Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Chase frowned. 

Kaz was squeezing his arm while the team rode the elevator to Mighty Max. Squares of light filtered in from the cells as they passed, illuminating the serious faces of the others. Chase didn’t know much about this Experion, just that he was Calderan and could hold some insight into what they were facing.

Kaz was holding tightly. Skylar’s jaw was set. He honestly couldn’t tell if Oliver was preemptively pissed off or nervous.

Yeah, the trio certainly had a history with this guy.

Douglas had finagled the FBI into letting them have some time. He’d said it was to visit friends in Philadelphia under the watch of Skylar’s guardian, who was trustworthy with a spotless record- largely because he didn’t exist until 2013. Which was true, technically. 

What they didn’t know was that Horace Valentine was a three-thousand-year-old hero doctor who owned a hospital within a hospital that also happened to house a maximum security prison. Nor that they were interrogating an intergalactic hero turned criminal to see what he knew about the shifters.

They’d come across dead end after dead end for leads. This was a stupid, possibly dangerous idea. But they had nothing else: desperate times and all that. If anyone knew about heroes turning into villains, according to his friends, it was this guy.

Chase held his chin up. He didn’t know what they were up against, but he’d keep the team safe from it.

Bree touched his shoulder, moving next to him. They had the same understanding, nodding at each other.

The doors hissed open.

Chase took the first step. His eye cataloged each inmate as they passed the rectangular cells, along with the structural integrity and architecture of the prison.

1,054 prisoners. Triple in guards. That was quite a lot.

The black metal decor of the place did what it was meant to, making such an intimidating, solitary, desolate, and hopeless feeling flow. The floor below seemed bottomless. Sickening. 

Taunts and jeers bounced off the massive walls. Most were directed at Skylar, though a few at the other boys too. One or two at the siblings surprisingly.

Chase ignored each one, chin still high.

“You’re a murderer now, huh?” one man laughed. Skylar stiffened. “How’s it feel t’ be one of us? For the second time, that is.”

“Put a sock in it, Wifi,” Oliver kicked the shield, pulling the other two with him.

The team passed some guards on their way to the correct cell.

Was that a mannequin in guard garb?

Well, that certainly wasn’t the strangest thing in this place.

Another man in a straightjacket slammed into his forcefield door as if to jump them.

Chase summoned his bo on instinct. Bree squared herself. He cackled after, seeming proud to make them jump.

Bree stuck her tongue out, continuing behind her brother.

300-2bc. This was it.

Chase squinted in the bright white emitting from the hold. Inside sat a man who looked almost identical to Skylar, save for the darker hair marred with a white streak, replacing the pink once there.

He looked sickly thin and pale, exhaustedly slumped against the wall with his fists enclosed by handcuffs. His face was molted in bruises. Someone had a bone to pick with him. It was a growing club.

Kaz took air in harshly. Skylar’s fists clenched. Oliver simply folded his arms, unimpressed.

Experion seemed to notice the Elite Force for the first time, double-taking with his mouth open.

“S-Sky?” 

Chase heard her heart spike.

“Sky! Kaz! Oh holy-” he scooted closer on his knees, looking up at them. Kaz flinched away, face drained of color. ‘Guys- I- thank Drekk you’re here!”

Chase raised a brow. He caught Oliver’s scowl in the corner of his eye. Oliver shook his head at Chase. Chase understood.

Do. Not. Trust. Him. 

“Guys- y-you- you gotta help me!” Experion said desperately. “Get me outta here, please!”

“What the hell are you on about?” Bree rolled her eyes.

“Please-” Experion caught his breath. “They’re torturing me!”

“Well, you deserve it,” Oliver muttered.

“Sky, please-” he turned to her. She jumped. “Please, just get me out of here! They’ve beaten me every day a-and-”

He turned to Kaz.

“Kaz, you know I have good in me! I’ve learned from my mistakes. I want to be a hero again! I was one! You know that!”

Kaz trembled.

