Hiya! So, I just spent about one or so hours thinking of the title for the last chapter. I was about five seconds from calling it "I Have No Idea What To Call This Chapter". But I didn't! Anyways more backstory, but I'm tired so production starts in a few days! (Pg. 57 7/30/16 11:49 P.M.) ~Enjoy~

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-Past Milo

The owls are louder than usual today. It must be because of the weather. Or maybe it's just because it's about to snow again. Well, that's also the weather so yeah the weather. As much as I love the cold, three feet of snow is a bit too much for me. Maybe not actually, I'm thinking that my limit is probably five feet. At that point, it would be a bit taller than me and I don't think I could survive. I was walking around the path as the snow swirled around me. I'd been out practicing my shooting again. My dad couldn't know that though. He acted like he cared when I told him something. He always said I could trust him like that would ever happen.

My phone blinked to life. I noticed a message from my mom telling me to race home as fast as possible and it was an emergency. I just sighed and began to jog down the path being careful not to slip. I looked up in the air seeing a strange figure. It was a black mass that had appeared to have been avian. I couldn't completely make it out, though. I kept jogging and finally saw the house. I attempted the door which, for some reason, was locked. I attempted a few more times before looking for the spare key in the mailbox. After searching through the mailbox for about thirty seconds of searching only to see a note. I snatched it and looked up to see the dark figure had been slowing down slightly. I traced with my eyes before reading the note to myself.

'You're a disappointment to the family name. You and your two sisters will never be like your brother. He is the true protector and the next in line. I hope there is no hard feelings, but the next time we see each other, you won't.' ~Dad.

I stared at the note with horror filling my eyes and body. I backed away into the shadows noticing the shadowed figure circle around. I ran into the snow trying to hide. I was wearing a white jacket and had my head and ears wrapped in a white scarf and hat. I blended in fairly with the snow banks as I saw the owl land on top of the house. It had two floors, but by no means was big. The owl was giant and mechanical. I saw his eyes, they were hypnotic and filled with hate. I shook away the strange feeling they gave me before running towards the woods.

"What do you mean he wasn't where I told you he was?! The deal was that you would kill him before he got too much information." It was my dad...

"I don't appreciate that tone. Why don't you stand back before I break our deal."

"Hmph. You need me to tell you where those Coopers are, don't you? Well if you can kill that pup I will give it to you."

"I could also just do this," with a swift jerk, the owl tore open the top of the house and grabbed my brother and mother within his talons.

I just slowly backed away and gazed at the sight. I was nearly in the forest, then I could definitely get out.

"NO! Please! Don't take my son and my wife!"

"Dad! Help!" He was two or three years older than me.

My mother was stunned and there were an immense amount of fear in her eyes.

"If you want these two to live you WILL give the locations of the Cooper clan now!"

I saw a tear in my dad's eye. He cared about this part of the family, he was also upset since he couldn't get his end of the bargain.

"Fine, the are up the road, they are in a tiny house with a grey fence and there is a blue chimney. You can't miss it."My dad had finally given in. There was a bit more description, but I had just tripped and fallen into a snowbank and was trying to recover.

"Excellent."

The mech dropped them to the ground and the three of them had grouped up into a 'family' hug. I was about to turn when the owl quickly swiped his talons across all of them. I gasped and stared at my family as they slowly fell to the ground. The snow was stained with the red of their blood.

"With the Hunter Family out of the picture, no thieves will stand in the way of the great, Clockwerk. I just need to find your daughters and that "pup" of yours. But first, I should pay the Coopers a visit."

I'm asleep… no… I was running through the forest. I just kept running. I was alone. How could I survive? I was only six years old. I eventually made it to the city of Paris. We only live a few miles from it by road, but the forest was faster. The sun was coming up when I made it onto the street and passed out in an alleyway.

-Sly

Milo was completely unreachable. He seemed so sad and upset and I couldn't get him to even look at me. I was sitting next to him I couldn't get him out of it. I shook him slightly after trying to talk him, saying that it was okay. I knew it wasn't okay, He was attacked by Clockwerk as well and his father had given away the information on where I was staying. A thought passed through my head that he might actually blame himself for my family's death, but I knew he couldn't have stopped it. I could see the tears coming to his eyes. His family clearly didn't like him and saw something wrong with him. I didn't know what to do.

Milo was so far gone at this point. As a sort of last resort, I hugged him. I didn't know what else to do. I hugged him close to me and I could feel his tears wetting my shirt. I just kept him close and tried to make him feel safe or feel anything other than this sadness.

"They… tried to… kill me… But instead died because… of me. I should've just given myself over… I don't even want to live half the time."

I stared down at him in horror. He didn't even want to live. I could feel him shaking. I tipped his head up so he could see me. His eyes were red, but it seemed to calm him that I was actually looking at him and saw that I cared.

"Milo… Even if you gave yourself to him, He would've gone after them. He wants your family dead. But I won't let that happen. We'll take him down for good."

"I'll never live up to the family name." He was stuck in his own mind.

"You're worth it!" I shouted quickly.

Milo just snapped back into reality at the sound of my distress. I could feel his sadness now.

"Quit thinking you aren't worth it, Milo. You have already saved us multiple times. You are important. You have lived up to your family name. Now you just need to surpass it!" I couldn't help it. His sadness was almost contagious.

"Thanks…" He hugged me this time before quickly releasing, I still held him, though.

"Did I remind you of your father… with the trust problems…" I couldn't help myself I had to ask. I could feel him tense up before relaxing and chuckling.

"No. You are just like my brother. Honorable and always looking out for me when I'm not. You two are the same age. I was upset because I forgot what the feeling was like."

~He thinks of me like… his brother…

"Thanks again Sly… you can't let go of me now…"

I laughed before releasing him and going to my own bed. I was wrapped in the thoughts of what Milo said. If his family knew of mine, I wondered if mine had known of his. But for now. Rest.

Hey, so this chapter is short. Yeah um, I was gonna keep going, but I feel this is a perfect separating point for this. I will be getting into more stuff next chapter because we head to the swamp. (Also my raging headaches is actually hindering me) Anyways, Next chapter is 100% gonna be longer since this chapter was like 4.5 pages and the usual 7-9 apart from chapter 2 which was 12 and 1 which was like this one. Cya!