Short Stories

Where's My Epic Background Music?

Crimson Tempest had been waiting for this moment since his powers first materialized. The bright crimson flames dancing uncontrolled throughout the city that once abandoned him. The screams of those that hurt him. The terror of a city once full of hope, now reduced to mindless fear. Fear of him.

The villain of Hell-fire had taken years to finally accomplish his dream, and now he could finally conquer the nightmares of nameless voices and cold waves. That superhero that had once hidden in the shadows of others had been dragged into the spotlight, then made an example of; This is what made others successful, this is what they actively protested against - their greatest advantage against him.

Of course, he felt bad for the hero; why wouldn't he? The hero - Fallen Angel they called themself - had been protecting the city for years from the shadows, only to have their beloved city turn against them the moment they were revealed to be a mutant - something unnatural. And to top it all off - they were an Omega. What kind of undesirable Omega would their hero have to be? Full of scars marring porcelain skin, muscles hardening soft curves, and defiance. How could a helpless Omega ever protect them?

Just thinking about it had his blood pressure rising and a curl of self-satisfaction settling in his gut. Crimson Tempest may have been a heartless villain, but even he would never ridicule an Omega for wanting to be more. More than what society wanted them to be - little, obedient, breeding mares.

Oops, there goes the red-light district.

Crimson Tempest stayed vigil over the city as it burned. A once great city, now reduced to ash. He only moved after the last flame died down and the city was buried under the ash of people and buildings alike. He let a small smirk show as he gazed at the ruined city, "Avis Knight sends his regards."

Crimson Tempest's lair was several miles west of the city, but it only took him seconds to teleport there using his Hell-fire. Nothing seems amiss, and where my little prisoner is kept is mostly silent except for small, nearly silent sniffles. Smirking, he continued down to his personal chambers, where he had left his prisoner chained to a wall.

"Your city is in ruins. You are-" He stopped, gloves half-off, and raised an eyebrow at the sight that greeted him. "You're wrapped in my cape."

Swaddled in the thick fabric, only the hero's - Fallen Angel's - face was still visible, their expression trapped between a scowl and a pout. "It's cold down here, and you left it in reach. If you weren't too tight to heat your lair while keeping me prisoner down here, I wouldn't have had to resort to thievery."

"You look adorable," Crimson Tempest commented, forcing a sneer into his voice. Because they did. They looked adorable and warm and perfect.

Fallen Angel simply let out a humph sound and looked away, towards the large fireplace sitting just two feet from them. "Why didn't you at least light your fireplace before you left?"

Shit, I didn't even think about that. The villain had to mentally restrain himself from smacking his head. "And what? Let you try to either escape by burning your bindings or kill yourself on the flames? I think not." He didn't even have to force a sneer at the thought of the tied-up Omega killing or injuring themself - thankfully distracted from his inner Alpha's disappointment at his treatment of the smaller Omega.

"I wouldn't have done that." The mutter was almost too quiet for Crimson Tempest to hear.

"What?"

"I said I wouldn't have done that," Fallen Angel raised their voice and turned to look at Crimson's hands, "I'm too sensitive to heat to have even considered it."

Crimson Tempest startled at the show of vulnerability the hero showed - a vulnerability against his own powers at that. Inwardly, his Alpha preened at what it considered a sign of trust, but Crimson himself was too confused to be pleased. "Why are you admitting this? Wouldn't that put you at a huge disadvantage against me?"

Fallen Angel scuffed, "You've already beaten me, chained me to a wall, and destroyed my city. I am literally relying on your cape for warmth. What more do I have to lose?" They huffed, visibly fighting back tears, "My city abandoned me the same way they did you, so I guess you could say I have nothing left of my pride." The former hero looked Crimson straight in the eye, "What else can I do but rely on you for safety, Crimson Tempest? The rest of the world isn't any more accepting of mutants than my city, I'd be dead whether you killed me yourself or I somehow escaped."

The villain recoiled at the defeat and hopelessness showing plain and simple on the former hero's face. He furrowed his brows, then sighed, "Can I trust you?" I'm probably going to regret this, but I can't stand that look on their face.

"What?" The Omega startled.

"Can I trust you to not run or try to kill me if I release you from your chains?"

Fallen Angels eyes widened, before tearing up with hope and relief, "Yes! Please, I promise I won't even think of it!"

He had started toward Fallen Angel before they even finished their sentence and set about freeing them from their chains. "Good. And please," He smiled at the former hero, "Call me Avis if you're going to stay."

"Then you call me Sage." The Omega - Sage, evidently - stated in a stern voice, then smiled and hugged Avis, "Thank you so much for trusting me to not kill you or run."

Avis jumped, stiffening up at the unexpected contact, before melting into it, "I hope you can grow to trust me to take care of you."

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A/N: Okay, I kinda love this story right now? Like, I'm considering turning it into an actual book, I love it so much. The ending was kinda stained, but it's 1 o'clock in the morning and I can't really bring myself to fix it right this second. If anyone has any pointers on how to improve the 'trust' scene, I would love to hear them!

Now, time to clear up some probably confusing points! Fallen Angel - or Sage Windsor - is nonbinary and uses they/them pronouns. Don't like? Then you probably wouldn't want to read any of my stories. I identify as nonbinary and aro/ace, so at least one character will almost always represent that in my stories. For example; Sage is nonbinary, and both Sage and Avis are aro/ace. So, no romance! Sorry if that disappoints anyone! Also, Sage has huge raven wings that they can use to fly, and can also sharpen their feathers and even shoot their feathers out of their wings. They can also mimic any voice they hear! On the other hand, Crimson Tempest - or Avis Knight - can summon and control Hell-fire. He can also use it to teleport anywhere he can visualize!

Anyway, I have volleyball practice tomorrow, so I should probably sleep already. G'night my loyal followers! Sleep tight and sweet dreams!

Oh, the prompt isn't mine, so feel free to use it - but please, do not use any of my characters or the story itself!