Villain Whumpee - Tumblr Posts
June of Doom Day 10
"Can you hear me?"
| Starvation | Shackle | Hiding |
Cw: Mentions of torture, the prompts above.
...
"Villain, you better come out now, if I find you first you'll wish you'd never been born."
Superhero staked through the corridor of the prison. Villain had managed to escape their cell, Superhero still wasn't sure how, and now they were hiding.
"Can you hear me, Villain? Don't make this harder than it has to be."
Villain crouched behind a steel drum. They tried not to make a sound but their breathing was heavy and their heart was beating too loudly. They hadn't eaten in days and even just running from their cell down the corridor to where they hid had taken it out of them.
They clamped a hand over their mouth as they heard Superhero draw closer.
"Come on out, I'm losing my patience."
Villain squeezed their eyes shut, holding their breath as they heard Superhero stop right in front of the barrel they hid behind.
There was silence for a moment, but then the barrel was thrown to the side and Villain's eyes shot open in fear as they beheld Superhero glaring down at them.
"Found you."
Villain tried to back away but they were cornered, and they could only yelp as Superhero grabbed their arm and yanked them up, beginning to drag them back to their cell.
"You're here because you're a bad person, Villain. You need to be punished. We're trying to help you, can't you see?"
Villain begged and pleaded as they tripped over themselves trying to keep up with Superhero, but Superhero paid no heed and soon they were thrown onto the cold ground of their cell.
"This ought to stop you running away again," Superhero muttered as they clamped a shackle attached to the wall around their ankle.
"Now, I promised to beat you earlier, didn't I?"
June of Doom Day 10
"Can you hear me?"
| Starvation | Shackle | Hiding |
Cw: Mentions of torture, the prompts above.
...
"Villain, you better come out now, if I find you first you'll wish you'd never been born."
Superhero staked through the corridor of the prison. Villain had managed to escape their cell, Superhero still wasn't sure how, and now they were hiding.
"Can you hear me, Villain? Don't make this harder than it has to be."
Villain crouched behind a steel drum. They tried not to make a sound but their breathing was heavy and their heart was beating too loudly. They hadn't eaten in days and even just running from their cell down the corridor to where they hid had taken it out of them.
They clamped a hand over their mouth as they heard Superhero draw closer.
"Come on out, I'm losing my patience."
Villain squeezed their eyes shut, holding their breath as they heard Superhero stop right in front of the barrel they hid behind.
There was silence for a moment, but then the barrel was thrown to the side and Villain's eyes shot open in fear as they beheld Superhero glaring down at them.
"Found you."
Villain tried to back away but they were cornered, and they could only yelp as Superhero grabbed their arm and yanked them up, beginning to drag them back to their cell.
"You're here because you're a bad person, Villain. You need to be punished. We're trying to help you, can't you see?"
Villain begged and pleaded as they tripped over themselves trying to keep up with Superhero, but Superhero paid no heed and soon they were thrown onto the cold ground of their cell.
"This ought to stop you running away again," Superhero muttered as they clamped a shackle attached to the wall around their ankle.
"Now, I promised to beat you earlier, didn't I?"
June of Doom Day 11
"We're out of time"
| Firearm | Backseat | Self-Defence |
Cw: the prompts above, beating
...
Villain slammed his foot on the gas and the car shot out onto the road. They served and narrowly missed a few lamppost and pedestrians before making it onto the narrow road and taking off. They could hear the revving of the engines behind them as Superhero followed.
They cursed and swerved around onto a side street as the bullet began raining down onto them.
Hero groaned in the backseat. "Keep your head down," Villain ordered, ducking themself as a fresh wave of bullets came shattering the back window.
They didn't look up in time to properly avoid the car parked in front of them, and Villain swerved dangerously, the car careening into a wall.
The airbags deployed and all Villain could hear in those moments was ringing. They were vaguely aware of hands grabbing them, yanking them from their seat, and they only came to when the cold barrel of a gun was pressed to their head.
