Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

A scream echoes through the silent halls of the shop and all Scar can do is sigh and place his head onto the front desk, most of the time he would laugh at the sound and stroll around the corner to see the destruction but right now he's just counting down the minutes until the shift ends. Now being honest he loves his job, working at the antique store is so much more fun then it sounds, he gets to see all the interesting junk and jewels people bring in and then use the scraps to make things. 

The added bonus was his co-workers, he had started off at this store with nothing in his life other than an empty apartment and an unused engineering degree and now he had some weird discombobulated excuse of a family but yet a family nevertheless. Cleo had been the one to hire him to begin with, she was the owner of the shop and a damn force to deal with, if anyone came in wanting a few pennies off of their purchase that was not going to fly with her, she was a great person but was not going to let her shop close down like so many antique stores in the city. She was a sarcastic and sharp woman with curly ginger hair that always had some sort of flower themed hair clip in it and Scar adored her, she kept everyone in store in line whilst also offering humour and companionship.

Now Cleo opened the store with one other person who had been there since but calling him an employee may be a bit too kind. Etho was there a lot, he taught Scar how to tell the difference between the fake items and the ones actually worth something, he got paid the same as them and helped out whenever they needed to do some heavy lifting or look at expensive merchandise but as soon as Cleo mentioned cleaning or fixing he was out the door before they could blink. He was a funny guy with white hair and one scared eye that really made him stand out from the crowd.

Then finally there was Bdubs, Bdubs started a few months after him and had a real interest in old items, most specifically clocks. Bdubs poured his heart into getting any clock ticking again whether it be a 17th century pocket watch or a smashed up grandfather clock, he would do whatever he could do to fix it or die trying. He wore a signature red bandana and usually a toothy smile except from now where he is frowning as he's coming over to Scar holding some kind of crumpled mess in his hands.

"Scar, I broke the clock," he whines.

Scar sighs and raises his head, "I don't understand why that warrants you to scream every time Bdubs, it's quarter to nine right now," Scar said, glancing out the window at the dark sky.

If on queue to his complaints about the time Cleo comes out of the stockroom, running a cloth over a metal cup, "You can close up Scar, I don't see anyone coming in now and Bdubs," she says now giving him her signature death glare "If I hear you scream like that again at this time of night  you'll be cleaning these windows with your toothbrush for the year, you hear me?" she says and Bdubs nods in response before scurrying back to the corner of the shop he was in to probably spend the rest of the evening fixing the mess he made.

Scar walks up to the door and flips the sign to signal it is closed and then locks it with the keys. From there he begins the usual closing routine of sweeping, dusting and making sure everything is in order before saying a goodbye to Bdubs who is stuck at a little desk with different magnifying lenses, delicately fixing the hands of a clock. He then pops his head into the stockroom where Cleo was finishing off her cleaning and shoots her a farewell before heading to the backdoor and out into the cold night.

Scar knows for many being out in the city alone in the evening hours isn't safe but he has the bonus of being quite tall and broad meaning anyone wanting to cause trouble tend to leave him alone, he's never fought anyone and has no plan to do so but keeping any possible target off of him is always a good thing.

Mutants were the thing that made the city dangerous, individuals with abilities often used for bad, well either bad or there imprisoned, the government had a strict no mutant rule, they wanted them eradicated, seeing them as a threat rather than any kind of good. Scar hadn't really seen much harm come to anyone close to him from mutants, they were most known for creating havoc and having quarrels with other mutants that often ended in large fights and mass destruction which was the reason they seemed to be a threat.

But walking the fifteen minute journey home never did cause him any worry, because nothing ever happened to him, he just carried on his day in his normal life as he did each day, because nothing happened to him. Today he decided to detour a bit, picking up groceries, he spent a good five minutes picking between pasta types and then another five deciding on which bakery treat he was going to indulge in tonight, deciding on a butter croissant and then finally scanning all his items through and getting back on track to his home.

His apartment wasn't bad really, well it wasn't as lively as Bdubs' was but it was his home in the end, he tried to bring more of a spark to it by adding flowers and plants around that were slowly dying on him no matter how much he cared for them, and hanging pictures on the walls. He slipped off his shoes and padded his way to the kitchen first, putting the groceries away and beginning to eat his croissant as he went to the bathroom to find a painkiller for the headache that had been brewing all day and had finally been brought all day by Bdubs' scream. Scar entered the kitchen again knowing who would be there, Jellie, his cat, already waiting patiently at her food bowl, he got her a packet of wet food and filled her water bowl and left her to munch away happily.

From there he threw on some pyjamas, deciding on some green joggers with cats on them and a white sweatshirt, he knew it would probably be best to make himself a proper meal to eat but right now there was only two options in his head, option A which was to switch on the TV and pass out for the next twelve hours or option B which was to switch on the TV and order some food before promptly passing out.

As he walked into his living room again debated his options, Scar didn't think there would be an option C which came in the shape of an unwanted visitor sitting on his sofa.

Scar yelped at the sight of the man on his sofa, he would have probably yelled at anyone here without his knowledge but only this guy could bring him to the pure and utter terror he was currently feeling, some may come close but no one put fear in people more than him. On his sofa was someone he had never met before but had seen enough time in news reports and posters to know who this was, a mutant, but not any mutant, the worst one of all.

"Canary told me he saw you leave your workplace over half an hour ago Scar, you had me worried for a moment," the man in front of him said with a smirk, tilting his head. The most evil mutant known was sitting on his couch, smirking at him and he knew his name. Scar knew running would be a stupid idea, he would probably die in mere seconds if he entertained that idea so he just stared blankly, fists clenching and unclenching as he looked at the sight in front of him.

