Summary: A search begins... Or the search TRIES to begin but phone calls keep happening!

Warnings: Cursing, Panic, angry yelling, kidnapping, injuries(bruises)

Note: Savoir Faire
Definition: the ability to act or speak appropriately in social situations.

----

The trek home took far longer than any of them had hoped. When they managed to make it back to their apartment, the sun was already in the early morning sky. Virgil jogged up the stairs and pulled out a key before running in ahead of the others. He tossed the backpack onto the floor next to the door and raced over to the couch. He spun around and fell back before pulling up his legs and burying his face. The fabric of his hood, which he pulled up a while ago on their journey back home, completely hid his face.

Logan closed the door, and Patton watched Virgil closely while tugging at the hem of his shirt.

"That was good thinking, Patton," Logan whispered. "Telling the cops you were looking for a friend's missing pet. At least they have records of something happening to the Prince. It may come in handy in the future." Patton nodded and looked back to the floor, silent. Logan let out a soft sigh when he hadn't received any kind of verbal response. Patton glanced up at Virgil, and his frown deepened and he took a step back. Logan took the opening as an opportunity to slowly approach the couch. "I know you don't want to talk about it, Virgil, but we need to make a plan if we want to get Roman back." Logan waited for Virgil to move and the heavy silence between them grew. "We should rest a bit and then-"

"Are you fucking kidding me?!" Virgil threw his head up, his face barely visible from his hair covering his face. "We don't have time to rest! Roman just got fucking kidnapped! The longer we wait, the more danger he is in!"

"Yes, and what do you expect us to do in our condition?" Logan raised his voice a bit in retaliation. "We can't help him even if we do find him right now. We should rest and come up with a plan first."

Virgil stood up and grit his teeth. "Fuck that!" His hands balled into fists and he stomped forward. "We go out there and we find him! Just like you found us the very first time, you can manage that, right?! Then when we know he's safe, we infiltrate, and I bash everyone's stupid face in! How's that for a plan?"

Logan held up his hands in surrender as Virgil grew closer. "It took me days to check the whole city last time and the buses won't be running this early!" Logan commented, hoping to ease Virgil's anger. "The sun is only just starting to rise."

Virgil backed off and began to pace. "No no no no no! We need to find him now. I can't just sit around and wait!" Virgil growled and kicked a pillow on the ground from the bed he had placed before everything. The sight of the blankets and pillows seemed to be Virgil's current target for his frustrations. He had been in denial about the whole thing the entire walk home. He was silent, almost in a daze as the reality of the situation started to settle in. Now he was simply frustrated with himself that he was so useless to stop it! When Roman needed him most, he stood there, frozen and too afraid and in shock to do anything. Now he was fired up and unable to stand by and wait.

Logan watched Virgil's panic fueled rampage from the sidelines, unsure how to help as he looked over at Patton. "Any help here?" Patton looked up, his fists were now on his chest grabbing at his shirt, balling them up in his hands. Patton seemed a little panicked himself and shook his head quickly. Logan looked between the two as something clicked. Desperation. Panic. Empath. "Patton, please step out of the room for a moment while I try to calm down Virgil. Do those breathing practices like you taught me, alright?"

Wordlessly Patton nodded in agreement before turning to retreat into his bedroom, shutting the door loudly behind him. Logan turned back to Virgil and went to stop his pacing and destruction of the pillows before thinking better of it. He didn't want to get caught in the crossfire. "Virgil, can you breathe with me?"

"This is all my fault, Logan. He's hurt and gone and it's all because of me." Virgil finally stopped his pacing and let out a gasp of air. "I did this."

"You were not the one that attacked Roman so I don't see how this is your fault." Virgil huffed out a silent laugh, shook his head, and started pacing once more. He almost looked like a caged animal searching for a way to escape. Logan's mind raced as he tried to think of ways to deescalate the situation. "Vir-"

"Oh, let it go, Lo!" Virgil spun around with a shout. "I did this! I left him alone when I knew he was tired! Because I knew he likes to have a moment to himself before he comes home! And because I wasn't strong enough to keep the portal open because I was tired, I let him get kidnapped! This is my fault!"

"That is factually and objectively not true!"

"Bullshit!"

Patton's bedroom door let out a soft squeak as it opened back up, causing the other two to stop and turn. Patton stood there much more calm and at ease. He smiled and walked out, looking carefully between the two. "You both alright? Feeling any better, Virge?"

Virgil seemed to settle just enough to realize what he had done to make Patton step away for a moment. "Oh shoot, Patton!" Virgil ran over and held out his hands. "I'm so sorry, I made you panic, didn't I?"

