Disclaimer: I don't own OK K.O.! Let's be Heroes!

Title: Bad End

Summary: Enid confronts Chip in his office.

...

Enid raps on Chip's door late into the night. It's the only lit room she spotted on the way here, dodging various Professors and other sneaking students. "Hey, Chip?" she whispers. "Can we talk?"

"Come in," he calls, not sounding the least bit concerned about her break of protocol. "And close the door behind you, will you?"

She opens the door just a little, edging around. It clicks shut behind her.

Chip's office is practically copy-pasted from every show she's ever seen. The typical desk, the typical chair perfectly centered in front of it, the typical bulky computer and typical piles of paperwork. There is a conspicuous absence of the typical pictures of family on the walls, but Enid figures a school for heroes isn't the best place to get sentimental.

"Nice to see you, Enid," Chip says without looking up. He switches his pen hand out for his regular hand, turning to the computer. "Give me a second to pull up your grades, and then we can get started."

"But-"

"Ah, here they are!" He broke into a grin. "It looks like you're doing well, Enid. Your grades are solid, and your teachers have been gushing about you in their notes. Even Foxtail is impressed."

That catches Enid off-guard. "Really? I thought she hated me!" She clapped a hand over her mouth. "Sorry."

"No apologies needed. Foxtail is not an easy woman to befriend, but she knows talent when she sees it." Chip powered down the computer, finally turning to her. Enid stood with her back against the door, not comfortable with the idea of getting closer. "Alright then. What seems to be the problem?"

Enid sucks in a breath. "Okay, so I'm not good at being subtle, so I'll just come out with it," she said. "I know you're blasting glorbs into students."

She expects him to deny it, or perhaps even to attack her. Instead, Chip simply sets his chin on his hands, which are planted to the desk via the elbows. "Has Elodie been telling you these things?" he asks quietly, sounding almost concerned. "Threatening you, maybe? I know you two are rivals."

"What? No!" Enid waves the idea away. She almost blurts out the whole story, but she checks herself at the last second. Whatever trouble she may or may not have just sunk her feet into, she didn't want her boys in the midst of it. "I- I saw you. The other night. I saw Elodie leave our room and I got worried."

Chip nods. "Ah. Well, I suppose it's better to have been you than rats in the vents."

"You... aren't mad?"

"I'm a bit upset," he admitted, "but, honestly, this is a relief. I've been meaning to bring this up to you since you got here, but Megafootball and classes got in the way." Chip made a come hither gesture. "Let's sit and talk about this."

"I'd rather stand."

"Sit down, Enid."

Enid swallows. His voice left no room for argument. She hesitantly plopped herself down on the too small chair, nails digging into her knees. She couldn't relax, no matter how hard she tried to make herself.

Chip smiles at her reassuringly, straightening. "I know how that must have looked, and I can't blame you for being scared. It's rather impressive of you to come to me like this, actually. But I can promise you that what my club does is not illegal or immoral or anything inbetween."

"You met in secret," she deadpanned. "In the dark."

That made him laugh. "You do have a point there. Heroes and villains have always been at odds with one another, Enid. It's only natural that the stakes raise with every new battle. Using glorbs is just a way to get to the next level."

"But it's hurting people," Enid emphasized, remembering Sparko's trembling body with a shudder. "You can't stop villains if there's no heroes to fight them."

"Sacrifices for the greater good are also a prime hero trait," Chip remarked. "A better grade doesn't hurt much either."

"That's..." She searches for the right word, not wanting to step on any toes. Not alone like this. "That's something."

Chip's eyes narrow slightly, searching. "Enid, I think you could be a great hero. Your potential alone is stupendous. Your classmates respect you, your teachers praise you, and even your friends seem to know that you deserve more than working at a bodega." She startled. "Oh, yes. Don't think I haven't noticed that they've come by a lot. I think it's quite sweet of them to support you." The large man stood, towering over her. "Enid, I'm proud to invite you to my gifted class. Do you accept?"

"No offense, Chip," Enid said, staring at her shoes. "But if this is what being a hero is, then I just don't think I've got it in me."

Chip's features became unreadable. "I see." He leaned over to push a button on his desk. "Well, that's a shame, Enid. Y'know, if there's one thing heroes and villains have in common, it's that we all want to leave a legacy. Wouldn't you agree?"

Enid stands, disturbed. "What did you just do?"

He ignored her. "P.O.I.N.T. Prep is my legacy, Enid. People will remember it- me- for the amazing heroes produced by it." Enid slowly backed away as he spoke, twisting a hand around to grab the doorknob. It didn't budge. "I can't let you ruin that."

Enid darts forward, hoping to take him by surprise, but Chip grabbed her wrist midway through the punch, holding it with ease. "Hey! Let me go!"

"You remind me of myself, Enid," he said. "You're used to getting what you want. It's only your right, being one of the strongest kids in Lakewood Plaza." Chip's eyes turned a sickening shade of blue as something hard and notably cannon-shaped pressed against her stomach. "But you're outmatched, kiddo."

Panic and anger fought for dominance in Enid's features. She began to shake. "You wouldn't," she stammered. "What would you get out of it? It's a waste of glorbs."

"Power can be addictive; I'm sure you'll find that to be the case," was his answer. "Welcome to the club, Enid."

Chip fired.

Author's Note: Well, somebody had to write out a bad ending lol.

(I should note that Chip didn't, like, hurt Enid, per say. He just shot her with glorbs to use the power high to manipulate her. Kind of like shooting someone with caffeine until the body is used to having it and then taking the coffee pot away.)

-Mandaree1