"You'll die for this, Villain," Superhero sneered, but before he could pull the trigger, Villain batted the gun away. They were on their feet in seconds, swaying slightly as they vision blurred, but they managed to block Superhero's first punch.
But not their second.
Villain hit the ground with a loud thud, and they didn't even manage to roll over before a kick was landed on their stomach.
Villain coughed blood, cursing, but Superhero just laughed.
They leaned down for another blow but were cut off by Sidekick.
"Superhero. We're out of time," they said hurriedly, gesturing to where a small crowd of civilians was gathering.
"Take them away. Lock them up somewhere nice and cozy until I find some time to deal with them."
Villain could only groan as they were hauled up and thrown in the backseat of a car, just watching as a half-conscious Hero was carried away by Superhero.
June of Doom Day 11
"We're out of time"
| Firearm | Backseat | Self-Defence |
Cw: the prompts above, beating
...
Villain slammed his foot on the gas and the car shot out onto the road. They served and narrowly missed a few lamppost and pedestrians before making it onto the narrow road and taking off. They could hear the revving of the engines behind them as Superhero followed.
They cursed and swerved around onto a side street as the bullet began raining down onto them.
Hero groaned in the backseat. "Keep your head down," Villain ordered, ducking themself as a fresh wave of bullets came shattering the back window.
They didn't look up in time to properly avoid the car parked in front of them, and Villain swerved dangerously, the car careening into a wall.
The airbags deployed and all Villain could hear in those moments was ringing. They were vaguely aware of hands grabbing them, yanking them from their seat, and they only came to when the cold barrel of a gun was pressed to their head.
"You'll die for this, Villain," Superhero sneered, but before he could pull the trigger, Villain batted the gun away. They were on their feet in seconds, swaying slightly as they vision blurred, but they managed to block Superhero's first punch.
But not their second.
Villain hit the ground with a loud thud, and they didn't even manage to roll over before a kick was landed on their stomach.
Villain coughed blood, cursing, but Superhero just laughed.
They leaned down for another blow but were cut off by Sidekick.
"Superhero. We're out of time," they said hurriedly, gesturing to where a small crowd of civilians was gathering.
"Take them away. Lock them up somewhere nice and cozy until I find some time to deal with them."
Villain could only groan as they were hauled up and thrown in the backseat of a car, just watching as a half-conscious Hero was carried away by Superhero.
June of Doom Day 20
"That's gonna be one hell of a scar"
| Cage | Pliers | Scrape |
Cw: The prompts above, rescue, implied abuse/ torture, self-sacrifice.
I'm actually really proud of myself for keeping at this so long. I fully expected to fail before day 15. I'm thinking I might start posting snippets from my whumpy novel once I get through this shitshow of a month. Anyway, enjoy some more hero/villain whump!
...
Villain sat in the cage, bleeding all over, but refusing to cower. They didn't huddle or hide in the corners of the cage, they sat, dead centre, and glared at the door, waiting for Supervillain to return.
But when the the click of the lock echoed through the room and the scrape of the dopr opening grated their ears, it wasn't Supervillain coming through the door. It was Sidekick. The very last person they'd ever expect to be here.
"Sidekick?"
Sidekick raised a finger to their lips. "Shush". Villain understood the message and chose to watch out the door as Sidekick pulled a pair of large pliers from their jacket and began to cut the wires on the cage. One by one. Snip snip snip. It took way longer than was comfortable for Villain, and they grew more paranoid with every snip of a wire that Supervillain would arrive.
But they never did, and soon, there was a hole large enough for Villain to crawl out.
As soon as they were out though, they couldn't stand straight. The cuts crisscrossing their legs made it impossible to rest their weight on their legs.
Sidekick hissed when they saw the wounds.
"That's gonna be one hell of a scar," they muttered. The first thing they'd said since they arrived. They didn't say another word as they looped Villain's arm over their shoulder and carried most of their weight as the pair limped out the door.
They approached the front door but Villain began to panic. Where was Supervillain? They must have heard them. Why hadn't they showed up?
