Okay, time for a little clear up me thinks. It has risen to my attentions that my thoughts have become tangled in the process of brain to fingers to keys to word document, so, as a result this little tiny section I dedicate to the unscrambling of my brain. It's embarrassingly shameful for a writer to have to explain their story, and trust me, my head has hit the desk a few times, probably why i'm so damaged today, but what needs to be done must be done. *sigh*
Alright! Quick summary of activities on the Chloe front;
-Chloe won't tell Emil about being ill because A) it's possible she will be jumping from a dam some time soon B) she know's there's nothing he can do to make it better C) it's un-necessary stress to make everyone else worry about the inevitable.
-Red liquid gooey injection was one of the meteor powers they thought they stole from Shadows, only he replaced them with obedience drugs to trick the little pesky hero's. Chloe injected herself in hopes the added power would boost her system back to it's higher functioning and stop the system shutdown caused by the absence of Brainiac/electro twins.
-Chloe jumping from Smallville dam is inevitable, as everything else the super teen has seen in her visions has come to pass, therefore it will for Chloe. This is putting her in a slight grump (as you would with your own impending death hovering over your head) and if you add it to the Shadow man trying to have her killed, the mental whiplash of torture and the full body system shutdown she's experiencing you can just tell things are not happy in Chloe land. But she puts on a brave face.
-She is refusing to get hitched with Ollie as because of said inevitable death she doesn't want to get too close only to go and die on him
-Chloe is NOT giving in to her future, hence the learning to fight. She's not resigned to the suicidal emo teen view of life, instead she is taking her future head on and sees to battle Shadows and claiming back her life. Chloe is strong and she will come through this. (Just a little while after i've finished dragging her through some more hell... he he he he he)
Anyway, enough of my evil nature and failings... time to go back to the story. If you require any clearing up on any point I will not bite you and you are free to message me and I will clear it up ;) Thank you for sticking with me this far. Xx
Chapter Thirty Nine; Business Dealings
Chloe froze, her eyes on the plasma TV, the news claiming her full undivided attention as she stepped from the newly repaired shower with just a towel around her. Her hand flickered off the mute button and the sound returned.
'-Reported seeing multiple shadows and ghostly imaging before the bomb was discovered. Experts say it was a power play and that the culprit is asserting his authority with the fake bombs. Three more duds have been recovered from around the city causing mass panic upon its citizens. The mayor has called an emergency meeting to discuss the risk to the city. We are still awaiting the decision. All we can say so far is that metropolis is no longer safe till this villain is caught. This is Lauren Vaunt reporting live from-'
The voice was cut off by an explosion in the background, screams, fire and hysteria rose. The bomb maker had lost patience in his dominating authority and things had stepped up a few notches. The video footage was suddenly cut off into blackness. The sound still playing. Then over the panic, the voice she had come to loath came back.
'Good evening Metropolis. This is your one and only warning. Everyday I will give you a choice. Hand yourself over to me, or watch your fellow citizens, friends and families perish in the fires at my hands. You will only feel the sick darkness spreading through you as you blast apart and fall victim to the one special live bomb I will plant each and everyday. I hope our next meeting to be just as explosive. The choice is yours Metropolis.'
"Oliver!" Chloe shouted, her feet crashed as she sunk beside the bed. This was her fault. He was escalating because she got away. He said there would be a price for her freedom. Did he desire her to pay in lives? "Oliver!" she cried again and finally he was through the doors. His eyes met her, huddled on the floor, arms wrapped around her knees. Her eyes were still on the screen, the news reporters trying to spin the story and failing miserably. Oliver followed her gaze unknowing what else to do. The studio reporter was flashed back to and a brief quick glaze over of the story had Oliver clued in. He turned off the TV and knelt beside her huddled form.
"Chloe. You're safe. He doesn't know where you are." He didn't need to. He was drawing her out. Her blue eyes swam deep and sorrowful, drowning him in the fear and sadness.
"I'm so sorry." she whispered. "I didn't mean for this." Oliver pulled her to collide against him. Nobody did this to his woman. Nobody had the right to destroy every inch of her in their sick twisted game.
"This is not your fault. Not in any way. You hear me Chloe. This bastard is sick thinking he'll get away with this. Now it's not just us looking for him."
"We can't." she protested, and looped her arms around his. "We can't do anything."
