More snapshots I think this is going to be the last of the snapshot chapters. As none of the other characters would have much of a contribution to the story. Since no one else really knows what's going on or why.

That being said I may or may not delve into another characters thought process later on.

Phoebe's thought process involving her brother is explored in this chapter.

Oh Yeah and Guest Reviews Roth: Aww thanks, believe it or not that was my exact intention. I'm Glad you liked it and I hope you continue!

Britt: Thanks! I hope you continue reading!

Disclaimer: I do not own the Thundermans.

You Are Still a Hero To Me

In all honesty despite their constant teasing of each other Phoebe was truly worried about her brother.

He had always expressed a desire to be a hero like their parents, but suddenly over night he suddenly proclaimed that he wanted to be a villain.

It worried her, Max had always shown distaste for villains. Always proclaiming loudly that one day he would be the greatest superhero in the world. To which the Phoebe would scoff and state that it would be she that would be the greatest superhero in the world.

That all changed one day and she was confused as to why.

She would tease and anger and berate him, in the hopes that she could knock some sense into him but all she did was make him even more determined to prove to him that he could be a villain.

So for a while she stopped and just started to observe him.

The first thing she noticed was that Crystal the girl that Max loved to hang out with didn't hangout with him anymore. For a while Phoebe had a terrible thought that maybe Crystal had dumped Max and that was his reasoning. She had thought about finding her and demanding answers, but no matter how far she looked she couldn't find her.

The second thing she noticed was that everyday for hours at time Max would be gone only coming back home minutes before curfew.

Phoebe probably wouldn't have even cared if it hadn't been for the fact that Crystal had been the only person she had seen Max hangout with and Crystal hadn't been seen for weeks.

Every time he came back he looked as though he had been crying; his eyes would be red and tear stains would be just visible on his cheeks.

Their parents had noticed but Max would just shake his head and deny their concerns and escape to his room.

Leaving everyone downstairs worried about him but unable to figure out what was going on.

Months after his declaration Phoebe had been searching his room for her laptop (Max had taken it for reasons she had yet to discern) Phoebe had come across what appeared to be a highly dangerous weapon.

That's when Phoebe made the decision to not just observe but to follow him. He was in pain obviously, but his plans for villainy weren't just talk he was actually planning on carrying through with it.

Horrible images of her brother handing weapons to villains, him every night stealing from banks far away from MetroBurg, conversing with actual villains on ways to take over the world.

That's when Phoebe finally decided to follow him that night to see where he went.

So after school she searched her brother just spotting him as he left the yard.

She stayed around several feet behind him so as not to make it obvious ,she made a point of not looking at him but at just in front of her so it wasn't completely obvious to anyone that she was following her brother.

Her curiosity grew to concern and horror as he turned into the graveyard.

Why would he go there? Phoebe asked herself.

Max knelt by a grave that was just a few feet away from a huge pine tree. He started to speak to the grave but her brother was so far away and his voice was so low that she could only make out a few disjointed words every once and a while.

Suddenly a woman appeared beside him. "A pity for how much you care about some human." The woman said, the word human came out of her mouth as though it was the most disgusting thing imaginable.

"She was hardly some human" Max stated angrily. "You would do well to remember that."

"You would do well to speak in a civil tongue in my presence." The woman said "You've forgotten how much of a hell I can make your existence should I choose to."

"You asked me to prove to you I can be the most evil villain on the planet, as far as I'm aware civility is not apart of that."

Phoebe's eyes widened at that but stayed in her position worried that making her presence known would just make matters worse.

"Indeed… how are the plans coming along?"

Max shrugged. "I need Utopium, which is hard to get."

"I highly suggest you figure it out" The woman said. "Only by proving that you can do this will you get your best friend back." She said.

Phoebe's eyes widened what did that mean?

"How on earth do I know you'll keep your side of the bargain?"

"You don't" The woman said amused. "Yet you know you also don't have a choice. Get it done." She said before disappearing.

Max sighed and turned back to the grave. "I'll get you back" He told the grave. "No matter what it takes, I will get you back."

With that Max stood and slowly walked away.

