Hero X Villain

time.  Nic heard it all.  He watched the orange and white and black fish as they swam around and around.  They were content in their little world.  Nic hoped he could be as content as them when he was inevitably taken to his new home.  He huffed.  ‘Home’ was not a concept he’d be experiencing anytime soon.  There was nothing that Crane could offer him that would ever actually be a home.
Nic walked off the tiny bridge and continued his walk around the park.  He was tempted to swat at the drone and smack it into the water.  It was ruining the atmosphere of a peaceful, free day.  Nic reminded himself that any freedom was only an illusion.  Today was nothing more than a cheap way to satiate his soul so he didn’t completely crumble in Crane’s hands.  He got this one day after a year of medical abuse, and after today he’d be facing a lifetime more of it, at the very least.
Nic decided he was hungry again.  He wanted to eat.  He wanted control.  He wanted to consume, so he walked up to a hot dog stand and got one with mustard, mayonnaise, and grilled onions.  Nic ate the entire thing in like, three bites.  It was entirely worth it.  He savored it until there were only a few slivers of onions left for him to pick out of the white and yellow mustard-stained napkin.  Nic wiped his hands and tossed the trash away in a can, and he felt a little better.  Only a little, but he supposed there was nothing in this world that could truly get rid of his pain.
The drone followed him still.  It followed him into the candy shop where he bought the pack of vintage style bubblegum, and it followed him when he went to sushi and ordered the biggest platter they had.  Nic ate the entire thing and he felt amazing after.  He wondered if Crane found this entertaining.  Nic was almost half inclined to address the drone directly and pretend to be on some food show with Guy Fieri.
He lost sight of it as it slowly began to get dark.  Nic wound down for the night in a few bars, enjoying the little bits of human connection he got.  Part of him held back, knowing he’d probably never see these people again, women in short dress and sweatpants, the men in joggers and work trousers.  They were people he’d used to save from crooks in the alleyway, and Crane saw them as ants beneath his feet.
Nic stood outside the bar at midnight, feeling very much like Cinderella as the clock struck.  He stood there and tapped his shoes like Dorothy, and then the van rolled up and he was yanked inside like it was nothing.
“You really did nothing but eat food all day, huh?”  Nic blinked as he realized it was Crane addressing him.  He also realized that Crane seemed pretty miffed about something, and he nodded like an idiot.
“I was kind of hoping you were gonna start a ruckus,” Crane said.  “You know, maybe even let the League know you’re alive?”
Nic almost wanted to laugh.  Crane wasn’t stupid.  If the League hadn’t said a peep for the last year about their missing hero, why would they care now?
“I was more worried about spicy tuna,” Nic said.  “And mackerel.”
“And yellowtail,” Crane said dryly.  “My goodness, you’re really not what I expected.”
The van turned and Nic almost fell over.  It was at the moment that Crane put him back in restraints, and Nic sat there trying not to slide over while processing that his movement was as once again limited.  Crane huffed and wiped his brow.
“Uh,” Nic said as he reminded himself not to tug on the chains around his wrists.  “What do you mean?”
“You silly little boy,” Crane said, his lips quirking into a grin.  “I sent you out into the real world for a day to act as bait and you did nothing!  My beautiful hero, the man who could change seasons, the man who saved that baby, don’t you remember?  You might not think you were a notable hero, but I think the League thinks otherwise.  I could have drawn so many of those fools out if you’d just said something!”
Oh.  So this wasn’t even a real day off.  I’m so fucking stupid.  Cool cool cool cool cool.  Nic blinked as his thoughts flashed across his mind like a neon Vegas billboard.
“You used me as bait so you could kill people,” Nic said half to himself.  He couldn’t stop himself from tugging on his chains instinctively, and it took Alyson’s glare to get him to stop.  Oh, yeah, she was there, and she seemed perfectly fine.  Because of my blood.  Right.  This is just so fucking awesome.
“Well, I didn’t get to kill anyone, so I don’t see what you’re upset about, pretty boy,” Crane said bitterly.  Alyson smirked and Nic looked away.  He thinks I’m pretty?
“So, now what?”  Nic almost regretted asking it, but he wanted to know.  Crane gave him a cold look.
“Well, I didn’t get what I wanted,” he said with a pause that made Nic nervous.  “But I can’t fault you for that, really.  You’re not quite what I expected, though, eating that much food.  You’re so thin, too.”
You made me this way, Nic wanted to yell.  He kept it inside his head instead.  Crane took a moment to pop his neck and roll his shoulders before he finally answered Nic’s question.  “The new base is set up.  You’re going to be kept on the main compound, so don’t worry, you won’t be able to escape.  But you’ll get to keep what I gave you, and you’ll have real clothes and a room.”
While Nic was relieved he wasn’t being thrown back into a hospital bed, he didn’t look forward to being trapped inside a single room for