Hades

He barely had the strength to keep his eyes open, everything nearly blurring into a blank state of white noise. Yet he wouldn’t dare close them. 

Every time he passed out—be it from sheer exhaustion—or every time he closed his eyes for just too long, everything got so much worse. 

The main screen in front of him was a simple computer monitor. Its brightness was maxed out along with its sound. The news channel had been covering a missing persons case over the last couple days. It was a friend of a friend. One of Myra’s best friends. 

Milo knew Myra wouldn’t be able to find her on her own. She was anxiety prone and easily distractible. Any low-tier villain could freak her out and mislead her easily enough. It would definitely distract her from doing any work too. Just leading to more casualties. 

Milo would at least be able to help. Get her back on track. Get the team back together. 

Maybe even worst of all, Myra was friends with regular people. Astrid had probably just planned this all out to torment him. Start putting wedges in his team- just making him feel like more of a loser of a team leader. 

It was his own damn fault he’d been kidnapped and imprisoned for multiple days at this point. At first it was bearable, while he was alert. Astrid had placed him in a room with light and electricity. Which would be a stupid move on her part since that was basically his whole thing. 

Only Astrid wasn’t stupid and wouldn’t make a stupid move like that. 

As the hours were passing, it was becoming harder to think. Tens and hundreds of active investigations, cases he’d already been working on, even a classic cat up a tree. A huge and luminous display of all the ways he was failing to protect his city. Countless people in need. Disasters and accidents alike that he could have easily aided in. 

Then social media gossip. People speculating he’d just ran away. Maybe he was on a vacation at a particularly bad time. 

Selfish. Useless. Coward. 

Even his own fans were beginning to doubt him. 

Occasionally Astrid would mute every channel but one, forcing him to hear whatever tragedy or slander was being broadcast. 

Then the screens shut off all at once, plunging the room into immediate darkness. Milo’s heart spiked even higher than he ever thought it could. He couldn’t look around but he knew she was here. 

He heard the door behind him open, dim light pouring in. Time stretched on forever, Astrid’s footsteps echoing in the chamber, taking her sweet sweet time. 

Then a hand, hovering over his shoulder not yet daring to touch him. Instead of heat, he felt the cold of her hand radiating from her skin. 

She had never touched him, only hovered. Until now, when she placed down her hand on his shoulder. Even through the wearing fabric of his suit, he could feel the sting of it. Like the tingling sensation of being freshly slapped. Only she need only graze her finger across his skin to send sparks running through him. 

It was well-known, Astrid had a deadly touch. A kind of electric poison that could bring any creature to its demise. 

Perhaps after all this time, she’d had enough of torturing him. Milo closed his eyes expectantly … only to be met with another sting on his other shoulder. 

His muscles jumped and spasmed involuntarily, pressing his raw skin harder into the restraints. He let out a muffled whimper.  

Astrid hummed in satisfaction. 

“Milo …” 

She said his name breathily, leaning in close to his ear. 

It was the only sound he’d heard in days that was soft and gentle. Each time she entered the room, she always said his name first. It was becoming an addiction to hear. 

At first it was venom. A bitter thing used to taunt him. She always entered the room at the perfect time to keep him awake. Always interrupting right before he could dissociate from the noise. 

Then it was solace. She’d shut off the screens and the chaos. She wasn’t even mean. 

He could listen to her say his name over and over again, if it would just mean he could be at peace. 

Milo’s eyes were beginning to well with tears, after finally closing them for longer than a few seconds. The bright lights and lack of sleep were heavily drying. 

“Milo, I know you want to rest your eyes but we can’t have that.”

With his mouth taped over, all he could manage was a muffled scream as Astrid pulled open his eyes. For the first time, using her bare hands against his face. 

He felt awake all at once. The sensation of thousands of hot needles pricking his skin, ricocheting between his bones. Combined with her cold skin, Milo felt white hot pain sear through him. 

“Shush darling, no need to scream,” only Astrid dug her fingers into his skin more, gripping his jaw in her hands. The layer of tape only helped a bit.

Milo choked, his dry throat barely letting him scream at all. Tears were beginning to slip from the corners of his eyes. 

“I can make all of this go away.”

Astrid tenderly wiped his tears away. Though really only eliciting more, sending blows of sharp pain straight through Milo’s skull. 

The pain and saccarine tone of Astrid’s voice pulled at any remaining thoughts from Milo’s head. Almost nothing kept his mind tethered down as Astrid continued plunging her fingers into any exposed skin she could. 

“Just focus on my voice Milo.”

