#controlling caretaker

[jordanstrophe]

I love over-protective caretakers in social settings:

Placing themselves in front of whumpee to block a stranger’s approach.

Assigning a trusted person to act as whumpee's bodyguard while caretaker is away.

Taking responsibility for tracking and administering medication because they worry whumpee might miss a dose.

Pulling whumpee out of conversations that seem to ask too many personal questions.

[only-shadows-dwell-where-we-are]

Whump Drabble - Brainwashed Hero

CW: brainwashing/mind control, needle and drugging, sedation, betrayal, forced medical care

“Relax your muscles, Hero. It’s going to hurt more if you tense up like that.” Super Hero remarked, picking up a syringe.

Hero forced themselves to sit back in the chair, took a deep breath, and let their arms fall limp at their sides, one of which - their left - had a piece of blue rubber tied above the elbow, where Super Hero had just wiped their skin with an alcohol swab.

“Is that better?” Hero’s voice came out softly, choked by the rising anxiety in their stomach.

“Better.” Super Hero smiled reassuringly.

Hero took a breath, and closed their eyes as Super Hero stepped closer to the chair, brandishing the syringe.

“Alright. Deep breaths. That’s it.”

Super Hero’s voice drifted above them.

“Little pinch now.”

Then came the sharp pinch in their arm, just below the rubber tie.

“Deep breath out.”

Hero released the air, shuddering slightly as they felt the freezing liquid from the syringe flood into their veins and start pumping into their system.

“S’cold..” They whispered, clenching their eyes shut tighter.

“I know. But you’re all done now.”

Hero slowly opened their eyes to see the syringe gone, and Super Hero in the process of removing the rubber tie and putting a small band-aid over the site.

“Oh.”

“You did great, Hero. Just relax there for a bit so I can make sure you’re alright, and then you can take the rest of the day off to rest. I’m proud of you, you know.” Super Hero smiled as they squeezed Hero’s shoulder gently. “You did good, kid.”

“T- thanks.” Hero stammered.

“You can thank me when we know it works and keeps any heinous villain from getting in your head.” Super Hero asserted.

They had explained to Hero many times how the chemicals in the serum would ensure that they would be protected against all forms of manipulation, hypnosis or mind control magics or methods, and yet Hero still didn’t quite understand how it worked. But, they figured, if Super Hero thought it’d be helpful, they should trust in their superior and accept the treatment.

“Alright, let’s get you back to your room. I think you should be right..."

Super Hero escorted Hero back to their room in the training compound and helped them onto the bed so that they could rest. Before Super Hero left the room, they turned around and paused in the doorway.

“Oh, and like I said before; we’ll need to do the treatment once a day for the next few weeks so that it can be most effective. But you can’t take the next few weeks off to relax - we need you. So once we’re sure you’re taking it well, you can get back into it.”

“Okay.” Hero whispered.

“Sleep well, Hero.” Super Hero murmured, flicking off the lights.

-------------- *Several weeks later* ---------------

“Come Hero, it’s time for your treatment.” Super Hero said.

Super Hero began escorting Hero down the hall to the room, as they’d done for weeks. Suddenly, a loud blaring could be heard echoing through the compound. The alert. They’d been breached.

“We have to get out. Now.” Super Hero barked, grabbing Hero by the arm.

They both bolted down the hallway. As they ran, they passed guards and other heroes racing in every way, barking out commands and instructions at each other.

“Super Hero, what’s going on?!” Hero yelled.

“No idea!” was the only response.

They raced down the hall, brushing past others in the compound until they reached the elevator. Just as Super Hero was about to hit the button to call the elevator down, the doors slid open by themselves. A large group of people burst through into the hall, and it took a second for Hero to process who was standing in front of them. When they did, their jaw dropped.

It was Super Villain, accompanied by Villain and their goonies. Before Super Hero could tell Hero to run, the villains burst forward, heading straight for the heroes.

"GET HERO!" Super Villain screamed to Villain.

Super Hero let out a blast of fire from their palm, which collided with Villain as they attempted to leap off the wall and drop down onto Super Hero. Villain cried out and crashed into the floor, where they rolled around in a frantic attempt to put out the flames that had begun to engulf them.

"I'll handle Super Villain. You get out!" Super Hero called to Hero.

Super Villain sent a blast of frozen air, which frosted over Super Hero's skin and made them freeze in place.

Villain was able to grab Hero from behind. "Got em! Help me get them out of here."

Hero thrashed against the grasp. "LET ME GO!"

"Hey, it's okay! You're safe now. It's alright." Villain said.

Hero knew this was one of their foul tactics to try to corrupt Hero's mind. Luckily, Super Hero had prepared them for this.

They sent off a blast of red energy from their finger, but Villain ducked. The blast collided with the wall where Villain’s head had been a second prior.

“Hurry, Villain! We’ve got to get them out of here!” Super Villain screamed, sending a blast of blue energy at the guards around them.

Several guards crashed into the ground, frost spreading over their unmoving bodies. Hero, distracted by Villain and Super Villain, didn’t notice as Super Villain’s henchmen swarmed behind Hero until it was too late. The henchmen dragged Hero, now kicking and screaming, into the elevator. Super Villain and Villain shot off several more bolts of energy as they backed up into the elevator and the doors slid shut.

