jim's footsteps echoed as he walked through the dark lab corridors. if he cared about being stealthy, he would have worn different shoes. but this wasn't the sort of job that warranted that. it was easier to just let victor find and catch him, listen to his monologues, let him use whatever new toy or pet he had on him, and then find a way to escape. there was no need to really stop someone who wasn't dangerous to begin with.

it was more or less the ideal situation for him, though. what jim was doing still counted as a job, despite the fact that he wasn't saving anyone from anything. well, he supposed if he didn't do it, someone else would - so he was saving someone from getting eaten by a robotic dragon, at least.

he had been wandering around for a while. normally, he would have gotten caught in some sort of trap by now. was victor not there? did something happen to him? he was usually pretty good at letting him know if he was sick, or had other plans. maybe he was intentionally waiting, to build tension, or catch him off guard.

it could be a chance to explore a bit. jim could always find the exit when he was leaving, but he never spent enough time navigating to build a good mental map of the area. there were a lot of rooms he had never been in.

he poked his head into a few, but the first ones he looked at were mostly empty, or seemed to just be storage rooms. he never understood the need for the place to be so big - victor usually only took him to the same couple of rooms. maybe it was just big and complicated for the sake of it, to make it more confusing, or more like a secret lair. maybe he had plans for these other rooms that he just hadn't gotten around to yet.

the next room he looked at was different - there was a desk with a computer, a workbench, and an old sofa at the back, with a crt in front of it. there was no one in the room at the moment, as far as he could tell, but it looked like someone was living in it, or at least spent the night there sometimes. victor was the only person he had ever seen in the lab, so it could have been him. he supposed he'd never seen victor's living space, and he didn't really know what his tastes were outside of his villain persona. still, it was difficult to imagine him spending a lot of time in this room. he had the feeling if victor really had to live in the lab, he would have preferred sleeping on the table he strapped jim to sometimes, surrounded by the green glow of the pods and the whirring and buzzing of the machines.

the idea that someone else might have been staying here didn't particularly bother him, though. he made a mental note of it and closed the door, moving on to the other rooms.

the other ones in that area were still mostly empty, so he tried the area near the usual lab rooms victor would be in.

there was a dressing room, which had a very normal layout, although the colors and lighting all matched the evil scientist aesthetic, and of course all of the clothes were things victor would wear. the fact that even this room, which jim presumably wasn't meant to see, still had this amount of effort put into its atmosphere solidified the idea that that other room didn't belong to victor.

in his boredom, he did examine the clothes a bit more closely. he recognized most of them, but there were a few in the back which he hadn't seen. they were all latex.

well, it wasn't really his business. then again, none of this was. he wasn't supposed to see any of this.

he wandered into another room, which looked like a meeting room. there were monitors on the wall showing camera feeds of the rooms he had just been in, and a tall chair on the other side of the table, facing away from him.

he froze.

the chair turned, slowly, in a way that already told him that the person sitting in it wasn't victor.

"hello, jim," they said. "have you been enjoying yourself? i know there isn't much to see."

he'd never met adrianus, and victor had never told him much about them, but he had a feeling that was who this was. they certainly sounded like the person who was really in charge.

there were so many questions in his mind, he wasn't sure where to start. he didn't know anything about their intentions. sure, victor had never been a threat to him, but this was someone else, someone who clearly had more power and resources, at the very least.

"where's victor?" he finally asked.

they smiled. "he couldn't quite make it to the lab today. he's perfectly fine, though. he's simply... tied up right now. but it's a good chance for me to finally speak with you."

their tone said that he was tied up in a very literal sense, and that they were the one who did it.

"what do you want from me?"

"i only wanted to meet you, to have a conversation. you can sit down, if you'd like."

"i'm supposed to just have a friendly conversation with my enemy's boss?"

"would you be more comfortable if i strapped you down to the table while we spoke?"

they made it sound more like an invitation than a threat.

he hesitated, but he pulled out a seat, and finally sat down. admittedly, it really might have been more comfortable being strapped down, if only because it would make it clearer what exactly their dynamic was supposed to be. but he certainly wasn't going to ask for that.

