neongalaxiie

[neongalaxiie]

Caught In 4K - Part 4/5

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

Regrettably, Hero did not spend their last moments wisely.

They lay in bed for a full half hour, staring at the ceiling, thinking about how they were going to die — before they realized they should probably go out and do something.

They hoisted themselves up and blinked at the setting sun outside their apartment window. They still had about an hour until Superhero called them back to the office; they might as well make the most of it.

Hero grabbed their keys and pulled on a jacket, exiting their apartment. They didn't notice Villain, who had been watching them ever since they got home...

------------------------------------------------------

Villain peeked into the apartment, balancing on the windowsill. Hero was going out. Villain had explicit instructions from Supervillain to not let Hero out of their sight.

Well, Hero was out of their sight for now, but they'd no doubt emerge from the front door of the apartment building.

Hero stepped out about a minute later with their hands tucked into their jacket pockets, headed toward the center of the city. Villain peered down below, almost losing balance on the narrow windowsill.

They glanced up to the next platform. Too far to jump, but they jumped anyway. Their fingers caught on the edge, and they swung into the shadow below.

Villain resurfaced into an alleyway just ahead of Hero. They paused, waiting for Hero's footsteps to pass, before detaching from the silhouetted wall, remnants of darkness clinging to them as they reformed.

The sun dipped below the skyline, blackening the surroundings and making Villain's job easier. They took advantage of the multitude of hiding places, teleporting between shadows, and transforming into a shadow themself to avoid being spotted.

If Hero knew someone was following them, they didn't show it. But then again, Villain was confident in their abilities. They tailed Hero all the way to the subway, ducking into the dark spot beneath a chair. Hero remained standing, and from this vantage point, all Villain could see was their shoes.

Villain took this opportunity to look around, keeping themselves busy. They'd glance back at Hero's shoes whenever the train stopped to ensure they don't lose sight of their objective. Three stops later, Hero's shoes moved toward the exit, and Villain snuck out, an indistinct spot on the ground.

Villain darted to the nearest shadow to avoid gaining attention and watched as Hero ascended the stairs to the outside world. The dark spot started moving again, slinking up the steps and blending in with the shade casted by other people.

Villain momentarily lost track of Hero once they got to the top. They reformed, squinting in the gloom, until they made out a silhouette that suspiciously looked like Hero. Villain melted back into the dark as they gained on their target, always staying about six feet behind. With night fast approaching, they no longer had to stick to hard shade.

Villain internally frowned, wondering where Hero was going. The city was dangerous at night, not that Hero didn't know that. Hero might not even need protection if they got ambushed, and Villain hoped to hell they didn't get ambushed, lest they reveal themselves.

Eventually, Hero stopped, glancing at their watch before entering a diner. Food, then. Fair enough. Despite not having a stomach in shadow mode, Villain still felt hungry. Dinner would have to wait; their mission was much more important.

Villain waited around for fifteen whole minutes — the absurdity — before Hero finally emerged with a takeaway box and soda. They slurped the drink loudly as they headed straight for Villain.

Villain freaked out a bit, pressing deeper into the wall. Hero didn't even look at them.

Villain muttered under their breath as they trailed behind Hero again, who seemed to be in no hurry at all... until they glanced at their watch again. Their pace sped up and Villain was glad that they actually had to exert some effort to keep up.

They got back on the subway, heading even farther into the city. This time, Hero took a seat, digging into their meal. Villain parked themself under the seat across from Hero, watching them take big mouthfuls of their burger. If Villain had a stomach in this form, it would've growled loud enough to give them away.

The train arrived at Hero's stop, and they hurriedly packed up the rest of their dinner. Hero practically flew onto the platform, leaving Villain to scramble underneath the multitude of shoes.

Hero took the stairs two at a time, reaching the top and glancing again at their watch. They visibly relaxed, walking toward the Hero Organization at a little more than a leisurely pace.

Villain dragged themselves up to the top of the stairs, exhausted. Keeping this form for so long had taken its toll, but it was much better than being accidentally spotted. Villain saw the skyscraper of the Organization loom up ahead and could've swallowed.

What was Hero doing here? They weren't even on duty. Villain could've narrowed their eyes as they wound down the sidewalk.

