#assorted requests

“S-stop,” Hero managed to whisper, voice tiny and trembling. “Please.” 

Their plea may as well have been lost to the winds that raged in the storm outside their dark window. Villain continued to sweep glinting eyes over their nemesis’ face. They appeared almost drunken at the sight before them, a predatory smile spreading across their lips. “I’ve waited so long for this,” they breathed. “Seeing you in that mask every day was torture. You don’t understand what it did to me, Hero.”

The crimefighter shuddered beneath them at the tone of their words. It was the dark joy of a cat finally catching an elusive mouse, the satisfaction of a cheetah taking down a fleet-footed gazelle. Incessant waves of fear continued to paralyze their body on the bed. They could’ve sworn they could feel themself sinking deeper into it, moments away from free-falling into an abyss. Their breath came shakily, unsteady, as if the lungs that had kept them alive all this time suddenly chose to neglect their purpose. 

“Gods, you’re perfect.” Villain’s grip on them tightened, causing them to let out a gasp. The criminal leaned even closer, only centimeters away from brushing Hero’s nose with their own. By reflex, Hero's eyes fluttered shut, their heartbeat continuing to rise, the sound it created in their ears drowning out every other thought in their mind. 

“Eyes open.” They obeyed the command almost unconsciously, like they had been hypnotized. Villain’s grin grew even wider, exposing sharply pointed canines that could easily pierce through skin. “Good. Very good.” 

Hero felt as if sparks of lightning were dancing under their skin. They couldn’t just allow this to happen, could they? Would they? “I-”

“Shhh.” Villain’s grasp had loosened slightly, and they began to slowly stroke their thumbs against the inside of Hero’s wrists. The intimacy of the gesture sent chills down their spine, and they had to resist the urge to shiver off the feeling. “It’s okay. You don’t have to speak now—just listen. Can you do that for me?”

Despite their confusion, Hero gave a small nod. 

“Since the moment I met you,” they began, “I knew that I had to have you. I wanted to know you, to see you beyond the mask, beyond the agency. You were always so quiet, but that never mattered to me. I knew there was more. I can see it now, in your eyes… I can see you, Hero. Gods, it’s more than I ever imagined. We can be together now. I know your powers aren’t working. I can help you. Fix you. I know you better than anyone. You won’t ever need anyone else again. You know that there’s no one out there who would be better for you.”

They stayed silent as Villain’s eyes started to narrow. “Isn’t there? Answer me. Who else could be there for you? Who would comfort you, love you?”

Hero hesitated for a long moment, unsure if they wanted an actual response. When the pause between them continued to lengthen, they finally spoke. “...Other He-”

“Don’t say that name,” Villain snarled, anger momentarily contorting their features into those of a shadowy monster. The pure rage in their voice defeated any semblance of hope Hero still held onto. There was no reasoning with someone like this, a person who acted more like a rabid animal than a human being. They should have known that there would be no coming back from this. “If you ever mention that name again, I will kill them. Do you understand?”

Hero swallowed, overcome with a new layer of terror. Other Hero was their best friend in the world, the only one who understood them, the rainbow in their thundering clouds. They couldn’t bear anything happening to them, especially if it was because of Hero’s mistakes. “Y-yes.”

“Good.” Their smile reappeared easily like nothing happened. “That’s right. Nobody loves you like I do. We’re made for each other, Hero. Now, I need you to do something for me. I’m going to leave you here for the night. Don’t tell anyone I was here. Tomorrow, I’ll find you in the city and we’ll leave together. You won’t need to bring anything. I’ll give you whatever you want, as long as you promise to be mine. I can make you so happy, my Hero. All you have to do is come with me, and you’ll never have to fight again. I’ll keep you safe. Wouldn’t that be a better life?”

Hero forced themself to nod again. What Villain was offering them was the stuff of their nightmares, where they were trapped far away from their city, unable to lift a finger to help the innocent civilians plagued by crime and fear. But if doing it would save Other Hero… they had to comply with what their nemesis wanted. No matter how much they wanted to scream, to run away, to strike Villain with a bolt of lightning and find solace in the arms of their best friend instead of their worst enemy. 

“Say it. Say that you’re mine.”

“I’m yours,” Hero whispered. 

“Forever.”

