Vendetta (IX)
Read part one here // Continued from this part here
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Hero ducked under outstretched arms. Feigned left, lunged right. A flash of colour to their left, then heat. Hero sidestepped the tendrils of fire that shot out from the villain’s hands. They weren’t quick enough. The flames caught Hero’s shoulder and they faltered with a cry, their hand going to the burns, but they grit their teeth and kept moving forward, charging Fire Villain.
Hero grabbed Fire Villain’s wrist in a death grip, nullifying their ability. Their hand chopped through the air going for the throat. Fire villain gasped, doubled over, struggling back a step, clicking their fingers for flames that wouldn’t ignite. Hero yanked them closer by the wrist and crunched their elbow into Fire villain’s nose, eliciting a shriek of pain. Hero finally let go, sweeping fire villain’s legs from under them. Stomping on their ankle as they fell, then their face and bolted again.
Ahead of them shouts of encouragement only harshened the headache pounding in Hero’s ears, pushing themselves faster. Their shoulder burned as the wind caught it, but Hero kept pushing forward, gritting their teeth against the pain. They had to get to Superhero. They had to stop Supervillain.
They had to stop the war right here, right now.
Hero barrelled through the crowd of villains, undetected by the group whose attention was fixed on Superhero and Supervillain in the centre.
Superhero’s eyes widened when they met Hero’s. Supervillain took the opportunity to dash forward, swinging Hero’s sword down in an arc. Superhero barely had enough time to cross his arms in an X shape over their head, catching the blade on their vambrace. Supervillain tossed his lazy gaze over his shoulder, keeping the pressure on Superhero’s arms with ease, icy eyes landing on Hero.
A horrible grin stretched across his face as Hero pushed into the circle with the pair. “Ah, Hero. Come to enjoy the show? Out of your cuffs and everything. Naughty, naughty. Superhero… you should’ve raised them with better manners.”
Superhero threw their arms up while Supervillain was distracted, pushing the sword away and sidestepping the edge. He lunged on the inside of the blade, batting it away with his forearm and kicking Supervillain back to the edge of the tight circle of villains. Hands reached out to keep Supervillain up, ensuring he didn’t fall.
“Hero,” Superhero said, a muscle in his jaw tightening as Hero stepped towards Supervillain. Supervillain backed up to keep both Hero and Superhero in his vision, swinging the sword in his hand.
Hero narrowed their eyes into a burning glare, catching their breath from running through the battlefield that stank of blood and shit. The group somehow smelled worse, pungent heat mixing with sweat.
Hero’s mouth was dry from running, but they pushed through everything in their body that was telling them to stop. To lie down and go home. That told them this was too hard, they should give up now. You’ve done enough now, Vigilante is gone. Give up fighting, nobody will think less of you.
“That’s my sword,” Hero told Supervillain, ignoring the intrusive thoughts screaming in their head. They put their hand out, palm up. “I’d like it back now.”
Supervillain tsked. “Hero… it’s kind of concerning that you want my attention so badly. Clearly Superhero’s opinion of you has gone to your head. You’re not everyone’s sweetheart.”
A pop behind Hero and something was shoved into their hands. Another pop and Hero glanced down to see their sheath with their secondary sword. Hero wanted to close their eyes and pray, thank the Gods for Teleport, but instead they drew their sword, dropping their scabbard to the ground. Wiping their sweaty palms on their trousers, Hero tightened their fingers around the hilt to get a better grip.
Supervillain smirked at the pair of heroes ahead of him.
“Two on one is a little unfair, wouldn’t you say, lads?” A cheer around them. Hero and Superhero retreated, back to back on instinct, looking warily around them.
Hero saw a flash of Supervillain’s toothy grin as he stabbed Hero’s sword into the dirt, leaning his weight on top of it like it was a cane and crossing his legs. Entirely too casual, his voice dipped, darkening as he said: “How about we even the odds?”
Another cry and the swarm of Villains descended like a plague of locusts upon them. Hero kicked out at the first Villain that ran at them, leaning on Superhero’s back to get more force behind it. The next one lunged while someone pulled at Hero’s shirt, trying to yank them to the right and away from Superhero.
Hero jutted their arm up sharply, deflecting a blow with the flat of their blade, but they were too slow. A fist crunched into Hero’s face from the left and they stumbled and then there were hands on them. Hero kicked out, thrashing and raging against the hands holding them. They were sharply pulled to the left, the hands on them unrelenting, but Hero kicked out at the Villain trying to body check them on the right.