"Yes, we can." His voice had a confidence even he couldn't fake. "Listen. You and me we'll go away. Somewhere quiet. Somewhere safe. When we come back all this will be over. I promise."
"No. We can't just leave everyone. This is my fault."
"No. Listen to me Chloe. None of this is your fault. Unless you started planting bombs around the city this has got nothing to do with your actions. Nothing you've done is wrong. Nothing you can ever do is wrong." His belief was strong, strong enough to talk sense into her through her guilt. But in an hour, maybe two there would be a death total on the blue band of the news headlines. Those dead would be her responsibility. Just how many lives was hers worth?
"We can't leave." she repeated.
"Probably not." he allowed. "But when this is over. I'll take you all the way around the world. Any city, any country. Anywhere your desire. Promise. I'll scrounge the entirety of Paris looking for the perfect shoe if that's what you want to do." She choked a laugh through the sadness. "Things won't be this bad forever." He pulled her closer, no care for the water dropping from her hair to his shirt nor the protests about getting him wet when he brought her onto his knee.
"Something needs to be done." she spoke aloud, but the effect was more directed to herself.
"I'll get the boys back again. See what we can work out." Her eyes met his, she saw the determination, the need to protect. But overall she saw the love; that it was tearing him apart to see her so broken, that he would do anything to save her, anything to end her suffering.
She laid her palm to his cheek, feeling the soft tingles of his shaven shin, the stubble adding a shiver through her fingertips. The solid facial bones may have looked dangerously threatening but for her they made the shape of her rock in the violent storm. Her thumb lazily dragged across his lips, her hand sliding his contours to find place on his neck allowing her to inch closer, tasting his comfort and love. And that was all it was; comfort weaved between the thick strands of love. It was silly, but she doubted sex would be sex anymore. It would magically transform to the women's magazine dubbed 'making love'. Maybe that was how she'd fallen for him to start with. The man radiated 'making love', was it any surprise she had been taken over by it?
And here they were. Oliver faithful to the point of breaking. Chloe taken over by love. Yet the fairytale couldn't end; there was the dark force of evil to overthrow… and if that failed, there was herself to throw… off the edge of Smallville dam. She broke from Oliver, biting her lip. No, she told herself, that was no longer an option. Not when she was in this deep. Good would triumph over evil, the princess would marry the prince and they would spend the rest of their days surrounded by nothing but happiness.
"Chloe? You alright?" His coarse fingertips caressed her bare arms and she looked up to him, a smile of truth over her.
"Yeah." she simply spoke. "Go back to your business." she urged, feeling stronger already. He cocked an eyebrow at her like she'd just told him she was skipping through hell with a wicker hand basket to deliver flowers to the devil himself. "Ollie. I'm good. Honestly. I'll grab a book, read a few chapters and get some quality sleep." Her fingers closed around hers.
"You sure? We can sit and watch a movie." He didn't want to leave her yet. Not like how she was.
"Not necessary. You need to study hard then finish playing worker bee for the day and snuggle with me." He chuckled.
"I'll be up in a few hours. That I promise." He laid a quick kiss to her lips and pulled her to her feet. "You sure you-"
"Go." She laughed and gave him a gentle shove in the general direction of the door.
All she heard was her heart pounding, begging for a second to stop. All she knew was to keep running.
Her feet threw themselves up the fire escape. His goons were breaking through her apartment door, their henchman climbing up to meet her. Her only choice was up.
Bare feet slipped against rung after rung, but she wouldn't stop. Metal blistered against her in the cold air. The once comfortable pyjamas were flapping around her wildly, the wind suddenly rising and brushing hair in her vision. Where could she go when she reached the top? The question dawned on her as she climbed up further. Would this be the end?
The wind changed and she felt her grip on the bar fail, and she slipped down. But her view had changed, she was no longer begging the fire escape for safety, she was standing opposite her demon, her back against the wall. No further to run.
He took a step, the shadows clawing out for their next feed. One more, closing the distance. Her eyes hit the solid silver knife in his grip as it raised. No words were spoken but she could feel the intent. That knife was for her.
Her own fingers reached back. If there was something she could grab, to find something she could hit him with. Anything. Her fingers found no purchase and his last step descended. One movement of his hand and that tip would be forever imbedded in her, draining her life force.
The shadows cheered him on gleefully, a smell of rot and decomposition hitting her nose.
