maybeitsalivescribbles

[maybeitsalivescribbles]

1 Word, 10 prompts

The word is: Retirement

You're welcome to use this, but please tag and/or reblog if you do. You can also give me any word to make prompts with.

An old Hero announces their retirement, and you know what happens to people about to retire. Everyone freaks out for their safety and makes sure they survive until they’re done for real.

A Villain barges in Hero’s apartment. “You are retiring?” “You knew where I was living all along?”

A Villain can’t retire, so they fake their death, with a little help from Hero.

A Hero desperately tries to retire, but it’s refused. They’re too useful. Only some insane plan could save them.

Citizen doesn’t take too well their recent retirement, so they take up Heroism/Villainy. What? Who said it was only reserved for young people? The world watches in stupor as they reveal themself to be very, very good at what they’re doing.

Villain announces their retirement in national television as dramatically as possible. Three days after, they’re bored as hell, but it’s not like they can go back like nothing happened.

Hero’s retirement party becomes a lot more chaotic after some surprising guests turn around.

Hero retires in three days. They have to solve every remaining problem in town in that lapse of time. Tick tock.

An old Sidekick retires so they can become a Supervillain and finally kick Hero’s ass.

To prove how evil they are, Supervillain decides to storm a retirement house. Everything is going great, until an old person in a wheelchair grasps their wrist with an icy look...and Supervillain can’t break free.

*

Wanna read about a retired Superhero learning some bad news? I have this old thing. Or about someone enjoying their retirement from this life? I have this relatively new thing.

Back to Hero x Villain Masterlist

[maybeitsalivescribbles]

Just so I know, how long do you like the snippets?

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[maybeitsalivescribbles]

* 101 snippets milestone *

Yep, I've reached that number (counting the prompts and every part of multipart stories, yes).

I guess I should make something to celebrate, but sleepy beddy byes zzz. I swear I have stuff finished and waiting but- later.

As always, if you've enjoyed the silliness, a reblog, comment or ask is welcome.

[maybeitsalivescribbles]

Sidekick in distress (3)

Part 1 part 2

Recap: A grumpy Detective, a magical Healer and a Sidekick run from a powerful Hero and Supervillain.

Detective was driving away as fast as they legally could from the town. Sidekick had spent half the time their back turned, trying to see if anyone followed them, but no one seemed interested in the grumbling car. Meanwhile, Healer was still trying to catch up:

“Let me get this straight. Sidekick-” they gestured towards the frozen teen on the backseats – “wants to escape from Hero, who was revealed as an unpleasant person.”

“That’s one way to put it,” Detective nodded, his hands clinching and clinching the wheel. A phone was humming somewhere close, forgotten by their owner, annoying the hell out of him.

“So you come to me for help...”

“Don’t dramatize,” Detective bristled. “I thought you could let the kid stay while I sort the thing out, that’s all.”

Healer tried hard not to roll their eyes at that and added:

“Then, you find Supervillain at my place, so you get rid of them by blaming Hero for my death.”

“Yep. What do you think? You know Supervillain better than us. Who’s going to win? ”

Healer tilted their head, rubbing their chin, then regretfully shook their head:

“I really can’t say. I never knew Hero that much.”

“Which means they don’t need a healer very often. Not reassuring. Kid, do you think- Kid?”

Sidekick started, looked at Detective, looked at Healer, and said:

“Sorry? I wasn’t listening-um- it’s been a weird day.”

A short silence settled. The teen stared at the car with disbelief. Their nails had left traces on the seats which had seen far worse, given their state. They turned their head around, whispering:

“I’m sorry I’ve caused so much trouble.”

“Hero’s trouble,” grumbled Detective. “I was trying to ask, is that your phone ringing?”

Sidekick blinked, shook themself, checked, and moaned.

“Eeeeer…”

“What?”

Unable to talk, Sidekick brandished the phone. The name of Hero was dancing on the screen. Detective swore.

“It’s like ivy, I goddamn swear!” he grumbled, parking the car as fast as he could.

“What do I do?” whispered Sidekick.

“Pick up,” said Healer. “We need to know if they’ve already met Supervillain.”

With shaking fingers, Sidekick accepted the call.

“What are you doing?” asked a familiar voice.

The teen curled on themself, but after a deep breath, they gritted their teeth and answered:

“That’s not your business. I won’t go with you anymore, ever. Why are you calling?”

“Just to tell you I understand. You’re a child, you don’t always know what’s good for you. I’m sorry you were hurt by the things I’ve said. I didn’t expect you to be this fragile.”

Sidekick clinched the phone hard in their hand. Hero was going on:

“We both need to make efforts, okay? That’s what you do with people. We’ll work this out. I won’t get angry.”

“You said I’d be found dead if I left.”

“You didn’t think that I was- ? Now now Sidekick, I was talking about villains, of course I was! I’m very worried about you, you know. You’re not safe on your own. I-”

There was a long, long cough.

“I didn’t want to worry you, but- I need help. Supervillain came while I was looking for you, I wasn’t ready and- they got me. ”

“ I’ll call an ambulance.”

“They won’t be able to go where I am. I need someone who flies.”

Sidekick pursed their lips, looking at their phone as it had bitten them.

“Where are you?” asked Hero softly.

The teen yelped in surprise when the phone was snatched out of their hands:

“Where they are, and they’re staying here,” snapped Detective in the receiver.

“Who are you?”

“I’m his father.”

Hero’s voice came out even gentler:

“I’m sorry I have bad news, sir. Your child-”

“-told me everything. Don’t try to find them again, or you’ll hear from my lawyers.”

“That’s a terrible misunderstanding, sir.”

“Then explain why you’re calling a child for help. In our town, there’s a thing called emergency services, and another called helicopter. They can get you. I can call them for you, if you want.”

“I need help fast-”

“Then don’t waste time complaining. Do you need help or not?”

The call was disconnected for all answer. Shaking his head, Detective gave it back to the teen:

“Don’t worry, kid, they’re bullshitting. They’re fine.”

Sidekick ripped it off from his hands, glaring like a teen can glare:

“Why did you do that? They’ll know you’re not my father!’

“Why? I thought they'd never interacted with each other.”

“Yeah, but I- I haven’t told my parents my pronouns.”

Detected looked a little surprised at first, then shrugged:

"Why not?"

Sidekick’s mouth curled.

“I’m beginning to know that face,” grumbled Detective. “What?”

“I don’t know,” mumbled Sidekick, looking aside. “It seems useless anyway.”

“What do you mean?”

The teen shrugged:

“I’m too old for puberty blockers. I guess it’s too late for me.”

“You don’t have to take anything to change pronouns,” said Healer softly.

“No. I wanted them all the same.”

The awkward silence that ensued was interrupted by an even more awkward cough. Healer cringed in anticipation, waiting for the disaster. It meant that Detective had something to say, and it looked as hard as pulling teeth.

The man rubbed their neck, saying slowly:

“Look kid- when I was your age, I don’t even know if these existed. Never heard about them. But I’ve done all right. I mean-” he looked at the cheap car and made a face - “on that point. And lots of other people as well.”

“Why would you have taken puberty...oooh. You mean, you are...?”

