Okay, Mothership earned you a follow. I was absolutely ecstatic when I saw that it continued under the read more. I am so hyped that you have something else planned for it too
hfgkhjsafg your comment fills me with warm fuzzies. also! you'll be happy to know i plan a part 2 in august(yes, an actual timeframe, how exciting!) :D thank you for your ask!!!
love the tags in ur most recent snippet and so i propose: alien hero except they have to disguise themselves as a human so humans don't get Scared™. benefits of this concept: a) angst potential—hero's disguise breaks and they're shunned and treated like a villain or a monster, and b) yeah that's it that's the concept tbh
yessss see this is what i'm talking about!!! all the angst potential... just being skipped over when its right there! a hero in hiding, a hero trying to do good while humans scream at them, a villain either sympathizing with or taking advantage of a hero's newfound vulnerability. yes please. and! if we have a hero scared of showing their true self, because they've seen how humans react to things they don't understand, but instead, being accepted? you get all that good internal angst plus some nice happy fluff to balance it out.
thanks for the ask!
Hero stopped their approach, a positively bored expression on their face. “What are you doing?”
Their nemesis, who was currently pointing behind Hero with an incredibly overexaggerated look of surprise, rolled their eyes, “Uh, giving you your cue?”
“My cue?”
Villain sighed loudly, dropping the egregious pose. “You're supposed to turn your head, in a suitably dramatic fashion of course, search for what I was pointing at, only for it to be revealed a ruse, granting me the opportunity to strike you unawares so I may gain the upper hand in our skirmish.”
“Mhm, and why would I fall for something so stupid?”
“Because you are stupid?”
“...”
“Ow, okay, okay!” Villain held a hand to their nose, grimacing as it came back bloody from Hero’s rather crude punch. “See, this is what I was trying to avoid. No story, no drama, no excitement. What if I let you get a few good hits in afterwards?”
Hero replied by kicking Villain’s feet out from under them, knocking them onto the cold and cracked pavement. “Looks like I’m already getting a few good hits in.” They leaned over Villain, arms crossed. “Now, are we going to actually fight, or are you going to keep trying to direct your own personal soap opera?”
Hero waited for Villain’s patented snarky response, specifically about how soap operas are a valid form of art and Hero would be wise not to disrespect it, yadda yadda, but none came. In fact, Villain wasn’t even looking at them.
“Uh, Villain? You still with me?”
Villain’s voice was barely above a whisper, “What is that?”
“Seriously? It hasn’t even been a minute and you’re really using the sa-”
“I’m not screwing with you, Hero, there’s something in the sky!”
Hero had to admit, Villain’s acting had gotten much better in the last thirty seconds, but no matter how real it looked, they weren’t going to fall for it. Villain might be messing around now, but Hero couldn’t forget that they were a criminal, and a dangerous one at that.
They reached down, pulling Villain, who was still staring into the sky, up by their collar. “Look, I get that you never got the lead role in the school play or whatever, and want to make the world burn because of it, but could you, just this once, take our fight seriously?”
“I think it's getting closer.”
Hero ignored them, “I’m tired of the other heroes telling me I have it easy because my nemesis would rather focus on projecting their monologue to all of the hostages than actually rob the bank they broke into to begin with.” Sure, Hero was thankful Villain’s obsession with the dramatic kept them from causing too much destruction, but they had their own reputation to uphold, and constant stalemates with the theatre school reject did not help! “Let me tell you what. If you go down to the station without a fuss, then maybe I can get you into one of the nicer cell blocks. You know, the ones with the view of the hills. Does that sound good? Villain? Are you even lis-”
Blinding light filled Hero’s eyes and ears, cutting off every train of thought and any plan of action they might have had before then. They looked up, and despite the harsh light making their eyes water, they could make out the vague shape of a disc floating directly above them.
Oh.
Oh no.
“Told you.”
Hero looked back down to their nemesis, who looked much too smug for the situation at hand, and sneered, “Maybe if you didn’t insist on playing drama club, I might have actually taken you seriously.”
Villain had the courtesy to drop their grin, squinting up at the… “Is it getting brighter?”
It was, and that meant it was too late for Hero to prevent what was about to happen. Familiar cold heat ran through their veins as their limbs locked in place.
A safety precaution.
Definitely not to prevent anyone caught in the beam from escaping.
“Hero? I-I can’t move.” Villain said.
Villain.
They shouldn’t be here.
Hero’s eyes widened, realizing just how screwed they were. They tried to relax their hands, to let go of Villain, to shove them out of the beam, anything, but only managed to twitch their muscles, as if they were encased in a steel mold.
Villain seemed to be doing the same thing, though the trembling may have just been the fear. Any other time, Hero would have loved to see Villain’s mask slip. To force them to acknowledge that, yes, Hero was a real threat to their criminal livelihood. Instead, Villain acted as if Hero was a fellow actor, asking for Hero’s thoughts on new scenes they came up with, or excitedly talking about whatever had happened in their soap that day, a neon flashing sign that indicated they were in desperate need of friends. Did… did that mean Villain thought they were friends?
Not the time.
