“Where am I? Who am I?”
I woke up and found myself on the floor of the single room house that I call home for some strange reason that I haven’t quite figured out yet. I mean it isn’t very much. Hell I would even call it a house. More like a run-down cottage.
Now why did I wake up? Was it the dream that I had? No that couldn’t be it. That can’t be it. I haven’t been able to remember my dreams for years. But why did I wake up?
It’s night. Time to go to work.
Now I know I’m missing something. Aw yes, Introductions. My name I prefer not to say mainly because it is not who I am. The name that I call myself is Phantom, and that is how most of the world knows me. Yes I said most of the world.
Why I say that is because I am a super hero of sorts, but the reason why the most of the world knows me is because I am rather special. I have the power to manipulate my form into what looks like the grim reaper. So in reality the world knows me but doesn’t know me. Anyway, I am a bounty hunter of sorts. But this profession wasn’t my first choice. I had to become what I am because I was chosen to do this. Who I shall not tell at the moment.
I have been on my own since I was nine years old. I’m almost sixteen. My parents abandoned me to an orphanage when I was nine, so I have a very vague remembrance of them but I wouldn’t care to know them any more than I do. I haven’t gone to school in a year because you kind of have to give it up if you do what I do.
Well enough of that, time to get to work.
I went to my usual stake out spot. At a hotel roof. My equipment consists of two custom thirteen mm automatic pistols that hold six rounds and are ten inches long. And two black single sided swords that are razor sharp and are almost five feet long.
I was on top of the building waiting watching. As usual my heart rate started to pick up. The rush when you know something is about to happen.
That didn’t happen until another five minutes. A man in a white Mercedes, not at all inconspicuous at all, walked into the hotel. Dressed in black and holding a big suit case.
Time to take action. I went down to the ally way next to the hotel and walked in. There he was at the reception desk. I saw his room key. Room 406. Time for him to have a little bit of room service.
Instead of taking the elevator I take the stairs. About five minutes later I make it to the fourth floor and find room 406.
I knock on the door and wait. There was a bang and a slight pain in my shoulder. He knew I was coming. He opened the door and grabbed my coat and threw me down the hall.
“You are starting to lose your touch Phantom. You should have known that I would have known you would come after me sooner or later.” He said. “I mean come on, a pathetic piece of shit like me is going to destroy the great Phantom.”
“You sure do talk a lot of shit you know that.” I put one of my guns up to his head and fired. The bullet went through his head and he went on the ground.
“You’re right about one thing, you are a pathetic piece of shit.” I turn around and found another sharp pain except this time it was in my back.
“You think you can get rid of me that easily! I don’t think so.” He pulled out two sawed off double barrel shot guns and fired. I could feel the pellets ripping my flesh. Thank god I’m already dead.
“He wants you dead Phantom, and I’m going to be the one to do it. He entrusted this to me and I dare not fail him. I can see it now, he will finally be rid of you.”
“Again talk too much.” I pulled out both my guns and unloaded all the rounds. He went down again but this time I knew it was dead. That’s right, an it, he’s one of the many that I like to call the Soulless.
They are what I hunt and part of the reason why I am what I am. I took his case and went to the roof. Sirens, right on time. I roof jumped to an abandoned building. One more thing before I continue, I don’t stay in a house for more than a month. I went in through the fire escape and walked into what looked like the main room.
I took out the Soullesses case and examined through it. It was empty. Why? I examined the case to see if there was a secret area. None. Again why? Setup? No that couldn’t be it. I’ll have to figure this out later. I went over to one of the windows that overlooks the street. Then I see them. My best friends that I had to leave behind for their own safety.
Then I see something else. Someone paying a bit too much attention to them. I reach out to see if he has a soul. None. Fuck, I ran down the fire escape and start to follow my friends and the Soulless.
They go into a building, good, this doesn’t have to be public. I follow them in and followed them all the way to the fifth floor. I got there just in time to see the Soulless start to make a move.
“Where is Phantom?” He was pointing a gun at one of my closest friends Shadow, he prefers the name he chose also.
“WHERE IS HE!” The soulless yelled.
“I don’t know.” Said Shadow. “I haven’t seen him in about a year.”
He started to pull the trigger and that’s when I acted. I took out one of my swords and swung it cutting off one of its arms.
“There you are you little bastard.” He pulled out another gun and I swung again cutting off that arm. It then showed his true colors.
It was a mixture between spikes and a body. Its skin started to turn ghost pale and its skin started becoming bone tight and the face and its features started to turn more to a triangle. The hands became claws and it grew three feet.
I put one of my swords away and drew one of my guns and fired. All the rounds hit but not where I wanted. So I took my sword and drove it right through where the heart is supposed to be. Blood went everywhere and started to pool around it and me.
