Sometimes I wish someone would kidnap me/j. Then I wouldn't have to pay taxes, make my own food or go to work. Sure, I'd lack internet access and might get physically hurt by my abductor, but at least I wouldn't have to take responsibility for my life.
Kai & Kyriel: The Crow and The Dove (warning for nsfw and sexual assault) by @there-will-always-be-blood — Fantasy whump series about a guy who escaped this all-powerful angel years ago and got recaptured. The angel wants to train him as his heir and soldier and is really decided to take away his defiance for that end. Very awesome + has art + peak writing + some more warnings for character death, grievous bodily harm and stuff. The SA chapters are also followed by a summary in the next chapter, so even if you don't read them you can still have a general idea of what happened and not miss out very much, but if that's something you'd prefer avoiding altogether then I don't recommend it because it's a reocurring thing.
Kane & Jim by @whumpsday — Although the bulk of the story happens during the recovery arc, the chapters alternate between a couple time periods and the captivity stage is also featured a lot. Human guy was captured by a vampire years ago + long after he escaped, he finds out local hunters have captured that vampire and he decides to check it out, maybe to get revenge, he isn't so sure himself. Features both the human's captivity and the vampire's time with the vampire hunters (delightfully whumpy), as well as several other time periods (including the aforementioned recovery and some backstory too).
The Last Lab Rat by @whumpy-wyrms — Lab whump story about a boy who gets kidnapped by a mad scientist that wants to do experiments on him. Features nonconsensual body modification + lovely art.
Amor Vincit Omnia by @whumpawaydarling — An all-time favorite of mine! ^_^ Normal person ends up involved with a sadistic fae who wants to make their life worse + also threatens their friends. There is some buildup before the captivity period proper, but it is a very important part of the story. Urban fantasy setting + also has some very cool side-stories focusing on the other characters + it's just really awesome.
Destroyer by @paingoes — More of a "raised in captivity" kind of story; this violent space empire has a "secret superweapon" capable of wiping whole cities that is actually just one very unfortunate psychic with very, very powerful powers. Also an all-time favorite and I can't recommend it enough.
because captivity isn’t just being held in a place it’s so much more. it’s a microcosm of death. you are forcibly removed from the people who love you and the life that you live (by dying or by being trapped somewhere you do not want to be). you become an object (because you’re a corpse or because you’re no longer treated as human). losing all control and having your life being dictated by someone or something else. you don’t even have to be physically unable to leave a place. a marriage can be a form of captivity. blackmail is a form of captivity. it is isolation and claustrophobia and stagnation. repeating the same day over and over and over again, unable to create new experiences, like a timeloop, cycles upon cycles.
and the scars. the way that once you get out the only thing you can think is “I’m never going back, ever again.” and it lingers. you can be the safest person in the world and you’ll always be scared of going back. you’ll do anything to never go back. the worst suffering you choose will always be better than being trapped.
i like to think about living weapons. mostly, living weapons by choice. in revolution. in superhero teams. anywhere, really. so long as they joined of their own volition. somebody has to protect the land, the realm, the world—it might as well be whumpee. whumpee can take it. whumpee has always been a punching bag. at least now its for the good of the world, instead of meaningless suffering.
the training, however, is harsh.
theyre soldiers. it makes sense. but... whumpee never anticipated it to hurt this much. perhaps whumpee is a child—or just naive. perhaps whumpee was wrong. maybe this isnt a life they want to live. perhaps they can still leave?
no. they pledged their life, their body, their heart and soul, to this task. to this army. to this revolution.
theyre on the floor. lying down, breathing heavily. their handler tells them to get up. they try. pain shoots up their hands. regret settles deep in their stomach, filling it like no rations ever did.
handler is dismissive, stoic. looks at them with something resembling pity. they have to be cold for this job—its not easy to watch children suffer through this training. they ask whumpee something. whumpee doesnt hear through the ringing in their ears.
handler crouches next to whumpees trembling body. repeats themselves.
