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Ţʘɱɱʏ

The room clicked and banged, groaning under the pressure of thousands of snaking tubes pumping different substances to the ship. It was kind of nice, in his opinion, as he thumped softly along, content enough to just listen to its hiss and let out all of its steam. Not a single line of worry caressed his face as he shuffled through, with a casual hand in his jacket’s pocket, whistling a dry tune. 

Today’s shipments had gone well, he thought, stepping over a loose wire. All those hundreds of boxes had landed on Earth without a single hitch, and best of all, nobody outside of the Syndicate knew about it. It had been a very clean in-and-out job, helping his spirits enough that he walked around with his chest puffed out, and a cloud of calming authority radiated from him. 

Although he was still new to this line of operation, Philza had indirectly told him that he had figured it out faster than Technoblade or Wilbur had, the two other captains in the Syndicate’s tight fleet. It was as close to a compliment he was going to get from the deep green-clad man, especially when the only thing he knew about him for a fact was that he had shoulder-length blonde hair. Everything else was hidden away behind a cloak, or tucked out of view from a mask. 

And he, Tommy Kraken Innit, knew why it was so important to not know anything about anyone. Outside of his spaceship, he never took off his face mask, easily slipping it over his head to cover everything about him, or his baggy red space suit that covered the rest of him. He had no idea how much the other Syndicate members knew him, but any sort of information like that was about as dangerous as holding molten lava with bare hands; it would get them hurt in a matter of seconds. 

But now, alone in his ship with a crew that he trusted as well as he trusted himself, maybe even more, he could freely breathe the gas-filled air they all did without worry that they were going to turn around and tell him off to the closest officer. Mostly, because they couldn’t. Still, though, trust had to be kept somehow, and even if it was brutal, it was effective. 

Inhaling a breath, Tommy continued to whistle in an off-tune way, roving his eyes over the boxes in the back of the room. They were very plain-looking, with dark soiled corners and wrinkled edges, but they held everything that the Syndicate needed for their next drop off. He was the only one allowed near them, and he brushed a palm over the top of one, scattering the dust that had tried to form. 

Not a single sticker told the outside world what was inside them, but he already knew, and he wondered how they were doing. Surviving, hopefully, with their silent air tanks that each box has inside. He could almost imagine them curled up in them, their eyes shut peacefully, and their chests rising and falling slowly. 

“We’ll be there soon enough,” he said, curling his hand into a fist and rapping the top of the box gently. The sound shouldn’t be enough to rouse them, he knew. They would only wake up once he tells Tubbo to start pumping them fresh air unique to each species. But, still, he couldn’t help but step away, just waiting for it to spring out at him and demand to take them back home. 

He was doing them a service , Tommy had to remind himself as he studied the boxes. They were suffering in their old home, and he was giving them a better future. That was what Philza had told him, and nobody ever questioned Philza. And Techno and Wil only spoke to him with their eyes, mostly in glares. The Syndicate wasn’t exactly a talkative place, but they were doing what they thought was right, and that was good enough for Tommy. 

Of course, the troubling thought that he couldn’t leave was always at the back of his mind, like it wanted him to remember and regret. In a sense, being in his own spaceship and sailing through outer space was always a thrill that shot down his spine, reminding him that he was alive. But the high always crashed down to a low, hours later when he sat on his bed, scrolling through his duties by grabbing his shoulders tightly and whispering into his ear that he’ll never be free. 

When nothing happened, he sighed and continued on, whistling in the same empty manner, completely missing the slight shuffle behind him. 

But for now, everything was fine. He was rich beyond his wildest dreams and he had barely started, so if things were going to continue this way, then Tommy was going to be set for life. It was a pleasant thought that settled inside his stomach like warm honey, and for the millionth time, he was thankful to have stumbled across the Syndicate. 

At the end of the room, he slid open the code lock, punched in ten numbers, and stepped aside for the door in front of him to hiss open, allowing him back into the main room of the spaceship. Once it had opened wide, he blinked at the sharp contrast between the storage room and the rest of the ship, but stepped over the foot-tall wall and walked off, letting the door shut behind him. 

Unlike the soft grays and deep blacks he had just been staring at, the hallway of the Clementine was dark blue square panels that lined the walls, with light blue lights peeping out from underneath every angle. The floor was a swirl of blue and white, with tiny bright lights shining out like stars in a milky way. And, ever so slowly, the milky cloud would move, shifting between blue and white, so that it never seemed to look alike twice. 

All of Tommy’s crew members agreed that it was stunning. It had been his entire idea, too, and not a single part of it looked like Techno’s paper-thin sharp-angled ship with pink and red hues, nor like Wil’s bubbly brown box that flew off of whatever magic he consumed earlier that day. Instead, his was a pretty standard-looking ship, almost jet-like except larger and faster, with carefully placed arches and angles. It wasn’t built for invisibility or storage, but for speed and agility. And, boy, could she maneuver around well. 

“Captain Theseus!” a young voice called, thumping against the hard floor. Tommy turned to see a short brunette boy running up to him, disobedient papers fluttering out of his hands and onto the floor. He stopped so hard Tommy thought he was going to faceplant the floor, but managed to whirl around, snatching all of the papers up, and continued running to him without missing a beat. 

“What do you need, Toby?” he asked, moving to the side of the hallway in case he wasn’t going to stop in time so as not to crash into him again. He still had the bruise on his arm from last week when that exact scenario happened, and it still hurt like a karen. 

His short friend came stumbling up to him, panting, and shoved the papers into his chest. “Look!” he said, too out of energy to say anything else. 

With a downward turn of his brows, Tommy scanned the papers he now held. “Toby, this is a newspaper.” Toby nodded enthusiastically, his bangs flying up and down, and that was all the motivation he needed to keep reading. “Staged Duo has done it again!” he read off the headlines, feeling his heart freeze for a second when he saw the smiley face in the picture, alongside a grinning man with a flashy gold necklace. He cleared his throat before asking, “Um, what do I need with this information?” 

“You didn’t read it!” Toby exploded, moving a hand to brush away the hair from his eyes. On the back of his hand, a sea-green light pulsed, matching his friend’s speeding heartbeat, before he whisked his arm away. “Read it!” 

Tommy pinched his lips together and looked back at the image. “But, why? You’ve clearly read it. Can’t you just tell me what it says?” 

With a grumble, Toby snatched the newspaper back, making Tommy blink, but he didn’t say anything about the other’s rude actions. He was the only one who was allowed to act this brash, though, only being kept on a thread of obedience from the machine in his hand. Honestly, it was like a breath of fresh air to see another person acting like a human being. “Fine, since you insist . What you woefully decided not to read , was, the Staged Duo managed to break into the Vault.” 

Tommy’s eyes widened and he yanked the paper right back to himself, speed reading over the words. “That can’t be! Stop lying!” Yet, as he read over the words, his heart sank, and, gritting his teeth together, he threw the paper to the floor. “Those absolute idiots!” 

His friend nodded sympathetically. “I feel ya. They got away with a whole bunch of cash and even a few valuable prisoners. You’ve also got a message from Crowfeather.”

“Well?” he demanded, balling his fists up. “I know you’ve already read it. What did the message say?” 

Only a trickle of guilt was found in Toby’s face before it was cast aside and he said with a smile, “He wants you to go after them.” 

“Is he insane?! Does he want me to die? What does he expect will happen?” A thousand different scenarios ran through his head, rushing like a waterfall down into a pit of doom. Go against Dream? And Punz? At the same time ? 

Dream was a fierce enough fighter, earning his reputation across the galaxy as a warlord who won most fights that he came across. He was quick and smart, although sometimes, he could wait out his plan for months, baiting whoever he wanted to into believing whatever he wanted them to. 

Punz was a renowned mercenary, with only two rules in his life: One, he’ll always accept the higher offer, and two, he won’t ever kill anybody who’s on their last life. Simple enough, but those two rules had traveled across the galaxy almost faster than his own name had. And he mostly worked for Dream, because nobody else could ever pay as much as Dream could. 

“Well, he obviously expects for you to win,” Toby said helpfully. “I mean, there’s only two ways this can end out as: a victory, or a death. And we know which one Crowfeather is expecting.” 

Tommy ran his shaky fingers through his hair, tugging on it slightly. “But . . .” He sighed and turned away. “Well, I guess we have no choice, then. Have you figured out where they are? We’ll need to prepare everything, possibly stock up on some more weaponry and the like. What do you think?” 

