Two years after the war the world fell silent. The sounds of bombs and explosions did not echo across the earth in great numbers, or even at all, everything was still. Objects were littered around the ground and somethings were still on perches where man had once put them. Two long years of huddling in fear and hiding. Listening to 1 with his large ego and fat, old, mouth. 8 keep anyone from speaking up against 1, so everyone just had to take 1 and his rules.... until now.

7 had found the only way to become free of 1's dictatorship. It was a rather easy thing to do..

A she had to do was leave.

Of course this came at a price... safety in numbers was something she'd lose. Yet there was loss that had caused 7 to contemplate on her leaving. It was the loss of her friends. She couldn't take them with her... 1 could stay alone and toil for all she cared. 8 was a lug head with cotton for brains, he was often challenging 7 to things, seeing as how she was the only other warrior she had more of a rivaled friendship with him.

It was the others she worried about.

She and 6 were well off, he was always showing her his drawings of 'The Source', even if she didn't know what they were, she thought they were nice. 6 was a strange one yet he was kind and creative.. and so easily overpowered by 8. The large stitch punk would always pick on the smaller, pan striped one. Ripping drawings apart, stepping on them, taking 6's key and such. She worried 6 would sercome to 8 and 1's tough exterior without her there. Making 6 more with-drawn then he was now.. if possible.

7 and 5 were the best of friends. She would take him with her on adventures and try... under line try, to teach him fighting moves. 5 wasn't as shy as 6, but he was easily dominated. She didn't worry to much about him as 2 was there with him. Though 2 was often out and would most times leave 5 back home, under the rule of 1 and at the mercy of 8. Even if the two wouldn't hurt 5, they were mean they were not evil, they would still bully him into a corner.

To 7, 2 was an uncle. Some one who you could confided in and tell your fears to, without them losing faith in you or making fun of you. 2 was the strongest and bravest of her friends. He was always out and scanning the wasteland for 'riches' as he called them. From morn to night 2 would go out looking and exploring, sometimes taking his apprentice 5 along. 7 had nothing to worry about in the case of 2's safety, he could handle himself.

The twins... they were her most worry. To 7 the twins were brothers. They both, for one reason or another, had grown closer to her then the others. When she had first found them then lead them back to the others , they had clung to her. They both were nosey and shy little things, like children. Then again they were the scientist's inner child, so it made sense. They were smaller then the others and when 8 was board of picking on the artist of the group, 6, then 8 would cast his eyes on the twins for picking upon. Like the time he had rolled their hoods over their optics and pinned the hoods into place. 7 found them wrestling on the floor, tyring to free themselves in the throne room. 8 and even 1 finding the sight to their amusement. As much as 7 wanted to take the twins with her.... it was just to dangerous.

7, after a week of pondering had finally chosen to leave. As unsmart as the idea may seem to many, the decision was made on one point 7 had come to reilise. She could study the cat creature.. learn its weak points and, dare she think, defeat it. It was in everyone's best intrest, even if 1 wouldn't see it that way. Then, when it was safe, she would come back to get her firends and they'd find a new place to live... maybe even 1 and 8... if she was in a good mood.

7 watched all her Friends crowd around her. She was ready to go, everything was pack and she was decked out in her usual outfit, bird mask and all. 1 was sitting on his throne, 8 at his side. They were both ignoring her now. 7 personally didn't care what they thought, they were just pouting because she wasn't doing what 1 told her to..

"Please 7, reconsider!" 5 whimpered, he set his hands on her shoulder. He wasn't very happy about her decision, he was such a worry wort.

"5, I think 7 has her heart set on this." 2 said, putting a hand on 5's arm, easing them off 7's shoulder. 2 smiled sadly at 7 and sighed "I'm sure she knows what she's doing."

"Thank you 2." 7 smiled back, she turned to 5 and embraced him in a hug. It took a moment for 5 to return it. "I'll be fine 5." She spoke to him warmly, before pulling back. She felt 5's hands trail off her, unhappy she was slipping away but not fighting it. 7 felt something tug on her elbow. She looked down and found 6 crouching at her side, holding a rolled up piece of paper towards her.

"Take.." he said, a bit jidderly. 7 obeyed and unrolled it in her hands. Yet another masterpiece of 'The Source' only this one was slightly more detailed then most others. The picture had to have take 6 a few hours to make. 7 rolled it back up.

"Thank you 6. When I find some place to stay, I put it up on my wall." 7 remark. 6 made some sort of evil giggling noise, so the idea must have pleased him.

