#2 - Traitor

#2 - Traitor

[Villain] started to tremble when [Supervillain] approached them. God, the plan had gone so horribly wrong… They should have never even thought about helping [Hero] to overthrow their nemesis! It was a huge miscalculation from the start.

And now they were the one to pay for it.

[Villain] couldn’t suppress a shiver when [Supervillain] started speaking.

“So…”, their voice was calm, bored almost.

“My inferiors are getting cheeky again, huh? Don’t you remember the last time I had to end one of your little revolts?” [Supervillain] was not bothering to look at [Villain], who did their best to hide the quivering.

They remembered damn well. The only difference was that they stood on the winners’ side back then.

“Tell me…”, [Supervillain] started pacing around them with leisurely steps, “What made you think, it would be different this time?”

[Villain] did not dare to look up. They felt the bile rising in their throat. Their hands started to shake.

Even though they did not see [Supervillain], [Villain] felt the derisive grin that formed on their captors’ features as they saw the physical impact of their words.

When [Supervillain] talked again, their voice had turned into a low whisper, far too close to [Villains] ear. They could not avoid flinching.

“What made you think, I would have more mercy with traitors like you now than I had the last time?”

[Villains] blood turned to ice. They knew [Supervillains] ways of dealing with disloyalty. They saw enough of it in the years they had to work for them. Hadn’t they sworn it to themself back then? To never allow themself to slide in this kind of situation?

…How had they fucked that up so badly?

[Supervillain] stopped, only inches in front of their face. [Villain] lowered their eyes hastily, trying to avoid looking at their old bosses’ cold gaze.

They could hear their own heartbeat. The tremor was taking all over their body.

“Besides…”

[Villain] let out a terrified whimper as a gloved hand harshly grasped their chin, forcing them to look up.

“How does someone like you merge with such an outstanding personality like [Hero]?”

[Villains] eyes widened. How could they know about them? That had been a top-secret information. Even their own people knew nothing about their doings with [Hero]! They had done everything possible to cover the information [Supervillain] seemed to have such easy access to.

“Supporting the enemy is even worse treason than just turning against me…” The grip on their jaw got firmer. [Villain] squealed in pain. “Tell me, [Villain]”, [Supervillains] voice turned dangerously low.

“…What shall we do with a traitor?”

Why do all the sexy villains hold their wine glasses between their fingers like this

#3 - Withdrawal

[Hero] felt horrible. They could not think straight since they were “rescued” by [Villain]. They should not be here. They should go back to [Supervillain] and apologise for their disappearance. They should go back soon enough so their supplier would give them what they needed.

But [Villain] was eager to keep them until [Hero] “came back to their senses again”. Whatever the hell that meant.

It was five days since [Villain] got them out of [Supervillains] grip and things had turned more shitty every day. Not that it would have been a surprise. [Hero] did not have a single shot since Monday morning.

Even though they knew that [Villain] was just trying to help, [Hero] could not prevent feeling irritated. They did not ask for help, neither did they want it.

“Hey, are you alright?” [Villains] voice echoed through the hallways of their home. They were always keeping an eye on [Hero], not letting them alone for more than a minute. [Hero] couldn’t stand it.

“What the hell else.”, they just mumbled back, not sure if [Villain] had heard them.

If they weren’t so fucking weak. They would just get up and leave this whole circus! Maybe drop over at one of [Supervillains] handymen, supplying themself already with some syringes and then go back to were they got what they wanted.

[Supervillain] always welcomed them, always rewarded them if they did as they liked. And if coming back to them was not the most loyal thing they could do, [Hero] had no idea what else to go in for.

As long as they got what they needed, they would do anything. Even to for a prat like [Supervillain].

Of course, their team was missing them. They were searching frantically for [Hero], but they could not bring themself up to come back at the moment. They were tired. Of course, they missed their people too, wanted nothing more than to be with them, but right now, their team could never provide them the way [Supervillain] did.

They needed their injections.

And if the person who gave them to [Hero] was [Supervillain], well, so be it. Even if they were corrupt to the core, manipulative and simply dangerous, they were still a better option than any symptoms of withdrawal.

All the symptoms [Hero] experienced now.

They clamped their sweaty hands together. Why could they not just be left alone? The world would be just as shitty without their heroic deeds as it was before.

“Hey…”, [Villains] soft voice interrupted their thoughts, “I know, you don’t really want to be here…”

What an observation.

“…But I thought of something to help you to get better very soon.”

