Green Defender: What Do You Want?

Chapter 1 Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

14 Years Ago
Jadetown, Vermont

Adam sighed and smiled to himself as he started putting his books away in his book bag. It had been a long day at school, and he was glad it was over. Well, mostly over, anyway. There was one more thing he needed to do today before he headed home, but he figured it wouldn’t take long to do.

“Hey Adam!” a familiar voice greeted, making the young man blush brighter than the red of his hair as he turned to face his best friend.

“H-Hey Roxanne,” Adam replied, shrinking a little at the sight of the raven-haired goth girl.

“So, um…what are you up to after school today?” Roxanne inquired a little nervously. “Because I was thinking about going to the mall or something, if you wanna come along.”

“Uh, I’d really like to…buuut, I kinda have a thing I gotta do,” Adam whimpered, suddenly feeling like stuffing his head in his locker and shutting the door hard on it. “I told Miss Bison I’d stay after school for a little while. She said she wanted me to go over some stuff with her. Might help get me some extra credit.”

“...O-Oh,” Roxy muttered, looking a little concerned. “...Um, Adam, I don’t…I mean, I’ve been hearing some stuff about Miss Bison.”

Adam blinked, confused. “What kinda stuff?”

“BAD stuff,” Roxanne answered, lowering her voice a little. “I’m not sure what it all means, but…just be careful around her, okay?”

“Aww, I’m sure it’s just rumours and stuff, but okay, I promise I’ll be careful,” Adam insisted with a smile.

Roxanne returned the smile, albeit halfheartedly. “Okay…I-I guess I’ll see you tomorrow. Bye.”

Adam nodded, watching as his best friend turned and left, headed down the stairwell. Once she was gone, he headed the opposite direction, making his way to English class. There, a tall blonde woman, Miss Bison, was standing in the doorway, apparently waiting for him. The fact that she’d clearly been watching him this whole time made him incredibly nervous, but he shook it off.

It’s just bad people saying bad stuff, Adam assured himself as he walked up to the teacher smiling ear-to-ear at him. Even if it was true, what’s the worst that could happen…?

Present Day
St. Jonas, Maine

“So, ‘what’s the worst that could happen’, huh?!” Thomas Rollins, AKA Crimson Quiver, demanded as he dashed with all of his might across the rooftops of Redtail.

“Hey, when you gotta go, you gotta go!” Hira Malik, AKA Saffron Sniper, shouted back as the duo chased after the man currently leaping off the roof they were on, landing atop the next building over.

CQ rolled his eyes, running to the edge of the building and jumping across the gap between buildings. The two bow-wielding superheroes had been staking out the Redtail Arts Gallery all night on a tip that locally renowned thief and bounty hunter, Hector Gutiérrez, AKA Angélico, was planning to steal a rare statue for a mob boss. Unfortunately, Hira had apparently been waiting a bit too long and needed to use the little sidekick’s room, at which point Gutiérrez struck.

“If we lose that statue because you needed a potty break, you’re adding an empty bottle to your list of equipment!” Thomas threatened, watching as Hector jumped and tucked into an open window.

“We’re not gonna lose him!” Saffron Sniper insisted, the pair reaching the window. “Look, he’s got nowhere to—”

Just as Hira was saying those exact words, zie found zirself having to duck out of the way of a baseball bat being swung zir way by someone hiding next to the window, waiting for the heroes to enter. Crimson Quiver swung around and fired an arrow into the bat, knocking it out of the thug’s hand, only for more goons to emerge from the shadows of the room, blocking the heroes’ way to Angélico with pipes and hammers and bats and other such blunt weapons. Leading the thugs was a bald man Thomas was all too familiar with.

“Damien Durst,” CQ greeted arguably Redtail’s most brutal thug and mugger. “Didn’t know you were back on the streets. Good behaviour, or just no one in the prison could stand you?”

“Eat a dick!” Durst hollered, hoisting up a sledgehammer and swinging it for the Red Bolt’s head, only to miss horribly and smash a hole into the wall, getting his weapon stuck briefly.

“Yikes, great aim on these guys!” Hira observed sarcastically as the bow-wielding vigilantes ducked and weaved around the wild swings of the thugs, tripping them up here and there. “Good thing they don’t play baseball!”

“No kidding!” Thomas shot back, kicking one goon in the gut and knocking him back into two more. “The only home runs they’d get is when they had to run home to get away from angry fans!”

Having enough of the insults, Damien gathered together the last of the standing goons, preparing to charge Crimson Quiver all at once. However, all that did was make them easy pickings for Saffron Sniper. With one shot of a bola arrow, zie managed to tie up the whole lot of them, sending them tumbling to the floor.

“Wow, you were right,” Malik noted, a hand on zir hip. “They really CAN’T handle snark at all.”

CQ nodded, gesturing to the far door before jogging towards it. “C’mon, these guys were an obvious distraction.”

“How far ahead do you think Angélico got?” Hira asked as the two approached a stairwell with a large gap in the centre of it.

“Hard to say!” Thomas admitted, sliding down carefully through the gap and landing as gingerly as he could on the floor three stories down. “If we can pick up his trail, we might be able to…”

As Saffron Sniper landed behind her mentor, zie looked ahead, spotting what he was looking at: Angélico, handcuffed and unconscious on the ground. “...Um, or he’s already down. Go team?”

CQ blinked hard, baffled at what he was seeing. Kneeling down next to Hector, he gave him a light tap, just to make sure he was out. On closer observation, he spotted a tiny puncture wound on the side of his neck. His heart seemed to stop for a moment as he recognized it, knowing what it likely meant.

“Thought you could use a hand,” a voice in the dark declared, Crimson Quiver and Saffron Sniper spinning around to face the source: The Green Defender, standing in the shadows beneath the stairs.

“...Whoa,” Hira whispered. “You’re…him.”

“I am,” GD replied, taking a step forward. “You must be Saffron Sniper.”

“Uh huh,” the yellow-clad archer answered, more than a bit blown away, all the while zir mentor stood in awkward silence behind zir. “And…you’re a lot taller than CQ made you out to be. I mean, I expected you to be tall and dark, but…wow. So tall and dark.”

The Jade Thunderbird gave a nod before turning his attention to his former partner. “...Hello, Thomas.”

“...Adam,” Crimson Quiver greeted, feeling like he had a frog in his throat. “Just passing through to see the sights?”

GD sighed, shifting slightly. “It’s been brought to my attention that…we need to have a conversation.”

CQ inhaled deeply through his nose, having dreaded that exact sentence. “...Hira, do you think you could handle dropping Gutiérrez off for the police?”

“Yeah, I got it,” Saffron Sniper retorted in a deadpan tone, walking over to Hector and very carefully hoisting him up over zir shoulder. “C’mon, Angélico. Abu and Baba apparently need to have a talk.”

“Without the commentary, please?” Thomas asked, annoyed.

“Well, I guess the thugs upstairs aren’t the only ones who can’t handle snark,” Hira noted as zie carried Hector out the front door.

Sighing hard, the Red Bolt turned to face his ex-boyfriend again. “...So. To what do I owe the pleasure?”

GD folded his arms, unamused. “Look, we haven’t had a chance to talk since the whole solar-powered-robot thing in Halifax a few months ago. Since then, the Hexagon have been discussing the possibility of increasing our ranks to better deal with threats, and—”

“You felt we should clear the air in case your friends consider the possibility of bringing me into the fold?” Thomas guessed, leaning against the wall.

“...Actually, your name has already been brought up, and…we’ve unanimously agreed that, if we start bringing more people in, you should be among them,” the Celadon Ranger admitted.

Crimson Quiver blinked hard, surprised. “...Oh. Well…I didn’t see that coming.”

“But you are right,” Adam acknowledged. “We need to settle things before we start working together again.”

“Whoa, who said I’d even WANT to join your team?” the red-clad archer demanded, only to feel stupid as the Jade Thunderbird merely gave him an ‘are you kidding me’ look. “...Alright, yes, of course I want to join. I just don’t know how smart that is.”

“Look, I know there are still hurt feelings between us,” GD admitted. “I should. I AM one of us, after all. And I know that some things have happened since—”

“I know you’re the father of Bard’s kid,” the Red Bolt interjected, stunning his counterpart.

“Wh-...How do you even know she’s pregnant?” the Celadon Ranger demanded.

“Found out from Hira, who found out from Elise, who found out from Tommy, who lives in the same compound as the Bard,” Thomas answered, folding his arms.

Green Defender rubbed the back of his head, confused. “I…didn’t even know Hira and Elise talked.”

“Yeah, apparently, our sidekicks are all planning on forming a team of some sort,” Crimson Quiver acknowledged. “Which is neither here nor there. Point is, I know a friend of Robina’s got her pregnant, and it didn’t take much to figure out that friend was probably you.”

Adam sighed hard, his shoulders slumping. “...Look, I was just doing her a favour. As a friend.”

“Most friends don’t consider humping each other’s brains out as a favour,” Thomas countered, his voice dripping in annoyance. “I know you, Adam. There’s something more there. Maybe not for her, but for you.”

“No, there really isn’t,” GD argued, getting a bit more base in his tone. “And even if there was, so-the-f*ck-what? We’re not involved.”

“Oh, so you’re not gonna be there for her and the kid?” CQ inquired, closing the gap between the two instantly. “You’re not gonna take one look at that kid when they’re born and decide you need to be their father? You’re not gonna act like your own discomfort at the situation doesn’t matter as long as you get to do the right thing?!”

“Oh, WOW, have I not missed this!” the Jade Thunderbird growled. “You think I don’t know I have a problem?! Or has your personal spy into my workings not told you I’ve been seeing a therapist about it?!”

“Oh, are they one of the folks who have been helping you in OTHER areas?” Thomas asked with a sneer.

“No!” Adam yelled, immediately feeling a bit awkward. “...I mean, I did ‘see’ someone whose mother is a therapist once, but that’s—”

“Oh, yeah, the little guy,” CQ reminded himself, smirking a little. “Gotta admit, didn’t think you were into goth boys in high heels.”

“HEY, he’s a grown-ass adult, okay?!” GD hollered. “And why does this have to be about my sex life?! You don’t see me taking shots at you for the people you date! Or would you prefer I did?! Go ahead, gimme a name!”

“NOBODY, OKAY?!” the Red Bolt roared, practically nose-to-nose with his ex. “I haven’t seen one damned person since we broke up! It’s been hard for me, and unlike some people, I don’t get over tragic heartbreak via drinks and sex!”

“OH, so, THAT’S your problem!” the Jade Thunderbird remarked. “I’m a whor* for trying to get over you my way! Or maybe you just can’t stand the fact that I’m f*cking ANYONE but you!”

“God, you know, I don’t even remember what I liked about you to begin with!” Thomas yelled.

“Oh, well, here’s a hint, Mr. Holier-Than-Thou: ‘THOSE MUSCLES’!” Adam exclaimed with a slight, mocking grin.

CQ huffed hard at that statement, but more-so the grin on his ex’s face. It made him so out-of-control angry, all he wanted to do was to tear that grin off of the redhead’s face. To make his face make ANY other expression other than the one that made him so Goddamned angry.

And so it was that, in less than an hour later, the pair were back in Crimson Quiver’s loft, completely naked save for their boots, masks, and gloves, and having loud, angry, passionate sex atop Thomas’ computer desk. The only words to escape their lips were curse words and grunts as the two humped against each other hard, Otherwise, their mouths were occupied with kissing and licking and biting and sucking each other all over, Adam jacking their co*cks together in the palm of his hand.

“f*cking…asshole…!” Thomas groaned as he groped and spanked his ex-boyfriend’s ass with both hands. “Make…me…cum…!!!”

Adam nodded hard, kissing the Red Bolt hard, their tongues grinding hard against and around each other’s, as he jerked their prongs wildly. Eventually, the redhead grunted into his former partner’s mouth as he released a fountain of sem*n all over his hand and belly. Knowing his job was only half-done, though, he slid off of the desk and took Thomas’ rod into his mouth, sucking and slurping on it loudly until his counterpart likewise hit his limit, sending spunk running down GD’s throat.

Panting hard and wiping his forehead, CQ leaned back against the desk, watching as the Jade Thunderbird swallowed his jism whole. “...Holy sh*t…That was…I mean, this doesn’t change—”

“I wanted you to stay,” Adam muttered, looking down at the floor, unable to meet Thomas’ gaze. “When you told me you were leaving. I wanted to tell you to stay. I wanted to beg and cry and plead for you to stay.”

Thomas sighed hard, kneeling down in front of his ex and putting his hands on the redhead’s shoulders. “...I know.”

“I wish I could fix it,” GD admitted, finally looking back up to face his former partner. “I wish I could go back and make it right. But…”

“Hey boss, do you know if-AHHH!” the pair heard a voice cry out, turning to face the entrance to the room and seeing Saffron Sniper standing there, turning away from the two of them. “Oh jeez! I didn’t mean to see that-YOU! You two like that! Oh man!”

“I’m sorry!” the Celadon Ranger grunted as he and the Red Bolt hurriedly put their clothes back on. “Really, I’m…I’m sorry. I think maybe I should just leave.”

“WAIT!” Hira exclaimed, holding an arm out while keeping zir other hand over zir eyes. “Wait, I actually was coming to see if CQ knew where you were! Elise just called, said she’s been trying to contact you on the comms for the past twenty minutes!”

GD blinked, confused, until he suddenly realised his earpiece was on the floor, scooping it up and putting it back in. “BG, this is GD, copy?”

“There you are!” Elise cried, sounding relieved and angry all at once. “Where the hell were you?!

“I was…on a mission,” Adam lied, earning eye rolls from everyone else in the room. “What’s happening? Is everything alright in St. Jonas?”

“St. Jonas is fine, but…” Blue Guardian started to say before trailing off awkwardly. “Look, truth is, I dunno if you even wanna hear about this, but—”

“Just say it,” GD ordered.

The Azure Sparrow sighed hard before explaining, “Catherine says the SJPD got a call. Every police department along the east coast is looking for a woman who was supposed to be brought in for questioning about her…’involvement’ with an underage boy.”

“Any chance this woman has a name?” the Jade Thunderbird asked, still confused.

At first, there was no reply, but soon enough, Elise managed to utter two words: “...Andrea Bison.”

Hearing that name, GD was sure his blood had turned completely to ice. He couldn’t move, or speak, or barely even breathe. All he could do was stand completely still, his mind venturing back to when he was 16-years-old, heading into English class, where his whole life was changed forever.

“...Adam?” BG asked, snapping him out of it. “Are you okay?”

Adam cleared his throat hard, giving his head a tiny shake. “...Yeah. I’ll contact you again soon. Thanks.”

“...What was that all about?” Thomas asked, confused at his ex-partner’s stance.

Inhaling hard, Green Defender slowly turned to face the raven-haired man, the Jade Thunderbird’s expression completely unreadable. “...I need your help.”

Notes:

...YYYUP. After all this time, we're finally going there. Not only is it time for Green Defender to decide who and what he wants for the rest of his life, but we're finally addressing what happened to him as a kid and (hopefully) giving him some closure over that and a few other things in his life (like his breakup with CQ). And I figured I'd also make a few additions to his backstory, such as his best friend from high school, Roxanne MacReady...who is, of course, a dark-haired goth... ... ...because that is so his type. lol
Oh yeah, and this is the first time I've gotten to use Saffron Sniper's preferred pronouns in a story, too. If you can't remember them, don't worry, they and them are also okay.
But yeah, if you can't tell from this chapter, be aware that there's gonna be a lot of sex, violence, and angst in this story. And, while I will not be showing the event in detail, the fact that Adam was raped in high school is a subject that has great importance on this story. Soooo...continue on at your discretion. If you do, though, I hope you enjoy it, as this is probably gonna be one of those stories that's very personal to me.

Chapter 2 Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

14 Years Ago
Jadetown, Vermont

Roxanne practically purred as she exited the store she’d just spent a half an hour inside. She’d found some fantastic new clothes, including a new choker she was particularly fond of, as well as some make-up that would compliment them well. She couldn’t wait to get home and try them on right away.

As she headed for the mall’s exit, though, the young goth teen spotted someone up ahead that made her heart skip. Starting to jog towards him, though, she couldn’t help but notice there seemed to be something odd about Adam. His usual jovial walk was replaced with what could potentially be described as him dragging his feet along the floor. His face and eyes, usually so happy and full of life, seemed completely drained. And his hair, while usually pretty messy, was now extremely so.

“...Adam?” Roxy asked as she got within earshot of him, the redhead stopping as she stood in front of him. “Are you okay?”

“...Wanted to see…if you were still here,” Adam whispered, his eyes twitching as he shifted uncomfortably.

“What happened to you?” the raven-haired goth inquired, seeing how ruffled up his clothes were and spotting a light bruise on his neck. “Oh my God, did someone beat you up?!”

“N-No, I…I…” Adam stammered, shaking his head hard as he looked down at the ground. “I was…Miss Bison, and…I didn’t…”

Roxanne was utterly baffled. He looked and sounded like someone who had been through Hell and back, starting to curl up and grip his jacket tightly. It wasn’t until his best friend looked a little closer at the bruise on his neck, seeing it for what it really was, and then looking into the blank void in his eyes again, that she realised where he got said bruise.

“...Miss Bison, did she…did she hurt you?” Roxy asked.