Hero gave up on their efforts, and let the looming dread wash over them. This wasn’t acceptance, no, they were just giving themself a moment to rest before they faced what was up in the ship. Oh, they weren’t ready.
Two enemies, encircled and entrapped in an ever growing light, locked eyes.
“We’re so f-”
And as quick as it had appeared, the burning light and mysterious ship attached to it, along with Hero and Villain, vanished into the night.
.·°·.·°·.·°·.
Light surrounded Villain. The ambient noise of the city was replaced by a low, droning hum. Any sense of direction was lost as gravity no longer affected them. They were weightless, and, even in this world of superpowers, nothing made sense. Where did the city go? Why couldn’t they move? How were they floating? The light was all-consuming, and Villain would have thought themself lost in it if not for the deathgrip Hero still had around their collar.
Slowly, the light faded, and Villain felt their own weight return to them. Their legs wobbled, and in an instant, whatever force that held them in place disappeared. They would have fallen if not for Hero, who still held them in their grasp.
“What just happened?” Villain said, though not really expecting an explanation.
Looking around, they could see they were now in a circular, silver chamber. Dials and switches and lights and symbols dotted the walls, communicating something or other, and the floor was, what was that, carpet? Villain shuddered. Honestly, it looked a lot like a cheap sci-fi set for a tv show that should have been cancelled three seasons ago than a futuristic aircraft capable of teleporting human beings.
“Oh, no, no, no.” Villain jumped at Hero’s voice, and stumbled as their anchor let them go to run over to a wall.
Not a wall. A window.
Villain blinked.
A window that showed… Earth? No, that couldn’t be right. If they were looking at the earth, that could only mean...
“Shit, we’re already in orbit.” Hero said.
Villain blinked.
They were in space. Space. That was impossible, right? They couldn’t actually be in space. But here they were, staring at the little blue marble with their very own eyes. Was the room spinning? Or was it the spaceship?
Villain ran their hands through their hair.
They were in a spaceship. A spaceship. That was impossible, right? They couldn’t actually be in a spaceship. But here they were, having been abducted by the UFO just seconds ago. By what? Aliens?
Aliens.
Villain forced their gaze away to keep themself from spiraling, instead focusing on Hero, who has since moved on from the window to the numerous switches and lights, tapping the wall and looking at the symbols that popped up. Villain didn’t understand what Hero was trying to do, it wasn’t like they could understand what any of it meant.
Three deep breaths, and Villain made the best plan ever made in 24 seconds. They stepped up next to their nemesis.
“Hero?”
Hero’s hand was covering their mouth, muttering something to themself, and clearly not paying attention. Nevertheless, Villain continued, “Now, as much as I hate to say it, I think we may have to work together to get back on Earth.” Truth be told, in any other circumstance, Villain would have been ecstatic to work with their nemesis. Whether to defeat a worse villain or take down some other hero that had become corrupt, they would have welcomed the opportunity wholeheartedly.
Why? Well, Villain would argue that it was more interesting, that their relationship, and subsequent fights, would have more dramatic tension. Definitely not because of any other tension that may arise from spending time together.
Villain puffed out their chest, “Lucky for you, I have decided to put aside our differences, and your lack of charisma, to take the initiative and save us both from peril. Yes, this does go against my better judgement, and yes, it may possibly be my most difficult role to date, but if it means I get to go back home in time to watch my soaps, then it’ll be worth it.”
Hero finally turned towards them, “Do you ever shut up?”
“Only for dramatic effect.” Villain said with an award-winning smile, earning an eye roll and a huff of annoyance. “So… what do you think we should do?”
“I thought you said you’d take the initiative?”
“Yes, the initiative in proposing we work together.”
“...”
Villain held up their hands, “Hey, hey, before you go punching willy nilly, why don’t you tell me what you were doing over here? Get anything useful from the flashing green triangle you were poking at?” They would have teased more, but Hero’s lack of response made them move on. “What are you thinking?”
Hero’s eyes flickered to the wall and back to Villain. “You need to leave.”
Villain blinked.
“Well, obviously we need to escape. We were abducted!”
Hero shook their head, “No, you need to leave. I’ll stay, and deal with-”
“What? And how are you going to figure out how anything works, huh? Even if you do, why wouldn’t you just come back with me?”
“It’s not that simple, I can’t re-”
A low, loud beep interrupted the enemies, and Villain turned their head in time for a wall opposite the window to open up and let someone through. Someone distinctly… humanlike.
The person, an older woman by the looks of it, smiled brightly and opened their arms. “ .·°¯°·.·° .·°° ?”
That was distinctly not humanlike. It was like hearing someone speak through water, and an undercurrent of static scratched the inside of Villain’s ears.
The woman—were they even a person?—walked closer, and Hero quickly stepped in front of Villain, shielding them.
She paid no mind, however, and spoke again, “ .·°¯°·.·° .·°° ,” looking expectantly at Hero, who, after a moment of hesitation, stepped forward. Her smile widened, and Villain was hit with a sense of deja vu. She pulled Hero close, and, were they hugging? Why was Hero letting her? What was happening?
The woman whispered something to Hero, but it wasn’t like Villain could understand even if they tried. Hero turned back to Villain, giving them an apologetic smile before, “ ° .·°° ° .¯ .”
