How did Hench always end up in stupid situations like this? She was separated from Villain, nursing a probably dislocated shoulder, and dragging the hopeless new girl to safety.
She wasn't an idiot, Hench saw Marcy messing with the explosives right before the heroes showed up.
Coincidences weren't something she believed in. Marcy had most definitely caused the hiccup in their plan. Just peachy.
Hench yanked her behind a column, ignoring the way her stomach rolled with the surge of pain. "Stay here!" She snapped.
"What-? Where are you-?!"
Hench cut her off with a snarl. "I have to guard Vil, you stay here before you make another mistake." With that Hench ran back out into the fray. She dodged several of her coworkers getting thrown around for what felt like eternity until she saw him.
Villain was pinned down by Superhero. Without second thought Hench grabbed a chunk of building and aimed right for his head, nailing him perfectly.
With the new opening Villain threw Superhero off before calling a retreat. Everything was a bit of a blur after that.
After all the heroes had been lost and the henchmen that didn't get snatched reconvened Villain stalked along their lines with a dangerously calm look. "Can anyone tell me," He started in a light tone. "Why those explosives went off early?"
No one said a word. Hench glanced at Marcy, who begged with her eyes not to be ratted out. It seemed Hench was the only one to notice her strange behavior.
She knew she should speak up but she also…well she was a good read of character and Marcy didn't seem the type to sabotage anyone. Or…had she misread the other woman?
Villain didn't appreciate the silence. "Every one of you was a massive disappointment! You're all lucky I managed to get what we were going for. Get out of my sight!" Many would take the short lecture as a blessing but every one of the goons knew; they were going to regret this failure for weeks.
Hench waited while they all filed out, hiding a flinch as Villain strode up to her. His eyes were cold, hard. "How dare you leave my side." His hiss burned her ears.
"One of the new recruits-"
"I don't care if they were going to die! Your job is to keep the heroes off of me so that I can acquire the target!" Spit hit Hench's face but she didn't move back. "What matters on a mission?"
"You do."
"And what else?"
"Nothing, Villain. Just you."
Villain jabbed her chest with a finger. "You need to put everything under me for priority. The other henchmen, the target, even your own life Henchman. I am the only thing that matters. Don't EVER forget that again."
"Yes sir." Henchman bit back tears. She tried to convince herself it was only from the pain in her shoulder.
Villain turned away from her. "Go to the training room. I want you to practice your punches until your hands are practically bleeding. After that you move on to your basic sets. Then you go home."
"But-"
"NOW!"
She flipped around and sprinted to begin her punishment. It didn't matter that she was injured, Henchman had betrayed orders. Of course she would need to wait to see their doctor. Why would she be stupid enough to think otherwise?
---
Hero watched as Henchman shook from the pain, horrified by the fact that the other woman was slamming her fists into a bag so soon after a shoulder injury.
It hadn't been any use trying to talk to her, the woman was determined to make it through her punishment.
After another grueling moment Hero trailed towards the room Villain was in. Cautiously she knocked on the door. It swung open to a furious Villain.
"What is it?" He snapped impatiently.
Hero swallowed thickly. "Henchman is training-"
"I told her to. She needs to learn-"
"Her shoulder is injured!" Hero spat out, anger flaring. At the agency you were checked for injuries after a failed mission. Here you were forced to use the hurt limb apparently and that fact had her blood boiling. "She got hurt protecting me. I think her shoulder was dislocated. If she keeps going at this rate it will never heal!"
At this Villain's entire demeanor changed. His face fell to horror. "She's doing her punishment with a dislocated shoulder? What is she thinking?!" Hero stumbled as he knocked her to the side, running towards the training room. She followed closely. Not wanting to get her own punishment, she waited outside the door and eavesdropped on the conversation.
"Henchie!" Villain shouted. "Why didn't you inform me you were injured?"
"I- Villain? It's fine, I'm fine." The woman sounded very faint. "You told me to-"
"I didn't know your shoulder was dislocated. You can't practice like this."
"This is what you wanted!" Henchman's voice was desperate. Hero wondered how often Villain gave her mixed signals for her to sound so broken by her own confusion.
"You can't practice like this." Villian repeated much firmer. Seconds later the door pushed open. Henchman was led by Villain, bad arm cradled to her chest, face pale and expression one of agony.
Something about that sickened Hero. She distractedly stumbled her way through the rest of the day and back to the agency. What was waiting for her when she got there was a crowd of celebrating heroes. When they noticed her their cheers got louder. Superhero gestured her over.