A villain sprung up in front of them and Hero barely dodged the knife going for their eye. Hero punched them in the solar plexus and the Villain folded, but they didn’t get to fall.
Blood splattered across Hero’s face, and they flinched and froze for a split second, stumbling back into the hands of villains. The taste of iron infested their mouth, heightening the stench of blood and metal that surrounded them. The villain that they just punched— their head was ripped open and their deadweight fell on top of Hero. Hero fought back a retch, struggling to push the body off them.
Two bright yellow eyes the colour of pus gleamed down at Hero, a wicked grin on a pretty face and they were speaking but Hero couldn’t hear them over the cacophony of sound that assaulted their senses. Her face was covered in blood too, blood that she licked from her fingers, as if it was sauce leftover from chicken wings.
Hero threw their arms up in defence, not hearing anything over the pounding of their thundering heart.
The girl stumbled forward, her mouth falling open, frozen in shock. Hero only distantly realised the hand that was through her chest, roughly pulling out after the girl fell like a rag-doll to the ground, motionless. The look of surprise etched into her face forever.
Superhero was in front of them then, grabbing Hero and yanking them up, their hand like a vice around Hero’s arm. Hero flinched when their eyes met Superhero’s. There was a horrible sense of urgency in them that Hero couldn’t feel, their body felt numb. Did they have pieces of that Villain’s face on their—
“Hero! Hero! Snap out of it!” Superhero cried, but Hero’s eyes drifted down to Superhero’s hand, slick with blood. Superhero moved like a blur around them. One Villain stepped towards the pair and Superhero whirled, both hands finding the villain’s head. A swift movement and the villain’s neck snapped and they fell.
“Hero!” Superhero screamed, glancing behind him at the still comatose Hero who was just standing there. Another Villain went to attack Hero, but Superhero got there first, breaking the Villain’s arm, then ripping it from the socket. The Villain screamed as Superhero smashed their foot against the Villain’s knee, crippling them and shoving them away.
Hero blinked at Superhero, recognition flashing in their eyes. “Hero- we have to—”
A crackle of electricity behind Superhero and Hero’s body moved before their mind realised it. They shoved Superhero out of the way and lunged forward, grabbing the electric villain’s arm, and nullifying their ability before they surged their sword arm forward and up, under the Villain’s armour. Their sword poked out of the villain’s mouth, who stared at Hero with a horrible knowing they were about to die on their face. Don’t think about it, Hero told themselves. Keep moving. Don’t think. Keep moving. Blood splattered across their face as Hero pulled their sword out, kicking the corpse back into another group of villains.
And more were coming.
It seemed like every Villain they cut down, four more took their place, and the circle was getting smaller and smaller and Hero could barely catch their breath between the bodies.
Don’t think. Keep moving.
Slice. Block. Superhero’s fist cracked and crunched into Villains behind Hero, but they kept fighting.
Kick. Punch. Another haunted expression. Don’t think. Don’t think. Don’t think.
They had to win.
Another death at Hero’s hands. Keep moving.
They had to stop Supervillain here.
Another body fell and three more Villains surged forward with cries of bloodlust. Hero cut them down like weeds. Don’t think.
They had to end the war. End all the fighting, all the dying.
Just stop, Hero. Give up, nobody would think less of you. The thought made Hero pause in their movements. A mistake, they realised too late.
A hand clamped down on Hero’s hair and they were dragged back. Hero let out a startled cry, losing their footing as they were yanked back. Hero swung their sword at the Villains coming towards them.
“Hero!” Superhero cried from somewhere in the masses. Hero adjusted their grip on the sword until the blade was aimed behind them, grabbing the hilt with both hands they drove it backwards and up. A sudden, piercing scream and Hero jerked forwards, their hair still heavy.
Hero whirled. A villain was standing clutching a bleeding stump and screaming. Hero shook, their entire body trembling as they reached for their hair and found the hand still bunched in their hair. Hero ripped it off, the smell of piss and sweat overwhelming them as fell back, the ground growing slippy. Tears sprung to their eyes, but Hero had to get up. They had to get up or they’d die.
Hero dug their sword into the ground and pulled themself up with an effort. It felt as if all of Hero’s energy was zapped from them as they got to shaking feet.