"We haven't formally met, my name is Void and I am wanting your help," Void tells him and it feels stupid to be introduced, he knows his name, everyone knows his name, children are taught to fear it and adults are taught to hate it, he's the most infamous mutant of them all, especially with his team, the Bad Boys.

Void, Canary and Crusher make up the Bad Boys team. Canary, who from the sounds of it seems to be stalking Scar without his knowledge, is a man who has the ability to sprout golden wings and soar through the air, he gets his name by being able to turn into a Canary and fly at an impeccable speed across the city, he wears all black, a black leather jacket is one of his most noticeable features and also the iconic sunglasses on his face, the hair is a light blonde which always seems to stay in place despite his constant flying. 

Crusher is known as the strength of the team, he has the ability to jump as high as a building and paired with his hammer, he lands deadly blows with ease, earning him the name crusher. Like Canary, he also wears sunglasses, obscuring his eyes but does stand out by the green stripe in his dark brunette hair. Crusher wears a sleeveless leather jacket with an unbuttoned short-sleeved shirt beneath it.

Now finally Void, the very man in front of him. Void's powers were fully known by the public, reporters tend to call it some kind of mind manipulation or control, some people had told of there experiences, whether it be Void fully reading there mind or changing a memory there was still not a lot to go on to explain what he could do all they knew was often people fell uneasy around him, scared of deep secrets being revealed or memories being wiped, he had the ability to make you forget everything and was not afraid to do so. 

Void, like the rest of the Bad Boys, wore a black leather jacket and sunglasses though underneath he wore a red sweater showing a form of comfort for himself. He had darker blonde hair then Canary and also shares his ability to sprout wings like him. Unlike Canary, Void's wings are coloured like a red parrot, seeable for miles and jaw-droppingly beautiful, a sight for sore eyes.

Void clicks his fingers and points to the couch opposite the one he's on and Scar obey's, he's not being controlled but is not planning on arguing as he does not plan on facing an early grave. Once he's sat Void seems to scan him up and down, taking him in as Scar does the same back subtly, he doesn't have his wings out so he's just got his outfit to show Scar that he really is Void, that and the fact he's broken into his home.

"You know you ought to lock your windows it was easy to get in, and really your observation skills are abysmal, I've been here for far too long and you only noticed now," Void hums, his tone is soothing and yet put Scar on edge, he doesn't expect this calmness to last, he's waiting for death and destruction.

Finally he finds it in his will to speak, "Why are you here?" He questions, his voice comes off smaller then he liked but it seemed like the best result as Void smiles softly in response.

"Don't fret, your not getting hurt, I've been watching you, we've all been watching you and you seem like the man for the job, we need a jeweler and you fit the bill the best," he tells him.

Scar is quite shocked, whilst he's very glad it's him being eyed up by the most notorious gang in the city rather than any of his friends but he still needs to know, "Why me? Why not anyone else?" 

Void pauses and Scar is reminded that he's face to face with a criminal right now but then he speaks, "You work in the biggest antique and jewellery shop in the city so you obviously have the qualifications, Cleo was my first plan but I never really saw her with jewels, she seemed to hang around the other items more so it didn't seem her forte all that much, that was the same with your friend Bdubs, I've never heard of anyone so obsessed with clocks, it's concerning and then Etho, whilst he had the skill that man is unfindable, he just disappears to quickly, Crusher couldn't ever trace him for more then a street and then there's you, you have the skill and more so you Scar are the best choice," Void explains standing up and making sure his sunglasses are still firmly on his face, without them his identity would be revealed rather quickly.

"Now my friends are outside waiting for us in a car, so we can either join them or you can slowly bleed out here in this apartment, the choice is yours," Void smiles and without much of a choice Scar stands up and follows him outside.

The evening air is cold and Scar is seriously regretting already being in his pyjamas as he gets into a discreet black car, with the windows tinted. Once inside he's faced with the two other bad boys, Canary and Crusher whilst Void goes to the front of the car to get into the driving seat. The seats in the back face each other and deciding it's better to sit opposite the two rather then cuddle up next to Canary he sits facing the two with Void only a arms reach away, he positions himself so he's behind the passenger seat so he can keep eyes on all three to try block an attack if it comes.

"So this is him," Crusher all but scoffs and Void turns around to shoot him a glare from the front seat.

"Now play nice, no need to scare him off," Void says and turns around to begin driving.

Scar decides to keep his eyes on the other two for now as Crusher has already shown hostility towards him unlike Void's mostly friendly manner.

Canary scans him up and down before speaking, "You do realise he's in pyjamas Void, he's not really suited for this evening is he?" He says and Scar looks down at the cats on his joggers and is reminded of Jellie, he's surprised she wasn't freaked out by another person in the apartment, she surely would have noticed and that's probably the one the reason she was waiting in the kitchen rather than at the door for him, he knows if anything happened to him Cleo would take her in as she had told him on several occasions.

"I was waiting for him to notice me, not my fault he was already in pyjamas at that time, Canary just let him borrow your spare trousers you've got a similar height," Void responds. 

Canary let out a gasp before turning his gaze to Scar and scowling at him like he'd personally made that decision and hadn't been completely silent this whole time. "You think you've got what it takes to be here, trinket guy," he questions.

For the first time since being there Scar realised he had to speak, to talk in front of the most notorious villain gang and give them an answer to a question. Whilst Void is the scariest of them all, speaking to him alone wasn't as horrifying as speaking now in front of them all. "I- you- well," he began and watched the two opposite him smirk, he lets out a breath he was holding in and speaks, "I don't think I've got much of a choice in having what it takes or not and I'm not even sure what it takes even means, why am I here? Am I going to die? If I die will you take my cat? Don't take my cat, also why is it so warm? How are you all sitting here with leather jackets?" he blurted, hand flying to his face that was starting to become coated in sweat.