When Adam didn’t respond, still looking down at the floor. Roxanne looked down as well, only now realising her friend’s fly was open, and quickly noticing a lack of underwear. And while she was initially embarrassed by the sight of her best friend’s penis on display, what made her forget her embarrassment was the sight of very obvious bruising there as well.

Roxanne’s jaw came unhinged as she dropped her bags in sheer horror, quickly pulling the boy into a tight hug. His mind was so clouded over at that point that he couldn’t even register what she was saying. Instead, he merely reached out and wrapped his arms around her, letting her hold him, as it alone seemed to make the horrific event he’d just been through make him feel a little less like he wanted to die.

Present Day
St. Jonas, Maine

Elise Hicks, the Blue Guardian, groaned as she stood perched atop a building overlooking the metro station, holding her cloak around herself as the wind started to pick up. She didn’t mind being out there by herself. She’d patrolled solo before whenever Green Defender needed to be called in to assist the Hexagon on a mission or the like. However, this was a different case, as she was now being told to watch St. Jonas while he might be gone for days, and was going to have to work with people he called in to assist her.

Well, it could be worse, the Azure Sparrow considered, watching the subway train leave. Whoever he picked out for me to work with, can’t be any more awkward than who he’s working with.

“...Hey there,” Elise heard a voice call out from her left, turning to see, of all people, Sonya Strider, AKA Ballistic Blossom, standing a few feet away.

Oh, look at that, I was wrong, the young redhead thought, fighting back the urge to grumble.

“Heyyy…BB…!” Blue Guardian greeted, trying to be as friendly as she could to her older brother’s occasional romantic liaison. “How are ya?”

“I’m doing okay,” the raven-haired woman in a bright green costume replied. “GD called, told me I might need to help you look after St. Jonas for a little bit.”

“Well, it’s kind of a quiet night tonight,” BG retorted, arms folded. “You missed getting to see me punch out a pimp, though.”

“Oh, well, that must’ve been fun,” Sonya remarked, still keeping her distance.

“A little bit,” the Azure Sparrow admitted, rubbing her elbows. “So, what did GD tell you about what’s going on?”

“The cliffnotes, mostly,” BB answered uncomfortably. “...So, she’s finally back, huh?”

BG nodded, twitching slightly. “Apparently, she’s been moving around the country, getting jobs teaching in different cities. About ten days ago, a 15-year-old boy down in South Carolina came forward to the cops about being assaulted by her. They questioned her, she gave them a bunch of answers they quickly figured out were bullsh*t, and before they could bring her in for more questioning, she fled the city.”

“Guess she couldn’t help herself from doing this again, huh?” Sonya inquired in disgust and anger.

“Ohhh, it gets worse,” Elise went on, just as grossed out and enraged by what she knew, pacing slightly and clenching her fists tightly, tiny blue sparks starting to come off of her gloves. “They did some digging, and apparently, this is a thing for her. They think they’ve found at least three other former students of hers who may have been sexually harassed and/or assaulted by her when she was their teacher. Oh, and wouldn’t you know it, every single one of them is practically a dead ringer for Adam when he was that age!”

“Whoa, take it easy!” BB suggested, hands up defensively. “You’re going to start an electrical fire at this rate!”

Looking down at her hands, BG stopped pacing, taking in a deep, cleansing breath. “...Sorry…Sorry. Anyway, police think she may have fled to Stonebrook, so GD’s headed there to see if he can dig up any more info.”

“Stonebrook?” Ballistic Blossom asked, her eyebrows raised high. “Nightfall’s territory? Didn’t those two used to…?”

“Oh, believe it or not, it gets better,” Elise noted, hands on her hips. “I’m like 99.999% sure that CQ is with him.”

BB tilted her head, a bit baffled. “What makes you say that?”

“Because, when I couldn’t get ahold of him over the comms for almost half an hour, I called Hira, just trying to talk to someone and calm myself down,” BG explained. “Within a couple of minutes, he contacted me to find out what was going on.”

“...Uh huh,” the Battling Beauty observed. “Glad to see he took my advice and went to go talk to him. Do you think they…?”

“With those two?” Elise asked, scoffing a little and leaning against a wall. “Your guess is as good as mine.”

“I see…” Sonya replied, rubbing her arm and looking out over the city, all the while Blue Guardian gave her an odd look.

“...You know, I turned off the sparklers,” the thick-bodied redhead pointed out. “You can come a little closer.”

“Oh…right…” Ballistic Blossom observed, walking over and leaning next to her fellow college heroine.

Elise sighed, feeling the awkwardness rearing its head again. According to her brother, the man whom her companion was having occasional romantic encounters with, Sonya apparently was attracted to her. More-so, she seemed to be in a deep denial about it, not just to Adam, but to herself.

If the Blue Guardian had to be honest with herself, she honestly didn’t mind her fellow heroine being attracted to her. In fact, she was actually quite flattered to think that someone so beautiful found her attractive. What she wasn’t okay with was how much it seemed to bother the Battling Beauty.

“...Pretty night out,” the raven-haired bombshell observed, looking up at the sky.

The Azure Sparrow nodded, clapping her hands together awkwardly. “...So, uh, listen—”

“I’m not going to ask you out!” Sonya blurted out, her face turning bright red at what she said. “I mean, not that you aren’t desirable, or that, if circ*mstances were different…look, what I’m trying to say is, I don’t know what GD told you, but you almost had a wardrobe malfunction one time I was in town, and…”

“BB, it’s okay,” the hooded heroine insisted. “Really, I don’t mind if you’re attracted to me and checking me out. I mean, it’s a little weird since you and Adam have done the nasty, but I’m okay with it.”

“But I’m not! I’m not attracted to you! And no, there's nothing wrong with you, and I’m not oblivious to the fact that you’re so cute! I just don’t think of women that way!” the Battling Beauty insisted, huffing a bit as the ginger girl she was talking to merely tilted her head and made a face at her. “...What?!”

“I’m just wondering if maybe you might be a tiny bit bi-curious, and possibly in denial about that,” Elise suggested, smiling warmly.

“I really don’t think so,” Ballistic Blossom argued. “I mean, have I ever looked at a girl and thought ‘Wow, she’s cute’, or ‘She’s got a nice rack’, or ‘I wish I had a butt like that’? Sure, but I’ve never thought of what it’d be like to be…umm…y’know, with one!”

BG blinked, confused as she watched her companion thump the ends of her fists together. “...Um, ‘intimate’?”

“YES!” BB exclaimed. “I don’t think of hooking up with women. I think if a girl so much as kissed me, I’d probably vom—”

Sonya stopped in mid-ramble as Elise, having closed the distance between the two when she wasn’t paying much attention, suddenly stood up as tall as she could and kissed her. The raven-haired girl let out a tiny, startled squeak, her eyes nearly popping out of her head at the feeling. However, she soon found herself melting into it, returning the kiss with a soft moan as it went on for nearly a minute. Eventually, the two parted, a tiny trail of saliva breaking between their mouths.

“...I, uh…” BB muttered, her cheeks a bright crimson and the more male of her genitalia tingling in the afterglow.

“...Sooo, vomiting yet?” the Azure Sparrow inquired, her expression coming off as genuinely curious and comforting.

Sonya gulped hard, her heart beating far louder in her chest than normal. “...No. No, not vomiting.”

Elise giggled, rolling her eyes. “BB, I’m not trying to steal you away from my bro. I just want you to maybe open yourself up to the possibility that you might be into certain types of girls, which is totally fine.”

The Battling Beauty sighed hard, letting her shoulders slump a bit. “I know. I know you’re just trying to help me. I just wish I knew why, whenever I think about it, it just feels so…wrong.”

‘...Um, e-excuse me?” the pair heard a voice call out from across the roof, turning to face a familiar-looking young man dressed in superhero garb far more fitting of a woman than a man. “I-I might be able t-to help with tha-that.”

BG blinked, utterly stunned by Mindscape’s arrival, before turning back to face BB and asking “...D…Did Adam seriously call ALL of his old hook-ups to come back me up?”, receiving only a shrug in return.

Meanwhile
Stonebrook, North Carolina

William Carter, AKA Rocket, hummed a nameless tune to himself as he wiped down the front counter of Benson’s Occult. Helping out around his wife’s bookstore wasn’t something he did frequently, especially since he had his own company to run. But he’d found himself with a little extra time, and decided to help clean up as the store was closing down for the night. And, to his surprise, he was actually enjoying himself a little bit.

As Will heard the bell on the front door ring, he instinctively declared “I’m sorry, we’re closing!” before he even turned to face whoever was coming in. As he did face them, though, he found himself a bit surprised to see Adam Hicks and Thomas Rollins enter. He almost wanted to rub his eyes and give his head a hard shake, as if to make sure he was seeing what he was seeing.

“...Adam?” the blond man inquired. “Thomas?”

“Hey Will,” the Red Bolt greeted. “Susan around? We kinda need to talk.”

“...Sure,” William replied, still a bit surprised to see the pair before him. “Gotta say, it’s been a while since I’ve seen you two together.”

“We’re not toge—” Adam started to say before stopping himself, sighing hard. “...Look, we’re kind of having an emergency.”

“I can tell,” the group heard Will’s raven-haired wife, Susan Davenport, AKA Nightfall, observe as she stepped out from around a bookshelf. “So, what can I do you for?”

“There’s a teacher on the run from the police,” the Jade Thunderbird explained, walking up to the goth woman. “Andrea Bison.”

Susan blinked, thinking back, before snapping her fingers. “...Right, I heard about her. Every police officer from here to St. Jonas is looking for her.”

“Well, we’ve got sources that say that she’s been seen headed this way,” Thomas piped in. “Any ideas on where to start looking?”

“Hmm,” Stonebrook’s sworn defender hummed, folding her arms. “...Well, there is one place she could be hiding out in. It’s this old warehouse on the south end. A lot of runaways, escaped convicts, people just passing through and trying to stay hidden, they all tend to spend time there. The police have been wanting to stake it out for a while, but there’s a legal issue with the owners.”

“Can you give us directions?” Adam asked.

“I can do better than that,” Susan answered. “Give a few minutes to finish tidying up and suit up, and I’ll lead you there.”

“Well, three can search a warehouse way quicker than two,” Thomas noted.

“Make that four,” William added.

“Good,” Susan replied with a smile. “I’ll just go lock down the back shop, and I’ll meet you upstairs.”

Adam shifted awkwardly as Nightfall headed to the back of the store, looking to her husband. “Will, you don’t HAVE to. I’m sure the three of us—”

“My evening’s completely free,” the tall, blond man replied, arms folded. “Besides, I’d feel a lot better coming along.”

“Look, William, I know that your wife and I…have history,” the Celadon Ranger remarked. “But you don’t need to worry about leaving me alone with her.”

“I know the two of you had sex before our wedding,” Will declared pointedly.

At this point, Adam’s whole body froze up, his eyes turning wide as the moon. If a light breeze came in through the front door, it might have actually knocked him over. Slowly, he turned to face Thomas, who merely stared at him incredulously, feeling as though he was shrinking under his glare.

“That’s…that’s not…um, that’s, I…” Adam stammered, watching as his ex-boyfriend seemed to grow angrier with each passing moment. “I mean, that’s not entirely…I didn’t, I mean…That’s, I, th—”

Seeing this, William practically bust a gut laughing, unable to keep up the stoic stance. “Oh my God, BREATHE, you twit. What I meant to say is, I know that you and Susan had sex a week or so before the wedding because she TOLD me she wanted to, to get it, or more specifically YOU, out of her system, and I told her it was okay.”

Thomas did a double-take at this revelation, his eyes going back and forth between the other two occupants of the room. “And you agreed to this?”

Will shrugged, smirking. “Hey, don’t just assume I got the short end of the stick. Believe me, what I got out of the deal? WORTH IT.”

Adam rubbed the back of his neck, feeling a bit of relief. “See now, I didn’t know about all of that.”

“...AH, so you just assumed that Susan wanted to cheat on her fiancé, and you agreed to this?” the Red-Clad Archer inquired, back to looking a little bit pissed.

Adam sweatdropped, whimpering “...Have I mentioned I’m seeing a therapist?”, and getting a quick and unamused nod.

“Really, it’s okay,” William assured the two. “She just wanted to make sure she was over whatever she felt for you before we got married. So we could focus on our lives together. That's all.”

“I know. And, for what it's worth, I'm glad it worked,” the Jade Thunderbird replied honestly, smiling warmly...until the hesitation to respond from William, and the awkward look on his face, caused that smile to start to fade. “...It...It did WORK, right? She IS over me, isn't she?

Rocket sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose lightly and casting his glance downward. “...Most of the time, I like to think so. But every once and a while, when your name comes up, I see the way she reminisces.”

“...Oh…” Adam whispered, looking truly regretful. “Will, I…I’m sorry.”

“It’s alright,” William quickly replied, putting a smile back on. “Really. Like I said, what I have now, with her…it’s worth it.”

“Will? Are you coming?” Susan called from upstairs.

“On my way!” Will replied, giving the two men before him a quick nod. “Be right back.”

Adam nodded, watching as William headed to the back stairwell. Exchanging a quick, uncomfortable look with Thomas, the two headed to the backroom. Once there, the pair began changing into their superhero garbs, all the while the silence practically drove them mad.

“...Say what you’re thinking, please,” GD finally said as he strapped on his belt.

The red-clad archer sighed, adjusting his skirt. “Scenario: Susan wants you and not her husband. What do you do?”

“Well, first off, that’s not going to happen,” Adam answered, switching his gloves. “But if it did, I would give the name of my therapist to her so she can go get her head on straight.”

“So you wouldn’t take her up on it?” CQ inquired, putting on his boots.

“No, I wouldn’t, the Jade Thunderbird retorted. “I could never stand between those two and what they have. I’d never even think of putting myself in a situation where I could possi—”

“Is that why you didn’t go to their wedding?” Thomas asked, setting his quiver to his back. “Because you didn’t trust yourself not to object?”

Green Defender’s eye twitched at that question, pulling his hood up. “...There’s a bigger question you’re getting to.”

The Red Bolt nodded, pulling his mask on. “...What do you want, Adam? For your future? For your social life? Who do you see spending your life with? Me? Susan? Robina? BB or Mindscape? I think it’s long past time that you made a decision about that.”

GD exhaled hard through his nose, turning to face his ex-boyfriend. “Look, I…I’m sorry if it feels like I’m stringing you along or something like that.”

“I’m not saying this for my sake,” CQ replied, earning an odd look. “...Alright, maybe I am a little. But mostly, I think it’s better for your sake if you figure that out for yourself, and soon.”

With a shrug and halfhearted smile, Thomas left the Celadon Ranger alone in the room to contemplate what he said. Adam sighed as he thought it over, his arms folded. The more he thought about it, the more he was sure that his former partner was right. Still, there was one issue with it that he found himself coming back to over and over.

Even if I could clean up the mess that is my mind enough to make that sort of call, and finally choose someone…who would I choose?

Notes:

...Yeah, for the record, I plan to post a poll over on Deviant Art asking people who they think GD should end up with in the end of the story between Crimson Quiver, Nightfall, The Bard, Mindscape, or Ballistic Blossom. I'm not saying the winner will be who he winds up with in the end, but it MAY sway my decision. 😉
Nightfall, Mindscape, and Ballistic Blossom belong to Maltorramus on Deviant Art. Rocket belongs to FDComics on Deviant Art.

Chapter 3 Notes:

The following contains lyrics from I'll Be Seeing You by Sammy Fain and Irving Kahal. Obviously, I do not own said song.
Also, before we begin, I'd like to point out that, when I write my stories, I oftentimes like to play a little game with readers called "Count the Friends references". Which I only bring up now because, anyone who has watched the show...yer gonna notice a couple of blatant ones here. lol

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

14 Years Ago
Jadetown, Vermont

“...Come in,” Adam replied to the knock on his door as he sat on his bed.

Despite how horribly the young redhead had been feeling for the past few days, he nonetheless felt himself perk up at least a little bit as he watched his best friend slip into his room. Roxanne gave a tiny smile and wave, closing the door behind her. She then walked over to the boy’s computer chair, sitting in it and looking her closest friend in the eye, blue eyes meeting blue eyes.

“So…how have you been?” Roxy asked, immediately feeling stupid. “God, I’m sorry, I…I just, I haven’t seen you in three weeks.”

“It’s okay,” Adam insisted. “I’m glad you’re here.”

Roxanne blushed a little, rubbing her arm. “Thanks.”

“I’ve…I don’t even know how to describe how I’ve been,” Adam whimpered, rocking a little. “I’m just so… …it hurts. It hurts so much.”

“Yeah…I heard they told your parents not to press charges,” Roxy admitted.

Adam nodded, looking away. “Said they didn’t think a jury would believe me. Said they’d think I wanted it.”

Roxanne swallowed hard, trying to keep a sob down. “...f*cking assholes.”

“I feel like part of me has been ripped out,” Adam went on, holding his forehead to his knees. “I wake up crying every night, begging for it back, and all I get is more pain. And all she got is a slap on the wrist.”

Roxy nodded shakily, unable to keep herself from crying at the sight of her best friend like this. “...I wanna kill her. Every time I think about her, and what she did to you, I just wanna kill her.”

“I don’t want you to get in trouble,” Adam sobbed, wiping his face and looking the goth in the eye. “Not for me.”

