Superhero AU requested by Alice Forshadow

Analogince (Virgil x Logan x Roman) requested by 0Zz0Zz0.

All requests will be done in my Requested One-shots Book as of now.

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Logan snuggled into his navy pillow, his arms folded underneath his head. An opened book laid across his stomach. If he shut his eyes and focused his hearing hard enough, he could hear the strums of an acoustic guitar and the voice of his neighbour.

He breathed in deeply, letting everything soak in. Feeling unwanted emotions rise up again, Logan sat up in his rumpled bed and gripped the black duvet in his fists.

He could recall the first time he met his neighbour exactly.

Logan had come back to his and Virgil's apartment in the early hours of the morning after he performed his scheduled operation. Virgil was already asleep when he returned and left for his shift before Logan had woken up.

Logan had tried to ignore the sounds at first, burrowing his face further into his pillow. Passing cars, jingling keys, creaky doors could easily be ignored.

Furniture being moved and shuffled around, voices speaking and laughing were a bit harder. Logan had merely scrunched his eyebrows together, annoyed, pulling the duvet over his head.

When the people got louder and louder and louder, Logan had squeezed his eyes closed tighter and tighter and tighter, telling himself the noise would pass and he could finally rest.

His sleep-deprived mind had eventually lost its temper when the shattering sound of glass being broken pierced his ears just as he was drifting off. It had been as if the heat from the flames of hell was pumping through his veins like blood. Tearing the duvet off him, Logan had blearily slammed his glasses onto his face and stomped out of his room.

The slam of his apartment door had accompanied the slap of his feet on the dusty hallway tiles as Logan charged at his neighbour. He had never stopped to take in the box of fractured ornaments dropped on the ground, nor the scarlet blood dripping from his neighbour's palm, nor the people loading off furniture from a humming truck, nor that he had kicked over a box with a loud crack while rampaging.

Logan, dressed only in loose flannel pyjama bottoms, his glasses crookedly hanging off his nose, his raven hair sticking up in odd places and dried drool plastered to the corner of his mouth, had noticed none of this. He had just yelled, his eyes blazing with fury.

"WHO WITH EVEN THE TINIEST BIT OF SANITY DECIDES TO MOVE IN AT THE ASS CRACK OF DAWN? I GOT INTO BED AT 2 BLOODY AM IN THE MORNING BECAUSE I HAD TO DO A COMPLICATED SURGERY! AND I EXPECTED TO SLEEP IN ON A SUNDAY MORNING, YET HERE YOU ARE! IF I WANTED A RUCKUS, I WOULD HAVE PULLED COOKY MRS COOPER'S MANGLED CAT'S TAIL! SO IF YOU DON'T MIND, KEEP IT DOWN! "

The last part had come out like a hiss between his teeth. He had swirled around and his body seemed to seethe in anger, the coldness of mornings stinging his bare feet as he stomped back into his apartment. The door had shut with a bang. Sagging back into his comforting bed, Logan felt his anger drain out of him as he shut his eyes once again, giving in to his exhaustion.

Many hours later, his consciousness had resurfaced. Feeling well rested, Logan had taken a shower and gotten dressed. He had been halfway through eating his late breakfast when Virgil had returned home.

Logan had told Virgil what had transpired only after they both were settled on the couch with a steaming cup of coffee. Virgil had found it very amusing and while he agreed it was stupid to move into an apartment building at 6 am on a Sunday morning, he told Logan that his behaviour was rude and he had to apologize.

Logan hadn't liked that much at the time and had stared at his childhood best friend sullenly.

Logan snorted, imagining how he must have looked as he stormed out into the hallway that day. He had taken Virgil's advice, whether that was a wise choice he hadn't decided.

Feeling too embarrassed about his behaviour, Logan had slipped a scribbled note under his neighbour's door. He had introduced himself and invited his neighbour to a cup of coffee at Papa Patton's Café to make up for everything.

