Mable: This was my story for 9's 8th anniversary, but I'm a few weeks late, unfortunately. Better late than never, I suppose! Seriously though, it's been a rough month. XD Anyway, I don't own 9, Enjoy!
Inventing Memories
Five had awoken first. It had made the most sense being that his body was the least damaged. He had been confused at first and exhaustedly wobbled on his feet as Nine and Seven got him back to the Library. After fixing his patch, Five had almost fully recovered, and felt fine enough to tend to the others as Nine and Seven gathered them from the Emptiness.
One had been the second. He needed more assistance from Nine to stagger to their new home, but he was conscious. His hand was badly damaged and Five had to immediately tend to it, but he was coherent, stable-minded, and was even of a better disposition than usual.
Eight had been the third. His fabric had burn spots and he had to be dragged out of the wreckage of the factory, but he was fine enough to walk home without any issues. He asked about One, he asked about Six, and he seemed solemn after the answers he received.
Six had been the fourth. After retrieving him from the trench, Nine had to carry Six home on his back. While he was awake, Six's ankles were both out of place, and he sported a cracked lens and damaged ribs. The striped male stayed mostly quiet during the trip and only brightened once he was at the Library, being doted on.
Two had been retrieved from the depths of the tunnels leading underneath the Library right after they had noticed the glow from the rain, before they had found Five. However, he had not awoken, and as the hours passed everyone sat there silently and waited for Two to awaken.
Five had extensively worked on Two with Nine's assistance. They retrieved parts, they built, they labored, and they managed to work off what the Fabrication Machine had left behind of his lower half. Underneath his fabric, Two was mostly the same except for a few extra wires that they could remove. As for his legs, it was a relief to find the pelvis and upper legs were mostly intact, meaning that Five could rebuild his legs. Normally, this would involve being constantly sedated with magnets, and it would've been a terrifying experience.
But it wasn't a problem, because Two still didn't awaken. They sat there and waited as Two stayed dormant.
"What time is it?" One's voice broke the cold silence as he tiredly straightened his back. He looked sore and clearly wasn't having much comfort sitting on a book. The small pillows and blankets were being used for Two and Six, so there wasn't any to spare, and thankfully One seemed unwilling to demand. It was also difficult to tell time from inside of the twins' study.
Three and Four hurried over to one of their low shelves and sought out a pocket watch that they then carried back together. They showed it to the leader who squinted at the numbers. It seemed to be four o'clock, but whether it was morning or night was also confused to the disoriented Stitchpunks. With all the raining, it wasn't very possible to check the sun either. The pocket watch was the best suggestion, though may have also been wrong, as Three tapped it and Four listened to the watch in confusion.
"I'll tell you what time it is," One answered himself. Or perhaps Eight, who was seated beside him. "Half past exhaustion and a quarter until bitterness." Eight slowly looked over, genuinely confused at what this meant, and then looked around.
"I could get you a bed," Eight offered.
"No, don't bother. I couldn't sleep," One raised his hand in dismissal. He then wrapped his arms around his own frame and rubbed his own fabric, trying to warm himself up. He lightly rocked himself and shuddered.
"I don't think any of us could," Seven agreed from nearby. She had removed her helmet and now sat wearily, nearly mirroring One's own discomfort. "Except for Six, thank goodness. He needs all the sleep he can get." She then noticed Nine, who was sitting at the other side of her book, looking back and watching Five, who was knelt at Two's 'bedside'. Two was also laid out on a book, but it had been lined with makeshift bedding so that he would be comfortable when he awakened. That 'when' was direly important.
"Nine?" Seven quietly asked and the male's head flipped to look at her. Her face marred in concern, "How are you holding up?"
"Uh… Okay. Good enough," Nine awkwardly explained as he turned to the group. "Just… Worried about Two, but that's nothing new." He forced a smile and Seven forced one back while Eight gave a stiff nod. "…But to be honest…" Nine let his smile slip. "I'm a little more worried about Five. Two… Two will wake up eventually, but Five can't handle much more of this." He looked back to his best friend. Five was still dotingly holding Two's hand and resting his head on it; loyally waiting for the inventor to awaken.
"I know. He's pushing himself too hard," Seven agreed as she looked back. "But he would be even more distraught if we asked him to leave Two's side… He's always been there and he's never wanted to be anywhere else."
Nine looked to Seven in hopes that she would elaborate, but it was One who spoke up. Not to them, but to the twins. "If it's as late then that says, then you two should be resting with us. Not organizing your things at such an unholy hour," One directed. Both twins seemed confused by the suggestion, but did as he instructed. They sat down on the floor in front of Seven, with Three putting an arm around Four and held the twin close. A few silent moments passed.
