Jonathan Mongola spat out vomit onto the kitchen floor, unable to keep the sudden lurch in his stomach from bursting out of his mouth.
He was 13 years old, and his father had just punched him in the stomach.
“I’ve had enough of your insolence boy, you put some fucking respect in your voice when talking to me or I will take the belt to you.”
“Dad, please.”
Fitzgerald backhanded his eldest son, bursting his lip open with a hard smack.
“What did you say boy?”
“Please… sir, no more, please.”
“Better. But who do you think you are, telling me, your elder, what to do?”
Jonathan cowered at the cruel look in his father’s eyes. “I…I’m so…sorry sir, I on…only meant…”
“I know what you meant BOY. You’ve disappointed me enough already for it to mean anything. The disrespect you’ve shown me and this family by cavorting with that mutt at your school has proven you haven’t listened to a fucking word I’ve told you.”
“But… Nina is my friend.”
Fitzgerald punched Jonathan in the stomach again, harder this time. Jonathan spewed up once more and collapsed to his knees, hacking up more spew and bile from the impact.
“SHE’S A FUCKIN COON BITCH AND I WILL NOT HAVE MY SON ASSOCIATING WITH HER AND HER TYPE! Now are you going to listen to me, or am I going to have to get your brother involved.”
Jonathan felt his blood chill. He’d spent so long protecting Josef from his father’s influence, to have it all be for naught… no, he’d protect his brother, even if it cost him his soul.
“No… no sir. I will listen, I’ll do as you ask.”
Fitz sneered at his son’s acceptance. “Good. Now first thing tomorrow, you’re gonna tell this Nina that you can’t be friends anymore, and if she asks why, you tell her you aren’t friends with niggers.”
Jonathan caught his breath in his throat, Nia would never forgive him for that, she’d hate him at best and have him beaten up at worse, all options that Fitz would take to prove his racist views as correct, that THEY were animals.
“Yes sir.” Jonathan whispered out reluctantly.
“Good. Now clean up that mess before your mother gets home.”
Fitz threw a towel at Jonathan’s face before leaving his son to question if he’d made the right choice.
Taylor took the wheel of the van while Artemis stayed with Jonathan and Scarlett in the back, Jonathan had been given his own jumpsuit, a moss green one-piece with more pockets than he could count. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat.
“Quite a snug fit, isn’t it?”
Artemis smirked. “You get used to it. My advice? Wear as little as you can underneath, it’ll feel strange at first with the material against your bare skin, but it allows a bit more breathing room, plus the insulation means you’ll stay warm no matter what the weather.”
Artemis watched as Jonathan’s eyes briefly glanced down at her chest, she kept quiet but smiled to herself, it was good to know she still had it.
Unaware that he’d been caught, Jonathan looked around the van, checking out The Crew’s equipment. There were the usual tools of the trade, plenty of nets, extended grabbers, a few pole catchers, plenty of cages, but there also a few more lethal option; heavy looking batons were hung up on a rack near the back doors, two gas canisters knocked against each other nearby, both with a symbol for poisonous on them, and along one of the van’s side, there was a locked cabinet with four pistols and one double-barrelled shotgun inside.
“Bit heavy on the arsenal, aren’t you?”
Artemis turned round, seeing the gun cabinet Jonathan was staring at. “Emergency use only, when we’ve been given a large kill order and need to make sure it’s done thoroughly. The pistols get used more than the shotgun, that’s only been pulled out once in the entire time I’ve worked here, one of the local farmers had a herd invasion, but the little bastards were weary of humans, ran off anytime one of us got too close, couldn’t get near them long enough to catch them or kill them. We had to use the shotgun’s spread to try to hit them from a distance.”
“Sounds messy.”
“Not as much as you think, the shotgun’s loaded with rock-salt. Now granted to a weak of wet paper Fluffy, that shit will kill them at decent range, but you hit them at the right distance, it’ll stop them in their tracks without killing them. Stings like a motherfucker though and they WILL let you know how much pain they’re in.”
“Can Scawwett gib dem foweba sweepies if dey make tuu mush noisies?” The red mare asked from beside Jonathan.
Artemis shook her head. “Depends on the order, you see there are three types of orders we do here. You have Recovery orders, these are very simple, find a lost Fluffy and return it, and yes we do get a fair few of them. You have Rehome orders, these are what we deal with most of the time, a Fluffy or Fluffies have invaded a place they shouldn’t and they need to be removed, in a Rehome order, we capture the invaders alive and transport them to the nearest shelter, what happens to them after that is not our concern. Than we have the third and final type, the Retire order, which is simple a nicer way of saying a kill order, these are usually reserved for large herds needing to be dealt with quickly, like what we’re heading to right now.”
“Could people not just kill the Fluffies themselves?”
