Warnings: Cursing, panic(mild), yelling(mild), kidnapping (Ya know, the usual stuff)


The entire journey home, Patton could feel Virgil's emotions bubbling over.

Anger. Panic. Desperation. It all burned inside Patton, twisting around and mixing with his own feelings so furiously that he could barely tell them apart; a concoction of anger and worry and panic brewing inside, try as he might to quell it. The morning had been quite the ordeal already, and Patton's racing heart and shallow breaths were making it rather difficult for him to focus on anything.

He had managed the entire journey home by focusing his breathing and sending calming waves out in an attempt to soothe the others. He'd seen Virgil relax enough to make it home, though he was worried about how much his mind was panicking and how deep he would spiral by the end of this. As for Logan? Patton could feel the anxious energy radiating from him, but it was unsettling how calm and collected Logan appeared to be despite that. He seemed to be pushing down his feelings about what had transpired to be the level headed one of the group. Patton couldn't imagine that was going well for him, but he let it slide for the moment.

Once they made it home, Virgil raced forward to get inside first as Patton felt his anxiety spike. Distance made calming him down near impossible at this point, though, so as Virgil moved further and further away, Patton couldn't help but start to worry about himself. He'd already been struggling to put himself at ease; trying to send those calming waves to the others at the same time was becoming impossible.

By the time they all entered the apartment, Virgil had already begun pacing and Patton couldn't focus on his thoughts anymore. With all of them now together in private, they finally had a chance to process what happened.

Roman was gone. Attacked and taken in the early morning despite their best efforts to rescue him. Virgil was stressing over how he had failed Roman. Logan was struggling to hold himself together for both of them. And Patton himself was concerned about what the kidnappers could do to Roman, and what if they were too late to rescue him, and–

"Please step out of the room for a moment while I try to calm down Virgil. Do those breathing practices like you taught me, okay?" Patton looked up to see Logan staring at him distressed. He turned to glance at Virgil who was even more panicked than he was, then back to Logan.

Nodding, Patton turned and headed for his door without another word, focusing on getting away from the swirl of negative emotions storming in their living room. After accidentally slamming his door behind him, he turned his focus solely to himself and the hurricane of emotions that had built up from the walk home. The separation between himself and the others seemed to be helping already as he promptly managed to settle his thoughts. As he started counting to himself, he could feel the anger and desperation melt away. Not entirely but enough to be notable. In the silence of his room with the muffled voices barely drifting through his bedroom door, Patton calmed down. It was almost startling how quickly he had managed to clear his thoughts with the distance from the others' emotions. It felt like so long ago since that day he sat down with Logan and discussed the possibility of him being an empath. Now he was nearly an expert on his newer skill.

With a much clearer mind, Patton could relax and gather his thoughts. With a few ideas in mind, he had come up with a plan but he knew that Virgil and Logan wouldn't approve of it. He didn't want to lie or hide anything from them, but part of him knew that keeping it secret would motivate him to just do it and get it over with. Patton was convinced that this was their best chance at finding Roman as quickly and as safely as possible. "Sorry, guys..." he mumbled to himself as he shut his eyes, hoping the others wouldn't notice the flash of light from under his door.

As soon as Two had made his appearance, he looked at Patton and sighed. "You're sure about this?"

"Well, don't you think it's worth a shot?" Patton turned towards his dresser as Two glanced away. "You'll go with Logan and Virgil and I'll start getting ready for work."

"This doesn't feel right," Two said, looking at the door. "I don't like the thought of tricking them like that."

"I don't either." Two heard the sound of ruffling clothes as Patton got changed. "I'll send Three off to work, so I won't be lying about that part, at least. And we will be helping them search after! I just..."

Two exhaled from his nose and nodded. "Yeah. I get it. Besides, it's about time, right? We... will tell them afterward?"

"Of course! By this afternoon I'll have an answer and we'll tell them everything. It's just a few hours." Patton walked up to him, buttoning up his shirt. "Go on, I'm worried about Virgil. I'll join you in a bit. I should call Roman's job and let them know he's not coming in for a few days, too. That'll give him some time. I'll just say he's incapacitated and seeing a doctor or something..."

Two stayed for a moment, watching as Patton pulled out his phone and searched for the number for Roman's job. He had the number in case of an emergency and he was glad he had the foresight to ask for it. As Patton began talking to someone on the phone, Two reached for the doorknob and opened it up. "You both alright? Feeling any better, Virge?"

Patton was quick to apologize to the person on the phone and finished the conversation before hiding it away and walking out into the living room, aware that he would probably be mistaken for Two. "Now, none of that! We need to start making a plan, right?" he said as he adjusted his collar, looking over at Logan. He questioned his boyfriend, taken slightly by surprise at his different attire.

"Um... ahem. What's with the outfit change?"

One thing Patton liked about Two was that he never had to share his plan out loud. The Pals couldn't read each other's minds, but it was almost just as good. They were always on the same wavelength, their ideas forming almost at the same time. It made sense since they were all connected, he supposed.

Patton and Two were synchronized as they crossed their arms, berating Virgil for his lack of sleep. Virgil admitted to not getting a proper night's rest in at least two days but lashed out at the idea of staying back to rest. He was running on fumes and anxiety, a dangerous mix, but couldn't be stopped. Rebelling against the idea of a nap, Virgil turned and bolted out the front door, Logan following after him.

Two turned to Patton and their eyes met for a brief moment. They both nodded at the same time and Two ran out, shutting the door behind him.

Patton took a moment to celebrate his success. So far, the plan was going flawlessly. Two would spend the day looking for Roman with Logan and Virgil. Patton had some time before he needed to head out himself. He took the opportunity to pace himself and try to make sure everything kept going smoothly.

Another flash of light and there was Three in Patton's work outfit. Three looked a bit uneasy, but smiled. "And you're absolutely sure about this?"

"You just have to go to work and focus on that. If anything comes up, you know I'll have the cell on me. If you need to contact him, Logan should have his. If Logan calls, just try to keep him distracted. I don't want him to find out until I've spoken with her. Everything is fine."

"Right, right... I'm sorry, I guess I'm just nervous."

Patton chuckled anxiously. "So am I."

