Lone Clone

By Princess Alexandria

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Prompt: Destruction – section 27

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I followed her, watching her slight crouch as she made her way down the tunnel, the gun held in front of her. I found myself crouching down a bit as well, but I didn’t know why. The people around here should expect to see me walking around. I just pulled my wings tighter to my body and followed as we slowly made our way to the entrance to the large opened part of the Labyrinth.

“While I’d like to take the time to repay their hospitality, we just need to run for it.” Demona spoke and I studied her back, starting to wonder what being locked up had been like for her, and what it would take to ‘pay it back’. As a prison went, it hadn’t seemed too bad to me. Well, unless I considered her cell block mate, leaving her near him had been a bit cruel. “Once we’re in the air do your best to stay close to me. I hope you’ve been practicing.”

I stopped breathing for a moment. I was too busy, I hadn’t really practiced at all since that one glide with Angela. “Actually.” I started to speak quietly and slowly. When Demona turned to glance at me it made me feel a bit more nervous. “I spent all my time working on that device we left there. It was a multipurpose interface, because I couldn’t tell what all they had…” My words trailed off as I saw something impatient in her eyes. “Maybe we should split up.” I offered. I was going to slow her down.

“No, because if they captured you I couldn’t play damsel in distress like you did. It would take a full frontal assault to get you back.” Demona stared at me as she said that and I felt like my heart hammered just once as I stared back. Her face was serious and I was stunned that she seemed to be saying she’d do that for me. I knew she kept me, which was more than I’d expected, when she found me, but to hear she’d fight for me too was just yet more proof that I had clan. My heart ached in a good way. “You’ll glide hard tonight Lilith, and you’ll keep up with me. There is no other alternative.” Demona glanced away toward the room we needed to cross for just a moment, but I still stared at her dumbly. My mind was stuck on her words, but then the other words, about keeping up with her processed and I felt sick. I was nowhere near ready to keep up with her, but I had no choice.

Once the clan realized I’d betrayed them, I didn’t want to be their prisoner. I took a deep breath and clenched my fists. I’d do my best, it wouldn’t be enough, but it wouldn’t be because I hadn’t tried.

“Okay, you’re my prisoner until they figure it out. At that point you run and I’ll cover you.” Demona explained as she grabbed my arm, pulling me in front of her by my elbow. It was a rather forceful tug and I almost stumbled. “I won’t hurt you, but act afraid.” Demona whispered into my ear and it was soft and tender, before the gun was pressed into another part of my body. “I will never, under any circumstances, pull the trigger on you.” Demona told me just as she marched us out of the doorway and into the room.

I was a little off balance, with her hold and fast pace it was like she was dragging me into the main room. I felt a little faint, so I knew I looked suitably scared, just not of her. The mutates in the room were just the two males, but neither of them noticed us first. I saw the homeless man point to us and Talon turning to look, just before I felt the gun pressed hard against the side of my head.

“No, no.” Demona spoke a little loudly at the tense mutates now turning to stare at us. “I’m sure Lilith here would like for you to just let me pass.” The gun dug into my skull and I really hoped she had a steady hand and not an accident inclined talon.

I stared as Talon clenched his fists and his ears laid back. He looked like a pissed off cat. Claw’s eyes narrowed, and the humans, few that there were right now, seemed to know when to leave. There was a mass exodus near the door. I briefly wondered if they’d been here for a fight, before I was tugged another few steps toward freedom.

I was looking down, but I found my heart stopping in my chest for a moment when I was suddenly grabbed and twisted to the side, her arm pinning my wings and arms to my body. I’d have been impressed with the maneuver if the loud blast hadn’t sounded near my ear. That just scared me. I noticed her blue arm out of the corner of my vision and the gun being held out toward a wall. I then followed it’s aim.

“Nice try Kitty, but not good enough.” Demona sounded menacing and I stared at Maggie, who was lowering her arms and staring at me with a little pity. I felt a wave of guilt, seeing that she’d tried to save me. She wasn’t after capturing Demona, her eyes said she was just concerned about me. I hadn’t even spoken to her more than three words at a time any time I’d visited here.

I was pulled backwards and I did my best to go with it and not stumble. My hands moved up to hold the arm holding me to Demona, but I just rested my hands there. Her arm was strong, her muscles felt like steel. For just a moment I enjoyed that, but then I started to trip and had to focus. I stared at the mutates, the humans were out the door already. Talon looked pretty angry.

I also noticed the steam and looked back toward Maggie, to see a hole in one of the pipes along the ceiling near her that hadn’t been there before. I blinked and stared a moment too long. “Pick up your feet and move.” Demona ordered me, grabbing my attention again.

I nodded and moved to back up with her faster.

“We’re leaving.” Demona told the mutates but they moved with us slowly following. My heart was already moving too fast, but the thought of outracing them was an unpleasant one that ratcheted my tension up another notch.

My foot caught on something and my eyes widened in shock as I started to fall to the side. Demona’s grip tightened to almost painful and a strange zapping sound filled the room. My feet finally got under me with Demona’s help, but then she actually tossed me to the ground.