He lunged, but without a thought on the idea she had grabbed the dagger and torn it from him into her own hands. Half a second later and it was now part of him. He stumbled back, the shadows fleeing in a high piecing scream.
The skeleton bled, running deep scarlet over the crumbling bones to the rooftop. The knife remained, suspended in empty air between bones.
She felt no remorse, no sorrow. She felt nothing as the bones turned to ash, just the edge of the blade shining in the dust as the sun started to blaze, peaking up in shades of pinks and oranges behind the horizon.
Hello morning. Goodbye death.
Chloe woke in a cold sweat, whatever emotion had claimed her body into lock down was running ice over her burning skin, shooting pain up and down her spine, tingling where it touched. She didn't know whether to be happy or appalled. Yet all she could feel was pride.
She had done it. Conquered the man that haunted her nightmares. It had been a numb motion of sliding in a blade and he was gone from her life. Simple and easy. No mess, no guts, no blood staining her hands. The question returned. Should she be appalled she had done such a thing so swift, so assassin like, so emotionlessly? Or should she be happy?
She found her answer as the pride took hold of the happiness and melted the shackles holding her frozen. Warmth ran through her body. She wanted nothing but to share this high with Oliver.
He had been the one to chase away her nightmares, he should be here for the good as well. Except… No Oliver.
Her eyes met with the clock digits, checking that she hadn't lost track of time. It was 2am. She must have fallen asleep reading. The proof was in the fact she was only partially dressed. Just bra and pants. She had been deciding whether to get re-dressed or just throw on pyjamas, as a compromise it was just underwear. Still, where was Ollie?
His side of the bed wasn't warm. It didn't even look like it had been slept in at all. She slipped from the bed, tugging on the night gown and letting it lay over her body openly as she softly glided down the steps and scanned the living room. He hadn't slept on the sofa, not even thought about bed probably. She paused, seeing the light still on in the study. Listening hard, she heard the feint traces of classical music twirling from the solid door. She sighed and made her way to her man.
Oliver looked up from the same boring computer screen to suddenly find himself wide awake at the sight. There in the doorway, leaning against the doorframe like she had nothing she wanted to do more was his half dressed angel scanning him up and down with an order of lust.
"Are you planning on coming to bed anytime soon?" she asked in a voice that stirred the demons in his blood, boiling under his skin and rerouting all supply to way further south. There she was, dressed in the deep purple underwear set, framed with black lace on her balcony bra and classy yet temptingly cut panties. A silk dressing gown left hanging open to flow over her twins to tease him further. His mouth felt dry, his purpose long forgot.
Her fingers toyed along the seam of the gown's skimpy thin material, her eyes flashing up to meet him in a way she could only intend to be corrupting.
"I lost track of time." he answered, swallowing down the need to tell her to bend over his desk and let him show her just how much he wanted her right then.
"Hm." She nudged her hip against the wall pushing herself back up and wandered over to him, turning the monitor towards her, her cleavage in his line of sight and he wasn't too proud to say he got lost in their curves as she skimmed through his work and reports. "I don't see why these couldn't wait till later." she reported to him, her voice thick with the implication he thought the spreadsheet and data he was browsing was more important than her.
"They should have. But I'm having you all day tomorrow. Not work." She swivelled her head, testing his truth but whatever she saw she pushed away from him, perching on the very edge of the desk, making herself the tiniest of spaces next to the papers.
"You mean today. Right?" she questioned, her finger tapping the clock.
"Fuck." he muttered. His hand ran through his dishevelled hair. "I didn't realise it was this late."
"You mean early." she corrected again.
"I'm sorry. I just wanted it gone. I'd much rather have been upstairs with you." He made a move to reach out to her. She slipped from the desk and faded from his grasp to run her fingers over the bookcase then to the stereo he had on the lowest volume setting. As much as she was becoming partial to classical music, it wasn't right for the occasion. Instead she flipped the music to suit the scene about to play. AC/DC – You shook me all night long.
Oliver had good taste, when he put his mind to it. Sure, some people said that classical music had 'sexual' properties. She rolled her eyes at them, preferring the straight obvious 'I want you right now!' type.
Oliver didn't question her music choice.
"I missed you." she told him, letting the guilt sink through to the bone.
"And for that you have no idea how sorry I am. I promise I will make it up to you."
"No you won't." she answered. "You can't give me what I need." He rose an eyebrow, letting her get on with whatever it was she was after. When she didn't carry on he prompted her.
