I fixed the chapter title. Sorry about that. Some of this is a summary of what happened to Mercy for all of you who haven't read my Perfect Genetics Challenge.
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Clarissa awoke not knowing where she was. She shook her head willing herself to wake up. Her body full of adrenaline, she called for a taxi and walked into her house acting as if nothing had happened. She looked at the clock seeing that she had been out for several hours. She shook her head and knew she hadn’t slept. She had fainted and the thought terrified her. She grabbed the watering can by Liam’s alchemy set and started watering the plants. No one need to know about her blackout.
He came in the kitchen and stared suspiciously at a box of cereal. “You are awfully cheerful today.” Clarissa rolled her eyes and finally asked one of the questions that were eating at her. “How does it feel to be a werewolf?” He stopped for a moment and placed the cereal box down. “Took you long enough to notice.” Clarissa rolled her eyes. “Believe it not before I was a magic user I was one too. I kind of noticed by the glowing eyes.” Liam scolded at the cereal box. “I knew you were a hybrid, but weren’t you always a magic user?” “No. Found a journal from a crazy ancestor that kind of changed me. Strange huh?” Liam slammed the cereal box down. “Oops.” Clarissa grinned at him though she was tempted to just fall asleep on the floor. “Is there anything bothering you Clarissa?” Those six words meant the whole world’s difference to her. She focused on watering the plants. “Yeah. I’m going into work today. I got demoted to, uh, test subject.” Clarissa was tempted to continue but she suddenly noticed the bowl in Liam’s hands that had been shattered to pieces. “I’m just going to give them memory charms and force them to give me a promotion.” Clarissa managed a nervous chuckle. “I’m glad you are happy Liam. I mean, you are awesome either way-” All the sudden his phone started ringing. Clarissa grinned at him. “That must be Jack. See you after I scream at a bunch of scientists. Don’t kill anyone today Liam!” Liam muttered under his breath,”No promises.” He picked up the phone and tried his best not to crush it.
“Hellooo Jack.”
“I’m guessing Ms.Clarissa didn’t kick you out?”
Liam grinned mischievously.
“Not after dealing with her nutter, ur, parents.”
Clarissa was tempted to grab the phone from Liam. Instead she just screamed loud enough for Jack to hear.
“He was terrible Jack!”
One glance from Liam and she knew he was a goner.
“What did you do Liam? Have you forgotten ‘our business’ versus ‘their business conversation?’”
Liam just scowled.
“Last time you said that Clarissa had been kidnapped by the ring leader, Liam was eager to change the subject. You see happy old man. What is the occasion?”
“Don’t tell me you forgot?”
Liam had a look of recognition on his face.
“Tell the bloodsucker happy birthday! Also um, how do I say this? A hybrid randomly teleported into a room and told me to say she said happy birthday? Did his girlfriend wait to give him his present?”
Clarissa could hear an audible chuckle.
“Yes. Eveline waited like she was suppose to.”
Liam rolled his eyes.
“That is an understatement. Do you know how many times we had to talk her out of it?”
“I am aware Liam. What did you do to Ms.Clarissa’s parents?”
Liam cleared his throat. “Old man, why are you really happy?”
“Jupiter said yes to me legally adopting him.”
Liam raised an eyebrow. “Majnun finally came through?”
“Yes he did.”
“Good. I couldn’t stand that woman anyways. What did you really say to her old man?”
Jack cleared his throat. “It wasn’t my best moment. I’m getting a call from the school. Oh Watcher, this better not be something wrong with the adoption.”
“Bye old man! Make sure the bloodsucker doesn’t get into too much trouble!”
“Liam!” Liam could already see Jack visibly scowling in his mind. He sighed until he noticed Clarissa staring at him with sadness in her face.
“If you want you can go back to them. I know you miss them.”
Liam’s smile faltered.
“I’m staying here until you kick me out Clarissa.”
Clarissa laughed and gave him a small smile.
“I have to really get to work now. Ugh.”
Liam scolded. “I thought we already agreed you had the job of my personal nuisance?”
Clarissa grinned and sighed dramatically. “I don’t think I am up to the challenge. Bye Liam, again, her voice softened. Thank you for coming here.” She then walked out of the door with the smile still plastered on her face. Liam knew something else was up. He wasn’t stupid. So when the girl with purple hair walked through the door with snow covering her face and her bright, green, eyes alert he wasn’t surprised.
“Another one? How am I going to nickname you all?”
The girl huffed indignantly.
“For someone with a green flamingo you sure have no manners.”
“Great. You are all insane.” The girl appeared to be focusing and Liam’s eyes spotted the mark of a vampire.
“I’m just looking for Clarissa, Liam. I have no interest in having to curse you into a doll or lock you in a tomb. In fact, I would rather not do either of those things. I’m not sure how much of a sense of humor your Watcher has. I just want to tell Clarissa the whole truth about her family.”