The two looked at one another for a moment before Three gave a genuine smile. "Though, I am upset I'm not going to be there for that conversation with her."

"Oh, don't worry. You'll be filled in on everything tonight."

"Standing up to her will take a lot, One. I know you can do it. Just be careful with whatever you decide to do after."

Patton smiled at the nickname. "I've got this, Three. You go on ahead. I'll leave in a moment. I have one more thing I need to do first."

Three understood without another word and readied himself for the day before heading out the door for work. With that, Patton had completed step two.

Now for step three...

Locking up his apartment, Patton stood on the porch and took a moment to breathe. The sun was much higher now; Logan and Virgil had been out for a while. He had eaten and prepared for the most difficult task of them all, but first, there was one more important thing he had to do.

He turned to the other apartment door on the shared porch and knocked, hoping it wasn't still too early in the morning. After a long moment waiting, he heard footsteps approach as the door cracked open.

Leslie appeared on the other side of the doorway and smiled. "Oh, Patton? Good morning!"

"Good morning, Leslie. I know it's a bit early, but is Clyde awake yet?"

Leslie seemed confused, but nodded. "Yeah, I just made him breakfast. Is everything okay?"

"I just want to know if I could talk to him in private for a moment?"

Leslie gave a worried look before nodding again. "I'll go ask him, wait right here."

Patton felt his heart thudding in his chest as he stood on the porch in silence. This was probably the easiest thing he had to do today and it still had him on edge. After a minute, he heard Clyde groan and stomp down the stairway that led to the apartment door.

Clyde appeared in the doorway with a baggy hoodie on, the hood thrown up over his messy bedhead. "What do you want? It's stupid early, so someone better be dying!"

Patton nervously chuckled and clapped his hands together. "I mean, I sure hope not! But, uh..."

Clyde raised an eyebrow at him and crossed his arms, leaning against the door frame. "I'm listening, but make it quick."

"Okay, well, I know you're going to say 'I told you so', but Roman sort of..." Patton motioned with his hands as he tried to find a delicate way to share the news.

"Did that idiot get hurt?!" Clyde's eyes shot open wide as he pushed off of the doorframe. "Is he okay?" Clyde caught himself and tried to appear nonchalant. "I mean, he probably got what he deserved."

Patton was surprised by Clyde's genuine concern, even if his neighbor tried to shrug it off. "I mean, he was... but he, um... was sort of taken last night." Clyde didn't move or respond to what Patton had said. "We think it was the APC. Anti-Prince Club."

Finally, after a moment, Clyde huffed out a soft laugh and shook his head. "I knew it! I knew that damned idiot was nothing but trouble! So? Do they know about us, then?"

"I... don't know. We tried not using powers to rescue him, though we eventually had to as they made their escape. We don't know what they saw. I just wanted to warn you."

"And hear me say 'I told you so'. Of course, that moron would be the one! What an idiot! I tried telling you all, but noooo! I'm just a kid, don't listen to me!" Clyde threw up his arms in frustration.

"You're right, I'm sorry. We really hoped to avoid all this." Clyde huffed and crossed his arms again. "Um... well... that's it. I guess."

"Yeah, thanks for possibly putting me in danger. If they find out there are more people with powers and they find me, this is on you."

"I know, Clyde. I really am sorry." Patton hung his head shamefully. "I try to see the good in the world and sometimes I forget how much that can get me in trouble. But don't worry!" He smiled and puffed out his chest. "I have a plan. I'll fix this, just you wait!"

Patton turned to march off before he heard the door creak open wider. "Wait!" He looked over his shoulder and saw Clyde looking a bit uncomfortable and glancing away. "I mean... Look, I may be thinking too much into this, but I have a bad feeling, so..."

"What is it?"

Clyde closed his eyes and the air around him shifted. Soon, he was gone, and instead, the image of a middle-aged man was standing in his place. He seemed friendly, with smile lines on his face and a balding head with a widow's peak. He had a bushy mustache and a beer gut and overall seemed like an average person Patton would see walking down a street. "If you–sorry. A-hem." Clyde cleared his throat. "If you see me while trying to rescue Roman..." Clyde's voice took on a much rougher, scratchier tone. "Don't trust me, Patton. I'm dangerous, okay? Tell Clyde immediately and don't let my appearance fool you."

Patton nodded, still in a bit of shock at Clyde's blatant display, before the image shifted back. "Who was that?"

"Don't worry about it. I'll... I'll tell you if you do see him. I'm just being paranoid, but it doesn't hurt to be overly cautious sometimes, ya know?"

With a nod and a wave, Patton said goodbye to Clyde and began to head out for the most difficult step he had planned so far.

Step four: Time to give his mother a visit.

The entire bus ride to his parent's house had him on edge. Patton couldn't help but glance at his phone over and over again. He tried to keep his nerves down and focus on Two and Three, making sure they were alright. He felt them both on edge but okay for the time being before staring out the window as buildings zoomed past.

Finally, at his stop, Patton hopped off and practically started speed walking down the road. His heart was racing with excitement and nervous energy; he was trying to burn it off as soon as possible.

While he was approaching his parent's neighborhood, he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He jumped and pulled it out, looking to see the name 'Logan <3' pop up on the screen. He looked at the clock and sighed, realizing he probably had been found out, since he had been too nervous himself to have felt the other Pals. Of course, Logan had discovered everything faster than he had anticipated. He hesitated before he answered it, hoping to catch it before it went to voicemail. He opened his mouth and froze, his heart pounding heavily. How much had Logan figured out? How mad was he for what Patton had done?

"Patton?" Logan's tone was even, which didn't help his nerves.

"Logan? Everything alright?"

"Care to explain why Two is here and Three is at work?" Well, it seemed he'd figured out most of it, if not everything. "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... We're just worried. I don't want you rushing into anything."

"She's my mother, Lo." Patton smiled for a bit, though Patton could feel how empty it was. "I have to be able to talk to her about things."

"I don't want her to keep–" Logan paused as he rethought his words. "You always forgive her."

"Not for this." Patton's nose wrinkled and he furrowed his brows in anger. He always forgave his mother for what she would say to him, but his friends? He should have stood up to her before, but this was as good a time as any to fix his mistakes. "I'll call you back when it's done. Trust me on this?"

