I hate fangirling. You fall in love and not only is it unrequited, no one cares AND people call you stupid.

…

"What's happening?" Uther demanded, sitting down in his chair. He turned around to face the monitors. The Justice Union headquarters was almost exactly like every other conference room in Uther's enterprise, except for the three-dimensional screens and the chairs color coded for every member. There used to be ten chairs, now there were five No one had yet to remove Floralady's chair.

Falconman explained, "We only discovered it a few minutes ago. I've already sent an alarm. The students at the university are being evacuated in case one of them decides to take a leaf out of the Magic Man's book and drop a building on it. I interrupted the Maths classes. The students were delighted."

"Get on with it," Uther growled.

"Yes, sorry," Falconman apologized. "Anyway, only five or so managed to escape. But... from that wing."

Uther frowned. "Which villains escaped, Falcon?"

Falconman had a laser pointer in his hand and he pointed at a picture on the three dimensional screen as he clicked a button to change the slide. "Numbers," Falconman said first. He circled the laser around a thin man with a long white beard and dark purple glasses. No one knew where he had come from or what he wanted, no one except Floralady, and she had died at Number's hand. "He was-"

"Floralady's nemesis, we know, Eddy," the Girl Wonder chastened.

"You're not supposed to call me that," Falconman frowned.

The Girl Wonder rolled her eyes. "You've been my partner for thirty years, I can call you what I like, brown and gold spandex or not," she teased.

"Stop this immediately," Uther ordered. "Edward, continue to explain."

Falconman shot Uther a glare, but continued, "Numbers shared a cell with The Tunneler, he's escaped as well," he indicated to a short, squat man with wildy shaggy hair and large, cracked red lips that seem to cover the majority of his face. Falconman's expression was dark. He'd fought The Tunneler many times. He was one of the more dangerous villains, because he was not insane. He was merely an existentialist to the extreme. If nothing mattered, then The Tunneler believed that living his life to the fullest meant doing what he loved. Living in the earth, killing things, and stealing anything he desired, from jewels to women. He was the typical dragon-esque, if Falconman could be the knight in shining armour, and the maiden died more-often-then-not.

"The Tunneler is yours," the Girl Wonder noted.

Falconman nodded. "Yes, mine." He moved onto the next picture. "Then is the late Sundancer's, the Brown Reclusia." The woman on the screen was attractive, with straight brown hair that reached to her ankles. She was staring straight at the camera, her eyes so bloodshot they were dark red.

Uther flinched at that. The Brown Reclusia had dark, fearsome powers. Her story was gruesome. Her husband had been Sundancer's brother, a man who'd originally been suspected to only have one power. A flash of radiation had resurfaced a power to him, which had escalated from lack of control. Sundancer's brother ended up accidentally killing their son, and Sundancer, declaring his own younger brother a danger to society, had him executed. The Brown Reclusia had vowed revenge for the death of her husband and son, and that revenge meant the death of Sundancer. She'd succeeded. After that, she hadn't been satisfied. She wanted every hero dead. "And the other two?" Uther pressed.

"Scorpion," the next man on the page was Arabian, his every exposed part covered in a long white cloth. There was a rumor he wasn't even alive, and certainly it was rare when anyone could get close to him. Under his cloth was a deadly poison, if it was removed whoever did so would die. It was his goal to steal back every artifact stolen from the ancient tombs of his people, which could have been noble except he believed that all those who had ever possessed or even touched the artifacts should die.

"Mine," the Girl Wonder nodded.

"And the last..." Falconman swallowed. Nervously, he looked up at Uther. There was terror in his eyes.

"No." Uther snapped. "That's impossible."

"We have reason to believe the Magic Man let everyone out. Considering the chaos the town has been in, it was perfectly planned as a cover. And we all know that the Magic Man does the impossible regularly." Falconman leaned against the table. "He was hidden, but..."

"He can't have gotten free! Every possible security was on him!" The Girl Wonder's face expressed only the most terrible horror.

Uther closed his eyes. "Backlash." He said softly.