Villain’s jaw dropped.
Hero was replying to the woman. Which meant they understood her. Which meant they knew whatever language was being spoken. Which meant… which meant… Why were they abducted in the first place?
The danger presented itself fully to Villain.
They had been taken off the face of the earth by their mortal enemy, or someone who was well acquainted with them, at the very least, and had no possibility of escape. Villain considered themself clever, but trying to figure out how alien—alien!—technology worked was beyond them. They had to rely wholly on Hero, who, although Villain was loath to admit it, hated their guts. Hero could be plotting in front of Villain right now and they would be none the wiser.
Hero wouldn’t do that. Villain tried to reassure themself, because Hero wouldn’t send them off with some unknown alien being. They’d want to arrest Villain proper, right? Arrest and put them in some high security cell they’d break out of a month later. It was their thing. Villain didn’t want their thing to end.
Huh.
Villain shook their head, they’d have to examine and repress that particular line of thought later, because the woman was suddenly standing in front of them, startling Villain out of their thoughts. She reached out, clutching Villain's jaw with cold fingers, turning them this way and that. As if they were being studied. Was Villain wrong? Was Hero really getting rid of them?
“ ¯ .·°°·°¯ .” She said. Villain’s ears itched worse now that the woman was closer.
Maybe Hero thought they were doing Villain a favour, sending them off on an adventure, letting them create their own melodramatic space opera. Or maybe this was punishment for all the dated Space Trek references. Both were a possibility.
Familiar hands pulled Villain away from the woman and into Hero’s chest. They were not blushing.
“ .·° .¯°·°° !” Hero’s voice was raised, clearly upset at whatever the woman had said.
She, however, was unaffected by Hero’s outburst, gesturing between the two enemies with raised eyebrows, “ °·.°·.°¯°·. .”
Hero shook their head, and Villain felt Hero’s grip tighten ever so slightly, “ °·.°¯ .·°°·.°°¯ .”
A strange noise came from the woman, sounding almost like… bubbles? It was clearer than the other times she spoke, and it was the way she moved that made Villain realize it was a laugh. She was laughing at Villain. Or Hero. Both?
Hero’s hands were shaking, and Villain couldn’t tell if it was with anger or fear.
“ ·° .·° .” Hero was curt with her, and Villain recognized the tone from when they threatened to blow up City Hall. The tone that preceded their fights.
The woman seemed to recognize the tone as well, as she backed off a little, holding her hands up in a placating way. She gave Villain a small wave before nodding at Hero, “ ·.°.°¯°°¯° .· .·° .” and left, the wall closing up behind her.
The pair stood in silence.
Hero let go of Villain, letting them step away. Except, they didn’t. In fact, they did nothing of the sort. Villain spun on their heels and stepped forward, “What on ear–ugh, what just happened?”
“There, um, might be a slight problem.”
“Slight problem? You call this”—Villain gestured wildly around them, narrowly avoiding hitting Hero in the face—”a slight problem?”
Hero leaned away from Villain, avoiding their eyes.
“Care to explain? Anything? At all?”
“Where do I start?”
Villain’s theatrics, for once, wasn’t uncalled for. “Oh, I don’t know, how about the fact that we were abducted? That we are in space? Or, or!” Villain backed off, giving themself room to pace around the circular room and project their panic to an audience of one, “That there is an alien speaking to you, Hero, in an alien language, because no human could actually sound like that, acting like she knows you, and you, you reply to her? As if you know her too?”
“Yeah, that would be my… mother.”
“Your mother.”
Hero nodded.
“Your mother who lives in a spaceship. Who speaks an alien language.”
“Who is an alien.”
“Who is an alien.” It took a good second for the words to sink in. “Your mother is an alien?! Like, an alien from an alien planet?”
Hero nodded again.
Villain felt their brain short-circuit. “Does that mean…”
“That I’m an alien from an alien planet? Yes.”
Villain felt lightheaded. This was okay. This was manageable. This world-shattering, insane truth of the universe was perfectly manageable, and they were not going to spiral, not for one second. Deep breaths. One… two… three… Villain stopped pacing, facing Hero with the calmest expression the latter had ever seen on the former. “Okay, so now that you’ve had your nice little family reunion, we can go back, right?”
Hero’s face was a cross between a smile and a wince.
Villain’s expression twitched, but held firm, “And why not?”
“Well, my mother-”
“The alien.”
Hero tried not to get annoyed, but damn, did Villain make it hard. “Yes, my mother the alien. She, erm,” They groaned, covering their face with their hands, “She may have made a fundamental mistake about the nature of our relationship.”
“And what mistake would that be?” Villain grit their teeth.
“She may, perhaps, think that, we’re… dating.”
“Louder, Hero. Speak so everyone in the audience can hear you.”
“She thinks we’re dating!”
Villain blinked, completing the rule of thirds and simultaneously breaking their composure. So much for not spiraling. “Dating?” Their voice squeaked.
“Dating,” Hero nodded, “And-”
“There’s more?!” Villain turned away, back to pacing and practically pulling their hair out from the absurdity.
“And, the reason we can’t leave yet is because she invited us to dinner.”
