Once more, sorry there was a bit of a wait to this chapter, but it was an absolute blast to write and I hope that comes across in the writing! Because I really did have a lot of fun with this one. And hey hey hey, look where we're getting in the plot ; ) I'll give you a hint: IT THICKENS

Special thanks to notatroll7, secretlystephaniebrown, analiarvb, thepheonixqueen, icefrozenover, washingtonstub, BetaZack, Yin, and Enmuse on AO3 and tumblr for the wonderful feed back! I truly appreciate it more than you know.

Double Time
Chapter Twelve: Suspicion Rises

Junior might have been bouncing off the literal walls but it could have not been more opposite of the reaction that Tucker was giving Wash at that moment. His boyfriend was staring at him like he had just announced that he was going to kick him out of the apartment.

"You want Junior to be the leader?" Tucker demanded, all but throwing a bloody steak onto a plate and handing it off to the chattering alien child. "Of your ridiculous superhero team? What the fuck's wrong with you?"

"It's not my team, they are their own team. I'm just training and guiding them at the behest of the local government which… seems to know my identity," Wash responded awkwardly.

"Sure that doesn't have anything to do with the fact that, like an idiot, your codename is your last name? Seriously, Wash, who does that?" Tucker asked, throwing his hands in the air.

Scratching at the back of his neck Washington shrugged. "I… guess it was poor planning. To be honest, a lot of the days between me being a protege and joining the team and the team deciding to self-implode during the Invasion is sketchy."

"Dude, I was friends with Tex at the time, alright? Sketchy doesn't even cover half of it," Tucker responded. "But that doesn't detract from the point that you think a five year old can lead a team of teenagers. How is that the best option for everyone involved?" Tucker demanded.

"You've not met these teenagers," Wash argued. When he saw that the attempt at levity was not appealing to Tucker, Wash sighed and leaned back against the kitchen island. "And it's not a for sure thing. It's something I'm debating at the moment. There's no reason to panic."

"I'm not panicking because I'm not letting it happen," Tucker said plainly. "Don't you need a permission form signed or something? Yeah, it's not happening. Case closed!"

Completely thrown off, Wash crossed his arms and just looked at Tucker utterly perplexed. "Tucker, it wasn't even my idea. It was something recommended to me, and I'm just considering it. Junior has the most natural talent of the team, he's the one making the most progress, and in general he's just really good at this compared to everyone else. Not to mention I have the most one-on-one training with him. I don't know why you're reacting so badly to this!"

Tucker turned on Wash with a nearly offended look to his face. "Because things are moving too fast, Wash!" he snapped.

Washington stared at Tucker for a good long moment, then glanced toward the table where Junior was happily tearing his steak apart. Then he looked to Tucker again.

"We've not been talking about the same thing, have we?" Washington asked lowly, doing his level best to keep the conversation from Junior.

A break in Tucker's expression flashed for a moment and he looked off, rubbing at the back of his neck. "I guess not."

"I need more than that, Tucker," Wash responded plainly. "It's not fair to me to have no straight answers from you lately."

"Dude, more is the problem," Tucker explained with a defeated sigh. "You want more from me, cool, but you've gotta give me more first. More like actually trying to spend time with me and my friends. More like letting me in when you decide to travel across the city and do something stupid. More like letting me decide what's right or not for my son."

Wash frowned, doing his best to accept the words no matter the stinging they left. "If you want more then we can't be moving too fast, you know," he pointed out somberly.

"It is when you say shit like love you and haven't even started tolerating my friends yet," Tucker said lowly.

Realization began to dawn on the hero. "You're freaking out because I said I love you first," Wash said almost in awe.

"Dude, that's not… No. Just that–"

"Tucker, we're living together," Wash pointed out. "How this the part you're freaking out over?"

"Because we've done everything backwards! It's like the story of my fucking life!" Tucker cried out. "Kid before I have so much as a fucking date, dude inviting me to live with him before we fucking kiss, I love you before fucking… It's too much! And now you're coming home and telling me decisions you're making for Junior before you even refer to him as your own kid? Like, Wash, goddamn, give me some sort of bar for normal."

"Normal?" Wash almost laughed. "I'm a superhero. There is no normal, Tucker. I thought that's why we've been working so well since we met. We are both in the category of exceptional."

"Please, the only thing exceptional on my end is my ass," Tucker snorted. "And my calves. And my kickass car–"

"That's debatable," Wash muttered.

"I just feel like this relationship is both… running ahead of me and also hitting a wall at the same time. We've gotta change something," Tucker all but begged.

"Okay, fine," Wash said, sounding more defensive than he initially meant it. "You're right. Something needs to change here. But I'm out of suggestions for what that should be. What should it be?"

As if Wash's life was not already the butt of some cosmic joke, his phone began ringing on the kitchen island right behind him, drawing both his and Tucker's looks at the same time.

"I don't know, maybe that?" Tucker said with an eyebrow quirked.

