I'm just… wow, guys. I one hundred percent am blown away by the amazing response this fic has already gotten. Like, seriously, I'm so pleased I barely have words. Just thank you all so much for supporting and enjoying this series because it sure means a hell of a lot for me. You guys are great.

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Double Time
Chapter Two: Sharing Priorities

"Well? What do you think?"

There was a look of pure exuberance on Tucker's face as he asked the question. It was the kind of face that Washington could catch himself standing back and admiring from a distance. There was still a certain disbelief that it could ever be made in his direction.

And then, of course, there was the complete disconnect that came with that expression and that question with that particular subject between them.

Washington looked at the ten year old car that Tucker was exaggeratedly waving to and wondered if his boyfriend even noticed that there were four dents.

"It certainly has four wheels," Wash mustered.

"That is a sign of a good car," Caboose nodded sagely beside Washington.

The large, lumbering metapowered non-hero had become one of the many staples to Wash's new life. Always around with little rhyme or reason – like most of the people that Tucker seemed to attract to his life.

Fortunately, Caboose had taken a shine to Wash. Which was more than could be said for the other staple of Tucker's life…

"Good car? This thing is an absolute piece of shit," Church practically screamed.

There was just something about Church's voice that always managed to make Wash wonder if that robotic body came with something wrong with its speakers, or at least some knob to turn the volume down. Something… Anything…

"Dude, I wasn't going to get a new car for the deal I got on this baby," Tucker said, running his hand over the hood of the car.

"What was the deal? A pack of gum and you take someone's shitty car off their hands?" Church snorted.

"You're just jealous," Tucker responded with a wave of his hand. "Tell him, Wash."

Wash raised a brow and fiddled with the sunglasses on his nose. "I don't really feel much stake in this fight. I've never had to own a car before–"

"Right, because of the sweet ass Washcycle," Tucker said enthusiastically.

"And that is not what the name of my motorcycle is," Washington sighed for what felt like the millionth time.

Church, crossing his arms and looking even more displeased than usual waved to the car and looked at Wash. Just looking Wash's way, Church was able to make the superhero's body fill with dread. "Aren't you, like, some kind of billionaire?"

"No," Wash answered flatly.

"You couldn't even loan your roommate money for a decent car?" Church continued without missing a beat.

"We're more than roommates, jackass!" Tucker yelled, jumping back to sit on the car. There was an unsavory ripple in the thin metal of the hood from him doing so, but Tucker didn't even seem to notice. "And besides, I wouldn't let Wash. I've been saving up my own money for a year to get a car! And I got one! It's the goddamn American dream. Think of the chicks I could pick up in this car!"

"None," Church replied.

"Why would you want to pick up women in any vehicle?" Wash asked sternly.

"Hey, just because we're dating doesn't mean I can't be thinking about the future," Tucker joked.

"It kind of does," Wash said, not finding much humor in Tucker's sentiment whatsoever. "Do you always have to act like you're still single?"

Wash could see in the corner of his eye how Caboose and Church looked to each other with something that was almost like expectation. Wash couldn't blame them. This did happen more often than he'd like to admit.

"I like it when you act all jealous," Tucker mused, moving back off the hood and toward the driver side door. "Okay, everyone hop in, we're ready to do this! Put your complaining where it belongs – far away from me – and let's get to it!"

There was an audible side from both of Wash's sides, leading him to look curiously back and forth between Caboose and Church. Both men seemed resigned and displeased.

"What's happening?" Wash asked, feeling more and more out of the loop.

Without answering, Caboose and Church walked toward the car, Church getting a rathe surprising skip in his step as he dashed around to the passenger side door in the front.

"Shotgun!" Church shouted.

"I didn't know Sarge was here," Caboose mused, already getting in the back.

Wash squinted. "We're grown men, we can't determine things by shotgun. And I should be in the front… I mean… It's Tucker's car and I'm–"

"Sorry, dude, you're totally right, it's my car. And the rules of shotgun can't be overturned," Tucker shrugged. "Don't be such a wet blanket, Wash! Keep Caboose company."

Wash glanced toward the backseat and sighed before getting in himself. "I still have no idea what we're doing," he said as he buckled his seatbelt and Tucker started the car.

"The only thing any of us can do now that there's a car available in the group," Tucker said. "What every group of hot blooded American men dream of doing with their cars."

Washington couldn't help the scowl forming on his face. "I refuse to pick up women in my boyfriend's car."

"Oh my god, can you stop calling each other boyfriends around me? I cannot live with myself so long as I'm being reminded what poor tastes Tucker has!" Church whined.