Phoebe stayed behind for a moment to see if Max had truly left before stepping out from her hiding spot and walked toward the grave, a deep sense of foreboding came over her as she came closer to grave stone.

Crystal LeClair

Born 1998-2012

Phoebe knelt by the grave tears rolling down her cheeks. No wonder her brother wanted to be a villain if her own best friend had died she would have probably done the same thing too.

She slowly traced the name on the grave as though trying to commit it to memory.

"Phoebe if anything happens to me, please make sure Max doesn't do anything stupid"

Phoebe sighed sadly that conversation had been several months ago, and Phoebe hadn't thought anything of it, but maybe if she had, Max wouldn't be feeling this low right now.

Slowly she stood wiped the dirt from her jeans and walked away.

I'll do my best Crystal LeClair; he is my brother after all

Her brother must have succeeded in finding the Utopium because when Phoebe went back into Max's room a week later, the weapon that Phoebe had been terrified of was gone.

Phoebe had quietly and anonymously sent a text to the hero league telling them that she believed Villains to have a highly dangerous weapon in their arsenal. She had no idea what had occurred after that, but she hoped it had been enough.

I'm so sorry Max Phoebe would think to herself whenever she saw her brother reading 'Young Evil Villains monthly' I'm sorry I didn't ask you why.

Phoebe didn't tell her parents about what she had found, she knew it wouldn't do anything and besides she wasn't sure if she wanted Max to stop, his best friend was gone of course he was going to do everything in his power to bring her back.

She had heard of countless supers breaking several laws (Be they human made or science made) in order to save the person they loved; why should Max have been any different?

Besides, Phoebe could and would stop him whenever he got to far, that she was sure of.

Besides no matter how bad Max got he could never hurt his family, and if he failed he always had her to help him.

"Max…"

Her brother would glare at her. "What Phoebe?" He said sarcastically. "Come to brag about your perfect grades again?"

Phoebe shook her head. I know why you want to be a Villain she thought to herself. I know about the pain your trying to hide.

Phoebe sighed. "You know you can come to me right? About anything?"

Max raised an eyebrow. "Whatever Pheebs, I have Villainy things to accomplish, think mom and dad will give me my own Lair?"

Phoebe paused her brother had never been so flippant with her before. Though the deflection of a question he didn't want to answer was all him.

Phoebe thought about it. "They'd have to re-renovate the house to give you one" She said. "So if you catch them on a really, really, really good day, and not tell them that you're making it a villain lair…" Phoebe shook her head. "They might"

Max glared. "Dad thinks it's a phase, it's not, I just don't want to deal with being second best"

Liar

"Even the best superheroes can't be everywhere" Phoebe said. "They may be the best but that doesn't mean they can do everything, besides 'best' is subjective what one person may consider the greatest gift ever, might be considered useless to another."

Max had started to narrow his eyes at the first line but as Phoebe went on the suspicious glance in his eyes dimmed.

"That may be, but you and I have the exact same powers I don't want to be compared to who uses them better in saving the world."

You don't care about that Max.

Phoebe sighed. "Well maybe if you practised more"

Max rolled his eyes. "Yeah, me practise, right" He said sarcastically. "I do have a life"

No, you used to have a life, now you spend your time at the graveyard crying over the friend you lost

Phoebe glared at Max. "It was just a suggestion; you don't have to be so mean" She said.

Max rolled his eyes and pointed to himself. "Super. Villain." He said enunciating each word as though it was its own sentence.

Then why do you visit the grave of the girl you couldn't save?

Instead of saying that however, Phoebe just rolled her eyes and turned away.

Phoebe supposed she should have told her parents about what she had found out, but she knew that without a doubt that if they knew his plans and why they would set out to stop him or worse have his memory erased of the only friend he had ever had.

Even if they didn't erase Max's mind, they would have still tried to stop him and honestly, Phoebe wasn't quite sure they should. Phoebe knew that, without a doubt, if someone she loved had been hurt, or killed she would have done everything within her power to rectify it; the right thing be damned.

It was also the reason why she didn't tell Max the truth about her knowing, she knew that Max would start being even more secretive instead of less and she needed to know his plans to make sure that he wouldn't get hurt.

So instead she kept quiet while silently waiting for the day when Max would tell her what was going on.

