Chapter Text
It was cold and it was wet. That much was obvious.
The rats were all getting tired. They wanted somewhere warm to crawl up where they wouldn't have to worry about huddling together for warmth at night. They were fresh out of food when the house came into view.
It was a wonderful house. A wooden one of relatively large size. The driveway was unshoveled, leading up to a closed garage. There was a greenhouse off to the side, a well worn path in the snow. A few bird feeders sat out front as well as a few empty flower beds. An unkempt hedge keeps the house from the forest surrounding it. The strangest thing about the place, was a stone tower built into the side. It came up next to a chimney, the roof being the same wood as the house.
If it weren't for the lights on inside and the path to the greenhouse it could easily be assumed the place was abandoned.
They debate going inside for a moment. It's a unanimous decision to go inside.
They find a hole in the wall. It's hard to find, it being cleverly hidden behind a decorative rock that is the border for the aforementioned flower beds.
Inside the building is warm, causing all the rats to sigh. It's cozy, a bit messy but lived in.
The rats spread out to explore. They never go far from each other, however, as there is safety in numbers. Owen ends up taking the lead, he is the big rat that makes all the rules after all. Martyn and Scott join him. Jimmy takes up the rear with Shelby and Lizzie. After a while, Jimmy can't shake the feeling that they're being watched.
When he voices his concerns, he's met with murmurs of agreement. Everyone moves more cautiously after that.
As they explore the house they come across a lot of closed doors. Most of them are upstairs and no one knows what's on the other side. The kitchen and pantry are open. It's hungrily raided by the rats.
As they wander, they find various sitting rooms with roaring fireplaces. It's a bit similar to their old place. They start trying to find a way up to the attic after that.
They avoid the tower.
They get together in a sitting room upstairs. They all huddle around the fireplace, a few warily watching the doors for any humans that might come inside. They still haven't seen who lives here after all.
Jimmy glances at the doorways. As Safety Rat it's his job to keep everyone safe. The feeling of being watched only intensifies.
His eyes skim over the couch as he goes back to watching his companions. He does a double take when he processes a rat was on it, watching him.
When he looks back, the rat hadn't moved. It feels like the rat's red eyes stare into his soul and he shivers.
The rat himself is a blonde one with red eyes that can stare into your soul. He wears what looks like a varsity jacket, the sleeves red while the torso black. Underneath he wears a plain white shirt and simple pants.
Jimmy thinks he's strangely beautiful.
He calls out tentatively, drawing the attention of all the others. They go silent when they see what Jimmy is staring at.
"H- hello?"
The other rat responds, voice raspy in an endearing way. "Hello."
"Can- can we have your name?" Jimmy glances back at the others. It's been a while since they've seen another rat, but this time it seems they're intruders in his home.
The rat jumps down and runs over. He stays a distance away (probably due to the size of the group) but Jimmy can see that he's about a head shorter than he is. He seems fast despite his small size.
"Tango of the Tek variety! May I have your names?"
He doesn't seem aggressive. That's a good sign.
Jimmy introduces everyone. A few rats shy away when e points them out, everyone is a bit on edge.
Tango hums in response. He seems to think for a moment, his gaze unreadable as he scans the group.
"Do you need a place to stay?"
A few of the rats exhale in relief.
"Gods yes. We've been traveling for a while a place to stay would be lovely" Jimmy tells him. It seems he's been deemed the one in charge of communicating.
Tango claps his paws together and brightens up.
"Wonderful! I can lead you to the attic and show you around then!"
He rushes up and grabs Jimmy's paw, leading him away excitedly. He stumbles at first but quickly matches the pace set by the smaller rat. If his heart beats faster at the contact, nobody but Jimmy knows.
The rest of the rats follow quickly, some more trusting than others.
Tango navigates the halls expertly and dangerously, choosing to walk right in the middle. The other rats (minus Jimmy but he's being dragged) follow from the safety of the edges.
