assortedcriminality

[assortedcriminality]

prompt #11

“There.” Hero snapped the second power-dampening cuff onto Villain’s wrist. “Nice and tight.”

“I’ve always been told I look good in silver,” Villain said, nonchalant even as they lay half-collapsed against the wall. 

“And I bet you’ll look even better behind bars.” Hero dragged them to their feet by the loop between the cuffs and tugged at it so Villain would follow as they started forward. “Let’s get on that, shall we?”

When they didn’t move, the crimefighter turned back. “What part of-“ at the sight of Villain’s expression, their voice faltered. A grin spread across the criminal’s face, accompanied by a familiar glint in their eye that Hero knew meant trouble. Despite the bruises littering Villain’s body and the knowledge that the cuffs would prevent them from using their power, Hero felt a flicker of dread in their stomach. 

“Come on, Hero. Did you really think I’d make it that easy?” 

[assortedcriminality]

prompt #10

“It’s you,” the city’s greatest criminal said simply, quietly. “It’s always been you.”

Hero blinked in confusion as their nemesis approached them. Their hands were stretched half-heartedly in front of them, lips slightly parted. “Villain, I don’t under-“

Villain pulled them in by the waist, other hand snaking into their hair and tilting their head back slightly. Hero’s breathing stuttered as their enemy surveyed their face, expression indecipherable. 

“But that’s the problem, isn’t it?” They murmured. “You don’t understand. What can I do to make you understand?”

“Whatever you’re planning-“ Hero began uncertainly, but was cut off by a laugh.

“Planning. I knew you wouldn’t get it. Though I suppose I haven’t done much to help you see…”

“Help me see what?” The words were frustrated, uncomprehending. Being in the villain’s arms was strange and unfamiliar, evoking an emotion that Hero couldn’t quite place. But no matter how weirdly intimate the criminal was being, they wouldn’t let themself be manipulated. “Please, just-“

Villain kissed them. 

[assortedcriminality]

Thursday - part III

part I part II

Tuesday

It took Civilian a few moments to adjust to their surroundings when they woke up on the couch the following day. They tossed a blanket they didn’t remember putting on to the side, yawning. Sunlight shone through the closed blinds. It seemed to be mid-morning already. They stood, smoothing their rumpled clothes, before starting down the hall to their room. Halfway there, they heard a muffled voice coming from the kitchen. As Civilian approached, they could only make out a few words, most of them curses. Slowly, they peeked inside the room, one hand resting on the doorframe. 

At the table, Villain was leaning over an enormous binder, flipping back and forth through the pages. Each time they turned one, they muttered something colorful under their breath. A mug and an empty coffee pot sat precariously on the edge of the table, liable to fall with one shift of the binder. After a few seconds, Villain’s head lifted suddenly, as if they had just sensed Civilian’s presence. The circles underneath their eyes were dark, the kind Civilian would have to cover up after a long night of doing Hero’s paperwork. It was still odd to see them in normal clothes, as they had been on Sunday. No costume, no mask. Just a regular person anyone could brush past on the street a million times and never take note of. Well. Maybe Civilian would. “Good morning,” Villain said, returning their attention to the binder after a moment’s pause. “I have… something to talk to you about, once you’re ready.”

Civilian stifled a yawn. “Okay.” They supposed a conversation was inevitable, however uncomfortable both of them were around the subject of Civilian’s captivity. With a last flick of their eyes to Villain’s hunched form, they started down the hall again to their room.

A few minutes later, they returned to the kitchen with damp hair and a new outfit just as neutral as the previous one. Villain had brewed a new pot of coffee for them. The bitter scent filled the air, reminding Civilian of countless early mornings at the office. They poured themself a mug and sat in the other chair, looking at their captor from across the tiny table. 

Villain was the first to break the silence. “I don’t have any creamer or sugar,” they said apologetically. “You can probably tell I don’t spend that much time grocery shopping.”

“Seems like you do spend plenty eating yogurt, though.” Civilian recalled all of the containers they’d seen in the fridge. 

Villain’s laugh caught them both off guard, somehow sharp and warm at the same time.. “You noticed?”

The corners of Civilian’s mouth turned upward. “Hard not to.” They took a sip of their coffee and gestured to the binder. “What’s this?”

Villain leaned back on their chair, huffing a sigh. “These are all the files I have on Hero—their powers, their associates, their deals, everything. I’ve been compiling it since they became my nemesis.”

“Am I in there?”

They flipped to a page near the very back of the binder. There were only a few lines written and no picture. “It was a lot harder to find anything out about you. I don’t know why, but Hero updated security after firing their last assistant. That’s why I didn’t recognize you when you showed up. Usually, I would have. I should’ve dug deeper—it’s dangerous for Hero to have a card up their sleeve like that.”

Civilian’s eyebrows rose in disbelief. “I can’t believe you said all that so nonchalantly. You’re such a stalker.”

“I am not!” Villain bristled at the assessment. Civilian’s brows rose higher. “Well, I am,” they admitted, fidgeting with the hem of their jacket. “But that’s my job. It's yours, too, though, you knew what you were signing up for.”

“In my defense, I never imagined this,” Civilian pointed out. 

“Fair.” Villain was quiet for a moment. “I figured I owe you an explanation. This all must be… confusing.” That was an enormous understatement, but Civilian nodded. “Hero is a manipulator. They puppeteer this entire city according to their whims. I never know what their next step is. Since they chose me as their nemesis, I’ve tried to get closer, learn more about their plans.”

“Hence, the binder,” Civilian said, gesturing to the monstrosity in front of them.

They gave a rueful smile. “Yes. Anyway, I don’t know if you’ve realized, but I haven’t fought Hero in weeks.”

Civilian blinked. It seemed like the two were always fighting, every instance just blended into each other. “Really?” 

“Usually they’ll contact me at least once a week. Sometimes it's taunts or a tip, sometimes it's to tell me to meet them. Often they stop by while I’m working, to fight or just to see what I’m doing. They like to keep tabs on people.”

“Reminds me of someone else I know.”

“Well, you know what they’re like, don’t you?”

Civilian shrugged. “Kind of. They tend to keep their distance from me. They’re almost never in the office. I go in in the morning and find a new stack of paperwork and a bunch of reports to fill out. When they’re there, they just ask me to make them coffee or order food.”

“I guess I’m not surprised,” Villain mused. “But the point is, I wanted to know what they were up to. I told Other Villain and some others I know Hero talks to that I had big plans for Thursday. Nothing specific, something about Town Hall and a few innocent lives in danger.” 

“You baited them,” Civilian said slowly, “and they sent me to call your bluff.”

“Hero doesn’t like to be toyed with. I should’ve known better. But before they stopped fighting me, I felt like I was close to uncovering something.”

“A conspiracy?”

“How Hero can pull so many strings, keep everything running the way they want.”

“Maybe they’re scared you’ll uncover whatever it is they’re hiding.”

Villain scoffed, running a hand through their hair—a gesture so human it took Civilian by surprise. “Hero isn’t scared of anything. Least of all me.” 

Civilian shook their head, “I can’t believe you’re what’s under the mask.”

The criminal stared at them with a confused half-smile. “What do you mean?”

“You’re so… normal. When Hero told me to deliver that letter, I was terrified. I’d always thought that anything I did for them was for the good of the city, so I went through with it. But you’re not scary at all.”

There it was again: that laugh Civilian didn’t know what to make of. “I’d appreciate it if you didn’t repeat that to anyone. I have a reputation to uphold.” 

“So why did you do any of this in the first place? Why did you become Villain?”

