Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

"Chloe!" Chad called and the blue haired girl groaned. She stood up from her spot on the couch and went to Chad's office.

"Yes? What do you want?" She asked in an annoyed tone but the boy didn't seem to care.

"I found this really fine babe and I swear I recognize her. I need you to tell me who she is so I can go ask her out," Chad rambled then turned his computer so Chloe could see.

On the screen was a girl with vibrant red hair, hazel eyes you could get lost in, and a smirk that meant mischief. Red Hearts.

Chloe's eyes widened, "Chad that is one of the Hearts. You cannot go after her."

Chad turned the computer around and had a dreamy look in his eyes, "Yes I can and you're going to help me."

The blue haired girl groaned, "Just because I agreed to be your assistant doesn't mean I agreed to be your love manager."

Chad didn't even look up from typing on his computer, "Uh yes you did. It was in the fine print."

Chloe narrowed her eyes at him, "I didn't even sign anything Chad."

The blonde boy rolled his eyes, "Well duh but it was in the verbal fine print."

Chloe blinked at the absurdity that was coming out of her brother's mouth, "That's not even-"

He cut her off, "Aha! Red Hearts. Now I just have to be the first hero to get to the scene of the crime when she is committing one."

Chloe rolled her eyes, "And how, pray tell, are we going to do that genius? It's not like we have a crystal ball or a psychic hotline to Villain Central."

Chad puffed out his chest, "Don't worry about the details. My natural heroism will guide me to her."

Chloe scoffed, "Right, because your natural heroism has always worked flawlessly before, hasn's it?"

Chad gave his sister an offended look, "Excuse you! I have amazing natural heroism and anyway what would you know? You've been my assistant since you were 15."

Chloe rolled her eyes again, "Yeah yeah, and I've spent those years cleaning up your messes, helping you with your homework, and saving your butt on countless occasions. But sure, what do I know."

The older boy scoffed at his sister, "You know what? How about you go find Red. You are currently annoying me."

Chloe let out an exaggerated gasp, "Oh, I'm sorry, Your Highness. I didn't realize I was disturbing the mighty Chad Charming and his great quest to find a date."

Chad rolled his eyes, "Just shut up and go find her. It shouldn't be too hard since you're so good at everything, right?"

Chloe rolled her eyes but didn't feel like arguing with her brother. She went to her office and went on the hero network.

She scrolled through the crimes and started to study Red's pattern until she figured out where the redhead might strike next.

She got ready and put her hood up and mask over her face. She hopped on her motorcycle and shot a quick text to her brother, 'Head to Auradon Bank. Now.'

Chad, who was still sitting in his office, felt his phone vibrate. He picked it up and read the text from Chloe. A mischievous grin spread across his face as he realized his plan was coming to fruition.

"Bingo." He said to himself before springing into action.

Chad grabbed his backpack, which was packed with all the necessary hero gear, and headed out of his office. He hopped into a nearby car and sped towards the Auradon Bank, following the GPS Chloe had sent him.

Chloe was perched up on a nearby building, hiding in shadows like usual. She hand motioned to an ally where a figure could be seen scaling the wall.

Chad arrived at the bank's parking lot and saw the figure scaling the wall. He quickly pulled out his binoculars to get a closer look.

"Yep, that's her," he said with certainty, recognizing Red's iconic red tools and leather clothing.

Chloe sent him a plan and he cursed as his phone buzzed loudly. He got it out of his pocket and shut his ringer off.

The plan was smart so obviously he started to follow it. Once Red was inside he followed after her.

Chloe watched from her look out spot, eating some popcorn. She had to hold back laughter as Chad's foot slipped and he almost fell down.

The blonde boy finally made it inside and watched as Red replaced the jewels with fakes.

Ignoring Chloe's plan, he decided to approach the redhead himself. She heard his foot steps and suddenly he was pinned to the ground.

His eyes widened and he couldn't help but admire the redhead, "Zoo wee mama you're even hotter up close."

Red faltered for a moment, "I'm sorry what?"

Chad, undeterred by his poor choice of words, continued to stare up at the redhead with admiration.

"I said you're hot." Chad repeated with a cocky smile. "Not that you don't already know that, of course. I mean, just look at you."

Red, taken aback by his boldness, was clearly caught off guard by his flirty comments. She shook her head, realizing who he was.

"You're... one of those heroes, aren't you?" She asked with a hint of disdain in her voice.

Chad nodded and smiled 'charming at her, "Yes... but maybe you can turn me evil. You're so fine I'd do that for you," he winked.

Red grimaced, "No thanks dude. I don't want you to join me."

Chad feigned a look of hurt on his face.

"Come on, sweetheart. Don't you want the chance to corrupt a handsome hero like myself?" 

He smirked, trying to maintain his confident demeanor.

Red burst out laughing, "Handsome? Yeah okay keep telling yourself that. Now I've got all I needed so I'm out of here."

She used her grappling hook and used it to get to the ceiling before disappearing. Chad sighed, a sickly in love sigh.

Then Chloe skillfully landed next to him, "You just going to let her get away?"

Chad's lovesick expression changed to a glare as he looked at his sister. He pushed himself off the ground and dusted himself off.

"Oh, shut up. I had everything under control." he said defensively, crossing his arms across his chest.

"Right so you let yourself be pinned to the ground then?" Chloe questioned, already knowing the answer.

Chad rolled his eyes, "It was all part of my plan, okay? You just don't understand the ways of the Charmings."

Chloe let out a scoff, "Right, because your plan was to let her get away?"

Chad huffed, "I just...I wanted to see her up close. She's gorgeous."

The blue haired girl sighed and dropped her face in her hand. Of course her love sick brother would be incapable of functioning around his crush.

"Well get your ass up. I called the police. Let's get out of here before the reputation I worked so hard to help you build is trashed because you have a silly crush on a villain," Chloe said, holding out her hand for Chad to take

Chad begrudgingly took his sister's hand and sulked as she pulled him up. He knew Chloe was right— she always was— but that didn't stop him from pouting as they made their way out of the bank.

"I didn't even get to say anything cool to her," he complained, still trying to defend his failed plan.

Chloe chuckled humorlessly, "Oh you definitely said enough Chad. Don't forget we have mics and I can hear everything."

Chad's face turned red as he remembered that detail.

"Oh... right..." he muttered sheepishly. "I guess I did go a bit overboard."

Chloe rolled her eyes again.

"A bit?" She scoffed. "You practically proposed to her."

Chad scratched the back of his neck, about to defend himself until distance sirens were heard. Chloe huffed and grabbed her brother.

She used her telekinesis to lift them out the building and to her lookout site. Chad's eyes widened, "Wow you've been practicing. Before you could barely pick me up a foot off the ground."

Chloe smirked, "Yeah well, I've been putting in the work while you've been busy day dreaming about Red."

Chad rolled his eyes but couldn't deny the truth in her words.

"Yeah yeah, whatever." He mumbled as they landed softly on the rooftop.

The police cars surrounded the bank. They looked around and started to scan the area.

"I'm getting out of here. You go down there and pretend like you just arrive," Chloe said, already packing up her stuff.

Chad nodded, knowing that it was best to listen to his sister's instructions.

"Yeah, yeah, I've got it."

He made his way down from the rooftop and approached the police cars with a serious expression on his face.

"What's the situation?" He asked, feigning ignorance.

The police immediately came up to him and explained. He nodded along, pretending he was oblivious to the whole situation.

He was trying his best to appear concerned and professional. However, deep down, all he could think about was Red and how to impress her.

Back at the lair, Chloe was completely focused on her research. She scrolled through different articles and footage of Red's past villainous deeds, trying to find any clues as to where the girl might strike next.

She found nothing that night. The next night she found Red's next striking point and told Chad to actually be prepared this time.

She sent the boy in while setting up her surveillance and was going to slap him if he didn't follow the plan.

Chad was more sneaky this time and Red didn't notice him until he almost had hold on her. She backflipped away and looked a him with a smirk.

"Back again blondie? You going to propose to me this time?" She teased. 

Chad blushed furiously, and he couldn't help but feel a thrill at the sound of her teasing. He shook his head, trying to compose himself, and adopted a more confident expression.

"Not this time," he replied, trying to sound suave. "This time, I'm here to stop you."

Red raised an eyebrow, clearly skeptical.

"Oh really?" She said with a smirk. "And how do you plan on doing that, Blondie?"

He paused and grabbed his phone. He read over his sister's plans and sprung into action. 

Red laughed, "You really had to go on your phone to remind you of your plan? It's almost like it's not yours."

Chad felt a rush of embarrassment wash over him. Red had hit the nail right on the head. He was, in fact, following his sister's instructions. He tried to cover it up with bravado.

"Well, uh... it's just a precaution," he said, scratching the back of his neck sheepishly. "I like to have all my moves planned out, you know?"

Red's eyes narrowed and she studied him for a moment, "Sure sure. What about that sister of yours? She hasn't been heard of for 5 years since your parents retired."

Chad was caught off guard by the mention of his sister. It was true, she had been out of the limelight for a while.

"Yeah, well..." he said, feeling a bit defensive. "Chloe's just... she likes to stay out of the hero business. She prefers taking a backseat."

The redhead ran out the building, "Well nice talk uh... Chad. See ya never!"

"Wait!" Chad called out, but he was too late. Red had already vanished into the night.

He cursed inwardly, feeling frustrated at his failure. He was so close to talking to her again, but she had slipped through his fingers once again.

Chapter Text

It had been two years since Chad and Chloe have been trying to catch Red. Chad had messed up, forgot the plan, or got distracted by Red every time.

Chloe was frustrated but didn't want to reveal herself to the world. Even without her real identity.

Every time Chad saw Red, he could feel his heart racing and his palms sweating. He knew he had to get it together, but he couldn't help but find himself enchanted by her.

After another failed mission, Chad sulked onto the couch in their shared apartment. Chloe sat down next to him, her expression stern.

"Dude, you seriously are terrible at this!" She chided.

Chad pouted, "But she looked so fine in that guards uniform. Tell me I'm wrong."

Despite herself, Chloe rolled her eyes.

"You're right, she looked good," she admitted grudgingly. "But that's not the point. You need to focus on capturing her, not drooling over her."

Chloe's phone buzzed with a news announcement 

'It's been 7 years since the Charming's retired and Chloe Charming has been spotted!'

The blue haired girl sighed and dropped her phone on the couch. Chad sat up, "You okay?"

Chloe rubbed her temples, clearly frustrated.

"No, I'm not okay. I've been trying to keep a low profile and avoid any attention, but now the world is going to be talking about me again."

Chad patted her comfortingly on the back.

"Don't worry about it, sis. You're still incognito. No one knows it's you, remember?"

Chloe sighed and nodded, "That's because I hide my hair when we go out. If anyone saw the blue they'd realize."

She shook her head, "Let's just talk about Red. Are you at least kind of becoming friends with her?"

Chad couldn't help but smile at the thought of Red.

"Yeah, I mean, she doesn't attack me on sight anymore. She even teases me a lot." he said, a hint of fondness in his voice.

Chloe raised her eyebrows, Red didn't attack on sight because she knew Chad was too dumb to actually catch her.

Chloe didn't tell him that, "Well that's good. I mean that's progress at least."

Chad was oblivious to his sister's real meaning and nodded excitedly.

"Yeah, progress! Maybe she's starting to like me," he said with a hopeful tone.

The blue haired girl grimaced but before she could say anything her phone buzzed,

Superhero Network

We need two heros to go undercover at a Villain party. Chad and Chloe, you in?

Chad's eyes widened in excitement.

"A villain party? Hell yes, I'm in," he said, practically jumping up from the couch.

Chloe bit her lip, debating for a moment. She typed back,

'We're in. Text us the details privately.'

Chad noticed his sister's hesitation and nudged her.

"What? Come on, Chlo, it'll be fun," he said, eager to finally have a chance to impress Red.

Chloe shook her head, "Yeah I guess."

Her phone buzzed with the details;

Headquarters

'It's a mascarade theme. The address is *******. The Hearts family will be there and we know you guys have been studying them. They need to be taken down.'

Chad looked at the details and was even more excited.

"The Hearts will be there? That means Red will be there too!"

Chloe rolled her eyes at her brother's enthusiasm.

"Yeah yeah, but remember, we're undercover. We're not there to fanboy over Red."

Chad groaned, "But-"

Chloe cut him off, "No Chad. You've already messed up enough plans. I'm going to be leading this operation so you just listen to me. Got it?"

Chad grumbled under his breath but nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, yeah, I got it. I'll listen to you, just this once," he said, already thinking about how to woo Red at the party.

Chloe started to tap away on her phone. She designed two suits, one for her and one for Chad.

Then she moved on to the masks and placed the order. 

"Okay I've got our suits and masks ordered. Now we just wait... hm they didn't say when the party was."

Chad looked at his sister with admiration.

"You are a genius, you know that?" he said sincerely. "And yeah, when is the party? We can't exactly show up without knowing the date."

To Headquarters 

When is the party?

Headquarters

Next Wednesday. Starts at 9. Invitations should be in the mail box by tonight.

Chad's eyes lit up with excitement.

"That's only five days away! Are you sure we'll be ready in time?" he asked, a hint of nervousness in his voice.

"The suits should be ready by Sunday or Monday. So we just need a plan," Chloe said already making out different scenarios in her head.

Chad nodded, trying to focus on the task at hand.

"Okay, okay, we need a plan. What's the goal here? I mean, besides me getting to talk to Red..."

Chloe groaned but ignored the annoying part.

"The goal is to gather intel on the Hearts and find any weaknesses. We need to blend in and not act suspicious."

Chad nodded and was about to speak but Chloe cut him off, "Meaning you can't talk to Red because she would most definitely recognize you."

Chad's face fell at the thought of not being able to talk to Red.

"But...but..." he protested weakly, his desire to talk to the pretty villain clearly warring with the objective at hand.

Chloe gave him a stern look, "Chad. Do you want to compromise our identities?"

Chad knew his sister was right. He sighed heavily.

"No, I don't," he said, his voice tinged with frustration. "But it's going to be so hard not to talk to her."

The blue haired girl just shrugged, "It's really not. Suck it up Chad. Now I'm going to my office to try and make some plans."

Chad moped as his sister walked away, leaving him alone with his thoughts. He knew he was being a bit ridiculous, but he couldn't help feeling disappointed that he wouldn't be able to talk to Red at the party.

He slumped back down on the couch and stared blankly at the ceiling, already dreading having to ignore the pretty girl.

Days passed and the day of the party had arrived. Chad stood in front of the mirror as he got dressed in his suit. He had to admit, the suit Chloe had chosen for him looked pretty sharp. It was a sleek, black design with subtle accents that made him look like a true villain.

But no matter how good he looked, he still had a sinking feeling at the thought of having to ignore Red.

Chloe came in his room as he check himself out. She crossed her arms, "Are you done? It's almost 4."

Chad spun around to face his sister, straightening his suit jacket as he did so.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm done," he said, trying to hide the hint of disappointment in his voice. "How do I look?"

"Awful. Now hurry. It's an hour drive and we still have to pick up our masks and practice being a villain some more," Chloe said.

Chad groaned, "We've been practicing."

Chloe rolled her eyes at her brother's complaint.

"Obviously it didn't work because you still sound like a clueless hero," she said dryly. "We need to get in character. No stuttering, no getting distracted by pretty girls."

Chad groaned again, "But Red-"

"Isn't worth the fuss. She's pretty don't get me wrong but you two have barely had a proper conversation."

Chad huffed at his sister's blunt words, knowing she was right.

"Fine, fine. I'll try to keep my cool," he muttered, smoothing his hair back once more. "But it's not going to be easy, you know that, right?"

Chloe was getting frustrated, "You'll be fine Chad. Get in the damn car before I punch you."

Chad raised his hands in surrender, clearly sensing his sister's irritation.

"Okay, okay. Chill out, Chlo. I'm going. Geez."

He followed his sister out to the car, mumbling under his breath about how unfair the whole situation was.

Chloe heard all his mumbles but only rolled her eyes. After they finally made it to the car she turned to him, "Okay so who are you not talking to?"

Chad slumped in his seat, already feeling annoyed at being reminded of his new rule.

"Fine, fine. I'm not talking to Red. Happy?" he grumbled, pouting like a scolded child.

Chloe nodded, "Very. I appreciate not being found out."

Chad rolled his eyes and sulked the entire car ride. He was already dreading the party and having to ignore the girl he was crushing on didn't make it any better.

"This is going to be the worst night ever," he muttered to himself, crossing his arms and slouching in his seat.

They got their masks then put them on once they pulled up outside the party. At the door Chloe handed the man their invitations and he nodded and moved out of the way so they can enter.

Inside it was full of some of the worst villains. Most of them their parents put away. But they escaped after Ella and Charming... retired.

Chad felt a shiver run down his spine as they entered the party. He looked around at the crowd of villains, recognizing many of them as former criminals his parents had helped put away.

"Great. Just great. We're surrounded by the most dangerous crooks in the world," he muttered to his sister.

Chloe elbowed him, "Shut up. If they hear you saying something suspicious, we're dead."

Chad gulped and straightened up. His eyes caught on a young woman with red hair across the room. Red.

Chad's heart skipped a beat as he caught sight of Red across the room. She was even more beautiful than he remembered, dressed in a stunning gown that hugged all her curves in all the right ways.

He couldn't tear his gaze away, even as his sister elbowed him in the gut again.

"Stop staring," Chloe hissed under her breath.

"I'm going to talk to her. You try to talk to... I don't know, literally anyone else," Chloe said then started to head over to Red. The girl was sitting in a chair and looked up when Chloe approached her.

Chad watched as his sister walked away, feeling a pang of jealousy as she made her way over to Red.

He sighed and resigned himself to the fact that he would have to mingle with other people instead of talking to Red. He began making small talk with some of the party goers, trying his best to sound villainous and menacing.

Meanwhile, Red raised an eyebrow when Chloe approached her, "You need something?"

"You're Red right? Part of the hearts family?" Chloe questioned.

The redhead looked at her suspiciously, "Who's asking?"

"Jess. Jess Voss. I'm a big fan of yours," Chloe lied with fake enthusiasm.

Red's suspicion remained, but she couldn't help feeling somewhat flattered.

"Big fan, huh? And why is that?" She questioned coolly.

Chloe made her eyes light up with fake joy, "Well your methods are just amazing. The way you took down that hero the other day? Iconic. Literally iconic."

A slight smirk tugged at Red's lips as she listened to the girl's praise. She was used to hearing similar comments from her fans, but something about this girl's excitement seemed off.

"Yeah, it was pretty great," she boasted, crossing her arms. "That hero didn't know what hit him."

Chloe smiled, "And what was his name again? Chad Charming, was it?"

Red's smirk widened as she remembered the event.

"That's right. Chad Charming," she said, her voice tinged with mockery. "He's such a pathetic hero. It was almost too easy to get away from him."

Chloe clenched her jaw. As much as Chad wasn't the... smartest, he was still her brother. But she had to play along.

"Oh yeah? Why is that?" Chloe questioned with faux confusion.

Red chuckled coldly, "Oh, he's just so clueless. He has no real strategy. He just relies on his looks and charm."

She rolled her eyes, leaning forward, "I mean, he's a total airhead. It's honestly hilarious how easy it is to confuse him."

Chloe couldn't lie. Everything Red was saying was in fact true.

"So any other recent feats?" Chloe questioned, changing the subject.

Red shrugged nonchalantly, clearly enjoying boasting about her exploits.

"Not much recent stuff, just basic robberies here and there," she said dismissively. "But I did manage to steal a few priceless jewels from a pretty high security museum. That was a fun one."

Chloe knew exactly what she was talking about. Chad was supposed to catch Red that night but she again slipped away.

The shorter girl sat down next to Red and cleared her throat, "So any places you plan to rob soon?"

The redhead stared her down for a moment, "I don't tell anyone my next target."

Red's gaze remained fixed on Chloe, sizing her up. She might be new, but Red couldn't shake off her natural suspicion.

"And why would I tell you that?" she asked coolly, crossing her arms. "You think just because you're a fan I'm going to spill my secrets to you?"

Chloe clenched her jaw, shit. 

"Um no... I was just curious. Sorry," Chloe said and after that it was awkward. Red got up from her chair and walked over to her mother.

Chapter Text

Red's eyes stayed on Chloe for a moment longer before she turned and walked away. She made her way over to her mother, who was engaged in conversation with other villains.

"Mom," Red said, gently tapping her mother on the shoulder.

The older redhead turned, her eyes lighting up at the sight of her daughter.

"Red, my darling," she said, pulling her into a hug. "Enjoying the party?"

The redhead nodded, "There was this girl being weird. Said she was a fan but... I don't know."

The older woman raised an eyebrow, concern etched across her features.

"Weird how, my dear?" She questioned, her gaze darting around the room to see if she could catch a glimpse of the girl her daughter spoke of.

"Like asking where I'm going to strike next. Either she's an undercover hero or someone trying to be me. And I'm not happy with either," Red said, still looking at Chloe.

The brunette (she is wearing a wig) looked over at Red then made eye contact with Bridget. Her eyes widened and she quickly stood up and rushed to the bathroom.

The older woman followed her daughter's gaze, noticing the brunette girl heading towards the bathroom. She turned back to her daughter, eyes narrowing in suspicion.

"Did you get a good look at this girl's face?" She asked quietly, her tone serious.

Red shook her head, "Her mask covered most her face and she had her head turned away."

The older woman frowned, her thoughts racing as she considered the situation.

"This could be a problem," she said quietly, her eyes scanning the room for any clue who the girl could be. "We need to keep an eye on her and see if she tries to talk to you again."

Red nodded, her gaze also fixed on the bathroom door the girl had disappeared through.

Inside the bathroom Chloe was hyperventilating. Bridget was the reason her parents had 'retired'.

That night from 7 years ago flashed through her head. She remembered it clearly.

The images were clear as day, playing like a movie in front of her eyes.

She could remember everything like it had just happened yesterday. The screams, the flames, the feeling of helplessness. 

Her breathing quickened as the panic set in, her body trembling uncontrollably. She leaned against the cool wall, trying to steady herself.

There was a knock on the door then the handle rattled. 

"Are you almost done in there? I need to use the bathroom," Red's voice sounded from the other side of the door.

Chloe stood up and splashed some cold water on her neck to compose herself. She forced a fake smile and opened the bathroom door.

Red was standing outside the door, arms crossed over her chest. Her expression was unreadable as she met Chloe's gaze.

"Finally. I thought you fell in," she said dryly, her eyes scanning over Chloe's appearance.

She examined the way the girl looked more disheveled. Red raised an eyebrow but Chloe only plastered on a fake smile back.

"Sorry about taking so long," Chloe said, her voice slightly shaky. She walked away quickly back out into the party.  

Red watched as the girl quickly walked away, a suspicious look on her face. She had heard the slight tremble in the brunette's voice and it only added to her suspicions.

She followed her out of the bathroom and kept a close eye on her, noticing that she avoided eye contact and looked... rattled.

Red didn't know what was going on, but she had a feeling there was more to the girl than she let on.

The party continued on and Chad and Chloe mingled around with some villains. They found out a few plans for them to stop but didn't get anything from the Hearts.

When the party ended both Hearts women were nowhere to be seen. Chloe and Chad both got frustrated and left with nothing more on the Hearts.

Red watched them leave from the roof with a mixture of relief and disappointment. She had sensed that the two of them were up to something, but they hadn't given anything away.

She watched as they got into their car and drove away, a sense of unease settling over her. She couldn't shake the feeling that she had seen the brunette girl somewhere before.

