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Many things would have to go wrong for Alex to be caught chained up in a room filling with truth serum gas with a Sterling, and yet somehow that was exactly what was happening. What made it even worse was the Sterling they were trapped with was Morgan. Their ex from high school. Not that Morgan had any idea.
Superior was a vastly different time in their life and when they hung up their hero cape they had to also let go of Morgan. The middle child of one of the strongest hero families in the world would not exactly be the most supportive of their new life. Alex also did not want to make Morgan choose between a villain and their family so instead, they just left. Changed their appearance and became the most powerful villain the world has ever and would ever see.
Leaving Morgan was the hardest thing teenage Alex had to do. However, they assumed it would pass. They were just high school lovers. Those relationships never last.
Unfortunately, it did not get easier.
Even more unfortunately they were now under the effects of truth serum, locked in a cell with them...
“Chad, what the fuck?” Morgan spluttered out.
An intercom buzzed into life, “Sorry! I just saw a button and pressed it!” Chad whined.
Morgan shook their head, “This kid...” they muttered before picking up the casefile in front of them again. “I suppose the truth gas will make this interview easier. Are you ready to answer some questions, Alex?”
It had been so long since they had heard Morgan speak their name, it sent a shudder down their spin which Alex was not proud of. Even worse that the gruffer voice Morgan had developed as they became an exhausted adult was horrifically attractive.
Morgan noticed this, of course they did, and leaned forward.
“Do I make you uncomfortable?” their eyes held a slight amusement at this prospect.
Alex violently shook their head, knowing if they opened their mouth to speak, they may as well succumb to the embarrassment.
Morgan leaned back, eyes locked on Alex’s, they looked them up and down before finally giving poor Alex a break by flicking their eyes to the folder in their hands.
“So, Alex, it is Alex, right?” Morgan didn’t look up; it was more of a rhetorical question. There was no mistaking Alex for anyone eyes. Snake eyes aside, they were unmistakable for anyone else. Not only were they the only person in the world to make everyone question their identity with their looks, the general confidence and swagger with which they carried themself spoke volumes.
However, as Morgan looked over the file, that confidence was gone. Something else seeped out of them. Fear? Or whatever Alex’s equivalent was. But they were definitely nervous. That itself was enough to make Morgan nervous as well.
They didn’t let this show, it would be dangerous to let Alex have the upper hand.
Being in the same room as Alex was dangerous.
That was why Morgan was conducting this interview.
As far as anyone was aware, Alex gained the powers of anyone they killed.
As a result, having someone who was practically powerless conducting the interview was the best option. Especially as Morgan was known as the disposable Sterling. May as well put their patheticness to a beneficial use.
“On the 17 th of March this year, you were at the museum of national art and history, correct?” Morgan asked, flicking through the file.
Alex nodded.
Morgan looked up, “Words please, sunshine.”
Alex groaned, that just was not fair. “Yes.”
“And what were you intending to do there?” Morgan’s eyes caught Alex’s, holding the gaze.
“Steal painting.” The less Alex talked the easier this would be.
Morgan cocked an eyebrow, “Which painting?”
“Big one.”
“Which big one? What is the name of the painting?”
Alex shrugged. Honestly, they didn’t care about the painting, just the spectacle.
“So, you didn’t have a specific target in mind?”
Alex shook their head.
Morgan sighed, “Why aren’t you answering properly?”
Fuck. That was the worst question Morgan could ask.
They had to answer. The trouble was on what to say. If they said too much, then everything would fall apart. Open old wounds that never healed properly. It wouldn’t just hurt Alex; it would hurt Morgan.
Finding out your dead ex was actually the world's worst super villain? That would be gut wrenching. And probably traumatic.
“Truth serum.” Alex answered simply.
This answer however only raised more questions for Morgan who put the file down.
Once again, they leaned closer to Alex, “What is it you’re so scared of it revealing?”
That move used more balls than Morgan actually possessed, but there was something Morgan couldn’t understand hidden just behind Alex’s eyes that made them feel... Safe?
