Alea Iacta Est - a Worm AU Fanfic

Alea Iacta Est

Part Eight: Boss Fight

[A/N: the scene between Danny, Kaiser and Andrea at the end of the last chapter has been altered slightly.]

Danny

Danny stumbled out toward his car. It was overcast; a cool breeze lifted pieces of scrap paper from the gutter. His head was still ringing and his jaw aching from the punch, but that wasn't his main concern. Where his thoughts were focused was on the apartment he had just left.

The cool night air cleared his head a little, but it wasn't enough to temper his anger over what just happened. Max Anders had Andrea, and he would stop at nothing to get his hands on Annette. It pained him, knowing that he couldn't do a damn thing to help Andrea, but that didn't mean Annette would have to share her mother's fate. If he went to her right now and warned her, got her to stay with Kurt and Lacey or one of the other Dockworkers, it could buy them some time to sort this issue out.

As he got up to the car, he was struck by another thought, about what Andrea had told him. It puzzled him: he never had sex with her, so it made him wonder why she would say that. Was it to make Anders jealous? To make him reject her? The first reason didn't seem very 'Andrea' to him, and the second had been very clumsily handled, if that was her intent. Either way, Max had ignored her words.

He obviously knows she's had many sexual partners. He just doesn't intend for her to have anyone else apart from him, from now on.

He was just reaching into his pocket for his keys when it registered on him that the car was sitting a little lower than normal. Stepping back, he looked at the front driver's side tyre. It was flat.

“Crap,” he groaned. “This, with everything else?”

What a lousy stroke of luck, he told himself as he went around to the trunk. But then, on the way, he glanced at the rear tyre. It was also flat. A quick circuit of the car told him that all four tyres were in the same condition. There was no way that this could be a coincidence.

“Fuck,” he groaned. “Fuck, fuck, fuck.” He slumped against the side of the car, about ready to give up altogether. Max had my tyres slashed so I couldn't go for help. I can't go anywhere. I can't help Andrea. I'm fucking useless.

After a few moments, he became aware of a lump prodding him in the ribs. That's funny. I'm pretty sure I didn't put anything in my jacket pocket. Reaching into the pocket, he located the offending item. This turned out to be solid and rectangular; specifically, a cell-phone.

What the hell is a phone doing in my pocket?

It actually took several moments for the realisation to filter through to him. Andrea put it there, while she was helping me up. Thinking back, he could actually recall her brushing him down; it must have been then that she slipped her phone into his pocket. A line from one of Taylor's favourite Earth Aleph movies came to mind: Clever girl.

With a phone, he could call Annette and warn her. If her number was on there. And if the phone wasn't PIN-locked. He hit the power button. The screen powered up, then a message formed. Please enter your PIN.

His heart sank. What the heck would Andrea use for this? I used to know her, but it's been more than fifteen years. My life's changed and so has hers.

He shook his head. “She wouldn't have given it to me if I couldn't figure out the PIN for myself,” he muttered. “Okay, think. What does she know about me that she's certain that I can work this out?”

There's only one thing I have in common with her, really. Taking a deep breath, he tapped in four digits. Anne-Rose's birthday. It has to be.

The phone beeped, rejecting the code. A polite message popped up. PIN error. You have 5 more attempts.

“Crap,” he muttered. “Crap crap craaaap.” Maybe I'm not supposed to even open the phone. Maybe I'm supposed to give it to Annette?

“No,” he answered himself out loud. “That doesn't make any sense.” He eyed the keypad. Letters decorated it as well as numbers. “Hm. What if ...”

Carefully, he pecked out 2-6-6-3. “A … N … N … E,” he mumbled. Her daughter and her old girlfriend in one. Again, the phone beeped. PIN error. You have 4 more attempts.

Closing his eyes tightly, he jammed the heel of his hand against his forehead. I can get this. I have to get this. Arrgh. Maybe it's Annette's birthday? But I don't know that, and Andrea knows it. Maybe it's Andrea's birthday? With a sense of dwindling hope, he entered the four digits, hesitating on the last button. Eleventh or twelfth? I could never remember. Grimacing, he pressed '2'.

PIN error. You have 3 more attempts.

“Come on, come onnn,” he told himself. Maybe it's the eleventh. Four more digits; this time, he ended with a '1'.

PIN error. You have 2 more attempts.

“Fuck,” he groaned. “Fuck fuck fuuuuck. I suck at this.” The phone continued to taunt him with its message.

Abruptly, he shoved it into his pocket and pulled out his keys. Opening the car door, he climbed in, trying to relax into the seat. Closing his eyes, he did his best to recall the conversation they'd had on the way over. Nothing jumped out, but he recalled the other thing that had puzzled him. Why did she say we'd had sex?

His eyes slammed open. “Wait a minute,” he muttered, scrabbling for the phone. “Wait a son of a bitching minute.” He eyed the keypad, thinking out loud. “Sex is a three letter word. You'd fill in the space with a zero. O-kay then.” Taking a deep breath, he tapped in the code. 7-3-9-0. “S … E … X … zero.”

Beep. PIN error. You have 1 more attempts.

“No,” he growled. “No, no, no no. It's gotta be it. Okay, not sex-zero. Sex-one? Sexy one? Maybe 'sexy' is the PIN?” Almost, he tried that, then he restrained himself. “No, wait, I'm missing something. Sex-two? Sex-three? Sex-four? Sex-six? Sex-nine? No, nothing's better than any other one.” Slumping back in the seat, he closed his eyes again. “If that's not it, why did she say it?”

The breeze blew past the open car door, cooling the interior somewhat. It smelled like rain. He breathed deeply of it, trying to relax, to remember her words. “She said … the times we had sex … it was just fun. Nothing but fun.” His eyes opened. “Nothing but … fun. Only fun. Fun. Fun!”