Hero stepped inside the building, easy, but Villain stopped short. The inside was well-lit, and two security guards flanked the door. They would be seen for sure.

Villain rounded the building, taking cover in an umbra to reform and catch their breath. They couldn't follow Hero inside, but maybe they could spy on them from the outside?

Villain crept along the side of the building to the back, just to see the glass elevator shoot upwards and stop at one of the higher levels. Villain squinted, but couldn't make out who was inside. They scowled, becoming darkness once again and slithered up the shady building, steering clear of windows. By the time they got close enough to the elevator, its passengers had left.

The elevator descended, and came back up carrying Hero, who leaned against the wall, texting. Villain kept still as the elevator slowed, Hero picked up their food and drink, and exited. Villain stuck out halfway through the wall, a void-like profile, and peered through the glass, catching Hero turning left just before the doors closed.

Villain sunk back into the wall, focusing, and found themselves on the other side of the elevator. A jolt of pain hit them, followed by fatigue. Villain pressed on, but they found their passage blocked by a large window that took up the entire floor in height. They leaned forward to peek in, and retracted immediately when they saw Hero enter the room.

An office. And upon a second, more careful glance, Superhero's office.

Villain couldn't hear what was happening, just see Hero's distressed expression facing them. Superhero's back was turned to Villain. They had to get inside.

Villain examined the room, getting a good feel for all the darkest shadows and best hiding spots. The obviously best and worst place was under Superhero's desk, or underneath one of the chairs. But Villain was becoming more drained with every moment of staying like this, and a larger shadow would be easier to teleport into without being seen.

So Villain, took a deep breath, concentrated, aimed, and dissolved...

...They blinked and glanced around, disoriented. They could feel themself slipping a bit, which was weird. All they could see was darkness, and then— oh. The window, Superhero, and Hero.

It hadn't worked. They must've been too exhausted.

Hero was crying now, their face flushed. Villain kind of felt bad for them, which made them wonder even more what they were talking about.

That information would be useful to Supervillain, that was for sure.

With no way in, Villain had no choice but to remain outside, keeping an eye on Hero. There were no ledges out here, and Villain was relieved when the meeting inside was finishing up.

Hero wiped their eyes, rising from their seat and taking some papers with them. Superhero got up, speaking with them a little bit longer. All Hero did was nod.

Villain was getting impatient. They needed to make sure Hero was getting back down to floor level, and when. They felt their hold over this form failing. If they didn't get to the ground soon...

Villain held on for as long as they could, regardless, feeling the burn. It was like holding on to a metal bar for too long, lactic acid replacing the oxygen in the muscles.

As soon as Hero turned out of the room, Villain slithered down the wall, reforming and popping out of the wall before they reached the ground. They gasped, taking in air as they collapsed on the concrete foundation.

A whir sounded beside them, and Villain glanced over to the elevator, settling and dinging. Hero stepped out.

Villain forced themselves up. They had to get to the front door and follow Hero. They stumbled several times, their legs like lead, and they held onto the wall for support.

Thankfully, Hero wasn't in much of a hurry to get home, but their mood never improved. Villain so badly wanted to know what was up without outright confronting them about it.

Villain became distantly aware that Hero no longer had their food or drink. Whatever. Maybe they threw it out.

Villain couldn't take their shadow form anymore, so they stayed farther away from Hero than they felt comfortable. Dressed in their villain uniform, they would gather a lot of suspicion if they tracked Hero too closely. Villain kept an eye out, sticking to the darkness wherever possible, and giving streetlights a wide berth.

Yeah, they definitely looked suspicious.

Regardless, there weren't as many people out now, and the streets were mostly empty. Conscious of this, Villain's steps slowed and became as quiet as possible. Their stomach growled loudly, echoing in the silent night.

Villain stopped, eyes going wide as Hero glanced to the side. Villain wondered if Hero saw them in their peripheral vision and was ignoring them to give them the benefit of the doubt. Not that they didn't have any doubt. Swallowing, Villain crept along, sticking closer to the wall.

They almost jumped back when Hero took a sharp left turn, disappearing around a bend. Right, the subway. In this uniform and a bunch of citizens, there would be no hiding unless Villain took the risk and transformed again.