"They're distracted right now," Sidekick whispered, reading their thoughts. Villain wanted to question it, but at that moment they heard the loud crash as someone fell through a window somewhere out of sight.
They heard the tell-tale voices of Supervillain and Hero arguing and suddenly they understood. Hero was distracting Supervillain, hence why Sidekick was here.
Sidekick didn't seem fazed in the slightest and continued carrying Villain out the car outside, loading them into the back seat.
"Hero-" Villain started, but Sidekick cut them off.
"They'll be fine. My orders are to get you out of here."
"But-"
They didn't get to finish their complaint as the car jerked forward, shooting out into the road, just as Supervillain came crashing out onto the road behind them, bruised and battered, followed by a furious Hero.
June of Doom Day 20
"That's gonna be one hell of a scar"
| Cage | Pliers | Scrape |
Cw: The prompts above, rescue, implied abuse/ torture, self-sacrifice.
I'm actually really proud of myself for keeping at this so long. I fully expected to fail before day 15. I'm thinking I might start posting snippets from my whumpy novel once I get through this shitshow of a month. Anyway, enjoy some more hero/villain whump!
...
Villain sat in the cage, bleeding all over, but refusing to cower. They didn't huddle or hide in the corners of the cage, they sat, dead centre, and glared at the door, waiting for Supervillain to return.
But when the the click of the lock echoed through the room and the scrape of the dopr opening grated their ears, it wasn't Supervillain coming through the door. It was Sidekick. The very last person they'd ever expect to be here.
"Sidekick?"
Sidekick raised a finger to their lips. "Shush". Villain understood the message and chose to watch out the door as Sidekick pulled a pair of large pliers from their jacket and began to cut the wires on the cage. One by one. Snip snip snip. It took way longer than was comfortable for Villain, and they grew more paranoid with every snip of a wire that Supervillain would arrive.
But they never did, and soon, there was a hole large enough for Villain to crawl out.
As soon as they were out though, they couldn't stand straight. The cuts crisscrossing their legs made it impossible to rest their weight on their legs.
Sidekick hissed when they saw the wounds.
"That's gonna be one hell of a scar," they muttered. The first thing they'd said since they arrived. They didn't say another word as they looped Villain's arm over their shoulder and carried most of their weight as the pair limped out the door.
They approached the front door but Villain began to panic. Where was Supervillain? They must have heard them. Why hadn't they showed up?
"They're distracted right now," Sidekick whispered, reading their thoughts. Villain wanted to question it, but at that moment they heard the loud crash as someone fell through a window somewhere out of sight.
They heard the tell-tale voices of Supervillain and Hero arguing and suddenly they understood. Hero was distracting Supervillain, hence why Sidekick was here.
Sidekick didn't seem fazed in the slightest and continued carrying Villain out the car outside, loading them into the back seat.
"Hero-" Villain started, but Sidekick cut them off.
"They'll be fine. My orders are to get you out of here."
"But-"
They didn't get to finish their complaint as the car jerked forward, shooting out into the road, just as Supervillain came crashing out onto the road behind them, bruised and battered, followed by a furious Hero.
June of Doom Day 28
"You'll get used to it"
| Knife | Hostage | Surrender |
Cw: the tags above, kidnapping, self-sacrifice
...
Hero kept Henchman pinned to the ground with a foot on their throat.
"I surrender! Just let them go," Villain cried, their weapons on the ground, their hands raised in surrender.
Hero pressed down harder. "Sidekick, cuff them, I'm not letting Henchman up until I know this isn't a trap."
Villain was thrown against the hood of a car and they didn't struggle as their arms were wrenched back and shackled together.
Only when they were immobilized, kneeling before Hero, did they release Henchman, who staggered away.
"Boss," they said, reaching forward.
"No," Villain snapped. "Go. Don't come after me."
Henchman looked conflicted but ultimately nodded, limping away holding their brusied throat.
Hero smiled down at their new hostage before swinging their foot down onto Villain's head so hard they blacked out.