"What do you need?" She wheeled around and let their eyes meet, the sparks fire alight with passion.
She slid the gown from her shoulders, letting it fall to the floor where she was stood.
"You. Whenever and wherever I like."
"High maintenance." he commented. She smiled and took the seductive steps closer to him. Not yet touching, but enough so he could not forget what he was missing. Not that that was ever a possibility.
"What is it you require Mr Queen?" It was like she'd just stepped out of a porn film, her voice luring him closer, daring him to ask for the impossible that she would provide. Maybe he'd fallen asleep at his desk and all this was just a dream. No, he could feel her too well. Her natural scent invading his senses, her presence stirring in his blood.
"Take off your bra."
She was taken aback by the suddenness of his request but complied, her hands sliding back and un-hooking the clip. Ollie drank her in as she let the material graze over her arms down to the floor.
"What next?" Her eyes played coy.
"Come here." He nodded his head and like magic she came closer. One knee rested between his open legs, her hands on the arms of the chair as she leaned forward, her breath warm on his neck as she breathed her next need for instruction. "Touch yourself."
Again, the angel in her eyes bubbled up, letting the demon have her body. And mouth.
"Where?"
"Where ever you want to be touched." She smiled. Hands slipped to her middle with ease, then rose up, skimming over her breasts. Not heavy and rough like his were, nothing like what she really wanted. But this wasn't for her. It was for him. His punishment; even if he wasn't aware of it yet.
His hands were suddenly around her, pulling her to straddle his legs. A gasp escaped her as she collided core to core. He wanted her, that much was obvious. But it wasn't anything near enough what she needed. She needed him to be begging, to be craving, to be in such a state of wanting he could feel the haunt of death behind him if he failed.
His hands clasped tighter on each hip, keeping her fixed to him as she provided his show. Circles traced her budded nipples, harsh grasps massaged. But they were never the same as what she wanted. Ollie hooked his fingers in her underwear.
"These need to come off." His voice melted into her, moulding with her will and making it his own. But Chloe had a different agenda to serve. She shook her head silently and ground her hips against him. "Chloe. Take them off or I'll rip them." She let out a trickle of a laugh.
"You'll buy me some more I suppose." He had no objection at all to that idea, but he sensed she was up to something and wasn't going to disturb whatever his lover had planned.
"Alright. If you don't want the underwear off… what do you want?"
"Impossible question; no woman knows what she wants." she replied and leaned forward, her chest riding against his clothed one, exciting her sensitive buds with the texture.
"Too true. So what do you suggest I do?" His hands slid up to her smooth slim waist, the perfect shape, created for his hands to place there.
"I think you have two options." He grinned. "You can either take your chances with your own desires and hope mine match. Or, you can leave me be, and see where this goes."
"Both valid choices." he agreed and his hands stopped their travels on the top of her back, keeping her fixed mid-grind, her breasts right before his eyes. "Beautiful." he whispered.
Her fingers tackled the shirt buttons, pushing the material aside and laying her warm hands on his cool skin.
"You should have been in bed tonight." She told him in whispers. "You should have been with me." Her hands ran up his chest, her nails passing over his nipples with added pressure. He sucked in a heavy breath.
"I should have." he agreed leaving her nipples to plunder her mouth with his tongue. She let him, her hips still moving against his restrained erection. Chances were that it was getting pretty painful by now.
"You should have been all snuggled up, cosy and warm. Your arms wrapped around me." she continued, then gasped, his mouth back to her breast, his hand was snaked lower, passing barrier of her panties and running back and forth in her juices. "You should have been making me come." She pulled herself closer to him, her back arched slightly and breasts welcome in his face.
"I should have."
"You should have been inside me. Driving me to bliss." His finger slipped inside her in a reply. Slowly pulsing in and out. "You should have been there when I wanted you most." He groaned aloud, in agony of her words and her nails toying with his chest.
"You don't know how sorry I am." he swore to her. "It won't ever happen again."
"No. It probably will." she disagreed, then paused for another gasp of air, his fingers drawn out and rotating around her clit. "But next time. I'll know just how tortured you feel and how remorseful you are that you couldn't be with me."