"Hero! The lady of the hour!" He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and jostled her a bit. "We got over half his men in one go, you were brilliant. I trust no one caught you?"
She thought back to Hench's knowing looks and held back a flinch. "No, no one saw."
His smile was radiant. Eyes gleaming with pride at his protege. "Brilliant. Let's get you a drink huh? Can't imagine it was easy. Maybe next time we can get Villain himself." He didn't seem to mind the bandages wrapped around his head. Hero wondered what they were from.
Henchman stood in line with the others, chest heaving as sweat practically poured off of her. The training day had been grueling and long but that was nothing new. Most days were, though they were more rewarding that way. Even so, she was still dying for it to end so that she could hit the showers.
"Well, I'd say that was an acceptable show of skill today," Villain strutted in front of them like an illustrious peacock. His ego was more grating than usual in that moment. "For most of you."
She grit her teeth as he made direct eye contact with her. Henchman would tear his arms off and beat him with them if she could.
His eyes moved away, "You are all dismissed; be here tomorrow at five am sharp for the heist. Anyone lagging behind will be used for next week's target practice."
As her coworkers filed out she felt a hand on her arm. Against her exhaustion, and desire for the showers, she turned around to face Villain. He waited until the door shut before pulling her into him. Henchman wasn't in the mood for his antics but she let him pepper her face with kisses anyway, reluctance clear in her stiff posture.
"Oh come now, don't be like this!"
"I don't want to deal with you tonight Villain."
"Why is my favorite henchie being so cold? Was it the extra laps?" His light tone only further raked against her broiling nerves.
Henchman yanked back as he went in to kiss her lips. "Don't. Don't mock me like this."
Villain stared incredulously at her a moment before shoving her away with a disgusted grunt. She stumbled slightly, not expecting the shift in weight. "Mock you? Since when have I mocked you?"
"Since we started-!" Henchman gestured wildly. "-whatever this is!"
"If you think me showing you affection is mockery that's not my fault. I thought you would like being treated nice after a hard day." His soft brown eyes burned with fury.
"You mean after you insult me in front of my peers? Embarrass me and then make out as you please? Yes, I love the mixed messages that sends. They make me feel very liked and not at all confused!"
Villain's shoulders bunched up, face twitching as his anger threatened to break out violently. "Well if you would apply yourself in training I wouldn't need to embarrass you any more than you embarrass yourself!"
Every ounce of blazing rage extinguished in a moment. Henchman turned and yanked the door open. "I'm taking my shower and going home. Have a nice night."
The door shut on his sputtered response.
Her fellow henchmen were starting to file out as she made her way to the locker rooms. A few of them whispered well wishes, assuming Villain had held her back to chew her out.
How she wanted that to be the truth. It would be better then dealing with a sickening pool of emotions Villain stirred in her gut.
A haze filled her mind as she stripped from her training clothes, grabbing her soap and hair products from her locker before going to the shower farthest from the door. The hot water pulled her out of it just enough to notice one of the newest recruits staring at her.
"What?"
The girl, Marcy was her name, gave her a wavering smile. "I think you did great today. I couldn't take down any of my opponents."
She remembered. The poor girl had been bodied in less than a minute three rounds in a row. She managed five minutes at one point but it was clear she wasn't a very physical kind of person.
And Villain hadn't gotten after her once.
Bile burned Henchman's and she let out a hollow laugh. "Takes practice. You'll be breaking bones soon enough."
"Probably not," Marcy shut off her shower. "I think I'm going to get a transfer. I don't like all the physical stuff. Not good at it either. You are though!"
Henchman sighed a bit. "Not how Villain sees it."
"Well he's stupid not to." Henchman turned to look at Marcy again. Her auburn hair was plastered to her face but when they were training the short locks had constantly swished in front of her eyes. Probably one reason for the lack of skill actually.
Her eyes were an oddly distracting green, earnest and so painfully trusting. Henchman ignored the squirm in her guts as Marcy blinked innocently at her.
She let out another sigh. "Tell you what, I can give you some extra lessons. Maybe wait a few weeks before you decide you're no good for this part of the job?"
"Really? Oh, thank you!" Marcy seemed to forget they were both in a vulnerable sort of state, rushing forwards to give Henchman a hug. She quickly pulled back with blush going up to her ears. "I am so sorry, I wasn't thinking! I'm just-...Maybe I should-...I need to head home. But thank you for the offer!"
Henchman watched her go with a smile tugging the corner of her lips. That girl was going to get eaten alive eventually. Hopefully she could push that off.
