"I have walked this road so many times growing up in Gridania, yet every time I cross this bridge I am struck by its tranquility. The sound of the flowing river, the wind rustling the leaves... I feel a sense of peace surrounded by it all."
Hero groaned as the piercing glare of a torch flashed across their face from where they lay in the dark, damp alley. Memories were a hazy tangle of sensations in the dark edges of their mind. They winced in pain, straining to see past the sharp light.
“Hero? Can you hear me? Don't move.”
It took painfully long seconds for Hero to recognise that voice and even longer to acknowledge the words.
“V.Villain?” They croaked.
Villain crouched by them, calculating eyes already taking in every detail of their condition. Battered and bloodied, exhausted and incoherent. Villain wasn't in their usual disguise, but Hero knew those eyes, knew from that look that they were thinking, planning… something.
“Shit… I really hope no one has seen you- you're going to give my spot away, dammit. Come on, let's get you inside. You really aren't looking too good.”
Hero strained to try to get an arm under them, limbs trembling with exertion and pain. Villain sighed and grabbed them from under their armpits to heave them up.
“It just had to be before closing time, huh?”
Hero didn't answer, much too busy focusing on trying to get their feet under them and keeping them there. The floor spun beneath them and dark shapes danced across their vision.
Villain adjusted their grip until they could wrap hero's arm over their shoulder, half dragging them to a door and helping them inside.
It was a bad idea, the small part of Hero's less dazed and hardly intact consciousness knew that, but there was no way they were going to be able to fight against Villain. There was nothing they could do but let Villain guide them away and hope they helped them. Villain could have plopped them on the table and cut their heart out and there wouldn't be a damn thing they could do about it. But it was either that or die in an alleyway. It wasn't like they had much variety to choose from.
Instead Villain sat them down in a little break room, in a battered leather armchair that crumbled in places. The light stung, but aside from the music that played lightly from the next room, things were still. Hero leaned forward, holding their head.
“Sit back.”
Dazed as they were, Hero obeyed. It was all too tempting to just sleep. They closed their eyes, heard Villain lock the back door. They'd failed and now Villain could do as they pleased.
The first thing they did was grab Hero’s mask.
“Wait!” By the time Hero even realised what was happening, it was too late. Their bloodied and battered face made contact with the air and finally, Villain could see their face. Their identity. Oh, Villain was going to kill them for certain.”
“You know, It's a lot easier to recognise someone when their face isn't swollen like a rising heap of dough,” Villain remarked.
Hero gulped and watched as Villain walked away, towards the kitchen counter. A knife, they were going for a knife, surely. They were going to torture them and cut them up into a million pieces-
Villain turned on the tap for a moment and returned with a big metal bowl and a clean cloth. They put the bowl on the table and stood over Hero.
Hero's heart hammered in their chest and their lungs raced to try to match the pace. They gripped the chair beneath them as anxiety flailed inside them, and they battled their storming head to try to find clarity, to find a way out and survive.
Villain frowned. “Hey… Relax already. Don't do anything stupid, and you'll be safe here. I'm trying to help you.”
Hero tried, they did, but they were so tired, so broken and frightened. It wasn't something they could turn off, but if Villain got impatient. Another wave of anxiety knocked back any attempts of recovery.
Villain knelt down in front of them. “Easy… look, just some water and a cloth. Nothing crazy. You're not tied up, you're not in danger. Breathe. I won't touch you anymore until you've pulled yourself together.”
Minutes passed by so slowly as the Hero tried to master themselves again. Adrenaline faded away only to be replaced by even more tiredness.
“Good. Now try to hold still, I'm just going to clean you up.” Hero braced, but Villain's touch was soft and considerate as they gently dabbed at a bleeding cut. “At the risk of making you freak out again, who did this? I want a name.”
Hero meekly shook their head, keeping their gaze down onto their unmarked hands. They hadn't expected questioning, hadn't expected Villain to look over them with such authority that it made their stomach twist.
Villain took Hero by the jaw and lifted their head. Heros throat bobbed against the warmth of Villain’s skin. “A name, Hero,” they repeated, voice firm but less intimidating.
“It's… complicated. N.None of your business.”
“The fact you're beaten to a pulp outside my bar and haven't swung so much a punch in defense is very much my business. I'm inclined to take it as a message.”
“It was a relative… n.nothing to do with you. They just dropped me off at the nearest alley.”
Villain shook their head and released Hero from their grip. “Or you were left here like an offering hoping I'd kill you and deal with the evidence for them. A hardly recognisable face too to cover their tracks.”
