Without You I'm Nothing

chapter 2

We scurry out from our hidey space to find the cause of the bang. All that ran through my mind was dear god I hope no one's hurt.

The bang came from the science lab, that's never a good sign. My heart rate picks up. We slide to a stop where other people were stood. Obviously, they heard the bang too. The room was full of smoke, it was chokingly thick. "Callie?" I heard Jess, "go find your dad, I'm gonna find mine." I say, pushing through the crowd of people.

The vents were turned on and the smoke soon cleared, a sigh of relief escaped my lips as I saw my father shouting at my older brother. Pepper, my mother was frantically checking him over for wounds but he looks perfect. As per usual. I run over to them "What happened?" My mom looked at me and sighed softly "Elijah thought he'd try a dangerous new experiment with no help and it backfired." Elijah looked at me and smirked, the one that kills all the girls and makes them all swoon. "You can be he won't be coming in here again for a while." My dad said, looking over at the damage Elijah had caused.

Elijah's smirk faded as he turned to our dad "but what about my experiments!" Tony scowled. "You could've died Elijah. Stay away from the lab." He pulled out his phone and started to make some calls, obviously to clean up the mess made. Pepper sighed, "Take your sister and go clean yourself up." She turned on her heels and went out into the hallway to reassure everyone that everything was fine.

I looked up at Elijah and grinned, he knew what I wanted and grinned back. That was our thing, the Stark grin. Like we communicate telepathically. He scooped me up onto his back and I held onto him for dear life. Without a seconds notice he sped off at who knows how many miles per hour. He was a speedster after all.

Elijah was the first born Stark child, he was my father's pride and joy. He excelled in all his classes and even finished high school and college before he was 15. He had the looks, the personality and the brains. He had it all. At a young age, he showed signs of his power. He would fall over and graze his knee, only for it to heal straight away. He could run faster than any known human could. My father adores him. Oh and he's my best friend.

"What were you doing this time?" I asked as he set me down in his room. He shrugged, taking off his shirt and changing it for another "Peter dared me to try to mix some chemicals, so I did." I watch as he zips into the bathroom and back looking like brand new "so it's Peter's fault? Why didn't you tell dad that?" He smiled, running a hand through his long ash blond hair "he's just a kid, I'm not gonna snitch. Anyway, dad won't stay mad at me for long."

He was right, dad could never stay mad at him for longer than a few hours. Unlike me who get punished for weeks. Elijah catches me rolling my eyes and sighs, sitting next to me on his bed. "He loves you, Callie you're his little girl after all. Don't let this get too you so much." I lean against him, Elijah cares about me way more than my father does. "I'm a disappointment. I'm not smart, I don't have powers like you. I'm a burden." I can feel Elijah's body tense, his fists clench. "I'm fed up of this."

In a flash I was on his back again, we stopped at the lab and he put me down. Tony was still on the phone but Elijah walked over and took it from him "what are you do-" he started but Elijah wouldn't let him finish. "Your daughter, my sister has spent the past few months crying to me over the fact you don't love her." I hang my head, I wish he hadn't of done this. My dad looks from Elijah to me and frowns, kneeling down in front of me. "Is this true? You think I hate you?" His voice is soft, I haven't seen this side of him in years. I nod ever so slightly and he sighs "I know I'm tough on you Cals but it's because I want you to do so well in life without relying on me."

A tear slips from my eye and rolls down my cheek. "I feel like I'm just not good enough for you. Like Elijah, I'm not smart and I don't have powers like him." I could hear Elijah scoff in the background, Tony signals for him to leave. "Callie, you don't have too be smart like Elijah or have powers. I love you the way you are. But yanoe what you do have? Beauty. You're stunning like your mother, you're funny and you bring a smile to everyone face. You're so kind to all so so gentle and lovely. You're adored by not only me and your mother but everyone here darling, don't ever think I'd hate you." He wipes the tear from my cheek and smiles softly, pulling me into a warm embrace. I smile, this has been the first time in a long time that he's hugged me this way. It's nice, I wrap my arms around him and bury my face into his chest. "I love you, daddy." He chuckles softly and strokes my hair "I love you too cals."

He lets me go and I step back looking at him. "I gotta make a few more calls, I'll come to find you later and we can watch a movie yeah?" I smile and nod as he kisses my forehead. I leave with a smile on my face and head down the corridors. I wonder where Elijah ran off too or if Jess found her parents. As I think of these I hear muttering coming from the next hallway. I frown, peaking my head around too see Elijah, close to Jess with his palm by her head, whispering in her ear as she giggles. I watch as Elijah leans in to kiss her as I gasp. They both look towards me but I run before they know it's me. Into a room and closing the door before Elijah is able to catch who it was. I slide down against the wall, breathing heavy and holding my chest. Not sure if I'm having a panic attack or I'm just shocked but I don't like it.

I hear them run past the door, looking for whoever they thought it was. "See something you didn't like?" I hear a voice from the shadows. This was someone's room and I hadn't realised until I stood up and turned the light on.

"Oh.."