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Elliot frowned slightly as he looked up, the soft crunch of grass too quiet and peaceful for it to be Lone working his way back up the hill - plus there was no panting or yelling. Then the cat froze as the largest Dragokkaren he had ever seen - no, easily the largest person he'd ever seen, far bigger than even the Boss - walked slowly towards their little picnic spot. The others were all staring now as well... and then Zerrex finally glanced up, caught sight of the red Dragokkaren... and he did something that terrified the others present.

He lost his balance; the reptile fell heavily backwards on his rear, as his eyes widened and his features paled a bit in surprise and... could it even be fear? Surely the Boss of Baskin's Grove had nothing left to fear... but still, Zerrex only stared, as the tall, red-scaled behemoth came to a stop and looked at Zerrex with eyes of ice-blue... eyes that were, in fact, filled with coldness and even contempt.

Then the male Drakkaren slowly stood, his head bowed a bit as if in humility, before looking up to silently meet the Dragokkaren's eyes. This too, terrified Elliot and especially Tinman... that the Boss, the once-lord and master of the Goth Legion, had to look up to meet someone's eyes... and furthermore, he did it not with his usual dignity and confidence, but instead a respect that was again, almost afraid. But it was his next words that caused a chill to enter the souls of all those present... "Hello... uncle."

Uncle? Cindy thought stupidly, staring from the giant to her father; sure, now that she was looking for it, she could see the resemblance... the not-handsome, but not-ugly features, the intensity of the eyes, even the build - although the Dragokkaren's was far larger, and his height towered over even Zerrex's. Definitely from the same family... but... Zerrex had never spoken of family, except for the father he himself had killed... and sometimes vague references to a mother he had once had. But... Daddy is... getting older himself. His uncle, even if he's... the younger brother of his father, must still be...

"Hello, Zerrex." The goliath's voice was soft and cordial, respectful and polite. In it, all present could hear the same manner of Zerrex's speech, the same gentility that often masked brutal force... the gentle growl that could easily turn into a vicious snarl or roar. "It's been many years since I've seen you last. I almost gave up hope of finding you after you entered the military and joined some secret unit... but once you left, you made a trail that was quite easy to follow..."

Zerrex nodded silently, looking over his uncle's body: the uncle he hadn't seen in many a year, since before he'd so-secretly killed his father... and that was what this could only be about, as he forced himself to look quietly up into the Dragokkaren's eyes again. "You're here about... my father, aren't you?"

The Dragokkaren laughed dryly, reaching up to scuff his neatly-kept claws against his jacket, glancing at the sky above. "My big brother was someone I... I always looked up to-"

"Father was scum." Zerrex said clearly, despite the fact he was still in shock from seeing the giant before him, that he still had the most minute of trembles running through his body... and Cindy cheered silently for him, giving her own bitter smile... before letting out a startled breath as one of the giant's hand shot out.

The backhand slap caught Zerrex with remarkable ease, causing him to wince and stumble backwards a step, head rocking to the side... before he forced his eyes back up to meet the Dragokkaren's, who looked both unamused and strangely hurt. "Have respect for the dead, Zerrex. For your own blood, who you killed in such a dishonorable way..."

At this, the Drakkaren laughed harshly, his eyes narrowing as his hands clenched into tight fists. "A fitting death for him, too. He lived without honor, he died without honor. And I don't respect someone simply because they died... I respect them if they earn it, not because of... some stupid chance of Fate or because they went on to a better place or just got buried in the dirt."

His uncle's eyes roved over Zerrex's body for a moment, then met his firm emerald gaze, seeming to size him up... before the faintest of smiles bridged his muzzle, and he glanced around at the gathering. "Fine. But you haven't introduced me."

"How rude of me." Zerrex responded drolly, but he winced a bit and nodded nonetheless, as if this most basic of etiquette was somehow more important than dealing with someone who was obviously a dark spectre from the past. He turned to face the others - except for Lone, who had scampered around the hilltop to hide in some bushes and listen from a safe distance - and said clearly: "This is Markus 'Requiem' Narrius, my uncle. He prefers his fighting name, Requiem... and he's likely here to kill me."

Requiem snorted, crossing his arms and looking at the back of Zerrex's head with idle distaste, before he glanced over the silent crowd of others, his blue eyes seeming to read deep into each and every one of them before he nodded a bit as the Drakkaren turned back to face him. "Enough idle chitchat. It's time to show me what you learned... and I hope for your sake, it's something good."

Zerrex's emerald eyes narrowed slightly at this, then he snorted and tilted his muzzle upwards a bit, slowly reaching up to crack his knuckles before walking past the goliath and starting down the hilltop, jerking his head. But the moment he had his back to the Dragokkaren, a hand seized the back of his neck and hefted him into the air. He snarled, reaching up to grab Requiem's wrist, but he was already being thrown through the air, Cindy screaming and the sounds of dishes clattering and food being turned into mulch as she and her mother jumped to their feet.

The reptile landed heavily on his chest, skidding down to the bottom of the short hill, then he coughed and yelled over his shoulder in a ragged voice: "Don't interfere!"

At the top of the hill, Cherry, Cindy, and Tinman all froze - the three were all facing the giant, who had his own fists raised gamely. Slowly, they lowered their stances, turning their attention to Zerrex as Requiem let out a quiet snort but gave the faintest of smiles, watching as his nephew forced himself to his feet and rubbed at his body, the emerald eyes piercing into him even from this distance as he called in a decidedly-disgusted voice: "Lesson one. Never turn your back to your opponent?"

"That's right." Requiem said softly, then he reached up and removed his suit-jacket, pausing for a moment to hang it on a low branch of the tree before starting down the hill, undoing the first few buttons of his dress shirt. "It seems you've forgotten the basics."

"I got naïve. I learned trust." Zerrex responded, backing up a few steps and into a small field. Tall grass tickled against his knees as he rose his hands slowly into a ready position, watching as Requiem advanced to the foot of the hill... then the Dragokkaren rose his fists in a basic streetfighting position. The smaller reptile couldn't help the faintest of grins as their eyes met, then he said in a quiet but carrying voice: "Like old times, huh?"

"I'm glad we got this chance." Requiem replied evenly, then he took a single step forwards and set himself, before pausing and adding gently: "I won't hold back."

"And I wouldn't dream of dishonoring you by doing the same." Zerrex answered in the same tone, causing Requiem to tilt his head slightly, before the Drakkaren continued: "I've always respected you... which is probably why I was so surprised to see you after all these years. You were my teacher, after all... my mentor. And I always hoped that it would never come down to this. I've killed too many others I've been close to in my life."

At this, Requiem gave a bit of a laugh, then he actually smiled: it softened his stony features considerably, for the moment took away his intimidating presence. "I thank you for that, Zerrex. You know that I've felt the same about you. But you killed my brother... and blood calls for blood, even if it is the blood of my own family. But enough talk. Actions show better."

Zerrex nodded, and then the two tensed, standing silently, as the others on the hilltop watched quietly, and Lone from the nearby pushes, white head poking out and black-tipped ears laid back as he silently rooted on Zerrex. But there's no way Zer could lose, right? I mean, sure. The other guy's bigger and maybe even scarier than the Boss... but... come on! The Boss is the Boss!