When they woke, they were chained to the ceiling, hanging by their wrists, their toes only barely able to touch the ground. There was a collar around their neck, chained to the ground, so they couldn't lift their head.
They didn't move, didn't make a sound, until they saw the knife in Hero's hand.
They rattled their chains. "What are you doing?"
Hero cocked their head. "Interrogating you," they said, as though it were obvious.
The blade slashed across their chest first, and Villain screamed. Their arm next, then their stomach.
Hero chuckled. "Dont worry, you'll get used to it. The pain. You're going to be in a lot of it from now on."
Villain could only sob as the knife came down again, cutting across their skin.
June of Doom Day 28
"You'll get used to it"
| Knife | Hostage | Surrender |
Cw: the tags above, kidnapping, self-sacrifice
...
Hero kept Henchman pinned to the ground with a foot on their throat.
"I surrender! Just let them go," Villain cried, their weapons on the ground, their hands raised in surrender.
Hero pressed down harder. "Sidekick, cuff them, I'm not letting Henchman up until I know this isn't a trap."
Villain was thrown against the hood of a car and they didn't struggle as their arms were wrenched back and shackled together.
Only when they were immobilized, kneeling before Hero, did they release Henchman, who staggered away.
"Boss," they said, reaching forward.
"No," Villain snapped. "Go. Don't come after me."
Henchman looked conflicted but ultimately nodded, limping away holding their brusied throat.
Hero smiled down at their new hostage before swinging their foot down onto Villain's head so hard they blacked out.
When they woke, they were chained to the ceiling, hanging by their wrists, their toes only barely able to touch the ground. There was a collar around their neck, chained to the ground, so they couldn't lift their head.
They didn't move, didn't make a sound, until they saw the knife in Hero's hand.
They rattled their chains. "What are you doing?"
Hero cocked their head. "Interrogating you," they said, as though it were obvious.
The blade slashed across their chest first, and Villain screamed. Their arm next, then their stomach.
Hero chuckled. "Dont worry, you'll get used to it. The pain. You're going to be in a lot of it from now on."
Villain could only sob as the knife came down again, cutting across their skin.
“We absolutely should not be doing this,” the hero whispered, but there wasn’t any heat to it. The other end of the line rustled as the villain laughed.
“There are a lot of things we shouldn’t be doing. Namely, I shouldn’t commit felonies, you shouldn’t talk to a felon…” their friend trailed off.
This time, the hero was the one who laughed. Outside, a bird began to chirp with the sunrise, and the villain sighed.
“Time distance.”
“Time distance,” the hero agreed, and by god if the miles weren’t a wound in itself.
“You should sleep,” the villain murmured. The hero hummed.
“Probably, yeah.”
Neither of them hung up.
“If I promise to call tomorrow, will you go to bed, please? For me?”
The hero sniffed, eyes heavy as the sun peeked through their blinds.
“Promise?”
“Pinkie.”
The hero slumped backwards. “I won’t hang up though.”
The villain laughed, softly, with an affection the hero didn’t want to think about.
“I’ll do the heavy lifting, once again,” but the hero knew they smiled as they said. The line clicked off.
—————————
“Hey, Sunshine. Committing nefarious acts of kindness and good deeds, I take it?”
“Hey,” the hero was breathless, hand pressed against their side. It came back bloody.
Any humor dropped from the villain’s voice in an instant.
“You’re hurt.”
The hero managed a pathetic laugh, flinching.
“Just a little.”
“It doesn’t sound like a little.”
The hero eyed their wound, swallowing.
“Absolutely just a little.”
“It’s a good thing you’re the kid of a hero, because love, you absolutely suck at lying.”
The hero tried to pretend something didn’t warm in their stomach at the endearment.
“I have…bandages. And antiseptic. And some good old natural dirt to rub into it if all else fails.”
The villain sighed on the other end of the line, and the hero knew they were rubbing their brow. For some reason, despite the pain, it made the hero grin.
