The Bird and the Garden

Chapter 26: The Invasion of Atlas

Disclaimer: Song is not mine. Play when prompted. Rights to the song belong to RoosterTeeth, video belongs to the creator.

When Y/N got back inside, he brushed the snow off his cloak and jacket, looking around. The mansion was massive, and he couldn't remember where the dining room was. Winter was nowhere in sight.

Taking a lucky guess, he started walking down the corridors, his hands in his pockets. There were no servants in the hall, leaving him completely alone. The only sounds were his own footsteps and breath. He'd only been walking for five minutes when he found an open door. Well, it wasn't really open, it just wasn't closed properly. He could hear voices on the other side, but they were muffled and unclear. Curious, he leaned against the wall and pushed the door open a bit more.

"Have you found her yet?" Y/N recognized that voice almost instantly. He suppressed a growl. He couldn't afford to be noticed.

"No, but I have an excellent idea."

"Whom, may I ask?"

Y/N leaned closer. "The Winter Maiden may be-"

The voices stopped, and Y/N felt his heart beginning to race. He could hear someone approaching the door, and he braced himself. As soon as it opened and Watts poked his head out, the hero punched him in the jaw with everything he had, knocking the disgraced scientist to the floor. The older man looked up, his face already swollen.

"M-Mr. Rose!?"

Y/N chuckled. "Oh, hey, Sparks. You startled me." His grin grew. "But that ain't your name, is it?"

Watts' eyes went wide, and he backed away. Before Y/N could make another move, a gunshot blasted in the empty halls, grazing his nose. The hero backflipped away, taking cover behind a support column. Jacques stepped from the room, a revolver in his hands.

"Kill that bastard! We've been found out!" Watts ordered, rising to his feet. He looked furious. Jacques looked at Y/N peering around the corner and shook his head in disappointment.

"Ah, Mr. Rose. Such a shame." His voice was laced with sarcasm, and he was grinning. "But, you chose a very bad time to play hero, now didn't you?" He lifted the firearm again, and Y/N barely had enough time to move his head back behind the pillar.

"Ah, really dodged a bullet there..." Y/N took a few seconds to process what he said before growling in frustration. Now wasn't the time to be stupid. He transformed Crescent Rose into it's sniper function and leaned out, peering down the sights. But Jacques was gone. A click sounded behind his head.

"The kind Doctor Watts informed me you were a dangerous opponent. It seems he was wrong, indeed!" Jacques hissed. Y/N sighed, spinning around and grabbing the barrel of the gun, landing a punch to the rich baron. Jacques let go and held his now broken nose gingerly, grunting as he saw blood dripping to his carpet. When he looked back up at Y/N, the hero had jumped back and had the weapon trained on him. The Rose laughed.

"Getting right next to someone with a gun... It kinda defeats the purpose, doesn't it? Just use a knife or something if you're going to get that close." Jacques hissed, holding his hands into the air. Y/N blinked, moving the gun down and shooting him in the leg. The bone splintered, and Jacques went down screaming. He could hear footsteps fast approaching, and multiple guns aimed at him. He looked at his surroundings; multiple bodyguards had arrived, and all had the intent to kill. Y/N could feel himself growing nervous. It wasn't the first time he faced death, but he knew he wasn't likely to get out of this one. From the crowd of armed men, Winter stepped from the mass, her own rifle aimed for Y/N's head.

"... Y/N? What the hell are you doing!?" She screamed.

"... Winter, put the gun down," Y/N said. His voice was shaky, but confident. But the military officer didn't budge.