“You talk a big game,” says the vigilante, leveling xir sword at the hero’s throat “But are you really capable of the follow through?”

“What is this?” says the hero, raising a hand to lightly grip the blade “Why are you threatening me?”

“You said that we were in this together, no?” the vigilante presses the blade more firmly against the meat of the hero’s palm “But I’m starting to get the feeling you’re lying. About all of it, about everything. And I want to know why. Who are you, hero? What is it you’re really about to do?”

“Heads up,” says the vigilante to the superhero “I gave out your number to a friend.”

“You’re passing out my information now?” asks the hero. That’s… not something-

“[X] is a good person.” says the vigilante, who has never said that even about [hero] “I trust xir.”

“What a mess,” sighs the hero “You see, [Sidekick]? How dangerous [Villain] can be?”

The sidekick gazes down at the ruined street with horror. Xe doesn’t say that [Villain] had been perfectly in control until [Hero] had arrived, had pulled xir out of [Villain]’s grasp. That [Villain] had lost zir temper when ze thought that xe was in danger.

How is it possible that one moment of terror had caused so much destruction?

“By the time I was your child’s age, i had already killed enough people that I lost count.” says the vigilante to the hero “Do you think I was broken? That I chose this?”

The hero frowns “What are you saying?”

“I’m saying I’m trying my best to unlearn what i was taught.”

“Losing you was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to survive.” says the hero.

“I’m not dead,” says the villain “We can still be together.”

“Why won’t you teach me?” frowns the sidekick “What if I get captured one day?”

“Look,” says the hero “If you get caught, and someone threatens to torture you for information- on me, on my loved ones, on anything at all– you tell them. You don’t try and hold out. It’s not worth that.”

“You were okay with that? Your kids murdering [Villain]?”

“I mean, not. But if there’s anyone who deserved it, it’s [Villain]. All the kids are going to therapy to avoid repeat incidents.”

“You’re not going to hurt me!” protests the villain “You’re a hero!”

“Am I?” says the hero(?) “That’s news to me.”

“Dance with me, my love?” says the villain, drawing xir sword “It’s been so long since we last embraced.”

The hero scowls. Whatever past they had is long over, now

“If you didn’t want to go down this path, you should have listened to me. You’re capable of making decisions, you know what you’re doing —”

“Are you fucking kidding me?” the villain shrieked, pulling xir sidekick close. “Ze’s fourteen! What the fuck were you doing at that age?”