Ripped Apart Part 6
By Princess Alexandria Princess_alex24@hotmail.com
Demona growled as she dove down towards the castle. She'd gotten to the detective too late. The clan must have had Brenna before Maza even walked into the apartment.
Demona took careful aim at the main cannons in the turrets, very careful. Angela and Brenna were in there somewhere. Probably the library. The clan started running out of the castle and taking to the air. A cold determined stare came to Demona's eyes as she took aim at the nearest gargoyle, Goliath. She fired. She missed. "DAMN YOU!" Demona's voice raged. "This was none of your concern."
Goliath came closer, too close to hit with this weapon, so Demona pulled out the other one. A super powered Tazer that was being developed by her company. Right now the prototype was too strong for a human, not that Demona would have minded human deaths, but it would do for this quite well.
He jerked in shock as the electricity went through him, and Demona barely gave him any more notice as he started to plummet to the ground. Brooklyn and Broadway stopped his descent before he slammed into the castle floor.
"Demona." Angela's voice was right behind her and Demona dove to avoid a tackle, but Angela's foot still managed to send Demona's large rocket launcher tumbling through the air. Demona hissed in annoyance.
"I'm here for Brenna." Demona whipped around and glared at her daughter. Her true daughter. "You had no right to take her." She'd stayed long enough to hear from Maza how they'd captured her little girl, and that Angela had played such a role in this felt like a physical blow. Angela's eyes widened for just a moment.
The pain of the impact as something hit her from behind was quickly blocked in her mind as Demona spun in the air to try and get out of the grasp… red skin. Brooklyn was trying to slam her into the castle wall. They were falling quickly. She hit the button on her belt before spinning to rip her talons over his back. He jerked in pain and let her go. She barely managed to pull up before hitting the castle wall.
Her robots, ones that really were poorly suited to this attack but where all that she had at work assembled and ready to go, started for the castle. Now that the main cannons were destroyed they would be able to make it. They had little defense capability, and were just square shapes with eight legs, a rocket pack to fly, and drilling tools. They were never meant to be weapons, they were tools, but with a little reprogramming they'd at least buy Demona some time.
"What the…" Brooklyn's yelp let Demona know one of her robots had found him. She risked a glance to see how the untested device was working and found it wrapping its legs around Brooklyn's body, and obstructing his wings. Lexington was moving towards his brother to help. Demona dove towards the door to the library. She didn't have a lot of time, because she didn't have a lot of robots.
"Brenna!" Demona yelled out as she landed on the castle floor and started towards where she expected the girl was. Brooklyn landed in front of her, with Lexington at his side.
"You aren't going anywhere near her again." Brooklyn growled at her, as if he had the right to tell her that. "She knows now, she knows everything. She doesn't want to talk to you."
"She's just a kid Demona." Lexington added his two cents and Demona glared at him. Yes, she was just a kid… one they kidnapped. They told Brenna? The girl wasn't ready.
Demona's eyes blazed red. "BASTARDS!"
"Demona leave this place." Goliath sounded weak, and when he stepped out of the shadow he looked it. At least the test on the tazer worked.
"Not without..." Demona growled at him. "BRENNA!" She yelled as loudly as she could. Hopefully the girl could hear her. Demona was not taking Brooklyn's word that Brenna didn't want to see her. No, Brenna would at least give her a chance to explain. Her child wouldn't just turn her back so easily.
********
Brenna could hear Dominique calling her and stood up. Hudson was on his feet already and in the way, facing the doors. Dominique yelled once more for her and Brenna clenched her fists. She didn't know what to do. The stories the clan told her kept running through her head, but she could also remember the woman that held her while she cried next to her mother's grave. The woman that was working so hard to keep them together as a family.
"I need to go." Brenna told Hudson when he noticed she was moving. She had to see her, she couldn't just hide from her because of what she'd been told. There were questions the clan hadn't been able to answer and had actually seemed like they never asked. She couldn't just… Dominique had come for her. Just her.
"No Lass. It's not a place for you out there right now."
