Lone Clone

By Princess Alexandria

Summary: Lilith was the first female clone made, the one made before Delilah. She wasn’t what Thailog was after and found herself alone living off the streets of New York, but her one burning hope was to meet Demona, to form the clan she was created to be a part of. Femslash. May become AU.

AN: This is a prompt challenge fic, so I’ve listed the prompts before their section as a sort of section title. This challenge is going on at the gargfemslash yahoo group.

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I moved back just a little into the shadows as I stared at the building again. This was a painful obsession I’d developed over my short existence, the need to come back and stare at the scene of the crime weekly. I sighed and looked at the sign declaring this Nightstone Unlimited. For some people it was a place of work, and I could see a few windows with the lights on and janitors cleaning offices on the lower floors. I could also see a few light windows on the upper floors as well.

My eyes traveled down to the ground floor, knowing there were floors below that. I’d been in those floors. My first memory, and I only count the things I experienced not the programming that was done on me, was of the grey walls in the lab below this building. For some people this was a place that created things, sold things. For me it was the place I was created. Most people pointed to hospitals and said they were born there, others, few others, can say they were hatched. I can’t claim to have been born or hatched. My fists clenched as that constant thought hit me again. Not born or hatched, not young or old. I just didn’t fit into so many things.

My misfit status saved me once, because the thought of being HIS consort disgusted me. My first days of life were my luckiest, because I was quickly deemed ‘damaged’ and he never did touch me after he’d declared that with his irritating voice and condescending and unemotional decision to just make another female and have me killed didn’t endear him to me either. I was harder to kill than they’d planned and I bet no one told him that I’d escaped.

On my way out I saw the others and I knew they were supposed to be my clan. They were in glass and only half formed. I haven’t seen them since. I have no idea what happened to them, but they weren’t here.

The upper floor window opened and I saw her standing for just a moment, before she jumped out. She was amazingly graceful and she caught the air so effortlessly. I found myself holding my breath as I watched the small loop she did in the air, thinking that it was the most controlled a gargoyle could ever be she flew like she really was born in the sky. She was the only gargoyle I ever saw here, but I’d seen others from a distance and this female was the only one to make flying look artistic, like an aerial dance. The others were clumsy in comparison. I’d never seen Thailog in the air, but I was glad to not see him. I had no idea what happened to him either, but I really hope it hurt and was lethal.

“I can’t keep doing this.” I whispered to myself as I stepped out of the shadows so that I could look up at the sky where she’d gone, searching for her. I was supposed to be a member of her clan, I remember that information. So were the others. When was I going to build up the courage to tell her that? How would she react? If she knew I was supposed to be her replacement with that male would she hate me? She’d been his lover, and while it said little for her judgment in my mind, perhaps he actually attempted to trick her into thinking he had a soul, I knew better rather quickly myself.

I jumped off the building and started to gain altitude. I looked around in the sky, wondering if this was the time I’d see her, if this time the choice would be taken from me and I’d meet her. I wanted her to be the one to make the first move, her to approach me. It would be easier than this waiting, and the way it made me feel like a coward.

With that thought in mind I gained altitude, hoping I was visible from a distance. My white hair should show up against the night, but my gray skin wouldn’t help the cause. I felt a little rebellious as I tried that loop I’d seen her do. “She makes it look so easy.” I muttered as my loop was far larger. I climbed higher and focused on what I wanted a moment, before I tried it again.

“I don’t know you.” A cold feminine voice spoke and I felt my heart pound hard in shock. The quick push of the blood from my heart and the adrenaline of the unexpected shot had my skin feeling hot a moment later, but I only wobbled a little in the air showing that shock. Turning I could see that the female I’d been watching regularly, weekly, was now right there. Be careful what you wish for, was the phrase my mind tormented me with as I looked into burning red eyes.

I’d seen pictures and thought she was beautiful, it was one of the reasons I wasn’t thrilled to become Thailog’s whore when he so graciously gave me the opportunity. He wasn’t nearly as beautiful to me, he called that a genetic flaw when I told him I would prefer the Mistress. Looking at her now I could see she was just as attractive in person, but a lot more intimidating. “Hi.” I gave a weak smile. “I’m Lilith.” And I felt like an idiot. How many times had I rehearsed this conversation in my mind and this was all I said?

Maybe it had something to do with the way she was looking at me. She even shifted in flight to fly upside down to stare at me. I can’t fly with my back to the ground, I’d crash into something. I didn’t like the studying gaze, I felt like my features were being analyzed and I knew it wouldn’t be long before she figured out who at least one of my genetic donors were, and that I wasn’t hatched like a gargoyle should be. “I thought I shut down that program.” Her voice growled a little.

