Hello! I write Hero x Villain things here and post about general writing things. If you want to see things about my OCs + my fanfics, you can find them on my side blog, @crow-with-a-quill.
I love it when people send me asks/requests, but there is no guarantee that I will get to them quickly.
Masterlist
Actual Stories
Rookie Villain x Superhero (Longer Story, mostly light hearted)
Captive Cuddles (Fluff)
Caretaker Villain x Burnt out Hero (Hurt/comfort [mostly comfort])
Not Ready Yet (Hero & Superhero) (Angst + Yandere [platonic or romantic. Up to you])
Silly Shadows (Fluff)
Emotional Support Villain (Fluff)
Sick Day (Fluff + Hurt/Comfort)
Jealous Hero turned Villain
Yan Villain x Civillian (Yandere)
- x reader ver
Yan Villain x Civilian pt 2 (Other POV)
- x reader ver
Hero vs Villain with same power (Fluff. Kinda)
Sidekick x Henchman exes to lovers
Drabbles/Casual Posts
"It's for your own good" trope (Angst)
Weak Team Leader (Angst/Character Concept)
Living Weapon Trope (Angst)
New Villain x Jaded Henchman (Character Concepts)
Hero being Supervillain's child (Character Concept/Fluff)
Villain somehow joining the good guys (Fluff)
Top 5 powers I would hate for my enemy to have
Villain gets a crush and is a freak (Fluff[?])
I thought I would give you guys this Halloween special a couple days early so you could get the most out of it for spooky season! This may nor may not be Poison Ivy- and -Aurelis- coded but shhhh it's just Hero and Villain. Yes, Hero and Villain, not Hero x Villain. I wanted to try my hand at a platonic dynamic!
This one is pretty long, so it's going under the cut! I really really hope you guys like it!
Villain set the bin next to the worktable. The pumpkins they had grown this year were looking extra plump and vibrant. They would be perfect for carving. They went to lift the first one, but nearly threw their back out from the weight of it. They sighed, then summoned their power. A few vines carried the giant gourd with ease to the table, plopping it down with a thud. Villain smiled, then did the same with another pumpkin- this one would be for Hero to carve.
Speaking of Hero… where was Hero, anyway? A vine brought Villain their phone, which showed the time. Villain chuckled, shaking their head. Late as usual. Probably got caught up saving a kitten from a tree. Well, they could at least get things started for them.
Villain cut into the top of their pumpkin and pulled it off by the stem like a teapot lid. They started scooping out seeds and dumping them in the bin for next year. As Villain worked, they noticed something… odd about them.
The seeds were pink and red in color, and they carried an unusually sweet aroma that was most unlike the stringy guts of a freshly carved pumpkin. In addition, each seed had been fused as a pair, making them look less like teardrops and more like strange little hearts. As Villain inhaled the scent, worry began to germinate in their stomach.
“Hero, where are you?” Villain whispered to themselves, checking the time once more.
…
Hero knocked on the door to the conservatory.
“Villain!” they called sheepishly, “I’m here!”
Instead of being greeted by the criminal, it was a giant Mercury mantrap who opened the door. Its long, leafy tendrils curled around the handle.
The mantrap’s head- if one could call it a head- nodded. It pointed to the back wall.
“Thanks buddy,” Hero said, patting its “head”.
Travis stayed by the door, on account of living in a pot and not actually having legs. Hero however headed straight for the back of the first greenhouse and stepped through the doorway into Villain’s lab.
“Villain?” Hero called, “I’m sorry, there was a little kid on the way who dropped all their candy and- Villain?”
Villain’s back was to Hero. They turned now, their eyes glinting with an unnatural, pink tinge.
“Villain? What happened?” Hero asked.
Villain approached them slowly. Hero fought the urge to take a couple steps back. They nearly jumped when they heard slithering in the corners of the lab.
Without warning, Villain took Hero’s face in their hand.
“You’re hurt,” they said suddenly.
“Um… no, I’m not?” Hero tilted their head.
Villain pointed to a single scratch on Hero’s cheek.