"does it hurt?"
whumpees vision blurs, their eyes welling up. they nod.
handler sighs. "no, it doesnt."
what?
"it doesnt hurt," handler repeats, almost exasperatedly. "people feel pain. weapons do not. you shed your personhood the moment you put on our uniform."
regret wars with disbelief. regret wins. solidifies. its a cold stone in their stomach.
handler looks almost sad, for just a moment. they get up, brush the dust off their knees. they look down at whumpee. bored, dismissive, stoic.
"now, does it hurt?"
whumpee takes a moment, a sob caught in their throat. gets up on their hands and knees. their legs tremble, and threaten to give out. everything in their body screams.
pain shoots through their skull as they shake their head.
Whumpee poisoning their whumper's drink, and watching gleefully as things take their course
Whumper coming home to a captive whumpee, only to be caught off guard. It seems the tables have finally turned.
I'm still on whumpee discovering whumper is wearing a shock collar
or anything of similar sort, like a drug/sedative injector
Even a cursed sigil of some kind
Handler/Kidnapper whumper having some sort of freak accident, leaving them at the mercy of their whumpee
Villain Whumpee unable to convince Hero or Sidekick not to hurt them
Defiant whumpee trying to get their stoic/defiant whumper to beg like they had made them
Whumper being a whumper towards whumpee in some kind of vocal and emotional way, only to be revealed that someone is hurting them physically
Superhero taking things too far on a villain
Whumper getting amnesia
Whumper being mind controlled or forced to hurt whumpee
Whumper's drastic personality and actions being the result of some sort of magical effect
Whumper answering to some kind of boss or bigger whumper
Whumper getting turned into a nonhuman creature. Captive whumpee now has to deal with maybe a whumper that is turning into a monster or losing themselves in a way
famous whumpee's fans start to notice something is up and begin posting about it on social media. close-up photographs of whumpee's makeup not quite hiding a bruise; a video of whumpee looking visibly terrified, if only for a second, when someone raises a hand; another clip of whumpee wincing when someone gives them a friendly tap on the shoulder.
if ever it's brought up to them, whumpee denies it. but as more and more evidence comes out, whumper thinks "fuck it, if everyone already knows..." and decides to make whumpee's life 1000x worse.
The embarrassment as drool drips down around the gag from the corners of their mouth
Bruising and chafing that is very difficult to hide
Whumpee wearing a mask to cover it up
Or Whumper taking them to an event and forcing whumpee to wear a mask to hide the gag, while people at the event marvel at how ‘well trained’ and ‘quiet’ Whumpee is
Taped mouth. Duct tape pressed over lips. The smell of the adhesive. The residue it leaves behind. The tightness of it, the way it pulls at the skin.
The immediate control it gives Whumper. Pinch Whumpee’s nose shut and suddenly you have a writhing, spasming victim.
Or better yet, tape their nose shut. Make them believe this is how it ends, suffocating behind that plasticky scent, helpless
Sew their lips shut. The intimacy of it, the wincing every time the needle pierces their flesh — or maybe Whumper numbed it first, and Whumpee can only watch in the mirror as their mouth is stitched up, utterly silenced
The little noises Whumpee makes. The breathing around the gag. The whines, the panicked “mmmph”s as they realise the words aren’t coming. Maybe they try anyway, sounding stupid as they fail to hurl insults
Caretaker carefully removing a gag, horrified at the thought of Whumpee humiliated like this, their autonomy stripped
Caretaker gagging Whumpee to keep them quiet while they escape. The quiet “I’m sorry”s. The betrayal in Whumpee’s eyes; or maybe it’s acceptance.
Whumpee waking up to realise they are muzzled, the immediate dehumanisation, the panic to realise they can’t move their jaw, the laboured breaths to the thick leather or even metal strapped and pressing into their face
Cut out their vocal cords. Do it. Whumpee can't even make a sound. And they never will again.
