Rat squeaking, human speaking

Fan art by: DogInATuxedo

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The bridge came into view after a few minutes of running. Smoke and the glow of fire showing them which way to go.

The view that met them was just as Seven suspected. The old white beat up truck that they stole was now a raging fireball, kids were screaming and scrambling to get away, more and more explosives going off in the back of it.

Through the thick cloud of smoke and bright flashes of light from the fire, Seven spotted One and Two and some of the other scouts quickly helping the younger kids get to safety. Nosebleed was shouting orders as some of the scouts pulled out kids covered in burns and carefully bringing them to healers.

The horrid smell of burning hair and flesh made Seven want to vomit. The air seemed poisonous when he took a breath, covering his nose from the gut wrenching smell and smoke.

Nosebleed looked up, noticing them at the treeline, calling out to them. "Seven! Rain!" She got up from her spot, running over to them, catching the attention of others.

Nosebleed pulled Rain into a quick tight embrace. She pulled away soon after, a look or worry in her gray-blue eyes. "The Molotoves, the truck hit a hole and they all started breaking and then the truck started scrapping against the side of the bridge and a spark set it all on fire and-"

Rain took the other's hands into her own. "Breathe, take a deep breath, you're rambling your words."

As the Ex-Oracle tried to calm the other down, Seven looked to the fire. The raging fireball was still roaring, embers floating into the air, smoke clouding the sky, it would have been an oddly beautiful sight to him if it wasn't for the chaos that erupted around it.

"The fire'll burn itself out, we need to get everyone away from here though, that thing is nothing but a signal that'll draw any monster to us," he stated.

Nosebleed looked over to him. "Where's Mono? What happened to him? Why are you both covered in blood?" she asked. Rain shook her head, a guilty look on her face as she gently tightened her grip on the other's hand.

"He's dead, we didn't have a choice," Seven said shortly. Rain glanced to him, before looking down at her bloodied outfit. Nosebleed seemed to notice it too, taking a small step back. "Oh, dear, I didn't think you would have to go that far, though I'm not that surprised. Are you hurt?"

Rain shook her head, quickly changing the conversation. "Now isn't the time to worry about us. We need to get everyone out of here," she said. Seven looked over to her, gears starting to turn as to where they could go to big enough to fit the rebellion members.

"We could take them to The Nest," he suggested, "Pre should be fine with that, I mean, you were her best friend when you two were in diapers. She'd probably be glad to see you again."

Rain looked to him. "After almost twelve years?" Nosebleed looked to her, her voice soft as she reassured her, "I'm sure this Pre person will be fine once we explain everything."

After a few heartbeats, Rain nodded her head in agreement. "Okay, but we still have to-"

"Oracle Rain and Seven!"

The group turned as their names were called, kids looking over at them, some standing up at attention in case the two did something outlandish. Some where starting to shout, beginning to make there way around them.

Rain jumped up, shaking her hands out in an attempt to stop them. "Wait! Wait! Hold on, let us explain, please!"

"What are you two doing back? What happened?"

"Why does Oracle Rain have blood on her?"

"Shouldn't we capture Seven and throw him to the adults like we were supposed to do?"

"Where's Commander Mono?"

The noise got louder and louder, to the point Seven started to hate it. Too loud, too loud! Just shut up, you're all too loud!

"Everyone shut up!" Seven opened his eyes that he didn't realized he closed until now, looking to his twin with a bit of surprise. Rain never really snapped before, the only real rude thing she ever told him was to go politely screw himself after he accidentally burned her old notebook. She actually said 'politely'.

The kids around them didn't dare talk after seeing the sudden change of mannerism in the Ex-Oracle. "Good, now listen up, because I won't explain this again."

Rain began to briefly explain what had happened over the past two and a half years since everything happened. Going from the moment of when Mono supposedly got corrupted (Seven had to hold back a groan as he heard the word, it was so stupid), trying to get rid of Seven, the abuse she faced, all the way until the fight in the TV ring just moments ago.

