Identities in this chapter: Warden= Sam, Lotus= Ponk, Totem= Foolish, Charon= Phil, Captain= Puffy, Mirage= Dream, Hypnos= George
The villains don't have dsmp identities!

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Vex stands at attention before his superiors; a wood-carved bird mask settled over his face and his back ramrod straight. Silent, and perfect. He has to be perfect for this meeting to go well. His mentor- a fearsome villain in a plague doctor mask by the name of Raptor -stands beside him, a tight grip on his shoulder like Vex is being shown off like a trophy. Which in a way, he kind of is. Vex is his mentor's greatest accomplishment, and the board can see it in his files. His record is spotless; full of high-level heists and dozens of successful spying missions. Many of which he'd tackled single-handedly.

He and his mentor stand on the floor before the stacked podiums raised above them to make up the League as they go over the plans Raptor handed over. Instinctively, Vex scans the group of 6 above him, searching for any sign of weakness or hesitance. But of course, he doesn't get anything. Even if every villain up there was maskless, they still wouldn't give away much about their thought process. They were the biggest and longest-standing villains in the country. So of course a mid-ranked villain like Vex wouldn't catch anything from them.

Although when he and Raptor had entered the room several minutes ago, Vex was a little startled to see a Rogue sitting amongst the villains. He wasn't worried, of course. He could recognize Spade in his dull purple suspenders any day- with or without the stupid mask of shulker shells hiding away his nose and mouth. The guy looked straight out of a mobster movie.

One of the League members- Shade -flicked her ear in irritation before taking a deep breath. Vex shifted his charcoal-covered wings in anticipation.

"You can't possibly be serious, Raptor." The goat hybrid deadpanned. Their white eyes on black sclera shifted to give Vex's mentor a disbelieving look behind the deer skull on their face.

"I'm dead serious." Raptor says. He tightened his grip on Vex's shoulder, and he stood up straighter on instinct. "Vex is more than capable of pulling off a mission like this. He's gone undercover before."

"Vex is still a teenager." Flatline adds, pushing a strand of light brown hair off her forehead- and Vex has to stop himself from bristling at her words. "No offense, but I don't think it's wise to stick a child in the middle of enemy territory."

"The reason I chose Vex out of all my underlings is because he's a teenager." His mentor stresses; his own wings bristling. "Think about it! They won't suspect a teenager to be the reason for their mole. They'll underestimate him, and that'll just make it easier for us to destroy them from the inside out."

The League murmured to each other, most of them sounding bored, and a few sounding annoyed. Spade, who sat off to the side, looked the most bored out of anyone there. In fact, the bastard was literally on his phone, like he was playing a game. Static- the head of the League and the most powerful villain in the country -has his glitched eyes trained on Vex. And he's not blinking. Vex stays still and silent, arms folded behind his back and mask-covered face angled down towards the ground to show respect.

"I don't see what we have to lose." Static suddenly says, cutting everyone else off.

"Wh- But Static-" Pyro spoke up, the flames dancing on their head flaring up.

Static shot him a stern look, and Pyro fell silent. Then five pairs of eyes turned to him, and Vex pressed his wings against his back to give himself some comfort.

"Vex," Static began, setting the papers aside and leaning forward with his chin on his hands. "Are you prepared to take on this mission alone?"

"I am." He replied instantly, ducking his head lower.

"Including everything that it requires of you?" Flatline adds, glaring at him from behind the gasmask most creeper hybrids wore. "No matter what it is?"

Vex nods again. "Yes. Whatever it takes."

Static watches him for another moment, before humming and nodding. "Then I'll allow it." He waved a hand dismissively, turning to some other papers. "I'll gather the documentation you'll need and reconvene in 3 days. Now go."

As Tommy approaches the hero tower with his wrinkled papers in hand, he can't help the twist of anxiety that forms in his gut. Sure, he was confident in Static's ability to forge official paperwork- but these are forged Academy papers. No one's ever been able to successfully forge papers from there. But then again, no one's ever had Static forge them. The head of the Villain League was the best of the best when it came to forgeries and making them look real. So yeah, he was confident in Static's ability to create forgeries.

