The second breech had also occurred in the southern mansion, this one much larger than the force that caused the defenders to notice this. There had been another attempt to breech the wall much further up, past the defenders, but this one had ended as quickly as it began and the rotting bodies were now sustenance for the leafy mutant vines lurking within the hedgerow.

The fat, one eyed rat twitched its whisker-less nose determining that the living upon the walls were not the only fresh meat available in the vicinity and 'guided' the rodents around it towards that other source. They scampered unseen towards the delicious meal source, easily scampering beneath and between the long bars with the metallic scent and through the unkempt weeds nearby, before rushing through a line of bushes. Suddenly, the last squeaks of the fallen echoed around the rat and several of the rodents, mostly rabbits and the one hare it controlled, fell, twitching upon the ground. It did not stop to eat sensing danger, instead it hurried its minions towards the human habitat and had the remaining rabbits throw themselves at the currently sealed openings. Soon there was a loud crack...

Ren Zexian's air root was not only useful in creating blades and bullets from the surrounding atmosphere, but the element allowed him swiftness of movement, speed and with enough strength he would even be able to fly again. Right now, it was enough that he could guide the energy to his feet and legs, to gain speed as he ran towards the mansion base... and his lover. He gave only a cursory glance at the dead bodies lying within a patch of rose bushes and the same to the wriggling ivy as it strangled a few bodies in its ceaseless grip. The glass of the living room window had a clear hole, large enough for the rodents, though a streak of black-green blood was upon one jagged edge, clearly it hadn't been enough to stop the zombie rodents from breeching the property.

The front doors burst open with the force of gales, breaking the lock and damaging the door, but Ren Zexian could not care about this destruction right now. Using his grasp of the air, he sent out his internal energies, scanning the property for movement. The air brushed against many unmoving objects before sensing that which it sort; easier than attempting to find out which room or hallway the crashing noises and baby cries were coming from. Quickly, Ren Zexian made his way towards the gym.

The gym equipment was mismatched, from unusable running machines to weights. But there was something all had in common; metal.

*****

The baby had started crying not long after the others had left to intercept the zombies. Autumn glanced over at Brooke, who was carelessly finishing her meal with added complaints that it was boring and not satisfying. She didn't like the jam, so dry bread was all she could consume. Autumn turned away and went to see the baby herself. He was just a bit wet and uncomfortable, so she changed his nappy, noting that he was quickly making his way through the newborn size that they had, maybe they would last a fortnight or so? Fortunately, he was growing well, the next size up would be a bit big, if they had to use them too soon, but not for long.

As the baby had no intention of going back to sleep in his cot, Autumn wrapped him in a blanket and felt her heart melt as he nestled into her hold. What did it matter that the little one had a mother that was not on the maternal side as yet? He had a couple of aunties and a whole slew of uncles already looking out for him. Not to mention his loving daddy. Brooke would surely come around at some point as well, her cousin was mostly self-centred, but she was not an uncaring person.

Good job she came to this conclusion as when she descended the stairs, for she heard said cousin complaining loudly; "Am I going to have to consume that lettuce soup for lunch, again? What am I? A rabbit?"

There was the sound of glass cracking and it didn't come from the kitchen. Autumn, glanced into the living room to see the distorted face of what possibly could have been a cute bunny over a year ago, smack into the window. It left a streak of grey-green as drool slid down the cracked pane from it's jawless mouth. Autumn clapped a hand over her mouth and slipped back into the kitchen.

"We have to get out of here!" She said to the others at the table urgently.

"Eh, why?" Brooke questioned. Perhaps she had become too content with their easier life at the mansion and had forgotten the horrors of when they were still in town struggling to survive. It would certainly explain why she continuously complained about the taste and lack of variety about the food.

Before Autumn could explain, the cracking noise came again and was much louder this time. They all froze as they heard the squeaking and squealing come from the living room. Brooke became the fastest upon her feet, Autumn, who was nearest the door followed with the baby, while one teenager picked up one toddler and followed. "Come on Nathan," Shaun urged the youth who was staring at the back door as if waiting for it to open. He'd been a little dazed for a while, but he looked around when called, his azure eyes glinting green in the light.