“Yeah.” Detective gave them a small smile. “I’m an old fart and I’ve lived through some things, all right? Even if you can’t get the supplies you need right now, you’ll never stop being you, and in the end you find a way if you hang on. It can be done. You’d be surprised of how much can be done.”

He closed his mouth. He looked like he had emptied his stock of meaningful things to say for the next decade, but judging by Sidekick’s expression, he hadn’t done too badly. Healer hastily leapt into the conversation:

“How do you think your parents are going to take it?”

“I don’t know. Hero said their own parents reacted badly and my own would too.”

“And what did you think they told you that”, said Detective tartly, “out of the goodness of their heart or to prevent you from getting help?”

Sidekick opened their mouth and tears shined in their eyes. Healers eyes glared daggers at Detective, their lips fashioning the words “bedside manner” in silence. He shrugged and squared his shoulders.

“All right, if we’re done with the emotional drama, maybe we could think of a plan. Healer, take the kid home. I’m going to come back and snoop around, see in how many pieces the two jerks are, and tell you how safe it is.”

“Plan B,” said Healer. “You’re staying with us and not risking your life. News will find out who survived eventually.”

Detective shoot a glare at them:

“I said “snoop around”, I’m not saying I’m going to show myself. If one of them really needs help, I have to anyway.”

“Let me come with you.”

“And leave the kid by themself? No. I’m going.”

*

Back to Hero x Villain Masterlist

[maybeitsalivescribbles]

Echoes from the past

Hero barged in the little hostel room, brandishing a newspaper and grinning from one ear to another:

“Did you see?” they excitedly asked. “Have you heard? It worked!”

The old Superhero, quietly sit in an armchair that had seen better days, smiled in return and said nothing back.

“The plan worked,” insisted Hero.

In a few steps, they went in front of them, putting the newspaper under their nose:

“You’ve been redeemed!”

The other looked at the papers and took a little sip from their cup:

“That’s good. Do you want some cocoa? I make very good cocoa.”

Hero waved away the invitation:

“Later. Don't you want to hear what the citizens say?”

“Oh, if I must.”

“Of course,” huffed Hero, a little annoyed by the lack of enthusiasm.

They threw the newspaper on the table, pacing the room instead of sitting down, waving their hands as they were talking:

“It was hard work, you know. Everyone thought you murdered not only Supervillain, but half the town with it.”

“I know. I was there.”

“However” - Hero puffed out their chest – “thanks to your indications, a very clever person that I shall not name – it's me, myself, I did it - investigated and realized that the machine that blew the city up could only have been triggered by Supervillain. Mad Scientist confirmed it.”

“Oh, they’re still alive?” asked Superhero, this time mildly intrigued.

“Yes, and they're doing fine, let me tell you. They still like to inflict pain, so they work on easy-open packaging these days. Quite a lucrative business, I’ve heard.”

“I see.”

“If you think really hard about it, it beats exploding people to bits. ”

Superhero reported their interest on their cup:

“What about Supervillain?”

Hero opened their big, innocent eyes wide. It suited them fine.

“What about them? Well, they're still liquid, as far as I know. They're not going to come back from that explosion. I guess they wanted to go while destroying their rival for good. They couldn't kill you, but they could kill your reputation, something like that.”

“I'm out of cocoa. Are you sure you don't want some?”

“Oh, all right.”

Superhero stood up and poured the promised drink. Hero took a little sip, thought for a while, then took one more. It was so peaceful in this little impersonal room, with the curtains half-drawn. It looked nice, but for them, it also looked, well – kind of boring.

“Don't you miss it?” they asked.

“The work?”

“What is there to miss?”

Hero waved:

“The action! The fights! The adrenaline! People looking at you with shining eyes!”

Superhero turned the faucet and washed the saucepan. That was important. It had to be done right away so they wouldn't spend hours scrubbing away the melted cocoa. Turning their back to Hero who was practically vibrating with impatience, they answered:

“All of that gets old, and so do you. My joints are not what they were anymore. At the end of the fight, there's another one as a reward. About the people, well – you saw how easily they turned against me. Not that they matter much. The ones you meet the most are your foes, and either you keep hating them, either things get... complicated.”

“Not with that Supervillain,” said Hero with disgust. “They were really the worst of them.”

“Yes,” agreed the older one, “they were.”

“It must have been horrible to fight a shapeshifter. Never being able to trust anyone, always being scared of them being around...”

Hero shivered.

“I'm glad no villains that I know have that power. When we fight, we fight, and then it's done. You don't have to be on the watch all the time. Thank you for getting rid of them. I mean it. You deserve all the gratefulness in the world.”

Superhero had a small smile.

“Thank you,” they said. “I guess I did that. All I want now is peace, a roof on my own, and enough for a cocoa cup from time to time.”

Hero's phone rang. They checked it and frowned.

“Oh, I gotta go. You know-”

“Yes, I know how it is. Good luck.”

The door closed. All of what was left of their guest was the newspaper they'd forgotten. On the first page, there was a photo of a younger Superhero. They were smiling shyly at the world, just under the word “redeemed”.

The room owner sighed, frowning, and stretched with a yawn. Their features melted. Their silhouette became much thinner. With age, it was getting harder to keep in shape – any shape that wasn’t theirs. Supervillain glared one last time at their dead nemesis:

“What?” they asked sourly. “That I could do for you.”

*

Back to Hero x Villain Masterlist

[maybeitsalivescribbles]

...and re-organized that.

Whump/Horror Masterlist

Encore: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 (ailess whumptober): Classical gothic horror story/ Music whump. Our Whumpee is a talented, reasonably famous and extremely weary pianist who dreams of a good night’s sleep after a long recital. Unfortunately, the count who hosts him for that day has other plans. And he’s very, very angry. Oops.

Chipped (augusnippets): Whumpee has been chipped, so Leader has to be careful.

Bee (febuwhump): Whumpee is bugwatching. Whumper, to the surprise of no one, is an asshole.

Rope Burns (febuwhump): Whumpee is rescued, but it doesn't mean that everything is great.

Obedience (febuwhump): Whumper wanted to twist the knife just a little too much. Whumpee, however, is...good at jumping I guess?

Helpless (febuwhump): After an explosion, Hero and Superhero have a not-so-sweet moment.

*

The Team™ Mini-Masterlist

The Team™ are three reoccurring characters who appear during whump events. We have:

Fighter: Quiet, loyal and down-to-earth, she's so confident in her fighting abilities and incredible strength she tends to get into serious trouble.

Mediator: Smart, sweet, and long-suffering, he wishes he could solve their problems pacifically. Until this happens, he’s fighting an uphill battle to make sure his teammates finally take care of themselves.

Leader: Boisterous, protective, and slightly insane, he hides behind wisecracks before reminding everyone how terrifyingly competent he is. He lost his right hand, but that doesn’t prevent him to be an expert fighter and knife thrower.

You can find them in:

Near Unbreakable, Part 1 and 2 (ailess whumptober) : The Team is forced to leave Fighter behind as an hostage. Not that she's worried, she can kick anyone’s ass and the tiny Whumper is obviously no match for her. Nothing bad should happen….right ?