"I sort of have trouble believing that I only just met Two," Nine admitted. Then he looked around at the others. "I mean, if we think about it… I only just met all of you, but I've spent less time with Two." Seven and Eight both nodded in agreement as they listened. "…But I feel like I know so much about him," Nine admitted as he looked back towards him. "I know all about him and he knows nothing about me. I barely have more than a handful of memories, but still… Do I make sense?"
"You make a lot of sense, Nine," Seven agreed. She looked down at the twins with a sigh. "Two is very special. He's very warm and he's always been…" She then straightened and turned to face him. "Two's always been the person who can light up a room. He can make you feel on top of the world… Even when you are at your lowest point. I would know; shortly after my run-in with the beast…"
Just looking at the jagged patch filled Seven with anger. She couldn't believe that she had let this happen to herself, even if she hadn't. It felt like she had let down everyone in letting the beast get ahold of her. It had torn her fabric, it had sliced her back, and it had stolen her number. In a single, fell swoop, the Cat Beast had stolen her identity. It had grounded her and that had hurt more than the wound.
"Oh good! You're awake," Two smiled as he entered into the workshop where Seven had been resting. Now she was currently checking her back in a nearby piece of mirror that Two had on the wall, frowning pointedly.
"I think I would've rather stayed asleep," Seven lamented as she sat down on one of the stools. She dropped her head into her hands and fell into silence. Two frowned at how distraught she looked and moved in, laying a hand on her shoulder.
"I'm sorry, Seven. I… I did what I could, but it needed to be patched," Two assured. "A number is just a number; your health is all that matters." He knew it was a little forceful, but he hoped Seven would understand. A small smile graced her lips and she looked up at the shorter, older Stitchpunk.
"You're right. I'm getting too wrapped up in how it looks. I should be happy that I'm alive." She knew it and she believed it, but part of her couldn't help but still be disappointed. "Everyone's due for a nasty scar eventually, number or not."
"Oh, don't talk like that!" Two assured as he moved his hand to her other shoulder, pulling her into a one-armed hug. "You're beautiful, Seven, and strong, and smart. Scars aren't a determine, they give character! Just look at Five and Eight." The tone was playful, but the words rang true. Two had seen many scars, many stitches, and many patches; none of them did anything more but remind them of the past.
"Now then, if you're feeling better, why don't we go up into the sanctuary and look at that specimen you brought home?" Two asked with a reassuring smile. The specimen being the skull that Seven had brought home. "Perhaps we could find something to use it for."
The pale female sent him back a small smile, perking a little more. "I would be delighted to."
"Something about Two's support got me back on my feet quicker than I expected," Seven admitted, still with a small smile. "He just… Made me feel like it wasn't that horrible. That made me feel more normal. Now the patch is just a part of me and I thank Two for that." It made her feel better to talk about Two, as though a weight was lifted off her shoulders.
"I knew he did a lot of the healing. Five mentioned it earlier," Nine pointed out, getting a tiny smile. "I could imagine that he was a good healer."
"A good healer?" Nine was almost surprised by Eight's voice breaking in. While he spoke earlier, Eight barely engaged in active conversation. He just was the type to sit back and observe, and yet here he was chiming in on their talking. "Two is the best healer. He was better than most human healers. None of 'em could work on something like us… But Two did it without a guide. He didn't get much of anything to go on." He looked down at the tiled floor, "But he still saved lives."
"He worked on you before," Nine pointed out. It wasn't exactly a question as Seven herself confirmed earlier that Two had worked on Eight.
"He saved my life… Or saved my body," Eight admitted. "If it weren't for Two, Five wouldn't have been able to fix us… Two showed him everything and Two put me back together more than I can remember."
Eight had fought a beast twice his size, he had rushed through a battlefield filled with mines, and he had stepped out of the fray with damage without even a wince. Yet here he was, trembling on the cot.
His hands tightened on the edge of the cot and tried to suppress the shaking. It hurt, especially considering the moving that he couldn't stop, and he could feel Two looking around the long flap of fabric that had been cut free. Too many stitches had been broken and the fabric was gaped open enough to show his inner metals, and that was terrifying. He could only expect the worst.
"It is quite a tear…" Two murmured as he continued to study the wound. "…But I'll be able to seal this closed right away."
"I'm not going to lose my arm or something?" Eight asked. He knew of the possibilities from receiving too much damage and all of them were horrifying. Two chuckled in response.
"Of course not! And even if you were, I'd put it back on," Two assured confidently. He patted the guard's arm, "But with how shaken you seem, I think it would be best to use a bit of magnet to relax you."