The phone had gone dark while he sat there; he pressed the power button again. “Fuck, I'm dense. She told me the PIN. Right in front of Max. She told me exactly what it was.”

With shaking fingers, he pressed the keys. 3-8-6. “F … U … N …”

For a long moment, he paused. If this was wrong, the phone was locked, and Andrea's plan was foiled. Am I certain about this?

No, but I can't think of anything better.

He pressed the zero button.

The phone lit up.

<><>​

Theo

“Okay then, Theo,” Cameron announced. “This is just a practice battle to show you what your character can do. Karg the Destroyer – love the name, by the way – is third level, so I'm gonna put him up against a reasonable challenge. Just so you know, even if you lose, I'm not gonna kill off your character for real. Practice only, yeah?”

“Sure,” replied Theo seriously. “So what do I do?”

Taylor leaned back in her chair and popped a handful of peanuts into her mouth. “Kick ass and take names,” she mumbled indistinctly as she chewed on them.

“Pfft,” Annette retorted. “You don't need to know their names.”

Amid chuckles, Cameron nodded. “I'll present the challenge. You tell me what you're doing. Annette can coach you in basic player tactics, but you get the final say on your character's actions.”

Annette grinned. “Arright then. Woo. Let's do this.”

Cameron cleared his throat. “Karg is making his way through a winding series of caverns when -” He stopped as a phone went off, playing a risqué song currently popular on Youtube. One eyebrow raised. “Really?”

“Whoops, sorry, that's mine.” Annette's face was almost as red as her hair as she dived into her bag. “Just … one … second … hi, Mom? What's – oh, Mr Hebert? What's the mat- uh, Taylor? She's right here. Sure, okay.” She turned to Taylor, who had sat up at the mention of her name, and was brushing peanut crumbs from her shirt. “It's for you. Your dad.”

“Oh, okay.” Taylor accepted the phone and got up from the table. She wandered away toward the kitchen as she answered it. “Yeah, Dad? What's up?”

Cameron caught Theo's attention. “As we were saying, Karg's in a winding series of caverns. He turns a corner and is confronted by two orcs and a goblin.”

“Uh, are these like Lord of the Rings orcs? Because I'm not sure Karg can take those,” Theo confessed. “Those guys looked tough.”

Annette shook her head, grinning. “Nope. These are their wimpier cousins. Orcs and goblins are the Über and L33t of the fantasy world. Dangerous in large numbers, but not so great one on one.”

“Well, right now they're three on one,” Theo pointed out. “What should I do?”

“Okay,” Annette decided. “First thing you want to do is -” She broke off as Taylor returned to the table. “Wow, Taylor, you look like you've just heard the Endbringer sirens. What's the matter?”

“Tell you in a second,” Taylor replied. “Dinah, I need to talk to you in the kitchen.”

Theo blinked. He'd only met Taylor this evening, but up until now she'd been pleasant to talk to, if a little quiet. Now, she was focused, her expression serious. This was a whole new side to her.

Dinah didn't hesitate; she stood up from the table and followed Taylor into the kitchen. The door closed behind them.

“Whew,” chuckled Kay, but it sounded a little forced. “That was kinda intense. Wonder what that's about?”

“Eh, someone probably took the last slice of pie or something,” Annette said. She tilted her head. “Gotta say though, I've never seen Taylor like that before. All super serious and stuff.”

Theo didn't comment. He'd seen that look before. When members of his extended family took on that expression, used that tone of voice, and held hurried conferences behind closed doors, it could only mean one thing; cape business.

Which means that Taylor and Dinah are the capes here, and the others aren't in on it. But Taylor's dad is. Is he a cape too? Wonder what the problem is? He made a private bet with himself that when they emerged, they'd make some excuse and leave.

Though it was kind of odd, now that he came to think about it, that Taylor's dad had called Annette on her mother's phone in order to contact Taylor. If they've got a cape thing going, then they really should have some way to keep in touch with each other.

“Theo? You still with us?” He looked around with a start; Annette was grinning at him. “Wow, you must've caught the super-serious bug. Right then, you looked like you should be brooding on a rooftop somewhere.”

Yeah, right, me a hero. That's gonna happen. Right after Behemoth and Leviathan team up for a song and dance show, with the Simurgh playing honky-tonk on the piano. “Nah, just thinking about stuff,” he temporised. “So, where were we?”

“Well, you're currently facing off two orcs and a goblin,” Cameron reminded him. “Annette, you were just saying that he should do something. What was it?”

“Oh, uh, to make sure they don't flank him,” Annette said. “Because if they do that -”

The kitchen door opened again. Everyone looked around. Here it comes, Theo decided. Wonder what the excuse is gonna be?

“Annette, Theo, could you come in here a moment please?” asked Dinah, the oddly formal speech sounding downright weird coming from a twelve year old. “We need to talk to you.”

“Uh -” Theo glanced at Cameron.

The older boy raised his eyes to the ceiling. “Is this really that important?” he asked. “Trying to run an encounter, here.”

Taylor nodded. “It's really that important, Cam. Sorry.”

Cameron nodded and gestured to Theo; Annette was already half out of her seat. “Go. See what's the matter. We'll take five.”

Okay, so what's going on here? Apprehension was beginning to overtake his curiosity as Theo got up and followed Annette into the kitchen. Why do they need me? A moment later, it clicked. Mom. This has some kind of connection to Mom. But why Annette then? Every time he thought he had the situation figured out, another factor threw him off again. Okay, I'll wait and see what's going on.

