#poor hero

[patchworkorphan]

The Hero and the Infant: part one

Is this title my cheeky little nod at EPIC the musical? Absolutely, enjoyyyyy!

*~*~*~*~*

The heroes came running when the world was on fire. They always came running. Hero was at the bar, where they always were, watching the news. A neat whiskey clutched between bandaged fingers.

The door slammed open. Hero didn’t have to turn to know it was Superhero’s sidekick. “Hero –”

“Not interested.”

“But Villain –”

“I know. Don’t care,” Hero replied. Daryl, the bartender, shot Hero a look and Hero pretended to not see it.

Sidekick sat on the stool next to Hero and ordered another: “whiskey; neat.”

“Mmm, I love being bribed,” Hero smiled, winking at Daryl.

“Villain’s destroying the city.”

“I didn’t ask.”

“And you’re here, drinking.”

“Perceptive,” Hero purred, taking the whiskey glass from Daryl and pouring the honey liquid of it into their glass. “They’re a minor,” Hero whispered to Daryl conspiratorially.

“I’m not.”

“Well, then. You’re on the clock. Can’t fight crime if you’re impaired.”

“And yet somehow you manage.”

“Somehow, I’m always called in on my day off. Blame your boss for disrupting my plans. Not the other way around, sunshine.”

Hero took a sip of their drink. In their peripheral vision they saw Sidekick turn their body to face Hero. Mmm, getting serious. Hero loved serious Sidekick. It’s like a puppy trying to be mean.

“You know Villain best –”

“Bullshit. Your Superhero knows them longest.”

“Villain likes you best,” Sidekick amended, and Hero nodded.

“So? Are we match making heroes and villains now? Is that Superhero’s excuse, hmm? Will that same explanation slide if I come up against a new villain?” Hero put on a high-pitched voice as they said: “oh I’m sorry superhero. This new villain’s rising sign is Virgo. I’m a Scorpio, we’re gonna clash.”

“This is different, and you know it.”

“How is this different? Because your beloved Superhero says so? Are you just a little dog with no mind of your own? Does Superhero whistle and you come?”

“I’m not here to trade insults, Hero. God knows that could well be your superpower,” Hero took the words as a compliment as the kid continued: “I’m here to ask you to help me stop people’s lives being ruined. Normal people’s lives. Fuck Superhero. Fuck villain. Fuck the whole fucking system. I’m here to ask you, to help me. Please.”

Hero looked at Daryl and Daryl looked at them. Hero rolled their eyes and tipped their head back, the whiskey running hot down their aching throat. Then they stood. Empty glass on the bar. Hero shrugged their trench coat on and patted Sidekick’s shoulder fondly.

“Pay Daryl for me will ya? And a big tip, for the inconvenience. See you tomorrow, Daryl,” Hero waved over their shoulder. Whistling as they walked out the door of their local pub.

“Thanks Daryl,” Sidekick said, paying the man and leaving a generous tip.

“Thank me all you want kid. Hero’ll just be back in here after the fight. It’s good to see them getting out, even if it is under these circumstances. Y’know ever since –”

“I know, Daryl. Thanks.”

“Later kid.”

Sidekick followed Hero out the door, where Hero was waiting a lit cigarette hanging from their lips.

“So,” Hero asked, flicking their zippo lighter shut with a satisfying click, shooting Sidekick their signature lazy smirk. “What’s Villain up to today?”

*~*~*~*~*

Continued here

[heromaker-if]

[villainsandheroes]

Overworked Heroes

I love a good overworked hero. So tired but still trying to keep that public eye image of themselves strong.

But, I don’t mean just tired.

I mean staying up till 4 AM only to wake up at 5 to start more paperwork or commute to their day job. Or setting that alarm for 30 minutes, just in desperate need of a nap, because they didn’t sleep at all, there just isn’t the time with all of the hero work they keep getting.

Heroes who are just living off of coffee and energy drinks and yet it ceases to help. Thief hands are constantly jittering from the boosts of caffeine and yet they’re still so tired.

Heroes that can’t even go to bed, only making it as far as the couch. Better yet, falling asleep at their desk or after driving home about to get out of the car and just passing out until they’re waking up to phone notifications from the hero agency.

Heroes who desperately need sleep. And it’s not even one particular villain’s fault. If anything it’s the government and their poor treatment of heroes.

[heroes-villains-side-blog]

Starting a fire

Part 1 | Part 2

Hero stared at the hi-tech communication device in their hand. It was more than a mobile phone, that they were certain of. This was the same device Villain used to control their weapons, to call for reinforcements, to find other heroes and villains’ locations.

This was also the same device they were going to use to contact the hero agency somehow, to complain about them.

Hero didn’t know how that worked, did the Villain have their number in their contacts, or were they just going to submit a form on the website? Regardless, this device was extremely powerful. A fact that taunted them as they sat and stared at how exactly to get rid of the plain black screen.