"I don't need it," Eight denied, turning away as Two went to retrieve it. "I don't hurt that bad. I can handle it."
This got a strange reaction out of the normally passive Two. He gave an almost exasperated exhale and turned to face Eight, with his mouth now set with a frown. Eight raised a brow in confusion and watched as the shorter Stitchpunk moved in. "Eight, I know what you're doing," he began, "and you don't need to do it." His face softened as he set the magnet down on the cot and faced the guard. "You don't need to put yourself through unnecessary pain to prove that you are strong. I simply won't let you do it. I won't let you do that to yourself."
Eight just stared, too surprised at the sudden scolding to say anything.
"I know you're scared, Eight. It's okay to be frightened, but there is no need to force bravado to overcompensate," Two assured with finality. Eight considered this for a moment and looked away towards the wall.
"How much is this going to hurt?" the guard inquired. The shaking had softened, but it was still there. He wasn't sure why he couldn't get it under control.
"You won't feel anything if you let me sedate you," Two suggested and raised the magnet. Eight paused, considering it, and then nodded to give his consent. "Count down from ten," Two forewarned, "and when you wake up, it'll be all over." There was a moment of worry, then a hazy light-headedness, a giddiness, and then nothing at all.
"Woke up feeling fine," Eight added in with the upmost pride. "Two stitched perfectly. Not a broken stitch since… On the line he stitched." He rolled his once injured shoulder to display this. "He fixed me."
"And introduced you to that damned magnet, but we'll pretend that wasn't the case," One interrupted with a scoff. Eight briefly got an awkward look, but still seemed to agree with what he said.
"Two was able to fix my voice immediately after I met him. I didn't even know what was wrong with my voice, but he heard it, looked, and knew immediately what to do," Nine explained with his own smile. "Always has everything under control..." He then looked to One expectantly, thinking that he would tell his own story about Two. After a few moments, One noticed and stared back at the younger, looking confused.
The twins also looked to One, then looked to each other in questioning when they realized that the leader was not going to say anything. Three suggested through flickers and Four nodded in agreement. Then they both stood, preparing to somehow explain their own story, even if it would involve gestures and pictures more than words.
"I'm sure the twins have something to say," Seven volunteered for them. The twins nodded in agreement and tried to start. After a few brief 'whispers', trying to figure out how to continue, they went ahead with their form of 'explanation'.
"What are you two doing?"
Three and Four jumped in surprise and pulled away from the curtained cubby. They looked down sheepishly and flickered their optics in apology. Two, who had caught them, let his concerned look drop to a softer one. He approached the curtain and peered through.
"I know you're worried about him, but he needs his rest," Two spoke. That being said, he still looked through at the injured Stitchpunk laying on the makeshift bed. It wasn't much of a workshop yet, nor was it in much of a sanctuary, but it would work for the time being. Whether Five would be able to recover so soon after such a horrendous accident was harder to predict. Thankfully, he had managed to find good enough patching material, so Five would awaken with the wound already covered.
The twins noticed the distress in Two's body language. They looked to each other and Four took a step closer and took ahold of the older's arm with a concerned look. With a concerned tilt of the head, Four silently inquired if Two himself was alright.
"Hmm?... Oh, yes, I'm quite fine," Two dismissed with a natural smile. He put his arms around both and pulled them in for a brief hug. "Don't worry yourselves about Five. He'll need time to adjust once he awakens and then we can help him, but for now he needs his rest." He patted Three's back and looked between them both. "Let's go see to the others."
"It must have been hard on Five," Nine remarked as he looked back towards Five. The one-eyed male didn't seem to be listening in on the stories and Nine gave a small sigh before looking back to the others. "Thank you both." The twins smiled in response. It had been hard to translate, but it somehow managed to work out fine enough and felt like it was worth it. They both sat back down on the floor in front of Seven.
Then the silence returned once more. Nine dreaded it and expected that they would lapse into the uncomfortableness that came with waiting for Two to wake. If Two was ever going to rouse from whatever this.
As though hearing his wish for a distraction, there was a shuffling noise of fabric and Six sat upwards on his bedding. Everyone seemed equally surprised to suddenly have the artist fling himself upwards and slouch over, looking half-asleep even as he sat upwards.
Eight quirked a brow and dared to speak, "Morning, Bright Eyes." His joke was followed by a slight smirk, "You look just about as awkward as usual." One immediately sent Eight a glare, scolding him silently for the teasing, but Six didn't seem bothered by it. He looked around at the others tiredly and gave a crackling cough.
"I remember… I remember first meeting Two," Six volunteered. It was obvious that Six had been up for a while and had listened in on the conversation. This and the comment itself perked Nine's interest.
