The next few hours was tense. Al was starting to twitch cause his uneasiness just enhanced his want to get out and fly far away from danger. Molly had reverted back to her silent stupor, Iain trying desperately to get her out of it.
Poor Patrick sat in the middle of it all, trying to figure out what had happened to all the fun they'd been having just hours before.
Francis sighs softly checking with Arthur. Arthur sat in the kitchen with Pat, trying again to assure him that the sudden drop in mood wasn't his fault. Francis walks over to him.
Arthur smiled up tiredly. "How are the others?"
"Molly is non responsive and Al is claustrophobic..."
"Straight back to the bunker..." he sighed.
"The bunker...? A-are we going somewhere?"
"No poppet, it's nothing," Arthur sighed, pulling Pat into a hug.
Francis sits beside them. They sit in silence for a while, the mood literally dying. What else could they do right now really?
"I-I don't like everyone sad..." They may all be able to stand the tension, but Pat was crumbling under it already.
Francis pet his hair. Patrick might be a problem.. If they were found he'd make an easy target..
But how did you protect someone if they didn't know they needed protecting? In that case where do you hide the ones being protected?
The micronations would need protecting too - the likes of Wy and Liechtenstein would be ideal targets for a sociopath on a rampage...
The question was, would he go after new victims or smoke out the old? Knowing Nate, there was every chance he would do both.
Francis frowns softly. They needed to meet up, let everyone know... This was a global threat now. They made a call setting it up.
Arthur got up with a sigh, telling Francis to keep an eye on Pat. Francis watched him go worriedly. He went through to Molly, just sitting down and hugging her. She buried in instantly. Patrick watched him like a kicked puppy, wondering what he'd dome wrong. Francis picks him up hugging. He snuggled in sadly.
Al on the other hand was begging to be let out.
Matt wanted to let him go, but he was highly uneasy. *Al, can you promise me you'll come back, if I let you go?*
*Yes?* To be honest it might be best to string him like a kite...
*You sound less sure than me...* he'd tie him to a stump, if he had to...
Al sighs curling up and holding his head, trying to push it down.
*Look, Molly had some heavy rope in the shed; I can tie a bit of that to you so you have to come back?*
*We can try it..*
*I swear, if you run off, I'm sending Bear after you...*
Al cringed inwardly at that. Bear tended to be rather tough love..
*Come on,* he got up, tugging Al behind him. Al follows along. As soon as they stepped outside he took a few automatic steps toward the treeline.
Matt grabbed his arm quickly. "Not yet!"
He shook lightly letting himself be pulled along. They quickly went to the shed and found rope. *Okay, we tie this to you somewhere then I can pull you back.*
Al nods.
They attach it to his wrist. *Okay, go calm down.*
Al shot off in a flash. Matt stood by the trees, holding the end of the rope.
Kind of weird using your brother as a kite. Al would stretch out in one direction till the rope tugged, ending up flying wide loops. It wasn't quite the run he wanted, but it was better than nothing.
He was up for about an hour before perching in a branch.
*Feel any better?* Matt had just sat in one of Molly's lawn chairs a while ago, fiddling with the end of the rope.
*A little..*
*Come back and we can untie you...*
Al sighs coming back to the ground. His wrist was red from him trying to wiggle it off.. Matt eased it off, rubbing the sore skin gently. Al latched onto him and they head back.
The house had turned almost cold and dark. No one was smiling anymore... Even Scruff had given up and just curled up with Patrick.
Al frowns softly.
Matt did too. *Where are they...?*
*I dunno...*
*Who do you want to look for...?*
*Whoever we find first?*
Matt shrugged and started walking. Al follows behind.
They look in the kitchen first, rewarded with a lanky redhead, smoking like a chimney. Iain sat on the window ledge; surrounded by a haze of smoke, cigarette still burning between his lips.
Al sighs but only Matt heard it. He just gripped his hand tighter.
*Should we?*
*I don't know...*
It was dangerous grounds to bother him right now..
*Perhaps later...?*
*Yeah..*
"I can see you standing there," Iain growled irritably, piercing gaze turning on to them at last.
Al took a half step back.
Matt's grip tightened reflexively. "I-I..."
"Arthur's upstairs, if you're looking for him."
"Ok.."
Iain let his venomous eyes slide over them once more before grunting and looking back outside.
*Not in the mood to talk I guess..*
Matt shook his head and backed out of the room. Al follows quietly.
The slip upstairs instead, hoping Arthur was in a better mood. Al peeked in the door.
Arthur was knelt down, facing the wall. He seemed to be talking softly to it.
