The house was alive with movement this morning, his family bustling about in a frenzy as Summer, who had accidentally slept in, hurried to collect her things and fix her disheveled appearance. Taiyang attempted to help her out while also helping Yang get into the big winter coat of hers. The family was hectic at best, but with a time limit their mayhem only got worse.
Yin sat at the dining table, pointedly removing himself from the rush and not involving himself. Ruby sat a little ways away from him, spooning through a bowl of cereal as she watched her mother finally collect the last of her things. The two siblings had tried to help out- about an hour ago. At some point they simply gave up and went to fix themselves breakfast.
"Damn… I was sure I had my keys." Without even looking, Yin picked up the ring of keys from the table and tossed it in the general direction of his father. The man reacted instantly, his arm lashing out as he snatched the ring from the air with cat-like grace. "Thanks sport!" He simply nodded and went back to chewing on his toast.
Today was the day Yang was getting her weapon. This plan had been in the works for weeks now, and the big day had come hard and fast. After their little talk, Yin was pleased to see giddy resolve in his sister- a far cry from the doubt she revealed to him. He was glad he had gotten through to her. It would be rather embarrassing for her to get cold feet after all this time.
Within minutes, the three were finished with their preparation. They stood in the entryway of their little home, Yang between the two parents as they looked back at him and Ruby.
"Okay… If we waste anymore time we'll be here all day. We'll be leaving now, you two." Summer said. The matriarch gave them that reassuring smile, the one that still managed to put him at ease at any moment.
Ruby pouted, shuffling her feet. "Are you sure I can't come with you?"
Taiyang chuckled and rubber her head, "Sorry squirt, but this is something Yang's got to figure out on her own. We'll be back soon… Okay?"
"I'll show you guys my awesome weapon when I get back!" Yang cheered, shivering with excitement. "You're gonna be so jealous!"
Ruby brightened up, and nodded hard. "Okay!" Leave it to her to be mollified at the simple prospect of seeing her sisters weapon. Though, he couldn't lie- he was looking forward to seeing what Yang decided on too.
"Yin. You're in charge while we're gone." His father looked to him, "No parties. Don't let any strangers in. And… keep Ruby safe. Alright?"
Taiyang's words were joking, but the way he was looking at him reflected none of that humor. He meant every word he said. He was wholeheartedly counting on him to hold the fort. As the eldest, that was basically his duty at all times in their absence. But there was also more to that look. A small glance to Ruby, one that he almost missed.
He frowned.
Yes, Yang's weapon was something that she should decide on her own, but Yin wasn't stupid enough to think that was the only reason for their departure without him or Ruby. Taiyang must have seen this as an opportunity to get him and his youngest sister on better terms; some time alone without the rest of the family may be just what they needed to settle their differences.
Nobody liked the rift he had between him and her, and this desperate attempt was the only thing Tai could think of.
"Yes. I will." It was wishful thinking on his fathers part. But he took his words to heart. He may not like Ruby, but he would keep her safe and keep an eye on her. Not that it really mattered; there were few places safer than Patch. It was a non-promise at best.
Besides, if even a hair on his youngest daughters head was hurt then he could expect fiery retribution from his father. The underlying threat was clear: Keep Ruby safe or else.
Tai stared at him for a moment longer before grinning and roughing his hair up, something that still managed to annoy him. "Good. There's some food in the fridge if you get hungry. We'll be back soon."
Yang gave him and Ruby one last cheeky grin before they left, the wooden door swinging closed behind them. Ruby raced over to the window with Yin slowly trailing behind. Together they watched the three pack into the car and slowly disappear past the copse of trees; the only remaining sign of them being the tire tracks left in the thick snow coating the trail.
Compared to yesterday, the environment was far starker. Snow coated everything within sight, turning the landscape into a white canvas. From the bare trees to the buried foliage, nothing was safe. The only real splash of color out there was the snowman still wearing his scarf; the sizable sculpture standing out proudly.
...
With that, it was only the two of them left. An uncomfortable atmosphere settled as Ruby seemed to realize that too. She sent him a few furtive glances, but he still watched the window- his mind busy deciding how he would spend this day of relative solitude.
"So…" Ruby began, glancing between him and the tracks outside, "Can we play outside?"
Yin thought on that but eventually just shook his head. "Better not. The snows a lot thicker than it was yesterday. Can't be sure what's under there." But he could guess. Most likely there was a layer of ice set outside, just waiting for one of them to slip and bust their heads open. No thanks.
"Oh… Alright." Ruby sighed.
Ugh… Was he seriously stuck babysitting? He may have the responsibility of keeping her safe, but his father was dead wrong if he thought he was gonna watch over the girl at all times. "Why don't you grab some of Yang's toys? She's not around to stop you."
Ruby liked the sound of that. A coy smile pulled at her cheek as her mood visibly picked up, "Good idea! Yang has this really cool action figure set that she likes to hide under her bed!"
With that, she vanished up the stairs. Yin was momentarily glad that she never went into his room. He didn't keep anything incriminating of course, but he wasn't exactly comfortable with his youngest sibling rifling through his things.
As the girl went about to distract herself, Yin moved over into the living room. This part of the house was one of the larger and more interesting sights in his home. A long couch stretched out in front of a coffee table and carpet, with a recliner pushed off to the side for his father. The chairs faced a stone fireplace built into the wall, and two bookshelves flanked the hearth on either side- the shelves stretching up above the fireplace filled with books as well.
Yin shivered, his hands brushing his arms through his sleepwear. Now that he thought about it… it was rather cold in here. The winter weather had a habit of seeping into the house, and it left the room feeling just a little colder than he would like it.
The young Xiao Long stepped over to the fireplace and crouched down, his blue eyes scanning over the logs of wood. Apart from the ashes of a couple prior fires and the twisted steel fire pokers lodged into the wood, the only real thing of note were the dully glistening crimson crystals scattered about the bottom of the hearth. They shone with a certain kind of heat; like dull amber that had been cooking in the sun.
Good. His father remembered to refuel it.
Reaching toward the switch under the fireplace, Yin gave it a few flicks. The starter at the bottom flickered a few times, flinging sparks across the pit and making the stones clatter- but eventually one of the crystals gave way with a pleasing 'woosh'. Fire immediately blossomed up from the pit, the trite flames fanning out for a moment before beginning to cling to the logs of wood.
Yin smiled as he watched the wood begin to blacken. Fire dust. Much easier than taking up the flint and steel, much safer too. Summer wouldn't be happy if he managed to burn himself the moment she was gone.
