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starry-night-author · 11 months

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Don't Run

(Prompt #21)

The snarls and wails could be heard distantly in the dark. A long low growl, before an utterly inhuman squeal and a thud. Then an almost ominous silence.

Hero, startled by the sound, jumped. "What was that?" They hissed, glancing around at their small group. "Why did they do that?"

"No idea," just the contours of Supervillain's form could be made out in the blackness of the night as they tilted their head. "It sounds like one of them was hurt."

"That's good, right?" Villain whispered from next to Hero. They had their hand on their shoulder, making sure they were alright. Trying to keep them calm.

"Maybe."

The little band of heroes and villains continued forward, keeping to the edges of the abandoned buildings and trying to stay out of the light. Here it was so dark that the group was entirely relying on Supervillain to guide them, following closely on their heels. Always on the lookout, hearts always thudding.

To Hero's mind, muddled with pain and the venom in their wound from an earlier attack, everything was especially terrifying. The sound of Superhero's breath behind them, the crunch of the gravel beneath their feet mad them jump. They were convinced it was another one of the monsters, coming to finish them off.

"How are you holding up?" Villain leaned over to whisper to them, their hand tightening around Hero's arm.

"I'm alive," Hero said, they knew their pain was evident in their voice. Their long wound running from their armpit down to their hip was bleeding again, the venom in the monster's claws making it reluctant to close. After they'd been attacked earlier that night, the rest of the group was trying to find a way to properly bandage it. If they didn't, Hero would bleed out by morning.

But for now Hero was alive and able to walk, so they kept moving with the others. Following Supervillain through the deserted town, trying to find a safe haven.

"Good," Hero replied. "Stay that way."

The group of four had been stranded in the deserted town earlier that day, traveling from one of the bigger safe cities to the other. Their brakes had stopped working as soon as they pulled into the town, and they'd been forced to stop. Ignorant to the danger in the daylight, they'd gone searching for anything that could help get them out of there.

It was when the sun had set that the monsters arrived, and now all the four of them could focus on was surviving.

They neared a flickering street lamp, trying to keep out of it's wide beam of light. Supervillain hesitated, squinting into the solid darkness around them.

The rest of them drew up short behind them, Hero jumped when they felt Superhero's hand on their shoulder. "What is it?"

"I'm trying to remember where we left the car," Supervillain pointed at a nondescript piece of blackness. "It was there, wasn't it?"

Superhero squinted, their hand slipping from Hero's shoulder as they moved to look. "I think so? But it's hard to start and the brakes don't work, I don't think-"

"It'll still be safer than being out in the open." Supervillain glanced back at them, eyes flashing yellow in the dark. Their gaze momentarily alighted on Hero, and the crime-stopper stiffened. "And we need to hide Hero. The smell from their wound is going to attract every monster in this town, it's a wonder we haven't been found yet."

Superhero put an hand on Supervillain's arm. "And... you'll be alright?"

Supervillain took a deep breath, their eyes closing. "I'll be fine."

To Hero, something in their voice had them shaking again. They took a step back, trying to put some distance between them and Supervillain.

The villain spoke again. "Here's what we'll do. Superhero and Villain, you two go see if you can get the car, come back and get us once you do. I'll stay here with Hero-"

"I don't trust you alone with them." Villain cut in immediately.

Superhero folded their arms. "Me either."

Neither did Hero.

Supervillain took another deep breath, and this time they backed away from Hero. "It'll be fine." They said again. "But we need some people to go and get the car, people who can run. And Hero can't right now. Besides, there's too many lampposts here, we can't risk one switching on and letting the monsters see them."

"So I'll stay back with them!" Villain moved to stand next to Hero.

"No," Supervillain shook their head. "Like I said, the monsters are going to be drawn to their blood, and if we split, Hero needs someone with them who can fight the monsters properly."

"Superhero-"

"Superhero can't fight them like I can." Supervillain's voice was suddenly louder, more stern. They took a third deep breath and continued. "I'll just be here to keep them safe, and it will be fine if you hurry. If- if things start to get out of control we can start moving toward you two."

"You're sure?" Superhero asked.

"Are you okay with that?" Villain took Hero's hand.

No, Hero was not, but Supervillain was right. This was the plan that would work. They nodded minutely. "Yeah. Yeah, it's fine. Just... hurry."

With a few last worried glances, Superhero and Villain stole into the dark, leaving Hero and Supervillain alone, standing about two yards away. Neither of them tried to get closer.

"Can you... can you tell me if it's too much?" Hero whispered.

Supervillain nodded, scanning the darkness around them. They seemed intent on looking anywhere but at Hero. "Of course. But it won't be."

Hero didn't answer.

The reason Hero found this so terrifying was because Supervillain wasn't entirely... human. Sure, they looked and sounded like one, but the group had learned the truth only earlier that day, once the sun had set.

Supervillain, somehow, was part monster. And while it explained the superhuman abilities the villain seemed to have, it still came as a shock to the group. Hero had spent several years trying to capture Supervillain in their own city, and this explained why they never could.

It was why Supervillain was now in charge of the group, their semi-night vision giving them the ability to lead them. It was why Supervillain knew how the monsters thought, knew where to avoid them. It was why they were the only one who could properly fight the monsters back, their own retractable and venomous claws and fangs working as weapons in the weak spots that only Supervillain knew about. It was frankly why any of them had survived this long.

And it was why it was a terrible idea to leave them alone with Hero, who's openly bleeding wound leeched an apparently delectable smell of blood and venom into the air.

It was a terrible idea, but so far the best one they had.

In Hero's poison-addled mind, every movement Supervillain made was the beginnings of an attack. Shifting their weight from one side to another as they watched the darkness, turning their head to squint into the night. Batting at a fly near their ear- did Hero see their claws out? Turning to stare at the lamppost- were they facing away from Hero to convince them to let their guard down?