Liam snorted. “You all say the same thing.”
“I swear it on my father’s life.”
“How do you I know he isn’t dead or you don’t care?”
She rolled her eyes.
“My father status in life and death has changed recently. Trust me, if it was my mother’s life then you would know something was up.”
Liam glared at her suspiciously.
“What is your name anyways?”
“Maleficent Labelle.”
“You curse people into dolls?”
“Not always. Sometimes I give them lethal poison apples, have them fall asleep for a century or two, drive them to insanity, it all depends on the day. I’m always thinking of new ideas of how to curse people. The same old curses get boring after awhile.”
Liam rolled his eyes.
“You really expect me to believe that you are a character from a fairytale?”
“Those stories are overexaggerated. I did curse Aurora Legend into a doll that caused her to stay in that form for a century or two but I haven’t turned into a dragon. Where do you mortals find these things?”
“Fine. I just wanted to tell her why her mother is a pyromaniac and why our family is cursed except her. Then I wanted to explain to her who created the chip that is causing her to black out in pain and terrorize the neighborhood. It wasn’t like I was going to mention the truth or anything in that. Oh gosh no, I love being half a vampire and half a magic user and I wanted her crazy boyfriend to turn me into a werewolf on top of that!”
“Chip?”
“Use that brain of yours. I bet she was going to tell you and you freaked out?” Maleficent’s eyes glanced at the broken bowl. “I can sit on the couch and wait if you want. I honestly don’t hate her which is surprising since I hate almost everyone. I promise I won’t curse her into a doll or drive her to insanity. That Watcher of yours likes her to much anyways for me to do such a silly thing.”
“What chip?”
“You know, the one in the alpha stage that can control other people’s magic reserves. Known side effects are: Insanity, death, painful headaches. The scientists in her work must have tampered with her brain. She must have been having painful headaches and blackouts by now.”
Liam’s phone shattered into pieces. Maleficent winced. “You were going to need that. You are going to need a back up one. I’m just going to sit on the couch while you go buy a new one. You need that phone unless you plan on making a trip.”
Liam looked at her quizzically. “That was Clarissa’s phone. I’m dead.”
Maleficent sighed with relief. “Oh good. You will need your phone.”
Liam stared at her with distrust. “What do you know?”
Maleficent started humming and staring at the t.v blankly.
Clarissa finally walked through the door looking very agitated. “Those stupid scientists. I had to use all my magic reserve. I had to duck tape this one guy’s mouth shut-”
She glared suspiciously at Maleficent and looked back to Liam. “Is this another-?”
Liam scowled at her. “I wouldn’t know.”
Maleficent then sighed. “She isn’t aware of the chip installed in her head, Reaper. She probably has just been having random blackouts and headaches. Yes I’m another insane relative.”
Liam smirked.
Clarissa frowned. “At least you are honest. Why are you here?”
“Because I wanted to sit on this couch, Maleficent rolled her eyes, I’m here because I think you deserve the cold, hard, facts like the rest of us have to deal with. You only got two of your many questions answered by Majnun, yes?”
Clarissa nodded.
“Why are you going to tell me?”
Maleficent shifted uneasily under Liam’s watchful eye.
“I can’t be in another person’s debt.”
“Huh? I didn’t do anything for you.”
“You did. You aggravated Fate long enough to let my family have some peace in their lives and for her not to notice my father’s sudden reappearance. You will probably continue to annoy her. I can’t be in your debt.”
“What?”
“If I’m in your debt and if Liam Reaper here does something stupid than I have to help. What if one day he gets on my nerves and I want to transport him into a tomb? I won’t be able to. It will annoy me.”
Liam scowled. “What about family?”
“You haven’t met my family. Self-preservation first. We have some loyal to each other, but loyalty can only go so far for some people.” Clarissa noticed how Maleficent’s eyes got dark with what seemed the need for vengeance.
“Sounds like nutters.” He then glanced at Clarissa to make sure she was okay with it. She shrugged.
“Anyways let's get to the reason the Reaper hasn’t grown fur yet. What are those two questions you asked anyways? I don’t want to have to cover anything that Majnun already covered. I would tell Liam to get out but I have a feeling you would want him here anyways.” Maleficent rolled her eyes.
“For someone so young how did you become so-?”
“Bitter, cruel, power-hungry, insane? I’m a hybrid. You should assume the worst of me. That comes later in the story. Answer the first question.”
Liam’s face was unreadable.
“I asked why my family fears magic and how my mother became an immortal.”
Clarissa shifted uneasily in the chair.
“How did he respond?”
“He laughed and said my family fears magic because of Fate. My mother became an immortal because of Megan Labelle.”
