Disclaimer: I don't own any Marvel characters that appear in this chapter.
Return
It had only been moments after Chloe had discovered that Warren had danced with Lisa and only seconds after Warren had given Chloe her reassuring kiss. The lights flickered.
Of course everyone looked to here. Not only did she have a bad temper, but she also was one of the only kids in the school who had that power. Warren simply looked at her only the tiny bit curious.
"That wasn't me." Chloe assured slowly with a shake of her head. Warren nodded squeezing her hand tightly. He totally trusted her. The lights now became brighter and blew out. Some students screamed in the dark cafeteria. Zach glowed, brightening the room slightly. Warren held up his index finger that had a tiny flame. He smiled slightly at Chloe.
"Okay, kiddies, remain calm." Oh no Chloe thought as she heard that familiar all too confident voice. A man in his twenties came into the cafeteria with a spandex blue jump suit and his right hand aflame. He had a happy little smile on his face. His messy brown hair had grown since the last time Chloe had seen him.
She closed her eyes tightly really hoping it was still dark and that he hadn't had shown up. She knew all too well that Warren would be staring at her curiously.
"Hello Ms. Von Doom." Johnny Storm said into her ear. She slowly opened her eyes to see Johnny Storm standing to her left with a stupid grin. Everyone was staring. "Long time no see."
"Johnny." Another familiar voice Chloe recognized. This one was not as full of bad memories. A young woman with a heap of long blonde hair suddenly appeared from no where next to the Human Torch. She had the same blue tight form fitting jumpsuit as her brother with that same ominous four. "Be nice to the girl."
"I am being nice." Johnny whined looking at his sister sharply. "I'm sorry for Johnny's behavior Chloe." Susan Richards told Chloe looking at the girl with a stunning smile.
"I am also sorry for our arrival." The woman lowered her head and Chloe knew what that meant. He's come for me.
"Get a move on Susie." Ben Grimm's harsh Brooklyn accent called from the hall outside the cafeteria.
"I'm sorry Chloe, but you'll have to come with us." The Invisible Woman told the young girl. Chloe shook her head.
"No, I can handle this myself." Chloe told Susan harshly.
"I don't think you understand what we're saying Missy." Johnny explained with a tiny fake laugh. "What we mean is the doctor's in and you're next in line for a check up."
"I understand completely." Chloe spat letting go of Warren's hand to fold her arms across her chest stubbornly. "I don't want to go with you four, especially Richards." She spoke his name in complete disgust.
"Hey, we are trying to save you!" Johnny shouted raising his voice. He closed his fist putting out the fire leaving the only light being Zach's glow and Warren's tiny finger light. "You are going with us."
"She said no." Warren barked leaning toward Human Torch in defense mood. Johnny merely looked over Warren and laughed.
"You got to be kidding kid." Johnny laughed at Warren, who now had a stern look on. He snapped his arms back and set them on fire. Johnny was a bit impressed.
"Do I look like I'm kidding?" Warren asked with narrow eyes.
"Two can play at that game." Johnny said with a slick grin. He too lit his arms on fire. The two just stared intensely.
"Boys, stop!" Susan shouted at both her brother and Warren. Johnny slowly put his arms out, but Warren wasn't convinced.
"Warren." Chloe warned shaking her head. He looked at her and put his flames out. He sat to Chloe's left coming between her and the two of The Fantastic Four.
"Now, Chloe I know this is difficult, but it is necessary." The Invisible Woman tried to explain to the teenager. Chloe could fell Warren grip her hand. She knew what that meant. "I know you've made friends here." Chloe looked at Will's table at the sidekicks. The people who had stuck up for her and stood by her side. Will just nodded his head, perhaps at Warren. "But you must have realized that this day would come. You knew your father would show up again and you knew that when he did he'd come looking for you first."
Chloe bit her lip. She did know this day would come. She had known her father still existed. She just didn't want to think about the day he'd come for her. To bring her back home.
"Come on, Chloe." Susan told the girl in her motherly way. "You'll be safe with us." Chloe looked into Susan's eyes and wanted to believe that was true, but she had been born never to trust any of the Fantastic Four. She squeezed Warren's hand and he took that as a sign.
He hurled a fireball at Susan and Johnny. It hit Johnny square in the face after Susan had dodged it. Warren pulled Chloe up and tried to hurry her out of the cafeteria, but the big rock himself was blocking it.
