~(Y/n)'s POV~
All I could see when I opened my eyes was the dark, which means I couldn't see much of anything. I turned my head in every direction, however there was nothing but the horizon. I tried taking a step but it felt like I was ankle deep in water, the ripples continuing far past what my vision allowed.
"Hello?" I called "Can anyone hear me?" There was no answer other than my own echo before that too, faded.
Suddenly, everything erupted into fire.
The void was replaced with a searing flame, everywhere other than a small clearing around me was now a roaring inferno. Smoke whirled and made shapes, swirling around me as I turned round and round.
"Turn and turn little hero. Look who is responsible for the darkness!" A hoarse voice spoke from beyond the flames, echoing around me, "You are no longer any better than any of the villains you used to stop." The water slowly began to pull me under, like a monster grabbing at my feet.
"You're wrong! I'm only killing the ones that can't be saved! I'm still the hero!" I shouted as I struggled against the murky depths.
The voice laughed from the darkness, A deep and dark sound "Then little hero...." The smoke swirled and coalesced into...me? As Sphyx grabbed my throat and I looked past my own broken mask, into my own black eyes, tinged with the sparks of hatred he spoke; "What's the plan when it's you who can't be saved?" My eyes widened and he plunged me all the way under.
I started falling. Falling down into a pit of nothingness. '...Am I...doing the right thing?' I wrestled with my thoughts before my falling came to an abrupt stop.
As I floated in the void I began to catch glimpses of...scenes? Or snippets of conversations. I couldn't fully make out what was being said before I suddenly jolted awake, staring at an unfamiliar ceiling.
I was on a couch, and was covered in bandages yet...I didn't feel any pain? "How...?" I stared in amazement at my chest and body in general. My thoughts were interrupted by a voice
"I know a thing or two about patching up." May spoke from...where had she come from? She was sitting on the floor next to me. Her eyes looked tired yet somehow...happy? "Used that workshopping class and made a Health Kit from a video game, since those heal everything and my power makes that real I just sorta slapped you with it until you stopped looking like death. Left me tired as all hell though..."
I stared at her for a long while, she stared back, looking increasingly nervous before I spoke up. "You're...overpowered..." I sweat dropped.
She grinned and smacked my chest. "Don't worry, I know." Her expression then turned a bit sour. "So...are we gonna talk about why you showed up at my door dying and in the mask and uniform of the killer on the news?" I felt my face pale, but...maybe she'd understand? She did mug me at first.
"May...if I tell you something, you have to promise not to tell anyone else, okay?"
She vehemently nodded in agreement. I sighed, and told her everything. About how I was Ignite, my time with Douse, her eventual betrayal and Zephyr's part in it. I told her about my Twist, and then the events leading up to me killing him. Then finally about Douse and her team jumping me. I left out that I knew the Twins personally, or Winter.
By the time I had finished telling her everything, she had tears in her eyes. She smacked my chest again, then hugged me. "I'm so sorry...that's horrible. To have such a good thing ripped away from you..."
I just looked at her blankly. "So...you don't mind the whole...me killing people now?"
She shrugged, "I've seen the type of people you've been killing. Luckily, I managed to avoid really doing anything more than stealing, but those guys...good riddance."
"...Are you sure they did a proper mental evaluation for you?"
"I can always make this toy knife real and put you back into the condition you showed up in." She calmly threatened me.
"Where did you even...Noted, I'll shut up."
"Good, you're learning!"
...May can be scary.
"Alright. Now get up. Let's see if smacking you fixed everything. Plus...you could really use some sunlight."
"That hurts..."
She stood up and watched me expectantly. I hesitatingly began to pull myself up, marveling at how I mostly only felt sore at worst. I did a few stretches, testing out my flexibility.
"May...this is amazing...seriously I don't even think Levia can do this...good..." My voice died out as I thought of Winter, she probably...won't want to see me anymore, and you can forget about healing.
May looked at me curiously and then made me sit down again. "Look. Do you want to talk about it? All of it? You obviously never told anyone about being Ignite. And being a goody two shoes means you couldn't have let out any of your frustration about people right?"
I looked at her a little shocked. The girl who didn't know how a microwave worked, the one who yelled at ice cream, is now doing some complex reading on my psyche?
I sighed. Maybe...she's right.
I took a deep breath. "Alright, so..."
~Two Hours Later~
I shook my hands around as I yelled at May, well, not AT at her, just in general. "And how did I ever get the most flak for being 'destructive' or a 'menace to personal property and safety'!? I know I had fire powers but I did my best to not break anything! I always got thrown into stuff! For fucks sake the bastards had water and wind! They could make hurricanes! I can't imagine how much mold must've grown from water being everywhere! And the wind?! God that must've been worse! One minute the wind makes you cold, so what do you do? You get a jacket, but then the wind is gone and now it's hot outside again!" I took a deep breath. "Wind's like...worthless until it gets super fast right? He must've caused so much more damage than me!"
