Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

As they all jump instead of felling the snow. 

Scott felt the ground. He could hear the others. 

" weren't we just outside" Owen asked,  " it looks like we're in a building" Bek said as she got up .

Scott sat up and noticed that only some of them were here.

Him, owen,oli,bek,Martyn, krow,Jimmy ,tubbo and El.

What happened to the others?.

" aren't some us missing?" Jimmy said as they look around. 

Everyone look around no sign of sniff,acho,Oliver, apo and will.

Where are they?.

" didn't we jump off the roof I thought we land in snow ?" Scott said " not wherever we are?".

" how did we end up here?" Bek asked no one knew.

The building was quite different then the mansion. 

" let's look around!" Tubbo yelled, he Started to run off the others following him .

" tubbo wait!" Owen yelled they didn't know where they were or if there was any humans around. 

The doors didn't have any handles from what Scott saw how could they enter. 

As they approach one the doors it opened as the rats approach it surprising them.

It looked like a office as they enter no one was here so they were safe for now. 

" what do we do now?" Owen asked ," we need to find the others" El said,  " we also need food" krow said Scott had some food but it wouldn't last for long. 

Oli had headed towards the trash can near the desk and had climb into it .

" guys I found trash" oli shouted he grabbed something and started to eat it .

It was paper, " is there any food in there?" Krow asked,  " just paper anyone want some" oli asked " no thank you" everyone replied,  oli just went back to eating the paper.

" maybe the person that lives here keeps snacks in the desk?" Martyn said they needed to figure out a way up to the desk to check. 

Most of them were searching around the office to see if they could find anything useful or food, oli was just eating the paper in the trash.

" this place is a lot different from the mansion" Owen said as he and Scott look at a stange looking device the humans that lived here own. 

From the places they could search the rats found no food. 

" we should find the kitchen" Scott said " that's probably where they keep it all".

They left begin to leave the room Jimmy had drag oli out of the trash can so he wouldn't get left behind. 

The rats were now back in the hallway and started to walk around .

They didn't know where the kitchen was they where all minus oli stating to get hungry. 

They check a few rooms and found no kitchen so far or any food. 

" where's the kitchen" El said she was hungry. 

" maybe we find a human and follow them to the kitchen?" Bek suggested it would be risky but they could probably get food faster. 

" we haven't seen any humans" Martyn said,  where they outside or something. 

The rats enter another room that wasn't the kitchen but it had a sink and some boxes. 

Maybe there was food in the boxes but how to get in them.

Tried,  hungry and thirsty minus oli begin hungry since he eat the paper in the trash the rats decided to take a break. 

Tubbo found a way to get to the sink allowing the rats to get up there .

Turning on the sink water came out of it to rats joy.

They didn't have anything to hold the water in see they use their paws to cup the water in them.

No longer thirsty Scott pulled out a bit of food for everyone. 

Oli refused because he was full. 

" we'll need to ration it until we can find more food" Scott said,  " if we can't we'll just eat someone" tubbo said everyone stares at tubbo. 

Krow had spotted something shiny on the ground it was curious so it headed back towards the ground to see what it was Owen had followed it.

" what did you find?" Owen asked as krow got closer to what it found. 

A piece of broken glass.  Krow pick it up it was small enough for it to hold it.

" maybe we could try and use to open the boxes" Owen said. 

They made their way towards one the boxes they could easily access to.

The other rats had noticed what the two were doing and followed them. 

Krow stab the box with the broken glass and attempted to get the box open Owen helping it.

Jimmy and Martyn started to help them. 

When they open the box they found no food. 

Just strange objects owen attempted to bite one but Jimmy stopped him.

" don't eat that" Jimmy yelled as he yank it out of owen's paws the object fell towards the ground making a noise. 

The rats stood still in fear they be heard.

But no one showed up. 

After waiting a few minutes to make sure it was safe they got off the box and headed towards another. 

The few boxes the rats could seach they found no food. 

" this isn't a place where they keep food" El said. 

" we have to keep looking" Martyn said,  they needed to find the kitchen. 

Suddenly the door opened alarming the rats they quickly scattered. 

Hiding behind the boxes in a corner Scott and Owen carefully listen to the footsteps. 