[Hero] could not supress a cynical snort. “And what would that be? A perfumed candle? Meditation? The power of love? Sorry, [Villain]. You can’t do anything for me. Only one person can.”

They did not see how [Villains] face deformed with wrath. [Hero] gave a languished sigh, “You are useless for me.”

[Villain] did not believe what they just heard. Who did [Hero] think they were?! Their hands formed to firm fists.

[Hero] made a pejorative gesture. “Now hush… I don’t want to hear your slipslop.”

[Villain] could not withold it any longer. “You… You ungrateful piece of shit!! Don’t you fucking see what [Supervillain] did to you?! What you had become because of all the bullshit they pumped into your system?!”

[Hero] had never imagined to see [Villain] get loud. It was intimidating. They were so composed and polite all the time, never screeching, never cursing. Even when they were fighting.

“You are nothing but a pet to them!”, [Villain] spat the words like they were something poisonous. “They did not keep you to make your shitty life great, they kept you so you won’t be able to cross their sick plans! They kept you so they could disable everyone else who might be a threat to them! And you…” [Villain] gritted their teeth, “You just stood and delivered!”

[Villains] angry facade started to dissolve. What [Hero] saw underneath was something else. A strange sadness that gave [Hero] goosebumps. Why would they look at them like that?

“I did not intend to tell you so soon… But we need you on the battlefield and not in some drinking hole, giving yourself shot after shot!”

“Tell me what so soon?”, [Hero] asked, feeling somehow queasy. They weren’t used to always cold and calculating [Villain] being so angry. Being so emotional.

[Villain] sighed. “[Supervillain]… They achieved many of their goals while you were gone, you know?” They made a pause.

“When I said that they took the time to eliminate other threats… It also included the murder of many people. The murder of many of your people… The murder of your team.”

[Hero] froze. “What?”

I'm really uninspired to write atm, but have some fanart of my latest obsession

(Long time no see, huh? Welcome back to everyone who’s still here!! 😊🖤 I was in a pretty awful headspace last year and couldn’t bring myself to write anything. But here I am, back on track with the goal of being more active and doing what makes me happy!! ☺️

This prompt is for @chaosgoose! 🤗 It took me an awful lot of time to write it, so I hope you’re still on board to see it! 🥺 Please enjoy! 🖤)

(❗TW: Blood, Explicit Physical/Emotional Violence, Sadistic Behaviour❗)

#11 - Unmasked

[Hero] could only stare when [Villain] collapsed onto the concrete pavement, their ragged body not being able to hold them up for longer.

Is this possible…?, they asked themself.

Had they finally defeated them?

It didn’t seem real, but the crimson light of the evening poured down mercilessly onto the broken figure and, indeed, illuminated every ounce of [Villains] defeated body.

It proved that [Heros] dream had finally come true: [Villains] existence was ending right here between shattered glass, splatters of blood and wasted ammunition. This was the end of a fucking eternity. A violent and bloody game of cat and mouse.

And now, [Hero] had won.

They had won and [Villain] was stripped off every dirty achievement they had worked for in their entire useless life.

It felt so unreal. Here they stood, their own personal hell finally coming to a halt and [Hero] still couldn’t believe it. They had nearly lost their mind while hunting this piece of shit down; had rejected friends and their family. Everything to finally put this to a stop. There weren’t enough words to describe what [Hero] had gone trough to get to this point. To finally defeat [Villain].

And now, they’ve fucking won.

Victory.

Sweet, liberating victory.

Euphoria.

Triumph.

Relief.

All at once, these feelings befell them and reduced [Heros] previous numbness to nothing.

It was fucking over. [Hero] had disposed [Villain]. They were still standing while their enemy was bleeding out on the dirty pavement, as helpless as an infant. Defenseless and alone.

[Hero] felt lighter than a feather.

Satisfaction.

The recent memory of every blow [Hero] had delivered, every bone they had broken to get to this point made them feel dizzy with triumph. Hell, [Hero] had enjoyed breaking this piece of shit down into a useless pile of human flesh, ready to be eradicated from life.

[Villains] breathing was slow and shallow, probably from the ribs [Hero] had broken. Every breath must’ve pained their nemesis to an unimaginable extend and [Hero] bathed in that knowledge.

Because the worthless asshole deserved it. They fucking deserved it.

[Hero] knew they shouldn’t like this. Seeing [Villain] in pain shouldn’t feel so damn good. They should be neutral. Impartial and non-commited.

This was supposed to be a job, nothing more.