Similar thoughts ran through the heads of all present... and still the two continued to stand, sizing each other up, eyes locked in mental battle... before Requiem finally snorted and dropped his stance, tilting his head and looking at Zerrex with disgust. "Are you going to do something, or are you going to behave like the coward I may have always overlooked, who cut his Daddy's throat because he wasn't allowed to play with the other kiddies..."

"It was more than that!" Zerrex's body trembled with fury, his teeth gritting at the provocation as his voice rose in an infuriated yell: and the others could only stare as the Boss was reduced to what seemed almost a spiteful child for a moment, unable to express his emotions before he simply charged forwards with a roar.

Requiem's face became expressionless, eyes cold... but there was disappointment in them, too, that such a simple provocation could work so easily. As Zerrex ran forwards, he prepared his body, raising an arm and letting the other remain low to cover his stomach, before watching as the reptile swung in at him with a vicious - but sloppy, he'd grown sloppy - hook...

The giant merely stepped forwards, getting inside the punch and simply bringing an elbow up, smashing it into Zerrex's muzzle: his forwards momentum caused his feet to keep trying to run as his head twisted and upper body jerked back - the effect being the Drakkaren falling heavily on his back. For a moment, he only lay there, blood flowing from his muzzle and nose, before Requiem slid a foot under his body and hefted him into the air as if he were a pole.

His body spun lazily in the air as he fought to regain his senses, and then he released a cry of agony as one of Requiem's arms caught him firmly in a hard swinging movement, knocking him flying through the air to crash into the grasses, rolling several times and sending up leaves and pollen before he came to a stop, coughing and forcing himself onto all fours.

Requiem merely stood, one arm outstretched, looking disgusted and contemptible. "Have you forgotten everything I've taught you? Or has the lack of good competition over the years made you rusty, Zerrex?"

"Fuck you!" Cherry yelled down the hill at this, snarling and starting forwards - she was quickly restrained by Cindy, who grunted at the effort of holding her mother in place as the muscular female attempted to shake her off. "Come and say that to my face, dipshit!"

"Shut up, Cherry." Zerrex murmured from his place on the ground, as he sat up with a wince, feeling his back give an audible crack. Then he forced himself up to his feet, his eyes narrowing, his hands clenching and unclenching before he slowly rose his arms, cold fury rising in his body... along with a growing respect, memories of the past, and a strange, dark pleasure at fighting someone so powerful, someone who was perhaps even past his level.

Requiem tilted his head, looking somewhat surprised, but then he laughed quietly and turned to face his nephew full-on, nodding slowly. "The Narrius family has three traits..." He said clearly, his voice even overriding Cherry's continued yells and taunts. "Great physical strength, great vitality, and incredible endurance. Of these... you've always had the greatest endurance of all of us, even more than your father. Coupled with your strong will... I and my big brother had such visions for you."

"Beauty deceives us on the road to truth." Zerrex responded softly, and Requiem blinked a bit at this, before his features tightened as the reptile continued: "The truth in this case being I am nothing like my father, who you've always tried to take after. Chased after, really, like a little dog at his heels-"

"Shut up."

"And he was always too happy to play fetch with you, wasn't he? Or too busy for his little brother Requiem... your strength seems almost at his level, but as always, you're too busy drooling over him to really appreciate-"

And now it was Requiem who made the mistake, losing his temper and snarling in rage as he charged forwards, his hands clutched into tight fists as he ran with surprising speed towards his nephew. Zerrex, however, was more than ready: as Requiem led in with a vicious right cross, the reptile dropped and turned, hands moving up to seize his arm as he pressed his body back against the giant's, before he let out a snarl and hefted, at the same time jerking Requiem forwards and using his momentum against him.

The huge body of the Dragokkaren flipped through the air, as Requiem let out a grunt of surprise... but then instead of striking the ground, he kicked down, the Dragokkaen landing solidly on his feet instead of smashing down on his back. He quickly revolved the grappled arm, seizing one of Zerrex's wrists as he did so, and suddenly it was the Drakkaren who found himself facing vertigo again as Requiem stepped forwards, throwing the smaller reptile almost like a baseball and nearly tearing his arm from his socket, causing Zerrex to spin end over end in midair.

The world was a blur, but the reptile felt himself falling and simply made himself spin faster: the result was that he hit the ground not in a pile, but went into a roll that took him to a crouch. He used the extra momentum to spin around on the spot, facing Requiem once more, his eyes burning... and Requiem looked back at him coldly before he nodded slowly as Zerrex stood.

A moment later, however, the Dragokkaren smiled and bowed his head a bit, his face filled with self-loathing. "I apologize for my earlier provocation and the needless contempt, Zerrex. You returned it to me and made me look like a fool."

"Apology accepted. I'm sorry myself that it had to come to that." Zerrex responded softly, the tall lizard resetting his position. Requiem did the same, and they nodded to each other again as the Dragokkaren took a slow breath... then suddenly moved forwards, feinting left and right as his feet moved with only a whisper through the tall grasses.

Zerrex snarled a bit, unprepared for the rush, leaning with the Dragokkaren as he feinted... then reaching up as the giant lunged forwards. Their hands met, fingers lacing together as they grappled, pitting power against power... and then Zerrex felt himself slowly being forced backwards, his muscles bulging.

Immediately, he attempted to get a foot up, slamming it down into Requiem's thigh to climb him like a staircase and deal a kick to his face, but the Dragokkaren suddenly straightened his leg, causing Zerrex to stumble forwards instead. He lost his angle, lost his base, and suddenly his arms were yanked backwards as Requiem swung his head down, smashing his skull firmly into the Drakkaren's muzzle and causing him to cry out with pain, unable to jerk his hands free from the giant's. His eyes clenched shut in agony, then there was another burst of darkness and stars as Requiem smashed into his temple with another vicious headbutt, causing him to fall to his knees... only to be met by a firm knee and pulled upwards, his arms used like a pupeeteer's strings by the Dragokkaren as his head was jerked upwards, blood flying from his muzzle.

Suddenly, his hands were free, and immediately the reptile grabbed his aching face - an understandable but still stupid mistake, as he left his body open. Requiem took the free chance, his huge fists smashing into Zerrex's stomach, crunching in his firm abdominals with amazing force and causing him to gag, arms going down to wrap around his stomach as his eyes bulged... and then Requiem reached down, one huge hand wrapping around his skull and fingers seizing his hair.

The first punch smashed into the reptile's cheekbone, snapping it... the second sent a burst of blood from his mouth as he felt his muzzle dislodge... and the third came down as a hammer onto his shoulder as Requiem released his head, sending the Drakkaren down in a bloody, broken heap. Nothing but agony seared the Drakkaren's senses as he twitched on the ground, trying to force himself up as nausea and pain fought for a moment for dominance... then they combined their forces as he tried to get up on all fours, and the reptile vomited, blood and ichors coming up with breakfast.