“Forever,” they repeated.

Villain pressed a light kiss to their forehead. “I’ll be waiting for you, my love.”

With that, they vanished, and the pressure above Hero disappeared. The door was shut, as though no one had ever come in. The bed beneath them felt cold now, empty. Outside, the storm continued to thunder on, bombarding the streets in an endless flood. Hero could almost feel the drops hit their skin, building up around them, rising in a steady stream until the water closed over their head. They shut their eyes and released a slow breath. Twin tears escaped from their lids, tracing mirrored paths down the sides of their face. Electricity radiated from the spot where Villain had kissed them. 

Their chest ached like nothing Hero had ever felt before, more painful than a blade to the heart. They felt a panicked dread in their core that didn’t seem to lessen as the seconds ticked on, one they feared would stay with them like a wound that never healed. They would never be able to fix it, they knew that now. All they could do was desperately try to keep it from spreading, creating a canyon that grew wider and wider until it swallowed them whole.

They would meet their nemesis. They would go with them, stay with them, allow them to do anything they wanted to them. They would completely and utterly belong to Villain, forever. They would leave Other Hero behind and never tell them why. They would hide their hurt deep enough that it would never show, pretend that they could ever love Villain, that they could push away the past. Hero let the pain wash over them like a spring rain, imagining light reflecting in their irises, the colors of the rainbow shining beneath white clouds, a hand clasped in theirs, the feeling of a mask slipping off of their face.

I’m yours. Forever.

@sausages-things @chaotic-orphan @watermelonrandom @whumplicity @infinitorum

Sorry this took so long anon—tysm for the request! The prompt might have gotten away from me a bit, but I hope you enjoy!

CW: Blood, cursing, suggestive themes

“FUCK!” Hero stumbled backward, clutching their shoulder. Blood spilled from the gash sliced across it, staining their once-pristine uniform crimson. “Shit, shit, what the fuck?”

Villain casually wiped Hero’s blood off their knife with the hem of their shirt before sliding it back into its sheath. Something dark hid behind their seemingly impassive guise. “Didn’t you want it to look real?”

Hero shot them a fiery glare. “So you thought I wanted this?” 

“So what did you want, then?” They asked, taking a step forward. Hero instinctively stepped back, tightening their grip on the wound. “If you didn’t want me to hurt you?”

“It’s not about hurting me,” Hero snapped. “It’s about-“

“You’re afraid.” Villain’s voice was cool, smoother than the edge of a blade. They continued to advance, forcing Hero to move away until their back hit the wall. 

They eyed Villain’s inscrutable expression. “Of what?” 

“Of what I do to you.” Hero barely fought back a flinch when the criminal raised a hand, but all they did was tuck a piece of hair behind Hero’s ear.

They scoffed. “You’re full of shit, you know that?” 

Villain traced the edge of their jaw with a light finger, swiping through the spray of blood decorating Hero’s face. “It’s not your fault. We can’t help our feelings, after all.” 

Hero ignored Villain’s touch, determined not to let it affect them. “I said to make it real because of this. It’s a distraction. We’re nemeses. We’re not supposed to…”

“Want this?”

“I never said I wanted this.”

“You didn’t have to, darling,” Villain said. “You could have stopped anytime you wanted.”

Hero looked away, biting the inside of their cheek. It was true. Villain hadn’t forced them to do anything. Everything they did, they did because they had both wanted to. It was that knowledge that was the most painful, burning like a white-hot fire inside of them whenever Villain crossed their mind. It should’ve been so easy to end it, to stop one day and never look back. Bury the feeling that rose in their stomach every time they locked eyes with the person who was supposed to be their sworn enemy. Instead, that feeling consumed their life, destroying any hope that they could walk away from Villain. 

“Hero, look at me.”

“No.”

Villain’s hand moved beneath their chin, turning Hero’s face upward. The nemeses were so close that their noses nearly touched. When the crime-fighter finally lifted their gaze to meet Villain’s, the intensity in their eyes was almost strong enough to break Hero’s nerve. 

“Why are you doing this to me?” They whispered. 