It always felt like those doubts weren’t really their own. Like it was only the influence of their friends, of [Best Friend] in particular, that made [Hero] hold back their violence. Their social environment was the barrier between them and the overwhelming urge to hurt those criminals as much as they hurt other people.

If it weren’t for their friends, [Hero] would loose the control over the anger inside of them.

The seething hatred for scum like [Villain].

Because these assholes deserved to be treated just the same way as they treated their victims.

They were evil and never cared about the damage they did to the people around them.

They hurt other with no prior motive but their own sadistic needs.

And that’s why [Hero] hated them. Everything about them.

Their narcicisstic manner, their ruthlessness, their cruel and corrupt actions. [Hero] hated the way people like [Villain] talked and hated the fact that they were able to run away for so long. Hated that [Villain] hid their true identity behind the fucking mask they wore.

That damn mask.

It was a simple black coverage above [Villains] actual face. The people that had encountered the criminal never got to see who was really threathening, hurting and murdering them. Even the mugshots only showed the blank piece of synthetic that covered their face, as if to underline the inferiority of the forces.

The sheer inability to look behind [Villains] façade was something that had kept [Hero] up at night.

Because every stranger could potentionally be the enemy. People who passed them on the street, people who waited on tables, people that led normal, civilian lifes. Everyone and no one could be [Villain] and it had been driving [Hero] insane, because they weren’t able to tell.

Well, until now.

You’re on the good side.

[Hero] shook their head.

No. They simply lacked the fucking empathy for people like [Villain] that kept investing all of their time to make this world more miserable than it already was.

It felt good to give this trash some of its’ own medicine, because they sure as hell did enough damage to everything they put their filthy hands on.

You shouldn’t see it like this. Everyone deserves a second chance.

Yeah, that definitely was the voice of [Best Friend]. [Hero] had often told them that they should’ve become a priest instead of working in the same hellhole of an organisation that [Hero] did their duty in.

It wasn’t made for people who thought it was possible to give criminal trash like [Villain] a chance of redemption.

They just didn’t deserve it.

[Best friend] was a good person, but too naïve to understand.

They don’t deserve to be seen as humans.

A weak cough brought them back to reality.

Right… [Villain].

They had managed to turn onto their back and faced the sanguineous sky, their features still hidden behind their mask.

New anger flooded [Heros] veins at the sight: [Villain] shouldn’t be able to move. They should squirm in angony.

Spitefully, they made their way towards them.

“You’re not so brave now, huh?”, [Hero] jeered and closed the distance between themself and [Villain].

When they saw the twitch in their enemies body, they knelt down, grabbed them by the collar and pulled them up harshly. [Villain] groaned in pain. God, they hoped it hurt.

“Took me long enough to get you.”

“L-let go…”, [Villain] hissed, trying to move away from [Hero], “You’ve got what you want. Call your pimps and… F-finish it.” Their hoarse voice was slightly static from the mask.

“Why the hurry?”, [Hero] asked, lit with a so far unknown kind of destructive energy, “You’ve got the rest of your life to rot in a shitty cell. Let me enjoy my victory first before they lock you up.”

[Villain] wanted to say something, but [Hero] dumped them back on the pavement. Broken bones hit hard concrete and [Villain] gasped violently for air. It felt like justice.

“The fact that everyone left isn’t so bad anymore”, [Hero] said chattily and put their feet onto [Villains] chest, pressing hard enough to compress their fractured ribs, “It’s just you and me.”

“You…-! You fuckin’ asshole!”, [Villain] wheezed. They hadn’t got the strength left to struggle. In the dying light, [Hero] saw the blood that colored [Villains] mask darker around their mouth. It sputtered out with every move they made with their foot.

“It surprises me that you haven’t bothered to take that stupid thing off…”, [Hero] said and leaned down to let their index finger wander over [Villains] mask. They took in their enemies’ angry hiss with indifference.

“Now that I think about it: I never knew what you looked like… Don’t you think it’s unfair that you know everything about my identity, while I don’t know shit about yours?”

The shocked gasp of [Villain] was beyond satisfying. [Hero] pushed their fingers underneath the black mask and [Villain] vainly tried to turn their head away.

“N-no…!!”, they managed, but it wasn’t enough. It wasn’t enough to possibly stop [Hero] from taking their sweet revenge.

“You’re so emotional”, [Hero] mocked, “What, are you so ugly? Or do you have a family to protect?”

When [Villain] didn’t give an answer, they just laughed and gripped the mask in their fist. “Well, whatever”, they purred, “Let’s see who fought me for so long.”

