The next day I returned to school. Again, I was surrounded by people who wanted to know exactly what happened to me. There were many rumours going around that I had been attacked, raped, mugged, and more that I didn't even bother trying to listen to. Some even thought that Chris had tried to force himself on me and that's why we broke up. I dispelled each rumour but it didn't stop them. The girls who usually hung round me were back, louder than ever. Although I was surrounded no one noticed how swollen my nose was thanks to my eye. If I wasn't careful soon people would think my dad was abusing me.

During that day, I couldn't wait for the evening when I could let off steam, kick some ass and give Chris everything he deserved. But I was worried that I might freeze up and about how me and Dave would be. I saw him in the corridor and he smiled at me but it was the same it was nervous and embarrassed.

Todd was more protective than usual and had taken to escorting me to my lessons.

I saw Katie when walking to my lesson and she smiled at me. She beckoned me over to her, Todd nodded and waited a few yards away, he was like a really scrawny cheap bodyguard, "I guess you heard about me and Dave?" I nodded slowly, "I just wanted you to know that I won't tell anyone anything I know about you." I hugged her, for all I knew this could be my last day on Earth and I weirdly trusted her. She was about the closest thing I had to a best friend. It was sad but true.

"Thank you." I whispered as I let her go.

I walked off quickly to my next lesson closely followed by my brother.

My dad picked me and Todd up after school. He was being extra careful with me. I spent as much time with my family as I possibly could that night. I watched the clock hands move slower and slower. I even made dinner for us and made us sit together as a family.

Once half eight came I knew I had to leave very soon to get to the rendezvous point.

"Is everything ok, hun?" My dad noticed my face change.

"Yeah dad, I think I'm gonna go to bed early. I don't feel to good."

"What is it? Is it your stomach?" He stood up and became quite hysterical, a strange sight to see a big, burly southern American man become hysterical over his daughter going to bed early.

"No dad, it's a headache, I just need to sleep." He sat back down, I was sat next to Todd so I gave him a quick hug, "'Night." Todd was too engrossed in the TV to notice I had just hugged him.

"'Night dad." I hugged my dad and kissed his head, "Love ya." He sighed and smiled. As I walked to the stairs I took one last look at my family, for all I knew it would be the last time.

I entered my room shaking off the tears that were starting to cloud my vision. You have to be strong.

I changed and turned off the light into my bedroom, I also stuffed some pillows under the covers just in case, it probably wouldn't make any difference if anyone walked in, they would realise quickly but I was forever hopeful.

I climbed down the drainpipe as usual and into the night. Everything was so still it looked the world was frozen in time. I stopped at a parking lot a few buildings away from the hospital, Wow, Dave is optimistic about tonight(!)

I heard someone move towards me, they were too light footed to be Dave or even Chris. "Hit girl."

"Eradicator."

I turned to her with one eyebrow raised, "What? You can't expect me to call you The Purple Eradicator every time I see you." She explained. I shrugged, kind of agreeing. "Are you gonna be a problem tonight?" She asked me not completely unkindly.

"I hope not." I breathed.

We sat in silence. I heard heavier footing beside us. "You ready?" Dave's soft voice asked.

"Always." I turned to him and he was looking past me to Hit Girl. Hit Girl gave me a gun and smiled at me. Dave looked at the ground, "Are you gonna be a problem tonight?" I asked him.

"Why-"

"Last night?"

He sighed. "I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it. Lets forget it happened tonight, ok?"

He nodded. "I would ask what happened but I might regret it so I won't." Hit Girl said and I laughed.

"I'm really not comfortable with this."

"You know how to use a gun right? You chose the machine gun!" Hit Girl said getting annoyed.

"I know but…"

"It's time for you to live up to your name. Red Mist has to go down tonight and he's going to be armed right up to the teeth." She summed up.

After a long silence I asked, "Why are we doing this?"

"What?" Dave replied.

"Fighting Red Mist." I added.

"What do you mean?" Dave asked.

"Are we fighting him because his empire has grown, to extract some revenge or is it, and I shudder at the thought, some jealousy bug that you have that wants Red Mist's blood?" I didn't ask unkindly but I decided it would be best to be honest.

Kick Ass looked angry and shocked but also a little sheepish and before he could reply we noticed something move in the shadows.

"Where is she?" Came a familiar voice.

"Who?" I replied to him when neither of my team mates did.

"Penny. If any one has hurt a hair on her head I will chop of your genitals."

"Penny? You used Penny to get him out here?" I was furious and turned on Kick Ass.

"It was Hit Girl's idea." He whimpered.

"Oh, you'd do well under torture." Hit Girl snarled.

"Where is she, bitch?" Red Mist got closer.

"She's not here." I wanted to reply with some sort of insult but I couldn't bring myself to. "She was never kidnapped by any of us."

"She's safe."

"At home in her bed." I ended the sentence.