"Don't be smug," Wash admonished his boyfriend as he reached for the phone and answered it. "Who is it?"

"You're lucky I'm not in Blood Gulch right now or I'd punch you for that. Way to answer a phone like a complete dick, Washington."

Straightening up, Wash turned toward his side some and walked away from Tucker and Junior. "Tex? Where are you? What're you–"

"Investigating something. Getting some assistance. Whatever answer'll make you ask less questions," she responded distractedly.

"None of those answers lead to less questions," Wash pointed out. "What's going on?"

"What's going on is that something is up, alright? Something is wrong in Blood Gulch right now, and it's about to get worse," she answered.

"Going cryptic is supposedly my job, Tex, what the hell's happening?" Wash continued, instinctively heading toward his secreted away uniform.

"It has something to do with your new buddy Locus," Tex explained. "I don't know what. Just know that he's been in Blood Gulch before, and my information's telling me he's in Blood Gulch now. So why don't you do the block a favor and stop babysitting the mayors' pet project and instead be a bit of a suiperhero."

"Wow, speaking of rude," Wash replied unimpressively.

"Yeah, don't get your ass kicked by Felix this time," Tex cautioned.

"Wait," Wash stopped in his tracks. "Felix was the other hero. Locus was the one who set the building on fire."

"Whatever, who cares, I'm telling you to watch out," Tex said, again sounding extremely distracted.

"Tex, that's an important distinction to make!" Wash cried out. "Did you mean Felix has been in Blood Gulch before? Why would he have been in Blood Gulch before? What is going on?"

The most aggravated noise in the world came through the phone. "Wash, if I knew all those answers, why the fuck would I be doing what I'm doing now and not telling you what to do?"

And with that, Tex hung up abruptly. Wash pulled his phone from his ear and glanced toward it appraisingly.

"What's up? Tucker asked almost cautiously.

"I think I'm finally learning what Church and Tex see in each other, and it isn't pretty," Wash replied.

"Yeah, I was there for it, I watched the slow motion explosion and everything," Tucker said with a full body shrug. "But what's up with you? You're not going out, are you? We're, like, having a moment."

"And we can continue to have it when we–" Wash began only for Tucker's hand to slap itself over his mouth. He let out a muffled few choice words before pulling Tucker's hand away. "Tucker, what the hell?"

"You were about to say famous last words, and I'm fucking tired of living a tragic cliche. So how about don't," Tucker snapped angrily.

Wash blinked a few times before nodding. "Okay. So… you just don't want me to say anything while I get ready to leave?"

Tucker's frown grew more concerned. "I don't know what I want."

"Well, that makes two of us, Tucker," Wash answered before grabbing his things. "Junior's trying to suit up and sneak out of his room, by the way. So watch out for that."

"How–"

"Cat-like peripheral vision," Wash responded only half jokingly. He looked toward Tucker seriously. "I don't regret saying I love you. It was time someone did. Maybe fast is just how we are. We're the only couple in our group who's actually trying to work past things and make them work. So maybe we should just rely on instinct."

Putting a hand to his chin, Tucker hummed, "I don't know, Grif and Simmons seem fine."

"They're not a couple," Wash said before stopping. "Wait, they are? I didn't see it–"

"You're a moron," Tucker responded casually. "Lopez and Sheila are doing fine. I heard Donut's dates with Doc are heating up. And–"

"Okay, stop, I get it. We suck, but we'll work through the suck," Wash replied. "Can I at least say goodbye?"

"You have permission to say see you later," Tucker quipped.

"Alright then," Wash said, suited up and heading toward the window. "See you later."

He was already on the window ledge and leaping down to the alley floor when Tucker ran to the window and stuck his head out. "Seriously, Wash! You die or something out there, I'll kill ya!" he called after him.

The smirk on Wash's face could not have been larger, even as he raced to cover ground and find the supposed problems in Blood Gulch Tex was mysteriously aware of.

Wash couldn't help but wonder if they had had more time to get a decent explanation if they hadn't been shouting at each other, but his attention was soon spared for more realistic problems. Like how a shadowy figure across the street seemed to move with uncomfortable dexterity to the rooftops.

"That is far too close to my home," Wash growled out before racing across the street and leaping to the fire escape with catlike grace.

In no time, Washington was landing on the roof and ready to chase down the figure when, to his surprise, it was waiting for him, standing cockily with his arms crossed.

"Felix?" Wash questioned, taken aback. "What… What are you doing here?"

Checking his location, Wash was relieved that the laundromat was not visible, still around the block. But it was too close, and they were halfway to Church's junkyard haven. A few more blocks from Sheila's diner.

A near perfect triangulation of the places Wash held dearest. And the mysterious new hero he knew next to nothing about was standing right there.

Felix tilted his head, smirking. "Guess I could ask you the same thing, huh?"

Though the effect was lost with his visor on, Washington raised an eyebrow. "No. Because everyone knows that I patrol this neighborhood. It's… It's like being surprised that Daredevil is in Hell's Kitchen."

