Welcome back y'all! I bring to you today a pretty lore-relevant oneshot. A lot of what I'm going to reveal here may or may not surprise you, but I promise none of it is stuff I just pulled out of a hat or something. However, as much as I'm going to dump on you all at once, I'm also keeping quite a few secrets for now. ;)
Because I tried to avoid a "bam, bam, bam" revelation situation, I kept the story kind of short. Still, I hope it's as emotionally charged as it seemed in my head. I'll let you decide. :)
P.K.O. stared blankly at his bowl of chicken noodle soup, his spoon raised halfway to his lips. He blinked slowly, struggling to open his eyes every time he closed them. He looked almost dead in his seat.
"Are you feeling okay, hon?" Carol asked, concerned. "You usually have more energy than this."
"...Hm? Yeah," P.K.O. hummed, trailing into a yawn. "Gave a speech at school today, and... mmm... the bodega had... a sale..." He pitched forwards, and Carol had to catch him by the forehead before his face could land in his soup.
"Yep. Those sales will take a lot out of anyone, especially one so young. Why don't you call it an early night, catch up on those Zs?"
At that, P.K.O. let out a bellowing yawn. "...Bed sounds nice..."
Carol smiled softly, taking her son's mostly-empty bowl and carrying it to the sink. P.K.O. trudged off to brush his teeth, his mother briefly checking on him to make sure he hadn't fallen asleep standing up. That done, he changed into his PJs, climbing into bed.
P.K.O. was barely awake when Carol came in to bid him good night. "You go right to sleep, alright kiddo?"
P.K.O. smiled with heavy eyelids. "Okay mom. Love you."
Carol's smile could have melted the coldest of hearts. "I love you too, sweetums." She planted a kiss on his forehead, standing up and leaving the room.
Content, P.K.O. closed his eyes, but didn't fall asleep. He was drained, but not quite tired; he was used to having a bedtime at least an hour later. That was okay. He knew sleep would come soon.
Except it didn't. Some time later, well after his normal bedtime, P.K.O. was still laying there, now wide awake. All he wanted was rest, but no matter what he did, his mind refused to shut down. It seemed like it was just going to be that kind of night.
But then he heard a noise.
P.K.O.'s eyes, which he had stubbornly kept closed, snapped open, alarmed by the unfamiliar sound. He kept perfectly still, scanning the room for any signs of movement. A few seconds later, he heard it again. A very faint click, coming from somewhere on the other side of the house. He considered investigating, but he could hear Carol's hushed footsteps. Whatever it was, she could handle it.
But her footsteps were going away from the sound, instead coming towards his room. Though he couldn't say why, P.K.O. screwed his eyes shut, feigning sleep as Carol came into his room. She stepped carefully, mindful not to wake him as she made her way to his window. The same soft click was heard, and after a brief pause, she left. P.K.O. quietly sighed in relief. She was just locking the windows. She had been more mindful of that lately, but had probably forgotten to do it earlier in the evening.
Just as P.K.O. was starting to relax, he heard the front door open and shut. That part confused him. Why would Carol be leaving the house in the middle of the night? She'd left him home alone a few times, but never at night, and especially not after the tonic incident. It must have been urgent if she had to leave after he'd gone to bed.
There was no hope of him going back to sleep now. Even if the thought of being alone in the dark wasn't terrifying on its own, he'd grown curious. P.K.O. would have thought that Carol would tell him if she needed to go somewhere after he'd gone to bed. Even if she had kept quiet so that he wouldn't worry, it was strange of her to take precautions to keep him safe, and then leave him by himself without telling him.
P.K.O. didn't get up because being all alone when he could barely see five feet in front of himself made him uneasy. He got up because he had to know what his mother was doing in the middle of the night that couldn't wait until morning. It was for his own peace of mind.
Lighting himself up just enough that he could see what he was doing, P.K.O. slipped out of bed, taking just enough time to shrug on a thin jacket before leaving the house. He instantly shuddered at the biting chill; he probably should have put something warmer on, considering it was almost winter. He didn't even have his legwarmers on. But there was no time to go back inside, at least not if he wanted to be able to find his mom.
After a quick scan of the T intersection outside of the house, P.K.O. saw her straight ahead, in the form of a flicker of movement in between streetlights. Why would she be traveling in the shadows instead of walking down the sidewalk? Come to think of it, why was she going on foot in the first place?