His neighbour accepted and they soon found themselves awkwardly seated at a cosy table, staring into their mugs. His neighbour, Roman Prince, hadn't quite figured out what to make of him yet. Virgil, who was a waiter at the café, was serving them.

After sensing the tension the air, Virgil introduced himself as Logan's best friend/flatmate and took their order. Before leaving, he made a sly comment about Logan having AB type blood and it being best to avoid him in the morning.

Logan had shot him a glare and had fought off the urge to dunk his coffee over Virgil's head, but Roman had laughed and winked at him.

Logan rubbed his eyes, frustrated. He had never been good at emotions, but he wasn't completely stupid. He knew he developed a crush on Roman.

Which would be perfectly fine under normal circumstances. They could go on a date or two, get to know each other better.

But he had feelings for a man known only as Crimson King, his fellow superhero, too. He was annoying at times but in a charming sort of way. Extravagant and dramatic, he tried so hard to please and amuse the people him. Sometimes Logan thought he was funny, but he'd never say it out loud.

Logan heard the jingle of keys at the door and stood to go greet his flatmate.

0 - 0 - 0

Virgil stretched tiredly, stepping out of the café, box of baked treats tucked under his arm.

He usually worked the morning shifts at Papa Patton's Café. It was this quaint little place nestled in the quiet side of town, specializing in both coffee and baked sweets.

One of his fellow waiters was sick and the owner, Patton Parker, had asked him to stand in. Virgil could use the extra money, so he agreed, and Patton even gave him a box of baked treats, free of charge.

Virgil quickly made his way to the apartments where he lived, close nearby the café. Almost crawling up the stairs, he reached his floor and trudged down the hall. Hearing the strum of an acoustic guitar accompanied by the melodic voice of his neighbour, Virgil stopped to listen through the thin walls.

Roman Prince, his neighbour. Virgil knew he was a music therapist with a love of theatre. He liked to swing by the café in the early mornings, always ordering a strong coffee with a bagel.

Roman had a usual spot in the corner, right by the street window, which Virgil always happened to be serving. He was charming, flirtatious and Virgil couldn't help but swoon a bit.

Shaking his head, Virgil took out his keys and unlocked the door. It was just a little crush, he would get over it. He placed the box on the kitchen table.

"Hello, Virgil."

Virgil's heart beat a little faster. "Hi, Lo."

Logan sat on one of the stools. "What's in the box?"

"Patton gave me a box of pastries for standing in."

"That was nice of him."

Virgil sat on a stool next to him. "Yeah. Did your surgery go well?"

"It was successful."

Virgil inspected Logan. Logan was the youngest son in a family line of surgeons and the pressure of being better than those before him was a responsibility Virgil wished he didn't have to carry. It clearly weighed on his conscious, if the bags under his friend's eyes were anything to go by.

Virgil pushed the box towards Logan. "I'm just gonna change into something more comfortable."

When Virgil returned in a baggy hoodie and sweatpants, Logan was biting into a sweet cream-filled pastry. Grabbing one for himself, he settled onto the couch with his laptop resting on his knees.

Staring at the screen for a few seconds, his hands flew across the keys. Virgil was an amateur writer trying to self publish when he wasn't waiting on tables. After experimenting with different styles and genre's, he came to like horror the best.

Logan joined him soon after with a book in hand. "What scene are you writing now?"

"Amelia's death scene." Virgil knew he shouldn't be flustered that Logan sat so close to him, their shoulders brushing. They were childhood best friends!

"I thought she lived afterwards?"

"That's what I planned, but I guess sometimes the story just writes itself."

They spent the next few minutes in silence, Logan reading his book and Virgil typing on his keyboard. Logan yawned and his head dropped onto Virgil's shoulder, making the nervous man blush. He tried to tell himself that it was just a friendly gesture, nothing more. Logan was too invested in his book to notice.