They sounded different unlike the footsteps he heard from the humans in the mansion. 

Suddenly he heard a voice " who opened the boxes!" The voice shouted Scott then heard running. 

They shouldn't have tried to open the boxes they get caught. 

" let's get out of here" Owen said to Scott,  Scott look at him and nodded. 

He hope the others were okay. 

As quick as they could both Scott and Owen ran towards the door. 

Scott saw El,bek,Jimmy, oli,krow and Martyn running towards the door. 

But where was tubbo Scott did a quick look " tubbo no!" He yelled the rat was running towards where the human was Scott wasn't sure if he knew the human was there or trying to escape. 

" I'll get him!" Martyn yelled " I'll help" Bek yelled the two quickly ran towards where tubbo was.

A few minutes later 

They out of the room away from the human and somewhere else. 

Bek and Martyn managed to grab tubbo before it was too late. 

" that was close" Jimmy said they could of gotten caught. 

Where are they now,  they all look around it looked like a library. 

But it didn't seem very clean maybe the humans didn't go in here a lot. 

Maybe they could sleep here.

" it doesn't look like the humans go in here" Owen said as he and Scott spotted cobwebs.

" we could make thus are base" Martyn said,  " am tried" krow said it climbed onto a bookshelf the others following it.

They were so tried from exploring and running around. 

Dust cover the books on the shelf making some of them sneeze. 

To tried to find anything to use as a blanket or pillow the rats all fell asleep. 

Chapter Text

The sound of sneezing woke Scott up opening his eyes and then sitting up he looked to see who sneeze. 

It was Owen his sneezing had woke everyone up.

" sorry" he said " it's dusty in here" , maybe they could try and clean the dust?.

But they do it later first thing find food or a kitchen. 

Scott knew that the food he had would only last for a few days if ration probably which ment they might had to eat once a day.

Hopefully they could find some food. 

" Scott could I have some food?" Bek asked ," sorry we need to ration it until we find more" Scott said , " so no breakfast " Martyn asked, " no sorry " Scott said " does anyone one else got food we need to make sure we ration it properly" Scott said .

Everyone check to see what food they had left some were hesitate to hand it over but they had no choice. 

Every bit they had to ration with all the food now they had maybe a week for it to last if they ate once a day.

Now to find food or the kitchen 

Stepping out of library the rats try to remember what rooms they been to.

Only for tubbo to just run towards one of the rooms the others chasing after him.

Said room also had humans in them which they found put when they heard voices as they enter. 

Dragging tubbo out and quickly hurrieing the rats managed to avoid the humans. 

They haven't seen them and they haven't seen what the humans look like. 

But after being chased and shot at the rats were hesitate to investigate. 

The room didn't look like a kitchen anyway so they probably won't come back to that room. 

A few hours later 

" how is there no kitchen!" Bek yelled she was hungry they haven't eaten all day do to needing to ration the food. 

" maybe this isn't a house?" Owen said maybe it's a place were they work?.

" but they got to have food when there working somewhere" Bek said, " maybe they already ate it all" El replied. 

No food or kitchen what ate they going to do, they probably have to leave but where would they go.

" we can eat trash guys!" Oli said he didn't seem hungry like the others do to eating the garbage. 

Owen and krow almost seem tempted to go eat trash do to begin hungry. 

" if I could find some things I could go us some food" Scott thinks but it would take awhile and who knows how long it be they all probably starve.

Well oli would survive eating trash and tubbo would probably try and eat another rat.

The sound of footsteps made the rats flee .

They went back to the library in attempted to ignore their hunger they attempted to clean the place and find places they could make a home. 

A couple of days later 

Scott end up hiding the food that they had left do to tubbo trying steal it.

Scott managed to prevent tubbo from taking any tubbo try to attack him when he stopped him.

He had to make sure no one would try and take it, they still needed to ration it.

Eating once a day did not help they ate before they went to sleep. 

After Scott finish hiding the food he went to go find the others. 

He found Bek and Jimmy restraining tubbo , the others looking him minus Martyn , where was he.

" what happened" Scott asked, " tubbo attack Owen" Jimmy said ," am hungry and Scott won't let me have any food" tubbo yelled " and am out of sugar".