Patton smiled and pulled him into a hug. "You don't have to apologize for how you were feeling, Virgil. I know you were trying to keep it together the whole way home. Besides, it was a bit of all of our feelings that kind of became too much for me."

Virgil pulled away and tried to give a smile to Patton as reassurance. "I'm a little better after my freak out. I'm still sorry, though."

Another Patton walked out of his bedroom and adjusted the collar on his button down shirt. "Now, none of that! We need to start making a plan, right?"

"Um..." Logan cleared his throat as the newly appeared Patton turned to him. "What's with the outfit change?"

"Oh," they looked down at their outfit confused. "What do you mean? These are just my work clothes, you've seen them before."

"You're going to work?!" Virgil cried out, turning to the other. "Today?!"

"It would be suspicious if we all called out. I already have for Roman, promising a doctor's note after all of this. That should give us some time."

"Oh, no!" Virgil called out, searching his pockets. "I have work this morning!"

"Not anymore, you don't!" Both the Pattons crossed their arms at the same time, giving Virgil a stern look. "When I got out of bed yesterday, you were up and cooking breakfast." The first Patton spoke.

The second nodded. "Did you just get up super early or did you have trouble sleeping? You obviously didn't sleep last night."

Virgil ducked his head, confirming both their suspicions.

"Virgil," Logan spoke slowly as he turned to them. "Pat and Two seem to be insinuating... you are exhausted due to lack of sleep. Which I'm afraid I'll have to believe since you just told me you were unwilling to keep the portal open too long due to exhaustion... When was the last time you slept?"

"Do naps count? Cause I took a short one..." Virgil flinched as the three looked at him. "Okay, so it's been a day or two, so what?!"

"Virge, calm down," the one Logan referred to as Pat Two said, reaching out, "It's probably for the best you get some sleep soon."

"I can't just--I have to do something! I have to start searching or, or... I can't just go to sleep right now!" Virgil turned and stormed out of the apartment, quickly grabbing the backpack he had left by the door as he did so.

"Virgil!" Logan called out, chasing after him. "Wait, hold on a moment! Wait for us!"

The two Pattons looked at one another and nodded. The normal dressed one turned and ran out the door, leaving behind the other for them to head to work.

---

Roman was completely bored.

The kidnapping attempt, if you wanted to call it that, was absolutely pathetic. It only took Roman minutes before he broke free of the zip ties and threw them out of reach before inspecting the room he was trapped in. There were no windows lining the walls so there was no way to pinpoint where in the city he was located. Though, one wall was made completely of glass covered by blinds on the outside. He could almost imagine a long table with chairs all around the white room and people in suits having a meeting for some boring office job they had. It reminded him of his own old office job he used to have... He had to be in some office building downtown, trapped in an old meeting room if he had to guess though there was no way to be sure. They could look in on him from the other side, peering through the blinds to see what he was up to. The only thing that blocked him was the door, locked from the outside. It would be easy for Prince Charging to break free, but after much thought, he decided against it. He wasn't willing to give them the satisfaction of being right. Not about his powers and not about him attacking to escape. He was going to be quiet and patient and wait it out.

Well, not completely quiet. After a bit of waiting, he started getting bored. A quick walk around the room revealed nothing but a few covered outlets and a paperclip that had been left behind. Sliding down against the wall, Roman sprawled out his legs in front of him and tapped his fingers on the carpet before he started humming to himself. They were not going to get the better of him. Seriously, they had no idea what they were doing. Still airing on the side of caution, he sat down and winced at his throbbing headache and rubbed his cheek where he had been struck.

Once the two he had labeled 'Harry' and 'Marv' made their first appearance, their tune was completely different than it had been last night. They offered him ice for his wounds and water to stay hydrated. While he turned down the ice, the water bottle was very much appreciated. He didn't want anything they could have possibly tampered with. They were being polite and checking on him, though Roman wasn't an idiot. He smiled and thanked them, fully aware he wasn't wearing his mask and keeping his distance as much as possible.

Once they asked his name, he fell silent. His short responses had made them bold enough to ask but he wasn't playing any games. They asked again along with a few more questions. They asked about his powers and how they worked and what he could do, but Roman did what he does best. Besides from being dashingly handsome, of course. He performed .

"Wait, you don't think I have actual powers, do you? You know that, right?" He chuckled awkwardly as he took a sip from the water bottle they had given him. "I'm just a guy in a costume. Powers like that are only things you find in comic books."

They weren't pleased to say the least. Their little kindness act dropped fast and the hero watched as they grew tired of his silence and lack of answers. One took out his phone and went to snap a picture before Roman panicked.