A crash sound filled my ears, so closely that I just was able to look up at Demona and see her mouth moving, and couldn’t hear her over it. “Time to run Lilith.” She grabbed my arm and it felt like she’d yank my arm out of socket as she pulled me to my feet. “Run.” She yelled at me and pushed me toward the door we’d almost made it too.

There were large bits of stone in the way now, but I jumped over them. “Lilith!” Talon yelled at me, and there was a definite edge of angry. It signaled the destruction of the tentative friendships I’d made in the clan, because there was no way he didn’t realize that I was to blame for Demona’s escape. I started to run faster as I heard the gun go off again and heard the clack of gargoyle feet chasing after me.

“We need to get in the air. They’ve only been flying a little longer than you’ve been alive.” Demona yelled at me as something hit the wall next to me. I threw up my arm to protect my face from the debris and kept running. “They were human, they’ll be no match for us in the air.” Demona said and then there were more shots from the gun, but I didn’t look back. I kept running with all I had. I felt that clenching fear in my stomach that I was going to disappoint her big time. I wasn’t a strong flyer, and they had been flying since before I was alive. That wasn’t as comforting as she seemed to think it should be.

The air got cooler and I felt the breeze. I ran while uncaping my wings and leaning forward. Just a little further and I’d be able to try and catch air.

I jumped at the wall I normally took a leisurely climb up to leave this place and climbed like I was possessed. It took all my willpower to not leap off before I knew I was high enough, I wanted in the air now, right now.

Demona was right behind me, and then suddenly she was gliding in front of me. “Follow me, stay tight and dodge.” She yelled out as she turned right sharply, nearly hitting me. The lightening filled the space she’d been in. I pulled up as hard as I could and my shoulders ached with the effort to turn hard, but I didn’t hit her and knock us both out of the sky.

Demona was moving fast and I took a deep breath and narrowed my eyes. I wasn’t going to fail this test. I pulled my wings tighter and darted after her.

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Prompt Grace– section 28

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I found myself focused, in an almost sort of tunnel vision. It felt dangerous, but I’d noticed that Demona moved up, down, left right, even when the weird lightening being shot at us wasn’t near her, it was near me. She had already proven that she could glide and watch me before, and all I could figure out was she was helping me to dodge the attacks. She also was dodging attacks on herself, but those she didn’t dodge until they were so close to her I felt I might forget how to breath as I watched them approach her back.

I just stared at her and moved as hard as I could around the corner of a building. Bricks from the wall rained onto me as a loud blast just missed me.

Demona’s tail waved, making it a little easier to see she was diving just on the other side of the building, diving sharp and fast to reach lower air. I took a deep breath before I followed. My eyes were as wide as I could have them with the wind whipping at me. I couldn’t hear anything and I was terrified of the moment we’d stop the dive, imagining my weaker wings being unable to turn up like she could.

Her wings were tight to her body and I just stared as they opened up. I found I couldn’t look at the ground fast approaching, because if it were up to me I would have turned up a few stories of the building back. Finally, finally she was pulling up and I had to grit my teeth as I fanned my wings out. The wind battered them and it hurt, it did hurt, but I used all the strength I had to push them out and steady myself, while stopping the dive.

I was moving fast though, scary fast, as I tore around a corner of the building and saw we then needed to turn around yet another building.

The mutate’s lightning had stopped, but I didn’t look around to find them. We were still racing, but this time between smaller buildings.

My jaw clenched as I noticed the shape of the windows passing me faster than ever before. It was the obstacle course. I moved my arms out to protect my neck as Demona dove down and then up, looking so graceful at twice the normal speed we took this. At twice as fast a line to my throat would kill me. I heard a sound, but didn’t focus on it. The mutate lightning blasted past me and Demona ducked down, but then pulled up fast.

I was no longer flying in line with her. She couldn’t show me the clothes lines from two stories lower. I stared in front of me with my jaw opened as I realized with the mutates shooting, I couldn’t follow her every move, not in this area, where the lines complicated everything. My fists clenched and I had to give up on watching her, as I stared at the path I was taking.

The slight shine in the air signaled a clothes line and I pulled up as fast as I could. I didn’t bother blinking and I was barely over it when another shine had me diving down.

A loud grunt was far too close behind me and I heard the snapping of a clothes line, a sound I’d heard before as I’d missed a dodge. I couldn’t turn, I barely glanced down to see a large form reflected in a window falling. I couldn’t look long, because I had to move up and miss another line.

The small buildings opened up to a small street and I pulled up hard to miss the blue female suddenly rising up into the air in front of me. “Graceful.” Demona sounded pleased and I followed her up. “You were and they weren’t. That’s what it takes to survive Lilith. Good job.” I glanced back to see the two males, one carrying the other. I stared a little longer, and released my held breath when I saw the one not gliding move an arm.

We rose up into the sky and started to move at a more comfortable, slower pace, toward Nightstone. I glanced toward the lightening sky and started to move a little faster. I could already tell I was going to be spending the day nearby, but hopefully we could make it to Demona’s office before the choice was taken from me.