“Perhaps, but there’s a tax on biowaste costs when disposing of Fluffy corpses, back in the old days most folk would just toss the Fluffy bodies away and be done with them, but there were so many Fluffies and so many corpses that eventually the town got done in with disease, predators and the ever present stench of rotted shit. Eventually the council put in the tax bracket to disincentive people from taking matters into their own hands.”
“How much is it for disposal?”
“About 30 coins per adult Fluffy.”
“Christ, it’s like their actively asking for Fluffies to be left alone or something.”
Artemis shook her head again. “Not really, that’s where we come in. Us and other companies like us have a tax break on disposal, we still have to cover the biowaste costs but it’s on a much lower scale than the public. Hell get a big enough herd and it’s actually cheaper to call us out.”
Artemis looked over towards Taylor in the driver’s seat. “How many Fluffies they say we’re dealing with here?”
“Between 10 and 15, not counting infants. Based on what they’ve said, sounds like this herd has bunkered down in what’s to become one of the main offices, likely one of the only rooms with a roof at the moment. Good news is that they’re all congregated in one area, provided we’re able to block their exits, we should be able to make short work of them all.”
“So what’s the bad news?” Jonathan asked with a smirk.
“Bad news is that since it’s a construction site, they want minimal damages, which means no guns, we’ll have to take care of things the old fashioned way.”
“With sticks and stones.” Artemis sighed out, not looking forward to a heavy workout.”
“Fraid so Art, if you wanna try out the knives you’re welcome to.”
“Pass, knives are messy, only thing more annoying than bullet holes are bloodstains, we wanna get paid so let’s try and keep the mess to a minimum.”
“Nu pwomises.” Scarlett piped up, illiciting a small chuckle from The Crew as they continued their drive to their destination.
The Crew arrived at the worksite not long into mid-afternoon, it was still a dull day but the wind had died down at least. As they got out the van they were approached for a tall man in a chequered shirt, jeans and a high-vis vest.
“Youse guys the exterminators?”
“I hope so.” Artemis smirked. “Otherwise I got into the wrong van.”
“Funny. Name’s Bill Hawthorn, I’m the guy that called youse. Listen I don’t mean to be rude but I’ve already lost money waiting on youse cos my boss won’t cover us for any damages done getting rid of these rat-bastards so timing is of the fucking essence here.”
“Have no fear Mr Hawthorn.” Taylor opened the back doors of the van and handed everyone a baton. “Leave us to our work and we’ll be out of here before dinner.”
“I fucking hope so. Alright, they’re over this way, follow me.”
As The Crew followed Bill, Jonathan got to grips with his new toy, a retractable steel baton, light to carry and quick to extend when flicked right, but with real heft to it with every swing. Scarlett watched him play with it as she walked alongside him.
“Dat wook wike it gib big huwties.”
“It certainly does, I didn’t know you could get these round here.”
“They’re in a legal grey area.” Taylor explained. “Not for civilian use but we’re a private company so providing we don’t use them outside of a professional capacity we can use them on the job.”
“So no murdering people?”
“Fraid not. But from what I hear, your weapon of choice is more ballistic oriented.”
Jonathan chuckled. “Did Artemis tell you?”
“She inferred a few things, the rest I looked up online. I remember your case, followed the trial on the news, your father was the right man for all the wrong types of people, far as I care you did the world a favour taking him out.”
Jonathan simply smiled and said nothing, the memory of his father still burnt into his mind. Sensing the mood changing, Artemis quickly spoke to Hawthorn to fill the silence.
“So what’s the extent of the situation, just so we’re clear on what to expect.”
“Situation is a buncha dickheads don’t understand what the phrase ‘Fuck off’ means. Sorry if I’m being curt but I’m stressed out with these things, I just want ‘em gone.”
“I understand Mr Hawthorn, I’m just trying to get a better picture of what to expect.”
Hawthorn let out a long sigh. “There’s 12 of the little shits in there, at least three of them are pregnant, some kids of varying ages but I couldn’t make out how many. They’re all holed up inside what was to become the Director’s office, it’s the most spacious room in the building and currently the only one with four walls and a roof.”
“We figured that be the case, Fluffies do love feeling safe. Any doors set up yet?”
“Yes and no. Three doorframes, only two doors, but we’ve got a sheet of plywood propped up against the open door, they haven’t figured out how to move it yet. My guys can let you in then put it back to close the room off.”
Taylor nodded. “That goes with our plan, what say we split the adults into four a piece and let Scarlett handle to kids.”
“Dat sound gud tu Scawwett.”
Jonathan chuckled. “Yeah I bet it does. Does anyone want to take the Smarty or is it a free-for-all?”
“Free-for-all.” Artemis answered. “But let’s save him for last, whoever gets him gets 20 coins. Taylor and I will get our four and go for him, John, as the new kid of the block, you’ll only need to deal with three of them before going for the head dick.”