"How did you meet?" Nine asked. "After Five and before Seven, I guess?"
"No, no," Six denied. "Before Five. A long time ago… I was confused… I didn't know what to do on my own."
The booming of distant explosions was what scared him the most. After every sound came a light shaking, both from the ground and from Six himself. He gave a choke and huddled down on the ground, covering his head with his arms and ducking into the dirt. He listened in, trying to hear if the noises were moving in closer, and once the distant explosions died down for a few minutes, he leapt back to his feet to run. This had been Six's pattern; hide, sleep, wake up, and run. There was nothing to do but run.
Dipping down an alleyway, Six scrambled behind a garbage can and hugged himself once more. His optics stared out at the alley with a sort of vague emptiness as he rocked himself. He missed his creator, he missed his sketching; he couldn't understand why he would be sent out into this sort of world. With a muffled cry, he covered his face and wept into his hands. They were bitter tears of confusion and ink, ones that he couldn't suppress. After only a few days, Six didn't think he could continue going on like this.
"Did you here that?" Six perked at a voice. For a split second, the older male's voice seemed almost familiar and he thought that maybe it was his father. It became obvious soon afterwards that it was not him.
"No, don't go over there!" Another voice broke in. "It could be anything- another machine, another human- we can't risk it!" Footsteps came closer, but they weren't loud and heavy like those from a nearby human's. They sounded too small that they couldn't even be a child's, though the voice also disproved this. Uncertain and panicked, Six crawled out from behind the can and sprinted back out of the alleyway.
"Wait!" the first voice called. There were more footsteps as Six dashed across the street and ducked underneath a car. He hid behind one of the tired and pulled his legs tightly to his chest, shuddering into himself, and with optics darting around as he listened to see if anyone was following. The artist's crying had halted out of the shock, which he hoped meant that he wouldn't be heard. Whatever it was would hopefully move on.
But alas, it didn't. Instead, Six heard the soft tapping of approaching footsteps. Before Six could even dare to flee, a being suddenly popped underneath the car, standing only a few feet away. Shockingly, it looked like him in a sense. It was different in many ways, but was a small doll of metal and fabric, set with a similar enough body structure. He pressed back against the tire and stared with wild eyes.
The Stitchpunk was about his height and looked down at him with equal surprise. After a few moments, it dared to take a few steps closer. "It's okay, I'm not going to hurt you." Six continued to try and clamber back along the ground, but moved a little slower as he started to recognize that the other Stitchpunk wasn't much of a threat. His face was gentle and his voice sounded reminiscent of his creator's own. It was just enough that Six started to lower his guard; maybe his father said something about there being others, but he couldn't remember.
"I know you're frightened, but we're safe. We're friends," he assured as he approached and knelt down in front of Six. He gave him a warm smile and offered his hand. "My name is Two."
"T-Two?" Six squeaked out as he carefully reached out his hand. Two looked down at it and his optics widened. Before Six could even attempt to retract it, Two had taken his hand with his own.
"Ink pen tips, how fascinating!" Two remarked with growing interest. He turned it over in his own before giving it an assuring squeeze. "You won't be alone any longer." For the first time since he had left his home, Six could muster a smile. Yet before he could speak, he could hear a voice calling for them. Two turned himself and called back to the unknown Stitchpunk. "We're over here! And do try to be more cordial- we have a new friend with us!"
"I was so scared and so confused… But Two made me feel better!" Six cracked out a wide smile. "I was so lost and yet Two knew it was okay. He took care of everything… I miss him." The artist hunched over, hugging around his middle. "I miss him being there when I can't sleep. I miss the nights when he'd hold me, fighting the nightmares away. I miss him so much… It's just not fair!" And with this outburst, Six began to cry. He hung his head and wept onto his blankets. The black, inky tears leaked out of his optics and dribbled onto the fabric.
"Oh Six…" Nine sympathized and prepared to reach out. To his surprise, Eight beat him to it. The guard reached out and patted Six on the top of his yarn.
"It ain't over yet," Eight insisted with an unexpected amount of certainty. "Two's not gone yet. We just need to wait for him." The striped male turned his head so that he could look upwards at the guard. Eight's comfort was not expected as he had never done anything like it in the past. On the contrary, Eight would usually tease Six for his eccentric behaviors, but perhaps everything that happened was affecting him too. The striped male gave a tired exhale.
"I just want to do something…" Six quietly admitted and scooted closer. He turned around, putting his back against the book that Eight was sitting on. "Can we do anything?"