Eraj pushed Shaun's chair through the kitchen door, just as Brooke screamed loudly, causing Nathan clutch his ears in pain. A thin wall of metal blocked the living room door where a handful of undead rodents had rushed towards them, squeals of anger followed along with scratching.

"It won't hold for long," Shaun admitted, his brow coated in sweat. Using his small energies to create metal from nothing was draining, even this weak barrier. It was not pure and not strong. Sure enough, claw marks appeared within seconds. Brooke began to run up the stairs.

"Where are you going?" Autumn asked.

"Hide upstairs, they can't get us so easily if we get to the loft!"

"What about Shaun?" Brooke's nose wrinkled as she looked at the man stuck in the wheelchair. Who asked him to not be able to climb and want others to risk their lives for his?

"Go to the gym!" Eraj suggested. "There's lots of metal there and Shaun can, maybe use it?" He had some elementary knowledge about their abilities, having much the same curiosity as Patrick, just not the same levels of exuberant enthusiasm. Besides, it was not like he could use it himself.

Shaun nodded; it would certainly be easier using that which existed already over that which did not. He wanted to be strong, not wanting to let the chair define him. He didn't want to be protected all the time, wanting to protect others instead. Surely, he couldn't turn down an opportunity to test himself?! Brooke watched as they headed to the gym, but hesitated. Glancing at the increasingly large tear in the thin metal barrier, she bit her lip and followed after them.

The metal from the weights became a thicker barrier, but one with a series of very narrow gaps. More metal became poles with dangerously pointed ends; it was Shaun's intention to use these as spears, piercing the undead with the ends as they attacked the bars. Only problem was that there was a serious lack of muscle from their point of view. Autumn and Eraj held the spear and thrust it through the narrow gaps, the scraping of metal on metal causing sparks. They barely scratched the rabbit gnawing at the bars with its sharp teeth, but managed to pierce into the flesh of a vole. The next couple of attempts were in vain.

"At least hit one!" Brooke complained in a panic as she held her crying baby in the corner. She was wishing she had taken to the loft now! She didn't want to die!

"Trying!" Eraj replied, gritting his teeth.

"What about Shaun controlling it?" She asked, looking accusingly at the man now flopped in his chair.

He shook his head, a look of irritation mixed with frustration upon his face. "I can't, I've no energy left!" A bottle of water suddenly appeared in front of him, held by Nathan, but the man waved it away. "Thank you, but I'm not thirsty, just feeling completely drained."

Nathan backed away, clutching the bottle to his chest for a moment before he tilted his head and opened the window. "Nathan, stop!" Eraj went to grab his wrist, worried he'd let more zombies in. Instead, a long, flower topped stem appeared in the gap and shook its yellow petals. It looked somewhat like a dandelion, only bigger and its yellow petals had red tips.

A bar suddenly snapped, distracting them and the rabbit with diamond tipped teeth was shoved forward and the bar fell from the door, taking with it the top of the wooden frame. The smaller rodents began to rush through. Eraj began to curse profusely, while Brooke screamed again and began to cry, even snatching the bottle of water from Nathan's hand and to throw it at the rodents. Shaun gritted his teeth and used what little energy he could summon to toss a weight at them, crushing a few.

The flower aged suddenly and the green bulb remaining burst into a head of white. It shook itself again and the seeds floated through the window and as if drawn to the zombie mice, landed upon them. A series of small explosions happened over the rodents bodies and they collapsed, twitching as if in shock, their remnant fur and flesh wriggling about weirdly. Roots suddenly burst from their corpses as well as small green shoots and leaves. The girls and Eraj both heaved, it was pretty shocking to see.

"Now that's just freaking weird," Nan Li Liang muttered, while Shaun managed a weak laugh.

The rodents still outside the barrier had also paused at the sight for some reason, Eraj and Autumn took the opportunity to stab one of the remaining rabbits, while the last also became a flower bed of mutant dandelions. The one eyed rat fled only to meet its demise at the end of a blast of angry black fire which consumed it in seconds, leaving only ash behind.

Ren Zexian ignored the carnage at his feet, to press against the metal bars and to see that the ones they had left behind in the house were alright and he exhaled a breath. "You are all well," he said, aloud to solidify this fact. But as he said it, his eyes were on one person alone. His worries were washed away with one tender smile from his Nathan.