“Oh,” Hero sighed in relief, “yeah, so this kid tripped over, right? Their bag of candy went everywhere. Including inside a rose bush. Now, I wasn’t about to go into a rose bush for a couple mini lollipops, but Villain, this was a full-size chocolate bar we were talking about here, and- EEK!”
As they were speaking, vines had started to wrap around their ankles. They had snaked up Hero’s legs and had now squeezed them together. Hero would have fallen if the plants had not been holding them up.
“I thought we agreed to be off-duty tonight,” Hero said slowly, “what’s with the vines?”
“This isn’t nefarious, Hero, it’s for your own good,” Villain said, the anxiety evident in their voice, “today it was a rose bush, tomorrow, it could be Supervillain. I can’t take that chance.”
Villain nodded to the vines, who proceeded to climb Hero as though they were a tree. Despite Hero’s protests, the tendrils pinned their arms to their sides and didn’t stop their ascent until they reached their shoulders.
“Villain!” Hero squeaked, “knock it off! I’m fine! It’s just a scratch!”
Villain wouldn’t listen. They led the way to the large nursery in the next room. It was a lush space sprawling with plant life. The floor was made of moss and clover, and different trees provided shade from the sun’s rays in the daytime. Autumn flowers brought a pop of color to contrast the green.
This was, however, Villain’s lair, and not an ordinary nursery. As such, the walls and ceiling were made from bullet-proof glass. In addition, the stuff was tinted. Villain and Hero could see outside, but no one could look in. Every plant in the room answered to Villain, and they were nothing if not loyal. Even the mint stopped its spread at the criminal’s command.
Villain had the vines lay Hero down at the base of a gingko tree. Its roots came up from the ground and pinned Hero’s shoulders and ankles down. The tree was careful to not press too tightly. The goal was to protect, not to harm.
“This is crazy!” Hero shouted, “let me go! I know you have some weird parental instincts, but this is taking it to a really unhealthy level!”
Hero summoned their power. Ice started to seep through the vines, making them harden and crack. If they could just get out from under the roots now…
Villain watched Hero’s efforts with a mixture of fondness and fear.
“Secure them,” Villain said to their plants, “they’re going to hurt themselves otherwise.”
More vines sprang up from the ground, thicker and stronger. They wrapped around every inch of the crime fighter.
“Come on man!” Hero groaned, “what’s gotten into you!?”
Villain crouched down next to Hero while more roots slithered over them. They stroked the side of Hero’s face.
“Shh, you can’t work yourself up, it’s not good for you,” they said quietly.
A large flower came into view. It paused over Hero’s face, as though waiting for permission. Villain nodded. The plant dived.
The petals covered Hero’s mouth and nose like a gas mask. Despite their efforts, Hero inhaled enough spores to take out an army. After a moment or two, the flower pulled away.
Their vision started to blur at the edges. Hero could feel their body relaxing into the moss against their will. Any ice they had been creating now melted into nurturing puddles for the very plants they were fighting against.
“You…know…I…have…allergies,” Hero mumbled.
“I was careful to genetically engineer every species you see,” Villain said, “none of them will upset your immune system… which, come to think of it, is another reason to keep you here. Your body’s defense mechanisms are weak and pathetic.”
“What am I even supposed to say to that?” Hero said with effort.
“Say nothing, just rest,” Villain said.
Hero opened their mouth to argue that point and immediately wished they hadn’t. A bulbous pomegranate on the end of a branch wormed its way into their mouth.
“Hm!? Mmph!”
When Hero couldn’t spit it out, they tried to bite down on it. They nearly broke a tooth. The pomegranate’s skin was like armor, and the branch was tough as steel.
A giant flower bloomed under Hero’s head, supporting it like a pillow. Some fuzzy leaves that were the size of beds came down to cover their body and block out any cold that might drift in.
“Mmph…” Hero tried.
“Shhh,” Villain said.
The criminal carded a hand through Hero’s hair. The flower that had dispensed the sleeping spores returned, along with two more of the same kind. The plants positioned themselves around Hero’s head and released more of the stuff at regular intervals.
Hero’s eyes grew heavy. Ivy crept down around them like curtains and closed them in, blocking out much of the twilight outside. They distantly felt Villain press a kiss to their forehead before drifting off under the gingko tree.