Scott hurried towards Owen he looked okay but he was worried El and kro were with him.

" Owen are you alright" Scott asked,  " am fine" Owen replied " Jimmyand bek stopped him".

" tubbo you know we have to ration the food" Jimmy told him " and you can't commit cannibalism" Bek said. 

" I did before and I'll do again before I starve to death" tubbo yelled. 

" where's Martyn?" Scott ask , " I think he went to a corner?" Oli said, " which corner?" El asked, " I don't know" oli said. 

" guys look at what I got" everyone now focused their attention on Martyn he was dragging a bug back with him.

" is that a bug?" Krow asked,  " it's a cockroach" Martyn said, " but why are you bringing it over here?" Bek asked. 

" to eat?" Oli asked the others look at him Bek and Jimmy had finally got off of tubbo.

" eat a bug?" Jimmy said, " it's better than starving" Martyn said. 

Their hunger made them decided to eat the cockroach.

Scott had manged to make a little fire to roast the cockroach. 

Owen,krow, tubbo and oli dug into the bug immediately. 

" at least we can it bugs" Martyn said before he took a bite of food. 

At least it would help them not starve. 

After eating the cockroach , jimmy was busy checking to make sure that the fire was out they all heard the sound. 

The door opened the rats froze someone had entered. 

" hide!" Martyn yelled the rats quickly ran in different directions Scott and Jimmy towards a corner,  bek and El towards the bookshelf, owen,Martyn and krow towards another corner and then oli and tubbo ran who knows where.

Scott could hear the human footsteps he hope they won't see any of them. 

Despite trying to hide Scott couldn't help but want to see this human. 

See he took a peak Jimmy stared at him.

As Scott took a peek he let out a gasp as he saw the human. 

But it didn't look human he didn't know what they were.

" Scott what is it?" Jimmy whisper to him, Scott look at Jimmy " that's not a human Jimmy" Scott replied,  " not a human?" Jimmy said,  " take a look" Scott said. 

Jimmy took a look shocked at what he sees. 

 that was definitely not human but what was it?.

Was it friendly or not.

All the rats hid until they left.

Only Scott and Jimmy saw that it wasn't human and decided to tell the others. 

" what do you mean they weren't a human?" El asked,    " I don't know what they were but they definitely didn't look human" Scott said, " I saw it too" Jimmy said. 

The other rats look at them .

" whatever they are we should still be careful" Owen said who knows what they do to them.

But was everyone else here a human or something else like what Jimmy and Scott saw.

Chapter Text

" did anyone find any bugs to eat?" Owen asked,  " no" was the answer he got .

For the next several days they eat whatever bugs they could catch they even ate a couple spiders. 

Too hungry and desperate to care .

They had eaten the last bit of food they had on them a couple of days ago. 

They all hungry minus oli who's been eating trash.

They been exploring the buildings away from whatever those creatures were. 

They seen all the residents of the building. 

Two of them look kinda like humans while the rest of them didn't. 

They didn't know what most of them were they managed to figure out one of them was a crow.

They were scared of them in fear they hurt them. 

So they kept away from them. 

The days consisted of them looking for bugs to eat and finding things they could use for their homes.

" I guess we have to go hungry again" Scott said,  tubbo started to stare at the nearest rat which was krow probably thinking about eating it.

Jimmy, bek and Martyn been keeping a eye on tubbo to make sure he doesn't commit cannibalism. 

Krow move away from tubbo it looking at him.

" we need to leave" Scott thinks they can't keep living like this .

They need somewhere with food they can't keep eating bugs and spiders.

But how to get out of this place. 

" guys!" Jimmy shouts getting everyone attention " Someone in here?".

" is it the old man?" Bek asked,  they heard the one day the creature that went in here spoke he sounded like a old man. 

They heard the others talk to but the only names they heard was Axl and red .

But they didn't know which was which.

So they gave them names.

" it's the old man and a couple of others and they got boxes!" Martyn said they all look what does it contain. 

Maybe food? Or something else. 

They decided to take a peak.

Scott hid behind a bookshelf Owen and some others hiding them.

The watch as the other two sat down the boxes and one of them said something to the old man before they left leaving him with boxes. 