Virgil had been at his side for as long as he could remember. He was about the only person Logan felt completely comfortable around. If Logan were to ponder his feelings, he'd realize that he loved Virgil. But he didn't.

When Logan finished his book, he looked up at his companion. He started to inquire if Virgil felt ill (his face was burning at that point), but his friend only closed his laptop and said he was going to bed.

Logan felt a bit dejected and soon crawled into his own bed, his confusing mixture of feelings not far from his mind.

0 - 0 - 0

Roman strummed his guitar absentmindedly. He had a free weekend and never did he think he'd spend all of it thinking about other men.

He wished that love was as uncomplicated as it was in fairy tales. Two people, fated to meet and fall in love. Definitely no love triangles. Or love pentagons.

Roman sighed and went down his list of crushes again.

Logan Belmont, the stoic surgeon next door. Logical and serious, prideful and intelligent. Made puns unaware of doing so. Enjoyed friendly debating. Had fantastically styled black hair.

Virgil Foster, his awkward neighbour. Waited tables at the nearby café and wrote in his spare time. Easily flustered and had a sarcastic side. Loved alternative music. Had mesmerizing green eyes.

Doctor Dynasty, a fellow superhero. Cunning. Analytical. Intense black eyes. Tried to act broody and hide his smile at Roman's jokes.

Shadow, another superhero. Always putting the civilians before himself. Quick reflexes. Adorable dimples.

Roman ran his hand through his dark brown hair. If his emotional turmoil wasn't enough, the city had been awfully quiet lately. He went to sleep and tried to shake it off, but the next morning it still drifted through his mind.

Something was brewing and Roman didn't like it one bit.

0 - 0 - 0

The man shifted out of the dark alleyway, looking at his watch. 17:20. Most would be returning home from work. The best time to attract attention.

He spotted a homeless man slugging down the street. He slid over to the man, grabbing him by the elbow. His peculiar violet eyes stared into the homeless man's. When the victim's eyes turned into an astonishing purple, the man let go of his arm. The homeless man picked up a stray, rusty pipe and walked on.

The mysterious man did the same with the passing woman talking on her phone. Her eyes turned yellow and she dropped her phone and bag on the ground. The homeless man had already hypnotized two other people, per the mysterious man's silent instructions.

The homeless man marched down the road, coming to a stop in front of a clothing store. He stared at his reflection in the display window. Lifting the rusty pipe he picked up, he swung it with all his might. The glass cracked as each swung hit home.

The hypnotised woman stood outside the shop door, waiting. As one of the customers, a teenager, ran out, she grabbed her shoulder, staring deeply into her eyes. The teenager relaxed, her face showing no emotion. She turned around and marched, almost robotically, into the middle of the street near the corner.

She stood still like a statue, her loose hair blowing in the breeze. Not one muscle moved as a large truck sped down the road, nearing the corner. As the truck was an inch away from her face, she was lurched out of the way onto the sidewalk.

"Kiddo, you need to be more careful!" The superhero man, dressed in a light blue super suit, quickly scanned for injuries.

Even though the girl was dazed and hypnotised, she still recognised the symbol on the back of the superhero's grey cape. A white heart with a caduceus in the centre.

"Star Sentinel?" The girl mumbled as the superhero held his hands above her scraped knee. His palms glowed pure white light and her injury quickly knit together.

The superhero helped the girl up and guided her into the empty mattress store, whose occupants had fled with the commotion. He set her down on one of the beds and her eyes closed. "Stay safe, Kiddo."

He rushed out of the store to see one of his fellow heroes dragging two civilians, a homeless man and businesswoman, with him. "Star, a little assistance would be appreciated!"

"Oh, right!" He ran over to Doctor Dynasty and heaved the dazed homeless citizen over his shoulder. "Do have any idea of what's going on?"

"I think," Doctor Dynasty stepped in and dropped the dozing woman onto a bed, "that they may have been hypnotised. They seemed quite robotic before I stopped them, but as soon as I did they became very dazed."

