Sorry for the long update wait!!
As usual I don't own anything you recognise from the movie
Enjoy!!
As we set up decorations for Warren's surprise party, my new favourite song blared from the radio, I sang along with it happily as did Magenta and Grace since we all liked the same type of music, well, I enjoyed a variety, anyway, Lash was glaring at us and demanding we shut up, we ignored him and sung louder:
"He's a stranger to some For a fortune he'd quit On a mountain he sits, not of gold but of shit On his face is a map of the world From yesterday, it's coming! On his face is a map of the world From yesterday, it's coming!
And a vision to none
He can never get enough,
Get enough of the world
But it's hard to admit
How it ends and begins
On his face is a map of the world
(A map of the world)
On his face is a map of the world
(A map of the world)
From yesterday, it's coming!
From yesterday, the fear!
From yesterday, it calls him
But he doesn't want to read the message here
through the blood he can learn, see the lives that it took
From council of one
He'll decide when he's done with the innocent
(A map of the world)
On his face is a map of the world
(A map of the world)
From yesterday, the fear!
From yesterday, it calls him
But he doesn't want to read the message here
But he doesn't want to read the message here
But he doesn't want to read the message here
From yesterday, the fear!
From yesterday, it calls him
But he doesn't want to read the message here
From yesterday,
From yesterday,
From yesterday, the fear
From yesterday,
From yesterday
But he doesn't want to read the message here
But he doesn't want to read the message here
But he doesn't want to read the message here,"
"FINALLY!!!!"
So, Magenta whacked him over the back of the head, making us all laugh again, Warren was currently at work and Mama Wu would send him home at about five, would you look at that, it's five to five.
Wait, what?!
"Guys, hurry up! We only have five minutes!" I yelped, "Will, go get the presents, Pietro, go get the food, Lisa, help me put all this stuff away, Gracie baby, just distract Warren if he gets here ahead of schedule and Magenta, you help, Lash, help Will the presents!"
They just looked at me, then at the clock, then at me, then started running around like headless chickens, Pietro putting the cake on the table as well as all the other food, Lash and Will bolting upstairs to get the presents, Magenta and Grace running to the front door while the rest of us shoved all the left over stuff in the hall closet just as the door opened and Warren walked in.
We all smiled innocently and he instantly sensed something was up.
"What's going on?" he asked slowly, shutting the door behind, one eyebrow raised.
"Nothing, why would you think something's going on, you're just paranoid, why are you home early?" I fired off rapidly, everyone looking at me like I was crazy, oh yeah, we could tell him now, "um, surprise?" I laughed weakly.
"Amaya, sometimes I worry about you," Grace said with a giggle, "but we love you anyway!"
"Happy birthday Warren!" we all chimed in unison and he just looked at me, I was getting nervous now, why was he just looking at me? Everyone glanced at me, oh, so this was my fault now? It is not my fault he's not reacting!
"And this is the part where you say, 'oh, you did this all for me?'" I said slowly.
Still looking at me.
"Warren! Do something!" I whined as everyone backed away hastily, he walked toward me, taking his good sweet time about it by the way, I gulped slightly, "don't you like it?" I asked weakly.
"You said you weren't planning anything," Warren said quietly, stopping in front of me, "you lied to me, Rain."
"If I told you then it wouldn't have been a surprise," I reasoned, hands on hips, "and we did this because we care Warren Peace, so you're going to shut up and enjoy it, do I make my-" I stopped as Steve suddenly hurtled into the room, looking worried and frantic, something bad was happening, "Uncle Steve, what's wrong?" I questioned, frowning slightly as everyone stared at him, Josie appearing beside him, both dressed in their Hero costumes, both looking scared and worried.
"Barron Battle, he's escaped," Josie said shakily, everyone's eyes flicking to a very shocked and angry Warren who's arms were alight.
He headed for the door, I grabbed his hand and he stopped, flames still licking at his arms, he didn't turn back to look at me, just stood there, stock still, anger radiating from him.
"You can't do anything," I whispered, "you can't go, Warren."
He wrenched his hand free and left the house, slamming the door after him, we all just stared at the door, as if he would simply walk back in like nothing had happened.
