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chaotic-orphan · 11 months

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Anon request — 1.1

Okay so this originated from the anon ask about Supervillain being the Heroes tool and it was my first draft of it but I don’t think it really fit into the request when it ran away with me so I’m posting it as a stand alone piece instead. Two for the price of one? Happier anon? Perhaps?

*~*~*~*~*

When Superhero finally caught Supervillain they didn’t do it quietly. They called every broadcaster, every newspaper, every independent reporter to city hall where they held a press conference.

“Come on, Supervillain. Smile! You’re going to be on prime time TV!” Superhero grinned, eyes full of sickening malice. Superhero walked out to the steps where a podium was set up, arms up in a wide V. Forever the show person.

Supervillain could hear them speak to the masses. Recounting their humble tale with far less graphic detail and bloodshed than there actually was. A couple good wins over evil cliches and Supervillain knew that the recruiting sector of the Hero agency would be booming after Superhero’s heroic display.

“Of course, you don’t have to take my word for it. The fearsome Supervillain is no more! With our latest power dampening cuffs from the Hero Agency Supervillain will now be nothing more than a criminal locked away for their crimes!”

Supervillain emerged to a sound of applause, the number two and three Hero escorting them out onto the podium. When Supervillain stepped onto the podium so the reporters could see them, a hushed reverence fell over the crowd at seeing Supervillain in chains. The cuts on their face from Superhero’s fight still there, the blood caked around their nose making it difficult to breathe.

“Fear not. Now they are no more dangerous than a teddy bear,” Superhero said, throwing an arm around Supervillain’s shoulder. Turning their head from the mic, Superhero said: “kneel.”

Supervillain’s lips curled back into a snarl as they replied: “make me.”

Number two hero kicked at the back of Supervillain’s leg, and Supervillain’s leg dipped a bit but they stayed standing. They looked over their shoulder at the Number Two Hero who was shaking like a leaf and bared their teeth.

Superhero cleared their throat and Supervillain looked back at them. They got caught in Superhero’s horrific, electric blue eyes as Superhero grinned. “Ohhh you’re gonna regret saying that, old friend.”

After the press conference Supervillain expected to be put into one of the armoured vehicles and be carded off to Insurmountable prison. They had resigned themselves to it even, that was until Superhero held a hand up, stopping the guards.

“Actually officers, I’ve had a change of heart. They’re coming home with me.”

Supervillain glared at Superhero. “You can’t do that. There are rules and regulations you abide by.”

Superhero smiled. “I’ve already arranged for it with the Mayor. She A-okay’d it. So I’ll be taking them from here, officers. Thank you.”

Supervillain with their Jack-rabbiting heart was passed off to Superhero without a second glance. Without question. They were just given to their enemy. Superhero clicked their car keys and the boot opened. Supervillain shot a deadpan look at Superhero.

“You can’t be serious.”

“Oh deadly,” superhero said with a grin. “I can’t trust you not to crash the car killing us both. So you go where the dogs go, don’t you?”

Superhero punched Supervillain, again and again and again until they didn’t try to get up anymore and then they simply scooped them up bridle style and put them in the boot of the car. “See? Good dog.”

Then the boot slammed shut and Supervillain felt something sprout inside them that they haven’t felt in years. Fear crawled out from it’s hiding place and settled heavy on their chest, like a cat curling up against their rib cage.

Superhero had them.

Powerless.

Unregulated. Unknown to the public. To anyone.

No one was coming for Supervillain, because no one would know where they were.

Superhero appeared at the boot again, and said: “do you want to get out yourself or do you want to be carried?”

Supervillain got out themselves, struggling to get out with their hands handcuffed behind their back.

“You learn so quick. Good.”

Superhero brought them to the basement, because of course they had a dungeon in their basement. When they got in Superhero opened the cell door and pushed Supervillain in before locking the door.

“Put your hands through the gap,” said Superhero and Supervillain did. Superhero took the cuffs off of Supervillain whose eyes went wide when they suddenly had their wrists free. Then their gaze turned suspicious as they turned to face Superhero.