But still..He couldn't help but feel a little nervous.

He had to be perfect for this to work.

Stealing his breath, he clutched his papers closer to his chest and smoothed out his red and white hoodie before making his way up to the tower. He hesitated once to press his bright red wings against his back to comfort himself, before he stepped into the air-conditioned ground-level of the Hero Tower and passed through the metal detector.

Instantly, he surveyed the room as he stood in line for the receptionist desk. He'd poured over the blueprints for the ground level enough times to know this place like the back of his hand, but it was different than actually being in the building. There were several desks for civilians who needed help or resources- as well as a map of the surrounding streets and businesses. All around the entrance were fliers with directions to shelters or crisis centers, and Tommy took one for a therapy office around the corner just out of curiosity.

Then the line moved, and he stuffed it into his pocket before returning to what he was doing. There were people everywhere. They were milling around and chatting with staff at the different desks; getting help for whatever they needed. He figured if he was quick enough, he'd be able to just bolt out the front door if he needed to. But if that was blocked, he could chuck a light fixture at a window and get out that way. He took a deep breath and shifted his wings, trying to calm the nervous buzz in his limbs from being here.

It was fine. He was fine. There wasn't any immediate danger. No one here knew who he was- what he was capable of. He was about as safe as you could get in the middle of enemy territory.

Tommy's line moved again, and he stepped up to the counter when the receptionist smiled at him. "Welcome to the Hero's Tower! How can I help you?"

"Hi. I um, I saw in the paper that you guys are having an open interview day today?" Tommy said, holding his papers closer.

She nodded. "We are!" She clicked a few things on her computer, presumably pulling up a form to fill out. "Is there a specific department you're looking to be hired for?"

"Um.." He cleared his throat, handing over his forged Academy Diploma. "I'm actually hoping to be taken as a hero..? But I uh- I'm not really sure how to go about that."

The woman blinked, processing for a moment before taking the diploma. "Oh! Yeah, I can absolutely get that set up for you." She glanced over the diploma and started typing in his information. "Do you have time right now?" Tommy nodded. "Then I'll contact one of the Committee members to come down and talk to you. Just take a seat over in the lounge, ok?" She gestured to a few couches, chairs and benches scattered around before handing back over the diploma. Tommy thanked her, took the document back, and scanned the 2 or 3 dozen people lingering in the lounge to find the perfect place to sit.

He didn't want to sit too close to anyone- cause ew, people. But he also didn't want to obviously take the farthest seat from everyone. That could be seen as him being suspicious or shady- even if it would make him the most comfortable. But this was a mission. He didn't need to be comfortable. He needed to be perfect.

So, he took a spot on a bench next to a window with a comfortable distance between him and a group of well-dressed people talking about stocks or some shit. Then he pulled out his phone, leaned against the armrest as casually as possible, and started subtly scanning the floor to re-evaluate his emergency plan.

The front doors were about 30 feet away, and there weren't currently many people standing in the way; so he'd have a pretty clear escape path if he needed it. But in a panic, everyone would go for the front doors, so he needed a better plan. If the path to the doors got blocked off, he could easily use his powers and shatter the window to get out. He's shattered bullet-proof glass before, so he could absolutely shatter whatever reinforced glass they used on the tower.

Tommy relaxed a bit now that he had a somewhat reliable escape route, then he started scanning the people walking around. There were a few interns running around with coffees or mail bags, but most civilians were sitting and chatting in the lounge, or were walking around with the staff. There was also minor hero Tommy didn't recognize talking to a nearly hysterical couple at one of the reception desks.