Chad groaned as they walked out, "That was such a waste of time. We didn't get any information and I couldn't even talk to Red."

Chloe rolled her eyes, "You'll live without talking to Red."

Chad huffed and crossed his arms, still pouting like a child.

"But I really wanted to talk to her," he whined, sounding like a petulant kid being denied a toy.

Chloe rolled her eyes again, annoyance evident on her face. "Jesus, Chad. You're like a lovesick puppy."

Chad scoffed, "I'm not a lovesick puppy."

Chloe narrowed her eyes, "Oh you aren't? Really? I find that hard to believe. But I'm tired of you complaining so you're sitting in the back."

Chad's mouth dropped open in shock.

"What? Why do I have to sit in the back?" he sputtered, clearly not happy with Chloe's decision.

Chloe shot him a glare, her patience wearing thin. "Because you've done nothing but complain about not getting to talk to Red. And frankly, I'm sick of listening to it."

Chad pouted but sat in the back, not wanting to face his sister's temper. When they got back home she parked the car and headed straight into the house.

Chad dragged his feet as he followed his sister inside, still sulking about having to sit in the backseat.

"This is so unfair," he grumbled, throwing himself onto the couch.

Chloe side eyed him as she walked past to go up the stairs. He sent her a glare back.

Chad slumped down on the couch and let out a frustrated sigh. He was annoyed that his night hadn't gone the way he wanted.

"Ugh, why can't things ever go my way?" he muttered to himself, still pouting like a sulky child.

The next night there was a silent alert that Red had broken into a bank. Chloe didn't tell Chad this time. Instead she grabbed her stuff and took off her motorcycle.

Outside the bank it was quiet and nothing seemed to be wrong but Chloe knew better. She climbed up the side of the bank and snuck into the hole that Red had made in the roof.

She could see said redhead stealing a 3 million dollar jewel. Chloe carefully lowered herself to the ground and snuck around to capture Red.

Red was in the middle of admiring the sparkling jewel when she heard a rustle behind her. She tensed, her instincts kicking in as she realized someone was nearby.

She quickly stuffed the jewel into her bag and spun around, eyes darting around the room for any sign of the intruder.

"Who's there?" she called out, her voice low and wary.

Chloe stayed silent while Red looked around. When she got a good shot she tackled to redhead to the ground and tried to get the handcuffs on her.

Red fought back by making her hands catch on fire. That made Chloe hiss in pain and jump back. 

Her mask hid her true identity as Red stared at her but the redhead was glaring at her so hard that Chloe felt like she could see through it. 

Red was pissed off, "Who the hell are you?"

The blue haired girl didn't answer instead she caught her breath and tried again to tackle Red to the ground.

Red dodged the second attack with ease, her reflexes lightning quick. She rolled backward and got back on her feet, eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"You're pretty good," she muttered, sizing up her attacker.

She sent a small blast of fire at Chloe, who dodged again.

"But you're still not that good," she taunted, a smirk playing on her lips.

Red switched up a threw a few cards toward the other girl. Chloe's eyes widened and she quickly moved to dodge them.

She shot a ball of her blue lightning toward Red who dodged it and sent back a ball of fire.

The two attacks collided in a burst of blue and red light, sending sparks flying.

Red and Chloe were both panting heavily, clearly evenly matched in strength and skill.

"This is getting nowhere," Red said through gritted teeth, a glint of determination in her eyes.

She threw cards at Chloe which multiplied then used her grappling hook to get out the hole she made.

The blue haired girl left out a huff and tried to follow Red but the girl got to far ahead. Chloe had failed. 

"Dammit!" Chloe hissed, slamming her fist against the rooftop.

She stood there for a moment, breathing heavily as she watched Red disappear into the night. She had been so close—too close—and yet still failed to capture her.

The blue glow of her powers flickered around her hands as frustration bubbled inside. Not just at Red... but at herself.

She should've been faster. Smarter. Stronger.

And worse—Red's fire, that smirk, those eyes—it stirred something deep down she'd buried for years.

That night. The fire. The screams.

No. She couldn't think about it now.

Chloe gritted her teeth and activated her comms:  

"Mission failed."  

Then jumped off the roof and vanished into the shadows — not to go home... but to train harder.

Red was out of breath as she made her way back to the Hearts' mansion. Her hands gripped the handles of her bike so tight that her knuckles turned white.

Usually she was against Chad and not only was the boy weak and an idiot but he was also head over heels for her. He was easy to trick. That girl was not.

Red was a mix of emotions. Frustration. Irritation. Excitement.

She had let a girl best her. A random girl had almost captured her! But there was something about the girl that ignited a strange thrill in her veins.

She had to admit: the girl was good. She was fast. And smart. And...

Red shook her head violently and sighed to herself.

Stop thinking about it. Stop thinking about her.

When she finally arrived back home and parked her motorcycle she mad her way inside. Bridget Hearts, her mother, was sitting at the table.

Red put the jewel down with huff and took a deep breath. Bridget raised an eyebrow, "What happened to you?"

Red sat down heavily in a chair across from her mother and ran a hand through her hair, still trying to process the encounter in her head.

"I don't know," she said slowly, her expression troubled. "I was at the bank and some chick in a mask tried to capture me. She was fast, smart..."

Bridget's brow furrowed, sensing that there was more to the story than Red was telling.

"And?" she prompted, eyes boring into her daughter's face.

Red clenched her hands, "And she isn't easy to trick or fight like Chad is."

Bridget leaned back in her chair, eyes still fixed on her daughter.

"How so?" she inquired, her voice cool and expression unreadable.

Red shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant, but her mother could see right through her.

"She was just... different. She fought differently. She was fast, strong, and damn near outsmarted me," she admitted reluctantly.

Bridget smirked, "Looks like you've found your archenemy. Maybe you'll be able to defeat her like I was with mine."

Red rolled her eyes at her mother's words.

"Yeah, right. She's just some random chick. I'm sure I can handle her," she muttered, though there was a hint of doubt in her voice.

Bridget's smirk widened. She knew her daughter well enough to know when she was trying to downplay something.

"Oh really?" she asked, her tone teasing. "Doesn't sound like you're too confident."

Red snapped and slammed her hands against the table, "I can defeat her!"

Bridget's smirk dropped, "Red don't you dare take your anger out on me."

Red deflated immediately under her mother's stern gaze. She knew better than to anger her mother, no matter how irritated she was.

"Sorry, Mom," she muttered, looking down at her hands.

Bridget leaned back in her chair, studying her daughter's face.

"You're letting this girl get under your skin," she observed, an eyebrow raising curiously. "I've never seen you so bothered by anyone before."

Red huffed, "That's because the hero's I fight usually suck."

She took a deep breath then stood up from the table, "I'm going to sleep so I can get some training in tomorrow."

Bridget nodded and stood as well, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Alright. But Red?" she called after her daughter.

Red paused at the bottom of the stairs and looked over her shoulder, silently waiting for her mother to continue.

Bridget took a deep breath, "Don't lose yourself in trying to defeat her. Don't become like me."

It was a warning. Red knew it was a warning.

The redhead stayed motionless, her back still turned to her mother.

She clenched her hands into fists, feeling the heat of her powers simmering beneath the surface. Don't become like her.

The words sliced through her like a knife. But she didn't turn around. Didn't look back.

"I won't," she replied quietly, her voice hard and cold. "I'm not you."

Chapter Text

When Chad found out Chloe went after Red without him he was pissed. Immediately he stormed up the blue haired girl's room and banged on the door.

When he got no answer he opened it only to find it empty. He huffed and headed down to the training room where she was practicing against a dummy.

Chloe was in the middle of dodging the fake punches from the training dummy when Chad entered. She didn't notice his presence at first, until he spoke.

"What the hell, Chlo?" Chad's voice interrupted her thoughts, irritation evident in his tone.

Chloe's movements halted, her shoulders tensing as she turned to face him.

"What?" she demanded, already guessing what this was about.

She dummy hit her in the face from her distraction and she groaned in pain before shutting it off. 

Chad clenched his jaw, "You know exactly what Chloe."

Chloe rubbed her forehead, annoyance flickering across her features. She knew this conversation was coming, and she didn't have the energy for it.

"I know what you're going to say—" she began, already starting to protest.

But Chad cut her off before she could continue.

"—And I don't want to hear it!" he snapped, voice sharp. "You went after Red without me!"

Chloe scoffed, "Please you could never even get close to catching her Chad. I got closer than you ever will."

Chad clenched his fists at the thinly veiled dig at his skills. He couldn't deny the truth in her words, but he didn't like being reminded of it.

"That's not the point, Chlo," he retorted, his voice rising in irritation. "You can't just go off on your own! It's dangerous, especially against someone like Red."

The blue haired girl scoffed, "I'm not a child Chad. Stop treating me like one."

"I'm not treating you like a child," Chad shot back, hands gesturing wildly. "I'm treating you like my sister who just ran off to fight a psycho fire-wielding villain alone!"

He stepped closer, voice lowering with sudden seriousness.

"And don't act like you weren't rattled after the party. I saw how fast you bolted to the bathroom."

Chloe clenched her jaw, "You weren't there. You don't know what I saw. And Red isn't her mother."

"But she's dangerous, Chloe," Chad insisted, voice firm. "And you're not invincible. I'm not asking to tag along because I want to impress her—I'm asking because I don't want you ending up like Mom and Dad."  

A tense silence fell between them. For the first time, Chloe hesitated—her brother's words striking closer to home than she wanted to admit.  

She turned away, voice quieter now, "...I can't let Bridget win."  

Chad sighed, shoulders slumping slightly.  

"Then fine. But from now on—we do this *together*. No more solo missions."

Chloe scoffed, "Says you."

Chad rolled his eyes, his irritation flaring up again.

"Don't give me an attitude right now, Chlo." he grumbled, running a hand through his damp hair.

He knew how stubborn she could be, and this wasn't a battle he was going to win easily.

Chloe turned back to the dummy and turned it on. Her skin was already shiny from sweat from hours of training.

Chad noticed the way her punches seemed weaker and the way she swayed on her feet. Chloe looked exhausted.

"Have you slept?" Chad questioned.

"No," she snapped, voice raw. "Not until I figure out how to beat her."

Her next punch was sloppy—Red's fire, Bridget's laugh, the smell of smoke—it all blurred together.  

Chad stepped forward and shut off the dummy with a sharp click.  

"Then you're useless," he said flatly. "You can't fight if you pass out first."  

Chloe spun on him, blue eyes blazing—but exhaustion made her sway. Just once.

He didn't back down.

"One night. Sleep one damn night."

The blue haired girl stormed off and slammed the door behind her leaving Chad alone. The silence echoed through the room and the blonde boy sighed.

Chad raked his hands through his hair, feeling frustrated. He knew Chloe well enough to know how stubborn she could be

She was going to work herself till she dropped and he was going to have to deal with her being a moody nightmare till she inevitably crashed.

"Great." He muttered, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Just... great."

Now that Chloe knew she has a fighting chance against Red she knew she had to get strong. Work harder. Train longer. 

Push herself until she couldn't stand. Because maybe— maybe if she gets Red then she get Bridget.

Red spent the next few days training, working out, and trying to get better herself. She couldn't stop thinking about the girl who had given her a run for her money.  

And the look in her eyes...  

Even after the party, she couldn't get them out of her head.  

Red wasn't used to being bested. Let alone by some random, masked girl she had never seen before.  

It... bothered her. Deeply.

Her mother wasn't much help. Everytime Red talked about that masked girl she would just laugh and talk about archenemies.

Red didn't want an archenemy. She wanted to defeat the girl. Not in her mother's way. Not in a way that ends with death.

She just wanted to capture her to show the world who she was. Not Bridget's daughter. But Red.

Red's thoughts plagued her at night, making sleep elusive and her usual distractions less enjoyable.

She found herself getting annoyed with even the littlest things—her mother's smug comments, her friends' endless praise, even her own damn reflection.  

And every time she closed her eyes, she saw the mystery girl's intense eyes. They were so damn familiar...

They were blue. Not in an ocean blue way but blue like the sky. A blue so intense that made Red question herself.

Red sighed heavily, dropping onto her bed and glaring up at the ceiling.

Blue like the sky... and yet so familiar...

No. No.  

She wasn't going to spend her nights lying awake and thinking about some girl who just happened to get lucky.

She was Red. Daughter of the great Bridget Heart. A powerful villainess who didn't get distracted by some masked chick.

Or at least, that's what she told herself..

Chad and Chloe didn't talk much the next few days. Until they got an alert.

It was connected to Chad's computer and he shot up from his seat immediately. He debated not telling Chloe but decided that would be hypocritical.

Chloe was in the training room again when Chad found her. Her hair was messy, damp with sweat from her workout. She looked like the definition of exhaustion, but that didn't slow her down as she kicked the punching bag.  

When Chad came in, she shot him a look over her shoulder.  

"What?" she asked curtly.

"Red's been spotted-" he wasn't even able to finish his sentence before Chloe darted out of the door.

He went to his room and quickly got his gear on before heading into his car. Chloe had already taken off on her motorcycle and he sped to the coordinates where Red had been spotted.

Red was on top of a building, looking down at the city when she caught a glimpse of a familiar blue. Her eyes widened.  

A motorcycle raced past and parked in an alley nearby. Red's heart hammered in her chest, a mix of anticipation and unease coursing through her.  

She waited, eyes sharp and focused as the blue-haired girl climbed off the motorcycle.

Chloe looked around, her eyes surveying for Red. She left out a frustrated grunt when she couldn't spot her and Chad pulled up next to her.

"Where's Red?" She questioned, thinking Chad was lying to her.

Red kept her position, keeping herself hidden in the shadows as she watched the conversation unfold below. Her pulse was racing.  

She noticed the tension between the two heroes. The way Chad looked worried and the girl's impatient irritation.  

Their conversation was too far away to make out their exact words, but Red didn't need to hear them to realize these two were after her.  

Damn. She thought to herself. This is getting interesting..

Red swooped down into her target, a bank with a 6 million dollar jewel. She slid down to the floor and started her way through security.

Alarms blared as Red moved like a shadow through the bank, dodging lasers and disabling guards with bursts of fire.

Inside the vault, she smirked at the glittering jewel—bigger, brighter than last time. Perfect.

But then— a flicker of blue light.

Her smirk vanished.

She wasn't alone.

There stood the masked girl and Chad. Usually the boy had a small smirk or tried to flirt with her, but this time he looked serious.

Red's smirk returned as she watched them. The girl's eyes were blazing with determination, hands clenched into fists.  

But Chad just looked tired, shoulders slumped forward slightly.  

Red knew her window was shrinking. She needed to act fast—grab the jewel and get the hell out of there.  

She took a step closer, her eyes darting between the hero pair.  

Time to play.

Red stepped forward, "Well, well. Did blondie finally get someone to work with? Or have you been behind the scenes the whole time?"

Chad and the girl exchanged a silent look.  

Then the girl spoke. Her voice was low. Steady.  

"You know damn well we're after you." She stated coldly.

Red tilted her head, a smirk playing a her lips.  

"And what're you going to do about it," she purred. "Catch me? Good luck."

The girl fought first, sending a blue lightning bolt towards Red. The redhead dodged and sent back a ball of fire.

Chloe swiftly moved out of the way but the fire caught Chad's arm and he groaned in pain. 

The fight was quick and dirty—a flurry of blasts from the girl and counterattacks from Red.  

Red could feel her pulse racing. Adrenaline pumping as she fought against her opponents.  The thrill of the fight was so damn addicting.  

She was enjoying this.  

And it scared her, just a bit.

Fire and lightning danced through the air, illuminating the space with blinding light. It was almost beautiful. Almost.

Chad had sat himself away from the fight, pouting like a hurt puppy. Chloe was already exhausted and the physical exertion it was taking to fight Red was getting to be too much.

Her next dodge was sloppy and she missed Red by a lot with her next ball of blue lightning.

She wasn't so lucky at dodging the next one and it was a direct hit to her leg. Chloe cried out in pain and fell to ground.

With her adrenaline crashing from longer fighting and the pain blooming through her leg, she passed out.

Red's eyes widened when the girl staggered and dropped to the ground. The fight had been so intense, so enthralling that Red nearly forgot her goal of getting the jewel.

But the sight of her fallen opponent shook her back to reality.  

She was the villain. She was winning. She was enjoying this.  

Her gaze flicked between the jewel and the unconscious heroine on the floor.  

A thought, both terrifying and tempting, crept into her mind.

Red grabbed her jewels and looked over to see Chad was nowhere to been seen. Although the girl was still on the floor.

Her face was pale and her body just looked exhausted. The redhead gently grabbed her wrists and took out the hero's power damping cuffs before putting them on.

The masked girl only seemed to get paler from what little of her face Red could see. She picked up the girl and started her way back to the Hearts' mansion.

Red was careful to ensure that no one spotted her carrying the limp heroine through the city. The streets were nearly deserted, most people taking shelter in their homes as she hurried.  

She got a few curious looks from passerby when she arrived at the mansion, but a sharp look from her made them look away.  

Red opened the door and rushed inside, making sure no servants saw her before she brought the girl to one of the guest rooms.

Chapter Text

Red gently placed the masked girl on the bed and then stood there for a moment. Her eyes were fixed on the girl's unconscious form, thoughts swirling in her mind. 

On one hand, she could take off the mask. She could discover the girl's identity and use it to her advantage. 

On the other hand, a small part of her was reluctant.  A small, weak part of her didn't want to see the girl's face behind the mask.

She clenched her fists. 

What was wrong with her?

Before she could decide the girl on the bed shifted and Red looked over to see her blue eyes. Immediately she panicked and tried to run.

Red acted without thinking and grabbed the girl's arm. 

"Hey, whoa, hey. Calm down," she said, voice sharp but surprisingly calm. "You're not going anywhere."

"Let me go!" The girl yelled and tried to escape Red's grip.

"Not a chance," Red snapped, tightening her grip just enough to hold her — not hurt her. 

The girl thrashed, weak from exhaustion, pain flaring in her leg. Her breath came in ragged gasps behind the mask.

Red hesitated.

She could feel the tremble in the girl's arms. The heat of panic radiating off her skin.

And then — those damn blue eyes locked onto hers again.

Something inside Red twisted. A memory tugged at the edges of her mind — smoke, screaming... a child crying...

"No," she muttered under her breath — not to the girl, but to herself.

She yanked the cuffs tighter and leaned in close.

"You don't get to run," she whispered, voice low and dangerous. "Not this time."

Chloe paused and tensed up in recognition and that's all Red needed to pull her to the bed and pin her down.

"I need you to stay here. If you try to leave this room you'll probably get yourself killed. Not to mention the fact that you still injured," Red said while looking down at Chloe.

Chloe's breath hitched under the weight of Red's gaze — not just from the pain in her leg, or the cold bite of the cuffs. It was her voice. The way she said "stay" like it wasn't a threat... but something softer.

Dangerously softer.

"I'm not staying here," Chloe spat, even as her body betrayed her, trembling from fatigue. "You think caging me makes you strong? You're just like your mother."

Red flinched — almost imperceptibly.

"Yeah?" she shot back, low and sharp. "Then why am I nothing like her?"

Silence fell between them, heavy and charged. The air smelled faintly of smoke and ozone — power left lingering in their wake.

Outside, thunder rumbled.

Red didn't move. Neither did Chloe.

And for the first time... neither one tried to win.

The redhead took a deep breath before moving off of Chloe, "I'm going to get a first aid kit. Stay here or I'll tell my mom that I've found the Charmings daughter."

Chloe froze, her body going stiff against the bed sheets. 

She tried to school her expression into something neutral, but the words had hit a little too close to home. 

The Charmings. Hearing her last name spoken aloud stung more than she expected. She averted her gaze from Red's face. 

"You... wouldn't," she whispered, voice soft in the silence.

Red's face seemed to soften but she didn't let up, "I'm serious. Actually you'll probably die before I even get back to the room if you try and escape."

Chloe clenched her jaw, swallowing thickly. She wanted to argue - to fight, but her body was still weak from earlier. She was trapped. 

And deep down, she knew Red was right. 

"Fine," she bit out, the word sour and bitter on her tongue. "I won't move."

Red nodded once swiftly before disappearing out the door leaving Chloe alone. Her leg was aching so she looked down at the wound.

Chloe's gaze dropped to her wounded leg, wincing as a fresh wave of pain shot through it.   

She tried to sit up slightly to get a better look, but that only made her head spin.

A small sigh left her lips, more from exhaustion than defeat.

She looked around the room, taking in the details of her temporary prison.   

Everything felt surreal.

Being captured by Red of all people... and then being treated with almost gentle care?

It didn't make any damn sense.

Red entered the room and shut the door behind her with a soft click. She walked over to Chloe and gently grabbed her leg.

"Stay still so I can put cream on it and bandage it," Red said, placing Chloe's leg into her lap.

Chloe bit her lip hard to keep from crying out when Red touched her injured leg. The pain was sharp, white hot - but bearable.

She watched warily as Red carefully applied cream to the wound. A part of her wanted to smack away her hands.

But her leg hurt and deep down, she was oddly intrigued at the gentleness with which Red was treating her.

Once the burn cream was applied Red lifted her leg and started to wrap it. After she was done Red moved her leg and stood back up, "You can stay here for the night. I don't know what I'm going to do with you honestly."

Chloe watched as Red set her leg down, the wrapping firm but not too tight.

She took a deep breath, a wave of fatigue hitting her hard. The adrenaline was *gone*, leaving nothing but pure exhaustion in its wake.

"That's... reassuring," she managed, sarcasm sharp in spite of her tired voice.

Red rolled her eyes, "Would you rather I throw you in a cell?"

"I'd rather you let me go, actually," Chloe shot back, voice soft.

Her exhaustion was starting to override her irritation.

She shifted on the bed, gingerly adjusting her injured leg into a more comfortable position.

The room was silent for a moment. It had started rain outside. It pittered heavily against the window, a steady drumming in the background.

Red sighed, "Even if I did I doubt you'd make it home in one piece. You're injured, tired and it's raining outside."

Chloe let out a weak, humorless laugh, “Since when do you care about my well-being?"  

She studied Red's face—the sharp angles, the dark rings under her eyes that said she hadn't slept either. 

"You're not like your mother," she whispered. "But you're not not like her either."

The redhead clenched her jaw, "If I let you go and you die out there it's going to be my fault. Just fucking listen to me and don't be a bitch."

Chloe's gaze was steady, blue eyes locked with Red's. 

She chewed on her bottom lip, her mind warring with itself. A part of her still longed to fight and run, but the larger, more tired part of her knew Red was right. 

Her leg was aching, her eyes felt heavy.

"Fine," she said finally, voice tight. "I'll... stay here for tonight."

"Good," Red said then stood there for a moment in awkward silence.

She cleared her throat at headed to the door, "Don't leave this room. I'll be back here in the morning. Goodnight, Chloe."

Red paused at the door, hand on the knob, back still turned.

She didn't look at her. Couldn't.

"...Don't try anything stupid," she muttered, voice rough.

Then she was gone — the door clicking shut behind her, leaving Chloe alone with the sound of rain and her own racing thoughts.

She knows my name.

And worse — it didn't feel like a threat.

It felt like something else entirely.

The next morning when Red entered the room, Chloe was nowhere to be seen. She swore and looked around the room but saw no sign of her.

Goddamnit.

Red stalked out of the guest room, cursing herself for leaving the girl alone. Was she stupid? Trusting her had been a mistake. She should've known better...

She checked every room in the damn house but found nothing. No trace of Chloe, no open windows, no secret exits.

"Where are you?" Red growled, frustration clawing at her.

Meanwhile Chloe had made it to the city and she waved her hand at a taxi. It pulled up beside her and she stepped in.

