atlastimborn

[atlastimborn]

Desires

"Look at me," their voice said right from the pits of hell. I held onto my defiance. I held onto it like it was all I had left.

In a way, it was. My defiance and my attitude were the only thing standing in between my desires.

"Hero," they exclaimed, and this time their tone said they were not taking a no for an answer. Yet I refused to look at them. I can picture it now. Their irate face full of clenched jaws, and crossed arms.

It will send me to my knees. Funny how one person can make you forget your own morals.

Well, with their ability to influences others, I am not sure if it is my decision at all.

Yet I do not care.

Harsh footsteps landed on the tiled floor in determination. The sound echoed in the large, empty room. It bounced from wall to wall until the domed ceiling stopped it from going any further.

Then I could not ignore them any longer, not when my face was forced to gaze upon that beautiful face. I was right; their face is the picture of impatience.  A twisted smile played on those lips, and their icy blue eyes were all too narrow as they stared intently at my face. Even the back of the chair was working in their favor. It trapped me until I was unable to move under the unforgiving grip.

"What the hell do you want?"

"Hero, darling," they tsked, "you know what I want." Those eyes fixated on the fresh scar – too pink and noticeable under the natural lighting. A graze of a thumb made me attempt to shrink back - even if there was nowhere to go.

I cannot fall for them. I cannot fall from grace. But my body is betraying me. The butterflies in my stomach rolled around like they owned my body; possessing it. "Be rational, do not go through life guided by feelings," my advisor said.

But he did not say it would feel so good to just give in. And I wanted to give in.

Or is it the desire to be loved? I am not quite sure.

"Unless you want me to say it," they sneered as I continued to look at the floor. Somehow my hand found its way to their wrist, and there it rested on the delicate tendons. Those so-called delicate tendons moved as their thumb caressed my face. "Do you want me to render your body powerless? Speak to you with honeycombed words." They leaned closer, and my stomach betrayed me once again, "be warned, I will do it with too much pleasure on my end."

"You wouldn’t dare," I said, my voice sounding all to breathless. I cleared it, but by the raised of their brows, they already detected the raspiness.

Their eyes once again went to the scar, "Honey, after what he did to you, he needs to die." A small smile played on their lips. "And surprise," they said, soft with affection. "You are the only one who can kill him. So, I will dare." They leaned closer, "kill him or I will remove your choice."

[atlastimborn]

The ghost at night

"Your wrists are so tiny," the villain muttered, something unreadable in their dark eyes. They had the hero's wrist close to their face, examining it as if it were the most fascinating thing in the world. They were so close ... too close for comfort. The hero tried to put distance between them, but the wall was already at their heel.  

"Oh, piss off," the hero growled, mustering every bit of their last courage. 

A smile flashed on the villain's face, and they leaned in closer causing Hero to move back until their skull knocked against the brick wall. Villain leans in until their lips brush the shell of their ear, and blew air into their ear - a taunt too see their reaction. Hero can’t help but react, squirming under the villain, trying to break free. This only delighted villain, villain's small laugh sends shivers down hero's spine. If it wasn't for the support of the wall they would be sent to their knees. 

"To do that, you have to make me," the villain whispered. Hero squirmed even more. The villain pushed them further into the wall. "Are you going to fight me?" they taunted. 

The hero regretted saying yes to the villain. Ever since the hero agreed to train with them, it has been lesson after lesson in anger management. The villain's endless taunts and 'innocent touches,' which they claimed were accidental, drove the hero insane. The villain ruins everything. They sure as hell ruin the hero’s nights, the villain haunted their tired mind like they paid rent.

"Fight me, hero," the villain growled, slamming the hero's wrist into the wall. The hero groaned at the impact. "Push me away."

So the hero did exactly that. They used their suppressed anger in each attempt to push away the villain. At last, the villain was on the ground, and the hero marched out of the room as if hell was opening up. And maybe it has.

[atlastimborn]

"I will gladly make them suffer," the demon said. "After all misery is my entertainment."

His slithering eyes turned to me, " And you, my dearest." the demon smiled, "You by far were the most entertaining of them all."

[atlastimborn]

"Wait." villain said urgently, their voice out of breath, " just wait. Just - please."  

Hero stopped the iron pipe from slamming into villain's exposed side. Hero stared at them with amusement.  Because this is all fun and games for them, but for the villain who could not move... 

Villain's hands were about their head, chains wrapped around their wrist leaving their bodies completely exposed to hero for whatever they wanted to do. 

Villain moved, causing the chains to clink together. Their legs gave out, sending all of their weight onto their wrists. The smile on hero's face grew as they saw villain scrambling to get their feet under them.

"I'm listening villain." 

"I - hero," their voice was scratchy. It only amused hero more, "I don't know what you want. I don't know. Please just stop this." 

"That's what you stopped me for," hero sneered, bringing the pipe down hard on the villain's side. Villain cried out, pulled against the chains. Desperate. Too desperate.

"I already told you what I want villain," they said their name with hatred, it rolled off of their tongue like venom. They forced the villain's head up with the sharp end of the pipe - their neck laid bare for whatever the hero wanted to do. "I want you to tell me where your base is."