“Why can’t you admit you want this?” Villain hissed, fingers digging deeper into Hero’s skin. “You think I wouldn’t notice how flushed you get around me? I wouldn’t hear how much you want me when I-”

“Because I can’t do this, Villain!” Hero’s voice rose to a cry. “We won’t—it won’t work. It can’t. You were right, I want you to hurt me, because that’s all you’re supposed to do to me. We’re supposed to want to kill each other. I need you to make it look real. Make it real if you have to.” 

Villain was quiet for a moment. When they spoke again, their words were dangerously soft. “You’d rather I kill you than want to be with you?”

“Yes,” Hero said with vehement conviction. “If I could turn my feelings off, I’d do it in a heartbeat. I can’t want this, Vil. It’s better this way.”

“No. No, fuck that.” Anger cast a sharp shadow across Villain’s features. “I’m not going to kill you, Hero. I don’t care what we’re supposed to be to each other. I want this. I want you.”

Tears gathered in the crime-fighter’s eyes. “Villain…”

“Darling, please just-”

Hero let go of their injured shoulder, grasping Villain’s collar with a bloodstained hand and pulling them in. Their lips connected, and Hero closed their eyes, finally allowing themself to forget everything except Villain’s mouth on theirs. The pain in their shoulder faded into the background, along with the roughness of the bricks at their back and the blood that dripped down their wrist as their hold on Villain’s shirt tightened. Villain let out a sigh as the kiss deepened, sending electrifying chills down Hero’s spine. Their grip on Hero’s chin disappeared as their hands settled on either side of Hero’s face, bringing them even closer. Every emotion the nemeses had poured into the other through soft lips and deft tongues and hard teeth. Villain was the first to break away, mouth trailing down Hero’s neck to mark a fiery path to the hollow of their throat. 

“Villain?” Hero managed through heavy breathing. 

“Yes?”

“Fuck you.”

They could feel Villain’s smile against their skin. “If you say so, darling.”

ty for the request, I hope you enjoy!

Weightless - part II

part I

Hero turned around slowly, hardly believing their own ears. At the center of the roof stood a tall figure clad in dark streetwear, casually leaning to one side with their hands in their pockets. At first glance, they looked like any other civilian, but Hero could tell by the glint in their eyes that they were anything but ordinary. 

“Beautiful night, isn’t it?” The figure asked, as if their situation was perfectly normal. 

“Who are you?” Hero managed to say, voice firm despite feeling overwhelmingly like a deer in headlights. 

“Hmm. Let’s see. You can call me… Vigilante.” They smiled, and somehow the sight sent shivers down Hero’s spine. “And I already know who you are, of course—it’s a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance.”

Hero tried to shake off their uneasiness, to quiet their pounding heart. “You’re the one who’s been following me?”

“If I said no, would you believe me?”

“For who? Villain? Other Villain?”

Vigilante mimed locking their mouth shut and throwing away an invisible key. “I’m afraid I can’t tell you. Client confidentiality is very important in my line of work.”

“Why are they having you do this?”

“Oh, you don’t have to worry about that, dear. It’s not like you can even tell when I’m there.”

Hero’s eyes narrowed. “Of course I can. Why do you think I tried to lose you?”

Vigilante raised their eyebrows. “Really? So that’s what that was. You’ve made this job far more interesting, you know. It isn’t much fun to just watch you walk around quietly all night.”

They tried to suppress the strong discomfort that washed over them at the image Vigilante’s words created. “If you didn’t think I knew, why did you say something?”

“Let’s just say I have my own, personal motivations.” They grinned. “Like seeing your eyes up close. They’re lovely, by the way.” 

“You…” Hero faltered, caught completely off guard. What were they supposed to make of this? Who was Vigilante, and what were they trying to do here? “I don’t understand.” 

Vigilante held their hands up apologetically. “I’m sorry. I know this must be confusing for you. How about this: I promise to tell you the truth.”

“In exchange for what?” Hero asked, automatically suspicious.

“You learn quick, don’t you?” They gave Hero an appraising look. “I saw the way you can move around the city. I want to know if you’re as good as I think—and if I can keep up.”

“What are you proposing, then?”

“Why, a race, naturally,” Vigilante said as though it was obvious. “If you win, I’ll honestly answer one of your questions. And if I win… then you have to answer one of mine.” 

