Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel. Stan Lee (The great man he is) does.
A/n: You know the drill. NO FLAMES! Unless they come from Johnny. R&R VGxx
2nd A/n: Rayne is in Senior high here. I've jumped quite a few years. But the next few chapters include flashbacks to the years between 11 and 16; this one and the next few chapters are going to stay at this age for Rayne. So stay tuned for more chapters!
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Chapter Four: I Would Sooner Die!
"Shut up! Urgh – who would've thought threatening you with death would have made you even more vocal?" Jason snapped at Rayne who had started yelling obscenities at him. Rayne hadn't shut up since he hung up from her father.
"I'm a superhero you idiot! Dying doesn't scare me! I live without fear!" Rayne screamed. He hit her across the face. Her powers hadn't been given to him yet; she'd refused to give her powers to him. She noted one of his minions was setting up a video camera. She knew what he was going to do – he was going to film her getting hurt and give her family more incentive to give their powers to him. He smiled gleefully when he knew she realized what he was doing.
"Oh yes my dear. Your family will have no choice but to give me their powers when they you getting burnt, Miss Immune-To-The-Elements. But what they don't know is that they will not be able to save you no matter what they do. You'll die anyway." Rayne paled. She felt sick. He was going to kill her no matter what happened. She shuddered at the thought of dying. Dying did scare her – but she played it up. She was the Human torch's daughter – if dying didn't scare him then it didn't scare her either. He told his minion to record everything he did. The younger boy nodded and pressed record.
"All right Fantastic Four listen carefully. You see the girl behind me? This is your Miss Rayne Storm – immune to the elements – watch this." A match was struck and Rayne played fear on her features like she was terrified of it – as if it would burn her. Jason thought the fear in her eyes was real.
"You see the fear in her eyes? How she cowers before the flame? What sort of daughter will she be to the Human Torch if she cowers before a match?" Jason touched the flame to her arm. But when she didn't cry out he looked back at her face. Her expression had changed no longer did she cower in fear but she smirked at him.
"You can't take away my powers. They are in my DNA structure you can't just take a blood sample and think you've taken them away!" Jason slapped her across the face.
"You make me look like a fool!" He snarled.
"That was the plan." She growled, earning herself another slap, snapping her head to the opposite side. She looked squarely up at him, tears in her eyes and fear shining in her dark blue pools. He laughed at her.
"Now you are scared of me! You see Fantastic Four? You see the fear in those eyes? She is scared of me!" Jason turned to her, "what do you want to say to your family Rayne?"
"Don't give up your powers! Don't let him take them! I'd rather die then see innocent people die because there is no one to protect them!" Rayne shouted at the camera. Jason pressed stop.
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"We just got this in." Johnny held out a tape for Reed to look at. Reed had been searching for Rayne's Cellphone signal. It showed her in the basement of the Baxter. They'd have to use the stairs to get to her, but how would they get there without her captor knowing Rayne had told them where she was? The video was distressing not just for Johnny, Ben, Sue and Reed but even Alicia who couldn't see but could hear it was distressed. She could hear the slaps and her cries – she could see Rayne's face stained with tears, her eyes shining with unshed tears. Alicia let tears slip from her eyes as they started to slip free of Sue's and even Johnny tried to bite back tears but this was his strong, brave 16-year-old who was now terrified of someone she thought she could trust. That hurt him more than seeing her hurt. He got up and went out to the balcony. He could hear her words I'd rather die than see innocent people die because there is no one to protect them! Why did she want to die? She could save those innocents too. So why die just for them? He remembers when she was 12 – when she found something of her mother's.
Flashback"Daddy?" Johnny looked up; Rayne was holding a book in her hands, a book he recognized as Anna's. She held it up for him to see the front of it. Holy Bible adorned the cover in thin gold lettering. She watched his face as if expecting him to yell at her.
"Where did you find that?" He asked, "you haven't been in Dad's room have you?"
"No. I found it in my bag. It has a note from Mom in it. But it's faded. I can't read it." She held it out to her father. Johnny took it and opened it up to the note; he pulled Rayne onto his lap and held it in front of him. She was right. It had faded and made it very hard to read – but Johnny had read it over and over again so he knew the words that he couldn't quite make out.
Dearest Daughter,
I know if I'm not here when you read this your father will happily read it in my stead. You must be about twelve now. Congratulations on getting this far in life. You probably have discovered you posses a special power. I would love to see it. Learn form your father on how to use it wisely.
Another thing. I expect at some point in your life you will be given a choice. A choice that no one else can make for you. You will in a position where your father and I cannot make it for you, you will have fight or flight. Remember Jesus died for ours sins to save the innocents of the world. Remember that innocents need our help. Whether you choose to help them or not – this is your choice.
Forever, your loving mother xx End FlashbackJohnny had tears in his eyes when he finished reading it. Anna had been a firm believer that Rayne was a gift form the God and that she would have some kind of power. The doctors had been able to say she would have a power of some kind whether it was good or bad they couldn't tell. Johnny and Anna had discussed names but when Anna died Johnny had forgotten what they'd agreed on.
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Rayne chewed her lip in a bored way. She had nothing to do to pass the time. It was eight o'clock and Jason had left her with nothing to do. She decided to see if she could pass thoughts to her relatives – she knew her and her father shared more than the bond between father and daughter so she'd try it.
Dad? Daddy? She tried to find him. She searched her mind for any inkling that he could hear her. Suddenly she found it.
What? Rayne? She giggled,
Yeah. I'm in the basement. Be careful I think Jason's minions are still here, but they're asleep. Help me out. So you don't have to give up your powers. Johnny smiled.
All right. I'll get Auntie Sue to go down and untie you. Maybe Uncle Ben and me can hold the minions off while you and Auntie Sue get out. Rayne looked around.
Yeah – but one of you will have to hold the door open – the locks from the outside. Once the door shuts I can't open it again.
All right. We'll be right down. Rayne sighed. Help at last.
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Yeah I know – Sorry it's so short. Something to keep you wanting more while I work on my High School Examinations…VGxx