“I’m fine,” they promised, and when the villain stayed silent, they said it again. “I’m fine.”
“If you die I’ll be mad at you.”
“Fairly certain that is the wrong sentiment for a villain to have towards a hero—“
“Has the bleeding stopped?”
The hero slapped some tape around the edge of the gauze, blood still dried around the edges.
“Yes.”
The relief was palpable.
“Good. Go to bed.”
“You’ll call again?”
“Promise.”
The hero smiled.
“Pinkie.”
The villain hung up.
—————————
“You wouldn’t happen to have a flamethrower I could borrow, do you?”
The hero blinked, holding the phone away from their face for a moment.
“I’m sorry?”
“Oh, don’t be, I just need one,” the villain snorted, and a loud crash sounded in the background.
“What on earth are you doing?” Concern rolled in the hero’s gut. The villain laughed.
“You’re going to want plausible deniability sunshine.”
“Right,” they paused. “But why a flamethrower?”
“It has flames, it throws them, what else could I ask for in an object?”
“I can throw flames.” Even though the villain couldn’t see it, the hero let a spark flicker on their finger tips.
“And again,” the villain’s voice lowered. “What more could I ask for?”
The hero didn’t have a response to that, but the villain somehow, like they always did, knew that.
“Any bruises I should know about?”
“And what would you do about them? You live on the other side of the country,” the hero teased.
“I can steal a fighter jet in less than half an hour.”
The hero blinked at the seriousness in the villain’s tone. They laughed, nervously.
“Please don’t do that.”
The villain sighed. “You ruin my fun.”
“I haven’t arrested you, so I think that should get me brownie points.”
“You live on the other side of the country,” the villain parroted.
“I could get there faster than a fighter jet,” the hero said. The villain snorted again.
“Will you—“
“Call again? Pinkie.”
The hero smiled. “Promise.”
The villain hung up.
—————————
The hero picked up the phone on the third ring, smiling.
“Hey trouble maker, what’s—”
All they got in response was a pained wheeze.
“Villain,” the hero said, gut plummeting. “Are you okay?”
“Fine,” the villain bit out, breath short. “I’m okay.”
“You don’t sound okay.”
The villain gave something that was either a laugh or a sob.
“Mhm.”
“What’s going on,” their voice broke, and the villain fell silent.
“It’s going to be okay,” they murmured. And the hero knew.
Innately, in a painful, wretched way, they knew.
“My dad is there.”
Their dad, the superhero. Their dad, who had forbidden them from ever speaking.
Their dad, who wanted the villain, their villain, dead.
The villain made a quiet noise of ascent.
“I’m coming—”
“You won’t make it.”
The hero stilled.
“How bad is it?” Their hands were shaking. They couldn’t find their suit, why couldn’t they find their suit—
“Too fast for a fighter jet,” the villain tried, voice too light and wet with tears.
The hero slammed a drawer closer, throwing open the door to the basement, searching for something, anything.
“I can be faster,” they grit out, breathless. Their chest hurt.
“Not that fast.”
“Please,” the hero sobbed, and on the other end of the line, the villain did too.
“Don’t do this to me.”
“I don’t want to,” the villain swore. They coughed, and it was a deathly thing.
Something slammed in the background on the end of the line, and the hero’s fingers clenched around the phone.
“What was that?”
The villain let out a pained whine, phone crackling as they shifted away, before their voice came over the speaker again.
“I’ll call again tomorrow.”
The hero’s face was wet.
“Promise?”
The villain let out a small sob, but they still sounded like they were smiling, soft with affection.
“Pinkie.”
The hero didn’t mean to say what came next.
“I love you.”
The villain didn’t even pause, breath hitching. “I love you too.”
The line crackled.
“Sunshine, I need you to do something for me now,” the villain rasped, voice choked with pain and tears and love and fear. “I need you to hang up.”
The hero forgot how to breathe.
“No—”
“Please,” the villain took a sharp breath through their nose, and it sounded painful. “Just this once. I can’t do it this time.”