The man gave her a weird look due to her mask but started to drive her house. Once she was back she walked out and kicked off her shoes before Chad tackled her in a hug.

"Chloe! I thought you were dead! The hero agency has been looking for you all night!" He yelled.

Chloe yawned, "Red took me to what I assume was the Hearts' mansion and put power dampening cuffs on me. I got out as soon as I could."

Chad frowned, the relief on his face giving way to frustration.

"You what? Chloe, do you know how dangerous that was?" he chided, folding his arms across his chest.

Chloe clenched her jaw, "I didn't choose to get kidnapped. She struck me with her fire and I passed out."

Chad's expression didn't soften. 

He looked her up and down, gaze sweeping over the bandage on her leg. 

He sighed, running a hand through his messy hair.

"You're lucky you weren't seriously hurt," he muttered, voice gruff with worry.

Chad was really pissed but Chloe was still too tired to deal with it. She yawned once more, "I'm going to sleep. We can fight about it later."

Chad stood there looking torn. He wanted to argue, to yell, but then he saw how exhausted she looked. The dark circles under her eyes, the pain etched into her features.

He deflated, sighing heavily.

"Fine," he muttered, raking a hand through his hair. "Get some sleep. But don't think we're done talking about this."

Chloe walked towards her room and rolled her eyes when Chad couldn't see. Her leg was aching and once she collapsed into her bed she passed out almost immediately.

Chad watched her walk away, worry and irritation mixing in his chest.

He knew he shouldn't let her off the hook that easily - not after the stupid risk she'd taken, but...

She was tired. And she'd been injured.

She needed rest.

He let out another sigh and headed back to his room, determined to discuss the situation with her as soon as she woke up.

Meanwhile Red was attempting to track Chloe using the power dampening cuffs she put on her. The redhead managed to track it on her phone and headed to the coordinates on her motorcycle.

When she arrive she found the broken cuffs on the sidewalk and no Chloe to be seen. Red stomped against the ground angrily and drove back home.

Red's hands gripped the handlebars of her motorcycle so hard her knuckles turned white, anger and frustration flooding her veins. The damn girl had escaped again. And she'd broken the cuffs.

But somehow... part of her was impressed. 

Despite everything, she was almost... intrigued. 

No. Red shook her head, trying to shake away the thought. She was *not* intrigued. She was pissed. Furious, even.

When she made it back Bridget was at the table drinking a cup of coffee. She raised her eyebrow when she saw Red, "You usually don't wake up before noon."

Red grunted in response, heading straight for the coffee maker. She needed caffeine. Now.

She poured herself a mug and took a long gulp, relishing the bitter taste.

"Yeah, well, my morning was *eventful*," she ground out, sitting down across from Bridget.

Bridget sipped her own coffee before placing it down, "So where did you disappear to this morning?"

Red hesitated, her grip tightening around the mug. 

"Out," she said flatly, eyes fixed on the steam rising from her coffee. "Had some... unfinished business."

Bridget raised an eyebrow, clearly not fooled. 

"Unfinished business?" she echoed, a slow smirk tugging at her lips. "Let me guess—your little archenemy?"

Red narrowed her eyes, "No. I haven't seen her since yesterday."

Bridget raised an eyebrow, "Who was in the guest room last night?"

The redhead tensed up, "None of your business."

"It's my house I'm pretty sure it's my business," Bridget said and took another sip of her coffee.

Red clenched her jaw, annoyance flaring up again. 

She should've known her mother would find out about last night, one way or another. 

"It's... complicated," she muttered, avoiding Bridget's gaze.

Bridget's smirk deepened. 

"I bet it is," she murmured, a hint of smug satisfaction in her voice. "And does this 'complication' have a name?"

Red said the first name that came to mind, "Her name is Elizabeth."

Bridget's smirk turned into a full-on grin, a glint of amusement sparking in her eyes.

"Elizabeth, hm?" she repeated, tilting her head curiously. "That's a nice name."

Red's grip on the mug tightened, her irritation growing. She knew Bridget was trying to get under her skin, and it was working. 

"Don't get any ideas," she grumbled, voice sharp.

Chapter Text

Chad was waiting for Chloe on the couch when she came downstairs. She sighed already knowing what he wanted to talk about and sat down.

Chad took one look at her expression and knew she was expecting the lecture. He sat up straighter and crossed his arms across his chest.  

"You're a damn idiot," he stated bluntly, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Chloe crossed her arms, "It isn't my fault I passed out."

Chad shook her head, "No it is. If you actually listen to me and rested then you wouldn't have pass out. You could've died Chloe."

Chloe clenched her jaw, frustration bubbling up inside of her.  

She knew Chad was right, but she was too damn stubborn to admit it. She didn't like being lectured, especially after the night she'd just had. 

"I'm fine," she muttered, avoiding his gaze.

Chad clenched his fist, "Chloe our parents are dead okay? I can't lose you too."

The words hit Chloe like a ton of bricks and she felt a pang of guilt in her chest. 

She knew Chad was just worried about her, and deep down she knew she would be worried if the roles were reversed. 

But her stubborn nature wouldn't let her show any weakness. Not even to her brother. 

"I can take care of myself," she muttered, sounding more sullen than strong.

This only irked Chad more, "Why do you always have to fight me one this!?"

Chloe shot up from her spot on the couch, "Because you're not them! YOU'RE NOT DAD! So stop fucking trying to be!"

Chad's face twisted into anger, his own temper flaring to match hers.  

"I'm just trying to keep you alive, you idiot!" he snapped back, stepping closer. "You don't seem to care if you get yourself killed just because you can't stop being so damn stubborn!"

Blue lighting grew from Chloe's body as her eyes literally glowed in anger, "I won't get myself killed. Red isn't Bridget."

"She might as well be!" Chad screamed, his chest heaving.

"She's not like her!" Chloe roared, the air crackling with raw energy around her. Sparks of blue lightning danced across the walls.

"You don't know that!" Chad shot back, voice breaking. "You don't know what she's capable of—what any of them are capable of!"

For a second, they just stood there—two storm clouds about to collide.

Then Chloe exhaled sharply, the glow in her eyes fading. The lightning fizzled out like dying embers.

Her voice dropped—quiet, exhausted.

"Yeah well. I'm stronger than you think."

"Oh yeah? Your strong?" He said in a mocking tone, "Well so we're mom and dad."

The words were like a sucker punch, knocking the air out of her lungs. Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes, but she willed them away with a sharp exhale.

She wasn't going to cry.

"That's not fair," she muttered, voice rough with emotion. "You know it isn't the same."

"A Hearts being an archenemy with a Charming. Sounds the same to me," he said.

Chloe cracked, she grabbed her stuff and left the house, slamming the door behind her. Chad tried to tell her not to leave but the blue haired girl ignored him.

The minute the door slammed, Chad felt a wave of regret wash over him.  

He knew he had gone too far, and the look on her face before she left made his stomach churn.

He let out a sigh, raking a hand through his hair.

"Damnit."

Meanwhile Red was in her house sitting at the dinning table eating lunch. Bridget sat down across from her and folded her hands together.

"Red I must warn you not to go too far with your archenemy," she started.

Red kept her gaze fixed on her plate, poking at her food with her fork. Bridget's warning was the last thing she wanted to hear right now.  

"I can handle myself," she muttered bluntly, not bothering to mask the annoyance in her tone.

Bridget shook her head, "I know you say you're not like me and I know you don't want to kill someone. But if it comes down to it in the moment..."

Red scoffed, "Is that what happened with you? Was it the only option left for you, mother?"

Bridget flinched at the title—cold, mocking.  

She set her hands flat on the table, eyes darkening.  

"It wasn't about options," she said slowly. "It was about survival. Power." Her gaze locked onto Red's. "And one day, you'll face that moment too."  

Red stood abruptly, chair scraping back.

"Then I guess I'll prove you wrong," she snapped—and stormed out before Bridget could say another word.

Red headed off to her spot only to see a familiar blue haired girl. When her face turned the redhead realized she had no mask on.

When Chloe spotted her the girl immediately stood up and lighting glowed from her hand. Red held up her hands, "I didn't come here to fight. I didn't know you were here."

Chloe regarded her with a wary glance, her clenched fist sparking with electricity.  

She was still fuming from her argument with Chad and seeing Red was not helping.  

"Then why are you here?" she snapped, eyes narrowing.

Red took a deep breath then sat down with a huff, "My mom was being a bitch so I came here to clear my head."

Chloe's expression softened as she saw the irritation etched on Red's face. She lowered her hand, the lightning fizzling out like dying embers.

After a moment, she sat back down, letting out a heavy sigh. "I guess we're both having a shitty day, huh?" she muttered.

Red sat down beside her, "So how'd you get out?"

Chloe glanced sideways at Red, a faint smirk tugging at her lips. "You really think power-dampening cuffs can hold me forever? I've been breaking out of worse since I was twelve."  

She flexed her fingers, a tiny arc of blue lightning dancing between them. "Besides... you didn't exactly secure me like a criminal."  

A beat of silence. Then she added, softer:  

"You patched up my leg instead."

Red diverted her eyes, "I didn't mean to hurt you. I know I've robbed places but I don't like to physically hurt people."

Chloe studied Red's profile. It was odd, seeing this other side of her—not so fierce and powerful, but almost uncertain somehow.  

It made something in her chest twist.

She took a long moment before replying.

"I... believe you," she admitted quietly. "You could've tossed me into a cell and walked away."  

She paused. Then, almost shyly, a small smile touched her lips. "You didn't even ask for a ransom."

Red snorted, "Please like I'd want to ask Chad for ransom money."

A small laugh escaped Chloe as the image popped into her head.  

For a few moments they sat together in comfortable silence, the only sounds the distant chirping of birds and the rustle of their clothes.

Then, out of nowhere, Red spoke.

"You... don't seem like you're scared of me," she said quietly, not quite meeting Chloe's gaze but glancing in her direction. "Most people are."

Chloe hummed, "Well most villains would've attacked me before I was aware they were there. You didn't."

A hint of surprise flickered in Red's eyes.  

Most people would've been scared of her, but here this girl was, sitting so close that their elbows almost touched—like she was talking to a friend.  

The thought was... nice. And strange.  

She kept her gaze fixed ahead so Chloe wouldn't see right through her. "Yeah, well," she muttered. "I'm not like most villains."

"And I'm not like most people," Chloe added, letting her legs dangle off the edge.

The corner of Red's lip quirked up in a faint smile, but she kept quiet.  

They sat there like that for another moment, the silence comfortable—not quite tense, but still charged with something.   

Finally, Red shifted so she was leaning back on her hands.    

"So," she began, eyes focused on the view below. "Why aren't you like most people, then?"

Instead of answering Chloe shot back, "Why aren't you like most villains?"

Red smirked, turning her head just enough to catch Chloe's gaze.  

"Because most villains don't care if their enemy bleeds," she said, voice low. "And I do."  

She paused, then added with a shrug:  "...Unfortunately."

They didn't say much more after that. Just let their legs dangle from the edge. About an hour passed before Chloe stood up, "I should get going. I want to back at the house before Chad is back from patrol."

Red tried to swallow her disappointment, but part of her wasn't ready to be alone again.  

She stood as well, shoving her hands in her pockets and trying hard to appear nonchalant.  

"Right," she grunted. "Patrol."  

For a moment they both just stood there, like they were both waiting for the other to speak—to say something else, anything.

Chloe nodded and awkwardly cleared her throat before turning away and walking off. Red stood there for a moment and watched her disappear until she couldn't see her anymore.

Then she took out her phone and texted one of her best friends.

To ???

You up for a bar tonight?

???

I'm up for a bar ANY NIGHT. 

Red smiled to herself, shoving her phone back into her jeans.  

Tonight she was going to have fun. And she definitely wasn't going to think about a certain girl with electric blue eyes.

A few hours later Red went into the bar that she had sent him. She heard a thumb as he sat down on the stool next to her.

"Took you long enough," Red mumbled, just loud enough for him to hear.

She turned to him and Chester smiled a cat-like grin, "Really that's how you treat me after we haven't seen each other for 3 whole months?"

A smirk curved her lips, the familiar teasing familiar.  

"Please," she shot back. "We've gone much longer without seeing each other."  

She leaned forward, propping her elbow on the bar. "What are you drinking?"

Chester smirked, "I'm telling the bartender the line up the shots. I've missed my drinking buddy."

Red rolled her eyes, trying not to show how much she'd actually missed him too.  

"Chester," she said in a mock-warning tone. "Are you trying to get me blackout drunk again?"

The man grinned, "I'm trying to get us *both* blackout drunk again."

Red chuckled, shaking her head. "Gods help me, I missed your terrible ideas."  

She flagged down the bartender and shot Chester a sideways smirk.  

"Two tequilas first. And no orange slices this time—I know you just toss them in to look cool."

The bartender nodded and served up their shots. Once they got to twelve the man cut them off.

Red rolled her eyes and flashed a little extra money at him. They got 4 extra shots.

Red slammed her latest shot back, the familiar burn of alcohol sliding down her throat.  

She leaned against the bar as it kicked in, warmth creeping through her body. She felt looser, lighter—less tense.  

She turned to Chester, a lazy grin stretching across her face.   

"Hey," she said, her voice slightly slurred. "Tell me something."

"Ace had a crush on you in high school," Chester confessed and then started laughing, "pretty sure he still does."

Red's eyes widened, a startled laugh exploding out of her.  

She shook her head, still snorting with laughter.  

"Bullshit," she finally managed to croak, shooting him a disbelieving look. "Are you serious? Ace?!”

Chester nodded, "Yep. I know I thought he was gay too."

Red threw her head back and laughed—loud, raw, completely unfiltered.  

"Oh my gods," she wheezed, wiping a tear from the corner of her eye. "No wonder he punched Chad that one time!"  

She turned to Chester, still grinning like an idiot. "You're telling me all this now? After three months?"

Chester rolled his eyes and started talking in an over dramatic way, "I found out a month ago during truth or dare. It's not my fault you've been too busy stealing jewels to hang out with you best friends."

Red snorted at Chester's overly-dramatic rendition, barely resisting the urge to smack him on the shoulder.  

She shrugged, not denying his words.  

"Can you blame me for staying busy?" she retorted, lifting her chin defiantly. "Stealing jewels is way more interesting than sitting around playing truth or dare."

Chester scoffed and held his chest in a hurt way, "Wow okay just insult me harder why don't you."

Red rolled her eyes, a smirk tugging at her lips as she leaned back on the bar.  

"Chester, you know I love you," she slurred slightly, flicking his shoulder. "But honestly—if I wanted drama, I'd just go home and deal with my mom."

Chester quirked his eyebrow, "Your having more problems with your mom? Same old same old or new?"

Red sighed, "New. There's this girl... this hero. Mother keeps insisting she's my archenemy and said if it comes down to it that... that I'd be like her."

Chester frowned, all teasing and sarcasm falling away in a heartbeat as he saw how serious she looked.   

He reached out and clapped her shoulder, giving her a sympathetic look.  

"Red," he said quietly. "You're nothing like your mom. Everyone knows that."

The redhead scoffed, "The heros don't. They think I'm just like her. They're scared of me."

"They don't know you," Chester stated bluntly, giving her a firm look. "None of them do. They can think you're a villain all they like, but you're nothing like your mother, Red. Nothing."  

He paused, letting his words sink in before he continued in a softer tone.  

"You're stubborn. And smart. And sometimes you have a mouth on you, but—" His lips quirked in a smile. "You also have a heart. Your mom never did."

The redhead frowned but nodded, "We should head back now. Mother will cut off my head if we're back too late."

Chester rolled his eyes but agreed.  

Red stood, bracing herself against the bar as a wave of dizziness briefly hit her. She waved a hand at Chester and began walking, stumbling a few times as her legs were still a little wobbly.

"I don't get why she gets so mad..." she grumbled irritably, leaning heavily on his arm. "I'm twenty-two... I'm not a damn child anymore."

Chester balanced her, "Yeah well things have happened when your drunk Red. As much as she doesn't have a heart she genuinely cares for you."

"Yeah, in her own twisted way," Red muttered, rolling her eyes again — but there was a flicker of something softer beneath the sarcasm.

She leaned into Chester's shoulder as they walked out into the cool night air, the city lights blurring slightly in her hazy vision.

"Remind me tomorrow why I let you talk me into 14 shots?" she mumbled.

Chester chuckled. "Because you love me."

"...Unfortunately."

Chapter Text

The next morning Red definitely regretted all those shots. Her head felt like it was going to pound out of her skull.

Red groaned, burying her face in her hands. 

Never again, she thought firmly, her entire skull pulsing with pain.

She squinted against the light filtering in through the window, cursing herself for getting that drunk.

"I hate you," she groaned into her pillow, voice muffled.

Chester sat at the edge of the bed, grinning down at her. "No you don't."

He handed her his gross drink recovery drink and a Tylenol. She put the pill in her mouth then chugged the death smoothie before grimacing at the taste.

She gagged, her face twisting in disgust. God, that stuff was awful.

"How are you not as hungover as I am?" she grumbled, glaring at Chester. "You drank as many shots as I did."

Chester rolled his eyes, "Just because you haven't been drinking for 3 months doesn't mean I haven't. Also I had my drink like an hour ago."

"Damn you and your high alcohol tolerance," she grumbled, flopping over onto her back and burying her face in the pillow.

She could feel the Tylenol slowly kicking in, the ache in her head dulling to a manageable throb.

"How long till this hangover goes away?" she groaned, muffled by the pillow.

Chester shrugged, "You've been more drunk before. I'd say like an hour or two."

"Ughhhh.”

Red shifted, pulling the pillow over her head dramatically. "I never want to drink again," she groaned — and they both knew she wasn't serious.  

Chester snickered and poked her knee. "Liar. You'll be asking me to get drinks again in, like, two days."

Red side eyed him, "No I'll instead ask you to smoke weed. I need a break from alcohol."

Chester chuckled, shaking his head in amusement.  

"Seriously?" he raised an eyebrow. "Weed? You're the one always teasing me about getting stoned on my day off but you want to get high now?"

Red lifted the pillow from her face, giving him a flat look.  

"Don't I get a pass?" she said, gesturing at herself and making a face. "I'm feeling a little—" She grimaced again. "Shitty."

Chester rolled his eyes, "Whatever. I prefer being high over drunk anyway. Let me know and I'll get the stuff."

She snorted. Of course he would have weed on hand.

"Yeah, yeah," she waved a dismissive hand, dropping the pillow back over her head. "I'll let you know when I'm not feeling like I'm about to throw my guts up."

Chester raised his eyebrows, "Oh you were thinking today? Y'know what that works I'll be back."

Red just groaned in response, too tired and nauseated to protest. She pulled the covers back over her head and let her eyes shut again.

When she heard the door open and close — signaling Chester's departure — she let out a low sigh and resigned herself to a long wait.

Weed sounded pretty damn good right now.

But as she lay there, her thoughts drifted—unwanted—to Chloe.  

Blue lightning. Stubborn eyes. That soft voice saying, "You didn't ask for a ransom."  

Red cracked one eye open and stared at the ceiling.

"...I hate my life," she whispered to no one.

And then added under her breath: "I really hope Chester brings back the good stuff."

He returned with a bag and a big grin, "Alright I've got gummies and a few blunts I've pre rolled. What'll it be?"

Red pushed the covers off and sat up, eyeing the bag and the blunts.  

She was still feeling pretty crappy, but... she wasn't going to say no to some weed.   

"Gummies," she decided, reaching out and snagging one from the bag. "One of these and a pre-roll. Please tell me you brought some soda too."

Chester pulled out a small bag with a gummy and a blunt and handed it to Red. Then he opened the big bag to reveal snacks and soda.

A small smile tugged at her lips. Chester definitely knew her well.  

"You're the best," she declared, plopping the gummy in her mouth before grabbing the blunt. "Now give me a damn light."

Chester chuckled, "Girl we got to get to the roof first. Do you want your whole room to reek of weed?"

Red let out a long-suffering sigh, flopping back dramatically on the bed.  

"Ugh, you're such a buzzkill," she groaned, then shot him a smirk. "Fine. I'll humor you and go to the damn roof."

They climbed out Red's window and on to the roof. Red now seriously regretted getting so drunk.

She ate the gummy and waited for Chester to follow her. Once he got to the roof he handed her a lighter and immediately she brought it up to the blunt.

Red sucked in a long drag, the familiar taste of weed filling her lungs. She held the smoke in for a few seconds before releasing it in a slow exhale.

She immediately felt some of the tension leaving her shoulders—the headache easing, her muscles loosening.

"God," she muttered, closing her eyes and leaning her head back against the roof. "This is nice."

Chester agreed as he brought his own blunt to his lips, "Yes I needed a restock anyway."

Red cracked an eye open and smirked.  

"Of course you did," she drawled, plucking the soda from him with a pointed look. "You're the one who acts like he's dying without his weed."

Chester held a hand up to his chest in mock offense. Red rolled her eyes and the two didn't speak much after that.

In the distance Red could see her mother talking to someone. They were familiar to the redhead so she just shrugged it off.

Chester smoked 4 blunts and Red smoked 2. They were both equally as fucked up when it kicked in.

"Y'know I actually haven't smoked in like two weeks cause I was on my break," Chester commented with a giggle, "I missed being high."

Red snickered, a lazy grin stretching across her face.

She was definitely starting to feel it now. Her limbs felt heavy, her head floaty.  

She looked over at him with a silly, lopsided grin. "I can tell," she teased. "You're laughing at everything."

"Your high as fuck off two blunts. Well I guess it makes sense since you don't smoke often," Chester said as he tilted his head.

A few minutes later their gummies started to kick in. Red was seeing colors as she stared up at the blue sky.

"Why is everything pink?" She questioned.

"Wait, what?" Red squinted at the sky. "No—it is pink. Why is it pink?!"

Chester burst into quiet giggles beside her.  

"Dude," he wheezed, waving a hand in front of her face. "You're way too gone right now."

Red swatted his hand away, still staring at the sky with wide eyes.

"No... I swear it's... purple now?" She blinked rapidly. "Wait—was it ever blue?"

She turned to him slowly, expression dead serious.

"...Did we just break reality?"

Chester lost it laughing and flopped onto his back.

Red remained seated—very still—with the profound certainty that she had either ascended or completely hallucinated time itself.

"...I need more soda," she whispered dramatically.

"As long as your not greening out your good. Eat some more sugar," Chester said, handing her the bag of candy.

Red grabbed a handful of gummy bears, shoving them into her mouth like her life depended on it.  

"Mmf, I'm not greenin' out," she mumbled through a full mouth, cheeks puffed like a chipmunk. "I'm just... vibin'."  

She leaned back dramatically, arms spread wide as if hugging the universe.  

"I think I see God," she whispered solemnly. "He looks... sparkly."

Chester snorted, "I think you should take a nap."

Red tilted her head, considering. Taking a nap sounded amazing, so she nodded solemnly.

"Yes," she agreed seriously, staring straight at him with eyes that were way too bloodshot.

"...Wait, I can't stand up," she realized with a frown. "I can't feel my legs."

Chester couldn't help it. He burst out laughing.

The redhead glared up at him, "It's not funny! What if I can never walk again!"

"Then you'll just have to roll everywhere," Chester managed between giggles, barely holding it together.  

Red gasped in horror.  

"I'm a villain, not a damn tumbleweed!" she hissed, clutching her chest like she'd been mortally wounded.

Chester wiped a tear from his eye and finally took pity on her.

"Come on," he said, crawling over and gently pulling her up by the arm. "Let's get you back inside before you start hallucinating talking cats."