P.K.O. stifled his glow until it was almost imperceptibly dim. Something told him that he didn't want to be seen.
The fusion trailed after Carol at a distance, taking every opportunity to hide behind dumpsters and mailboxes. She never once looked back, but it was better to be cautious.
After quite some time- at least an hour, if P.K.O. had to guess- the two arrived at the familiar plaza. That made Carol's decision to walk all the more unusual; the plaza was several miles away from home. That wasn't even mentioning the fact that every last store was closed, and would be for hours to come.
P.K.O. never thought he'd find himself describing his own mother as suspicious, but he just couldn't come up with a reasonable explanation for her behavior.
Pretty soon, Carol had made her way to the bodega. After a quick glance to either side, she darted into the alleyway, P.K.O. following seconds later. With a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach, he watched as she slid down the ditch and climbed into the oversized sewer pipe.
P.K.O. tried and failed to swallow his encroaching horror. She knew what- who- was in there. She knew. Her going in there could only mean two things. Either she was going to confront the villain residing there like she'd promised, or she...
No. The second option wasn't possible.
Forcing back his suspicions- no use dwelling on something that would never happen- P.K.O. stepped into the pipe, keeping close to the edges to avoid splashing in the muck. He could hear Carol up ahead, wading right through, if the sound of fetid water slapping the walls was any indication. That didn't bode well for Option 1.
P.K.O. didn't have to follow her for much longer; she stopped once the pipe opened up to a 4-way split, the center where the streams met open and spacious. Overhead, fresh water dripped from a sewer grate, which managed to let in a faint sliver of moonlight. P.K.O. stayed in the tunnel, keeping to the shadows, watching Carol intently.
Why is she just standing there? He's gonna see her if she doesn't get out of there!
"My, my, isn't this a rare treat," purred a voice that made P.K.O.'s legs feel numb. The man himself appeared from one of the intersecting tunnels, stopping feet in front of Carol. "It isn't often that you go out of your way to visit me. Any special occasion?"
"You can drop the pleasantries," Carol snapped, tone leaving no room for argument. "You know exactly why I'm here."
Shadowy Figure chuckled. "I do. But why don't you tell me anyway?"
"I know you've been following my boys," Carol replied coldly. "That's bad enough on its own. But to talk to them, to use them for... for whatever it is you're planning? That goes way beyond toeing the line, mister. And behind my back, no less!"
Shadowy Figure took a single step forward, but Carol refused to back away. "I'm not doing anything to hurt them, I can assure you of that. I only want them to realize their true selves."
"You injected T.K.O. with Villain Tonic," Carol hissed.
The hooded villain shrugged. "He needed a jump-start."
"Enough is enough, Shadowy Figure!" Carol shouted. "You've tormented my boys for far too long, so I'm putting an end to this. Listen close, because I'm only saying this once." Despite her short stature, her presence seemed to fill the room. "You stay away from the plaza, you stay away from my house, and you stay away from my sons, you hear? I will do whatever it takes to keep them safe, and if I ever find out that you so much as walk on the same street as them, I'll-"
"You'll what? Move again?" Shadowy Figure guffawed. "You won't drive me away, certainly. You've never had the heart to strike me, even after all this time."
Carol's expression darkened. "When I said I'd do whatever it takes to protect them, I meant it."
"Is that so?" Shadowy Figure sidled closer. Carol didn't move. "Well, I've got news for you, sweetheart. I'm not going to stop until I get my way, and whatever you may say, I know you won't ever do anything to change that." They were almost nose to nose. Shadowy Figure grinned, spreading his arms wide. "Unless you've gotten past all that, then by all means. I'm right here. Make me stop."
Carol grabbed Shadowy Figure by the collar, and P.K.O. dared to lean forward, eager to see the villain finally get what was coming to him. Several tense seconds passed where nobody moved. Then, as if releasing a breath, Carol deflated, releasing Shadowy Figure and allowing him to step back on his own, still grinning.
P.K.O.'s eyes widened. No...
"I didn't think so," Shadowy Figure drawled. "You never could do anything against me. Against him."
Carol balled her fists at her sides, but after a moment, she forced them to relax. "I really miss him," she said at last, almost a whisper.
Shadowy Figure's sneer softened a fraction, almost enough to convey a sincere emotion. Almost. "I know. But he's been dead for years, you know that."
