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Edgar didn't know what was going on.
Okay, factually not true. He knew that someone was messing with something that they shouldn't have. He knew that said someone had messed up and broken the Old Rules. He knew that someone had apparently raised the dead and they were now running around.
So yeah, Edgar was now running around the house, trying to find things that would be good to use offensively. Distantly, Edgar wondered if Lewie was affected by what was going on. He wondered if Lewie was having fun with the zombie apocalypse. Who was Edgar kidding, the somehow richer man was probably having a blast and killing zombies left, right, and center. Lewis Carroll was probably having the best time of his life right now, living out one of his horror novels.
No, who Edgar should be worried about is John. John, while terribly capable from his time taking Tai chi while his eyesight was still good, now was partially to mostly blind. Not completely blind, but mostly blind. Blind enough to use a walking stick and prefer sunglasses. John was good, but zombies could be better.
But then again—
William was living with John right now. William Faulkner, was better at hand-to-hand than both John and Edgar, who was terrible at hand-to-hand despite how Pedro tried to teach him, but Edgar was still so terribly miserable at hand-to-hand–
Ah he was getting off-topic. William would keep John safe from things that he could not see. Horrors that he could not comprehend happening. Maybe this would be enough of a push even! Those two idiots danced around each other in something not as sensual as a tango, and not as classically beautiful as a waltz. It was some sort of bizarre dance that almost reminded Edgar of a bird flaring its wings for a fight and instead it managed to turn it into a mating dance.
Scooping up some knives from the kitchen, Edgar made a note to himself to give these to Pedro. Their honorary uncle was good with knives, but knowing Rubén like he did, the professor wouldn't let any of the undead near his family.
The family that was near him anyways. Rosario was apparently staying in one place, and both Rosario and Rubén were having a discussion in the living room currently.
A discussion, not a fight. Edgar had to keep reminding himself of that. Rubén and Rosario did not fight. They sat down and talked out their points while the other side pointed out the cons that they could see. They didn't fight, not like Edgar's first parents did.
Edgar needed to remind himself of that fact. Rosario and Rubén discussed things. They didn't fight. They wouldn't– they were far more mature than Edgar's biological parents, even if they far more like parents than his biological ones.
Briefly, as Edgar found a hefty rolling pin, he thought about his older brother. Henry was probably fine. Maybe. Edgar was sure that Henry was fine.
. . . . . . . . . . . .
Maybe, maybe Edgar should reach out. After all this is over. Or while they're on the move. Edgar should see if Henry was all right. He was quite sure that Henry was alright, but–
Edgar would just check. Just to make sure. He didn't owe Henry anything, Pedro had made sure to pound that into his head, Rubén had dragged him to so many therapy sessions to ensure that the knowledge would stick, and Rosie herself would cut Henry for insinuating that Edgar owed something to Henry after all this time.
He didn't have time for things like this. He was in the middle of a zombie apocalypse. He needed to be gathering up weapons and finding clothes to hide away in trunks that could be hidden in either his and Rubén's Abilities for later purposes. Focus on the now and the later would come later in it's due time.
Shifting back into the living room, he saw Rosie stretching. For a second he was filled with childish jealousy. She was an ice skater and could be one of the best in the entire United States if she wanted to be. But no, why would she want that? Too many expectations, and with how their family was when it came to drinking and gambling, addiction ran through their veins like blood. Too much pressure, even with Robert watching over her, would lead her to open a door that no one wanted her to open. And so Rosie was one of the best, but she only did it out of fun and taught others. Honestly, everyone else in their family was so proud of her.
Edgar was still so jealous of her flexibility.
Robert was studying a tome in his hands. An actual tome. One that Edgar didn't recognize, and that might be a little concerning. Robert was a chemist. He wasn't someone who studied the Old Books, but he was Rubén's friend, and he was curious to a fault. Sometimes they had to reel him in like a fish on a hook because while he was a reserved man in the social sense, he was also somewhat of a "mad scientist," and honestly, Edgar was surprised that Robert hadn't accidentally started a zombie apocalypse. It would have been an accident, and Robert would have fixed it, but it honestly wouldn't have surprised Edgar if Robert started the zombie apocalypse through medical means.
So Robert trying to understand what was going on was actually rather normal. The tome in his hands wasn't normal, but perhaps in the circumstances it was the most normal thing in this entire world right now. The sky could burn and fall, and the oceans could dry up and expose all the hell inside its depths, but Robert would definitely be still be reading a book. And maybe being a little bit of a mad scientist.
Rubén and Rosario were still deep in their discussion, and so Edgar left them to it. The slightest bit of anxiety still curled in his stomach, but he silenced it with memories of the two of them still being together and never truly fighting. The pattern would continue, even in the zombie apocalypse.
Aunt Muddy was stirring her tea.
Ah, lost in thought.
Edgar crossed the threshold into the living room and sat beside his aunt, leaning back and letting Karl leave his shoulders to curl up on his aunt's lap.
"Nervous?" His aunt asked, one of her hands leaving the spoon in the teacup and curling it in Karl's cur. He cooed up at Aunt Muddy, pressing against her stomach.
