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The rats were destroying everything in the city really. La Brea was tracking a complete mischief as they chewed through fence and walls, trees, bushes-- And stopped seeing the mischief - no, the bloody legion trundle towards three familiar form in the park. It was a mismash of strays and of wild rats, colorful hooded rats, champaigns, a hjimalayan or two, even a siamese, agoutis and wiuld, feral, black, brown, and grey rats seemingly let by the tiniest little one eyed rat whoim darted and La Brea felt his stomach drop.

"Like Eric! It's a bunch of wild rats!" Eos actually sounded excited for once. Were these tame, sure, La Brea might not mind. But this was abnormal and the kjnioght almost pulled his hair out running after his target. Targets?

The damned legion, determined to protect his sons.

"I don't think Cherry or Dad will let you keep strays Eos. Do you even know how to care for ratties?" Eric asked sensibly. He was already moving top clear away, Cyrus following. But Cyrus was watching his twin as Cyrus watched, Eos stayed ion the path. the bpy instead fumbling in his pockets.

"They're just ratties. And they look super neat."

Before Eos could fish crackers from his pocket, La Brea practically threw himself at the boy, physically and bodily blocking him before rolling, picking him up in his arms out of the way as the rats drew near.,

"Are you -- those little beasts are chewing through the city like a rqavenous horde!" La Brea scolded. Eos dangled like a kitten, looking a bit disgruntled and then down at La Brea, then Eric.

"Look Eric, I told you super heroes were real." Eos said. Eric looked, to La Brea's relief, considerably more guarded -- and then a rat climbed on his foot. La Brea looked down to see a rat chewing on his boots, another joining their sibling as the one-eyed grey rat stared at him with an unsettling stillness.

La Brea twitched. Thius was... these rats weren't normal, and he slowly moved back. He wanted to kick rats off of himself but - his children needed a good examplec of handling these abominations ethically.

Damn his parenting instincts.

"These," La Brea wsscolded, "are chewing through the very bricks of this city. The stone. Metal. Gl--"

"I saw a Youtube short that said rats can chew through concrete, can I watch?" Eos asked. La Brea side-eyed his son immediately. Cyruys looked utterly fascinated. Eric blinked. Eos was utterly unrepentqant. "You have rats on your shoes."

The boy, La Brea worried, was not right. Or maybe he was too old fashioned? Regardless he set Eos down out of the eway of the truyndling legion of rat-shaped monsters and calmly stepped back as he felt air on his ankle joint.

"I," La Brea said stiffly. "Am aware thank you."

Slowly, irritably, La Brea turned, slowly lifting his first leg until it was angled so the rat fell off. And then his other. They glared at him indignantly, as if he had offended. Or maybe they were judging him. La Brea could play the judgement game. He glared back, eyes narrowing into analytical sliuts. He needed to get the boys safe and then? Take them to their sister and warn--

Crackle. Paff. Paff.

Two crackers with a cheese-flavor from the sandwich they had been landed next to his feet and La Brea slowly looked down. Cyrus giggled mischievously and Erich gasped in horror at his brother Eos whom looked perfectly calm. Even for Eos. Pairs of tiny black eyes turned on the crackers, then the boys. Then the crackers. L:a Brea jetrked away as they swarmed them ravenously and he sprint, yanking Eos and Cyrus into his arms.

[i"]RUN!" La Brea didn't warn - he commanded. Eric sprint after him, panicked and timid as they fled. The rats turbned, that one-eyed rat sweaking furiously before the majority rqan after them. La Brea hissed as they fled, his twins under his arms as he swore internally. He wanted to ground Eos for a MMONTH or at least from Trunk or treat for this, and he couklsn't. His parenting toolbox was taken away powered and La Brea wqas absolutely not having this shite. All he could do was scold and lecture and he knew Eos was the defiant one.

Crinkle. Paff. Paff.

"Eos! Stop feeding them!" Eric cried unhappily. La Brea was rewarding Erich for scolding for him. Really. Truly he apprteciated this. Maybe the games console Eric wanted. He'd pin it on good behaviour. Not, really, a lie.

"They're hungry and it might slow them down!" Eos countered irritably. "Like on TV!"

"Real life is NOT television!" La Brea groaned. And that infernal little one-eyed, grey rat was squeaking at them angrily like a tiny god oif destruxtion defied and by size? It even looked like a girl. She squeaked like some unnatural presence at them and La Brea looked back, only to trip.

To trip and fall on a large brqanchn. Erich jumped over it but La Brea flipped dramatically to not land on Eos or Cyrus, Eric sidestepping a La Brea let the twins free, snarling.

"RUN. La Brea ordered. Erich grabbed his brothers, and La Brea hissed, moving to rise.

And he was swarmed. Not a normal swarm. La Brea found now? H4e could understand the term Zerg Swarm and the rats flooded on him, little paws cold, nails sharp, tails and paws all over as they squeaked and writhed. He winced. What would Cherish tekll the boys? How would they handle losing both parents? La Brea felt his pulse racing as the small grey rat, a one-eyed leader leaned in and squeaked at him.

And then a cracker landed on his forehead and she darted, snatching it., Another near the crown. A third some feet away. The monsterous leguion of ratys scurried off him and followed the food ravenously, squeaking, fighting - likje normal rats as they approached Eos. La Brea panicked, pushing himself up as his stupid--

Eos offered the grey leader the last cracker. No movement. No fear. Like feeding squirrels. La Brea always warned him about that. But slowly the grey rat reached and delicately, she claimed the cracjker. A couple rats jumpooed and stole pieces and La Brea felt his chest clench as the rats climbed on his son.

All he heard was chewing and then a gasp. Not pain.

Not fear.

Delight. As the food disappeared the colony largely darted away, the grey rat squeaking at Eos once. Then she nipped La Brea's ankle through the damaged boot before bounsding away. Eos was lighting up at helping the "superhero" as Cyrus eyed him. Everyone knew the s**t-eating grin forming on Eos' face. Eric even paled.

"I'm Bruno." Eos said eagerly. La Brea repressed the grimace, but Eric and Cyrus both groaned as Eos clapped. "I'm Bruno! Maybe now Dad wiull let us have a pet!"

"Dad will make you research care thuroughly and then write an essay." Cyrus remionded. Eric nodded.

"In Detail." Eric added. Eos nodded. La Brea sighed inwardly. Yeah. Eric was getting a games console for good behaviour. Maybe a Switch 2. Hells. Cyrus too. He had money set aside, if Cherish didn't agree.

"I can do a report. There's books and sites and I was already reseaqrching rats because the rat channel of Youtube is really interesting and the rats are cutre little war criminals." Eos stared. La Brea resisted a groan. fine. Fine he'd let Eos propose rats.

Or ask Cherish if she felt a dog was better since whatever would need to ge between houses. Screw it. He was feeling far too old for his children's chaos right now and motioned.

"Boys? Do go home. Before something else tries to eat you." Again. La Brea rubbed his face and Cyrus nodded.

"Maybe Cherry will make us pizza." Cyhrus noted. "Or cheese fries."

"Cherruyy's buying us fast food." Eric reminded as he hearded his little brothers to find their older half sister, and La Brea sighed.

"I swear. I am too damn old[ for this. Too young to feel this damn old." La Brea muttered.