Though In recent years, villains have stopped only kidnapping women, attempting to be more gender-neutral with their hostages [https://img.wattpad.com/19fc5d09764de21c536468d1f26fe7fe89a9882f/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f676b32524b52487651546b7172773d3d2d313337313931383639302e313737656366646431396634326362313739343935363334323132392e706e67?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]

Though In recent years, villains have stopped only kidnapping women, attempting to be more gender-neutral with their hostages. Jay is honestly baffled by the change. Why do villains care if they're seen as sexist? Although, perhaps someone like Stygian probably wants to be seen as "evil in the right ways." Regardless, Jay isn't mad about the times changing, but he can't help but feel that if the old trend had remained true he wouldn't be in this situation...

"Stygian," Razzmatazz growls, "you were supposed to kidnap Walljumper, not Quickwit."

Yep, that's right, thanks to Jay's subtle prodding, Stygian freed Razzmatazz from her prison last night. The hero's reward? Being kidnapped by the duo and held hostage in some empty warehouse.

Jay sighs, sniffing as the dust-filled atmosphere triggers his allergies.

"Just because you came up with the plan doesn't mean I'm your sidekick," Stygian huffs, "they'll care more about him..."

"Care more? About Quickwit? Styggy, they don't give a shit about their sidekicks [https://img.wattpad.com/8e3ac423e66899a8ee6342e7356ef3be53060e6a/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f6447714d6d394232566b745465413d3d2d313337313931383639302e313737623230323265346235636165663136393036383132313630312e706e67?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]

"Care more? About Quickwit? Styggy, they don't give a shit about their sidekicks."

Stygian scowls, crossing his arms. He turns his gaze toward Jay, red eyes glaring. "Tell her I'm right!"

Jay cocks an eyebrow, shifting uncomfortably as a droplet of sweat rolls down his back. "You want me to tell your partner you were right to kidnap me?"

"Yes! I mean, Walljumper is some kid who's not even graduated from the hero program! You're a much better option."

"Well I'm not about to give a villain advice, but I say it's a lot less weird to kidnap an adult man."

"Right?"

Razzmatazz groans, fanning herself with a pinched expression. "Why is he not gagged? You're supposed to gag hostages!"

"He's been pretty well-behaved so far. I don't think it's necessary."

The villainess rolls her eyes, pulling out her phone. "Fine, but only because he's much less annoying compared to other heroes...let's just make the video..."

There's a ping as the dark-skinned woman starts the video, directing it at where Jay sits bound. Stygian walks into frame, his onyx tendrils swirling menacingly.

"Hello citizens of Neo Houston. Today is a historic day—today is the day we expose the Network for the insidious snake it is!"

Jay jolts as a sharp-looking blade of black is pressed against his throat. Although Stygian must sense the hero's discomfort, as the tendril backs up a little.

"Me and my sidekick—" says Stygian.

"I'm not your sidekick! We're both class A!" Razz interrupts.

Jay sits up, straining against the rope around his chest binding him to the metal chair.

"Actually you're supposed to assign a sidekick based on their ability to act as a support, not on who's a higher class."

Stygian rolls his eyes, tail lashing. "Whatever! Nobody is a sidekick, we're partners in crime!"

Razzmatazz's eyes turn a putrid yellow. "Ugh, that makes it sound like we're dating."

"No it doesn't—whatever, we're moving on...Houston! We demand a trade!" Stygian's crimson eyes flash, a sharp grin spreading on his face. "We will spare Quickwit's life in exchange for the artifact in the possession of the hero Scoops!"

"The golden microphone thingy that makes you tell the truth," Razzmatazz chirps.

"Yes. The golden microphone thingy...you have 24 hours, Houston! Meet our demands, or else!"

There's another ping as Razzmatazz stops the recording. "Alright, it's posted."

Jay sighs, subtly testing his bindings for weaknesses. "So, you're going to kill me?"

Razzmatazz grins, flashing a bubblegum pink. "No. But they don't know that."

"What do you even want that microphone for anyway?"

