As of today, the tide is about to turn in the Highwaymen's favor for the war for control over Hope County. With the Enforcer, Kreese, and his squad of Elite soldiers now in the valley both New Eden and Prosperity were soon gonna be in for a tough fight. These Highwaymen were the most skilled and brutal of all the Highwaymen and they were led by one of the Twin's smartest and deadliest leaders.
In the Twins meeting room at the Bullet Farm, Mickey and Lou were discussing their recent fights against New Eden and Prosperity with the Enforcer, Kreese. Needless to say, he was less than pleased with what they've told him about their recent conflicts.
"So let me get this straight. You two and your Highwaymen can't seem to handle a bunch of Traumatized Survivors and a small group of Savages?" Kreese asked, incredulously. He then just placed his hand on his face and shook his head in disappointment. "Wow...just wow,"
Mickey then spoke up, "It wasn't always this way, Kreese. We had this entire valley under our control and both sides were terrified of us. Everything was going great until that Rush guy and his Captain arrived on that train. We destroyed that train, killed everyone aboard, captured Rush, but the Captain escaped along with a couple of teenagers,"
"Those two were the ones who brought them here in the first place," Lou added.
"You're seriously telling me that the great Mickey and Lou can't seem to kill a single captain and a couple of kids? And since he's been here you've lost most of your outposts, a third of your forces, your prisoner and supply transports are being raided repeatedly, and on top of all that your men fear these people so much that some have left the valley, refused to fight, and some have even betrayed you to join those groups?" Kreese asked, surprised at how much the Twin's have fucked up.
"More seem to be defecting because of our constant defeats," Lou said, bitterly. "Fuckin' backstabbers!"
"Again...just wow, that's humiliating but not unexpected, the Highwaymen follow strength, something you two are clearly lacking," Kreese said, bluntly.
Mickey and Lou were having a hard time containing their anger at Kreese's bluntness. They didn't like being insulted, any who dared to were killed on the spot, but with Kreese that would be pointless. The twins needed his help so Mickey kept herself restrained but for Lou that was harder to do.
"Let's get one thing clear Kreese, we may have had a string of defeats but we are not weak. And compared to our pap, we have done a much better job at leading this gang than he did." Lou said.
Kreese scoffed at Lou's words.
"That's bullshit. Vince was a better leader than you two could ever be, you may have grown our numbers greatly but we used to have a code. We used to kill to send a message, not kill just for fun. Vince understood what it took to lead a gang, you two are nothing but spoiled brats who throw tantrums when something doesn't go your way!" Kreese spat.
Kreese's words were angering the Twins, but Mickey was managing her anger; it seems that Lou wasn't. "What the fuck did you just say, old man?! Why I ou-" Mickey attempted to throw a punch but Kreese quickly grabbed Lou's hand and her head then slammed her head onto the table, holding her down.
"If you think you can hurt me Lou then you're a bigger moron than I thought, stronger people than you have tried to kill me and you're no different," Kreese threatened, whispering into her ear.
"Kreese! Let her go!" Mickey ordered.
Kreese glanced at Mickey for a second then released Lou from his hold then pointed a finger at her. "Don't try that again Lou," He warned.
"Fine," Lou said, angrily.
Kresse sighed. "Anyway. Looks like me and my squad are gonna have to clean up this mess you've made. Could be fun though, my men and I have been looking for a formidable enemy and these guys could be a challenge."
"These people have been giving us hell, I guarantee they'll be a tough enemy for you," Lou said to which Kreese just scoffed.
"I'll be the judge of that. Now, tell me about these two...teenagers." Kreese requested.
"Why?" Mickey asked.
"Because I should know what me and my squad are dealing with before rushing into conflict," Kreese said.
Mickey sighed. "If you want my advice…"
Kreese quickly interrupted, "I don't."
Mickey groaned at being told off by this man she was being forced to put up with. "I think going after a couple of kids is gonna be a waste of time. We should be going after Rush and his rabbit Captain."
Kreese nods his head. "Well, that's not a bad idea, but I want to know all of my targets, so let's start with the locals. Besides, one of the best ways to defeat an enemy is to kill their allies, that way they'll be vulnerable."
The younger twin smiled at this idea. "And it sends a better message, leaving less chance of martyrs making more problems for us." Lou was looking for a way to get back at Hunter after rejecting her like before.
"I'm not going soft or anything, but ain't killing kids a bad idea? We may be murderers but we aren't cold-blooded, not even Dad stooped that low." Mickey protested.
Lou scoffed. "Well we're not like that weakling, we're willing to do what needs to be done to assert dominance."
"But there are other allies to that rabbit more dangerous than those two, like that masked motherfucker, or that bitch Gina, even that old Pastor Jerome. Those people would be better to target than those two brats," Mickey stated.
Lou thought about it for a moment and realized that she was right so she just sighed and said. "You have a good point."
"Agreed but I'm doing things my way here, it's clear your ways aren't doing shit against these scavengers. It's time to be ruthless. However, you are right Mickey these people sound like much better targets. But first, tell me about these two." Kreese requested.
"Fine," Mickey said reluctantly.
The Twins explained they knew about the Teens. First was Carmina Rye, they told her that her parents were Kim and Nick Rye, who are two problems for them. Then they went on to explain how Jerome was the man responsible for setting free so many of their people, and he was also Hunter's caretaker.
After explaining what they knew about the Teens to Kreese the Twins then went on to explain the other natives to Hope County.