"We're moving"

Phoebe couldn't exactly say that she was surprised by the exclamation her parents had started to become more and more tired as the superheroeing went on, deciding that soon they would have to hang up their capes for good.

"Why?" Billy asked confused swiping a bagel from his sister who then proceeded to use her laser eyes to burn his hand.

"Because it's time to hang up our capes" Hank said. "And no matter who the next superhero is we would always feel the need to protect this town, so we feel it safest to leave to where crime is at an all time low, Besides we are hoping to give you children as much as a normal childhood as possible." Hank said.

Phoebe had nothing to say to that, she didn't really have any friends in Metroburg, besides heading out to a new town could be fun.

Max's reaction surprised her, he didn't say anything about leaving. About leaving the town where his best friend was buried in fact he acted as though his parents had only suggested that they go to the store for milk.

"Can I get a lair of my own?" He asked continuing the conversation that he and his parents had been having for the past 4 days.

"No, you are not a supervillain, and this is just a phase you'll grow out of" Hank said angrily.

"It's NOT a phase" Max said angrily while Phoebe just looked on from the background ready to step in if things got messy.

"Do you honestly think I'm going to stand for my own son becoming a Villain?" Hank yelled at Max. "Do you honestly think I want my own son to be fighting against his sister? To be in and out of a high-top security prison where your forced to wear a power inhibitor?" His father yelled.

"Hank, come on, he's just asking for a room." Barbara stated.

"A room for now, what's next, theft? Deals with the devil? Destroying the world?"

Phoebe looked down. He's already done the second one dad. She thought.

"It's better than being second best, always being compared to someone else!" Max yelled.

Liar! Tell them the truth Max you never cared about that! Phoebe wanted to scream, but she couldn't she had no idea what the consequences would be if she revealed what she knew of Max's pain.

Hank and Barb looked to each other. "And you think being a Villain is a good idea?"

Max sighed and looked down. "Please? I just want something that's mine, that I don't have to share"

Phoebe had to say Max's acting was almost superb had she not known the real reason behind Max's switch she would have honestly believed him.

Barb and Hank stared at each other their faces showing concern.

Hank sighed. "Fine, you can have your own room, that can be decorated and designed anyway you like." Hank said. "But it's not a lair."

Max just nodded.

"Can't wait to see our new school" Phoebe said while in the car on the way to their new house.

"Only you could be excited about going to school" Max said.

Phoebe glared at her brother but bit her tongue to avoid reminding Max that there was a time when he was excited to go to school as well.

"Maybe I'll even make a friend" Phoebe said her mind already fantasizing about all the different friends she would have.

Max snorted. "Yeah who could ever be friends with you" Max laughed.

Phoebe glared at her brother. "I'll have you know I can be very friendly." She told him furiously.

"And also very unpopular" Max said smirking at her.

"I'm popular" Phoebe defended.

"You had absolutely no friends back in Metroburg."

"You made exactly one friend and you haven't spoken to her in over two years" Phoebe said regretting her words the second they were out of her mouth. Max's eyes darkened and he started to use his freeze breath, Phoebe retaliated with her heat breath the two powers met in the middle and it created steam right in the middle of the van.

"The two of you knock it off!" Barbara shouted.

Max and Phoebe stopped what they were doing and glared at each other.

"Phoebe's right though, what did happened to Crystal?" Billy asked unaware of just how much of a landmine he was walking into. Phoebe held her breath waiting for Max's reaction but to her surprise Max didn't yell.

"She moved away" Max said dismissively.

"And you never considered to exchange addresses?" Barbara asked.

"I misplaced the address." Max stated his mood becoming more and more darker with every single word his family spoke of his one-time friend.

"Well you could-"

Max cut his mother off. "She and I stopped being friends, Crystal was tired of all the secrets and left."

Phoebe's hand clenched at the obvious lie, but said nothing to dispute it.

Barbara and Hank stared at each other and Barbara turned to stare at Max. "I'm sorry, Max that you lost your friend, but you know the rules."

Max just looked out the window and Phoebe's heart ached for his. Did she know Max? Phoebe couldn't help but wonder.

"I need you to promise that if anything happens to me, you'll take care of Max" The Crystal's words came back to her and she shook her head.

