𝘋𝘠𝘕𝘈𝘔𝘌𝘛𝘐𝘒𝘈//𝘒.𝘉𝘢𝘬𝘶𝘨𝘰𝘶 𝘹 𝘯𝘳.1 𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳

20. 𝘖𝘕𝘌 𝘚𝘐𝘋𝘌 𝘖𝘍 𝘈 𝘊𝘖𝘐𝘕

THE VILLAINS

"I'm going out." Phantom mumbled, wrapping a red scarf around her neck. "Be careful, there's heroes everywhere at this time of day." Venom spoke, not looking up from her book. Phantom smiled. "Y'know, usually people warn about villains being outside at night." She said, Venom shrugged. "Not when you're the person that people get warned about."

The winter brought darkness, and the streets were mostly empty. She snuggled her face into her scarf to maintain warmth and continued walking. The door to the only open grocery store dinged when she entered it. The girl grabbed a cupcake and a candle. "Keep the change." She said to the old woman on the cashier, who smiled at her happily.

She jumped on a bus that she never thought she'd ride again and sat all the way in the back. It was empty, except for the driver. "Here we go.." She whispered, finally getting the lighter that she stole from Chain to work. The candle was lit now and Phantom rested her head on the back of the seat. "Happy death day to me I guess.." She sighed, blowing at the candle before the wax could reach the slightly stale pastry under it.

November 2, the day she presumably died, was not a day that she usually celebrated. It brought back painful memories, but she's built up the courage to not ignore her past for the first time since she ran away. She bit into the cupcake, and brushed off the crumbs that fell on her beige coat. The bus halted to a stop. She crumpled the wrapping and threw it away before skipping out of the bus.

Cold air entered her lungs as she took a deep breath. She hadn't visited this place for two years. 'And to think I was 16 the last time I came here.' Phantom walked through the clean streets of her old neighbourhood, kicking a pebble with every step. It was a nice place on a nice side of town. Of course, that's to be expected from a hero couple. Only the elites live here. Elites who don't have time for their kids so they stuff them with money.

"The Christmas presents are under the tree honey, your dad and I are so sorry but this is an emergency." The 12 year old's mother was frantic as she slipped into her hero suit. "What about dinner mom?" The pink eyed child asked. "In the fridge." She replied. "No, I mean, are you gonna make it to christmas dinner?"

The mother turned to her daughter, a look of pity on her face. "C'mon we need to leave!" A honk was heard from outside, the child's father was waiting for his partner to get her hero suit on so that they could answer to the villain attack nearby. "I'm sorry. I don't know." She told the little girl before walking out the door and running to the car.

She sighed, locking the door behind her parents and shuffling to the christmas tree. She made herself comfortable with a warm blanket and sat down on the floor. The presents were wrapped with beautiful wrapping paper, she almost felt bad about having to tear it off. She opened the first one, it was the newest type of PC. Smiling, she set it down next to her and continued.

The pattern stayed the same, just like every Christmas. The latest expensive technology presents to keep her busy, her parents having to spend the night outside to take care of emergencies, her having to microwave christmas dinner and eat it alone. She's spent more Christmases alone than with them.

Beeping was heard from the microwave. She set her meal down on the large table, the only light illuminating the empty dining room was a lonely candle that the child had set up. "Being alone on Christmas isn't as fun as it is in the movies." She sighed, talking to the little spider plushie. It was her favorite. It was from the last christmas she spent with her mom and dad, she was 8.

"Y'know, they don't even look at me sometimes. It's like I'm just haunting the house and not living in it." She played with the now cold food in front of her. "I've tried everything. They're just so busy." The spider plushie stared, and the little girl sighed. "I know, it's silly to feel like they care about their job more than me. Of course their job is important, they're heroes." A tear fell onto the cold steak.

"I'm just tired of spending all my time alone. Like a phantom."