Even though he was picking up the newspaper from the floor, Tommy still noted the careful concern that was written all over Toby’s face. “I don’t know,” he answered softly. “They might expect that. When you read the paper, it says that they snuck in and were able to go through all the security undetected. Maybe, you need to fight fire with fire?” 

“What do you think I’ll be doing?” he retorted, walking down the hallway towards his office. “Fighting them with pillows?” His footsteps clacked against the floor, and soon Toby joined him. 

“No, what I mean is, do the same thing they did. I don’t think they would suspect it, so they’ll be watching the skies, but they won’t be watching what’s happening underneath them.” 

Tommy thought about it for a moment. “Maybe . . . I’ll think about it some more. Did Crowfeather say anything else in his message?” 

“Only that he wanted this mission done by the end of the month,” his friend replied, cramming the newspaper into his armpit. “Other than that, no. But, I saved the message, if you would like to look at it yourself. Do you need anything else?” 

He shook his head. Thanks, but I’m good. You are dismissed, I’ll call you when I need you.” 

The pair of footsteps behind him stopped and then faded away, leaving him alone in the large hallway. He took a small breath, his hands still shaking slightly. How was he supposed to fight against the Staged Duo? Both of them were too powerful for Tommy to take on alone, and he couldn’t bring Toby or any of his crewmates off the ship, because they would die, no thanks to the machine on their hand. 

Finally, he came upon a shockingly red door that clashed with the calm blues the rest of his ship had, but he ignored the color and stormed inside, slouching down in his gaming/working chair. He absentmindedly began to swivel it around, the tip of his toe on the carpeted floor and the rest of him curled up on the chair. 

Obviously , he couldn’t do it alone. But he didn’t know who else to go to for help. Maybe, like, another mercenary? Dream had Punz, and together, they were a monster. Maybe that was what he needed? 

“Welp, I guess I need to look for a mercenary now,” he told himself. 

Ρûŗþlɘđ

His eyes fluttered open. The tapping sound from above ended a second later, and he heard the muffled sound of somebody walking away, pausing, and then moving away. Something hissed, twice, and then everything was silent again, and it was just him alone in the world again. 

Yawning, he moved his hands and rubbed his eyes, aware that, even as his eyelids drooped down, he was in a small, dark container, with his knees up against his chest, and his head resting on top. It was comfy and warm, though, something he wasn’t used to, and he felt himself being lulled back to sleep, where he knew he wanted to go. 

Yet . . . now that he thought about it, his legs did seem to feel a little off, like that feeling of limbs falling asleep. And he hated that feeling. So, shifting around, he tried to make himself more comfortable by shifting himself around the box to give his legs more of that blood flow he desperately needed. 

“How long have I been like this?” he mumbled sleepily, getting frustrated when he couldn’t lengthen his legs out. In annoyance, he kicked at the wall, but the container he was in jumped, ending up with him smacking his head against it. He grumbled under his breath. “Maybe I should just get out?” 

He knew Punz’s warning to never get himself stuck in small, dark places. Or even large, dark places if he was stuck in it. They were dangerous, he warned, looking straight into his eyes. You always need to be aware of your surroundings and all that garbage. 

Well, as far as Purpled was concerned, his brother could jump off a cliff. Still, though, it might be some good advice, especially for right now. But when he moved his neck muscles to lift his head, he let out a soft groan and plopped his head back down on his legs. When did his head ever get that heavy? Yawning again, he had to rub the tears that were coming out of his eyes, not from crying, but from being so tired . 

He had never been that tired before. Sure, he could recall times when he staggered through the house, and sometimes didn’t even make it to his room with the need for sleep, simply just plopping down on the floor with how exhausted he was. But when was the last time he woke up and had trouble keeping his eyes open? 

Inside his stomach, a feeling of dread began pooling inside of him. Something was wrong, his sleep-deprived brain warned. Very, very wrong. 

Yet, it was so warm , and he was so tired , how could he leave? He could take care of himself, he didn’t need Punz to always watch over his shoulder, berating him when he missed a shot. He needed that years ago, and since then, time did a magnificent thing and he hasn’t missed a shot since. He was fine now, wasn’t he? 

Well, maybe fine wasn’t the answer, not when he was stuck in a box and desperately trying to sleep, but hey. He’s been through worse. And it definitely wasn’t because of somebody that started with ‘P’ and ended with ‘unz.’ Nope, he didn’t know the guy. 

Yawning again, he pretended that he was some ferocious animal with six inch fangs that yawned instead, king of the jungle. Like a giant cat, he mused, sitting on its haunches, overlooking a colorful forest of green, brown, and occasionally some blue. So when he opened his eyes to see only black, he frowned and crossed his arms, which required him to move his legs up and his chest back, and pouted. 

“Wanna be a tiger,” he mumbled to himself, his brain spinning dizzily around. The feeling of dread was still there inside of him, but it had lessened, leaving his stomach to grumble with hunger. 

When he heard the hiss of something, he tensed up, imagining a snake on the other side of him. But fast, confident footsteps walked from one side of the room, and then to the other side, and since he didn’t hear them scream or at least acknowledge the snake, he then informed himself that it must be a cockroach, and it was just hidden somewhere close to him. 

“Shroud, look up different mercenaries,” he heard a muffled voice command, and he blinked slowly, yawning again like the predator he was. “I need the closest one to me, or the one that will be the most willing to work for me.” 

Work, huh? That sounded like a job. And Purpled could use a job. Even though Punz didn’t like it, he himself enjoyed earning money for himself, and becoming a mercenary had been easy cash since he started. He reclined against the box like a cat, finally allowing his muscles to relax. Plus, his legs had stopped tingling, which was a plus. 

“Searching for local mercenaries,” another, deeper voice said, pausing after every word. “Three found in Area 1, two found in Area 2, five found in Area 3, and one found on Clementine.” 

“Huh?” The confusion was evident in the real human’s voice, and the barely audible sound of a keyboard filtered in through the box. “That can’t be right. Which one, Shroud?” 

“Purpled.” 

His name! He smiled, which somehow turned into a yawn. By this point, they were getting annoying, and he was feeling less like a jungle cat. Fluttering his eyes, he dropped his head against the side of the box, feeling the grip of sleep trying to drag him under. Maybe he should just take a nap . . . 

“Okay, I’m going to reset you for a moment, Shroud, ‘m kay?” 

“All right, Theseus.” 

Purpled shut his eyes, halfheartedly trying to figure out if he knew that name from somewhere. This guy Theseus had an entire AI system to himself, which wasn’t very easy to come by. He himself also had one too, but that was because he was awesome, and also a mercenary. If you were a merc, you had to have one, and that was it. Running his fingers over his cool watch on his right wrist, he wondered if he should talk to Dogchamp, but then decided that he was too tired for that. 

Silence was all he heard, except for his own breathing, which he could barely hear anyway. Briefly, he wondered where the cockroach went. 

“All right, Shroud, you back?”

“I have never left,” the same halting voice said, louder this time, making him flinch. Purpled decided that Shroud was annoying, and should speak faster. Plus, he was ruining his sleep. Why does everything hate it when he tries to sleep?!

A small chuckle. “Well that’s good. Look up the nearby mercenaries, will you?” 

“Searching for local mercenaries,” it started, repeating the same words again. Purpled felt compelled to stick his tongue out in disgust. Dogchamp was way better than that one was! Was Shroud cheap? “Three found in Area 1, two found in Area 2, five found in Area 3, and one found on Clementine.” 

“The heck? W-where? How did Purpled get on my ship?” Concern was laced in his voice. Purpled felt a bit of the same bravado of being a tiger resurface, but he pushed it back with a yawn, and snuggled deeper into the box. 

“He didn’t. You let him in.” 

“No I didn’t! Where is he?!” 

Purpled grumbled and slowly, like his bones were replaced with magnetic slime, he pulled the hood over his face, hoping to block out some of the volume. “Stupid people,” he grumbled, shutting his eyes, although there really wasn’t much of a difference if he did or didn’t. Everything was pitch black anyway. 

“In box 005.” 

“WHAT?!” 

“Shut up!” Purpled finally shouted, crouching in on himself. Stupid bastards, he just wants to sleep! Why can’t the king of the jungle be appreciated for once?! 

