What was the feeling he felt? It was hard to say… A tense pressure was slowly being relieved as it rested on his shoulders, yet a force of air found its way into… what? This new place, a new feeling, a new everything.

There was a light flickering noise as his mind began to piece together. There was a feeling of weightlessness as a cold feeling touched his rough sensory external body. It wouldn't be called skin, certainly not. He was in no means a human, despite his frame. Obviously too small to even be embraced by a child, he was some odd thing between a doll and a cybernetic being.

Yet what was he? Who was he? Correction… was he even a he? It was difficult to call a created being without voice, organs, let alone a single recorded thought a singular sex.

His long and sharpened fingers were the first to move. As though his body was testing itself, making sure all the parts were accounted for, he began to be conscious of himself. That persistent clicking quickened pace, forcing him to concentrate more. Thoughts and words came to him.

Questions. He needed answers. Answers.

But the clicking was determined to keep him working. Think harder. Who was he? Where was he? What was he? Why was he? These were the thoughts of the infant born into the word as a full-grown... whatever he was. He was like a curious child, questioning everything he now felt.

And he hadn't even opened his eyes yet.

The clicking was hardly stopping now, but seemed to have softened inside his mind. It still echoed though, and was quite annoying. Now curious to the source of it, he attempted to see through the darkness. The weight over his eyes was lifted quite sharply and he was suddenly faced with the room he was born into. He attempted to focus though the blurry screens, which flickered multiple times. That insensitive ticking was beginning to quiet and slow down.

The room around him was darkened and musty, and the only light coming from a closed opening that fussed and pulled to be released. He now became conscious of it, and carefully lifted up his heavy head. The clicking was slowing and dissolving more into the scene. He became aware it wasn't in his head, but the opening of light that was shuddered up and pulling at itself.

He gazed at the scene around him. A light wind fluttered past, making odd sounds echo around the room. His sight flickered again as his head turned to look around, until his sight caught something that instantly intrigued him. A small shiny shape sat a bit away from his still limp body, just barely out of his reach. His hand flinched against the ground, his curiosity intrigued. What was it? Why was it here? Could he reach it? Why was it so shiny? How smooth was it? Was it smooth? Why? Why? Why?

Slowly, he extended his hand so that he could take it and see it closer. However, his fingers, even at their length, could not skim the metal. A certain feeling hit his brain, causing it to tick. His lips turned downward without meaning to, and his hand hit the ground with a thud. What a pain, he thought to himself. I want it. I want to know what it is. But how can I see it when I can't reach it? I need to get closer...

After a moment he had a thought and gripped the rough ground, dragging himself foreword. He then swung his opposite hand and caught the still object.

Dragging the object with him, his stitch-opened mouth slowly turned upward. He pushed himself up and landed on the bend in his legs in a kneeling position. He carefully looked the object over, his slight smile widening.

The object was smooth and cold on his sharpened metal claws, and the lines formed three individual sections. There were odd carvings on practically every corner, though three prominent ones were set in the center of each of the divided sections. His fingers traced the symbols and the edges between them. What were they? What did they mean? Why was this object here, so out of place like he? Was it for him? Was he not to even touch it? Why wouldn't he be able to? What---

Cr-CRACK!

Being so entranced by the object, he jumped considerably when the covered opening let out a loud shudder. He looked around, his sight shuttering as he looked about the darkened room. It was at this point of new-found height that he could see over the side of the ground he knelt on.

There, laying sprawled about the ground was some odd shape covered by loose papers with scrawled writing coating it. He scooted on his knees to see off the side, trying to get a better look, but the mass was hard too see with his newborn vision. And the darkness certainly didn't help.

The shuddered opening fussed again, and he looked at it. Why was it so noisy? Was there something on the other side? Did it want in? Or was this out? These questions pulsed in his mind until he gave up and decided to investigate.

