The Bloodforged Kin

They were layered in a variety of equipment. Each had thick jeans, high boots with steel toes, and heavy welding jackets. They practiced moving and swinging - their mobility was limited but both Zavier and Tess preferred the trade-off of slightly less mobility for increased protection. All four of them had on football helmets.

Tess had a pistol holstered at her right leg and some quick-change magazines on her belt. She had another gun in a chest holster and a machete on her left hip. She'd offered a gun to Zavier who had refused.

"You know I'm no good with those things," he'd said. "You're the only one here that is - I'd end up blowing a toe off or something."

Luna had a machete in one hand and the Toxic Weaver Dagger in the other. Cass had his Toxic Weaver Dagger at his hip, a baseball bat in his right hand, and the riot shield in his left.

Zavier carried the other riot shield and the third Toxic Weaver Dagger. He also strapped a machete across his back and had a utility belt with a hammer, a couple long-shafted screwdrivers, and…"

"Is that the Creme Brule torch??" Tess asked in surprise.

Zavier looked down at his belt and looked up at her sheepishly. "You never know what will come in handy!"

She shook her head.

"Okay everyone, here's the plan. We watch for squirrels. When we see one, and ONLY one, we go out together. Cass and I will be up front and will be blocking it. The shields should hold up to the teeth and claws. Luna, you stay between us and stab through. That knife is poisonous so just keep getting in jabs. If it starts to push through the shield you need to back away so Cass and I can close ranks. Tess, you stay behind us and be ready to shoot. Don't kill it unless you have to, this one goes to Luna."

"And once again and for the hundredth time, when mom yells "DOWN!" what do we do?"

Cass and Luna both sighed with impatience and replied in unison. "Luna throws the knife away so she doesn't get stabbed and drops to her stomach. Cass jumps on top of her with the shield over his back. Dad moves to the side and distracts it while mom blasts its stupid face off."

Zavier raised his eyebrow at that last part and the twins snickered conspiratorially.

"Good enough," he said. "Now, let's see what's out there."

The universe jumped in with ironic timing and they heard the first beep of alarm. They looked at the screen and saw a squirrel coming out of the woods behind the garage.

"Okay," Zavier said as the last wisps of playfulness left the room. "Front door. Garage is too slow and loud. I don't want to wait while it closes if we have to retreat. I'll be first out, then Cass, then Luna and mom. If we have to retreat back inside it'll be Luna, Cass, mom, then me. Got it?"

Three somber faces nodded back at him. They moved to the door and Zavier looked through the peephole, seeing nothing. He slid it open and stepped out tentatively, shield raised and machete in hand. He'd wanted something that could hold it at bay if necessary. Cass stepped out and moved to Zavier's right, baseball bat held at a ready position. When they were fully outside Luna took her place just behind them. Zavier looked back over his shoulder and saw Tess already sweeping the area behind them. He never had to remind her to keep her head on a swivel. With that they moved slowly around the garage until they were at the side of the house.

For one breathless moment they saw nothing, then it came around the corner. Time crystallized into razor-sharp focus - the dog-sized squirrel's muscles coiled like steel springs, its black eyes reflecting savage intelligence. The air itself seemed to thicken as predator and prey sized each other up across ten feet of dying grass.

Then the spell shattered.

The creature's lips peeled back, revealing yellowed fangs as a sound like tearing metal erupted from its throat. It launched itself forward with explosive power, a blur of matted fur and razor claws.

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"HOLD!" Zavier roared.

The impact hit their shield wall like a sledgehammer. Zavier's boots skidded backward on the concrete, his shoulder screaming as the shield absorbed the blow. Beside him, Cass planted his feet in a perfect linebacker stance, shield angled just right - for a split second, their formation held like a fortress wall.

But Cass pushed forward too aggressively, breaking formation. The gap between their shields widened just enough for a clawed paw to snake through, raking across Luna's arm.

"Shit!" Luna hissed, jerking back as crimson bloomed across her sleeve.

