Chapter Text
it was nighttime in essempee, but the city wasn’t asleep. there were boats coming in and out of the port. there were people laughing and dancing to their hearts content in night clubs. the glow of street lights lit up the city. billboards flashed and headlights flew by. mile-high buildings towered over the bustling streets. the metro ran 24/7. ‘the city never sleeps’ is what tourists and old people like to say, but for tommy, it was just an opportunity to stay up late. alleyways were his favorite. so dark and mysterious. sometimes he found a cat, sometimes it was a rat. he found a raccoon once. so beady eyed, tommy fell in love.
little shops lined backroads where tommy would usually hang out. little bodegas and drug stores. sometimes, he stumbled onto things even better.
there was a tiny poster, almost impossible to see if you weren’t looking for it.
‘bot fights. every night. 8pm - midnight. byob (bring your own bot)’
with his interest now piqued. tommy embarked on his new adventure.
this was his first one. his first bot fight. everyone was older, bigger. their bots were bigger, too. yet tommy’s was better. he knew his was better. his opponent would never know what hit them.
others bots moved swiftly. like an actual fight scene in a good action movie. metal clanked together and voices flooded tommy’s ears. it was euphoric and exactly what tommy loved to hear at nine at night. some pink haired girls bot was just cut in half. sick.
there was a lady with pinned up hair and an eyepatch. she seemed to be the person who ran the whole thing.
“the winner, by total annihilation,” she announced in a loud voice making sure everyone could hear. “jschlatt!”
“who’s next!?” the man stood and shoved all the money from the tray into his light blue crewneck. “who has the guts to step into the ring with jschlatt?”
intimidated people hid there bots behind their backs. one man ever ripped the head off his. the wires tore with a cackle. cowards.
tommy smirked before he put on his facade. he wasn’t scared or intimidated. he knew his bot was better, but other people didn’t need to.
“can i try?” he asked in his tiniest voice. “i have a robot, i built it myself.” he showed off his bot with a shy smile spread across his face.
there were laughs, but tommy didn’t care. they wouldn’t be laughing for long. the biggest was from the so-called ‘jschlatt.’ apparently he was the ‘best.’ he gloated and mocked. to tommy, he was a big jerk who deserved to be proven wrong.
“beat it, kid.” the lady from before cackled. “house rules. you gotta pay to play.”
he knew this and he was prepared.
“oh. is the enough?” he pulled crumpled bills out of his sweatshirt pocket.
“what’s your name, little boy?” big guy ‘jschlatt’ taunted.
“tommy.” he smiled widely. “tommy innit.”
“prepare your bot. salami.” who knew this man actually knew how to rhyme?
both parties put their money on the tray. tommy slipped a couple extra coins in before the lady put the top on, just for good measure.
tommy’s bot was small, no doubt. it looked too friendly and too limp. it had a smile painted across the face. it honestly looked pathetic. everyone else thought so too.
schlatt sat down cross legged. tommy copied. schlatt cracked his neck. tommy copied. it didn’t really work out so he used the power of his voice to imitate the sound.
“two bots enter, one bot leaves.” the lady said ominously. “fight!”
schlatt’s bot was powerful. it had spinning razors and a blade on each of its arms. it had a mean face and the design wasn’t lazy.
tommy’s wobbled and was chopped up in seconds. pieces scattered across the floor. jschlatt let a loud boisterous cackle go. it was so funny to him, his eyes scrunched up in amusement.
“that was my first fight. can i try again?” tommy stammered. just another aspect of his dramatization. his brother always said he should be an actor.
“no one likes a sore loser, little boy.” schlatt’s voice boomed through the arena while he collected his money from the tray. “go home.”
“i’ve got more money.” he pulled out another fat wad of cash.
this pulled a smirk from schlatt and he was already putting more money on the tray.