He looked before him. There were three large blocks before him, all of which were stacked clumsily atop one another. He carefully moved his legs from under him, balancing himself with his hands as he lifted his body up onto his infant legs. He stumbled, almost losing his footing, but caught himself on the stack of... books! That was the word that came to his mind. He smiled, somehow knowing what the objects were in some hidden part of his mind.

He pulled himself forward using the books (the thought that he had remembered that word somehow... he felt victorious!) and crawled uneasily atop one. His legs still were becoming accustomed to the weight, but remained steady as he crept ahead, the object clutched in his clawed hand. He scooted himself to the book that leaned on his own and pulled himself up onto it, luckily not slipping on the surface. He felt more victorious, how well his first memories were going! He ran swiftly down the books in his glee, luckily not falling right onto his face.

The remaining obstacle was that of the frame of the… wait. He knew this one. Just like the books, the word was there. A word just perfect for it… door? No, too big. Think hard… Glass had something to do with it but… Window! That was it!

He smile went wider as he reached to the top of the window frame, and placed the object on it. He clawed at the surface and lifted himself up, having a bit of difficulty but seemed boastfully proud of himself as he cleared the edge.

He then stood up, his hand contacting the shiny object and taking it with him. The window quaked again and he put his hands on it carefully. He could feel a cold wind hit his sensitive exterior, obviously the result of the fussing window. He then pushed, putting most of his weight on the wood. It was hard, rough, and difficult to push, but two great shoulder throws did it, and the window swung open.

As he straightened up to gaze at the outer world, his mind clicked thoughtfully. How empty and desolated it was.

This world was beautiful; it was the world he was born to. The sky was a sweet dark color, and the masses of wood around his current perch were covered in holes, like tattered blankets flapping in the wind. It was amazing, a world that perfectly matched himself and his body. The room he was born into was darkened, and those shades comforted him. The outer realm was a bit the same, though more lit then before. It held a certain home-like feeling. Yet strange shades, brighter and vibrant shades, met his mind in mixed patterns. How funny to think of them, those colors in his mind must have been the colors of ugly forms.

He instantly fell in love with his world.

It was his. All his.

So, this was life.

He rather liked it.

However, as he gazed out into this world, he suddenly heard a sharp squeal. He looked around in confusion until his eyes gazed downward. There a small figure pulled a large object, far below him. He squinted his eyes to get a good look, but it was simply too far away.

He opened his mouth to give a shout to them, but nothing came out but a low squeak. He couldn't say a word. His hand met his throat, a questioning look on his face. That might be a problem.

He glanced to the object in his hand. It would be difficult to carry on his own… but at this point he noticed his own cloth body had and opening directly down the half of it. He examined it, opening one flap to look around inside. There were cords and wires and everything else inside of him, almost like his outer stitching that was used to keep him together. He was dark, a bit empty too.

Carefully, he placed the shiny object inside and pulled up on the piece of metal holding him together. The metal slid up easily along the prongs it sat on, and was locked tight as the metal reached his neck.

He smiled, quite proud of himself.

He turned around, obviously having no intent of jumping all the way down to meet the new being from so high up, and leapt quite swiftly off of the window sill and then off of the… table! He was getting good at this.

He looked to the mass that was still and rather limp looking and walked past it without a second thought. He wasn't sure what it was, but somehow it gave him a queasy feeling, as though it was simply so out of place it frightened him. But the mass was the least of his worries, he wanted to know about the moving thing outside. What was it? Was it friendly? Would it like him? Could it speak? Could it help him to?

These were the questions in his mind as he ran out of his birth room, the shiny object clunking against his insides and his eyes shuttering, a touch of curiosity seeming permanently imbedded in them.

****

He reached to outer side of the building, having a bit of difficulty as he swiftly hopped down one broken chunk of wood after another. He had thought he was alone, and the first thing he saw in this world… well, he simply couldn't just let them get away.

