No matter how dire the odds or how impossible the foe, it is just a fact that the hero will always win against the villain [https://img.wattpad.com/20dcc632cc55cbf2475f2c5b3d0a614cb19efb3a/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f725871466356522d45395f7231413d3d2d313338363838343038372e313738613161646264613133623562363935393039373130383831342e706e67?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]
No matter how dire the odds or how impossible the foe, it is just a fact that the hero will always win against the villain. Knowing this, one might assume Jay could sit back, relax, and wait for rescue. But it's not a hero coming to save him, it's Stygian. So the sidekick's heart can only squeeze with fear as the villain drops down the same chute he did, entering into the bowels of Techtra's ship.
Immediately, Jay attempts to scream a warning, but it's cut short as a metal tendril gags his mouth. Desperately, the hero tries to communicate the danger with his eyes, but it's no use—Stygian isn't looking at him. The dark villain has his sights set on Techtra, vermilion irises glowing in the dark as grins sharply.
The villainess meets his gaze evenly, not showing even a shred of fear. "Stygian, welcome. We were hoping you'd make an appearance."
"Oh you were, were you? Is that why you're trying to copy me?"
"Copy you?"
Stygian huffs, putting his hands on his hips. "I just kidnapped Quickwit last month! Get your own gimmick!"
Techtra laughs, a cold and bitter sound. "Your gimmick is tormenting this C-class sidekick?"
She summons the bot holding Jay captive, tilting the sidekick's chin up with a cold metal finger. The hero shivers at the unpleasant touch, grunting and attempting to scoot away.
The villainess tuts at the action, tightening jay's bindings in retaliation as she roughly grips the sidekick's face.
From the corner of his eye, the hero watches Stygian's eye twitch, clearly upset that someone other than him is manhandling Jay.
Techtra must notice, because she releases the hero roughly, placing her hands behind her back.
"We are a logical being, Stygian. We don't understand the appeal. Explain it, won't you?"
Stygian leans on a tendril of shadow, crossing his legs. "I guess it's time he knows anyway. It's my pride, he wounded it that first time he took me down. Now I won't stop until I make him regret it!"
Techtra huffs, shaking her head. "We both know that's not the truth."
Stygian pauses for a moment. "It is. I took Haxton hostage and—"
"You're obsessed. But not in the way you want everyone to think. Right?"
Stygian tenses, smile dropping off his face. "What do you want? Why did you kidnap him?"
"I kidnapped him because I have a proposition for you; I want you to become my sidekick."
The dark villain stiffens, crossing his arms. "You're out of your mind, we're nothing alike! Why would I ever want to work with you?"
"We have a common link, Stygian. Perhaps you don't remember your days as a participant of project Chimera, but I was one of many who was assigned to monitor and learn from you..."
There's a screech of metal as Stygian tears a panel off the wall with a scream, launching it at the villainess. She dodges nimbly, a robot catching it.
"Participant?!" Stygian screeches, "if you actually knew anything about that program you would not be calling me a participant!"
"Both of us suffered at the hands of the network. I know very well what it's like. Only, you chose to strike out, didn't you? An entire research facility, gone in a flash of black..."
The villain buries his fingers in his hair, groaning. "I didn't they—they did something to
me I—"
"They tried to suppress your powers. Your powers react to your feelings; the more emotional you are, the more they manifest. Bottling it up just causes the pressure..."
Stygian clenches his fists, the room growing darker as his blades of shadow swirl about. "I tried to tell them to stop! I told them—I told them I wouldn't be able to hold back unless—."
"That is exactly our point!. Why should you hold back at all? Why should you only let your powers out in tiny bursts, wasting it on nabbing sidekicks and flitting about Neo Houston?" Techtra steps forward, raising her hands in a grand gesture, "together we could wipe clean this city, start a new era! All you need to do is follow my plan, and we can create a place where you are free, Stygian..."