Dampening his mood, he could still hear the frantic, “No, no, no, or—or maybe yes, yes, yes, Shroud, what the heck do I do?! He’s awake! How do I—what do I—?” 

“He’s trying to fall back asleep,” Shroud answered in his boring way. “Stop giving him the sleeping gas.” 

That’s why he felt like something was wrong! With a slight groan, Purpled fluttered his eyes open, trying to shake his head, but everything felt like it was in slow motion, and all he wanted to do was collapse onto the floor and give in to the sleep that he desperately needed. Thank goodness his prick of a brother introduced him to sleeping gas a few months ago. While he still sucked at staying awake when inhaling it, he still felt like he did somewhat better this time around. 

Or, maybe this was just another one of his brother’s tricks, and none of this was real. In that case, he was going to sleep. 

Hugging his arms around his legs, he sighed and laid his head on top, waiting for the grip of sleep to drag him under. It was calm, and he couldn’t hear anything happening out there, so maybe they listened when he shouted at them to shut up? Finally —

His head shot up and he blinked rapidly, feeling like his brain got clearer suddenly. Those voices didn’t sound like Punz, or like anyone he knew. It could have been one of Punz’s made-up realities, but . . . it felt different. Normally, every other time Punz did it, they always knew that he was there and ‘kidnapped,’ and they were ready to hurt him or whatever, as soon as he fell asleep. They always sucked, and he especially hated the ones that whispered to each other that they were going to invade his brian, looking through his memories in search of the information they needed. 

But this one was different. In this one they . . . didn’t know he had been near them this entire time? Honestly, he couldn’t fathom how they could mess up that badly. Sure, Punz would make fun of him for getting kidnapped in the first place, which he had no memory of how that happened, but still. Kidnapping a mercenary and then not knowing who he was seemed pretty high on the impossible things to happen. 

“Um, Purpled?” the same young voice asked, sounding hesitant, but much closer. “Are you up yet?” 

“Did you find the cockroach?” he asked in return, threading his fingers through his hair. His brain still felt a bit mushy, which definitely wasn’t okay. 

Silence. And then, “Cockroach? They aren’t on this ship. They wouldn’t survive.” 

“And yet here you are, prick, breathing real oxygen” He curled into himself, just waiting for, well, anything to happen, as he still had no idea if he was in a box, underground, or even in some stupid cocoon. Yes, the cocoon has happened before, and he blames Punz. 

“I’m not a cockroach.” 

“I didn’t say you were.” 

Even more silence. Purpled wondered if they should invest in some crickets instead, just to have some noise. “Okaaaaaaayyyy,” the boy said warily. “Well, I’m going to let you out, can you promise not to kill me?” 

“I want to kill the cockroach,” he said. “Not you. I don’t even know who you are.” In his mind, a thought breathed out, Theseus , but he still couldn’t understand who he was yet.

A sigh, except it was closer. “All right. I’m letting you out.” 

Purpled blinked and then suddenly there was light everywhere. Grimacing, he pulled his hood lower over his face, and inhaled the colder air all around him, feeling the sudden change wash over him. It pumped through him, clearing out the relatively fresh cobwebs inside his brain, and he was on his feet in an instant. 

“Theseu—owwwwwwwww,” he complained, falling back onto the floor. Stupid legs. He tried not to move them, afraid of the prickly/tickly feeling that would jolt up him if he did. 

The person in front of him leaned over, their blazing red face mask covering his face. He wore the usual red and black suit, nothing fancy, Purpled had seen better. It was just typical. “Legs fell asleep?” they guessed with a chuckle. “Sorry about that. I didn’t realize I had you as my cargo.” 

“So I’ve heard,” he mumbled, sitting there uselessly. “How on earth did you not realize who I was?” 

“How on earth did you get kidnapped?” Theseus returned, stepping backwards to allow him more room. 

“I don’t wanna talk about it.” 

“Ditto.” 

Purpled tilted his head and narrowed his eyes at the teen in front of him. Both of them didn’t know the answer, it seemed. Well, lucky life. Maybe Punz had something to do with this kidnapping, just to smack some sense into him. Well, sucks to sucks, he wasn’t going to learn anything. “You look young.” 

“W-wha—” Theseus stumbled backwards, like the retort had actually hit him. It was pretty funny, actually. “No I don’t! I look older than you , you child. At least I wasn’t the one kidnapped!” 

The suit and name finally clicked for him. “Tommy Kraken Innit, age seventeen, six months younger than I am—” 

Tommy stomped his foot, and it made a pitiful echo. So pitiful, in fact, that it didn’t really echo. “How do you know that?!” 

“Blonde hair, blue eyes,” he added, just to see the infamous Theseus stumble back, gawking at him. “It really helps when you have a prick of a brother that claims to know everything.” 

His hands fluttered around, like he couldn’t decide if he wanted to punch somebody, or if he wanted to take his mask off. Purpled decided to ignore him, and stand up, wincing as the small amount of spikes left bullied him. But at least he was up and running, no longer stuck to the floor like some wuss. 

“What if I gave you a job?” 

Ţħɘ Ἧῡͷͳ

Purpled’s eyes narrowed, and it felt like he could see right through Tommy and into his soul. It made him want to shiver away, but he ground his feet onto the floor of the jet and stood his ground. No, the bright violet eyes weren’t unnatural or anything, and no they didn’t scare him. Because nothing scared Big Man Tommy Innit! The dude standing in front of him was shorter by a good half a foot anyway. With stupid-looking antenas too, peeking out from his head. 

He did wonder what would happen if he just walked up and squished one of the bright green bulbs hanging from the end. Would it pop like a grape? 

“What type of job?” Purpled asked, breaking his train of thought. “I heard you were talking about it with your stupid AI system—” 

“It’s not stupid!” he shouted, clenching his fist. Who did this guy think he was, going around and slapping insults to everything? “It’s just more old fashioned, and I like it! I bet you don’t even have an AI! Not when you’re going off and talking about cockroaches!” 

Purpled pinched his lips together, and a faint violet blush tainted his cheeks. Without saying anything, he raised up the back of his right arm and touched his black watch. They waited only a second before something white danced out of his screen, jumping to the front of him, and Tommy shifted backwards, gasping. 

In front of him was a large wolf-like dog. It held its head high, with its chest puffed out and its large blue eyes sparkling. Its fur was silver and shone brightly despite the lack of light in the room, and it looked like he just had a bath an hour ago. 

“Woah,” he whispered, tightening his muscles slightly when the dog looked in his direction. It simply blinked and yawned, then turned around and pushed its black nose into Purpled’s hand, asking to be petted. With a warm smile, the mercenary crouched down and ran his fingers through his AI’s fur. As Tommy stood there, taking it all in, he couldn’t believe how real and life-like it looked. 

“I know, right?” the teenager in front of him agreed, smiling. “Dogchamp is such a joy.” 

At the mention of its name, the dog yapped softly, sticking its tongue out and panting happily. 

“Is he seriously an AI?” he asked, watching it. Every little twitch of breath the dog made, his fur fluttered around, and his tail wagged with the same excited energy that was found in all dogs. There was even a perfect shadow underneath him. 

Purpled nodded. “Yep,” he said, popping out the P. “Dogchamp, what ship are we on?” 

“We arrre on the Clementine, of which Theseus rrruns as parrrt of the syndicwuf,” the AI responded, adding a few woofs and growls to make it sound more dog-like. But overall, it was a male voice. 

“See?” the mercenary said, giving Tommy a level gaze. “AI, programmed by Punz, and fixed up by me.” Touching his watch again, the dog swirled together into a cloud that got sucked up into the watch, like he was never there. 

Tommy froze. “P-Punz? The Punz? The one that works with Dream?” 

“If you know of another one, let me know,” Purpled cracked. “Maybe he would be my real brother, and the one I have now is just a rip-off?” 

Purpled was Punz’s brother ?! Although, now that it was punched right into his face, he could finally see the similarities between them. Blonde hair, although Purpled’s was a bit more ashy; round eyes that made them look almost innocent, but more able to take in their surroundings; the same smooth chin and cheekbones; and the exact small nose. Purpled was just shorter than his brother by about a foot, although maybe he still had a chance to grow taller. 

While Tommy’s brain was scrambling this information around like some freaking eggs, he managed to catch on to something Purpled hadn’t said. “Then how do you feel about going against him?” 