I didn’t know what to say to that. “I’m not new.” I glanced up from her to where I was gliding and pulled up a bit to avoid a building, she matched me easily and I was a bit envious of her skill. “I’ve been around for a couple of months.”

I think she smirked just a little. “Well that makes you downright ancient.” Her voice was sarcastic, but I liked the hint of amusement in it. Her small smirk faded and she moved to do a barrel roll and ended up gliding beside me. “I see some Fox Xanatos in you, but clearly your genes were crossed with a gargoyle’s as well.” I could see her looking at my wings, searching for my parentage, if you could even call it that.

“That’s all I know.” I told her and sighed.

“From your wings I’d say you weren’t the result of that bastard stealing my DNA.” Demona was starting to sound a little more upbeat as she inspected me, so I didn’t snap at her, even though it made me feel a little freakish to be visually dissected like this. By bastard I hope she meant Thailog, it filled me with some reassurance that he was gone.

I found myself being herded towards the nearest building, and this time I landed beside her rather than watching her from a distance. “So why haven’t I seen you before?” Demona asked and I couldn’t stop myself from sighing when I heard the question.

Somehow telling her about this felt like admitting to being deviant and broken, and I didn’t want to tell her and find she agreed with the decision made about me. “I wasn’t what Thailog wanted. He was looking for, well,” I watched Demona’s eyes light up like fire and didn’t finish that sentence. “I didn’t work out and I left before I could be destroyed.”

Demona went quiet, but she was walking around me. “Please don’t do that.” I finally spoke up as she inspected me like a thing. No one ever treated me like a person and I hated it. Thailog and the Doctor had been much worse, but still it hurt. For a moment I thought she’d hit me for saying anything, Thailog would have. I felt a bit of hope grow as seconds passed and I wasn’t hit or yelled at. Demona moved to stand in front of me again, looking curious but not angry.

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Prompt: Food and Drink

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I took the moment to study her face since she was looking at me, but I could see she wasn’t looking at me in the same way. She wasn’t trying to figure my DNA out, now it was just trying to figure me out. It was a step in the right direction.

“So why haven’t I seen you before now?” Demona repeated and I found myself more focused on her voice than her words. I liked her voice; it was nice, softer now. It took me a moment to remember it came with words and I blushed a little at my standing there just listening.

“I avoid Manhattan. It isn’t really safe; I can’t find safe places for the day.” I told her, and really aside from Friday’s I never was in Manhattan. The Quarrymen had almost caught me once, I’d woken to rubble around me from the statues I’d decided to spend the day near, but my own spot had been hidden, or they’d been interrupted. After that I left the rooftops of the city.

“But you’re here now.” Demona had to pick up on that, I looked down at the rooftop under my feet and considered an answer.

“On Friday’s you go gliding.” I felt embarrassed and I couldn’t look her in the face as I spoke, but it took a moment to realize that looking her in the cleavage wasn’t better. I moved my eyes focus to her neck. “I feel clumsy in the air, so I try and learn by watching you.” I left out how I just liked being near another gargoyle, even if it was just weekly. I left out how I was almost surprised I could still speak because I never was around anyone so I could keep that particular skill up. I left out how painful it was to just exist to search out food and to drink from any puddle I could find. I had no life beyond that, except for those nights were I could watch her glide, those nights I had art to appreciate and another like me, but not, so I wasn’t so alone.

“I see I’m getting too predictable.” Demona’s words surprised me and I looked up into her face again, she looked just a little irritated with herself. “My patterns shouldn’t be so easy to figure out.” When she went quiet I just stood there, feeling awkward as I struggled to think of something to say. I liked her predictability, but it looks like I was about to lose that.

The silence was really starting to bother me, which was odd because usually that was all I had. But to have her here, to have her see me, I wanted to talk with her. I didn’t want to have her decide to just leave me here. “You glide like an angel.” I spoke so quietly, and then my eyes widened when I realized that I’d spoken without thinking first. I blamed my months of isolation for that, but it didn’t mean the words weren’t spilled out. Normally I talked to myself, but she was here.

She looked just a little amused, so I started to relax. “You want gliding lessons?” After a moment I nodded, hoping she was offering. “Once you can glide on your own, it’s really just practice. You need to practice sharp turns, perhaps try gliding in tight spaces. That’s how you learn control.” I felt my heart drop a little in disappointment as my chance to be near her was ruined.

“I guess.” I muttered while looking away. My disappointment hurt. How was I supposed to get better when usually all my time was spent searching for shelter and food? The only reason I was able to come here on Fridays was that I had just resigned myself to fasting on Fridays so that I could watch her glide. It took a long time to get from the neighborhood I’d deemed somewhat safe into Manhattan, and it would take time to get back. I was rarely lucky enough to find a dumpster with good food in just the few hours I had left after getting back. I suspect the humans have already picked through the good food by early morning.