<><>​

Andrea

“Ah, we're here.” Max's voice was satisfied, that of a man whose plans were working out to the last decimal place. “Andrea, would you prefer to wait in the car or come up with me?”

She gritted her teeth at his pretended consideration. He was persuasive, very much so. But it had been a very long time since a man was able to pull the wool over her eyes, and Annette was the single most important person in her life. “I'll come up.” God, I hope Danny figured out what I was trying to tell him.

“Very well then.” He climbed out of the car, then offered his hand to assist her out. She ignored it; after a moment, he stood back and waited for her. Overhead, clouds loomed low. Spots of rain hit the pavement here and there; thunder rolled far above.

As with the hand, she rebuffed his proffered arm. “Pretty sure I can walk on my own.”

“As you wish.” His eyes hooded, belying his light tone. “For now.”

As they walked toward the front entrance to the apartment building, Andrea slowed her pace just a little. Max glanced across at her, lips thinning slightly. “If you wish, you can go back to the car. I won't be long, anyway.”

“No, I'm coming along,” she said stubbornly. I don't want him alone with Annette at any time, ever. But hopefully, Danny warned them in time and she managed to sneak out the back.

Max strode up to a couple of men who stood near the front door. “Report.”

“She hasn't come out since we got here, sir,” stated one of the men. “No teenagers, and definitely no redheads.”

Andrea stared at him. “You've had the building watched?”

“Well, of course,” he retorted. “I didn't want to run the risk of someone tipping her off. You didn't think I did all this on the spur of the moment, did you?”

“Well, no,” she admitted. “But why?”

“Why Annette?” He spread his hands. “Because she is my daughter. She has the will and the drive to carry on my business interests. My only other two potential heirs are either too young or lack any sort of drive. I need to show her what sort of a life she can have with me as her father.” He smiled thinly. “Also, because I desire you in my life once more, and what I want, I tend to get.” Turning toward the front doors, he moved up the steps. “We have delayed long enough. I want to meet my daughter.”

Hoping against hope that Annette had gotten the message, Andrea followed.

A few more spots of rain, heavier now, fell on to the pavement as she mounted the stairs.

<><>​

Theo

The kitchen wasn't all that roomy, especially with four people in it. Theo closed the door and leaned against it, while Annette hitched her butt on to the counter. “Okay, spill,” she observed brightly. “What's all this super-top-secret stuff about? Are aliens invading?”

Taylor took a deep breath. “No. Annette, there's a big problem. It's your mom.”

Theo watched the colour drain from the redhead's face until her freckles stood out in stark relief. “No,” she protested. “What about Mom? Is she hurt? Is she in the hospital? What happened?”

Dinah shot Taylor a sharp glance and took over. “As far as we know, she's fine,” she assured Annette. “But … it's a long story, but it turns out that Max Anders is your dad, and he's found out that you and your mom are in town, and he wants her back, and you with her.”

The bottom fell out of Theo's world. The blood roared in his ears as he felt his knees beginning to give way. Annette is my sister? Holy shit. She's my sister. The tone of his thoughts changed. Oh god, she's my sister. I need to stop looking at her butt in those jeans.

Dimly, he became aware that he was sitting on the floor, and the other three were looking down at him with more than a little concern. “Theo?” asked Taylor. “You all right?”

“Uh, yeah, I guess,” he mumbled. “That was a bit of a shock, that's all.” He couldn't stand up from where he was, so he rolled on to his knees and took hold of the counter to climb to his feet.

“Why is it a shock?” asked Dinah, looking at him carefully. “That Max Anders is her dad?”

Annette seemed to be recovering. “Uh, who's Max Anders, exactly, and why is it such a bad thing that he wants me and Mom back? I mean, she just tells him no, right?”

Theo shook his head. “No, that's not gonna work. Trust me on this.”

“But why not?” Annette spread her hands. “Mom doesn't do the monogamy thing. Even if he's my dad, he should know that.”

“Max Anders is a very rich man,” Taylor supplied. “He's an influential businessman, and Dad says he's determined to make her stay with him. Even if he has to use blackmail.” She looked at Annette. “Which is why Dad called up to warn us, so we could sneak you out of here, so Mr Anders can't get his hands on you.”

“No, that's crazy,” Annette protested. “Blackmail? Who does that?”

“Max Anders,” Theo put in. “Trust me, I know.”

Dinah frowned but said nothing. Taylor went to speak, but Dinah put a hand on her arm; she shut up again. “Okay, I'll bite,” Annette said. “How do you know Max Anders?”

Theo half-smiled, though there was little humour in the situation. The next words, he knew, would change everything. “He's my father too.”

Taylor stared. Dinah tilted her head slightly, looking at him in a calculating manner; oddly enough, she didn't seem overly surprised. I wonder why? Annette's eyes opened wide. “You're my brother?”

“Yeah,” he agreed, not bothering to quibble about 'half'. “And Aster's your sister.”

“Wait, wait, how's that work?” Annette looked confused. “I thought Ms Russel was your stepmom or something.”

Theo took a deep breath. “Mom died when I was really young. Then he met Kayden, and married her. They had Aster. She divorced him a little while ago.” He dragged his mind back to the current situation. “But if my father's on the way over like Taylor says, we don't have much time. We've gotta get you out of here.”

“Uh …”

Everyone turned to look at Taylor, who was peering out the window.

“What?” asked Dinah sharply.

Taylor rolled a die on the counter; Theo hadn't even known she was holding one. Her lips thinned. “He just pulled up outside.”

Theo was momentarily confused. How could she know … oh wait. Cape powers.

“You sure?” asked Annette.

“Absolutely certain,” Taylor replied. “Dinah, what do we do?”