Star Sentinel nodded. "I haven't seen King or Shadow anywhere. I'll try to reach them."

"I'll check the perimeter."

Star Sentinel closed his eyes and felt the familiar tug as he mentally reached out to Crimson King.

King, can you hear me?

Loud and clear, Star. I just had to grab a guy from jumping off a rooftop! What's happening?

Looks like someone's hypnotising civilians. Doctor and I are at the mattress store on the corner of Lamapass Street.

I'll be there.

Star Sentinel let go of his connection and searched for his last comrade. He felt the tug and formed a connection.

Shadow? Can you hear me?

Star! I'm at the alley in Audrey Lane. Hurry!

On it!

Star Sentinel cut off the connection and rushed out the store. He saw Doctor Dynasty running next to stallion carrying an unconscious man. The horse reached the store and morphed back into a man dressed in a crimson suit.

"Shadow needs help! King, drop the man on one of the beds and follow me."

"Aye-aye, Mr Leader."

Crimson King left the man with the other civilians and followed Star Sentinel and Doctor Dynasty to where Shadow was.

0 - 0 - 0

Virgil walked down the road, rubbing his shoulders. He just finished his late shift and wanted nothing more to curl up in bed with his laptop. He rounded the corner and was met with a swarm of people charging down the street.

"Run!" A civilian yelled at him, storming past.

Virgil stared past at the surrounding buildings. Certain parts appeared as if they were melting. He quickly ducked into a long alleyway, checking for civilians.

Certain it was empty, Virgil snatched a little gadget that looked like a coin and pressed it on his chest. Strands of black and purple spat out and covered Virgil until he was dressed in his full superhero suit. A handy gadget he and his comrades designed.

Virgil, now Shadow, pounded down the street, jumping over a puddle of acid. He felt the familiar prickle of a warning across his skin and quickly let his power of invisibility coat him.

Along with invisibility, Shadow had a power called Danger Warning that alerted him if there was a threat. Unfortunately, it was completely vague.

Shadow scanned around him and noticed the culprit. The villain was seemingly covered in yellowish scales and his jaw was unnaturally wide open. His throat made a gurgling sounds before a puddle of hissing acid spat out of his mouth.

Ah, that's why the buildings were melting. He hasn't noticed me yet. I can handle this.

Shadow quietly skirted to behind the villain. If he punched him, the villain wouldn't be knocked out and would know of his presence. If he tried to trap him in a choke hold, the villain's acid would burn him.

He could try to smother him with the plastic trash bags, but it could easily be ripped or burned with his acid and it might do more than make him unconscious.

The best choice of action would be to detain him, but there was nothing to bind with. Shadow would just have to get a well-placed hit to the head on the guy. He spied the lid of a metal trashcan and inched closer to it.

Shadow's fingers had barely brushed it when the prickle of his Danger Warning danced across his skin. The villain stiffened and whirled around, a steady stream of acid gushing out of his mouth.

Shadow threw up the metal lid as a shield, ducking to the side. His invisibility faltered and he cursed internally. He stared into the man's abnormal purple eyes. No use hiding now. He rolled to the side to avoid another spurt of acid when he heard a voice inside his head.

Shadow? Can you hear me?

Shadow threw a trash bag at the villain to counter the cascade of acid.

Star! I'm at the alley in Audrey Lane. Hurry!

His comrades were much better at physical combat than he was. Shadow was mostly used as a lookout or fleet sneak attack before the final blow. He dodged to the side and lunged at the man. The villain's back hit the cobblestone wall forcibly and Shadow jabbed his forearm against the villain's neck, forcing his chin up.

Shadow clapped the villain's mouth closed to prevent acid from gushing out, his other hand reaching for the man's arms. He managed to grab the man's right arm, but the villain's left fist pounded into his temple before he could snatch it.

Shadow stumbled and jumped to avoid thestream of acid hurled at him. The acid grazed his shoulder and he hissed in pain.