He could hear screaming - faintly, like background noise - but then it was drowned out again as Requiem put a loafer-covered foot on his head and ground his face down into his own blood and vile, feeling it entering his nose, covering his face as the giant slowly twisted his heel, looking down at him with contempt as Zerrex weakly grabbed at his ankle, the Dragokkaren's features expressionless... but blue eyes filled with some strange pity, some dark pain. "What's wrong with you, Zerrex? You're sloppy. Pathetic, even. Is this really your best?"

Zerrex tried to speak... but he couldn't. Instead, he slowly forced his hands under him again, coughing violently, spasming on the ground as Requiem lifted his foot for a moment... and then he began to push himself up, muscles straining and body aching. But even before he could get his legs under him, a vicious kick from the Dragokkaren caught him under the muzzle and sent him crashing down onto his back, the world going grey as a fine arc of blood flew from his muzzle.

To this point, Cindy and Cherry had been watching in horror, as the male to them who was a lover, a father, and even a hero was beaten so viciously and thoroughly: but as Requiem began to leisurely step towards Zerrex again after the cruel kick to his face, Cindy's usually-pacifistic nature broke, and the Drakkaren snarled: "Fuck this!" before charging forwards and down the hill.

"My thoughts exactly!" Cherry said furiously, sprinting after her daughter... and then moving faster, putting all her speed into running towards the Dragokkaren. And now her other abilities had a chance to truly shine, and she saw a chance to save the person she cared about using the powers that for so long had been used only for killing and playing with prey.

Cherry was precognitive: and she planned to put this to full use as she moved in towards the giant, her eyes steel, her expression furious as ghost images appeared before her, of the Dragokkaren turning to intercept her with a hard punch. At the last moment before this image connected with her, Cherry suddenly ducked as she reached the giant... and Requiem's punch sailed over her head as he turned, the giant's features surprised as Cherry brought an elbow up to mash into his kidney...

The breath and strength was suddenly gone from her as she felt herself lifted bonelessly into the air, impaled on one knee of the giant Dragokkaren, blood flying from her maw as her muzzle gaped stupidly. It was like her entire body had gone numb from sheer brute force: there was no pain, just dumb surprise that someone had actually fooled her, had been good enough to defeat her ability to see into the near future the actions of others... and then she was floating, just... slowly floating in the air, it seemed like, and a huge fist was sailing towards her face, threatening to blot out the rest of existence with its size...

Then it was gone, and time returned to normal and the pain was there, was welcome as she fell to the ground, landing on all fours and grabbing her stomach with a grunt before she hopped backwards, rubbing at her masculine abs as she snarled at Requiem, feeling a hand on her shoulder... but snorting as the Dragokkaren stumbled back and away from Zerrex's prone form, harried by what looked almost like metal birds flying back and forth around his face. "Tinny..."

The badger in question was snarling, features etched with concentration, standing halfway up the hill and making rapid motions with his hands like an expert puppeteer: now too was his time to show his abilities, which he'd taken to use as entertainment more than battle over the last few years. But the shows for children and adult alike with his manipulation over metal had only honed his control sharper, as the metal birds he'd brought to show off turned figure eights and dived at Requiem's eyes.

The Dragokkaren snarled, confused: never before had he seen something like this, that could almost be called 'magic.' He took another step backwards, forced to be made unsure of himself, but even in his confusion his sharp blue eyes roved over the others who had been with Zerrex and landed on Tinny. He snarled, wincing as one of the birds dived at him, then he swatted it firmly away, turning it into a crumpled heap of metal... but it still shot back at his head, the reptile barely able to tilt his face away in time before he suddenly jumped backwards, seizing the first heavy object he could find: Zerrex.

Cindy gasped, Cherry let out an angry squawk, and Tinny faltered for a moment before shrieking as Requiem hefted the reptile's unconscious form up by one foot, then half-spun and threw him like a log, grunting with the effort and tearing the tight sleeves of his dress shirt. He sailed through the air, and the metal birds fell as Tinman started to shift position to dive out of the way... then, suddenly, the badger stopped and instead closed his eyes tightly as he held out his arms, as if to catch the far-larger, far-heavier reptile in his arms.

Zerrex struck heavily against the badger, knocking the wind from him and slamming him backwards, but his fall was broken by another pair of arms, Elliot snagging him as he collapsed backwards. The chubby feline grunted, falling backwards himself, and the three landed in a heap, Elliot rubbing his sore backside and Tinny winded and slightly crushed between the two, but looking at the feline thankfully all the same. Zerrex, meanwhile, half-caught in the arms of the badger, twitched and then let out a hiss of pain, his eyes fluttering open as he groaned and forced himself to sit up.

Requiem made a bit of a face at this, but the task had been accomplished: the metal statuettes had returned to being simple pieces of metal. He snorted, then began to walk forwards towards Zerrex, watching the Drakkaren slowly picking himself up with help from the two others before his attention was once more diverted by a raw, angry yell: the female who had charged him earlier was back, this time leaping in with a hard kick aimed at his face.

The Dragokkaren snarled, leaning back as one of his hands shot up and snagged the ankle of the female: Cherry's eyes widened, and then she let out another cry as she was jerked over Requiem's head and then slammed straight down into the ground, dirt and bits of grass flying up from the force of impact and knocking Cherry senseless, the female groaning as Requiem released her leg. The Dragokkaren snorted, then he started towards Zerrex again as his eyes lingered on her, making sure she stayed down before turning towards where his nephew was... and walking straight into a hard fist.

Requiem staggered, one eye clenching shut in pain and his other widening, fingers spasming as he stepped back in surprise... then he slowly reached up to touch his eye as he faced the newest aggressor in front of him, another tall female. Not as well built, wearing strange clothes and punkish accessories, but her resolve was admirable and she apparently had luck on her side... and then she barked: "Don't you lay another finger on my Daddy!"

"Zerrex's daughter... you certainly punch hard enough to be that." Requiem responded, his voice somewhat irritable as he rubbed slowly at his cheek before glaring down at her: his eye already felt puffy, however, and there was the faint tine of humiliation in his cheeks at being struck by a rookie after making the simple mistake of not paying attention to his surroundings. Then he paused, struck by an idea as he looked past her to see Zerrex's wide eyes and the sudden struggling he was making against the others in trying to come forwards, despite obviously being too beaten and weakened to fight...

Cindy took another swing at Requiem, a simple, short jab she'd been taught by her father, but this time the Dragokkaren caught her fist with ease, looking down at her mildly as his much-larger hand engulfed hers. She snarled, then reached her other hand out, jerking hard back on her arm and trying to free herself as she shouted: "Cheater! Big stupid meanie!"

Requiem looked at her flatly, then he blinked, barely able to sidestep in time as she suddenly aimed a hard thrust kick at his crotch in the middle of her otherwise immature and untrained prattling. "You're a tricky one, aren't you? Acting like the fool but fighting with a bit more wisdom."

"Bite me." Cindy responded angrily, ceasing her fighting to instead glare up at the Dragokkaren. "And let go of my hand, and get out of here. You don't have any right to come doing this to me or Daddy or anyone else!"