"A little." Edgar admitted. He could be honest here. He was with family, there was no reason to lie here. He felt exposed though, there was no cloak to hide in. Edgar was supposed to be spending a night with his family, it was supposed to be a happy time. He wasn't supposed to be hiding in his cloak, as Rosario put it.
He wondered if he could get away with going and getting it right now. Surely Rosario couldn't be upset with him for going and getting it because they were now in an unexpected zombie apocalpyse, right? Oh who was he kidding, he was totally going and getting it regardless, and Rosario would tease him about it regardless. All in good fun, to alleviate the tension of the entire world breaking zombie apocalypse.
Oh no. He had been thinking about his family. He hadn't even thought about his, his, well, he hadn't thougth about Ranpo-kun. He hadn't thought about the Armed Detective Agency. How were they faring? Were they okay? Surely they were fine. The Armed Detective Agency was surely fine, right? They were the Armed Detective Agency, so surely they were fine. Surely Ranpo-kun was fine, Fukuzawa-dono would ensure that he was fine.
Ranpo-kun was fine. He had to be fine.
"How are you?" Edgar deflected. Aunt Muddy was physically fine, but he needed to make sure that she was mentally fine. Emotionally fine. Edgar was totally fine himself, but he needed to make sure that everyone else was fine. He would be fine for as long as this apocalypse was going on, and he would be fine for a very long time afterwards too. Edgar was fine.
Zombie apocalypses were his bread and butter, truly. He could handle this.
"I am a little worried." Aunt Muddy said, sipping at her tea. "There is quite a lot going on, and who knows what those two are talking about." She motioned to Rosario and Rubén, who seemed to be winding down from their discussion. From the look of their faces, it looked like Rosario was winning. Not really that surprising, actually. Rubén might be a poet that held both a sword and a pen with equal capability, and certainly few weaknesses, but he had one that he was incredibly weak to.
One of those weaknesses was family, but people, most people, the smart people, knew not to poke that weakness. Not unless you wanted to get on Rubén's shit list. Very few people belonged there, but when they earned their spot, they did not move and that was solely because of their own actions. Edgar did not feel for those people, they made their bed so they would lie in it.
Rosario technically was a weakness while also doubling as being the weakness of the wife and also being the weakness of family. However, messing with Rosario would immediately punt someone right to the top of Rubén's shit list and on his bad side and landing their ass firmly there for all eternity. Rosario was someone who could take care of herself, of course. That was abundantly seen when she had so easily taken out Edgar and Rosie. But that did not mean that Rubén wasn't highly protective of Rosario.
His attention was immediately snapped back to Aunt Muddy as she tucked a long length of hair behind her ear as she stared off into the middle distance, pursing her lips and likely trying to pull her thoughts together. Aunt Muddy wasn't a poet unfortunately, but she also had always talked with her actions, not her words. There had been no needs for "I love you's" and "I care about you's" and "I would kill someone for you's" in Aunt Muddy's household. That was clearly seen with each time that she had met them at the bus station with a smile on her face and her hands outstretched for Edgar and Rosie to take. That was clearly seen whenever she made them good food that tasted amazing. It was clearly seen when she took on the entire school district and refused to back down, no matter how many lawyers she would have to get involved for the coming legal battle that Rosie had technically instigated.
"I'm not too sure where my place will be in this coming fight." Aunt Muddy said calmly as her hand went back down to her lap and resumed scritching Karl. Karl, who chirped happily at the offered scritches and arched his back like a cat into them. Little traitor that he was, like Edgar didn't meticulously groom him and pencil out time for scratching his chin in the morning and evenings.
"Where do you want to be in the coming fight?" Edgar asked, leaning against the couch and watching as Pedro found the knives that he had placed on the living room table. He twisted them back and forwards, likely testing the weight. The man always had a knack for the knives, but Edgar had the feeling that kitchen knives were unfortunately different from his uncle's normal throwing knives that were hidden on his person. Edgar knew for certain that there were at least five knives hidden on his uncle right this very second, and as he watched, the kitchen knives disappeared, and he didn't know where they went.
Not his problem. It was all Pedro's now.
"I would preferably be by all my family's side." Aunt Muddy sighed. "But I have a sinking suspicion," her eyes slid to Rosario and Rubén, "that we might be splitting up. So that may not be in the cards for us."
Edgar hummed, messing with the hem of his mockneck turtleneck. He knew where he would be, by Rubén's side and taking care of things on the front lines. There was no other place for Edgar, because that was something that he needed to do. He wouldn't allow Rubén to go alone, as much as he trusted the man, there would likely be hoards out there. And while Rubén was surely capable, and he would have Pedro and Robert, who were also so very capable, there was so much that could happen and could go wrong.
Accidents were called accidents for a reason.
Edgar wanted to, no, he really needed to be there to mitigate all the accidents that he could. Certainly, he knew that he would be treated like a kid the entire time, but it would be worth it.
Rosie leaned against the couch, done with her stretches and a soft hum left her lips.
"I'm going to be going with the front liners." Rosie said, and it sent a lightning bolt down Edgar's spine as he stared down at Rosie's curls.
