Chapter Text
OHIO 1995
Sun filters in through the trees, cascading the road tucked between cozy neighboring houses in flecks of golden sunlight. The sound of spokes on a bicycle circling paired with lagging children accompany the peaceful air. The young teen riding his red bike looks to the neighborhood kids playing to his left, waving at them with a carefree smile and a bounce to his blonde curls. If they can really be called that anymore. His natural hair color has slowly been reclaiming over the cheap hair dye. A deep chestnut color extended from his roots and out a couple of inches as it grows out. He knows he’ll need to reduce it soon. One of the neighbor kids shouts his name “Hey Wil!” He rolls his eyes, waving before turning onto his driveway.
The home isn’t anything special, just a brick home with a few bushes and an empty garage. He parks the bike outside and runs to the back yard to see his little brother bent over backward on his palms and feet, belly to the sky and head hanging upside down “Wil!” He giggles out. Wil joins in by doing the same thing, facing the blonde-haired younger boy who cheers “We’re both upsides down now!” Wil snorts, teasing “Yeah, and I’ll bet you fall down first!” The two laugh, and surely enough, the younger crumples in on himself first, Wil then chasing him around the playground in their wooded backyard “I told you!” The younger shrieks, giggling, and running away from Wil.
Suddenly, he trips, instantly calling out “Ow! Teeeecchhhh!!!!!” Will rushes to his side, holding him, trying to inspect his knee, but the youngest quickly scrambles over as a third boy walks over. He’s taller, older, and bigger than the other two. He kneels down, inspecting the scrape, shoulder-length hair dyed blonde framing his face. He asks in a deep monotonous voice “What happened?” The youngest embraces the new figure, as Wil explains “He fell.” The oldest hums “It’s just a scrape,” Wil stands and sits in the nearby swing seat, huffing to himself at how easily Tommy left his embrace. The oldest continues, pulling the sniffling blonde to his feet “Get up little one, you’re okay. Your pain only makes you stronger..” he holds the kid's hand, circling the swing set as Wil watches carefully. Suddenly the oldest turns to Wil, asking “Right Wil?” He nods, smiling “Right.” Tommy rushes away from the two and over to the tree line, pointing at the fireflies seeping out of the forest as the sun sets “Look! Forest stars!” The oldest snorts “Yeah, that’s totally what they’re called. Do you know why they glow?” Tommy shakes his head, holding Tech’s hand as the oldest explains “It’s caused from a chemical reaction called bioluminescence.” The three of them stand in awe of the crickets chirping and the fireflies for a moment before Tech finally parts “Dinner’s ready, come help me set the table, Dad will be home soon.”
The two younger boys follow him inside, Wil grabbing dishes and setting the table without being asked while Tommy groans “I want to play outside longer Tech!” The oldest shakes his head, handing the kid a bowl of mashed potatoes “I know. But you’ve gotta eat to stay big and strong right?” Tommy nods, puffing out his chest and taking the bowl with pride. Will rolls his eyes at the antics, and as soon as they’ve taken their seats at the table they hear a car pull into the garage. Wil’s eyes lit up “Dad's home!” Tommy cheers, already eating his food as their father enters the dining room. He takes a seat at the head of the table, a khaki windbreaker jacket with his work badge still clipped on, his short blonde hair is pulled into a low ponytail, and he forces a smile “How was everyone’s day?” Tommy is the only one who doesn’t notice. The youngest is continuously blabbering on about the fireflies, and a complexity scuffed version of the word bioluminescence, but Wil watches as his dad- no. As Phil, stands with Tech, moving to the kitchen while still agreeing with Tommy occasionally to keep the mood light. Wil can hear the words “How long do we have?” This is followed by Phil’s response “An hour at most.” And he knows. This is the last time the four of them will be in this house.
Phil steps back to the table, clasping his hands together with a barely held together smile “Do you two remember that adventure I said we’re gonna have one day?” Tommy’s eyes lit up, the pure baby blue sparkling like the sky on a clear day, in excitement “I wanna go on an adventure!” Phil chuckles, ruffling the boy's hair “Then today’s your lucky day. Because it’s today! And we’re leaving right now.” Tech is already flirting around the house gathering papers and documents. Wil can only watch, frozen from his spot at the table as Phil pulls a sniper rifle from the closet, Tommy picking up the bullets that spill and handing them to his dad, all while whining about not being able to finish his food. Wil meets Tech’s eyes from across the house, both sharing a sullen look before accepting their respective fates. Wil finally pulls himself from his seat, grabbing his converse from the front door and moving to grab their family photo album. Tech slaps his hand away “Leave it, get in the car we have to go.” Wil casts one more pleasing look at his brother- at Tech, but does as he’s told, darting out the door behind a barefoot Tommy who’s whining about not having any shoes.