He stared into the flame a moment longer before reaching out to the side. His small fingers reached into the nearby bookshelf and tugged out a familiar cover: The man with two souls. It was… a bit above his grade level, but he still enjoyed sifting through the pages from time to time and trying to decipher the passages. He couldn't make heads or tails of the story just yet though.
Yang took any chance she could to tease him on his interest with reading. 'Nerd' being her chief barb. Sure, there were other things to do, but he actually enjoyed reading. There was something… peaceful about it. He could feel the stress leaving his body whenever he got a chance to just relax and read, without being interrupted by his family.
And if Yang ever got in his face about it, he was more than ready to tease her back about the times she made him read bedtime stories to her.
Yin walked back to the couch and plopped down, the book breaking open to a random page as he simply lost himself. The warmth of the fire kept him content, and the words enraptured his mind.
"Yin!"
He started, the book jumping in his hand as he sat upright. For a moment he glanced around in pure confusion, but then he scowled and turned around in his seat. Ruby was across the room, just outside the kitchen, staring at him innocently.
"...Is it okay if I make myself a glass of milk?" She continued, obviously not noticing that she had interrupted him. Stupid, oblivious sister…
It was a conscious effort not to snap at her. "Fine. Just don't ruin all the cookies, alright? I'll be the one in trouble this time."
"Okay!" She vanished with her speed. Yin watched the girl as she maneuvered through the kitchen. She was old enough that he knew she wouldn't go breaking anything or making a mess, but he just had to be sure.
Satisfied, Yin returned to his book, attempting to decipher just what that 'R' word meant.
"Do you want some too, Yin?"
The shout from the kitchen startled him again. Again, he was interrupted, just when he was about to immerse himself. Unconsciously, his fingers tightened on the book and his eye twitched.
"No. I'm fine. Just get your food and quit bothering me."
"...Okay." Yin didn't care to feel bad for that one. He glared down at his book before huffing and slamming it closed. He took his left hand and wearily rubbed at his face before dropping it into the couch by his side ungracefully. The book was spoiled for him now, he would have to find a different one.
Yin stood up and approached the bookshelves again. He slid the book back into its place before examining the many books he still had yet to touch. Many strange and foreign names stood out to him as he scanned the spines, trying to decide on one that sounded interesting.
Off to the side he heard the soft sound of Ruby stepping out of the kitchen again, "Are you sure you don't want any, Yin?" She called for him, "Dad got your favorite cookies this time."
Yin only gave her a biting glance before returning to his search. What was up with her? Had he not made it clear enough that he wanted nothing to do with her? Why was she so hellbent on getting him to play with her?"
"Look. Ruby. I'm trying to relax right now. I'm not in the mood to play with you right now. I would rather just read, Alright?" His eyes drifted upward, and landed on one of the books above the fireplace. Its emerald green cover stood out to him, and he found himself drawn to it.
Standing on his tiptoes, Yin stretched out his hand and fumbled for the book- the warmth of the fire heated his stomach as he got a little too close to the flickering heat, but soon he managed to grasp the book and pull it down.
The cover was esoteric. A fanciful painting stretched out across the front, intricate and heralding a depth that he could hardly comprehend. But his eyes were drawn to it nonetheless, marveling at the sheer detail put into the image. He read the finely stylized cursive of the title; The Paintings of Leonardo Da Vinci and other Renaissance Artists. Now this sounded interesting. He could while away a few hours with this.
"I… I just want to spend time with you…" Ruby mumbled, and he almost thought that she was biting back tears. But he was far past caring now.
He didn't want to hate Ruby, he really didn't. But it was simply something that he couldn't help anymore. Maybe she didn't deserve to have a brother that despised her, but that was just the hand that fate dealt her. He wouldn't apologize for what was outside his control. It was just something she would have to live with.
In fact, all this cloak and dagger wasn't fair to her. It was cruel to give her the hope that he actually cared for her. Masking his ire wasn't doing her any favors, it was just postponing the problem. If he laid out his feelings clearly and concisely right here and now he could finally make it clear where they stood- and how he felt about her.
It would devastate her. She was such a fragile thing; compassionate and naive in all the right and wrong ways. Knowing that her own brother hated her would be crushing. But hiding it for even more years would just make it worse.
Yin nodded to himself. Yes, it may seem cruel, but this was for her own good. She would learn to live with it, she was strong, just like her mother. This was for the best, he told himself. He shifted his head and stared her down, the book weighty in his hands.
"Look over here."
Yin froze in his spot. His eyes flew wide open, his body going ramrod straight as the sinister voice ripped apart his concentration. The crackle of the fire and the morning chirp of birds instantly ceased; an awful, crushing silence beginning to blanket the room. Every cell in his body was frozen, his mind so filled with terror that he couldn't even muster the courage to twitch a finger.
Ruby stared at him in confusion, her own eyes perking up as she noticed her brother's state. Confusion wormed into her as she watched him stand so very still… It was unnatural, and it made her heart beat just a little faster.
"Look. Over. Here."
Yin let out a few hushed breaths, his eyes twitching and sweat clearly beginning to slide down his cheek and through his fingers. It was pure primal instinct that grasped him now. An overwhelming sense of 'wrongness'. In that moment he feared for his very life. With every sinister word that echoed through the room, he felt himself tense up further and further; like a string being wound up tight enough to snap.
He was unequipped to handle this level of sheer terror. Never before had he felt something even remotely close to this feeling. Even in his own home, the place where he felt the safest, he could not shake his terror. That unfamiliar voice had completely captivated him, and he feared that any wrong move on his end would spell his doom.
"Yin…? Are you okay?" Ruby stared at him with concern. She had never seen him like this. Yin had always seemed so… steady to her. Unshakeable. To suddenly see pure terror streak across his face...
Yin didn't even look at her. In that moment, he was hyper focused on himself. He could feel every twitch of his body from his overdriven nerves. Ever faint movement of his eye as he fought the overwhelming urge to run. Like a deer cowering beneath a tiger.
"Hey. Didn't you hear me? I said, look over here." The voice never changed its tone. It simply remained at that terrifying state of blood-curdling coldness.
Slowly, painfully slowly, Yin began to turn his head- spurred on by the voice's demands. He felt as if he were underwater; every sound was ten times louder than it should have been, the room felt darker and smaller than normal, and every single motion of his body felt like it was in slow motion. All his senses were focused solely on the thudding of his heart, and the overwhelming presence behind him.
When he finally managed to turn around, his eyes naturally drifted down toward the couch he had just been sitting on. His lip trembled as his fear only doubled, the tension forcing fresh sweat down his neck and an increase to the intensity of his panicked breathing. For a moment he saw nothing, then it made itself clear.
