It started with the rain. My worst enemy. And yet my greatest power. But I was still drowning as I watched it through the bar window. “Captain!” Spoons burst through the door. He was soaked through and yet he carried an umbrella. He spotted me and stole my drink. I dodged the splatters of water. “Are you just here to steal my whiskey?” “Sorry, Captain.” He set down the empty cup. “The admiral’s looking for you.” I poured myself another glass. “He can wait until the rain stops.” “But he’s on our ship now.” I swirled the whiskey in my cup. What could he want now? And risking the rain just to find me? Glancing down I took out my pocket watch. It was burning as a gentle glow emanated from it. The admiral had probably been trying to get ahold of me for hours. I sighed and put the watch back in my pocket without even glancing at the messages he’d left there. “He said it was urgent, Captain.” “Everything’s urgent to him.” I said without looking up. But I decided to throw back the cup of whiskey before leaving a few gold coins at the bar. I grabbed the umbrella and nodded to my cabin boy. He was dry now but willing to plunge back into the pouring rain. I followed closely behind making sure my hood stayed low over my eyes. One stray drop could ruin the buzz I’d fought so hard to obtain. Though the admiral’s temper could sober me up just as fast. Too soon we were back on the port. Spoons rushed aboard our ship, his footing sure despite the rain. I walked up the gang plank admiring my ship. Dark mahogany glinted as lightning struck across the sky. I smiled. Even in weather like this she was just as beautiful as the day I bought her. “About time you got here Sting.” I looked up at the admiral. He also stood under an umbrella, but his expression was dark. Yeah, I’d be sober soon enough. He followed me inside my cabin. I threw away my wet coat and umbrella. But he still stood dripping wet as he focused on the map pinned to the table. “You’ve done good work.” I glanced at the ocean map I’d been working on. It had been a request from one my diver friends. But the admiral was looking as if it wasn’t there. “What’s wrong, Manta?” He didn’t even glare at the nickname. “We need a map to Atlantis.” “You? Or the humans?” “They’ve grown too dangerous.” “So, your going to let them kill your own people?” He turned away. “They ceased being my people when they started attacking our ships.” “Because the humans keep over fishing. Where else are they going to get food?” “Ray.” He looked back, face hard. “Fine.” I opened the door. “Come back in three days.” He left with a nod. But I couldn’t let go of my ties in Atlantis. My people. “Spoons.” And in a moment the cabin boy was in my doorway. “I need the positions of every navy ship.” It was time to hit back in hard. Spoons’ eyes lit up. “Are we going to be pirates now?” “No.” I patted him on the head as I stepped out into the rain. “We’re going to be much worse.” As soon as the water hit my skin I could feel the call of the ocean. The rise and fall of the waves. And my crew busy cleaning the bottom of the ship. They felt my call and jumped on deck. All of them had scales and fins still on proud display as I inspected them. “What are your orders Captain?” My first mate asked. “Set sail in five.” “Aye Captain.” I stayed on deck as my crew worked. The ocean was answering my call as the waves swelled larger and larger. And by the time we left the harbor there was nothing left of it. No ships. No buildings. No humans. Spoons handed me a map he’d drawn on. And as always his echo location was superb. Now it was time to teach humanity it’s place on this planet. Hopefully they learned quickly or they would feel the power of the ocean once more. My pocket burned and I took the pocket watch out. Manta’s face glowered at me. “What the hell are you doing?” I shrugged. “Taking vengeance on humanity.” “You will regret this.” I smiled. “We’ll see.”

I often find myself sitting in the corner of the room, staring into the dusky black abyss. I wonder why no matter how hard I try, how much I want, I can not fit in.

I’m an outcast. The kid that sits at the table in the back of the cafeteria because nobody else wants to.

My only reason on this god-forsaken universe is to be of help to others.

I sometimes walk on the side of the road and think about what would happen if I.. fell. If I stayed there, unable to move, unable to be helped, to be saved.

I’m walking here right now. My raven hair moving in the direction of the wind. My too long pants being ripped more and more each step I take.

I walk until the soles on my shoes are destroyed. Until I can feel the pain and I’m sure that they’re bleeding. Then, I stop, but not really.

Mentally, I’m still walking. Still letting my feet hurt and bleed because I don’t care. I don’t care what happens to me.

