Of Heroes And Villains

In which a superhero meets his match, masks are uncovered and a mad scientist just tries to get some mad science-ing done without getting distracted by the antics of her magical minion.

Fanart by the talented Ian Samson, creator of City of Reality and artist of The Wotch


Shade’s eyes widened in disbelief as Cinder Snow materialized in a bubble of electricity, taking a few seconds to fade in – tech-based teleportation was quite crude compared to her own – and then blasted Amethyst with a giant laser beam.

As sneak attacks went, it was low on the stealth aspect, but compensated for it with a colorful light show as the beam hit the nearest skyscraper, neatly cutting it in half. Shade could see the metal glow red hot at the incision before the building began to collapse in on itself.

As much as Shade wanted to run to Diane, she could see that she was unharmed. So she sprinted toward David instead, skidding to a halt next to him and grabbing his wrist to check his vitals.

Amethyst’s blast had been weak compared to the one she had fired at Diane; Shade didn’t understand how it had taken the Captain down so easily. She could feel Amethyst’s link on her; her shadows refusing to materialize, so the Captain’s invulnerability should have protected him.

David was still breathing, and groaned when Shade not-so-gently shoved him.

“Fucking hate pain,” David mumbled under his breath, rolling over and slowly pushing himself to sit up. “How do you people live with it?”

Shade’s blood ran cold. “Why are you feeling pain?”

David gave him a flat look, devoid of the usual warmth he had toward her. “Because I just got hit by an energy beam to the chest.”

“Your invulnerability…” Shade whispered with dawning horror and twisted around to stare at Diane. She’d summoned no vines, and was kneeling where she had fallen to evade Amethyst’s attack, staring up at Cinder Snow.

“Amethyst took i– is that Cinder Snow?!” David sounded horrified. From what Shade heard, Snow had taken him down particularly hard to make a statement when she first appeared. Apparently she'd retained her talent for dramatic entrances.

Shade’s gaze moved to Amethyst’s motionless form, a few yards away from where Cinder had hit her point blank. The right side of her uniform was scorched and black, and Shade could see her exposed skin was red and bubbling.

Shade swallowed the lump in her throat at the sight. If Amethyst was truly dead, she reasoned, she’d have her powers back, which she didn’t.

David had apparently followed her gaze because he gasped and immediately scrambled up to get to her. Shade grabbed his arm to yank him back – and actually managed to do so. The Captain’s superstrength was gone. “Stay away from her,” she hissed. “She’s dangerous.”

The Captain whirled to face her, and for the first time in five years, Shade saw him truly angry. “What did you do to her?”

“I… she was trying to kill a friend of mine. I stopped her.”

“A friend,” the Captain repeated flatly. “A villain?”

Shade said nothing.

“You’re the last person I’d have expected to switch sides.”

“I didn’t,” Shade hissed. “I just…” Her gaze helplessly strayed to Diane who was finally getting up as well. She appeared to be talking to Cinder Snow, but it was too far away for Shade to hear what they were saying. “…love her.”

David turned his head, narrowing his eyes. “Friend of Cinder Snow’s? This is just getting better and better.”

“They’re nothing alike,” Shade said with conviction. “Look, this is not the time to judge my life choices. Do you have your power suppression cuffs?” Shade kept hers on her real costume. Since she’d fully expected to team up, she hadn’t felt the need to take the time to modify her utility belt so she could bring them. “We need to put them on Amethyst to get our powers back.”

Then they might actually stand a chance against Cinder Snow.

David looked mutinous. “We will have words about this, bro” he said in a low growl, and for once he actually managed to sound genuinely threatening. He reached for the cuffs on his belt anyway.

A purple beam of energy burned them away, and took David’s hand with it.

He screamed in agony and dropped to his knees.

Amethyst was slowly pushing herself up, her arm outstretched in their direction. The burned skin was now merely blistered and was healing rapidly. Her eyes glowed even brighter than before and there was no trace of that unhinged smile, only mindless fury.

Shade felt fear’s icy grip.

Amethyst did not have a healing factor.

Which meant she was using a power that was not hers. She’d done more than taken them; she was learning to use them, too.

The former heroine turned her murderous gaze toward Cinder Snow. Toward Diane.

The familiar hum of her blades being drawn echoed in Shade’s ears.

Yes, Amethyst was monstrously powerful.

Yes, Shade was powerless.

But that had ever been her odds.

Kara crouched low, and then started running toward Amethyst.

She had never needed powers to fight.


***


Diane was staring up at the woman who had saved her life. Again.

Amelia held out her hand.

She didn’t take it.

The villain dropped it with a disappointed sigh. “I saved you.”

“Yes.”

“You didn’t come back.” Amelia’s voice was soft.

Diane licked her lips, her mouth dry. “No.”

“And you’re still not coming back.”