“Wait a second, wait a second,” Theo told them urgently. “Something you need to know. Um, Annette, you might want to cover your ears for a bit.”

Annette looked offended. “No way,” she protested. “If they can stand to hear it, so can I.”

There was no time to argue; Theo took a deep breath, then lowered his voice so that it couldn't be heard through the door. “Guys. Max Anders is Kaiser. Just so you know.”

“Holy shit,” Annette blurted. “You're Kaiser's kid? Wait. I'm Kaiser's kid? Wow. Crap.”

Taylor was beginning to look apprehensive. “Dinah?”

Dinah nodded. “Theo. Call Ms Russel, right now. Tell her everything.”

“Uh, what can she do?” ventured Annette.

“More than you'd think,” Dinah said grimly. “Annette, you won't be able to get away. He'll have people around the building. I need you to hide. Theo, show her where to hide while you're talking to Ms Russel. Taylor, come out with me. We're gonna play dumb.”

Theo found it bizarre that a girl not even out of middle school had so readily taken control of the situation. It must be her cape power or something. However, he wasn't inclined to argue; so long as someone had a plan of action, he was happy. Turning to Annette, he pulled his phone from his pocket. “Come on. We haven't got much time.”

She wrinkled her nose. “It would've been a lot more fun playing hide and seek with you if you weren't my brother.” But she came along anyway.

<><>​

Kayden

“You have a beautiful house, Mrs Meyer,” Kayden commented. “I can tell that I'm going to have to work hard to improve on what you already have.”

“Thank you,” her client replied with a smile. “My dear Henry, God rest his soul, would be pleased to hear you say that. He -” She broke off at the sound of a ringing cell-phone.

“Oh, I'm sorry,” Kayden said. She delved into her handbag. “My stepson is taking care of my baby daughter. Do you mind very much if I take this?”

“Oh. Indeed, indeed.” Mrs Meyer gestured in the affirmative and moved off to the sideboard where she took out a glass decanter.

Kayden looked at the phone screen. It was Theo's number, so she hit the button to answer the call. “Theo?”

“Kayden, hi. I don't have much time, but it's really important.” Theo's voice was rushed and breathless. In a more indistinct tone, she heard him say, “Through here.”

“Theo, what's the matter? What's going on? Is it about Aster?”

“No, it's not.” Her eyes widened as he went on to tell her exactly what was happening, about Annette's true parentage, and Max's intentions.

Oh, no, she decided. You don't get to ruin someone else's life as well. You don't get to crush that girl's spirit just like you did Theo's.

“Hold tight,” she told Theo. “I'll be right over.”

“Hurry,” he replied. “Please.”

Snapping the phone shut, she turned as Mrs Meyer returned from the sideboard. “I'm sorry,” she said, “but I have to get home. Family emergency. Can we reschedule, please?”

Mrs Meyer frowned. “I'm not sure. I'm travelling overseas soon -”

“I'll call you,” Kayden promised, and hurried toward the door.

Hold on, Theo. I'm coming.

<><>​

Taylor

When the knock came on the front door, the group was gathered once more in the dining room. Taylor had gotten the lasagne out of the oven and was busy slicing it. Theo was washing his hands in the bathroom. Dinah was setting the table.

“Coming!” Theo called from the bathroom, although he didn't appear immediately.

After a few moments, another knock resounded through the apartment. “Maybe one of us should get that?” Cameron asked.

“Nope,” said Taylor, just as Theo emerged from the bathroom, wiping his hands on a hand towel. “Theo lives here, not us.”

Dinah looked up. “Actually, Taylor, you answer it.”

Taylor frowned. “Me? But -”

“I really think you should,” Dinah interrupted. Taylor read the implicit message. This is a job for Taylor Hebert.

“Ah, right,” she agreed. “Theo, take over? I'll get the door.” She lowered her voice a little. “And if anyone asks, you haven't seen Annette for a while.”

“But wasn't she just -” began Kay.

Dinah shook her head. “It's a parental custody thing. Her dad's a jerk. As far as we know, Annette's gone home or something.”

Cameron and Kay glanced at each other. He shrugged; she nodded. “Okay,” she agreed.

At that moment, the knock sounded a third time, loud and peremptory. Taylor handed the knife over to Theo, who tossed the hand towel back into the bathroom.

“Hold your horses,” Taylor called out. “I'm coming.” She went over to the door; carefully putting it on the chain, she unlocked it.

The door opened with a jerk, then hit the end of the chain and stopped dead. A man whom she had never met, but whose face looked vaguely familiar, glared through the gap. “Open this door at once.”

Taylor tilted her head curiously. “I'm sorry. Who are you again?”

The man's features rearranged in an instant, once he seemed to realise that he wasn't looking at Theo. He beamed at Taylor with an abundance of charm. She didn't trust it for an instant. Emma had charm in buckets too. “My apologies. I'm Max Anders. Theo's father? He may have spoken of me?” He paused for a moment. “And may I ask who you are, young lady?”

“Oh, uh, I'm the babysitter,” Taylor replied innocently. “Can I help you, Mr Anders?”

“Yes, actually,” he said smoothly. “I'm just here to pick up my daughter Annette.”

Taylor blinked, affecting surprise. “Wait, so you're Theo's father as well as Annette's?”

“So you do know her,” he returned. “Yes, as it happens, I am.”

“That's funny,” she told him. He's probably been keeping tabs on her, so I wouldn't be surprised if he already knows my face and that I'm Annette's friend. “She's said nothing to me at all about you.”

His smile had to be forced, but she was damned if she could pick it. For all that she knew he was on the back foot, he was acting like someone totally in charge of the situation. “Oh, that's understandable,” he agreed. “Her mother and I were estranged for almost all of Annette's life. But now that's changed. She's going to be getting the best of everything from now on.” He tilted his head. “Could you perhaps open the door so I can come in and get her?”