That was their only option, wasn't it?

Villain shifted just before turning the corner, hurrying down the stairs. Bright light hit them with alarm, and they prayed to whatever force was out there to not let them get caught.

Even in their blind panic, they noticed Hero was nowhere to be seen. Villain rounded the next corner to duck under the bench they knew would be there when they saw Hero already sitting on it, engrossed in their phone.

The briefest of hesitations, then a furious scramble. Hero's gaze shifted upwards, having seen a mysterious dark spot disappear under their seat. They leaned underneath, peering into the dark, and stared right at Villain.

Villain was practically hyperventilating. Hero was staring right at them, causing Villain to shrink in on themselves, making their form as unnoticeable as possible. They waited an agonizingly long time as Hero stayed there, their gaze flicking off to the side before they frowned, sitting up again.

Villain allowed themselves to relax.

The train arrived with a screech and a puff. Hero arose as the doors opened, allowimg a few people to exit before stepping inside. Villain followed close behind, squeezing through just as the doors shut.

Most of the seats were empty at this time. Hero took one close to the door and pulled out their phone, crossing their legs. Villain snuck under their chair, already becoming quite worn-out. The brief respite they had from using their powers hadn't recharged them much.

Seven stops to home. Villain could make it.

The train ride was uneventful and silent, leaving Villain alone with their thoughts. They felt the train slow and stop, the doors rumbling open.

Six stops.

Villain's breathing became more labored. Their thoughts scattered as fatigue set in, forcing them to concentrate on holding their form. It seemed like an eternity until the train slowed down again.

Five stops.

They could make it, they could make it, they could make it. Villain shut their shadowy eyes and focused, their grip strengthening for a brief moment.

Four stops.

Their grip loosened for a brief moment, forcing Villain up and out of the ground. It took all their willpower to strangle down the exhaustion and regain control.

Villain had to make it. They had no choice. Just keep it down, hold on just a bit longer.

Three stops.

They had to make it.

Two stops.

They would make it.

One stop.

They... couldn't.

Villain burst out of the ground, hitting their head on the chair, and cursed. Hero's alarmed expression peered down at a scowling Villain, who was rubbing their head and whincing in pain.

"V-villain?" Hero's eyes widened. "What are you doing there?"

------------------------------------------------------

Okay, so I've got a couple things to say about this, so sit tight:

I know it's long. I didnt know how, when, or where to stop, so I just kept going. I am sorry.

➥ On that note, if you liked the long story...good.

This part makes all the previous parts look trashy, so I'll definitely be expanding those.

I'm a lot better at writing description over dialogue.

I never intended this to be a series, which is why all the above things exist.

I'll definitely be continuing this story, but I wanna write other stuff too. Also I wanna do more frequent updates, rather than super long ones.

Once again, sorry for the wait, and thanks for your patience :)

[neongalaxiie]

Centre For Useless Splendour

[neongalaxiie]

And then imagine realizing the handle is your own from when you were into writing at like 12 years old

Imagine you're opening AO3 and search for a fic. Imagine you're finding one that fits all your criterias. Imagine it has the perfect length. Imagine getting lost in the story and feeling almost high when it's over. Imagine looking up the author and they have written. so. many. more. fics. exactly. like. that. Imagine.

[neongalaxiie]

Request

Hero suddenly has a tail and is trying not to knock things over with it

Villain sat on the couch, cross-legged, and sipped their tea. They flipped to the next page of the book they were reading and set the steaming mug on the coffee table. Outside, the sounds of the city played out, sirens and screams and, tonight, a thundering rain.

Villain was glad they'd stayed in tonight.

There were entirely enraptured in their book as it came to the climax, the big reveal the whole plot had been building up to. Villain bit their bottom lip, unable to suppress their grin.

Then there was a knock on the door.

Villain glanced up from their book, looking out the spotted window of their apartment, and listened. Waiting.

Nothing happened for a few seconds. Villain went back to their book.

The knocking came again, more aggressively this time. Villain sighed, setting the book upside-down on the couch and getting to their feet. They set their sight on the door as they rounded the couch, running a hand through their hair to fix it up a bit. Their hand landed on the doorknob, and Villain stole a quick peek into the peephole. Their eyes widened as they threw open the door.