In answer, Villain raised their hand in the air. The binder moved along with it, as if it was being pulled up by an invisible string. With a slight shift of their finger, the binder flew to the other side of the room, landing with a small thump on the counter. “I can move things with my mind. You have to do something with that kind of power. Why not crime?” They gave a dumbfounded Civilian a self-satisfied grin, but it quickly faded. They leaned forward, eyes overtaken by an oddly intense look. “I work very hard to keep the mask up. It's the only way I can keep any semblance of sanity in a life like this. I don’t have any family or friends because it's too dangerous for anyone to know me. I save the real version of myself in this house so I don’t lose my mind. I like books and detective movies. I like yogurt. That’s the real me, and only Hero knows that.”

Civilian rocked their nearly-empty mug from side to side. “And now me.”

Villain raised and lowered one shoulder. “You’re like an extension of Hero. You don’t count.” 

“Excuse me?!” 

“I-that’s not-I didn’t-“ Villain sputtered, eyes widening. “That’s not what I meant! I didn’t try to hide any of this because Hero knows anyway, and you’re their assistant, so there’s no point! You’re not-I mean, you’re nothing like them-“

Civilian’s peal of laughter interrupted them, lasting long enough for a Villain to hesitantly join in. “You’re weird, you know that?”

“Actually, I’ve just had it on good authority that I’m shockingly normal and well-adjusted,” they replied primly. 

“I didn’t say that.” 

“Can’t I have this one thing?”

 Civilian threw up their hands. “I’m a prisoner in this house! Let me have my fun, you scoundrel.”

“Scoundrel?!” Villain put a hand over their heart, feigning betrayal. “Do you really think of me like that?”

“Give me a few seconds and I can come up with something much worse.” 

“I think I liked it better when you were paralyzingly afraid of me.”

“You mean when you choked me half to death?”

Villain winced. “I did apologize for that.”

“Not nearly enough!”

“I’m sorry! I thought my whole life had been compromised!”

“It’s not like anyone would believe me anyway if I told them you secretly loved yogurt!”

The two looked at each other, little smiles playing on their faces. Civilian wondered how long it had been since Villain had talked to someone openly like that. Probably not since they donned their criminal persona and become subject to Hero and their whims. They may have been able to salvage a life for themself, but it wasn’t much of one. 

After a while, Villain stood up abruptly, pushing in their chair with a scrape. “I should take care of a few errands. I can pick up a few things from your apartment, too, if you want.”

“Sure, some toiletries and clothes would be nice. Maybe a few books.” Anything to stave off the boredom.

“Okay.” Villain moved to leave the room.

“Wait, don’t you need to know the address?”

The criminal half-turned to face Civilian, their guilt apparent. “…uh. Yes?”

“I thought you didn’t have much on me!”

“Well, I didn’t know what you looked like, but an address is easy enough to find. You can read through the files if you’d like, by the way. Not exactly a fun read, but there’s some good information in there.”

Civilian shook their head in mock disgust. “Stalker! Scoundrel!”

“All right, I get it, I’m leaving!” Villain offered them a final smile before disappearing out of the doorway. 

Civilian sat at the kitchen table for a little longer, eventually getting up to pour out the cold dregs from their coffee mug. They spent most of the rest of the day reading through Villain’s files, which were so dense they found themself nearly falling asleep on the binder multiple times. Most of it was about Hero and their plots over the years—or at least the few details Villain had managed to discover about them. There were hundreds of question marks and crossed-out statements, along with blurry pictures and names that Villain had marked as ‘definite aliases.’ Every page made Hero look worse and worse, uncovering their criminal associates and what they’d threatened people with to get them to assist in their schemes. But none of those schemes seemed to have a clear point or end goal aside from keeping as many people as possible under Hero’s thumb. Civilian marked the pages that seemed to have the most significant information with some sticky notes they’d found to talk about with Villain later. 

When Villain got home later that night, they dropped off Civilian’s things from their apartment outside the spare room door. They found Civilian watching another old movie on the couch. They weren’t asleep yet, but their eyes kept closing for longer and longer periods. Villain sat a foot or so away from them. It was strange how much their eyes were drawn to Civilian rather than the movie. It certainly wouldn’t help them get past the stalker accusation, but… they couldn’t help it. 

Before Civilian could fully drift off, Villain turned off the TV. “There’s no way you’re going to make it through the rest of that.”

“Try-“ Civilian’s own yawn cut them off. “Try me.” 

“Come on, it's late.”

“And what exactly do I have to do tomorrow besides sit here like a damsel in distress?”

Villain arched an eyebrow.  “Are you in distress?”

“A horrible evildoer turned off my sole source of entertainment for the night, so, yes,” Civilian said sleepily, burrowing deeper under their blanket. 

They snorted. “Hardly. Now, are you getting up or not?”

“You could carry me to bed with your mind.”

“No chance.”

“Worth a shot.” Civilian stretched, yawning again before tearing off the blanket and getting to their feet. “Good night, scoundrel.”

Villain rolled their eyes. “Good night, Civilian. Sleep well.”

“How am I supposed to do that in the home of such an incorrigible fiend?” Civilian wondered while they made their way out of the living room. 

“I’m sure you’ll be able to figure it out,” the criminal called after them, unable to stop the smile tugging at their mouth.

That night, just as predicted, Civilian fell asleep as soon as their head hit the pillow. Villain lay awake, staring at the ceiling, the image of a face lingering in their mind’s eye, wondering how they were going to make it past Thursday.

word count: 2219

@sausages-things @chaotic-orphan  @and-we-shake-the-iron-hand

[assortedcriminality]

prompt #9

“The big hero, so small now, so helpless,” the villain tutted mockingly. They knelt down and turned the collapsed hero’s chin up to look them in the eyes. The hero let out a choked sob, tears trailing down their ash-strewn face. “What are you going to do, little hero?” The villain teased. “Now that I’ve won? Now that all your poor friends are dead? What’s next on your pathetic agenda, hmm?”

“N-now…” they managed to gasp, a fit of coughing cutting off their words.

The villain tightened their grip, leaning closer and smiling a grin of pure evil. “Yes, my dear hero?”

“Now,” the hero said in a quiet rasp, “I’m going to fucking kill you.”

[assortedcriminality]

I adore your writing style so much- could you by chance continue snippet 5? I’m hooked, thank you!

Thank you so much for the ask, I hope you enjoy!

Snippet #5 - Part II

part I

Civilian’s eyes were heavy when she woke. It took a few tries for them to finally flutter open, but her vision was so blurry that it didn’t make a difference. She blinked, but it barely helped. Something was wrong, deeply so—her whole body felt off, as if each molecule was slightly misaligned. She let out a shaky breath through a dry mouth, moving to support herself up with her right hand. 

“Did you sleep well?” A woman’s voice asked somewhere to her left.

A half-formed scream tore out of Civilian’s painfully hoarse throat. She tried to scramble out of the bed, but only made it one step before her legs gave out. She collapsed into a pair of lean, muscled arms, which gently guided her trembling form back onto the soft mattress. As soon as the woman released her, Civilian began to frantically rub at her eyes, desperate to be able to see her surroundings. 

“Careful,” the woman said. “The effects are still wearing off.”

“Wh-what-“ the words had barely left her lips before Civilian doubled over in a coughing fit. She stayed there for a minute, breathing deeply while intermittent coughs shook her body. 

“That’s it. You’re all right.” Her voice was lilting, almost melodic, its tone cool. “You’re safe with me, darling.” 

The haze had all but disappeared from Civilian’s vision. Hesitantly, she looked up and into the mesmerizing pitch-black eyes of Villain. 

The criminal’s smile was sharper than any blade. “Good morning, Civilian.”

Civilian was frozen in her gaze, incapable of responding. Her heartbeat was agonizingly quick, as if it could jump out of her chest at any moment. Villain was infamous for her devastating beauty, but also for her ability to practically hypnotize anyone who looked at her. Her eyes were endless dark pools, large enough for Civilian to drown in. The rest of her face was chiseled and angular enough for each feature to cut through bone. She was a statue carved from solid ice, with the power to melt every onlooker.