He heard the thumping of feet and watched as Crimson King, in the form of a falcon, clawed at the villain's face. Doctor Dynasty, with superior precision and power, hurled a harmless pebble at the man's stomach. The villain bent over as if he was hit very harshly, curling his arms around his stomach.

King speedily transformed from a falcon into an anaconda and wrapped tightly around the villain's body, constricting his arms and legs while threateningly nudging the villain's jaw closed with its snout.

"Hey, Kiddo, let me heal that up for you." Star Sentinel hovered his glowing palms above Shadow's burning shoulder. He winced as his injuryslowly knit itself together.

"Thanks," Shadow mumbled and walked over to the villain who was squirming on the littered road. He sat on his hunches to look into the man's eyes.

He was surprised to see that the villain's eyes were no longer an unnatural purple, but a yellowish green.

"Look, I'll make this easy to understand. There is an anaconda wrapped you that can crush your ribcage if you try anything. Now, tell me, what's your name?"

The man stared at him dazedly, not answering. Shadow sighed and scooted over when Doctor Dynasty took his place.

"King, release your hold a bit, he looks too confused to even know what's happening." The snake flicked his tongue and loosened his grip. "Hey, hey, look at me," the superhero ordered, snapping his fingers in front of the man's eyes.

Doctor Dynasty's dark eyes were so demanding that the villain's gaze focussed instantly. "Wha- where? Who are you?"

"More importantly, who are you? Why did you attack the town?"

"I- I attacked the town?" He looked around as if noticing his surroundings for the first time. "I don't remember. When did this happen?"

Doctor Dynasty stood up and turned to his comrades. "King, you can release the boy now. He's a victim, just like the other hypnotised citizens."

Shadow rubbed his neck. "That makes sense. His eyes were a weird purple before, but nowthey aren't."

Crimson King, morphed back into a human, helped the confused man up. "If he's just another victim, who's the mastermind behind it? And why would he use a high school boy as a pawn?"

Looking at the supposed villain now, he did seem remarkably young. The superheroes argued on what to do until the boy rubbed his temples and looked up tiredly.

"I remember a bit more now. He calls himself the Puppet Master. I was outside one night and it was pitch black, I didn't think anyone would see me, I swear. It just felt good to use my powers, to not hide parts of myself from anyone.

"And then he just appeared. He said that if I didn't do what he said, he'd expose me. I was terrified, so I followed him like he asked. He took a bunch of pictures and asked for things like my full name and what high school I went to.

"I don't remember what was after that, he must have hypnotised me then."

"I see. And what is your name, Kiddo?"

"Damian."

"Please tell me you remember where his house is, Damian."

The boy bit his cheek. "I do."

0 - 0 - 0

The group moved swiftly down the road, Damian nervously wringing his hands together. "What will happen to me?"

"What do you mean, Kiddo?"

Damian blew out a breath. "I caused so much damage. Am I going to jail?"

"Objectively, you caused the damage, so you are the one responsible. You being hypnotised complicates the matter though," Doctor Dynasty commented.

"What Mr Serious means, young one," Crimson King added with a hand on Damian's shoulder," is that we'll just pin all the blame on this Puppet Master and you'll be off scot-free!"

Damian smiled at the man's smirk before coming to a stop and pointed at a mouldy house across the street. "That's his house. Be careful though, he can hypnotise you if you look into his eyes long enough."

"Stay safe, kid," Shadow said, slapping on the back.

"And don't use your powers so openly next time, boy. If you wish to use your superpowers, become a hero when you're older."

"Ah, yes, sir."

Damian scattered home and the four superheroes looked back at the house.

"Anything tickling your senses, O' Dark One?"

"King, almost everything sets off my Danger Warning, especially in this shady area."

Star turned to Doctor Dynasty. "D'you see anything?"