“I don't know,” she hedged. “I mean, I've got no reason to disbelieve you, but Ms Russel would be really upset with me if I just opened the door to any stranger who happened to walk up with a good story. And I kind of need this job.”

“Ah, well, that part's easy.” Max Anders smiled and withdrew. “You've met Annette's mother, I presume?”

Andrea stepped up to the gap in the door. “Hello, Taylor,” she murmured, eyes downcast. The contrast to when Taylor saw her last was shocking. Wow, this guy really did a number on her. Taylor's dislike for Anders grew exponentially.

“Ms Campbell,” Taylor greeted her. “How are you?”

Andrea's bright green eyes flicked a moment back to Anders before she looked at Taylor for the first time. Taylor saw the pain in them. “I'm doing better than some,” the woman allowed.

She's talking about Dad. He didn't say much about what happened. I wonder how badly Kaiser beat him. I really don't like that man.

Taylor heard Max Anders murmur something. Andrea flinched very slightly. “Taylor, sweetie, could you be a dear and open the door for us?” she asked; it was obvious that she didn't want to say the words.

He's good. I've got no real excuse to not open the door for Andrea.

“Um, okay,” she agreed. “But Mr Anders should wait outside. I don't know him, after all. And Dad always told me that I shouldn't ever let strangers in.”

“I'm Annette's father,” Anders reiterated. “Besides, I'm Kayden's ex-husband and Theo's father as well. I'm the very opposite to a stranger.”

“Has Annette even met you?” retorted Taylor. “Does she want you for her dad?” Outside of the line of sight from the door, she saw Dinah making negatory motions. Tone it down, tone it down.

“I'm sure that we'll get along well, once we get to know each other,” Anders replied. “Now please open the door, as Andrea has asked you to do.”

“Okay, but you don't come in. Only Ms Campbell comes in,” stressed Taylor. “Because I'm the babysitter, and I'm in charge. And I don't know you, so you don't come in.” Behind her, she heard Dinah whispering to the others, but she didn't turn her head.

“Very responsible,” he praised her, and she almost believed his words, so smooth was his tone. “I understand.”

Pushing the door closed, she took the chain off then stepped back. It was well that she did, for the door was pushed open almost immediately under the impetus of Max Anders' hand.

“Now then,” he declared, taking a step into the apartment.

Taylor glanced over her shoulder then stepped to the side. “I told you that you weren't allowed in,” she stated, raising her voice slightly. “Please leave.”

“Once I have my daughter,” he replied urbanely. “I -” He stopped as he looked past her. Cameron and Kay were standing by the table, facing him, with phones out and aimed at him. Dinah, seated at the end of the table, was doing the same. Only Theo didn't have a phone out. Given that he has to go back to his father at some point, probably a wise move.

“Are you recording me?” he asked, slightly disbelievingly.

“Currently, sir, we're recording trespass by someone who was asked not to enter,” Cameron replied steadily. “This isn't going online yet, but that can happen.”

“Don't threaten me, boy,” Max said tightly. “Do you know who I am?”

Cameron nodded. “I know exactly who you are, sir. Do you know who I am?”

Max frowned. “I have no idea.”

“Good.” Cameron smiled briefly and tapped buttons on his phone. Beside him, Kay kept recording. “Video of Medhall CEO Max Anders performing a home invasion going online in five … four … three …”

On 'two', Anders stepped back over the threshold. “Get in there,” Taylor heard him say.

Andrea stepped in through the doorway. Her gaze darted about the dining room of the apartment; after a moment, she relaxed ever so slightly. Taylor didn't need to have Dinah's powers to know what she was thinking. Oh good. She's not here.

She tried to close the door behind Andrea, but Anders was too quick and too strong. “Let go,” she told him, grunting with the effort.

“I have to stay out here,” he retorted. “I don't have to let you close the door. Andrea, get Annette and let's go.”

“I'll just get her,” Andrea promised, and went to step away from the door. However, Max closed his hand over her upper arm, stopping her from moving too far. “What? Max, let go.”

“Call her,” Max told her, not moving from his position. “Call her now.”

“Mr Anders,” Taylor told him, “I'm pretty sure that what you're doing right now is assault.”

He shot a glare at her. “I'll take your assault charge and turn it into felony kidnapping on your part if my daughter doesn't come out right now. Andrea, call her.”

“Annette,” Andrea said, not raising her voice. “Come on. It's time to go.”

Annette totally failed to appear.

Andrea shrugged. “She's not here.”

“Call her on your phone,” gritted Max.

After making a show of searching her pockets, Andrea shrugged again. “I don't have it. I must have dropped it, back in the apartment.”

Taylor wanted to grin, but she kept a straight face. Yeah, when you slipped it to Dad.

Max sighed, aggravated. “Fine. I'll do it.” With his left hand, he pulled a phone from his pocket.

“Wait, how do you have Annette's number?” protested Taylor.

“I'm her father,” Max informed her. “It's my job to know things like that.” One-handed, he called up a number and pressed the button to call it. A phone began to ring. All eyes turned to Theo. Slowly, the pudgy boy pulled Annette's phone from his pocket. It continued to ring loudly; from the sour look on Anders' face, he recognised the song.

“What?” asked Theo. “She asked me to take care of it for her.”

Max shut off the call; after a moment, the song stopped playing on Annette's phone. “All right, this is getting serious,” he stated. “Annette's mother has called out for her, and she hasn't appeared. Her phone is in someone else's pocket. I am choosing to believe that something untoward has happened to my daughter and that you five are covering it up. So unless you bring her out to us right now, I'm going to assume that her life is in immediate danger, and I'm coming in to look for her.”