“Villain,” the hero began, but the villain cut them off as something crashed in the background once more.
It sounded like a building falling.
It sounded like the hero breaking, too.
“Sunshine,” the villain pleaded. “Just once. I’ll-I’ll call you back. I swear.”
They could both taste the lie.
The hero sniffed.
The villain sobbed.
And for the first time, the hero hung up.
The villain never called them back.
“I don’t need you.”
It sounded less grounded than the villain had wanted it to. It sounded like something someone had told them to say, and they were just repeating it with half hearted determination. They said it again, “I don’t need you.”
“No,” the hero agreed. They were grinning. “You don’t.”
The villain floundered. They, in all honesty, wanted a fight. To prove something, they supposed. That they really didn’t need the hero. That they weren’t in the wrong, here. “What?”
“I said,” the hero said slowly, and the beginnings of a grin curled at the edges of their mouth. “You don’t need me.”
“I don’t need you,” the villain repeated, and the hero nodded encouragingly. It just made the villain want to hit them.
The hero lounged against the doorframe, halfway in and halfway out of their apartment. And truly, that was the worst bit of it all—the hero wasn’t showing up outside the villain’s house, or driving by the villain’s work to see if they truly looked happier without them. But the villain was.
They wanted to scream, and kick, and throw plates onto the ground.
‘Leave me alone.’
But they couldn’t say that, because the hero had. They had cut contact and blocked numbers and ignored the villain’s car as it went by. Still, the villain felt haunted. As if they would never be clean of the hero, parts of their soul forever dirtied by it all.
The hero’s smile, and the way their voice sounded when they knew the villain would cave to their wishes.
They just wanted the hero to—
“Leave me alone.” It slipped out against their better judgement. From the way the hero’s grin widened, they knew it had been the worst thing they could have said.
“Darling, I have,” the hero said, their tone saccharine. Pitying. “You’re the one outside of my apartment.”
It felt like being burned alive, the frustration of it. The way it rose in their chest but had nowhere to go, leaving them shaking with nothing and everything trapped under their tongue.
“That’s not what I meant and you know that—“
“What, you miss me that bad? I thought you—“
“Shut up,” the villain snapped. The hero raised an eyebrow.
“It’s eating you alive, isn’t it?” They sounded pleased.
“It’s not,” the villain protested.
“I told you, you don’t need me.”
“I know,” the villain grit out.
“But you want me.”
Something in the villain’s brain stalled.
“Excuse me?”
“You don’t need me. You never have,” the hero said it like it was a fact. “You want me, though. Even as the sound of my name burns you, and the memory of me rots in your mouth, you’re going to want me.”
“You’re wrong.”
“Am I?” The hero’s voice dropped to a whisper. “You can go out to every bar in this city, kiss a hundred people who look like me and get just drunk enough to forget you’re not mine anymore—but you’re never going to stop missing me.”
The hero knew, of course they did, how hard the villain had tried to forget it entirely. The disaster they had become trying to be clean again.
“No matter how many shots you take to block out the memory of me, you’ll always be mine.”
“You’re insane,” the villain finally managed. The hero simply tipped their head to the side in acknowledgement. “That’s not-what’s wrong with you—“
“You’re the one who misses me.”
It stung, deep in the villain’s stomach. It took them too long to remember how to breathe—too long after that to think of what to say.
“If I’m lucky, I won’t ever have to see you again,” their voice quivered, slightly. “But knowing us, the next time we meet it will be in hell.”
The hero laughed and closed the door in their face.
The villain blocked them. Avoided the side of town the worked in. Moved three cities over.
It didn’t matter.
The villain could still feel the hero under their skin.
Later, whenever someone would ask, “Have you ever been haunted?”
The villain would think back to the hero.
And say, “Yes.”
#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?”
