Prompt: A villain is captured by the hero. He talks.

TW: Breakdowns and talk of abuse

Finally. We've managed to catch a member of one of the most infamous villain groups in the world. His name is The Hood.

I hope he didn't come up with that himself. It's ridiculous. I don't have much room to talk. My hero name is Lightstalker. Weird, huh?

"Hey, you. I've brought food," I set the tray down in front of him.

The room is sealed to prevent magic usage. So there's no need to keep a guard or keep the door closed. No one has ever gotten out.

He ignores me and the food, choosing to keep his face hidden in his arms. This entire time he's sat in the corner, arms on his knees, head ducked.

"Not so cool and scary now that you're in a cell, huh?" I push the food closer.

"Go. Away." The only words he's spoken. His voice is rough and cracked from not using it.

"I don't think I will. This is my job, you're the prisoner," I say as I sit in front of him.

He refuses to speak after that.

"Jesus Christ. Eat your food. You're not gonna sit here and rot away." I nudge the tray and it clatters.

"And why not?!" He shouts, finally looking up. Tears are streaked down his cheeks and his expression reads fury.

"Because unlike some people, we're not evil. Eat. Or we'll make you," I threaten.

He rolls his eyes, and scoffs. "Yeah. Okay. Sure. Do your fucking worst. It'll be a walk in the park for me."

I grab his face under his jaw and tip his head back. I grip enough to get his mouth to open.

He squirms and tries to speak. But because of my hold on him, he can't do anything.

I hold the spoon up to his lips. Before I push it through, I look at his face again. His eyes are filled with tears that are also soaking his face. Fear is the only thing I can read off his face.

I let go and drop the spoon, shocked. He somehow manages to push himself even further into the corner of the room.

He shakes his head furiously, whimpering the whole time.

"Hey, hey, woah, hold on." I reach forwards, in what I think is an attempt to comfort him.

"No- please, I'll eat: I promise, don't, don't, don't," He clutches his hair and begs. I pull his hands away from his head as gently as I can.

"What's your name?" I ask. He looks up at me, surprised and still very afraid. I nod, coaxing him into speaking.

"Eugene," He chokes out, gulping big breaths of air.

"Okay, Eugene, I'm Apollo. Like the Greek God. Where are you right now?" I continue to try and ground him.

I know I shouldn't have told him my name. If there's any way he could ever get back to his league, he could tell them.

Even though I didn't give him my last name, Apollo isn't very popular.

"I'm in a cell. In what I'm assuming is your base," He says, breaking me out of my train of thought. His voice is more clear now.

"That's good. Tell me more about you. How old are you?" I press on. He should be fine by now, but information doesn't hurt.

"Fifteen," Eugene mumbles, no longer crying. Other than the volume, I can totally hear him now.

But his answer makes me stop. I look in his eyes, but see nothing to make me think he's lying.

"They did this to you? You've been with them for 2 years. I know this, the first time you were caught on camera was then," I tell him.

Eugene laughs a little under his breath, new tears glistening on his face.

"I've been with them since I was 7. Fuck it. They'll kill me if they ever find out I'm telling you this. But whatever. Let me die," He scoffs.

I don't comment. I just nod. I want him to tell me.

"I was an orphan. Thanks to your fucking organization. Maybe they stopped the bad guy, but the aftermath was chaos. My parents were killed when our building collapsed. I was downtown. And I was alone. But I could live. I had sneaky fingers and I was fast. They caught me trying to pickpocket. At first, they wanted to ransom me. But I told them they wouldn't get shit. So I was kept. As a pet. Until they decided I was good enough to send out," He spills it all, punching the wall at certain points.

He smiles, showing his teeth. But his amusement is a coping mechanism.

"That's how I got the name Hood. Like Robin Hood? I didn't have magic, but I could do their dirty work. If I failed, I didn't eat. I got hit. More often that not I was bruised and hungry. Only one person ever cared about me there and they killed her. She lost her leg in an accident. Suddenly she was useless," He cries out, clutching himself.

I can't help myself. I take his shoulders and pull him into a hug. He clings tight to me.

"I want my mom and dad. I want Juliet back. I want to die. I want to go back to them. Stealing is the only thing I've ever been good at. And I still failed." He's sobbing into my shoulder.