"Your plan?"
"Yes. Let your powers loose as Calamity did, and let us rebuild the city in our images."
Stygian's face twists in disgust. "I don't need to kill a bunch of people to be free. Maybe you should ask yourself why that's your first instinct!"
"You cannot persist in this double life you have made for yourself, child. It is a farce and you know it. If
you will not come willingly, I will show the world who you really are."
"What are you saying?"
Techtra tilts her head, rising further off the floor. "If you do not join me, I will reveal your identity to Neo Houston."
The dark-haired man takes a step back, rage and fear written across his face. He glances at Quickwit for a moment, as if attempting to ask the hero what he should do. Jay doesn't waste the opportunity; he's not 100% sure how the cyborg works, but attacking her core is the best chance at preventing this insidious plan. Maybe if they can destroy it, they have a chance...Jay wiggles his arm into place, using all his strength to tap his index finger on the middle of his chest. Immediately, red eyes dart to the glowing shape. Jay rejoices that the villain immediately made the connection; he makes a note to praise Gannet for his intelligence later.
Stygian lifts a glowing claw, his shadows moving at lightning speed. Jay yelps as the robot holding him is swiftly ripped apart, just in time as a cold tentacle squeezes around his throat. He sighs a breath of relief as he's finally freed, Stygian's shadows setting him behind the villain. But it's not over yet; Techtra's eyes are still trained on her foe, now burning with cold fury as a blade of black is pressed directly against the diamond shape.
"Give me one reason why I shouldn't end you now!" Stygian growls.
"You should've already killed us, Stygian. You're a villain—this fraternizing with a hero has made you soft! I'll eliminate him and make you the super you were always meant to be!"
Before Jay has a chance to react, he feels something skitter on his back; a small, mini robot that neither hero or villain has noticed. He can only gasp as he realizes it's too late. Stygian catches on, attempting to prevent what happens next, but even as he rips out the cyborgs core, Jay feels a horrible tearing sensation. The sidekick falls to his knees in unison with Techtra, looking down to see a spindly leg of metal impaling him directly in the chest.
"No!" Stygian screams, kneeling at Jay's side immediately.
The sidekick's vision starts to spot as the hovership begins to enter freefall, tendrils of shadow only thing keeping his limp body from slamming against the hull. Stygian doesn't waste any time, tearing a hole through the metal and fleeing the self-destructing ship with the sidekick.
Jay is surprised to note he feels no fear as he falls toward the sprawling cityscape below. It's actually kind of beautiful up here, with golden sunlight dancing on Stygian's hair.
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"Stay with me, Quickwit!" The villain screams, opening his wings.
They descend rapidly, gliding through the air until Stygian finally finds a suitable rooftop. He lands with a swish of ethereal feathers, gently setting the sidekick down.
Jay groans as the villain applies pressure to the wound. His vision swims as he contemplates how he will survive this; will they bring him back with some insane new medical science? Or replace his body with a tricked-out cyborg frame? Maybe they'll even have some sort of sci-fi time travel involved, making it so he never died...
Or maybe, maybe Jay won't survive this...
Heroes don't die. Heroes always win. But is Jay even a hero anymore when he holds such animosity for the Network? Is he a hero when he's nothing like any of the other supers who protect Houston?
He coughs up a bubble of blood, the action spurring on another wave of pain. A glowing claw brushes against his cheek comfortingly. Jay turns his gaze to Stygian, noting how ruby red eyes are now swimming with tears.
"You're not going to make it if I don't interfere," the villain whispers, "I can try to save you, if you let me. Let me help you, Quickwit..."
The hero contemplates the offer. Does he really want to survive this? Maybe it would be better if he died a martyr, everyone would forget about what a pathetic hero he was. The idea is tempting, but the thought is soured as he thinks of what will become of Gannet; the villain would be left alone, with nobody who could understand him like Jay does. The Network would probably blame Stygian for the hero's death, pushing the villain further into isolation and loneliness. What would he do then? Would he truly turn to the dark side, allowing evil to win?