(This prompt spooked around in my head for a really long time. 🤣 I know the season does not quite fit, but compassion and the spirit of Christmas are always valid, no matter the time of the year! 🌲 Please enjoy! 🖤)
#7 - Cold
[Hero] walked through the snowy streets, trying to take in everything that their eyes registered. The change in weather had been so sudden that no one in the city had taken precautions against the surprising winter. Only one week ago, the news had reported about “A surpassingly long term of really mild temperatures” for this autumn.
…How far that was away right now.
They looked down to the ground. It must have been already five inches. And it continued steadily. No busses, trains or taxis would drive this evening, maybe not even tomorrow. The whole city was astonied.
Rationally, [Hero] had every reason to be pessimistic about that. Everything was chaotic, locomotion was limited and their flat was isolated like shit eversince, allowing the freezing air to creep directly inside of their home.
Still, it felt peaceful. It seemed like everything was set into slow motion. The usual stress was muted by the tons of frozen water that sailed down the sky, making everything quiet.
[Hero] wondered when they had seen snow the last time. It must’ve been years. They didn’t know they had missed it so much.
Maybe, [Hero] mused in their thoughts, they would even go to one of the Christmas markets tomorrow, just for the feeling of it.
Their eyes glid over the white alleys and a silent smile appeared on their features. Yes, they would go. They would go and enjoy themself. Take a break from their busy job and let their soul rest for some time.
They took a few more turns and just decided to go home, when they noticed something strange.
A shadow, only a few feet ahead of them. [Hero] approached with slow steps and frowned.
Their eyes widened when they recognized what the bulky umbrage in the white snow was: A person. Not moving and in a curled up position.
“Hey!”, [Hero] called, hastily making their way towards them, “Hey, are you alright?” They kneeled next to the figure and gently shook them by the shoulder.
“Are you conscious? It’s far too cold here to-”
The words got stuck in their throat, when they turned the stranger around and the shadows revealed who was laying in front of them:
[Villain]. Bloody and bruised.
[Hero] took in a sharp breath, instantly jerking away from the criminal. Their hand glid automatically to the place where their weapon would normally be, but there was nothing. They must have left it at home. Shit.
They looked around frantically.
Was this a trap?
Were [Villains] henchmen still here?
“D-Don’t worry…I-I’m alone…”, a faint voice murmured. It belonged to [Villain].
[Hero] looked down. Their actual nemesis had turned their head around, hazy eyes looking at them in a disoriented manner.
“A-Are you.. M-my guardian Angel…?”
Now that the lights shone onto them, [Hero] noticed the bruises that were covering [Villains] pale face. Their nose was broken too. All around were footprints and crimson splatters in the shuffled snow.
Paying closer attention, [Hero] also saw the little shudders that ran through [Villains] maltreated body.
How long had they lain here?
“[Villain], what-…What has happened to you…?”, [Hero] asked hesistantly, still scanning the street for unwelcome attackers.
The criminal simpered blearily. [Hero] had never seen them smile, only grinning and sneering. Like this, [Villain] nearly looked like a decent human being. “I-I… didn’t t-take care… of m-myself…”, they murmured. They looked up to [Hero] with misty eyes. “..w-was s-so..stupid…”
[Hero] was astonished. Did [Villain] even know who was kneeling in front of them?
They looked around once again. It could be such a perfect way to lure them into their enemies claws. No one was approaching the streets and the snow would silence any kind of fight or action. They would be gone within a second.
[Villain] just had to make them feel pitiful enough to forget their cover.
But what if it was not a trap?
[Hero] was at loss. They could not just flee and let [Villain] be perished by the cold. They would never forgive themself, if there was even the slightest chance that their enemy was actually in danger.
All the time, [Villain] kept their mellow gaze on them, their fluttering eyelids already sprencled with frost.
“Goddamnit.”, [Hero] chuntered. Their voice filled with frustration. “Why didn’t I go home one alley ealier?”
They were caught between the devil and the deep blue sea. But they had to do something.
Swallowing their fear (and probably all of their common sense), [Hero] decided to take a closer look at [Villains] state. They cautiously approached their nemesis and gently pushed a hand into the collar of their shirt, still looking out for any attacks.