“Well, what do you want?” Roxanne asked, leaning over to place a hand on the redhead’s. “Tell me, please. Just tell me what you want.”

Adam sniffled hard and loud, feeling pathetic for breaking down like this in front of the girl he’d had a crush on since 4th Grade. “...I just wanna not feel this pain. Just for a minute, for a second, for—”

Before Adam could finish, he found himself freezing in place as Roxanne leaned forward and softly pressed her lips to his. The moment he’d wanted for six years had suddenly, out of nowhere, happened, and he wasn’t sure how to process it. He just stared into her eyes as the two parted, all the while she stared into his.

“...How was that?” Roxy asked, holding Adam’s hand.

Adam blushed hard, looking downward. “...Think I…forgot for about…a second.”

“One whole second, huh?” Roxanne asked, smiling sadly. “Wow, too bad we don’t have condoms. I’m clearly such a fireball, I’d probably make you forget for two.”

Very slowly, Adam raised his head, certain he didn’t hear that right. Seeing the look on his best friend’s face, though, something overcame him. For the first time in weeks, he finally managed to not just crack a genuine smile, but let loose a laugh. It wasn’t any match for his usual belly laughs that would threaten to crack apart any normal person’s ribs, but it was a laugh nonetheless, and it felt so good.

Roxanne soon joined in the laugh, taking her friend in for a tight hug. “...You know I love you, right?”

Adam nodded, his laughter soon turning to sobs of both sadness and relief overwhelming him all at once as he held the goth. “I love you too. I don’t know what I’d do without you…”

Present Day
Hexagon Base

Robina Huang moaned as she exited the bathroom, glad that the toilet was designed to be self-cleaning so that she wouldn’t have to look after the mess she made. She softly placed a hand on her stomach, feeling an urge to tell off the thing living inside her for what just happened. Still, it seemed like she should at least wait until the baby was born before scolding it for misbehaving.

At first, the Mystical Musician planned to go back to her room. However, already being up and her gut feeling empty, she instead headed for the Hexagon’s eatery, planning to at least get something soothing to drink. Once she was there, though, she found herself a bit surprised to see who was sitting at the table, making tea.

“...Jack?” Robina asked, making the Mad Toku Hero almost jump out of his seat in surprise. “What are you doing here so late?”

“Oh, I, uh, felt like making some tea,” Hellzone replied. “You guys keep the really good mixes here, so I figured I’d bum some off ya, and leave some leftover tea.”

“You and your tea,” the Bard observed, shaking her head. “Who got you hooked on it, anyway? Captain Picard?”

“And Iroh,” Jack admitted, continuing to mix the beverage. “Dude was like the coolest uncle ever.”

Robina rolled her eyes, easing her way into the eatery. “Well, you’re lucky I could use something nice on my throat.”

“Still having your morning sickness at night, huh?” the Mad Toku Hero asked, getting a nod in response. “Y’know, you should really have someone watchin’ ya and lookin’ after your needs.”

“I don’t wanna impose,” the Musical Magical Girl retorted, easing herself into a chair. “It's not their fault I got pregnant.”

“Not even Adam?” Jack asked, causing his partner to almost slip and fall out of the chair and to the floor.

“Wha…Adam?!” Robina exclaimed, laughing nervously. “What…what would he have to do with—”

“Rob, are we SERIOUSLY doing this?” Hellzone demanded, co*cking what would be an eyebrow if he had any left. “You said you asked a friend to get you pregnant. I somehow doubt Stanley did it, and I don’t think you wanted your first baby to be an alien, so that rules out Vyx or Alpha. So unless Cassie grew a dick again, who the hell else does that leave?”

The Bard buried her head in her hand. “Okay, you made your point…”

“Also, the guy’s got a serious dark hair fetish,” Jack added.

Notes:

Yeah, not much action in this chapter, or the last. Rest assured, though, this story IS leading to one heck of an action sequence. And it might be odd seeing how much of this chapter is devoted to Maltorramus' characters. Well, that's because, while I do enjoy doing character development (with permission) for other people's characters, given their links to GD, it is still ultimately contributing to his story. So I don't feel like it distracts too much, since it all has a point.
But yeah, plot twist: Bison's been kidnapped. By who? Stick around and find out. 😉

Chapter 4 Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

12 Years Ago
Jadetown, Vermont

Roxanne gently let her glasses down on her computer desk, looking over her letter of acceptance. It was an acceptance into the college she wanted, the college she’d always wanted her whole life. Her life plans were finally coming to fruition. And yet, looking at that letter, all she felt was pain.

As she was thinking that thought, there was a gentle knock at the young woman’s window, causing her to spin around in shock. To her immediate relief, there, perched outside her window, was Adam, giving a halfhearted smile and wave. The raven-haired goth got out of her chair and walked over, opening the window for her best friend.

“You know, some people use doors to get in and out of their friends’ houses,” Roxy pointed out, leaning against the windowsill.

“I know, I just…” Adam acknowledged, rubbing the back of his neck. “I just really wanted to see you, and I didn’t wanna wake your folks up.”

Roxanne nodded. “Yeah, why exactly are YOU up?”

“Why are YOU up?” Adam countered pointedly. “Shouldn’t you be getting some sleep? College starts in like a couple of weeks.”

“...I can’t,” Roxy admitted, looking away and making room for Adam to slip inside. “I can’t sleep.”

“Me neither,” Adam replied as he climbed into his best friend’s bedroom.

“Every time I try to, I think of…everything,” Roxanne went on, folding her arms. “The future, where we’re headed, what’s waiting for us.”

“You know exactly where you’re headed,” Adam noted, leaning against the windowsill next to the young goth. “You’ve had it mapped out for ages. College, your career, marriage, kids. And it’s all going according to plan.”

“...I thought it was,” Roxy whispered, looking her friend in the eye. “And then I found out you were leaving. You’re leaving…in two days.”

Adam sighed, pushing off and leaning against Roxanne’s dresser. “...You know I can’t stay. I just…I hate it here so much.”

Roxanne nodded, sniffing hard. “Yeah, I know. I just…I guess I don’t matter as much to you as I thought.”

“You matter,” Adam argued, spinning around to face his best friend. “I would have been completely miserable the past two years if it wasn’t for you.”

“You weren’t exactly that far off even when I was around,” Roxy noted, arms crossed. “I know why you have to leave, Adam. I get it. You can’t stand the sight of this town, and you need to move on to a place where you feel human again. I just wish I wasn’t losing my best friend. I wish I didn’t feel like…like I don’t matter anymore once you’re gone.”

Adam felt himself twitch at that last sentence, immediately closing the distance between the two and holding the raven-haired girl gently by the shoulders. “...YOU. MATTER. I don’t think I would be here, still trying to feel like I’m still alive, if it wasn’t for you. And whoever gets to be the person who you make feel like that for the rest of their life is the luckiest person alive.”

“Ohh, I really wish I could believe you,” Roxanne admitted, her lip quivering slightly.

“Then let me show you,” Adam offered, letting one hand travel up the goth’s arm to her cheek, feeling his heart beat a little harder in his chest as she almost immediately nuzzled against it.

“Adam…I wish that…I wish I could’ve been your f—” Roxanne started to say, feeling herself choke up before she could finish her sentence.

“I know,” Adam replied with a nod, resting his forehead to his best friend’s. “So be the first one I CHOOSE.”

With a whimper and a nod, Roxanne reached up and around the back of the redhead’s neck, tilting her head to take his lips with her own. Since their first kiss, they’d had a few scattered about over the course of two years. However, this one had a bit more electricity to it. It was more passionate, and she never wanted it to end. She kept their lips pressed together even as Adam lifted her up, letting her wrap her legs around his waist as he carried her backward, laying himself back on her bed.

“Touch me…!” Roxanne moaned between kisses, feeling her closest friend’s hands slowly begin to caress her body all over, his fingers tracing across her tattoos. “I want you everywhere…!”

Adam nodded, breaking the kiss just long enough to remove his shirt, watching as the raven-haired young woman did the same. She then reached back and unhooked her bra, tossing it aside and letting the first boy she ever loved see her breasts. Immediately, the two began kissing again, all the while Adam started rubbing and caressing her chest, making her moan louder in his mouth.

Slowly but surely, piece by piece, the two began to remove their clothes, tossing them over the edge of Roxanne’s bed. The pair gasped and moaned and groaned as they let their hands explore each other’s bodies, finally as close as they’d always wanted to be. The raven-haired goth let out an erotic moan as she felt her best friend’s tongue run across her tattoos, his fingers kneading her muscles, all the while she clutched at his hair, tugging gently.

After a few minutes, Roxanne rolled onto her back, pulling Adam atop her and spreading her legs widely, letting him get a full view of her body, which she was now offering to him. His face turned redder at the gorgeous sight before him. She then reached to her nightstand, grabbing a condom from the drawer and handing it to the redhead atop her.

“You’re sure this is what you want?” Adam asked, gently taking the small package.

“As sure as anything else in my entire life,” Roxy replied, watching as the young man tore the package open and slowly pulled the condom down over his rod. “Please…!”

Gulping hard, Adam took the girl’s hands in his and pushed himself forward, moaning as he felt his prick enter his best friend’s most sacred place, letting himself rest there so she could get used to it. Roxanne felt her toes curl tightly, her nails digging into her closest friend’s hand as she gave her virginity to him. Eventually, she gave him a nod, encouraging him to start moving again. All too soon, though, she found herself having to release one of his hands so she could clasp one of her own over her mouth, silencing herself before she could scream out in pain, feeling her maidenhood being taken away.

“Are you okay?” Adam demanded as he stopped rocking his hips, getting a nod. “We can stop if you…”

“You stop and I will never forgive you…!” Roxy threatened, tears welling up in her eyes.

Realising how serious his friend was, Adam resumed humping inside of her, his hands caressing her body. Roxanne wrapped her arms and legs tightly around the redhead, whimpering and moaning in his ear as she felt him take her. The pain was horrid at first, but after a while, she let herself melt into the act, purring as she felt his fingers dancing up and down her back and hips, his pecker bumping against her g-spot.

“Adam…I…love…you…so…much…!” Roxy gasped sharply as the two started to pick up the pace, knowing neither would last much longer.

Adam groaned as he plunged himself as deep inside of his best friend as he could fit himself, sweat running down his forehead and dripping down to join hers on her face. He bucked as hard as he could, feeling his ballsac slap against her skin, until finally, he couldn’t take it anymore, feeling himself arrive hard. Roxanne likewise hit her own peak, digging her nails into the redhead’s shoulders as she held him as tightly as she could.

When it was over, far sooner than either would’ve liked, the two held each other tightly, exchanging soft, loving kisses. Eventually, though, the two realised how late it was. Hesitantly, Adam pulled himself from Roxy’s embrace and gathered up his clothes, getting dressed again. He then headed for the window, but stopped just short of it to look upon his best friend again.

“Just promise me one thing, when you’re in St. Jonas, finding your new life,” Roxanne practically pleaded. “...Don’t forget me.”

Hearing those words, Adam let out a soft scoff, shaking his head. “...Never.”

Present Day

Green Defender’s eyes narrowed as he looked upon his former high school. It hadn’t been too long since he’d last been to Jadetown, but every time he came back to visit, he always made it a point to avoid this place. He never wanted to lay eyes on it, to be reminded of the horror that had happened to him any more than he already had to be.

And yet, here the Jade Thunderbird found himself, standing before the very building where he endured one of the worst days of his life. It was, by no means, a pleasant sight, no matter how much they’d spruced the building up in the 12 years since he’d last seen it. Though, as much as he was not looking forward to going in, what annoyed him so much was the fact that, against his wishes, he was not going in alone.

“So, this is the place, huh?” Thomas inquired, lifting his hood a bit to get a better look. Adam said nothing in reply, only making his way to the back entrance as his ex-partner followed. “Think they have security cameras?”

“If they do, it doesn’t matter,” GD answered matter-of-factly, getting out a lock pick. “Power to the whole building has been cut off.”

“Wait, you cut the power? When and how did you do that?” Crimson Quiver demanded, stunned. “...Wait, on second thought, I don’t wanna know. Less I know about how you broke in, the better.”

“Whoever has Bison knows who I am,” Adam muttered as he got the door open, heading inside. “I’m not taking any chances with this. And frankly, I wanna get this done as quickly as I can.”

“Yeah, that’s the part I’m still a little lost on,” the Red Bolt admitted as he followed along down the dark hallways. “So Andrea Bison gets found out by the cops, and in less than a week, she’s abducted by someone who knows your identity, AND said abductor left a freaking scavenger hunt for you to follow? How is all this even possible?”

“I have a theory, but I haven’t figured the whole thing out yet,” Green Defender admitted as he made his way up a stairwell. “Simply put, though, it shouldn’t be possible, unless they set this whole thing up since before Bison assaulted that kid. Someone who’s been watching her for some time, waiting for her to slip up.”

“Then whoever pulled this has a sh*tton of patience, and an unhealthy obsession for their craft,” CQ summarised as the pair made their way to the top floor.

Once the hooded heroes arrived at the end of the stairs, the Jade Thunderbird stopped in place, looking the area over. As he stared down one hallway, though, his whole body seemed to freeze up. His face looked as though it was in a trance, remembering the days when he went to this school far more clearly than he ever had since leaving.

“...Adam?” Thomas asked, placing a hand softly on his ex-boyfriend’s shoulder. “You okay?”

GD exhaled hard through his nose, giving his head a shake. “Yeah, just…memories.”

“So, I’m guessing we’re in the right place?” CQ inquired as he followed the Jade Thunderbird down the hall.

“Yes,” Adam answered, stopping as he got to a specific locker. “...This was mine. And Roxanne’s was…a little further down.”

“Roxanne?” the Red Bolt asked.

“She was my best friend,” GD answered.

Thomas co*cked an eyebrow, a bit sceptical. “Just friends? ‘Cuz I find it interesting that you’ve never once mentioned her before today.”

“...We were…close,” the Celadon Ranger admitted, turning away from the locker and making his way towards the classroom at the end of the hallway. “...We’re here.”

“We’re where?” the red-clad archer asked as the redhead pushed the door open, stepping into the classroom slowly, his eyes little more than tiny slits as he stared at one of the desks in the back of the room. “...Wait, you mean…HERE?”

Adam could do little more than nod slowly, still staring at the desk. He curled his fingers tightly into fists, feeling his heartbeat grow so loud that it almost deafened him. Tiny crackles of green electricity raced along his hands, and he clenched his teeth together so hard that he could taste pennies.

Part of him knew that Thomas was talking to him, but the green-hooded vigilante couldn’t hear the words. The only words he heard were those spoken that day: Lies that he would enjoy himself, pleas for it to stop, and assurances that it would be over soon. He felt tears start to bubble up in the corners of his eyes as he recalled the muffled screams against one of the hands holding him down, and the sickening moans in his ear.

“ADAM!” CQ hollered, shaking the Celadon Ranger out of it, making him clutch his head and sob. “...Look, you should go. I can check this place out. You shouldn’t be here.”

“I know,” GD acknowledged, nodding shakily as he fought to regain his proper breathing. “I know I shouldn’t…but I need to do this.”

Thomas frowned sadly, taking his ex into a tight hug, which he quickly felt returned. The two gently pressed their foreheads together, sharing a quick, soft kiss, their eyes fixed on each other’s. Taking one more deep breath, Adam gave a nod, turning back to the desk and making his way towards it. Unable to sense any sort of electrical current coming from it, he peered inside, seeing only a small piece of paper. Pulling it out, he saw only a few words, written in green.

“...’I’ll be seeing you, in all the old familiar places’,” GD read aloud, his eyes narrowed at the writing.

CQ blinked in disbelief. “...Wait, seriously? We came here just to hear THAT again?”

“Not necessarily,” Adam declared, pressing the unseen button on his mask to make his lenses slide down over his eyes. He took a quick scan of the note, in particular the writing on it, seeing the chemicals it was composed of, and his blood froze as he had the last piece of the puzzle. The last thing to prove to him who was behind this. Slowly, he looked up from the paper into Thomas’ eyes, and spoke only two words.

“...He’s back.”

St. Jonas, Maine

Blue Guardian grunted hard as she slammed one of her stun batons into the gut of her opponent, knocking the wind out of the woman in a black tuxedo and putting her on her ass. Looking around the alley, she watched as her companions likewise fought with thugs that looked like they just finished shopping at Bloomingdale's. Ballistic Blossom was flinging steel pellets charged with kinetic energy, shattering the opposition's weapons to pieces, leaving them easy targets for Mindscape to knock down with psychic bolts.

“Man, Vagrant really needs better goons to do his jobs for him!” Elise declared, tripping up a thug and landing back first into her stomach.

“Aw, let’s not be too hard on him!” Sonya called as she gave a thrust kick to the chin of one man who tried to sneak up on her. “It’s gotta be hard to find good help when your silver spoon parents cut you off!”

“Yes, let’s pity the poor gangster!” Emerson yelled as he levitated himself up in the air, dropping down and landing lap-first into a thug’s face, scissoring his legs around the man’s head and swinging his body hard enough to fling him into an open dumpster.

Looking around to make sure the rest of the thugs were down and out, BG walked over to her companions, giving high fives to both. “Good job, guys. Let’s get outta here so Summers can swing by with a few squad cars.”