Each letter of his name rolled effortlessly off her tongue. Even as she made him thrash against his restraints, she didn’t say it with any contempt. Not like the hundreds of news anchors, fellow heroes and sidekicks, or even his own fans. 

She always said his name slowly and with care. Like he was the most precious thing in the world to her. 

“Breathe in and out. Slowly …” she loosened her grip. “You don’t have to think about what’s going on outside. Just listen to what I say.”

Astrid picked the restaurant. She picked the time. She picked Melissa. But most importantly, she picked me.

So even as Melissa twirled her hair and bit her lip, all I could think about was how happy Astrid would be once I killed this girl.

“Just stand still for me, Melissa.”

”Of course, Mr. Sun-Ray … what are you gonna do to me?”

Melissa giggled, clutching the paper-wrapped roses to her chest. She gazed up at Milo through her lashes, licking her lips.

Energy crackled between my fingers, pulling the light and electricity from the nearby streetlight.

Though I thought it’d be obvious to not follow a man you just met into an alleyway at night, Melissa had happily obliged.

To muffle the blast, I shoved my hands against her. The pulse of energy sending searing hot pain directly into her abdomen. I felt the heat of the concentrated light cutting through her silk blouse, then her skin, then her muscle. The light faded and was replaced by the warmth of her blood instead, gushing into my flattened palms.

I felt her tattered muscles rippling as she recoiled and tensed with the shock of it. Her eyes met mine, wide with panic.

My heart palpitated. A sudden visceral stab through my chest at the look of horror in her eyes.

Melissa opened her mouth. Perhaps to scream, shout for help, maybe even try and catch her breath. Nothing came out.

I let her body fall with a wet thud to the alleyway asphalt. The roses crushed from her tight grip. Her nice silk blouse greedily soaking her blood.

Looking down, I hadn’t done a very good job at covering the blast. I tried to wipe the viscera off my face and chest, only smearing more blood onto myself.

I gasped for air, none seeming to enter my lungs. I felt my ribs turning to ice, refusing to flex and let me breath. My feet too, seemed iced to the ground.

I remained fixed in place. Only my quivering, blood-stained hands and the lifeless body of Melissa were in focus. My first ever date.

What the fuck was I doing? Heroes weren’t supposed to interact with fans, much less go on a date with one.

I’d fucking spent all night flattering this girl who wore unofficial merchandise of my own symbol. Not even trying to hide my identity because Astrid told me to wear my suit.

The blood was beginning to clot and soak through my suit. Tears welling in my eyes, beginning to sting.

My throat was so dry.

I should’ve prevented an alleyway murder. Not committed one. Why did I do this? Why the fuck would I do this?

“Milo.”

And then I heard her voice in my head. She wasn’t here but I could feel her voice, her presence all around me.

Instead of shaking like a pathetic and discarded leaf in some random alley, she’d tell me to lick myself clean. She’d tell me to lick the blood from my hands. She’d wipe the tears from my eyes and gently kiss my forehead.

I could see Astrid smiling down at me. She hadn’t used me. I’d just been useful.

I gathered Melissa’s body in my arms. Her guts were beginning to slip through the open wound in her gut. There was so much more blood in there than I thought.

Like a cat bringing home a dead bird, I’d happily present my prey.

If she’d just smile at me once more, then I’d kill as many people as she liked.

[the comic itself has some of Milo’s internal dialogue. throughout his story, he begins to crave the mind control that astrid puts him under. especially as he commits more crimes, it becomes not just about escaping his responsibilities as a hero but to really bring him peace.

also like, i’d let a hot woman manipulate me. let’s be so real here.

I see him as a chronically stressed de facto leader of heroes. Good at leadership, but damn tired of it all. Astrid doesn’t even really have to try to put him under her spell, it’s just like he’s been waiting for it.

my inspiration for Astrid and her motivations is a little different. her actual main powers are more of a poison/deadly touch. she becomes obsessed with Milo when she realizes his invulnerability would allow her to touch him without killing him. except no one would just accept her after all she’s done, all the lives she’s taken. she has to make sure he can’t ever escape her, question her. she’ll keep him in a golden cage. she can finally have a pet like she’s always dreamed of!

i’m working on some writing in between the artwork and mini comics because it’s just me so all this stuff takes lots of time and planning. i’m very open to any collaboration and extra musings on the story and characters. it’s a very work in progress and small personal project so really i’m just having fun here.

i’m working on a second mini comic and finishing the first one over the next few days. i may further render but please enjoy the first panel of the comic for now and a bonus of my planning sketches for the comic.