…
In the lab, the pumpkin sat out on the table. Its tendrils looked this way and that, before the pumpkin picked itself up and grew a body of thick vines and leaves. It took its top and set it back on like a lid. It grabbed the carving knife, which lay discarded on the worktable, and proceeded to carve two hearts for its eyes, an upside down heart for its nose, and a crescent for its mouth.
It passed Travis without a second glance and went out into the night, eager to find its next set of victims.
some villain(supervillain) x henchman but make it yuri
Absolutely! Villain x Henchman has got to be one of the best tropes
---
Henchman really needed to get a better work-life balance. She signed up to come to an evil lair, work on evil projects for her evil boss, and then go home at a reasonable hour with some crazy pay.
So why was she answering a phone call from Villain so late at night?
"Come back to the lair. I need a bit of a hand." She had said before hanging up. Henchman should just ignore her. Villain had no right to call her back to work at midnight!
...
So here she was, driving back to the inconspicuous building she and Villain had made their dwelling. She swiped her card at the door, pressed her thumb to the scanner and punched in the ridiculously long code before the door finally opened.
The lights were dimmed when she stepped inside. Villain knew she that the bright florescent lights hurt her eyes when she worked. How thoughtful. At least, that's what she would say if her boss wasn't very un-thoughtfully making her work at this hour.
"Boss?" She called. Henchman checked her usual spots: the office, the lab, even the basement that Villain would throw her captives. Nothing. "She should at least have the decency to meet me."
After many minute of searching, Henchman can across Villain in her personal room, lounging on her bed like it was a woefully difficult thing.
"Oh good. You're here."
"I am." Henchman stepped up to her as Villain lazily turned her head to face her. "What do you need me for?"
"I can't sleep." Villain often had trouble sleeping. Henchman had noticed the growing eye bags weeks ago. She just had the tact not to mention it.
"Do you want me to fashion some new meds? It'll take a bit, but if I work all night, I could-"
"Ugh, you and your exhausting dedication," Villain huffed. She reached out and snagged Henchman's tie, tugging her down to her level. "No, I don't want you to stay cooped up in that wretched lab. I want you with me to help me sleep."
Villain wound Henchman's tie around her wrist to pull her even closer. Henchman let her, climbing into the bed with her.
"Very well." Henchman settled into her usual spot. Villain said that it really helped, so she didn't mind sleeping over a night or two.
"Atta girl," Villain purred, snaking an arm around her.
hiii ive been binge reading your one shots and i have maybe an unusual request? I was wondering if youd write a story with a hero and a (new) “villain” meeting for the first time, except the established hero thinks the villain is also a hero. (like maybe everything the villain does to be evil has a weird moral code attached to it, like poison ivy style attacking a nuclear plant bc its poisoning the water, or conversely they just keep doing things that accidentally benefit the people in the city, like they threaten a government worker and just so happen to prevent a highway from being built through an established neighborhood)
i think it would be fun to hear them argue about whether villain is actually bad, i also think it would be funny if hero was like offering to work together at first. i really enjoy your style and the way you write dialogue is so cute to me its not as repetitive as other heroxvillain stories. thanks for reading the ask i hope u keep writing stuff <3
I love this concept! It's always a joy to write a newbie villain who's bad at being evil! I decided to opt for their good deeds being crime fighting like Hero.
---
Despite being a self-proclaimed "villain" for months now, Villain really hasn't gotten the opportunity to make a name for themself.
It wasn't that they were being lazy or not focused enough on evil. It was that every time they tried to build a scheme, another criminal decided they wanted to act up, and Villain did not want to share the stage! Instead of getting some notoriety within the hero agencies, Villain had to spend precious time sabotaging competitors.
To top it all off, someone had figured out just who was screwing everything up, and now, Villain was the number one enemy for every small-time criminal who was also trying to rise the ranks.
At least they were getting some recognition. Plus, they were pretty confident they could deal with their rivals. It's not like they had done anything to get the attention of the city's top heroes or villains.
That was what they thought at least. Imagine their surprise when they had a scare with the biggest hero in the area.
