Of course Harlow remembered the Phantasm. She knew her very well. 

Previously known as Lucia Hollowes. Currently known as the Phantasm, an S-rank villain. 

She threw her in prison. 

Like, four times. 

Harlow stopped dead in her tracks. She knew why all the creepy dolls and puppets were kind familiar now. She snapped her arm away from Black Star then hissed at her. “What are we doing here!?” Black Star reached out to Harlow, placing a hand on her shoulder. 

“Calm down, calm down. We’re here for information, right? Well, she has some.” Black Star walked ahead, passing a broken down ticket booth counter boarded up with planks of wood. Why did this building look more haunted than the rest of the city? Surely it couldn’t be that old. “Harlow? Come on!” Black Star put her hands on her hips. 

Harlow quickened her pace before slowing right behind Black Star. She decided to keep watch of all potential exits and entrances. She kept track of windows, maybe she would keep track of the different noises too?

“Stop being paranoid, please. Luci don’t hold a grudge.” Black Star waved her hand dismissively. Harlow harrumphed at her, but Black Star ignored her. 

“Yeah, cuz she escaped.” Black Star chuckled. 

“You could hardly contain her, anyways. She’s a Phantasm for a reason, love.” Harlow grunted, walking quicker to make sure she was almost directly behind Black Star. She didn’t want to have even an inch of space between them for fear that something would take advantage of that. It wasn’t that she had a fear of ghosts or anything. No, it was more like she knew that ghosts only existed because of some pre-existing grudge they had or may have on humanity. And well…

Being thrown in prison is an excellent reason to hold a grudge. 

Black raised one hand to cup around her mouth. The she began calling out into the vast and seemingly empty building. “Hello!! He~llo~! Anybody here?” She called again and again, only faint echoes to answer here. Harlow clung to the shorter girls’ shirt. 

“What are you doing?!” She hissed. Black raised an eyebrow, then wordlessly gestured at the lack of space between them.

“What’re you doing? Phantasm is a perfectly reasonable source for our investigation. Plus, she was the only person i could think of who wouldn’t be so openly hostile to you.” Harlow scoffed. “I told you she doesn’t hold a grudge, why would i lie about that?” She shook her head, then removed Harlow’s hand from her shirt. “Heroes think they’re the center of the universe, i swear.”

A shrill, high-pitched squeal was then followed by rapid giggling. The giggling began increasing in noise and number as the dolls and puppets began to join in on the laughter. Everything’s eyes had an eerie pale yellow glow to them, with some of the puppets falling to pieces just because they couldn’t contain their laughter. 

Harlow squeaked then jumped  back closer to Black Star, bumping into her and almost pushing her over. 

“Hey!” She said, grabbing Harlow’s arms and using her own powers before landing into the dusty seats. The laughter grew in intensity and number until it felt like it was all around them. 

“I find myself thinking the same thing, Cassandra.” A disembodied voice, both a whisper and yet oddly loud sang above them. Both women looked up to see a swirling grey cloud, spotted with lighting and lights speckling throughout it. Eventually it gave form to a young woman, with short red hair and a long black dress that covered her from head to toe. She grinned at them wildly, her smile taking up half her face and showing several pointed teeth. She was still laughing, but now taking breaths in between each fit, gasping for air as her sides shook.

“Still Cassiopeia.” Black Star said, standing straight up again. She didn’t look at all fazed at the previous stunt. Meanwhile, Harlow was trying to stop the blood rushing in her ears. She blinked several times to stop herself from crying. She’s just not a very big fan of puppets.

The Phantasm’s cries started to finally slow and quiet down, and as she did, the puppets began to as well. She wiped away a fake tear and took a deep breath. 

“Sorry, darling. I can be forgetful in my old age. Aha ha~!” She spotted Harlow trying to make herself look as small as possible, which was a fruitless . Harlow was almost 1.5 ft taller than Black Star with heels and easily still 5 inches taller than the phantasm herself. If she ever stopped floating that is.

“Oh? What’s this?” She floated through Black Star to be eye-to-eye with Harlow herself. Harlow took a step back. “If it isn’t the valiant hero, Technomancer~” She drawled out, voice echoing in some parts of the theatre “What, are you two back together?” She turned around to nudge Black Star. Harlow frowned.

“No! And how’d you even know that?” She glared at Black Star, who simply shrugged at the accusation that hadn’t left her lips. “She’s helping me with a case.” Harlow was surprised she even mustered out that much. People like Phantasm, that had no problem using their powers even if it was for their own benefit, always unnerved her. Like she. Needed to keep her guard up constantly.

“Honey, push-lease! I’ve known you since you graduated out of little super kiddy school.” She glided around Harlow to be directly behind her. “I saw how over protective you used to be of each other.” Harlow swiped her arm thorugh the Phantasm, to which she simple hmphed. “Don’t need to be your bestie to know that much.” Before Harlow could even protest, she glided back in front of Black Star. Leaning in front of her, and whispering loudly “Is it true, then? You’re working together?”

Black Star smirked, “You really need a TV or radio in here, Luci. She’s being framed and I’m helping her adjust to the new harsh realities.” Harlow scoffed again, a little louder. “But I think this has something to do with all those missing people.” Phantasm just rolled her eyes and pretended to yawn. 

“Why would i care about a bunch of missing heroes, Cassie? You and I both know, the world could do with a little less.” She glided around the room, putting back together a few stray puppets and rearranging some of the seats. 

“I don’t think you do, Luci. But…heroes weren’t the only ones being kidnapped were they?” Harlow saw the phantom stagger in place before Black Star continued “They also kidnapped villains, right?” Black Star stepped slowly forward towards the stage. She didn’t even look over her shoulder before adding. “You were looking for someone, you asked me about them right? A couple for months ago… who was it?” She tapped her chin, rattling her brain for a name. 

Harlow was confused. She hadn’t known phantasm to be connected to any other villain in her time working against her. In fact, she kinda thought she did that on purpose being like a living ghost and all. But there she was, the fearsome phantasm, paused. The one who brought terror across Graves City by sending everyone in a 7-block radius a living nightmare doll that robbed them in their sleep. Her smile now long gone, like she was contemplating what she could say. What would happen if she answered wrong? 

“You found out more about Dante?” Was all she whispered back. Harlow was surprised that the whisper was heard at all, but unlike all the previous things she’d said, it was actual quiet. Like wind moving through an abandoned building. “I thought you’d said the trail went cold.”

“Technically, it had.” Black Star hoisted herself up onto the stage, pacing around careful to avoid any holes onstage. “Until this one went digging up old files.” Black Star pointed to Harlow, who immediately looked between the two villainesses in the room. Black Star folded her arms across her chest and watched the Phantasm drift slowly across  room over to her. “Thinking I just got a new lead, for sure.” 

The Phantasm’ head snapped to focus on Harlow. She had a stoic look about her, Harlow really couldn’t tell what she was thinking. It felt like a bad idea to interject, especially since she wasn’t entirely sure what Black Star was on about. She stood stiff and just tried not to make any sudden or jarring movements. Who was Dante? Did I see that name before? Why didn’t Black Star explain this before they got here so I could at least be in the loop, she thought to herself. 

Phantasm stood, well floated, directly in front go Black Star now. She looked back at her, peered down at the younger villain and didn’t say anything for a long time. Until she finally stepped back and sighed. 

“No need to pretend like i don’t know what you’re talking about, Cassie.” She tried to force a smile back on her face. “But if you have a lead, what do you need me to do?” 

Black Star visibly relaxed. “Glad you asked. You have more ties to villains than i could ever dream of, Luci. I’m gonna need that if i want to break into the Citadel.”