"very good," they said. "you can just relax."

the word only made him more tense and alert. "you're supporting victor, aren't you? this is a lot to invest into someone who isn't getting anything done. does he serve some purpose for you?"

"you could say he does."

it didn't seem like they were going to give a straight answer. was victor some kind of distraction? a puppet? he was certainly easy to manipulate, so if that's all they were looking for, it made sense they would choose him. and with victor as the actual villain, adrianus wouldn't have to worry about fighting anyone themself. victor could unknowingly play a part in their plans, and since even he wouldn't know what he was actually doing, it would be difficult for anyone to stop it.

"well," jim said, "if you have any big plans, i guess you wouldn't tell me about them."

"mm," they hummed. "i suppose i have some plans. you did see those outfits in the dressing room, which victor still has yet to wear... i'd like to try brainwashing him into a drone for a bit."

he couldn't do anything except stare, for a moment. he wasn't sure how to respond. "is there... is there really anything he would do for you as a drone that he wouldn't do for you already?"

"nothing in particular, i'd imagine."

was he essentially just a test subject, then? that wouldn't be a very good test, though. what about the other person who was potentially staying in the room he saw earlier? he didn't imagine that couch was for adrianus.

"is there someone else who uses this lab?"

"yes, an inventor named bill. i've been commissioning him for the machines that victor uses. but, you know, some of them are quite large and clunky, and difficult to transport... it just made sense to give him a workspace here. he's been quite helpful as an assistant, as well."

it was strange how transparent they were about that - it sounded like bill was pretty important. the machines he had made were impressive. if there really was some big plan jim had to stop, he'd probably go after bill, first.

then again, he supposed his assumption that adrianus was some sort of genius mastermind wasn't founded on anything in particular. it just seemed safer to proceed with caution, to see what he could figure out.

"you're still quite tense, aren't you?" adrianus asked.

"if you're supporting a villain, i should consider you a villain. and unlike with victor, i don't know what you ultimately want."

they paused for a moment, looking closely at him. their smile gradually widened. "you're right," they said. "it wouldn't be wise of you to let your guard down around me, would it?"

"that's obvious."

"well, from my perspective, i was just thinking that it doesn't particularly matter either way. i have a clear advantage here, after all. i know this lab better than you, and have complete control over it. not only that, but while you know very little about me, i've seen all of your interactions with victor. so i know a bit about you, jim."

right. there were cameras.

he thought back to the different things victor had done to him. he spent most of his time being bored and unimpressed with him, so it didn't seem like any of it would be too revealing. he hadn't even used his powers around him, so they shouldn't have had any way of knowing about that.

"oh, and by the way," they continued, "thank you for leaving victor hypnotized for me, the other day. we had quite a nice session after that."

his heart pounded as the realization struck - they had seen him get hypnotized. even if victor was too blinded by his own ego to keep him under for very long, any half decent hypnotist could have figured out what worked on him just by watching how he reacted. he wasn't being subtle.

"victor isn't hard to hypnotize," jim responded flatly, trying not to show any nervousness.

"he's been hypnotized multiple times before, after all. though he was quite easy to begin with."

adrianus was clearly very interested in hypnosis, brainwashing, and mind control, which were, incidentally, jim's biggest weaknesses. this was a dangerous conversation.

they did say they only wanted to talk with him. maybe they weren't lying. they only wanted to speak, because that's all they needed to do to put him in a trance, to give him suggestions that were convenient for them.

"you seem knowledgeable about hypnosis, yourself," they said gently.

"i guess so."

he wanted to think that, in a situation like this, he could just resist. that he would feel unsafe enough to be completely unaffected.

he knew that wasn't the case, though. he could feel it as he looked at them, sitting in that tall, important looking chair, the only one on the other side of the table, with all of those monitors behind them, in this giant lab that they owned... they exuded a sense of control.

it wasn't just that. the possibility that this was dangerous, the idea that he really shouldn't give in, was exactly what made him feel like he would. the overwhelming feeling of curiosity had already made it difficult to think rationally, and they hadn't even said anything hypnotic yet.