Oh. Oh, no. Oh, no no no.
“What’s wrong? I thought you loved drama.” Hero said, failing to lighten the mood. “Aren’t family confrontations and misunderstandings the bread and butter of soap operas?”
“My love of drama left me when we left the atmosphere.” Villain glared at Hero with enough ferocity to start a fire.
Villain walked up to the walls, flicking the switches and turning the dials, to see if, miraculously, they could make the ship go back to the city. The lights blinked mockingly in response.
“Uh, Villain?”
“There doesn’t happen to be an escape pod on this ship, does there?”
“Unfortunately not.”
“We’re really going to have to do this, aren’t we?” Villain said, turning to face their nemesis.
“Unfortunately yes.”
Two enemies, both flushed head to toe from frustration and embarrassment, locked eyes.
And Villain, lover of monologues and soliloquies, came up with the most profound, most thought-provoking line they could think of.
“Tell me, Hero,” Supervillain sneered. “Did you really think a nobody without powers could hold out against the strong forever? The universe is done granting you favors.”
Hero choked on blood, desperately clawing at Supervillain to keep them away, but their efforts were in vain. Supervillain shoved Hero against the wall with ease, their finger softly grazing Hero’s stomach. Hero shivered at the touch, tears stinging their eyes.
“All I have to do is press ever so gently, right here, and the Hero of the People will be nothing more than a memory of failure.” Supervillain dug their fingers into Hero’s stomach, blood seeping their hand, drawing a strangled noise from Hero’s throat.
The pain was sharp, but quickly dulled away into the same throbbing sensation Hero felt all over their body. Hero came to the sickening realization that they could no longer distinguish where one wound ended and another began. Supervillain was right. They were truly broken—a failed hero.
“See how easy that was?” Supervillain said. “Just a little further and I’ll have reached something vital. I’m surprised that none of your regular rogues gallery have been competent enough to finish you. Pathetic.”
Hero gazed into Supervillain’s eyes. There wasn’t even malice behind them, just a sadistic pleasure mixed with pity. Hero’s vision blurred, and though they tried to remain strong in their final moments, an anguished scream ripped through their blood-soaked throat.
Help me. Please. Please! Someone. Anyone. Please, help me.
Hero didn’t know who they were begging or praying to, but the pleas echoed like a chant in their mind as they felt themself fade away.
“Hero!”
“Get the fuck away from them.”
Voices swirled together on the edge of Hero’s consciousness.
They barely registered Supervillain being ripped from their body and the familiar arms of one of their villains wrapping around them.
Tagged by @please-dont-pet-the-okapi for this, so here we are! Thanks for the tag!
five songs you’ve been listening to on repeat: In The Wind by Lord Huron, Laika by Bird Bear Hare and Fish, Saturn by Sleeping At Last, Laughter Lines by Bastille, and Swallowed In The Sea by Coldplay
last movie: If I recall correctly it was Land
currently watching: Demon Slayer, The Mandalorian, and New Girl
currently reading: Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo
Tagging: @rillabrooke @books-and-starss @bubblegumnebulaa @exhaustedhope @amaliakushta @celestial-citrus @bookdragon1811 aaaaaaand anyone else who wants to do this!
five songs you’ve been listening to on repeat: Achilles Come Down/Gang of Youths, Killer Queen/Queen, Paperback Writer/The Beatles, Hey Jude/The Beatles, Ophelia/The Lumineers
last movie: Taken (with Liam Neeson, is that how you spell it? idk) and now im scared
currently watching: The Chosen, but it’s slow going
currently reading: The Eternals comics, King of Scars (still), Mere Christianity.
tagging: @turtleduck-enthusiast @steppingonshatteredglass @authorofemotion @avatardoggo and anyone else who feels like doing this!
@bookdragon1811 I read Mere Christianity and watched The Chosen recently ahhh they’re so good!! Thanks for the tag <33
five songs you’ve been listening to on repeat: Never Take It/twenty one pilots, Bounce Man/twenty one pilots, renegades/X Ambassadors, The Wishing Well/The Oh Hellos, In Memoriam/The Oh Hellos
last movie: a really bad animated Joseph and his brothers adaptation. there’s a million out there and my sister and I have seen every one it’s kind of our thing
Currently watching: catching up on season two of The Umbrella Academy and also just started the 1955 Adventures of Sir Lancelot series it’s unironically incredible
Currently reading: The Scarlet Pimpernel, King of Scars (same boat as you bookie), The Enchanted April still because I got distracted when like four different people loaned me multiple books to read
Tagging: @hesmyphenominiall @nightfrostshadow @cherryblossomskye and anyone else who wants to!
five songs you’ve been listening to on repeat: It keeps changing but for now its Our Song by Niall and Anne-Marie , Infinity by One Direction , Demons by Imagine Dragons , Miraculous by Lou and Lenni Kim , Midnight Memories by One Direction. There’s more I don’t repeat only five haha but anyways (I promise there is some more variety haha)
last movie: This was a while ago uh I think the last movie was… I have no idea nothing new released now so I guess it was Mulan the live action one. Though I have seen series since then.