It had been an hour since Hero had run away from Villain. One whole hour without any suspicious droppings-in by said villain. 

Hero didn't mind to be honest, even if it was suspicious. But best to take advantage of their crime-less free time.

They had started dozing off when they heard the unmistakable pitter patter of people’s shoes, coming towards what they called their door. 

They sat up immediately, their first instinct to spot their bag then the window. They thought they were safe. They thought they were careful.

But that didn't matter right now. The strangers outside were knocking on their door now asking to be let in.

They pounced for their bag. Villain’s device, their super suit, some clothes and food they had saved up — everything seemed to be there. They took their shoes in their other hand and ran towards the window.

They jumped, and the strangers outside opened the door. 

Hero bounced back. Some force fields were blocking the open window. It wasn’t glass but they had felt this power before.

Villain. 

The door opened and a lot of adults barged in, cameras and microphones and notepads in hand. They weren’t dressed in supersuits, which was a surprise, but not one that made Hero feel any calmer.

“Hello!” one adult said too loudly, wearing a dress shirt and pants, holding a mic in hand.

Hero didn't say a word. They stepped backward to the window. They couldn’t escape before, but maybe they could burn the force field, or even just the wall instead.

A lot of camera flashes. And a lot of people. 

Hero inched closer and closer to the wall.

And then a well-dressed figure strode in and everyone was quiet. 

“I told you, didn’t I?” They sounded familiar. And Hero had the vague suspicion that that line was aimed at them instead of the crowd invading their room.

“How did you know?” 

“What are you going to do now?”

“Are there more homeless kids in this building?”

Question after question, and the figure ignored them all, choosing instead to come to Hero and kneel down in front of them.

“Hello, NAME.” Hero panicked. How did they know their name? Who was this person? What were these people going to do with them now? Could they fire blast all of them and escape? Would they get in trouble? Would they get hurt? Were these people villains... Villain.

It clicked.

They looked into those eyes staring at them. Villain’s eyes. 

Villain noticed Hero’s recognition instantly and they beamed. Oddly enough, Hero had even changed their stance and posture ever so slighty, seeming more comfortable now that someone in the room wasn’t a stranger to them. 

An enemy. But not a stranger. 

How… strange, Villain wanted to say. But they didn’t, despite wanting Hero to hear their brilliant puns as soon as they thought of them.

But it didn't matter. Villain had a plan, which was why they had these people come to this run-down slum Hero called a home.

“NAME,” Villain said, a fake softness in their voice which didn't disguise the villainous gleam no one but Hero saw. “I’m going to adopt you.”

Hero remembered being wrapped in a hug and a prick in their neck before they passed out.

-------------

Tag list:

@100percentevil and I think @astr0-mj might like this :)

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Writing journey

Been feeling extremely stressed and realized I haven't written anything in a while. Writing makes me feel better and every few months when life seems to be getting away from me and I seem to be struggling in every way, I'll realize I haven't written. So here you go, part 2 I wrote in like an hour while having 3 deadlines tomorrow.

Please share tips for stress and time management, I am struggling so bad and my brain is going to explode and I keep falling asleep.

Life lesson: Sometimes the less intuitive thing will help. Wish me luck, I'm going to try working on those things tonight when I'm back home.

I do feel better, but now I need to get ready to leave.

Byeee <3

[chaotic-orphan]

The hero and the infant

Is this title my cheeky little nod at EPIC the musical? Absolutely, anyways on an unrelated note… enjoyyyyy!

*~*~*~*~*

The heroes came running when the world was on fire. They always came running. Hero was at the bar, where they always were, watching the news. A neat whiskey clutched between bandaged fingers.

The door slammed open. Hero didn’t have to turn to know it was Superhero’s sidekick. “Hero—“

“Not interested.”

“But Villain—“

“I know. Don’t care,” Hero replied. Daryl, the bartender, shot Hero a look and Hero pretended to not see it.

Sidekick sat on the stool next to Hero and ordered another: “whiskey; neat.”

“Mmm, I love being bribed,” Hero smiled.

“Villain’s destroying the city.”

“I didn’t ask.”

“And you’re here, drinking.”

“Perceptive,” hero purred, reaching and taking the whiskey glass from Daryl and pouring it into their glass. “They’re a minor,” Hero whispered to Daryl conspiratorially.

“I’m not.”

“Well, then. You’re on the clock. Can’t fight crime if you’re impaired.”

“And yet somehow you manage.”

“Somehow I’m always called in on my day off. Blame your boss for disrupting my plans. Not the other way around, sunshine.”

Hero took a sip of their drink. In their peripheral vision they saw Sidekick turn their body to face Hero. Mmm, getting serious. Hero loved serious sidekick. It’s like a puppy trying to be mean.

“You know Villain best—“

“Bullshit. Your superhero knows them longest.”

“Villain likes you best,” Sidekick amended and Hero nodded.