Need a Hand ? (febuwhump): Fighter is back, unfortunately she’s not in a much better situation. Chained and locked in a cell with Mediator, they both try not to worry too much about the disappearance of their boss.

Fighting in the rain (feveruary) : While the Team is running for their lives, Fighter is nowhere to be found. I’m sure she’s fine.

*

And now for something mildly different:

Hero x Villain Masterlist

Fantasy Masterlist

[maybeitsalivescribbles]

I've updated this...

Hero x Villain Masterlist

Reverse chronological order. (prompt) indicates when the original idea is from someone else.

Feveruary 2025: Four short H&V prompts. Villains getting sick, Reporters getting poisoned, Heroes getting out of their depth, no one is spared.

Oh no they're kidnapped: Hero and Sidekick finally catch a kidnapper in action. Hero is surprisingly chill about it.

Sidekick in distress (+part 2): Detective is stuck with some scared child...and is now in serious trouble.

Uncanny Rescue: Henchman is valiantly saving Villain, but Villain has their eye on another prisoner.

Bad fashion: Designer decides to side with Villain: their side wears better clothes.

Augusnippets 2024: Want something short to read? Check this collection of lil’ snippets. Reporters having complicated relationships with Heroes, Supervillain giving great advice and heroes offering presents to foes, friends and families, it’s all in there.

Poll Prompt 1: Civilian is trapped in a strangely nice room. Meanwhile, Supervillain has a bit of a crisis.

The Fakers: Three heroes in a small town despair: there's no villain around. What can they do?

A taste of revenge: Supervillain doesn’t really mind the three young heroes who keep coming after him, until the fateful day everyone goes for ice cream. (ask)

Through the mirror : What’s the thing to do after having an epic fight with the local Villainess ? Drinking a couple of beers with her, of course. It’s only polite.

Crash Meeting (prompt): Detective tries to bring down Villain. They don’t succeed, but what they’ve just discovered might be even more important.

Jack-in-a-box Surprise: A bunch of civilians are stuck in the room with a villain taking the form of their worst fears. Good luck with that.

Pounding Headache (sicktember): Thief has a bad day. The burglary didn’t turn well, Villain turned on them, what better moment for a migraine to begin?

Gilded Cage (prompt): Villain has Hero trapped in a ghastly – wait actually, it’s a pretty cool apartment. That’s a trick, right?

Who dies, who lives (prompt): You’ve always been a fan of Superhero, and you don’t take too well that they’ve just been killed. Where’s your partner anyway?

To make a right (prompt): A gritty detective informs his unlikely friend and unanimously beloved superhero Sunblade that distasteful things were made in his name.

Mind-Melting (prompt) part 1 and 2: Hero has a lot to do between an amnesic Supervillain, an emo teen Sidekick, and a cat. One of them is much more powerful than the others. One of my first posts here so the style is, ah, certainly made of words.

Detective x Thief

Cold Case (for sicktember): A detective gets hired to find a stolen painting. Unfortunately, he catches a cold before catching the culprits.

Cold Meeting (prompt): This detective really wishes this client would leave him in peace. He might have secrets of his own.

Recurring concepts/characters

These Two Dorks Masterlist (mostly fluff but angst looms on the horizon, hurt/comfort)

Vampire Hero Masterlist (black comedy, affectionate whump parody, lots of torture attempts/mentions even if that rarely turns out the way the torturer planned)

1-Word Prompt Masterlist: Marvel as I turn one random word into a bunch of H/V prompts. Plus, it's short for once.

*

And now for something mildly different:

Whump/Horror Masterlist.

Fantasy Masterlist

[maybeitsalivescribbles]

Feveruary 2 Alt) "I don't get sick"

“I don't get sick.”

Healer raised an eyebrow, supremely unimpressed at the figure towering over them:

“Aw, thinking you’re above us common mortals because you have muscles and magic, it that it?” they simpered.

Seeing their expression, Hero added quickly:

“No, really! It's my power, I'm immune to illness.”

Their hand went to rub their neck while Healer absorbed the information. It didn't look like a joke. The newcomer examined the room like they came from another planet, their stare lingering with no little worrying on the scalpels and other shiny tools.

“Do you- um- do you have to take blood all the time?” they said in a little voice.

“Oh yeah, with leeches and everything – you’re a couple of centuries late, I’m afraid. What are you doing here?”

“Villain put me in a sort of machine. I didn’t feel anything on the moment, but I feel weak and weird since days and- and I think he found a way to make me sick,” they added, making a face.

“What do you feel?”

Hero pointed to their neck:

“Like something scratchy is stuck in there? Also, my nose seems stuffed with weird liquid. I don’t think that’s normal. Sometimes I’m hot, too.”

“Open your mouth.”

Hero obeyed. After checking their throat and ears, Healer concluded:

“You have a cold.”

Hero shifted uncomfortably.

“Is it- is it going to hurt very much?” they whispered.

Healer opened their mouth, tempted for a moment to say: “Yes. Horribly.” But this huge person looked at them with big pleading eyes like a toddler who had to get their first shot for the first time, so they answered instead:

“No. You will feel weak for some days and you'll sneeze.”

Hero nodded thoughtfully:

“I- I hope I won't fail.”

“I have faith in you.”

*

Back to Hero x Villain Masterlist

[maybeitsalivescribbles]

25 - Standing Vigil

Hero wasn’t waking up. It’d been one day and one night now. Villain was pacing the room. They hadn’t slept.

Things had certainly happened since. When Villain had first found out them unconscious on the stone floor, they’d let out a diabolical laugh because they knew how these things were supposed to go. They’d waited for an answer, again, and again. Displeased, they’d moved the body with their foot, slowly stepping on Hero, striking a pose:

“Finally at your proper place, my dreaded foe!!”

Said dreaded foe didn’t seem to care one way or another. Villain had pouted and ordered to throw Hero in their usual cell. Being manhandled hadn't woken them up. The frozen water hadn’t done anything either. Hours had passed.

Now Hero was in a bed, surrounded by machines. And Villain was pacing. A very embarrassed crowd of Henchmen was avoiding their look.

“I’m waiting! Who’s the genius who decided to play with the settings of the new ZapAlarm3049?”

One of them tried to sound reasonable:

“Boss, no one knew Hero was in the place-”

“They’re always trying to get in! Do you know a lot of invisible people, you idiot?”

“I don’t know. That’s kind of the point.”

“This alarm wasn’t supposed to do that,” groaned Villain. “It’s a stunning device in every sense of the word. If someone can get in, I want to know who they are and why before disposing of them. So, I repeat my question: who messed with the settings?”

There was no answer. Villain waved towards Hero:

“We need them alive.”

“...do we?”

“Without Hero, we’re going to get Superhero. If you think you can meet that guy and come out alive, be my guest.”

The Henchmen gulped.

“What was the setting, boss?” asked one of them shyly.

“Unreasonable Coma™”

“How long is Unreasonable?”

“We’re going to find out, aren’t we? We’ll keep guard until they wake up. And pray that the Hero agency won’t find us out until then.”

The Henchmen exchanged uneasy glances, but none of them risked an answer. Villain ignored them, staring at Hero. Of course, they hated each other, but in that line of work, hating someone for so long was as important as friendship. Hating was convenient, even necessary to life.