I close my eyes and imagine myself on the top of a tall mountain, yelling at the world, them being able to finally hear me. The second I open them again, I’m suddenly in the middle of the road, in front of a car that’s driving faster than it should be, like it’s doing it on purpose, it’s only reason is to end my life.

I’ve never been afraid much of dying.. In fact, I’ve prayed for this exact scenario to happen. But, something is different now. I don’t want to die right now. There’s something different about death when you’re not expecting it.

I cover my eyes with my hands and await my fate. I can feel the car hit my body and crush it completely. I can feel the exact moment my life is taken from me. I can see it too.

Now laying on the hard ground, I reach upwards towards my own soul, begging for it to come back. It doesn’t. It leaves, just like the car that hit me, it leaves like I’m nothing. A piece of garbage that they couldn’t care less about.

And, maybe it’s this that makes me so angry I’m able to stand up again. Maybe it’s embarrassment. Whatever it is, it’s strong and it lifts me up back onto my feet.

I turn to the car which is still driving away. Not even sure what I’m doing, I lift my hand and squint my eyes, stopping it. Then, I crush it with my pointer finger and thumb.

When it’s a tiny ball of metal, I stop. I stop and walk away. Alive, or dead. I’m not sure which one. I just know that this won’t be the last time someone gets what they deserve.

Former child star Olympic swimmer Not very bright at school bullied for his looks like a mole a possible disfigurement. lost his older brother stabbed for his mobile. One day snapped and killed his brothers killer. Sent to juvenile instuite. Mother single was a secretly who dotted on her only son to become great. Took up swimming and was playing for the leagues. When on holiday he had a accident trying to save a man drowning. Broke his legs meant he would never swim again. Lost his money in a gambling fight which was stitched by a gang lend boss in a boxing ring which his brother attended before he was murdered. He eventually found work asa janitor at a advanced tech institute . Dr Faustus was studying a cure for various brain diseases and used him as unexpected lab rat. He collapsed suffered delusions, headaches and back pains and convulsions. When he awoke he was a changed man. He was suddenly very intelligent off the scale. He decided to change the world even it means destroying it. He became genius inventor inventing a bionic leg for his disability. His forehead has become so big that he even looks uglier. He may possess latent psychic powers. Subject is dangerous whereabouts unknown

“No one is born EVIL. It’s inflicted on them by the world, there experience make them twist up, experiences make people stiffen up like planks of wood, experiences make people see the world with fresh eyes. So Judge, no one begins evil, life makes even the sweetest people turn. That’s what happened to me. Sorry if this sounds attention seeking but the world wasn’t fair on me. Oh how? HOW WASN’T THE WORLD FAIR? How could the world possibly be SOOOO UNFAIR to little miss goody two shoes, teachers pet, nerd. HOW COULD THE WORLD BE SOOOO UNFAIR TO HER? Oh well I’ll tell you. I was born the eldest child in the suburbs. First red flag! Eldest child all the weight of the family put on their shoulders! My power was pretty much destruction, my blood is black and I can destroy the world with the raise of a hand. One flick of the wrist and the world engulfed. My sister had a basic useful power, telekinesis. Second red flag! An obscure power that makes people scared of you! No matter how scary my power was to people, they began to grow less scared and more empowered. They knew I would never use my power they even started to doubt I had one. They bullied me, beat me, laughed at me. THIRD RED FLAG right there!! Bullying, extra pressure put on my shoulders, on top of the weight of the family. My sister praised while me demeaned because of a stupid power assigned at birth. SEE THE WORLD WAS UNFAIR! It’s probably unfair for you right? RIGHT?! I’m sorry, sorry… I’ll calm down and start from the beginning. When you are born each person is given their own individual power. My power is ‘destruction’ That power isn’t all that exciting and isn’t really a crowd pleaser. I was never all that too popular at school to begin with, and especially more so after they found out what my power was. I was a ‘nerd’ and had the power to kill everyone or one person. A lot of people misunderstand what my power does, it’s mass destruction but can also be narrowed down to one person or more than that, but not all. I can focus on one person and they can die without killing anyone else. At the time I didn’t know that until July 2nd 2009, when I found out what I could do. School that morning was the same as usual, I walked to school, it rained, I went to class. Lunch was also the same, I was shut in a locker, ate my lunch by myself. Then at the end of the day was something that never happened before. I was pinned up against the wall by Charlie Grace and his goons. The punched me and my nose was bleeding, my black blood dripping down my face and onto my shirt like an ink stain. He dropped me and began walking away, and this is where something that’s never happened before happened. I stood up and yelled back,

I yelled back.