Right now in Prosperity tensions are very high with the Highwaymen who supposedly want to join them in their war against the Twins. Their arrival yesterday was a surprise to many, especially with their offer about wanting to join in their fight, providing them with weapons and prisoners. While they weren't gonna turn down the prisoners or weapons there was still loads of mistrust, as to be expected.
Outside the walls of the community, the defectors were camped waiting for the leaders of Prosperity to decide whether or not they could join their fight against the Twins. There were sentries placed on the walls to watch over them to make sure none of them tried anything. None of the defectors seemed to care though, many of them were just sitting around campfires they set up and just socializing with each other.
In the main building of Prosperity, all of the main members were gathered around to discuss whether or not to accept these so-called traitors into their community. The leader of these defectors Mike was inside with them, but his armor and equipment were all removed to avoid trying anything against them. However some weren't given any say in the discussion, Hunter, Carmina, and Ellie were outside in the courtyard watching over the children the Highwaymen brought with them.
These children were harder to deal with given that they were raised by Highwaymen, making them defiant, stubborn, and always looking for a fight mainly with each other. Keeping them in line was certainly harder compared to the other children. They were like miniature Highwaymen, except they weren't trying to kill them.
The children were one thing, but the other prisoners that the defectors brought were something else. These poor people had been worked to the bone by those heartless bandits to the point where they could hardly see the value in life anymore. Kim and Rush had hopes that they would be able to change the minds of these jaded prisoners of war.
It was for this reason that the people of Prosperity were both hesitant to trust these defectors and willing to hear them out. Carmina and Hunter discuss their new guests and talk about whether or not they can be trusted, given everything that is going on.
At this moment Ellie was playing with the children, despite these children being a handful Ellie didn't seem to have a hard time getting along with them. After all, she is great with children.
Carmina was amazed at what Ellie was doing with the children. They were basically polar opposite from each other and now they were interacting.
"Carmina? You there?"
Carmina snapped out of her thoughts and whipped her head over to Hunter, who has been trying to get her attention for the last minute. "Oh, hey." She cleared her throat. "Sorry, I was lost in thought."
Hunter raised an eyebrow. "Ok, were we thinking about the same thing? I mean, at this point, it's kind of obvious at this point." he gestured to the group of bandits outside their walls.
Carmina nodded. "Yeah, but it's not just that, part of it's also what you revealed to me the other day. I mean... it's still hard for me to believe that you're a Rook."
Hunter sighed at Carmina mentioning that part about him. He sometimes wished that wasn't true, though. "Hmm… you know every time someone says that I feel this huge amount of pressure on my shoulders. My dad was the hero of Hope County. Everyone looked up to him to solve their every problem. I don't know how he felt about that kind of pressure, but I don't want it. I'm willing to fight and risk everything for my friends and family, but I'm just not like him. I don't know. Does that make sense to you?"
Carmina listened carefully. "Yeah, it makes sense. I mean, no one wants that kind of pressure, especially with everything going on with the Highwaymen. I'm sure it wasn't easy for your father to have to deal with the pressures of leading the resistance. Luckily he had friends who were there to help him when he was a mess. You know if you ever want to talk about this you can trust me."
Hunter smiled in appreciation for Carmina's comforting words. "Thanks,"
"Anytime," Carmina then placed a kiss on Hunter's lips.
As the two were kissing Ellie looked at them and smiled. "You know if you two are done smooching each other I could use some help with these kids."
The two then moved away from each other. "Sorry we umm...just got distracted," Carmina apologized.
"What were you two talking about anyway?" Ellie asked curiously.
The two glanced at each other wondering if they should tell Ellie Hunter's secret. They've only known her for a short time, and they were all now trusted friends, but they weren't sure they were willing to tell this to her. Given that the Peggies hated the Deputy they wouldn't like to discover that he has a son.
"Nothing important," Hunter lied.
"Yeah," Carmina added, slightly embarrassed that Ellie caught them kissing.
The two then went on to help Ellie watch the Highwaymen children and after a few minutes, they were understanding Ellie's statement with these children being hard to deal with. They were both starting to think that those kids were little time bombs, just waiting to go off. These children were just as violent as Highwaymen.
"Jeez, these kids are like little highwaymen," Hunter groaned as he tried to keep two kids from fighting each other.
"I love children but these kinds of children are frustrating the hell out of me," Ellie groaned.
Carmina sighed, agreeing with both of the others one their opinions about the children. But she didn't want them to resent these kids. "Well, think of this as a test of patience," she declared. "The Chosen preach patience, along with the Father, right Ellie?"
Ellie nodded. Yeah,"
"We can't just lose our temper with these kids. Besides these kids are just doing what they're raised to do, if we win this war we can teach these kids stuff other than killing or hurting each other," Carmina said.
Ellie nodded again, her faith in the children somewhat restored. "You may be right. After all, the mind of a child is easier to teach than an adult's."
Carmina smiled then a thought came into her mind, "Speaking of the Highwaymen. What do you think, Hunter? Do you think these Highwaymen are telling the truth about wanting to join us?" Carmina asked.
"As long as they're willing to help save our valley then I've got no problems with them, but I still don't trust them. I'm more concerned about what their leader told us about an enforcer coming." Hunter said.
"Yeah, if what he said was true then the tide may soon turn in this war," Carmina nodded in understanding then turned to Ellie. "What do you think Ellie?"
Ellie shrugged in response. "I'm more concerned with New Eden at the moment, they said some of their people went to join them."
"I'm sure your people are fine Ellie," Hunter said to reassure her. "Joseph and your people have survived much worse. They've survived a nuclear fallout, endured the hardships of this world, and have even handled yourselves against the Highwaymen better than we have before the captain arrived."
