#vigilante whumpee

[chaotic-orphan]

Could you please continue ‘The Stranger’ it’s my favourite series on this app

The Stranger (V)

Read part one here // Continued from here

OHHHHHH IT’S ANGSTY YOUR HONOUR?!!!! WOWUH!!! To whoever wanted the stranger continuation!!! sorry it is a day/two late!!!! I hope you enjoy!!!! dedicated to @ehobep

*~*~*~*~*

Vigilante was a ball of nerves. His ears ringing in his skull as Karma drove him into the city again to Hero who was waiting for him on the roof. Karma was singing along to the radio, in a better mood than he had seen the monster in… maybe ever. His finger drummed along the steering wheel, humming when he didn’t know the words, the perfect image of peace and ease.

Vigilante wanted nothing more than to pull the steering wheel and let the car spin out into a ditch. A branch going through the driver’s seat lancing Karma through the chest. Or the skull, it really didn’t make a difference. As long as he died.

At least Hero would be safe.

If Karma hadn’t compelled him to behave like a fucking dog Vigilante could do that! He could save Hero, he could stop Karma— he could— he c— he couldn’t do a thing to stop him, except glare from the corner of his eyes and worry about his great mood. Vigilante had to be smart. He had to be smart or who knows what Karma might do to Hero?

“Ah, here we are,” Karma said turning the key in the ignition and smiling at Vigilante. “Come along, Vigilante. We have a hero waiting for us.”

There was no compulsion in his words but Vigilante obeyed anyways. It unnerved him when Karma started walking towards his and Hero’s rooftop, something so sacred and safe for the two of them.

“How did you know I’d be up there?” Vigilante asked.

“Hmm?”

“On the rooftop, the first time we met. How did you know I’d be up there?”

Karma smiled. “I have eyes everywhere, Vigilante, or haven’t you realised that by now?”

Vigilante glared at him. “Besides, when I saw you save the Mayor’s kid you got on my radar and I followed you until I could intercept. When I saw you go up to that roof, well, I knew it was my chance to speak to you, and then, who comes up after me, but the number two Hero in the city? I could sell your scandalous story to the media if I wanted to.”

Vigilante felt his cheeks flush. “That’s not— we’re not— there’s nothing going on between us.”

“Who cares?” Karma said with a shrug. “It would be juicy gossip, a media circus, and, in the pandemonium I could probably kill the mayor and it would be page seven news.”

Karma beamed at the blushing Vigilante, holding the door to the roof access open. “After you,” he said with a sweeping gesture of his hand. Vigilante swallowed the lump in his throat as he passed, taking the stairs up to the roof where Hero was waiting for him. Unbeknownst of the threat that was waiting for them.

If he could scream, maybe warn Hero, he could— he could maybe save them. That’s what he’d do. Without warning, Vigilante started sprinting up the stairs not caring if Karma was following or on their tail or anything. They ran up the stairs to the roof access and climbed the ladder to get the roof in record time and there—

Across the roof he saw Hero and he screamed: “Hero! Run!”

Hero frowned, rushing towards Vigilante, but Vigilante shooed them away. “Run! Just go! It’s a trap! It’s not me. It’s a villain, Hero! The suicides you need to—”

A hand clamped over Vigilante’s mouth, a razor edge pressed into his throat and yanked him back into Karma’s hard chest. Karma’s chest rose and fell quickly, tired from the exertion, but he chuckled darkly in Vigilante’s ear, freezing their struggles.

“Naughty, naughty Vigilante, Hero’s going to have to pay for that.”

“No!” Vigilante yelled through Karma’s hand but it was muffled as Karma’s grip turned bruising, wrestling Vigilante’s head back and dampening any hope of Vigilante calling out to warn Hero.

“Oh yes,” Karma hummed. “Just be a good little hostage.”

Vigilante’s wide terrified eyes found Hero’s who was still here. Why were they still here?! Why were they being a hero right now? Of all the people Vigilante had to try to save, they had to save a fucking self-sacrificial idiot who got payed to be risk their lives for others?!

It was all some cosmic joke.

“Hey, we can talk about this,” Hero said, hands out placatingly, their eyes going between Vigilante’s and Karma’s. “Just… just let Vigilante go and we can talk, right?”

Karma dug the knife deeper into Vigilante’s neck, pricking it lightly and letting Hero see the bead of blood he drew just for funsies.

“I think we can talk perfectly fine like this, Hero. You, me, Vigilante. I’m sure we can come to some arrangement.”

Vigilante grabbed Karma’s hand covering their mouth and tried to dislodge it but Karma didn’t budge, pressing his lips beside Vigilante’s ear he whispered: “stop struggling, Vigilante. Unless you want me to unmask you here and now in front of Hero.”

Vigilante froze. Karma chuckled. “Ohh… they don’t know either, do they? Interesting. That was a stab in the dark, Vigilante, you need to stop being so readable. It could get you in trouble.”

“Hey! Look, I think you need to release Vigilante right now, or else—“”

“Or else what?” Karma asked. “You’ll fight me? What if you hit poor Vigilante here?”

Vigilante told Hero to do it, to take the risk, but Karma smothered the words until they were just spongey syllables that got lost on the wind. Karma chuckled.

“Tell you what, Hero,” Karma said. “You’re right. I want to chat. So if I let Vigilante go, we don’t have to come to blows?”

Vigilante’s struggles renewed as they tried to shake their head, visions of Karma telling Hero to jump off the roof returning tenfold and making them want to throw up.

“Nngh! Nngh!” Vigilante protested, wishing he could scratch Karma’s eyes out but that fucking command was still lodged in his stupid brain that he couldn’t hurt himself or Karma; his struggles in vain.

Hero swallowed, eyes going between the pair before they nodded. “Deal.”

“Good,” Karma said. “When I release you, you will fall to your knees and remain silent.”

“Nngh!” Vigilante protested, frustrated tears gathering behind his eyes as he pawed uselessly at Karma’s hand. Karma removed the knife first, making a show of taking it from Vigilante’s throat and lifting it away.

Now.

Vigilante had to move now.

Karma’s command was conditional. If Karma released Vigilante, Vigilante would have to obey, but if Vigilante broke free… then nothing.

Vigilante shot forward like a bullet. Karma’s attention focused on Hero allowed his brain to stutter as Vigilante barrelled forwards, throwing themselves ahead and fell to the ground, rolling on the rooftop until they came to a stop beside Hero. Hero’s hand was on him, helping him to his feet, but Vigilante didn’t take his eyes off of Karma the whole time.

Karma threw his head back and let out a booming laugh at the sky. It didn’t sound like a proper laugh, it was chilling, crazed, the kind of laugh anime villains do when they’ve captured the hero or revealed their master plan. It made the hairs on the back of Vigilante’s neck stand on end.

“Vigilante, you slippery little fucker,” Karma bellowed, his laughter dying down to manic little chuckles as he tilted his chin down to stare at Hero and Vigilante again.

“Vidge?”

“You need to get out of here, Hero,” Vigilante said, pushing them behind his back. “He’s a charmspeaker you need to run, he’s the cause of all the suicides and—“”

Vigilante ducked to the left, dodging the knife that was hurled straight for his head.

“Spoilers, Vigilante. Come on, at least play fair.”

“Play fair?!” Vigilante sputtered as he started backing up on the rooftop, Hero behind him. “Nothing’s fair with you, you fucking psycho!”

Vigilante kept pushing Hero back. “Vidge, I’m not leaving you here with him. We can go together!”

Vigilante’s heart hammered against his chest, his blood rushing fast in his ears like a waterfall. The pressure and sound of the spray deafening everything else around him. He wanted so badly to get away, to run from Karma, but if he got his hands on Hero, who knows what he’d make Hero do.

Vigilante shook his head, eyes narrowing as Karma advanced slowly towards them, pushing them closer and closer to the edge of the roof.

“Vigilante~,” Karma sang, tutting him for his defiance. “Didn’t I tell you to behave when we met with Hero?”

“Go fuck yourself!” Vigilante snapped.

Karma smiled at Hero, as if he was Karma’s bold child that just disturbed Hero. “Sorry about him, he’s so spirited, isn’t he?”

“Just who the hell are you?” Hero demanded, their voice hard after they realised that Vigilante wasn’t about to go running with them.

Karma sighed, running a theatrical hand down his face and grabbed his chin as if he were pondering something. Then his lips stretched across his face as he held a finger up in the air, pointing towards the sky. “Ahah! I have a good idea, Vigilante, you come back over here now, and your punishment won’t be severe.”

“Punishment?!” Hero yelled now, stepping protectively in front of Vigilante. Vigilante grabbed Hero’s wrist, feeling their power thrum under their skin and pulled slightly. Hero planted their feet and let out a soft grunt of discomfort as Vigilante pulled on their ability. “You’re not getting anywhere near him.”

Karma smiled, exposing every tooth in his mouth, his half-lidded eyes amused, smirking a little at the pair. “Vigilante, I’ll give you to the count of three to surrender. Three.

“Hero we have to run,” Vigilante told them quietly, pulling at their shirt. “Trust me, please. I’ll explain when we’re safe, just please.”

“If this is the maniac who’s ordering all the suicides Vidge, I can’t just leave him free.”

“Two!”

“If we don’t leave him free, then he’ll take me back and do god knows what to you, Hero. Please!” Vigilante hissed, yanking Hero back. Hero fell back the step, and Vigilante’s hand tightened on Hero’s arm as Hero turned and they started running to the end of the roof towards a shop roof over.

“One!” Karma sang as Vigilante jumped. The sound of Karma’s fingers snapping rang over the wind of the roof, carrying to Vigilante’s ears like the sounds of church bells, deafening and dread filled. The moment Vigilante landed he turned and saw Hero on the edge of the rooftop on their knees.

Vigilante’s eyes blew wide, tracking Karma who was walking slowly towards Hero. “No! No, hero! HERO! GET UP!”

Karma chuckled, reaching into his grey duffle coat and pulling out a packet of cigarettes. He nodded at Vigilante as he walked towards the little step he sat on when he first took Vigilante.

“They can’t get up, Vidge,” Karma said, his words like a spear in Vigilante’s guts. “But I’ll grant you grace and give you five seconds to be by my side on your knees, grovelling, maybe with some tears, I don’t know yet, surprise me,” he continued conversationally, shrugging as he took a breath and light his cigarette between his teeth.

When he looked at Vigilante again it chilled him to the core. “Or this time, Hero walks off the roof and you won’t stop them. What’s another suicide in the city, hmm? Poor Hero, their heart couldn’t take that kid killing himself in front of them.”

Vigilante snarled at the air, his eyes on Hero’s bloodshot ones like the Mayor’s son, willing them to stand up. To get up! To laugh it off and say they were just fucking with Vigilante and that they were about to fight Karma with all the fury that Hero could muster, but Hero just stared blankly ahead at Vigilante, like a marionette with its strings cut, knees perched just before the ledge.

Oh god, if they had been faster when Karma did that Hero would have fallen to the pavement below.

“Five~” Karma sang and Vigilante ran across the roof to get a running jump onto the ledge. It was going to be harder than the initial jump because the usual rooftop was maybe a foot or two above the one Vigilante was on.

“Three!” Karma boomed. Vigilante wanted to scream at him and fight but he didn’t have time. If he wanted Hero to live he’d have to obey everything Karma said. Vigilante jumped and the minute he did a pit opened in his stomach. He realised after his feet left the ledge that he wasn’t going to make it cleanly.

His hands found ground on the rooftop’s ledge but his body slammed into the brickwork, robbing the wind from his chest. Vigilante gasped, fingers white knuckled, his feet doing tiny sprints on the bricks below as he tried to gain purchase on something to boost him up.