Hero backed against the wall of the elevator. They knew they were cornered, but they couldn’t give up.

“Hey, hey, it’s alright.” Villain said, bending down to Hero.

“No! Get AWAY!” Hero sent out a massive blast, which collided straight with Villain’s chest and sent them crashing into the opposite wall of the elevator, which they slid down and fell to the floor.

“VILLAIN!” Super Villain screamed.

They turned to look back at Villain, then to Hero, then back to Villain. In a split-second, Super Villain made their choice. They leapt at Hero and pressed their hand to Hero’s temple. Blue tendrils crept from Super Villain’s hand and into Hero’s head. Hero’s eyes glowed blue, and they crashed to the floor, unconscious.

----

When Hero’s eyes opened, they found themselves in a bed. Their first thought was that maybe they’d had some bizarre nightmare, but they quickly realised that was not the case. They were in a hospital-esque room, with an IV in their arm, a heart-monitor on the chest, and restraints around their arms and legs. Panic rose in their chest as they remembered that they had no clue what happened to Super Hero. They could be dead, and now Hero was alone, imprisoned in the Villain Base. Hero noticed cameras and a two-way mirror in the wall. They were being watched. They’d have to try to contact Super Hero, and fast, before they could be stopped.

Villain and Super Villain stood outside the room, watching closely through the two-way mirror.

“Do you think they’re going to be alright?” Villain asked, their brow furrowing in concern.

“I’m not sure. We can only try our best.” Super Villain replied.

Hero lay in the bed, their chest rising heavily. The heartbeat monitor began to beep faster and faster. Their eyes glowed bright red as they attempted to reach out telepathically to Super Hero. There was only a buzzing sound in their mind. They knew this sound. Their abilities were being repressed.

“We should go, right now. Before they panic.” Super Villain commanded.

The two villains stormed into the room, with two medics from the base in tow.

Hero looked up to the door, fear spreading over their face. “You. Let me go. Right. NOW.” they spat.

“It’s alright. We froze Super Hero, but we didn’t hurt them. They’ll be fine by now.” Super Villain said.

“We won’t hurt you, either.” Villain added.

“You knocked me out, kidnapped me, strapped me to a bed, knocked me unconscious, and took away my powers!” Hero yelled, thrashing against their restraints.

“It’s for your own good!” Villain protested.

“Well, forgive me if I don’t believe you, Villain.” The hatred in Hero’s voice as they said Villain’s name was enough to make Villain flinch.

“Hey. Hero, we are trying to help you. Super Hero has been brainwashing you. I don’t give a damn if you believe us or not. But we can’t help you unless you let us.” Super Villain barked out.

“DON’T YOU DARE!!!” Hero screamed. “Super Hero injected me with a serum, so nothing you try to manipulate me will work!”

“Okay, okay. We’re going to go now, okay. Let you cool off.” Villain soothed. “Come on.” Villain took Super Villain by the arm, and dragged them out of the room.

More medics came rushing into the room, clutching medical supplies. Villain and Super Villain watched on in concern as Hero was pinned to the bed and a syringe injected a sedative into Hero’s veins. The angry rescuee went limp as they went out cold.

“We’ve got to do something about this. Time to call a team meeting.” Super Villain declared.

----

“Hero said something about a.. serum, right?”

Villain, Super Villain, and several henchmen sat around a large table in a briefing room.

“Yeah.. I don’t know what it could be, though. Or how we can possibly begin to reverse the effects.” Villain replied.

“Alright, well, I want you and Medic to look into it. It’s pretty clear here that Super Hero has been manipulating Hero into being under their control using that serum. And we’re going to be unable to change Hero’s mind by talking to them alone.” Super Villain commanded.

“On it. Should we try to get a hold of a sample of the serum?”

“No - not if you need to break back into the Hero Base. We can’t take any chances here, or else Super Hero might be able to extract information from us about Hero, or manipulate you into working for them.”

“Alright.”

---

Villain slumped their head into their hands. “It’s hopeless. We can’t help them, and they don’t want us to.”

“No. Don’t say that.” Medic sighed. They placed their tablet down on the table and reached out to lay their hand on Villain’s shoulder. “We can figure something out.”

“Yeah.. I guess - wait!” Villain bolted upright in their seat, jostling Medic by accident. “Sorry! I just had a thought. Our mole - the one who told us Super Hero was abusing Hero. What if they could send us a sample?”

“It’s a good idea.. But I think it’s too risky. What if they get caught?”

Villain sighed, and slumped down once more.

“Wait. Actually, the solution was right in front of us the whole time!” Medic exclaimed. “We need to get a sample of Hero’s blood and run it through a new device I’ve been working on. It should synthesise an antidote that can reverse the effects of the serum. And we should find the footage from the hero base where Superhero was talking about what they did to Hero. And anything new we can get from the hidden cams. That could help them understand what Superhero has done to them.”

“We just have to get a sample of Hero’s blood in the first place. And they hardly let anyone near them, I doubt we’re going to have much luck drawing their blood.” Villain sighed.

“We can’t sedate them. We need their bloodstream clear aside from the drug. We’ll have to try to wait until they’re asleep.” Medic asserted.

