@some-messed-up-writing-for-you, @avvailIf and @nemideia This got a little long, but if I may continue this delightful chain...
The cell was dark and frigid. Chained to the wall by their left wrist, Hero could only explore so much of their new home. In the pitch blackness of it all, they couldn't even tell where the walls were.
The only bright point in their imprisonment was when Villain came to visit.
Literally. The darkness only abated when Villain came to visit once a day with a lantern and a meager meal, watching them as they scarfed down undercooked rice and rubbery eggs.
Sometimes the villain liked to talk.
"You don't have to stay down here, Hero."
Their hands cupped Hero's sallow cheeks, adjusting their head so it was upright instead of leaning on the wall for support.
"Nobody will come for you. Nobody cares enough to fight me for you. Not your friends, not your family, and certainly not Superhero."
They said it kindly, as though they were doing Hero a favor by bringing voice to their deepest fears.
"But I love you. I'll never abandon you. All you have to do is give me your love in return."
Panic rose in their throat as Villain's hand tilted their chin up, and something inside them snapped.
Wrenching their face away from Villain's grip, they let out a guttural, animalistic screech.
"I'll never love you! Never, never, never!"
Their screams rose in pitch, frantic and unhinged as they struggled against their bonds for the first time in weeks.
Villain's eyes grew cold.
Without a word, they turned on their heel and left the cell.
The next day they didn't come back. Or the next. Or the one after that.
On what might have been the fourth day, Hero felt a needle pierce their skin from where the manacle encircled their wrist. They figured it was some sort of IV to ensure they wouldn't die of malnutrition. Though they tried to break it off, to use as a lockpick or just stop pumping whatever it carried into them, it was no use. The manacles were too tight. After a few hours, they could barely even feel it.
Things seemed to crawl through the blackness, monstrous and sinister, but they hadn't attacked yet, so Hero was inclined to think they were hallucinations. Their mind trying to make sense of this endless nothingness they were subjected to.
Time easily bled together in the dark, and after what felt like months the shadows began to take more concrete forms. They paced just out of their reach, and at times Hero could almost hear whispers from them, just a little too quiet to understand.
Hero couldn't tell what was real life and what was a dream anymore. They didn't know if there was a difference in this hellish night.
Soon, the monsters began to growl and hiss, slimy tendrils snaking up Hero's legs, claws slashing across their shoulders. Then they'd blink, the creatures would disappear, and the whole thing would start all over again.
It was endless. It was hopeless.
Eventually, they became aware of screaming.
Soundlessly, the door cracked open, spilling light across Hero's bloodshot eyes. They didn't have the energy to move, chest wracked with broken, gasping sobs.
Villain entered the cell purposefully, immediately falling to their knees and drawing Hero into a tight embrace.
"Please! Please!" Hero wept into Villain's chest.
They didn't even know what they were begging for.
Gently shushing them, Villain cradled them in their arms. Nimble fingers unlocked the manacle one-handed, and Hero swiftly bundled into Villain's strong arms, their own twiggy ones almost unable to wrap around their neck.
Finally safe from the monsters in the dark, Hero fell into a contented sleep before they reached the light outside the cell.
Villian could almost taste the victory at hand.