Villain's eyes widened in fear, knowing the consequences of revealing such information. "I - hero. Please," villain begged. The pipe dragged down their neck.

villain forced themselves to take a breath and speak, "Both sides, heroes and villains, agreed." villain paused to gasp for breath, "We agreed we would never reveal this to each other."

Hero pushed the pipe into villain's neck right above their larynx, a threat. "Hero," villain whispered. "You were the one to propose the idea."

"Oh darling, do you think it's the time for an argument?" Hero dragged the pipe down from their throat onto their heaving chest, leaving a trail of red in its wake. 

"What happened to you?" villain screamed, their voice raspy, "You never would have enjoyed somebody else's suffering a year ago."

"Well, a lot of things can change in a year. " Hero smirked, "I'm thinking about joining the other side. Level out the playing field first.

Hero had already captured and killed three other villains, the most prominent and important members. Villain took precautions to avoid hero but it clearly wasn’t enough.

"Hero," villain begged.

Hero dropped the pipe from their chest and took a step back. "You can either join me or be dead with the rest of them. Your choice."

In the end, villain did join hero, but not to save their own life but for the sake of saving the hero. 

Besides it wasn't the hero's fault for becoming something they never wanted to become. The world ignored their suffering, saying they could handle it, and gave hero trials that nobody possible could withstand alone. Then the hero broke.

And the world finally paid attention.

The villain knew the process well. And they will try like hell to save the hero from themselves.

[atlastimborn]

dead (inside and out)

The villain knew this was the end.

It was a dark, cold night. The kind of night that made you want to curl up under a warm blanket and forget about the world outside. But for the villain, there was no escape from the harsh reality of their actions.

Rain fell from the sky like teardrops, each drop splattering on the ground and creating pools of mud. The trees, once full and vibrant, were now mere limbs of themselves; empty and lifeless. The only sound that could be heard was the swinging of the trees, and the rain as it crashed onto the ground.

The villain lay on the ground, their body drenched in rain. They stared up at the gray clouds, their mind lost in a sea of regret and guilt. The rain fell onto their skin, but they didn't move. They were numb, both physically and emotionally. The coldness seeped into their skin, their mind, and their soul. They shivered, the only sign of life in the dead all around them.

But the villain knew that they were not alone. They could sense someone nearby, lurking in the shadows. They could hear the whispers and footsteps of the hero, their arch-nemesis. The villain could easily identify the hero by just their footsteps alone.

The villain closed their eyes and listened to the sound of the hero's footsteps as they approached. They could feel their heart racing, knowing that this was the end. They had been on the run for so long, but now they were finally done.

As the hero stood in front of them, the villain slowly raised their eyes to meet the familiar face. The only one who they really considered a friend, as pathetic as it sounds. The hero's eyes were dark, their fists clenched in determination. The villain knew that there was no escaping this fate.

But as the hero prepared to strike, the villain couldn't help but feel a sense of admiration for their adversary. They had been playing this game of cat and mouse for so long, and now it was coming to an end. The villain couldn't help but wonder if things could have been different if they had made different choices.

But it was too late for regrets now. The hero raised their weapon, ready to deliver the final blow. As the rain continued to fall and the trees continued to sway, the villain closed their eyes and accepted their fate. For in the end, they knew that they were the architect of their own downfall.

[atlastimborn]

injured and cold

The wind moved the curtain back and forth; the curtain brushed against the hero's leg as it moved with the freezing wind outside.

The thin blanket did nothing against the wind. The hero long lost feeling in their fingers and toes; the aching pain was long gone before they even climbed through the window. The reason could have also been behind the blood loss, but the hero chooses to downplay all their injuries. This one was no different, even if their blood soaked into the mattress, and was dripping onto the wooden floor, or the freezing rain and wind was causing them to go into hypothermia. Their body was weak, and their eyes too heavy for them to help themselves, but they would not ask for help.

The bed creaked on the other side of the dark room. The hero's eyes opened, darting aimlessly to where the sound came from.

"Hero," villain sneered.

It wasn't hero's choice to share the same room as villain. There were only 3 rooms in the cottage that they were staying in, the other room being the owners of the cottage and the small bathroom. Hero could have chosen to sleep on the porch, but the cold wind chilled their back even in here.

"Hero," the villain sneered again, "Why the hell do you have the window open?" The bed croaked again as the villain got up, and started to walk over to the window, "If you are punishing yourself for last night, how about you do it with me out of the room?" Villain stood over the hero's beds. their hands aimlessly feeling the mattress to climb onto it and shut the window, "You self-righteous prick," the villain mumbled.

Hero felt the mattress dip, it rolled their body towards the villain. The sound of the windows slamming shut made hero jump.

"What did I just kneel in?" villain yell with disgust in their voice hurrying off the bed. The villain scuffled around in the dark mumbling curse words. The sound of metal rings hitting a glass lamp rang in the room. Light flooded the hero's sense. The hero groaned, covering their eyes.