Superhero just grinned their hideous grin and said: “I made this cell just for you. Same thing in here—“ Superhero said, pointing at the handcuffs. “Is all around these beautiful walls. You can try summon your power, but it won’t happen. Though I would love to see you try.”

“If I can’t use my powers, that means you can’t either.”

“That’s true,” Superhero grinned, something knowing in their unnerving electric eyes. “But I won’t be needing them. Kneel.”

Supervillain glared at them and Superhero shrugged with a smile. “Kneel.”

Superhero shrugged again. “Last chance, Supervillain. Kneel.”

Supervillain stayed standing, head held high. Superhero let out a sigh, then said: “okay. No food privilege for you. For what? Let’s say three days? For disobeying me three times.”

“What? You can’t do that!”

“Oh, you’re right. Four times! For that one time at City hall too. Good. See you in four days, Supervillain.”

The panic clawed at their throat as they ran to the bars watching as Superhero walked up the stairs whistling all the while. “Superhero! SUPERHERO! You can’t just leave me here! Superhero!”

But Superhero closed the door and it locked and Supervillain was alone in the power proof cell. At first it was fine.

Then their stomach grumbled after a while and Supervillain realised the room had no windows, and how much they had taken the change of day for granted. After that realisation it seemed the days lasted weeks.

They were on the ground, lying down facing the wall when the door opened again and down came Superhero whistling.

“Grubs up, Supervillain,” Superhero said and Supervillain turned their head to see a tray with a bowl and a couple bottle of waters on it. They got up, too fast as a dizzy spell took over and Superhero said: “easy now, Supervillain. Take your time.”

There was porridge in the bowl, but Supervillain ignored it for one of the water bottles and chugged it, stopping halfway for a gasp of air as it slid cool down into their empty stomach and made their hunger pangs growl.

“Eat it slow, you must be hungry,” Superhero said voice full of compassion and Supervillain wanted to bite and snap and growl, but they stayed silent and took Superhero’s advice and ate slow anyway. Supervillain closed their eyes after the first hot spoonful of plain porridge, savouring it.

Superhero sat on the other side of the cell door facing supervillain as they ate. Their eyes were normal, a warm honey colour when they weren’t high off their powers. They looked human. Supervillain didn’t trust it for a second.

“I had a dream about you last night,” said Superhero softly. Supervillain scoffed. “I did,” superhero insisted.

“Oh yeah? About what?”

“About…” superhero laughed a bit, embarrassed and shook their head. “Nevermind. Too weird.”

“You have to tell me now,” said Supervillain, putting the half full bowl back onto the tray. Superhero followed their hands and then trailed their gaze up to Supervillain’s eyes.

“We… uh, we were friends,” said Superhero shyly. They looked Supervillain in the eyes, surprise on their face. “You’re not laughing?”

Supervillain shrugged, resting their head against the wall and crossing one leg over another keeping them extended in front of them. Satisfied.

“Why would I laugh? It makes sense. We’re both devoted. Hardworking. Loyal. Top of our fields. Brilliant. Delusions of grandeur. Think we’re doing the right thing,” Supervillain listed. “If we were on the same side, we’d be formidable.”

“Yeah… yeah we would,” said Superhero, voice so soft and small it was almost dreamy. Superhero got to their feet then, stretching their arms to the ceiling, before asking: “you’ll never kneel, will you?”

Supervillain smiled in reply. “You’re going to have to kill me first.”

Superhero smiled, a genuine smile before nodding. “Okay then. See you tomorrow, Supervillain.”

“Yeah. See you.”

Superhero came the next day like they said, but they didn’t come alone. Instead they were dragging a skinny girl in chains who looked like she hadn’t eaten in days. Or hadn’t eaten well. Her eyes were wide and scared as Superhero pulled her down the stairs with their unyielding way before stopping before Supervillain’s cell door.