"you must have a lot of experience with it."

"i guess."

"particularly as the subject."

he couldn't stop the blood from rushing to his head. "and i'm guessing you have a lot of experience as the hypnotist."

"well, i don't want to brag. but it is a hobby of mine. i do it whenever i get the chance. i suppose that adds up."

his body already felt stiff, almost frozen, and he could tell he was listening more intently. he was anticipating it.

it was embarrassing, really. he had no excuse for it. they hadn't done anything. he tried to muster up some resistance, to remind himself that this was a mysterious villain who might be using him for something. he might not have taken much pride in his role as a hero or considered it anything more than a job, but even employment was worth more than this.

he needed to know their intentions. he needed any bit of power or control he could get. he didn't have much practice with his mind reading ability, but this was a situation where he could warrant using it.

he focused on them, looking directly into their eyes - thankfully, he was used to being hypnotized while using his powers, so the very light trance he was in made it a bit easier.

it was hard to make out the exact words of their thoughts, like trying to listen to someone through a wall. but he could get the tone, the feeling. they were comfortable, calm, amused... affectionate?

the words became a bit clearer. something about how intensely he was looking at them. wondering if he was already in a bit of a trance. wondering how slowly they should take it, how long they could tease him for. whether they should plant any lasting suggestions or trigger words. they seemed as if they were deciding against that, though.

he couldn't maintain his power any longer, becoming aware of himself and his own body again.

what had he learned from that? they didn't seem like they were planning to do anything permanent. they also hadn't noticed he was doing anything. that was good, at least. he still didn't know much about their goals or intentions, though.

"you've been very quiet," they said. "is something wrong?"

"no, i'm fine. i'm just thinking."

"thinking about hypnosis?"

it wasn't inaccurate. "well, that's what we were talking about."

"of course. it's only natural you would be thinking about it."

it was obvious what they were doing, and he already knew they were trying to tease him and bring him down slowly, but it still got him. it was enough just to hear a phrase that registered to him as intentionally hypnotic, to hear them encourage him to think about hypnosis, to tell him that was normal. it sent a wave through his mind, which was all the more powerful because he had been anticipating it, maybe even wanting it, this entire time.

did he have a reason to resist? the idea that he was even asking himself that question, as if the answer wasn't obviously yes, made him feel weak. even if they didn't implant any sort of permanent trigger, they could still get information from him. even just letting them know that they can hypnotize him was risky - if they could do it now, there was nothing stopping them from doing it again, and again, getting whatever they wanted from him, working their way up to more complicated and permanent suggestions. of course they were hesitant to start with that - there was a higher chance of failure if they did that now.

was there anything he could do? he didn't have enough confidence in his other psychic abilities, and he didn't want them to catch on to them, either. he also didn't think he could run away.

"you can just keep thinking about being hypnotized," they murmured.

his thoughts stopped dead in their tracks, being replaced with a fuzzy feeling in his head, and the idea of him giving in. his body was warm and tingly.

he was able to snap out of it somewhat, but it was an unexpectedly powerful reaction to such a simple sentence.

and they were just toying with him.

he had to at least say something, he couldn't just sit there and be quiet, politely waiting for them to give him more suggestions. but what was he even going to say? what was there to say?

"what do you... what would you... do with me, if you had complete control over me?"

it was probably a stupid question. it didn't sound like he was resisting, or trying to figure out the situation, it sounded like he was getting off on it, like he was inviting them to seduce him.

they looked very pleased to hear it. "that's a good question," they said, looking at him as if they were really considering it. "well, there are a lot of things, really. perhaps i would make you lose to victor, force you to obey him. or, i could make you serve me... as a villain, or even as a maid, or a butler... oh, or i could keep you as a pet, or a doll, or a test subject, as well." they paused. "well, what do you think? i wonder which of those sounds the worst to you..."