Requiem's features tightened in a grimace, then he glanced towards Zerrex again, who was actually staggering towards him now, apparently trying to warn his daughter back... and now the Dragokkaren suddenly hauled Cindy forwards and swung his arm backwards as he squatted, jerking her onto his shoulder as she let out a shriek. She began to kick and squirm almost immediately, fists hammering against his back as he wrapped one large arm around her body to hold her steady, and the Dragokkaren tilted his head towards Zerrex as the Drakkaren snarled angrily and began to move towards him at a limping jog, rasping: "Let her go!"

As he drew close, the Dragokkaren simply reached out and gently pushed his nephew backwards, knocking his unsteady form down onto his ass. And now Zerrex looked up at him with the most terrible, helpless expression he had ever seen, and Requiem could only look back coldly, saying softly: "If you want her back... then you'll have to defeat me. I'll give you a week to heal and train your body, and then we'll meet here again, to finish things once and for all, tie up all our loose ends."

With that, he turned, closing his eyes and focusing himself, ignoring the angry yell of Cindy and then the desperate cries of "Daddy! Daddy!" that filled the air afterwards, as her useless struggling turned into much more vicious and trained attacks, the female slamming elbows into his neck, twisting her weight to try and overbalance him, and trying to roll her body over his arm like a contortionist to get herself free. But as he headed towards his car, he either simply took what she had to deal out or shifted his weight back against her movements, figuring she'd soon exhaust herself.

Zerrex, on the other hand, was still trying to crawl after Requiem, his emerald eyes overbright, leaving a trail of blood behind him as he railed on himself for being so easily defeated, voices in his head that he hadn't heard for the longest time laughing at him, screaming at him. Then he collapsed, sobbing harshly into the ground as his claws dug small trenches in the earth, clenching into the grass as alien emotions ran through his body and soul.

Elliot sat silently on the grass, only able to look at the Drakkaren he thought of as 'friend,' watching as the Boss cried and writhed like a dying thing. He had no idea what to do... and knew that he couldn't comfort him, no matter what he did. Not only did he realize he didn't understand what the Boss was going through... he knew this helplessness, the idea of losing something he actually cared about was as alien to the Boss as the Boss was to him.

Tinny looked silently at Zerrex for a few moments, feeling all the courage that had built up in his being dwindling out of him now at that terrible sight. He'd never expected to ever... ever... see the Goth Legion's Captain broken and sobbing... so thoroughly defeated and wounded. It was a horrible thing, for a thousand different reasons... and so instead he sighed and quietly headed over to Cherry, kneeling by her and surprised to find her awake, but... with a hollow, silent look to her eyes, merely laying there in the grass. He stopped, then sat down by her quietly, hands in his lap as he looked down at this fearsome female who was nonetheless one of his best friends, and then he reached out and gently put a hand on the back of hers, seeming to startle her as she looked up, and he offered a faint smile. "It'll be okay. You'll see. We just gotta get Zerrex up on his feet, that's all."

"But... Cindy... Requiem beat him and took her. Requiem took... Zerrex's daughter... my... child." Cherry said slowly, in a voice that was uncomprehending, as if she still couldn't get her head around the fact. Tinman nodded quietly, then he reached down both hands, taking Cherry's dirt-covered ones and lifting them lightly in his smaller ones, sorrow on his features but a childlike, faint hope in his eyes.

"Yes. But Requiem made the biggest mistake of all, didn't he? Do you remember fighting Zerrex? Do you remember how hard he fought, what he did after Lone killed Miss Mary, may she rest in peace?" He glanced down, then he looked back up quietly. "We've all heard the stories... do you remember how he hunted down Lone, fought the entire city, and forced him to change?"

Cherry nodded slowly, and now some of the haze was clearing from her eyes as she whispered a single word: "Yes."

"And do you think Zerrex is ever going to stop... now that this has happened? But we just need to get him up on his feet again. He's real hurt right now, and I think that only you know how to get him motivated, Miss Cherry." Tinman replied quietly, giving Cherry's hands a gentle squeeze.

For a few moments Cherry only looked at him silently, then the faintest of smiles bridged her muzzle and she nodded, slowly getting to a crouch as the badger released her hands. Then she stopped, and quietly leaned forwards to hug him, making him start in surprise before she leaned back and nodded to him, saying softly: "Thanks, Tinny. You're a wonderful guy."

Meanwhile, Lone had slunk out of the bushes and made his way over to Zerrex, where he looked at the Boss with a mixture of pity and disgust. The great Boss, reduced to... this? This is the Drakkaren who tore me apart, took the city out of my hands, who I've never managed to beat no matter how many guns I hire, how many people I tried? Who I started trying to change myself for? He's... pathetic.

Zerrex didn't even sense Lone standing over him: he was still bawling, clutching the ground, rocking from side to side as he berated himself for being worthless, as memories ran through his head and his entire body shuddered with deep agony. Nor did he even react when Lone reached down and put a hand on his back, then the wolf leaned in, his muzzle trembling a bit, before he whispered in a harsh rush: "I'm better than you!"

Then he leapt back, and his brow furrowed as he looked at the reptile with contempt, reaching up to cross his arms before he felt a hand land firmly on his shoulder. He turned, and blinked, cowering slightly as Elliot glared up at him, the cat tilting his head and saying in an even voice: "Let's have a talk over here, shall we?"

"I uh. I have a business appointment..." Lone started meekly, but then he winced as Elliot forcefully turned him and began to drag him off around the hill. Before they could reach there, however, there was a loud thud of boot-hitting-flesh, and both of them turned, eyes wide with shock.

Zerrex groaned in pain, blinking slowly as he found himself on his back, hands slightly in the air and his side bleeding a bit from where Cherry's motorcycle boot had dug into. She had her hands on her hips, and she glared down at the Drakkaren before she snorted contemptibly and crossed her arms, tilting her head as she asked in a contemptible voice: "What happened to you, Zerrex?"

"What?" Zerrex whispered, staring up at her stupidly. He blinked slowly as tears rolled down his cheeks, his body shuddering a bit as Tinny stood nearby and dropped his head into a hand with a groan, recognizing what tactic Cherry was trying. But then he blinked with surprise as Cherry suddenly changed direction, dropping down to one knee beside the large reptile and looking at her husband with compassion.

"Come on, Boss. He kicked your ass, but you've had your ass handed to you before. He took Cherry, and you've lost things before, things you really cared about and loved." She paused, then spoke in a voice that was both quiet and dangerous. "But this is the first time I've seen you really actin' like a maggot about it."

Zerrex winced, then he nodded silently and sat up, putting his hands in his lap as he stared at the ground. It never took much to knock the sense back into him, for which Cherry was thankful... but then he looked at her with quiet sorrow as he said softly: "I don't think I can beat Requiem."

Cherry's immediate response generally was to make Zerrex angry: pissed off, the reptile generally performed incredible feats... although it also meant he would stalk around the house and refuse to sleep with her for sometimes days, until she got up the balls to apologize. This time, however, Tinny shot her a glare - What the hell! Tinny doesn't glare? Christ fuck, things are weird today... - and she sighed before reaching up to squeeze his shoulder. Suddenly, she felt horribly vulnerable, naked, and exposed, as everyone looked at her... then she mumbled: "I believe in you, Boss. I think you can."