The villainess crosses her arms, pink shifting to a vivid red. "They've been poisoning my mind, Quickwit. Stygian has informed me the place you told me would help me has been giving me drugs to tamper with my emotions...we're going to use the artifact to get the truth."

Guilt bubbles up in Jay, turning his eyes downcast. "I'm sorry, Razz. I was just trying to help you..."

Surprise colors the clownish face. "Oh...you believe me?"

Jay nods. "I'm going to figure out what's happening...I think a villain has infiltrated the network."

Stygian huffs, plopping down in a chair backward. He leans his chin on the backrest, shadows writhing. "There's no villain. The Network is just evil..."

"I don't think it can be ruled out quite yet."

Razzmatazz joins Stygian, plopping down in her own chair with a clack of her beaded necklaces. "I don't know what's going on, but I think you should sit it out, Witty."

Jay narrows his eyes. "I can't sit it out, it's my duty as a hero to get to the bottom of this!"

"Quickwit, the Network is very old and very powerful in Texas...regardless of if it's been infiltrated or if it's just plain malevolent, you alone aren't enough to challenge them..."

Jay grits his teeth. "And you are?"

Razzmatazz plays with her braids anxiously. "I don't know. But I don't think I'll be safe until they're gone..."

The hero falters, more guilt bubbling up. "Look, Razz, you've been through a lot. You should take this opportunity to leave Houston...you could start a new life somewhere else..."

Stygian's eyes glow menacingly, teeth gritting. "We can't just leave, Quickwit. What they're doing is wrong. We want to fix it—we want Houston to be a safe place for everyone."

"That's not a very villainous goal."

Red eyes widen, complimented by a sharp smile. "Maybe you should reconsider what a villain is, then."

Razz stands up, hair and braids cycling through the colors of the rainbow rapidly. "I don't want to talk about it anymore..." the villainess glances at Stygian, narrowing her eyes, "you watch the hero. I need a break...don't mess with him too much."

"Don't tell me what to do..." Stygian whines.

"I'm serious," Razzmatazz growls, "We need him, Stygian. Don't let him escape."

"Yeah yeah. I know..."

"Good," Razzmatazz storms off, leaving Jay alone in the gloom with the dark villain.

Immediately, Stygian scoots his chair until he's directly in front of the hero. Jay meets the intense vermillion gaze evenly, not allowing himself to be spooked. His defiance seems to be amusing, as Stygian chuckles as he stares.

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"Have I lost my touch? You used to seem much more intimidated by me. Now here you are, all cool-headed."

"I've analyzed you enough to know you're all bark no bite. You're not a threat...just a troublemaker."

The blond jolts as a ribbon of velvety black curls around his neck, forcing his chin up as Stygian stands over the hero. "Would you bet on that, Quickwit?"

Jay's heart pounds, feeling his face heat in such a vulnerable position. But he still doesn't waver, eyes softening as he gazes at the man above him. "I'm not afraid of you, Stygian."

It's a classic hero line. One meant to communicate a hero's bravery in the face of evil. But Jay doesn't want to say that. He wants to make it clear there's nothing to fear because he knows Stygian isn't evil....that he and Jay don't have to be enemies. Not really.

The hero isn't sure all that is expressed, but his words seem to affect the villain anyway. Stygian seems at a loss for words for a moment before he pulls away, folding his arms as he averts his eyes. "You're not very quick-witted today if that's really how you feel."

Jay huffs, continuing to secretly fiddle with his bindings. "That's not how my powers work."

"How do they work, though? I've never heard you explain how you became a super."

"You want me to explain the source of my power?"

"Yesss," Stygian wiggles his claws, "or elseee."

Jay rolls his eyes. "It might be a natural mutation. I never experienced any singular event that caused it."

The villain deflates a little. "Aw, really?"

"What about you, though? Are you an alien? A cyborg? An escaped lab experiment?"

"Wha—hey! Remember who's the hostage here, I ask the questions!"

"Don't you want Houston to know why you're a villain?"

Stygian props his hands on his hips, tail thrashing. "I'm a villain because none-ya."