[Villains] skin was terribly cold. [Hero] gulped when they found the pulse: Far too low. “Can this be true..?”, [Hero] questioned themself before removing their fingers carefully.
Was [Villain] really howering between life and death?
“T-they.. attacked m-me..”, [Heros] nemesis breathed suddenly. Their gaze told [Hero] that they were only moments away from falling unconscious. “I c-can’t m-mo..ve.. m-my legs… i-i’m..s-so col…d..” [Villains] eyes flickered and finally, their head sank down onto the pavement.
Oh god… This really wasn’t staged.
What the hell should they do now? Nobody would be able to take [Villain] prisoner in this snowstorm. Nobody-
Suddenly, [Hero] froze. No one knew that they were here. No one knew that [Villain] was here.
The realization of the perfidious plan slowly perlocated through [Heros] mind: Someone had attacked and purposely dumped [Villain] here to let them die a slow and lonely death. The weather was perfect to avoid unwanted spectators and killed everyone who stayed too long within only a few hours. [Villain] had been made immobile and was left without any chance for rescue.
There was only one unforeseeable factor that could still cross that plan: [Hero].
What were the odds that someone else would find [Villain] in time? All the way through the streets, [Hero] hadn’t seen a soul. It was a tight time slot, exclusively open for them. [Hero] shuddered.
The choice about their enemies’ life laid in their hands.
Looking down, they noticed that [Villain] had stopped shivering. Their skin was slowly starting to turn blue.
One more hour and they were dead.
[Hero] had to make a decision. Now.
…Rationally, [Hero] knew that they should just leave them.
No one would suspect a thing. Hell, authorities would even be glad, if [Villain] was gone. There wouldn’t be any further investigations that could damage [Heros] reputation and mark them as a criminal. They would be save and sound.
Also, if [Hero] saved them, everything [Villain] did in the future would automatically redound upon them. No matter if other people knew it or not, [Hero] would be at least partially responsible for [Villains] crimes.
They had to think about leaving them here.
But [Villain] was a human being. They were a person. A fucking criminal, a pain in the ass and an arrogant slug, but still: A person.
[Villain] was just as human as [Hero] and their team were.
God, what should they do? Wasn’t [Hero] on the good side? Shouldn’t they help others whenever it was possible? Even when the person in misery was [Villain]?
“[Villain]. Who robs, blackmails and threatens other people. Who brings nothing but trouble. You really think they are worth saving?”, a sharp voice in [Heros] head asked. It sounded just like the one of their boss. “They are trash, nothing more.”
“Trash…”, [Hero] echoed silently.
Yes, that’s what [Villain] was for their company. Not a person: Trash. A disruptive factor.
Taking a decision, [Hero] turned away and took a few steps.
It was true. They had to leave them. Everyone would be better off without [Villain]. Everyone would be safer.
…This was the right thing to do.
…But…
“Goddamn it!”, [Hero] cursed and shook their head, hastily walking back to [Villain].
No. They couldn’t do it.
They couldn’t fucking do it.
Never would they forgive themself, if they extradited someone to death. Maybe their bosses were like that, but [Hero] wasn’t. They couldn’t just let someone die because it was easier. Or because that person was in the way. Because they didn’t conform [Heros] moral standards.
They didn’t care if it was weakness, but [Hero] was not like this.
They couldn’t let [Villain] die.
They just couldn’t.
Crouching down again, [Hero] moved closer towards their enemy and tried to sit them up. [Hero] took off their own coat and wrapped it tightly around [Villains] chilled body.
They would help them.
[Hero] wouldn’t let their enemy die in the snow.
When they lifted them up, [Villain] murmured something inaudible before their head fell down onto their saviors chest. Half-dried blood smeared into [Heros] shirt.
They gulped nervously. Doubts, anxiety and guilt were rising up in their chest.
This was insane… This was so fucking insane.
“Don’t make me regret this!”, [Hero] hissed to their foe before struggling up their feet.
“Don’t make me fucking regret this!”