His nemesis. His old friend.

"Who could possibly have known?" Falconman wondered. His head bowed against his chest.

"Besides myself, only the four of you."

"Not Jaygirl, she hasn't arrived." The Girl Wonder said. Then she paused.

Falconman took a deep breath, letting it out in a loud sigh. "That's how they found out. Jaygirl." He looked at the five seats around the long table. "We only need three of these now."

Uther shook his head. "No. We need more seats. Arthur's team will have to be on duty starting today."

"They haven't even finished the Academy!" The Girl Wonder protested.

"Arthur's the top of his class, he always has been. He's better than even I was at that age. His team is the best I've seen. He's ready, and even if they aren't, they'll have to be." Uther's eyes were hard; his decision was made.

...

Arthur, dressed as quickly as he could, had his phone in hand and was rushing out of his apartment, calling Merlin. Merlin had not picked up his phone since the entire fiasco with the Magic Man, and Arthur was finally free to find him.

The last Magic Man fiasco, Merlin had apparently been outside watching the entire thing. It was really Arthur's own fault that he fell in love with a normal person who liked running headlong into danger. He was just thinking that he was like Superman and Merlin was Lois Lane when he opened the door to his apartment and Ultraman flew into the apartment via the window.

Arthur turned around and shut the door. "Dad," he said with surprise.

Uther looked for a long moment at Arthur's clothes, which clashed so horribly Arthur really should have taken the time to look at what he was wearing. "Arthur, you are going to change, aren't you?"

Arthur laughed nervously. "Yes," he said.

"I'm sorry I could not respond to your calls, as you must have seen in the news I've been busy."

"About those calls," Arthur began, his heart pounding.

Uther shook his head, his gold and white costume catching the light as he did so, which just made him look even more imposing in Arthur's eyes. "Now is not the time, there is an emergency, I need you to gather your team for a briefing at the Justice Union."

Arthur blinked. "Now?"

"Yes, Arthur." Uther said, "There's a very tense issue on our hands."

"There's also something else, something very important that I need to tell you," Arthur tried, "you see, Father, I-"

"Unless the matter absolutely needs to be discussed now, Arthur, then please allow me to explain the other," Uther snapped.

Arthur was about to say 'Yes, it's important, I'm getting married!' when he caught Uther's eyes. Straightening his posture, Arthur shook his head. "No," Arthur said, "it's just a personal matter."

...

Merlin was sitting down on a bench, downtown, waiting for a bus. He'd traded his costume for his normal clothes, a long shirt, just pants, and a scarf and jacket for the cold weather. His phone as in his hands, and he frowned at it.

Dead. He'd forgotten to recharge the battery. Otherwise he'd have called his mother to pick him up. Merlin didn't actually have any money on him for the bus either, but he couldn't exactly walk across the entire city. His final criminal act would have to be robbing the city of five dollars.

A woman sat down next to Merlin. She was engrossed in an exclusive, her head bent over the newspaper. She was old, which explained why she was still using a newspaper.

Merlin, slightly curious and very bored, leaned slightly forward to read the cover.

Confirmed: Four Supervillains Escape From Bran Prison, 11:45, 1-4-2010 Tunneler, Scorpion, Brown Reclusia, Numbers

"Hell," Merlin said softly, his eyes widening.

"I know," the old woman said, "to think he's cheating on her."

She was obviously reading a different story. Merlin ignored her, his mind was reeling.

Four supervillains had escaped? It was obviously big news if it had been printed only three hours after the fact. Merlin froze. They'd escaped during his 'sendoff'.

He'd provided the distraction that let the villains escape!

The entire thing was whirling out of control. Merlin hadn't meant for that to happen, he'd just wanted to do his final act, he hadn't even thought about other villains. For all the months he'd been working, Merlin had been the only supervillain. Somewhere in his mind he'd forgotten they even existed. They were free, the other villains were loose. They weren't like Merlin; people had died during their schemes! They wanted people to die!

Merlin dropped his head in his hands.