"Thanks that means a lot," Ellie thanked, feeling reassured by Hunter's words. "You know Hunter you always seem to have a way with people,"
"I guess it's a gift," Carmina said, referring to Hunter's dad's way of inspiring confidence in others.
Hunter laughed nervously. "Yeah… I umm guess it is," he said, hoping that Ellie wouldn't notice his discomfort and ask why.
Thankfully Ellie didn't ask, instead, she just said. "You know you two would make great chosen warriors if you two were a part of New Eden," Ellie complimented. "You two are strong, loyal to your people, and willing to die for them."
Carmina smiled. "Thanks, but we fight for our people,"
"I can respect that," Ellie said.
Just then at this moment, Bean showed up.
"Hey guys," Bean greeted.
"What's up Bean?" Hunter asked.
Bean stuttered for a bit then said. "I was wondering if you need any help with watching these kids."
The three exchanged confused glances with each other, Bean never socialized with them much since he's joined Prosperity except for maybe Hunter. He and Hunter got along fine, but never really hung out much given that they were both busy most of the time doing their parts in their war against the Highwaymen.
"Umm no the three of us have got this handled," Hunter said.
"Oh, ok then. I was also wondering if I could ask you a question, it's something I've been trying to figure out for a while," Bean said.
"Sure Bean, what is it?" Hunter asked.
"What's an orgasm?" Bean asked Hunter.
Bean's question made Hunter and the others immediately freeze. He's always been a curious young man but this question stumped them on what to tell him. Fortunately for the girls, Hunter was the first to respond.
"Dude, we're not gonna explain that to you with these kids here," Hunter said. "Plus none of us have any idea. What's your real game here?"
"Oh um ok… look I'm just bored guys. I want to hang with you guys for a bit. I've been working nonstop in getting Wikibeania back to full strength since I've been here. I just want to hang out with people my age. Hunter, we've hung out before the Highwaymen came and since the war, we haven't done much."
Hunter sighed. "Ok, we can hang out sometime, but I'd rather not talk about what you want to talk about right now. It's not appropriate around the ladies." He gestured to the two girls.
Carmina felt a little offended at what Hunter said. "And what's that supposed to mean? You think our ears are too pure for a little sex talk?"
Hunter easily became flustered at the two girls looking at him like he had said something wrong. He was always taught to be respectful around girls, even though they've grown up in a harsh world where dirty words are more common than before. He didn't mean to anger them, especially Carmina.
But his anxiety faded away into embarrassment when Carmina started to laugh, along with Ellie. "I'm just pulling your leg, Hunter." She then turned to Bean. "But yeah, I'd rather not have this kind of conversation right now."
Ellie nodded in agreement. Even though she grew up with some religious zealots, she knew how the human body works, including what goes on in the bedroom. It was a rather uncomfortable topic for her around others.
The four then proceeded to hang out for a while as they watched the children, it was nice to just socialize. Then after about an hour, Hunter saw Jerome talking with some fighters, he needed to get some stuff off his chest. Hunter got up and walked over to the old Pastor.
"Hey Jerome," Hunter called.
Jerome stopped and turned to face Hunter. "What is it?"
"Can we talk alone for a minute in private?" Hunter asked.
Jerome nodded. "OK. Come on."
Jerome then escorted Hunter to the back of the main building where there was nobody there at the moment. The two looked around to make sure they were alone and after a few moments, they knew they were safe to speak in private.
"So what's this about?" Jerome asked.
"I...umm told Carmina the truth about my parents," Hunter admitted.
Jerome's eyes widened upon hearing Hunter's confession. He knew how sensitive the subject of his parents was to him. But he remembered that he wanted to be honest with Carmina, if there's one thing he knew about Hunter is that he honored his promises. However, it still shouldn't have been easy for him to tell her that.
"Really?" Jerome questioned.
Hunter nodded in response.
"How'd she take it?" Jerome asked.
"Better than I thought she would," Hunter said. "It wasn't easy for me to reveal that to her but I'm glad I did."
Jerome smiled. "That's good to hear."
"Yeah but…" Hunter trailed off.
"But what?" Jerome asked.
"As you said I wasn't just lying to her I'm lying to everyone else, admitting that to her just numbed my guilt it didn't get rid of it. But...the main problem is that I'm afraid." Hunter explained. "When everyone else learns the truth then they'll probably resent you for lying to them because you're a man of honesty and yet you've lied to them. I don't want people to hate you because of me."
Jerome could understand Hunter's fear, he was considered an honest man by the people here yet since the Collapse there's a lot he's kept secret from everyone including Hunter. So, Jerome just let out a sigh and placed his hands on his shoulders. "Hunter, I know you don't want me to suffer because of you, but this is my problem, not yours. I'm the one who chose to lie about your origins, and I'll deal with the consequences when the truth comes out."
"But you shouldn't have to if it wasn't for my mo… Jess, then you wouldn't have had to lie about me," Hunter said, hesitating to call Jess his mom.
Jerome took a few steps closer to Hunter and placed his hands on his shoulders.
"Hunter… Jess loved you so much," Jerome said, trying to defend Jess but it was hard for him to do that since he agreed with Hunter that Jess just walked away from her responsibilities as a mother.
Hunter scoffed at Jerome's words, shaking his hands off him. "If she loved me then why the hell did she leave me?"
Jerome sighed, internally hoping that Hunter would never ask that question. He spent the last seventeen years thinking of what to say to him but he was still lost. He hoped that what he was about to say would explain some things about the Huntress.
