Blackout

so when the only other flyer in the team asked him to hang out, charlie didn't expect to be hundreds of feet in the air headed towards the city. he remembered extending the invitation to morgan before during their first encounter, but they've only recently gotten the chance to make it happen now. and honestly after all that's happened, charlie couldn't think of a better time than the present. "try and keep up," he mused, boosting his speed using a burst of energy to propel himself like a rocket.

charlie was unable to stop himself from smiling the entire trip. he's never felt so free before. "the world's literally our oyster!" the blond remarked at the top of his lungs, admittedly impressed with how morgan was staying at the same speeds as him. he smirked, feeling particularly competitive but deciding to simply relax and enjoy their time together in the sky. charlie even performed a few flips and aerial loops just for the fun of it.

eventually, the two decided to take a break at the local burger mart for a good old fashioned american meal. they both were reminded of the cons of celebrity statuses as fans rushed to take selfies with their favorite recruits. managing to evade the paparazzi rush, the duo soon found themselves atop the tallest building in the city. "this is fucking great. can't say i've ever clogged my arteries with great food so high up before," he spoke with a mouthful of fries.

beaming brightly, paragon's golden boy was happy to participate in morgan's little science experiment and tested the sauce mixture himself. his eyes instantly became the size of dinner plates. "your son's a genius," he replied while literally having a food-gasm. "takes after his daddy, i'm sure!"

They all had secrets, full histories, but there was a lot Morgan knew he didn't have to hide from the blond. On the personal side. "Oh." Morgan slightly gasped. Charlie had a point. "Thin air and clogged arteries... at least I'm in the best shape of my life."

The Paragon personal trainers really knew what they were doing. In that case, he shouldn't worry. "My heart's usually on the slow side anyway." Just another reason Morgan enjoyed flying. To feel warm and fully alive again.

He felt satisfaction while watching Charlie fearlessly join in on the taste test. Validated that his taste buds hadn't missed the mark after all. "I saw the footage of that VR hostage rescue. You looked like a real hero." Morgan smiled. A win like that would make any recruit happy, but after New Years it was important that Charlie regain control and composure. Victory and earning favor had the same effect on Morgan.

he snorted in amusement at the mention of his supposed fanbase. "i did get several dms from people wondering why i missed one of my daily reels," the blond spoke, recalling an urgent need to ask ash for help on exactly what to post. it'd serve as an explanation for his short absence on social media. "i couldn't exactly tell them i had hundreds of needles jabbed into my arm as paragon tries to heal me after what ryan did." his trip to the tower wasn't exactly pleasant, to say the least.

for a quick second, he could've sworn morgan was hiding something from him. but that speculation quickly diminished once he heard the older super talk about investigating who killed the mayor. "don't you think we should leave that to the police though?" the blond advised, aware how snooping around could lead to danger and a breach to certain protocols. "can't say i have, no. why, are you supe hunting?" he asked, genuinely intrigued at what morgan was up to.

Instinctively, Morgan reached forward and set a hand on Charlie's still quite golden forearm. Support. "We'll be sure that never happens again." He pledged, all jokes aside. The hand pulled away afterward and returned to his own drink. Morgan's dark gaze steered to the side, thoughtfully. "Finding who caused this and stopping them is the only way to guarantee that."

Of course, it was a laughable idea that Blackout should be the hero to stop such powerful adversaries. He still needed others to back him. Stronger supes. Not just that, but teammates who wanted the same thing. At least Savage was on board. So far. "So Father likes his supes cowardly and idle, hm?" He smirked, backpacking off of their previous discussion. "I'm so new to this. ... I didn't realize that supes really do have it hard in this life. I mean, I can fly, it's fucking awesome. ... But if I go home, instead of seeing this through, then I'm just a guy who can fly with no direction."

Maybe it was Charlie's story of being held in a cage for years or the still fresh conversation with Dr. Minerva that compelled him. "So I am grateful to be here... but I'm also going to look out for everyone's best interest. However I can." Charlie hurt twice over, Matthias and now Ryan. A hunt was long overdue. "A team of supes. We should look out for each other."

face slightly red, he gave a bashful smile at the older super. "i hope father didn't make you rehearse that," he mused, scratching the back of his head sheepishly. more often than not, he had trouble discerning if people were actually being nice to him. or if his adoptive parent simply ordered them to. "i'm glad to be back too. for a second, i thought my replacement would already here by now."

charlie gratefully accepted the drink and took a giddy sip. he preferred sweeter beverages and fruity cocktails, but any alcohol at the moment was appreciated. "no no, it's wonderful. thank you." he leaned to give morgan a sweet kiss on the cheek. nothing overtly flirtatious, just his way of saying thanks. "so did anything fun happen while i was gone?" he asked, wanting to inquire on the events that might have taken place during his absence.

