Somewhere, West Virginia, USA.

"Attempted Murder!" Bill proclaimed with a smug grin. He knew Morty couldn't twist his way out of this one! The very people he tried to kill were right in front of him!

Morty tried to look nonchalant.

"How so?"

Bill cocked a eyebrow at Morty and gestured at the rest of those assembled.

"Who should we start with?"

Morty looked at the gathered bugbears.

"Wait? You're referring to just YOU?"

"Are there others?!" Bill asked shocked, but not entirely surprised.

But Morty wasn't listening anymore, instead he was laughing.

"HAHAHAHAHAHA"

"What's so damn funny Mortimer?! Does the idea of murderin' your fellow man amuse your sick mind?!"

Morty took a moment to calm down, wiping a tear before answering.

"Nope, not entirely. It's just that I was worried you knew something that I might ACTUALLY be worried about!"

"Why shouldn't you be worried?! You are accused of attemptin' to murder... US!"

"Well that's easy." Morty stated before sitting back down with a carefree smile.

"How so?" Bill asked as he looked at Morty skeptically.

Morty grinned.

"Self defense!"

Bill and a few others laughed at Morty's words.

"How is tryin' to kill us self defense?!"

"Easy." Morty said as he stood once more and began a calm pace before the stone table.

"You, and the rest of the court here, broke into my home. Vandalized my property, and then proceeded to threaten me with deadly weapons! I was WELL within my right as a citizen of these United States to defend myself and my property!"

As Morty spoke Bill's smug face fell into a irritated scowl, while the others look more and more guilty.

"It's pretty obvious that in an ACTUAL and LEGITIMATE court of law that this charge would be thrown out, along with you as you're laughed out the West Virginian court room!"

"Well this ISN'T a ACTUAL and LEGITIMATE court of law! It's a tribunal of those you wronged and I will have justice!" Bill shouted, his now tannish face turning red with rage.

Morty however wasn't worried, instead his grin widened.

"Hear that folks! This isn't proper like! It's a sham court thrown together to disguise the fact that he wants me dead and has convinced you to follow him in his path of barbarism and savagery!"

"LIES! They all follow me willin'ly! Lets not forget that it's because of YOU that we're monsters now!"

"Is it, Bill... I'm sorry I don't believe I got your last name?"

"Hawthorne! I worked for your family since your father and you NEVER even knew my last name?!"

"There were over a hundred of you working for my family! You can't expect me to remember you all!"

The others held Bill back once again, though this time he actually struggled against their grips!

"Anyway. Is it, Bill Hawthorne?! I didn't convince these poor people to strike! I didn't fire them up with heated words about justice! I didn't convince them to invade someone's home and threaten to ATTACK them! And I sure didn't drag them along with me to rough it out in the woods away from their families and civilization in an act of selfish pride!"

Bill was foaming at the mouth with rage now! It now took well over half of the court to hold him back as his vision turned red.

"Morty! I don't think its a good, or smart, idea to antagonize the bugbears!"

"Why?! It's not my fault we're in this situation! BILL attacked my home! BILL lead these poor people into the hills to live like savages! Or should I bring out Jerry?!"

That did it. Bill brute forced his way out of the dogpile of bugbears and charged Morty with a roar!

-----

"MOVE IT!!!" The sisters order as they led the way up the hills and through the woods towards where Morty was taken.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

The Colonel marched behind them, while the Red Caps were having little difficulty, they drill marched for long hours just for these types of situations. It was the other 98% of the armee that weren't fairing well! The goblins that formed the meat of the regiments were lagging as they were less suited to the rigorous training of the Red Caps.

While training, the Colonel could see the change as a goblin started to become a Red Cap. Like a switch flipped in their mind. They acted different, and started to look different as their training continued. But it wasn't a sure thing. More often then not most goblins just ended up being slightly better then their regular feral cousins. Though more muscular, slightly taller, somewhat smarter, and marginally less likely to stab their fellow greenskins.