Jay squints his eyes. "None-ya?"

"None-ya business!"

"Oh. I thought maybe that was the name of some power-bestowing alien. Like Pixiepuff."

Stygian cackles, shadows flitting about playfully. "You're hilarious..."

The hero smiles, despite his attempts not to.

"Glad to hear."

"This is so fun. We should do it again soon."

Finally, Jay works the knot free. He grips the rope in his hands, maintaining the tension.

"You're talking about holding me hostage as if it's a nice outing."

"It is for me! You know sometimes a villain just wants to hang out, relax, and intimidate a hero into submission."

"Well if you're going to make this a regular thing, can you work in water breaks every now and then? It's hot in here."

"You haven't been here that long, don't be dramatic."

"Fine. I mean, as a villain I guess you don't care about a sidekick getting heatstroke..."

Red eyes crease in concern. "It's not that hot."

"I'm bigger than you, so I lose water faster," Jay lies. "C'mon."

"All right," Stygian huffs, walking to a nearby table. "I only brought a pink drink though, so that's all you get."

"That's fine."

The villain returns a moment later. "Stay still," he commands.

Jay shivers as a clawed thumb slips under his mask, lifting it over his mouth and nose. The flavor of the drink is unpleasant, a chemical-infused strawberry, but the look on the villain's face is delicious as Jay meets his gaze. Stygian flushes, pink spreading behind the black mask. His eyes dart to the hero's mouth, looking dazed as the blond licks his lips.

Seeing his plan begin to work perfectly, the blond takes the opportunity to strike. He lunges forward, tackling his opponent to the ground. The villain gives a gasp as his wrists are trapped in the hero's grip, pinning him under his foe.

"Yield, Stygian!"

The villain blinks in shock, face flushing even more. "How did you get out?"

"You used the wrong knot. You should've used a bowline but you made a quick-release jam-knot instead."

"Ugh!" Stygian groans, "how did you even know that?!"

"I was a hero scout."

Suddenly, Jay jumps off as a barrage of shadows whiz toward him. Thinking fast, he grabs the metal chair Stygian had been sitting in, throwing it at his opponent. The shadows immediately redirect to catch it midair, crushing it with a screech of metal.

Stygian lifts himself up with a flourish of black, grinning as he dusts himself off. "You fight dirty, Quickwit."

"Gotta level the playing field somehow."

The ravenette smiles widely, claws cupping his face. "Sorry to say, it's going to take more than that to take me down, hero."

Onyx black shadows erupt from behind Stygian, readying themselves for action. But before they have a chance to attack, the battle is interrupted by the sound of breaking glass—Walljumper is flying through the air, his arachnid-like legs poised to attack.

...and Stygian immediately captures the young hero mid-jump, constraining him in shadows. The teen struggles for a few moments before surrendering with a sigh. "Hi Quickwit."

"Hey Walljumper."

"Is this the rescue party?" Stygian crows, "did they really think one little junior hero could challenge me?"

Walljumper swings his legs from the shadow. "Actually, I'm not really supposed to be here. So if you could just give me back my sidekick..."

Jay raises an eyebrow. "Not supposed to be here?"

"Darius said to not engage..."

Both Stygian and Jay react at the same time, growling a "are you kidding me?!" in unison.

Both hero and villain pause for a moment, staring at each other. But before more can be said, Razzmatazz storms back into the warehouse, violently swinging the door open in a flurry of rainbow. "What the fuck is happening!?"

Stygian waves a glowing hand. "I got us a new hostage!"

Razzmatazz' braids go crimson red. "Stygian, why is Quickwit free?"

Jay yelps as he's quickly scooped up by a wall of black, joining Walljumper in the entangled shadows.

Stygian grins, snickering. "He tricked me. It's under control now."

"Jesus christ—see, this is why I should be in charge."

"No way! I don't want to be a sidekick...no offense, Quickwit. Let's just agree to be equals, Razz. Our classes are tied, anyway..."

Razzmatazz grins eerily, irises shifting between green and red. "You may have brute strength Stygian, but you forget how my powers work. I have the advantage here."

