D.E.M.O.N.S: Getting Summoned Weekly isn't so Bad

Back with Kat.

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Once Bing was cleaned and dressed, she turned to Meng and asked, "So what's the plan now? Do we just wait for Bodeir to wake up then leave? Presumably through the secret exit"

"Ha… yeah… about that…" Meng gave a wry smile and ran her hands through her hair "So… thing is? I have no idea where the secret exit is, and I'm only seventy percent sure that it exists at all. Then, assuming we DO find it, my guess would be that the array is bloodline locked, or worse, soul locked. The chances that Kat, myself, or even the other two could use it. You and your brother might be able to use it… but that's assuming we can find it. No, we'll probably have to wait for Bang to get here,"

"Why would you not know that? Wait, why do we WANT Bang to get here? Is he also going to be running away with us?" asked Bing rapid fire.

Meng winced and said, "Well… to answer the first question. I had to spy on Meng for quite a while before I felt comfortable pretending to be her… but there was no reason to reveal any of the secret exits the sect surely has set up. I have guesses about where a number of them are just based on experience… but I never found them, or proved they exist. I didn't really have the time for that sort of work.

"At the beginning, when you were both too young to notice me doing anything strange I had to take care of you both. Like hell I was letting the maids do it. Then, as you got older I was expected to do more and more things, and really it just kept me busy. Sneaking off for days at a time to try and find secret exits is a horrible use of my time. That and I'm not all that great at arrays, so I'd be wasting even more time to try and get it to a usable state.

"It just wasn't worth it in the end. Not only was it more my partners job to deal with those sorts of things, excuses to come down here to this vault specifically? Well they are pretty rare. Remember, the collapse of this sect was meant to be really subtle,"

"Sure, I can believe that…" said Bing with a nod, "…but I noticed you didn't answer my second question,"

Meng winced again, "Right… well… I'll just call them Bang for now but… they are much less invested in you both. In fact, I'm pretty sure Bang hates kids, so I don't know why he was sent on this mission. Maybe to balance me out? I never made it a secret I wanted kids one day, and it was a surprise that I got a mission where I could basically adopt my own. I don't think I could do or say anything to convince Bang to turn traitor."

"Why do you get a free pass?" asked Feng, not as outwardly angry, but clearly still not pleased with the situation. "Why are we just writing of Bang because a spy is telling us so! She's not in any better position then 'Bang' is. So why are we just accepting her word for it? Heck, she could be lying about Bang being an imposter! So why are we all just treating it like suspecting our father is a spy is a completely reasonable thing to suspect!" Bing opened her mouth to answer, but didn't have a good one so she closed it right after.

*Perhaps because Meng knows 'Bang' well? Perhaps because the chance that both of the spies watching over you are actually nice is unbelievably low? Perhaps the fact that Meng genuinely looks like she has your best interests at heart? I don't think anyone can fake the pure bliss and love she had on her face just watching you and your sister rolling around in the dirt! I can't even be that content watching Sylvie play with the other kids at the orphanage, though hugging Sylvie does come close.*

Despite Kat's thoughts, she held her tongue. The facts didn't really matter to Feng, or at least, in Kat's mind they didn't. Feng was clearly angry at this whole situation and wasn't willing to calm down and think about what this might all mean. Instead, he just wants to yell at the world for a few moments, and trying to find problems where there was none. Kat was pretty sure throwing out her reasonable arguments of Meng's clear affection would fall on deaf ears.

The silence continued. Meng didn't know what to say either. 'I just know' or 'I'm your mother' were catastrophic answers. Just like 'I've known him longer than you' would be, despite that one also being true if Meng and Bang were their original parents. Emotional pleas would be useless, and so many of the logical examples were tainted by Feng's knowledge that Meng was, and has been, a spy for many years.

That wasn't even getting into the other issues, like how can she look Feng in the eyes and tell him his father never loved him. It's true, from a certain angle. The original Bang wasn't great with kids either, but he likely DID love his children. This fake one? Certainly not. Meng couldn't just SAY that though. It would sound a lot like the pot calling the kettle black.  There were so many things Meng wanted to say but couldn't.

After the silence had definitely got awkward Kat just rolled her eyes before clapping her hands together loudly to get everyone's attention. "Right, enough of that. Bing, stop moping and hug your mother she needs it. Feng, despite the fact that you're not really thinking about this at the moment I AM willing to compromise here. The person who will need to fight Bang in the end is almost certainly ME, but before we start an epic fight to the death, or whatever it ends up being, I can give YOU the chance to talk him down. Is that fair?"

"What gives you the right to fight my father?" asked Feng.

*Really? Really Feng?* "Well, considering the fact that I need to protect Bodeir, I'll do anything necessary for that goal. Then, Bing is my friend and I want her to escape this place without getting hurt or killed so delaying the biggest threat seems necessary. Finally, I'm perhaps the strongest person in this room, so if a fight does need to happen? Who would you rather leave it to?" said Kat.

"Perhaps we should make Meng fight Bang, fake or not. That way the heaven's could decide" grumbled Feng.

"Feng, I'm pretty sure that a fight between them would have nothing at all to do with the heavens," said Kat with a sigh. "On top of that, what would that even prove? If you're really so worried about Meng's loyalties I'm sure it's very easy for her to fake her death, or fake Bang's death and have him secretly trail after you. Honestly, she could screw you over in so many ways if she really wanted to. Why are you trying to pain her as the bad guy?"

"She killed our parents!" shot back Feng.

Kat cracked her neck, not actually eliciting a sound as she did so. *Note to self. Can't crack your neck when you're a demon… or maybe it's the regeneration?* "Right Feng? First off, she didn't kill your parents, she captured them and someone else probably killed them. Slight difference. Secondly, you don't KNOW your parents and you never have. You're angry that the idea of them you have in your head has been tarnished. The thing is? Lashing out like this? You will remember it for the rest of your life.

"Meng has cared for you. She has allowed for you to strike her without retaliation, and she has loved you for years and you are being mighty rude to her at the moment. Why is it, that you cannot wrap your head around the idea that she could care for kids that she basically adopted? Plenty of people do it. I grew up in an orphanage Feng! The people who look after me now? They're great! It's awkward sometimes, and I can't think of them as parents, but that's because I'm old, and I've never known parents.

"You, you have grown up loved. You have grown up cared for. You're adopted parents, or parent in this case, don't need to prove they love you. That they care. Meng has already proved that with years of love and affection. So why are you trying to make this hard for yourself?"

"Well, I don't see how you all can be fine with this!" hissed Feng. "It's this sort of thing that the Holy Icy Wind sect is supposed to protect against. Spies, saboteurs, those lacking in honour. Meng is all three! And yet apparently a bit of love makes it all better,"

Bing gulped, swallowing down her nervousness but spoke, "Yes Feng. Yes it does,"