Void didn’t want this. They didn’t want to burn it all down.

They wanted peace just as much as their enemy. But they had to keep this villain charade going, or risk being found by the people that they knew were still after them.

The unwelcoming scent of ashes filled the air as the building burned. It was familiar, and it would be strangely comforting if it wasn’t for the boy that they knew would be right behind them in less than a second.

“Void, stop it right now or I’ll be forced to contact the authorities.” A complicated prison of ice swirled up around Void.

Ah, and there he was. Void cursed, but they knew better than to struggle against the jail of frost. They wanted to burn the ice prison, but they knew that it wouldn’t work. Nothing of theirs worked against Cole. They’d tried for years but nothing worked.

“I didn’t mean to burn it,” Void said icily, “it just happened. Don’t throw me in jail, Cole, or I won’t ever forgive you.” Void was a filthy liar. They meant to burn it all, reduce it to ashes, but they wouldn’t admit that. And they would never forgive Cole. Ever.

Cole sighed. “You haven’t forgiven me anyway, and I see no reason for you to forgive me now just because I didn’t throw you into a jail you’ll break out of in a week. You know that no cell can hold you.”

Void was ready to cry, scream, laugh, smile. It was high praise from their enemy, but they weren’t ready to take it.

“Why don’t you get a real job instead of being a petty supervillain?” Cole asked. “You do nothing but murder, kill, and destroy. Is that really what you want to do with your life?”

Void didn’t answer. They couldn’t form a sentence. They wanted to deny it, say that they wanted a different life before they were forced to become a supervillain. But the truth was that they didn’t want to go back. They didn’t want to return to normal, live out a normal life as a regular citizen. They wanted to be Void for the rest of their life.

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“I’ll have to take that as a yes. And you should know that…” Cole paused, and Void could see fear and sorrow fill his striking blue eyes as they made eye contact with them. “I don’t forgive myself either. I shouldn’t have left you.”

His voice was shaky, full of hesitation and melancholy. So unlike Cole. And it made Void feel all the more powerful. “You damn well shouldn’t have.”

Cole didn’t look angry, like he usually was, so Void went on. “You pretend like you’re some flawless hero, but you’re just as bad as me. You just do your wrong deeds in secret.”

A flash of sorrow flew across Cole’s face. He gritted his teeth and clenched his fists, his knuckles white. “You think I don’t know that?” Cole cried, tears streaming down his cheeks. “I tried so hard to maintain my public image but it’s so hard, trying to be around you, trying to fight you…”

Void didn’t dare show any of their many emotions. Their dark mask concealed the small tear that slowly made its way down their face. “I don’t care!” they shouted. “If it was so hard for you then why don’t you just stop!”

Cole buried his raven-haired head in his hands. “Because, Void. I don’t want to go back. They can’t take me again. You can’t take me again.”

Void sneered. “Well, Cole,” they snarled, considering spitting in his face. “You don’t have my pity and you never will.” Void was ready to turn back, abandon Cole like he had done all that time ago, but that’s when the sound of a gun rang loudly in their ears and the world began spinning.

“Glacier!” a female voice cried. Void gritted their teeth. It was Cole’s—or, rather, Glacier’s, as the public liked to call his alter ego—obnoxious sidekick, Terra. “I’ll save you!” she exclaimed. It took a moment for Void to notice she was holding a metal gun in her hands. Fuck.

They felt a sharp pain in their chest as the speeding bullet pierced their skin. He could hear the faint sounds of Cole screaming. “Terra, no! Void!”

Void fell to the ground. They could hear Cole crying, whispering gentle things in their ear. All Void could do was lie there in shock, gasping at the pain making its way through their body.

“I’m… not sorry.” Their shaky last words left their mouth right as Cole began to grasp their hand.

“I’ll bring you back,” he cried. “I promise, I won’t let you die.”

Void closed their eyes for the last time.

“It’s my fault.”