“Hey Charlie, leave me alone!” Is what I said He was startled and whipped round,” “what did you say.” ““I said…” I walked towards him and looked him straight in the eye. “Leave. Me. Alone…” I said in a soft, whisper like voice. I them stepped back and started walking away. He ran at me and I closed my eyes put my hand out in front of me bracing myself. I heard screams and opened my eyes, his legs were turning black and spreading up his legs. ‘She’s a witch, it’s the dark arts!’ ‘It’s not the dark arts ding bar, that’s her power!’ ‘Everyone run before she gets us!’ His goons yelled panicking running around. I stood confused, I didn’t know I could do that, how did I do that?” “Wow Angel, what an angel you are. So you’re just going to kill me. Thanks a lot,” “that was the last thing he said, then he blew away as black ash. ‘I… I’m sorry,’ “

“I am not. I’m not sorry, not anymore, he deserves it. The police were called and I was arrested, they let me go because I’m a minor and minors can’t be arrested for power related crimes, I was sent back to school, but this time everyone was scared. They knew what I could do now, and they were scared! The police kept getting called, any crime committed it was blamed on me and I was taken in for questioning. I was released, then the police would be called again. The vicious cycle. So I figured if I’m going to be seen as the villain I may as well fully commit. I’m going to win this time and there is nothing! NOTHING! They can do to stop me. I have lost to many times. Some people have bad days I have had a bad life. If I want something, it’s taken from me. If I win a fight I loose the war.”

“They will come for you,”

“Threats only work on people who have something to loose, I’ve already lost it all.

This is checkmate. “

(Just incase this isn’t clear, the girl is called angel and had kidnapped someone, this whole thing is her doing that classic supervillain speech and telling the person she kidnapped how she became evil.)

She was almost nothing now.

After years of his abuse she felt none of her old self in her body.

Who am I?

What do I like?

What do I want?

These were questions she no longer had answers for. Her mind only flooded with what his answers might be.

(Who am I?) Insecure and useless.

(What do I like?) Only what he allows me too.

(What do I want?) To not make him angry.

She was a shell that used to hold a delicate pearl but now… only dust.

It hadn’t always been like this. She had thought he had loved her once. He would make grand gestures in the form of heartfelt letters… and exciting days out. Trips to the coast, singing their favourite songs, and getting matching tattoos. That was only 3 years ago but it felt like a lifetime…

One day he had just stopped. Trying. Loving her. Then began a new life for himself, all while dragging her alongside. Hiding her, hurting her… and instead of proclamations of admiration she was now berated with insults. Instead of trips the the coast, it was other women’s beds as she sat alone at home and cried herself to sleep.

She would never be good enough.

Everyday as he spent all her money, disappeared at night and stressed her body beyond the point of repair… she felt little pieces of herself float away.

Her innocence. Gone.

Her confidence. Gone.

Her joy. Gone.

Her friends. Gone.

Her independence. Gone.

All she seemed to have left was this tiny ember of strength. An infant flame… It wasn’t enough yet, but she held it close to her heart hoping one day it would ignite and burn bright enough so she could watch it all go up in smoke.

One day it did. She didn’t remember how it started. Mostly cause it was usually from nothing. She said the wrong thing. Put a dish in the wrong place. Maybe her shirt showed too much skin…

He was screaming, walking towards her, slamming doors behind him and and throwing her things across the room..

That’s when she felt it. A strange warmth flooded her body and tingled in her fingers. She moved them quickly still backing away from his rage, when she eyed a small spark.

Everything went quickly after that. He went to grab her by the shoulders and her body was suddenly engulfed in flame. Next minute he was screaming. Burning flesh filled her nose. His arms raw and red, covered in blisters. He was wailing on the floor. Just as she had done so many times before….

It was then she felt a feeling unfamiliar.. as a slow smile spread across her hollowed cheeks.

She cooled her body and turned on her heel to leave but not before sending an ember into the apartment behind her and locking the door.

She would burn them all down. Every man who laid hands on a women, every man who took no for yes… she would set her flame upon them, and she would enjoy every minute of watching them burn.