There, hidden in the shadows beneath the couch where no light could reach, were two beady purple eyes. They cut straight through the darkness, glaring directly at him as they glowed with an ethereal light. He could have sworn he felt his heart stop when he saw it.
"Y-Yin?! Please, say something!"
The faint, yet loud noise of rolling metal tracks filled the room. The hanging skirt of the couch pushed out and away as the eyes began to shift forward, slowly lumbering toward the frozen child. When the front skirt fell away, the thing was out in the light; free for the world to see.
The first thing he could compare it to was a tank. But the only real attribute it shared with such things were the thick metal treads on either side of its body. The thing was hardly any larger than a baseball, but its size had no merit on how terrifying it was. It was made up of rounded metal plates, layered over each other with a circular yellow core pressed into its top. Primarily it was colored blue with green tracks, making it stand out hauntingly against the wood of the floor.
But what drew his eyes the most was what was on its front. The bones of a skull sat upon the metal tank front; intensely realistic, with peculiar dentations that resembled ears and the addition of a knife just upon its forehead; above the sharp nose that poked out far past the face. But the most shocking thing about that skull were its eyes; black pools of nothingness with two rings of purple that just wouldn't leave him.
The tank was unlike anything he had ever seen before. And for one of the few times in his life, he found himself at a complete loss; unsure what to do.
"Ruby… Get away." He whispered, as if he would set it off if he spoke too loud. This thing was dangerous. He had to get away right now. Carefully, he reached behind him and pulled one of the fire pokers out of the hearth- to defend himself with. Not that he thought he could at this moment.
"What? Why? What's wrong?" Ruby said, as if she were oblivious to his terror. "Yin… What's going on?"
Something grabbed a hold of him. It was an intensely powerful thought that came crashing into his head, stealing his attention and forcing him to act on pure instinct. He didn't know why, he didn't know what the feeling was, but he just knew that if he stayed there any longer then he would surely die. It was pure and unadulterated survival instinct.
Yin dove hard. The book tossed aside as he threw himself away from the tank as hard as he could, uncaring of what he crashed into. The moment he dove, the tank did too. Its treads squealed hard as it suddenly leapt with extreme force to where he just stood, its speed intense. Yin managed to clear the way just in time, the thing flying past him as he crashed a good distance away, knocking over a small table with his desperate maneuver.
Without its target to stop it, the tank sailed through the air and dunked itself into the flames of the fireplace. Those rabid red flames swallowed it whole, the tank disappearing into the fire with a crash.
Yin crawled backwards, his heart racing as he still panicked to put distance between them. Somewhere in the background he thought he heard Ruby shouting something, but he was solely focused on escaping now.
He was lucky. If he hadn't kept moving he would have surely died.
Click
From within the well of fire, something flashed, and Yin instinctually covered his face. A remnant-shaking explosion rocked the house, the flames bursting into a grand plume that completely shattered the fireplace- sending books and shrapnel flying across the room. It wasn't just a single explosion; multiple ear-drum bursting eruptions surged from the fireplace, each one feeding off the last as the explosion wrecked everything within a few feet of hearth. The wave of heat and shards of brick blew out fast. The shards moving with enough speed to pierce the floorboards and pepper the couch.
The force of the explosion was enough to pick Yin off the ground and send him flying head over heels with a cry of shock, brutally throwing him into and denting the far wall where he crashed down. His ears rang, he felt dust on his tongue, and he could hardly tell the floor from the ceiling. It was a miracle that he was still tightly gripping onto the fire poker; the twisted metal rod digging into his hand.
Ruby screamed with terror, the sudden explosion catching her completely off guard and forcing her to crouch down and cover her ears. When she finally worked up the courage to peer up, she was utterly horrified to find the room covered with ash and a sizable burn mark scorching the floor around where the fireplace was.
Yin groggily pushed himself up, his body aching something fierce and his head spinning. Ruby was on him in an instant, her small hands helping to pull him up to his knees. Despite her fear and confusion she still had seen him be thrown into the wall, she had to make sure he was okay.
"Yin! Are you okay?! Why did the fireplace explode?!" She cried, visibly shaking from the shock.
Yin coughed and shook his head, but he couldn't answer her. His eyes were firmly locked on what remained of the fireplace, and he couldn't help but gasp when he saw that tank come flying out of the debris. What the hell… That explosion looked like it did nothing to it! In fact, there wasn't even a single scratch mark on it! Was it the cause of the explosion? What the hell even was it?
For a moment it wheeled about on its treads, but soon it zeroed in and leaped again; this time aiming straight for one of the few withering motes of flame scattered about the floor from the explosion. The moment it touched that ember, the thing made an audible 'click' and burst- forcing Yin to flinch back from the shockwave. It wasn't nearly as big of an explosion as before, but it was still more than enough to send cold worry tearing through him.
As soon as the flame and parts of the floor were devastated by the miniature explosion, the tank would whirl around and focus on another ember- repeating the process. What was it doing? Was it actually after him? He couldn't make heads or tails of its actions, but even still he knew this thing was deadly.
The two siblings watched as the floor was filled with explosion after explosion. Ruby was the only one who found her voice. "Yin… Why is the floor exploding? What's happening?" She desperately shook him, making it clear that she needed an answer right now.
He sent her an incredulous look, "What...? Can't you see that thing?! That tank is doing it!"
"What? What tank?" Ruby stared at him with pure confusion.
For a moment he thought she was joking, but this was not the time for such things. How could she not see it?! The thing was impossible to miss, and there was no doubt in his mind that it was causing the explosions! "Stop kidding around! That tank right there! " He pointed at it, hushing his voice lest he attract its attention.
"I don't see any tank! I just see the floor exploding!"
Yin stared at her and felt his heart drop. There was absolutely no trace of a lie in her. She really couldn't see it. But… How could that be possible? He knew he wasn't hallucinating it! That thing was very real. So why was he the only one that could see it?!
A question for another time. They absolutely had to get away now; put some distance between themselves and that volatile creature. The first thing that came to mind was the kitchen, there was a scroll there that he could use to call for help- though he wasn't exactly confident that his parents could turn around and arrive in time to help. Regardless, this wasn't something he could handle alone.
Yin stood quickly, dragging Ruby along with him. The girl yelped, but didn't fight him, she just kept staring at the floor as slowly but surely it was ruined with explosions; the remaining flickers of flame beginning to die away. Yin ushered them backwards, his eyes still watching the tank as he guided them toward the kitchen- the fire poker held definisevely out in front of him. Just in the corner of his vision he could see the family scroll hooked up, just waiting for him to use.
He was being too hopeful.
