Unlikely Allies

Originally posted in r/WritingPrompts, inspired by this prompt: https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/1dwdy1l/wp_you_are_a_supervillain_but_in_your_secret/

"Your new patient is here to see you," Alyson said as she popped her head into my office.

"Lovely," I said, checking my notes. "Send them in."

My first new patient in quite a few months. Not to insult any of my current patients, but a new face was always a breath of fresh air.

A moment later, a young man stepped into my office. He seemed...familiar, somehow. Wavy brown hair, piercing blue eyes, fair skin, lots of scars on his body, seemed to be in his mid-twenties. I could've sworn I'd seen him somewhere. But where?

"Good morning," I said, standing up from my chair. "You must be Ezekiel."

"Please, call me Zeke," he said, nodding politely.

That voice. I'd heard that voice somewhere. Not knowing was killing me.

"Pleased to meet you, Zeke," I said, extending my hand. "I'm Dr. Vincent Davenport, but you can call me Vince if you wish."

"Nice to meet you, Vince," Zeke said, keeping his arms folded.

"Not one for physical contact?"

"Not really," Zeke said. "Sorry."

"No need to apologize. I've had a handful of other patients with an aversion to touch." I sat back down in my chair and gestured to the chair in front of me. "Feel free to sit down if you like. Make yourself comfortable."

"I'd rather stand, if that's okay. I've had a...bad experience related to that."

"Related to...chairs?" I raised an eyebrow.

"It's weird, I know."

"Is it just chairs that you have an issue with, or is it the act of sitting in general?"

"Anything I could potentially be tied down to," Zeke said. "Chairs, beds, stools, tables, the list is...quite long, to be honest."

"Well perhaps you'd prefer to sit down on one of these," I said, opening my closet and taking out a yoga ball. "I highly doubt anyone would be able to tie you down to this."

"Thanks," Zeke said, sitting down on the ball.

"And perhaps you'd feel more comfortable without this desk in the way," I said, taking my clipboard and then pushing my desk underneath the cabinets.

Zeke nodded appreciatively.

"If there's anything else I can do to make you more comfortable, just let me know," I said. "We will eventually start pushing you out of your comfort zone, but that can wait until a later date. The last thing I want is for you to feel overwhelmed on your first day here."

"Thanks."

"Of course," I said with a smile, jotting down a few notes. I hesitated. "Forgive me for asking, but I feel like I've seen you somewhere."

"You probably have," Zeke said. He lowered his voice a little. "You can keep a secret, right?"

"I'm a mental health therapist," I said, nodding. "Keeping secrets is part of my job."

"Alright," Zeke said, taking a breath. "I'm actually a superhero. They call me Captain Valiant."

I was taken aback. My nemesis, of all people, was sitting right in front of me. It was quite possible that I had inflicted the very trauma that brought him into my office. How had I not seen this?

"Is...everything alright?"

"Oh, yes, I'm fine," I said, shaking my head to clear it. "I'm just surprised, is all. I've seen a lot of things, but I never expected an actual superhero to be in my office, of all places. It's...an honor, truly."

"Please try not to make a big deal out of it if you can," he said. "I'd rather the knowledge of my identity not fall into the wrong hands."

"Understood," I said with a nod. "My lips are sealed. You have my word."

"Thank you."

"So...being a superhero must be a tough job."

"It is. The weight of expectation on my shoulders. The knowledge that people's lives are dependent on my ability to protect them."

"Must be exhausting, having to deal with such pressures all the time."

"Understatement of the year," Zeke said ruefully. "I don't know how much longer I can keep going like this. But I know if I retire, or even just take a vacation for a few days, people will die."

"Have you thought about recruiting some help to lighten the load?"

"I've thought about it, but I have no clue where to even begin. Who would I even recruit? And it's not as if I can afford to pay them. I can barely afford to feed myself. I'm not even sure how I'll be able to afford these therapy sessions. The gods know I need it after everything I've been through. But being a hero doesn't pay the bills. If you didn't have your deal where the first session is free, I don't think I'd even be here in the first place."

"In that case, I'll find out what I can do on my end to help your situation. In the meantime, let's see how much we can accomplish today."

Zeke nodded.

