Hero X Villain

can stop this at any time, a voice in the back of Sebastian’s head said.  You can set him free.  You can change everything.
But he wouldn’t.

CHAPTER IV
Nicholas had been living in the compound, or rather his studio apartment/bedroom for about a month and a half when he was asked to kill.  “The man’s a pedophile,” Baron said.  “Don’t feel guilty when you take care of him.”
It was a test, he was sure of it.  This absolutely had to be a test, because how could it not be?  Crane wanted to see how far he could get his hero to go, surely.  He wanted to see Nic break, that was his whole gig.  Nic straightened himself and nodded before following Baron out of his room.  Baron was far kinder than Nic had ever expected, and they seemed at ease with each other now.  Nic had no intentions of running off and Baron knew this, so he didn’t move to put Nic in his place.  This worked out just fine for the both of them.
The courtyard was in pristine condition.  There was not a single bruised flower or fruit, not a leaf out of place, not a stone unturned.  Everything was perfectly in its place, nature brought to a level of chaos that it looked to be of the greatest order.  There was something about the plants here and how they were all arranged, how they seemed to quietly speak to each other in a language just outside of being understandable.  It made Nic feel like he was somewhere truly special.
A man in a dirty, grimy tan button up was on his knees.  The top strap on his right sandal was broken.  He lifted his head, trembling and angry.  “He preyed upon Alyson’s niece,” Baron said plainly as they approached.  Nic looked up to see Alyson watching him with a blank expression from just beyond the succulent bed, and he looked back to the prisoner.  In some ways they were similar in their situations, but Nic could never commit such a crime.  He was grateful not to be wired for it or however else someone like this ended up.
“Do it anyway you like, but don’t take too long,” Baron said.  Nic knew Crane was watching him too, one because of course he would be, and two because there were fucking cameras everywhere.  He was almost on the verge of referring to Crane as ‘the paparazzi’ with all these damn cameras all over the place.  More than anything it’s what got to Nic, because it was the one thing that truly took away any little freedom and privacy he had for himself.  Even the little joys hidden from everyone else weren’t actually hidden, and Nic was essentially an open book to all.
This terrified him, but he couldn’t dwell on it now.  His gaze locked onto the man’s face, and Nic realized he was about to execute a man whose name he didn’t even know.
“Tell me your name.”
“Fuck you!”  Nic blinked.  He could hear Crane smirk.  He inhaled and released, letting all emotion go with it.  This man was about to die.  Nic had no right or place to judge him.  Am I not passing judgement by acting as his executioner?  He didn’t have time to ponder.
Nic made no motion that would indicate the activation of his powers.  In a blink there was a popping noise, and then a flower grew from the man’s eye socket as he screamed.  More flowers sprouted from his mouth and nose, and the screams turned to gurgles turned to nothing at all.  The man fell over dead, his flesh slowly withering until there only seemed to be a pile of soil with flowers growing in it.  Nic exhaled.  He wasn’t sure if he was drained more from the physical aspect of his powers, or from the mental aspect.
What if he didn’t do anything?  How do I know he’s guilty of that crime?  Crane’s laugh plowed through his thoughts like a freight train in an action movie.  Nic slowly looked up, his gaze finding the man’s eyes.  Crane looked back at him with sheer satisfaction glistening off his eyeballs, and Nic thought he might be sick.
“You did well,” Baron said calmly.  The sound of his baritone voice brought Nic back to earth a little.  He looked away from the pile of dirt and flowers.  “You could have just killed him, though.  I’d recommend it for next time.”
Nic nodded.  Baron was telling him not to make such a mess.  He was easily Nic’s favorite person in this damned place, for some fucking reason.  Probably because Baron seemed like the only one who was doing his job.
Nic blinked.  There were more people in this courtyard than he’d first realized, and all of them wore the same sort of overly satisfied smirk.  Ah, the Order of Darkness.  No doubt they’d come to watch the hero kill a man without knowing if he was actually guilty or not.  Judging by the laugh coming out of Alyson’s mouth, Nic was starting to believe the guy wasn’t guilty at all.
“Come now,” Crane said as he took Nic by the arm.  “You’ve done well.  I thought you would hesitate, but perhaps I was wrong.”  Nic listened to the honey in his voice, and despite all logic telling him to ignore it, he couldn’t.  He craved it.  He craved it and he didn’t know why.
“What am I, to you?”  Nic knew.  He already knew, but he needed to hear the answer again.  He needed to know what Crane wanted from him, why he was being kept in this place.
“You’re a weapon,” Crane said simply.  It felt like a slap in the face.  “And you’re mine.”
-
Nic’s room was cold.  It was cold and lonely and particularly grey tonight.  He supposed he was grateful to be able to know the time now, unlike the year he’d spent in that