Written to a prompt I found here. 

Red wasn’t supposed to be out on his own yet.  He was supposed to be a sidekick.  He was supposed to be following Blue around still, maybe cracking wise and maybe just mopping up the henchmen that got away.

But that wasn’t what he’d signed up for.  That wasn’t what he’d been training until all hours of the night for, sneaking out of study hall for, spending every minute he could in the lab for.  No.  No, he was a meta, a shining new example of the Modern Superhero – that had been what Teen Vogue had said – and he was going to be the best damn superhero this city had.

Which meant taking down Midnight Obsidian.  Not because the super-villain was the worst the city had – no, they had worse.  Not because she’d done anything to Red specifically – Blue had helped Red take down the villain who’d killed his foster-mother within weeks of picking him up as a  – cringe – sidekick.  No.  The last time they’d fought, Obsidian had looked straight at him and then told Blue to take him home until he was old enough to fight.  Just stopped fighting, refused to fight Red.  Refused to fight Blue when Red was there.

So now, he was going to ambush – had ambushed – Midnight Obsidian.  Everything was going right.  The wires and the lines and even the dumpsters had answered his call.  Midnight Obsidian was trapped.  Red was doing exactly what he’d wanted to.  He was showing he could fight!

Something went sideways – he had no idea what – something hit him in the face, and the next thing Red knew, he was falling down.  He wasn’t quite unconscious, but he couldn’t make his limbs move.

For a heartbeat, Red panicked.  Was he paralyzed?  But then there were hands under him and he could feel them, he just couldn’t move.

“Holy Hell,” Midnight Obsidian murmured, “Blue Fire is ridiculous.  How does he let you out of his sight?  You’re a kid.  You’re a good kid, but you’re not ready for this.”

The villain huffed quietly.  “You’ve got to stop picking fights with people you’re not ready for.  Boss Sunshine, you’d be dead already and Blue would be doing that stupid melodrama thing he does.  Same thing goes for Freeze, Inc.  You’re a kid…”

“Not…”  Speaking was like pushing air through molasses.

“I know it sucks.  You want to be tough and ready.  But – damnit.  I’m kidnapping you.”

If he could have tensed, he would have.  Something must have showed.

“Relax, kiddo.  I don’t hurt children.  What I will do is train you.  Not to be a villain, no.  You’re too sparkly clean for that.”

He was being placed in a car.  He hadn’t even known Midnight Obsidian had a car.

“I’m going to teach you to be strong enough to take me down.”