"Well, now that's settled, I have a bone to pick with you. How did she find out about me?"

"She guessed, she's cleverer than you think."

Red Mist laughed, "She couldn't have just guessed, you told her."

"It looks like you've already decided so." I noticed both my team mates stand either side of me.

"You've ruined everything. You will pay for that." I could have sworn that I saw a tear fall from his face, but I could have just been seeing things. I stood up straight.

"She meant that much to you?"

"What does it matter? You will pay, bitch."

He ran at me and I jumped out of the way, Shit, I'm his target tonight, not what I planned.

He noticed the gun in my hand, that I held away from me like a rounders or baseball bat, and pulled out on of his own, Fuck, no.

He pointed it at me so I dropped to the floor and rolled away, jumping up at the last second, I flipped towards him and punched his stomach. I kicked the gun out of his hand and I slid mine away. I felt as though I had been punched in the chest and I noticed that Red Mist had another gun that was smoking at the tip. Now, I was seething. I kicked it out of his hand, while he looked astonished that I was ok, I then kicked him twice in the face, gently hopping from one foot to the other. I punched him in the stomach, while he was still standing. He fell heavily like a sack of potatoes.

I heard Hit Girl scream and looked up involuntarily. Stupid mistake. I felt my legs vanish from under me and I fell on my ass. Red Mist sat on my stomach and held my hands above my head. I felt like a caged animal, waiting to kill it's capter.

"Get off me! Get off me, Chris!" I stopped as soon as I said his name, there was no point struggling any more, what I was afraid of happening was going to happen, whether I liked it or not.

"No." He whispered. He took one of his hands off of my wrist and touched my face. "Please, God no." He took off my mask and I couldn't contain my tears, they flooded down my face. He let go of both my wrists, I sat up quickly and kissed him for the last time, it was the closest I would ever get to doing him and I wanted it to last forever. He didn't pull back at first and then something clicked in his brain.

"No, no, no!" He screamed the last "no." He was still on top of me and pushed me back to the floor, "Chris, please."

I knew how he felt. "Fucking bitch." He managed to choke out. He pressed down on my arms keeping me pinned down.

I was starting to feel afraid, so I pulled my legs up and pushed him up using my feet and his ass. He flipped off me and I put my mask back on like it would change my perspective of things. He stood in front of me trying to punch me and every time I blocked it. I knew it hurt him as much as it hurt me, maybe even more, his face contorted with every hit but he couldn't stop himself. He yelled in anguish and ran over the rooftops, far away from me.

I was expecting to be upset but all I felt was blind rage.

I looked down at Hit Girl, who was lying on the floor in agony. There was a guy about to stab her and I ran at him followed by kicking him hard in the face. He looked up at me dazed from the floor half of his face was brused and it was obvious I broke his jaw. I stole one of Hit Girl's butterfly knives, while he looked up at me, jumped over him and slit his throat from behind, he crumpled to the ground as a wave of blood fell with him, I watched for a few seconds after the first flow stoped and watched as the arteries kept on working only killing him faster.

I then turned to Kick Ass, who was being pummelled to the ground. "Duck!" I shouted to the boy, I don't know if he heard me or whether it was an attack he was performing, or even him passing out but he fell to the ground. I aimed and watched as the butterfly knife hit Red Mist's crony right between the eyebrows, he fell straight onto his back. I removed it from his head, blood spurted from his wound too, there was the blood of the two men and brain matter from the last staining the blade. Kick Ass looked up at me in shock.

I turned to the little girl and walked to her, she was covered in blood, crying and she looked so little for once. "Y-you finally liv-lived up to your n-n-n-name." She spluttered. I had no idea if anything was still in the wound.

"Shut up, pipsqueak. Let's get you to the hospital." I told her humoursly, trying to keep her calm. I closed the knife, took off her wig, mask, jacket and cape, I removed my jacket and mask too. I picked her up so that she was draped over both my arms. "I got her, Kick Ass, you go tell her guardian that I'm taking her to hospital, I'll met you there." Dave didn't argue. "Hit Girl. What's your real name? The hospital will need to know."

"M-Mindy Macready." She told me breathlessly.

"I'm Penny. Everything will be alright. Tell me about your dad, Mindy." I needed to keep her awake.

"H-he was, Big Daddy. H-he taught me everyth-thing I know..." Her voice was getting quieter.

"Tell me about what he taught you. Stay with me Mindy."

"He-he…"

"Mindy! You have to stay awake to hear the mission brief. Can you do that for me?"

"Yeah, Penny."

"Good girl. Listen…" Shit shit shit shit shit!!!!

Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed. I'm sorry I know I'm rubbish for leaving you on another cliff hanger. The next chapter should be up soonish. If you have time I am curious to know what you think of how Penny's love life should end up at the end of the story, I have a poll on my profile if you could do it then I would much appreciate it.

As always I love you and tell me what you think.