“fighters ready? fight!”
here we go again. schlatt did the same fancy routine he did the first time. he boasted his bots spinning razor and his blade in an attack stance.
it was all falling into tommy’s little maniac hands. scamming was right up his alley. and in this alley, that’s exactly what he was doing.
his bot hurriedly collected itself. it didn’t have an attack position, but it didn’t need one.
“mega bot,” tommy started. “destroy.”
the sunshiney smile that was painted over his bots face was now no longer so sunshiney.
jschlatt knit his eyebrows together in confusion.
tommy’s bot was tiny, but fierce. it spun in circles, ready to attack anything that came in its way. it was too fast for schlatt’s large and clanky bot.
schlatt was in a panic. he was clicking every button on his controller in hopes that it would help in some way. it wasn’t helping.
tommy sat, unamused. he knew this was going to happen. he was just too good. he was too good at acting, too good at bot fighting, and too good at scamming old men out of their money.
his bot climbed up the other bots arm. twisting and pulling. it became detached as sparks flew from live wires. soon it was armless. no way to defend itself, tommy’s started hitting it in the face. it was amusing to watch. this little kid was beating one of the best bot fighters in the entire city.
schlatt’s now decapitated, armless, defenseless bot sat in a pathetic pile on the floor. he gaped at it. shocked. he was just beaten by a child. a scrawny, dirty, smart, child.
tommy’s bots face was sunshiney again and it taunted schlatt in a way that screamed “kill them with kindness.” it bowed and made its way back to tommy.
“no more jschlatt.” tommy’s smirk spoke a thousand words.
“this is not possible!” schlatt took his bots dismantled head between his fingers.
“hey, i’m as surprised as you are.” that was a lie. “beginners luck. do you wanna go again?”
schlatt was off the ground, catching tommy off guard.
“jschlatt?” he said in fear as the bigger man towered over him, casting shadows on his small frame.
he was thrown against the wall in the alley behind the venue. schlatt now spitting words into his face.
“no one hustles jschlatt!” he took the bot right from his grip.
“woah. hey-“
“teach him a lesson.” and the bigger man was gone. his scary buddies stayed.
“hey fellas! let’s talk about this.” all he could do was giggle. this wasn’t on his plans for tonight.
the men were gaining. there really was no where for tommy to go. he was done for. he quickly accepted his fate and shut his eyes. his eyelids turned a red-ish color as light made it way down the alley.
i see the light. they beat me up so bad i died.
tires screeched to a halt and footsteps became more distant. he risked opening his eyes.
“tommy, get on!”
“wilbur!” his big brother to the rescue. “oh, good timing!” a helmet was slapped on his head and wind pushed against his face.
“ a-ha !” schlatt shouted in victory. he had tommy’s bot. but not for long. tommy was too smart to let something like that happen. his bot was back in his grip in seconds. leaving schlatt speechless.
“are you okay?!” wilbur yelled over the sound of the his red moped.
“yeah.” tommy replied carelessly, looking behind him at the group of angry men.
“are you hurt?!”
“no.”
“then what were you thinking?!” wilbur took his eyes off of the long alleyway ahead of them to hit tommy repeatedly. “dumbass!” he yelled over tommy’s shouts of protest.
the alley came to a dead end. wilbur swiftly turned around.
“you graduated high school when you were fifteen and this is what you’re doing?!”
tommy was smart. he knew this. he was just born that way. always getting good grades always being the top of the class always getting praise. he knew that if he worked hard enough it would pay off. he simply just knew things and it got him far.
“hey!” schlatt was back in their field of vision, looking as angry as ever. if tommy wasn’t in fear of his life right now, he would’ve laughed.