“Where a-am I?” Civilian finally managed to choke out. “What did you do to me?” 

Villain’s gaze swept over her prisoner’s terrified form, slowly taking in the sight. “You’re shaking, love.” She reached a hand up to fix Civilian’s tangled hair, but Civilian flinched away, hastily rising to her feet and backing up to the wall for support. Her limbs kept trembling, but she stayed upright this time. 

“D-don’t touch me,” she said, not bothering to hide the fear apparent on her face.

Villain tilted her head, a hint of mirth in her expression. “Didn’t I say you were safe here? Don’t tell me you’re still afraid of me.” 

“Everyone’s afraid of you,” Civilian bit out hoarsely before she could stop herself. It was true, Everyone in the city traded rumors and whispers about Villain: the crimes she’d committed, the people she dealt with, what she did to those in her way. They all knew that even a single glance from her could nearly paralyze you, as it had done to Civilian. Villain was no small-time vigilante or common thief. To the people of Civilian’s city, she was their biggest nightmare.

Her captor’s smile widened. “How sweet of you to say.” She took a step forward. And another. “Flattery will only get you so far, though. What I want is information.”

“I told you I can’t-“

Villain closed the distance between them, laying a cold hand just below Civilian’s neck. Civilian’s breathing nearly stopped when Villain’s dark, shining eyes locked on hers. “And I told you you’re safe here, pet. So what else is stopping you?”

When Civilian didn’t answer, Villain tapped a finger against the hollow of her throat. “Tell me. What can Mayor possibly have on an innocent little thing like you?”

“Wh-nothing!” Civilian’s surprise momentarily overrode her terror. “I-I wouldn’t-”

Villain’s thumb trailed upward to her voicebox and pressed lightly, cutting her off. “No, I suppose you wouldn’t. You’re a good girl, aren’t you?” She stared at Civilian expectantly until the captive gave a hesitant nod. “I thought so. Then you’ll tell me who Mayor is holding against you.”

A shiver ran down Civilian’s spine. Villain’s smile grew predatory at the sight of her panic. “Did I hit a nerve, darling? Is it your partner? Brother, sister? Mother? Father?”

Almost of its own accord, Civilian’s head turned, hands pressing hard into the wall behind her. Without missing a beat, Villain’s finger hooked under her chin, sharp nail digging into her skin. “Look me in the eye when I’m talking to you,” she murmured, her tone ominous. “You are here because you have something I need. I don’t mind playing games. I like having toys. So I won’t break you. But if you don’t play by my rules, I can’t guarantee your father’s safety. Mayor can be even more ruthless than I am.”

“It isn’t like that,” Civilian whispered unsteadily. 

Villain arched a brow. “Oh?”

Civilian tried to steady her breathing, overheating under the criminal’s scorching study. “He’s sick. Mayor is paying for his treatment. That’s all, I swear. I-I didn’t want to put him in danger. That’s why I didn’t tell you. Please, he’s all I have,” she said, voice cracking. “I just wanted him to be safe.”

Villain let out a chuckle, lowering her finger slightly. “Well, that’s easy, darling.”  I’ll have him relocated to one of my houses right away. He’ll be quite comfortable with a few of my personal medics, I promise.”

No more words came to Civilian’s lips. She stared at Villain, stunned. How could it be that easy? All those months spent in constant stress, day after day, terrified of making a mistake, doing anything that would draw Mayor’s ire. She was always watching him to determine his mood, solve his problems before he even realized he had them. Being the best at her job so he could never think about hiring someone else. And Villain could ensure her father’s wellbeing without a single care. 

“Of course,” Villain said, breaking her train of thought. “You’ll have to give something to me in return.” Her hands slid up to either side of Civilian’s face, stroking a thumb across her cheek. 

Civilian swallowed. “What do you want to know?”

Villain grinned, leaning in until her lips were only an inch away from Civilian’s, causing her eyelids to flutter and her heart to go into overdrive. “We’ll sort that out later,” she said, breath warm on Civilian’s skin. “Though I do wish we had more time to play.” She pulled back abruptly, straightening her clothes. Civilian barely stopped herself from falling, not realizing how much Villain had been supporting her. “I have business to attend to. Someone will be in with breakfast shortly. Work on making yourself presentable for later. You’re a mess, darling.” 

With that, she turned on her heel, snapping the door open and closing it behind her with the loud click of the lock. Civilian sank to the floor, trembling all over. So Villain wanted a game. She was content to let Civilian say what she wanted as long as she stayed the mouse, while Villain kept her pinned between deadly claws. She put her head down, face tingling with the memory of the criminal’s fingertips. She imagined Villain’s lips on hers, her hands around her throat. A soft voice in her ear, whispering light taunts. Civilian opened her eyes. If that was what it took, she would play along. 

Word count: 1245

@sausages-things @chaotic-orphan

[assortedcriminality]

prompt #8

“Do it.” Hero lifted their chin, a thin line of blood rising from the space on their neck Villain’s knife was pressed against. “Do it.”

Villain twisted a strand of their nemesis’ hair between two of the fingers on their free hand. “Why is it that you so badly want me to slit that pretty throat of yours?”

Hero let out a hollow chuckle. “Isn’t it you who wants to do that?”

“Is that right?” Villain asked mildly.

“You tell me. It’s your blade and my blood,” the crime fighter pointed out. “I just want to get this over with.”

[assortedcriminality]

prompt #7

“Damn, you’re so strong,” Hero marveled, tracing a finger down Villain’s muscled arm. “I bet you could just throw me over your shoulder and carry me like a sack of potatoes, huh? Yeah, you totally could, wow.”

Villain scowled. “I’m holding a knife to your throat. Stop flirting with me.”

[assortedcriminality]

Thursday - part II

part I

Monday

Civilian woke in the dark, lying under the warm covers of the bed. They blinked, eyes adjusting to their surroundings. A bit of light peeked out from the black curtains on the other side of the room. A glance at the side table, bare save for a small digital clock, told them it was already well past nine. They jerked into a sitting position, a jolt of panic electrifying their body, throwing back the blanket and preparing to jump into an accelerated version of their morning routine. Before they could, the sight of the completely unfamiliar room before them jogged their memory of the previous day.

With a loud sigh, Civilian collapsed backward, tangled hair splaying over the pillow. What a mess. They couldn't believe they'd even agreed to take a message to Villain in the first place. Hero had told them, a lowly assistant with no powers or training, to meet one of the most dangerous criminals in the city with no backup. And, like a total idiot, Civilian had agreed. They should've stood up to them and refused to do it. How did they not see that Hero had something planned? The crime-fighter could easily deliver a letter, there was no reason for them to ask Civilian—except, of course, an ulterior motive. To pay Villain back for whatever deal the two of them had together. It was all so stupid. 

Civilian sat up and pushed the covers back, glancing around at the largely empty space. They didn’t know what they would’ve expected Villain’s guest room to look like, but it was very… gray. Gray walls, gray carpet, gray sheets and blanket. The only furniture aside from the bed and side table was a dresser across the room. Atop it sat an empty flower vase and an envelope. Supposing they might as well get up at some point, Civilian stretched before hopping out of bed, haphazardly tossing the blanket back into place. They crossed the room, picking up the envelope. ‘Civilian’ was written on it in a looping script they never would’ve guessed was Villain’s handwriting. They were learning all kinds of things about their boss’ nemesis. Civilian ripped open the seal and pulled out the folded note. 

