shade and merrick being kidnapped at the ages of 8 in 1998 (the year between two of the founding members of the sentry being born) and then escaping the lab in 2006 (roughly 10 years before connor would be rescued) just. makes them seem that much lonelier. that much more disconnected from the world around them.
like, by the time the other characters in the story are learning to walk and talk and play, shade and merrick have already endured body and mind altering experimentation and torture and are dealing with powers they don't know how to control.
they escaped at 16. they were each others whole world.
morningstar and strepera make their first appearances as villain and vigilante in 2011. roughly 20 years of age. it's the same year matchstick loses her leg. a whole year before 12 year old murphy and pj decide to be superheroes. a whole year after a 7 year old rhiannon jones gains superspeed.
the other characters are only just experiencing their life changing moments at a time when shade and merrick have learned what it's like to look your whole world in the eye and beg for them to come home. please you are the only one who understands, why can't you understand this? and watch them walk away.
like. even as enemies. they are all each other have, simply bc there is no one else who could ever possibly understand the experiences of their life like the other could. they never got to be kids. they only got to be each others.