"We know how you feel, Six. We want to help too," Seven sympathized. She really did wish that they could do something more. "But Two… Until he awakens, there's nothing we can do. Nothing that Five or I, or you, or anyone else can do." For a split moment, she closed her eyes and looked away, as though overwhelmed with emotion. She managed to recover right afterwards, "We just… We need to wait."
Everyone looked tragically depressed. Six leaned against Eight's leg while the guard continued to stroke his yarn. The twins huddled together and patted each other on the back. Seven refused to look at anyone directly, leaving Nine and One to look towards each other. Nine sent One a pleading look, begging without words, and One inhaled before exhaling tiredly.
"Very well. I suppose it's my time," One offered. His narrowed optics darted around to see how all the Stitchpunks were now staring at him. "Unfortunately, I don't have an extremely memorable moment that I can offer to you all, but I can give you a perspective of Two when he wasn't able to conceal his worries… Two managed to shield everyone from his concerns, but he did have them. He wasn't as carefree as believed."
This wasn't what One had expected to see when he stepped into the workshop. Not only was Two looking so distressed, hunched over the workbench with his head hanging. It was jarring enough that One nearly froze in place. Noticing that the leader entered, Two perked and tried to cover his sadness with a fake smile.
"Ah, One, welcome! What do you need?" Two inquired pleasantly. One saw straight through though those pleasantries and knew that something was very wrong.
"What was that about?" One asked and then quickly added in, "And spare your excuses. I know something is wrong; you've been distracted for days."
Two's optics widened and then his façade dropped. "You are right, One. As usual I suppose…" He ran his hands over the workbench and brushed away the wood shavings. "…Did you notice something, One? How… Quiet it has been?"
"I don't know what you're implying. If you mean my fights with Seven-." One abruptly cut off when he noticed how dismal Two looked. He allowed his voice to soften, "You mean actual silence, do you not? You're not implying anything else."
"No, I am not," Two agreed. "Just… How quiet the world has been?"
It was only at that moment that it hit One that the gunshots had halted. No sounds of humans yelling or mechanical groans, no explosions, no airplanes or tanks; it had been completely silent. It had been for three days at least, but One knew that it could've been longer without him noticing. None of them had really paid that close attention since they had huddled away in their home, but now the world was silent.
"Perhaps the war has ended…" One suggested. "Though with a victory on which side I could not guess. The humans would've celebrated and the machines would have overrun the remains of the city, but silence-." One paused this thought to briefly open the curtain and peer out with paranoia. Eight stood far across the Cathedral, waiting at the lift, but the rest of the building was serene. "Silence could mean anything."
"No, One. Silence means mutual destruction," Two corrected. He had stopped pretending to be distracting himself and now stared at the workbench with still hands. "I believe… That neither side won the war."
"That is rather far-fetched, don't you suppose?" One offered. He was surprised when Two turned on him with such a destroyed look on his face. His eyes were wide and bubbling with unyielding sadness.
"It is the only outcome that would result in the world falling quiet." Two closed his eyes and dropped his head. "I fear… That we are all that remains of the world now… And that is a shame. Such potential lost."
When his voice cut off with a choke, One realized that Two was starting to weep. Something about this vulnerability made One uncomfortable; it was too uncharacteristic of the Inventor who he had lived so long with. He was happy, warm, excitable, and hopeful, not doom and gloom. If anyone was doom and gloom, it was One himself, and this alone assured him that he couldn't stand this new demeanor.
"Then the world is ours," One insisted as he stepped closer. "So be it. Parents pass down their lineage and now the humans pass on their home to us. Perhaps this wasn't the outcome anyone wanted, but the world is not lost." He reached out and laid his hand on Two's further shoulder. "Not when people like you still exist in it."
It was only when Two straightened and looked to him abruptly that One realized what he had said. The compliment slipped out without his control, he hadn't even intended on it, and yet there it was.
"I… I didn't know you felt that way about me," Two admitted. "I just assumed that you saw me as getting underfoot." Indeed, One could agree, but he started to give in to the temptation to continue these softer comments. After all, Two was already looking less forlorn. One straightened himself and continued.
"Two, I know we disagree on many things, but I would have to be a fool to not see you for what you are. You are intelligent, much warmer than I could ever be- I know I come off as more cold. You bring in this warmth that I cannot… Even though the others look to me as a leader, they always will look to you as a parent. If anything could be brought over from the humans, that paternal affection is the one thing that deserved to survive," One assured. He tugged Two in just a slight bit, trying to ignore the tightening in his chest.
A soft glow of green seemed to spread along Two's cheeks. For a split moment, One was concerned by it, having never seen anything like it. It was merely through assumptions and general knowledge that he realized it was a form of a blush. For someone who One saw as an equal, occasionally even as a competitor for the others' attention, he did look rather winsome in such a state.
