Tumgik
#Supervillain and Superhero
avvail · 2 years
Note
Hello!
Could I request a stoic and protective Superhero who married to a rather soft spoken ,cinnamon roll Villain (or rather now an ex -villain) . Till one day Supervillain decides to intrude on their peaceful life and tries to kidnap and brainwash Villain back into villainy but Superhero isn't going to stand for that. Cue a big fight between Supervillain and Superhero along with one confused and terrified Villain(you can decide weather Superhero wins or Supervillain succeds in their plans) .
tw: gun, gun injury, blood, kidnapping
“Stop.”
Superhero did. It wasn’t because they were told, of course not. It wasn’t because they were exhausted from the back breaking fight and was looking for any excuse to stop.
It was because Supervillain had a gun, and they were pointing it directly against Villain’s head.
Their fingers twitched by their side, and Superhero went deathly still, hardly even breathing. Blood was rushing down their temple and their heart was hammering from the adrenaline. Supervillain and Superhero were formidable opponents, everybody knew; evenly matched.
It would have lasted forever if the supervillain didn’t have their partner in their grasp, using them as a bartering piece. They had a hand pressed tightly over Villain’s mouth and nose, who looked like they had been struggling, until the cold nudge of a gun was wedged against their temple.
Now all Superhero could see was the terror in their eyes, clinging onto the supervillain’s wrist, but too afraid to pull away. They could see the wedding ring on their finger, and it reminded them of their, hot and heavy against their skin.
Supervillain was breathing heavily too, but it didn’t stop them from smirking. “That wasn’t so hard, now was it?”
Superhero’s feet were swallowed by the ground. They tried to hide the anger and fear on their face, but when they nudged the gun, and Villain whimpered, it only intensified.
“Get your hands off them,” they hissed. Supervillain exhaled deeply and chuckled.
“Or what? You’ll throw your fists at me again? Please.”
Superhero took a step forward, and Supervillain took two back, dragging the villain with them. “Ah, ah.”
The gun bit into Villain’s skin and they released a particularly scared whine, unstable on their feet from their hard grasp. “I’ll decorate the floor with your lover’s brain. Step back.”
Superhero clenched their jaw, fists tightening. Their mind was running wild with thoughts, thoughts on if Villain was in pain, hurt, how scared they were, how to get them out...
It took them a little longer than usual to see through the deception.
“You’re not going to kill them,” they bit out. “You want them alive.”
Villain’s teary eyes were wide and confused, staring at Superhero. They tried not to look at them, too afraid their expression would make them do something rash. Instead, they watched as the supervillain’s eyes glinted in mischief, lip curling up into a dangerous smirk.
They lifted their gun, as if surrendering. “You got me.”
Superhero cursed inwardly. “You’ve got another thing coming if you think I’ll let you take them. And you’re even stupider than you look if you think Villain is ever going to join you in that life ever again.”
Supervillain’s eyes flashed with cruelty. They glanced at the villain, leaning closer to them, until their lips were by their ear and the gun was being dragged slowly under their chin, tilting their head back.
“Of course you won’t, will you, dear?” Supervillain purred, and the superhero forced back an impulsive attack when Villain winced. “But I don’t need their answer. I have my ways to make them do as I want.”
Superhero didn’t like the sound of that. They didn’t like the mischievous tone in their voice and they didn’t like the way they looked when they said it. Their jaw clenched and their eyes darkened, surging forward. They were expecting the villain thrust the gun in their direction and prepared to evade a bullet, but they more more than shocked to hear the ear piercing bang reverberate through the air, accompanied by Villains muffled, yet ear piercing scream.
Superhero’s resolve crumbled as their eyes widened, skidding to a stop. “Villain!”
The villain was hyperventilating against the hand, gripping desperately onto their wrist, blood pouring down their leg. Their thigh was trembling from the bullet puncturing through it, tears flooding down their cheeks.
“Back down,” the supervillain demanded. “Or it’ll be their other leg.”
Superhero had to push down all instincts and forced themselves to reign in. Their heart was hammering too loudly in their eyes, and they didn’t care about keeping up appearances anymore. Fear was evident on their face, and Supervillain relished in it.
“Oh, this is just so adorable,” they cooed, pressing the villain closer to their chest, who was struggling to breathe from the sheer pain. “I almost feel sorry for you both. But unfortunately, not enough to let them go.”
Superhero had to remember to take a breath. “I’ll do anything.”
“Anything?” They smirked.
“Anything.”
Villain looked sick with nausea, their eyes unfocused and filled with pain. A heart wrenching sob tore from their throat, only held by Supervillain’s strength. The criminal was grinning, their eyes gleeful. Anticipation crept up their spine, thoughts running wild as to what they would make them do.
Supervillain lifted the gun. “Then say goodbye.”
265 notes · View notes
pengold · 26 days
Text
Tumblr media
Goblin Queen and Jean Grey
I am a huge fan of X-men and I am absolutely loving 97, so expect more art from me in the future!
(also possibly a new style what do you guys think?)
2K notes · View notes
bet-on-me-13 · 3 months
Text
The First Supervillain
So! A Typical "Early Start" AU where the events of The Show happen early in the Timeline. Like, in the 70's or 80's.
Danny never quite managed to fix his Public Perception, and even years into his career people still saw him as the Villain.
Coincidentally Valerie was seen as a Hero because of how often they were seen fighting. Even after they revealed their Identities and got together, they still had the occasional Battle. It was their love language.
His role as the Villain was Cemented when Pariah launched his Second Invasion of Earth after some dumbass accidentally freed him, and Danny took the Blame for it. Instead of being seen as the Hero who battled Pariah and stopped the Invasion, he was seen as the Tyrant to launched the Invasion in the first place, with Red Huntess being the one to defeat him in one final Ultimate Battle.
And honestly? He was fine with that. Now that he was the King of the Ghost Zone, he had the Authority to Regulate the Portal so villains stopped getting through. And that meant that he wasn't needed to stop random Ghost Attacks anymore. He could finally focus on College and his own Life, instead of sacrificing everything to act as the Protector of the Human Realm.
Val continued to be a Hero for a few more years, eventually retiring when it became Clear that the new generation of Heroes could pick up the Slack.
He went to College, got a Job as an Aerospace Engineer, and eventually proposed to Valerie.
About 20 years since his initial Accident, and he was doing great! He had moved into a humble home on the edge of town with his loving wife Val, his beautiful daughter Ellie, and his cute dog Cujo.
Yeah, life was good.
Until the day Danny accidently caused a Mass Crisis.
...
Superman was having some extreme trouble in dealing with his current Opponent. He had just been flying around the City, patrolling as Usual, when all of a sudden he had been attacked by a Flying Mech Suit.
At first he had assumed that Lex was giving it another Go, but he quickly realized that was not the case when the Armor seemed to Phase though solid matter in the middle of the battle. Lex had never made Tech advanced enough to do that on the fly.
This opponent was tough too. Strong enough and Durable enough to go blow for blow with him, and seemingly able to pull Advanced Weaponry from out of nowhere whenever he wanted. As tough as it was to admit, Superman as losing the Battle.
Then, without warning, the battle stopped. His opponent was staring at the space just behind him, with a look of pure dread. He turned around, and his heart stopped.
Floating behind him, staring right past him and directly at the Mech Suit, was the First Villain Phantom.
He looked much the same as when he had last been seen, although he was definitely Older. He had snow white hair, and glowing green eyes that seemed to stare right past him and into his very soul. He was wearing what seemed to be a costume of sorts, with an all black suit, white gloves, and white boots. Over his Shoulders sat a Cloak made of Stars, and above his head sat a Crown made of an Icy Blue Fire.