"Jess felt that she wouldn't be a good enough mother for you, no matter how much she tried. She had been through hell since her parents were killed by Eden's Gate. That tragedy changed her, turned her into a killing machine, though one that was used for the righteous side. She spent so much time hellbent on revenge, she pushed everyone away who tried to get close to her. Well, almost everyone. Your father helped her finish her quest for vengeance and the two became a dynamic duo for Hope County. And with that kind of relationship, Jess started to break out of her iron shell. Unfortunately, she didn't have much time to break out completely, since the bombs fell and everything went to shit." Jerome explained.
Hunter processed the information Jerome told him, but it didn't make him feel any better. To him, it still just seemed like Jess just left him because she was too afraid to handle the responsibility of raising her own son.
"Would it have been that bad if she raised me?" Hunter asked.
Jerome shrugged his shoulders, unable to give him a good answer. "I would prefer that she stayed around so she could at least give being a mother a chance, but she was so afraid that you would turn out just like her, or worse. I will agree with her that she wasn't exactly a good influence on children, but you could never know if a child can go down that path without giving it a chance. I think she would have been a good mother if she tried, but some aren't meant for such things or strong enough to handle them,"
Hunter sighed then said. "I just don't know why anyone would turn their backs on their own children, especially in a world like this. I wonder if she's still alive. If she is, I'd tell her exactly how I feel, that is if I'm ever in the mood to talk to her."
Jerome could tell this subject was starting to get to him, his mom leaving him hurt him in so many ways, and also he was hiding the truth that his mom is alive. Jerome wanted nothing more than to just tell the truth about Jess's resurgence to Hunter but he promised not to. But then something occurred to him, since Hunter was born Jess hasn't been much of a mother to him. She may be Hunter's mom but a real mom wouldn't abandon their own children, and she wouldn't make their caretaker lie to them. Jess has done nothing but hide from her responsibilities as a mom. It didn't seem fair to just lie to Hunter, he didn't deserve to have the truth of his mom hidden from him. Jess has no right to keep herself hidden from her son, Hunter deserved to know the truth and he's had enough of lying to him.
"Hunter, I need to tell you something," Jerome said.
"What is it?" Hunter asked.
Jerome took a breath before explaining this to his godson. "Do you remember when Nana and I got captured by Highwaymen but we managed to escape them?" Jerome asked.
Hunter nodded. "Yeah, you and her were very lucky to have gotten away from that."
"Hunter… we didn't escape on our own, we had some help," Jerome confessed.
Hunter raised an eyebrow in confusion at this sudden revelation. "What? From who?"
"We should probably sit down for this story," Jerome suggested. "This is gonna be a lot for you to process."
"OK," Hunter nodded.
With that Hunter and Jerome sat down on the grass so Jerome could continue with this story.
"Now where was I?" Jerome wondered aloud.
"You said a woman ambushed the convoy that you and Nana were being held in," Hunter reminded.
"Oh right," Jerome remembered.
Hunter then chuckled a bit. "Heh. You're getting old Jerome."
Jerome immediately slapped Hunter on the back of his head. "OW!"
"Do not disrespect your elders Hunter, I may be old but I am not weak," Jerome said sternly.
"Jesus Christ, I never said you were. I was just joking, I've never disrespected the elderly here." Hunter said, rubbing the back of his head. "Anyway, what happened next?"
"Right, as I said. A woman ambushed the convoy and that allowed us to escape the trailer we were held in. After that we saw all the Highwaymen massacred, then we saw her, then she confronted us," Jerome explained.
"Who was she?" Hunter asked, curiously.
"She was… someone I thought who died years ago during the collapse. Someone I thought I would never see again, and someone I thought you would never see again." Jerome explained, pointing a finger at Hunter in the end.
Hunter's eyebrows furrowed in confusion, he placed two of his fingers on his chest and said. "Me?"
Jerome nodded. "Yes,"
"W-who?" Hunter asked, but he was slowly piecing this together. A majority of the people Jerome knew before the Collapse were dead. But Hunter was starting to realize who he was talking about.
"Jerome, who was it?" Hunter asked.
Jerome was very hesitant about telling Hunter the truth. Whenever he brings up Jess, it always causes the boy great pain. However, knowing that she was alive, he knew that they were bound to cross paths eventually. Besides, the young man deserved to know the truth and not be kept in the dark.
"Hunter… the woman who saved us was the Huntress, Jess Black, your mother. Your mother is alive," Jerome confessed.
Hunter immediately froze in shock at this revelation. He didn't know what to feel right now if he was feeling anything. This news brought him more shock than ever before. Part of him thought this was just a sick joke or a lie, but the rest of him knew Jerome was not a man who lies. He wanted to say something to his father figure, but nothing came to his mind. He was still in shock from the bombshell of a secret Jerome kept from him.
This long period of silence was troubling Jerome in a big way. He had known Hunter all his life but he had never seen him like this. "Hunter, are you ok?" he asks, placing a hand on the young man's shoulder.
However, his hand was quickly swatted away, Jerome felt the sting of hostility from the hit on his hand. "Ok?" Hunter asked, his voice grim. "You tell me something like this, and you ask if I'm ok?!" His voice gradually got louder and more unstable, anger and sadness wrestling for control of his voice.
Jerome looked closer at Hunter and saw tears welling up in his eyes and falling down his cheeks. "My mom. My Mom Jerome is alive and you kept that from me. WHY?!"
Jerome hoped Hunter wouldn't be angry for being told this. "Hunter, for as long as I've known you, hearing about your mother has only brought you pain. I thought you would prefer not to know."