"So earlier you implied you suffer from a sort of paranoia related to the possibility of being tied down," I said. "Something happened in your past that led to this. Are you comfortable with elaborating on that?"

"It all started when I was about fifteen," Zeke said. "I was still quite new to this hero business. I didn't exactly know what I was doing, and I wasn't quite in control of my powers yet. But I'd made a name for myself in my hometown, and that caught the attention of the man who later became my nemesis. Calls himself the 'Great Mastermind'. I'm sure you've heard of him."

"Oh, yes, I've heard of him," I said, nodding. "Pretty unoriginal nickname, to be honest. Sounds like the sort of name my six-year-old nephew could've come up with."

"I'm gonna steal that insult for the next time we clash, if you don't mind," Zeke said with a chuckle.

"Go ahead," I said, suppressing a chuckle of my own. "Anything to bruise his ego a bit is a win in my book."

"Well, anyways, he saw me as a threat, so he ordered his lackeys to kidnap me."

"I can imagine that would be quite traumatic, especially at that age."

"You don't know the half of it," Zeke said, swallowing. He started shaking.

"Breathe," I said. "You're in a safe space."

Zeke took a few deep breaths, and his trembling started to subside.

"Do you need anything?" I asked. "Some water, perhaps?"

"That would be nice," Zeke said with a nod.

"Here," I said as I handed him a bottle of water from my mini fridge.

Zeke smiled gratefully as he opened the bottle, draining about half of the contents in a single go. "Thanks."

"Of course. Now can you tell me a bit more about what happened to you that day?"

"One moment, I was in the middle of trying to plug up a dam that was on the verge of bursting, and the next thing I knew I was tied to a chair with a bag over my head. I'm still not sure exactly how much time had passed between those two events."

"So I take it they took you without much of a struggle, then?"

"None at all. At least, none that I can remember."

That didn't make any sense. I remembered he'd been roughed up pretty badly when they informed me of his capture. I had assumed that he'd put up a fight. Perhaps there was more to the story than I was aware of.

"Did they do anything to you while you were tied to the chair?"

"They...tortured me for information."

"They did WHAT?" This was news to me. I could've sworn I'd given them all specific instructions not to use torture for any reason.

Zeke looked confused at my sudden outburst.

"Sorry," I said, breathing to calm myself. "I'm just... appalled that anyone would do that. Especially to a kid."

Zeke nodded, satisfied by my answer.

"Feel free to continue," I said. "Was there anyone there that seemed to be taking the lead in the interrogation?"

"Yeah. I never learned his name, but he was tall, muscular, looked and smelled like he hadn't showered in a month or two."

Frank. Seemed I'd need to have a long chat with him.

"Did any of them seem reluctant to torture you?"

"Not that I noticed, though to be fair I was in so much pain it was hard to notice anything else."

"Fair enough. I can't even begin to imagine what that must have been like."

"I'm kinda glad for that, to be honest. Nobody should have to go through the level of pain that I did."

"I'm sorry you had to go through that. No wonder that's left a mark on you."

"In more ways than one," Zeke said. "Many of my scars you see are from that. They whipped me. Beat me. Burned me. Shocked me with tasers. Broke my bones. I tried to tell them the truth, that I wasn't working for any organization. But they didn't believe me. So they kept going. I tried making up some bullcrap names of fake organizations, but they didn't believe that either."

"How long did it last?"

"I lost track of time. It felt like an eternity."

"What happened after that?"

"Well, the Great Mastermind came in and started trying to convince me to join him. Cliche stuff like how 'we could be indomitable together'. That kind of stuff. Of course I didn't buy a word he said."

"Understandable, given what his lackeys put you through."

"Exactly. I don't remember the whole of the conversation but I do remember spitting in his face."

"The look on his face must've been priceless."

"That it was. One of the only bright spots in that encounter. It felt cathartic."

"So how did you escape?"

"One of his lackeys felt bad about what I was going through. Bethany. She patched up my wounds and snuck me out in the middle of the night. Let me hide in her basement while I recovered from my injuries. And she's since been working as a double agent. Giving me a heads up on the Great Mastermind's plans so I have time to prepare."

So that's how he was always one step ahead of me. And yet I couldn't be mad at her. In fact, I was now considering giving her a raise. For being the only one with a backbone.