The Mech tried for a greeting, "Er- Hello t-Lord Phantom. How do you d-"
"Skulker."
"Y-yes?"
"What are you doing here? I thought I gave you explicit orders to stay in the Ghost Zone until further notice. You disobeyed me."
"Okay look. I got excited, that's my fault. It's just, I got anxious waiting. Can you really blame me? I've been waiting 20 years to take another Crack at the Human World, what's it matter if I left a few weeks Early?"
"I told you. You were supposed to wait exactly 20 Years, and you left Early. This calls for punishment."
"No wait!"
"Let's see how you feel after a few days as Soup."
The Villain pulled out a Thermos, and in a flash of green light, Skulker was gone, and the King was capping the Thermos. He then turned to Superman.
"I apologize for him, he decided to leave ahead of schedule." The King addressed him. "Now, Kryptonian. Rest and tend to your wounds, you will need to be in your best health if you want to continue saving the lives of those people below us."
With a dramatic flare, the King reached up and Tore a hole in Space. Through the Hole, Superman could only see an infinite Green Void, with the sound of screams cheering being heard through the rift.
The King departed through the Tear in Spacetime, and it closed behind him.
Superman tried to collect himself, and activated his League Emergency Comms.
"Attention All Founding Members, and Justice League Dark Members. This is Superman calling for an immediate Emergency Meeting."
He took a deep breath.
"Phantom is Back."
2K notes · View notes
wiingdings · 1 month
Text
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
cat people
779 notes · View notes
youcalledsworld · 11 months
Text
DP x DC prompt
The Justice League failed and the earth will blow in 8 minutes. They can't evacuate everyone on the planet, they are all tired and can barely move.
In a last ditch effort John and Zatanna call upon the King of the Infinite Realms for help.
Danny said he can't stop the planet from blowing up and the Justice League sighed in defeat. But then he goes on to say that he can save everyone on earth.
The League wondered how he could. So he told them he'll just move the entire population of earth to a different earth so similar to theirs it would be extremely difficult to tell the difference.
He tells them the only difference is that on that earth the Heroes and even the Villains failed to stop a big evil from turning everyone including animal into dust.
And after he finishes relocating everyone to the different earth he will then swap the earth's around so that they remain in their original universe.
For his payment Danny told them that he will take everything valuable from the earth that's about to explode. That means precious metals, vehicles, mansions, weapons, artwork, magical artifacts, villains and heroes equipment, he will take everything.
2K notes · View notes
writingwithcolor · 3 months
Text
What Makes an Ethnic Villain "Ethnic" or "Villainous?" How Do You Offset it?
anonymous asked:
Hello WWC! I have a question about the antagonist of my story. She is (currently) Japanese, and I want to make sure I’m writing her in a way that doesn’t associates [sic] her being Asian with being villainous.  The story is set in modern day USA, this character is effectively immortal. She was a samurai who lost loved ones due to failure in combat, and this becomes her character[sic] motivation (portrayed sympathetically to the audience). This story explores many different time periods and how women have shown valor throughout history. The age of the samurai (and the real and legendary female warriors from it) have interested me the most, which is why I want her to be from this period.  The outfit she wears while fighting is based on samurai armor, and she wears modern and traditional Japanese fashion depending on the occasion. She acts pretty similar to modern day people, though more cynical and obsessed with her loss. She’s been able to adapt with the times but still highly values and cherishes her past.  She is the only Asian main character, but I plan to make a supportive Japanese side character. She’s a history teacher who knows about the villain and gives the protagonists information to help them, but isn’t involved in the main plot otherwise.  Are the way I’m writing this villain and the inclusion of a non-antagonist Japanese character enough to prevent a harmful reading of the story, or is there more I should do?
Why Does Your Villain Exist?
This makes me feel old because David Anders plays a villain with this kind of backstory in the series Heroes starring Masi Oka. 
I think you want to think about what you mean when you say: 
Villainous (In what way? To whom? To what end?)
Harmful (What tropes, narratives and implications are present?)
I’m relatively infamous in the mod circle for not caring too much about dimensions of “harm”. The concept is relative and varies widely between people and cultures. I don’t see much value in framing motivations around “What is less harmful?” I think for me, what matters more is: 
“What is more true?” 
“Are characteristics viewed as intrinsic to background, or the product of experiences and personal autonomy?”
“Will your portrayal resonate with a large audience?”
“What will resonate with the members of the audience who share the backgrounds your characters have?” 
This post offers additional questions you could ask yourself instead of “is this okay/not okay/harmful.” 
You could write a story where your antagonist is sly, sadistic, violent and cold-blooded. It may not be an interpretation that will make many Japanese from combat backgrounds feel seen or heard, but it’s not without precedent. These tropes have been weaponized against people of Japanese descent (Like Nikkei Japanese interned during World War II), but Japan also brutalized a good chunk of Asia during World War II. See Herge’s Tintin and The Blue Lotus for an example of a comic that accurately showcases the brutality of Japan’s colonization of Manchuria, but also is racist in terms of how Japanese characters are portrayed (CW: genocide, war, imperialism, racism).
You could also write a story where your character’s grief gives way to despair, and fuels their combat such that they are seen as calculating, frigid and deeply driven by revenge/ violence. This might make sense. It’s also been done to death for Japanese female warriors, though (See “Lady Snowblood” by Kazuo Koike and Kazuo Kamimura here, CW: sexual assault, violence, murder and a host of other dark things you’d expect in a revenge story). 
You could further write a story where your antagonist is not necessarily villainous, but the perceived harm comes from fetishizing/ exoticizing elements in how her appearance is presented or how she is sexualized, which is a common problem for Japanese female characters. 
My vote always goes to the most interesting story or character. I don’t see any benefit to writing from a defensive position. This is where I'll point out that, culturally, I can't picture a Japanese character viewing immortality as anything other than a curse. Many cultures in Japan are largely defined by transience and the understanding that many things naturally decay, die, and change form.
There are a lot of ways you could conceivably cause harm, but I’d rather hear about what the point of this character is given the dilemma of their position. 
What is her purpose for the plot? 
How is she designed to make the reader feel? 
What literary devices are relevant to her portrayal?
(Arbitrarily, you can always add more than 1 extra Japanese character. I think you might put less pressure on yourself with this character’s portrayal if you have more Japanese characters to practice with in general.) 
- Marika. 
When Off-Setting: Aim for Average
Seconding the above with regards to this villainess’s story and your motivations for this character, but regardless of her story I think it’s also important to look specifically at how the Japanese teacher character provides contrast. 
I agree with the choice to make her a regular person and not a superhero. Otherwise, your one Asian character is aggressively Asian-themed in a stereotypical Cool Japan way (particularly if her villain suit is samurai-themed & she wears wafu clothing every so often). Adding a chill person who happens to be Japanese and doesn’t have some kind of ninja or kitsune motif will be a breath of fresh air (well, more like a sigh of relief) for Japanese readers. 
A note on characterization—while our standard advice for “offset” characters is to give your offset character the opposite of the personality trait you’re trying to balance, in this case you might want to avoid opposites. You have a villainess who is a cold, tough “don’t need no man” type. Making the teacher mild-mannered, helpful, and accomodating would balance out the villainess’s traits, but you’ll end up swinging to the other side of the pendulum towards the Submissive Asian stereotype depending on execution. If avoiding stereotypes is a concern, I suggest picking something outside of that spectrum of gentleness to violence and making her really boring or really weird or really nerdy or a jock gym teacher or…something. You’re the author.