Currently watching: Nothing currently actually( exams ahaha) but I will be watching the Loki series ;) (look its loki I can’t stop myself)
Currently reading: See now this is sad…. Nothing because I have exams coming up and if I read now then its hard to stop and that is extremely dangerous :’) But after exams I have to catch up on the Cassandra Clare series that released recently (The shadowhunter ones the red scroll and all chain of gold ) ahaha and all the other books of series I love that released recently but I couldn’t read them due to this.
Tagging- @amethystpath-writes , @amethysts-sideblog , @akawrites000 , @just-a-whumping-racoon-with-wifi , @cowboy-anon , @nuttynutcycle and anyone else who wants to :)
five songs you’ve been listening to on repeat: astronomy- conan gray; beginning middle end- leah nobel; we fell in love in october- girl in red; polaris- blue encount; infinity- yuuri.
last movie: meet joe black
currently watching: I started watching this anime called tactics, only to realise that I’d already seen it way back when I was in school, so now I’m contemplating watching banana fish again and crying.
currently reading: nothing atm. will read fanfics whenever I feel like it^^
Tagging: @villain-enthusiast-personal @larinzz @emerqldspersonal @sunflower1000 @creweemmaeec11 @friiday-thirteenth @gayacademicwriter @flowerypeaches and anybody else who wants to do this!!
Oh, what fun, thank you so much for the tag @akawrites000
five songs you’ve been listening to on repeat: I’ve had Kesha’s most recent album, High Road, on repeat since it was released. Yes, its much more than five songs, but I highly recommend to anyone who reads this to listen to Summer and tell me its not a banger. Go on, I dare you!
last movie: Rewatched Into the Spider-Verse recently, each frame is such a feast and the soundtrack is just perfect
currently watching: Just started the last season of Lucifer, I’m super excited to see how it ends!!!
currently reading: My class textbooks haha, once I have the time though, the next book on my tbr is This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone
Freeze! ✧ ─=≡Σ((( つ•̀ω•́)つ You’re under arrest for being so lovely. Copy this message to 10 other blogs that you think are beautiful and deserve it. Keep the game going and make others feel beautiful!! 🥺❤💞 (only if u want to tho <3)
It was supposed to be a simple infiltration mission, they didn't know how it got so out of hand.
In theory, all Villain had to do was get in, gain Hero’s trust long enough to get the info they needed, and get out. So how did they get here? Here, specifically, being Hero’s bed.
Villain rolled over and stared at their nemesis’ sleeping face, blissfully unaware of the true identity of their partner. Of the danger they had unintentionally put themself in.
Hero had trusted Villain so readily, it was almost comical.
Even more comical, the fact that even though Villain had every opportunity to hurt, to kill, Hero, they chose not to. Villain had inserted themself so perfectly, that no one would question if they walked into the Hero’s base. They could take anything, from classified mission files, to secret identities, to the purple lava lamp that decorated Hero’s desk.
Villain could have everything they ever wanted, so why? Why were they content to just watch Hero’s sleeping face? To wake up giggling from kisses that tickled their neck? To make breakfast together and then accidentally burn everything and have to make it again?
Villain knew it wouldn’t last, that they were just prolonging the inevitable. The truth would come out, sooner or later, and Hero would realize they’ve been betrayed, that Villain was a liar and a cheat and nothing between them was real even though everything Villain was feeling was-
“Sweetheart?”
Oh. They were crying.
Concerned eyes met their own, and Villain felt as warm fingers brushed away their tears.
“What’s wrong?” Hero said.
Villain sniffled, “Bad dream.” They lied effortlessly.
Hero’s brows knitted together, “Oh, honey.” They reached out and arms gently wrapped around Villain, pulling them close. It was soft and comforting and not at all what they deserved. They deserved to be hated. They deserved to be despised. They deserved to have nothing and to be nothing.
Villain couldn’t stop the sobs that burst from them, a dam crumbling under all the guilt and self-loathing. They buried their head into Hero’s shoulder, holding on so tightly that Villain’s hands shook.
Hero, the one they laughed with and lied to in the same breath, rubbed circles on Villain's back, whispering words of love.
“I got you.”
“You’re okay.”
“I’m here.”
Villain cried, deeply and fully, giving voice to an ache that had long lived within them and slowly hollowed them out.
“I love you.” Hero said.
Villain didn’t know how long they stayed like that, held together in Hero’s arms. They let out a long, wavering breath before looking up. Hero gave them a reassuring smile, and shifted closer so that their foreheads were touching. Looking into Hero’s eyes, Villain could see the worry, the familiar desire to help. But also their love, complete and unconditional, for Villain. It left them breathless.
“Do you want to talk about it?” Hero asked, voice light and cautious.
And Villain couldn't answer, because they couldn't find it in themself to lie to the person who eased the ache within them. Nor could they tell the truth, if it meant the possibility of leaving all this behind.
Villain pulled their head back, but Hero held onto their face, “Hey, it’s okay, that’s okay. You don’t have to tell me, I’ll still be here. I promise.”
Their voice failed them, so they simply nodded, and let themself be pulled back into Hero’s embrace. They could feel where they got Hero’s shirt wet, but neither commented on it. Hero resumed rubbing circles, while their other hand played with Villain’s hair. Slowly, Villain’s eyes closed and they relaxed under the soft touches and gentle caresses.
