The Family

"The Family" is a BOTGD 2 thread written on June 14, 2019. 
== Summary ==
== Full Text ==
=== Part 1 ===
Malak: Malak stepped up just outside of the Cheif’s house. Behind him stood a scrawny young man with red hair, and gaunt features. To his right was a tall, slightly older man with jet black hair, and a leather mask that covered his mouth, and locked in the back. To his left was a wide eyes, middle aged woman in a faded gown, and long, unkempt hair.
Malak glanced back at them for a moment, and then reached out with one of his limbs to knock on the door.
Grey Bergman: Grey and Shadow perked at the sound of the knock on the door and looked at each other. It was pretty clear that both the Chief and the Night Fury had a feeling as to who this was. It had been a few days since they brought Rhenco in, and Rhenco had told them that Malak was coming by the end of the week.
Brandt was with Ander and the council taking care of their respective assignments while Grey waited for Malak’s arrival, and the kids were with their cousins, which meant that Sven would’ve had no clue that Malak was here. The Chief stood up and opened the door. 
Malak: Malak stood rigid on the snow covered ground. “Cheif.” He said grimly, and presented his wrists as if to be cuffed. Grey could see thick scars running up each of his wrists. “Reporting in.” 
Grey Bergman: Grey kept a cool look on her face as she eyed the scars on his wrists and the people accompanying this stranger in front of her. Shadow eyed the stranger from behind. 
“I’m guessing you’re Malak,” Grey said. She then stepped aside allowing him to enter. “We don’t need to throw the cuffs on yet. Please come in.”
Malak: Malak inhaled slowly and turned around, and crisply motioned with one hand. “Opie, come on.”
The red haired man shuffled forward and one of Malak’s spider legs reached around to help him along. He then pointed towards the tall man with the mask, and then at the woman. “You, don’t, move or mark my words…Chelsea, just…” His face twitched once and for a moment he looked unsure as to what to say. “Just wait here…”
He then walked inside the building.   
Grey Bergman: Grey eyed the two men that entered her house, especially Malak. Once Malak and the one called Opie entered, she looked at Chelsea and the other young man next to her. She then found two of her men standing by watching the scene happen in front of them, and she gave them a reassuring smile.   
“Can one of you watch them for me?” Grey asked. “The other should go tell my husband. Just tell him that our guest has arrived and that I’m handling it. He’ll know what that means.”
“Yes, Chief,” the men said. 
As soon as that was taken care of, she turned back to Malak and closed the door. “I figured it would be best if we had the house to ourselves to talk,” the Chief said to Malak. “My kids have already been through enough, and my husband is working around the island.”
Malak: Malak grunted and paced a few steps. He was looking at Grey in a very strange way. He was a man who looked angry, or overly strict. But he was also looking for something from her. His eyes drifted to the sword at her hip.
“I tried to kill your son.” He finally said bluntly.
Grey Bergman: The Chief felt her heart drop at the blunt statement, but she quickly hid the shock from her face and replaced it with a glare as she slowly moved her hand to her sword. However, she didn’t make any other moves.
“W-When? May I ask? I saw you on that roof when we found him,” she said through clenched teeth. She could hear Shadow growling at Malak behind her. 
Malak: “Dad…” Opie said, his gaze bouncing between the floor and empty corners of the room. 
“Hush.” Malak grunted once, keeping his focus on Grey. “I tried to catch him and return him to Rhenco twice during his escape. But on the roof, I was cutting the rope he was climbing down.”
Grey Bergman: “Why?” Grey asked through clenched teeth. Although, based on what Sven had told her and Brandt about the secret he was forced to keep…she had a pretty good idea as to why he tried to kill Sven. Still, she needed to play her cards right as she tried to still her shaking hand on the hilt of her sword. “He’s just a 17-year-old boy to you, and you seem to have children of your own.” She briefly looked at Opie noticing how nervous he appeared. “Why would it matter to you if he escaped?”
Malak: “Because Rhenco told me to.” Malak said, and for a second his throat clenched. After a moment he added. “He didnt want people to know about the fire.”
He didnt make any comment about him having a family.
Grey Bergman: “I see,” Grey said coolly glaring at the spider half-breed. “So you try to kill a child, who–may I remind you–accidentally found out about the fire…not long before Rhenco threatens him to stay quiet.”
She eyed Opie again. “How old are you, young man?” she asked in the most gentle voice she could muster up. There was no reason to scare Malak’s son.
Malak: “Twenty four mame… ” Opie answered.
“He doesn’t deserve any kinder words than I do.” Malak growled. “And yes. None of that mattered in the face of Rhenco’s order. So…” he drew a breath. “What will you do?”