They barely had the chance to catch their breath before a villain was rushing them. Hero didn’t think, they lifted their sword and let the Villain impale themselves. The Villain didn’t die immediately, and horrifically Hero’s sword got caught between the Villain’s ribs when Hero tried to yank it out. Hero planted a foot on the Villain’s pelvis, yanking on the sword but it didn’t budge an inch. Instead, Hero kicked them back into the masses of bodies, unarmed.
Shit they should really find—
“HERO!”
Superhero… Hero turned to Superhero’s voice. Their mind a fog. It felt as if their eyes were too slow to catch up with their surroundings that seemed to zoom past them. A sudden pit opened up in their stomach, their mind screaming DANGER! But Hero was turning towards Superhero, exhaustion pulling at their muscles. Tiredness pulling at their eyes.
Chocolate brown curls fell over a pair of cool, cold eyes that flashed with malice. Hero barely had time to process before something hard slammed against their jaw. Hero’s head whipped to the side and was righted by a cold hand, before it hit them again in the same place.
The world spun around them as Hero spluttered out a gasp, raising their knee to try and dislodge Villain from them. Villain smiled a cold smile. A flash of metal and the breath was taken from Hero who folded around the object, their legs giving up on them.
“Shh, Hero,” Villain cooed, running their hand through Hero’s matted hair. “It’s okay. You fought well, Vigilante would be proud.”
“HERO!”
Hero let out a loud cry, spitting blood, thrusting their elbow up towards Villain. Their strike went wide, Villain parrying with his gun and hit Hero over the head again. Hero would have fallen if Villain wasn’t holding them up, they realised, with how heavy they were leaning on Villain’s arm. They wanted to throw up, they wanted to sleep.
They needed to end this war.
A cold mocking voice piped up from the back of their head: you’re going to end this war? With what?! With who! The war won’t be finished by some half-conscious, possibly concussed, disarmed mess that needs someone else to hold them up!
Hero winced. The voice was so loud, their shouts echoing around Hero’s dumb head like a cavern.
A thick, cold shadow crawled from Villain’s fingertips around Hero’s neck like a collar and leash, choking them. Hero gasped, hands flying to their throat to try and dispel the shadow but nothing. Villain yanked their hands down, tying them in front of Hero with his whip and yanked Hero forward again.
Hero followed because they couldn’t not, they didn’t have the energy to pull against Villain, their legs shaking as Villain paraded them through the crowd of villains. The heat from the bodies squeezing Hero on all sides threatened to knock them out from pure exhaustion and lack of air. Everything was too much, it was all too much.
The air smelled of smoke and vomit, and iron. Hero gasped on no air, struggling to breathe with the little leeway that Villain granted on Hero’s neck pulling tighter the more Hero resisted. They weren’t trying to resist they just couldn’t… their body didn’t want to move anymore, they could barely fucking see straight. Everything was reduced to whirling colours, a deafening ringing sounded between Hero’s ears, blocking out all other sounds. Or could everyone hear that?
When they finally emerged into the middle of the significantly thinned circle of villains, Hero’s eyes went to Superhero who was fighting Crow. Hero yanked against the whip in Villain’s hands. They had to get free. They had to help Superhero…
Villain only pulled the whip sharp in reply and Hero was yanked forwards. Their feet couldn’t gain purchase fast enough on the wet ground and they slipped, hands out to catch themselves. Villain yanked on the whip at the last second and Hero’s plunged face-first into the blood-stained mud. They shot up immediately, spewing and sputtering out the taste in their mouth.
Hero’s eyes shot to Superhero who was covered in blood, his hands stained to his shoulders with the dried, flaked crimson and fresh blood dripped from his fingertips. Someone kicked Superhero in the back of the knee and Superhero fell to his knees.
“No…” Hero mumbled, their tongue fat in their mouth. They army crawled forward. “Superhero… no… get up.”
Villain grabbed Hero by the hair and yanked their head up so they could get a better view of their fallen leader. Supervillain stepped in front of Superhero, Hero’s sword coated in blood already. For a single, heart breaking moment, Superhero’s kind eyes met Hero’s. Something sad pulled at the edges of his smile.
Hero mirrored the frown, needing their brain to process what it meant. What was happening? What were they looking at?!
Hero struggled against Villain’s hold, more out of instinct than anything else, but they didn’t get anywhere. They stiffened when the gun pressed against their temple.
“Here is the great Superhero,” Supervillain yelled. “A symbol of the old world order. A symbol of powered individuals forced to live in hiding. Told that we’re freaks, and dangers to society!”