Villain was looking at hero with wide eyes; their eyes looking the hero's arm, and the blood-soaked mattress.

"Hero," the villain said softly. They truly looked shocked, much like a deer in headlights. Their wide eyes took in every inch of hero, before they grab their bleeding arm, "what the hell happened to you."

The hero pulled their arm back, at least tried too. "Don't," the hero said softly.

"don't what Hero? "Don't rescue you from the dead." The villain said with a raised voice. "What the hell?" They ripped the thin blanket off hero, the hero protesting, grasping at the blanket before it was torn out of their hands. The hero's body was embarrassingly shaking. They wished they could control it.

"Please. just stop". The hero said through chattering teeth.

Villain glanced up at hero, shaking their head slowly. "Your arm is cut to the bone." They took the blanket and wrapped it tightly around the hero's arm. The hero squirmed.

"I'm aware."

The villain said after a stunned silence, enough that the owls outside could be heard, "And were you going to do something about it?"

The hero didn't respond. 

The villain got up and went to their own bed. Relief flooded through the hero. The villain gave up interest. They will get up and tend to their own wounds, even if stitching it would be unbearable.

With a look behind them, the villain tore the blanket off of their own bed and walked towards the hero. Villain was not done. The hero groaned internally, catching the villain's eye.

They closed their heavy eyes, welcoming the feeling of sleep that begged to be obeyed.

"Keep your eyes open," the villain scoffed, "I need you awake and alive for the healer," they draped the blanket on the hero, tucking it under their body.

The hero ignored them. The blanket brought warmth, adding to their tiredness.

"What did I just say? Open your eyes hero" villain demanded in his alpha tone, the same voice they use to command their people.

Hot rage shoots through the hero's veins. They forced their eyes open and stared at villain. if looks could kill the villain would have been dead.

"Don't you dare command me with the alpha voice. I don't belong to you or your court. "

The villain raised their eyebrows and looked down at the hero with a smirk on their face, "I wouldn't be so sure about that. Your eyes are open now," They leaned in, and their hot breath touched their face. The hero shivered. It did not go unnoticed by villain. They whispered, “ether obey me or I will gladly force your eyes open."

[atlastimborn]

The Hero bit back a hiss as they lifted their right arm to open the door of their house. The slight movement of their injured arm sent nerves of pain shooting from their shoulder to their hand, almost sending them to their knees. The hero, instead, used their left arm to open the door and stumbled inside. They didn't even bother to go to their bed, instead carefully laid themself facedown on the couch, their injured arm dangling off the cushions, fingertips brushing the floor. 

The Hero closed their heavy eyes, completely oblivious to the window sliding open, and footsteps nearing them. 

A brush of skin across the hero's cheek caused the hero to wake up abruptly. They groaned as they forcefully moved their body to sit up and look around. The hero nearly missed the shadow that leaned in the doorway, arms crossed, and a hood covering their entire face. 

They felt adrenaline rush into their veins, leaving them shaking as they stared at the villain. 

"Holy shit. I just can’t get away from you," the hero mumbled. They hated how their voice betrayed them, sounding out of breath. 

"Are you drunk?" 

The hero mumbled nonsense, their brain too tired to think of a cunning lie. 

"I asked you a question hero."

"Arms broken." The hero said softly. Saying this out loud, a weakness that the villain can exploit, surprised Hero. The pain must really be doing a number on them.

They watched the villain carefully for any sudden movements. Hero's left hand went for the knife in their boot.

villain looks sternly at their face, and then at the limp arm resting on their leg. Their gaze finally rested on their left arm and on the knife. Villain raised an eyebrow, "Sounds delightful."

Their head spun from staring at the villain in the dark, so much so that they felt like they were going to pass out. Their head drooped onto the pillow. 

"I like you weak," the villain said, their voice a little closer than before, "Makes my job easier."  

Hero could have easy fought their way out of this before. But not now. They could not turn their head fast enough before villain stood infront of him. They were powerless as villain lunged at them.

They tried muffled a scream as the villain's hand flew towards their throat, and the other grabbed their wrist, "Stay down," the villain growled in warning, the villain's face inches from their own.

"What do you want?" 

"Information," their warm breath sending chills down their spine. "Drop the knife"  they demanded as they readjusted their grip on the hero's arm.

"Villain," the hero said, pleading. Please just leave. Not tonight, not after the bad day they had. “I can’t-“

The villain yanked the hero's arm in a swift, and upper motion, leaving the hero screaming in pain as their arm was dislocated from its joint. 

"Look what you made me do."

[atlastimborn]

Cain

enemies to lovers

-----------

The wood cracked in the fireplace. The heat of it warmed the cabin. Ava was telling a story that everybody was invested in. Even Cain. His smile and relaxed body made me happy for him. For what reason? I have no idea. Cain is an evil bastard. But seeing him happy warmed a certain part deep in me. 

I felt Cain's eyes on me. and I continued to ignore him. I see how he acts in his court; intimidating those around him and inflicting harm on anyone who dared to merely exist in his presence.  I wouldn't give him the satisfaction, even if my blood was leaking down my back. Still, I couldn't resist glancing at him. His dark eyes were heavy and suffocating, his expression stern as he lounged in the rocking chair by the fire, legs stretched out in front of him.

