Chapter Text
No one ever said anything about boredom. No one ever wrote a dummies guide for the eternal, mind-obliterating boredom that came hand in hand with having lived as a superhero and returning to a normal life afterwards. With everything else, there'd been a guide. How to fight an army of Doom bots? Easy. How to stop an alien invasion? Been there, done that. Hell, the team had tangoed with foes the Avengers themselves had trouble with. Just look up Kang the Conqueror and you knew where you were at with the Young Avengers. Badasses in the making, saving and protecting Earth.
At least, that's what they should have been doing. No one counted on... well what happened. No one ever considered how much they'd really be affected by something going so fatally wrong. And no, no one understood just how fragile the team really was after losing Cassie and Vision. The Avengers had lost companions, team mates and still carried on. That's what Tommy thought they would be doing. You didn't throw in the towel as soon as things got tough.
He hadn't been part of the team for long, barely knew Cassie and her robot...oh, sorry, synthezoid. And maybe that's why he didn't understand how everyone could just throw in the towel once they...perished. It's not what the Avengers would have done. It wasn't what heroes did, quitting like that, right? Wars aren't won with friendship. They required bravery and yes, sacrifice. Because the bad guys didn't stop so neither could they.
But it was not to be so. The team was finished, the remnants of the Young Avengers spread thinly across New York and beyond, each embroiled in their own specific set of worries in their little, insignificant lives.
Billy and Teddy remained at the Kaplan residence, at least, until his supposed twin brother snapped out of his lengthy moody stint with guilt. Eli completely disappeared off of the radar, but hey, that guy had just as much on his head as the foolhardy mage that instigated their mad chase for the Scarlet Witch.
And Kate? Well, she was doing her namesake proud, quite personally, since she'd basically 'set up shop' with the infamous Clint Barton. Kate was the only one who really did any hero-work anymore.
Which left him, Tommy Shepherd, more commonly known and referred to as Speed, where he was right now. Doing really nothing much at all.
The Kaplans had put him up, which was kind, but also annoying. They were a particular kind of wholesome family, one with which Tommy just couldn't fall into pace with. He didn't grow up with nice breakfasts and 'good morning did you sleep well' and family acceptance and movie nights. And as much as he appreciated the open arms, he didn't stick around. Better to pack up his tiny bag of belongings and go find his own luck. The world was his oyster, or more fitting, his tiny little racetrack. He figured someone who could lap the world in minutes would find some sort of job to afford himself a life he'd never given much thought to.
Fair enough, work was plentiful. Mindless work, delivery mostly. He did like running organs for transplants across the country, that at least held meaning. He was still a hero, just in a much less...glamorous fashion.
It was enough to get by on, anyway.
And enough to afford him dull days like these, when he strolled along Central Park with an awful/amazing NY hot dog in hand, contemplating just what he was going to do with his evening. Try out a new nightclub in Berlin? Maybe head over to Dubai or Tokyo? Surprisingly enough, there was little charm in his meandering freedom.
His phone was ringing. Funny how he never noticed when it was set to vibration. Shouldn't he be in tune with all manner of...nevermind. Tommy picked up after a glance down at the glowing display.
Billy? Low and behold, maybe the day would get interesting after all.
"Yo my brother from another mother, finally remembered I exist huh?"
The full mouth of hot dog lodged into his throat when Billy didn't greet him with reserved annoyance, but absolute panic and fear bundled into a shout of his name.
"TOMMY! They're taking him! They have him! I can't reach him, everything's burning!"
"Billy?! Billy calm the fuck down, what's going on? Who's got-"
"THEY HAVE TEDDY! They're taking him somewhere, I can't see!"
"Billy just fucking chill, where are you?! Stay put, I'll be there in a-"
His twin cut him off again, his voice raw and painful and utterly beside himself.
"I'm going after them!"
"Wait you fucking idiot! Tell me where you are!"
The line cut into static and Tommy looked up just in time to witness a flash of blue lightning span the sky above the Upper East Side. The unmistakable scent of ozone cut through the very air itself and Tommy felt the hairs on his nape rise. Billy's magic, no doubt.