I hear footsteps, but I don't let go. I've been gone too long, they're worried. They'll freak when they see. I don't care.

Someone grabs my collar and pulls me backwards.

"What do you think you're doing?" My mom shrieks and continues to drag me away from Eugene.

My dad steps around us and up to the boy in the corner.

He reaches out and Eugene flinches, smacking his head into the wall, and starts crying again.

"Don't touch him! Dad, he's a kid! He's only fifteen!" I call out and wrench out of my mom's grasp.

"What?" My mom gasps, horrified. My exact reaction.

Dad's face softens and he takes a step back, allowing my mother to kneel in front of him.

"Tell her what you told me," I tell him from where I'm standing. He meets my eyes and nods, shakily.

And that's exactly what Eugene does.

My dad takes away the tray of food I had brought and says something about bringing hot food.

But I'm watching. I see the way he subconsciously leans forward when she speaks. And how his tears drop one by one without new ones arriving to take their place.

He pulls at his sleeves and kicks lightly at the ground while he speaks. One hand moves to his lips, then his chest, and then his stomach. A cycle.

As he finishes, Mom turns to look at Dad who showed up sometime with more food. She takes it from him.

"He's not lying," She whispers, but I still hear.

She looks back to Eugene and holds a spoonful of soup to his lips.

He looks at it, hesitant.

I lean forward and take the spoonful into my own mouth.

"See? It's okay. If they did something to it, they'd freak out right about now," I tell him.

He nods slowly and takes the next spoonful she holds up.

After a short while, he finishes the food. His eyes flutter and his lips move as words try to escape. But there's nothing but a slight groan, and he falls into her chest.

She hands me the tray and picks him up. I take it to the kitchen and she takes him somewhere. Either the infirmary or a room to sleep in.

"Honey, what was a that fuss about?" Lyra, one of our heroes asks me. If she doesn't know, no one else does.

"I was talking with The Hood. Mom and Dad kinda freaked out. But he's just a kid. He's younger than I am. His name is Eugene," I scrub the bowl as I talk.

"Lord. Those people really just don't care. Get some rest then, I'm sure that was tiring for you," She says as she walks out, ruffling my hair on the way.

For a bit of background, I'm 17. I wasn't allowed to start training until I was 15. I've only been out in field two or three times.

My parents are famous.

My dad goes by Paranoia. He can cause hallucinations and stuff like that. He also has high pain tolerance and super strength. It can drive people insane. But he never lets it go that far.

My mom is Time Turner. She can stop time, slow it down, speed it up, or bend it enough to cause or prevent things. Her powers disgust her. It's too powerful. Too dangerous. She only goes out when she's absolutely needed.

And then there's me. I control light and heat. I also have a sister who's two. We don't know if she has magic or what it is if she does.

"Hey honey. I put Eugene in your room. I don't want to leave him alone and he can trust you." Mom ruffles my hair as I walk past her, and I nod.

My door is closed when I walk up, so I knock gently. He opens it quickly before going to sit down.

I close it gently behind me and walk to sit next to him. "When do you turn 16?" I ask, trying to break silence.

"Next month," He whispers, holding himself. He refuses to meet my gaze. This poor boy was broken so badly by those horrible people.

I tap his shoulder gently and open my arms when he turns to me. I decide to let him make the move. I don't want to scare him more than he already his.

Luckily for me, Eugene quietly leans into my chest and buries his face in my shirt. I lay my arms over his back, but I don't hold tight. I don't want to hurt me.

"Tell me this is real. Please. This can't be a dream," He mumbles. I can hardly hear him. But I press a little more.

"It's real. I won't let go until you want me to," I reply, and stroke his hair with my fingers.

He tenses up for a quick second before relaxes and sighing quietly.

"In that case, you're gonna be with me the whole night. I don't want to be cold anymore."

I know he isn't talking about the temperature.

I let go with one arm to move the blankets down. I manage to pick him up with the other and lay him down.

I fall next to him and look over.

"If you want me to move, I will," I tell him, and play with his hair again.

Eugene shakes his head and moves closer, eyes closed.

His fingers clutch the front of my shirt. I can't tell if he's asleep or not, but I don't dare move just in case.

"Your heart is beating fast. Do you want me to move?" Eugene suddenly asks, making me jump.

