Chapter 7:
Dannie-Lynn let her arm drop to her side and she walked out of Warren's embrace over to where her Aunt Sue sat at the computer. "We need to go now." She instructed.
Sue got up and rushed off to wake Reed. "We'll take the copter." Sue said as she went up the floating staircase.
Snorting Dannie-Lynn handed Warren the phone and went to the open window and looked out and from side to side. "What are you doing?" Warren asked taking hold of her shirt from behind.
"Going to get her." Dannie-Lynn said firmly turning to look at him over her shoulder. "The copter will take to long and I don't know what's wrong with her."
"But you could get lost. You've never been to Rome with your powers."
"So?" Dannie-Lynn said.
"You'll get lost and than you wont be any good to her." Warren told her.
Dannie-Lynn knew he was right and he was making sense but she just didn't want to listen right that. "Come on Dannie I've readied the copter." Johnny said coming back into the apartment in full Fantastic gear. Sue was coming down the stairs with Reed as well in their suits.
"This isn't a mission." Dannie-Lynn said. "We don't need the whole brigade I just know I have to help her."
"And you will." Sue said calmly. "But you don't know how to fly the copter and Reed can help if she's injured."
Dannie-Lynn sighed and nodded and followed them out of the room. "Warren go back to the apartment and stay there." Johnny said.
"No I'm coming with." Warren said defiantly.
Looking to her father with easy eyes and Johnny nodded. Warren took her hand setting the phone down on a small side table and they all headed for the copter. Once they were loaded up with Nessa's location in the system the copter began to buzz with energy as the propellers spun and soon they were lifted into the air.
"Does this thing go any faster?" Dannie-Lynn said anxiously tapping her thumbs on her knees like a weak drumming. She was freaking out and that wasn't a good thing. "I could've been to Rome and back by now."
"Dannie you aren't doing Nessa any good being pushy. We'll get there." Reed said trying to calm his niece's nerves.
Warren reached over taking her hand in his and he let his hand flame a bit and Dannie-Lynn looked up into his eyes and let flames sizzle around her hand and crackle with his own. In short it had the desired effect of calming her, but not much. Her insides were churning with fear and anger, but she wasn't snapping at anyone.
They soon were hovering over the Colosseum of Rome and Sue was silently instructing Johnny to the right area to land. They ended up in a field just on the out skirts of Rome close to where the gps told them Nessa was. Dannie-Lynn practically jumped out of the plan before it even landed and started looking around into the emptiness of the land.
"Nessa!" She yelled.
Sue came up along side her holding a tracking gps and she point in the direction of the small red beeping dot. Warren followed behind them as did Reed leaving Johnny at the copter. "She should be close." Sue said softly pointing in another direction now.
They followed all the way to a small hill where the red dot beeped rapidly. Dannie-Lynn looked about and saw the necklace lying at her feet broken. "Shit." She muttered.
Sue looked down the slop that led to a small creek. (AN: Never been to Italy just winging it here don't be mad) and gasped as Dannie-Lynn bent over and scooped up the necklace. "There." She started down the hill at a rapid pace Reed following close behind.
While this wasn't some insane powerful being it meant just as much to be the heroes and help her. Dannie-Lynn watched them go down the slop to a prone form at the bottom lifeless by a small creek.
Warren saw her anger flare but she made her way down slowly to her friend, knowing that she was fearing what she saw Warren stayed close to her. Reed was holding a stethoscope over her heart and gave a thumbs up to Sue who looked over at Dannie-Lynn. "She's alive." She said softly.
"What's wrong?" Dannie-Lynn already knew the answer. It was obvious from the way her body was positioned and her clothes were tattered. She reached them and saw her face was cut at the right cheek and there was blood spilling from her lip, nose and brow as well. Her shirt was ripped open. And her skirt was hiked up, panties strewn on a rock that was above water level in the creek. "Son of a…" She trailed off turning away to catch her breath.