They needed Hero alive. No one would get past them.

*

Back to Hero x Villain Masterlist

[maybeitsalivescribbles]

Feveruary 23 - "You need a tissue?"

Now that was just getting annoying.

The first time it’d happened, it’d in the middle of a dramatic speech. Hero had decided to politely ignore it. The second time had been during a fight in front of a crowd, which had been more embarrassing. Now, there was no excuse to do it again. In the jewelry, all the doors were in fire to prevent any escape. Hero’s fire was well-behaved. It stayed where it was put, not consuming the wood, but taking its heat from their own vital energy, and not making any smoke. A neat trick, really, but not one that would last forever. For Hero, it was pleasantly warm inside. However, people had told them that their fire made them uncomfortably hot, which was both concerning and an amazing opportunity to answer back with a storm of bad puns.

So could someone explain to them why Villain kept sneezing?

They were doing it all week. Of course, it was bad form to seize the occasion and punch them in the face. Then again, sneezing in front of someone who could control fire was, if not threatening, deliberate passive-aggression. So, while Villain leaned back their head, holding out a hand in warning, the sneeze was interrupted by Hero’s arm against their throat. Villain gasped, letting out some kind of strangled moan instead, and threw an offended glance at them:

“That’s low, even for you!”

“Aw,” simpered Hero, “you need a tissue?”

“Actually-”

“Well, fat chance! What are you doing? You show up in all the places in the city every day but you can barely fight, and you keep sneezing in front of my face!”

“I wear a mask.”

Hero nodded reluctantly, as if to give it that one, and stepped back, waving with exasperation:

“This is very tiring and embarrassing! What’s up with you?”

“I’m allergic to bullshit,” groaned Villain.

“Must be hard, being allergic to your own words.”

Villain sniffed:

“I got sick, what did you think? This job always asks you to run in the middle of the night – well flash new, Inferno: it is cold for most people at this hour.”

“One, don’t call me like that. Two, you could, you know, stop. I’d like to sleep at night too.”

Villain laughed:

“Easy for you to say. How fun must it be for you to stop me from getting any kind of money. Or rest. Or break.”

“You left out the part where you steal from innocent people.”

“Details. Everyone is stealing from innocent people these days. I’m just an easy target for you because I wear this suit.”

“That doesn’t make it right.”

Hero sighed, rubbing the bridge of their nose. The fire around the doors flickered and disappeared, leaving a smoke trail.

“Just go,” they said. “You’re too annoying for me to handle.”

Villain stepped toward the door. No matter how ill they were, they still had good reflexes; when Hero threw something at them, they flipped on their heels and caught it in one move before looking at it. It was a tissue box.

“Jerk”, they mumbled before getting out.

*

Back to Hero x Villain Masterlist

[maybeitsalivescribbles]

Feveruary 2025 3) Caught in the rain

“Well, this is official,” said Leader, looking around. “We screwed up.”

Mediator glanced at him, then at the forest. It was raining – no, more than that, it was pouring. The woods were so thick the drops had a hard time reaching their scalps, but the ground was still becoming moist and slippery. He slowed down. Leader stopped with him, looking like he was out for a pleasant walk instead of escaping with his life. Mediator shivered, sighed, and put on his hood, throwing a resigned look at the lake in front of them. The surrounding mud was much thicker there, preventing them from running very fast. Judging by the steel-gray sky, the rain wasn't going to stop soon.

“Really, Leader?” he asked. “What tipped you off? When they refused to let us in?”

“Could be.”

“Or when they opened fire at us?”

“That was a clue, too.”

“Maybe when they sent hunters after us?”

“When they sent rookies after us,” said Leader smugly, wiping his bloody knife on the trunk of a larch. “How many were they? I counted three, but one of them won't walk for a while.”

“Sorry, I was too busy running for my life to think about that. Where’s Fighter?”

They looked around, then at each other. They only heard the rain.

“You know her,” said Leader. “She’s okay.”

“I do know her,” groaned Mediator. “You two think that because you can fight you’re invincible, and who has to patch you up after?”

“Hey, you’re the doctor.”

“In social studies, yes.”

Leader struck his chin thoughtfully. Mediator examined their surroundings. A bird landed on a branch near by. A small animal ran into the bushes.

No footstep was heard.

“We have to go back,” said Mediator.

“I have to go back. You stay here.”

Leader ran, but Mediator stuck with him.

“What did I say?”

“I’m the one who still has supplies,” Mediator reminded him, pulling at the straps of the backpack he’d succeeded to save. “I’m not a doctor, but I have bandages.”

“Remind me who’s in charge here?”

“Common sense, for once.”

“Now look-”

"You look, I'm safer with you anyways -"

“Hey.”

They stopped at that voice. Mediator rushed toward a huge frame, leaning against a huge tree. Fighter raised her head.

“Your bickering could alert a whole troop,” she said.

“Fighter, you’re okay?”

She nodded. Leader stepped forward and groaned.

“Is that a “I’m barely alive” nod or a “I am actually fine” nod?”

Fighter followed his gaze on her bloody shoulder. Unable to shrug, she made a wan smile:

“Just a scratch.”

Mediator let the bag fall on the ground, shaking his head and mumbling something. Leader handed his flask to her, then crossed his arms:

“Come on, I want the whole crazy story. Now.”

“It’s not crazy.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“Well boss, you’ve taken care of one, that left two of them. What’s a girl to do?”

Leader lowered his gaze. She opened her jacket, revealed two shining new guns at her belt. He rubbed his forehead.

“You were unarmed.”

“I have arms,” she answered, looking mildly offended. “And experience. And I wasn’t going to let them get you.”

“You stayed back and hunted two guys who were armed to the teeth, stealthily getting them one by one?”

“More or less.”

“Fighter?

“Boss?”

“It is batshit crazy.”

“Okay.”

Mediator drew a long-suffering sigh, bandaging the wounded shoulder.

“Are they dead?”

“I don’t think so, just unconscious. They were so young.”

“Great,” sighed Leader. “Just great. So that means they can get help, you’re wounded, and there’s still a long walk. We’re not out of the woods yet. Literally.”

“He means “Thank you for protecting us”, said Mediator. “It’s the rain that’s getting to him.”

*

You can find Fighter here, and the whole trio here. They get into Situations.

Back to Whump/Horror Masterlist.

[maybeitsalivescribbles]

Feveruary 2025 1) “How did you end up like this?”

“How did you end up like this?”

Reporter wasn’t ready to answer. She lied on the floor, still in her pajamas, having made a valiant but ultimately unsuccessful effort to open the door. Villain sighed, turning her on the side. There was no wound and she was still conscious. Struggling to breathe, she blinked and finally succeeded to open her eyes:

“Hi,” she mumbled. “Fix it?”

Villain hadn’t waited for her approval. Their hands raised over her body, they were staring at something that for the others would have been an emptiness. What they saw just above her was a delicate blue web glistening in the air, full of tiny knots, representing her vital energy. Something wasn’t right. With a gentle but firm touch, they grabbed a gray knot. Reporter yelped in pain, but she winked at them:

“Long story.”