"Jerome… for my entire life I thought she was gone, and you are the person I trust the most, but you just lied to me about her. You're the one always telling me not to lie but you lied to me. Didn't you think that I deserved to know the truth?" Hunter asked as he slowly started sobbing in hurt, and slight betrayal.
Jerome felt like a failure at this point. He had lied to his surrogate son in the worst of ways. He thought he could keep his promise to both Hunter and Jess, but he realized that it was impossible. "Your mother asked me not to tell you. I wanted to tell you since I last saw her. I'm sorry I couldn't muster the courage to come clean sooner."
The rage that was surging inside Hunter's heart was too much to keep contained. He walked up to a nearby wooden wall and slammed his fist into the cedar. Though solid as nature made it, Hunter's brute force cracked the wood slightly giving him a bloody knuckle in the process, but he paid no attention to it.
Then something unexpected happened. Hunter fell to his knees and began crying. Jerome was surprised, Hunter has done this before but not for a long time and never to this extent. But he shouldn't be surprised this was something very upsetting to the kid. This news would be surprising to anyone if they were in Hunter's shoes.
Hunter wept as if he had just heard that someone close to him had just died when it was actually the opposite. He was happy living his life, thinking that his mother was dead and long gone. Now he didn't know how he was going to keep on going after this. He only wished that he would never meet his mother. He didn't know what he would do if they were close to each other.
Jerome could see Hunter needed some comfort, but he wasn't sure if he should, given that Hunter was mad at Jerome at the moment. But the kid needed some comfort so Jerome knelt down next to Hunter. Then Hunter surprisingly latched onto Jerome, wrapping his arms around him, burying his face in his chest as he cried into his shirt.
At that same moment, Carmina showed up, and when she saw Hunter crying into Jerome's shirt her eyes widened knowing this was a serious matter. "What's wrong?" Carmina asked, looking at Jerome.
Jerome just responded with. "Hunter's mother is alive,"
This news shocked Carmina a lot, she didn't say anything, she just looked at Hunter, then knelt down next to him wrapping her arms around him, placing her head next to his.
Up in the North tensions among the New Edeners were just as high as they are with Prosperity with locusts wanting to join their ranks. When these defectors first showed up at the compound Joseph feared the worst for his people but when they said they wanted to join Joseph was surprised. However, he wasn't going to take them at their word because these Locusts could be lying so they can kill him. Many of his people suggested killing them, but they weren't killers. Killing them where they stood would make them no better than the locusts.
After much thought, Joseph then came up with an idea. If these Highwaymen really want to join New Eden then they'll have to prove themselves. One way for these locusts to prove themselves is to burn away their sins. So they were at the Flame where their souls would be cleansed of Sin.
The Highwaymen placed in charge of these traitors, Mitch was eager to do anything to prove his newfound loyalty to New Eden, but he along with many others still questioned many of New Eden's primitive ways. Most of the defectors were now dressed in New Eden attire, while a few were just wearing their casual Highwaymen clothing.
Joseph and Ethan watched as the defectors alongside the chosen burned away the objects of the old world. While some of the Edeners dared not defy Joseph's wishes, some questioned Joseph's willingness to test the locusts. These locusts have murdered many of their people and Joseph being willing to accept these people into their flock doesn't sit well with many.
"Father this isn't right, these are locusts, not to mention that they've killed many of our people. How can you be so willing to let them into our New Eden?" Ethan asked.
"My son, I understand your fear, but we cannot simply just turn away wayward souls when they want to seek redemption in the arms of God," Joseph argued.
"But how do we know that's what they want? What if these locusts are just trying to deceive us so they can stab us in the back?" Ethan questioned.
Joseph thought for a moment. "We will test them, put them through the trials that all members of New Eden must go through. Those who make it through to the end will be welcomed into our family. Those who do not make it...well, we will deal with them when that time comes."
Ethan had his own opinions on the Highwaymen, but he knew that even those who have completed little to no sins in their time would find initiation into New Eden difficult and life-altering. The odds of all of them making it through the trials would be very slim, to say the least. He knew that many of them would probably refuse to let their old ways go and embrace the life of purity that is Eden. If he were lucky, perhaps all of them would end up dying from failing to adapt to Joseph's ways. If that were the case, then these "locusts" wouldn't be a problem for much longer.
As Ethan thought all this over Joseph gave a speech to the defectors as they worked with the chosen in burning old-world tech.
"In order for you to become part of our New Eden, you must let go of the past and burn away your sins. You must cast those sins into the Flame of Eden, only then will your souls be cleansed and you shall be welcomed into our New Eden," Joseph preached as the Chosen aided the defectors burn their armor, equipment, and other old-world technology from the piles near the Flame.
Many of the Highwaymen defectors glanced at each other confused with Joseph's words. Most of them weren't religious so New Eden's beliefs were hard to understand for most of them. Many of them had problems with destroying old-world technology like their armor and other things. In their eyes, this was very useful stuff, but to the New Edeners, these were remnants of the old world that needed to be destroyed.
Mitch was the first to start dragging his things into the flame, mostly to set an example for the rest of his group. He was reluctant to throw his guns and armor into the fire to be rendered permanently unusable, but he noticed that these people were getting along just fine without such things. Perhaps he wasn't seeing something that he should be?
Other former Highwaymen started to throw their "sinful" objects into the fire, some more willing than others. There were, however, those who were blatantly vocal about their problems with this new philosophy.
"I don't get why we have to burn all this perfectly good stuff?" A woman asked as she reluctantly threw her highwaymen armor into the Flame.