"I'll make it up to you." His fingers moved faster, twisting her insides like only she had felt from herself before. She broke contact with his chest, anchoring to his shoulders as he moved his fingers back again. Two thrusting into her channel, his thumb winding her further to her point of release. "I should have been with you. I should have been wrapped in your scent. I should have been inside you, driving you to bliss. I should have been making you come." He fired back her words, watching as her eyes squeezed shut as she tried to hang on, her mouth dropped in a pleasure 'o'. Her hips bucked involuntarily and she pushed against him again her body given over to her orgasm as she moaned deeply, his name somewhere in the tumbling freedom of her vocal chords.
"There was a reason I came downstairs you know." she voiced as Oliver chuckled, her chest to his, feeling the vibration through her in her post-orgasm bliss.
"Really. It wasn't just to make me feel guilty and get your rocks off then?"
"No." she laughed. "I woke up and you weren't there, I-"
"Oh God Chloe. I didn't even think. I'm so sorry." Oliver had self appointed himself Chloe's nightmare soother. His impression was he had failed in that respect. Chloe was thinking of letting him stew, but the moment for revenge passed with her orgasm.
"No. I had a 'dream'. Well, I think it was good anyway."
"You mean those dreams where no-one gets killed? Oh, I'm so proud." He hugged her tightly.
"Oh no. Someone gets killed. It just wasn't anyone I remotely like." He gave her a questioning look. "I stabbed shadow man and he died." He laughed and ensnared her in his vice tight hug again.
"I'm so happy. Good you deserve it. See, you make an excellent assassin. We'll give you a blade and you can join the team on the field." She laughed again.
"I'll stick with my desk job."
He shrugged.
"I can't believe I missed the one good dream you had."
She smiled knowingly.
"If you'd have been there…" she left the statement unfinished and he rolled his eyes.
"Yes, well. I more than sure I've learnt my lesson. But you do realise I'll have to spend half the day finishing this tomorrow."
"You mean today." She chuckled, correcting him on the same mistake again.
"Clever cat." he hissed.
"Oi! Upstairs, before I change my mind completely and you go to bed blue balled."
"Evil cat." he amended.
"Meow." she deadpanned and he followed her up, after shutting down and turning off the stereo.
It seemed Chloe's good dream wasn't meant to last and she had died multiple times before finally waking at 6am and trotting downstairs for a good morning coffee. She turned on the tv and her morning was already ruined.
"The entire city of Metropolis has been under alert all night. Multiple bombs have been found all over the city and diffused by experts. So far there have been no more casualties, but the fear factor is rising fast. Millions have already left the city, looking for other places to stay. Lives have been thrown upside down following the Mayor's statement last night urging all citizens to stay alert and if possible find residence elsewhere. Officially, Metropolis city is no longer safe. Hero's have been working throughout the night collecting a total of 121 bombs, possibly more. It's unclear where these devices are coming from, but as we were told last night, all seem to be fakes so far. Police are taking no chances and simply ask if you see any foreign objects to call the hotline and stay away."
Chloe flicked it off. They needed to find this bastard and damn fast. Before he could plant the real bomb. If she knew his sadism like she did, she'd say he'd hold out until late in the day, keep people on their toes, forever guessing till they lower their guard. Maximum impact.
Wiping off the starts of tears, she poured another cup out for Ollie and re-filled her own. Climbing back into bed. She didn't know why she had bothered to be honest. Ollie would be out for another few hours, especially considering the time he'd finally gotten to sleep at. The coffee would be cold by the time he woke, and she couldn't ever bring herself to purposefully wake him. He was so sweet when he slept. She stopped herself from doing the weird staring thing as he continued to doze and helped him out by draining his coffee as well.
A few more cups later and she was back in Ollie's office swinging from side to side in his chair as she moved information into files. She couldn't do the actual business work herself, and Ollie would only have to check it anyway. But she could make things easier on him by a great load by organising it. She finished organising electronic files and moved onto papers. Then she re-tidied the apartment, finally decided to get dressed and Ollie found her in his training room at half 8 hula hooping for the Wii fit.
As hypnotising as her hips were, he did have work to do and silently stumbled back to his office. He justified locking himself in with the theory he would get more work done more intensely without self made distractions. But with the help of his woman's magical skills she cut down a 7 hour job to only 4. Maybe all it needed was a woman's touch and the thought to organise before he jumped head in. He'd never been much for pre-planning himself. If he was going to do something he jumped in both feet first and did it. Who cared about wasting time testing waters? Clearly on this occasion the waters should have been tested, luckily Chloe had thought to do that and saved him a chunk of work. She would never cease to amaze him.