Jonathan nodded in agreement. “I could always use some spare cash.”
Taylor also agreed. “Been a while since we done a bet, I’m interested to see how it works with three of us now.”
Before The Crew could finalise anything, Bill stopped them in front of a rectangular structure, while the rest of the building site was still mostly frames and dirt floors, the Directors office looked half finished, basic but with all the structural integrity intact. Jonathan guessed that the builders were told to complete this area first and work outwards, typical of management not understanding how proper procedure was done.
“They’re all in there.” Bill said, pointing to the room with his thumb. “Youse needs anything else before I go?”
“There any light in there?” Taylor asked, eying the structure.
“Couple windows, it’s not the best day for it but you should be able to see.”
Taylor accepted the limitations. “We can work with that.”
“I fuckin hope so.”
Bill signalled for one of his guys to move the plywood blocking one of the doors, allowing The Crew to enter the office. As soon as the new light source entered the room, four stallions rushed forward, three toughies and a turquoise Pegasus, clearly the Smarty.
“Gu way dummeh hoomins, this am Smawty wand. Weave nyo ow git wowstesh sowwy-hoofies.”
Scarlett rolled her eyes. “Am dis mummahfuka fow weaw?”
Jonathan nodded. “I’m afraid so.”
Artemis stepped forward and knelt down in front of the Smarty, his three Toughies edged forward, ready to strike at his command.
“You know this land isn’t yours right? This belongs to the humans outside with the bright not-Fluff.”
“Nu cawe, Smawty find dis wand, gud pwace fow babbehs tu gwow big an stwong.”
Artemis glanced over, sure enough there were three pregnant mares singing to their unborn foals, and two mothers playing and feeding their babbehs.
“But you didn’t find this land, it already belonged to the humans.”
“Smawty take wand fwom hoomins, gib foweba sweepies tu anee twy huwt Smawty an hewd.”
Artemis sighed and stood up. “Well you can’t say I didn’t try. You guys ready?”
In almost perfect sync, Jonathan and Taylor flicked their batons out at the same time.
“Ready.”
“Ready.”
“Fukin weady.”
Artemis flicked out her baton as well. “Let’s go.”
The three humans all stepped forward and brought their batons down on the three Toughies. There were three very loud cracks and pops and screams as all three Toughies were pummelled by the hefty steel bars, two of them died instantly where their heads had popped, the last one had a severe dent but was still, tragically, alive.
“Hubbies, ne geb, hubbies.”
Jonathan stepped back, wondering how his hit wasn’t an instant kill, before he lunged forward again and cracked the Toughy’s neck with the second hit, this time killing the damn thing.
The Smarty lout out a loud, wet shit and screamed. “MUNSTAHS!”
Immediately the room was in a panic, the surviving Fluffies all started running around frantically, none of them having any idea of where safety was, just that it wasn’t here.
The Crew set off after their targets, while Scarlett went straight for the nursery, by the time she arrived the mummah mares had abandoned their foals, too scared to think of saving them over their own skin. Most of the talkie foals had run off in search of their mothers, while the chirpies, unable to see or move properly, had gathered together and started hugging, crying out for the warmth and comfort of their mothers.
At least one chirpy had already been squished in the panic.
Scarlett looked down at the chirpy pile and grinned. “Dis am tuu ee-see.”
By a small grace, the chirpies never lived long enough to think about the implications of being eaten alive before Scarlett had chewed them up and swallowed them.
Taylor spotted an orange unicorn stallion and one of the pregnant mares heading for one of the corner, maybe in the misplaced belief that they’d be safe there, the stallion was quick but his mate’s waddling slowed them down.
“Huwwy speciaw-fwiend, nee wun way fwom munstahs.”
“Huu, pwease tummeh-babbhes, hewp mummah wun fwom…”
CRACK
Taylor swung directly at her head, the blow killed her instantly. It took the stallion a moment to register that his mate had been killed in front of him.
“SPECIAW-FWIEND NUUUU…”
TWACK
Taylor swung the baton into the stallions face, the poor bastard got hit straight in the face and flew backwards into the wall, cracking both the front and back half of his skull. It would’ve hurt like hell, but he was dead now.
Artemis found herself being flanked by two earthie stallions, both brothers judging by their coats sharing the same shade of green. It was almost funny in a really fucking annoying kind of way.
“Weady bwudda.”
“Weady. GU FOWEBA SWEEPIES MUNSTAH!”
As the two brothers charged at Artemis, she easily and casually stepped out of the way, allowing for the two idiots to charged into each other, bashing their thick skulls together with a dull thud.