"Wait!" Roman covered his face and held out a hand toward the camera. The shouts were enough to get them to stop just long enough for him to come up with an excuse only a gullible moron would believe. "The only advantage you have against everyone else in this city is that you know what I look like. Would you really take a photo and ruin that?"

They looked to one another before nodding, and Roman watched the phone slide away... apparently he was dealing with two gullible morons. He wasn't sure if that made things easier.

After that, they began whispering to themselves. Though, in a quiet secluded room with no one else around, Roman was able to pick up a few things. They were worried about someone but desperate for a solution. At least, those were the only pieces of the puzzle he was able to pick out from the murmurs. Eventually, they walked out and left the lonely prince once more.

That's where they had left Roman now. Alone to entertain himself in a room blocked off from all outside light and noise. Roman flexed his hands in his gloves and brushed his face where his mask usually lay.

He heard a muffled noise and glanced up, his hand falling from his face. One section of the glass wall was revealed, the blinds pulled up from the other side. With it's reveal, someone new was standing there. It wasn't 'Harry' or 'Marv' or anyone Roman had seen before. They stared at one another wide eyed and in a bit of shock. The figure turned to the side and spoke to someone he did not see. Then they glanced back and shook their head with a defeated look. They turned back and stared into the office before the blinds cut off their view of one another and left Roman alone once more.

Were these members of the APC? Were they trying to see if they recognized him? The blinds went up again with a new person once more. It happened a few times, again and again. With each shake of the head, the blinds fell and they vanished before the next person walked up. With each face, there was the realization that there were so many people who hated him... for what? For stopping a purse snatcher? For chatting with people who needed someone to just listen? What had he done that was so bad that warranted this much hate? It stirred something in his chest and made him shift on the floor, but he was still in costume. Mask or no mask, he swore Prince Charging was going to help the people of this city and nothing would stop him. Roman needed to distract himself, and he knew exactly how.

He started singing Disney songs.

"You feel like some classic Disney?" Roman leaned against the wall, shouting through the closed door to the people on the other side. Sitting down, he could see their shadows and knew he wasn't alone. "Something slower? I can do some Mulan!"

The voices never gave a loud response as Roman started singing. He started with some classics and went to new school, only seeing one or two people check in on him while he did so.

Luckily, it was when he was in between songs when he saw her. Staring through the glass and frozen in shock was Patton's mother. He was glad he managed to catch himself and keep his expression from giving anything away. As he watched her at a loss for words, Roman simply felt anger bubbling underneath the surface. Her own son was a man with powers just like his and she had the audacity to join a group that forcefully kidnapped him just to get what they wanted?

Eventually she jumped and mumbled something before running away, the blinds falling shortly after. To her credit, though, another person came in not long after as they continued their search. Had she not ratted him out? Or, he had hoped this wasn't the case, was she planning on using this information against Patton somehow? He wouldn't pass her, the scoundrel. Roman took the opportunity to keep up his charade and continue on as if nothing had just transpired.

"Oh, I just thought of a great song that fits perfectly! You've ever seen Oliver and Company?"

Roman sat up and crossed his legs before clearing his throat. He bobbed his head as he began to sing. "One minute, I'm in Central Park! Then I'm down on Delancey Street..."

They continued to ignore him as usual until he heard a loud bang come from outside the room. He paused a moment, listening carefully, before picking back up on his song.

"Whoo whoo whoo whoo whoo! I'm street wise! I can improvise!"

Another resounding bang echoed out, causing Roman to pause once more.

"What did I tell you?!" Roman jumped at the new voice shouting from outside the room. His heart began pounding in his chest. He sat waiting in silence, the silent ringing in his ears all he could make out. Then the blinds from before began moving up, revealing yet another new face.

This man was older, bigger with a widow's peak and a bushy mustache sat atop his upper lip. The man seemed to gasp in shock as he looked in on the unmasked prince before turning to the side, enraged.

"I told you to leave him alone! What part of that told you to bring him here?!"

The man vanished as the blinds dropped, and the hushed conversation on the other side came to an abrupt end. Roman was once again left in silence, unsure of what had just transpired outside of the room.

With a deep breath, he kept singing to keep himself calm.

"Why should I worry? Why should I ca-are? I may not have a dime, but I got street savoir faire!"

---

They chased Virgil down the street, who was marching on with determination to an unknown destination. They both managed to catch up quickly and struggled to keep pace with him.

"Virgil," Patton spoke up, walking in step next to him. "Where are we going?"

Virgil finally stopped and turned to Logan who almost ran right into him. "I don't know, where do we start, Lo?"

Logan blinked and reached for his glasses as he gathered himself. "Well, anywhere is a good start. We know where they started but we couldn't eliminate any part of the city. We can always start downtown and work our way there, it'll cover the most ground. But they could just as likely have left the city. It could take days before we find him."

