THE MOMENT
"Don't...," Quantum Vanguard's frail plea reached BlitzBash's ears as the only sound in the world. Despite the chaos on the city street around them, he was able to block it all out to hear the weakness in the Hero's voice. BlitzBash arrived on the scene to find out what the commotion was; there was super villainy happening and he wasn't a part of it.
The hero, Quantum Vanguard, had super strength and could appear in multiple places at once. He'd foiled BlitzBash enough times to foster a sense of familiarity and even respect for each other. But now, his best Hero was getting tossed around like a ragdoll. He landed to intervene and Quantum Vanguard seemed relieved to see him. The burly, spandex-clad hero relaxed in BlitzBash's arms once he was there; but, he clenched the villain's arm tightly when he stepped forward.
"Don't...?" BlitzBash looked down at Quantum Vanguard and saw genuine fear in his eyes as he shook his head.
"...leave me...," he added with a single, faint nod before falling unconscious.
"I won't," BlitzBash whispered.
"You heard your friend," the attacker spoke up. He took a deliberate step toward BlitzBash and Quantum Vanguard, then stopped. "You should leave him, I'm not here for you or anyone else. But, I am taking him with me," he said.
BlitzBash studied the stranger and he had no idea how Quantum Vanguard struggled so much. He looked like an average person. He had a muscular build as impressive as Quantum Vanguards; but, he didn't wear a costume. He wore a soft pink polo shirt with blue jeans and cowboy boots. His hair was chestnut blonde and mussed just enough to look like effort went into it.
"He's not my friend," BlitzBash commented as he let Quantum Vanguard's body slump off his shoulder. He used a discrete electromagnetic field to make sure the man did not hit his head on the blacktop. "But, I respect what he does, and I don't even know who you are," he said.
"Name's Roy," Roy tipped an invisible hat at BlitzBash.
"And what exactly do you want with Quantum Vanguard?" he asked as he moved forward to put himself between the hero's body and Roy.
"My Mistress is hungry," Roy answered, then started forward. BlitzBash remembered he was a villain and didn't need to try and de-escalate things. As soon as Roy took a step forward two bright purple lightning bolts shot down from the sky and converged on the muscular stranger.
The lightning did nothing to slow him down, or even damage him. He continued forward while the remains of his pink shirt disintegrated off him. His bare skin was unblemished by BlitzBash's attack; but, he did have a notable tattoo on his chest. A prominent #42 in blood-red numbers stood out on his tan skin.
At that point, BlitzBash registered that he was outclassed. Of course he was. His match, Quantum Vanguard, was defeated easily; he should have left with the unconscious hero as soon as he arrived. He grabbed Quantum Vanguard with an electro bubble and lifted off the ground with it; but, he decided to leave too late.
Roy was close enough to grab his ankle and slam him into the ground on his back. BlitzBash never felt as much pain as he did at that moment; he was sure every bone was broken. He felt the loose grip close on his ankle; but, it happened so fast that all he could do was shield himself with electromagnetism. It didn't do much; he still felt like he was hit by a train. Was this what real super strength was like? Had Quantum Vanguard been holding back all these years?
Looking back on their rivalry, he had to have been. The Hero could have completely incapacitated him at any time if he wanted to. That realization triggered a flood of regret in BlitzBash. Maybe things could have been different if he had considered Quantum Vanguard a friend.
"Might as well take you along...," Roy mumbled as he picked up BlitzBash. It took everything the man had to not scream in pain. Roy was less than gentle, but BlitzBash was out of options. He couldn't focus on using his powers through the pain; he wasn't sure he could do anything to Roy even if he could muster his powers. "...It's not like she won't be hungry later too," Roy chuckled.
BlitzBash hung over Roy's shoulder and he managed to turn his head enough to see Quantum Vanguard. The hero was still unconscious over Roy's other shoulder and he began to feel stirrings of regret as Roy carried them somewhere. Quantum Vanguard had been hiding his true strength and he had to have let BlitzBash escape more than once. It was later than he would have liked; but, BlitzBash still appreciated this new perspective.
Even Roy saw it after a few minutes when BlitzBash himself couldn't. The loner villain in him assumed Quantum Vanguard was scared of dying alone. He thought it was quite clear that the hero was begging him to stay. But now, he understood what a hero was.
Roy carried them through blackness and then emerged into an obsidian, firelit cave. BlitzBash noticed the transition; but, he was too distracted to care. If he'd followed the hero's advice and left, he would've lived to see another day.
"Roy! You're back!" a sweet, feminine voice spoke up as both men were dropped to the ground. BlitzBash did not have the strength to roll over; but, he could at least see Quantum Vanguard. His mask fell off and for the first time BlitzBash got a good look at his nemesis. He was a young, handsome man in his early 20s, BlitzBash guessed. Maybe they really could have been friends.
"Oooh, choices!" BlitzBash heard the voice closer, but he kept his focus on Quantum Vanguard. At least neither one of them had to die alone.
"I'll start with the one that's still awake," the voice said. Then, pink-skinned bare feet walked into his view. The stranger knelt down and in moments BlitzBash was staring into the eyes of the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. She had brilliant golden eyes and light pink skin with full, pouty lips as she looked at him. She reached over and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.
"Hi," she smiled at him. "Will you stand up so I can eat you?" she asked. BlitzBash was incensed. Spite dulled the pain and he made it a point to stare into her eyes as he slowly and deliberately got to his feet. It took some extra help from his powers in a way he'd never thought to use them before; but, now he had a reason to. Even if it was the last thing he did, he wanted to send a very clear message to her. Once he was on his feet and steady, he stared into her eyes and nodded curtly, full of anger.
"I apologize for my incompetence, Mistress," BlitzBash replied. He couldn't believe he almost inconvenienced her with his own stupidity. "It won't happen again, I promise." He straightened his back and focused on something beyond her. "Please, proceed."