Jay doesn't want that. He wants to be much more to Gannet than a plot point in his tragic backstory. The hero wants to reshape reality to allow him what he desires most; for them to be together, wholly and truly as themselves...
The hero uses what little strength he has left to nod, gripping Stygian's wrist tightly. The villain's eyes narrow in concentration, dark tendrils dancing above them beautifully. Jay gasps as the hand on his wound digs into him, something prickling and hot infusing his chest with unbearable heat. He screams as the sensation seems to spread to every cell in his body, burning him alive from the inside.
When finally, the villain lifts his hand from Jay's chest, the pain ceases. The blond glances down—there, where there was a gory wound before, there is now a black imprint of a clawed hand. Stygian stands, hair being buffeted in the wind as the Network's medicopter hovers above them.
Jay makes an attempt to reach out to the villain, but it's in vain. The hero loses consciousness as Stygian jumps off the ledge of the building, his vision going black as the sounds of the paramedics fade out and he falls into a dreamlike state.
It's not the first time he's fallen unconscious, and as long as he's a super, it probably won't be the last. But this time is different, somehow.
Usually, when Jay passes out, there's not much perceived time between going under and waking, It's just pure black before awakening in a new place. However this time, as Jay closes his eyes, he's dropped into a new space; he's floating in a white void, nothing discernable in sight. The hero attempts to move, waving his arms and legs, but nothing happens. A sense of dread overcomes him as he twists around, looking for anything to anchor him in this endless place.
Occasionally, he will get a flash of the waking world. Time must be passing; he spots a few doctors, Darius, and even a teary-eyed Pixamena. Is this what it's like to enter a coma? Is Jay just doomed to float in the void for the rest of his days? How long will he be here?
Suddenly though, he spots something besides the plain, boring white; a spot of black, similar to Stygians dark shapes. It morphs into a new form rapidly, solidifying against the endless blank canvas. Jay squints—it's...a word?
Chapter
Jay studies the singular word closely. Chapter? What does that mean? He gasps as suddenly, letter by letter, more words appear on the blank canvas.
Chapter One - Not Everyone Can be a Hero
In a flood of black, more words pour in. Jay tries to follow them, but it's too much. He screams, clutching his head in pain as he's overwhelmed, the darkness overcoming him until he's lost below the surface.
Finally, the horrible dream ends as Jay jolts awake.
He pants as he takes in his new surroundings; the blond has awoken to a sterile white room, the barest amount of illumination above his head revealing that he's been stripped of his hero suit, leaving him in just his mask and a hospital gown. Several machines seem to be monitoring his health, buttons and lights blinking in the dark. He turns to his right towards a small bedside table, his eyes landing on a digital clock. It's midnight.
He jolts as a voice breaks the silence.
"You're finally awake."
Jay turns his head to the right. He can't move much, but he's able to make out two bright red eyes in the shadows. Of course Gannet is here, there would be no way Jay could be hospitalized and not be watched over by his dark angel.
"Stygian..."
The villain approaches the bed, sitting in a chair and crossing his legs. "Good morning, Quickwit. You've been out for four days now. I was starting to think that you—you might never recover..."
Jay hums, turning his gaze toward the ceiling. If he focuses hard enough, he feels like he can see letters faintly dancing there. Has Stygian been visiting his hospital room every night, waiting for Jay to awaken?
"Why are you here? I'm not really in fighting condition right now..."
Stygian grips the bed rail, grimacing. "No I—I don't want to fight. I just came to apologize."
"Apologize?"
"You got hurt."
Jay laughs, wincing a little at the tug in his chest. "It wouldn't be the first time a villain injured me, Stygian. Why are you apologizing?"
"Because I did something so much worse," Stygian whispers, "I've been doing something horrible to you..."