“OWWWIES! Wai bwudda gib finkie-pwace huw…”
SMACK SMACK
Artemis got a two-for-one, swinging her baton across the backs of both brothers heads and cracking their skulls open, both killed quickly and easily.
Across the room, Jonathan pummelled one of the mummah mares who still hadn’t realised she’d lost her foals when he spotted one of the pregnant mares, a soft yellow unicorn, waddling towards the door, every so often looking back towards the Smarty who was still in shellshock over the violent deaths of his hermates.
“Dummeh Smawty speciaw-fwiend, need gu nyo.”
The Smarty didn’t move, he stayed whimpering in his own filth as his mate scoffed and turned away to save herself. Jonathan smirked and moved towards the mare, baton at the ready. With a surprising amount of awareness for a Fluffy, the mare spotted Jonathan marching towards her, however she also spotted one of the talkie foals, a tiny brown earthie filly, stumbling about looking for comfort.
“Huuu, babbeh wan mummah, wan huggies, wai mummah nu wub…”
“POOPIE BABBEH SABE SOON-MUMMAH!”
The pregnant mare bit onto the fillies back and tossed her at Jonathan as a distraction. It wasn’t a hard throw, but for the weakling youngster, the landing was rough, breaking several bones in her tiny body as she landed feet away from Jonathan.
“HUUUUUU!!! WOWSTESH… KAFF KAFF… HUWTIES EBA! AM ONWY…KAFF… WITTEW BABBEH!”
Jonathan starred at the infant foal, bright red blood staining her brown Fluff with every cough, then he looked up at the yellow mare, and her words echoed in his mind.
‘Poopie babbeh’.
“SCARLETT!”
Scarlett looked up from tearing a colt in half, blood and guts dripping off her lips. Jonathan point to the filly.
“Give this one a quick death, I’m going after this bitch.”
As Scarlett followed her orders, very quickly breaking the filly’s neck, Jonathan stormed over to the mare, who was now realising she had nowhere to run.
“Ni…nice mistah, nu huwt soon-mummah, soon-mummah am gud Fwuffy, nu need…”
CRACK
PFFFTTTHHHH
SPLAT
Jonathan launched the baton down hard onto the mare’s back, in an instant her spine was shattered, and the force caused her to involuntarily miscarry, splattering her unborn foals onto the wall behind her.
“NUUUU, BABBBEHS!!! AM MUMMAH NU…”
CRACK SMACK
Jonathan hit her again, and again, and again, each time going for her body, never hitting her head. He could feel bones breaking at every hit, ribs, legs, more of her shattered spine, a few smacks were softer as he demolished her organs, causing blood to leak out of her mouth and her anus.
He couldn’t even hear her anymore, the red stain that she was becoming blurred into his vision as her screams became white noise, he just kept hitting and hitting and hitting and hitting and hitting and…
“JOHN!”
Artemis voice broke through the red mist and Jonathan stopped. He could feel his breath rushing back into his body where he had forgotten to breath in his fury. He looked at the baton in his hand, bent and busted from his assault, he then looked at the yellow mare.
Although on first glance, you couldn’t tell if she was even a Fluffy, let alone what colour she was, her body had caved in and burst open from the assault, blood and organs leaking into the concrete floor. Nothing but a pile of red giblets remained from what was once a living creature.
The Smarty, still standing in a puddle of cold piss, could only stare at the remains of his mate and their unborn children. His crackled voice barely heard in the cold silence of the room.
“Wan die. Wan die. Wan…”
Taylor gave the Smarty his wish with a swift smack of the baton, caving in his skull in one swift hit. The room was silent as Jonathan stood up, only now realising how sore his arm was after repeatedly hitting concrete.
“Did… did we get them all?”
Artemis nodded, her eyes not leaving Jonathan’s.
Jonathan sighed and gripped onto his throbbing shoulder. “Good, I guess I’ll…”
He looked back towards the stain on the floor, feeling a chill wash over him at the sight.
“I’ll pay for that.”
And with that, Jonathan walked out of the office, Scarlett following close behind. Artemis watched them head back to the van, the now open door letting in enough light to truly see how brutally Jonathan had mutilated the mare.
“What do you think that was about?” Taylor asked.
“Poopie babbeh.”
“What?”
“She called one of the foals a poopie babbeh, probably the one he had Scarlett euthanize. I think it might have triggered something in him, memories of his father or something like that.”
“Equating Fluffy discrimination to human racism? Are we sure we want someone like that in The Crew?”
Artemis didn’t answer, her mind was focussed on her first glimpse of the fabled Mongola Madness, and how, for a brief moment, she had felt more scared than she had ever been in her life before.
And yet at the same time, she felt a tinge of pity towards Jonathan for having to deal with that inside his head.
With a final look around the office, Artemis and Taylor left to finalise everything with Hawthorn, they could save the big talks until they were back home.