But as he reached the last chunk of wood and hit hard cold dirt, the light squealing had gone, and replaced with nothing. He looked around, his mouth going downward again as he wondered what happened to the other moving thing. He cautiously took a few steps forward into his new world, his eyes darting about. Now that he was out of the certain comfort of his birth room, he felt exposed and vulnerable to whatever else may be lurking… even the thought of the moving thing be some horrendous beast that sought to devour him crossed his mind, but he continued to move onward.

Both sides of him were empty. The barren city hugged itself in fear of… something. Probably the beast that hunted it. Perhaps that was why he was no longer cold like he was in his room. The beast was breathing down the city's neck, threatening to lash out.

Finally, a form caught his eyes. Curiously creeping around a large object that somehow seemed out of place in this organized world, he looked in side the large opening. There, two things the shape of him were huddled together, their skin tight and poisoned. They were much larger, like tall slumbering giants. The smaller one sat around the taller's lap and latched it by the neck tightly, as if for their now gone lives. He stumbled back, a pang of fear hitting him. What were these things? The beasts? And was it just him… or did they oddly bear the resemblance of the form sprawled on the ground in his room?

But before he could question farther, a low squeal met his sensitive hearing again. He froze, his gaze darting around before he quickly took step, away from the dead things and into the masses of rubble. He found himself quite quick on his feet, the numb feeling now replaced by strength and a certain eager energy to break down and run.

Yet as the squeal stopped again, he froze. He was in a pathway now, with no sign of the moving form. He glanced back, wondering where it had gone to. Slowly he stepped forward to contiue, but a brilliant flash of light made his body move swiftly without meaning to, and he hid behind a tall chunk of an item.

He froze, eyes widened. What in the world was that light? He had acted so quickly without meaning to, but something echoed in his head. Scattered words with meanings he thought he knew, but as he tried to grasp they simply floated away. The light could be seen as it crept closer, it's source getting so close, he could hear it's quick footsteps. His foot lightly touched something next to it and his view snapped down. A large bulky object sat there, seeming just too perfectly left there. He bent down, grabbed it by both hands, stood up, and prepared for the attack.

He watched the light cautiously, which was now projected on the wood infront of his hiding place. Between the holes of debris he saw shapes, some bloodthirsty masses os demons that hissed lightly at the sight of him and large figures who looked right over to him. He's here! They hissed joyfully. They let their slimy fingers crawl down his skin, and bony fingers clutched his own. He was out in the open, and now was nothing but a toy to them. They played with their toy, singing high pitched squeals in their joy of their new scrap of meat.

His breath quickened as it stepped so close he could hear it's breathing, He slammed his eyes to a shut position and swung around the corner, cleaving the beast across the head.

The light went out, and it was dark.

He swung back around the corner, some odd mix between victory and fear pulsing in his mind. However, a low groaning caught back his attention. Curious. He peered at the beast around his hiding spot's corner.

And it looked at him.

He swung quickly back around, clutching his weapon.

"Wait!"

He froze. The thing… had spoke. It said a word. It had a VOICE!

"…I'm a friend."

He looked back around the corner in his surprise, the weapon dropping from his now loose fingers. The thing that lay weakly before him now was small, his size and shape, though he looked vastly more worst for the wear. It groaned as it tried to stand on it's own, and he rushed to it, helping it to it's feet.

It looked oddly more crudely made then he, and was fastened together with leather sleeveless cover, which was tied by loose rope. It wore an odd looking thing on it head with a snuffed out string and a large chunk of glass over it's face. As it straightened up it looked to him, his eyes not as wide as his grin. He laughed lowly, moving the glass closer to get a better look.

"I'd always hoped…" He said airily, still laughing as he walked carefully around him, looking at his font, side, back, and side again. "So… you're our 9 at last!"

He gave the new one a questioning look, but he simply continued his inspection. He picked over everything, beeming as he looked to the thread hold his arm up and laughing as he gently touched his hand. His hands were gentle and slow as he carefully moved, his voice comforting and rough.