Or cut out their tongue, the feeling of something wrong in their mouth, the horrific stump it leaves behind, the shapeless screaming it causes
Re #4: alternatively, Whumper taking Whumpee out to an event and Whumpee gets comments along the lines of "you're so shy" and such all evening. Bonus points if they're not
Recovery is exhausting. Whumpee had no social contacts outside of whumper, has no one close to them to support them. They'd been living in their own little bubble. And now they have to follow all the rules and norms of society again, having to make so many choices, day after day... with so many people not understanding why they flinch and cry from seemingly harmless gestures, or treating them like spun glass because of it. An aching slow routine of physical therapy (as if they care how broken their body is) and far too much psychotherapy for their liking (as if they could truly talk about any of it). People seem to think their coping mechanisms and survival strategies are unhealthy, and they feel criticised for the very things whumper always praised them for.
One day, in a moment of weakness, whumpee slips away, and goes back to whumper.
They fear whumper will hold this over their head for the rest of their life. They expect to be taunted, punished. But instead, whumper pulls them into a hug, gives them warm food and the good blankets. They were so, so afraid they'd lost whumpee for good. They promise they'll do better from now on. Whumpee won't want to leave, they say.
Of course, whumper's resolutions last a few weeks at most.
What if. The forced fight reveals hidden resentments between teammates, and the fight becomes more intentional with each blow, much to whumper’s delight 👀
you’ve heard of living weapon whumpee, now get ready for:
living sacrifice whumpee!
whumpee raised for one specific purpose - not to kill, but to die, whether in body, or mind, or spirit, to make room for something greater in the world
whumpee with countless hours of pain and suffering carved into their skin and bones, all for the sake of seasoning their soul
whumpee who’s held on a pedestal as nobility, as godlike, but not because of who they are, but what they are
whumpee who has known reverence from everyone around them, but never kindness, never love
whumpee with the empty, placid demeanor of a lamb that knows exactly what its fate is
HELLO UHM.. SO IK ITS BEEN AN HOUR SINCE YOUVE POSTED THE CONTINUATION OF YOULL KEEP CHANGING AND I WILL STAY THE SAME BUT I CANT WAIT FOR THE NEXT PART.. 🤔 it was really good and I just wanted to ask if you could let me know when you post the next part..? IT WAS SO SO SO GOOD THOUGH, IN FACT I GOT SO HAPPY LMAO
Thank you so much for the asks!!
I’m sorry for being MIA for such a looong time, but finals and writing my BA chipped away at my sanity and it has come to the point where I couldn’t string a single good sentence so I literally scratched every draft of this I had lol. I hope this one is good enough. This was written out of sheer spite for my writing block. It’s a flashback that I wanted to post before the next chapter in the present timeline because it will give some depth to it.
A conversation we’ll never come back from
tw: a fight, emotional distress, mentions of abuse and torture, a victim denying that they are being abused
Part I, Part II, Part III
TWO YEARS AGO
Hero sat down at the edge of the rooftop and overlooked what they could see of the streets below. Thick fog encased the city, blurring the harsh edges of warehouses and factory buildings of the industrial sector. It was a quiet place at the very edge of the city, where streets gave way to highways, so it always took a short while to sweep through all of it. Hero was done after twenty minutes with no crime to deal with. There was no living soul in sight.
It was their last stop on the patrol. They could head home, after all it was nearly three in the morning. But instead their body sat rooted in place. The world felt too heavy, too still, and out of focus. It felt foreign. Almost dreamlike. The only familiarity was a distant sound of cars speeding down the highway. In this haze, memories were flowing freely through Hero’s mind, no matter how hard they fought to keep them out. Tender moments ripping at the seams of their stitched heart. They leaned back, closing their eyes, and let out a steadying breath. The air was thick and smelled of damp. Another storm was coming.
Hero shifted a little and the concrete dug further into their bruised flesh. They were grateful when the pain brought their mind to the events of last week. They hurt a lot less.