Kids were mumbling to one another, shocked by their story, but no one seemed to really disagree. (Okay, maybe a few, but they quickly shut up when Rain showed a few marks on her side and didn't speak for the rest of the story)

Rain rose her voice again, gaining the kid's attention. "Everyone, we need to leave the forest. It's no longer safe since Mono called war on the adults and they now know where we are, we need to get to The Nest at the end of the coast just south of here. It's going to take a while, so we need to leave as soon as possible."

Chattering was slowly filling the air. From the front, a small boy rose his hand. If Seven remembered right, his name was Scarf or something like that, one of those who helped capture him and Squeaks. "Wait, but, Oracle Rain, we need a new Commander," he said in a soft voice.

A few kids agreed, nodding their heads. Suddenly, a voice called from the back. "Commander Seven!"

A few kids joined in, starting to chant. "Commander Seven! Commander Seven!"

Seven gave a loud growl, hearing his name. "No! There's no way in hell I'm taking charge, so shut up while you're ahead!" he snapped. Rain looked to him, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"No, there won't be anymore Commanders, not yet anyways. Right now, we all need to focus on getting out of here. For now, I'll be appointing Nosebleed and One as group leaders," Rain stated.

The group mumbled to themselves, but agreeing to it, One slipping out from the group towards the front. "How do we get to The Nest?" He asked.

Rain started to give the other directions, Seven looking over to the side. Squeaks looked out from the bushes, her hood barely being seen as she peeked out. He didn't blame her, he didn't want to be out in this mess anyways.

"But won't following the river lead us into monster territory? I don't think anyone has scouted that far ahead," One said. Rain thought for a moment, before her eyes brightened as an idea formed in her head.

"I think I might know a way to help protect you. Seven, could you Squeaks out?" Rain asked.

Seven gave a nod to her, coming over to the bush he the other was at. He pushed the branches to the side, Squeaks looking at him, before looking out to the crowd of kids and freezing up.

"Hey, easy, girl, you're okay. C'mon," he said gently, coaxing the feral out of the bushes. She careful crept out, looking down at her hands, staying by his side as he walked back over to his sister.

Rain crouched down, sharing a few words in her drowning cat train language, before receiving a nod from the other. Squeaks padded back into the bushes, disappearing.

"What did you tell her?" Seven asked, glancing over to the Ex-Oracle. She smiled to him, before looking over to the other kids.

"Now, before she comes back, I want to go ahead and tell everyone, what ever you do, don't stare them in the eyes and don't make quick movements," she stated to them.

A few short minutes passed, kids getting their things ready to leave while Nosebleed and other healers tried to tend to burns. The fire was still blazing hard, and by the looks, didn't plan on dying down anytime soon.

Noise came from the bushes, Squeaks coming back out. Slowly, the other feral child that Seven sometimes saw with her came out as well. Rain smiled, crouching down again, give the young feral boy with a small chin scratch.

"Hey, Bandage, thanks for getting here so soon, buddy," she greeted. The feral child smiled, letting out a small bark of happiness, looking over his shoulder.

From the bushes, wolves stalked out of the bushes, their heads low as they glanced at the kids to the fire beside them. Rain get a small light growl to them, a large brown wolf in the front stepping forward.

A few barks and growls were shared, before Rain nodded and the wolf gave a snort. "They've agreed to getting you all to the coast line. They'll help protect you, but hunting will be up to you guys, they will only handle themselves."

Wolves stepped out, beginning to form a circle around the kids, the large brown wolf towards the front, while a red colored wolf looked to the fire with caution.

***

Six watched the wolves gather around the strange rats, who were a bit cautious and weary at first of being surrounded by the predator pack animals.

Bandage stood beside her, before nudging her. "Rat come with us?" He asked. Six looked at him for a moment, before glancing to Blueberry and Ribbon. Why weren't they joining the wolf circle thing?

Blueberry looked down to her, and for a moment, she met his gaze underneath his fur. She gave a small groan, she knew that look. What stupid plan did he have this time?