She paused in front of the vast house that she used to live in. "What the hell is this.." Whispered the girl, kneeling in front of a picture of herself. There were candles lit around it, and flowers, new and old, scattered. "A... shrine..?" Her hand shook as she picked up a notebook that was beside the picture. She wasn't sure if the shaking was her nerves or the cold. Perhaps both.

The pages of the book were filled with letters. Her mouth was slightly ajar as she flipped through them, it was her classmates...

'To Yurei,

You were my best friend. I miss you. I'm sad that you left me, we all are.

Chiyo.'

'What is she talking about..?' Phantom frowned, racking her brain for a memory where Chiyo actually hung out with her.

"Hey Chiyo!" The little girl waved, running up to her classmate. Her classmate pursed her lips before turning around and sending her a smile. "Hey Yurei, sorry my dad is here I have to go home." She said, the little girl paused. "Oh. Okay, do you wanna hang out tomorrow then?" Chiyo shook her head. "No sorry, I have to sleep over at my grandma's house. I'm sure we'll find another time!" She said before running off and leaving the other girl alone.

"Yeah. Sure."

Phantom turned the page. Another letter.

'Rest in peace, Yurei. You were so fun to be with. I still remember our date together, I enjoyed every second of it! We miss you.

Hachiro.'

'Date..? Does he mean the date that he pretended to ask me on for entertainment? He didn't even go to that date, he ghosted me..' She recalled, ripping the page out and ripping it to shreds. All the other letters were the same. Every single classmate that ignored her in her living days was pretending to have known and liked her now that she's dead. It was unbelievable.

"Stupid fucking fakes.." She muttered, holding the book over one of the candles. It caught on fire and she threw it on the ground beside her, letting it burn. Her eyes were filled with angry tears as she stared at the picture of her younger self. "I can't believe they wrote down all this shit.." "The audacity is unbelievable isn't it." A cold silky voice added from behind her.

Her head whipped back so fast she almost blew out the candles with her hair. There stood Venom with the book, still on fire, and in her hand. She threw back on the ground and stomped on it with the heel of her stiletto. "Happy death day dear." Venom whispered, a little box in her hand. Phantom stood up, whipping her eyes with her sleeves. "Y-you scared me.." The red eyed woman chuckled. "Well, I am naturally terrifying."

"You followed me?" Asked Phantom. "I was worried. Don't hate me for it." She smiled. Phantom shook her head, grabbing the box from her hand. She opened it, and there she saw a little charm bracelet. There was a ghost shaped charm, along with a spider shaped one. She had a big smile on her face while Venom clipped the bracelet onto her arm. "It's great, thank you." "No problem. Come on, let's go."

"Wait." Venom paused, turning to look at the kid. "Can I do something first..?" She mumbled, her gaze on the memorial shrine. Venom smiled, knowing exactly what was gonna happen. She shot a web at a nearby branch and snapped it off the tree. "Go crazy kid." She smirked, throwing the branch into the Phantom's hands. "Thank you." "It's nothing. I'll be waiting at the bus stop. Don't get caught."

Phantom turned to the shrine, anger burning in her eyes. She raised her arm, tightly gripping the branch, and slammed it down onto the shrine. "Friends my ass.." She grunted, breaking the glass on the frame. "You ruined everything. You made my only moment your own, this is supposed to be about me!" The candles were knocked over, making the flowers catch on fire. "This is the only thing I get about myself and you ruined it you selfish bastards.."

She felt a drop of water slide down her black and purple hair, making her sigh. The rain put out the fire behind her as she walked away, not sparing her old house another glance. Water phased through her body while walking. 'I guess the quirk that was a slap in the face to my situation as a child is useful.' She laughed quietly to herself. Venom stood waiting for her at the bus stop with an umbrella in hand. The woman smiled.

Venom extended her arm and wrapped it around Phantom, who had turned off her quirk so that the woman could touch her. She pulled the kid closer so that the both of them could stand under the umbrella.

"That felt good. Thanks Shiro."

"I bet it did. Let's go home kid."