After a year of being utterly invisible, Villain had made their reappearance on the exact day they fled. It was very much like them to be so symbolic. Hero was sure they had got off on the irony of it all. That smug bastard. What Hero did not expect, however, was to go against them in a fight. Villain’s allegiance had shifted and Hero could not help but feel even more betrayed.
Their heart stuttered to a halt when they first saw their face after a year of yearning to interchangeably punch and kiss it.
Villain had changed. Their complexion took on a healthier tone and their blonde hair grown out into a stylish mess of waves, a stark contrast to the close cropped hairstyle they had the last time Hero saw them. Their eyes changed too. They held a certain sharpness, and glinted with purpose, whatever it was now. Villain ditched their charcoal grey super suit for black combat wear with lots of straps for throwing knives and other weapons.
They looked so fucking cool.
Hero’s heart had filled up with a certain kind of anger, bitter, the one that bloomed from all of the times they fell asleep with red eyes. It hurt seeing Villain after everything. And it hurt even more to see them like this. Changed. Alright. Maybe even happy. Without them. It hurt, and they hated that it did.
Villain’s career as a criminal had started off strong. Along with their new team, they stole a bunch of classified documents from the Federal Archive. When Hero and Superhero got to the scene, the papers were gone along with a girl that was reportedly carrying them. The rest of Villain’s team were unable to flee so easily and that’s how a fight broke out. Hero focused on Villain. For a moment, they felt like a kid again, sparring with their best friend on the training grounds, dealing blow after blow until they physically couldn’t anymore, and then some because for Superhero there was no such thing as enough. But they weren’t kids, nor friends anymore.
So Hero let their anger guide them, ferociously attacking all of Villain’s weak points that they had come to know very well. And then they got it, when a strong gust of wind brought Villain to the ground. It was their opening. And they… hesitated. One, two, three seconds. But that was enough. A beam of light blinded them, and their back crashed against a wall. The attack came from Vigilante, one of Villain’s new teammates. The group managed to escape after that.
Superhero hadn’t taken kindly to their mistake. They took them to the basement immediately after getting back, and Hero had cursed their treacherous heart for still feeling something towards Villain.
Now the blackened skin faded to green, and red ribbons on their torso and back scabbed over. Hero stood up and hissed as the movement aggravated the cuts and lashes. They sighed and fished out a bottle of painkillers from the pocket of their combat jacket and shook out two pills, swallowing them dry. They had already taken two in the morning, but the effects began wearing off. They took one last cursory look over the streets and turned around to head back.
They were met with a shadow standing at the other edge of the rooftop, their silhouette smudged by the fog. Hero tensed, letting the wind curl about their arms.
The figure jumped down on the rooftop and looked over the skyline, “We always loved this spot, didn’t we?”
The sound of their voice, soft and steady, was like a punch to the gut.
Hero started forward, hurling a whirlwind at them.
Villain managed to dodge it at the last moment, rolling over to the side. They sprung up, looking a bit confused, but played it off as they quipped, “You attacking first? That's new.”
Hero was not amused. They huffed angrily, another whirlwind already weaving around their hand. Villain tensed but did not reach for any weapons. They only raised their hands in a placating manner.
“Easy Hero, I’m not here to fight.”
Hero didn’t listen and attacked again, taking a fast swing with their arm. They flinched as sharp pain alighted in their side where the stitches strained. The whirlwind flew askew, missing Villain by a few feet.
Villain frowned, playfulness gone in a moment. They eyed Hero’s lithe figure, “Are you hurt?”
“I’m fine,” Hero steeled their expression, feigning indifference, but still that spark of rage broke through in how sharply they clipped their words.
“But are you hurt?” Villain knew the ins and outs of the business. They knew what that mistake during the fight must’ve cost them. Villain’s eyes scrunched up in that mixture of worry and annoyance, a look they had come to give Hero when they downplayed their injuries. It had always penetrated right through their defences.
Now Hero stood there as cold as the crisp night air.
“What do you want?”
“You didn’t answer my question.”