Hero shifted, thinking it over. Was there a real harm? They were confident in their abilities, knew they could outrun the entire city any day of the week. But this Vigilante was a wild card. Hero had no idea what they knew or who they were spying for, or why they were willing to risk their job for a chat. Was it worth it to find out?

“All right,” they said slowly. “I agree to your terms.”

Vigilante clapped their hands together, the sound echoing softly. “Excellent. Town hall will be the ending point. Good luck-”

Hero didn’t bother waiting for them to finish. Without a glance backward, they leapt neatly over the edge of the roof, sliding down the wall at breakneck speeds until they hit a point low enough to jump onto the next building. From there, it was muscle memory: they had a map of the entire city in their mind, so it took no time to deduce the quickest route to town hall. It would be even faster now that Hero was motivated. 

The wind had picked back up, biting into Hero’s bare arms as they sprinted across the rooftops, jumping over alley after alley with no hesitation. Streetlights glowed in their peripheries, passing by in a blur of yellow and gray. Their steps were light, and they hardly felt the concrete beneath their feet. A familiar rush rose in their body as the streets whipped by, and by the time they were halfway there they had almost forgotten that this was a race. 

Beneath them, the city remained quiet, not a single soul daring to emerge from the safety of their apartments. Hero flitted past their darkened windows on their way up and down the buildings, distantly wondering how many inhabitants had caught a glimpse of their form that night. They never stopped to glance behind them where Vigilante was surely following, focusing solely on the path ahead of them. 

Town hall was one of the shorter buildings in the area, making it invisible to Hero until they were almost right above it. They picked their way down the next wall so fast it felt like falling, not hesitating even a millisecond before soaring over a wide gap and landing on their feet. They let out a breath, turning around to see if their competitor had arrived. The sleek roof was completely barren, and Hero allowed themself a small smile. They hadn’t doubted their abilities, but felt satisfied nonetheless. 

“Wow,” Vigilante said. Hero whirled, and there they stood, mere inches away. Hero hadn’t realized how tall they were, enough that Hero had to tilt their head back to look them in the eye. “I’m not easily impressed, but it’s like you’re flying up there.” 

Hero couldn’t even begin to consider how Vigilante had possibly been so close behind them. They’d been chased many times before, by teammates and enemies alike, but no one had ever achieved a speed anywhere near Hero’s. How was this possible? Vigilante let out a chuckle at the puzzled look on their face. 

“Not too bad myself, am I? No matter. You have something to ask me, don’t you?”

Hero pushed away the dozens of questions that had popped into their head in the past minute. They could figure out those mysteries another time. They had a more pressing one on their hands now. “Why is your client having you follow me?”

At this, Vigilante truly smiled. Moonlight reflected off of their sharp canines, shining bright against the night sky. For a split second, they were utterly terrifying. “So I can do this, of course.”

Hero frowned in confusion, and then a sharp sting in their arm forced them to look there in alarm. They stumbled backward instinctively, eyes wide, but it was too late. Vigilante cast the syringe aside with an expression of light contentment.

“No. No, you can’t-” A wave of dizziness washed over them, so disorienting that they nearly collapsed. Vigilante was at their side in a flash, supporting them with a strong arm around their waist. Hero tried with all their might to shove them away, but they held unflinchingly, gazing down at them as they struggled to fight whatever drugs were now in their system. 

“Shhh. It’s all right.” 

Hero could feel their limbs growing weaker as panic swelled in their mind, overwhelming their thoughts. “Vigilante, please don’t, please, n-no…” their voice trailed off as black crept into their vision, the world becoming fuzzy

“Sorry, dear.” Vigilante’s voice sounded as though it came from miles away. “I would’ve liked to see you fly again.” 

Everything around them spun, turned on its axis, and blinked out of existence as Hero sank into the darkness. 

if i may, i would love to req anything with healing the other’s wounds! bonus points if the one being healed thinks the other hates them and then is very confused when they get treated with care.

kinda vague so you can go any direction you want with it haha. thank you!!

thank you for the ask, I hope you like it!

snippet #15

After the fight, Villain did their best to crawl somewhere where no one would trip over them. Their invisibility was still functioning, albeit barely so, but they really couldn’t handle another embarrassing moment today. They did not need some random civilian stumbling over their bruised torso, or stepping on the wrist they were pretty sure was broken in at least two places. Villain wanted to punch their past self for thinking it was a good idea to challenge the mysterious newcomer to a fight. Then again, they definitely couldn’t hit anything in this state. Why did the new guy have to have rock powers? Villain had never seen anyone with that ability. They’d expected something fun, maybe teleportation, or a classic like flight or mind reading. 

