Phantom Assassin (2015 version)

Christmas Special!

This chapter will be inserted somewhere later in the novel as an official chapter.

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Trace straightened his tie and combed his short-ish brown hair to the side. His crystalline brown eyes stared back at him in the mirror and he smiled.

He felt sort of normal. There was a strange feeling of nostalgia, but he didn't know the reasoning behind it.

"Hey, Trace!" Shallomar pranced into the small bathroom and gasped exaggeratedly. "Wow! You look stunning!"

Trace gushed, not hiding the heat rising into his cheeks. His lips grew bashful, so he nibbled on his lip.

"Oi, Trace!" Hailey called over Shallomar's shoulder. Her eyes widened when she saw him. "You're wearing that?"

Trace looked down at his neat indigo suit and Italian dress shoes. What was wrong with trying to look nice?

As if answering his thoughts, Hailey groaned. "Trace, this is a normal mission. Christmas or not, or Hannakah or whatever. We still have to obey Phantom regulations."

Rolling his eyes, Trace turned back towards the mirror and once again straightened his tie.

Hailey sighed and left the scene, leaving Shallomar and Trace alone.

"Why doesn't she understand we are trying to get into the spirit?" Trace asked Shallomar, smirking a little at the last few words.

She grinned as well, her features dark. "I dunno. Maybe she doesn't celebrate the holiday."

Trace nodded at his reflection and turned to Shallomar. He held out his elbow and she took it.

She was dressed in a pretty pale blue dress with ribbon lining the waist, a perfect match to his tux. Her hair was down all the way, so it reached her hips and her short body rose to Trace's shoulder when she had her high-heels on.

"Shall we go?" Trace looked down at her and smirked. She looked up at him and returned the expression with an added nod.

Trace took a step forward and pushed in his Modifier. The world went black around them and they floated in limbo until a faded room came into view.

The only light was that of a Christmas tree and a crackling fireplace. Above the mantlepiece were four hanging stockings. Two children and two adults.

Trace glided over to one of them and plucked out a Hershey's kiss, proceeding to unwrap and toss it into his mouth.

Shallomar didn't notice his theft, but made her way to the presents under the tree.

The wrapping paper was all of different colors and shapes. Reindeer and Santa wrap was the popular item, it seemed.

Shallomar placed her hand on a tall package. Her eyes glowed red and she licked her lips. Following immediately after, two pairs of footsteps thumped lightly on the staircase.

In only a few seconds, a pair of little boys appeared before them, anxious smiles disappearing into horrified expressions.

Trace chuckled and knelt in front of one of them, as if bowing before a king.

"We are Santa's beloved elves," he said, hiding his evil laughter.

Shallomar giggled and nodded, playing along.

"Now, if you don't mind us," Trace looked up slightly at the boys. Their smiles had returned.

"Am I on the nice list?" They both spoke in unison.

Trace laughed, glanced towards Shallomar, and then shook his head.

At the same exact moment, Shallomar and Trace both materialized into their cloaks.

"What are your names?" Shallomar asked, sliding a short dagger from her side pocket. It glowed red momentarily.

"Richard and Tomas," one of them answered.

"And how old are you?"

They both held up eight fingers. How sweet. Cute.

It really was too bad they were to be killed...

Trace smiled, pulling out his sword. "Boys, please kneel."

They obeyed and grinned in excitement.

"Now, I dub thee, Tomas and Richard," Trace tapped his sword gently on their shoulders and then lifted the blade high. "Both of whom shall forever be on the naughty list."

In one fell swoop, Trace split Tomas's head in two. It wasn't a clean cut. Blood spattered everywhere, sizzling on Trace's lips. He licked it off and his insignia responded by sending a chill through his arm.

Shallomar slit Richard's throat and began dancing around the slumped-over body. Blood still sprayed from the wound, raining the room with wonderful crimson droplets.

Strange, how the boys hadn't even screamed at their undoing.

Trace didn't think anything of what he had done, but instead he smiled at Shallomar.

He quickly planted a kiss on her forehead and linked arms with her.

Together, they tossed the bodies into the fire and the flames licked up the flesh hungrily. Several pops sounded as if the bodies were crackling wood.

When satisfied, they teleported back to Phantom. The parents weren't asked to be killed, so why do extra work?

When they reached the dorm where WP7 resided, Hailey threw open the door and shouted "Merry Christmas!"

The room was decorated in ribbons and lights. A spectacular sight.

Dereck shivered. "You both reek and look disgusting... So if you don't mind, before we eat cake..."

Trace laughed the same time as Shallomar. "Yeah, we'll go clean up."

And so the Christmas of WP7 was a night to remember.