“So? Are we match making heroes and villains now? Is that Superhero’s excuse, hmm? Will that same explanation slide if I come up against a new villain?” Hero put on a high pitched voice as they said: “oh I’m sorry superhero. This new villain’s rising sign is Virgo. I’m a Scorpio, we’re gonna clash.”

“This is different and you know it.”

“How is this different? Because your beloved superhero says so? Are you just a little dog with no mind of your own? Does Superhero whistle and you come?”

“I’m not here to trade insults, Hero. God knows that could well be your superpower. I’m here to ask you to help me stop people’s lives being ruined. Normal people’s lives. Fuck Superhero. Fuck villain. Fuck the whole fucking system. I’m here to ask you, to help me. Please.”

Hero looked at Daryl and Daryl looked at them. Hero rolled their eyes and tipped their head back, the whiskey running hot down their aching throat. Then they stood. Empty glass on the bar. Hero shrugged their trench coat on and patted Sidekick’s shoulder fondly.

“Pay Daryl for me will ya? And a big tip, for the inconvenience. See you tomorrow Daryl,” Hero waved over their shoulder. Whistling as they walked out the door.

“Thanks Daryl,” Sidekick said paying the man and leaving a generous tip.

“Thank me all you want kid. Hero’ll just be back in here after the fight. It’s good to see them getting out, even if it is under these circumstances. Y’know ever since—“

“I know, Daryl. Thanks.”

“Later kid.”

Sidekick followed Hero out the door, where Hero was waiting a lit cigarette hanging from their lips.

“So what’s villain up to today?”

*~*~*~*~*

Continued Here

[petracozbi]

Probably how Hero would react to meeting Dood

[seafoam-icecream]

“The mask is quite useless if you’re trying to hide your identity. My sensors have already done an in-depth analysis of your facial structure.”

“You’re bluffing.”

“Do you want to bet on that? Millions of people live in this city. Millions of unique faces that constantly show up on traffic cams, CCTV, ATMs, etc. Not to mention the countless selfies and videos people upload every day. It’s only a matter of time until I find a match and find you.”

“And then what? You’ll tell the whole world who I am?”

“That depends on you. I see so much potential in you. But you’re limited by the lack of resources. You need a benefactor, someone to help you. Someone like me.”

[acacia-may]

Do you have any songs for Hero from Omori for the game? Thanks

Oh my goodness I have so many songs for Hero from OMORI that it'll honestly be hard to narrow it down 😅, but I'll share a couple of my favorites plus some related Hero post-"Truth" headcanons! Thanks for playing my song + headcanon game and for the chance for some Hero appreciation (he really deserves it 💙).

I've put your songs and headcanons below the cut because of MAJOR OMORI spoilers (and warnings for the heavy themes & subject matter (i.e. grief, death, mental health issues) that go along with that).

There really are so many songs out there that remind me of Hero (who is probably tied for the title of my favorite OMORI character), and honestly, I didn't know how angsty you wanted to go with this ask so I've chosen two songs: a sad one and a less sad one.

Sad Song Choice: "Older Than I Am" by Lennon Stella

I feel like this just might be the ultimate Hero song. I mean with opening lines like "My heart's seen things I wish it didn't/Somewhere I lost some of my innocence, and I miss it" how could it not be? There's something so hauntingly tragic about this song, and I think it just fits Hero so well given how he has been through so much in his life and how he has had to grow up far too quickly. He prides himself on doing everything right, on taking care of everyone else around him and never wanting to be a burden on anyone ("I do all my own healing/Manage all of my feelings/I don't ask for help, no/'Cause I don't need it"), but sometimes it does get to be a lot for him: leaves him faking happiness and contentment while really he is breaking inside and feeling lonely and listless as he tries to keep up this charade of being "fine" ("Why am I always the one making decisions?/How do I handle the pressure?/I do my best to fake it, but honestly I hate it").

There are probably times when he wishes he "could do something stupid" and "be kinda reckless." There is probably a part of him that wishes he could "just say to hell with all [his] plans"--could "say I don't give a damn," but the problem is he does give a damn--he cares too much. He's too responsible, too dutiful, too conflict-avoidant, and too worried about hurting and burdening everyone else. Ultimately, he would never do those any of those things because just like the singer in the song, he would stop himself and be forced to admit that no matter how much he wishes he could just throw in the towel, set aside this "perfect" facade for just a minute, he won't--he can't because he's Hero and there is always that voice in the back of his head reminding him "But I'm older than I am" and stopping him.

Lennon Stella - Older Than I Am (Lyrics) - YouTube

Less Sad Song Choice: "Two" by Sleeping At Last (A/N: it’s not really that sad of a song but the Hero context makes everything sadder)

I'm not even sure where to start with this song since there are so many lines that make me think of Hero starting not least of all with the very first: "sweetheart, you look a little tired--when did you last eat?" Beyond just his penchant for cooking for his loved ones, Hero really wants nothing more than to take care of people. He has such a genuine generosity and selflessness that he truly "will love you without a single string attached" and would not hesitate to put someone else and their needs in front of his own--bending over backwards to help them or make them happy, even if it is at his own expense or to his own detriment ("you know I’ll take my heart clean apart, if it helps yours beat" and "you can take the oxygen straight out of my own chest.").