"Yes, of course. Always." Logan answered immediately, with no hesitation nor hint of anger in his voice. "Just be careful."

"Don't worry. I have her outnumbered." He heard Logan chuckle softly. "I'll see you later."

"Right, of course. Later."

Hanging up, Patton felt much more at ease than he had before. Logan was behind him every step of the way. He could do this. He wasn't alone.

As he approached his house, neither of his parents' cars were in view. There was no sign of his dad's small sedan which was a familiar sight. Patton was used to the car's absence when his father would work longer shifts. Patton wasn't sure when he'd return; he would often stay late, and go straight to bed when he got home. His mother's beat-up pickup truck was also nowhere in sight. Wondering where she could have been only made Patton worry.

Patton fished out the spare key they had entrusted him with and entered the home he had grown up in. The lights were off and everything was silent, causing Patton to pause. He could almost close his eyes and imagine being a teenager again, coming home to an empty house. Then, it would have made him excited. A bit of peace and quiet alone where he could relax and work on other things. He'd hated being stuck in his room and avoided it when he could, especially since his mother had always made him leave the door open. Moments of privacy had always been a treat, rare as they were.

Now, he was walking into the empty house and the feeling wasn't there anymore. He'd lived on his own for so long that it was never really quiet. It was a bit unnerving.

Flicking the light switch, Patton took in the familiar sights as a wave of nostalgia swept over him. The photos all around the living room, along with a random painting here or there. The couch with his father's La-Z-Boy chair next to it. Patton chuckled as he shut the door and walked in–the chair reminded him of the one Logan had favored at their old apartment that was destroyed in the fire. It hadn't been long since Patton had been back in the house, having moved in temporarily after they'd lost their old apartment.

He walked around, inspecting the living room and kitchen before pausing at the end of the stairs. "Mom? Dad?" There was no response–not that he expected one. He pulled out his phone and checked the time, letting out a small sigh. "Dad probably stayed late for work again, so where's mom?"

He paused as he glanced around the living room, the house to himself. A thought caused his heart to jump as his mind raced. Alone. In the house he always hated being alone in. He smiled and glanced around before shutting his eyes in a flash of light.

Patton Pals in the house were a big no-no, and only Two and Three had been around when he had tried as a child. But the rest? They all blinked and looked around, different levels of excitement on their faces as they all had the same thought.

"Mom is gonna be so pissed if she finds out."

"'If'? Oh, I am definitely telling her we did this."

"I don't wanna start a fight."

"Yes, you do. Come on, how many times did we imagine doing this? Like stealing a cookie from the cookie jar before dinner."

They all chuckled and gathered in a group. Four, Five, Six, and Seven all smiled at Patton and he returned the favor. "It feels so bad," Patton giggled. "It's as good as I imagined."

"Yeah, well." Six crossed his arms and turned away. "I've been wanting to do something like this forever, but you never listen to me."

Patton blinked and threw up his arms. "You're always trying to get me to rebel by doing something bad! This isn't bad!"

"Yeah? Tell that to mom." Patton frowned and turned away as Six rolled his eyes. "That's why we're here, aren't we? We're finally going to tell her off?"

"I wouldn't put it like that," Five chimed in, "but we are going to say something, aren't we? I mean, after that dinner with Logan, we have to say something. We've been avoiding her for long enough."

Patton looked at the four Pals standing in front of him and took a deep breath. "I did want to ask if we were going to take... extreme measures."

"Obviously, yes!" Seven said, throwing his hands in the air. "She basically admitted to being a part of the APC! And now they have Roman!"

"We don't have proof of either of those things for certain."

"Yeah, but we believe that they could be true, and that says enough!"

The Pals turned to Patton, as he hadn't given his opinion yet. "Well, even still. This is a big decision and I don't know what to do."

"You can't decide?" Seven questioned, as if Patton had said something ridiculous. "What is there to argue about?"

"She's our mom," Patton mumbled. "Cutting her out completely is a bit drastic, isn't it?"

"Not really," Seven shrugged. "After everything? We've asked her to hear us out how many times? We have to draw the line somewhere."

"I'm with Seven on this," Six added. "If she cares, she'll hear us out."

"I dunno." Four turned and sat back on the couch, tired of standing. "I think it's a bit much, don't you?" Five nodded in agreement. "See? I just think there's more at stake if we go all in! Why take the risk?"

"Five only agrees because that's what Three would want."

"Hey!" Five shouted. "That's not true! And even if it is, it doesn't matter because Two would agree with you, which leaves us at a stalemate!" Five turned to Patton. "So, we need a tiebreaker. What do you think? We hear her out and forgive her because she's our loving mother?"

"Or, and hear me out," Seven spoke up, holding up his hands defensively, "we stop giving her excuses and hold her responsible for her actions? Like this! 'Margaret, tell me everything, or else I'm never speaking to you again.' See? Simple!"

"She's our mom, Seven," Patton sighed. "She's forgiven me for a lot of things. I'm not saying we let her off easy, but cutting her off from us completely is a lot, right? I just don't know what to do."

"If we can't agree on this, then how are we going to agree on what to do after we talk to her about Roman, hmm? That's what we came here to talk about, right?! We need to make a decision and we need to make it now."

"Okay, let's put it to a vote." Patton turned to Four. "Four? Do you want to make the deal with mom? Cut her off completely if she doesn't comply?"

"No."

Patton nodded and turned to Five. He shook his head and frowned, looking over to the last two. When Patton turned to Six, he didn't hesitate to answer. "Yes."

"Seven?"

"Yes."

Patton sighed and pushed up his glasses, rubbing his eyes. "Okay. Well, we still have to vote on what we're gonna do when we ask her about the Anti-Prince Club. Do we want to take the information back to the others first? Or shall we have her take us there to make sure she's not lying and that's where Roman is first?"

Four watched as Patton turned to him for his answer. "I think we should go back and regroup first."

Five huffed and shook his head. "No, we need to go and make sure she's not lying."

"I'm with Five," Six crossed his arms. "We don't want to waste their time if he's not there or if she takes us on a wild goose chase. We confirm it's real first, then tell the others."

"We'll just worry them by taking too long! If we have a lead, then we should share it right away." Seven nodded his head toward Four. "So I'm with Four, and we have a tie on both decisions. Now what?"