"You know, I don't usually offer to do this," I said, "but given everything you've been through, and the fact that you don't have much in the way of money, I've decided I'm not gonna charge you anything for your therapy."

"You're serious?"

"Absolutely. Don't mention it to anyone else, though. If people find out I'm making an exception for you, then everyone's gonna be begging for me to make an exception for them too. And I can't afford to provide my services for free to all my patients. But I can certainly afford to make an exception for you."

"I...I don't know what to say," Zeke said, his eyes welling up with tears. "Thank you."

"Of course," I said. "I will do everything in my power to help you heal from this experience. You have my word."

Zeke's watch started vibrating.

"Sorry, I've got to take this," Zeke said, taking out his phone.

"Go ahead."

"Hey Bethany...if this can wait like ten more minutes, I'm kinda in the middle of a therapy session right now...I'm sorry, can you repeat that?...Here? Right now?...Alright, I'll make sure everyone gets out in time. Thanks for the heads up...Don't worry, I'll be careful. Bye."

"Duty calls?" I asked.

"Worse," Zeke said, standing up from the yoga ball. "The Great Mastermind's next target is this building."

I choked on my drink. "I'm sorry, what?"

"We need to get everyone out. Now!"

"Roger that, Cap," I said, stuffing my notes in my bag before pulling the fire alarm. "This ought to give everyone a heads up."

The alarm started blaring as we made our way towards the door.

But then a strange gas started coming through the vents. I immediately felt lightheaded. I collapsed to my knees, unable to breathe. I looked over at Zeke, who was swaying where he stood, clutching his head.

"Get--" I blacked out before another word could escape my lips.

-----

I awoke tied to a chair, a bag over my head. I struggled against my bonds, but to no avail.

"You're awake," Frank said as he removed the bag. "Good."

"Don't hurt him!" Zeke cried from the chair next to me.

"Quiet!" Frank smacked him in the face before turning his attention back to me. "Now, Boss says you've got some information on the whereabouts of Captain Valiant. Heard he'd stopped by your office earlier today. Is that correct?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," I lied.

"I thought you might say that," Frank said, taking out a knife. "Nonetheless, we have ways of making you talk."

"If you're planning on torturing me, I can assure you that torture is the least reliable method of interrogation if you want accurate information. Believe me. I know from personal experience that people will say whatever they need to in order to get the pain to stop. Regardless of if it's true."

"Everyone has a breaking point," Frank said with a grin. "It's only a matter of time before we find yours."

"Did you not hear a word I said?" I raised an eyebrow. "Torturing me is pointless. It's not going to--"

I screamed in agony as pain shot through me.

"It's not a matter of if you tell me," Frank said, "but rather, when you tell me. Boss says I can use whatever method I need in order to pry the information from your lips."

"We both know that's a lie," I said through gritted teeth. "You can stop with your little charade."

"You think I'm bluffing?" Frank laughed.

"I know you're bluffing. I know your boss better than anyone in this room. I know he abhors the practice of torture. I know he's strictly forbidden it. And I know he's going to be very angry with you if he finds out you've been undermining his authority."

"Let's pretend, for a second, that this was true. How would you, of all people, know?"

"That's classified," I said, trying (and failing) to keep my voice from wavering.

"You're not gonna pull that card on me," Frank said. "Give me a real answer."

"Fine. Your boss comes into my office every week for therapy. He told me himself. Told me he formed this very organization to fight back against the people who tortured him. He doesn't want to perpetuate the cycle."

"I might be able to believe that's what he told you," Frank said, "but he's not an idiot. He knows there are some crimes even therapists are legally required to report."

I clenched my teeth as another wave of pain surged through my body.

"You know, I've been craving the sound of crunching bones," Frank said as he took out a mallet. "Unless, of course, you'd like to tell me what you know."

"I've already told you what I know," I said, sweat pouring down my forehead. "Would you rather me make up a thrilling tale about how he and I had a whirlwind romance at the pub? Or how about I tell you the story of how I taught him how to ride dragons! Oh, I know, I'll tell you about how he turned into a unicorn and pranced over a rainbow! That's a fun one! Oh, and he's actually a 4000 year old vampire prince who's married to the Queen of England, and he has a pet Triceratops named Athoosie!"