"I don't believe it." Carol's eyes locked onto him, glinting with determination. "And some day, I'm going to find a way to save him. But this isn't about him. This is about my kids, who you have no business being anywhere near."
"We've already established that you're not going to do anything about it," Shadowy Figure brushed her off, reverting back to his callous persona. "Nothing beyond delaying the inevitable, in any case. Your friends have been an annoyance, I'll give them that, but in the end, that's all they are. I'm getting what I want sooner or later, regardless of their interference." Carol said nothing. "If you don't have anything new to say to me, then I wish you a safe trip home."
Carol's face set into a stern scowl. "Don't make me regret not teaching you a lesson. Whatever reservations I may have, if you dare to lay a finger on any of my boys, I will come after you."
Shadowy Figure smirked. "I look forward to it," he said lightly. He casually strolled past her, heading for the tunnel P.K.O. was hiding in. Stifling a gasp, the fusion pressed his back against the grimy wall, hoping the shadows would be enough to disguise him.
Shadowy Figure passed him, but mere feet away, he stopped. He turned his head, looking exactly where P.K.O. was standing. The boy's breath hitched as a thrill of fear gripped him, and suddenly, the wall was supporting more of his weight than his legs were. Shadowy Figure knew he was there, was looking right at him. P.K.O.'s instincts screamed at him to run, to punch him in the face, to cry out, anything to escape those dull, yellowed eyes, but in the end, he found himself frozen in place, limbs threatening to collapse.
And then those awful eyes broke away. Shadowy Figure smirked, and continued on his way. P.K.O. couldn't have felt a stronger sense of dread if the man had pinned him to the wall and threatened to strangle the life out of him.
"P.K.O.!" Carol cried, racing to his side. When she spoke again, her voice was a strained whisper. "What are you doing here?!"
After taking a moment to collect himself, the fusion looked her in the eyes, seeing the concern within them. For all the questions he currently had, whether or not she genuinely cared about his safety gladly wasn't one of them. "...I couldn't sleep. I tried to, but I heard you leave the house, so I followed you. I didn't want to be left alone because I was worried that Shadowy Figure would try to do something to me again. But I guess it didn't matter, because you'd gone to find him anyway." He gulped. "Mom, what's going on?"
Carol placed a hand on his shoulder, looking into the tunnel that Shadowy Figure had gone down. "...Maybe we shouldn't be having this conversation here. Come on, I know another way out of here."
"How do you know that?" asked P.K.O., following Carol as she turned and started walking; he was just as eager to get out of there as she was. "You've been down here before, haven't you?"
"...Let's just say that this isn't the first time I've confronted him over these incidents," she replied.
"Is that why he-?"
"Why don't we save the rest of the questions for when we get home, kiddo?" Carol suggested with a nervous chuckle. "I'm sure you have plenty of them." P.K.O. couldn't argue with that. The sooner they got out of the sewers, the better.
The trip back to the house was much shorter when neither of them were evading detection, but the encounter ate at P.K.O. all the same. It came as no surprise that Shadowy Figure knew way more than he let on, but it seemed that his mother had her own secrets relating to the man; while he wasn't entirely sure what their connection was, it was safe to say that that wasn't a conversation between virtual strangers. Inside his mind, both halves wanted answers, but P.K.O. didn't indulge them. A few more minutes wouldn't kill anyone.
Eventually, the pair made it back home. Once inside, Carol sat heavily on the sofa, suddenly looking exhausted. P.K.O. remained standing. "...I really wish you hadn't followed me," Carol murmured after a pause.
"Well, I did," P.K.O. snapped, irritated by the statement. "If you snuck off on purpose just so that I wouldn't find out, then it probably means that it's something really important, especially if it has to do with him." He crossed his arms. "You said you've talked to him before. How many times have you confronted him and not done anything about it?"
"...I've talked to him a few times."
It was hardly an answer, but it didn't really feel like she was avoiding the question. "How many is a few?"
Carol carded a hand through her hair. "I don't know. He's been trying to get to you for a very long time."
"Since the first time T.K.O. manifested?" P.K.O. guessed.
Carol shook her head. "No, he was around long before that."
The knowledge wasn't exactly reassuring. "...How long, mom?"
Carol grimaced, hesitating before she responded. "The first time I confronted him was years ago. You would've been too young to remember. He'd shown up here and there during K.O.'s toddler years, just to visit, but he never tried anything until K.O.'s powers started to come in. Kid nearly destroyed his crib when I took too long giving him his teddy bear." She almost chuckled at that, but her smile dropped before she had the chance. "No, that isn't quite right..."