"Cass, hold position!" Zavier yelled, but his son was already adjusting, pulling back to close the gap. The squirrel pressed its advantage, throwing its full weight against Cass's shield.

"Now Luna!" Zavier commanded.

Luna's arm flashed like a striking viper, the poisoned dagger finding flesh. The creature shrieked - a sound that made their teeth ache - and stumbled backward, dark blood painting its fur.

"Forward! Both of you!" Zavier took a step, expecting Cass to mirror him, but his son hesitated for a heartbeat - just long enough for the squirrel to read their movement.

With inhuman agility, the creature leaped straight up, clearing their shield line entirely. For a moment it hung suspended in the air above them, a nightmare of teeth and claws backlit against the gray sky.

Cass swung his bat in a desperate arc, but the angle was all wrong - he'd positioned himself too close to the shields. The wooden bat whistled through empty air as the squirrel landed hard on his riot shield, its weight driving him to one knee.

"Get it off!" Cass grunted, struggling to stand as the creature's claws scrabbled for purchase on the clear plexiglass, its snapping jaws inches from his face.

Zavier abandoned his own shield, lunging forward with his machete. The blade caught the squirrel across its flank, opening a gash that sprayed arterial red. The creature tumbled off Cass's shield, landing in a crouch between them.

Now it was chaos.

Luna darted in from the side, her dagger seeking the creature's neck, but it spun faster than thought, claws raking across her thigh. She stumbled backward, blood seeping through torn denim.

"No shot!" Tess's voice cut through the melee, her pistol trained but unable to fire with her family in the line.

The wounded squirrel's eyes locked onto Cass, who was struggling to get his shield back up. Something primal in its gaze recognized vulnerability, weakness, prey. It gathered itself for a final, killing lunge.

Zavier moved without thinking. He dropped his machete and threw himself between his son and death, tackling the creature mid-leap. They hit the ground hard, Zavier's shoulder popping as they rolled. The squirrel's claws raked across his welding jacket, the reinforced material sparking but holding.

"INSIDE NOW!" he roared, wrestling with muscles and sinew that felt like they were carved from granite.

The creature's jaws snapped shut inches from his throat, its breath hot and fetid in his face. Through the red haze of adrenaline, he caught glimpses of his family retreating - Luna helping Cass to his feet, both of them bloodied but moving, Tess covering their withdrawal with steady sweeps of her weapon.

The squirrel was weakening, poison and blood loss taking their toll, but it fought with the desperate fury of a cornered animal. Zavier felt his strength giving out, his grip on its thrashing limbs beginning to slip.

"Incoming!" Tess's shout cut through his exhaustion.

Two more shapes emerged from the tree line, moving with predatory intent. Fresh enemies, uninjured, ready to finish what their packmate had started.

Tess appeared beside him like an avenging angel, riot shield in one hand, pistol in the other. She slammed the shield down on the squirrel's head with bone-crushing force, stunning it long enough for Zavier to roll free.

They ran.

Not the tactical withdrawal he'd planned, but a desperate sprint for survival. Behind them, the dying squirrel's cries echoed across the yard - a dinner bell for every predator within miles.

Zavier lunged through the front door and slammed it shut, sliding the deadbolt home. His hands shook as he grabbed the 2x4 and drill, wedging the board against the door at an angle. The wood bit into the floor with the high whine of stressed metal.

When it was done, he sagged against the wall, helmet askew, welding jacket torn and bloodied.

"Holy fucking shit," he whispered.

Tess was beside him instantly, her hands gentle on his face, checking for injuries. But it was the look in her eyes that undid him - not fear for herself, but absolute terror at how close they'd come to losing everything.

"What in the hell are we going to do?" he asked, voice barely audible.

She pulled him into her arms, and for a moment they just held each other, drawing strength from the simple fact that they were both still breathing. Then, with the unspoken understanding of all parents, they straightened their shoulders and walked into the house to check on their children.

The plan had been too complex, too rigid. Next time - and there would be a next time - they'd have to be simpler, faster, more adaptable.

Next time, somehow, they'd need to be ready.