"Clearly we need to drastically increase your pain in order to get you to take this seriously," Frank said, taking out a syringe from his jacket. "Not to worry. I have just the thing."

He inserted the needle of the syringe into the back of my neck, injecting the liquid inside.

I gasped as my nerves started flaring up.

"This is a little invention of mine I like to call the 'reverse novacaine'," Frank said as I writhed in agony. "Instead of numbing the nerves, it aggravates them. Now everything I do to you will be three times as painful."

"Stop it!" Zeke yelled. "Leave him alone!"

"Keep your mouth shut, or I'll make you suffer alongside him!"

Zeke looked at me uncertainly. I could tell he was considering telling him the truth.

I shook my head. Frank was undoubtedly going to turn his blades on him if he confessed. And I wasn't about to let that happen. Not again.

Zeke nodded, tears falling down his cheeks.

"Had enough, yet?" Frank asked as he took out a bone saw. "Or would you rather me saw off a few digits?"

"Go ahead and do it," I said, breathing heavily. "When your boss comes in here, he'll have all the more reason to stick your head on a pike. Parade you around as a warning to the others."

"What he doesn't know won't hurt him," Frank said, grabbing on to my pinky.

"Ha! I got you to admit it!" I grinned despite the agony. "I didn't even have to spill a single drop of your blood to do it. Now all your boss needs to do is watch the security footage, and he'll have all the proof he needs!"

"There are no cameras in this room," Frank said. "Now it's entirely up to you how many fingers you end up losing."

I decided to take the mask off. My secret identity wasn't worth the agony anymore.

"Are you seriously this dense, Frank?" I asked.

"...How did you know my name?" Frank's voice lowered, barely containing his inner panic. "Boss didn't tell you, did he?"

"I am your boss, you idiot!"

"Ha! Nice try, old man. Tell me the truth."

"You don't believe me?" I raised my eyebrows. "Then prove me wrong. My phone is in my pocket. You call your boss. If my phone rings, you've proven me right. If it doesn't, you've proven me a liar."

"Alright, I'll humor you," Frank said, taking out his phone. "I'll even introduce some stakes. If you're lying, I'll increase your agony tenfold."

"And if I'm telling the truth?"

"Then I'll inject myself with my own invention and let you do with me as you please."

"You're really that confident that I'm a liar? You're that sure that I'm just bluffing?"

"Watch me," he said, a stupid smirk on his face as he dialed the number.

My face and hands grew cold as I realized my mistake. I hadn't thought to check to see if my phone's ringer was actually on. I swallowed.

"Well, he doesn't seem to be answering," Frank said, taking out three more syringes. "But no matter. You're still a liar. And now you'll pay the price."

I screamed as he injected more of the serum into my neck. My body felt like it was on fire.

"You know, I've always wondered what a skinless human body looks like," Frank said. "Perhaps before I saw you to pieces, I'll peel your skin from your flesh."

My heart started pounding faster and faster. Louder and louder.

"Unless, of course, you're ready to start talking."

I spat in his face.

Frank jumped back, cursing up a storm as he scrambled to wipe the spit off his face.

Zeke started chuckling before quickly suppressing it.

"Think that's funny, do you?" Frank stalked closer to him.

"N-no, sir," Zeke said, swallowing.

"Leave him alone, Frank," I said through gritted teeth.

"I don't think I will," Frank said, bringing a knife to Zeke's hand. "If torturing you won't make you spill, perhaps torturing him might."

"No! Don't hurt him!"

"Then tell me the truth."

"Cuba!" I screamed, tears falling down my cheeks. "He's on his way to Cuba!"

"Oh?" Frank looked at me.

"I convinced him to take a vacation. He's probably boarding the plane as we speak."

"Which airline?"

"JetBlue," I said. Why that was the first airline I thought of, I'll never know.

"Nice try, but JetBlue doesn't offer flights into Cuba anymore. Where is he, really?"

I swallowed.

"Do you need some more persuasion?"

"I'll tell you!" Zeke said, trembling.

"Don't tell him anything!"

"It's clear your efforts to protect me have failed," Zeke said. "I might as well come clean so he doesn't hurt you any more than he already has."