“I was on my way to get something to eat. Would you like to join me?” Demona spoke and I just stared for a moment, sure that I’d dreamed that part.

“You know where the good food is? I can’t find good dumpsters around here, too many humans always feed first and nothing is left.” I spoke up and then when her features changed, her eyes started to glow, I took a step back. What had I done wrong? I needed to learn to not say the things I thought, as I considered my error. Of course Demona wouldn’t eat from dumpsters.

The glow on Demona’s eyes didn’t fade. “Dumpsters. You eat out of dumpsters?” I just nodded a little, ashamed. “No we aren’t eating from dumpsters tonight. I’m taking you to my home, and you’ll eat fresh food that hasn’t been partly spoiled.”

“Thank you.” I spoke softly. It would be nice to eat first for a change.

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Prompt: Tattoo

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“Follow me and do what I do. I might as well take a look at your gliding skills.” Demona spoke and leapt off the building. I stood just a moment and then felt the grin start to grow on my face, it was unstoppable. I was going to get a lesson in gliding from the most graceful gargoyle in the city. After I realized that I rushed to the side of the building and jumped off so she wouldn’t get too far away.

At first Demona started with a few dives and sharp lifts, as well as sharp turns around buildings as we made our way across the city. I felt my shoulders and wings aching already, but I did my best. I wobbled a bit when changing direction and I lost the current once or twice, but I made sure to try my hardest.

I found breathing a bit difficult as well. It was with a strong sense of envy that I watched her do that loop I thought was so impressive, and a bit of shame. My muscles ached so much I knew that if I tried that it would look worse that my attempt earlier. I took a moment to catch my breath by stopping the follow the leader and I just glided after her while glancing around. The city lights were mostly behind us now.

“What’s the matter?” Demona was gliding upside down under me suddenly and I smiled just a little. It almost seemed like the gargoyle was showing off now, because I sure couldn’t follow her anymore.

“Is it much farther?” I asked, and I nibbled very gently on my lower lip after I’d spoken, hoping we were close.

“Tired already?” I nodded to her words. It wasn’t like I could hide that I wasn’t in shape like her. “Lilith, how much do you glide on a regular basis?”

“Not nearly enough.” I answered and then glanced up to make sure neither of us were on a collision course with anything. I could see we were far from my neighborhood, in the opposite direction most likely. Getting home was going to be impossible. “Can you put me up for the day? I’m lost, I wasn’t paying attention to where we were.” I was too busy following her to do that and now I saw that was a little stupid.

Hey, maybe once I stayed one day she’d let me just stay. I imagined that where ever Demona called home would be safe. And hey, she actually had food too.

“I suppose I could find a place for you.” Demona’s answer made me feel better about losing my way, or the fact that I was too tired to make it back to my own neighborhood.

“I was supposed to be your clan.” I spoke softly and stared down into her face. I noticed a small flinch at my words. “What happened to the others?”

“Things didn’t work out.” Demona looked away and barrel rolled out from under me. She was once again gliding beside me. “They currently live in the tunnels under the city.”

My jaw dropped opened as I thought about a tunnel. It made my unsafe day spots seem wonderful in comparison. “In the tunnels? Gargoyles don’t belong underground.”

“Don’t look at me, I didn’t do that.” Demona was looking at me and I just waited for the rest. Whoever would put gargoyles underground was crazy. I would go insane if I couldn’t glide at least once in a while. That explained why I never saw them, they couldn’t go gliding. I felt bad for them and grateful that I wasn’t still with them. “Goliath decided to hide the clones away because they made him uncomfortable. Not all gargoyles accept clones as gargoyles.”

I felt a wave of pain at that thought. I know I was treated differently, but to think I could be locked underground was scaring me. “You see me as a gargoyle don’t you?” I asked, afraid of the answer. Maybe she wasn’t willing to say I could stay with her because she didn’t want me around, not really. But then why would she have approved making any gargoyles? I knew I hadn’t been approved, that was clear because of what Thailog wanted me for, but Demona had approved the making of some gargoyles, clones. She had approved it, she’d worked hard for it.

“You look like a gargoyle to me.” Demona spoke and she smiled a little. It helped unclench my heart from fear to see that. Demona turned to look where we were going, so I did too. There were trees and smaller streets with just the occasional car under us. “Almost there.”

I sighed in relief, but then the shove I suddenly felt on my back that had me stumbling in the air had me gasping. Once I straightened out and stopped falling Demona was in front of me. “Catch me.” She yelled out and started to gain speed with a playful laugh.

