AN: Yup, I'm back from vacation. Thank you, everyone who reviewed! You guys made my day.
I still haven't fully decided on pairings yet, but I have some new ideas. No one in this story is safe from triangles/new feelings/OCs until the very last chapter. I do love chaos!
To those how read and left without a trace: please review. It takes two seconds and brings me joy!
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So you take a picture of something you see
In the future where will I be?
You can climb a ladder up to the sun
Or a write a song nobody has sung or do
Something that's never been done, do
Something that's never been done
So you don't know where you're going and you wanna talk
And you feel like you're going where you've been before
You tell anyone who'll listen but you feel ignored
Nothing's really making any sense at all, let's talk
Let's talk, let's talk, let's talk
"Talk" Coldplay
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Chapter Nine:
Warren noticed Sierra looking at someone and followed her line of sight. He took a double take. When he was convinced he was not hallucinating, he stalked over with his forearms ablaze. He vaguely noticed the four kids get up and stare at him with wide eyes; they had never (directly) seen him this angry before. He scowled at the two adults in front of him, and with an anger-filled voice snarled:
"What are you two doing here?"
"In case you've forgotten, Peace, this is a free country," Lash said smirking.
"You should know by now that you're not welcome here," Warren replied.
"I'm not afraid of you."
"You should be," Warren growled as he threw a fire ball at them. His targets instinctively ducked but it didn't matter, as Sierra quickly put up a force field and the fire bounced harmlessly off. Warren turned angrily to Sierra, who flinched but didn't retreat.
"Stop messing around, Sierra, and let me at them. You don't know what you're putting yourself in the middle of."
"You're right, I don't know. Care to explain to us?" She paused, waiting for an answer that never came. Warren looked away. She sighed, but continued anyway. "I do however know that their son saved my life today. If he hadn't been there I would be dead now. I'm not going to let you start an unprovoked fight, especially with them." Warren opened his mouth but she cut him off. "Don't give me the 'preemptive strike' line, because we both no that's crap. A fight, especially in an enclosed area filled with innocent people, is risky. You're a superhero...stop acting so recklessly. I suppose it's hard for you males to control your territorial instincts, but please, try."
"Hey!" Greg and Chris protested her jab at the male sex, while Marissa giggled and nodded her agreement. Sierra glanced at them briefly but returned her attention to her still simmering 'Uncle.'
"Fighting is a horrible way to settle conflicts. If you have a problem, why can't you just talk it out?" Sierra continued gently. She hated unnessary violence and didn't want anyone in trouble.
Warren threw up his still flaming hands in defeat. He knew she wouldn't relent and he didn't know how to break through her force field without hurting her. He was still angry, but this way he might be able to avoid the inevitable lecture, and his restaurant wouldn't be destroyed.
"Excuse me," someone interrupted from behind them. Warren, Sierra, Greg, Marissa, and Chris turned to see the speaker and promptly got a sheet of water sprayed in their faces. Chris quickly pulled Marissa out of the restaurant to calm her down, as because of her feline nature, she hated getting wet. Warren's wife, who had by now been alerted of the chaos, quickly intervened before Warren could start anything. She dragged him away from the oblivious man, who, as he left, cluelessly remarked, "His arms were on fire. He should be thanking me for saving his life."
Greg and Sierra couldn't help but dissolve into a fit of giggles, holding on to each other for support, until they couldn't laugh any more. They remained on the floor for a minute, to catch their breathe. Sierra absentmindedly glanced at her companion but her cheerful smile faltered uncertainly under the intense scrutiny of Greg's gaze.
The moment, whatever it was, broke when Greg's mother informed him that he would have to help with the clean up. The two quickly and silently got up and went outside to check on Marissa. After Gregory discreetly removed all the moisture from his friends' clothes, they said their goodbyes and went on their separate ways home.
In the chaos, nobody had paid much attention to Logan and his companions. They were long gone.
TBC
