And Maybe That's Alright

Finish

They'd all known long before that Damien fought dirty and that there was no way in God's good heaven that he'd go down quietly. Cornered and rapidly realising his lack of control, he began to lash out.

"After all I've done for you all." He growled, loud and animalistic. "After all that I've sacrificed." The room was now caught on his words, listening intently. "I put my life, my career, on the line and this is how you decide to repay me?"

It was easy now, to see the ways in which Damien attempted to manipulate them to his liking. They no longer had a thick shroud over their eyes, covering his lies.

"You have never once taken a risk for us." Clay retorted, feeling George's hand curl softly around his elbow from where they were sat close. It was a comforting and welcome weight, working to keep him calm.

"I took every risk when I chose to take you all in. You would have been nothing without me." It was honestly embarrassing to see the flare of Damien's unwarranted ego burn so wildly.

"If we were good enough to get scouted once then we would have again. Our success isn't because of you." Darryl countered calmly, clearly and civilly. Each a liberty that Damien was not taking.

Fighting a losing battle was not something that he enjoyed, so it came as no surprise that he switched his focus. "Selene, think about what you're doing here. Think about Aurelia, think about where you'd be without me."

"You think I'm ashamed to be able to say that I worked hard and honest to survive? You think it's some dirty little secret that I was a sex worker- I'm sorry, a slut?" Selene asked as though the answer was obvious. "I chose a job I'd enjoy, it was you who stopped me when you decided to marry me, as though getting me knocked up wasn't enough. Aurelia and I would be just fine without you"

It felt exhilarating to finally be able to let the truth out, to finally say the words she'd bitten back for all too long. Damien was the only one that wasn't happy with her lifestyle, all because it'd ruin his image for the world to know that he'd gotten an eighteen year old sex worker pregnant.

It came as no surprise that Damien desperately switched his focus to his last resort.

"Clark."

And Clark had never hated his own name more. Not once had he heard it sound so wholly hellish; like that of nails on a chalkboard or the incessant crying of an inconsolable baby. He'd always hated that Damien called him Ashton, but he hated him calling him Clark all that much more

"You can't do this to me, son." He stated and Clark heard the shift in his voice as he attempted a different approach. "Please, Clark, I'm your father."

"You are nothing to me."

"Son-" Damien tried but Clark was quick to cut him off.

"My father died long before my mother did and he lies with her." His voice was level and clear, eyes hard and fingers shaking. He splayed his hands against the desk before him to still them. "You were never him. You will never be him."

It was silent for a long moment, as though everyone was holding their breath in anticipation.

"You bitch!" Damien screamed, standing and knocking against the desk in the process, lunging in Clark's direction. Jethro stood on instinct and shifted himself between them as Damien was yanked back into his chair, thrashing. "I should have killed you when I had the chance!"