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Prompt: untouchable –section 29

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Demona moved to circled above Nightstone and pointed down at the roof. “Land, I’ll open the window.” I carefully landed and grimaced as I pulled my wings in tight to my body. Every little movement ached. I watched as Demona glided over the side of the building and dove, and I walked over to the edge to see her glide up to the wall and reach out, grabbing it.

I would have rammed my face into the brick with that maneuver, I thought, as I watched how her strong arms kept her from doing just that. She reached out and did something, and the shine of the window faded as it was pushed into the room beyond it.

She looked up at me with such a sexy grin on her face and waved me down. It was just two stories below the roof I was on. She’d done this before, but she must have lost her remote, because I’d never seen her have to open the window herself. I followed her in as slowly as I possibly could and still stay airborne. My wings protested every motion, but I glided into the window and moved to land on my feet.

“You are getting much better at this.” Demona told me and I turned to see her leaning against her desk watching me. “You didn’t hit a single line did you?” I felt a bit of pride at the approval in her eyes. “Thank you for getting me out of there.” Demona moved to stand up suddenly. “It’s almost dawn, we need to get to my secret office. It’s more secure and soundproof.”

I just stood there, staring around the room. What secret office? I thought, but she approached a bookshelf. It was so cliché, but it moved out of her way. I stared at the opening for just a moment before following her. She waved me in and I moved a bit too slowly, because she was closing the door right behind us and I felt her hand on my shoulder, pushing me in further, into a large second office with a bit more computer equipment.

“You’ll have to spend the day here.” Demona told me and I glanced around for a safe corner. I felt a bit apprehensive about how exposed I felt here.

Her hand moved to caress my shoulder and I turned to see her looking at me. “I’ll protect you during the day. I promise you’ll be untouchable here. No human’s will come in here and I’ll protect the only entrance.”

I nodded and glanced at the window and the growing light outside as the sun was preparing to rise. I glanced around again and picked a corner. As I moved to stand in it I pulled my wings tight to my body and glanced at Demona again.

“I wish you wouldn’t curl up like you do. You’re a gargoyle, and we are fierce.” Demona sighed and I hesitated in my crouching. “I will protect you Lilith.” Demona spoke more softly, and it seemed a little sadly.

I just stared a moment, wondering what she was thinking about. This bothered her, but it made me feel safer. But did that make her feel like I didn’t trust her to protect me?

“Okay.” I said quietly as I took a shaky breath and fanned my wings out. I spread my legs and used my tail to help my balance as well. It wasn’t a fierce pose, but I was standing up. I saw her smile just a little, before she startled to grimace and then curl up as she screamed in pain. I’d seen it before, and still it took all I had to maintain my pose as the stone sleep took me.

My last thought was that I did trust her, and she had to see that. I trusted her with my life.

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Prompt: Skewer – Section 30

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I woke up with a growl, and then grimaced as I realized where I was. I hoped that the soundproofing in this hidden room was as good as Demona thought it was.

I glanced around the place and found myself alone, but a noise drew me toward yet another wall. I moved slowly and was still startled when a door opened suddenly. Demona stood in the doorway, and beyond her I could see a bathroom. I noticed her hair was damp.

“Bathing again?” I asked with a small smile. It seemed like an interesting idea, submerging yourself in water. A memory of walking in on her last time had my grey skin blushing and I looked away for a moment.

“They must lick themselves clean, because they rarely thought to give me enough water to bathe with.” Demona’s voice was bitter and I glanced at her with some concern. “But enough of that.” Demona seemed to take a deep breath as she spoke. “We need to leave as soon as possible. Tonight they’ll be looking for us, but then they will settle down. I suppose we should find another area to practice gliding for a few weeks.”

“Okay.” I followed her out into the air, and glanced back to see the window closing behind us.

“I know I pushed you to glide hard yesterday.” Demona was gliding below me looking up, and I wondered if she did that to show off. “But you did very well. I’m proud of you Lilith.” Demona spoke and then just did a barrel roll in the air and moved to glide in front of me before I could respond.

I felt proud of myself as well, and I smiled at her back. I had kept up. Sure, there hadn’t been a choice, but I’d done that. And she saw that. I took a deep breath and focused on following her, when I saw we were taking a different route that kept us away from Central Park.

I felt off, strangely empty, as I followed her away from the city. I glanced back at the castle on the skyscraper and imagined Fox staring out into the sky for me. My eyes burned as tears filled them and I did what I could to push that thought out of my head. I was going to miss my mama. Could Demona even understand how I felt about my nearly human donor?

If I said something about it, would Demona help me call Fox, I wondered. I sighed heavily and focused on gliding. Demona was darting in and out of the bridge lines again and smiling. She was happy. Why couldn’t I be? My own betrayal of the clan had managed to skewer my heart as well. I felt unwhole as I left the city. Part of my clan was behind me and part of my clan was darting in and out of the bridge. I’d never have it all.

