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Chapter Text

The city was in chaos. A massive villain attack had left the citizens of Hermitcraft City scrambling for cover. One of these citizens was even more terrified than he probably should've been. He was known as CuteGuy.

"Mommy?" he cried, his oversized wings trailing behind him as he raced through the streets. "Daddy? Where are you?!"

But there was no response. He was alone... he was alone. He sank against a wall in an alley, burying his head in his knees and crying softly, his wings draping around him in a sort of protective embrace.

For hours, he sat like that. Young CuteGuy had lost his parents... and he didn't know what else to do.

Suddenly, a man walked up to him - a man with green skin and what looked to be goat or ram horns. He also wore a lab coat and had a robotic red eye. He looked down towards CuteGuy, and his villain heart softened at the sight of the young child, lost and alone.

You see, this man was Doc - the greatest villain the city had ever seen. He didn't know the meaning of kindness, and "mercy" wasn't in his vocabulary.

Which was why he was pleasantly surprised to find that he was even considering giving this lost kid a second chance.

Doc knelt down beside CuteGuy, his face bearing a friendly smile. "Hello," he spoke softly.

CuteGuy peeked out from in his knees, his face streaked and stained with tears. "H-Hi," he replied, his voice barely above a whisper.

Doc held out his hand in a kind gesture. "Are you lost?" he asked. "Where are your parents?"

CuteGuy sniffled. "I... I don't know," he whispered. "I think... they're gone."

Doc's heart felt for the young child. He couldn't have been older than four or five, at the latest. Him losing his parents at such a young age must've been devastating for him.

He extended his hand further. "Don't worry, I won't hurt you," he said, his voice still carrying a soft tone. "I wanna help you. I wanna take care of you. Will you let me?"

CuteGuy hesitated, but eventually decided that safety was better than staying out in the streets, where he could easily be at risk for a villain attack. So, he reached out and took Doc's hand.

And just like that, their bond began.

Doc looked down at CuteGuy, sensing the familiar aura of a child of his enemies. But then, a thought came to him.

Perhaps he could make the child into something of his own creation... a villain molded in his image.

And maybe someday, they'd rule the world together as father and son.

Chapter Text

"Muahaha!!" CuteGuy cackled in a babyish Doc voice. "You will never stop me, HotGuy!"

"I'll never give up!" he responded in a HotGuy impression. "I will stop you!"

Six years had passed since his adoption into Doc's family. CuteGuy, now ten years old, was in his room, secretly playing with his Doc and HotGuy action figures.

His father would kill him if he learned he loved superheroes.

His HotGuy action figure, which he'd secretly bought at the store with his savings, was his favorite possession. He'd handmade a Doc figure - modeled after his father - to roleplay different adventures, whether they had actually happened or were just figments of his imagination.

"Hahaha!" the Doc figure cackled as he aimed his latest creation, the Hero Destroyer, at the HotGuy figure. (It was just a laser pointer he'd taken from Doc's lab.)

"Now I've got you!" he called triumphantly as he aimed the Hero Destroyer at HotGuy, who was trapped underneath it. "The legacy of HotGuy ends here!"

"I can't give up!" the HotGuy figure told itself. "Heroes-"

Suddenly, CuteGuy heard his father coming. He quickly shoved the HotGuy figure underneath his bed; he couldn't be caught with that.

Doc walked into the room, an amused smile crossing his face when he saw the Doc figure on the floor. "You... made this, my son?" he asked.

CuteGuy nodded excitedly. "I made it myself! See, you'd created the Hero Destroyer, a powerful ray gun that can instantly wipe out any hero it shoots!"

Doc's smile grew bigger, a hint of pride in his eyes. "Ah, yes, the Hero Destroyer. One of my greatest inventions yet."

CuteGuy's eyes widened. "You're actually building it?"

"Oh, yes," Doc replied. "At the moment, it's nothing more than a sheet of blueprints. But when complete, it'll be the instrument of any hero's demise - the key to our takeover."

"Even HotGuy?"

Doc could feel his anger rising ever so slightly at the sound of his arch-nemesis's name. "Yes, my son. Even HotGuy won't be able to stop us. Soon, we'll rule this city, as father and son."

