> Ellie PoV

{Butler's down! The kids are in danger!}

Nano’s report hits me like a bolt out of the blue.

In my rage I had forgotten something infinitely more important than that old fart!

I’m a failure as a mother.

“Damn, they really did go that far! Ellie go! We’ll take care of things here somehow!” (Kira)

“I’m off!” (Ellie)

*Fwump* *Clack* *Vrrrr*

I use my grappling hook to climb to the roof of the warehouse.

{Go to the house we were staying in.}

I move across the rooftops as Nano directs.

Just like the time that trash dared to take Kira, there will be no mercy.

{Butler got taken out from outside, I heard a chant right before I lost contact with it.}

I leap across the street to another rooftop, slipping slightly on the roof tiles.

They’re breaking my balance, slowing me down.

“The girls, can you track them?” (Ellie)

I fire my grapple towards a spire along the way.

{Negative, the hairpins don’t have any circuitry.}

We should have went with the ear cuffs after all.

I pull myself towards the spire and detach the hook halfway up.

The momentum lets me fly over several buildings.

I land on the street with a roll to break the fall.

“Where in the house were you?” (Ellie)

I resume running.

The crowd is in the way, so I open a path with [Telekinesis].

{In front of it, we were just leaving for a walk.}

Some people complain and scream.

They’re unimportant.

“Related to the meeting?” (Ellie)

{No idea. Also, not important.}

Nano makes a good point as always.

The reason is unimportant.

* * *

I cover the normally 20-minute long walk in exactly 198 seconds.

A crowd is gathered at the entrance to the house.

They’re gathered around the remains of the android.

No sign of the girls.

They must have taken them.

Good, they’re alive.

I leap from the roof I was on and land near the android’s remains.

It’s charred and melted in several places.

{Output matches a [High Thunder], our perpetrator is skilled.}

I see, we can't use [Armory] until we learn the details.

*Sniff Sniff*

Ever since we advanced my gene therapy, all my senses became much sharper.

I’m really glad, because I can find our girls with them.

*Sniff Sniff*

I pick out Picorio’s new scented soap, the one we bought on the way here.

It really stands out from the other smells around here.

I follow the trail through the unimportant people.

They can complain all they want once my daughters are safe.

After 28 seconds, I get a signal.

Mommy! Help me! (Sophie)

I pick out Sophie thoughts from the sea of noise.

Looks like she took off her hairclip.

Clever girl!

“Nano, I got them.” (Ellie)

{Good, I’ll bring the [Armory] over.}

I’m coming! (Ellie)

Mommy! You’re here! (Sophie)

Are you and your sister okay? (Ellie)

The man punched Big Sis! She’s not waking up! (Sophie)

I hope she’s just out cold.

I’m scared! (Sophie)

It’s alright, I’m almost there! (Ellie)

I spot the perpetrators running through a back alley.

There’s seven of them.

Two of them are carrying burlap sacks on their backs.

I can sense Sophie’s thoughts from one of them.

They also have swords on their hips.

Another one of them is wearing purple robes and carrying a staff.

That must be the one who attacked the android.

The others are carrying various weapons, but all seven have one thing in common.

All of them are dead meat.

One of the trash seems to notice me approach.

It’s a blunder on my part since I rushed too much.

Dispersing the crowd with [Telekinesis] was too obvious.

They duck off the main street and go into a side alley.

Good, line of sight was cut.

*Fwump* *Clack* *Vrrrr*

I grapple to the four-story high roof overlooking that alley.

Mommy it’s a trap! (Sophie)

I know, relax. (Ellie)

She really is clever.

Quietly moving to the edge, I find a vantage point and scout their formation.

The two in the back have taken the kids out of the bags.

They’re holding them at knife point.

Sophie is still fidgeting.

Lara is unconscious with blood coming from her temple.

The trash is holding her upright.

The rest are waiting to ambush me the instant I turn the corner.

Good, they’re standing still.

I leap from my vantage point towards the girls.

Using [Telekinesis] I focus on their captors’ arms.

I land behind them and at the same time-

*SNA-SNAP*

““GYAAAA!”” (Kidnapper 1 and 2)

-break them in two.

They drop the girls.

I throw them into my arm with [Telekinesis] and grapple back to the roof.

“Wha-?” (Robed Man)

By the time their comrades realize what’s happened, we’re already gone.

After jumping over a few more buildings, I finally let the girls down on a flat roof.

Lara is breathing, but still out cold.

I take out a stimpack and administer it, just in case.

Her eyes flutter open after a few moments.

“Huh? M-mom?” (Lara)

“Big sis!” (Sophie)

“I’m glad you girls are safe!” (Ellie)

We exchange a brief hug.

“Ellie, it’s here.” (Nano)

Good, Nano’s [Armory] is here.

This is the second ‘golem’ we brought on this trip.

It looks like a flying torso with four arms.

Two of them are gatling guns.

In short, it’s a support platform.

Nano built it out of salvage recovered during our box hunt.

Another [High Thunder] might take it out, so it was hanging back.