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Prompt: Miss Innocent – section 31

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I had questions I wanted to ask Demona. The way she nibbled on her lip as she studied a business report was so sexy that I found suddenly that I could think of little else. My funk over leaving my donor behind faded a bit as I watched the blue female lash her tail a little as she concentrated on something I knew little about. I stopped typing on the computer and found myself just watching her.

She was so beautiful it was hard to even imagine I’d have a chance, but when she looked up and gave me a confused smile at my staring at her I couldn’t help the blush and shy smile I gave her back.

Goliath had said people questioned Demona’s sexuality years ago. Did Demona know they’d wondered, I thought as I glanced down her arm to the hand holding the Nightstone report she was busy studying.

I caught the lingering stare she gave me, before shaking her head and pulling her report back up to study. I also caught the hint of a smile as she read and I stared. “You are so beautiful.” I whispered quietly to myself as if telling her, but the words were supposed to not actually be out loud. I watched her smile grow just a bit more wicked.

“Thank you.” Demona looked up and her eyes were touching me, making me feel touched and I felt a spike of want as she studied me a moment more, before I had to look away. I glanced at my computer monitor, but I didn’t actually read any words. She’s whispered just as quietly as I had. Part of me wanted to pretend she hadn’t heard, and that I hadn’t heard her respond.

“Did you know that your old clan, years ago, thought you might be like me?” I felt like I’d been gliding hard, racing, as my heart hammered so loud I thought it would be easier to hear than my voice. “Goliath told me.”

“We didn’t have the technology to create clones back then.” Demona spoke and I turned to look at her, because I didn’t think she’d actually think that’s what I meant.

I just stared at her, taking in her eyes and the slight mischievousness in them. “That’s not what I meant.”

“They called me a late bloomer.” Demona’s arms, with the report, lowered to the table, putting it down. “Goliath told you? He must have been working very hard to pull you into his clan to be telling stories of our young days.”

“Yes,” I pretended to shudder. She smiled a little at that. My playful grin faded as I watched her again. “Am I the only living lesbian gargoyle?” I asked, and my throat felt tight at that thought. “I really don’t want to date humans.” I muttered as I looked away. “Is that all there is for me?”

I didn’t have the courage to ask her straight out, and I felt like I was circling around the topic from too far away to land on it. I felt a little foolish. I also felt exposed and painfully vulnerable in the silence. I had looked away while I spoke, but the longer the silence lasted, the more my head turned back to her.

“Lilith.” Demona spoke slowly and I watched her face move from a revulsion to a rather commanding one, neither of which was comforting. “I know you share in Goliath’s dna, but I’d really ask that you not follow his tendency to pine after human women.” I swallowed hard and nodded, and her back seemed to relax from the rigid posture she’d adopted. Her voice was softer as she spoke again. “None of my sisters looked at me the way you do, and,” Demona sighed heavily, relaxing a bit more. “I find that I don’t mind it. Perhaps the elders of our clan were right. When I started seeing Goliath, even I assumed the question was answered, but you bring all those old questions back to me.”

My fists clenched as I sat on the computer chair watching her move to walk toward me, her tail sweeping the floor back and forth with her motions. Her hips swayed as well, and it was a seductive sway.

She leaned closer to me and then my vision was filled with cracks and light, I roared and stretched. The rock fell from me and I leaned forward to rest my hands on my thighs, bending down from my stone sleeps new standing pose, as I found myself staring at the setting sun. A dream, I felt like roaring out again, this time in anger. It had been a dream. Demona, I’d almost had her, and it had all been a dream.

“Lilith? Are you okay?” Demona’s voice asked and I turned while standing to see her standing in the doorway to her bedroom. “You look disturbed.”

“I’m okay.” I muttered, while turning away and blushing.

“Naughty dreams?” Demona’s voice was teasing and my blush grew. My dreams weren’t naughty, but they had been good. “I see.” Demona sounded amused. “Lilith’s been having naughty dreams.” She teased and I glared at her, but it was embarrassing and my blush grew. “Anything interesting?” she taunted me with a wicked smile.

“I,” My mouth moved a few times but no sound came out. “I didn’t have a sex dream.” I finally got out a little more quickly and loudly than normal.

“The lady doeth protest too much.” Demona smirked and turned to move back inside. “And here I was thinking you were little Miss Innocent, but you’re having rather graphic dreams aren’t you?”

I just stared after her. Did she really believe her teasing? And Miss Innocent? She did know I was created as a concubine, I knew a lot about sex, just not what two female would do for it, but I knew a lot. I huffed in irritation and followed her inside, hoping the teasing was over for the night.

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Prompt: Tail Sex – section 32

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“It looks like the vegetables went bad while I was locked away.” Demona spoke with her head in the refrigerator. I watched her tail lash back and forth slowly as she inspected the damage to her food supplies quietly. She was making me dinner again, and I know it was stupid, but I felt a bit teary eyed seeing her back to feeding me. I watched as she reached in and pulled out a jar of something, placing it on the counter all without pulling her head out of the fridge. Item after item was pulled out and placed on the counter. “You really should learn to cook Lilith. I was concerned that you’d end up eating out of dumpsters when I didn’t return that night.”