Morgan held back a scoff at the idea.
This was Alex after all.
No one was ever safe when they were involved.
“Information.” Alex was picking their words as carefully as possible, saying as little as possible.
Morgan sighed, “What information? Speak. Now.” Their voice took on an aggression that Alex couldn’t help but lean away from. Cheeks burning as they swallowed.
“Fucking hell, you’re killing me here Morgan...” Alex muttered.
Morgan blinked, “How do you know my name?”
Shit.
“Well... I just heard-” Alex doubled over, pain erupting in their chest as it felt as though their very lungs were about to burst. Alex took a shaky breath, “I knew you.” They corrected.
“Knew me?” Morgan’s heart skipped a beat, Alex heard it.
Alex nodded.
“How?”
“If I told you, you wouldn’t like it.” Not technically a lie, just a statement which Alex believed to be true.
It was possibly the stupidest thing Moran had every done, but their hand flew to Alex’s shirt collar, grabbing it and pulling their faces close as he shouted, “How the fuck do you know me?”
Alex looked into Morgan’s eyes; they were full of rage. They couldn’t help but wonder how that rage would change if they spoke, if it would shatter into sadness or erupt into a fire that would consume them both.
With a breath to ready themself, Alex smiled, “We dated, darling. A long while ago now but-” Alex’s face was slammed into the table.
That... that almost hurt... Alex stared at the dent of their face now in the metal table.
“Morgan!” The intercom crackled into life with a harsh tone which wavered with fear, “Out here. Now.” Chad’s voice paused, “Please..?” was the weaker addition.
Morgan let go of Alex’s collar and glared at them until they disappeared behind the door.
Morgan was pacing, Chad’s eyes nervously following them with every step.
“So they’re...” Chad began.
“No.”
“But you only ever-”
“I know.”
“So they have to be-”
“A liar.”
“But the gas...”
“This is Alex fucking S Tier, self-proclaimed god and general pain in the ass.” Morgan snapped back, sick of their brothers continued attempt to rationalise any of this.
Morgan stopped pacing, taking a harsh turn on their heel and marching back into the interrogation room. Eyes locking with Alex’s as they kept their distance, unsure of what they may attempt to do if they allowed themself to get any closer to Alex, who wore a sad look deep in their eyes.
It gave Morgan pause.
That was the same expression Superior had given them after Morgan had told their high school partner what home was like for them.
Morgan took a seat, studying Alex’s face.
Every detail of it. Nothing matched up. This was a completely different face to the one even behind the mask which Morgan had fallen in love with all those years ago.
“Morgan I-” Alex started, but Morgan raised a hand signalling them to stop, so they could continue to study.
Alex let out a sad, soft laugh, “You never did like being disturbed while thinking.” Alex’s lips settled into a smile.
The sound of that laugh, the way their lips curled... It was like getting slapped in the face with years of memories that Morgan had dedicated so much time trying to forget.
Morgan reached across the table, hands covering Alex’s cuffed ones, tears pricking their eyes with only one question circling to ask the ex they believed to be dead all this time.
“Why didn’t you just tell me where you went?”
Alex looked down, ashamed of how things ended, “I couldn’t make you choose your family or me. I knew how rough things at home were and dating a villain wasn’t going to help. I love you too much to put you in that position for-” Alex stopped, feeling the cold cuffs slip free of their wrists and their powers regaining their strength.
Morgan smiled, leaning in close to Alex’s ear, “I love you more than doing what they want me to do.”
Alex smiled, eyes connecting with Chad’s behind the two-way glass, who was slowly realising that something was going wrong.
“You would be a villian with me? For me?” Alex asked, heart racing.
“For you, Alex, I would do anything but honestly, I wanted to piss off my parents for a while now.” They grinned, something gleaming in their eyes that Alex couldn’t deny looked especially beautiful on them.
“Then let’s go piss them off,” Alex stood, Chad cursing behind the glass as they offered Morgan a hand, “Together.”
Morgan took it, a joy within them sparking back into life which had faded away too many years ago, “Let’s.”