#tiny villain

The only main indication that they’re even alive is their arms slightly twitching every now and then.

A bit of pride swells in Hero’s chest as they study their work, a villain who has been terrorizing their city for years has been reduced to almost nothing because of them.

Hero pulls out their phone and snaps a picture of Villain’s current state, a little something to look at when they’re out of the office.

Truth be told they usually don’t go to the office this much. Hero’d normally stop in once or twice a week to do paperwork for the crimes they've stopped and whatnot and leave it at that, but now that they have something to mess with, they find themself daydreaming about going to the office to play.

They were actually punched by a criminal earlier that morning because the delinquent had mentioned Villain and Hero had gotten distracted. They didn’t pay much attention to what the thug had asked, more focused on getting the image of Villain bloody and begging out of their head.

Hero reaches into the shopping bag they had put on the floor and pulls out a turtle dock they had gotten on the way over. The last thing Hero needs is Villain dying, not only would their fun end but they’d more than likely lose their job.

They lift the dock up over the side of the tank and set it in, sticking the suction cups to the side of the tank and letting it float. A quick glance at Villain shows that they haven’t snapped out of their daze.

Hero’s lip twitches upward as they splash a bit of water at Villain. The water hits Villain’s face, causing them to gasp and sputter, frantically looking around.

Hero can tell by their face when Villain realises where they are, it twists into a look of pure terror. Before Villain is able to do anything, Hero motions to the dock. “I got you a gift.” Villain looks at the dock with longing but doesn’t move, seemingly stuck in place.

“Aren’t you going to use it? It’d be rude if you didn’t,” Hero lets their smile fall, “I can always take it back if you’re not grateful.”

“No! I-I’ll take it!” Villain responds quickly but hesitates to move.

Hero grins again as Villain begins to slowly walk in the water, obviously trying to keep themself together and failing at hiding it.

They look like they’re going to vomit.

Hero watches as Villain inches their way across the tank, their arms outstretched in front of them as they tread closer to the dock. Villain quickly pulls themself out of the water the moment they get within reach of the dock.

Their breathing is rapid as they crawl into the middle of the dock, their body trembling when the dock bobs under their weight. 

—

Villain shivers, their wet clothes sticking to their body. They are finally out of the water, they’re drenched and cold, but they’re out. They can feel Hero’s gaze burning into their back as they try to regain their composure.

Moving through the water had been hellish, enough to where they had almost asked for Hero’s help. They had been so close to just breaking down and asking for help. Villain involuntarily shudders, they can’t tell if it’s their body’s way of protesting being cold and wet, or because they had almost given in.

They swear Hero turned up the air conditioner, it hadn’t been this cold before they were put in the water. They know they should probably take off their soaked clothes to dry them and themself but the idea of being exposed even further around Hero is horrid at best.

“You don’t look too good,” Hero comments,  “Don’t tell me you didn’t drink anything while I was out!” Villain hadn’t been able to dip any part of their face under the water while the hero was gone, the thought hadn’t even crossed their mind.

It would've been a death wish if Villain had, they likely wouldn’t have been able to force themself to surface again. The water could’ve dragged them down and trapped them at the bottom of the glass tank, never to let go. Keeping them in a watery prison for the rest of eternity.

“Villain, you really should take better care of yourself! You’re going to die if you don’t keep yourself hydrated. Get a drink,” Hero says, mock concern dripping from their voice.

Villain doesn’t respond, instead, they let their body slowly lay down on the dock, exhaustion hitting them like a bus.

“I said, get a drink.”

Before Villain can realize what’s happening, what feels like a punch to their side is knocking them back in the water.

Panic shoots through them, and they gasp, water flooding into their throat. The pain in their side alone makes it almost impossible to move as they frantically try swim up.

Their head breaks the surface of the water with choked gasps, coughing out the water they had taken in.

Please not again, I just got out-

Villain desperately reaches out to grab hold of the side of the dock, gripping onto the edge they hurriedly pull themself back out of the water. They quickly crawl to the wall, wrapping their arms around the supports of the dock.

They hate how weak their hold on the dock is, the lack of food, water and general rest taking their toll on them.

“Get a drink before I flick you in again.”

Villain lets out a choked sob, their body trembling horribly.

“Isn’t-t th-there a law about cr-cruel and unusual puni-nishments?” Villain can hardly speak, their shaking has their teeth clattering together.

“There is, but I’d hardly say I’m punishing you,” Hero says with a smirk, “I’m trying to take care of you.”

Villain almost laughs at Hero’s claim.

“Now, take a drink, villain, I won’t say it again.”

Am I really the villain here? Villain thinks to themself as they unwillingly let go of their support. Their body nearly slumps to the ground, but they right themself before slowly crawling to the far end of the dock.

Villain shoots a glance at the giant towering above them, expecting Hero to knock them back into the water. Hero makes no move to touch or even go near Villain, though it doesn’t do anything to get rid of their nerves.

They shakily reach their hands out towards the water, putting them together so they can cup the liquid easily. Villain hesitates, their hands barely about the surface.

