"Wait, wait, wait," the girl said, grabbing my arm as I started to go.
"What?" I asked, exasperated.
Instead of replying, the girl pointed at the house. Coming out of the front door was a woman with silver hair fading to an electric teal color. She had on a purplish shirt with mauve highlights, black pants, black shoes, and black socks. Brushing a strand of hair out of her eyes, I saw the woman had gray eyes with flecks of teal. After a few minutes of trying to place the face, I took a startled step backwards, "NISSA?!"
"Aye," the woman replied, smiling an all too familier smile. "What do you think Ikkit's been working on for the last couple of months?"
"I...uh...Nissa!?"
"Yes, it's Nissa," the girl replied. "Ikkit's been building her a AI body since approximtely...three months ago. She wanted to make sure that the body had all the latest componets--a few pieces
may have been 'borrowed' from Chazu with the help of Tikki playing the role of Igor to Ikkit's Dr. Frakenstien..."
"How did you know that?" Nissa asked, looking at the girl.
"I have my ways," the girl replied. "Now are we or are we not going after Rose?"
"We're going," Nogard replied. "Although I don't know why all the fuss over the AI."
****
Upon reaching the location where Rose was being held, I slammed the doors to the precinct open and said, "Bring me Rose! I am her rightful guardian!"
"And just who the hell are you?" a demon to my right asked. As I turned to see who spoke, two guards brought Rose out and forced her to kneel.
"Is that Nissa?" Rose asked with as much surprise as I had when I first saw Nissa.
"Yes," I said to Rose. To the demon woman, I replied, "You must be Uli Lavernishka Preak. I'm guessing the man with purple hair is Leroy, the man with the wolf tail is Wollv, and the girl is Lucy?"
"Correct," the demon woman said. "Since you already know me; who, then, are you?"
"I am Nogard," I replied. "This is Nogard and Nissa."
"And your human slave?"
"I am NO slave," the girl replied hotly. "And I'll be DAMNED if I tell you my name!"
"What is your name?" Nissa asked, looking at the girl.
"Holly," the girl replied, smiling.
Ignoring Nissa and the girl, the demon woman glared at me for a few moments. "Why do you say you're Rose's guardian?"
"Because Lilah wanted me to be her guardian," I replied. Sarcastically, I added, "As to why she didn't choose you, I can't IMAGINE."
"Do you have proof of this?" Lucy asked. "Signed papers?"
"Better," Nissa replied, snapping her fingers. Next to Nissa, a hologram of Lilah appeared.
"Mom," Rose whispered.
"Lilah," I whispered.
"I," the hologram said, "Lilah, of sound mind and body, do decree that my daughter Rose is to be given into the care of Dragon. For reasons I will not go into, Rose is NOT, I repeat NOT, be given into the care of her aunt Uli."
"Video can be doctored," Leroy said.
"And that's why we also have papers and you can match the signature and DNA print to Lilah's," Nissa replied, producing the proper paperwork from one of her pockets and handing it over to the police.
After running it through extensive tests, the male policeman said, "It's verified. The writing and DNA print is the girl's mother's. Custody goes to Dragon."
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