A chosen stopped what he was doing and just sighed in frustration at how these Highwaymen keep questioning everything they do. "Did you not hear Joseph? To become part of our New Eden, you must burn away your sins which is your armor,"
"But that doesn't make any goddamn sense, it just seems like we're destroying useful stuff," Another Highwayman complained.
"This "Stuff" is what led to the collapse of our world. We've become so reliant on technology that we've destroyed ourselves." A chosen said.
"But these are just fridges, radios, lamps, and a bunch of other useful stuff. Besides, it's not like they're the nukes that destroyed the world." A highwayman said.
"All of this must burn or your sins won't be burned away." A Chosen explained, getting annoyed by the locusts.
"How the hell does burning this stuff burn away our sins?" A woman asked, skeptically.
Asking all of these questions about their faith only agitated the New Edeners further, which in turn made the former Highwaymen fire back with their own anger. Mitch thought more than once that maybe coming here wasn't such a good idea. But he at least had to give these people and this place a chance.
"Look guys, maybe we shouldn't question everything these New Edeners do. Remember, we came here because we wanted to try a simple life. If we just keep questioning everything these people do then we'll never get that chance, now their ways seem odd I admit that, but it's best just to keep those thoughts to ourselves for now and do what they say." Mitch said.
"You all should listen to this man, he's smarter than the rest of you locusts!" Ethan spoke up.
Joseph placed his hand on Mitch's shoulder. "This man is wiser than the rest of y'all. I see that our people's ways are strange to many of you, but you chose to join our family and it's a decision you won't regret. As members, I promise you this. You will live a simple life, work hard, serve your family, and free yourselves of sin. Serving the light of God himself!"
One of the defectors just scoffed at Joseph's words. "You know what old man, I'm getting tired of you speaking in fuckin' riddles. I don't even understand how a person like you commands people this tough and savage. Maybe we should just kill you and take over your band of killers and psychos."
Some of the chosen walked over to protect Joseph, but he raised his arm hand up, stopping them. "I wouldn't if I were you, your pride blinds you."
"Whatever." He scoffed.
The defector went in for a punch but Joseph quickly blocked, grabbed the defector with his free hand, and lifted him up off the ground. Some of the defectors looked at Joseph in surprise, for an old man he was certainly very strong. Some even took a few steps back in fear. Many of them have heard from other Highwaymen that these cultists were very tough, now that they were seeing their strength for themselves they saw that they were being serious.
"Holy shit!"
"Oh my god!"
"Jesus!"
Joseph released his grip on the defector's neck and he fell to the ground. He then took a couple of breaths and clasped his neck, then looked up at Joseph with fear written all over his face.
"Defiance will not be tolerated in New Eden," Joseph calmly, yet sternly proclaims. "If you truly wish to be a part of our world, then you must do what we say. No negotiations."
"You heard Joseph, your obedience and loyalty to us will be rewarded, but defiance will only result in your deaths." Ethan preached.
"Our ways may seem… strange and primitive to many of you but our ways and my guidance have made New Eden strong. As Ethan just said your loyalty will be rewarded and when you all have proven yourselves you will be tested." Joseph explained.
"Tested how?" Mitch questioned.
"The strongest and wisest of you will be brought somewhere where you will be tested. You will be challenged, but if you survive then you will become one of my chosen and be granted gifts from God himself. Those who do not want to do this then that is fine, but you will be shunned for your cowardice," Joseph said.
"What the hell is this 'Test'?" A woman asked curiously. Other Highwaymen shared the same curious look as the woman did, even Mitch was curious.
Joseph shook his head. "I can't tell any of you that, but to those who prove themselves worthy, you will see it. Until then get back to work." Joseph ordered.
"You heard the Father back to work!" A chosen yelled.
With that, the defectors quickly went back to work either out of intimidation, curiosity and out of their newfound loyalty to New Eden. As they worked some quietly talked about this supposed 'test' some believed it was how the chosen got their strength and some think it may be how they will be fully admitted into New Eden.
Mitch too was curious about what this test was but if he proved himself worthy then he may be chosen for this test. So Mitch decided to work as hard as he could so he could see for himself what this test will be. Whatever it must be, it's probably something important.
Atop the main building of Prosperity, the Judge sat quietly contemplating, the Judge coming up here to get away from everyone or to just think. The Horizon was a beautiful sight and would help him clear his mind when he needed to. Right now he was contemplating his faltering loyalty to Joseph. The longer he's away, the more the wall he's built continues to crack. It makes him wonder that when the wall finally breaks then will he betray Joseph or will he be able to continue serving his will?
Before he could think about this any longer the Judge was pulled out of his thoughts by a familiar voice. "Hey psycho!"
The Judge recognized the voice, it was none other than the former Highwaywoman Gina Guerra. He turned around and saw Gina standing behind him, he got up and turned to face her curious to know why she's here.
"What...do...you...want?" The Judge asked.
"Relax I'm not here to yell at you like the last couple of times, I just want to talk," Gina explained then asked. "So what's your deal?"
The Judge tilted his head in confusion, letting out a low grunt.
"You don't say jack shit, what's that about?" Gina asked, curious to learn about New Eden's deadliest warrior.
"Leave… me… alone," The Judge muttered with venom in his low tone.
"No way, I'm not going anywhere until you tell me something." Gina refused.
The Judge did his best to ignore the former Highwaywoman, hoping that she would lose interest and go away. But something told him that it won't be that easy. In one or two ways, Gina reminded him of a certain woman of his past. And like her, Gina was stubborn and would find a way to get what she wanted.
For the next ten minutes, Gina tried to interrogate the Judge but getting nothing out of him, the only thing she was starting to get on was his nerves.