----

Medic and Villain quietly approached Hero’s room.

Hero was fast asleep. They seemed exhausted. The power-suppressing cuffs were still working, but their straining against them had left Hero’s wrists raw and bleeding.

They’d have to bandage Hero’s wrists up too.

Medic and Villain snuck inside, and began setting up a syringe. Medic gestured to Villain, who gently held Hero steady, ready to tighten their grip as quickly and as tightly as necessary.

Medic positioned the syringe in line with Hero’s vein, and then slid the needle in.

Hero flinched in their sleep, and Medic and Villain locked eyes in panic. But within a moment, Hero’s head had lolled to the side and they had slipped back into seemingly-restful sleep. Villain let out a sigh of relief. Medic finished drawing the blood into a vial, and removed the syringe. They gave a thumbs up to Villain.

After bandaging the wounds on Hero’s wrists, the two were able to return to Medic’s lab. They placed a sample of Hero’s blood into Medic’s new device, and it activated.

“It appears to be some kind of drug that enhances susceptibility to the manipulation that Superhero was putting them through. It sped up the process of making Hero fully under their control. It was all about power, and it still is. Good news is, my device is able to create a neutral serum that will reverse these effects and get them to trust us enough to help them. We only need to give them one dose, unlike Superhero - that way we can continue to undo the brainwashing by talking to them, and earn their real trust. Otherwise we’d be just as bad as Superhero. But we will have to be careful that they don’t try to escape back to them anyway.”

“Alright. How long will it take?” Villain asked.

“Two hours. Go get Super Villain. We start as soon as it’s ready.” Medic asserted.

----

Super Villain, Villain and Medic stood at Hero’s door.

“And.. you’re sure this is actually going to work?” Super Villain asked.

“No. But it’s worth a try.” Villain said.

“They're more likely to trust me if I go in alone. You two wait here.” Medic said.

Medic quietly opened the door to Hero's room. Hero was laying on their side, their back to the door, so they couldn't tell if Hero was awake or asleep.

Villain and Super Villain watched from behind the two-way mirror as Medic began setting up their equipment on a little side table.

“Hey, Hero. It's me, Medic. I'm just going to do a little check up, okay?”

Hero rolled over, their eyes fixed on the ceiling, and didn't say a word.

“Okay. How are you feeling?” Medic asked, as they began to check Hero's heart rate and pupil response.

Hero didn't answer, their jaw set stubbornly.

“Ok, that's fine. I'm going to rebandage your wrists now, alright?” Medic removed the restraints around Hero’s wrists, and gently cleaned the wounds Hero had made from struggling. Hero flinched but didn't pull away, allowing the Medic to then replace the bandages. Medic then turned away to pick up something else, and Hero frowned.

“Aren't you… aren’t you going to cuff me again?” Hero asked in a small voice.

“No, Hero.” Medic said in a gentle voice. They placed a hand tentatively on Hero's shoulder. “We're trying to help you. I promise.”

Medic gently pulled away their hand, then picked up a small syringe. “Hero, I have some medication here I want you to take - just painkillers.”

Hero looked dubiously at the syringe. “I- I don't like needles.”

“Please, Hero. It will really help you. I'm sure you haven't gotten very much rest since you came here. It will help you sleep.” Medic said gently.

Hero took in a deep breath through their nose, then out through their mouth, their eyes flashing red for a moment. Medic, remembering that Villain and Super Villaiin were behind the mirror, ready to pounce, put their open hand behind their back in the ‘wait’ signal.

“Hey, Hero. It's alright. I'm not trying to hurt you. I'm just trying to help you. You can say no, I won't be angry. It's your choice.” Medic soothed, their voice low and calm.

Hero took another deep breath, the red in their eyes dying out as their fear ebbed and faded slightly. “Ok.” They mumbled. “Ok, you can do it. Just.. get it over with.”

Medic smiled gently. “Of course.” They filled the syringe with the serum. “Just going to wipe the area first, love, okay? It might feel a little cold.”

They picked up an alcohol wipe, cleaning the skin around Hero’s shoulder. “Ready? This might pinch a bit, but I promise it won't be sore for long.”

Hero nodded, clenching their eyes shut, and continued to take long deep breaths. Medic placed a gentle hand below Hero's arm to steady their other hand, then gently slid the syringe into the muscle of Hero’s shoulder. Hero hissed through their teeth, but their hands relaxed at their sides as the serum entered their blood stream.

“That's it, Hero. Just relax.” Medic removed the needle and patted Medic's hand. “You did well.”

Hero let a single tear slip down their cheek.

“Hey, hey, you did well. It's over now.” Medic smiled. They stroked a hand through Hero's hair. Hero flinched, then relaxed into the touch.

Medic wrapped an arm around Hero’s shoulder. “You're safe now. Go to sleep.”

Hero nodded softly, and buried their head into Medic. “Safe.” They mumbled.

Medic just smiled, and stayed with Hero until they fell asleep, only a few minutes later.

[stagelightwhump]

Whumpee with a mind control collar that only activates for Whumper's voice.

Whumpee learning to associate Whumper's voice with a complete and total loss of control.