The dark eyes filled to brim with cold, calculated intelligence flickered to his comrade. "It's much too dark. We can't use Shadow's invisibility to spy as there's no way he can approach the house's windows without casting an obvious shadow.

"Even with the darkness as cover, four men dressed in bright costumes huddled in the street are very hard to miss. The best option is for King to morph into a small animal and find a sneaky way in while us three enter from the front. "

"Even though it's obviously a trap?"

"You have any brilliant ideas, Shadow?"

Crimson King clapped his hands. "What Doc wants, Doc gets. See you handsome gents on the other side." He winked, morphed into a mouse and scurried away.

"Do the two of you have anything that can possibly be used as a weapon?"

Star and Shadow rummaged through their pockets. Shadow pulled out a pen which he used to scribble down ideas when inspiration struck. Doctor Dynasty plucked it from his fingers and walked down the street, hiding it in his sleeve.

"How can a pen be used as a weapon?"

"Darling, anything is a weapon if you know how to use it."

The three heroes stopped at the front door. Post overflowed from the mailbox onto the doormat that read Go Away. With a complicated and impressive process that neither Shadow or Star understood, Doctor had picked the lock.

They entered the house, dust rising with their steps. It was deadly silent. Shadow felt a prickle run across his skin.

Before a syllable left his lips, Shadow was surrounded with a hazy blur. A second later the three heroes were sitting tied up on the dusty wooden floor, at the feet of a young man with shining purple eyes. The man held a squirming mouse in his fist.

The heroes were planning to ask him if he was the Puppet Master when the man stepped aside, and a second man appeared. The second man was dressed in what could be described as rags spotted with coffee stains, drool and unrecognisable substances.

He looked less like a homeless man with a haggard appearance and tired gaze, and more like a lunatic with big, sleep shot eyes and an oversized, unwashed shirt with countless holes.

"Ah, you're here! My little trap was a smart move, wasn't it? Certainly one for the books!" The man's yellow teethed smile reminded them of the wide, ruby grins painted onto clowns at circusesthey visited as children.

"Are you the Puppet Master?" Star Sentinel asked, wrinkling his nose at the man's foul breath.

"That's my one name, yes." The man smiled cruelly. "And I know who the four of you are. Star Sentinel, Doctor Dynasty, Shadow and Crimson King!"

The Puppet Master booped each of them on the nose as he named them. "I know a lot about you four. Everything except your real identities."

The man's voice didn't seem any less chipper than before as he said that chilling line. "You see, I used to be a journalist. An exceptional journalist. I was always the first to release breaking news."

The man disappeared into the darkness of the house, still talking. "I used to go out as the Puppet Master, cause a bit of damage and return home to write about it. Who's a better source than the man who actually did it?"

The man returned, dragging a camera stand behind him. "But then bigger, worse villains appeared. And so did you four, always succeeding in taking them down. No one cared about the little Puppet Master anymore."

They could see the man's purple eyes shining through the darkness. His voice was bitter as he fiddled with the legs of the stand.

"It didn't stop me from writing about the Puppet Master, but my boss had enough. With the damage repairs after the villains' rampage, and my unwillingness to write about another topic, he thought it best to let me go."

"That's why you hypnotised a high school student? Made people your pawns and almost got several killed? For a bloody ARTICLE?" Shadow looked over at Doctor Dynasty, who's usual stoic fact was cracking with anger.

"You make it sound as if I manipulated all of them. No, no, not this one, " the Puppet Master said, gesturing with a dirty finger to the man holding King.

"All I did was mention that I knew his fiancé. Emile Picani, if memory serves correctly. Yes, a pleasant fellow. I said that he had quite the knack for finding himself in... dangerous situations."

The man released a cackle. "He was very compliant after that. He's been doing my dirty work for days."

Star Sentinel blinked rapidly and quickly opened a connection to his comrades' minds.

Kiddo's, I know Emile. In fact, I saw him personally right before Damian's attack. The man holding Roman is Remy, Emile talks about him often.