Some say evil is a choice. Something one does just for the thrill of it. But I see it a bit differently. I think it's a decision other people make for you. They push you and pull you until you ultimately snap. And then they wonder what went wrong. 'Oh, how did a such a sweet, innocent child end up like this?' they wail, willingly ignorant to the hand they played in this story. Blind to the fact that this... monster was purely their own creation. They pushed. They pulled. They prodded. I snapped. It wasn't without warning. But, much like a dog continuously reprimanded for a wary growl, my last resort was to bite. Hard. My defiance was not to be tolerated, and was met with overwhelming force.

The deciding factor between me versus them? I had nothing to lose. But I had everything to gain.

Neglected. Unprotected. Not being believed.

Chin up’d. Shut up. Unable to grieve.

Silenced. Violenced. Pressed to the wall.

Rushed. Crushed. Must run, can’t crawl.

If you want to know how a villain is born, Ask them how often they chose their own verbs.

I skip down the sidewalk with my fathers hand in mine, towards the ice cream shop, just like every Sunday. He calls it ‘ Sundae Sunday! ’ it’s the highlight of my week. And I think he enjoys it too. He says he enjoys anything with me. “Hello Adria, what can I get for you today?” I look up to see Barry, the ice cream guy, looking at me. He’s smiling the same smile as last Sunday. He’s a plump old man, grey hair, blue eyes. He’s nice though. “Strawberry with rainbow sprinkles!” I giggle. He asks me this every Sunday, I have the same answer every Sunday. “Cherrys on top?” “Cherrys in top!” “And what can I get for you ,Josh?” “Sherbet swirl, please.” He smiles. Dad gets something new every time, last week it was birthday cake! “You ready for Sundae Sunday?” “For sure.” “Y’know I think the best thing to have with ice cream is a Disney movie.” “Which one?” “Ooh that’s a tough one, but I think I’ll go with all of them!” “Really?” “For sure!” “Ok, I got a Strawberry sundae with rainbow sprinkles, and and a super special sherbet swirl! Talk about tongue twisters!” “Thank you, Barry!” “My pleasure, Adria!” My dad hands me my ice cream and we head back home. “I will get us some special snacks to go with the ice cream! You go set up the couch for our movie marathon!” “Okie dokie!” I run into the living room and get out every pillow and blanket we have. I set them up special. In the shape of a castle, walls of pillows and floors of blankets. “Daddy! Dad, the living rooms ready and so is Cinderella!” Nothing, nothing but silence. A wait a few more minutes, I hear screams, then a loud bang follows. I dash into the kitchen to find my father in the floor, his glasses broken next to him. “Daddy?” Then I see it. Blood flowing out of his chest. The sparkle in his eyes gone, so is he. I turn and see a man in a white suit and a sparkly gold cape. A super hero. A super hero holding a gun. “You…he’s dead now. Because of you.” Tears build up in my eyes, flowing down my face without my permission. “I, he has a kid?” “Had. He had a kid. And he was a good guy. We were about to watch Cinderella an eat ice cream.” I sniffle. “A good dad.” “But he was a villain. Villains are the bad guys, they, they don’t have families!” “Do you have kids sir?” “N-no I don’t.” “So who’s really the villain? You don’t have a family. He does. You orphaned a kid. He didn’t. So let me ask you this sir, who sounds more like a villain? Because of you a nine year old doesn’t have a father! I’m an orphan, and he’s gone! Forever, this isn’t a fairytale, he’s not coming back!” I ball up on the floor. “I used to like superhero’s.” I whisper. “Dad told me that I could be one, told me I’d be the best of the best. I don’t want to anymore. Not if this is what superhero’s do.”

I wasn’t born evil.

I wasn’t even born bad or wrong or any of those other things that you associate with the villain of the story.

My parents weren’t bad people, quite the opposite in fact. They brought me up well and taught me the difference between right and wrong, and the importance of being good. But they would also remind me, now and then, that there was always a choice, and sometimes, sometimes the wrong choice is what makes us.

Why am I telling you this? I want you to understand. I want you to see that this isn’t who I was supposed to be, that where I ended up wasn’t where I started. That it wasn’t my parents fault, it wasn’t the result of the glass of wine my mother drank before she knew she was pregnant. It wasn’t the bang on the head that I got whilst running from my father, full of giggles as we played hide and seek as a toddler. It was none of those things, the little things that might have had my parents scratching their heads and wondering … whether any of those things caused it.