"She needs a hospital. I feel some broken ribs." Reed said softly looking at Sue who was stroking the young girls hair from her face. Dannie-Lynn knew what she was seeing she was seeing Syd or Dannie-Lynn in Nessa's position and what she would do to comfort herself as well as them.
Dannie-Lynn walked over and knelt by Sue and Warren walked up and rested his hand on her shoulder for support. Dannie-Lynn reached up and laced her fingers with his and then saw that Nessa still held her phone in the hand that was laying haphazardly by her left ear in her tattered left hand. She choking back a sob reached over and took the phone from her hand.
'Call lost.' Is what the screen read and Dannie-Lynn hit end to clear it and than went to her picture files. "What are you doing?" Warren whispered in her ear.
"Getting even." Dannie-Lynn muttered. She scrolled through the files not having to search long; the second picture she came across was one of Nessa at some sort of Party it looked like. It was definitely Rome though cause no one would come out this far just to beat, rape and leave a girl to her death knowing she'd be found anyway.
Dannie-Lynn stood up and started the trek back up the hill leaving Nessa in capable hands as she saw red looking at the picture. Nessa and some guy she'd probably met smiling for the picture. If it wasn't him who had done it he might be able to point her in a direction.
"Torch!" Warren called after her.
"Stay Warren. You don't need to be part of what I'm about to do." Dannie-Lynn muttered angrily and glaring daggers at the nothingness of the landed once again heading for a main road that would lead her in to Rome.
"What are you doing?" Warren said having not stopped following.
Dannie-Lynn whirled on him. "Finding whoever did this and making him pay." She said pissed off.
"Revenge isn't the answer. It'll make you feel better sure, but it isn't you."
"You barely know me. Anyone hurts me or my friends and they are in for a world of hurt."
"Just turn whatever you found over to the police and let them handle it." Warren said almost desperately as Dannie-Lynn walked quickly towards the city.
"No! They wont do anything." Dannie-Lynn said lowly growling.
Warren sighed and succumbed to accompanying her on her quest so that she wouldn't do too much damage to whoever she was after. He couldn't help but notice that she looked as though she was out for blood. It didn't seem like a long walk into Rome and it was funny the city was so quiet compared to New York at this hour.
Dannie-Lynn paused and looked around for any inclination of a party and found to her surprise that it was closer than she had thought. She followed the buzzing teens into a small building that was surrounded by cars and such and looked around for the guy from the photo. She didn't seem him amongst the teens anywhere and she felt her heart start to sink.
It felt odd to her that she was hunting a man down, but she pushed the weirdness aside and went out front with Warren and looked around at the teens gathered in the front. "Torch please lets just get back."
Dannie shook her head no and turned back towards the front door and low and behold there he stood. And he looked slightly rumpled himself. "Ten bucks says that's him."
"What makes you say that?" Warren asked following her gaze to the young man. He was tall model like with brown hair and dark eyes.
"The scratch on his cheek and the small bits of blood spatter on the cuff of his shirt." Dannie-Lynn said her eyes narrowing on her suspect. "Stay here for a minute." She walked off leaving Warren to watch her from a distance as she approached him. He smiled at her. "Hi." Dannie-Lynn grinned.
"Hi." He replied his accent thick in his voice.
"I'm looking for a friend." She said convincible pulling a picture from her wallet to show him. "Have you seen her? I'm here trying to surprise her on her trip."
He seemed to sink when he saw the picture and looked back at Dannie-Lynn frightened but soon that was gone. "No."
"No? You sure you haven't seen her?" Dannie-Lynn pulled the cell she had slipped into her pocket out and found the picture holding it up to him. "Cause this looks like you." The boy grew wide eyed and turned and started running through the crowd.
Dannie-Lynn was not keen on running, but she went after him catching up to him quickly in an alleyway. She grabbed two fistfuls of his shirt from behind and slammed him into a brick wall. "I should gut you." She growled.
"Nessun per favore…" He begged. (No please…)
"Perche?" (Why) Dannie-Lynn asked pushing him harder into the wall even though it was impossible for his torso to be any further against that brick wall that it already was.