They were enemies of the Justice Union. Merlin wasn't their enemy, not really, the Justice Union just got in his way and Merlin annoyed them. He didn't want any member of the Justice Union hurt, especially their leader. Ultraman was going to become Merlin's father-in-law.

And Arthur was 'next generation'. These supervillains would be targeting Arthur, THEY'D WANT TO HURT ARTHUR!

Merlin was not going to let that happen. He clenched his fist, feeling his magic rush to him, powerful and strong.

...

Arthur wasn't in his apartment, and neither was Lance. Merlin sat down at the kitchen and waited.

After awhile he moved to the couch, turned on the television, and then fell asleep with it on. It had been a long day, and Merlin was, frankly, exhausted.

He had the vague sensation of being carried, and then placed down on a comfortable bed. Strong arms wrapped around his middle, burying against Merlin's chest.

...

When Merlin woke up he was being hugged like a teddy bear and Arthur was snoring loudly in his ear. It was still very early, and Arthur had fallen asleep in a suit. There were deep lines around Arthur's eyes. So Merlin settled back down, trying to ignore the snoring, and let him sleep.

...

The great warmth covering him moved after a moment, but then came back. After, Arthur could hear the faint sounds of pages turning. He pressed himself in deeper, his head resting on the bony surface, the rest of him wrapped in the blanket. A gentle hand lightly combed through Arthur's hair, enticing him to stay in the place between waking and sleep.

There was sunlight managing to come through the curtains, enough light for Merlin to read by but to keep Arthur's eyelids heavy. Merlin let out a quiet sigh, and Arthur echoed it to let him know he was awake.

"Hey," Merlin said softly. He slid back down in the bed, moving up closer to Arthur. He was cuddling, but Arthur decided to let it go without a comment. "The villains?" Merlin was asking, his hand slightly shaking in Arthur's hair.

"Father..." Arthur took a deep breath, muttering into Merlin's stomach, "graduated two teams. I'm leader... Pellinor's leader of the... other one. Gunna be taking shifts. Catch them. Back in jail."

Merlin's lips pressed against the tip of Arthur's nose and Arthur smiled. "You'll get them, I know you will," Merlin whispered.

Arthur's smile faded. He gently shook his head.

"Arthur," Merlin began, "You're the best fighter. You could do this without even a single power. You're going to be a great leader."

"I shouldn't be the leader," Arthur said. He opened his eyes, blinking rapidly to adjust them to the light.

"I don't think there's anyone better than you," Merlin said. His voice and face was serious.

Arthur stared at him. He nodded, though he wasn't sure what he was nodding to.

"Are you awake?" Merlin asked, his eyes staring at Arthur in question.

Arthur smirked. "Obviously."

Merlin leaned back against the headboard. His hand left Arthur's hair, trailing down his shoulder before falling to the mattress. "I have something to tell you," Merlin told Arthur, swallowing.

Arthur slowly untangled the blanket from his legs. He grimaced for a moment at the deep wrinkles in his suit. He'd forgotten to change, but he had come back at about five in the morning. Arthur glanced at the clock as he pulled himself up to be sitting next to Merlin. It was almost eleven. "Well?" He asked. Arthur looked at him.

Merlin was shaking.

"Merlin?" Arthur blinked in surprise.

"I..." Merlin tried. He dropped his head in his hands.

Arthur spent a long moment, unsure what to do, then he wrapped one arm around Merlin, pulling him against his shoulder. "Did someone hurt you?" Arthur asked, his fists clenching at the thought.

"No, no, no one," Merlin blinked to hold back shining eyes. "I..." He took a deep, quivering breath.

"It's alright, whatever you want to say," Arthur assured. But as Merlin hesitated, possibilities began to surface in his mind. "We're breaking up?" Arthur asked, eyes widening.

But Merlin shook his head wildly.

"Are..." Arthur tried, "Did you cheat on me?"

"God, no," Merlin grimaced at the thought. "It's not... not like that..." He swallowed.