Whumpee who feels uncomfortable and stifled, post rescue, if they have to wear anything around their neck.

Whumpee who, upon hearing Whumper's voice in public one day, mentally shuts down, wrenches themself away from Caretaker, and throws themself at Whumper's feet like they'd been trained to.

[snakebites-and-ink]

Okay so we all know and love Whumper with mind powers, but how about Caretaker (or "caretaker") with mind powers

Good caretaker

Entering Whumpee's dreams to soothe their nightmares

Offering Whumpee motivation when they can't seem to dredge up enough themself

When Whumpee has to journey through painful parts of their psyche to recover, Caretaker can make sure they don't have to do it alone

Their power helping coax Whumpee out of where they retreated into their mind

Using telepathy to understand what Whumpee wants to communicate when they're having a hard time talking

Helping Whumpee relax when they need it

Using some kind of remote mental connection with Whumpee to help comfort them when they're separated

Enhanced deconditioning

If Whumper also had mind powers, Caretaker could help in more ways: dismantling changes Whumper made to Whumpee's mind, weaning Whumpee off of a dependence on the control, breaking Whumpee out of Whumper's influence, etc.

Bad caretaker

Whumpee is so much more peaceful and content like this...What if Caretaker just...kept them under?

You have trauma? No You Don't. Forcing this without working through it will surely not have adverse psychological effects

Whumpee gets addicted to the bliss/relief of being under Caretaker’s power, and Caretaker enables this

Whumpee has bad coping mechanisms or inconvenient limits due to their trauma. Caretaker knows better, so they're justified in forcing things, right?

Keeping Whumpee under control in front of others so they're more palatable than they might normally be with their traumas

Caretaker whumping the whumper

Caretaker makes sure Whumper will never be able to harm Whumpee again. Could go a lot of ways with this :)

Automatic punishment (feeling sick, pain, etc.) if Whumper tries to hurt anyone again

Forcing Whumper to apologize to Whumpee

Wiping Whumper's mind

Breaking Whumper's mind

Making Whumper relive everything they did from their victim's perspective

Completely taking away Whumper's free will because clearly they can't be trusted with it

Forced guilt/regret/etc.

[hypno-gears]

A mass hypnosis plot happens.

Everyone on the team wakes up, like: "Whoa, what happened?" Discussing the events of whatever the villain is up to.

But someone on the team is missing.

"Hey, where's Whumpee?"

Turns out, Whumpee is standing in the corner, still hypnotized, while everyone else already woke up.

Cue adorable fluffy whump caretaking.

[lumpywhump]

mind controlled whumpee who can't trust themself. Whumper can hack into whumpee's head whenever. Whumpee, while fighting whumper with their weapon, has to worry about if they're going to turn in their team mates. Maybe they don't know whumpers limitations so they always have to be on high alert. And then the after math. When whumpee wakes up and sees what they have done. It doesn't matter if caretaker says whumper did it. It was still whumpee's body. If they were strong enough, they would be able to break free, right?

[whump-galaxy]

“Can you remember anything?”

“���I don’t want to.”

[marvel-ous-whump]

Magical Mind Control that completely shuts down a Whumpee's mind. leaving them a obedient shell when "Activated" by Whumper. and in a deep, magical sleep when "Deactivated." When Caretaker finds them and rescues them, it takes days for Whumpee to come out from under Whumper's magical influence.

Post Rescue timeline: Days 1-4; Whumpee just floats in darkness. It's quiet, heavy and blissful. Day 5: Whumpee becomes distantly aware of a voice talking to them. it's not Whumper, but comforting none the less. Day 8: Whumpee manages to open their eyes a little. but everything is blurry. Someone's holding them, a hand is in their hair, Whumpee doesn't quite know who it is, but they know they trust this person more than anyone else in the world. Day 12: A light goes off in Whumpee's brain like a lighthouse in pea soup fog. Caretaker! It's Caretaker who's with them. they wish they could speak Caretaker's name, but they're just so Sleepy, they don't have the energy.

Day 13: Whumpee comes to breifly when Caretaker's gently spoon-feeding them some soup. giving Caretaker a feeble smile. Day 15: Whumpee finally wakes up clear-headed and lucid to a teary-eyed Caretaker, hoarsely whispering "Hey."

[roseraintears]

“ He would not fucking say that!“

But it`s Caretaker trying to tell their team that Whumpee has been acting out of character since their rescue

Like they are a whole different person, or someone else has taken over their mind and body

[jordanstrophe]

"I'll ask you one last time, whumpee. Get in the car!" Caretaker barked from the car window.

"Not a chance! I hardly know you. You could be working for whumper for all I know." Whumpee crossed their arms in defiance and partial insecurity. Caretaker sighed and took a breath. "Okay, then I'll give you two options."

Whumpee gave a small smile, thinking they won something.

"Option one is you get in the car, no fuss and no kicking. Option two is I use every ounce of strength I have to get you in this car. You can trust me, I intend to get you in this car one way or another."

Whumpee's smile disappeared, realizing they won nothing.

[entity56]

We all know about mind controlled Whumpees, but what about mind controlled Caretakers?