Civilian-

I have work to do today and won’t be back until tonight. There are clean clothes in the dresser and you can have anything from the kitchen. I’ve locked the doors and windows and taken out everything with WiFi--it’s for your safety. I don’t think Hero would try anything, but it’s best to be cautious. There are books and DVDs in the living room. Use whatever you want. We can talk when I get back.

Villain 

Civilian set the note down, suddenly uncomfortable. Maybe Hero wasn’t the greatest, but Villain was still on the wrong side. They didn’t want to know what their ‘work’ entailed. Hearing that they were fully locked in the house made their situation more real. They were truly, actually a hostage. A prisoner. Maybe it was for their own good, to pacify Hero and make sure someone else didn’t pay the price for their irritation. But that didn’t make Civilian’s situation any more fun. And neither did the fact that they apparently wouldn’t have any access to the internet for the next three days. 

“Think of it as a screen-free break,” they said aloud. “A totally voluntary vacation with no work and no responsibilities.” It didn’t make them feel much better. 

They picked out dark jeans and a white T-shirt from the dresser and put them on, folding their old clothes and placing them in an empty drawer. After trying a few doors in the hall, they found the bathroom, which Villain had apparently already stocked with toiletries. It was weird to think about the master criminal picking out a toothbrush for them. Hero had always made Villain out to be a monster to Civilian, often mentioning rumors of the terrible things they’d done. Recorded fights between the two looked brutal, each pummeling the other with their powers and fists. Hero was always fiery, literally, anger turning their face redder than the flames shooting from their hands. What made Villain scary was their icy calm, eyes sharply intelligent but bored and uncaring through their mask. 

And now Civilian was looking through that same terrifying criminal’s fridge, which mostly held takeout containers and yogurt. They supposed if Hero could force their own assistant to be their greatest nemesis’ captive, the infamous Villain could enjoy strawberry Yoplait. People were complicated like that.

After finishing a bowl of slightly stale wheat cereal, Civilian started snooping. The house wasn’t enormous, but it was tastefully furnished with expensive-looking decor and appliances. The halls were lined with paintings, several of which Civilian swore they recognized from articles they’d read about recent museum thefts. Most of the doors they tried were locked--in fact, it seemed as though the only rooms Civilian had access to were their room, the kitchen, the living room, and a sitting room with three enormous bookshelves. The books it held were worn, and every one Civilain flipped through was covered in annotations inked in Villain’s neat cursive handwriting. 

Deciding they were too tired to focus on reading, they chose to spend the day watching movies and eating whatever non-expired snacks they could find in Villain’s cabinets. The bin of DVDs in the living room was almost entirely made up of old detective films, with a few rom-coms thrown in. Civilian put in the disc for The Maltese Falcon and sat down on the plush couch, hugging their knees to their chest. They closed their eyes and let the noise from the movie wash over them, trying not to think too hard about their situation. There was nothing they could do about it now. They just had to wait until Villain got back, and maybe they could figure it all out. Maybe it could all be fine. 

* * *

It was past midnight when Villain landed back on their porch, moonlight casting a soft glow over their black hood. They unlocked the door with a quiet click, taking off their disguise as they went in and closed the door securely behind them. They could hear the TV playing quietly inside.

“Civilian, I’m back,” they called as they opened a panel in the wall that hid their suit and placed it inside. “I heard something today that I want to talk to you about.” They slid off their shoes before strolling down the hall and pausing in the living room doorway. “Civilian?” There was no response. Villain flicked on the light, revealing the captive curled up and sound asleep in the corner of the couch, head resting against the cushion. They couldn’t help the smile that tugged at their mouth at the sight. They crossed the room, pressing the power button on the remote to turn off the noir film Civilian had been watching. 

Civilian looked so peaceful like that, their chest slowly rising and falling, their face devoid of any stress or fear. If being Hero’s assistant was as bad as it seemed, maybe this situation was almost a blessing for them. Villain had known Hero for years now, well enough to have an idea of the kinds of things they would put their employees through. Their smile disappeared at the thought. Civilian wasn’t here on vacation. They weren’t here as a punishment, either. They were here because Hero thought it would be fun to meddle in their personal life, to force them to be held prisoner just because they could. And they’d made Villain the warden. 

Villain never should have mentioned their plans for Thursday to Other Villain. They knew better. The city might think the criminals created the masterful schemes, but Hero used everyone as their pawns. They gazed at Civilian’s tranquil expression, hoping the innocent assistant could escape Hero’s web once this was all over. Villain knew that Civilian would be safe as long as they stayed in the house, but they couldn’t account for what Hero might do on Thursday, or when Civilian quit. It was too much to put on someone who didn’t sign up for it, who didn’t even have powers to defend themself. It was Villain’s responsibility to take care of them, protect them--with force, if necessary. It was the least they could do. With a sigh, Villain took a folded blanket from the other side of the couch and gently covered Civilian with it, glancing at them one last time before turning off the light and closing the door behind them. 

“Goodnight, Civilian. Sleep well.” 

Word count: 1432

@sausages-things (sorry I forgot to tag last time!) @chaotic-orphan

[assortedcriminality]

prompt #6

The back of Civilian’s head collided with the wall, stunning them. Breathlessly, they tried to blink the stars out of their eyes as an iron grip on their waist pinned them to the brick surface. Their hands instinctively shot up to push the attacker away, but it was like trying to move a block of solid steel. Their blurry vision cleared enough to glimpse the other’s face, enough to see their fangs slide out into a shining white smile. As Civilian opened their mouth to scream, a hard palm clamped over it, shoving their head harder into the brick. 

“Shhh,” the vampire murmured softly, sharp nails digging into their victim’s cheek, head lowering so their breath brushed Civilian’s neck. “That’s it, darling. Now hold still for me…” 

[assortedcriminality]

snippet #5

Civilian ran a tired hand through her hair, stacking the day’s paperwork and setting it in one of her desk drawers. She wasn’t even close to finishing it, but it’d have to wait until tomorrow. It was already well past office hours, and everyone else in the building had left. God, this job was draining the life out of her. Civilian had thought working for Mayor would be fulfilling, something important, but it was just frustrating and difficult. She knelt to put a file in her bag, unzipping a pocket that revealed a jumbled mess of assorted items. Suddenly, she heard clicking footsteps--strange, usually she was the only one here this late, and the doors were locked. Maybe a security guard had forgotten something…?

“Good evening.” A cold, feminine voice behind Civilian startled her, making her inhale sharply. “I’d like to make an appointment with Mayor.”

“Sorry, this building is closed,” Civilian said without looking up, shoulders lowering as her heart returned to a normal pace. “You should come back tomorrow.” Just another annoying customer, like she’d been dealing with all day. Someone who thought highly of themselves, clearly, the voice had come way too close to Civilian. This person had the audacity to step behind her desk on top of trying to do business this time of night. Civilian assumed the guards must have forgotten to secure the doors, but that was okay, she always locked them when she left after hours anyway. 

“Oh, I think you can make an exception.” The woman’s tone was lilting, almost amused. 

The tired worker rolled her eyes, back still turned to this entitled stranger. Everyone thought they could break the rules just because she was only the assistant. But it was late now, and Civilian didn’t have the patience for this. She just wanted to go back to her apartment and sleep. 

“Yeah? Why’s that?” 

“Because I have a gun pointed at your head.”

She froze. 

There was a chuckle. “That’s more like it. Stand up, love.”

Slowly, Civilian rose to her feet, swallowing hard and turning her head to glance at the woman threatening her. Oh, shit. “Villain,” she blurted before she could stop herself, stumbling backward. Her trembling hands found the edge of the desk as the notorious criminal smirked, shiny black gun pointed right at Civilian’s chest.

“You know who I am. Good. That makes this much easier.”

Of course Civilian knew who she was. Villain was on the news every day, footage of her fights with various heroes playing while reporters talked about what new malicious stunt or heist she’d pulled. Civilian doubted there was a single person in the city who didn’t know Villain’s name.

