For the past few days Heath had led his section of the family through Feroxi, often splitting into groups to cover more ground. Everywhere they went were plans to kill any pretenders and save any children, however they were more contained. Under ordinary circumstances they would have cut a bloody swath through, but in the dense centre of a city such as Feroxi they would be hunted down by any and all who saw them as the murderers that they were, and that was something none of them needed right now. What they needed was information about the maidens. Bits and pieces were spotted here and there, but most were merely rumours, people talking about the train heist, worriers of Lady Maribel (and those who laughed at her), but then... they got just a little bit lucky.
Heath and a small crew entered a motel, intending to stay in for the night. It had taken all of their willpower in order to not kill everyone they saw over the age of thirty and not kidnap anyone under the age. It was like going cold turkey and they didn't like it. Heath buzzed at the front desk, his history as a bounty hunter and dealing with pretenders have him a patience none of the others possessed, even the Father.
"I don't care what you say baby, next time I'm going with you," Heath heard a female voice say from a nearby waiting sofa, "they could have killed you."
"Please calm down, you saw what they gave me, shit they paid me for my troubles." A man chuckled.
"I don't care, and I don't want bandits paying for our stay its thug money."
'Wait a second.' Heath thought to himself.
"Money is money baby, come on lets just enjoy our stay, its better than staying at your place." Replied the man.
"What did you just say to me?" Shouted the woman.
Just as the man began stuttering his response Heath sat in between the couple, separating them and making them feel uncomfortable. "Hello my name is Heath. And you were on the train the Iron Maidens lifted weren't you?" The couple stuttered before Heath continued. "I'm going to be honest, I'm a bounty hunter and I'm willing to pay handsomely for anything you know about the crew, anything you saw, any defining details."
Swiftly and without thinking the man began to spill his guts, at the behest of his partner. "Yeah okay," he spoke quickly, barely pausing at all, "they took all the nobles and robbed them and gave the money to us in the common car and they took them outside and nearly killed this skinny guy and they-"
Heath grabbed his lips and shut them forcefully, "Thats not what I was asking. Who did you see? What did they look like? Any of them look weak to you."
"Get your hands off of hi-" the woman shouted, soon interupted by the gun heath had unshethed and pointed at her chin, not even looking at her.
"You saw them, I know you did. Now tell me, who looked weak, who would you say was the weakest link?"
The man stuttered and shook as Heath moved his hand to his throat, a gun at his girlfriend's chin. "T-Th-There was a p-priest and a um, a kid a little kid yeah a kid."
"D'ya get his name? Anybody call him Sprout?" It was a name he had heard around, possibly the daughter of Meredith Monroe, but it was unclear.
"I dunno I don't know, look please-"
"Ahh, you're useless!" In one fluid motion he snapped the man's neck one handed, and before his partner had a chance to react he turned and punched her in the throat, then snapped her neck as well. Standing up he lay the woman's head on the man's shoulder, as if they were sleeping. By the time the owner of the motel got to the counter all the old woman saw was a cute 'sleeping' couple and Heath at her desk. "I need a few rooms please."
"Family get together?" she asked, to which Heath nodded. She looked over his shoulder to see the couple. "Aww isn't that cute, I wish me and my husband still fell asleep like that."
"Don't worry, you will soon." smiled Heath, taking the keys.
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Austin drove sat in his RV being driven around by Oliver while he spoke on the phone with his family. "Have you made it yet? Good, good. Make sure you gather quickly, we don't know where that airship will be. Oh really? Oh good girl good girl, yes I am proud of you. Alright alright, move on quickly. Okay love you, goodbye." He hung up and shouted to Oliver, "Are we close yet?"
"Yeah dad we are."
"Good, kids get ready, we need to be inside before we start shooting, alright."
"Yes father." They all answered in unison as they pulled over in the car park outside of the police station. Oliver stepped out, he was the only one who wouldn't be shooting, thus all he had was a knife. He entered the police station and went through the metal detector, handing his knife into the officers as he did. The smaller children soon followed after, whom the police took to the waiting chairs. No one expects a child to be carrying. Austin was the last one who walked in, strumming his guitar as he did.
"Sir, please stop playing the guitar." said an officer.
"Why? I bring music to your ears." Austin replied calmly.
"Um, sir please just stop playing the guitar."
"Oh I won't be long, I'm just here to pick up my daughter." he said smiling.
"I see," said the cop nodding, "well I think- wait," the description was familiar, the guitar, the robe, the massive stature. It was him. It was him! The cop quickly drew his firearm and aimed at Austin. "Sir put the guitar down and put your hands behind your head."
"Of course." The second the guitar stopped a hailstorm of bullets came from the waiting area, police drew for their firearms to shoot Austin but his children valiantly charged to defend him, as he jumped behind the metal detector for cover. The police, unable to shoot children, were swiftly wiped out in the lobby. Austin lay his guitar down on the ground as he pulled out his shotgun. Quickly they made their way down to the cell block, the children leading the charge. The hesitation of the police led them to die at the hands of children. Austin grinned, carrying his shotgun and not needing to fire a single shot. They took the keys from one of the dead guards to open the cell doors, finding one of his children. A young girl, blonde hair, tattoos covering her face. She ran out to hug her father.
"I knew you'd come." She embraced him. He then set about letting all of the young ones out of their cells.
"Of course I would come." He said before proclaiming to the younger prisoners, "All of you, do you want out of these cells?" They cheered as he dangled the keys. "I can help you. I can save you, and you are part of our family. Do you like what you see? How we have decimated these sadists who call themselves officers!" They banged at their cells as they roared in sick laughter. "Then welcome home my children, welcome home!" He set about personally letting them out of their cells before turning to the older prisoners. "As for you pretenders, you deserve so much worse than this." One by one he blasted them away with his shotgun. The former prisoners armed themselves with the guns of the guards as the rest of the police flooded down into the cells. Austin and his children simply stood back and waited while those who had just found freedom threw away their lives, though they had taken a few cops with them.
"You're surrounded, put your guns down now, there's no way out!" Yelled the surviving law enforcers.
"Oh? So you'll kill us if we fight you?" Austin laughed.
"Stand down or we will open fire." they yelled to him.
"Even against children?" As Austin said that a child, with no gun in his hand calmly walked down to the police officers. They had no idea what to make of it, horrified at the situation. Taking aim back down the corridor were Austin was hiding behind cover, the child pulled out a flashbang, shielded his own eyes and set it off, giving Austin and the others the opportunity they needed to finish them off.
Running throughout the building the Family found the files the police kept. Swiftly tucking them away Austin led his children back into the RV, police were now encroaching, but the child soldier tactic had always worked like a charm, as the good father set off on his escape.
