A/N: Warning: conversations about past character death.

…

Dís spent the rest of the afternoon and well into the early evening modifying a flash drive and teaching Bilbo how to use it. Once he found the correct computer he would be able to use the drive to wirelessly transfer all of the information back to Dís in Erebor Tower. So long as he took the flash drive with him when he left, there would be no way to trace it back to the Company. In fact, if things went according to plan, there was no need to G-Tech to ever know anything had been taken. The trouble with the plan came when they tried to suss out exactly how Bilbo would get into the server room.

"I'm an executive assistant. I have keys to the building, but that doesn't mean I can go wherever I please. They'll get suspicious if I walk into the programmers room."

"Can't you just turn invisible?" Bombur asked, stroking his mustache thoughtfully. "They can't be suspicious if they don't know yer there."

"Yes, well, you see..." Bilbo flushed slightly, the tips of his ears turning pink. "My quirk – power – isn't really very reliable. It doesn't always work when I want it to. I could probably get in unseen, but the minute I had to pick something up, or focus on the task at hand, there's quite a real chance that I'd reappear."

"Tell me, Bilbo, do you think you can do this?" Thorin stared at him intently. "You do realize that should you get caught, I cannot guarantee we'll be able to come to your aid."

Bilbo frowned, feeling a bit like he was being thrown under a moving bus. "You can't risk anyone knowing the Company is involved. I understand that. If I get caught, then I will tell them that my actions were mine and mine alone."

"I hate to say it, but the lad isn't trained," Balin pointed out. "He's hardly burglar material, yet we're sending him in to steal the data."

"What choice do you have?" Bilbo huffed. "I'm the only one who can even walk through the door without drawing attention to myself. You need that information! I'm sure I can do this."

"We can't come in with you," Thorin pointed out. "If a team of Supers showed up at G-Tech they'd know something was afoot. With S.M.A.U.G. out there you can't go alone though, so I'll take Blue Team and we'll wait a few blocks away, just in case."

"That makes me feel a little better about this," Bilbo said with a small sigh of relief that Thorin wasn't expecting him to fend completely for himself. "But that still doesn't help me get into the server room."

"That's where I come in," Ori spoke up, digging into his satchel and pulling out his press pass. "There were witnesses to S.M.A.U.G. attacking Gandalf. It'll be all over the papers tomorrow. I sent in my article to The Daily Portents and they made me edit to to say that Balrog was the intended target and that Gandalf simply got caught in the crossfire. One big, ugly mistake."

"Balrog ain't even a superpowered villain- S.M.A.U.G. was going after Gandalf!" Dwalin growled, "They made ya lie in the article to cover up what happened?"

"There's concern of a wide-spread panic if the public finds out S.M.A.U.G. is rogue." Ori picked at his gloves, his voice dropping sullenly. "I didn't have much of a choice."

"Ya could have told them to shove it! I'm sure there's a paper out there that would let ya print the truth!"

"Not likely. Most of the newspapers in the city are owned by the same conglomerate. If you don't tailor your articles to suit their needs then you won't be working much longer. The only reason I've been able to get away with as much as I have is because I actually know you guys. I've been really lucky with what they've allowed me to print."

"Ya should quit then. They ain't appreciating ya like they should," Dwalin said, as if it were an obvious solution.

Ori shrugged. "Like Bilbo said earlier- I'm not a Super. I need to keep my day job."

"Ya don't need to work. There's more than enough money floatin' around here to keep ya content."

"I'm not the Company's pet!" Ori snapped, his eyes flashing. "I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself! I can make my own way!"

Dwalin jumped back in surprise. "Of course ya can. I didn't mean that..." He frowned, seeing no way to easily salvage the situation. "I'm sorry."

"You should be." The room filled with an awkward, shuffling silence. "Back to the task at hand, I can go into G-Tech and cause a scene. Demand to talk to the programmers, the CEO... I can start throwing around facts and as a last resort I can even show them the pictures I have from the attack. If they think that I might actually expose the trouble they're having with S.M.A.U.G. they might talk to me."

"If you're trying to expose them, mightn't they see you as a threat?" Bilbo worried out loud. "I don't want you to get hurt trying to help me."

"I doubt they'd try anything physical. Most likely they'd offer to pay me off to keep quiet. If nothing else, it would be a distraction that might let you sneak into the server room."

Thorin considered the plan for a moment before speaking. "That just might work. Good thinking, Ori."

"Thank you, sir," Ori replied with a pleased flush. "I won't let you all down."

"I know you won't. Now, everyone should get some sleep. We'll have to be up early to get Blue Team into position."

…

Even though he was exhausted, the worry and stress kept Bilbo awake long after the Company turned in for the night. After tossing and turning for an hour he finally gave up and left the comfort of his borrowed bed, going back into the main room and settling in a chair by the windows.

"Couldn't sleep?"

Bilbo jumped and started to vanish, but stopped himself as he recognized Thorin's voice. "Sorry... I seem to be a little edgy tonight."

Thorin stepped out of the shadows and took the seat next to Bilbo. "I'm afraid too, you know."