I know ghost pipes grew in these parts. They are rare, but I surprisingly found two clusters of them today. The pain I am feeling would be sedated if I got some. I just have to find the energy to go outside to collect some.

The fire continued to crackle and Cains eyes continued to stare.

I finally made up my mind to gather some, partly motivated by Cain's gaze that left me restless for relief. I could feel his eyes on me as I stepped out of the cabin, and into the open air.

The night was setting in; the sun was gone, leaving the air frigid. I staggered out, losing my balance, but catching myself. The back of my shirt felt wet. I refused to even allow Frank to wrap it up but insisted on just letting it run its course. The cold wind brushed against my wet shirt, leaving me shivering in its wake. 

The ghost pipes were a short distance away, the pale mushrooms pointed to the sky. I staggered over, grunted as I picked one up, careful not to grab the whole cluster.

“What is that?” a voice asked behind me. I nearly dropped the ghost pipe, spinning around to see Cain’s amused expression as he regarded the plant in my grasp.

"What the hell," I managed to say through clenched teeth.

He raised his eyebrows in annoyance like he couldn't stand to repeat himself. And I bet he never had to. Everybody cowers in fear of him. They watch him constantly like he is the predator and they are the prey. If they took their eyes off of him for one second, he would pounce.

"What is that?" he asked with clipped words. 

I met his gaze, smirking as I lifted the plant. "You know if I took too much of this, it would paralyze my lungs, and I would die. I bet you would enjoy that wouldn't you?" I lowered my arm, preparing to break a piece off. Without warning he drew closer. His fingers wrapped around my wrist. Fear coursed through me; maybe revealing that information hadn’t been wise. He would relish using it against me. With a swift motion, he snatched the ghost pipe from my grasp. I stumbled back, narrowly avoiding the precious cluster at my feet.

He stood there with the ghost pipes in hand. His expression remained undisguisable. "What is your problem?" I said.

His face was a mix of confusion and irritation. "And I can trust you with this?"

I staggered away from him, knowing that another cluster was nearby. I could hear his heavy footsteps following me through the dark woods. "You better not throw that away. They are rare" I said. Anger pushed away all other emotions. The most important one: fear.

"Your back looks horrible."

"I bet you would enjoy seeing it" I sneered. He laughed, the deep sound rolled through the empty woods. 

"Let me look at it." 

"Get away from me" 

 spotted another cluster ahead, marking its location in my mind. He was too close to seize it easily, so I would have to act fast and take a bite before he could interfere.

"Blood is leaking down your legs."

"Why do you care? Unless it is for your own sick pleasure."

I reached the ghost pipes and quickly bent down to pick one, my vision blurring. One easily uprooted. I heard him make a sound as I took a bite from the root, dirt and all.  It crunched in my mouth, a bitter taste made me want to spit it out. I nearly did. But Cain rushing towards me made me swallow the bitter medicine.

"Dammit Bea," he screamed trying to get closer to me. i was too fast this time. "And if I find you paralyzed, and struggling to breath, what am I supposed to do?"

"Besides get turned on?" 

His eyes crinkled with disgust. He shook his head, "You really think that low of me."

Of course, I did. As did everybody else. He proved himself to be nothing but disgusting. Yet when I saw him with others unaware of his true nature, he transformed before my eyes���his anger replaced by laughter and insanity replaced by understanding. The last two days had left me confused; I could not discern who he is anymore. But the remember of who he was, and what he has done filled me with disgust.  Anyone capable of the things deserved all the hatred they received.

"You proved yourself to be nothing other than a disgusting person," I hissed. His face fell more. 

"Maybe that's all an act to keep those people in place. After all that court is made of disgusting creatures."

"Yes. And those are your people."

He continued to stare at me, and then he looked down at the ground, almost looking defeated. "Your back needs attention."

"Maybe,"  I mumbled, wanting to retreat to the cabin.  Watching him act like a puppy that was kicked messed with my head. It was all becoming too much. I walked past him, and he watched me with downcast eyes.

Surprising me, he lifted his gaze. With eyeybrows raised in a challenege, he said, "it needs it now."

I walked faster. It did not take much for him to catch up to me.

"Right now" he insisted.

I swallowed my fear. Braced my feet, and turned towards him. "All right. Give me back my ghost pipes then." He laughed under his breath.

"Well if you think me of such a horrible person then I don't mind doing this," he whispered. I let the fear course through me. Before I could do anything he was rushing at me. His warm hands grasping my body, and the cold ground connecting. I dropped to the ground like a stone. I might have had a chance to fight him off before this wound, but the bleeding made me weak. 

"You really wanted to see it that bad for your own pleasure," I yelled. I tried to get my hands under me but failed.

He laughed at my attempt. His hand laid hot on my stomach. "Bleeding out makes you weak, doesn't it,"

I mumbled profanities. But that only made him smile more. My hands began to tremble.

"Since I am the big bad wolf, I just have to see this wounds.”