He took off at a run that would make jet planes envious.
No one had responded just yet, no police, no capes, not even SHIELD. Then again, it only took him fractions of a second to reach the building. He could see smoke on some of the higher floors, suspiciously close to the apartment shared by his two idiot former teammates.
Tommy raced up the stairs, nothing but a white blur and gust of wind. Something had gone terribly wrong up there, he didn't need instinct to tell him that. Billy sounded as if he was being torn apart and the fact he hadn't even heard Teddy's voice or battle roars in the background only made the heavy feeling in his gut intensify.
There was no need to break down the door to the apartment. It was practically obliterated, a sad excuse of a wooden barrier hanging off of the hinges, a huge, blackened hole blasted through it. What the hell had happened here? Why hadn't Billy struck alarm earlier? What the fuck was going on?
The apartment was silent, destroyed and completely empty. Broken furniture, burn marks, scorched holes and...blood covered the walls and floors. And no sign of Billy or Teddy. Shit. This didn't look good at all.
Tommy was done with his search within seconds. He pushed aside the lingering bad feeling and dialled Kate's number. Whatever happened here, he wouldn't solve by running through the place. Billy must have teleported...and judging by the way the chairs and tables ended their existences as projectiles broken in a fight, Teddy must have put up one hell of a struggle to whoever was responsible for this.
Kate wasn't answering her phone. Typical. Probably out on Hawkeye business.
"Kate, when you get this, get your ass over to Billy and Teddy's. We've got a...situation here. A Young Avengers situation."
*
"There's nothing there."
That was not the line Tommy expected out of Iron Man's mouth. He glanced over to the gold and red form of the Avenger, threw in a glare for good measure, yet he received nothing but a sigh from Tony.
This was just great. The one time they actually went to the Avengers for help, all they got was a resounding 'nope'. What good were futuristic technology, all the superhero history of Earth and a few damn god-like mutants, when they couldn't even find out what the hell happened at the apartment?
"That's not good enough."
The words left his mouth faster than any semblance of brain to mouth filter Tommy might have could catch. It earned him a round of looks that ranged from pity to frustration. Damn them all. If it was two of their teammates, they'd be all over this, they'd spend every ounce of strength trying to track them down.
"We can't-"
"That's bullshit. There has to be something you can do. You're the Avengers, aren't you? Big damn heroes, can't find two freaking kids? What good are you?!"
"Tommy," Kate began, always diplomatic and conscious of the margin they tread with the adult superheroes, though she privately probably agreed with her enraged friend.
"Kid, I know you're upset but there is nothing there. Wiccan wiped any trace of what happened when he teleported wherever."
Tony Stark looked pretty run down these days, but it was no business of Tommy's. Nor was he any kind of concerned what impact this event had on them. He just wanted to know if his teammates were alright, alive even.
"Actually, I might be able to help."
A new voice interrupted, female, weary and careful. Tommy noticed the faint scent of wild roses and somehow, the colour scarlet.
"Wanda?"
Captain America turned to the new arrival, but the woman only gave him a gracious nod, her eyes fixed firmly to the distressed speedster, a tiny, perfect mirror copy of the one following at her heel. Quicksilver's expression spoke of endless irritation, but that wasn't new information. Pietro guarded his sister like a dragon and nothing in the universe would change that fact.
"Hello Thomas."
"It's Tommy."
There was little in his face that indicated any reaction to the woman Billy had wildly proclaimed to be their mother. He wasn't here to see her, and he didn't want her to be a mother to him. He didn't need it, or her.
Except for right now, when she somehow, miraculously ordained to be helpful to him.
"You can bring them back right? Just zap and they're here and we can all part ways as unlikely frenemies."
She shook her head, a move Tommy was starting to loathe with every fiber of his being.
"It's not that simple. If I could do that, you wouldn't be standing here having this conversation. I can't locate them, either of them. All I can offer is vague coordinates, but they're outside of the Milky Way."
"They're in space?" Tommy deadpanned. Solemn silence almost felt pregnant with the embarrassment that it would still be impossible for someone to just take the kids for a quick spin around the galaxy, even at this stage of the Avengers' and Earth's involvement with extraterrestrials. There were plenty that sought asylum on Earth after all, and yet, the exchange of technology that would boost even Tony Stark's tech library simply never occurred.