Snorting, Felix waved his hand. "Oh my god, you are such a nerd. Wait… Haha oh this is almost too good – you think you're some kind of real life Daredevil!" He clapped his hands together. "Oh, that is just too good. I see it all now. The hardly shaven jaw. The attitude. The martial arts. Regularly getting your ass handed to you but still coming up on top at the end. Beautiful. Simply beautiful."

Washington stared at him, though his hand did subconsciously reach up to test his stubble. "If you're wanting to commandeer another training session, I'm afraid you're late for the day. And I'm still only considering the recommendation," Wash explained. "You don't know the team as well as I do–"

"And what exactly is there to know, Wash?" Felix asked. "They're a bunch of losers. You know that, I know that. They have flashy powers but no talent. They're around in ridiculous costumes to help whoever's mayor at the end of the day look like they're being productive with the current superhero nostalgia this city's been feeling."

Narrowing his eyes, Wash felt an impulsive anger take hold of him. "I'd appreciate if you didn't talk about my students like that," Wash told him. "They're young, they're kids, but they're learning. And more than that they want to do good with their powers. That's more responsibility and awareness of potential than most adults have well into their lives. They're definitely getting started on the right path sooner than I did."

There was something unnerving about the way Felix's smile refused to falter. "And just what path is that one, Wash? Is it the one where you don't even notice that Locus has been scouring your neighborhood looking for you ever since your little encounter?"

Taken aback, Wash tilted his head. "How do you…?"

"Because I'm the best at what I do," Felix responded casually, shrugging his shoulders. "Want to know what it is, I do?"

Wash glared at him. "Are you here to take more glory for going after Locus? If so, you can have it. But I'm going to be looking for him, too, He's on my streets. And I'm going after him because it's the right thing to do."

"Wash, Waaash, you're reading me all wrong," Felix explained. "I'm not insulting kids – even if their talent is… minor at best! I'm not even really trying to step on your territory. I'm just reaching out a hand for you to take," Felix explained, offering said hand. "Because, buddy, I've been fighting Locus across the world for a long time. And to take him down, you're going to need a partner. One who knows what he's doing. One who has his partner's best interests at heart. What'd'ya say?"

Looking Felix over, Wash wasn't quite sure what he was feeling like saying. He didn't need another partner. He didn't even need another hero. And allowing someone access to his time as a hero was dangerous – he had never anticipated the potential overlaps of his identities to cause so much danger to the people around him. He had never assumed the time of Heroes and Villains would return again.

And yet… There was an urge for him to reach out and accept that hand. It defied his logic and instinct.

Because Felix was right… He needed help with Locus.

But that train of thought keyed Wash into something that snapped him out of the moment. He stepped back and tilted his head at Felix. "What do you mean that you've been fighting Locus across the world? Why haven't I ever heard of either of you before then?"

Suddenly, for only a moment, Felix dropped his complacent face, an unreadable emotion taking the cockiness' place for just the blink of an eye. "What?" Felix laughed it off. "You want my whole backstory? Kimball's vetting not enough for you, Mister High and Mighty?"

"This doesn't have to do with the mayors, this has to do with you dodging a simple question," Wash pointed out. "And the more you dodge it, the more my suspicions grow, Felix. So I'd like an answer if you have one to give–"

Before either of them could carry the conversation further, Wash felt the hair rise on the back of his neck, and he had just enough time to glance over as a bright spark dropped onto the rooftop by them.

"What the–"

"Get down! It's Locus!" Felix ordered, leaping toward Wash.

But there was a thunderous boom and Wash could barely hear anything or see anything. He was certain that the ringing of his head was from having been caught in the explosion, but as he blinked and looked around, he found himself on the sidewalk opposite of the building where fire was now pluming from the roof. Standing straight, completely unharmed.

Confused, Wash looked around himself, patting on his unsinged uniform and scratching his head. "What the hell?"

Another explosion caused Wash to jump slightly and he looked up toward the source just in time to see Locus walk out from the flames, dragging an unconscious Felix beside him. He stopped at the ledge, gazing down at Wash as people began to gather to see what was happening.

"That was meant for you," Locus announced, dropping Felix to where he hung over the ledge. "These results are… unfortunate."

Without further commentary, Locus disappeared before their very eyes and Washington was left standing as stunned as the citizenry around him.

After a few moments, one of the people looked warily at Wash. "Um. Shouldn't you be pulling that other costumed freak away from the fire before he… like burns and dies?"

Wash let out a full body sigh and shook his head. "Some partner," he groaned, starting toward the building to do just that, and leave himself open to wonder just what the hell had happened to keep him away from the explosion that Locus had seemed so intent on getting Wash with.

"And why didn't he kill Felix if they're nemeses," Wash wondered out loud, landing on the rooftop and checking to see if Felix was actually unconscious.

To his shock, the other hero seemed to be.

"Well…" Wash grunted as sirens began to be heard in the distance. "Fuck. I don't know what's going on in my personal life or my superhero life."