He opened one of the boxes and then stopped and stared.

Why did he stop,  then they all heard  him say something .

" there must been a mistake this has food in it" he said he then went to check the other boxes. 

" did he say food?" Krow said,  " I think he did" Owen said,  " food!" Tubbo yelled he started to run.

" tubbo no!" They all yelled chasing after him.

Tubbo managed to climb up the box and disappear into it.

" I'll keep watch" Martyn said they others climb in going after tubbo.

Tubbo had grabbed what look like a bar and attempted to eat it wrapper in all. he started to choke bek help him spit it out and it landed on the floor. 

Tubbo afterwards just took a bite again this time not the wrapper. 

Was it actually food,  oli had grabbed something two and bit into it with the wrapper unlike tubbo he didn't choke.

" it's food" oli said before he continue to eat.

Unable to resisted grabbing some and leaving. everyone grabbed some and rip off the wrappers and started to eat .

Scott made sure to give some to Martyn. 

This could last them for awhile maybe forever depending on how much they could take with them. 

Jimmy was just munching on a potato chip when he looked up and frozen.

Scott was the first to notice and was going to ask Jimmy what was wrong only to freeze too.

The other rats notice and looked too.

They all froze they been spotted. 

" run!" El shouted most of them drop the food and started run but tubbo who was attempting to drag chocolate back with him.

" tubbo leave it!" Jimmy shouted but tubbo ignore him.

Suddenly a hand reach out towards tubbo and Jimmy quickly ran towards tubbo grabbing his arm.

Tubbo started yelling at Jimmy to grab the chocolate instead of him but Jimmy ignored him.

Somehow they all got way how very lucky. 

But they didn't bring back any food. 

" tubbo he could of kill you" Jimmy shouted at him.

" but there was suger" tubbo said " I need it" he attempted to run back but was being held back by Martyn. 

" we'll wait and hopefully we either try when he's not there or if he takes it somewhere and try and follow him" Martyn said. 

This was a opportunity they couldn't miss. 

They needed that food. 

Unknown to the little rats the old man was busy looking for them .

But not to harm them.

Chapter Text

The old man end up staying in the library longer than usually the food still there so they had to wait.

But sadly they all end up falling asleep. 

When Scott woke up he left the little house he was still making and found something. 

Some food was left outside to his surprise it looked like the food from the box.

Did someone go back there and managed to bring back some food. 

The others had woken up too and saw the food. 

Questions were asked but apparently no one had went to get the food. 

" maybe that old guy we saw left it for us" Owen suggested,  but did he do it to be nice or was it a trapped. 

Tubbo didn't seem to care and rip opened a chip bag he pulled a potato chip out and started to eat it.

The others stood there a second before joining in the food left there.

It seem safe maybe he was friendly but what about the others. 

Belly full of food the rats move the rest of the food somewhere else to keep safe.

" if that box is still there we try and get more food" krow said that food could feed them for weeks maybe even months. 

" we should probably check first" Scott said ,the other rats agreed this was a chance they couldn't miss.

The rats carefully made their way to where they saw the box . They also kept a eye out for the old guy. 

As they headed towards where they found the box, they were unaware of someone watching them.

As they arrive to where the box was to the rats joy they saw that the box was still here. Before going to grabbed some and Martyn holding tubbo back to prevent him from running towards it . The rats decided to had some people stand guard and keep a eye out for any of those creatures and the others go to get the food.

The ones standing guard were bek,Martyn, Jimmy and krow ,while el,Scott, owen,tubbo and oli would grabbed as much food as they could carry.  Climbing into the box Scott could see that it was still full of goodies they could lived off this for a long time if they ration it properly. 

Grabbing a granola bar Scott move towards the edge of the box to where Jimmy was and drop the bar down, he gave Jimmy a warning first so the safety rat wouldn't get hurt, Jimmy move away and looked at the granola bar before looking at Scott, who went to grabbed more food they could carry. 

The rats grabbed as much food as they could carry.  " we'll have to make trips to carry all of this" Scott thought as he and Owen grabbed and carry a bag of chips. Soon a pile of food lay next to Jimmy and Martyn. 

The rats look at their haul happy , " now let's get this back before we get spotted!" Martyn shouted the other rats agreed and started to carry the food back.