“Guys, please- just o-one more chance, I can help you-!”

Skylar’s face was hidden in her curls. Her fists shook. Fire flickered on Kaz’s shoulders. Like they were considering.

“Guys, don’t-” Oliver tried.

Chase stepped forward. Wordlessly, he pressed his palm to the scanner, opening the field. 

“Ch-Chase-?” Oliver gasped. 

“Dude, what are you-” Bree paled.

Experion looked up at Chase as he entered. Chase smiled warmly. Experion smiled back.

Chase slammed his shoe onto the back of his head, crushing it down into the floor.

The others gasped.

“Look here, Experion,” Chase’s eyes flashed as his heel ground in. “I don't know you. I don’t care about you. I owe you nothing. This is how we’re going to do this. I’ll ask you some questions. You’re going to answer them. If you refuse to, if I hear you’re lying, or if you so much as look at my team again, I’ll remove a tooth each time. That’ll sting without your regeneration, won’t it? You’ll be longing for the guards’ torture when I’m through with you if you don’t comply.”

He let Experion up, pinning him to the wall with his foot, still standing and looming over him.

Experion glanced over to Kaz, who flinched.

Chase’s knee smashed into his mouth. Experion coughed, expelling a blood pool and a tooth onto the black floor.

“I don’t think I stuttered,” Chase leaned in. “Don’t bother with them, you’re dealing with me now.”

Experion’s frightened innocence turned into something twisted and wicked as his eyes drooped and mouth curved up in a smirk.

There’s the real bastard.

“Davenport. I’ve heard of you. Weak link of your siblings, failure to your father. Charmed. What would he think of you wanting to abuse your status and abuse the criminals condemned by it? I’m sure he’d be disappointed, no?”

“No,” Chase shrugged, crouching down and yanking him by the shirt. “You think I abuse my status? You’d have a fun time meeting him. And please, your manipulation doesn’t work on me. Frankly, I find it insulting that you even attempted.”

“Ah, the brainy one, right? Like that means anything. But sure, I’ll bite, kid. What do you want from me? Your tactics aren’t that heroic, are they?”

“I’m older than you for one, kid. You misjudge. You’d be surprised what lengths I go to when people I love are in danger.”

“Precious.”

“I’m going to level you this: you mean nothing to me. I don’t know the story. You are insignificant. A stepping stone for what I seek. I don’t care how much I have to hurt you to get answers.”

“You’re ruthless,” Experion grinned bloodily. “I like that.”

“Whoopdie-fucking-doo,” Chase tightened his grip. “Tell me what you know. About a man named Rodissius.”

“Who?”

“Father to a group of shapeshifters.”

“Shapeshifters are about ten percent of the hero population. Get more specific.”

“6’5”. Recluse. Thirteen children. Was once a hero.”

“Hm,” Experion would’ve probably been tapping his chin if his hands were free. “Jogs my memory. But what’s in it for me if I tell you what I know?”

“You’ll be largely unharmed,” Chase summoned his laser in a baton form. “But if you don’t-” It hissed through the sleeve of his prison uniform. “It’ll cost you an arm and a leg.”

“You bluffing? Aren’t you hero types more noble or whatever?”

“Try me.”

“Seriously, man, what are you doing with these losers?” Experion laughed hoarsely, more orange blood spraying from his mouth. “You’d make a great villain.”

“Not my style,” Chase bit. “See, normally I don’t do this so intensely. But from what I’ve put together, you hurt my friends. That makes you pretty high on the shit list.”

Experion glanced at Kaz again. Chase punched him once more. Two more teeth popped out. He laughed brokenly again.

“Dude! You stooped yourself low enough to be with him? Damn, there is no helping you.”

Chase scowled. “My patience is running out. What do you know?”

“Ah,” Experion shrugged. “Met him like once at a hero mixer. Boring guy. Hates normos. Can’t say I blame him.” Oliver darkened. He had an arm around both of his friends. Chase was honestly surprised that he didn’t rush in there with him to beat this guy to a pulp. “Dunno what happened to turn him south. Don’t really care. All you heroes with your savior complexes and holier-than-thou attitudes disinterest a guy pretty fast.”