“hold on!” tommy threw his arms around wilbur’s shoulders, holding on for dear life. he didn’t like listening to wilbur, but in this moment he did whatever his big brother told him.
there was a makeshift ramp pushed up against the concrete wall. most likely not meant for two brothers running away from burly men on a moped. it was a single wood slab on an incline. it was what stood between life and death.
tommy was already on an adrenaline high. everything felt floaty.
the only time he was ever thankful for wilbur’s old cherry red moped, was when he was flying through the air. noses from the frightening men pointed upwards, their eyes blown wide. tommy couldn’t help but let out a cheer. the men stared in awe as wilbur’s moped landed back on the concrete with no problem. nothing could beat this feeling. the adrenaline and the feeling of being victorious.
“bot fighting is illegal.” and of course wilbur had to ruin it. “you’re gonna get yourself fucking arrested.”
“bot fighting is not illegal!” tommy retaliated. “betting on bot fighting, that’s… yeah that’s illegal, but so fucking worth it! i’m on a roll, big man! and there is no stopping me!” he wielded his cash. he was already imagining all the things he could buy.
wilbur was side-eyeing him. tommy was wasting his life. he’s such a smart kid, he could get into any college he wanted for free. he could have a future, but all he wants to do are those fucking bot fights. wilbur remembers a conversation he had with aunt puffy once. about how much of a future tommy could have. he would make so much money working at a big company, something like NASA or dream tech. he could be a millionaire, he could get a fancy house, a fancy car, leave essempee, and spend his days at country clubs. instead he wants to do illegal things because it’s what he’s good at. he doesn’t want to work for things. he’s used to having things handed to him. academic awards, scholarships, and money from betting.
‘college is too much work.’
‘i’ll go next year.’
‘i’m smart enough to take a year off school, chill out.’
‘college will only teach me things i already know.’
wilbur is tired of hearing it.
red and blue lights flashed endlessly up ahead. shit. wilbur tried to subtly tell tommy to put the money away, but it was no use. wilbur’s brakes screeched to a halt and tommy’s wad was displayed for everyone to see.
“oh, shit.”
they were put in handcuffs in seconds. pushed into the car with the flashing lights. wilbur was a lot of things, and pissed was definitely one of them. tommy was so smart, why is he doing this to himself?
the ride to the police station seemed to be never ending. tommy could basically feel the tension breathing on the back of his neck. wilbur was pissed. aunt puffy will be pissed. he no longer has the money he won. he’s glad he hid his bot, that would have been taken as well. god, how could he be so stupid? how could he not see the cops? how could he not have seen this coming? his first bot fight and he was already busted. sitting in the back of a cop car with his big brother. his very very livid big brother who was now bouncing his leg anxiously. he would be biting his nails if they weren’t barricaded behind his back. tommy didn’t dare say a word. so he sat. and he waited. waited for wilbur to say something, waited for them to get to the police station, waited for someone to help them out of this god forsaken mess of a night. so tommy’s head hung low and he stared at his shoes, waiting.
“what were you thinking?” wilbur said with desperation coating his words.
tommy took his eyes off his shoes to look at his brother. wilbur wasn’t looking at him. he was too busy looking out the window. being a sad boy and shit. tommy would scoff if he had the energy and the willpower to be funny.
“tommy, what were you think-“
“what were you thinking, wil?” tommy retaliated.
“ me ? what the fuck did i do? i helped you.” he rose his voice.
“ you got us into this mess!” tommy was just saying words at this point because even he knew that wasn’t true.
“ you were the one doing the illegal shit!”
“wilbur i-“
“tommy just drop it. aunt puffy will get us out of this mess and it’ll be fine.” wilbur lets out a sigh and it’s all tommy needs to hear to comply.
tommy shuts his mouth. he feels as if he’s suffocating in tension. he takes a deep breath. in through his nose for four, out his mouth for eight. he still feels the crushing pressure. he doesn’t know if it’s the air or the watchful feeling he has. wilbur has a set version of tommy in his head and it’s not at all him. wilbur wants tommy to be a perfect kid that goes to college and gets a good job. tommy just wants to do what he loves and if that means breaking a couple laws here and there, so be it.