While he would be the first to offer help, support, even the shirt off his back to someone who needed it, he struggles with asking for help himself, can't stand being the center of attention, and does not like talking about himself or his own problems because he deeply fears being a burden to others ("no, I don’t want to talk about myself—tell me where it hurts."). After he begins to heal from that period of deep depression he experienced immediately following the loss of Mari, Hero consistently buries his own pain, grief, and sadness--deeply afraid of hurting or burdening his family, friends, or any of his loved ones like that again (even though, of course, the ones who love him want to be there to support him, no matter what he's going through).

He knows he's wounded and hurting, but he pushes it aside in favor of helping others. When Sunny finds him at Mari's piano in the middle of the night, for instance, Hero is "fine"—immediately jumping into trying to support and comfort Sunny, but if you go back into the room immediately afterwards, Hero is crying by himself, just unwilling and unable to express his own pain and sadness to someone else. It's absolutely that "I just want to build you up, build you up ’til you’re good as new, and maybe one day I will get around to fixing myself too" sentiment.

Finally, the line "I just want to love you, to love you, to love you well. I just want to learn how, somehow, to be loved myself" in the bridge just gives me chills when I think about in the context of Hero. He is such a big-hearted, empathetic, and sincerely loving person, but he deeply struggles to accept the love and support from others that he gives away so generously.

Sleeping At Last - "Two" (Official Lyric Video) - YouTube

Here Are Some Hero Post-"The Truth" Headcanons Inspired by These Songs:

When Hero learns "The Truth," he quietly excuses himself from the room to deal with and process his emotions alone. He feels overwhelmed, hurt, upset, angry, heartbroken and so many other stormy, complicated emotions, and despite (perhaps) wishing he could unleash that whole internal turmoil, he stops himself--recalling with a painful regret that one (1) time he lashed out at Kel after Mari's death and knowing that he is not that 15 (or 16) year old boy anymore. He is an adult (albeit a 19-year-old adult but still an adult), and he will act like one, regardless of how he feels on the inside because he really is older than he is.

After crying bitterly alone and trying his best to make sense of the Truth and of everything he is feeling, Hero experiences a moment in which it really just "clicks" in his head that even if he has complex feelings about Sunny and Basil right now, Sunny and Basil are suffering in a similar way to how Hero himself suffered for years. Hero has blamed himself for what happened to Mari all this time--mentally beating himself up for not even knowing she was depressed and driving himself in painful circles wondering if he had just reached out to her, had made sure she understood she could aways open up to him, had been more of a support to her, had better expressed how much he cared about her, had held onto her tighter, had loved her better--had loved her more would things have been different? He has carried that weight around for 4 years--blaming himself for her death, and now he sees Sunny and Basil doing the same thing--granted under wildly different (more culpable despite it being an accident) circumstances but the feelings & pain of that overwhelming guilt are very similar, and Hero knows how painful and what a heavy burden that is.

In the end, it's almost like the complicated feelings he might have about Sunny and Basil due to the truth get overshadowed by Hero’s empathy and the fact that he cares for them deeply as if they were his own little brothers, and that is what finally gives him some clarity.

He returns to the room and actually apologizes himself both for suddenly disappearing and for the fact that this has all happened the way it did. He starts to tear up again as he hugs Sunny then Basil, reassuring them that Mari would want them to forgive themselves.

This is not to say that Hero doesn't still have some serious inner turmoil and angst surrounding "The Truth" and all the pain it and its cover up has caused. He does wrestle with complicated feelings towards both Basil and Sunny for some time afterwards (he is only human after all); however, this remains internal turmoil, as Hero absolutely sees it as something he needs to work through on his own with time (and hopefully, eventually, some desperately needed therapy). Additionally, having matured and learned from his one (1) fight with Kel after Mari's death, he does not take this out on Sunny or Basil--not wanting to have to repeat what is one of the greatest regrets of his life (lashing out at his brother).

Even if it takes him a little time, Hero ultimately is one of the most empathetic to Sunny and Basil's feelings surrounding Mari’s death—particularly their guilt, and it is in recognizing a lot of himself and his own grief, pain and guilt in Sunny & Basil that he finally reaches a place of healing and forgiveness with them.

Additionally, in reconciling himself to the situation and making peace with that happened, Hero ultimately blames Mari’s “bad knee”/knee injury for her death more than Sunny, choosing to believe that Sunny didn’t push her that hard so it was really the fact that her bad knee gave out that made her fall down the stairs, whereas an uninjured person wouldn’t have fallen. This inspires him to take a Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) residency when he graduates from medical school, and he becomes a pediatric physiatrist: treating injured children and coordinating rehabilitative medicine after their injuries. He sees it as his way to give back (in a healthy way, of course) and finds a sense of purpose in trying to prevent another tragedy like that from happening by helping other injured children in their recovery.

