#03 Zero Hour Talks
part 1
“See they’re trying to make me jealous—which isn’t working—I mean, it makes sense. Why else would they suddenly pretend to be in a relationship with some rookie?”
Medic stared at the Villain with a deadpan expression, their arms crossed in front of their stomach with legs crossed under the glass table. The quiet atmosphere of the local diner in the middle of the night only further intensified the Medic’s desire to drop down on the hard surface and fall asleep. “...Get a job,” they replied, an apathetic tone in their voice as they rubbed their temples.
“This is my job,” the Villain, in contrast, was functioning perfectly fine. Their fingers passively tapping the table in an even rhythm. Sipping the sweet cranberry slushy with gleaming eyes as if they were waiting for validation. The Medic wishes they were dead.
“Get a real job,” Medic grabbed the plastic cup from their hands, grumbling with irritation. They considered throwing the drink in their face but refrained knowing they would probably get kicked out.
Villain narrowed their eyes and scoffed, “I’m just saying, I know exactly what they’re doing and I won’t fall for it,” they smirked. Confident in their own words as if they weren’t completely on the verge of snapping a few days ago. Not from bitterness after seeing their Hero’s face all over the news along with that halfwit of a rookie, it was about a completely unrelated matter.
“I really don’t care,” Medic groaned. The Villain did not listen and took it as a sign to continue.
“Heroes just think they’re better than everyone, especially that jerk. They think their smile can fool the city but they can’t fool me.”
“Oh my God.”
Medic ran their hands through their hair, rolling their eyes and slumping in agony. There was nothing they desired less than listening to the Villain’s denial and refusal to even have a love life. If this was what hell was like, they would have to start praying.
The dense fool did not seem to pick up on their suffering though. Villain’s gaze flickered to the large digital billboard across the street. Rotating between various shots of the greatest heroes of the city, and the new upcoming stars. They chuckled dryly, waiting for their hero to show up. “They won’t be able to keep up that facade for long, once the Hero realizes the rookie is another useless wannabe they’ll come crawling back, craving the excitement.” Medic did not miss the way their gaze softened.
They straightened themselves, resting their chin on their knuckles with furrowed brows. Following Villain’s gaze just as their obsession showed up. The grinning hero conversed with the reporters, standing in close proximity with their partner. Well supposed partner at least, there are a few who doubt the nature of their relationship, and their sibling happens to be one of them. “How do you even know they’re just pretending?” They questioned, the two seemed close, comfortable even. It wasn’t hard to see why the dating rumors were easy to spread.
Villain glared at them in response, scoffing in annoyance as if they had asked a stupid question. “Because they are, obviously. Get it together, I thought you were the smart one,” they sneered. Medic’s eye twitched slightly in response, sighing as an attempt to compose themselves. A punch would be thrown, but it would occur after they were outside.
“...Why do you think it’s fake?” They said, slowly. Rewording their initial question as they realized the Villain was too far gone now.
The other smirked smugly, seriously it’s like they were asking to get punched. They pointed at the screen, their eyes focused as if they were inspecting every little detail from a five minute clip. “Just look at them. Their smile doesn’t touch their eyes, their pupils are wandering all over the place and their fingers are barely holding on to that rookie. Contrary to their statements, they don’t even live together, I checked and everything.”
“You what now?”
Villain brushed them off, pulling out their phone and opening a news article from the city’s media. “Anyway, that Valentine’s interview was totally scripted, this anonymous user from the comments claimed that they work for the agency and they admitted the two were just doing it for the marketing.” Medic squinted their eyes and leaned closer to their screen, reading the comment.
“This user also said ‘Supers were created by a secret society to kill the lizards that live underground.’” They pointed out with an unimpressed look.
“Well you never know,” Villain shrugged in response.
Medic had to lean back into their seat, slowly registering their entire interaction just now. Hands resting at their temples again as they met the Villain’s gaze with genuine pity. They considered slapping them to return them to their senses, but they seemed like a lost cause. “...You know it gets to a point where it’s just sad.”
“What? I made perfectly rational points,” Villain didn’t understand what part wasn’t clear enough. It was pretty straight forward, yet no one seemed to understand. They even consulted their Henchman earlier and they were left speechless before turning in their request to take a vacation.
The billboard keeps switching between clips of the recent conflicts of the heroes before it landed on the most recent interview of the Hero—no, the Villain’s Hero. Villain’s eyes immediately turned to them, a faint hint of a smile threatening to show on their lips.
No words could describe how baffled Medic was. Sure they had joked about them having feelings for the hero but they didn’t realize it would lead to the Villain becoming so pathetic, and most of all how they ended up being forced to listen to their thoughts. They scrunched their nose in judgement. A faint sense of hollowness filled their chest, unease creeped in.
“Why do you care so much?”
Villain sneered in defense, “I do not care. Caring is my least favorite thing to do.”
“Right,” Medic tilted their head.
“Right.”
An unpleasant silence filled the diner. The two were staring at each other, a stalemate of sorts.
“So you’re not going to crash the Hero’s date tomorrow?” Medic spoke up again, leaning forward now as they raised a brow in apparent confusion. Their crossed arms resting on top of the table.
“No, I’m still doing that,” Villain answered, reaching out to grab their unfinished slushy. They sipped the drink with an annoying sound that made the Medic wince before blinking slowly and coming to the conclusion that they were, simply put, hopeless.
“...Whatever,” they exhaled a sharp breath. I give up the Medic thought to themselves.
The other stretched their legs on top of the table, already chuckling out of amusement. They couldn’t wait to see the look on Hero’s face, it would be a moment worth framing. “It’s part of my duties as their greatest enemy.”
Medic was not amused, they took one look at the Villain and sighed again. They wondered if the Villain realized they were fooling themselves, that the line between love and hate often overlapped. Denial can only exist for so long, and most of all—the consequences of finally removing the walls in their heart. “One day you will realize that you were a fucking idiot and when that happens I will laugh.” And maybe, I’ll stop worrying about you after you accept that loving someone isn’t the end of the world. The rest of the words were stuck in their throat.
Villains and Heroes, a cat and mouse game for the people. Even so, there was always a comforting intimacy with someone who knows you inside and out, constantly on their tail, a never ending chase. That was how they were raised, at least. So perhaps it was only a matter of time before Villain gained such affections.
Villain did not see the concern faintly grazing Medic’s expression, scrunching their brows in irritation. “Who’s side are you on?”
“The one not stalking their crush,” Medic said under their breath.
“What?”
“I said clearly yours,” Medic averted their gaze, hiding the pity in their eyes.