“Hero,” Vigilante said, his voice quivering with the effort. His foot found the ledge of a pipe and he wrapped his forearm around the ledge as he pushed himself up. Then his foot slipped and he was dangling. His bodyweight yanked him towards gravity and he cried out, his shoulders screaming at him to get up!

A sole pressed into his fingers and Vigilante cried out but he couldn’t even swing at Karma the bastard. He shifted his feet towards the pipe again and launched off it until he had two hands back on the ledge and—

His eyes widened. Hero stood with Vigilante’s fingers under their boot. “He… H-Hero?”

Karma stood beside them, eyes twinkling dangerously as he exhaled a plume of smoke from his lungs. “Mmm, what do you think, Hero? Should we let him up?”

Hero stomped on Vigilante’s hand. Vigilante lost their grip from the shock and the pain and now only one hand held them up on the ledge. With the momentum Vigilante swung, his eyes locking on the thirteen story drop to the street below. The world seemed to zoom in and out of focus as panic and his laboured breaths clogged every rational thought in him.

He glanced up again to see Hero’s foot hovering above Vigilante’s over fingers, Karma drinking in the chaos. “You’re right, Hero. I did give him a chance and he directly disobeyed me, what to do, what to do.”

Karma took another drag as Vigilante wrestled his hanging hand back up to the ledge, scrambling desperately. “Hero! Please!”

“Hero?” Karma echoed and Hero’s foot came down on Vigilante’s wrist. Vigilante screamed out a grunt of pain and he shook his head.

“Karma! Karma! Please! I’m sorry! I’m sorry! Please! Fuck!” Hero ground their heel into Vigilante’s hand until he almost lost his grip again and screamed.

“Alright,” Karma said with a shrug. “Let him up.”

Vigilante barely registered the words before Hero bent over, foot still on Vigilante’s hands and yanked him by the back of his shirt over the ledge and onto the roof. He didn’t have a moment to catch his breath before Hero yanked him up, marching him back towards Karma who had sat against the raised concrete where Vigilante first met Karma.

Hero shoved Vigilante to his knees in front of Karma who looked down on him as if he were a king on a throne and Vigilante a traitor to the realm. A peasant, nothing more than the dirt on his shoe.

“H-how?” Vigilante demanded. It was the only thing he could say. His mind racing back to the first night on the roof, Karma told Hero to forget him and forget meeting Vigilante. Karma had to use eye contact or at least… that’s what Vigilante thought.

Karma took another drag of his cigarette, Vigilante watching the white burn away down to the coffee coloured butt. “I called them,” Karma said.

Vigilante frowned. “But— don’t you need to do that weird shit with your eyes?!”

Karma let out a startled laugh, nodding, smoke stuttering out his nose into the cool air. “Yes,” he said, grinning. “I do.”

Vigilante’s frown bled away to a picture of confusion. “Then how—”

“Face time, idiot,” Karma said fondly, waving Vigilante’s phone in his face before their gaze went to Hero holding Vigilante down. “The wonders of the modern world, hmm? Poor dear thought you were in trouble, when they answered they were so concerned. I think they really like you, Vidge.”

“But— we had our backs turned,” Vigilante protested, desperate. Karma grinned leaning down until he was crouched in front of Vigilante. Vigilante could do it, he could use Hero’s power and leave a hole of light burned through Karma’s chest but then he would hurt Hero too, and he wasn’t prepared to do that. Hero was innocent.

“It’s like a magician’s command,” Karma told him, eyes glinting with cruelty. “When I snap my fingers, you’ll sleep and when I snap them again, you will believe you are a chicken. All premeditated commands, I just wanted to see the look on your face.”

Vigilante swallowed.

“Yup,” Karma hummed, tapping out the ashes of his cigarette. “It was worth it. A little planning never killed anyone, did it? Maybe if you thought of that you wouldn’t have tried to run and Hero would be blissfully unaware of having to hold you down, against your will while we chat. Didn’t I say I was going to punish you for that, too?”

Vigilante squirmed in Hero’s grip, pushing back away from Karma who tipped forward and pinched Vigilante’s cheeks in a bruising grip, yanking his face towards Karma.

Karma raised his cigarette and pushed the burning red eyed tip towards Vigilante’s eye. Vigilante’s eye watered immediately and he widened it so his eyelashes wouldn’t catch on the smouldering ember. He stiffened, struggles ceasing, his breath coming out in sharp, stuttered pants.

“Karma… d-don’t—”

“Don’t?” Karma asked, inclining his head. “Didn’t I tell you to behave? Didn’t I give you a chance to repent? To avoid this nastiness? And what did you do? Oh yeah, that’s right. You didn’t.”

Vigilante threw his weight back but Hero kept him locked in place and Karma kept his face close to the butt. Karma smiled. “But hey, I’m a forgiving sort of guy, so for now, I won’t burn your corneas out of your skull.”

Vigilante released a sigh too soon after Karma retracted the burning butt from his eye. It got swallowed into a scream when Karma forced the burning ember instead to the tip of Vigilante’s cheekbone and Vigilante thrashed, the cylinder sizzling against his skin, the hear burning his eyes as he tried to move back but Hero wouldn’t let him so Vigilante didn’t think. He just let the power in him flow.

Only it wasn’t Hero’s power he had.

It was Karma’s.

Vigilante hissed, barrelling back, tippling feet over head with Hero across the roof until they got Hero under them and forced them to look into Vigilante’s eyes. Hero went to punch them but Vigilante caught it, their cheek burning from the wind pulling at the wound and he half-shouted: “HERO WAKE UP! SNAP OUT OF IT!”

Hero tried to punch them with their free hand and that one caught Vigilante in the jaw. Shit! It wasn’t working and they could hear Karma’s footsteps getting closer and closer. Fuck! What was it! What was it?! What did he say?!

His eyes widened as they locked on Hero’s again. “I release you!”

Hero blinked up at Vigilante, melting under them, resistance leaving their limbs as they stared up at Vigilante.

“Vigilante? What’re you… oh, shit, I’m sorry! I’m so sorry, I didn’t— I couldn’t control it, I—” Hero reached their hand up to Vigilante’s face, their thumb ghosting over the burn, but not touching it. Tears sprung to their eyes. “Vidge, I’m so… I’m so sorry.”

A loud, slow clap sounded from the other side of the roof drawing the pair’s attention. Vigilante looked up to see Karma standing at the door to the exit of the roof.

“How touching,” Karma said, hand on his heart. “But I didn’t even show you my command for you Vigilante.”

Vigilante’s blood ran cold, not moving from where they were straddling Hero to the ground. “What?” A whisper more than a word.

Karma’s eyes glimmered even from the distance with a malevolent delight at Vigilante’s plight.

“You know, the one that makes you do whatever I say. The one that turns you into my perfect little murder machine, all those special skills, Vigilante, you are a terror.”

Vigilante’s eyelids fluttered, trying to comprehend what Karma was saying behind his words, trying to make out the threat he was making because there was always a threat.

“Vidge?”

Vigilante looked down at Hero, his heart breaking with a small oh leaving his lips. If he didn’t go with Karma, Karma would make him kill Hero.

Hero who answered the call because of him.

Hero who was concerned when they saw Vigilante’s name flash across their phone.

Hero who was innocent in this, just another one of Karma’s victims.

Something hollow took root inside Vigilante’s chest as he stared down at Hero. Something protective and so unselfish that it threatened to swallow him whole. He placed his hands on Hero’s cheeks, tears pooling in his eyes.

“I… I’m doing this because I—” no, that was too much, too much for a time like this, so Vigilante swallowed and started again. “I’m doing this to protect you, Hero,” he whispered.

Hero stared, not quite comprehending yet. Not until Vigilante leaned down a little more, a stray tear hitting Hero’s cheek.

“Don’t, don’t do this, don’t go with him,” Hero pleaded, grabbing Vigilante’s wrists. “I won’t— I won’t give up. I won’t stop looking for you.”

“I know,” Vigilante whispered, his bottom lip trembling. “Which is why I have to do this. Hero, you’re going to forget me. You’re not going to—” his breath hitched, “look for me or worry about me anymore.”

“Vigilante please,” Hero cried.

“It’s okay, it’s okay. You’re okay, we’re okay.” He said, leaning down further, keeping Hero’s eyes in view, keeping them ensnared in his swirling gaze. Then he whispered: “you don’t know where the idea came from but you know that there is a villain out there with charm speak who is behind the suicides, someone from the wealthy side of town and you will find him and bring him to justice.”

Hero was stupefied beneath him as he retreated slightly. “And you’ll forget this too,” and Vigilante finally, for the first and possible last time ever, pressed his lips to Hero’s and wept as he pulled back, strangling his emotions into submission he rose from Hero’s body and walked towards Karma whose glittering eyes never left Vigilante.

“You made the right choice,” Karma said, patting Vigilante on the back. His breath reeked of smoke and cold, and Vigilante wanted nothing more than to punch him in the face, but he just walked past him and down the ladder before making his way back down to Karma’s stupid van, leaving the only person who he ever loved on the rooftop without any memory of him.

[clickerflight]

Voltober 12. Better Than You - Fallen

Author's notes: A short one today! Just exploring what Alpha-2's life as an active weapon is like with a side character who may or may not show back up later in the main story line :3

Challenges Masterlist - Voltober 11

Content: living weapon whumpee/whumper, vigilante whumpee, multiple whumpees, creepy whumper, hunted down, bolus, net, captured, bound for travel

@voltober

Living Weapon | Android/Robot | “Kneel”

Powell skidded on the wet concrete, the near silent sound of feet right on his heels. He was exhausted. He had been chased for 10 blocks now while maintaining his camouflage and he was running out of steam. He felt like he was going to throw up.

He glanced over his shoulder to see the man chasing him. More of a predator than a man. He never missed a step, his eyes hidden behind tactical gear that likely made it easy to keep track of Powell, and a single mindedness to his every moment. He cared about nothing except capturing Powell and the vigilante knew it.

Powell skidded off down an alley, finding a fire escape to get up to the roof of a building. He was good at roof running and his camouflage worked really well against the night sky. He could get out of here. As long as he could get to one of the vigilante union buildings he’d be safe. He just had to make it.

Something sang through the air and pain zinged through his ankles as a bolus wrapped tripped him up.

He caught himself hard on his hands, landing on his hip and skillfully kicked the boluses off before getting back on his bruised feet, running as fast as he could, zigzagging so his pursuer couldn’t get another bolus around his ankles. He was so close. He was so close!

He leapt off the edge of a building, heading for the next roof, only for a bang below to draw his attention. A net wrapped around him before the rope attached to it dragged him violently down.

He screamed before he hit the pavement. He lay there, unable to breath, his head aching where he smacked it into the cement. He lost a few moments to the pain and dizziness, and when he opened his eyes again, the man who had been chasing him was walking toward a woman wearing armor and head gear much like the man was wearing.

“Well done, Alpha-2!” she said in a cooing tone. “Come here.”

Powell groaned trying to push himself up as the man padded up to the woman. He looked like a dog, ready for a treat. It was uncanny and it made Powell even more nauseous.

“Kneel,” the woman said, and to Powell’s surprise, Alpha-2 dropped to his knees, bowing his head. She ran her fingers over the buzzed hair on the man’s skull, scratching at his scalp.

Powell shuddered as he realized what was going on. He had heard rumors of trained weapons roaming the underworld of the cities. He had just been run down by one of these weapons and he had no idea what these people wanted with him.

The woman looked over at Powell and smiled, reaching up to take off her gear so she could look him in the eye. “Hello, Kamo. Or should I call you Powell Kendrick?”

Powell swallowed hard. “What do you want with me? If I don’t report to the union they will come looking for me.”