"Hero?"

Hero gave them a charming smile. "Hey, Villain."

Villain's brows furrowed slightly. The hero was dripping wet, no doubt out fighting crime. The disgustingly vibrant uniform gave it away as well.

But what really caught Villain's attention was the big, sopping tail flicking behind Hero. Catching Villain's gaze and gaping expression, Hero cleared their throat, shaking it out to dry it.

"It's... not so bad. Inconvenient at best. I kinda need your help."

Villain's gaze moved from the spiky tail to the Hero's face, still gaping. "How — who — did this to you?"

Hero shuffled uncomfortably before answering. "You know that inventor guy? Always showing up with some crazy new gadget?"

"Yeah? He did that to you?"

"I got—" Hero turned to clear their throat, despite not needing to. "—nicked. So I didn't turn into a full animal like I'm sure he intended."

Villain took another look at the tail. It started out narrow, but got progressively wider and larger at the end. And it seemed to be in proportion with Hero's height, rising up above their head before curling down. Interesting.

Villain's eyes shifted back to Hero's. "What animal is it supposed to be from anyway?"

"I dunno. A squirrel, I think?"

"Okay...?" Villain narrowed their eyes. "And I'm supposed to help you how?"

"Well," Hero began. "I've just come back from fighting crime with this thing—" Hero gestured to their tail. "—and came to your doorstep of all places, so..." Hero shrugged. "I was hoping you'd have an idea to reverse it."

"Oh, uh." Villain turned to look inside their apartment, remembered their book and cooling tea, and sighed. They turned back to the hero, stepping aside. "Well, I guess you can come in, and we'll talk."

"Really?" Hero's eyes brightened up as they stepped inside. "Oh, bless you, Villain!"

"Pretty sure I'm already damned, but okay," Villain muttered as they shut the door.

Hero's tail took up the whole narrow foyer beyond the door. Villain frowned as Hero flicked their tail and shed hair fur all over the floor.

Flicking the tail also sent a spray splattering onto the walls, floor, and Villain.

It was unfortunate that Villain's apartment was kinda cramped. They were the only one living there, after all, but Hero wasn't being any more careful either. Their attention caught on one of the dressers, and they picked up some of the photographs, admiring them.

The other end of the tail licked the bottom of a hanging painting, and Villain's anxiety spiked as it rocked back and forth.

"Uh, Hero, is it okay if you watch your tail, though? You're gonna break something."

"Hm?" Hero turned, still carrying one of the photos, and their tail swept along with them. It flicked again, unexpectedly, hitting the rest of the photos and sending one of them crashing to the floor. They jumped at the sudden noise and stared at the mess, covering their mouth woth both hands.

Villain sighed, pinching the bridge of their nose. "Just... put down the photos," they ordered, frustrated. "And sit down on the couch. Or don't! You'll get it wet. Just wait over there where there's more room and I'll get some towels."

Hero spun around, facing the couch. Their tail knocked on the dresser again, making them jump away, but nothing else fell. They took some breaths to calm themselves down and headed to the couch, wary of their surroundings.

A book lay upside-down on the couch and Hero stooped down to inspect the cover, then the blurb on the back. Their tail relaxed, settling down on the coffee table, streaking the surface. Another flick sent the mug of tea flying onto the floor with a clatter.

Hero yelped, falling onto the couch. They arose immediately, feeling the wet spot they just created as Villain shouted "What was that?!"

Their tail bristled from the stress. Villain appeared in a doorway, carrying a bunch of towels and surveying the room, noticing the spill. Hero blurted out, "Sorry! I'm sorry, I— I didn't see that on the table." The covered their face in shame, cheeks reddening.

Villain sighed, as if disappointed with a small child. "It's fine. Here, take these. I'll clean up the mess, and then we can talk."

Hero wrapped their tail up in the towels as Villain made quick work of the spill, wiping down the table and floor with a few paper towels. Hero bit their lip as they watched Villain work.

Not before long, Villain settled beside Hero, moving the book away from the damp hero and onto the coffee table. "Alright," they began, steepling their fingers. "Let's get down to business..."