[Villains] desperation was intoxicating. When they pulled the fabric down with a slow tug, their enemy writhed violently.

“No [Hero]!!”, [Villain] screamed and it sounded like fucking music in their ears, “Stop!! Stop it, [Hero], pleas-”

They didn’t get to finish the sentence. With a last and satisfiying pull, [Hero] ripped the mask off and-

And looked into familiar eyes.

“Wha…-”

A familiar face, covered in blood.

[Villain] tried to quirm away but [Hero] grabbed their chin and turned the criminals’ face towards themself.

“W-What is this…?”, they stuttered, carelessly letting go of the mask in their hand.

The silence was deafening.

They looked into blazing eyes. Eyes that [Hero] had always associated with light and kindness.

Eyes [Hero] thought they knew.

“Tell me what the fuck this is”, they demanded, tightening their grip on [Villains] chin.

The blood was already starting to dry.

The sun was gone beneath the horizon.

The city empty, hollowed.

“Tell me what this is…”, [Hero] repeated, not at all interested in their victory anymore.

“…[Best Friend].”

I think Iroh is the perfect example of a person that radiates opportunism and moral flexibility:

Just as @lbibliophile-atla says, he adapts accordingly to any situation given to him and strives for the biggest personal benefit the particular context can provide him with. He's a Fire Nation Royal? Okay, big military-career, expanding social status, climbing the hirarchy. He's declared traitor by said nation only a few years later and is on the run with his nephew? Alright, fleeing to the city that's most secure at that time, it is. The war is tipping to the disadvantage of the Fire Nation? No problem, Iroh already took precautions for that by joining the White Lotus and playing on two sides a long time ago.

Iroh doesn't seem to be tied to any deeper loyalties or ethics, allowing him to adapt to every circumstance that his life is throwing him into. This makes it possible for him to take on any moral code and behaviour that's fitting the context: Joking about burning Ba Sing Se to the ground and being emotionally invested in liberating it years later isn't that inauthentic, if Iroh sees it as two seperate situations that each needed different behaviour from him.

He doesn't care about Fire Nation ideology. He doesn't care about Ba Sing Se. He cares about things that benefit him in the respective situation.

But does that mean that Iroh, former Fire Nation General, war criminal, teashop-owner and White Lotus member is free of any moral compass? Is everything he does solely for his own - and only his own - benefit?

I'd say, not exclusively.

His opportunistic behavior is immediately stalled when his family is involved: Iroh instantly stopped the invasion of Ba Sing Se when Lu Ten died. He sailed together with Zuko into exile when Zukos own father had mutilated and banished him. Both of these actions were really contraproductive from an opportunistic point of view, but Iroh chose them anyway.

Why?

Because the people he cares about outweigh his ambition to gain the highest personal profit.

Iroh didn't care about soldiers and civilians dying in Ba Sing Se, but he drew the line when his own son became one of the many people who lost their live in the battle. Only then he saw the invasion as a mistake. Not because thousands were killed under his command before, but because Lu Ten became a victim to the war he had greatly contributed to. He doesn't care about the cruel ideology of the Fire Nation, just until his beloved nephew falls victim to it.

Irohs morale is not tied to right and wrong. It's tied to himself and the people he cares about.

So yeah, @gaylord-zuko, I think he didn't really redeem himself or was a good person in general. He was smart, a good strategist and highly capable of adapting to his enviroment. What makes him morally grey is the fact that the love for his family outweighs his Machiavellism and leads him to some of the right decisions.

Hot take: Iroh didn’t actually get a redemption arc in ATLA.

Zuko’s redemption required him to admit that his previous actions were wrong and to do whatever it took to make up for them.

Iroh did a lot of good things to help the protagonists, but we never saw him take ownership of the damage he caused as an imperialist. The way he switches gears once he’s living in the Earth Kingdom and starts valuing the people he was trying to destroy without any acknowledgment of the change makes it seem like…maybe he knew what he was doing was wrong the whole time. Which kind of makes it worse? To me, anyway.

I don’t know, I’m just suspicious of his “redemption” because, unlike Zuko, he never took responsibility for the suffering he inflicted on others despite the fact that he’d been going at it for much longer than Zuko. He admits that the Fire Nation has done terrible things, but he never takes personal responsibility for his own actions. Just because Iroh is a kind and loving person doesn’t mean he’s absolved himself of his crimes.

I’d love other peoples’ input on this if you feel like it!