They watch the still liquid for a long moment, imagining it rushing up to grab their hands and dragging them under. Shaking the idea from their head, Villain slowly forces themself to touch the water.

It’s just a small contact, it’s better than being pushed back in.

Villain tries to reassure themself as they catch the liquid in their hands and bring it to their lips. It has a vaguely metallic taste, but it’s water.

They drink it quickly, the cool wet feeling of water running down their throat both terrifies them and relieves them. Villain has to remind themself they’re drinking, they’re just drinking, no one’s controlling the water as it enters their body.

Villain lets out a shaky breath before they slowly scoop up another handful. Their hunger surfaces as the water hits their empty stomach, making its presence known with a sharp pain drilling itself into Villain’s abdomen.

“So you do know how to listen,” Hero says, a slight hint of intrigue in their voice.

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

Villain leans their head on the glass behind them, their spot in the corner farthest from Hero granting little comfort.

Hero had gotten them a fish tank, a fucking fish tank with nowhere to hide or sit comfortably.

“You haven’t earned anything,” Hero had said when they first tossed Villain out of the mason jar and into the tank. “So why would I give you anything?”

Bastard.

The tank couldn’t be more than fifteen to twenty gallons, but it was still far too big for Villain to escape from.

Hero was so sure of this that they hadn’t even bothered putting a lid on it.

Villain glances around their surroundings beyond their glass hell.

They were in Hero’s office, Hero at their desk doing paperwork.

Pictures, medals, trophies, awards, and certificates Hero had earned line the walls of the otherwise boring room.

Villain’s tank has been placed carelessly onto a side table near the door, across the room from Hero but still in the line of sight.

Villain slides down against the glass into a sitting position, drawing their legs to their chest.

They place their arms on top of their knees before resting their head on top.

--

Hero glances at Villain’s tank before looking at the clock on their desk.

The red numbers read 20:35, they had let Villain sleep for a little over an hour.

Setting down the last bit of unread papers onto their desk, Hero gets up and strolls over to the tank.

Squatting a bit to get a better view of the tiny person, they allow a smile to creep onto their face.

Villain, one of the top criminals in the city, second only to Supervillain, is sleeping in their office.

Not only that, but their current size has left them completely defenceless.

Hero raises their hand to the glass, and like a child, they tap at it with a finger.

Villain wakes quickly, the noise definitely louder to them than it is to Hero.

For a moment Villain doesn’t seem to understand what’s going on until they notice Hero.

Villain’s face fills with panic as they push themself further into the corner they’re in.

Hero’s smile grows into a smirk as they stand up once again.

“Sleep well?”

Villain doesn’t answer, remaining silent as they watch Hero’s every move.

Hero slightly leans over the tank’s top, “Oh come on, where's the sassy remark? A fun little quip? Not even a snarky comment?”

“Fuck you,” Villain responds, attempting to cover their fear with their anger.

“Ah, there it is, there’s that gorgeous voice of yours,” Hero beams down at them as they begin to reach into the tank.

“Don’t you dare touch me!” Villain snarls, quickly rising to their feet.

Hero ignores their protest, easily grabbing them.

The sound of Villain wheezing in their tight grasp sends a shiver up Hero’s spine as they fully remove their captive from the tank.

“L-let me go!” Villain rasps, panicking as they fight to breathe.

“Why would I do that?” Hero asks, slightly tightening their grip. “After all, you’ve done so much worse to so many people. Wouldn’t be very fair now would it?”

Hero can barely feel Villain’s chest move so they loosen their fist, causing Villain to gasp, sucking air in greedily.

“You see, I don’t think so. I think you should get exactly what you deserve, and who better to give you that tha-”

A sharp pain erupts in Hero’s index finger, making them instinctively drop Villain.

Villain lands on the floor with a crack and a scream.

“Did you just- Did you just bite me?!” Hero demanded, angrily looking at their now bleeding finger then to the villain on the floor.

“Oh yeah,” Villain rasps out, their dry throat making it hard to speak, “I had a blast.”

Hero smiles, “good. Now I can’t stay in the office for long, I have other work to do so I just wanted to stop in and say hello.”

“Water,” Villain choughs, their chapped lips breaking open. “I n-need water before you leave.”

Hero’s smile grows into a smirk, “Oh? Making demands are we?”

Villain scowls, “you can call it a request if that makes you feel better.” Villain’s stomach growls, causing their face to flush, much to Hero’s enjoyment.

“A simple request, I see,” Hero responds, taking another sip of their coffee. “I decline, I believe I have better uses of my time.” Hero turns to face the door, beginning to walk away from Villain.

“Please!” Villain calls out, their mind filled with desperation. Hero stops, looking at them over their shoulder, “what was that? I don’t think I heard you.”

Villain doesn’t respond, their dignity catching the pleading words in their throat. Hero hums slightly before they finish crossing the room, “oh well.”

“Wait! Please! P-please… I need water,’ Villain says, swallowing their pride.

Hero turns around, a satisfied look on their face, “was that so hard?”

