Chapter Text
OHIO, 1995
Techno arrives at the house and sends the whistle he always does to his little brother, Tommy who's hanging out at their home's playground. There he sees Tommy just hanging about upside down
"We're both upsides down," Tommy comments.
"And I bet you're going to fall down first," Techno replies.
Despite Tommy's arrogant comments, Techno manages to win per usual. Techno decides to add a bit of arrogance back before he notices Tommy fell.
"Mommy!" Tommy's little 6-year-old self cries out.
As their mom, Kristin walks over Techno explains what happened.
"Your pain only makes you stronger." Kristin comforts Tommy and then Tommy notices what he calls "forest stars." Kristin explains what forest stars are before they go inside for dinner. As they begin to make dinner, their dad, Phil comes inside. Phil then gestures a confused Kristin to go into a corner. Kristin knows what that look is.
"No," she comments in denial. "I don't want to go."
"Don't say that," he decides to say back. As they walk back to the dinner table he decides to break the news, "Boys. Remember when I told you that one day we would have that big adventure? Well, today's the day." Kristin hears Tommy's cheer and her heart drops before looking at Techno and realizing that he knows what this means.
Techno tries to pick up a photo album from all of his and Tommy's adventures. "No, leave it." He hears Kristin tell him.
They all settle in the car and the road trip begins. Despite all the dread in the car, Tommy's happy sunshine self seems to brighten things up. Even then it still seems so dull and dark.
As they arrive at the destination they quickly switch from the car to the plane. Phil gestures to Kristin to pull the plane up before seeing a SHIELD car arrive. Phil repeatedly shoots at them before they start to shoot back but towards the plane. Kristin gestures to Techno to help drive the plane due to her getting shot. Phil manages to get all the cars out of the way and the plane slowly moves out into the sky.
This is not Ohio anymore.
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CUBA, the following morning.
The plane descends into a foreign land that neither Techno nor Tommy has been to before. Tommy becomes heartbroken seeing Kristin like this.
"Get up mommy, pain only makes you stronger, remember?" Tommy says trying to make an understanding of this situation. In the distance, Phil sees his old general, Dream.
"The Angel of Death returns!" Dream exclaims holding his arms out to hug Phil.
"The Angel of Death returns triumphant," Phil corrects. "Please no more undercover work, I wanna get back into action. General Dream, it's been over three years!"
"Did you get it?" Dream asks before Phil hands over an unknown item. "And the North Institute?"
"Ashes," Phil says. Tommy sees Phil and tries to rush over. "I got this."
A soldier grabs onto Tommy and Techno rushes over knowing he has to protect him at all costs. He kicks the soldier and aims a gun at everyone in the vicinity. "I will shoot!" He says in Russian. "I will kill you all!"
Phil manages to calm Techno down. Techno and Tommy get dragged onto the plane and Techno knows he has to protect Tommy there. Tommy's all he has left.
"That one has fire in him," Dream comments. "What was his name?"
"Techno," Phil replies.
Tommy and Techno would see each other for 2 more nights each of which felt like years being filled with terror. Those were the last 2 nights before they were split up forever.
Well, it wasn't exactly forever.
It would be twenty-one more years before they see each other again.