Crusher let out a boisterous laugh, he ended up elbowing Canary in the process who had also started laughing but that now earned him an elbow back and soon enough the two were squabbling and hitting each other as Scar watched. They kind of reminded him of himself and Bdubs, if he got past their violent history. Void then lets out a sigh which draws his attention to him as the two continue fighting.

"You need to calm down, you're not going to die if you do as told and even though your cat is very adorable we wouldn't take it," he says calmly and it soothes him by a fraction. "We're doing a deal tonight," he says and that seems to stop the other too and begin to listen properly to what he was saying. "We're getting some diamonds and just need them to be authenticated, all you need to do is look and nod, no need to even speak, if all goes well you'll be back in your pyjamas before midnight," Void explains.

Canary begins to shuffle and grumble as he reaches behind his seat and rummages through a bag and throws Scar a pair of trousers and even a pair of sunglasses, "You can wear the glasses to hide your identity," Canary tells him and he nods putting them on and pulling the dark trousers over his pyjamas trousers whilst the two opposite him chuckled at his struggles to do so.

The car stopped with an unexpected jolt and the three began to clamber out of the car and Scar followed. They were next to a dingy alleyway, right behind a broken street light, the place was empty and lifeless making the pit of dread in Scar's stomach increase as he truly realised what he had gotten himself into. A crime. He was going to be committing a crime with some sketchy diamonds near a sketchy street with the sketchiest people forcing him to do so. If he had been told a couple hours ago this was how his evening would go he would have laughed, because no way in hell would the Bad Boys choose him for anything and yet here he is, following the three criminals down the sour smelling alley and through a side door into a small discreet room.

As a whole the room wasn't bad, it was well lit by a chandelier in the middle of it with soft chairs around the room and a small table in the middle. By himself it would have been a comfortable place, somewhere he could tinker away in for hours, but right now as he's stood next to the Bad Boys and now has two faces he also recognises he's feeling even worse about how today will end.

Right there, sat in two of the chairs were another well known villain team, The Jewels. There team consists on a duo, but that does not make them weak, the two together are a deadly force to be reckoned with, they are known for their havoc and heists but mostly for their ability to get away with things without being found out, they personally boast themselves about their achievements before there even shown.

Sitting in the left chair is Whisperer, her mutant abilities are said to be similar to Void's but still a bit different, she does have the ability to enter another's mind, but not see it, rather speak to it and in a way urge it to do things, she's been seen to control people's movements and actions before for small bursts. The woman had ginger hair, tied up in a French braid to her side and piercing green eyes. She wore a metal face covering to hide her full face, which matched with the metal breastplate, boots and shoulder padding she wore over a green flowy shirt and black trousers. Whisperer glared them all down, then looked at Scar and perked a little, face softening and then morphing to what could be best described as intrigue. After a moment too much of her staring, Scar decided to turn and look at the other member of the team in the other seat.

Scryer sat unlike Whisperer who was very open in the way she was sat, Scryer had her legs crossed onto the chair, hands folded onto her lap with her head tilted slightly down and red hood up. Scar wasn't too sure if she wore a proper mask because of how fast she tended to move with her hood always up so that question remained unknown to him but what he did know a little bit about was her abilities. Scryer was able to fly but without wings making her far less noticeable but also had some sort of fortune-telling ability allowing her to see bits of the future. Whilst for sure the two were evil they often warned in times of great horror such as natural disasters and wars around the world, it's the closest to human he had ever seen the two when they weren't killing for giggles. Her red hooded clock was her most noticeable feature which was paired with black gloves and black boots and trousers.

Seeing them here wasn't the oddest, it was known that when The Jewels first came into the picture they had quite a few fights with the Bad Boys which caused a lot of mess and despair around but after awhile it fizzled away and had been years since they had even been seen together so some kind of partnership wasn't out of the question.

Whisperer guestered to some chairs opposite and they all sat down, Scar followed suit and sat next to Crusher at the seat closest to the door but also closest to Whisperer who was still looking at him.

“Welcome Bad Boys and Co. I must ask, who is this man we meet tonight, don’t tell me there’s another one of you, I mean he’s dressed the part,” Whisperer asks, her tone is calm even through the metal mask, if Scar could see her whole face he was sure she would be smiling.

“He is just here to tell us if the goods you’ve brought us are real or not, he is no threat to you, not a mutant at all,” Void responds calmly, one leg over the other as he’s laid back in the chair.

Whisperer nods and finally peers her gaze away from him and turns to Scryer who with no words pulls a bag out her cloak and passes it to her. Scar wonders if it was Whisperer telling her in her mind to do so or if Scryer could already see what she was going to ask. From there the red head pulls open the small drawstring bag and pours it slowly onto the table, revealing a handful of diamonds, all about the size of Scar’s thumb, the largest he had ever seen or would ever get to see.

Canary is first to lean forward, looking at them and then tapping them one by one before nodding and leaning back, he then turned to Scar and nodded his head towards them and Scar took them as his cue to move forward. He leans over and picks one up, just holding it he’s rather sure its a real but he knows his tests, he breathes softly on it and watches how the fog lands on it and then lingers for a second, he knows from there it’s most likely real but he wants to over compensate, giving the Bad Boys fake diamonds would not end well, he looks around and sees that Whisperer has a glass of water, he tries to imagine her as a customer coming in to check in the diamond on her engagement ring is real, he is just helping her out, she’s a normal person not a villain.

“May I have that water,” he asks calmly, trying not to fixate on the fact he’s the only one talking in a room full of criminals who are watching his very move.