Whumpee had just started to fully trust Caretaker, feel safe around them, when Whumper got their hands on them. Now, out of the blue, Caretaker seemingly turns on Whumpee. They use the same insults and tactics and commands as Whumper, and they seem exactly the same as Whumper was. Maybe this is momentary, just to give them a scare, or maybe it lasts long enough to give Whumpee the sensation of going through what they'd just gotten out of again. And when Caretaker finally comes out of it, Whumpee is either gone, or (physically/mentally) severely injured and won't even look them in the eye.

[hypno-gears]

Character gets hypnotized by the villain, and rescued, but it's treated like a sickfic.

Now the other heroes need to look after blorbo until the temporary trance wears off. The poor blorbo is in bed, probably staring into space, maybe half-conscious and delirious.

Even better: Stubborn hypnotized blorbo. They insist they're "totally fine" and try to function despite being hypnotized af, and the caretakers have to reel them in before they hurt themselves.

[myimaginationplain]

do you ever think about how Ohkubo extremely casually dropped the fact that Spirit & Kami were teen parents & then proceeded to never expound upon that fact or bring it up ever again despite it explaining a whole lot about them & Maka

[whump-galaxy]

The whumpee trying so hard to fight off something mentally, either exhaustion, brainwashing, some kind of drug to enhance or prohibit their powers, etc. They know they can’t fight it off forever, so they warn their caretaker(s) to leave them.

[fleur-a-whump]

Overloaded (#5)

Rocky Reunions Pt. 2

More Kai being grumpy plus his team!!

previous | masterlist | next

CW: uhh shock collar, mentioned electrocution, whumpee paraded around, ex-villain whumpee, hero whumper, hero caretakers

Kai plops into the auditorium seat next to Elijah, letting out a long suffering sigh. His partner chuckles slightly, accustomed to his moodiness and drama, but when he catches a glimpse of Kai’s tight expression, he stops.

“What’s wrong?” he asks, as the Hero League Director and council walk out on the stage. They take their seats at the curved council table, outfitted with microphones and interrupted by a tall center podium, settling in to conduct the briefing.

Kai shakes his head, not wanting to get into it when the meeting is about to start. Elijah gives him a look.

“Later,” he promises, softening, giving him a small, reassuring smile.

Elijah nods and turns to the stage as the meeting begins.

Director Jaida Murphy stands tall and composed at the center podium, her serious face breaking easily into a winning smile once the auditorium has settled. Her voice is loud and clear over the speakers, swiftly silencing any lingering murmurs of the crowd.

“Thank you all for coming to this month’s briefing. We have many things to cover on the docket today so let’s go ahead and get going. First and foremost, Secretary Cho, will you read the previous meeting’s minutes?” she says, turning to the older gentleman at the end of the row, who’s set up with a steno machine.

Kai zones in and out of the tedious meeting. He’s well-practiced in discerning the useless and important parts and is assured by the knowledge that Lizzy, another member of his team, is an obsessive and thorough note-taker. If he accidentally zones out for something important, he can goad her into sharing her notes with him. Though he’d rather avoid the teasing that comes along with that.

He snaps back to attention at the words “villain reform initiative.”

“As you all know, a major responsibility of this organization is to invest in the effective reform of the villains we encounter while protecting the city. Team Delta is currently spearheading a new project which both makes use of insider information from some of the most devious crime syndicates in Hyperion City and actively reforming a major villain, directing his abilities towards the greater good. To tell us more about this new program, please welcome Miguel Toro, and Jasper Lane, also known as Tinker.”

There’s polite applause, underlined by suspicious murmuring, as the two join the council on the stage. Director Murphy steps aside and the two take her place at the podium. Jasper stands just behind Miguel, his face carefully neutral. Kai can make out that the kid is still slightly green after seeing it earlier. He doubts anyone else picks up on it though. He hopes he doesn’t get sick on stage.

What catches his attention most, and likely everyone else’s, is the collar still tightly fastened around his neck. He’d changed his shirt since Kai saw him, now wearing what could be scrubs—or a prisoner’s top—with a v-neck that puts the collar on prominent display. The brazen showcase makes Kai nauseous. It doesn’t sit well with him, no matter what Jasper has done.

He watches the kid's Adam's apple bob against it in anxiety. Kai’s skin prickles as he remembers how badly the electricity hurt him, second hand. He wonders how often they use it.

“Hello,” Miguel says, loudly, firmly, in an attempt to settle the whispers still rippling through the auditorium. He’s not nearly as effective as the Director, but it does quiet some.

“Thank you for allowing us to present this project to you today. Jasper has been working with us for about six months, and we can report only positive results from this venture. He’s used his technopath abilities to improve our equipment and assist on over two dozen missions, most notably with data recovery from the Blitz Family Warehouse reconnaissance mission down at the Wharf last month. Most importantly, as Jasper is the son of old school villain Nero and protege of Psychosis, Jasper has supplied us with invaluable intelligence from within the crime empires these two are orchestrating.”

Kai raises an eyebrow. He knew Tinker was trained by Psychosis, which was intimidating enough, but the kid is also Nero’s son? Nero had essentially been an untouchable keystone in one of the largest syndicates in Hyperion for like 25 years.

No wonder they wanted to keep him close.