"So much thought...The details… Hand stitched… Carved wood… Molded copper! My goodness, you're the best one yet…" He said, looking back up to him with an eager smile. "I'm 2. Excuse me for being so ecstatic… We almost thought you didn't survive…"

He gave 2 a questioning look, and mouth several words as he ushered to his throat. 2 looked a bit dumbstruck.

"You… can't speak?" He asked, and was responded with a shaking of the head. The being put his hand to his chin thoughtfully, and looked to the large metal piece. He glanced to him. "May I?"

He nodded and pulled the piece down halfway, and 2 gingerly reached inside. His hands carefully felt around, shockingly warm to the touch. He thought to himself, muttered a bit, and then moved away. He walked several inches, and beckoned to the other.

"Come with me, I may have just the thing."

He quickly picked up his feet to follow the other being, some part of him slowly becoming drawn to the rough voiced copy of himself. He had that quality to him, to be so easily trusted and comforting, and the newborn was drawn to it. He walked quickly behind the older one, who took a curved stick from a strap on his back and began to walk with it assisting him. It was intriguing, the way he had changed from a limp to a fluid walking motion.

He glanced to the newborn, who watched the stick with interest.

"Well… I guess I'm just not as young as my mind thinks it is, eh?" He said with a grin. "When you take as many risks as I do when being 2nd born… well, you lose a few things."

He smiled, tapping his plating skull with his knuckles, "One can assume I've just lost my mind, but my body keeps on going right without it."

The newborn smiled at this jest, and followed quicker to 2's step as they walked toward a large cart covered in odd shaped items, one of which was a large creature with soulless eyes and a cold grin, it's body laying belly-up on the cart. The newborn looked nervously at it, wondering what in the world it was. 2 seemed to notice his curiosity, and took his arm in his tender grasp.

"Don't worry, just some things I've collected around the area. I'm a rabid inventor, you see, and these are just new treasures to help me out. Feel free to look at my things, you seem a bit curious, eh 9?"

He smiled, thinking to himself. 9? He rather liked the appointed name. Images of a curved line and circle reacted in his mind. Was that his name, that symbol? Where did it come from, so suddenly?

2 stepped briskly ahead of nine, letting go of his comforting grip on 9's arm and walked to his treasures. The newborn looked in surprise at 2's back... There an oddly curved shape that lay as a line at the end was stained into the cloth on his back. 9 cocked his head, but walked back behind the limping being.

2 shifted around his treasures and 9, looking around, copied his action. As two picked up a stick and slashed it across his foot, the bulb at the end reacted and erupted in a sharp yellow and red light that danced in the air. 9 looked at it, questioning what it was, but an obivious 2 lit the string that was over his head on the white mass and there the light stayed, flickering silently and 2 swung the stick and the light still on it vanished into light mist.

9 then looked to the treasures, a long, shiny, and thick object catching his eyes from where he stood. He bent over the cart, taking the object and tapped it with one metal (copper, 2 had said?) finger. It made an odd metallic sound, and hummed in his hand. He smiled, and wondered what would happen if he hit it just a bit harder... A louder sound? Or perhaps quieter? He pulled back, preparing to slam the object against the cart.

"STOP!"

9 froze, clutching the object tightly in surprise. He turned to 2, who held out his hand and had widened eyes. A second object was tight in his hand as he moved forward, taking the shiny rod and putting it back on the cart.

"There are things in this world... that should be left where they lie. Those were the things the humans loaded their guns with, and killed each other with them. If you would have carried through with that... Well, you'd be missing more then your mind."

He smiled sadly, but moved up to 9's metal-clad middle. He reached inside with the object, setting it onto several cords and then snapping it into a small stand. 9 jumped as he felt a shock through him.

"Try that..." 2 said slowly. 9 looked down at him, letting out a high pitched crack. The being flinched, but turned the object and adjusted the cords. "Again..."

Another cracking sound, this one lower, "Wait, closer..."

A hiccup of a deepened crack, "Little more..."

