Dark Pasts & Deep Secrets

Chapter One

The alarm clock buzzed gently on the side table and Morgan felt Alex shift on the bed next to them. Morgan cracked open their eyes and glanced around the dimly lit room, smiling softly at Alex as they shifted around into Morgan's arms once more. Morgan reached over to turn off the alarm clock and gently nudged Alex fully awake. 

"Darling, we have to wake up," Morgan signed to Alex's barely opened eyes. Alex nodded and snuggled closer, stretching their legs out and moaning as they did so. Morgan chuckled as the vibrations from Alex's groans of awakening trembled through their connected chests, causing Alex to look up and smile brightly, instantly raising Morgan's spirits. The two went about their morning routine, getting dressed and ready for the day, until the small wristband on Alex's right wrist vibrated and lit up. Alex glanced down and looked up, worried, at Morgan.

"It's perfectly fine, dear," Morgan said, walking over and kissing them gently on the forehead. "Go off and save the world. Just come home safe, alright?" Morgan handed Alex their suit and waved goodbye as they quickly changed and flew out the bedroom window, which in their suburban neighborhood was invisible to neighbors thanks to the 9-foot privacy fence bordering their backyard. 

Morgan continued on their day, feeding the dog and cat, watering the garden, and unloading the dishwasher. Their day was rather uneventful until the doorbell rang, lighting up from near the door way of each room in the house as it rang. Morgan walked to the front door and glanced out of the peephole before quickly opening it and yanking the person on the other side into the door before checking for Mrs. Lambert across the street, as she had a bit of a nasty habit of staring out her window. It seemed she must have been busy at that moment, because the window was clear. Sighing in relief and turning back to the man in their living room, Morgan placed their hands on their hips and felt their face contort slightly with frustration. 

"What have I told you all?" They demanded. "Do not come over here, under any circumstances. I will come to you all. Why is that hard to understand?" Morgan didn't ask how he found them, they didn't have to. They could always be found, it was part of the old job. The man in their living room stood in full uniform, a bright green spandex uniform with black designs and a mask covering half their face.

The villain cringed, "I'm sorry, chief, but Max insisted. He knows you're in it with Decibel and he wanted to warn you. He wants you to come to HQ. He'd come himself, but you know how he gets after visions."

Morgan pinched the bridge of their nose and sighed. "I'm out, Sam. As in, no longer in the game. Retired. And I told Max that when I left." 

Sam shrugged, "Don't know what to tell you chief. You know I wouldn't have come if it wasn't serious though."

Morgan nodded, "I know. But you're changing. And we're taking my car. Bathroom's down the hall and to the left. Hurry." With that, Morgan strode to their bedroom and hit a button on a knot in the wood on the side of the handmade dresser. A small click sounded and Morgan opened the third drawer down, grabbing a small key and remote, pointing the remote at the peaceful landscape painting and inputting a several digit code before slipping the key into a tiny, nearly invisible groove in the smallest mountain. The painting slid open and a nearly folded suit and mask laid within the alcove, along with a small utility belt on top. Morgan put on the suit quickly slipping into old routine and grabbing the black work boots out of the closet, putting them on and clicking toes, heels, toes in quick succession, transforming the boots into combat boots, the soles now logoed the same as the suit and with soundless soles that would never leave even the tiniest vibrations in their wake. Morgan grabbed a hoodie and sunglasses, slipping them on, his mask into his pocket, and slicking back their hair, walking out of the bedroom to meet Sam in the living room, his suit covered by a bomber jacket and his normal jeans over his legs, mask tucked into his pocket. The two nodded at each other and walked to the garage. Morgan took the lead, and when Sam spoke he sounded giddy.