“Superhero— what the fuck are you doing?” Supervillain asked, looking at the girl who was trembling.

“Supervillain meet ECHO. ECHO, meet Supervillain,” Superhero said, eyes that horrible electric blue. “I was thinking about our chat yesterday, Supervillain. That we would be such a power team. Unstoppable. Ferocious. All the crime would grind to a stop with us together. The only problem? We’re on different sides. That’s where ECHO comes in.”

Superhero yanked ECHO’s hands back by the wrist and the girl winced, her wrists red rimmed and bleeding from the power dampeners on them.

“Let her go, Superhero.”

“Oh. I intend to,” Superhero replied, eyes flashing. “See this is our little deal. The agency decided ECHO’s power was too unpredictable so we have had her at the Hero Tower for her entire life, but I am offering her her freedom if she does one incy, bincy little favour for me. Isn’t that right ECHO?”

Supervillain’s heart was hammering against their chest as they asked: “what’s your power ECHO?”

“That’s the best part. She can alter memories, and in our case, dear Supervillain, wipe them completely.”

ECHO cried shaking her head as she looked at Supervillain. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” she sobbed and Supervillain shook their head.

“No. No it’s okay. I lived my life. You do what you need to. Earn your freedom, it’s okay. I forgive you. It’s okay ECHO.”

Superhero grinned. “Excellent. Well,” Superhero took the cuffs off the girl’s wrists and pushed her towards Supervillain. “Make sure to take all their ideas of villainy and hate towards me too, ECHO.”

ECHO’s bottom lip was trembling. So Supervillain reached through the bars grabbed her shaking hand and squeezed reassuringly. “It’s okay. Do it. It’s okay, ECHO.”

That’s the last thing Supervillain ever said.

When they came to they were in the Hero tower medbay with amnesia. Superhero was there, because Superhero was always there.

“You really had me worried, Void.”

Void blinked, a pounding headache was all they were left with from the cause of their injuries. “We got them. We got Supervillain. They’re gone. We put them away.”

“We did?” Void asked, head still pounding in their skull. They lay down on the bed again and smiled, closing their eyes: “finally.”

Their eyes were closed, so they didn’t notice the gleam in Superhero’s eyes as they watched their old nemesis forget who they were.

“We did. Now all that’s left is to dismantle their crime empire. But we can start tomorrow. Rest now. We have a big day tomorrow.”

So Void rested on the bed in the medbay of the hero tower and thought nothing unusual of it. If their headache could just go away that would be ideal.

The next day they started raids on Supervillain’s hideouts, but they were no match for Superhero and Void. The perfect team. Moving as one as they always did.

The smaller hideouts were easier to hit. Void seemed to instinctively know the hot spots of the Villain’s that they couldn’t quite… explain. It was nearly like muscle memory, and then one of the minor Villain’s looked at Void with wide scared eyes.

“S-s-supervillain? What are you doing with Superhero? Why are you—“ an electric blue arc shot through the villain’s shoulder and they fell to the ground, screaming. Void was stunned. Standing stock still until Superhero was at their side.

“Void? You okay?”

Void shook their head, their headache pounding hard against their skull. They put a hand to their temple, stumbling a bit and Superhero caught them before they fell.

“Void?!”

“I’m— I’m okay…”

“What happened?”

“It’s nothing… it’s probably just lingering effects from Supervillain…”

Superhero screwed their lips up, resolute as they tightened a reassuring hand on Void’s arm. “Okay. We’re going home.”

“I’m—“

“No. It was too soon to bring you back to the field… we’re going home.”

Void didn’t have the energy to fight them on it. So they went back to base, had a shower took some headache tablets and was sitting on the windowsill overlooking the city, eyes hard.

“I got Chinese food from that place you like!” Superhero sing-songed opening the door to the residence. “Void?”

Void didn’t answer, they just waited for Superhero to come into the living room. “Void? You okay?”