Villain bites their tongue so as to not make a comment they might regret.

“Beg again, once more and I might just listen to you.” Villain’s face burns, they glare daggers at Hero, wanting to scream profanities and to kill the tosser where they stand.

“...Please bring me water, I-I can’t survive without it.”

“There we go,” Hero purrs, quickly leaving the room.

Villain’s heart drops, Hero tricked them, they’d made them beg and still, they had left. Villain’s head slumps down, despair clouding their mind. This is how they’ll die. They’re going to die pinned to a corkboard, starving and dehydrated. It’s going to be a slow death, possibly another four or five days until they’re completely dead. Villain’s head pounds as they hang, they know they’d be crying if they had any amount of water in their body.

The sound of someone walking in the room and shutting the door causes their head to snap up. Hero has returned, a gallon of water in either hand. Villain lets out an audible sound of relief.

“Aw did you think I was going to leave you again?” Hero asks mockingly.

Villain ignores the remark, trying to regain some sort of pride. “I can’t drink that much, dumbass,” they say dryly as Hero sets the jugs on the desk.

“Oh don’t worry about that now, let’s just get you down from there,” Hero replies, their tone unnaturally sweet.

Villain’s body goes rigid as Hero comes closer, one hand holding their body in place and the other removing the tacks in their sleeves. Villain lets out a hiss as their stiff arms slowly move down to their sides, their shoulders and arms stiff as a board.

Hero pulls them away from the corkboard and walks over to their tank. Blood floods into Villain’s arms once again, tingling as the nerves begin to slowly wake up. Hero puts them down rather quickly, Villain immediately falling onto their knees.

Hero watches them for a second, before turning to the jugs of water and grabbing one off the desk. “You’re thirsty, you said?”

“Just a bit,” Villain responds, a bit more sarcastically than they probably should’ve. They attempt to bend their stiff arms, only managing a small bit before needing to stop because of the pain.

“Perfect,” Hero says, popping the cap off of one of the jugs and bringing it to rest on the edge of the tank.

The villain looks up at the hero and freezes, their mind going blank at the sight of the clear liquid above them.

“Say, you fought Lady Loch once or twice, right?”Hero asks, not waiting for a response before continuing. “God, she was a treat, a little aggressive with villains but she got the job done. Then again, I guess you know all about that."

A dark smile covers Hero's face, "From what I heard, you haven’t been seen anywhere near bodies of water since your last encounter with her, going as far as moving your base away from the coast. Now, why is that?”

Even with Villain being so small, Hero can clearly see them trembling. “P-please, d-d-don’t…” the plea comes out barely a whisper but Hero’s super hearing catches it nonetheless.

Their smile grows in response. “On your knees and begging, I think this suits you,” they say, tipping the jug.

The water hits the bottom of the tank, spreading out quickly to make room for the rest of it. Villain gets up swiftly, stumbling in their panic as they rush backwards, only stopping when their back collides with one of the tank’s walls. Despite the villain’s best efforts, the water finds them, grabbing at their feet and climbing higher.

The sound of rushing water fills Villain’s ears as they begin to hyperventilate, lifting one leg from the water in a pointless attempt to get away from it.

My arms, I can’t swim without my arms. Horror fully takes over their mind as the realisation hits them. Villain begins kicking at the water in a last-ditch attempt to keep the liquid away, but before long they stop, giving up on the idea as it proves to be ineffective.

The water level is about halfway up their body when the jug finally empties, water licking at Villain’s limp fingers. Hero discards the jug to the floor thoughtlessly before going for the other one. Villain lets out a dry sob as Hero approaches.

“I think this is what your face was missing,” Hero says, more to themself than to Villain as they pull the lid off of the jug. “Despair compliments your face perfectly, it’s such a contrast to what your face looked like when you were fighting heroes. All those proud smiles and tough glares never really fit you.”

Villain can barely hear Hero over the sound of their own heartbeat. They let out a cry as Hero tips the jug over the edge, once again beginning to fill the tank. The feeling of the water surrounding Villain, slowly covering them, soaking their clothes and body is too much. It’s too much like when they’d been drowned repeatedly by that hero.

It’s only a matter of time before Hero forces me under the water, holding me down until the bubbles stop. Villain’s mind spins, the pressure of the water is suffocating.

Hero’s power isn’t water control, they won’t be able to pull the water from my lungs to start the process over again. A slight comfort comes from the thought as the water rises over their shoulders. I’ll be free from this torment, but at what cost?

The water around Villain starts to be tinted red and brown, the dried blood on their skin mixing with it. Villain tilts their head back and raises themself to their tiptoes as the water reaches their chin, straining to not be taken completely.

Then the water stops, Hero’s jug is empty, and with a disappointed sigh, Hero grabs the other one off of the floor. Most of Villain’s head is barely able to stay above water, allowing their uneven breaths to continue for the time being.

Hero crushes the jugs and tosses them in the trash, before turning to look at Villain. “I guess you’re more of a fish now, rather than a bird or a doll,” they comment, watching as the villain struggles to keep themself breathing and conscious.