But Zerrex smiled at her as if she'd given him the most inspiring speech in the world, a look of deep thankfulness emerging as he reached up and grasped her shoulders for a moment... then he hugged her tight. She returned the embrace, pressing against him, not caring that it probably just made both of them ache even worse... and when he pulled back, she saw his resolve had returned as he shakily stood, wiping quietly at his face. "Thank you, Cherry... truly. But... that means I gotta start training hard and remembering everything about him I can."

He winced a bit as he rolled his shoulders, still full of sorrow, but not wanting to show his emotions in front of the others again: he already felt like an idiot as it was, with everyone looking at him. He glanced over everyone, then nodded quietly to them all. "Thank you all, too, for... helping me out." A pause, then he laughed faintly as he rubbed at his sore body, wincing a bit. "Cherry and I need to get ready to take on Requiem again... but... if anyone could find out where he's staying, it'd be truly appreciated. I know he won't hurt Cindy... that's not his style... but... I want to know she's safe."

Elliot smiled a bit, then he patted - or rather, firmly slapped - Lone on the back, making him wince and twitch, then pale as the feline announced: "Lone will be more than happy to do that, I'm sure."

"Ye... yeah, sure." Lone laughed a bit, rubbing the back of his head slowly and wincing, peering back and forth as a blush rose in his cheeks now, the wolf trembling slightly as he bit his tongue. Then he turned away, muttering under his breath as he headed quickly down the hill, simply wanting to be out of everyone's site. "Stupid... why does everyone make me do all the hard work... the dumb crybaby should do his own work..."

Zerrex watched the lupine retreat with a slight frown, then he shook his head before glancing down as Tinny tugged at his wrist, much like a child. The badger shuffled from foot-to-foot, then he smiled a bit up at Zerrex as he said quietly: "I'd like to help out too, Zerrex. I think I can be of some use to you in training, at least."

The reptile softened as he looked down at Tinman, then he nodded and laughed quietly. "Certainly. I can use all the help I can get..." then his emerald eyes moved up to Elliot, and he tilted his head. "You gonna be okay if I'm unavailable for this week?"

"I've got a shotgun under the bar that can speak about as loud as one of your fists." Elliot answered, giving a slight smile as he brushed at his sleeves. He paused for a moment, then spoke again in a soft voice: "Just worry 'bout gettin' your little girl back. You know I got a soft spot for her."

"I'll make sure you're first to know she's alright." Zerrex responded with a quiet laugh, then he glanced to Tinman and Cherry before nodding and turning to head for the car, leaving Elliot to stand and watch as they departed. Then the feline sighed and turned back towards the hilltop, quietly beginning to gather up all the food and containers left behind, and pausing for a moment to stand with the blanket Cindy had lain out so short a time ago in his hands, looking down at the patched quilt silently. And to think... we didn't even get to have a good meal.

Meanwhile, Requiem was already back at what he'd deemed to be a suitable base of operations: an old sawmill on the edge of the industrial section of town, near a creek full of sludge and past a rusted metal bridge... meaning that anyone approaching would either need to be able to jump an impressive distance, or make quite a bit of noise crossing the rickety thing.

It hadn't been hard to subdue Cindy... he just hadn't wanted to injure her in front of her father, in case he got some second wind or did something stupid. Once he'd carried her to the car - his abs decidedly aching from the pointy motorcycle boots she wore, his shirt ripped, and irritated that he'd left his suit jacket behind - he'd finally dropped her down, then landed a clean and easy blow to her neck, knocking her unconscious and allowing him to load her into the back seat without trouble. A quick drive following some back roads he'd already mastered with the aid of the car's GPS system, and his dark blue, almost hearse-shaped vehicle had pulled up in front of the mill.

He'd passed it by on his way into town... and so he'd stopped and given it a quick cleanout and to throw the bit of luggage he'd carried with him inside, before going into town. And once in town, he'd had no issue getting directions on where to find his nephew, the feared and respected 'Boss.' And to be honest, he had expected more... but he attributed his easy win to both the fact that Zerrex had been unprepared, and he had family and friends around... and the fact he maybe his nephew seemed to have started to get a bit soft.

Now he stood inside the sawmill, breathing in the air of the place: it wasn't musty, despite the dirt floor that still made up most of the ground below. No, mostly what he smelled was the aromatic scent of sawdust that still lingered in the air, despite how many years this place had been abandoned... that and freshly-treated wood, as if ghosts still worked this place at night. He glanced around, then nodded to himself slowly. This will serve me perfectly.

There was plenty of open space in the area, since some of the machines had been removed... but also worktables that had only needed the dust wiped off them to be made clean. It seemed there had once been stairs leading up to a higher level, but these had been removed - likely to prevent people from climbing up after the mill had been shut down. He thought, however, it wouldn't be much of a problem to climb up the crisscrossing supports if he ever wanted to check out the second level and beyond.

Then he rolled his eyes at the sound of Cindy muttering and struggling... he had tied her to one of the large support pillars that stretched up to the roof high above, the thick wooden log probably strong enough that even he'd have a time trying to break it. He turned around, then crossed his arms and looked at her disdainfully. "You're just wasting your strength."

Cindy merely glared at him, shrugging back and forth in an attempt to loosen the coils of rope around her: he'd dug up a length long enough to get more than ten tight loops around her before he'd needed to tie it off at the back, leaving most of her body trapped against the pillar. She had a fine bruise on her neck, too, from where he'd hit her... but she seemed more infuriated about the fact he'd tied her up than that he'd struck her hard enough to knock her out. "You're a big coward, you know that?"

"I am not." Requiem said tiredly, reaching up to gently touch his temple before he turned away, wishing silently for patience as the female blew a loud raspberry at his back. He decided to ignore her as he heard her struggling again against the ropes, instead picking up one of his suitcases and putting it down on the worktable. He opened it, then rummaged through his clothes with a mutter as he paused for a moment to glance down at his tattered shirt.

Cindy snorted, then she continued her loud struggles as she bit the inside of her cheek in concentration. Her father had always taught her to think around things, shown her that whether in combat or just dealing with people in general, the best thing to do was to analyze the situation and use the quickest solution possible. She knew that her struggling wouldn't do anything against these ropes, no... but it was enough to make the Dragokkaren ignore her as she carefully nudged her spiked bracelet a bit further up her wrist. Then she tilted it as much as she could, using the tip to slowly pick at the bottommost rope and knowing that if she could get one length, she could stand a chance at bursting the rest of the ropes.

She paused, then added a bit of struggling, glaring at the Dragokkaren's back before watching as he stripped off his shirt, feeling herself stiffening up as a pang of fear went through her: what if he wanted to rape her? But then the look of distaste he tossed her as he threw his torn shirt onto the worktable almost made her wish that he'd try, the female snarling and then spasming against the ropes as she yelled: "What? Are you too good for me, with your stupid big muscles, you big... stupid head!"

Requiem closed his eyes as if in pain, standing bare-chested, then he glanced down at his own colossal musculature before looking back up at her flatly, crossing his arms and feeling his patience slipping away as he asked flatly: "What? Do you want me to rape you or something?"