It didn't sit well with P.K.O. that Shadowy Figure had been lurking in the background of his life since early childhood, but he doubted that he was the reason that Carol had paused. "...Mom?"
"K.O. couldn't use his powers back then. He hadn't been able to summon them at all until a couple years ago." Carol looked at P.K.O. fully, and her eyes held a mix of emotions: horror, confusion, surprise, and, of all things, guilt. "I think that power...was T.K.O.'s."
The revelation only confirmed what P.K.O. already knew: T.K.O. was a part of K.O. from the start, not something created by Shadowy Figure. But the fact that his mother knew not only shocked him, it sent a flash of rage coursing through him that wasn't entirely his. Gnashing his teeth, he tore off his headband before the act of relinquishing control could destroy it. "You knew!" T.K.O. shouted. "You knew I was there, and you didn't do a thing about it! I could have been free years ago, but instead you let him lock me away!"
"I didn't know you were there!" Carol shouted back, surprised by his sudden outburst. "It happened more than once, so I just assumed it was his powers at the time. Whatever it was, Shadowy Figure wanted it, so I encouraged K.O. to suppress it. I thought that if he learned to control that power, Shadowy Figure wouldn't be able to use it against him. I had no idea that I'd been telling him to lock up a child. I know it means nothing now, but I'm sorry."
T.K.O. sneered. He didn't like it. He didn't quite believe it, but he couldn't really dispute it, either. But he could grill her about it another time. For now, there were more pressing matters at hand. "Fine. Ignoring the fact that you let me rot in a cage my entire life," Carol winced at that, "I can see Shadowy Figure becoming interested once he realized I wasn't a total weakling. But you said he was around even before that. Why?"
Carol's face screwed up as if the question physically pained her. "There really isn't a simple answer to that, T.K.O."
"I don't care! I just watched you refuse to beat him up, and that isn't what you do with enemies! I know he's not a good guy, so what would that make you, huh?!" He could tell that that stung, but he was too mad to care. "So what's the deal?! Powers or no powers, why would you let him anywhere near us in the first place?!"
Carol chewed her lip, balling her fists in her lap. She'd hoped that she could put this off a little longer, at least a couple more years, but at this point, there was no getting out of it. There was no way her boys were letting her go without an answer.
In the end, Carol let out a long, weary sigh, her shoulders sagging. "I was hoping to wait to tell you until you were older. I never wanted you to find out like this, but..." She drew in a breath, steeling her nerves. "T.K.O., that man... is your father."
There was a beat of silence as the bombshell dropped. And then, it exploded. "...He's WHAT?!"
"I know, I know how that sounds," Carol said, holding her hands up, "but if you'll let me explain-"
"Explain what?!" T.K.O. snarled. "Explain that the guy who's been tormenting me for close to a year now is my own dad?! Or explain why you even decided to have a kid with him in the first place?! Or why you let him stick around when you knew what he was?!"
"T.K.O., I didn't want-"
"Didn't want us to find out, right?" T.K.O. cut her off, his toothy grin anything but cheerful. "Afraid we'd be a little upset? You weren't ever planning on telling us, were you? You were content in letting us believe a fairy tale, because you couldn't bear to crush poor little K.O.'s heart when you told him his father wasn't the great and fantastic hero who-"
"He was a hero!" Carol finally managed to shout over him. During his stunned silence, she let out a huff of air, slumping back into the couch. "...He wasn't always the man he is now, you know. He used to be kind, and brave, and determined... A little bullheaded. But ultimately, he was a good guy. Someone I really admired. But there was an incident, and I still don't know how, or why, but... it changed him. I know some part of him is still in there somewhere, but he isn't the same anymore."
T.K.O. scrutinized her expression, trying to find some trace of a lie. All he could find was a sad sort of nostalgia. "...If he wasn't a villain, then who was he?"
Carol smiled, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. "Take a wild guess."
T.K.O. frowned in concentration, momentarily pushing his anger aside so that he could think. "...He was Laserblast, wasn't he?" Carol nodded, her smile barely holding together. "Why didn't you tell us? You let us believe he was dead."