“Oh, don’t worry about reporting to the union,” she said with a cruel grin. “We will handle it for you. You’re under our care now.”

Powell’s eyes were drawn to the still kneeling weapon who was being stripped of gear and put into traveling bindings without so much as a wince on his face. He was terrified of whatever ‘care’ she was talking about.

VTB Part 13

Fallen Masterlist

Fallen taglist: @looptheloup @kira-the-whump-enthusiast @snakebites-and-ink @starsick1979 @galaxyofwhump 

@scatteriskity

[iwritewhump]

Bloody clothes

day 6 of @whumptember

431 words

warnings: teenage whumpee, bloody clothes, conditioned whumpee (implied)

part one | part three | part four | part five | part six

---

Hero sits next to Villain, cheek resting against his shoulder as the sun rises. She sighs and looks up at him, “Do you wanna go wake him up? I need to get back before Superhero sends a search party. I didn’t tell him I was coming here. Didn’t think it’d be the best idea, y’know?” 

Villain smiles and nods, “Just…wait here? I didn’t tell him I was calling you.” 

“Sure,” Hero smiles, “Yeah, that’s probably best.” 

Villain stands up and takes their empty mugs to the kitchen, gently setting them in the sink before walking down the hallway and knocking on the door. 

“Vigilante? Are you awake?” He pushes the door open and takes a step in the room. 

Vigilante shoots up from the bed, he pushes back to the headboard and pulls the blanket with him. Panting, he looks at Villain. 

Villain raises his hands slowly and takes another step forward, “Sorry, I…I should’ve waited for you to answer. Are you alright?” 

Vigilante scoffs but relaxes a little, the white-knuckle grip on the sheets loosening a little. “What’s going on?” 

“I called someone and she’s going to take you with her. You’ll be safer with her than I could ever imagine you being here.” Villain flips the light switch on and Vigilante winces at the brightness. “Do you wanna go meet her, or do you want her to come in here?” 

He shakes his head, “I don’t-I’m not gonna leave you. I don’t feel safe with anyone but you. Please…don’t make me go?” 

Villain sighs and sits on the foot of the bed, ignoring the pang in his heart when Vigilante pulls farther away. 

“I can’t keep you safe,” he says softly. “She’s good at doing that, she kept me safe for a long time, and I know it’s scary. But it’s what’s best. Trust me?” 

Vigilante leans his head against the headboard and takes a deep breath. He looks back at Villain and nods, “I’ll go out there. But…not right now? 

“Yeah,” Villain smiles and laughs in relief, “Of course! Take your time.” He stands up and turns to leave, but his eyes catch on something. 

A small pile of clothes are heaped in the corner of the room, blood spotting the cloth. Villain walks towards it and picks it up, “I’ll wash these for you, yeah?” 

Vigilante stares blankly at them, he shakes his head. “Just throw them out.” he closes his eyes and curls into himself. “Please.” 

Villain nods and holds everything under his arm, trying his best to hide all the dark brown stains from Vigilante. 

[one-lonely-whumperfly]

(Okay, so I am continuing this, I really liked it. This is a sort of prologue to what happened in that one though)

[Villain's perspective]

Vigilante had been missing for three days.

He had made plans with Villain to meet up, finally have a night off where they could just be together. Villain put off any "diabolical" plans so they'd be able to enjoy themselves. But, when the time for their dinner reservations came, Vigilante never showed up.

And didn't answer his phone.

And didn't show up anywhere.

For. Three. Days.

So many thoughts swam through Villain's head. Vigilante may as well have more enemies than both Villain and Hero combined, so any one of them could've taken him. So Villain started a mental list, and checked each and every possible person.

The Devil's Duo-- such an awful name, Vigilante always joked-- knew nothing. Villain was sure of it after dipping them both knee-deep into hydrochloric acid. They confessed to dozens of crimes, but taking Vigilante wasn't one of them.

Four days.

The four local gangs of the city were next. Villain was meticulous, interrogating every single member, until he knew none of them were lying.

Seven days.

It was when he had just finished roughing up one of the local, horribly corrupt politicians, making damn sure they knew nothing they weren't revealing, when Hero and Sidekick showed up.

"Villain, I hear you've been causing quite a ruckus."

Villain growled. "How about you fuck off, Golden Boy, and let me work." He started out of the alley.

"Sidekick?"

At Hero's command, Sidekick shot out a blast of ice cold wind from his hands, striking Villain and causing him to fall back. Villain cursed.

"Good job, Sidekick. Now you head back to the car. I want to have a conversation with Villain, here."

"Okay, Hero." Sidekick nodded and left the alley.

"I don't have time for you today." Villain growled as he got back to his feet, reaching to draw his sword.

But he weren't quick enough. In a flash, Hero had him knocked to the ground, pinning him by the throat. Damn super strength.

"Get the fuck off of me!"

"Stay down, Villain. You don't want anything happening to Vigilante, do you?"

Villain froze at those words. His eyes widened.

"You."

Hero grinned, savoring the look on Villain's face at the realization. "Yes. Me." He released Villain and stood, brushing off his clothes. "I found out about your little 'situationship' with Vigilante. Even caught him on his way to see you. He looked so cute, dressed up in a little button-down shirt with a tie and everything." He paused, smirking. "The tie made a great gag when he tried to yell."

Villain was burning inside, fear and rage prickling under his skin. He went to speak, but Hero continued.

"He even had a gift for you. So cute. I believe the note on it said... early birthday gift? Sorry I can't tell you what it was, I tossed it out of the car on the way to my place. Vigilante looked heartbroken to lose it. Maybe it's still out there." Hero's voice was far too happy.

"Y...you're lying." Villain forced the words out. He knew it wasn't true, but a small part of him was just hoping, pleading with whatever higher power that existed for Hero to be lying, trying to deceive and hurt him.

Hero seemed to be waiting to hear that. Silently, he pulled two pictures out of his pocket and tossed them next to Villain. Villain picked them up, hands shaking, and felt the air leave his lungs all at once.

The first picture was of Vigilante, it was impossible to deny. Villain immediately recognized that bright orange hair, bangs tied up slightly to stay out of his face, and bright, light blue eyes. The shirt he was wearing was one Villain even gave him. Vigilante was standing in front of a wall with his hands up. He was glaring and scowling at someone behind the camera, presumably Hero.

He doesn't look hurt... he doesn't look hurt.

That was the only little relief Villain felt... only for that to quickly fade away with the second image.

Vigilante was in the same position, same clothes, same hair... but he looked so much worse. His mouth was taped shut, his wrists were chained to the ceiling, and he had tears in his eyes. Villain could make out bruises on his face, his wrists, his neck-- oh God, how injured was he? What really broke Villain was seeing his broken glasses. He knew how important those were for Vigilante--

Hero knelt down beside Villain, lifting his chin gently so their eyes locked. "If you step out of line, do anything you shouldn't, or even show your face around the city, Vigilante will be paying for it. Understood?"

Villain couldn't speak. He just nodded.

"Good boy." Hero patted his cheek and smirked, standing. He started to walk away, but stopped.

"And don't even think about telling someone. Who's going to believe a villain over the city's most important and beloved hero?"

Once Hero was gone, Villain collapsed into sobs.

(Hope you guys like it! This will definitely end up being a little series. I'll need to name them xD Also, for the photos, the picrew is: https://picrew.me/image_maker/207627)

[befuddled-calico-whump]

polaroid collection :)

general whump art tag list:

@whumpsday , @kira-the-whump-enthusiast @regrets-realization-acceptance @kixngiggles

[surplus-of-sarcasm]

31st Story

Part 2

TW: Captivity, implied past torture, blood mention, restraints, mistrust, starvation mention, defiant whumpee, corrupt system, knife

Heyyy! Long-time no see. I blame college 100% because it takes up all my time, seriously. Happy New Year tho 💙

Villain could tell himself he was already used to the cold, hard embrace of the dull rock of his cell, to the claustrophobia-inducing lack of windows, to the fact that the only times he ever got to see the light was when someone walked in to beat him senseless, a feat made incredibly easy with the help of the chains that shackled his wrists and ankles, not allowing for much movement.

He could pretend that being covered in blood and filth, dazed and starving, was nothing to him, that the maddening urge to find out what time it was wasn't gnawing at him torturously.

"In here, wishful thinking is all you are capable of," a sunken-faced, old prisoner had told him before he was thrown into his personal hellhole. He hadn't said anything, but he'd believed the old hag to be weak and hopeless, and thus so was her sentiment.

Right now, all he wondered was if he'd break even faster than that woman might have. The villain screwed his eyes shut, hoping it would stop the chain of thoughts poisoning his mind, but all that did was make him think clearer, every disturbing image he tried so desperately to expel growing clearer and more vivid by the moment.

It was bad enough handling the physical pain, where every time he so much as shifted his form slightly, the tormented muscles in his back would scream in protest. But the physical side was tolerable, compared to being left at the mercy of his mind; a cruel, sinister thing.

So consumed he was in his own reverie, he hadn't even noticed as the door to his cell was unlocked, at least not until the light skirting around the corner had him snapping his eyes open and sitting up.

"This doesn't look good on you," a silky, almost serpentine voice called out.

"Superhero?" he asked, despising the note of trepidation in his voice.

"No. Just her lacklustre twin," she scoffed.

"Vigilante," he deduced with a slight fall of his shoulders in relief. It's not that he believed Vigilante would treat him well, it's just that no one could rival Superhero in cruelty.

"Still ever the genius," she responded dryly.

"What do you want?" he asked, almost desperate. If she was here to torment him, he wanted her to get over with it. It was becoming progressively more difficult to bear the state in which he was in, the one chock-full of waiting and thinning patience, of hoping the pain would start so it could end, that this time would pass faster.

Except it never did.

"It's strange seeing someone normally so high and mighty like this," she attested, dodging his question.

The older version of him would have let out a frustrated snarl and cussed her out for annoying him, but now all he could do was bite his tongue and stare at her with his new resting face, broken and defeated.

"Well, I'm not here to hurt you," she said, folding her arms across her chest.

That was a response, albeit an indirect one. And of course, she wasn't here to hurt him. She was here to make sure he was comfortable, that he was enjoying his five-star stay in this resort in hell.

Sucks to have an army of enemies and not a single semblance of a friend.

He and Vigilante hadn't really had any direct bad blood, but he was a villain locked up in here, so by default, he was supposed to be her enemy, right? It didn't matter who walked in here or whether they knew him or not. They just loved to see him break, to see him, once so relentlessly powerful, reduced to less than nothing. Perhaps it brought them a sort of sick satisfaction, but he didn't know much about satisfaction anymore to judge.

"I'm going to get you out of here," she said casually, like promising him the impossible was some sort of small punishment, nothing to tear himself up about. Maybe she could rival her sister in cruelty.

Without warning, a hysterical laugh escaped his throat, only for him to bite his lip and stop abruptly, trying to clamp a hand over his mouth only for him to remember he was chained up.

Vigilante's face fell, and his own had silent tears streaming down it. He felt as though he couldn't breathe, as though bricks were raining down on his shoulders and crushing his bones into nothing. His whole being seemed to itch with dread.

"Villain?" Vigilante called out, looking a mixture of confused and horrified.

"Just get over with it! Torture me until the floor runs red with my blood, tell me how death is a mercy above vermin like myself, and tell me to take it with a smile. Hit me harder when I can't bring myself to do it. Hit me until I feel all the pain of death but never attain it. Remember my current words as defiance, as another crime I've committed. I think watching me be humbled to the nothing I truly am will entertain you as any show would," he spat, only for regret to colour his features just as fast.