With one last muted burst, the final ember was cruelly extinguished; leaving the floor bare with scorch marks and dentations. The tank's treads spun, rotating it around with a screech so that it could face them. The moment he saw those purple eyes zero in on him he lost all pretense of caution.
"Ruby! Get up the stairs now!" He shouted, shoving her behind him and toward the staircase.
The thing's treads spun up, and it rocketed off toward them. Ruby screamed in terror as she saw the invisible thing leave visible tread marks on the floor, the sight completely incomprehensible to her. She obediently obeyed her brother, stumbling over herself to take the staircase while Yin fearfully backed away at the encroaching creature.
Thinking quickly, Yin grabbed the nearest thing he could find, a heavy vase that Tai found at a garage sale. It was as big as his head, and heavier than iron, and perfect for throwing. Yin heaved it and launched it at the tank, pure luck taking control when he landed a direct hit on that skull faceplate.
The vase shattered on impact but accomplished its job. The tank blew backward, knocked off its treads as it spun away on its side. His breath of relief was short lived; the tank was already tipping back onto its treads.
Yin shot his head back and saw that Ruby was almost at the top of the stairs, quickly he stumbled backwards onto them. As he moved, the tank righted itself and locked on him again. He backed away, and the thing zoomed toward him. He now only had seconds to act before he was reduced to a bloody stain on the stairs.
"Look over here!" The creature barked before leaping off the ground, aiming over the railing of the stairs to try and impact him directly.
Without thinking, Yin slung his arm forward, the fire poker slipping from his hand as he desperately tossed it at the thing.
Click.
The moment the spiked tip of the poker met that skull it flashed brightly, and exploded. A plume of smoke billowed out as the poker was reduced to nothing. The wave of heat threw him into the wall, nearly dislocating his shoulder from the impact. Yin groaned but took the chance for what it was; turning his back on the explosion and stumbling after Ruby while clutching his shoulder.
He cleared the stairs and came face to face with the worried silver eyes of his sister. It was obvious just how shaken she was, but she wasn't panicking yet, he admired that. It made this a lot easier too- if they started acting irrationally then they were as good as dead.
"A-Are you okay, Yin?! That explosion…"
He took her shoulders in his hands, making sure to keep the fear and pain from his face so he wouldn't scare her. Right now he needed to stay calm, he needed to project confidence, otherwise she would fall apart. "I don't know what's happening Ruby, but I need you to stay calm. Just listen to everything I say and we'll be okay, alright?"
He looked back over his shoulder. The wall of smoke was obfuscating the entire lower portion of the staircase. He couldn't even begin to see what was down there, but if he had to guess then that tank was likely still kicking about. As long as it was there they couldn't get back down to the scroll in the kitchen.
"W-what was that thing?" Ruby muttered.
"...I don't know. Maybe a Grimm?" Though he doubted it. He had never seen a real life grimm before, but of all the stories he had heard about them, none came close to resembling what he saw in the living room.
Grimm were creatures of darkness that existed solely to hunt humanity. They ranged from hulking bear-like monsters to skulking carapaced spiders that preyed on errant caravans. The actions of that tank were… sporadic. Not at all aligning with the bloodthirsty, primal nature he imagined Grimm to have. No… This was something else. Something much more dangerous.
Ruby began to shiver more under his hands and he quickly moved to get her mind off the idea of Grimm, "It doesn't matter what it is. We just need to get away for now."
There were avenues to take, ideas that he formulated and thought on to get them out of this situation. Obviously the first thing he considered were his parents; if anyone could keep him safe, it would be them. But they were still slated to be gone for a couple more hours at least, and he couldn't reach the scroll right now either way. Even if he did somehow manage to find a way around to call them, there was no guarantee they would arrive in time to help them.
Destroying the thing was another option. But neither of them had any idea how to fight, and it was nearly impossible to get near the thing with all the explosions anyway. No. Directly confronting it would be too dangerous.
Before he could think any further he saw it. The smoke at the bottom of the staircase undulated, and bursting from its haze was the tank; the open mouth stare of its skull solely trained on him. The tank slammed into the wall, and against all laws of physics it began to rapidly drive toward them. Its treads stuck to the wall, allowing it to drive across the surface and completely disregard the stairs.
"Ruby! Go lock yourself in your room!" The girl gave him an incredulous look, not at all liking the idea of leaving his side, but he was in no mood to argue. "Hurry! It's coming!"
She quickly nodded and raced across the hall to her room, Yin backed away at the approaching tank, feeling his heart thudding just behind his ears. He had to buy time, enough to build some sort of barricade or trap. The thing was too fast to run away from, and with the snow blanketing everything for a mile, he knew they wouldn't be able to just escape.
Yin tightened his hand into a fist, staring down the creature as it grew nearer still. He would have to land one solid hit on it and send it reeling down the stairs. It was a desperate gamble, and he could only hope that it wouldn't set it off this time. Maybe there was some limiter to when it could explode, or maybe he could do it fast enough that it wouldn't have time to kill him.
He was grasping at straws, but he was well and truly out of options now. He stamped down on his doubt and pulled his fist back.
The tank dipped forward before leaping once again, flying with intense speeds as it cleared the last of the steps. "Gahh!" Yin screamed, punching at it with sheer horror in his eyes.
Except, his fist never landed. Yin's eyes shot wide open with shock. The world slowed down as he incredulously watched the tank soar over his outstretched fist like some strange bird. It continued to fly, clearing his head and roughly impacting just behind him. He blinked rapidly, whirling around with sheer confusion as he watched it impact.
Then, without any fanfare, it rocketed away from him. For a short second he simply stood there at a loss. It… missed him? No. It was more like it ignored him. But… why?
A shrill scream forced him to look up in shock. There he noticed Ruby who had yet to shut the door to her bedroom. She had noticed the tracks under the tank, and that they were quickly moving toward her. She fumbled for the door, but evnetually her terror gave in and she simply ducked into her room- the door still wide open.
Lightning arced through him. The tank wasn't after him! It was after Ruby! It completely ignored him because he wasn't its true target!
"Damn!" He cursed.
Ruby stumbled over her own feet as she rushed into her and Yang's bedroom. With a cry, she tipped over and hit the carpet. Behind her she could hear the sound of metal clinking, and she knew that the thing- whatever it was, was gaining on her. She flipped herself onto her back, desperately crawling backwards to escape the invisible Grimm monster.
Nothing made sense to her. Not only was her safe home suddenly not so safe, but it was plagued by a creature that she couldn't even see. Some terrifyingly dangerous creature that could actually hurt her. And the worst part was that her parents weren't here to stop it like she always thought they would be. If her mom was here she could have handled the thing easily, invisible or not.
Now it was just her and her brother against something that could kill either of them in an instant, and all those dreams of heroism felt so shallow now. What could she possibly do now?