[neongalaxiie]

Caught In 4K - Part 3

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 4/5

"What?!" Hero exclaimed, leaning forward in their chair. "Executed? You can't be serious."

Superhero shrugged. "It's what they told me." They reached for a stack of papers beside them and tapped them on the desk, straightening them out. "Your last day is tomorrow, and the execution is planned for 5 pm. I'll give you some time to... think about this—"

Stew in my own regret, Hero thought.

"—and I'll summon you in about two hours to give you the details. You'll be pleased to learn you'll even get to choose your cause of death."

"Ecstatic," Hero replied flatly. "Everything is fine as long as I choose how I die."

"I mean—" Superhero shrugged, setting the papers down. "—there's definitely worse fates. No doubt if you were a villain right now, you'd be chained in a dungeon, forced to endure severe torture." They looked upon Hero with sympathy. "You should be glad it's this and not—"

"Glad?" Hero scoffed. "You've gotta be kidding me, Superhero. This entire system is messed up. Surely you can see that!"

Superhero sighed, leaning back. "It doesn't matter. This conversation is over." They picked up the top page of the neat stack before them, scanning it, before glancing up at Hero. "I'll call you back when I'm ready. I recommend you spend your last moments wisely."

Hero would've glared at Superhero, but they felt entirely too numb to feel anything. They got up and exited the office without another word.

[neongalaxiie]

Caught In 4K - Part 2

Part 1 | Part 3 | Part 4/5

Villain arrived back to base, whistling a cheery tune. They strode across to where Supervillain was hunched over a table and placed a hand on their shoulder.

"Hey Supervillain, I'm back."

"Yes, I heard." Supervillain waved them away, picking up a newspaper and holding it up to their face, studying it. They spun it around to show Villain. "Could you explain this?"

Villain leisurely pulled out a bar stool, jumping upon it before taking a look at the paper. Their eyes widened as they landed on the front cover. A large full-color picture of Villain and Hero making out in an alley took up half the page, the headline reading "Hero Kisses Villain: What Could This Mean For Our City?"

Supervillain pulled away the paper to reveal their displeased expression. "Well?"

Villain's mouth hung open. "Yeah, I... kinda trapped Hero in the alley. It wasn't actually their fault."

"So you had the opportunity to disarm them." It wasn't a question.

"I did, but not by conventional means." Villain gave Supervillain a winning smile, and the latter dropped their head and groaned.

"You're insufferable," Supervillain muttered, turning back to Villain. "Were they at least cute?"

Villain hummed, thinking. "If they were a civilian, I would've kidnapped them in broad daylight."

Supervillain nodded. "Stupid, but sounds about right. Fine, I'll let you off, but don't expect leniency." They pointed an accusing finger at Villain. "From now on, you'll stay professional, got it?"

Villain nodded, offering a salute in response. They hopped off the stool and started to walk away.

Supervillain turned back to their work. No doubt the whole situation would tarnish the reputation of the hero more than the villain. The public would demand an explanation from the Hero Organization. That reminded them...

"Hey, Villain?"

Villain poked their head back into the room. "Yeah?"

"Keep an eye on Hero for these next few days, like a closer one than usual. Just so I know what's happening."

"Sure thing, boss."

The Hero Organization was notoriously ruthless when it came to stuff like this, but if Villain could swoop in and save Hero before anything happened, that would be all the better for Supervillain. True, it would be good for Villain too, but...

Supervillain interlaced their fingers and rested their chin on top, grinning.

...there was always the chance of earning another member on the team.

[neongalaxiie]

Caught In 4K - Part 1

Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4/5

"Superhero, I know it sounds bad, but it was nothing like that!"

Superhero shook their head. "The evidence was unmistakable. A full-color image of you making out with Villain in an alley turned up in the front page paper. What do you expect the public, or anyone, to make of it?" Superhero pressed their forefinger onto their desk. "This situation has tarnished the reputation of the Hero Organization, and yours as well."

"Villain trapped me! They forced it on me. I had no other choice."

"You could've had them locked up if you weren't so locked in their lips."

Hero became more flustered by the second, sitting rigid. "Stop, I— this is ridiculous. I can't... believe you would even— why can't you—"

"Hero."