"Damn it. Villain, I don't want to do. . .any of this to you," Vigilante started, careful, trying for a semblance of gentle, something she was never particularly good at. "Like I said, I'm going to get you out of here," she continued again, hoping the stern tone indicated she was serious and not somehow going to torture him.

She'd never particularly liked him, mainly because he'd always been ice-cold, calculated to a point he seemed inhuman at times, no emotion whatsoever showing up on his face, besides a cool smugness. And by virtue of all the terrible things he'd done, all the blood on his hands. And yet, he was far from the worst thing out there, and most definitely not the villain in her story.

"And let's pretend you're telling the truth, which is completely fine by me because any mercy I've ever had here has always been a pretence, a figment of my imagination, you know. What could you possibly gain from this?" He raised an eyebrow, bearing a small resemblance to his usual self. Well, at least there was a slight amount of fight left in him, even if he was clearly holding back tears now.

But the villain's question wasn't completely outlandish. Vigilante did want something from him, but it wasn't a favour he would ever come to hate. "I need your help. My sister may seem like the goddamn tooth fairy to those who don't know better, but we know what her regime is really doing. This isn't about fighting crime, it's about her insatiable addiction to power."

"And where do I belong here?" The villain's voice still held the same disbelieving tone, his shoulders managing to tense even further.

"You're one of the few people who challenged her, Villain. And as much as it pains me to say it, you're a good strategist," she explained, even though she knew she'd barely convinced him in the slightest.

"I can't be the only one fitting that description, but I can be the only one owing you a favour too," he answered. Even if he didn't look half as confident, half as untouchable as before, the criminal was still just as clever. But it also meant he wasn't believing her anytime soon. Still, he wasn't wrong. The villain may not have smelled like roses all the time, but he'd be loyal to make sure they were even; a man of his word.

"What's it gonna be, Villain? Come with me or stay here?" she asked, folding her arms across her chest, growing impatient.

Well, it didn't make sense for her to give him a choice if she was going to torture him, but sense no longer governed things in his mind, letting a fearful apprehension replace it, no matter how humiliating. The choice could easily be an illusion, another cruel joke in this comedy skit from the filthiest parts of hell.

But it could be a chance, and he was desperate. So desperate he'd risk feeling even further degraded when she laughed in his face and put him through whatever torment she'd have planned.

"Fine," he answered, looking up at her with trepidation in his eyes. He could already feel the regret tasting like salt on his tongue and the burn of acid at the back of his throat he recognised as shame.

So when the sound of his chains being unlocked rang in his ears, and the vigilante helped him up, the feeling of surprise was palpable.

"I just need to handcuff you while they can see us," she explained, noticing how slowly the villain nodded, mistrust still burning in his eyes.

She didn't like how weightless he seemed against her, barely able to walk. She hadn't fought him much, but she clearly remembered that while his frame was somewhat slender, the villain's build still used to be athletic. It was no surprise he'd deteriorated, but that didn't make his fate any less cruel.

"I'm moving him to the other facility," she announced, practically dragging the half-starved villain with her, the only response being curt nods from the guards.

They were lucky that no one here would dare question Superhero and by default, her sister, if they could even tell the difference between both.

And sure enough, there was an entry documented into the other facility, done with the help of a few handsomely paid workers. And while Superhero wouldn't buy into the lie for long, it would at least make sure she didn’t notice immediately that something was up.

✨️Break✨️

The drive to Vigilante's house was almost torturously long and reeking of the tension of two people who weren't used to each other. The villain ran his fingers over his wrists, now free of handcuffs, but they still hurt. All of him hurt, a constant, dull pain that he was almost used to, but that didn't mean he didn't miss the times where he could remember moments without aches all over his body.

That was only the least of it anyway.

"I think you'd want to clean up," the vigilante had suggested when they'd got to her house.

Instead of an off-hand "yeah" like he'd meant to, the first words that foolishly came tumbling out of his mouth were: "I can?"

This wasn't an option they gave him back there, and soon enough he'd stopped caring entirely.

"Oh," Vigilante had responded, giving him a solemn look. "I mean, yes, of course you can," she corrected hastily.

He nodded, quite literally shoving himself into the bathroom and swallowing down the awkward shame in his throat.

He'd grown so accustomed to pain that he'd barely even noticed the sting of the hot water on his open, practically fresh wounds, or how the shower water underneath him turned a dull pink. He was a lot more focused on how his sore muscles relaxed with the heat, how he seemed to get lighter with all the dirt off him, good sensations having become foreign to him in the time of his captivity.

He walked out to find a change of clothes (his clothes) on the bed in the room outside, catching his reflection in the mirror, bruises lining his cheekbones and jaw and heavy, dark circles underneath his eyes. The villain simply ignored the old memories of himself taking the time to style his hair and care for his skin, his mind hardwired for survival, looking around the room for anything he could use in case he had to defend himself.

Not that Vigilante was stupid enough for that.

Still, if she wished to hurt him, she could've done it faster, could've done it earlier. Maybe the villain wouldn't trust her blindly, but so far, he hated her less bitterly than he hated everyone else.

"How'd you get these?" he asked, walking out, looking down at the black zip-up hoodie and black sweats.

Vigilante shrugged. "From your place."

"You broke into my- whatever." It wasn't the strangest part about the situation now. "What are we supposed to do?"

"I think you need to rest," she suggested.

And she was entirely correct, given his exhaustion and how the shower had made him somewhat sleepy, so he nodded his head, walking into "his" room and waiting until she walked up to her room, waiting until he could walk out and check if she'd slept, and once he was sure, he walked into the kitchen, picking up a knife and bringing it to his room.

The villain knew it was scummy, but he wasn't about to risk being hurt again, and if the vigilante truly had good intentions, the knife would never be put to use. Still, the villain had managed to fall into a fitful sleep, still better than any night he spent curled up on a cold, hard floor.

Trust is never easy, especially for those who have been hurt one too many times. But people were not made to live forever encased in solitude, a safe option to the blind and foolish, but never a permanent solution. And while taking a risk in times of suffering might seem like a wretched fate, sometimes it is the lifeline you need to breathe again.

✨️Le Taglist: @larinzz @syberianjade @lateuplight @altu-interactions @enbious-prince @astr0-mj @thelazywitchphotographer @a-fucking-simp-00 @addictedsandwhichaki @justalittlecorrupted @quaggasus @theangstyclown @vernilliom @mothmancommitsarson @starssabove @kurai-hono-blog @talkingsperm @muffinrebel44 @sunnynwanda @annablogsposts @cardboardarsonist @itsmyworld23 @onlywhump @m3rakii @crotchgoblin69 @wtfevenisausername @pendarling @avloki-pal @kaiwewi @those-damn-snippets @genuinelythioehat-is-whump @ghostofnorth

Wanna be on the taglist? This'll take you there!

[hurt-and-comfort-me-please]

House Guest (Superheroes) TW Past Abuse, Implied Self Harm

There was something so serene about it, which was strange. Rapid sat in an armchair, staring out of the windows and watching as the rain poured down on the city outside. To her right, a fugitive laid fast asleep, curled up on the pull-out couch.

There was no fear or anger in the room, just gentle snores and the sound of rain.

The first aid kit, scissors, needle and thread, and melted ice packs still laid on the coffee table, but Rapid was too tired to get up and put them away.

When did Rapid let herself become a safe haven for villains? First it was Violet, which, fine, she owed Violet a favor, but this? The man --boy, more accurately-- that she had let sleep on her couch was a pretty new villain admittedly, his only crimes being a few burglaries, but Rapid couldn't help but lament her bleeding heart.

His name was Orias, kind of an ironic name given how small he was. Without his mask and cowl he was about as intimidating as a puppy. Picking out your cover name was a rite of passage at this point, Rapid's name had come from her super speed. Once the boy woke up she'd have to ask where his name came from.

Sirens rang outside, moving along as quickly as they came. Villains were nothing new, but Pharaoh's goons had been more active lately. Rapid had to pull Orias out from underneath a group of henchman.

Some of the wounds on Orias were older, though. Healed cuts on his arms, cigarette burns on his shoulders and back, things that someone doesn't just get by accident.

More questions for when he woke up, Rapid supposed.

Rapid stood up, throwing another blanket over Orias's body and beginning to pick up the medical supplies.

[sunnynwanda]

The Darkside: Part 4

Part 1   Part 2   Part 3

Warning: mentions of physical torture and trauma, a somewhat graphic description of rape in the 2nd chapter, blood, broken bones, healing and aftercare for Villain, revenge, murder & death(s).

Sneaking back into the city wasn’t particularly difficult. Finding their former friends fast asleep in their beds wasn’t hard either. Kidnapping them and hanging them up by their toes in an abandoned building was almost too easy. Making several deliberate cuts and leaving them to bleed out as they beg for mercy was... a delight. The one thing that was actually hard was not letting them die. Not that easy. Not by Hero’s hands.

They smile to themselves as they dismount their motorcycle in front of the cabin. They left their former fellows chained upside down, helpless and slowly bleeding. They wouldn’t die. But they wouldn’t have enough strength to free themselves. Not until Hero returned, anyway. They grab their bag and stride into the cabin, directly to the kitchen. Villain is still asleep, so they make coffee to keep themselves awake and start preparing breakfast.

“You’re back.” The statement catches Hero off-guard. They whip around, smiling at how dishevelled Villain’s hair is. As if noticing their gaze, Villain runs a hand through their untamed curls.

“Morning,” Hero smiles, gesturing for them to sit down. Villain visibly limps, and Hero has to turn away to give them privacy. “Breakfast is almost ready.”

“You were gone for a while,” Villain states, their eyes narrow as they watch Hero’s back stiffen. They manage to find a comfortable position before elaborating. “I needed a shower before going to sleep. It took some time. You still weren’t back.”

“The closest town is quite far away,” Hero lies. They can feel Villain’s eyes boring into the back of their skull and turn around, forcing a smile onto their face. “Did you need anything?”

Villain shakes their head, falling into silence as Hero serves breakfast and sits on the opposite side of the table. They can tell something is troubling Villain but avoid pushing by focusing on their food. Villain does the same for a while, partly because they are starving after god knows how many days without a proper meal. 

“I appreciate everything you did for me,” Villain starts out of the blue. They are back in the living room, sitting with their back to the fireplace because their hair is still quite damp. Hero smiles at them from the sofa. “But that doesn’t erase what they did.”

Hero nods once, expecting Villain to continue. They do not, seemingly deep in thought. “Why are you saying that?” The question drags Villain’s attention back to the outer world. They glance at Hero for a moment, examining their countenance before speaking up again. 

“I’m past any reservations, Hero.” Determination is evident on their face, but that wasn’t exactly new to Hero. Villain clears their throat. “You can’t hold me back anymore.”

The wheels in Hero’s brain halt for a second, then start motion in reverse. They shrug. “Who says I want to?”

Villain’s expression is serious yet concerned. They wonder if their nemesis understood at all. “What?”

“I want you to unleash your rage on them,” Hero says matter-of-factly like that doesn’t mean eliminating their entire base and killing their mentor. “And I want to help.”

“Okay...” Villain is still processing the proposition. Since when do you have no problem with homicide? They are about to ask just that when Hero interrupts their deliberation again. The excitement in their voice makes the hair on Villain’s nape stand. 

“So, where do we start?” Hero paces the room before stopping by the window. Villain doesn’t exactly have a plan as of now, but that is the least of their worries, it seems. “Cause I might have done... something.”

They dart across the hall, leaning against the wall as Hero unlocks the metal door. It was only two hours ago that Hero revealed what they had done. Now, they are about to face two of the most respected crime fighters in the city. They walk into a dark cellar, waiting for their nemesis to turn the lights on. The scene that opens before their eyes would be disturbing in other circumstances. Right now, it brings a smile to their face. They watch their captors dangling from the ceiling, blood dripping down their arms and pooling under them. Hero stays behind, watching them approach the heroes, dagger in hand. They crouch down to be face level with them, dragging the blade across one’s cheek. The man whimpers, choking on their own tears. 