Crap.

<><>​

Kayden

Maybe I should have flown.

Kayden clung to the steering wheel as she negotiated Brockton Bay's night time traffic. It was still early in the evening, and there seemed to be far too many cars on the road. The rain didn't help, cutting visibility and making the road slippery. She pulled to a halt behind three cars at a red light. Come on, come on. Thunder boomed; the rain increased dramatically.

She would have flown, but her power made her flight extremely visible, especially at night, and she most assuredly did not want to quite literally draw a huge glowing arrow toward the apartment block where she lived. Besides, it was only a five minute drive. Well, ten minutes, given this traffic. Rain sheeted on her windshield, defying the wipers' best efforts to clear it once more. Maybe fifteen or twenty, the way this is going.

The car in front of her stopped; she pressed her brakes, skidded slightly, then stopped as well. All she could see were red tail-lights, dimly filtered through the rain. Christ, I'll never get there in time.

Making a snap decision, she turned the wheel, pulling into a parking spot. Getting out was like stepping into a cold shower at full blast, but she did it. Closing the door, she locked it, then sloshed through the ankle-deep water to the pavement. Well, that's it for those shoes.

Already, the rain was concealing her from anyone in a car, and there were no pedestrians. Just her, and the rain. Closing her eyes for a moment, she let the power flow through her. Light flooded the pavement, refracting through a million raindrops, as she took off straight up through the gathering storm.

<><>​

Taylor

Max Anders pushed his way past Andrea. He stopped in front of the table, eyeing the people standing around it. “One last chance,” he told them. “I want to see my daughter, now.” He was good at this; his every movement projected the image of a reasonable man put upon by circumstances beyond his control. Taylor had to fight to prevent a feeling of guilt from overcoming her. “Where is Annette?” Even the tone of his voice projected 'reasonable parental figure' rather than 'ruthless parahuman villain'. He's really, really good at this.

Taylor shrugged slightly, trying to ignore the butterflies rapidly multiplying in her stomach. “I'm sorry. I have no idea. I haven't seen her in a while.” All of which was true. She had no idea where Theo might have helped her friend hide, and a minute or so was a 'while', wasn't it?

Max's eyes narrowed slightly; he met Taylor's gaze directly. She read his expression without any problem. So, we're going to play it that way, are we?

His attention moved on to Dinah. Probably because she's the youngest. He thinks she's the most likely to talk. “I'm sorry; I don't know if we've been introduced. I'm Max Anders. Perhaps you've heard of me?”

Dinah gave him the most utterly brainless smile that Taylor had ever seen on anyone over the age of six. “Oh, yes, Mr Anders! You're really rich and important! And I met you once before, at the 'gustus Country Club! My uncle's the mayor, you know! We had the shrimp! It's really good!”

Holy shit. Is this Dinah speaking? Wow. Surreptitiously, Taylor glanced at Anders. Is he even buying this?

It appeared that he was; either that, or he held a low opinion of the intelligence of preteen girls in general. In any case, he changed the tone of his voice to one which he obviously imagined was suitable for speaking to small children. “Yes, it really was good shrimp, wasn't it? But I need to ask you a question. Do you know where Annette is? The red-headed girl?”

Dinah pointed at Andrea, who was eyeing her in some bemusement. “She's got red hair! It's really pretty!”

Max sighed. “Yes. That's Annette's mom. I want to know where Annette is. Can you tell me that?”

“Um …” Dinah put her hand to her chin and tilted her head to one side. “She was here. But she's not here now.”

The amount of patience in his voice was amazing. “Yes, I know that, dear. Did you see where she went?”

“I don't know!” Dinah replied brightly. “I was setting the table!” She held up a knife and fork, one in each hand. “I'm good at setting the table! Mommy taught me!”

Taylor had to bite the inside of her cheek to avoid laughing. Oh god, if I didn't know better …

<><>​

Max

Is Christner's niece a congenital idiot, or is she just playing me? Max had started out with the assumption that it was the former, but was beginning to wonder if the latter situation might be the case instead. If it was, she had a future with any PR firm he cared to name; the artless babble was almost enough to convince him that the girl really did know nothing at all. Even how to tie her own shoelaces.

Either way, he knew, he wasn't going to get anything useful out of her. Not allowing his irritation to show, he turned to the boy who was still holding his phone. “Young man. What's your name?”

“Cameron, sir.” The boy lifted his chin slightly, but his tone was respectful. Well, that's a start.

“Good evening, Cameron.” Max allowed a slight smile to cross his features. “Perhaps you can help me.”

“No, sir,” Cameron replied stolidly. “I don't believe that I can.”

“Surely you can do better than that, Cameron.” Max made his voice hearty, man-to-man. “This is my daughter we're talking about. My flesh and blood. I only want to give her a good home.”

“I understand that you think so, sir.” The boy was still respectful, even while denying him what he wanted. Why can't Theo be more like him? “But I still can't help you.”

Max hardened his tone slightly. “Can't … or won't?”

Cameron shook his head. “Take your pick, sir. The result's the same either way.”

Max switched his attention to the last person at the table, a teenage girl with her hair in a scrunchie. Before he could speak, she shook her head and pressed her lips together. Well, I won't be getting anything out of her. Time to play hardball.

“You all probably think that you're helping your friend,” he stated flatly. “You couldn't be any further from the truth. The fact of the matter is that Annette is my daughter. Our daughter.” He reached out and gathered Andrea to his side, ignoring the almost subliminal shudder that went through her. “We are her parents. Keeping her from us is kidnapping. Do you really want to go down that path?”