Grey Bergman: Grey mentally noted how Opie would’ve only been a few years older than her when she first joined the first Rebellion before turning back to Malak. She honestly wasn’t sure what to do with Malak and his family. Rhenco obviously didn’t care what happened to them, which was quite a shame, but he also said that they would be resources for the Rebellion. She needed to play her cards right and see what he had to offer.
“What exactly did Rhenco tell you before you came here?” she asked not even bothering to answer his question. 
Malak: “To submit to whatever you decided to do with us.” Malak stated without blinking. 
Grey Bergman: Grey widened her eyes at that statement. Rhenco was currently in prison, and Malak and his family had all the freedom in the world to leave and begin a new life. However, they didn’t. They came straight here, and she could easily order that they be imprisoned or executed for what happened to Sven. However, she couldn’t bring herself to do that. Not when the loyalty was blind. 
She nodded before another question came to mind. “What exactly did you do for Rhenco?” Grey asked.
Malak: “Whatever he wanted us to.” Malak answered. “Capture, kill, submit, didn’t matter. We just did whatever it was he asked for.”
Grey Bergman: “Blind loyalty can be a dangerous thing,” Grey said, “especially when working for someone like Rhenco.” Grey took a deep breath and then looked back at Malak and Opie. “I know you tried to kill my son, but…I also know…from one parent to another…that you would want to protect your family and make a new life for them. I can’t let you get away with attempting to kill the Heir of Haligan Island, so you will need to face some punishment.”
Malak: Malak began to pace, his eyes still locked on Grey. “Our loyalty isnt blind…its enforced. We know what happens when we dont act without hesitation.”
At these words, Grey saw Opie self consciously tug down on one of his long, albeit tattered, sweater sleeve.
Malak went on. “And you dont know about me. The people outside, or what any of us want. We dont even know that.”
The legs on his back spread, like an animal trying to make itself look bigger to defend itself, and he paced forward. “So exact your punishment cheif Grey! Cause at least that, in this mad world, makes sense!”
Grey Bergman: Grey glared at Malak daring him to attack her or something as his spider legs spread. Her hand clenched on her sword as Shadow growled behind her. She was about to say something, but noticed Opie tugging on his sleeves. She wasn’t sure if it was motherly instinct or simple compassion, but it didn’t take her long to realize that this young man, Opie probably grew up under the fear of Rhenco. While she kept her eyes on Malak, she slowly walked over to Opie and bent down in front of him giving him a small smile as she gently took his hand.
“May I?” she asked quietly. “I won’t hurt you, I promise. I’m not Rhenco.”
Malak: Malak watched her as she passed him, his legs twitching, but aside from that remaining to themselves. “Get away from him…” He practically sighed, his tone as grim as ever. “He’s not some kid. He’s not even someone you’d want to help.”
One of Opie’s eyes rolled up to look at Grey, and then he let his head lull away again. But he let Grey examine his arm.
When Grey looked under the sleeve she saw a scar of the same thickness and type Malak had, running from his elbow to wrist.
=== Part 2 ===
Grey Bergman: Grey didn’t even pay attention to Malak as her brown eyes widened at the sight of the scars on Opie’s arms.
“Gods…” she whispered as chills went down her spine. If Rhenco did this to those who were loyal to him…then one could only imagine what he would’ve down to Sven if she and Brandt didn’t get there when they did, especially when Malak just confessed to trying to kill him.
Malak: Malak’s jaw clenched. “I’m telling you. Quit being so close to him.”
Opie’s eyes flickered, he didnt bother to try and hid his arms, but his fingers did begin to fidget. “Ma'me…” he murmured quietly as if registering Grey’s presence.
“For fucks-mm” Malak growled as he rubbed a hand over his mouth. “Cheif Grey are you not accustomed to a warning?”
Grey Bergman: Shadow perked at Malak’s question and growled at him as her eyes narrowed into slits daring him to attack her best friend. The Chief turned to glare at him as she stood and took a step away from Opie.
“Oh, I’m very accustomed to warnings, Malak,” she said. “But…I’m also accustomed to having soldiers and a Night Fury who won’t hesitate to defend me.” 
Malak: “A very good point…we should all,” He met Opie’s gaze. “Make note of that…” Malak inhaled thinly, and returned his attention to Grey, a little more relaxed now that she was further away from his son. “Our punishment.” He reminded her as he folded his arms. 
Grey Bergman: “Right…” the Chief said as she held one hand silently telling Shadow to stand down. 
The Night Fury silenced her growls and took a step back. However, she refused to release her defensive stance. These strangers still had yet to prove that they could be trusted, and she refused to let anything happen to Grey. 