He tilted his head, considering the offer. “What’s in it for me? He’s pretty strong, and we’ve been living together for years.” 

Time to play the dominant card. Lifting his chin up, Tommy said, “You are stuck in my ship. Where do you think you can go? Besides, if you do agree to join me, then I can pay you a lot.” 

Purpled just gave him an easy smile and placed a hand on his hip, completely unfazed. He blinked his eyes slowly, and Tommy found himself being drawn into them. “Hmm, I’m stuck here, am I? You guys don’t have any escape pods in case things go rough?” 

Blinking, he shook his head. “Only I have access to the escape pods. If you want, you can try out your luck with the lock pad on the wall there. You won’t be able to open it.” 

The mercenary glanced over in the direction of the door. “Kay, I’m gonna show ya.” With smooth strides, he practically flowed over to the door and lifted the useless attempt at hiding the number pad. Tommy crept up behind him, sure that he couldn’t break through it, but still edging to be nearer just in case he somehow could. After studying the number pad for another second, Purpled reached forward and clicked ten buttons, and the storage door opened with a hiss. 

“Oh, that’s the supposed cockroach,” he muttered, frowning at the door. “It sounds a lot different inside the box.” 

Tommy chuckled, moving forward to grab the teen, when Purpled darted forward and his fingers fell through the air. “Wait—get back here!” He didn’t care that a rising panic filtered out through his voice as he scrambled after him. If Purpled got lost on the ship, Tommy didn’t know how on earth they would be able to find him, even with all of his crewmates helping him. “How did you do that?” 

“I can see the patterns that you made!” he answered over his shoulder, his hoodie flapping behind him, and his bouncy gold-gray hair jumping around. “I’m an alien hybrid, Tommy.” 

Out of desperation he shouted, “What do you want, just please, don’t disappear on me!” 

In an astoundingly smooth action, Purpled jumped against the wall, stretching his fingers out for a bar above them. He clasped it, jerking his legs in and over the bar, allowing him to swing around it and perch there, watching him from below. “Hmm, I don’t know.” 

Tommy slowed down and stopped. “Money?” 

“Got that.” 

“Fame?”

His face made a barely noticeable disgusted expression. “It’s good.” 

“Then what do you need ?” He hated how he was on the point of giving the mercenary his entire ship if it meant he was going to get some help. But, tough times called for tough answers, and he needed some help now . 

“Hmmm,” he said, almost purring it. Purpled knew that he had the control, and it tasted bitter to Tommy. He fixed his mask, glad that it was on and hiding his expression. It was insane to him with how fast his dominant card had flipped around. “Why do you want to hire me anyway?” 

“I need you to attack Dream and Punz.” 

“Ohh,” he said softly, tilting his head. “The Staged Duo, huh? That’s a hard group of people to just attack. It would require a lot of payment.” 

Gritting his teeth, he hissed out, “Oh? Like what?” 

Moving his legs together, he crossed one over the other and let his body hang down, so just his lower half of his body was clinging to the beam. At this height, Purpled’s face was only slightly higher than Tommy’s. “But, I don’t know if you’re going to agree.” he said, stalling for time. 

“Just tell it to me already!” he growled, balling his hands into fists. The mercenary in front of him was a remarkably good-looking target to unleash his anger, if he needed to. 

He gave him a smug smile. “I’d like the documents of the past five years, if this is going to work out.” 

Tommy tilted his head. “What documents?” 

“Ya know, the Syndicate documents? All of their recorded actions for the past five years? I won’t show them to anybody,” he continued before Tommy could interject, “except for Punz, and then he won’t see anything, but I think it’d be cool to have something that he could never get.” 

“D-do you guys have an unfriendly rivalry?” he stuttered, trying to come up with a good enough answer. Of course, the past five years of the Syndicate life would be recorded. It’s been recorded since fifteen years ago when it started. And it had been stored in the Vault, of which the Staged Duo had broken into. But how Purpled ever knew about them was a gigantic question mark.

He shrugged, his antennas jumping. “Kinda, if you want to say it that way. I hate him, he hates me, but we tolerate each other. Barely. So, what do you say?” 

His first response was to say no. He could get killed for that type of thing! Unless that was the mercenarie’s plan all along, just so that he could get home free. Luckily, Tommy wasn’t in this position of being captain of the Clementine for nothing. Pushing his hands together, he raised it up to his chin like he was considering the option. “Well, maybe I can’t do the last five years,” he said slowly, like he was thinking things through. “But, after the mission is completed, maybe you can have five years worth of documents after five years ago? It’s still something that Punz won’t have.” 

Purpled’s eyes narrowed. “What if I want it now?” 

“Well, I can’t do that, I’m afraid,” he answered, raising his hands up. “Sometimes, you have to grow up and realize that you can’t have instant gratification, Purp.” 

“I’m older than you, child!” 

He smiled, and couldn’t hold back the small chuckle that escaped him. “I don’t see you controlling a fleet of spaceships, or working for the Syndicate.” 

In a flash, Purpled slid off the beam and turned to face him, his chest puffed out like it was going to make him any taller. “You’re stuck though,” he spat. Tommy tensed up, and when he realized he had hit something sensitive, Purpled relaxed. “Even if you wanted to be free, you’ll never be able to! But, I think you know that.” 

“It’s not like you’re free either!” he shot back. “You’re always running from the police! Besides, what type of mercenary has a tracker on them?” 

His irises drew in, getting smaller and he widened his stance, preparing for a fight. “What. Tracker?” he hissed. If looks could kill, Tommy would have been gone since yesterday. But, fortunately, they don’t, so he was still very much alive. Still, though, he slid his hand into his pocket, fingering the small container.

“I don’t know, Shroud managed to find you,” he answered. 

“Dogchamp!” His black, clear watch lit up with a white light. “Where is the tracker?” 

“It’s me,” the AI answered. “Punz placed a trwoof-ker to always know where youwoof are.” Purpled just stared at his watch, giving Tommy enough time to yank the syringe out of his pocket, tear the lid off, and jump for Purpled. The mercenary gasped and tried to leap backwards, but Tommy managed to snag him in a half-hug and he held Purpled tightly against him. 

“Let me go!” He could hear the waft of fear that flavored his frantic words, but he ignored it, and stabbed the syringe into the other’s back, flinching when Purpled screamed, kicking at his leg. 

“This won’t kill you!” Tommy grunted, trying to lean over him more so he couldn’t buck out, and letting the clear liquid drain into him. “I promise!” Taking the syringe out, he finally let go and stepped back, before Purpled could take one last strong hit on him before the effects kicked in. 

Since the sleeping gas couldn’t have been entirely out of his system, Tommy was sure that it was going to knock him out within ten seconds. When Purpled took a step towards him, his leg shook, and his eyes fluttered, but he tried to widen his legs to keep him upright. But when he tried to take another step, it was enough to get him off-balance and he collapsed onto the floor. 

“You’re so mean!” he whined, spreading his arms out as a pillow for him, which he laid his head on. “You didn’t have to be that mean!” 

Tommy exhaled and kneeled down. “I needed to do that,” he informed the down mercenary, waiting for the effects to hit him completely so he could carry him to another room and possibly tie him down until Purpled agreed to help. 

“Noooooooo,” he said pitifully, eying Tommy with one eye as he half hid his face. “I hate sl’ping gas. Puns is a mean bully ‘nd forces me to go through it all the time !” 

Well, that threw a small wrench in his plans. “So, you’re like, resistant to it now?” He might have to get another syringe, if that was the case. Or, maybe he could work with Purpled in this childish state. 

The merc nodded slowly, and yawned, drawing his legs up to his chest. “I’d still rather sleep,” he mumbled, getting himself as comfy as he could on the hard glass floor. “The stars are really pretty.”

Tommy tilted his head down, studying the white lights that slowly inched its way towards Purpled, when he frowned and glanced around. Where he himself stood, it was covered with only the blue lights, not a single puff of white visible, and when he turned back to Purpled, he saw how the white lights had completely surrounded him, the stars barely visible through it all. “How did you do that?” he asked, aghast. 

“Do what?” Purpled asked in return, drawing a finger over the floor. Like a lost puppy, the small bit of blue left in the white madness followed him around as he did loops and scribbles. 