Similarly, while the villainess is very traditionally Japanese in her motifs and backstory, don’t make the teacher go aggressively in either direction—give her a nice balance of modern vs. traditional, Japanese vs. Western sensibilities as far as her looks, dress, interests, values, etc. Because at the end of the day, that’s most modern Japanese people. 
Sometimes, the most difficult representation of a character of color is making a character who is really average, typical, modern, and boring. 
- Rina
484 notes · View notes
charlietheepicwriter7 · 3 months
Text
We've seen DP and DC be different universes where Danny and Valerie are the only heroes in DP, but there are thousands of heroes in DC. We've seen where DP and DC are in the same universe, and Amity Park just thinks the Justice League are ignoring them.
But what if DP and DC are different universes, BUT Danny and Val aren't the only heroes?
If we treat superheroes as basically cops/military with superpowers, then we can infer what heroes would be like using cop/military statistics. You could even use My Hero Academia society as a basis. Things like "heroes are more interested in protecting private property than serving the public" and "Heroes have high levels of PTSD and physical disability and aren't helped after they retire" are common knowledge in Danny's universe.
And specifically, the one I wanted to make clear for this prompt: In Danny's universe, heroes are highly likely to abuse their family/sidekicks outside the mask.
Suddenly, Danny's in the DC universe. For a low-stakes reason; if he's there because the DP universe imploded or his parents tried to kill him, he'd be too concerned about himself to act on his instincts. No, Danny's there for a vacation and there are so many heroes and kid heroes that he feels sick.
Maybe he catches Batman being rough with his kids, or overhears Superman "belittling" Superboy (Conner). Nevertheless...
Danny ends up thinking that all the Justice League are abusing their sidekicks and families and becomes a villain to save them.
457 notes · View notes
whatthehellami · 4 months
Text
"Can we like, reschedule today's fight? I have an exam?"
"YOU'RE IN SCHOOL?"
565 notes · View notes
Text
You know how apparently people will dump a ton of personal info about themselves onto cashiers?
Imagine being a cashier and this one weirdly familiar stranger starts doing that to you with sorta vague details but not vague enough as you slowly put together that this is your arch nemesis out of costume
266 notes · View notes
Text
from this real advice column:
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
i see you person who wrote this sdfsdfdsf
382 notes · View notes
avvail · 2 years
Note
Hi,could I request a Supervillain who has a track record of dating heroes but the heroes either show up dead or broken beyond repair. Turns out Supervillain isn't the best of partners. So when Superhero (one of the lucky few who was able to escape from their relationship with Supervillain ) finds out Supervillain is dating a rather naive hero who isn't aware of what happened to Supervillain's past lovers. Superhero snaps trying to convince the hero that Supervillain isn't who they say they are before it's too late.
Maybe Superhero reviles to Hero what Supervillain did to them and to the other heroes in the past
tw: past abusive relationship, past alcohol abuse, death/murder mention
“You’re making a huge mistake.”
The hero turned around, their eyes wide and their face pale. They were verging on exploding on the superhero and running off in tears. They’d never been yelled at by their superior like this. They never had reason to.
“I love them,” the hero shakily replied, fumbling for the doorknob. “They love me. Superhero, please.”
Superhero’s eyes danced over their face. The torrent of emotions swirling inside of them were difficult to fight. It was only bringing up horrible memories, ones they had tried to forget. They never liked to resurface the past with their ex-lover, but Superhero was never going to let them hurt anybody like that again.
“They don’t love you, Hero,” they snapped back, trying to knock some sense into them. “I don’t care what you think. They don’t.”
Hero was on the verge of tears. “Don’t say that.”
“They aren’t who they say they are. You need to get out before it’s too late.”
Hero visibly shook their head, defiance flickering in their eyes. Maybe it was Superhero’s fault for training them to be so determined.
“You’re just upset I didn’t tell you,” they tried to justify. “And I’m sorry, okay?”
“They are manipulating you, Hero,” Superhero fired back with more verocity than they cared to consider. “They’ll shower you with love. They’ll pursue you with gifts, with fancy dates, and vacations you could never afford. Places you could only ever dream of. All of this isn’t out of the kindness of their heart...”
Superhero could feel themselves growing hot. Just remembering what it had been like for them, the way it had made them feel like the most important person in Supervillain’s world. The way it had all been a lie.
“...they’re doing it to make you dependent on them. To be complacent, so you have no free will to run when you realise you need to.”
Hero continued to shake their head, pinching their eyes shut. “No, shut up. Stop it, you’re lying. They said I was–”
“Special?” Superhero cut in, their voice wobbling. “That you were different? Well, good for you, Hero. But that’s the same thing they said to me. And it’s the same thing they said to all the other heroes who showed up dead.”
The hero sniffled, their glossy eyes widening in shock. “What?”
The sincerity in the hero’s voice almost shocked them. Had they really not known? Hero was a fine crime fighter, one of the best the agency had. They had a clean track record and their perfection was something the young sidekicks looked up to. They followed the rules.
Superhero wouldn’t allow someone like that in the hands of Supervillain.
“This is what Supervillain does,” they continued, their voice lowering in volume. “They play our emotions and make us easy prey.”
The hero’s hand slid from the door. They looked like they had lost all the strength in their limbs, leaving their expression wrinkled in confusion and fear.
“I don’t understand.” They looked visibly shaken. “I love them, Superhero. I can’t...I can’t just...”
“So did I,” they replied softly, stepping closer towards them. This time, the hero didn’t run. “I really did. And I really thought they loved me too, Hero. But everything I felt for them was nothing compared to what they did to me.”
Their chest ached at the memories. The pain. The suffering. The hopelessness. The flash of their face in their dreams and their twisted, sadistic grin. Tears almost formed in their eyes.
“But,” the hero lamely chased another excuse. “You dated them. And you’re fine.”
Superhero’s expression tightened. “You remember what I was like, four months ago? I wasn’t fine.”
They could see the memories flash in their eyes, the hero’s brows furrowed in confusion. “But you said that was because of–”
“I was ashamed. I was ashamed I let something like that happen to me.” Superhero remembered the nights, drowning themself in alcohol, trying to forget their touch all over their body, their voice in their mind. “But I know it wasn’t my fault. Supervillain is one of the most powerful criminals for a reason. You need to stop while you still can.”
Hero stared at them, their eyes wide. It was only after a few seconds they started crying, the tears flooding down their cheeks. Superhero pulled them into a hug, holding them close.
“I know,” they whispered gently, closing their eyes. “I know.”
165 notes · View notes
cryyon · 1 year
Photo
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
Pearl’s sheet is a bit more messy but I think if I tried to make a really nice ref sheet for her I’d perish after making so many for the other three so!! sketchy it is!! also a lil bit of info on the Architects villain group is that, unlike irl, pearl is the founder, mumbo is co founder. They formed the group together a little bit after mumbo/inventor was classified as a villain, pearl/lune was the one to offer mumbo the proposition. Grian joins last and its just them three, I don’t have plans on scar joining but maybe that will change. I would’ve done a proper lil comic bit but im rewriting the bits of planning i have... ALSO Rendog’s hero name is Sirius!! Theres a bit of lore between him, grian/poultry man and mumbo/inventor but that might change a bit? Because its very easy to make Ren the corrupt/bad guy imo bc of his whole king arc in season 9 of hermitcraft. Also a little pic of grian, mumbo and scar cuddling. Probably well after they find out each other’s identities n stuff. Another small note about them is that they’re incredibly loyal to each other.
1K notes · View notes
dagda-the-doodler · 6 months
Text
Tumblr media
Some fanart for a web novel I really like, Worm by Wildbow! This is the main character, Skitter! This series is SO well written and I wanted to put out my takes on the characters!