Hero stopped talking, their eyes briefly flicking off to the side. "Yeah?"

Superhero sighed, taking off their glasses and pinching the bridge of their nose. "You can't keep doing this, you know that." They looked up at Hero. "We have rules in place that we expect all employees to follow."

"I—" Hero deflated. "I know. Just... give me another chance."

"I'm afraid I'm not in a position to grant that."

Hero's eyes widened. "Are they gonna... fire me?"

Superhero met Hero's pleading eyes, and they looked away, choking back tears.

"The council has already made their decision," Superhero half-answered, somehow able to keep their voice level. They swallowed, keeping their gaze on the table. "I got the edict this morning."

"You're being executed."

[neongalaxiie]

Hello, i just found you and I wanted to tell you, i love your work so far! If you are interested, could you please write something about supervillain having suspicions that villain joined heroes? I would love to see your take on it! Thank you and take care <3

Villain unclipped their cape, laying it over the back of the chair, and huffed a short breath. Tired, they were so tired. It had been a long day, and they were so glad to just be back at the lair so they can relax.

"Ah, Villain," came Supervillain's voice from the kitchen. They rounded the corner, eating from a bag of chips. A loud crunch. "Glad you're finally back."

"Heh, yeah, me too." Villain sighed, leaning over the top of the chair and closed their eyes. So tired, ever since that thing...

That thing.

Supervillain neared Villain, the crinkling of the snack bag the only sign of their approach. Supervillain snapped their fingers and the bag disappeared with a pop.

Supervillain placed a hand on the small of Villain's back, drawing a shudder from the other. Villain raised themself back up to meet Supervillain's gaze. Supervillain cocked their head, examining Villain with a hum.

"You've been staying out later recently," Supervillain noted. "You've always been coming back so tired. Is there any particular reason why?"

Villain drew in a sharp breath. "Not any that I've noticed," they said carefully. "Perhaps I've just been working myself harder lately."

Supervillain just kept staring at Villain, no change in their demeanor. Villain found the constant eye contact rather oppressive, and their gaze instinctively flicked over to the side before landing on the supervillain's.

After that, the supervillain spoke. "It sounds to me—" They grasped the villain's chin and turned it toward them. "—like you're trying to convince yourself as much as me." Their expression hardened, and the villain's breath hitched, eyes widening.

"W-what do you mean?" Gosh, that was the wrong thing to say.

The supervillain straightened, their lips tightening a fraction. "You think I don't know?"

The villain swallowed and licked their lips. Know what? Another wrong thing to say, but all other responses vanished from their mind.

The supervillain made a noise of disappointment, which drew another wave of anxiety over Villain. They took a shaky step back, wary of their boss. A flick of Supervillain's wrist, and Villain slammed against the wall. Supervillain pinned them there with their hands, growling in Villain's face.

"How long, Villain? How long has this been going on?"

"I don't know—" what you're talking about? What were they thinking?

Supervillain scowled, pressing harder with their power. The metallic wall behind Villain buckled. "Don't make me ask again."

"A— a few months... I think..." More incrimination.

Supervillain hummed in acknowledgment. "Coincidently, that's about the same time I stopped receiving frequent updates and actual progress from you."

Villain's eyesbrows twitched. "Haven't I... given you updates?"

"No, only promises of progress, which reminds me—"

Supervillain drew closer, almost closing the gap between their faces. "What are the heroes planning?"

Villain's eyes widened almost imperceptibly. Their gaze briefly shifted to the ground. "Oh, um, well, it's not anything... that important. Restoration projects and stuff."

Villain's previous scowl shifted into a sort of dangerous smile, which unsettled Villain even more. "Oh, come on, Villain. You can do better than that. You were telling me all these months you're working on something big."

Villain just stared in fear at Supervillain, who waited a few beats before straightening, giving Villain room to breath. "But, no matter," the stronger villain continued, turning away with a dismissive wave of their hand. "I've got plenty of time to draw that information out of you, and with your priceless connection to the heroes—"

Supervillain turned back, their smile becoming darker, more predatory. "—I'll be able to take them down once and for all."

