A/N: Okay writing update: I wrote chapter 41, finally...it is still slow going and I'm kinda annoyed at myself about that but I'm sure I'll get back into the swing of writing as break continues. The good news is that I came up with a bunch of ideas for the next story! I even came up with an ending for it, so I have a specific direction that I want to go in now which is great, and I wrote it all down so I won't forget. How I'll get there though depends on what I write of course.

Additionally, I just really wanna mention this because I thought it was freaking hilarious. Someone posted a review about how their one criticism is that Darren seems to run away from problems or panics and I sat there for a full five minutes after reading it super angry and being so upset because I thought it was about the current chapter I had written and not the current one I had posted so I spent those five minutes going 'what the hell is this person talking about! Darren freaking calmed down in this chapter, what the hell do you mean he panics all the ti-ohhhhh!" XD

Anyway, in response to that, yeah Darren tends to panic but that is because in the moment he wasn't really in a good place mentally and he had just been betrayed by his own father. As for other times it was mostly he just didn't know how to react to what was happening or what he was feeling/experiencing. I also did mention that in general Darren's response was premature in the Author's Note at the end of the chapter, but I did that on purpose. It was for a reason.

I will in general try to respond to comments more often than I have been. Usually I directly messaged the person who commented when I felt it was necessary, but now if you have specific questions or comments that you want to ask me post them and I'll answer them here in an Author's Note...if I can, I don't do spoilers people!

Enough of my rambling, here's the next chapter!

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Enjoy!

Chapter: 35

Darren was lazy. He used a grappling hook to climb to Livia's window instead of jumping—he had no energy for that and was too tired to even try—and used a batarang to open the latch. He was also tired and weary…and depressed from what he had just recently overheard. Darren also didn't knock. He wasn't in the mood for pleasantries and felt to apathetic to even try and be chivalrous. He slid silently through the open window, peering into the room. Plagg was asleep on the foot of the bed, he maneuvered himself fully into the room careful, so not to wake up the cat. It was strangely dark, it was too early for her to be asleep and she would not be out and about at the moment. She'd be doing homework.

Light was coming from a vanity pushed up against the wall. Darren stood from his crouch, frowning in confusion…Livia was sitting there but it seemed there were candles lit. Right in front of her and they were moving, almost as if they were her fingertips. That couldn't be right, that wasn't possible. Darren took a step forward, almost entranced with curiosity when Livia jerked with surprise, catching sight of him at the corner of her eye. She let out a small yelp of fear before spinning to her feet to face him…throwing something with all her might at him.

Darren didn't even have time to react. It happened so quickly. Usually he would be all catlike reflexes, but at the moment he was useless and exhausted. He did raise his arms and close his eyes but whatever she threw at him—it seemed to be a flame, he wouldn't blame her if it was he had snuck into her room—but it didn't strike him. It got close enough for him to feel the heat and the sizzling of fire but as soon as it touched his skin the flame extinguished as if it never existed in the first place. He lowered his arms in shock and couldn't form words…this was impossible. Why would a flame suddenly blink out of existence…and how could Livia throw live flame from her hand. Had he seen this right…or had his eyesight not return yet,

"Darren! You scared the hell out of me!" Livia snarled, her yellow-green eyes eerily bright in the dark room. Darren stopped his looking around to see if his eyesight was back—it was—mouth opened to apologize,

"Darren?" Came out instead, the realization hit him in that instant. She had called him Darren not Renegade. They both stared at each other stunned. His thoughts ran a mile a minute…swirling around his head until he thought it was going to burst, "Darren?" he said again, taking a step back…away from Livia. How did she know? He came here as Renegade, how could she have known it was him? How could she possibly know it was Darren Crowne. He took another step back, his leg nearly buckling,

"H-how could you know it was me?" he questioned. Livia stared silently back at him. Darren didn't expect a reply. No one had ever told him the truth here. It had all just been lies. Only ever lies. She was thinking of how to cover this up, perhaps she was weaving a string of lies in her head at this very minute. How long had she known? Had it been this whole time…was she truly a spy for the court and she'd just been so good at deceiving him. Had everything been a lie? The conversations and companionship they had at night, her saving him and him saving her at the school…had that all been set up,

"Don't you dare think that," she stated, taking a step forward…Darren took another back, "I'm not going to lie to you,"

"I wish I could believe that…but you're not the first person who has lied to me,"

"I know who you are. You are Darren Jacob Crowne. A Talon. And a vigilante of Gotham. You're Renegade," Livia said firmly, taking another step forward. Darren didn't move…he couldn't…this was too overwhelming, he slumped to his knees too tired to stand anymore,

"How long have you known? Why do you know…are…are you a Talon too? Did they send you here to kill me?" He'd never voiced it out loud to her before. Doing it made the whole thing feel real. This was happening…the Court had won if she was a Talon…and he didn't know what it meant if she wasn't,

"No. I'm not a Talon," Livia stated…and Darren listened intently, focusing on her heartbeat because the heart never lied. It remained steady, a constant rhythm…perhaps the Court teaches their Talons to lie, and to lie well, but a Talon's heartbeat is slow too slow for them to be considered living. Livia's heart beat faster than his, than William's, than Calvin's…like a human's heartbeat and his back shuddered with the sigh of relief that tore through him,

"Then why do you know?"