“Can’t even bring yourself to beg for mercy, can you?“ Villain asks, turning their attention to the woman that stepped on their throat while Superhero smashed their hand. “You know you don’t deserve it.” 

She lets out a muffled moan, nodding. Villain tilts their head, thinking for a moment. Then they rise, throw a short glance at Hero and release the chains, allowing their prisoners to land on the floor in a pile of twisted limbs. Hero remains silent. 

“I’m not going to kill you. You don’t deserve even that.” They cut the “thank-yous” short, ordering the heroes to shut it. “The only thing I regret is that Hero had to dirty their hands in your rotten blood.”

One of them tries to apologize, to come with an excuse of being forced by their boss, but Hero interrupts, stepping forward. “You will run without a glance back. Cause if you do, I won’t be as kind as Villain. I can promise you that much.” 

Their voice sends a shiver down Villain’s spine. They want to ask how Hero knew taxidermy cuts. Did Superhero teach them? Or perform those on them as punishment? Villain isn’t sure they are ready to learn the answers to the questions circling in their mind. What they are sure of is that no one can survive those cuts, not after bleeding out for so long.  

They reach the headquarters by sunset. Infiltrating the facility takes less than twenty minutes. They locate Superhero in the interrogation room and shut down the lights in the building, locking themselves in. When Hero swings the door open, Superhero doesn’t even turn to face them. It’s only when the door shuts behind Villain’s back that he reacts. 

“Lovely of you to show up,” he smirks at Villain, then turns his attention to Hero with sickening satisfaction in his eyes. “I’m glad you delivered, pet.” 

Villain’s blood freezes in their veins. They stiffen, watching Hero nod, then round the table to stand by Superhero’s side. No. It feels as if boiling water was poured over their head burning them to the bones. Their eyes start to water, and Villain blinks, unable to comprehend what is happening. No.

“What’s the matter, dove?” Superhero tilts his head and barks out a laugh, gesturing towards his apprentice. “Did you think they were helping you for real?

Hero doesn’t meet their eyes. Villain’s breath hitches in their throat, heartbeat frantic. They can feel their blood thumping in their temples. Their vision blurs, and they don’t even know if it’s tears or their body shutting down in shock. The room is spinning. They know they are outnumbered, but they also know they have nothing left to lose. And they won’t go down without a fight. 

“How naive,” the condescending tone awakes something absolutely feral in Villain. Their entire body vibrates with rage. They clench their jaw, pressing their lips together to hide the tremor that runs through them. “That’s what I always liked about you, Villain. You play fair. And I make up my own rules.” 

Villain’s mind is reeling, wailing in their head because they cannot fathom how dumb they were. They shake their head despite the lump in their throat that is threatening to explode into sobs with every passing second. They were so, so stupid to get deceived that easily, to believe the enemy, to trust someone trained by the very person that ruined them.

Hero takes a step back, gesturing for Superhero to proceed. The man smiles, nodding in appreciation. 

“Tell me, Hero, what would you like in reward for such a lovely gift?” He reaches for the handcuffs and licks his lips, a disgusting smile plastered on his face. “A taste of them, maybe? I could let you use them all you want, for torture or pleasure. I’ve had my fun with them.”

Villain growls, low and raving. Hero knows they will not hesitate to kill themselves if in a desperate situation. Villain draws their dagger, ready to fight for life or death. Superhero moves towards them, and that’s when Hero springs into action. Villain barely registers the movement when Hero grabs Superhero by the neck and bends him over the table, banging his head against it several times. They use a combat knife to nail one of Superhero’s hands to the table, cutting through the metal and disregarding the anguished roar from their mentor.

“How about I let Villain do whatever they please to you?” Hero kicks the back of Superhero’s knees, making his legs buckle and smashing his face with a fist until it’s covered in blood, nose fractured in multiple places. 

“What are you doing, pet?” The man wheezes out, struggling to pull himself up. “Have you forgotten which side you belong on?”

“I know perfectly well which side I am on.” Hero restricts his free hand, cuffing it to the table leg. “ It’s you that has lost it.”  

Villain is too dumbfounded to react. They stare with mouth agape, their brain refusing to process what is happening until Hero looks up at them. The expression in their eyes is batshit crazy.

“We’ll talk about the fact that you believed I’d betray you later,” their breathing is laboured as they speak; voice laced with emotions that Villain is unable to discern. “Right now, he is yours.” 

Hero gets off Superhero’s back and walks to stand by the door. Villain is motionless for a long moment before attacking with demented madness. They make cuts, one after another, the same ones Hero used on their coworkers earlier, except deeper and more painful. 

“You know what this is, don’t you?” Villain asks. Superhero snarls, muttering curses under his breath. Villain twists his hair between their fingers, bending his back, causing the handle of the knife in his hand to tear into the flesh. “Like how it feels?”

They circle around the table, bending down to look Superhero in the eyes with chilling calmness. “Should I show you what the rest of what you did to me felt like?” The man laments, trying everything to fight back as Villain drags their gun along his spine. “Let’s see how you like it, huh?”  

Hero steps out of the room. They catch a glimpse of the gun barrel and try not to think what Villain plans to use it for as they shut the door. They can hear the muffled cries and curses as Villain rips him apart for hours. Hero stays by the door for the entirety of it, pacing back and forth in expectation of a gunshot that’s never heard. They dare not open the door until Villain calls on them. It’s past midnight.  

When they walk in, Superhero is still alive and bent over the table; an expression of utter madness stains their face. Hero realizes his hand is no longer pierced by their knife when Villain hands it to them. Hero’s face is stern when they nod in agreement and position themselves behind Superhero. They fist his hair, arching the man’s back and making him face Villain. 

“Get a good look - they are the reason for your demise,” Hero growls into his ear before slashing his throat, cutting it open and watching blood gushing onto the table. They let go when Superhero’s body stops shaking. 

They are seated on a rooftop when Hero presses a button on their phone. Villain is gobsmacked as they watch the headquarters crush down, burying Superhero’s body under tons of concrete and debris. They gaze at Hero with wide eyes, anticipating a grain of regret or sorrow but catch none. All Hero offers them is a small smile of relief. 

Villain did not expect to find a friend in their foe or to become allies with the enemy. They did not anticipate the sudden change in their consistently cheerful and kind nemesis. They couldn’t have imagined how unhinged Hero can get once pushed hard enough. And they certainly wouldn’t have pictured themselves being the reason for that. Yet, when the sun comes up next morning, colouring the sky in hues of warm yellow, they sit on the porch of their cabin with a cup of coffee in hand and a friend by their side, watching the outline of the city on the horizon. A city rid of criminal minds and sadistic saviours. A city now free.

​ Part 1   Part 2   Part 3

Masterlist

Hi, loves!

This ended up pretty long and cruel, I hope you won’t mind either of those. Felt quite new to me as well, especially on this blog. You’ll be deciding what the next story is, so feel free to vote and let me know what you’d like to see. 

And thank you for reading this :) 

P.S. @pigeonwhumps tagging you as promised. 

Love, 

Sunny :)  

[whumppromptoftheday]

vigilante begging hero to team up with them to take villain down and hero having to explain that it's already been taken care of

[paladinsandruffians]

Short Snippet #2

"Hero, put him down." The stern voice came from behind. Hero turns just barely glimpsing as a dark figure seems to peel away from the neighboring shadows. She grits her teeth, fist balling tighter around the struggling villain's shirt. She ignores the warm, sticky substance trailing down her arm, focus snared by the intruding man.

"You can't stop me, vigilante." She jerks the villain, evoking a gargled gasp from the battered man. "He," she growls, "Took everything from me."

Villain whimpers, trembling hands reaching for his front. His tears glisten in the pale moonlight.

Vigilante sighs, shaking his head in a slow, morose manner.

"No, Hero. He did not."

[chaotic-orphan]

June of Doom, Day Five:

It’s not as bad as it looks: Handcuffs // swelling // flinch

CW: mention of blood, cuts, past fight, injuries, bruises

*~*~*~*~*

Hero practically fell down the stairs they were running so hard. Mentor and Medic practically jumped out of Hero’s way as they barrelled past, Mentor shouting: “slow down!” after them but Hero barely heard it.

They turned the corner to the entrance of the precinct and saw Superhero standing at the doorway, arms folded tight over a broad chest, their back to Hero.

They were just in time.

“Superhero!” Hero called, slowing to a half-walk, half-jog as they weaved in and out of the few detectives and officers milling about.

“Not now, Hero. Get back to headquarters.” Superhero’s voice was hard, finite. Authority oozing out of every rumble of command. Hero ignored them and stepped up beside them.

“Superhero,” said Hero again, a little breathless as they finally stopped. “They’re innocent. I’ve worked with—“

“I don’t want to hear it, Hero.”

“-but I know Vigilante,” Hero implored, “they would never—“

“And yet they have,” Superhero snapped, sharp blue eyes cutting into Hero’s. It was enough to make Hero want to stop their defence. To turn and run back up to Headquarters and pretend like none of this matters to them, but it did. Vigilante was their friend. They had saved Hero more times than they could count.

“Superhero, please just listen.”

Superhero grabbed Hero by the upper arm, grip bruising, and turned them, marching them into one of the empty interrogation rooms and closing the door over slightly. Hero tried to shrug out of Superhero’s grip but the fingers just tightened ever so slightly to stop their struggles.

“No, Hero. You listen,” Superhero seethed, turning them to face Superhero again.

“I have entertained your every whim because you show great potential and I have no doubt you will be an excellent Hero. I have heard your every thought on every move I make because I value Mentor’s advice and they asked me to let you be involved in decision making, for experience. What I will not tolerate,” Superhero said, looming over Hero, grip tightening on Hero’s arm and fear settling into the back of Hero’s chest as they continued:

“Is you questioning my authority in the middle of HQ when I have just finished an arrest. That is where I draw the line. I don’t care if Vigilante is your best friend, if they saved you a million times, if you feel you somehow owe them— and do you know why I don’t care?”

Hero grimaced, pulling their arm back sharply, “you’re hurting me, Superhero.”

“Do. You. Know. Why?”

“Because I wasn’t there…” said Hero, shoulders sagging in defeat.

“Exactly,” said Superhero, finally letting go of Hero. Hero took a step back, trying to create some space between them. Hero glanced down at the red handprint that was definitely going to bruise with a frown.

Superhero let out a frustrated sigh, pinching the bridge of their nose. Clearly trying to calm down from whatever had wound Superhero up so tight. Hero just stayed silent.

“You didn’t see them defend Villain in the same way they defend you. You didn’t see them take down Sidekick and Other Sidekick without so much as a hint of remorse. So do not question me again in the middle of the precinct regarding your friend. Do I make myself clear?”

Hero swallowed and nodded. “Do I make myself clear, Hero?”

“Yes superhero.”

“I will have no repeats of this. This is your only and final warning. The next time you question me you will end up in a cell next to your friend to teach you some manners. Do you understand?” Superhero growled. Hero nodded, mutely, and flinched back as Superhero slammed the door to the interrogation room open, stepping out like a rapid dog.

Hero’s eyes went to the slowly closing door and they let a sigh escape their throat as they caught the door before it closed and stepped out after Superhero.

The doors to the precinct opened and Vigilante was escorted in by two police officers holding each arm on either side. Their wrists handcuffed behind their back, but that’s not what caught Hero’s attention.