Blueberry looked to Ribbon, the two speaking under their breaths. Ribbon's eyes widen, before raising her voice. "Seven, we can't, why do you even want to go in the first place?"

"Rain, I saw something in the TVs when Mono was trying to strangle me. It was a flash, but I swore I saw something. Besides, the adults might track us down, if we can get rid of another higher up, we might be able to stop them for a least some time,"

"What if it just makes them more angry than they already are?"

"If we show them we're strong enough to take out two higher ups, they might not want to mess with us. They should remember, or at have a fragment of memory, of what happened to them while they were out on their own before getting caught,"

Ribbon seemed to think for a moment, before she let out a soft squeak. "Rehabilitation makes you forget everything you have experienced on your own, it trains you to be a proper adult, and so on and so on. We would only show them that once again children are menacing little creatures..."

"Then, we'll still do it, we'll make them remember."

Six watched as they looked to the distance forest, but instead of leafy trees, there were large stones and sharply cornered tree. She connected the dots quickly, but when she saw the look of reluctance, she had a feeling they really didn't want to go.

What was out there that made them seem so scared? She could feel the bit of fear coming from Ribbon, but Blueberry seemed more eager to go, though maybe urged would be a better fit maybe.

Bandage nudged her again. "Rat sis?"

"I... I'm not going. I'm going to stay here, with Blue and Ribbon," she answered him. Bandage looked at her, and she could see the hurt on his face. He lowered his head, shuffling his paws slightly. "Oh..."

He gave her a small smile, still a look of hurt was on his muzzle, but he seemed to hide it pretty decently with his eyes wrapped with bandages. "Rat be careful than?"

Six gave a small back to him, nodding. "Yeah, I will be careful. You be careful too, okay?" She said, raising a paw and pulled him forward, sharing a small hug with him.

Bandage returned it, pressing the top of his head to the bottom of her chin, putting a paw on her shoulder. He slowly pulled away, turning his head towards the wolves.

"Pack leave soon. Bye bye, Six,"

"I'll see you later, Bandage, stay safe out there."

The younger feral made his way across the sandy beach, down to the ring of canines. He gave a small bark to them, the alpha letting out a bark, tail flagging as he started to lead the way down the beach, the group of strange rats and other wolves following him.

Soon, it was just her, Blueberry, and Ribbon, the unusual group of animals leaving in the rolling in fog from the lake.

Blueberry patted his leg, making her look to him. "C'mon, Banana, let's get going before it gets too late."

Six came to his side, she was used to the weird names by now. She padded along the sand, looking at the flaming metal monster in front of her. They went around it, the heat warming them as they passed.

The cobblestone under her paws was smooth, but once they came pass the midway point of the bridge, rain began to drip down. She looked up, before blinking as a raindrop hit her on her nose.

Blueberry groaned as his fur started to grow damp, Ribbon's as well. Maybe that was why they didn't seem to like the stone forest place, because of the rain.

Not like it really bothered her, she had a coat at least.

The clearing buzzed to life, TV screen flashing on as a figure appeared walking towards it. The air was tinted blue, a faint sound of white noise filtering throughout the empty space.

A hand reached out, before a body slowly emerged from the eye, tall and slender, arms and legs awkward with exaggerated proportions. Two eyes looked down from the shadow of a navy blue fedora to the small limp body on the ground in front of him.

The sound of thousands staticy whispers surrounded the figure, who took a moment to gather the breath to speak.

"The transmission believes you're dead..." he started, "not like they're wrong. You are, most definitely; you were dead the moment she bit you."

Slowly, he picked the boy's limp, cooling body up, looking him over with a sympathetic shine.

"I can fix you, don't worry."

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Finished - Apr. 25th, 2021

*tired screaming*

Epilogue is left, stay tuned for that!

Hope you all enjoyed!

Take care!

* Edited June 25th, 2021 *

Dun dun duuuuunnnn