"Wait, we're starting now?" Patton looked between the two. "Shouldn't Virgil get some rest? He's exhausted! He even said so himself!"

Logan shook his head and frowned. "His anxiety has him wide awake and is causing a sort of 'fight or flight' response from him. Since there is nothing to fight or to run from, having him burn off the energy can help lower his anxiety and settle him enough for him to rest." Logan turned and smiled at Virgil who huffed in response. "Until he gets to that point, it's best we let him be. We just need to figure out a plan first."

"That makes sense..." Virgil mumbled to himself. "I should try it more." Silence quickly fell over the group as they all started to think about their next plan of action. Virgil quickly began to shuffle his feet and grow impatient before letting out a sigh. "Let's walk and talk. We need to come up with a plan, right? I can't just stand here anymore."

"Yes, though it is not quite as simple as that."

They walked in silence a bit before Patton chuckled awkwardly to himself. "Talk about deja vu, am I right??" Both stopped and turned to Patton. "I mean, we are looking for a danger but we don't know where or who it is and when it will strike. Kinda... less supernatural this time but just as scary." Patton shrugged. "All we need is to call Thomas about all this and it's just like last time."

"Thomas..." Logan murmured. "Do you think we should warn Thomas about this? Like we had in the past?"

"Maybe..." Virgil fussed with the backpack strap over his shoulder and shrugged. "Even if he said he wanted space, this is kinda big."

"Well," Patton interjected, "he might feel bad if we don't tell him, right? He is Roman's friend. We could give him the choice."

"Excellent," Logan clapped his hands together. "Patton, you call Thomas while Virgil and I discuss what to do next."

"Oh, um..." Patton shuffled on his feet and shoved his hands into his pockets. "I don't have it on me."

Logan paused for a moment before turning toward Virgil. They stared at each other a moment before Virgil shook his head. "Mine is dead, dude. I've been out all night and my human phone charger got shoved into a van a few hours ago."

When both Patton and Virgil looked at Logan, he immediately grew uncomfortable. "Well, of course my phone is on me and charged! B-but Thomas would never--I mean I really shouldn't bother him. He wouldn't want to hear from me anyway."

Patton smiled and placed a hand on Logan's arm, causing him to stop his rambling. "Lo, I can call him for you, okay? No need to worry."

---

The vibrating and generic default tone of the phone rang out across the room. After a moment, the lump laying next to it groaned and lifted their head, tiredly blinking the sleep from their eyes.

Another groan let out from the other side of the couch. "Shut the fuck up, noise."

"Joan..." Thomas mumbled as he blinked down at his phone. Logan. The call ended and Thomas sighed as the time appeared on the screen. Who calls at eight in the morning? Thomas dropped the phone and laid his head back down on the pillow. He had stayed up late last night with Joan while catching up on a show, and they both fell asleep on his couch. His phone was nearly dead, and the sun was trying to shine through the blinds, though it wasn't nearly bright enough to succeed just yet.

Thomas shut his eyes and snuggled into the warmth around him, ready to go back to sleep when his phone went off again. Joan groaned and rolled over, covering their ears from the noise.

Thomas tiredly picked up the phone and huffed in annoyance before answering. "Logan, tell me someone is dying or I'm hanging up."

"Oh, um..." Oh. That wasn't Logan's voice. "Well, we don't actually know? Sorry, Thomas! Want me to call ya back later? I was just planning on leaving a message. I forgot the first time and--oh. Sorry, you're right Lo, I'm rambling."

Pulling the phone away, Thomas looked down at the caller id once more. Logan. "Patton?"

"Yeah, good morning! Sorry, we've been up for a while, and I guess we just lost track of time."

Letting out a yawn, Thomas flopped back onto his pillow. "What's up? Everything okay?"

"Oh, um, not really? I really didn't want to do this over the phone, maybe we can meet up later?"

"Patton, the last time we met up for you to tell me something important, you almost died." A flash of a memory went through his mind. Patton, or more specifically a Pal, grabbing Thomas' hand and running out of the alley and away from the danger they had found themselves in. The same pal panicking on the bus while the others fought that smoke monster. Though, Thomas was grateful they told him...

It was a memory he had completely forgotten about until just then. The memory took a second to flash in his mind before he let out a gasp and bolted up. "Wait, you wouldn't call me unless it was something super bad."

"No! Well, we don't really know? You should be fine!"

Thomas groaned and ran a hand through his hair. "You said that last time... I think."

"I did. I'm, sorry... I don't know how I should say this."

"Just say it or I'm going to start panicking." Thomas saw Joan turn back over and look at him a bit confused. "What's wrong?"

