Aesop had just done the dumbest thing in his entire life. Pixie now had him by the collar and against the bulkhead of the ship, staring deep into him like he was nothing, he could feel her breath on his face. "TOO FUCKN' BAD, AESOP! There are thin's about my past I'd rather ferget, but I trust Lilith enough... no, I LOVE Lilith enough to share 'em! You? YOU, ON THE OTHER HAND DON' MEAN SHIT TO ME!"
That cut deep. Deeper than anything had cut him in a long time. As deep as...
"I jus' sent the two people I love the most in this world away fer their own safety, SO I'M SORRY IF I'M A LIL' EMOTIONAL RIGHT NOW, OKAY!?"
'Sent them away? What?'
"I sent 'em away 'cause there's somethin' comin' our way. Somethin' I needed ta' protect them from."
Instantly he was regretting what she had done, he had forgotten that she had beaten Lillith so badly and everything else was grabbing at his mind at once with dirty hands, as Meredith stared through his eyes and down to the soul he considered worthless. "Now tell me, Aesop. I need ta' know if I can count on you. 'Cause if I can't yer gonna have ta' go. At this point it's do 'r die, Aesop. 'R ya' gonna step up or keep runnin' away from yer fears like'a *****?" Her grip loosened, but he wasn't released quite yet.
With the fire in his eyes gone he just looked awestruck, almost childlike, pathetic she might even think. "What do you mean you sent them away?" It was the only thing he could ask.
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"Children? Children gather round, c'mon now gather round." Austin was standing atop the RV while his children gathered around it, him in view as they looked to him like a god. "Now Heath here has done a mighty fine job, mighty fine. He went to go see one 'Dio Basilio,'" he pronounced each syllable slowly, "and he got himself a contract. But his work isn't just his work alone." He stopped and paced back and forth along the top of the RV, "Its OUR work too, all of ours. Family helpes family out. Now now I know what you are thinking," he raised his hands with the palms facing the air like they were weights, "we got work from a noble?" the crowd began to boo, "AND a pretender too!" his crowd of children erupted in anger and rage, howling and shouting, making everyone nearby go back into the buildings they were in out of fear of the large gang. "QUIET!" They instantly silenced. "Now don't you worry we will take care of this pretender, but first we need to get some money out of him, and not just that... a ship. A bona fide airship! Soaring the skies of this petty Rock, think about that. Think of that. Your father soaring the airwaves and looking down upon his children, you're brothers and sisters, protecting you for all eternity." They looked up to him with childlike glee and happiness, their wishes being fulfilled upon his every word.
"We will take his work. We will take his money. And we will kill the Iron Maidens and take their ship-lest their be some unfortunate sons or daughters of mine that need saving. We will take their ship and then once we are done..." he closed his eyes and looked to the ground for a moment longer than the children were comfortable with before he spoke again. This time cold and harsh, with much less optimism than before.
"And then we will find your mother... and she will come back to us. But only after those who she made suffer are finally put in their place, and out of their, and our, misery." Slowly his children clapped and then began cheering for their father. He took it in gladly, his arms up wide to his sides as he embraced the love. "NOW!" He yelled over the sounds of cheers, "You split into groups, you!" He pointed to one half of the group of children which included Heath, "I want you to spread out and find any information we can on the maidens, find bounty hunters, rats, information traders anything you can, you!" he pointed to the rest of the group, "find the rest of our family and bring them together, we'll need them all to do this. Those of you who have been with me in the RV the past week you stay with me. But first... lets get rid of all the pretenders in this town."
With a vicious roar the children ran amok through every building in the small town. Every man and woman over the age of thirty was brutally murdered, while the young ones were pulled away to become part of the family. Such was the way of things.
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Alex stood outside the school of her young son with the other parents waiting for their children, making idle chit chat, talking about PTA meetings and even a small festival some of the adults were planning. Just as they could see the children leaving the doors a police officer came behind Alex and tapped on her shoulder. "Sheriff?"
"Yes?" she replied, moving away from the other parents as not to worry them.
"I've got some bad news, there was a sheriff killed by the Wilkes Vines in Star Dome."
Alex was visibly troubled, a fellow law man being killed is always a tragedy. "Cyrus, I met him once, what happened?"
"From what we've heard it was the Wilkes Vines, apparantly Payton Wilkes Vines was there personally."
"Jesus," she said, "do you know if he is anywhere near Yuteni?"
"Right now no, should we keep an eye on it?" he asked.
"Yes, don't make a move unless you know he is coming towards the city. Otherwise leave him alone. He's too powerful for us to piss him off, but if you suspect for even a second that he is coming to the city you keep eyes and guns on him at all times, and if he looks like he is going to attack I want him dead in seconds. We can't arrest someone like that, he dies if he comes near us."
The policeman nodded and left, "Sheriff."
"Hi mom," Young Austin said as he approached his mother, "what was that about?"
"Oh nothing baby, c'mon lets head home." She said calmly, patting him on the shoulder.
"Hey could one of my friends stay for dinner?" the young boy asked.
"Which one baby?" she replied.
"Stacy," he paused and whispered, "and please don't call me baby at school."
She chudkled and said "Sorry munchkin, and of course Stacy can come stay. Does my little boy have a girlfwiend?" she smirked.
"MOM!" he shouted and walked a few paces ahead.
"I'm just kidding baby." She laughed. He huffed and began walking faster. "Oh baby come on I was kidding." she jogged after him.
