A New Virus

Convincing

"Papa! Up?" A very young Annalise asked, holding her arms out towards Dark.

"What's the magic word?" Anti's voice asked from behind the camera.

"Please!" Annalise let out a loud giggle when Dark hoisted her up, tossing her into the air a little and catching her. Annalise clapped her hands when she was placed back down on the ground. "Again! Again!" Annalise squealed as Dark repeated the action.

"Does my little girl like flying?" Dark asked. Annalise nodded her head, already having an idea of what Dark was going to do. "Let's explore." Dark scooped Annalise up, holding her flat as he ran out of the room.

"Don't leave me behind, you two!" Anti laughed, chasing after them.

"Wings!" Annalise waited until Dark released her before flapping her orange butterfly wings. Dark summoned his as well and flew around the room with her.

"Daddy! Fly!" Annalise said as she hovered in front of the camera. The next shot showed that Anti had set the camera up on something since he was now flying around with Dark and Annalise. Anti took Dark's hands and the two held each other close as they spun around.

"Too fast!" Annalise yelped before ramming into Dark's chest, all three of them laughing while Annalise hugged the demon.

"I love you, papa."

"I love you too, Annalise."

"She doesn't hate you." Anti's voice took Dark away from the recording he was watching. Dark said nothing and closed the laptop. "She's a teenager. Teenagers say stupid things to get their parents worked up when they don't get their way."

"We used to be so close." Dark sighed.

"You two are still close." Anti huffed.

"Then why did she ask you to drive her to school this morning?" Dark asked.

"Again, she's a teenager. She just needs some time to pout and everything will be back to normal." Anti answered.

"I just don't want her to get hurt." Dark let out a breath when Anti began to rub his shoulders.

"I know, Dark, I know," Anti said.

"I'm the bad guy because I don't want my daughter to become a murderer for hire. Because I want her to go to college, to pursue her dreams with the highest education that she can get. Because I don't want her to end up like us." Dark leaned his head back, pressing it against Anti's chest. "I love who we are. I would never give up what we have or what we do. But she's not us."

"She's a virus," Anti stated.

"I know she's a virus. I know that she's like you in the sense of the cravings. I know that killing is literally in her nature. I know that it's what she wants. But I can't help myself from being selfish and wanting her to live a happy, normal, life."

"The moment she was tied to our front door, was the moment she would no longer have a normal life." Anti spun Dark's chair around and sat on his husband's lap. "I think we should let her join me in my next job."

"Anti! I-"

"Listen to me. If she truly wants this, she'll just find a way to get it. Like you said, she's like us. We've trained her physically and mentally. She's a smart cookie. If we don't help her, she will get hurt."

"I don't know..."

"What do I have to do to convince you?" Anti said with a grin, rubbing his hands on Dark's chest.

"Maybe a few things." Dark chuckled before leaning forward and giving Anti a kiss.

x~x~x

"Elliot Phillips?" The teacher called out, not getting a response.

"He hasn't been here for almost two weeks," Tiana said in a whisper to Annalise. "He's never missed a day before."

"He probably got really sick or something," Annalise answered with a shrug, her mind elsewhere.

Tomorrow was the day. Tomorrow was the day she was going to prove that she could work with her dad. She already had most of it planned. It was Saturday tomorrow, so she could easily tell her dads that she was going out with Tiana. Annalise had the address memorized. It was only one person. One uninstall. One death.

"I heard that his family went missing."

"They're dead," Annalise stated, stiffening when she realized what she said.

"How do you know?" Tiana asked.

"I-"

"Would you two please mind saving your gossiping for after the class?" The teacher huffed, saving Annalise from having to answer.

Annalise was thankful that she only had that one class with Tiana and was also very thankful that her father was always early when it came to picking her up and she sprinted out of the school before Tiana could find her.

"What's the hurry?" Dark asked, shocked to see that Annalise went straight to the car after the final bell rang, she usually took at least ten minutes to get everything and say goodbye to her friends.

"No hurry. Just felt like running." Annalise lied with a weak chuckle.

"If someone's bothering you, we can-"

"I said something that I shouldn't have to Tiana and I'm avoiding her until either I can come up with a good lie to cover my butt or she forgets about it," Annalise answered honestly this time.

"I see." There was a long and awkward pause. The air going stiff.

"Father...I'm sorry." Annalise saw that Dark swallowed thickly. "I shouldn't have said what I said. I didn't mean it. I would never mean that. I-" Annalise stopped when Dark patted her leg.

"It's fine, princess," Dark stated, taking his hand back so he could take a turn. "I said some cruel things as well. And I'm proud of you for owning up to your mistakes and I am doing the same." Annalise tilted her head.

"What are you talking about?"

"Your dad and I have been talking today and we decided that you can join him for his next job."

"What!?"

"Only if it's one uninstall. It's at night and you don't have school the next day." Dark continued. "You are to stay within your dad's sight at all times. You are not to participate in the killing. You are to stay silent and do everything that you are told." Annalise was about to say something, but something clicked in her head. Her eyes went wide and she began screaming curses inside of her head. "I know it's not everything you're wanting, but it's a start." Dark glanced over at Annalise and saw that she was staring ahead. "Are you okay...Annalise? Annalise, honey?"

"Uh, yeah, yeah. Sorry, zoned out." Annalise answered with a weak chuckle, covering her mouth and looking away as she groaned. "Fuck."