One's tongue continued to slip, "And the world has changed, perhaps… It is a tragedy what has happened out there, but we must live with it. I will sleep soundly knowing that anything worth saving of humanity is already here." He tightened his hand on Two's shoulder with a brief squeeze. Unfortunately, One seemed to suddenly rouse from his trance right after this, and suddenly realized what he was doing. He drew back his arm and stood alongside Two, looking over his face and waiting for a complete reaction.
"Thank you, One…" Two's smile returned, but it was smaller than usual. Considering the still constant blush, it was obvious that Two was still effected by the words. Perhaps just as much as One now was. "I… Perhaps I needed that. I've just felt so empty. So lost, but I… You're wrong, One. You can be warm when you want to be," the inventor assured. Now they stood together in the silent workshop. Not another word, not a single question; just silent.
Which meant that not a word was exchanged when One lost what little restraint he had and moved in to take Two's lips. Two was just as warm as he imagined and he didn't pull away.
"One?" One continued to stare towards the tiled floor. It had been so long since he had thought of that memory, or the rush that accompanied it. "One, you sort of faded out there," Nine pointed out with an amused smile. He assumed that the leader would just shrug it off, but he didn't. Instead, the weight of his actions and of the recent events suddenly crashed down upon him. One dropped his head into his good hand and was lost in a moment of self-loathing. Eight, still beside him, looked stunned at the response.
Nine was also surprised. He glanced over the others; Seven with her hands on the back of the twins' and Six still curled beside Eight, peeking around his leg at One. The zippered male took only a moment to stare at the others and then stood from his seat, crossed over, and sat down beside One. He hadn't seen the leader like this, but he knew that they were all dealing with this with difficulty. Even if he didn't understand the relationship with One and Two- and doubted that he could with the conflicting evidence- he was obviously upset.
The younger put his arm around One's back to try and comfort him. He didn't say anything though; Nine had a feeling that One would prefer the silence with his iron-clad pride. One rubbed his face and briefly lowered his hand, and in that split second, he spotted something that the others hadn't. He straightened, his expression a mix of sadness and slight alarm, and looked towards where Nine had been sitting. "Five…"
Nine's optics widened and looked over to see Five standing behind the book. Nobody had even heard him approach, as evident by Seven looking over in confusion. "Five, hey," Nine greeted with a forced smile. "Everything okay?"
"Yeah, uh… I just- I just heard you talking," Five murmured as he shuffled to the front of the book and sat down where Nine had been. Said zippered male was torn between comforting One and comforting his best friend, but decided to stay put for the moment as Five looked surprisingly calm. "Telling the stories and everything."
"Just reminiscing," Seven remarked with her own smile. The twins nodded in agreement and Three scooted closer to sit beside the healer. The scholar proceeded to receive a ruffle of their hood from Five in response. "Thinking about Two… Has anything changed?"
"Not really. His pulse is a little stronger, but he hasn't… He isn't showing and signs of waking," Five admitted quietly. His gaze lowered and his mood immediately dipped. "I don't understand. I thought I did everything right."
"You did do everything right," Nine protested. He then glanced to One and, noticing that he had somewhat stabilized, he stood and went to sit alongside the healer. He put his arm around him like he had with One. "Two's body just needs rest. He's gone through a lot." Five nodded stiffly. "You have to too. Maybe you need rest."
"I'm fine," Five denied with a weary shake of the head. Then he looked up to his friend, "About, uh… About your stories… I might have one. It's a little embarrassing though."
Nine sent an amused smile, "Is anything more embarrassing than half of the memories we have together?" This managed to get a little bit of a chuckle out of Five. Nine was glad to hear it; he missed hearing Five's laughter and he missed having him happy. Five used to brighten him up and now it was all he could do to get a smile out of the buttoned male. "We'd love to hear it."
"It's pretty short, but it… I was thinking about it," Five admitted with a timid smile. "It was the last time we scouted together-."
"Two, wait!" Five sputtered out as he scrambled down the rubble on the other side of the wall. He looked around frantically at the deserted world outside of the walls of the city. He didn't like the thought of going outside the city, because even though the beasts could get past the walls, something about the openness outside the walls made him very uneasy. Especially when Two got overexcited and tried to rush ahead. He stumbled to level ground and hurried up to Two's back. "Wait, wait! You shouldn't hurry off!"
"Five, I'm fine," Two insisted with a chuckle. He lifted his lance to accentuate this. "I'm keeping an eye out, so you don't need to worry."
"I know, I just… I worry," Five awkwardly admitted. He sent him a smile and Two patted his arm. Then he turned ahead and continued with his apprentice following behind.