“Got it,” the Lime Luminary replied, watching as the Azure Sparrow started to leave, feeling herself overcome with the need to say something first. “...I have a penis.”

Elise stopped in place, slowly turning to face the raven-haired girl. “...Wait, what?”

“THIS was a baby step?” the Tekhelet Telepath demanded, a bit stunned.

BB blushed hard, seemingly all over her upper body, more than a bit embarrassed by what she’d said. “...I…I was born with…male and female reproductive organs. Does that freak you out?”

The Azure Sparrow sighed hard, folding her arms and thinking over what she’d been told and what she’d been asked. “...Wow. Um…I mean, I’m surprised, of course. Which, now that I think about it, I shouldn’t be. Of course Adam would jump at the chance to be with a girl who has the best of both worlds. But, freaked out?...No. No, I’m not.”

Sonya smiled in relief, nodding. “...Good. That’s…that’s good.”

“Sooo, is that the big secret?” BG asked. “Why you have so much trouble admitting you’re attracted to girls?”

“It’s a REALLY big part of it. And I’m not attracted to ALL girls…just SOME girls,” the Battling Beauty acknowledged, smiling a little teasingly and making the redheaded heroine blush as well.

“W-Well, I…” Elise started to stammer.

“GD to BG!” the Blue Guardian heard her brother interject over the comm. “Code H!”

The Azure Sparrow’s eyes widened, recognising both the code Adam used and the panic in his voice. “...You’re sure?!”

“Get everyone back to the Green House!” the Jade Thunderbird insisted. “We’ll meet you there!”

“You got it!” BG replied, looking back to the others. “Guys, we gotta get to home base!”

“What’s going on?” Mindscape demanded, baffled. “What’d they find?”

“The guy responsible,” Elise answered, trying to keep calm. “...It’s Haphephobia.”

Notes:

YUP, turns out GD's arch-nemesis, the Joker to his Batman, Haphephobia, is the one behind Bison's abduction. For what purpose? Check in next time to find out.
On that note, though, I should probably state that, while I have pretty much decided exactly how this story will end, the poll that I posted on Deviant Art, plus other people I've asked about it, have shown me that there are actually several different ways it COULD end that people would be very much behind. As such, I wonder if maybe, sometime in the future, I should find someplace to post a Choose Your Own Adventure version of this story, so that people can see the outcome they want? I dunno, lemme know below if you'd like to see that.

Chapter 5 Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

9 Years Ago
Jadetown, Vermont

Roxanne sat uncomfortably in her chair, her mind awash with a ludicrous amount of thoughts and feelings. She’d never heard a tale so insane, so incredible, so unbelievable. And yet, coming from the source it came from, the man sitting in a chair across the room from her, wearing little more than torn-up rags that barely passed as clothes, a green makeshift hooded cloak, a bandana with eye holes cut out, and a pair of rubber gloves, she believed it entirely.

“...Wow,” Roxy whispered, looking the man over as he looked down at the floor. “I just…wow.”

“Yeah,” the redhead replied. “Kind of a lot.”

Roxanne shook her head, looking at her best friend’s hands. “And you…you can’t touch ANYTHING?”

“One touch, and zap,” Adam explained, clenching his fists. “Can’t even touch my own skin without hurting myself. And I can’t wash my hands without causing a backfire on myself.”

Roxanne shuddered at the thought of what the redhead must have gone through, just on the trip to her home. “God, I just…I’m so sorry.”

“I know…” Adam responded, sighing hard.

“And…and you’re sure this is what you wanna do?” Roxy demanded, addressing the insane plan that her closest friend had described.

“...When Miss Bison got away with what she did to me, I ran away,” Adam muttered, his eyes narrowing in anger. “But that was different. That was my pain, my agony, my Hell…my choice. But this, what people like Capolla are doing…it’s bigger than me. And it’s gonna need a solution that’s bigger than what I am now.”

“But why like this?” Roxanne asked, gesturing at the man’s attire. “Why can’t you be bigger and still be you? Why can’t Adam Hicks do this?”

“Because Adam Hicks can be ignored,” the man in the hooded cloak explained. “Adam Hicks can be twisted, public perception of him corrupted into whatever people want him to be. Adam Hicks can die. What I need to be is something different. Something that people can’t just twist into whatever they make me out to be. Something that can make a real stand against people like Capolla.”

Roxy nodded sadly, understanding even if she didn’t want to, as Adam went on. “But I need help. I need people who can help me figure out what that something needs to be. That’s why I’m going on this trip: To find the right people who can get me to where I need to be before I go back to St. Jonas.”

“And, in the meantime, Adam Hicks stays dead?” Roxanne inquired, tears welling up in her eyes. “Your parents, your sister, they have to think you’re dead?”

“I need the world to think the last link to Professor Randal is gone…for now,” Adam explained, leaning forward and looking his best friend in the eye. “...But I couldn’t do that to you. I needed you to know the truth, at least.”

“Please don’t ask me to be the one who keeps you grounded,” Roxanne begged, her head tilting downward. “I can’t…I can’t be the thing that you try to come back for.”

“I know,” Adam replied almost immediately, sighing hard. “You’re engaged. You’re about to start your new career. Your life, the life you’ve planned for longer than we’ve known each other, is about to start. I can’t ask you to put all of that aside for me. But I just wanted you to know what really happened. I felt like I owed you that much, for all that you have done for me.”

Roxanne nodded, shutting her eyes tightly as tears ran out of them. “...I wish none of this had happened. Bison, Capolla…all of it. You…you didn’t deserve this.”

Adam returned the nod, slowly pulling himself out of the chair. “...Who does?”

“And you’re sure this is what you want?” Roxy demanded, looking the man she once considered the love of her life in the eye.

Adam remained silent. In truth, he didn’t know what he truly wanted anymore. He just knew what he needed to do, what every fibre in his body told him was what he needed to do. So, he just stood there, looking his best friend in the eye, and remained silent, because there was nothing else he could do that would ever make this easier for either of them.

Present Day
St. Jonas, Maine

GD unfolded his arms as he and Thomas arrived at the bottom of the lift leading to the Green House. Before him stood Blue Guardian, Mindscape, and Ballistic Blossom, having all assembled as he’d asked. Catherine Summers was also present, standing off to the side, her eyes locked onto the Red Bolt.

“Long time no see, CQ,” the detective greeted.

“Hey, Summers,” Thomas replied with a grin, giving a quick handshake. “Didn’t know you were gonna be here.”

“Elise called, and I wasn’t gonna stay on the sidelines for this one,” Catherine explained. “If this really is Leonard Capolla, I should be here to help try and bring him in.”

“Speaking of, it might be a good idea to bring some of us up to speed on this guy?” BB suggested. “I only know of him from what little people have mentioned about him at superhero gatherings.”

GD nodded, walking over to the main computer and bringing up a file marked with a green H, opening it and revealing several images and videos on the person in question. “Leonard Capolla, AKA Haphephobia. He’s the son of Jacob Capolla, a famous mob boss who had an iron grip on all organised crime in St. Jonas for years. Nine years ago, Jacob’s men killed Edward Randall, my college professor, in the explosion that gave me my powers. I…went after him, trying to get revenge.”

“Which none of us hold against you,” Mindscape insisted, earning a sigh and a nod from Adam.

“I found him at a lab, where the scientists he was funding specialised in working with hazardous chemicals,” the Celadon Ranger went on. “In the ensuing confrontation, Jacob used his wife and his son as shields, even putting them in danger to distract me so that he could get away. I had only a couple of seconds to make a decision: Chase Jacob, save Leonard, or save Leonard’s stepmother. In the end, I chose the stepmother, Jacob got away, and Leonard was horribly disfigured by the chemicals at the lab. They should’ve killed him, but he’d gotten a Superhuman gene from his mother that absorbed the chemicals, turning him into Haphephobia.”

“And he blames you for that?” Sonya asked.

“He blamed his father, and wanted revenge against him,” Adam answered. “Around the same time I returned as the Green Defender, he started making his move, picking off Jacob’s known associates, until he finally was ready to kill his father. I tried to stop him, though. Apparently, Leonard had become obsessed with the image of me trying to take vengeance on Jacob, but whereas I turned away from that, he couldn’t be swayed.”

“That was almost three years ago,” Catherine finished. “He’s been MIA ever since. Even after his father was murdered on the way to his own trial, he hasn’t been seen by anyone.”

“Well, I think I’m starting to figure out where he’s been this whole time,” CQ observed. “No way he just happened upon Bison so soon after running from the law. He had to have had her under surveillance for a while, just waiting for her to be in the right place at the right time to snatch her up.”

“But why?” Elise wondered aloud, rubbing her chin. “What’s the endgame here?”

“...I have a better question,” Emerson piped in, clicking his heels lightly on the floor. “You’ve made clear he knows who you really are under the mask. The fact that he knows who Andrea Bison is and where to find her suggests he’s spent some time digging into your personal history. All of this seems to suggest he’s calling you out for a fight, but if that’s the case, why this? Why not just attack you when you’re working as Adam Hicks, or set off an explosion near one of our homes?”

GD’s eyes narrowed at the question. The truth was, he’d considered that a possibility for some time. He’d even been working out several contingency plans in case Haphephobia did target him in public, or attack one of his loved ones, but it had never come up. In almost three years, he never went after him or anyone he cared about, never once used knowledge of Adam’s secret identity to his advantage. Now, he was finally coming out of hiding, and it was to abduct the one living person who had hurt him most in his life. There was only one reason he could think of as to why, but…

“...For now, we should focus on tracking him down,” the Celadon Ranger stated, pulling up a map of the city.

Notes:

...Yeah, I bet most of y'all were wondering where all these flashbacks to Roxanne were going, huh? lol Anyway, check back in next time for what I'm sure y'all have been waiting to see: THE BIG FIGHT. It's Green Defender vs Haphephobia, the rematch.

Chapter 6 Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Green Defender looked around the large room. His best friend from high school, Roxanne MacReady, and the woman who stole his innocence, Andrea Bison, were both being held over vats of deadly chemicals. Their kidnapper, Haphephobia, was making him choose which to save and which to let die. And he could tell from the electricity running through the floor that there were no doubt hidden triggers, meaning one wrong move, and they could both die. But more-so, as he looked to see where some of the wires in the floor were leading, he started to guess at something else his nemesis had done…

“Soooo, who is it going to be?” the Nightmare of St. Jonas demanded. “Best choose now, before I start getting impatient!”

“...Leonard,” the Jade Thunderbird muttered, lowering his gaze. “Before we start, I just wanted to say something to you: I’m sorry.”

Hearing this, Haphephobia scowled angrily. “...You’re sorry? Is that all you have to say for yourself? You’re SORRY?! I lost everything, my life, my face, and even my revenge, and you’re SORRY?!”

“Actually, right now…I’m just sorry you’re about to be so disappointed,” Adam explained, looking the confused son of the former head of the city’s organised crime in the eye. “You think I don’t know this is all one giant death trap for all of us? You, me, Roxanne and Bison, you don’t plan on any of us leaving here alive, do you?”

Leonard scoffed, sneering. “...So, you figured me out. But it doesn’t matter. We’re both going up in a blaze of glory, and there’s not a damned thing you can do to stop me. Hell, the fact is, a part of you wants it just as much. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have come here alone.”

“...Say you’re right,” GD retorted, staring a hole through his foe’s face. “Say there is some part of me that wants it. Say that I really do want it to end like this. I’m afraid you’re still going to be disappointed…because there are some people who would never let me try.”

Before Haphephobia could react to that sentence, the windows in the room shattered as Blue Guardian and Ballistic Blossom came in on lines. With a growl, Capolla reached out for a switch on the podium, only to be forced to back away from them as Nightfall likewise came sailing in, firing her pistols at the ground between him and the controls. Once he was out of range, an arrow shot out from the shadows, releasing a net that wrapped itself around him as Crimson Quiver and Mindscape stepped out.

“Nnng, you can’t stop this…!” Leonard hollered as he fell to the floor. “The floor is still rigged to bombs set up throughout the building! You can’t find them all!”

“Really don’t think I’ll have to,” Green Defender remarked, looking out across the floor, following electrical trails until he came to a single board in the floor. With a grunt, he bent down and tore it clean off, revealing a mesh of wires underneath. He then took a pair of pliers from his belt and, carefully, cut through several of said wires, smirking as the electrical current heading out of the building ceased. As the others made their way toward Roxanne and Bison, the Celadon Ranger gave the Disfigured Face of Fear a smirk. “A word of advice, Capolla: Never try to trick an electrician.”

“Clever bastard…!” Haphephobia remarked with a grin, just before he used his nails to slice through the net holding him and scrambling to his feet. As he tried to reach out for the podium, Mindscape leapt in front of him, cutting him off.

“So, what are YOU afraid of?!” Emerson hollered, reaching into Leonard’s mind and creating a construct of it.

As Mindscape’s powers created a projection of Haphephobia’s fears, however, he felt his eyes widen and his heart race at what was manifesting: A gigantic construct of the entire planet. He grunted hard as he tried to keep it under control, but it continued to grow, expanding to reach the ceiling. Seeing his opening, the son of Capolla swiped at Darkewind’s chest, earning a cry of pain as he slashed through the young goth’s leotard, the toxins in his nails making Mindscape freeze up on the ground as the construct vanished.

“Brat…!” Leonard hissed as the other heroes tried to reach him, only for him to hit a button on the podium to release the lines holding up both of his hostages. The two women screamed out as they dropped, stopping mere inches from the chemicals as Nightfall and BB managed to leap atop the vats ang grab them. Casting GD a dark grin, the Nightmare of St. Jonas opened a hidden trapdoor and leapt down it, cheerfully crying out “I’ll be seeing you!”

“Dammit…!” the Jade Thunderbird growled, looking as Susan kept Roxanne from falling to her death, Sonya did the same with Andrea, and Thomas and Elise checked over the fallen Emerson.

“Go!” Nightfall hollered. “We’ll save them!”

GD nodded, yelling “BG!” as he headed for the trapdoor, his sister and sidekick following after him. As the two jumped into the steel tunnel under said trapdoor, Nightfall groaned as she pulled Roxanne up and over the edge of the vat. Carefully, she helped her down the side of it to safety.

“Thank you…!” Roxy moaned, clearly terrified by what had just happened.

“You’ll be alright,” the protector of Stonebrook assured her before she found herself looking the tattooed woman over. “...Huh. Interesting.”

“...What…?” Roxanne asked, confused.

“Was just always curious where Adam’s love of goth chicks with marks on their bodies started,” Susan remarked with a tiny grin as GD’s high school best friend blushed a little. “And I gotta admit…nice.”

Meanwhile, the Dominoed Duet find themselves arriving at the end of the steel tunnel they were travelling through, arriving in the middle of a dark, mouldy hall with wooden beams all around. Immediately, GD drew his Defender Gun, while BG grasped her stun batons. The two stood back-to-back, slowly exploring the hall.

“You really can’t choose anything but misery, can you?” a voice in the dark inquired.

“You really can’t shut your f*cking mouth, can you?” Elise shot back.

Haphephobia cackled from the shadows, his voice echoing all across the hall so they couldn’t tell where he was. “Y’know, I get why you let her tag along: She’s spunky! I like that!”

“Give it up, Leonard,” Green Defender insisted, keeping his sidearm raised as the Tag Team of Truth carefully stepped along the hall. “This doesn’t have to end this way.”

As soon as he was done saying those words, Adam found himself the recipient of a floorboard to the face as the one right in front of him suddenly flipped up and hit him with enough force to knock him to the floor, the Defender Gun sliding away. BG immediately stood before him as Haphephobia pulled himself out from under said floorboard and declared “I respectfully disagree”. With a growl, the Azure Sparrow lunged forward with her batons, managing to catch Capolla in the shoulder with one and giving him a hard jolt, only for him to catch her in the hip with his nails, making her topple to the floor as her leg gave out. Once she was done, he punted her hard in the ribs, forcing her to roll away in pain.

“Bastard!” GD hollered, grabbing a flash sphere from his belt and hucking it in Leonard’s face.

As Haphephobia backed away, clutching his face in pain from the bright green flash of light, Green Defender tackled him straight through a beam and to the floor. Mounting his foe, the Jade Thunderbird brought down a forearm into his horribly burned and disfigured face, only to be kicked in the gut with both feet and knocked off. Reaching to his left, Capolla grabbed a jagged piece of the beam he’d been knocked through and stabbed it down at GD’s head, catching only his hood, which his nemesis quickly slipped out of, stabbing a pair of feather darts into the Nightmare of St. Jonas’ arms, forcing him to release the wood.

“You and your f*cking gadgets!” Leonard hollered as he sliced the darts off and stabbed his claws downward. Adam rolled out of the way, but as it turned out, his foe was never trying to stab him, but cut his belt free. Capolla then kicked it away, getting between it and the Celadon Ranger. “How many more people do I need to threaten before you just toss the gadgets away and try to electrocute me with your bare hands?!”

“Not many…!” GD admitted as he gave a thrust kick to his enemy’s chest, knocking him into the wall. He tried to then punch Haphephobia in the face, only for the green-skinned living nightmare to grab his arm, stab his nails into the hero’s shoulder, and then rip his glove off as he kicked him down to the ground.