It took awhile buy surprisely no one had saw them . " maybe we can get more?" El said as she and bek carry a candy bar ,Scott and Owen were carrying a bag of chips,Martyn, Jimmy and oli carrying what look like a bag of beef jerky, krow carrying a granola bar and tubbo was trying to carry a bunch of candy back he had a bag of it in his mouth and was trying to carry three chocolate bars back.

" I think we should wait" Jimmy suggested, Scott, owen,Martyn, oli and bek agree while the ones wanting to get more were krow,tubbo and El.

But they were out voted so for now.

Sometime later

Jimmy was busy making his home ,he didn't have much to use but it was his new home maybe he could find some more things later.

He started to walk put his home and looked around on the shelf he was standing on suddenly he heard a sound. 

He look up and saw a book falling towards him. Jimmy screamed and jumped accidentally off the shelf ,he managed to grabbed the edge and attempted to pull himself up but couldn't. 

"Help!" He yelled " help!" ,owen who was looking around heard screaming and ran towards it. " Jimmy?" He said where was he " owen help!" He heard Jimmy yelled, owen look up and look in horror Jimmy was dangling from the shelf above him .

What could he do could he catch him owen needed to think fast, maybe he could run quickly to the top shelf. Owen attempted to run and climb to the top shelf but by the time he started Jimmy couldn't hold onto the shelf anymore and started to fall.

Jimmy screamed as started to fall only for someone to catch him. Jimmy looked and saw it was the old guy. He looked at Jimmy, what was he going to do to him ,kill him.

Owen could only watch as Jimmy fell only for the old man to catch him and looked at Jimmy. 

The other rats had heard screaming and were running towards the direction it came from. 

Martyn who arrive first look in horror as the old man held Jimmy in his hand ,the others rats minus tubbo who attempting to charge towards the old man and attack him only to be stopped by Scott and bek.

They all could only watch in horror. 

Jimmy looked at the old man as he looked at him,suddenly he moved towards the bookshelf Jimmy was on and toward where owen was. Was he going to capture him too. 

But instead of grabbing owen ,the old man pkace Jimmy gently down next to owen surprising everyone. Jimmy looked at the old man ,he wasn't going to hurt them. 

Despite begin a bit scared Jimmy decided to say something to the old man.  " thank you for saving me" Jimmy said, the old man looked at Jimmy. 

" I'm just glad , your alright little one" the old man replied, " so your not going to hurt Jimmy?" Owen asked, " hurt you?" The old man said, " I just want to help you".

Chapter Text

The rats stared at the old man , he wanted to help them. " you want to help us?" Jimmy asked, the old man nodded. " yes when I saw you all yesterday eating. I was surprised to see you all . When you all fled I went looking for you and find where you all been staying.  I realized you been here awhile , so I decided to leave you food in hopes of trying to show you I mean you no harm" the old man replied. 

The rats just looked, he didn't seem scary in fact he was friendly like the old women at the mansion. Unless he was tricking them but he didn't seem like he was doing that. He saved Jimmy's life.

The other rats that were listening begin to approach, the old man noticed them . " hello little ones" he said, Martyn took a step forward ,Scott following him. " hello" Martyn said, " hi" Scott said the other rats begin to say hello too. And introduced themselves to the old man , who also introduced himself he was named was Snipe Anteator .

He was apparently the only one that went to the library mostly as a result it was dusty and had cobwebs and the books were barely read. The rats were thankful for that so they won't get caught. 

" you little ones can keep the food . I won't need it" Snipe Anteator told the rats , the rats were happy they didn't have to sneak to the box anymore they could take what they needed now. But why wouldn't he needed it didn't he needed to eat.

 most of the rats wanted to do something in return for Snipe Anteator ,Scott knows that the library is quite dusty maybe they could help him clean it. " as thanks for the food how about we help keep the library clean" Scott suggested to the other rats,  Snipe Anteator had left and left the box of food where the rats could get the food easily. 

The other rats look at Scott, " that does sound like a good idea " Jimmy said, " it is quite messy and he's the only one that comes to the library" Owen said, " Atleast we don't have to worry about him anymore " El said but they still had to be careful around the others.