"You shape shift. I know. I do too—we're tied."

"I don't just change my form, I shape shift after digging into the psyche of my victims, uncovering their deepest fears!"

Stygian rolls his eyes. "Stop exaggerating. You don't dig into their psyche—you can only uncover what they just so happen to be thinking about at the moment. It's not very useful."

Razzmatazz narrows her eyes. "Oh yeah? You wanna bet?"

"I don't—"

"Everybody! Don't think about that huge secret you're keeping!"

Jay tenses. Shit!

He has a protocol in place for if this ever happens; the hero begins to hum to the tune of Cowboys Are Frequently Secretly Fond of Each Other, attempting to suppress the thoughts rushing fourth.

But it's no use; against his will the memories of his time with Gannet rise to the surface of his mind, causing his face to flush as he remembers every kiss, hug, and held hand.

The hero watches in dismay at how Razzmatazz' eyes flit about the room's occupants, gasping as she meets Jay's gaze. She definitely knows Jay's dirty little secret now...

The clownish face contorts into a grin. "Okay first of all, Walljumper—I just wanna say it's going to be okay. She's going to forgive you. She loves you. And secondly..." Razzmatazz crosses her arms, pointing at both her accomplice and Jay. "You two are idiots!"

Jay grimaces. "I didn't give you permission to read my mind, Razz!"

"All's fair in love and war, Witty!" Razzmatazz crows, falling into a fit of giggles.

"Stop laughing!" Stygian growls.

"And you! I can't believe you! Why would you—oh my god! How do you not know that—"

Jay tenses. "Razzmatazz, you better not! You can't just announce people's deepest secrets!"

The villainess quirks a brow, glancing at the hero. "Witty, are you sure? I think this is for the best."

"Razz..."

Stygian drops the heroes to the ground, rage settling on his face as the air becomes thick with malice.

"Quickwit is right. You need to stop right now."

Walljumper moves to attack, but Jay holds him back. Stygian looks like he's about to explode...

Razzmatazz is less intimidated though. She strobes wildly with color as she stares the dark villain down. "You think you can order me around when I know what I know? I'm done being a pawn! It's time I'm in charge of my own life!"

"You don't know anything," Stygian growls, "look again, Razzmatazz..."

The villainess meets Stygian's eyes unflinchingly as she begins to read his mind. But her bravado quickly melts away as confidence turns to dread and fear. She falls to her knees with a scream, covering her face with her hands.

Jay's heart drops at the sound. He rushes forward to help, but is stopped by a wall of black tendrils. Stygian glances at Jay before he turns his attention toward the woman on the ground.

Razzmatazz is hugging herself, whimpering as her braids oscillate between navy blue and black. Stygian frowns at the sight, his eyes softening as tears track down the colorful villain's face.

He kneels before her, taking her hands into his own. "I'm sorry. That was wrong of me...I shouldn't have exposed you to that."

"It hurts."

"I know. Razzmatazz I—" Stygian pauses, glancing down at where he holds her hands. "They're the ones who caused all of this. Let's not destroy ourselves over what they did to us."

Razzmatazz sniffs, glancing at Stygian. "Okay..."

"Do you want to leave now?"

"Yes..."

"Can I carry you?"

At her nod, the villain lifts Razzmatazz into his arms. He glances one last time at the heroes as he spreads dark wings, giving a weak smile. "You win once again, heroes."

With a flick of ethereal feathers, the duo lifts off the ground and out the broken window.

Walljumper meets Jay's astonished expression with a confused one of his own. "What just happened...?"

"I'm not sure..."

The teen huffs, crossing his arms. "Whatever. We won, so I'm happy."

The sidekick glances toward the broken window. They did win, but it doesn't feel like a victory when he's left with so many questions.

They did win, but it doesn't feel like a victory when he's left with so many questions [https://img.wattpad.com/c1937837d79b0a33ba6f00037996844517f095e7/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f48374c45675245346a56782d6e413d3d2d313337313931383639302e313737656366646532333936306264323634353637363030373139342e706e67?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]