"Don't look at me like I'm dirt." Cindy said huffily, then she tilted her head up and away, eyes tightly closed... before one peeked open a bit to peer at him as Requiem continued to stand with his arms crossed and his perturbed, irritated gaze on her. She looked over him slowly with one eye, taking in the fact that he was indeed far larger than any other male she had seen... even bigger than her father, in both bulk and height. And more defined, as well, perhaps... but seeing him fight, she knew that he had a surprising agility and grace in his body as well. There was also definitely a brain there, something else Requiem seemed to have in common with Zerrex, that intellect hidden in what looked like pure brawn muscle...

"Stop looking at me." Requiem said pettishly, and immediately Cindy opened both her eyes and leaned as forwards as she could, staring at him with wide eyes. The Dragokkaren grit his teeth and reared back a bit, then he narrowed his eyes before throwing his arms up with a mutter. "I'm not having sex with you. This isn't a porn movie."

"You're a sick son of a bitch!" Cindy shouted angrily at his back, then she began to squirm again, carefully moving her wrist to once more hack away at the thick but old ropes. "But good, I don't want to do you either... ugly!"

The Dragokkaren shook his head slowly as he began to sort through his suitcase, pulling out the few paperback novels he had stored inside, mumbling under his breath before he finally found his wallet - he'd thrown it into here to avoid losing it in the confrontation with Zerrex. He paused for a moment to check through it, making sure he had enough cash on him to afford the things he wanted to buy, then he reached back into the suitcase and pulled out a plain white t-shirt. He quickly slipped it on, before turning to look at Cindy mildly, noticing the female Drakkaren had ceased to struggle and now was just glaring at him. "I'm going to go out for a little while... maybe as long as an hour."

"Untie me. I might have to go pee while you're gone." Cindy fluttered her eyes at Requiem, and the Dragokkaren rolled his own before shaking his head slowly, then she snorted and tilted her head upwards. "Stupid ass."

"You have quite a mouth on you." The red-scaled reptile said drolly, and Cindy jumped a bit before pausing, seeming to actually consider this for a moment.

In the past, she had always been polite... innocent, decent, even child-like. But ever since she'd started living with her father and who she thought of as her mother, she'd started picking up their habits more and more...and perhaps she really had taken more to her mother's quick mouth than she'd realized. She frowned a bit as she looked down at the ground, then glanced back up and smiled a bit, feeling suddenly embarrassed. "I'm sorry. I just... you know, this whole situation."

Requiem blinked at this sudden change, then he reached up to rub along the ruby scales of his head, frowning a bit... before he finally nodded. For a few moments, there was an awkward silence, then the Dragokkaren cleared his throat and pocketed his wallet. "I understand. I apologize for having to use you as bait like this."

Then he turned and headed for the single, sturdy steel door that led in and out of the mill, exiting through it... and carefully using the rusty key he'd found to lock it, should Cindy somehow escape. He bounced the key in his hand for a moment, looking at the door mildly... then shrugged and simply put the key back on the peg by the door. She can't escape the ropes, anyway. Daughter of Zerrex or not, I doubt she's got the strength to burst ropes tied that tight.

Cindy, however, had immediately gone back to work on the ropes, now able to put her whole body into the task instead of having to try and hide her movements from the formidable Dragokkaren, biting her tongue and muttering under her breath as she picked and sawed at the rope with the sharp point of her bracelet. She had never found herself more glad that she was today that she'd never blunted the spikes down, despite how many times she'd accidentally poked herself or someone else with them...

A slight grin crested her muzzle as she flexed her body against the rope and heard the sound of straining fibers giving away, and within ten minutes more hard work, she'd managed to cut through enough of the old length of rope that the few remaining strings simply unravelled and were easily snapped with quick movements of her bracelet, the bottom coil falling loose. She heard whatever knot that Requiem had tied hit the ground with a soft flump behind her... and the rest of the rope fell loose, but it was still tight enough to bind her against the log.

She frowned a bit, then closed her eyes and remembered her camping trips with her father... when they had hoisted the food backpack up into the trees, out of the reach of feral animals and stupid hikers, her Daddy had always just wrapped the rope around the tree a good few times, and then he'd tie a loose knot or just not bother if they were only going to rest for a few hours and get an early start in the morning, or if Cherry was with them because she tended to get up and stuff her face in the middle of the night when no one was looking. She'd been surprised that the rope had just... stayed there, and her father had explained to her with a smile that it was due to the weight of the thing on the other end... the rope stayed tight because it was pulling on it.

"Same principle." She whispered to herself, then she took a deep breath, straining herself against the rope and feeling it give a little, unravel a little... before she pushed herself as tight back against the log as she could. The rope fell loose around her again... and then a few coils fell free from her, and Cindy smiled to herself before she wriggled out of the ropes and left them puddled around the support pillar, nodding firmly to herself, then glancing up as a thought struck her: Would Zerrex... would Daddy be proud of me?

The gravity of what had happened... she'd been kidnapped, father and mother beaten viciously, and this giant now holding her in bondage... it all suddenly struck her, and she began to tremble a bit before a few tears fell down her face, and she couldn't restrain a single deep sob, dropping her face into her hands before she quickly shook her head and grit her teeth. No, no, no! No time for this now... you can be the good old innocent Cindy later... but for now, you gotta be more like your parents. You can do this, girl...

She nodded to herself, then quickly headed for the door and tried the handle: as expected, she found it locked from the other side, and she knew that even with her strength, there was no way she was breaking this thing down. She had been working out a lot with her parents over the last few years, but she was still nowhere near their strength... and nowhere near that of the giant who had brought her here, either.

Glancing around, she immediately made for Requiem's luggage: maybe he'd brought a gun, or something else she could use to at least try and hold him at bay, or make sure her father had an easier time dealing with him later on. But in all three suitcases she found nothing but clothing, a few magazines - mostly weightlifting and marital arts, but one of them was an Entertainment Now! - and some other odds and ends... nothing useful or even interesting. She made a face, then shook her head and straightened up, taking a quick look at her surroundings before blinking and looking up as she heard the sound of metal screeching and muttering.

She ran to one of the windows: high for a normal person, but thankfully she was taller than a normal person... then gave a sigh of relief as she saw it wasn't Requiem, but someone else who was travelling out this way for Gods knew what reason. A pause as she watched the drive on, then she cursed herself for being an idiot, wincing and slapping her forehead with one hand as she realized she'd just missed an opportunity to escape. What the hell is wrong with me? Ugh.

The female muttered under her breath, then she sighed before checking out the window itself: but it was definitely too small for her to crawl through, even though she could likely get a good-sized chunk of wood through it if she wanted to. She mused on this for a moment, looking at the dusty window and watching motes dancing in the light, then she stepped back and glanced up towards the ceiling high above, rubbing her head slowly. "He mentioned a sawmill before he knocked me out... this has to be the Sanderson Windmill that the old mayor shut down about five years back..."

