Before the Warrior

Chapter Nine: The Deal

"Together we'll be the greatest team there's ever been…

Dreams the way we planned them!

If we work in tandem,

There's no fight we cannot win…"

Seven's anger prevented her from assessing the danger she was stepping into as she neared the beast's lair. She couldn't understand the twins' decision to put their lives in danger. After all she had been through trying to find them, they repaid her with stubbornness. Yet, she could relate to that stubbornness too. She was stubborn. Still, they weren't going to fight this beast, were they?

The twins were not her only reason to be out here anymore. There was a new drive–a drive to be free, to destroy the beast, to fight to the end. And she needed her spear back to have a chance at satisfying that drive.

The heat of her anger cooled as she neared the factory. Her instinct to survive was setting in now, and fear nearly drove her back to the library. Instead of fleeing though, she used that energy in preparation of meeting the beast.

It wasn't easy to find the exhaust pipe she had walked through during her escape of the beast's lair, but finally she crossed it. She tried to be as quiet as possible treading down the tunnel into the beast's chamber, and swallowed her fear as she drew closer to the opening.

There was not a sound from the chamber. After waiting a few moments in the absolute silence, Seven assumed the coast was clear. She darted around inside the old factory, not really caring then if she made noise, looking for her spear. Her face contorted in frustration. The blasted creature had shuffled objects around while she was away.

Her optics locked onto a large object connected to the ceiling. This piece of machinery was immense, and cloaked in a large, blood-red cloth. What confused her most of all was why she wanted so badly to know what was under the cloth.

She didn't have time to find the answer, as a growl filled the chamber. A rusty oilcan provided the shelter she needed as the lion returned to its den.

The creature seemed more agitated than it had been before, and Seven could guess the reason why. She wanted to chuckle at the foolish monster and how she had tricked it into believing she was dead.

The frustrated beast picked up a crowbar in its teeth and flung it across the room. It made a loud noise as it hit the concrete wall of the factory. After the sharp twang, Seven finally saw it. Her spear was underneath the monster's right forepaw.

She waited for the beast to walk away, but she knew it was going to be difficult to avoid its keen, laser eye. At last, when the creature had gone away to destroy something on the other side of the room, she left her hiding place. She moved far more carefully this time as she ran to pick up the spear. She quickly examined the weapon and test-swung it. The pencil handle was damaged to the point that she knew it needed repairs, but she could still swing it about as well as she could before. She began to make her escape, careful to avoid too much movement or noise.

She was no more than four feet away from the pipe when her foot slipped from her perch. Her shield, the loose thing it always was, flew off while she tried to keep balance. The sound of the button hitting a garbage pail was a signal for the beast to attack.

Seven scrambled to retrieve her armor, but the creature locked onto her before charging, emitting a mighty roar. The rag doll only had to time to slip her shield back on and brace herself, holding the spear she had reclaimed in front of her.

The beast halted, curious what its prey was up to.

"Don't move," Seven ordered, shaking a bit. "I-I'll fight you. And this time, I'll win!"

Though the beast couldn't understand her words, it knew that its prey was virtually helpless. It closed in on her, knowing it would only have to avoid the twig she was holding up against it. Just as it was about to strike, something hit the beast's skull. Almost immediately after, another projectile stuck the beast with near perfect accuracy.

Seven looked around for anything that could have caused this, but saw nothing. She took the opportunity and dashed while the beast was diverted. The creature hissed when it realized that it had been tricked, and leaped over Seven to block the entrance to the pipe.

Then the beast was distracted by something moving to its left. It growled, unable to concentrate. Meanwhile Seven jabbed her spear between the "bone" structures on its foreleg. Though the great cat felt no pain, it roared at the injury. Seven, satisfied, removed the spear and jabbed at the other leg, causing the creature to get angry. That was when she realized that the beast was not only frustrated with her efforts to destroy it, but by a force attacking its head as well. She looked up to find Four, of all beings, on the beast's back, kicking its skull with her feet. Meanwhile, Three was tossing pebbles at the monster from across the chamber, distracting it more.

Up here! Four clicked rapidly.

