"What are you doing?" Pandora asked, sounding more tired than surprised or irritated. A part of Damon was was inclined to tell her that he didn't know, but he silenced that voice quickly. He did know. He had a plan. And even though he wasn't sure exactly where that plan had come from or why it was something he was so inclined to go through with for a hero he'd only met twice in his life, it was still a plan.
Damon led Pandora to the stairs, the details of what he intended to do becoming clearer and clearer with each passing second. "I can't kill you. Not like this, anyway. I've met many heroes that I didn't mind murdering, but that was because they were fighting of their own free will and everyone caught up in the situation was thinking clearly. You, however," Damon looked down at her, smiling a little. "You're different. Aside from the fact that you very clearly aren't thinking straight and didn't come here of your own free will, it really feels like a shame to kill the only person I've ever met who even bothered to take the time and learn how to fight. I could murder a thousand self-righteous, egotistical jerks who simply want validation from the masses. But the moment that someone with actual merit comes along, I lose the desire to kill them quickly and move on with my life as though nothing happened. I'd like to at the very least savor fighting with you, and that isn't possible if you're just trying to make me mad enough that I stop truly enjoying a duel between the two of us and begin wanting to win just so that you don't." He said, guiding her up the stairs and towards the room her sister had occupied.
Pandora huffed, wrenching her hand out of his grasp and coming to a stop. "If you're too proud to kill someone when they beg for it, then you could have just said so." She spat, looking genuinely hurt. "I came to you thinking that out of everyone, you would be the person who would want to hurt me the most. You were the only villain I never killed, and I was the only hero who got away from you. I thought that would mean something, even after all this time. I thought that you would want revenge, or at least a second chance to get what you fucked up last time right. I thought that..." She trailed off, tears of desperation slipping into her eyes. She took a deep breath and wiped them away, turning to look out over the banisters instead of directly at Damon. "I thought you would understand." She sighed.
Damon nodded. "I do understand. I understand very well. I'm just not going to kill you until you've at least started thinking clearly again, and hopefully had some time to contemplate what it is you're actually looking for." He said, turning back to look at Pandora. She sniffed, almost defiantly. "I know what I'm after. And if you aren't capable of doing something that would help the both of us immensely, then you can just let me go. I'll continue living under the scrutiny of my boss, I'll never see my sister again. I will just keep on doing something that tears me to shreds each time I even think about it, and hope that somewhere in the future, someone will see reason." She said. Damon shook his head, starting to wonder just how deep this rabbit hole went. Clearly, this was the only thing she really wanted. But was there seriously nothing else that she even had remote dreams about? Had her boss actually driven her to the point that effectively committing suicide was the only thing she thought of? "I can't let you go." He said. "Not when I know that you're just going to find someone else who has even the slightest amount of fighting skill and have them do what I can't."
Pandora looked up sharply at him, anger in her eyes. "Why won't you just let me die? Why can't I have the one thing that would fix everything? You don't owe me anything. You don't even know me. Why on god's green earth are you trying to stop me from getting hurt? And it's not like there's anything you can do about it. Even if you keep me here, I will find some way to get what I want. I always do. You know that." She said, her voice trembling. Damon looked her over again, smiling as he realized that her anger was only driven by fear and desperation. She didn't actually feel the way she was acting; she was just trying to cover up her sadness with a layer of forced rath. "You're right. I don't owe you anything. That's why I'm doing this. If I were indebted to you, I would just shoot you and be done with it. But there is nothing that I am required to give you, and that includes death. Your life isn't something I need to take in order to keep a promise of any sort. And you shouldn't make the mistake of thinking otherwise." Damon said, letting an easy smile flash across his face for a moment. "Besides, you're too much fun to kill. If I were to murder you, nothing would ever be the same for me. I wouldn't have any opponents to dread fighting, I wouldn't have a person to look out for when armies of heroes walk up to my gates. Things would go back to being bland and boring, and no duel would ever compare to the kinds you can sort out. I'm going to help you, if for no other reason than that I want you to be happy and healthy enough that fighting you is enjoyable." He added.
Pandora shook her head, incredulous. "It sounds like you want to keep me as a pet just so you have someone you aren't bored fighting." She said. Damon shook his head. "Oh, no. It's not at all like that. I don't have any intentions to 'keep you'. I'm just going to force you to stay here until whatever voice of reason you have comes through." He said, grinning a little. Pandora put one hand over her face, exasperated. "That's...the same thing." She sighed. Damon shrugged. "You can see it that way, I suppose. But it's very different." He said. "Oh, really?" Pandora muttered, frustrated. "It's sort of a deal." Damon carried on, ignoring her remark. "I'll help you, and in return, you have to promise that you're not going to hurt yourself or leave until I've managed to cheer you up enough that you're not thinking about suicide." He continued. "A deal is when two people agree on something. And I most certainly do not agree with this." Pandora said, firmly. Damon smiled. "But do you really have a choice?" He asked.
Pandora hesitated, looking out over the banister again and towards the front door. "Well..." She said, seeming to sink into her thoughts. "I suppose I do. I just don't want to take the other option anymore than I want to take this one." She muttered. Damon nodded, extending his hand to shake on the matter and seal it. "So, what's it going to be, Pandora? Are you going back to your boss, or are you staying here, where I can protect and help you?" He asked. Pandora looked down at his hand with uncertainty, contemplating her options for a long moment. "Fine." She said at last, reluctantly taking Damon's hand. "I guess I don't have any better choices. But you have to promise me that at some point, I'll get the chance to die 'properly', whatever that means." She added, gripping Damon's hand so that it was effectively written into the deal. Damon smiled. "I promise you that it won't come to that." He said.
YOU ARE READING
Morals of a Villain
General Fiction(Completed) Damon, a Duke by right, has never particularly liked the morally righteous narcissists he frequently has to deal with in everyday life. While others might see them as heroes courageously pitting themselves against the horrible and sadist...
