Chad Undercover

The Hen in the Fox House

Chad took a deep breath as he approached the warehouse. 'You can do this, Chad.' He said to himself, psyching himself up. 'The city is counting on you.... Mother is counting on you...'

He slowed to a stop at the door, staring at it for a moment. Just inside was a room full of nefarious criminals, led by his own brother, and as far as they knew, Chad was just like them.

Here goes nothing.

He knocked on the door the way the instructions Morgan had given him said to, and he stepped back, steeling himself for what may come. He could handle this. He'd handled far more dangerous things, and this was just a bunch of regular people with one D list villain. All he had to do was smile and play the part.

The door opened, and Chad's smile vanished in an instant. He felt his heart drop in his chest as he met a familiar set of golden eyes.

Alex stood at the door, glaring at the disguised hero silently. Chad held the stare like a deer in the headlights, having to remind himself the other couldn't read minds. There was no way the villain knew who he was already. "Um... hello... It's me... J-Jim... the new recruit." He said, though the villain didn't seem to react, just staring the hero down.

"Who is it, Alex?" A familiar voice came from behind the terrifying man, and Chad visibly relaxed as Alex was nudged aside so that the shorter Morgan could see. "Ah! Jim! You're right on time!" The friendly gaze was the polar opposite of the glare Chad was still getting.

"I see we've picked up another wayward soul..." Alex growled, eyes never leaving the hero.

Morgan nodded and gestured between the two. "Alex, this is our new recruit, Jim Brown. Jim this is my partner, Alex Stewart."

Chad forced a smile back on his face as he tried to greet the murderer. "um.... It's nice to meet you... um... Alex!" As he spoke, Alex began to move oppressively close, making the hero shrink down and take a small step back.

"I'm sure it is...." Alex hissed, and Chad felt like the man was staring right into his soul.

What felt like an eternity of fear was only a moment, before Morgan pulled Alex back. "Relax, Alex, I already vetted him, no need to make the poor thing shit himself." They said with a laugh that seemed far too casual given the circumstances.

Alex seemed to back off a bit at the other's prodding, but his eyes never left the hero. "Considering I'm only dangerous to the ones that betray you, I'm sure this one has nothing to fear..." He said, the threat clear.

"Alright, enough menacing the newbie." Morgan said, ushering Chad inside. "I have to introduce him to the crew before the stake out."

Chad suddenly found himself in the thick of it, dragged out in front of a few dozen thugs. Memories of his parents parading him in front of camera crews and reporters as a child flashed through his mind as a familiar sort of fear gripped him. This time, he was in much more danger though.

"Everyone, thank you for coming!" Morgan called out, and a room full of hardened criminals went silent, looking up at their boss and listening respectfully. "I know not everyone is involved in the stakeout tonight, but I wanted to introduce the newest member of the gang." All eyes turned to the hero, and Chad felt his heartbeat quicken, especially given the golden gaze he could still feel from the back of the room.

"This is Jim Brown, he's new to this side of town. He's young, but he has a history of petty crimes and smuggling going back about 8 years to highschool. He's been involved in a few team jobs, but never anything like a gang, so tonight will be his first night of training." Morgan said and Chad blinked, glancing at the other is surprise.