Or use them. Morgan knew what it was like to be used. Now, Paragon used them all, but at least his effort was getting him somewhere. "Honestly... that was a concern of mine too." He admitted, only because Charlie mentioned it. "But... I had faith; your fanbase would have started a riot if you vanished."

Reassured by the gentle peck, Morgan relaxed with his own drink. Hesitating once Charlie asked what had transpired over the last week. It was a shame that Morgan couldn't tell the blond about Dr. Minerva. The serial killer case. Especially since he needed someone to talk to. Persons he'd formerly relied on seemed preoccupied lately. Morgan was used to that too.

"I worked on finding out who killed the mayor and... whoever else hates Paragon so much, but our files aren't as up-to-date as I'd hoped." The enemy was ahead of them. Off the grid. "Have you ever gone hunting for a supe?"

Sam Witwer as Ben Lockwood/Agent Liberty in Supergirl 4.04 Ahmisa

+bonus

Her gaze flickered and widened. Like a black hole expanding to suck you in. "My, my, my..." Was all she said as she continued to stare and access. Evidentially she might have need of updating her data on their ghostly recruit. But Morgan would be too sad to learn he was a bit short sighted in his assessment of her interest or goals. Cutting him open would be such a waste. As those gifted with evolution's blessing were only valuable when alive. Still easily discarded but with purpose.

She stared in silence for an uncomfortable amount of time before the full shape of a smile made an appearance. But then it vanished into a tight line just as suddenly. "Respectfully bold of you to assume you have a place for bargaining, Mr. Page. Hero is a heavy word and only earned when deemed so. I know Father is the face of this organization but I can assure you my word weighs just as much on determining if you are to be a hero or even worthy for the Ten." Leaning in just a bit closer to him. "It can be a rope to climb up or a noose to hang you from."

She stood and made way for the door. As she stated she would keep her hands clean of the situation and not stay for confirmation of acceptance. If the pair didn't take her carrot she always had a cabinet full contingency plans. But she stopped before leaving the room. "Should you manage to keep your faces out of the press and return with valuable information you'll have some stock in my favor. Anything beyond that will be decided on how effective you are off Father's leash." Tilting a glance over her shoulder. "Ta ta." And then she was gone.

After she had gone and Morgan was certain, he leaned toward Alaric. "Please, tell me if I have 'dumbass' written on my forehead?" Like Matthias tired of Ryan's poking, Morgan was fed up with these impossible asks. He wasn't pleased.

"... I've always done what I'm told." Morgan frowned while collecting his notes. "Jump. Trust. In the end they screw me. Then I'm the joke. I'm the loser."

The anger just bubbled to the surface and that's when that muttering escaped. Too clearly, as he didn't mean to share that anger with Alaric. Anger that his history was repeating itself. After his chat with Hyatt, that VR test, Morgan had decided that he was finished with being pushed around. Taken advantage of. He isn't going to volunteer to give up his spot. Fuck that.

Packed, Morgan took a calming breath to center himself. Talk about the real issue. "'no idea what we're walking into with this one. There are no bodies to examine and no information on the serial killer or their ability. If we fuck up then we're done." Yup. That was about it. "She did say she just wants information though, so maybe it's not that deep."

"Careful not to wet yourself, Mr. Fitzgerald. These chairs aren't scotchgard." One thing about Dr. Minerva you either had her full attention or none at all. Those eyes were so focused and all consuming when they were on you. And her eyes never left Morgan even as she threw a side comment to Alaric. Such a brazen answer was unexpected. Had the ghostly super powered being's balls grew two sizes since she last measured? A slight pull at the showing of a smile but it was too minor to register.

"Well you and your fellow recruits rarely show any interest or initiative to coming here I doubted I would need such protection." Was she lying? Who could tell? He voice as always monotone and never gave more perception of her intentions one way or another. Speaking as she approached and hit a couple keys that closed and then locked the file. "I'll keep that in mind in the future." Eyes again on Morgan, the icy blues even clearer in her darken gaze up close. She took a chair beside him like a queen on a throne before continuing.

