The Monster in The Black Room (Hero & Villain story)

May the Truth... Forever Haunt You

   Villain was confused, and hurt that his father would do such a thing, subjecting Hero to a lifetime of agony and misery in the dark. It was cruel, even to an enemy.
   "What's yours?"
   Villain snapped back to reality at Hero's voice. "Villain," he introduced, then swallowed thickly. "Uh... are you going to... kill me too?"
   "...No."
   The relief crashed over Villain like a tidal wave, drowning out the fear. "Does that mean... I can leave?"
   "Not if you don't want to get caught," Hero croaked.
   "What?"
   "There's henchmen coming to feed me now," she hissed, voice suddenly dropping low and urgent. "I can hear them approaching the door. You need to hide."
   Villain out a muffled scream in surprise when a bony hand clamped tightly over his mouth, another grabbing him around the torso and dragging him hurriedly across the floor. It all happened so fast Villain never even thought to struggle or fight back, still blind in total darkness.
   Then he was let go, and he felt something light fall on top of him -- a blanket, he figured. It was a ratty one, the fibers rough and scratchy against his skin. "Stay still, and stay quiet, or you'll get us both in trouble," Hero hissed. “And I’m more likely the one who will suffer for it.”
   Villain could hear it now too, loud voices followed by the beep of a keycard being accepted. Then light flooded the room, and he had to squint to keep from being blinded as he peered through a ragged hole in the blanket, barely bigger than a pencil's eraser. He saw two bulky men take a few steps down the stairs, one holding something in his arms he couldn't make out.
   "Dinner, beast," a heartless voice laughed -- then the sound of something being hurled, followed by a sharp cry of pain that turned into an angry hiss.
   "Eat it off the floor, freak," a second voice snickered, tone laced with malice. "You're lucky you're even getting fed in the first place, you ungrateful creature." His voice had an audible sneer in it, and he and his partner laughed to themselves as they left, the heavy steel door slamming shut behind them.
   "...It's safe now," Hero's voice sounded right next to Villain again, and Villain crawled out from under the blanket, rattled. He still couldn't see a thing in the darkness.
   "Is that seriously what every day is like for you?!" He gasped, disgusted.
   "This? This was one of the better days," Hero growled grimly. “The worse ones happen when they stay to play."
   Villain didn't even have to ask to understand what they would be playing with. "That's horrible!"
   "It is. But there's nothing I can do about it... so I've learned to accept my situation and endure it the best I can."
   Villain felt cold hands find one of his, pressing something made of metal into his palm.
   "Your flashlight," Hero said. "You should leave now."
   Villain closed his hand around it and flicked the light on, directing it away from where Hero's voice had come from to avoid blinding her. He got to his shaky feet, aiming the beam around to get a better look at the place before he went now that he wasn't busy panicking.
   It was tragic. The blanket Hero had hid him under was filthy, and there were stains all over the stone floor from what looked like blood, vomit, and other fluids, some bones scattered amidst the mess. He angled his line of sight to the side where he saw a stale loaf of bread and a plastic bottle half-full of water.
   Villain was disgusted. But maybe Supervillain hadn't realized how dirty it was down here, right? Maybe he'd just accidently forgotten to keep the place clean? It felt like denial, even to himself, and he knew better. This didn't look like an accident at all. It looked like Supervillain wanted Hero to suffer down here.
   Villain shifted uncomfortably on his feet, not sure how to phrase his next question. "Is it, ah, okay if I... see what you look like?" He had to know. Needed to know what his father had done. He had to see it for himself to believe it.
   "Not like I have any dignity or pride left to be wounded," Hero rasped bitterly. "Go ahead and take a goooood look at your father's handiwork."
   Villain braced himself. "Okay... um... you might want to close your eyes, because of the flashlight. It's going to be kind of bright."
   "How considerate of you to warn me," Hero rumbled, but there was no humor in her tone.
   Villain hesitated. Did he really want to see what Supervillain had done to his old enemy? Or would he rather stay innocent and naive? He'd already gotten a brief glimpse of Hero when she'd first attacked him... maybe that was enough? But he knew he'd never forgive himself if he left without knowing the truth.
   So, after taking a deep breath to steel himself, he shifted the light onto Hero -- and his heart dropped all the way to his feet.
   She stood in front of him with her eyes closed in a tattered, shredded leather suit -- one recognizable as Hero's by the emblem sewn on the shoulder, frayed and shredded at the edges. And the color itself -- dark red. Her skin was paler than what seemed humanly possible, as though she were merely a walking corpse. Bones and veins were highly visible beneath the dehydrated skin stretched over them, which was torn in some places with rough scabs over barely-healing injuries.
   And she was so, so, unbelievably thin... her face hollow and concave, stained with dried blood -- and there was a far fresher trail of it sliding down over her dirty orange hair in scarlet rivulets, probably an injury caused when one of the henchmen threw dinner at her.
   Hero's features were twisted into a permanent grimace of pain, her breathing wheezy and harsh. Around each wrist was a single metal cuff with a long chain attached, that led to a single ring bolted to the floor in the middle of the room.
   Villain felt random tears spring to his eyes, the horrific image of Hero seared into his memory. He turned and ran back to the stairs, unable to bear witness to it any longer.
   "Wait!" He paused at the top as Hero's hoarse voice called to him, breaking off into a bout of violent coughs. "Will... I see you again? Will you come back?" There was a wistful kind of desperate longing in her words.
   "...I'll see," Villain muttered half-heartedly. He darted out of the Black Room, locking it behind him and running off. He stopped briefly to return the keycard he'd stolen before heading straight to his room. He didn't come out the entire rest of the day.