The Phantom's Hero

8. Never lie to each other

The Phantom returned as Avery neared the completion of connecting the stabilisers in her suit. He approached her slowly with a tray that he set down between them. Avery took a few seconds to look away from the job at hand, her tongue sticking out as she focused. When she finally noticed the goodies on the tray, her stomach flipped in excitement.

The soup the chef had been making earlier that morning sat steaming as Simon poured it from the thermos. Two short glasses of water sat on the corner of the tray and on a plate next to the glasses sat two fresh rolls, thick with melting butter. Next to the rolls, Avery saw a mound of various cookies, all decorated with thick blobs of icing.

Simon watched her gape at the sight and he couldn't help the smile that came to his lips. "The kids decorated and ate most of them. I barely managed to rescue these."

"Kids. Like the ones in the kitchen?" Avery asked, her head tilting as he handed her the plate to take a roll. She took a warm roll and nibbled at the crust, careful not to spill crumbs in the mechanical pile beneath her.

"Yeah, the work boys, stable hands, and the chimney boy."

Avery coughed to barely avoid choking on her bread mid swallow. "You still send kids up the chimney?!" She gasped, her eyes wide.

"No!" The Phantom gasped quickly as Avery cleared her throat with some of the water. "God no! He's an apprentice."

Avery released a breath and side-eyed the man as she tasted a spoonful of the soup. Instantly she was distracted by the taste, although unsure of the ingredients inside. Together, the two ate their meals in silence as they occasionally tinkered with the parts on the floor between them. Once they had finished, the Phantom vanished once more to return the dirty bowls to the kitchen and seek some fresh coffee.

He returned a few minutes later with the coffee and yet another plate of biscuits, each of them decorated a little better than the last. Avery took a sip of coffee and hummed at the taste before taking a biscuit and nibbling around the edge.

Simon cleared his throat and licked his lips. "So." He began. "I..... I believe I owe you a story." Avery nodded, allowing him to continue as she focused on her suit. Unable to face her, he made his way over to the window to look out upon the slightly darkening sky, a storm threatening overhead. "Long ago, I had it all." He admitted.

Avery scoffed a laugh. "Seems like you have enough now."

Simon released a single puff of air through his nose and smiled. "Will you let me tell my story or not?"

Avery faked a loud, exasperated sigh. "Go on then."

"I was......" He drifted off, realising he couldn't say the things he yearned to say. Once again falling speechless. "..... was...."

"Was?" Avery repeated, her gaze flitting between the wires and the man.

"I was the high school quarterback. Prom king. I had an amazing girlfriend that loved me and I was going to marry her." He wanted to say, admitting everything to her.

"I did well in school. I had a loving mom and brother." He began. Pleased at that much, he could say. "I was on the football team and......I almost had a scholarship." Avery hummed, paying equal attention to him and her tasks. "We weren't Wayne manor rich, but we were comfortable." Avery felt herself smirk at his reference. "My father was paid handsomely for me to......be part of an experiment."

"An experiment?" Avery repeated, her head rising to look at him. "Why choose you?"

"The man who ran the experiments......he wanted to see if he could make me.....like...well."