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He tried his best, truly he did. As time pushed on, however, his resolve began to crack. Heroes always proving Morgan right. Perhaps now he was looking for it instead but regardless, they continued to prove Morgan right. His brother warned him, he didn't listen, and now he is suffering in silence.
It all came to a head when Chad was facing off against his arch nemesis, Rex Roofer. Chad was distracted, more so than ever. So, when Rex got a particularly hard hit in, one that made Chad go flying crash landing into a pile of concrete construction blocks. When Chad didn't immediately get back up, Rex cut his ‘evil’ speech short and soon Chad heard rapidly approaching footfalls towards him. He winced a bit hearing Rex slide to a stop on his knees. Block were being pulled off whatever parts of his body were covered soon after.
“Chad!?” Rex sounded… afraid. Heroes never seemed to care like this. It made Chad scowl. Rex finished pulling every block off of him, feeling down his body to check for injury.
“Oi! Chadster, say something to me!” Rex put fingers on his neck, checking for his pulse.
“Don't call me that anymore.” Chad replied somberly. Rex was taken aback at the sudden nigh apathetic tone. His hands pulled back a bit, still hovering close to him, but hesitant and concerned.
“I think you may have hit your head a bit to hard, mate.” Rex wasn't sure what to do with his hands now, yet he still watched Chad with confused concern.
“I didn't hit anything.” Chad’s voice was flat. Something was wrong with his Chad, and Rex is going to find out what it is or die trying.
“How about we head back to your place, hm? Go see pebbles?” Chad finally got a glint of emotion in his eyes at the prospect of seeing Pebbles.
“Okay.” Was all he replied. Rex stood, Chad was right, his pants ripped badly at the knees, his knees bloody and skinned, yet he was unfazed as he held his hand out to help Chad up. He accepted and soon they were on their way towards his house.
✧⌖🜏 𖤐 𐕣 ⁶⁶⁶⋆˖⁺‧₊☽◯☾₊‧⁺˖⋆🜏 𖤐 𐕣 ⁶⁶⁶⌖✧
Rex had gotten Chad situated on his couch; blanket wrapped around his shoulders; Pebbles carefully situated in his lap. Chads' tea selection was severely lacking, and by severally lacking he means theres absolutely nothing. Rex sighed quietly as he stood in the kitchen staring at the open cabinets. Maybe I can taxieats a small box of tea bags without him realizing… no thats ridiculous. Rex rifled through the rest of his kitchen, opting for a lemon cucumber infused glass of water. The infused part would be pretty difficult to do in five minutes, but Rex was no one if not inventive. Once he finished with the glass, he put a small sprig of rosemary with some mint in the glass and a wedge of lemon on the rim.
As he walked out, he noticed Chad hard curled up into himself leaned against the arm of the couch. Staring out his huge bay window at nothing
“You had no tea, so I made you some infused water. Lemon, cucumber the works…” Je stood awkwardly for a moment once he realized chad wasn't going to acknowledge him, he moved to sit at the other end of the couch holding his drink.
It was silent for a very long time, but Rex didn't mind. He could handle silence.
By the time Chad moved again, moved to get the drink Rex made for him, the drink was warm. Still being held by Rex, Chads fingers brushed against his own as he grabbed the glass. The touch made his hand tingle pleasantly. Chads touch always did that. Chad sipped his water, nursing the cup close to him while gently stroking Pebbles.
“You want to talk about it now?” Rex offered. He sat now, legs crossed and leaning against the arm of the sofa side he was on.
“My brother was right.” Chad sounded distant, hollow almost. Rex snorted.
“When is Morgan ever wrong?” He snarked. Chad was quiet for a moment.
“Exactly. He never is. He's never wrong, and I never listen.” Chad still stared out the window, Rex looked over at Chad, worry creeping into his gut.
“Alright, enough being cryptic. Speak to me plainly. What has crawled into that head of yours to put you in such a state?” Rex shifted his body to face more towards Chad than towards the room. Chad still didn't look at him, but his face was scrunched into a scowl.
“The heroes. He was right about heroes. How they do more harm than good. That everything fed to the public, to me, was a blatant lie.” Chad was incensed and Rex’s brows raised, stunned at the sudden shift of Chad’s emotions and tone. “All of them, at least in the FA.” Chad snarled. “Except Diego. Diego would never be as disgusting as the heroes at the FA.” The rapidly changing emotional inflection was concerning. Rex watched him, studying him as he took more sips from his drink. Eventually, Chad made eye contact with him, raising a brow in question.