I just stared stupidly for a moment, before I grinned and tried to do as she asked. I hissed in pain as I attempted her sharp turns, but I was having fun even if my body didn’t care for it. I tried to rise up above her, but she seemed to see everything in the air and I found myself behind again.

Once she landed in the backyard of a large house I followed her down, but I looked around with wide eyes. The lawn was large and the back porch light was on. “Come on in.” Demona waved for me to hurry up and stop staring.

“You live here?” I asked as I stared around at bushes and stone walkways. My head turned to look at all I could. It was nice, and the house was getting closer. “Oh this is nice.” I muttered and I looked around for a prime day spot, seeing so many if this place was as safe as I suspected. I could just blend in here, she already had a couple of statues.

“Thank you.” Demona told me but she was focused on pushing some buttons on a control of some sort. The beep happened and then she opened the back door. “Come on in. I’ll see about a meal.” Those words made me have to swallow my saliva. Food, I was always so hungry, so knowing I was going to eat well was a treat.

“Thank you.” I spoke as I closed the back door, seeing that we’d come into the kitchen of the house. It was large, with an island in the middle and a large fridge that Demona was already standing in front of and opening. I could see food, vegetables, some sort of juice container. My heart started to beat a little faster in anticipation.

She was just pulling item after item out and putting them on the counter and I stood there starting to feel a little awkward. “I heard you could be human in the day. Is that how you are able to have a house?”

“I owned a few homes before that damned spell.” Demona spoke into the fridge, but I could hear her words easily. “But I did buy this one after, Dominique needed a residence on the records.” I blinked and thought a moment, but then my programming caught up and I remembered the name of her human form. It wasn’t something I was told, it was something I was created knowing.

Sometimes I worried that what I thought I knew wasn’t real at all.

“Oh.” I spoke, because I felt I should, but I couldn’t even grasp having the ability to buy a home as a gargoyle. Demona clearly knew tricks I didn’t, tricks beyond how to glide.

“So Lilith, any preference between steak or chicken?” Demona asked and I just stared at her as she turned to look at me. They both sounded so good. “Okay, both.” Demona answered herself and I smiled big. I was right all those Fridays, I liked this gargoyle. She just got better the more I saw of her.

I sat down hesitantly, feeling a bit awkward as I watched her cook. I didn’t know how to help. It was something Thailog had left out of my programming, but I bet he wished he’d left it in when he saw that spot had been filled with some self respect instead.

“I’m surprised the clan never found you.” Demona spoke as she turned away from the oven.

“I avoided them.” I grimaced. They were a bunch of males and, well, my only experience with a gargoyle male wasn’t all that positive. Now that I knew they put clones underground I’d be even more careful to avoid them. “I had a few close calls, but they are a bit noisy, so I was able to avoid them.”

As Demona cooked, she also talked to me about small things. She’d ask about where I stayed during the day, what I did usually. I found my answers seemed to make her tense. She was especially tense when I mentioned the time I almost was smashed during the day.

Dinner smelled so good that after a little while I had trouble concentrating on talking with her. I started to just inhale deeply. She dished us up and brought me a plate. I found it a little hard to use the utensils she gave me, but I watched her and tried to copy what she did. It was something I was programmed with, but had never had a chance to use much.

After dinner I stood near the living room and my eyes widened as I caught the cover of a magazine on the table. Demona was busy with loading the dish washer, but I took a step into the other room.

On the front cover of the magazine was my face, pale and different, but it was my face. I found myself reaching out to pick up the business magazine, ignoring the other human on the cover as I stared at the redhead with the strange blue tattoo on her face.

My talon was caressing the spot of blue when Demona stepped into the room. I could hear her, but somehow my eyes stayed on the magazine. “I never saw a picture of her.” I whispered to explain myself.

“Yes well she ends up in the newspapers and magazines all the time, so finding more won’t be a problem.” Demona grumbled and I looked up at her.

“I see why you could figure out I had some of her DNA.” I glanced down at the picture. “Do you think I’d look better with a tattoo on my face too?”

“You are a predator, you don’t need to put a tattoo on to pretend to be one.” Demona told me, but I looked at the tattoo again. I was a gray gargoyle, gray like a dry street, with my lips darker. My hair was white, my eyes sometimes glowed red, and my clothes were black. A splash of color might be nice.

A small chuckled escaped me. Like I could afford a tattoo, or could even go into a place and get one. This was a stupid line of thought. I looked up at Demona again. She was a pretty blue with red hair, I found myself comparing us suddenly, searching her features in the much better light of the house. Her DNA would have been nice to have as well, I decided. I put the magazine down and glanced at the clock. “You did say I could stay right?”

“I think it would be best if you were in the backyard.” Demona spoke and I started in that direction. Daylight was coming soon, and I should prepare.