He didn't.
I don't know how long we stood there, but Pietro began collecting all the food and taking it into the kitchen, the others helping while Steve and Josie had to go and find Barron Battle.
Me, I simply stood there, still staring at the door, he would come back, he wouldn't just leave me without saying goodbye, all I have to do is wait.
Sometime later, I took a seat on the sitting room window sill looking over the front lawn so I'd see if he walked up the street, I sat there for hours, watching the sky go from blue to gold and pink to black as night fell, my gaze never wavered and I could feel my friends and family's stares on the back of my head.
"Amaya," Layla said eventually, her voice soft, "you can't sit there forever, you need sleep and food and not to mention the fact that it's just not healthy."
"I'm waiting," I replied simply before lapsing back into silence, no one spoke and those who didn't live in the Stronghold household gradually left, Pietro and Lisa last of all, Pietro giving me a quick hug that I didn't return.
"Amaya, you don't know that he's coming back," Will said gently when we were the only ones left.
"He will," I snapped, forcing myself to believe this, Warren hated his father, he never really talked about him but, he'd told me that he never wanted to see his father, Battle didn't even know that Warren's mother was dead, Warren never told him because he never wanted to se him or talk to him, he just wanted to pretend Battle didn't exist and now, he couldn't, he's going to want revenge for tearing apart his and his mom's lives and he won't stop until he gets it, I know he won't.
Morning rolled in as did my Aunt and Uncle.
No Warren though.
"That's it," I growled, standing up from my seat on the window sill, startling my family, "I am tired of sitting around and waiting for his fat ass to come home, I'm going to have a shower and then I'm going to find him, any objections?"
"Go get 'um," Steve grinned, then sighed, "we've got to go too, Will, go with your cousin, never go anywhere alone you two, am I understood?"
"Yes," Will and I nodded, then I went upstairs and got in the shower, a steely determination sweeping over me, I was going to find Warren and beat some sense into his thick head.
As I stepped out of the bathroom about half an hour later, fully dressed and ready to go and find my idiotic pyro, Will came hurtling up the stairs, oh great, what was happening now, had the Royal Pain in the Ass escaped her mental asylum and wanted revenge on him and was currently in the house?!
"Amaya, something you have to see on the T.V!" Will said hastily, grabbing my wrist and yanking me down the stairs.
"An unknown Hero is currently fighting the recently escaped Barron Battle in downtown Maxville, they're fighting fire with fire and it doesn't look good, let's go live to the action," a news reporter was saying as we entered the sitting room, the image of a cackling Battle and a livid looking Warren appeared on the screen, flames flickering around them threateningly.
"I need to get to downtown, now," I gasped, turning and bolting out the room but, a hand cured round my wrist and I stopped, I turned my head and saw Steve looking back at me sternly, "Uncle Steve, I need to go, water and ice would stop them in a jiffy and I can kick the shit out of Warren for scaring me," I said, trying to lighten the mood.
"You are staying here, Amaya, as your guardians, we are in charge of your safety, you can beat some sense into Warren when we drag him back here by his hair," Steve retorted, "you are not to leave this house, you either Will, you are both going to stay here, no arguments."
"You can't tell me what to do," I snapped coldly, pulling free.
"I'm your Uncle-"
"You're not my father," I growled, slamming out the house, an icy guilt flooding through me as I ran for downtown, he was the closest thing to a father I had left and it was wrong of me to say that, I'd apologise when I got back.
If I got back.
No, think positive Amaya, positive!
I came to a stop as I met crackling flames, guess I'd found them then, oh bugger, I have to disguise myself, I searched my pockets and found a thick, black hair band that I never used in my hoody pocket, I quickly burnt two eyeholes into it and put it on as a makeshift mask, then pulled my dark brown hair into a high ponytail before making an un-melting ice mirror, didn't look too bad and disguised my true identity, perfect, now to find Warren and Barron Battle.
Getting rid of the ice mirror, I slipped stealthily through the flames unharmed, then coming to a halt as I came to a pile of rubble, my patience was currently non-existent and I used the wind to blast it out of my way, then extinguished the flames using water, my blue eyes flashing dangerously as I spotted two figures staring at me.