"Did your mother die?" Arthur jumped, wrapping his other arms and pulling Merlin until he was practically in his lap.

"No, she's fine. She's doing better. Tomorrow she's going to an opera with friends from a book club," Merlin told Arthur, his voice growing stronger. "It's..." He took another deep breath. Arthur had pulled his head against his shoulder, so Merlin had to look up to see Arthur eye to eye. "What would you do if I... if I did something terrible?"

"Did you kill someone?" Arthur asked immediately.

"No!" Merlin sighed. "I told you..." He closed his eyes. "Remember a while ago, I told you I had a power? The telekinesis?"

Arthur nodded, "You said it was... was..."

"Bad, temperamental, that's what I said, I, I meant, I..." Merlin had to take another deep breath. "It's not... exactly telekinesis. It's different. It doesn't have a category."

Arthur frowned. "Merlin, I don't understand."

"I was..." Merlin swallowed again. His hands clenched Arthur's shirt, wrinkling it further. "I used to be a villain."

Arthur laughed. "Right," he chuckled, pressing one finger to Merlin's ear. "You. Merlin, I was scared there for a moment." He laughed again, but then his gaze caught Merlin's.

"Arthur," Merlin said seriously.

Arthur paused, his mind reeling. This was Merlin, it couldn't... this was Merlin who gave him sweet kisses and tried to force them into bed, who laughed at stupid jokes, who was clumsy and a right idiot sometimes. Merlin.

"I was... I know I should have, earlier, but I... I thought I could just... Secret identity, you know?" Merlin's eyes were pleading with him. "I just never thought it would... be so hard to keep from thinking all the time. And I just... I mean... the cinnamon buns, remember? The first time I saw you?"

Arthur's eyes widened. "You mean... how did you know about that?" Arthur jumped out of the bed, standing up. His fists were clenched.

"Arthur, I was there," Merlin wiped the tears away from his eyes. He hesitated, frowning. "God, I knew I'd be a girl."

"MERLIN, what do you mean?"

Merlin's red gaze met Arthur's. "We didn't met at that prom, in the park. We met... when I... when the Martin Accountancy Building fell on Hero University."

"And you kidnapped me?" Arthur asked, his expression harsh.

"Yes," Merlin told him. "I... and I know you can't fly."

"Because you're a villain," Arthur snapped.

Merlin's eyes narrowed. "It's not like you're so innocent. When did you plan on telling me that you couldn't fly? That the Magic Man tricked the Justice Union into voting you as leader?"

Arthur glared at him. "Oh? Well, you're right! I wasn't even supposed to be leader!"

"Yes, you are!" Merlin shouted. He stood, stepping closer to Arthur. "You're going to be a leader! You're going to be the best damn leader the Justice Union has ever had!"

"And why should I trust a supervillain?" Arthur yelled.

"Because I love you!" Merlin growled.

"I..." Arthur's face fell. "I don't know... I don't..." He stared at Merlin. "But you're Merlin," he said, his voice laced with astonishment, "you can't. How do I know you're really a villain?"

"I fed you cinnamon buns," Merlin said softly, a small smile crossing his face, "I tricked Jaygirl into believing you could fly so the Justice Union would vote you leader. I think only the two of us know that."

Arthur snorted. "Stupid cinnamon buns," he mumbled. He paused, eyes widening in realization. "You hung me over a vat of acid," Arthur remembered incredulously.

"Oh," Merlin said.

"You, you, stupid," Arthur suddenly smiled, "you idiot! You've completely ruined everything, you know that?"

Merlin grimaced. "What do you mean?"

The smile stayed on Arthur's face, seemingly the result of shock. "I can't let my father know I married a villain, I can't, I mean, it's against everything!" Arthur laughed. "I promised myself..." He closed his eyes painfully. "Morality, that's the greatest thing a superhero has. That's what my father always said. I thought... I thought that if I just did everything else perfect, then I could have you, then I would deserve this." Arthur sat down on the bed, dropping his head in his hands. "I can't... I can't lie to my father... I can't... I, there are rules. Rules about the conduct of a hero. I have always followed them. And maybe it doesn't say expressly that a hero can't be homo... homosexual but it... it does say... a hero can't be with a villain, can't. Can't."