"Era una presa in giro. Non ho significato affinchè vada quello lontano." (She was a tease. I didn't mean for it to go that far) He whimpered. Dannie-Lynn was certain the pressure of the wall on his bones was excruciatingly painfully she made sure of it.
Dannie-Lynn pulled him back a little and slammed him against the wall once again. "Colza la sua causa che li ha presi in giro? Forse non stava prendendo in giro il asshole li ha fatti mai pensa a quella? Forse non ha voluto danneggiare le vostre sensibilità e flirtato con voi una punta per metterli a facilità!" (You raped her cause she teased you? Maybe she wasn't teasing asshole did you ever think of that? Maybe she didn't want to hurt your feelings and flirted with you a bit to put you at ease!)
"I'm sorry!" He exclaimed.
Dannie-Lynn whirled him around and punched him smack in the nose. "Sorry doesn't cut you asshole!" She said and kneed him in the groin and as he leaned over in pain she hitting him in the side of the head. And she would've kept on but two arms wrapped firmly around her restraining her and pulled her away. "Let go!" She yelled struggling against the hold.
"No! You're emotional and who knows what you'll do."
"Warren Peace let me go right now!" Dannie-Lynn screamed.
"NO!" He pulled her away and didn't even flinch what she flamed a bit up her arms trying to break his hold. "Doesn't work on me Torch!" He growled.
Dannie-Lynn powered down and stopped struggling and just let him pull her away from the alleyway where they left a groaning young man clutching his manhood in agony. When he thought they were far enough away he released her a little and Dannie-Lynn slumped to the ground. "Whoa." Warren said catching her. "You ok?"
A soft sob was his answer in return. It wasn't just the fact that Dannie-Lynn's best friend had been hurt, well worse, but the fact that she had counted on Dannie-Lynn to find her and save her. Her heart was pounding from fury and sadness and she felt her lungs restrict with heavy gasps. The last time Dannie-Lynn remembered really honest to god crying like gasping and stuttering uncontrollably she had just learned about her best friend dying in a plane crash.
"Torch." Warren said sympathetically.
"Please…can…can i…just hit something?" She stumbled over her words as she cried resting her head on her drawn up knees.
Warren sighed and helped her stand up before stepping away and dropping his hands to his sides. "Me. Hit me I can take it better than that idiot." He said lamely.
Dannie-Lynn couldn't help but cease her tears and giggled at him through her sorrow. It turned into full out laughter a few moments later and she tried catching her breath. "Tha…" She trailed off in more fits of laughter.
"Something I said?" Warren asked smiling. His plan was working. He wasn't good with crying girls, but he thought he knew of a way to make her smile.
Dannie-Lynn's cell rang and she pulled it from her back pocket calming her laughter just a bit. "Hello?"
"We're heading to New York. Get there." Johnny said. "She's unconscious, but stable."
"K. I'll be there dad." She flipped her phone shut and looked around at the empty night street Warren had dragged her down. "We need to go." She said looking at Warren.
"You better?"
Dannie-Lynn gave a weak smile and a nod. "A bit. Look here." She handed him her cell phone, wallet the necklace in her hand and her keys. "Put that stuff in your pockets."
"Why?"
"Cause I'm going full flame and you wont. We need that stuff. Shit!" She exclaimed.
"What?" Warren asked softly stepping up to her after sticking the belongings in his jeans pockets.
"I don't have my suit on." Dannie-Lynn gritted out.
Warren smirked at her. "You were planning on coming here with flames and being all nakedness?" He teased.
"I would've been alone. It wouldn't matter." Dannie-Lynn groaned at this. "Shit, shit, shit."
"I won't look." Warren said kindly. "Get us back to the apartment and drop me on the roof than go to your own room."
The sincerity of his words was just putting Dannie-Lynn in such a better mood. "Not that I wouldn't mind you seeing my in all my nakedness, but I just would rather save that for at least a few days after we start dating."
"Days?" Warren grinned at her.
Dannie-Lynn smirked. "Days." She replied. "Now come on." She held out her hand to him and he grabbed a hold. They took off bound for New York.
