Chapter Text
**Cecil's backstory**
Cecil joined the GDA when he was in his late 20s and worked as an agent, being dispatched to research and perform secret missions. He was not only one of the best, but THE best. Radcliffe and Cecil formed a father-son-like relationship. Cecil treasured this, seeing as he never had someone as a father figure in his life.
On one of these missions he found the secret operating base of the Freeing Fist by himself, and Radcliffe had told him to not go in alone. But he did. Cecil got into the same scuffle with the two members of the Freeing Fist as shown in the series. He lost his skin all the same, holding the doors closed as the gas seeped from the cracks in the crate and burned through his skin. Instead of being saved by agents of the GDA, he was rescued by Britt (as was shown in the comics).
As he recovered in the hospital, the person who was beside him was Britt. Britt eventually told him about how Radcliffe wanted to leave him in there and not waste any agents saving him but rather focus on containing the gas and evacuating the premises. This saved the 17 lives that would’ve been lost. Leaving the scar on his face wasn’t his decision; it was Radcliffe’s. It was Radcliffe’s way of showing Cecil that he should've listened to him. Cecil couldn’t fully come to terms with how fast Radcliffe was willing to let Cecil die in that room after not listening to an order. He thought their relationship was strong enough than to end up being broken like that. Cecil also couldn’t accept the decision Radcliffe made over his body, leaving the scar there as a reminder was too much of a violation for Cecil.
Cecil distanced himself from Radcliffe from that moment on. But after the Lizard League broke into the Pentagon, Cecil still made the effort to help Radcliffe to the safe room before they were stopped by a member of the Lizard’s. Cecil shot his gun, but that did nothing. That’s when the same two members of the Freeing Fist jumped out and defeated the Lizard League member with ease. Seeing them brought back the memory of how his skin was burned off and the entire mission which caused his relationship with Radcliffe to deteriorate. Radcliffe saved them but didn’t bother to save him?? He shot the two members in the head and thus was sent to jail.
Being sent to jail is what finally did it for Cecil. Radcliffe didn’t care about him, he never had. So…he did his 3 years. Doing a LOT to get everyone in the jailhouse in a straight line and basically become their boss. When Radcliffe visited Cecil after those 3 years he showed complete disregard for what Cecil had to go through in this prison to get it this way. And when he was offered the position of Director? After everything this organization and Radcliffe had put him through? He snapped. He told Radcliffe to shove his proposition up his ass and that he never wanted to see him or his scarred face ever again. Radcliffe left Cecil in that jailhouse for a couple of months before he was set free by Donald, who had taken Radcliffe’s place instead of him. But he wasn’t a free man entirely. Spending years in that prison hadn’t made him dull or oblivious. He knew the former job and what came with it. So when he got the keys to his new ‘all expenses paid’ house, he knew exactly what was going on. He didn’t bother complaining, though…not after spending years in a tiny cell sleeping on a piece of metal instead of a real bed.
The GDA was smart, sure, cameras everywhere. But Cecil was smarter and always 1 step ahead. Throughout the years he has started his own little business right under the GDA’s nose to get some money. Was it really for the money, though? No, it was more for the thrill. He’d hate to admit it, but he missed working for the GDA just a little. The adrenaline rush was something he longed for dearly. It was difficult getting up on the social ladder of supervillains. He had no powers, what could he possibly do? But after he had proven himself to be a very handy asset when it came to espionage, he earned his title. But he was only known by the villains in the small circles, some members of The Order but not all of them. He worked in the shadows just like back in the GDA. He never spoke a word about secrets of the agency, though. Because he knew any leaked information would cause chaos to erupt, especially if supervillains heard about it. And Cecil preferred to keep things in order.
**Donald's backstory**
Donald had been by Radcliffe’s side for a couple of months, he was hired after Radcliffe’s other ‘first man’ quit and…well…erased himself from the planet. Throughout his place in the GDA, he was people’s boss when Radcliffe wasn’t there, but he never considered himself to be all that important. He always heard stories and gossip from other colleagues here and there about Cecil and how Radcliffe was planning to make him the next director should he ever step away. Radcliffe never told Donald any personal affairs, so imagine Donald's surprise when the role of Director of the GDA was shoved into his hands without any further instructions. Radcliffe left without a trace, not telling anyone where he went.
After getting a little used to his new position in the GDA (still not completely comfortable), he began studying Cecil’s files. There probably were over two hundred pages he read through. He began reading them because he wanted to know why Cecil wasn’t the one to get the job. But he’d admit he had gotten a little obsessed. Yes, Donald knew about Cecil since he started. Donald had been involved in sending Cecil out on certain missions. He has admired Cecil ever since he heard of him. This man could hack systems, sneak around without being noticed once, go undercover and play the role extremely well. And these skills impressed Donald. A lot.
After Donald read that Cecil had been sent to Payton Penitentiary by Radcliffe, he wanted to visit him, but multiple of Cecil’s apparent ‘buddies’ didn’t allow him. They said that Cecil didn’t want anything to do with ‘GDA scum.’ Donald tried prying, but the officers of the jailhouse quickly escorted him out. Saying it was for his own safety.
After Cecil was released, Donald had gotten more comfortable in his job as director and was even used to ordering people around now. He anonymously gave Cecil the keys to that house after he got out of jail so his surveillance team could keep an eye on him and his every move. He knew that one day they’d need his expertise. The exact reason why Donald didn’t choose to just erase Cecil’s memories after he was offered the choice. He simply required Cecil to remember.