Techno didn't become a vigilante for selfless reasons.

Others might have a sappy story about saving lives and making the world a better place to explain why they chose this lifestyle, why the dangers and legal repercussions were worth it. Some noble motivation like doing what was right or keeping innocents from harm. Not him. All Techno cared about was protecting his loved ones.

He was six years old when his folks died. They were good people, from what little Techno could remember of them. Hard workers, loving parents. They didn't have much, yet gave Techno everything he could want and loved him with their whole hearts. The villain that killed them was never caught. Techno's parents weren't even meant to die, the attack wasn't aimed at them.

They were just collateral damage in a war much bigger than them.

A hero was present at the scene. They failed to save Techno's parents, though nobody could say why. The government sent him a card with a hundred-dollar check as compensation and their condolences before shipping him off to the orphanage.

Techno would never forgive them for that.

Two years later he discovered his powers when living at a foster home and immediately started doing whatever it took to keep them hidden. Even as a kid, he already knew that showing them could get him in trouble with the authorities. He'd need to be registered, all people with powers had to be. To keep track of them and make sure they didn't turn to villainy down the line. Blood bending was scarier than other powers, sometimes Techno was a bit frightened of it himself. Maybe they would lock him up because they thought he'd become a bad guy? Maybe they would take him away from his new family and send him back to the orphanage? Or they could even ship him off somewhere worse?

Maybe they would force him to become a hero.

Other kids his age always gushed about heroes, boasting loudly whenever they caught a glimpse of them on the streets. They complained about their own lack of powers because becoming a hero had to be the coolest thing ever in their eyes, like something out of a comic book. To Techno the one thing worse than the government thinking he was a villain just because his powers were scary, was the prospect of working for them as a hero against his will.

There had been a hero there on the day his parents died and they had done absolutely nothing to save them. Techno could only shudder at the thought of becoming like that. So uncaring of human life. So blinded by their loyalty to an empty organization that loved to appear charitable but mostly shoved tax money down their pockets.

He grew up wanting a normal, quiet life. He read a lot and wrote a little, moved out of the foster home as soon as he was legally able without keeping in touch with his guardians, and got a job at a small library that never saw more than ten visitors per day. He'd be content to spend the rest of his days between those books. He'd be happy to leave his powers a well-guarded secret.

Until they came along.

Phil was a regular at the library, though that wasn't anything special. There were lots of people - old people, mostly - Techno got accustomed to seeing return each week. But unlike those people, Phil always made an effort to talk to him. It started out with him asking Techno for book recommendations (Techno read fantasy and some horror, Phil had finished a lot of contemporary novels lately. They settled on murder mystery stories to split the difference). Then that progressed into regular small talk and joking around, Phil taking an interest in Techno's hobbies and such. Techno asked Phil about his life, which was well-traveled and pretty dang intriguing at times. That guy had some crazy stories stocked up. Techno found himself looking forward to Phil's weekly visits, counting down the days even.

Techno didn't have a lot of friends. Phil was an exception.

When Phil caught him taking notes for his own novel idea on printer paper during work hours, he only laughed and asked Techno what his book would be about. Phil stayed until after closing time, listening to Techno ramble. It was embarrassing, especially since Techno couldn't remember the last time he spoke that much. He'd said more words that evening than he usually did in an entire month.

Phil didn't make fun of him. He smiled and told him he hoped to read Techno's writing one day.

Not long after that was when Phil started bringing Wilbur and Tommy along. As far as Techno could tell they weren't related by blood, but Techno would know better than anybody that's not the only way to become a family. They snuck their way into his good graces about as easily as Phil had. It really was almost ridiculous how quickly Techno developed a soft spot for them. How quickly he came to care.

How quickly it became impossible to brush off the concerning amount of bruises and injuries those three walked around with.

"Yeah, it was stupid. Fell right down the stairs because I missed a step." Phil smiled as if it was funny, pulling down his sleeve to conceal the blue and purple bruising on his arm. He was a horrible liar. "Must be old age."

Techno tried to ignore it.

Tommy showed off his bandages as if they were badges of honor. But when Techno asked what happened, he shrugged. "Biking accident." Both his legs had gotten completely messed up, covered in cuts and Techno cringed just thinking about how painful that must be for him.

Techno tried to ignore it.

Wilbur walked in two weeks later with his arm in a sling and an offhand comment about being pushed into a wall by an overexcited crowd at a concert he attended, which was absolutely horrifying and also perhaps the worst lie yet.