Hospital:
Dannie-Lynn and Warren walked into the emergency with Dannie-Lynn slapping Warren's hands away from her. "Oh come on I'm sorry." Warren laughed.
He had walked in on her yet again after not knocking when he entered her room getting a clear view of her curvaceous backside and her slender back. "Girls bedroom. You always knock." Dannie-Lynn gritted.
Warren sighed and tried to put his arm around her waist but she just slapped his hand away once again. "My thoughts are purely that of caring and comfort." Warren said.
"No I know what your thinking. Imagining in that little brain of yours so you can stop right now." Dannie-Lynn said looking over at him with slits for eyes.
Warren gave her a kind smile, not a smirk, a smile. "Please I'm sorry Torch."
Dannie-Lynn scrutinized him for a moment and then decided he was telling the truth and gave a slight shrug. Warren put his hand around her waist and she stepped closer to him and they walked almost in unison to the front desk of the ER. "I'm looking for…"
"Dannie-Lynn your father is waiting for you in the waiting room along with your Aunt Sue and Uncle Reed." The assistant said.
Dannie-Lynn nodded and headed off that way with Warren. "They know you here?" Warren grinned.
"Well when you train all your life to follow in the family footsteps and you have this wicked itch for setting things a blaze yeah you tend to make trips to the hospital. I've had scraps, breaks, gushers, you name it I've probably been there and done that." Dannie-Lynn explained casually. It wasn't really all that important but it did sound odd she guessed.
Warren chuckled softly and they walked through the automatic sliding doors into the waiting room and over to the 3 fantastic's. "Ok."
"Her parents are on their way." Sue said softly. "She had two broken ribs, her jaw has a hairline fracture and…"
"Ok don't tell me anymore." Dannie-Lynn said. "All I want to know is that she'll be alright."
"Doctor said she'll be fine." Johnny informed his daughter.
Dannie-Lynn nodded. "I'll wait for her parents you guys should get back to the others."
"You sure you'll be alright?" Reed asked standing and stepping closer to her putting his hand on her shoulder.
"Yeah Uncle Reed I will." She answered.
20 Minutes Later:
After sitting in agonizing silence since the other's had left Dannie-Lynn decided to start conversation. "Sorry the night was ruined." She said softly.
Warren was leaned over elbows to knees and his head in his hands staring at the floor and he just looked over his shoulder at her his eyes giving her reassurance. "Future heroes in training its part of he job." He said.
"Yeah but still. Want to hear something stupid?"
"You've never said anything stupid before." Warren said sitting back not removing his eyes from her as she fidgeted under his gaze picking at the hole in the knee of her faded dark wash boot cut jeans.
Dannie-Lynn smirked mostly to herself. "It's the first real date I've ever been on."
"Well than aren't I the lucky one." Warren teased. He reached over grabbing Dannie-Lynn's hand in his, ceasing her picking, and laced their fingers together. "So you speak Italian?"
"French, a bit of Japanese and German to. My grandparents were Italian so growing up it was important to learn so I could figure out what they were saying about me pinching my cheeks and all." She laughed softly at the memory.
"And the others?"
"I like learning other languages. Those are probably the only classes I've never missed."
Warren smirked. "I can't miss classes. It's impossible to ditch a school in the sky."
"Nothing's impossible. Maybe when school starts back up I come kidnap you and take you to my secret lair."
"Lair?" Warren said amused.
Dannie-Lynn grinned deviously. "You never know. A girls gotta have her privacy."
"Right." Warren just chuckled softly.
"Vanessa Taylor?" A nurse asked coming into the waiting room.
Dannie-Lynn walked over to her. "Yeah can I go see her now?"
"Are you a relative?" The nurse asked.
"Yes I'm her sister." Dannie-Lynn lied.
The nurse looked at her giving her that smirk like 'yeah right and I'm the queen of Sheba.' "Got proof of identity?" She asked smugly.