~Another Hour Later~
I sat with my head in my hands, my voice breaking as I continue. "—And how was I repaid for trying the hardest? It's like I never even really was a hero! I was like an idol or something! Like some sort of musician! It wasn't until I really started thinking about killing criminals that I realized I had been...used! What happens when Ignite disappears? Nothing! They just replace me as number one with that bag of wind and move on! Shouldn't heroes have big, flashy funerals? I mean how many times did I save this good for nothing city? Just to be...forgotten..."
May patted me on the back sympathetically, a small part of me felt like it was a sarcastic pat on the back. I looked at her and frowned, she had a smirk on her face. "You fuckin talk a lot man."
"Oh wow, thanks 'friend'" I snorted. "I pour my heart out to you and that's all you have to say?" I sighed again as I thought of something else. "All those people know who I am now...what am I supposed to do at school? They'll report me for sure...I'm gonna be kicked out and then I'll be homeless." I put my head in my hands again.
May hummed in thought "Fuck school then."
...What?
May looked at me "Just go full time as Sphyx. I know where a few criminals hide out, you can just get rid of them, take it as your hideout so you can stay somewhere, and just go to work. Maybe once they see you're serious about only killing criminals and super criminals they won't bother you as much?"
I looked at her kinda surprised. "I never really expected something so...smart from someone who didn't know what a microwave was—"
She immediately pulled her knife out, already very real and sharp, her eyes dangerous. "Bring that up again and I'll gut you." She put it down and shrugged "But yeah. Obviously you really care about the city, and your friends-" she slugged my shoulder, "-so go and get your hands dirty. It's not much to go on but you've got the right idea."
I raised an eyebrow at her. "That sounds like a quote. Did you just quote something at me?"
May laughed, I never really noticed how nice it sounded. "No! How would I know how to quote anything?"
She stood up and pulled me to my feet. "Now c'mon. You're gonna pay for my shopping since I just heard you ramble for 3 hours."
She started dragging me towards the door as I began my protest. "I'm trying to avoid seeing like...five different people right now, and you're gonna drag me around in the city?!"
She opened the door and looked at me, her face almost emotionless. "Yes. Yes I am."
She continued to drag me until the stairs that left her floor. I decided to walk by that point because getting dragged down a flight of stairs by a girl shorter than me seemed like it wouldn't be a good look.
We did have to make a quick stop at my room so
I could change. Walking around in the outfit I'd gotten my ass beat in was a quick way to get found out. I slipped into jeans and a t-shirt, then threw a hoodie on. I met back up with May after making sure I wasn't about to run into the Twins...or Winter...then we walked to the mall.
My eyes were darting around nervously. I still felt like I was getting stalked.
...I should trust my feelings more often.
We were walking through a nearby park between university and the mall when it happened.
"(YYYYYYYYYY/NNNNNNNN)!" I barely registered that it was my name before I was tackled violently into the grass.
"What the hell? I didn't do it!" I thrashed and managed to turn my head to see...pink?
Willow looked up at me grinning. "You're under arrest, punk!We were supposed to hang out today! But instead you're out here having a park date with May? Unacceptable!" She stood up and put her foot on my back. "I am now tagging along!"
May frowned and muttered "Sure, help yourself...I know him better than anyone now anyways..."
Willow whipped her head around. "What was that? I couldn't hear you, 'bestie'." She smiled sweetly but she sounded..scary.
May fixed her expression to something normal "Oh nothing, nothing!" She pulled me to my feet.
I dusted myself off. "Y'know...I really need to be nicer to you two. I've been too sad lately."
Willow and May shared a look before shrugging. "Yeah," Willow answered "You have. But that's what friends are for y'know? Make sure the others are doing alright, even if I'm a rockin punk I still gotta make sure you're okay." She looked at May. "You too I guess."
May looked surprised for a second. "Huh...I never thought I'd actually wanna be better friends with you, Willow. Maybe you're not all bad."
I smiled. I mean, sure, my ass got beat and I've lost half my friends. But that's made me realize I need to do better for the ones I have left.
...Wait...should it be this easy for me to flip view points? I frowned, then smiled again. "Alright fuck it. Let's do something weird." They both looked at me confused as I continued. "Let's go get masks from that professional guy. I know all of us don't do that but wouldn't it be kinda cool?"
May looked at me skeptically, but Willow grinned. "Sounds rad. Let's go!"
The three of us changed course and started heading for the mask maker. Not much is really known about him but it's a well respected rule for villains and heroes alike to not ask who he sells masks to. Customer confidentiality and all that. Plus the last 'tough guy' hero to try and get him to name some villains was found absolutely thrashed. I think the medical examiner said he was attacked by like...fifteen people.
When we arrived, a small store sign illuminated the alleyway. On it read...
...Mask Shop...How original.
A/n:
Phienix0629: Thank you so much for reading the first chapter of our comeback. The second chapter will be released either later tonight or tomorrow. Sorry for the year long wait, we just got to a point that we got stuck at for a little, plus our personal lives became busy. Anyways, the next chapter will be a decent bit longer. Thank you for reading once again.
Stars: Life has a funny way of motivating you. A Typhoon came through my area and knocked out everything so all I had was time to write. Can't wait to get back into the swing of all of this with you all.