Young Writers Society

"Hm." Megara's father thought for a long moment, took a few bites of his food. Finally, he locked his gaze on Megara, "Did you teach this boy to lie?" he asked evenly.

She met his eyes once again, "Why do you believe he's lying?" she countered. It was a weak counter, and it wouldn't hold up for a second, but it bought time.

"There is no wealthy family under the name Wayne. I am disappointed, Megara. I would have thought that you would be a better teacher than you are a student."

She didn't falter. "Are you quite finished playing games?"

He looked amused, "Games?"

"Where's Eddie?" she demanded, her even tone slipping a bit to reveal her anger beneath it.

Briar gave her a warning look. The poison. Megara controlled her breathing, taking her pulse under the table. One, two, three, four...

Briar was so dead after this was all over.

Rose watched in silence as the situation unfolded before her. She had nothing to add to the conversation besides summoning her plants, and she wasn't sure now was the right time to reveal that she had something up her sleeve.

So she let James handle it.

"I wasn't lying," James said. His voice was cool and calm. Rose, who knew he was being sincere and might have been biased, could hear the sincerity in his voice. "My family name is Wayne, and Megara did come to me for my family's resources. Do I act like I'm fazed by this conversation and being in your home?"

Her father hardly seemed interested in him anymore, only giving him a look like he'd forgotten he was there, and like he wasn't particularly happy to be reminded of his presence. Then he looked back to Megara, "I assume he's a better fighter than he is a talker?"

"Where. Is. Eddie." Megara was around three seconds from putting her hidden blade through his neck, and from Briar's posture, they could both tell.

Megara's father wasn't interested in continuing the conversation. Megara was growing tense, and so were Rose and James. James knew that he needed to do something, but he wasn't sure what that something was. So he metaphorically bit his tongue and waited for Megara to give a cue - either to start fighting or to do something else.

Rose did the same.

Briar's eyes were on the guests, studying them.

"You really have become sentimental," Megara's father said, disappointment dripping from his voice.

"I have," she said with a murderous smile, "Where the fuck is Eddie."

The ticking of the grand clock, previously just a background detail of their surroundings, slowly became deafening and horribly, horribly slow as the pair stared each other down.

"Father," it was Briar who interrupted, "shall I escort my sister downstairs?"

"Yes," he replied curtly.

Megara tensed, then forced herself to relax. "Bring Eddie here now. Or I shall be forced to eradicate this branch of Caedis."

Her father looked amused, "Oh?" he asked, sounding for once like he might actually laugh, "Tell me, how will you manage that?"

She grinned. The lie was there, time to sell it with as much truth as she could manage. "James and Rose here aren't of this world They are from a place called Gotham, and the Wayne family is a very wealthy, very powerful family in Gotham. I haven't been cowering in alleys these two years as you seem to think I was, and now all of the work you never thought me capable of has come back to haunt you. If anything happens to any of us-" she gestured to herself and her friends, "-or if I signal my people, this place will be blown sky-high with only the hidden layers beneath to show that it was ever there to the palace officials. Ledgers upon ledgers or documents recording your crimes over the past two years which I have collected will be released to the people of the adjoining cities and kingdoms. Finally, a report will be sent to the Ringleader and the General detailing all the ways in which you have been compromised by your own Bonded." She stood, a self-satisfied smirk on her face, "By the rules of succession, I will take your place as Count. Your eldest daughter, and the more resourceful of your children."

It felt good to deliver the speech, even if most of it was complete BS.

James had felt a wave of relief wash over him when Megara first began talking; he was eager to put the lies behind him, and was glad that he didn't have to hide being from Gotham.

Then Megara kept talking, and James quickly realized that she had dug them into a very, very deep hole. Because though the Waynes did have their fair share of wealth and power at their disposal, none of what they had could even begin to destroy a building as big as this.

But James knew he had a role to maintain - and Rose did, too - so they both tried to look as cold and as intimidating as Megara portrayed them to be. Both were fairly good actors, so it wasn't hard.

James just hoped the others would arrive soon.

Her father didn't look worried, which took a bit of the joy from her speech, but she still had a few comforts from it. For instance, James and Rose were doing a wonderful job of playing along, and she had the lovely safety net of her father knowing her as a liar. She was only alive to lie, he would often remind her. If she was proven to be lying now, there would be no greater punishment than what was already awaiting her.

"Fetch the boy," he said to Briar after a moment of contemplation. She stood and left without a word.

Megara knew the look on his face. He was going along with it. Letting her win for a while to get himself in the best position to make her wish she'd never stepped out of line. She hoped the others would get there before he made his move.

"My daughter says you are from another world," he said to Rose and James, "Did she go to your world to retrieve you on her own?"

"Yes," Rose said - tired of playing the part of the silent observer. She would refrain from using her powers, but she couldn't pretend that James was the only one that mattered here. "She did."

James nodded in agreement.

He raised on eyebrow but didn't comment.

Megara cursed internally. He knew as well as she did that she couldn't use magic, not without her double, whoever that was. Ciel was in trouble if he got out of this alive.

James remained where he was, tense and waiting for any change that would signal the need for a fight. But the change didn't come from Megara. It didn't come from her family. It didn't even come from Rose.

It came from a sudden gust of wind, and a blur that almost looked like a person if you watched it for long enough.

James couldn't help but give a little smile.

And Rose, who had been waiting the entire time for some kind of signal, immediately started searching the room for a plant she could use.

Well, that was as good a sign as any. Megara's knife was out in a flash and she went for her father's throat. Briar caught her arm, though and before she knew what was happening Briar had Megara's knife and it was coming at her. Megara dodged. She could feel her pulse rising. That wasn't good.

Wally suddenly skid to a halt behind Briar.

He gave her a little tap on the shoulder.

"Hi," he said, waving.

Rose, meanwhile, coaxed one of the plants out of its pot and had it head straight for Megara's father - right when James started approaching him. He kept his gaze on his enemy, but he paid attention to the movement of the vines to avoid getting hit.

"Where's Eddie?" he asked.