“Nothing… Just concerned.” Chad snorted.
“That’s another example! I could be bleeding out and not a single hero would bat an eye, would even care. The only reason they would care is because i'm high ranked. They wouldn't care besides that. You though? A villain with grey morals, who makes inventions that could level the city, cares more about my well being than heroes.” Rex sighed softly.
“Well… I can't exactly refute that…”
“How did you find out?” Rex tilted his head at Chad’s question. “About the heroes being bad.” Chad clarified.
“Mm… I think it was high school.” Chad scowled to himself. “I went to whatever hero high school, I don't even remember, but I saw all the rising star heroes, how cocky and egotistical they were, traits that only were reinforced by the school and their parents and the world. I knew then heroes weren't as good as everyone thinks they are.” A silent lapsed over them. Rex not taking his eyes off Chad, but Chads own eyes downcast.
Finally, Chad spoke. “Did you think that of me when we first met?” He sounded so vulnerable.
“No.” Rex answered without thought, way too fast. He glanced away clearing his throat. “I mean, not really. You were grating, with the hero speech but… you weren't the same as them. My suspicion was confirmed as well when you distracted me long enough to get a stray dog out of the way of our fight ground. That was just our first encounter too. I knew then, I was right. You weren't anything like them, and to be honest, it hurt a little watching you stay around the heroes. I worried one day their behavior would rub off on you, but it never did.” Rex was interrupted by a sniffle from Chad and his eyes snapped back to see the great Chadster crying.
Rex was standing in seconds and crossing the short space between them even faster. He kneeled down next to Chad, resting a hand on his arm. Rex would never be so gentle with anyone else, and Chad knew that. Knew they both had tiny nagging feelings for the other that never would be acknowledged. At least, not until now. Rex took his glass and set it on the coffee table, and they stayed like that until the tears subsided.
When Chad looked at him again, the pretty brown-green eyes he had were dulled. Like a spark had left him. It struck a painful chord in Rex.
“I don't even know what to do anymore.” He admitted, looking more lost than a child in alone in a store. Rex sighed, gently stroking Pebbles who was happily sleeping in her owner's lap. Chad could tell he was thinking and thinking hard. Finally, he spoke.
“If i'm to be honest, Chad, there is really just one thing you can do.” Chad raised a brow at him as Rex looked back at him, face somber. He didn't think he liked where this was going. “Staying a hero will only grow the anger and resentment in you until one day you snap, and that won't bode well for you in the slightest. Retirement will only cause you restlessness. You thrive off doing what you can to help others. You also don't like being so stationary, so unable to help. There's a standard for retired heroes to not interfere with active heroes. Your guilt for solely retiring, for not even trying to change something, would eat away at you until you you couldn't stand it… Being a villain… frees you from most all of that. Well, at least resigning from the FA and being an anti-hero… regardless, the side you've fought against for so long, is the side you'd find yourself in now. There are bed villains, but there are good villains as well…” Chad looked pale at the thought of switching sides.
“I don't- I couldn't-” Rex stroked his thumb against his arm.
“You don't have to make the decision right now. It's not a timed ordeal. It is something to consider though.”
“My father would-” Rex interrupted him.
“No offense, dear, but your father is a rat bastard. A pile of sewer sludge in the vague shape of a man. His opinions on things are irrelevant.” Chad couldn't help the snort that came out. He cleared his throat.
“But my mother-”
“Is just as bad as your father.” Chad went quiet. “Chad… look… let's put this into a perspective that might make you be able to see better how the rest of us see your parents… I won't give you the entire picture that I’ve gathered but… your parents were not kind in the slightest to Morgan.”
“What do you mean?” Chad sincerely looked confused. Rex took a deep breath, having to break the truth to this sweet man was somehow the hardest challenge Rex has ever faced.
“They tormented him, Chad. Hurt him ways I'm not privy to but I can see it on his face when your parents are ever brought up in any way. Abusive is what I'm trying to convey to you.” Chad stared at him, and Rex could tell he wanted to desperately to say Rex was wrong. Ever since Chad realized Morgan was right about it all, though, Chad could see it now. Could see what Rex was talking about. He hated it. Hated that he was so blinded before that he couldn't see his own brother, the person he admired the most in the world, was suffering. Hated that he always begged Morgan to come back for the selfish reason of wanting his brother next to him again. Fresh tear formed and this time he found them being wiped away by Rex.