Shaking his head, he decided that he’d find out later, when the mercenary was more alert. So, sighing, he leaned over and scooped the shorter blonde up, hefting him in his arms before standing up and striding down the hallway. “Come on, let’s get you to a warmer place than the floor.” 

Purpled whined at that. “I liked the stars!” 

“Trust me. Where we’re going, you’re going to see a lot of them.” 

Ţħɘ Ρlâͷ

Snuggled up against the person carrying him, Purpled tried to memorize the different twists and turns they passed through, but as soon as they turned, he would get his rights and lefts mixed up, and after a time he just gave up entirely. It wasn’t like he was in huge danger, because Tommy seemed nice, and promised him stars. 

Pushing the thought aside that Tommy had been the one to make him sleepy this time, the younger teen was really nice. Even if his AI sucked. Plus, the constant buzzing in his skin from where Tommy was holding him was distractive, but it was nice, even though he couldn’t understand it. 

He could still feel the lights underneath calling out to him, begging to be played with, and although Purpled longed for the buzz of joy that washed through him when he did play with them, he knew that the real stars were calling out to him, and a feeling of glee bloomed inside of him as he wondered what Tommy would show him. He could play with those other lights some other time anyway. 

“Are we there yet?” he asked. For some reason, Punz had a certain fear of that sentence, especially when they were on a trip going somewhere. Maybe it was his fault that they never went anywhere . . . Na, it was entirely Punz’s fault. 

Tommy snorted. “Does it look like we are?” 

“I don’t know Clementine as much as you do!” he cracked, leaning his head against Tommy’s shoulder. Now his face buzzed with the exciting feeling, and he felt tempted to lay against his neck for more comfort, but held himself back with what little strength of will that wasn’t asleep yet.  

Tommy was quiet for a minute, so the only sound was his footsteps clacking across the hard glass floor. “Purpled . . . how quickly do you remember things?” 

“Sometimes, I only need to hear something once and I remember it for the rest of my life!” he cheerily responded, not noticing the way Tommy’s muscles tightened underneath him. “Punz made sure of that.”  

“Shoot,” he mumbled under his breath. 

Purpled lifted his head, looking at him with a frown, before plopping his head back down in exhaustion. “Guns?” 

“No, that’s not what I meant,” he answered back, stopping in front of a door. “Not at all.” 

“Oh.” He settled himself further into Tommy, yawning. Tommy tightened his grip on him till it kinda hurt, and moved his other arm forward and, after a few beeps, the door swung open. Then he fixed his grip so Purpled was comfortable again and stepped on through. 

His lips parted open and he sighed, staring at the open window that allowed a glimpse of outer space. Nebulas spun their lazy circles and the stars flashed their brilliance before settling back and then doing it all over again. No matter how often he stared at them, he couldn’t drink the sight enough to fill him. 

Punz liked to say that his eyes used to be gray, hence his first name, but with the amount of time he would stare at the stars, they eventually turned purple and his parents were forced to rename him, because Greyson made no sense anymore. He didn’t know how true it was, because Punz could lie better than he could tell the truth, but it still comforted him. 

“It’s really pretty,” he whispered, jolting in surprise when he felt something soft underneath him. 

“It is!” Tommy flushed with pride, and stepped back once Purpled was safe on the bed, which he immediately snuggled into. “I love this room so much because of it. Philza was worried that an entire glass ceiling was putting a literal target on my head when I’m asleep, but I think I’m okay.” 

“I would never leave this place,” Purpled laughed, sighing in content as he laid on the soft mattress with a fluffy blanket over him and a squishy pillow underneath his head. Clearly, Tommy knew what luxury was. It was a welcome contrast to the box he had been crammed into. Although, slowly, he started to long for Tommy to hold him again, to feel the warm buzzing that cascaded through him. 

The other teen smiled softly and sat down near him, tilting his face back. “Yeah. Sometimes, Tubbo has to drag me out, with the help of Ranboo to make me do my work. Although, doesn’t it feel too wide sometimes?” 

Purpled’s face fell, and he could tell that, while he continued to watch the stars, it wasn’t with the same burning energy that thrilled him inside. “Sometimes,” he replied softly, curling into himself. “Sometimes it feels like I don’t matter, that nothing does, because we’re just a small speck of something floating around in our own fantasies. But then, what does matter? Is it better to cast out the stars entirely and never see the sun, just so that we can’t see what’s above our noses?” 

It was quiet for a moment as both sat there, watching the stars with a hopeless feeling. 

“Hey, Purpled?” he heard Tommy ask. 

“Ya?” He yawned and snuggled deeper into the bed. 

“Would you work for me? Because I need help, and I can’t ask that from anybody else.” 

He quieted, running the words over in his head. His words couldn’t get very far, though, because his brain felt like sludge. “I like you,” he said honestly. “So, maybe?” 

Tommy exhaled. “Okay. So, just to be clear, you wouldn’t mind fighting against Punz and Dream?” 

“Punz is evil and Dream is stupid,” he answered, yawning again. “So, no, I don’t mind fighting them. In fact, that would be pretty fun!” 

“All right . . .” Purpled shifted, turning to look at Tommy who was frowning at the floor. “But what do you want as payment?” 

Payment. It was a funny word. Mostly, it entailed getting cash, or maybe another expensive item in return for work done. But, he didn’t need any of those things. Of course, money was always good to gather, but at this point he was a squirrel, always saving up for the nonexistent winter. 

“I’d like a friend,” he said softly, looking up at the stars again. “I don’t have that, but I have everything else I would want.” 

“A friend?” 

He hummed in agreement. The stars twinkled above, friendly-like, but it wasn’t the same as having a real person or alien to talk to. And Dogchamp was amazing, but he wasn’t the same anymore. Sometimes, Purpled could still hear the excited whines his dog gave him just before he fought that monster. If his dog hadn’t jumped in front of him, Purpled didn’t know if he would have still been alive. It cut him still, sometimes, but it had lessened by a lot after Punz had made him his AI version, back when he had a heart. 

Other than that, he had nobody. 

“I-I don’t know if I’ll be able to do that,” Tommy said hesitantly. “Anything else?” He fidgeted with his hands. “Like, getting a starship?”

“I already have that,” he answered, feeling his body sink into the bed as sleep washed over his head. Spinning around, he nuzzled his face into the pillow, getting himself comfortable. 

“I-I can’t just be a friend, I don’t even know who you are! Purpled, maybe you just need to sleep and then we can talk more about this, all right?” He stood up. “I can get another syringe or whatever, or do you want to let it slowly get out of your system?” 

Purpled narrowed his eyes, imagining that he was shooting out daggers at him. “NO! Don’t you dare stab me again!” 

He patted down the air. “Okay! Okay, I won’t, I promise! I’ll just . . . leave you here now, all right? I’ll let you think over everything and all that, so that when I see you again next time, we should be able to come up with a good plan.” He began to step away. 

Widening his eyes, Purpled jumped up, wincing at the whiplash from getting up so quickly, but shrugged it off. “Wait, no!” 

He didn’t want to be alone. Not again. Not after Dogchamp died. Not after Punz left him alone, forcing him to travel the universe in search of something or someone to fill him up. Not now, when all he wanted was to be hugged, to finally feel real again. 

To the entire universe, he was Purpled, a scary mercenary who managed to be powerful within the few young years of his life. And, to some extent it was true. But, Purpled was emotionless, business-like, and fast, everything that Grayson struggled to be once the mask was taken off. What a lot of people didn’t know, was that since age thirteen, he had been all alone, fighting in a world that only wanted to squish him. 

Friendships were scary, that’s what Punz always told him. They would drag you down, hit you until you can’t get up, and then leave. Exactly what his brother had done, all those years ago. He did still occasionally drop by, but never to say hi or stay long. They were almost like strangers every time they did see each other. 

“What do you want me to do?” Tommy asked softly, snapping him out of his thinking. “I have a ship to run.” 

Before he could fully process what he was about to say, he blurted out, “I want to be hugged.” 

The seconds that ticked on by dragged on, feeling like each one lasted for a minute. Purpled could feel his heartbeat speed up, and he felt like smacking himself. Stupid! You’re so soft! Why would you let yourself be dragged down? he could hear Punz hissing into his ear. 