They’re all seated in the car, Phil backing out of the driveway and speeding down the street where they’ve spent the last six years. Wil removers the time before this.. peace. But to Tommy, this is all he knows. They reach the town, police blocking the road that led to Phil’s place of work, and the vehicle turns right. Leaving town. Leaving everything behind without so much as a glance back. Wil knows. This will be the last time he’s in this place. Everything’s about to change. And as Tommy looks out the window in confusion “Where are we going?” Will grabs his hand, hearing Phil’s proud smile through his reply “Home.” The word sends a pang to his chest, stomach-churning in dread at the context that word holds over the four of them. Tommy looks at him in even more confusion “Don’t be silly dad, we just left home.” Tech looks back at the duo with a soft expression, and Wil catches a glimpse of pity wash over the oldest boy's face as he too seems to resize that Tommy is a stranger to this world. Their world. And their home.
Wil wants nothing more than to go back to the house and pretend a little longer, he doesn’t want to grow up already. He turns to Tommy, bumping their foreheads together and whispering “I’ve got you. Always.” Tommy repeats it, his small voice echoing the same sincerity “Always.”
Soon the car hits gravel, and they approach an airdrop in the countryside. Pulling up to the covered hanger, the car is placed into park and Tech bails out first, moving the tarp out of the way with Phil exiting the vehicle next. Tommy’s right behind him, grabbing his stuffed cow and tucking it under his arm. Will leans over the front seat, grabbing a photo strip of himself and Tommy from under the mirror attached to the sun visor. He tucks it into his pocket, rushing out of the car and helping carry their luggage to the plane. Tech grabs the rifle from the trunk, while Phil loads up the two younger boys into the plane. Tommy looks out the window “Why isn’t Tech in the plane dad?!” Phil starts up the engine, slowly easing out of the hanger as sirens come into view at the beginning of the runway. A shot rings out, and Wil watches as one of the black SUVs with a S.H.E.I.L.D logo on the side careens for the side, hitting a structure and erupting into flames.
More sirens come into view, the plane gaining speed as they approach the end of the runway in the distance. Tech is running behind them, firing off a shot here and there at the authorities. Wil sees an SUV approach them on the right side, and suddenly bullets are flying into the hull of the plane and Phil lets out a pained yelp. Tommy has his hands over his ears, crying loudly and Phil looks to him from the front “I need you up here Wil..” without a second thought, he's leaped over the seat, and took the controls over as Phil bleeds out right beside him. Tears are clouding his vision, but he sees Tech finally jump onto the plane's right wing and he pushes the throttle forward fully, pulling the steering control back, ascending just as an SUV speeds under them from the opposite direction. Suddenly they’re in the air. He glances at Tech, gripping the plane wing, then at his dad, unsure of the severity of his injuries.
CUBA
The plane lands, slowly stopping on an island surrounded by sunshine, ocean, and other planes. Tech assists Phil out of the plane, helping him onto a stretcher and giving him a silent farewell before walking off to an awaiting general. Tommy and Wil both stay at Phil’s side, both holding his bloodstained hands. Tommy’s crying and blabbering, Wil feels tears of his own prick his eyes, muttering “I don’t want you to leave dad.” Phil gives him a small smile “It’s okay. Take care of each other,” he pulls Wil in closer, and whispers “Don’t let them take your heart.” Then they’re both pushed aside by soldiers, as their father is loaded into the back of a covered truck. Wil pulls Tommy to his chest, petting his hair and muttering sweet nothings.
But two soldiers begin to pull them apart. Wil reaches for his brother, something in him snapping. No. They weren’t taking him away, Tommy was the one thing he wasn’t going to part with, forget everything else. In the chaos he manages to thrust half of the photo strip into his brother's hand, Tommy crying and clutching his stuffed cow “Wilby!!!” Wil breaks free from the soldier holding him, pulling Tommy away and kicking the man's gun out of his hand. He moves Tommy behind him, pointing the gun at everyone who dares to approach them, his natural Russian tongue slipping back as he relies on instincts alone to save them “Leave us alone!!! I’ll kill all of you!!!” Tommy’s clutching the back of his shirt, tears soaking his back and he sees Tech approaching with hands raised in surrender “It’s okay, I need you to put the gun down Wil…” Wil lowers the gun as he’s told, he trusts Tech, he’s his big brother. He wouldn’t hurt either of them. Right? Tech kneels in front of them, Tommy peaking around as the oldest reassures them “It’s okay, they’re going to take you somewhere safe.” Wil’s brown eyes widen with tears “No.. they can’t take him there, please..” suddenly there’s a pinch in his neck as two soldiers slip behind them, stabbing needles into the younger two’s necks. Wil feels himself sinking, vision fading to black and numbness claiming his limbs.