Chad Undercover

Breaking and Entering

Chad leaned against the wall in the dimly lit alley, staring at his hands. The one good thing about this mission was the potion made him feel like he had his arms back. Even if it wasn't true, it was a nice feeling, and he found himself rubbing his hands together often just to savor it.

It had been two weeks since he had gone undercover, and he was moved into an apartment in Morgan's building. The problem now was figuring out how to get hired by the gang. He had managed to find the warehouse, and he was hoping to find some clues about the hiring process inside. He was dressed in old, ratted clothes and he held a bottle wrapped in a brown paper bag, hoping to be mistaken for a random drunk as he waited for the building to be empty.

He was almost nodding off when he finally heard the slamming of the door and a jingle of keys as it was locked. A peak out of his hiding spot and he saw a man slipping his keys into his pocket. It was almost laughable how easy it was to snatch them as the man passed. His brother really should hire more attentive minions. None the less, Chad sat still for several more minutes to ensure the coast was clear before standing and tossing the bottle into a bin.

He moved to the door, trying a few keys before finding the right one and moving into the dark warehouse. The only sound he could hear was the whirring of the vent fans and a soft buzzing from a single fluorescent light on the other side of the massive room. Chad wasn't sure what he was looking for exactly, but he figured that would be a good place to start his search.

The disguised hero picked his way carefully across the room, trying to stay as quiet as possible as he moved to the flickering light. The place was a mess, but he could see scattered documents on a table, and a shelf with more files behind it.

Time to start digging.

Chad moved to start on the papers on the table, leaning over it a bit as he started to shuffle through them for anything useful.

In an instant, the room came alive. Mechanical arms snapped out from under the table, grabbing Chad's wrists and ankles. His cry of surprise was cut short as he was flipped onto his back and slammed down on the table, knocking the wind out of him. He gasped, struggling against the arms, but without his super strength he was helpless. A sharp, whirring sound echoed painfully throughout the warehouse as a spinning sawblade began to descend from the ceiling and towards his vulnerable abdomen.

Chad struggled more violently at the sight, knowing he could get out of here if he used his powers, but that would break the spell and reveal his true identity.

The hero didn't get the chance, though, as the saw blade suddenly stopped approaching. The spinning slowed to a stop, and it began to raise back into place as the lights in the room turned on.

Chad shut his eyes against the oppressive glare, trying to catch his breath, though the mechanical arms still held him tight. A familiar laugh echoed around the room, sending a bit of a chill down the hero's spine. The table started to tilt up, holding the bound hero upright, and Chad squinted, eyes slowly adjusting, to see someone approaching.

"Why?" It was Morgan's voice, and as his vision began to clear, Chad could see his brother coming up to him, jeans, t-shirt and flannel, holding a cup of something that was steaming. "Why does this trick always work? It shouldn't, but it does every time." They laughed as they drew closer, a threatening presence given the hero's current position. "Everyone is drawn to the light like moths to a flame..." The villain continued, and Chad met the green glare, unsure of what was the other was planning. "But this trap is meant for my nemeses, not some random thief off the street." Morgan stepped closer, grabbing the hero by the collar, and yanking him forward. "What the fuck are you doing in my warehouse?" They demanded, a malevolent glare locked on the panicking man.