Brenna stared at him in shock. Dominique just came to get her. "What are they gonna hurt her?" She was moving around the back of the couch and towards the doors before he had a chance to answer.
"Lass!" Hudson moved to grab her arm. "Demona might be willing to fight, you could get hurt."
"What?" Brenna turned to glare at him. "Just let me talk to her."
"Brenna, she could hurt you." Hudson stared at her as if willing her to behave. Brenna realized the old gargoyle had no intention of letting her go out there. He thought he was protecting her. Was he really? Would Dominique really hurt her just because she knew now? The clan was so convinced that Dominique was using Brenna in some way, or that she fully planned to hurt Brenna.
"Okay." Brenna sighed and moved back. He let her arm go and turned to the sudden sound of fighting. Dominique was fighting… Brenna glanced at Hudson and could see him holding his sword now and looking ready for battle. No.
She moved slowly back as if she were going to do what he said, but the scream from Dominique was so angry. The fighting sounded so loud. It was this entire clan against one female… one female that had come here for Brenna.
Brenna moved quickly, running around the gargoyle and moving towards the doors. She could hear him moving to try and grab her again; so she started to run faster.
********
Elisa drove as fast as she could to the castle. Demona was going to attack, and she couldn't call and warn them. She'd been told to never let anyone know about what Demona did tonight. Elisa had actually broke her phone when she realized that her fingers wouldn't let her dial and warn them.
"Oh God Demona, what the hell have you done to me?" Elisa's felt like screaming it out. She pulled up in front of the Eyrie and leapt out of her car. She had to at least try to help the clan… and protect Brenna. She had to protect Brenna. Demona wouldn't have it any other way, and regardless of what Demona did, Brenna really was an innocent in all of this.
"We never even considered that Demona could actually love her." Elisa muttered under her breath as she rode the elevator up. If she'd known how personal the relationship between Brenna and Demona was she would have at least known that Demona would come after her for interfering, that Demona would… do this to her. Elisa's fist clenched as she fought a wave of helplessness.
Before she told Demona about Brenna being captured, it looked like Demona was going to taunt her and play with the new spell all night. The gargoyle hated Elisa and probably had been wanting an opportunity to humiliate her like that ever since they met, but one word about Brenna and she just let her go. Granted she was still under that spell, but it made it clear that having Brenna in her life outranked vengeance against Elisa to Demona. As far as Elisa knew she'd only heard about one other time that Demona had stood up for someone and let her vengeance fall to the wayside. When Thailog tried to kill Angela. Elisa really underestimated Demona this time.
********
Brenna was out the door and turning towards the sounds of a fight. That was how she noticed the green body hurling towards her. She screamed and ducked as Lexington sailed over her and hit the wall.
Dominique was surrounded by the rest of the clan and her eyes were blazing redder than Brenna had ever seen them. Brenna could see she'd been hurt, she had cuts on her and was bleeding a little. The other gargoyles looked bruised and banged up as well.
"It ends now Demona." Goliath growled out, while leaping at Dominique. Brenna's eyes were wide as she watched Dominique fight him. He was huge and every time he swung at the blue skinned female Brenna felt her heart skip a beat. Demona was tackled to the ground by Brooklyn and Broadway moved in to help hold her down. Broadway got tossed through the air for his efforts but Brooklyn and Goliath managed to capture her and hold her down. "We will lock you back up in your cage." Lock her up? Brenna barely noticed Lexington walk around her a bit unsteadily, while giving her a concerned glance.
"Judge and jury. You never tire of that role do you Goliath."
"Brenna is staying with us."
"Brenna is mine." Demona couldn't get out of this. "You will give her back to me or I'll take her after I've killed you."
"You are not in any position to make threats Demona."
Brooklyn's eyes were burning. "She doesn't want to talk to you." Brenna's eyes moved to glare at him when he said that. She'd never once said she didn't want to see Dominique again. The males were all so intent on Dominique that they didn't even notice she was there.
"Lass, get in here." Hudson moved to her side and Brenna just jerk her arm away when he went to grab it.