It was the blood dripping from their hairline, tracing the contours of their dirty face in a gruesome deep red, it looked almost black. One eye was purple and black, swollen shut and their nose had two streams of black blood that stopped at their lips, then continued down their chin. The corner of their mouth was puffy, the shining purple bruise of their cheek pulling their features so they looked drawn.

Hero’s face must have betrayed their horror, because Vigilante tried a smile when they saw Hero and said quietly: “it’s not as bad as it looks.”

Hero was about to reply when a hand settled heavy on their shoulder, fingers biting into the soft flesh. Hero’s lips clamped shut at the silent warning. Vigilante noticed, because they always noticed. As soon as their features had softened to be reassuring for Hero they changed again for Superhero. Vigilante glared up at Superhero, their face morphing into a mask of hatred.

“Take them to powered holding cell one,” came Superhero’s cold command and Vigilante was pushed away from Hero, down the stairs to the right. Hero moved to follow but Superhero’s hand became like a vice holding them back.

“I forbid you from seeing them while they are here, Hero.”

Hero batted Superhero’s hand away from their shoulder and whirled on Superhero. As quick as the bravery came it dwindled and extinguished in their chest at the cold glare that burned from Superhero’s eyes.

What I will not tolerate is you questioning my authority in the middle of HQ.

Their gaze promised to make good on the threat to throw Hero into a holding cell beside Vigilante and so they backed down. They didn’t say anything as they turned and walked back up to the Hero quarters above the precinct.

They were going to see Vigilante. They were just going to make sure Superhero wasn’t there when they did.

[em-writes-stuff]

gas mask + cage

day 4 of two weeks of whump @promptsforyourwhumpfic

hero, villain and vigilante

warnings: drugging, captivity

558 words

---

Villain kicks against the bars of the cage, rattling the door slightly. He huffs loudly, trying to catch his breath in the tiny space. It presses against his sides, the bars digging into his arms and legs. 

Vigilante smiles and pours two cups of coffee, “You’ll have to ignore him, he hasn’t any manners.” 

Hero nods once and takes a small sip from his cup, “It’s not a problem.” 

Villain mumbles through the mask Vigilante had strapped to his face and they both ignore him. 

They go on about the weather and how Vigilante’s garden isn’t doing as well as it was last year. Hero dismisses her when she says it’s probably her fault, instead blaming the drought. 

Villain kicks out again, this time nearly popping the door open. Vigilante shoots up from her chair and slams it shut, closing it on Villain’s ankle. He cries out, yanking his leg away from the door and hitting his knee on the top of the cage. He yelps again and Hero chuckles. 

“You know, Vigilante. I’ve been trying to ignore it, but I would love to know what’s on his face.” 

She smiles cruelly and points to a small vat next to the cage. “That’s a mix of rubbing alcohol and bleach. Do you know what that makes?” 

Hero shakes his head.

“Chloroform. It’s great! One click of this button-” he slams his palm down on the button and Villain’s eyes go wide, he shakes his head furiously- “And he’s out in a few minutes.” 

Hero claps and watches as the gas mask hisses with Villain’s every breath. “You’re so clever. How’d you even figure that out?” 

“Oh, I wouldn’t say clever. I spent a lot of time alone when I was a teenager. Passed out more times than I’d like to admit from mixing them before realizing what was causing it.” She shrugs and sits back down, taking a large drink from her mug. Hero stays standing, eyes boring into Villain as he struggles to keep his eyes open.

He slumps and his chin hits his chest lightly. Hero turns to Vigilante with a smile. “Tell you what,” he sits down across from her and digs into his pocket. “I’ll give you…$7,500 for him and your little contraption. What do you think?” 

Vigilante takes the wad of cash Hero sat on the table and flips through it. She purses her lips and inhales deeply. “I’d love to, I really would. But I’ve grown pretty fond of him. Would you do $10,000?” 

Hero shakes his head, “I dunno, that’s a lot of money.” He stares at Villain for a moment before sighing. “What the hell, you’ve got a deal.” He pulls out the rest of the cash and finishes his coffee. 

Hero slams the mug down on the table and stands up, his hands on his hips. “Alright. Well, how am I gonna get him into my truck without anyone seeing?” 

“You can pull into my garage.” 

He shakes his head playfully and nods, “The brain on you, I tell ya.” 

Villain wakes up from a bump in the road. There’s something covering his cage and music blares from the speakers. 

He cranes his neck to look through a small hole in the cover and he can just barely see Hero’s hair bouncing along with the music. 

[clickerflight]

The Lion and the Mouse - Part 4

Masterlist

Part 3

Here we have the last bit. I really liked these two. This idea kind of came out of no where and I wrote it really fast. Shout out to @whumpsday for being so invested in this story. Your praise fuels me!

Content: Stress position, bruises, broken ribs, escape, accidental cuts, mentions of temporary character death, non-sexual nudity

.........................................

The base got really quiet for a while. It woke Kai up though he didn’t think it wise to leave when the lights in the base were still on anyways, so he went back to sleep. When he woke up again, he realized he was getting too big for his first cloak and changed into his new one. He tied floss around his waist to hold it closed and stretched, deciding to go for a walk. He took his rope, tied with a thick button around the end in case he needed to try and grapple it around something, and tucked it into his belt. Now that he was eating and drinking, he was growing faster. He was about the size of a mouse and traveled just was quickly as one. He had energy again, something that the universe had always granted to him quickly enough, and he took off down the vents. 

He took new paths, peering out in places. He was now too big to squeeze through most of them, but he didn’t worry about it too much. There were still places where the vents didn’t have grating at all. 

After a few hours, he peered out through one grate and recognized a training room. He looked over the equipment and then noticed something moving on the floor. He leaned against the vent cover, trying to see better. The thing moved again and Kai was able to make out the shapes of limbs tied to a pole and in the reflection of the mirrors a face he recognized. 

Kai stared in shock for a moment before pushing on the grate to see if it would come loose. It didn’t even budge and Kai went back to staring. After a moment, he left the grate, making his way back to his nest. He’d need to gather everything up for tonight. Hopefully he would be big enough to tie the razor blade to the broken piece of dowel he found so he could carry it. He was going to help Vigil after he knew it was safe. So, he gathered up his things and moved them all to the grate in the training room so he could watch and wait till evening. 

……………………………

The timed lights went out. Vigil continued to lay on the floor, breathing slowly and purposefully. His chest and neck hurt from every time he’d curled up to look at the door when his mind played tricks on him, telling him someone was there. Besides that, his arms and legs hurt so bad, shaking and clenching as he was forced to hold that agonizing position, slightly curled the wrong way. 

He sighed and closed his eyes. Despite everything, he was tired. He was so so tired and everything hurt and wouldn’t let him sleep. He thought about what he would do when he got out of here. He would tell the union, of course. There was no way he was going to let someone like Leshy scare him into silence. He’d tell the union and then wouldn’t leave union custody until Leshy was in jail or dead. Oftentimes, the union didn’t take kindly to offenders and would just send one of the assassins after them to make them disappear quietly, so that would probably be it, especially since a lot of the assassins liked Vigil. He was civil to them where a lot of the vigilantes were not and he was willing to cover for them on dangerous missions, acting as bait or a distraction or whatever else they needed. 

He was just imagine how his favorite of the lot, Lily, would probably deal with Leshy after seeing Vigil’s wounds when something touched his face. He flinched back, sucking in a breath and a small figure stumbled and fell. 

Vigil crossed his eyes until he could make out the form and realized quickly who it was. 

“Kai,” Vigil whispered. “You’re alive!”

Kai nodded, straightening up. He was about as tall as Vigil’s hand and he was grinning. He was dirty, unshaven, and had a strange cloak made from what looked to be lint, but he seemed fine otherwise. He opened up the washcloth he’d been dragging around behind him and pulled out a razor on a stick. He tossed the razor up onto Vigil’s back and hauled himself up. Vigil tried not to twitch so much as he felt small feet crossing his back. 

It seemed to take Kai a moment to figure out how he wanted to deal with the situation as he rubbed the razor against the thick leather cuff. Then the small man started swinging and chopping. He kept going for a while, falling over when Vigil flinched involuntarily a couple of times, but he got through the cuff, only making small cuts in Vigil’s wrist as he went. 

When the leather snapped, the cuff went through the bar and allowed his other hand down more quickly than he’d expected. The sudden snap also sent Vigil’s legs out straight again, and he saw sparks as pain attacked all through his body at the sudden change. 

He could feel Kai crawling over his back, dropping the razor and slowly letting himself down, sitting on the ground to look at his leg. He had a slice cut down his shin that he put pressure on quickly. He must have cut himself falling when Vigil had been freed. 

Vigil sucked in a breath. “Sorry.”

Kai just shook his head. 

Vigil slowly got to his knees and then got his feet in front of him with some difficulty, tossing the pole aside. He took the razor ax and cut through the rest of the leather cuffs as well. He put it down in Kai’s sack, not wanting to leave evidence that Kai had been there. He picked up the washcloth and everything inside and gently picked Kai up, cupping him in the other hand. 

Kai leaned against his fingers as Vigil slowly limped to the door, his knee not agreeing with the movement at all. Despite that, he made it to the hall and then to the front doors. He cupped Kai to his chest to hide him from cameras and passed through the front doors. With that, it was down to his car. He didn’t have his keys, as they were still in his locker, but he had an extra set and an extra phone hidden in a small compartment. 

He gently set Kai down, taking a moment to pass him the washcloth bag which Kai pressed against his wound. 

Vigil retrieved his keys and phone, sat down, and got out of there.

………………………………..

Lily was up at all times of the day and night, but she had to sleep sometime. She had just been getting ready for bed at 3:00 Am when she heard the doorbell ring. She tied her robe closed around herself and went to look at her cameras. A familiar figure stood there, maybe a bit hunched and disheveled… and missing shoes. 

Surprised, she moved to the door and opened it to find Vigil standing on her doorstep. His face was bruised badly, dried blood around his mouth and nose, lips split in multiple places. He had one hand on his ribs, leaning on one leg more than the other, and in his other hand was a small figure who was swathed in a slightly bloodied washrag. 

“Come in, then, and sit down,” she said, not unkindly and Vigil murmured a thank you to her as he did so, sitting heavily on the couch and leaning his head back with a soft moan, setting the small man on the cushions beside him. 

“Who’s that?” she asked as she pulled one of her stashed first aid kits from a drawer. 

“You remember Kai?” Vigil asked, not looking at her. 

“Oh! Right.”

“They were doing terrible things to him,” Vigil said, glancing down at the small man who pulled the cloth from his leg to see if it was still bleeding. “I was helping him escape and, ah, well, I’m sure you know of Leshy’s reputation.”

“Leshy?” she asked, putting down the kit to pull out her phone and take pictures. His eyes were bloodshot behind dark bruises, but he still looked grateful as she did. “Yeah, I’ve heard of him. He did this?”

“Yeah.”

“And you haven’t told the union yet?”

“Nah. Kai literally just got me out.”

Kai gave a little wave as she grabbed the scissors out of the kit and cut Vigil’s shirt off. They’d need good pictures for the union to look at in deciding how vicious an assassin they would be sending. Lily hoped they picked her. She would have some fun. 

His torso was swollen and bruised. But it all seemed to move properly so he wasn’t in too much danger. It did seem like there might be a couple of broken ribs. 

“Probably need to check for internal bleeding,” Vigil sighed. “He got me good in the stomach.”

Lily clicked her tongue, palpating the area gently to check it. “I think you’re fine. Any trouble breathing? Do you feel sick.”

“Nah, you’re probably right. Just bruised. I’ll need a brace for my knee.”

She got the scissors again and cut the pant legs up to the thigh to get some last pictures of his swollen and bruised knee and the bruises on his legs and arms. 