“Oh, I don’t doubt it. Fortunately, we have time.”

They saw her eyes flickering nervously. They unmade the knot. She shivered.

“Haven’t we?” they insisted.

She turned her head away:

“I think I’ve been poisoned. It’s been hours since that dinner and it’s getting worse. Is that bad?”

Villain looked at the series of gray knots in front of them.

“Nothing that I can’t fix,” they said darkly, grabbing another.

“When can I move again?”

“I don’t know. What dinner? What happened?”

She smiled:

“You know. Trouble. Hero invited me and offered – ouch – they offered me the opportunity to interview them instead of investigating on you, because no one was interested in that.”

“And?”

“I told them where they could stick it. Not my exact words, but – ouch – that was the spirit.”

“It seems weird that they would kill you for that.”

Reporter shook her head impatiently:

“I think they want to see if you’ll save me or not. To see if I’m compromised.”

“Ah.”

They instinctively looked around, but there was no Hero or Sidekick around. Reporter, who had caught their gaze, made a face:

“I’m not a snitch.”

They met her eyes. Although she still looked weak, her gaze seemed a little more focused.

“I guess you really want this investigation made, uh?”

They nodded, their jaw set:

“I do.”

“Ah. It’s nice to hear appreciation. Bit rare this day. So, I guess you won’t mind if you’d let me crash at your place.”

Their hands froze in the air.

“What?”

“If you still want me alive, that is.”

“But-”

“No but! Besides, that’s the only way to keep my investigation going. Villains kidnap Citizens, am I right?”

They exchanged a look. Villain groaned. Even on the ground, Reporter found a way to look smug.

“Fine,” they mumbled. “But you’ll stay in the guest bedroom.”

“Deal,” lied Reporter.

*

Back to Hero x Villain Masterlist

[maybeitsalivescribbles]

Let's go. As usual, I'll try to make at least 5 prompts and then we'll see.

Here it is guys! The 2025 Feveruary prompts! We wanted them to be more generally comfort focused so then they be able to be interpreted in different ways to allow you guys to be as creative as you’d like!

We’re so excited to share these with you and we can’t wait to see what you write! As always feel free to ask any questions or share your excitement about this event! :D

We'll post more about how to submit your work and the AO3 collection closer to the time! For now though, we wish you goodluck and happy writing!

Text Version Below:

“How did you end up like this?” 

Burning Up then Freezing Cold 

Caught in the Rain 

Herbal Remedy 

“Could you just hold me?” 

Spoon-Feeding 

“I’m still not used to being taken care of.” 

“Couldn’t you keep your cold to yourself.” 

Face Masks 

“You’re safe, it was just a dream.” 

“You’re burning up!” 

Role Reversal – Medic to Sickie 

“I wouldn’t even trust you to boil tea in your condition!” 

Falling asleep in the wrong place 

Guiding sickie back to bed 

“Is it me or is it really warm in here?” 

“I know you want to help but you’re only making things worse.” 

Delirious 

“I know ice cream is good for sore throats but that’s way too much!” 

Lost Voice/Strep Throat 

From better to worse 

“Our date can wait! You’re far more important.” 

“You need a tissue?” 

“Don’t you think you should stay home today?” 

Standing Vigil 

“You sure I’m sick? Because I feel fine.” 

Vacation Disaster 

“Well, it sounds to me like you need a little bit of TLC.” 

Alternates:

Forced to work

Cool wash cloth

"I don't get sick!"

Sneezing Fit

[maybeitsalivescribbles]

The Un-Gingerbread || Secret Santa 2024

I participated in the Secret Santa writing event again this year! This snippet is for @gingerly-writing! I hope you enjoy! I know you said I could choose just one topic buuuut I ended up kinda combining them all together!

magical girl powers (especially for villains)

something cute and Christmassy turned deadly/bad (Christmas card full of blackmail, evil snow powers, etc)

super niche/useless superpower saves the day

“They’re Christmas cookies,” Hero said blandly.

“They’re suspicious.” Villain tapped the edge of the platter with the tip of their snowflake wand. Little swirls of frost spread over the surface of the plastic wrap, clouding over the little gingerbread faces.

“Some caroler or neighbor or someone trying to be spread Christmas cheer casually left a plate on your doorstep. End of story.”

Hero had never been the imaginative type. It was a little annoying actually: the power of disbelief. One of the only things that had ever rendered Villain powerless. It didn’t always work, especially now that Hero had seen Villain’s work up close so often, but when Hero got thinking too much about the laws of gravity, the improbability of a transformation sequence, the energy mechanics of magic, Villain found themselves dropping like a stone. 

In those moment they just had to hope Hero was close enough to catch them–practically a guarantee–and empathetic enough not say a word to anyone else. …Less likely.

Villain tucked the wand into a reality pocket–Hero was nice enough not mess with that one today-and swished their capelet around them as they turned toward the fridge. The next thing they knew, they were pouring a glass of milk just so they could look away. The hero’s dry gaze already felt like a drain on their powers without this extra dose of exasperation. 

“Look at the clothes,” they said.

Hero raised an eyebrow, but began to peel up the first layer of plastic wrap.

“Don’t unwrap them!” Villain cried, then as Hero’s eyebrow did a higher, more quizzical leap into their hair, “We don’t know what’s in them.”

“I don’t think this shoddy wrap job is keeping in any dangerous toxins,” Hero said.

Villain stomped a heeled shoe. “Don’t say such dangerous things out loud!”

“For that to work the cookies would have to actually be toxic. Which they aren’t.” Hero’s eyes flicked up and down before returning to the cookie plate and the unwrapping process. “Did you seriously do a complete transformation over this?”

Villain warmed a little. They didn’t make a habit of inviting heroes to their apartment, but something about this had shaken them. Something about those sugar pearl eyes peering up at them had felt…wrong. Though they’d claimed, even internally, that Hero was simply the first name to pop into their head, maybe…maybe they’d chosen them on purpose. Maybe they’d wanted a bit of logic to asway their anxiety. To tell them everything was truly alright.

“I’m just being prepared,” Villain said, then nodded at the plate.

The gingerbreadpeople were dressed like them. Not the comfortable, baggy outfits they wore as a civilian but their magical version–silver pompadour shoes with a snowflake sprinkles for the buckles, long icy blue tailcoat and capelet with a carefully iced imitation of the frost pattern emroidery, and whipped ruffles—so many ruffles, in the cravat, in the white undershirt, in the peeking cuffs of the sleeves; the Ginger-Villains even held their wand, complete with silver edible glitter so the snowflake head sparkled in the light.

“Coincidence.”

“Coinci– Hero! That’s me!”

“Yes, and half the city is convinced you’re some sort of ice fairy.” Villain could hear the eyeroll in their tone. “This isn’t the first cookie I’ve seen with your face on it.”

“But they are the first to show up at my door.”

Hero let out an enormous sigh. “Ok, honestly? Yes, it’s weird. Yes, it’s creepy. But I just don’t believe anyone could have figured out who you are let alone where you live. You’re ok. Throw them away if you’re so worried.”

Villain folded their arms poutily. “I’m sure that’s exactly what the sender wants me to do. One moment I’m dumping cookies, the next I have giant radioactive rats breaking down my door.”