"These coordinates are useless to you. To all of us, even, unless I figure out how to get us there and back when we have time," Stark placed a small sliver of something that might have filled a room with wires in anyone's understanding of technology, but took no more than a thumbnail sized chip in Stark hands.
"So, you want us to do nothing?" Kate piped up as she mingled in the background, almost as if she wanted to blend into the decor of the tower. Like a clever, purple predatory insect or something. But whatever she planned was a mystery to the agitated speedster she used to call teammate.
Tommy didn't understand why the Avengers insisted on failing them every time they asked for help, but he swore to himself this was the absolute last time they'd try. Fuck the adults and their obstinate way of making crappy excuses.
"We will keep you posted on our progress..."
"Bullshit!" Tommy's stomp caused a minor explosion of the floor tiling, drawing the attention of the room. Speed had yet to be assessed for reliability, and a show of his molecular manipulation out of control due to incriminating emotional circumstances would not prove him any more trustworthy.
"You're benching us. Again. You don't get it, do you? Those are our friends out there, our people, our team! We have to go find them, Billy sounded as if someone was out to murder him and I for one don't leave kids hanging."
The vicious glare he inflicted upon every member of the Avengers was blistering, but it found a short-lived ending in Wanda Maximoff's equally green gaze. Tommy looked away quickly from her pseudo-motherly concern. He didn't have time to be babied by the Scarlet Witch, whom, as far as he figured, was still off of her rocks crazy.
"I'm sorry Speed. We won't change our minds about this."
"Whatever. I'm done with all this Avenger bullshit anyway."
Tommy didn't wait for a reply from the disappointed Cap. Billy and Teddy might have respect for the man for his reputation but to the speedster, he was little more than an unhelpful blond wrapped in an American flag.
The doors slammed with the satisfactory amount of noise as he walked (stormed) out of the mansion. At least that he could do. The thought of needing to rescue his twin soul brother and his idiotic boyfriend was still in front of his mind's eye, but the solution wasn't coming to him at all. Fuck. Being a hero should come with a manual. In fact, after this was over, he would sit down and write one, then get rich and retire to a grand villa to which he could bring a different girl every week and hire a chef and maids...
His fantasy didn't really want to launch itself fully, he was too aware of the problem at hand and after a moment, the footsteps behind him. Had to be Kate. No one else would bother to come after him.
"You really act like Quicksilver Junior some time, you know that right?"
"Whatever. Tell me you have some idea in that beautiful head of yours Katie, because I think I might just blow something up if you tell me I'm being a brat and we should stay put."
Hawkeye's legacy fell into step beside her speedy friend.
"You are being a brat, but you're also right. We have to do something. Which is why this," she opened her hand and sure enough, Stark's microchip rested snugly in her palm, "will come in handy."
"Did you actually just steal from Tony Stark in front of his eyes? Careful Kate, you're turning into a female me."
Tommy felt excitement mingle with hope and rise through his stomach and heart. They could just do this on their own. It didn't matter that there was only the two of them. More than enough to take on the universe, right?
"Okay, so we have the coordinates. Now we have to figure out how to get there."
Kate held up an admonishing finger. Clearly, she'd had time to put together a plan whilst Tommy threw his tantrum in the Avenger mansion.
"Not we, zippy. You. And I think I have a ride for you, too."
"Wait, what? Why only me?"
Another one of those Kate looks from behind her shades had Tommy almost regret the question.
"Because I have to handle this end. We've gone against the Avengers before, but this time, we're throwing it in their faces. Blatantly. No offense, zippy, but I need to hold the reins on this one. You have to go get our boys back and let me worry about the Avengers."
Tommy nodded, heart beginning to race with anticipation for the no doubt reckless plan that awaited his near future.
"And how am I supposed to get outside of the Milky Way? Can't run in space."
Kate's worry slipped into a grin as she sought out her phone and dialled a number with a knowing ember glimmering in her eye.
"I know a guy."