“Alright. I think that’s all the Union will want. Do we need to get pictures of Kai?”

“Naw. That cut was an accident.”

He turned his head and said, “Still bleeding?”

Kai shook his head. 

“We should probably wash it out.”

Kai nodded. 

“Alright, I’ll be back.” Lily said. 

True to her word, she came back with two bowls of water. She put one down on the table and picked Kai up, setting him next to it. He gladly stripped his cloak off and got in, getting to the business of cleaning off while Lily dipped cloth into the other one, washing blood off Vigil’s face and the cuts on his wrist. 

Sleepily, Vigil caught her hand and kissed her knuckles as thanks before his eyes closed slowly, and he fell asleep while she finished. He was mostly bruised and his ribs weren’t bad enough to really worry about, so she got him laid out on the couch with pillows under head and a blanket over top. She went to the kitchen and came back with some hand towels and a washcloth for Kai. 

He got out, dried off, and, after Lily ripped a hole in the middle of the washcloth for him, he put it on like a poncho and set about making the hand towels into a bed he could sleep on.

“I’m going to bed,” she told Kai, and he nodded, getting comfortable before she turned out the lights, made sure the door was locked, and then went to go sleep. 

………………………..

“Vigil? Vigil! Hey!”

Vigil blinked awake at the strange high pitched voice that called to him and turned his head. He was surprised to see a cat sized Kai sitting on the edge of the table under the window, a hand towel worn like a toga over his shoulder. 

“Hi, sorry. Do you think you could call Lily down? I’m not loud enough and I don’t trust my leg to take my fall. I have to go to the bathroom.”

Vigil blinked and sighed, shifting slightly and wincing. He took a slow breath in and called “LILY!!!”

There was a moment of silence and an annoyed, “WHAT!?” shouted back. 

Vigil smiled a little and waited, listening to her coming down the stairs. She gave Kai a questioning look at how big he was now. 

Kai grimaced a bit as he asked, “Could you help me down?”

Lily sighed, rolling her eyes and she did so. He thanked her quietly and wandered off with a limp to find the bathroom. 

“Well, I guess I’ll check on you while I’m down here,” she said, pulling back the blankets to look at Vigil’s chest. “Mmm going as a painted canvas to the next union party, huh?”

Vigil chuckled. “Thinking about it… Do you have another bathroom?”

“Upstairs.”

“Ugh.” Vigil slowly hauled himself upright, wincing at the motion, but, with Lily’s help, got up. She let him relieve himself in peace, but came in to help him get dressed in clothes he stashed at her place, just like she had some clothes stashed at his. 

“Thanks,” he grunted as she helped him put on a shirt. 

“Of course. I think I have a knee brace up here. Let me find it for you.”

She found it in her closet and put it on over his pants. He managed to limp down the stairs with just the help of the bannister, Kai waiting at the bottom. 

“You’re growing back fast,” Vigil commented as he limped to the kitchen to get a drink. 

“I found some food to eat while I was hiding. Sorry for missing the pick up. I was so tired after crossing the hall I passed out until the lights went out.”

“It’s alright,” Vigil replied, finding a shot glass to fill with water for Kai, which Kai too gratefully before getting a glass for himself. “It’s not your fault.”

Kai shrugged and Lily hummed, getting their attention. 

“I’m going to take all this to the union and get it taken care of. I might even talk to the hero commission. What were they doing to you, Kai?”

Kai swallowed nervously, handing his cup back to Vigil who put it in the sink. 

“Um, killing me to keep me small.”

“There were traces of blood all over Leshy’s office,” Vigil said, opening the fridge to get out some eggs before dragging a stool over so he could sit by the stove to cook them. 

“Oh, yeah. He uh… tortured me sometimes before I died. Well, almost every other time. I’ll never look at dryers the same way again. Or pliers.”

Lily drew up her lip in disgust. “Well, I’ll get the message passed on. Help yourselves. Vigil, you know where the blankets are when Kai gets too big for the towel?”

“Yup. All good.”

“Alright then. I’ll be back.”

With that, she went to get changed. 

Kai climbed the handles of the drawers and sat on the counter by the stove as Vigil cooked. 

“Thank you,” Kai said softly. “I wasn’t sure I’d ever get out of there. Leshy said he’d extended my sentence there another couple of months. He…” Kai shuddered. “Just, thank you.”

“Yeah.. and hey, sorry about running out on you when I first saw your box in Leshy’s office. It was disturbing after seeing all the blood splatter remains, you know?”

“I know. And you got me out eventually, so no hard feelings.”

“Yeah,” Vigil said as he finished scrambling the eggs. He got a plate, set it on the counter between them, and dumped it all out. 

They both ate eggs with their fingers from the same plate as Lily left to go ruin a certain hero team’s whole lives. 

..................

Hope you enjoyed!

[iwritewhump]

lashing out

day 8 of @whumptember

618 words

warnings: teenage whumpee, implied abuse, conditioned response, cursing

part one | part two | part three | part five | part six

---

Villain finally takes down Hero’s ‘we left, he’s with me now <3’ note off of the fridge and lays it on the counter, not quite ready to completely forget about what had happened only a month ago. He smiles softly and dials Hero’s number. 

Her voicemail runs and he nods along until the beep, “Hey, Hero! I’m just checking in on you and Vigilante. I know you’re keeping him safe and I don’t have anything to worry about, but I just want to talk with him if he wants to. Anyway…just get back to me, thanks!” 

He sets the phone on his table and swings the refrigerator door open and bends down to find something to eat. With a small, contented chuckle he grabs pizza from the shelf and takes a bite. 

Villain’s phone rings, Hero’s number is on the display. He smiles, sets the pizza down on a napkin and answers, “Hey! Glad you were able to-” 

“Villain?” someone whispers. 

After a moment, Villain recognizes the voice. Under the hoarseness and fear, it was Vigilante. “Vigilante? Are you alright? Where’s Hero?” 

Rustling comes from his end and Villain can tell he’s running. “I need you to come get me. I’m running to the lot behind the forest next to Hero’s base. Please.” 

“Y-yeah,” Villain stutters. “I’ll…I’m leaving right now. Hang tight.” 

Instead of an answer, the phone falls to the ground and Villain can hear as it crashes against something hard and breaks. Without wasting a second, Villain grabs his keys and jacket, pulling his jacket on as he runs down the stairs of his apartment building. 

He ignores the shouts from neighbors, and mutters apologies to the others in the hallway that he barrels past. The elevator goes too slow, so he gets off after two stories and flies down the barely used stairwell and makes it to his car in record time. 

The lot by Hero’s base has never been a welcoming place, and the sun going down and the new moon shining no light definitely didn’t help. Vigilante sits against a tree trunk with his knees drawn tightly to his chest, vigilantly searching for anything coming for him. 

By some miracle, he sees Villain’s car before he hears it, grateful that he took the time to take note of the keys in Villain’s coin dish by the front door. 

He almost laughs and stands up, stumbling to the middle of the lot where Villain parks the car. Villain steps out of the car and Vigilante collapses in his arms. 

“Thank you for coming,” he sobs. Villain cups the back of his head with a hand and uses the other to open the passenger door and guide him in. 

After buckling Vigilante, Villain pulls away and studies him in the low light. 

Bruises litter every inch of skin Villain can see. He has barely scabbed over cuts and scrapes. Swollen lip, black eye and a cut on his cheek where blood still trickles out. Villain reaches his hand out, pulling his jacket sleeve over his hand to wipe it away and Vigilante flinches back so aggressively that he hits his head on the headrest. 

“Oh my god,” he whispers. “What happened to you?” 

Vigilante stares up at him, eyes glazed over, and shakes his head. He pulls the door shut and hugs his knees to his chest. 

The ride back to Villain’s apartment is deathly quiet, Villain glances over at Vigilante every few seconds and every time he’s staring blankly forward. 

“Vigilante…”

“No.” he snaps. “No. You don’t get to ask.” pulling his knees closer to himself, he shakes his head. “It’s all your fault, you should’ve known. So you don’t get to fucking ask.” 

[one-lonely-whumperfly]

(Part 3! Continuing from here)

Hero was acting strange, and Sidekick knew he was hiding something.

It all started almost a month ago. Hero had gone out on a mission in the middle of the night, one that he assured Sidekick that he wouldn't need help on. Sidekick thought nothing of it, and went back to sleep. When he woke up the next morning, Hero's car was in the driveway, but he couldn't find him anywhere. It wasn't until hours later that he emerged from the cellar, locking the door behind him. Sidekick asked how the mission went, and received a smile.

"It went perfectly."

Then Hero started going into the cellar every day. Sometimes several times a day. Sidekick wasn't really concerned at first. He honestly just assumed he was working on a new suit or some plans or something. But... then he saw Hero with blood on him one day. Not just blood, but brass knuckles too.

"Hero! Are you okay? What happened--"

"I'm fine, Sidekick. Don't worry about it."

"But, there's blood on your hands. Did you hurt yourself down there? Is there anything I can do?"

Hero glared so harshly at Sidekick that he immediately falls silent.

"Don't. Worry about it. Understood?"

Sidekick nodded quickly as Hero walked away, towards his room. "And get ready, we're going out to find Villain."

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

Sidekick waited in the car after knocking Villain down. He was anxious, not because he was worried for Hero's safety, but because something felt so wrong. So lost in thought, he didn't even see Hero approaching and jumped when the door opened.

"How'd it go?"

Hero grinned. "I think my little talk got through to Villain." He said simply as he started to drive off. Sidekick looked out the window, trying to just zone out, but his eyes immediately locked onto a figure in the alley they'd all just fought in. It was Villain, collapsed to the ground and sobbing while clutching something close to his chest. Sidekick's eyes widened.

What did Hero do?

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

For another two weeks, everything was good. Villain hadn't tried any type of "evil plan" since their last encounter. And Hero was infinitely happier than Sidekick had ever seen him before.

He was always very happy when he came back up from the cellar... or even going down. Sometimes he'd even bring food and water with him, along with blades and other weapons.

Sidekick couldn't stand it anymore. He had to know what the hell was happening down there. He waited until Hero went out for the day, and snatched the key to the cellar from his office.

It took him half an hour to build up the courage to actually go down there. He'd never disobeyed Hero before, but he just knew something was happening. Something bad. Did Hero have an animal kept down there? Was he abusing it? The thought made him sick.

The reality made him even sicker.

Sidekick moved carefully and quietly down the stairs, trying to calm his nerves. The first thing he noticed was an odd sound. Like a... whimpering. It was coming from a closed door towards the end of the cellar. As Sidekick walked towards it, his gaze flickered around the various areas of the cellar. Most of it looked like a normal cellar, some storage and even a section specifically for wine. But he also picked up on some unsettling things. Like the chains attached to the ceiling. And a blood trail that led towards the door. And a camera station set up pointed towards a wall, where there was also a large puddle of dried blood.

The quiet noises continued as Sidekick approached the door. It... it didn't sound like an animal. He opened the door with a shaking hand, pushing it open, and froze as soon as he saw what was in front of him.

It wasn't an animal. It was a person. A person tied up and lying on a ratty, stained cot. He was covered in bruises, blood, and wounds that were haphazardly bandaged. He'd been stripped of whatever clothes he had, minus a pair of boxers. A cloth gag kept him mostly silent, besides the tiny whimpers of pain. His curly red hair was stuck to his face with sweat and blood-- wait, curly red hair?

"Vigilante?!"

He opened his eyes, looking at Sidekick. He looked so pained, so scared-- but he looked absolutely horrified when his gaze shifted to something behind Sidekick.

"Sidekick. I thought I told you not to come down here."

Hero's voice was far too calm, and... almost playful.