********
Elisa stood in the shadows of the doorway and watched the fight unfold. She stayed quietly in the shadows watching as Brenna moved a little closer. Demona had been captured and was being held down on the ground. Elisa's body tensed as she stared at the scene. She wanted to go out there and tell the clan what Demona had done to her, but she couldn't. She tried to speak and the words were blocked.
She stepped out of the shadows and Demona's eyes traveled over her. Elisa noticed the slight smirk and knew she was supposed to help. "Is it really a good idea to just lock her up again?" Hell, yes her mind cried out, but that wasn't the words coming out of her mouth. "She has custody of Brenna and runs a company. If she goes missing now it will be noticed."
"Human law cannot touch her. She needs to be punished for her crimes." Goliath spoke while staring down at Demona.
"And human law would say we were the criminals today if we do this." Elisa glanced over at Brenna and could see the girl was shaken. How much had she been told? "Kidnapping, unlawful imprisonment… I can't be part of this Goliath, and I don't know that even Xanatos can cover this up… there are Social Workers keeping an eye on them now. Just because we get rid of Demona doesn't mean we'd get Brenna either. You can't just grab kids you want Goliath."
Brooklyn pulled harder on Demona's arm when the female tried to make eye contact with Elisa, causing her to hiss in pain. Brenna took a step closer then. "Don't hurt her." Elisa could hear the fear and concern in the girl's voice.
********
"Brenna…" Angela said it like a warning when Brenna started to walk closer to the group. Brenna glared at her once, before continuing. She did this to her own mother. Dominique… Dominique deserved better than this.
"You're hurt." Brenna said softly while staring at the woman that had taken care of her for the past months. Dominique was just watching her as quietly as the others for a moment. Brenna hated seeing her so helpless, being held to the ground. This woman was invincible, she wasn't supposed to ever be helpless like this.
"Brenna, what they told you..." Dominique started quickly, as if she were afraid the others would interrupt. "I told you not to believe everything." Brooklyn snorted.
Brenna wanted to talk about this, but not with Dominique like this. "Let her up." She spoke quietly and when neither male listened to her she turned to glare at Goliath. They were doing this because of Brenna, so she had the right to tell them to stop. "Let Her Up!" She demanded more firmly while glaring. Dominique just wanted to get to Brenna. It was this clan that turned it into a fight, and it didn't need to be.
"No, she could get away." Goliath informed her before looking past her. "Lexington, get some chains."
"Goliath, what are you doing?" Elisa spoke while moving closer to Brenna.
"She's the clans responsibility."
Brenna's eyes widened as she realized he really thought he could lock Dominique up. She moved quickly to shove Brooklyn off of the prone female, but he barely budged. "GET AWAY FROM HER!" She yelled when she realized pushing wouldn't do it.
********
Demona watched as Brenna tried to push Brooklyn away. Brenna was actually still trying to defend her after the clan had told all their stories.
Brenna continued to shove at Brooklyn and Demona could have finished the job of getting up, if she weren't worried that a battle started this close to the girl would get Brenna hurt. "Brenna, you can't fight them. You aren't strong enough." Demona spoke softly, worried that Brooklyn might make a careless move. "You'll get hurt."
"We don't go around beating on kids Demona." Brooklyn growled at her, while trying to ignore the fact that for once Brenna wasn't listening to Demona and continued to try and push him off of her. Goliath's hold on Demona tightened to make up for the fact that Brooklyn's hold might not be stable.
"Brenna, I can't fight them with you this close." Demona finally snapped at the girl. She had a plan to escape, but it wouldn't work if the girl was in the middle of the targets.
"What?" Angela finally spoke and she sounded shocked.
"Angela, get her out of here." Demona finally addressed her daughter, hoping that concern for Brenna would win through Angela's distrust long enough for Demona to call for her reinforcements.
********
Elisa watched Demona's eyes and could see she had a plan. Something dangerous enough that Brenna needed to be taken away first.
She felt like swearing when Angela pulled Brenna away and Elisa couldn't warn them. Demona moved her head and their eyes met before the gargoyle smirked at Elisa and winked. Taunting her. Elisa took a step forward ready to yell out a warning, but nothing came out. Demona mouthed an order. Stay still. Why wasn't anyone noticing their interaction? Elisa glanced up at Goliath helplessly and he was watching Brenna struggling in Angela's arms with a confused and concerned expression on his face.