Once the showers were blissfully quiet again she turned the water up until it turned her skin red. Better to get a shower this hot at work, considering her crappy water heater at home couldn't handle it.
It didn't take long for Henchman to end up sitting on the bench to give her aching muscles a break. Unfortunately her mind wandered back to Villain.
Their...situation had begun a few months before. He'd pulled her aside and praised her for her work. At first she had been suspicious but he hadn't stopped snatching her away for stolen moments.
His honeyed words didn't last long. After the physical side of their relationship started a month in he was always quick to go in for a kiss but his words, especially in front of others, were harsh. Henchman found herself reprimanded more than the others. Sometimes for slips that hadn't happened!
Rage and confusion and desire sloshed around inside her, only succeeding in making her feel sick. Just when she was sure he only saw her as a bit of fun he would bring back the compliments and she would fell back into it.
Maybe he didn't see her that way but he only noticed that it bothered her when it got to the boiling point. That's what she told herself often.
He wasn't toying with her. She was just expecting too much softness from a man who routinely murdered people. It was her fault.
But it still felt like she wasn't anything more than stress relief. After fights, before big heists, especially when Hero taunted him. A part of her hated that woman for it.
Henchman watched the water flow off of her and head for the drain. Steam started getting thick enough to block off quite a bit of her vision.
So lost in thought she didn't notice the figure moving towards her until it was almost on her.
"Henchman?" The voice was gentle.
An undignified shriek slipped past her lips. She quickly went to trying to cover her bare body, unsuccessfully at that.
"I've seen you naked before." Villain's tone was flat.
"That was with my consent you creep!" Henchman hissed as she threw the bar of soap at his head. He dodged it easily.
Villain was finally close enough she could see the remorseful expression he held. "I just came to apologize. What I said...it was uncalled for. You're not embarrassing."
Her anger tapered down. Villain rarely apologized; there was no reason to keep being hostile to him. She felt more sure about that when he stepped forward, soaking his perfectly quaffed hair and pristine suit, and cupped her face reverently.
"Do you think you can forgive me?"
She leaned into the touch. A part of her wanted to say no but he looked so pathetic sopping wet that Henchman couldn't help laughing a bit. "Yes, I can forgive you."
His smile lit up her insides. Henchman pushed forwards for a kiss, leaning into Villain more as his fingers tangled into the locks on the back of her head.
It was only when she made it home and collapsed to her rickety bed that Henchman felt the overwhelming need to cry. How had she forgiven him for speaking down to her like that again?
---
Hero rolled her eyes as Superhero wrote down a few notes of her report.
"And you're sure none of them suspect you? This offer for lessons could be a trap."
"Superhero. You trusted me with this mission; trust me that I haven't blown my cover in the first week of it."
His nostrils flared. "I do trust you, but we can't underestimate them."
"Oh please," Hero snickered as she remembered Henchman's face stepping into the showers. "That woman didn't notice anything outside of her miserable self. I think her and Villain are having some relationship issues."
Superhero laughed with her. "Of course she is, she's trying to get close with Villain. That's just asking to be used. Not that it will matter much soon, when we manage to get them all in cells."
"Actually, I think we could put Henchman in the rehabilitation program. She'd be a decent asset to the agency." Hero said with a thoughtful nod.
Her superior snorted another laugh. "I'll note it, but that I doubt. Go ahead and head home."
"Yes sir."
Hero was grateful when her front door came into view. She hadn't accounted for how tiring it would be to fake incompetence in a professional setting.
She wiped all thoughts of work from her mind as she stepped through the door into her living room. The babysitter she'd hired jumped to his feet.
"Mrs. Duller, you're a little late. Everything okay?"
"Yes, just got swamped at work. How's Daughter?"
"Sleeping like a bear in winter." He said with a bright smile. Hero returned it as she paid him and bid him goodnight.
Just as promised her little darling was curled under her covers, snoring just a little. Hero placed a kiss to her forehead. It took quite a lot not to laugh as Daughter scrunched her face at the contact.
"Sleep tight sweetie." Hero whispered before making her way to her own room.
She had to get a lot of sleep before the heist the next day. Especially because she had to try to thwart it without becoming suspicious. Something told her Henchman might not be so easy to fool when it came to actual jobs.
Henchman is already struggling with her undefined relationship with the proud and manipulative Villain when Hero, undercover as a new recruit, comes in and throws her emotions further into turmoil. Will Henchman choose the sweet “Marcy” who makes her feel seen and have her heart broken by the lies of Hero or will she stay with Villain and feel herself drown every day in doubt?