The front door jiggled and the five froze, eyes darting to the noise. The door opened and the sunlight shined through brightly as a figure stood in the doorway.

Patton watched as his dad tiredly shrugged off his shoes and shut the door behind him. He turned and removed his jacket before hanging it on a hook beside the door. He started walking into his home and looked up, taking in the five men standing in his living room.

"Well, what a wonderful surprise! My favorite son!" He smiled as his eyes wrinkled with age. "All five of them, it seems! Wow, that's more than I remember. You're getting good at that, huh? How many can you make now?"

Patton and the Pals all smiled at their dad; the old man's beard had grown more since they had last seen him. His eyes were sunken in from exhaustion, like always, but he carried himself as tall as he could. He was always such a burly man, but Patton knew better: he was a total softie at heart.

"Hey, dad," Patton spoke as he turned.

"Now, none of that." He held out his arms and wiggled his fingers. "Where's a hug for your honorary Pal? You call them pals now, right?"

Chuckling, Patton raced forward and wrapped his arms around him and squeezed as much as he could. "You'll always be my favorite Pat! And my favorite pal."

"And you'll always be mine." He patted Patton on the back and chuckled at the silent joke as they pulled away. "Are you here to see your mother? She told me you argued again."

"Uh, yeah. Do you know where she is?"

"I dunno, she joined some book club or something." He rubbed the sleep from his eyes for a moment, but Patton could tell it hadn't done much. He could just feel the exhaustion rolling off of him. "I'm glad she's gotten out to be more social, but I'm not usually around to get all the details." He yawned and ran a hand through his hair. "Want me to stay up till she gets back?"

"No, get some sleep. You pulled a double shift again, didn't you?"

"Gotta pay the bills." He shrugged and turned to walk towards the staircase to his room. "Let me know if you need anything, even if I'm asleep, got it?"

"Yeah, dad."

He paused on the bottom stair and turned to them once more. "Patton?"

"Patrick?"

His father smiled briefly before it fell, his expression turning serious. "I love you and no matter what, I always will."

"I know–"

"I know you know. But I also know your mother worries about you, and all this–" he waved his hand toward the pals, "–getting out scares her. But you're an adult and you need to make your own decisions. Now, I don't know what the fight was about, but due to your track record, that's my best guess." Patton turned away briefly in embarrassment. "You ever need to talk to me, I'm a phone call away. I don't care what it's about."

"Thanks, dad. Really."

Patrick nodded and started heading up the stairs. "I'm off to bed. Oh! And visit again soon, will ya? I know I missed that dinner with that boy of yours but he's not off the hook yet!"

Patton chuckled and watched his father disappear up the stairs. "I will! Go get some sleep!"

He and the Pals sat silently, listening as Patrick made his way to the bedroom. The click of the door cut off any other sounds that could be heard, diverting their attention back to one another.

They looked around and Patton frowned as their topic came back to mind. "It'll be hard to cut her out and not him."

"We can work around that." Seven spoke immediately to defend his point. "He's willing to work with us! He can meet us at our place. That shouldn't even be a factor."

"You're right." Patton held up his hands to prevent any further arguments. "You're right. Well, at least..." Patton looked up at the Pals with a look of surprise in his eyes. "I've got an idea."

"What?" Six asked. "Is it gonna help us with a decision?"

"Probably. It's the best chance we have right now to make up our minds."

"How?" Four asked. "We're at a total stalemate if you can't make a choice."

"No, not exactly," Patton smiled as the realization sunk into the rest of them. "Not if I give someone else the choice as well."

"Eight?!" Seven cried out. "You want to make Eight?! You've never made anyone past me before!"

"It's our best bet, I guess." Four mumbled. "I mean, if he can't decide, it makes sense. They can vote on both and we get everything sorted."

"Woah, hold on." Six stepped into the center of the room a bit more. "Are you absolutely sure? You know that after making a new one, you can't go back. We're stressed out right now. You shouldn't do anything drastic."

Patton wrapped his arms around himself and paused a bit. Then, looking up at Six, he nodded. "I'm sure. We need Eight. Besides, I feel like... he'll be helpful to have with everything going on."

"Right, okay," Six stepped back and motioned to the room. "The floor is yours, One."

Patton nodded and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath.

Summoning a Pal was familiar to him. Reflecting in on himself, searching for that warm feeling like when you get a hug and then grabbing that feeling before pulling. But creating a new one for the first time was like breaking something apart. It'd fit back perfectly and he wouldn't even notice it break, but he'd have to be careful.

Concentrate and focus. Ignore the warmth building and the light you can tell is shining behind your closed eyes and just pull.

---

Roman was enjoying the view beyond the single glass wall he was imprisoned behind, but his desire to hear what the old man was yelling about meant he couldn't sing. The two morons that had attacked him and brought him here were looking more like children being scolded for doing something wrong at the moment. They tried to speak up at one point, but Bruce cut them off quickly and they just looked more ashamed after that. Eventually, they walked off and he sighed before disappearing behind the door and out of view from the glass. Most of it was still covered, except for that one part that kept being lifted so people could look in on him. The last time someone looked in, Bruce had appeared and turned red with anger, chasing them off. Then he'd turned to the other two orchestrating the 'viewings' and started shouting.

Roman was glad for the reprieve, but he just wanted to go home. He felt like a prisoner, which he supposed he was, but worse. Almost more like an object to be stared at and less like a person. The people coming in and ogling at him like he was some sort of spectacle made him feel uneasy. His roommates must have been worried and he was still exhausted beyond belief. They didn't know where he was yet, or else Virgil definitely would have found a way to talk to him and yell at him himself, paradoxes be damned.

The door opened and Bruce walked in with another water bottle, sighing as he shut the door behind him. "Sorry about that. Those two are unbelievable."

"Then why let them be in charge of anything?"

"In charge?" Bruce laughed at the thought. "No, they know someone who let us use this empty office space until it gets rented as long as we keep it clean. I think they told them we were cleaners, actually. They have no idea what we use it for. Otherwise, those knuckleheads wouldn't even be here. They're not in charge of anything."