She stood still and watched the large robot fly over the wall. It bigger than Goliath and had guns pointed at the males holding Demona down. "I believe you better let me go, or it will open fire. It can't kill me." Demona taunted the clan and Elisa could see Goliath debating about it.
"Just let her go." She pleaded, because she could tell that Demona meant it. Demona would be willing to take a bunch of bullets to get free, and Elisa couldn't stop it. "She means it Goliath."
"I do mean it Goliath." Demona's voice was teasing and she obviously knew she had the upper hand for the moment. He took his hands off of her like he was disgusted by her. Demona sat up and looked at Brenna. The others were standing tensely waiting for the attack. "I just want Brenna and we will leave."
"What if she doesn't want to go with you?" Brooklyn hissed at her.
"Dominique?" The girl was staring at the robot and then back at Demona. She looked confused.
"Come on Brenna. We need to leave."
Xanatos landed on the castle wall nearby and held a gun on the robot. He looked more than ready to fight. "Brenna might be caught in the crossfire Xanatos. Are you really willing to risk her life like that?" Demona growled at him, clearly displeased.
"And are you?" He spoke coldly and Elisa could see Demona's secret weapon was losing its fearsomeness. If Demona wasn't actually willing to risk Brenna's life its threat was empty. And sadly if Demona cared enough about the girl to not want to risk her she could lose her.
"I'm not foolish enough to think the clan would allow you to take that risk." Demona spoke smoothly as she continued to walk towards Brenna. "And you surely don't plan to shoot me in front of my child do you? She doesn't take that well."
********
Dominique was walking slowly towards her and Brenna didn't know what to think. Dominique was tense and dangerous looking. The clan were all standing ready to lunge at her. Angela was holding Brenna's arm tightly and didn't seem inclined to let her go.
"Brenna." Dominique said it warningly.
"I didn't come here on purpose." Brenna said softly. "I tried to have her let me off on the street." She didn't want Dominique's anger on her, not when she had just seen Dominique fight. She could be scary if she wanted to be.
Dominique's voice softened just a little. "I know it isn't your fault Brenna." She then turned glowing eyes to the gargoyle holding Brenna still, Angela. "You've lost. Release her."
"Mother I…"
"You said I had no daughter!" Dominique's voice was suddenly loud and growling. Brenna flinched just a little at the glare even going in her direction. "But you are wrong… I have Brenna. Release her Angela. I don't want to hurt you." Brenna felt Angela's hand clench painfully tight on her upper arm and hissed in pain a second before Angela's hand fell away. Brenna felt a weak smile come to her lips. Dominique cared enough about her to stand up to Angela… cared enough to call her a daughter. If she'd had any doubts about Dominique really caring about her they vanished. The clan didn't know… they were wrong, Dominique really did care.
Brenna glanced back to see Angela staring at Dominique like she'd suddenly started to glow or something else strange. Brenna then turned to Dominique. She may have done all those things, but she had to have a reason. Brenna took a step closer.
"Brenna you don't have to do this. We can protect you from her." Brooklyn spoke quickly while moving a step in her direction.
"I don't need protection from her." Brenna turned to face the immobile clan. That robot Dominique had brought did look pretty dangerous. "She's my family."
She then moved easily to Dominique's side. "I want to go home."
"Of course." Dominique then turned to smirk at Goliath. "Me and my human are leaving now. You'll do well to stay away from her in the future or I won't be so gentle." Brenna looked at the bruised and cut clan and figured Dominique was being sarcastic, because it looked like the clan was going to need medical help. Broadway was still unconscious even.
********
Demona picked Brenna up and noticed the girl didn't flinch. The clan had to have surely painted her in the worst light, and her child still chose to come home with her. They took off and Demona left her guard behind, knowing it would most likely be destroyed. It was a very expensive piece of equipment. Demona looked down into the eyes of the confused girl in her arms, but not worth what she would have had to trade for it.