"Now, remember not to touch these wires," Two instructed as they passed by a few, seemingly-random horizontal wires along their path. "These are definitely trip wires and will trigger nearby explosives." Five choked at the thought and Two flashed him a smile, "But there shouldn't be mines, and if there are we will be able to see them easily." The inventor continued onwards with Five awkwardly crouching under the wires behind him. It was then that Two started to get ahead of his apprentice once more.
The older male made it to the edge of a large pit and stared down into the depths. It was obviously some sort of trap for the machines and Two hummed in light interest, leaning over the edge. In a second, the ground started to crumble underneath him. Without a hitch, he stabbed his lance further back in the dirt to brace himself. Five either didn't see this or didn't believe it would help, as he rushed in and snatched him around the middle, yanking him out of the way.
"Dad, this is what I'm talking about! If you would've fallen down there, how would we get you back out?!" Five nearly scolded in worry as he released his mentor. "Please, while we're out here alone, please be careful."
"You're right, I'm sorry. I should've known better than getting that close to the edge," Two agreed, largely unbothered by the event but realizing that he needed to be careful. "I suppose I get a bit overexcited." Five was relieved and nodded in agreement, trying to coax Two in the opposite direction. They only got a few steps before Two came to an abrupt stop. Five looked to Two in confusion.
"…What did you call me a moment ago?" As soon as Two asked it, Five remembered. Five knew exactly what he had said and promptly regretted it. He couldn't fathom how something like that had just slipped out, as he had never even considered calling his mentor it. He had thought about it, yes, but going through with it had been out of the question. Yet here he was making Two uncomfortable. He needed to apologize.
"Uh…" But of course, he couldn't. He couldn't do anything except stand there horrified, wanting to vanish on the spot. Yet before he could manage to profusely apologize, Two's surprise changed to a delighted smile.
"Let's head back in the city, my boy. I'm sure we can find more than enough in the more familiar areas," Two suggested as he reached out and laid his hand on Five's back. He affectionately coaxed the younger alongside him, sending him a smile. Yet the younger was reluctant.
"I'm sorry," Five choked out. "I- I didn't mean to… Say that. Creator, I didn't mean to make this awkward." He couldn't remember the last time he was this embarrassed. He covered his optic with his hand. Seeing this, Two knew that he needed to speak.
"Five, there's nothing to be ashamed about. I'm flattered! In fact…" Two's warm smile dropped to a softer, almost shy one. Nothing about Two ever seemed to be shy. "I have always felt this sort of parental bond. I know that seems strange, being that we would technically be siblings, but I am honored to be… A father to you." His smile brightened once more and he rubbed Five's back again. "If you are willing to have me, with how much danger I put myself in."
"Of course! I would- Two, you're more like a father than our father was!" Five insisted firmly, as though defending Two from his own joke. "A-And even if something did happen, I'd try to be the good son… I'm going to be here if you need me. That's what a good son does."
This only made Two look happier. He gave a charming chuckle, "Oh Five, you couldn't be a better son. I'm very proud of you."
Like One, Five fell into silence after the story. He stared sadly at the floor as Nine reached out and laid his hand on his back, just as Two once had. Five let out a guttural moan of despair and dropped his head into his hands. "Oh Nine, what have I done? I was supposed to save him. I was supposed to heal him and I couldn't even do that!"
"You did do that," Nine protested insistently. "You put Two back together. You fixed his legs, you stitched his fabric, you saved him!... He just needs longer to rest." He tugged Five against his chest to hug him, holding him tightly. There was both the lingering relief in getting to hug him again, after fearing his death, and a sadness in seeing him so distraught. It was as though Five was losing Two all over again. In a way, it was almost like they all were. Here they were lamenting and remembering memories over someone who they had lost twice.
"Let's keep going. Come on, does anyone else have any stories?" Nine looked around at the others, but they were solemn and silent. "I know there's more. Anyone want to go again? We… We could really use this." Seven looked between Six and Eight, One looked distracted, the twins looked to each other, and nobody looked ready to speak. "…Anybody?" Nine desperately tried.
"I…I su-suppose I could tell one…"
The sentence was gravelly and broken midway by a cough, but innocently suggested a story. It would have been a relief, but it was too much of a shock first and foremost, because it sounded like Two.
Five gasped and straightened abruptly, then waited to see if he had just imagined it. After a moment of this shocked waiting, he looked back at the figure laying on the book behind them. There was Two, laying in the same position but with his optics now open. The inventor gave a weak smile and Five's optic widened impossibly.
