"caretaker is the new master / whumpee thinks caretaker is the new master" is really good and a whumper turned whumpee situation makes it even better
whumpee was on the bad guys villain team, and was captured by the good guys heroes team. they expect to be tortured and reconditioned (like their old team did to them...) but the heroes just interrogate them. they're tied up, and not getting the best treatment, but they thought it would be so much worse
same scenario but whumpee is super complacent. maybe they're injured or just can't fight back for some reason, so the heroes don't really see the need to restrain them. maybe the heroes just know they can easily overpower them. it's not necessary. for whatever reason, they don't HAVE to wear handcuffs or ropes or whathaveyou. but they do
whumpee is the sidekick/lackey/loyal servant to villain. when villain dies (or is believed to be dead) and whumpee is taken by the heroes, they're completely disoriented. their reason for existing, the only thing that matters to them, their purpose is gone forever. so after the initial shock, the fight, the confusion, they find the next thing to live for. their next thing to follow. (yeah i stole this one from the sonic the hedgehog comics)
caretaker was the one who first reached out to reformed villain, even though their best friends and team members all argued and disapproved. now, after a good while and a lot of plot and a redemption arc, reformed villain is a team member too. and they seem just like everyone else- they go on missions, they listen to leader. but something is off behind the scenes. they rely on caretaker in a strange way, and a bit too much. if caretaker gave the word, they'd kill all their new friends.
^^ same as above, only instead of caretaker, reformed villain latches onto leader. after caretaker convinces everyone to let them into the team, leader is hesitant, and reformed villain sees a new authority figure and runs with them. they're desperate to prove themself to this new leader, the person they previously hated, desperate to make themself known as the best ally, the best servant, the best weapon leader could have.
good old fashioned "whumpee was kidnapped, enslaved and conditioned through torture years ago, maybe passed around many whumpers so they're used to stuff changing, and eventually the cops / and underground freedom group / something else finds out and they get rescued and repositioned to live with caretaker while they recover but they're in a state of denial or they simply don't understand so they think caretaker is a whumper they've been reassigned to"
hero is captured by villains and conditioned over the course of months or years, all while their own team is scrambling to get them back. once they're finally rescued, their team is ecstatic to see them. hero doesn't remember themāor they do remember them, but they've changed so much that they can't quite comprehend who their friends used to be to them. whenever they do something they were conditioned to and their friends try to help them stop, they think they're breaking the rules and they'll be punished. their friends are horrified when they offer themself up to be hurt.
minor villain is captured by big bad villain and conditioned to be on their team and take out their previous team (villain vs other villain situation, which is always fun) and eventually, the heroes too. but either their old team gets them back, or the heroes do. either way, they keep trying to sabotage them until eventually they realize they can't. they've been captured again, just like they had before, and now they'll be conditioned through torture. unless they prove they're already ready to give in.
YES! THIS! THIS IS EVERYTHING!!!
germansingergirl
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turnnoffyourmind
titsay
theartofmadeline
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