Chapter 3: Chapter 2: Deck the Halls and My Face

The air was brisk, as Scarlett trudged through the garden. She reached the gate that led out to the backstreet, while the winter wind beckoned her to return inside. But she refused to listen. She twisted the gate’s handle; the cold metal dropped her temperature even more. But she continued to push on. The gate let out a loud wail as she opened it, welcoming her into an alleyway.

She buried her hands in the pockets of her joggers; hoping it would help her ignore how thin her t-shirt and the bandages that covered her arms were. But as she made her way through the dark alley, the gate creaked open behind her.

“Oi!” a voice called out. Leya, now wrapped appropriately for the weather with her hideous leopard print coat, carried Scarlett’s grey coat and red scarf in her arms. She rushed to her sister’s side, passing the items to her. “Can’t believe you’ve just come out of the hospital, only to do something this stupid to get sent back there again,” she tutted, wrapping the scarf around her younger sibling. 

Scarlett stood frozen, welcoming the new layers of clothes. She buried her face into her scarf, hoping her breath would warm up her face. 

“Thank you,” her voice was muffled, but not muffled enough for Leya’s Keen Senses; a perk from her Quirk. She smirked, before continuing to walk down the street.

“Come on, I’ll show you around.”

The two made their way, passing by some litter that polluted the back alley. A single street lamp marked the path before the two arrived on the main road. The yuletide lights were a stark contrast to where they had come from. But Scarlett didn’t mind. Rather than being bombarded with flashes of bright, festive colours, the terracotta street was minimalistically lit. Holly wreaths marked most doors, while others had electric snowmen and miniature Christmas trees marking their entrances. Even though it seemed a little modest, it was much more pleasing to the eye. 

Leya guided Scarlett, introducing the neighbours as they walked by. “Mrs S is really sweet — she feeds all the stray cats, so a lot of them like to roam around,” Leya said.

“Ah, I see,” Scarlett hummed in acknowledgement. “That explains why I see your cousin running around.” She pointed at a European shorthair strolling nearby, before it disappeared into the nearby hedges.

“Huh?” Leya growled. “Not this again! I’m not related to some stray cat!”

She grabbed her sister into a headlock, readying her knuckles to rub against her head. But Scarlett didn’t resist. Instead, she let out a soft chuckle under Leya’s arm. The older sibling blinked, slowly lowering her fist at the sight. How long had it been since her baby sister last laughed? 

“Hmph,” she puffed, letting Scarlett go. “You’re so weird.”

She continued to walk on, resuming introducing the neighbourhood. She gestured at a house that stained the street. Unlike the other buildings, its walls were barely visible, as it was caged with scaffolding. “A new family will be moving here, but I haven’t met them yet, so I can’t say much.”

Scarlett stared at the renovation site. The cold winter breeze shuffled the tarp covers, rattling the railings, which softly groan due to the shift in weight. Compared to the lights that filled the houses nearby, it was dark and decrepit; a hollow shell of its former self. But there was something comforting about it. A familiar understanding between the house and Scarlett.

“Whatcha thinking?” Leya asked, noticing the lack of Scarlett by her side.

“I wonder if they have a cat — then you can have a playmate.”

“Why you little—”

Scarlett power-walked past, making her way down the main road at a brisk pace. Before stopping herself. She slowly turned to her sister. 

“You don’t even know where you’re going, do you?” Leya called out, causing Scarlett to bury her face more in her scarf. Leya muttered some curses as she arrived by her side. “Tch, come on. I might as well show you what's nearby.”

She grabbed Scarlett’s hand and guided her through the meandering streets. It wasn’t until the residential area opened up, that Scarlett’s eyes illuminated. Instead of buildings marking the edge of the road, a metal fence took their place, leading to a park. The sound of people chattering lured the two to wander in. It wasn’t until they were deep into the park they could see the reason behind the hustle and bustle.

A large, arched gate stood in the centre of the park. It was completely covered in soft-yellow lights, with the words ‘Merry Christmas’ hanging from its centre. A few pedestrians with young children were still out and about, despite the drop in temperature. In their periphery, fairy lights that mimicked snowfall on bare tree branches lit a path; tempting them to follow a trail. 

Walking past the gate, the two descended, completely in awe by the bright lights that guided them towards their destination. They arrived at a tiny, wooden cabin, with baubles and trinkets decorating its wall. The sign ‘Santa’s Grotto’ greeted them, as well as a young couple with their child leaving the decked up shed. It wasn’t long until the sisters were left alone with the blaring lights.

“So, aren’t you gonna go in?” Leya poked Scarlett towards the door. Puzzled, Scarlett turned to her sister. “What? You’re not gonna wish for another Godzillo teddy?” Leya cackled, causing Scarlett to scowl. The younger sister pushed past Leya and made her way to a bench nearby. 

“Oh, come on!” Leya called out. “We all thought it was cute when you asked for it. I’m sure Juno has a picture with you with that teddy somewhere,” Leya chuckled, as she sat by her sister. But it caused Scarlett to turn away. “Hey, hey, ok, I’ll stop,” she smiled, before sharing an earnest expression. “Seriously though, have you thought of something you want for Christmas?”