“I managed.” I muttered and moved to slowly sit at the table, still watching her, but she stood up and closed the door while glancing at me.

“I’m sure Broadway fed you well.” Demona spoke slowly and I looking into her face to see her staring at me.

“He fed me, but it wasn’t the same.” I swallowed hard. “It wasn’t you, when you feed me, its.” My words trailed off, and I felt stupid for even starting them. “It means something.” I whispered. “It means something when you do it.”

Demona smiled just a little. “I wasn’t sure you’d understand that.” Demona spoke and then turned to the food she’d pulled out to work with. “I’ve eaten the scraps human’s left behind as well Lilith, I’ve stolen food and what was more closely related to garbage to eat. I understand what food means to you. Even at the worst they’d experienced, I can’t say the clan has ever had to resort to what we have in order to survive.” I stared at her, trying to imagine her hunting through dumpsters like I had, but I just couldn’t see her doing that. She was a rather proud female, and I’d lost all my pride so I could survive.

Demona had moved to focus on opening the meat and working with the other ingredients. I had free reign to watch her, and I noticed her tail was lashing back and forth again, reveling an agitation she didn’t show on any other part of her body. The rest of her looked calm, normal, but that tail moved back and forth too fast for it to be true.

I started to become hypnotized with it’s movement, and I watched it lash left and right, in a fast but ordered motion. The blue tip seemed to curve a little each time it switched direction. It moved back and forth relentlessly, as Demona focused on other things, and I found my own tail starting to sway like that as well.

I wondered if it was like human’s said about yawning. If you saw someone yawn, you did too, only as I watched her tail move my own felt like it couldn’t be contained.

The pot was placed on the stove and Demona turned to smile at me briefly, before continuing her work. “I’m going to have to teach you to cook, even though I do prefer you dependent on me for this.” Demona’s smile was continuing. “We’ll see if my little scientist can mix anything without test tubes involved.” She was teasing me, but my mind moved to test tubes and how my life began there for just a moment. I pushed the thought away.

“I’d like to be able to make chicken.” I muttered, but really I had no desire to do anything more than watch her cook for me. It was beautiful, and if I could do it for myself I’d miss this.

When she sat down at the table to eat with me, I felt something brush up against my tail. That was how I noticed I’d moved it under the table at some point. Demona was cutting up her meat carefully and more gracefully than I could yet. I felt the touch again and curled my tail as much as I could. Tail’s weren’t really all that flexible, but I was able to move it enough to realize her tail was under the table as well, and it was still lashing back and forth, only more slowly. It hit my tail regularly.

I didn’t move my tail. I felt a blush start on my cheeks, and focused intently on cutting my food up, but I didn’t move my tail out of her way. She didn’t move her tail away from mine either. Part of me, the part that needed to blush, wondered if this was foreplay for females. Part of me wondered how we’d ever be able to do more, and if it would require our tails. I didn’t have all that much control over mine, and I couldn’t even imagine needing it for sex, but I found her repeated touches to my tail made it feel a little bit more like an erogenous zone. Would my leg feel like this if she’d been playing footsies with me?

Was this playing footsies, gargoyle style? Some sort of tail sex? I started to choke on my food at that thought.

“Careful Lilith. I know I haven’t been around, but surely you haven’t forgotten how to eat.” Demona teased me, and when I managed to stop coughing I reached for the water. She was smiling and a little pleased looking.

I really wanted to ask her about her sexuality seeing how she was smiling at my coughing fit, wondering if she’d done that on purpose to me. I wanted to ask, but I just started to chew more carefully on my next mouthful of food.

I was afraid I was wrong, so I didn’t say anything.

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Prompt: Rebellion – section 33

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I stared at the computer screen, but I felt disconnected and unhappy. I did my best not to show it as Demona walked through the room and then into the kitchen. I sighed heavily and stared down at the keyboard as I wondered what Fox was hearing about me now. The stories, which would have to be mostly fictional since few there took the time to get to know me. Did she believe them?

I typed in the words “Fox Xanatos” into the search engine and my talon hovered over the enter key for a moment before I hit it. I didn’t even know why I was bothering, but I was a little impressed with the hundreds of matches I received.

I scrolled through the links, looking at the bits of a story they told. Jail, guns, marriage, kidnapping, prison, it told a rather interesting tale. I knew she’d told me she had a history, but as I watched it I was a bit surprised at how much of one. I was made of this, I thought as I clicked another page of links.

I also felt a bit of hope, because if this was her life, I wouldn’t seem all that evil to her for breaking someone out of prison. Maybe stories about the evil Lilith would be taken with a grain of salt and she’d be open minded enough to listen to me.

I glanced at the door to the kitchen and sighed as I thought that. Sure it hadn’t been expressly said, but it was pretty clear that I wasn’t supposed to search out the people I’d met. I was supposed to stay here, and Demona was not comfortable with the idea that I’d want to see other people. I couldn’t ask Demona to let me go to the castle, even if I thought it was safe. I wasn’t stupid, I knew it wasn’t. Even if I could make Fox listen to me, no one else would. Not even Angela.