Which meant that while the Red Caps could keep up with the powerful march of the ogre sisters the rest of the armee lagged behind as the rough terrain and general weaker physique caused them to suffer.

It was even worse for their supply train. The dragues they called them. The lowly of low goblins that hauled their supplies and served them. Right now though they carried various ammo boxes, slowly. Already several boxes were broken as their weak bodies resulted in losing their footing.

The Red Caps in return were quite liberal with their truncheons. After all, every box lost was less ammo for the soldiers, which meant more chances for them to die! So the rest of the goblins were quite content to let the Red Cap officers wail on the dragues.

"Move it you slouts!" One yelled as he kicked a drague in the back to hurry it up more. The pitiful creature yelped and hurried along after its partner as he too hauled supplies after the regiment.

While the sisters insisted in bringing the whole armee along, the terrain was simply too rough for it. So instead a single regiment of two battalions were geared and made ready to march after Morty, Clive, and those that had taken them!

-----

"ROOOAAARR!!!" Bill roared as he broke free and rushed Morty.

Morty, knowing well where his poking was leading to, took cover behind his stone chair. Though it did little good as Bill's strength was more than enough to break apart the chair and send Morty skidding across the cave floor.

"MORTY!" Clive cried as he looked around in an effort to aid his friend. The bugbears weren't idle either as they rushed after Bill and tried to restrain him once more.

"Bill! This ain't what we wanted! We wanted justice! Not whatever this is!" Someone said as they tried to hold Bill back.

"I'll have justice when he's splattered against the wall!" Bill roared as he broke free once again.

Morty rolled aside as Bill furiously charged him. Bill skidded as he tried to turn and follow, the soft dirt however afforded little traction and he skidded into the cave wall with a rumble and a grunt of pain.

Clive in the mean time spotted Jerry and grabbed the severed head, and the pole it was attached to. Then he ran to Morty's side and held Jerry out like a weapon. The others rushed Bill and tried to restrain him.

"BILL! CALM DOWN!!"

Bill was gone now though, rage had consumed him. All that mattered was the object of his fury. Which was Morty, who now stood next to Clive and even a few of the other bugbears. Bill, foaming with rage, lashed out at his former comrades and charged Morty and Clive once more. Morty picked up several stones and threw them at Bill, most barely pounced off his thick head. A couple were enough to draw blood, but that did little more than enrage him further!

Clive swung Jerry at Bill, which actually seemed to do something as his attention was now focused of Clive! Well, on Jerry at least. Bill's fury was diverted into retrieving Jerry from Clive's grasp. Which gave Clive the idea to lead him around and away from Morty.

He swung Jerry around, just out of Bill's long reach while Morty rallied the other bugbears and made ready to charge Bill! Clive swung Jerry once more before flinging the severed head away. Bill, almost fanatically, chased after the severed head. Clive ran over and joined Morty and the others.

While Bill was distracted retrieving Jerry. The rest of them charged Bill. Not taking any chances they dogpiled him, the bugbears were still trying to reach to whatever was left of Bill's humanity. But if he had any left it was buried in rage as he continued to struggle against his former friends/coworkers/comrades.

Clive and Morty however were less inclined to talk sense to Bill and grabbed several stone and brought them down on his head! While Clive had reservations about doing so they quickly vanished as despite repeated blows Bill still roared and foamed with fury!

"What do we do?!" Morty asked as he brought his stone down once more.

"I don't know!" Clive answered.

They didn't have many options since trying to knock him unconscious wasn't working so far. Then a thought came to Morty. Why were Clive and him still here? With the bugbears fighting each other the two of them could escape and go for help from the sisters, and his armee!

"Psst! Clive!" Morty hissed as he took a step back.

"What?!" Clive hissed in return as he panted.

"Let's just go!" Morty stated simply.

While Clive wanted to stay and at least help the others, it was looking like a futile gesture as they did little against the raging bugbear. Clive, begrudgingly, nodded and followed Morty towards the cave entrance/exit. But their getaway had one hitch.

Bill.