"I tried to call you several times." Brenna was nervous. She thought she was in trouble.
"It's okay." Demona pulled the girl a little closer. "It wasn't your fault. They tricked you." Brenna didn't even know the extent that she'd been tricked yet, but Demona would have to tell her.
********
Elisa just stared after the two leaving. Many eyes were on them, and when Brooklyn made a motion to give chase she had to speak. "Brenna made her choice. We did everything we could, and she made her choice. Chasing after them now will do nothing but risk Demona dropping her."
"She's got to be brainwashed!" Brooklyn wasn't taking this well.
"Or mother really does love her." Angela spoke as if she was just realizing it, and Elisa remembered that shocked feeling. "I think she does."
"A human." Goliath moved to stand when the robot did as Demona had promised, and just glided away. No one was in the mood to chase after it. "Demona may actually care for a human."
Elisa wanted to tell them that just because Demona cared for that one human didn't mean anyone was safer, but didn't even try. It went without saying.
"What's that noise?" Lex moved to follow a sound and Elisa went with him. Just around the corner they saw a square box shaped robot with eight thin cord like legs attached to the castle wall, drilling. "It's one of those robots she had."
Elisa felt a hand fall on her shoulder and glanced back to see Goliath standing behind her looking at the robot as well. Xanatos' voice interrupted the staring that everyone was doing. The robot was just working on drilling a small hole. "Those are mining robots. Maybe it thinks there's coal in the castle."
Brooklyn walked up to it and smashed it against the wall it had been working on. It crumpled like an aluminum can.
********
Brenna found that her eyes would glance everywhere in the room but at the woman with her. She didn't know what to say about what she'd learned. She couldn't say it was okay, because it wasn't. She wanted to know why. Why did Dominique do that?
"It's late." Dominique spoke calmly while staring at Brenna. Brenna could feel the eyes on her and finally looked up.
"I don't think I can sleep." No, not after the night she'd had. Her brain felt like it would melt down from everything she'd learned and saw.
"I'm not going to apologize for my past." Dominique glared at her. "I did what I thought was right."
Brenna could practically feel the anger coming off Dominique in waves. "I… I…" She took a deep breath. She hadn't said anything about that yet. She hadn't wanted to talk about this with the audience, but bringing it up now was a bit scary. "I'm gonna get something to eat." Not that she was very hungry, but she wasn't ready to sleep, and wondered if she would be at all tonight.
When she went to walk past Dominique the redhead reached out to grab her arm and Brenna hissed in pain. "What is it? Are you hurt?" Dominique let go quickly but she started to pull the sleeve of Brenna's shirt up. Brenna stared down at the bruises. She didn't even remember getting them. The hand print was obviously not human and was over her upper arm.
********
Demona stared at Brenna's fragile skin and moved her own hand over the hand print there. It was almost the same size. "Angela did this to you." She whispered.
"I'm sure it was an accident." Brenna whispered and Demona tilted her head a little to look into the girl's face. She was hurting from more than this bruise. Brenna idolized Angela, talked about her like she was a movie star. Tonight had to be hard for her. They'd used Brenna's love of Angela against her tonight. Demona hadn't thought Goliath could be so manipulative.
"Okay. Make me something too." Demona said absently and watched Brenna leave the room. Angela had been shocked when Demona said that comment about not having a daughter. She regretted it a bit now. She didn't really want to alienate Angela, but she'd been angry when she saw Angela keeping Brenna from her.
Well, one good thing about the entire mess is she got to test that spell on Maza, and it worked well. Maza knew when she had plans and hadn't been able to warn anyone. She also didn't tell anyone about that spell. A slight grin came to Demona's face. That spell was going to be fun. Perhaps she should look Maza up soon and show the detective the extent of her control.
When she finally came downstairs Brenna was fumbling around with the glasses. She seemed uncoordinated and jumpy. Demona sat down at the kitchen island slowly and just watched the human girl. "What did they tell you?" She spoke clearly and hadn't thought she'd snuck into the kitchen but Brenna tensed up, startled. The girl was really deep in thought.