Whisperer tilts her head a bit but complies, placing the water on the table and he takes it slowly and puts the diamond in, it sinks, confirming to him it’s real. He completes the same actions for each of the jewels up until the second last one, right after Scryer had mumbled something to Whisperer did he hear something in his own mind.

“Your future has been doomed since the sun rose this morning, don’t let today be your last, take the diamonds and run once you get the chance,” comes the voice in his own mind, it’s Whisperer’s and almost causes him to jump out his skin. He goes slower with the last couple diamonds, taking in what he now knows, he could die today but not if he runs, that meant the Bad Boys wouldn’t be after him, which meant this was a set up. They were going to kill them.

Scar didn’t need diamonds, he was happy enough with what he had, he also didn’t need three people’s deaths on his conscience but he also wanted to live another day. He put the last one in a glass and then looked to Void.

“All of them are real,” he says, staring Void down as much as he could as he spoke in his own mind, repeating again and again like a mantra. There going to kill you get out,  There going to kill you get out, There going to kill you get out. He took each of the diamonds out and put them in the bag as Void turned to the ladies.

“Here’s your money,” he said, passing a case to Whisperer who opens it and looks at all the money as Scar puts the last diamond in the bag, still repeating his mantra in his head. “Now Boys,” he says standing and Scryer and Whisperer copies him which leads Canary, Crusher and Scar himself standing too. “Run,” Void tells them and then chaos erupts, Canary and Crusher dash pass him towards the door, he watches for a split second as Whisperer unsheathes a sword just as Void is grabbing his arm and is yanking him out of the room as they run.

There met with the cool night air instantly as they run down the alley, up ahead he watches as Canary turns into a bird and flies off and as Crusher jumps up into the air and disappears, only a few seconds later does he say a flash of a red cloak fly past them above as another set of feet seem to be gathering speed behind them.

They reach the car and Void throws open the passenger seat door which he practically throws himself into and clambers over to the driver seat, “Get in!” he yells and Scar doesn’t need to be told twice, he’s sat in seconds, slamming the door and then the car is off, speeding away from that horror show.

The only noise he can hear is his own heart beat in his ears as his chest heaves in heavy gasps, he finally takes stock of himself, he’s un-injuryed and just saved the Bad Boys lives after the guy to his right recently threatened to end his. Finally he realises he’s clutching something in his hand and looks to see the bag. 

“Oh,” he says, breathing out.

“Oh?” Void repeats and Scar looks over at him, he’s breathing loudly too but there’s a triumphant grin on his face.

“I didn’t realise I still had the diamonds,” he explains.

“Yeah thanks for that, would have been a waste if you had left them,” Void responds and the car falls to silence, Scar’s not sure where they're heading but asking doesn’t seem like the right idea.

“You saved our lives, how did you know?” Void questions.

Scar’s happy to find he can breath normally again and puts the diamonds down in the cupholder between them, “Whisperer warned me, she told me that if I ran away with the diamonds I would live but I knew you guys would come kill me if I did that so I put two and two together and yeah saved your ass,” he tells him and then instantly regrets his words.

There's a stony silence until Void lets out a giggle, catching him so off guard that Scar whips his head around to gawk at the villain, who laughs even more at that action before finally pulling himself together.

“That was just so unexpected and then you were so damn scared, that was too funny,” Void tells him before calming down a bit, “Why did you choose to save us, Scar?” he asks like it's any of handed comment.

“You’re still people at the end of the day,” Scar tells him and then everything goes silent, Void doesn’t speak, even with a small glance Scar can’t seem to find any emotion on his face. It’s all a bit mad when he thinks about it too much, he just saved their lives, held large diamonds in his hands and met another mutant group all in the evening where he was just planning to sleep.

Finally the car stops, Scar sees he’s outside his apartment building, Void gets out the car, pocketing the diamonds as he does so and Scar follows. The two walk up to his apartment which he realises he didn’t even lock but is happy to find it untouched and Void follows him inside which is really weirding him out, he trusts that he won’t be killed anymore given the fact that Void grabbed his arm and got him out of the room after he had warned him but any other reason for him still being there falls short in his mind.

“Thank you,” Void says after he closes Scar’s door, blocking them from any onlookers that could see the infamous mutant. “For saving us and all,” he says softly.

“It’s alright,” he responds.

Void nods then sighs a bit, coming forward and resting his palm against Scar’s forehead. Scar almost jumps out of his skin at first but once realising no harm is coming he calms. “Um, what are you doing?” he questions.

“Erasing your memory of this evening,” Void tells him.

Scar steps away instantly and Void sends him a curious look but doesn’t approach, “No,”

“No?” he responds, head tilting.

“Look I won’t tell anyone, you can kill me if I do but I- I want to remember tonight, because it was illegal for sure but it was fun, a stupid kind of fun and an almost life ending one but fun,” he tells Void.

The blonde pauses and seems to stare into Scar’s soul for far too long before finally speaking, “Ok, goodnight Scar,” he says and then he exits out of Scar’s door without another word.

Once the door closes, Scar deflates, promptly sitting on the floor beneath him and just breathing. Jellie comes over and clambers onto his lap and he just lets himself breathe again and again.

Chapter Text

When Scar wakes it's far later than usual. The sun is casting rays through his living room curtains and onto him. He hadn't planned to sleep at all, once he'd found the energy to get off the floor he had plopped himself on the sofa and dozed off in that seat not long after. He was happy to not have any work or he would have been for sure late. He stretched as Jellie came over meowing at him, obviously unimpressed about her lack of breakfast.

Quickly he got up and from there he realised how uncomfortable his legs felt and he looked down to find the source of the problem, Canary's trousers. He was still wearing them over his pyjamas. As if the man was in the room right now he took them of with speed before finally deciding it was best to wash them. In the unlikely scenario that the man came back for them he would probably be unkind about the state of them, sweat soaked from Scar's ever rising fear the night prior.