"What?" Edgar hissed. Karl chittered softly, stretching a little hand out from Aunt Muddy's lap and curling his little fingers and claws into Rosie's hair. "What do you mean, you're going to be joining the front lines? Rosie—"
He clamped his jaw shut.
Edgar couldn't tell Rosie that she couldn't do anything. She would just try to do that thing harder. It was some sort of reverse psychology that only happened when he said no. It wasn't when Rosario said no, it wasn't when Pedro said no, it wasn't when Robert said no, and it certainly wasn't when Rubén said no. No, Rosie only rebelled when Edgar said no. What a pain sometimes.
Edgar really wouldn't trade her for the world.
"I'll be fine." Rosie shrugged her shoulders, like this was just another skating meet that she was taking care of and not the damn zombie apocalypse that someone had made from breaking the Old Rules. "I'll find someone to stick with and make sure they stay alive too."
"Rosalie Mackenzie Poe."
Edgar tilted his head at that voice, finding Rubén staring down at Rosie with intense brown eyes. Eyes that were normally full of warmth, but currently were full of equal parts concern (not too unusual with the lives they led) and strictness (a little rare, as Rubén had met the two of them when they were already in their teens, so there was no need to play the stricter parental role. There was no reason for Rubén to be so strict right now. Well, hold on. Zombie apocalypse and Rosie trying to go on her own. Maybe the strictness was needed.)
Rosie stiffened up, her shoulders shrinking down, before she shook her head and tilted it defiantly as she looked Rubén in the eyes.
"I'm going to be on the front lines. You can't stop me."
Oh. She was terribly determined then. She was looking Rubén in the eye and stating plainly that she was going to do something when usually she wanted to play games and let others figure out the solution after a lot of trial and error. She and Pedro got along quite well because of that, they were tricksters in that sense. And she wasn't going to back down at all, not about this.
"I'm not going to try and stop you." Rubén's voice was soothing in it's normal cadence and honestly just its normally soothing loveliness. Truly, Rubén's voice was as if someone managed to capture sunlight in the afternoon and a cup of Nicaraguan cacao and blend the two with a perfect balance. "But I do wish you would bring someone with you that we trust, or someone that we all trust as a whole."
Edgar's spine straightened.
"The Armed Detective Agency."
He didn't realize he had breathed the words out until Rosie turned to him, eyebrows waggling just the slightest and he pushed her with his foot with a huff.
"You want me to take care of your boyfriend?" Rosie teased. "The detectives always seem rather capable whenever I chat with them."
Edgar's eyes slid to the side.
"I am a little concerned for them. This is an, unprecedented issue." Edgar turned his head to the side. Truthfully, he was quite concerned for Yosano-sensei in particular, as well as Atsushi-kun. The woman was more than likely having PTSD flashbacks of everything that he had found out about with the War. Look, he had trouble sleeping and he had gone digging, if they didn't want that information found they should have hidden it better. And Atsushi-kun already struggled so much with simply acknowledging his humanity. Taking care of the undead would not be helping in this regard at all.
"Most members will be fine, and Ranpo-kun will be fine as he will be protected." Edgar muttered as his finger tapped on his knee until Rubén's hand gently rested on his shoulder.
"Worried about Sonatin?" Of course Rubén already figured out what had Edgar worried.
"Him and Yosano-sensei."
Perhaps it was hypocritcal of Edgar to be so concerned about the woman that he had killed in one of his novels, but he had found common ground with the woman about their pasts. While they didn't share quite similar ones, they did share similar traumas. And similar families that would destroy the world for them in an instant and truly, both Edgar and Yosano-sensei didn't really know what to do with that power in their hands except to tuck it away in their hearts for a later date. Maybe they would keep it there until they died and everything would be fine.
"Ah yes, the young woman would be quite the concern right now. She's a doctor." Robert muttered as he followed the line of text from the tome in his hand.
"I do believe it would be best if you went with the Armed Detective Agency." Rosario spoke up from where she had been quiet. She leaned against the back of the couch from behind Aunt Muddy. "Rosie, while you are perfectly capable, some of those in that Agency need the support you could give them."
"Don't try to manipulate me with your words." Rosie complained, and Edgar knew that she had already decided to go to help the Armed Detective Agency. A weight was lifted from his chest. His sister would be safe.
"Then it's decided." Rosario nodded. "Maria, you will be with me while Pedro goes with Rosie to get her to the Agency. The rest will go with my husband."
"What exactly is the game plan?" Pedro asked, a knife coming into existence at a soft groan from the entrance, but it was just the wind against the wood. "Who are we seeking out?"
"There are a few reporters that have been quite," Rubén was searching for a word, "ridiculous. In their endeavours lately. And trying to find leads is something that reporters do, yes? So why don't we go and get the answer straight from the horse's mouth this time instead of running around the city like chickens with our heads cut off?"
Edgar stood, Karl on his shoulder again.
"I think we need a wardrobe change first." He smirked at Rubén, who grinned brightly at him and the mention of their shared cloaks. "But that sounds like a fine idea."
Blood had hit the water, and like sharks, they were going to search it out.