"So, um. Prince Charging was kidnapped last night."

"He what?!"

"Thomas?" Joan sat up looking concerned.

"What do you mean Prince Charging was kidnapped?!"

"Wait, the fuck?!" Joan threw the blanket off of themself and walked over to the other half of the sectional couch.

"We are looking for him, but we just wanted to warn you! You might hear some stuff, and we didn't want to leave you out of the loop. I'm sorry, this could have waited until you actually woke up. I didn't know what to say when the voicemail popped up the first time."

Thomas immediately shook his head. "No, no! This is definitely something important I needed to know. Thanks for telling me."

"Don't worry, we'll find him, okay? Leave everything to us! We will update you if anything changes!" Thomas bit his lip as he heard Patton trying to reassure him over the phone. "I'm sorry, try and get some sleep if you still need it, okay? We'll talk soon."

"Yeah, okay bye."

Thomas pulled his phone away and watched the call end before letting out a big sigh.

"Well? What did he say?" Thomas looked at Joan and shook his head. "What happened?"

"I dunno, I didn't..." A million questions suddenly hit him all at once as he shook off his sleep. What did actually happen? Where? How?! He didn't even think to ask, the shock of the news was a bit overwhelming and it seemed Patton was in a rush, panicking and tired. Why did he use Logan's phone in the first place? "He just told me they were looking and would give me updates when they could."

Joan mumbled to themself before leaning back onto the couch. "Well, that's one way to start the day."

Thomas looked at his best friend as a feeling squirmed inside of him. He wasn't exactly sure what it was, but he felt the need to move. He stood up and stretched before looking back to the couch. "What now? I don't think I can sleep after that."

"Me neither. I mean... maybe if I wanted to, but..." They trailed off and shrugged. "You think Roman's okay? Maybe that group had something to do with it? Or it could have been like, a super obsessed fan or something."

"I dunno..."

Joan shook their head and smirked to themself. "Alright, well, what are you gonna do?"

"What?"

They leaned over and patted Thomas on his shoulder. "Come on, we need to get some more sleep before your big day."

"Joan, what are you talking about?" Thomas whined, unsure of what was happening.

"Thomas," Joan turned and looked at him seriously. "What do you plan on doing about it?"

Thomas stared at Joan confused for a moment. "Doing about--what? About Roman? I don't, I'm... I'm way over my head here, I think it's best I just sit this one out." Thomas gripped his hair as he nervously ran his hand through it again. "Right?"

"Whatever you want, Thomas. As long as you're sure. And I get pancakes beforehand."

---

Patton tapped on Logan's phone to end the call and handed it back. "There. Taken care of. So, come up with anything?"

"Yeah," Virgil huffed out angrily. "By the time we find Roman, if he's still alive, I'm going to kill him myself."

"Virgil-"

"That's enough, Virgil." Logan cut off Patton, holding his arms out. "Of course Roman is still alive. What is a pity party going to do?"

"I can't do anything else! What do you want from me? There's three of us and a city full of people! They've had him for hours now, who knows if we will even find him!"

"Yes, we will, alright?" Logan spoke in a softer tone. "We will find him, I promise you that." Giving in, Virgil nodded and shoved his hands into his hoodie pocket before turning away. "Now, Patton," Logan spun around and looked down at the other. "Virgil is right, there's only three of us. However, I know you can help us increase the odds a bit."

"Oh, well," Patton spoke, flustered.

"With a few more of us, we will split into groups." Logan turned and faced Virgil. "We will split the city into divisions and spread out from there. Patton and I will start with the westside while a pal and you search where we last saw Roman."

"Logan, I-"

"Then the other groups can search remaining parts and search for the Prince's fan club and give them a heads up about what happened. Surely one of them might know something."

"Logan!" Patton looked flustered as he yelled, completely red in the face with his hands balled into fists.

"I am sorry, was there something you needed to say?"

Patton flushed when Logan spoke and gave him his undivided attention. "Oh, um... yeah. I can't."

The other two waited for Patton to elaborate before growing confused. "I'm sorry," Logan shook his head. "You can't what?"

"I can't make more pals. I, um... I'm Two?" The words slowly sank into Logan's brain as his eyes slowly widened. "Tada? Sorry, I should have said something sooner."

"That's why you don't have your phone." Logan mumbled to himself before shaking his head. "No matter, the real one simply went to work, correct?" He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone once more. "I'll simply call him there, they should be open by now."

"He's not." Logan froze half way through dialing the number.

"What did you just say?"

"He's not at work?" Two chuckled awkwardly and cleared his throat. "Three went to work today."

Logan took a step closer and looked Two directly in the eyes. "Tell me the truth. Was it Patton I saw wearing his work clothes before we left."