“I said I’m fine.”
“So you’re taking painkillers recreationally?”
Hero shot them a glare, but stayed silent.
Villain let out a sigh. Their eyes pinched with worry, holding a certain softness, “Hero, I want to help you.”
“I don’t need your help.”
“Clearly, you do.”
Hero clenched their jaw. The audacity the Villain had to meddle into their life now. They didn’t seem to give a shit about them the whole last year, did they?Hero summoned another whirlwind but did not hurl it at Villain instantly. It served as a warning. Villain glanced at it warily and stepped back a little.
“Please, Hero, just give me five minutes. I want to talk,” Villain said, their voice soft, placating, as if they were trying to soothe Hero’s jagged nerves.
“We don’t have anything to talk about,” Hero hissed back.
“Please,” Villain’s voice strained, a hint of desperation staining their tone. “Don’t do this.”
“Do what?”
“Push me away.”
“I don’t need to. You’ve managed that perfectly well on your own.”
Villain’s face fell, their eyes flashing with hurt. Hero felt a bit of satisfaction seeing that their words hit their mark.
“You know that’s not true,” Villain said quietly.
“You left me. That’s pretty much the ultimate way of pushing someone away.”
“I didn’t want to leave you! You were supposed to– I tried–,“ Villain’s throat closed up around their words, their eyes beginning to glean with unshed tears that Hero pretended not to notice.
“I tried to make you go with me, tried to make you understand. You know that. You can’t pretend like I was just up and gone! I was even packing your bag, but you were-“ Villain’s voice cracked. They looked away from Hero, desperately grabbing at shreds of their composure. Something squeezed in Hero’s chest, a feeling horribly akin to guilt. They pushed it down with all their might.
Their eyes met again, and Villain spoke, “You chose not to go with me. Don’t act like it’s my fault.”
Then, under their breath, as if only for themself, they added, “It’s not my fault.”
But Hero still caught it. It made their heart squeeze a little tighter. The hurt in Villain’s voice, their eyes filled with sorrow, the tenderness they still held for Hero, it all rattled something in them. That little part of them, hopeful and yearning, hidden by layers of hurt and bitterness, screamed from the back of their mind to run to Villain, to hold them, and never let go again.
But then another voice echoed through their mind, deep and authoritative. The one they couldn’t ignore. It reminded them why the things could never be the same again.
“I didn’t want to leave,” Hero said, trying desperately to keep their voice steady.
These five words set Villain off. Their eyes alighted as they surged closer to Hero, “Why, Hero? Why? Superhero is not your friend, nor your mentor, nor your parent! They are your abuser. They don’t give a shit about you other than what they can use you for! A soldier, a spy, a punching bag when they feel like it! Your life is miserable because of them! Why can’t you see that?” their voice strained and desperate “I need you to see that.”
Hero physically recoiled at the words, something gnawing on their stomach. Villain was wrong, weren’t they? Superhero maybe wasn’t the kindest person. They had a short fuse and their methods of discipline were harsh, but they were not an oppressor. They loved Hero, in their own twisted way, but they did. Didn’t they?
And how did Villain dare to come here and rattle them? Shake the foundations of their life they were still rebuilding because of them? How dare they?
Hero needed Villain to leave. The feeling was so alien to them, so unlike the one they felt that dreadful night, when all they wanted was for them to stay. Now they wanted them gone. From this rooftop. From their life. From their mind. They wanted to take a knife and carve out the part of their brain that held all the memories of Villain.
Villain couldn’t do this. Hero couldn’t allow them to do this, waltzing back into their life, shattering them all over again.
Hero finally let the wind around their arms form another whirlwind, a bigger one, and hurled it without a second thought. This time it struck Villain in the chest, sending them to the ground, just as it was supposed to happen a week ago.
“How dare you?” Hero seethed. “We’d be nothing without Superhero. You’d be nothing. They taught you everything you know. If it weren’t for them, you’d still be the same scared kid running to me to scare off bullies.”