*...bro... I think he's finally lost it...*
Al frowns leaning to look around him. Arthur just stayed focused on the wall. Al shrugs.
"Um... Arthur?"
"Oh," Arthur jumped, turning to face them. "Goodness, you gave me a fright."
"Sorry.."
"It's alright, I'm just trying to get Molly to come out again..."
Al blinks stepping closer. The wall looked blank and normal, as it always had. Al frowns.
"It's a panic room," Arthur sighed. "The door is behind the bookshelf in Molly's room, next door, but she made this wall thinner so she could listen to intruders..."
"Oh..."
"I've been trying to get her out for the last hour..."
Al frowns sitting next to him. Matt sat on his other side. Arthur knocked softly on the wall. "Molly... The twins are here..."
"Hey.."
"Hi Molly..."
"I know you don't want to talk to me, but don't be mad at them, okay?"
Al glanced to the others. Arthur just looked tired, older than he should. Matt looked worried.
A tiny voice piped up through the wall. "I wanna talk to Alfie..."
Al perks up.
"Do you want Matthew and I to leave?" Arthur asked softly.
"...Please..."
Arthur nodded and lead Matt outside.
Al watched them go. "Mol?"
"Are they gone...?"
"Yeah.."
A small section of wall popped out and moved aside smoothly, making an opening just big enough for her to wiggle through. She only came out half way though. She looked terrified.
Al sat watching her.
"He's coming back, isn't he..." she whispered, sounding so small. "He's going to finish us off..."
"I won't let him.."
"Al, we couldn't stop him last time, he knows what he's doing now..."
He frowns.
"We don't even know where he is...!"
"We have to try.."
"Why, so he can laugh in our faces and tell us how pathetic our attempt was?!"
A spark of anger flared at that. He didn't plan to go without backup this time.
She clearly didn't plan to go at all! For all her progress, seemed she was still scared of him...
But they couldn't hide forever either..
Maybe she could be reasoned with this time? The tv message had been quite a shock... If she just calmed down...
"Molly chill out ok?"
She gave him an almost disgusted look, slinking back into her hole. Al blinks surprised. She pulled her block back into place, the cracks sealing seemlessly. He sighs running a hand through his hair. What was that about?
She was so unhelpful... He sat for a minute before leaving. Matt looked up from the bottom of the stairs, eyes questioning.
*I dunno.. I just told her to calm down and she shut me out..*
*...shit... If she won't talk to you, we're fucked..*
Al sighs rubbing his neck. Matt sighed and turned into the kitchen. Al watched him go then follows after.
Iain was still on the counter, talking quietly with Arthur. Al just stood behind Matt. Iain growled irritably, getting up and pushing passed the twins, storming upstairs.
Al flinched at that. *He's pissed..*
Matt just nodded, staring up the stairs after him. Al sighs sitting at the table. Arthur sat with him, Matt joining soon after. He sits fidgeting with his hands. Arthur reached over, holding Al's hands firmly. Al grips back.
They sit in silence a while, just waiting.
Al sits thinking, they needed a plan. Maybe he could ask the local animals to keep a look out for strange men? A sort of early warning system. Nate didn't know he could understand them..
Anything they could use against him was vital. Every nation had been put on high alert and they all knew how dangerous Nate was. Many of them had seen him at the hearing.
He voiced the idea to Matt.
Matt agreed instantly, suggesting asking the birds too, thinking te vantage point would help.
*Alright.*
*We could pop out now?*
He nods.
They excuse themselves from Arthur and slip off outside They walk through the woods talking to anything they came across. They soon had a small armada of creatures teamed up to keep watch. Al smiles softly leaning on a tree. Matt sat on a stump, half smirking into the trees.
*Well it's somethin.*
*We're gonna get him this time.*
Al smiles.
*Come on, lets go back in.* Matt stood, feeling good.
Al follows him back.
They reached Molly's backyard just as the side of the upstairs wall exploded, wood scattering over the grass. Al threw Matt to the ground ducking the debris.
Things rained down around them, bits of it on fire, some landing on them too, no matter how they huddled up.
When it finally stopped he shot his head up. Half of the house was wrecked, smoke billowing. Flashes of brilliantly coloured lights flaring up in the new hole.
Al picked Matt up flapping up to it. His wingbeats cleared the smoke enough for them to see into the blastsite.
Iain and Molly stood at separate ends of the room, shots of coloured fire blasting out of their hands almost savagely. They weren't playing - they were seriously going at it!
