Chapter Text
“Ain’t you a bit too young to drink?”
The sentence that started it all. A simple sentiment that began one of the most important friendships in his life.
This is a story of an unusual meeting that should’ve never happened.
The story of a broken pair and the unlikely bond that saved them both.
The bar was dim, only purple and blue lights slowly shifting through. A hidden strip of RGB lights near the ceiling and surrounding the bar itself.
Luo had never been to a bar before. But how better to celebrate his eighteenth?
He has no one to celebrate with, no friends to wish him happy birthday.
He is now a villain. Now the Calamity. Not a person anymore.
Villains don’t have friends.
He takes a swig of whatever the bartender poured him. He hadn’t asked. He just asked the bartender for a good celebratory drink. The bartender poured him something without question—Luo was used to ignoring the pitying stares.
How… funny…
Orphan, friendless… a villain. All before he even hit adulthood. Now here he is, freshly eighteen, finally an adult. Freshly responsible for himself — on paper, that is, he’s been on his own long before now — and he’s choosing to spend it drinking in a random bar.
It barely registers when another man sits down a few stools to his right. Ordering a beer. He only spares him a glance. It’s not like he's able to see much in the horrid lighting. All he can tell is that the other male has dark hair.
“Ain’t you a bit too young to drink?” sounds from the hunched figure — the only other person at the bar. Must be his bad luck — he vaguely notices the feeling of eyes on him, of being watched—it doesn’t feel threatening for once—a silence stretches out between them, neither man making a sound.
It takes a while for Luo to break the awkward silence. “It's my eighteen.” His voice somber, almost too quiet to be audible.
The other man doesn’t say anything, just taking a sip of his beer. Finally Luo turns to look at the—presumably—older man. He sits hunched over his beer, white foam tinted blue by the shitty lighting. His entire figure is tinted blue, but he can make out some features. Dark hair, lighter skin—his contemplation of the other’s appearance gets interrupted by a hollow laugh.
“Don’t got anyone to celebrate with?” It’s said so casually. Like it’s a normal matter. Not Luo being the loneliest man on earth.
“No…” slips from his lips easily, far too natural—for something he’d never usually do—for a show of vulnerability to an unknown. He’d heard it’s easier to spill your guts to a stranger while drunk. He hopes this man remains a stranger. But considering his bad luck? This will definitely come back to bite him in the ass.
The other man just shrugs, expecting the answer. He doesn’t ask the eighteen year old questions. Doesn’t try to convince him there must be someone. He just takes the answer at face value. Luo can’t help but… like that. The quiet acceptance, maybe even understanding..?
“So… drinking your woes away? Or just a toast to yourself?” The inquisition breaks him out of any sense of peace he might’ve derived from the stranger. Plunging him right back into the uncomfortable situation.
“I… guess both.” Luo gaze falls back down to his half empty glass. He is still none the wiser to what he’s drinking, or how it’s supposed to be drunk.
Sudden movement steals Lou’s attention. The older man raises his beer, toasting in his direction. “Cheers to us then.”
It takes Luo a bit to raise his own glass, but he does. They don’t clink, just cheers from multiple seats apart. The other man takes a deep gulp of his beer while Luo just stares. He belatedly takes a hasty drink of his own… beverage. The unpleasant taste and his hasty sip makes him slightly choke on it.
He hears a clank as the stranger puts his glass down and chuckles. “Not used to alcohol, are ya kid?”
Luo manages to catch his breath — of course he choked. It’s his goddamned bad luck — and halfheartedly glares at his companion. Who just sighs and finally turns on his stool to face him. Leaning on the bar in a lax manner.
He has dark eyes. Luo finally notices. The only thing he can really note. His features seem masculine, if a bit softer… basic white man in Luo’s opinion. Maybe a bit “pretty boy”-ish. Not someone Luo would’ve expected in a half empty bar on a workday.
“Your first time drinking?” he asks casually.
“More or less…” Luo wipes at his mouth, disgruntled. His eyes narrow as he gazes at his new drinking partner. “Why do you ask?”
The blue shrouded man just shrugs. “Curious. You look like a good kid.”
“A good kid?” Luo repeats incredulously. Never in his life had he ever been considered good. First an overly energetic child, then an unfortunate orphan, a bad luck charm, and finally… what he is now. A villain for fuck’s sake. “I’m not good.”
At that the other looks intrigued, leaning forward slightly. Luo takes a careful sip of his drink, feigning nonchalance. Only to choke again—properly this time—when the other speaks. “What. You commited mass murder?”
“What..?” the younger one croaks out. Which just earns him a stifled laugh. Luo just stares at the blue tinted man.
“Don’t stare, kid. You’re looking at me like I’m an alien.” He casually waves his beer glass around. “You’re not as bad as you think,” he sips a bit before interrupting himself and looking back at Luo. “You’re too sweet for that.”