After filling Jellie's food and water bowl up he put the trousers into the washing machine, even opting to use the fancy detergent which would make them smell the best. From there showering seemed like the best option and then finally eating something after almost a full day of not having anything.

Being locked in the bathroom and feeling the warmth of the shower water spray onto him he allowed himself to gather his thoughts. He couldn't tell a soul what had happened, he could be arrested for assisting them or better yet, killed if the Bad Boys found that he had snitched.

Now Scars opinion on villains wasn't that thought through. He hated hearing of people being hurt during the crossfire of fights and the criminal activities they all get up to was not something Scar really agreed with. The Bad Boys as a whole didn't ever hold that much space in his mind, he was aware they were seen as the worse and the news loved to keep tabs on them but that was about it, he never thought there would come a time where he would have to decide an opinion on them but here he was.

Crusher and Canary hadn't made a big impression on him other than acting menacing and laughing, they didn't seem all that threatening when he thought about it hard, sure they were both trained to kill but in the back of that car they were just two guys having a laugh, not killers.

He got quite a better impression on Void compared to him, he was composed but deadly, he seemed to calculate every word before it was spoken and try to keep himself as neutral as possible. Though there was a side of him Scar had got to see just a trickle of. The side that thanked him and spared his memories in a blink, that was some sort of kindness or perhaps some psychological torture but either way it was a side of Void not many people would know.

So overall Scar decided they weren't the worst, well they kind of were but they were at least a bit more calm than he expected, no pointed weapons or bruises left on him after his experience showed that.

The Jewels on the other hand still gave the impression they always did, villains with hearts. Whisperer tried to spare him but once he went behind her back she was more than willing to strike him. It made him wonder if Canary and Crusher had safely got away from Scryer which caused him to run and scramble out the shower into his living room to switch on the news.

The news was reassuringly boring, talking about some cyber scam. If the Bad Boys were dead it would be etched onto every screen in the city. The relief he felt was odd, he didn't know them well but yet the thought of them dying in some alley was a horrifying thought.

Now out of the shower he decides it's best to dress himself so he pulls on a shirt and joggers and makes his way back to the kitchen where the untouched packet of bacon in his fridge is calling to him. He gets a couple pans out and begins to heat them with oil. Whilst grabbing the eggs and bacon out his phone begins to ring and he takes it out of pocket to see 'CLOCK MAN' caller ID on his screen.

He picks up the phone and sets it on a loud speaker before putting it on the counter, "Hey Bdubs, how's work going?" Scar questions as he cracks an egg onto one pan and puts the bacon down on the other, loving how the sizzle feels the air.

"Not bad, I was meant to be managing here alone but Etho actually showed up, I'm on my break now, you have a nice evening?" Bdubs responds sounding rather pleased.

"Um yeah not a bad evening, you fix that clock?" Scar tells him, trying to not sound like he's lying through his teeth as he grabs a plate and cutlery.

"Yeah it's all beautiful again, also would you want to come to game night at mine tonight, Etho will be there," Bdubs announces and Scar can't help but smile a bit and Bdubs' happiness.

There's a creak behind him and he turns to investigate it before he responds to Bdubs and in face to face with Canary.

He is frozen, stuck still as he's faced with the man standing opposite him, leaning against his doorframe like he knows the place personally, far too relaxed for a man who's just broken in. 

"Scar?" Bdubs' voice comes through the phone, pulling him from his stupor.

"Sure, just text me the details, I gotta go, Jellie's throwing up," he tells him and for the first time ever he doesn't wait for the parting pleasantries, he hangs up instantly.

The brunette is standing gawking at the golden haired Bad Boy, not even sure what to do, why is he even here?

"Are you planning on letting your food burn?" Canary questions, a grin spreading across his face.

Scar turns instantly, taking the pans of the heat and then is back in a flash to look at Canary, not planning on taking his eyes off him for long.

"Why are you here?" Scar questions as he scans the man, he seems unscathed from last night's shenanigans so that eases his mind a bit.

Canary pushes himself off the door frame and comes close up to Scar, so close that they are almost chest to chest and Scar feels himself leaning back to get away from him.

Canary just smiles saying, "Heard you tipped Void about the attack, quite surprising," he says. "Though that's not why I'm here, I want my trousers back," Canary told him.

"Oh, yes I washed them, they should be all dry now," Scar says and then he's opening his tumble dryer and pulling out the newly dried trousers and passing them to the villain.

Canary held the warmed trousers and looked at them, looked at Scar and then down at them and brought them close to his face before taking a small sniff.

"My God, what laundry detergent do you use, dude this smells amazing," he says and Scar can't help but smile and fish the detergent out from under his fridge and present it to the man in front of him, who looks at it, pulls out his phone and takes a picture of it for good measure.

"Thanks for washing this, you didn't need to," Canary tells him and then he decides to school his emotions better, obviously realising he'd lost the threatening act.

"It was no problem, I didn't know if you would even come for them but I thought it was worth it just in case and here we are," Scar smiles.

Canary puts the detergent on the side and begins to walk out the room and seems completely fine with not any sort of goodbye before he stops and turns.

"Void seems to trust you, I don't know why he doesn't trust a lot of people so don't take that lightly," he says and then he's off, walking past the living room and out of the door, leaving Scar more confused than ever. 

