I don't own anything but original characters and my original plot. Also...I'm sorry...you'll see why.

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Chapter 14 - Kin

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"EIGHT... NINE... NINE AND A HALF-"

"You can't do that!" I cried out, struggling to see through the blindfold that was placed on me. Artemis was bending the rules and spinning me more than she was supposed to.

"You aren't a counter, now shush," Artemis pushed on my shoulders to keep me spinning.

Finally, after what felt like another five minutes of spinning she let me go. I stumbled forward, my mind tricking me into thinking my body was falling to the floor. Reaching out blindly, I stuck the Superman cape on, hopefully, the poster.

Laughter erupted around me and I pulled my blindfold off to see why, joining in when I saw where I put the cape. Instead of on his back, it was on his torso, giving the impression the Man of Steel was wearing a bright red, long skirt.

"Oh, I want to see him like that in real life now," I gasped out, clutching my stomach. Looking to the team I asked, "So I know we had Wally's birthday already, but what do we do now? Is it any different?"

The team shared an amused look before Richard spoke up, "I mean this in the best way possible, but you're really ignorant when it comes to real-world things."

"Nobody's perfect," I defended weakly.

"Well, next we do cake, then presents!" M'gann flew around happily. The only time I had seen her on her feet was when we went to the mall, "Just like at Wally's party, nothing's really different."

"Well, it's different for me," I assured, buzzing with excitement, "This is my first 'real' birthday, even if I don't really know when my birthday is."

Wally sped to the kitchen and returned with a cake and lighter. He set the cake up on the table. It was simple with white icing, in black across the top was Happy Sweet 16 (Y/n)!

Wally lit the candles and moved back. I stepped up to the cake, searching through my mind for what I wanted. What did I want? I had friends, was getting help, and had a real life above ground.

Finally deciding on a credible wish I leaned down, sucking in to blow out the candles.

"Team," Batman appeared on the TV, "I know you are celebrating, but this can't wait. Klarion has been spotted in another warehouse, an occupied one. The warehouse was the home to experimental equipment. All security measures have been wiped out. Go in there, deal with the situation, then continue your festivities."

The team groaned openly in disappointment. I let out a sigh, accidentally blowing out my 16 candles in the process.

"Oh no," I looked at the used candles sadly, "Did I just use my wish?"

"Special circumstance, you get a redo when we get back," Kaldur assured with a wave of his hand.

We ran to the suit room, going under the familiar curtains and changing. As we ran to the bio-ship, I snuck a glance at the presents waiting expectantly on the coffee table in the living room.

We boarded the bio-ship and strapped in, setting the coordinates. Taking off, we flew towards the warehouse.

"I'm sorry your first free birthday got interrupted," M'gann apologized sincerely.

"It's fine," I smiled reassuringly, pushing down my disappointment, "In a way it makes it more normal, seeing a villain on my birthday."

~*~

We arrived quickly at the coordinates we were given. Everyone seemed set on wrapping up the mission as soon as possible so we could get back to the cave and finish my party on, hopefully, a high note.

The bio-ship landed just behind the warehouse, flashbacks of my last mission flashing through my mind. Around us, the trees cast their longs shadows under the moonlight. A feeling of uncertainty rushed through me along with the flashbacks. The last time we fought Klarion he said he was coming for me in two days. Two days had passed. Was that it? What was he going to do to me? Kill me? Take me back to the villains?

"Second-floor, third window from the back exit."

The team slunk through the forest, the only sign that we were ever there was the slight rustle of a disturbed leaf or the crack of a dead branch in our wake. I could see the top of the building before I saw the base.

When we finally reached the building, I looked it over quickly. It was once painted a dark blue, faded to a lighter shade with age. Despite its age, it had obviously been well kept and the security measures on the outside were modern, though disabled.

"(Y/n)."

I glanced back at the team to place a name to the voice. All of them were busy getting up to the window. I looked back at the window, a shadow moved across the second floor. Taking a step back I jogged back to the team, moving my hands up. Shadows from the side of the building gathered under my feet, bringing me to the window.

Once I was close enough Conner grabbed my hand, pulling me the rest of the way. I laded steadily on the floor beneath me. Running a hand through my hair I looked around alertly. I had seen the shadow cross a window six doors down from us. That'd be my first search spot.

"I saw a shadow a few doors down," I spoke telepathically, already making my way to the room that held the window.

When I reached the metal door, I cautiously turned the handle, looking back to the team to make sure they were ready, before throwing the door open, billy sticks at the ready.

The only sound in the room was the thunk of the door hitting the wall. I stepped further into the room, slowly, cautiously. It was a small storage room, with a few shelves and boxes stacked on top.

I moved even farther into the room, my hands sweating enough to loosen my grip on my weapons. I didn't understand how the team could live through a horror movie at least once a week. I was never a fan of horror movies.

"Hey guys, check this out," Conner called us over, holding something carefully. I went on my tiptoes to see over his shoulder. It was a picture frame.