Doc then left the room, leaving CuteGuy to his devices. CuteGuy waited until his father was out of earshot before pulling the HotGuy figure back out, positioning it just as it was before and picking up where he left off.

"Hahaha!" he cackled in his Doc voice. "Now I've got you! The legacy of HotGuy ends here!"

"I can't give up!" he said in his best HotGuy voice. "Heroes never give up, no matter the situation!"

With a final burst of strength, CuteGuy made his HotGuy figure fire an arrow, hitting the Hero Destroyer and "destroying" it.

"Noooo!" the Doc figure cried. "My plans are ruined!"

"That's what happens when you mess with HotGuy!" the figure called triumphantly.

CuteGuy couldn't help but beam in excitement as he hugged his HotGuy figure to his chest. HotGuy had saved the day yet again!

Suddenly, a shadow passed by his window. CuteGuy quickly turned to the window and opened it, his wings fluttering in excitement as he looked out.

He could've sworn he'd just seen HotGuy pass by!

Sure enough, there he was, swinging by on buildings with his trusty grapple arrows.

CuteGuy couldn't contain his excitement. To see HotGuy, in the flesh... It was the best day of his life.

But better days were soon to come...

Chapter Text

School life was difficult for CuteGuy.

It wasn't because of the homework. In fact, CuteGuy was doing quite well grade-wise. It was because of the bullies.

People would sometimes pick on CuteGuy for varying reasons. Some days, it would be because of his love for HotGuy (kids were weird sometimes). Other times, it was because he had a villain father. But most days, it was because of his wings.

Some days, he would come home in tears, with some feathers threatening to fall out after the bullies grabbed them one too many times. It was the one thing he hated about school.

But one day, things changed.

As CuteGuy settled into his seat that day, he could hear the snide remarks of the kids around him. He tried to ignore it as he listened to the teacher.

"Okay, class," the teacher said, a warm smile on her face. "We have a special guest for today. He's quite important to the city, but he said he could spare an hour."

CuteGuy perked up when he heard that. Who could be so important to the city?

Through the door then stepped a superhero with a black suit with orange and blue accents. Bright orange and blue glasses adorned his face, and a bow was slung over his back. "Hey, everyone!" HotGuy called, a huge smile on his face.

It was as if a firework had gone off in the room. Everyone clapped and cheered, including CuteGuy.

HotGuy waved to everybody and took a seat at the front of the class, his legs crossed.

"Thank you for sacrificing your time," the teacher told him. "I understand there are a few HotGuy fanatics in my class."

"No need, teach," HotGuy replied with his usual cocky swagger. "It's cool to see the smiles on these kids' faces."

The teacher turned towards her students. "Now, class, does anyone have any questions for HotGuy?"

Pretty much everyone raised their hand, and HotGuy called on a red-haired boy in the second row. "What was your favorite moment as a hero?" he asked excitedly.

HotGuy chuckled at that. "Well, there was this one time when I was stopping a robbery. They tried to blow up the place without realizing the bomb they had was a dud."

Fond laughter rippled through the classroom. Then, a blond-haired girl spoke up. "Do you have any family?"

HotGuy's face turned solemn. "Well... no. I lost my parents about six years ago, and... I had a little brother who disappeared, too. I haven't seen him in years. I hope he's okay..."

Questions continued to be tossed around. But CuteGuy, for all the excitement he'd had about meeting HotGuy in person, stayed silent. He was nervous about speaking up. Would he stutter a lot? Would his question be understood? Or would he just be making a fool of himself in the classroom?

Finally, HotGuy called on him, just noticing he hadn't spoken yet. In a shaky voice, CuteGuy asked, "Wh-What's your favorite thing about being a hero?"

HotGuy stayed silent for a moment, sucking in a breath before responding. "That's a tough one, little guy. I mean, there's a lot of good things about being a hero. The adrenaline rush when you're facing down a bad guy, the feeling you get when you're doing a good thing. But I think the best thing about being a hero is like when I walked in here today. Seeing the grateful smiles of the people I save, or even just making someone's day - that's what being a hero's all about for me. And it's the one reason I haven't stopped being a hero these past six years, and it's the one reason I won't ever stop."