“I-I’m-” Civilian stuttered. Villain cut the girl off with a wave of her gun, causing Civilian to flinch.

“Save it, darling. I like when pets talk back. Especially the pretty ones.”

Civilian shivered, shrinking further. She knew what Villain wanted: a meeting with Mayor. So why wasn’t she asking for it? Did she want to toy with Civilian, was the criminal that twisted?

“You’re shaking, Civilian dear.” A malevolent grin spread across Villain’s face. 

“H-how do you know my-“

“I’d be bad at my job if I didn’t, [Civilian’s full name], personal assistant to the mayor of our great city.” The criminal stepped forward, setting her gun on the desk. The handle was only a few inches away from Civilian’s fingers, but she didn’t dare reach for it. Villain seemed pleased. “Tell me, love, how long have you worked for Mayor?”

“...Three years,” she said quietly, eyes fixed on the black weapon next to her. She knew that the woman threatening her could probably kill her without the gun, but would rather avoid Villain’s intimidating gaze.

“And Mayor trusts you well, I hear. So in three years, you must have heard quite a few things. Perhaps some information they wouldn’t want getting out? Bribes, blackmail? Maybe a couple of under-the-table deals?” Villain pressed, steel-tipped boots tapping on the tiled floor.

“I don’t-I can’t-” Civilian stammered, her words refusing to form coherent sentences. Her employer may be infuriating sometimes, but she wasn’t about to betray them just like that. Especially to someone like Villain--who knows what she’d do with that kind of information. Civilian willed herself to stop thinking about what was going through her head, not wanting to be reminded of the bad things Mayor had done. It was true that they were a little corrupt, but they were better than the other candidates had been, by far. Right? And besides, they’d… they’d warned her what would happen if she told someone.

“I know you know something, Civilian,” Villain said in a dangerous tone. Her hand moved towards the gun almost imperceptibly. “Give me what I want, and you can walk away unharmed. I’d hate to be the one to ruin such a lovely face.”

She whimpered, pressing against the edge of her desk as hard as she could. “I-I can’t, I’m sorry, I can’t. Please… please don’t hurt me.”

“It’s worse than I thought,” Villain said with a shake of her head, leaning even closer. “But you want to tell me, don’t you, darling? You’re just burning to whisper this dirty little secret, aren’t you?”

Civilian let go of the desk, trying to shift over to the left, but a sudden grip on her wrist made her stop. She attempted to tug her arm back, determined to escape, but the hold was iron. 

“Ah-ah-ah.” Villain clucked her tongue, reaching out to brush a hair out of Civilian’s face. Civilian shuddered, her heart nearly beating out of her chest. “We can’t have you running away, my dear, not before you answer a few questions.”

“I won’t tell you anything,” she managed weakly, paralyzed with fear. “Like I said, I… I can’t.”

Villain sighed, but she didn’t look at all disappointed. “I suppose that means we’ll have to do this another way.” She raised her free hand up to the side of her head, tapping an earpiece Civilian hadn’t noticed earlier. “Henchman? Forget the mayor. I’m taking the girl.”

“Wh-“

“Sorry, love. Looks like our conversation will have to wait.” Villain studied the assistant with a crooked half-smile, pulling a cloth out of her pocket.

Civilian’s eyes widened, and she tried desperately to jerk her wrist away. “No, please no, no, no-“

Her escape attempts were all in vain. Villain cut off her protests by holding the cloth, soaked in something that smelled sickly sweet, up to Civilian’s face, pressing it over her mouth and nose. She cried out, the sound muffled by the fabric, trying to pull at Villain’s hand. This couldn’t be happening, this couldn’t be happening. 

“Shhhh,” the criminal murmured. “Don’t fight it. I know you’re tired, darling. 

Despite those words, she kept struggling, panic overriding her brain functions. But it was useless, and she could already feel her strength waning, arms falling limply to her sides.

Villain’s smile grew, and she leaned forward so far that her lips were almost touching Civilian’s ear. The last thing she heard before her vision went completely dark was a low, soft voice: “Sweet dreams, Civilian. It was lovely to make your acquaintance.”

And everything faded away. 

word count: 1204

part II

[assortedcriminality]

prompt #5

Hero abruptly shot to their feet, slamming their cuffed hands on the metal table in front of them with a loud crash. “I’m going to MURDER YOU!” They screamed, fury dancing in their eyes. Their hands shook from the impact, trembling with pain and anger. 

Villain laughed, tracing a finger over the dent Hero’s fists had left in the silvery surface. “Now, that’s more like it.”

[assortedcriminality]

snippet #4

Contains: blood, mentions of violence and death

Hero stumbled into the alley, hand clutching their side. Blood stained their ripped costume, dried flecks of it splattered across their face. Their assignment had gone badly wrong. It was supposed to be a simple case, investigating the robbery of some prototype technology in the manufacturing district. Hero had told Superhero they could handle it alone. 

But the minute they had entered the building, Supervillain ambushed them with the modified tech. Some kind of destructive blast cut straight through their enhanced suit, so painful they couldn’t even reach for their power to fight back. Hero had been lucky that the weapon backfired on Supervillain, giving them just enough time to escape. 

Now, they pressed their back against the rough brick of the alley, trying desperately to get their thoughts straight. Pain shot through their body with the force of a hundred daggers. It was unlike anything Hero had experienced in their years as a crimefighter. Even worse was the knowledge that they hadn’t been able to do anything to defend themself. If and when the villains perfected this technology, how could the heroes stand a chance against them? They had to warn their team. 

That was it: their team. Hero scrambled for their phone with shaking hands. The screen was badly cracked from being sent flying back from the blast, but it was still usable. It turned on, showing a barrage of texts and calls. But not from their team. A sinking feeling took over Hero as their fear compounded. Villain had been trying to reach them. They had never missed Villain’s calls before—there was no telling what their nemesis might do if they were ignored. Their fear rising to levels of panic, they tapped the call button. 

Villain picked up immediately. 

“Where the hell are you?” Villain snapped.

“I-I don’t know.” Their voice came out strained from pain. “The… manufacturing district.” 

“What happened? Why didn’t you answer me?”

“My assignment… I was ambushed.” They slid down the wall, the movement eliciting a groan. “They shot me with-with some kind of… new weapon.”

Villain was silent for a moment. “Who did?”

“…Supervillain.”

When they spoke again, it was with so much fury that Hero nearly flinched. “Don’t move. I’m on my way.”

Before Hero could say anything, the call ended. Their hand dropped to their side, phone skittering across the ground, their body utterly exhausted and wracked with pain. They slid down the wall, their breathing coming in short, shallow bursts, skin growing ashen at an alarming rate. Sweat dripped off their body, joining a growing pool of blood beneath them. Hero leaned their head back against the brick and closed their eyes. 

They didn’t realize they had passed out until a gloved hand roughly shook them awake. 

“Hero. Hero,” an equally rough voice said. 

The crime-fighter’s eyes fluttered open. Their sight was blurry, surroundings looking more like gray-brown blobs than an alleyway. Before them knelt a dark figure, slowly coming into focus as they blinked rapidly. 

“Villain?” They managed to croak out. A rattling cough shook their body, reigniting the white-hot agony that pulsed from the wound in their side. Hero fell sideways, letting out a low moan. Villain caught them before their head hit the ground, carefully supporting them back to a sitting position. The criminal’s usually stony face was soft as they surveyed Hero’s battered body.  

“My darling…” they said quietly, wiping a tear off their cheek.

Despite their better instincts, Hero flinched away. “D-don’t,” they said through pain-gritted teeth.

The other tilted their head. “Don’t what?”

“Don’t pre-pretend to care. You don’t.”