“No,” said Void, and the cadence sounded so like Supervillain to Superhero’s ears that they had to fight the scowl off their face. Void turned their head to Superhero with accusing eyes: “why did that Villain call me Supervillain today?”

Superhero scoffed, putting the takeaway bags onto the coffee table and going to sit beside Void at the window. They let out a heavy sigh and relaxed their back against the glass by Void’s feet.

“I keep forgetting that you don’t remember any of it… I’m sorry, it’s just— we were the only two there that day, so I just keep going off on the assumption that you remember. That we went through it together.”

“If this headache is anything to go by, it feels like we did go through it together.”

Superhero hummed to themselves. “How bad is the headache?”

Void shrugged. “It comes and it goes… I think it’s if I try to remember anything it just kills me.”

“It was a traumatic event, Void. Maybe this headache when you’re trying to remember it is your body’s way of telling you to let it go. To leave it forgotten.”

“Maybe,” said Void and Superhero smiled, going to dish up the food in the kitchen. Void followed with a sigh and a tired smile. It was only later on in bed did he realise that superhero never answered their question as to why that Villain called them Supervillain.

Best to just let it go. Leave it forgotten, like superhero said. Close the chapter, stop trying to pry their mind open.

So that’s what they did.

It took them three weeks to raid every known Supervillain base.

On the final day, Superhero dragged in the last straggler, throwing them at Void’s feet, a scowl on their face. “This is the one who put you in the hospital,” said Superhero. “The one who killed love interest. The one who nearly killed me. If I were you… well they wouldn’t be breathing, but I’ll look the other way if you want to end them.”

“Supervillain?” Villain asked and Void glared down at them, hands balled into fists at their sides. “Supervillain? It’s me… it’s Villain.”

Two balls of light formed at Void’s heels taking the form of hounds that barked and yipped at the Villain on their knees in front or them.

“Supervillain! Supervillain?! Wait! Wait we’re friends! We’re friends. Superhero took you! They took you and they wiped your memory somehow! Supervillain! That’s your name, not Void! You were never void! You were always caring and loving and good! Supervillain please—“ Villain cried, but Void clicked their fingers and set the hounds on the wailing villain.

Superhero grinned, eyes electric and hungry as the vicious dogs— licked… the Villain’s face…

Superhero looked up at Void to see them just as confused as Superhero was.

“What?” Void asked, looking at their hounds. Villain just smiled at Void and said: “you trained them to never attack your friends. You were just that type of person.”

“Void! Don’t let them fool you! They lie and cheat and murder and terrorise—“

“What are their names?” Void asked, interrupting Superhero’s rant. Villain just smiled at Void while Superhero sputtered out a: “I’m sorry?”

Void turned to face them, eyes trained on the face of their best friend for who knows how many years. Void’s voice was quiet as they repeated: “My hounds. What are their names?”

“They wouldn’t know,” said Villain casually, leaning back on their elbows. “They are not your friend, Supervillain. They are your enemy. Our enemy.”

“Why should I listen to you?” Void hissed at the Villain who’s smile was so achingly familiar. It tugged at something in Void’s chest as their mind was scrambling down lines of who’s who and why they should care.

“Set your dogs on Superhero and you’ll see what I’m saying is true.”

Void only had to cast their gaze in the direction of Superhero to find the truth of Villain’s statement on their face. The barely concealed rage, simmering. Their jaw set, teeth clenched so hard Void was surprised they didn’t crunch under the pressure.

And then Superhero raised their hand to Villain, blue electricity cackling around their fingers. “Oh well. It was fun while it lasted,” said Superhero and an arc of blue lightning was sent towards Villain’s chest.

Void’s hound, Saoirse, took the hit, dissipating as their brother ran wide and pulled at Superhero’s leg. Superhero turned, blasting that one too and when they turned again to get Villain they found that they were alone.

Superhero cursed, the clouds gathering around them as a divine burst from the heavens consumed Superhero in blue electricity. “Villain! You better run. When I get Supervillain again, oh we are going to tear you apart. Limb from limb!”

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