"You're a talking cat," she mumbled and stood up. Red was amazed to see that her legs actually did work.

"You are so gone right now," Chester laughed, amused. He put an arm around her shoulders to steady her as they limped their way back through her window.

Once they were both back in her room Red collapsed face first onto her bed with a low groan.

"Ohhh my god," she mumbled into her pillow. "I'm gonna sleep for a week and never get up."

The boy chuckled, "Go to sleep and when you wake up I'll get us some real food."

Red let out a muffled "mmhmm" into her pillow, already halfway to dreamland.  

One hand weakly flailed out behind her to give him a thumbs-up before it flopped down like a dying fish.  

Chester shook his head, grinning as he pulled the blanket over her.  

"Sweet dreams, weirdo," he whispered—then quietly closed the window behind him.

Red woke up groggy and still a bit high. She ran her hands through her hair to smooth it and headed down to the living room.

Chester was on the couch watching TV when she walked in, "Good morning. You were asleep for like 2 hours. You want me to order food?"

She groaned, flopping down on the couch beside him.  

"Yes. Please. I'm starving," she groaned, burying her head in the cushion. "And my mouth tastes like a dog's ass."

Chester laughed and threw her a water bottle, "Drink that. Let me know if you'd like another gummy."

Red chugged half the bottle, then paused.  

Another gummy didn't sound half bad. She gave Chester a tired thumbs-up and held out her free hand.

"Gimme another one of those."

He handed her the bag and she shoved two gummies in her mouth. Chester raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything.

Red settled back into the couch with a deep sigh. 

Her head still felt fuzzy, like her thoughts were moving through honey. Her limbs were warm, her body heavy. It felt... nice. Relaxing.

She glanced sideways at Chester, studying his side profile in silence.

"...Hey." She poked his shoulder. "Are you... still high?"

He nodded, "Yeah the other gummy I took is starting to kick in. I ordered the food though."

Red grinned lazily, poking him again. "Good." She shifted, pulling her legs up onto the couch and leaning her head back.  

"We should just stay like this forever," she mumbled, half-serious. "No villains, no heroes... no feelings.”  

Then she cracked one eye open.  

"...Unless the food's pizza."

Chester paused, "I forgot what I ordered."

Red raised an eyebrow. "You forgot?" She chuckled, giving him a sideways glance.  

"You are so high right now," she teased, kicking her feet out so one flopped over onto his lap.

He pouted and tried to push her legs off but she wouldn't let him. 

"Too bad," Red slurred with a smirk, stretching her legs out further and wiggling her toes. "Now you're my footrest."  

She leaned back, arms folded behind her head like she owned the whole damn couch.  

"Besides," she added lazily, "you brought this on yourself by being the designated snacker."

Chester rolled his eyes but didn't try to push her off again. When the door bell rang for their food, Red immediately rushed to the door.

She thanked the delivery and put the pizza on the coffee table before taking a slice. As the cheesy goodness entered her mouth Red moaned in delight.

"Gods, I missed food," Red mumbled with her mouth full, flopping back onto the couch.  

She kicked her feet up again—this time hitting Chester's arm on purpose.  

"Move over, fatty. Share the couch like a good little minion."

Chester side eyed her and kicked her leg before shifting over and grabbing his own slice, "You're such a bitch."

"You love me."

Red smirked smugly, leaning back again and taking another big bite of her pizza.

"Besides," she added with a smirk. "It's not my fault your scrawny ass is so easy to push around."

Chapter Text

Bridget assigned Red to another robbery. The only problem was on the paper it said Red had a few guys to take out. She wasn't exactly sure it meant to kill them or not.

The redhead knocked on her mother's office and heard a quiet, "Come in."

Red straightened her posture, "I'm not sure what you meant by take out on this paper but I refuse to kill anyone."

The woman looked up from her desk, studying her daughter calmly with sharp eyes.  

"I don't recall asking for your opinion." Her voice was low and stern. "When I give the order, you follow it. Understand?"

Red clenched her jaw, her temper flaring slightly.  

"I'm not going to kill anyone," she repeated, the words coming out through clenched teeth.

Bridget stood up from her chair, "You will do what I ordered. You must learn that sometimes a few lifes must be lost."

Red stood her ground, fists clenched at her sides.  

"No," she said firmly, her voice steady despite the anger bubbling beneath the surface.  

She wasn't going to back down—not this time.  

"I'm not like you."

The older woman raised an eyebrow, "You know I once wanted to be a hero. Then I realized how crappy people actually are. You'll see one day Red."

Red gritted her teeth, the words like a knife twisting in her chest.  

"I'll never be like you," she hissed, her voice trembling slightly. "I'm not going to turn into some heartless monster who values money and power over people."

Bridget basically growled, "I'm not a heartless monster Red. I value you over my whole fortune. Sometimes killing is unavoidable."

"That's a bullshit excuse," Red snapped, her temper flaring. "If you really valued me over all your money, then why do you try so hard to turn me into you?"

She took a step closer, jabbing a finger at her chest.  

"You care about yourself, not me. You're selfish. And a liar. You don't actually care about anyone but yourself."

Flaming fist hit the desk and burnt fists into the wood. Bridget's eyes glowed a violent red with her powers. 

Red froze before summoning her own flames.

The air seemed to crackle with tension between them. The two stared at one another, flames dancing in their eyes.  

Red's heart pounded in her chest, her body poised and ready for a fight. She had never once stood up to her mother like this before. She'd argued with her in the past—had raised her voice and snapped at her words. 

But this was different. This was a line she'd never crossed.  

And she wasn't backing down.

"I care about Red. Don't you dare say I don't. I have always cared for you even when you've made things more difficult. Like you're doing now," Bridget said taking a deep breath.

The fire went out and her fists were smoking. The redhead sat back down in her seat, "Get out of office. I'll get you a new mission. Come to me later."

Red's shoulders drooped slightly, the tension in the room lessening just a fraction.  

She wanted to argue, to say more—to keep fighting. But her mother was done.  

"Fine." The word was like sandpaper in Red's throat, but at least it was a compromise.  

She turned and walked out of the office, fighting the urge to slam the door behind her.

The moment the door shut behind Red, Bridget took a deep breath. She had almost hurt her own daughter.

Red stormed down the hall, her eyes burning with anger.  

She knew her mother was trying to control her. She knew she was trying to shape her into something Red didn't want to be.  

And yet... a small part of her felt conflicted.  

Her mother did care about her, in her own twisted way. She'd seen glimpses of it every now and then. And she'd grown up with her...  

Damnit. 

She slammed a closed fist against the wall.

The wall dented under her fist and Red hissed in pain, Why the hell would I do that?

Red flexed her hand, pain shooting up her knuckles.  

"Fuck."  

She leaned back against the wall, exhaling deeply.  

She was so goddamn angry—angry at her mother for being the way she was, angry at herself for letting her mother have this kind of control over her, angry at this whole situation for making her feel so conflicted.  

"This is bullshit," she muttered to herself, closing her eyes.

She needed a break away from the mansion. She was supposed to come back to her mother's office later but that could wait.

Red took off on her motorcycle and breathed in the fresh air as whipped against her face. The open road was helpful to clear her mind as she sped down it.

The wind roared past her, drowning out her thoughts—drowning out everything but the hum of the engine beneath her and the rush of the road.  

For once, she didn't have to think.  

She didn't have to be the villain's daughter.  

She didn't have to be anything. 

Just... free.  

Red leaned into the speed, letting the adrenaline chase away the anger, the frustration, the confusion.  

For now, that was enough.

She ended up stopping at her park and checked her phone. There was a text from her mother about the new mission.

Red didn't read it yet and instead sat down on the ground. She sat there for a few moments before finally checking her mother's text.

The message was short and to the point—no apologies, no explanations. Just business.  

New assignment: Surveillance only. No casualties. Report back by midnight.

Red exhaled sharply through her nose, relief and irritation warring inside her.  

Fine. 

She shoved her phone back into her pocket and leaned back against the grass, staring up at the sky.  

At least she wouldn't have to kill anyone tonight.  

Small victories.

Chloe gets the notification that there's another robbery in progress. There is a possibility it's Red so she texts her brother then takes off towards the location on her motorcycle.

The night was dark and the wind bit at her face, but she didn't bother to mind.  

The bike roared through the empty streets, her mind running a mile a minute—a combination of nerves and excitement.  

What if it was Red who was robbing this place?  

Chloe tried to shake the thought. It wouldn't change anything. She was on duty, and that was that.  

As she approached the address, she slowed her motorcycle and parked it a few blocks away.

She crawled up the side of the building using some tech before she made it on top. After entering she could see red hair in the distance.

Her breath hitched.

There she was.

Red stood in the dim light, back turned, long red curls spilling over her leather jacket as she examined something in her hand—a small device, maybe a detonator or lock-pick. Not a weapon.

Chloe stayed low, crouched behind a crate, pulse thudding in her ears.

She could call for backup. She should call for backup.

Instead... she whispered into the comm:

"Chad? Cancel that alert. False alarm."

A pause. Then static: "You sure? We got heat on-site."

"Yeah," Chloe said softly, eyes locked on Red's silhouette. "I'm sure."

She clicked off the comms—just as Red turned slightly and froze mid-step... like she felt it—the weight of being watched.

And slowly—too slowly—she started to turn toward the shadows where Chloe was hidden.

The redhead sighed, "I'm just surveilling you can leave."

Chloe stepped out from the shadows, arms crossed. 

"I knew it was you," she said, voice quiet but firm. "Your hair's like a damn beacon."

Red turned fully now, rolling her eyes—but there was no real bite to it.

"Then why are you still here?" She tilted her head slightly. "Hero's code doesn't say you have to babysit me."

Chloe walked a little closer to Red. They stood a few feet apart now. They were close enough to touch if they both held out their arms.

Red kept her arms at her sides, though the effort it took to keep them there was more than she cared to admit.  

She kept her tone and expression carefully nonchalant, like she didn't mind that Chloe was standing close enough that she could catch a whiff of her scent—soap and something sweet.

"So, what?" She raised an eyebrow, her mouth tilting upward in a cocky smirk.  "Are you gonna arrest me, princess?"

Chloe shook her head, "Well you're not committing any crime so... no."

Red's smirk only widened at that.  

"No?" she drawled, shifting closer. She was standing so close now that they were nearly touching. "Then what's the point? Shouldn't you be out saving puppies or something heroic like that?"  

God, up close, Chloe's eyes were really blue.

The shorter girl's face flushes and she steps back slightly, "I don't know. I guess I should leave."

Red's smirk faltered just slightly at the sudden retreat. She hadn't meant to actually scare her off.

She shoved her hands in her pockets and looked away, suddenly finding the cracked concrete floor very interesting.

"Yeah," she mumbled, voice lower now. "Yeah, you should."

Chloe raised an eyebrow, "You do want me to leave right?"

Red's hands clenched into fists in her pockets, her shoulders hunching in a slight shrug.

"I'm a criminal. And you're a hero. We're supposed to be enemies, aren't we? You should kick my ass and go."  

She couldn't bring herself to look up at Chloe as she said all this.

Chloe moved closer again, "We're supposed to be enemies. We don't have to be though."

Red finally looked up, her smirk weak and trembling at the edges.  

She wanted to say something sarcastic. Something sharp—to push back, to keep control.

But for once... she didn't.

Instead, she just stared at Chloe—really looked at her—and whispered:

"...You're gonna regret that."

The shorter girl sighed, "Probably. But I think we can get along. Just without telling anyone."

Red could feel herself getting sucked into those damn blue eyes—and she was powerless to stop it.  

And maybe... just maybe... she didn't want to.  

She swallowed, her heart suddenly lodged in her throat.  

"You want us to be..." A small scoff fell from her mouth. "What? Friends?"

Chloe shrugged, "I know we're supposed to hate each other but I don't hate you."

"I don't hate you either," Red admitted—then immediately cursed herself.  

What are you, a blushing schoolgirl? 

She tried to save face by adding, "You're a goody two-shoes and you're annoying as hell, but you're not...unbearable. Unfortunately."

"Wow Red calling me not unbearable. I feel highly honored," Chloe sassed but there was no real bite in her words.

Red rolled her eyes, the familiar feeling of bantering with Chloe returning and making her feel slightly more grounded.  

"Oh, shut it." She scoffed, crossing her arms. "You should be thanking me, you know. I'm being insanely generous with my compliments right now."

Chloe snorted, "Insanely generous isn't what I would use to describe it but okay whatever you say."

"You're impossible," Red muttered — but there was a hint of a smile tugging at her lips.  

She took a step back, shoving her hands in her pockets again and glancing away before the moment got too soft.

"Go home, Chloe," she said, voice quieter now. "Before we both get caught doing something stupid."

The blue haired girl huffed, "Who says we're gonna get caught?"

Red raised an eyebrow, "If you're not back home Chad will probably think I killed you."

"Chad doesn't know I'm here," Chloe mumbled while chewing her lip, "I said it was a false alarm."

Red's breath caught.

She turned to look at Chloe fully, her expression unreadable.  

"...You lied? To cover for me?" She almost laughed. "Wow. You are stupid."

Chloe was taken aback by the insult, "Hey! Rude! Also you haven't attacked me so I don't get why that's stupid."

Red rolled her eyes, trying to ignore the flutter in her gut at that logic.  

"And you're what, just gonna trust me not to punch you in the face?" She raised a mocking eyebrow. "I'm a criminal, princess. What makes you so damn sure I won't try?"

Chloe let out a laugh, "Okay then punch me right now."

Red blinked.  

Then she scoffed, crossing her arms with a smirk.  

"Wow. Real mature, princess. Just stand there and play hero martyr?" She stepped closer—close enough to tower over Chloe just slightly. "What if I do? You think that'll make me bad? Make you good?"  

Her voice dropped, low and teasing, "...Or do you just like the danger?"

Chloe looked up at her with something unreadable in her eyes, "I don't believe you'll punch me. Do it. Do it and I'll finally leave."

Red's jaw tightened.

The air between them crackled—charged with something heavier than just sarcasm or banter.  

She raised a hand slowly, clenched in a loose fist, hovering near Chloe's face.

Chloe didn't flinch. Didn't blink.

And that—that—is what broke her.

With a sharp exhale, Red dropped her hand and looked away, the smirk gone.  

"You're infuriating," she muttered — but there was no real anger in it. Just frustration. And maybe... something softer underneath.

"...Go home," she said again, quieter now. "Before I actually do something stupid."

A small sigh left Chloe's lips, "I'll see you again soon."

"Don't count on it," Red muttered, shoving her hands in her pockets and turning away.  

But as Chloe's footsteps faded and the roof door clicked shut, she whispered into the silence—so quiet even she could barely hear it:  

"...Probably."

Chapter Text

That night, Red didn't sleep much.  

She tossed and turned, staring up at a ceiling that was far too dark for her liking.  

Chloe's words kept running through her head on a loop—the way she'd said it so firmly but gently, her eyes never leaving Red's.  

"I don't hate you."

Red rolled over again, punching her pillow in frustration.  Damnit, Chloe. 

Why couldn't she stop thinking about the stupid hero?

This girl and her stupid blue eyes just wouldn't leave Red's mind. She needed to not think about her. She needed a distraction.

Red groaned, rolling off her bed and storming to the window.

She needed air. Or a fight. Or something.

Instead, she grabbed her phone and fired off a text to Chester:

To Stoner Cat:

You awake?

No response for a full minute—then:  

Stoner Cat:

Dude it's 2am.

Red smirked. Perfect.

To Stoner Cat:

Get your ass up. We're going for a drive.

The redhead didn't give me a chance to respond as she shut her phone off. She went into her closet and threw some clothes on before heading down to her bike.

Chester came down a few minutes later with a small yawn.

"Morning, sunshine," Red drawled, her bike already purring beneath her.  

Chester groaned, rubbing his eyes as he made his way over.  

"I hate you," he grumbled. "It's two in the morning."

Red snorted, "So you've said. Hop on the back before I decide to leave you behind."

"Ugh, fine," Chester mumbled, swinging a leg over the bike and grabbing onto her jacket.  

The second he was on, Red revved the engine—loud and sharp—and peeled out into the night like hell itself was chasing her.

The wind screamed past them as they tore through empty streets, lights blurring into streaks of color.

And for a moment—just one moment—Red wasn't thinking about blue eyes or soft voices or stupid hero girls who wouldn't stay out of her head.

She was just flying.  

And that... would have to be enough.

They stopped at a park a few miles from the mansion and sat down on a bench. Red was lost in thought and her leg bounced restlessly.

"So what's up? I know you only go on drives like this when something's on your mind and you can't sleep," Chester said.

Red huffed, leaning back against the cold metal with a scowl.

Her first instinct was denial. She wanted to wave him off, to tell him everything was fine and to stop prying.  

But somehow... she found herself answering with a sigh instead.

"Do you ever... do something stupid?" she muttered, staring up at the sky. "Like... you know it's stupid. But you do it anyway. And the whole time you're doing it you just think to yourself, 'this is a stupid thing to be doing?'"

"Uh yeah basically every day," Chester said with a small laugh.

Red rolled her eyes, but a smirk tugged at her lips.

"Wow. Reassuring," she deadpanned.

She kicked at the dirt with her boot, quiet for a beat too long.

"...I didn't punch Chloe."  

Silence.  

Chester blinked. "...Wait—what?"

Red sighed, "She told me to punch her. I refused to do it."

Chester hummed, "And?"

"She just—stood there. Like it was no big deal," she mumbled, kicking at dirt again. "Like I'd never do it. Like she... trusted me, or something."  

She scoffed.  

"She's an idiot," she said, though the words were lacking any real bite. "What kind of moron trusts a criminal?"

Chester shrugged, "I trust you."

Red looked away, her cheeks flushing.  

She didn't know why the words affected her so much.  

"That's different," she grumbled, shoving her hands in her pockets. "You're an idiot, too. We're friends."

The boy gasped and held up an 'offended' hand to his chest, "Excuse me! I'm not an idiot. I'm a very intelligent being." 

"Mhmm," Red said, smirking. "Sure you are. That's why you fell off your skateboard trying to do a kickflip last week."

Chester groaned and dropped his head back.

"Okay, one embarrassing moment in twelve years of friendship does not define me!"

Red raised an eyebrow, "Oh would you like me to name more? How about the time you accidentally dropped the weed from the roof on to my mother's head."

"Ugh, would you stop bringing that up?" Chester groaned, hiding his face in his hands. 

"In my defense—I was high as hell."

Red shrugged, "I've been high and I've never done something like that."

Chester snorted, lowering his hands to give her a smirk.  

"Yeah, because you're perfect," he said sarcastically. "I mean, when have you ever done anything dumb?"

The redhead punched him harshly in the arm, "I'm going to get on my motorcycle and leave you here."

Chester rolled his eyes, "You wouldn't."

Red grabbed her helmet with a smirk and swung a leg over the bike.  

The engine roared to life.  

She shot him one last look over her shoulder—dark, dramatic, fully playing it up.  

"...Wanna bet?"

Chester stood up, "Hey don't actually leave me!"

Red crossed her arms, "Apologize."

"What- no! I'm not apologizing," he refused.

Red smirked, "Well I guess you better call an uber then."

Chester opened his mouth, closed his mouth.  

He wanted to argue, to tell her off and call her bluff—  

But he couldn't quite ignore the feeling of doubt in the back of his mind that said: maybe she would actually leave him.  

"...Ugh, fine," he huffed, rolling his eyes. "I'm sorry."

The redhead's smirk widened as Chester climbed on the motorcycle with a pout. The girl always knew how to win.

They drove back home. It was quiet other then the wind whipping around them.

The ride was smooth, and Red was silent, lost in thought as she drove. Her mind still went back to that damn hero girl and her stupid eyes. She gripped the handlebars tighter—maybe a little harder than necessary.  

Chester stayed quiet beside her, sensing the shift in the air. He knew Red well enough to know she was working through something in her head.

Once they climbed off the bike Chester turned to Red with a serious face. It was a rare sight to see so Red was a little nervous.

"Are you falling for her?" Chester questioned.

Red froze.  

Her fingers curled around her helmet like it was a lifeline.  

She didn't look at him—couldn't, not right now—because if she did, he'd *see* it.

"Shut up," she muttered. "That's not... I'm not—"  

But the denial died in her throat. Weak. Pathetic.

Chester just stood there, arms crossed, waiting like he knew.

Red exhaled sharply through her nose and finally turned to face him—her expression somewhere between anger and fear.

"...Even if I was," she whispered, voice raw for just a second before the sarcasm slammed back into place—"it doesn't matter. She's a hero. I'm trouble."  

She tossed her helmet on the seat with more force than needed.

"And you? You're an idiot for even asking."

She walked away. Into the house from the door in the garage. Chester leaned against her bike with a deep breath.

Red was definitely falling for her. Falling for a hero. Falling for a Charming.

Inside, Red stormed up the stairs—two at a time—until she got to her room.

She slammed the door behind her and paced the room.  

No, no, no.  

She was not falling for the hero girl. She wasn't. It was stupid, dangerous, and she should have her head checked.  

But then why was her heart still racing? Why couldn't she get that damn girl's pretty blue eyes out of her head?

Chloe was plaguing her mind. She needed to speak with her so it would all be over. Maybe... maybe it would just be better if they were enemies.

The thought of them ever being friends was laughable. Their parents were archenemies.

Chloe is a hero. Red is a villain. Hearts and Charmings can never mix. They were always destined to be enemies.

Red sat on the edge of her bed, running hands through her tangled hair. She was being ridiculous. She knew it.  

But the words still echoed in her head. I don't hate you.

A bitter laugh fell from her lips. 

Why were those words the ones she couldn't forget, no matter how hard she tried? Why were they driving her insane like this?  

She curled her hands into fists, her shoulders slumping.

Damn Chloe...

Hours ticked by.  

Red laid in her bed, staring out the window and silently watching the moon crawl across the sky.

She hadn't slept. She hadn't even gotten out of her clothes.  

All her thoughts swirled, tangled, twisted around each other. One sentence kept repeating over and over.

I don't hate you.

She had to get those words out of her head.

Red went back downstairs and left on her bike. This time she went into town. The sun was rising and Red knew a spot where is would be beautiful.

She scaled the wall of the tall building until she made it to the roof. The redhead sat there and breathed in the fresh air while watching the sunrise.

The city slowly shook off the nighttime fog and started to wake.  

Cars started down the streets. Shopkeepers turned on their lights and opened their doors.  

Red watched it all happen from high above, her heart still heavy and her mind conflicted. She sat on the edge of the building and swung her legs slowly back and forth.  

That stupid hero-girl was still stuck in her head.

She saw a flash of blue from the corner of her eye and quickly whipped her head to the side to see it was only a banner. She sighed and let her face fall in her hands.

"Get it together, Red," she mumbled into her palms.

But the truth was, she couldn't.  

Not when every little thing reminded her of her. A flash of color. The quiet hum of the city waking up. Even the way the light painted the rooftops in soft gold—like hope was creeping in whether she wanted it to or not.

She wiped roughly at her face and stood up, pacing to shake off the feeling.

"Stupid blue eyes," she muttered bitterly. "Stupid voice. Stupid... everything."

"Stupid everything? What's got you so worked up?" Asked a voice from behind Red. She knows exactly who it is.

Red froze, her back still turned. She knew that voice. She'd recognize it anywhere.

Slowly, she turned—and sure enough, Chloe was standing just a few paces behind her, arms crossed and a smirk on her face. Red hated the way her heart skipped a beat at just the sight of her.  

Red shoved her hands in her pockets and scoffed.  

"None of your business, princess."