“Malak, you will be imprisoned in our jail cells,” Grey said glaring right at the spider half-breed, “and your family will be placed under house arrest. You each will have guards posted all day and night, and will be allowed to see each other for one hour during the day. And you will not be allowed to see or talk to Rhenco.”
Malak: Malak growled. “Jail, fine. But Farris ought to be there with me at least. Separate cells of course. Dont worry about visitations. It’s unnecessary and would only pose a risk to you and your own.”
Grey Bergman: Grey knew he had a valid point regarding visitations, but she figured it would lessen the blow a little since they were working for Rhenco. Without visitations, it would be difficult for them to plot against her and her family. However, the fact that he was so willing to be sent to jail with one of his sons made her a little uneasy. Although, if they did have separate cells, they couldn’t plot.
“Very well,” Grey finally replied, “and your wife and Opie will be sent to one of our old houses for their house arrest. Food will be delivered to them as well. However,” she walked up to Malak, “if you try to escape or go anywhere near Sven or my kids or talk to Rhenco, I will not hesitate to put you to death, are we clear?”
Malak: “Ma'me…” Opie said quietly, as if to get her attention.
“Opie…dont.” Malak growled. “Yes cheif…perfectly clear. Truth be told you need not risk house arrest for any of us. But you do as you see fit.”
“Ma'me…”
“For the love, of god Opie! Dont even start!”
Grey Bergman: “Hold on!” Grey suddenly said holding up a hand to silence Malak. “I want to hear what he has to say.” She turned to Opie. “Yes, Opie, what is it?”
Opie: Opie’s eyes darted to the corners of the room, and then he leaned forward. “You could save a lot of resources and make better strides in your fight against Central if you utilized us…we all have our own skills…put them to use. No sense in feeding people without getting anything out of it. No risk involved either unless its Farris you’re working with…or if we were out of the field. Sure lock us up to keep everyone safe at home base, but let us out to work for your cause…we wont misbehave while on a mission.”
Malak paces toward him and leaned down to meet his gaze. “They’d be better to leave their livestoxks with an untrained Monsterous Nightmare, than one of their young rebels girls with you…”
Opie blinked a few times and his face twitched. “Like you’re any better dad?” He whispered in a tight voice. “Sucks that you said all that cause you really know I’m right as usual.”
Malak balled up his fists into the collar of Opie’s sweater with a menacing hiss.
Grey Bergman: “HEY!” Grey screamed as she grabbed Malak’s hands. “Release him…NOW! Before I call my guards in here.”
Shadow stared up at Malak again growling at him ready to attack if Grey were to give the order. 
“Let’s hear him out,” Grey said glaring at him. “Your son is old enough, and he’s allowed to speak his mind.”
Malak: Malak shoved himself away from Opie and stormed a few violent steps away. His legs were twitching and his fingers curling and uncurling into fists. He took a few breaths, and then strode to the exit. “I’ll go wait for my arrest!” He growled, and slammed the door behind him.
Opie tilted his head to watch his father leave, smacking his lips together quietly, but otherwise looking unphased.
Grey Bergman: The Chief sighed before she turned to Opie. Never in her years as Haddock’s second-in-command or as Chief did she see someone so upset that they claim to wait for their punishment, and that seemed to be all Malak wanted. Was it really out of loyalty to Rhenco?
“Your father has…quite a temper,” Grey finally said to Opie. “Perhaps, he should’ve only sent you in. You seem like you have a good head on your shoulders.”
Opie: “Oh my head is great ma'me…” Opie said, this time looking at the ceiling. “I can think of just about anything and be right…course dad probably came in here thinking you’d kill him on the spot…oh well…too bad for him…”
Grey Bergman: Grey gave Opie a small smile and gently raised her arm offering a seat at the table. So far, he was quite different from Malak. Perhaps, it would be easier to talk to Opie rather than Malak after all.
“As much as I hate what your dad tried to do to my son,” Grey began, “I also know you all probably didn’t have it easy under someone like Rhenco. What did you think I was going to do when you both came in here?”
Opie: “Oh I figured you’d use the prison…seems like the kinda thing your Rebellion does. You’re all super…super brutal but uh…merciful at the oddest times…” Opie shuffled over into the seat and fixed Grey with an odd look. “You know we dont ‘work for’ Rhenco right?”
Grey Bergman: Grey furrowed her eyebrows together as she slowly sat down. “Well, I guess I assumed that you did,” she replied. “I saw you and your dad on the roof when I came for my son, and Sven never really specified otherwise. What exactly did you do, if you don’t mind me asking?”
Opie: “Oh just whatever he tells us too…” Opie’s leg began bouncing under the table. “Jarod worked for Rhenco…the only guy ever to do so. Your son killed him saving a Central civilian did ya know that? Eh…eh…naaah… Rhenco kidnapped me and my whole family ten years ago…not his usual bit but he was feeling experimental that year…not exactly employment am I right chief?”
