Charon sighed.

"Angel, why do you think I sent all you kids away? I needed you to be occupied and Crimson and Harkin safe. I've spent this last 8 months trying to work out and be 100 percent sure that this is the real Kizmat. Look at him, do you think he did this to himself, honestly?"

Angel stared at the weak looking Kizmat and slowly and almost grudgingly put her knife away. She shook her head.

"Why didn't you tell me? I could've helped."

Charon rubbed her face, she was tired and worried.

"Angel, you still have a lot of training to complete, I appreciate you wanted to help but I can't put you in harms way. This battle isn't yours, its mine and Kizmats, it always has been."

Angel threw her arms into the air and made a noise that sounded like a growl.

"It IS my battle. It was always going to be my battle. Its been my battle from the second I was born and you can't protect me from it forever!"

Charon looked at her carefully.

"We didn't want you to feel as though you HAD to be involved with this. We wanted you to make your own decisions, we HOPED that you would walk away and make your own life."

She almost snorted.

"Yeah like I could stand by and watch while you and dad take a beating from Queen Bitch face and not do anything. What the hell do you think I am? I'm not that cold."

Charon sighed.

"Fine. Do me a favour then, go upstairs. In the library I'm in the middle of some research, go through it, check it for me and see if you have anything to add to it."

Angel was about to protest but Charon held up her hands.

"This might be a battle but most battles depend on the quality and quantity of the intelligence given to the armies involved. Do you think I've survived this long with little or no intelligence? You want to be a part of this, then you have to learn how to put together your intelligence and how best to use what you have. Then you put a plan together and hope for the best."

Angel huffed but she disappeared. Charon turned her attention back to Kizmat.

"Why did all the kids take after you?"

Kizmats eyes opened momentarily and he rolled them as though he couldn't beleive what he was hearing. Charon laughed and went to fetch some fresh blood from the freezer.

((open post))