The Villain and Hero (A Hermitcraft AU Rewrite)

Hotel

Warning! Pain & character death. 

spoilers 

>;}

Etho strolled along the city streets, humming along to a senseless tune. It was late at night, or perhaps early in the morning. Either way, the sky was dark and the city was practically empty. All his. At least, all until someone has to come and ruin his day. Night. Whatever.

"Hi Etho." His accent was smooth and something about his voice unsettled the demon, but he didn't let it show.

"Who the hell are you?"

The stranger chuckled. "My name's Canem. And I need your help."

"Not interested." Etho walked faster, but the stranger didn't take the hint.

"See, I don't really care what interests you."

"Go away."

Canem grabbed his arm and twirled him around. "Not gonna happen."

"What do you want?"

"Everything you know about Doc and his pet hero."

"Can't. Sorry."

"Not good enough." He squeezed Ethos arm, and f*ck he had one hell of a grip.

"I literally can't. Contract and all."

"Etho, you serve my master just as I do. And he wants to know what you know."

"Then get him to break this contract. Oh yeah. He can't."

Etho lifted the hand Canem wasn't holding and looked at his wrist in horror as his contract simply melted away. He could feel the exact moment it broke, his soul breaking free from their chains. Canem simply stood with a smug look before letting go of Etho's arm.

"It seems I was wrong." He grinned devilishly. "What did you need from me?"

Instead of answering Etho's question, Canem answered a question Etho hadn't even thought of yet. "Y'know, at first I was gonna be the one to take your contract. I would've made you follow Doc and tell me his every move." He paused as Etho scowled. "Exactly. I wasn't a huge fan of that plan either. You couldn't get close enough to get any good info. This works out so much better."

"What makes you think I'm gonna tell you anything now?"

Canem smirked. "You never had a choice." He gestured to Etho's wrist with his head, exactly where he had been squeezing moments before. Dark black streaks coursed through his veins, traveling up his arm at an alarming pace. He fell to the ground, pain exploding in his wrist as he hit the pavement.

"What- what did you-"

"What'd I do to you? Good question. Master needs to know what you know. And in a minute, when the void reaches your brain, he will." He kneeled down as Etho began to writhe. "Too bad it's immensely painful as well. We could've saved all these theatrics."

Etho stilled, the black void finally taken over his entire being.

"Area 77," Canem said, thinking out loud as his mind was flooded with information and memories, "interesting." He stood back up. "See you soon Doccy."

...

The contract had been broken. That meant a thousand things at once, but mainly that Bdubs was in danger. And that was not something Doc would allow. So when the contract band around his wrist melted away, the first thing he did was run for his hero. He could remember Bdubs' yelp as the villain scooped him into his arms, the determined look in his eyes when Doc told him what happened, the small sigh afterwards. He could take care of himself, he claimed. It was only when Doc told him he didn't have to that Bdubs relaxed into Doc's embrace.