Chloe raised an eyebrow, "Princess? Really? Okay fine then rebel."

Red rolled her eyes, but the faintest hint of a smirk pulled at her mouth. 

"You just can't resist showing up, can you?" she said, crossing her arms to match.  

She was trying to act annoyed, nonchalant. As if she hadn't been thinking about this stupid girl all night.

The blue haired girl shrugged, "Well my detector got set off by movement. Imagine my surprise when I see you sitting here."

Red snorted, her arms still defensively crossed.  

"Of course you have a detector," she grumbled, though there was a bit less bite in her words than usual.  

She looked down at the city below, refusing to look at Chloe. Her heart was starting to pound in her chest and she hated it.  

"You can go now," she said, trying to sound indifferent. "I'm just watching the sunrise."

Chloe hummed, "I could... but I would rather watch it with you."

The words almost made Red's knees go weak, but she held her composure.   

She rolled her eyes again, trying to ignore the butterflies in her stomach.  

"Suit yourself," she said, like it didn't matter at all. Even as her hands curled into fists in her pockets.

Chloe examined her for a moment, "Mhm... stop trying to be so nonchalant."

Red's breath caught—just slightly.  

She glanced sideways at Chloe, eyes narrowing with fake annoyance. "I'm not trying to be anything. You're the one who showed up out of nowhere and started watching me like some creepy stalker."  

But her voice lacked its usual bite. And they both knew it.

Chloe just smirked, stepping closer until she was standing right beside her, shoulder nearly brushing Red's.

"Whatever you say... rebel."

Chapter Text

The sun continued to rise and Red abruptly stood up, "Well there's the sun. I should probably get home." 

Chloe's smirk turned to a frown in a heartbeat.  

She grabbed Red's wrist before she could walk more than a step.  

"Wait."  

Red froze, her breath going shallow as Chloe's fingers closed around her wrist. Her heart was in her throat. She was suddenly very, very aware of how close the other girl was standing. Too close.  

Slowly, she turned back to face her, trying—and failing—to hide the way her pulse raced.  

"What?"

Chloe smirked, "I'll let you go if you can lose me on the rooftops."

A smirk of her own slowly spread over Red's face. That familiar competitive fire flared up in her eyes.

"Oh, you're on, princess," she said, already sizing up the best escape route from the top of the building.

"I'll turn for 10 seconds. You better run rebel," Chloe teased before turning, "I mean now."

Red grinned—sharp and wild—before bolting across the rooftop.

Her boots hit the ledge hard as she vaulted to the next building over, her laughter ringing out in the early morning air.  

She didn't look back, didn't stop.  

And if her heart was pounding a little faster than usual? Well... that was just from running. That's all it had to be.

Try and keep up, princess.

Chloe gave her 20 seconds before she turned around. Maybe she hadn't been counting. Maybe she wanted Red to get away.

Either way the redhead was a good distance but Chloe was catching up.

The wind whipped past Red as she leaped across the gaps between buildings, arms spread like wings.  

She risked a glance over her shoulder—  

And there Chloe was. Too close. Much too close for comfort.

Red gritted her teeth and pushed harder, faster, knowing damn well she could escape if she wanted to—but suddenly not sure if that was what she wanted at all.

Pathetic.

She vaulted another alleyway and skidded to a stop on the next rooftop, turning to face Chloe head-on instead of running any further.

"Fine," she panted out, breathless from exertion and something else entirely. "You win."

The hero raised a brow, "Is the daughter of great Hearts going soft for a Charming?"

Red bristled at the words, a dozen retorts jumping to the tip of her tongue.

"Shut it, princess. You only won because I let you," she snapped, crossing her arms.  

Her heart was still pounding in her chest, and it had nothing to do with her running. Or so she told herself.

Chloe flinched at the tone, she was only joking. Red crossed her arms and shivered as the cold air blew through her jacket.

Chloe noticed the way Red pulled her jacket tighter, trying to ignore how cold she must be.  

Without a word, she shrugged off her own jacket—it was warmer than Red's, lined with something softer—and held it out.  

"Here," she said quietly.

Red froze for a second too long before scoffing and looking away.

"I don't need your charity."  

Chloe rolled her eyes but didn't pull back. "It's not charity if I'm just being nice."

She dropped the jacket on Red's shoulders anyway—whether she liked it or not.

The villain tugged off the jacket and threw it back at Chloe, "I can't go home with that. Please just keep it Chloe."

Chloe caught the jacket, her face falling just a fraction.  

"Okay..." she said quietly, shoving the jacket into her own bag.  

There was a beat of awkward silence, neither sure what to say or how to bridge the sudden distance between them.

Red cleared her throat, looking away and shoving her hands in her pockets.

"I should go," she muttered. "Before anyone sees us up here. Together."

Chloe nodded, the tension from earlier gone now. It was replaced by awkward silence. 

Red slid down the ladder and walked over to her bike. She shivered as the cold wind hit her face. 

Chloe's heart ached with each shiver she saw, even as Red tried to act unaffected.

She'd just wanted to be nice—just wanted to show a hint of kindness. But Red was so hellbent on pushing people away that it was like talking to a damn brick wall.

"Red—" she started.  

But she bit back the words at the last second.  

Red had already slammed her helmet on and climbed onto her bike, engine roaring to life. She didn't wait for Chloe to get a word in edgewise before tearing away into the city, leaving Chloe alone on the rooftop and feeling

The youngest Charming wanted back home in silence. For a moment she thought her and Red could become actual friends. But it was a stupid thought wasn't it?

How could she ever be friends with a villain. The daughter of her parents greatest enemy at that.

The enemy that- the women that made them disappear. And god did Chloe hate Bridget Hearts.

But Red... she wasn't anything like her mother.

The drive calmed the anger and restlessness in her gut—the wind biting her cheeks and the city lights passing in a blur.  

She was trying to think about something, anything that wasn't the girl she'd left behind on the roof.

And she was failing miserably.  

Her thoughts were caught up on soft blue eyes and gentle words. How the hell was this stupid girl getting under her skin so easily?  

She growled, gripping the handles of her bike with white knuckles.

Chloe entered the Charming mansion and it was quiet. Chad was sitting on the living room couch fidgeting with his phone.

When he heard her footsteps her turned to look at her, "Where have you been?"

The younger girl's gaze dropped to the ground for a moment, "Just out... I was watching the sun rise."

Chad frowned, noticing the tension in her shoulders.

"You're freezing," he said softly. "Come here."

Chloe complied, curling into his side on the couch. He wrapped an arm around her shoulder, pulling her close.

"How long were you out there?"

The blue haired girl shrugged, "I was just walking around for a while... then I stopped on a roof to watch the sun rise."

Chad nodded, his hand gently rubbing her arm to warm her.  

He could sense something was off. She was too quiet, her eyes fixated on the ground, avoiding his gaze.

"Hey.." he said softly, tilting her chin to make her look at him. "Is everything alright? You seem off."

She nodded, a lie but she wouldn't tell him the truth. Not when she was hanging out with Red.

"I promise I'm okay Chad. Just had trouble sleeping last night."

Chad studied her for a moment, searching her face for any sign that she wasn't okay.  He knew his sister, he knew when she was lying. He knew when something was bothering her.  

But he also knew that if she didn't want to talk... she wouldn't talk.  

With a sigh he pulled her back in close, his fingers resuming their soothing circles on her arm.

"Alright," he said. "Just... know I'm here if you need to talk. Okay?"

The blue haired girl nodded. She wouldn't tell him about it. At least not anytime soon. Not when he was still pining after Red.

"I'm going to go get so sleep. I guess I tired myself out. See you later?" Chloe said, leaving his hold and standing off the couch.

Chad nodded, watching her go with a small frown, concern still etched lightly on his face. He hated it when she pulled away like this—shutting him out and keeping secrets.

He wanted to push, to press her for answers and find out exactly what was bothering her. But he knew from experience it would be pointless.

Instead, he simply said, "Yeah... Sleep well, Chloe. I'm here if you need anything."

Chloe nodded, "I'll tell you if anything is bothering me. Don't worry about me Chad."

Another lie.

Chad wanted to argue, to tell her he was worried about her and he couldn't just stop.  

He was her older brother, and it was his job to worry after her and keep her safe.

But again he held back, knowing that any protest would just push her further away. Instead he just sighed and ran a hand through his hair, giving in for the moment.

"Alright," he said finally. "Just... be careful, okay?"

The blue haired girl nodded and finally escaped up to her room. It was getting harder to lie to him.

Chad sank back into the couch, staring up at the ceiling and wondering just what was going on in his sister's head.  

She was keeping something from him, that much was obvious. But he had no idea what. And honestly, it was killing him.

He let out another sigh, burying his face in his hands and silently cursing his sister's stubborn nature.

His phone dinged with a sudden text.

Headquarters

You and Chloe up for another job?

Chad groaned and pushed the heels of his palms into his eyes. He really didn't want to leave right now, not when his sister was going through some mystery inner turmoil and not telling him a damn thing about it.  

He wanted to be there for her, to be the big brother she could come to for comfort and support. Instead she was shutting him out entirely, keeping all her secrets closed off tight behind a wall he wasn't allowed to break through.

Before he could say no his phone dinged with another text.

Little blueberry

I'm up for anything. What's the job?

Chad frowned at his sister's reply—so quick, so eager to jump into danger when he knew something was off.  

He hesitated before switching to private chat with Chloe and typing back.

To Little blueberry

Are you sure? You just said you were exhausted. 

A moment of silence. Then:

Little blueberry

I don't care Chad. I need this.

Headquarters

It's an easy job. Just some low level criminals. Go to the job and pretend to be the buyer then take them down.

Chad stared at the message—at his sister's words, I need this. 

What was she hiding? What wasn't she telling him?

But before he could argue further, Chloe was already texting headquarters back.

Little blueberry

Got it. Send me the details.

He groaned in frustration and forced himself to respond as well.

To Headquarters, Little blueberry

Fine. But we're doing this carefully.

The headquarters sent the details and since they wouldn't have to do anything till tonight Chad told Chloe to get some sleep.

She said yes and that she was going to anyway but the blonde boy was just glad she agreed. He in face decided he was going to take a nap himself.

Chad stretched out on the couch, phone still clutched in his hand as he dozed off—hoping that whatever was bothering Chloe wouldn't end up being worse than what he'd imagined.  

And praying that tonight's job would go smoothly.

Please... just be okay, Chloe.

When night rolled around he looked at Chloe whose face was covered by her costume. You could only see her eyes and mouth.

"You ready?" He questioned as she stepped into his car. He didn't comment about the fact that she wasn't riding her motorcycle.

Chloe nodded, keeping her features neutral. She felt strangely calm as they pulled away from the mansion and headed into the night.  

She knew it was stupid to go on a mission when she felt so messed up inside. But maybe it would help... maybe a little bit of adrenaline and danger would help pull her out of her head for a bit.

She closed her eyes and leaned back in her seat.  

"Let's do this."

He nodded in agreement and once they arrived at the spot they stepped out. The dealers should be there any minute.

The two stood just out of sight, blending into the shadows of an alleyway and waiting for the dealers to show.  

Chloe could feel the tension building, the adrenaline already starting to take over and push all her other thoughts away.  

She shifted slightly closer to Chad, her eyes scanning the area for any signs of movement.  

This... was what she needed. The thrill of the mission, the feeling of being in the moment and focused on something other than her own damn brain.

Chapter Text

Then, finally, headlights appeared down the street and the sound of approaching voices broke the silence.  

The dealers.  

Chloe's heart kicked up a notch, anticipation humming through her veins.  

She glanced sidelong at her brother, seeing the same focus and readiness on his face.  

They were in sync, both of them. Both ready to take these dealers down.

The men stepped out of the car and looked around suspiciously before grabbing a duffle bag. The doors shut and they walked towards the disguised heroes.

"Are you the buyers?" A man asked, he was seemingly the leader.

Chad nodded, his face impassive and voice gruff.

"Yeah," he grunted. "We're the buyers."

The head dealer eyed them for a moment, clearly sizing them up. Trying to sense if they could be a threat or not.

Chloe grabbed their duffle bag full of money and dropped it on the ground in front of them, "Open your bag so we can make sure you're the real deal."

The man scoffed, "Don't order me around girl."

He gestured for one of his men to open the bag and the closest man to the bag stepped forward. The dealers duffle was unzipped to reveal illegal weapons. 

Chloe's hand moved slightly toward her hidden comm device, ready to signal backup.

The other dealers eyed the weapons, but the only outward reaction from Chad and Chloe was a slight hardening of their gazes.

"Looks legit," Chad said, hands clenching slightly. He kept his voice even but his muscles were tense and ready to move in an instant.  

The head dealer chuckled, eyeing the siblings with an almost malicious glint in his eye.

"You're pretty brave to be out here in the dark with people you don't know."

Chad and Chloe exchange glances, that sentence usually meant this was a trap. The blue haired girl clicked the button on her comms to signal help then stepped forward, "Well? Give us the weapons. The money is here."

Just as the words left Chloe's mouth, the head dealer pulled a gun—fast and slick like he'd done it a hundred times before.  

But Chloe was faster.

She ducked just in time, feeling the bullet graze past her shoulder as she rolled into action.

Chad lunged forward immediately after, throwing himself at one of the other men with his fists flying.

Chad fought the two henchmen while Chloe focused on the main dude. His gun was aimed at her again but she used her telekinesis to send it flying against the fall.

The gun went off and shattered against the wall. Chloe used the distraction to tackle the man to ground.

The dealer slammed into the ground, his head hitting the concrete with a loud thud.  

But he was fast.  

He recovered quickly, his hands wrapping around her throat and squeezing.

"Feisty little girl," he snarled. "Not so tough now, are you?"

She wheezed before lighting struck the man's back. He howled it pain and fell to the side of her. Chloe got on top of him and threw a fist into his face.

Suddenly his face turned to steel and the blue haired girl cried out in pain as her fist hit his steel face.

The dealer grinned sadistically, taking advantage of her pain to flip their positions.  

He slammed her into the concrete, pinning her to the ground with a knee on her chest.

"You really think I'm gonna let a girl beat me?" he hissed, raising one metal fist.

Chloe gritted her teeth a sent a ball of lighting to his chest. It burnt through his clothes but underneath his skin was steel.

Chad had taken down one of the henchmen but he was still fighting the other. He couldn't help her.

The blue haired girl threw her head back into his face. Pain shot down her skull and she was dazed but the man cried out and released some of his hold on her.

She used that moment to wiggle away. 

But he grabbed her ankle before she could get far enough away. His grip tightened.

Chloe dug a knife out of one of the hidden pockets in costume pants and sent it into his hand, straight between bone. The man screamed in pain again letting go as blood poured from the wound

It seems he could only make a certain part of his body steel so she used that to her advantage. He head butted her back in the nose but she shook away her daze and struck his stomach and back with lighting. 

He collapsed against the ground with a yelp and she punched him once more in the face with her good hand.

He finally fell limp against the ground, unconscious.

Chloe staggered back, breathing hard and clutching her injured hand—the one that had struck his steel jaw earlier.  

She wiped blood from her nose with the back of her sleeve and looked over at Chad, who was still grappling with the last henchman.

She needed to help him.  

But as she moved forward—

BANG. 

A bullet whizzed past her shoulder. The fourth man had finally drawn his weapon, hidden until now.

Shit.

Chloe threw his gun and shattered it against the wall but she was too exhausted to use her lightning. He charged towards her but she jumped out of the way.

She used his speed to her advantage and tripped him. He fell against the ground with a thud that would surely leave a bump.

"You fucking bitch!" The man screamed.

Chloe lunged again, her fist connecting with his nose with a sickening crunch.

He howled in pain but still managed to get to his feet, anger in his eyes.  

"You little—" he spat, wiping his injured nose and lunging at her.

He elbowed her in the stomach and she coughed. He winded her and now she couldn't breath. This gave the man time to climb on top her and start to throw punches.

Her nose was already bleeding from the last man head butting her and this man's punch split open her lip.

The blood was flowing into her mouth and she choked and spit it to the side. Another fist was throw at her and she couldn't defend herself.

"Chloe!" She heard her brother exclaim but her vision was starting to swim.

Two more punches were thrown at her before the man was pulled off.

"Chloe- okay?" She couldn't really hear what her brother was saying. Then suddenly everything went black.

Chad felt panic spike through him as he looked down at his sister.  

She was knocked out, her face covered in blood. She looked small and fragile now—not like the fierce fighter that had been fighting just a moment before.

Backup had finally arrived and was putting the unconscious men into the back of their van.

"You and your sister did good. We'll take her back to headquarters were she can get patched," Fay, the head of the hero's department said as she patted his shoulder.

Chad scowled at her, "If you guys actually showed up earlier she wouldn't have been so hurt! Where was our backup?"

Fay winced, looking guilty.  

She knew that the backup had been late. And now Chad was right—his sister was hurt because of it.

"We had a situation we had to take care of," she said quietly, her eyes avoiding his.

He gritted his teeth, "Just call me when she wakes up. I'm heading home."

Fay sighed but nodded, watching him stalk away with his hands clenched into fists at his side.  

She felt guilty—they all did.  

The siblings had done their part perfectly... and backup had still failed them.

She turned her attention back to Chloe, lifting her carefully and carrying her to the med van while Chad disappeared down the street—too angry to even look at any of them right now.

It was a long drive back to headquarters.

Red was back on the roof Chloe had found her on. It was almost midnight but she was secretly hoping Chloe would show up.

It was a stupid hope.  

She had no reason to think Chloe would come. It was late, the cold was getting colder, and the chances of her showing up were low. 

But she found herself watching anyway, eyes fixed intently on the rooftops and shoulders tense in anticipation.

An hour passed and she didn't show so Red sighed and climbed down. It makes sense considering Red had been cold and distant that morning.

As she was about to take off on her motorcycle she heard a familiar voice, "Reddddd! What are you doing here?"

Of course Chad showed up instead.

Red's hands tightened on her handlebars as Chad approached with a friendly wave.  

She didn't want to see him. She really didn't want to see him. 

"What's it look like I'm doing," she growled, climbing on her bike and glaring at him.

He chuckled at her tone, "Okay my bad. You don't want to stay and hang out with me?"

He pouted and Red rolled her eyes, "No I really don't."

Chad laughed, clearly not taking her seriously.  

"Oh come on," he teased, resting a hand on the back of his head. "Don't be like that. You love spending time with me."

It took everything in her not to throw a fire ball at his head, "Will you just leave me alone? Who knows maybe I'll hurt you."

Chad grinned at the empty threat.  

"You won't," he said confidently, stepping closer and leaning against her bike like he owned it. "You like me too much."

Red scoffed, "Saying I like you at all is bold. I'd rather be around your sister."

Chad froze, his smirk faltering for just a second. She'd hit a button and they both knew it.  

"My sister, huh?" he said finally, his tone suddenly darker. "And why is that?"

The redhead leaned back on her bike, "Well for one she's better looking and also not an annoying man child."

Chad bristled at the insult, but—he noticed something in Red's expression.  

Something he didn't like.

"Ah," he said slowly, tilting his head and studying her. "So you do think about my sister."  

He smirked.  

"And here I thought you hated heroes."

Red shrugged, "Some are tolerable. You and your flirting is not."  

Chad grinned, leaning against the bike and shifting closer to her. 

"You're not very fun, Red," he teased, ignoring her attempt to put distance between them. "Lighten up a bit. Flirting is good for the soul."

Her eyes narrowed, "Get any closer to me and I'll burn your hair off."

She caught her hand on fire and lifted it towards his head. The man yelped and jumped back.

Chad stumbled back, eyes widening when he saw the fire dancing around her fingers menacingly.  

"Alright, geez, I'm not getting any closer," he said defensively, holding his hands up. "No need to get all... pyromaniac on me."

Red extinguished the flames, but the irritation was clear in her eyes.  

"You're an idiot," she grumbled, looking away. "I swear you're like an oversized golden retriever."

He smirked, "I'll take that as a compliment thank you. Now can I have a ride on your bike? We can go back to my place."

Red almost choked on her spit. Of course he wanted a ride. Of course he'd ask for the thing that would definitely piss her off.  

"No. Hell no," she snapped, glaring at him. "Not happening in a million years."

Chad pouted once more, "Pretty please?"

He was doing this on purpose. He knew she'd get annoyed by his endless insistence and puppy eyes.  

Red gritted her teeth, her grip on the handles tightening.  

"No," she repeated firmly. "My bike. My rules. No whiny dumbasses allowed."

Chad huffed and then he got a call and his face darkened. It was from headquarters so he knew exactly what it was about.

"Hello?" He said after being the phone up to his ear.

Red watched him closely, the sudden shift in his demeanor making her curious despite herself.  

He was silent for a moment—listening intently—before his expression darkened even more.  

"I'll be right there," he muttered before hanging up and shoving the phone back into his pocket.

Red hesitated for a second before grumbling, "What happened?"

Chad looked at her, jaw tight.

"Chloe's awake."

Chapter Text

Red raised an eyebrow. "Awake?"

Chad was already stepping away, his usual playfulness gone completely.

"She got hurt on a mission," he said roughly, not meeting her eyes. "Badly."

And then—without another word—he turned and walked off in the direction of headquarters.

Red froze for a second, the words hitting her like a punch to the gut.

Chloe. Hurt.

She didn't know why it sent such a sharp jolt of fear through her—she shouldn't care. But suddenly, she was swinging her leg back over the bike and revving the engine.

"Get on," she snapped at Chad's retreating back.

He turned, startled. "What?"

"I said get on, idiot," Red growled, gripping the handles tighter. "Unless you want to walk all night."

He scoffed but hopped on the back of the bike. "Y'know I'm not really supposed to—"

"Shut the fuck up and tell me the address," she cut him off, her tone showing her annoyance.

Chad clamped his mouth shut, then rattled off the address quickly.

He knew better than to argue with her when she was like this—like a wildfire barely contained and just waiting for an excuse to burn everything down.

Red didn't wait for him to say anything else before peeling out into the street at breakneck speed.

She shouldn't care.

But damn it—she did.

The bike roared through the streets, weaving dangerously between cars as Red pushed the speed limit way past legal.

Chad clung to her for dear life, not used to being the one gripping on instead of driving.

"Red— slow down!" he yelled over the engine.

But Red didn't slow down. Not even a little.

She couldn't explain why her chest was so tight—why she felt like if they weren't fast enough, something terrible would happen.

It didn't make sense. It shouldn't matter this much.

But it did.

When they arrived, she came to a stop and stared at the large building. She sighed. "I'll drive a little down the street and wait there."

Chad nodded and climbed off the bike, looking a little green.

Red revved the engine once before turning the bike and heading towards the shadows, leaving him to enter the building.

She could feel her heart pounding hard, her adrenaline still high and pulse racing as she parked against the sidewalk.

It didn't make sense. Why was she so damn worried?

She shouldn't care. This was her enemy.

She just shouldn't.

Chad walked swiftly towards the medical, "I'm here for Chloe Charming."

The receptionist nodded, pointing down the hall. "She's in room 17, sir."

Chad thanked her and headed down the hall, each step leading him closer and closer to the room.

His thoughts were a mess, racing and spiraling through his head like a hurricane.

He was worried. God, he was worried.

He should be used to it by now. He'd been worrying for Chloe for years—she always found something to get herself into.

Chad walked into the room, and Chloe was already standing, ready to go. There was a bandage wrapped around her shoulder that was bulging out of her shirt and a small one on her face where there was a cut.

His heart dropped into his stomach at the sight of her.

She was standing, which was good, but she was clearly hurt. He flicked his eyes over the bandages on her shoulder to her split lip with dried blood.