The fact that two of the Bad Boys had been in his apartment was quite odd. Their looks didn't fit that well with the aesthetic of his home, whilst they were all sharp edges and dark clothing his home was fitted with bright lights and soft carpeted floor. He had a lamp in almost every room, his living room was filled with plants, his sofa and a cat tower for Jellie. His kitchen had a white marble countertop and cream cupboards and alongside them was a brown table able to sit four. To top it off his bedroom had a double bed with a brown coloured bedspread over his green duvet and pillows giving it an earthy vibe and perhaps too many fairy lights adorned his ceiling for someone his age but he adored them.

Deciding it was best to not let his food go to waste and help ease the growing pit in his stomach he picked up his plate and sat at the nearby table and ate. 

His phone buzzed a few times, his phone flashing to life and he glanced at it from where he had placed it beside his plate. Bdubs had told him they were meeting at nine at his place and hoped Jellie was feeling better. A feeling of guilt grew in him for having to lie to his friend and to make up for it he shot Bdubs a text telling him he would bring pizza which earned him a thanks alongside a few drooling and smiling emoji's. Scar glanced at the time there and saw that it was coming up to two in the afternoon which made sense given that Bdubs was on his break, yesterday took a lot out of him.

For the rest of his day he took to cleaning his home, whilst it was already quite clean the idea that the Bad Boys could have put something here uneased him, so cleaning and snooping around his own home felt right but in the end he came up empty handed and was left with a clean home smelling of many different chemicals.

When it came to around twenty minutes past eight he left his house, deciding it was better to walk to the pizza place and then get to Bdubs' from there. It was a ten minute walk to the pizza shop, another ten minutes waiting for his order and then a final ten minutes to get to Bdubs' house.

Bdubs' house was always the most ideal for game night, he lived the closest to them all and he had a nice large coffee table to set a board game up on. When he walked in Scar found he was the last one there. There was a no knock policy in Bdubs' home for the sole reason that he couldn't be asked to walk to the door every time.

They all greeted him as he placed the pizza on the table as Cleo passed him a beer which they seemed to have brought over.

"How was the shop?" Scar asks, opening his beer and walking to grab some plates out from the kitchen and passing them to everyone.

"Quite a quiet day," Etho responds and Scar nods.

Scar loves game night, it reminds him that there are not just co-workers there family in a way. None of them were all that close with their own family but together they were a unit, they loved each other and always stuck out their necks for one another.

There was a clear moment when he realised they were always going to be there for each other, it was when Bdubs broke his leg a couple of years back. Scar had fallen asleep early and woken to find voicemails and messages left on his phone. Cleo had been with him when it happened, he had fallen of a ladder at work and broken it, she had sent him updates without even getting a response from him, knowing that when he awoke he would have been freaked out to not know his friends state and then Etho had messaged him with similar updates and not to panic about not being there cause he was so out of it on pain meds he didn't have a clue.

Scar had rushed to the hospital despite it being around four in the morning and been told his friends room, he ran in but was frozen at the door. Bdubs was in bed, passed out with his leg in a white cast, with Cleo slumped in the chair asleep and Etho sat on the floor, leant against the side of the bed also asleep. He smiled, pulled out his phone and snapped a picture before deciding to take a seat on the floor too, alongside his family.

Now sat on the floor playing games laughing and arguing he feels a bit sick, because he has to lie to them and he doesn't hate it, he is able to not tell them what happened not because he doesn't want to but because he has to do it to keep them safe, safe from the people he sickeningly enjoyed the company of.

When it hit around midnight everyone said their farewells and headed off. Cleo and Etho walked the opposite way to him as he headed home. He walked only for around a minute before a familiar car pulled up next to him and the door opened, revealing Crusher.

Scar stared blankly at the open door far, maybe a tad too long because Crusher sighs, "Anytime today," he calls and Scar takes that as a hint to get in the open door so he does sitting beside the debatably deadliest Bad Boy.

"You planning on shutting that door or what," he barks and Scar quickly turns and shuts it, "Who raised you?" He mutters but Scar presumes that's a rhetorical question so he remains silent completely oblivious to what the hell was happening as Crusher begins to drive

"Why didn't Void wipe your memory?" Crusher questions out of nowhere, surprising the antiquary.

"I asked him not to," Scar responds honestly.

"What!" the villain yelps, swerving a bit which caused Scar to reach for his seatbelt and click it in. "Bloody hell you've got to be some kind of magician, you convinced him by just asking, what did he say?"

"He said goodnight and left," Scar tells him.

Crusher gawks at him for far too long before finally finding words, "Your a weird one Scar a proper odd guy," 

"Thanks?" Scar says not to be sure how to respond and not planning on arguing the statement.

Crusher sighs and shakes his head before going silent for a little bit longer than before until he speaks, "You make jewellery don't you?" He questions.

"Yeah, I'm not the worst at it," Scar responds, he's feeling quite talkative this evening and is blaming it on the alcohol.

"Well given you're seen as trustworthy and I need to find someone to make some jewellery would you be able to make me some," Crusher asks.

"Of course, what do you need?" Scar asks, far too happy to help.

"I need two earrings, both able to hold one of those diamonds from the other day," Crusher explains.

Scar can't help but snort which makes the man beside him turn and probably glare at him from behind his glasses. "Sorry I just didn't expect you to be using those kinds of jewels for earrings, who are they for," he asks.

Crusher seems to debate answering for a second before resigning, "The news will spot it either way so yeah ones for me and ones for Canary," he explains.

"None for Void?" 

"It's none of your business, you just listen to what you're told to do alright, stop asking questions," Crusher retorts, causing Scar to close his mouth and just nod.

It's quiet again for a little before the car pulls up at Scars apartment. "I'll drop the jewels off some point soon," he says and Scar gets out.

"Thanks for taking me home," he says, a bit perplexed by this whole ordeal.

"Yeah yeah don't get your knickers in a twist about it, shut my door," Crusher tells him and he shuts the door and the car is off immediately leaving Scar as dazed as he was the evening before.