I felt her eyes on me as I moved next to the other statue, but it was more of a birdbath really. I pulled my wings in tight, squatted down, and wrapped my arms around my knees. I know it isn’t the traditional pose, but it left little sticking out to get easily smashed. I’d adopted this pose after waking up to see limbs scattered around me. I would not be as easily broken. As the sun rose over the horizon I prepared to lower my head, but a scream to the side of me had me turning in concern.

Demona looked to be in pain and my eyes widened, but before I could move more I felt the stone encase me.

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Prompt: Massage – section 4

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I heard the cracking as the sunset started to set me free and I stood up, stretching. The roar from my lips was something I had no control over as I let it echo out into Demona’s back yard. Once I was free I looked around me, searching for the female that had been there with me, but she wasn’t there now.

I’d heard she didn’t turn to stone, and I’d known it, but now I was concerned. “Demona?” I called out as I took a step toward the house, but I was looking around outside as I made my way to the house.

The back door opened and I felt a wave of relief to see the blue female looking at me. “Demona, what was that?” I moved closer, the look of pain on her face while I was turning to stone still filled my thoughts.

“Nothing you need to be concerned about.” Demona’s answer didn’t make me too happy, but I sure wasn’t going to argue if she didn’t want to talk about it. She managed to change the subject well with her next words. “So I have breakfast ready for you, but then I thought we should work on strengthening your gliding muscles. It really isn’t a good idea to tire so easily Lilith, you’ve seen how the hunters go after our kind and I can tell you that when they use helicopters it is hard to shake them. You need to be agile to survive.”

I couldn’t stop grinning at those words. After months of wandering alone and envying her ability, she was going to teach me. If I even learned a fraction of her skill I’d be thrilled. The other gargoyles in the city were better at gliding than me, but they weren’t graceful, purposeful in their movements. They didn’t have Demona’s beauty in the air. I wanted that so badly that even hungry and used to never getting enough food, I was tempted to skip the meal she made me so we could start gliding.

She held the door opened for me and I looked away from her, feeling a wave of shyness. This is a gargoyle that I admired and she held the door opened to me, it seemed surreal and like I might still be in my stone sleep dreaming. Life had changed dramatically in just twenty four hours, and I still felt stunned happy disbelief.

“You are rather thin, and we need to build you up.” Demona spoke before she set a plate down in front of me and I stared at the abundance of eggs on it. The plate was rather full. “Your diet was doing your body no favors, and you need protein to build strong gliding muscles.” I looked up at her but I didn’t know what to say. I felt shaky and my heart was beating with a touch of pain in it, as I looked back down at the plate. One meal wasn’t going to fix months of eating out of dumpsters, and Demona had to know it. She was going to keep me, I noticed my vision was getting blurry through the water in my eyes, and I did my best to just nod and pull the plate closer. I didn’t ask in case I was wrong, but I really thought this was it. Clan, she was going to accept me into her clan. My arm was a little shaky as I tried to use the fork again and I ate quietly, no longer in a rush to glide, because this meal came with a promise and I wanted to savor that.

This was such a nice house, and the yard was huge. There were tall brick fences and I could easily see myself happily living out my life in this house. She had food, her fridge was full. She was willing to teach me, and she knew more than any gargoyle I had seen. She was willing to treat me like a gargoyle, not a clone. I took a shaky breath as she moved to get herself something to drink and I ate slowly and quietly. I’d accept all those things, and I showed that in my silence, I hope I did. I wanted her to know I’d accept, so that she might just verbalize it. Tell me she wanted me to stay.

“The city is really the best place to practice gliding. There is a lot to dodge and swerve around and the thermals are odd and it requires a lot of attention to detail or you lose them.” Demona was speaking but when I stopped eating to look up she waved at the plate, telling me to eat without words. “Also the distance would be a good warm up for you.”

“Thank you.” I spoke after I swallowed the food in my mouth.

“It’s nothing. I could use a work out too, and I’ll train you so that you can give me one.” Demona smiled and I felt my heart constrict again. That was invitation enough, she was definitely keeping me.

Eating everything on my plate was a bit hard, but I managed it. I felt too full after I’d finished and I wondered if it would slow me down in the air, but hopefully it wouldn’t.

“I usually take off from the upstairs, and this is going to be challenging for you.” Demona spoke as she led me upstairs. “You have to catch the air fast or you’ll fall to the ground.” I nodded to show I was paying attention, but I was used to taking off from closer to the ground, because where I lived they didn’t have skyscrapers. That was one skill I was a little confident about, getting in the air. She continued to talk and I quietly listened. “You were exhausted yesterday, but the stone sleep should have fixed your muscle aches.” I nodded, I felt fine. “So we’ll push you like that every night and you’ll find your endurance increasing.”