Supervillain turned in a circle, looking every member of his captive audience in the eye. “Well I say no more.”
There was a chorus of cheers.
“I say NO MORE!” He screamed, and the cheer turned to screams and riotous applause. It exasperated the thundering headache that threatened to burst Hero’s skull. They slumped against the gun at their temple, but quickly perked up with a hiss when Villain yanked on their hair again.
Supervillain smirked at Hero, on their knees, shaking their head. “Supervillain… please… don’t… don’t do this.”
“I’m so glad you’re here to witness this, Hero,” Supervillain told them. Hero felt bile rise in their throat at the elation in his voice. “Let it serve as a reminder of what happens to those that oppose me.”
The ringing got louder as Hero’s desperate eyes went to Superhero’s. Superhero still smiling sadly at them. Hero lurched forward with a cry of protest as Supervillain turned.
“It’s okay, Hero,” Superhero said. “Everything will be—”
The sword plunged under Superhero’s armour. Hero watched as blood gurgled up and over his lips, a small trickle at first. Then, a waterfall. Supervillain twisted the sword before yanking it out, scraping against bone and wet flesh. In the distance someone was screaming.
Hero blinked at the scene, flinching when some of the blood from Supervillain’s blade flicked back onto them. Superhero… that was… that was Superhero’s blood. Hero didn’t lower their gaze from Superhero’s face. At one point Superhero fell forward. One of the Villains behind Superhero grabbed him and pulled him up so Supervillain could plunge the sword in again.
This time it ripped. Villains still cheered, someone was still screaming. Hero couldn’t take their eyes off Superhero’s face, the same sad smile echoing back at Hero.
Frozen. This was how Superhero’s face would remain forever. Like all the Villains that Hero killed today. This was how his face would stay. A sad, knowing smile on his face. Nothing shocked or terrified, Superhero greeted death with a smile on his face. A smile that was to reassure Hero, to make Hero feel better.
A smile that said: it’s okay. I know. We tried our best and we failed, and it’s okay.
That wasn’t how Superhero was supposed to greet death.
Not… not making an expression to comfort Hero.
That can’t be how Superhero dies.
It seemed as if the entire world rushed by Hero’s ears, bringing them back to the present with a renewed laser focus.
That can’t be how Superhero dies!
Hero sucked in a breath as the sword squelched out of Superhero. Someone said something, Supervillain gestured. He pulled out a dagger and sliced an arc down Superhero’s face. Hero struggled in Villain’s hold, roaring:
“GET OFF HIM!” Hero screamed, surging forwards but they were wrenched back, their voice going hoarse as they struggled in vain against Villain’s hold. “DON’T TOUCH HIM! STOP! STOP!”
Something hard hit the back of Hero’s head and they jolted forwards, collapsing onto their elbows, crying into the dirt. Twin streams of spit, snot and tears fell onto the ground under Hero’s head and they squeezed their eyes shut, not wanting to see it anymore. See Supervillain cutting Superhero’s body because… because Superhero… Superhero didn’t lose.
Superhero didn’t die with a smile.
Superhero never lost. Superhero may have cut it close every once in a while but he always walked away from a fight. Superhero wasn’t—
A sharp tug in their hair and Hero was yanked to their knees again, then to their feet. Hero threw their elbow back, catching something but what they didn’t care as they bolted towards Superhero.
They fell to their knees beside his body, their hands reaching to Superhero’s pulse. It was faint, but it was there.
Hero turned wet eyes to Supervillain, pleading. A black figure from the corner of their eye advanced on them, but Supervillain held a hand up, stopping them.
“Plea— p-p-please,” Hero whispered, sniffing, their voice hoarse and quiet, but Supervillain heard. He tilted his head, eyes drinking in Hero’s broken state. “Please… don’t kill him, please… please. I’m— i’m begging you, Supervillain. I’ll do ah-anything.”
Superhero can’t die with a comforting smile on his face. That wasn’t his death, that can’t be his death. Always looking out for someone other than his stupid fucking self! Superhero deserved to be selfish in death! At least in death!
Supervillain leaned back, pursing his lips as if he was chewing Hero’s words, tasting them, trying to find some flavour within them to his liking. He leaned forward, cupping Hero’s cheek in his hand and thumbing away the trails of tears and dirt and blood.
Hero shook in his hold but didn’t dare pull away. “Would you show me the same consideration?”
Hero blinked, sniffing. “What?”