Hero was on their patrol, and Villain, confident that they wouldn't be recognized, walked past them, or rather, they tried to. Hero stopped and called out,
"Hey!"
Shit. That couldn't be for Villain, right? There was no way that Hero, the city's biggest darling, would recognize them in a crowd on a busy street. They must be calling for someone else.
A hand clapped on their shoulder told that they were definitely not calling for someone else. Villain froze. Could they run? No, not with Hero already having a hold on them. Could they fight? Maybe, but they didn't want a scene with so many civilians nearby. It's okay. It would all be okay. They just had to be cool, calm and collected.
"...yeah?" Villain turned. Hero's face was right there. The hand on their shoulder moved to drape over Villain. Good grief, Villain has seen clips of Hero being infamous for their physical affection with their team, but they never thought it'd be directed at them.
"I haven't seen you around the agency." Hero said as they started to guide Villain through the crowd and to a more secluded area, much to Villain's growing horror.
"Why would I be at your agency?" Villain asked, only getting more anxious due to the oddity of the conversation.
"Well, aren't you a part of it? I thought one of the others added you to the team."
HUH???
"N-No, that's not it." Villain was not one to stutter, but the absurdity of the question threw them off really badly.
"Oh, a visitor from another city's team?" Was Hero screwing with them before they threw Villain in jail? Villain hadn't known they were secretly a sadist.
"No."
"An independent then! You know, you've got to be careful. Being a hero's hard without official backing."
"I'm not a hero." Villain gritted out. They were being dumb. They should just let it go, but they were unfortunately very prideful, and the lack of recognition as a villain got to them.
"Oh, don't be humble. You're probably one of the best newbies I've seen. So good, so proactive, so virtuous. Honestly, it's really impress-"
"I'm not a hero! I'm a criminal! I do crimes! I'm a bad person!" Villain snapped, probably not their wisest choice of words. Their ego was a fatal flaw. They wouldn't deny that.
A beat of silence passed. Then, another. Then Hero bursted out laughing.
"You? A villain?"
"What?! How am I not a villain! Don't you know what I've done?" Villain could feel their face heating up. God, they hoped it didn't show.
"Yeah, I know. Do you know what the trainees say about you?" Hero leaned closer, backing Villain up. They were so painfully aware of that arm around them. "They say, that is was you saved them multiple times. You were the one who stopped their villains before their plots even began. You're the one every would-be villain is talking about."
Villain was not a good person, not in the slightest, but in that moment, they couldn't think of any rebuttal to the stacked evidence against them.
"You should really join an agency. Gives you a lot more support." Hero continued.
"No. I'll never."
"Sure you won't," Hero scoffed and finally, finally, took their arm off Villain. They dug around in their pocket and pulled out a useless piece of paper, "Just give me a call when you change your mind."
They flicked the paper at Villain - which Villain embarrassingly scrambled to catch - before turning and walking away. To make things worse, Hero had the gall to wave to them over their shoulder. What an ass.
Villain glanced at the paper they were give, which they now realized was a card with Hero's agency's phone number on it. It was trash that they wouldn't ever use.
"This. Here." He taps lightly at the space under the Mage's eye. Calloused fingertips with gentle motions -- the Mage stands still, unblinking, watching as the Knight stares back at him. His expression is no different from how it usually is -- tinged with this vague annoyance. The Knight taps once more, softer, somehow, and says, "this is my favourite colour."
With that, as if nothing of grand importance just happened, he turns back to the fabrics he was fiddling with. That same hand tracing seams and textures. And left is the Mage, stunned, but not without wit, as he replies, "that will be a hard colour to find."
The Knight turns back, only partially. "You'll make it work."
Perhaps it a fortune that he is so outwardly unfriendly, the Mage thinks. Simply the world balancing itself out.
The Villain's behavior had been strange, as of late.
Not nefarious, or dangerous, just... strange. Strange in a way Hero couldn't quite put their finger on it.
"Why did you save me?" Hero asked, voice strained from pain, despite their efforts at keeping it grounded.
The Villain seated beside them, focused on bandaging the injured Hero, paused. "I believe the word you're looking for is 'thank you', Hero."