"You don't act it." He stared out the window.

"That's because I'm the leader. They all expect me to be strong."

"I don't think fear makes you weak." Bilbo smiled softly. "I think it makes you human."

"They're my family. All of them." Thorin's eyes shined fiercely in the darkness. "We can't loose anyone else."

"Anyone else? Who did you loose?"

"Grár, Fíli and Kíli's father, wasn't a Super. He was running errands and got caught in the crossfire when Great Goblin's minions attacked the city. Dís was still pregnant with Kíli at the time."

"Kíli never knew his father?" Bilbo asked quietly.

"Only from stories," Thorin said as he looked out across the cityscape. "Most of us were together by that point. My nephews were basically raised by the Company."

"They were raised with good role models. And they seem well-adjusted considering the life you all lead."

"As well-adjusted as any of us are. This isn't an easy life, the powers aren't always worth the cost."

"There was someone else, wasn't there? Someone else you lost..."

Thorin was quite for a long moment and Bilbo worried he had overstepped his bounds. When Thorin finally spoke, his voice was soft, distant. "Dís and I had a brother, Frerin. Dís called his powers localized time manipulation, because he could accelerate himself through time. Basically, he was a speedster. Frerin could alter time just enough to move faster than the eye could see. He was amazing in a fight! Dragging injured people away before we even knew they were hurt, getting to the villains before they could attack..."

Bilbo nodded. "Frerin sounds like an amazing Super."

"He was an amazing brother too! Always joking around and keeping me from taking things too seriously. Fíli takes after him in looks, but Kíli has his fire. Sometimes it hurts to look at them..."

"What happened to him?"

"The thing with Frerin's powers is that they worked by accelerating him through time. Where a fight may have lasted an hour for us, for Frerin it was four days. Every time he used his powers he aged a bit more." Thorin stared off into the distance, lost in his memories. "We were fighting a veritable army of orc henchmen outside of the Moria Building and there was no way we were going to win. Half of the Company was already severely injured and there were dozens of civilians trapped inside. One minute we were fighting for our lives, the next all the civilians were safe and the orcs were all defeated. Frerin had blown through all of his power in order to save everyone."

"But he didn't make it..." It was more of a statement than a question.

"No. We found his skeleton by the east door to the Moria Building. He burned himself out."

"Frerin died saving people. He was a true hero," Bilbo said softly as he reached out and rested his hand on Thorin's arm. Neither man spoke again and they sat unmoving until daybreak.

…

Morning came early and all of the Company sat down to breakfast together. Dwalin grumbled under his breath about the ungodly hour while Kíli snored into his cereal, much to the amusement of his brother. They ate quietly, everyone focusing on the task at hand and the fact that the plan was hinging on the two least prepared members of their group.

Suddenly, Loni broke into a huge smile. "Bifur's awake!"

Bofur and Bombur were out of their seats in an instant, rushing to where their cousin was resting. The rest of the Company followed close behind, anxious to see their teammate.

"Bif! Yer awake!" Bofur's smile was so wide it threatened to split his face in two.

Bifur was sitting up in bed, his newly regrown skin still bright red, but healing well. His eyes crinkled happily as he make a few gestures with his hands.

"It's good to see you too!" Bombur said happily. "You were out for a couple of days."

Oín stepped up to the bedside, his fingertips glowing softly. "Hmm... everything looks good. Welcome back, my friend."

Bifur made another set of gestures and then frowned, looking over at Loni.

"He wants to know what he missed. He remembers the attack and parts of the healing, but needs someone to fill him in on everything else."

"No problem, Bif. Blue Team is getting ready t' head out into the field, I can stay here an' explain," Bofur said happily.

"I'd better stay too," Nori smirked. "We all know birdbrain here ain't the best with retelling information."

Bofur looked exceptionally pleased, even in light of the insult. "Sounds like a plan!"

As the others filtered back out to prepare for the day, Bofur began to tell his cousin about the events of the past few days. He started with Bilbo's information and S.M.A.U.G. attacking, rolling his eyes good-naturedly when Nori cut in with snarky comments.

Back in the main room, Blue Team gathered their supplies and headed to the elevator. Bilbo smoothed his hand over the flash drive in his jacket pocket. He was glad Nori had thought to go to his flat and bring back some of his clothes, though he wasn't entirely sure he wanted to know how the thief had gotten in. Ori wore his press pass around his neck and clutched his notebook and silver pen tightly in his gloved hands. In his satchel was his camera, extra pens, and also the small plastic stun-gun Dís had given him, just in case.

"Are you lads ready for this?" Balin asked kindly.

"Ready as I'll ever be," Bilbo answered as Ori nodded solemnly.

"All right then. Let's get going."

...

...

A/N: Next plot chapter we're sending our two not-heroes into the proverbial dragon's den (which is a chapter I'm excited to share with you!). But first we have another origin chapter. Monday we'll find out a bit more what Bifur was like when he was younger, as well as more about his accident (since you guys asked for it).

Remember- reviews, favorites, and follows let me know that you're enjoying the story. It only takes a minute and really means the world to me.