Prompt fill for @epiclamer prompt fill game! “Okay I know it was literally JUST posted but what about a switcheroo, tall villain and short hero :]'

“Little one,” he hummed, “Come out of your hiding place.” His grin sharpened as he reduced a pine tree into splinters and broken branches. “I won’t bite.”

That was less than reassuring. The protagonist clutched the stolen plans closer to her chest, barely daring to breathe. 

The antagonist had sneered when he found the empty case, smiled when the protagonist barrelled out of their hiding place through a window and laughed as she ran into the forest. Equal parts leisurely and methodical, the glint in his eyes riveled the one lining the axe.

“Leave the plans behind. Still time to escape.” the antagonist cut down another tree and the protagonist winced. She curled her body and crawled under a fallen tree, moving as quickly as she dared.

After weeks of preparation, three bribed guards and nine bypassed levels of security, leaving the plans was not an option. Her breath hitched when she saw the electric fence come into view. The buzz in the air meant the antagonist had gotten the power back on before she had predicted. Stomach on the ground, she wiggled into a rotting log. Gross, but effective.

“I know your face.”

She unrolled the plans and winced at another tree crashing through the underbrush. Her eyes flickered over the diagrams, committing as much as she could to memory.

“One of my more impressive talents is my ability to find people,” the antagonist said as casually as having a chat about the weather. “And those they care about.” Another tree fell, skewering the moss below. “Can you really protect everyone?”

No, but that’s a problem for later. She took one last look at the plans, counted to three and crawled out of the log and into plain sight. The sticks hurt her hands and the dust made her cough.

The antagonist grinned, eyes shining through the haze. 

“Are these your plans?” She held up the plans in mock surrender. “I thought they were your diary. My bad.”

He twirled his axe. “Giving up that easily is a disappointing end.” 

 “What can I say?” Her shrug did nothing to hide her tremor. “You make very effective threats.”

“One of my many talents. Drop them on the ground.”

“I’d like to make a deal,” She swallowed dryly. “I give you the plans, you turn off the electric fence for the next ten minutes.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Counteroffer – I put my axe in your knee and take the plans before your first scream is finished.”

“Shame, I was on track to win the ‘Best Legs’ contest at work.” The protagonist slowly backed away.

The antagonist laughed at that, some mirth entering his grin. The tip of the axe rested against the ground. “Alright, have it your way. As soon as my property is back inside, I’ll turn the fence off for ten minutes.”

“…I have your word?” The antagonist was many things, but in their line of work, his word was as close to honourable as you could get.

The antagonist nodded. 

Maybe the protagonist would regret this, but she tossed the plans to the antagonist. The antagonist reached up and casually placed the plans on an overarching tree branch – out of the protagonist's reach. 

“Thank you for returning my work.” The antagonist’s expression shifted, eyes sharpening and smile hardening.

Welp. “This was nice.” She struggled to keep her voice steady as he matched her backward scramble step for step. “But my team is waiting for me, I really must be going-“

“It was foolish,” his hand slammed into a tree beside her, sending splinters and wood chips flying, “to memorize my property.”

The protagonist’s voice faltered. “We have a deal.”

“And as soon as you’re secured in a cell and the plans are in their case, I’ll cut power for ten minutes. I’m a man of my word.” He levelled the axe at the protagonist, and this close, the bloodstains were clearly visible. “Walk.”

The protagonist’s breath hitched as she turned back towards the imposing building.

“Don’t be upset.” The antagonist said from behind, axe twirling. “Desperation suits you.”

"Professor,” the student thrust up their hand, “Why can’t we utilize the heroes as makeshift police? It worked in Europe.”

 “Europe has a different political and geographical space,” the professor scribbled on the whiteboard. “And better pay for its teachers. Who can tell me anything about Venetian law enforcement?”

Several hands waved in the crowded lecture hall. The professor pointed at random.

“Venice utilizes water-based heroes. They use the canals and ocean to have an advantage over lawbreakers and are held in line through their enforcement collars.”

The student sounded like they were reading out of a textbook. “Excellent answer. Now,” the professor clapped their hands, “Could that work here?”

The same student beamed at the compliment. “Absolutely not. We have no cities based on canals or built on evenly distributed rivers to give water-based heroes an advantage. And sir,” the student continued, stifling a laugh. “Can you imagine trying to put a bracelet on an American hero? The government would never make it past congress.”