528 notes · View notes
machetelanding · 2 months
Text
Tumblr media
357 notes · View notes
btsmosphere · 10 days
Text
Supercharged | JJK
Tumblr media
Chapter 1: the Light Dies
masterlist | next
🗲summary: It starts with a blow to the chest that changes your life. When your city’s most celebrated hero pays a visit, it turns out the noble Bolt has no trouble tossing lives aside. Lives that won't be missed. Lives like yours. Seven mysterious and powerful men give you another chance – one that starts to feel more like a curse the moment you meet golden boy Jungkook. The boy who wants you as far from his brothers as he can get you. Is it you he hates, or the blue lightning that now runs through your veins? And could it be his golden light that illuminates your heart when darkness threatens? 🗲this chapter: He’s the hero. Unfortunately for you, you’re not the villain.
🗲pairing: jungkook x female reader 🗲word count: 6.6k 🗲genre: angst, action, eventual fluff, enemies to lovers, slow burn, superheroes/villains au, it’s sorta like a mafia au but they have superpowers lmao 🗲rating: pg15 🗲warnings: violence with superpowers, minor character death, attempted murder, injury, loss of consciousness
a/n: I have to say thank you to @casuallyimagining and @bluewhale52 for betaing this chapter, although this might come as a surprise to them since that was maybe 3 years ago now?😅I'm really not sure how much my writing had changed since then, but you guys can be the judge of that as the future chapters unfold! In the meantime, enjoy! If you want more supercharged in your life, you can also search my supercharged tag to find some musings, rambling, gifsets and visuals etc that inspired me and kept me going while I lost my mind over this story!
Lastly, I present the supercharged playlist✨ I had a lot of fun making this – several songs align with plot events, while some of them are there for the title, the vibe, or even a single line! Feel free to guess which are which or come and chat with me about it👀
Tumblr media
An ear-splitting roar was barely contained behind shuddering steel doors. Just down the corridor, your fingers still clicked away, unperturbed, at your keyboard.
Tapping your foot, you looked impatiently up at the clock as another thunderous bellow assaulted the air. If the full-length windows weren’t reinforced by your boss, Kuyang’s own design, they would be rattling in their frames.
Blowing to rid your face of a strand of hair, you returned to your work, not even sparing a glance towards the source of the racket. It was only around half an hour until you could leave work for the weekend.
Finishing your task, you turned to filing the correspondence on your desk as a few yells carried through the air, mingled with the monster’s uproar. Bills and business deals the lot of them, you tucked them away in their respective places to be dealt with next week – only to stop on the very last one. How many times had the postman ignored the very clear sign for no newspapers?
You supposed the city felt the need to remind everyone that there was some semblance of central control – not really of much concern in a workplace such as yours, mind. Glancing across the front page, you realised why. You didn’t have a tv at home, but you would have to live under a rock not to recognise your city’s most celebrated superhero. Bolt, the media’s beloved, had claimed another victory against some crazy start-up trying to build their own bombs downtown.
The hero’s blue-masked face grinned confidently up at you from the desk, while police led what looked to be two scruffy teenagers into the back of their van. But Bolt’s vivid presence eclipsed them in his suit that matched his bright eyes.
Not bothering to read further, you pushed the paper into the waste bin at the end of the table.
Just as you were tucking away the final bits of paper, your boss emerged, wiping his brow on a cloth that looked as dirty as his face. Smiling pleasantly despite his ruffled state, you rotated on your chair to face him.
“Frank’s all good and sleepy now,” he said, “if you could get him sent up to the chamber.”
“Sure,” you nodded, already getting up and straightening your jacket.
With nothing more than a weary nod of appreciation, he left for his private laboratory. This was through a series more armoured doors, to which only you and a small number of lab workers knew the codes.
He was a scientist. And you were sure he was unhinged, but the job paid well, so that was all you concerned yourself with.
In fact, you had got very lucky. You had been surprised when such a good position had become available and quickly given to someone as ill-qualified as you, with no references to give. But your lack of connections seemed of no concern, and here you were, finally making ends meet and no longer in fear of being turned out of your run-down apartment at the edge of town.
So you did your job as well as you could, worrying yourself over nothing except pleasing the odd man that was Kuyang.
Even so, it was still a little daunting each time you had to come face-to-face with one of his experiments.
Reaching the steel doors that had not long ago been seriously threatening their hinges, you took a breath. Holding your thumb over a scanner by the door, you plastered a confident smile on your face as you walked inside.
Affectionately dubbed ‘Frank’, a great lump of teeth and dark furry flesh several times bigger than you was sleeping in a pod at the centre of the room. Surrounding this were multitudes of screens showing graphs and readings you couldn’t hope to understand.
At the edges of the room, a smattering of other workers were slumped against the stainless steel lab walls, almost as rumpled as their boss had been.
A hulking guard, Taeyeon, stood near the entrance, and you quietly confirmed with her that Frank was under and secure. Nodding, you gestured to Taeyeon’s team, another man and woman with the same uniform and intimidating stature.
Together, you assembled in front of the tank that held Frank, Taeyeon typing authorisation into one of the computers. The others locked down the external doors, just in case.
Though it was a familiar sight by now, the opening of the pod always prompted you to run through your training. If you hadn’t read it in the documents you dealt with, you would not have known Frank was also known as Necrus X, a new prototype Kuyang was working on, although you could not imagine what for.
Kuyang had been sure to tell you how to knock out the creature if it ever came to it, though. There was a spot behind his ear, which was more of a ridge at the side of his enormous head.
With the pod open, a panel rose from the floor, taking Frank rotating upwards. You caught sight of the patch behind its ear, zeroing in on it. Just in case.
The smooth expanse of ceiling split then, a hole revealing itself as the roof shrunk away into the walls, leaving a clear path for Frank to rise to the next floor, where he was stored.
As effortlessly as the ceiling retreating, a smooth steel staircase emerged from the walls. You and Taeyeon climbed it, spiralling around the edges of the circular space until you drew level with Frank, now snoring on the upper floor. Here, the space was wide open like an empty art gallery, half the walls comprised of expansive windows, no lab equipment to be seen.
The floor closed up beneath you both and you walked around Frank, opening a secret panel in the wall. As before, you raised your thumb to a blank scanner – but got no further.
A deafening smash sent you crouching to the ground in panic. Livid blue painted all the walls in the space as shattered glass skidded across the floor.
You had thought that glass to be unbreakable. At least that was the intention. But when you turned, you were forced to believe your ears: the central panel of glass was completely blown in, all the others down the row cracked from the force.
At the same moment the glass had shattered, you could suddenly hear what before had been hidden behind soundproofing. Outside, there were shouts, screams, car horns and alarms blaring from every angle – and above all, sirens. Sirens wailing through the air like disembodied banshees, descending, apparently, on your building.
Shuffling along the floor, you peered past the sleeping mass that was Frank in front of you. Walking across the room was a man in a tight blue suit, the same hue crackling in the air around his hands.
Bolt.
Mind short-circuiting, you were frozen. What should you do?
What was Bolt doing here? Was there some kind of threat? The image of him should have brought you relief, even though you knew nothing of what the danger was, but you hesitated.
Only having the presence of mind to shrink back silently behind Frank, you looked between the beast and the control panel you had abandoned. But you had no more chance to move before a fearsome crack ripped through the air, another flash of blue, sending the hairs on your arms bolting upright.
Spinning back to face Frank, you were met with a thump. A body, falling onto the floor.
Though she was mostly obscured by Frank’s sleeping form, you stared in unbelieving horror at Taeyeon where she lay, unmoving. Breath accelerating in your throat, you moved at last, scooting yourself back and away. Closer to the wall.