[greyasinghost]

A hero, rescuing Danny: How's your head?

Danny: *concussed, bloody, black slowly threatening his vision* I haven't had any complaints yet.

Hero: 'Scuse me?

Danny:

Danny: Oh- uh.. I. think I'll live.

Danny: *cue delirious halfa laughter*

-

[source: https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTRNYmQMc/?k=1 | Danny def let himself get captured, but didn't escape bc that would raise too many suspicions about Fenton.]

[titanicnerd-blog]

Much Ado About Nothing, Act 3 Scene 2.

After Don John tells the Prince and Claudio of the Lady Hero’s “disloyalty”, they immediately believe it - and both immediately agree to publicly shame her at the wedding, in front of the entire congregation.

They don’t question it, not for a second. It comes from a known “villain”, someone whom they shouldn’t necessarily trust without questioning, but in this case, they just DO. If not Claudio, then at the very least, the Prince should have questioned his own brother’s admissions regarding Hero; if the Prince was such good friends with Leonato as indicated, then he is very familiar with Hero, and knows that this behavior is not in her character.

This play is not a comedy, or a romance. This play is a social commentary on the value placed on women in Shakespeare’s day, with a little romance and humor thrown in.

[hero-deserves-to-be-happy]

🖤👀 please?

(Also, can I just say that I love the "hot take" part of your blog image, it's so funny. Hero? Being happy?? Unprecedented!

Aww thank you so much for your ask and for playing our “Hearts for Hero” headcanons game! We really appreciate all of your support and are working on your other ask as well. We apologize for the delay on that one. It is taking a little bit because there are so many headcanons involved; however, we did want to go ahead and answer this one for you in the meantime and hope you will like it. 😊

Also we’re so glad that you enjoy our blog cover image and got a good laugh out of the “hot take” joke. We got a good laugh out of your joke about Hero being happy being unprecedented—it’s so true!! 😂 Even if it is unfortunately unprecedented, we like to think that poor Hero still deserves to be happy and will (hopefully) get to be happy again someday even if happiness is something he tends to deny himself.

As much as we want Hero to be happy around here, we both have such a deep love and appreciation for Hero angst. It was honestly a little difficult to narrow down to just one of our favorite Hero angst headcanons, especially under such broad parameters, (so please feel free to ask for more if you want).

Ultimately, we’ve decided on an angst headcanon inspired by the not-supposed-to-be-angsty art from December of the Calendar Project (official image below from the OMORI wiki):

🖤 — Hero Angst Headcanon (Warnings: OMORI spoilers)

For as long as Hero could remember, his mother had knitted him and Kel sweaters of various colors and patterns every year for the holidays. It was a family tradition, and the year before Mari passed away, Mari was invited into the tradition as well as Hero’s mom surprised both him and Mari by knitting them matching sweaters with their initials on them: H and M. They loved them—wore them off and on for most of the end of December and got lots of pictures.

When Mari passed away, one of her things that her parents gave to Hero was the sweater that matched his. Even looking at it made his heart ache so he threw it in a box with his own matching sweater and tried his best not to think about it.

Still, he missed Mari so terribly around the holidays that would sometimes get the matching sweaters out of the box he kept them in, hold them both, and cry. However, he could never bring himself to wear his ever again.

His family seemed to know the sweaters were a painful subject for Hero as well, even though they never really discussed it. The year that Mari had died was the only year that Hero’s mom didn’t give them any sweaters, even though Hero knew she had had most, if not all of them finished. Mari’s death in November was reason enough—no one really felt much like celebrating, Hero least of all, but he had never really been able to shake his suspicions that the reason his mother had skipped out on her sweater tradition that year was because she had knitted matching ones for him and Mari again, just like she had the year before, and she couldn’t bear to give Hero his without being able to give Mari hers too.

The following year, Hero had gotten a sweater from his mother with a snowflake pattern in blue, his favorite color, and he got sweaters every subsequent year after that. But his mother never gave him a sweater with his initials on it ever again. Hero honestly felt it was probably just as well. Even if she had, he probably would never have been able to bring himself to wear it.

[patchworkorphan]

Heroic Betrayal: part three

Read part one

Continued from this part here

*~*~*~*~*

They stopped at a car parked right on the edge of the park, pulled in on the other side of the road. Secluded, and remote. Villain was already on the other side of the road, and when they saw Hero and Flynn they walked around the car and opened the boot, then turned to smile at Hero.

Hero stepped back unconsciously, shaking their head. “No. No. No.”

Flynn grabbed the crook of Hero’s elbow and pulled them forward but Hero made themselves grow heavy, dead weight. Flynn’s hand slipped off Hero when they landed on their arse on the frozen muck. They pushed themselves back on their feet, trying to escape.