I’ll still be here.
Villain held onto those words, as hard as they had held onto Hero, hoping they’d still be true when the truth, eventually, finally, came out.
“Oh, Sidekick.” Hero said, tears pricking their eyes. “What happened?”
For the past couple months, Sidekick had been begging Hero nonstop to be assigned solo patrols. Hero eventually gave in, if only to stop their incessant pestering, and gave Sidekick a small neighbourhood to start off with. They had been doing so well, that Hero eventually gave them larger and larger areas to watch over. Everything had been going fine. Until today.
When Sidekick failed to check in, Hero immediately knew something was wrong. They ran out into the night, looking in every side street and roof for information.
It was after four grueling hours that Hero found Sidekick, dead in an alley and cold to the touch.
They didn’t believe their eyes, but when Hero got close enough to see the familiar freckles that peppered Sidekick's skin, they broke down. Hero knelt over Sidekick, tears dripping down their chin. Guilt clutching their chest with an iron grip. If only they said no when Sidekick asked for solo patrols, or kept them in the smaller areas, or decided to join them for the night, instead of taking a break.
Mind full of what-ifs, Hero didn’t notice the sudden drop in temperature.
“Looks like they’ve seen better days.”
Hero shot up, startled out of their grief, and hastily rubbed away their tears.
“W-who’s there?”
They searched the damp walls and cracked pavement of the alley, illuminated only by the yellow street lamps, for the owner of the voice.
But no one was there.
Did they imagine it?
A cold laugh bounced off the walls.
Hero spun, fists raised. Eyes darting around, they found a figure hidden in the alley’s deep shadows.
“I see you. Come out!” Hero thought they saw a glint of red. A trick of the light, surely.
The figure didn’t move.
There was only one reason why someone would stick around a corpse without calling for help.
“Did you do this? Did you kill Sidekick?” Hero said, unable to hide the tremble in their voice.
The figure finally spoke. “Afraid not, Hero. The one responsible would be your darling Villain.”
Hero narrowed their eyes. Villain was a lot of things, but murderer wasn’t one of them. It was one of the few reasons why Hero let Sidekick patrol alone; Villain’s territory was safer than most crime-riddled areas. Supposed to be.
They shook their head, “You’re wrong, Villain would never kill Sidekick.”
“Not intentionally, no.” The figure moved, still lingering in the shadows, and Hero could see that the figure was incredibly tall. As if they could reach out and grab Hero from where they stood. “But when one's nemesis has the strength to lift cars, it's easy to forget that not everyone can handle the same amount of power. With how often you two fight, I’m surprised this hasn’t happened sooner.”
The hairs on Hero’s neck stood on end. This person, whoever they were, was making it up. They had to be. “You’re lying. I don’t know why, but you are. Why else would you wait around a-a…” Hero spared a glance at Sidekick. “Why else would you stay here?”
“To find you.”
Hero stepped back, heart pounding. Their instincts told them to run, to get as far away as fast as possible. But running meant leaving Sidekick, and Hero wouldn’t forgive themself if they did. Couldn’t.
The figure didn’t elaborate. Gesturing to Sidekick, instead. “Do you think any run-of-the-mill villain could inflict wounds like that?”
If the figure wanted to kill them, they would have done it while Hero’s back was to them. They took a deep breath, and knelt back down to Sidekick, still facing the figure, just in case. Hero turned their gaze down, eyeing the mess of cuts and bruises that was Sidekick’s torso. Analyzing their injuries for evidence, until...
Hero grit their teeth.
They’d recognize those stupid miniscule marks anywhere. After all, their own body was covered in them. Little scars that came from a direct hit of Villain’s power.
Mock sympathy dripped from the figure’s voice like oil slick. “And when your dear old Villain realized what they’d done, they ran.”
“T-they wouldn’t.”
“Why not? They’re a villain. Not taking responsibility is in their nature.”
They didn’t argue.
“Do you think Villain would tell you the truth? If you confronted them?” Hero could hear the smile in the figure's voice. “No, knowing them, they’d do everything in their power to convince you otherwise. That those unmistakable marks were from someone else. That they were being set up.
“And, when they finally realize it’s hopeless, they’d beg you for forgiveness. Maybe even offering to turn themself in. All because they couldn’t bear to lose you, their darling nemesis who makes them feel whole. They have such a big soft spot for you, it’s sickening.”
Hero certainly felt sick. Their tears returned, blurring the world around them. “Why are you telling me this?”
“Because I think we can help each other.”
“I don’t want revenge.” Hero said, though there was no conviction in their words.
“No, but I can bring Sidekick back.”
Hero’s head snapped up, ready to tell them off, when the figure walked out of the darkness.
Street lamps illuminated something that could only be described as otherworldly. Wisps of smoke trailed behind them like coattails. Piercing eyes that burned like fire. They were a walking shadow, consuming any light that got too close.
Hero froze. “You're not, you can’t, t-this isn’t real.”
The figure, creature, stalked closer, until they were looming over Hero. They could now see just how tall they truly were. Like someone grabbed their head and feet and pulled and pulled. Stretched too thin and too tall and too close. Hero fought the urge to flee.