Frank looked surprised for a second. But then a smile spread across his face. "Are you saying what I think you're saying?"

"Yes," Zeke said, swallowing. His eyes glowed momentarily before flickering back to normal. "I'm Captain Valiant. My therapist was just trying to protect me. Now let him go."

"I would, but he somehow already knows my name. He knows too much."

"Then can you at least end his misery? Please?"

"I'll consider it," Frank said, "but first, I think it's high time you and I had a bit of fun together. Wouldn't you agree?"

Zeke swallowed again. Sweat dripped down his forehead.

"Leave him alone!" I yelled, struggling in my bonds. "Torture me all you want! Just don't hurt him!"

Frank walked back to me.

"That's it," I said, clenching my fists. "Do your worst."

"Oh, I intend to," Frank said with a smirk as he ripped my shirt off, stuffing it in my mouth before securing it there with my belt.

To my horror, however, he walked back over to Zeke.

I struggled to break through my bonds, then screamed through my gag as pain shot through my broken limbs. Zeke was going to be tortured and probably killed, all because I forgot to turn my ringer on.

I started trying to steady my own breathing, making eye contact with Zeke in the hopes that he would follow my lead. If I couldn't prevent his pain, the least I could do is try to comfort him. I wished I could take his pain away from him completely. He didn't deserve this.

Zeke nodded, and started trying to control his own breathing as well. He squeezed his eyes shut.

------

I'd lost track of how much time it had been. Zeke and I both had been reduced to bleeding, sobbing messes.

Frank had left the room a couple minutes ago, leaving the two of us alone together. I had no idea when he'd be back.

"I'm...sorry," Zeke wheezed.

My gag was preventing me from replying. But he had no need to apologize to me. I should've been apologizing to him. Even though I hadn't authorized his torture, it had still happened under my roof. Twice. How had I been so blind? And how many others had suffered here?

"Are you...okay?"

I shook my head. No use sugarcoating it now.

"Maybe...Bethany...will come," Zeke said, his voice hoarse from screaming. "Like last time."

I hoped she would. For his sake.

"Are you...scared?"

I nodded again. For the first time since Guantanamo Bay, I was terrified.

"Me too."

I groaned as my body flared up in pain.

Several minutes, or perhaps hours later, the door creaked open.

"Zeke?" Bethany poked her head in the room.

Zeke's eyes lit up as he saw her.

"What have they done to you?" Bethany asked quietly as she tiptoed into the room. She quickly and quietly untied both of us.

"Bethany," I wheezed.

"How do you know my name?"

"He's my therapist," Zeke said, coughing. "I told him about you."

Bethany nodded in understanding.

"That's not the only reason," I said, wincing. "My phone. In my pocket. Is it charged?"

Bethany took my phone from my pocket to check. "No."

"Mystery solved, then," I said, nodding.

"You mean you weren't bluffing?" Zeke's eyes widened. "You're actually..."

"Yes."

"I don't understand," Bethany said. "What are you two talking about?"

"Imagine me in a dark red cloak with a cowl obscuring my eyes."

Bethany squinted for a second. Then she gasped. "Boss?"

I grinned weakly as I nodded.

"Why would you order your own capture? Your own torture?"

"I didn't," I said. "Had you not given my former nemesis the heads up I wouldn't have even known about the attack in the first place."

"Then...Frank lied?"

"Yes. He's been lying to you. To all of us. For several years. He knows I detest the practice of torture. He knows I've strictly forbidden it. But he's somehow managed to trick and/or bully everyone else into submission. And up until Zeke told me about it in my office, he'd had me fooled into believing that torture wasn't going on at all. He's been orchestrating it under my very nose for years without my knowledge."

"Heavens, if I'd known you didn't approve of it I would've told you way earlier."

"I don't blame you for any of this," I said. "In fact, I commend you for setting the prisoners free behind my back."

"You know about that?"

"Zeke told me about you sneaking him out the last time he was captured. I assume you did the same with the others."

"And you're not upset about it?"

"Quite the opposite. I respect you for it. Especially since you thought I was complicit in the horrors that were going on in this place, that took serious guts. For all you knew, I could've sentenced you to the same punishment had I found out."