"You could stay here and-"

"5555555..." 2 said disapprovingly, making 7 giggle. She looked around at everyone. She'd come back for them as soon as she could. She turned to go but two pairs of hands rapped around her arms, stopping her.

She turned back, looking down at the twins, who refused to release her arms. Each had a good grip on her , their fingers almost intertwining with her cloth. She crouched down to their level, setting her hands on their head. "Don't worry guys... I'll be back." 7 said, patting them. They still refused to relinquish her arms.

"Looks like they want to go to." 2 laughed.

"Absolutely not!"

Everyone looked to 1 when he spoke. The stitch punk slammed his staff down on the floor repeatedly. The bell on the end twinkling madly. "Those two are not going any where! Niether are the rest of them!" 1 scowled.

7 frowned and felt the twin's grips grow was another thing 7 hated about 1. He refused to let the others have any free will at all. They were just there for his protection, something he could throw to the cat creature if needed. 7 was about to make a retort when the twins let go of her arms and tackled her into a hug. 7 smiled warmly and pulled her arms around them, holding them closer. "Don't worry.." 7 whispered. "You won't have to stay here for too much longer." She stood, giving 5 and 2 each one of the twins to hold onto. Then she took some angry strides up to the self proclaimed leader, but 8 jumped in the way.

7 stared the larger stitch punk down, they both stood their ground, not backing down. 7 leaned over to the side, managing to look 1 in the eye with prompting 8 to move. "You'd better keep them safe 1! All of them, or else!" 7 snarled. Eight moved forward, hoping to intimidate her, he stomped his foot down and growled at her. 7 heard the others (save 2) jerk back behind her. 7 stood her ground the great brute, staring him down. Only when 8 looked away did she turn and leave.

Her Friends parted into two separate groups, allowing her a clear passage between them. 7 walked past them and into the elevator, she put her hands to the rope and looked back at everyone. 8 had moved aside and she could get clear look at 1. He was looking off to the side, clearly not caring she was leaving. 8 seemed just as unfeeling about her departure, he kept eyeing his back, wanting to get away from the others and have some fun with his magnet. 5 was gripping 3's shoulder like it was a life line, still disapproving but not arguing about her choice. He pulled 3 slightly closer, as if imagining he was 7 and 5 was keeping her from leaving. 2 was looking at her, a sad smile on his face and a look of understanding in his optics, he was holding onto 4's shoulders but not clenching them like 5 was doing to 3. 6 was stilling on the ground, dragging his finger around in little circles on the floor between his legs. He looked back up to her, noticed she was looking at him, and ducked his head back down to his finger. The twins did nothing, they were only watching her with faces of confusion and sadness, like puppies who had been left out in the rain for no reason.

Only when the bucket began its descent did the twins react. 3 tired to make his way toward her, but 5 held strongly to his shoulders, making him look like he had jerk a little in 5's hands. 4 held up his hand half way, as if mentally battling about putting his hand out all the way to stop her. Instead 4 pulled it back to clutch the bottom of his hood for comfort. 2 held onto 4's shoulders, rubbing them slightly to ease his worries.

The sound of the bucket hitting the ground echoed in the chapel, sending the stitch punks, including 8, to the window. The Twins smooshed their faces into the stain glass, the others crowed around behind them to look out the window as well. 1 stood from his throne and joined the others, only a little ways away from the group. All the male sticth Punks finally saw 7's form exit the chapel, run across the Emptiness and into the ruins of man's buildings.

The twins and 5 slumpped in disapointment. She really left...

1 on the other hand snorted, only he couldn't let a frown of worry show on his face for a split second but wiped it off as quickly as it had come. One less stitch in his side.... 7 had always been a pain.. a nuisance... free spirite and what not... but...

1 turned and made his way toward his throne, pausing to look at the beast picture 6 had drawn at least 2 weeks before they all knew the thing even existed. 1 frowned.. he just wanted everyone to stay safe... but his ideas of safe often tackled with some of the others ideas of ' imprisonment' .... he couldn't let this faze him! The others had to know he ruled with an iron fist.... bot in speaking terms and literally.. 1 spotted a calender 2 had brought into the sanctuary to keep track of time.. after a few weeks everyone forgot it was there.. 6 had even ripped a piece of paper of it to draw on.. 1 marched up to the calendar and blobbed his finger in one of 6's ink jars, the movement being caught by the twins and 2. They turned and watched 1 scratch an x over the 7 on the calender. 1 rubbed his hand clean on a rag nearby.

"Good ridance to the wench." 1 muttered loudedly walking from the room.

2 almost couldn't keep a good hold on the twins, keeping them for running after 1 in a fit of anger.