“Stay with Nano. I’ll be back soon.” (Ellie)

“But-” (Sophie)

“No buts, it’s an emergency.” (Ellie)

“...” (Sophie and Lara)

Good, they know not to complain when we say that.

I hate to do this, but their Mommy has some cleaning to do.

Now that the girls are safe again, I dash back to that alley.

I'm much faster on the way back.

Looks like the two from earlier have recovered, probably used healing potions.

All of them started running further into the alley, attempting to escape.

I guess it’s true what they say.

When the head is bad, the body suffers.

I catch up to them by running along the rooftops, then leap at the robed one.

Earlier for, a split second, I spotted something.

His staff had red on it.

That’s…my daughter’s...

BL̩͈͚̲̮ͅO̻͕̮̘O̠̫̦͔͍̠D̙̥

*SLICE*

“AAAARRGH!” (Robed Man)

Ḭͅ ̼̣͕͔̦̮HḀ̠͔͚͚V͖E̖ R̖̮̗E̞̼͈̰͓̭̥M̹̗̗͙̖̩OV̱̯̝̻͖͈ED̻̻̘͈̹ ̤̣̙T̳͎͙͇HE̯̻ ̤͈O̦̟͙̭̟F̦͍F̲͇̮̥E͓̠̻̜̝ͅN̰̹̙͉̱̠̫S͉ͅI̠͔̯V͓̫̠̟̻E ̘̦̩̬LIM̟͉̘͈̘̘̣B̩̮̜̟͔̯̯

I broadcast my bloodlust directly into everyone's heads.

A severed arm falls on the ground with a wet sound.

As expected, the scum are too terrified to even breathe.

This is good, looks like I can properly educate them.

In both body and soul.

I turn back to the writhing Pig on the floor.

The word ‘PIG’ is burned into his robe, must be his name.

How appropriate.

I point my blood-stained sword at the squealing piggy.

“--[Firebolt]” (Ellie)

“GAAAAAAH!” (Pig)

I cauterize its stump.

Wouldn’t want its blood to escape before I’m done with it.

Now then, let's turn my attention back to the others.

Y̜̰̥̥̲͉ͅO̘͓̥̲̫̫U̩̗̖̮̪̹ ͓̞͎̠̜D̘̥̼̦̞͉̺A̮̤͎̯̫̺͍R͎̥E̗͖͚̟͈̘̳D͍͕͙ ̯̲̲̲̬̮T͓͇O̟͓̹̞͎͙̦ ̙P̲̤̭̳͕U̠̱͉̜̠̺̟T ̲̼̥͚̥̭͖Y̻̗O̞͕̭̘̗U̙̞̻͓͔͙͈R F̬̣I̠̺Ḻ͉̳̼̭͙͎T̝̰̼H͚͙͖͔Y̙͓ HA̲̳̪N̟̤̟̞D̙̭Ș͎͕ ͓ON̝͍̤ ͍̠M̼̘͕Y̖͓̥͖͓ ͅKI̩N̩

I helpfully remind them of their crime.

It doesn't matter which two specifically held them hostage.

They share the crime, therefore they shall share the punishment.

A̳̖͕̬̰LḺ͓͕̠̝̥ ͍͔̟͙̮O̠̖͎̟͖F̥̥͚̫͖ ̹Y͍͇̗͙̘̠͎O͍̰͇͇̣̥̟U̱̹͈̹͕͍̳ ̻S̤̙̰H̠̘̺A̯͖̤͙̦ͅḼL̩̺̤̖̞͕ ̳̰̞ͅS̘̙̲̣͉UFF̙̙E͙̩̦̗̬̟̘R̤͉̠̗̻̭̮ ̫̞͎̤̞F̬͎͙̼̬̻O̖̬̬R̹͓̘̪̞ͅ ̦͙͍̞T̯͈̯̝̝H̪I̟̻Ṣ̭̳̦ ͙̞̖S͔̫̲͙̘̯̥I̫̥N̫

* * *

“I’m back girls! Are you okay?” (Ellie)

“Moooom!” (Lara)

“Mommy!” (Sophie)

*GLOMP*

I hug them with all my might.

Clean up took a while, I had to be extra careful.

Wouldn’t want to get blood on me, it would frighten these two.

“I got them Nano. Have [Armory] stand down for now.”

{Roger. Kira, we’re done on our end. Girls are safe.}

{“Good, we’re still getting ready over here. Ellie, stay there and protect the girls.”} (Kira)

{“And the kidnappers?”} (Kelly)

{Dealt with.}

{“They… they’re alive right?”} (Kira)

{Oh they are. Technically.}

{“Good, I won’t be satisfied until I complain to them at least 300 times!”} (Kira)

I remember Kira’s teaching well.

How can they repent if they don’t suffer?

Therefore, they’re alive.

Technically, you don’t need arms or legs or a healthy spine to stay alive.

I tried a new thing with Ellie's 'psychological warfare' rather than capitalizing randomly like in chapter 23. What do you guys think?