A hiss and static tone, "And..."

"F..ff.... f... Fr..iend?"

2 smiled sweetly, looking up to the newborn, who beamed happily, "Friend. Good."

But as he smiled at the younger being his eyes traveled downward, and his smile faded. He took a step forward, carefully pulling down the piece of metal to look deeper into the interior body.

"What's this…?" He asked. 9 looked down in surprise, but reached inside himself and took out the shiny half-orb he had found in his birth room. He handed it to 2, who let out an exclaim of joy.

"You found it!" He said, and chuckled. He looked between it and the being before him, "He's always drawing this… This is it!"

9 gave him an inquisitive look, but a low rumble took away his attention and he looked around in a nervous interest. Slowly, his gaze returned to 2.

"Are… Are we alone?"

2 laughed gently, "No, no…"

But a low roar snapped him out of his daze of looking at the object. He looked around in surprise, slowly gazing at the area around them with caution in his widened eyes. 9, now worried, looked around too as 2 stepped in front of him, the shiny object still clutched in his hand.

"Shhh…." 2 said softly, "Go, go on…"

He gave 9 a gentle nudge, though didn't take his eyes off his surroundings. The newborn did as he was told, silently questioning what the sound was as 2 slowly spun a mechanism on the object on his head. The piece of metal lowered and snuffed out the flame, melting the area into pure darkness. 2 cautiously reached back to his cart, sill not moving his eyes from the outer edges of the area. He fumbled a bit, placing 9's treasure on the cart and then moved his hand around, groping for something. He found a large stick with a pointed piece of rock tied to it and pulled it off, holding it defensively to his body. As he glanced around again at another roar, this one louder, he noticed 9, who stood a bit away and was questioningly looking around as he stood next to a large empty mass.

2 made a hiss to the younger being, "Get in the can! Go on!"

"But…"

"I can defend myself! You're still a newborn, you're not ready yet! You are still weak!" 2 snapped, his comforting voice suddenly sharp with his worry and fear. "Now go!"

9 stalled, but slipped inside of a bent out entrance of the large hiding spot and peeked around the side, his eyes flickering.

2 stood defensivly, obviously not willing so easily give up his treasures as he took his stance before them. However, his breathing was rapid and his eyes darted at the slightest sound. That deep snarling was all around him, seeming to have no source but the opposite sides that his eyes went to. The being held his weapon awkwardly, his body showing he was not used to fighting, if he ever fought at all.

He heard the deep gargling rumble again, this time directly in front of him. 2 clenched his weapon and focused only ahead, and slowly backed up. If it was in front of him, it would give him extreme advantage. He would be able to take off as soon as the beast attacked, and perhaps find shelter until it gave up and left both he and 9 alone. He knew this place well enough, and could pinpoint a hiding place anywhere…

But a low and shallow creaking halted him, and his eyes went wide. Had it… somehow gotten behind him so fast? He was sure it was in the front.

He turned to look over his shoulder, his legs a bit shaky as he turned, and was blind sighted by a strike across his body and a loud roar.

He hit the ground several feet from where he had been cleaved across the body by some sharp trio of blunt objects. 9 gasped loudly as he landed before his hiding place, small tears now on 2's body.

2 let out a groan, looking ahead of him to his weapon, which had landed a few inches from his hand. He stretched out to grab it quickly, but a million pounds of weight and metal were forced down onto his body, making him gasp loudly and several of his interior parts snapped. His view looked back in surprise as a great beast with a vicious bleached skull, one spotlight-lit eye, and the other dark red let out a gigantic roar of fury. It arched it's metal clad back as it stood on four legs, like some horrific animal.

2 yelled in fear, quickly lashing out to grab his weapon as the beast wrapped it's flesh drained metallic claws around his body, pulling him up with a cloud of dust. He reacted, slashing the beast across it's face with his sharpened weapon. He shrieked and threw him roughly to the side of him as punishment, causing him to crash into his cart of treasures. He let out a loud groan of pain and flopped onto the ground as several of his treasures fell on the dirt with him, including 9's shiny half-orb. He lay still, his body folded a bit from his position of laying belly down.