they are put in holding cells once they get to the police station. wilbur does the talking. he gives the not-so-friendly police officer aunt puffy’s number. lies for tommy, tells them he’s just a kid and didn’t know it was illegal.
he just wanted to show off the brand new bot he made. he’s just a kid. he doesn’t know any better.
all lies. tommy knew exactly what he was doing and it wouldn’t be the last time. he would just have to keep it on the down low for the time being. no more flaunting his money about on big brothers moped.
the police officer was back. he interrupted wilbur’s silent scolding towards tommy. aunt puffy was there to pick them up. it was cold once they stepped outside, but anything was better than the stuffiness of a police station.
just as the officer said, aunt puffy was there. she was pacing and biting her nails, her parental figure anxieties running amuck in her head.
“hi, aunt puffy.” tommy and wilbur say simultaneously. definitely not practiced to ease the tension, definitely not.
“are you guys okay? tell me you’re okay.” she was making a fuss, just like she always does.
she collided into tommy and wilbur, wrapping them both into a much need hug.
“we’re fine.” wilbur mumbled into her shoulder.
“then what we’re you two dumbasses fucking thinking? get in the car.” sometimes, aunt puffy could be scary.
the car ride was stiff. wilbur and tommy didn’t dare move. aunt puffy was pissed. she was hunched over the steering wheel with her cheeks all puffed up. if she was a cartoon character, she would have smoke omitting from her ears.
“for ten years, i have done the best i could to raise you.” she blurted after what was too long of an uncomfortable silence. although, she didn’t really make the situation more comfortable.
tommy felt the same sense of tension he did in the cop car. he couldn’t tell if it was the air or the weight of his aunt’s disappointment sat pretty on his shoulders.
the cafe was in sight. he would soon be free of his own personal limbo to the security of his bedroom.
“have i been perfect? no!” aunt puffy was rambling again. “do i know anything about children? no! should i have picked up a book on parenting? …probably. okay, where was i going with this? i had a point.”
tommy watched as aunt puffy struggled with the cafe keys, fumbling the different ones to find the correct set.
“sorry.” wilbur spoke, trying to ease the tension.
“we love you, aunt puffy.” tommy tried the same.
“fuck, i love you too!” she responded aggressively, but the two knew she meant it.
tommy felt guilty. aunt puffy has been put under so much pressure since the two have started living with her. invading her space, her cafe. he felt so guilty. aunt puffy had to close early because of tommy. because he wants to go out and find some joy in his talent. he wants to make money doing things he loves. he wants be able to get away with things, but that’s kind of hard with wilbur as his brother. he felt guilty, but he wasn’t done for the night.
“you better make this up to aunt puffy.” wilbur says once he’s made his way up the stairs.
“of course.” tommy was already at his computer, looking for other bot fights he could destroy the competition in. maybe earn some more money while he’s at it.
“and i hope you learned your lesson.”
tommy hummed reassurance as he spun in his desk chair, facing wilbur head-on.
“you’re going bot fighting, aren’t you?” wilbur was sick of tommy.
“there’s a fight across town. if i book, i can still make it.” tommy rose from his chair and made his way over to his dresser. his boy sat in a limp pile.
“when are you going to start doing something with that big brain of yours?” wilbur grabbed tommy’s shoulders and spun him around to face him.
“what? go to fucking college or something? yeah fucking right.” tommy scoffed.
“you are unbelievable.” wilbur says between pursed lips.
“i’m going to that bot fight. if i have to walk i will. hope you don’t mind if i get kidnapped.” tommy turned on his heel to make his way for the stairs.
something hit his back and landed back on the ground with a thud. it was a helmet.
“i’ll take you. i can’t stop you from going, but i’m not going to let you get kidnapped.”
”let’s go, then big man.”
tommy was a lot of things, and smart was definitely one of them. he knew they were going in the wrong direction.
“why the fuck are we at your nerd school?!”