Chuckles half-heartedly rippled across the auditorium. Many students pretended they were listening or taking notes while Instagram reflected in their glasses.

“Wrong.”

The professor frowned at the interruption. “In this class, we raise our hand and explain our reasoning.” He turned toward the owner of the voice, a boy in a denim jacket in the back of the room. “Care to elaborate?”

 “They already have them.”

The professor pushed his glasses up his nose, a trickle of curiosity rising against his better judgment. He reached over to his computer and paused the lecture recording. “Do you have evidence to support this theory?”

The boy looked up from his computer and shrugged. “Does anyone here think our illustrious government would let a group of highly powerful individuals run around untethered?”

The auditorium quieted. A few hands raised in a sea of hundreds, before slowly lowering. 

The professor had to admit, that was a good point. Still... “Most heroes don’t comprehend the notion of modesty. Trust me, there’s nowhere to hide a bracelet that the cameras wouldn’t see.”

“What about MagniBoy?” One student asked. “That costume covers everything except-“

“Unfortunately for MagniBoy,” The professor interrupted before the lecture became decidedly less PG. “There was an incident last year. We now know for sure that there is absolutely no possible place for a bracelet.”

Several students nodded, some in disgust and others with smiles.

“It’s not on their bodies.” The boy in the denim spoke again. “American heroes are controlled as soon as they join a force, but they just don’t realize it.”

This was quickly verging into Reddit board theories. The professor felt a headache coming on. “Let’s not get off track- “

“Where is it then?” Another student asked.

“Did they swallow it?”

“Why wouldn’t anyone say anything about it?”

The professor sat down in his chair and prepared for the ride. If the class wanted to waste precious exam review time with theories, their loss.

“Twenty years ago, the government started investigating bracelets and mood alteration. Two years later they stopped due to public protests.” The boy smiled bitterly. “We love our heroes, and we love our rights even more. Three years after that, our heroes were injected with a tracker ‘for safety’.”

“Those trackers were removed when a hero retired.” The professor interrupted with a gentle smile. “If what you’re saying is true, retirees would notice a significant difference in mood.” Several students nodded in agreement.

The boy looked at him in near pity. “Sir, do you know what the original bracelets were made of?”

The professor remembered. His back straightened.

“Nanotech.” The boy savoured the word, savoured his captive audience. “Bit backwards, isn’t it? They found that heroes were more likely to have more health defects with the experimental tech, so they changed it to computerized ones. But,” he tapped his chin, “What if our generous government decided to inject their puppets with this same nanotechnology. What would happen?” The boy tilted his head innocently. “On a completely different note, how many heroes die from radiation poisoning? Illness? Cancer?”

The auditorium was silent.

“There used to be hero-turned-vigilantes or villains. Where did they all go?” The boy was picking up speed. 

No one was on Instagram anymore; all eyes were on him. 

“And isn’t it interesting that fifteen years ago, the cases of heroes breaking the law dropped by 80%? As did the destruction of vital buildings?”

“Oh,” another student whispered.

“They have thousands of powered people, sacrificing their lives without realizing it. Heroes sign away their personality, their life, their future.” The boy choked on a laugh. “When was the last time a hero made it to 60?”

“Young man,” the professor found his voice, “That’s enough.”

The boy’s gaze sharpened on the professor. “Sir, you were a hero before teaching. What do you think?”

Alone

The city, once vibrant and bustling, lay silent and desolate. The damage had crushed buildings into gravel, and fires silently ate away at the fallen city. Bodies lay everywhere. There were no screams, for only two remained.

“What do you want?” Hero snapped, not bothering to turn at the sound of soft footsteps behind him. The figure was silent.

“You’ve come to gloat? Is that it?” Whipping his head around to face her, Hero choked on the last question. “Haven’t you taken enough?”

The flickering light of the flames silhouetted the approaching figure. “I-“

“If you come any closer, I swear on their graves I’ll kill you.”

The figure stopped her advance, and Hero felt her gaze rest on him. He squeezed his eyes shut and let his head drop. Gravel from the fresh rubble crunched under his feet.

“Hero, my plan… it wasn’t supposed to… I didn’t mean for…” Hero heard Villain’s voice hitch. “None of this was supposed to happen. I’m so sorry.”

“Don’t. You. Dare.” Hero said with gritted teeth. “It is only because of our history that you aren’t dead where you stand.”

Villain apparently didn’t know what to say to that. “I thought you would stop me.”