Chapter Text

The next morning when Scar woke it was much earlier then the day before and with a very grinding headache courtesy of his hangover from the previous night. Cleo was opening the shop this morning so he had till noon before he needed to be in. He got up showered and made some cereal before deciding to make some chocolate chip cookies.

He had a few hours spare to bake and was always happy to bring things in for Cleo to try, she was good at sussing out what had gone good or bad with his baked goods and there was also another small subtle reason for making them that lay in the back of his mind as he prepped and mixed, a reason he hoped to be true.

Whilst he was often proud of his baking he was never one to say he was tidy about it, by the time he put the cookies in the oven he was almost head to toe in flour, he always forgot it was on his hands, often running them through his hair as he worker then washing them after realising and repeating the same action, he had dropped half the bag on himself whilst whisking the bowl. So now, looking in a right state turning around for a second day in a row to find a Bad Boy in his kitchen was not the most ideal situation.

This time around he jumped at the un-authorised visitor in his place, with Canary he had been able to hear him approach, but now with Void a mere inch from him it was startling.

Void smirked at him, placing a hand on each side of the counter, cornering Scar. "Well aren't you dusty," he grins. 

Now Scar admits he might just be a very stupid man, stupid enough to help the Bad Boys, stupid enough to be happy to see them again, stupid enough to make the jewellery, stupid enough to make damn cookies just for the chance that one would show up again and so goddamn stupid that he puts his flour covered hands above Void's head and claps showering flour into the blonde's hair.

"Could say the same about you," he responds to the villain who is no longer smirking at him but is now staring dumbfounded, mouth agape at Scar's actions.

Scar regrets it instantly, what had he been thinking, this guy had threatened to kill him one of the last times they were alone together and now he was making him dirty. He was going to die, this sweet fantasy of getting to know these criminals was going to be gone alongside his life.

Finally Void just groans before letting out an exasperated chuckle dipping his head as he does so. "You're thinking too much, that was bold for sure but do fear you're going to be killed every moment, it takes the fun out of this," Void tells him and Scar is reminded then that he can read his thoughts and probably just witnessed his internal spiralling.

"And what is this Void?" he questions, daring to be bold.

Void hums and then finally moves his arms away from the side of the counters, putting them behind his back and steps back and begins to walk around Scar, back and forward as he speaks, "I came to check if you had been honest, that you hadn't told anyone, but now it seems I'm here for cookies, why did you believe I would be here?" Void questions. In this moment he reminds Scar of a cat, how he slinks around and watches him.

"Well given the fact it seems every twelve hours one of you Bad Boys spawn into my life I thought I would take a chance, you guys have a schedule going on or what?" he chuckles a bit at that but the way Void pauses makes him feel on edge.

"They've seen you? Both of them came to you? When? Why?" he blurts, coming over and grabbing Scar's forearms like a desperate plea for him to speak instantly.

"Calm down there, sorry I thought you knew, look Canary just came for his trousers and Crusher was just giving me a bit of an interrogation and just needs me to make some jewellery for him," Scar explains.

Void looks conflicted, biting his lip a bit before letting out another sigh and letting go of Scar. "You can tell me if you want out, I can make you forget all of this, don't feel the need to put up with us," he says softly. Scar truly wishes he could see his whole face, understand the emotions and thoughts passing through his mind. But he couldn't but instead Void could understand him easily, basically had his souls in front of him on a silver platter, so Scar didn't respond and just looked at Void, because he would be able to see and understand that Scar felt no obligation to do this, that he enjoyed helping them and getting to know them even with the added threats he was okay with this.

"My god you're just made of glitter and rainbows aren't you, seeing the good in everyone," Void sighs and then takes a deep breath in, "You even know how to bake damn it," he says shaking his head.

Scar stared at him, utterly confused by what he was meaning until it settled, Void enjoyed Scar's optimism and good nature. Scar smirked at that, "Who would have thought the city's most dangerous villain had a soft spot for me," he grinned hoping to get under his skin a bit.

"Shut up," Void mumbles, crossing his arms.

"Oh you're embarrassed," he giggles and then turns away sorting through his cupboard to find some containers to put the cookies into when they're ready.

"Your infuriating,"

"Yet you've come to see me again," he grins, walking over to the sink and starting to fill it with water and washing up liquid before grabbing his used bowls and utensils and placing them next to it. He grabs his phone checking the time, he's got an hour now to clean this up and also shower again due to the mess he's made of himself.

"You got somewhere to be?" Void questions coming close again.

"I'm working this afternoon and I have a feeling my boss won't be a fan of my state," he tells him.

Void nods then seems to contemplate for a moment, "How about you jump in the shower and I'll wash this up and keep an eye on these cookies for you," he responds.

Scar had not expected that at all, Void offering to help him clean up, "Really?" He mutters.

Void shakes his head a little letting out an exasperated chuckle, "As long as I can get an extra cookie," he tells him, causing Scar to laugh.

"Sure, thanks Void," he responds and then rushes towards his room to get some new clothes and then heads for the shower.

He admits he knows this is odd and far too trusting but he likes to trust people, likes to believe there will be good in everyone. So he believes that Void will do as he said and won't betray his trust so Scar showers with a calm attitude, getting as much flour as he can out of his hair before getting out and changing into his second outfit of the day.

When he comes back into the kitchen it's scarily clean, all the bowls are on the drying rack, the sides clear of mess and the cookies are on a cooling rack, their scent feeling the air. Void is standing there looking a bit sheepish but Scar can't help but smile.

"You really didn't have to do all of that," Scar says, though he's relieved he didn't have to rush around before work.