First you lunged to sound the alarm, mounted inside the wall panel, which instantly lit the room up in throbbing red, blaring loud enough to drown out the sirens outside. Then your hand was fumbling across the scanner. You had to get Frank locked away.
The walls of the pod which safely contained Frank overnight began to descend, much too slowly for your liking. Whirling to face the room, your heart seized in your chest when the imposing figure of Bolt, now shaded purple by the red light, met your eyes.
A glance up at the descending walls. They were halfway to the ground by now, but you still had to enter the code to lock them down.
Bolt yelled for you to stop, barely audible over the dizzying noise of the warning siren.
As he strode towards you, you could only watch, pressing yourself desperately against the wall as if it could swallow you up.
Bright light cut through the imposing red as the heavy door at the opposite end of the room was thrown open. Bolt stopped, both of you turning to see Kuyang enter. His hair was still sticking up from earlier, a strange expression on his face that you hadn’t seen before.
Paying no mind to the maniacal smile that had no place on Kuyang’s face, you took the moment of distraction to scramble for the code lock.
Without a sound, the gap between the floor and Frank’s pod closed, and your fingers were already leaping to action, typing the numbers behind your back at lightning speed.
Kuyang was running now, a direct path towards Bolt. But Bolt turned back towards you.
You were nearly done, but his hand was raising towards you…
In a split second, your fingertip met the final key of the code. Almost instantly, it was ripped away as shocking blue light cut through the air. You felt the impact before you could even notice that it was aimed at you.
Hitting you square in the chest, white hot pain scorched through your every nerve as your body was flung backwards, powerless as a ragdoll sailing through the air. The collision with the cracked window behind was almost lost on you. More intense pain was writhing its way down each limb, making you cry out, uncaring about the rain-spattered wind that whipped about your face now.
But you could see shards of glass as they fell along with you, like daggers aimed at the ground.
Biting wind rushed in your ears, the sound crashing over you like waves. And just as a pan sizzles down off the heat, the ferocious attack of pain seemed to reduce just as fast as it had invaded you.
Your heartbeat was the loudest thing, booming over the insistent web of sirens and whistling air.
Breathing choppily, you screwed your eyes nearly closed, suddenly aware of the tempest around you as you fell. Above, the already darkening winter night was illuminated with flashes of that awful blue.
You were falling.
It hit you then, as if you hadn’t been falling all this time. But it was only now that your senses caught up with themselves. You worked on a very high floor of the skyscraper, but as you were tossed around in the air, you saw the ground rapidly approaching.
A horror gripped your chest like nothing you had ever felt before.
Below you, and rushing towards you at terrifying speed, a skip sat surrounded by heaps of trash on the street. Unable to think, you could only shield your face with your hands, stretched out in front of you as if to stop the inevitable collision.
Though your eyes fell closed, you felt the jerk that flung your whole body backwards.
That wasn’t what you had expected.
Eyes snapping open in confusion, you found your vision lit with blue. In front of your face, blue light was shooting from your palms, pushing you up and away from the ground.
Your mouth fell open. Gaping in shock, you did nothing as the light died and you slowed again in the air.
Though you began falling much slower this time, you barely had time to notice your surroundings – much nearer the ground – before you were plummeting again, and this time nothing could stop you.
Tumblr media
Your eyes weren’t even open when you felt your body slide off something. Not a second later, you were crumpling onto hard concrete which grazed your cheek.
You groaned.
It was dark. High above, any flashes of light didn’t reach you here, having landed in a thin alley beside the building. And though this shielded you from the commotion on the main streets out front, sirens still pierced the air, each one feeling like a stab to your head.
You clutched it as you maneuvered to sit. It took you a few tries, groping for a wall or something to lean against as you regained your balance.
Eyes cracking open, you waited patiently for the dark splotches to dispel before looking around.
Right next to you was a car which blocked you from view of the road beyond this alley. Evident from the dent that caved in its bonnet, that was what you had landed on.
Turning your head, you had to squint even more as light assaulted your sensitive eyes.
Among a blazing light, you could make out the vague shapes of rubbish bags and an overflowing skip that you recognised. Out of these, a vibrant fire was now burning. The correlation was too strong for you to ignore.
Breath shallow, you turned your horrified gaze to your hands.
They had done this… but how? They looked totally normal now.
Frowning, you brought them up closer to your face, so that your nose was practically buried in your palms.
No difference.
You were sure you hadn’t imagined that blue light which saved you earlier. Was there a way to make it come back?
While you were puzzling, you lowered your hands again, still staring intently as you rotated them in your lap.
Then, quick as a blink, a blue flash darted from them again. So fast, in fact, that you had no time to react before one of the bolts was fired directly into your opposite arm.
Snatching it away reflexively, you hissed in pain as a burning sensation crawled, tingling, over your skin there.
Despite the pain, the blue light didn't cease shooting from your hands. They tingled, a strangely uncomfortable sensation. It was as if something warm was wriggling its way up your veins and spilling from your fingertips.
“Stop! Stop!” you whispered in panic.
You turned them outwards, aiming away from you, but if they kept at it for much longer you were sure to draw attention.
Moving your hands around jerkily, the beams of light shook along with you, but did not go out. With each unsuccessful movement, panic made you more frantic until the glowing rays jerked erratically around the small space.
Straying too far, the light came into contact with a post at the alley’s entrance. You could only watch, helpless, as light like blue snakes skittered up it and latched around the wires it supported.
To your relief, the strange current seemed to have found an outlet, and only remained a second longer before cutting out. You were left blinking in the relative darkness. Panting heavily, you stared down at your hands, although you did not bring them too close anymore.
Once again, they appeared utterly innocent. There was nothing to suggest they had just channelled lightning through them.
Suddenly, the world plunged into darkness. The fire still burned at the other end of the alley, or you would have been left totally blind. In the building behind you, in the street, all the lights had gone out.
Almost instantly following the blackout, screaming rose again in the air.
Gulping, your eyes travelled to the blackened post at the corner, which you had accidentally electrocuted.
This was bad. Your head was spinning, both from your short, hard fall and from the whirlwind of events that had happened in what could only have been minutes. Surrounded by darkness, with the wail of the city and a fire for company, you could only see one course of action.
Run.
You had to get away from here. It wasn’t safe. You had little idea where was safe, but you couldn’t be here anymore.
It wasn’t like you had anyone to call who would care enough to come and pick you up. Nor did you have the money to try a hospital, though you felt as if you may need it.
But especially with electricity shooting from your hands at the drop of a hat, it probably wasn’t best to be anywhere around people.
The dizziness from your unfortunate landing on the car had worn off while you were sitting, but the world swayed anew the moment you made to stand. Pushing determinedly against the wall, you struggled on anyway, brand new dark spots in your vision offset by the brightness of the fire you walked towards.
This end of the alleyway led out through smaller streets, away from the city centre and furore of sirens.
On reaching the opening, you cautiously assessed the road stretching away either side. Empty. And if there was anyone there, they wouldn’t see you in this darkness.
Shoving your hands beneath your armpits on some misguided hope of keeping them from causing problems, you lowered your head and ran. It was more of a jog, considering everything, but you still moved as quickly as you could beneath the dead streetlamps.
Head throbbing more with movement, you stumbled a few times as you went. The pavement tilted around you.
You had made it a few roads before you felt that awful tingling in your arms again. It itched, like something fighting its way out of your skin.
Nausea rolled in the pit of your stomach. This couldn’t be real.
Slowing down and stopping beneath a signpost, you drew your shaking hands out in front of you. The world careened on its axis, revolving around the sight of your palms as a faint blue glow grew in them.