“No! No! Flynn don’t, please! Please don’t do this!” Hero cried. They kicked out a leg at Flynn when they came closer. “Please, please don’t put me in the trunk please.”

Flynn put a placating hand out to Villain as they crouched down in front of Hero. “I’ll make you forget,” Flynn said softly. Hero’s heart slammed against their chest as tears pooled in their water line.

“No, Flynn. You can’t. I’ll know! You can’t please, please—”

“Hero,” Flynn said, tone a little more firm. “If you drive with us in the car, I can’t trust you not to crash the car or do something stupid.”

“I—” Hero said but the words were whisked away with the hitch in their breath. They couldn’t go into the trunk. Hero reached pathetically for their power as Flynn advanced but it was silenced by the power dampeners and Hero cursed.

They didn’t notice Flynn getting closer until it was too late. Flynn wrapped a hand around Hero’s ankle and yanked them forward. Hero yelped, then screamed for “someone! Someone help! So—”

“Flynn shut them up!” Villain yelled, as Flynn grabbed each side of Hero’s head and locked their gaze on Hero’s panicked ones. Hero felt their body go numb with Flynn’s gaze alone.

“Ssh, there we go. Hero you’re going to forget the journey to Supervillain’s house. You won’t remember you were trapped in the boot the whole ride there. Tell me.”

“I won’t remember the journey to Supervillain’s house. I won’t remember being trapped in the boot.”

“Good,” Flynn said with a smile. Then he took the opportunity to get the dazed Hero to their feet and walk them over to Villain.

“It’s so creepy when you do that,” said Villain. Flynn flashed a grin in reply. Villain grabbed Hero's arm and said, “start the car. I’ll put them in the boot. Knowing you, you’d let them ride in the passenger seat in a heartbeat.”

“You’re not wrong,” Flynn laughed. He left the pair of them and walked around the car to the driver’s seat before sliding in and shutting the door. He let out a sigh as he turned the key in the ignition. He forgot Hero was claustrophobic. How could he forget that? He remembered Hero telling them that fact in confidence, during one of their late night stake outs. How scared they sounded.

He should have made them forget before they saw the car, but it was too late now anyhow. Villain climbed into the backseat where the windows were blacked out, and closed the door. Flynn put the car into drive and pulled out onto the road, as nonchalant as ever.

*~*~*~*~*

Continued here

[englass]

WIP Day/Last Line Tag

Tagged by: @fadedjacket and @derelictheretic - thank you lovelies! ❤️

Tagging (as always this is completely optional!): @shallow-gravy @chyrstis @chazz-anova @foofygoldfish @littlegoldfinchh @weekend-writer @starsandskies @deputyash - as well as anyone else that would like to get involved!

I’m gonna be greedy and do both tags, but I’ve only been working on one thing lately so they’re both from the same piece 😬 Fun Fact? This was gonna be split into four parts, but I’ve kinda decided not to do that and instead keep the draft format of dividing it into sections for the time jumps/shifts.

-/-/-

WIP Day:

“Visions.

Dreams.

Memories.

They are reflections glimpsed in shattered glass. Iridescent in how they shift from one watered down scene to another with every explorative tilt.

Like looking for a gem beneath the water's bulwark or a message in the cage of an opaque bottle, twisting and moving oneself in a rare bid to catch the light and glimpse into its depths or inside its unopened belly.

Or perhaps a more apt comparison would be one's soul, and attempting to reach and read the intimate aether comprising it. To glimpse at the valleys scarred across one’s life force, emotions seared into a memory of their own upon one’s core, and fully comprehend the ancient traumas lashed upon it.

Apt comparison indeed, what with the state of the guilty hero’s own dilapidating soul.

It is an agony unlike any they have ever experienced.

To feel your soul, your very being, the core of all that you are cracking under the strain of an overabundance of untamed and unbalanced aether…

Those rare glances into a lost past now blinking transmissions, forgotten memories projecting on every frequency, with every wave…

The Light raw and relentless and ravaging… ravenous...

Splitting...

There are hardly words to describe such horror.”

Last Line Tag:

“And the empathetic hero knows all too well what happens to sentimental fools. ”

[nerdpoe]

Danny is being held for ransom, on the grounds that "Oh come on, lookat 'im! He's gonna get adopted by Wayne at some point!" There's a problem with that; he's in Star City, not Gotham.

Normally, he'd just phase through and disappear, but they're livestreaming it.

Also, the livestream has gotten...weird.

Apparently Wayne is willing to pay the ransom, but Oliver Queen is also willing to pay the ransom, and is saying he has more right to pay it since Danny is in his city. They're having a ransom competition with each other. The kidnappers are begging them to stop, but they won't.

They've reached 4.5 billion in ransom money, and are still trying to outbid each other.

[lilislegacy]

it’s the fact that when percy and annabeth graduate from their high schools, annabeth’s estranged family is gonna fly out to NYC

which means there will almost certainly be an awkward dinner with both families.