"Because I may not be a Talon…but I am a witch," Livia replied, a small flame erupting over the center of her outstretched palm…illuminating the darkness. Darren stared at her…at the flame bewildered,

"How is that possible?" He demanded, eyes narrowing in confusion,

"It's a long story," Livia stated, "But it's how I know you're Darren…I read Tim's mind," Darren slowly reached up and pulled his mask from his face, his brilliantly gold eyes now visible. He didn't need it anymore. No need to wear the mask, no need to play a character and no need to be cautious of what he said and how he said it. Livia didn't seem surprised to see them that shade of gold, she knew more than he expected her to,

"You read his mind? Can you read mine? Could you read it the whole time?"

"It comes and it goes…I'm still very new at this. I didn't have any powers until a few weeks after I arrived here. But I did read Tim's mind and I know mostly everything now. Though for some reason…I can't read your mind,"

"You know everything…and…you're not afraid?" Livia silently shook her head,

"No. I'm not afraid. Now you know how I know. I knew since that night in the alley, when I found you surrounded by those Talons. I knew I needed to do something, so I did,"

"You used magic," Darren breathed, "It was magic…you saved my life,"

"Of course I did…you saved mine, more than once. But I know you didn't sneak in here to talk about magic. What's wrong?" Darren crumpled at those words, all strength and focus gone, he hunched over himself and took a harsh ragged breath. Livia let out a small startled breath and went over to him, kneeling next to him and putting a hand on his shoulder, "What's wrong?"

"They…they…they think I'm a monster. They want me locked up. They don't trust me anymore…I'm a criminal to them…they want to lock me up like a criminal, alongside all those other psychos and killers because…because I killed again. I killed again…but they were assassins…they knew that but they still want me gone because I killed," it all came out a once, in a jumbled string of bumbling, stilted sentences,

"What? Who wants you locked up?"

"Bruce…Dick…my own cousin…all of them," Darren almost moaned. And he told her everything. Everything. It all tumbled out and he couldn't stop himself. From when he was young to now…of course he left certain details out but he wanted her to know, to understand that he wasn't a monster…that he wasn't a criminal. And when he was done Livia sat back on her heels an almost wounded look on her face…an expression which reflected how he felt,

"I don't think they meant that. It was a heated conversation,"

"You don't know Bruce, he's strict. All he sees in me is my father…my great-grandfather,"

"You are not them…Bruce knows that too. I know that. I know you,"

"You keep saying that! But it doesn't matter. I'm just another Slade or William Cobb. I'm a monster…a criminal…both even…and…and they're right. I might as well be them, I've killed enough people, I've proven again and again that I am my father's son. I don't deserve this suit…or this mantle…I don't deserve any of it,"

"Don't talk like that,"

"No one understands what it's like to have two murderers hanging over your shoulders…no one understands how tempting it is after an upbringing surrounded by killing…by nature vs nurture where nature always wins out…where it's drilled into your brain until it is all that you know. They don't see that because they had the option, the luxury, to be taught that it was wrong," Darren snarled. He didn't mean to get angry at her, but Livia didn't seem stunned or hurt. She looked at him levelly,

"I do," she stated, "I understand,"

"How could you possibly understand? You saved me twice…you're a good person!"

"Perhaps I'm a good person…but that doesn't mean I'm a good witch," Livia shook her head, sitting back against the wall of her room, "I mean magician,"

"What do you mean?" Darren shifted so he was sitting across from her, the moon pushed through the clouds behind him, casting his shadow across the floorboards until it reached Livia's shadow by the wall before him,

"I've broken things countless of times without meaning to, I've set Derek Powers's coat on fire twice…I may have cheated on a history test by picking the answers out of peoples' heads,"

"That's not murder, that's not criminal,"

"Perhaps not but I understand the inheritance and pressure of someone who was just that…criminal,"

"What do you mean?"

"My family history is what I mean. My whole family is a family of magicians…and not all of them are good. I knew some of this before…just not the supernatural aspect of it,"

"How so?"