You were going to throw up, you were sure of it.
You wanted it to stop.
A few flickers of blue darted down the veins in your wrist. Towards your fingertips. Sparks leapt from them, small tendrils of lightning crackling between your fingers like webbing.
At last, you gave in to the rising horror mixed with a sick feeling. The floor’s spinning became too much, your hands turning to a bright blur in the centre of your vision.
You passed out on the spot.
Tumblr media
Lights were turning on again around the city. Television sets flickering back to life to announce Bolt’s victory against the beast that had attacked earlier that evening.
But not on the street where you still lay.
The return of light only reached neighbouring roads, dim glow snuffed out before it could penetrate the middle of this street. A white-haired young man stepped forwards, but his face was totally obscured in darkness.
“Here,” he spoke to the silence.
The next moment, a deep red glowed in the middle of the road, though it brought little light. The red bounced off a signpost before it was gone, replaced by another man, seemingly from nowhere.
The newest arrival stood there, looking down at your figure, unconscious by the sign. Then he disappeared again, leaving total darkness behind as if he had never been there at all.
A few more moments passed, you and the hidden man the only beings on the dark road.
Not very long after, a car’s engine rumbled and sputtered into earshot. The bright beam of headlights rounded the corner, growing larger and shedding light on your form as it drew closer.
Pulling up next to you, the engine died along with the lights. Two doors opened and slammed shut.
As two pairs of feet stepped nearer to join the one remaining beside you, the streetlamp directly overhead began to glow. The faint glimmer grew until it illuminated the scene. Still no other lights joined it, leaving the small group of you lit up as if by spotlight.
“It’s her?”
The man crouching beside you asked the question without looking up, and the shadowed man answered.
“Pretty sure.”
“She’s breathing?”
“Yes.”
The crouching man hummed. Moving to kneel instead, his eyes roved over your somewhat battered face, dark hair obscuring his own.
“Namjoon?” he asked then, turning to the other man from the car. It was the same man who had momentarily appeared in the street earlier.
Taking his cue, the tall man, Namjoon, walked forwards and bent to lift your hands by the wrists. In just moments he was placing them carefully back, nodding.
“No doubt.”
“Okay then.”
“Can she travel, Jin?”
“Give me a moment.”
Producing a small object, he pressed a button and a small light sprung from the end. Carefully lifting one of your eyelids, he shone the light into it, observing like a doctor.
The first you became aware of was the far away sound of voices being quietly exchanged. But with the cloudiness in your head, identifying them didn’t seem very urgent. You were preoccupied with the swirling feeling that made the world swim around you, even though it was dark.
But as dim awareness was returning to you, the process of regaining your senses was violently accelerated as a blinding light was thrust into your vision.
You flinched, and as Jin pulled away he saw you blink, eyelids screwing shut in protest. His eyebrows raised in slight concern as he watched your first groggy movements.
Blinking around at the dimly lit figures over you, your eyes widened. The nearest man held the illuminated light stick. Was he a doctor?
Next, your eyes darted to the tall man standing behind him. You recognised neither.
Some strange feeling told you someone else was standing there too, but when you looked to your other side you were faced with nothing but empty shadow.
“Can you sit?”
The first man’s question was gentle, his hands ready to support you.
Nodding timidly, you heaved yourself up with his help. It embarrassed you to be panting after just that much movement.
“What happened?” came the next question.
As you replayed the events, you avoided their eyes. You could not let them know what happened, what you had become. They were helping you, and yet you might hurt them-
Fists clenching subconsciously, you stuttered in panic.
“I-I can’t pay,” you told them, but before you could say more a new voice was speaking. The standing man stepped forwards, his voice calm and surprisingly friendly.
“There’s no need to pay. We can help you. Can you tell us what happened?”
“I don’t, uh, I-I-“
His eyes travelled towards your hands, which you were trying to tuck behind you.
“You gained powers, didn’t you?”
You froze.
“I have them too,” he smiled, “I know what it’s like to be scared. But you can work with this and learn to control them. I’m Namjoon, and this is Jin. We’ve been through this before, we can help you.”
At your sides, your hands relaxed. Tension lifted from your tightly hunched shoulders. Wordless, you looked between the men who were watching you, ready to move, but only on your word.
Swallowing, a light frown creased your brow.
“What do you want-”
Namjoon’s smile dimmed into something kinder.
“At least let us check you over.”
Your hands fretted together. It was strange, you couldn’t feel anything there. Surely they should feel different? How would you know if these… powers, Namjoon had said, were to come back?
“You won’t hurt us, don’t worry,” he seemed to anticipate your thoughts as he watched you, “we can protect ourselves.”
“You were unconscious,” Jin spoke, drawing your perplexed gaze back to him, “did you hit your head?”
You blinked, but found yourself answering.
“I think so.”
Nodding, Jin shuffled at your side. He leaned a bit closer.
“I need to shine this light in your eyes again. You may have a concussion.”
Complying, you sat through the eye-watering brightness. He asked you things, like a doctor would, except he was working in the middle of an empty street in the middle of the night.
“Do you feel dizzy?”
“I did. I think still, a little.”
“Any nausea?”
“Yeah… but maybe because of the…” you gestured to your hands.
Jin sat back, taking the light with him. Namjoon shot you a sympathetic smile at that. You supposed he had been through the same thing, from the sounds of it.
Jin looked up at Namjoon.
“It looks pretty rough. Definitely a concussion, and she needs patching up, but in the long run she’ll be fine.”
“I-I’m serious,” you interjected, “I don’t have the money for hospital…”
Your voice faltered. You half thought of asking to just go home, but you were hardly sure of even making it there by yourself. And if you got there, then what? The prospect of burning down the place with these errant powers didn’t fill you with comfort.
“Good thing we’re not going to bring you there, then,” Namjoon said, “but I meant it when I said we could help. We can take you home, if you want… but you can stay with us, too.”
You stared at him wordlessly. Was it crazy that you were considering this?
“Just for a bit, if you need,” Jin added softly, “it’s just… now might not be the smartest time to be alone.”
You chewed your cheek. But your head was pounding too much to think very hard, and this seemed like the most straightforward option. The people in this city kept surprising you, after your first stroke of luck with Kuyang's generosity.
“Sure…” you spoke quietly, not quite able to look them in the eyes, “yes please.”
“Okay,” Namjoon took it in stride, “but let’s get moving.”
“Just one moment – we should wrap that.”
Gesturing towards your arm, Jin stood and went back to the car. On his return, he knelt again and began to secure cling film around the angry red blotch blistering your skin, where you had caught yourself with your own beam.
“We’ll sort it out properly when we get back,” he told you, “but Namjoon’s right, we should be going.”
You followed his gaze which seemed to dart up and down the street. However, nothing was there.
Jin helped you stand, still looking around. Sure enough, the dizziness from before hadn’t quite left you yet. Biting down on your lip, you focussed hard on getting the short distance to the car. You were led to the passenger seat and crumpled gratefully into it.
But just as Jin closed the door, you felt an uncomfortable prickling clutch your forearms again. Namjoon slid into the back seat in time to hear your gasp, noticing the way your fingers flexed in panic. Digging in his pockets, he produced a pair of thin black gloves and held them out to you just as the first trickles of blue appeared in your veins again. He watched with a studious frown as you pushed your hands into the gloves.
“Those will help,” he said, still looking at your wrists, “they can contain the powers. But you shouldn’t keep them on for too long.”
Jin was seating himself in the driver’s side as you frowned over at Namjoon. At first you had been relieved to have a solution to your erratic lightning problem, but that was ripped away at his last addition.
“Why not? It will keep you safe,” you questioned, but kept your voice quiet.
