AU: Catalyst of Power

Context: While Reverse is going on a much more concerning villain arc, Sabre isn't having much of a good time being stuck in his basement. Especially considering how Reverse keeps taking more power from him whenever he's had enough time to recover some of it. As you can probably guess, that's not having a very good effect on either of their health.

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[3rd Person POV]

Another scream echoed against the stone brick walls of the cold, dark, and mostly empty room.

Reverse smiled as the energy collected inside him, then turned and left the cell, locking the door behind him once again. He stands at a nearby desk for a while, looking over a series of maps of very familiar areas. Above it is the only lantern giving the room light.

Sabre opens his eyes again, sitting against the wall of the cell. It was something he had gotten used to after a while, waking up like this after Reverse takes all the energy he just managed to recover, but it didn't make it any less unpleasant. Or sickening.

In both a figurative and literal sense.

It felt like he was getting worse with each time it happened. Dizzy, can barely move his limbs, having to catch his breath as if he had just run miles without stopping, the sore pain in his chest, and most of all, the tiredness. He'd climb up to the bed right next to him, but it felt as if his body was made of stone itself. Oh, the headache is a new one. Wonderful.

Sabre managed to turn his head slightly to look at Reverse, who's putting pins down on spots of one of the maps.

"You can't... keep doing this."

Reverse looks up from the desk, turning around with an annoyed expression on his face. For a moment, he glares at Sabre as Sabre glares back.

"On account of you giving yourself up to save Rainbow Steve, and you currently not having the means nor the physical ability to even attempt an escape..." He says, walking to the cell.

Reverse crouches down to Sabre's level, staring at him through the gaps. As he grasps one of the iron bars, a confident, passive-aggressive grin crosses his face.

"Yes. I can."

"Not... what I meant." Sabre replies, still breathing heavy.

Reverse looks confused, and frustrated.

"You... You're relying on... my energy too much." Sabre says, grimacing. "It's... going to... to kill you."

"...You're just saying that." Reverse scoffs, getting up, still staring down at him.

"N-No, I'm not... it will. What do you think... will happen when... y-you're cut off?"

"Nothing. Because one, it's just an energy boost. And two, I'm not going to be 'cut off'. You can't escape, none of your friends know where you are, and you're stuck with me. You traded use of your energy to save the life of the "hero", remember? It's not like you can just take that back."

"What if... you're wrong?"

"I'm not."

"What will you do if... you end up killing me... one of these days? What if... my friends find where this... place is? You can't... trap me forever... and then what?"

Reverse's hands start to shake as Sabre continues.

"You're making my energy... make you more powerful than... your body can handle. It's the only thing... sustaining you right now. You're only destroying yourself-"

CLANG

"WHO ARE YOU TO SAY WHAT I AM?! YOU KNOW NOTHING! NOTHING! I AM MORE POWERFUL THAN THAT SORRY EXCUSE FOR A HERO, DO YOU REALLY THINK I CAN'T HANDLE MY OWN ENERGY?!"

Reverse had slammed his arms against the cell bars, the sound and his screaming causing more echoes. There's a long silence as he just stares daggers at Sabre, hands crackling with bright yellow sparks, his eyes glowing with the same intensity.

His eye twitches for a moment, then he turns away angrily, mumbling to himself as he takes the map he was putting pins on and leaves. Sabre hears his footsteps echo through the stone hall.

Up the stairs.

Out of the basement.

Followed by the slamming of the door leading to it.

Leaving Sabre isolated once again.

Sabre just sat there for a while, still unable to move. It wasn't much longer before he let himself lose consciousness, the adrenaline from the encounter leaving him.