They reached down and grabbed Hero's jaw with their massive hands, forcing Hero to their feet. “I'm as real as your friend’s corpse on the ground.” Flecks of ash flew around them, the smell of smoke filled the air.
“What are you?”
They sighed. “Demon has such nasty connotations. But, I suppose that would be the closest definition you humans understand.”
Hero winced as an ember landed on their skin.
“No matter, I have something to offer, and you have something I desire.” Hero felt the demon’s nails dig into their cheeks as they were forced to their tiptoes. “What do you say, Hero? Care to make a deal?”
They stared into the demon’s eyes, seeing visions of hellfire. Whispers of agony in their ear. Brimstone choking their lungs. Pain and suffering swallowing them whole.
Hero pulled away, falling to their knees and gasping for air. Clutching the ground in an effort to anchor themself to reality.
“I’m not selling my soul to a demon.” Hero said.
The demon bent down, and Hero flinched, expecting to be forced to look in their eyes again.
“Not even to save your precious Sidekick?”
Hero shook their head, guilt gnawing at their insides.
The demon hummed. “And here I thought you cared for them.”
“I do care! It’s just, I just,” Hero looked at the body, then to the demon. “I don’t want to, to…”
“Go to hell?” They offered.
Hero nodded.
They were a coward. A real hero would sacrifice themself in a heartbeat, but Hero couldn’t even consider it for a second. They weren’t there to protect Sidekick, and now they were letting an opportunity to save them slip away.
But what they saw in the demon’s eyes…
Hero shuddered.
It scared them more than any villain ever did.
If they sold their soul, Hero knew their pain would be the fuel to light the flames.
Coward.
“You're in luck, Hero. For it's not your soul I desire.”
Hero’s brows knit together. They looked up hesitantly, avoiding the demon’s eyes. “Then… what do you desire?”
The smoke parted in an approximation of a smile. “A body.”
“A body?”
They nodded. “It takes a lot of energy to maintain a corporeal form on earth. Possessing a body would lessen that burden greatly.”
“W-why?”
They shrugged. “A demon needs to eat.”
This was a chance of a lifetime. Saving Sidekick without being condemned to eternal damnation. What a deal!
Letting a demon possess their body, though. Hero didn’t know what that entailed. Would it hurt? Could they be killed while the demon was possessing them? If the demon killed someone, by making deals or otherwise, would it be their fault?
As if reading their mind—maybe they can—the demon spoke. “You wont notice a thing; It will be as if you’re in a deep sleep. My visits won’t take long either, so there will still be time for you to play hero. I’ll even make sure not to mess with your civilian life. Aren’t I considerate?”
“And my hero life?”
The demon huffed, blowing smoke into Hero’s face. “I won't ruin your reputation, but I can’t guarantee people won't see me. Oh! Maybe I should get my own costume, wouldn’t that be fun?”
Hero didn’t respond.
“Unless you’d prefer me to use your civilian identity?”
“No! I-I mean, please. Please use this identity. Or make another one. Please.” Hero cringed at their pleading, but the demon seemed satisfied.
“So it's settled.” Sparks flew from the demon as they clapped their hands together, causing Hero to jump. “I give Sidekick a second chance at life, and you give me your body to possess whenever I desire, withstanding I give you time to live your silly little human life, unaffected.”
Hero looked at Sidekick. Their face tinged grey, resembling wax more than skin. If they didn’t do this… did they really deserve to be called a hero?
They swallowed.
No. They were doing this. No turning back.
Hero looked up, staring directly into the flames. “Deal.”
The demon smiled, and took Hero’s face into their terrifying hands. “Pleasure doing business.” They leaned in, and, for a moment, Hero expected a kiss.
Instead, the shadow that made up the demon dissipated, rushing into their nose and mouth, replacing the air in their lungs. Hero choked as the smoke invaded their body, spots dotting their vision. They reached out, trying to hold onto something, anything, but only found air. The essence of the demon flowed through them, filling up their entire being. They couldn’t move, couldn’t cry out in fear. All Hero could do was wait.
They opened their eyes, taking long and heavy breaths. It was done. Hero leaned back, trying to calm down.
They hoped they wouldn’t regret this.
A loud gasp followed by a series of coughs made Hero lurch upright. They scrambled towards the noise, almost falling over as they reached Sidekick.
“Sidekick? You’re alive. You’re alive!” Hero took Sidekick into their arms, holding on tight. “I thought I’d lost you.”
“H-hero? What happened?” Sidekick said, eyes unfocused.
“You were out on patrol. You didn’t check in, and I got worried.” Hero held onto Sidekick as if they’d disappear the moment they let go. “It took me so long to find you, I was so scared.”
“I saw Villain.” Sidekick looked up. “I thought I could take them by myself, b-but I couldn’t. I’m so stupid, I should have called you as soon as I saw them.”
Hero squeezed their shoulder. “You’re not stupid. I should’ve realized you weren’t ready for solo patrol. Or kept you in the smaller areas, at the very least.”
Sidekick shook their head. “It’s not your fault. I kept on bugging you, and I made the choice to fight Villain alone.”
