"Do you think it really could work?" 9 asked as Dr. Jeden placed the last two pieces together. Jeden turned towards the stitchpunk and nodded. He heard the pieces click together and turned back to his work. The machine looked just like the one that 3 and 4 had showed him and the five humans necessary for the recreation were all here, but nothing could be certain. The doctor who had created the stitchpunks had recorded the creation process in great detail, but he had not covered bringing dead stitchpunks back to life. But this was all the surviving stitchpunks had wanted ever since the humans had come back. Jeden had to at least try.

"Okay," Jeden stepped away from the machine to let the four look it over. 3 and 4 climbed all over the machine, their eyes flickering at each other the whole time. 9, not knowing the details of the machine, simply walked around it and gave it a tap here and there. "Everything seem alright?"

3 and 4 flickered their eyes for a second and then nodded at Jeden. "Perfect," Jeden smiled with the stitchpunks. "Then, all we need are the other four humans."

At that moment, 7 walked in through a small hole in the wall. "The others are ready if you are, Jeden."

Jeden nodded. "Then let's bring them in."

7 nodded and left through the hole. A minute later, four other humans walked into the room, one of them holding a small box. The soul-circle began shaking, almost humming when the four others came in. No one was shocked by this because every time one of the humans came near the soul-circle, it would vibrate a little and when everyone was near it, it shook like crazy. This was how they had been identified as The Numbered; this was how the stitchpunks knew that there was a chance to bring the others back.

Mark Twee, an engineer, was very nervous (as usual). After all, he had designed the new bodies; all he could do was pray that they worked like they had in the past. Ron Viisi, a seamster, was also a bit nervous since he had helped sew the dolls together so that they'd look like their past bodies. Their creations rested in the small box that Christopher Shida now placed on the table. Everyone had been a little worried about Shida since he was only eleven years old. However, after a lot of convincing, Shida had gotten everyone to believe that he could make it through the procedure. Evan Atte, an environmentalist, opened the box and lifted one of the bodies out of the box.

"Does this body look like 1?" Evan Atte placed the body on the table and let the stitchpunks look the body over.

7, 3 and 4 looked the body over and nodded. "This body is perfect, right guys?" 7 asked the others.

3 and 4 nodded and then looked around for 9. He was over by the box, looking into it. 9's put his hand on the edge of the box and stared at the two bodies that mattered most to him. 7 came behind 9 and placed a hand on his shoulder. It was no secret that 9 still blamed himself for 2's death and even for 5's death as well. No matter how much convincing was done, 9 could not be swayed. It was even rumored that he was only doing this as some form of forgiveness. But The Numbered knew better; they knew how sad the stitchpunks had been since the lose of their friends.

"Don't worry, 9," Viisi sunk to his knees and placed his fingers on the table's edge. "None of them blame you. In fact, they'll be proud that you worked so hard to bring them back! This is all thanks to you."

9 gave a nervous smirk towards Viisi, then to 7 and then back to The Numbered. "Thank you."

After a moment of silence, Atte said, "Well, what are we waiting for. Jeden, I think you're first?"

"Yes..." Jeden had volunteered to go first since he had made the machine and, as Shida had pointed out, Jeden's number did come first.

4 picked up 1's body and started dragging it to the machine. 4 almost dropped the body, but 3 ran over and caught it. The two dragged the body up to the shackles where 7 had climbed up and was waiting to strap the body to the machine. 9 pushed the mask towards Jeden, who tried to pick it up without shaking. The rest of The Numbered waited, tense. No one knew what would happen and everyone wanted to be present to see what Jeden's fate would be.

7 finished hooking 1's body into the machine and jumped down, 3 and 4 following suit. 9 gave one last look at Jeden before stepping aside. The mask was heavy as Jeden raised it to cover his face. 4 and 3 climbed up a switch and started pulling it down. Atte walked over to them and shooed them aside so that he could push the switch down. Jeden raised a hand, waiting to give the signal to Atte. Finally, when 1's body was in the middle of the circle design on the mask, Jeden waved his hand. Atte pushed the switch down and a green light began to glow around he mask. A bolt of green light shot from the mask into the machine and into 1's body. Suddenly, a sharp pain shot into Jeden's heart. He could feel a part of him ripping inside and burning to ashes. The feeling spread through his whole body until he couldn't feel anything other than the burning sensation. Jeden gripped the table in pain and bit his lip. Then, as quickly as the feeling had spread, a feeling of emptiness began to move towards his heart.

No, Jeden thought. I don't want this to be the end. I don't want to die like this. Some other way... Some other time... Not with Shida... I want to know... Did it work... What's happen... Am I alive?

And, as his body began to fall, he saw it move. Jeden closed his eyes as he fell. At least he knew.

And with that, Jeden's soul was in 1's body.

I know, the prologue is confusing, but it's all going to be explained later. I promise! Pleases stick around for the next chapter before you decide you're against it. Also, anyone who can figure out why the characters have such weird names gets a mention in the next chapter. I don't own 9 (but I do own The Numbered).