He gets up when he hears a knock at the door. It's late for visitors.

Wait was that a glint of steel through the side window? He glances out the window. Yeah, that's an armed thug.

He backs away from the window, out of view, waves his daughter over, hugs her tight.

Small fox Faunus hugs! "Wha's wrong, daddy?"

He hugs her tightly, then pulls back to look her in the eye, trying to smile encouragingly but only managing a grimace. "Brown, red, white. Love you, Princess."

Oh. Oh no.

Her breath hitches. "Love you too, Daddy."

And then she runs off.

Brown means hide. Red means enemies, don't come out until it's been quiet for a long time or until Mommy or give the password. White means if all else fails go back to Atlas and stay with Aunt Susan.

So she goes to a closet she'd picked out at Daddy's instruction when they rented this place, scurries up onto the shelf at the top, then slips through a gap into a space between the walls, even though it scrapes against her fuzzy ears. She takes care to pull her tail in behind her.

And she stays so quiet and so still.

The next several minutes are very loud.

"We've got company, Sylvia!"

Mark pulls out a whip and a pistol, peering out the window and pressing himself against the wall to keep as far out of sight as possible.

Sylvia draws a bow.

The thugs burst through the door, and start firing on Mark and Sylvia through the windows. The fight is short and brutal. The couple haven't kept up their training, and they're severely outnumbered. Aura can only do so much, especially when the enemies have it too. They manage to take out several thugs, but eventually their Auras break, and Mark takes a sword through the gut and Sylvia a few bullets to the head and chest.

The remaining thugs search the bungalow for anyone else, and also for Mark's research notes.

Quiet and still

quiet and still

quiet and still

quiet and still

Guess there's no one else. They found the notes, at least, so the boss will be pleased. They tromp out.

She waits.

She waits until the sun is fully set, until the crickets are chirping, until she's heard nothing for over an hour. And then she waits some more.

Eventually, she climbs out of her hiding place and steps out into the house.

Oh gods.

Mommy and Daddy are a bloody mess over the floor.

She swallows hard, breathes slowly.

A few tears fall.

And then she gathers herself, going to fetch her bug out bag that Daddy helped her pack, then grabbing any non-perishable food still in the house, and especially any cash Mommy or Daddy had around. She cries some more, while she does this. She misses her parents already.

And then she walks out of the house, into town.

It's a long walk. There are a few streetlights as she gets closer to town, but it's definitely dark near the outskirts where the bungalow was. Good thing she has night vision. She sniffles a bit as she walks, but eventually she gets to the center of the village and finds someone who looks kind of in-charge. She thinks this guy is one of the village leaders her parents pointed out when they were arriving.

He's a tall human with stone-gray hair and slate-blue eyes. He carries himself with a quiet sense of authority, and is currently walking back from city hall to his home.

"Um. 'Scuse me, sir?"

He pauses, looks around, then spots her, violet hair and ears and tail, barely a tween. Where are her parents?

"Yes? Can I help you, miss?"

She fidgets, sniffles, but manages looks him in the eye. "Um. Something bad happened and now my parents are," sniffle, "gone. I need to go to Atlas where my Aunt lives." Sniff.

Oh. This poor girl. "The easiest way to get to Atlas is to ride with the next caravan until it reaches Argus, then take an airship. You can stay with my daughter and her children until then."

He turns and starts walking down the street. "Come along. I'll show you the way."

She nods, and follows, hugging her tail to her chest.

Carver leads the way to a blue house a little ways down the street, then knocks firmly on the door.

A similarly tall woman with black streaks through her hair opens the door. "Dad? What—"

"She just lost her parents, Marble. I need someone to look after her until the caravan comes and she can travel to her family."