Every night, I slowed my steps toward the room with the window she wanted as I considered those words. “I don’t know how to thank you enough for this.” I had to say it. Sure she didn’t come right out and tell me I was living here, but it was pretty clear now.

Demona looked a bit thoughtful as she turned to look at me, and this time I didn’t complain about the searching look. “We’ll see how grateful you are after I work you into the ground tonight.” Sure it was a little gruff and it made me think of a drill sergeant, but I was eager to work hard and show her I could get better. I was also eager to watch her glide from closer than a building across the street.

We took off and the slightly surprised look on her face made me feel a little proud as she noticed I had no trouble with the second story take off.

“We’re going to glide to NightStone and back.” Demona said as she glided up to match me in the air. Looking at the ground I made a guess about the direction I’d come from the night before and started off. She didn’t correct me, so I must have been right. “I’d like to take you inside and see if we can find out who your other DNA donor is. I suspect it’s Goliath.” Her words bothered me.

“Why does it matter?” I asked and started to gain altitude. She matched me easily and was graceful enough not to hit me in spite of gliding so closely.

“To me it doesn’t really, but if the clan finds you they have a real double standard about clones.” Demona smirked. “Goliath has a soft spot for his own clones, offering chance after chance. He really is very gullible like that.” I didn’t really understand this, unless Goliath had actually liked Thailog and the idea was rather hard to grasp. Thailog was a real evil piece of work. “He assumed that I was manipulating Thailog,” Demona’s smile faded and her eyes glowed, “but apparently it was the other way around.”

I felt uncomfortable at that moment, very extremely uncomfortable. My mere existence was testimony to Thailog’s manipulating this female, and I felt a little guilty even though I hadn’t played into his sick game. My voice was almost too soft to hear over the wind. “I’m sure he was convincing.”

“He was.” Demona’s words were angry and then she went quiet. I focused on the land marks to try and head in the right direction, but soon I’d need her to lead us. “What did he tell you about what he was doing?” Her question wasn’t welcome at all, and I sighed.

“He was making a clan.” That was the most obvious thing in the world. “And he wanted to include more females than Goliath’s clan had, but he wanted more than to just include them. He wanted more lovers.” I swallowed hard. “And when I wasn’t willing to give in to him he turned to the doctor and said I was a failure and they’d need to start over.” He’d also talked about modifying the programming, so I expect I should pity the second female created. She’d have less free will, that was certain, and she’d have been filled with a strong heterosexual orientation if that could even be done. Thailog had ignored me and talked about me right there in front of me, debating about whether it was Fox’s DNA or the other sample that caused the problem.

“So he was going to kill you?” Demona asked and there was more curiosity in her voice so I paused mentally and considered what I should tell her. There were probably notes somewhere that she could find that would explain why I was slated for death, and they might even be in that lab under NightStone.

“He didn’t want competition, he wanted a consort.” I swallowed, nervous and scared. I needed her as my clan.

“Competition?” She wasn’t letting it go and I sighed heavily. I was a little too nervous, because I was hit by a bit of wind and it made me stumble far more than it should have. I really wasn’t happy with embarrassing myself on something easy like gliding in a straight line. I looked over at her and she was watching me with a slight frown. That analyzing look was back, and I was afraid what she’d assume. Maybe something could be worse than the truth.

“I prefer females. I had no interest in him. That’s why he named me Lilith, he said it had some mythical meaning. Basically he told me she was the one made first and she rejected Adam and wouldn’t obey him. He said he’d start work on his Eve as soon as possible.” It had been strange that he spoke so intellectually in front of me then waved his arm and ordered my destruction. Lilith was my name and I lived with it, but I would never forget how I got it, it was like I was nothing to him, and he was a clone too. He should have had some conscience about it all, but he was just not normal. If any clone were worth destroying it was him, not me.

“He named her Delilah instead.” Demona spoke and I noticed she had a small pleased smile. “I’m glad he tasted a little rejection before he betrayed me like that.” Her smile was vindictive and I knew it was powered by bitterness, but I was glad that my actions made her happy. I was also glad that she didn’t even comment on what else I said, she just turned a little, starting to guide me to Manhattan.

It was quiet as I followed her, and I suspected she needed time to think, so I didn’t try to talk. Instead I focused on learning the way. If I was going to be living with her and training I’d probably be taking this flight often. I noticed what I could of the landmarks I assumed she used, every time she turned I looked around for what she was seeing to mark the path.

I was focused on looking for the latest landmark as she turned, and the sudden push on my back had me tensing up in shock and falling. Once I managed to catch air again I looked up to see her laughing at me and waving, before she started to glide away faster. I grinned and turned as sharply as I could to give chase. I liked this game.