I slowly clicked on the next page of links and let my depression have free reign as I let my eyes travel over more links about my donor, without really reading them. I scrolled down, to find the next page, when I noticed a link that looked different. I frowned as I studied it a moment, before clicking it. The logo for another business filled the upper left corner, and a picture of Fox in a business jacket filled a quarter of the screen. I stared at the job title, and at the email link, along with other boring business related drivel. Fox was a CEO? My programming filled in the missing information as I realized that Fox wasn’t really the CEO, but that her father was dying and this business would be hers when he finally did.

She had an email address with Cyberbiotics. I stared at it in fascination and anticipation, as well as nervousness. The loud noise in the kitchen had my heart stop and my body freeze for a moment, guilt filled me as I quickly closed the internet site just as Demona came back into the room.

“I’m feeling a little restless.” Demona spoke and I did my best to look innocent as I looked at her, seeing the lashing tail and fidgeting wings. “I need to glide. Want to join me?” She’d been like this for the past few nights and I blamed being locked up underground. I could understand it, but she’d really pushed me last night. It sounded like I had a choice tonight.

“I really would rather,” I pointed at the computer. I couldn’t outright lie, I wanted to stare at that email link, but I doubted I had the nerve to actually use it. I was tense, because I’d never said no before. I wanted to go, but something was holding me back.

Demona looked surprised, and then I noticed a brief moment of concern in her eyes, before she just nodded. “Rest today, for tomorrow you’ll start a new obstacle course. I’ll hunt it out tonight.”

“Sure.” I spoke softly and got another concerned look, before Demona turned to go back through the kitchen and out the back door. I stared after her for a while, before turning back to my computer.

I felt guilty, but I reopened the link and stared at it. My cursor hovered over it for what felt like an eternity, before I clicked it and a email window opened. I stared at the blank message space and the topic line.

Clicking into the topic line, I wrote one word. ‘Mama’. It felt rebellious to even do that much and my cursor moved slowly to click in the message box. I had no idea what to write, and I still doubted I’d have the nerve to send it, even though I felt like I had to know. I had to know if she was still there for me.

‘Demona never had anything to do with cloning me.’ I typed. ‘But she did take me in when I had no where else to go. She gave me my safe place.’ I stared at the words and sighed as I hit enter twice. ‘I didn’t want to lie to you, you or Angela, but I did what I had to do. I’m sorry Mama.’

My eyes stung as I hit send. It was short, and I couldn’t write more. I was just hopeful she’d read this.

Could Demona ever understand? Fox was my clan too. I closed the window, and erased the history in the computer. I felt like even with all that, my guilt would be painfully obvious with just a look.

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Prompt: Hope: section 24

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I woke up with a roar the next evening and my first thoughts were of my computer. I was filled with equal parts of hope and dread.

Her silhouette in the doorway was a bit of a surprise. She often was around shortly after I woke up, but not this fast. I turned to see Demona with her arms loosely crossed and her shoulder leaning on the doorway as she just smiled softly and looked at me. “You roar like a kitten.” Demona smiled teasingly and I blushed a bit. I didn’t think I sounded like a kitten, sure I didn’t sound as intimidating as she did, but I was no kitten. “Come on, I made a real feast for us.” Demona spoke softly and my heart hurt a little with the gift being given. “You’re filling out well, so we’ll need to work out more now or after tonight you’ll go on a diet. You’ve lost the half starved look, and we don’t want to aim for a Broadway figure.”

I grimaced at the image she gave me. I could never eat enough to rival him. Sure I liked food, but I didn’t eat any more than Demona. I frowned and she laughed at me.

“I’m just teasing you Lilith, you’re beautiful just the way you are.” Demona spoke new words to me and I blushed and smiled just a little. “But dinner is getting cold.”

“Okay.” I walked toward her and felt her rest her hand between my wings as I walked past her, guiding me inside. It felt nice to have the warmth of her hand on me and it lingered there a moment, before I felt her let go. I turned to see her closing the French doors.

“Shall we?” Demona smiled at me and it was different, not amused, but it felt like a flirtation. I nodded and her hand was on my back once again, slowly guiding me out of her bedroom and toward the kitchen. Her hand fell back once we’d cleared her bedroom, but she continued to walk closely next to me.

As we passed the computer I glanced at it briefly, longing to check it, hoping I had an email. I forced myself to look away and took a deep breath of the dinner in the air. It smelled delicious.

We sat down to a fully made up table and I started to feel a little uncomfortable with the obvious effort put into this particular meal. Something was up, and I wasn’t sure what it was. She wouldn’t do all this for me if she’d figured out what I’d done last night, it had to be something else.

The food tasted so good I groaned with my mouth full and smiled a little in appreciation. Demona just looked amused. The amused look faded and I found myself struggling to swallow as a serious expression crossed Demona’s face. “I’ve been concerned about you Lilith. You’ve been depressed lately, I can tell.”

