- Ethan Egan -
"Oh my god, can you hear her little snores? So freaking cute..."
Alvy giggled quietly, stroking Mia's hair as she lay fast asleep on his lap in the back of the car.
"She's still one of them, you know. Don't start getting attached."
I sighed, pulling my glasses away to rub my eyes.
I was so tired.
"Sh-she's a real cutie, huh? Her eyes are my my favourite. So green and bright, r-reminds me of spring."
Garbage smiled, keeping his eyes on the dirt road as he drove.
We'd been driving for quite a while, an hour or two at least.
Garbage soon turned off the road, parking the car beside an open field.
"Why are we stopping here?"
I glared.
"Th-there aren't any any roads that lead up to the Den. It's only a sh-short walk, so don't worry."
He smiled, stepping out while Alvy lifted Mia in his arms, carefully, as to not wake her.
The idea that there were children versions of those creatures...
We walked for about ten minutes, only Garbage and Mason talking as they strolled happily ahead.
Alvy stuck close to my side.
"...Ethan?"
He eventually muttered.
"What?"
"Are we...I mean...are you sure about this whole 'deal'?"
"We did what he asked. So why wouldn't I be?"
"Well, for one thing, we don't even know that Mia is one of them. What if she's not their kid? What if she's just a normal human little girl? For all we know, we could just be delivering them their next meal."
"She was in a place swarming with them, if she wasn't, those other ones would have killed her already. And why else would Jäger want a Soulless child?"
"...sure, but-"
"Will you just stop worrying about everything? We give them their kid and it's over. Easy as that. So just shut up and let's get this over with."
He didn't respond, just silently looked away.
My gut told me to apologise, but I didn't.
Give Jäger his kid and they'd leave.
That's all that was going through my mind.
No reason to stay, they'd leave.
Just give him the kid.
"Alright, we're here!"
Garbage cheered.
Shaking my thoughts away, I looked up at the building before us. An old, tattered barn house, out in the middle of nowhere. Just surrounded by barren fields for miles.
The place was a wreck, walls falling apart. There was no way this was where Jäger kept his people.
"...is this a joke?"
I sneered.
"Nope! C-come on! Right this way!"
Garbage lead us inside, pushing a bunch of old, rotting hay bales to the side, revealing a rusted iron trap door. He knocked three times before yelling, "Crimson is my blood, h-hollow is my soul! If I betray the Overseer, m-may I be eaten whole!"
"So you've got yourselves a little rhyme. How cute."
I smirked.
Suddenly, the door flung open and a beast of a man appeared, glaring at us all. His muscles practically overlapped each other, his face a collection of scars.
Cigarette in his mouth, he took one look at Garbage and growled.
"Took your time, eh, trash bag?" He then let out a rough, throaty laugh, "Get your ass in 'ere before I cut yer throat."
"Nice t-to see you too, M-Mammoth."
Garbage spoke politely with a smile, not the slightest bit intimidated by the brute.