Gina noticed how the Judge avoided her questions, not saying anything, which led her to step up her game. There was something on her mind that she wanted to figure out, and the Judge seemed to be the perfect person to ask. Although, from what she knew about him for certain, he would most likely answer in silence. Still, she had to try.
"The other day when Kim mentioned some old Deputy you just walked off. Seems like that subject doesn't make you friggin comfortable. So what's your problem? Did you know him?" Gina asked, curiously.
The Judge stayed silent, but his expression changed. Discussing the Junior Deputy wasn't something he was comfortable discussing. After all, he used to be the Junior Deputy: A man who cared about those close to him and would stand up for those who couldn't stand up for themselves. A failure. All he accomplished was nothing but death and destruction. Which is why he killed him.
"Deputy killed Joseph's… family… destroyed our bunkers… killed many followers… almost killed Father. But Father… killed… deputy." The Judge explained how the deputy destroyed almost everything Joseph had worked so hard to build. The Judge didn't like discussing this but it was the only way to get Gina to leave him alone.
"Oh yeah, I heard Hurk and many others here talk about him. They think he's some kind of hero," she said, earning a scoff from the Judge.
"He was… no… hero… only a failure." The Judge let out. "If only… they accepted… the Father's will… them and... so many wouldn't have… perished,"
"They?" Gina questioned.
"Him… and his companions." The Judge referred to the other deputies who died in the collapse. "They… should've… submitted to Joseph's will."
The Judge remembered that day, it was burned into his brain: the day his partners died. The burning smell of the forest, his broken nose, the head trauma from hitting his face against the wheel, the position their bodies were in. He remembered every little detail.
"Eden's gate did… horrible things to… the people here… but it was all… for the greater good." The Judge explained.
"I know a little about your band of hippies from before the bombs. Mainly what Hurk and his fuck up of a cousin have told me, some it was kinda horrifying even for me." Gina said, a little scared to recall what Hurk and Sharky told her about the war against Eden's Gate. Some of it was horrible even for Highwaymen.
"So…" Gina trailed. "Were you one of the cultists fighting for Eden's Gate?"
"That's none of your business you locust!" The Judge snapped in frustration with Gina's questions, speaking in a surprisingly normal tone. Even he was surprised he hasn't spoken like that in years. Was that Jake Rook talking at that moment or was it the Judge? This line of questioning was making the Judge remember the horrible things he's done which were stressing him out.
Gina would be lying if she said she wasn't a little concerned with her mutual friend right now. She wasn't scared of much, but seeing this man act like this made her worry. He's never spoken like that, for a second it seemed like he was a different individual. "The fuck's up with you?" she asked.
The Judge pointed his finger at her, saying only one word. "You!"
"Me? What the hell did I do?" Gina questioned.
"You stick your nose where it shouldn't be. I warn you, continuing this will only end in suffering for you." The Judge warned.
"Is that a challenge?" Gina asked, pulling out her gun.
The Judge shook his head, "No… a warning,"
To make his point clear the Judge used his enhanced speed and snatched Gina's MG right out of her hand. Gina was surprised at how fast the Judge snatched her machine gun out of her hands, she was also scared as the Judge then pointed it directly at her.
"Whoa take it, easy man! Alright, I'll leave you alone!" Gina exclaimed, raising her arms up in surrender.
The Judge stared at Gina for a moment, then realized what he was doing. He was just about to shoot an ally, Hurk's wife. The Judge had some good times with Hurk and his cousin, most of the time they got on his nerves but he still cared about them. The Judge lowered the gun and just decided to threaten her.
"Next time… When you point a gun at me again you better be prepared to pull that trigger," The Judge threatened and to make his message more clearer he unloaded the ammunition, summoned the strength of Eden, and broke the gun into two pieces, then threw them on the floor.
"Guns… too easy… to kill with… no challenge," The Judge said, returning to his normal tone then he clutched his head and jumped off the roof leaving Gina in her frightened state.
Gina was left in a state of fear, but also more curiosity. Gina then looked down at the two pieces of her broken gun. Losing her gun didn't bug her, she could easily get a new one from the weapon crates the defectors brought. But seeing her gun get destroyed so easily by the Judge scared her.
"Damn," Was all she let out.
There was certainly more to the Judge than she or probably everyone else in Prosperity knows. She wanted to learn more but it's best if someone else does that. With what just happened Gina wanted to stay the hell away from the Judge.
Near the Pantry outpost, Kreese and his squad of Highwaymen were scouting the place, preparing their attack. From what he could tell these people didn't seem like they could put up much of a fight. But he shouldn't underestimate these guys, if they could put up this much of a fight against the Twins then they must be formidable.
"I count at least ten defenders, Kreese," A squadmate said. "A supply truck has left with most of the food here. Most likely heading back to their main base."
"Five of us and ten of them… I like these odds." Kreese said then ordered. "Split up and surround the area. We'll see how these people like their tricks being turned against them."
"Sir yes sir," Another squadmate chuckled as he cocked his rifle.
Kreese loaded his gun and said. "Alright men, let's go to work."
Kreese and his team quietly moved into position surrounding the outpost, quietly avoiding the defenders.
The workers of the Pantry didn't have any danger in mind as they secured their hard-earned food and supplies. But their sense of security would suddenly be lost as the Highwaymen launched their ambush.
"NOW!" Kreese shouted.
The strategically placed Highwaymen aimed their weapons and opened fire on the workers and defenders alike, killing anyone who wasn't wearing their distinct armor. Within the first few moments, a fraction of the defenders were taken out.