He was at her side in an instant, almost without thinking.

"What the hell were you thinking?" he blurted out, his frustration mixing with worry in an unpleasant way. "You were supposed to be careful, and you still got yourself hurt."

She rolled her eyes. "It's not my fault backup took too long. Now I just want to get home. I'm tired."

He knew that tone—defensive and irritated.

He sighed, fighting the urge to pull her into a hug. Chloe was stubborn, and she was also very much like him in a weird way, and she hated being babied.

So instead of trying to make sure she was truly okay, he took a half step back, crossing his arms and grumbling.

"Come on, you big baby. Let's get you home."

Chloe side-eyed him, then walked past him toward the door. It was only when they left the building that he remembered how he had gotten there.

Chad looked around for Red while Chloe stood there impatiently. "Did you forget where you parked your car or something?"

His face went flat. "Uh... no. So Red drove me..."

Chloe froze, her eyes snapping to Chad with something unreadable flickering in them.

"...Red?” she repeated, her voice carefully neutral.

Her fingers twitched slightly at her side—just enough that if someone wasn't looking closely, they wouldn't notice the reaction. But Chad did.

"Yeah," he said slowly, watching her closely for any more reactions. "She drove me here."

He paused before adding quietly, "She's still outside."

He winced. "No, I told her you were hurt, and she forced me to get on, then almost killed me driving here."

Chad finally found her and started walking toward her with Chloe trailing behind.

Red had been slouched on her bike, scrolling mindlessly through her phone—or at least pretending to.

She heard their footsteps first, then saw them in the corner of her vision.

And suddenly, she was acutely aware of just how awkward this was going to be.

She locked her phone and shoved it into her pocket, glancing up only when they were close enough.

Chad cleared his throat awkwardly as he stopped next to the bike.

"So, uh... thanks for the ride again," he said lamely.

Red barely nodded—her eyes flicking past him and landing on Chloe instead for a brief second before looking away again.

Her stomach twisted uncomfortably at the sight of the small bandage and busted lip covering that stupid face she liked too much for no reason.

Chad stepped back. "Will you, uh... drive her home? I'm fine walking."

Oh hell, no.

The last thing she wanted to do was talk to Chloe while being stuck in close contact on her own bike.

But the words coming out of her own mouth seemed to disagree.

"Sure," she grumbled, not looking at either of them. "Get on."

Red climbed on the front, and Chloe followed. The redhead ignored the flip her stomach did as she felt Chloe's arms wrap around her. "What's your address?"

Chloe mumbled out her address, her arms holding onto Red just a little tighter than necessary.

The entire way, she was hyper-aware of the girl pressed up against her. There was no reason it should feel like anything. It was just a ride home.

So she ignored the way her heart was speeding up in a way that only Chloe could cause.

She just stared at the road in front of her and tried not to think too far ahead.

When they arrived, Red eased to a stop near the front door of the Charming mansion. Chloe climbed off but didn't go inside right away.

She fidgeted with her hands. "Thanks for the ride. You really didn't have to do that."

Red shrugged, trying to act casual even though her pulse was racing.

"It was nothing," she said gruffly, fingers tapping against the handlebar idly, avoiding Chloe's gaze. "You were hurt. Someone had to drive your dumbass home."

The younger girl rolled her eyes, but Red didn't miss the small smile that crept up on her face.

Red's gaze flicked from her still-bandaged lip to the small smile, and something twisted in her gut.

It was unfair, really. Chloe had no right looking so goddamn pretty despite her current injuries.

She needed to say something snarky. She needed to push this girl away before the stupid fluttery feeling in her chest got any *worse*.

But instead, what came out was a soft, "Don't get hurt again, idiot."

Chloe scoffed lightly. "Are you just calling me degrading nicknames now?"

Red felt her cheeks warm, but she masked it with a scoff.

"You earned them," she shot back, gripping the bike's handles tighter and avoiding eye contact. "One for each of your dumbass decisions today."

She revved the engine, signaling that this conversation was over—needed to be over—before she said something even stupider. 

But Chloe wasn't moving just yet.

And Red hated how much that made her heart pound.

They stared at each other for another moment before Red broke eye contact. "I should get back home. I'll see you soon, princesa."

Chloe froze at the nickname—her lips parting slightly in surprise—before quickly pressing them back into a line and stepping away from the bike.

"Yeah... see you soon," she muttered, turning on her heel and walking toward her house before Red could see the stupid way that name made her stomach twist.

Red watched until she was inside before finally letting out a long breath and driving off into the night.

This was getting way too complicated.

Red didn't go straight home.

She needed the wind on her face, the roar of her bike in her ears—anything to distract from the nagging thoughts and stupid feelings she didn't want to acknowledge.

Because if she thought too much about it... if she let herself dwell on how Chloe had looked at her or how good it felt to have those arms around her, even just for a few minutes... then that meant admitting something was there.

And that wasn't happening. Not now, not ever.

So she drove until the streets blurred together and finally—finally—she forced herself back home.

Where at least she could bury this nonsense under layers of sarcasm and pretend none of it existed in the first place.

She walked into her house, then into the kitchen. Her mother was sitting at the island sipping tea. "Nice of you to be home for once."

Red rolled her eyes, ignoring the jab as she grabbed a water bottle from the fridge and tried to walk right past.

But of course, that didn't work.

"Where were you?" her mother asked coolly—not looking up from her tea but somehow still managing to make Red feel like she was being dissected under a microscope.

"Out," Red muttered, already heading towards the stairs.

She really wasn't in the mood for this tonight.

Bridget tsked. "Red, I'm not done with this conversation. Get back here."

Red stopped in her tracks, her grip on the water bottle tightening.

She really didn't want to do this right now, but there was something about the way her mother had said it that left no room for refusal.

With gritted teeth, Red walked back toward the kitchen, leaning against the counter and crossing her arms defiantly.

"What?" she snapped.

Her mother turned and finally looked at her. "Out is unacceptable. Where were you? And don't even think about lying to me."

Red held her gaze, jaw tightening.

"I was out," she repeated, voice clipped. "With friends."

She didn't elaborate further—she wouldn't give her mother the satisfaction of demanding details when they both knew Red would never actually tell her anything real.

And Bridget could see right through it.

"Friends?" She scoffed lightly, taking another sip of tea before setting the cup down with deliberate calmness. "What friends?"

The redhead gritted her teeth. "Chester and Maddox. Can I go now?"

Her mother eyed her for a long moment—clearly not believing a word.

But she must have decided it wasn't worth the argument tonight because she sighed and waved a dismissive hand.

"Fine. Go."

Red didn't waste another second before turning and stalking off to her room, slamming the door behind her as soon as she was inside.

She exhaled sharply, tossing the water bottle onto her bed and running a frustrated hand through her hair.

Tonight had been... too much. And all she wanted now was sleep—and to forget any of it ever happened.

Chapter Text

The next morning Chloe woke up in pain. Her meds had worn off and she groaned as her shoulder burned.

She grabbed the painkillers from her nightstand, swallowing them dry before flopping back onto her pillows with a miserable groan.  

Her head was pounding, her shoulder felt like it was on fire, and she had no idea what time it even was.  

Fantastic. 

With a sigh—one that made her ribs ache slightly—she reached for her phone and squinted at the bright screen.

It was 10am but she hadn't seen Chad anywhere. She headed to his office. If he wasn't in there he'd be in his room probably still asleep.

Sure enough, Chad was in his room still buried under the covers of his messy bed. His alarm was going off, but he had a pillow pressed over his head and he was groaning loudly in protest.

"Five more minutes..." he whined, not even bothering to uncover his head.

Chloe rolled her eyes, "At least turn the alarm off."

Chad grumbled but did as he was told, blindly groping for the alarm until he finally found the right button and silenced it.

He then pulled the pillow off his head and squinted up at her, his hair a complete mess and eyes all sleep-heavy.

"You look horrible," he said bluntly, yawning widely.

Her eyes narrowed, "So do you. Now get up and make me breakfast asshole."

Chad groaned dramatically, flopping back down on his bed but not bothering to put the pillow back over his face.  

"But I don't wanna," he whined, dragging the word out obnoxiously. "You can make your own breakfast. I'm tired."

She pouted, "But I'm in soooo much pain. You won't make your injured baby sister breakfast 

Chad scoffed. "You're a grown adult. You're not a baby,” he retorted, throwing an arm over his eyes.  

But he knew he was losing this battle—that pout was way too effective. Damn, she had him trained.  

With a loud sigh, he begrudgingly sat up and pushed the covers off his legs.

"Fine, what do you want to eat, your majesty?"

Chloe smiled widely, "Pancakes please." 

Chad groaned, dragging himself out of bed and giving her a withering glare.  

"Pancakes are so much work," he grumbled. "Can't you just have a bowl of cereal like a normal person?"

The girl gestured towards her hurt shoulder, face and chest in response. Chad couldn't argue with that.

Chad threw his hands up in defeat.

"Fine! Fine!” he grumbled, shuffling towards the kitchen. "But you owe me for this."  

He flicked on the coffee maker as he passed—because there was no way he was making pancakes without caffeine—then started gathering ingredients while still grumbling under his breath about ungrateful siblings.  

Meanwhile, Chloe just grinned victoriously and plopped herself onto a stool at the counter, watching smugly as her brother suffered for her benefit.

This wasn't so bad after all.

When he passed her some pancakes with syrup Chloe nodded approvingly. Then she smirked, "I'll make you pancakes for your birthday."

Chad blinked unamused at her as he ate, "That's 5 months away Chloe."

She shrugged—then winced when the movement pulled at her injuries.  

"Yeah, well, I'm busy," she said casually through a bite of pancake. "Got to prepare."

Chad rolled his eyes but didn't press it further—she was deflecting again and he knew it.

At least for now, they could pretend everything was normal. Even if he did still have a million questions about last night.

And more importantly—about Red's sudden involvement in everything.

Chad convinced Chloe to have a lazy day to recover. So they sat on the couch.

Two movies later he turned to her, "So what's up with you and Red? She's still my crush y'know."

Chloe's eyebrows shot up, caught off guard by the sudden question.  

"What are you talking about? Nothing's up with us," she blurted out, a little too quickly.  

Chad raised an eyebrow.  

"Nothing is up," she repeated, this time slightly more forcefully. "We're not friends. We don't talk—we don't even like each other."

He gave her a disbelieving look and she bristled, shifting in her seat.

"It's true. I can't stand her."

Chad rolled his eyes, "That's bullshit. She said she preferred you over me."

Chloe snorted, "Yeah well duh. I'm way better looking. If you're jealous just say it."

"Oh shut up," he said, throwing a pillow at her. "You're such a brat." 

She stuck her tongue out at him before continuing, "Besides, it's not about that. I hate her. She's rude, and abrasive, and-and-"  

She faltered, trying to find the right words.  

Chad noticed her sudden hesitation, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. Oh yeah something was definitely up.  

"Oh come on, finish your sentence," he said, leaning back on the couch and folding his arms.

Chloe clenched her jaw, "She's just a bitch okay? Nothing more than that. I don't care about Red Hearts and she sure as hell doesn't care about me."

Chad leaned forward, grinning now—like he knew something she didn't.  

"Uh-huh," he said slowly. "So why did she drive you home last night? Why was she the one to drop me off at headquarters when you got hurt?"  

Chloe stiffened, her face flushing slightly before she forced it back down into neutrality.

"She happened to be there," she lied smoothly. "That's all."  

And if Chad noticed how defensive that sounded—he mercifully didn't press it further.

At least for now.

She sunk more into the couch, "Plus you fan girl over her all the time. Don't you have a poster board that says 'my future with my wife'."

That got a response—a bright blush immediately blossomed across his cheeks and he sputtered in protest.

"Hey! It's not a fan girl board!" he protested. "It's a vision board. Totally different."

Chloe scoffed. "You say 'vision,' I say 'delusion.'"

Chad rolled his eyes, "She's in love with me secretly," then he gasped, "That's why she's trying to get close to you!"

His sister blinked, "Sure... that's for sure why..."

He ignored the clear sarcasm in her tone, already getting too far into his delusion to back down.  

"Exactly!" he said, pointing at her. "It makes total sense. She's trying to get close to you, and then she'll realize that she actually really actually wants me."  

Chloe rolled her eyes so hard she thought she might get permanent eye damage.  

"Are you listening to yourself right now?"

"Of course and I'm very intelligent sounding," Chad said with a big smirk.

Chloe groaned, rubbing her temples.  

"You're insufferable," she muttered, sinking further into the couch with a pained sigh.

Chad just grinned smugly, grabbing another pillow and hugging it to his chest—completely oblivious to just how ridiculous he sounded.  

Because in his mind? It all made perfect sense.

Even if Chloe knew better than anyone that Red would never be interested in him like that.

Red was called downstairs by her mother. She groaned and changed out of her pajamas before heading downstairs.

"Come here."  

Bridget sat at the island, sipping another cup of tea.  

Red approached, keeping a neutral expression and preparing for a lecture.  

"Sit down," her mother said simply.  

Red sat, trying to keep her jaw from clenching in frustration. This was going to be just great, wasn't it.

Bridget folded her hands together, "Since you have been just off recently and didn't show up at your job yesterday I have assigned you a partner. Hazel Hook."

Red's eyes widened, "No. You can't do that. She's a bitch."

"Language," Bridget chided, fixing her with a sharp look. "I don't want to hear that from you."  

Red just clenched her teeth tighter, hands curling into fists in her lap.  

Sure enough, her mother had to go and make things even more hellish than they already were.  

"I don't care how you feel about her," Bridget continued, taking another sip and then eyeing her sternly. "You will be training with her, working with her, and getting along. Do you understand?"

The young redhead gritted her teeth, "No I don't understand Bridget. I won't work with her. I refuse."

Bridget's expression darkened—her patience clearly wearing thin.  

"You don't have a choice," she said coldly, setting her cup down with a sharp clink. "This isn't a negotiation, Red. You will do as you're told."  

Red wanted to argue—she desperately wanted to argue—but she knew better than to push her mother when she was like this.  

So instead, she shoved her chair back and stood abruptly, storming out of the kitchen without another word.  

She wasn't going to listen to this.  

She refused.

Red slammed her hands against the table, "You are not forcing me to work with Hazel Hook."

Then she felt a sharp pain of her cheek. Her mother had slapped her.

Red froze, her hand instinctively lifting to touch the side of her stinging face.  

She'd been expecting a verbal argument, not a blow from her own mother.  

Her eyes widened in disbelief as she met her mother's gaze—her own face a mask of shock.  

She had never been hit before.  

Bridget's expression softened, as if she almost regretted the action but she quickly shoved it away and spoke firmly.

"You need to learn some respect."

Red's eyes hardened, "Fuck you Bridget."

She stormed out, slamming the front door behind her.

Bridget didn't chase after her—she knew better than that.  

Red was furious, her entire body shaking as she climbed onto her bike and revved the engine louder than necessary.  

She didn't know where she was going—just that she needed to get away.  

Her cheek still stung—not just from the slap, but from the betrayal.  

She'd never expected her mother to go that far.  

And now?  

Now she was just done.

Her vision blurred with tears she blinked away. She couldn't have blurry vision while driving.

She wiped furiously at her eyes with the back of her hand, gripping the handlebars tighter as she sped down the street—letting the wind dry the rest of her tears before they could even fully form.  

She didn't cry. She didn't. 

But right now?  

She just needed to drive.  

And maybe—just maybe—she needed to see the one person who didn't make her feel like this.  

Even if she'd never admit it out loud.  

So she turned her bike towards the Charming mansion—ignoring the way her heart pounded at the thought.

It was dark out when she arrived, are shouldn't be here. She sat there for a while until she saw familiar blue hair.

Red watched as Chloe climbed out onto the balcony, yawning and stepping out into the night air.  

She couldn't help but stare for a second, taking in the girl's casual, nighttime attire.  

It was almost silly how cute she looked in her oversized t-shirt and pajama shorts.  

As dumb as it was, seeing her there—looking so peaceful and normal—made something in her chest loosen.  

So without a second thought, Red stood there and yelled, just loud enough to catch her attention.  

"Hey princess!"

Chloe looked down at her in surprise, "Red? What the hell are you doing here?"

Red shrugged, pushing off the handlebar of her bike and shoving her hands in pockets.  

"Could ask you the same thing," she said, feigning nonchalance, "It's kinda late for a princess like you to be up, isn't it?"

Chloe crossed her arms, "This is my house. I'm allowed to be near it."

Red smirked—she couldn't help it.  

"Yeah, yeah," she said, kicking at the ground lightly. "Just saying, you look like you're about to pass out."  

She hesitated for a second before adding, quieter this time,  

"Mind if I come up?"

The blue haired girl raised an eyebrow, "Chad's going to see you."

Red smirked, "I didn't say through the house."

And with that she scaled the wall up to the balcony.

Chloe's jaw dropped slightly as she watched Red effortlessly climb up—like some kind of reckless, redheaded spider—before landing smoothly on the balcony railing and hopping down next to her.  

"You're insane,” Chloe muttered, shaking her head—but she didn't tell her to leave.  

Red just grinned, leaning against the railing and looking out at the night sky.  

"Yeah, well," she said, shrugging. "You already knew that."  

And for a moment—just a moment—it felt like everything was okay.

Chloe turned to her, "Why are you really here Red?"

Red's smile faded.  

She had hoped they could just keep up the banter without dealing with the real reason she was here.  

But of course. Of course that wouldn't be possible.  

She shrugged again, shoving her hands back in her pockets and leaning against the rail once more.  

"Does there have to be a reason? Can't I just decide to bother you in the middle of the night for the hell of it?"

Chloe's eyes narrowed and Red sighed as she leaned against the balcony, "Do you know Hazel Hook?"

The blue haired girl scoffed, "Yeah I hate her."

Red let out a small, bitter laugh.  

"Yeah, well," she muttered, staring down at her hands. "My mom just assigned her as my partner."  

She spat the word like it was poison—like the very idea of being forced to work with Hazel was enough to make her physically ill.  

And Chloe—Chloe understood.  

Her expression darkened immediately.  

"That's bullshit," she said flatly.  

Red glanced at her, surprised by the venom in her voice—but also weirdly comforted by it.  

"Yeah," she agreed quietly. "It is."

Then Red sighed quietly like she didn't want to admit something, "Then when I said I didn't want to she fucking slapped me."

Red's hand lifted to her own check, almost subconsciously tracing where her mother had slapped her earlier.  

She hadn't wanted to admit that part—hadn't wanted to seem weak.  

But this was Chloe.  

And for some reason that made it different.  

She shrugged, trying to seem nonchalant again.  

"Guess my mom decided I needed to learn some respect," she said, bitterness seeping into her tone.

Chloe rubbed her cheek, "No one deserves that."

Red mistook it attraction because when she leaned in the blue haired girl jolted back.

Chloe's mouth went flat, "I'm sorry Red but I don't feel that way about you."

Red froze, her eyes widening and cheeks flushing in sudden horror as she realized what she had just done.  

"I- I didn't-" she stumbled over her words, backing away from the railing and putting more space between them. "I was just-"  

Her heart stuttered quickly in her chest.

"That's not- I didn't want to-"  

She couldn't even manage a full sentence—she just kept stammering and blushing like an idiot.

Chloe gave her an awkward half smile, "Red it's okay."

But Red didn't feel like it was okay so she awkwardly smiled back and started to climb back down to her bike.

"I should go." Her voice was quiet, almost apologetic.  

What a clusterfuck. Why couldn't her body have listened when she had tried to stay away from people tonight?  

She was about to climb onto her bike when Chloe spoke again.  

"Wait."

The redhead looked at her, "I'm sorry Chloe but have to go." And with that she took with the night.

Chloe watched her go, a sinking feeling settling in her chest at the way Red's voice had sounded—so apologetic and sad.  

She knew Red had misinterpreted her pulling back—knew that she thought it was a rejection.  And she couldn't shake that awful pang of guilt in her gut seeing her look so dejected as she rode away into the dark.  

Still, there was nothing she could do now.  

Chloe sighed to herself, resting her fingers against the cold railing as she watched the street beneath.

Chapter Text

Red couldn't make it home on her bike with tears blurring her eyes so she headed to her favorite roof top. Instead of dangling her legs like usually she balled up and cried into her knees like a child.

God, how could she be so stupid?

Why would Chloe Charming ever like her?

Maybe it was the stress getting to her, maybe it was her stupid, pathetic heart being too vulnerable, but Red's mind was a complete wreck. 

She felt like every negative emotion possible was crushing her chest all at once. 

Her mom's slap, her stupid mistake, and worst of all—her feelings.

God, she hated that that last one hurt so much. 

She should be focused on the fact that her mother hit her—that was enough to make her furious.

So why was she crying about stupid Chloe?

She sobbed harder into her knees and just wanted to disappear. Her mother was probably going to yell at her when she got back home. Maybe even slap her again.

Her neck ached from the position but she couldn't bring herself to move.

She tried taking deep breaths, but she just ended up hiccuping on her sobs like an idiot. 

She had to get herself together, but she didn't know how.

She needed to stop crying and stop thinking about Chloe and stop worrying about her mom. 

She needed.... 

God, she just needed something.

Red buried her face back into her knees, shoulders heaving as the tears continued to fall.

After a while she shifted to lay on her back and stare up at the sky. She felt her phone buzz in her pocket but there was a possibility it was her mom so she didn't want to check it.

For a little while, Red just focused on the stars, staring into the inky black as her breathing slowly leveled out. 

Her face was still wet, cheeks damp and eyes a little swollen, but at least her tears had stopped. 

Then she remembered her phone, and her eyes flicked to her pocket almost subconsciously. 

Against her better judgement—because she knew it was most likely her mom—she pulled it out of her pocket and checked the screen.

There were 4 texts waiting for her from her mom.

Red get back home now.

You will listen to me. I am your mother and what I say goes.

Red if you don't answer and return home you'll be in serious trouble.

Fine I'll set up your meeting with Hazel to be at noon. You will go get lunch together

Red felt her stomach twist into knots as each new text popped up on her screen. 

She really, really didn't want to go home, but what choice did she have?

Her mother was being a total hard-ass, and from the sound of it, the lunch with Hazel was inevitable at this point. 

Red typed out a response. 

Fine.

She hit send and immediately threw her phone back into her pocket, letting out a frustrated grunt.

When the sun was starting to rise, Red finally headed home. Although she dreaded it. Having it be parents with Hazel was the worst punishment her mother could give her.

Bridget was waiting in the living room when Red trudged through the door. 

Her mother's expression was stern—her arms crossed and her jaw clenched as she studied the sight of her daughter, still in last night's clothes, looking half-dead on her feet. 

She didn't say anything at first. Just let the tense silence fill the room for several long moments as Red took off her boots and coat. 

Finally, she spoke, her voice cool and controlled. 

"Sit down."

The younger redhead avoided eye contact as she sat down on the couch and chose to face the TV.

Bridget watched her for a long moment, her eyes sharp. 

She could see all the signs that Red had been crying, the way her daughter's shoulders were rigid and her expression was carefully neutral. 

But her own anger and frustration overwhelmed any guilt or sympathy she felt in the moment as she studied the girl sitting on the couch. 

"Look at me."

Red bite her cheek before shaking her head, "I'm not being Hazel's partner."

Bridget's eyes darkened as her patience waned. 

Her daughter's refusal to even make eye contact already had her on edge, and this blatant defiance only made it worse. 

She was tired of playing this game, and she wasn't going to waste time on the issue anymore. 

She crossed the distance between them in an instant, yanking her daughter's chin with one hand and forcing her to look up. 

Red grimaced at the sharp pressure against her jaw, but she didn't pull away. 