<><>​

Taylor

His words hung in the air for a long moment, then Taylor cleared her throat. “Actually, no. It doesn't work like that. We're minors. We can't be charged with kidnapping. And besides, she's here of her own free will.” I finally got something out of knowing Emma and her father. Who knew?

His mouth twisted as though he had bitten into something sour. “Very well. I choose to believe otherwise. I am going to look for her. I suggest that none of you get in my way.” He turned to Theo. “Where do you have her hidden?”

He's already figured out that Theo's the one who would have helped her hide, because he lives here. I'm not sure how long we're going to be able to pull the wool over his eyes.

Theo pressed his lips together and shook his head, not looking at his father. But nor was he looking at the bathroom doorway, which was where Taylor suspected that he had taken Annette to hide. Taylor's first thought was Where could she hide in there? Her second was more serious. Unless he's being really subtle, he's just told his father where she is. And I don't think he's that subtle.

Max Anders nodded. “Thank you,” he said, even though Theo hadn't spoken a word. “You're not off the hook, though. Don't go anywhere.”

Stepping into the bathroom, he opened the linen cupboard. It was stacked with folded sheets and towels, which Max began to pull out with careless abandon, strewing them on the bathroom floor. There were several shelves there, any one of which could have accommodated Annette; with sheets or towels stacked against her, she would have been invisible. That's probably what I would have done.

Theo's father obviously thought the same way, as he methodically removed every stack of towels and sheets from the cupboard, a slight sneer of triumph on his face. This sneer lasted until the last shelf was clear and it was obvious that Annette was not in there.

… Okay. So he didn't do the obvious. Where's she hidden, then?

<><>​

Max

She's not in the cupboard. Where is she?

He took a pace back and looked around the bathroom. It wasn't all that large and there really were not that many places to hide. The cupboard had been the most logical place, which made it the first place he would look, so Theo hadn't picked there. I may have underestimated my son.

Still, Theo's refusal to look at the bathroom had made it the most likely place for Annette's hiding place so where could the girl be?

There was a large tub alongside the washing machine; he really didn't think anyone could fit in the storage space beneath, but Anders considered himself a logical man, so he looked. Quite a few cobwebs, a few daddy-long-legs scuttling in a panic from the light, but no Annette.

The washing machine was right there; again, he did not consider it likely that she was crammed into the machine itself, but there was the faint chance, so he looked.

She wasn't there, either.

The dryer had an even smaller volume than the washing machine, so he almost didn't bend down to look through the window in the front. His daughter wasn't in there, but it did hold a load of clothing. Normally, he wouldn't have bothered, but there was a mystery here, and he was determined to get to the bottom of it. So he opened the door, reached in, and pulled out the first item of clothing that presented itself; as it happened, this was a t-shirt.

Once he had it in his hand, he knew the trick of Annette's disappearance. More to the point, he knew exactly where she was. He didn't even need to sniff at the shirt to know that it hadn't been recently laundered. This shirt belongs in the hamper. Which means …

Dropping the shirt, he turned toward the laundry hamper, sitting innocently next to the door. The flicker of fear across Theo's face was all he needed to know that he was right. The boy had pulled out clothing from the hamper, she had gotten in and then been covered over again. Theo had stuffed the excess clothing in the dryer; he'd almost gotten away with it, too.

<><>​

Annette

When she heard the dryer door open, she figured that the jig was up. A rustle of cloth and a slight lessening of the weight of the laundry that Theo had piled on top of her warned her that Anders was indeed investigating the hamper. In another second or so, he'd be down to her level.

Tensing her legs, she came to her feet as fast as possible. Items of clothing flew in all directions. She flipped the fitted sheet in her arms over Anders' head, then tried to jump out of the hamper. Unfortunately, the cramped position had taken its toll and she wasn't as limber as she was used to. The hamper tipped over, taking her with it. Scrambling out of it, she pulled herself to her feet and took one step toward the door before a hand closed over her arm.

“Got you,” Max Anders snapped, sounding more than a little aggravated. “Now, there'll be no more of -”

He got no further, as she grabbed his arm with her other hand, backed up hard into him, bent over forward, and pulled off the best approximation of a hip throw that she could in the cramped surroundings. He landed on his back; the impact was cushioned somewhat by the sheets and towels on the floor, but he still let go of her arm.

Leaping over him, she dashed out into the dining area. One plate had lasagne on it; with a silent apology to Kayden – it did smell delicious – she hefted the plate and spun around. Anders was just sitting up, his expression murderous. With all the strength she could manage, Annette let fly.

Her aim was impeccable; even as Anders clawed at the lasagne now decorating his face – the plate had fallen to the floor – she ran for the window. There was a fire escape outside; she figured that she could be down to the ground before he was even out the window. This plan lasted right up until she got on to the escape; the rain was coming down in buckets, but she was able to make out the shape of a man standing next to the fire escape, looking up. He's probably not waiting for the bus.

She also doubted that she'd be able to pull off a throw like that again, against an opponent ready and waiting for her. So she headed up the fire escape. Up the fire escape, into the roof access.

The roof access, she knew, would probably be locked, but she knew tricks around that.

Then I go down the stairs. There's gotta be some place I can hide inside the building.

Within seconds, she was soaked to the skin. Good. He will be too, if he follows me.

<><>​

Max

He wiped the last of the pasta dish off his face. Some distant part of his mind noted that it was delicious – Kayden hasn't lost her touch – but it was drowned out by the rage that encompassed most of his being. Nobody does that to me. I'm going to enjoy bringing her to heel.

For a moment, he considered going up the fire escape after her, but then he thought better of it. She wants me to pursue. She has a head start. Better to cut her off at the pass, so to speak.