He rolled me onto my side. I tried to claw at him, but it was futile. "It needs to be cleaned," he said softly, "and we have to consider whatever you took."

Disbelief washed over me. It was like he had a split personality. "You actually want to clean the wound?"

"Yes." His hand cautiously traced the area around the injury, and I hissed in pain. He quickly withdrew his hand. "And I need to stitch it up before you bleed out." He paused before adding, "As the villain I am, I just need to get my fix. Watching you writhe in pain with each stitch I thread through your skin will certainly be satisfying."

[atlastimborn]

Unlovable

I couldn't tell how far away the wall was from me; it came in and out of focus. I reached out and touched it, but I reached too far and scraped my fingers. I could hardly feel the pain of the scarped fingers or from the cuts all over the rest of my body. That made me grateful - the feeling of emptiness. The world spun as I lay there with heavy eyes; I watched it spin around, and around before I finally fell asleep.

At the sound of approaching footfall, I open my eyes. A figure is approaching from the alley. As I continue to watch, shoes come into view. I can see the details of their worn shoes as they approach the place where I am hidden. Expecting them to walk past without spotting me, I close my heavy eyelids. I will only be discovered when my corpse begins to decompose. I smiled at the prospect that I would finally be free in death.

The sound of their shoes stops abruptly.  I reluctantly open my eyes again to find the pair of shoes standing motionless in front of me. All they had to do was turn, and they would see my leg poking out from behind the cardboard boxes. Even if I could move my heavy leg, I wouldn't dare since it would bring too much attention to me. 

The shoes gradually moved away. I could see them slowly pass me in my hazy state of consciousness.

My name is spoken, muffled, and swept by the wind. Another whisper, closer this time. I grudgingly open my eyes. 

The figure who meets my gaze is a blur of dark colors.  The color of the walls behind him makes it hard to distinguish between him and the wall. I looked closer to discern it from the wall, it only made me tired with the effort. 

The figure moves closer, their face appears more put together. I recognized the harsh traits and groaned internally; it was the villain. Their eyes meet mine. I never noticed it before but their eyes were a beautiful blue. I think the only reason I noticed their eyes was because of how wide they were. I surely can't look that bad. I lowered my gaze to the ground, and was surprised to see the same shoes that were here moments ago.

They looked shocked and whispered, "What happened?" I remain emotionless and silent; I just want to be left alone. They continue to look at me with an unwavering gaze. I force my head to turn to avoid his eyes.

He completed the distance between us, and crouched down; the sound of his knees cracking made me sick. I  forced myself to roll over so that my forehead touched the wall and closed my eyes again.

The villain is known to be manipulative.  I can beg all I want for them to leave me alone, but they won't. They will only consider the profit they will earn from helping me. The superhero will eat it up. 

The villain's hand touches my shoulder.

"Well look who we have here," he whispered sarcastically," a real-life hero."

"Leave," I croak.

He laughed under his breath, "Leave you here for dead?"

I remain silent. I felt his eyes on me, making me squirm under his gaze. I felt like an ant under a magnifying glass.

"Unless that's what you want," he says. I raise an eye to him. I must have looked astonished because he continued to say, "I see how you stand too long in the middle of a fight, seemingly expecting to get hit. I can see the disappointment on your face as you are pulled away." He then added, "It always seemed like you wanted to get hurt."

"Leave," I whisper again.

"Why would I leave you here to die? Cause that's what's going to happen. You will die here alone in this filthy alley." 

His voice drones away as I close my eyes.

"Hey," he exclaims, "are you listening" he places his hand in my shoulder. I groan, and try to push him away. He places his fingers on my eyelids and prys them open. I am forced to stare at him, too weak to shake him off. My eyes roll to the back of my head. He finally releases me.

"The idea that you want me to leave you here to die doesn't seem all that crazy to me." he pauses, I suppose waiting for a reaction. "You want me to leave your body to rot in this alleyway? To die an undignified death."

I felt his body heat as he leaned into me. He grabbed my jaw with enough force that I opened my eyes to look at him, "Oh hun", he whispered. "Do you really think that you are this unlovable? This worthless?"

[atlastimborn]

Promise?

They gazed up at the villain, only to find that they were already looking down at them." Will you stop staring?" the hero sneered, irritated. It simply made the villain grin.

"Well, I got to make sure that you can't hurt me." The villain cocked an eyebrow and said under their breath, "Or yourself."

The hero wasn't sure if the villain intended for them to hear the final portion, but they did. This simply made the hero even more enraged. "How about you fuck off?" 

"Weren't you the one who showed up on my doorstep?" the villain said, "I mean, I didn't invite you, and here you are, dirtying up my couch with your filthy body."

"Well, sorry," scoffed the hero.

They started to get off the couch, using both their arms to try to get up. Their body was still shaking, much like a spiderweb in the wind. Their pale forehead gleamed with a cold sweat with the effort. The whole time the hero mumbled about places they would rather be, but only came here because the villain owed them. It wasn't until the second attempt at getting up, and a lot of pained groans with it, that the villain intervened, pushing them back down on the couch.