The elevator dings across the room, and Tommy has to hide a wide-eyed look when The Captain herself comes strolling out in all her pirate-esce glory. Look- Tommy doesn't like heroes. He doesn't. But he can't help but cling onto the little part of his childhood glee when faced with The Captain. He still remembers watching her kick ass on the tv when he was 8 and she was brand new to the scene.

Tommy pretended to scroll on his phone as he tracked her path through the lobby and to the reception desk. She and the woman talk for a moment- where the receptionist hands over some papers and points towards him -before the Captain nods and makes her way over. He took a deep breath and adjusted his wings before he pocketed his phone just as she got within talking range.

"Hey there." She said, grinning behind the carved sheeps mask. "You the kid asking about a hero job?"

Tommy nodded, putting on a shy smile. "Yes, ma'am. I um- I wasn't sure what to bring, so I brought my Academy diploma, birth certificate and power license.."

"That's perfect, actually!" She grinned, adjusting the ruffled collar of her top. Then, she nodded towards the elevator. "If you've got time, we can knock it out now."

"Oh, ok!" He grinned. The Captain waved for him to follow, and Tommy stumbled to his feet to follow after her. During the quick walk to the elevator, he rummaged in his mind for any of the information about her he could remember. He knew she had a prosthetic hand, he could see the beautifully crafted material gleaming in the afternoon sunlight at her side. But he also remembered that she used to be a Navy captain. Which means she was probably used to formality. And nearly a decade as a hero has probably gotten her used to people doing what they're told without question.

Well, if there's one thing Tommy doesn't have to pretend to do, it's follow orders. It won't be pleasant since heroes are bastards- but he'll do it. So, he fell in line behind her like a soldier would, and combed through his feathers to try and make them look presentable. Tommy needed to be what they wanted in order for the plan to work.

Captain led him into an elevator (which Tommy did not hesitate getting into, shut up.) and swiped a card before hitting a button near the top. Once the doors were shut, she turned to him with a smile still on her face. "Your name is Tommy, right?" He nodded. "Can I see your diploma real quick?"

"Oh- Right, of course ma'am." He shuffled the papers in his hands then handed it over.

She chuckled, taking the papers. "Just Captain is fine. 'Ma'am' reminds me way too much of the navy." Then she looked down at the papers as Tommy blinked in surprise. Oh. Ok, so she doesn't want the same level of formality as she had in the navy. Ok. He could work with that.

Tommy fiddled with the corners of his other papers, scanning the little elevator as they were taken up through the tower. There was a camera in the middle of the ceiling, and there was another one hiding above the panel with all the buttons, so he tried his best to keep his expression schooled into something only slightly nervous. Something that would make sense for a nervous teen being interviewed.

"You have telekinesis?" Captain asked, sounding surprised.

Tommy nodded. "Yes m- Um..Captain."

"Huh! I haven't heard of anyone with telekinesis powers in ages. I'm surprised I haven't heard about you." She commented, tucking the papers under her arm. "I'll ask more questions once we're with the others, but how confident are you in your ability to control your powers?"

"Very confident." He recited instantly, puffing his wings a bit in pride. "I've spent my whole life learning how to-" Tommy stuttered to a stop, suddenly confused. "Wait- The others?"

Captain nodded. "Yep! When hiring a new hero, the whole board of heroes sits in on the interview- since we all have to agree to hire a hero."

Oh.

Ok, that was- That was fine. He wasn't prepared to be faced with the entire board today, but that's fine. He's been trained to face these people since he was 6- he could handle this. He was just a villain going undercover and immediately facing the biggest heroes in the entire country. Nothing to be worried about.

"Is that alright?" Captain suddenly asked; frowning like she could hear his thought process. But she couldn't. Captain had water and plant-based powers. She couldn't read his mind. "If it's too much I can kick a few people out to-"

"No no, it's fine." Tommy reassured, wincing when he cut her off. "Sorry, I just wasn't expecting to be interviewed by all of you. I feel a bit underdressed, y'know?" He gave her a weak smile, adjusting his hoodie to disguise his nervous wing shift.

