The Villain and Hero (A Hermitcraft AU Rewrite)

Canem

Bdubs was running. In his mind, he was running towards Canem. But really, he was just fleeing from Doc. That villain. Nothing more.

Nothing more.

Nothing more.

So much more.

Bdubs bit his lip and ran faster, ignoring his feelings by focusing on the stitch in his side. He had a villain to stop. Then he could focus on the other one.

He made it to ConCorp in record time. He tried the front door. Locked. Side door. Locked. Windows? Locked. The glass was shatter proof, even against his energy. He slumped down against the smooth concrete walls. He couldn't do anything right. Small footsteps on the pavement broke him from his thoughts.

"Bdubs."

"What do you want?" Bdubs growled.

"I came to help you."

"Why? To protect your precious hero?"

"Because you're right. I've been nothing but selfish. And I don't plan to stop. I can't lose you to that maniac." He paused. "But if you want to never see me again after this that's fine. I'll leave and this city will have one less villain. But right now, against all of my better judgment, I'm gonna help you stop Canem."

"How? We can't even open one door."

"We can't. But Mumbo's programming can."

"What?"

Doc set his metal arm against a panel beside one of the steel doors. A spark, then a crunch, and the door unlocked with a tiny click.

"Wha- how? And what do you mean, Mumbo's programming?"

"He built my arm."

"What? When?"

Doc sighed. "A while ago, apparently. Now c'mon."

They ducked into the building and Bdubs was immediately hit with a wave of nostalgia. The building looked the exact same as it did the first time he was here. Except, there was no sign of there ever having been a battle. Bdubs glanced up at Doc, startled when he saw the villain's face.

"You look like you've just seen a ghost."

"Maybe I have." Doc whispered. "We need to go down."

"How do you-"

"I know what Canem's after. We need to go down."

Bdubs nodded slowly. "Okay... it looks like the stairs are over there."

"There's another flight this way. It's not labeled but will take us exactly where we need to go."

"Doc."

"Yeah?"

"What's going on?"

Doc took a slow breath in and out. "I'll explain later. Please, just trust me."

Bdubs nodded. "Okay."

Doc led the way into a small utility closet. He opened the breaker and pulled the wires aside so that a small keypad was exposed. The code broke quickly, and then a door opened in the corner.

"Woah."

Doc smiled softly.

Bdubs stepped into the now open stairwell and began his descent, with Doc following close behind. The lights were on before the door opened, and Bdubs couldn't decide if that was a good thing. On one hand, they were on the right track, on the other, Bdubs hadn't really considered what this would mean. Canem wasn't just dangerous, he was deadly. And incredibly lacking in terms of empathy. And Bdubs was about to walk right up to him without so much as a fraction of a plan.