He came back out finished with his half of Lex's mess ready to celebrate with Chloe. He found her easy enough, besides the coffee pot. But her bubble of joy was missing.
"A little fairy saved me a hell of a lot of work today." he told her, she pulled out a smile for him.
"The little fairy had some free time and wanted to clear your schedule to do other more 'entertaining' things." she replied, sticking to his story. "I believe the fairy also tidied your office."
"Nope. My office has always been of the most pristine quality." he disagreed comically.
"Is that why the fairy found clothing and sheets of paper all over the floor?"
"I'm telling you, the fairy only cleaned up the mess that the fairy made." he jested and stole her coffee mid-sip. She didn't bother to reprimand him, just rolled her eyes and stole it back. "Thank you Chloe. I owe you one. Big." She smiled, but it died quickly. "What's up?"
"It's easier if I show you." She waited for him to fill his cup then toddled into the living room. "While we were having fun last night there was a little more trouble out in the real world." She flipped to the news. The story was running on loop on every local news station. Bombs, a whole lot more. Playgrounds, school, trains, apartments, you name it and there had been a bomb there. All other news seemed either irrelevant or the people it involved had fled town. Ollie sat, watching with her in silence.
"Clark called yet?" he asked first, after Chloe turned it back off. It was depressing to watch too many times.
"Yeah." she sighed. "They're all coming over at 6-ish. Well, all except Clark. He's running patrol and says he can be called if and when we reach an agreement." Oliver nodded.
"He's stepping up his game. This is bigger than just you and the supers. He's stirring panic with a purpose." Yeah, to draw me out… Chloe answered internally.
"He's starting his downfall of the city and hoping we get caught in it. Two birds with one ugly ass stone."
"We'll stop him." Oliver had so much certainty in his voice it was hard to disagree. Chloe could agree, but she'd change one simple word; 'we' would become 'I'. It was too dangerous to bring the others into this. She knew what this fiend wanted, she knew how it would play out, she couldn't risk anyone else in order to do what she must. There was a chance it could end badly, but it would only end badly for her. And that was the very worst case scenario. Besides, she had taken precautions to minimize the risk.
She had a plan.
Telling Oliver was not a part of this. He would freak and she'd find herself locked in a windowless room till this was blown over. So till she could move forward with her plan, Oliver would be allowed to play toy soldier in his game.
His arm went around her, pulling her closer. She felt his chin rest gentle atop her head, his scent cuddle her and his warmth capture all her worries. But as much as Oliver could help soothe, the same ability brewed up more fears. If she met her end… she would never know. Never know if the trust she had with Oliver would end in happily ever afters' or just tears. Never know if she was ever intended to have a man for her. Never know how far they could go. Never…
She stopped short, not wanting to upset herself further.
The only thing she needed to worry about was keeping her boys safe. So at 6 she would intervene, keep them from immediate action where she could. Maybe re-route them somewhere else. But it was stupid for one of them to get hurt doing what possibly only she could.
"Any ideas?" Chloe nudged her head up, lost to Oliver's thoughts. "On weaknesses? You're the one who knows him best."
"Nothing we haven't already thought of."
"Still, there must be something we can use." He sighed. "Where's he get this number of explosives from? It's more than just one man can make. Meteor freak or no."
"It's not though. The majority are just metal devices empty of ingredients. You could chuck a fake together with a few wires attached in a few minutes. If he's got men working for him as well, you've got billions. He only needs one real one."
"Anything about them we can identify with? Specialist devices?"
"As far as the police records show, whatever the bomb squad found show very little skill is needed. Chemical reactions they could learn from college students, mixed with a little stolen material from army bases and you got a hell of a punch. Not at all difficult for someone with medical training and the ability to move in shadows in a blink."
"So we have nothing…" he summarised.
"We know they're timer operated, not remotely. It makes it easier to keep citizens safe, rather than waiting for someone to flip the switch at any time. It gives us more control."
"Which is good?" Oliver ventured a guess.
"Which is good." she confirmed.
It seems to be I should have added a warning that this fiction goes dark about mid-way through... seriously, I scare myself sometimes.
So, Shadows has upped his game drawing Chloe out with his explosive idea and Chloe's going all solo assassin and breaking away from the pack. I think it's safe to say there will be a stand-off epic battle some time soon. Love you all for staying with me this far, you have my best imaginary cookies on your way. Xx