Scarlett furrowed her brows. In all honesty, she doubted she would be home for Christmas so she never put any thought into it. She brought her scarf to her face as she contemplated. She had everything she needed. 

“Nothing?” Leya perked an eyebrow. Scarlett nodded in response. “That’s alright, we’ve still got some time,” she continued. “But if you can’t think of anything, I’m just gonna get a Godzillo toy.” Leya howled in laughter. 

Scarlett fought the urge to narrow her eyes, not wanting to alert Leya she had successfully gotten under her skin. A moment passed until Leya composed herself. “Okay, okay. At least let me know what your plans are now that you're back? I’m sure you thought of that much?” Leya’s expression softened as Scarlett averted her gaze.

“I don’t plan on coming back, if that’s what you’re thinking.” Scarlett shifted her weight in her seat. She was hoping to not have this conversation. At least not for tonight. But there was a sense of relief that flooded her as she got it off her chest. “But I don’t have plans for anything else either. I just want to take it easy,” she said softly.

“That’s not true.”

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Scarlett’s eyes met Leya’s. “What do you mean?”

“There’s still a plan—”

Scarlett’s throat began to dry up, as a nauseous knot began to form at the pit of her stomach. Was she going to be forced to return?

“—we’re gonna celebrate Christmas together, aren’t we?” Leya shared a tender smile. “We deserve that much, don’t you think?”

Scarlett stared, dumbfounded. “Yeah,” she finally let out. This was a long-awaited Christmas that was needed.

“Come on, we should head back before Juno and Zero get worried.”

Scarlett flinched. Worrying those two was the last thing she wanted to do. But how was she supposed to act like everything was fine, when clearly things were not? How can she pretend to go back to how things were before, when so much had changed? Her heart sank. Why was there no clear answer?

The two rose from their seats and began to navigate their way back. But Leya’s eyes never left Scarlett. She didn’t need her Keen Senses to know something was plaguing her sister. 

“Oi,” she said, stopping Scarlett in her tracks. “You’re allowed to take it easy, y’know? I’m sure no one’s gonna mind, so stop beating yourself up about it.”

“But—”

“—But what? Those two won’t give you a hard time, and you know it.”

Scarlett dropped her gaze. “I know. It’s just I don’t know what to say to them when we go back.”

Silence settled between the two, as a cold wind rushed by, sending shivers down their spines. Leya shared a sombre look. “Lettie,” she finally said, before grabbing her sister into a hug. “I’m sure they understand—”

“—would they?” Scarlett broke out of the embrace. Her eyes glistened with concern. “You all keep acting like nothing’s happened and I just don’t get it. And I don’t know what they’ll say when I tell them I don’t want to come back.”

“Hey,” Leya peered. “Those two will be fine. I’m sure they’ll understand that you want to step back.” She held Scarlett’s hands tightly. “There is nothing wrong with that, you hear me?”

Scarlett nodded. “Alright, let’s go back,” Leya said.

The two continued on, weaving through. Scarlett soon recognised some of the buildings on her way back, making a map in her mind. The two began to chatter about anything and everything they could think of. Until they landed on a topic that couldn’t be overlooked.

“So, where would I begin?” Leya asked.

“Well, the first one is such a classic. It came out years ago, before Quirks even existed, so it’s kinda cool to see how it was filmed without Quirks,” Scarlett answered.

“Whoa…” Leya mulled over the fact. She never thought too deeply about the time before Quirks. She glanced at her hands before materialising her sharp claws; another charming point of her Quirk. Would she still be ‘Leya’ if she didn’t have her cat-like abilities? She shuddered at the thought.

“I mean, you don’t have to watch it, because they made a reboot,” Scarlett said, fighting the smile on her lips. “But I really like it because it has this charm to it. But like, it’s up to you, ‘cause I think there’s more than 30 pre-Quirk Godzilo movies in the franchise. I need to double check how many they made with Quirks though—”

—A loud crash exploded, as the nearby wall erupted beside them. It pushed Leya back; the rubble and smoke blinded her as she crashed onto the floor. A high-pitched ringing filled her ears. The taste of iron filled her mouth. Pain raced up and down her body. Coughing and sputtering, she let out a groan, as the world refused to stay still.

But then it came into focus. 

Drenched across a cracked wall, laid a splatter of colour. Its source laid beneath it. Limbs bent and stretched at unnatural angles, laid a grey coat, now soaked like the wall. Its owner lying completely still. Her pale skin contrasted with her messy black hair, which obscured most of her face, and juxtaposed the red that surrounded her. It coated the concrete floor; thick, viscous and oozing as it spread everywhere, continuing to mark its path as it split into streams. 

Leya scrambled to her feet, ignoring the shooting pain in her shoulder. She had to get to her. She had to get to her now. 

“Scarlett,” she panted, grabbing the body. She brushed her sister’s hair out of her face. But it was a mistake. Leya’s eyes widened as the extent of her injuries became clear. Half of her face was sticky and red.

“Scarlett,” desperation coated Leya’s words. “Scarlett, talk to me.” 

But another voice answered Leya’s plea. “Oops, I didn’t mean to catch you in the blast.”

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