Hero & Villain

Jodie | 1336w

I must admit, I didn't think he would actually agree to that. It must be really important to him to keep his identity a secret from Falcon. I snigger to myself as I remember how angry Macer was when he was ordering me not to call him Kitten. I wonder why he cares.

I balance the plate of food and water glass while I unlock and open the door to Falcon's room. I prepare to possibly be attacked, but soon relax when I see him huddled up on the bed. He peeks up at me, seeming to shrink as I walk forward. I set the tray of assorted foods on the bedside table, then the water next to it.

I settle on the foot of the bed, slouching against the short baseboard and crossing my legs. "Eat something. I don't want you passing out again," I tell him. The only sign of him having heard me is his ears twitching slightly. A few seconds later he peeks at me again, then emerges from his hiding spot in the bundle of blankets.

They puddle around his lap as he reluctantly reaches out and grabs a tiny piece of chicken. He nibbles on it with hunched shoulders, looking up at me every now and then. I just watch him, hiding my surprise when I see his fluffy tail curving around his hip and resting over his thigh. The tip of his tail twitches nervously every time I shift, so I hold as still as I can.

I wait until he's eaten a few more bites of stuff before speaking up again. "So... a kitty form, huh?" I ask, noting how he instantly stills, though doesn't reply. "How come you're so docile?" He peeks up at me with a questioning look in his eyes.

I huff slightly, then smirk. "Compliant." I sit up, leaning toward him. "Timid." I rock forward onto my hands while he nervously leans back. "Obedient." I crawl toward him a little. "Submissive." I hover over him as he presses into the pillows, looking frightened. "Well?" I question, squinting my eyes at him.

His lip trembles and his hands curl together at his chest. "D-Don't wa-want to be-be hur-rt," he sniffles. I frown and sit back on my heels, studying him.

He wasn't like this before he got cat features, so obviously it came along with them. However, when he looked fully human he also didn't seem as menacing as Falcon does. Perhaps each... form, comes with differences in mentality. I've impersonated and questioned enough people to be able to recognize when someone is in a different mindset than normal. Like Falcon is right now.

I tilt my head slightly in thought, blinking when Falcon seems to unconsciously do the same. He seems to be trying very hard to please me, like he's vying for a reward. He's obviously not though, it's more like he's trying to avoid a punishment. It makes me think he was abused, but when I think back to him in his normal form he didn't show signs of trauma. Nor does he as Falcon.

Which makes me think I was right about him having multiple different mindsets. It's like he has DID, except when he transitions personalities his body follows with its own changes. Or maybe is the other way around, but it must be something of that sort, it's really the only thing that makes sense.

I scoot back to the baseboard, and when he sucks in a breath I realize he must have been holding it. His eyes are shiny and I know if I hadn't pulled back he would have started crying, or possibly even passed out. I let him calm down for a minute, the gesture to the tray. "Have some more. You must still be hungry."

He sniffs into his sleeve-covered hand before starting to nibble on the food again, looking progressively more reluctant to do so. He stops after a while, looking up at me with pleading eyes. "Done ple-please M...Mast-ter...?" He asks, looking mostly asleep but also a bit sick.

I nod silently, hiding my shock at being called that as well as noting his relieved expression when I agree. "Are you tired?" I ask.

He blinks his eyes open again, seemingly struggling to focus as he nods. I slide off the bed, ruffle his hair even though he flinches, and walk toward the door. "Get some sleep then. I'll be coming to check on you in a little while, so don't get any ideas," I say sternly.

He nods with wide eyes that relax a bit when I offer a smile before closing the door. I lock it behind me, then make my way back upstairs.

Even though I didn't hear any noise while I was down there I half expect to find my house trashed, but it isn't. Lance, or Macer as he prefers to be called when he's like this, is silently pacing in my living room. His arms are stiff at his sides, his hands clenched into fists, and his face is set in a drawn, angry expression.

He whirls in me as soon as I open the door at the top of the stairs, eyes demanding an answer to his unspoken question. I shrug just to infuriate him, finally speaking when his eyes narrow and he stops his pacing.

"He's fine. I got him to eat a little and he's sleeping now," I explain, sauntering to the couch and plopping down.

Macer stalks over to stand right in front of me, looking down on me with an intimidating glare. "You made him cry, didn't you?" He demands in a growl, causing me to raise my eyebrows.

"Why would you think that?" I scoff.

He glares harder. "I could feel it. Why the hell was he crying?"

I roll me eyes, holding up a hand before he can bite my head off again. "He didn't cry, he only almost cried. And besides, I was just testing a theory."

Macer starts pacing again, looking like he wants to punch something. "What theory."

I grab my glass from beside the couch, taking a decidedly long sip before deigning to answer. "His different forms, they have different personalities." He does nothing but shoot me a withering glance that obviously says 'tell me something I don't know.' "His kitty form has definitely experienced some trauma." I feel the need to catch him off guard with something. There's no way he knows everything about Falcon, from what I've seen he's only been harboring him for a few days.

"Obviously." He replies simply. My lips pinch into a thin line.

"Where did you find him anyway?" I snap impatiently.

He doesn't even pause in his pacing. "I didn't. He found me. Showed up at my house after a patrol gone wrong." He glances at me when he says 'patrol', leading me to believe he's not telling the truth. At least not all of it.

I sigh, still wishing I could get a rise out of him. Normally I'm so good at it irritating him that it's irritating me how I can't seem to irritate him.

I let him pace for a few more minutes as I casually clean my fingernails. Eventually, I drop what I hope to be a rather sizable bomb.

"He called me Master."

The effect is instantaneous. Macer goes rigid, the only part of him moving is his twitching hands. His jaw is clenched and his eyes are shut, which I can only see because his mask is sitting on the coffee table in front of me. When he opens his eyes, which had seemed to be fading in color, they are bright and glowing once again.

Slowly, he turns to face me. Even though what I said was true and I can't see how it was my fault Falcon called me that, I can't help but feel as though I've finally gone too far with my teasing this time.

"Is that so."