“I’m… not sweet!” It makes him unreasonably irritated to be called that. The stranger has no idea what he’s talking about. “I’m drinking my eighteenth away all alone in an empty bar,” Luo grits out, trying not to yell. Frustrated with how things have gone. With this stupid stranger-
“You’re not alone. Not really,” the older rebukes casually, drinking his beer yet again.
Luo tries for this man’s words to not get to him. But they do. With a somewhat silent slam of his hand he nearly yells out, “You… don’t you think there’s a fucking reason I’m alone?!”
The drinking man just scoffs. “You wouldn’t have gone to a gay bar if you intended to be alone.”
“That’s-“ Luo starts off ready to yell, but the words register and his eyes widen, “a… what now?”
The stranger raises an eyebrow. “A gay bar.” A slight smirk grows on his previous neutral, casual expression. “You… did know that, right?”
Luo’s eyes flick over the entire bar. It looks normal — he’s never been to a bar, how would he know — it’s empty except for 5 people.
All men.
Fuck. “I didn’t… this…”
At that the stranger bursts into unrestrained laughter—his voice slightly hoarse—with each mirthful sound Luo grows redder and redder, nearing a tomato in color. But the purple lighting hides that… hopefully—who is he kidding. With his luck, everyone can see it. He doesn’t even notice when the laughter subsides, too far buried in his own self pity.
The other man interrupts his inner lament—pity party—by coming over. Setting his beer just a seat away. He sits down on the bar stool right over a seat to his right.
Oh god is he gonna try to flirt?! No, no, no-
“Ok, look here, dude-“ the younger doesn’t even know how to reject a man. “I’m not-“
“Yea, I figured. You don’t look the type.” The stranger just shrugs.
Why and how is he so casual?! Is it the alcohol? Must be the alcohol. Does alcohol make some people calm? It must.
Luo huffs out a quiet; “you do, though” which was supposed to be too quiet for the other to hear, merely a whispered remark—but based on the snort — his rotten luck — the stranger definitely heard it.
“I am.” The easy admission takes Luo aback. Of course he’s comfortable with it. He’s in a gay bar.
“So what… you here to pick up dudes? Or whatever the gay term is.” The younger’s words are awkward, he’s never really known any gay people. Maybe closeted ones… never… any adults.
Tapping the bar to request another beer, the stranger eyes him. “Not really. Just… drinking my woes away like you.”
“Then why the decision to go to a gay bar?” Luo definitely does not pout.
“Where else would I go to drink?” He raises an eyebrow, seemingly bored now without a drink to hold.
Luo has no answer to that. He just looks back to his drink. The stranger is a bit too close for his own good. “You should… go away.”
“Why? You think you’re bad or whatever you were on about?” he says so… offhandedly, like he can’t possibly be that bad. Just, picking up his new beer—flippant. That’s the word. The male is very flippant.
Luo grips his glass hard enough for a part of his brain to worry he’ll break it. “I’m Calamity.”
The stranger just glances over at him, raising an eyebrow. “What did you say?”
Luo hangs his head, a broken whisper slipping past his lips. “The personification of bad luck… the villain… Calamity…”
The stranger just hums and takes a sip of his new beer. Seemingly unbothered, or maybe thinking of what to do — most likely if he should call the heroes based on his luck — Luo just sighs, preparing to get up-
The stranger puts his glass on the wood. The click of glass against wood is almost deafening. “We doing introductions then?” He turns to Luo, his precious drink left on the wooden surface, outstretched his hand in offer of a handshake.
Luo sits there, his mouth agape, staring at this perplexing stranger like he’s next said every slur in the universe. “What… I just told you I’m bad luck…” tumbles out of him like a bad joke.
“I heard ya, Calamity. Just shake my hand.”
He just called him by his villain name like it’s nothing. Like it’s just a nickname and nothing harmful.
If Luo’s mouth was agape just a moment ago, it’s on the floor, collecting dust now. His brain can’t compute this. Can’t comprehend this absolutely baffling… stranger. This stranger who is being far more accepting than anyone else has ever been.
The stranger just sighs when Luo doesn’t outstretch his hand. “You not listening?”
“I-I am…” he manages to stutter out. “You… you’re…”
Another sigh, along with a lowered hand. “Wreck.”
The sudden word confuses him yet again—this stranger seems to be doing nothing but confusing Luo—is that his power or something?!
“I’m Wreck.” The older male takes another sip of his beer, noticing how the younger villain is staring at him, he places the glass back down. “Wreck, the king of destruction, nemesis of the pinnacle of perfection, Nice.” With a huff and a subdued smirk he does a sloppy cheers in his direction. “That Wreck.”
Luo just sits there, his jaw further down than before—now collecting molten lava in hell—every bone in his body yelling that this must be a joke. That there is a hidden camera somewhere. That what he’s just been told is a really shitty lie. But seeing the nonchalant expression on his—Wreck’s—face is more than enough for him to realize there is no joke. No lie, no hidden camera.
His rotten luck has him drinking with another villain.