Void just shrugged, putting his hands in his pockets and leaning against the counter, looking anywhere but at Scar. This man was so odd and Scar wished he could figure him out, figure out his motives, his feelings just understand what made up this guy and how this notorious villain could be here right now doing dishes. It felt like a fever dream.

Scar went over to the cookies and prodded one, still warm but cool enough to be eaten. "You can have one now, take your pick," he says and Void turns to look at the cookies, examining them and then picking up one with the most chocolate chips and taking a bite, he freezes a bit then takes another.

"Scar what the hell do you put in these, there amazing," he practically yelps and Scar might pass out as his face goes red this is not the same guy from the news, it can't be this is a ball of light and smiles in front of him, so joyous and inviting it's terrifying.

Scar grabs one and takes a bite himself, he enjoys them the most when there warm, it means an easy bite and feels more flavourful, "I never tell my secrets," he smiles and Void chuckles as the two continue to eat the baked goods. 

Once finished Scar begins to box up the cookies, there's ten left, so he puts four in one box, two for him and two for Cleo and then the rest in another and passes it to Void.

"For you and the other Bad Boys if you feel like sharing," he chuckles. Void looks at him in awe, holding the box in his hands.

"You're too kind, Scar," he says softly.

"It's nothing really I can't imagine all those shenanigans you get up to don't leave you a lot exhausted, it's a little pick me up," Scar grins.

Void shakes his head and sighs, something that seems to occur a lot rather than actually speaking, "You don't fear us anymore do you?" He questions.

Scar thinks about his answer for a moment before responding, "Well you lot a scare the life out of me half the time and are very threatening don't be scared that I think your soft now, it's just I've put people, humans even to the names, before you we're just the cities villains to me but now your people and not even the worst people I've met," he explains.

"Okay," 

"Okay?"

"I should be going, but before I do," Void butts in, slipping his hand into the inside of his leather jacket and pulls out a paper card, passing it to Scar, "If you ever need help with anything, call this number, tell them Bad Boys told you to call, " Void explains and Scar looks at the number on the small card.

"I'll get the other two out of your hair as soon as possible," he continues.

"What? No, it's fine really you're all no trouble at all," Scar blurts.

"It's better that way Scar trust me, it was nice meeting you," Void tells him and then he's leaving the kitchen and when Scar tries to follow all he's left with is an empty living room with the window agape.

This was odd, why was it that seeing Void leave left him with so much loneliness, he had been able to live fine without those Bad Boys around before, never felt a gap in his life up until now, now there was a massive gap left in their absence. He wanted to get to know them, figure out some in and outs just so he can know who the real Bad Boys are, the humans behind the violence.

Though in that gap now he felt anger, Void decided he would be better off without them around after he waltzed into his life, he shouldn’t be allowed to choose if he left or not, he choose to come Scar wanted to choose for him to stay, but he can’t, because the Bad Boys don’t get told what to do, they do what they want, no need to listen or care for the man from the antique store.

He leaves not long after, the phone number put into his jacket pocket and he heads to work, the walk there is not the most pleasant, the winter months are ending but there is still a chill in the air, a windy chill now that causes him to hold his coat tighter until he's finally in the warm embrace of his workplace.

Cleo greets him on entry, she's pottering around, cleaning the shelves with a feather duster when he arrives, "Hey Scar," she grins.

"Hey Cleo, I brought cookies," he said, reaching into his satchel bag and showing the container, Cleo lights up like a beam at that, taking the container and taking a cookie out and Scar does the same, "How's business been?"

"Slow, I had to fight an old lady who was trying to pay me half price on a vase and she's been the only customer today," she says, sighing. 

Scar chuckles and the two eat the cookies in a blissful silence and after Cleo goes on her break and Scar heads to his workstation, he goes to open his drawer under his desk to place his satchel into but is frozen in place upon opening it because inside is two diamonds, Scar closes it instantly and chucks his satchel under the table. There are two stolen diamonds a hand stretch away, belonging to the Bad Boys and ones he touched recently to check we're real. Crusher must have broken in and put them there. Given the quietness of the place he thought he would be fine to start his work on the earrings. Jewellery wasn't his forte but he wasn't the worst and asking the others to make an earring that would be worn by a Bad Boy holding a large diamond wasn't really an option. 

He began to make sketches, for Canary's one he made one long golden metal feather and the diamond would be at the top of the earring connected to the earring post, if he was honest the feather wasn't needed but it would fit with Canary so well he had to do it. The Crusher's earring, he sketched it out following the shape of his trusted hammer with the jewel as the hammer's head, all of this would be attached to a small dangling chain from his ear.

He began to scrounge around, finding spare metal and the means to melt and shape it himself, he made sure he was speedy about this task, if Cleo saw it and then saw it on the news she would easily put two and two together and he wouldn't be able to lie to her if she asked.

He bent, prodded and shaped the metal, pulling out the jewels and putting them in their respective parts of the earrings before finally whisking them into his drawer and shutting it just before Cleo came back in.

“What were you cluttering away at?” Cleo asked, eyebrows raised.

“Just sorting out these scraps,” Scar told her, the lie rolling off his tongue as he guested to the different metals in front of him.

“Not too well I suppose,” Cleo chuckled and Scar rolled his eyes but set off to do the task he was pretending to do. Whilst doing so the small TV in the upper corner of the room caught his attention, it was on the news as always and there it was, the people that plagued his mind like a disease, the Bad Boys, they had started a fire downtown and we’re currently being chased, there were clips of Crusher bouncing from building to building, grinning like a gleeful child, Canary zipping up to the chasing police in his bird form and annoying them before zipping away and finally Void, with his parrot like red, blue and yellow wings, soaring through the air smiling as he flew, he looked so free, they all did. He prayed that he would see them again.