Hero pressed Sidekick’s forehead against their own. This was real. They were alive. Any doubts Hero had vanished the moment the colour in Sidekick’s cheeks returned. They would die before they saw the waxy, greyed skin again.
A slight smile appeared on Sidekick’s face, “Where did you look for me, anyway? A chimney? Your face is covered in soot.”
“Something like that.” Hero laughed halfheartedly, trying to hide their grimace.
Sidekick must have noticed, because they took Hero’s hands in their own. “I’m sorry.”
Hero rested their chin on Sidekick’s head, “Promise you’ll call for backup next time?”
“I promise. I love you.”
A trail of smoke left their lips. “I love you, too.”
Villain watched the video play out in front of them.
Hero was fighting a criminal, not an unusual sight. A punch here, and kick there, everything seemed ordinary as ever. But Villain knew this wasn’t an ordinary fight, not with the news that had been playing on repeat since this morning.
The fight was drawn out, though not by Hero’s choice. They kept deflecting and avoiding, never going on the offense. Their stamina was failing and whoever they were fighting didn’t seem bothered in the slightest. Villain swallowed as a punch to Hero’s head sent them to the ground. They rolled away, trying to buy time to stand up, but their opponent was already there to kick them back down.
Hero tried desperately to defend against the barrage of attacks, but the enemy. Wouldn’t. Stop.
The news had claimed it was Supervillain, but Villain knew better. Supervillain always relied on their cunning more than their physicality to defeat enemies. Their physical attacks wouldn’t nearly have enough power to knock someone as resilient as Hero down. Not to mention the person beating Hero to a pulp on screen was more muscular than Supervillain could ever hope to be.
No, the way they moved, as if they could see Hero’s attacks coming a mile away, as if they knew Hero’s every move, it made Villain’s skin crawl. A disturbing thought sprung in Villain’s mind. This person seemed to be an expert in Hero’s weak points: their wrist that was still healing from last month's fight with Villain, their ankle that always rolled at the worst of times, and the way Hero always tried to talk their opponents down before using violence as a last resort. They knew Hero’s weaknesses. They knew Hero. Villain pushed down the thought and continued to watch.
The news described what had happened next, but decided the video was too disturbing to show the public masses. Villain was still able to get a copy, though. The figure finally let up on their attacks, and said something that caused Hero to suddenly look up. Their mouth moved but no words could be gleamed from the footage. What were they saying? Was Hero begging? Pleading? Villain could only guess.
Hero slowly rose up onto their feet, making wild, angry gestures. Arguing, then. Villain didn’t want to believe their theory, but evidence was slowly proving them right. Villain’s throat closed up as the video reached the finale.
The figure slowly walked up to Hero, not in hesitation, but in slow, methodical purpose. A hand reached out, ruffling Hero’s hair. A familiar gesture.
No.
The hand moved down to Hero’s neck.
Please, no.
A second hand followed.
Villain begged to the universe that somehow, someway, the video playing would end like Hero’s usual fights. That they had a trick up their sleeve to defeat their foe, or get away in just the nick of time. That the news stations that had been reporting the same story for over 12 hours got it wrong. That the vigil planned two days from now wouldn’t be needed. Villain placed their hands over their face, peering through their fingers at the screen. Even though they couldn’t bear it, they had to watch. For themself. For Hero.
The figure’s hands tightened around Hero’s throat, closing their airway. Hero thrashed and clawed against the arms choking them, but it was a futile attempt. They were already exhausted from the beating and the lack of air didn’t do any favours. Hero screamed at their attacker, and whatever was said made the attacker freeze.
Villain held their breath.
Until they leaned in close, and words never to be heard were exchanged.
A jerk of movement from the attacker and Hero abruptly went slack in their grip before dropping onto the pavement. They shuddered and convulsed, body hopelessly struggling to receive air. Until, eventually, Hero stilled.
Villain blinked away their tears and muffled a sob that rose from their lips.
The attacker, Hero’s killer, waited, watching for signs of life. Finally satisfied they finished the job, they stepped over Hero’s unmoving form and out of frame. Leaving Villain to stare in horror at their beloved Hero lying dead on the ground. The video cut off. Villain stared at their reflection in the screen. The person looking back at them was too vulnerable to be Villain. It reminded them of their younger self. It reminded them of Hero.
They refused to believe the news when they first heard it that morning. They ignored the plans the city made to honour Hero’s “sacrifice”. Villain didn’t want to accept that the person who did this happened to be the person that Hero trusted most in the world. The person that taught them everything they knew.
But they watched the video. And they knew the truth. And they couldn’t ignore it.
Villain closed their eyes and took a deep, unsteady breath. They vowed one thing to themself. To Hero.
They were not going to let Superhero get away with this.
Villain opened their eyes. A fire ignited in them hot enough to scorch the earth.
This is where I’ll be posting my writing. I’ve been lurking on some whump and hero and villain blogs and was inspired to start posting. I’m mostly doing this so I don’t keeping all my wips in editing hell. I probably won’t be posting much. But I hope to entertain if you do come upon my writing.
I’m pretty new to posting to tumblr, so I’ll try to tag any warnings appropriately, but if I mess up, please let me know!
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