Shadow shifted as the man was finally satisfied with the stand's position. The dull moonlight glinted off the camera's lens.

I see, so the Puppet Master has been forcing Remy to do what he asks when he doesn't even have leverage.

Star, you must telepathically tell Remy of your findings. It might be enough to break the Puppet Master's hold.

Doctor Dynasty kept his eyes forward and shifted his wrists slowly. Tugging a bit here, twisting a bit there.

If he were any other man, there was no possibility that he could escape his bonds with only a pen. But he wasn't any other man and his superpower provided him with inhuman intelligence and skill.

His dark eyes glinted slightly. He could see the multiple possibilities play out in his mind, almost like a movie. What would be the best course of action?

He froze when the Puppet Master walked over to where they huddle and switched on a lamp. It blinded his sight momentarily and he blinked stars out of his eyes.

The Puppet Master snapped a photo with a little click. "There, a nice group photo."

Shadow almost laughed, as he expected that his eyes were closed when the picture was taken.

"Ugh, old thing," the Puppet Master frowned, hitting his camera with the heel of his hand.

Doctor Dynasty suspected that the Puppet Master planned to reveal their identities with photos as proof. He had to stop him before he took their masks off.

Doctor Dynasty quickly flickered his eyes to Star Sentinel. Star's face was blank, but he knew Star was concentrating on getting through to Remy.

The man in question's head was bent, his eyebrows furrowed. Remy's eyes were slowly resuming their previous colour and his grip on Crimson King was loosening.

With a final tug on his binds, Doctor Dynasty jumped forward, simultaneously wrapping his binds around the Puppet Master's wrists as he tackled him.

The Puppet Master yelled angrily, his camera slipping from his grasp. He wiggled his bound hands, yanking on the hero's mask.

The navy mask slipped off Doctor Dynasty's face. The Puppet Master tugged harshly on Doctor Dynasty's hair, trying to force his head up. If they made eye contact, he could hypnotise the hero.

Doctor Dynasty, knowing this, kept his eyes shut and instead yelled, "King!"

Crimson King, who had squeezed out of Remy's loosened grip, morphed from a mouse in a growling dog.

King lunged at the Puppet Master, biting into his shoulder. Doctor Dynasty ducked away as the large dog settled onto the villain's chest, his canines gleaming threateningly.

Doctor Dynasty speedily untied Star and Shadow's ropes, not sparing a glance to a dazed Remy.

"LOGAN?" Shadow gasped, taking in the man's messy black hair, sharp nose and obsidian eyes.

Logan's gaze focused on Virgil after making sure the Puppet Master was still securely caged under Crimson King.

He stepped forward and stared into Shadow's green eyes. He'd never noticed. "Virgil?"

"W-What's going on?"

Remy's question jolted them out of the moment. Logan quickly came to his senses. "Star, contact the police and tell them we caught the villain. King, keep the Puppet Master right where he is."

Logan crouched beside Remy and filled him in. Remy told them how the Puppet Master had approached him, knowing about his superpower.

The Puppet Master had threatened that he had a hold over Remy's fiance, Emile Picani. Remy was forced to comply. Upon hearing that Star had seen Emile, completely fine, Remy managed to break the Puppet Master's hold.

The police arrived and forced the blindfolded Puppet Master into the car. Logan, mask back on, informed them about what he had told them. Logan said that he believed the man to be Lucas Massey, as Logan remembered reading articles about the Puppet Master.

The four comrades sent Remy off with a pat on the back as the policemen disappeared down the filthy street. All loose ends were solved, except one.

Crimson King noticed how Shadow and Doctor Dynasty shared accidental glances before awkwardly blushing and looking away.

He sighed dramatically as they walked down the street, the moon hanging high in the sky. "You know, I don't think it's fair that only the two of you have revealed identities. What do you say, Star?"

The two nodded at each other and pulled off their masks.

"ROMAN?"