"But since you've kicked the hornet's nest no harm in telling you? Hmm?" Her attention went away as she looked around the room. "As you can gather there appears to be a dangerous advisory on the loose. One that should have Paragon's full attention...but after that little shit show of a holiday party 'Father'..." A bit of bite on her tongue at his name. "...plans on putting you boys on a bit of a time out until the press dies down. Glad I didn't RSVP to that one by the way." A lightly dry chuckle and then her eyes were locked on her company again. A forced sigh for dramatics as she leaned her head on posted up arm. "If only there was a small group of brave souls willing to investigate further...not that I could approve such a mission and would deny any knowledge of such a party being formed."

Ghosts remained mysteries to this day. Morgan would spare any doctor the time waste that was peeling back his layers. His flesh wasn't a book containing any answers. One open heart surgery was enough proof of that for him.

The file seemed to have been planted, but what did that matter? Morgan chuckled while making room for the doctor to secure the information. For the first time they sat together. Eye to eye. They were heroes, but since the massacre Morgan had a difficult time seeing anything else as more important. Perhaps he just wasn't thinking big enough.

Swiveling back and forth a few inches at a time, Morgan hid his lips behind a fist and listened to Minerva. The last bit gave him pause. "We are heroes, so it is what we should do." He offered, aware that this wouldn't require much discussion under normal circumstances. "But a team that accepts risks life and limb, and potentially their spot on The Ten."

Once Morgan clicked on the file a few things popped up. There was a series of locations, a list of names with photos attached to each location and basic synopsis of what was being built in this file. There appeared to be something Dr. Minerva was looking into on a potential super powered being on the loss. Her notes mentioned various missing people that matched the list of names and photos. There was little coverage in the news but appeared to be no bodies found, presumed to be dead by her determination. Serial Killer was highlighted in the summary of things. Five locations were the center point of the missing people with at least 15 or more missing in each region.

As he shifted through the contents of the file he would find a lot of suspension and scientific theories on suspect but no concrete evidence or identification. The last entry mentioned five people going missing in recent weeks, same M.O. as the prior cases so Dr. Minerva was able to catch the patterns early before more went missing. There was mention of an abandoned railroad tunnel called the Indigo Tunnels in Allegany County, Maryland but nothing after that.

Deep into his snooping Morgan might feel a chill before he heard someone clear their throat behind him. "Careful Mr. Page. You really shouldn't go digging in other people's files."

He found himself instantly sidetracked once the file was opened. After a few seconds, Morgan sighed aloud, "What the fuck...?"

This wasn't what he'd been looking for. The file was filled with information. Nearly complete. A potential supe serial killer. Five locations. A tall stack of victims. More to follow. The Maryland location naturally caught Morgan's attention, but he'd never read of those tunnels till now.

Morgan pulled back in his seat once Dr. Minerva announced her presence. Very unexpected, a tingle ran down his spine. He did feel like he'd been caught with his hand in a cookie jar. Swiveling in the seat to glance toward the Doctor, he frowned. "Shouldn't I?"

Even though he'd opted for American cuisine, something still stank in the room. "Public, no encryption. Luckily we were the only ones to take a peek. Savage and I can keep a secret." In all honesty, Alaric being in the room, anyone for that matter, left Morgan feeling braver than usual. Especially in the presence of Minerva. Over the past year, Morgan... grew a disliking for doctors. Especially the extra curious, Paragon variety.

So Morgan was playing detective huh? Good for him. They needed people like him to do the brain work. Not that Alaric didn't believe himself capable he just preferred to handle the cut and stab part of the job. Let everyone else who was inclined to do so play detective and find him a target. "Don't forget that fucker with the hard skin and laser eye. I made a promise to Matthias that one is owed a round two."

That was new information. He was too focused on the gunners and doing damage control he hadn't even thought much of Ryan's outburst. Partly because he hadn't even noticed who was behind it till everyone was already addressing the issue. "Matthias mention there was some info on their hideout. Not sure if that got keyed into the record yet..." Deciding to be a good wing man he would keep Morgan company. Even if none of this held his interest.