"I used to think so," Carol admitted. "After what happened, I didn't think there was any way he could have survived. But somehow, he did. He came and found me a few months before K.O. was born, and I just knew it was him. He wasn't the same man anymore, not really. But he was the closest thing I had. The closest thing you had to a father. I thought he deserved to get to know you."
"Well, he didn't," T.K.O. snapped. "You letting him 'get to know me' is probably how he keeps staying a step ahead of me all the time! It's because you basically told him everything there was to know about me!" Carol didn't deny it, because she couldn't. T.K.O. shook his head. "But I still don't get it. What does he even want with me? What did I do as a freaking baby to make him want to come after me?"
"Listen to me, T.K.O.," said Carol, gently grabbing him by the shoulders. He didn't shrug her off, which she took as an invitation to continue. "You aren't to blame for Shadowy Figure's actions. He'd gone bad long before your powers showed any signs of emerging. I was the one who ignored the risk in letting him get close to you. I'll accept the blame for that. But he's the one who made the choice to come after you in the first place. You didn't do anything wrong."
"Does it really matter whose fault it is?" T.K.O. demanded, exasperated. "It doesn't even matter that he's my dad. He's still trying to get to me for some reason. So tell me what he wants. You at least owe me that much."
Carol sighed once more, hands slipping away from his shoulders. "I don't know. I wish I did. But whatever it is, we'll find a way to stop him, and save Laserblast."
T.K.O. narrowed his eyes, disconcerted by the odd statement. "I thought you said he was Laserblast."
"He is, but, well..." Carol stammered, trying to put her thoughts into words. "Shadowy Figure is Laserblast, but it's like I said. For some reason or another, he's changed. He just isn't the same person he used to be."
"...What are you trying to say?" T.K.O. asked slowly.
Carol glanced at the clock. "Hoo boy, I didn't realize how late it was. Time for bed, kiddo. P.K.O.'s not missing school if I can help it."
Indignant, T.K.O. sputtered. "Wait, do you mean he-?!"
"Bedtime, T.K.O.," Carol repeated, voice strained. "We'll finish this conversation another time."
"But mom-"
"Now." Frustrated by the obvious deflection, T.K.O. bared his teeth, the force of his snarl reddening his cheeks. He turned on his heel, stomping towards his room, slamming the door behind him.
T.K.O. threw himself backwards onto his bed, his mind a raging storm of complicated thoughts. Shadowy Figure was his dad. Not only that, but he was around before he was even born. Was around for his early childhood. And to think that this same villain was the man his mother had briefly dated while she was still a member of P.O.I.N.T.? He had so many questions to ask, so many holes to fill in. He could tell he was missing a huge chunk of the story, but anything he asked, Carol only offered fractions of an answer. But at least she answered.
That last question, though... She didn't even let him ask it. Shadowy Figure and Laserblast were the same person, according to Carol, but she talked as if they were two different people. She'd refused to elaborate on it when he noticed. It just made him wonder...
T.K.O. looked at his hands, even though it was too dark to see them properly. Shadowy Figure was his dad. How much did he look like him, under that hood? How much of his power was his? How many mannerisms did they share? How much of his existence did he owe to that man?
Hours later, T.K.O. hit snooze on his alarm, having never closed his eyes.
Hoo boy. That was a lot to drop on a 7-12 year old. Too predictable?
So yeah, I believe in a very specific brand of the Laserblast/Venomous/Shadowy Figure theory, and not all of it was touched upon here. Mostly, though, it comes from the fact that the show directly refers to Occam's Razor, the idea that the simplest explanation is usually the correct one. In this case, that refers to his identity. However, I have a very specific set of headcanons relating to the circumstances. Hopefully I'll have a chance to get to them in another story. I just didn't want to cram too many reveals into 4000 words.
For anyone who is interested, P.K.O. now has an ask blog on Tumblr called askperfectko! He's likely to respond Monday through Wednesday, with occasional responses (or responses from the other two) for the rest of the week, because I want to keep to his schedule as closely as possible. I only have a few rules: No roleplaying across several asks; no NSFW; avoid potential fanfiction spoilers until at least a week after the fic in question has been posted (non-spoiler questions are still fine); and if you have a question for me, ask my main blog (bigjbonk), not P.K.O.'s. This fic happens to take place basically NOW in real life (to the day of the week!), so he's likely to be upset for a few days. If you want to ask him or the other boys anything, please be kind to them. I'm trying to stay in-character.
See you guys again soon!