"PATTON?"

"Well, duh, Kiddos. It was oblivious who we all were."

"Well, of course it's me, my lovies."

The four superheroes stood there, staring at each other, not uttering a word. An idea blinked into Patton's mind.

"Anyone feel like a cup of coffee?"

0 - 0 - 0

Patton stood at the coffee maker, drumming his fingers on the counter. They had all changed back into normal clothing through their special gadgets and the other three were seated at one of the tables in the corner.

Patton didn't miss their rosy cheeks, their shy glances and stammered sentences. They all liked one another. He just had to get them together.

With four steaming cups, Patton walked to the group deep in discussion.

"Wait, you had me attack the Puppet Master without knowing if his powers would work on animals or not?" Roman asked in disbelief.

"I had no chance to find out beforehand. It was a 50/50 situation- you were hypnotised or you weren't," Logan said, sipping the coffee Patton had placed before him. "Thank you, Patton."

"You are doing heaven's work, my good man."

"Thanks, Patton."

Patton lifted the cup to his lips, took a sip and put it down, his fingers gliding over the smooth ceramic. "So, what now?

"We continue kicking ass, of course!"

Patton shook his head. "No, Roman, that's not what I mean."

"Our dynamic has changed now that we know who the others are," Virgil remarked.

"Well, yeah, but I didn't want it to go back to before. I like seeing your handsome faces without masks." Roman winked at Virgil and Logan.

His crush list had halved in the past few hours and he felt a tiny relief. The turmoil was still there- he'd eventually have to choose one of them.

Unless he didn't.

Roman was so in thought, he almost missed Patton's words.

"You know, Kiddos. This is a problem. The three of you clearly like each other, but none of you are admitting it!"

Logan put down his mug. "Patton, what does this have to do with our teamwork?"

Virgil mind buzzed. He's not denying liking me- us!

"How can the three of you communicate with all of these feelings between you?" Patton stood up, shuffling away.

"Have fun sorting it out. But not too much fun!" Patton fingergunned as he left and immediately looked like he regretted it.

The three shook their heads before turning to look at each other. How did one bring up a topic like this? Virgil's mouth felt dry and Logan had trouble collecting his thoughts.

Roman decided that he would be the one to speak up. "Look, I'm going to be bluntly honest right now. I like you, both of you, a lot. I crushed on both your normal and Superhero aliases."

"Same."

"These feelings are mutual."

Roman nodded. "And I know it's very conflicting. We don't know who to choose or how to feel."

Virgil bit the inside of his cheek. Logan was his childhood friend and Virgil felt content around him, but he couldn't deny his feelings for Roman any longer. Virgil was sure that Logan felt the same.

"What do you propose we do then?" Logan asked. "How do we choose?"

Roman sucked in a breath. "We don't."

Virgil shot Roman a confused look as Logan stared into his mug.

"Are you suggesting we just stay in limbo?" Logan asked. "Or are you saying that we don't pick sides and all be in a relationship."

"I'm talking about polyamory." Roman gave them a smile he hoped was charming and didn't reveal his nerves. He prayed that their reaction was positive.

It was silent for a few seconds. "I'm in if you are," Virgil said, looking at Logan.

Logan lifted his mug to his lips, swallowing in big gulps. The other two waited in anticipation. Logan put down his mug and spoke.

"Let's try."

Roman gleamed and took each of their hands in his. They interlaced fingers and Logan slung an arm over Virgil who was sitting next to him.

Roman turned serious. "Does this mean that Crimson King, Doctor Dynasty and Shadow are in a relationship too?"

"I don't see why not," Virgil said.

Roman got a large grin on his face. "The fangirls are going to freak!"

"Definitely my OTP," Virgil remarked.

The two burst into laughter and Logan sighed.

What will I do with these two idiots?

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Total: 6115 words

Damn, this took forever. I hoped you liked it. I'm thinking of making Archive of Our Own my primary website...