“Do you know where he resides?”

“Maybe.”

“Tell me.”

“Mm… nah. Get outta my cell. It’s chicken pot pie night.”

“Tell me.”

“Fine, fine. Last I heard, Vermont or somethin’. Who knows. Who cares. I mean, you can find him I'm sure. Super smart or whatever. Aren’t you? At least, I’m sure that’s what you’ve told yourself. But you haven’t made much headway in your case, have you?”

Chase faltered.

“How many more innocents are gonna die, Davenport? How many have you let them off? How about the next hero they whack? We talk in this prison. We know what they’re up to. And fully support it, by the way. A world without heroes sounds fantastic. Oh, have you thought of this in your infinite wisdom? What happens when they go for your family? What’ll you do then?”

“Shut up,” Chase growled.

Experion smirked. 

“Mom and baby are home alone right now, aren’t they? What if they got paid a visit while you’re shaking me down?”

“Shut up.”

He could hear Bree’s heart racing.

“I’m sure getting rid of them would drain the fight from your annoying family, wouldn’t it? What would you do? If mommy dearest was gone.”

Chase’s teeth ground. His vision tunneled as his fist clenched on Experion’s collar.

“Chase,” Oliver’s voice cut through. “He’s trying to make you angry. Trying to make you cross the line. You’re better than him. And we have what we need. Let’s go.”

Chase took a deep breath. He glared at Experion’s smug smirk, dropping him as he stood and wordlessly exited. Three of four followed behind him

Experion raised his eyebrows tauntingly at Oliver.

Oliver flipped him the bird, turning on his heel.

~*~

Experion continued laughing to himself. For someone who was supposedly stone solid in his resolve, it was awfully easy to crumble that by mentioning his dear family. Can hear when you lie. Hah. He didn’t even know what the hell a Vermont was.

There was a knock on his shield. 

The guard opened the door, sliding a plate of food across the floor. Experion’s cuffs dropped. 

“Eat up. They’ll be back in twenty minutes.”

The guard left.

At the codeword of twenty, Experion found the paper baked in. A note. Summoning from the boss. Fun. Experion opened his mouth, regrowing his teeth. The bruises vanished. Blood soaked back into his body. 

He ate the food, turned on the hologram projector, and opened a space portal.

“Sorry pal,” he told his false self. “Got to bounce.”

He jumped in.

~*~

Oliver shut the boys’ door. He looked at his friends.

There wasn’t anything he could say. He wished he’d snapped that bastard’s neck when he had the chance.

All he did was wordlessly step forward, enveloping both of them in an embrace. Skylar was stiff as a board. Kaz melted in too much. Oliver frowned.

~*~

“Sky…” 

“I don’t want to talk about it,” Skylar continued hitting the punching bag. 

“I know,” Bree came up behind her, putting a hand between her shoulder blades. Skylar paused for the first time in the three hours since they’d gotten back. “I know you. And I’m not asking you to spill your guts to me-”

“He’s a manipulative degenrach with no regard for anyone but his fuckwad self.”

“I did get that, yeah.”

“Pretended to be my best friend. My brother,” she punched again, vein bulging in her neck. “Only to stab me in the fucking back, working with the man who took everything from me. I despise him. What I’d give to bash his face in-”

Bree exhaled.

“Except I couldn’t. I was too cowardly to even face him. Skylar Storm, the coward.”

“Actually,” Bree shrugged. “You’re braver than he ever could be. For keeping yourself back. And your chin high. He’s a pathetic little man. You’re the hero who bested him.”

Skylar blinked.

“I think you gained back what you lost and then some. Mostly due to your own merits.”

The anger receded. A small smile graced Skylar’s face. “...Yeah. I did.”

She put her arm around her, leaning down to kiss her. Skylar knew she meant in terms of her power and will, but Skylar had gained her and the boys, which more than made up for the losses she went through, in her opinion. 