Bruce held out the water bottle and sat down slowly. "I told them to stop going out on searches, and said that kidnapping a person was illegal and that we are not the cops, but no. They have it in their heads that this'll turn out like their comic books or a movie and they won't get in trouble, and roped all of us into it in the process."

Roman frowned and played with the water bottle, watching the small bubble of air move around. "So this was all a mistake? Can't you just let me go, then?"

"Well, now that we have you, the others are arguing on what to do. Fortunately, I convinced most of them that letting you go at sundown was our best bet with the cover of the night where people might just think you're on another patrol or something. As long as I can convince you not to press charges or anything."

Roman's heart jumped at the idea of finally being let go, but he didn't let it show. "What proof do you have that I won't?"

"They have your face, Charging. Those morons who brought you here never got a photo, but some of the others did, and I can't get them to delete all of them." Roman frowned at that, gripping the fabric of his jacket in one of his hands. He knew he had convinced the two idiots that had attacked him, and he had hoped that was it, but someone must have snuck a photo without him knowing. "So we'll both have to agree to each other's terms and come to an understanding. Besides, the photos are of you locked in a room trapped so it'll be hard for them to share it and also look innocent. Everyone wins."

"All I understand is that I've been assaulted more than once and you want to get away with it completely." He shook his head. "Short of you disbanding, I can't agree to that. You don't just have my face. You find out who I am and everyone I care about is in danger. I can't have that."

"Well–" Bruce leaned in a bit closer – "can your powers do something about that? Take out their electronics?"

"I told you, I don't actually have powers!" Roman hissed out and turned away. "I would if I could, that sounds great! Point me in the direction and I'll fry everything in this building if I had to. But I can't do that! Because powers aren't real."

Roman waited a moment before turning to Bruce who just watched him carefully with a frown on his face. "You really don't have powers, huh?" Roman waited a moment before he shook his head. Bruce sighed and turned away. "Damn, and I was really hoping. Shit." Roman sat up in surprise at his reaction. "Well, I can still get you out, but it looks like my time in this club is done."

"Really?" Roman squeezed the water bottle and heard it slightly crinkle. "Why is that? Sick at what they did to an innocent person?"

"I infiltrated this club to find someone with powers, Charging. If you don't have any, I'm not interested. Sorry, no offense."

"You infiltrated–wait, why? You said you knew someone else with powers, what's going on?"

"I'm afraid that's classified on a need-to-know basis." Bruce leaned back and slapped his hands on his thighs. "Well, if you come across anyone with powers, you'll have to let me know." Bruce leaned forward and started to stand. "I'll let you think about their proposition and come back for an answer."

"Wait!" Roman dropped the bottle and reached out. Puzzled, Bruce knelt back down to look at him as Roman felt his throat close up. "Maybe I do know something..." He pulled his hand to his chest and could almost feel his heart pounding through his jacket. "How do I know you're not lying? Who's this person with powers?"

"You know someone with actual powers? You're not lying to me?" In response, Roman shook his head quickly. "Well, ratting out someone else isn't exactly fair, is it? But if we both know someone, maybe we can work something out."

Roman sat a moment, processing his next words carefully. "I suppose... it depends. I'll have to talk to them when I get out."

"Alright." Bruce began to push himself up from the floor slowly and leaned back to crack his back. "Well, then sit on this as well as your answer and I'll return in an hour, okay?" He looked down at Roman and paused for a moment. "If you're willing to share, then I'd love to meet up with this person. I've been searching for others with powers for years." Roman watched as Bruce turned to walk out the door. " Just remember. I'll come for your answer in an hour, Prince. I hope you're ready by then."

---

Everything was still, no one willing to move and break the quiet that had fallen. They all stood there, staring at the new Patton Pal in anticipation. Patton had tumbled a bit as Eight appeared, catching himself on the side of the couch and glancing around the room.The others were all waiting excitedly for the newest arrival to speak.

"Eight?" As Patton spoke, the new Pal turned toward him. "Um, hi! Nice to meet you, Eight! We were kind of... stuck. Did you have any input? Or something you wanted to say?" Eight blinked at Patton and then looked back at the Pals, standing and stepping away from the side of the couch. "Eight?"

"Say something!" Seven cried out, frustrated. "We need an answer, please just say something already."

After a moment, Eight opened his mouth, abruptly spinning around and turning to Patton. "You're going to tell mom that she's going to bring us to the APC, or we walk out and find them ourselves and we won't ever be coming back."

Patton and the pals jumped as Eight spoke, glancing around at one another in surprise. "Are you sure?" Four asked from the couch. "She's family!"

"Yes, and we gave her ten years' worth of chances to hear us out. How many has she returned in kind?" Eight looked at Three as he spoke. "How many times have we asked to talk before she cut us off, saying what she says goes? How many times do we excuse her behavior? We've stood up to her too many times." Eight turned to Patton and frowned. "It's time to stand up to ourselves. She made mistakes, but that doesn't mean we have to forgive her for them. I think you know that. I think you all know that. You're just not brave enough to say it."

"Is that what you are to me?" Patton spoke softly. "My bravery?"

"Another thing we need to discuss." Eight spun around instead of answering. "Our plan. In a little more detail, at the very least."

Patton and the others waited a moment before Eight squared his shoulders and looked at Patton.

"I know we're all afraid... but I think you know what you want to do."

"But... Logan and Virgil..."

"It's easier to ask for forgiveness than permission. You know you can convince them, but we don't have the time. We don't know what's happening to Roman right now. At least let them know we have a plan. We can keep them updated as we learn more."

"But..." Patton sighed. "Are you sure? We could just get the location from her. She might not even tell us!"

"She'll tell us. I know you don't trust that she'll be completely honest, though, so we need to make sure Roman's actually there first. We can't get the others' hopes up. After we know where Roman is, then we can regroup just like you want. We need to do this, we're risking more if we take the safe route. If we don't pace ourselves, we'll just be putting the others at risk." Eight paused for a moment. "Don't you think Virgil will just run there in frozen time the first chance he gets? We have to be sure."

Patton slowly nodded before looking at the others. "Yeah. Okay. We go to the APC first, then we regroup." Five and Seven looked a bit upset at the news, but nodded in agreement. "So, what do we tell her when she gets here?"