"It was."

Logan frowned and paused for a moment. "Then he made a pal after he left to go to work for him?" Two nodded and Logan leaned back. "So where is he?!"

"About that..."

Not waiting for an answer, Logan pulled out his phone and pressed the button to speed dial his boyfriend's cellphone. The other two waited quietly as Logan silently seethed, waiting as his phone rang over and over and squeezing it tightly in his hand. "Pick up, pick up," he mumbled to himself impatiently, his back turned to the others on the sidewalk. He heard a click and a noise as the ringing stopped. "Patton?"

"Logan? Everything alright?"

"Care to explain why Two is here and Three is at work?" Patton sighed and looked up at the others as they watched him nervously. "Did you really find it necessary to sneak away from us like that?"

"Would you have stopped me from doing this if I had told you?"

"I..." He knew the answer. If Patton was going to talk to his mother, he would have wanted to be there or would have tried to talk him out of it completely. "We're just worried. I don't want you rushing into anything."

"She's my mother, Lo." Logan's heart broke at the soft tone. "I have to be able to talk to her about things."

"I don't want her to keep--" Logan bit his tongue before he said too much. "You always forgive her..."

"Not for this." Logan tensed at the serious tone he heard through the phone. "I'll call you back when it's done. Trust me on this?"

Logan nodded and closed his eyes. "Yes, of course. Always. Just be careful."

"Don't worry. I have her outnumbered." Logan chuckled and managed to relax. "I'll see you later."

"Right, of course. Later."

Logan heard the phone call end and pulled it away, watching the numbers on his phone fade into darkness. He took a moment to let everything sink in before spinning around to the others.

"He went to visit his mother?!" Logan knew shouting so early in the morning would only get him in trouble, but his brain was buzzing with everything that happened and the new information he was just given was a bit too much. "What would he go to her for?"

"This is it, we're doomed." Virgil began biting his fingernail and started to pace. "If only I could have stopped this from before. I could go back, couldn't I?! There must be something I can do!"

Two held out his hands, unsure of which one to attempt to soothe first. "She will know something, we know she will!"

"That's not the point." Logan lamented. "She's trouble! He didn't have to go alone."

Two pulled his hands to his chest and rubbed them together for warmth. "We aren't even sure it's going to work. We wanted to try first and if something came of it, we were going to tell you."

"When?" Logan looked heartbroken as he spoke. "When were you planning on telling us?"

"Today, I promise." Two reached out and grabbed one of Logan's hands. "We were going to tell you even if nothing came of it, but you were going to find out after it happened."

"I would just have to go back and follow the truck, right?!" Virgil spun around, still pacing back and forth. "I just have to find where he went then return to the present! Then we can just go rescue him!"

Logan squeezed Two's hand before letting go and turning around. "Virgil, you know how dangerous that could be to mess with the past, let alone let a portal sit there in the open like that."

"Then I'll take his place! Something! I have to be able to do something, Lo!"

A sudden ringing rang out and all three of them looked at one another. Logan patted his pocket and shook his head. "That's not my phone."

"I don't have one on me." Two responded.

Virgil's face lit up with recognition and he threw the bag he was carrying over his shoulder onto the ground. The ringing had stopped briefly before starting up again as Virgil dug around for the source of the noise. An old flip phone sat in his hand, vibrating and demanding to be answered.

"He has a burner phone?" Logan asked.

"In case of emergencies, but I thought I was the only one who had the number." Virgil stared down at the phone as it stopped. A brief moment later, it started up again. "So who is this?" Virgil looked at Logan and Pat Two who both seemed as lost as he did. He sighed and flipped the phone open before answering. "Hello?"

"Oh, goodness! Finally! You know you worry me when you don't call!" The feminine voice over the phone threw Virgil for a loop.

"I'm sorry, who is this?"

"Wait, who is this? "

"I asked first!"

"Where did you find this phone?" The voice yelled back with a bit of anger.

"In a backpack." Virgil was vague, wondering if it's a wrong call at this point.

"In whose backpack?" Virgil looked up at his roommates.

"In... Prince Charging's backpack."

"Yes, so..." Did they know who they just called? Who did Roman give this number to? "Where is Prince Charging?"

"Who wants to know?"

"His mother!"

Virgil gasped and gripped the phone tighter. "Elizabeth...?"

"Wait," Two furrowed his brow as he started to remember. "Roman's mother?"

"Who is this?!"

Virgil suddenly became frozen in fear just as he did hours before. What was she going to do when he found out he failed to protect her son?

"Hello?"

"Yes, sorry. Um, it's, uh... It's Virgil, ma'am."