"Should I order some takeout? This seems like it'll take awhile." As Morgan continued to dig through files he might come across one that seemed to be updated recently. There was no label or description on what it detailed. Just a single emoji on the file head. Morgan might recall the same emoji to be sent by Dr. Minerva when they were called to the VR. It didn't appear to have any safe guards hiding the file. In fact it almost looked as if someone wanted it to be found.

The whole house had longed for a round two since mission one. Only after reviewing recorded footage that morning did Morgan understand why the hardshell was top of the brutes list. Maddeningly impenetrable. Untouchable. "'too bad Dylan didn't manage to catch a name." He thought aloud. Still, Dylan couldn't be solely responsible, the other recruits had to contribute.

Shit, even Matthias had new information? It made Morgan feel further behind. He could be useful in this department. He was determined. He just needed to take the time. Alaric read his mind and Morgan chuckled, having ignored his hunger pains for the last hour, "Good call." From there, he started to remove Armature and a few other windows from the screens that were mere filler at this point.

After the junk vanished, that emoji glared back as if Dr. Minerva herself was in the room. Morgan recalled her black as void stare, how it pointed at him and even now a slight cold sweat collected around the phantom's collar. He clicked on the file, heart slowed, mouth silent and mind uncertain what this could be.

"i'll take you up on that offer," he replied, not particularly agreeing to a mocktail but alcohol in general. a drink would do him some good to relax. "i hope more often. been a while since i've flirted with a handsome bartender." a chuckle escaped him as he recalled fond memories of his past.

New Years Eve had been complete horror. Charlie beaten with his own insane power and found quite broken in Morgan's arms. Crying. After Olympian flew off, Morgan worried that would be the last time he saw him. Face to face anyway. All of this could go without saying. Most men here would gag at Morgan's level of sentiment.

"You all bring out my maternal instinct... but at least I still know how to have fun." Morgan offered while approaching the bar. Waist down, his form phased through the counter, and he reached for the nearly emptied bottle of tequila. Without having to think much, he mixed and presented Charlie with his own top shelf margarita, on the rocks. "If it needs... adjusting, let me know."

normalcy also returned a few days after he got back to the mansion. training, press releases, and social media posts became his daily activity again. he had just finished taking a fresh selfie and made his way to the living room in hopes of coming up with a great caption, when the familiar voice of morgan broke the silence. the blond chuckled at the offer. “my dietitian said I need to stay away from alcohol for a while.” with that said, he flew over to grab the glass and take a hearty sip. a little throwback to their first encounter with the pastry. 

"Mocktail then?" He pressed, still willing to take no for an answer. Morgan enjoyed his self appointed role as in-house bartender. "'come on, when's the next time you'll have me waiting on hand and foot for you?"

"Yeah..." Morgan grumpily validated before biting his lip. That was a full blown massacre, wasn't it? Not an easy word to associate with, but what could he do? "Well... would have been more worthwhile if my first kill wasn't kicking over a fucking life-sized marionette." He grinned and it reached his eyes despite the pathetic truth. "Sticking with you guys was most important to me."

Alaric's only fallout from the event was the party was ruined. Everything else was for Ash to handle, to which he had to give credit. That ginger could spin a story better than some of Hollywood's best. The only grief he felt was how the numbers of death effected his ranking more than the live themselves.

"I'm fine. I beg of you not to worry because I took a few bullets. The way things are going I'll probably take a few more." He found a place to post up and see what Morgan had been up to. From the looks of the screen he was trying to put some pieces together. "What's this all about?"

It wasn't his intention to breeze over Alaric, but there were some supes who would rather not invite a partner to lick their wounds. Everyone was different, he'd learn. Still, he smirked at the comment that their hell fire was far from finished. Dark brows lifted once Alaric asked. "I wanna figure out who's responsible."

For the massacre, the death of the mayor, and basically their main problem. Threat. "Studying the powers should be like pulling a finger print." Each supe was so terribly unique, if they were included in Paragon's database wasn't it just a matter of weeding out? "Puppetry, mind control, so a telepath." Seemingly very powerful. He and everyone else recalled that caped villain who'd bested the giant and prince. "Multiple... I'd assume at this point."

On one screen was a profile of Armature, a French supe who was gifted with calcium manipulation. He wasn't a fit. "Dylan told me that the assholes we fought on mission one could be enslaved, mind controlled, just like Ryan was for that brief time." Best to spread that information. Even if it remained a theory.