"Ok, no I'm her best friend but I might as well be her blood." She held hand showing the nurse her palm it had a nasty looking old scare. Warren was standing by her at this point and rolled his eyes knowing what was coming. Girls. He muttered to himself silently.
"Honey that doesn't cut it. If you aren't a blood relative I can't…"
"My father's Johnny storm and he was one of the guys that helped bring her in." Dannie-Lynn now knew she was grasping at straws, cause this nurse was to new to know her medical history.
"Well in that case…no. I'm sorry."
Dannie-Lynn was about the show the nurse what she was capable of, but luckily Nessa's parents chose that point to come in. "Oh Dannie what's going on? Your father was very vague on the phone?" Nessa's mother rushed over enveloping the girl in her arms.
"I think that you should talk with the doctor Jo." Dannie-Lynn informed her as she was released.
"Nessa's father is already doing that. How is she? Have you seen her?"
"They wont let me I'm not family." Dannie-Lynn said looking at the nurse that was still standing there.
Jo turned to the nurse and glowered. "I want you to make a note that Dannie is allowed to visit Nessa whenever she wants. Before and after visiting hours. My daughter doesn't like hospitals and this is probably going to be a terrible occurrence for her. Having her friend here will help." She said quickly.
The nurse gulped and made a note on the document on her clipboard and quickly left the waiting room. "Thanks." Dannie-Lynn said.
"No problem. I meant it. Nessa wont want to stay alone here."
Dannie-Lynn smiled softly and looked at Warren and then to Jo and Jo had finally noticed him and smiled. "Oh right Jo meet Warren. Warren this is Jo Nessa's mom. Warren's my boyfriend."
Jo got a lopsided grin on her face before it quickly went away seeing her husband coming over out of the corner of her eye. "Nice to meet you Warren."
"We can go see her Jo." Nessa's father said.
"Dannie-Lynn do you want to…"
"No. I should be getting home it's late. She's probably on heavy medications so she won't wake until tomorrow morning. I'll be back than to see her."
"Thank you Dannie." Nessa's father said sincerely.
Dannie-Lynn nodded. "No thanks necessary really I'm just happy she's breathing."
"Us too. Goodnight." Jo kissed Dannie-Lynn on the forehead and they headed into the main part of the hospital in the direction of Nessa's room.
Warren took Dannie-Lynn's hand in his and she looked up at him. "Hold your panties on I'm coming." Dannie-Lynn said jokingly.
"I'd rather hold…no wait I'd rather take your panties off." He smirked.
Dannie-Lynn scoffed at him. "I knew it. How did I know?" She said bitterly sarcastic to herself. She released his hand and started out of the hospital.
"Torch! Wait up!" Warren called after her laughing to himself as he jogged after her.
Next Morning:
Dannie-Lynn sat playing cards with Warren at the available table in Nessa's hospital room waiting for her to wake up. "You are aware that I am the queen of this game right?" Dannie-Lynn mocked Warren with a playful smirk.
"Just go Torch." Warren grinned at her.
"Four kings." Dannie-Lynn set the cars down on the stack.
Warren eyed her looking for any sign that she was bluffing, but found none. "Two aces."
"Bullshit! Bullshit!" Dannie-Lynn laughed. Warren glared at her and picked up the almost half inch thick deck. "Wishing you hadn't said two decks aren't you?" Dannie-Lynn goaded.
Warren just scowled at her but all in good humor. "I think we should put the cards we took out back." He said chuckling softly to himself in disgust.
"But it'd be to easy. No." Dannie-Lynn smirked triumphantly.
"Fine." Warren mumbled.
"Dan." A weak whisper came from the bed and Dannie-Lynn jumped up and rushed to her friends side.
"Morning." Dannie-Lynn said with exuberance to cheer her friend up.
Nessa looked at her tears in her eyes and Dannie-Lynn gently climbed on to the bed next to her friend and wrapped her in her arms as Nessa let the tears fall. "I should…" Warren whispered and Dannie-Lynn shook her head at him and nodded gesturing back to his chair that he had stood from to get to the door.