“Um?” Tommy looked over his shoulder, not quite knowing what to do with his hands before facing front again. “Uhhh . . . w-why—”

“Never mind,” he interrupted, feeling his cheeks heating up.  “I was just kidding, ha ha!” Briefly, he wondered how long the effects of the injection would last. Already, he seemed to be more alert, if only slightly. Maybe Tommy hadn’t used a strong one? 

The other teen tilted his head at him, and even through the mask Purpled knew he was trying to figure him out. “It’s a strange request,” he said, glancing around the room again like this was some sort of prank. “Um, if you don’t mind my asking, why would you want that?” 

He crossed his arms and looked up at the twinkling stars again, as if he could forget the situation he was in and protect himself. “No reason.” 

“Well, I mean, mercenaries typically don’t ask for hugs,” he pointed out, and fixed his mask, finally allowing his fingers to do something. 

“Who would be dumb enough to give us one?” 

After a few more seconds of silence, Tommy sighed and walked around the bed to the other side, sliding onto the edge closer to Purpled. “I guess it wouldn’t hurt?” he said, awkwardly sliding closer. “But after, you’d be able to help me sneak into Dream’s base?” 

Purpled’s heart fluttered, although he stood where he was. “Sure! And the documents,” he added as a second thought. “I still want those.” 

He deflated slightly, but tried to mask it with a smile. “Alrighty. So, um.” Tommy slowly inhaled, then scooted closer to the middle, opening an arm as an invitation. With a small purr of glee, Purpled threw himself against him, wrapping his arms around him and relishing in the buzz that crawled all over him. 

“You pur?” Tommy asked, sounding surprised. 

“Mmm hmm!” he answered, shutting his eyes and relaxing, letting out a quiet purr every time he exhaled. It felt nice, and as he laid there, being held by Tommy, he realized how much he missed being loved, whether it was by Punz or his parents. The warmth they radiated was stronger than any cold that could touch him, and it let him know that he was perfect, no matter what he did. 

Purpled could almost imagine himself deflating into the warmth that he felt, never letting it go. And, with the soft rumbling in his chest, he allowed himself to be enveloped by it. 

Đä Ϝʟῡϝϝ

It felt . . . odd, hugging a stranger, who was a mercenary at that, but if it was going to get Purpled to help get back at Dream, then so be it. If needed, he could sit there for hours. It was better than giving up his dear spaceship. 

But, it also opened up another window for him. Mercenaries could be people too, ones who needed affection and companionship as well. Tommy hadn’t ever thought of them like that before, not when some of them snuck into other’s houses and did their quiet deed for a living. As far as he knew, Purpled wasn’t one who ever did that, preferring to take care of other jobs like hacking or stealing. Which also made him that much more valuable around the galaxy. 

So he wasn’t sure if he should be worried for Purpled or scared for his own life now that he was hugging him. 

The quiet purrs continued, rumbling against his side, and it slowly worked its magic on helping his muscles to relax. He wondered what type of alien Purpled was, with the green antennas and his cat-like movements. Maybe Shroud knew? 

But, hopefully this all helped to get Purpled to work for him. If it didn’t, then he was going to look like a fool. And Philza wouldn’t approve, with Techno and Wil behind him, glaring words that they never uttered. If it worked though, then he was only going to earn respect from them, and maybe even have a civil talk with them. 

Smiling softly, he turned his head to study the alien that would either make or break his fate, when he started, accidentally flinching. Purpled’s eyes opened for a second, his gray eyes not really seeing anything before he shut them again and snuggled in closer to him. 

All Tommy could do was stare with wide eyes. The teen curled up next to him had somehow transformed from the ashy haired, purple eyed appearance, even losing the child-like cheeks for a slightly stronger jaw, with faint scars that criss crossed through. His body had also changed, becoming slightly smaller, and the black leggings that had looked flush on him now looked almost baggy on him. 

He shifted his arms so that he was holding onto Purpled, all the while his brain screamed at him to find an answer to this wild card that had suddenly appeared. Maybe Purpled was a shifter alien, one that could change their appearance? Although, it didn’t explain the antennas on his head, shining brightly from the white fluorescent lights that slunk along his wall. They typically didn’t have those. 

Well, whatever the answer was, Purpled could choose to tell him or to keep it a secret once he asks about it tomorrow. When a yawn sprung up on him, he didn’t even fight it off, nor the sleep that crept up upon him. 

Even before he opened his eyes, he could tell that something was wrong. As he lay there, just like Philza had taught him, his morning brain weakly tried to stumble out of its bed and get into a jog to figure out what exactly it was. 

The blankets were nice and warm over him, his pillow wasn’t missing, and when he moved his finger, it touched the smooth fabric of what clearly was his bed. Internally, he weighed with relief. So everything was fine! 

That was, until he shot out of bed, desperately scanning the room with wild, frantic eyes, and then proceeded to leap out off his mattress and stumble to the door. “Purpled!” he croaked out. Raising a hand to his throat, he cleared his throat while his other hand punched in numbers into the number pad, jerking open the door as soon as it was open. “Purpled!” 

“Oh, good morning, Captain Theseus!” Ranboo whistled happily. A stack of papers was in his hands, and he lugged it down the hallway. 

“Morning,” he rushed. “Have you seen a mercenary walking around here, by any chance? Ashy hair, shorter than me—actually, maybe he changed that again. Anyway, purple sweater, black leggings? Green antenas?” 

He nodded, his half black and half white hair flapping out of its normal brushed aside sweep. “Yes, actually. Purpled? He’s with Toby. I’m actually heading there now.” 

Tommy’s heart clenched together painfully, and he had to remind himself to breathe in through his nose and out of his mouth. “Oh, really?” he asked. 

Ranboo side-eyed him, but continued to walk on down the hallway. “Yeah? Yeah. Why?” 

“Just wondering,” he practically seethed out. “Mind if I tag along?” 

He shrugged. “Purpled’s been wondering when you would wake up. I’m sure he’ll be excited to see you.” Leaning closer to Tommy, he whispered, “Tubbo found out that he’s touch starved, and so when I left them, he was trying to coax Purpled into a hug. Which, hilariously, Purpled refused.” 

Oh. Oh . That was why Purpled had wanted a hug yesterday, when his thinking had been affected by the drug. It all made so much more sense now. “Was Purpled threatening you guys, by any chance?” he asked. 

“Na, he was pretty chill. He wanted to know how the ship worked, which got Tubbo excited, then we had breakfast.”

Tommy wondered if his heart could sink any lower. “And Toby told him everything about the ship?” 

“ You know how he gets. He won’t shut up about it till your ears fall off, and then he’ll talk for another hour.” Ranboo chuckled. “It’s kinda sad, really. But Purpled seemed interested.” 

“Of course he would,” he muttered under his breath. He slipped his red mask off and ran a hand through his hair, trying for some attempt at looking decent. Moving his fingers over his skin, he winced when he felt the imprints left from his mask. 

“What do you mean by that?” 

Sighing, he gave up on trying to look decent and slipped the warm face mask over his head, feeling slightly suffocated from having slept with it. “He’s a mercenary, Ranboo. I’m worried that he’s going to hack into the ship and take it.” 

“Oh, he won’t,” he reassured, sliding up to a door. “Tubbo made sure of that.” 

Tommy tilted his head, frowning. “How?” 

He jerked his head towards the door and Tommy opened it, stepping back to allow Ranboo to walk in first, when he stared at what was happening inside the room. From beside him, Ranboo smirked. “Told ya.” 

Purpled must have heard, because he whipped his head around, his antennas jerking from the motion, and bared his teeth at both of them. “Get me out!” he demanded. He was back in his purple eyes, ashy hair, and softened facial features. 

“Don’t, I’m trying to heal him!” Tubbo claimed, resting a hand on Purpled’s arm, which the mercenary flinched at, and then proceeded to growl/hiss at him. 

“TOMMY, if you’re not going to get me out of here then I refuse to work with you!” 

Snapping out of his shocked state, Tommy chuckled and walked forward, watching the bonds that held him down to the chair. “How the heck did you get caught up like that? Toby, unlock him.” 

His brunette friend deflated, but gave a meek nod. “Fiiiiiine.” 

The entire time Tubbo fiddled with the ropes, Purpled’s violet eyes glared at him. “Don’t do that again,” he threatened, shooting himself off the chair once he was free. 

Wearing a smirk, Tommy stepped forward and wrapped an arm around him. “Aww, can’t handle a bit of love?” he teased. 

