Alternative titles: Your hero partner is now a villain | Fallen hero wants you to join them(him/her) | Villain wants you by their(his/her) side | Joining the ex-hero

TW/CW: mentions of death, corrupt politicians

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Introduction (for listeners): You started out as a hero sidekick and a few months ago, you got approved to go on missions alone. For some reason, your prior partner suddenly disappeared around the same time, leaving you forced to get by on your own. Now, the hero agency has sent you to check on a newly uprising villain with very familiar powers…

Summary (for speakers): You’re sick and tired of how newbie heroes are being treated. Especially, considering the insanely high death-rates. When you try to do something about it, the hero agency you work for tries to get rid of you and gives you no choice, but to leave your partner and existence as a hero behind to flee. Eventually, you decide you’ve had enough of the silence and want to fight back, to make things change.

~1.100 words/ 7-12 mins Audio

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Usage: Everything goes, as long as you give credit! Adjust wording, change stuff, improvise, add or remove scenes, make it nsfw if you want. For any questions, feel free to ask. Have fun! :D

Monetization/paywall is ok, but I’d appreciate being sent a free copy! 

Sfx optional but it enhances the experience, if you have access.

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Setting: New underground base of a villain/fallen hero

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sometimes I use … for very short pauses (easier to read)

[these are for sfx, vocal cues, actions or other remarks] 

italics are for emphasising a word

— — — 

[frustrated tone of voice, sarcastic, distraught/ almost pleading at times]

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[sarcastic:] What a surprise. 

The agency sent my old partner to deal with me. How cute. 

Did they seriously think, you can just ‘convince me’ to come back?

That I’d throw all my motivations out the window, once I see a familiar face?

Did they tell you to ‘remind me of the good old times’? Or how great the agency is? How the citizens need me?

[scoff] Of course. 

How original.

Surely, they must have told you I was ‘confused’, too. Or that I’d gotten brainwashed. 

How pretentious. To talk of brainwashing, as if every single word uttered from their mouths wasn’t propaganda.

But of course, you wouldn’t realise that yet. 

…

Oh, my Dear… You don’t know, do you?

I suppose I do kind of owe you an explanation after just disappearing for months, without a word.

I hoped you wouldn't worry too much. And I really didn’t want you to get pulled into this. 

You see… When I left the agency, I did so with no intention of ever turning back.

I didn’t know what I was going to do with myself. But eventually, I ended up in the underground network.

An association of ‘gifted’, fed up with the way things are being handled around here. 

…

Do you remember that villain we fought last summer?

When you got knocked out and I decided to drag you out of there, rather than take care of him?

…

I met him again. We talked for a while, and eventually, he made me a deal. One that even the agency wouldn’t be able to beat. 

He saw how much I actually cared about my people. About you…

…

[genuine:] 

You don’t know what happened at the agency, do you?

Oh, you poor little thing. 

You must be so confused…

…

[small sigh]

You see, I had a falling out with one of the higher-ups for a multitude of reasons, that don’t really matter right now.

…

Well, no. It actually does matter. 

It was about you…

…

I was worried about them, sending you on missions alone. Since you’re still new to the whole hero-business. 

Of course I know you’d be able to defend yourself, but I was still worried. 

I asked them to send more experienced heroes, to assist the newbies and take care of them.

But my pleas were refused. They said, once the training was over, you’d have to deal with it yourself.

And if you’re not strong enough to get by on your own… 

Well, let’s just say they weren’t too nice about it.

They didn’t care about what happens to the younger heroes. 

[mocking:] ‘Survival of the fittest to strengthen hero society'… Absolute bullshit.

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[short pause]

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That was last year. 

You must have been wondering, why I still kept showing up on your missions. Even when you were sent to go alone. 

That’s why.
I was worried about you. I wanted to make sure you stay alive.

And that’s when they started pestering me about it. Telling me I should just ‘let it go’.

That we’d still be a team, but I was too ‘valuable’ to be sent on these missions with you. 

…

Then, I snapped. 

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[aggravated:]

I don’t care about protecting politicians. I care about protecting you. 

Protecting the city.

They were using you. 

These villains are so much more dangerous than they lead you to believe. 

And I wish I didn’t know the rate of newbie-deaths in the agency. 

But I do. 

And I was terrified of you becoming one of those numbers…

I didn’t want you to just be ‘swept under the rug’.

Another hero's death covered up, because otherwise nobody would want to join the agency anymore. 

Eventually, I threatened to release those statistics. To warn new heroes of the dangers this job, and especially the agency comes with. 

I wanted to force them to protect you better…

Instead, they hired one of the other heroes, to get rid of me. 

Isn’t that just ironic?!

A hero agency, killing another hero for wanting to protect people?!

…

I was lucky to survive that. 

And I had to disappear. Quickly. 

Otherwise, I would have contacted you. I would have warned you. At the very least, told you where I was going, and not to worry about me. 

But I couldn’t…

I knew they were watching you. They expected me to come to you. 

And surely, they wanted to know whether you were aware of the situation. 

…

That’s why I stayed away, all this time. 

And now that you’ve heard everything… They probably won’t just let you go back to living your life as before. 

…

You weren’t sent to 'make me join the heroes again'. 

They want both of us, delivering our heads to them, on a silver platter.

They were counting on me being emotional enough to follow you blindly. 

Counting on me, wanting to be with you so desperately, I’d forget about the dangers…

And if this entire thing hadn’t been about you and your safety, to begin with, I would have fallen for it in a heartbeat...

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[short pause] 

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When I was a kid, I used to love the idea of being a great hero. Admired by others, and always there to help the public. To protect my city…

I never even considered how much politics play into this role.

I just wanted to help… I wanted to be seen, to inspire. 

I wanted to be that poster the little kids look up to, smiling brightly. 

The one who motivates them to be kind to others. 

I wanted to make a change in the world.

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[fuming with anger:]

Instead, I was turned into a marketable, profitable bodyguard in a costume. 

I was forced to babysit old, useless politicians, who use their money to destroy every good thing I’ve ever worked for in my life. 

Everything I know you believe in, as well. 

…

[now anger slowly moves to pleading/desperation:]

I couldn’t keep living like that. Not with my conscience still intact. 

My choice was either to just ‘let it go’ and live the rest of my life as a corrupt killer and protector of dirty kleptocrats… Or to turn my back on living as a hero forever. 

Ironic, isn’t it?

Me, a former hero - no, a villain by definition of the agency. Fighting for a better world…

I still want to protect my people. 

But now I found a way I can actually do that!

…

Still, it wouldn’t feel right without you by my side, as my partner.

I don’t think I could fight for anything, whilst having to worry about you, being slaughtered off by that fucking ‘agency’.

…

What do you say? You and me, once again. 

For justice. 

Hand in hand… Side by side. 

We can make this forsaken world a better place. And nobody would be able to stop us. 

They teamed us up for a reason, after all. 

We’re complementary. Cancelling out each other's weaknesses and blind spots.

Standing against us wasn’t their first mistake, but it definitely was their biggest. 

And if we do it right, we can make sure it’s their last.

So… Are you up for another round, partner?