Her mother just held her gaze, tone cold as steel. 

"You will listen to me Red"

Red scoffed, "Fuck you. You just want to make my life miserable."

Something flared in Bridget's eyes at that. 

Her grip on Red's jaw tightened and she yanked her daughter forward, the two of them inches apart as she hissed, "Don't take that tone with me, Red. I'm still your mother.”

The young redhead sneered, "And yet you're still a bitch."

There was a sharp slap as Bridget's palm connected with her daughter's cheek.

Hard. 

"I've had enough of this attitude from you." The older woman snapped, her tone ice cold. "I've tried to raise you well, to make you into a proper young woman, and this is the thanks I get? Disrespect? Back-talk? Disobedience?"

Red held her cheek with teary eyes, even if she ran there was no one to run to, "Would you want to work with someone you hate? Would you want to work will Ella Charming?"

Bridget snapped at the name, "Don't you ever fucking mention that name Red."

"That is different." Her mother all but snarled, gripping her chin again and forcing her back up to maintain eye contact.

Red could see the flash of anger in her mother's eyes, the familiar anger that always flared up anytime the Charmings were mentioned. 

"It's not the same." Bridget repeated, her voice sharp and bitter. "This isn't about friendship, Red. This isn't about feelings. You have a duty to the family. And you're going to do as I say."

Red stood up, "Well this duty makes me miserable. Shouldn't I be allowed to happy? Shouldn't I be allowed to do the things I want to do?"

Bridget's expression darkened—her patience snapping completely. 

"You don't get to choose!" she snapped, stepping forward and grabbing Red's wrist tightly. "You don't get to decide what makes you happy—not when it comes to this family. You will do as you're told."

Red tried to pull away, but Bridget's grip was ironclad. 

"You're hurting me," Red muttered, her voice low—almost pleading. 

Bridget didn't loosen her hold. 

"Good," she said coldly. "Maybe then you'll learn."

The redhead tried again to pull her arm, "The only thing I'm learning is that I don't want to around you anymore. Maybe I should just go join the hero's."

That was the breaking point.

Fire caught on Bridget's hand and Red cried out as it burned her skin, "I swear to gods Red you backtalk to me one more time and you won't like what I will do to you."

Red's face twisted in pain, the burn on her wrist searing through the fabric of her jacket and down to the sensitive skin. 

Red's stomach churned, the sudden turn of events leaving her off guard and nauseous. Her mother had never hurt her like this before. It was one thing to yell or to slap her—that she was used to, even if she hated it. But this? This was a whole new level of cruelty. 

And she hated it. 

She hated it so, so damn much.

Tears were streaming from Red's eyes, "Fine! Fine! I'm sorry mother!"

Bridget pulled back and looked at the burn on Red's arm. She could see the hatred burning red hot in her mother's eyes.

Bridget exhaled sharply, stepping back and smoothing out her dress—as if she hadn't just burned her own daughter's skin. 

"Good," she said coldly. "Now go get ready. You have lunch with Hazel in an hour." 

Red didn't argue—didn't even look at her mother as she turned and walked stiffly towards her room, clutching her burned wrist.

She didn't cry—not yet. 

She just shut the door behind her, locked it, and slid down against the wood—her entire body shaking. 

She didn't know what to do. 

She didn't know how to feel.

All she knew was that she hated this.

And she hated her mother. 

And she hated herself for not being strong enough to fight back. 

But most of all? 

She hated that she had no one to run to.

Sure Chester was there but what was he going to do? He lived in the Hearts mansion and he was too much of a coward to go up against the evil Queen of Hearts.

Red shakily stood up sobbing silently as she grabbed some burn cream from her first aid kit.

It hurt to put on any pressure, but the cool ointment still provided a small bit of relief. 

She winced, gritting her teeth against the pain as she finished wrapping her burn in a tight bandage. 

The thought of having to go eat lunch with Hazel was almost more painful than the burn itself. She knew it was going to suck—knew she'd have to put on a smile and pretend like nothing was wrong.

Red took off her ruined jacket and climbed into bed. She threw the covers over her head like she was a little kid hiding from monsters.

Maybe she was. Her mom seemed to be one.

The darkness in her eyes made Red shiver. She'd only ever seen her mother that angry once in her life.

She hated herself for being scared. 

She was the daughter of the Queen of Hearts for gods sake. She should be tough and strong, but all she wanted to do right now was curl up like a little girl and never come out.

As she laid there, Red tried to think about anything other than the burn and the hurt and the fear.

But all she could think about was how damn much she wished someone was there to hold her.

Her alarm went off at 11:15 signaling she had to get ready. Red sat up and closed her eyes trying to will herself to stay together.

She pushed herself off her bed and got ready. Doing a light makeup to cover her eye bags.

Red stared at herself in the mirror for almost 5 minutes before deciding she looked presentable.

Her wrist was still throbbing, but her shirt sleeve covered it, and she didn't look completely miserable.

She hoped it would be enough.

Taking a deep breath, she walked out of her room, forcing herself to keep her chin tilted up and her hands from shaking. She could do this.

It was just one lunch.

Red drove on her motorcycle towards the sandwhich place they were meeting at. She resisted the urge to drive in the other direction towards anywhere else.

She arrived at the little cafe just a few minutes late, scanning the outdoor patio for any sign of Hazel.

Sure enough, the girl sat at a table near the back, sipping on an iced tea.

Red bit back the wave of annoyance and forced herself to approach the table.

"Hazel," she said, hatred clear in her voice.

Hazel smirked, swirling her straw lazily in her drink.

"Red," she drawled, her voice dripping with fake sweetness. "So nice of you to finally show up."

Red clenched her jaw, sliding into the seat across from her.

"Let's just get this over with," she muttered, grabbing a menu and pretending to read it—anything to avoid looking at Hazel's smug face.

Hazel chuckled, leaning forward slightly.

"Oh, don't be like that," she said, tilting her head. "We're partners now. Might as well make the best of it."

Red's grip tightened on the menu.

This was going to be hell.

Chapter Text

The redhead stood up, "I'm going to get my sandwich."

Hazel shrugged, leaning back casually in her seat as she watched Red stalk away.  

"Don't take too long," she called after her, the smirk not leaving her lips.  

Red forced herself to take a few deep breaths as she waited in line.  

She just needed to get through this lunch. That was it. One hour and it would be over.

Red got her sandwich and then sat back down with Hazel. She glared at the other girl who tilted her head as she drank her iced tea.

Hazel smirked at her over the rim of the cup, taking a slow sip before setting it back down.  

"You look exhausted," she said bluntly, her gaze roaming over Red's face. "Trouble sleeping?"

The redhead bit down on her food and glared harder at Hazel. She chewed slowly and swallows the bite, "Just because we have to be partners doesn't mean we have to talk."

Hazel rolled her eyes, "I'm pretty sure partners have to communicate."

Red clenched her jaw again, trying to control the wave of anger building up.  

"Just because we have to work together doesn't mean we have to be friends."  

Hazel's smirk widened at her words.  

"Ouch," she said, pressing a hand to her chest in mock-pain. "You wound me, Red. Here I was hoping we could get to know each other better."

Red didn't snap. She couldn't snap.

So she took a deep breath, "Just let me eat in peace Hazel."

Hazel sighed dramatically, throwing her head back.  

"You're no fun, you know that?" she protested, but her tone was more amused than anything else. "How do you expect us to be partners if you won't even have a proper conversation?"

Red closed her eyes in exhaustion. She was already tired both physically and emotionally and Hazel wasn't helping.

Hazel watched her, taking in the dark circles beneath her eyes and the way her shoulders slumped with exhaustion.  

Part of her was tempted to ask if something was wrong, but her curiosity got the best of her.  

"Rough night?" she asked, her tone almost sweet.  

Red's eyes snapped open, narrowing as she recognized the fake concern of the taller girl.  

"None of your business."

The brunette lean forward, "Aw is little Reddie upset? What could be wrong in your life. I mean your mom is loaded as shit."

Red clenched her jaw, "Having money doesn't mean everything."

Hazel leaned back, raising an eyebrow.  

"Ooooh," she teased, swirling her straw again. "Someone's angry."  

Red took a deep breath, trying to keep herself from snapping—from saying something she'd regret.  

But Hazel wasn't done.  

"Come on," she pressed, tilting her head. "Tell me what's got you so worked up."  

Red clenched her fists under the table.  

She hated this.  

She hated Hazel.  

And she hated that she couldn't just walk away.

The redhead took another bite of her sandwich and ignored the other girl. Maybe it will keep her from snapping. 

Hazel's amused expression quickly turned bored.  

She fidgeted with the straw, twirling it around and letting out a dramatic sigh.  

"You're no fun," she whined, crossing her arms. "It's like you don't even want to talk to me."

Red clenched her jaw so hard her teeth hurt.  

She didn't want to talk to Hazel. Hell, she didn't really want to talk to anyone at the moment.

"Obviously I don't want to talk to you," she said biting it out like it was poison.

Hazel smirked—clearly finding a twisted kind of amusement in Red's frustration.  

"Why so hostile?" she asked, her voice almost innocently sweet. "I just wanna have a friendly chat—bond a little bit."  

Red really wanted to smack her.  

She was already tired, already hurting, and god, did she just want to snap.  

But she took a deep breath, clenching her hands together under the table to try and force herself to stay calm.

When her sandwich was finished she stood up, "I'm done. Goodbye."

Hazel's smirk only widened at that, clearly enjoying every moment of Red's annoyance. She looked up at the girl standing over her.  

"Aww, leaving so soon?" she teased. "We were getting to know each other."  

Red's frustration flared again.  

She wanted to snap at her, to yell, to scream.  

But she took a deep breath and forced herself to sound as calm as possible.  

"I have better things to do than sit here with you."

Hazel chuckled, finding amusement in Red's torture, "Come on, drive me to the mall on that fancy motorcycle of yours."

Red's eye twitched—her patience officially gone. 

"No," she said flatly, already turning to leave.  

Hazel pouted dramatically, standing up and following after her.  

"Oh, come on," she whined, grabbing Red's sleeve—right over the burn.  

Red hissed in pain, jerking away instinctively.  

Hazel blinked, surprised by the reaction—but then her smirk returned.  

"Oh?" she said, tilting her head. "Did I hurt you?"  

Red's entire body tensed—her expression darkening.  

"Don't touch me."  

Hazel just laughed.  

"Or what?" she challenged, stepping closer.  

Red snapped.  

She grabbed Hazel by the collar of her shirt, slamming her back against the nearest wall—her eyes burning with fury.  

"Or I'll make sure you regret it."  

Hazel's smirk faltered—just for a second—before she forced it back into place.  

"Ooooh," she taunted, though her voice was slightly less confident now. "Scary."  

Red tightened her grip—just enough to make Hazel uncomfortable—before shoving her away.  

"Stay the hell away from me."  

And with that, she turned and stormed off—leaving Hazel standing there, rubbing her throat slightly as she watched Red go.  

Hazel wasn't scared—but she was definitely intrigued.  

And that?  

That was dangerous. 

The redhead toke off on her motorcycle, her breathing uneven. She needed something. Just something to get her mind off everything.

Red headed to the smoke shop and bought two dispo's with weed. Then she headed to her roof and smoked.

She inhaled the sweet, sweet smoke and exhaled in a long puff.  

One of the few good things about weed was how damn relaxing it was.  

She felt herself finally start to unwind—to loosen up after the tense interaction with Hazel and the stress of earlier.  

It was just her and the afternoon sky and the faint buzz in her head.

Red felt happier now— lighter. Like the weight of the world was lifted off her shoulders just for a moment.

Her arm wasn't burning and she could finally breathe.

She laid back against the roof, just enjoying the feeling, her eyes slipping shut.  

She felt like the whole world could fall apart around her right now, and she honestly wouldn't care.  

She just wanted to stay right here, high and happy and free from everything.

But reality crashed down on her when her phone started to buzz in her pocket. It was her mother.

Her eyes snapped open at the sound, the familiar dread coiling in her stomach almost immediately.  

She contemplated ignoring the call.  

She really did.  

But the threat from earlier still rang through her mind—and she knew better than to test her mother's patience.  

So, with trembling fingers, Red pulled her phone out of her pocket and accepted the call.

"Hello?" She questioned quietly, bracing for impact.

"Red."  

Her mother's voice sounded cold and clipped over the phone, her tone sharp and short.  

Red winced, hating how that single word sent a shiver down her spine—hating how it made her feel small and weak and childish all at the same time.  

But she pushed that aside and forced herself to respond.  

"Yes, Mother?"

Bridget let out an angry breath, "You only spelt 20 minute with Hazel. I asked for at least an hour. Why can't you do the *one* thing I asked for Red?"

Red clenched her jaw, biting back the urge to argue.  

"She was being insufferable," she muttered, unable to keep the irritation out of her voice.  

On the other end of the line, Bridget's irritation flared, her tone turning sharp.  

"I don't care how insufferable you thought she was," she snapped. "I told you to spend time with her, and you barely managed twenty minutes. Is it too much to ask for you to be obedient for once in your life, Red?"

The younger girl scoffed, "Once in my life? Seriously, Bridget? I've always listened to you. Oh Red do this do that. I didn't even want to see her in the first place."

Bridget bristled at Red's words, her frustration evident even through the phone.  

"I don't care what you want," she snapped. "I'm your mother, and you will do as I say. You have a duty to this family, and right now your duty means spending time with Hazel. Whether you like her or not is completely irrelevant."

Red chuckled humorously, "Y'know you keep saying that. What have you ever done for me?"

Bridget's voice turned cold, her patience wearing thin.  

"I've given you everything," she snapped, her tone sharp. "Food, a roof over your head, an education. I've given you a life. And all I ask in return is a little obedience. Is that really so difficult?"

She couldn't take it anymore. Red hung up the phone. Then she debating tossing her phone off the roof but that would be a little too far.

She stared at the phone in her hand for a long moment—her fingers twitching with the urge to just throw it—before she sighed and shoved it back into her pocket.  

She didn't need to make things worse.  

Instead, she leaned back against the roof, closing her eyes and taking another deep drag from the disposable.  

She just wanted to forget—to stop thinking for a little while.  

And right now?  

This was the only way she knew how.

Red smoked a bit more before passing out of the roof. It was a bit chilly but better than going home.

When she woke up her phone was dead and it was now dark.

Red sat up, cursing under her breath as she tried to turn her phone back on.  It was no use—the damn thing was completely dead.  

She groaned, running a hand through her tangled hair.  

It was getting late, and she knew how much worse it would be if she went home now.  

But if she was being honest with herself, she wasn't ready to face her mom yet—she had a sinking feeling that she was in for another lecture the moment she walked through the door.  

So instead of going home, she decided to take a walk.

She decided to do a wake and bake and headed to the gas station to grab a charger. Then she checked herself into a shitty motel and plugged it in.

Red collapsed into the bed and check her phone, 27 missed calls from her mom and 5 texts. There were even a few from Chester and Maddox.

Red's stomach twisted as she went through the notifications.  

Twenty-seven missed calls and five texts from her mom alone—God, she was screwed.  

And then there were the texts from her friends—Maddox and Chester trying to get a hold of her.  

She hated how much guilt coiled in her gut—how much she knew she deserved their concern.  

But for now, she didn't want to think about any of that.  

So she tossed her phone aside and settled into the uncomfortable motel bed.

The room was dingy, the sheets were stained, and it smelled faintly of cigarettes and something unidentifiable she didn't want to think too hard about.  

She knew it was only one night, but being in this sketchy motel made her feel like a goddamn runaway.  

She pulled the gross covers over her, staring up at the cracks in the ceiling for who knew how long.  

It was dark now, the sun having set hours ago. She hadn't even had dinner—a fact her stomach was unceremoniously reminding her of as it let out a low, angry grumble.

Chapter Text

Red passed out again and woke up at 3 in the morning. She yawned at packed up her stuff before checking out.

The man at the desk was half asleep and yawned as he checked her out.

She couldn't help but feel bad for the poor guy, stuck working the graveyard shift at some shitty motel—especially if the circles under his eyes were any indication. He was probably tired as hell.  

She didn't bother to make small talk. She just took the receipt he handed her, shoved her phone and wallet into her pockets, and walked out the door.

There was a 24 hours diner near by so she headed there and got some pancakes and eggs. Only a few people were in there and Red sat in the corner away from all of them.

She wasn't a people person on a good day, and right now? She just wanted to eat her meal in peace.  

The food was surprisingly good for such a sketchy looking place, and she found herself scarfing it all down quickly.  

She'd forgotten how hungry she was, and she hadn't eaten all day expect the sandwich.  

Once her plate was clean, she leaned back in her seat, sipping a cup of surprisingly decent black coffee.

After she paid Red decided she needed an adrenaline rush. She headed to her bike which had some gear and took off to a rich city.

After a few hours of mapping out her chosen house she climbed up the side, careful to avoid any cameras.

The house was fancy—it was really fancy, actually.  

It was one of those massive, multi-million dollar mansion types with a lot of security features and a huge property to go along with it.  

The fact that it was probably some rich douchebag's place just made it all the more tempting.

She picked the lock on the window and climbed into to some office. The guy had an expensive ass computer that Red whistle.

She exploded the office a little more and shoved a few valuables into her bag. Then she carefully creaked the door open and snuck around as she explored.

She wandered through the fancy house, taking in all of the expensive looking decorations and art.  

Everything here was just so damn pristine.  

It was all so clean; It made her want to destroy it.  

She couldn't stop herself from picking up the little knick-knacks on the shelves and tables and shoving them into pockets of her jacket.  

As she got deeper into the house, she couldn't help but wonder just how rich the owner of this place was.

The biggest bedroom had double doors. Red's smirked when she found the jewels, some were probably millions of dollars, and shoved them in her bag.

The jewelry was a score—it was obvious these pieces were worth a fortune. It was almost more than she could fit in her bag, but hell if she was going to complain.  

She shoved the last diamond bracelet into her pockets and grinned to herself.  

This was the best adrenaline rush she'd had in a long damn time.

When the door creaked open her heart stuttered and she quickly hid. A older man walked in with furrowed eyebrows. He groaned and grabbed a belt before looping it around his waist.

Red held her breath until the man left the room then she snuck out the window. Quickly she checked for cameras before making her escape down the house. 

She was careful—painfully careful—as she climbed back down the side of the house, making sure not to make any noise.  

Once she was safely on the ground, she bolted for her bike, her heart pounding in her chest.  

She didn't stop running until she was on the bike and speeding away—her adrenaline still pumping through her veins.  

She couldn't help but laugh—she'd gotten away with it.  

And damn, did it feel good.

The redhead headed to her usually pawn shop. The kind that didn't have cameras or ask questions.

She pulled a mask over her face and her hood up to her forehead. Red made sure her hair was tucked in before entering. 

The pawn shop owner gave her a nod as she walked in—he knew the drill.  

No talking. No asking questions.  

She set the stolen goods on the counter, keeping her head ducked low and her face hidden.  

The owner examined the jewelry with expert eyes, clearly aware that these pieces were worth a fortune.

He looked at them then back at her, lifting an eyebrow.  

The message was clear: "How did you get these?"

She tilted her head, challenging him to question her.

The owner hesitated for a moment—just long enough to make Red wonder if he was going to refuse—before he sighed and started counting out cash.  

He slid the wads of cash across the counter, his expression unreadable.  

Red didn't bother counting it—she knew he'd given her a fair price, if only because he didn't want trouble.  

She slid the cash into her bag, turned on her heel and walking out without another word.  

She didn't need to say anything.  

And neither did he.

It had been 2 days since Chloe had seen Red.

2 days since she disappeared. Chloe wouldn't admit it but she found herself missing the redhead.

Chloe sighed, leaning against her balcony railing as she stared out at the city below.  

She hated that she even cared—hated that she couldn't stop thinking about Red and wondering where the hell she was.  

It wasn't like they were friends. They barely even knew each other.  

And yet...  

Chloe groaned, running a hand through her hair in frustration.  

She shouldn't be this worried about someone who clearly couldn't care less about her.  

But here she was.  

Waiting.  

Wondering.  

Missing her.  

And it pissed her off.

Red had just tried to kiss her... out of nowhere. 

Chloe pulled back and rejected her. It was so sudden and it felt like she barely knew Red.

Even still, she couldn't get the moment out of her head.  

She saw the brief flash of hurt on the redhead's face as she pulled away, the way her expression hardened as she masked her feelings.  

And God, did that suck.  

Chloe groaned again, running a hand through her hair.  

She didn't want to be thinking about Red—she didn't want to be thinking about the strange connection between them.  

But here she was...  

Thinking about her.

Chad stepped out onto the balcony, "Hey I was looking for you. You've been off recently. Did something happen?"

Chloe tried to push back the thoughts of a certain redhead and turned to face him.  

"I'm fine." she said, waving away his concerns a little bit too forcefully. "Just... thinking."

He leaned next to her, "Thinking about something or someone?"

Chloe hesitated—her lips pressing together in annoyance—before finally sighing.  

"...Someone."  

Chad smirked at that—clearly picking up on her tone.  

"Someone?" he echoed, raising an eyebrow. "Who?"  

Chloe groaned, rubbing her temples.  

"Nobody important."  

Chad just chuckled.  

"If she wasn't important, you wouldn't be thinking about her."  

Chloe stiffened—realizing her mistake—before glaring at him.  

"Shut up."  

Chad just grinned, clearly enjoying this.  

"So it's a she."  

Chloe groaned again—louder this time—and resisted the urge to punch him.  

This was not how she wanted this conversation to go.

He chuckled, "I mean it's obviously. That you're gay I mean."

Chloe bristled at that, her glare only increasing.  

"That obvious, huh?"  

Chad just chuckled again.  

"Yeah. You're not the most subtle person."  

Chloe huffed, folding her arms over her chest.  

"Gee, thanks."  

Chad bumped shoulders with her, grinning.  

"C'mon. Just admit it. Who were you thinking about?"

She shook her head, "You don't know her. It's not worth talking about."

Chad softened, "Come on try me. And it's worth talking about if it's affecting you."

Chloe's shoulders slumped at that, her expression softening just a bit.  

God, she hated how well he knew her.  

"It's... complicated." she said, sighing. "It would sound ridiculous if I told you."

He scoffed, "You're already ridiculous. Just tell me you're being annoying."

Chloe rolled her eyes, "Well... she tried to kiss me the other night. And I'm still unsure how I feel about it. I mean we barely know each other but we also know each other. I don't know. She just... disappeared afterwards and I haven't heard from her since. Maybe... I don't know I guess I miss her?"

Chad's eyes widened, clearly not expecting that.  

"Wait, wait, wait—she tried to kiss you?"  

Chloe groaned, burying her head in her hands.  

"Yes."  

His eyes widened more.  

"And you stopped her?"  

The look he was giving her now was almost scandalized.

She banged her head into her hands, "Listen I don't know how to feel about it. I'm not... I'm not sure if I like her."

Chad flipped his hair, "Well then good thing you're talking to the expert."

Chloe rolled her eyes—a small smirk tugging at the corner of her lips.  

"Okay, Mr. expert, since you clearly have so much wisdom: what am I supposed to do?"  

Chad smiled, crossing his arms arrogantly across his chest.  

"Let me ask you a question first, 'kay?"

The blue haired girl nodded and he took a deep breath, "How do you feel around her?"

Chloe hesitated—her lips pressing together as she considered the question.  

She wasn't sure how to answer.  

When she was around Red...  

She felt...  

"...Flustered," she admitted reluctantly. "She makes me feel—I don't know—off balance. She pisses me off half the time, but then the other half..."  

She trailed off, shaking her head.  

