Obedience Without Rules

“Fascinating”- Supervillain smiled- “that I have enough power to hurt you both simultaneously.”

Hero couldn’t respond as her mouth opened in a silent scream. The pain was becoming intolerable, rising with each moment, exhausting her further and further, yet she couldn’t simply pass out. Supervillain knew her limit after days of torture. He wouldn’t cross the line which allowed Hero any amount of relief.

If she could have, Hero would have turned to face Villain, to see if his line had been met yet. He’d arrived- arrived, how dare I think that? Villain had been captured two days after Hero. As much as she’d like to think Villain deserved the treatment Supervillain was fond of, she knew it wasn’t true.

“Ah- ah!”

“Don’t,” Hero breathed. “Don’t fight it.” How long had it taken her to say it after the fact? It wasn’t immediate, she knew, because it took her several moments to even collect her thoughts through the pain. Beyond that, there were a series of croaks which escaped her before she could speak a single coherent word. Did what she say even make sense now?

“Yeah, well, I’m not- not- Mm!” Villain was wincing in the moments he couldn’t speak. The pain, the one Supervillain was inflicting, was becoming unbearable.

Villain was in better shape than Hero, that was for sure, but it wouldn’t last. All three of those in the room knew it. Supervillain, most of all.

“I’m not just gonna let it happen!” Villain finally got out.

Supervillain listened to their banter long enough. He watched the two from the door, happy he didn’t have to take a step further into the room. It meant he could keep the door open, a taunt to his captives. Seeing a way out…they must have just been itching, huh? Ready to sprint? Prepared to claw Supervillain’s eyes and cheeks out. But they couldn’t.

Clenching a fist, Supervillain let the rest of his body relax. Villain’s grunts became screams, became pleas, became voiceless whines in the back of his throat.

For once, Supervillain was giving Hero a break, letting her slump in her chains. She was righteous enough that hearing another person hurt, even if they were considered a bad guy in her eyes, would pain her just as much as manipulating her mind into thinking it was in real pain.

Electrochemical reactions. How fun they were to play with. How easily you could control a person by firing them off. Ping the nerve cells. Make them hurt.

It’s what Supervillain was doing to Villain now. Hopefully, he wouldn’t pass out soon. It’d only been fifteen minutes, and that wasn’t enough time to satisfy Supervillain. Although, maybe…Hero was on a break right now. Maybe Supervillain could push Villain to his limit and then move onto Hero again.

“Stop,” Hero finally wheezed, not thinking about what she was doing. Her intention was to make Supervillain move on away from Villain, which he did, leaving the open doorway and walking towards her. “He’s- he’s had enough.”

Hero didn’t think about the continued pain Villain would feel, the exhaustion which would set in, making his bones creak as they were continuously being pulled on by the chains above his head.

Supervillain’s painful power was a blaring feeling while he was actively tormenting them. But…well, they were better off if they passed out from the pain during or afterwards. At least that way, Villain would have a chance to heal.

Hero already messed up, though. She got Supervillain’s attention before Villain could reach that point of healing.

Passing out shouldn’t have been better than this life. It shouldn’t have been, and yet…yet, it was.

“And you, Hero, haven’t had enough?”

In a moment, Hero’s limbs were light- felt like feathers. She drew in a breath, slowly, allowing herself to feel the air all the way in her lungs before releasing- or trying to release. What happened instead was that she drew in a breath on top of the first as something panged in her chest. The extra breath made her chest hurt worse- beyond the pain Supervillain was inflicting himself. “St-stop. Stop, please.”

“Oh? Now you have had enough? Make up your mind, little girl.”

To everyone’s great surprise, Villain spoke up. “You’d do well,” he rasped at Supervillain, “to not…demean her. She’s-” Hero couldn’t see it, but Villain was looking over at her, head hung low, yet high enough to admire her- even if she was sweaty. “-stronger than I am, than I’ll- than I’ll ever be.”

He knew Hero had been here longer, had been tormented greater than he had been yet. And she was volunteering in order for him to catch a breath.

Hero grunted as she was relieved of her pain again. She nearly cursed when Villain’s voice pitched. “Give us a break!” she screamed at Supervillain. Had Hero had a hand available, she’d have slapped it over her lips. Dread churned in her stomach and she quickly apologized.

“You’re apologizing? You think that takes back your disobedience.”

“Can’t be disobedient if you haven’t set rules,” Villain piped, regaining the most miniscule amount of strength as Supervillain’s focus was changed again. He wouldn’t let Hero take the blows, but he didn’t know why. Maybe it was only because she did it for him first. Ah, it didn’t matter.

“Villain,” Hero’s voice was quiet, broken. “Stop. You can’t- can’t do this for me. Just stay silent.”

“No. You don’t deserve-”

Supervillain hummed, sending a high frequency in his captives’ ears. Villain’s eyes and mouth opened as if the sound could simply pour out, meanwhile Hero was clenching every muscle tight, squeezing the sound out.

“It seems you both want to sacrifice yourselves for the other. I reckon that makes this easy. If you”- Hero’s pain flared and she screeched- “want to take the pain for him, I’ll let you. And since you”- now Villain hollered- “want to take hers, I’ll let you. You both make this too easy.”

******

Part 2 here

a snippet | you love me still | hero x villain

trigger warning: swords, blood

The villain’s sword was slightly uncomfortable against their chin, the hero decided, as they knelt in front of them, the tip of it digging into their throat just enough to cause pain but not enough to draw blood. Their hands were bound behind them, and the angle of the sword forced their eyes up, to the villain’s. They were dripping blood and bruised and tired and on the business end of the sword, but they still managed a smile.