"Don't change the subject," they gruffed. No, Villain was definitely acting strange. To think they'd save Hero, their archenemesis, from Other Villain, when it'd only make their job easier- bandaging them, treating them with such gentle care... something was wrong, really wrong, and Hero was not about to back down without answers.
"I mean, I didn't see you for weeks! You just... disappeared, and the next time I see you you're risking your own life to save- Ack!"
"That's what happens when you ruin my concentration." Villain said, loosening the bandage around their arm.
"You did that on purpose!" To that Villain smiled, a soft, rare smile, and Hero almost forgot what they set out to do. Almost.
"Just- just tell me, alright? Where have you been? Why did you save me?" Oh, to hell with it. "I... worry about you, y'know? Even though we're enemies."
Villain stopped and gave Hero a blank, wide eyed stare. Hero, flushed from embarrassment, scrambled to try and explain themselves when they were cut short by a crushing hug from Villain.
"Ow- V-Vil'n-"
"Oh, Hero, you care about me! That makes this so much easier!"
Before Hero could ask them what the hell they were talking about-
Click. Followed by a cold weight on their neck.
Their blood ran cold.
A collar.
"Do you like it?" They asked, finally letting go of their embrace. The glee in their voice, their mania, rooted Hero stiff. "I spent weeks on it, specially made for you," Hero could only stare at this recent development, mind blank.
"It has a tracker. I'll have your location with me at all times. You don't have to worry about anyone else hurting you from now on, I'll keep you safe."
That made Hero snap out of their trance. "You- you fucking psycho!" They grabbed and pulled at the collar, the pain of their injuries forgotten, "get this off- AAAH!" They lurched forward, vision going white. Their senses escaped them until the only thing that remained was the prickling pain that seized their entire body. Breathe, breathe, breathe. A shock collar, Villain, that bastard-
"So reckless," Villain tutted. "I knew I was right." They rubbed the heaving Hero's back, the action doing little to help. "I didn't want to do this to you. I know how much you like your little...freedom. I liked your carefree, willfull nature, believe me, I did... until it became a threat to your safety,"
"When I found you unconscious on the ground, bleeding out- I-I thought I'd lost you! I thought I was too late- I could barely find a pulse a-and all the blood-" They sighed, regaining their composure. "No. It won't happen again. I won't let it happen again. Never again."
Hero watched, wide and teary-eyed, as they rose to leave. "You can go back to that Agency of yours once you've healed in a few weeks. Until then, rest. You've had a long day today." Villain headed towards the door, until they paused at the entrance, and turned to leer down at the shaking hero.
"Oh, and Hero?" They flinched. "Do take care to hide that collar when you return, would you? I don't want your friends getting silly ideas on how to remove it. You can't. Foolish attempts will only hurt you further." Though nothing could hurt Hero more than the sheer betrayal they felt.
"Oh, don't look at me like I'm a monster, Hero. Atleast with this, I'll never be late to your rescue, ever. Freedom never suited you. Be thankful I'm still letting you leave, despite everything." The obsession everpresent behind their eyes made Hero realized they never truly knew them at all. To think Hero ever felt anything for them made bile rise up their throat.
"So unless you want that to change, let this just be our little secret, hm?"
Working on a request rn, but this popped into my mind
Summary: Villain feels bad after hurting Hero. Hero is apparently into it
CW: Brief and non graphic description of hurt Hero, unhealthy relationship, sadistic (yet somehow guilty) Villain, masochistic Hero
—-
Villain did try to have standards despite their more sadistic desires. They thrived on rules for both themself and others. It was simply so hard to abide by their moral code when Hero was right in front of them.
They had intended to just spook Hero a bit when they captured them. Maybe they’d ruffle them up a bit when they were helpless and then they would set them free.
That was what they had planned at least. What actually happened was that they were fixated on Hero’s trembling. Their quiet whines were like a siren’s song to them, and Villain couldn’t help but listen.
Oh, how they begged.
It was the most beautiful sound they had ever heard. They had felt almost compelled to coax out more pleas.
Obviously, Villain had eventually came back to their senses and immediately let the poor thing go. That kind of cruelty wasn’t for good people like Hero.