"Oh! Virgil sweetie, hi!" The harsh tones from before vanished completely. "I should have known. I was concerned for a second there!"

"Yeah... How do you have this number?"

"Come on, now. I know what Roman's been up to! I told him to call me before and after every patrol to check in! He knows I tend to worry. But he hasn't checked in last night and his phone is going straight to voicemail! I got worried and tried calling you but I got the same thing."

Straight to voicemail? Then Roman's phone shut off too. Probably forgot to plug it into a charger before he left it at home, so used to it always being charged thanks to his powers. "Yeah, um, about that-"

"Something happened to him, didn't it?" Virgil couldn't find an appropriate way to answer. "I was worried as much. Are you alright?"

"Oh, yeah, I guess."

"Good. Then I'm coming over."

"What?!"

"I'll be there in a bit and you can tell me everything!"

"Wait a minute-"

"Virgil," Roman's mother spoke over the phone in an assertive tone, demanding to be listened to. "Is Roman in any trouble that I could be of any help with?"

"Well, yeah? I guess, but Elizabeth, that's not really-"

"Then I will not stand by when my son needs my help! I'll see you soon, Virgey!"

Virgil heard the phone click and the call ended before he could get another word in. He flipped the phone shut and turned around to see Logan and Two staring at him confused.

"Virgil?" Two asked, approaching carefully. "What happened? What did she say?"

Virgil glanced at the phone before looking back up at Two. "She's coming over."

"Over?" Logan questioned before jutting a thumb over his shoulder. "You mean over to the apartment? Where we currently are not?"

"We have to go back and meet her there!" Two jumped and spun around, marching down the street. "She has a car, right? We have to hurry back!"

Logan looked between the two before turning to Two. "What about Patton?"

Spinning around on his heel, Two looked at Logan with a frown. "He's fine, alright?" Two placed a hand over his heart. "I'll let you know if anything changes. Don't you trust us?"

"Of course I do. Sorry, I'm just worried." Logan sighed and gave in. "Right, so, back to the apartment as quick as we can."

Virgil threw the phone into the backpack and began to follow them down the street. "What kind of plan is this? We're getting nowhere! Couldn't we, like, split up?" He fell in line behind them, looking down at his feet as he walked. "There's got to be a time I can jump to in the past to do something so we're not wasting time, right? Maybe I could-"

Logan spun around and stopped on the sidewalk causing Virgil to almost walk right into him. "Virgil, I know this is hard, but his mother needs to know. Besides, our best bet is to trust Patton's plan works. Okay?"

"Okay..." Logan nodded and turned, continuing to walk down the street. "But, wait, what is his plan anyway?"

"My mother." Two called out over his shoulder. "She's part of the Anti-Prince Club. We're gonna convince her to take us there. Or at least tell us where they could be keeping him."

"Wait, what?!" Virgil jogged up past Logan to fall in step with Two. "She might know where he is?" Two nodded and pursed his lips. "If she sees him, would she...?"

"I don't know."

---

Roman wasn't anywhere near exhausting his vast library of Disney songs, but he was almost out of water and had opted to stop. He turned and layed on the carpet and stared up at the tiled ceiling, tracing it with his eyes and desperately trying to convince himself to not count them just yet. He had to save himself something to do later, after all.

The door creaked open and Roman turned his head away. He didn't care if it was a new face or not, he was on a break thank you. He could entertain these fools later.

"They haven't kept you in here long, have they?" Roman heard the door click shut and listened for the figure to approach. "This place was empty last night. You could have only been here a few hours tops."

"Yeah, sorry, don't exactly have a clock in here." Roman waved a hand toward the voice. "Also, can I complain about the room service? It's dreadful."

"I know, I'm sorry."

Roman sat up and gave in, glaring at the older man. It was the one from before, who had yelled at the others for bringing Roman here. "What is your plan, exactly? You gonna just keep me here until you figured out who I am? I have a life and people who care about me. You can't keep me here long without repercussions, you know."

The older man sighed and ran a hand through his thinning hair. "I know, I am truly sorry. I'll get you out as soon as possible. I promise."

"Okay," Roman answered slowly, squinting at the older man. "So what is it you want in return for my freedom? My name? Where I live? You gonna drop me off at my house so you can keep tabs on me?"

"No! I didn't want them to do this in the first place! What kinda morons kidnaps anyone anyway?! I'm surprised they managed to sneak you in without anyone noticing." The man placed his hands on his hips as he began to pace. "Now that they let everyone know you're here, I have to figure out how to get you out without suspicion!"

"Hold up, what are you talking about?" Roman crossed his arms and leaned back against the wall. "You act like you don't hate me."