CuteGuy couldn't help but smile at the hero's response. It's true, he had some good moments, too - using his wings to save an elderly neighbor's cat from a tree, returning a lost or stolen purse, that kind of thing. But he never had a feeling as good as the one HotGuy was describing.

But maybe someday, he could be a hero too.

And he'd have HotGuy to thank for that.

Chapter Text

CuteGuy never knew what would happen that day.

But just a few weeks after the school visit, he got to see his hero in person.

He was in an old building nearby, watching HotGuy battle a villain from afar. The villain was equipped with a pair of gloves that allowed him to shoot fireballs - but of course, that didn't deter HotGuy in the slightest.

As CuteGuy watched, HotGuy and the villain traded blows until the villain had HotGuy cornered. He powered up a fireball, ready to end the hero once and for all...

A worried look spread across CuteGuy's face as he watched his hero from above. "Come on, HotGuy," he whispered. "Please... Don't give up, please..."

Almost as if he'd heard him, HotGuy notched an arrow and fired it at the villain. It hit the power source on the gloves, sending the fireball hurtling in a random direction. With a few more punches, the villain was defeated.

CuteGuy couldn't help but cheer. HotGuy had won!

He danced around the building, excited for his hero. But as he turned around, he stifled a gasp.

The stray fireball had hit the building, causing it to catch on fire - and now CuteGuy was stuck inside!

CuteGuy tried to see a way past the flames, but they were too strong, and his wings were too weak to fly him out. He curled up in the corner, paralyzed with fear as he watched the flames grow closer.

"Help...," he whimpered, his voice barely audible above the roaring flames. "Help..."

He shut his eyes, tears streaming down his face as he awaited the end...

Suddenly, a comfortingly familiar voice echoed through the air. "Kid!" HotGuy yelled. "You in there?!"

CuteGuy's eyes snapped open as he heard HotGuy's voice calling out to him. "HotGuy, help!" he cried. "I'm up here! Help, help!"

Within seconds of him crying out, he could see the figure of HotGuy racing through the flames to get to him. "Hang on, kid! I'm here!"

CuteGuy reached his arms out, and HotGuy scooped him up and raced out of the building with him in his arms. Together, they raced out of the building, with the hero shielding the young boy with his body.

CuteGuy couldn't believe it at first. He'd been saved by his hero... his idol... It took all he had to stay composed.

HotGuy cradled CuteGuy in his arms as they sat in the street outside the building. "Hey, kid," he asked, "you okay?"

CuteGuy looked up towards HotGuy and nodded gratefully. Then, it all came spilling out.

"I love you, HotGuy!" he cried. "I-I love your work and-and all that you do for this city! I-I just..." He couldn't speak coherently anymore. HotGuy couldn't help but chuckle a bit.

"Looks like I've got a fan, huh?"

CuteGuy nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah! My dad and I-"

A look of realization and horror crossed his face. "Oh my gosh, my dad! He's gonna be worried sick! I-"

"Hey, hey. Take it easy, kiddo," HotGuy said, his voice a balm for CuteGuy's troubled soul. "Come on, I'll take you back home."

CuteGuy looked up at HotGuy. "You'd... really do that?"

HotGuy chuckled again as he stood up, CuteGuy still in his arms. "Yeah, it's my pleasure," he said as he began to walk in the direction of CuteGuy's home.

CuteGuy snuggled closer into HotGuy's chest. "Thank you for saving me," he murmured.

HotGuy's smile grew bigger. "Hey, it's no problem," he answered. "Just doing my job as a hero."

Chapter Text

CuteGuy had always known his father was a villain. The evil planning, the mannerisms, everything about it screamed "bad guy". It was the one reason CuteGuy had never revealed his love for superheroes.

But one day, a few weeks after HotGuy had saved his life, everything changed.

CuteGuy was wandering around his house when he suddenly heard some strange noises coming from Doc's lab. He knew he wasn't allowed inside, but curiosity drew him closer. Keeping his wings tucked close to his body, he stepped inside.