Now, Villain lied on their couch with a regretful sigh. Oh, Hero…poor Hero. Despite their constant rivalry, Villain liked Hero. It was hard not to with their kind nature and radiant self.
And Villain had ruined it. They scared them off permanently. Hero would run to Superhero and beg to be reassigned because they couldn’t stand to look a monster like Villain in the face and-
Knock! Knock!
An unexpected tapping at their door jostled Villain from their thoughts. They debated ignoring it, but ultimately decided not knowing their visitor was worse.
When they opened the door, they were met with the stunning sight of Hero with a bottle of wine in hand and hearts in their eyes.
“Hey, Villain.” They greeted them…excitedly? Happily?
“…” Villain peered past Hero’s shoulder. Was this a trick? No, Hero wasn’t known for tricks. They were a good savior, but they were hopelessly guileless.
Hero, sensing Villain’s shock, took it upon themself to spare them the burden of response and cut to the chase,
just wrote two thirds of a project. tumblr said it was saved so I closed my laptop and ITS GONE. ITS ALL GONE. ERASED FROM THIS WORLD. I'LL NEVER TRUST ANOTHER AGAIN. I SHOULDVE KNOWN. I SHOULDVE SEEN IT COMING.
CW: Scars caused by Villain. Freak4Freak Hero x Villain. (I guess it could also be seen as whump if you squint. Like, really squint)
---
Villain liked Hero best when they were tired. They liked how they only grumbled a protest when they slipped into their bed. They liked how they only sighed when Villain slipped a hand under their shirt.
They liked it a lot.
Villain stroked one of the many scars on Hero's side, a long, reaching one that ran from their hip to their chest.
"Poor thing..." They cooed, pushing Hero's shirt higher and higher so they could glimpse more of their skin in the low light.
"You're the reason behind most of them." Hero scowled, a weak flicker of the flame they had during day. Villain's heart flipped. They dipped down to press their lips to their favorite scar on Hero, a tiny, faded one right above their hip; the one from their first ever fight, the first scar of the many Villain had left.
Hero x Villain fluff once again. Is anyone surprised?
—
Villain was trained against the worst of pains. What they weren’t trained for was the gentle brush of Hero’s lips against theirs.
“Y-You can’t just do this.” Villain tried to sound threatening, but their stammer robbed them of any fire they had.
“Join my team?” Hero offered in lieu of acknowledging Villain’s protest. Villain squirmed.
“Never. I’m not a good person. I’ll never be a good-“ Villain cut off with a high keen as Hero kitten licked a particularly sensitive spot on their neck. With anyone else, Villain would’ve felt self conscious, but they had bigger things to worry about with Hero. For example, getting out of here before they were actually convinced.
“Please?” Hero murmured. Villain had to pointedly look elsewhere because they knew damn well Hero was looking at them with those big, gorgeous, pleading eyes. It did little to help. They could still feel the stare.
“…fine.” Villain watched as Hero’s face lit up. Their nemesis sealed Villain completely hopeless fate with another kiss.
Hero (f) and villain(m) go on a date but they need a buffer or something along those lines, villain brings right-hand/henchman (m) and hero brings their best friends (f) and when they get there they are shocked to find out right-hand and friend used to date, and they broke up for whatever reason (not cheating) and friends wants to leave but hero begs them to stay and endure just for a few more minutes because they really wants this date and right-hand keeps teasing friend while hero and villain are at the table next to them.
Friend is a very flustered and shy person and right hand loves to tease them
(obviously they're still in love)
Setting: bar or restaurant, or whatever you decide
Idk if u do romance but I hope you're OK with doing this
<3<3<3
Goodness gracious this has been sitting in my inbox for months! Anon, I am so sorry for the delay!
I always try to make any of the hero and villain characters gender neutral, so you can imagine them as whichever gender you want. Also, I figured that Hero's best friend would be their sidekick.
--
When Hero and Villain announced their fragile truce and even more fragile relationship, everyone thought that their first (official) date would be precarious to say the least. Obviously, it would be the wisest decision to bring an ally with them.
What people did not expect was that these allies, those who were meant to keep the peace, had even more animosity than Hero and Villain did. Well, the animosity mostly came from Sidekick. Henchman on the other hand...
