Chapter Text
It's a few days later before anything happens. Avery is on his weekly shopping trip, visiting a few shops. Luckily his finger had finished regenerating the day before so he was completely healed from using his power.
The nearby mall was closed down so the streets and smaller shops is filled with more people than usual. Nothing to uncommon but is a bit of a shame that he can hear the loud traffic around him.
Suddenly in all the noise, the siren started blaring.
There was a villian attack nearby. Avery was just getting out of an antique shop when everyone started running away. Well, almost everyone. A few ran the way towards trouble.
Avery, seeing no reason to do the same, starts slightly jogging away. That is all he can do with all the people around him anyways.
Around him he can hear shouting about the fight.
It takes eight minutes to finally duck into an empty alleyway. He has no real reason to but a slime hybrid in such dense places is never a good idea.
He reasons that he can also make sure to help any stragglers this way.
Suddenly he hears someone being thrown from the streets. Looking out of the alleyway, he's stunned as he sees the hero and villian fighting.
The blue haired speedster hero, Andre, has just thrown the villian that Avery knew from the news, called Assimilation. ....The villian was thrown Averys way, landing on the street just ahead of him. Luckily it seems like all other civilians have cleared out.
The speedster speeds towards the villian in such hurry that Avery can't really even pinpoint where he's at.
The vilian also doesn't seem to be able to pinpoint him as well, only having good enough intuition to duck when a punch is thrown to him.
Assimilation backs away and somehow manages a tall kick to Andre's face.
Andre, surprisingly, doesn't show a reaction to that. Assimilation though, looks defeated. Not from the fight, but from another battle in their mind.
Avery is kinda invested. Unfortunately Andre is not and decides to throw the villian once again.
This time it is thrown to the tall building Avery was next to.
A building, which apparently is very weak and the angle the villian was thrown makes it so that when the now cracked building starts crumbling towards the way Avery is.
Averys eyes widens as he goes to jump out of the way of the building, something he'd normally do well- if it wasn't for how he trips on his shoelaces and falls to the ground.
The building falls and Avery can't help but to close his eyes and brace for impact, reflexively dropping the grocery bags he is holding.
One that never comes as he is scoped up and rushed just to the edge of the collapse. In the surprise, Avery opens his eyes just as the deafening collapse of the building sounds.
There's still ringing in his ears as he is set down next to the ruble and can take a glance of his savior.
He doesn't know what he was expecting. A hero? A vigilante? Anything? Yet it was definitely not what he sees.
In golden armor and a red cape, the villian D3rlord3 stands looking at him.
Avery's mind blanks and he doesn't even realize he's staring until D3rlord3 asks, "Are you okay?"
The slime feels like a computer trying to load something in with one bar. "Are you D3rlord3?" He blurts out dumbly.
"The very one." D3rlord3 answers just as fighting resumes behind them.
Does Andre even care that he almost got Avery dead? Actually, the slime doesn't want to know.
"Why-" Avery looks around to see if anybody else has witnessed him getting saved by a villian or if he was crazy. Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be anyone else so close to the fight. "Why did you save me?"
"Why not? There's no reason for you to die." The villian shrugs. It is hard knowing the authenticity of that answer with the helmet on his face.
"...uh huh." Avery has so many questions, unfortunately he doesn't have time to ask them as an explosion came from the fight near by. D3rlord3 holds a hand out to the slime hybrid.
"Can you stand?" He asks him, something awkward in his voice as he does. Is D3rlord3 not used to asking questions or is Avery trippin? "We should get away from the battle."
Avery takes his hand, nodding nervously. "Yeah, I can stand."
He ignores how lightheaded he feels. It's probably nothing.
D3rlord3 doesn't let go of Avery's hand as he leads him away from the on-going fight. The villian rushed them for a few blocks, even when they are surrounded by crowds of people again.
In fact, he seems to tighten his grip on the slime hybrid as people worridly look their way.
Avery is starting to worry that he might actually be getting kidnapped when the two took a quick turn into an alleyway, just inches away from a familiar face.
His friend and coworker, Ze.
Or more specifically; the vigilante White.
White all but balks at the appearance of Avery before he notices D3rlord3. Even through the vigilantes mask, the glare White sent the villian is clear.
White quickly takes Avery free hand and pulls the slime to him. The villian doesn't give a fight and easily lets Avery go. White speaks harshly, his voice moderator not changing much besides making his voice just a touch more robotic, "Where the fuck were you taking my friend???"
"To you." D3rlord3 answers simply. "It wasn't safe for him near the battle."
"What." 'Asked' White incredulously. He looks to Avery.
"He has no reason to lie." The slime decides.
"He's a villian!" White barely holding back a yell.