She was amazing and I was in awe as I tried to follow her, but she was gaining altitude so fast I just couldn’t do it. I felt slow and feeble, but I finally managed to match her. I watched as she zipped between the cables of a bridge, she turned and zipped through them again and again, almost as if she were a needle and it was the fabric, she dove in and out, all in the time it took me to glide after her normally. She laughed at my stunned expression when she noticed it and that’s how I realized I was staring at her dumbly. “Not even going to try?” She teased, but watching her do it, I really didn’t think I could just yet. I had trouble with sharp turns.

“I hope I can do that someday.” I told her as she moved to glide beside me again. I stared back at the cables of the bridge and then at her. “Do you think I will?”

“We’ll keep working until you can.” She nodded and turned to face the city we had almost reached. “But I think you need to push yourself a bit more, so.” Her words trailed off and when I looked to my left my eyes widened, she wasn’t even there anymore. I’d lost her. I looked around frantically, but the shove on my back was hard and answered that question. “Catch me!” Demona called out and then she dove down. I could feel myself starting to get tired already, but I dove as well.

I found myself getting closer and I reached out in anticipation of being able to grab her by the tail at least, I was smiling, but then when I reached out a blinding pain started in my shoulders and worked its way down my back. “AH,” I lost altitude as my right wing started to spasm. “Help!” I called out, but I was trying so hard to get my wing to stop shaking and carry me down to a rooftop safely.

“Ah, Ah,” I was gritting my teeth against the pain and fell to the rooftop, falling on hands and knees. I could tell I’d scraped up skin, but I was trying to reach back and grab my protesting wing. My back pain increased if I tried to turn a little or reach back.

“Here, Here.” Demona was beside me quickly and I felt warm hands grip my wing and then she was rubbing the screaming muscle. “Cramping like that, I didn’t think you were this bad off Lilith.” Demona’s voice was soft and I grimaced with each rub, knowing it had to be done but it hurt. She kept rubbing, massaging, the aching muscle until it was no long pain in every touch, it started to feel like it was helping and I sighed once it had reached that point. Demona kept working my poor muscle, but now she was using her other hand to move my wing a little up and down, back and forth.

“I thought I was doing fine.” I told her and leaned back into her touch a bit. Probably enough to be noticed, but she kept touching me, helping me. I could never get to those muscles myself.

She kept rubbing, now taking in the surrounding muscles. “That’s dangerous to over do it like this. Did you ever glide much at all?”

“Just a little between buildings, and then on Friday’s I’d glide into the city.” I answered her. I had avoided gliding around a lot during the week to save up my strength for Fridays, but apparently that wasn’t how it was done. I should have been gliding more.

“Stand up.” She ordered and she even helped me do it. Then she was rubbing my wing joints a bit more firmly, and I decided right then that almost falling to my death was a fair price to pay for this, because this was nice. I’d never been touched so gently before and I found myself staying very quiet so that she could focus on me like this. “Look, we’re almost to my company. I think we should stop there for a while and let you rest. We can look into the clone records and then when we head back we’ll do it in smaller steps.”

“Okay.” I answered, but I was a little irritated with myself, it was my fault the fun ended.

“Push your wings back and raise them up high.” She said after she’d stopped touching and she stepped around so that I could. It hurt a little, but nothing like it had been hurting. “Is it okay?”

“I think so.” I answered, while moving them out further from my body and stretching them out as far apart as they’d go.

“Nice wingspan you got there.” Demona spoke and she was grinning a little wickedly at me. I blushed and I didn’t even know what the joke was.

……………………………..

Prompt: Fight – section 5

…………………………….

“So this tears it, it was Goliath.” Demona spoke from in front of the computer, but I hadn’t been paying too much attention to her words until that moment. Instead I was staring at the equipment that created me. It made me feel dirty, and seeing where the rest of the clan was created was a little lonely feeling. They at least had each other, I thought for a moment, but then just being in this windowless place bothered me, so I’d never survive in tunnels. I had it better in that I had the ability to glide, and I now had an amazing teacher.

To hear that one of my genetic donors was Thailog’s as well, it made me a bit sick. He was more twisted than I’d thought. It wouldn’t have been that hard to use one of the other gargoyles as a donor, but he’d selected Goliath’s for what he wanted to be his consort. It made him seem dangerously insane that this was the path he took. I looked over at Demona and noticed she looked a little disgusted as well, but thankfully it didn’t seem to be aimed at me. “I can’t believe that male.” Demona muttered and I fully relaxed, to know my genetic heritage wasn’t ruining anything for me.

“So if they catch me I should drop his name like crazy and hope for some pity?” I asked with a little bit of sarcasm. I didn’t intend to go peacefully to the tunnels if it came to that, no they’d have to drag me biting and clawing.