Brenna's wide eyes just staring at her while Brenna struggled with what to say told Demona everything she needed to know. Brenna believed what she'd been told, and she'd been told some things Demona would have preferred she didn't know for a few more years. Her plan to slowly let the girl in on her past and her beliefs were shot because Goliath and the clan couldn't just leave them alone.
Still this little human was here with her. Demona continued to stare, giving none of her thoughts away, and Brenna look flustered and embarrassed. "What did they tell you?" She repeated calmly. It was time for damage control and showing how much the clan pissed her off by going behind her back and telling Brenna these things wouldn't help to ease Brenna's mind.
She also needed to find out if Brenna could deal with this, or if… Demona grimaced. Brenna wasn't going to be considered a threat.
********
Brenna didn't even know where to start on this. She'd been told so much. "Would you really have shot them?"
"What?" Dominique was sounding a little impatient.
"The clan. Would you have really shot them if they didn't give up?"
"They kidnapped you Brenna, and they weren't going to give you back." Dominique motioned to the seat next to her and Brenna moved to take it. "I don't make threats I won't follow through on. If you do that in any battle your enemy won't respect your threats and you'll be forced to follow through on them more often after that to make up for it."
"So…" Brenna's eyebrows drew together a bit. She hadn't expected Warrior 101 when she asked the question. "You would have shot them."
Dominique looked her right in the eye. "Yes, I would have shot them if they didn't give you back to me, and I would have shot them rather than get locked up when I need to be out and doing the paperwork and attending the appointments I need to in order to adopt you."
Brenna didn't know what to say to that. Thank you for being willing to kill for me wasn't right and Brenna wasn't comfortable with the fact that Dominique had been willing to do that. "They said you tried to kill off humans… all of them." Brenna spoke quietly, unable to look Dominique in the face when she said that.
"And you plan to judge me for that." Dominique's voice rose. "I did what I had to in order to try and save my race from humans slaughtering all of us." Brenna flinched when Dominique's hand came down loudly on the counter. "You know what humans are like. You know they can't even accept their own… and they'll never accept us."
Brenna looked up at that, and the nagging feeling that Dominique had actually included her in the us didn't go away. Dominique's eyes were burning and her face was more expressive. "The clan probably told you that we are supposed to protect the humans, that it is the gargoyles nature… but that is not true. Why should we protect our very executioners? It's madness. We need to protect ourselves first and foremost, but Goliath risks the clan all the time to protect the humans that turn on them." Dominique got up suddenly and started pacing the kitchen floor. Brenna just sat quietly and listened, because interrupting her looked like a bad idea. "Humans…" Dominique said that with more hatred than Brenna had heard her ever use before. "spread across this planet like vermin…" Her burning eyes stared right at Brenna and still didn't seem to acknowledge her. "destroying any clans that they discover, to the point that there are less than a handful of gargoyles left. If they aren't stopped I'll be the last one… I went so many years thinking I was the last one, and I am not about to let the HUMANS win. I wasn't willing to do that when I thought I was all that remained, and I am not willing to do that now that I have two daughters to protect."
Brenna opened her mouth briefly, but closed it slowly. It was probably better to take her honorary gargoyle status than bring up the fact she wasn't right now. Dominique looked a bit too angry at humans. Dominique stopped pacing and stared at her. "You know more about this than Goliath or the clan. Can you say I'm wrong? Can you sit there and tell me that the humans won't try to kill off every gargoyle they find if given a chance?"
Brenna just blinked for a moment and her heart beat a bit faster when she realized Dominique expected an answer. "Umm…" She swallowed hard. "Yeah, some humans probably would." She knew it was true, the Quarrymen were example enough.
"Exactly!" Dominique waved her arms in the air. "They would, and you can see that, while Goliath, who lived through the destruction of our clan… destruction caused by humans, cannot." Brenna just sat really still and waited for hurricane Dominique to calm down a bit more. She sure was passionate about her beliefs. "He claims his human allies will help him change this world… but human allies are more likely to turn on him if the path he chose is too hard. I've been there. They'll betray him eventually. Humans always betray."