[neongalaxiie]

Villain slumped against their bean bag, dropping their gaming controller onto their lap and reaching for their soda. A long slurp of the drink and readjustment of the mic, and another match has begun. Villain leaned forward as they earned kill after kill, shouting to their team for some sense of coordination. Some people just didn't know how to play, did they?

Villain practically carried their team, but was eliminated by the end. They left the match, having enough of ranked games, and settled for a more relaxed mode.

Suddenly, the door slammed inward, hitting the wall hard enough to leave a dent. Villain sat up, sliding their headset off and saw Hero standing in the doorway, head down, with a shadow over their eyes. Their body was tense, their expression grim, and their fists balled at their sides.

Villain's eyes widened. "H-hero? What are you doing here?"

Hero raised their head just enough to peer up at Villain from the top of their glowing eyes. Their demeanor didn't change apart from a scowl. Villain swallowed.

Nobody said anything for a few seconds.

Then Hero broke the oppressive silence with a low growl. "Don't call me that."

"I'm done being a hero."

[neongalaxiie]

You've all heard of the hero's Corruption Arc + Redemption Arc, now get ready for the villain's Redemption Arc + Recorruption(?) Arc.

Basically, the villain leaves their team to join the heroes, and the rest of their team is constantly begging them to come back. They do eventually, much to the heroes' dismay.

Bonus: Villain never planned on abandoning their team for long, and just joined the hero team for intel. They couldn't tell the others, though, because that would break the illusion of redemption, which would make the act less believable.

[neongalaxiie]

"Why don't you come here and fight me?" Hero taunted, crooking their finger forward as an invitation.

"Nuh uh," the villain replied, spotting the mistletoe high above Hero's head. "I see what you did there."

[neongalaxiie]

TW: Blood

The hero wiped the blood off their mouth with the back of their fist and bared their teeth. Their eyes flashed with an uncharacteristically wild energy as they pushed themselves up off the ground, fueled by adrenaline.

"One day, Villain, I swear—" The hero stomped over to where the villain stood unscathed. "—I'm going to make you pay."

The villain, being the literal devil he is, laughed arrogantly in Hero's face. He leaned forward, lowering himself down to Hero's level, and gave a sharp grin. "Oh, I'd like to see you try."

[neongalaxiie]

"Like what you see?" Hero said, sticking their tongue out playfully and striking a pose.

Villain, realizing they zoned out staring at the hero, shook themselves out of their trance. "Huh, what? No, I was... hoping you'd spontaneously combust."

[neongalaxiie]

Request idea

Villain goes to buy a coffee and runs into Hero at the coffee shop

Villain opened the door to the coffee shop and stepped inside, letting the door shut. They shivered, pulling their unzipped jacket over their shoulders and raising the lapels. The heated cafe contrasted with the freezing outdoors like black and white, but staying out for too long without a coffee to heat them up left Villain freezing.

They made a beeline for the counter, not wanting to waste a second despite having to wait in a queue. A longer queue than usual, Villain noticed. The cafe seemed more crowded today, with most of the inside tables taken up and multiple customers waiting for their takeaway orders.

Villain ordered a large black coffee and headed to the back of the cafe to wait. They leaned against the wall in one of the corners and pulled out their phone, glancing up occasionally when a name was called out.

They looked up again when the door opened and a small but heavily bundled-up figure stumbled in, covered in snow. Snow? Villain's mouth hung open as they turned their attention to the window beside them. It was indeed snowing, although lightly. Shit, this was bad.

Villain was still staring outside in horror as the stranger finished ordering. Villain swallowed, wide-eyed. Their scalding hot coffee would become ice within two seconds of stepping outside. They weren't even that well dressed for this type of weather, and they just recovered from the flu not a week ago. They couldn't go through it again, all those sleepless nights and the runny nose and constant coughing and sneezing and postponed plans and canceled fights and--

"Villain?"

Villain looked up to the barista just in time to see someone else pick up a coffee from the counter. Villain kept their head up a moment longer to make sure...

"Villain, down here!"

Villain startled, seeing the short little stranger right in front of them. They didn't even see them approaching. How did...?

Villain frowned. "Who are you?"

"Don't you recognize me? I'm Hero!"