Techno couldn't ignore it any longer.

He didn't know what these idiots were getting up to and why they wouldn't tell him the truth, but he would get to the bottom of this.

Using the library's databank system to look up personal information was probably a breach of privacy but he didn't care. He called in a favor of the only kid he'd met in foster care and actually was still friends with. Skeppy was scarily good with computers, Techno always suspected he might have some slight technomancy powers but never felt like prying. Regardless, Skeppy didn't ask him why he needed to get into these files either. Techno appreciated that.

What he found shocked him.

Heroes. Phil, Wilbur, and Tommy - all three of them not only were registered as having powers but were actively working as part of the association. Techno even recognized Phil's hero name, he was a pretty big shot. And he was mentoring Wilbur and Tommy too, training them to become pros.

Techno hadn't even known they had powers. He wondered if the hero association forbade the use of them outside of official business. That would make sense and explained why he had never found out about them.

Moreover, Techno was glad he'd never shown them his own.

What he felt at that moment came surprisingly close to betrayal. And he knew that wasn't rational of him. It's not like they'd done anything to purposefully mislead him. They weren't keeping this a secret because they knew it would hurt him, heck it might even get them in trouble with the government if they didn't.

But that's also the reason why Techno was upset about it.

He'd gone years hating the association and everybody who worked with it. He'd gone years hating heroes - who were supposed to be selfish and opportunistic and vain.

And despite that, he couldn't hate them. He couldn't hate Phil or Wilbur or Tommy.

He tried. For the first weeks after finding out, Techno gave them the cold shoulder even though he knew it would confuse them. Tommy in particular acted pretty brashly about it, but Phil must have called him off because then they started giving him space. They barely came by the library anymore, the time between visits stretching from nearly every day to once a week. Techno couldn't stand it. He couldn't stand that he was still happy to see them despite wanting to be angry at them so badly. He couldn't stand them being so patient and understanding with him, instead of getting pissed in return.

So he followed them to their patrols a few times.

It was sick curiosity on his part. It was Techno wanting to show to himself that maybe they would finally do something to prove to him that they were the same as any other hero was supposed to be in his mind, that they matched the caricatures of justice his childhood trauma had shaped out to exist. And then he could cut them out of his life completely with no remorse.

Instead, he only saw them be exactly who they always had been, now with the added bonus of endangering themselves for the sake of others.

They were getting hurt to help people and here Techno was trying to hate them for it.

The next day he went out and bought some clothes and bandages, plus bulky packs to wear beneath them and change his lithe frame a bit. He wasn't the fittest person in the world but his stamina was decent. This would help conceal his identity though, especially if he wore soled shoes to seem taller. Techno also got a mask with a voice changer built in. There wasn't really anything he could do about his hair but since he always wore it up in a bun while at work and that kinda made it hard to judge the length, he kept it down when he was in costume. He wasn't the only guy with long pink hair in the city either. It would have to be enough.

He hoped it was enough.

His next months were spent working at the library during the day and stalking his friends at night. More than once Techno lay awake in bed after returning home, sore and aching and with a few new scars he hadn't had the day before, wondering what the hell he was even doing this for.

But then morning would come. And Techno would sit behind the library's desk and see Phil walk in, bright and smiling. Tommy would talk his ear off about some school project he was going to nail and Wilbur would show him the composition he was working on and all Techno really cared about was that they were safe.

Because of him, they were safe.

Ironically, it had turned out to be Techno who was the selfish one.


Techno's head was pounding.

Not the usual sleep deprivation and dehydration combo kicking his ass either. This was about ten times worse. Like he had been hit by a moving truck or something. It was pretty bearable compared to the sharp pain in his stomach though, as if his gut had been pierced clean through.

Oh… probably because that's exactly what happened.

Vaguely, Techno remembered the fight and getting wounded. He remembered that he was trying to heal himself when they all crowded around him wanting to help. They had unmasked him-

They had unmasked him!

He shot up and regretted the movement immediately, doubling over on himself when the pain increased tenfold and cut off his breathing. Techno's blood bending meant he could heal himself pretty decently in a pinch, but not enough to completely walk off an injury that severe. He'd done his best to patch himself up before blood loss made him pass out. He could feel the tightly wound bandages around his stomach that were applied afterward. Somebody grabbed his shoulder and gently but firmly pushed him back into lying down.

"Don't move," Phil said. "It's okay, you're safe."

