a/n: i am sorry for the onslaught of updates you are about to receive

"What are you asking that for? He's a child, he doesn't understand what's best for himself yet- what if he makes the wrong decision? Eh?"

"James, come on-"

"No, mum, seriously. I've known him for longer than you have. Just keep this between me and Nimue, alright? And dad, you stay out of it as well." Felix's input left his parents rather taken aback and upset, but while James grudgingly agreed to back down, Nsia stepped up again.

"Isn't the whole point that he gets to make his own decisions?"

"He doesn't know the answer to this one. Look." Her son gestured down to Dot's card which she had handed to him a few moments before, making her sigh and place a hand on the hybrid's head when she saw that he hadn't written anything. Did he really not know who to go with? In her mind, it seemed obvious. Why would he be willing to subject himself to more torture and misery, when escape was an option? And if he truly didn't know who he wanted to stay with; why had he followed Felix down to the house where they all now resided? His hesitation made no sense to her.

"Come on, let's go talk in another room." She suggested, pulling at Dot's skinny shoulder with a feeble tug. She didn't want to force him, or make him feel like he had to decide immediately, but was eager to see him alone so they could talk without the background yelling to hopefully get a definitive answer out of the boy.

He didn't respond to her touch. His head was hung low, body completely still. While she couldn't quite see his face or expression, his steady breathing and almost alarming reluctance to move gave her the impression that he was concentrating on something.

As if yanked by a string, his head shot up and he turned his face towards the front door. Seeing this, all others in the room joined the bat hybrid in his intense concentration, and after a few nervous seconds, they began to pick up on what he had been hearing.

"There's someone outside." Muttered Leander, always keen to point out the obvious.

"You could hear that?" Nsia asked Dot, gaining a curt nod in return. "Impressive."

Nimue hurried over to the window, peeking her face out from behind the curtains for a moment before springing back like she'd been shot and closing the flowing window blankets back over the cool glass. "This is why I didn't bloody bring us to your house." She spat at Felix with a scowling face. "Digorn knows your address."

"He does? Why would you stay here for so long then?" Felix picked up Dot and swung open the living room door so they could go and hide, clearly wishing to never let the argument between the woman and himself die.

"Well I didn't plan to, did I? But I got sidetracked." She followed them upstairs along with the rest of the group, Leander desperately trying to get to the top quickest so he could be the first out of harm's way.

"That's not my stupid fault."

"You two, shut it." James told them just as they heard the front door swing open. Clearly, Tiro wasn't the only one that knew how to lockpick.

"Get in!" Leander whisper-yelled as he waved frantic hands around in a bid to get the crowd to hurry upstairs and get into hiding.

"Is there any way we can get out from upstairs?" Nimue asked, her voice softer than it had been since the argument with Felix had begun.

"Not unless you're eager to break your ankles." James replied, making her huff as she racked her brains for other ways to escape.

"For what it's worth, I hope she breaks her bloody ankles." Felix added, earning him a smack upside the head from the woman in question.

The subsequent yell of pain caused a shout of 'up there!' from downstairs, and a flurry of footsteps as Digorn and- who else was with him?- ran up to find them.

It didn't take long for them to be found- seeing that Nimue and Felix were still failing to quit the fight. Within seconds, Crita had snuck up behind Dot and swiftly injected him with a tranquilizer before pulling the same stunt on Nimue as Digorn waved his gun in the faces of the others.

"We are going to take you all back to the facility, and you are going to comply without resistance." Ordered Digorn, tense finger glued onto the trigger.

"Like hell we will-" Spat Felix, keeping his body in front of Dot's to try and keep him safe.

Digorn took off the safety of the gun and shoved the barrel into Felix's forehead, ordering Crita to take him out too when he still refused to back down.

After a short but intense scuffle, Felix too was slumped on the ground, no match for Crita- who was significantly stronger than she looked. James was doing his best to stay in front of Nsia, and Leander was nowhere to be found.

"Come." Digorn ordered once again- and this time, there was no resistance.