And did they keep breathing deeply to keep themself under control or to let themself taste the smell of Hero's wound?

Hero knew Supervillain wouldn't want to attack them, but would that really matter? They'd be dead whether Supervillain wanted to or not. Supervillain had told them about the possibility of them losing control as soon as they had Hero's wound patched up as best they could, and had spent the rest of the night trying to stay away from them. They'd been open and honest, and some part of Hero appreciated that.

But again, in the end if they did attack Hero now, what would that matter?

Hero severely hoped that Supervillain was looking out for monsters, because in the moment, all they could focus on was the monster standing right in front of them, hand on their hip.

"Hero," Supervillain said suddenly, minutes after the others had disappeared. Minutes that each felt like several hours.

"Y-yeah?"

The villain's voice came out as a growl. "Don't run."

"W-why? Is there-"

Supervillain turned around suddenly, and Hero instantly knew something was wrong. "Don't run," they said softly, and Hero took a step back. "Because then I'll have to catch you."

Hero very slowly backed away, their good arm out to protect them. "Don't run because that will make it easier for you?"

"No," Supervillain stood stiff, they looked like they were forcing themself to close their eyes. They breathed deeply once more. "I'll- I'll be less inclined to hurt you if you run."

Supervillain clearly wasn't doing well, so it left it to Hero, the poisoned one, to be the voice of reason. "Should- should we move towards Superhero and Villain?"

"Yes, that would be-" Supervillain took a step towards them, stopped, let out a breath. "Let's go."

The two set off in the dark, keeping a healthy gap of nearly three yards between them. Far enough that Hero could still see them, but they'd have a chance if Supervillain lunged suddenly.

Now Hero really kept an eye on them, taking into account every little bit of body language they could make out in the darkness. Supervillain was still intently not looking at them, and Hero could see their fingers clenching and unclenching.

All their fear and watching was for nothing however, because the froze the moment Supervillain looked at them. The villain whirled on them, eyes flashing, and suddenly Hero couldn't move.

Caught like a deer in headlights they could only watch, stiff and trembling as Supervillain approached. This was wrong, this was awful, they should do something to snap Supervillain out of it, but there was nothing they could do but watch.

Supervillain slowly closed the gap between them, eyeing Hero like the delicious prey they were. They licked their teeth, showing off a set of fangs that seemed to shine in the darkness. Their gaze never left Hero.

"Supervillain," Hero managed to squeak as the monster came to stand in front of them. Still unable to move out of fear, they gasped as they felt Supervillain's hand rest on their shoulder.

Supervillain didn't respond, Hero knew they weren't entirely... there. They closed their eyes as they felt claws against their neck, their breath hitching as they just stood there and took it.

Suddenly there was another hand on their chest, sliding downward until rested just above their heart. Sharp claws pricked into their shirt, and Hero whimpered.

Even as they did so the hand on their neck tilted their head further to the side, the claw on their thumb digging into their skin. Hero gasped, eyes flying open at the pain. It hadn't quite pierced through their skin, but it was close.

Head turned to the side, they could just see out of the corner of their eye Supervillain's head slowly lowering towards their neck, fangs bared. A low growl started in their voice.

Was Hero really going to die here? In this tiny town in the middle of nowhere where they'd simply stopped for repairs? They'd be torn apart by Supervillain, the monster unable to control themself?

Hero didn't want to die here. But by now there wasn't much they could do to stop it.

They felt the brush of fangs against their neck, digging in in a way that almost felt gentle. Hero knew it wouldn't be gentle for long, and they squeezed their eyes shut, their tears forming as they shuddered at the touch.

"Supervillain."

Hero jumped, startled by the voice that sounded in front of them. Their eyes flew open and a wave of relief flowed through them as they spotted Superhero standing a few feet away. They wouldn't let Supervillain kill them, Hero would be okay.

"Supervillain," Superhero's voice was stern, commanding. "Supervillain, back up."

That seemed to snap the villain out of their trance, they suddenly straightened. Hero let out a relieved breath as Supervillain quickly backed away from them, head down.

"I'm so sorry, Hero."

Hero didn't have time to answer as Superhero rushed to them, holding the side of their face, checking them over for injuries. "Are you alright? They didn't hurt you anywhere?"

Hero shook their head. "N-no, I-I don't think so."

Superhero spotted the little nick on their neck, squinting close in the dark. "I don't think they got through your skin here," they assured them. "There's nowhere else you think they did?"

Hero shook their head.

There suddenly came a low snarl from Supervillain, and the two heroes jumped, glancing up to face them. They hadn't already lost control again, had they?

But Supervillain wasn't looking at them, they were glowering at something in the night surrounding them, turned away from the heroes. They bared their fangs, their body in a low defensive stance.

And to the utter mounting terror of Hero and Superhero, there came an answering deep snarl from somewhere in the dark.

"S-Supervillain," Superhero pressed Hero to stand behind them, putting themself between Hero and the unseen monster. "What should we do?"

"Don't run," Supervillain told them. "You take Hero back to Villain, or at least just get out of here."

"W-what about you?" Hero stammered as Superhero began pushing them away from the monster.

"I'll be fine, I'll deal with this and then come find you. Now go!"

The last thing Hero saw was Supervillain leaping into the blackness, and a shadowy dark figure rising to meet them, before Superhero was pulling them away into the night.

#yeah no idea what this is #it's based off of a very weird dream I had but. hey it's fun #hero x villain #villain x hero #hero #villain #writing #prompt #writing prompt #hero x villain community #heroes and villains #starry-night-author #supervillain #superhero #monster supervillain

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