#villain doesn't realize that a person who hates you wouldn't give you a luxury cabin

[thermitetermite]

Prompt #2 - EMP

Tldr: Villain lives a dream life but feels something (or someone) is missing

It had been years since Villain moved out to the calm wilderness valley they call home. After a successful career robbing banks, taking out numerous government satellites, and working as a bounty hunter for hire they had decided to retire. Well... more like they were asked to retire by Hero due to the dangerous nature of their power.

Villain had the ability to emit electromagnetic pulses that had could destroy any electronic device and disturb electrical signaling. While their powers made them highly useful for any type of large scale battle or heist it carried the risk endangering the health of any living creature around them.

When your neurons rely on mini electronic signaling it's best not to hang out with someone who can easily stop them.

For this reason much of Villain's life was spent in a lead suit of armor. Eating in a metal suit. Sleeping in a metal suit. Using the restroom in a metal suit. Life sucked in that stupid suit. Living in a metal suit wasn't comfortable by any means so when offered a cozy cabin secluded valley in the middle of nowhere with no risk of injury anyone they took it without hesitation. Just one of the perks of having a rich hero.

They woke up that morning the same as they had every morning for the past 16 months. Villain lazily rolled out of their plush king-sized bed and slowly made their way down the steps leading from their loft bedroom down to the combined living room and kitchen.

They boiled water on their wood stove for a nice cup of insta coffee, lit a couple candles in their living room, and stepped out on their back porch to enjoy the picturesque view of their pond, forest, and mountains. It seemed like something you'd see on a 50¢ post card.

Villain hadn't thought they'd ever live a cottagecore lifestyle (as they heard it called before) but here they were surrounded by nature and looking forward to tending their garden.

As they made their way toward their garden they thought of everything they had. Those thoughts quickly turned to the things they missed. Namely other people.

Well... that would probably be a lie. They hated people and loved never seeing anyone other than their occasional glimpse of the mailman.

No, it wasn't people they missed. You could say that the rest of humanity was zapped off the face of the Earth and Villain would celebrate with a road trip to release as many animals from zoos and pounds as possible.

As much as Villain wanted to deny it, there was only one person they really missed and it was the very same Hero who bought them this natural paradise. How they missed teasing their Hero with ideas of schemes they could enact. That dumb face when they got caught off guard. That nagging voice when they told Villain not to hurt themselves in battles. The way their eyes sparkled when Villain gave them their favorite flowers.

Ok, alright! They admit it! They have a huge crush on Hero and they didn't know how to tell them! How do you tell some amazing, talented, funny, and stunning hero, who just happens to be rich, that you like them?! A hero who is so passionate and caring and gentle and... Kind! A kind Hero who is perfect in every way and is immune to your "death aura" so you can't accidentally kill them when you hold their hand.

Villain had to stop for a moment to try and collect their thoughts. They were getting too carried away thinking about the cute hero. They felt their mind melting into a mush of compliments, lovey dovey gunk, and images of Hero's face.

The distant sound of a mail truck honking snapped them out of their thoughts. All thoughts of the gardening and love were gone as Villain practically sprinted the 5 mile driveway to the mailbox at the end (they rode their bike to the end but in all fairness they almost forgot their bike).

Once there they flicked through their mail. Junk. Junk. Junk. Junk. Bingo! It was their weekly letter from Hero!

They did a little victory dance before riding back to the cabin to open it up. Hero and Villain had agreed to write letters to keep in touch, an idea Hero proposed in exchange for the cabin. An unfair trade on the Hero's end but Villain wasn't one to pass up a good deal.

Villain threw open the door and immediately ripped open the letter. They read it once, twice, thrice before processing the contents. It stated that Hero might have to stop sending letters due to them being under heavy watch by the government.

Supposedly, the government had noticed the disappearance of the largest thorn in their side and suspected Hero of hiding them. They had to lay low and were extremely sorry that they had to tell Villain like this. Villain, crushed by this news, put the letter in their letter notebook (a complete normal person thing to have), and sat down to process.

They were worried for Hero's safety. They were scared of what might happen to Hero if they were caught. They wanted to step out of this cabin and rip the branches of the government apart with the same ease of snapping a twig, not that they could.

No... Their hero has to have a plan and must be doing ok. They couldn't think this way about their Hero! That's absolutely insulting to their awe-inspiring Hero!

Yes! They'd get their mind off of silly worries by tending to their garden. Watering plants, weeding garden beds, and picking wildflowers was just the type of distraction they needed.

As they went to grab a watering can from their gardening closet (another completely normal house thing) there was a knock at the door. At first calm but quickly growing frantic. The shock made Villain nearly drop their watering can.

They weren't ready for company no matter who it was! They were still in pyjamas for Pete's sake! However, once the shock wore off they quickly remembered they were Villain, one of the strongest people on the entire planet! No stranger was going to scare them in their own home!

They marched up to the door and threw it open again prepared to zap the life out of any intruder who dared trespass on their lovely home. Instead they found Hero, looking frazzled and nervous at their doorstep.

"Um, hi?" Hero said out of breath with their eyes shifting everywhere before locking on Villain's.

"Hi." Villain responded voice croaky from disuse and out of breath for an entirely different reason.