Villain lifted themself on their arms. They seemed to be trying to say something but Hero didn’t let them.
“You think you’re so good, some sort of fucking saviour, but you know who hurt me the most? You! I was so wrecked when you left, and even more so when I didn’t hear anything from you for the whole fucking year,” Hero hated that their voice broke. Their eyes brimmed with tears.
“You didn’t give a shit about me! Off building a criminal career when I was crying for you to come back. Now you waltz back into my life and think I will just forget that?” They let out a bitter chuckle that turned into a sob. Tears finally broke, some trailing into their mouth. They tasted of shame and betrayal.
“Superhero may be cruel but you’re much crueler.”
Villian tried to pick themself up, but Hero kept the air pressing on them. They looked into their eyes, their cheeks also glistening with tears.
“Hero, please. You don’t mean that,” they shook their head, trying to say something to make it all better. But they couldn’t. “I know I didn’t make the best choice. I know I hurt you. But please, let’s talk more. I know you can’t see it now, but I can—“
“No, you can’t. I am not going to leave my life just because you want me to. Or because you throw some insults around,” Hero squared their shoulders, welcoming rage that coiled in their stomach like an old friend.
“Maybe you just couldn’t keep up with the pressure. Superhero was right. You are weak.”Hero kicked Villain in the gut. “And selfish.” Another kick sent Villain sprawling on their back.
Hero lifted Villain in the air and bashed them against a wall of the staircase’s exit, aiming to render them unconscious. Maybe Superhero will finally be proud if they brought Villain into custody. Villain groaned, dazed but not out yet. Hero started towards them, preparing for another attack.
Villian quickly scrambled to their legs and wiped out their gun, aiming it at Hero. Their hand shook but Hero still stopped in their tracks. Villain and guns were a deadly combination.
Villian’s eyes now shone in a different way. An angry way. They yelled at Hero, “I can’t believe how blind you are. You are so brainwashed! And stupid if you think Superhero gives a flying fuck about you! You are just their brainless fucking war machine!”
Hero’s whole frame shook. They yelled right back, “At least I’m not a filthy criminal like you!“
They stared into each other’s eyes, the distance between them greater than the couple feet that stood between them. Wind spun around them, waiting on Hero’s command.
“I won’t stop, Hero. I will beg, I will fight, I will scream until you finally listen to me. I will go to hell and back before I let you destroy yourself. Even if I have to kill this motherfucker to save you.”
Hero was about to hurl the wind at them again but suddeny nausa sent them to their knees. Their head spun violently and their stomach turned. They lost the grip on their powers. The air fell quiet, no longer under their control. Villain must’ve lowered the iron levels in their blood. Curse their metal bending powers.
When the dizziness wore off and their eyesight cleared Villain was gone.
Hero screamed and cursed, angry tears streaming down their face. They walked over to where Villain was just a moment ago, kicking at nothing but the air. Something wafted from the ground. A piece of paper. They picked it up and unfolded it. There, in Villain’s messy, slanted handwriting, written was:
98 Brighton Street,
last floor rightmost window always open.
Come over anytime.
Now, I swear on everything I will post the next part this month. AND IF I DON’T YOU ARE FULLY ENTITLED TO BEAT ME WITH A STICK.
Tag list (lmk if you want to be added/removed): @jumpywhumpywriter @whumpages-things @foroneepiphany @bitten-angel-wings @stars-hide-our-fires @masterofdumbassery
Content: living weapon vibes, betrayal, mention of beatings torture and rape, interrogation, emotional whump
Defending their leader anytime a word is spoken against them. Being defensive on their account--especially when they can't explain a red flag.
Taking torture, beatings, even rape, but not breathing a word as they're interrogated. They won't rat out their team.
When one of their team members throws them under the bus, they take it. Their team is relying on them. Of course they'll take it--they're happy to be trusted with it.
Facing repercussions from their own team the moment they have a single idea of something they want to do. Wondering why their team doesn't back them up the way whumpee backs up the team.