They swished their cape again, more dramatically this time, making the full breadth of their displeasure known. 

Hero sighed again. They did that so much it was a wonder they had any breath left.

“Do you want me to take them?”

Villain blinked. “Really?”

“You’re just going keep calling me otherwise, right? And I have no worries about throwing them away in my trash.”

Villain picked up the platter hesitantly. “I wouldn’t want you to get hurt on my behalf…”

“I know it’s Christmas but quit with the fluff. Hand them over.”

Hero thrust out their hand, waving their fingers impatiently. 

Well, if Hero really wanted the creepy cookies, who was Villain to stop them. They were a grown, capable adult who knew how to take care of themselves, and they were enemies anyways, so Villain didn’t need to feel guilty at all if–

Villain’s thoughts stopped short, plate half extended. The platter trembled a little in their fist.

“Are you really so freaked out that you’re shaking?” Hero said.

“I-I’m not.”

Something on the platter was moving. 

As the first Ginger-Villain rose to its feet, all Villain and Hero could do was stare. 

When the second one popped up, Villain threw the platter across the room.

The decorative plastic cracked against the wall, and about two dozen cookies scattered every direction.

The wall clock ticked a second of peace, and then the cookies were back up, faces smudges, bodies cracked, or a gory scene of cookie arms and legs and sugar pearl eyes littering the tile.

One cookie who was lucky enough to escape the throw with no more damage than a lost eye and a smeared tailcoat waddled determinedly forward while several others limped or dragged themselves behind.

Villain cursed. "What is happening?"

"It's not real. it's not real. it's not real," Hero muttered like a ritual beside them. But the cookies were real. And whatever disbelief Hero had been suspending was broken.

Fine. If Hero was going to be useless... Villain reached into the air and yanked their wand out of its pocket and back into reality.

They flicked the wand once, sending a pale coating of slick ice over the living cookies, stiffening their limbs and freezing them to the spot.

"There," Villain said, letting out a slow exhale. "Now I think we should burn--"

Crack.

Crick, crack.

Crick, crack, crackle, crack.

Steam wafted up from each cookie, and as they pressed forward, little fissures spread up the weakened ice-coating.

"Are they...getting hotter?" Villain said.

The embroidery detailing and facial features dripped down the cookie's bodies as they moved pooling in little sweet puddles at their feet. A few cookies picked up the nearby limbs and melded them into the now soft stumps.

"That shouldn't be as disturbing as it is," Hero muttered.

"Ok, I was going easy on you all because you're made of flour," Villain said, "but why don't you try escaping this?"

Villain swished their wand in a circle, this time encapuslating the cookies in a large, solid ball of ice.

Crack.

Villain conjured another layer.

Crick, crack.

Another.

Crack. Crack. Crack.

Another.

The ice ball grew and grew, but for every layer of ice Villain threw up, the cracking only seemed to quicken.

Great billowing clouds of steam filled the room, obscuring the ice prison from view and Villain backed warily toward the living room, grabbing Hero's arm as they went.

There was one final crack; ice shot around the room like shattered glass and a wave of chilly water washed across the floor, seeping through the seams of their shoes.

As the cookies had heated in their prison, they'd mushed together, replacing two dozen zombieish Ginger-Villains with one enormous, thoroughly burnt Ginger-Creature. One beady sugar pearl stared down at them from the gooey burnt icing face.

"Hero, do something!" Villain shouted, digging their nails into the hero's arm.

Hero paused their muttered chant long enough to roar, "I'm trying!"

"What, a walking cookie is too realistic for you?"

"It reminds me of a horror movie! It's hard to disbelieve in things that have that sort of hold in my mind!"

The Ginger-Creature stepped toward them.

Villain waved their wand toward the pool of water on the floor, freezing it into a slick sheet. Unfortunately, they hadn't thought about their own half-submerged feet. As they attempted another step back, they found their blocky heels frozen to the floor.

The creature slipped a little with its next step, but ultimately its heating power left indents in the ice wherever its giant feet moved.

Villain lurched back, but the attempt was fruitless.

"Take off your shoes!" Hero cried, already in their socks and crouching down at Villain's feet and fumbling with the intricate snowflake buckles.

"They're magic shoes," Villain choked. "They don't come off."

"Then detransform! Do something! It's coming!"

Villain grabbed Hero by either side of their face, forcing them to look up at them.

"Hero, I need you're annoying, unimaginative, logical brain to start asking the big questions right now."

Hero stared at them wide-eyed. "I...I..."

"Come on! You always think of something aggravating! Like...how can this cookie see us when its eye is just sugar? How does the light pass through? And even if it does, how is that light processed? Does it have a cookie brain? That doesn't make any sense."

"How can it heat itself?" Hero said, voice a little trembly. "Nothing in gingerbread can conduce its own heat."

"Yeah, and why did the cookies have heat powers anyway when they were supposed to be copies of me?"

"How did it know how to shape itself? It's messed up, but it's still sort of a person. Do all the cookies have a sense of humanity? Do they have separate thoughts? Or are they one cookie hivemind?"

The smell of burnt sugar and ginger was suffocating now. Villain could feel the heat wafting off it as it's burnt foot came into view a mere couple of feet away.

Hero spread their arms out in front of Villain and looked up into the towering cookie's face. “You're not real.”

The gingerbread froze in place. It's entire body shuddered, and then abruptly it crumbled into a pile of blackened cookie dust. The sugar pearl rolled across the floor and into Villain's knee.

They both stared in silence.

Then Villain laughed.

They couldn’t help it. Emotional response maybe. They just laughed and laughed and went weak against Hero's side, grasping for balance around their waist. Hero hugged them with one arm around the head. Villain wasn't sure if they even knew they were doing it, or if the simply needed as much support after that conclusion as Villain did.

"I did it," Hero gasped.

"You did it!" Villain said giddily. "You're so boring, you fantastic stick in the mud you!"

Villain picked up the sugar pearl, rolling it between their thumb and forefinger a couple times, before popping it triumphantly in their mouth. As soon, as the sweetness hit their tongue, words sprang across their mind unprompted.

Merry Christmas, Villain. I'm sorry you didn't like my treat. My next one will be better.

[maybeitsalivescribbles]

Superpowers: a recap

You know, I often tend to skip superpowers under the rug when I write my snippets- which is kind of a problem in a Hero/Villain setting.

So this is a recap to help me remember the possibilities, in case it can help anyone else:

LIST OF POWERS

Classical set

Super strength

Super endurance

Super speed

Telekinesis

Teleportation

Forcefields

Laser eyes (classical because of Superman, but I still think this is bonkers)

Immune to superpowers/elements/illness/etc

Flight

Healing (themself or others)

Can speak to animals/plants

Hypnotism

Immortality

Wish-granting

Astral projection

Miscellaneous

Can steal power from others (forever or it’s temporary)

Has non-human animal anatomy (reptilian scales, horns, produces poison, etc)

Can break into parts and reassemble

Can make clone(s) of themself

Immune to gravity (the fall doesn’t kill you, can jump as high as you like, can crawl on walls, etc)

Super instinct (can sense when something’s wrong, when someone is lying)

Can control fibers/clothes

Can create portals to anywhere else

Control of one single type of object (doors, trains, cars, paper, etc)

Control anything made by humans

Music powers

Can force everyone to dance

Can control voices/can take voices away

Can control volume of any sound

Charm people when they play an instrument/sing

Can summon music whenever they like

They get an upgrade (super strength, etc) every time there’s music

Elemental/Nature powers

Can control fire/ashes

Can control electricity

Can control water/ice

Can control plasma

Can control air/wind/gazes

Can control earth/magma

Can control metal

Can control light/shadows/colors

Can walk on water/wind/lava/rainbows

Can breathe underwater/in space

Can burrow into earth

Can control temperature

Can control the weather

Control of life forms

Can control humans

Can control beasts

Can control plants

Can control...mushrooms, I guess ?