 “... Bachelorette?”

“Obviously.”

~*~

Kaz looked up when there was a soft tap tap on the door frame.

Chase opened the door to their room slightly. “Can I come in?”

Shit.

He was surely here to lecture Kaz on how he froze up in there. How useless he was. Kaz quickly wiped under his eyes.

“Uh- y-yeah, sure man.”

Chase entered. He found Kaz sitting beside one of his comic bookshelves, hidden in the corner. It was too reminiscent of how he’d hidden to escape the chaos in his family. Somewhat comforting in the bittersweet familiarity.

Chase walked up to him. Kaz braced himself.

He sat crisscrossed in front of him. Kaz blinked. “...I don’t know what you and he were. I don’t know what happened between you. And you never have to tell me. But I just want to let you know that you can if you need to.”

Kaz blinked twice now.

Chase pulled himself to his feet as if to leave.

“Wait-” Chase paused. Kaz had grabbed the hem of the cardigan he’d changed into out of his orange-spattered garments. Kaz swallowed. “...Stay?”

~*~

“We weren’t anything, really,” Kaz sighed. He’d deflated considerably. Chase was listening intently across from him. “He knew how I felt. And he used that. His goal was to get Skylar. And he knew that I mean a lot to her. So he played me. Manipulated my crush to use me against her. Oli even found in the notes he’d left behind that his plan b was to use me as a hostage. Force Skylar to come with him in exchange for my safety. Which she would’ve done, obviously. Hero head over there. Sky and Oliver have not a damn clue what I felt. I don’t think I’ll ever tell them. I was fourteen.”

“Holy hell, Kaz.”

“Yeah. I know. And I thought I’d really give him hell for using me like that. I had a whole list of words to throw in his face. And then I saw him. And froze. He still has power over me.”

“I can understand that,” Chase said, settling his smaller hand over Kaz’s. 

Kaz peeked at him. “You can? With falling head-over-heels for someone who wanted to destroy everyone you love?”

“Oh yeah.” 

Try twice. Two and a half maybe, as all he felt for Marcus was excitement to have a friend. And that was technically Adam and Bree’s mistake as well.

“How do you get over the guilt?”

“Ask me again when I have,” Chase snorted. Kaz smiled, tracing the scars on Chase’s knuckles with his free hand. One he touched sent a jolt through Chase. One from him.  

Chase exhaled, collecting himself.

“Kaz. You are worth much more. You deserve much more. And I’ll do everything in my power to keep you from being hurt like that again.”

Before he registered moving, Chase shifted to his knees and leaned forward, pressing a kiss to Kaz’s forehead. 

Kaz stared at him. Chase stared back, processing.

“Uh… does that mean…?”

“I-If you want to be,” Chase reddened.

“If you want me back.”

Chase nodded. All sadness vanished from Kaz’s face in an instant. He whooped happily, grabbing Chase, yanking him into his lap, and pressing kisses all over his face while Chase giggled.

~*~

“Oh,” Bree commented when Chase and Kaz came down the small staircase hand in hand as they made it to the kitchen. “They’re back together.”

“Cute,” Skylar smiled.

“Back together? They broke up? Huh?”

“Like over a month ago,” Oliver’s head rested in Skylar’s lap as he read a comic book.

“What?” Leo shrieked.

Bree turned back to her phone. “Yeah.”

“He never tells me anything anymore!” Leo complained. “We hardly speak!”

“Your call yesterday was seven hours. And that was the shortest in the past two weeks.”

“I don’t see your point.”

 Bree rolled her eyes.

~*~

“What’s that?” Bree asked.

Chase put the black rock in a compartment downstairs after pulling it from his pocket, sealing the box with a retina scan. “Nothing. Backup.”

She had the feeling the coal wasn’t only backup against Experion.  

Chapter Text

purely bc ao3 is being weird and showing this below some of my other works on the tag list lol

will probably delete later