“hey we’re the chases, the family who neglected, gaslit, and emotionally abandoned annabeth. but we feel really bad and we’re trying to do better.”

“hey we’re the blofis-jacksons, aka the loving family of your daughter’s boyfriend who took her in and loved her as our own after you neglected, glaslit, and emotionally abandoned her.”

except none of them actually say it. they’re all just thinking it.

sally has major mom beef with them, paul is trying to be nice but is skeptical, frederick feels guilty and awkward, mrs. chase is flat out uncomfortable, the twins are causing absolute chaos, annabeth is a wreck, percy’s making jokes every 17 seconds to attempt to diffuse the tension, and baby estelle is just vibin

i feel like a lot of wine would be consumed

[chaotic-orphan]

Heroic Betrayal, part 3:

Read Part 1 Here

Read Part 2 here

This series has got my brain going brrrrr, don’t know if that’s necessarily a good thing or not but we love some old good fashioned betrayed Hero Whump

*~*~*~*~*

The next thing hero remembered they were in a cell on a bed, the cuffs still firmly around their wrists. They didn’t remember how they got there, or where they were, something Hero could no doubt credit to Rivet.

So much for not using their power on me.

They were thankful Rivet had left them with their scabbard, still wrapped tight and reassuring around their chest, strapped to their back. They could grab their daggers anytime.

As soon as they took these stupid handcuffs off, they thought mulishly, staring down at their trapped hands balanced in between their bent knees.

There was a door opening somewhere nearby and Hero raised their head to look at the cell bars, waiting for whoever it was to come gloat.

Somewhere, in the dark side of their mind, a sad, quiet voice wanted nothing more than to see Rivet’s stupid face on the other side of the door.

Instead, it was Villain who appeared. Hero struggled to keep their face neutral. They didn’t want to show Villain what impact they had had on them. Villain and their stupid fucking shadows. So Hero fixed Villain with a bored stare, resting their head back against the cold wall.

“Miss me?” Hero asked, wanting to celebrate that their voice didn’t betray them. Unlike Rivet.

Villain just stared, cocking a brow at Hero. Then the shadows slipped from their palms and under their clothes, slowly, dreadfully slowly, dripping, slithering along the ground and through the bars of the cell. Hero’s heart hammered against their chest, but they forced themselves not to move. Not to react. That’s what Villain wanted, for them to scream and cry.

Fine. Maybe they would, but Villain would damn fucking sure have to work for them.

“If you want to give me a hug, Villain you can come in here and do it yourself.”

“Cute,” said Villain, cocking their head to the side, a smile slipping onto their face. “But I think I’ll leave that for Rivet.”

Hero’s heart panged at that, and they hated themselves for it. They shouldn’t be sad. They should be angry. Pissed off, but their stupid little heart ached at the mention of Rivet and they couldn’t fight the feeling.

“What was it like?” Villain asked, leaning their hands through the bars and clasping them together. Their eyes shining with malice, “realising your best friend and greatest ally was all lies. Did it hurt? I bet it hurt.”

“Ehh. You win some, you lose some,” Hero shrugged, subtly retracting their feet to their chest to evade the shadowy claws that were crawling up the bed.

“Ah. You seem more confident than before. Have time to process it all? Compartmentalise? Is that what they taught you during Hero training? Maybe I’ll ask Rivet…”

Hero smiled, the result humourless and wan. “You do that.”

The cold was the first sign that the shadows were on them. A hand wrapped around Hero’s ankle, slowly pulling their leg down. “What about you?” Hero asked, wanting to take their focus off the shadows pulling at them.

Villain’s eyebrows raised in question. “What about me?”

“You must have missed him,” hero continued, nonchalant. “I mean, when Rivet was pretending to be my friend. The late nights, the early mornings. The stakeouts… we got close. Maybe they were lying to me about being a Villain and a traitor, but still… all that time they spent with me they weren’t with you. How does that feel?”

Villain didn’t answer. Instead they drew their arm back sharply and the shadows yanked Hero down the bed, struggling against air and nothing and without their powers Hero could do nothing as they kept dragging Hero towards the bars where Villain stood.

“You’re not worth the effort,” Villain spat as they reached up and pressed their actual cold hand to Hero’s throat, keeping their chin up and forcing them to look into Villain’s cool eyes, burning with an old kind of hatred.

“Mmm,” Hero said, clearing their throat with a slight cough that highlighted Villain’s hands on their throat. “Maybe you should ask Rive—“

Villain cut Hero off by squeezing their throat against their hand. Hero pulled back, but it was as if a wall was behind them squishing them towards the bars, to Villain’s hand and their unyielding grip. Hero couldn’t even use their hands that were squished between their rib cage and the iron bars of the cell.