Though the beast swooped in on it's pray with a hungry intent, it stalled as it's seneitvie red eyes spotted the orb. It looked at it, taking it daintily with two long sharp fingers to hold it up and look at it.

By now, 9 leaned practically out of his hiding place to watch this horror unfold, and spotted the glare in the beast's eyes as it turned, and quickly hid deeper, fearing the beast had seen him.

It hadn't seen him, but it certainly heard his metal feet echo in the thin can.

Growling deep in it's nonexistent throat, the beast clambored over the piles junk to investigate, it's body hunching over as it looked over the can with it's lit eye. After a moment though, the light disappeared and 9 heard the beast as it creaked away. He carefully turned around the corner to confirm, but the beast remained in sight and grabbed the entrance to the can, ripping it open several inches as the other hand reached inside. 9 yelled in fear and backed up, his back pressed against the other side of the can.

He clenched his eyes, pressing his back as far into the can as possible as the sharpened knives of the beast's fingers only just stroked his neck.

The beast knew something was there, it could practically hear it's dusty breaths and smell it's aroma. It was like the other noisy things, but not like the ones that chased him with sticks that hurt, or the ones that hid behind the others whenever he was in sight, no… This one was different, it was fresh. It had a sweet musty smell still stuck to it, and that other smell that they all had, that baited it to them…. It was ripe and strong on this one.

However, a sudden clunk on the skull took his attention back and made him look back to the being he thought he had killed.

"H-Here, kitty kitty…." 2 said, and tried to pick up a stone nearby, despite the fact his legs now rejected to move. He moved the stone closer. "Why don't you f-finish what you started… with… me…"

His voice trailed off as the beast approached him, seeming to accept his challenge as it snarled deeply and focused it's bright light only on him. 2 lifted up the rock with one hand, though his body shook desperately as he looked at the beast through his now broken glass. He couldn't move, only crane his neck upward and stare with large eyes as his body trembled uselessly and his mouth fell agape.

The beast swooped down, clutching 2 in his teeth and ripping his limp body forcefully off the ground. 2 yelled out in pain again, this one softer but obviously from his throat now, as several more of his insides were ripped or shifted.

The beast took the being with him and stumbled quickly back to the hiding spot, though one look inside showed it that whatever was inside was gone- now only leaving a torn off chunk of fabric and a few strings. The beast roared, striking the can in its anger. The metal mass flew, smashing into some rock with a loud cringe.

The beast then backed away and looked downward. The shiny object lay there but was picked up by the creature and placed onto a set of prongs on it's chest, where it sat precariously.

9 carefully lifted himself over another chunk of trash to see 2 as he was spirited away, the older being gasping quietly as it reached after him, his miniscule fingers stretching against his own stitches as he reached out to the newborn; a deep-rooted terror ran through him with the knowledge that he could not reach him, but the hope that somehow he'd be spared. 9 scrambled quickly up the side to reach for him as the beast ran, but his voice turned into a hiss of pain as his arm hung nearly at its end stitches. He looked off toward the way which the beast took 2, his chest filling with some odd sensation. Bent over a bit, he looked off at the musty horizon, where three towers stood, as prominent as 2's look of desperation, the look now set in 9's mind as his first memory.

This same expression continued to be imbedded into 9's mind as he limped through the ruins, his mind leading him to nowhere, though he had the intention to fully go after the beast. Nevertheless, 2 had said there were others… If he could find them… Would they help him? Help 2? But then why was 2 alone? Had he done something?

But his low energy from the awakening and the attack exhausted the newborn, and he merely stumbled long as daylight came until his legs gave out, causing him collapse in the middle of nowhere. His mind shut down, not even comprehending the fact someone had seen him from far off and now wore a worried expression behind his single eye.