I felt even more uncomfortable as I used my fork to create trails in the mashed potatoes as I considered my answer. “I’m okay.” I glanced up to see that wasn’t going to work. “It’s just, some of them were my clan. I feel, off.” I admitted quietly. I didn’t mention the guilt, because I wouldn’t change having her back for anything, but I did feel it. I just didn’t know how to tell her without it sounding all wrong.

“No, you had no clan there.” Demona spoke softly, but it hurt. “You are better than those clones Lilith, far better. It isn’t their fault, but it is true.” I wasn’t even talking about the other clones, I felt no guilt about that, other than still feeling it was unfair I could live free here and they couldn’t. Even Delilah, as awful as she was to me deserved more.

“I was talking about Angela and Fox.” I whispered and watched Demona’s eyes burn red for just a moment, an angry look on her face, before it faded and Demona just sighed heavily.

“I’m sure Angela was very nice to you, but you have to understand.” Demona paused and I looked into her eyes, seeing some of my own torment in them. “She is her father’s child, and that alone will forever keep her from being a part of our clan. I’ve tried, Lilith, I have tried.”

“Are you sure?” I asked, my voice small. I’d suspected the same thing, that Goliath’s vision of the world stood between my lavender sister and I, but Demona was her mother. Didn’t that count for anything?

“I wish I had hope Lilith, but my last interactions with my child made it very clear. She just CANNOT see how wrong he is. She follows him too blindly.” Demona looked pained and my hand moved toward her, resting over her hand. “He will get my little girl killed, and all my plans to stop him fail.” Demona really did sound like she’d lost all hope. I didn’t know what to say, so I just squeezed her hand, and held it, for a moment before she pulled it away.

“She glides well, better than the rest. Perhaps she’ll be okay.” I finally spoke, remembering my one glide with Angela. She wasn’t in Demona’s league by any stretch, but she was better than the rest.

“Yes, well, I won’t count on that.” Demona muttered. I had the impression that no matter how many of her plans failed, she’d keep trying.

Demona looked at me, and seemed to take a deep breath to dismiss the last conversation. “I know it can be difficult, but you aren’t clanless Lilith. We are a clan.” She spoke the last four words forcefully, and stated it in no uncertain terms. I smiled weakly at that, it was nice to be acknowledged, but there was still something missing. “And I respect you far more than Goliath’s clan ever would. You are far more than a clone to me Lilith, and I understand that you will never be a warrior. They would hold both against you, but I do not. Unlike Goliath, I try and keep my clan safe. I will protect you Lilith, and teach you how to protect yourself, and I don’t have to rely on the humans to do it for me.”

She sounded so serious, so concerned, that I felt even more guilt for even being depressed lately. The thought that I’d sent that email had my eyes tearing a bit. I felt like I was being torn in two, and I still didn’t fully understand it.

“Lilith, I can give you all the food you need, so you will never have to eat the human’s cast off garbage again. I can supply you with a fortress of a home, so you can sleep standing up and not have to fear.” Demona held my eyes captive as she stared into mine. “There is nothing that clan can offer you, that I can’t do better.” And with those words I fully understood her concerns.

“I’d never leave, you’re my clan.” I had chosen this female above my donor, my sister, and the other clones. It had been a very conscious choice, and as upset as I was at having to make it, it was the choice I’d make again and again.

“I do value you Lilith, and I thought you needed to know that.” Demona took a breath and picked up her own fork. “Eat, I made this dinner for you.” Demona told me gently, before taking some food onto her fork.

It really was a very good dinner, I thought as I took another mouthful. My mind was a bit too distracted to fully appreciate it, but I did understand it. Demona thought I had choices now, and wanted me to choose her.

I swallowed, and then spoke quietly. “I really like it here.” I said while just staring at my plate. “And most of that clan gets on my nerves.” I admitted with a weak smile. It seemed to make her happier, because her smile looked a bit more genuine in response.

Dinner was quiet, but I made sure she understood I liked it. I stared at the computer again as we passed it, but training came before computers, even my research. We took off into the air so I could see the new course Demona created to work on my control in the air. She was taking a lot of time working with me, making me a stronger glider. I never thought I’d be this lucky in my life, and I knew it was lucky. Yet, I was so distracted by my hope that there was an email in my inbox that I was having trouble doing things I’d learned a weeks ago, never mind anything new.

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Prompt: Dare: section 35

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“You’re doing very well Lilith, but pull your left wing in tighter to make that work.” Demona spoke, and I was noticing a very different style to her teaching tonight. She explained things in more detail than ever, and she complimented me often. It actually felt a bit wrong, her normal style was more of a, do it enough times and you’ll figure it out yourself style. I didn’t know why she changed it.

I did what she said and found it worked, of course it did. Once I was done with the tight loop I’d envied when I saw her do it the first night I’d met her I couldn’t help but laugh. “I did it.” I grinned big and turned to her as she moved to glide beside me.

“Yes you did.” Her smile back made it feel even better. “That’s a good move to use when you’re being followed and they are close to catching you. You can end up right behind them before they realize what you’re up to.”

I hadn’t considered the use for the move, I just enjoyed the grace of it. My smile faded a bit to see how it worked in a battle. I nodded, but I did miss thinking of it as an aerial dance.