"We can discuss that together until she does." Eight smiled. "We got this, One."

---

"Thomas?" Logan spoke softly as he approached the other. "I just wanted to apologize again for my behavior in the past. It was rather uncouth of me. I may have had my reasons, but it does not justify my actions. I am sorry."

Thomas smiled and shrugged. "I know you feel bad about it, and Patton said you had some personal reason why. You're trying, right? So I can forgive you this time."

"I don't get it, though." Virgil walked up with a new cup of coffee in his hands. "I didn't think you wanted anything to do with this. Why are you here?"

"About that." Thomas ran his hands through his hair. "I was talking with Joan and they kind of acted like they already knew I was going to do something. Even before I decided to tell them that I wanted to come on my own. Which was weird, because I kept getting this deja vu feeling like I needed to go find you guys and help." He looked up at Virgil and Logan. "Is this something we've been through before? Maybe not this exact scenario, but similar? I just couldn't stand by, something wasn't sitting right with me."

Virgil sipped his coffee, let out a loud sigh, and nodded his head. "Your memories aren't completely gone, just locked up.Your body is responding based on what you've done before, I guess."

Logan turned to Virgil, confused. "That's not actually how any of that works?"

"Hey. Who's sipping at coffee looking brilliant with his deductions, huh?" Virgil raised his mug. "That's what I thought. I don't have to be right. I just have to look like I know what I'm doing."

"That's not how that works at all either, Virgil."

Virgil shrugged. "Works for Tony Stark."

Logan looked even more confused. "Who?"

"Don't worry about it," Thomas interfered. "So, what have you figured out so far?"

Two walked up at that point, rubbing at his chest. "Well, I don't know what Patton is up to, but I just got a weird feeling, so I at least have an idea."

"Are you alright?" Logan turned his full attention to the Pal. "Are the others alright?"

"Yeah. Don't worry, Lo." Two smiled sincerely, which put Logan at ease. "He'll tell you later. Right now, he's fine."

Confused, Thomas turned toward Virgil, who mouthed 'Patton Pal' back. Thomas nodded and Virgil held up a hand, raising two fingers to signify it was Two talking.

Clyde walked in from the kitchen and up to the others, holding a mug in his hands. "So, you figure anything out yet?"

"Are you drinking my coffee?" Virgil looked offended as he stared at the cup. "Is that my Nightmare Before Christmas mug?!"

Clyde looked Virgil dead in the eyes as he brought the mug up to his mouth and took an obnoxiously loud sip. "No."

"What do you mean 'no'?" Virgil pointed at him. "I can see you drinking my coffee in my mug right now!"

"Oh?" Clyde tried to hide his smile behind the mug. "Do you have any proof of that?"

Virgil stuttered, a bit speechless as Clyde held a shit-eating grin on his face. "Alright, enough of that." Two stepped in and looked at Clyde. "Should you even be drinking that?"

"Should he?" Clyde motioned to Virgil with his totally-not-stolen mug. "Besides, didn't you wake me up super early this morning?"

Two was taken aback by the comment and blushed in embarrassment. "You were already awake when Patton knocked on the door!"

"I'd like to see your evidence to this claim," Clyde simply took a sip of his coffee again as Two was flabbergasted. "This is slander. I demand a lawyer."

"You always like this?" Virgil asked with a quirked eyebrow. "I bet you're fun at parties."

"I light up the room more than you do, Tinkerbell. Don't see me complaining." Clyde felt a bit of pride when Virgil snorted out a laugh at the comment.

Logan stared at the two before turning back to Thomas. "Right. Well, to answer your question, Thomas, we've figured out very little since we discovered–"

"We don't know jack squat," Virgil cut him off, huffing as he took a big swig of his coffee. "I've been awake while trying not to panic for hours and we had to come back because Roman's mom is on her way here to kick my ass."

"She's not going to harm you, Virgil. She was simply worried about her son and wanted to come help and figure out what happened."

"He disappeared under my watch and she's going to kick my ass." Virgil stared down at his almost empty mug with a frown. "Not how I wanted to die, but I'll take it."

"Aww, Virgil, I'm sure she won't kill you that slowly." Clyde tried to seem genuine as he placed a soft hand on Virgil's back. "I'll totally miss you. It'll be easier to steal this mug if you're dead."

"You're putting that back or I'll kill you myself before I die." Virgil glared at him and Clyde smiled and rolled his eyes in response.

"Are we going to tell her about our powers?" Everyone turned to Thomas as he spoke up. He quickly became self-conscious with so many eyes on him and shuffled his feet. "I mean, she knows about Roman's, right? What about us?"

Logan hummed and closed his eyes as he took a moment to think about it. "It would probably be for the best to wait for now. I'm sure we all aren't comfortable with divulging such a big secret so let's keep it to ourselves unless we need to 'spill the beans'. Metaphorically speaking."

Another cup of coffee and a worried scolding from Two later, there was a knock on the door. Virgil sighed and stood up from the couch to answer it. "Well, it was nice knowing you all."

Opening the door, Virgil blinked as his gaze drifted downward. At least a foot shorter than him was a middle-aged woman with graying brown hair. She smiled up at him excitedly and threw open her arms.

"Oh, I'd know that face anywhere! My son has shown me pictures! You have to be Virgil! Come here and give mama a hug!" She waited for Virgil to hesitantly bend down and extend his arms a bit before latching onto him. She squeezed him and swayed back and forth before letting go. "Such a handsome, strong man! Oh, my boy better be taking good care of you! Come, let us talk." Virgil moved out of the way as she walked in and inspected the room. "Oh, company! Hello, I'm Roman's mother, Liz. I'm sorry if he's been quite a handful."

The room was silent for a moment before Clyde started snickering to himself. "At least someone apologized for that moron."

Liz frowned and sighed, placing her hands on her hips. "My son is a brilliant boy who is just very passionate and thinks with his heart instead of his head sometimes." Clyde blushed and turned away, focusing on his coffee. "But I understand. That is why we are all here, yes? What has he gotten himself into now?"

"Hello, ma'am. My name is Logan." Liz turned to shake Logan's hand he had extended already. "You may want to sit down, it's not good news."

"So I take it he didn't just break something again?" Liz looked worried as Logan led her to the couch.