Heaving, Techno cracked his eyes open. The surface he was lying on was soft, probably a couch. Looking up at an unfamiliar ceiling made him conclude he must be in somebody's home. Phil's home, logic would dictate.

Why had they brought him here?

"Why?" Techno asked, the question coming out a bit croaky because he was parched. He didn't know how long he had been out for. Probably a few hours at least.

"Hm?" Phil asked, turning to him. He was already grabbing a glass of water that was sitting on a coffee table next to the couch.

"Why did you bring me here and not arrest me?"

Because that's what they should have done. Vigilantism was a pretty serious crime, one that the government punished harshly and quickly, sometimes without a trial. Getting brought in even on suspicions of illegal crimefighting activity could wind you up in jail for weeks, and helping somebody else hide their vigilantism wasn't condoned either.

By bringing him to his home instead of turning him in, Phil was risking more than just his hero license.

"We can talk about that later," Phil said, pushing the glass into his hands. "How are you feeling?"

Forcing himself to sit up despite the pain, Techno pushed the glass back at him. "I'm fine. Answer my question." He couldn't feel safe around these people until he knew.

Phil's face hardened a little. "Not until you answer one of mine first."

"What?" Techno said testily.

He was still in his vigilante clothes, but aside from losing the mask, they had also taken off his hoodie so they could treat him. His shirt was ripped and stained with blood.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Phil asked.

With a groan, Techno fell back into the pillows. "Do we really need to get into this now?"

Phil frowned down at him. "Yes, Techno. We do. Because you almost died today."

He swallowed, awkwardly. Crap. He almost died. He had not only failed to protect them, but he had also made it so they'd inadvertently be more worried about him in the future.

"Nobody is supposed to know. About my powers, I mean." Putting his hand onto his stomach, the coarse fabric of his shirt caught on the perpetual cut there and it stung. But the pain helped ground him. "I never cared much for using them before meeting you guys either."

"Before meeting us?" Phil tried giving him the glass again and this time Techno took it, taking a few swallows before handing it back. It made talking easier.

"Believe it or not but I didn't become a vigilante because I had too much free time on the weekends, Phil."

There was a beat of disbelieving silence. Phil was almost laughing when he spoke next. "You really became a vigilante… because of us?"

"After I found out you guys were heroes it seemed the best idea to me," Techno said with a shrug. "With how often I got you out of a pinch, you can't really deny it was a good call."

"And it didn't cross your mind to just go register, take the test and certify as a hero instead? I could have helped you-"

"I don't hold the association or those who work for them in high regard," Techno said honestly. He was sure that if Phil wanted to, he could find out why. As one of the top heroes, he'd have access to any civilian files he wanted to look into. Phil could easily discover what happened to his parents.

"But you do hold us in high regard? Otherwise, why risk your life to help us." Phil was ever the observant one, huh?

"Yeah, well…" Techno smiled, but it wasn't sincere in the slightest. "Consider yourself lucky."

"Is he awake?" Techno could hear Wilbur's voice before seeing him. Even in his half-sitting up position, it was hard to look around. For all intents and purposes, Phil's house seemed to be beyond ordinary. The living room had a TV, a couch (currently occupied by Techno), and an open arch that led into a kitchen slash dining room. There were pictures on the wall, mostly of Wilbur and Tommy together.

There was one framed that they took in the library. Wilbur, Tommy, and Techno himself sitting on that stupid playmat messing with toy cars. He forgot about Phil pulling out his phone that day.

"Dude, you fucking scared the shit out of us," Tommy said as he walked in too.

Great. Now it could be a whole family reunion.

Tommy looked pale, worried. Techno had pushed him out of the way. Knowing the kid, he'd feel guilty about that. Like Techno would have died in his place.

More or less that's exactly what he was trying to do, but still…

"I'm fine," he said again. To demonstrate, he mustered up what little energy he had left to sit up properly and swing his legs over the edge of the couch. It hurt and when he was done he couldn't move much more without the feeling of passing out again crawling into every inch of his body. But he would just hope they didn't notice that.

He looked at Phil. "Answer my question now."

"What question?" Wilbur asked.

"Techno wants to know why we didn't arrest him," Phil said wryly. There was something about his expression there that Techno couldn't really place. Not while he was still so damn dizzy.

"Are you for real?" Tommy piped up.

Techno didn't know where their general confusion was coming from. In his eyes, this was a perfectly normal and sensible thing to ask.