Washington looked to the back of Tucker's seat expectantly, waiting for him to say something, anything to Church about the constant undermining of their relationship.

It didn't quite come out, though. And by that, of course, it didn't come at all.

"Everybody ready?" Tucker asked.

"Yes," Caboose and Church said at the same time Wash questioned, "What?"

Without more warning than that, Tucker reached for the CD player – by god the piece of junk still played CDs – and turned up the volume just before the speakers in the car began blaring what felt like directly into Wash's ears.

"What is this why are we doing this?" Wash asked in a string of questions he had no hope of receiving answers to as he covered his ears.

Is this the real life?
Is this just fantasy?
Caught in a landslide,
No escape from reality.

Wash's eyes darted to the rest of the car's occupants, finding that not only were they not paying him any mind, but they were in a trance-like state singing along with the lyrics. Was this rehearsed? Was he missing something?

"Tucker, I'm confused," Wash said directly to the back of Tucker's seat.

"Wash, dude, what do you think is going on? It's Party Time!" Tucker laughed out before continuing on with the lyrics that were only getting louder.

Looking around him again, Wash considered the very real possibilities of living a superheroic lifestyle. His boyfriend and boyfriend's friends may have been put under mind control. There was some sort of satanic ritual taking place.

Or, Wash was becoming increasingly overwhelmed with the fact that he was surrounded by a history and friendship that predated his relationship by nearly a lifetime.

Unable to even think clearly with the music blasting, Wash took the only logical course of action he could once the head banging began.

Opening the back door, Wash unbuckled himself then tucked and rolled to the relative safety of the sidewalk.

Tucker and company didn't even slow down all that much as Wash stood up and put a hand to his chin.

"I'm definitely leaning more toward mind control," he said. "Good thing I'm already wearing my suit under these clothes–"

"Sure you want to do that?"

On instinct, Washington whirled around and held up a throwing knife, ready to throw in the direction of the voice, but he quickly dropped his stance once he saw who was standing in the alley.

"Tex! You're here, that must mean there was something going on," Wash said, looking back down the street. "Just as I suspected."

"No, I just have the additional superpower of ironic timing," she said, watching with him. "There's no mind control. They're just idiots still living off barely remembered nostalgia."

Wash looked at her worriedly. "Nostalgia?"

"Yeah, nostalgia," Tex said dully before tilting her head and raising a brow. "You've honestly never seen Wayne's World? Not even one of the SNL skits?"

Blinking blankly, Wash couldn't help the, "Huh?"

"God, you have to get out more," Tex laughed. "Wash, you're going to need a crash course in nerd culture if you want to make this relationship-thing with you and Tucker last. Because these people you're surrounded by? Nerds. Huge nerds."

"I suppose I'm supposed to find that endearing about them," Wash said flatly.

"One would hope since that's about ninety-five percent of what they are," Tex pointed out. "But, hey, it's not like you don't have any friends outside of Tucker's, right? That's only healthy."

Continuing with blank stares, Wash tilted his head. "I've got you."

Tex snorted. "Pfft, I don't count."

"Why not?" Wash asked.

"I'm no one's friend," Tex responded with a wave of her hand. "Total antihero badass, remember?"

"Says the woman who is literally the person connected to everyone," Wash pointed out. "Look, Tex, I'm not saying you're not right… I'm just saying I'm… a Superhero. That's literally what I am. I'm not sure I operate in any other capacity beyond what I'm trying to have with Tucker right now. And considering I'm training his son, about half of that is still superheroing. I don't have a day job, I barely have a secret identity–"

"Okay I'm stopping you right there because this is getting too depressing," Tex said with a shake of her head. "Like, goddamn, Wash."

Taking a deep breath of his own, Wash nodded. "Thank you."

"Well, not that it's going to help you much in the getting your own life department, but I was about to start patrol," Tex said, throwing her thumb in the direction of the roofs above them. "If you want to get in on that–"

"Yes, yes please," Wash said, already unbuttoning his shirt to reveal the suit he had on beneath.

"You really do need to start expanding your horizons, though, or else you're not going to appreciate what you and Tucker have," Tex warned. "And believe me, none of us appreciate what you have either. So if you two don't appreciate it, no one is. No way that can last."

"Are you seriously giving me relationship advice? You? Who has a robot practically stalking you?" Wash asked, raising a brow.

"What can I say, Wash? It's an imperfect world," Tex joked before heading toward the alley's fire escape. "That's the reason it needs superheroes."

Smirking, Wash followed suit. "Can't deny you have a point there."

It was the start of a decent patrol, one where Bohemian Rhapsody never seemed completely out of the distance.