“Well then, come and try!” Capolla demanded, tossing the glove away as Adam laid on the ground, trying his best to move despite the paralysing toxins entering his body. As the Disfigured Face of Fear stepped forward, GD gave everything he had to swing the fist that still had a glove on at him, only for him to grab it, pull the glove off, and stomp down hard into Adam’s ribs. He then swiped at the Jade Thunderbird’s face, who managed to move his head back face enough for the nails to only catch the corner of his mask removing it. This victory was short lived, though, as he soon received a knee to the gut, causing him to clutch it in pain.

“Get away from him, mother f*cker…!” Blue Guardian groaned as she dragged herself over, a baton in hand, only for Haphephobia to swing a heel into her chin, knocking her loopy.

“Y’know, for one it’s worth, I am sorry it had to end like this,” Leonard muttered as he stood over GD’s body, watching him slowly roll to stare up at him as defiantly as possible. “I wanted our end to be so much more…well, MORE than this.”

“In my defence…I said you’d be disappointed,” the Celadon Ranger groaned, powerless to stop his foe as he pulled him up to his knees, blood trickling from his nose.

“Well, then do me one last favour, before you bite it,” Haphephobia muttered, raising one hand and bringing his nails together. “Tell me which one of your little circle of friends, family, and f*ck-buddies you’re most afraid to lose. Lemme know which one to kill the slowest…!”

As he heard those words, Adam’s body completely froze up for a moment. He’d always heard that, the moment before you die, your life flashed before your eyes. In his case, what he saw was a lightning-fast slideshow of everyone who mattered the most to him. Roxanne, Susan, Thomas, Elise, Catherine, Sonya, Emerson, Robina, one after the other, repeating over and over again, until he saw the outstretched claw come down toward his skull.

If he was being completely honest with himself, Leonard DID regret having to do this. He hadn’t wanted things to end like this. Maybe that was why he didn’t stab down as hard or as fast as he knew he could have. And yet, he still sent his nails downward with what he knew, in his heart, was enough force and speed to pierce through the front of the Jade Thunderbird’s skull and out the other side. Which is why it surprised him quite a bit when he found them stopped just inches short of their intended target, as his nemesis’ hand held his arm in place.

“Grt…!” Haphephobia grunted, trying to free his arm, only to watch as the redhead slowly made his way to his feet. He tried to swipe with his other hand, but found himself receiving a right hook to the jaw, sending him spiralling to the floor, looking up in a daze of disbelief. “...HOW?!”

In truth, Adam was wondering the same thing, looking down at his bare hand. He could still see the green voltage running through his nervous system, but it was much lower than normal. And yet, his body felt much better. Most of his wounds were healed. His stamina seemed greatly recharged. Even the scars on his hands looked far less horrific than they normally did. And it was at that point that he finally realised what had happened.

“...‘Mind bends power to our desire’,” GD recalled, clenching a fist. “I could’ve done this anytime. All I needed to do was want it enough. And you wanna know why?”

In lieu of answering, Leonard hauled himself to his feet and charged his enemy, only to receive another punch to the face that busted open his lip and sent him careening into a wall as the Celadon Ranger answered his own question: “Because there’s no one I’m NOT afraid to lose!”

Haphephobia pushed off of the wall, growling in anger, only to find himself tackled straight through the wall, into another room lit by a large window. Both men pulled themselves back to his feet, Leonard trying to claw at GD again, only to be bashed in the face by a pair of fists, one after the other, followed by two chops to the chest, and a leaping knee to the face, blood running out of remains of his nose. As he stumbled backward, he watched as Adam leaped up into the air, snapping his right leg back and driving his right fist hard into his cheek, sending him careening into another wall.

“You think this new trick…can beat me?!” Capolla screamed, rushing with a wild slashing of his nails, each one missing as GD weaved around them.

Leonard soon found his legs being pulled out from under him, the back of his head smacking the floor. Wincing at that, he was easy prey as Adam mounted him, raining down fists as he tried desperately to cover up. After a while, though, he managed to knick the redhead’s arms just enough to get enough of an opening to slam his skull into the Celadon Ranger’s, forcing him off.

“You can’t beat me!” the green-skinned monstrosity roared as he stood up and caught GD in the face with an elbow, backhanded him across the face, and then landed a jumping kick square into the red-haired man’s chest, forcing him down to a knee as his arms dangled to his sides. “I am your vengeance! I am your rage! I! AM! YOUR! FEAR!”

Adam winced as fought to pull himself back up to both feet. The toxins in his system were starting to regain their strength, and he couldn’t move his arms anymore. He could taste the blood in his mouth and throat, and knew he was likely bleeding from a few other places too. But it wasn’t what he felt that had his attention. It was what he heard, coming through the cracks in the window behind Leonard: A high-pitched, calming, cooing sound. Recognizing it for what it was, he grinned, baffling his foe.

“...And I am your justice,” the Green Defender declared before charging forward with everything he had, sending himself and Haphephobia sailing out the window.

As the pair tumbled out of the window, Leonard felt himself start to smile. It hadn’t been what he wanted, but he’d managed to push his enemy to finally end the both of them. They would fall to their deaths together, a dramatic finish to their story. It wasn’t perfect, but he knew it would be enough.

It was terribly surprising, then, when instead of falling all the way to the ground, Haphephobia found himself landing on something soft and furry. Looking around, he saw that he and GD had landed on a giant moth-like creature. Sitting atop of it, a few feet away, was the Bard, giving a tiny wave and co*cky smile.

“Welcome to Air Bard!” Robina greeted. “How can I help you today?”

With a defiant howl, Leonard raised his hand, ready to stab it down into Chi’s back. Before he could, though, he found himself tied up in silk by the Bard’s conductor’s baton, practically cocooning him in a substance as strong as steel. Once he fell to his side, unable to move or even roll around, Robina crawled over him to Adam, checking him over.

“Are you okay?!” the Bard demanded as Chi circled the lab, looking to land by the front door.

Adam nodded weakly, still unable to move his arms. “Nice catch…although, aren’t you supposed to be on maternity leave…?”

Robina shook her head with a smile, giving the redhead a soft kiss on the forehead. A moment later, Chi landed softly on the ground, lowering himself down to let his riders off. Within seconds, a car pulled up nearby, Catherine Summers getting out of it.

“...THAT is never gonna not freak me out,” Summers admitted, pointing at Chi, who merely made a sound akin to razzing at her.

The door to the lab was flung open as Roxanne ran out to hug Adam tightly. Behind her, Nightfall was escorting Andrea Bison out, while CQ assisted Mindscape and BB helped BG. With a bit of trial and error, due to one of her legs barely functioning, Elise managed to hobble over and hug her brother, smiling in relief.

“Are you okay?” Thomas asked, looking his ex-boyfriend’s horrid-looking wounds over.

“I’ll be alright,” Adam answered honestly, looking down at the tied-up Haphephobia. “Better than HE’LL be doing.”

“Yeah, we should get him into a cell, ASAP,” Catherine noted.

“What about her?” Nightfall inquired, hiking a thumb at Bison.

GD inhaled deeply, his attention turning to his former teacher. It had been ages since the two had laid eyes on each other. He watched as she finally began to truly recognise who he was. Horror flashed in her eyes as realised what had become of the boy she’d raped, and that the man he’d been moulded into was standing before her.

“Adam, I…I’m sorry,” Bison insisted, hands up pleadingly. “I never…if I knew what would happen to you, I would’ve—”

“Picked someone else?” the Jade Thunderbird guessed, his eyes narrowing greatly. “...You know, in all this time, I thought I needed something from you. Whether it was an apology, or justice, or, God help me, even vengeance. But you know something?”

Andrea shook her head shakily, her breath much heavier as the man she’d violated so many years ago leaned in closer to whisper “...I don’t need anything from you.”

Pulling away, feeling like a horrid weight had been lifted from him, Adam gave a quick look to Catherine, who nodded in understanding. Looking back to the others, his friends, his colleagues, his lovers, and his family, he allowed them to help him home. And as the group left, Adam realised he was wrong: There was one last thing he needed. And he smiled a little as he heard Catherine speak the words he’d so longed to hear in all of these years.

“...Andrea Bison, you are under arrest for statutory rape.”

Notes:

Soooo, couple of things to go over with this one. First off...I ran outta things to write for flashbacks with Roxanne. LOL I guess that's fine here, since she finally appeared in the present day in the story, but it does bother me nonetheless that I couldn't come up with anything that clicked in my head. Oh well.
Second, I'll get more into this later, but GD's new trick is an ability I've wanted to give him for a while. For anyone wondering, no, he's not ditching his gloves. He's still gonna need 'em, just maybe not quite as much as he used to. You'll see. 😉
Anyway, with both Haphephobia and Andrea Bison getting one-way tickets to jail, I guess that's the end of the story, huh?... ... ...Oh, THAT'S right! I had a bigger purpose with this happy little tale of sex and violence, didn't I? Next time, we finally learn who Adam chooses in the end. And I'mma just warn now, not EVERYONE is gonna be okay with my choice, but it's the one that makes the most sense to me personally, so that's where we're going. And while Adam will only be choosing one...well, let's just say that there won't be too much heartbreaking going on. Either way, hope y'all enjoy!

Chapter 7 Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

St. Jonas, Maine

Adam Hicks let out a light sigh as he walked gingerly over to his front door. He’d healed up quite a bit from his fight a week ago, but he was still doing his best to take it a little easy, and was still walking with a bit of a limp. Nonetheless, he was all too happy to open the door and invite his guest inside.

“Good to see you!” Adam exclaimed, giving the police detective a small hug.

“Well, I just thought I’d check in on you,” Catherine Summers acknowledged as she walked in, letting her friend close the door behind her. “How goes the healing process?”

“Pretty well, actually,” the redheaded electrician answered as the two took a seat at his table. “I should be back to work in a couple of days.”

“Good,” Catherine acknowledged. “Elise is holding up really well, but I’m sure she’d appreciate the help.”

Hicks nodded. “Anyway, I assume that’s not all you came to talk to me about.”

“Yeah, I…have good news and bad news in regards to Andrea Bison,” Summers admitted awkwardly. “Which one do you wanna hear first?”

“Aw hell, give me the bad news first,” Adam answered. “That way, we can end on a high note.”

“Alright,” Catherine replied, taking in a deep breath. “There’s not gonna be any trial. Bison basically took the first offer she got: Reduced sentence, house arrest, community service, that sort of thing.”

“After everything with Haphephobia, I had a feeling she’d decide to avoid making this any worse for herself,” Adam noted, folding his hands on the table. “So, no hard time, huh? What’s the good news, then?”

“I have it on good authority that her face and her name is going to be given out to every school in every city in every state in the entire country,” Summers answered. “As of this moment, her days teaching are over, and I doubt anyone is going to let her anywhere near their kids unsupervised anymore.”

“Then I’ll take solace in knowing she can’t do to anyone else what she did to me or those other kids,” Hicks remarked with a sigh.

The detective nodded, noticing the gloves on the redhead’s hands. “...So, still having to wear those, huh?”

Adam blinked, confused until he saw where Summers was looking. “OH, yeah. Yeah, I did a little testing on myself. Nothing too extraneous, just trying to figure out what happened. Basically, it seems that I’m able to use up a bunch of my voltage to heal up damage taken in a fight, as well as give my stamina a boost. And while it leaves me unable to power any of my tools for an hour…it also means I don’t have to worry about electrifying anything for that hour, either. Elise has been calling it my ‘Impetus Charge’.”

“So it’s not permanent?” Catherine inquired, her tone a bit sad.

“No,” Adam answered, folding his arms. “And I have to wait another 90 minutes before I can use it again after the hour is up…but it IS something. I don’t need to shower with my gloves on, I don’t need to use special towels to clean my hands with…”

“You can actually hold hands with someone,” Summers suggested, smiling a little.

Adam chuckled a little, a light blush forming on his cheeks. “Y…Yeah, that too.”

“And, on that note, have you thought any more on that front?” Catherine inquired slyly.

“...Yes,” the Celadon Ranger admitted, making his friend on the police force smile ear-to-ear. “And…I’m thinking it’s about time we had a conversation. In fact, I think I have a few people I should probably talk to about this.”

“Well then, don’t let me stop you!” Summers exclaimed happily, getting up out of her seat. “You have fun with that, and let me know how it goes!”

Adam groaned as he pinched the bridge of his nose, watching his guest take her leave. “...THANKS…”

Redtail, Oklahoma

Thomas Rollins gave his wrists a little shake as he sat in his favourite coffee shop just outside of work, grateful to relax. It had been a long day of data entry, and it had taken its toll. Still, a hard day’s work was very satisfying to him, as was the cup of coffee at the end.

What he was not expecting, however, was who entered the shop, no doubt looking for the raven-haired man: None other than his ex. Despite feeling a wave of awkwardness wash over him, he nonetheless gave a friendly wave, watching the redhead walk over and take a seat across from him. For a moment, the two sat in silence, both trying to be the first to speak but unable to do so.

“...So,” Adam finally managed to say, observing his former partner’s chin. “...Huh. Nice beard.”

Rollins smirked, running his fingers through his facial hair. “Thanks. Just something I’m trying. Figured it was time someone showed you how it was done, Mr. 5 O’Clock Shadow.”

Adam scoffed, rolling his eyes. “Anyway…I feel like you and I really need to have a talk.”

“Huh, deja vu,” Thomas snarked.

“Hardy har,” Hicks remarked with a smirk. “There’s actually two things I wanna talk to you about, and the second one is actually a little heavier than the first, sooo…”

As Thomas watched on, a bit confused, his former partner held out a small card, revealing a hexagonal symbol on it. “...Wait…what is this?”

“Well, it’s like I said when that whole craziness last week started,” Adam explained with a smile. “We’ve talked about it more since then, and…we’ve decided: We want you on the team.”

Rollins scoffed in disbelief, taking the card in his hands. “I…wow. And you’re sure this is smart?”

“Yes, I do,” GD acknowledged. “We’ve been through a lot, and not all of it has been great, but it’s left me with the knowledge that I can trust you with my life. And that is precisely the kind of person I want on the Hexagon.”

“...Thanks,” Thomas replied, grinning widely. “Sooo…what’s the other thing you wanted to talk about?”

“Ohh, that…” Adam sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “…I’ve been thinking a lot about what you said, that I need to decide what I want. WHO I want. How I want my future to go.”

“Yeah, I know,” the Red Bolt responded as he took a sip of his coffee.

Adam nodded, shifting a bit in his seat. “Well…you probably also have figured out that…I made a decision.”

“Of course,” Thomas acknowledged, putting his cup down. “And, obviously, I know that you picked me.”

Hicks froze up, sweating a little. “...Uhh…actually…”

“And, while I am thrilled to start things up again, I’m gonna need a few assurances that this won’t end REALLY messily again,” Rollins went on, ignoring how the redhead was responding.

“Th-That’s actually, um—” Adam stammered.

“For starters, I’m gonna need to have it in writing that you can no longer sleep with any woman for the rest of your life,” Thomas insisted with a smirk.

“THOMAS!” the Celadon Ranger exclaimed.

Rollins shook his head, laughing. “Wow, you are STILL terrible at this, you know that? For God’s sake, just say it!”

Adam chuckled a little, knowing he was caught, smiling sadly. “...I’m sorry.”

Thomas nodded, returning the half-hearted grin. “I know. I’m okay.”

“You are?” Hicks inquired, looking deep into his ex’s eyes.

“Yeah, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking the past week, too,” Redtail’s Red-Clad Archer replied. “Truth is, I knew from the start you weren’t going to pick me. So, I talked with some of our mutual acquaintances, and I started to realise that maybe my real problem has been that I never really gave myself the chance to get any kind of closure after we broke up.”

“Ah,” GD remarked. “And…now you have it?”

“Well, I’m GETTING it,” Thomas acknowledged, “slowly but surely. I have a plan and everything.”

“Oh, so, can I ask?” the redhead inquired.

Thomas blushed a little, scratching his beard. “Well…this is actually a little awkward, but…I thought I’d try it your way.”

Adam’s eyes widened as the truth of those words dawned on him. “OH! Oh, so you’re…seeing someone?”

“Yeah, I am,” CQ admitted, squirming slightly. “We’ve gone out a couple of times now. I’m…actually meeting him later tonight.”

“Wow, that’s…actually, really great,” Adam said honestly, smiling genuinely. “Soooo, what’s he like?”

“Well, he’s nice, smart, mature,” Thomas listed off, a smile spreading across his own face. “None of which I was honestly expecting when we first met. To tell the truth, I THOUGHT he wasn’t the kind of guy I’d like at all, but after a couple of dates…yeah, I really like him a lot. Like, a LOT, a lot.”

Adam started to smile as he began to understand. “...He’s not a bear.”

“Nnno,” Rollins replied, taking a much longer sip of his coffee. “...Sometimes, you just have to venture outside of your type to see what’s out there, you know?”

“Well, he certainly sounds great,” Hicks admitted.

CQ shrunk a little in his chair. “Yyyyeah…well, I can definitely say that he’s the kinda guy you’d really like.”

“Well, if THAT’S the case, maybe sometime we could all hang out or something?” Adam suggested.

“OH, oh no, that…that might be a little too weird,” Rollins insisted, waving his hand.