"Sidekick to a big league hero! You're really fantastic, you know that." They said, not so subtly taking in Sidekick. Sidekick was beautiful. They've always been beautiful, but after so much time apart, Henchman was reminded of their loveliness all over again. What was the thing they said about time apart? Something about the heart growing fonder?
Sidekick picked at their food, glancing pleadingly at their friend at the table next to them. When Hero offered no rescue to their terrible situation, they sighed a forced a response.
"Thank you. I've worked hard for it." They said curtly.
"I know you did. We worked toward our futures together." Henchman hoped the reminder of their time together would stir something in Sidekick.
"Right. And then you decided to betray me for the bad side."
"I do regret that," That threw Sidekick off. Henchman could tell by the look on their face. They've always been cocky. Admitting something they wouldn't even say to Villain was hard, and the silence Sidekick greeted them with didn't help. They had to fill the quiet, "I regret not taking you with me, I mean."
Henchman wanted to take it back the moment it left their mouth. What a way to ruin the moment, but to their surprise, Sidekick huffed gently and looked the side. Henchman had known them well enough to know that meant they were flustered.
Good God, did that actually do it for them? Sidekick always had poor taste in their partners - that much was obvious if they ever gave Henchman, who was at their most foolish back in the day, a chance - but that desperate blurt of words should not have impressed them.
But Henchman wasn't an idiot (maybe they were for ever letting Sidekick get away, but they weren't losing them this time), so they decided to capitalize off of Sidekick's shy nature.
"Or maybe I wish you took me. Wouldn't that be a sight? You and I on the same team."
"We're sort of on the same team, considering Hero and Villain's alliance."
"So we'll spend more time with each other? I'd really like that, you know."
Henchman delighted in how Sidekick choked in surprise.
---
Hero glanced over at their friend. They were initially worried that Sidekick would be uncomfortable during this date, but Villain had convinced them.
"Henchman's crazy about them." They had said, and somehow, Hero caved. Plus, they knew deep down that Sidekick missed them. They always mentioned Henchman to Hero, how they used to be an inseparable pair. Before, Hero hadn't believed it. How could shy, introverted Sidekick ever fall in love with Villain's cocky and arrogant Henchman?
Watching them now made them feel like a fool for ever thinking that. Sidekick flourished under Henchman's attention. Henchman somehow managed to get Sidekick talking like it was the most natural thing in the world; something even Hero hasn't managed to master yet. They even saw a few giggles escape them.
Villain and Hero shared a look. They both knew their companions would be much happier soon enough.
Everything but a Soulmate Mark: Heroes and Villains.
////
Heroes take the mark of the house they serve, typically a coat of arms.
When Hero is separated from his house and joins forces with a Villain , the coat of arms on his chest slowly morphs into a familiar/ancient/cursed symbol.
Aposematism: animals use bright colors to signal that they are aggressive or poisonous. This mechanism is present in supers as well. The brighter the mark, the greater power.
While heroes proudly display their marks, promoting transparency about their power level, villains tend to cover their skin completely.
Hero has been using fake marks—dull bands of blue on his wrists and his cheeks. His suit is torn one day, exposing the most vibrant mark Villain has ever seen, a glowing supernova of color that takes over his whole chest.
Supers bless individuals with marks of favor. Most last only days, as impermanent as a gold star stamped on a test booklet.
Villain’s had the mark of Superhero’s favor for almost a year now and he’s still trying to figure out what he did to please Superhero in the first place.
The hero team conspires to give Villain as many marks of favor as they can without them noticing.
Marks that act as pH indicators for “evil.”
Upon acceptance into the hero program, all heroes must receive a tattoo on their temples and wrists. When enough hateful energy builds in the system, the mark turns red. Hero, who’s been a model of peace for years, suddenly turns red.
Villain deserts from the hero program but his mark remains ‘good’ and nonviolent.
Temporary target marks, bounties set upon a person’s skin, calling all nearby allies to pursue a certain foe.
Weak, unassuming Hero has multiple active target marks, including one from Supervillain himself. No one has quite figured out what he did to incur their wrath.