He swept a glare over the people in the room. “Stay. Here.” Shoving past Andrea, he wrenched the door open and dashed down the corridor to the stairwell. She'll be coming down the stairs. I'll be going up the stairs. It works for me.

There was nobody on the stairwell all the way up; as he got to the top, over the noise of the rain, he heard someone fumbling with the access door. He smiled grimly as he hit the bar to open the door. Checkmate.

The door opened; Annette was standing there, looking like a half-drowned cat in the heavy downpour. She took a step back as he moved forward.

“You didn't think you could get away that easily, did you?”

Max was angry, but that was by no means the only emotion he was feeling. Irritation at the girl was balanced by pride at the fight she was putting up – she's an Anders, all right – and satisfaction at having out-thought and out-manoeuvred her. She needs to know who's calling the shots, once and for all.

The rain was ruining his suit, he knew. But he didn't care; he had a dozen just like it. In any case, the stains from the lasagne would have already gone a long way toward achieving that end. He stepped forward, reaching for her; she moved backward again, avoiding his grasp.

“Maybe not,” she retorted defiantly. “But you can't keep me locked up. And soon as I'm gone, Mom's gone too. You know it and I know it. So why don't you just go take a long walk off a short pier and save us all a lot of trouble?”

“Annette, you misunderstand the situation,” Max replied, not letting her see his growing irritation. “I want to take care of you and your mother. You're my daughter; I wish to show you just where that can take you. All of your needs will be met.”

“All the ones you think need to be met, anyway,” she said, still backing away from him. “What about what I want to do? What if I want to go out with a boy? I can just tell you'd be the overbearing father type.”

<><>​

Kayden

It took her a moment to recognise her apartment building in the pouring rain; she had to swoop low over the roof to even see it properly. As she did so, she saw two figures next to the roof access. While she couldn't make them out at all well, she had a good idea as to who they might be. Coming around in a sharp turn, she landed on the rooftop and shut down her powers.

“Kayden.” Max's voice was not pleased. “What are you doing here?”

“Ms Russel? You're a cape? Wow! I never even guessed!” By contrast, Annette's voice held more than a little fangirl-squee in it.

Kayden stepped forward, planting herself between Max and the redheaded girl. “Max. This stops now.”

Max shook his head. “No. This is none of your concern. Step aside.”

Her entire being rebelled against defying Max, but she took a deep breath and stood firm. “No. I'm not going to let you do this.”

He frowned; even with his hair plastered to his head, water running down his face and what looked like pasta stains on his suit, the expression was still enough to make her swallow. “Kayden, you don't know what's going on here. This is my daughter.”

“I know exactly what's going on here,” she retorted. Behind him, the roof access door opened. Theo stepped out into the pouring rain, followed by Andrea. The sight gave her strength. “You want to ruin that girl's life, just like you ruined Theo's. You want to get into her mother's head, just like you did mine.” She paused. “What I don't understand is why you're being so bull-headed about this. This is remarkably clumsy, Max, especially for you.”

He chuckled. “Blame Andrea for that. Unlike you, she doesn't think things through and come to a reasoned, logical answer. All too often, she acts far too much on impulse. I can't reason with her. I've never been able to.”

Translation: I can't twist her head around to make her agree with me.

The answer was simple. “So let her go. Let them both go.”

He shook his head. “Andrea is my one great love. Annette is my daughter. I can't let them go. Surely you can see that.”

She didn't take her eyes off of Max, but from the corner of her eye, she could see Theo and Andrea moving off to the side, and Annette joining them. The red-haired woman wrapped her arms around her daughter.

“You're going to have to, Max,” she replied steadily. “If you keep forcing them to accept this, you'll break them. They don't deserve this. I'm not going to let you do it.”

Slowly, Max shook his head. “Kayden. Kayden, Kayden, Kayden. When are you going to learn? You can't stop me from doing anything. Nobody can, but most especially you. Or would you like a reminder of why this is?”

Aster. Kayden firmed her jaw. “No. You can't hold that over my head any more. I'll fight -”

“And lose.” His voice cut across hers, hard and confident. “Like Annette, she's my daughter by blood. Financially, I'm far more capable of caring for her than you are. It might prove a little more tricky to show you up as an unfit mother, but -”

Kayden lit up like a flashbulb as her power activated. “No!” she shouted. Almost, she launched a blast at him. The last lingering shreds of his influence held her back; the power flared around her hand but she held it in check.

Max, on the other hand, had no such compunctions. The steel blade grew from his hand in an instant and he lunged forward; she felt the pain as the blade punched into her abdomen. It withdrew once more; she felt the light leave her body as she fell to her knees. Her hands clasped over the wound, red spilling between her fingers. “Max …” she whispered, the word drowned out by the rain.

<><>​

Theo

Oh no, no, no.

Horrified at what he was seeing, Theo opened his mouth to plead for Kayden's life. Even as he did so, Max stepped to her side.

“I can stand initiative.” Max's voice was harsh. “I can stand defiance, at least for a while.” He raised the blade as her head slumped forward. “But one thing I cannot countenance is betrayal.”

Oh god, he's going to -

The sword was at its highest point when there was an ear-splitting crack and a violet flash of light so bright that Theo could not look at anything without spots crowding his vision. For what seemed like seconds, but had to have been less, Max convulsed on the spot, lightning grounding in the tip of the sword, crackling through his body.

Even as the lightning strike ended, the body of the former leader of the Empire Eighty-Eight slumped to the rooftop. His sword fell nearby, the red-hot tip raising steam from a puddle.

Holy shit. Did that just happen?

Overhead, as Theo dashed forward to see what he could do for Kayden, the rain began to ease off.


End of Part Eight

Part Nine