“Why are you smiling, little hero?” The villain’s cool voice washed over them. “I have you on the ground, defeated. There is nothing for you to smile about anymore.”

Their face was stone-cold; expressionless. The hero’s smile only grew and as they closed their eyes for a fraction of a second, memories speed ran through their mind—the delicate kisses, beautiful sunrises, the scent of orange blossoms, surprise hugs from behind, driving on the highway with all the time in the world—before they snapped back to reality.

“Oh, darling.” Their voice was almost considerate. “You’re not going to run me through with a sword. You love me still.”

The villain’s façade crumbled pretty quickly, after that.

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bigbadivy

4 years ago

where in the world is carmen sandiego??? 🤔

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bigbadivy

5 years ago

Drew my friend as his favorite anti-hero, he's gonna get crazy over it when I'm finished. #drawing #drawyoursquad #portrait #sketchbooktour #sketchbook #sketch #sketching #artoninstagram #art #artwork #fanart #venom #venommovie #venomverse #marvel #marvelfanart #marvelfan #antihero https://www.instagram.com/p/B-aCt7MBizL/?igshid=9avr86wvt3a9

Prompt #5

“Hero? Are you okay?” Villain moved around the corpse of Supervillain, blood pooling, there was so much of it-

“I... I didn’t want anyone to find out...” Hero had curled into a ball, shivering, tired. “It’s not a heroic power...”

Villain shook their head. “Hero, you used it to save me, and all those civilians. That’s about as heroic as-“

“I just killed Supervillain... use- using that... when the Hero League finds out I can cause people to bleed just by looking at them...” Hero sobbed, tears falling down to the floor.

“No”

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bigbadivy

4 years ago

Dialogue Prompt 7

The antagonist sighs, "I'm not angry, not anymore."

The protagonist looks at them in confusion, "What are you talking about?"

The antagonist gives them a sad smile, "I used to hate you for taking everything I loved away, but now I realize that it's my own fault that you left."

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bigbadivy

1 year ago

Rest With Me

"One leg after the other,"

Hero said patienly. The short walk down the dark haklway seemed to go for years. Villain would throw a snarky comment, or try and banter to lighten the atmosphere but he was so tired.

"Here..."

Hero slowly helped him sit and unlocked her door. Villain looked up to look at her, realizing he didn't actually see her for the last two hours.

She was often the serious one between them, but he never saw her face this... Sparkless.

He couldn't find any words of comfort until she crouched down and helped him up again. Villain laid on the sofa, finally resting his sore muscles but not comfortable.

"Wait here. I'll get first aid."

Villain noted how different the appartment was from his last visit. It was messier, even messiar than it usually is, with documents and pictures and notes covering the floor and walls. The biggest pile of crumbled papers laid in front of him, circling a hand made map of the base they barely got out of.

It was really important to her, wasn't it? He signed loudly. Of course he ruined everything.

"I think I know how to take care of your arm, if there is anything worse we will call someone."

Hero sat in front of him, actually seeing him for the first time in a few hours.

"...Villain?"

His despareation was probably shown all over him. Damm it. He could at least save her the guilt.

"They won't ask anything. I would not risk you."

The pillows surrounding him didn't feel soft. He shouldn't be relaxed. He didn't deserve to.

"Villain, is... You... "

She signed placed her hand over his.

"You can tell me anything."

She tried to smile at him, but neither of them were in the mood for it and it died quickly.She took her hand away to take a bandage and start working.

The silence was awful. Hero cleaning his wounds was such a torture that it felt like a cruel joke. He should end this.

"hero..."

Villain gently pushed her hand away from his cuts.

"I'll get off your back. I just... You can go rest and I promise I'll be gone tomorrow morning."

Hero froze. She stared at him speechless, lips trembling.

"Why?"

That was all she managed to say.

"I..."

I am reckless and impulsive, but I can deal with it as long as I'm the only one who suffers from the consequences.I don't want to continue to be a burden.I have risked your LIFE.

"I- just-..."

How is he supposed to say it? Or anything at his state?

"Just leave me, hero."

The silence felt even worse now.Hero stayed still, her hand griping a wet towel. When she finally got up, instea of walking away she placed her free hand over his.

"I would never leave you,"

She said then, Villain tried to fight the butterflies he felt.

"it's only fair. You would never leave me when I need you."

"I..."

"You never did."

She pressed on his hand, leaving no doubt about the sincerity in her voice.

"You came for me today, like you always did. You stood up against Supervillain."

That's what he did, perhaps, but even with that he managed to put her in danger.Hero got captured purposely, ready to go into Supervillain's lair alone to try and rescue her friends.But the moment he saw her held up, he forgot his fear of Supervillain.

By attacking him he brought the entire lair on them."I-"

"You wanted to help."

He... Well he did but...

"I would have done the same. You know that."

She would. Villain caught himself smiling. When he looked up and saw her brighter smile, he pressed joined their fingers. Being still tired and bruised and scared, he could only look at his Hero with loving eyes. Relief and relaxation visible on her face.

He wants to believe her words so bad

"I'll get you clean up, we'll rest for a bit, then think of the next step."

He nodded, hoping that she understood how much he's committed. They will heal. They will not be broken. They will save her team. Together.

Hero sat on the couch beside, getting comfortable as she leaned in and got back to bandaging. He missed her warmth in his hand but felt himself relax.

And now, finally, both of them managed to rest.