“And I thought you were better than this.” A skyscraper shuddered in the distance with a howling screech. How fitting, for the last pieces of Hero’s world to crumble along with his heart. “I had hope for you.”

To Villain's credit, she looked like she was going to throw up. She visibly swallowed and walked over to rest a comforting hand on Hero’s head. “I lost people today too. People I cared about.“

The gravel was starting to hurt Hero’s feet.

“I know it can never make up for this, but I want to do better. Maybe…” Villain hesitated. “Maybe we can heal together?”

Her remorseful eyes bored into him. Hero met her gaze before letting the burning rage harden his heart. He stood and called for his power. “You came closer.”

In the end, only one would be left to heal.

Surprise

In the wet spring of 1998, a town south of the border in Washington state had one convenience store and a suspicious lack of chocolate Kinder Surprise Eggs. The convenience store had two people in it: a young red-headed woman in a faded leather jacket named Elsie and a blonde clerk with a penchant for plaid and red lipstick named Lena. The two friends met in high school and stayed in contact for the following years. Lena was the type of person Elsie’s parents warned her about, but Elsie liked that about her. There was never a dull moment with Lena around.

Elsie walked down the disorganized aisles and scanned the empty shelves lined with dust where her favourite sweets used to be. “They were here yesterday. What happened?”

Lena blew a long string of smoke from behind the counter. “FDA came down with new restrictions - Kinder surprise eggs are now illegal. ‘Choking hazard’ or some bullshit. I have two crates in the back and no way to sell them.”

“Seriously?” Elsie swiped some dust off the shelf and shook her head. “I loved those things.”

Lena nodded. “You and everyone else. I’ve gotten a dozen requests for them today. According to the other workers, it’s a $300 fee if you get caught with one.”

“That’s more than I make in a month.” Elsie could never imagine spending that much on chocolate. “I’d prefer jail time.”

“Why sell chocolate when you could sell drugs or weapons and get more money?” Lena said with a raised brow. “Go big or go home.”

Elsie laughed. “You would be a horrible drug dealer.”

“Maybe.” Lena absentmindedly wiped down the counter and didn’t meet Elsie’s gaze.

“So, this is the bird who’s been fluttering in our vents,” the antagonists’ eyes were dark, entirely too focused on the protagonist. “You’ve made some poor choices.”

The protagonist swallowed, subtly flexing against the ropes binding them to the chair. They smiled weakly. “I’m surprised you noticed me.”

“It’s been a while since anyone was able to infiltrate my home successfully. I’m almost disappointed you got caught.”

“You could always let me go.”

“Tempting, I do enjoy a good chase,” the antagonist wet their lips, making the protagonist shudder. “Cutting off escape routes, driving the prey into corners-”

“I’m not your prey.”

“No?” they moved closer, gliding with a deadly elegance. “Yet you ran so prettily.”

The protagonist glared, anger at odds with their rapidly growing fear. “And I’ll escape the same way.”

“That’s a lot of confidence for someone tied to a chair.” The antagonist dropped a hand to stroke along their exposed limbs, covering a grin at the resulting flinch.

“Your security system is down with the gate wide open.” The protagonist said. They tried not to stammer when the fingers crawled upwards. “If my team isn’t here yet, they’re on their way.”

“Yes,” they mused. “I have been thinking about that little problem. It’ll be so rude if they interrupt our alone time.”

Never thought I’d prefer prison. “M-More the merrier, right?” The hand danced upon their neck.

The antagonist’s grin was chilling. “Bird, if you knew the things I have planned for you… you’d be begging me to leave your teammates out of it.”

They meant to respond with something brave, something fiery. A strangled whimper escaped their throat instead. The antagonist tilted their chin, forcing eye contact. The protagonist shivered at what they saw there. “Or maybe you’ll beg for something else.”

They tugged futilely at the ropes, dread pooling in their stomach and breath coming a tad quicker. “I’ll fight.”

“You’re assuming that’s even an option.” The antagonist chuckled, looking thoroughly bemused at the thought. “Hard to take someone seriously when there’s fear in their eyes.”

“It’s not my base that’s about to be destroyed.” The words were quiet, barely a whisper of a phrase.

“I’ll admit, the plan was good. Did you come up with it yourself?” Their hand reached up to weave its way through the protagonist’s hair.

“Y-Yes.”

