A City of Secrets and Masks

-One- Welcome to Illosia-

"Illosia- A shining city surrounded by water. Known mostly for the technological advances that happen there. Also known for the high population of Heroes who live there."

The whole thing had started as a joke. It started when Tommy and Tubbo were fourteen- a year before they manifested their powers. Both of them were obsessed with superheroes at that point and they decided to save up some money together so they could move to Illosia and become superheroes as soon as they were old enough.

Now, four years later, the friends were standing on the deck of a ferry as they traveled to the so-called City of Heroes. Tommy leaned on the barrier and stared at the city. Seeing it in person was so much different than seeing a photo. Tubbo folded and unfolded a brochure nervously. A few bugs buzzed around him, but he didn't seem to mind.

"Welcome to Illosia!" A voice crackled from the ferry's PA system. "Please collect your items and prepare to leave the ship!"

Tommy picked up his bag and looked back at the skyline, letting out a sigh.

It was much more exaggerated than he meant it to be. Tubbo looked at him and quirked his head to the side a bit. "You alright?"

"Mhm, yeah. Just a bit strange to be here." Tommy said.

Tubbo nodded in agreement and absentmindedly held a hand out. A dragonfly landed on his fingers and he smiled at it. As he and Tommy departed from the ferry, he thought back about when his life changed forever.

His fifteenth birthday. The day he got his power. He'd woken up that morning and was a bit terrified at what he saw. 

Bees, at least a hive full, had congregated above his bed. He'd sat up quickly, surprised to find that none of them stung him when he shot through the cloud of bees.

After that it took about ten minutes of trial and error to figure out that he could talk to them and that they would listen and talk back.

Another fifteen minutes later, he'd realized this extended to all insects and also arachnids. He was one of the lucky ones- he figured out how to effectively use his power pretty quickly. Sometimes people don't know their power for years

Tommy was one of those people. He still hadn't figured out his power. After all this time, he found it really didn't bother him. He was still planning on a career in heroism, with the help of one tool- A baseball bat.

He spun the wooden bat in his hand as he and Tubbo walked down the sidewalk. They'd already rented a small apartment somewhere deeper in the city.

"Hey Tommy?" Tubbo said, looking around in awe.

"Yeah, Tubbo?"

"Where exactly is the apartment?"

"...Shit."

The two friends stopped on the sidewalk and set their bags down to try and figure out the location of their new home. They had the address, so they use a maps app to try and figure out where it was.

Across the street, a young man with large sunglasses on scrolled through his phone as he headed towards his own apartment. He was supposed to be welcoming a new roommate today and his current roommate wanted him to pick up some snacks. He frowned as his phone lit up with a incoming call. He answered it and was greeted by the voice of his current roomate.

"GEORGE! WHERE ARE YOU?"

"Calm down, I'm on my way back from the store. Is he there yet?"

"No, but he may be soon!"