Purpled stiffened before jerking an elbow at his stomach, driving him away. “Can’t any of you leave me alone?!” 

“Well,” Ranboo started, leaning against the desk, “I got the documents for you, if that’ll make you happier.” 

While Purpled’s face brightened, Tommy frowned. “What documents?” he hissed, feeling a sinking worry settle inside of him. 

“The Syndicate ones, obviously,” the mercenary purred, placing a hand on top of the stack. Within five seconds, it started to shrink from top to bottom, and Purpled picked his hand off from the now empty table. 

Tubbo was in his face in an instant. “How did you do that?!” He threw an arm over the counter, and when his hand didn’t collide with anything, he drew away, aghast. 

“My AI digitized all the papers you gave me,” Purpled answered, pointing to his watch. “So now, I have all of that paperwork stored on it.” 

“Yeah, but how did you do it?” he pressed, his eyes wide. 

With a smile, Tommy pushed him gently aside. “Later, Toby. Purp and I need to talk right now.” 

The mercenary raised an eyebrow. “I wondered when you’d shorten down my name. Took you half a day.” 

Ranboo chortled and Tubbo snickered. He ignored both of them. “Whatever,” he said, rolling his eyes. “But we do seriously need to talk. Can you two please leave us?” 

“All right. Come on, Ranboo, I want to show you the new addition I’ve been working on for Clementine!” Tubbo grabbed his friend’s arm and proceeded to drag him out, shutting the door behind him. With a couple of steps, Tommy locked it, then turned around to face Purpled. 

“So, tell me, you can shapeshift?” 

He expected the guy to shrug, or give a lazy ‘yeah.’ Instead, a blush crept on Purpled, and he shrank back, half hiding his face behind his hands. “U-um, no? How do you know?” 

“Last night,” he answered simply, pushing one hand into his red sweater’s pocket. “After you were asleep. What type of alien are you, by the way? Like, half animal, or?” 

“How dare you, don’t mock me like that,” he said, getting some of his bravery back and crossing his arms with a sour face. “And, I don’t really know. As far as I do know, I came out of nowhere and landed on my adopted parents land, where Punz found me. I was in some tiny spaceship when I was rescued.” 

“And you can shapeshift?” 

His fingers fluttered together and he looked away, like he wanted to avoid the question. “Um, kind of.” 

Tommy crossed his arms. “Care to explain?” he asked, hoping to push him into answering. “Is there a reason you’re trying to hide it, or?” 

His lavender blush deepened. “W-what did I look like?” he asked instead. 

“Blonde hair, gray eyes, skinnier, and you had a more angular face,” Tommy answered without missing a beat.

Purpled’s eyes widened. “Um, okay. So, um, technically, everything you just described is what I actually look like. I’m able to hide that, though, to make myself look more like Punz. It’s . . . usually only when I feel safe that I remove the mirage off myself.” He didn’t look up from the floor. 

Tommy relaxed. “You felt safe? You don’t normally?” 

“I’m a mercenary,” he snorted, crossing his own arms. “I’m never safe, no matter where I am. So I’m actually surprised that I considered you ‘safe.’ Especially when you’re far from it. The mirage look is supposed to make me look cuter, so people will be less likely to hurt me. Don’t know how true that is, though.” 

They both stood there, eying each other through narrowed gazes, just waiting for the other to speak and break their unspoken dare. 

“You’re touch starved?” 

Of course, Tommy was the one that had to break it. But, it was worth it when the other reeled back, hissing slightly. “No! No, I’m not, don’t you freaking dare come anywhere near me!” 

“Ranboo said you were.” 

“He’s a black and white tree,” the other muttered. “Do you really trust everything he has to say, when he was the one to give me the documents?” 

“Yes, I do. If you’re going to work for me, I want to make sure that you are safe and in good health.” Tommy tilted his head forward slightly, a small power move. 

Purpled growled. “Hugs won’t solve squat. I’m fine.” 

“You live alone?” 

“Mostly.” 

“Do you see people much?” 

“If I don’t have to, I won’t. I’m more of a computer guy, anyway.” 

Tommy hummed, nodding. “I see.” He said nothing for a moment, and the silence that settled between them was thick. “Do you . . . actually hate to be touched? You liked the hug yesterday. Purred like a freaking cat.” 

He shifted, kicking at the floor. “I don’t know. I don’t want to be hugged, because it's weak, but it did feel good?” 

Frowning he asked, “Who said they were weak? Toby hugs me all the time. It gets annoying, but at least I’m not weak in the sense that I’m touch starved.” 

Purpled hugged himself tighter. “I’m not weak!” 

He gave a half shrug. “I don’t know, I’m not the one who’s sensitive to touch.” 

“You can’t freaking tell me that I’m weak!” he shouted. Although his eyes blazed furiously, Tommy could still detect a layer of hurt that swam behind. 

“What, can’t handle a hug?” 

He ground his teeth together. “I hate you,” he spat. 

Tommy simply cocked his head and walked closer, wrapping an arm around him and pulling him close. Purpled didn’t try to evade him, or fight back, simply grumbling under his breath, and stood there. “That’s nice. Now, let’s heal this issue that you seem to have. If this plan is going to work, I need you as strong as possible.” 

Purpled just kicked him. 

Ţħɘ Ŵ âŗ

“So, when are we doing this thing, exactly?” Purpled asked, taking another bite out of his brownie. Somehow, he had managed to make Niki make some, even with their limited supplies. Not even Tommy was brave enough to ask if she could make something just because he had a craving for hot chocolate. 

And then here came Purpled, who managed to get brownies topped with caramel and marshmallows, two of his favorite toppings. Not that he could complain, though, not when he was snaking off Purpled’s fruit of labor. 

“Mmm,” he started, tapping a few things with his right hand into the laptop. His arm had to snake around Purpled’s waist, because he still had work to do, but he also had to fix Purpled’s touch starved state, so their only option was to have him sit on Tommy’s lap, because there wasn’t a way otherwise. “Later today? We’re near their base.” 

“Really?” Purpled stared off into the depths of space, munching quietly. “That’s pretty soon.” 

He nodded. “I know. But, if we don’t pull this off sooner, they’ll be more prepared for a surprising attack. Which does away with the surprise at all. Plus, they’ll have all that time to set up more attacks.” 

“True.” After a second, he sat back, purring slightly, getting himself more comfortable, and Tommy smiled. 

“So, you hate touch, right?” He couldn’t resist asking that, and chuckled when Purpled’s purring stopped and he let out a low growl. 

“Well, I hate you ,” he answered, pinching Tommy’s leg. He jumped from the shock, then flicked Purpled’s face. “Oww! Don’t hurt meeeee!” 

The door behind them hissed open, and soft footsteps treaded on the glass floor. “Tommy.” 

He tensed up at the disappointed tone. “I hate you so much right now,” he whispered into the mercenaries ear, before calling out, “Hey, Niki! Are you hare to watch over your favorite fluff?” 

“I am.” Her voice was determined, and she walked over to where Tommy sat, giving him a glare as she reached an arm out to ruffle Purpled’s hair. “Don’t hurt him, okay? Or I’ll control the kitchen more than I already do.” 

“But that’s not fair! You can’t decide that you love a mercenary when you know the rest of us more!” 

She shot her gaze at him, glaring even harder. “Yes, I can. Obviously, he needs some love, which I’m glad you picked up on, but I’m going to be the one to give him the motherly love he hasn’t had in a long time.” 

Purpled’s gaze was on the floor. “I’m right here, you know.” 

“I know, love.” She gave him a wide, honey-sweet smile, and the mercenary relaxed against Tommy. “I’m just talking to this blockhead—”

“Hey!” 

“Theseus, you know it’s rude to interrupt.” 

He groaned. “Why can you call me names, but I can’t call you any?” 

She just smiled. “Sometimes, the world is unfair. Now, don’t be mean to Purpled. He knows that he can come to me at any time.” 

“Thanks, Niachu!” Purpled called out, beaming, following her with his eyes as she walked out. “You’re the best!” 

In response, she put her hands together into a heart, and the door hissed shut in front of her. 

“She’s a prick,” Tommy muttered, munching on another brownie. 

“Jelouuuuussssss,” Purpled sang, forming an L with his left hand and raising it in the air. “You wish you were as cool as me.” 

