Chapter Text
In his defense, Morgan hadn't known how things would spiral out of control after buying the apartment complex he now called home.
His ears still rang weeks later from his mothers screams, occasionally he looked outside just to make sure she wasn't out there with a megaphone still screaming; he wouldn't put it past her.
"How dare you become a Villain!?" she had screamed while throwing the few things he had attachment to into the trashcan. He was pretty sure he spotted some of his baby pictures in there, too. "Don't you dare come back until you fixed this!" she had screeched at the top of her lungs while throwing him out of the house.
And Morgan? Well, he had taken the opportunity as it presented itself. If live gives you lemons and all that jazz.
Now about three weeks later, he had converted the top two apartments of his building into one. The first half had stayed an actual apartment with three bedrooms, a cozy living room, open concept kitchen and a small but working bathroom. The other half of the apartment now held his tinkering lab, a working bathroom and tea kitchen, essentially just a small kitchen space he could use if he didn't fancy going into the big kitchen. The floor up to his apartment was riddled with traps that gave him small comfort into knowing if a super really wanted to get in, they wouldn't bother with stairs.
After setting up the first traps he had catched himself a wild Barnaby who wanted to introduce himself to the new landlord. That's also how Morgan found out his D Tier status came from him being a landlord and not through him bulshitting his way through being a sidekick. Watching his coworkers and friends, the sidekicks ignored by big shot heroes, them being discarded, killed and vanished had long ago killed all the hope he had held as a child and teen watching Superior safe the day.
The more surprising it was, to find most of his former friends that "disappeared" had started working as henchman, some had even become fully fledged villains in their own rights. Morgan didn't hold it against any of them. His former partner, Bill who worked with him for Chad, had actually offered him an in with the S Tier villain, but Morgan declined. He had just gotten rid of his Brother, he didn't fancy working for another muscles before brains type of guy. No matter how much Bill insisted S Tier wasn't like that.
However, Morgan had planned his first heist, he had a guy to hold the flashlight, he himself was able to disable the alarm system and someone who would distract the Guard. The only thing he was actually missing was the getaway driver and Bill would be perfect for that. So he looked around his work bench for the sticky note he had written Bills number down on.
"Hey listen, I need you as a getaway driver tonight at the Great Central Museum. Around 2 A.M. No but's I'll see you there!" He hung up before Bill could say anything and prepared himself for the heist.
The break in at one in the morning was laughable easy. The Guard had been very helpful by eating way too many cupcakes that were "left over" from a children's birthday party earlier today. In reality there had never been a birthday, Morgan had payed a friend of his henchwoman to go to the museum with her kids and leave some special cupcakes for the security guys. Morgan himself had disabled the alarm, looped the security cameras by playing a real version of connecting games. Why people put their trust into this low budget security was beyond him. Shine his first and only henchwoman was providing him light while doing so.
Both of them walked into the place as if it belonged to them, Morgan was on the lookout for a very special treat while Shine looked for the real valuables. Who would have thought the disgruntled art student would be so helpful in this?
Five paintings and one teapot richer, both of them left to meet up with Bill. Shine stored the paintings properly while Morgan shoved the teapot into his hoody. Just as they got seated alarms started to blare from the Museum and a disgruntled looking older man in security uniform came running. "DRIVE!" Morgan yelled and Bill accelerated the car so fast that both were thrown into their seats.
Morgan was distracted by police cars when Shine sitting in the back spoke up. "Uh… Generator? Is…. is that…" She pointed at the driver who gave both of them a manic looking grin. "Hey." The man said and Shine screamed, Morgan screamed and with a short pause the D Tier villain Alex started screaming too. However he stopped shortly after while doing some kind of driving maneuver that was beyond Morgans understanding.
"Why are we screaming?" The number one villain on the planet asked as if he was talking about the weather. Morgan and Shine looked at each other and stopped. "You know, I don't get bossed around like that often. Figured I'd come and take a look at who dared to do so." Alex raised a brow as if he was judging Morgan and his henchmen. "You said you'd call a friend!" Shines whispering voice came from the back.
Morgan nodded "In my defense, I thought I did." Alex looked confused for a single second. "Oh you mean Bill, we accidentally switched phones this morning…Wait why are you bossing around my henchmen?" Morgan gulped "We're friends…" Alex was silent for a few more minutes while driving. "I see. Did you at least steal something cool? Like the knife of Cassiopeia? Or…" His eyes wandered to Morgans Hoody pocket. "YOU STOLE THE TEAPOT!!! Oh my god, I thought about doing that for so long! Ever since I watched Escape from the Great Central Museum!" Alex took both hands from the steering wheel while trying to get the teapot from Morgan, who together with Shine grabbed it instead while screeching at the top of their lungs. "Why are you two…? OH RIGHT!" Seconds later, the car, all three passengers and their cargo vanished from the street.
The car was parked in the middle of an air plain hangar, Morgan had never seen before. Alex was holding his hand out "I demand the Teapot as payment for the drive! It's never going to find It's way back to China this way!" Morgan didn't have a single clue what the other was talking about but figured handing it over was the safest option at the moment. So he did, even though he thought it was rather pretty and would have loved to keep it for himself. "Okay… here you have it, and where are we?"
Alex took the teapot from Morgans hands "In my base, the police and heroes got a bit too close." Morgan nodded and looked around. They were about to get out of the car when an explosion shook their entire surrounding. What had been a giant building of ice and chrome had become a big pile of rubble. On top of said pile stood a man "That might have been the lowest crime we've ever seen you commit Alex!" The villain groaned "My Nemesis Hyperguy…"
Alex left the car "You blew up my base!? That's where I my bed is, and all my stuff!!!" Alex's arch nemesis looked a little sheepish as if sudden regret set in but he came to his senses the second his teammates appeared behind him. "Of course, you brought the entire team you piece of crap." Alex was still holding the teapot and looked down at it, then to Morgan. He stomped back to the car, opened the door and looked at Morgan who felt his soul leave his body. "Take that." He gave him the Teapot. "Where do you life?" Morgan gulped but answered honestly. "You owe me more than a teapot now, little villain." Alex snapped his fingers and Morgan, Shine and the car were seated right in the middle of Morgans workshop.
Man was he glad he had reinforced the floor.