Grey Bergman: Grey widened her eyes at what Opie told them and clenched her fists. Rhenco truly had done damage before he even laid eyes on their family. “That son of a …” she cleared her throat and regained her composure. “Yes, I believe that experiments don’t count as employment in the slightest. What…kind of experiments did he and Jarod do, Opie?”
Rhenco’s words flashed in her head. “Jerod was my only friend.” It had been a few days since Sven returned home with them, and she and Brandt had agreed that they needed to give him some space until he was ready to talk. He’s given bits and pieces, but Grey did not remember him mentioning that he killed the doctor to save someone. There was no way he could’ve known that the man was a Central civilian.
Opie: “Sex chances were his favorite.” Opie droned, and began to pick at the edge of the table. “Making humans half breeds and half breeds humans was second place…at least in a cut and paste sort of sense. No reason outside of the usual reason.”
He rolled his eyes to the ceiling as he bobbed his head. “Yep…your son was pretty lucky. Dad would have choked him out if he had caught him and Farris would have eaten him for sure….lucky lucky that he didn’t go into Farris’s kitchen mmhmm…”
Grey Bergman: The Chief widened her eyes and then looked at her Night Fury, who had the same look of shock and concern on her face. It amazed Grey that Opie could simply talk about Rhenco’s madness like he was talking about the weather, and the thought of her baby boy being forced into this…made her sick to her stomach. She thanked the gods for Milae coming when he did. Otherwise, they would’ve been forced to wait those three days, and by then, Sven would’ve been experimented on…or worse killed just for escaping.
What could she possibly say to all that? There wasn’t much to say to that. “By all the Gods…” she whispered. 
Opie: “Naah…” Opie said again he carefully got to his feet. “Just one of them ma'me. Dunno why…but it’s all because of her…” 
He rocked on his heels. “So whattya say? I’m not wrong about what I said. Will you use us?”
Grey Bergman: Grey couldn’t help but chuckle at Opie correcting her. Sometimes it was easy to forget that there was currently one god running things now that Ragnorak was over, or so people believed.
“Considering that you were just a very big help,” Grey said, “I would be foolish not to. I know it’s strange that we’re brutal and merciful, but you’ve helped quite a bit. Sometimes we need to take advantage of opportunities presented to us. And…given what you told me, you four deserve a second chance.”
Malak: “That’s nice of you ma'me…should we go outside and let Malak know?”
=== Part 3 ===
Grey Bergman: The Chief nodded before standing up and beckoning Opie to follow her outside. “Follow me,” she said.
She and Shadow led him to the front door, and she opened it only to find Malak, Chelsea, and Farris waiting for them.
Malak: Malak still had his arms folded. “So?” He grunted.
Grey Bergman: The Chief smirked at Malak before looking at Opie. “You really should give your son more credit, Malak,” she began. “He’s got a good head on his shoulders.” She paused a moment before beginning again. “My sentence still stands with your proposal for you and Farris to be in separate cells while your wife and Opie are place under arrest. However, at Opie’s suggestion, you all will be obligated to follow any tasks given to you by myself or my husband.”
Malak: Malak didnt bother to hide the tight lipped glare he was giving his son, while Opie’s eyes continued to bounce around anywhere but at a person, his expression still mild.
Malak turned a shoulder towards them. “You dont even know him…” he muttered, and then walked around behind Farris, who still stood motionless, and began to bind up his hands behind his back with a coil of rope. “Cant see anything wrong with your terms…nothing we haven’t done before.”
Grey Bergman: “So glad your punishment meets your expectations,” Grey said in the most deadpan expression she could muster up. “Just steer clear of my kids and Rhenco, and this will be bearable for you and your family.” 
The Chief raised her hand gesturing for some men to come over and restrain the family with the exception of Farris in handcuffs. 
Malak: Malak finished the knot he tying and then allowed himself to be taken by the guards. He met Grey’s eyes again, his gaze still stern, troubled, but at the same time layered. 
He wasn’t like Rhenco. Rhenco always seemed flat, two dimensional, like he had boiled away his personality and nature as a human for the sake of whatever it was he hoped to gain. The spider half breed finally turned away as he and his family were taken from view. 
Grey Bergman: The Chief glared at Malak as he gazed at her, and Shadow growled at him from behind her rider. Something still felt truly off about Malak and his family, especially after dealing with Rhenco, but she couldn’t put her finger on it.  
Category:BOTGD 2
Category:Events
Category:Act I
Category:Grey Bergman
Category:Malak
Category:Opie
Category:Chelsea
Category:Farris