Her expression softened. "I get that." She nodded. "It's nerve-wracking to meet in front of a bunch of powerful people, huh?"

For a moment, Tommy's mind drifted back to where he was just over a week ago. In the heart of the underground base of the Villain League; with the heads of each branch looking down at him with either a scowl, or utter indifference. It was always nerve-wracking going in front of his superiors, but this was different. With the League, he's one of them. And they respect him at least a little bit for that fact. And for a moment, he realizes the Heroes will be worse. He just has to pray they have the same amount of indifference as Spade did. He's familiar with that. Indifference is something he can handle.

"Yeah..It is." He admitted, mostly to himself.

"Don't worry," Captain reassured, nudging him gently with her elbow. "We're not that scary. Just try and relax, alright? You'll do great."

Tommy nodded mutely, taking a deep breath and shifting his wings anxiously. He was nervous, but not for the reason the Captain assumed. To her, he was just some kid anxious about having an interview with the Board. But in reality, he was nervous of being found out as a fraud in the middle of the interview. No, he was nervous he'd get caught and thrown in jail. If his performance failed, he'd be on his own. His mentor wouldn't save him from prison because Tommy failed to be convincing.

The elevator dinged, and Captain settled a gentle hand on his shoulder as she led him into a large, circular-shaped room with floor-to-ceiling windows along the farthest wall. The room looked like some kind of conference room, with chairs stacked along the walls near the elevator, and fold-out tables pushed against the other wall to clear out a big area in the middle of the room. He could probably summon forward a chair or a couple tables to shatter a window if anything went wrong- even though they were basically at the top of the tower. But he had his wings, so he'd probably be fine. He could just glide to the nearest building and pray Charon didn't try and chase after him.

Then, his eyes landed on the group of heroes sitting at a large, circular table with..

Tommy blinked.

There was take-out on the table. Like they'd just finished eating lunch or something. Well..This was unexpected. He expected them to be up on a raised platform on a large, tiered row of seats and podiums- like the League. Not..Whatever this was. This felt way too casual.

He ducked his head and eyes as the Captain walked him forward to the table, keeping a hand on his shoulder. "Everyone, this is Tommy. He's the one looking to interview to be a hero."

Tommy's eyes scanned the masked faces sitting before him. On the left side of the table sat Lotus, who was turned towards Warden like they were in the middle of a conversation. Charon sat between two empty seats, and on the other side sat Mirage- who had another hero wrapped up in a moss green blanket leaning on him like he was asleep.

Captain looked around for a moment, looking confused. "Wait, where's-"

"I'm back!" A new voice shouted, and Tommy jumped. He whipped his head around towards the new voice and instinctively fell back into a defensive stance- ready to fight. He only froze when he saw the rogue Totem stumbling forward; adjusting his thick, leather gloves over his hands. But- that didn't make any sense? Sure, Rogues worked for whoever they wanted- hence why Spade worked with Villains -but Totem was a bit of an anomaly. He wasn't usually seen doing much in L'Manberg since his terf was in Las Nevadas. So seeing him here, acting all casual with the Board of Heroes was a little startling.

Then Totem's teal, pupil-less eyes turned towards Tommy, and he paused- looking surprised. "Oh! Sorry, I didn't know we had a guest." He took the empty seat between Charon and Warden.

"I didn't know you were a member of the Board, Totem." Tommy blurted, resetting his position so he didn't look like he was ready to fight.

"Technically I'm not." He shrugged, adjusting his golden masquerade mask over his eyes. "I'm just a representative."

"A representative?" Tommy asked.

"I don't think we should talk about that right now." Mirage cut in, his voice level and expression unseen from under his iconic, porcelain mask. "Let's just do the interview, yeah?"

The other heroes nodded, and Tommy was guided to a chair sitting across from the Charon. Which- yeah, that made sense. Charon was the head of the Board, so it made sense to seat him across from the most important person there. Even if it was hell for his nerves. Captain