As she backed away, she saw it. Small segmented indentations that appeared in the hall, training directly on her wide open bedroom door. She breathed harder, watching the treads pick up speed until it was only a few feet away from the door. Then, with the painful sound of screeching wood, the tread marks disappeared.
It must have leapt at her. She was speechless. It was just too cruel. She couldn't even see her end coming. There was no sound to herald its approach, no whistle or shifting of the wind to give it away; but she could still feel it nearing. Like the very presence of death itself.
"Oh no you don't!" A sudden yell shattered the moment, a flash of color appeared in the doorway, lunging toward her. Yin pounced with incredible speed, his face tense with concentration and his hand outstretched. Audibly, his fingers clamped down on something a mite larger than a baseball.
His hand hovered in midair for a moment, his fingers pressing down on some invisible thing that hovered just mere inches away from the little girls face. Ruby stared up at his tense expression, her entire body stock still with terror.
Yin spun on his foot, using every inch of strength in his body to fling the tank back through the doorway. Right now he didn't know what he was doing; he was simply acting on pure instinct. He just had to get that thing away from her. Maybe grabbing the explosive creature was idiotic, but he couldn't take that back now.
Click
But he was too late. He managed to fling the thing toward the doorway, but he barely managed to create a foot of space before the tank flashed. There was only enough time to cross his arms in front of him and shield Ruby's small form before it burst into a shower of sparks, heat, and smoke.
It pressed down on him hard, like a wall of flame crashing down from the heavens. "T-This power!" This time the shrapnel flung from it impacted him directly; one piercing his cheek just beneath his eye, another tearing into the meat of his thigh, and one more casting a glancing blow into his shoulder. Each new hole in his body spewed blood, staining his clothes and making him choke in pain. "Guuahh!"
Yin collapsed, the force of the explosion sending him straight into the ground. Ruby cried out in horror at the sight of his blood flying up into the air. She was at his side in an instant, tears building up in her eyes as she tried to help him up.
He just pushed aside her hands with a haggard cough, "The door, Ruby! The door!" She blinked in confusion before understanding dawned on her and she was up in a flash. With her almost inhuman speed, Ruby tackled the door closed, sealing them away from the tank that he had thrown into the hall.
Slowly she backed away and Yin used the nearby bed to achingly push himself back onto a knee. The door shook with a bang, the tank crashing into it from the other side, but it held… For the moment.
"A-are we safe now?"
Yin shook his head, "For now... But if that thing breaks down the door, there won't be anywhere to run." Ruby blanched when she realized that and scurried away from the door and to his side. They each took a moment to catch their breath, who knew if they would get another chance.
"You're bleeding…" Ruby muttered, gently touching his cheek just beneath the freshly bleeding gouge upon his face. Yin grunted and felt his wound, his hand coming back soaked with red. And… Shaking. His left hand was trembling heavily. Just what had that thing done to him?
"I'm lucky. It could have been a lot worse." If he were a moment later, he could have very well lost his arm. The wounds hurt, but he counted himself lucky.
Ruby looked away, guilt written across her face. "I'm sorry. If I just listened to you and didn't wait, you wouldn't have gotten hurt…"
As much as he wanted to blame her for this situation, he knew that wouldn't be fair. "No, Ruby. This is my own fault. I shouldn't have split us up like that. I had no idea how it would act. I'm… Sorry for putting you in danger." Yin muttered, ashamed in himself. That kind of risk wasn't one he could take again. Not after he already promised to keep her safe.
Ruby blinked, shocked at his honesty. Yin had never showed her this much care before.
Yin was oblivious to her look, he coughed and heaved himself back up to his feet. The hole in his leg ached something fierce, and it would slow him down, but he could ignore it for now. He examined the bedroom. It was almost identical to his own save for the extra bed, and the abundance of toys scattered about.
What really drew his attention was the window. They had to get away from that tank, and right now the only other way out of this room besides the door was the window. Limping over to it, Yin pushed up the slats and parted the shades so he could get a look through the frosty glass. He glanced down, examining the backyard of their home. It was… a long way down. But with all that snow, they should be able to survive the fall.
No, what really worried him was what would come after the fall. If they did survive, then they would be up a creek without a paddle. The snow was thick enough to slow them down considerably, and there was absolutely no cover in sight. Even worse, he was certain that the back door was locked; so they wouldn't be able to get back into the house. If that thing came after them while they were down there, then they were as good as dead.
No matter how he looked at it, there was no way out.
Unconsciously, his hand drifted up toward his mouth. His right finger slipped between his teeth and he bit down, chewing at his nail while scowling in worry. He began to chew so hard that the skin of his finger split open, blood beginning to drip down his hand.
"If I just knew what that thing was… How its chasing us… I could stop it!" The worst part of all this was the mystery. An unknown creature that was hunting him for an unknown reason and using unknown power to do it. Everything about this grated on him and sent his blood pressure skyrocketing.
"Yin! I think I figured it out!" Ruby called to him, stealing his attention back to her. "I know how its chasing us!"
He scowled, turning away from her, "You can't even see it, Ruby."
"I-I know… But I know I'm right! Please just listen to me!" Yin glanced around the room again, but nothing came to him. He was well and truly out of ideas, and when he saw the door begin to crack in the corner of his eye, he knew he didn't have anymore time to think.
"Fine... If you know something then tell me." Yin hobbled over to her, and Ruby instantly brightened, pleased to have his ear.
"Do you remember that Atlas weapons manual that mom got me? The one with those cool robots and the new uses for dust?"
Yin thought on it. Yes, he recalled, that manual was something he had seen about in the house. Usually Ruby or Summer would find time to read those things, their intense interest in weapons making them amass a trove of magazines dedicated to new fanciful advances in warfare. He felt that he could put a gun together just based on the things he had overheard them talking about.
"Well… One of the weapons in the manual had a special mechanism that allowed it to home in on bad Grimm to destroy them. They make these special missiles that use that tech too!" Ruby rambled off, speaking much faster when the door splintered again. "I-I think that that thing is using the same system!"
Homing technology… It made enough sense, he supposed. If indeed it wasn't a grimm, but a man made weapon, then it would stand that it would need something like that. "But… what kind of homing technology are you talking about?"
"Heat-seeking missiles!" Ruby finished, frowning seriously.
Yin simply scoffed, "Heat-seeking… Sure, it's possible I guess. But you're just guessing. There's no way to be sure how it's chasing us."
Ruby stamped her foot, "No! I'm positive that's how it's doing it! And I have proof!" Ruby raised her hand and showed him something, Yin frowned as he saw the remnants of a piece of twisted metal in her hand. "Yin. Don't you think that the… thing, is moving weird? You can see it! Don't you think that its acting strangely?"