“I’m the coolest person I know!” he shot back, offended. “I’m Big Man Tommyinnit! Why does nobody seem to believe me?!” 

He turned his head so Tommy could see the smirk the shorter wore. “I’m just better.” 

Shaking his head with a sigh, Tommy said, “Yeah, well, we can test that out once we’re infiltrating into Dream’s base. We have prisoners to take back, as well as tons of money, which, no , you can’t steal for yourself. Not when you’re already a part of this freaking ship.” 

Purpled stilled. “I’m a part of Clementine, now?” 

“What, are you gonna leave Niki?” 

He shook his head. “Well, no, but I figured that you were going to kick me out after we’re done. I’m seriously staying?” He fiddled with his hands. “But, doesn’t that mean that I need those tracker things on me as well?” 

“No, I’ll talk to Phil about that. You’re better as an invididial like this, rather than half robotic like the rest of them.” 

He shivered. “All right. So, tonight?” 

“Tonight.” 

-----

The warehouse was dark, with shadows stretching themselves over everything in the room. Boxes were stacked on each other, aligned in neat and orderly rows that he crept through, his antennas wriggling as they strained to catch any motions that didn’t come from him. 

Tommy had decided that they split off to cover more ground. So while he had entered through the air vents, Purpled had set his sights on a window. With his ever-present laser technology, he had managed to cut out a small circle and squeezed on through, knowing full well that windows were never monitored. 

So now he was here, crouching through and snaking his way along the boxes. It was almost like a maze, if you counted seeing the exit from any angle around the walls. But, it was fun, too, as be breezed on through, lying around corners with his fingers gently stroking the small, deep purple device in his grip, the weapon locked and loaded. 

In terms of simplisity, the plan itself was easy enough to do it in his sleep. Get in, grab the items, and get out. If confronted, fight till they are knocked out. Realistically, it was going to border on the terms of nearly impossible. 

But, he’s been through a lot of those types of things before. Sneaking into rich people’s homes to snag a few jewels, and even a few Outer banks, who’s security was pretty much a solid wall of lasers, all around every available breathing space. And he’s been able to do them, if getting a few bullet wounds counted as a sucess. 

Just thinking about the wounds, he twisted his right wrist, hearing the slight pop it now made whenever he did. Doctors told him that it was weaker, but still stable, if he didn’t stress it out too much. And, like with any piece of advice given to him, Purpled proceeded to ignore it. 

His antennas jerked, alerting him to somebody’s movements across the room and he froze, hardly daring to breathe. He gripped the gun tighter, wondering if he should aim now, or stay low and not be confronted. 

“I know you’re there!” 

Hissing out, he unlocked his gun and pushed it away. He didn’t want to be tempted to shoot his brother, if things became rough. Still, though, Punz’s voice rattled him, mostly because this time, it hadn’t come from inside his head. 

“Show yourself, peasant!” 

He slowly stood up, a hand on his hip. “Aww, you’d treat your brother in this terrible manner? I thought you had more respect.” He made sure that his last sentence bit, hoping to stir Punz up. 

Finally, a flash of white appeared, and Punz strode down the boxes, coming closer with each step. Purpled held his ground, spreading his feet for a larger area of balance, a hand on his gun that was still packed away. “Huh, the alien boy shows himself,” Punz sneered, his blond brows furrowing at him. “What’s the cause? You’re on a new mission?” 

“Hmm, I didn’t figure that you’d be smart enough to figure that one out!” He curled his lips into a smile, one that his eyes didn’t match. Instead, they challenged the blue eyes of his older brother. 

We never turn on each other, he could hear the Punz inside his head say, and it disgusted him. Even though they stood there, a stark cold silence continuing to build that invisible wall between them, there was always that one part of him that couldn’t let go. 

“What are you here for?” his brother finally forced out, looking like he would rather be anywhere but there. 

“Just a few items. Ever heard of the syndicate?” 

Even in the dim light, Purpled could see how Punz’s face paled. “W-what abou them?” he stuttered. “I didn’t figure you were cruel enough to steal objects that had already been stolen.” 

“Pff.” He waved a hand, as if casting it off. “You seem to forget that I do that all the time. But, I did manage to get the documents for five years from the Syndicate. Remember, Punz, how you’ve always wanted that? It was your one dream.” 

His blue eyes flashed with hunger, although his face remained passive. “How do I know you actually have them?” 

“Dogchamp, show records of the Syndicate on today’s date, five years ago.” 

In compliance, his watch lit up with a blue screen, and a piece of blue, digitalized paper floated in the air. He allowed Punz to see it for a second, gave him a touch of the prize he craved for, and then shut it off. 

“Welp, though. I have a job to do. The Syndicate wouldn’t be very happy now if I didn’t hold my end of the bargain.” 

“Th-they just gave you that?” Punz asked, stumbling after him. “How? Why? Who are you working for in the Syndicate?” 

He smiled, loving the thrill that washed through him. “Theseus. Lovely lad, although I still despise him from time to time.” 

As Purpled walked on, Punz was right behind him, formulating sentences inside his head. “What if we could pay you higher?” he finally blurted out, eying the watch. 

“Too late for that, I’m afraid,” he answered, making it to the end of the room. Looking around, he spotted a door and sauntered over. 

“Purpled, please, what do you want?” 

“Now you sound like Theseus,” he cracked, flicking the handle down. “But, I already have everything back on the Clementine. I’m part of their fleet, Punz!” He spun around, holding the door open with one hand as he gave his brother a sour expression. “And I can still remember a time when I was  part of my own family.” 

“Wait—Purpled, you can’t just walk out on me like that!” Punz tried. “I was always busy! You know that!” 

He wrinkled his face. “And then you turned cruel, all with the aim of getting me stronger. I’m good enough, Punz! Look at where I am now!” The hallway they were in was bland, just like the warehouse he had just come from, with even more dim lights, like the entire place was dying. 

“Look, I can change that—” 

“For a piece of paper?” he asked, blinking. “Not because you miss your brother? You’ve literally traded me for Dream, and that guy only cares about you as long as you are able to comply to his every wish.” 

Punz hissed, “I know. But if I don’t work for Dream, then how was I supposed to pay the bills, or get on with life! I was young! I could barely care for myself, but then I also had to care for you too!” 

“Was that the day I became a weight that you didn’t want?” 

Silence. Then, Punz let out a stuttered breath. Purpled frowned when the footsteps behind him receded, and he turned. “Punz?” 

The white figure of his brother grew steadily smaller. 

Taking two steps forward, Purpled watched him go. He opened his mouth, but what would be say? Come back? I still love you, even though you’ve hurt me? He couldn’t. Punz had been his first brother, but he wasn’t even his real one. 

Pushing his lips together, he sighed internally and moved on. He knew that Punz wasn’t going to do anything. There was always an unspoken rule they shared; to never rat out the other one, no matter what was happening. Punz was simply moving aside, now that he realized Purpled didn’t need him anymore. 

And besides, Punz had Dream. He didn’t know the green man all too well, but he had to have been decent, if his brother was staying with him for this long. Maybe Punz really had made Dream his brother, in the place of Purpled? Well, he could do the same. 

When a certain blonde texted him that he was in place, he smiled and typed back on his watch, “All right, brother. Let’s start this off with a bang!” 

A second later, somewhere in the near distance, Purpled heard the crackle of a bomb. 

Copy of the Letter Purpled showed Punz: 

FOR AUTHORIZED EYES ONLY:

On [REDACTED], Crowfether fought against the group of Aliens, in the specified time and location that they had agreed upon. Crowfeather brought fifty starships to help aid him, all equipped with laser guns, ammo for the manual turrets, and loaded with ten bombs each. The Aliens, however, went in small ships, with two per each ship, loaded with knives, small guns, and laser turrets. 

The Aliens vary in color and size, but each of them are human-like in appearance, with two antennas on top of their head. Scouts say that with those, they are able to track down movements and heat, and they can somehow see the prints left over from a person, even if they had made that print one month ago. They are also able to shift the way they look, although not drastically. Typically, they can only change eye color, hair color, facial color, and body length. 

The fight went on for hours, with both sides loosing to large casualties. The Aliens are smart and persistent, and seem very knowledgeable on how to fight fleets larger than them. 

It was only through the help of backup that both he and Technoblade were able to win the victory, and completely destroy the race of Aliens from existence.