Merlin sat down next to him. "I..." he held his hands in front of him helplessly. "I'm not a villain anymore."

"Because you have five others to do your bidding?" Arthur growled.

"I didn't do that, Arthur, I swear," Merlin pleaded, "Arthur, I had no idea that would happen!"

Arthur looked at the floor. "I know," he said.

Merlin smiled sadly. "You do?"

Arthur nodded slowly. "I do," he said. Then the thought of those words caused his hands to shake. "But... Merlin, I'd rather be with you than be the hero." He closed his eyes tightly, painfully when he said those words.

Merlin couldn't help the probably stupid looking grin that crossed his face. He grabbed Arthur's hand, and Arthur closed his fingers around them. "We don't have to tell anyone," Merlin told him, "we don't. No one has to know who I was. The only people who know are... are my mum and Lance so-"

"Lance knows?" Arthur shouted.

"He found out last night. After a bit." Merlin could still feel the bruises, and he made the mistake of touching one and wincing.

Arthur grabbed Merlin's free hand. "After a bit of what," he asked dangerously.

"Well, he was in his costume and I was in mine and we fought until my mask came off while I was trying to get away and then..." Merlin shrugged. "Then that."

Arthur stood up. "I'm going to talk to him," he growled.

Merlin blinked. "What?"

"I can't believe... Lance is a trained hero, he shouldn't have been fighting you-"

"He didn't know it was me! I'm the Magic Man! I defeated Ultraman, so there's no reason he's go easy on me!" Merlin protested.

Arthur froze. "Right," he managed, his throat dry, "you did do that, didn't you?"

"Yeah."

Arthur shakingly made his way back to the bed. He lowered himself down gently, his hand shaking. "And Lance isn't saying anything?"

"No. He just wanted me to tell you, and I sort of realized I should, because I mean, relationships with secrets never work, do they?" Merlin wondered.

Arthur took Merlin's hand in his own. "No, I suppose they don't. Heroes though always seem to have them."

"Well, do you have any secrets?" Merlin asked playfully, nudging Arthur in the side.

Arthur breathed. "I don't think I can think anymore," he mumbled. He lay down on the bed, covering his eyes with his arm.

"Right, it's gotta... settle or something, doesn't it?" Merlin asked.

"Merlin, stop talking," Arthur ordered.

"Fine," Merlin said.

"I meant it."

"I wasn't talking!"

"You are now!"

"I am not..." Merlin paused. "Sorry."

Arthur sighed, reaching up to cover his head with his hands. "You beat my dad," he muttered.

"Yeah, well, actually that was an accident. I was running and he followed me and there were these bricks... so," Merlin paused. "I'm sorry."

"Why does everything have to be so bloody complicated?" Arthur growled.

...

"So...?" Lance said pointedly.

"I did it. We're still together." Merlin announced.

Lance grinned. "There, and did Arthur tell Uther?"

Merlin hesitated. He leaned against the kitchen door, frowning. "Well... I..." He swallowed. "Not yet. We are in a crisis right now." Merlin suddenly found himself smiling. "Soon, though, when we clear this whole thing up."

"We?" Lance frowned.

Merlin shrugged. "It seems I've been rehabilitated to the side of the good. Except Arthur's making me change my supervillain name to something 'not lame', whatever that means."

"So, I suppose I'm fighting alongside you then."

"I'm your humble servant," Merlin said with a mock bow.

…

This is your review reminder. Review, pweez?

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Also, sorry, guys, I'm calling a TEMPORARY HALT / HIATUS on this fic so I can work on the uh... three other ones I published all at the same time (thank goodness I didn't publish all like 50 I'm working on... o_0). Sorry, but I'm leaving this one because it's a happy ending and I have no idea where it's going really...

If you want to give me messages suggesting plot ideas, that'd be great (except I'd still have to find the time to write it).