Diane slowly shook her head.

There was a long silence as they stared at each other, Diane gingerly pushing herself to stand up.

A man screamed in pain and Diane whirled around, eyes wide. Amelia tilted her head with mild curiosity.

Kara was running toward the psychotic heroine who had somehow survived that laser. What did that idiot hero think she was doing? Noble sacrifices were not allowed; they’d discussed that!

Her kick sent Amethyst flying. She hit the pavement hard enough to crack it.

Amethyst just got up again.

And as Kara’s blade swirled and she dodged blast after blast, Amelia smiled, doing nothing.

She’s waiting for Kara to get killed.

Diane whirled to clutch Amelia’s shoulders. “Save her!”

“Why would I?”

Diane’s grip tightened until her knuckles were white. “If you save her, I’ll be your minion forever, I promise!”

Amelia tensed.

Then she laughed. It sounded wistful. “It would not be the same.”


***


Amethyst’s movements were slow and sluggish; she was obviously still in pain from her burns.

Shade feinted, dodging a badly aimed blast, balancing herself on one hand – then swept her leg in an upward arc. Her foot connected with Amethyst’s jaw and the former heroine stumbled back, reaching up to clutch it.

There was a horrible crunch as she popped it back into position, her healing factor taking care of the rest.

That opening was all Shade needed. She dropped low, sweeping her leg once more, and tripped Amethyst’s precarious balance. Then she lunged forward, her blade pressing against Amethyst’s jugular.

The key to defeating regenerators was to utterly destroy vital areas.

All Shade had to do now was flick her wrist.

She didn’t, and they stood frozen in a stalemate.

“Why do you defend her?” Her speech was barely intelligible through the broken jaw.

Shade was breathing heavily with exhaustion

“Because it’s what heroes do. We save lives.”

Amethyst wasn’t moving, just staring off into the distance. Kara could see the skin on her cheek mending and smoothing. It was almost fully healed now. Once the burns were gone, Amethyst’s healing factor would be even more potent.

“She’s a villain.”

“That doesn’t mean she deserves to die.”

Amethyst swayed a little and reached to wipe the blood from her corner of her mouth.

“There’s a betting pool, you know. In the E. Who’s going to be the next one to pull an Amethyst?” She laughed bitterly. “Your name features prominently at the top of the list.”

She stared at the blade pressing against her skin.

“They’re wrong of course. You’d never be stupid enough to execute someone in public.” She chuckled; a low, broken sound. “You’d do it in the shadows.” And then she raised her gaze to look at Shade.

The blade dropped.

“I am not a murderer.”

Amethyst’s smile widened. A tear streaked down her cheek. “I am.”

And then she attacked, her fingers tightening around Shade’s throat. Kara choked, fingernails uselessly clawing at Amethyst’s arm as she was lifted off the ground. She was so strong.

“I liked you, you know. I thought we were the same. But if you are so eager to die for your villain, then I’ll oblige.”

“Amethyst, stop.” The voice was weak and barely audible. Amethyst Star slowly turned her head toward the Captain. He was shaking, his cape crudely wrapped around his bleeding arm. “You’re better than this. Do you want to prove them right in what they say about you?”

Shade couldn’t breathe. Her lips parted but not even choked sounds were escaping her. Her toes were no longer touching the ground.

The light in Amethyst’s eyes dimmed. “I do not care what they say.”

“You do. I know you do, and it’s killing you. You are not a murderer. Not… not yet.”

Amethyst cocked her head as if listening to something. “43 people fell out of the sky. I doubt they all survived.”

“What?”

“I have come too far to stop now. If I give the power back now it will have been for nothing.”

The Captain swayed, seeming on the verge of losing consciousness.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, and I don’t care. This isn’t you. You are good, and kind, and…” He broke off, grimacing.

“A murderer,” she finished softly.

“A hero.”

She slowly shook her head.

He took a step forward.

She took a step back, dropping Shade to the ground, who collapsed and started coughing viciously.

“Stop it. I hate you,” Amethyst snapped. “I have always hated you.”

The Captain shrugged and somehow his lips curved into a tired smile. “I know. Did I disappoint your expectations for Captain Patriot? I’m nothing like my father. I don’t know what to say to you to make this better. He would, but I don’t. But I know that you don’t have to do… whatever it is you feel like you have to do.”

She blinked her eerie eyes rapidly. “I just wanted to make the world a better place,” she whispered.

“Do you really think that’s what you’re doing?”

Her gaze dropped to Shade, who was still wheezing, and then lingered on the Captain’s stump of an arm. She took another step back.

“You need help.” The Captain’s voice broke. “Please let me help you, Amethyst.”

There was a long silence.

“Amethyst Star is dead." Her voice was so soft.

And then she disappeared in a swirl of shadows.

The power suppression field disappeared with her.