“Jasper has restricted, supervised access to technology and his powers. His movement is also restricted and his location is tracked. Jasper has performed very well within these safety precautions and has been a very useful tool in our belt. We believe with properly tailored boundaries and effort made on both sides, this program is replicable with other villains.”

So, you’re just not going to mention the fucking shock collar? Kai scoffs quietly.

He’s sure the only reason Jasper hasn’t wreaked havoc on the whole tower is they’ve been electrocuting him. Miguel is just peacocking; putting lipstick on the pig that, knowing him, he probably staked his whole career on. He’s been trying to move up the ranks for years.

He watches Miguel bring Jasper forward with what could be a supportive hand on his back, but looks to Kai more like a possessive grip on the back of his neck. Miguel opens the floor to questions, giving non-answers and continuing to speak about Jasper as if he wasn’t there. Jasper stands quietly, entirely stoic through even some of the crueler questions and discussion of his crimes and background. One question does get Kai’s attention though.

“How did this idea come about?”

Miguel stiffens a bit. “We arrested Jasper in the field, and it was my idea to work with him rather than just shuffle him off to prison.”

Kai just barely catches Jasper’s face twitch. He recalls Jasper saying he came to the heroes. He sort of hates that he feels more inclined to believe the villain over the hero.

Then someone finally has the guts to ask about the collar. This time Jasper's response, another twitch like he's holding back a grimace, is more noticeable.

“It's simply a tracking device, fashioned this way to minimize Jasper's opportunities to tamper with it, given that he is technologically inclined.”

Kai nearly jumps out of his seat at that. There's no way he just lied like that. He wouldn't be surprised if a collar like that could kill someone without an affinity for electricity, and Miguel wants to pretend it's just a tracking device?

If he wasn't sure there was something wrong with the whole scenario before, he certainly is now.

Listening to Miguel drone on for the next ten minutes just pisses Kai off more and more. It’s a good thing the presentation was the last order of business. Much longer, and the cups of coffee and water bottles around him would’ve started boiling and bursting as his emotions fueled his powers. Kai’s one of the first people out the door, slamming it open as hard as he can and storming some ways down the hall.

~~~

Kai wants so badly to label Tinker as a villain who should be in prison. He wants to fall back on the comfort of a black and white world that’s been drilled into him by his League training, and not think about the image of the shaking and whimpering villain on the floor just an hour ago. But the whole spectacle made Kai a little queasy; now, he can’t blame Jasper for puking his guts out. And the way Miguel so clearly sees him as a tool, a means to an end to advance his career makes Kai see red. Partly on Jasper’s behalf, partly out of his hatred of Miguel and the politics of the League, and partly out of frustration with himself for caring about, worrying about the infuriating villain.

Kai couldn’t remember ever hearing him speak when they fought—his mask, which covered the lower half of his face, didn’t really allow for it he supposed—but he always got the feeling the kid was laughing at him. That, combined with the way Kai’s powers could actually make Jasper stronger, his electricity more powerful, and how damn fast he was without that even being his power, made every fight so annoying that he’d complain about it till Elijah got sick of it and told him to move on.

Speak of the devil, he hears his partner jogging up behind him as he angrily paces. He stops, forcing himself to let out a long, frustrated sigh as he leans against the wall of the hallway he’d found himself in. Elijah leans against the wall next to him.

“Sooo, I had to set my coffee down during Miguel’s speech because it was getting hotter. Which, y’know, isn’t how that usually works. Wanna talk about it?”

Kai huffs out a light laugh in spite of himself. His boyfriend definitely knows him well.

“Sorry. It was just—well, you know how I feel about Miguel in the first place,” he begins.

Elijah purses his lips. “Mhmm,” he hummed. He’s been hearing about how Kai felt about Miguel since they were in sidekick training together.

“Well, so, I was in one of the bathrooms before the meeting and somebody was throwing up in there, and it was Jasper. Well, before I knew his name was Jasper. I thought, y’know, fucking villain in the Heroes League! And, uh, remind me to tell Mari I burst some more pipes, please,” Kai rambles.

Elijah chuckled. “Will do.”

Kai runs his hands through his hair, putting the thick, dark curls up in a bun to give himself something to do as he speaks. “But, yeah, Jasper told me he was on Miguel’s team, and I went with him to check it out. Halfway there, he just fucking collapsed, twitching and shaking in pain. He was being electrocuted! That wasn't a damn tracker, it was a fucking shock collar!” he exclaims.

“Oh shit,” his partner murmurs. “Miguel lied?”

Kai shakes his head in anger. “Yeah, big surprise. It’s definitely a shock collar, and he’s petrified of it, and they definitely use it. The shock I saw was apparently just a warning.”

“I mean, while I don’t agree with the method, maybe it's a rare thing? They thought he was running away while he was in the bathroom? If he’s confined to their level, I can’t imagine they’d have reason to use it much. Tinker never struck me as the kind to rock the boat with that kind of threat hanging over his head.”

Kai shakes his head again, though he knows Elijah could very well be right. And Tinker is a villain. He’s definitely done bad things.

“I don’t know. I know I shouldn’t care; it’s great that we’re getting intelligence on Nero and Psychosis. And whatever is going on with the “project,” it’s probably better than prison. But I don’t know, something about it is really bugging me. I keep picturing him shaking on the floor,” he finishes quietly, some of the anger ebbing from his body in the calming presence of his partner, only to be replaced by worry—which is almost worse.

Kai tries desperately to find a way to better explain himself, the knot in his stomach that was growing bigger and bigger the more he thought about the kid.

“It’s also just, the whole spectacle, putting him on display and talking about him like he wasn’t even there. He’s obviously just a political pawn for Miguel.”

“Yeah, I picked up on that. It was pretty gross.”

Kai nods. “I don’t know; it pisses me off because I feel bad for him, but he’s a villain, so I shouldn’t, but I definitely do and—ugh.” He runs his hands across his face only to slide them into his hair and tug, totally overwhelmed with the conflict twisting his stomach.

Elijah takes the pause in his rambling to step in front of him and gently pull his hands from his scalp. His thumbs rub soothing little circles across them, as he says, “Hey, first of all, it’s okay to feel whatever you’re feeling. You saw someone in pain, and that felt bad, and that’s a good thing. If it’ll make you feel better, maybe we can find a way to visit him. Just to check in? That team asks for extra manpower all the time. They’re hardly balanced.”

“Yeah, okay, that sounds good.”

Kai sighs dramatically, “Damn moral compass.”

Elijah laughs. “Oh, yeah, you poor thing, you have compassion for other human beings.”

The teasing finally pulls an involuntary smile from Kai, and he gently takes Elijah’s chin for a chaste kiss that’s all goofy grins.

“Thanks, Eli.”

“Anytime,” Elijah says, leaning in for another kiss.

Suddenly there’s a loud groan he’d recognize anywhere from down the hall. Kai reluctantly, a little self-consciously, turns his attention to his team coming down the hall—the other three members having finally tracked the two lovebirds down. The groan definitely came from Isla, the young ginger pyromaniac of the team.

Elijah’s not having it though and pulls Kai back with a soft hand on his cheek.

This time it’s Lizzy’s turn to complain, loudly. “Get a fucking room!”

Kai breaks the kiss to laugh at that, and Elijah gives up. He turns to the team, pouting, “Y’all never let me have any fun.”

He chuckles, but still rubs Elijah’s arm in a simple apology, wordlessly promising to make up for it later. He lets himself be pulled into carefree conversation with his team, doing his best to ignore the knot still settled in his stomach, and the image of Jasper convulsing on the floor still imprinted in his brain.