"I admit that's exactly what I was afraid of," Bethany said.

"I figured," I said, groaning. "Which is why I'm gonna give you a pay raise. For being the only one of my employees who is neither sadistic nor spineless."

"Thank you," Bethany said with a gentle smile. "Now let's get those wounds taken care of before you bleed to death."

"Take care of Zeke first. Even though I didn't authorize his suffering, it's still my fault, in a way. This never would've happened had I been paying better attention."

"What do we want to do with Frank?" Bethany said as she started binding Zeke's wounds.

"Let him think he's gotten away with it, for now," I said. "Once our injuries are stabilized and my phone has a charge, then we can see about doing something about his insubordination."

"Understood."

"And when you get a minute, if you can get me a list of everyone who's been tortured here, that would be wonderful. I want to reach out to every one of them to see what can be done to make it up to them."

"I'll get on that as soon as I can."

"Oh, and Zeke?" I asked.

Zeke turned his head towards me.

"I want you to know that I am truly, deeply sorry for what happened to you," I said, wincing from pain. "I'm gonna do whatever I can to make this right. You have my word on that."

"Is it true? What you said about...having been tortured before?"

"Yes."

"Who did it to you?"

"The US government," I said. "They tortured me for several months in Guantanamo Bay Prison before I escaped. Physically and psychologically. They were trying to get a confession out of me with regards to the 9/11 attack. If I hadn't escaped they probably would've. It would've been a false confession, but I was just about ready to say whatever needed to be said in order to get the pain to stop."

"And that's why you became a supervillain? To get back at them for torturing you?"

"More than that. They've got several others locked up there still. If I can take control, I can expose them for what they've done. I can stop the torture from happening. I can give that land back to the Cuban people, and put a stop to US colonization worldwide."

"And why did you have me kidnapped the first time? I wasn't working with anyone. I was just some kid trying to help people."

"I admit, I probably should've taken a different approach," I said. "Hindsight 20-20 I guess. But I'll tell you why. I saw potential in you. I knew you had a good heart. I knew you wanted to help people. And I knew if I could get you on my side before the government took notice of you, we could've accomplished a lot together. Figures I happened to unknowingly hire a sadist into my ranks to mess it up."

"If I hadn't been tortured, I might've been willing to at least hear you out."

"That was my hope. Unfortunately for both of us, it didn't work out that way."

"Maybe now that our...misunderstanding...has been worked out, we could work together?"

"If you're open to the idea, then I'd be honored to work with you," I said with a smile. "I'll have to clean up this mess that Frank has so considerately made for me before I can resume my original goals. But if you're willing to give me a chance, I'd love to have you on the team."

"It's a deal."

---------

I sat in full uniform in my private quarters, my head facing away from the door. My limbs had been replaced with robotic prosthetics. The skin around my torso and face had been stitched back to the muscle and fat underneath.

"You called for me, Boss?" Frank asked as he entered.

"I did," I said, my voice raspy as I spoke. I still hadn't quite recovered from all the screaming. "I wanted an update on how the interrogation has been going. Has the therapist revealed Captain Valiant's whereabouts yet?"

"My deepest apologies, but they've both--hold on. How did you know about this?"

"I know everything about your activities, Frank," I said, turning around in my chair to face him. "You deliberately disobeyed my instructions."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Frank said, his face blanching.

"Funny you should say that," I said, standing up from my chair and stalking towards him. "I seem to remember telling you those exact same words a couple of weeks ago."

"I beg your pardon?"

"I found out why my phone didn't ring when you called," I said. "The battery was dead. I should've checked that before I made that little wager with you. But no matter. My body, though permanently disabled, is well on its way to recovery. As is my former nemesis."

"But that means...you're..."

"I am," I said, pulling the cowl off my head. "What's more, I've got a list of every single person you have tortured in my name. I've tallied up all of their medical expenses as a result of your actions. Take a guess as to how much money your insubordination is costing me."

Frank's eyes grew wide with terror.

"Two hundred million dollars, and counting," I said, my gaze burrowing into his. "And that's not even counting the money I've lost from having to take time off of my day job, nor is it counting the cost of my own medical care. These prosthetics alone are a couple million per limb. I've had to settle for the work of an amateur with regards to stitching the skin back to my body in order to ensure that the others are able to get the best care possible."

