let's start logical, what were you up to before Nate appeared?"

[wearingthestars]

"I mean, no- but..." He gives a small laugh and smiles, thinking back. What was he up to?

"I-" Billy frowns then, "...I don't...remember." Not like a normal lapse of memory, but like...a legitimate space of time just...gone. "I just- I was alone in here, just...homework and stuff I guess, and then...the next thing I remember I just felt so-...lost? But...nothing happened?"

[doubled_speed]

Well that probably isn't good. That's literal blackouts. And it's not good at all.

"That common in your past, my speedy friend?"

[wearingthestars]

"Not so much, no." Billy flashes him a comically sort of concerned look, though there's something a bit more serious behind it. "...That's probably not good, is it? Maybe it has something to do with the time stream? Maybe Nate showing up changed something?"

[doubled_speed]

Now there is a pretty interesting theory. Teddy nods his head and considers it carefully. The whole point was to shift the time stream some. But this might be too much. And then he smiles.

"Wait, you were here, right? In your room. The time you remember forgetting, with Nate showing up? I've got an idea."

[wearingthestars]

"Yeah. Yeah, I was right here," he acknowledges, head tilting curiously. "What's the idea?" That smile's contagious, and Billy feels his cheeks grow hot.

[doubled_speed]

Teddy nods his head toward Billy's computer.

"Maybe you were doing something online. Browser history, if you can figure out when things were."

[wearingthestars]

"Smart and cute," Billy congratulates with a grin, moving in a rush to collect his laptop and return to his place on the bed.

[doubled_speed]

"Mind if I do the honors?" Teddy asks, holding his hands out to offer. "You think of the dates, I search them?"

Make him your Vana White?

[wearingthestars]

"Yeah, sure," he hands it off after a quick think back to be sure there's nothing in his history Billy would mind Teddy seeing. "Probably better for the computer. Sometimes I go too fast for it, I think I'm wearing down the keys."

He does some quick mental math, before listing off the date it must have been around.

[doubled_speed]

Too fast for a computer. Teddy gives Billy a sad look at that. He knows what adjusting is like. His shifting set in at a far earlier age than his strength and he got that under control without too much effort. But damn if he hadn't broken a lot of stuff.

Too bad they couldn't get Billy some really good Stark-tech or something from Reed Richards that could keep up with him.

But Teddy turns his attention to the dates in question and starts going through Billy's browser history, opening pages that weren't clear. Which definitely painted a picture after a few tabs were opened.

"B, you know anyone in New Jersey?"

[wearingthestars]

Billy tries to see it as good practice for keeping up the illusion of regular speeds. It's frustrating though, when he forgets and finds the keys have only registered about the third of what he's written. Like he was a living keyboard smash.

He frowns and shakes his head automatically. "...No. I don't think so. I've never even been to New Jersey."

[doubled_speed]

"You've... been researching Jersey. The Springfield area. Child Protective Services. The foster care system, even how to go about getting the emancipation of a minor," Teddy says.

There was something there as well about a mutant kid who attacked a high school the day before the Avengers' Manor blew up, but Teddy didn't bother pointing that out. Clearly unrelated.

[wearingthestars]

"...I have?" Billy frowns, moving to peer over Teddy's shoulder and confirm for himself. There's a weird feeling settling over him, like...de ja vu. He remembers none of this, but it seems...familiar.

"...I don't...Teddy, I don't remember any of this."

[doubled_speed]

"Yeah, we already established that. Now, I suppose the question is, why were you doing this?" Teddy sighs, The question, of course, is what had led to the research. Definitely not a school project.

"Well, whatever happened definitely involved some kid from Jersey. Maybe you met a telepath online or something."

[wearingthestars]

He gives a bashful laugh. He knows, it's just so...weird, seeing actual proof that he really had blacked out some significant period of time from his mind.

"Why would they wipe the memory though? If I helped them there's no reason, and if I didn't..." What if they were still out there?

[doubled_speed]

See, there's the more likely answer, isn't it? That Billy failed.

"They may have run away from home. If that's what it was, then they wouldn't want things leading back to them," Teddy argues. "But this? This just shows you're a good person and belong as a hero. You helped someone, or tried to."

[wearingthestars]

"Or whoever was abusing them might be the ones with the power," Billy worries, "And he's stuck there-" He definitely doesn't feel like an especially good person right now. Even if its beyond his control, he forgot about a whole person who needed his help.

[doubled_speed]

No, Teddy doesn’t want to believe that. Though if it was true they could do their best to help whoever this was. If they figured out who it was.

“Maybe... we could talk to Nate? Given the timing, maybe they were someone Vision pinged in his Failsafe. Maybe we can use him to figure out who it is. I mean, a telepath if some sort in Jersey who is younger than eighteen but old enough for you to approach it from an emancipation angle? That’s like, a two or three year age window. Maybe he’ll be able to help us find the person.”

[wearingthestars]

That eases some of Billy's anxiety, and he gives Teddy a grateful look, nodding. He's still not sure how Teddy's so good at that, but he's grateful. No one can make him feel quite like he can.

"Yeah, you're right. That's a good idea."

[doubled_speed]

Well, a good idea? Teddy smiles and reaches out, laying a hand on Billy's. Comfort, support, all offered right here. And maybe he blushes a little at finding himself bold enough to touch Billy.

"Want me to message him?"

[wearingthestars]

That blush is definitely mirrored on Billy's cheeks, sprouting up out of nowhere, but he smiles, glad for Teddy's daring.

"...Yeah, that'd be...good," he agrees, delaying a moment, hoping it's not too obvious.

[doubled_speed]

"Really good," Teddy agreed, smiling at that. After a moment he set the laptop aside and pulled his phone out instead to type things. And he does have to give up the touch but he'll live. He shoots off a quick message and within five minutes there's a response.

"Alright then. He says there aren't too many he can pull up from Jersey. Damaged records. None have telepathy. The main reason he didn't go after the one that isn't too far away is because the guy is electrokinetic and in jail anyway."