In fact, I had a very ordinary, very boring life.

Until I didn’t.

I grew up, became an accountant and had a happy life, a wife, children of my own and friends.

It’s their fault really. The fault of my friends, if they had never suggested that trip, if they had never coaxed and cajoled me into going with them … I would never have gone, and none of this would ever have happened.

I hear them, now and then, searching the woods, looking for the victims of the beast that resides there, the beast that they are sure is a grisly bear or something of the sort. These things could never, after all, be done by a human.

But I digress, getting sidetracked even now so many years on from that trip. A cabin in the woods sounds romantic, a boys bonding session where we can go, crack open some beers and hunt. That was all we were going for and as the sun set on the first day, the clouds swirled over and the storm rolled in.

That’s when the fighting started.

Whose fault was it? Why had no one checked the weather? Rob swore black and blue that there was no such weather forecast, but Carl would say otherwise. Did we have enough food to last, would the electricity hold? Where were the flashlights and torches and matches?

The voices raised, into a cacophony that hid the sounds from outside … the scratching, the howling, the sounds that said something wasn’t right.

I was the fool who volunteered to go out. What could go wrong, after all? It was only a few paces to the cars, a quick click of the keys and I’d have the flash lights in hand.

But I was wrong.

There was an eerie quiet, a quiet that I put down to the rolling blizzard that was staring to set in. A silence that I should have recognised as a hunter on the loose. I should have known the signals, the warnings that told me that I wasn’t alone, and that I was being hunted.

A whip of wind, something stalking me as I panicked and dropped the keys in the snow, stumbling, falling as my breathing became more ragged as realisation started to step in. Heavy footsteps approaching from behind me, as like the cowardly fool that I was decided to lay still. If I lay still, maybe it wouldn’t see me … maybe it wouldn’t …

My howls bit through the air, my screams dying in my throat as I felt the sharp bite of teeth dig into my shoulder, tearing at clothing and ripping at my flesh. Burning, heated sensations rolling through me as I tried to escape, but the beast, the monster’s grip was too hard, too tight. A shot rolling into the night, screaming, yells of my friends as they shot at the monster. But to no avail, as I found the arm of the being coiling around me, hauling me up as though I were nothing and carrying me from sight … feeling the rough, course fur beneath me and watching my friends as they stood, helpless with horror …

I’m sure they left me to die.

I’m not sure that I would have done any different.

Why I was allowed to live, I do not know.

All I know is that I became aware of the trails of blood … from me, from the creature … as I was dropped, left to die and the beast stalked off, to do the same I thought.

It’s been ten years since I woke in those woods, with the furs draped over me. It’s been ten years since the wound on my shoulder miraculously healed, and somehow the cold hadn’t claimed me.

And, it’s been ten years since my first change. Ten years since I first turned into the wolf-like beast that craves human flesh once a month. Ten years since my first kill and taste of fresh blood

But, it’s been five years since that craving has swept over and into my every day life … it’s been five years, since I positioned myself in the village … it’s been five years since I stalked my first victim.

And, it’s been two years since I went in search of my friends, the people who abandoned me and left me to become this creature …

And I will make sure, that when the moon turns silver, I will be the one to dance and howl outside of their homes and terrorise their nights.

I will be the one who will slip into their homes and devour them as they sleep.

I am, now, who they made me become.

I wasn’t always the villain. But I was never the hero….and I’m never going to be.

I tried to stay strong, I tried to be brave, but trying and hopping can only get you so far, especially when you were ten. I knew that night that if I was to stay any longer my dad would kill me. As I laid there trying to catch my breath, hoping the pain would subside I realized no hero was coming to help me. I would have to save myself. After my “father” had fallen asleep I ducked through the back door and started running.

I was alone out in the woods for a couple of days till they found me, Morpheus and Mordu. They took me home and took care of me. They became my family. My real family. As I grew up They taught me how to protect myself, and others, how to properly wield my powers, and to never trust someone who calls themselves a “hero”.

They always told me that Sometimes we have to become the villain to protect the ones we love. And I will never let anyone hurt the ones I love.

Like I said I was never the hero, and I don’t want to be. Hero’s let people down. They make false promises saying they will be there for you but they never will. But we will always be there. If you need us we will be there! That I swear!

-Dusk