“Impressive. Sneak in, disarm my defenses, let the heavy hitters in with no fuss. Brilliantly executed as well.” The antagonist nodded appreciatively, and the protagonist felt a slight flare of pride. Haven’t failed yet, just hold on until the team gets here-

“Although I have to say, only shutting down the external system was an interesting choice.”

Only the external…their eyes flashed up.

“Didn’t you realize? Two systems?” The antagonist raised a brow. “Oh bird, and here I thought you meant to leave my inner rooms protected as part of a devious plan.” They tsk-tsked, shaking their head pityingly. “Was ignoring the central weapons a mistake too?”

Their team was coming, and they were expecting an unguarded base with open doors and deactivated cameras and no chance of a trap. Oh gosh, the protagonist had even sent off the safe signal… the team was going to be torn to shreds.

The captor laughed at the growing horror on their face.

The last pieces of their façade broke. “Damn you!” the protagonist finally howled, floundering in their bonds and biting at any part of the antagonist in reach. “Call them off you complete-”

“Hush,” the antagonist murmured, gripping the flailing head in a firmly gentle grasp. “It’s nothing personal.” their strokes did nothing to calm the protagonist’s panicked flails. “It’s just justice.”

It’s my fault. Desperation crept into their voice. “This is cold-blooded murder. You can’t-”

“An example must be made, bird. You know that.” The antagonist pursed their lips. “If the hunt hadn’t been so riveting, you’d be in there with them. You’re lucky I find you interesting enough to keep alive and out of the law’s hands. For now.”

I can’t save them. “Protect my team. Ignore them, or turn them in to the police or just do something to let them survive and I’ll…” The protagonist faltered. “I’ll do anything you want.”

“Anything?” The antagonist asked, eyes narrowing. “No deal.”

My fault. “But-“

“You really think I won’t strip anything I want from you? You think you can give yourself up freely and I’ll accept it as a gift?” They shook their head slowly, eyes intoxicatingly dangerous. “I’m a hunter. I earn the thrill of the chase. You think I’ll stop, get bored the moment you become uninteresting? I'll stop when you understand you never had anything to give. So when I call you my prey,” they smiled, teeth sharp and voice dark. “I’m not messing around, bird.”

The protagonist’s mouth went dry.

A sharp bang came from above. The antagonist leaned back, putting their hands in their pockets. “The public will be pleased to know a group of dangerous criminals are off the streets,” they said, tone suddenly casual. “The mayor might even give me a raise.”

Another bang echoed from above, followed by the sounds of a scuffle. "Please-"

"There it is. See?" The antagonist headed for the door, cracking their knuckles as they prepared to meet the protagonist's team. "I knew you would beg.”

Balloons

“What a lovely balloon! Is it your birthday?” Villain grinned, eyes narrowing at Hero’s hold on their lover. “You didn’t even invite me.”

“Villain, don’t.”

“Probably a good call on your part. I’ve always been a party pooper. Or in this case,” they floated around the basket, gaze trailing up the hot air balloon. “I guess I’m more of a party popper.”

Hero’s grin didn’t stretch quite wide enough to be sincere. “That was horrible. I’ll come up with a good comeback the next time we fight, okay? You win this banter.”

One hand started to stroke their civilian lover soothingly, and Villain felt their eye twitch against the cold night air. “How stupid are you to come up here when your nemesis can fly and you can’t?”

“I thought you normally rob that bank on third this time of the week.”

“I normally have someone there to stop me.” Some of the edge slipped into Villain’s voice

Hero paused in their movements. “You’re mad.”

You chose someone else over me. “Yeah. I don’t like fighting second-rate heroes with no warning. Do you know how embarrassing it is to fight the Pasta President? I’m not happy.”

The civilian took a shaky breath, inching impossibly closer into the hold against the wind. They were not cut out for high-stress situations. Either that, or it was an excuse to hug Hero. Why hadn’t Villain thought of that?

Hero whispered something comforting before looking back up. “My bad. I’ll let you know ahead of time if my plans suddenly change. We good here? This rental charges by the hour.”

Villain made a show of looking up at the balloon again. “How much is the replacement fee?” Visions of the balloon popping and the civilian spilling out of the basket gave authenticity to their sharp gaze. “I haven’t destroyed anything today. I’m feeling aggressive.”

“Save it for next week, I wouldn’t want to take it easy on you.” Hero casually wrapped an arm around one of the railings, keeping a firm hold on their lover.

