CONTINUE THE NECROMANCY
Villain concepts are different from Hero, especially what they said after that day. They left with no gaps so Hero could say something.
Weird.
No more than in the next few days.
Fingers grabbed their chin and directed it to their enemy face.
"Did you do it again?" Villain asked in a low tone. As if that became a secret the two shared, and the villain is the only one who could talk about it.
"No" The hero replied, before trying to dodge it, because it was no one's business. Villain tightened their grip "I'm not in the mood to do it again, so could you please let me go?"
"You can barely stand" they let go their chin "Your breath is heavy, your eyes... Are you even sleeped? You are worse than that day"
Hero jump to their feet, which takes a lot of their remaining strength, but worth their point. Their fall in the middle of the fight came from a mistake, that even the best do. They don't need that Villain would start a concerning discussion around that.
That wasn't the first time. It won't be the last.
"See?" They opened their victorious arms "Still alive"
"As the cycle of life works. Oh, no, wait" they scratched their chin and pointed a finger at the heroic, pale and tired figure "You don't understand that much, do you?"
Hero promptly ignored it. For their own good. That was not what they planned for that day. Between returning to their house in the city and leaving the cabin in the woods, buying firewood to store, shopping at the corner market, washing their uniform… Hero didn't think that they had to wear it.
Now the villain looked at them even more suspiciously, much more seriously, and worried than Hero had ever seen.
It had been a few days since that situation. They wanted to forget, to tell themself that this was no big deal. They've never been discovered before, and people who knew… Well, didn't react the same way. In fact, the way Villain acted afterward was unexpected.
They wanted to know what really changed. Was it in the fact of raising the dead? That the city hero did that? That Villain find a weak point?
As usual, Hero couldn't decipher the villain.
"I have other priorities" they argued "Other than what you think is right. I'm not going to discuss this with… With…"
Villain hands took them again, guiding them back to the floor where they fell. Suddenly a realization hit them, making a shadow cross their face while staring at Hero.
"That's not tiredness"
"I would say, in part, yes." Hero suppressed the urge to hug themself. Villain touch gave off a lot more heat than they would have liked.
“You stupid, idiot, stubborn, careless…” The hero would have heard more of their cursing if their mind hadn't blurred as well as their vision. Their hands went down to their waist, and suddenly they were being held.
Hero woke up in their cabin. A meal from their bedside, on top of a note, came to their vision. Definitely not poisoning.
The next day was even stranger. The hero felt a little better, but their body was still heavy. It could be worse, on other days their blood pressure dropped, barely could walk, and it was only once that their nose possibly bled.
But they were fine overall. Even to meet the villain on a cold and windy day. They won’t fail this time. Whatever Villain planned that day, they would take it and…
A coffee cup spread out in front of them was held in the hands of their own enemy.
“Want to get one?” The villain pulled an inviting smile.
Hero looked from the cup to the villain a few times.
"Why?"
“Let's take a break. I'll buy you one.” They indicated the coffee shop across the street.
“Why steal from a coffee shop?”
“I have a discount, don't worry” wasn't a straight answer, but Hero guessed that it was a no. “It's getting cold too”
Once again, Hero looked from the cafe to the villain, who waited patiently with a smile and an expectant look.
“You started your plan to… Call me for a coffee?”
“No, I intended to fight. Really. But it's cold, it's going to rain soon, and I don't have the energy to do anything outside in a storm” Villain shrugged. “So? Do you want it?"
Hero looked at the cafeteria, imagining how comfortable it would be to walk in and protect themself from the cold. It was an imperfect day to fight.
"You look tired"
Their eyes went back to their enemy who was offering them a cup of coffee.
"You're still tired, don't you?"
They didn't expect the villain fun to fade to a serious look. Hero held back the urge to take a step back.
“Did you do it again?”
"No"
If Hero being honest, they have been tired since that day.
It was none of Villain business to know more than they already did. But they knew that was useless. The villain knew everything, whether Hero wanted to or not. Of all the people in the world, their enemy is the one who knows.
"Since that day?"
“Shh. Speak down” Hero scolded, and then scolded themself for saying such a thing "Yes. This is normal. It's no big deal”
“In its strange concept of life and death, I'm not surprised it's no big deal”
“Villain…”
“Oh, look. One more reason to do absolutely nothing today. In a second the villain back turned to them “I'll be there, dear. It's getting cold out here"
“Wait” But the villain was already heading inside, and the hero was following a little further behind.
Maybe it's Villain's fear of knowing your secret, and ignoring them isn't the best way, the way they heard being called dear in a genuine way, the growing cold outside, or the inviting request for coffee with their enemy, that made Hero enter the cafeteria. Just in time to see the villain already at the counter, getting a second cup of coffee.
They didn't notice the victorious smile that formed on their lips when they felt the hero following. Nor that coffee was coincidentally, and strategically, the same one Villain drank, but also their favorite.
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