Now that she mentioned it… The movements of that thing were strange. As strange as such a thing could get. He had been too panicked to think on it much before, but with this moment of calm he began to realize the discrepancies in the chase.
"It had many chances to attack us, but it never did! That's because we weren't always its targets! Its true targets are the warmest things in the room!"
"!" Yin started, not quite believing what he just heard. But the more he thought on it… The more a dawning realization fell over him.
"When it first attacked you, you weren't actually its target! It was aiming for the fireplace! And after that it still didn't go after you, instead it attacked the rest of the flames because they were warmer than we are!" Ruby Rose shouted, trying to get through to him. "Even on the stairs it wasn't aiming for you! It was after the fire-poker that you pulled out of the flames! It was still hot enough to attract its attention!"
The pieces began to fall into place. "So you're saying… Now that there's nothing hot left, its after us because of our body temperature?"
Ruby grinned, "Exactly! Just like those Atlas missiles! Except… A lot scarier."
Such a thing… Was it even possible? It shouldn't make sense, and yet it did. Everything Ruby said made complete sense. If it truly was a heat-seeking weapon then that explained everything. But what could he do with this information? It wasn't like he could remove their body temperature…
He blinked. No… He couldn't do that… But that just might work.
"Ruby…" He said, a small grin pulling at the corner of his lips. His hand moved up and patted the top of her head, "Good job. You might have just saved our lives."
"I-I did?" A hopeful tinge lifted her voice, the sudden burst of confidence in her brother leeching off to her.
"Without a doubt." Yin turned back toward the opposite end of the room, and staggered over to the closet at the corner. He tore open the door and his eyes instantly locked onto a second door in that small closet space. He didn't have much time, he would have to hope to oum this would work.
He pushed past the clothes, pried the door open and gazed upon what was inside. The inner closet was very dark, and not very large at all. But there, taking up the majority of the space inside, was a massive metal cylinder. Pipes of different sizes and colors routed into it, the thing covered in warning labels and dials that he couldn't make sense of.
The house water heater. He had almost forgotten that it was installed in the closet of his old room.
His eyes roamed over the apparatus. His knowledge of plumbing fixtures was limited at best, but he could make a few educated guesses and hope that luck was on his side. Carefully he ran a finger over a springy piece of metal sticking out. "Ruby. Can you get me something hard?"
"Hard? Ummm…" Ruby glanced around the room before snatching one of the errant toys up and tossing it to him, "Here!"
"Gah!" Yin yelped, the hard plastic toy bouncing off his forehead. "I didn't say throw it at me!"
"S-Sorry!"
Grumbling he stooped down and snatched it up to give it a once over. In his hand was one of those toy ambulances that came in those play sets. It was made of fairly dense plastic and had some serious heft to it, if the bump on his forehead was to go by. Clicking his teeth, Yin wrapped his hand around it and brought it over to the boiler; one of his eyes closing as he raised his fist above his head and brought it down with great force.
The ambulance crashed down upon the temperature and pressure release valve, completely shattering it with a shrill hiss. The piece of metal fell away, a gout of steam bursting from the pipe and forcing Yin to back away with a cough. Next, boiling hot water began to pour out of the cylinder- splashing into the floor pan and sizzling.
Yin gazed upon his work before backing away and joining the curious Ruby by the beds. "Okay… Listen up, Ruby. We only have one chance to make this work. I'm counting on you, alright?"
Ruby nodded, her hair flying as she stared up at him resolutely. "I won't let you down!"
"Look over here!" With that cold cry, the tank finally shattered the hinges of the door- allowing it to leap into the room and set its fearsome purple eyes on the brother and sister duo; the two facing it unwaveringly. Instantly its treads wound up and sent it careening in their direction.
Ruby whimpered as she saw the treads begin to imprint the carpet, but a strong hand on her shoulder kept her steady. Yin never turned his eyes away from the weapon. "Don't hesitate! As soon as I say, we make a break for it! Ready?!"
To tell the truth, every part of his being urged him to make a break for it now- to throw caution to the wind and escape in the face of this predator. But he stamped down on those feelings with impunity. He was Yin Xiao Long. He would never bend to any force in the world again. They would overcome this nightmare without a doubt.
The treads hiccuped, a nearly imperceptible hesitation flashing through the tank. "Now!" Together, they both roared and sprinted toward the tank. They ran straight toward it, and Yin couldn't help but smirk when the tank harmlessly raced between their legs, completely ignoring them as it drifted recklessly into the ajar closet.
Ruby was spot on. The tank could only target the hottest thing in its presence. Usually, that would be their body heat. But now it could only target the basin full of boiling hot water in the closet; something with far more heat than they had.
Yin and Ruby burst out into the hallway. He only had moments before the tank targeted them again and they needed to pick up the pace. The older brother glanced over to the staircase. The plan was to get downstairs as quickly as possible. If they could just get to the first floor then their survival was secured.
But… The staircase was further away than he expected. To get to it, they would first have to cross back through this hallway. They may be able to make it to it, but they wouldn't be able to get downstairs quick enough to execute the rest of the plan. They needed a way to get down faster.
Inevitably, his eyes were drawn to the banister of the hallway. A smooth wooden railing that overlooked the downstairs living room, like the short railing that separated onlookers from a zoo enclosure.
"Wh-Why did we stop Yin?! We have to hurry!" Ruby yelled up to him, still staunchly by his side.
He wouldn't hesitate. He had to act now. Without missing a beat, Yin reached out and wrapped his arms around Ruby, pulling her toward him so her back was flush with his chest. The girl 'eeped' and glanced at him in confusion. Making sure he was holding her tight, Yin bent his legs slightly.
With a grunt, the young man jumped; sending both of them careening over the railing, directly into the living room a floor down. Ruby screamed in shock, horrified at the sudden daring action. Yin merely clamped his jaw and held her tighter, making sure to angle their bodies so his would be the one that took the brunt of the fall.
And take it he did. The two fell directly onto the coffee table in the middle of the room. They landed with so much force that it broke completely in half, sending them to the floor in a shower of wood pieces. Ruby was a little shaken by the jarring fall, but Yin had his breath completely stolen. The feeling of crashing directly into a table from such a height was not a pleasant one, and he was sure that he would be bruised black for the rest of the week.
Up above, the sound of an explosion rang out. It shook the house and was accompanied with the sound of rushing water spraying everywhere up there. Their distraction had run its course.
"A-are you crazy!?" Ruby cried, pounding his chest.