Confusion as the ones they thought were their friends lock them down, assuming that whumpee is turning traitor just because they wanted to do something that wasn't just "defend the team".
The grief of realizing they were tricked. There was no friendship. No loyalty in return.
Pet whumpee for sale who's been passed by for days because they're so obviously traumatized. Nobody appreciates a pet who flinches and whimpers upon being touched. What's the point?
Except Carewhumper, who's been looking for this exact thing. Carewhumper embracing Whumpee and holding them close even as their breath hitches in panic, gently stroking their hair. Carewhumper murmurs so gently to them as they tremble.
"There, see? It's not so bad. It's not so bad, is it? Shh, shh... it's all right. Look at you, you're so pretty. Shh. It's all right. You want to be good for me, don't you? I'm going to take such good care of you."
Oh and Whumpee fucking melts because yes, yes they would, the bar is in hell and Carewhumper is just far enough above it that Whumpee thinks it’s heaven.
Carewhumper who pulls the trembling, touch starved whumpee into their lap and coos at them about how they belong to them, that they’re all theirs, and all Whumpee hears is that they have a home, that they’re worth owning, that they’re not going to be standing up on a platform begging for someone, anyone, to take them.
Carewhumper hits them, but only when they do something wrong, only when they have to, and isn’t that good, right? They were teaching whumpee to be better, and afterwards they’d let them ice the bruises and bandage the cuts, hold them and let them cry afterwards as long as between sobs, they apologized and promised to be better.
Carewhumper doesn’t let them out of the house, but after living in squalid cells and cages, why would they want to? They had soft carpet to lay on, a roof over their head, and outside was dangerous, they wanted to stay inside. With Carewhumper.
Carewhumper likes to play little “games” with them, like randomly coming up with a new rule, but only telling Whumpee what it was after they had already broken it. Or seeing how long they could ignore Whumpee till they broke down on their knees, begging to know what they’d done wrong, apologizing for things they didn’t even know if they’d done. They liked to keep them on their toes, keep them grateful.
Carewhumper always makes them snacks and drinks and sometimes they can’t stay awake afterwards, or sometimes the entire world seems to feel 10 times more terrifying. But either way, Carewhumper will hold them close till things feel normal again. Aren’t they so good to them?
Whumpee throwing themselves at Leader’s feet after being rescued, apologizing for being caught, for cracking under torture, for being so weak and useless and-
Leader just drops to their knees to pull Whumpee into a hug, telling them the only thing they cared about was that they were alive, that they were back, nothing else mattered.
content: invasion of privacy, controlling whumper, i don't know how to tag this, whumper controlling everything about whumpee's life
Whumpee had figured it out long ago. Whumper was controlling every aspect of their life, from the people they met down to the food they ate and bathroom they used. There were cameras everywhere, everyone was a spy. Their phone was monitored.
And yet, there was one number. One random number they'd called up once in the middle of the night when they were dialling random numbers to find someone, anyone who wasn't Whumper's man.
This someone had picked up the phone, and instead of saying 'Hello, Whumpee', they had said 'Man, I don't know who you are, but why are you calling in the middle of the night?'
Whumpee had been stunned. A… person who wasn't in on it? A person not part of the know? A person not controlled by Whumper? They had immediately launched into their spiel about how there was this one evil villain controlling their entire life, and the stranger had told them to slow down, explain in a way they could understand. They had talked for hours.
And now, Whumpee had a friend. They could text this stranger — Caretaker, they'd introduced themself as — and get responses other than the cookie-cutter ones everyone else gave them. Whumper knew about their little friendship, no doubt, but it was so nice. They felt so normal.
where r u? maybe we could meet
Whumpee stared at the text. There was no way Whumper would let that happen.
don't even think about it. whumper would kill you. or worse
They were gripping the phone so tight their fingers turned white. They wanted Caretaker to insist. At the same time, they feared for Caretaker's life.
i'll come find u anyway. just tell me where
Whumpee was breathing rapidly. Their fingers hovered above the keyboard. Should they tell them? Whumper would kill them. Wouldn't they? They couldn't take the risk.
stay where you are. please. i'm fine just having you in my phone
then i'll come find u without ur help. just wait for me
Villain slowly opened their eyes. The sun was too bright, and there was a crowd around them. They couldn't move. They'd been tied up. "Where 'm I…?" they slurred.