~~~

I can now show y’all funny little bit of speed brain dump that manifested his and elijah’s dynamic

Kai is not fuckin happy to have a villain in the hero building

Kai witnesses some of the abuse

Kai: Elijah (boyf) help I'm not used to being conflicted like this what is happening to me

Elijah: it's called empathy babe.

Kai: WELL I DONT LIKE IT

Bonus scene w/ Kai’s team and Mira: “Did you have to burst the pipes again, Kai?” “Well, I wasn’t gonna use the fuckin’ toilet water.” “What’s the difference?” “Yuck, you used the sewage water, Kai?” “I know which pipes are clean assholes!” *giggling* “Goddamn, how many times have you burst the bathroom pipes that you just know which ones are clean?” *angry waterboy grumbling*

~~~

tags!! hello friends!! lmk if you wanna be added or removed!!

@whumpsday @sergeant-jasper @watermelons-dont-grow-on-trees @crystalrose141 @aloafofbreadwithanxiety

@paingoes @elizaisnotokay @quaggasus @defire @tonystark604

@writereleaserepeat @whump-queen @clickerflight @gliittergelpens @kawaii-cakes

@whump-in-a-million @scoundrelwithboba @idkwhattodowiththisaltiamsorry @vampiresprite

[hurtmyfavsthanks]

spinning off of the death being peaceful idea, what about possession? like. character is possessed, and instantly thrown into a bone deep peace, floating in darkness away from their body, oscillating between the void that held them and awakening within their own most peaceful memories. after they’re freed, the can’t sleep. they’d always had anxiety, but after feeling what it was like to be safe…they couldn’t function.

(context)

Oh I love that!! Honestly I’m a big fan of ideas that focus on Whumpee’s mental state and experience while being possessed/mind controlled/ect. I think it can be very interesting, not to mention what sort of recovery would be needed after. It’s a niche interest but VERY high on my list of favorite tropes. 

I really like this idea, because it makes possession tempting to some capacity. It’s helplessness yes, but it’s helplessness that comes with a level of relief you couldn’t get otherwise. It’s control that makes you miss it afterwards, even after you’ve come back to your senses. And I’m so normal about that (lying). 

Just like, imagine. A team coming into fight a superpowered Whumper, unsure of what exactly they’ll face but armed to the teeth and hopefully ready for whatever they’ll face. 

There are more dangerous people on the team than Whumpee. There’s the powerful leader and their trusted second in command, both staring ahead with sharp eyes and trained confidence. There’s the medic standing near, prepared to offer support at a moment’s notice. The team would be greatly hindered with the loss of any one of them. But Whumper isn’t looking for the short term victory.

When Whumper’s eyes glow with power, when their hand extends towards their opponents, it’s Whumpee that they point to.

There’s a reason for it. The shadows beneath their eyes, the anxious wringing of their hands, the perpetual look of worry plastered on their face even before the battle began…one look at Whumpee and Whumper knows exactly who they’re dealing with. Whumper knows their type very, very well.

Whumpee feels the domination like a chill that settles on their body and refuses to leave. A chill that grabs onto their very being and pulls them down. Down beyond their body and the ground beneath them, down into  a darkness miles away from their team. 

 The last thing Whumpee does before their eyes go blank is let out a startled, choked scream.

Whumpee had expected it to hurt. They’d prepared for it, every muscle tightening in the millisecond between realizing they’d been targeted and succumbing to Whumper’s power. But the force pulling their mind down never tightens to the point of agony. Whumpe isn’t crushed, but embraced, swatted in a grip that's both gentle and inescapable. 

 It doesn't hurt. Despite the chill they’d felt, the darkness they’re sinking into isn’t cold. It’s warm and cozy, like the tempting comfort of their bed on a cold morning. They can’t hear the tense voices of their teammates or even their own pounding heartbeat. The dark is silent, but not unplesantly so.

It’s peaceful.

And I LOVE the idea of their positive memories being used to trap them. In the brief moments where their consciousness isn’t entirely engulfed in peaceful silence, Whumpee is surrounded by their friends. Smiling and peaceful and happy, not a hint of stress on any of their features. When the darkness splits apart, Whumpee finds themselves reliving the most comforting moments, surrounded by joy and free from stress. 