"Where do you think you're going, Buttercup?" The Thing asked in his low voice. Something collided into the side of him knocking him through the wall and off the school.
"Hurry, Go!" Will shouted hurrying Warren and Chloe down the hall. They all ran with Will and his sidekick friends on their heels. Layla closed up the path behind them with vines, so none of the heroes could get Chloe. They came to a dead end out of breathe.
"Now what?" Zach asked looking at Chloe out of breathe. Just as she was about to say something the lights flickered.
She looked away from her friends and saw him. He had his usual green trench coat with pants and shirt. His hood hid most of his armor covered face, but she could still see those piercing green eyes. He took another menacing step forward the lights flickered again.
"Chloe." He said in a deep slightly relieved voice. Chloe looked at him straight and directly.
"Father." She said slowly. Her friends around her froze. Warren didn't have her hand, but stood behind her glaring at the well known villain.
"It's good to see you again." He said with a smile hidden behind his metal mask. "Are you well?"
Chloe didn't answer. There was so much rage she had for this man, but she couldn't attack him. She wanted to keep her friends safe.
"You do know I am here for you." He told her. He took another step forward. The hall flicker with light.
"Why? You didn't seem to want me when the soldiers were attacking the castle." Chloe wanted to cry, but held in her tears. She was getting good at that. "Why now? I am obviously not precious to you."
"Oh, but you are." Dr. Victor Von Doom told her with a sweet tone. "You are my daughter, Chloe. No body is more precious. I regret having to leave you to become morphed into an average adolescent by such fools."
"You did." Chloe said sternly. "And I don't need you any more." The man simply stared at Chloe and the children behind her. She knew he was smiling behind his metal mask. She always knew.
"Simply because you have friends." Dr. Doom laughed. "They can not help you, Chloe. Not with the immense power you have. If anything they should fear you." Lightening shot through her cheek. Chloe gave a tiny whimper. Warren lit up his arms and stood in front of Chloe defensively. He shot a fire ball at Dr. Doom. Energy crackled around the man causing the fire ball to deflect.
"Excellent fire power, my boy." Dr. Doom said looking at the young man. "I almost didn't dodge that." Warren formed another fire ball.
"Warren don't." Chloe warned looking up at him. The young man looked down at Chloe and extinguished the ball.
"That power could be useful to us." Chloe looked at her father and sneered.
"I'm not going with you." Chloe told him loudly.
"I do not think you understand, my dear." Dr. Doom said looking down slightly. "There is no choice in the matter." He shot electricity at Chloe. A green shield formed around her and the others. Her father merely laughed.
"Excellent! Your powers are still emerging." He laughed. "Now this time this will hurt." He shot a load of energy at Chloe. She didn't block it and went flying.
"CHLOE!" Warren shouted and went by her side. He helped her up.
"Leave me be." She said wanting to get up on her own. "I need to do this for myself." Warren went with the others as Chloe went to face her father. They stared face to face. Chloe's green long skirt rattled with energy and so did she.
"This ends now!" She shouted and shot energy at her father. He shot some back. Both electrical blue streams pushed against one another. Her power was stronger and her father stumbled. He was angry. He shot energy at her. Her armor formed around her. He was surprised by this.
"Only a fraction of what power you will acquire." He mumbled to himself. She shot more energy at him. He merely took it. It wasn't enough and she knew it. "That boy over there is yours no doubt." Chloe froze by the mere mention of her boyfriend. "He cares for you enough to stand up to me. He would make a fine future leader of Latveria." As those words hit Chloe she hated them. She had always feared herself becoming evil, but Warren. That was a terrifying thing to think about. She didn't want think about Warren being a monster like her father. Her anger was building.
"Or perhaps I could just kill him so you could come with me right now." That probably was what made her snap. She shot a blue electrical stream at her father in her Doom-like armor. He flew back.
"DO NOT THREATEN HIM!!" She shouted and perhaps spiraled into a rage. She remembered only shooting her electricity at her father knocking him off the school.
The next thing she knew she was on the ground crying. Possibly for the fact she may have just killed her father, but more so for Warren.
"Chloe." It was Warren he wrapped his arms around her.
"Don't ever leave." She cried throwing her arms around him. "Please stay with me."
"I'm not going anywhere." Warren said softly in her ear and kissed her forehead as she continued to cry in his arms.