"My humblest apologies, Boss. I had no idea--"

"You knew perfectly well that I abhor the practice of torturing others, for any reason," I said. "You knew it was forbidden. And yet you did it anyway. And because of that, now you owe me all of that money back. Cough it up."

"But--"

"No buts," I said. "Cough it up. Now."

"I don't have it, Boss."

"A pity, then," I said, my metallic hands clamping onto his shoulders. "I suppose I shall have to collect my debt via a...different method."

Frank shrunk down in fear.

"First off, do you have any family that's depending on your income?"

"Why do you need to know?"

"I'm asking the questions, here. Now answer it."

"A wife and a baby girl."

"And does your wife know that you've been torturing people?"

"No."

"Alright. Then here's what you're gonna do. You're gonna admit on camera everything you've done. I'm gonna make sure everyone in the world sees it. Then I'm gonna give you one phone call so you can say your goodbyes to your wife and child."

"You mean..."

"Yes. After you've done all of this, your life will be forfeit. But rest assured, I will ensure your family is well taken care of in your absence."

"Please, have mercy," Frank said, falling to his knees.

"My mercy will be granting you a quick death," I said. "We both know you deserve far worse than that."

Frank swallowed, then bowed his head. "Very well, Boss. I'll...cooperate."

"Good," I said with a nod as I pulled my cowl back over my eyes. "Now come with me. You have some major sins to atone for."

I led him into the amphitheatre, where the rest of my employees were gathered.

I nodded for Bethany to roll the cameras.

"Ladies and gentlemen," I said. "I know all of my employees know who I am. But for those of you watching at home, I will go ahead and formally introduce myself to those who haven't heard of me. I am the person who's known by the oh-so-creative title of 'The Great Mastermind'. Of course now I believe a more appropriate title would be 'The Great Fool', given what's been happening under my very nose for several years without my knowledge. I'll let Frank, my pathetic excuse for an employee, tell you everything."

Frank trembled as I shoved him towards the microphone.

"I lied," Frank said, his voice uneasy.

I motioned for him to continue.

"Boss doesn't like it when we torture people. He told me not to do it. I did it anyway. I tricked all of you into thinking he ordered the torture. And I tricked Boss into thinking I wasn't doing it."

Looks of shock, anger, and fear were now present in the faces of my employees.

"Thank you for the clarification, Frank," I said. "That being said, I don't count myself completely blameless in the horrors that went on in this place. I was too trusting. I should've been keeping a better eye on what was going on here. So here's what will happen."

I paused to pull out my notes. They fell to the floor a few times before I managed to turn to the right page.

"Apologies, everyone, I'm not quite used to my new prosthetics yet. Anyways, here's what's going to happen. I've acquired a list of every single person who has been a victim of this torture over the years. I will be reaching out to every one of them--or in the case of deceased persons I will reach out to their families--to discuss what can be done to right these wrongs. I will be repaying their medical expenses in full. I will be paying for their mental health services, physical therapy, the money they're losing from not being able to work, and anything else they might need to be able to get back on their feet. An expensive endeavor, I'm aware. I will be needing to make many financial adjustments in order to afford this. I will have to sacrifice many of the luxuries I enjoy. It will not be easy. But I will do what needs to be done. I don't deserve public forgiveness. But I hope that my efforts will at least be enough to help people heal both physically and psychologically from what's been done to them.

"To all of my employees, I recognize that you believed you were simply following orders. But I will not hold you completely blameless either. Your salaries will all be cut down, as a result of your cowardice. Frank will no longer be employed by this organization. He will receive ample punishment for the atrocities that he has committed. Let this be a warning to you all. Any further incidents of torture, rape, or any other unauthorized activities will be punished swiftly and severely. I hope I've made myself clear."

I cut the cameras before continuing.

"There's one employee in particular who I would like to recognize for her efforts and courage. Would Bethany please come up to the stage?"

Bethany stepped up, a mixture of pride and embarrassment on her face.