Can control viruses and bacteria

Can control blood

Everything they touch die

Everything they touch come back to life

Can accelerate/slow down aging

=> is the life form conscious while under control ? Can they fight back? Do they have to be okay with it?

Sense powers

(Reminder: human senses are hearing, vision, touch, taste, smell, vestibular)

Better senses (better sight, better hearing, etc)

X-ray vision

Can see every place they like or eavesdrop everywhere

Can manipulate the senses of others (can heighten them or cancel them)

Can inflict pain

Emotions

Their sheer presence induces an emotion (fear, love, etc)

Can force to feel an emotion/heighten or dull emotions

Can project their own emotions into others

Empathy (they feel the emotions of others)

Shapeshifter

Can reduce/aggrandize their size

Can seem much older or younger

Intangibility

Invisibility

Strechability

Can take the form of another thing/person

Can take the form of any human

Can take the form of anything (animal/plant/object/liquid/gas/etc)

Reverse Shapeshifter: can transform others into an animal/stone/plant/anything

Mindpower

telepathy

illusions

possession/mind control

can mess with memory

can mess with dreams

Time powers

Can time travel (future/past)

Can froze time

Can predict the future/see the past

Oh now that's just cheating

Reality wrapper

Luck

Everything they create becomes real

Can choose any superpower they want according to the situation

GENERAL QUESTIONS

Is the character okay with their power ?

they hate it it’s a curse to them

they wish it were different (stronger, another power altogether, etc)

they don’t mind

they really enjoy it

it’s their whole identity

Etc.

If they hate it, is it because:

it hurts

it could hurt someone/something else

it’s useless/ it’s not offensive

it goes against their personality

people hate it too

it makes people treating them as a tool

Can they control it?

they’re a walking disaster

using it makes them sick

perfect control, natural or learned

they don’t even need to think about it

etc

How powerful it is?

(Ex control of fire: can barely light a match versus can set in fire the whole country)

Characters with weak powers my beloveds. It's about them fighting when they know they will lose, putting everything they have in the fight, keeping their head high when people sneer at them. It's about them enjoying their power without having it to be useful, or forcing them to be creative and smart about/around it.

Overpowered characters my beloveds. It's not about them winning the fight because the answer is obvious, it's about them dealing with too much power in a fragile world, the gap between them and the others, how it impacts their relationships, their morality - never hesitate to make a character like this. It can be terrifying, it can be hilarious, it can be great. No trope is bad, it all depends on how it's used.

What is the source of their power ?

failed experiment?

successful experiment?

got them from a supernatural being?

got them from their family?

got them from a magical object?

When did they get it ?

when born?

during childhood ? Teen years ?

grown-up ?

Was it expected or not?

Is getting this power a one time thing or do they need to renew it ?

(via sacrifice, offering, a special food/medicine, a good/bad deed, etc)

Can they give it to someone else?

Can it go away/fade?

Does it grow stronger/weaker with age?

Is it affected by the health of the character ?

(Is the power weaker when the character is sick, or is it stronger as a defense measure ? Does it become unpredictable?)

Does it hurt using it/not using it?

(Because it takes too much on the body/because it forces to repress an important part of the self)

Does the power change their personality in a good/bad way?

(Does it corrupt them, does it force them to see the world in a new light, etc)

Can their power combine with someone else’s ?

Do they have a weakness/something that cancels their abilities?

Do they have special needs because of it ?

(Do they need glasses, headphones, medicine, a special diet, etc)

Are they immune to their own power or do they take damage ?

(Ex : is your character able to control fire is fireproof or not?)

How much do they rely on it?

they use them for everything

they use them often

they could do without

it’s barely an afterthought to them

they never use it

etc

How do they use it ?

Raising their hand

With their eyes

With some object

They don’t have to do anything

Etc

How does this power is perceived by the others?

This makes them a god

This makes them a star

This makes them totally mundane

This makes them look really stupid

This makes them a nuisance

This makes them someone to be killed at all costs

Etc.

About the suit

Is that for protection ?

Is it an uniform ?

Is it here for the vibe ?

Does it strengthen their abilities?

Does it have gadgets ?

How (im)practical is it ?

[maybeitsalivescribbles]

A sequel to this. Recap: Sidekick ran away from Hero and went to a grumpy Detective.

*

Sidekick in distress (2)

Detective had given rides to a lot of weird people during the years.

Nervous clients, glancing by the windows to make sure they weren’t followed. Sinister minions dressed in black, pointing a gun at him from the backseat. Smug rich people condescendingly explaining the world to him and getting out wrinkling their noses. A sulking Supervillain who was great with gadgets but terrible against a good punch. A Hero reacting like a six-year-old because they never rode in a car before, courtesy of having super speed and good public transport in their previous town, both wonders unheard of here.

Somehow, none of them had made him as nervous as the huddled teen in the backseat. It was a whole kid! How was he supposed to take care of that? Patting their head and saying “there there, I’m sure Hero only barely wanted to use you until your death” ? Talking about video games? Kids still liked video games, right? Pity he’d never played them. No, this wasn’t good. He had to focus.

“Do you have some kind of power?”

The teen shrugged:

“I fly.”

“Do you like it?”

“I liked it before.”

“Where are your parents?”

“They live in another town. I told them I was going for a summer job. It was true. I thought it was true.”

“Hero told you that?”

“Yeah. They told me it would be only for a couple of months. And then, last week-”

“Last week?”

“They congratulated me and told me I got the job for good. Told them I didn’t want it, and-”

They waved:

“Well, here I am.”

“Here you are. Do your parents know?”

“No. They don’t even know the kind of job I had. I didn’t want to worry them. And I don’t want Hero going after them. They don’t have powers.”

Detective sighed, tapping on the wheel.

“Okay.”

“Where are we going?”

“To a friend. Healer.”

The teen relaxed:

“I think I know them.”

Detective nodded. A lot of people knew about Healer. When things looked bad, people went to Detective. When things looked bad for him, he went to Healer.

They were a weird one. Although they had the power that went with their job, and they had the gaudy clothes – in their case, a long white gown that matched their long silver hair – they weren’t a registered hero, but a regular doctor. The Hero association had approved at the condition that they only healed people with powers. Healer had agreed with a smile and kept healing whoever they wanted when the others were not looking. They were the very reason why Detective was alive in this crazy town. In fact, they were close to being friends. Healer wasn’t only competent -they needed to be – but they were nice. He needed the reminder that people sometimes were.