"That would be because I don't'." The man turned to Roman and slowly approached him. "My name is Bruce. I'm, well, there's not a leader to this whole thing really. I help organize the meetings and keep track of everything." He stopped a few feet away from Roman and kneeled down. "I've been trying to keep these people off of your back for months by working from the inside. I don't hate you, Prince. I promise you that." Roman watched as the man sighed and reached out before reconsidering. "Look what they did. You okay there, son? Is your cheek still hurting, there?"

Roman reached up and gently brushed his cheek that had been struck by the bat. Obviously it had left a mark, not that he could tell. "Oh, not really, it's fine. The one on my head hurts more but it's manageable."

"I'll go get some ice." Bruce stood up and turned toward the door, pausing as his hand rested on the door knob. "Do you need anything? I'll come back and we can plan your escape."

"Um, no." Roman pulled his legs in closer, feeling uncomfortable at the sudden kindness he was being shown. "Why are you doing all this for me?"

"Because," He smiled sadly, "you're not the first person I've met with powers."

---

The walk back home was quiet just as it had been that morning. The difference now was that Two led the way walking with determination unlike Virgil who was marching furiously and with impatience hours before. Cars drove past as most of the city had already started the day. Virgil lamented in the back of the group, worried about what Roman's mother would say when she heard the story.

"She's going to be so mad at me. I'm doomed, she'll hate me after this." He bit his thumbnail in worry. "This is all my fault, he's probably dead and I'm next."

"Virgil, you need to stop thinking so negatively." Logan turned and watched Virgil stare at him with a blank look. "Yes, I know that's not easy for you but you'll be fine. I promise."

"You can't promise that." Virgil pulled his hoodie closer to himself as his worries grew. "There's nothing we can do now but accept we're failures and wait for the end."

"No." Two perked up as they turned onto their street. "I refuse to give up. We'll get through this, Virgil, together."

The rest of the walk remained silent until their building came into view. Virgil groaned and mumbled out loud. "So glad everything we did was pointless since we ended up right back where we started."

Two ignored him and waited for Logan who had a key to unlock the door. He stepped aside as Logan pulled his small keychain from his pocket. The apartment door next to theirs suddenly swung open, causing Logan to jump and fumble with the key, almost dropping it. "Sweet Newton's cradle!" Logan grabbed his chest and felt his heart pounding. "A little warning next time, Clyde?"

Clyde kept his eyes on Two and marched up with a look of worry. "You're back! Did you find him? Did you see the guy?"

Two raised an eyebrow and leaned back. "Uhhh, no idea what you're talking about there, kiddo."

Huffing at the nickname, Clyde took a step back and crossed his arms. "Roman. Did you find him? And did you see the guy I warned you about?"

Virgil and Logan exchanged a look as Two shook his head. "We didn't, but I don't know what guy you're talking about."

"The... The guy! I told you like, not even two hours ago?!"

"I get that, but that wasn't me." Two held up his hands defensively. "You talked to Patton. I'm Two. He's still out."

"Perhaps we continue this conversation inside so you can enlighten us, Clyde?" Logan held up the key and turned to their apartment door, quickly unlocking it and making his way inside for the others to follow.

"Oof, who made this mess?" Clyde eyed the pillows and blankets on the ground as Logan began to pick them up. "You always this messy?"

Virgil ducked inside and hunched over a bit. "Princey and I were gonna nap on it when we got back this morning."

"Eww," Clyde scrunched his nose at the thought of the two together. Virgil turned and glared, causing fear to spike in the younger man. He didn't forget the threats Virgil made toward him in his apartment from before. "I mean, aww. What a shame..."

Virgil scoffed and sat down, staring at the floor as Two began to help fold the blankets from the floor. "So, while we wait for our inevitable demise, mind telling us who you warned Patton about?"

"Because I know exactly what you're talking about. What 'demise' is coming for you this time?" Clyde shoved his hands in his pockets. "You managed to screw anything up in the two hours you were gone? That's a new record."

"No, Roman's mom is on her way here."

"Roman's bad enough, I do not want to be here when she shows up..." Clyde mumbled, not exactly hiding what he said. "It was nothing, anyway. Just have a bad feeling that someone I sort of know may be involved."

"Oh?" Two turned, holding a blanket to his chest. "Who is-"

A knock on the front door cut Patton off, silencing the room.

"Oh, great. She's here already. I'm dead."

"That was rather fast," Logan commented, making his way to the door. "I was under the impression she lived in the suburbs, does she not?"

Logan opened the door and found himself once again somehow surprised what the day had brought him. "What...?"

"Heeeey, Logan." Thomas chuckled and awkwardly smiled, running a hand through his hair nervously. "Mind if I come in?"