Demona’s attention was on me and she stared a moment, but there was a hint of a smile. “That would be a good idea. It would sure do a lot more for you than dropping mine.”

I was aware that Demona wasn’t a part of that clan anymore, my programming included the ability to fight gargoyles and a bit of information on the gargoyles in Goliath’s clan. It was assumed I’d battle them at some point. My programming also included Demona in that way and I’d never talk about that. There was little doubt in my mind I was supposed to betray her along with Thailog. I didn’t want her thinking that was my plan now, and I doubted I could beat her even if I wanted to.

I looked around at the lab again, and then at Demona reading a file she had on the table next to the computer. “There’s nothing wrong with me is there?” I asked, feeling a bit nervous just being here, but seeing her study my file like that was unnerving.

“No,” Demona looked away from the screen at me. “No, nothing that I see here, but it doesn’t hurt to double check what the good Dr. Sevarius has done. I find he is a slimy and unpredictable human and we don’t want any surprises.” Well, obviously she’s met him, I thought sarcastically, but I felt better knowing she was checking for me. I hadn’t even considered what that man might have put in me other than to be concerned with poor programming. “Do you have any understanding of genetics?” She asked and that made me turn to stare at the place I was created as I considered that question.

With my programming I sometimes didn’t know what I did know unless a situation came up where I needed it. My fighting ability came to me right as they were about to kill me, and I’d frozen for a moment too long as I had a flash of knowledge hit me. Now I just knew it, but then it had been a shock and they’d been too stunned by my freezing and staring at nothing to attack for that precious few moments I needed to learn to defend myself. Those thugs had to have lied about killing me or Thailog would have hunted me down.

“Can I see a file?” I asked, thinking that maybe I did know something. I was supposed to be the first and now I started to wonder if I was supposed to be the mother of them all. Demona got up and moved to the side, leaving the chair opened for me.

As I sat I found myself staring at the screen filled with medical notes and equations about the chemicals used. I stopped moving as I stared and it felt like a rush of light and a wave of knowledge hit me. I knew this stuff. “It looks like I was supposed to be the Doctor’s assistant.” I spoke after I could focus again and I noticed Demona looking at me with some concern. She’d moved from where she’d been, so time had passed. “I was supposed to help bring about the next generation of clones. How sexist. I was female so I was responsible for them.” I muttered.

“I want to copy these files and have you double check them for surprises.” Demona spoke.

“I don’t think I have that much understanding.” I looked back at the screen. “I am female, and neither of them thought much of females. I’d be surprised if I knew more than just enough to be an assistant. They were more interested in how I’d look than how I’d think.”

Demona made some sort of half amused half disgusted snort and I looked over at her. She had a small smirk. “And yet they ended up with a feminist lesbian gargoyle. I love justice sometimes.” Demona glanced at the screen. “I suspect someone didn’t check what they were putting in your programming carefully enough.”

I grimaced at my personality not even being considered my own, or that she seemed to think of my beliefs and orientation were her own personal vengeance against Thailog. To be programmed means to doubt a lot about what you feel is true about yourself and I didn’t like it. Demona seemed to sense my mood because her smile faded and she just studied me for a moment, before turning to the place I was created. She didn’t speak for a while. “If the humans hadn’t destroyed so many clans we wouldn’t have needed to resort to cloning to create more gargoyles.” She spoke with a hint of anger, but her voice was quiet. “I needed a full grown clan, I wasn’t prepared to raise a clan from hatchlings. It was a decision both Thailog and I made, to aim for an age where you all would be a true asset to our goals.”

“I understand all that.” I spoke, letting her know I didn’t blame her for the fact I had been programmed, or that I never had been a hatchling.

“Of course now I know he had more than one reason to have the clones made full grown.” Demona growled a little and I just turned to focus back on the computer screen. I couldn’t say anything to make it easier for her to know.

I scrolled down on the screen, looking at a few more notes. “I need time for this. It’s pretty complicated.”

“I’ll copy it all and you can use my computer at home to go over it. If you need books or other files you can just let me know.” Demona spoke and while it was a job that would take time, my mind stayed on the way she’d said home. I liked how she just assumed I’d stay with her.

It took a while to copy everything, but Demona put it all in a bag and we took the elevator up to her office so we could start back to the house. I wasn’t able to call it home just yet, but maybe soon I’d feel secure enough to say it. It’s just she hadn’t come out and said it was my home yet.

She carried the bag. “No tag on the way back. If you get tired tell me and we’ll make some stops on the way.” Demona told me before she leapt out of the window, the only opening window in a building this tall I’d assume, but I just jumped out after her.