"Not at all. I just don't want to hurt you," I tell him, looking down and meeting his gaze.

My breath hitches. The lower half of his face is hidden by my shirt. His eyes are half lidded and his hair falls over his forehead. He's gorgeous.

"You won't hurt me, Apollo. If anything, you're helping me," He mumbles, pushing himself up a little further so his face is by mine.

I reach out and stroke my fingers across his cheek. He reaches up and takes it, holding my knuckles against his skin.

"Eugene?" He turns his head to peer into my eyes as I speak.

He nods, showing me that he's listening.

I try to speak, but the words catch in my throat. I can't help but stare at his lips. And his pretty cheekbones. And literally all of his features.

The strands of black hair that hang over his forehead. His shiny amber eyes. How his skin is perfectly smooth.

"Apollo? You okay?" He whispers, eyes narrowing in concern.

I put my hand before his chin and set my thumb directly underneath his bottom lip.

"Can I kiss you?" I ask, surprising myself and him.

In reply, he closes his eyes and leans forward, nodding the slightest bit.

I gently press my lips to his. His hands find my shirt front and grip, tightly.

Nothing has ever felt better.

I pull away and he stares at me.

"I'm sorry. That wasn't fair of me. You're tired and hurt, and I shouldn't have even asked," I ramble, and he laughs.

He laughs.

And it's the most beautiful thing I've ever heard.

"Please just shut up and kiss me again," He says and I do.

This one lasts longer, but it's just as gentle. I wrap my arms around him and pull him on top of me, sitting up as I go.

"On your lap? Really?" Eugene mumbles, still pressed against my lips. It's euphoric.

"It's a bit easier than both of us lying on our sides," I smile and he loosely wraps his arms around my shoulders.

Mine find his sides, but I frown.

"What's wrong?" He asks, pulling away. I run my thumbs up and down. "You're way too skinny. I'll have to fix that," I say, more to myself than him.

"Thank you," He whispers, holding my face in his hands. He presses kisses to my cheeks and nose before giving me one on my lips.

I wrap my arms around his waist and pull him down. To where he's laying on my chest.

"Sleep now. We can talk more in the morning," I tell him, and play with his hair again.

I can't get my fingers to leave his hair alone. It's so soft and pretty. I never want to let go of him.

Next thing I know, I'm being shaken awake.

"Boys, come on. It's time for breakfast," My mom says, pushing on my shoulder. At some point, Eugene moved down to where his head was on my stomach, and his body between my legs.

He sits up and rubs his eyes, looking around the bright room. Mom hugs him and kisses his head.

"Apollo, love, I know he's smaller than you are, but look and see if you have any clothes that can fit him," She tells me before leaving the room.

I manage to find a blue t shirt that won't be too big and a pair of skinny jeans that will fit him like normal jeans.

I give those to him and put on my own clothes.

When we're done getting dressed, Eugene walks over and takes my hand, pressing it against his face.

"It might be kinda late to ask this, but how old are you?" He asks, looking up at me.

I can't help it. I laugh at him. He's so cute.

"I turned 17 last month. When do you turn 16? I know you said next month, but what day?" I reply.

"July 14th," He tells me and leans forward to hug me instead of just my hand.

I pull my arms around his shoulders and his go around my torso.

"Let's go get something to eat, yeah? And you'll get to meet everyone. My mom you've met. There's also my dad, Lyra, Jolene, and Thomas," I lead him out of my room.

I hold out my arm and he holds on, right above my elbow. Lyra is from the South and she helped raise me. So, basically I was raised to be a gentleman. She better be proud.

We walk into the dining room. Jolene, Thomas, and Dad are at the table. Lyra and Mom are in the kitchen.

"Hey guys. This is Eugene. Mom probably already told you he's staying with us. Be nice," I tell everyone. I warn Thomas at the end.

He's 20, Jolene's son from a previous marriage, before she met Lyra. They're married if you didn't catch my drift. He's a cool guy, but can be overbearing.

Dad stands up and takes Eugene's hand, shaking it. "I'm Mark. Sorry if I scared you last night," He says.

Eugene smiles, "It's all good."

Jolene moves my dad to the side and kisses Eugene's cheek.