Eventually Villain let go and Hero pushed back a little, gasping in lungfuls of air. “I don’t even know what he see in you,” Villain hissed and Hero looked up through their lashes, still wheezing for oxygen and said: “my devil may care charm, perhaps.���

A hand gripped the back of Hero’s head and slammed their nose into the bars in front of them suddenly. A loud resounding crunched echoed through Hero’s head, along with their cry of pain and then the warm blood started flowing down their nose and lips, dripping passed their chin and onto their shirt.

“Motherfucker,” Hero gasped out. Then their head was shoved down again and Hero cried out in pain, the impact hitting their bridge square and causing the blood to gush, some going down the back of their throat and Hero coughed, the taste of iron staining their mouth. Enraged Hero spit some of the blood into Villain’s stupid, smirking face.

Villain smiled and it seemed to suck all confidence from Hero’s very soul. A smile so dark it strikes fear straight to Hero’s heart.

“Ah. I see now what he likes about you. You look perfect when you’re bleeding and scared.”

Hero couldn’t help themselves as the words spilled from their mouth: “you creep. At least buy me dinner first.”

Then Hero was forced onto their knees by the shadows holding them, Villain’s hand on their chin, tilting their head side to side, examining it. Hero tried to push back, to stand up, to do anything. But the shadows kept them exactly how Villain wanted them.

“There. Beautiful,” Villain said. Their blood was dripping onto Villain’s hands but they didn’t seem to care. Hero sucked in a breath through gritted teeth and choked on some of the blood, sputtering slightly. Villain’s eyes seared into Hero’s soul, watching them struggle and revelling in it. They pressed their hand that was soaked in Hero’s blood to Hero’s cheek, wiping the remnants on Hero before straightening up properly.

Villain released them and Hero fell to all fours, coughing out the blood onto the concrete floor. Painting the grey a deep red. When Hero looked up again Villain was gone, but the fear they had trapped in Hero’s chest was still very much there.

Lingering.

Hero retreated to the back wall of the cell, sitting on the cot again and resting their head back against the wall, waiting for the blood to stop falling and cursing themselves.

What kind of idiot were they? To be stuck here. They should have told Sidekick when they got the tip about Villain. They were just going to rough Villain up a bit, get some information on Other Villain’s whereabouts so they could beat them to a pulp for even touching a hair on Sidekick’s innocent head.

Even if they managed to catch Villain and mete out justice on Other Villain, they would have beaten the ever living shit out of the wrong person, and that was something Hero didn’t want to think about in that moment.

That Rivet…

Their Rivet was the one who put Sidekick in the medbay for days.

Sidekick, who was still in the medbay, where Hero should be, but no. Instead they were here, powerless and bleeding and it was all their fault.

They don’t know how long they sat and stewed on that thought. Long enough that their nose stopped bleeding and was now just dry and sticky on their face.

“What happened to your face?” Hero angled their head down from where they stared at the ceiling to see Rivet standing on the other side of the cell.

“Fuck off, Riv. I’m not in the mood.”

A jangle of keys and the cell door was open, footsteps approaching Hero in their cot in the corner. Hero’s heart ached with every beat as Rivet came into their line of sight, concern drawing their features together.

How many times had they had that same concern? Told Hero it was going to be okay. Cleaned their wounds, laughed about the bruises the next day?

How much of it was a lie— hero wanted to ask. The question burned a hole in the tip of their tongue, but they didn’t ask it. They just stared up at the ceiling as best they could.

“What? You piss someone off already?”

Hero sighed. Rivet sat on the edge of the bed, moving closer hands going to inspect the damage. Hero slapped their hands away, tears burning in the back of their eyes.

“Don’t fucking touch me, Rivet,” Hero bit out. “You don’t get to betray me and then pretend to be my friend and concerned about me.”

Rivet stared, eyes sad as they said: “okay. Guess I deserve that.”

“You deserve so much more,” Hero said, voice barely above a whisper. “How many of our friends died because of you? Hmm?”

“Hero, not all of it,” Rivet began then stopped, huffed out a breath of air through their nose, hand running through their hair. “Not all of it was a lie. I am your friend. I do care about you.”

“Oh really? Then you’d never use your power on me, right?” Hero demanded, echoing back Rivet’s own words against him. Rivet had the audacity to even look guilty at that, and Hero leaned forwards, hands on Rivet’s as they said: “I forgive you, okay. I forgive you if you let me go. Rivet, please.”

Rivet’s eyebrows knit together, clearly conflicted and Hero sat back against the wall again. “Yeah. We’re friends,” hero deadpanned.

“You have blood all over your face, Hero. You really want to just leave it?”

“Why the hell not?” Hero said, trying to force their tone into some form of neutrality.

Rivet sighed and stood up from the cot. “Supervillain wants an audience with you. I was sent to retrieve you.”

Hero rolled their eyes, scoffing, but got to their feet no less. “Of course,” they said, pushing past Rivet to the door. “God help you actually wanted to see how I was doing.”

“Hero—“

“Let’s just go.”