It Started With a Ransom

Stockholm Syndrome?

You could hear Mad King talking to himself, but you couldn't make out what was being said. Suddenly, he opened the door. "I apologize." He said. "Now, why don't you follow me? And don't try anything funny. You're lucky I'm allowing you to walk around freely. Understand?" You nodded. "Yeah." You sighed. "I pretty much gave up on escape when I realized it was the Mad King who took me." Normally someone saying this would've made him laugh and smirk. But when it was you who said it, he frowned. He cursed himself internally. "Right." He cleared his throat. "This way." Mad King walked out, and you followed. He led you to a room, and he opened the door. It looked a lot nicer than the other one. The walls were white instead of grey, the bed had red sheets instead of stained white ones, the bed was bigger, there was a dresser, a bed stand, and a mirror. There was even a rose on the dresser. "To... brighten up the room." Mad King explained. You walked to the bed and sat on it. It was a hundred times more comfortable than the other one."Good." Mad King smiled. "Now. Terms." You looked up at him. "Terms?" He nodded. "I am going back to working on my experiments, and that means I can't watch you twenty four/seven. So.." He grabbed your wrist and placed a gold bracelet on it. "This bracelet has a tracker in it, so I'll know where you are. But if you ever take it off-" He slipped the bracelet off your wrist, and an alarm sounded from his crown. "This alarm will sound from my phone and crown. For extra assurance I'll know when you try to escape." He told you as he put the bracelet back on. The alarm stopped. "I'll show you around the base." "Wait. Why let me roam around the base? Why not keep me in here, where you know I can't escape?" You asked. Mad King smirked. "Why? Do you want me to?" You shook your head quickly. "No!" He chuckled. "Good. Well then I'll showed you around."

"Any luck, Rusty?" X-Ray asked the hobo. "I'm afraid not, X-Ray." He said sadly. "Where ever Mad King's holding her, it's basically off the charts. It's not one of his old hideouts." X-Ray sighed, and Vav placed a hand on his shoulder. "We'll find her." He reassured his partner. "But what if we don't?" X-Ray asked. "What if, no matter how hard we look, we can't find her, and we have to give up our powers?" Mogar slapped him, to which X-Ray replied with a snarl. "Stop doing that!" He snapped. Mogar narrowed his eyes. "Then stop freaking out. We will find Y/N. We won't have to give up our powers." "But what if-" Mogar raised his hand, and X-Ray flinched. "Ok,ok!" He cried. "Stop hitting me!" Mogar lowered his hand. "God, you know you're so fucking stubborn sometimes." X-Ray muttered. Mogar laughed. "That's calling the kettle black." X-Ray just glared at him. "Shut up." Suddenly, the heroes' pagers went off. Vav picked his up and looked at it. "'Trouble at the Warehouse District.'" He read. "'Third warehouse from the right of the mirror store' Huh. Oddly specific. Well Lads, lets go." Vav and Mogar rushed out of Rusty's home, while X-Ray followed behind slowly.

When the trio arrived, everything was quiet. "Huh. Were we too late?" Vav questioned. "No." Mogar answered. X-Ray and Vav glanced over at their companion and saw him reading something from the side of a building. "What is it, Mogar?" Vav asked. "Mad King." Mogar replied. He handed the other two the note.

Dear Lads,

I'm aware we've met quite  recently, but I want to set up another meeting in two days to see where your heads are at. Don't worry, you don't need to give me a final answer. I would just like to talk. In two days, meet me here. Y/N will not be joining us this time, I'm afraid. I'll see you then.

Mad King

"Bastard." X-Ray muttered. "He just wants to see where our heads are at?" Vav said, re-reading the note. "I assume we'll be having regular meetings until we give him an answer." Mogar guessed. "Well do we have an answer?" X-Ray asked. "No." Vav sighed."Of course we want her back safe, but she's right. The city needs us." "Hilda's right." X-Ray murmured. "He has us by the balls."

After the tour of the base, he sent you back to your room. He told you he was going to get someone for an experiment. You laid on the bed, thinking about this. You should be scared out of your mind right now; but you weren't. Mad King wasn't acting the way the Lads had told you he was. Instead of merciless, he's caring. Instead of ruthless, he's kind. He called you cute; twice. He caressed your cheek and allowed you to roam around the base... you weren't sure, but you didn't think this was how captors were supposed to treat hostages. The only way you'd know he's a super villain was he was on his way to get someone to perform horrible experiments on. Oh. And he kidnapped you. But the more time you spent with him, the less scared you were of him. And you weren't sure if that was a good thing.