“Oh, is he the jealous type or something?” the Jade Thunderbird asked. “Or did I just overstep a boundary? I just, I wanna know, ‘cuz if we’re gonna be working together, I need to be sure I don’t do that any—”

“Hey T-Thomas!” a voice called from the door, interrupted the red-haired man. “I-I know, I’m early, b-but I thought w-we…”

Adam turned around in his seat to face the source of the voice, and felt his whole body freeze up. Standing there, just a few feet away, was a VERY familiar 5’4” fellow, dressed in a blouse, a denim skirt, fishnet stockings, and high heels. He likewise stayed completely still, having not expected to see Adam, who found himself looking back and forth between him and Thomas, who was looking increasingly like he wanted to crawl under the table and hide.

“... … …OH,” Adam uttered. “OH, um…so, you two…uh…when…?”

“Well, like I said, I was talking to some of the people that we both knew,” Thomas explained, sweat running down his face. “And, well, it was suggested I needed closure, and…”

“I-I was actually the o-one who s-s-suggested h-he got hims-self some cl-closure,” Emerson Darkewind admitted, holding the edges of his skirt tightly. “I-I didn’t m-mean for me, b-but it just s-sort of…h-happened, y’know?”

“Well, that’s…that’s great!” Adam replied, holding two thumbs up. “That’s awesome! That’s super!”

“Adam, please don’t freak out,” Thomas begged.

“Pfft, what, I’m not freaking out!” Hicks exclaimed. “I’m not… … …Yes, I am. I am totally, 100% freaking out..”

Emerson hurried over to Adam’s side as the redhead sunk into his chair. “I-I’m sorry, I didn’t m-mean to h-hurt you with th-this.”

“No, it…it’s not ALL your fault,” GD admitted, wiping his forehead. “...Look, truth is, before I got here, I kinda…had a chat on the phone with someone else first…”

Ten minutes ago…

Adam stopped just a couple of yards away from what he knew Thomas’ favourite coffee shop was as he heard his phone ringing. Looking down at it, he immediately recognised the number. Truth was, it belonged to someone else he needed to have a word with. Thinking it over, he hit answer.

“Hello!” Adam greeted.

“Hi, Adam!” Sonya Strider replied. “What’s up?”

“Not a lot,” Hicks partly lied. “Just…well, actually, going around, having some much-needed conversations with a few key people.”

“Oh,” Sonya remarked simply. “Um, would I be one of those people?”

“Y-Yeah…” Adam admitted.

“Well…look, whatever you need to say, you can say it to me like this,” BB offered. “It’s okay, really.”

GD sighed hard, rubbing his temple. “Sonya…I’m sorry. I don’t think it’ll work out between us.”

“I know,” the Lime Luminary acknowledged. “For what it’s worth, I really care about you, a lot, and wanna see you happy. But I think there’s some stuff about me that I just need to figure out for myself. Try to better understand and work through, y’know?”

Adam nodded. “I see. Well, good. I’m glad you’re taking this so well and are gonna take your own issues so seriously.”

“Yeah…” BB muttered, sounding a little weird. “...It’s just…um, truth is, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking, and…I think you’ve been right about me for a while now. I have a part of me that I really need to take a closer look at what it means to me.”

“...Oh?” Hicks inquired, feeling his eye twitch a little as he began to understand what was meant by that.

“Yeah, and I just need to know if it means I need to make some pretty important changes in my life,” Sonya continued to ramble.

“Sonya, Sonya,” Adam interrupted. “Listen, you…you do whatever you feel you have to for your own sake, okay? All I ask is…do not tell me ANYTHING you do on this journey of yours.”

“...Right,” BB replied. “Right, I will keep it to myself.”

“Also, just throwing this out there, no matter how much I care for you, if you hurt my sister, I will hunt you down,” GD added, albeit with a slight grin.

“That’s fair,” Sonya replied quickly.

Now

“Soooo, yeah, suffice to say, it has been a bit of a day so far,” Adam admitted to his exes.

“Well, on the plus side, you’ve only got a couple more people to talk to today,” Thomas pointed out.

Hicks sighed hard, leaning back into his seat. “Yeah…”

Emerson tilted his head. “...What is it?”

“I think I might be having second thoughts,” Adam admitted. “I was already wondering how great an idea this was, but after seeing how telling the people I DIDN’T choose has gone so far, considering how complicated things could get with the one I DID choose…”

“You don’t think she’ll want you,” Rollins observed, getting a sad nod in response. “...Well, to be fair, you ARE right that the situation is complicated as all hell. But, the way I figure it, even if you get your heart stomped on, it’s still better than doing nothing.”

“...Yeah, you’re probably right,” GD acknowledged, inhaling deeping and giving a hard nod. “Okay. I should just wrap this up.”

“Good luck,” Darkewind offered. “And l-let us know how it goes.”

Adam gave a small smile before getting up to leave, giving a small wave as Thomas watched on. “...Well, there he goes.”

“Y-You made the r-right decisions,” Emerson insisted, rubbing his new boyfriend’s arm.

“I know,” Rollins replied, finishing his coffee. “So, wanna head out?”

“S-Sure,” the young goth man answered, smiling as the two got up out of their seats.

“Oh, and before I forget, one thing that I really feel needs mentioning,” Thomas said with a grin. “As adorable as it is that you wanna make yourself as cute to me as possible, you don’t have to pretend. Cut the fake stammering.”

Emerson blushed hard, following after his date as the two headed out. “...I’ll do my best.”

Hexagon Base

Stepping off of the teleporter pad, Adam made his way up the hall of Hexagon Base. He WAS headed for a specific room in the base, until he saw the owner of said room in the hall he was travelling along, clearly on her way to the eatery. The two paused in place as their eyes met.

“...Hey,” Adam greeted.

“Hey,” Robina Huang replied, the two walking closer to each other. “What’s up?”

“Well, I’ve kinda been going around, talking to a few select folks,” Hicks explained, earning an odd look. “See, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately about what I want out of life. About what I want for my future. And, the truth is, when I look at my future, and I think of who I want standing with me—”

“Um, can I stop you there for a sec?” the Bard asked nervously, getting an idea as to where this conversation was headed. “I just, I think there’s something you should know first.”

Adam blinked slowly, a sense of dread washing over him. “...If you’re about to tell me that you’re dating or considering getting involved with an ex or family member of mine…”

“Uh, NO, not where I was going,” the Mystical Minstrel retorted, confused by that statement. “No, I just wanted to say…after I had a talk with Jack recently, I started to think about you, and what you mean to me. If I really just see you as a friend, or if there’s something…more.”

“...Oh,” Adam responded, watching the mother of his child squirm a bit. “...And, DO you think of me as something more?”

Robina inhaled deeply between grit teeth, looking awkward as all hell. “...No, I really, really don’t. I’m so sorry.”

“That’s okay, Rob,” GD insisted with a smile. “I’m fine being your friend. Well, close friend, I guess. But, there is one thing I’d like changed about our…arrangement.”

Huang blinked, a little concerned. “Oh?”

“I wanna be more involved with you and the baby,” Adam replied, relieving the Musical Magical Girl. “I know you’re not looking for a boyfriend, and certainly not a husband, so I’m not saying we should move in together or anything like that. But I don’t just wanna be the guy you call when no one else is available to help you with something, either. And yeah, I know I have a VERY busy life, but—”

“We’ll work something out,” Robina interjected, smiling.

Hicks nodded, returning the smile and gently placing a hand on the Bard’s belly. “Good. Because…even if it’s not exactly as I planned, I do wanna be a big part of my kid’s life.”

“Of course,” the Mystical Minstrel replied. “...So, do you still have people to talk to?”

“Oh, yeah, I should go take care of that,” Adam acknowledged, retrieving his hand as he stepped away.

“Real quick, though, while I have you here,” Robina asked, stopping the redhead in place. “Not that this has anything to do with anything, but…what do you think of Tifa from Final Fantasy VII?”

The Jade Thunderbird tilted his head, confused and caught off-guard by such a strange and seemingly random question. “...Debate with Jack?”

“Kinda,” the Bard half-lied. “Just, tell me what do you honestly think of her, not what you think I wanna hear.”

Folding his arms, the redhead considered that for a moment. “...Beautiful, smart, badass, and also very warm and loving.”

“Okay, thanks,” Robina said with a nod. “Good luck with the rest of your trip.”

“Thanks,” Adam replied with a grin before turning to leave. “I’ll let’cha know how it goes!”

Smiling half-heartedly and waving as the father of her baby left, the Musical Magical Girl waited until he was gone before staring down at her belly. “...If you’re a girl, you better be REALLY good.”

Jadetown, Vermont

Roxanne MacReady gasped and giggled as she watched her husband, Theodore, flop back onto the sandpit as their daughter, Erin, inadvertently drop kicked him while she was on the swings. The little raven-haired girl, seeing her father get up with a diabolical grin, immediately knew what was coming, leaping off of the swing and running. Unfortunately for her, her father was too fast, snatching her up and tickling her all over.

Shaking her head, Roxanne snorted at the sight, only for her eyes to catch a glimpse of a familiar-looking redhead heading her way. “...Hey!”

“Hello there!” Adam replied with a wave. “Was in the neighbourhood, felt like stopping by.”

“Uh huh,” Roxy retorted, hand on her hip. “Not here on any work business, are you?”

“Nope, just having a few chats with a few important people,” Hicks insisted, turning his gaze to Theodore and Erin. “...Is that them?”

“Yup,” Roxanne replied with a smile.

“Guess it all went according to plan in the end after all,” Adam observed.

“...Well, I had to make a couple of alterations along the way,” the raven-haired goth woman admitted, earning a somewhat surprised look from her oldest friend. “But I wouldn’t trade what I got for anything.”

GD nodded, understanding. “Nor should anyone ever try to ask you to.”

“What’d you really come here for, Adam?” Roxy asked, looking the red-haired man in the eye.

Scratching the back of his head, Adam sighed hard. “...Honestly, I realised that there was something I never said to you, in all the years we’ve known each other. And, after last week, I know that I need to say it now: Thank you, for saving my life.”

Roxanne blinked and smirked in confusion. “Um, I seem to recall a very different set of circ*mstances last week.”

“Not last week,” the Celadon Ranger clarified. “You were there for me when I needed you the most, when I needed someone to keep me grounded, keep me in this world, in this life. As weird as my life has gotten since then…I wouldn’t trade it in, either. And I don’t think I would’ve made it if it wasn’t for you.”

Roxy smiled, taking the redhead’s hand softly. “It’s what best friends do. You know why?”

“Oh God, don’t sing the song,” Adam muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“Because I’llll beeee therrre forrr yooouuu, when the raaiiinn starts to poouuurr~!” Roxanne sang, doing a silly dance.

“Gahhh, I’m gonna have to watch that when I get home!” GD groaned as his best friend continued. “Alright, I’m out! I’m leaving! Goodbye, crazy lady!”

Roxanne cackled as her best friend took his leave, waving to him. Soon, though, the laughter faded, and she just watched him leave, her mind full of an odd and awkward mixture of emotions. Still, she did mean what she’d said: As different as her plans for the future had turned out, she wouldn’t trade what she had for anything.

“Hey,” Theodore said as he held his wife from behind. “So…that’s him?”

“Yup,” Roxy replied simply, kissing her husband on the cheek.

“Not to sound like the jealous type, but…?” Theodore started to ask.

“You have nothing to worry about,” Roxanne assured him, leading him back toward their daughter.

“Good,” Teddy responded. “...Could I take him?”

“Nope,” Roxy answered simply.

Stonebrook, North Carolina

I swear, I’m never gonna get used to her living in a mansion now, Adam thought to himself as he rang the doorbell to the last place on his list that he had to travel to.

As he waited for an answer, it suddenly occurred to the redheaded man that he had no idea what he was going to say to the final person on his list, or even what he SHOULD say. He even started to question if he should even be there, or if this was a bad idea. But before he could consider leaving, the door opened, revealing an incredibly pale woman in a maid’s outfit, with long blonde hair and eyes that seemed to shimmer in a variety of shades of blue.

“...Um…hi,” the Jade Thunderbird greeted awkwardly. “I…I was—”

“You are Adam Hicks, oui?” the maid asked in a very thick, very sensual French accent.

“I am,” Adam replied, a bit nervous by how much the maid’s eyes seemed to be glowing. “...Um, this might be a bit rude or stupid of me to ask, but…”

“Yes, I am a ghost,” the maid answered, stepping aside. “Miss Davenport has been expecting you.”

Adam blinked hard, stunned and confused, but nonetheless entered the mansion, the apparent ghost maid closing the door behind him and offering to take his coat. “Uh, which way, miss…?”

“Fantine,” the maid replied, pointing to her left. “The north room. That way.”

“...Okey dokey, then…” the Celadon Ranger remarked, giving the maid his coat and heading up the hall toward the north room.

As he approached his destination, Adam saw the very person he was seeking to have a conversation with. Susan Davenport was sitting on a couch, dressed in a silky black nightdress, drinking Black Magic straight from the bottle. Her eyes were red, showing that she’d been crying, a LOT. And she had a piece of paper folded up tightly in her hand.

“...Susan?” Adam asked, watching as the bookstore owner slowly turned to face him, her face a mixture of sorrow and anger. “What’s…what’s wrong?’

Susan didn’t say a word in reply. Instead, she merely tossed the paper to the redhead, which he caught in midair. As the brown-haired goth went back to her drink, Adam unfolded the paper, reading it over. His eyes widened in shock as he immediately recognized what it was: Divorce papers.

“...Oh my God,” the Jade Thunderbird whispered, his body swaying slightly. “Is this for real?”

“Yup,” Susan muttered as she lowered the bottle. “Woke up the other day alone in bed, and found that, along with a note. Among other things, he said we have absolutely nothing in common, outside of our lives as superheroes.”

“Well, that is absolutely not true!” Adam exclaimed, receiving only a sceptical look from the drunken goth. “...Okay, well maybe it’s not, but I’ve seen relationships built on less than what you two share!”

“Yeah, well, apparently that’s not good enough for him,” Susan retorted, taking another swig from the bottle.

“So…so what, he’s just gonna kick you out?!” Adam demanded, enraged.

“...Nope,” Stonebrook’s chosen defender answered, baffling the redheaded man. “He basically kicked himself out.”

“...He left you…this whole mansion, which is paid for and being cared for by, apparently, a ghost maid?” Adam inquired, getting a quick nod. “...Why do I get the feeling there’s more to why he left, and that I’m not gonna like the rest of it?”

“Some men would,” Susan responded with a sigh. “You won’t.”

Adam groaned, wiping his face in frustration as he knew exactly what the rest was about. “For God’s sake…He was REALLY that convinced you weren’t over me?! Didn’t you tell him that all it was was nostalgia?! You know, like you told me?!”

“YES!” Susan hollered, almost losing her grip on the bottle. “I told him the night before he left! I must’ve said it like a thousand times! And, by the end, I…” Susan stopped for a moment to recompose herself as best as she could, having felt the need to sob overwhelm her. “...by the end, I didn’t even believe me anymore.”

“...Oh,” Adam whispered, his eyes wide as small planets.

Looking into Susan’s eyes, Adam felt a variety of emotions. On the one hand, knowing that she felt for him the way she did filled him with such flattery, even glee. On the other hand, though, seeing her so hurt, so abandoned, and all because of him, filled him with a feeling he was all-too familiar with: Guilt.

“...I’m sorry,” the Jade Thunderbird muttered, taking a seat on the couch.

“It’s not your fault,” Susan replied.

“Yes, it is,” Adam argued. “I…I came here tonight to tell you that I realised who it was that I really wanted.”

Susan nodded, holding herself. “I know.”

“But…But I wasn’t gonna make a move for you,” Adam insisted. “I was gonna tell you the truth, because you deserved to know, and then I was gonna step aside. I wasn’t gonna do THIS to you. I would never WANT to hurt you…and I did anyway.”

“YOU didn’t hurt me,” Susan remarked pointedly. “William did. And honestly…I think he was right to. Because I was just wasting his time. Because he wanted someone who could be devoted to him entirely and he could do the same for, and he didn’t have that with me.”

“Well…well why not, though?” Adam asked, hands in his hair. “He gave you everything. He was the one who put a ring on your finger. He was the one who married you. I never did any of that.”

“...Adam, tell the truth,” Susan muttered after taking another swig from her bottle. “...Did you, or did you not, pretend to be too busy to come to my wedding because you were afraid you might object?”

Hearing that question, the Celadon Ranger felt his heart stop for a moment, taking in a deep breath. “...I’m gonna kill Thomas.”

“So, it IS true, then?” Susan asked, looking the redhead in the eye. “You avoided going to my wedding because you couldn’t watch me get married, because you wanted me but didn’t wanna come between me and the man I was going to marry, because you thought I was better off with William than with you.”

Adam sighed hard in defeat, feeling naked and exposed in that moment. “...Yes. I did.”

Susan nodded, thinking over everything. “Well…then I guess you were right. YOU hurt me after all.”

“... … …Yeah,” Adam muttered, slowly pulling himself up and turning away, preparing to leave.

“So, I guess the question is, how are you going to make this up to me?” Susan inquired, the Jade Thunderbird turning back to face her, seeing her standing up a bit shakily and smirking.

“I…uh…I guess I hadn’t really thought of that,” Adam admitted as the brown-haired woman stared a hole through his head. “I mean…what do you want? Because I will do anything to make this right. I mean…I can track William down, drag him back here by his blond locks and try to work this out with him.”