Villain pulled out a knife, enjoying the way the civilian’s eyes locked onto it. “I always have enough energy for you.” they floated up to the fabric part of the balloon.

“Leaving already? The party is just beginning, and I would hate for you to bring it down.” Hero’s arm tensed around the railing, the attempt at levity countered by the tightness in their voice. “I don’t want you to leave angry.”

“Already falling for me?” their voice hitched on the last word before the smile was back and the blade against the fabric. “That’s ahead of schedule. Don’t worry Hero, I can catch one of you.”

“Villain,” Hero’s eyes were hard, at odds with the joking tone from before. “Please don’t cross that line.”

As much as Villain desperately wanted to watch the civilian fall, yearned for Hero to look at them like that instead... they closed their eyes briefly. Not if it hurts Hero.

Villain descended, ignoring the lump in their throat and wagging a finger playfully. “Only because it’s your birthday. Next time, I get to pop the balloon.”

“Next time, I’ll have some better responses to your terrible jokes.” Hero visibly relaxed, loosening their arm around their partner. “See you next week?”

“We’re fighting at the ocean?” they asked cavalierly, almost as if their heart wasn’t aching. “Cause you know, sea you next- never mind. Happy Birthday” Villain raised a hand in farewell as they flew off into the night sky.

One of the perks of flying high was the lack of prying eyes. No one saw Villain turn for one last peek of the happy couple. And no one saw Villain’s face pale or throat clench when the two leaned in for a kiss.

It only took two months for the hero to break.

"You don't have to keep me here anymore. I'll stay out of your way, I promise."

The villain didn't even look up from his paper. "No deal."

After another month, Hero realized she would give up nearly anything to be free again. The city will be fine, she told herself. Other heroes will pick up the slack.

Hero put down her book. "I'm ready to quit my night job." This was almost too painful to admit. "You win."

The villains eye twitched, refusing to meet her gaze. "It's not happening. Drop it."

"Uh, no." Hero gave a nervous laugh. "You said I was problematic, so you 'took me out of commission.' This is me getting out of your way. Compromise."

The villain turned a page, pointedly becoming very invested in the sports section. Anger flared up in her chest.

"Just because you waste your life doesn't mean I want to waste mine." Her cheeks burned. "Set me free and we both win. I go back to my civilian life and you get to commit crimes without coming home to someone who hates you."

At this the villain closed the paper, looking up with a curious expression on his face. "Do you still hate me?"

"No, never, it's not like you're holding me here against my will." she replied sarcastically.

He spoke carefully, hands tensing. "I suppose that's a natural reaction."

"Why won't you let me go? I said I'd stop being a hero. Do you not trust me?" Hero felt the familiar feeling of desperation clawing its way back up.

"Things have changed." The villains jaw clenched. "Stop asking and read your book."

She couldn't do another month of this. The thought of living here, always scheming and reading and crying brought bile to her mouth. Hero rose to her feet. "No. If I have to be in this hell then I deserve to know why."

"Fine." The newspaper closed, attention fully on her. "I don't want to."

Stubborn asshole. "I despise you." she hissed through her teeth.

"Perhaps, but not forever." He walked over to her, frowning at the flinch when he brushed an angry tear away. "The human brain has many ways of making captivity bearable."

Hero stared, refusing to flinch again when his fingers started to twine through her hair. "I know. I've already thought about killing you. Multiple times."

The fingers tightened and yanked her head upward, faces only inches apart. "You're relying on me, your only companion and source of survival. Reliance will turn to fondness and, eventually," his small smile made her stomach drop. "...to love."

"What a pathetic way to earn someone's heart." The words lacked her normal bite, tainted by the growing nausea. "I'll never care for you."

The villain leaned in, and for one horrifying moment Hero thought he was going to kiss her. Instead he touched his forehead to hers. "I don't mind waiting, even if it takes years."

He moved and this time he was kissing her. The tight hold on her hair kept her trapped in the horrifying position. She felt a smile form against her lips. "You're worth it."

Movie Night Pt 2

Part One here

As soon as the phone call was over, Hero packed a backpack and ran into the dead of night, ducking through alleys and crawling around sewers to get to their hideout without being followed. It wouldn’t take long for the news to leak from the government, and Hero did not want to be waiting around when their enemies found out. Images of violence and mass destruction filled their mind.

Guess I cleaned my house for nothing. Hero shuddered at the thought. Maybe they’ll burn my TV. I’d be glad to never watch another movie again.