********
Demona felt caged as she paced the floor explaining herself, but when Brenna whispered a few words she found her pacing stopped instantly. "I'd never betray you." She turned to see Brenna was a little pale and looked really concerned. Demona suddenly realized she'd brought up the same points she'd tried to bring up with Angela, only this daughter was human. Oh. She'd somehow forgot that in all of this.
"I know you wouldn't." Demona spoke a bit more gently. If she'd done this to try and salvage their relationship, then having Brenna think she didn't trust her definitely wouldn't help. "You aren't like the rest of them Brenna." Demona moved closer and slowly reached out to caress Brenna's hair. Brenna looked like any sudden movements would startle her, like a frightened doe. "You are special, so much more than the rest of your race." She moved a bit closer and pulled Brenna into a hug, and was relieved when the girl leaned into it. She'd never tried to explain this to a human before.
"I don't want the gargoyles to die." Brenna spoke so softly. Demona grimaced. She needed to work on a gentler way to tell the child these things. Brenna was far too sensitive.
"I know you don't Brenna. Your different." Demona pulled back and looked into misty eyes. "You're practically a gargoyle." She gave Brenna a small smirk and the girl seemed to sit up a little straighter. It was really a shame Brenna was born human, she would have been one of the best gargoyles Demona had ever seen.
"Now lets eat, so you can get some sleep. It's almost dawn."
********
Brenna was sitting at her desk working on her homework for her summer internship when Dominique walked into her bedroom. "Brenna we need to talk." Dominique sounded very focused and a bit irritated.
"Yeah?" Brenna was trying to think of what she could have done to upset Dominique, but she couldn't come up with anything.
"I need to know what you know about your father." Dominique's eyes narrowed, "No lies… no leaving things out. I need to know everything."
Brenna set her pen down and turned to face Dominique. "Why?" Was she giving up on them? Did she still want to pawn Brenna off on someone else?
"Because I have heard that Xanatos thinks he can find him. Because if he succeeds, your father could stop this whole adoption."
"Oh God."
"Brenna?" Dominique pulled up another chair and sat down beside Brenna. She sounded a little concerned now, a little more gentle.
"Mom had an affair with her boss." She was going to have to tell Dominique everything and hope the woman could fix this, because if Xanatos thought he could find the father then he must know. "She quit and didn't tell him about me, because she didn't like him anymore. He was only after money and power and would have been a horrible father."
"Okay, that gives me something to work with." Dominique moved to rest a hand over Brenna's.
"What are we gonna do?"
"We're going to find out who he is and then come up with a plan."
Brenna looked up into Dominique's face. She wasn't feeling so well right now. "I think it's Mr. Xanatos." Dominique seemed to actually flinch at that. Not a good sign.
"I'll do a little research and come up with something." Dominique stood up and placed a hand on Brenna's shoulder. "I'll take care of this."
********
Well, the spell on Elisa had already proven to be invaluable. Demona sat in the waiting room of the doctor's office while the court ordered test was being done. Xanatos had used his power to make sure that once the papers were delivered Demona had to deliver Brenna immediately for this procedure, most likely to make sure her scientists didn't come up with some way to change the results.
He came out of a room rolling down one of his sleeves. Blood tests. The smirk on his face told Demona that he really thought he'd won. "The results aren't in yet Xanatos." Brenna was in another room getting her own blood drawn. "Must be hard to not know how many humans you spawned." Her voice was thick with scorn. "Better watch out for this one Fox…" Demona barely glanced at the now angry looking redhead sitting across from her. "He can't keep it in his pants while at work."
Fox almost said something but the other door opened and a pale and nervous looking Brenna came out. Demona noticed the girl glare at both Fox and Xanatos as she made a wide circle around them, as if afraid they'd grab her and try and run for it. Brenna hadn't taken the news that Fox was in that exosuit that chased her and Angela well.
"Brenna if I'm your father…" Xanatos started and before Demona could interrupt him Brenna's spoke, her voice filled with more venom than Dominique had ever heard in it before.