She glanced slowly around the interior, frowning a bit and trying to go over every detail in her mind, if just so she could come up with some way to break free of the plight she was currently in. She knew it had been shut down for 'safety reasons,' which meant because it had been threatening Apple Villa businesses with fair prices... and that they had sold a lot of furniture wholesale from this place. But nothing special about it... it was never used as a gang hideout, or a meeting spot for anyone who wanted to take down Reinhold and the other Apple Villa aristocracy, and she didn't think even Zerrex had ever visited this place... it was just a pretty windmill on the outside, sawmill on the inside.

Cindy sighed a bit to herself as she walked carefully around the place, opening the small storage closet at the back to find several different size lengths of chain... and she mused for a moment on using that on Requiem like a whip, but decided against it. However, her interest perked when she noticed there was a larger area behind the hanging chains on hooks, and she carefully slid through, the jingle-jangle of metal links giving a faint music to her movements.

Concealed in the back was apparently another exit... this one, however, had been walled up with loosely-mortared bricks. It was cracked in places, and whoever had done it had done a sloppy job... but it was nonetheless sturdy when the female tried pushing on it gently. Cindy made a face, then shook her head slowly. "Unless I had Daddy's strength, I can't break through that..."

A pause, however, as she noticed the wooden chairs piled in front of the brick blockade, and then the female reached out and gently lifted one of them. It felt strong, and the chairs had been designed to be tall and thin but made of firmly-locked segments of wood. At this, the female began to get a fairly simple but hopefully effective idea... and she decided to take the chair with her, pulling it out and then closing the storeroom door.

She carried the smooth, tall chair with her, liking the weight it had and glancing over it again: either overstock, or the remains of the final few hours of work at the mill that no one had bothered to sell or take care of. Then she tilted her head upwards with a bit of a frown before her eyes widened as she recognized the sound of a car crossing the bridge, the squealing far more pronounced than it had been with the earlier vehicle.

The Drakkaren ran quickly to the window and stood on her toes, fingers grabbing at the sill lightly as she peered out before biting her cheek at the sight of Requiem's car tottering slowly over the bridge. She silently wished that the bridge would collapse... just so that the Dragokkaren would be made miserable, not truly wishing him to die despite her plight. But he made it safely over, and so Cindy ran back for the chair, picking it up and then running quickly over beside the steel door leading in and out. She hefted the chair up over her head, arching her back a bit and preparing to swing, holding the furnishing by the back with both hands and gritting her teeth as her muscles bulged a bit: Sorry, really... but... I gotta get out of here.

Less than a minute later, the door was pulled slowly open, and Requiem stepped through - hunched ridiculously, as it was, to get through carrying some large, metal thing half on his shoulder. Out of sheer luck, however, he carried it on the side not facing the Drakkaren... and as Requiem's eyes filled with surprise at the sight of the empty ropes, Cindy swung the chair down viciously.

Requiem let out a yell of pain and frustration as the chair crashed down on his head, shattering into fragment as Cindy let out what was half-growl, half feminine squeak, and then he straightened automatically, grabbing at his head: the result was that he dropped the heavy folding metal table on his foot, making him grunt with displeasure... but his eyes widened a bit, features telling more than his sounds about the pain he was in. His body went rigid... but in the doorway, the effect merely caused him to crack the top of his head and his spine against the top of the doorway, crunching it a bit with the sheer force as both his arms knocked against the walls on either side with his reach for his head.

Cindy winced: this wasn't going according to plan at all, as Requiem's body filled the doorway and left her no way to go but through him... and she figured she'd have an easier time with the brick wall. So instead, she carefully backed away, raising her arms and grinning sheepishly as the huge Dragokkaren rubbed slowly at his sore head, one sapphire eye twitching before he settled a glare on her. "Can't blame me for trying, can you?"

"I knew leaving you alone was a mistake..." Requiem muttered under his breath, then he reached down, picking up the metal table and stepping inside as he reached back behind him to slam the security door, making Cindy wince and then pale a bit as the huge lizard advanced on her. She closed her eyes, expecting a blow or to be seized by one of his huge hands... but then she felt him move past her, instead unfolding the metal table and plonking it down near the wooden ones. She hesitantly opened one eye, seeing his back, then she silently began to sidestep towards the door... only to be stopped by the giant spinning around and glaring at her. "Going somewhere?"

"Um. Out?" Cindy gave a bit of a laugh and a faintly-hopeful expression, then she wilted as Requiem narrowed his blue eyes at her, sighing and dropping her head as she wrung her hands together, knowing that the reptile could easily outrun her if he wanted to. Her eyes slowly glanced back up at him, looking at the damage she had caused: a bruise and a few small cuts that were barely visible against the crimson of his scales, but she shuffled a foot uncomfortably before saying finally: "Sorry."

The Dragokkaren looked somewhat surprised, then he shook his head and snorted quietly. Confusing one, she is... but I'll have to avoid underestimating her from this point on. She packs a hard punch. "Get over to the pillar again... pick up the rope and put it on the worktable, then wait there." The Dragokkaren instructed, and Cindy nodded, quickly going about her task as Requiem headed for the store room, keeping himself ready to spring back at any moment just in case... but he thought he'd spotted a good length of chain in there that he could use.

The Dragokkaren took only a few moments to select two thin-link, good lengths of chain, heading quickly back out of the store room and unsurprised to see Cindy once more going silently for the door: he cleared his throat loudly, and the Drakkaren looked over her shoulder, eyes wide with surprise... before she gave another meek look and headed silently over to the huge reptile as he jerked his head at her. He was unable to resist the faintest of smiles at her behaviour, eyeing her with mild bemusement. Either Zerrex taught her to always be in a certain place... or she's smart enough to realize she can't outrun me. Either works... "Go sit against the pillar. I'm going to have to chain you in, this time."

"But I need to go pee." Cindy complained, looking up at Requiem for some spark of remorse or the like: the Dragokkaren, however, gave her a look that was irritated at best, and then he snorted before walking over to pick up the rope that Cindy had neatly rolled up and placed on the table, picking up the length and then snapping a good ten or so feet off it before heading back to the female. He looked over her mildly, then reached up and tied a quick knot around her neck, making her blink before she snarled a bit at him as she realized what it was. "Hey, fuck you! I'm not your pet!"

"Would you prefer me to stand beside you while you pee?" Requiem asked drolly, and Cindy blushed a bit, looking away but also seeming to get the point of the lead more. Then the Dragokkaren jerked his head at the door leading outside, one end of the 'leash' firmly held in his hand. "Let's go, then."

"There's no toilet? What the hell kind of hideout is this, anyway?" Cindy glared at the giant for a few moments, then she snorted and tilted her muzzle upwards, looking sulky as she strode quickly towards the door: Requiem walked behind her, keeping pace easily and glowering at the smaller female with deep irritation. He was careful to reach out a hand and keep it against the steel security door, not wanting to take chances should the female feel rebellious still... she'd already proven that she would be a bit harder to keep in line than the usual hostage. Fearless... and she's already figured out that I won't hurt her any more than I have to. Truly a child of Zerrex.