She takes one of his hands in both of hers. "It's lovely to meet you, dear. You're a good boy, I can tell already," She says, smiling wide.

Thomas stays sitting, scrolling through his phone, but looks up and waves, "I'm Thomas. Nice ta meet ya."

We sit down and wait for Lyra and Mom to bring in the food. I would help, but I'm not allowed to anymore.

Eugene fidgets before walking into the kitchen, the door swinging behind him.

The four of us all stop to listen.

"Nuh uh! You are our guest! Go sit your butt down!" Lyra yells, trying to be heard over the sink and stove.

"I like helping, and I'd like to be able to repay you somehow. The only way you'll get me out of here is if you carry me!" Eugene replies.

Lyra doesn't answer, at least not loud enough to hear. Mom laughs, loudly.

A few minutes later, the three of them walk out, Eugene with the table set and the ladies with the food.

"Now. We can all sit down," Lyra looks pointedly at Eugene. He raises his hands in mock surrender and sits next to me.

"Help yourselves," Mom smiles and everyone listens.

Eugene takes one pancake and a small bit of eggs. I grab his plate and give him more eggs and a piece of toast.

He gives me a look, but doesn't fight it.

"So, Eugene, are you planning on staying?" Jolene asks, setting down her coffee.

Everyone else also turns to hear his answer.

"Um. I don't know. I mean, I don't really know what else I would do?" He says, thinking as he goes.

"He is absolutely staying," I speak up. I grab his hand under the table and link our fingers.

"If we send him back out there, those people would either kill him or torture him or something. And we can't give him to the feds, because what happened wasn't his fault," I say.

Lyra nods quickly, "I'll be damned before I let a little boy get killed. Even one who's done wrong. Besides, he's good in the kitchen."

"Alright, it's decided, he stays. You got any magic?" Dad questions, looking him up and down.

Eugene shakes his head, "I just stole stuff and was a messenger."

Mom chokes on her food and Thomas thumps her on the back. We all turn to look at Eugene.

"You didn't tell me you were a messenger!" I exclaim. His eyes widen when he realizes what he said.

"No. I can't. I'm sorry, I know I said I want to repay, but I will be killed. Trust me when I say they can find me," He says, shaking his head.

"How?" I ask. He set himself up.

"They have a new member. She can sense people. I wouldn't be surprised if they already had this place marked," He tells me.

"So you put us into danger?" Thomas demands. Lyra smacks the back of his head. But we all thought the same thing.

"It's easier for you to read people she knows, yes, but the it's not that that tells them who they are. It reads magic better than anything. Considering the majority of us have magic, and you guys have very distinct powers, it was probably a cake walk for her," He explains.

"Is there any way to prevent it?" Dad asks. He looks heartbroken.

"Well, we could- No, wait, you guys are heroes. Um. There's nothing I know of. Maybe if you guys could find someone with shielding powers? But it's also telepathic. So I don't know," He shrugs.

"What was the original idea you had?" Jolene pries, leaning forward to meet his gaze.

He looks sheepish. "Ahh. I was gonna say kill her and move base. Or kidnap her. But those are both illegal. I'm sorry, I gotta get out of the mindset."

"Yeah, we can't do that," Thomas says.

"No shit, that's what he just said!" I shout. He crosses his arms and looks away.

"Watch your mouth. I think we're done here. Eugene, take Apollo back to your guys' room. Thomas, you go to yours. The adults need to talk," Mom stands up, and shuts the door behind us.

Before I can say anything to Thomas, Eugene is literally dragging me back to our room.

When we get in and the door is shut, he throws his arms around my neck and hugs me tight.

"Thank you for defending me. But even if they decide to get rid of me, I'll be okay. I've been okay for almost 9 years," He tells me.

"If they want you to leave, they'll lose me too. I'm not letting you go," I kiss the top of his head.

He doesn't speak after that. Instead, he pushes me backwards and climbs into my lap. I hold his face in my hands, and rub his cheeks with my thumbs.

He leans in and presses his lips to mine, gentle but firm. That's something I can appreciate. He's a constant presence.

"You're too good. I love that. I'm so used to being surrounded by awful," He says, pulling away enough to speak.

"I won't let anyone hurt you."

And I mean it.

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I'll do a second part, maybe from Eugene's POV?