“I have a feeling that’s not going to work, and honestly, I’m not so sure I want it to,” Susan remarked, his smirk growing as she sauntered forward a bit.

“Okay, well, um…I-I can help patrol Stonebrook!” Adam suggested, backing away nervously and bumping into a wall. “I mean, Elise is getting a lot better at this job, and if we kept in regular contact and had Hexagon Base’s teleporter keep a lock on me, I could always be back in a pinch if she needs me.”

“Mm, yeah, mm-hmm,” Susan replied, nodding and grinning.

“Or, OR, um, I could help in other ways!” GD went on, feeling like this was becoming a very one-sided conversation. “Uh, I could check to make sure the wiring in this place is up to code. I mean, I know you have a maid, a ghost maid at that, but depending on when she died, she may not know a lot about modern elec—”

Before Adam could finish verbalising his train of thought, he was cut off as Susan suddenly lunged forward, wrapped her arms around the back of his head, and kissed him hard and deep. He moaned in surprise, feeling like he shouldn’t be enjoying this with a woman as drunk as she no doubt was. But with each passing second, he found himself returning the kiss, his hands resting on her sides and gently caressing her.

“...Here’s what you’re going to do,” Susan remarked once the kiss ended, staring into the man’s eyes, blue meeting blue. “You are going to stop being such an idiot. You are going to care for me however I want, and how you have wanted for years, and I don’t care if you think you deserve me or not.”

Adam opened his mouth to say something, but was immediately interrupted as Susan went on to say “But right now, first and foremost, you are going to pick me up off my feet, carry me to my bedroom, and love me as intensely and passionately as you have ever loved anyone in your life, and with rigorous attention to detail.”

The Green Defender stared Nightfall in the eyes, seeking any hint that she didn’t mean this in even the most minor of ways. He found nothing to suggest any of that. She was 100% serious. The woman he loved wanted him, right at that exact moment. And with that thought in mind, there was only one question he had left to ask.

“...And you’re sure this is what you want?” Adam inquired, earning an angry scowl. “Sorry. I’ve been asked that question a LOT lately…and I just wanted to be the one to ask it for a change.”

Susan sneered at the redhead in her arms, to two soon kissing again, even more passionately and vigorously. And as Adam held the beautiful brunette in his arms, he knew one thing above all else: It didn’t matter what he thought he deserved or not. Whatever he thought of himself in terms of his own value was irrelevant. THIS was what he wanted. And, for the first time in his life, he was going to make sure that he NEVER let it go.

Notes:

...Alright, let's talk for a bit here about stuff that nobody on AO3 will care about, but people who follow me on DA will. A long while back, Nightfall was romantically involved with a lot of different characters, but Maltorramus was eventually hoping to have a more longterm relationship for her. At the time, GD was very much in the running...and I kinda stepped aside. I had a couple of reasons for it. The first being that I, like Adam in this story, didn't wanna get in the way when I felt that Mal and FDComics really wanted to do the Nightfall and Rocket arc. What I didn't know is that, had I not have taken GD off the table, it probably was going to be him and Susan in the end, and never picked up on the hints that Susan and William getting married only happened because I pushed for it...namely because I NEEDED to see Susan in a goth wedding dress someday. The other reason I stepped aside was because, for a while, I was trying to avoid doing a lot of crossover stuff, since if I ever wanted to write a story that would pretty much be required to involve a character whose creator ain't around anymore, I'd be screwed. What I didn't realize, until it was too late, is that I'd created a situation where that would happen to Mal: When FDC stopped being active (seriously, ask anyone who has worked with him what it's been like trying to get in contact with him as of late), content including Nightfall all but ceased on Mal's page. As a result, because of that, I've had a chat with Mal and a few other individuals behind-the-scenes, and I decided to do what I've done here. HOWEVER, lest anyone think I basically screwed William over in this story, if FDC comes back and is less-than-fond of how things went here, I do actually have an out in mind if he wants to talk shop to kinda clean things to his liking.
But yeah, otherwise, GD and Nightfall are together. And they aren't the only couple forming as a result of this story. This was actually something I realized while writing this story: I REALLY wanted to do CQ and Mindscape. Especially after a made a pic of them together in Hero Forge (which I will share at some point) and practically squeed at how adorable they looked together. And as for BB and BG, I mean, I've been kinda hinting at that POTENTIALLY being a thing for a while. I know a lot of people really wanted BB and GD in the end, and I apologise for letting them down. That said, I've basically all but committed myself, in the near future, to write a Choose Your Own Adventure version of this story, so you will still get what you want someday. lol
I am genuinely curious, though, who all thought I was going to swerve them by having Roxanne be the one Adam ultimately ended up with. I should note, when I conceived her, she was meant to be more like GD's answer to Lana Lang or Julie Madison. Someone he cares for deeply, someone he may have even been intimate with once, but while they treasure that connection, that's all it is. Otherwise, they are just close friends, or in this case, best friends. She's also sort of a mishmash of positive attributes from a few of my exes over the years, just FYI. lol
Anyway, while that is technically the end of the story, come back soon for the epilogue, where I leave you with what you all came here to see... ... ...HARDCORE NUDITY! 🤣

Chapter 8 Notes:

Anonymous: How much sex can the epilogue of this story possibly have?
Me: YES! 🤣

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Redtail, Oklahoma

Thomas Rollins let out a soft sigh as he felt the night air on his face. It had been a long time since he’d let himself just relax on a bench in Redtail’s Hawkworth Park and enjoy the sight of the stars. He couldn’t remember the last time, between his job and being Crimson Quiver, that he’d had the chance to.

More-so, though, the raven-haired man couldn’t remember the last time he’d gotten to enjoy such a sight with someone special. Especially not with someone as adorable-yet-mature as Emerson. The two sat side-by-side on the bench, taking in the night sky, enjoying each other’s company.

“Mmm, I like when this t-town is quiet,” Emerson more-or-less purred, admiring the stars. “No robberies, no m-muggers.”

“What did we talk about?” Thomas asked, smirking knowingly. “I already think you’re cute. You don’t have to stammer so much for effect.”

Emerson blushed, scratching his cheek. “Sorry. Habit.”

“It’s okay,” Rollins replied, letting a hand slip into his date’s. “I like that you want to try so hard for me. Makes me feel a little spoiled.”

“Thanks,” the Tekhelet Telepath almost chirped. “Y’know, I gotta say, this isn’t at all what I expected tonight for a trip to a place that’s dark and secluded but still open to the public. I know I shouldn’t make assumptions based on reputation, but…well, a few of us have heard about the first night you met Adam.”

Thomas rolled his eyes, chuckling. “Yeah, and to be honest, after a while, I just wanted something a bit more romantic than just outdoor, aggressive sex, y’know? Sorry if that makes me less manly.”

“Not at all,” Darkewind remarked, grinning. “Sooo, you weren’t planning on taking me to some secluded part of the park for wild lovemaking?”

“...Uhh, well…” Thomas muttered, sweating. “I mean, I wouldn’t say no if it was something you wanted. But I wasn’t necessarily expecting it either.”

Emerson felt his face heat up, holding Thomas’ hand a little tighter. “...Thomas, I…I just, I know you’re seeking closure and wanting to move on with your life. And I’m all too happy to help you with that. I just want you to know, you don’t have to take this any further than you want to. We don’t HAVE to do this, unless it’s something you really want.”

“Goddammit, you ARE cute,” Thomas observed, slowly leaning in close and kissing his new boyfriend, his body feeling as though it were being lit aflame by the connection. As soon as the kiss was over, he stood up, keeping Emerson’s hand in his, and leading him to a deeper part of the woods that made up the park. “Besides…it’s not like Adam’s off having wild, unbridled sex right now or anything.”

Stonebrook, North Carolina

Adam moaned loudly as he kissed the woman he held cradled in his arms, kicking the door to her bedroom open and carrying her inside. He brought Susan to her bed and threw her down onto it, mounting her immediately and resuming the kiss. Susan let out a cry as she felt the redhead’s thigh press gently against her lap, reaching back to unzip her dress and sliding out of it, leaving her only in her black, lacy underwear.

“Oh God…!” Stonebrook’s protector groaned as her lover’s lips explored her face and neck, his gloved fingers tracing along her body’s various scars. “Please, kiss me everywhere…!”

Adam nodded, hauling his shirt off and tossing it aside. He went back to work, kissing and licking across the goth woman’s every scar, causing her to reach down and tug hard on his red hair. She tilted her head back, looking up at the mirrors on the ceiling as her bedmate removed and kicked off his pants and boxers, giving her a good look at his ass.

“Ooh, don’t even think about going for the finish this soon…!” Susan cooed, even as she used her feet to rub the redhead’s raised rod.

“I wouldn’t dare,” Adam whispered with a smirk, pulling his gloves off one by one with his teeth.

The brunette beauty’s eyes widened a bit at this display. “Umm, I dunno if electroshock snuff is one of my kinks, lover!”

Adam chuckled, focusing hard as he used up a large amount of the voltage running through his nervous system. Satisfied by what he saw under the skin of his hand, he slowly slipped it under Susan’s panties, giving her moist muff a gentle stroking. She gasped hard in astonishment and arousal.

“Wha…when…how…holy sh*t…!” Susan moaned, clutching the bedding tightly as Adam’s fingers expertly explored her wet sheath, seeming tracing across every last nerve ending down there. She tossed her head hard as his tongue ran around her navel, his free hand travelling up one leg, across her buttocks, and down the other leg, giving gentle rubs and massages along damned near every muscle it passed over on its journey.

“Not too much for you, is it?” Adam asked as his fingers rubbed, poked, and prodded all around inside the goth woman’s throbbing threshold, winking up at her teasingly.

“You hold back, and I swear to God, your ass belongs to my strap-on…!” Susan cried out, wrapping her legs tightly around the Jade Thunderbird as he twisted his middle and index finger together and thrust them in her deeper and harder, using his thumb to rub her love button and flower petals.

“I mean, is that a promise?” Adam inquired slightly, gently nibbling along the brunette’s sides. “Honestly, I just wanted to know how long you can go for. That little trick I just did boosted my stamina, so I could basically go all night. Can you?”

Susan’s eyes practically sparkled at this revelation. “...WHOA. But, I mean, what about St. Jonas?”

“I’ve got Elise looking after the city,” the redhead explained, licking and nibbling along Susan’s hips and thighs as he continued to finger f*ck her. “And she might still be a little new at this, but she’s becoming a real pro.”

St. Jonas, Maine

I am soooooooooo f*cking bored, the Azure Sparrow admitted to herself as she slurped down a blueberry slushie while sitting perched atop the largest parking garage not only in St. Jonas but the whole state. The city was enjoying a relatively quiet night, with the most she had to do being to break up a fight in a grocery store parking lot and help an elderly woman cross the street. All things she was happy to do, but it left her almost wishing something more exciting could happen.

“...Hey…!” the young redheaded woman heard to her left, turning to face Ballistic Blossom as she approached her, a light blush forming on the black-and-purple-haired woman’s cheeks.

“Oh, hey…!” BG replied, tossing her empty slushie in a nearby trash can and standing up to greet her fellow heroine. “How, uh…how are you? Haven’t seen you since the whole Haphephobia thing last week.”

“Uh, well, I’ve been…getting some me time, doing some hard thinking,” BB answered, rubbing her arm. “I-I dunno if your brother told you, but…we’re pretty much done.”

“Oh jeez, I’m sorry,” Elise said with a sympathetic head tilt, even as a part of her mind was jumping for joy.

“Oh, no, it was mutual, and there’s no hurt feelings or anything like that,” Sonya quickly explained with a somewhat high-pitched giggle. “We’re totally cool. It’s cool.”

“Oh, well, that’s great then,” Blue Guardian remarked, her heart pounding harder and louder. “...So, um, you wanna help watch the city?”

“Sure, what’s new tonight?” the Battling Beauty inquired as the two peered over the edge of the ledge down at the city lights.

“Notta, nothing, and a whole bunch of zilch,” Elise admitted quickly before turning back to face the Breathtaking Bombshell. “What the hell are we doing?”

“I dunno,” Sonya acknowledged, her fingers in her hair. “I mean, I slept with your brother. I feel like there’re rules about that.”

“Right, it’s just too weird, and probably breaks a bunch of taboos!” the Azure Sparrow rambled. “At the end of the day, i-it doesn’t matter if you’re attracted to me, or I’m attracted to you, or if finding out you had a penis actually made me crush even harder on you, or if—”

“Shut up for a second…!” Ballistic Blossom purred as she pulled the redhead in close and kissed her hard. Unable to control themselves, the pair immediately began feeling each other up. BG lifted the front of her skirt a bit and wrapped a leg around BB’s hip, whimpering at the friction created by this as the two heroines stumbled and fell backwards onto the cement roof.

Stonebrook, North Carolina

Adam smiled as he flopped back onto the bed, looking up at the gorgeous brunette currently kneeling down next to his legs. Licking her lips, Susan reached down and wrapped her hand around his broad boner, slowly stroking it up and down. She delighted in the grunts that exited his throat, leaning down to softly blow on the tip of his prick.

“Ohhh f*ck, you wonderful tease…!” the Celadon Ranger observed, his hips swaying all on their own without any input from him.

“You know what I wanna do?” Susan whispered as she slowly rubbed all the way from the very base of the ginger’s joystick, letting the tip trace along a scar adorning her thigh. “I wanna take this co*ck, and I wanna rub it against every one of my scars. I wanna feel your pre smear all over my skin, until I smell like you. And then, when you can’t hold it back anymore, I want you to stick it in your favourite hole and slam into me like a f*cking freight train.”

“Oh God, I've wanted that ever since I saw your body for the first time…!” Adam admitted, reaching back to grip the pillow he was laying his head on.

“Well, woulda saved us both a lot of trouble if you had,” the goth woman remarked with a wink before taking the redhead’s rock in her lips, cooing as she let her lips slowly drag back up his dong before pushing them all the way down, her chin touching his testicl*s as he let loose a throaty groan.

Redtail, Oklahoma

Emerson whimpered and whined as he leaned against a tree in the deepest, darkest part of the park. Unbuttoning his blouse, he reached under it to thumb his nipples, letting his body rock a bit. All the while, he looked down at Thomas, who had knelt down in front of him, ducked his head under the raven-haired young man’s denim skirt, and was currently sucking on his deceptively distended dick and fingering his pint-sized passage.

Far sooner than he liked, the crossdressing goth lad bit his lip hard enough to draw blood to keep from screaming as he could no longer hold it in any longer, sending a torrent of jism down his date’s throat. His small frame shook hard as he released everything in Thomas’ mouth, watching as he pulled away, licked his lips, and swallowed.

“Mmmm, f*ck, that tasted good…!” Thomas moaned, looking up into the goth’s blue eyes.

“I’m sorry…!” Darkewind squeaked, panting hard. “I came too soon…!”

“Yeah, but you’re still pretty hard,” the Red Bolt observed in astonishment, standing up and kissing the younger man, licking the blood from his lip. “Wanna go back to my place?”

Not even taking a second to think it over, Emerson nodded emphatically. “Yeah…okay…!”

St. Jonas, Maine

Sonya gripped Elise’s hair tightly as the two fell back onto the redhead’s bed, kissing deeply. They’d discarded all of their clothes at this point, save for their boots, masks, and gloves, as well as the short, thicc girl’s skirt, which Sonya lifted up so she could give her plump ass a swift smack. Such earned a blissful yelp from the Azure Sparrow, who pushed the raven-haired girl down, grinning almost evilly.

“So, you wanna do it like THAT, huh?” BG inquired, pulling her gloves off and lowering her hand towards BB’s boner.

“W-Wait, hold o-AH!” the Battling Beauty started to insist before feeling the redhead’s hand on her stiff staff, sparks of electricity dancing up and down the length of it. However, rather than being blindingly painful, these were small, pleasing jolts, teasing the nerves in her schlong. “Ohhh! Oh my…what the f*ck…?!”

“Yyyyeah, I kinda got tired of taking care of my own needs with gloves on, so I had to learn how to control the voltage coming out my hands,” Elise explained as she started to jerk off her brother’s ex, smiling up into her eyes. “I can’t stop it from coming out, but I can control how much comes out at a time. Took a lot of trial and error, though.”

“W-Wait, you can do-OOH~!” Sonya cooed as the tiny shocks travelled all along her lap and both sets of genitalia. “A-Adam can’t…oh f*ck…!”

“Wait, really?” BG asked, a bit surprised, all the while using her free hand to rub the Lime Luminary’s balls and finger her honey pot. “...Wow. No wonder he can get so ornery.”

BB nodded wildly, biting into her index finger as the small volts pleasured every last nerve in her groin. She reached out with her other hand to grope all over the redhead’s body, humping against her hand. Out of nowhere, though, the jolts stopped as Elise released her rod.

“H-Hey!” Sonya whined, a bit embarrassed by how high her voice got.

“Like I’m getting you off THAT quick,” Elise commented with a giggle, giving the Battling Beauty’s OTHER BBs a kiss. “I wanna see how long you can last for.”

Ballistic Blossom’s nostrils flared a bit, grabbing the thicc redhead and rolling her onto her back. “Oh, your ass is mine…!”