"What do you mean?"
"Tomorrow morning they'll break the news to you, I just—I just wanted to tell you I'm sorry before that."
Jay pauses, turning to face Stygian. "Did Techtra leak your secret identity?"
"I—yes. She did."
Green locks with red as hero and villain meet each other's gazes. Jay smiles, feeling something like exhilaration flutter inside him.
"Can we stop this farce, then?"
"I don't—farce?"
"I don't want to pretend to hate you anymore."
"...pretend?"
Jay doesn't hesitate, he's ready to end this stupid game of cat and mouse. He reaches up, pulling off his mask. Stygian's eyes go wide at the action, mouth gaping. Jay can't help a smile at the reaction, finding the flabbergasted look extraordinarily cute.
"It's gonna be okay, Gannet," Jay croaks [https://img.wattpad.com/1c678c5ac84f29dd0edf1b8017efa6bda02a803f/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f6c5f4672455942776a64443676413d3d2d313338363838343038372e313738633038303066623638396636373130333731313338343434342e706e67?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]
"It's gonna be okay, Gannet," Jay croaks.
"How did you know?" The villain warbles.
"It's one strip of fabric over your eyes!" Jay laughs, "how was I not supposed to figure it out?"
"You're not...upset? I lied to you, Quickwit. I've been lying to you for this entire year!"
"So have I. I knew who you were from the start."
Jay reaches over, prying a glowing hand from the bedrail. Stygian flinches at the action, staring as the blond runs a thumb over galaxy-colored knuckles.
"God, you don't even know how long I've waited to touch you like this."
"You've held my hand before," the villain whispers.
"Never like this. The only time I got to touch you while you were Stygian is when I was hurting you..."
Jay gasps as the villain leans forward, cupping the hero's head in clawed hands as he crashes their mouths together. It's all quite enjoyable until a twinge of pain in Jay's chest ruins the whole thing, causing him to flinch back.
Stygian seems to come to his senses then, because he steps away from the bed, panting. The villain is quiet for a moment, eyes morose, before they harden into something cold.
"Whatever you think is happening here, hero, you're wrong."
Jay's heart goes icy at those words. He sits up, ignoring the excruciating burn in his chest. "Gannet," he growls, "Don't give me that shit. You know my name, use it."
"What else can I do? I was never supposed to know your phone number, much less know your name. We can't—we can't—"
"So what, you want to keep pretending? Even after everything? I can't go back to that, I refuse to."
"I don't see an alternative, how will you stay a hero otherwise!?"
"I don't care about being a hero. I care about you. Isn't that what you wanted?"
The villain grips the bedrail, metal squeaking harshly under his grip. "Yes, but I—"
"What else do you want then? Don't think about what is expected of you, tell me what you want."
Stygian looks down at his hands, studying where he has indented the metal dramatically. A thin tendril of darkness darts around his hands, as if investigating the damage.
"I don't want to lose control again. I'm afraid the Network will find a way to use me to hurt more people."
Jay reaches forward towards the dark shape. The villain stiffens as it curls around the blond's arm, like a happy cat greeting its owner.
"You said you believed in me, that I exceeded all your expectations...has that changed?"
"No. It hasn't."
"Then you should listen to me. We can figure this out together Gannet, you don't have to do this alone anymore.
The dark-haired man sniffs, lips quirked in a crooked smile. "You're not supposed to give the 'join me on the dark side' speeches, that's for villains."
More shadows flit to Jay. They brush up against him, velvety-soft and comforting against his bruised skin. He rubs his chest through his hospital clothes, knowing that his face is likely showing a manic smile of his own.
"I know. Now listen up, I've got a plan...we need to make some alliances."
" [https://img.wattpad.com/46defa14099d9710e5ff07c472948db9c89668c3/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f6a65456138656b417369643957413d3d2d313338363838343038372e313738613161646536316365616266323435303839353037303232362e706e67?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]