"Oh, you know exactly where you are," a huge man stepping in front of them said. "You're where you've carried out most of your detestable plan."
Villain looked around; there was rubble everywhere. Buildings were blown to smithereens. The people were walking on glass shards that gave off a crunching sound that grated on Villain's sensitive ears. "Plan?"
"Is that what we're going with? Feigning amnesia?"
Villain furrowed their brows. What plan? They had a plan to ruin a big chunk of the city? Why? "This is a misunderstanding—"
The man punched them in the face, sending them toppling over. He was strong, way stronger than them — they were seeing stars.
"Misunderstanding?" he growled, and the rest of the crowd closed in on them.
"I don't understand," Villain said, scared out of their mind. "I didn't do anything! You have the wrong person! Why am I tied up?"
Nobody cared. Nobody believed them, to be more accurate. People surrounded them, punching and kicking and stomping and scratching. Villain screamed for help, but nobody came.
Until they heard a familiar voice.
"Everybody get back!"
Hero.
"No way I'm stopping now!" someone yelled from the crowd. "They're finally getting what they deserve!"
"What she said!"
"We're taking justice into our own hands, since you heroes do nothing!"
"Everybody get back," Hero repeated, then Villain heard a loud cracking-crunching sound, and the literal asphalt cracked beneath everyone.
Hero was terrifying.
The crowd quieted down and the people closest to Villain stepped back to give way to Hero. Villain got onto their knees and crawled towards them. "Hero! Hero, please help, I'm so hurt—"
"You're under arrest," Hero said, and Villain's swollen, bloody eyes widened.
"I— I'm what?"
"Don't give me that. You know what you did."
"Everyone keeps saying that, but I don't," they wept. "Hero, please! Please, help! I'm so hurt! They beat me so badly, I'm begging you, help!"
"They've been acting this way ever since they woke up," someone chimed in.
Hero narrowed their eyes at Villain. Villain would've clasped their hands together to beg if they weren't tied behind their back. "Please. I don't remember what I've done. If I really did all of this, all of this destruction— I'm so sorry. I don't know why I would've done that. Please. You have to believe me."
"Okay."
"Okay?" someone from the crowd asked indignantly. "What do you mean 'okay'?"
"They seem sincere," Hero concluded. "They're still under arrest, but this vigilante justice thing everyone here did… Make yourselves scarce if you don't want me to arrest you too."
That got the crowd to disperse. Villain looked up at them like they were a god. They didn't remember much from the past months of their life, but they remembered Hero. And they knew Hero was good. "Thank you."
"Don't get comfortable," Hero said coldly. "We'll get you treatment, but you'll answer for your crimes."
"I don't remember my crimes," they sobbed.
"I'll make you remember. Besides, it doesn't matter whether you do — you did it. And you'll pay."
“What if I’m this broken forever? If I never leave, if I never stop falling apart? I can’t do that to you…”
“You’re already getting better sweetheart…” Caretaker scooted down onto the floor beside him, “but even if you struggle or need help forever, I’ll be here. I want to be here.”
“I don’t know if I can take a life like that…”
“I understand…,” Caretaker managed around the lump in her throat, “But can we give it a bit more time, together?”
Whumpee nodded, letting his head fall to caretakers shoulder.
“I know it’s hard, and miserable, and it feels like nothing’s changing. But it is. And I’m so proud of you…”
Whumpee seemed to crack, a sob shaking his shoulders as she leaned her head against the top of his.
The Epiphany @foroneepiphany - Tumblr Blog | Tumgag