Hero didn't have an answer- they didn't have to; the fear that flashed across their face said all. Villain was too clever, they practically already knew everything. Hero was so tired. They tried to sleep but Villain wouldn't allow it. They used the cloth to gently wipe away the blood and grime, having the decency to not acknowledge the tears lingering in the corners of Hero’s eyes. “You're out here, fighting me, fighting the city, and yet you've got trouble of your own… Why did they decide this was necessary?”
“I know their secrets… They're not a good person, I'm.. not in contact with them usually.”
“Oh good, then you can give me a name.”
Hero shook their head, holding back a whine. “They’re dangerous, Villain, please."
“And I am not? I won't ask again. You fear me plenty more than you should yet you seem to fear them more. My harm to you has always been minimal, necessary. I don't do what I do in this city to hurt you. You're a good person, someone this city actually needs. I won't let some little rat do this to you because you have morals.”
Hero tried to smirk but it didn't stick. “You speak like you didn't just try to kill the mayor last week.”
“A corrupt mayor, don't skim over the important details. And I was so close if you hadn't gotten in the way. I had my shot lined up so pretty… but I refused to shoot through you to get to them.”
Hero's breath hitched on a sob, and Villain watched them fighting with their emotions tooth and nail. “I don't know who I fear more. I failed a.and now I'm here. If I tell you truth y.you’d kill me.”
Villain sighed. “Hero, if I was going to kill you, I'd have done it months ago. You have my word, I will not kill you. But then… maybe you don't even have to say.”
Villain studied their face for a long moment. The bruising, the clear signs of a large ring, hero’s fear. They thought back through the months, their battles, the mixed messages of fearing them and then trying to almost reach out before changing their mind.
“I’ve seen your official hero contract, though it didn't give a real name. You were hired by the mayor, but I've come to realise you aren't in line with their agenda… No, not at all… The mayor also has an adopted sibling who keeps out of any spotlights. Rumor has it they don't get along. I've seen their photo, their [colour] hair… It's you, isn't it. You're the mayor’s sibling. Yes, they didn't even bother to take off their ring before they hit you. I can practically see the imprint.”
“I. I never wanted to be the hero,” Hero blurted like they were trying to reason for their very life. “They told me they needed me, t.they. they weren't as bad at first-” Hero tried to get off the seat but it took so little effort to keep them down.
“The bastard has poison on their forked tongue and venom in their fangs. I know, Hero. I'm not going to kill you… I thought something was strange when you stood in front of them. Your posture, your voice… you feared them more than the gun at your chest.”
And that was it, the bottle in which Hero had kept everything contained finally exploded. They cried, shoulders hitching as their body shook with sobs. Villain wasn't in any mood for giving hugs and offering Hero a vulnerable side to them, but they compromised by rubbing their arm. The strategic part of them cheered. With Hero on their side, their was precious little stopping them from putting an end to the mayor and freeing the city from a large part of its evil. But the human side, well, protectiveness surged inside but they weren't quite so sure how they felt about that…
“Good news, Civilian. Hero is dead. You're under my protection now,” Villain decided.
“W.what?”
“You heard me. Your strings are cut and you aren't their puppet anymore. Let Hero die. Be yourself, be someone new- I don't care. But let Hero go. If you want to be a good person, fine, but don't do it under their name. If you want revenge or justice or whatever word let's you sleep at night, then perhaps we can come to an agreement.”
Hero opened their mouth and closed it again, so unsure of what to do, what to say to such an offer, a declaration even. Hero dead… yes, perhaps that was the best thing for them. But… after that? Hero just didn't know what to do.
“I don't expect you to decide when you're concussed and in shock. Until then, you're exhausted. I'll bring you upstairs to a spare bedroom and get my doctor to check you over properly.”
“Thank you… I…”
“All I ask in return, are their secrets, which can wait until tomorrow.”
Despite themselves, despite the threats and their training and the terror that lingered over them from the threats the mayor, held over them, Hero nodded softly.
Here’s my entry for the second prompt of the STVBB art bash 2024: Storytelling! ✨ @stranglethorn-bonfire-bash
This is a completely new experience for Rusty, but he’s being so brave about it. It turns out he did actually have a story in mind—one that’s entirely inspired by the latest major events of his life and the things he’s still processing. You might be able to guess who the other animals are meant to be 🐭
Featuring the characters of: Mingles, Deezmo (who is not in the art bash), Chromadraco, @goblinbisaster, Gray_Beast1995, KatArt8809, @kottkrig, @queenofdeath666, @/snakekettle on bsky, and SilverSoo!
This took around 46.5 hours from start to finish for all the pages combined, and that sketchy section definitely helped me time-wise lol. I hope you guys like the piece and Rusty’s sad little fable! 💙