Yin coughed again, but couldn't help but smirk. Yeah… It was a bit foolhardy, but he was just doing what Yang would have done. He smiled, just to calm her down, and pointed a shaky finger toward the kitchen. He couldn't find the strength to speak just yet, so he had to desperately hope that she would follow through with the rest of the plan.
To his immense relief, she saw his finger and nodded. With that speed of hers, she rocketed into the kitchen. Yin let his head fall back, gasping openly as he tried to catch his breath… And to not faint.
Ruby rushed into the kitchen. Her brothers instructions rang through her head as she rapidly glanced around. She was on the clock. If she had to guess, there were only seconds left before that scary thing came down here to finish the job. She had to do her part before then.
"You have the speed, Ruby. Much more speed than I do. I'm counting on you to handle this part. I won't be able to find it fast enough"
"There are three places it could be…" She chanted to herself, repeating the list over and over in her head. "Under the sink!" Ruby threw open the cabinets beneath the kitchen sink and tossed aside bottle after bottle of various soaps as she scrounged through it. With only a second spent, she was on her feet. "Not there…"
"Above the fridge!" Next she raced over, hopped up and off a chair, and balanced precariously on top of the fridge. She glared through the baskets there but came up empty. That only left…
"Bottom of the pantry!" She tore into the small closet space, ignoring the packages of cookies as she dipped a hand into the box at the floor. Her eyes instantly brightened. "Found it!" Ruby stepped away from the pantry. Clutched in her hands was a small plastic bag filled with four amber colored crystals.
"I… I did it!"
Her victory was short lived however. The unmistakable sound of clanking metal treads filled her ears as she snapped her head back to the staircase. Just at the bottom of the stairs she saw them; metal tracks racing toward her. If it was a couple minutes ago, she would have frozen in place with fear.
Now, she fought through that fear. "Yin!" She cried out, mustering all her strength to throw the bag of crystals back toward the living room hallway.
A pale hand snatched the crystals out of the air. Those fingers squeezed down on the bag with great force; enough that it cracked one of the crystals and forced it to begin glowing a bright orange. Yin, bloodied and wheezing, stood tall; the bag of fire dust clutched between his fingers as he glared down at the tank.
The tank stopped in its tracks. Yin panted as it turned to face him, its eyes locked firmly on the bag in his hand. Not a single cell in his body was afraid anymore; no trace of fear was left, only adrenaline and confidence. He had won.
"This ends here and now!" He shouted, leaning backward to hook and thumb through the neck of his shirt and point the finger of his other hand at the tank. His hair billowed upward, revealing the full force of his confident scowl. "Our survival is assured!"
"Look over here!" The tank cried, flinging itself from where it stood and rushing down the young man. Yin didn't even flinch, he calmly reached into the bag and took hold of the glowing crystal. It was hot enough that it scorched his hand on contact.
Good.
Roaring, Yin took the dust crystal and slung it toward the living room. The red hot crystal impacted the far wall, bouncing down to the floor with a shrill noise. Immediately, the tank readjusted, its treads squealed and it nearly tipped as it made a 90 degree turn to rocket into the living room.
Yin didn't even stay to watch it. As soon as the crystal left his hand he spun on his feet and began racing down the halls, moving as fast as he possibly could without bumping into anything. He heard the explosion, and felt it send shockwaves through the floor beneath his feet. Smirking, he clenched the bag again, causing another one of the crystals to begin heating up.
As he raced down the hallways, he heard the treads behind. Already, it was zeroing in on the intense heat between his fingers. He didn't turn to look back at it, he just kept running. His goal appeared when he turned one last corner; a door, the one that lead to their backyard porch.
As he ran, a sudden blur of color appeared and heralded Ruby's arrival. She quickly took the door handle, unlocked it, and flung the door open. "Go, Yin!"
"Look over here already!"
"Thank you, Ruby!" He shouted, rushing through the open door with the tank only mere feet away from him now. He didn't slow his stride at all, he stepped barefoot onto the snow covered porch and reached down to take the dust crystal into his hand. "Raah!" He shouted, and threw the crystal with as much force as he could.
The tank leapt past him without any self-preservation. It soared over the railing of the porch, following the crystal exactly as it clattered into the snowdrift.
Click
The moment it impacted the crystal, it exploded with magnificent force. The smoke and brimstone billowed, scorching the snow into nothingness as the tank erupted with suffocating heat and pressure. He and Ruby had to shield their eyes from the blast of wind that blew into them.
But, miraculously, the explosion worked in their favor. While the detonation did wipe out the dust crystal, it had the unforeseen side-effect of also annihilating the snow layers. Particularly, it completely crushed the layer of ice just beneath the surface of the snow.
Ear-splitting cracks rang out as the floor beneath the falling tank suddenly gave way. A thick sheet of ice snapped, and when the tank impacted it broke straight through with a splash of frigid cold water that sprayed out into the open air.
The precise place Yin threw the crystal was calculated. Just beneath that exact drift of snow was one of the reservoirs of water that liked to build up in their backyard. Often during winter these lakes were frozen solid. He recalled its exact position from yesterday, and knew that if the tank blew up above it then it would surely break the ice and send it plummeting into the ice cold water.
"G-Gah… Cold...Cold…" The tank warbled, its treads failing to gain traction as it rolled about in the pond. Covered on all sides by such cold water, the tank was rendered completely useless. It could not move, and it could not detonate. It floundered, but everything it did only served to bury it further into the mixture of slushy ice and freezing cold water.
"Did… Did we get it?" Ruby tentatively asked as she stepped up beside him. She stared at the steaming hole in the snowdrift. Though she couldn't see the thing, she could still make out the shifting of the ice and water as it struggled in its prison. She dared to hope.
Yin watched for a moment longer, waiting to see if it had any more tricks up its sleeves. Then he smiled, a weak, exhausted smile. "Yeah. I think we got it. We… We did it."
Ruby immediately grabbed hold of him in an extremely tight hug. Yin gasped as he felt his injuries burn, but he pushed that down. Ruby held him tight, her face buried in his chest while she trembled like a soaked cat. She was… sobbing.
With all the adrenaline, she had managed to keep her emotions in check. But now, finally free of the danger, it all came rushing forward like a dam given release. Yin just rubbed her head and let her cry it out, she deserved it. She had stayed strong through this entire nightmare. There was no shame in crying now.
A long moment passed as he just held her.
When she was all cried out, she released him with a sniff. Her eyes were puffy and red and there was notable stain on the front of his shirt, but she looked a world better than she did a moment ago.
"What…" She sniffled and wiped at her nose childishly, "What do we do with it now?"
"Thats… A good question…" Yin murmured, turning back to stare at the immobilized tank. They couldn't exactly leave it there.
