A/N: here's an ender to end all things

It started with the crash in the kitchen.

They were all huddled on the floor of the living room, the younger three playing a rowdy game of cards while the oldest sat with a book in hand, absently watching over them. He was winning by far, holding the least amount of cards whereas his sisters struggled to cut down the hefty pile in their hands. They would occasionally accuse each other of cheating and break out in a fight with him in the middle, and then his oldest sister would yell at the over the top of her book and they would sullenly drop the fight. Only two more cards and he would win.

Everyone froze at the sound of shattering glass and looked at each other with wide eyes.

"What was that?" one of the younger girls asks.

His oldest sister stands. "I don't know. Maybe the cat knocked some—"

Her words end in a gasp. Four burly men shamble into the living room, dressed in tight-fitting black clothing and thick ski masks, hardly normal clothing choices for mid-July. All of them tense slightly at the sight of the kids, but relax when they see the lack of a threat.

"You said it was clear," one of then grunted at another.

"I saw the car leave. I didn't think they'd leave the kids behind," he shrugs. "Besides, what's the problem? They're just kids."

The tallest and biggest of the men stepped forward. There was a gun on his belt, and all the children knew it wasn't anything like the toy guns they played with inside the house.

"Now listen up, kids," the man said in a tone that marked him as the leader. "We just here to pick up some goods, okay? We'll be in and out without hurting a fly if you all keep quiet and stay in that corner. That sound good?"

The men pushed them all into a corner before the kids could reply. The oldest sister stood in front of her siblings, shielding them with determination as the men began to ransack the house for valuables. He and his sisters huddled together, shaken with fear. He pulled on his oldest sister's shirt.

"Yuri, what's happening?"

She didn't reply. Her face was set in a fierce but shaky frown, one that was prepared to do anything to save her family but was too young to brush aside the panic. He believed in Yuri. She was his big sister and she would do anything to protect him. She could beat these guys up like she beat up that bully that was bothering his other sister. Yuri was strong.

The men went to every room in the house. He heard them rummaging upstairs in the bedrooms, downstairs in the basement, even in the stuffy closets. Everything in the house was new and spotless, but they were not interested in items.

They wanted money.

And they couldn't find a cent.

Eventually their search began to grow violent. They started breaking everything they saw, including the TV, the glass cabinet, and the windows. They knocked down bookshelves, cut open sofas, and broke table legs, shouting all the while. Their frustration was almost tangible.

"Don't worry," Yuri told him in a trembling whisper. "The alarm went off the moment they broke that kitchen window, so the police are on their way."

He wanted to believe her, but it was hard to trust her reassuring smile when her eyes were full of uncertainty and worry. She flinched as one of the robbers threw something over their heads, which shattered against the wall above them.

"I don't believe this!" he roared, addressing the other men who were returning empty-handed. "In this whole damn mansion there's nothing worth taking. Not even some damn jewelry!"

The heated glares turned to the children, and Yuri crouched defensively in front of her siblings. With a nasty smirk and a condescending chuckle, the leader yanked her to her feet and pulled her aside. He bent down to her eyelevel and shoved his face up to hers.

"You're the oldest. Don't you know where your parents keep important things?" There was a mocking leer on his face. "Things your parents told you to always take care of real good," he elaborated, "Things to give robbers to make them leave. They told you about stuff like that, right?"

She shook her head desperately. "I don't know! I don't know what that is!"

He didn't buy it. "Now go look for it. If I don't like what you show me, I'm afraid I have to take your siblings from you one by one. One dies every ten minutes unless you bring me something." He pulled out the gun from his belt. "Get moving."

She was looking all over the house. He could hear her running frantically up and down the stairs, revisiting rooms more than once out of panicked confusion, knocking things over and emptying various containers, searching for something, anything. His sisters huddled close to him, either seeking or giving comfort.

"This is taking too long," one of the men grunted.

"You got any better ideas?" the leader snapped back. "We couldn't find anything worth a damn. If anyone knows where the dough is, it'd be the kid."

"Doesn't sound like she's finding anything," another man mused.

"Maybe she thinks we're bluffing," the fourth man added.

"Heh." The leader thumbed back the hammer and pointed it towards the kids. "She'll see."

Just then, there was a deafening shatter of something fragile breaking on the floor. Everybody in the room jumped slightly at the crash, startled out of their conversation. There was a short cry of pain, followed shortly by a poorly restrained cry of anguish.

Then silence.

"Broke a vase," the man closes to the door observed, peering down the hallway. "Giant thing too, from the amount of shards around her."

"Time's up," the leader announced quietly. The other men fell silent but did not look too upset. "First payment's due."

The gun went off.

His sister's hand went limp. His other sister screamed a wild shriek that rang in his ears. He didn't dare turn his head to see what happened, but kept his eyes fixed on a frayed spot on the carpet.

Just don't look. Don't look, because nothing happened. She's just screaming because the gun went off. No one's hurt. He's such a bad shooter he missed her completely. There's no way she's…

He heard another scream mingling with the one next to his ear, and he took his eyes off the carpet long enough to see Yuri standing in the doorway, face contorted in a wild scream. Her fingers were covered in blood, as if she had dip-dyed her hand in a vat of ketchup. She charged at the nearest man with fists swinging ferociously, but he held her back easily. The leader strode up and grabbed her by the front of her shirt.

"Tick-tock, little girl. I wouldn't waste my time if I were you." He pointed the gun over his shoulder in the direction of the remaining siblings.

Yuri twisted out of the man's grip, and blinking back tears, raced off once more in search of unknown valuables. It was an impossible treasure hunt. By now the men knew that she had no knowledge of a safe or hidden wealth. If she couldn't find a stack of money by now, it was evident that she never would.

But the leader was not fond of giving up.

Ten minutes later, the second shot went off.

He didn't turn; his eyes remained fixed on the carpet, refusing to accept the reality of the lifeless bodies on either side of him.

They're just playing dead. Yeah, that's it. They're playing dead so the robbers won't hurt them. I should do them same, huh?

It was his turn next. He knew because the gun was now pointed at him, the short barrel of the pistol glaring down, cold and merciless.

"The best for last," the leader grinned. "Come on, little girl. Or you'll lose the last one!" He leaned down close and bared his yellow teeth. "And what a waste it would be."

He wanted to kick the leader in the shins. He wanted to beat up all of these robbers and chase them out of his house. He wanted to show them not to mess with his family.

But he couldn't. He wasn't brave enough.

Not like Yuri.

The police couldn't be far away. He thought he heard sirens in the distance. It was only a matter of time until they arrived and took these bad people out of the house. It was okay if he couldn't save the day, because the police would take care of them. The police and Yuri. She could deal with these robbers without breaking a sweat if she didn't have to worry about her family.

She'll protect me.

He was her favorite. She would do anything to save him.

She'll protect me.

"Time's up."

The hammer clicked.

She'll protect me.

She'll prote—

A/N: I think an apology is in order...for ending this series in such a horrific way. Sure, I wanted to end these snippets off with a heartwarming story, but in all honesty, I'm not as big a fan of Angel Beats as I used to be, and the only idea I had left was this one, which I had been dying to write since the beginning. So...yeah, sorry. Hope you enjoyed these! Thanks to everyone who favorited, followed, and reviewed! You guys were a big part of my motivation!

Edit: Oh, and the reason this chapter is called Reprise...other than the fact that I didn't know how to say "ending" in terms of Overture and Interlude (even though I didn't have an Overture shhh), I thought that maybe Yuri's dream back in the first chapter is what's happening in this chapter? I dunno, man. Imagination. Use it.