Based off this ask to @whumpwillow
TW: Hypothermia, abandonment, implied waterboarding, implied torture, betrayal
"Villan, how did you get out?" Hero strained against their own ropes.
Villain shrugged, smirking. "Practice makes perfect."
Hero rolled their eyes. "Whatever. Get me out."
Villain laughed. "Why would I get you out?"
Hero hesitated. "So you're just going to leave me here for Supervillain to do who knows what?"
"Torture, Hero. All I can say is better you than me." Villain opened the window.
"Really, Villain?? This whole tag team thing was your idea!"
"If I get you out, Supervillain will come for both of us. If I leave you, they'll leave me." Villain was out the window before Hero could protest.
Long after Villain left, Hero's mind was racing. Was this all a setup? Had Villain intentionally allowed them to be caught? How had they escaped so easily?
Eventually, Hero was able to get out of their ropes. They had to break a thumb, but they were out. It was certainly better than whatever Supervillain had planned for them. They escaped out the window.
"Yeah, I'm at the warehouse." Hero whispered as they peered around the corner.
"Alright, keep us updated. Do you see anyone in there?"
"Yeah, there's someone on the floor. Hang on. I'm going to investigate."
Hero crossed the room to see the figure on the ground. The ground around them was soaked. "Hey, you alive..?" Hero knelt next to the person.
The person lifted their head and familiar eyes looked up at Hero.
"H-Hero..?" The voice was full of a despair, yet hopeful in a cautious way that Hero had never heard. "Hero— He-help me, please—"
"Villain?" Hero grimaced, memories of the way Villain had betrayed them flooding back. They stood up.
Villain opened their mouth to speak, but coughing shook their body instead. A little more water dripped out of their mouth onto the ground. "Pl-please—" They begged when the coughing subsided. "Please— I'm so-sorry! I shoul—shouldn't have left you... I— please fo-forgive me— don't leave me— Supervillain— They're i-insane!" Villain's teeth were chattering from cold as they struggled pitifully to push themself up from the ground.
"Hero? Is the person alive?"
Hero pressed a button on their com, glaring down at Villain. "No. They're dead. We were too late. I'm coming back before Supervillain comes to investigate."
Hero turned on their heel and left, ignoring Villain's stuttering apologies and pleas for help.
Hero hesitated. "... I think I'm going to do a patrol before I come back."
"Oh. Okay. I'm going to step away from the coms then and do some paperwork. Let me know if you need backup."
"Alright. Thanks, Sidekick." Hero glanced to the south side of the city where the warehouse stood. The guilt was eating them alive.
They were as bad as Villain— worse— for leaving them there.
Villain was curled up on the floor, no longer shivering, barely breathing. Hero knelt by their side a moment, then stood, considering their options.
"No..." Villain reached a trembling hand out, just barely brushing the toe of Hero's boot. "Please... D-don't leave... not again..."
Hero's heart faltered as they looked down at Villain, weak and soaked.
"Ple-please... I'm sorry... so, so s-sorry—" Villain whimpered.
Hero dropped back to their knees. "Villain... Villain, I'm not going to leave you again." Carefully, Hero took Villain's face in their hands. Villain leaned desperately into the warmth. Their face was freezing— as the rest of them likely was as well.
"Come on. Let's get you away from here before Supervillain comes back." Hero lifted Villain into their arms. Villain curled against Hero's chest, seeking to be as close as possible, craving the heat coming off of Hero's body. "You're safe, Villain."