Villain’s features hardened. They stood up, leaving Hero only a second to catch themself, half-collapsed on the dirt-ridden stone. 

“Of course I care,” they snarled. “You weren’t answering your phone. I didn't know where you were. I thought you were dead.” They turned and walked a few feet away, fists clenched at their sides. “Supervillain. That fool. Thought they could hurt what’s mine. That’ll be their last mistake”

“I’m not-“

Villain ignored them, voice rising. “They thought they could have you like I do. Tried to kill-“

“St-stop-“

“They dared to touch MY HERO!” Villain roared, spinning on their heel, cape fluttering. Their darkened eyes fixed on the Hero, filled with murderous rage. 

“I AM NOT YOURS!” Hero shouted back, trembling. Adrenaline and pain was making them bold—Villain was too unpredictable to antagonize, usually Hero wouldn’t even try. 

A shadow crossed the criminal’s face. Hero heard a low growl, and Villain disappeared from their spot in the grimy alley. Before the crime-fighter could react, they reappeared directly in front of them, grabbing their chin and forcing it upward. Hero cried out, their injury sending yet another flare of pain through their body.

“You are whatever I say you are,” Villain hissed. “And I say you’re mine. Understand?”

“I-I understand,” they said in a choked voice, momentary burst of defiance gone. A tear trailed down their cheek.

“Good.” The criminal released them. Hero sobbed, head falling to their chest. They buried their face in their hands, strength leaking out of them like blood from an open wound. Crying was supposed to make you feel better, but with every second they wept, Hero felt worse and worse.

“Oh, don’t cry, darling.” Fingers twisted into their hair, tugging gently until they looked up. Villain smiled. “I’m here now. And I’m going to hunt Supervillain down and give them a very painful death.”

They knelt, pressing their lips softly against Hero’s forehead. When they pulled away, their enemy just stared at their departing figure, tears still falling from their defeated eyes. Numbness crept over them, erasing the overwhelming emotions they should have been feeling. It was hopeless. They’d never escape them. They belonged to them. There was nothing they could do. 

Hero slumped to the blood-splattered ground and closed their eyes. By the time their team finally found them, Supervillain was long dead. 

word count: 985

taglist: @sausages-things

[assortedcriminality]

prompt #4

“What are you doing?”

“What does it look like I’m doing?”

“Aren’t you supposed to be… you know, torturing me, or whatever?”

“Do you want me to?”

“Well, no, but I didn’t expect you to break out the Ben & Jerry’s.”

[assortedcriminality]

snippet #3

Contains: blood (not much), knives, violence

Civilian’s eyes fluttered open, their vision intensely blurry. Blinking a few times to clear it up and wincing from a sharp pain in their temple, they raised their head. Instantly they startled, letting out a yelp as a figure came into focus across from them—staring right at their face.

“Awake at last,” the person drawled, tapping their fingers on the table-the table? 

“W-wh…” words failed Civilian immediately, their mouth refusing to cooperate. Their brain hadn’t yet caught up with their surroundings, but they were pretty sure they were sitting up. Why would they be sitting up? Who was the person on the other side of the table? Where-

“I’m sure you have quite a few questions.” The stranger���s voice interrupted their train of thought. “But I have some rather more pressing ones for you as well.”

Another wave of hurt came from Civilian’s head. They reached up a hand to steady themself, ignoring the stranger, but felt something…wet. With some hesitance, they took it away. It was covered in blood.

“I’m sorry about that,” the person said in a tone that didn’t sound very apologetic. “My employee was a little rough. But it was a necessary precaution, as I’m sure you’ll soon understand.”

Civilian tried to respond, to ask what was going on, but their voice wouldn’t cooperate. All that came out was a dry, rasping cough that shook their whole body. 

“I’ll give you a minute to recover,” said the stranger. They shifted through a pile of papers on their side of the table that Civilian hadn’t noticed before. Their pen jotted a few quick notes down on one of the sheets while Civilian took a deep breath, trying their best to ground themself. They couldn’t panic. They had to stay focused. If they couldn’t figure out what was happening and didn’t manage to escape on their own… well, Lover had insisted on them having that tracker in their phone.

“Wh-where am I?” They finally managed. Their voice was hoarse, as if it hadn’t been used in months. Hell, they didn’t know how long they’d been out. It was possible. Unlikely, sure, but possible. God, I really, really, really hope not.

The stranger smiled and wrote something on their page. “The Agency, of course.”

Civilian blinked. “The-the Agency? Like… the hero agency. For people with actual superpowers? What?”

“Most people with actual superpowers, as you say,” the stranger corrected. “There are always those who slip through our fingers and dedicate themselves to villainy. That’s what I’ve brought you here to discuss.”

Their head pounded. “Who are you?”

The stranger’s grin widened. “Why, I’m Superhero. I thought that was quite obvious.”

“S-Superhero?” This wasn’t real. It couldn’t be. They’d eaten spicy food last night and were having a bad dream, that’s it. Why would Superhero, of all people, kidnap them? They weren’t a hero, not even a sidekick. Sure they had powers, but the Agency only took first and secondary powered individuals. Civilian’s tertiary power, the ability to calm others with their singing, was good for helping Lover relax after a long day at work, but not so much for fighting crime. 

“Yes. Now then, Civilian, I wanted to ask you something…” Superhero flipped through a file, pulling out a photograph. “Do you know who this is?”

Civilian raised an eyebrow, wincing when they found it hurt to do so. Of course they knew who it was. The picture was of Supervillain, the most notorious criminal in the city. They had evaded the heroes for years, stealing from every important figure in range and causing destruction with their powers of invulnerability and telekinesis. In the photo, they had their hands raised, floating in front of a smoking skyscraper. A team of heroes were surrounding them from all angles, but they wore a confident smirk, as if they knew something no one else did. “That’s Supervillain.”

“Indeed. Now—“ Supervillain took another photo from their folder and slid it across the table. “I believe you know this person?”

Civilian started. The image was of Lover, wearing a suit in a restaurant. They appeared to be meeting with a business partner, as they often did. “Why do you-“ 

“Answer the question, Civilian,” the hero interrupted. “Do you or do you not know this person?”

“I-I do,” they stammered. What did Lover have to do with this, whatever ‘this’ was? “But-“

“Everything will become clear in just a moment.” Superhero withdrew the photo and placed it back in the file. “You and this person, Lover, have been dating for over three years. Is that correct?”

Civilian stared at them. “I…yes. That’s right.”

“And you work as a performer?”

“Yes. I’m a-a singer.”

The crimefighter scribbled something and glanced down at a paper. “And Lover, they’re in business?”

“Real estate,” they said numbly. “But why-“

“All in due time,” Superhero said without looking up. “Real estate,” they chuckled quietly, giving no explanation. “And you met them when?”

Civilian shifted in their chair. “A little under four years ago. I was doing a show at a restaurant. They came up after, gave me a tip, complimented my voice…”

“And you lived happily ever after,” Superhero finished for them, flipping through a few more pages. “You live together, yes? An apartment building off 57th?”

“How do you-“ 

“Nice apartment for a real estate mogul, isn’t it?” they cut in. “Penthouse and everything?”

“They work for a very successful-“

Superhero closed the file with a pronounced slam. Their expression was incomprehensible. “You want to know why you’re here, Civilian?”

Civilian, caught off guard, nodded. 

The hero folded their hands on the table. “I want information on Supervillain.”

Their head was spinning. This was all so confusing, so wrong. None of it made any sense. Why would Superhero kidnap them—violently, it seemed—and think they knew any more about Supervillain than the Agency? “I don’t know why you think I can help you. I don’t know anything about them. Please, I don’t know what you did to me, but just leave me alone.”