I want to, but I have no idea how.

It had taken months to renovate the house, since the only people they could ask to help with renovations were other Superheroes.

Max himself had taken the basement as his own room, stating that when he was done with it would be an amazing lair.

Hank would then tell Max that it wasn't a lair, instead insisting that it was his own room. When Max had a nightlight installed it just added more fuel to the fire.

"It's not a Lair if it has a nightlight" His mother would say. To which Max would roll his eyes but would not have a counter for the argument.

That line would always confuse Phoebe, since when did Max need a nightlight? Max had prided himself on not getting scared, and would rather lie on a bed of broken glass then use a nightlight.

Phoebe had wanted to ask and in fact did, curiosity getting the better of her as always, but Max would just glare at her and refuse to answer.

It pained Phoebe to see Max like this, to see his need to be bad, his need for his family to believe it.

Yet the idea that he was so willing to turn his back on his family, his legacy, just to save his best friend, in some ways made him even braver then Thunderman.

No matter how many times they told him not to, or that it was just a phase, he never broke. He continued on, doing everything he could to prove he could be the Villain he needed to be.

Phoebe didn't know if he would succeed, if he would get what he needed but Phoebe also knew that he would do his damnest to try.

He had adopted Doctor Colosso.

To be honest that was something Phoebe hadn't expected, though she supposed it would make sense, he needed to prove he was a villain and who else help him prove it then with the help of Dad's old nemesis.

Hank and Barbara had been surprised and disappointed but had allowed it. With the rationality that at the very least they would know if Doctor Colosso was planning something.

Phoebe had just rolled her eyes. Highly doubt that, you can't even see how much pain your son is in. But hadn't said anything about it. Besides it wasn't like Colosso could do anything when he was in the form of a bunny.

The only thing everyone agreed on was to keep it secret from the two youngest as there was no reason to terrify them that dad's one-time arch enemy was living in the basement with Max.

Phoebe stood behind the pine as Max lay the bouquet of lilies on the ground in front of the gravestone, she couldn't help but smile the vision of seeing her brother doing something as simple as laying down flowers on a grave gave her hope that his mind could change.

In her own hand was a single lily. Phoebe in her hurry out the door hadn't thought to bring enough money to pay for an entire bouquet, but when she got to Metroburg and had noticed her brother buying a dozen lilies (Actually paying for them with actual money) it suddenly felt wrong to appear to grave of her brother's best friend's grave empty handed.

So she scrambled as much money together as she could and bought a single white lily. The same flower she had seen Max buy.

She watched Max standing before the grave his shoulders shaking as he cried.

Max why do you insist on suffering by yourself? Phoebe couldn't help but ask.

Phoebe checked the time on her watch; it was almost 5 o'clock if her brother wanted to get back to Metroburg without questions being raised he would have to leave soon.

It seemed that Max had the same thought as her because a few minutes later Max wiped his eyes and left the grave.

Phoebe waited a minute or so before stepping out from behind the tree, and slowly approached the grave.

Slowly she placed her single lily on the grave turned around and left.

I am doing my best Crystal, but to be honest I don't know what I'm doing.

A/N I would just like to point out that Phoebe does NOT know everything going on with Max, there are somethings even she's in the dark about. The only person who knows everything is Max and well he's not about to say anything.

Oh and by the way in case your wondering who the woman is that Max made a deal with I decided to name her Madam X. She is a huge villain with the ability to take powers from other supers use them herself. She can leave superpowered beings virtually defenseless, which is why Max is not willing to do something stupid like steal the time machine. He has no idea just how many powers she's taken and for all he knows she could have telepathy and be able to read his mind about his plan and stop him before he's even tried to enact it.

She doesn't of course. Otherwise she would have known Phoebe was spying on them and would have frozen Phoebe and continued the conversation at a different location.

Hope you liked it.

Anyway if you really think about it these three chapters were basically just three very long prologues to the show. I don't know If I'm actually going to continue as I don't actually have a middle planned.

Oh I have several endings planned and on ending spawns a sequel that would be fun to write.

Fun fact: Crystal is very Sherlockian in the sense that she can read a person by just looking at them.