Inside was like a maze of machinery and evil plans. Bolts and screws were scattered everywhere, and the charred remains of old plans - probably from his father's incinerator - littered the ground.

But what he saw at the center of the room shook him to the core.

Doc was there, standing over a table with a smug look on his face. Next to him was some sort of control panel, with a few monitors that were clearly designed to read vital signs... vital signs from a person who would be strapped to that same table. But strapped onto the table... was HotGuy.

CuteGuy's face paled at the sight. HotGuy was restrained with thick leather straps, a metal muzzle clamped over his mouth to prevent him from crying out. Worse still, he was completely unresponsive - his eyes were shut, and he wasn't moving at all. Had Doc drugged him?

And another thing - how could Doc do this? He'd been so grateful - albeit begrudgingly - that HotGuy had saved CuteGuy's life a few weeks before. Doc had gone crazy!

CuteGuy was snapped out of his thoughts by a spike on the heart monitor. HotGuy had suddenly awoken and was now thrashing against his bonds, struggling desperately to break free. He was panicking, and it broke CuteGuy's heart to see that.

Doc had noticed this, too, but he was acting strangely calm about it. He picked up a syringe from off the table next to him, piercing the needle into HotGuy's arm and injecting him with a clear liquid. "Ssshhhh..." he whispered in a sickeningly sweet voice. "Back to sleep, little hero..."

HotGuy's struggles weakened, and his eyes became heavy. Within moments, he'd passed out again.

CuteGuy's hand flew to his mouth as he watched this whole thing happen. Why was this happening to HotGuy? What was Doc planning to do with him?

As it turned out, that second question was about to be answered...

"He'll never know the truth," Doc said to himself - but it was still loud enough that CuteGuy could hear. "Once I get rid of HotGuy, the truth shall die with him. The boy shall be mine... forever."

This was like a stab to the heart. What truth? Why was Doc so inclined to keep him?

Was he actually going to kill HotGuy...?

CuteGuy silently left the lab, a million different things going through his head. HotGuy was hurt and in trouble... Doc was getting crazier. And if CuteGuy didn't act, HotGuy could end up paying the ultimate price...

But CuteGuy knew what he had to do. He had to save his hero. And he'd do it, come hell or high water.

Chapter Text

That night, CuteGuy waited until Doc was asleep before sneaking back into Doc's lab. He knew he had to interfere in his father's evil plan; if he didn't do that, HotGuy would die. The young boy was well aware that he was risking incurring his father's wrath by doing this, but he didn't care.

He had to save his hero, no matter what it took.

As he entered the lab, he could hear the machines all around him as they beeped and churned. But he wasn't worried about that. Right now, CuteGuy was more concerned with who was still chained to the table in the middle of the lab.

He slowly approached the table, his heart breaking at the sight of HotGuy looking so weak and vulnerable. The poor hero was still unconscious - Doc must've given him an extra dose of the serum before retiring for the night - and the straps still held firm. Taking a deep breath, CuteGuy reached out to undo the restraints.

Suddenly, the heart monitor began to go haywire, and HotGuy awoke with a start, beginning to thrash in his bonds again, his cries for help muffled by the metal muzzle over his mouth. CuteGuy knew that any noise could potentially alert his father to what he was doing, and he had to calm HotGuy quickly. So, he quickly put his hand on the hero's arm.

"HotGuy, shh... shhhh...," he whispered. "It's okay... I'm gonna get you out of here."

He reached up and unhooked the muzzle from HotGuy's face. HotGuy took a breath as he looked at CuteGuy, confusion and fear written across his face.

"You...," he said breathlessly. "Aren't you... that one kid from the school...? The one with the wings...?"

CuteGuy nodded. "My father's gonna kill you in the morning. I... I can't let that happen, no matter what he says."

He pressed a button on a nearby console, causing the restraints holding HotGuy to the table to be released. HotGuy sat up, running his wrists where the restraints had held him. CuteGuy took his hand, helping him off the table.

"Come on," he said. "Let's get you out of here. I know a shortcut."

CuteGuy led HotGuy over to one of the walls and pulled on a hidden lever, revealing a secret passage leading to the city. The young boy helped his hero navigate the passage until they were safely outside, avoiding any confrontation with the evil scientist.

