Shattering Me

26~ the Crestfallen Krags

"No...No- How? No!" Carman roared as he stared at the bloody mess before him. He couldn't believe what he'd just seen. He had checked the angles, he had surveyed the area. His brother was right there with him, and they were Krags. Protecting people was what they did best!

The first shot was impossible, or at least it should have been. "Four seconds," Ryan growled.

Carman rose to his feet and grabbed the metal chair he'd been sitting on. He heard a subtle whistle in the wind and slapped the air in front of his chest with the base of the seat. It rung loudly and snapped out of his hand as a bullet connected with it before being smacked off course.

"11:45, 15 degree angle. I could barely see the flash," Ryan snapped. The words made every difference. Every fiber of Carman's body wanted to hunt down the shooter and make him pay, but if Ryan's trained eye could barely see the sniper rifle firing, then that meant it was at least a mile away. The killer would be long gone by the time they arrived.

"Let's retreat. We can't be out in the open," he ordered.

Ryan snatched the files off the table a second before his brother kicked the café table spinning into the air. They dashed out of the line of fire and started sprinting back into the city. It was not lost on them that they had to leave the dead woman's body behind, but they couldn't risk defending against a third shot.

--

While Carman went straight to report their father on what happened, Ryan headed back for Kyle. He searched the building they were rehearsing in and back at home, but found both places barren. Kyle wasn't answering his phone and neither were either of the girls that should have been with him.

It went without saying that he was on the edge of panicking when he decided to check on his younger siblings.

Night had fallen and the twin's condo was dark with no lights shining through the window. For a pair of preteens left to live alone without a curfew, that should never be normal.

Ryan was so anxious when he came up to the door that the cheap lock shattered when he turned it.

He stepped into the room cautiously and searched the shadows for signs of a disturbance. Then the lights flashed on and people jumped out of hiding, yelling, "Boo!"

The twins, Kyle, and his girlfriend smiled like idiots while Julie popped open a bottle of apple cider. The third bottle that was visible.

Kion skittered over to his other brother and punched him in the arm. "We figured you'd get here eventually if we didn't answer your call."

Ryan took one very careful step toward his little brother and the kid's sea blue eyes widened in fear. "Who figured?" he growled.

Kion took a subconscious step back and swung his head to stare at the other faces in the room.

"A-all of us..?" he stuttered.

Ryan was tilted, but did his best to reign in his anger. "You thought it was a good idea to make me worry about you?"

"I..." Kion stared helplessly for a moment before submitting to the point. "Sorry, bro."

"Forehead," he stated. It was the same command his father used often while he was a kid.

Kion sighed and lowered his forehead. Ryan raised his hand a few inches above and then patted down hard, making a very audible smacking sound. It looked like nothing but a swat, but it still stung with Ryan's heavy hand.

"Kiara, forehead," he stated again.

The jovial mood in the room had effectively died away and grown quiet. His little sister reluctantly trudged over to accept the same punishment. "I'm sorry, Rye. It was just like a joke," she said honestly. A second later there was a pop and she walked away rubbing her forehead.

"Well, now that the apologies are out of the way...maybe we can get to the bottom of this last bottle?" Julie said, clumsily trying to salvage the mood.

"No, not yet. Kai, come here. It's your turn," he stated.

Kyle had been very quietly trying to hide in the shadow of a baseball cap. He popped his head up at the mention of his name and stared innocently at his roommate. "huh?"

"I said it's your turn. I called and you didn't answer. That isn't okay with me when there's an entire criminal organization looking for you."

Kyle looked like he wanted to protest. He gestured to the women sitting on the green sofa as if shouting, 'what about them?' but apparently decided against it.

"Wait! I know this sounds bad, but can you punish him some other way. I need his face to stay pretty until the play," Julie pleaded.

"Maybe she's right, Rye. This was just a stupid idea, and it was all of us who came up with it. Can you go easy on him this time, for me?" Arden spoke up.

The weight of the day was finally catching up to him. Ryan was both physically and emotionally tired after witnessing the murder. He didn't have it in him to argue with the girls over how to deal with his...Kyle. "Fine, fine. I'll let it go, but next time you make me worry like this you're getting fore-headed twice as hard."

Kyle didn't actually look very relieved by the change. If anything he looked confused and irritated.

"I left the gas running, let's go home."

With that, the drained and exhausted son of Krag said goodnight and dragged his roommate along.

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So, I really wasn't sure about this chapter in particular. I kept saying that I would come back and fix it when I figured out what exactly was wrong with it, but I've uploaded it now for all to see. Let me know how you felt about it and feel free to be honest. if this chapter was boring or dull then feel welcome to say it in the comments below! :3

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