The Villain and Hero (A Hermitcraft AU Rewrite)

Villains

Remember that violence trigger warning in the Welcome chapter? Yeah, that's cause of chapters like this one. Read at your own own risk. - purple_

Doc was still smiling like a child when he arrived back at his home. It was a small office building that had been damaged in a burglary. The company decided it would be cheaper to just build an entire new office than make repairs to the old one and it was pretty easy for Doc to pay off the utilities companies to keep the water and ac and light running. Perks of being a villain with vast sums of money.

He climbed the stairs to the third and top floor with ease, humming a senseless tune with comfortable joy. The elevator could have worked, but the amount of power it required was a bit excessive for one person. And Doc was never one to complain about a bit of a workout. He pulled the door to his main room open with a soft jerk and sauntered in. It was mostly empty other than a couch near the window he used as a bed and a large table filled with wires, metal plates, gears, and other technical bits and bobs.

"Someone's happy."

Doc froze at the sound of the familiar voice. Smooth, thick, and typically comforting, it was one the villain knew all too well. But that voice was one he was never supposed to hear again.

"You're supposed to be dead."

"I don't die that easily."

"How'd you do it?"

"My secrets are no longer yours to know."

Doc turned around to see a smiling villain sitting on his work table.

"Get down from there."

"You're no fun." The villain said with a mock pout. He jumped off the table and landed on the floor with a small thump. "But I'll honor your request for now." His hair was longer than Doc remembered, tied back into a messy man bun. Short stubble bordering on a beard complimented his face nicely. He wore a black leather jacket over a red and black plaid shirt with black pants and boots. A pair of dark sunglasses covered his eyes. It suited him, but Doc would never admit it.

"What happened to you?"

"You mean after you left me to die?"

Doc grimaced.

"I found a new partner. One who wouldn't abandon me."

"You were buried under a building."

"And before that? When you could have been helping me? You left me to flirt with that hero." The villain spat.

"You were already gone." Doc whispered back. "Consumed by power and rage."

"You're wrong. I found something better."

"Ren-"

"Don't. Call me that."

"Ren-"

"Canem."

"Canem. Get out of my house."

"Hard to call this a house, my dude."

For just a second, Doc could see his old partner. But this was not Ren anymore, he had made this clear.

"Get out." Doc shouted, miming a push in Canem's direction. Canem stayed perfectly still. He smirked.

"Oh yeah. Forgot to tell you." Canem pulled his sunglasses up so they sat on top of his head. Where once a left eye lay, a swirling void had taken its place. "Your hocus pocus doesn't work on me anymore I'm afraid."

"What the...?"

"Trade secrets, my dude."

Doc grabbed a knife from a small table beside him.

"C'mon. I don't wanna fight you Doc."

"I'm not going to ask again."

"Fine." Canem reached out with an open palm before pulling his hand back with a closed fist. Tendrils of smoke grasped at Doc's legs, pulling him to the ground. He hit the smoke with an open hand, trying to disrupt the magic affecting him, but to no avail. Nothing solid could affect the smoke. It was time for a different strategy. While the smoke pulled him across the floor, Doc took his knife and threw it at Canem. The villain howled as it sunk deep into his chest, his face contorting in pain.

"You're gonna have to try a little harder than that." Canem said as he straightened back up. He grabbed the knife handle and yanked the blade out of him, more smoke pouring from the wound. Doc watched with horror as the wound sewed itself back up until it was nothing more than a thin pink scar. "Dang it. I liked this shirt."

Doc scrambled back, or tried to, now much more fearful of his ex-partner.

"What's wrong? Scared of little ole me?" Canem asked with a cruel laugh. He twisted his hand, the smoke tightening around Doc's wrists and ankles. He hadn't even realized it was there. With another sweep of his hand, Doc went flying across the room, his back slamming into the wall while a shout of pain escaped his lips.

Note to self, Doc thought amidst the pain, stay away from magic smoke. He dove behind his couch as listened as Canem made his way around the room. Silently scrambling for the other knife hidden in the couch, he waited for the right moment to make another move. 

Wait. 

Not yet. 

Now.

Doc stood and threw the knife as hard as he could at where Canem was supposed to be. The villain was instead beside him with a sickly sweet smile that screamed exasperated parent. Canem grabbed Doc's robotic arm and swung him around, finally hitting him against the ground and ripping the mechanical arm from its socket. He dropped the metal unceremoniously onto the ground, while Doc writhed on the floor from where some pieces of metal were ripped directly from his flesh.

"It's a shame, really. We could've been brilliant together."

Soft footsteps signaled Canem's leave from the room. Doc waited a couple minutes longer, drenched in sweat and tears, before he was able to out for his phone. He had dropped it when he dove behind the couch which was probably a good thing. It would've been more difficult for him to reach around to his pocket than it was for him to reach slightly forward. Still, it wasn't easy for him to operate the device with the sticky blood on his fingers smearing on the screen.

Eventually, he found what he was looking for. The contacts. He scrolled a short ways down (he didn't have many contacts) and pressed one. Then the call button. He hated sometimes how difficult it was to just call someone. But then again, the struggle of accidentally calling someone was real. One more tap and the phone was on speaker.

"Hello?"

"Get to my house. Now."

"I don't work for you anymore."

"Please. I need your help."

"I'm busy."

"I'll pay you."

"Give me ten minutes." 

1074 Words