"You two, are so dead," I hissed, lightning and fire covering my hands, the earth shaking slightly, "so, I'd start running."
Battle laughed.
I shot lightning at him and he flew back, I smirked as he stood and glared at me, Warren still staring at me in disbelief, well, it's his own fault for being an asshole really, isn't it? Leaving me worrying about him-oh my god, I sound like a middle aged woman! Warren, you are so dead for making me sound like a middle aged woman!
"Rain, what the hell are you doing here?!" Warren demanded, now glaring at me, can you feel love here people?
"You see, I got bored because there was nothing on T.V except your little fight so, I decided to come and join in the fun," I replied in a fake bright voice.
"Go home," Warren ordered.
"I'm tired of people telling me what to do!" I shouted, shooting more lightning at Battle as he sent a fireball at me, "and that doesn't hurt me, I'm an Elemental."
"I thought they were extinct," he gaped, flames licking at his arms, he looked remarkably a lot like Warren, except Warren was better looking, younger and had no wrinkles or gray hair.
"Except a few," I replied dismissively.
"Go home!" Warren yelled at me.
"I thought we had this conversation, I am tired of people telling me what to do, I can take care of myself," I shot back angrily.
"Lovers spat?" Battle frowned.
"SHUT UP!!!" Warren and I roared at him.
"That's a yes," Battle sighed.
"You mean like the time you got kidnapped?!" Warren retorted.
"That was the Ruby Triangle! And I escaped, with some help, but that's not the point! The point is, is that I can take care of myself and I don't need you telling me what I can and can't do!" I shot back furiously.
We were so busy arguing we didn't notice the Commander and Jetstream appear and look round furiously, Warren and I were yelling too loudly to hear them talking and we were glaring at each other lividly, practically nose to nose, he's so sexy angry-no! Amaya focus! You are mad at him, do not take note of how sexy he happens to be angry!
"YOU TWO BE QUIET RIGHT NOW!!!" the Commander shouted over the angry bickering, Warren and I looked at him, me with a small frown on my face.
"When did you two get here?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Which way did Battle go?" the Commander demanded through gritted teeth.
"He escaped?" I gulped, oh shit, this was so my fault.
"Yes."
"Thanks a lot, Rain," Warren spat.
"Sorry for trying to make sure you didn't get yourself killed!" I growled, my fists clenched, "and you've destroyed downtown, including the mall, the mall!!"
"So, we have no idea where Barron Battle has gone?" Jetstream asked weakly, then her expression grew stern, "you two, get home now, you are both in big trouble."
Warren and I glared at each other once more before stomping in the direction of home, yanking off our makeshift masks once we were clear of the photographers.
"I'm sorry," I whispered suddenly as we were halfway home, "I really am."
Silence met my apology, great, I was getting the silent treatment.
"I just didn't want to loose you."
Silence except for the thud of our footsteps.
"Fine, don't talk to me, act like an immature brat while I've apologised and tried to be the bigger person."
"Why did you get involved?" Warren groaned, stepping in front of me and facing me, forcing me to stop walking, "he'll try and use you to get to me, Rain, he hates me as much as I hate him, you're going to get hurt."
"I was scared for you," I said quietly, looking at the ground, "I didn't want to loose anyone else and I know you're going to try and stop him and part of me wants you to because I know it's what you want but the other part wants you stay with me so I know you're safe and I'm really confused, it's just-I love you, Warren and I need to know that I'll always have you by my side, as selfish as that sounds."
His strong arms wound round me and pulled me into a hug, "I'm going after him, Rain, but I'll come back, I promise," Warren murmured softly into my ear.
"You can't make that promise," I choked out, tears starting to escape my eyes, "you can't promise you'll come back, because you don't know that you will."
"I will," he assured, releasing me and wiping away my tears, "and don't cry, we should get home, Mrs Stronghold is probably waiting to yell at us."
I nodded and we carried on walking home, one of his warm arms round my waist as we walked, making me feel safe.
So, what do you think? Please review, and thanks for all reviews on the last chapter!!
;p