Instead, Villain had quickly learned that invisibility isn’t good for shit against someone whose main attack style is swinging a giant slab of rock around until it hits something and sends it flying into the nearest building. The newcomer didn’t even bother sticking around to rub it in, which somehow felt even worse. Villain didn’t mind lying here in the dark, horrible waves of pain overwhelming their nervous system, if it meant that it took their mind off the utter humiliation. They closed their eyes and tried to focus on keeping their power functioning for as long as possible. Maybe in a bit, they would feel okay enough to go and find somewhere to patch themself up. They continued to tell themself that as the minutes passed and they grew more tired, their limbs impossibly heavy, the pain becoming a blanket that they couldn’t help but slip under. 

***

“Villain?” A familiar voice tugged at the edge of their consciousness, pulling them out of their dreamless sleep. With no small amount of effort, they cracked one eye half-open, surprised to find that it wasn’t even light outside. What time was it? Where were they? Villain moved to sit up, but was immediately immobilized by a burst of agony so excruciating that they couldn’t even react. It blinded them momentarily, completely enveloping their head like nothing they’d ever felt before.

“Don’t try to move—Villain, can you hear me? What happened?” There was that voice again. Villain couldn’t quite place it. They attempted to breathe, to think, to remember why they were here. 

“I’m going to start working on your injuries, okay? That means I have to touch you. Do you understand?” Villain barely had any time to try to register what the person said before a light pressure on their wrist made their eyes fly open, wide with the shock of pain. Beside them kneeled someone dressed all in white, so out of focus that Villain couldn’t make out any identifying details. Suddenly, heat flooded their arm, sending a tingling sensation up their fingertips. Villain groaned in confusion, but it didn’t quite hurt. In fact, when the warmth dissipated a few seconds later, they found that the pain in their wrist was completely gone. 

With a sharp inhale, Villain’s vision became clear, and everything snapped into place. “You,” they breathed, lungs burning as they tried to choke out words. “Wh-what-”

Above them, Healer gave a wry smile. “Hi.”

Nope. Absolutely not. This was not happening. With great effort, Villain turned their head to the side, which set off a few dozen more pain receptors in their neck. “F-f-fuck off.”

“Try not to move. You have a lot of injuries, and I don’t want you making any of them worse.” 

A swarm of questions filled Villain’s mind, battling for attention. Healer was a hero. Why on Earth would they bother wasting their energy on Villain when every hero they’d ever met would have been happy to see them lying lifeless in an alley? None of them would try to help them, certainly. But here was Healer, continuing to use their power, continuing to ask Villain how this happened and tell them every step of what they were doing. Still with their face turned stubbornly away, Villain found it nearly impossible to comprehend anything Healer said through the spikes of agony each touch triggered. Their eyelids fluttered shut-

“Villain? Villain, stay with me, eyes open. You can do this.” 

The command, paired with a sudden flood of energy from Healer’s powers, was enough to bring back their awareness. Villain grit their teeth and moved their head back upright, trying to force their brain to focus on something other than their body. Healer’s face loomed over them, brows knit together with concern. They hadn’t been this close to the medic since they kidnapped them last summer, and even then, it was only so they could fix Villain’s broken nose. Usually, they stuck to the sidelines, waiting for someone to go down so that they could swoop in and heal them with a few seconds’ touch. 

Now that they thought about it, the fact that Healer was taking this long to work on them was probably a bad sign. 

“You have some complex fractures that might take a while to take care of,” Healer said as if they’d read Villain’s thoughts. “At least eight of your ribs are broken, and there’s plenty more internal injuries I need to address. Just focus on me and don’t pass out if you can help it.” 

“Wh-why-” a cough interrupted them, rattling their bruised lungs.

“Hang on a minute.” Healer’s hands moved to Villain’s sternum, sending waves of warmth into their chest. After a minute, their lungs felt almost normal again. Villain couldn’t help but be filled with awe over Healer’s abilities, despite their categorical hatred of all things hero-related. “Okay, try now.” 