“It also looks rather beautiful if done right.” Demona offered more quietly and I turned my head to see her watching me. She understood what I wanted, and I appreciate the gesture, even if it wasn’t her motivation for teaching me.

“It does, you look so amazing in the air.” I told her shyly.

“So will you.” She moved into my side and bumped me lightly with a smile, causing me to stumble in the air as she backed off again. I caught myself quickly and found her leading me lower to the ground for another run through on the modified obstacle course. I had to focus, because mistakes were painful if you ended up ramming into something.

By the time we were done I was very tired and my shoulders and wings ached. Still I felt better, happier, even with my worries. I was making serious progress and Demona had told me so several times. I felt proud of myself. Something I hadn’t felt in a while, since Demona had disappeared really.

This time when I walked past the computer I was able to sit down at it. I started by opening up the programs and research I was investigating on the cloning process. It took a lot of willpower to focus on that long enough for Demona to leave the room.

My email was always spam and impersonal. Usually when the topic line contained the word Baby it was sex spam, but I stared at it while my heart hammered this time.

I heard a noise upstairs and my body tensed, until I realized it was just the bath tub being filled. I took a deep breath and opened my message at that point, knowing I had time alone.

I was desperate for it not to be bad news.

Fox had written me back. I stared at the email and was almost too scared to start reading, but I did. She had called me Baby, I clung to my hope, since our nicknames still were being used.

Baby,

I’m not really sure what to say about what little I’ve learned about your visit with us. Email is hardly the most secure method to communicate, and I’d much prefer to talk with you in person or even over the phone. Forgive me if I seem to be vague about things, but we can’t be too specific on a hotmail account.

There are people who think you came to us innocent and Demona has manipulated you. There are others who say you always planned what you did. I must say, as a ruse, the illness was an excellent ploy. Or I hope it was a ploy. I’ve hired scientist to look into your blood and the blood of the others. Tell me if I should just send them home. They come from all across the world, are experts, as I promised you I wouldn’t spare any expense in helping you.

I would like to talk with you Lilith, Baby. I want to hear your side of all of this. My private number is 555-555-1212.

Fox

PS. You were brilliant, we have that device you created and I hear you must be very smart to create something like that with the few low quality parts you had available.

I reread the email three times as I tried to think of what to write back. I also found myself memorizing the phone number, and imagining myself calling it.

One thing that stood out to me was that while Fox was reserving judgment, she was a bit angry about the scientists. At least I thought she was angry. That decided it for me, I had to write back to at least explain that. I’d been feeling safer knowing she was working on this too, and if she was still willing to help me I wanted help. I felt so out of my league trying to figure out if all of us clones were time stamped at creation.

I hit reply and started to write back.

Mama, I didn’t fully lie about my health. Knowing the good Doctor like we do, Demona and I suspect there is a surprise that he never told anyone about. I live in fear that we’re right, and I spend hours every night going over his notes trying to find a hint. I was ‘educated’ to be a lab assistant, which means that while I understand a lot of this, I don’t understand it all. I study science with all my spare time.

I could send you a copy of all the records that I have, so you could understand why I’m so worried. Demona is working to help me, but someone hired the best scientists in the country already. You have the people she was going to get to help me. She told me this, and I was at least comforted to know they were already at work. Please, if you cannot forgive me try and make them work with her. I need help. I’m so tired of being afraid.

Lilith

I stared at my words and hit send. I felt a bit more desperate now, because even with everything else, I had never entertained the idea that her help would fully go away.

I found myself on my feet, pacing the room. I didn’t even remember standing up. When I did notice what I was doing I growled a little at myself. I turned back to the computer to work, but I wasn’t sure how much I’d be able to comprehend at this moment. My thoughts with filled with the emails.

I hit refresh on the email page expecting nothing. A new email with the topic “call me, Baby” surprised me. I opened it, but there was no message other than her phone number again.

Fox was still awake. I glanced at the clock and knew it was a bit late for a human. I started to wonder if she’d been waiting all this time for my reply. If she’d stayed up all night for me then I really should call her. I glanced at the stairs and strained to hear any sound from upstairs, but I couldn’t hear anything.

The phone was in the kitchen. I glanced at that door, then I found myself just staring at it. I didn’t have much night left, and I had little idea, even after all this time, how long a bath took Demona. I rubbed my eyeridge and ran my talons a little roughly through my hair as I considered this situation. Could I dare this? I had seen a phone used, I knew how to do it. But did I dare?

I walked into the kitchen quietly as I could, and picked up the phone. My hand was a little shaky as I pushed the buttons and held the phone to my head. I heard it ring just once.

“Hello.” Her voice was immediate, as if she’d been holding the phone waiting for me.

“Hey Mama.” I smiled a little weakly and my voice sounded nervous to my ears. My eyes and body turned to stare at the doorway I was terrified Demona would suddenly walk in from. I wasn’t sure what she’d do, but I had to do this.

“Oh Baby, what have you gotten yourself into?” Fox sighed heavily.