Their fully provisioned hideout was a small basement in the bad side of town. Hero had come here multiple times while escaping pursuers or tending to wounds. As far as they knew, no one else knew about it. They would be safe.

Today was Tuesday. The plan was to hide out until Thursday, hopefully long enough for some of the heat to die down, and join in the fight against whatever Villain’s boss had planned. After that… Hero tried not to think about the future and how they would never be able to go out without being swarmed, or how many assassination attempts there would be, or how they would never be able to love anyone safely- yeah, probably better to ignore those thoughts and get some sleep. They double checked their perimeter alarms were set and prepared for another nightmare-filled sleep.

Hero woke to hands gripping their collar. “You idiot,” Villain snarled, pulling Hero’s sleepy head off the cot. “What did you DO?!”

Blades

“You’re better than the others give you credit for.” The villain’s voice was dark, considering. He stepped out of the shadows with an eyebrow raised. “I didn’t even notice you until a few blocks ago.

Aw, shit. She whipped around to face him, “And you’re more observant than I thought.” Plan B, then. A tremor slipped into her voice. “Please don’t hurt me.”

“Drop your weapons.” His eyes didn’t leave her shaking form.

She let the sword fall to the ground. The villain didn’t move. “Do you think I’m stupid? The infamous Chameleon is not known for her swordplay.”

A twitch provoked her eye, the only evidence of any feeling besides terror. That better not be a double entendre. She reached down and fiddled with her suit. Glittering blades fell from her body, clashing against the dark ground. Cold eyes followed her every move. His head tilted, arms folded. The intensity was almost distracting.

“All of them.”

“That’s everything.” She let fear shine in her eyes.

The villain snarled. He strode forward and twisted her against the wall before she could react. Bricks scraped at her face, covering the flush rising from a body pressed against hers. She felt a hand pin her arms against her back while the other frisked her for more weapons.

“What is this?” She asked, a sob escaping her throat. The villain didn’t answer. He seemed bored by her scared act. Good. “Please let me go.”

Perspective

“There’s still time to come back.” Rain poured down the edge of Hero’s mask, creating an unearthly shine to reflect the damp alley walls around them.

“No, there’s still time for you to go back. Me?” A broken laugh echoed in the air. “That ship has sailed and sunk.”

Hero tilted his head. “I’m sure they’d let you back into the academy. Lots of heroes experience trauma after someone they love dies.”

“Lots of heroes didn’t watch it happen.”

A pause. “No one blames you.”

I do. Sidekick looked to the side, desiring nothing more than to vanish into the walls and escape the encroaching memories. It’s not like she pulled the trigger, but still-

“Sidekick, they want you back. Why do you think I’m out here in this weather? They even have a new mentor picked out for you.”

Mentor. Someone to protect and guide her in the heroic ways. Not that she held much stock in the academy’s character judgement. “I’m not ready.”

“They want you to be the one to capture Villain.”

Oh, now that was a world of feelings she didn’t care to explore at the moment. Sidekick folded her arms. “I’m not interested. He’s probably out of our jurisdiction by now if he’s smart. No point.”

“Do you get the scrutiny we’re under right now?” Hero moved forward with a confidence she often desired. "The media is having a field day with this. When you – the only witness – vanished from the public eye, it only increased the speculative rumours. We need to bring Villain in and make the consequences for this behaviour brutally clear.”

Her chest squeezed.

Arrogance

One day, Villain stopped pulling out their knives when they met.

"What, scared to dull your blades?"

No matter what taunts Hero threw, Villain's eyes never wavered from behind the mask. They simply lifted their fists and the ongoing fight would resume. At first, Hero puzzled at this behaviour. What kind of Villain gives up an advantage against their enemy?

Other vigilantes noticed too. "Hey Hero, it sword of sound's like you're losing your edge."

"How's it going at the kiddy table of fighting evil?"

“I hear Villain’s been handling you well. Invite me to the wedding?"

Hero returned with scathing responses, refusing to admit they didn't know why Villain was doing this. It was bringing them an entirely different kind of fame than what they wanted. Their reputation was taking a brutal hit.

The teasing got worse when Villain was caught escaping across rooftops and refused to fight. Hero threw a few half-hearted punches before their conscience piped up. Sweating under the intense gaze of Villain, Hero cocked a hip with a confident grin.

"What, we're upgrading from physical to verbal sparring now?"

Villain smiled in response.