Superhero tilted their head to the side, a pitying expression forming on their face. “I know you know, Civilian. Don’t make me do something I don’t want to.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” they snapped, standing up. They were done with this. Clearly, Superhero wasn’t the person everyone thought they were, all shiny and moral, placed on a pedestal by the whole city. “But I don’t want to hear it.” They stormed over to the door and were about to throw it open when their body froze against their will, hands slamming to their sides. 

“Sit,” Superhero said. 

Civilian’s eyes widened in horror as their legs began to move back towards the chair of their own volition. They’d never seen Superhero’s powers used before, never imagined how terrifying it could be. The ability to control others with their mind, used to easily dispatch criminals without any need for bloodshed. They struggled to no avail as their hand reached to pull out their chair. Superhero’s face was full of mock disappointment. 

“Now then,” the hero said as Civilian was forced to sit down again. “Let’s continue, shall we? We were talking about Supervillain, weren’t we?”

Civilian couldn’t speak. They couldn’t move. They were trapped in their own body, unable to do anything but move their eyes. 

“Please don’t continue your naive stubbornness,” they sighed. “I’m afraid I don’t have the patience for it. Tell me what you know. This is your last chance.”

“I don’t know anything,” were the words that shot out immediately, before Civilian even realized they could talk again. “Please believe me, I don’t know-“

“Civilian, dear.” Superhero shook their head. “I’m sorry, I just can’t believe you when I know you’re dating Supervillain.”

Their breathing stopped. “What?”

“Supervillain, Lover…” the hero shrugged. “One and the same. I mean, it all seems quite obvious now. I simply can’t trust that you didn’t know.”

A laugh burbled up in Civilian’s throat. “You can’t be serious. Lover, a master criminal? That’s ridiculous. You have the wrong person. Lover doesn’t even have powers.”

“So you’re telling me you’ve never noticed anything off about them? Like the way they never seem to get injured, even everyday things like paper cuts and little bruises?” they asked skeptically.

“They’re just-just lucky, I guess.” Come on. Anyone could avoid injury just by being careful. And besides, just because Civilian had never seen them get hurt doesn’t mean they never had been. 

Superhero’s eyebrows rose. “Lucky. All right, how about the way they’re gone from dusk to dawn with no real explanation? Or how we’ve witnessed them meeting with Villain, a known criminal, under the guise of making a real estate deal?”

Civilian shook their head vehemently. “No. No. No. You’re wrong. You’re wrong. It’s all just a misunderstanding. They’re not like that. They would never break the law like that, put people in danger.” Their voice rose. “You don’t know them.”

The hero let out a snarl, their face contorting, rising half out of their chair. “You know something. I know you do. You will tell me.”

“I don’t know anything!” Civilian yelled, standing up again. Superhero seemed to have forgotten to keep controlling them. “Leave me alone!”

Superhero rose to their full height, sliding their chair back. Their expression was murderous. They put a hand on the edge of the table and slammed it to the left, making it crash into the wall. Civilian let out a yelp, hastily stumbling backward as Superhero approached.

“St-stay away from me,” Civilian said, hands outstretched. Their back hit the wall. Before they could move, Superhero’s hand smashed into the brick beside their head. With their other, they pulled a knife from their belt. Civilian froze, terrified eyes meeting the hero’s furious ones.

“You do know. You know everything. And I will drag it out of you however I need to,” they growled. “I don’t even need this knife, though it would be fun. I could make you jump out of the window. I could make you stab yourself in the heart. So I suggest you tell me what I want to know. Now.”

Tears began to slide down Civilian’s face. “Lover isn’t Supervillain, I don’t know anything, I swear, I don’t know—“

Superhero’s knife slashed up in a flash of silver, cutting a bold line across their cheek. They cried out, more tears mingling with the blood that immediately began to stream down their chin in a thin, steady line. 

“How dare you,” they demanded, managing to glare the supposed hero down through their pain. “Everyone parades you around, saying how amazing and great you are, and here you are torturing me.”

A sinister smile formed on Superhero’s face. They angled their knife on their captive’s shoulder, starting to slowly dig in with the tip. Civilian bit their lip, determined to be defiant. “No one ever needs to know. Give me what I want, and I’ll stop. Simple as that.”

“I…” they trailed off, gasping as Superhero dug their blade deeper into their shoulder. “Don’t know… anything.”

“You lying bi—“

BOOM. The door fell flat on the wooden floor, sending up a cloud of dust. Bricks clattered to the ground, loosened by the force. Superhero whirled around, knife still held tightly in their fist. A tall figure stepped into the light, clad in a dark gray supersuit and a black mask that covered their features. A mask anyone in the city would recognize. 

“No,” Civilian breathed, forgetting their pain.

“Supervillain,” Superhero drawled. In a flash, they turned momentarily to seize Civilian’s wrist and pull them forward. They were too frozen to struggle as the hero’s arm wrapped around their waist and the knife was placed on their pulse point, forcing their chin up. “How nice of you to join us.”

Civilian held back a sob as Supervillain’s masked gaze slid to them. It wasn’t true. It couldn’t be. They hadn’t believed it for a second, not through the hero’s insistence. They had never doubted their partner, not ever. They’d never had a reason to. But now…

“Lover.” The name was less than a whisper on their lips, but the villain still flinched.

Superhero glanced down at their hostage. “You really didn’t know?” They gave an exaggerated sigh. “Well, I suppose you were somewhat useful. Now…” They faced Supervillain with a triumphant expression. “Turn yourself over to me, or I slit their pretty little throat.” 

Supervillain’s finger twitched. It was an almost imperceptible movement, unnoticeable had Civilian not been watching them a hawk. A wicked blade, about twelve inches long, sat in the air in front of Superhero’s face. It was as if it had appeared out of nowhere. The hero stiffened.

“Release them. Now. Or I kill you. They’re innocent, they have no part in this.” Their voice was both familiar and unfamiliar, deeper and a little raspier than usual. 

Superhero sneered at them around the blade. “They lost their innocence the second they started dating a master criminal. They’re just collateral now.” They increased their pressure on the knife, causing a thin line of blood to bead up on the hostage’s neck. “You’re fast, but are you fast enough? You might kill me, but you’ll be too late to save them.”

Civilian trembled in the hero’s grip, staring at the criminal’s motionless figure. They didn’t want Supervillain—Lover—to kill Superhero, no matter how terrible they were. They didn’t want to watch Lover do such a horrible thing, accept that they were capable of murder. It was the right thing for Supervillain to turn themself in, but Superhero was corrupt, possibly unstable. Civilian didn’t want to see them win either.

“Fine.” Supervillain’s blade clattered to the ground. The criminal held out their hands to Superhero. “Take me. Just let them go.”

The hero grinned. They stepped away from Civilian, offering the knife to them handle-first. “Hold this for me, love. For insurance.”

For the second time, their hand moved of its own accord. To their horror, it grabbed the knife and placed it on their neck again. They were frozen like that, not even able to speak. Supervillain’s shoulders tightened. The hero drew closer to them, taking a pair of thick power-suppressing handcuffs from their belt. 

“I can’t believe all it took to bring in the mighty Supervillain was a little mouse of a civilian,” they said, grabbing the criminal’s left hand roughly and forcing it into one of the cuffs, securing it with a loud click. The hero lifted their head and smirked at their masked face. “Ridiculous, isn’t it?”

“Quite,” Supervillain murmured. Their captor continued speaking, but it wasn’t Superhero they were looking at. Instead, they gazed past at their partner’s ashen face, the blood matted in their hair, running from their cheek and shoulder. That’s when Civilian saw it. The subtle twitch of the villain’s finger on their uncuffed hand. The dusty brick that seemed to appear out of nowhere, hovering just above Superhero’s head. The hostage’s eyes widened. The hero hadn’t seen the movement, they were focused on their monologue, convinced they had already won. Civilian couldn’t say anything, couldn’t warn them. They weren’t even sure they wanted to. 