"IF you are my father, then you are the man that my mother NEVER wanted me to have anything to do with. IF you take me away from home I'll hate you forever, and I'll move right back in with Dominique as soon as I turn 18."
Xanatos actually looked a bit taken aback by that. Good girl, she knows how to hit below the belt. "Oh and what about college?"
"There are lots of colleges in New York." Brenna reached out and took her hand. "I want to go to one that lets me stay near my family." A slight smirk crossed Demona's face at that. That had actually been a concern of hers, but Brenna was just saying it didn't have to be.
They turned to leave, but Demona could hear Fox standing up behind her. "Brenna…"
Brenna stopped their walking and Demona looked at the girl. Oh she looked angry. "You fucking shot at me Fox. You fucking shot at me." Demona then found herself trailing after an angry quickly marching teenager as they left the clinic. Oh, Xanatos didn't have a chance in hell with this girl, and he did it all himself, him and his wife.
********
Elisa walked down the hallway, her footsteps echoing loudly in the dark deserted building. The clan was keeping watch for Demona on the outside. None of them wanted Demona tampering with the paternity test samples, because it was the only card they now held to get Brenna away from Demona. Even though Demona loved the girl, most of the clan… and most importantly, Goliath, thought it wouldn't take much for Demona to turn on the girl. Elisa felt some of his opinion was based on how Demona had turned on him. Elisa had tried to talk them out of it, but at the risk of being suspicious, had to finally give in.
She'd thought about it and was torn as to what would be best for Brenna, to be with Xanatos or Demona. Demona already had the girl's loyalty and love, but she was so unstable. Brenna hated Xanatos now as much as Elisa had before he started to change. In the end it wasn't her decision. Elisa's fists clenched. All important decisions regarding Brenna had to be Demona's, and she'd been forced to call Demona and warn her that Xanatos thought he found the father. At first she hadn't realized Xanatos thought it could be himself. That had been a shock.
Another shock was Demona's orders for this. Apparently Demona believed Xanatos. Brenna was his. The clan had the means to get Brenna away from Demona.
Elisa slipped into a lab and reached into her pocket. When she found the correct vial she pulled out another that looked just like it. They knew Xanatos wasn't Elisa's father… so now medical science was going to prove that. "Great, now I'm even giving her my blood." Elisa muttered a bit angrily. The security camera here was taken out for a very brief time so Elisa moved quickly.
"Hey… Hey Elisa?" Lexington's voice came across her comm. set.
"Yeah Lex?"
"Could you check out the lab… I lost feed."
"Sure, no problem." Elisa told him. She was already there.
EPILOGUE:
Brenna sat in her first class of the school year quietly talking to Lily. "Brenna Destine-McCullen" The teacher called out and Brenna glanced up at her. It was still strange to hear that. She'd only had that name a couple of weeks.
"Here." She'd moved up the alphabet with the name change.
"I hear you joined our Career Committee this year." Ms. Leonhart smiled crookedly at her. "I'm sure we'll be pleased to have you." The teacher then started to work on completing roll.
"So you took her name." Lily whispered to her. Brenna hadn't seen the girl all summer.
"Yeah." Brenna still felt a bit self-conscious about that, but she was so sure she did the right thing. Dominique had actually looked proud when she did it.
********
Elisa sat in front of the phone and picked it up. She purposely ignored the lack of dial tone and dialed Demona's number. She was supposed to report in when Goliath and her finally made love, even though it was of no real… importance to Demona. It was just a way to humiliate Elisa and make her feel like even her most private moments weren't her own. Demona had told her to talk to the machine if she weren't there, because she wanted the news as soon as she left his bed for the day. A telephone was a machine as well and Elisa reported the change in her and Goliath's relationship to her dead phone and felt the compulsion lessen. She hung up, and then picked up the phone and shoved it back into her cupboard. Apparently her broken phone did end up being useful. A small smile crossed her lips. Demona's control wasn't as absolute as she claimed. Elisa finally had something to work with. Demona was getting less specific in her instructions as she felt confident Elisa couldn't disobey, and that gave Elisa the leeway she needed.
The End
(Probably not forever though)