With its treads whirling uselessly, and that warbling cry it gave out now… Yin couldn't help but feel pity for it. Even after the hell it put them through. It looked more like an animal trapped in a tar pit than a weapon of mass destruction. Blinking, he turned his gaze down and stared at his left hand. His hand felt unnaturally cold, and it was still shaking.
Come to think of it, there were still some things he didn't understand. The tank did hunt them by their body heat, that was undebatable, but its actions were still strange. His mind flashed back to that moment on the stairs where it completely ignored him.
That shouldn't have happened. The tank should have killed him then and there, yet it didn't. At the time he chalked it up to Ruby being the true target, but that didn't make sense anymore. If it was attracted to body heat then there was no reason it shouldn't have gone after him too.
Where did it come from? Was it truly a Grimm? Did someone set it loose on them? Or…
A single, strange thought came into his head as he watched his hand shake. Yin pushed away from the railing of the porch in a trance, and stomped toward the stairs that led down and out into the backyard.
Ruby watched him go, "H-Hey! Don't get too close to it! It might still be dangerous!"
Yin nodded, but still continued to carefully step through the thick snow and move toward the stuck tank. The freezing cold bit into his legs and he could already feel his feet getting numb, but he ignored that for the moment. Eventually, only a handful of feet separated him from their tormentor.
"Cold… Cold…" It muttered again and fought against the ice prison. Yin watched with bated breath as his left hand trembled in time with its movements. It couldn't be…
Yin glanced up to Ruby who watched him with bare worry, obviously not comfortable with him getting so close to something so dangerous. He turned back toward the tank and stared at it again. Looking at it now… This thing was familiar. One of the most intense episodes of deja vu struck him, and unconsciously he found himself kneeling down. His left hand stretching out toward the tank.
"Yin!" Ruby called to him again, but he wasn't listening.
The inches shrank away, his fingers tentatively reaching out until they finally met the cooling metal of the tank. To his immense surprise it did not explode at his touch. Only hesitating one last time, Yin wrapped his hand around it. It didn't fight him as he lifted it clear of the water, leaving the ice to clatter away without it- water dripping languidly off its chassis.
Off on the porch Ruby was holding her breath. Why… Why did he pull it out?! Was he crazy?!
Yin stared into the purple eyes of the skull. Suddenly… They weren't so terrifying anymore. In fact, there was something almost comforting about seeing them. Familiar. Like a runaway pet that manages to find its way back to your home years later.
"Now it makes sense… The reason you didn't attack me was because you couldn't." This thing was not here to hurt him. It belonged to him. It was physically incapable of targeting him; that was why Ruby was in so much danger.
This tank… No. He knew better now. It had a name. A real one; one that resonated with his very soul. Though the words were completely foregin to him, they still pounded within his skull like the tempo to a drum.
"Sheer Heart Attack…" Yin muttered, staring in awe at the tank. Any and all apprehension left him; he had absolutely nothing to fear from this. Sheer Heart Attack stared back at him before its shell started to glow; hard metal began to give way as it turned translucent. The tank faded into pure energy, disintegrating into an amorphous mass of radiant light that seeped directly into his left hand.
Within seconds, it was gone. But in its place, a pleasant warmth filled his heart. Despite the injuries littering his body, he had never felt this strong in his life. It was like being reborn.
"Y-Yin…?" Ruby tentatively stepped down into the snow and walked over to him, though it was obvious she was ready to bolt at any moment. "You're not gonna… Um, blow up. Right?" Her eyes were positively spinning. One moment they were fleeing for their lives, the next Yin was picking up the invisible bomb like it was nothing! Who did that?!
The only conclusion she could come to was that her brother was insane. Yup. Jury dismissed.
Yin laughed breathily and stood up, wincing at the pull to his injuries. He flexed his left hand, marveling at where the tank disappeared to. "Its alright Ruby. It's gone now."
"It… It is?" Ruby dared to be hopeful. She glanced down to the hole in the ice, noticing that no more movement came from it.
"Yes. It's safe now. It can't hurt us again." She let out a sigh and leaned into him again, her body slackening with the loss of adrenaline. Ruby didn't really understand, but she trusted Yin; if he said it was okay, then it was.
"Now…" Yin shivered, feeling the cold wind begin to cut through his thin sleepwear. "It's freezing out here. Lets get inside."
It was all over now.
"Oh… Right." Yin winced as they stepped into the living room. The damage was… intense. He had never seen the house in such poor shape. Scorch marks littered everything, the table in the center of the room was split in half, countless things were knocked over or outright destroyed, holes littered the walls and couches, and the fireplace was pretty much nonexistent.
Then there was the staircase, which boasted the same explosive scorch marks. Yin didn't even want to imagine what Ruby and Yang's room looked like. Blowing up a water heater could not be a pretty sight.
"Oh wow… Do you think mom and dad are going to be mad about this?"
Yin didn't want to face that idea right now. "...We're going to have to clean this place up before they get back." And he needed to at least bandage his wounds too. If their family came home now… He didn't even want to imagine the fallout.
Yet… neither of them moved. They just stared at the wreckage dubiously. Both of them were too tired to actually initiate the cleaning. After all that, were they seriously meant to try and pick up the pieces?
Hell no. He needed a break.
"Do you… Want to get something to eat first?"
Ruby nodded immediately, "Yes please."
…
…
Yin sat next to Ruby at the dining table. He spooned another scoop of the sugary cereal into his mouth while Ruby did the same. They both stared at the blackened living room as they ate, simply enjoying the chance to cool down after their eventful morning. Yin was patched up now, a few winding wraps taped around the hole in his leg and a bandage slapped over the one on his face.
Ruby looked over to him curiously, "I thought you didn't like my cereal?" She gestured to the bowl of multi-colored marshmallows in front of him.
Yin glanced down at his bowl for a moment in surprise, before shrugging, "Huh... Didn't even notice. I guess they've grown on me."
She simply giggled and took another bite from her bowl.
A/N:
Compared to the rest of the chapters, this one is LONG. And I'm proud of it too. I feel I managed to touch on exactly how I would want this story to pan out certain events AND managed to maintain the parts that interested you all in the first place.
Good action, high stakes, family values, and little tid-bits that can go missed if you dont pay enough attention. A very fun chapter and probably what inspired me to write this in the first place.
Either way, thats the last of the pre-written chapters. Now, that doesn't exactly mean this story will be going dark for the foreseeable future. I never expected to get such a large following for this story, and I would feel like I big bastard if I didn't at least try to continue this more. It'll take a lot longer, especially once I get back on Blackfoot, but I want to see where I can take this.