Seeing the source of his injustice getting away Bill roared and thrashed and clawed at his former friends before rushing after Clive and Morty! The two friends, seeing the charging Bill, full on sprinted for the entrance. The others called to Bill once more, a last plea for his humanity. But it went unheard as blood filled his ears and red tinted his vision.

He was almost on them. Just a little father and he would have Morty and his vengeance! Just, about, there! When they were close enough Bill lunged towards Morty with a primal roar!

"RRRROOOOOOAA-"

A roar that was cut off as a strong, meaty hand grabbed his head. His vision was partially obscured by slightly brown flesh. What he could see were two relieved humans, several dozen worn and ragged goblins and Red Caps pointing muskets at him, and two VERY angry ogre sisters!

Urga roared herself as she brought her meaty arm, and Bill, back before slamming him into the ground. Repeatedly. After the fifth time Morty called her to stop. She, tentatively, let go. Bill was still breathing, but he was out for the count.

"Well, this has been an exp-"

Morty was cut off himself as the sisters picked him up and smothered him in flesh and kisses!

"You are NEVER leaving our sides!"

"Never?!"Morty squeaked when he could finally breathe.

"Never ever!" The two sisters proclaimed.

Clive in the meantime just watched the loving interaction. It was good for Morty to get someone, er, someTWO that loved him, he thought. His happy thoughts were broken however when the Colonel barked out an order and a battalion marched towards the cave. They backed up when the rest of the union bugbears walked out with their hands raised.

"It's ok! We surrender!"

An awkward pause formed as no-one was entirely sure what to do now. Eventually Clive broke it.

"Well, as good as it was to see you again Morty. I think I'm ready to go back to my stubborn halflings.

"Yeah, I hear you. Remember what I said! Don't be afraid to throw your weight around with them! Show them who's boss if you have to!" Morty said in the arms of one of the sisters.

Clive chuckled and waved bye as he began the long trek back to his car. Morty meanwhile looked at the bugbears.

"Are you goin' to kill us?"

"What?! No! I'm not a monster! I promised I'd help and that's what I'm going to do! I'm a man of my word!" Morty stated. Though the bugbears looked less than convinced.

To help convince them, Morty ordered the goblins and Red Caps to lower their weapons. They did so reluctantly, though Morty still had a few positioned on the still unconscious Bill.

"How about this? You return to town with me. I'll write a letter saying you were undergoing an experimental pharmaceutical trial and that's why you were gone for so long and why you look like this now! Hell, I'll even pay you! Call it a reimbursement!"

The others looked skeptically at Morty.

"But... why?"

Morty recalled the look on Clive's face as he told him of his various... less than moral activities lately. Maybe he should try to be less of a murder hobo.

"Call it an investment. You get to return to your families, a little richer, and I get the, supposedly, warm feeling of doing something good!"

The bugbears weren't convinced, but they weren't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. So they agreed to take Morty's hush money, and his suggested idea of a experimental trial. With that taken care of, that left Bill. Morty's impulse was to kill him. But he decided it wasn't worth potentially angering the union bugbears anymore. So he ordered Bill dragged back into the cave and left him there.

If he wants to act like a wild animal, he can live like one. With that thought, Morty, the sisters, the armee, and the bugbears left Bill, and Jerry, in the cave they now called home. The bugbears were sad to be leaving Bill behind, but he became something that they didn't want to follow anymore. More animal than human. Morty's words did affect them though too, they missed their families and didn't want to live in the wild!

As they descended Morty talked more with the bugbears. While they still had issues with Morty, and especially with working for him again. The idea of getting paid work again sounded nice. The fact it would be as scouts for his armee was better sounding than being just general grunts. With the mine gone, and their new looks, their job prospects were pretty much gone.

Morty didn't have any hope of convincing them to ACTUALLY come and work for him and his growing armee. He just said that back in the cave to sow discontent within them. Which it worked! If he didn't plant that seed of doubt, they might've joined Bill in trying to kill him!

But the fact they didn't and that some were considering working for him again surprised him! He could always use more bodies between him and his consequences!