The crying stopped and Nessa pulled away a bit. "Thank you for finding me." Nessa said hoarsely.
"No sweat. But I used my resources."
"He was…"
"Yeah I already took care of him." Dannie-Lynn said.
Nessa gave a very faint meek bout of laughter and sighed resting her head on Dannie-Lynn's shoulder and they watched Warren shuffled the stacks of cards. "What'd you do?"
"Punched him, but Warren wouldn't let me kill him." Dannie-Lynn giggled.
Nessa let a small shadow of a smile grace her lips. "Well I couldn't very well be in the hospital and come visit you in the slammer. I'm not a magician." She joked.
Dannie-Lynn grinned at her and nodded. "Ok I'll give you that." She said softly. The girls watched Warren for a bit before either spoke again.
"He's nice eye candy."
"Yep a whole lot a yumminess rolled into a candy coated package." Dannie-Lynn laughed.
Nessa grinned. "Mind if he stays for a bit I'm starting to feel better."
"Warren I'm putting you on loan for the day."
"I'm your boyfriend I don't think that's in the contract." Warren said not phased at all by this.
Nessa's mouth hung open. "So you actually are dating?" She asked in shock.
"Yeah." Dannie-Lynn said. "Shocker there!"
"I think I just had a heart attack." Nessa laughed clutching at her chest just over her heart. Warren just smirked and went back to shuffling the cards.
Dannie-Lynn smiled. "Looks like your feeling a lot better if you're already mocking me."
"Well you would mock you to."
"I already do mock myself, but his yumminess is worth it." Dannie-Lynn smirked.
"You are both aware I can hear you?"
"Than you should be aware that we don't care." Nessa retorted teasingly.
"Yeah he even took me to dinner last night." Dannie-Lynn told her best friend. It became quite obvious they didn't care that the aforementioned guy was in the room. They'd probably just ignore his remarks and talk without a care in the world like they always did.
Nessa froze. "I didn't ruin your guys' night did I?" She asked sadly.
"No." Warren and Dannie-Lynn both said at the same time.
Dannie-Lynn nudged her friend with her elbow a bit. "Never. Besides you called the apartment, which means we were already home. And I think coming to rescue you was the highlight of our night. I got to see a little of Rome, find you and hit someone. Really all in all it was the prefect night."
Nessa giggled weakly. "You're just saying that stuff to make me feel better."
"No really it was a good night." Dannie-Lynn insisted tucking some loose hair from Nessa's ponytail behind her ear. "Wasn't it Warren?"
"Yep even when she forced me to brush my teeth." He joked. "And I know now what she's capable when pissed off, so I'll steer clear of that arena for a while."
Nessa smiled. "Yeah but no matter what she's always got your back."
"Always have always will." Dannie-Lynn smiled at her friend. "Oh so um your parents will be here later on, but they wanted me to ask if you want to go back to Italy and finish the summer?"
Nessa shrugged and looked down twiddling with the blanket that covered her legs and lower torso. "I dunno. It was nice and all, but boring to tell you the truth."
"So do you want to stay here and spend your summer traipsing around the city with me?" Dannie-Lynn asked.
"That would be far more fun." Nessa grinned.
"Ok. I'll have my dad fly your mom to Italy in the copter to get your shit."
"Uh no. I think I'll go get my shit." Nessa said looking at Dannie-Lynn like she was hiding something big.
Dannie-Lynn was intrigued at this. "Well what are you hiding?"
"Nothing." Nessa said innocently. "You and Warren should go. Have some fun."
"No I think I'll stay and bug you till you tell me what you don't want your mom to find."
"Warren could you help me out?" Nessa asked. He stuck the decks of cards on the table, got up and walked towards them. He put an arm under Dannie-Lynn's knees and one back around her back and lifted her from the bed.
"Hey no fair! This is cheating." Dannie-Lynn wriggled trying to get out of his grasp but didn't succeed.
"Bring me food and my laptop later." Nessa said smiling at her as she gave up fighting Warren's grasp on her and they left with Dannie-Lynn playfully flipping her friend off.