Sidekick spun around.

"Hero! What the FUCK is this?! What are you doing to Vigilante?!"

"He's here for an important reason. As an insurance policy."

Insurance-- Sidekick couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"What the hell are you talking about?!"

Hero stepped forward, and Sidekick flinched when he heard the noise of fear from Vigilante.

"Come now, Sidekick. You're smart. Open your damn eyes! Villain hasn't tried anything in almost a month! If we keep Vigilante here, Villain won't even attempt to do anything. It's the ultimate insurance policy to keep him docile."

"But why are you hurting him?! He didn't do anything wrong!"

"It doesn't fucking matter that he didn't!" Hero's yell caused both Sidekick and Vigilante to tense. "Vigilante is completely innocent but that doesn't fucking matter! I can do whatever I want, whenever I want. I'm the hero! If I want to kidnap and torture the weak-ass Villain's little boy toy while Villain is aware and unable to do anything, then I will!"

Sidekick couldn't speak. Couldn't move. Could hardly breathe. How could a hero be so cruel and heartless?

"Now," Hero walked forward and grabbed Sidekick by the throat, "I think you should take a few days off. And when you come back, we'll pretend nothing ever happened. Our little guest will still be here, but you'll ignore his existence. Got it?"

When Sidekick finally nodded, the hand on his throat was released. He wasted no time in leaving, not even glancing back at Vigilante, who let out a broken sob. Sidekick left the cellar, then the house, and took off as fast as he could to Villain's house.

He wasn't going to let Hero get away with this.

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Hope you enjoyed!)

[surplus-of-sarcasm]

31st Story, Part 2

TW: Blood, implied past captivity and torture, stitches, wound description, angst, corrupt system, issues regarding figure (brief), bruises, angst, knife, touch starvation

Part 1

Guess who's back with a hella long piece. vacay from college for some time with semester 1 over, woo! enjoyyy 💙

“So how did you sleep?” the vigilante asked as she walked downstairs to find the villain sitting cross-legged on her couch. 

“Well,” he answered evenly, emotionlessness overtaking his tone as usual. It wasn't a complete lie; he'd slept better than he had in a long time, but his eyes had wrenched open a little after sunrise, even though he wasn't a morning person. He couldn't relax too much into this life, the knife he took shoved into the pocket of his sweatpants, but she didn't need to know that. 

“I'll make us breakfast,” she announced.

“I'll help you out,” he offered, even though he knew she could probably infer what his motives were. He still wasn't taking any chances anyway. 

She nodded curtly in response, leading him to the kitchen. And he'd almost wished someone had warned him about the whiplash of doing something so outlandishly casual with your enemy, as he watched her make a sandwich and soon enough followed suit, still hyper aware of the knives and the boiling water in the kettle. 

And of course, nothing was lost on Vigilante, even if she probably wasn’t half as nervous as he was, the half-frantic, wild animal wrapped in the poorly fitting garment of someone calm and collected. “Are you always this tense?” she questioned as she sat down at the table and he sat opposite from her.

“Just hungry,” he shot back smoothly, a seasoned liar. Sure, he technically was half-starved, trying to eat slowly just so he wouldn’t retch, but if that was the case, he would’ve relaxed when he ate.  

The vigilante said nothing as she took a bite of her sandwich, but her disbelieving eyebrow raise needed no further additions. 

The villain’s grip tightened on his mug as he worried his frayed bottom lip between his teeth,”What do you want? If you’re going to question every micro-gesture of mine, then why’d you bring me here?” His voice was hoarse with exhaustion, probably from all the screaming he couldn’t muffle, not that he cared.

“I get it,” the vigilante said placatingly, even though it was clear she was somewhat irritated. She wasn’t a goddamn bleeding heart just oozing compassion and patience, not that he expected any different. “You’re afraid of getting hurt.” 

“I am not afraid of crap, Vigilante.” It came out softer than he’d intended, almost as though he was the one trying to calm the situation, a new trait of people-pleasing a new and heavily despised survival skill he’d recently acquired. 

The vigilante wanted to argue, but she also knew that from the day she’d walked into his cell and pulled him out, that she’d been walking on thin ice. That the man in front of her wasn’t his normal, unflappable self that could dish out a lot worse than whatever she dared to throw at him, so for the rest of this tense, awkward breakfast, they both remained quiet. 

It had taken them about two hours of trepidation spent in the opposite ends of the living room for Vigilante to break the silence. “So, about the plan,” she started.

“Yeah?” he asked, now turning to face her. 

“We can’t fight her by traditional means. We don’t have the time to amass an army big enough to rival my sister’s own. The main thing we need to do is find some way to desecrate that shining image of hers,” she explained. 

The villain let out a low hum as though he was contemplating something, but the slight shift in the nature of his gaze indicated he’s noticed something. “Knocking your sister off of her pedestal is surely going to gain you some traction,” he noted. 

“I don’t care much for the spotlight,” she countered. 

“I know. But you seem to care about making sure your sister doesn’t have everything. Still, that isn’t the issue anyway.”

And again, he was right. There is something so utterly sickening of being born in someone’s shadow, of having all your power from someone else’s name. Vigilante was only formidable in people’s eyes because it was required of Superhero’s sister. Again, she’d never claimed to be dramatically selfless.

Still, she took note of how the villain made no effort at eye contact, his eyes trained on the pattern of her wooden coffee table, but she refrained from commenting. “Right. The general idea is, if the adoring public find out what she does to the people in her custo-”

The villain, in his most daring act of the day, had let out a sardonic snort. “Oh, save it. I don’t think you realise that how people like me are treated doesn’t really irk anyone. Because that’s how the world works, it’s easier like that. I’m not the most notorious, but it’s safe to say I’m ‘famous’ enough,” he made air quotations with his fingers, “People usually want to know about the trial, when it comes to people they’ve heard of, but no one gave a damn. No one cared to know I never really got a trial in the first place. Because they were just relieved that the Big Bad Guy was off the streets. Locked up somewhere. It doesn’t matter that my record says I’m guilty of crap I’ve never done. Because technically, I’ve committed my fair share of my crimes, what’s more to the pile? Hell, if it keeps me locked away for all eternity, then why not?” 

This time, the villain’s gaze was steely, his teeth gnashed together and his tone harsh, and yet before she’d even commented, the villain was quick to force the muscles of his face to work on pulling it into a blank expression, his hand going to his pocket. 

Where, unbeknownst to Vigilante, the knife from yesterday was. .  .

It took her a moment to register his words and realise he was right. The likes of Villain wouldn’t garner the sympathy of the same people that cheered when they were locked up, at every suffocating press conference where her sister’s airy voice seemed to ring in her ears. 

But how else was she supposed to rouse some sort of public outcry against her sister? She needed the key, the concept, the idea, and from that she could form a plan. It was why she thought of asking the villain in the first place. 

“Then what should we do to get people to notice?” 

The villain’s pale hand made its way out of his pocket, his expression still nearly unreadable. “Your sister’s clever. She’s almost untraceable, and uncovering her shady past would be difficult. Or actually, more difficult than having her do something terrible now.” 

“So you’re saying we somehow force her to commit some sort of terrible crime?” 

“Force is the wrong word. It wouldn’t be a choice she wouldn’t make on her own accord. And that’s our selling point. No one needs to make her pull underhanded crap because she’ll take that choice anyway. And from then, whatever it is you want to reveal is actually going to have a basis.” 

The villain straightened his posture, pulling his now slightly loose fitting hoodie down so straighten a wrinkle only for it to come down with a strange difficulty, like it was stuck to his skin, the man letting out a soft hiss. 

“You alright?” she asked. 

“Fine,” he answered curtly, getting up. He knew exactly why his jacket had stuck to his form in the first place, and he really didn’t need Vigilante’s supposed concern. There’s a lot worse he’d seen in his life, in those three months alone than some old scratch reopening. Walking into his room, he shrugged his hoodie off in front of the mirror only to notice that the stupid scratch was in an area he could barely reach, deeper and uglier than he thought, blood running down it in crimson rivulets, exposed tissue that was barely healing showing too. He didn’t know where the gauze was, or how he’d even manage treating the wound. And somehow, his past vanity, or rather basic awareness of his appearance that he now called vanity hadn’t completely faded away considering he noticed bone and skin where muscle used to be and the ridiculous amount of bruises adorning his figure in various shades of dusty purples and browns; every sign of how his captors had turned him into a punching bag for all their sadistic cravings. 

“Villain?” 

Hell no. He didn’t want anyone in this room with him while he looked like this, frantic again and wishing he could rip his hair from its roots. He almost didn’t care that he was still bleeding and it hurt to shift even slightly, or that his wound felt warm to the touch and was probably infected. He sat there on the bed, gripping onto the sheets like they were the only thing tethering him to the world around him. “Just,” he faltered. As much as the villain hated it, he couldn’t do crap right now without her help. He bit his lip again and exhaled slowly. “Come in.” 

She cursed softly when she looked at the wound, the scarlet already snaking down his lower back now. It didn’t take her long to come back with a whole lot of first aid equipment. “This’ll hurt,” she said slowly. 

All she got was a low grunt in response as she pressed antiseptic-soaked gauze to his back, and even though he barely let out a noise, didn’t move out of the way, his shoulders still tensed up under the pain. 

Involuntarily, she stroked a hand through his hair, a reflexive action even though the vigilante wasn’t particularly touchy, especially with her enemy turned ally of convenience. He turned to stare at her, looking nothing short of surprised, but not irritated or afraid. He turned around again as she stitched up his wound and tended to his other scratches, surprised how well he was holding out. The villain barely flinched through the process, but again the man had always been surprisingly enduring.

The villain seriously didn’t remember the last time anyone had tended to his injuries, even before getting captured. He’s sure someone did, during the times he couldn’t do it himself, but no one had ever run a hand through his hair when he’d tensed up or anything of the sort. He despised the fact that it hadn’t irritated him, instead he was left there dumbfounded, half-wishing she would do it again and half-grateful she refrained from it, from making him feel so bloody exposed like that. This entire ordeal, how strangely gentle the vigilante had been with him, how he slowly relaxed even though the idea of being this vulnerable, this close to one of his enemies terrified him.

The villain didn’t like to feel things that weren’t dry, controlled anger or smugness or absolutely nothing. So he didn’t, pretended he couldn’t until he believed it. 

Every lie dies in the end, no?

The vigilante had got up to hand him a new t-shirt that he slowly pulled on, minding his wounds but still refusing any help with it. “Thanks,” he mumbled awkwardly. 

“Y-you thank people?” she asked, half out of genuine surprise and half to lighten the mood. 

The villain didn’t smile, but his lip twitched up ever so slightly with a half-smirk, “I’m a villain, but I’m not a complete tactless bastard.” 

“I guess you could say that, and you’re welcome. I’ll just go clean up. Put your jacket in the basket over there.” The vigilante looked down at her bloodstained hands, and the villain gave her a curt nod. 

He was lucky she hadn’t taken the jacket herself, or noticed the knife somehow, and he could still keep it. It felt even scummier after right now, when she could’ve just let him bleed out, or made it worse since she was this close to him. He didn’t even know what she would try the second he was no longer useful. 

Carefully, he lowered his form onto the bed, letting out a soft groan. This was the strangest stage of his life yet, he presumed. 

So many times, life is about choosing the worst option, the choice you’d swore to never make, about condemning yourself to being at the mercy of the unknown. People will scream at you to avoid the lion’s den, but sometimes it is the only shelter from a raging storm ready to destroy you into nothing. And yet, maybe there is wisdom in the most foolish decisions, and safety in the most dangerous risks. Because even if you’re riddled with deep wounds and scars, even those can heal under care, even in the most unexpected places.

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