"losing to victor," he said, without hesitation.

it got a genuine chuckle from them. "then i'd definitely like to see that. but perhaps i'd get a better response if i asked which sounds the best to you."

he didn't have an answer.

"you do seem like such a wonderful subject," they continued, speaking slowly. "i would love to keep you here, to hypnotize you as long and as often as i like..."

he shuddered.

"to make you so susceptible, so easy... that i could put you in a deep trance with just a touch..."

his whole spine was tingling.

"you'd listen to anything i said... you couldn't resist... and you'd like it. wouldn't you?"

it was too easy. the things they were saying weren't anything special, really. but they resonated with him. they sounded appealing. none of the things he had been thinking about earlier felt important anymore.

he wanted to stay here with them. maybe to be trapped here. to let them do whatever they wanted.

"i'm... you're barely... you've barely done anything," he said blankly, trying to hang on to the one waking thought that remained in his head. "you've barely done anything. you've barely done anything..."

"it's so hard to think now, isn't it?"

"you haven't..." his mind was numb. "i can't give in this quickly."

"oh, don't worry, jim. i'll keep hypnotizing you. there's no rush."

"i can't just let you..."

he wasn't sure why he was saying that anymore. he might have only been resisting so they would push him down deeper.

there was a calmness, an emptiness inside him.

"that's very cute," they said, their voice almost a whisper. "you sink so quickly, but there's that part of you that doesn't... very interesting."

he had to argue, to do... something.

"and after you tried so hard to be cautious... after all that wariness... you still wanted to be hypnotized. i could convince you to stay here, right now, couldn't i? i could simply guide you to another room, and use the brainwashing device on you, and you wouldn't resist at all."

brainwashing device... he might resist. no, he wouldn't... he just preferred hypnosis. but he still would have let them.

"well, i'm sorry... i'm afraid i won't be keeping you here. i don't think i could find a better hero to be victor's rival. i enjoy your dynamic... i wouldn't want to ruin it. but i wouldn't mind playing with you a bit, every now and then... perhaps someday i'll find another use for you."

their voice sounded so nice. their tone was gentle and relaxing.

"until then, i hope in your waking state, you still consider me a threat and an enemy."

he was sure he would, despite the fact that he was perfectly comfortable at that moment. somehow, it didn't feel contradictory at all.

"i'd like you to wake up now."

it wasn't what he wanted to hear, but he straightened up, his senses returning to him, his eyebrows furrowing.

"did you enjoy your sleep?" they taunted.

"look, i..." he put his head in his hand. "whatever. i'll learn how to resist or counter it. or i'll figure out what you're trying to do."

"but, jim," they said, their voice slipping back into that hypnotic tone, "doesn't it feel so nice to give in?"

his breathing slowed, his eyes unfocusing.

"you... you just woke me up," he said quietly, "of course i'm still going to be... it's just..."

"that's right, jim. it's easy to go right back down into trance, isn't it?"

it was, and he knew it.

"remember that there's nothing stopping me... i can always hypnotize you. this was your best chance at resisting. the more i hypnotize you, the more you get used to it, the easier it is to give in. the more helpless you become. i'd like you to be very aware of that fact every time you see me. do you understand?"

it wasn't a complicated idea, or anything he hadn't already thought. "i do."

"very good. this was a very productive first meeting. you can wake up again, now."

he looked away from them. it wasn't fair, really, for anyone to be this powerful.

he would have to figure something out.

"well, am i free to go?" he finally asked. "or are you going to hypnotize me and force me to stay after all?"

"you really shouldn't tempt me," they replied. "but, you are free to leave. would you also like to go search for victor, or should i take care of him?"

they really had tied him up. he considered it for a moment.

"you can take care of him," he said, getting out of his chair and walking toward the door.

"you don't want to see him today? or have you had enough exploring?"

"it's not that." he wondered if he should even say it. he supposed it didn't matter. "he should get a reward after being stuck on his own for so long. you should brainwash him."

they smiled, a casual, friendly smile, that could almost make him forget they were a villain. "how considerate of you."

he turned away and stepped out of the room.