A Villain's Killer Plan-B

Terror Tragedy

    Jeremy is in his room reading Batman: Under The Hood all alone. When Batman talks to Jason, it's when the Red Hood holds the Joker to him with a gun to the monster's brain. Jeremy can admit. He... deserves to die. Joker. Fearmeister. They're the same evil. But to him, it still shouldn't be like that. Yet it is. Knocks on the door catch his attention.
    "Come in," Jeremy tells the knocker. He then puts his book under the bed. The knockers are Ashley and the team coming to check on him.
    Ashley asks, "You ok?" This is when Ashley and Aubrey are sitting on his bed, Jayden standing with her arms crossed, and the same with Asori.  
    "We're sorry, Jeremy," Jayden tells him genuinely.
    "Did we do the right thing?" Jeremy asks his teammates. Everyone looks toward each other with Ashley and Asori nodding to each other in approval before looking back toward Jeremy.
    "Yeah," Ashley admits.
    Asori says, "We had to do it, Jeremy."
    "It doesn't mean we have to like it," Jayden tells him seriously. Everyone minus Jeremy agrees with this statement. Jeremy looks down but Ashley and Aubrey respond by hugging him. He reciprocates this before they stop.
    "Thanks, guys." After he says these words, the rest of the team stands around and, feeling Jeremy is ok, leave him back to his business. Jayden closes the door behind them. Getting back to his book, the vigilante reads the book toward a certain scene he can now say isn't his favorite. Batman saves Joker by... nearly killing his son. If put in that situation, he would've let Jason shoot Joker dead. Those two scumbags. His mom. They all have no empathy. No remorse. Nothing. Putting the comic back under the bed, Jeremy goes to his pillow. He then sighs. Could he kill someone? Yeah, they didn't kill him, but they left him to die. Yet... He... He deserved it, didn't he? What if that was his mom? One of his bullies? The man who killed his father? Even the man who unintentionally took away his real father? Out of all of them, the last one would be who he'd save. The rest? They're just... Growing solemn, he comes to this conclusion. Maybe life can be a comic book? And with that, maybe some people just can't be reasoned with?
    "Oh my god," Vivian says in shock. The Alta Heroes just left a maniac to die. And Aubrey... Is she ok?
    Aunt Viv asks her niece, "You ok?"
    "I'm...  alright," Aubrey says. More sincerely, she doesn't know what to think. Yeah, the guy was a monster, but they still let him die. She often asked herself if she'd be willing to kill someone. And, although she has thought about it, she doesn't know if she could go through with it. Yeah, she's murked two special demons, but this guy. He's human. Yet it's as if he's a wolf in sheep's wool.
"Are you ok?" Aubrey asks back. Vivian breathes through her nose before she continues. Her dominant finger is through her hair before she speaks.
    "Yeah," Vivian tells her niece. In actuality, she's worried. Hell, she's been worried about her eldest niece the moment she decided to be this "Alta Hero." She's beaten up criminals. Saved people. And fought some villains. But the trauma. The scars. Is she going to be ok?
    Aunt Viv just says, "Wow." She still cannot believe it. Aubrey and her friends. They... killed a guy.
    "How do you feel?" The aunt questions kindly. This is one of Vivian's many fears. Will her niece be ok? Is this becoming too much for them? For her?
    "It had to be done," Aubrey says after a sigh.
    "Aubrey..." Is it really? Did they have to do it? Knowing her silence is due to this subject, Aubrey decides to end this conversation before it gets worse.
    Aubrey reassures, "I'll be fine, Aunt Viv."
    "You sure?" She questions out of concern.
    "Yeah," Aubrey tells her aunt from the bottom of her heart. She then decides to change the subject.
    "How's Ariana?" Aubrey asks her aunt. Not wanting to push Aubrey right now, Vivian chuckles as she puts on a smile.
    "She's fine," Vivian says after a head nod.
    Vivian asks, "Are you available this weekend?" Aubrey's real smile brightens at the offer. She nods her head positively.
    "Yeah," Aubrey tells her honestly.
    "It'll be a surprise."
    "I'll be seeing you this weekend." That sassy exchange get chuckles from both sides. After that little laughter dies down, the two get sincere.
    Aunt Viv only says, "I love you, Aubrey."
    Aubrey responds with, "I love you too, Aunt Viv." The two put their phones down. Aubrey then goes to her journal to write about the good in her life as of now. As for the villain asshole, he'll be in the middle. The rest of the team are in their beds. Jayden is on his dominant side. His eyes are open like how his eyes are open to the reality from earlier. People will die. And sacrifices must be made to save those lives. Could he kill someone? Should he kill someone to save an innocent? He looks toward his heroes. Optimus and Naruto. They've killed before. And why did they kill? They needed to. The villains. They couldn't be saved. Even Pain, someone so much like Naruto but twisted, needed to die. Breathing through his nose, Jayden continues his self-talk in his mind. This needed to be done. Ashley can't agree more. Looking toward the ceiling, Ashley just hopes this'll make things better. People throughout history have killed both for selfish and selfless reasons. And, despite its brutality, the guy deserved it. He'd done too much and no prison could hold him nor could he be reached. She's just happy she's not him. Asori, Jeremy, and Aubrey only think about this moment for a while before they, like the previous two, close their eyes. For all of them, they're hopeful. Hopeful they did the right thing. Hopeful the people Fearmeister hurt can heal. And hopeful that they can stay sane while doing what they need to do. No matter how they feel about doing the act itself.