*Not what I expected..*
*Me either, but they'll hit us too at this range!*
*Pin Mol, I'll get Iain. Can't shoot if they can't move right?*
*Why are they even fighting?!*
*Dunno..* Al comes up behind the scot wrapping him in a bear hug and pining his arms to his chest. Matt grabbed Molly, pinning her arms into her sides. Their loaded shots went awry, hitting what was left of the roof, making tiles rain down on the four of them.
Al ducks bending over to cover Iain. "You wanna stop before we're stuck in a tent?!"
"Hey, no one asked you to stick your beak in," Iain shrugged him off, still angry, but not with the blond. "They only hit the fucking roof because you grabbed us!"
Al held tight though, that super human strength kicking in. Iain just rolled his eyes and sat down, taking Al with him. Molly was kicking over with Matt, yelling for him to let her go.
"Do we even want to know..?"
"I'm just proving a point," the Scot shrugged.
"A point?!" Molly screamed. "You nearly took my head off!"
Al groans.
"But it proved my point, nonetheless."
"What, that you can fuck my house up?!"
"Molly, you were nearly winning," he frowned, cutting her off before she could rant. "Even though I'm stronger, you nearly won."
"I... I-I was...?"
Al sighs letting go and checking his own back for cuts. He'd escaped with just a few nicks and scratches, the beginnings to some nasty bruising... Al just shrugs it off.
Iain got up, stretching and cracking his back into place. "I'll fix the house, Mol. Just keep one thing in mind," Molly stopped struggling to listen, still in two minds whether or not to slap him.
"If you can hold your own with me, I don't understand what's stopping you from beating him too."
Al glanced to her. Molly froze at Iain's words; you could see the thoughts whirring around her head. Why couldn't she beat him? He walks over to them, taking a seat and smiling gently. Matt set her down, letting her think. It was a while before she spoke.
"...Why am I letting him win...?"
Al shrugs. "It's ok to be afraid."
"I just heard his voice and froze..."
"I did too.."
"You came out of it without blowing up half a house though," she smiled wryly.
He chuckles.
She sighed and leaned back against Matt for a moment before jerking up "Patrick!"
"Shit," Iain jumped up. "We probably scared the crap out of him."
The four get up heading downstairs.
Arthur had Patrick in his arms, rocking gently to and fro in the kitchen. "Shh... Its okay..."
Francis glanced up at the Celts with a slight glare. Molly flushed but Iain just shrugged. The initial battle had sent the child through screaming and every other one sent him sobbing and begging for it to stop. Arthur was only just getting him to calm down now.
The blonde sighs turning back to Patrick. Patrick clung, trembling, silent tears of fear soaking into Arthur's shirt. Francis ran his fingers through his hair.
He was slowly calming down... Patrick couldn't handle confrontation, even in the slightest form. He just shut down.
Al sighs leaning on Matt. *You hurt?*
*Just a few nicks and bruises,* Matt shrugged, hugging his twin gently. *You?*
*Same. No big deal.*
*That's good then...* he paused. *...Al, there's a huge hole in the house; why is no one bothered?*
*I haven't a clue..*
Matt couldn't help the big laugh that bubbled out of him. It rang through the room, making Pat flinch. Al glanced to him curiously. The Celts gave him an odd look; Arthur frowned slightly. Al shrugs at them.
Matt just grinned. "This family is mad."
Francis smirks softly at that.
"Come on," Iain smirked. "Moll and I'll do dinner, go watch a film with Paddy."
Al walks over to the shelf picking one out. Arthur carried the child through, gently encouraging him to come out as they all settled on the couch.
Al sets it in sitting between Matt and Arthur. Francis on the other side of the Brit. They snuggle in. Pat turned his head to the screen but wouldn't let go of Arthur at all
Al only payed half attention, thoughts swirling around about their new problems.
*Still worried about...?*
*Hard not to be.. He's a smart guy, as much as I hate to admit it.. We need some kind of plan..*
*We don't even know what he plans to do yet,* Matt hummed softly. *It's hard to plan against something you don't know...*
*Yeah..*
*If you think about it,* Matt's tactical side was kicking in here. *He said he wanted revenge on you and Molly... He started off in England, so she seems a likely first target, but he'll need to get whatever it is ready...*
Al frowns softly.
*Hell, he might start in England... His target last time was Scotland... He's unpredictable...*
Al fidgets leaning on him. Matt just hugged him tight. Al could always call Mana over to stick with him just in case, Matt had Kuma to watch out for him..
It might be a good idea, if only for comfort... Al hugs Matt back tightly. Matt just held him. They sit cuddling while the others watched the film. The plush drift off quickly.