Seven didn't even think twice about the situation and found a way to climb up the creature's back to where Four was still attacking. She got the idea and whacked its head with her spear a few times.

The monster tried to run around to rid itself of the parasites that surrounded it, but it did no good. Its back leg got caught in a piece of chicken wire and held fast. Thankfully for the dolls, the beast stopped just near the escape pipe.

"Quick, get in there!" Seven ordered Four. "I'll get Three."

Three was still throwing rocks at the beast, though he was running out of ammunition. His foot slipped off his perch, and he momentarily dangled over the beast's head. The creature snapped at the little doll a few times, nearly catching him in its teeth. Luckily, Seven came along and hoisted him up.

They ran through the room, Three ahead of Seven, toward their escape. The beast finally freed itself as Four helped her brother get into the pipeline. Seven watched, nearly frozen, as the beast braced itself for another attack. The creature lunged, hoping to catch at least the pale doll in its jaws…

When Seven found reality again, she was inside the pipe with Three and Four. The beast was growling and attacking the pipe, but she was far back enough to where it couldn't reach her. She had no idea how she had avoided the attack, but she took off running with the twins all the way to the library.

The trio returned to their base by nightfall. As soon as they reached their safe haven of books, the twins wasted no time asking the question they had been dying to ask Seven.

How did you do it?

"Do what?" Seven asked.

The leap! Four clicked.

With the flip! Three added.

And the twist.

And the tunnel.

And the perfect landing!

"Slow down!" Seven said. "Do you mean I jumped in the middle of the fight?"

Right into the pipe, Three said.

"I did?" Seven said with a gasp. "So, that's how I escaped."

It was like watching a bird take flight, Four clicked with romanticism dripping from her signals.

Failed poet, Three clicked back too quietly for Seven to see.

Seven was too busy trying to remember the moment where she had apparently leaped from the ground like a bird. The creature had charged right for she and the others, but beyond that she could remember nothing. How was it possible to make a leap like that without remembering it?

Perhaps, she thought, her instinct to survive had overpowered everything else at that moment. It gave her focus. But inner focus didn't explain the miraculous jump itself. She rubbed her back scar, not in pain but in thought.

"Two did say I might become more flexible with the injury," she thought aloud.

Well, it certainly gave you an advantage, Four clicked.

Seven smiled before hugging both the twins. "But I wouldn't have made it without you two. Why didn't you tell me about the beast's weaknesses before? It can't see behind its head and it can't focus on more than one target at once…" She started to pace around, thinking of how to destroy her foe. "Yes, that'll make everything so much easier!"

That's not all we know about it, said Three.

"Really?" Seven asked with enthusiasm, "What else do you know?"

Too much to tell you in one night, Four supplied. How do you think we've stayed hidden all this time?

"Hmm…" Seven thought and stretched her arms. "Well, you can tell me everything in the morning, I guess."

The twins looked to each other, then back to her suspiciously.

Can we trust you not to run off? Three said, huffing his chest and crossing his arms as if he were Seven's protective parent.

"Why would I run away?" Seven asked while putting away her spear and shield. "I need to guard our home overnight, don't I?"

The twins smiled. Now Seven understood their reason for staying. Even better, they had something of a bargain with her. As long as they shared their knowledge of the beast with her, she wouldn't leave. It would be nice to be protected by the fierce doll, and besides, both dolls had been hopelessly lonely by themselves.

Before Seven fell asleep, she searched around the library until she found a striped feather on the ground. The pale doll clutched the feather tight to her chest before resting beside a and Four had no idea why the feather mattered so much to Seven, but they decided it was none of their business and fell asleep too.

"Just you and I defying gravity.

With you and I defying gravity,

They'll never bring us down."

-Wicked, The Broadway Musical.


Author's Note: Yet again, this is another chapter that I felt needed little revision. The point of view is now more focused on Seven and her ultimate goal. Now I feel that the transformation of Seven from concerned about the twins to a determined fighter is more complete. Lastly, Defying Gravity is quite possibly my favorite song ever. Listen to it. It's simply fantastic!