The door was wide open. Too many doors were today.

“Stay here.”

Detective got out of the car and stayed frozen on the doorway, looking at the body on the floor. Healer was wearing the same gaudy robe as usual, but it had been torn, enough to reveal a huge wound to their side. He didn’t have to force himself to fall on the floor, applying pressure until the blood stopped. With a shaking hand, he checked their pulse. They sighed. Something moved behind them and let out a strangled noise. He didn’t turn around. He should have known that Sidekick would have come inside anyway.

“What happened?”

Detective took off his jacket and folded it under Healer’s head, the only thing left to do for them.

“A very good question.”

Sidekick watched him rummage through the room with a kind of desperation, his hands clasping on anatomy books, notebooks, and the knob of a drawer that he opened feverishly to get one lollipop out of it. Sidekick tilted their head while he tore off the wrapping with teeth before putting the candy in his mouth like his life depended on it, but made no comment. During the last months, they’d learned not to ask questions and stay close to the nearest exit when an adult was getting worked up. They looked at the window, just in case.

“Detective…”

No answer. Just an adult flipping through the page of an agenda, mumbling to himself, then stopping suddenly.

“Supervillain? They made an appointment with Supervillain? What the hell?”

“Well, you have to give it to them,” said Sidekick with a voice that only slightly shivered, “they’re punctual.”

The adult and the teen looked at each other, looked for any kind of miracle exit, and found the same depressing number.

“Tell me everything you know,” whispered Detective between his teeth.

“Um...wears purple...has a torture room somewhere…”

“Not helping.”

“Super-strengh? Doesn’t understand the word “no”?”

There was no time to answer. The door opened. A cold wind that had nothing to do with the current weather settled in the room. A pair of eyes who rarely blinked glanced at the room, stopped for a whole minute on Healer, then went back on the only adult inside with a lollipop in his mouth. A hand grabbed his throat, propping him off the ground.

“Your death will be as slow and excruciating as possible.”

It’s not easy to talk when you have the double handicap of a candy between your teeth and being strangled to death. Detective, however, made a good attempt:

“Fdoza uill ever o oof.”

“If you do that, you will never know the truth,” translated Sidekick, who was good with languages.

“The truth?” repeated Supervillain. “It seems clear to me, child.”

“But we just got here,” mumbled the teen. “We don’t know what happened either.”

“Then what are you talking about?” snarled Supervillain to their prey.

Detective turned blue in answer. With a groan of disgust, Supervillain released him, letting him gracelessly collapse on the floor. After five minutes of coughing, spitting, and retching next to a sad lollipop, Detective could enunciate:

“Five minutes, only five... and we could have caught them.”

“Who, “them”?”

“Yeah, that doesn’t exclude a lot of people. Sometimes I think I’m the only not non-binary person in town. Well anyway,” he added quickly as Supervillain was turning another color themself, “it’s easy to understand. You’ve just proved that you liked Healer.”

“Everyone liked them.”

“So the killer obviously did it to spite you. Who could that be, if not Hero?”

“Hero wouldn’t-” began Supervillain.

“You sure?”

There was a moment of silence. Of deep, thoughtful silence. Supervillain’s eyes fell on Sidekick. In a quick move, Detective stood up and went through the room to throw an arm around the teen’s shoulders:

“Look at them, the poor kid. They ran away, crying in my office, telling that Hero was planning something terrible but they didn’t know what, we both risked our lives to come here, and this is what we found. The murderer is getting away right now, while we’re talking.”

Sidekick burst into tears. They didn’t have to force themself very much. That was the last step to convince Supervillain.

“This night, their head will be mine,” they said before leaving the room.

Sidekick kept crying, huddled against Detective.

“S-sorry,” they mumbled, sniffing.

Detective awkwardly patted their back, shaking his head in disgust:

“That’s one gullible shithead. I swear, the more they’re powerful, the more they’re complete idiots.”

Gently, he pulled away from the embrace, sitting once again in front of Healer.

“Do you think Hero will win?” whispered Sidekick.

“Don’t know, don’t care. These bozos deserve each other.”

“Should I call an ambulance for Healer?”

Detective held two cold hands in his own, gently massaging them with his thumbs.

“I don’t think so.”

“You don’t know who did that to them?”

“A bloody idiot,” snarled Detective. “Literally. You can open your eyes now, it’s safe.”

Sidekick repressed a move when Healer blinked and frowned.

“Sorry”, they whispered, their voice nearly inaudible. “I really didn’t want to deal with them.”

“Oh, and the only way was playing dead?”

As they were arguing, Sidekick noticed that blood wasn't coming out from the wound anymore. In fact, it had turned into a scratch. That was surprising how a stressful situation could prevent you from realizing that a Healer was, indeed, a healer. Detective shook his head and helped them to sit up.

“That was on the spur,” whispered Healer. “They wouldn’t leave me alone, so…”

“Since when?”

Healer shrugged. Detective groaned:

“You have my number. Why didn’t you tell me? That’s my job to...”

“You’re busy enough.”

Detective squeezed their shoulders, twisting his mouth and grunting:

“You think I’d rather see you dead? Do you see me bleeding to death before calling you ?”

“Many times.”

“Well, I’m not exactly a role model, am I ?”

Healer shrugged lightly, as if to give him this one, then gave the room a side-look:

“Who’s your friend?”

“That’s a long story. I suggest that everybody gets in a car first. And fast.”

*

Sequel here.

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1-word Hero x Villain prompts: history

(The game: this site gives me a random word and I turn it into H/V prompts. You’re welcome to play, to add your own or to use them to write a snippet, just tag me or something if you do.)

Citizen is an historian about to discover a very dark secret. Both heroes and villains are set to stop them before they go to Reporter.

“Ah, Hero? We have...a history.” “Haven’t you met them like two days ago?” “Yes but they’ve stepped on my cape. No one steps on my cape.”

“Today, Sidekick, we unmake history!” “...you mean “make” history, boss?” “I mean, I’ve finally discovered how to make time travel possible and we’re gonna erase this shitty timeline to make another, or my placeholder name isn’t Mad Scientist Antihero™ !”

This Supervillain is immortal and pops up every couple of centuries for no known reason to destroy a town. The next time is near, and Hero is set on finding why.

Villain wants to discover this priceless artifact. Everyone thinks it’s for bringing the apocalypse or something dramatic like that, but they want it back for another surprising reason.

For centuries Villain’s family were all villains, and each generation was supposed to get stronger. Slight trouble: this Villain has zero powers.

For centuries Hero’s family were all heroes, and each generation was supposed to get stronger. Slight trouble: this Hero is sick and tired with the hero business. They want to be a baker instead. Maybe Villain will help them.

The country is on the verge of signing Some Important Treaty and they proudly invite Hero to the ceremony! Yay! Only Hero refuses, and some days after, they’re nowhere to be found.

Villain doesn’t mind destroying cities into ruins. When someone threatens to destroy ancient ruins, however, the gloves are off.

There’s a museum of Heroes that keeps being vandalized. However, this time is not Thief or even Villains. Exasperated, they ask Detective to work this out.

*

More prompts like this under this tag.

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