"Have you considered we don't want you to end up in prison," Wilbur said. He sounded a little condescending, really.

"It's your job as heroes to arrest criminals," Techno said. "You don't make the law, you just enforce it."

Heroes being allowed to choose who they did and didn't go after would be news to him. He assumed the association would nip that in the bud.

"Criminals as in those that endanger others or cause harm," Phil cut in. "You weren't doing either of those."

"I didn't know the association made a distinction."

"It doesn't," Phil said. "I do."

With a sharp inhale, Techno stood up. He swayed for a moment, pretending not to notice how Wilbur took a step forward to catch him should he fall. Considering Wilbur's powers, it might be a bigger likelihood than Techno wanted to admit. "So you're just hypocrites then? Working for a government you don't agree with. Guess I was right about all heroes being selfish after all."

"Will you just stop being a dramatic asshole for five minutes and sit back down!" Tommy yelled suddenly.

Stunned, Techno sat back down. He'd never heard Tommy raise his voice in actual anger before.

"You're so absorbed in your own pity party you're not even considering how we feel, are you?!" Tommy continued, crossing his arms. "We had to find out one of our best friends was risking his life every night without us knowing because you almost died on us."

The volume dropped near the end of that sentence, the energy draining from Tommy surprisingly fast. He tugged his hands into his own armpits but Techno could still tell they were shaking.

He was scared.

And Techno was the one who had scared him.

But something too close to anger still burned within him at those words. "Yeah, that's basically what happened to me? Or did you think I enjoyed finding out that's why you looked like you got hit by a car that one time?"

Tommy swallowed, having the decency to look a little guilty at least. Phil leaned forward.

"And that's why working with the association is important, even if we don't agree with all their rules and methods. They make working as heroes a possibility for us, so we can still do good and change the system from within. Their resources are invaluable. They keep us safe."

"I kept you safe," Techno spat back. He was just being petty now.

"No offense, Techno," Wilbur said, "but we've been doing this work for years before meeting you and none of us have died yet. Compared to you, who almost died a couple of months into it, we have a much better track record."

Techno opened his mouth to respond but closed it again because… wow, rude. And also he couldn't really refute that. He only started with this whole vigilante thing because he didn't want to lose them.

He couldn't bear losing them.

"Well, now that we know it's you behind the mask, at least we can all work together to keep each other safe, yeah?" Phil said placatingly. He reached out to hold Tommy's wrist where the boy had dropped his hands to his sides, squeezing it reassuringly.

"You're-" Techno looked up in surprise. "You're not only letting me go without arresting me, but you're also going to let me continue being a vigilante?"

"You're too much of a stubborn asshole to listen if we told you not to, right?" Phil said unpertrubed.

And yeah, at least they knew Techno well enough to know that much.

"But now that we know, you can just join our patrols. No need for all the secretive stuff," Wilbur said.

"This will be so cool," Tommy said, mood shifting in an instant. All earlier anxiety seemed to be wiped away already. "We can come up with some sick combo moves!"

"That's…" Techno shook his head, smiling. This was not the outcome he had been expecting, but he embraced it wholeheartedly. "Yeah, that'd be nice."


Techno waited for the last visitor to leave before he texted Phil. Then he went around closing up shop and making sure the library wasn't too messy for his morning shift. Especially because he most likely wouldn't be getting a lot of sleep tonight. By the time he was done he had a response, including a set of coordinates.

It was a lot easier to find them when they just told him where they were hanging out. Save Techno the time of having to track their patrol schedules.

"What's up?" He sat down between Phil and Wilbur on the edge of the roof, legs dangling. Techno had his mask pushed up to the side of his face. If they had to jump into action, he could wear it so his identity stayed concealed.

But when it was just the four of them, that wasn't necessary anymore.

"It's quiet," Phil said - only to be immediately interrupted by a siren. He sighed, but didn't look surprised that fate would be so cruel. "It was quiet."

"Last one there has to buy us midnight burgers later!" Tommy proclaimed, teleporting down before any of them could react. Phil wheezed a laugh, standing up so he could materialize his wings.

"Need a lift, mate?"

"I'm good." Techno already had shaped his blood into a grappling hook. He could probably beat Phil to the scene if he was quick about it.

"What about me?" Wilbur asked, affronted.

"Looks like you'll be getting us those burgers," Techno said. He didn't wait for an answer before propelling himself from the roof, but he could hear Phil laughing behind him. With his free hand, he shifted his mask back in place.

Together, they'd make it through another night.