D3rlord3 interrupts before they start questioning him. "You should get back to helping the person behind you. He has a friend back at your college- likely worried about Alloy."
"How the fuck do you- know what never mind. Don't dox me. Die in a hole. I'll question you later or something!" White sighs tiredly then looks behind himself, seemingly at the person Avery can't see at his angle. "Mind helping me Avery? The dudes passed out."
"Uh sure?" Avery is no doubt the stronger of the two, so it made sense.
The person, Alloy as D3rlord3 named, strangly wore all blue just a shade different from his blue skin. It just makes the red in his hair, dripping on his face and extra eye very visible.
It is a bit difficult moving the person out of the alleyway; D3rlord3 awkwardly tying to stay out of the way without really leaving and just how closed in the place is.
Turns out Alloy was close to where the fight started and got hit in the head from something thrown by Assimilation.
Avery can't help but to feel bad for the person. People have generally gotten good at staying safe during these attacks (they have to in order to stay long in the city) but sometimes people don't even get a chance like Alloy.
...Maybe Avery should think about being a vigilante or even a hero.
Actually never mind. His bank account would not survive. Avery would rather not have to live with his parents again.
He'll just help on the sidelines at least while he's paying off his student debt!
Patching Alloy's injury with bandages from one of many of White's pockets, Leaving the alleyway, White glares (Avery could feel it through the mask) at D3rlord3 for a moment before taking a deep breath. "Theres no way you're going to be here if I come back."
D3rlord3 gives an almost solemn nod. "Yes, I have many places to be."
"And what places are those?" Avery tries to pry despite knowing it his attempts would be fruitless.
"As a villian, I shouldn't be saying now should I?" D3rlord3 says ominously.
White looks back to Alloy and speaks in a tired voice. "Let's just get Alloy to the collage. I'll track down D3rlord3 later."
The villian just shrugs.
Avery and White make quick work to carry the unconscious person, finally taking a break ten minutes later as White calls up Moe.
Somehow instead of Moe that pulls up to them in a sleezy car with no drivers plate, it's Golden who makes it clear who's driving as he pulls down the window. They are was fully in his 'villian' gear although with a clear lack of a mask. He somehow manages to have his head invisible instead.
"Hey~ hear you guys need a ride." Golden says in the most teasing tone.
White groans. "Bro there's no way you're driving. Absolutely not."
"Hey, I can drive!" Golden defends himself.
"You can't even remember to fly!"
"Golden can fly?!" Avery cut in in disbelief. He knew about the teleportation but not that! Or maybe it's connected to Golden's telekinesis?
"I never forget. It's tactical decisions!" Yep, just ignore the slime. Sure.
"No. You definitely forget!" White argues.
Suddenly Alloy shifts and Avery is brought back to the goal at hand.
"Uh guys. Civilian remember? We need to get to the collage." The two arguing like a divorced couple finally quiets down.
In a much more serious voice White orders, "Golden. Get in the passenger seat."
Despite Golden's grumbling, he listens to the vigilante.
The drive is quick although Golden and White still found a way to fight about who controls the radio.
As they reached the college, they pull out the blue injured civilian. It is concerning that he is still unconscious.
"Why did we bring the civilian to your college instead of the hospital anyways?" Golden asks.
"D3rlord3 told us Alloy has a friend here. Um." Avery pauses for a second and it seems White reaches the same realization at the same time.
"Shit I didn't even think about a hospital."
Avery nods. "Completely forgot they existed."
Golden all but laughs as they admit forgetting. They then seem to freeze as they process something after a second. "Wait- D3rlord3?"
"Yeah. He saved Avery." White explains, although still very suspicious of the previous villian.
Golden is about to say something but is interrupted. "Alloy!"
Suddenly a figure dressed in red runs up to them, eyes wide as he sees the unconscious person. Avery comes to the conclusion that the red dressed guy was the person D3rlord3 talked about.
"Are you his friend?" White asks.
The guy nods hesitantly at the White, probably realizing that he was speaking to vigilante. "Yes. What happened to him? He was supposed to be buying seeds..."
"There was a villian attack. He was hit by something and got knocked out. We bandaged him up so he doesn't need immediate care but he might need to be checked up on once he wakes." White tells the worried friend.
He nods before speaking. "Thanks for not bringing him to the hospital. You guys know how it is being a rare hybrid."
"Yes. That was the reason we didn't bring him to the hospital." White lies. Luckily Golden doesn't tell them off.
The person looks thankful.
Everything is resolved easily and Avery leaves not long after- White leaving as well to check if D3rlord3 is around where they talked to him. Avery gets a text confirming that as expected, the villian isn't there.
As he opens the door to his apartment he suddenly feels the urge to jump off the stairs. He lost all his groceries. A good thirty dollars and he'll need to go shopping again.