Maleficent stared at her quizzically.
“She didn't tell you anything, did she?”
“Mercy didn’t.”
“Okay then. Long version or short version? Both of them long.”
“Which one is better?”
“Okay. Neither of them are great. I’m not going to try to soften them. You asked for the truth, here it is.
Tragedy Nicoli was cursed into a different realm under belief of a false identity because her mother believed she was a threat to her power. She assumed a fake identity, and became a different person. She didn’t know she was a magic user and had as much common sense as the common 5 year old. So blah, blah, after a couple years your mother was born along with two brothers. Ben and Charlie Labelle. Perfect family. Of course Fate Nicoli had to have 10 generations full of powerful descendants and tragedy. Brad, a magic user got a call to set a fire that didn’t end well. Of course it was a little complicated because he was currently married to Megan. He is your grandfather. In the end Megan found herself stuck in a room ablaze and died while Mercy watched unable to do anything. It really messed her up. That was when her obsession started with fire. She knew who the real murder was and her best friend was imprisoned in the world’s ugliest jail. In the end her father died from the magic driving him to absolute insanity.”
Maleficent cleared her throat. “I may of, uh, cursed him when I was roughly seven years old.”
Liam’s face was still unreadable and Clarissa had to put her head in her hands.
“That would explain it.”
“ The police figured it was a magic issue and usually turn their eyes when magic is involved. Her friend got out of jail. That even isn’t the worse. I’m not done. In the end her brothers and her ran away from home with her best friend. They came home after they learned of their father’s death. Mercy decided to challenge death and may of apologized to her for her terrible life that was surely to come. She learned she was cursed. She married her best friend, Alexander Brantley.”
Clarissa’s head shot up in confusion. “What? Does my dad have another name.?”
“No. This was her first marriage. In the end he found about the curse when Fate had twisted the words around to make it seem like it was his fault. He tried to set a fire to kill her and he learned that she was a magic user immune to fire. The tables turned and suddenly he was the dead one and she was the one who just learned she was a magic user. Fate thought it was funny and raised him back from the dead while your mother went insane from the guilt of killing him. She had her first born and gave her to Ben. Astra died in an unpleasant accident. Alexander showed up to taunt your mother and well, Megan got some sense in her to stop letting magic kill her. Boom. Immortal Mercy. Met your father and she gradually became saner.”
Maleficent glanced at Liam to make sure he was okay. His phone vibrated but no one got up to answer it. He was looking at Clarissa with concern.
“I thought Megan was dead?”
“The dead can come to visit. Most people don’t see them until they are almost dead. Astra was raised from the dead with some help from the future and Mercy got revenge on Alexander which resulted in his death from a lethal poison apple. That is the end of what happened to Mercy. Would you like to know about Astra now?”
Clarissa was starting to see stars and decided that was not normal. “Just tell me who she is and what happened to her and you. I want to hear about this “chip” and then that's all I think I can take today.” Clarissa massaged her forehead. She didn’t want to pass out in the middle of it. All this time she had been hating her mother for not telling her. Why would you tell your daughter your deepest secrets that still haunted you? Her mother was protecting her in a fragile illusion and she suddenly understood. She was no child any longer that needed to be protected from harsh words. She was an adult.
Maleficent bit her lip. She was already sharing more than she wanted to about her past. “Astra ended up like her father. Selfish, prideful, arrogant, calculating. She married my father who was a vampire and they had me. My father died on my fifth birthday and she blamed me for it. She was right. I came to Mercy and told her she was going to have to pay a price if she wanted her daughter back. She abandoned me and left me for dead. I grew up to take care of myself. My 2nd cousin’s friend found me and took me in. His daughter decided to raise my father from the dead. Astra, with the help of her newly found family, decided to commit her life to destroying magic user’s even though she was one herself and created a chip that could control someone’s magic reserves. The only issue is she has a crazy hybrid daughter running around fixing her messes. There. We are even. Anything else you want to know at the moment? A simple alchemy potion should disable the chip since it is in the Alpha stage. I will destroy the files connecting the chip and they should be held back on recreating the chip.”
Clarissa wasn’t sure if she should hug the girl or cry. It was pure madness.
“Is all of your family like that?”
“No. Some of them are actually good people who got sucked into this. That is the truth. I dumped a lot of information you.” Maleficent shifted uneasily and broke eye contact. “You can come and meet my sane relatives if you want. You should call Jack back and deal with the situation at hand first.” Maleficent looked aggravated. “Ugh. Have fun. Make sure your friends bury him deep enough.”
They watched as she got up and teleported in a haze of light. Clarissa couldn’t move and knew Liam was staring at her.
“I got my wish, didn’t I?”
Even Liam didn’t have anything to say.
“You need to call Jack back.”
Liam got up and dialed Jack’s phone number.