Hero has so many target marks that most people are reluctant to fight him, out of fear of the threat he poses, and out of concern for accidentally angering one of his previous mark makers.
When heroes gain their powers, they must bestow a mark of protection upon a group of people. Some heroes claim cities, while smaller ones claim families or villages.
After a horrific accident, Villain is the sole survivor of Superhero’s protected people and Superhero is hellbent on keeping him alive in order to maintain his power.
Undercover Villain is present at Hero’s power ceremony and receives his mark of protection. He must learn to hide it or face the consequences.
Heroes use a fraction of their power to tie themselves to another person, in the form of shared mark. They use this to track the wellbeing of their loved ones, typically children, or partners.
Superhero has played a strong role in mentoring young Villain. While the formation of a mark would normally be intentional, he finds his power fractioning on its own, bleeding out in Villain’s direction, but he knows Villain won’t take the mark, not with ragged, weeping Supervillain mark has left behind.
Shared tattoos are a symbol of power. The more bonds a person maintains, the more powerful they are. Bonds stretch across Hero’s skin like a lichtenberg scar.
Long ago. Hero formed a bond with Supervillain. The world believes Supervillain to be dead, but Hero’s mark is as strong as ever. He can’t warn anyone without exposing himself in the process.
After ever great deed, a god marks a hero.
The heroes can’t comprehend how Villain bears so many divine markings.
Hero serves an unknown god. At first, his marks are small things, pinpricks of silver that spray across his chest like freckles, but after a particularly harrowing mission, his skin is split through with light. He’s as decorated as Superhero though no other god should be that powerful.
Hero and Villain discover that they serve the same god.
At the end of a great battle, Superhero stands with arms outstretched, anticipating a mark. The god marks Villain instead.
When Hero finishes his divine task, he’s horrified when a historically evil god marks him instead of his intended god.
All supers are born with marks that hint at their destiny.
Villain’s mark is suspiciously similar to the logo of a popular coffee chain.
Villain bears the mark of an ancient Hero.
Every year, Hero’s mark morphs into a different letter. He has yet to decipher the code, if one exists.
A skull is a particularly damning mark, so Hero becomes a mortician instead, hoping to curb any potentially murderous tendencies.
Magical tattoo
Civilian finds a cool symbol on Pinterest. He gets it tattooed and wakes up the next day with unthinkable powers.
Magical tattoos are powerful. They facilitate the flow of power and can help with power amplification or absorption, among other things. After disappearing, Villain returns with head-to-toe tattoos in a magical script Hero cannot decipher.
The matching tattoos Hero and Villain got in their youth have unintended consequences now that they both have powers.
Hero’s skin rejects ink. Villain is the only one who’s managed to tattoo him.
You all loved Villain being an unabashed freak for Hero so now I introduce to you: Villain being in horrible denial over their crush on Hero (If this sounds repetitive from my other works, no it doesn't)
They swear they hate Hero. They will say it until the day they die. Yes, they have swooped in many a time to fight for them, not against them, but that was normal for arch enemies! How will you kill your nemesis if someone takes them out first?!
They capture Hero, intending to get some information out of them, yet they can't help but admire their sedative-induced peace. They've never seen them like that. What would it be like for them to always seem so peaceful around Villain, or even better, what would it be like to wake up to that same sleepy face? They run a gentle finger across the curvature of Hero's face before they can stop themself, and immediately pull back as if burnt. They storm off to wait elsewhere until Hero is fully awake.
While roaming their city in their civilian disguise, they run into a pop-up event. Posters, T-shirts, and even plushies of Hero were all being sold. It was dumb. It was so dumb, and Villain ended up walking out with one of each item. It was for research or...something. That's what they told themself.
When Villain finally figures out that maybe they kind of like Hero, you would think the world was ending. It was bad. They couldn't even show up to their normal fights. Hell, they couldn't even watch the news because they knew Hero's face would be all over!
Heaven forbid Hero goes to confront them. Villain normally prided themself on their ability to keep their composure, but in that moment, they can't stop stumbling over their words. Hero immediately knows something is up, so they press a little closer and ask point blank,
"Villain, is there something you want to tell me?"
