You’ll get used to it: knife // hostage // surrender
CW: blood (mentioned), kidnapped whumpee, unconscious whumpee, gagging (described), gagged whumpee, cruel whumper, hostage situation, trade, self sacrifice Whump, powerless Whumpee’s, multiple Whumpee’s, choking (described), forced submission (described), handcuffs, chains, collar
Leader arrived like Villain asked, alone, without their team, their hands raised in surrender as they emerged onto the roof. Villain stood at the opposite end of the roof, half sitting on the ledge looking over the city, the wind pulling at his clothes and hair, a lollipop between his lips.
He looked almost innocent like that. Not realising Leader was there yet. Taking in the city he threatened to destroy time after time after time after time again, and everytime Leader stopped him. Leader and their team.
Never quite caught him. Never got that far, he wasn’t the type to be arrested. Far too smart for that. Too smart for Leader, as it turns out.
Leader’s eyes trailed down to Villain’s hands to see a length of chain wrapped around his knuckles, turning the flesh white in his hand. Leader followed the short length of chain to an unconscious Whumpee at Villain’s feet, the chain tied tight around their hands that were drawn behind their back, a cloth gag in their silenced mouth. There was blood on the tip of the cloth, and twin streams of blood dripping down Whumpee’s nostrils and onto the rooftop.
“They wouldn’t shut up,” said Villain without turning his head, taking his lollipop out as he continued, “they weren’t worth the ransom.”
“Got me here, didn’t it?” Leader asked with a self-deprecating smile on their face. Villain finally turned to face Leader then. Cold, intelligent eyes scanning Leader’s casual outfit. It was unusual to see them without their protective gear, but Villain just turned away to look out at the view again.
“Drop the knife, then we’ll talk,” said Villain, almost bored, popping the lollipop back into his mouth.
Leader’s eyebrows knit together in confusion, taking a cautious step forward, their hands still raised in surrender. “I don’t have a knife.”
Villain didn’t answer. Instead he nudged a foot to the unconscious Whumpee’s shoulder. Leader jolted forwards, their hands dropping but stopped when Villain halted them with a cutting, icy stare. Villain leaned down, lower back resting against the roof wall, pulling the gag from Whumpee’s lips and letting it fall under their chin.
Villain poked Whumpee’s cheek, and again harder. Whumpee barely moved. Villain took his lollipop from his mouth and rammed it down Whumpee’s throat. Whumpee jumped to life then, gagging and gasping on the sweet, but Villain kept Whumpee down by a hand on their throat and a gentle ‘shhh.’
Whumpee calmed slightly when Villain stopped shoving the lollipop down their throat, panicked eyes turning hard as they let their breath out through their nose.
“Don’t look at me like that,” said Villain, adding a little pressure to their grip on Whumpee’s throat. Leader stepped forward again, and Whumpee gasped and struggled under Villain’s hands and Leader stepped back again. Villain let up the pressure, and said to Whumpee: “Look who’s here for you, Whumpee.”
Whumpee turned their head to the roof opening and almost gasped, dropping the lollipop but Villain slammed a hand up to Whumpee’s chin, clamping it shut. “If you drop that lollipop I’ll make sure Leader doesn’t get off this roof alive, Whumpee, understand?”
Villain let go of Whumpee’s chin before they could nod, their lips shut tight now, weary eyes going to Leader who stood a few feet away. Alone. Without their combat gear. Whumpee wanted to scream and punch themselves for being so stupid. For ever trusting Villain…
Villain stood up, putting a foot on Whumpee’s sternum. “Leave them alone!” Leader cried, stepping forward again. Villain just kept pressing down until Whumpee was almost crying out, barely holding their lips together to keep the lollipop in. Villain suppressed his grin at the sight of it before letting up on the force on Whumpee’s chest, letting them catch their breath.