He shook his head a bit as Cindy peered around the outside of the windmill, looking at the rusting bridge and the weathered road and realizing they had to be further out of town than she'd thought: the massive wall of chain, steel and junk that surrounded the mostly-abandoned industrial zone was barely visible from here, past a few fields of grass both long and cropped short. She thought she could also make out a tractor in the distance, puffing busily along, but then Requiem jerked on the lead once, causing her to stumble and glare over her shoulder at him as he jerked his head towards the side of the building. "Go around the corner there, do your business, come back. If you take too long I'll come and see what the problem is."

"Bastard." Cindy muttered, then she glared at him once more before heading towards the building. She paused before turning the corner, but Requiem had already leaned up against the windmill, closing his eyes and tilting his head upwards disinterestedly. Well, at least he's not a pervert. Then she shook her head before walking around the corner, dropping her pants and underwear and carefully squatting, hating feeling so exposed and vulnerable as she tried to move to the most extreme length the lead would give her... which wasn't exactly very far around the side of the building, and still within very easy view of the road.

Then, once the female was done her business, she stood and quickly jerked her pants back up, hastily doing up her fly as she felt the lead twitch a bit from the Dragokkaren shifting. She paused for a moment, looking down at the rope and wondering if she could break it without him knowing... then she sighed and figured it would be pointless. Even if she could... he'd still know the moment the rope went slack that she was no longer attached to the other end of it. He's too damn smart. Big muscleheads aren't supposed to be smart like this... but I guess he is from Daddy's family.

The female shook her head slowly, then she stomped around the corner and looked up at Requiem irritably: the Dragokkaren looked back, then he jerked his head back towards the windmill. "Come on."

"Yeah, yeah..." Cindy muttered, but she once more started back, the reptile following behind her. From the few openings and mistakes he'd made so far, she got the distinct impression he'd done this on more than one occasion... and, as she walked inside - the Dragokkaren once more placing a hand on the door as they moved past it - she couldn't resist glancing over her shoulder at him and asking: "So, uh... how many people have you held hostage in your life?"

"Too many." Requiem responded absently, as he closed the heavy security door before dropping the lead. Cindy immediately reached up and began to fumble at the knot, then she blinked and looked up as the Dragokkaren's hands seized her arms and he forcefully turned her around, steering her over to the pillar and then sitting her down. His movements were forceful... but she noticed that he was careful, too, not pushing her down or hurting her in any way, but simply overpowering her to put her where he wanted. Then he straightened, ice-blue eyes gazing down into hers as he said mildly: "I need you to drop your arms. Stop fumbling at the lead, since I have no doubt we'll be using that again."

The female thought about arguing for a moment... then she shook her head slowly and sighed, letting her arms fall to the side: immediately, Requiem threw a length of chain over her lap, then he quickly walked around to the other side of the pillar and pulled it tight. "Ow! Hey! That hurts!"

"Sorry. But we tried it nice already, and that apparently didn't work for you either." The huge Dragokkaren responded idly, as he twisted the chain together on the other side with enough force to cause the metal links to bend and grind, able to literally tie the rusting steel into a tight knot: he disliked how brittle it was, however... it would break with too much struggling, and he didn't want to underestimate her strength. So he then quickly applied the second chain, this too making the female wince as it dug into her scales and once more simply crushing and tying the ends of the chain together after making sure it was tight enough to leave a brittle knot of broken metal. The top chain restrained her upper arms, sloping over her breasts and pinning her upper body... the lower chain was tight around her waist, keeping her lower arms in check and digging into her waist.

He paused for a few moments, then nodded to himself as he walked around to her front and looked down at her mildly. She looked back up with obvious discomfort, then she frowned at him. "Wait, you didn't lock me in, you like... attached the chains to the back of here or something. What if I have to use the bathroom?"

"Oops." Requiem said drolly, and Cindy merely stared at him before she began to struggle, causing the chains to jingle as she snarled up at him, making the Dragokkaren tilt his head slightly in what could almost be called distrust.

"You asshole! Let me out of here, fuckhead!" The female yelled after a short bit of struggling, then she stopped, instead panting quietly and glaring at Requiem furiously: the towering male merely shook his head, however, looking bemused before he turned away and headed over to his luggage to sort things out, frowning at the sight of some of his suitcases open and his once neatly-folded clothes sitting in rumpled piles. "Hey! I'm talking to you, don't you walk away from me!"

"You should check with a psychologist once you get out of here about that mouth of yours. It seems to have a different personality every now and then." Requiem said calmly over the growls and struggles of the female, deciding he'd wait at least a day before bothering to check how the chains were holding up. He had severe doubts she'd be able to break out at all but... just in case, because there was still that worry gnawing at the back of her mind.

Cindy merely muttered under her breath at the giant's insinuations, then she snorted and dropped her head, half-sulking as her eyes slipped closed. Not my fault I've picked up my mother's mouth... besides...I'm not the helpless girl I used to be. I'm not... ever going to let bad things happen to me again that I don't have to, and I'm going to be just like Daddy... I'm going to stop the bad people no matter what I have to do, and I'm not going to give up, no matter what...

Thinking of her father, she softened... then ceased to struggle, instead once more glancing up at her captor and hesitating for a few moments. So far, Requiem hadn't exactly displayed any cruelty: in fact, thinking about it, he'd been rather kind considering she had broken a chair over his head. However, he had beaten her father so viciously and violently, and she couldn't resist seeing if she could once more get the huge Dragokkaren talking again as she asked: "Why did you beat up my Daddy so badly... why are you doing all this?"

Requiem glanced up, putting his hands flat on the table: for a few moments, he looked quietly up at a corner of the sawmill, then he lowered his gaze. He'd expected the question... but that didn't make it any easier to answer, no matter how many times he'd gone through the same old idea of what to say. So for a little while, silence spun out... and then he finally shrugged, his back still to Cindy, and then he said quietly: "Zerrex... when he was young, killed his father... my brother. I want to... avenge my big brother's wrongful death, or..." The Dragokkaren broke off and laughed a bit, an awkward sound as his claws tapped a silent beat against the wooden tabletop for a few moments.

"Well, Zerrex expected nothing less from me than what I gave him. Your father was the best and toughest student I've ever had the pleasure of teaching... he knows not to back down in a fight, and he... we both would never had dishonored the other by not giving our best." With this, he turned towards Cindy, looking at her with a strange expression of half-sorrow and half-compassion. "You may not understand... but... Zerrex knew I would beat him, or that it would be close. I would never treat him like a child by letting him win just because we're blood-related, and I would not dishonor my brother's memory by not giving my all against the one who killed him, even if it is his own son."

"You're insane. No wonder Daddy hates his family." Cindy responded flatly, but then she looked away, gritting her teeth at the spark of pain that rolled through her body. Because, after living with the Boss for so long, she had come to understand things like this... things that no one else probably could. Fuck... don't feel sorry for him, girl, think of what he did to Daddy, look what he's doing to you... "He never, ever talks about his past... except to say that it sucked. Hell, I never even heard you mentioned, so I guess you aren't one of Daddy's favorite memories."

Requiem smiled a bit at this, surprising the female as his eyes betrayed the faintest stirrings of pain. "I can understand that... my... older brother, he..." A pause. "I loved him, and I respected and admired him, and still do... but...

"He could be a bit... extreme."