“Don’t worry, we’re more than capable of handling anything you could throw at us,” he laughed, “but you can keep them on in here. Best not to bottle up your powers forever, though.”
Resigned, you turned back to face front. The moment Jin stepped on the gas, all the lights in the road sparked to life at once. Startled, you blinked, looking around. On the pavement you were just pulling away from, a man was walking away, unidentifiable behind a hoodie.
Slumping back in your seat, you breathed a short, dry laugh. This mysterious happening was just the latest in this crazy night. You had no choice but to accept it.
The car ride was fairly short, but you were too tired and distracted to take in exactly where you were going. Streets seemed to blur together, aware only that you were heading out of town.
The itching in your arms had persisted for a while, but as promised, the gloves seemed to work. No fiery blue burst out of your palms, and, eventually, whatever it was decided to give it up, subsiding again by the time the car pulled up.
But no one got out yet. Jin had stopped at the end of a small road, big enough for only one vehicle, directly facing an expanse of crumbling and graffitied brick.
Curiosity woke you up from your daze, and you watched as Jin reached to tap something on his dashboard. Almost instantly, a groaning reached your ears from over the whirring of the engine. The wall ahead shook before shifting, sliding sideways until it tucked itself behind a dented dustbin, unveiling a space beyond.
Leaving you little more time to wonder, Jin started the car again and you rolled downwards through a plain, dark entrance. It reminded you of those multi-storey car parks formed with ugly blocks of concrete. It was considerably smaller than those, however, Jin pullingup into a space alongside about a dozen other vehicles, beyond which the place seemed entirely deserted.
Jin came around to open your door, but you were able to stand by yourself. It was still a bit of a struggle, your limbs sluggish and the world dull around you – although that may have just been the low underground light.
Namjoon led you, Jin staying close by your side. Blinking at the space as you moved through it, your eyes traced over the various car roofs, some cleaner than others. A larger four-by-four was particularly beaten up, with a large crease in one of the metal wheel arches.
Your eyes rested longest on what was probably the most pristine: a motorbike, at first hidden by the cars either side of it.
Soon enough, you were past them. Stopping as Namjoon did, you watched him expectantly. However, he did not turn around, instead standing face-to-face with a plain concrete wall. Except… now a low rumble announced the movement of a panel which slid away, revealing a wide doorway which had previously blended seamlessly with the flat wall.
Your eyebrows raised at the touch that was reminiscent of Kuyang’s lab. Without time for you to dwell on this, your small group moved up a dingy staircase that lay beyond the doorway.
At the top, you emerged into a new space, notably lighter than before. You assumed you were back on ground level, perhaps above. It was hard to be sure, disoriented as you still were in the whirlwind that had overtaken your day.
Bizarrely, the space appeared to be someone’s home. There was a large and coffee-stained table surrounded by mismatching chairs, a kitchen behind it littered with mugs and pot plants. Still, beyond the lived-in array of things lying around, it was big. You imagined it must be miles more expensive than the shoddy apartment you stayed in.
It was open plan, and you followed Namjoon past the dining table towards an area filled with two enormous sofas.
The back of a blond head was visible over the sofa, and now the person turned towards you.
“Guys!” a loud exclamation rang out as he leapt up. A dazzling smile spread across his mouth.
When his eyes fell on you, wincing at his sudden volume, the smile dimmed a little.
“Not so loud, Hope-ah,” Jin spoke gently from behind you.
“Sorry,” he dipped his head, smile remaining on his lips.
Jin’s hands came lightly to your back, steering you over to a sofa. As you sunk into it with relief, the blond man sat across from you, tilting his head to catch your eye.
“I’m Hope,” he smiled, “I’m glad we found you. You’ll be right in no time!”
Frowning, you couldn’t help but notice his eyes flicking over the damage on your face. Averting your gaze, you chewed your lip absently.
What did he mean? I’m glad we found you…
Had they been looking for you? You still weren’t sure if it was a lucky coincidence they found you, but perhaps it was something more.
The lingering ache in your head forced you to push the issue away. You missed Namjoon’s stern look at Hoseok as he hovered behind your seat.
Jin pulled a pack from a cupboard and set it beside you. You let him lift your arm and unwrap the burn, your unfocussed eyes dragging across the room while he applied something cold over it. Next came stinging, scattered over your face as he wiped at the small cuts and grazes with an apologetic grimace you barely saw.
You only forced the world back into focus when someone else entered your sight. Emerging from behind you, a gentle, friendly smile was directed your way from a man with pale pink hair. Swallowing, you never managed to smile back before he was turning away.
The pink-haired man reached a hand out to someone you couldn’t see. Another man appeared, walking towards him, but he never looked at you. Or if he did, it was obscured behind the black hair that fell to his eyes.
The two new people left towards the kitchen, though not without another smile from the pink one.
Who were all these people?
Frowning after them, you were interrupted by a clap on the shoulder from Jin.
“We’ll talk more in the morning. You need to rest.”
Looking around, you had half a mind to protest, but were overruled by the shakiness taking over your frame. Body too fatigued to allow you much say, you meekly followed Jin.
Beyond the living space, a thinner corridor led away, several closed doors along its walls.
Further you went, until a door just ahead opened. Another person walked out.
When he stopped to face you, his posture remained stiff. Tall and muscular, he was clad all in black except for a towel slung over his shoulder. Damp hair fell messily around his head. But you had little time to take this in, as his eyes fixed themselves fiercely on yours, rendering you unable to look away.
Mouth remaining in a hard line, his expression only twitched further into a frown.
Then his gaze flicked abruptly away, travelling to Jin just beyond you.
“Kook-“
Jin never got further than that before the man strode forwards, marching sharply past you and away with a scowl. Turning after him in surprise, you watched his tense shoulders disappear behind Namjoon, who you hadn’t noticed hovering.
Namjoon stared sternly after him, but the man seemed to avoid his gaze.
Jin sighed, sending an apologetic glance at you.
“That’s just Jungkook,” Namjoon spoke, ushering you all further along the hallway, “don’t pay him any attention.”
“Why was…”
You trailed off, unsure of what exactly to ask. Neither of them made an attempt to answer.
You had no idea a wordless encounter could leech so much hostility into the atmosphere. Picturing Jungkook’s glowering face, you blindly followed the others through a different door.
“You can sleep in here.”
“Hm?”
Shaking yourself, you looked around the new room. There wasn’t much to see. Beside a low bed, there was a mirror, a wooden closet and nothing more. Looking up, you didn’t even find a light in the ceiling. The only light leaked through from the hallway.
Clearly reading your gaping mouth and furrowing brow, Namjoon moved in front of you.
“Don’t worry, this is just a place to sleep, nothing more. But since you’re going to have to take those gloves off, we can’t have you in a space with any electricals.”
Stepping back defensively, your fingers pressed tightly together. Having the gloves on had let you almost imagine that nothing life-changing had happened. Like gaining unpredictable powers, for instance.
Namjoon watched patiently, holding out a hand.
“You don’t need them…”
He realised he had never asked your name, and let his sentence trail expectantly. Telling him your name, he relaxed into a smile.
“You don’t need them, Y/N,” he repeated, not that you believed him for a second, “you’ll be perfectly safe. And so will we.”
Only the yearning to collapse onto the bed persuaded you to hand over the gloves. The instant they were in his hand, you swore you could feel a shock go up your arm. Immediately tense again, your breathing became shallower, with no idea how to try and stop power shooting from your hands any moment.
But Namjoon and Jin seemed content. Before you could gather your thoughts, they had left, closing the door and drenching your room in near total darkness.
Stumbling to the bed and virtually falling into it, you wiped sweating palms against the fabric. Your mouth was dry with fear.
