villain.

⑊ t e n ⑊

H E A T surges through me, and pain seizes my whole body. I cry out and fall back, clutching my sides and crying out. It seems like hours that I lie there writhing in pain, until suddenly I am very cold, and then it is all over.

I open my eyes and let out a shaky breath, wincing as the sun shines on my face. Blinking, I manage to stand and the fresh air begins to clear my head. I'm not sure what I was just doing, all I remember is that I was in the horrible chair and then suddenly I was lying on the cement.

Someone else's cries of pain reach my ears, I turn a dizzy head to see River also on the ground, writhing about as if hot needles were poking her. "Orion?" She manages to choke out. There are tears streaming down River's face, and her eyes are wide with...fear? Is she afraid of me?

"River...what happened?" I ask, squinting."Are you alright? I thought I was strapped to that torture chair."

River gives one last cry, then finally lays still and shivers, panting heavily. She turns her head to glance at my mother with shock, then at the mysterious girl who suddenly isn't so mysterious anymore.

"What? Raven? It's you?!" I drag my palms over my face, utterly confused."Why would you-"

"I already explained my sob story to the girl, so shut it," Raven interrupts, replacing the surprised looked on her face with a frown. "Now that your excellent plan didn't work, what now, Miss Rose?"

Meanwhile, I reach a hand out to help River off the ground, and she takes it gratefully, smiling a weak smile. My mother's face is stone cold, but as she examines me with her keen eyes, her expression changes to a mask of pure fury. "River! What have you done!"

For some strange reason, River blushes a shade darker than her already reddened cheeks, but then sets her jaw. "Well, somehow I broke your little spell."

"Not that," she waves a hand erratically, a crazed look in her eyes. "Of course you somehow broke it, but look at your wrists!"

A collective gasp nearly causes me to jump, and as I turn my arm over to look at it, I gasp myself. River holds hers next to mine, and everything is silent as we read the new six words written on both of our wrists.

♛ V I C T O R

There is a symbol of a crown inked before the thick capital letters, and River traces her finger over it in wonder. "What have I done?"

"This has happened once before," River says softly, still in awe. "It happened when Wonder decided to become a villain, even though he was marked as hero. I had forgotten until now."

"Get them," Ebony Rose barks at her henchmen. "They can't be allowed to escape."
The men move forward, and I smile a bit, igniting my palms with electric current.
"Remember, only use the tranquilizer setting."