Two walked up and tried to smile, though it came off more as a grimace. "Hi, I'm Patton. Would you like something to drink?"

"After I hear the news, dear. I don't know how much you'll need to put in the glass."

Two looked confused for a moment. "How much what? Water?"

"Tequila."

Virgil covered his mouth to stop himself from laughing as Clyde's eyes grew wide.

Logan cleared his throat and ran a hand down his tie to distract himself. "I'm afraid Roman was assaulted and taken early this morning." Logan diverted his gaze away and braced himself for her reaction. "As of right now, he is currently missing."

Liz paused and nodded her head. "Ah, is that all?" She turned to Patton with a smile, though still seemed tense. "Water will be fine, dear."

Virgil walked up to the couch as Two moved to go to the kitchen. "Wait, that's it? You're not mad?" Virgil ran both of his hands through his hair. "I was there! I froze and I didn't stop them!"

"Well, goodness, Virgil! I sure hope not!" Liz reached for her purse and sat it in her lap. "I wouldn't want to have heard you got hurt as well. That would be far worse!" She began rummaging through her purse for a moment. "It sounds like that hate group that was out to get him might be behind this if I had to guess. I'm a part of his fan club, though I'm sure my Ro doesn't know that." She pulled out a pack of gum and extended it out to Virgil. "Dear, take this. I hear chewing gum can help with the nerves."

Virgil took it and stared at her before looking down at the gum. "You... figured that all out already?"

"He's my son, my shining star! I will always worry about him so I like to make sure he's okay."

"Wait a second!" Clyde pushed past Virgil and looked at her. "You knew he was out there using his powers and you just let him?!"

"It is who he is, who am I to deny that? He's not hurting anyone and is trying to put more good in the world. I'm proud of what he does."

"He has powers!" Clyde threw up his hands. "He is showing the world that people with powers exist! He could be putting all of them in danger!"

Liz watched Clyde as he slowly grew impatient, waiting for an answer. "Honey... are you mad he is using his powers because you're worried about someone else? Are you worried about yourself?"

"What?!" Clyde shouted. Two jumped from where he stood in the doorway, holding a tall glass of ice water. "I mean, what do you mean by that?"

"Well, if he has powers, I always assumed others probably did as well. Is that what worries you?" She turned back to Clyde. "I could just be guessing but... sweetie, do you have powers?"

Clyde turned red in the face before turning and heading for the door. "That's it! I've had enough of all of you. I'm out of here! Don't bother me again, he's your headache and I want nothing to do with him!"

Clyde slammed the door and they heard his feet stomp all the way up the stairs to the apartment above him. Liz, however, seemed undeterred as she started to stand up to take the glass of water from Two. "Well, how about a plan to find my little bolt while he calms down, shall we?"

Virgil was beginning to realize that he was still afraid of Roman's mother, but for completely different reasons.

---

Patton's phone began to ring, cutting short the conversation they had been having.

'Mom' popped up on the screen and Patton answered it immediately.

There was a pause as both remained silent before Patton spoke. "Hello?"

"Patton? Is that you?"

"Well, you did call me."

"I've been getting your answering machine all week! I didn't expect you to pick up this time."

Patton looked over to Eight who silently was cheering him on. "Well, I figured it was about time we talked. Where are you?"

"I was out running a quick errand, but I'm home now." Patton watched the front doorknob twist as it unlocked and opened.

"Good." Patton pulled the phone away and hung up, watching as his mother walked into the house. "We can start there. What errands were you running?"

Maggie lowered the phone as she took in the sight before her. Her son who had not answered his phone in days was in her home, and he had made more of those copies. They stood there in the center of her living room without a care in the world, all of them watching her. After what she had just witnessed this morning? She wasn't pleased.

"What are you doing?!" She closed the door quickly and locked it once more before marching into the living room. "You know you shouldn't be using your powers! What if someone saw?"

"The door was locked, mom. Please be quiet, dad just got home not too long ago and should be asleep." Patton watched as his mother grew red with rage.

"Do not speak to me in that tone, young man! This is my home!"

"Which you have extended to me as my home," Eight called out. Patton felt his heart flutter in fear as he spoke.

"I was not talking to you! I was talking to my son!"

"How do you know I'm the original?" Patton asked. "How do you know? Can you look and tell me that he didn't just give me his phone? That he's even in this room right now?"

"Don't try to pull the wool over my eyes!" She quickly looked around the room before turning back to him. "I am very cross with you leaving dinner the other night! And hiding the fact that Logan had powers? Now I find Roman is Prince Charging and he has powers too! You moved into an apartment with a bunch of delinquents! I wouldn't be surprised if Virgil had them; you're just keeping all sorts of secrets now, huh? What else have you been lying to me about? How many times have you told me you haven't been using your powers and you've been running around with half a dozen of them out?"

Patton remained motionless as she berated him.

"Well? Answer me!"

"Where's Roman?"

"What?"

All of the Pals approached Maggie, surrounding her and cutting off all her exits. "Your little 'book club' has him. Dad told me about that, by the way. You're keeping secrets too, mom. So, where is he?"

Maggie looked around and opened her mouth to speak.

"Think carefully," Eight cut her off before she could say a word. "Because whatever you say will decide how we handle the other conversation we will be having afterward."

"What 'other' conversation?" Maggie backed off a bit as she glared at Eight.

"Well, mom, funny story about that," Seven spoke up, crossing his arms. "When your friends decided to attack Roman and hit him over the head with a bat before kidnapping him,-"

"Remind me. Was that before or after they tried running us over?"

"They what?!" Maggie shouted as she stared at the Pattons in disbelief.

"Funny story, really," Four cut in. Maggie gawked at all of their faces in her growing panic. "When you side with people willing to hurt others? They don't care who gets in their way."

"So." Patton took a step closer and held his head up high. He imagined Logan standing beside him and supporting him every step of the way. He knew that no matter what happened, he wasn't alone. "What did you want to talk to me about?"

Maggie looked anguished as her eyes quickly flickered from each Pal before landing on Patton, who she had talked to first. "They almost hit you?" Her voice was soft and it shook before she reached out. As she cupped his cheeks, Patton frowned and tried to cling to his wavering confidence. "My baby boy, are you okay?"

