(Spoilers for the Bad ending)

Mack sat in his cell. His hands cuffed in front of him, his heroic blue armor replaced with a purple prison jumpsuit. His helmet gone, his once short dark honey colored hair was now long and shaggy.

He sat in the cell, looking at the floor. His mind racing, trying to make sense of everything.

How could this have happened? How could he have failed? How did Crow beat him?

That last question echoed in his mind.

Crow, his purple armored archenemy. He had dismissed him as a harmless villain... and now he was ruler of the world.

Mack couldn't wrap his mind around it. Crow always talked a big game, but he was never a real threat. Mack knew him since his childhood. He was just a proud brat that was all talk.

When Crow officially became a villain, Mack admitted that the first few fights, they were something. They were close clashes, those were fights a hero could get excited about! If Crow had succeed then, what happened now would not be such a shock.

Mack remembered how their first battle went down.

Crow had captured princess Mayapple for the first time. He had hacked into Macro city's jumbo screen to declare himself as a super villain. The city was in a panic from the giant robot he was piloting. He was laughing as he was demolishing the city.

Mack was just recently made the Hero of Macro city. At that time, Mack was nervous, this was his first battle against a villain! Against his old friend.

The drama, the tension, the whole world seemed to stop as they clashed.

Mack remembered striking the final blow that caused the machine to malfunction. He broke into the face of the robot, scooping up Mayapple, and flying out just moments before before the bot started sputtering and seizing. Which resulted in his nemesis being flung into the sky.

"I'll get you for this!" Crow roared as he was tossed away from the city.

After Mack safely landed he put the brunette haired princess down. She kissed him on the cheek, thanking him for rescuing her.

The city cheered for him. That was Mack's first taste of being a hero. Mayapple made him an apple pie as thanks for her rescue. He received his first medal of heroism. He even started dating Mayapple after that.

Mack remembered thinking how he would always be ready to fight Crow and be able to always protect Mayapple.

But time passed, 6 years of nothing but repeated battles and it all started to wear the blue clad hero down. Crow always coming back, kidnapping Mayapple, Mack kicking his butt, the people would cheer, he would get another apple pie.

It got to the point where Mack didn't even need to try to defeat him. It was as simple as breathing.

It didn't help that Crow just started to seemed less and less threatening as the years went on. The villain would show up to play Tennis at times.

Mayapple was inviting a villain to play to play board games with them! It was ridiculous!

Mayapple was a sweet girl, always trying to see the good in everyone. So this wasn't that surprising. But that sweetness also started to get too much for Mack. It was always the same thing. They never got into arguments, they never seemed out of sync. To everyone else, they seemed like the perfect couple. Mack was sick of it. He remembered on that day he let Crow get away. He was trying to think of reasons why to break up with Mayapple. He admits it wasn't his most exemplary moment.

Mack didn't know at that time why he decided to let Crow leave with the princess that day. He didn't think they were an item at all. In truth, now that he has had time to think about it the answer was simple, He was bored.

He wanted to change things up. He always just thought, he could save her later if things got serious. Hell, he wanted things to get serious.

But that's when he got his wish. Things did get serious and it cost him. Crow defeated him once. Then he did it twice.

Mack flashed to moments before Crow activated the Doom howitzer.

Mack tried to to stop his doomsday device. He harnessed powers beyond his imagination to stop him. He used a super form. The ultimate trick in the hero handbook to stop a villain. But Crow had beaten him still.

Mack came back to reality to realize one rather cruel fact.

Crow wasn't the one to break the status quo, it was him. He was a hero that didn't save his princess when he had the chance. He let this happen. Crow used this as a chance to grow, and become stronger. Crow outgrew him.

Mack heard the sound of footsteps approaching his cell. It was the purple clad villain himself.

"Well if isn't the failure of a hero himself." Crow mocked.

Mack didn't look up at him. His eye looked to the floor. He remained silent.

Crow didn't seemed bothered by his silence.

"You know Mack, Its hard to believe it's been 3 months since I've conquered the world. I am almost expecting to wake up, and turn on the tv to see you getting another medal for your 'heroics'" he said putting air quotes on the last word.

Mack looked up to meet Crows eyes. Mack looked at him with anger.

"But enough about nonexistent realities. Nearly every resistance against me has fallen. There is only a small group left, lead by non other then your ex."

"Mayapple?" Mack uttered in both hope and surprise.

"Who would have thought. Anyway, that isn't the reason I came down here." Crow's tone shifting to a more serious manner of speaking.

"Why are you here?" Mack questioned.

The nefarious villain's sharp teeth shined as he grinned

"Let's just say, You are going to be very useful in my empire."

He laughed maniacally as his minions showed up and opened Mack's Cell.

"Take him to my lab." Crow ordered.

"Right away." They answered. The grabbed Mack and started leading him to the lab.

For the first time in a while, Mack felt very scared of what was gonna happen next.

thoughts?

please tell me if you like thes one shots or if you want an expansion on them.