This couldn’t have happened.
Alone for the first time since your initial panic, it didn’t take long for your mind to wrap itself in circles again. Only hours ago, you had been sitting happily in your bright office, going through the motions…
One split-second decision from a powerful man had changed that.
You knew full well he had intended for you to die. But he was Bolt...
He had probably forgotten about it already. The guard he sent lifeless to the floor, the secretary he threw from the building.
Itching feeling returning, you swallowed desperately and raised your hands. Sure enough, against the darkness, blue pierced your vision, darting its way up-
Turning your face away, you flinched as the outburst came. Your eyes screwed shut, you pressed your cheek into fabric, not wanting to see the deathly lightning that shot through the room. Shuddering breaths broke into your lungs when at last it subsided.
Letting them fall, limp, to your sides, your hands fisted the covers tightly.
You were almost afraid to open your eyes, knowing it would only show you the empty room, confirmation that this was real. You were dangerous, shut in a safe room where you could hurt no one. Would you ever get out? Succeed in controlling this, like Namjoon had said?
With no idea where you were, barely any idea who the people here were, you wanted to block it out. But even with your eyes closed, you couldn’t escape.
The memory of Jungkook’s suspicious face made your heart sink. Perhaps people should be afraid of you, now. As much as you may want to, there was no getting away from this.
Pushing yourself to sit, you surveyed the room. Eyes accustomed to the blackness a little more, you could make out vague shapes. Your breath fell alone in the silence. This really was the safest place you could be right now, even if it was a nightmare.
As your head turned, you suddenly came level with your eyes in the mirror, and a shock of light.
For an extended moment, you could only stare.
Then all at once you were rushing forwards, tripping from the end of the bed. Bracing your arms against the wall either side of the mirror, you gaped at your reflection.
As you watched, an angular bolt of blue shot across your irises, which were already dimly glowing.
You gulped against the thick feeling crawling up your throat. Faced with this, you could no longer have any hope of denying it.
This was really happening.
Tumblr media
Thank you for reading!! Please please let me know your thoughts on this chapter, comments make it all worthwhile!💜💜
masterlist | next>
taglist: @aianloveseven @preciouschimine @written-in-flowers @taegularities @dvalities @parapiop7 @taiwan0618 @11thenightwemet11 @junniesoleilkth @doctorquack @oddinary4bts @svnbangtansworld @ktownshizzle @minisugakoobies @jksusawife
Let me know in a comment or ask if you would like to join the taglist🥰
209 notes · View notes
that-sweet-jester · 2 years
Text
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
Just a bunch of bad guys
A little background below ⬇⬇⬇
HA I TRICKED YOU, it's not little, it's a lot!
Alright, this was just supposed to be an attempt at character design of my own after I read bunch of Superhero AUs, but I got carried away and created some lore :')
-WILBUR-
Full Name: Both him and Techno had been adopted by Philza at young age and took up his last name, but wanted to keep something of their own. Hence, both have their nicknames "Soot" and "Blade" (not last names, they don't know what they were).
Alias: I wanted to base all names of the Syndicate on Greek mythology, however I had hard time finding something for Wilbur. I came close to calling him Apollo, but most of the things attributed to this god, aside being the patron of music, just didn't align with what I had in mind for him. Thus, ta da, "very original" Siren. Even tho, it's not really a name name - "lured sailors to their death with a bewitching song" just fits too well.
Powers: Hypnotic voice was an obvious choice, but I wanted all of them to have two main abilities. Thus, after long search I stumbled upon enhanced hearing, and hear me out. Wilbur wears mask over his eyes (he can see through it) but it gives the illusion that one of his senses is gone, and what they say when one sense is taken away? Another one amplifies >:D And I just think that someone whose powers are based on sound would be more sensitive to it. It's not like he has super hearing for miles away, he can just hear well what someone is whispering like few meters away form him :p
OK THAT'S IT. I think that's the most I've ever written on this site. To anyone who've read the whole thing: ily <333 thank for reading my rambling and sorry for any grammatical errors, English is not my first language and I was too lazy to do a spell check.
-TECHNO-
Full name: Explained before. I'm sorry, but I just can't separate those names from them, there is no Techno without Blade.
Alias: Now I spent a lot of time on this one, bc I just couldn't settle on anything. First I thought about Ares, for being the patron of blood lust and warfare, but just, it didn't work that much for me, I just think there should be more meaning behind the name. Then I searched more, I stumbled on Polemos and some other I can't remember and finally settled on Perses.
PERSES was the Titan god of destruction. He was the father of Hekate, goddess of witchcraft, by the Titanis Asteria ("Starry One"). Perses' name means "the Destroyer" or "the Ravager" from the Greek words persô and perthô. Hesiod inexplicably describes him as "preeminent among all men in wisdom"
And I just think this one's perfect. God of destruction? nice. "The Ravager"? Techno loved mc ravagers and I just can't pass this coincidence. "Preeminent among all men in wisdom"? Man's crazy smart, also as I'll explain more in a moment, Techno knows things he shouldn't really know, and he's almost always ahead of everyone, so, check. Also, my fav goddess aside form Persephone is Hecate so, additional point.
Powers: Enhanced durability is pretty explanatory. Mans could be thrown through a building and only his hair would get messy, maybe a bruise here and there and a lot of complaining, but that's it. You need someone equally powerful to bring him down. NOW, hyper awarness, man oh man, so I NEEDED to include the voices somehow. And I never saw them as something negative in his case. Of course, during combat, they start to demand bloodshed and make him sometimes loose control or result in sensory overload. BUT most of all, thanks to them he knows things - names of people or locations he never seen before, where the punch is coming at him from, answers to weird questions, who stole his food, and why is it always Wilbur, etc etc. So, yeah I thought that writing it down as hyper awarness, might work.
Additional info: His eyes are always red, but his sclera changes color to black when he's out on a mission or fighting, basically when the voices become louder the eyes become more intense in color. As civilian he wears red glasses most of the time to somehow mask the real color.
-PHILZA-
Full Name: You have no idea how much I wanted to write him down as Philza Mine Craft.
Alias: So, I also struggled to find a name for him. I was battling between Thanatos or simply calling him The Angel of Death. But then I was struck and everything became clear. I love fanfics where Phil was a hero before he saw how bad the system is and decides to become the "bad guy" who's actually kinda good, but does bad things sometimes. So, why not use it. In my version, before he became a villain, he was known as Angel, the Hero Committee wasn't as fully developed, so the heros still could stay anonymous, that's why even now they don't know his real identity. After he left he decided to take up new alias and therefore Thanatos was born. Person with black wings associated with Death, also now has a scythe??? Fits perfectly. And that's how people from calling him Angel started calling him The Angel of Death.
Powers: He has the ability to hide his wings and manifest them whenever he wants. I thought about making them just permanent, but I think it's just cooler when suddenly you see a character spring out a pair of big wings out of their back out of nowhere for the shock effect. (no i wasn't just too lazy to draw them, what are you talking about)
Avian telephaty - I also just couldn't not include the Chat. Wherever you see a cloud of crows you know the Angel of Death is nearby. He can communicate with any bird that is a raven, crow or rook. They're his eyes and ears.
Now, I can't leave without giving some credit to the writers that inspired me:
The Oath of Hippocrates by Melatonin_High
tommyinnit's clinic for supervillains by bonesandthebees (bonesandcacti)
Welcome Home Theseus by SoulfirePhoenix
All of them are on Ao3 and are super cool, so give them a read <3
Also, I'm planning on drawing Vigilante Benchtrio but we'll see how much that'll take me xd
3K notes · View notes