"Bethany, here, has proven to be the only one of you with a backbone. She is responsible for helping the tortured prisoners escape. And she's been warning my former nemesis of our plans so as to help prevent even more suffering. Considering what she'd been tricked into believing about me, that took remarkable courage. She believed she could have been tortured as punishment if she'd been caught. Yet she took that risk anyways because she knew it was the right thing to do. For that courage, I would like to bestow upon her the highest honor I can possibly bestow."

I took a pin of an eagle from my pocket and affixed it to her blazer.

"Bethany, I hereby grant you the honor of being my second in command."

"Thank you, Boss," Bethany said, politely bowing her head.

I smiled warmly in reply as I shook her hand.

"Today is the start of a new era in our organization," I said. "From here on out, we exist to serve the people. To expose the lies that the wealthy elite try to sell. To put a stop to torture, slavery, and tyranny worldwide. And to provide a better future for all."

------

6 months later...

"Breathe," I said as I knelt down next to Zeke in my office.

His exposure therapy had been progressing quite well. He could now sit in chairs with no problem, so long as he wasn't actually restrained. Any other therapist would've considered that a job well done. But considering his hero work, there was a significant chance he'd get captured again. And if being restrained was going to give him a panic attack, better to work through that here than wait until he's in legitimate danger.

Zeke's breathing was shallow, but at least it was becoming more regular. Sweat dripped down his forehead.

"Remember the grounding techniques I've taught you. What are five things you can see?"

"The d-desk," Zeke said between breaths. "F-fridge. R-rain on the w-window. Dust on the b-blinds. Spider on the wall."

"There's a spider on the wall?" I followed Zeke's gaze until I spotted it. "Huh. So there is. A little jumping spider. Good eye."

I carefully scooped up the spider and put it into a jar to keep it from wandering.

"Now, what are four things you can hear?"

"T-traffic jam. Thunder. Someone's loud music on the floor above us. Dog barking across the street." Zeke's trembling started to subside.

"Now, three things you can feel."

"Phantom pain in my missing leg. Ropes are making me itchy. Arms of the chair are...soft." Zeke's eyes suddenly lit up. He pushed his arms into the cushions of the chair arms, and then wriggled them free of the ropes.

"Very good!" I said, smiling approvingly as Zeke easily untied his ankles and stood up from the chair.

Zeke's smile couldn't have been wider as he wiped the sweat from his brow, his breathing returning to normal.

"I'm proud of you," I said. "You not only used the exercise as a way to calm yourself down, but you also saw an opportunity to free yourself."

"Did you mean for me to do that?"

"I didn't even think of that, to be honest," I said, shaking my head. "You surprised me. And that's an accomplishment in and of itself."

"Is it?" Zeke smirked. "There seems to be plenty of things that slip right past the so-called 'Great Mastermind'."

"You know what, fair," I said with a small chuckle. "But seriously. Well done."

"Thanks, Vince," Zeke said. He looked at the jumping spider in the jar on my desk, trying to figure out how to escape its confines. "Looks like that little guy doesn't appreciate its new home."

"I'll let it go outside once the rain stops," I said, shrugging. "Just needed to keep it contained for the moment so it doesn't end up smashed on the bottom of somebody's shoe."

"To think that six months ago I thought you were a heartless monster who didn't care about the well-being of other people, let alone a tiny spider."

"I can't exactly blame you for thinking that," I said. "I'm just glad my reputation is finally starting to improve, now that we've rooted out the corruption within my ranks."

"I'm glad, too," Zeke said with a smile. "Working together has definitely lightened the load on my shoulders. Just like you said it would."

"And how's that felt?"

"Liberating. Like, I feel like I can actually take a break without the world falling apart. I don't have to feel guilty about it anymore."

"That's amazing, Zeke. You've improved so much these past few months. I'm so happy for you."

"Vince?"

"What is it?"

"I don't think I ever thanked you," Zeke said. "For what you did for me that day."

"I did a pretty poor job at protecting you, if that's what you're referring to."

"The fact that you even tried. You tried everything you could to keep him from torturing me. Even if that meant suffering it yourself. And even once you knew you couldn't protect me anymore, you still tried to comfort me. You gave me something to cling to."

"It was the least I could do," I said, my eyes welling up with tears.

"It was more than that," Zeke said, looking at me with a soft smile. "It was everything."