Chad smirked.  

"That's called chemistry, genius."

Chloe rolled her eyes, "How would you know? You've never had any."

"Hey, I've had plenty," Chad protested, acting offended. "I could have chemistry with anyone."  

Chloe rolled her eyes again, clearly not believing him.  

"Oh really?" she said, looking totally unconvinced. "Name one person you've had chemistry with."

He smacked his lips together, "Um... uh... Red! I have so much chemistry with Red. It's unmatched to anyone else's."

"Oh my god,” Chloe groaned, smacking him in the arm. "You are such a liar. You and Red have like—negative chemistry."

The blonde boy scoffed, "Please at least I didn't try to reject her kissing me. You done fucked up with your mystery lady."

Chloe banged her head against the railing, "Shut uppppp."

He laughed, clearly amused by her misery.  

"Hey, just calling it like I see it."  

She groaned, pulling away from the railing.  

"You're insufferable," she muttered, glaring at him. "Sometimes I hate you."

Chad blinked innocently, "No one can hate this beautiful face. I mean Red loves it."

Chloe chucked, knowing Red did in fact not love it. She wondered what would happen if her brother found out her 'mystery girl' is Red.

"Please—Red would probably kick you in the crotch before anything else," she said with a smirk. "Besides, I highly doubt anyone's attracted to that ego of yours."

Chad was deeply offended, "Excuse me my ego is a reasonable amount. You're just jealous because I'm the hotter sibling."

Chloe raised a brow, "Didn't you tell me that Red once said she'd rather date me than you?"

The boy scoffed, "She said she'd rather hang out with you. That's way different."

"Oh is it now?"  

Chloe smirked at that, folding her arms.  

"I still see that as a win—"  

Her phone chose that moment to ring, interrupting their conversation.  

She glanced down at the screen, her eyes widening.  

"Hold on. I have to take this."  

She turned away from him, hitting the 'accept' button and holding the phone to her ear.  

"Hello?"

The CEO of headquarters spoke, "Chloe. We've got recent reports of Hazel and Red working together. I need you on that now."

Chloe stiffened—her fingers tightening around the phone.  

Her mind raced—her first instinct was disbelief. 

There was no way Red was actually working with Hazel—she couldn't imagine the two of them willingly partnering up.  

But then again...  

Hadn't Red mentioned something about her mom making her spend time with Hazel?  

Her stomach twisted at the thought.  

"Understood," she responded sharply, her voice steady despite the sudden dread building in her chest. "I'll handle it."  

She hung up, her expression darkening as she turned back to Chad—who was watching her with concern.  

"Something wrong?"  

Chloe exhaled sharply.  

"...I gotta go."

Chapter Text

Chloe wasted no time running to get her gear while Chad followed her, "Wait! Chloe what's going on? Who was that and what happened?"

She was moving on auto-pilot now, grabbing the necessary materials she would need—her mind whirling with worry.  

"I'll explain more later," she snapped, shoving a few knives into her bag and slinging it over her shoulder. "Just trust me, okay?"  

Chad frowned at her, clearly confused but also concerned.  

He reached out, resting a hand on her shoulder.  

"Hey... you sure you're okay?"

Chloe closed her eyes for a moment then turned back to Chad, "I'm okay, I promise."

He half smiled at her, "Pinky promise?"

The blue haired girl rolled her eyes but intertwined her pink with his, "Pinky promise."

He nodded, satisfied with her answer.  

"Alright, but be careful."  

Chloe was already turning away, heading for the door.  

"I'll be fine," she assured him. "I can handle this."

Chloe took her motorcycle to the spot that Headquarters had texted her. She snuck around the side of building so she wouldn't be spotted the scaled along the wall.

She got to the roof and lowered herself a little to not be caught but also enough to hear what they were staying.

3 hours earlier 

After leaving the pawn shop Red headed back home on her motorcycle. Her mom was definitely pissed so she braced herself.

When she entered the house her mom was waiting with Hazel on the couch, "Red. Sit down. Now."

Red paused as she entered, her shoulders tensing instantly.  

She took note of the coldness in her mother's eyes and the smug look on Hazel's face.  

She knew she was in trouble.  

She said nothing, setting her helmet on the table before reluctantly walking over and sitting down in the armchair opposite her mom and beside Hazel.

Bridget clenched her jaw, "Hazel has told me how rude you were being yesterday. Not to mention the fact you left early, didn't come back last night and didn't answer any of my calls or texts."

Red clenched her fists—her nails digging into her palms—as she tried to keep her anger in check.  

"You know I hate spending time with her," she said sharply, her voice laced with irritation.  

Bridget's expression darkened—her own patience running thin.  

"That's not the point, Red."  

Hazel smirked, clearly enjoying the exchange.  

Red hated it.  

She hated that Hazel was just sitting there—watching—smug—while her mother lectured her like a child.  

It made her want to scream.  

Bridget sighed, rubbing her temples as if she was the one dealing with frustration.  

"I'm trying to help you," she snapped. "Hazel's family has connections—important ones. If you would just cooperate—"  

Red scoffed, cutting her off.  

"I don't want connections," she spat. "I don't want anything from Hazel or her family."  

Hazel just smirked wider.  

"Oh, please," she drawled. "You'd be lucky to have me."  

Red saw red.  

Her fists clenched tighter—her entire body rigid with barely contained rage.  

But she didn't snap.  

She couldn't snap.  

Not in front of her mother.  

So instead, she just glared—her hatred for Hazel burning hotter than ever.  

Bridget sighed again, shaking her head.  

"You will spend more time with her," she said firmly—as if that was the end of the discussion.  

Red gritted her teeth—her jaw aching from how tightly she was clenching it.  

But she didn't argue.  

Because she knew it wouldn't change anything.  

Instead, she just stood up—grabbing her helmet—and stormed out of the house.  

She needed to get out of there.  

Before she did something she'd regret.

But when she got back to her bike it was gone. Red's heart dropped. 

Her only escape was... gone.

So she chewed her lip and walked back in. Her mother lifted an eyebrow, "Missing something hm? I've decided that until you fix how you treat me and Hazel you won't get it back."

Red stiffened, anger and panic churning in her stomach.  

Her bike was her escape—her only way to get away from this hellhole that was her life.  

And now it was gone.  

Taken away because she couldn't fake the whole 'perfect daughter' act and play nice with Hazel.  

She turned back to her mother slowly—her eyes hardening.  

"You can't be serious," she said, her voice cold. "My bike?"

Bridget glared at her, "Sit down Red. You and Hazel have a mission tonight. I'd like to discuss it."

Red's entire body tensed—her muscles locking up with anger.  

She didn't want to sit down.  

She didn't want to go on some stupid mission with Hazel.  

But her mother was still holding her bike hostage—her only way out—and she knew she didn't have much of a choice.  

So, reluctantly, she sat back down—her posture stiff, her hands clenched into fists on her knees.  

She didn't say a word—just waited for Bridget to explain.  

Her mother folded her hands together, her expression serious.  

"You're going to retrieve something important tonight," she said, her voice leaving no room for argument. "It's something Hazel's family needs—something we need. And I expect you to behave yourself and help her."  

Red gritted her teeth—hating how Bridget spoke to her like she was some disobedient child.  

She wanted to argue—to refuse—but she knew it wouldn't do any good.  

So instead, she just clenched her fists tighter—her nails digging into her palms—and gave a stiff nod.  

Bridget seemed satisfied with that, leaning back slightly.  

"Good," she said curtly. "You'll leave in a few hours. Don't be late."  

Hazel smirked—clearly enjoying Red's misery—and leaned closer to her.  

"See?" she whispered, her voice dripping with fake sweetness. "I told you you'd be seeing more of me."  

Red resisted the urge to punch her—barely—before standing up and storming out of the room again.  

She hated this.  

Hated all of it.  

And worst of all?  

She couldn't even leave.  

Her hands clenched tighter—her frustration boiling over—as she headed upstairs, locking herself in her room.  

She needed to get out of here.  

But she had no way to escape.  

Not anymore.  

---

Present time  

Hazel put her gloves on, "Follow me Red."

The redhead clenched her jaw, "What if I don't?"

The brunette laughed, "Well then I'll tell your mommy you weren't listening. Maybe she'll destroy your bike this time."

Red's glare was blistering.  

Her fingers twitched—her entire body vibrating with the urge to snap—but she forced herself to stay still.  

She couldn't risk it.  

Not with Hazel dangling her bike over her head like this.  

So instead of arguing—instead of lashing out—she just gritted her teeth and muttered:  

"Fine."  

Hazel smirked—victorious—before turning on her heel and walking away, clearly expecting Red to follow.  

And with no other choice...  

Red did.  

Her hands curled into fists at her sides—her entire being radiating fury—but she forced herself to keep moving.  

She hated this.  

She hated Hazel.  

She hated her mother. 

But most of all?  

She hated that she had no way out.  

---

Chloe listened closely from her hiding spot, her heart pounding in her chest.  

She couldn't believe what she was hearing.  

Red was forced into this.  

And she had no idea Chloe was even here—watching.

The blue haired girl wanted so badly to jump down. To punch Hazel in the face and tell her to shut up.

But she couldn't. It would make things worse for Red and... she was unsure how Red would react.

Red followed Hazel through the building—every step feeling like a dagger to her heart.  

She wanted to lash out—to scream and rage and fight—but she knew she couldn't.  

Not if she wanted her bike back.  

And hell damnit, she wanted her bike back.  

So, clenching her fists tighter and tighter, she followed along behind Hazel like a damn puppet.

They made it to the vault and the brunette shut off the silent alarm that got triggered when someone opened it. Then she unlocked it with the stolen key.

Red watched with crossed arms, wondering why she even had to be her.

Hazel turned towards her, "Alright now I just need to to burn through the wall."

The redhead scoffed but listened, "You could've used a match you know."

Hazel rolled her eyes.  

"Don't be stupid," she scoffed. "This metal's reinforced—only your fire can burn through it."  

Red scowled—hating that Hazel knew how her powers worked—but she stepped forward anyway.  

She lifted her hands, summoning flames into her palms, before pressing them against the metal.  

The wall slowly began to glow red-hot, the metal warping under the intense heat.  

Chloe watched from above, her stomach twisting.  

She hated seeing Red being forced into this—being used like some tool.  

But she couldn't interfere.  

Not yet.  

She needed to wait—to see what they were after.  

Hazel grinned as the metal finally gave way—revealing the contents inside the vault.  

Her eyes gleamed as she reached forward, grabbing a small, ornate box.  

"Perfect," she murmured—clearly thrilled.  

Red frowned.  

"...What is that?"  

Hazel smirked, tucking the box into her jacket.  

"None of your business."  

Red gritted her teeth—anger bubbling up inside her—but she didn't push.  

She didn't care what it was.  

She just wanted this to be over.  

Hazel gestured for Red to follow again—heading back the way they came.  

Chloe hesitated for only a second before quietly trailing after them—staying hidden in the shadows.  

She needed to see where this was going.  

And more importantly...  

She needed to figure out how to help Red.

Once they left the building Chloe intercepted them, "What's in that box, Hazel."

The brunette stiffened as Chloe appeared in front of them—clearly surprised by her sudden appearance.  

But she recovered quickly, plastering a fake smile on her face.  

"Why, just something very valuable," she said, her voice dripping with false sweetness.  

Chloe's eyes narrowed—her suspicion obvious—and she crossed her arms over her chest.  

"And what exactly is this 'valuable' item?" she pressed, her gaze fixed firmly on the box in Hazel's hands.

The brunette scoffed, "Listen I don't know who or you nor do I care. I assume you a hero but I don't have time for you. Either move or get hurt."

Chloe's eyes darkened—her expression going hard.  

She had no doubt that Hazel was capable of causing serious damage, but she didn't really care.  

She was not going to let her get away with whatever shady business she and her family were involved in.  

"You're not taking whatever that is," she said firmly, planting her feet and stubbornly standing her ground.  

Hazel just laughed—clearly amused by her defiance.  

"Oh yeah?" she drawled. "And what are you going to do to stop me?"

Chloe's eyes lit up with lightning, "Don't make me hurt you. Hand over the box."

Hazel's smirk just widened—clearly unafraid of the threat. She shifted, her grip on the box tightening.  

"You think you can take me on?" she mocked—a dangerous glint in her eyes. "You really want to try that?"  

Chloe's jaw clenched—anger and determination warring inside her. This girl was pushing all the wrong buttons, and she was done playing nice.  

"I'm not afraid of you," she ground out through gritted teeth. "Now hand over the box."

Red just watched from the side, undecided on what she should do. Both Hazel and Chloe got in fighting positions.

"Red get beside me," Hazel said.

Red hesitated—her eyes flicking between Hazel's smug face and Chloe's furious glare.  

Her fists clenched—her body tensed—but she didn't move.  

She couldn't move.  

Because for the first time in a long time...  

She didn't know what to do.  

Hazel noticed her hesitation—her smirk twisting into something sharper.  

"Now, Red," she snapped, her tone dangerously sweet. "Or should I call your mother?"  

Red flinched—her gut twisting—but still...  

She didn't step forward.  

Instead, she stayed exactly where she was—frozen—her fists trembling at her sides.  

Chloe glanced at her—just for a second—and in that brief moment, Red saw something she didn't expect.  

Concern.  

And it made her stomach lurch.  

Hazel growled—her patience running thin—and took a threatening step toward Chloe.  

"Last chance," she hissed.  

Chloe didn't back down—lightning crackling around her fists.  

"I dare you."  

And with that—Hazel lunged.

Chapter Text

Hazel aimed a fist for Chloe's face but the other girl dodged and pushed her. Hazel swung towards her stomach and she sidestepped the hit.

Chloe was fast.

She was a blur as she dodged Hazel's blows—moving away to avoid each swing.

But the brunette was no pushover.

She was agile too—moving quickly and striking out with quick jabs and sharp kicks.

It was clear that she had training, her movements precise and calculated. 

Chloe held her own, blocking and parrying each hit.

But Hazel was furious— her attacks growing wilder and more desperate by the minute.

A strike hit Chloe's stomach and winded her but she recovered quickly and uppercut Hazel's chin.

Hazel stumbled back—clutching her jaw—her eyes wide with shock.

She clearly hadn't expected Chloe to actually get a hit on her.

And Chloe?

She wasn't done.

She took a step forward—her fists still crackling with electricity—and Hazel, for the first time, looked scared.

She stumbled back further—her bravado gone—before suddenly turning and running.

Chloe watched her go—her chest heaving—before exhaling sharply and turning back to Red.

She didn't know what to say.

She didn't know what to do.

Because Red was still standing there—stiff and silent—her expression unreadable.

And Chloe wasn't sure if she should walk away...

Or stay.

Red looked at her, studied Chloe with her eyes. Then she swallowed, "Hey um... I'm sorry for... uh... you know almost kissing you."

Chloe blinked in surprise.

That was... not what she was expecting Red to say.

But she couldn't help the small smile that spread across her face, even as the adrenaline from the fight still pumped through her veins.

She shrugged slightly—trying to play it cool—and crossed her arms over her chest.

"It's fine," she said—her voice not nearly as casual as she wanted it to be. "It was the heat of the moment, right?"

The redhead's mouth twitched like she wanted to say something but she shook her head, "Yeah... just the heat of the moment."

Chloe nodded—a slight pang of disappointment flitting through her chest—but she did her best to push it down. 

It was probably just the adrenaline anyway. 

They stood there in silence—both of them lost in their own thoughts—until Chloe remembered the reason she had confronted Red and Hazel in the first place. 

"What was in the box?" she asked, her gaze flickering towards the ornate box that had been dropped during the fight.

Red shrugged, "I don't know. Want to open it? We can return it right after. Just punch me and I'll tell my mom you beat me up."

Chloe snorted at that—a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips. 

The offer was so absurd it was almost funny—and a part of her wanted desperately to see what the hell was in that box.

But the sane part of her was telling her that this was a bad idea.

But then again... her sanity rarely won out against her curiosity. 

She took a deep breath, trying to ignore the tiny pang of guilt that flared in her gut. 

"...Fine," she said after a moment. "Just don't blame me when it hurts."

Red handed her the box, "This should be in the hands of a hero. Not... not someone like me."

The sincerity in Red's voice gave Chloe pause, and she found her gaze softening. 

They were on opposite sides, and yet... 

There was something honest in Red's words that touched her.

She held the box carefully in her hands, running her fingers over the intricate carvings on the top. 

"You're not so bad," she said softly, looking up at Red. "For a villain."

The redhead snorted, "Your not so bad for a snotty rich kid."

Chloe gasped, "I'm not a snotty rich kid!"

Red smirked—a mischievous glint in her eyes. 

"Could've fooled me," she teased, her tone lightening just a bit. 

Chloe rolled her eyes—but she couldn't stop the tiny smile that tugged at her lips. 

And just like that—the tension between them melted away. 

There wasn't tension anymore. 

At least... not right now. 

And Chloe wasn't sure she wanted them to be. 

She looked back down at the box—her curiosity getting the better of her—before carefully lifting the lid. 

She had no idea what was inside. 

But she was about to find out.

Chloe looked into the box—expecting some kind of jewelry or priceless artifact. 

But instead, she found... 

Nothing.

There was nothing in the box. 

Her eyebrows furrowed—confusion and disappointment swirling in her mind—as she carefully lifted the lid a bit more. 

But still... nothing. 

She tilted the box, shaking the sides in case something was hidden underneath—but it was empty. 

Just empty. 

Just a goddamn empty box.

A frown tugged at the corner of her mouth.

Red frowned, "Why did she want an empty box? This makes no sense."

Chloe huffed—equally confused and annoyed. 

She shook her head—the disappointment turning into frustration—and slammed the lid back down. 

"That's a good question," she muttered, glaring down at the stupid box. "What the hell..."

The redhead shrugged, "Okay now punch me."

Chloe rolled her eyes—amused despite herself—and lightly shoved Red's shoulder. 

"There," she said—smirking slightly. "Now you can tell your mom I beat you up." 

Red grinned—genuine and playful—before rubbing her shoulder dramatically. 

"Ow," she deadpanned. "I'll never recover."

Chloe chuckled—unable to help herself—before shaking her head. 

She had no idea what was going on anymore. 

But for some reason... 

She wasn't mad about it.

Red shook her head with a laugh, "Now actually punch me. If I don't come home without least one mark my mom will be suspicious. Just... punch my cheek."

Chloe hesitated—her stomach twisting uncomfortably at the idea. 

She didn't want to hit Red—not seriously—not after everything.

But she also understood why Red was asking. 

So she took a deep breath—steeling herself—before raising her fist and giving Red a light punch to the cheek—enough to leave a small bruise but not enough to actually hurt her. 

Red winced slightly—rubbing her cheek—before grinning at her. 

"Thanks," she said—her voice soft. 

Chloe swallowed—her throat suddenly tight—and nodded. 

"...Yeah." 

And then, before she could overthink it—before she could stop herself—she leaned forward and kissed Red's uninjured cheek.

She pulled away quickly—her face burning—and shoved the stupid empty box into Red's hands. 

"Now we're even," she muttered—turning away before Red could see how red her face was. 

She didn't know why she did that. 

She didn't know what she was thinking. 

But for some reason... 

She didn't regret it.

Chloe swiftly walked away while Red was frozen in her spot with a stunned look on her face. First Chloe had rejected her and called the almost-kiss a heat of the moment thing and then she kisses her cheek?

Was that a thing she did with her friends? Was Red making it out to be more than it is just because she has a big fat crush on her?

Red's heart was racing.

The feel of Chloe's lips against her skin still lingered—still made her heart flutter.

Was that a friendly kiss?

Red's head was spinning—confusion and hope warring inside her.

She knew it was dangerous to hope.

She knew that Chloe was a hero.

But that kiss...

It had felt so damn good.

The Red went back to Hazel's car hoping that the brunette didn't take off without her. But of course she did so the redhead called an uber.

The entire ride back, Red couldn't concentrate. 

She kept replaying the kiss—the way Chloe's lips felt on her skin—over and over in her head, trying to convince herself that it hadn't meant anything. 

But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't shake that stupid feeling in her chest.

When she finally arrived back the  Hearts' mansion, she was still dizzy and distracted—her heart doing flip flops.

When the redhead arrived at the house she texted Chester to come out so she could talk to him. In reality Chloe had only punched her once and it was a small bruise so she needs to be a little more beat up.

Chester appeared after a moment—his expression wary. 

"What do you need, Red?" he asked, folding his arms over his chest. 

He knew this wasn't a social call. Red never asked to see him unless she needed something.

"Make my nose bleed. Bruise my face again. I just have to look a little more beat up," the redhead said, her eyes darting around like someone was watching.

Chester hesitated—his eyebrows furrowing in concern—before sighing heavily. 

"You're serious?"

Red nodded—her jaw tightening—and Chester exhaled sharply before shrugging. 

"Fine." 

Then—without warning—he reeled back and punched her square in the nose. 

Red staggered back—blood instantly pouring from her nostrils—as she clutched her face. 

"Ow—Jesus Christ—what the hell?!" she hissed—glaring up at him through watery eyes.

Chester just rolled his shoulders—nonchalant. 

"You asked."

Red groaned—wiping the blood from her nose—before nodding reluctantly. 

"...Yeah. Yeah, I did." 

She sniffed—testing the damage—before nodding again. 

"Good enough." 

Chester scoffed—his arms crossing again—before shaking his head. 

"You're welcome."

Red ignored him—already turning to head inside—her mind still too preoccupied with Chloe to care about her currently bleeding nose.

Chester watched her go—his frown deepening—before muttering under his breath: 

"You're not okay."

But Red didn't hear him. 

She was already gone.

The redhead whipped her nose once more before entering in the house. Hazel and her mom were nowhere to be seen so she headed to her mom's office.

The door to her mother's office was open, and Red slipped into the room quietly. 

The older woman was sitting at her desk—going through some paperwork—and she looked up when Red entered, raising an eyebrow. 

"There you are," she said—her voice cool. "I was starting to wonder if you were coming back."

She placed the paper down and looked up at Red with a smile, "You and Hazel retrieved it. Im glad. You didn't disappoint me for once."

Red clenched her jaw—trying to keep her voice steady—but the sharp jab stung. 

For once.

Because according to her mother, she always managed to disappoint her.

"Yeah," she ground out. "We got it."

Which she didn't know they did. Chloe had gotten the box. The question still stands— what was in that box?

Red cleared her throat, trying to keep her voice steady, "So what was in it exactly?"

The older woman frowned—her face hardening—and she leaned back in her chair, folding her hands together. 

"That, dear," she said slowly, "is none of your concern." 

Red gritted her teeth—the familiar frustration bubbling up inside of her. 

Why was it so impossible for her mother to give her a straight answer?

The redhead took a deep breath, anger didn't get her anywhere, "Why can Hazel know but I can't? This isn't fair mother."

Bridget exhaled sharply—her patience clearly wearing thin—before standing up from her desk. 

"Because Hazel understands the stakes," she snapped—her voice sharp. "Because Hazel follows instructions."

Red flinched—her mother's words cutting deeper than she wanted to admit. 

But she wasn't going to back down. 

Not this time. 

"And I don't?" she challenged—her voice trembling slightly.

Bridget's jaw tightened—her eyes narrowing—before she turned away dismissively. 

"Clearly not." 

Red swallowed—her throat suddenly tight—before shaking her head. 

She was done with this conversation.

She turned sharply—storming out of the office—before her mother could say anything else. 

Because if she stayed... 

She might just snap.

And she couldn't afford to do that. 

Not right now. 

Not when she still had Chloe—and that stupid, stupid kiss—on her mind.