The brick came down. Superhero collapsed to the ground mid-sentence. Civilian dropped their knife, backing away. They watched as Supervillain knelt and unclipped a set of keys from the unconscious hero’s belt. They chose a silver one and unlocked the cuff on their left wrist, letting it fall to the floor with a clatter. Only then did they look up at their partner. Soundlessly, they brought a hand to their face and slipped off their black mask, revealing the features beneath. Lover’s eyes met theirs. 

“Civilian, I’m so sorry—“

“Save it, Lover,” they said, voice trembling. “You lied to me. You’ve lied to me from the day we met. You’re a villain.”

Their pain was obvious on their face. “I know. It’s my fault you’re here. I’m so, so sorry, Civilian. I never meant for you to get hurt.”

“I was going to get hurt anyway!” they burst out. “No matter what happened, you were going to hurt me. Maybe not like this, but did you really think you could hide who you are forever? Why did you do this?” Their voice broke. “Why would you do this to me?” 

“Because I’m selfish,” they said. “And I love you. I loved you too much to tell you, and I was too selfish to let you go.” 

“Is that supposed to make me forgive you?” Tears began to well up in their eyes again. Their head pounded. “Because you love me, you think that makes everything okay?”

“Of course not.” Their voice was full of anguish. “It doesn’t make up for it. Nothing does. I don’t expect you to forgive me. I would understand if you hated me forever.”

“Lover…” Civilian put a hand to their forehead. The room was spinning, lightheadedness sinking in. “Lover, I don’t—“ 

Their knees buckled. Lover was there in a millisecond, catching them gently and holding them upright. Their head fell into Lover’s shoulder. The villain examined them with concern. A sheen of sweat stood out at their hairline. Their breathing was shallow and laborious. 

“Civilian. Civilian, are you all right?” they asked. 

“It-it hurts,” they whispered. 

Their partner’s eyes widened. “You’ve lost more blood than I thought. Your adrenaline’s kept you functioning all this time.” They placed a hand under Civilian’s knees and lifted them up into their arms. “I’m taking you to the hospital.”

“I want to go home,” they mumbled.

Lover gave them a sad smile, starting out of the empty door frame. “So do I, my love.”

So do I. 

word count: 2948

[assortedcriminality]

prompt #3

“Oh, my darling,” Villain crooned. They circled a glaring Hero, whose face and arms were covered in scratches. Well, it had certainly been a challenge, but now Villain had exactly what they needed. Exactly what they wanted… what they wanted more than anything. The criminal leaned over into Hero’s terrified face and chuckled—a low, dangerous sound. “We’re going to have such fun together.”

[assortedcriminality]

snippet #2

Hero looked up from their anxious pacing and let out a sigh of relief as a dark shape dropped into the alley. “Villain,” they breathed, stepping forward and throwing their arms around their lover’s neck. “I was beginning to think you weren’t coming.”

“Well, I’m here now,” Villain said, carefully removing the arms from them. It was always a shock to see Hero in civilian clothes, with their hair down and their face clear of disguises. Not exactly like a regular person, because they could never be regular. That smile, their laugh, those beautiful eyes--it would all make them stand out in any crowd. 

“So… what is it that you want to talk about?” Hero asked, bringing Villain back to the present. 

Internally, Villain steeled themself for what they were about to say. They stood up straight, tossed their head, and put on their best smirk. “I just thought you’d want to know the truth about our relationship.”

Their lover looked taken aback. “Oh…well, if there’s something important I should know…”

“It’s very important,” the criminal assured them. “So important you’d better run back to Superhero and tell them everything I’m about to say.”

Hero’s eyes widened. “What? Is Supervillain planning something, or-“

Villain laughed. “It’s not Supervillain’s plan, dear. It’s mine. And it worked perfectly.”

Their nemesis took an unconscious step backward, confused and a little wary. “I don’t understand.”

“Oh, but you wouldn’t. You were always clever, I suppose, but you’re far more gullible than you think.”

“V-Villain, what-“

“What I’m trying to say,” they continued, “is that this was fun, but I have what I came here for.” They grinned at the dumbstruck Hero. “What, still don’t get it? I made you love me. None of this was ever real.”

Hero’s mouth opened and closed, but no sound came out. They were too shocked to speak. Tears started forming in their eyes. 

Villain chuckled. “It started out as a ploy for information, of course. But once I saw how hopelessly you fell for me, I decided to stick around and see what else I could get.”

“But-but I never told you anything about the agency, or-“

“Darling, you really think you didn’t tell me anything? You betrayed yourself and the agency to me so many times, it’s laughable.”

Fear crept into Hero’s face. “N-no. It’s not possible.”

The criminal sighed. “When are you going to get it into your head that I won? I’ve been lying to you for so long, and you never even noticed.��

“I don’t believe you’re that good of an actor.” Their fists were clenched but trembling, doubt creeping in through the cracks despite themself.

“Oh, I’m a terrible actor,” Villain said, examining their nails uninterestedly. “You’re just that big of a fool.”

Hero sobbed, stumbling back until they hit the alley wall and covering their face with their hands. It was true, then, they thought hopelessly. This was nothing like the person they had dated. They didn’t know them at all…

“Oh, don’t cry, darling,” Villain soothed. “It’s not your fault. But really… if you couldn’t see what was right in front of you, are you sure you’re cut out for the hero business?”

Anger and misery were boiling over in Hero’s mind. They shoved their hands out in front of them, a burst of power blasting their enemy away from them. Villain put their arms in front of them to protect themself, but even now, they could tell Hero wasn’t really trying to hurt them. 

“Leave me alone!” The crime-fighter cried, tears dripping from their chin. “Go! I never want to see you again!”

Villain shrugged. “Whatever you want, love. But think about what I said, will you? It might be time for a career change.” They gave Hero one last dazzling smile and lifted off into the sky. In the alley below them, their former partner slid to the ground and buried their face in their knees. Villain could hear their sobs echoing in their ears all the way back to their base. 

Once they got there, they looked around to make sure all of their henchmen had gone home like they’d ordered. When they were sure they were alone, they pulled out their phone and dialed a number with shaking hands. 

Supervillain picked up immediately. “Did you do it?”

“Yes. And you’ll uphold your end of the deal?”

“As long as you stay away from them, Hero will be safe from me.” The smile in their voice was evident. “Pleasure doing business with you, Villain.” And with that, they hung up. 

Numbly, Villain set down their phone. Their heart felt like someone was squeezing it out of their chest. Hero’s heartbroken face was floating in front of their vision, in so much pain, all because of them. How could they do this to someone they loved so much? But how could they not, with someone as powerful as Supervillain threatening their lover’s life? 

“I’m so sorry, Hero,” they whispered. They lowered their head, eyes closing in defeat. “I’m going to keep you safe. I’ll do whatever it takes.”

Only then did they finally allow themself to cry.

word count: 858

[assortedcriminality]

prompt #2

“Shit, you’re way more tired than I thought,” Villain said, easily dodging a poorly-aimed kick and ducking to avoid a malformed punch.

“Not tired,” Hero grunted, pausing the fight to half-fall into a wall, using an elbow to support themself. “Mmfine.”

Villain raised an eyebrow. “I see. Then you’ll be able to easily escape when I do this.”

Blindingly fast, they grabbed Hero’s shoulder and shoved them hard to the ground. The crime-fighter let out a sharp cry, pain radiating through their back. Their nemesis was on top of them before they could even think to move, straddling their hips and pinning their wrists to the floor.

“Go on,” Villain said, eyes gleaming as they locked gazes with their enemy. “Get up.”