The villain's eyes flew open in recognition. They couldn't tell at first, with the voice muffled by the oversized scarf, every square inch of skin covered by clothing, and every square inch of clothing covered by... believe it or not, more clothing. Hero's thin, round glasses fogged up with every exhale, making the lenses appear almost pure white.

Villain tore their gaze away from Hero and cleared their throat. "What are you doing here?"

"Getting a coffee, duh," Hero laughed. "How long have you been waiting?"

"Almost ten minutes," Villain replied, fighting the urge to move as Hero leaned against the wall next to them.

"Honestly, I think you'll need a lot more than coffee to get you through."

Villain blushed. "Like what?"

"A thicker jacket, for starters," Hero said, tugging at Villain's leather jacket. Villain pulled away this time, pushing off the wall. "But also like, a beanie, a scarf, two pairs of pants, and another thicker jacket, as well as boots."

Villain grimaced, guessing those were the layers Hero had on. "I'd rather not..."

"What?" Hero pushed off the wall and planted their mittened hands on their hips. "You don't like what I'm wearing?"

"I don't want to look like you."

Hero snorted, shaking their head. They opened their mouth to say something, but was interrupted by a loud barista.

"Order for Loki?!"

Villain locked eyes with the barista and made a hesitant move towards her. Their eyes flicked back to the hero, who started to giggle.

"Loki? That's what you call yourself now?" They erupted into peals of laughter that filled the cafe, turning several heads and leaving Villain with a deep crimson blush.

"It's funny to see other's reactions to it," Villain grumbled. "You just ruin my fun."

Villain stepped up to the counter, muttering their thanks to the barista and sipped their coffee, savoring the hot bitterness for as long as they could. They left the cafe without another word to the hero.

[neongalaxiie]

Hero and Villain are somehow both dressed up as clowns with different reactions

My first request?! :0 I'll try

------------------------------------------------------

Hero grimaced, checking themselves out in the mirror. A rainbow wig sat on their head, their long hair spilling out underneath. The loose-fitting jumpsuit was riddled with different patterns and colors, and the long shoes were just plain clumsy. A red nose completed the look.

"This... is so embarrassing," Hero said. "Revolting, distasteful, utterly preposterous." They turned to Villain, who seemed to be suppressing a giggle. "Why am I even wearing this?"

The villain, similarly dressed, had the extra addition of face makeup. Their rosy cheeks lifted upward in a creepy smile that sent a shiver down Hero's spine.

"You don't look half bad." The villain's eyes glinted. "All you're missing is some blood."

The hero scoffed, crossing their arms. "Of course you'd say that. You, who are so obsessed with all things hor—"

Their sentence was cut short by the flash of a knife. Hero flinched backwards, bumping into the mirror. Their eyes landed on the handle of the knife pointed towards them, then flicked up to the villain's smirking face.

"Do it," the villain urged. "Make me proud."

The hero remained stunned for a full second before shaking their head. "Stop, you're crazy," they replied, pressing down on the villain's hand. "This isn't 2016, and oh my gosh—" Hero twirled around in distress, tugging at their real hair. "I can't believe I let you talk me into wearing this stupid costume. Never again, I swear."

The hero sighed, staring at their reflection with a pout. Behind them, the villain glanced at their knife, still outstretched, before sheathing it and stepping up next to the hero, towering over them. The leaned over, as if telling a secret, and said, "Y'know, if it makes you better, you do actually look good like this."

The hero let out a startled laugh and focused on the villains reflection this time. "I gotta say, I never thought I'd see you looking so natural, not having to hide your true self."

The villain grinned. "You got me there."

------------------------------------------------------

Hope this was to your liking, anon :)

[neongalaxiie]

op, you have no idea how freaking good this is. The fact that this has so few notes is a crime in itself

The villain successfully corrupts the hero to their side and regrets it. Maybe the hero is releasing their repressed anger and they are far more brutal, sadistic and violent then the villain anticipated. The villain has to witness their new "partner" commit atrocities they wouldn't dream of. The line of who's the true leader of evil organization eventually gets very very blurred.

[neongalaxiie]

Okay, this is funny, but I still like writing and drawing even if my characters demand all my attention

writing isnt even like a hobby to me anymore its just that theres images trapped in my head and if i dont get them out fast enough they start rotting in there and stinking up the place