The picture seemed old; the edges ripped despite being protected by the glass and wood frame. There was a woman, smiling brightly at the camera. She cradled a small bundle in her arms. A man stood behind the woman, face serious, though his lips were quirked up in a ghost smile.

"Why would a picture like that be in a place like this? It isn't even an office," I asked the team, though they didn't have any idea either.

"Because I brought it here."

The team leaped into defensive positions, searching for the owner of the voice. We all knew it well, Klarion. That was easy to tell from the tone, but where he was was another mystery.

"Over here," Klarion called, stepping out from behind a shelf. His eyes were bright red. A cat jumped from a shelf and landed next to him, "Night, night."

~*~

I woke up strapped to a metal table. Looking at my hands I struggled against the metal cuffs keeping them strapped down. Sighing when I was unsuccessful, I looked around the room. There were several areas with shadows just waiting to be used.

I wiggled my pointer finger in a 'come here' motion. The shadow of a table slithered over to me, crawling up my leg toward the cuffs.

"I told you I was coming," Klarion walked into the room. I growled, flicking my finger towards him. He held his hand up and the shadows fell into their original placement. My eyes widened, no one had been able to do that before.

"Where are my friends," I asked, struggle starting up again.

"Outside, asleep. Fine for now," he grinned sadistically.

"What does that mean? What did you do to them? Why am I here?" I shot out questions faster than he could hope to answer them.

Klarion waved his hand, and a screen appeared, floating in front of my eyes. There were six squares, in each one was a bloodstream, four of which looked different from the others. Under the squares were labels. Artemis, Kid Flash, Aqualad, Superboy, Miss Martian, Robin.

"Now, if you look, you can see a black dot on each blood cell. That, my dear, is some good old-fashioned dark magic. If I want, I can activate those black dots, and each and every blood cell in their body will stop and burn to a crisp."

"What does this have to do with me?" I asked, fear clear. He was going to kill my friends. Klarion paced in front of me, ignoring my question, but feeding off my fear.

"That picture, the one the brute found, that picture is of your family," Klarion grinned. My entire body tensed. How could he have a picture of my family? Why would he have a picture of my family?

"Why would you have something like that?"

"Because, oh I can't wait to say this. Humans find this phrase so popular in their culture... I am your father."

Cold, that was all I could use to describe my world at that moment. My body froze, the air temperature going down ten degrees. For a few, desperate moments, I wondered if I misheard. I opened my mouth, trying to force something out.

"You can't be my father, you look younger than me," I grit out.

"This isn't my true form," red smoke surrounded him, growing taller and thicker before disappearing. In Klarion's place was a tall, slender male. Black hair overshadowed pale skin falling over red eyes. His voice was deeper, matching the body he had, "This, of course, isn't my true form either. But it was the form I chose when coming to Earth. The form I kept with your mother."

"No."

"Would you like some proof?" He asked with an innocent tilt of his head, "There's a reason I picked this place. A piece of their experimental equipment is a fast-tracked DNA scanner. It doesn't take weeks for results, it takes seconds."

Taking my silence as an answer, Klarion disappeared behind a shelf. He came back pushing a machine in a cart in front of himself. Picking up a fresh needle he not so gently drew some of my blood.

He squirted my blood into a cup on the side of the machine. Flourishing a knife he made a cut on his forearm, dripping his blood into a cup on the other side. Klarion flipped a switch, and the machine turned on, signified by a mechanical hum.

After a few seconds of tense silence, the machine spat out a paper. Klarion picked it up, and with a flourish, held it in front of me. I squinted my eyes, my night vision kicking in an assisting me.

Blood Test Complete

Results:

Positive: Parental relation confirmed

"Oh my God," my world shattered at that moment, "I'm a demon."

"No, no, no," Klarion shook his head as if he were a teacher and I answered a question wrong, "You're half demon. I didn't want to leave you of course. But your mother died, and I couldn't take care of you."

"She's dead." Not only was finding out my parentage a bombshell but the fact that one of them was dead, struck a dagger through my heart, "Did you ever love her, my mom?"

Klarion froze, the smirk leaving his face. For the first time, I saw a glimpse of the man beneath the demon. I saw an emotion other than malice.

"I wasn't supposed to," he spoke quietly, "It wasn't part of my plan. I was going to have you, raise you to be the perfect weapon. But things changed. Then she died, and I was reminded of why I did what I did.

"Now, it was a coincidence the villains found you, a blessing in disguise really. They trained you so I don't have to. If only the heroes hadn't taken you and changed your heart. But it can change again. Here's what's going to happen. You have one week with those pathetic sidekicks. Then, you come to me. If you tell someone, anyone, about this, I will kill everyone you hold dear. Understand?"

I weighed my options, but I knew my answer from the beginning. What choice did I have? Fight the inevitable? The note with me as a baby said my parent was coming for me in sixteen years, there he was, willing and ready to take me in. But I wasn't happy about it in the slightest.

"Yes," I whispered, blinking back tears.

"Yes, what?" He prompted, grinning. He had me, he knew he did.

"Yes... Father."