“I told Leader to come unarmed, unprotected and alone, Whumpee. That was our arrangement of this little hostage agreement, and what do ya know? Leader comes unprotected and alone, armed with a knife that they think I don’t know they have,” Villain said, leaning down again on Whumpee’s chest, watching Whumpee struggle uselessly against him and fight to keep their mouth shut. “The one they always carry, the one that was a gift from their rotten dead friend, y’know, with the wooden handle and the nice engraving that says—“
Before Villain could continue there was a clatter on the rooftop beside him and he glanced over to see said knife near Whumpee’s leg. Villain took his foot off Whumpee’s chest and Whumpee let out a pained stuttered huff of relief from their nose as they half rolled to face Leader and Villain better.
Villain scooped the knife up from the ground and clicked the button, the blade shooting from the top with a shink. It really was a beautiful knife, Villain had to admit. The blade was a polished slate grey, the edges sharpened daily no doubt, glinting the moonlight back at Villain.
Villain finally looked back at Leader and put the blade in his jacket pocket, folding it before putting it in.
“Good,” said Villain, stepping over Whumpee and leaning back against the railing, folding his arms over his chest, “Now we can speak.”
“It’s a trade, right?” Leader asked, though it sounded more like a demand. “Me for Whumpee.”
“I can be persuaded to that,” said Villain, tilting his head side to side, as if debating it. “With a few conditions.”
“Name them.”
“NMmph!” Whumpee protested, still gagged by the lollipop in their mouth. Villain let a small smile grace his lips at Whumpee’s distress. That’s what they get for not knowing how to shut up.
“I leave Whumpee here, knocked out, you take their chains and you don’t fight me.”
“Ngh!” Whumpee tried again, their useless struggles accompanied by the jangling of the heavy chain tied around their wrists.
Leader didn’t say anything at first, just licked their lips and opened their mouth, then glanced at Whumpee and shut it again.
“You don’t knock them out,” Leader tried and Villain chuckled darkly, shaking his head.
“Nuh-uh Leader, you don’t get to make demands anymore,” Villain sang. Whumpee pushed their hands off the ground, trying to sit up but Villain kicked them back down, planting a boot on Whumpee’s back.
“I— I—“ Leader began, but they gave up before they uttered another sound. Villain could see it. The way their eyes searched the roof for some other thing, some saving grace that wasn’t there because Villain had made sure this hostage negotiation was airtight. Villain waited with baited breath. “Please Villain… you already hit them! Just let them go and I’ll come willingly—“
“How do I know you don’t have your little team waiting downstairs to collect Whumpee? To try and stop me?”
“You told me to come alone so I did,” Leader said hotly.
Villain tilted his head, icy eyes zeroed in on Leader. “I also told you to come unarmed. Then maybe I wouldn’t’ve had to hurt Whumpee more than necessary, hmm?”
Leader licked their lips. Villain smiled. “Okay,” said Leader softly, shoulders sagging in defeat. “Okay. Just, fuck… okay. Me for Whumpee. No tricks.”
Villain pushed off the wall with a grin. “Good. I know you’re not used to taking orders Leader, but don’t worry… you’ll get used to it. Like Whumpee did. Isn’t that right Whumpee?”
He stepped over Whumpee again, and bent low, his back to Leader, covering his conversation with Whumpee. “Well done for keeping your mouth shut for five seconds, Whumpee, I’m proud.”
Whumpee moved the smaller lolly to the side of their mouth before pleading: “Villain please. Please, don’t take them. It’s my fault—“
“Come on Whumpee,” Villain tsked, not unkindly. “Give me some credit here. I was just very convincing. It’s not your fault. It’s your team’s little weakness. I’m just shocked it took me this long to realise how pathetic you all were.”
“Leader—“ Villain jammed their hand under Whumpee’s chin again, silencing them with a huff.
“I prefer you better when you don’t speak, Whumpee.”
Whumpee wrestled their head free, as Villain grabbed the stick of the lollipop and dragged it out between Whumpee’s clenched teeth. “Villain—“
“Is the lollipop all gone?” Villain asked. Whumpee wanted to protest, but instead they bit the small nugget left of the cherry lollipop and swallowed. Then they stuck their tongue out.
“Happy?”