Patton felt his throat ache and close up and took a moment to calm himself. "Yeah." He pulled her in for a hug and looked over her shoulder to the Pal staring at him. "I'm okay."

They embraced for a moment before Patton pulled away.

"Mom, where's Roman? Is he okay? What do they want to do with him?"

"The poor dear! He's at the office, I just saw him. They're trying to see if any of us recognize him." Maggie watched as Patton paled at her words. "I didn't say anything! They asked and I said I'd never seen him before! I said he was such a young boy that he reminded me of you, and that I had to go." She reached out and grabbed his arms. "You have to believe me, sweetie, I didn't say a thing! You're all I talk about there, and they know that."

Patton nodded and closed his eyes. "Okay. I believe you." She sighed and he opened his eyes once more, standing up tall as he did. "But you have to take me to him. I want to see him for myself."

"No, Patty, it's not safe!"

"They have my friend, mom!" Patton stepped back and shook his head. "We're all worried about him. Virgil was there when he was taken and he hasn't slept, and Logan's barely holding himself together." Patton's voice wavered. "I have to see him. We need to get him out."

"Well, maybe no one will recognize him! Maybe we can come up with a plan, or..."

Patton shook his head. "No! No, he worked in public for years and he performs in plays! He puts his face out there every chance he gets. Anyone could accidentally recognize him. The sooner we get him out, the better!" Maggie looked conflicted. "He has a family. His mother will be worried sick. What if it were me?"

Maggie clenched her eyes shut and nodded. "Yes. You're right, of course, you're right." She looked up at her son as her eyes glistened with tears she fought back. "I just wanted to protect you. You know that, right? I want to keep you safe. I haven't been doing a great job of that, have I?"

"It's not too late to start." Eight spoke up. Everyone turned to him as he smiled. "We were going to walk out if you didn't want to help, if I'm honest."

"Walk out? W-what do you mean 'walk out'?"

"Of your life, mom." Eight stepped closer and left no distance between them. "Logan was right. We love who we are. Every quirk we have and everything we can do. But you lashed out with rude comments and backhanded jokes. You didn't realize how harmful your words were. Every time we tried to talk to you, you didn't want to hear anything about it. We gained empathetic abilities. Did you know that? Did you ever wonder if these powers grew to something more?"

Patton held a hand up to his chest and rubbed it. He was so overwhelmed with his emotions, but the heartbreak his mother felt at Eight's words were blossoming. He watched as she shook her head and looked at him.

"Is it true?"

"I'm okay with you not agreeing with my choices, mom. I'm okay with you worrying about me using my powers. But it's more than that. It's not just me anymore. When you start interfering with my friends, that's when I have to realize that something isn't right. I have to say something about it for their sakes."

"Not the healthiest thing we've ever said," Five chimed in.

"But that's our issue." Seven said. He approached Patton with a smile. "Maybe we still need to learn to love ourselves more. Maybe we're not selfish enough. Maybe we care about others over us and we need to work on that." He reached out and disappeared in a flash of light. Maggie gasped, not used to seeing it again after so many years.

The others gathered and all smiled at Patton as they reached out one by one, each one disappearing in their own flash of light. When Eight reached out, Patton mouthed a quiet 'thank you' before he disappeared. The rush of the Pals' emotions from their conversations surged for a moment before he turned to Maggie once more.

She tried to smile at him before she launched and pulled him in for another hug. "I never meant to hurt you. I'm so sorry, I hadn't realized it was so bad!"

"It's okay."

"No, it's not."

"Well, yeah. You're right, it's not." Patton chuckled and felt his tears finally overflow. "But we can work on that together. I'm not exactly the perfect son either."

"Yes, you are. And maybe Logan isn't so bad. When he's not scaring the living daylights out of me with those eyes!"

"You don't know half of it." Patton pulled away and removed his glasses to wipe at his eyes. "Gosh, I'm not ready for this talk." He put them back on to catch his mother doing the same thing. "It's going to have to wait, unfortunately. I want to see Roman."

"Okay. Of course, absolutely. I'll take you there right now."

---

"So, that's it, then." Liz seemed frustrated with the plan they had shared, which hadn't been much. "You think you might know how to get in?"

Two nodded and crossed his arms. "I'm working on a way to get into the APC. I'm just waiting to hear back from my source that's checking to see if they even have him. I don't like waiting around but we're running out of ideas."

Liz sighed and nodded. "That's good. What other plans do you have?"

"We aren't sure," Logan frowned and looked at Two. "Patton's plan was all we came up with, really. We were going on a manual search when you had called. We came back here to tell you everything we knew."

"Well, what about the fan club?" Eyes turned to Virgil, who ducked his head and began nervously chewing on the gum Roman's mother had given him. "I mean, would they know anything?"

Liz smiled and pulled her phone out of her purse. "That's not a bad idea! I'll contact Sammy right away. We may just get lucky, maybe they can reach out to the others. I know some old members left to join the other club as a way to get inside information, like spies! We can ask the rest to keep their eyes open."

"Is there anything we can do as we wait?" Thomas ruffled his hair a bit, then leaned in and whispered as Liz started to call someone, distracted. "I mean, power-wise?"

Logan shook his head. "Not really. I mean, I could scan the city for him, but that could take days, and it's not a perfect process. I missed Clyde the first time."

"That's if he's even in the city," Two chimed in. "Clyde mentioned moving from the suburbs. You didn't miss him, he just wasn't here. So there's a chance Roman's out of reach, too."

"Can we extend that reach?" Thomas asked. "There's got to be something we can do."

"We'd have to amplify his powers to do that," Virgil pointed to Thomas. "But our power amplifier is busted and we don't have a manual, so that's a no."

Thomas' eyes widened in realization as he turned to Logan. "Well, that just leaves one thing left to do." He smiled at Logan before fishing into his pocket and pulling out a small, beaten up memo pad. "I was actually planning on bringing this up anyway and now seems as good of a time as any."

Logan seemed perplexed as his eyes went from Thomas to the small memo pad. "Thomas, as you sure? You don't have to do this now."

"I'm sure," Thomas lowered it and took a step closer. "Time to take up those lessons again. Let's fix my memories, shall we?"