Whumpee knows something is wrong. They haven’t forgotten Whumper, haven’t forgotten those finally, terrifying moments before they were overcome. And yet the terror that should come with that memory never comes. There isn’t an ounce of fear or stress left in them, as if those emotions remained in their now distant body. Even their usual anxiety—the constant vigilante their work required, the general worries and stresses of life—had simply vanished into thin air. 

Whumpee felt light, as if the very concept of fear had been stripped from their mind. There were no worries about the future or even the present, no discontentment. They hadn’t felt that content in their entire life. 

There, embraced by that peace, it’s hard to care about something happening so, so far away from them. It’s easier to snuggle into the warmth, embrace the peace, and rest. 

The next time they open their eyes—their eyes, the ones sat in the body they’d been locked out of for minutes or hours or days—Whumpee is on the ground. 

They hurt. They’re becoming aware of throbbing aches across their body, something wet and warm dripping down their face. They can feel snapped bones in their fingers, pulsing with the heartbeat that sounds too loud in their ears. Whumpee’s body was returned to them bruised and aching. 

Their heart is pounding, mind swirling with disorientation and growing dread. Their fear pours back into them alongside the pain. 

It takes a moment for their vision to clear. When it does, they see Caretaker’s face above them. There’s tears in their eyes, expression warped with fear and hope. They’re bleeding, littered with bruises just like Whumpee is. 

Slowly, with Caretaker’s help, they sit up. Their teammates look down at them with worry and poorly hidden anxiety. Whumper is nowhere to be seen. 

They all return to their base, eventually. Whumpee doesn’t remember anything of the fight, They only remember the quiet, peaceful rest.  But the bruises on their fists match those on Leader’s face. Their body aches from a struggle they can’t remember, there’s blood under Whumpee’s nails that they know isn’t their own. 

Whumpee doesn’t ask what Whumper made them do. They let their eyes glaze over as they’re debriefed, mind skittering away from that painful truth. Nobody pushes them to remember. 

It’s difficult, trying to return to normalcy. Everything is simply overwhelming. Whumpee’s filled with a constant anxiety that can’t shake, their nerves burning with a newfound sensitivity. Their body aches with the evidence of a fight they don’t remember, making proper rest impossible to achieve. They can’t stop noticing the worried glances their team gives them, the bruises still lingering on their bodies. 

Whumpee can’t stop noticing the way Caretaker flinches when Whumpee moves too quickly around them, only to hide it behind a guilty smile. The guilt Whumpee feels at the sight hurts most of all. 

It’s exhausting. Existing, suddenly, is overwhelmingly exhausting. They’re on edge like they’ve never been before, guilt and pain burning holes in their mind. 

Whumpee misses the quiet. They miss the peace helplessness provided, the safety from the anxiety they’re constantly faced with. It makes them sick, sends a nauseating wave of self loathing up their throat, and yet that feeling itself only makes the longing stronger. 

Nothing compares to it. No amount of sleeping medication desperately swallowed, no amount of weighted blankets, nothing can recreate that serenity. Whumper gave them a taste of true, pure peace, and now their mind cannot settle for anything less. 

Whumper isn’t surprised when, two weeks later, Whumpee crawls back to them like a sick dog. 

They look horrible. The deep eyebags carved into their eyes are darker than the bruises still littering their body. They’ve lost weight since Whumper last saw them. 

Whumpee looks exhausted. They look disgusted with themselves, a look of self loathing etched into their face. They look desperate. 

They look exactly like Whumper expected them to. Whumper knows their type very well. 

This time, Whumpee doesn’t flinch as Whumper calls their power. They don’t brace themselves for pain. 

This time, the last thing Whumpee does before being submerged is gasp out a sob of relief.