"I don't know where to start,"

"Just tell me. I want to know…I need to hear this…I need to know I'm not crazy for feeling this way…show me that this is unfair, that good people can still come from terrible families," he asked in near desperation, Livia sat with her knees to her chest, her long dark hair curling around her shoulders and her lips in a thin line. It was then that Darren realized she was only in a bathrobe, the light blue fabric thin over her skin. He pulled his gaze up to meet her yellow-green eyes,

"My dad's my uncle," she blurted out. Darren blinked, startled by her outburst,

"What?" he managed, Livia grimaced and smacked a hand to her forehead,

"That came out really wrong. What I mean…is that the man you know as my father is actually my uncle. He's my mother's brother and he adopted me after my parents died,"

"So your brother—,"

"—is my cousin,"

"And your mom—,"

"—is my adoptive dad's sister…they were twins, which is why he never really got over her death. He…he always said it felt like he died that day too,"

"So…so…your mom left on a plane, with a criminal…that's what you said. You said a criminal was on that plane with her, but that criminal was also a relative," Livia nodded solemnly,

"That 'relative' was my father. He was a Baudelaire witch. And he was a con-man. He'd use his abilities to cheat innocent people out of billions of dollars. He'd go to auctions and steal the pieces right out from the buyer's noses. Any new gem on display or new artwork in a gallery gone in the blink of an eye. No trace, no fingerprints…nothing for the police to use. And even if they did discover it was him, he had a huge family mansion in France that he took everything to. It was hidden magically of course so even if they found out about it the police or any kind of authority couldn't get to it. Years worth of treasures, artwork, crown jewels, and gems…anything of value he'd take. Anyone who got in his way suffered too, I'm sure of it. And he was never caught,"

"Except he was," Darren murmured…he felt calmer than he had all night, focused…clear-minded…at peace. He wasn't the only one hounded by the bad history of a family member,

"A con-man magician can't out-con a more powerful one. I don't know who it was but he pissed a very old and powerful magic-user off…they killed him and my mother,"

"Did she know? Your mom that is,"

"That the man she loved was a lying, cheating criminal? If she did, she took it to her grave and she didn't do anything about it," she muttered quietly,

"Anything you know of," Darren replied just as quietly,

"Well now you know the truth and you know that I understand what you're going through…I understand that temptation. Perhaps only I know what my father did through a book and not in person…and I didn't experience it or lived with him, but because I know this truth…I can fight the temptation to do bad everyday.

"I could do anything I want, anything…but I don't because I use my father as a reminder of who I don't want to become. Perhaps you should try and do that with Slade and William. Make them your reason why you won't cross that line, why you won't play their games,"

"But I've already done that…it hasn't really worked has it?"

"Then toe the line. Push against it…but don't become your father, work to find a balance. It is possible to be a killer and be good…Jason has proved that, though I know you can do this," Livia stated, "And you don't have to just give in and kill from now on just because you did it once again. You have practiced restraint before, the only time you really slip up is if you are angry or cornered or you lose faith in yourself,"

"I can try…but what if I fail? I've already failed many times," Darren looked up at Livia, edging closer to her,

"You only fail if you give up and give in. You'll only fail if you let them turn you into a monster. You were their victim once…they poked and prodded you until you conformed to their shape and their will, perhaps Bruce is attempting to do that too, perhaps he doesn't even realize that's what he's doing, instead of completely changing you can find a balance between the two extremes. You can do that and still be yourself," he could feel every grain in the wood as his hands pushed against the floor…he brought himself until he was knee to knee with Livia. They both rested their chins on the tops of their knees, unconsciously mimicking one another,

"And if I kill. Would you hate me for it?" She looked him right in the eye as she answered,

"You've already killed Darren…and I've never hated you for it. We all have darkness in us, and those that embrace it and still remain whole are the strongest among us," Livia stated, a wry smile on her face. Darren grinned back, they were very close…toe to toe…knee to knee. They sat in comfortable silence…and Darren could only feel relief in that perhaps despite whatever Bruce decided and whatever Dick went with…he was still himself…he could find himself even if he lost control now and then. He knew it was wrong, but at the same time he knew it wasn't completely unwarranted. And if he knew it was wrong in the first place he could work to do things the right way, but still his way.

A/N: Again, if you have any questions or comments or things you want answered please please please write a review! I will answer to the best of my ability. In essence, PLEASE try and poke holes into my story, it'll help strengthen my writing skills for the next story and make the plot less easier to pick apart. Of course, some of your questions or pickings may be answered later in this story and in the series so you'll have to wait for those answers the hard way ;)

I really hope you enjoyed this chapter. I loved writing and the next chapter as well, which I can't wait for you guys to read. I know my note was super long at the top and I apologize for that, but I hope you were still happy with the content of this chapter.

Thanks for reading and PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!

Next chapter on Thursday!