CuteGuy felt a surge of relief as they exited the tunnel. He'd done it... he'd saved his hero!

HotGuy turned towards CuteGuy as they hit the fresh air. "...Thanks, kiddo," he said after a moment. "You... You really saved me back there."

CuteGuy felt himself blushing at the sudden praise from his hero. "It-It was nothing," he said, taking HotGuy's proud expression to heart. Then, he plucked a loose feather from his wing and gave it to HotGuy.

"Here," he added, pressing it into HotGuy's palm. "To remember me by."

HotGuy clutched the red-and-blue feather in his palm. "Hey, kid... What was your name again?" he asked.

CuteGuy looked up towards HotGuy. "I-It's... It's CuteGuy."

A flicker of recognition appeared in HotGuy's eyes. CuteGuy... Where had he heard that name before...?

"Thanks again, kid," HotGuy replied after a moment. "You've done me, and this whole city, a great deed." Then, he fired off a grapple arrow and took off into the night, the events of the evening burned into his memory.

CuteGuy waved goodbye as he watched his hero leave. He knew he'd be facing some retribution at the hands of his father the next day when he inevitably discovered HotGuy's absence.

But CuteGuy didn't care. After all, he'd just saved his hero... and he'd do it all over again in a heartbeat.

Chapter Text

A mother was making dinner; a father was doing paperwork. Two little boys, one age fourteen and the other age five, were playing with their superhero action figures in the elder's room upstairs.

"Ha! Take that, you mean villain!" the older one yelled as he bashed his hero figure into a villain figure, much to the younger boy's delight.

"Boys!" the mother called. "Time for dinner!"

"Coming, Mom!" the older boy replied, taking his little brother's hand. "What are you waiting for? Come on, CuteGuy!"

* * *

When HotGuy arrived back at his base later that night, he found that memory replaying in his head. He thought he'd seen that kid somewhere... the kid with the colorful wings... the kid that had saved him that night...

It couldn't be... could it...?

HotGuy entered his base and approached his massive console. "Computer."

An artificial voice responded. "Yes, HotGuy?"

HotGuy put the feather that CuteGuy had given him onto a terminal. "I need you to run a DNA scan on this thing. I need to know who this kid is."

"Of course, HotGuy."

A wave of dizziness washed over HotGuy, and he collapsed down on a nearby couch. "And run a diagnostics scan... see if there's anything left over from that serum."

"Affirmative."

While he waited for the scans to complete, HotGuy's mind continued to replay that scene from his childhood. The kid he'd been playing with was becoming more and more familiar with each passing second...

"Diagnostics scan complete," the Computer interrupted his thoughts. "You seem to have a lingering effect from the serum, but it's not substantial or life-threatening. The overdose, however, could've been fatal if left unchecked. Be grateful you got out of there."

HotGuy sighed in relief. At least he wasn't dying anytime soon. "How you doing on that DNA scan?"

"DNA scan of provided sample is 50% complete."

HotGuy leaned back, putting a hand on his forehead to try in vain to stop another wave of dizziness. "Just... let me know when that's done?"

"HotGuy, your body is showing signs of exhaustion. Perhaps you should take an unassisted rest?"

"No, no, I can handle it," HotGuy stubbornly replied. "At least until I get the results, then I'll consider a nap."

The Computer said nothing, only continuing with its work. A few minutes later, it was done. 

"DNA scan complete. Analyzing results... It would seem the DNA matches one 'CuteGuy', a ten-year-old boy who currently lives with Doc, your arch-nemesis. The sample you've provided me is from one of his wings, and... Oh, dear."

HotGuy's dizziness disappeared in an instant. He sat up, his heart rate increasing. "What? What's 'Oh, dear'?"

"I'm having trouble processing this... but the boy's DNA signature is nearly identical to your own. Almost as if... you came from the same family."

In that moment, everything shifted. Everything else faded out as HotGuy's mind struggled to process this. His eyes lit up as the memory replayed - now more clear than ever - and he finally realized that the little boy who had saved him that night was the very same boy he'd been searching for for five years.

"He's... He's my... my little brother..."