David felt like a hypocrite when his daughter landed. So concerned for him, he patted her cheek and told her nothing had happened their way. Only it was a lie.
And he felt awful since he’d been less than forgiving the last time hunters invaded. When Cooper Smoak had been taken and they’d made a move against the castle, they’d also gone through the village trying to hurt people. A few people were seriously hurt and one death that had been unfortunate since they were young, David had seen it happen.
Holding anything his daughter did wrong against her, he’d watched her meet the hunters head-on. Holding out her hand, and the staff he’d made her flew into her grasp, Henry was amazed then at how she wielded it now. Like a part of her, the blades at opposite ends of the wooden totem for her power were new. But as she killed the hunters with no remorse and then buried them? David had worried.
Because killing hadn’t been their way.
Only now…
“Old man don’t move. Get on your knees! Now!” Looking up from under his hat at the young buck scowling at him, the other four men didn’t bother him as he asked, “And why am I kneeling in my garden at your order? Can I help you?”
A face that was younger than the China set he’d gotten his wife for an anniversary; the expression of intimidation was just as scary as the floral printed plate set.
Only the child didn’t realize that as he barked out proudly, “We’re with the Brothers of the Several Original Families. We protect the world from all evil crimes committed by the atrocities that are supernatural creatures.”
Raising an eyebrow, David didn’t flinch when the kid spat, “That’s you asshole, so on your f*****g knees. Now!” David hummed as he casually leaned against his hoe and declined doing such, “I highly doubt any evil crimes have been committed by me in my own garden.”
Seeing his refusal, a hand flexed on his gun was followed by the kid sneering, “We’ll be the judge of that. Now get on your knees or I’ll put a bullet between your f*****g eyes old man.”
David’s patience thinned as he heard someone in the house and turned a little, “Ah, that would be Cameron getting your little wife. Maybe she’ll help you be more compliant-.” He stopped talking.
Because suddenly their back door opened, and a man came running out.
Looking horrified and in agony the Latino kid’s face did a double stitch like it was being knitted as Eloise came out casually behind him doing just that as she made a blanket, “For Aiden dear?” David called causally as she looked up and saw the situation. Nodding to her husband, she sat the beautiful Navy and grey blanket down, “And what’s this fuss?”
He sighed waving a hand to the one that had been slinging orders a second ago. A kid who now looked it as he stared at his comrade hollering as the left side of his face had been stitched closed. The kid flinched as David called out, “This young man wants me to kneel in the garden for some reason.” Gasping in outrage, Eloise immediately chastised, “In those new trousers you’re not even supposed to be out in! I bet the Great Pan’s ass you will!”
Wincing, David sighed at the kid who was looking so lost at the weird old couple, but the old man just grumbled at him, “And now ya see what you’ve done? Now ya got me in trouble.”
Obviously still a green and his tough asshole demeanor chipped away, the kid looked around like he was expecting a teacher to come out. And one did eventually come as the leader of the faction appeared flanked with six or seven more young hunters.
“The f**k are you doing boy?” Wincing at his uncle spitting words, Tate Armen shrugged as Billy Armen tried to pick up where he left off, “We told you to get on your f*****g knees!”
David grinned as he taunted, “Yes I understand, but we’ve determined sir that these are new pants, and I am not to kneel in them as per orders from my wife.” Scoffing, Billy sarcastically quipped, “Well let’s hope she can clean blood out of them.” And as he tried to take a knife to gut him, David suddenly lifted his hoe. And as the arm holding Billy’s knife suddenly bore a long gash, Billy cried out in pain.
Blood oozing into his land, Billy huffed as he sweated his pain. “Ugh, you f*****g freak.” David rolled his eyes, “Freaks, weirdos, and demons. We get it, now please get a life.” Laughing, Eloise watched her husband turn to the kid looking at his uncle wide eyed and unsure, “And now you pick up your kin son and y’all go on about your business.”
About to do so, Billy smacked Tate and ordered, “Don’t f*****g listen to him. Kill them. They are a bunch of old people. Kill them and make an example.” Unsure he could since the old man had gotten the drop on his more experienced uncle, Tate was nervous.
Unlike Marcus Johnson who wanted to be Billy’s favorite. No father and eager to except any role the man wanted him to play, Marcus watched Tate struggle to be the star. So, he came forward with his weapon ready. Trying to fire, Marcus suddenly couldn’t concentrate as the sun became too bright. Holding his head as the ringing in his ears felt like a siren was going off he couldn’t breathe, the brain aneurysm happened quick.
He spazzed as his nose bled and his eyes popped before he was dead and gone. Watching him crash to the ground, the old man raised an eyebrow as Tate looked at Eloise horrified as she turned and looked to the hunters, “My condolences for your friend. Might you go and mourn him instead of antagonizing a fight you all won’t win?”
None of them wanted to mourn though, instead the thirst for blood became insatiable. Rushing at the older people, Cameron and another of the hunters tried to hold the old man down. Tate took the time to help Billy up, the old man snapped at him in a daze full of pain. Insults disgusting to his own family, Tate was left emotionally bullied as Billy blamed him for this going astray.
Berating him stupidly like they weren’t in battle, it was as David broke the arm of one the kid’s trying to hold him and as the one his wife had stitched tried to stab him in the face? David’s hands unnaturally shot out and grabbed the kid’s face.
Mama?
Daddy?
Looking at young Cameron Fuentes, the young man now cried out as the kid went into the room. Begging him not to look, and finding them anyway? The huge out of control werewolf snarled as he stood over his dead parents…
Back there in that cabin and stuck as he fell to his knees in the mud, David dropped him there and picked back up his hoe.
Throwing a harsh flare in a kid’s face when he approached like he’d try to be brave, it was as his wife stood in the garden still untouched, Billy tried to change that. Approaching Eloise he snarled, “I’m going to make you pay for what your husband did to me.”
But the second his hand touched her arm, Billy howled as his hand practically caught fire touching her skin. Hand singed and getting worse as it peeled off with third degree burns, Eloise watched him fall back to the ground in pain. “Now you seem like a sweet boy,” Eloise’s words echoed as Tate approached, “I don’t think you want to do that.” Stopping his approach with the intention to get her back for his uncle, Tate realized then how much he didn’t want to do it.