Supervillain’s expression wasn’t mocking or cruel, he looked genuine. Patient, even. “If the roles were reversed, Hero. If Superhero had won and I was on the ground, dying, would you let Superhero kill me here? In the dirt?”
Hero’s breath hitched, their eyes drifting to Superhero’s face, his lips stained bright red with blood. Unnatural. Superhero’s lips were never bright red. Supervillain gently tilted Hero’s head back to him.
“Would you?” He asked, voice soft.
Hero’s bottom lip quivered. “I- I don’t think an-anyone should d-die like this.”
Supervillain smiled. It was kind, without malice. Hero swallowed the lump in their throat. Not daring to let themself hope but- but what if?
“So what would you do, Hero? Take me prisoner? Have a trial for my crimes?”
Hero shivered. “Yes.”
Supervillain paused. Hero held their breath as Supervillain pulled away and got to his feet with a grunt. He surprised Hero by walking over to them and helping Hero to their feet too, gentle movements all the while. Not too fast, trying not to spook the trembling Hero. Hero protested leaving Superhero’s side by Supervillain shushed them.
“It’s okay, Hero,” Supervillain coaxed, whispering sweet nothings into Hero’s matted hair. “There we go. Villain?”
Two more hands grabbed Hero’s shoulders. “Be gentle with them,” Supervillain told Villain as he pulled away.
Hero grabbed Supervillain’s arm before he could. Burning eyes met ice cold glaciers that smiled warmly at Hero. “You’re- you’re not going to k-kill him?”
“No, Hero. I won’t kill him.” Supervillain said softly and Hero’s legs went from under them in relief. Villain held them up while Hero cried, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you.
Supervillain spread his arms out, bending down to scoop Hero’s sword from the dirt. Villain held Hero loosely to the side, their eyes never leaving Superhero’s body.
“My friends!” Supervillain boomed, his voice carrying over the battleground. “We’ve won!”
The field erupted into applause and cheers, villains roaring their triumph and chanting Supervillain’s name.
“Hero has begged me to spare Superhero’s life,” Supervillain bellowed with a grin, turning to face Hero again and winking. Hero flinched at the chorus of boo’s and mocking aww’s, jarring and vicious. “So I will not kill Superhero.”
Hero risked a baffled smile, though it probably looked pathetic. Maybe Supervillain was telling the truth. Maybe he did want to stop this endless violence between heroes and villains. Hero’s eyes got their determination back and they nodded at Supervillain, who returned the gesture with a smile of his own.
His arms still spread to his rowdy crowd, Supervillain’s icy eyes turned sharp, cunning twisting the side of his lips up and when he looked at Hero again there was something off about the picture. Something that told Hero there was something wrong. What were they missing?
What were they missing?
Grieves walked from the crowd that parted for him, walking up behind Supervillain. He plucked the sword from Supervillain’s hands who never took his eyes off of Hero. Grieves didn’t break his stride as he turned Hero’s sword upside down, walking towards Superhero on the ground.
Hero’s eyes widened too late, their face pulled from peace to horror in the space of a second. They lunged forward while Grieves slammed the blade of Hero’s sword through Superhero’s armour and into his heart.
Arms locked around Hero as they sprung for Supervillain, an animalistic shriek pulled from deep within their bones. “YOU FUCKING MONSTER! YOU BASTARD! YOU SAID YOU WOULDN’T—” Hero screamed over the cries of victory and celebration.
Supervillain walked around Grieves to Hero who was practically foaming at the mouth, blood-stained-spittle flying as they screamed. “YOU’RE A LIAR! YOU’RE A LIAR!”
Supervillain pinched Hero’s chin jutting Hero’s attention towards him. His arctic gaze freezing Hero solid. “I didn’t lie, Hero. I held up my end of our bargain. I said I wouldn’t kill him. And I didn’t,” Supervillain said very matter-of-factly, as if he were speaking to a child throwing a tantrum. Though his wide smile betrayed his joy and malicious intentions. “Grieves killed him.”
“You fucking MONSTER! I’ll kill you!” Hero vowed, their promise coming out guttural, voice hoarse with grief and despair; broken. “I’ll—”
“Promises, promises,” Supervillain said, dropping Hero’s chin. “Superhero had to die, but that was only half of the main event, dear Hero. Now to the good part.”
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Continued here
Orphanage roll-call: @micechomper @aarika-merrill @silentpotat0 @dutifullykrispyland @gloriousqueen101