He stops in the middle of a hallway. He brings Jimmy over to the side where he jumps up onto a table with practiced ease. He turns and smiles at the other rats, gesturing for them to follow. They do. Most rats are up before Tango jumps to the shelf next to the table. He lands on the side, claws sinking into the wood as he climbs to the top.
He turns and smiles and gestures for them to follow.
They hesitate as Tango leans over the side, ready to catch someone if needed.
Jimmy runs. Rats shout his name.
He jumps. Paws grab for his clothes but they miss.
He lands on the side of the shelf, claws sunk into the soft wood. He climbs as far as he can up. Tango is within reach now.
Jimmy takes Tango's hand and is pulled up with surprising amounts of strength.
Tango flashes him a smile that warms him from his very core before leaning back down and calling for the next rat. Jimmy mirrors him a bit farther away.
More rats trust Tango to catch them than Jimmy.
The disappointment dies when Tango takes his paw again. Jimmy is once again filled with that warm feeling, a smile on his face.
He'll process it later. Right now, he's being dragged into a hole in the wall and he needs to focus so as to not trip over his own paws.
Tango leads the group through a maze of tunnels inside the walls. Jimmy glances back occasionally to ensure the others are following. They are.
Tango let's go of Jimmy's paw to jump up and out of a hole. Jimmy follows him. It's not the first time Tango let go of Jimmy's paw to jump up onto a ledge during their trip through the maze. Tango's always taken it back and this time is no acception.
They come out of the wall under a table in an upstairs hallway. It's one they went through before, being on the opposite end to the house compared to the sitting room they were in before. The carpet lining the floor is a mossy green, complimenting the wooden walls and making the place feel warm and cozy.
As the rats come out from the hole in the wall, Owen approaches Tango.
"Hey Tango.. I've been meaning to ask but... What are the humans like? The ones that live here I mean"
Tango uses his free paw to tap his chin thoughtfully before responding. "There's only two. Although sometimes a cleaning lady comes around and you wanna hide from her but the guys who lives here are nice. They never hurt me so they're chill"
Tango shrugs at that last bit. Owen's expression flicks between concern, disbelief, and relief. Tango looks over Owen's shoulder to do a quick headcount before spinning around and announcing they're off again. He marches off, Jimmy in town as the other rats follow.
As they walk to wherever Tango is taking them, Owen makes small talk in an attempt to get to know the new rat better. They eventually start talking about machines and Jimmy tunes them out. He's brought back to the present by Tango.
"Speaking of machines!" He let's go of Jimmy's hand and jumps up onto a ledge. The rats follow and watch as he pushes open a dumbwaiter. This one only goes up.
Tango goes in, beckoning the others to follow and stands next to a button on the wall. As soon as they're all inside, he hits the button with the side of his fist. A sheet of metal slides up, keeping the rats inside as it begins to move upwards. A few rats (especially Owen) are very impressed.
"This here is great for getting big things or large groups up to the attic. Of course you don't need to activate it and you can just jump down or climb up but there are buttons at the top and bottom to call it."
"Did you make this?" Owen asks, staring at Tango in awe.
"Yup!" He pops the 'p'. "Of course Zed and Impulse helped me get parts but yeah I put it together."
"Who?" Owen asks the question they're all thinking. (Well the ones that are tuned into the conversation)
"Zed and Impulse!! The guys who live here?" Tango says it like it's basic information.
Jimmy speaks without thinking. "They give you things?"
"Yeah! They're pretty cool like that."
At that moment, the dumbwaiter reaches the top. It comes up through a hole in the floor, the pulleys and whatnot of the machine on full display to the vast room, and the edge keeping the rats in slides down. The mechanism that brings it up and down is structured like scaffolding sitting above the hole in the ground. Various mechanical parts are scattered near a rat sized door in the nearest corner.
Tango is the first off the dumbwaiter's platform. He spins on his heel so he's facing the group and spreads his arms wide. He grins and proudly announces, "Welcome to the attic!!"