“He’ll never forgive me.” Chad felt more guilt for saying it let alone thinking it. How could that be the only thing he thinks of; Morgan's forgiveness of him. He has no right to be forgiven by Morgan. Rex exhaled heavily.
“You’d be surprised at how deeply the love of a parent runs, Chad.”
“P-parent?” He hiccuped out. Rex chuckled.
“You think the whole world doesn't know that Morgan Sterling, the eldest child of the Sterlings, was the one who actually raised you and your sister? Everyone knows it. They either don't care, are too weak to do anything about it, or are to blind by their devotion to your family's name.” Chad stared, a little more of his faith in humanity chipping away.
“They knew…” Rex nodded. “Yes, they knew.” Something more in Chad broke at the confirmation. Something that could never be fixed. His mind made itself up in that moment.
“Rex. I think I’m done being a hero…” Rex smiled at Chad, nodding.
“Oh? Well then, may I lend a hand towards your next step in life?” Rex laid his open palm up on Chad’s knee. Chad took his hand with a gentle squeeze.
“Yeah. I think that'd be nice.”
✧⌖🜏 𖤐 𐕣 ⁶⁶⁶⋆˖⁺‧₊☽◯☾₊‧⁺˖⋆🜏 𖤐 𐕣 ⁶⁶⁶⌖✧
With a quickness and stealth that only a villain like Rex could achieve, they moved several things from Chad’ house. Pawning some items, keeping others. Camille wasn't entirely thrilled or convinced at first about Chad truly moving to ‘the dark side’ or him moving in with them. She let it be though. Perfectly capable of handling herself if this went sideways. She was impressed that by week three, Chad hadn't changed any of his stances, only a little worried about the lecture his sister would give him. Apparently, she is terrifying.
Chad seemed nervous regardless of that. Of course, it peaked Camille's suspicion. At least it did, until Chad nervously asked her to help him style himself for a debut Rex was going to put him through later that evening. That solidified it for her that this ex-hero wasn't infiltrating as she thought. So, of course, she'd help her lovesick husbands object of affection get all prettied up for his debut!
Camille watched the debut livestream on the news channel and so did someone else, on the other side of town.
In a shitty apartment, with a couch that was way to nice to match the interior of the home, standing in the dining area waiting for their spouse to tie up dinner so they could eat, green eyes stared in shock and abject horror as he saw the boy he raised debut as a villain under Rex Roofers wing. Morgan’s glass fell from his hand, shattering on the tiled floor. His breath had been ripped from his lungs, and ears filled with cotton. They felt Alex looking them over, distantly heard Alex talking to him but couldn't make out the words. Morgan barely felt it when he stepped on the glass on the floor sprinting to grab his shoes from the door. He could hear himself say something to Alex but wasn't sure what. They went back and forth on something Morgan couldn't place at the time, but soon, and sudden, he was at the scene of the debut with Alex next to him. It finally felt like he could breathe again as he sprinted off towards his brother. His debut as a villain was nothing short of spectacular. Incitement of fear, chaos; telltale signs of a great debut.
He couldn't let this happen. He couldn't. He couldn't let Chad do this to himself. He didn't know why he was doing this. The FA wouldn't ever go as far as to compromise one of their own players, so this had to be all Chad.
People were running away from him, but Morgan was running towards him. Shoving his way through an endless sea of people, nearly being toppled over dozens of times, the shards of glass in the soles of his feet sending sharp pains up his legs, blood soaking the inside of his shoes. Morgan wasn’t deterred. His adrenaline addled body shoving his way through a hoard of people. He felt as if he was swimming against a current, desperate to get to land and not drown. Except, his land wasn't his, and he wasn't drowning. It was Chad.
Morgan did make it through the sea of bodies, finally free to sprint at full speed toward his brother. He felt the light from the new helicopter following him as he ran, he didn't care.
Morgan was running so fast that neither Rex nor Chad had a second to react before Morgan slammed into Chad, hard enough to actually knock him over for once. Alex floated up and set himself down a few feet away, looking to Rex with irritation and frustration. With one glance towards the new chopper, they fled. They've gotten smarter it seems.
Chad had the wind knocked out of him, stunned, thinking a hero had already made their way here and somehow moved fast enough to knock him on his ass. That is… until he heard the voice.
“WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!?” Morgan pushed himself up off Chad. For the first time ever, frustration boiled up at Morgan's words. He sat upright.
“What does it LOOK like i'm doing!?” Morgan shoved at him.
“IT LOOKS LIKE YOU'RE ABOUT TO DESTROY YOUR ENTIRE LIFE! THAT’S WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE!” He yelled. “DEBUTING AS A VILLAIN, CHAD!? YOU CAN'T CHANGE YOUR MIND ONCE YOU DO THAT!”
“MAYBE I DON’T WANT TO!” For the first time in all of his life, Chad raised his voice at Morgan, and it completely took Morgan off guard.
“Chad-”
“YOU’RE ALWAYS TELLING ME HOW THE HEROES ARE THE REAL BAD GUYS AREN’T YOU!?” Morgan stared at his brother.
“Chad!”
“I’M FINALLY LISTENING TO YOU AND YOU STILL ARE MAD AT-” He felt cool hands on his face, unaware before of how hard he was breathing, how narrowed his field of vision had gotten. How far away voices were sounding. I think I’m having a panic attack… strange… I haven't had one since I was 14…
“Chad breath!” Morgan sounded like he was underwater, or maybe it was Chad who was underwater. “Chad, Chad, focus on me, okay?” He tried, for all his worth, he tried. His hand was moved to rest on Morgan's chest. “You feel this?” He inhaled. Paused. Then exhaled. Chad doesn't know if he responded or not. “Good. Good. Follow me then, okay? Try to breathe as I do.” Inhale. Pause. Exhale. Pause. Inhale. Pause. Exhale. Pause. Over and over again until Chads heart rate started to go back to normal, until his breathing evened out again, until he felt himself cradled in Morgan's arms, held tightly head resting where he could hear the rapid beating of Morgan's heart.
“Hey, you back? You with me again?” Came the gentle voice Chad longed to hear again.
“I don't know.” He really didn't. He felt dizzy and his hands felt numb. His chest hurt and so did his lungs. He could feel a headache forming.
“That’s okay. You're okay.” Morgan rocked him. He rocked him. “I've got you.”
“Mo.” Chad sniffled. “I'm sorry.” The sniffles turned into tears. “I'm sorry I never heard you.”
“Is there ever going to be a way for me to convince you to no longer hate me?” Chad asked weakly, afraid of the answer. Morgan stopped rocking him.
“What?”
“I-Is there-”
“No no I heard that.”
“Then wh-”
“You think I hate you?” Morgan pulled away a bit to look at Chad. Chad looked back, confused.
“I mean-”
“Chad. I don't hate you. I never have, not really anyways. Are you kind of annoying? Yes. But that doesn’t mean I hate you. If I hated you, I wouldn't have come here.” That made Chad blink. He wouldn't have… come if he hated me.
“You-”
“You're my little brother, Chad, and no matter how much a pain in the ass you are, I’d never hate you. Well, unless you did something so heinous that even Alex was horrified, then I would, but you won't.” Morgan sighed. “For fucks sake, Chad, you're going to make me go gray.” Chad frowned a bit.
“Sorry.” Morgan flicked his forehead.
“Shut up. We’re going back to my place and you're explaining yourself, young man. Non-negotiable. Alex, take us home.” With a snap, all three of them teleported back into the living room of the shitty, cozy, homy, apartment.
“Where's Rex?” Morgan and Chad asked in unison. Alex huffed.
“I left him there because he interrupted dinner. I'd have left you too-” he pointed to Chad “-if you and Morgan weren't about to have some heart to heart.” Morgan leveled a look at Alex.
“Bring Rex, Alex, I have a few choice words for him.” Alex grinned in sadistic glee, knowing well that Morgan could give an absolute earful.
And earful, did Morgan give. Diego too. Once Chad had finally, finally, been able to put into words everything he learned. Everything he wanted to say. Everything. All while, Alex trapped Rex in the kitchen (a truly harrowing experience if you asked Rex.) Diego showed up. She was righteously pissed.
First, Rex got verbally abused by Morgan and Diego. Then, Diego was scolding Chad. THEN, both Morgan and Diego saw Chad and Rex sit a little too close to be ‘nemeses’ and the scolding lecturing started all over again. All while Dave sat next to Alex on the couch with a tiny baby Ducky strapped to his chest.
“You think they’ll be finished soon?” Alex asked in a whisper.
“Absolutely not.” Dave replied, quieter.