“Why are you d-doing this?” 

Healer gave them a questioning look as they continued to push their power into Villain’s upper body. “Because you’re injured?”

“I thought all you heroes h-hated me,” Villain said, filled with heat and pain and wonder. None of the crimefighters had ever given them a reason to think otherwise. Everyone at the Agency was always at least a little rude or aggressive towards them, if not outwardly hostile. Villain couldn’t blame them; they felt the same way. If they had a dollar for every insult they’d thrown at a cape, they’d have enough money to quit their life of crime and build a brand-new mansion. Healer was no exception; they’d caught plenty of stray verbal attacks from Villain—mostly concerning their blindingly-white medical jumpsuit. 

Healer nonchalantly raised and lowered a shoulder. “I don’t hate you.”

“But I’m-” they hissed as Healer moved their hands to an especially tender area. “s-such an asshole to you.” 

Healer laughed, a wonderful tinkling sound that Villain realized they had never heard before. “Well, I won’t argue with that.” Every time Villain insulted them, they had always just stood there and taken it, never showing a shred of emotion on their face. The only time Villain had seen their expression change was when one of their teammates had a truly serious injury. And even then, their face hadn’t been much different from how it was a minute ago. But now, a hint of a smile was there, even after the laughter had faded. It was nice.

Villain chuckled, which came out more like a dying wheeze. “How many of my ribs are broken, again?”

“Don’t worry about it.” 

“That doesn’t s-sound good.”

Healer rolled their eyes. “I’m working on it. Quit distracting me and it won’t take so long.”

“Is it my voice distracting you or my—shit, ow—my f-face?” Villain was getting bolder, attempting to put on their signature smirk. Judging by Healer’s expression, it didn’t exactly have its usual effect.

“Given what it looks like currently… your face.” 

“Can’t win ‘em all,” they muttered, wincing as Healer continued down their torso. 

“Shhh,” Healer murmured, and a heat entirely separate from the healing power filled Villain’s body at the sound. They complied, trying their best to hold back any more reactions to the touch. 

Villain didn’t know how much time had passed, but the sun was coming up by the time Healer had finished fixing their ribs and internal organs. They shifted to their legs, fixing sprains in their knee and ankle in a flash. Once they were sure that the pain was gone from Villain’s limbs, they finally moved to their face, grasping it gently with their fingertips and sending in one last rush of power. The warmth felt like a soft ripple under their skin, sinking into them like a silent sigh. It had rejuvenated their exhausted muscles, numbing their pain receptors and sending occasional flushes of energy through their body. 

Healer leaned back, swiping the back of their hand across their forehead. Villain hadn’t noticed until then that a sheen of sweat covered their face, making it sparkle in the light of the sunrise. “Try to sit up,” they said, clearly trying to keep the exhaustion out of their voice. “Take it slow.”

Villain did as they said, carefully using their arms to bring themself up to Healer’s level. Only a tiny twinge in their chest betrayed the fact that they had just had a dozen broken bones. They looked at Healer in complete amazement. 

“I don’t know how to thank you,” they said, marking the first time they had ever been sincere to a hero. 

“It was no problem,” Healer said, struggling slightly to stand before reaching out to help Villain up. Villain waved them away, getting gingerly to their feet alone. Their legs felt sturdy beneath them, ready to take on the day. 

“No, I mean it. I have plenty of money, furniture, art, anything you want-”

Healer huffed. “I think I’d rather not lose my job by accepting stolen gifts from a notorious criminal.”

“Aw, that’s very kind. I’ll find a way to make it up to you, really.” Villain truly meant it—this was too big a service to ignore. Healer could have just left them there, or worse; called their teammates over to finish the job. They had no reason to help them aside from a genuine desire to help, something that this city was far too short on. “I won’t forget this, Healer.”

They gave a tired smile and a nod of acknowledgement. “See you around, Villain.” Healer turned away, rolling their shoulders and stretching out their arms. Villain found themself standing still as they left the shadows of the alley, reentering the empty street and the light of day. The sun continued to climb in the sky, beaming over the city. It reminded Villain of Healer, of gentle hands and a focused expression, kind words and free laughter. They wondered if they would ever feel that warmth again. 

They hoped so.