The villain rolled his eyes, and said, "Well if I would have it all over again, I wouldn't have allowed you to save my life." Their hand was still on their chest. The heat of it only caused the hero to groan in pain.

"and then you would be dead," the hero grunted with closed eyes.

"Wouldn't you wish? We are great enemies and all." They paused, and then added,  "I am frankly surprised you even trust me when you are at your weakest. If I just killed you now it would solve all my problems."

The hero looked at the villain with wide eyes, trying to figure out what the enemy was implying. They only returned an expressionless stare, not breaking eye contact until the villain walked away, leaving the hero staring at a blank wall. The villain circled the couch, the floorboards groaned under their weight, and came to a halt behind them. The hero strained their neck to see them, but they could only bear to move their neck so far.

"You must be really desperate and friendless to show up here for help. I thought you heroes fought in groups?" They mocked. The villain's hand came to a rest on the back of the couch, near their shoulder. 

The shame of being so easy to read, enough that the villain knew they didn't have anyone, made them feel ashamed. The hero clenched their jaw. Involuntarily, they scratched at their skin, leaving raised red marks. 

The villain walked into the hero's line of sight again. "Sore subject?" the villain mocked, eyeing the marks. Their eyes met, and the villain smiled, "Be honest. If I just killed you now, would anybody miss you?" 

The hero felt shivers run down their spine. The hairs on the back of their neck, and arms stood up.   They started to come up with different scenarios of what the villain could do to them. This only made the panic worse. With the ability to only move as their wounds permitted, they knew that speed, nor strength was going to be with them. 

 They looked at the door, only so many feet ahead. Their eyes landed on the villain once again - their eyes staring blankly at them. "Leaving?" the villain asked.

The hero gulped. They started to get up, and all the while, the villain stared blankly at them, watching them struggle. The hero couldn't even raise their leg without grinding their teeth in pain. "I wouldn't even bother. You wouldn't even make it one inch." The villain said. The hero ignored them and, slowly and painfully, stood up. 

"Sit down," the villain softly, much like a parent scolding a young child. The hero ignored them. The villain clenched their teeth, and said  "Sit down before I make you sit."

"you really are a bastard you know that, "the hero grunted. Their chest heaved up and down. They leaned against the couch for support.  "You can't even keep a promise."

"I'll tell you what I think," Villain yelled, spit flying out of their mouth. They pointed their finger at them. The villain moved closer to them, close enough that they could feel the heat radiate off of them, making them even more sick, "I think you should have left me for dead. But you were too big of a wimp to do that." The villain grabbed their throat and pushed them back down onto the couch. The hero fell like dead weight.

The villain forced their head sideways and lowered their mouth to the hero's ear. Their hot breath sent shivers down the hero's spine. The hero tried to move away. The villain only tightened their grip, bruising the hero's skin. The villain laughed an ugly laugh, and whispered into their ear, "You really should have left me for dead."  

[atlastimborn]

Brick Walls

The brick walls echo the violence that is occurring there. With every punch and every kick, the hero continues to endure much more than he needed to. There he lays, beaten but he refuses to fight back. The two men surround him, saliva flying out of their mouths and with bloody fists, demanding money that he is withholding.

The physical pain subdues the mental anguish he is going through. The guilt and shame of letting him down, the only person who has ever been there for him, tortures his soul. He wants to punish himself. But the pain is almost too much too bear. "I deserve this," he thinks to himself as he is forced to stand. Another punch to his nose make his eyes water, and sending to his knees. With another kick to the stomach, he doubles over, breathing heavily, and falls on his side.

One of the men bends down to where the hero lays, unmoving, and bleeding. The man makes the hero sit up, and wraps his arm around the hero's neck, and force him to his feet once again. His legs, weak from blood lose, struggle under him. 

The man drags him to the brick wall; and force his back against it. The man puts his forearm across the hero's neck and his hand on his jaw, forcing his head up.

"Just give us the money." The man says to him, his breath hot on his check, making the hero squirm under him. "Just give us the money and we will stop."  The hero's ribs protest; blood clouded his eyes, but he will not happy until he passes out from the pain.

"Do you have a death wish." the accomplice yells behind them.

"Take his shoes off," the accomplice says while walking over. "We didn't check there." The man holding him tightens his grip on his neck as hero moves under him. The hero did have the money there. But he wasn't finished yet. 

The man holding him laughs, and yells "It's definitely there. Look at him squirm." The man pushes the side of his head against the wall, and leans in close to his ear, whispering "I bet you are a rich motherfucker. You just refuse to give it up. "

With his shoes pulled off, the accomplice looks into his shoe to pull out a $80. Hero knew when he had enough, he would have to give them something to make them stop. 

The accomplice holds the bills up. They both have their eyebrows raised in disbelief. "There has to be more." the man says, "why else would he hold out for this long." He looks at the hero with furrowed brows. He then grabs the hero's neck with both of his hands, squeaking hard until hero was wheezing for air. 

Panic overtook him, and human nature kicked in. The money was not enough to deter them. He grabs the man's wrist and tries to push it away, attempting to say, "that's all I have," but he couldn't even breath.

