Prompt #1260

gingerly-writing:

“And you’ll just…stop?”

“I will,” confirmed the villain. “No more battles, no more deaths. We leave together and never come back.”

“But…why?” The hero’s voice cracked in confusion. “What do you gain?”

“I get to live,” the villain admitted. “I need to be in proximity to you and your powers or I start coughing up blood. I don’t know when it happened but…it doesn’t matter anymore. You can leave me to cough up my lungs, but I assure you, I’ll blow up the entire city before I finally die.”

“We don’t have to leave though,” the hero said, mind whirring. “You don’t have to hoard me all to yourself. I’m perfectly willing to- to help you out in return for no civilian casualties. You don’t have to blackmail me, I don’t- I like helping people.” They offered the villain a small smile and their outstretched hand. “I could help you, too.”