A/N: For Camelion who wouldn't stop bugging me so this chapter is for you. I hope you all like it – there's a lot of pressure owing to lack of updates, which can be explained by very important exams, which will determine the rest of my life!

'Well, well. What do we have here? Warren, so glad you could join us and look Black, there's your daughter. I'm sure you two have some catching up to do. And then Will Stronghold! We are honoured and his little girlfriend the hippie. But I'm afraid I don't know the last one. No matter, I'm sure we'll have time to get acquainted after you join me.'

Barron stood in the middle of the hall, surveying the five children who faced him. Admittedly, he'd been slightly surprised that they had come out to face him but that didn't matter now. He'd just shoot them with his ray and they'd join him. He reached for his ray gun strapped to his ankle but it wasn't there. He looked to Black but he didn't have his either.

'Looking for these?' asked Warren holding the two guns in his hand before crushing them beneath his boot.

Barron was slightly off-put by this but tried not to show it. It looked like he was going to have to fight these kids himself but he didn't want to hurt them.

'That's a good trick Warren. Mind telling me how you did that?'

'Oh, it wasn't me. It was Ethan,' he said gesturing to the orange puddle on the floor, which rose, upward to form the boy again.

Over the summer his powers had developed and he could now transport matter along with him when he melted. He'd managed to sneak round the back of the two villains and liquefy their weapons right out of their holsters.

'Getting a sidekick to do your work for you now, son? I thought you'd have more pride!' scorned Barron, trying to get under his son's skin. It appeared to be working.

'I am not your son. You lost the right to call me that many years ago,' snarled Warren through gritted teeth. 'And just because I believe in giving others the chance to display their powers does not make me weak.'

'Oh but you are my son, in so many ways! Your reaction there was so typical of me – I defend my allies too, as you'd know if you joined me.'

'Well we're never going to do that!' called out Will. 'You haven't got those ray guns anymore and none of us would ever willingly join you!'

'Ah, Mr. Stronghold, I was wondering when you were going to pipe up!' said Barron sarcastically. 'Yes, it is true I no longer have my rays but has Warren warned you about my actual power? Now I thought I wasn't going to have to use it but you have proved me wrong. But, before we begin, Black, would you like to say something to Crystal? It may be your last chance…'

Bravely, Crystal stepped forward to speak to the man she had used to call Daddy.

'Crystal, sweetie. How are you?' he said in a voice dripping with false concern. 'It's nice to see you again. How are you coping without Mom? Or maybe I should ask Mr. Peace that question, seeing as the two of you are so cosy at the moment.'

'I expect you know how I am. I wouldn't put it past you to have cameras following my every move,' she hissed.

'You have a volatile daughter there, Black. You've raised her well,' said Barron.

'Why thank you, though when I left her she was a much sweeter, far less hostile child. I think this is the influence of your son.'

'Good, Crystal always seemed to be a bit wimpish. I'm glad you've toughened her up son, it'll make the fight so much more interesting!'

Barron raised his hands. Warren panicked – he didn't want to end up fighting his friends.

'Wait,' he said. 'Before you do your thing just answer me this. How did you find the school? It's meant to be protected from villains like you.'

'Ah, I'm glad you asked me this, even if you only did so to delay the inevitable. Now, Crystal sweetie, would you take a look at your leg? You see that metal there? Well that was planted by Thorn, one of my men, in the scratch you got on your way to school today. What a day to wear a skirt. So the metal that got into your system was actually neurotransmitters encased in metal which interfaced with your brain and gave us the location of the school. They acted as a rather splendid homing beacon for my ship.'

They all stared mouths open at what they had just heard.

'Don't look so surprised, children. It does nothing for your faces. Now -.'

Barron was interrupted by the sounds of an engine pulling up outside the window and saw three of his men dis-embarking from the ship; Kass, Thorn and Creon.

'My friends, so glad you could join us! Now then, you're just in time for the show.'

Once more, Barron raised his hands to unleash the power that would surely cause the destruction of these teens. One hit from the stream of flame he would throw out would turn these kids on each other in a blink of an eye. But not only were Barron's flames the way in which he changed people, they were also his main weapon, just like his son.

He launched one fireball straight at his son who did the only thing possible, which was to counter it with one of his own. The fireballs collided and exploded mid-air. Barron simply shrugged and threw another but Warren hit it again and again and again as Barron threw more and more. He didn't care, he had enough stamina to last all evening but it was slightly irritating. He hadn't expected to do any fighting.

But suddenly, he and Warren were not the only ones who were fighting. Streams of light were streaming towards Black who had been about to attack Warren to speed the process up. The streams came from Crystal, who else, who was attacking her father to save her friend. He was caught off guard and one of the beams grazed his shoulder. He jumped and shot stream after stream of ice at his daughter who countered them just as Warren countered his father's attacks.

Seeing that their bosses were in trouble, Kass, Thorn and Creon moved forward to help but found themselves faced with Will, Dara and Layla.

'Please,' scoffed Creon and went to push the two girls aside. But Dara was strong and held her ground. She took hold of his arm and flung him across the gym.

Kass and Thorn were surprised and for a moment, shocked into stillness. This gave Will the opportunity to do the same to Kass, leaving Layla a clear route to Thorn.

It looked like the showdown Barron had been waiting for was about to begin, but not in the way he had hoped.