The man releases hero. "Thats it," hero gasped, more blood dripped into his eye.

"You are lying" the man screams. The man throws him to the ground. The accomplice smiles as the man raises his foot to kick the hero. The kick hits his already bruised stomach, sending an eruption of pain through him, a pain that is not unlike a broken rib. He rolls over so that his back will take the hits. "I had enough" he thought as he laid there too weak to fight back. It's been a while since he was completely powerless, and he definitely didn't miss the feeling.

His body felt oddly warm, specifically around his head. He didn't realize it but it was the pool of blood that was keeping him warm. The thick liquid surrounded him, making him both weak and warm. As the blood left him, he grew even more faint. 

 A hand touches his arm, and he flinches away. The hand grabs his face, too gentle for the attackers. But is vison was cloudy, he couldn't see who it was. He lay there waiting for the man to react, to hurt him, but the pain never came.

"Hey" a voice whisper softly. "Hey, it's me." A soft fabric was pressed to his eyes. He flinched, bashing his head against the ground. "Stop fighting," the voice said. They wipe their eyes with the fabric again, and this time he didn’t flinch back.

He opens his eyes to find villain standing there with a concerned expression. Why of all people did it have to be villain?  And how did he find him?  This was villains' chance to end it once and for all. Oh, how easy it would be too do so. The hero braced for the blows.

Villain touches the wounds on his face. "What the hell are you doing. You could have easily fought back." Shame and guilt washed through him of being caught. Now he is going to have to fabricate why he couldn't fight these men. It was best to stick close to the truth. He mumbled, "getting robbed".

"Getting robbed," villain mocked, "You could have easily taken both of them at the same time. It was almost like you wanted to be beat." Villains' brows furrowed, and it felt like he was looking at him closer, looking past his physical body and into his mind. Villian looked at him until his expression changed into something of a "I figured it out" expression.

"Get up," villain scoffed.

"So you can do what?"

"So that I can help you." The hero raised his eyebrows. There had to be a reason why villain is acting like these, some kind of end game. The villain never did anything for anyone except if it benefited him. 

"No. I can take care of myself," the hero mumbled.

"You -" villain said breathing deep, and looking up at the night sky, "you are lying in a pool of your own blood. You should see how pathetic you look."

"Well, you could stop looking and leave."

"If you can take care of yourself, then get up and prove it." But hero couldn't prove it. His body was tired, and he felt weak all over. Even raising his head caused his vision to swarm. He just needed rest before getting up. Maybe closing his eyes will be a death sentence, but he would welcome death with open arms.

Something pulled him up. Villain had him under the arms and was pushing him against the wall. But it only made hero freak out.

"Stop it." villain sneered, pushing him even harder against the wall, "I'm only getting you up. Stand still."  He did as he was told.

"Stop closing your eyes," the villain said. The hero opened his eyes. The villain took a deep breath. "Don't close them again." 

Walk" the villain instructed, leaving the hero to stand alone. They staggered around like a newborn deer. The villain stood close ready to catch them if they fell.

"Why? So, you can kill me somewhere else. No, I'll just stay here," the hero mumbled, trying to sit down, but the villain stopped them. 

"How about you just shut up for once and listen. We are going to my house to get you cleaned up. Do you see the state you are in?"

Villain eyed hero and said, "And I am thinking that you could have taken those guys easily, but you wanted this to happen"

"Just leave," hero said quietly. "I don't need your help."

The villain's patience was thinning.

"Thats it. You are either walking yourself or I am carrying you. And if I have to carry you, you are going to have to pay." 

"Just-" the hero trailed off with a deep breath. "Just go” he sneered.

"You made your choice."

[atlastimborn]

How come I see you in the rain?

Heavy clouds erupt in their anger; trees swing violently back and forth against the brutal force of the wind. The cold muddy ground I am sitting on leaves me shivering. The sound of the rain hitting the tin roof sounds like gunshots, and bodies falling. I grimace at the remembrance of what happened just a few hours ago. My body refuses to even let me forget due to the pain that can be hardly ignored. I sit still, hoping to stop the pain, but there's no relieving it

The boys went home with her. As soon as she was rescued and out of harm's way, they drove off to their medics. I didn’t even know they had left. I only knew when the headlights lit up red, and the sound of thecar changing gears, leaving me on the ground with the people that we had just fought surrounding me.

I didn’t have anywhere to go. So, I just walked, if you can call it that.  And here I am, in an unknown location, leaning against a random building in the freezing rain.

“There you are?” a voice erupts loudly over the sounds of the rain on the tin roof. I painfully jerk my head to the left. The body that stood there was clad in black from head to toe. His hood made it hard to see his face. There was something in his right hand. I looked closer, squinting against the rain, a long pipe.

A shiver runs through my body. There is no way I can win this fight, not in the conditions I am in. My limbs are too heavy to even lift a hand to my face. I need a plan that involves running away. Even if that seems impossible, I am still going to try to survive.