“Ecstatic,” Villain said. Without hesitation, Villain grabbed Whumpee’s shoulder and turned them over onto their stomach. Whumpee opened their mouth again and Villain took that as an opportunity to drag the gag between their teeth again and tied it tight behind Whumpee’s head. Whumpee groaned into the gag, struggling again. “Shhh,” Villain said, putting his index finger and thumb on either side of Whumpee’s neck.
Whumpee struggles lessened, they rested their forehead on the ground with a strangled protest. Villain grinned, then looked over his shoulder at Leader.
“Hey, Leader. Come here.”
Leader didn’t move for a second, and that was a second too long. Villain pressed down hard on Whumpee’s neck and Whumpee’s whimpers of pain were accompanied by rushing footsteps and Leader was beside Villain now. A test.
“I want you to do it,” said Villain, sitting back on their arse against the roof.
Leader glanced over at Villain with narrowed eyes. “No.”
“Yes,” said Villain and Whumpee grunted behind the gag.
Leader shook their head, fingers curling into fists at their sides. “No. I won’t.”
“Oh come on, Leader,” Villain chastised softly. “I’ve seen you do it to other villains and petty criminals.”
“That’s different,” Leader ground out through clenched teeth. Barely containing their anger. “They’ve hurt someone, or did something wrong. Whumpee didn’t.”
“No?” Villain asked and Leader knew it was a trap before they replied. “No.”
Villain leaned forward, looking up with cruel, smiling eyes at Leader. “If it wasn’t for Whumpee, you wouldn’t be here. In this mess. The city wouldn’t have to lose their number one Hero. Isn’t that right, Whumpee?”
Leader’s fists were shaking and Villain clicked their tongue. “Nothing to be done then I guess. Whumpee, I’ll just slam your head into the ground and hope it doesn’t kill you.”
As Villain leaned over, hand fisting Whumpee’s hair Leader’s hand shot out and clamped down hard over Villain’s wrist. Villain clicked their tongue again.
“Take your hand off me, or I’ll chop Whumpee’s off just to prove my point.”
Leader yanked their hand back as if it burned, and said: “okay… okay. I’ll do it.”
Whumpee whimpered behind the gag and struggled in their chains. “Relax, Whumpee. Leader’s here to save you. Again. Just Co-operate.”
Whumpee screamed against the gag, thrashing wildly. Leader surprised Villain who thought they’d take a less violent approach. A punch to the temple and Whumpee went still. Villain whistled, long and loud as he took the key out of his pocket and unlocked the cuffs around Whumpee’s wrists.
“Didn’t think you’d do that,” said Villain, feeling Leader’s glare on him as he worked on the second cuff. Individually locked, Leader noted, an excuse to not focus on what they just did to Whumpee of all people.
Villain stood, grinning at Leader as he pulled another lollipop from his jacket pocket. He pulled the plastic wrapper off it and popped it into his mouth. He lifted his hand and drew a circle in the air with his finger.
Leader turned around, putting his hands behind his back like Whumpee. “No, no, no,” Villain said, putting a hand on Leader’s shoulder. “I changed my mind. Turn around again.”
Leader did, rolling their eyes. Villain put the metal cuffs on and tightened them as far as they could go, Leader drawing their arm up when it started to pinch, but Villain didn’t let them go far.
“It’s okay. It’s okay,” Villain cooed reassuringly as he cuffed Leader’s other hand in front of them. Villain then wrapped the chain around Leader’s neck and Leader recoiled but Villain yanked them forward again. “If you think I’m not going to enjoy this exactly how I want to Leader, you are not as smart as you look. Do you want me to take Whumpee with us on our little road trip?”
The fight went out of Leader at the mention of Whumpee, guilt washing over their face before they reached acceptance. Villain said: “good. Quick learner. It’ll help you… adjust.”
Villain tightened the chain until Leader squirmed a little then padlocked it shut, wrapping the free length around his knuckles and palm, before yanking Leader forward.
Leader jolted, putting a steadying foot out in front of them to stop themselves from falling. Then levelled Villain with a harsh glare. Villain just smiled. “Oh I can already tell…. This is gonna be fun.”