"We're under attack!" one of the remaining workers called out, sending all of the other defenders on alert. One defender ran over to the M60 emplacement, only for him to be stopped by a few bullets to the head. At this point, it wasn't long for the whole outpost to fall to the Highwaymen commander. The attack was swift and decisive, the defenders of the Pantry fell quickly and were no match for the skill of these Highwaymen.
Within a few minutes, everyone in the outpost was dead except for one man. He laid on the ground bleeding out from a bullet wound in his stomach. He went up to a wall to try and make himself face who was about to kill him. He saw a Highwaymen commander staring at him in the eyes.
Kreese smiled smugly at the dying man. "This was too easy," he quipped. "If this is what those Twins are up against, then they're more pathetic than I thought."
The dying worker coughed up a decent amount of blood before speaking his last words. "You bastards think you can beat us, but you won't. The people of this county fought against a lot worse than you. You don't have a chance."
Kreese kneeled down to the dying man chuckling a bit. "Bold words from a dying man."
"You… can't do this to us this, this is our home, we're trying to give hope to our people… then you murderers come along and destroy that hope." The man let out.
"Son, this is the way of the world, now. The strong survive and the weak perish, like you." With that Kreese pulled out his pistol and shot him right in the head. Kreese got up and looked around the outpost, placing his gun back in its holster.
Kreese pulled out his radio and brought it up to his lips. "Mickey, Lou, the Pantry has been retaken."
"Excellent, we'll send some men to secure it, and come back to the prison. We're planning something big, the rabbit and his band of scabs are soon gonna learn the hard way that anyone who dares stand up to us pays the price." Mickey said then the radio went silent.
Kreese put his radio away and wondered what exactly were those two planning. 'It better be something good' Kreese thought. Whatever it may be Kreese should help them in it, because with their constant failures they'll definitely mess this up. Kreese promised Vince that he would be there for the Twins and that's a promise he intended to keep.
Kreese then spoke up to his men. "Everybody listen up!"
His squad immediately approached their leader and waited for what he had to say. "Our job's done here. We've just been ordered to return to the prison. Let's get moving," Kreese ordered.
With that Kreese and his squad headed back to their base. Kreese was curious what this plan of theirs was, but whatever it is it's best for him to do what he can to help them. Despite these outpost defenders not putting up much of a fight he knows the others won't be as easy as them. Taking on an army while low on manpower required specialized individuals.
Thinking that made Kreese chuckle, it's been a while since he's had to face an opponent like this, this was going to be fun.
"These people are in for a difficult fight," Kreese muttered to himself then headed to the trucks.
After Gina's interrogation, the Judge's mind was having a breakdown. He needed to get away from everything for a little while so he basically jumped off the roof, jumped over the wall, and even ran through the defectors camp. He ran down to the boathouse near the river in a panic while clutching his head in pain.
Right now he needs to be alone and away from everyone for a while. Thankfully the boathouse was abandoned for the moment so that was a relief to the Judge. That way, nobody could see him like this.
Tears began falling from his eyes, leaking out from his mask. With every mention of his past persona, he could feel the deputy trying to break out of the shell of his new masked persona. Now one more person was trying to find out what happened to his old self, and it was someone who didn't know him personally. That meant that Gina didn't have any loyalty or respect for the deputy to leave the whole thing buried, whereas many other people of Hope County simply want to believe that he was in a better place now.
In some way that was true, the Judge was happy with being the protector of New Eden but at the same time he missed a lot of things from the past. There were times when he missed being the deputy as horrible as those thoughts were to the judge. The Judge sat in the Boathouse sobbing a bit and thinking until he took notice of a familiar object inside. The Carmina, Nick's old crop duster.
The Judge had almost forgotten that Nick would come down here and work on repairing his old plane. He wants to get this thing up and running for Carmina's eighteenth birthday so he can teach her how to fly. Seeing this old plane calmed the Judge's mind for the moment, it reminded him of simpler times. However things weren't as simple as they are now, but at least then you could stop to catch your breath. Now every day was just an endless cycle of death and carnage.
As the Judge stared at the old plane it brought some ease to his pain. The Judge climbed into the cockpit of the plane, trying to remember the time he first flew this thing. That was one messed up day: Breaking into John's ranch, stealing this plane back for Nick, using it to bomb cultists, then bringing it back only for the Peggies to retaliate by attacking the Rye's home. The weirdest thing about that day was that he actually flew this thing pretty well, he never flew a plane. He's had some experience with helicopters but a plane was a lot different from that.
Thinking about that day made the Judge laugh a little as it reminded him of the good times, in his life there weren't many of those. With the people of Hope County he had several interesting times. These people meant the world to Rook, and they meant just as much to the Judge. But, Rook is gone.
Years ago he would be willing to die for these good people, but that's not him anymore. As much as he still cares about his old friends and wants to help them, he's no longer loyal to them. The only people he's willing to die for are the Father and the family of New Eden.
With his new family in mind, the Judge muttered a few words to himself, a vow more like. One that he would take into heart no matter what his former self thought.
'I am the Judge of New Eden, I am the Father's Shadow, I am New Eden's Silent protector. I must not lose sight of this, Rook is gone and I must keep it that way." The Judge said in his head. If these people learn of his origins then they'll try to revive him. Rook can't be revived, he failed in his duty but the Judge hasn't. And if he failed in his duty, then he'd be nothing again. That cannot happen.
Another chapter of the New Dawn is completed. Please leave a review and tell me what you think. I had a really hard time writing this one since I'm running low on ideas. I would like to give another shoutout to Fairytail96 for helping me with this chapter.
I welcome any ideas y'all have to offer.