I put my sword away and took a look at my past friends. They had a look of disbelief on their faces and looks of awe. Why did it have to be them?
When I looked at my friends all I saw was disbelief and surprise. I could practically here all the questions coming. Then I saw someone was missing out of the group. An old friend of mine Vinyl Scratch. Where was she? She always came with us when we went out but why isn't she here with them.
"Where's Vinyl?" I asked.
"I thought you would know." Said another one of my friends, Twilight Sparkle.
She said that rather cold.
"Where the fuck have you been Phantom?" Said Shadow. "Where the fuck have you been when she went missing? When we all needed you the most. Hell, when Sunray got into a fucking accident and didn't quite make it. Where were you!?"
Cold.
"When Sunray died, I went to his funeral. I just stayed hidden and didn't make myself known to the people that were there. I was away because I had business to take care of and had to stay away so that that business didn't come looking for you. But it appears that it already has."
Then another friend of mine, Rainbow Dash, spoke up. "So that thing is apart of your 'business'."
I looked at my watch. Shit, been here for way too long.
"Listen, and please don't do anything when I say this but I have to go. Before you say anything I can guarantee that I'll see you again and I'll be a lot closer than I was before. But please I must go."
I saw them start to protest but I left before they could say a word.
I went to the abandoned building and sat down in a recliner and thought about why the Soulless would start hunting my friends. Looks like I'll have to try to interrogator one. Not as easy as it sounds.
I then heard a sound behind me and pulled out one of my swords and pointed it at the intruders neck.
It was yet another friend of mine, actually two of them, Twilight and Rarity.
I looked at them and they me.
"What are you doing here?" I ask them.
"We wanted to ask you more questions." Said Twilight.
"How did you find me?"
"Ha, deary you seriously think that this can keep you from being hidden. I mean it's so you." Said Rarity.
"Thanks. Why isn't Shadow with you?"
"We didn't tell him that we were going to look for you. Or you would probably know what he would do to you if he got to you in private." Said Twilight.
"Yea, probably wouldn't be too friendly. So, what do you have for me?"
"Where have you been?"
"Away."
"Can't you give us a specific place?"
"No."
"Oh, come on Phantom, you know you can trust us." Said Rarity.
"Yes, I do. But if I give you too much information and tell you what's going on, you all will be in more trouble than you already are. Trust me on this one."
"How can we trust you?" Shouted Twilight. "After you left without a trace without telling us where you were going and not even letting us know why, or where. You didn't even leave us a damn note."
"I'm sorry, but what you saw at that building is why I can't tell you much. Or I promise you that you will have a lot more to deal with than just one. Hell, you even being here is giving you a risk of attracting more of them to you."
"Well, why?" Asked Rarity.
"Because they all want me dead because of what I am. You tend to get weird shit coming after you if you mess with the wrong people."
"Can you at least tell us what they are and what they do?" Asked Twilight.
"They are called the Soulless. What they do differs. They each have a different rank, and it depends on that rank what they are capable of. The one that you saw tonight was a lower to mid rank. The reason that they were coming after you is either that you are associated with me or some other reason that I don't know."
"What do they want with you?" Asked Twilight.
"They want me for what I have done, and what I am. Again you get some really weird shit coming after you if you mess with the wrong people."
"Well who was it that you got on the wrong side of?" Asked Rarity.
"You destroyed him once at the Chrystal Empire."
"You don't mean Sombra, do you?" Asked Twilight. She also went a little pale at the mention of him.
"Bingo."
"How did he return? I mean how can he, we destroyed him, and he hasn't been heard from since."
"Well, then guess who fuck up."
"We have to warn Celestia and Luna, this can't go unnoticed." Said Twilight.
"No. Sombra gets his power from the misery of the world, and the more misery there is, the worst the outcome. He is already too powerful for those to combined, and if he destroys them, he can take their power and become the strongest out of everybody."
"How is he stronger than them?" Asked Twilight.
"As I said, the people that he kills he can take their power. He's already killed thousands, and those thousands became the Soulless. Now imagine those thousands to be the royal guards of Canterlot, and then at that to how many people are miserable on this Earth at one time. Not a pretty number."
I look at the time and realize how late it is.
"It's late, I recommend you two get home."
"How do we know that you'll be here tomorrow?"
"Well now that you know that I'm staying here, I probably won't be in this building, but I'll be close."
I took them to the door and bid them farewell. But Rarity stopped and turned around and gave me a tight hug.
"Please don't leave us again." I heard her whisper.
I whispered back. "I won't. Not now."
She then left.
I went back inside and thought about all of the events that happened tonight. Then I thought about the Soulless at the hotel.
"How does he know where I am?" I mumbled.
I stayed on the subject until I felt how exhausted I am. So I went to the bedroom and rested wile I could.
Tomorrow, I'll worry about it.