"Two, you- I can't- You're awake!" He threw himself over the back of the book and rushed to his side, dropping onto his knees again. "I thought- we all thought you weren't coming back!" He pressed his forehead to the back of Two's hand and nuzzled into it, clinging to it harder than before. "Oh Two…"
"Oh, thank Creator!" Seven murmured as she stood and circled the book, following the twins and Nine who also rushed over. "You had us worried."
"Worried?!" One stood abruptly from his seat, staring in alarm across the room. "My Creator, Two, could you have not told us you were alive ages ago?!" He was obviously flustered, as were the others, but his outburst was largely ignored. He hurried over with them, leaving Six and Eight behind to stare in surprise. They all gathered around Two who was clearly still weak, but very much alive. He sent them a tired smile.
"How long have you been awake?" Nine asked quietly and with his own eager smile. He looked down at Five, thrilled to see how happy his friend looked, and then turned back to Two. "We were waiting for you."
"Only a little time," Two admitted. "I had trouble getting myself to speak." He sounded groggy and it was becoming more apparent that he wasn't fully focused. Perhaps still half-asleep, perhaps Five had slipped him some magnet, but considering that they had thought he wouldn't wake up, it was still a blessing.
"But you did get to hear the sappy reminiscing? That's the important part," Seven playfully asked as she knelt down and kissed him on the top of the head. "Try not to scare us like that."
Five still clutched to Two's hand, holding it carefully in his own two. "But you feel okay? Everything's okay?"
"I'm… Sore," Two admitted. "I can't remember what happened… I'm still tired."
"Then you should rest," Five assured. "It's okay to rest more. We're not going anywhere." He truly didn't want Two to fall back asleep, but he also didn't want to risk his mentor's health. He couldn't help but be worried when he was still in this state.
"No, I don't want to. I've slept long enough," Two assured. It was then that Six popped up on the other side of Two, kneeled, and hugged him around the shoulders. "Ah, I missed you too, Six," he affectionately chuckled and hugged him with his free arm.
It was then that Nine suddenly perked to attention. "Two, we discovered the truth about the source and the Machine and… And everything," Nine explained. This managed to perk the tired Stitchpunk's interest. "Sorry you weren't awake to see it," he added and rubbed the back of his shoulder.
"Ah, smashing! I knew- I knew if someone would figure it out, it would be you," Two assured with curiosity in his optics. "How did you find out?"
"Trial and error." Nine almost didn't notice Eight standing behind him. He would've corrected him, but then realized that it was the truth, so he instead coughed awkwardly.
"It's a long story if you want to hear it," Nine suggested. "And a long ordeal altogether, but it has a happy ending now that you're awake… And there's an extremely dark moment midway through involving a Seamstress that I might need to brush over." This got a look of confusion from Two and One broke in.
"Just tell him. He will figure it out anyway once we all start having aggressive nightmares," One pointed out. "Any normal Stitchpunk would be terrified by the mere thought, but this is Two, and he is not normal."
"Good morning to you too, One," Two playfully remarked. He tilted his head back to look upwards at the leader. "Someone sounds like he hasn't slept."
"I think you have slept enough for all of us," One quipped right back. Though he sounded to be just a disgruntled as usual, the others could tell that he was somewhat relieved that Two had finally awoken.
Nine sat down on the edge of the book beside Five, looking to Two. The inventor looked back at him with both warmth, the warmth that the others had mentioned, and complete interest. Exhausted or not, there was a relentless search for knowledge, one that Nine knew very well. The others had, after all, compared them to each other many times.
Yet Nine had few memories of himself with Two. He hadn't even been able to give a memorable story about Two, as talking about their first meeting had felt too sore. There were too many things that Nine regretted. Here he was with the opportunity to tell their story to the one person he truly wanted to. Perhaps, one day, this would be a memory they would look back on. He couldn't think of a happier one.
Nine paused to look over the group. For what felt like the first time, they were together less as a unit or a community and more like a family. The twins eagerly looked over Two, Six still clung to him, and Five loyally held his hand. Seven, One, and Eight watched without physically touching Two, but it was obvious that their attention was also taken. Nobody wanted anything more than to stay within the glow that Two provided.
"So… I'll start with when I met Five," Nine began. "Or when he saved me from the Emptiness…"
Nine had their story to tell. It was one without Two, but one that Two would be able to hear and engage one. A sad story that Two would be able to brighten up by just being awake.
They still had a chance for more memories in the future. That itself was worth the wait.
FIN
Mable: 8,000 words to celebrate the 8th anniversary. At least I managed to make it before the end of September! If anyone reading is anticipating 'Our Inner Beasts', the chapter will be finished soon and posted. ^-^ I hope you enjoyed!