The horror of the metal pipe hitting my flesh motivates me to turn my head slightly to the right. The ground slopes downwards. In the ditch, blocks of concrete, and metal lay their abandoned. If I can move quickly, and fall into the ditch, I can hide in the concrete. While he is searching for me, I can crawl away. It’s a bad plan but that is the only way to avoid this man that stood only a few feet from me.

He takes a step toward me, bringing both of his hands up toward me. I move in response. Digging my heels against the mud, I use the building to help push myself off the ground. I moved quickly to the ditch. My leg gives out. I crawl towards it, rocks digging into my palm. Seeing the edge, I throw myself towards it. My eyes focused on where I was going to land a few feet down and brace for my body to hit the huge slabs of gray concrete below.

The ground stops moving abruptly during my freefall, and my body slams against the walls of the ditch. Wheezing sounds are heard against the rainfall. It took me a couple of seconds to realize it was me making the animal sounds. He has the collar of my shirt wrapped tightly around my neck, preventing my body from falling into the ditch. I grasp blindly onto the hands. He takes the chance to grab my hands.

Before I can even think about pushing myself away, the man pulls me up onto the ground. He sits ontop of me, not bearing his full weight, but nonetheless teh less I m trapped behind the man. The pipe lays an arm's length away from the man, easy to grab and use. With his legs on either side of me, he lifts his hands, I cover my face the best I could with a hand that was free from the weight of his leg.

“Hey” he says. “Look at me.”  Flinching, I open my eyes slowly.

It was villain. Villain who hunted me and tried to kill me at my home. The man who caused me to become homeless, the reason why I don’t have anywhere to go.

My chest feels heavy, it is hard to breathe. I struggle to move out from under his body, pushing with my shaking legs. It only caused him to tighten his legs against my body. 

“Wow I never seen you so weak.” he says as he takes my free arm, and sternly looks at a deep cut that runs from the crest of my elbow towards my hands. I pull back against him, but he fastens his grip.

There was no way I was going to beg for my life. Instead, I watch him closely. He meets my eyes and lifts a brow.

“Oh wow. Look at you. So brave even against all odds.” He smirks, moving his hip up slightly, I move under him, but that only caused him to place a hand against my stomach. The weight of his hand caused me to grit my teeth, a gasp at the sudden pain.

His eyes meet mine.  “You really are in bad shape.” He lifts my shirt. His face wavers a bit seeing my bare skin. I didn’t get the chance to look at it so I have no idea how extensive the damage is, but I can tell it's bad by watching his face waver into something that looks concerned.

“You are coming home with me.” he says flatly.

“Like hell I am.”

“Well, it looks like you don’t have no choice,” he looks down at me and fastens his grip on my wrist. “Unless you want to fight? I wonder who will win."

He gets off me while keeping a hold of my wrist. “Get up,” he says while supporting me.

“No. Get off” I try to push him away, but I am too weak and he doesn’t budge. Instead, he pushes me up onto my feet where I stagger, falling. He supports me with his arms, hunching down to meet my height. His other hand finds its place on my side, the place where a block of metal was flung. I move his hand down. It lays flat, radiating its heat into my side.

 I never was used to human touch. To have him this close to me, to feel his body heat against the cold rainy air felt weird. I never knew someone could generate so much heat. Being this close to him allowed me to notice features that I couldn’t see before; his dark long lashes heavy with rain, his dark eyes - almost black. His dark hair hung in wet curls against his forehead. I never noticed how beautiful he was. How human.

It scared me. I move away. “stop,” he demands. He nods his head towards the car, “We are almost there. Don’t fight me now.”

The car was a blue SUV. It looked to be in good shape considering what he does for a living. Through the windows, the interior looked too clean to be his. “Did you steal this?” I asked as he opened the passenger door.

“Did I steal it?” he says under a low laugh. “No, I actually make monthly payments. I would appreciate it if you didn’t mess up the interior.” He lowers me down to the seat, but I resist, knowing if I get in this car, I wouldn’t be able to escape when we go to his destination.

“Dont" He sneers.

“Where are we going?”

“Somewhere where I can treat your injuries.” He pushes me gently into the seat of the car. His hand reaches for the seatbelt.

“Why,” I ask, whispering. His dark eyes meet mine. It’s hard to see his pupil from his eye. The colors of each both match up too perfectly. I hear the click of the seatbelt.  He stays like that for a bit, with this hand on either side of me, making indents on the cushion of the seat.

“Why did they all leave you? I mean you were on the ground unconscious. There was room in that car."

I look down. His body is too close to me, I feel the heat rolling off him. His hands are trapping me in, one touching my thigh. His chest moves in and out at a fast rate. I pushed back against the seat as far as I could go. We are both silent for what feels like too long, before he sighs, and moves away from me.

“If you move, there will be consequences.” He says before he closes the door. Rain slams against the windshield, making the sounds you dream of sleeping into. If only this was the situation. If only I had a home to go to. Anger filled me as I remembered that he had taken my house from me. I don’t have a bed because of him. My hand flies to the seatbelt. Just then the sound of the door opening causes me to jump.

“What did I say,” he lunges towards my hand, grabbing it and pushing it away.