Redtail, Oklahoma

Thomas groaned loudly as he watched Emerson lower himself slowly onto his condom-covered co*ck, facing away from him so he could see every inch of his girth enter the younger man’s beckoning back door. The goth lad, wearing nothing but his fishnet stockings, kept himself up on his feet and hands as his date began to swing his hips, venturing deep inside his petite posterior. The blue-eyed crossdresser clutched the sheets tightly between his fingers as he rode Thomas’ tool.

“Ohhh, go slow…!” Emerson gasped, his body overwhelmed by pleasure. “You’re really big…!”

“So are you!” Thomas grunted as he reached up to jerk his boyfriend off in time with his own thrusting.

Darkewind shut his eyes tight, rolling his head backward and whining louder as he let Thomas have his way with his body. With every stab into his butt, with every stroke of his penis, all he wanted to do was release his seed all over. However, he was determined to hold himself back until his date that evening was ready to climax too.

Thomas, meanwhile, was likewise trying to hold back peaking too soon. It was becoming increasingly difficult, though, hammering into Emerson’s anus, listening to him whimper adorably with each time his prostate was pound upon. With his free hand, he felt all up and down the goth lad’s body as he sat up enough to nibble on his neck and earlobe, his heart racing as he heard Emerson wail lustfully.

“Please…!” Mindscape exclaimed, shutting his eyes tightly as Rollins continued to gently bite and tug on his ear. “If you keep that up, I’m gonna…!”

“It’s okay, babe…!” Thomas groaned, jerking the younger man’s mast faster and speeding up inside of him. “Let it all out!”

Unable to fight it, Emerson tossed his head back, his hips shaking and spasming hard, as sem*n shot out of his schlong like a fountain. His jaw came unhinged as he coated his belly and lap, as well as Thomas’ fingers, with sticky spunk. He collapsed against his date’s chest, trying hard to regain his breathing.

“Wow, so much!” Rollins observed, licking his hand clean. “You sure cum a lot for a little guy!”

"I think I can hear colours…!” Darkewind whispered in a daze, making his boyfriend chuckle.

“Maybe I should give you a couple of minutes to recover before continuing,” Thomas considered, smirking.

Emerson blinked in shock. “You’re still not done?! How long does this usually take you?!”

Thomas shrugged. “Why? Do you need to be home by a certain time?”

“...Oh, it’s like THAT, huh?!” Mindscape demanded as he rolled over and pushed the Red Bolt down with a giggle.

Stonebrook, North Carolina

Susan let out a heavenly sigh as Adam laid her back, the last of their clothes long gone and her legs spread wide for him, save for him having to put his gloves back on once the effect of his new trick had worn off. Her body smelled of sweat and pre-cum, the mixture coating her from head to toe. Slipping a condom over his member, the redhead tapped the underside of it against his lover’s cl*tor*s, making her moan and wrap her arms around his back and shoulders. Unable to keep from going for what he wanted most anymore, he finally pushed his dick deep inside of her tunnel of love, enthralled by every shudder of her body as he inched his way inside.

The owner of Benson’s Occult gasped hard as she felt the Celadon Ranger rock his body slowly but deeply atop her. The sound of the bed creaking beneath them was music to her ears. She locked her legs tightly around the man, squeezing him and spurring him on to take her harder.

“I love you so much…!” Hicks whispered in her ear, rolling his hips between her legs.

“I love…you too…!” Susan grunted as she felt the ginger’s girth grind its way deeper inside her. “I’ve always loved you…!”

“I’m sorry! I shouldn’t have-AH!” the Jade Thunderbird yelled as the goth’s nails scratched down his back hard.

“Then make up for it!” Susan hissed, her eyes locked on his. “Give me everything, and don’t hold back!”

Seeing how serious she was, Adam nodded in understanding, groping her breasts roughly and sucking on her nipples like a vacuum as he hammered her harder, making the bed shake louder. Susan let her head sink deeper into the pillow as she felt the redhead take her more vigorously, squeezing him harder between her legs. Wondrous sensations rolled up her spine as she felt his fingers dance and caress and grope across every last scar on her body, until they ended up on her ass, squeezing it tightly.

“Oh God!” Davenport groaned, clutching her red-haired lover tighter. “Mmm, I want more! I want the best you can give!”

“I plan to…once I hear you beg…!” GD replied, grinding his chest against her magnanimous mounds.

“Oh yeah, you think you can make me be-EEEEIIII!” the goth started to say before squealing loudly, feeling a finger penetrate her back entrance deeply and swirl about. “OHHHH f*ck!”

“That’s closer, but not quite begging,” Adam retorted with a co*cky grin, using his other hand to rub the woman’s love button in circles as he continued to penetrate both of her holes.

Susan’s whole body convulsed with pleasure as Adam’s fingers expertly pleasured her, his co*ck grinding against the walls of her gateway while his tongue pressed against a scar on her neck. “f*ck! YES, please, give it to me! Please, give me everything you’ve got! I need to feel it so bad, baby! f*ck me until I can’t walk in the morning!”

Adam snickered a little, raising an eyebrow. “See? Was that so hard?”

St. Jonas, Maine

Elise shuddered at the sensation of Sonya’s hard-on twitching and pulsing against her chest as she rubbed it between her breasts. The Battling Beauty’s hands were keeping her mounds squished against it, while also rubbing and tugging on her nipples. She rubbed her thighs together as she felt herself getting wet for the wood wedged between her provocative puppies.

Likewise, Sonya thought she was going to go insane from what she was feeling. The Azure Sparrow’s skin was so soft, and she could feel the redhead’s heart beating against her anaconda. She found her hips swaying all on their own, and every so often, her meat rose so high that the freckle-faced fawn stuck her tongue out and licked at her co*ck hole.

“Holy crap, I can’t hold back much more…!” BB admitted, blushing hard in arousal and embarrassment.

BG giggled a little, pulling herself free. “Then lay back on the bed, and we’ll wrap this up.”

Strider nodded hard, scrambling onto her back and pulling a condom down over her co*ck. Her eyes wide as saucers, she watched as Elise straddled her lap, lined herself up, and lowered down onto the wrapped-up weiner. Her eyes rolled back a bit as she felt it enter her, and immediately started to rock on it, giving the raven-haired beauty beneath her the sensational sight of her bountiful boobs bouncing.

“HOW…is this the first time…I’ve done this?!” Sonya moaned as she lifted her hips up to drive herself deeper inside.

Hicks cried out louder as she bestrode the bulk in her box, oscillating her hips this way and that. Reaching back, she gently ran her index finger along her asscrack, gasping sharply and bouncing harder as she felt electricity crackle gently along her back entrance. She lowered her free hand down to grope BB’s chest, sending small jolts into her nipples and making her buck up inside of her deeper and faster.

After a few minutes, however, Elise could take no more. To Sonya’s shock, not only did the short and splendid redhead arrive, she actually ejacul*ted, spraying across the Battling Beauty’s nethers hard. Feeling her meat being squeezed so hard, Sonya hollered at the top of her lungs, arching her back and flooding the condom on her schlong with thick and fertile spunk, panting and gasping as she emptied her balls.

“Wow…!” Sonya whimpered as she wiped the sweat from her forehead, watching as Elise weakly reached over and slipped her gloves back on before cuddling up to her. “That was…wow…!”

“So, your first time with a girl was satisfactory?” the Azure Sparrow asked with a weak and blissful giggle.

“Hell yes…!” BB replied, kissing deeply and running her fingers through Hicks’ ginger locks, enjoying the sensation of the freckled girl’s tongue on her neck, soothing her throat a bit after she’d made it sore from all the cries of bliss.

Redtail, Oklahoma

Emerson felt his throat ache as he hollered louder, holding himself up with both hands as Thomas savagely jackhammered into his anus. The son of arguably the world’s most powerful psychic dug his nails into the bedding and wrapped his legs around the archer’s waist. His body ached and tired out more with each thrust into his butthole, his boyfriend’s balls whacking against his own.

Thomas clenched his jaw tightly, feeling himself getting close to finishing. Reaching out, he put the Tekhelet Telepath in a headlock, making sure not to apply it so tight as to actually hurt him. Feeling his lover lick and nibble on his arm, he plunged his pole as deep as he could and shouted Emerson’s name in his ear as he arrived violently. Soon after, the raven-haired lad felt one last load splurt out of his pecker, soaking the bed sheets before the two flopped down onto them.

“You okay, babe?” Thomas asked as he pulled out of the smaller man’s backside.

“I think it might hurt a little to sit down for the next couple of days…!” Darkewind answered, drool running down his chin onto the pillow.

Rollins shook his head and chuckled, peeling off his condom. He was about to toss it in the garbage when Mindscape reached out and took it. As his boyfriend watched on, the goth squeezed the sem*n out of the condom and let it land on his tongue, gulping it down. He purred in delight at the taste as he then disposed of it, cuddling up to CQ and smirking at the aroused look on his face.

“My favourite post-sex snack,” Emerson explained with a flirty wink.

“...Are you TRYING to make your butt hurt for a full week?” the Red Bolt demanded. “Because I can make that happen, if you do stuff like that in front of me.”

Emerson blushed hard, shrinking a bit despite trying to maintain a strong front. “I mean, if you think you could…?”

Thomas chuckled and shook his head, pulling the younger man in for a tight hug. “Babe, you may not be a bear, but you’ve damned sure got the heart of one.”

“Thanks,” Darkewind replied, nuzzling. “...So does this mean you have closure?”

Rollins made a face as he considered that. “I mean…I wanna say yes, but at the same time…I’m honestly a little worried about him.”

“You’re worried about how things went with Susan?” Emerson asked, getting an honest nod. “Me too. I just hope she let him down gently.”

Stonebrook, North Carolina

Adam’s eyes nearly fell out of his skull as he thrust downward into Susan’s chasm, the owner of Benson’s Occult keeping him steadied with her hands as he squatted down over her spread legs, helping to hold him up. Her beaver throbbed as she took the trembling tool, her feet shaking a bit. The sound of the bed squeaking and creaking grew louder, and while part of her feared breaking it, another part was spurred on by the idea of their f*cking being hard enough to break it.

In truth, Susan no longer had a clue what time it was, nor did she give a damn. If it was up to her, her redheaded lover would never be allowed to leave the bedroom. She wanted to take his prong every way either of them could conceive of, until her sheath was shaped to fit his shaft especially.

Adam continued to rock back and forth, taking Nightfall’s leg in his hands and gently running his tongue along a scar on it, making her toes curl tightly. “Ohhh, you love when I tease your scars, don’t you?!”

Susan nodded, groping her breasts roughly. “I love how much you love them…! Oh God, I’ve always loved that…!”

“I love your whole body!” the redhead admitted as I slammed even harder down into the goth woman’s gash. “I wouldn’t change a thing!”

“Even if I said I wanted to mark my breast with your logo?” Susan inquired teasingly, running her tongue along the edges of her teeth, thoroughly enjoying the look on GD’s face.

“...Lemme contemplate that…whilst I penetrate your womb!” Adam declared in a state of arousal he’d never felt before.

St. Jonas, Maine

“...Sonya?” Elise asked, smiling nervously as the two sat on the edge of her bed, slowly getting dressed to go back out on patrol. “Tell the truth: How bad is Adam gonna kill us for this…?”

“You? Probably not,” Sonya answered honestly. “Me?... … …Oh, f*ck it, worth it.”

Hicks blushed brightly, smiling widely until a stray thought occurred to her. “Hey, um…just, about tonight. About…us. I mean, what was this to you?”

BB felt her heart skip a beat at that question. “...I…I dunno. I mean, I don’t think that I think of it as a one night stand or anything like that. But…”

“It’s okay if you don’t quite know yet,” BG assured the Lime Luminary. “If you wanna take your time after this and kinda slow down while you figure it out, that’s okay too. But, just so we’re clear…I don’t think of this as just a one night stand, either.”

Sonya smiled, running a thumb across Elise’s freckles. “Sounds good to me.”

“And, if it was, Adam really WOULD kill you then,” the Azure Sparrow pointed out with a smirk.

Strider giggled a little, rubbing the back of her neck. “Speaking of, how do you think it went with him and Nightfall?”

“Wait, he picked SUSAN?!” Elise practically shrieked. “He DOES know she’s married, right?!”

“...I mean, probably?” BB answered, more than a bit amused by how adorably concerned for her big brother Elise was being. “But I don’t think he was going over there to make anything happen. And, even if he wanted to, what’s the worst that could happen?”

Stonebrook, North Carolina

Stonebrook’s guardian found herself clawing at the bedding beneath her as she felt her lower plough into her from behind, gripping her hips tightly. She’d lost count of how many times he’d made her hit her peak thus far, and her entire body was glistening in sweat. As she felt Adam’s prong pound against her g-spot, she leaned her head down and bit into the pillow, growling like an animal in heat.

Watching Susan bite into the pillow drove Adam past the point of holding anything back. Reaching out with one hand, he grabbed her hair tightly and pulled back on it as he thrust deeper and harder inside her, making the bed shake loudly. With his other hand, he groped and spanked her ass, making her release the pillow as she yelled out his name over and over.

Susan felt her mouth gape wider and wider, the head of the redhead’s sword slamming against her cervix while his ballsac slapped her cherry. She reached up and wrapped her arms around the bedposts, hoisting her chest over the headboard. She could feel GD twitch erratically inside of her, and knew he was at his limit.

“On my face!” the goth pleaded. “Make me cum, and then go on my f*cking face!”

Adam nodded as he grunted loudly, hammering Nightfall with every last bit of force and stamina that he had, managing to hold back long enough to make her squeal in org*smic delight. With that done, he pulled out, removed his condom, and pulled her head close to his co*ck by her hair as he jerked off. With one last grunt, his spire spat out a slew of spunk all over her face, practically painting it with his baby batter.

With the last of their energy spent, the pair of superheroes collapsed on the bed, weakly reaching out to hold each other. For a while, neither said a word, merely cuddling up to one another and stroking each other’s hair and skin. The two simply chose to bask in each other, and in the bliss they’d brough one another.

“...So…does that make it up to you?” Adam inquired.

Susan snorted, burying her face in the side of the redhead’s neck. “...It’s a good start. You’re going to need to do this a few more times to fully make up for it.”

Hicks sweatdropped, gulping hard. “Um…I mean, we may need to wait a bit for me to use that trick again.”

“...I meant like tomorrow night or something,” the brunette beauty replied, looking GD in the eye. “Also, are you SERIOUS???”

“Uhh, maybe?” Adam answered as best as he could. “I mean, I haven’t used it for THAT yet, but…”

Susan felt a tingle in her loins, the corner of her mouth tilting upward. “...We may need to talk about living arrangements.”

“Let’s maybe take this a LITTLE slow,” the Jade Thunderbird suggested nervously. “You’re not even officially divorced yet. Technically, we just committed adultery.”

“...sh*t, you’re right,” Davenport realised, resting her head on her lover’s chest. “Well, we’ll figure that out when the time comes. I mean, I don’t wanna take up TOO much of your time. Especially when the baby’s born.”

Adam’s eyes nearly popped out of his head, looking down to see the knowing smirk on Susan’s face. “Okay, real talk: Does EVERYONE know I’m the father? Did we keep that a secret for nothing?”

“Pretty much,” Susan admitted, giggling. “Don’t worry, though. I’m totally fine with it.”

“Well, I guess that saves us a conversation,” Hicks replied in relief, stroking his lover’s dark brown hair.

“Besides, isn’t she with Jack?” Susan inquired, licking Adam’s chest softly.

“...I mean, not…really,” GD answered, folding his arms behind his head and basking in his post-org*smic bliss. “Then again, who knows what those two do when the rest of us aren’t around.”

Hexagon Base

“...Okay, so…if I turn over my facedown Magic Cylinder card now that you’re attacking me, you take damage equal to your Red Dragon Archfiend’s ATK, which puts you at 0 Life Points, which means I win?” Robina asked as she turned over the very card she was describing.

Jack’s eye twitched uncontrollably, a slew of stammers and half-words exiting his mouth. Suffice to say, his attempt to teach Robina how to play Yu-Gi-Oh! had worked a bit too well. He just sat in bafflement at how he could’ve possibly lost, constantly doing double takes between the playmat and his opponent.

“...Son of a bitch…” Hellzone finally muttered, dropping his head to the table with a loud thud.

The Bard giggled victoriously. “Y’know, beating you at your favourite card game was way more fun than I thought it’d be. In fact, I don’t think anyone could possibly be having more fun than I did tonight.”

Jack’s face scrunched up slightly, his tone completely deadpan as he declared “...I could think of a few people.”

Notes:

...Y'know, I frequently aim to have my stories end on a joke. And sometimes, like here, I have no idea how I'm gonna do it...and then I remember: I have Jack and the Bard. They are ALWAYS good for a laugh. 🤣
Anyway, that was Green Defender: What Do You Want. Hope y'all enjoyed! Later days!

Green Defender: What Do You Want? - J_A_Phillips (2024)

Chapter 1

Notes:

Chapter Text

Notes:

Chapter 2

Notes:

Chapter Text

Notes:

Chapter 3

Notes:

Chapter Text

Notes:

Chapter 4

Notes:

Chapter Text

Notes:

Chapter 5

Notes:

Chapter Text

Notes:

Chapter 6

Notes:

Chapter Text

Notes:

Chapter 7

Notes:

Chapter Text

Notes:

Chapter 8

Notes:

Chapter Text

Notes: